A Sacrifice…or so it May Seem

Chapter 8. A Shocking Discovery

Authors' Note: I think everyone will be a little pleased to hear that some of the readers of our fanfics go to school with us, and remind us that we have fanfics to write. Sorry. ToT

Anyhow, since we've been on a hiatus for a while, we've decided to update the rest of our fics, and a brief summary, we believe, is in order.

After Yuuki's revival to her vampire form, Yuuki and Kaname are finally together and have had a child. Since the beginning, Kaname has been toying with Zero, who, before the birth of Kaori, the daughter of the Kuran siblings, left for his brother Ichiru's home.

"What will you do, Zero?" Ichiru asked, circling about the couch, eyes a color similar to Zero's burning with hate.

"What do you mean, what will I do?"

"Well," he said, a sadistic smile on his face, "This blade isn't dull. Unlike you, I see."

Zero's eyes narrowed as he came to an understanding, noticing the pained expression on Ichiru's face. "You want me to kill you."

"It's what you deserve, you know," replied Ichiru thoughtfully, lowering his blade. He knew Zero wouldn't make a move while he wasn't paying attention, anyhow. No, he wasn't that sort of person, then, was he? "For what you did to me."

Zero blinked. "I haven't done-,"

"Since we were younger, I've always been weaker than you, haven't I, Zero? You took away what was rightfully mine."

"How was I to-,"

"And now," The blade was back at his throat, holding him against the plush surface of the couch. "I'm going to do the same to you. I'm not going to give you a choice, just like you did to me all those years ago."

"What's the matter, Yuuki?"

She blinked in the darkness at Kaname as he entered the room, the heavy curtains drawn before the windows to block out the rising sunlight.

"Oh," she said in surprise, turning from the wall, "Something's wrong with Kaori. I can't seem to get her to calm down."

Kaname took the weeping infant from Yuuki, tucking her into the nook of his arms. Wide eyes stared at her father and she quieted, the small frown turning into a complacent smile.

"I suppose she missed you, is all," Yuuki mumbled, stepping into her shoes. "I need to step out for a moment-,"

"It's too bright outside, Yuuki."

"So I'll wear a heavy cloak. Please?"

He sighed, dark eyes lowering with love for his special girl. "Be careful. Try to be back before nightfall."

"I will, I promise." She hooked her pinky at him with a small smile, pulled her dark, brown cloak over her body completely, and walked from the room, the last thing she heard the small whimpers of Kaori as she fell into a pleasant sleep.

Kaori didn't usually just cry like that. She was a good kid, Yuuki had seen, in the short time since she'd given birth to her. She stayed quiet unless she was thirsty, or in pain. Yuuki had checked for signs of both, and had found nothing. No, something was up, and if her hunch was right, Zero had something to do with it. Kaname couldn't know.

She strolled across the campus, looking about herself every few seconds, to the Head Dorm where she hoped to find Elle, keeping her eyes away from the still dull rays of the sun. It wasn't strong enough to do her much harm, but when it was, the cloak she wore wouldn't last more than a few hours. She had to get moving, and fast.

The Head Dorm, to her dismay, was, as always, huge, filled to the brim with many useless rooms, hallways, and other things that made it easy to get lost. Eventually, she found the door to the Chairman's office and made a sharp left down the hall next to it, knowing that he and Elle's bedroom was somewhere in that direction.

The door appeared from nowhere and she turned the knob, the lock catching as she tried to push it further. She tried again and again, and then proceeded to pound on the door, ignoring the curious stares from other students as they walked past.

"Elle? Elle-sama?! Are you in there?!" she shouted, her fists pounding into the wood.

"Yuuki?"

Yuuki turned at the sound of the familiar voice, taking a step back as she saw Elle. Her hair was a mess, her clothes rumpled, and a trail of drool had been making its way from her lip. Elle paused, looked about for a second through blind eyes, her glasses tucked into the collar of her shirt, and wiped the trail away, a slight frown on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to take me to wherever Zero is!" Yuuki pleaded, grabbing hold of Elle's arm.

"I don't think-,"

"Please?"

"Give me five minutes, then."

She pulled a key from her pocket and let herself into the room, shutting the door behind herself. Fifteen minutes had passed before she came back out, freshly dressed and washed. Kain stepped into the hall alongside her as she closed the door to the room, shutting away the sound of the loud snores of Kaien.

"Honestly, couldn't wake him up with a damn steamroller," she muttered to herself, roughly tapping her boots on the hard floor. They were different from the ones she usually wore; they were old and worn, and brown. Her outfit was different, as well, a dark green top with slit open sleeves and a mull, baggy, brown pair of shorts. "Okay, Kain. You know what I told you to do?"

He nodded. The mug in his hand poured over with steam. He handed it to her and watched as she chugged it in one go, then took it back.

"Have at it, then." She waited until he disappeared. "Hop on," she told Yuuki. "And whatever you do, don't let go of that cloak of yours. I'm more than used to the feel of the sun by now."

Her foot hit the floor and she took off running, Yuuki's fingers gripping about her neck tightly.

"Where are we going?!" Yuuki asked, shouting over the wind as it hit her face.

"To Ichiru's place," answered Elle, her voice reaching Yuuki easily. "I'll take you there, and keep watch, but I won't interfere in anything. Just to let you know. I made sure to keep Kaname busy, and Kain will make sure we're not followed. Just hang on. We'll be there in five."

"Here?" Ichiru lives here?" Yuuki asked, as Elle settled her onto the ground from her back. She stumbled a bit from the lack of using her legs and clung to Elle as she caught her, her hands freezing in the small drift of snow falling to the ground. Elle pulled her hood onto her head and pushed her along before settling against a tree.

"I'll be right here when you want me to take you back," she paused, her gaze shifting to something behind Yuuki. "I'll be damned."

"Yuu…ki.."

Authors' Note: Yeah, so we know how we said they'd all be updated by the end of the weekend. Er...we'll finish updating all of them by the end of the week. Sorry, got caught up in some...stuff..