A/N: Hey guys! I have the next chapter for you~! :D
And just a heads up, looks like 2 or 3 more chapters and then this fanfiction will be finished. :'(
Sorry for the long wait…I had to figure out how to write this chapter to prepare for the ending. But I've got it now~! *happy dance*
Thank you so much for all the reviews! *hugs all* They really make my day, thank you so much!
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or any characters thereof…yet. :3
Enjoy~! :D
"Ready!"
The commander looked out across the army of hunters that stood ready before him, his gaze landing on the two hunters who were readying the next shot, trying to break the walls of the castle. When the catapult was loaded, one of the two looked up to the commander and nodded his head in a quick jerk, before darting behind the contraption to prepare for firing. The commander closed his eyes and yelled out the next command.
"Aim!"
The large catapult shifted slightly, aiming toward the section of wall they had been relentlessly pounding at for the past half an hour. By now, the nobles inside, including the hundreds of lower ranking vampires that worked as servants would be rallied behind their prince. The commander sneered in disdain in the general direction of what he knew was the princes chambers, mouthing a few choice curses in that direction as well. He cast a glance to the catapult, waiting for the telltale nod that told him it was in position. When the nod came, he took a deep breath, preparing to bellow out the final command.
….
"FIRE!"
He watched in a sort of sick satisfaction as the steel ball, laced through with anti-vampire technology, soared through the grey sky to collide perfectly with the weakest part of the castle's front wall. With a roar that resounded across the entire hunter army, the wall finally collapsed, giving the commander a perfect view of the inner courtyards. Unwillingly, a flash of memory flickered in front of his vision. For an instant, he could see the sun shining through the low, dark clouds, and the walls were once again whole and sturdy. A lone vampire walked the winding pathways of the courtyard, making his way to the massive fountain that resided in the center. Suddenly, another figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere, running to catch up with his dark haired companion. At this distance, the only way to tell the difference between the two was the color of their hair; one the darkest brown, the other the purest silver.
The commander blinked rapidly, forcing the memory to the back of his mind, and the vision disappeared. His sight was graced once again with the broken, cracked walls of the castle, and the fountain that had once flowed so beautifully was broken in two, completely dried up and sad looking.
However, one thing from his vision stayed the same. A proud looking dark haired vampire stood alone in front of the decimated fountain, his head bowed as if deep in thought. He was bedecked in black armor, complemented by a deep red accents and a crimson cloak falling from his shoulders. The vampire held a black bladed long sword in both hands, point secured safely in the ground.
As the vampire looked up, the commander could make out his features even at the distance he stood. He knew that vampire's looks as well as his own. The commander closed his eyes, picturing what he must look like to the lone vampire. He was also bedecked in light armor, for the weight of a normal set would only slow him down, and lessen his advantages against quicker foes. In direct contrast to the vampire's, however, his armor was pure silver, with purple accents running through the metalwork. In his hands he held an elegant rapier, which had a stunning amethyst set in the hilt. He too looked up, staring the vampire down in confrontation.
What are you looking at, Kaname?
'I'm staring at a beautiful hunter who used to love me.'
The commander scowled deeply, projecting his thoughts to the vampire, who hadn't changed his stance at all. What are you doing in my head, Kaname?
He thought he heard a weak chuckle, but then brushed it off as his imagination. 'We're bonded. At this close distance, if you project your thoughts to me, I can read every word you think. The same happens vice versa.'
The commander said nothing, thought nothing, and let the silence fill the void between the two.
He heard Kaname sigh. 'Zero, don't do this. Please, please listen to me. Someone framed us; Aidou didn't kill those hunters. I swear this on my life, and yours – we were set up.'
I don't want to hear it. You lie. You've always lied.
'Zero, please…'
No, Kaname. You fooled me once before, it won't happen again.
'Zero…'
No.
'…How long has it been since you've fed, Zero?'
The question took him by surprise. He couldn't answer, and before he could collect his thoughts, Kaname began speaking again.
