this is the final chapter of my first ever 'Vampire Knight' fanfiction... at least, it's the final chapter of 'Life With Yuuki: 'Vampire Knight' As Told by Zero' from the duo's joint days in the past. the rest of this fanfiction will be set in the present day of Zero and Yuuki's high school journey as prefects from the Disciplinary Committee. I, at least, promise not to end this fanfiction on the same heinous note that Viz Media had ended the season and final season of the anime. man, time had not been kind to that show.

disclamation: I don't own the series of 'Vampire Knight' anime or manga in any way, shape, or form. all ownership rights over the manga are reserved strictly for Matsuri Hino, and I'm afraid that the ownership rights of the anime all go straight to Viz Media. if I had owned at least the anime, I promise you all that I would've taken immeasurable pleasure in really cracking the whip on Viz Media's own staff to just do Zeki fans like the justice we deserve, continue the 'Vampire Knight' anime and just go further into the manga until they actually did reach the end. I know that that sorta thing would definitely do us Zeki fans the justice we deserve.

I will never forget the night when my poor Yuuki first saw a far less trustworthy side to Kaname Kuuran. Yes, it was the night she finally saw the true nature of a vampire's savage bloodlust, and a pureblood vampire's bloodlust, most of all.

It was earlier that evening when the two of us were finally finished with classes at the middle school area of the academy. We were on our way back to the idiot headmaster's house at night after staying after class in so many of the lectures due to neither one of us getting enough sleep the night before, when we walked past what was supposed to be…

Yuuki Cross: The teachers' dorm. It isn't being used by anyone, is it?

The only problem with her theory was that all of the lights were on in the so-called 'teachers' dorm'.

Of course, I knew why it was all lit up on the inside. My grades and the fact that I was held back a year might not have said so, but I was definitely the smarter and far more pragmatic one between Yuuki and myself. Hell, I was even smart enough to tutor my precious Yuuki whenever she needed one to help her study. But, I still tanked my entire year of eighth grade to keep an eye on my love, Yuuki Cross. That's right. I failed eighth grade the first time around on purpose for a girl.

I knew exactly what the teachers' dorm was being used for.

Yours Truly: It's being used as a temporary dorm until the entrance exams and pledges are completed. It's for the vampires.

I turned away from the vampires' temporary dorm and had expected for my Yuuki to do the same.

Yours Truly (continued): Stay away from their lair, Yuuki.

I warned my little Yuuki not to go anywhere near the vampires' temporary dorm, but I suppose the lure of her own love towards Kaname Kuuran was too much for her to even listen to my warning, never mind take it seriously at all, because as soon as we both got back to the house, she changed out of her school uniform and right into her street clothes almost immediately.

Yuuki Cross: It feels a bit stuffy in the house, so I'm going out for a walk around the grounds.

No, she was not. I was willing to bet that Yuuki was going straight to the teachers' dorm right after I had warned her not to. This time, however, I actually did nothing at all to stop her from going to her beloved savior's domain. I suppose that she was just going to have to learn the hard way, this time.

The idiot headmaster, however, wanted to stop her from going outside.

Kaien Cross: But, Yuuki, you'll catch a cold if you go outside in this weather, and you'll get yourself injured or worse if you go outside at this hour. You know that I can always turn the heat down for you if it's too stuffy for you in here, don't you, Yuuki?

It was too late, however, since Yuuki had already walked out the door. That was when I decided to tell the idiot headmaster the truth about what Yuuki was doing.

Yours Truly: You are aware that she didn't really feel like it was too stuffy in here, right? You do know where she's really going in this kind of weather and at this hour, don't you?

The idiot headmaster played dumb by pretending that he really did not know the answer to any one of the questions I had asked him.

Kaien Cross: Huh? What are you talking about, Zero?

I got on his case about it, though. He knew perfectly well how much I detested it when he played the fool, and he would do it more than a few times simply to get a laugh, anyway.

Yours Truly: QUIT PLAYING THE IDIOT, WILL YOU?! You know how I feel about you whenever you do that more than anyone. I know for a fact that Yuuki's going outside at this hour and in this weather just because she going through something I've come to refer as 'Kaname-Kuuran-withdrawal'. She's going through her 'Kaname-Kuuran-withdrawal' right now, and she's heading to the vampire's temporary dorm to try to go and see him.

The headmaster suddenly became aware of what I was talking about.

Kaien Cross: Oh dear, that's not good. She shouldn't go over to the vampires' home, no matter how badly she wants to see Kaname.

He seemed to not like it very much, but I liked it even less than he did.

Yours Truly: Oh, so now you listen to my concerns about letting vampires onto the school grounds.

The idiot headmaster seemed to be more than willing to take advantage of this.

Kaien Cross: I suppose one of us should go and get her back. You wouldn't mind if I took on that responsibility, would you, Zero?

The thought of an old geezer like him taking on the task of rescuing my little Yuuki chilled me to the bone. Then, I was filled with so much burning fury, I could beat him to a pulp if I wanted to.

Yours Truly: FAT CHANCE, IDIOT HEADMASTER! You're not going to so much as lift a finger to rescue that girl. I'm going to get Yuuki and bring her back from the vampires' lair.

