I apologize for the delay, but this chapter was pretty hard to write. Fight sequences have always been hard for me. I hope this came out okay. A lot happens, so be prepared. I don't have too much to report other than that.

A special thanks to Blackened Wing for sending me a song she thought would be perfect for this chapter, and she was right: t.A.T.u, "All About Us." And thank you to those that have been extremely patient with my replies. I'm swamped at the moment, but I'll hopefully be able to focus on them soon.

Thank you to everyone that has stayed with me so long. I truly adore every single response, and they mean a lot to me. Thank you.

Disclaimers: same. And any errors are mine, as usual (and there will be a few errors. Sorry).

Chapter Eleven: Requiem

The end. Those two words had fallen from his lips several times over the past four years, but they were usually filled with halfhearted lies about wanting to die, and yet here it was and he couldn't bring himself to think the two words he had so carelessly let slip so many times before. Perhaps he was a coward, but regardless, he knew now that he didn't want to die. He knew that with every fiber of his weakening body. Not anymore. Not now, when he had found a new reason to keep breathing, and that reason was running straight toward him, and even at human speed, Kaname was quick, seconds from stumbling upon his badly bleeding body.

He would fight to live. He owed that to himself, and he owed that to the pureblood.

Firm, trembling hands gripped his biceps, and his eyes snapped open and locked with a sorrow-filled burgundy pair hovering over him. He hadn't even noticed he had closed them.

"You cannot let go, Zero. I will not allow it," Kaname whispered, and Zero chuckled silently at the words. It was so like the pureblood to think that he controlled everything, even death. And he would bet that if Kaname had the means, he would try to conquer the impossible of life and death.

He licked his lips, pulling his bottom lip inward and shook his head. He could feel the sheet of sweat that coated his forehead. His latter half had gone numb and cold seconds ago. He knew he was fading pretty quickly.

The pureblood slipped off his jacket. Kaname flipped his arm toward his chest and undid his cuff, rolling up his dress shirt with ease. His lips covered his wrist. A deep growl was heard and felt as the pureblood snarled and whipped his head to the President.

Zero grinned, knowing how angry Kaname must be without his powers, even ones as simple as fangs or long nails to cut his skin with. He watched as Kaname's eyes frantically scanned the area, searching for anything to use to slice open his skin deep enough. He knew with the amount of blood he was willing to give that he would have to make a deep gash into a vein to keep the flow constant, since they both were lacking their vampire sides.

He wished, probably for the first time since his turning, that he had his ability to heal at least a little. The wound in his side wouldn't be as life threatening if he had vampire healing, but it was as if he was a human with a gun shot to the abdomen, and he knew that translated into deadly. He could tell by the fear laced within Kaname's gaze, and how desperate the pureblood looked as he shuffled across the tile floor, that his time was minutes away from leaving forever.

He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. The pain was gone completely, and the sounds drifted away until his body felt like it was floating on a soft pillow far, far away from reality. He tried so hard to will his eyes open, but the closed on their own accord and everything faded.

With a jolt, he tasted something he knew by heart. The thick, coppery liquid was a curse he had scorned and rejected months ago when he first needed it to survive, but now he swallowed it greedily. He knew Kaname's hand had slipped behind his head and lifted him up, opening his mouth wide and allowing more blood to rush over his tongue and down his throat. Despite not having his vampiric powers, he knew the blood was working like a warm elixir that washed over his body and pulled his skin and muscles back together. He wasn't fully healing, but it was enough to kick start his body into a sense of normalcy. His eyes fluttered open and he was met with Kaname's smiling face. The pureblood's cheeks glistened under the lamplight, and he wondered if Kaname had been crying.

Zero pushed Kaname's arm away. As much as he wanted to gorge himself on the pureblood's blood, he knew Kaname would need his strength too.

He winced as he sat up, his fingers digging into Kaname's shirt as he pulled his body up completely.

"Thanks," he muttered against Kaname's chest.

"I told you I wouldn't allow you to go." He could hear the smile in Kaname's tone.

Zero's eyes darted over Kaname's shoulder and to the President. His heart stopped as a bolt of fear drove right through him.

"Kaname…you didn't," he whispered. "Oh god."

"He did." The President beamed. "He had no other options to save you but to use this." The President held up a knife in his hand, the blade painted with a thick layer of deep scarlet, which he knew was the pureblood's blood.

Kaname turned around to shield Zero with his body, but the hunter clung to the pureblood knowing he wasn't the one that needed protection.

"What?" Kaname whispered to Zero. "I wasn't thinking about anything but you, and without my fangs…nails… It was right there on the floor."

"Because he put it there conveniently," Zero said with a hard bite toward the President. They had been played. Again. And he knew Kaname would pay the ultimate price this time.

"The blood had to be given willingly by the vampire for the spell to work." The President grinned, and then pulled the bowl on the table closer, dipping the tip of the knife into the contents. "It's not a spell that can be forced, and now you've willingly spilled your pure blood all over the dagger." He winked at Kaname. "How thoughtful of you, vampire."

Kaname clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "You never intended to have Zero get my blood." It wasn't a question, but a statement he knew to be true now.

"No," The President said, lifting the knife from the bowl and resting it on the inside of his hand. "I knew it would only drive you two closer, because I knew Zero wouldn't do it, and I knew you wouldn't let him die. You two wore your feelings so clearly that it wasn't hard to manipulate." He dug the knife across his skin until blood swelled and joined Kaname's on the blade.

"You bastard," Zero screamed. He stumbled to stand, but using Kaname's shoulders he was able to rise fully. "I'm going to kill you and enjoy doing it."

The President started to spew off lines in Egyptian, and it was then Kaname's eyes fell on the same symbol that was drawn on the envelope the hunter had given him. The warning.

Before Kaname could open his mouth, Zero was tackling the President, using all the strength he had to get the dagger free from the President's hand. He reached his hand to pull Zero free as the hunter cried out. The dagger was driven clean through Zero's shoulder. He rolled off the President and Kaname was there, lifting Zero to his feet and inspecting the second wound he had now received thanks to the President.