'You haven't fed since the night in the maze, when I changed you. I have not fed since then either. We are bonded, meaning we can no other's blood but our bondmate's. However, because of the vitality of the blood, we can go longer than normal vampires can – about two months, rather than two weeks'
'…it's been two and a half months, Zero. You need to feed, I need to feed soon, or we'll both die. Do you understand, Zero? You'll die – you have to accept that you need me, Zero. I can't be your enemy, not now. I can't fight you. Please, please listen to what I have to say. I promise that I'm not lying – I will never lie to you again. I am begging you on my knees, Zero.'
Zero watched in blatant disbelief as Kaname sank to his knees, throwing his sword to the side and staring him straight in the eye.
'Zero, this is foolishness. Please hear me out, and I swear everything will make sense…'
Zero felt himself weakening, and surprised himself in almost agreeing with the pureblood. He collected his thoughts and prepared to tell Kaname that he would accept his offer, but the vampire's next words stopped him short.
'You can't be both a vampire and a hunter, Zero. You're a vampire now; you have to accept that. You need to listen to me, you need to feed, and you need to trust me.'
Zero growled, spitting out every curse he could think off, aiming the harsh words at the vampire.
How dare you tell me what I can and cannot be! I thought you had changed. I thought you were different. But now I see you were just weaving another web of lies. You can never stop manipulating people, can you Kaname? You always have to be in control of others. Well, I don't want a part in any of it. Any sob story you came up with to defend that scum of a blonde vampire, keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear another word from you, Kaname. You don't deserve my patience.
With that, Zero raised the point of his sword to the sky, the silver blade winked dimly in the scant light that filtered through the clouds. With his gaze still secured firmly on Kaname, who had stood from his kneeling position and was once again standing, he addressed the army that stood behind him.
"Come, hunters! Let's give these filthy pieces of scum what they deserve!"
The army roared in consent, and followed Zero without another thought as the commander ran at a full sprint across the distance that separated him and his enemy. Kaname watched his lover's advance as long as he safely could before turning and running into the castle, scooping up his sword as he went.
Negotiations had failed. Now they had to fight, and pray that they survived long enough for Zero to change his mind.
As Kaname cast one last glance at the charging hunters, he realized that that may take a very long time.
. . .
"Ichijo, get Aidou someplace safe. I don't want him to be injured by the hunters any more than he already has been." The pale haired vampire nodded and rushed Aidou to the upper level of the castle. Kaname spun on his heel to address the others. "Ruka, Kain, go to the rest of the army and make sure they're ready to fight; the hunters will be here in a matter of minutes, they only have to break through the back door now." A resounding crashing sound echoed from down the hall, and Kaname flinched. "Scratch that, I'll be right behind you." As they ran off, Kaname turned to the final two vampires. "Shiki, Rima, I have a special task for you. I need to help me capture Zero. He will almost definitely come straight to me, but with his anti-vampire weapons, he outmatches me. Once you see us fighting, I need you to contain him. No matter what kind of danger I am in, your first priority is to stop Zero – injure him if you must, but keep him alive."
The two vampires nodded quickly in agreement before dashing down the hallway after their companions, another rattling crash tearing through the castle, counting down the few minutes they had left. Kaname willed his legs to move, and he ran through the twisting hallways, nearly running right into a wall as he made an extremely sharp turn. After one of their precious minutes had passed, Kaname had arrived in the front hall, where the entire vampire army was standing ready and waiting, their eyes flickering back and forth across the room. They were nervous; it was nature to be nervous of hunters.
Kaname walked to the front of the crowd and turned to address all of them.
"Now, I would love to give you all a heart-warming speech that would have each and every one of you cheering my name…" Another resounding crash, and then Kaname could hear the faint cheering of the hunters. They were finally in the castle. "…But as you can see, the hunters have a different plan than I do, and we always need to respect our guest's wishes, correct?" Kaname was smirking, and the army chuckled softly to itself. Kaname spread his arms wide. "Let's give the hunters the warmest welcome we can muster!" The army cheered, raising their weapons towards the ceiling as they did. Kaname raised his hands to quiet them. "Our strategy is this: Split up into groups of twenty or smaller. Make them come to us. Use the entire castle, separate them, and take them down one by one. We know the terrain better than they do, and they know it. Be careful, be smart, and be crafty. And don't forget to stay alive." More laughter from the crowd, and more cheering. Kaname added one more order to his list.
