Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

Chapter 25

Redeemed

"Daddy left this for you, he said to give it to you when we got here," Haruka told Reina, hobbling over to her and handing her a crisp cream colored envelope.

"Thank you, Haruka." Reina took the envelope from the young boy and removed the letter inside.

She read quickly over Kaname's elegant script, her eyes growing worried and her hand beginning to shake. Lowering the letter to her side, she smiled at Haruka. They had all arrived only moments before at the nearest base of the Hunter's Association, Kaname hadn't joined them, choosing instead to stay at the manor.

"Hana, Kain," Reina called to the two cousins that were conversing quietly a few feet away. When they both cut off their conversation and made their way to where Reina stood, she continued. "Look after Haruka and Emiko. Don't let them out of your sight."

"Is everything alright?" Aido asked.

Reina looked away. "Just watch them and do as the Hunters say. They're doing us a great favor."

She was gone before they could ask anything else, the letter from Kaname drifting to the floor, forgotten. Aido picked it up and scanned through it despite the fact it wasn't proper of of him.

"Hanabusa, what is it?" Kain asked.

Glancing up at the taller, red head, he shook his head. "It's..." He glanced down at Haruka who was standing between them, eyebrows drawn together. "It's nothing," he replied, handing Kain the letter and turning to Haruka. "I think it's time for a game of hide and seek and you're it," Aido said, poking Haruka in the forehead and eliciting a giggle from the small boy.

Kain read over the letter, frowning openly. "What does he mean 'redeem myself and make things as they were, when you were happier without me'? What does he plan on doing?"

Something wasn't right. In fact something was wrong, very wrong and with a glance at Zero, Reina knew she wasn't the only one to think so. The scent of blood around the Shirabuki's extensive estate was overpowering and there were so many different scents that it was hard to tell one from the other. It wasn't until the two were cautiously walking up the front steps to the manor that a familiar scent made Reina's heart skip a beat.

Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Kaname..."

"I thought I smelled something foul," Zero grumbled to himself.

"What happened here?" Reina wondered aloud as they made their way into the dimly lit home.

The once immaculate space wreaked of blood and there were streaks and gobs of it everywhere. Clothing lay scattered about the room amidst piles of dust that scattered when they opened the door. Furniture was destroyed, wallpaper ripped and shredded, flooring and walls blown apart.

Swallowing, Reina looked around and tried to focus on finding Kaname. She couldn't sense him in the manor, she couldn't sense anyone in the manor.

She shook her head and looked back at Zero, he was frowning as he glanced over the destruction. "I don't understand," she said. "They should be here."

"Who do you think did all this?" Zero asked, ignoring Reina's comment. He suspected that it was Kaname and he wondered how he would deal with the pureblood when he found him.

"The house is empty now," Reina muttered. "Where could-" She gasped, cutting off her sentence and jolting as if she had been punched in the gut. Her hand rose to her chest and she cringed when a heartbeat rang loud and clear throughout her entire being.

Even Zero cringed and groaned in response to the sudden, loud and very much alive heartbeat that rang in his ears.

"It can't be," Reina murmured, her eyes staring off down a hall lit by only a few wall lamps that hadn't been busted.

"Reina," Zero cried when the woman took off down the hall without warning. Growling, he followed after her and nearly slammed into her back after racing through a doorway and down a set of unlit steps to find her at the bottom as if in a trance.

She was staring at something he couldn't see from behind her though he could hear the faint sounds of someone taking labored breaths not far away. Stepping around her so he was beside her, Zero let his eyes roam the darkness before them.

"He's still alive," Zero said, watching the bare chest of the blond that lay on a stone table in the center of the room rise and fall slowly. "Where's Kaname? His stench is all over this place."

Reina didn't answer, she breathed out shakily and fell to her knees, her eyes never leaving Takuma's body that lay on the stone alter.

"If you can't kill him-"

"There's no need to kill him," Reina cut in softly, her head dropping into her chest.

"What do you mean?" Zero asked, confused and looking down at the top of Reina's bowed head.

"Haven't you noticed, Zero?" Reina inquired, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a short silence and Reina lifted her head and met Zero's uncertain lilac eyes. "That man isn't Michael Takamora nor is Michael Takamora's aura even attached to him."