"I'm fine," Zero hissed. He brushed away Kaname's hand and took off for the President again. He turned to Kaname, panic written all over his face. "You don't understand, Kaname. The words. Fuck, the words he's saying. We have to stop him. Now!"

The urgency in Zero's voice told him they didn't have much time. He came up behind Zero, inches from the President as a thick cloudburst shot from the bowl and to the ceiling. Purple and gray swirled above them in an ominous whirlwind that shook the pillars and blew out the candles. The room grew dark, and the only light came from the cloud that circled above them. The walls cracked under the pressure and the entry door was blown off its hinges. Zero fisted his hands in Kaname's shirt, pulling the pureblood close to him.

"Run," he whispered urgently to Kaname. The panic in Zero's face terrified him. It was raw and untamed, and the hunter rarely let fear spring to life in his expression, which meant that whatever was coming was worse than bad. "Run now, Kaname."

And then he pushed the pureblood from him and sent the vampire skidding across the tile floor.

"I said run!" Zero cried. "Do it. Please," the hunter begged.

Like hell he was going to run and leave Zero alone with the President. He heard screams behind him; shouts of anger as the Night Class spilled into the room. They were mixed with hunters', some he knew and some that he didn't. He saw Yagari's head bob in the crowd as they approached. The backdoor slammed opened and a huge number of level Es' filtered into the space, charging right for the vampires and few hunters. He saw Akira's bright red hair amongst the group, and instantly assumed the Night Class or Yagari was responsible for his release. He wasn't relieved to see the hunter, but he was glad that Akira was alive.

"Idiot," Zero screamed. "Get out of here now. He doesn't want to kill you. He wants to control your soul."

The words carved a thick line of terror inside of Kaname's stomach and his heart pounded in cold fear.

The dark cloud silenced the room as it spread across the ceiling like black fire. An iridescent light shone from the center, above him, and then spiraled and cloaked his body in a blanket of glowing light. His eyes snapped to Zero in shock. He swiped at the invisible flames, trying to remove them from his skin but it couldn't be put out and continued to spread across his body. The light was strangely cold and not hot as they wrapped around his limbs, and there was a pressure of power in each lick that nearly crumbled him where he stood.

"Kaname, listen to me." Zero was in front of him, holding his shoulders and forcing his gaze to the hunter with a small shake. "You have to fight it. It's your soul, not his. Believe in that. Fight it with whatever power you have inside to break free."

He stared into the violet eyes, wanting nothing more than to use them as his anchor to keep his soul bound to his body. Zero had easily become the one person in his life his soul completely belonged to, and just looking at the pain and fear in the hunter's eyes tore him apart. He tried to tell Zero that he would fight, for him—no, for them—but his words were gone. A pain unlike anything he had felt ripped through his center and brought him to his knees. Like hot tendrils forcing their way through his veins, he felt the foreign power move within him and toward his mind.

Zero's face was in his mind, and he fought so hard to hang onto the image, but just like everything inside of him it slipped away until a white billow emerged to devour every image he clung to. Then it was silent. The sounds of fighting from the room vanished, Zero's worried tone telling him to fight—all gone. There was nothing but a hallow void in his mind, an empty echo of what he used to be—who he used to be.

Kill them all, a voice whispered, cold and dominant. He was drawn to the sound.

Kill whom? Who was he?

Serve me, it whispered again.

His eyes flicked around the space for the source of the voice—around the endless white area. But there was no one. Empty. Alone.

"I serve you," he responded. The words were compelled from him, but he didn't want to fight them…or did he? He was so lost in the nothingness.

Did he give in? The void started to crumble in the distance. The whiteness cracked and splintered and fell into the black abyss that waited to hungrily consume everything in its path.

The blackness stretched out until it stopped at his feet. He looked down into the darkness. He tilted his head and scrutinized the black pit. It was like a giant chasm had opened up below him and beckoned him to become a part of it. There was a flickering violet light deep within the abyss, and it oddly reminded him of something…someone. But who?

His feet shuffled to the edge and he peered over the edge, then he looked over his shoulder at the remaining endless white behind him. Something was there. He felt a tug, a sixth sense that warned him to back away and return to the white void. There was someone there, someone familiar. It was a tiny spark that burst and pleaded for him to come back.

Back to what? Who was the one that wanted him? Why did it feel so familiar?

Come to me, Kaname, the voice said, the chill echoing in the void and then settled deep within the abyss below him.

He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. "Okay," he said to the voice, and then stretched his arms wide and tilted his body forward until his was falling.

He vanished in the void, the darkness taking him within its belly until he was surrounded by nothing but the voice that compelled him.

Kill them all, it repeated.

"I'll kill everyone," he whispered, and then opened his true eyes.

"Kaname?" the man in front of him questioned. The man looked curious, afraid, and a bit hesitant to approach him. And he should be. He would rip the silver-haired man's head from his shoulders, or maybe he'd slowly cut a line down his abdomen and drink every drop of blood that would spill from that pale skin. He did smell absolutely delicious. He eyed the men and women fighting beside them and inhaled. No, no one smelled like the man in front of him. The other vampires were tantalizing specs that danced across his senses, but this man, the one with silver hair, caused a deep burn in his nostrils and a thick hunger that clawed in his stomach. He would savor the silver-haired vampire; finish him last like a good desert after a meal.

A trepid hand was on his arm, tiny fingers curling around his shirtsleeve. He nonchalantly moved to examine the thing's grip, disgusted that he would even approach him yet alone touch him. He shook the hand free from his arm and narrowed his eyes at the man.

"I'll kill you all," he said, strong and steady as he took a step forward. There was a quiet echo to Kaname's voice that wasn't his own.

His body thrilled at the fear and pain that danced across the silver-haired man's face.

He curled his fingers into a fist, cracking the stiff bones. He wanted to feel the man's skin beneath him, feel break in the flesh and hear the screams as he overpowered him. He didn't need to use his abilities to win. And he wanted the satisfaction of watching the light dim from the man's eyes. He scanned the area and grinned at all the shocked faces that were drawn on him. He wanted to watch all of their eyes fade out.

His "master"—the voice—was beside him, brushing the back of his hand across Kaname's cheek.