"No one touch the general. He's mine."
. . .
Zero scanned the empty hallway in suspicion. Yes, they had come in the back door, but he was expecting at least some resistance from the hunters. Instead, all that greeted him in this back hallway was…empty hallway. Zero cursed softly, the vampires' plan remained clouded to him.
He turned to address the army of hundreds that stood ready behind him.
"Well, my fellow hunters, it seemed that the monsters are too afraid to come out from under the bed and play." Zero broke into laughter, and the army followed suit. Their laughter bounced off of the walls, traveling through the castle, hopefully reaching vampire ears.
If they want to hide, they'll have to put up with humiliation.
"Unfortunately, we'll have to do much more work than we had originally thought – but don't worry. After all, if the leeches want to hide, then they will be hunted…in the literal sense of the word."
Zero smirked as the army erupted into cheers and excited whispers. Whether or not they knew it, the vampires had just provided them with the best game the hunters had ever experienced. Zero's smirk grew before he once again addressed the group.
"We're going to have to split up. I doubt that they're all huddled in the great hall in one big group; but then again…I wouldn't put it past them."
More laughter.
Zero was flat out grinning by now. "Now, my friends, the moment of truth." He raised his arms, as if trying to reach every single one of his soldiers. "It is very rare that I must say this, but it must be said. Do not underestimate these vampires. Some of them, rather, most of them, are simply servants here. They will not be too powerful. However, there are also a group of powerful nobles residing in this castle, and they are Kuran's closest advisors. They will no doubt be the ones leading the army. Be wary of them, but make them your target. If you destroy them…" Zero mimed something falling inside itself with his hands. "…the entire army will collapse upon itself."
Zero wasted no time, and waved away the cheers he received with his hand. "Separate into small groups; twenty, twenty-five strong. Yuuki, you'll be coming with me. Scour the castle and…don't take prisoners."
He didn't hush the cheers this time, and, like the laughter before it, it bounced along the castle walls, into the very heart of the castle, where one lone vampire was standing. The Great Hall had long since been emptied, the vampire army gone to spread out in the castle, and wait for the enemy. The vampire stood with his eyes closed, listening intently as the cheering died down.
He could just barely hear Zero talking once more, and the final command reached his ears with a sense of accomplishment.
"No one touch the pureblood; he's mine."
Kaname opened his blood red eyes and smiled.
"I'll be waiting, my love."
Back in front of the hunters, Zero couldn't stop a sudden chill from traveling down his spine. He turned to face the depths of the castle, and if he tried, he could almost see it as he had thousands of times, with sunlight streaming through the windows, with Kaname at his side. He shook his head violently, glaring at the darkness ahead of him, and ultimately the pureblood that the darkness was hiding.
I'll be waiting…Kaname.
. . .
Twenty minutes later
A hunter group walked quietly through one of the numerous hallways the castle housed. They had yet to run into any form of life, and they were beginning to get a bit nervous. One of the group, a young hunter of barely sixteen, turned around to scan the area behind him. He caught a flash of movement, and called to the rest of his group. They had already traveled too far ahead to hear him. Steadying himself, the hunter ran toward the movement he saw, readying his gun, ignoring the fact that his hands were shaking.
He turned the corner to come face to face with the pureblood himself. He opened his mouth to scream for help, but an instant later, he heard the screams of his companions echo through the halls. His eyes widened in fear, for as soon as the screaming had started, it stopped, leaving the halls to be eerily silent.
The hunter looked up at Kaname, fear plan in his eyes as he dropped his weapon and knelt on the ground.
"Please spare me…I don't want to do this…I don't want to be here…I don't want to fight I don't want to kill I don't want to hurt you…I don't want to die." His voice was shaking uncontrollably, and tears were streaming down his face. He felt Kaname's hand on his head, and he flinched, sure that death was only a breath away. When he took another breath and death still hadn't claimed him, he looked up in surprise. Kaname was staring at him with the strangest expression, almost one of compassion. The young hunter blinked, and the purebloods face morphed into a sad smile.
"I have never met a hunter who admitted he was afraid, or swallowed enough of his pride to kneel before a vampire. Are there others like you?"