Zero frowned and glanced back at the body. "What do you mean it's not Michael Takamora? How is that possible?"

"It shouldn't be possible," Reina replied. "Unless..." She trailed off, tears glistening in her eyes and trailing down her cheeks.

"Unless what?" Zero pressed.

"..Unless someone sacrificed themselves so that they could remove the intruding soul from its host and seal it away by taking it with them to the underworld."

He blinked. He had no idea what she was saying. Her words were too ominous, too dark and she looked about to break as she sat on the cold stone floor, her blue eyes searching the room for something. It took him a moment to realize what she was looking for.

"Kaname?" The name was spoken before he even realized it and somehow having said it made everything suddenly very clear. "You think Kaname sacrificed himself to seal Michael away?"

Her troubled eyes never met his, they kept searching for some sign that her thoughts were wrong, but she found nothing. "Yes," she answered hoarsely.

Processing exactly what her reply meant took him a moment, but when he finally understood what it would mean for Kaname to have sacrificed himself, he leaned down next to Reina. "Reina..."

She shook her head, closing her eyes and looking away. "He's not gone. He can't be gone." Her shoulders quaked and her chest heaved as she struggled to keep her emotions under control.

Laying a hand on her back, Zero sighed, casting a glance over at Takuma when he heard something move. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the man was stirring and beginning to wake.

When his green eyes fluttered open and he dazedly looked around the room, eyes resting on Zero and Reina, Takuma spoke. His voice was a faint whisper, but it echoed around the room loudly. "Reina?"

Choking on a pent up sob, her eyes widened and she lifted her head to stare at Takuma in shock.

"Reina?" Takuma repeated, trying to lift himself into a sitting position.

That was when she broke. The tears leaking from her eyes began flowing like rivers and her sobs were harsh and wracked through her entire body, draining it of the energy she was using to hold herself upright. Her body appeared to fold in on itself as she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She murmured Kaname's name several times, the words barely discernible.

Unsettled and confused, Takuma stumbled off of the alter towards Reina hoping to comfort the broken woman somehow. When he reached out for her, gently calling her name, he was surprised by her reaction.

"Don't...please," was all she could manage as she backed away from the hand reaching for her.

Looking up at Zero as if he might find some answers as to what was going on and why his mind was so fuzzy, Takuma noticed that the boy he remembered seemed much older and very different from his last memories of him. There was no doubt now that the boy was a man and a vampire at that.

Not knowing what else to do, Zero picked Reina up from the floor, cradling her in his arms. He heard her mutter one word, home, and with a sigh he looked at Takuma. "Stay here. I'll send someone in."

All he could do was stare after Zero with his green eyes while his own heart twisted painfully in his chest. His memories were a jumbled mess, his head hurt and somehow he knew that he had done things that had hurt Reina. Not intentionally, he knew, but his hands, his body had caused her harm. Had caused her family harm.

"Family?" His voice was nearly unfamiliar to him and he blinked rapidly at the harsh sound of it echoing around him.

Lifting a hand to his head, he crumpled to his knees.

Aido blinked at the phone in his hand and then to Kain, he tried to open his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "It was Zero."

"And," Kain pressed.

"He says to go to the Shirabuki manor," Aido trailed off, staring at his phone again as if expecting Zero to call back and say everything was just a joke.

"Why?" Kain asked.

Aido jumped. "To get Ichijo."

"Take him somewhere else," Reina snapped, her voice pleading and tired as she stood inches away from Zero, her eyes red and her cheeks puffy and tear stained.

"Where am I supposed to take him, Reina? He has nowhere to go," Zero pointed out calmly.

"I don't care where you take him, Zero. I don't want him here. Not near my children."

"... One of those children is his, Reina. You used to love him-"

"That was a long time ago. Just get him out of here!" Reina yelled, tears springing back into her eyes and her head falling into her chest. "Please, Zero... I can't..."

Sighing, Zero shook his head and gently pulled Reina towards him to try and comfort the distraught woman that looked so lost and broken standing before him with her swollen eyes and reddened cheeks. "I'll see what I can do," he told her quietly, running his hand over her tangled hair reassuringly when she clutched tighter to him, her sobs intensifying.

