Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.
A/N: Alright, so on to the next chapter! The last time we left off, Zero and Kaname had another disagreement and Zero had run off. We will pick up with Zero first and then move to the others. The xXx signifies a change in perspective. This chapter may be a little short, I hope that's ok! I hope you all like the chapter!
I'm sad to say that my updates may be coming a little less often. I know I have so many stories in progress and I will endeavor to keep them updated regularly. However, I am having some troubles with my gallbladder (just found out what is was yesterday) and it's causing me a lot of pain to even sit up, which I have been fighting the past few weeks. I just want to apologize in advance in case there are any delays in the updates. Please forgive me! *bows*
SPECIAL THANKS to Warfang for pointing out the mistakes in this chapter that have now been fixed!
SPECIAL THANKS to Evangelion-Wings for their help in rounding out the details for Zero's vampire power! Many thanks Eva!
Breakdown
Zero cursed as he stumbled blindly into the stables on Cross Academy. Collapsing on a hay pile far in the back, he allowed his tears to fall. It shouldn't hurt that much, he should be used to it by now. But the truth still remained; Kaname's disbelief and apathetic countenance toward him tore at his heart.
Curling up on the hay pile, he allowed himself to have his own pity party. He knew that he had overreacted in Kaname's room but he just couldn't take it anymore. He had hoped they had moved past all this anger and fighting by now but it seemed that old habits dyed hard between the two of them. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to wallow in his own misery.
"Zero-chan," a soft voice brought him out of his musings.
Opening his eyes he found himself back in the room in his mind. He was still curled up on the ground so he looked up to find Kagami crouching beside him, his crimson eyes sad.
"K-Kags," Zero stuttered as more tears fell from his already swollen eyes.
"Oh Zero-chan," Kagami cooed as he gathered his other half in his arms, placing the other in his lap.
Zero curled up against Kagami, soaking up the comfort that the other so willingly offered him. He had to admit, it felt nice being held as he cried, even if it was only just in his mind.
"I-I don't know what to do," Zero whimpered.
Kagami nuzzled the top of Zero's head, "You two are just so stubborn that you clash. It's just the way the two of you are."
"He didn't believe me… About you or that I lost my memories," Zero whispered, nuzzling the other's chest as his tears began to slow.
"Then you'll just have to convince him Zero-chan. If you really want him to believe you, you might have to fight for it," Kagami warned.
"I don't want to fight anymore Kags… I'm tired of fighting, it's all I've ever done. Fought against myself, fought against vampires, fought against Yuuki… I just want it to stop," Zero whispered sadly.
Kagami's heart truly went out to his other half. There was only so much one could take in such a short while. Zero had almost reached his limit, he was so close to breaking.
Kagami's head rose slightly, "Zero-chan, you should really go back... The others will get worried."
Zero clung to Kagami's shirt, "I don't want to... Not yet… Just let me stay here for a little while longer."
Kagami hugged his host closer, "Of course, whatever you want Zero… Whatever you want."
xXx
Kaname sighed softly, wiping his hands across his face, removing any trace of tears from his face. He felt the others making their way to his room. He couldn't afford to see him so shaken up when even he didn't understand why he felt that way.
Kaien walked into the room, "What happened? What's wrong with Zero."
Kaname leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, "As you can see Zero isn't here."
"What did you do pureblood?" Toga growled as he too stalked into the room.
He chose to ignore the insult as it rang true, "Zero woke up and attacked Aido, apparently Aido had been too close to Zero. He had noticed the change in Zero's scent and was trying to figure out its cause. It all escalated too quickly for me to control. In the confrontation Zero's heart almost stopped again," Kaname paused as he decided to leave the part about Zero's inner beast out, "After I managed to take control of the situation, I had everyone leave. Zero needed blood again to stabilize his condition so I let him drink from me. After that we talked… Zero asked me if I was still angry with him about acting the way he did that morning. He told me that he had forgotten. Apparently I gave him the impression that I didn't believe him so he yelled at me and ran out."
"So where is he now?" Kaien asked.
