Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Vampire Knight other than the plot of this story.
A/N: We are back with Kaname at the beginning. I'm sorry if all this jumpy around between POVs is making anyone confused. If it does confuse you, please let me know and I will endeavor to rectify the situation immediately. This chapter wouldn't let me alone so I had to write it, if there are any mistakes, I blame it on lack of sleep. If you point them out, I promise to fix them ASAP.
Heartbeat
Kaname and Takuma tore from the Moon Dorm like the flames of hell were at their heels. While Kaname had endeavored to get Takuma to remain behind due to his injuries, the noble insisted on accompanying the pureblood. Wanting to get to his precious Yuuki's side as quickly as possible, Kaname gave up trying to enforce his will upon the tenacious noble. Instead, he had allowed Takuma to accompany him with the promise of staying out of his way.
As the two headed deeper into the woods, they could hear sparse noises from the altercation taking place deeper in the woods. From what they could hear, they could both speculate as to who was involved in the fight. The cracking, similar to the sound of dry twigs snapping, was Shiki and his blood whip. A familiar hiss, akin to a snake, was Kain and his fire. The slight twanging sound as though a sword was being drawn from is sheath was Aido's ice forming in the air, the water particles hardening. From that, the two also determined that Ruka and Rima were participating as wherever the three males were, the two females were sure to follow.
As Kaname continued to listened, he noted the absence of gun fire. At first he was puzzled before he remembered crushing the hunter's dominant hand. He had noticed when the hunter stole Yuuki from the Night Class's room that the hand had yet to be dealt with, thus leaving the hunter vulnerable to attack. While Kaname had crushed Zero's hand to teach him a lesson, he cursed inwardly at his actions now. While harm to the hunter no longer bothered him, that hand and gun were the main protection that Kaname endeavored to provide Yuuki when she was with him.
A scream broke through Kaname's thoughts as his precious Yuuki yelled from the hunter, terror making her voice high pitched, "Zero watch out!"
A few seconds later, a panic filled voice yelled, "Yuuki!"
"Kaname-sama!" Takuma shouted, sounding slightly panicked himself.
"I know Takuma. Now less talking and more running," Kaname demanded.
The thought of what caused Zero to sound so panicked made Kaname, figuratively, see red. Zero hardly ever lost his cool unless something serious had happened. If that something had happened to Yuuki, it also concerned Kaname. If there was a single hair out of place on her head, there was going to be hell to pay.
The sound of more fighting reached their ears as they got closer. Though he was disadvantaged, Kaname had to commend Zero for putting up such a valiant effort. There was no way that the hunter would go down while there was any fight left in him; it was one of the reasons he was such a great asset in the protection of Yuuki. Before long however, the unique scent of Zero's fear permeated the air.
"Zero-kun," Takuma whispered softly.
Glancing over his shoulder at the noble, Kaname took in his worried eyes, "Takuma?"
Eyes darting to the pureblood's, Takuma knew he was caught, "Yes Kaname-sama?"
"You're worried for him are you not?" Kaname's eyes dared Takuma to lie to his face.
Nodding, Takuma didn't try to keep the truth from him, "Yes, I am Kaname-sama. For Zero to blatantly show his fear, let alone for his fear to reach us here, I fear for what they are doing to him."
Kaname opened his mouth to reprimand him for his worry for their mortal enemy when Zero's ear shattering scream ripped through the forest. The pureblood couldn't help but cringe at the utter despair, fear, and desperation behind the scream. The scent of a large amount of blood mingled with the fear already in the air. Though they both endeavored to stop it, both Takuma and Kaname's eyes burned crimson at the arousing smell tickling their nostrils.
Takuma suddenly flew past Kaname as he shouted, "We have to hurry!"
He didn't speak; he just pushed himself harder so that he ran side by side with the noble. Though he tried to push it down, he also felt worried for the hunter. After listening to Takuma, his anger and hurt had slightly faded, allowing for him to feel something else for Zero. He had crushed the hunter's hand in a fit of anger and while he still reveled in that fact, he also hated himself for it. The conflicting emotions within him was something new, he had never dealt with them before.
"We're almost there Kaname-sama!" Takuma spoke from beside him.
Focusing on where they were going, Kaname saw the trees begin to lessen. In a matter of seconds, they both burst into the clearing that housed the others. Shock at the sight before them made them pause in their running. Zero was hanging limply against a tree, held there only by the Aido as the noble continued to draw blood from the other's neck. Zero wasn't fighting back; he only hung there as pathetic whimpers barely made it past his lips. Glancing to the side, they saw Yuuki sprawled on the hard ground with a bruise on her cheek. What was odd to Kaname was that he was furious because of Zero's condition, not Yuuki's.
In the blink of an eye, Kaname was on Aido. With a quick jerk of his arm, the noble was torn from the barely conscious human. Kaname cringed slightly at the small scream that tore from Zero as the fangs were ripped from his neck. Once the hunter was on the ground, Kaname kneeled before him as the other's crimson-tinted eyes partly opened. He could see the pain and fear in Zero's eyes but when they met the pureblood's eyes, they shone with surprise as well as relief.
"Kaname," Zero whispered softly, before his eyes slid shut and his body went lax in unconsciousness.
Kaname's eyes widened as the use of his first name from the hunter's lips. Then his surprise gave way to worry as the faint sound of the other's heartbeat. Aido had obviously taken too much blood, no doubt to punish the hunter. His heart clenched in his chest at the thought that this was his fault. The sound of footsteps behind him snapped him out of his thoughts.
