*Note to readers*

Please comment. I want your honest opinion (just don't be rude.) Put this in your faves or something if you like it. I will write more VK fanfics in the future so remember me. Enough talk lets get to the reading shall we...

Chapter 4

Kaname's POV

I walked down the 3rd floor hallway and knocked twice on the last door to find out it was open. I invited myself in and saw Ichiru standing next to a chained-down casket. "Thank you for meeting me here."

Ichiru nodded and held out a sword to me. "This cycle will go on forever if I don't end it now," I said lifting the sword in the air and swinging it down with both hands to cut the chains. I pried open the casket and grimaced at the body that laid there. It was almost sickening seeing Rido's peaceful-looking corpse. I pressed one hand on his chest and the other gripped the sword. I stabbed it into my hand letting my blood seep into him.

My blood soaked in quickly with no surprise. He has been regenerating for 10 years straight so there is no doubting his hunger. But even after all this time I don't feel sympathy for him. I don't feel even a tad bit guilty that I was responsible for putting him in this condition, for wounding him with that Vampire Hunter sword.

I handed the sword back to Ichiru and he put it back into its case. "What happens now?" he asked me.

"We wait until he awakens completely and that's when Zero plays his part in this."

"Zero," he whispered to himself, the bells in his hair ringing slightly. "If you will excuse me I just remembered I have something to do."

I nodded. "Go right ahead."

He started for the door but stopped when he saw Ichijo come through. He greeted him with a bow and then left the room.

Ichiru and Zero were two entirely different people. It's almost hard to believe there siblings let alone twins. Zero was always so cold and emotionally scarred but Ichiru seemed like the opposite, so calm and collected. Although, there is one thing they do have in common; their mysteriousness.

"Kaname what is this?" Takuma asked eyeing the open casket. "Did you…?"

"You can rest easy Takuma I didn't kill him," I ensured. "I can't, remember. I just simply sped up the regenerating process. However, when he does wake up he won't be immune to death. If he's wounded in the heart or somehow beheaded he's automatically dead like the rest of us."

Zero's POV

Once again the metal doors opened letting in the moonlight. This time I had no ideas who it could be but I knew I wasn't in any mood for company. I was semi-calm and my thoughts were starting to become clear to me. I didn't want anyone or anything to ruin that.

I heard the sound of bells ringing and my eyes widen. "Ichiru…"

"Zero," he called out.

"What are you doing here?" I asked impatiently, my shock disappearing.

"I came to see you…brother."

Brother? I think to myself. He hasn't called me that since we were kids. "What do you want?" I was tired of people wanting to see me, wanting talk to me, wanting me to do something for me. I just want to be alone if only for a little while longer before life around me starts to change and I have no time for it.

He completely ignored what I asked. "Remember when we were children Zero? Do you remember when we use to be so close?"

My mind wondered to those memories. I use to be so gentle with him. Thinking back on it, it's hard to believe I could ever be that soft to anyone.

"I remember the time I was sick in bed and Mom and Dad were on a work trip. You made me vegetable soup and told me you loved me. Do you remember?"

Do I remember? How could I forget? It was the last time I said I love you to anybody before the attack with Hio. That same day I made a promise to him. I promised I would be the best Vampire Hunter I can be. I promised to be better than my parents, to make up for Ichiru's incapability and weakness.

"I remember."

"We are the cursed twins Zero." He told me. "And that's what we will forever be. I was the one born with the weaker soul therefore I can never be as strong as you."

"What are you getting at?" All this small talk was becoming annoying. He needed to hurry up to the point.

"I am a burden on you and I always will be. It's a fact that can't be denied. I am the one who kept you away from being a real hunter."

"Can't be denied?" I thought to myself. I've been denying it all my life, and with such conviction too. I never once blamed him for my troubles. I never once hated him for being fragile. But he was wrong on one thing. It was the curse that was the burden not my him.

He walked over to me and knelt down. "Don't you want to be free? Free of me, free of the curse?" I knew where this conversation was headed and I wanted to end it now. It was an idea I never thought of, never considered. It was wrong to think let alone do such a cruel thing. "If you get rid of me now, I can no longer be your burden. I can no longer be the reason why you can't prosper." He leaned in closer and tilted his neck towards me.

"No… I can't..."I wanted to say so much more but this was all I could manage along with nods of protest.

"Please Zero," he begged tilting his neck in a little more. "All you have to do is drink my blood." The words Ichiru spoke were so plainly said as if what he wanted my to do was an easy task. Twice in one night I had someone beg me to drink their blood. Twice in one night I had the people I love say that it would help the situation. It was such twisted logic that it's almost insane.

