Disclaimer: Vampire Knight does not, has not, or will not ever belong to me. I only ask that nobody takes my characters or ideas.

Not my Time
A Vampire Knight Fanfiction

Chapter Eighteen: Aftershock

Ichijou's Point-of-View

Outside the infirmary, Ichijou leaned against the stone wall, and popped a few blood tablets into his mouth. Crunching on the tablets more ferociously than usual, he attempted to ignore the enticing aroma wafting from the infirmary's ajar door. With such a delicious alternative only a few feet away, choosing to devour the blood tablets was tortuously unsatisfying.

I shouldn't even be hungry still… After drinking that much blood, I should have been satisfied, but I still can't stop thinking about it… As the thought entered his mind, Ichijou subconsciously inhaled Lily's scent. It's so… ambrosial… Unlike any human blood I've encountered before; usually human blood contains at least a trace amount of bitterness and overpowering emotions that eventually make the blood unpalatable… But Lily's had neither… As if she relinquishes negative emotions, and only retains the positive ones…

Realizing that he was allowing himself to become intoxicated by the dulcet scent lingering in the hallway, Ichijou shook his head, and plucked a few more blood tablets out of their container. Focusing intently, he attempted to lose himself in the disjointed tastes and emotions contained inside the pills, but only found himself comparing them to Lily's blood.

Compared to Lily's… these emotions are too strong for the short amount of time they're available… Her emotions were gentle, and her memories lasted only long enough to make them satisfying.

When he attempted to compare the remnants of memory found in the pills, Ichijou realized that despite nearly draining Lily of her blood supply, he could not recall one memory he'd encountered. He only remembered that they had been mesmerizing and pure.

Perhaps that's why… A feeling of self-loathing filled Ichijou when he was filled with the memory of Lily wrenching herself away, and him frantically grabbing one of her wrists in order to continue his meal. She'll never forgive me…

Cautiously, Ichijou moved closer to the entrance of the infirmary, and peered in through the door which had been left open slightly. Although he was having a difficult time fighting his instincts, Ichijou did not want to leave Lily's side until he could be certain she was in a stable condition.

From the doorway, Ichijou watched as the headmaster began inserting a needle into Lily's uninjured arm. At first, the procedure went smoothly, and the headmaster continued setting up the IV line, but after a moment, Lily began panicking. Struggling against the headmaster, Lily attempted to sit up, and wrench the IV line from her arm at the same time.

Despite Lily's weakened state, the headmaster seemed to be having a difficult time coaxing Lily back to sleep. "Calm down, Lily-chan, you're all right now," the headmaster attempted to reassure her. His voice was unusually serious.

Looking around nervously, Lily replied in a weary tone, "I-I had to… be certain…"

"He's in the hallway… He says he can withstand the instincts, as long as he isn't in the same room," the headmaster explained.

At the headmaster's words, Lily's panic seemed to increase exponentially, and Ichijou knew that if he really wanted to help her regain stability, he would have to separate himself further from her. When the headmaster started to reassure Lily that Ichijou didn't mean her more harm, Ichijou interrupted, "No… It's all right, Headmaster. I'll return to the Moon Dormitory. I'm sorry, Lily-chan, I didn't intend to frighten you more."

Turning away, Ichijou worriedly ran a hand through his hair, and wondered whether Lily would ever be able to relax around him again. If she panicked even when he wasn't in the same room as her, how would she react to attending classes with him? Of course, now that she'd been bitten, Lily would probably be removed from the Night Class, and re-enrolled into the Day Class.

It had been going so well, too… Of all the students, I would never have thought I'd be the one to endanger her…

However, Ichijou knew that he was lying to himself. Ever since he'd met Lily, he'd found himself enticed by her scent, and somehow his ability to withstand his instinct to attack her had gradually decreased rather than increased. For the past few weeks, he'd worried that Nasrin would attack Lily, because he'd become increasingly possessive of her - so possessive that he'd taken to lurking outside her room, or dragging Lily into his.