"Now do you understand, Kiryu-kun?" the President said, his gaze still on Kaname. "This being can control every E that I've manipulated and made stronger. My army has a leader now, because a pureblood can control those lesser vampires beneath them, and I control the pureblood above them."

Zero looked around him, to the chaos that consumed the room. Blood spilled over the white floor, and it belonged to the people he cared for and knew, even if some of them only recently made the list: Akira, Aido, Takuma, Ruka, Kain, Rima, and Shiki…Yagari. They were all fighting for Kaname…for him. He had to make this right. He found comfort in the ring around his finger, knowing his soul was forever locked with the vampire that lost his. He just had to find a way to make Kaname realize that, and if he could use the Union to wake the pureblood up, then he'd try.

He was at least grateful that the pureblood's powers lay dormant under the spell over the room, or they would have probably been blown to ash as soon as Kaname woke up.

"You are their new leader," the President whispered to Kaname.

Zero felt his stomach roll and a wave of nausea wash over him at how callous Kaname's smile was, and at the feral expression that lacked any empathy for the vampires and hunters fighting to save him.

"Why are you doing this?" Zero's voice came out as a rough whisper. He was crumbling apart on the inside and it was taking everything inside of him to keep it together. He pressed a hand to his stomach, putting pressure on the wound that continued to ooze slowly. His shoulder was damaged from the blade, but it was bearable compared to the anti-vampire bullet that was still lodged deep inside his body.

"It's simple, Kiryu." The President stepped in front of Kaname. "With him, I rule over vampire and hunter. I can control both species." The President let out a deep sigh. "Can't you see that we're hurting as a race, Kiryu? With Kuran-sama behind me, I can control the attacks on humans; manipulate them until no one will utter a word but hunter, preferably followed by the words 'save me.' And I can control it all."

"You're sick, twisted." Zero grit his teeth. "I'll use ever fiber within me to make sure I stop you."

The President moved a little, the soles of his slippers scraping against the tile floor. "I openly challenge you, Kiryu-kun. Come, stop me." He spread his arms out mockingly.

The President gasped, a deep suck of breath that gurgled as he inhaled. His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth hung open. Zero's face mimicked the President as he took a step back from the blood that poured from the center of the President and to the floor. Kaname's hand was clean through the President's chest; the leader's heart pumping its last beats in the vampire's palm, and Kaname whispered close to the President's ear, "You can't control me anymore." The scene froze Zero for a moment, until he found the will to tear his eyes from the gore long enough to turn on his heels and head for the raised tile in the back. He hopped the steps and slid across the marble. He breathed a quick breath as he picked up Bloody Rose from the table.

He felt the coldness drift over his neck before he turned, and he knew Kaname was standing behind him.

He whipped his gun around, aiming for Kaname's shoulder, and pulled the trigger. He didn't want to kill the pureblood, just immobilize him long enough to try and use the Union to bring his soul back. It was a bad move. Kaname moved before the bullet even left the barrel and was on him, digging his fingers into Zero's forearm. Kaname's sharp nails tore through his shirt and into his skin. He bit back a cry. Fear crawled down his spine when he realized the spell over the room must be fading under Kaname's aura, just like the tattoo had after exposed to the pureblood's skin for too long. Some powers were returning, which would mean he needed to end things quickly, before Kaname was strong enough to obliterate them all with just a stare.

He swept his feet down, hooking one leg on the back of the pureblood's and the other, as pull, to bring Kaname's body tumbling forward. It worked, and as soon as the pureblood hit the floor, he was straddling him, pressing his fingers to Kaname's chest in hopes of sparking the Union like they had back in Mexico and in his room. But nothing happened, no flicker of warmth…nothing. His soul didn't even react to the closeness of the pureblood's heart to his palm. The tears were hard to fight back, but he growled in frustration and instead tried once more.

Kaname's red eyes were locked on him, a twisted grin forming as he peered up at the hunter from behind his tousled hair.

The pureblood lifted a sardonic brow. "Do you want to get acquainted with my body before you perish? I might be keen to make an exception before bathing in your blood."

Zero's shoulders slumped as all the hope he held diminished beneath Kaname's still body. Nothing. The Union wasn't responding. He didn't know what to do…

Kaname smirked, and then twisted his body, flipping positions swiftly as he slammed Zero's back into the tile, his hand curled around the hunter's throat.

He leaned in, inches from Zero's face and sniffed the hunter's hair. "You smell delicious for a vampire. I am going to savor your taste and reserve your blood for last."

Kaname's warm tongue trailed up the side of his face, and the action might have turned him on when they were together before, but now it disgusted him and he couldn't help pang of revulsion that twisted in his stomach.

"Mhmm…yes, last," whispered Kaname. "Wait for me. I'll be back shortly."

And then the pressure around his neck was gone. He sucked in a deep breath, choking on the air as his windpipe expanded.

A familiar voice was at this side as strong arms lifted him. Yagari scrutinized him with his good eye and checked over Zero's injuries.

"Damn vampire Armageddon in this place, Zero," said Yagari with a grunt.

Kaname wasn't there anymore. He couldn't even pinpoint his location amongst the chaos. It was like his soul was…gone.

"Zero!" Yagari yelled. "Snap out of it, kid. You need to focus."

Zero blinked a few times and nodded, shaking his head as if to clear his mind. "Right. Focus…" he trailed off. He looked up at his master. "I've gotta fix this."

Yagari must have understood the "on my own" within Zero's tone, and patted his hand on Zero's shoulder in silent affirmation.

"To your left," Yagari said with a lift of his brow.

Zero smiled, twisted and pointed Bloody Rose to his left. It was still dark inside the room, and the cloudburst that illuminated the space had dissipated. The only light came from the hallway and the dim lamps that hung on the walls. The candles were messy corpses that had been littered along the white tile. Bloody rose flashed with a burning white light as the bullet exited the gun. He hit the E square between the eyes. The creature didn't even scream as it crumbled to the ground and then burst into a flurry of ashes.

"Nice shot," Yagari said proudly.

Zero grinned. "Yeah, someone I know taught me how to aim. Can't think of his name right now…"

"Twelve o'clock, Zero," said Yagari.