He couldn't imagine what she must have been going through. She had lost her husband who had apparently sacrificed himself in order to return the man she had loved before him to her. Now her husband was gone, leaving her alone to deal with the sudden reappearance of her former lover and the father of her daughter on her own. She had thought he was dead for years, had thought that she would never see him again and she had come to terms with that and moved on.

But now everything was different.

The man she had thought would always be by her side, Kaname, was gone and Takuma, who she had believed to be dead was alive. Their places had been switched and Reina wasn't sure what to do or even what to feel. Kaname was gone and she had yet to tell the children or even stop crying herself. She didn't know what she would tell them about Takuma, especially Emiko who had to have become aware by now that her father was in the same building as she was. The girl had to have been very confused by this since she too had always believed him to be dead.

"Reina?" a quiet, shy voice called into the room uncertainly.

Zero looked over his shoulder to see Yuuki looking into the room, it was obvious by the redness of her eyes that she too had been crying. Looking away, Zero released Reina and stepped back. "I'll leave you alone." Without a glance at Yuuki, he left the room, nodding slightly to acknowledge Ken who stood behind Yuuki.

With Zero no longer there to help her stand, Reina fell to her knees on the floor of the room she had been given while staying with the Hunters. Her shoulders were shaking and her disheveled hair hung around her face limply.

"Reina," Yuuki repeated, walking over to the woman and sitting on the floor beside her. She brushed some of Reina's hair from her wet cheeks and gladly embraced the shaking woman when she rested her head on her shoulder.

"Is it true?" Ken asked, lowering himself down beside Yuuki and laying a hand on Reina's arm.

Reina could barely nod in response to the question, it was very hard to admit that everything that had happened was real and she kept hoping that she would wake up from the nightmare she had found herself in. "It's true," she rasped out. "Kaname... he..." She couldn't continue, her hands fisted and she choked on an emotion filled sob, raising a hand to her mouth she forced herself to breath and try to calm down.

"I'm so sorry, Reina," Ken whispered, forlornly watching the beautiful woman cry, her small body shaking violently while his wife tried to comfort her by shushing her and rocking her gently. "I'll leave the two of you alone. Will you be alright?" He asked Yuuki, kissing her tenderly on the forehead when she offered a teary eyed smile and a nod.

"Well," Cross sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose since they had slipped down his face while he had been examining the blond vampire that sat on the edge of a neatly made bed in a rather small room with sparse furnishings and only a single window. The window was closed, the brown curtain covering it pulled tightly shut. Looking over at Zero, who was leaning into the wall behind him, eying the blond vampire on the bed with suspicion and uncertainty, Cross continued. "He appears to be perfectly fine. Aside from the obvious holes in his memory that seems to be slowly coming back, Ichijo is in perfect health."

Zero didn't reply, he merely continued to stare at Ichijo, who was wearing a gray v-neck sweater over a white shirt and beige slacks that Cross had given him. His lilac eyes shifted to the door when a knock echoed through the room.

"Hope I'm not intruding," Ken said, opening the door and letting himself into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Of course not," Cross replied, smiling softly. "How is Yuuki?"

"She'll be alright, it's Reina I'm worried about. Her entire life has just changed drastically in just a matter of hours. She's broken and it's hard to say if she'll be able to recover from the loss she suffered."

"Reina is a strong woman, I'm sure that given time she will heal." Cross sighed and looked towards the closed window. "Besides, she doesn't have much choice, she's now the sole leader of the vampire race and they will need her now that their king has died."

Takuma's emerald eyes widen and he gasped, blinking up at Cross in confusion. "What?" He inquired shakily.

It was Zero that spoke, his voice blank with a slightly hard edge. "Haven't you been paying attention? Kaname is dead and since his son isn't old enough to take over his role then his wife, the current queen, will have to take over his place in the meantime. Meaning Reina who just lost her husband, who was the king, is now in charge of the vampire world."

"But she's not alone," Ken spoke up. "Yuuki and I will help her in any way we can."

Takuma blinked at the man that was unknown to him. "Who are you?"

"Ken," he answered, figuring it wise to leave his last name unspoken for the time being. "Yuuki's husband and a good friend of Reina's."

"Reina..." Takuma repeated the name sorrowfully, his head lowering so he could stare at the ground.