Initially, I thought I could force myself to grow accustomed to her scent, so I remained with her as often as I could… It seemed to work until I began to think of Nasrin as a rival…

Slowly, Ichijou walked back to the Moon Dormitory; he knew it would be too much to hope for the foyer to be empty. Certainly the other members of the Night Class would want to ask what had happened, or at least how he'd managed to lose control of himself.

Just as he'd expected, the foyer was crammed with Night Class students who were waiting to hear his side of the story. Briefly, Ichijou paused in the entry-way, and considered informing them of Lily's status, but after a moment's thought, he decided it best to return to his room immediately. Without a word, he strode past the students, and up the flight of stairs. As he walked down the hallway, he tried to ignore the whispering left in his wake.

Outside his dorm-room, a group of three waited. They were speaking quietly to each other; as if they were theorizing about why Ichijou had lost control of himself. When they realized he was coming toward them, they fell silent immediately.

"I know what you want to ask," Ichijou informed the group. Guiltily, he looked at the floor. "She's fine; the headmaster's taking care of her…"

Aidou seemed relieved, and assured Ichijou, "You weren't the only one who wanted to attack her. If Akatsuki hadn't dragged me away, it would have been me. He never imagined you'd lose control, but… It isn't your fault; Lily's scent is provocative."

"So, you're blaming the attack on Lily?" Rima asked, despite only a hint of emotion, her tone suggested her disapproval of Aidou's reassurance.

Hesitating, Aidou nodded. "She initiated the attack, in a way. She left school-grounds with one of the Day Class girls. Lily should have known better," he explained, reasonably.

"You think almost being killed is a suitable punishment?" Rima retorted, more strongly than before. "Even Ruka admitted that Lily didn't deserve to have been viciously attacked."

Before Aidou had a chance to argue, Ichijou spoke up, "It wasn't Lily's fault, Aidou. Even if she'd broken the rules, she didn't do anything to warrant me attacking her. I should have been able to control myself."

Unemotionally, Shiki announced, "She should be removed from the Night Class."

"Things seemed to be going so well, too," Ichijou mumbled. "For a while, I really thought humans and vampires could coexist. In fact, I thought it might be possible to add more Day Class members to the Night Class…"

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Ruka announced, as she approached the group. "Lily is a special case. Kaname-sama insisted she be enrolled in the Night Class; I didn't know why, but after hearing that she was supposed to attend Celtic Academy, I realized she isn't a typical human. I've heard that institution was established for those with a connection to the Fair Folk."

Startled, Ichijou looked up abruptly at Ruka, and opened his mouth to defend Lily, but Aidou found his voice sooner, "It makes sense, too. The reason behind the difficult entrance exams, and the background checks must be that the school's proprietors are ensuring only those gifted with 'the blessing of the Fair Folk' are capable of entering. It has nothing to do with ingenuity!"

Before Aidou could continue his speculation, Ichijou interrupted, "Aidou, that isn't true! Those beliefs are only rumors created by disgruntled applicants who were denied enrollment into Celtic Academy." Briefly pausing, he added more calmly, "I was accepted into Celtic Academy just prior to the Night Class being created. Out of loyalty to Kaname, I decided to attend school here."

Crestfallen, Aidou remained silent in light of Ichijou's revelation. He didn't even look away from the floor until Ruka released a haughty snort of amusement. "You applied, didn't you?" she taunted Aidou. "Is that why you sulked for three months when you were eleven?"

Angrily, Aidou glared at her, and retorted, "I did not sulk!"

Not wishing to hear an argument, Ichijou quickly stepped in to prevent a fight. "Let's not make this night worse by squabbling," he told them; his voice was more exasperated than usual. Glancing about the group, he noticed one person seemed to be missing. "Where's Kain?" he asked.

"Kaname-sama asked him to modify Lily's memories," Ruka replied. "Lily wouldn't feel comfortable in the Night Class otherwise."

Sighing, Ichijou ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I can't say I'm not relieved that she won't remember that I attacked her so viciously, but… after what happened..." Shaking his head, Ichijou trailed off before continuing, "Poor child… She won't like that she's being forced to forget…"

Ruka consoled him, "Kaname-sama believes it's for the best. She's been traumatized so badly that she hasn't been letting herself rest, and she's already very weak." Shrugging, she added, "Besides, she won't remember having her memory modified."

