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chapter ten - how rare and beautiful it is to even exist


"I want you to live freely; I want you to live without having to hide. I want you to live happily and as yourself. No longer will you be shielded from the stars; instead, I hope they embrace you. My only regret is I will not be there to see your smile when they finally do."

Juri cried as she cradled her youngest child in her arms. The battle outside was nearing its end. She knew this as soon as Haruka's presence from the world disappeared. It left her unbalanced; as if a piece of herself was removed.

Thoughts of Kaname fighting alone raced through her mind, making her heart hurt more. Due to the origins of her son, she knew he would not be able to defeat Rido. At least, not completely.

"I will sooner die over and over again before I allow him to take you from me. You may hate me for what I am about to do, but I promise it was for your own safety. I hope that when the time comes, you will find it in your heart to forgive me, little one."

Juri held Yuki close to her chest and began to chant a slew of words that, to others, would sound like gibberish. To her they had meaning; they had intent and conviction.

The air around the two purebloods grew thick and heavy. It was as if lightning was about to strike, but none came. The mantra continued, even as Yuki began to cry out in confusion and fear. Juri continued on, holding all the tighter to her child.

She had to see this through.

Juri's voice grew louder and wind began to circle them. The room around them became pure chaos, but Juri never faltered. Soon, Yuki's cries could no longer be heard— drowned out by the wind and Juri's powerful incantation.

Then, with a snap of lightning, all was silent.

The room was left in shambles, furniture thrown everywhere and mostly broken in places. The only spot to remain free of any type of debris was the center; where a human child slept, surrounded by shards of glass.

Shiori woke up from the memory(?) with tears in her eyes and covered in… snow?

Her mind was slow to process; all she could truly register was a faint pain in her chest. Sluggishly, she blinked open her garnet-colored eyes and looked down. Her shirt was stained with blood, but upon cautiously looking beneath it, there was no open wound there.

With no wound to account for, Shiori moved on to taking in her surroundings. She was, as she had initially thought, outside and in the snow. Looking around, she was beneath a jungle gym; a familiar one at that. She was at a playground that you pass through before heading into the small town near the Kuran Estate.

Just as she began to wonder why she was here, her memory began to rush back. The last thing she remembered before passing out was Rido impaling her and her father… Shiori bit her lip to withhold a sob. She didn't want to think about it right now; she had to find the others.

Shiori carefully crawled out from beneath the jungle gym, her chest still stinging. It seemed to be healing, but the process was slow. She would wonder how it had healed so much in the first place, but there was a faint aftertaste of blood on her tongue for her to fill in the blanks.

Whoever had whisked her away from her home had fed her before disappearing.

Too bad for them, she was ready to run straight back into the fire.

Trouble did not take too long to find her; as soon as Shiori had stood up fully and was ready to stumble her way back to her home, the sound of someone running from that direction was quick to meet her ears.

Shiori crouched back down, ready to defend herself from whoever was approaching. Her senses were still all over the place, but she would be sure to go down swinging.

"Shiori…?" A familiar face was what rushed through the woods, coming to a quick halt upon seeing her.

"Kaname!" Shiori said in a breath of relief. She quickly went to rush towards him, but the pain in her chest stopped her abruptly. She grunted at the pain, having forgotten the wound in her haste to latch onto her brother.

Kaname was quickly at her side, crouching down and reaching out to her with one arm. That's when Shiori finally noticed the bundle he was holding. Her heart dropped.

"Kaname… is that? Does that mean…"

The older Kuran looked down with sad eyes. When Kaname finally spoke, he ignored her question and instead changed the topic completely.

"I'll fill you in once I know we're safe, but for now I need you to take him."

"What?" Shiori asked, but still took the unconscious Yuki from Kaname. The boy was bundled tightly in both outerwear and blankets. Even with them, Shiori could detect faint shivers from his body; shivers only a human would be subjected to in this type of weather. The realization made her heart tighten.

Shiori looked at Kaname as she hugged Yuki close to her, flinching as he laid on her chest. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back, I promise. There are still some stragglers from the… fight. They were pursuing me; I must dispose of them before they become a problem." Kaname brushed Shiori's hair aside and pecked her forehead.

"Stay here."

With that, Kaname was gone in a flash of wind, leaving Shiori alone in the snow with an unconscious Yuki. The wind blew, and snow began to fall from the sky, prompting Shiori to hold Yuki even closer to herself.

Shiori looked in the direction she knew her home to be in, and wanted nothing more than to follow after her brother. She hated this feeling of uselessness; a feeling she couldn't seem to escape from no matter how much she trained. She felt sick.

