A few weeks later
I woke up in Zero's bed, lying on his bare chest, I smiled and put my head on his firm muscles, he woke up and stroked my cheek
"good morning Tora"
"only good when I see you" I murmured, he laughed quietly
"then this must be a VERY good morning" I smiled warmly
"I woke up with you, how can it be any less?" I kissed him again and we got up
"it looks like we have the day to ourselves" I put my hands on his chest and kissed him, he pushed me and my back hit the wall, he pushed his tongue into my mouth and I shivered, I bent my leg a little and he grabbed my thigh, he ran his hand down my leg and hoisted it onto his hip, he ran his fingers back up the length of my leg and played with the skirt of my dress, I heard the door open and Taiteki come in
"get away from her!" he snarled, Zero dropped my leg and glared defiantly
"why should I?"
"because I am her fiancée...and I am a pureblood!" Zero looked at me and Taiteki gathered a hoard of black bats, he aimed them at Zero, I knew that power, it was a power only purebloods have, I stepped in front of Zero
"stop!" the bats disappeared
"I'll go with you" I said, defeated, Zero looked hurt, he hadn't seen the bats, I avoided his eyes and Taiteki gestured me over, I walked to him sadly and he grabbed my lower back and pressed my body against his, he kissed me and I looked at Zero, who looked away, Taiteki walked out and gestured me to follow, I walked, defeated and turned at the door
"Zero" he deliberately avoided my eyes and I followed Taiteki, hurt
"how did you know where I was?"
"your brother" I closed my eyes and tried not to let my rage show, he left me outside the dorms and I walked in, trying to calm myself, it didn't work, I reached for the door, which cracked and crumbled into sawdust, whether it was my anger, Shizuka's blood, or both, I don't know, I stepped over what was left of the door and walked stiffly up the stairs, I gritted my teeth and tried to sap away my anger, I didn't bother to knock on Kaname's door, I threw it open, trying not to rip it off its hinges
"to be so angry...what is the matter, Keikan?" came Kaname's voice, he was sitting at the desk, I walked over and planted myself in front of him, I looked down on him
"what did you do?" I growled
"nothing much...I simply asked Taiteki to visit...and answered his question" I grabbed the edge of the desk, the window shattered and the desk shook, Kaname looked me in the eye
"you have never before been this powerful...whose blood did you take?"
"does it matter?"
"yes" I forced myself to speak calmly, my voice shook a little
"Shizuka Hio" he nodded
"of course" I grabbed his wrist
"why did you tell him? Why are you so desperate to hurt me?" he shook my hand off and returned his gaze to the essay he was writing
"I don't have to explain myself to you" he said quietly, I felt like punching him, I grabbed his arm again, hard
"you don't care? Do you?" he looked at me fiercely
"no, I do not" I gritted my teeth and the table cracked in half, Kaname's essay and pen fell onto the floor
"I despise you" I snarled in in face, he cocked his head
"but that isn't the reason why?"
"because of you...I hurt the one person in this world who I care about...because of YOU...he thinks I hate him!" he started picking up the papers silently, I leaped out the broken window and landed on the ground with a thud, I ran as fast as I could, I didn't stop, not to catch my breath, not to do anything.
A week later
Nobody had heard from me for at least a week, I spent my time alone in town, when it rained, I stayed in the apartment where I found Zero was alive, I hardly slept. One day, I sat on top of a tall building, knees held close to my chest, Zero's face had burned itself into my mind, he looked hurt, he looked as though the one thing that had made him happy had died 'I hurt Zero...I hurt Zero so badly...how could I be so cruel?' I heard a noise, loud sobbing, and a male voice saying to shut up, I stood and looked down, a vampire had kidnapped a human child, who was crying as he carried her roughly, I glared at him, out of my finger grew tiny, black, leathery wings, my finger detached from my hand and became a small bat, it flew up, and dove into the vampire's foot, I heard him cry out in pain and put the girl down, looking for his attacker, the bat flew back up and became my finger once more, the little girl hid her eyes, I lured the vampire into an alley with one of my illusions, I watched him look around, and then I dropped from the rooftop onto him, he cried out in pain and turned him to face me
"a woman!" he snarled
"a pureblood" I murmured and I disintegrated him, using Takuma's power, I climbed the building again to look for any other vampires, there was another trying to hurt the girl, he quickly became a sparkling pile of ashes, I leaped off the building again and landed close to the girl, she flinched and hid her face
"it's okay...they won't hurt you anymore" I murmured, she shivered and shuffled away from me, I smiled sadly
"hey, I may be scary...but I won't ever hurt you" I picked her up and carried her to her grandmother, who was quickly talking to a police officer
"yes, two men, they took my granddaughter!" the policeman looked up when I walked up to them, the girl sitting on my hip, the old woman turned and I gave the girl to her
"oh thank you so much! I am so happy! How can I ever repay you?" I dipped my head
"there is no need" I murmured
"oh, yes there is! Those men must have been hard to get away from! There must be something you want" I lowered my eyes
"can you relay a message for me?"