"Roughly six your time," Zero responded, as he pressed his back against his master and shot off another bullet to the approaching E. He heard the blast from Yagari's gun behind him, and knew that another E was down.

There were so many. How many did the President bring back from Mexico? There were at least fifty in the room, and with everyone they killed another seemed to come flying from the back of the room to replace its dead comrade.

Flames burst in the distance, in the hallway outside, and three E's ran back into the room in a ball of fire, their skin charred as the heat ate through their flesh. They screeched and contorted their bodies awkwardly, and then combusted into a haze of ashes that drifted across the room. Zero saw Kain just outside the main door, and smiled slyly at the noble's plan to lure the Es out into an area where his powers would work. He barely made out the messy blond mop of hair that belonged to Aido as the noble worked his magic to freeze the oncoming Es in the circular center until they broke into frozen ashes.

He still didn't know where Kaname was.

"Nine o' clock, Zero." Another gun blast buzzed past him as his master shot off a round to his side. "Stop zoning out, kid. You'll get yourself killed."

"I need to find Kaname," he whispered. "I have to try…"

"I'll take the main side to the left, and then follow the back door out to see where all these freakin' vampires keep coming from," Yagari said, lighting a cigarette as if they weren't in the middle of a flipping battle against drugged up Es and a rouge pureblood. "You find Kuran."

Zero nodded and took off toward the hallway where Kain and Aido where.

"And, Zero," Yagari added. "If he isn't Kuran anymore—."

He cut of his master in clipped tone. "I know. I know," he repeated in a whisper. He did, as much as it sliced clean through his heart, he knew what he would have to do.

He managed to dodge two Es fighting Shiki as he sprinted through the room. A scream to his right caused him to pause. Rima was bleeding. A black haired E was on top of her, ripping through her shirt and to the skin. He swiftly aimed and shot. The E didn't make it to the ground before it turned to ash.

Who would have thought that he would be helping the Night Class? But he wanted to help them, since they were here fighting for him on his side. He owed them that much.

He made it out of the room and the power surge was like a wall that he crossed and soon his vampire nature was restored. The wound on his shoulder burned as it started to heal, and the bullet lodged in his stomach crackled as his vampire blood sparked against the anti-vampire magic. He gripped a hand to his side and ran toward Kain.

A stream of flames narrowly missed him. He ducked, spinning until his arms were touching Kain's at the side.

"Watch where you shoot that thing," he scolded the noble.

"I can't see much right now, Kiryu," Kain said, his breathing slightly labored from the amount of power he was using to ward off the Es and keep his fire going. "My apologies."

"Have you seen Kaname?" he asked.

"Murderers!" someone screamed. "Monsters and beasts. You'll all die."

Zero looked over his shoulder toward the main entrance of the headquarters. A group of hunters were charging. Oh no. They would think it was an attack on the HA and that the vampires started the fight. He had to stop them from hurting anyone that wasn't on the President's side, but getting them to believe the President was a traitor wasn't going to work. He was a vampire in their eyes. If only Yagari were here; he'd have a better chance. They may not even listen to his master, though; knowing Yagari's feelings for Zero ran deep. He had to think of something quickly before they opened fire on the Night Class.

The entire Association was a madhouse. Screams and screeches echoed down the hall. Several vampires from the Night Class, ones Zero didn't know, where wounded and nursing their injuries out of the line of action. Aido was bleeding badly from his left shoulder. Kain's expression was one of complete strain as he fought. And the Es seemed endless.

A loud snap resounded as one of the charging hunters fell to the floor dead. Zero threw his head to the scene in complete terror. Behind them was Kaname, turning to grab another hunter by the neck. Three more loud cracks left three more bodies lining the floor. Zero cried out at the pureblood to stop. He couldn't have them see that—couldn't give them a reason to kill Kaname.

By the time he reached the center of the hallway, there was a pile of bodies, and the rest of the hunters stared down at their fallen kin in fear and hatred. Kaname had vanished yet again.

Zero put up his hands in defeat. "Listen. The President has been using Es pumped full of drugs for—."

"Shove it, vampire," a blond hunter spit out. "You're no better than the filth we hunt."

He felt the rage inside his chest rumble as he glared at the blond hunter. He had tried. He did. And if they wanted to sign their death certificates right now, then so be it.

"I'm warning you to leave," Zero said. He might as well try one more time so at least his conscience stayed clean.

"Not a chance, and any vampire that's crossed Association territory is fair game. This is a war zone of fucking vampires killing hunters." The man tilted his head and winked. "And that includes you, sweetheart. Hunter or not, you're one of them."

Shit! Zero screamed to himself.

"Are you freaking blind?" Zero responded with a heavy amount of sarcasm. "There are Es swarming the place. They are the enemies."

"I really respected your parents, Kiryu, and I would have thought you'd see enough to know that a vampire is a vampire. I guess you're too far invested in their blood to see." The blond hunter reached behind his back and withdrew a long pistol. Zero breathed in deeply and braced himself for a fight he didn't want. His priority was Kaname and killing the crazy Es, not fighting a group of hunters. But he would fight them, as crazy as it sounded, because he needed to fix everything that had happened. It was his responsibility.

"Down, Kiryu," Aido screamed. And Zero had enough common sense to listen and dropped to his knees.

An icy chill brushed over his skin as the walls were blanketed in a thick layer of ice that traveled down and wrapped around the feet of the hunters. They all took the moment to panic, forgetting about Zero, which gave the hunter a chance to turn away and break free. He slid across the iced floor, gripping his side as blood continued to pour free from the wound. The anti-vampire magic was eating away at his insides and he could feel the burn deep within his muscles. The magic shroud of the main room masked his vampire blood from the power, but now, here in the hallway, he was susceptible to the hunter magic.

He made it back to the circular center of the hallway, where the doors formed a circle around a line of marble pillars. Kain was still fighting against a number of Es, but he wasn't using his power any longer. The noble's strength must have been extremely low. Some of the doors were now open, and he saw more Es and other Night Class students fighting hard against one another. To his left, he caught the brief glimpse of a mess of brown hair—the brown curls he knew all too well now. Kaname, who was sitting in a chair, smiling, a hand on his crossed legs as he watched the battle from a distance. There were several dead bodies leading to the chair the pureblood sat in, like a sick breadcrumb trail. Some of them he recognized from the Night Class, no one he knew by name though—others must have been hunters that had been in the room.