The boy blinked slowly, before nodding his head vigorously. "Oh, yes. Everyone in this army from my generation sees no point in this battle. We – " He looked away slightly. "We have vampire friends. We wouldn't even be here, except Zero called for every able-bodied hunter available and…when Zero calls, we answer. You of all people should understand the pull a leader has on his people." He looked at Kaname defiantly, before remembering his place and returning his gaze to the floor.
Kaname smiled, ruffling the boy's hair before making him look him in the eye again.
"Down this hall and to the left is a door which bears a carving of a swan on it. I want you to go to that room and knock three times in rapid succession. When the door opens, tell the vampire you see that I sent you, and you support peace between our kinds. He will let you in and keep you safe from harm. Do you understand? I will also send out an order to all vampires in this castle to spare the hunters that fight reluctantly, and to send them to the same room, so your friends will be safe if they wish for peace."
The hunter nodded, his eyes wide with wonder that the pureblood would do this much for him.
Kaname smiled again. "Not just for you, but for both of our races. This war is pointless, and the ground on which it sits is shifting. Hatred just for the sake of hatred is equal to blindness. You are the first I have met who is not cursed with the blindness of your ancestors."
Kaname ushered the boy down the hall, and watched as he disappeared into the gloom. The torches had been doused for the sake of concealment, but it gave the entire castle and overall gloomy look. Kaname sighed, and focused his thoughts on one order.
Spare the hunters who are reluctant to fight. Send them to Ichijo if the plead peace.
Over and over again, for ten minutes straight, until he was certain that every vampire understood his orders. Kaname turned and concentrated once again on a single presence.
Zero…where are you?
"Right behind you, Kuran."
Kaname turned, surprise etched all over his face. It was extremely unlikely that Zero would have been able to sneak up on him like this…their bond should have alerted him of his presence.
"Zero…please listen to me…"
"Why would I listen to you, Kuran? You're a vampire. A pureblood vampire, at that."
Zero began to advance on Kaname, who backed away in time with the hunters step. Something was off about Zero…the hatred that burned in his eyes seemed somehow colder, less personal than it should have been. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Zero…why do you hate me so much?"
Zero stopped short, staring at Kaname quizzically before laughing coldly.
"Why? You're a vampire. I have no other reason to hate you other than you don't belong on the face of this earth."
He had barely stopped talking before he was slammed into a wall, Kaname's hand at his throat. The pureblood twisted his captive's head to the side, inspecting the left side of his neck.
No tattoo.
Kaname met the imposter's gaze, which was burning with a sick light. "Who are you? Why have you done this to our peace?"
The zero look alike laughed, and even to Kaname's vampire ears, his laugh sounded identical to Zero's. It was uncanny.
"There never was any peace between our kinds, only the concealment of true feelings. The only way there can be peace between hunter and animal is if the animals are obedient. However, you and yours have never been obedient. So you must be eradicated."
Kaname opened his mouth to reply, but an intense feeling of completion rolled over him in waves, and his grip on his captive slackened. The silver haired boy fell to the ground as Kaname turned to look at the people who were walking towards him, one a female with short brown hair who stayed safely behind the other, who had his sword raised in a protective stance.
"Zero…"
Before anyone could do anything else, Kaname felt himself being pulled backwards, and immediately after felt the distinct pressure of a knife at his throat. His eyes widened in surprise as he stood stock still against his captor, breathing with caution and waiting for the hunter's next move.
"I'm afraid you can't have him, brother dear. I saw him first."
Brother?
Kaname's eyes flicked to Zero's face, and he was shocked to see an expression of confusion and…possessiveness on the hunter's face. Zero took another step forward, and Kaname felt the knife dig deeper into his throat, drawing a few beads of blood. The anti-vampire magic was already working on him, making him too weak to fight back.
Zero stared at the other hunter in disbelief, his feelings a jumble in his head.
"What are you doing here…Ichiru?"
His mirror image grinned back at him, tightening his grip on Kaname.
"I've come to rid the world of this nuisance. Care to join me?"
Zero couldn't move, couldn't react to his twin's question.
Ichiru raised one eyebrow. "No? Oh well, guess I'll get it over with then."
Kaname closed his eyes as he felt the knife begin to slide across his throat.