"of course!"
"if you ever see a teenage boy with silver hair, purple eyes, and a tattoo on his neck...tell him...that Tora misses him...and she will always love him" she looked taken aback by my words
"very well" I left and leaped onto the top of the building when I was out of sight, I wandered the rooftops for some time and watched the street below 'so this is what I have been reduced to...a vampire hunter' I thought with a smirk, I caught a glimpse of silver hair in the crowd.
Zero's POV
I was in town, I wanted to spend time away from the school, even though I knew I shouldn't 'why, Tora?' i wondered sadly
"excuse me!" I turned, an old woman with a child on her hip walked up to me "I have a message for you"
"from who?"
"they didn't give me a name, only a description and message" I nodded
"go ahead" she spoke
"I was told by a young lady, as a return favour for saving my granddaughter, that Tora misses you, and that she will always love you" my breath caught and I looked down 'Tora' I thought 'how can you say something like that?' I looked up again
"your granddaughter...what did the girl save her from?"
"two men that tried to kidnap her, after she came back, my granddaughter showed me where she first saw the girl...and there was only dust" I closed my eyes 'why are you killing vampires?' I thought, I nodded and left the woman alone, I left the crowd of humans, I looked at the sky and saw a figure on the roof of a building, a nostalgic scent drifted from where she was, I saw long brown hair flying freely in the wind, I smelled the best scent in the world, it was Keikan up there, I watched her and I knew she watched me as well, I blinked and the figure moved away, in the opposite direction to me, I watched until the figure faded to nothing.
Keikan's POV
I snuck into the school, nobody noticed me, I looked at the moon 'it will happen tonight...she will awaken...my...sister' I thought, I went to a building, Kaname had, as planned, bitten Yuki, she was turning back into a vampire, she was once again, becoming my sister. I watched as Kaname kissed Yuki and her eyes went red
"have you awakened?" I appeared at her side
"Yuki...do you remember us now?" she blinked and looked at my face with recognition
"Keikan, you knew?" I nodded
"yes...I did" I heard a gun cock and a voice snarl
"that smell...its Yuki's blood...but...now I sense another vampire! You! You have changed her!" Yuki stared helplessly and I stepped in front of my siblings, putting myself in front of his line of fire, I stared defiantly at him
"I can't let you do that, Zero" his eyes were wild
"you! You helped him change her!" I sped over to Zero, in the blink of an eye, I was next to him, he flinched
"you will not shoot them"
"why shouldn't I?"
"because it is my duty to protect them" Zero glared at me, still pointing the gun at me, I put a finger on the barrel and pushed it away from my heart, where it could do no damage, it pointed at a rock pillar, he glared at me and I looked sadly back at him
"you didn't believe me, did you?" I saw the answer in his eyes; no "then I have no further business here" I said in a rough voice, I joined my brother and sister and we all left together, we left for our home, we walked in silence until Yuki asked a question
"Keikan...what happened between you and Zero?" I looked down
"we had a relationship...but it ended" I glared daggers at Kaname "painfully" I added and he looked away, Yuki had no idea what I meant
"I feel sorry for you" she whispered
"don't" I said bluntly "I now know better than to show my feelings" Yuki looked sympathetic and Kaname looked guilty, we continued to walk in silence until we reached our front door, mother and father greeted us
"Yuki! So you're finally awake!" they were referring to her vampire side, I watched the door as my parents were fussing over Yuki, Kaname followed my eyes
"he won't be coming" I glared at him
"I know that" I walked out the door and shut it behind me, thinking to Kaname
~I will be gone for a long time...don't wait for me~ I knew he would relay that to my parents.