Kaname licked the remaining blood from his fingers, keeping his gaze on Zero. He mouthed the word "Last" and Zero knew he was taunting him, making sure the hunter knew he was still the last meal of the evening.

The world seemed to stop for Zero. Everything around him was breaking apart. Aido fell as one of the hunters broke from ice and tackled the noble. Kain dropped to his knees with a heavy pant. Shiki was holding Rima in his arms, dodging the blows of several Es coming at the pair. And even Ruka was bruised and bloody, her normal blond waves a messy mop with streaks of red throughout. Takuma was nearby her, using his strength to protect her from the three Es starting to circle the noble. His master wasn't around, and he hoped he was all right. He knew Yagari could handle himself, but the Es were pumped full of drugs and more codependent on one another, acting as group instead of one single unit.

Kaname's eyes were still trained on him, and he didn't have to look at the pureblood to feel the dark aura that surrounded his gaze. He was enjoying the macabre scene like a kid at a playground, but this wasn't a joke or playtime—this was real, and each minute that passed they diminished in strength and numbers.

With his attention on Kaname, he missed the oncoming group of Es. Three bodies slammed into his, throwing him back against the wall. The picture behind him fell to the ground and the glass crumbled from the impact. The stucco from the wall cracked in a zigzag upward until it reached the ceiling, splintering pieces of paint free. One of the Es tore clean through his wrist, its teeth deep as it sliced through muscle and veins with its fangs.

He was in a horrible position. The two other Es licked their lips and tightened their grips on his shoulder and arms. Blood Rose had been knocked from his hold, skidding across the tile until it landed close to Kain's feet.

He had to improvise. He couldn't do any spells that required a lot of energy. His body was incredibly too weak to do much let alone waste it all on a charm that may kill one of three Es. He thought back to his lessons with Yagari. His master said that sometimes you had to fight dirty and there was no shame in that. He figured it wasn't the time to worry about shame regardless, and lifted his knee square into the E's groin. It howled and released his fangs from his wrist. With one hand free, he managed to slam his palm against the second E's face. He heard a loud crack as the vampire's nose broke. It didn't back off, though.

"Just can't give up, can you?" He said with a frustrated growl, to the E with a split open face.

His blood was all over the place, and he realized he must have been a running target that the crazed vampires couldn't resist. He was bleeding from his stomach, shoulder, and now his wrist. It was like a sign that said, "Come and eat me please!"

A shot came from nowhere, hitting the second E in the back of the head. The beast clawed at his face and then combusted into ash. The third E whipped its head around, and so did Zero.

Akira was a sight of relief. The redhead was holding Bloody Rose in one hand, his own gun in another, and wore smug smirk.

The third E burst into ash moments later, Akira blowing off the top of Bloody Rose dramatically.

"Figured you'd need help, jerk," the hunter said. As he approached, he tore at his shirt with his teeth, pulling until a big chunk of his sleeve as torn off. He didn't wait for Zero to protest before he yanked Zero's arm to him. He tucked his gun in the back of his jeans, and then handed Zero Bloody Rose. His now free hands worked quickly to wrap the fabric around Zero's bleeding wrist.

"Can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Akira grinned. "Just like the old days, isn't it? You bleeding, me patching you up." Akira tied off the makeshift bandage and then patted Zero's shoulder. "Try and stay alive." He winked.

"Thanks," Zero mumbled. "Yagari's in the back room." He tilted his head toward the main room's doors. He didn't have to tell Akira that he was worried about his master, the older hunter knew and nodded, giving a salute before vanishing through the main room doors.

Zero glanced at the Night Class, what was left of them, and it became increasingly apparent that they wouldn't be able to go on much longer. He sidestepped the bodies, overcome by sadness at how many had lost their lives tonight because of the President's stupid power trip.

"Kain," Zero said, placing his hand on the noble's shoulder. "Get the others and get out of here." He didn't want to retreat, and it burned with the shame of losing to admit that they were outnumbered and overpowered, but he couldn't stand to lose anymore hunters or Night Class students. He was never one to surrender and would normally fight until he couldn't stand, and he would, but he wouldn't risk the others on his behalf. This was his fight. "Yagari is in the back of the building trying to kill the remaining Es. Take the rest of the Night Class and help him and then leave. I'll handle the rest."

"Zero," Kain whispered, using Zero's name personally, knowing that they were in a position to drop formalities. "Zero, you can't do this alone. It's suicide."

Zero smiled dryly, admitting the odds weren't in his favor by just his forlorn expression. "I know, but it's my mess—Kaname's mess… Just go."

Kain moved to face the scene around them, his heavy lids drooping from the power lost in his body. His shoulders fell. He obviously noticed how grim the situation was. Aido was barely standing anymore, his chest heaving as he looked down at the fallen hunter beneath him. He could tell he was focused on his cousin, Aido's deteriorating condition the catalyst that would push the noble into reason.

Another scream sounded and a hunter, a face he had seen in the halls before, contorted in fear as Kaname drank deeply from her neck. He watched in sadness and anger. Anger because he thought Kaname was stronger than to let some spell contain him, anger because he lost everything he had grown to…love about the pureblood. The vampire was an empty shell of what he used to be—and the critical piece, his soul, was gone. Kaname let the brunette woman drop to the ground, using the back of his hand to wipe the remaining blood from his lips. His steps echoed down the hall even amongst the chaos, and Zero could hear nothing but the approaching pureblood.

His gripped hardened around Kain's shoulder and he ground out the words, "Go. Now."

"You have to believe that underneath it all he's still there," Kain whispered sadly.

He understood how painful it must be for the Night Class to witness their leader reduced to nothing but a cold-filled murderer, but as a hunter he couldn't let a vampire with such power and disregard for life wander free. He had a duty to uphold. Clarity rinsed over him, and he knew what would come.