Kaname sighed once more, "If I knew that I wouldn't be here now would I? You two know Zero better than anyone; I was hoping you could help me."
"There are a few places he could be," Kaien began, ready to offer all the help he could, "He likes the lake on campus, there are also the fountains… He likes the rooftop. Oh, and the stables... But honestly, he could be anywhere. Zero knows how to hide when he doesn't want to be found."
Kaname nodded as he called out, "Takuma, gather the others."
Toga glared at the pureblood, "You really want to send your dogs out after Zero with how they've treated him?"
"We don't have a choice. We don't know what Zero's condition is so the sooner we find him the better. With more people to help, the sooner we will find him," Kaname spoke calmly.
Toga grunted, cursing the pureblood for being so logical, "Tch, whatever."
Kaien smiled at Kaname, "Thank you for all your help."
Kaname shook his head, "There is no need to thank me, after all, I am responsible for this."
The others entered the room then, stopping the conversation. Kaien and Toga took in the appearance of the others, seeing that they had some light bruises.
"What happened to them?" Toga jerked his thumb at the nobles.
Kaname smiled slightly, "I told you Zero was quite… volatile when he awoke."
Toga took in the bruises around Aido and Kain's throats, noticing that they looked like fingerprints. Ruka was also sporting a bruise on the side of her face. The others looked unharmed so he assumed they weren't in the room at the time. In all actuality, Toga felt proud of his pupil, knowing that he could defend himself even when he came out of a near coma.
"What can we help you with Kaname?" Takuma asked as he stepped forward.
"As you noticed, Zero is not here. We had a… disagreement which caused him to flee. I would like your aide in order to find him as his condition is still not known. However, if you are to find him, have him come back to the dorm. He is not to be harmed when you find him," Kaname warned.
"Of course Kaname-sama," Aido, Ruka, Shiki, Rima, and Kain chimed.
Kaname nodded, and then began giving his orders, "Kain and Ruka, you take the lake. Aido and I will take the rooftops. Rima and Shiki, you take the fountain and surrounding forest. Takuma, you are to search around the stables. Kaien and Yagari, I would like for you to remain here in the event that Zero returns of his own volition." Seeing them all nod in understanding, "Very well then, we will all return in an hour. Let's get started."
The others all nodded as they sprinted off to do as their leader asked them. Nodding to Kaien and Toga, Kaname walked out of the room with Aido to begin their search of the rooftops. While an hour wasn't much time, it would give them an opportunity to cross off certain areas. It would give them a more concise area in which to look for the missing hunter.
"Kaname-sama?" Aido spoke from beside the pureblood.
"What is it Aido?" Kaname questioned even as his eyes scoured the area.
"I'm sorry," Aido whispered.
Kaname stopped and looked over at the noble, "Whatever for?"
"If I had kept my distance from Kiryu, this would not have happened," Aido admitted, not daring to look in the pureblood's eyes.
Kaname smiled softly, placing a hand on Aido's shoulder, "You are not at fault here Aido. Zero didn't run because of what happened when awoke. Zero and I had a disagreement after you left... If anything, I should be apologizing to you for making all of you come with me to search from him for a mistake I have made."
Aido beamed at the pureblood. "It's no problem at all Kaname-sama! We are all happy to help you!"
Kaname's smile grew slightly, "Thank you Aido, I appreciate it."
The noble nodded, "We should get going!"
Kaname shook his head as he chuckled softly at the noble's enthusiasm. He considered himself lucky to have such loyal friends. There was nothing more he could ask for in the world.
xXx
Ruka grumbled as she stalked through the woods. If Kaname had not asked her to do so, she would have never bothered to look for the troublesome hunter. The boy had done nothing but snub Kaname and his position since he had started school there. In her opinion, the hunter wasn't worth the time and concern of the pureblood.
"If you didn't want to come, you should have said so," Kain mumbled from beside her.
"I would never shirk at duty given to me by Kaname-sama!" Ruka exclaimed as though she were insulted by the very idea.
"Then stop acting like it's such a chore," Kain admonished, the blonde's attitude starting to get on his nerves.