"We took care of his punishment for you Kaname-sama," Ruka spoke softly from behind him.
Fists clenched, Kaname growled, "Who gave you the right?"
"But Kaname-sama!" she started to protest.
With a snarl, Kaname swiftly had her pinned to the forest floor by her throat, "You had no right to do this!"
Kain stepped up beside the two, "Forgive us Kaname-sama, we did not know that it would anger you so greatly."
"We were only doing what you would have done!" Aido spoke from the other side of his cousin.
Unconsciously, his hand tightened around Ruka's throat, causing her to choke slightly, "K-K-Kaname-sa-sama."
This time his hand tightened consciously as his crimson eyes narrowed, "You all went directly against my words to return to the dorm after class. You also harmed two fellow students of this school, both Yuuki and Zero."
"He deserved what he got!" Aido shouted, forgetting his place.
With a vicious snarl, Kaname flew toward Aido only for Takuma to grasp his wrist before he managed to land a hand on the other noble, "Kaname-sama, please, we must tend to the others."
Shaking his head slightly, Kaname forced his rage to the back of his mind as took in both Yuuki and Zero's prone forms. Though he knew he should go to Yuuki, he was more concerned for the hunter still propped up against the bottom of the tree; he could tell that Yuuki was only unconscious with a bruise. It struck a chord in him, seeing him in such a familiar position. The faint heartbeat he heard also worried him; there was not enough blood in his heart to pump.
Looking at Takuma, he ordered, "Please take Yuuki to Cross and inform him of what happened here tonight. Also tell him that I will meet with him later to discuss the punishments for those involved."
Takuma nodded but he had to asked, "And Kiryu?"
Looking at the hunter, he spoke softly, "I'll take care of Zero."
Takuma nodded, ignoring the use of the hunter's first name, "Very well Kaname-sama."
The noble then crossed the clearing and carefully scooped the unconscious girl into his arms. Looking back at Kaname, he nodded, before taking off at vampire speed to the chairman's house.
Once his childhood friend was gone, Kaname went over and gently gathered Zero into his arms. It was disconcerting to the see the hunter so defenseless once more; he was like putty in the pureblood's arms. The only way Kaname knew he was alive was the rapidly fading heartbeat and the small whimper that escaped the hunter's lips. Zero shouldn't have been put through so many traumas one right after the other. It was so hard to believe it was only the night before that everything had started.
Pushing his thoughts back, Kaname turned to look at the others, all with their heads bowed, "We will return to the dorm now." When he turned to make his way back to the dorm, a glint of silver caught his eye, "Shiki, grab Zero's gun."
Once the gun was collected, Kaname began to make his way back to the dorm. The others followed, not daring to say a word for they could feel the barely suppressed rage rolling of the pureblood before them. They quickly reached the dorm, but there was someone standing on the steps, preventing them from entering.
Drawing on his cigarette, Yagari Toga stared at the pureblood, "Kuran."
Kaname nodded, "Yagari."
A small whimper pulled their attention from each other as Yagari shouted, "Zero!"
Yagari started to go down the stairs of the door before Kaname snarled softly at him, "Stay where you are."
"What the hell happened to my student Kuran!" Yagari demanded, still advancing toward the pureblood.
Before he could get much farther, he was blocked by a line of night class students. Of course they would protect their pureblood prince.
"Kuran," the man growled, expecting an answer.
Kaname went to answer before he stopped suddenly, his eyes wide as he stared down at the man in his arms. Though there was plenty of noise in the clearing, there was one sound that was missing… Zero's heart wasn't beating.
END!
A/N: I am so sorry for another cliffhanger, I don't know why but I keep making them! Please don't hurt me! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please let me know what you think!
ben4kevin- I'm sorry, sadly, Zero's situation got worse. But I promise I'm going to fix it! Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you continue to do so.
Hikari-Hikaru-Hikari- Thank you so much for your Favorite Story, Favorite Author, and Author Alert adds! I'm glad you are enjoying the story!
Sly. Cassie- Thank you so much for the Story Alert add! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
OxO American Tragedy OxO- Thank you very much for the Favorite Story add. I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story.
LuanRina- Yeah, Kaname finally showed up. Sadly, I think Zero has more to worry about than just his hand. I also get a kind of twisted pleasure out of torturing Zero, it's just so easy. I am glad that you are enjoying my twisted side. I hope you continue to review, I enjoy reading them. I hope this update is soon enough!
Love332- Yeah, the night class vampires are cruel ne? Then again, I guess it's me that's cruel considering I'm the one making them do such horrible things to our adorable Zero. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to more reviews.
neliaka- Thank you for the Favorite Story add, I'm glad you like the story!
fujoshii92- I'm so sorry, it's another cliffhanger! I can't seem to help myself, I'm sorry for torturing you. I hope the update came soon enough and that you enjoy it, despite the cliffhanger.
REINA KERTA- I'm glad you liked the chapter. I hope this is soon enough for an update for you. Please enjoy and continue to review. Also, thank you for the Author Alert and Story Alert adds.
Paivakirja- Thank you so much for the Favorite Story Add!
CrystelNightandFlameNight- Sadly, this is another cliffhanger, sorry! I did update soon though so that earns me some brownie points right? Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy the story, despite the cliffhangers!