"I do," he lied to Kain. The noble couldn't feel what he did. He couldn't feel the emptiness inside Kaname like he did, but he knew the noble wouldn't leave unless he gave him some hope that he would try and save Kaname. The task seemed impossible now. "I'll bring him back, Kain. Now go."

Those words were the ones the noble needed to hear, and he moved to his cousin, wrapping his arms around Aido's side as the two hobbled toward the rest of the Night Class.

Zero's eyes remained on Kaname, making sure that Kain and the others had some form of cover during their retreat. He—hunters along with other purebloods—held the power to eradicate purebloods, but in his weakened form he didn't stand a chance, and he knew it, but he'd fight until he couldn't anymore.

The hallway grew eerily silent as the rest of the Night Class disappeared. The deep, low snarls from the remaining Es were behind him. There were a few more hunters down the hall and in the other rooms still fighting with the remaining lower levels. He wanted to tell them to leave but knew their stubbornness would keep them in the fight. He knew because he had the same stubbornness embedded in his hunter blood. The Association was practically empty at this time of morning, and he was at least thankful that there weren't more causalities.

"Seems like you wanted to be alone, Mr. Hunter," Kaname said, taking the walk down the hall in slow strides. "I can arrange the rest."

Zero's side throbbed in agony, the bullet in his side pulsing against his skin as the anti-vampire bullet worked its charm on his vampire nature.

Kaname snapped his fingers, and a rush of air that whooshed past him followed the echoed pop. Several piercing cries reached his ears as the remaining Es in the hallway burst into several ash clouds. Their deaths brushed over his body in the passing breeze, smearing his arms and hair with gray and white dust. Kaname snapped his fingers again and a near electric aura erupted from the pureblood. Zero felt the charge all over his body, like a shortage throughout his limbs that knocked him to his knees. He didn't even know Kaname had that power, but whatever it was disrupted the hunter side of him, which was born from vampire blood, and caused a shortage of brain waves from commanding his body to move. He was momentarily paralyzed. There was no record of a pureblood wielding such power, but he had just witnessed it, felt it.

Through partially closed lids, he watched in horror and helplessness as Kaname twisted around, flitting behind him to the other paralyzed hunters. It took the pureblood seconds to snap their necks, and Zero was powerless as the hunters were killed, and he was still unable to help when Kaname dissipated, going behind him to where the other hunters were. He heard the echoing snap as their lives were ended, and each one made his stomach roll in revulsion at how cruel Kaname was in this form.

"A stray hunter." Kaname's voice came from behind him. Who had the pureblood found?

The effects of whatever Kaname had done were lifting. The numbness of the power was briefly welcomed as it had masked the pain of the bullet in his side. He slid up to the wall. He lifted his shirt, holding the fabric between his teeth as he pushed a finger into the wound. The cotton muffled his pained cry, but he found the tip of the bullet and curled his finger around the bottom, screaming inwardly at the intense agony that rippled down his skin as the hole was opened wider. The bullet dropped against the tile with a soft ping.

His body trembled from the pain, and he felt the undercurrent of desperation aching to break free. His whole world was crumbling around him, and no matter how hard he tried, he was too weak to right the wrong. He just wanted to scream until his lungs gave out. The pressure was consuming, and he found it hard to think let alone breathe—a tightness in his chest, like a vice-grip was squeezing his ribcage until he caved.

But he had to finish it.

He tried to stand, falling the first time, and then used the wall to lift his shaking body. His hand slid down the white wall, painting the marble red as he made his way to Kaname. He reached out with his soul one more time, he had to be certain, and he was met with nothing.

Kaname was gone.

Bright red flashed in the distance, and Zero felt his world crumble more as a familiar face met his eyes, the blood coating his face Death's mark on the hunter. He rushed as much as he could will his injured body toward the fallen hunter. His eyes widened when Akira hit the floor, his body going limp against the tile. And in a blur, he was there, cradling the hunter—no, friend—to his chest.

"God, no," he whispered. He had seen Death stalking those he had cared about, but it hadn't marked anyone he knew. The bodies' littered around him were a sign that Death was there, but they were faces that he had seen but didn't know. But he knew Akira. Hunted with the man. He knew his brother. He was there when Mamoru died. He had tasted Akira's cinnamon apple concoction one holiday break. "I can't do this alone," he murmured.

Akira's mouth was moving, but the words didn't register. The sound in the room faded to a loud buzz. The blood—there was so much blood pouring down the hunter's lips. His hands trembled as he brushed Akira's hair free from the blood on his cheek.

"No," he said, hushed, "I can't." He had no idea what he was responding to, but the words were fitting. He couldn't do this. He couldn't face his friend dying. "You've been an ass most of your life, but you're a damn good hunter, Akira. Don't…"

And as the seconds passed, he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop Akira's eyes from slipping closed, couldn't stop the blood leaking from the hole in the hunter's chest… He couldn't do it… He failed.

His body shook with failure and desperation. He felt the familiar sting of tears forming and did little to prevent them from falling, or the sob that broke free when Akira's body stilled in his arms.

How did things get to this point?

"Kaname," he whispered. "How could you do this to me, bastard? This was our fight, not mine alone."

"Getting sentimental with the dead?" a voice asked from the distance, his cold tone reverberating throughout the room.

He locked eyes with Kaname—no, the pureblood. He wasn't his Kaname anymore. It was a vampire with no heart or soul who wore Kaname's face.

Zero stood up, his arm dangling as if the weight of Bloody Rose pulled it down. The weight of the gun was his anchor, his resolution that hardened around his mind and pushed him forward. He couldn't see Kaname anymore. He didn't see the pureblood's smile or the burgundy eyes that softened for him. He saw the malicious grin belonging to a creature he was responsible for. He saw the hardened expression of a vampire that didn't have a conscience—a vampire that killed for pleasure.

"This is going to end now," Zero said, a calming sense of finality washing over him. "And I'll be the one to end you."

He pointed the gun, the barrel centered to hit the vampire's heart with the first shot.

Kaname cocked his head, lifting a brow, obviously amused by the newfound strength and determination in Zero's gaze.

