Let me start off by saying excuses are invalid, but I am very Very VERY sorry for the long wait. WARNINGS! can still be found in the Prologue, but I must digress now that this will be a dark story! There will be acts of violence of many kind because it is a PRISON theme.

I don't own Vampire Knight.

Chapter 5

The walk back to his cell was shorter than usual. Perhaps it was the fact that it was almost roll call and most vampires were already in bed. It could've been that vampires were specifically avoiding him this very day, seeing as how he wasn't in best check of his temper. But the real reason it was so short, the reason why he wished the walk from the library could have dragged out longer was because he secretly didn't want to return. And the reason for all this was because of the (finally) sleeping Hunter.

In his time inside the library he busied himself with what was left of his novel. The heavy-worded book never stood a chance against the Pureblood. So desperate was he too busy his thoughts he completed the novel in no longer than an hour. Knowing it was roll call soon he left the book in its designated shelf and took patient steps towards his floor. All the while he was becoming more and more aware of an unwanted presence in his room.

A childish part of him wanted to never return to his room: if he didn't see it then it didn't exist. An anxious part of him wanted to run down the steps and interrogate the intruder. The vampire part of him wanted to bare his fangs and rip the ivory skin to shreds. The noble part of him wanted to educate every vampire in this prison that now was no better time than any to start gawking at him as he neared his cell.

The Pureblood side of him left him standing at the foot of his doorway with not even a second glance to the vampire before making his way to his sink.

Kaname rinsed his face and left the faucet running as he stared at his reflection in the impeccably clean mirror. He tried focusing on the droplets of water running down his handsome face, but his eyes finally betrayed him and shifted to the Kiryu twin. Inside his cell, it was deadly silent save for the soft breathing of the hunter on the bed and the sound of running water. The pure blood running through Kaname's veins allowed his hearing to be heightened even through the Hunter Charms; subconsciously he aware of the activity around the prison. Vampires truly did come alive at night as did Night Prison, but all he heard -all he saw- was the rise and fall of the boy's chest and the shallow sound of even breathing.

So in the dead quiet of his room and without a book to distract him, the predator advanced towards the prey.

He stood there, at the foot of the bed, watching the hunter sleep comfortably; vulnerably. He could see his flesh through the crevice of silver hair. Blood ran tranquilly through those veins veiled with skin. He could tear it apart so easily; a simple slash would take this headache away.

Noise. There was noise all around him. He knew it was there. The beginnings of night, the muffled voices of the guards, the running water, the screams and cries and laughter and moans of others, the distantly approaching footsteps. But none of that reached his ears quite like the sound of his ignorance.

The crook of his neck was mocking him. 'I have answers you don't.' it leered. All he had to do was simply reach for it…

"Number 738: Kuran Kaname." There was a loud clanking noise resonating within the room. The guard made his presence clear with a simple tap of his baton on the cell bars. Kaname woke from his stupor at his voice. The hint of skin shied behind hair once again as its owner shifted slightly.

"Here's your stinkin' tablet." Muttered the guard. Kaname recognized him as one of the recently hired Hunters. He was skinny, plain looking, loud, and bad-mannered. They all were when they first arrived. Tonight was the first time though, that Kaname saw him on the night rounds: taking role call and locking up the cells.

He was nervous, Kaname could tell. The way his eyes shifted everywhere but on him as he plopped the blood tablet in his palm was a dead giveaway. "Turn that damn water off. Don't you know we're in a drought? You may be Lord of the bloodsuckers but that still doesn't give you the right to waste water." Vaguely Kaname heard the water running and remembered he forgot to turn it off. He stepped away to drink his tablet and do just that.

"Anyway. Heard you got yourself a cellmate. Pretty sunavabitch, I hear. Lucky to have to put up with your Royal Bloodiness's room, that's for sure." He shifted through a clipboard in search of a name. "Hey! Wakey wakey Sleeping Beauty!" He banged his baton playfully against the steel for extra measure when he noticed the vampire sleeping.