Attempting a smile, Ichijou nodded. "I know, and I trust Kain," he replied. "I just don't want Lily to be in danger again. I can't believe Kaname is letting her remain in the Night Class."

Ruka agreed, "Yes; I was certain he would remove her, but I guess Kaname-sama and the headmaster don't want to abandon the idea of the Night Class learning alongside humans. To be honest, Lily isn't as senseless as I thought she would be. She isn't like the other Day Class students." Flushing red in embarrassment, Ruka quickly added, "Not that I would have missed her, of course. She's still only a human."

"You don't have to dislike her just because she's human," Ichijou reminded her. "If we keep believing that humans are weak and senseless, we're reducing them to the status of prey. Lily-chan isn't merely…"

"Her blood smelled amazing though…" Aidou commented. "I've only tasted it once, and it was brief – because she ran off and Akatsuki wouldn't let me pursue her… But it was the most mesmerizing experience I've ever had. Even better than the time I got a taste of Yuuki-chan's blood."

Recalling the fantastical taste of Lily's blood once more, Ichijou suddenly found it difficult to catch his breath. Not wanting his classmates to see how much he still yearned for Lily's blood, Ichijou quickly excused himself, then disappeared into his room. Leaning against the door, he heard Ruka scolding Aidou, "What illogic went through your head that made you think that was a good thing to say? You must be stupid."

While Aidou and Ruka argued outside his door, Ichijou reached into his coat pocket for his container of blood tablets. Without hesitation, he dumped all the remaining pills into his mouth, then crunched them furiously.

I'm never going to be able to ignore my craving for Lily's blood now… I can't stop thinking about it, and knowing that she is going to be made vulnerable all over again… I hope that Kaname knows what he's doing…

…

Kain's Point-of-View

In the stillness of the night, two figures walked hastily along a shadowy path lit only by the faint glow of a lamp post. As they approached an ancient looking building, they spoke in hushed, but hurried tones.

"She's calmed down right now," the headmaster informed Kain. "I've just started her on a blood transfusion, but if you could get started… She's refusing to sleep, and her condition is worsening."

Kain nodded, solemnly. "I'll begin right away, Headmaster. It'll be finished soon," he replied. "I'm sure Lily will be fine."

The headmaster smiled slightly, as Kain reassured him. "I might not have custody of her anymore, but Lily is still very special to me," he explained to Kain. "It isn't simply that I used her to further my ideals… Although I feel a strong sense of responsibility over what has happened…" Shaking his head, the headmaster continued, "You see, Lily's been hurt before, and I had hoped to protect her from further pain."

Surprise registered on Kain's features. "Was her family killed by a level E?" he asked. "She told us that Kaname rescued her from a car crash… Has he modified her memory before?"

Shaking his head fervently, the headmaster denied, "Oh, no… The story's a bit strange actually… Kaname was asked by an old friend of his to protect her… Lily's father had become unstable, and Kaname's friend feared Lily was too stubborn to ask for help…" The headmaster nervously wiped his brow, recalling how he'd sworn to Kaname that he wouldn't reveal the truth about Lily's arrival at Cross Academy. "Lily wouldn't like it being told to anyone… so don't tell the others… or Lily… She won't like that her story's being discussed behind her back."

When the headmaster continued to look nervous, Kain sighed, then assured him, "I'll be certain not to tell our dorm president that you told me the truth about Lily…"

Lily's father is unstable… Is that the nice way of saying that… As Kain recalled the discussion the Night Class had engaged in after Aidou had discovered that she'd been accepted into Celtic Academy, Kain remembered that Lily had admitted to managing the farm prior to its closure. Ichijou had claimed that she'd had no other choice, and Lily's face had betrayed an instance of concern. Ichijou knows, too… No wonder he was so angry with Ruka's comment… Lily is very stubborn… She's out of the bad situation, and she's still trying to protect her father.