Ruka huffed, "I wonder why Kaname-sama is so intent on helping that D."
"I doubt Kaname would appreciate you insulting Kiryu like that," Kain informed her before he answered her question, "As for why he is so intent… Something had to have happened between them at the lake before we all got there. Didn't you notice that Kiryu seemed more focused on Kaname than himself? He even told Hanabusa that he should worry more about Kaname than punishing him. I don't know exactly what happened, but apparently it was enough to bridge the gap of their animosity toward each other."
"Yes, but with the way Kaname-sama acted later… I just don't understand it," Ruka muttered.
"Ruka, we don't have to understand it. If Kiryu is important to Kaname, then we need to find him," Kain explained, running a hand through his orange hair.
Ruka nodded, "I suppose you're right… We best hurry."
Kain nodded his agreement as they both took off through the woods, using both their eyes and noses to see if they could find any trace of the hunter. It was up to them to serve Kaname to the best of their ability.
xXx
Rima and Shiki sprinted through the forest, eyes darting around as they searched for any sign of silver in the dark forest. They couldn't sense any sign of the hunter but that didn't mean he wasn't in the area. He was a hunter after all, he could have shielded his aura if he truly didn't want to be found.
"How troublesome," Shiki muttered.
"There's no helping it," Rima said softly.
"I want some pocky," Shiki complained.
"This is no time to be thinking of candy Shiki," Rima scolded him softly, "You eat too much anyway.
Shiki snorted softly, "Do not… What do you think happened between Kaname and Kiryu?"
"It's not our place to ask questions… All we need to know is that we need to find Kiryu because Kaname asked it of us. He trusted us enough, even after what we've done, to find the hunter," Rima explained.
"So troublesome," Shiki complained again.
"Stop complaining and focus," Rima scolded.
Shiki huffed but complied, letting the conversation drop for now. The sooner they found Kiryu, the sooner they could back to the dorm. And the sooner they did that, the sooner he could eat his pocky.
xXx
Aido and Kaname were perched on the bell tower above the academy's main building. It offered the best perspective of all the rooftops as it was the highest point on the grounds. Kaname faced south while Aido directed his attention north.
"I don't see anything Kaname-sama," Aido mumbled softly.
"Neither do I Aido… It appears he is not on the rooftops," Kaname stated, his voice laced with concern.
"Don't worry Kaname-sama, I'm sure the others will find something," Aido tried to console his friend while silently cursing Zero for causing Kaname trouble.
"I do hope you are right," Kaname sighed.
xXx
Takuma darted through the forest that surrounded the stables. There were no lights around the stable as it wasn't used at night. Thankfully, due to his vampire abilities, Takuma's eyes were able to cut through the darkness. His green eyes were clouded in worry as he caught no sign of the missing hunter.
"Where are you Zero?" Takuma muttered softly.
He paused in his running; he swore he heard a sound. Listening more intensely, he noticed it was the sound of horses neighing. His eyes lighting up with hope, Takuma took off in the direction of the stables, hoping against hope that Zero would be found there.
xXx
Ruka and Kain finally made it to the lake; however there was still no sign of the hunter to be seen. There was no one at the lake and there was no sign that anyone had been there recently.
Ruka huffed, "This was a waste of time."
Kain ignored her as he walked over to a tall oak tree that was closest to the lake. There were holes in the tree as well as a dried brown substance on the bark. Kneeling down, he allowed his hand to rest upon the brown stained grass.
"What are you doing?" Ruka asked as she walked up behind him.
"This is where Kiryu was pinned to the tree… I hadn't realized he had lost so much blood that night," Kain murmured, his eyes spanning across the circle of brown that surrounded the tree.
Ruka allowed her eyes to sweep the expanse of brown grass under the tree as well as she scoffed, "He deserved what he got."
Kain's eyes narrowed slightly at that, "I don't think anyone deserves to be pinned to a tree and nearly bled dry."
Ruka's eyes narrowed at Kain, "What is wrong with you? This is Kiryu we're talking about!"