Zero shifted into himself, obviously still in the phases of his sleep, to which the guard grew irritated at. He banged his baton harder, earning a sharp ringing to sound in the cell. It finally woke up Zero, who practically dragged himself out of bed. He was certainly taking his time towards reaching the guard. "Hurry up! I gotta give you this stupid blood tablet and I ain't got all night! I still have to make my way up the seventh floor!"

At last, to the guard's utter annoyance and Kaname's amusement, Zero finally received his blood tablet. He looked at it curiously in his palm, almost as if he didn't know what to do with it. Kaname wondered if he was capable of taking one now. "The hell's your name and number anyways?" The guard started shuffling through the papers on his clipboard again, curious as to who exactly was the lucky bastard sharing a room with Kuran.

"738: Kuran Kana –Aha! Here we go! 841: Kiryu Zero!"

Kaname observed the scene from his safe distance at the sink. From where he stood he could only see Kiryuu's back, clad in a red jumpsuit a size or two size too big, and the expression of the guard stone over.

"Kiryu Zero." The guard's voice was low and grim; loss was the loud and boisterous tone from before. "Kiryu." He repeated, mostly to himself.

And once again everything was so quiet. All Kaname could hear was the guard controlling his breathing and Zero's complete and utter silence.

"What are you doing still breathing?" Spat the guard, pure and utter disgust lacing each syllable.

"Don't you see?" Whispered the paler male. Suddenly all of Kaname's senses were heightened. His eyes zoomed in on Zero's back and it's every contour. His nose caught the scent of stale breath, probably from going so long without speaking. His ears heard every hitch and croak when he continued. It was the first time he had heard Zero's voice in years. "I'm already dead." And it would be the last for time to come.

III

Takuma lay in his bed and listened to the sound of his roommate's light breathing. It was past his roll call and well into the night, but not lights out yet. He wished 11'o'clock would roll around faster because he couldn't sleep very well with the fluorescent light in his cell on full blast. Now that he was alone with his thoughts Takuma just wanted to slip into abyss and forget everything while he could. His cellmate helped a little with distractions but he fell asleep.

After roll call they played a few games of Tic-Tac-Toe and spoke half-heartedly until he fell asleep on him. Takuma was lucky to share a cell with this roommate. His last cellmate was always spitefully jealous of his friendship with Kaname, but after he was released back into the real world Takuma received this roommate. He was a gentle vampire with a pretty face and always soft-spoken. He was madly in love with his partner of two years, which he met inside the prison, so Takuma was safe from participating in any nightly activities with him. Not that he was concerned really; the guy was a total submissive.

Now that he was asleep and nothing was left to distract Takuma from his thoughts, he recalled the day's events. At the forefront of his mind was the appearance of two select people. In any other occasion would he not have minded -almost have been glad- to see them, but not in here. Not in a renowned vampire prison Kaname and himself just so happened to be locked up in. Especially when so much was obscured from their knowledge and almost everything was at stake.

Takuma hadn't remembered ever being so out of breath since his conviction. He wasn't really one for hitting the weights regularly and honestly never thought twice about testing his limits with the Hunter Charms; that is until now when he bolted after his previous classmate.

"Aidou!" He shouted again. He received many curious glances as he passed vampires on the stairs but he paid them no mind. He was just trying to keep an eye out for that familiar tint of blond hair running away from him. "Aidou wait!"

Aidou suddenly slipped out of sight, obviously off the stairs and onto a floor, and Takuma cursed the Charms surrounding the Prison for subduing his vampire gifts. If this were in the outside world he wouldn't be struggling for air as he was now.

He stepped off the stairs onto the same floor and gave himself but a second to catch his breath. Here vampires gave him interested looks as well but he searched frantically with his eyes instead. He finally saw a figure that looked about the right size and color as Aidou Hanabusa shuffle into a cell. Takuma audibly inhaled air and bolted towards that direction.