"You said you lost custody of her…" Kain reminded the headmaster, worriedly. "You don't mean that she's…"

Smiling reassuringly, the headmaster replied, "No; Lily will be under the custody of her aunt from now on." As he spoke, the headmaster's smile dropped slightly. "Her aunt's a bit… eccentric, but she seems to mean well for Lily."

Feeling relieved, Kain sighed, "I thought for a moment she would be forced back into a bad situation. I wouldn't have been able to accept that."

"I wouldn't have either," the headmaster agreed.

Upon entering the school-building, the conversation died down. Neither of the two wished to disturb Lily, and they remained as silent as possible as they followed the corridor leading to the infirmary.

Outside the doorway, the headmaster peeked inside the infirmary to ensure that Lily was still resting quietly. Once he was certain she wasn't in a panicked state, he opened the door, and entered. Kain kept a few paces behind the headmaster, so Lily wouldn't be as aware of his presence. He didn't wish to alarm her, and he knew that she would feel that he'd abandoned her, or that he would desire her blood the way Aidou and Ichijou had.

Kain would have been lying if he'd denied that Lily's blood smelled delicious. From the first night he'd met her, he'd known how enticing her blood could be. When he'd discovered that Kaname intended to place her in the Night Class, he'd momentarily doubted the dorm president's judgment. Although nobody had told Lily for fear of worrying her, the first day she'd slept in the Moon Dorm, almost none of the students had been able to relax. Ichijou had even sat next to Lily's door to ensure that nobody attempted to an attack on Lily as she slept.

Although… now that I think about it, Ichijou hadn't been acting like himself that day… Instead of smiling and joking with people who passed by on their way back to their rooms, he'd glared, as if daring them to try to get passed him… He even tried to prevent Nasrin from entering her room… And she doesn't even seem to have problems resisting blood.

"Headmaster…" Lily called weakly. Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, and she seemed to be delirious. As she spoke, Lily's eyes roved around the room, unable to remain focused on one object for more than a few moments.

"Yes… I'm here," the headmaster assured her. "Just go to sleep, Lily-chan. When you wake up, you won't remember what happened."

Kain could have told the headmaster that the idea of having her memory modified would only alarm Lily, but the damage was done before he could speak a word.

Frantically, Lily cried out, "I-I don't know if I want to forget. Wouldn't that put me at risk of another attack? I don't think this is the best way to solve the problem…"

Taking a deep breath, Kain approached Lily's bedside. Kneeling, Kain gently placed a hand on Lily's forehead, then apologized, "I'm sorry, but this is what the dorm president wants done, so…"

Before using his abilities to access Lily's mind, Kain reminded himself that he couldn't lose his focus. Any extra words or comments might interfere with the memory modification. If he wanted to relieve Lily of her burden of fear, he couldn't even take the time to reassure her that all was well.

Once I access her mind, she'll be able to hear all my thoughts… I'll have to be careful about how I respond, as well as what I tell her to do. One wrong instruction, and the modification will break at the slightest reminder.

Closing his eyes, Kain envisioned a link appearing between his and Lily's mind. After a moment, he began to discover unfamiliar memories inside his mind. As he searched for the memory of Ichijou's attack, he discovered that Lily was struggling to push him away.

From outside his mind, he heard her crying weakly, "No! Stop! I'm not ready!"

Although he hadn't expected Lily to resist when she was in such a weakened state, Kain calmly instructed her body to fall asleep, and slowly Lily began to rest peacefully. Parts of her mind were still whirring frantically, but they too were gradually giving in to the temptation to relax. Once Lily's mind had begun to calm down, Kain continued with the modification process.

"Do you understand that modifying your memory is necessary?"

Kain's voice was distant and abnormally calm. It resonated inside Lily's mind in such a way that she suddenly desired to answer in only one manner: "Yes; I understand." However, her mind suddenly sparked back to life, and she realized that she was not at all content with the idea of having her memory modified, so frantically she asked, "But will it hurt? When you began, I felt as if my mind were being torn into two… And now I feel exhausted…"

In the same abnormally calm tone as before, Kain explained, "The pain won't last, and you won't remember it. Your body is asleep. All the centers of your mind have been put to sleep, as well. Only your memory is awake. You may respond to my questions and commands, but you may not lie or disobey me. You will feel calm, and you will not desire rebelling against my instructions. Do you understand?"