Zero closed his eyes. He couldn't look at Kaname. He couldn't stare into the same eyes that had caused his heart to flutter so rapidly just hours before. Those lips he knew inside and out, the softness of them—the caress as he held him. The smell of Kaname's skin as he pressed his body to him, smothering him in the rich aroma of roses and spice. He couldn't.

And he knew he couldn't pull the trigger no matter how much he told himself he had to. He lowered the gun. If Kaname wanted him, then so be it. He'd die by the one person he had wanted to take his life in past, but this time he would go down effortlessly, and not alone.

He tightened his grip on Bloody Rose and fixed his gaze on Kaname. Come and get me, he thought.

His body was slammed into a pillar. The foundation cracked and dust spilled over them as the ceiling shook some of the paint free. His eyes never left Kaname's. The pureblood seemed taken aback by his lack of resistance.

Do it, he thought, practically exposing his neck free for the pureblood to gorge on.

The pureblood snorted, amused, and a wry smile danced on his lips. "So eager to die, or just eager enough to feel me on you?"

Zero shook his head. "No," he responded, "feel me this time, Kaname."

With a dry laugh, Kaname dipped his head to the offered neck, running his tongue along the bare skin slowly. There was something about the boy he couldn't pinpoint, something familiar perhaps, but definitely delicious and irresistible. His fangs were roused, sliding against the flesh eagerly. He hummed his appreciation against the hunter's neck, lost in the scent of—strangely—something floral, like freesia. It was a good smell, a tantalizing one that drove his fangs deep into the hunter's neck. The burst of flavor over his tongue was everything and more of what he had anticipated. Yes, he was happy he saved the silver-haired man for last.

"Feel me," Zero whispered again, repeating the words Kaname had said to him the night their souls intertwined, reaching up and tangling his fingers in Kaname's hair, pressing the pureblood deeper into his neck.

In the bathroom a couple of nights ago, he fought desperately to keep his thoughts in his mind, but this time he let them pour out in his blood and to Kaname. He wanted the pureblood to see him—them—to feel him through the Union. The first night together in the shack came into view, and he put as much emotion into the image as he could, letting Kaname feel the way he felt as the pureblood claimed him for the first time. And then Kaname's offer, standing near his bed with his hand outstretched, and ready for the commitment of the Union. Another image popped free, of himself quietly leaning over Kaname's form, the pureblood asleep, and he brushed Kaname's hair away, bending down to softly rest his lips against the pureblood.

He pulled Kaname further into his neck, to his memories.

He let the pureblood witness his dream and how scared he was by the nightmare, of facing a Kaname that cared so little for him. He allowed Kaname to see his desperation and confusion in the bathroom as he cried over the pureblood—and then the image of his kiss with Yuuki sprang forward, but it wasn't the kiss he wanted Kaname to see, it was the feeling of how wrong the kiss was when it wasn't shared with the pureblood. He held nothing back, even slipping in and out of moments that they didn't share but those glimpses into his past that he buried deep—the death of his parents, the agony of losing his family. The memories spiraled around his brain, and he was fairly certain it was getting to Kaname.

He reached out with his soul once more, not afraid by the bond they shared in the Union. He had been terrified to learn that it was him that felt those feelings for Kaname, but watching the images flicker brought back all reason on why it so right. He smiled, tilting his head back further and letting it rest on the pillar behind him. He listened to sound of Kaname draining him of everything he had left, and felt oddly satisfied to have it end like this. He curled his fingers tightly in Kaname's hair, feeling the soft curls against his skin once last time.

The memories made him realize that he wasn't afraid of dying, but rather afraid of living a life without Kaname. Impossible to imagine he had come so far and felt so comfortable in such a short time, but the Union opened up a doorway into Kaname's soul and allowed him a view of the pureblood he had never seen—a part he was connected with in every way.

The room was darkening. The white ceiling was blurred with black dots that flashed in his vision. His legs wobbled and the grip he had on Kaname faltered, but he kept his hand fisted in the pureblood's hair.

Kaname continued to drink, not stopping his pace and gorging rapidly. Zero knew his soul was touching Kaname's; the light tingle that spread from his center had reached out and melded with the pureblood, but the hollowness was still there. He dove deeper, spreading his essence out as far as he could and guiding it through Kaname, trying to find a glimmer of what the pureblood used to be. Just as the world faded, he felt it—a spark, a tiny warm light in the deep center of the pureblood that was locked inside.

His eyes closed, and before he let go of reality, he pushed as hard as he could with the Union to reach what was left of Kaname.

Zero's hand fell limp to his side, and the soft ping of metal against tile sounded throughout the empty room.

Kaname's eyes snapped to the gold ring bouncing on the floor. Each clang shot through is body with deep sorrow that tore at his heart, like he was losing something—but what?

Ping. It bounced again. The silver-haired man was in front of him, intertwining his hand with his, accepting a life with him…

Again it hit, and he withdrew his fangs. His brain pounded as images flooded through his mind. Some were the ones the hunter had showed him, but others were like short clips from a movie—his movie. He was on a plane, smiling down at the hunter sleeping on his shoulder, and then he whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you, Zero."

Zero… That name. His heart fluttered at the name, something within him cracking into a brilliant heat that rushed over his body.

Another flash of warmth coated his mind, and he was remembering an argument with the hunter. His words seemed natural now, "Let me save you, Zero, because perhaps I'm the selfish one…"

He recalled himself saying, "Come with me, Zero…" as he outstretched his hand to the hunter, and he saw the emotions pass over Zero's face as if he were there again.

He remembered the spike of energy that burst from his heart when their hands grasped together, the hunter nodding as he said, "Yeah, I'll come with you, Kaname."

The gold ring rolled onto its side and then wobbled and fell.

The silence in the room was deafening. His heart continued to build with pressure as the heat from his body was capping. Something was breaking free, and the memories that continued to flood his mind hurried the process.

The metal ring glittered under the dim lamps, and he felt a weight on his right hand that he hadn't noticed, something calling his eyes to his fingers. There on his ring finger was a matching band, and as a white glimmer from the light danced around the ring, he suddenly knew. He knew it all.

The heat seared him as his soul poured back into every empty crevice of his body, but what scared him more was the missing touch of a soul he had felt moments ago inside of him—Zero's.