When he reached the cell, his body didn't stop until he slammed himself against a bed. He gave heavy pants and placed a hand on his chest, hearing and feeling his heart beat like that of a hummingbirds.

"Where's Kuran!? Is he with you!?" came from his right. He looked for the frightened voice and saw Aidou cowering in the right corner of the room, nearly under the rusty sink. He clutched at his red jumpsuit as if for life support while his wide blue eyes searched frantically for anyone fitting the Kuran profile.

Takuma was starting to get his breathing in check. "No." he huffed. "No, it's just me, Aidou." Those frantic blue eyes stopped searching from corner to ceiling for a magically appearing Kaname and looked Jade dead in the eye. It was a few seconds before the stare let up and Hanabusa smiled. He smiled wider and wider until he bared his fangs and started laughing. Takuma only sat on the bed, which he hoped was his old friend's (otherwise some possessive vampire starts going off about using things that aren't theirs) and saw this transition of emotions.

Minutes and tears later, Aidou's laughter died off and Takuma's state of health was back to normal. Time passes as silence ensues, but it is a comfortable silence to Takuma, and after he believes Aidou has had enough time to collect himself he opens his mouth to say-

"I won't tell you." But the words aren't his, let alone out of his mouth. They're Aidou's.

"Aidou-"

"I know what you're going to say." He interrupts again. Jade eyes observe in silence as Aidou pick at his slippers. "Know what you're going to ask." His voice is low and withdrawn and again he's not meeting Takuma's eyes. "I won't tell you anything besides that I failed. We all failed. Even you." Takuma's eyes widened at the accusation. "But me," he choked, almost as if he swallowed a sob "I failed the most. And I will pay dearly for it."

Takuma paused his recollections there. He failed? At what? How? If it were that, how could he have possibly failed when he was here, in Night Prison? What Aidou said didn't make sense at all. He remembered Aidou's state of being, how his mood swings were abundant in the short amount of time Takuma was with him. Maybe Aidou was just losing his marbles? The prospect of believing death was amongst him was driving him mad and so he was saying complete nonsense.

Honestly, Takuma didn't see how anything that transpired outside was his fault. It sounded almost childish to say but the last thing he wanted was to be blamed for, especially with something so critical, for something he had no power over.

He did his part. Takuma was here, by the Purebloods side always, trying to be his light in the pitch of darkness. It was everyone else who didn't hold up their part of the bargain. Why was Kaname, let alone himself, not informed of Kiryu or Hanabusa's arrival? There were patent events that transpired in the real world which they should have been told.

Takuma laughed to himself quietly. He couldn't believe his own thoughts; they rivaled that of stingy child. Already the oncoming doom was scaring him sideways. Like everyone else, he would suffer its wrath too. He was just naturally an optimistic vampire. A 'glass half full' kind of character. What was left of better times was long behind him but he would still try to make the most of what he could.

After followed silence, because really neither of them knew what to say next, Takuma exhaled loudly before standing up. "Aidou." He said at last. "Maybe you just need time to yourself."

Aidou looked at him with furrowed brows for a few seconds before letting up and rolling his eyes. "Yeah, no kidding. That's why I ran away here." He pout his lips and puffed his cheeks and for a second Takuma was reminded of Idol Aidou from their Academy days. All things considered, it was almost endearing to see his old friend again.

"I'm glad to see you're on the same floor as me. That's good; company isn't as bad as the Seventh or Eighth floor." Takuma walked out towards the hall and pointed in a direction far to the right, in the middle of the third hallway. "My cell is right over there with the cute little plaque on it."

The voice that sounded was right behind his ear. "You're crazy if you think I can see that puny little thing from way over here." Takuma turned slightly and was momentarily shocked that Aidou followed him outside. He sort of expected the vampire to sit in the same position and mourn to himself.

"These Hunter Charms are no joke, huh? What's so funny?" Aidou was squinting towards the direction of the taller male's finger when he caught Jade eyes staring at him. His expression changed from annoyed to solemn to annoyance right again. It was interesting for Takuma to witness. "I just told you a few minutes ago that we're all about to die."