A year later
I went to a cemetery in the town near the school, I smelt something sweet and welcoming, I turned my head on its side and gazed over the graves, I saw a figure standing in front of a gravestone, Zero, I stood by the gate and heard a voice
"hello Keikantora Kuran" I dipped my head
"don't bother hiding, Toma" he summoned a hoard of bats to aid his appearance and look tough
"your blades are very blunt" I said calmly, he looked insulted
"then I'll just sharpen them on you!" he struck me through the chest, I doubled over and spat out a glob of blood
"I will kill you for this, Toma" I choked, but shortly after, fell unconscious. I woke to a movement, I opened my eyes and saw the backs of someone's shoes, and the ground, I was being carried over somebody's shoulder 'such...a nostalgic scent...' I thought 'I hear a heartbeat, I smell blood...I like this scent...I want this scent...' I lifted my head a little and found a neck, I licked it softly, the one carrying me tensed, I blinked and realized who was carrying me, I leaned back to see my transporter's face, I was met with amethyst eyes and silver hair, Zero stopped walking and looked at me with an unreadable expression, he was holding me so that when I looked at his face, it made my head higher than his, my waist was against his upper chest and my hands were on his shoulders, I gazed deeply into his eyes and he did the same, I looked away and blushed a little
"can you put me down?" I muttered
"no" his answer surprised me
"why not?"
"because you are hurt" I blushed deeper and he started walking again, we walked into a little room and he put me on the bed, I got up almost immediately
"I am stronger than you think" he shook his head
"that is impossible" I felt a little angry
"what's that supposed to mean?"
"I know how strong you are" I looked away and changed the subject
"where am I?"
"in a hunter's safe-house" my eyebrows shot up
"hunters? How is that even remotely safe?"
"because I'm with you" he was surprisingly calm, I felt my face go red, I walked to the door but tripped, I fell over and felt strong arms around me, Zero had caught me, I wriggled out of his hold and averted my eyes, I stumbled to the door and a gate crashed shut, I touched it, a jolt of electricity shot through me, sending a surge of pain shortly after, I pulled my hand away and glared at Zero, who shrugged
"it's not my fault" I rolled my eyes
"you aren't going to let me out, are you?"
"it's not that...there's only two ways for a vampire to get in or out"
"and what are they?"
"to be tamed...or carried in a hunter's arms" I went bright red, he picked me up and bridal carried me through the door, once I was outside the door, I pushed myself away from him, he put me gently on the ground, I kept my eyes away from him
"what were you even doing there?" (she means the cemetery)
"visiting my parents" I closed my eyes 'of course, Zero is anything but heartless' I thought, Zeros voice interrupted me
"what about you?"
"I was simply wandering, I ended up there"
"I saw you fight with the other pureblood" he seemed he wanted to say more, but he still didn't, I started to walk away from him
"Tora" I jerked to a stop, Tora is a name he only ever used lovingly, I turned and hoped that my emotions didn't show, I deliberately avoided his eyes
"what?"
"please...look at me" my eyes widened, I raised my gaze, he continued
"this whole time...you have been trying to avoid looking at my eyes...why?" I finally met his eyes, and my thoughts were confirmed
"because I was afraid I would see love in them" I did. He looked sad, but his eyes never left mine, I gathered up my courage
"Zero...do you have...'feelings' for me again?" he finally broke the gaze, the question had been asked, it hung in the air, he took a deep breath and answered
"I never stopped having feelings for you" I closed my eyes 'I don't want that to be the answer!' I thought
'no...' another part of me joined in 'not true...that is all I wanted to hear' I couldn't fall in love with Zero, I had to be loyal and loving to Taiteki, but my heart still ached for Zeros strong arms, his kind words, his soft lips, I opened my eyes again
"I shall take my leave" I muttered and ran as fast as I could, I raised my face to the night sky 'Zero' my thoughts were troubled, I thought about the few times when Zero and I had slept together, those nights were always vivid in my memories, I decided it was about time I left the area I lived in, I decided to broaden my horizons, I decided to travel for a while 'travel is boring without a companion...no' I stopped myself before I decided to ask Zero to come, I left that afternoon, I wandered until night and lit a fire, I sat next to it and looked into the dancing colours 'if only I could share this...with him' I thought, I shook my head, thinking of Zero, imagining this trip with him, sitting together by the fire, his arm around my waist, my head resting on his shoulder, both of us gazing into the fire, I shook my head again and pulled something out of my pocket, I held the gold necklace to my heart, I couldn't wear it, Taiteki wouldn't let me, but I always carried it on me, it reminded me of Zero, I smelt something sweet and welcoming, I looked around but saw nothing 'my heart has taken over my mind' I thought 'I can't think straight' I fell asleep as the fire started dying, hugging my black cloak around me to keep warm.
Note from the author: sup dawgs? I really liked this chapter, its one of my favorites, because the whole "im not allowed to love you, but i still do" feeling, and if you want to know how Zero is carrying Keikan, it is the same way he is carrying Yuki in chapter 60 of the manga