Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or Vampire Knight Guilty or the characters or story line affiliated with either the anime or the manga. All rights are reserved for its creator Matsuri Hino.
oOo
Chapter Four: Future Choices
Two different decisions made
make for two completely different futures…
When Zero's eyes again focused he was in a place he didn't recognize. Spotting Ichiru striding down a narrow cobbled lane he followed him all the while wondering where he was. When he caught up to his brother he gazed at the run down shanty that had caught his twin's attention. "What is this place?"
Ichiru turned to him and gave him a small sad smile. "Take a look in the window and tell me what you see."
Walking up to the grimy window and peering inside he did what Ichiru asked. He looked and what he saw didn't make any sense. "That's me isn't it?"
How could it not be him? Zero could plainly see that it was indeed himself, but he was covered in rags and sat alone next to a ratty battered tree that sported mostly broken ornaments and faded golden garland. Even the star was broken; three of the five points missing and the two remaining points were of faded gold glittered paint. There was no lights to make the tree cheerful nor were there any presents beneath is battered branches.
Zero let his gaze take in the rest of the room and noticed that there was no fire in the fireplace. There was no warmth at all to speak of. Every surface was covered in a fine layer of dust and his future self set amongst it all as if he didn't even notice the depressing scene he made. Zero cringed as his brother joined him at the window, but he didn't turn to look at him. He couldn't take his eyes off his future self and how utterly alone and miserable he looked.
"This is what you will become because your heart is so tainted by hatred for the Purebloods. You couldn't let yourself see past what Yuuki was to see the girl she always has been and because of that you lost her."
Zero finally turned to face his brother and Ichiru seemed to know the question he was going to ask, but he asked it anyway. "What becomes of Yuuki is this is the choice I make?"
"Do you really wish to know?" When Zero said nothing remaining silent, but giving his him a look that meant he didn't really want to know, but had to, Ichiru nodded. "So be it."
Zero followed his brother as he made his way through narrow streets until he reached a main road that led away from the small town and up the hill to a large manor. Zero knew then where they were going; Kuran Manor. SoshestayedwithKuranthen.
As if sensing his thoughts Ichiru shook his head. "It isn't what you're thinking. Yes she stayed with Kaname Kuran, but well…you'll see."
Zero didn't like the chill that crept down his spine at the tone in his brother's words. If she stayed with Kuran then she had to be safe and happy…right? Dreading whatever it was that he was about to see he cautiously continued to follow Ichiru as they entered the manor and made their way towards the back of the house. When they reached the far back of the place they entered a room and what Zero saw made his heart clinch in agony. Yuuki was lying on the floor covered in rags that were only marginally better than what he had seen himself in just moments before. Her hair no longer had its shining luster as it lay about her frail little body in dull contrast to its former glory. Yuuki's eyes stared at nothing as they lay open and unblinking, the bright whiskey colored dulled down by unhappiness and despair and if Zero hadn't seen the gentle rise and fall of her chest he would have thought her dead. His relief that she was alive was only short lived as he realized that it was because of him that she was forced to live this way.
He turned to his brother to see Ichiru gazing at the vampire girl with sorrow. "What happened to her Ichiru? Why is she like this?"
Ichiru turned away from the lifeless shell of the girl to turn a burning glower at Zero. "Because of your hatred for her kind she was left alone with Kuran, but she did not want to stay with him. She didn't have a choice, she had nowhere else to go and he offered her sanctuary. What she didn't fully understand was that he wanted more than that…much more than she was willing to give. She defied him time and again until finally he locked her away here only coming to her to take his pleasure and her blood when he had need of it. Everything that she would have freely given to you because she loved you more than anything Kaname Kuran took by force leaving her with nothing but her memories of you to sustain her. She may be the Kuran princess, but without your love, with the way that Kuran treats her she is nothing but a slave to a life she no longer wants any part of."
"Zero."
At the sound of his name he and Ichiru turned back to Yuuki to see a lone tear escape the corner of one dull brown eye. Zero's heart hurt to see her this way. Revulsion and hatred towards his self bloomed to life as he moved to kneel beside her. When he reached out to touch her his hand passed right through her.
"There's nothing you can do for her here. We're only spectators in this realm. Come I will show you what could be instead of this dreary hell."
Zero reluctantly stood and moved to stand beside Ichiru. Darkness closed in for only a moment before he found himself standing in newly fallen snow outside a beautiful cottage. It was a nice cottage, bigger than most, and a warm glow was cast across the snow from the window. Zero didn't wait to hear Ichiru's intructions, but instead moved to peer into the window. What he saw there made his heart flutter and fill with warmth.
Inside the cottage stood a beautiful tree decorated in gold and white from the ornaments to the beaded strands that looped through the branches around the tree. The firelight glinted off the ornaments giving the tree a light of its own. There were presents everywhere beneath the tree and Zero wondered just who all those presents were meant for.
He didn't have to wait long to find out. He saw himself walk into the room followed by Yuuki and two small boys, twins that were a perfect mix of him and Yuuki with her gentle features and his fair coloring; they looked like little snow sprites. Zero could only stare as the boys soon became buried beneath wrapping paper and his future self held Yuuki close as they watched their sons. Icouldhaveallthis.Icouldbehappy…IcouldbehappywithYuukiandhaveafamily.Allthiscouldbemine.Ijusthavetowantitbadenough.
"Do you understand now the consequences behind your actions? Zero do you really want to condemn Yuuki to the hell that you saw? Could you make her life that way because you hate her race all because of one Pureblood woman who had nothing at all to do with Yuuki? What is it that you really want? After seeing the past, present and future can you now answer that honestly?"
Zero turned away to look at his brother intent on giving him the answer he knew Ichiru wanted to hear, the very answer that his heart was now screaming out to fulfill, but when he turned blackness descended around him and he smiled to himself knowing that he was heading back to where he belonged…back to Yuuki.
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Author's Note: To see the Christmas tree in this chapter go to the website below. Just delete the spaces and add the right punctuation:
www (dot) santasbestdesigns (dot)com
The same instructions apply as in Chapter 2 except instead of the tree being Number 13 it's tree Number 7.