"Yes; I understand," Lily replied. Her tone had taken on the same calm quality as Kain's, and a feeling of tranquility seemed to wash over her mind.

"You will forget that Ichijou Takuma attacked you. Repeat my instruction."

"I will forget that Ichijou Takuma attacked me," Lily repeated, obediently.

In order to ensure that he didn't overlook any details which might lead to Lily reconstructing her true memories, Kain decided to delve into her memories prior to Ichijou's attack. Due to the severity, and nature, of her wounds, Kain was already being forced to implant a false memory inside Lily's mind. He had already determined what the nature of this false memory would be; however, it would need to be given a believable context to ensure its stability.

"Prior to the attack, what were you doing?" Kain asked.

Lily didn't hesitate to admit, "I was listening to your conversation from the other side of the wall. My friend Felicity Devin was complaining about how I am always the one getting us caught."

"What had you been doing prior to that conversation?"

Once again Lily didn't hesitate. Instead, she systematically listed the major events that had taken place earlier that evening. "Felicity and I had been in town. We had gone to the art shop, and would have gone for coffee… Only the shop wasn't open. I told Felicity about vampires. There was a level E vampire in town. It pursued us while we attempted to return to Cross Academy. When it attacked me, I flung it into a wall, and killed it. Afterward, we trekked back to Cross Academy."

Despite the shock of learning that Lily had betrayed the Night Class' secret, Kain remained focused on his task. Calmly, Kain instructed, "You will forget killing the level E, as well as returning to Cross Academy. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Deciding that his false memory would fit best in place of Lily killing a level E, Kain quickly narrated a revised version of Lily's encounter with the vampire. "Instead of killing the level E, you will remember only that it attacked you. You used Coimirceoir to defend yourself, but it merely antagonized the level E, and it attacked again. In anger the level E bit into your neck deeply. After you managed to wrench it away, you fell and the level E attacked a second time. You passed out just as members of the Night Class were arriving. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

To ensure that the memory had been implanted accurately, Kain calmly instructed, "When you were attacked by the level E, what happened?"

As if this memory had always been inside her head, Lily obediently recounted, "I tried to defend myself using Coimirceoir, but I only knocked the level E back slightly, and it became enraged. Before I could do anything more, it bit into my neck ferociously. I struggled until I got away, but I tripped over Coimirceoir, and was attacked a second time. Before passing out, I saw two members of the Night Class arrive to take care of the level E vampire."

Feeling satisfied that he'd completed his task successfully, Kain replied, "You may keep that memory. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

To ensure that nothing remained inside Lily's subconscious mind, Kain added one final instruction, "You will forget this conversation. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Opening his eyes, Kain removed his hand from Lily's forehead, then gently stroked her hair. "You're a good girl; you're very brave," he whispered, reassuringly.

Glancing up, Kain noticed the headmaster was studying the heart monitor with an unreadable expression. "Is everything all right, Headmaster?" Kain asked.

Nodding, the headmaster returned his attention to the Night Class student. "Yes; she's resting now," the headmaster replied. A small smile appeared, as he added, "She stopped panicking only a few moments after you began."

"She'll probably sleep for a while," Kain informed the headmaster. "I had to use a little more power than I thought I would."

"With everything she's been through tonight, I would be surprised if she didn't sleep right through the ball," the headmaster agreed with a grin. "I'm just glad she's recuperating."

After another moment, Kain decided he needed to discuss Lily's insubordination with the headmaster. "Headmaster, could I speak with you in the hallway? I know you want to remain with Lily, but there is something rather urgent that I need to discuss with you."

"Of course," the headmaster replied. Motioning toward the doorway, he asked, "What is it you need to discuss?"