I sat there in silence for a long while trying to quickly think over the decision. Ichiru starred at me with sorry eyes which clouded my mind. His facial features and personality was the same as when we were little kids. He was a physical replica of me but we act completely different.

He shook his head trying to get to me paying attention to him. At that moment his natural scent entered my nose. Is that what I smell like to other vampires? After all we do share the identical DNA.

I moved closer to him until my lips touched his neck. I had no more time to think and pressure rushed over me making my hands shake. For the first time I would be drinking blood to kill not to satisfy. My eyes glowed red as my fangs sunk deep into his neck. I took my first guilt-filled drink and before I could stop them tears were falling.

"Thank you," he said contently. "No Ichiru, this isn't a happy thing, it's a sad and tragic thing, something you should cry for."

I drank and drank and drank for minutes and I felt the life slowly leaving him. With the last bit of strength he had left, he lifted his shaky hand and pulled the bells out causing his hair to fall. "I love you Zero."

And at that I retrieved my fangs from his neck and pushed him away. Due to lack of stability he fell back and hit the floor. "What are you_" he tried to say, his voice raspy.

"I can't do it. I can't go through with the promise I made to you. I don't want to loose you Ichiru. You are the only family I have left and I love you."

"But I'm useless…"

"I don't give a damn if you're useless! Taking your life won't make me a better hunter. It'll just haunt me until I die." I don't know if it was because he had nothing to challenge me with or because he had no energy left to debate but he didn't say anything after that.

I knew that there was enough of Shizuka Hio's blood in his body to eventually heal him so I didn't have to worry about him dying on me. Call me soft or whatever the hell else but I can't kill my brother no matter the reason. I want him that way as long as possible.

Yuuki's POV

I strapped the Artemis Rod around my thigh and opened the door to Hanabusa but no Akatsuki. I knew he had gone off to find Ruka or something. He bowed when he noticed me. "Lady Kuran." It wasn't until now did I realize the new name I was given which I never actually approved of. It was as if just agreeing to become Kaname's lover meant walking down the aisle. "Please Aidou Hanabusa," I said in the politest voice. "Can you not call me Lady Kuran?"

He nodded obediently. "Yes…Yuuki."

I sighed in relief. For a second I thought he was going to say something like "it was Kaname's orders" and disobey me.

He led me down the stairs and out the building. It was dark but somehow I could see. The air had an unnatural presence to it that I tried my best to ignore. I didn't need another what-if to add to my list.

I didn't have to tell Hanabusa where I wanted to go because it seemed like he already knew. But to be honest I didn't know where I wanted to go exactly. I just knew I wanted to help out and that was all that was on my mind.

I heard Hanabusa gasp and he put his arm out to stop me. I looked in front of him to see these zombie-like creatures in our school's uniform blocking the pathway to get to the school building.

"What are those?" I asked nervously.

"There freshly made Level E's controlled by their master."

"But their students…" I was interrupted by ice flying in mid-air and the sound of vampires bursting into dust. We took at least 5 involuntary steps back as the number of these monsters increase.

"When is this gonna end," he growled throwing icy crystals everywhere.

"Akatsuki."

"Rima."

"Ruka."

All of them came running down the path and took a stance behind Hanabusa. With them there those things were disappearing faster and we were able to see where they were coming from.

We ended up in the back of the building in a concrete clearing. Then I saw Rido for the first time, drinking the blood of innocent school girls then throwing them to the side. His first impression wasn't looking to good right now.

"Juri," he said turning his head to me. "I haven't seen you in ages."

My instincts told me to stay away from him so I did.

"No you're not Juri. That face, it's different." He inhaled. "But you smell like her. You must be the little Kuran daughter, Yuuki."

He walked towards to me and before Hanabusa could guard me there were Level E's surrounding him and the other night class students. They were unstoppable, strong and controlled by Rido, threatening their fangs at them hungry for blood.

"No stop it! Let them go!" I yelled out although it didn't help. I was stuck and I had nowhere to run. On one side there were those things and on the other there was Rido. He strolled over ever so slowly and pulled me into a straddling grip. "I will let them go after I get a taste of this luscious blood that flows within your body."

There I stood screaming and struggling in his steel arms but in the end it didn't help the situation at all. "Aw don't act like that towards your uncle."

Uncle? This blood-thirsty untamed beast isn't my uncle. I would even consider his family. I could feel his body heat radiating on to me and his breath hot against my neck. "No! Please don't!" My shouts grew hysterical and fearful now.

"Go on," he encouraged. "Think about the person you want to save you. Yell out the name you love. It'll make this less of a frighting experience for you."

