Thanks everyone, I'm so happy that many of you put me on your favorites list but don't forget those reviews. Constructive criticism and ideas are very welcomed. And Zero may be a bit OC at the ending but I didn't know how else to stop this chapter. Please let me know what you think! Thanks!
"What!? Who's come for you?" Yuuki asked in worry. Akane shook her head.
"We don't have time! Please! Please Zero-san hurry!" Zero looked from her frightened gray eyes to Yuuki's concerned face and nodded. He picked her up the same way he had when they were at prefects duties.
"Come on." He said to Yuuki and they both started running. The clouds that had threatened rain were fulfilling their promise and began showering them as they hurried onward. Akane berried her face into Zero's shoulder and he wondered if she was crying. Whatever was happening was scarring her enough to the point that she was shaking.
Thunder rumbled overhead as the people began to run for shelter. Zero could sense the foreboding feeling in the air, the same that he was sure Akane had noticed minutes before. His skin prickled with a sensation of fear and he was positive that Yuuki could feel it now also.
The streets were nearly clear as another roar of thunder vibrated around them. Akane looked up, over Zero's shoulder and gasped.
"Yuuki-chan! Watch out!" Yuuki had just enough time to turn around, and jump out of the way from one large, extended claw. She rolled to safety and stood up with the Artemis Rod in her grasp.
Zero turned around and saw two tall figures. They were vampires, he could smell them even thought their image was obscured in the pouring rain. The glowing red eyes were focused on Akane and she let out a small little whimper as she stared back at them.
"Who are you!?" Zero demanded, glancing sideways at Yuuki to make sure she was ok.
"How dare you speak to us like that you pathetic excuse for a vampire! Give us the Osaka girl!" Zero looked down at Akane's horrified figure and then reached under his shirt for the Bloody Rose, pointing it at the female vampire that had just spoken.
"No." He said simply. The vampires hissed in anger.
"Give us the Osaka girl and I'll allow you to live." The female snapped angrily.
"Touch her, and Kaname Kuran will have your head." Yuuki said confidently, hoping that Kaname's name would have an effect on them. It didn't. Instead, they turned on Yuuki.
"Don't move!" Zero demanded, cocking the gun. "What do you want with her?"
"She's a disgrace to the Vampire Hierarchy! She shouldn't even be considered a pureblood, she's so low. Lower then what you will become if you can believe it possible. Even a level-E, no matter the insanity, is still a vampire. She's not even that. To be called a pureblood, it's nothing but a ludicrous farce!"
Zero grew angry at these words. Whatever Akane was, wasn't her fault. All vampires were the same, the only thing they cared about was order and rank and he was sick of it.
"So you want to kill her because she was born half human?!"
"We have the right to protect our master's name! Just because her father couldn't control his hunger for the human women, doesn't mean we should keep his mistake alive!" The male said angrily, they both surged forward, one moving towards Yuuki and the other towards Zero.
Zero shot the Bloody Rose, missing the female vampire by an inch and jumped into the air with Akane clinging to his shirt.
Yuuki swung the Artemis Rod expertly, blocking the hand that reached for her neck again. She planted the rod into the ground and sprung over his head, jabbing the free end into his back with an electric sparks flying out from the impact. The male vampire howled in pain and spun around, grabbing her wrist.
Zero shot the gun again at the female vampire who had doubled back. This time the rose shaped design fell over her lower half, being engulfed by the pale blue light. She screamed in pain and fell to the floor, writhing.
"Sakta!" The male vampire cried, releasing Yuuki's wrist and running to his mate. Zero landed next to Yuuki, keeping the gun pointed on them as the male vampire hovered over the other.
"You'll pay for this!" He hissed, his red gleaming eyes full with hate as he picked Sakta up in his arms. "We'll kill you all!" And with that he turned and disappeared through the sheeting rain.
Zero looked at Yuuki. "Are you alright?" She nodded and they both turned their attention to Akane who's face was pressed into the hollow of Zero's shoulder. She refused to look at either of them, and responded only with a quick nod to confirm that she to was unharmed. "Come on." Zero said and they once again headed for Cross Academy.
The first thing Zero did when they finally reached Cross Academy was take Akane and Yuuki to the girls dorm. They waited until Akane had bathed, changed into her new dry clothing and had fallen asleep before they went to find Kaname. She still hadn't said a word to either of them and had been very reluctant to let Zero out of her grasp. Finally however, exhaustion had taken over and she was now soundly asleep.
"Zero please don't loose your temper." Yuuki pleaded as they made it to the moon dorms. Zero however, was beyond that. He ignored her and thrust open the doors which led into the castle like dwellings of the Academy's vampire group.