"Why…? Why wasn't it enough?" Shiori's cries were soft as she buried her head into Yuki's hair. Exhaling heavily, the brunette tried to calm herself. Right now she needed to stay alert and protect Yuki until Kaname returned.

Shiori shifted beneath the jungle gym, carefully laying Yuki down beside her. In the distance, she could hear someone approaching them. Their footsteps were careful, as if they were a predator stalking their prey. She knew it wasn't Kaname from scent alone, but also due to the fact they were coming from the opposite direction of the estate.

Moving out from the shelter of the equipment, Shiori stood in the middle of the playground and in the open for the stranger to see. She resisted looking over her shoulder to check on Yuki, in fear the attention would be drawn to him instead.

Standing tall, Shiori stared down the figure as they slowly revealed themself amongst the snow storm.

"Hello there," the man said. He smelled foul, making Shiori's face scrunch in disgust. He grinned at her, fangs on display and red eyes glowing hungrily. "Are you lost, little girl?"

Shiori was ready to end this vampire's life (he looked ready to become full-fledged Level E; she'd be putting him out of his misery, honestly) but just as she feared, his attention was drawn elsewhere.

"Oh…? You have a friend?"

Yuki stood in front of the jungle gym, covered in blood with an expression of pure confusion on his face. He looked to Shiori, then to the man in front of her, a question on his lips. The man, now salivating as he stared at Yuki, wasted no time, however, and immediately lunged at the now-human boy.

"Wh-," Yuki opened his mouth, eyes widening as the danger became apparent to him.

Shiori didn't hesitate, forming a shield around Yuki before the vampire could even touch the boy. He ran into it, hitting it with such force that it shook upon the impact, but never faltered. The vampire hissed in pain, glaring at Shiori.

"That wasn't very nice." He glared, moving to stand back up. Shiori didn't let him, wasting no time before she pounced on him. Without her dagger, the only thing she could do was literally tear him apart with her own strength.

He screamed in agony as Shiori's hand tore through his chest, fighting through bone to reach his heart. He scratched at her as he tried to pull her away, but Shiori paid it no mind. She would no longer hesitate. She won't make that mistake again.

The organ was warm in her hands, and was just as warm when she pulled it from the vampire's chest. Blood gurgled in his throat a moment before he turned to dust.

"Yuki." She ran to her little brother's side as she willed away her shield. "Are you alright?" Shiori didn't wait for an answer, she was too afraid to look into Yuki's eyes and see disgust or fear. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close. When he didn't push her away, and instead lightly gripped her arms, it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

Pulling away, Shiori smiled softly before resting her forehead on Yuki's own. While she closed her eyes, Yuki continued to stare at her with wonder. When she opened her eyes to meet his, it was like the world stood still for the boy.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Shiori said with conviction. It was a promise.

"Shiori?" Kaname returned, covered in more blood than he had been before. Yuki stiffened at his sudden appearance, but Shiori remained still; she had heard him coming. "Are you both alright?" Kaname asked in concern upon seeing the scattered dust in the snow.

"Yes," Shiori answered as she stood back up. Yuki was quick to follow, clinging to her legs and hiding slightly behind her as he eyed Kaname cautiously. It hurt to know he really didn't remember them, but at the same time the action was endearing. Forcing a small smile, Shiori patted Yuki's head. "It's alright."

Once again, Yuki looked up at Shiori like she was the one who lit up the sky. His eyes were wide and lips slightly parted, as if she was a breathtaking scene.

With Yuki reassured, Kaname stepped forward. He wanted to comfort Yuki as well, but the blood on Shiori's cheeks was too noticeable to ignore now that he was closer. "You're hurt." He brushed the scratch marks gently. They had since healed, and only blood remained, but knowing that someone had hurt Shiori… It still upset him.

Shiori rested her head in Kaname's hand, allowing him to cradle it. "We were attacked, but it's okay now. I took care of it."

"I'm sorry I left you."

Shiori shook her head. There was no need for apologies; they both knew he needed to go back. It was safer that way. Sighing, the brunette decided not to answer and instead looked down to Yuki.

"We should go," Shiori said. Kaname nodded in agreement, turning to smile kindly at Yuki.

"Hello, we're going to take you somewhere safe. Can I hold you?" Yuki looked at Shiori first, and when she nodded, Yuki repeated the same gesture to Kaname. The older Kuran's heart tightened a bit, but his smile never faltered. "Wonderful."

Kaname carefully lifted Yuki up and began to lead the way out of the woods and away from the playground. Shiori walked beside them, hand absently taking a hold of Kaname's free one.

"Where are we going?" Yuki finally spoke, voice almost a whisper.