He wasn't sure what he should do. So much information was still slowly materializing in his head, his foggy memories clearing and though it was confusing to sift through the fog since for so long he had been simply an observer in his own body he felt a sense that everything was his fault. That some weakness of his own had caused Reina great harm. He was shocked to hear that so much time had passed since he had last seen Reina, to hear that she had given birth to his child, had married Kaname, become the queen of the vampire race and had born a pureblood child who would one day rule over the vampire world. Cross had told him a lot, but somehow he still felt that there was a lot he was missing.

"What are we going to do with him?" Zero asked, tilting his head towards Takuma. "He can't stay here... Reina doesn't want him here."

Takuma winced, his eyes closing in response to Zero's blunt statement. He knew that much had changed, that Reina had moved on with her life but it still hurt to hear that she wanted nothing to do with him.

The door creaked open and everyone's heads turned to stare in surprise at the little blond girl that stood in the doorway.

"Emiko," Ken said, blinking at the the child whose eyes were fixed on the man on the bed.

Zero pushed himself away from the way, fighting back a scowl for not having noticed the little girl's aura. "You're not supposed to be here, come on." He laid a hand on the young girl's shoulder and tried to steer her out of the room, but she wouldn't budge.

"Papa?" the little girl mumbled, blinking at Takuma who raised his head, eyes wide and shocked.

"Ichijo," Cross began quietly. "This is your daughter, Emiko Tsukina. She usually goes by Emi. Isn't that right, dear?" Cross smiled at the little girl and beckoned her over, ignoring Zero's glare and threatening look.

Slowly, Emiko walked towards Cross, standing close to the familiar man while her blue eyes remained locked on Takuma who seemed so surprised that he wasn't sure what to do.

He settled for smiling. "Hello, Emiko."

She didn't reply, instead she stepped forward and reached a hand up to set on Takuma's cheek. Takuma watched her, uncertain of what he should do or say, if anything.

The door hadn't closed behind Emiko and it slammed loudly against the wall when Reina entered the room, her eyes raging with emotion. Emiko jumped, startled and backed away from her father.

"To your room," Reina told Emiko, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Tears forming in her eyes, Emiko said nothing and ran from the room.

Casting a glance at Cross that suggested she was not happy with him, Reina turned and without another word or even a glance at Takuma, made her way back out of the room.

"Reina?" Takuma stood up, intending on following Reina or at the very least stopping her, but a stern looking Zero materialized in front of him.

Zero didn't say anything to the surprised Ichijo, he turned his eyes to Cross and spoke to him. "I want him out within the hour, Cross. I don't care where you take him, just get him out of my building."

Cross would have argued, but he could tell by the tone of Zero's voice and the look in his eyes that he meant business. He nodded in response and watched as Zero left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm sorry about-"

"It's alright," Takuma cut in, smiling sadly at Cross. "A lot of things have changed and Reina must be dealing with so much... I'm just glad that she is surrounded by people who care about her."

"None of what has happened is your fault," Ken said. "Reina is aware of that, as is everyone else here. It must be hard for you to not be able to be one of those people, you love her very much after all."

"I understand why I can't be one of those people for Reina, I was dead to her for years and then I suddenly appear and try to take everything away from her that she cares about. It may not have been me in control of my own actions, but it can't be easy to face the person who tried to kill your friends and children. I will always love Reina, maybe one day she'll be able to look at me again. If not that's okay too as long as she's happy."

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Cross asked. "The Ichijo manor was... well it's not in the best shape. Since you and Reina weren't married at the time of your...um... disappearance she wasn't able to do anything with the property and it was left as it was after your last meeting with your grandfather."

"I see..."

"You can stay in my old home. It's not quite the size of the Ichijo manor, but you'll have somewhere to rest your head at least," Ken offered, referring to the penthouse he owned that he had long ago taken Reina to when he had rescued her from his father in what seemed like a different lifetime. "It will give you time to yourself, to think, while the Ichijo manor is rebuilt. It's my understanding that the Ichijo corporation is still functioning and since there was no proof of your death I don't believe it should be difficult for you to lay claim to the wealth that is rightfully yours."

Takuma nodded solemnly. "I don't know you, why are you willing to help me?"

"My family has caused you very much trouble, it's the least I can do," Ken answered somberly, inclining his head to Ichijo and Cross. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to check on my wife."