At that I stop moving and screaming. Not because I gave up but because I was thinking. Yell out the name I love? Kaname? I loved Kaname. But there was also Zero-the one who was always there with me, the one who kept me strong and happy. I was trapped between the two and my lips spat out the right name.

"Zero…!"

"Get your filthy hands off of her." I turned to see the silver headed boy with a gun pointed at Rido. It seems as if my wish came true.

Rido's hold on me loosened at the sight of seeing him. This allowed me to grab Artemis and knee him with it. He jumped back groaning with pain and Zero fired sending a bullet right through his head. He fell backwards onto the ground but he didn't stay there for long. In a matter of seconds he got back to his feet, the bullet gone leaving a gash on his forehead.

I tried to run over to Zero but Hanabusa called my name. "You have to come with us Yuuki." His voice weak from fighting off all those monsters. They were loosing strength because of the condition Rido was in.

"But…"

"No Yuuki," Zero interrupted. "Go with Hanabusa. I have some business to take care of."

I sighed and trudged through the Level E dust over to Hanabusa and he took me away. I was afraid that this would be the last time I would ever see him again. After all, it was obvious that he was going to fight Rido, a pure blood. Was he ready for that? No, I shouldn't think like that. Zero will come out alive. Better yet Zero will come out even stronger than before.

I asked Hanabusa and the others to take me to the Sun dorm. It just didn't seem right to go back to the moon dorm. I might be a vampire but I am a day class student and that's a fact. On the way there I thought about Zero. The first time we met, the time I found out he was vampire, and those difficult times he helped me through when I had no memories to hold on to. I love him and I want to tell him that, but at a time like this the matter of living through this night is more important.

Zero's POV

This is for you Yuuki. Me risking my life for your safety is for you and no one else. "If your intention is to kill me," Rido said. "I won't back down to a fight but if I do die I will be satisfied with where I left my life."

I rose my gun to shoot again but he ran off before I got a chance to pull the trigger. I could've immediately gone after him (due to my newly obtained powers) but I decided to take my time. I could smell Kaname out there somewhere in the woods waiting for Rido to show up.

Kaname's POV

There was a movement in the trees and then in a flash Rido was standing a couple yards away from me. "I see you told one of your pawns to put a hit out on me," he said.

"He's nothing close to my pawn," I told him with a smirk. "He's just a Vampire Hunter that will do anything for the person dearest to me." Saying it out loud gave me a boost of confidence. Zero was no longer a Level E so Yuuki had no reason to take care of him anymore. The nurturing love she had for him will most likely decrease since he doesn't have to depend on her as much.

"You mean to tell me I'm not the one dearest to you," he taunted sarcastically.

"You never were and you never will be," I declared. I knew he was joking but it was true. I hated him. He was the person responsible for my parents' death. I hate how he used his authority of being the oldest Kuran to kill them even if it is taboo. I tried my best to keep my resolve as all the resentment came flooding back to me but I couldn't and blew up his shoulder.

"That hurt like hell but is that the best you can do?" Rido challenged.

I usually don't give in to those kinds of games but I was tired of always holding back. I promise to give my all in everything I do from now on. I know I couldn't kill him but I could at least do some serious damage to his body.

And without warning he charged at me. I became alerted quick enough to dodge his attack.

It was time for round two.

I shot up off my feet and into the air. I gave Rido a determined look while chunks of bloody guts went flying. When I landed I saw him on the ground (armless) groaning in pain.

"You got me there nephew," he strained.

"I'm not the one who's going to get you," I said then Zero appeared through the trees. He didn't waste any time pulling out his gun and aiming it at Rido. He had a tense look on his face like he wanted to get it done now and not a second later.

The sound of his gun firing echoed through the sky and I'm positive every vampire on the campus could hear it. I watched the bullet glide through the air and penetrate his chest. For a second the world was mute as if the universe didn't understand the present situation. Rido yelled out breaking the silence around us and scaring every single animal out the trees.

Zero put his gun back in his jacket and walked away showing no sympathy for the pureblood in distress. I'm surprised Zero didn't point that gun at me and threaten to end my life. But he did the smart thing and kept going. If he killed me Yuuki would never forgive him and he knew that.

A stringing pain on my neck drove me out of my thoughts. I looked down to see blood oozing out of a cut. This must have been the result of Rido using the last of his power to get the "final lick" in. But no matter how many times he cuts me I will still win.

Dust; it started at his feet and moved up slowly eating up his body. I haven't seen a pureblood die since Hio's death. Soon there was no trace of Rido left. Only a pile of dust to represent him. I walked over to the small hill of ashes and scooped some into a small tube I retrieved from my pocket. This would be the last memory of him existing before I destroy the evidence forever.

May you not rest in peace Rido Kuran.