I would rescue my beloved Yuuki from Kaname Kuran's vampires who would most likely look at her as a snack. Only problem with that approach was that while Yuuki changed out of her uniform and into her street clothes a while ago, I was still in my own school uniform and basically reeked of its smell. I had to take a shower before I could even get dressed, never mind rescuing my love. I know it was a distraction, but I just could not risk going to Yuuki's rescue smelling like sweat and used clothes.

After my shower, I finally got out of the bathroom and began to search through my street clothes for something. I was just going over to the vampires' temporary dorm to get Yuuki and bring her back to the house. I did not really need to wear anything too fancy, so I just chose to settle for nothing else but a blue undershirt, a green hoodie over it, light blue skinny jeans, and a pair each of white socks and tennis shoes.

Yours Truly: I'm going out now to bring Yuuki back from the night class's temporary dorm.

The idiot headmaster, however, seemed to easily see an opportunity to tease me about this whole rescue attempt of mine.

Kaien Cross: So, you're finally showered, dressed and ready to bring Yuuki back to the house. I suppose you couldn't risk following Yuuki to the night class's temporary dorm still in your uniform and smelling like you did by the end of the day, could you? You do realize I could have easily gone after Yuuki and brought her back by now, right, Zero?

Then, he looked as though he were pretending to just now realize something. I dreaded what I knew for a fact it was.

Kaien Cross (continued): Oh my word, Zero. You're in love with Yuuki, aren't you?

I saw that coming. I had to admit that the idiot headmaster being the first ever to know how I felt about Yuuki was a bit of a shock to me, but I could easily make it seem as though that were the exact opposite of the truth. I just could not deny it… not too quickly, anyway. Being too quick to deny when one is in love with another person is always the very fastest way to ensure the teasing and taunting from one's harassers that one definitely was in love with someone.

Yours Truly: NO, I'M NOT! I am not in love with Yuuki, at all.

Drat! There went any chance I had of being let off the hook any time soon.

Yours Truly (continued): I'm going to get Yuuki back from the vampires' dorm now. I'll drag her back here if I need to. Goodbye.

Kaien Cross only wore a smug smirk on his face at just how easy I had just made it for him to figure out how I felt about his foster daughter, Yuuki.

It was pretty bleak and gloomy outside, so much so that I did not know how a girl like Yuuki could possibly want to go outside on a night like this. Honestly, I wished I were better prepared for what had happened that night because as soon as I reached the vampires' temporary dorm, I saw something that I did not expect to see on my way there; Yuuki running as fast and as far away from the vampires' lair as she possibly could. Something must have scared her because she grabbed onto my shirt, sobbing up a monsoon until she realized she was clinging to me.

Yours Truly: What's the matter, Yuuki? Are you alright?

That was when she tried desperately to put her brave face back on, but this time, her brave façade did not convince me even a little bit.

Yuuki Cross: Oh, it's nothing really, Zero. I went to the vampires' dorm to visit Kaname in his home, even against your warning. I feel asleep before I could visit with him and by the time I was finally awake, I just saw a scary vampi_

She caught her own lips, but it was far too late for me not to already know just what she was going to say.

Yours Truly: Let me guess; you saw a scary vampire? Was it some other vampire once again, or was Kaname finally the scary vampire this time? Come back to the house with me. We'll discuss this on the way back to there.

Yuuki told me the story of what she saw Kaname Kuuran, of all vampires, do, and it all made sense by then.

Yours Truly: I see, so that's how it happened. I told you to stay away from the vampires' lair, Yuuki, and what do you do? You go there anyway.

Yuuki Cross: I just wanted to visit Kaname. I haven't seen him recently.

Those words from her lips felt just like a knife to the gut for me. As much as I did not want to acknowledge it, she was clearly blaming me for her actions. But still, I decided to take a slightly less aggressive approach this time, so I just took a deep breath before telling her about a vampire's true colors, even that of Kaname Kuuran's true colors.

Yours Truly: Listen, Yuuki, when it comes to taking human life, they don't think twice about it. They're beasts in human form, remember that… and Kaname Kuran is no different.

With what I finally had to tell Yuuki about Kaname Kuuran, I lowered my head if only to show her that I was being dead serious about it. But, she just continued to defend that Kaname Kuuran even upon finally knowing exactly how deadly even he could be.

Yuuki Cross: Yeah, but, Kaname is the one who came and saved my life that day. Kaname is different from the rest.

I did not buy it, however, because…

Yours Truly: So, then, why are you shaking, silly?

I could tell that my precious Yuuki was shaking like a leaf as she just continued to hold onto me tightly. She tried to be brave and let go of my hand, but I guess that her fear of vampires had finally gotten to her. Kaname had actually done something which caused her to become afraid of vampires once again.

Then, if things could not get any more desperate from her end, she actually grasped onto my shirt once again.

Yuuki Cross: The very first vampire I met in their lair was actually friendly enough towards me to recommend that I head home. I guess I should've listened to him.

I could not believe that there was a vampire like that; someone who would actually ignore their selfish, savage vampire instincts.

Still, though, I was not about to give a vampire, of all creatures, credit for trying to discourage my little Yuuki from visiting Kaname Kuuran in the vampire's lair.

Yours Truly: Better yet, you probably should have listened to my own warning and not even gone to the vampires' lair in the first place.

That was the night that Yuuki's fear of vampires came back into her mind. For me, however, that was the night that my beloved Yuuki first ran to me for protection from those beasts in human form.