He stood as he turned to look at her, "I saw something in him Ruka… When he had me pinned down to the floor earlier… I think we have him all wrong."
Now she was curious, "What did you see?"
Kain's eyes pinched slightly at the side, "Pain Ruka… A tremendous amount of pain."
Ruka's brow furrowed in confusion as he contemplated the words Kain had spoken to her. She didn't want to think too deeply on the subject of Zero Kiryu. He was a hunter and he disrespected Kaname at every turn, there was no need for her to know more.
Kain saw the resistance in her eyes so he turned with a sigh, "Come on, we better get back."
xXx
Shiki sat on the edge of the fountain as he waited for Rima to meet up with him. A soft grumble made him look down; it was his stomach.
"You're hungry," Rima spoke up from beside him.
"I want pocky," Shiki grumbled with a frown.
"Well, we cleared the area, we might as well get back," Rima nodded at Shiki.
Shiki sighed in relief as he stood. He could practically hear the pocky in his room signing for him to return. With a nod at Rima, they both took off back to the dorm to wait for the others.
xXx
Kaname felt the others begin to return, all except Takuma, so he too stood from his crouched position. He felt Aido do the same as the noble stepped up beside him.
"The others are beginning to return, we shall head back as well to wait for Takuma," Kaname informed his friend.
"Of course Kaname-sama," Aido nodded, happy to follow his friend.
With a soft sigh, Kaname dropped down from the ledge of the bell tower. He hoped that the others had found something. He really needed to clear things up with the hunter. With a nod to Aido, the two began to make their way back to the Moon Dorm to speak with the others.
xXx
"Zero-chan?" Kagami spoke to his host.
Zero's brows furrowed as he buried his face in the chest before him. He didn't want to talk; he just wanted to rest for awhile, away from the rest of the world. All he wanted was to be at peace for a little while.
"Talk to me Zero… Tell me what's on your mind," Kagami prodded, wanting to help his other half.
"I hate this," Zero murmured softly.
"What do you hate?" Kagami pressed on.
A tear rolled down Zero's cheek, "Everything Kags… I hate everything… I just want it all to stop."
Kagami's heart clenched at the broken voice below him, "Zero…"
"Why me Kags? Why does my life have to be so hard… Why can nothing work out for me?" Zero questioned softly.
Kagami gripped Zero's chin, forcing the other to look at him, "The Zero I know wouldn't give up so quickly."
More tears cascased down Zero's cheeks, "I don't know what to do anymore."
"You get up and keep moving, as long as you're alive; you have the chance to make things better. You're alive Zero, don't waste the opportunity," Kagami tried to encourage the other.
Zero closed his eyes as he whispered the truth, "I wish I wasn't Kags… I wish he would have let me go."
xXx
Takuma rushed to toward the stable as he heard the neighing begin to escalate in volume and frequency. Something had to spook the horses for them to act that way. Skidding to a stop before the stables, he looked around earnestly, trying to find the source of the disturbance. A light toward the back of the stable caught his eye.
Entering the stable, ignoring the panicked horses, Takuma made his way toward the back. As he rounded the corner, his green eyes widened in surprise. What lay before him was something he had never seen before.
Zero seemed to float in the center of a glistening sphere that appeared to try and hide him from the outside world. The hunter's body was curled in on itself, trying to make itself as small as possible. His silver hair floated softly around him as his face was surrounded by small crystalline drops. Overall, the hunter looked angelic, if it wasn't for the tears and look of pain on his face.
"Oh Zero… What happened to you?" Takuma whispered as he gazed at the suspended form.
END
A/N: Alright! There is the chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think.
awesomealicia89- I'm glad you like the story so much! I hope you continue to do so :D As for the vines, they might make an appearance later, you'll just have to wait and see ;)
Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai- Yes! Kaname is stupid! How dare he hurt Zero again! Then again, I suppose it's my fault :( I hope you like this chapter!
fujoshii92- As for Kaname being a blah in the last chapter, I chalk that up to being surprised that Zero is awake already combined with the fact that he is tired from giving Zero so much blood over the past few days. I hope you liked the chapter. Please let me know what you think.