Kaname replied, voice just as quiet. "To a close friend's."


The trip to Kaein's was a long one. As vampires, they had enhanced speed and as purebloods they were even faster. However, due to their haggard bodies and the fact Yuki (newly turned human) was with them, they were not able to go as fast as they would have liked.

Shiori followed Kaname's lead, her eyes staying on Yuki the whole time. When he wasn't burying his head into Kaname's shoulder to battle the sharp cold air, he was looking over it and at Shiori. Whenever their eyes met, however, he'd quickly look away.

The action made Shiori smile despite the dire situation. Yuki was usually never shy, but, then again, this Yuki didn't know her. The reminder was quick to dim her smile.

By the time the three made it to Kaein's, the sky had begun to lighten up.

Shiori had never been to the hunter's house before, so she allowed Kaname to take the lead. He gently handed Yuki over to her; the younger boy more than eager to latch his arms around her neck. For a brief moment, the twins smiled amongst themselves, but then Kaname turned back to the front door and they were back to reality.

Kaname knocked on Kaien's door and it wasn't too long before the blond man answered. It was almost as if he was awake and already expecting them.

No words were exchanged at first as Kaien slowly observed the three of them, a serious expression on his face. Shiori could see his eyes shine with an immense sadness before he closed them, opening them again only after he had smothered the emotion.

"Come in," he said and moved out of the way. Kaname and Shiori didn't hesitate, wanting to escape the cold for Yuki's sake. He was still shaking like a leaf despite his many layers.

Kaien shut the door behind them, his back turned to them as he told them to have a seat while he prepared some refreshments. Shiori knew he was just buying them all time; trying to put off the depressing conversation they were sure to have in a few minutes.

"There's a guest room down the hall," Kaname said before Shiori could get comfortable on the couch in Kaien's foyer. "You should go ahead and get Yuki cleaned up."

Shiori nodded, unsure if Kaname was trying to get rid of her or not.

Too tired and concerned for Yuki to care, Shiori made her way down the hallway Kaname had gestured to and peeked through the few doors until she found the vacant guest room.

Once inside, she sat Yuki down on the bed before exploring the room a bit more for things she could use. Her search resulted in her discovering a bathroom that was attached to the room, stocked with basic hygiene products. In the bedroom, she also found plenty of spare clothes that would fit herself, Yuki, and Kaname.

She had stared blankly at the find, wondering if Kaien had just been hopeful that the Kuran children would spend more time with him, or if he had been preparing for a day when both Haruka and Juri were no longer present.

Pushing it aside, Shiori set the bathroom up for Yuki to use. She tried to help bathe him, but the boy refused. She smiled, finding his modesty quite cute, but agreed to let him wash on his own.

Shiori remained nearby, resting on the bed as she kept an ear out in case Yuki needed her help. She also tried to listen to what Kaname and Kaien were doing, but unfortunately their voices were drowned out by Yuki's splashing in the bathtub.

After several more agonizing minutes, Yuki finally called to Shiori that he was finished. She found him standing in the middle of the bathroom, soaking wet, but wrapped in a towel. After giving him a once over to make sure he had washed correctly (as best as she could with his body obscured by a fluffy towel), she had to instruct him to dry off so he could put lotion on, before finally he was allowed to get dressed into the spare clothes Kaien had provided.

Shiori felt like hours had passed when she finally tucked Yuki into bed, though it was probably closer to forty minutes or so. Nevertheless, she was anxious to return to Kaname and Kaien. She felt like the two were discussing important things without her, and she didn't feel as if she should be excluded when it involved her as well.

Shiori didn't step away until she was positive Yuki had drifted off. Today was an ordeal for him as well, even if he didn't remember half of it. She knew her brother enough to know he didn't want to be alone, even if he wasn't aware of that fact himself.

Kaien and Kaname were talking quietly in the foyer when she returned; their cups of tea were full and forgotten on the coffee table.

Kaname smiled slightly at her entrance. "Welcome back. You didn't want to shower and change as well?"

She ignored the question, sitting down on the armchair nearest to the couch. "What were you both discussing?"

Kaien and Kaname exchanged a somber look before Kaname answered her question. "I was informing Kaein about what happened… Then we were discussing where to go from here. The Council can't be trusted, and, though Rido has been dealt with for now… We know he'll be back again."

Kaien nodded in agreement, before looking to Shiori. "Truthfully, your okaa-san and I have been preparing for this day. It wasn't that we were expecting it; rather, she wanted to be prepared for the worst."

Shiori thought back to the spare clothes she had found, and the conveniently stocked bathroom. "Will we be staying with you?" A simple question, but her eyes were hopeful.