Kaname sat on the red velvet couch with Ichigo and Aido, with a teacup resting on his knee. Ruka, Shiki and Rima were also in the room, and all turned to face them as Zero and Yuuki entered the room.
"Yukki, Kiryu." Kaname greeted.
"Kaname-sama-" Zero cut her off before Yuuki could say anything more.
"We were attacked by two vampires today. They wanted Akane." Zero said darkly, watching the Night Classe for any sign of worry or concern, he found none. No one seemed too upset that Akane was almost killed, the worry that Kaname showed was for Yuuki only.
"You didn't get harmed did you?" He asked Yuuki who shook her head. Zero could hardly believe the lack of emotion everyone else was having.
"Akane was almost killed." He hissed while his hands bent into fists. His words still didn't phase them. "Aren't you going to do anything!?" He shouted, looking for a reaction.
"There's not much we can do. A lot of people want her dead and the council does not seem apt to punish them for trying. I did inform you that she was being hunted." Kaname replied as he took a sip of his drink. Zero glared at him.
"Why? Why do they want to kill her?" He demanded. "It can't only be because she's half human!"
"Their afraid of her. When Akane Osaka becomes of age it will be possible that she acquires a lot of power, we do not know what it will be or if there will be any. However, if it does happen and she uses it to help the humans the vampires would be in grave danger. If she used it to help us vampires then the humans may be in danger." Kaname replied curtly.
"And you're just willing to sit there and let them play tug-a-war with a seven year old girl?" Zero asked angrily.
"What would you have me do?"
"Speak to the council. You're a pureblood, you can make them protect her!" Zero yelled.
"I wouldn't trust her in their hands. Besides I have tried to find adequate protection for her. I got them to send her here which was no easy task. You did say you were willing to watch over her Kiryu I don't see why you are so surprised."
"You bastard! You were just willing to pass her off weren't you!? You don't care what happens to her!" For the first time Kaname looked up at Zero, his eyes were narrowed angrily.
"You're mistaken, I do care what happens to Miss. Osaka. I have done everything I can for her, even a pureblood has limits Kiryu. There are watches set up around Cross Academy, I have sent word to all vampires that no one is to touch her while she's in my care. I have taken every precaution necessary. If you can give me a description of the attackers I can tell others here to look out fore them. That's all I can do"
Zero glared at him but there was nothing he could say or do. He shook his head in disgust and turned around, looking at Yuuki to see if she would follow or not.
"You go, I'll give them the description of the ones we ran into." Yuuki said soothingly to him. She could tell that Zero was passed his limit. He nodded and left without another word, knowing that she was safe with Kaname no matter how much he hated to admit it.
Zero thought about going to his dorm room. He was very tired and he needed a shower but he turned the opposite direction and slipped back into Yuuki's room where Akane was in a deep sleep.
He had no idea why he had came but he sat down on the chair in front of the writing desk and watched as Akane turned in her sleep. She must have been having a bad dream for she was moving quite a bit and mumbling. Not that he could blame her, she had been so frightened when the attack happened, he was sure she was dreaming about it.
It bothered him that no one seemed to want to help her. Kaname and the others were doing all they could, he knew that, but he knew they weren't doing it by choice, it seemed more like an inconvenience to them. No wonder Akane had wanted to be with Yuuki so much, she was the only one who seemed as if she had wanted to help her.
Zero suddenly felt a pang of guilt as he remembered how he to had wanted her to stay out of his way this morning. How he had just agreed to have her because he felt obligated to. He was disgusted with himself.
Akane whimpered and unconsciously pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Watching her struggle made Zero feel even more guilty. Knowing just how horrified she had been. How deeply those words had cut her, he had heard them as well. They were mistakes, the both of them. Unwanted, unloved and treated as no more then a threat. He could handle that, he had since he had been adopted into the Academy, but he wasn't sure if she could.
Zero looked at the clock, it was around eight. He had to go and change, tell the headmaster what had happened… but he also didn't want to leave her alone. What happened if Akane woke up to no one in the room? Would she be worried? Would she remember where she was? Luckily he didn't have to think about it too long. A few minutes later he could hear Yuuki's light footsteps down the corridor. He decided that he would rather not be there when she entered so he moved silently to the window and opened it just enough for him to slip out onto the balcony.
He closed the window tightly and jumped to the floor, a good fifty feet down. The rain was still coming in sheets as he looked back up at the room. The light had been turned on, he could see Yuuki's silhouette sitting down on the bed, next to Akane.
I know he's not telling me everything. Zero thought to himself as he watched Akane sit up as well, Yuuki had probably woken her from the nightmare. I'm going to find out what happened to Akane's family, I'll protect her. I promise.