His eyes softened as recognition dawned on his face. He slid down to the floor, pulling Zero's body to his. God, what had he done? What did he do? The blood that stained the hunter's white color was proof at how messy and callous he had been when he fed. The fang marks were a deep scarlet, almost black—a true testament at the cruelty he exhibited. No words came to mind, like his brain turned to mush and all he could do was stare blindly at Zero's pale face. He was a monster…weak, and he didn't have the power to overcome the spell. He would suffer for eternity for his mistakes.

But he needed to move his body and shake the shock from his mind. His fangs, the same ones he had used to viciously tear into Zero, pierced his own flesh. He bit down hard on his inner wrist, slicing through veins to ensure the blood flowed freely and quickly.

He rested Zero's head in his other arm, laying the silver strands gently down within the crook of his elbow. Blood dripped down his arm and onto Zero's white shirt, absorbing into the white cotton that made a red trail up towards the hunter's lips. He had never bitten anything as deeply as he did his wrist—no; he probably had done worse to Zero. Just looking at the angry red holes in the hunter's neck made his chest tighten in pure anguish.

The pressure around his heart peaked, nearly stopping the quick rhythm. Zero wasn't responding. Zero wasn't drinking. Zero wasn't fighting.

"Zero," Kaname whispered, pressing his wrist firmly against the hunter's lips. A pool of blood collected in the dip of pink flesh, dripping down the sides of Zero's pale skin. Kaname wedged his finger between Zero's mouth, prying it open to allow blood to fall down the hunter's throat. He smiled down at Zero, relief washing over him, and he sighed loudly when Zero's lips slowly started to work against Kaname's wrist.

He brushed Zero's hair back with his fingers, silently encouraging the hunter to drink. It was frightening how slow Zero drank, but he saw the blood on the hunter's shirt and the bandage around his wrist, knowing the damage probably took whatever strength Zero had.

They sat there for long, agonizing minutes. The room was quiet. Kaname continued to stroke the sides of Zero's face and hair, taking a moment to glance at the damage around them. The white floors were covered in red stains and ash smudges, bodies from the fallen hunters that had fought on their side, and even some hunters he knew he was probably responsible for. He would think on those dark thoughts later, pushing them aside until nothing but Zero's recovery overpowered them. They would get through this.

The President's body was in the center. He was on his back, and even from a distance Kaname could see the torn fabric that circled the hole in his chest. That was one death he wouldn't have to contemplate remorse. The man deserved it and had manipulated them all to the point they nearly died. Death was too easy a sentence for the callousness and havoc the man caused.

Zero stopped drinking and Kaname's eyes darted down in worry. He softly smiled when he was met with a violet pair of eyes. He kept his hand tangled in Zero's hair.

"You finally decided to welcome my return," Kaname said with a grin.

Zero tried to smack him, but cringed at the pain that shot through his side. He grit his teeth. "Yeah, someone had to bring you down from that ego trip."

Kaname lifted a playful brow. "I'm glad you didn't do anything suicidal, then, like practically begging me to kill you."

Zero's gaze flickered across the fallen chaos. "Where is everyone?"

"I'm assuming they made it out safely. I only remember it being you and I in the end. Stupid move, Zero. I could have killed you," Kaname scolded halfheartedly. He wasn't really angry with Zero, because the stupid move saved both of them in the end. He owed the hunter his life—their lives and everyone in the Association and Vampire Council would know of the sacrifice he made for both races today.

Zero frowned for a minute, his hand in front of his face as he paused to stare at the empty space on his finger.

Kaname reached over the hunter and scooped up the ring, smiling, but slid the ring into his pocket. Kaname grinned. "The ring is just a symbolism of what the Union offers. You'd still be connected without it."

Kaname stood up, reaching down to help Zero up with him. He put the hunter's arm around his shoulder, and he wrapped his free arm around Zero's waist to help the hunter stay up.

Zero glanced at the damage around them once more. "Remind me not to piss you off in the future."

Kaname stopped, pausing to lock eyes with Zero. "Today was a day I want to erase from my mind. I did some horrible things—."

"Kaname, I didn't mean—."

"No, let me finish. I did some horrible things I'm not proud of, but the worse thing that happened was nearly losing you…twice. Watching the President pull the trigger in front of me…I thought everything around me collapsed. And then when I…when you and I…just now. I saw you suffering and only through remembering you was I able to pull free. It just made me realize that those memories with you…they matter the most to me."

Kaname shook his head and smirked. "I think there is one memory that we need to redo, so it'll forever stay in our minds and heart, and today further proved just how right this is, and I know you feel the same way."

Kaname gripped Zero's arm, maneuvering the hunter around so he was leaning against the wall. He then dropped to the floor on one knee. "I know this isn't proper, and probably not in the best setting, but it's how I feel…"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out Zero's wedding ring. "Kiryu Zero…will you do me the honor of being my spouse again?"

Zero grabbed his ribs painfully as he chuckled. "Absolutely not." The hope that deflated from Kaname's face was priceless. Zero shook his head with a grin. "Idiot, we're already married, so I guess…well…you know I don't do this girly stuff, Kaname." He turned his head and whispered, "I'm not going to say yes, but you know the answer."

Kaname tapped on his ear. "Vampire hearing. I heard the word yes in there. No backing out now." He took Zero's hand in his and slid the ring back onto the hunter's ring finger. "This time we'll do it properly."

"I'm pretty unbearable to live with," Zero warned.

Kaname helped Zero off the wall and back into his arms. "That's why I'll purchase two homes for us. One for us and the other for me when you're unbearable, which means I'll be there six of the seven days…"

"Jerk," Zero said, and then his face fell. "We'll have to do a lot of explaining to get this mess cleared up."

"Let me handle that for now. I'll ensure both parties are informed of the events in detail. We'll work it out."

"I'm sure you're right."

"I usually am," Kaname said with a smirk.

Don't worry, my friend, Kaname will deal with the aftermath in the coming chapter, as well as Zero. We'll find out what happened to Yagari, and even get a happy ending (believe it or not).

I know Kaname proposing is very fluff (even for me) but this story is about their marriage, and I think the readers get to see an actual wedding at last. :)

I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you did. :D