Once outside the infirmary, Kain answered, "While I was modifying Lily's memories, I discovered that she informed her friend – Felicity – about the Night Class members being vampires. I know that Lily has been through a lot tonight, but…"

Solemnly, the headmaster bowed his head. "We can't ignore that. Lily doesn't have any authority over divulging the presence of vampires to anyone. Even if she'd informed her friend due to a good reason, I wouldn't be able to overlook her disregard for this rule." Sighing, the headmaster rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll speak with Kaname about what we should do. Felicity Devin's memories of leaving Cross Academy have been removed, so she won't remember being told anything, but Lily..."

"I'm not upset with her; she isn't the type to announce our identities to people at random," Kain assured him. "I'm just letting you know what I found out."

"Thank you, Kain," the headmaster replied, appreciatively. "I'll speak to Kaname right away. You may return to your dorm."

Bowing slightly, Kain slowly made his way back to the Moon Dormitory. He was surprised to find that it was only two in the morning; after all the events of the night, it felt much later. When he'd exited the school-building, he had half-expected to see Day Class students entering the school, and had been bracing himself for the excited cries of his fangirls, only to discover that the sun hadn't even risen.

It's because of how difficult Lily's memory was to modify… For someone in a weakened state, she was surprisingly resistant. For a brief moment, I thought the modification wouldn't take at all…

However, perhaps even more shocking was the fact that Lily had encountered yet another level E vampire, and had successfully killed it. For an ordinary human to go up against one vampire successfully was likely pure luck, but for a human to encounter and defeat three vampires was uncanny. Especially when the human had only learned about the vampire world recently.

There is something odd about Lily… Kaname-sama must know something we don't… She couldn't have come from a vampire hunter family; we would be able to sense that… I highly doubt she's a vampire, as well… If she were, she wouldn't be able to hold Coimirceoir – much less use it for combat.

That was when Kain remembered the origin of Lily's weapon. Although the headmaster had given it to her in order for Lily to defend herself against vampires, the staff she possessed had never been specified for such usage. For all the Night Class knew, Lily's staff could be wielded by human and vampire alike.

But Kain was alarmed more by the well-known prophesy which went along with Lily's weapon: When it meets its true owner, it will reveal its true shape.

It was clear to everyone that Lily was the staff's true owner. Its transformation had been witnessed by the headmaster, as well as both the dorm president and vice president. Ichijou had been so shocked by this occurrence that he'd burst into Kain's and Aidou's room almost immediately after walking Lily back to her dorm.

Aidou had suspected that Lily came from the race of Fair Folk ever since. Kain had believed his cousin to be acting irrationally, especially after Aidou had become mesmerized by the scent of Lily's blood. After that night, Kain had believed his cousin had simply been looking for a reason to hunt Lily, but now that he'd witnessed Lily's strength-of-will firsthand, Kain wasn't so certain Lily was not somehow connected to the Fair Folk.

Lily is so kind and gentle… I never would have thought she'd be loyal to those people, let alone be a part of their society. Of course, there is no proof, and there is a chance that the Fair Folk are only using her. It would be like them to permit an innocent child like Lily to be sacrificed in order to relieve suspicion on someone who truly is one of the Fair Folk.

As Kain entered the Moon Dormitory, he hoped that all his suspicions about Lily were wrong. After learning that she had been mistreated by her father, Kain wasn't certain what he would do if Lily were manipulated by someone else. Even if Lily did turn out to be connected to the Fair Folk, he wasn't convinced that Lily was an evil person. If he had learned anything at all from attending classes alongside her, it was that she was humble and fiercely loyal – even to those who brought her harm.

Finished chapter eighteen! I needed to make certain I knew where I was taking this story, so sorry it took a little longer to write this chapter. This chapter basically is a recap, but I'm establishing a few future plot-lines, as well. The next chapter will be Lily's POV again. I don't like writing from too many points of view... I find it difficult, and it reveals just how little I understand the vantage point of other characters. XD

To anyone who is interested, I have a Vampire Knight/Doctor Who crossover posted now. :) I will be focusing on that story until February.

Cheers,
Mango