The vampire hunter smiled sadly, but shook his head. "As much as I would prefer it, your Council of Elders wouldn't sit quietly, and neither would the Hunters Association. I can, however, adopt Yuki as my own until he awakens his powers again."

"Where will we go, then?"

Kaname answered this time. "The only thing we can do now is play the part of innocent children. We'll go to the Ichijō Estate to seek 'refuge'. Asatō Ichijō is not to be trusted, but it's safer for us right now to be beside him. It will also placate him to have us in his sights."

Shiori frowned, not too happy with the plan. She didn't have a better one, however, so she made no move to refute it. Kaname could see her displeasure and tried to smile reassuringly.

"This is only until we are able to enroll at Cross Academy."

"Cross Academy?" The brunette questioned, eyes going to Kaien now.

"Yes." The hunter seemed to be lost in a memory for a moment before he cleared his throat. "The preparations are finished. All that's left now is to wait for construction to be complete."

"Okay," Shiori said with a sigh.

"We'll still be able to see Yuki," Kaname went on to explain. "Just not as often as you'd probably like. His existence is still a secret, and we should keep it that way for as long as possible."

"When do we have to leave?" Shiori wanted to stay at Kaien's for as long as possible, but she already knew what Kaname was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

"Soon, but Kaien has generously offered us a room for the day. We can rest before leaving for the Ichijō Estate later tonight."

The three continued to talk, discussing the future. Shiori still felt that she was left out of a conversation, but said nothing; too tired and sad to go against what Kaname and Kaien probably thought was best for her right now.

Once the sun was up in the sky, Shiori was practically asleep sitting up while Kaname and Kaien continued to talk and discuss Cross Academy. Her mind continued to fade in and out, catching only snippets of the conversation before she heard nothing at all.

When she woke up again, she was in what appeared to be another guest room, though decorated a bit differently than the one Yuki was in. Kaname was asleep behind her, one of his arms loosely around her waist as he spooned her. Unconsciously, she held onto his arm, curling around it as she breathed in his familiar scent.

Wanting to savor this peaceful moment for as long as she could, Shiori closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall back asleep.


author's note: another chapter down! thank you to all my patient readers for sticking with me through this. we finally made it to double digits! also quick shoutout to everyone who has left me reviews! i promise i see them and i'm sorry if i don't get the chance to reply to all of them. i keep them in my inbox until i'm about to update, and sometimes it's been way too long for me to properly reply so i just don't ever do it.

NOT-SO-FRIENDLY REMINDER! i don't get paid to write, so if you are unhappy with anything that happens in the story please know i don't care! lol

honestly, i know everyone is entitled to their own opinion and have the right to express it, but if your opinion is a negative one.. for something that you DIDN'T have to pay for to consume… please consider shutting up and showing some respect lmao. like i would completely understand if i was charging money for this, and you weren't satisfied with what you bought, but that isn't the case! i do this during my little freetime with no reward. give me some slack T-T or better yet, just go write your own story.

moving on~ i will be creating a tumblr called valxrafics where i can reblog and post inspo for my stories to try and keep me motivated to write. i think it will also make it easier to talk to you guys and give updates on the chapters, my life, and etc. my inbox up there will also be open for any questions or oneshot requests!

this chapter was beta'd by fortheloveofb! thank you as always for your hard work T-T


Stephanie C: v sorry to tell ya, but i don't make changes to please my readers! lol i don't get paid for this, and this story was specifically created because i couldn't find one like it. and if rido were to die early on, there would be no story at all. literally the whole entire first half of vampire knight only existed because of rido LOL you'll have to stay disappointed?

Hanahana: yes, i am here! and i actually have this story planned out already so~~~ i don't take suggestions lol and reminder that this is only chapter nine, and that we haven't even hit where the manga starts LOL so it's a bit early to say that nothing has changed from canon? especially when a lot of changes have taken place already. just because you don't notice, doesn't mean they're not there ^3^ mwhahah

Guest 01: sorry lol! i felt that i had dragged it out for long enough. don't worry though, there will still be happy moments in the future!

Guest 02: welcome to the story! i'm glad you're liking it so far. i agree, the fanbase is so small, but i hope my story encourages others to make their own so they can add more for the fandom to consume.

Guest 03: thank you, i'm glad you think their dialogue was okay. you have no idea how much i struggled with it lmao. who knew how hard it would be to write for two socially-awkward characters x-x

Guest 04: it's a nice thought, but kaname is too possessive to share i can tell ya that lol if you'd like to read a sidestory or oneshot where she is together with both them, though. just let me know :)


story rec: "zugzwang" by Ghostwriter Redux