Naruta13- O_O Wow, that was a lot of suggestions. As you can see, you got a taste of a part of Zero's power in the end. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think of the chapter.
Evangelion-Wings- First of all, thank you so much for all the help! I am eternally grateful for your input :D I hope we can continue to work on it together. I hope you like the description at the end, if you have anything you would like to change about it (as I think it didn't come out as we both described it) please let me know. Again, sorry for the cliffhangers, they just seem to happen. I tried to not write one this chapter. It doesn't scream cliffhanger to me but I am biased lol. I tried to make the chapter a little longer, don't know if I succeeded or not :/ I hope you enjoy the chapter. Again, thanks for all the help!
Orion'slover- I'm glad that you are enjoying the story. I hope you continue to do so. There are more emotional roller coasters to come; no KanaxZero relationship is complete without it! Please let me know what you think of the chapter!
SonamySistah96- Lol, I don't know if you can quite compare my story to Disneyland, the place is pretty awesome :D Does the short and slightly lacking description of a piece of Zero's power seem angelic to you? The way I imagine it it does. I hope that comes across. I felt so bad for making both of them cry :( But it needed to be done. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Please let me know what you think!
vampireprincessn1- Lol, I'm glad you like it so much :D I hope I don't cause Phantom any permanent hearing loss lol. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
PeachyQ73- Zero seems to always have a fight on his hands. But as you can see, it has taken its toll on our favorite hunter :( I hope you can forgive me! Please let me know what you think of the chapter!
The-Demon-Rose- I'm glad that you are enjoying the story. I hope you like this chapter as much as the rest. Please let me know what you think!
ishala8- Zero's had a tough time the past few days and in my mind it's finally catching up to him. He is probably going to be a bit bipolar for a little bit until he gets adjusted to everything. I'm sorry that you missed the daily updates, I'll try to keep the updates coming.
ben4kevin- As for things getting smoother between the two, it might take a bit. As you could tell, Zero isn't really… himself lately. Everything is catching up to him so he's having a tough time. I'm sorry I made you sad, this chapter probably did as well. I hope you continue to like the story :D
REINA KERTA- Thank you :D I'm glad you like how I portray Zero and Kaname. I try really hard :D I'm glad you are enjoying the story, I hope you continue to do so :D
sweet sonia- I didn't want to rush the relationship between Kaname and Zero. It is inconceivable to me that they would have all that drama and then automatically fall in love. I'm glad you liked Zero/Kags reaction to the night class, it was buzzing around in my head since I made the nobles Zero's guards. I'm sorry that I made you sad, this chapter probably did so as well. I promise things will get better in the future… Sometime lol. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Please let me know what you think :D
Miyuki1393- Lol, yeah, they all got pretty beat up, especially when Kagami came out to play. I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the story :D
freakish88- I don't know if this chapter truly qualifies as dramatic for anyone else other than Zero and Kagami. I hope you enjoyed that little bit of drama. I hope you liked the chapter, please let me know what you think!
CrystelNightandFlameNight- Thank you :D I hope you liked the chapter as much as the others!
irmina- Zero's vines will make an appearance as it is a fundamental part of the manga/anime. I hope you look forward to how it appears :D I hope you continue to like the story. Please let me know what you think of the chapter!
Kistarus- Oooooh! I like that idea of blending the two colors. I would have never thought of that on my own, thank you for the idea :D I'm happy that you liked the previous chapter, I hope you enjoyed this one as much :D
queenruby987- I'm sorry the end confused you. I just kind of wanted to give the impression that Kaname cares more than he is willing to admit to anyone, even himself. I'm sorry that didn't come across. I'll try to clarify it more in a later chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter :D
Sonzai Taz- Zero is kind of emotionally frayed in the last chapter, and continues into this chapter. As for exploding, in my mind everything just kind of built up to it. Kaname kept calling him Kiryu and treating him kind of… cold and he gave the impression he didn't believe Zero about forgetting what they went through or about Kagami. And yes, when Zero told Kaname he could call him by his first name, it was Kags. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think!