"What did he mean his family?" Ichijo asked Cross.

"Ken is a Takamora, it was his brother that possessed you."

Eyes widening, Ichijo glanced at the door.

"There's no need to worry," Cross said, smiling. "Ken has been a trusted friend to Reina for sometime. The fact that Yuuki is his wife should show that even Kaname trusted him enough to entrust him with something precious to him."

He nodded, looking towards the ground. A feeling of nausea washed over him as yet another memory bombarded his consciousness. He knew that the memories weren't his, that though his body had performed the motions, he hadn't been the one in control, but that didn't make him feel any less sickened by the things he saw floating though his head. The trysts with Sara Shirabuki were the ones that bothered him the most, that haunted him whenever he closed his eyes.

"Things will get better in time," Cross told him, jolting the blond vampire out of his stupor. "I suppose we should get you ready to go. We've already informed the rest of the Association about the situation and I believe that Aido and Kain were seeing to informing the Council of the recent events as well... No one blames you, Ichijo, just remember that."

"Are you sure about this, Reina?" Aido asked, eying the elegant white haired vampire beside him uncertainly before turning his icy blue eyes back to the large mansion that spread out in front of them.

It was gigantic when compared to the manor that Reina had spent most of her life in. The style was more Gothic with hints of classical architecture that gave it a very imposing look. It was nestled in the mountains and surrounded by dense forest, peaceful and quiet, perfect for gathering one's thoughts or losing themselves in them.

"I am a Kuran, even if it is just by marriage, this home belongs to me now. I have no desire to return to my own home..not after everything that has happened there. Besides, this location is much easier to defend and I happen to know a great deal about its secrets," she smiled a soft, knowing smile at Aido. "Come on, I'd like to see what has been done. By now I'm sure that Midori and the staff have everything in order."

"But... it's such a big change," Aido said. "Are you sure you want to move Emiko and Haruka out here? The location may be easier to defend, but we don't have enough people to defend it and it would take time-"

"There are plenty of people to protect it," Reina cut in. "Haven't you noticed, Aido, we're surrounded by them already. Hunters and vampires alike have gathered here for one purpose."

"And what's that?"

Reina smiled, turning her head towards the large mansion and beginning to glide towards it. "To protect the last Queen and the future King of the vampire race. If anything were to happen to us both sides know that the damage caused would create civil war. It's a nice thought, after all the time Kaname spent trying to get both sides to cooperate and work together, it's finally happening and he's not here to see it."

"Reina.." Aido trailed off, sighing sadly and following after the pureblood.

"I'll be fine, Hana," Reina spoke up. "I've got a lot to live for... Is Emiko still unhappy with me?"

He nodded, his blue eyes sad. "She won't leave her room at the Hunter's building."

"I suppose I overreacted a bit, but," she sighed, trailing off and leaving the sentence hanging in the cool air.

"He wouldn't have hurt her," Aido stated quietly.

Reina froze, her eyes staring straight ahead of her and her hair blowing in the wind behind her. "I know," she whispered. "Takuma wouldn't hurt a fly. I on the other hand have hurt him quite a bit."

"He understands your reasons, he-"

Chuckling lightly, Reina tilted her head upward and stared into the dusky sky. "He always understood everything, Hana, it's just the way Takuma was. Is..." She shook her head. "I don't want to speak of this any more. I've moved on once, I can do it again."

Nodding, Aido sighed inwardly. He wondered what Kaname would have said to Reina if he could see her now. It might not have been his place, but he didn't think that the pureblood lord had sacrificed himself to save his once trusted friend and Reina's former love to see her start over from the beginning. He thought Kaname had done what he had to give Reina the chance to spend her life loving the man she had loved before him, the man she had always loved even after her marriage. Reina had never forgotten Takuma, she couldn't when his daughter was smiling at her everyday and Kaname knew that. He blamed himself for what had happened to Takuma and in saving his friend, he had wanted to redeem himself of the many sins he had committed during his long life.

He knew Reina must have understood the reasons behind Kaname's actions, she knew him better than anyone after all. He just wondered if she would ever see that Kaname would want her to be happy even if that meant spending her life with another man. A man she had dearly loved and had never forgotten, just as she would never forget Kaname and everything he had given her.

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