Takuma laughed whole-heartedly. "Oh it's nothing! I just forgot how little you were is all." Aidou was about to voice his protest to that statement when Ichijou continued "Well, if you ever need me or feel like dropping by, my cell is over there." He waved and was about to take off when Aidou followed suit.

"Yeah well my cell is over there." He pointed in another direction, one that was obviously not where they were standing in front of, and Takuma laughed nervously.

"Wait, this isn't yours?" He asked honestly. He motioned towards the cell they just walked out of and Aidou had the audacity to look at him like he was crazy. He shook his head no and Takuma let it sink in before bursting in laughter, to which his friend followed suit. It was only until the cell's true occupants arrived and not so kindly told them to shut up that they parted ways for the evening.

So what he was most afraid of came true. Life behind bars was no sunshine and rainbows, but soon Night Prison will know the true meaning of Hell's conviction. After all, there was a dormant giant about to be awoken.

Of all things, he was just mostly glad for the meatloaf.

III

It was later, much later into the evening when the lights went out, that Kaname at last kept to his promise with the younger vampire. Long after the guard left, after he finished his rounds on the Eighth floor, after the activities of the night died down, and after the second rounds were finished on each floor, did the lights finally go out.

Kaname all the while was lying in bed counting the seconds waiting for his lights to dim. He had a little chandelier hanging above his cell that was connected to the main power. It would dim when the lights went out, allowing the Pureblood access to extra lighting in case he was deeply into a book. Not that the Pureblood necessarily needed it; he could see plenty fine in the dark. He could turn it off whenever he pleased, but right now he wanted the other party to be able to look at him.

He was going to approach the pink elephant in the room, which was either faking sleep or studying the wall for almost three hours. Kaname himself was also just laying down and counting the seconds the entire time. He shifted his long legs over the bed and planted them firmly on his rug. He looked directly at the Hunter who always managed to have his back to him.

"Kiryu." His voice rang in the quiet of the cell. "It is later." He saw the Hunter's ear twitch, a sign he was heard. "And I am here to deal with you." Kaname finished.

A couple of seconds ticked by which consisted of mostly Kaname staring at the smaller male's back. He never let up his gaze -focused on the crease between his shoulder blades- until the Hunter finally gave in. He shuffled around until he was sitting down in the center of his bed. He wasn't facing the Pureblood but Kaname didn't care for that so much. His body was tilted his way and he responded; that was enough.

Now that Kaname got his attention though, he was left at a stupor of where to begin. Like the entire evening, so much ran through his mind. But by Heavens, Zero and Aidou's presence alone was confirmation for at least half of them.

What could he say that wouldn't break his heart to millions of pieces and destroy his sanity? He wanted confirmation. Details. 'Do I?' Closure. Begin his phases of grief. He didn't want confirmation. By some miracle Kiryu and Hanabusa were here for other reasons. Kaname didn't know anything because there was nothing to know. Was it selfish to keep on going with the belief she would still visit him one day? Who was he going to fool with his 'phases of grief'? He was a demon of the night who didn't grieve over losses like mere humans, let alone a King.

But his heart. It was breaking like a humans.

It would be so simple. So easy. So satisfying. Snap Kiryu's neck. Drain him of his blood. Break him from limb to limb. Tear him to shreds. Kill Hanabusa too. Definitely the others. Ichijou as well. Why not every vampire in this Prison? Everyone on the island. Everyone in the world. Every goddamn thing until all the hurt left his body. Then Kaname, he would follow her into the dark and only then would they finally be together at last.

"No.' he struggled against himself. 'She wouldn't want that. She wouldn't want any of that.' But how could she not want when there was no longer a she to want?

Inwards Kaname fought this battle of wills while outside he merely continued to stare at the source of his heartache. Zero, sitting partly still and staring at the thin sheet covering his lower body, could not see him but rather feel him. The tension in the room was palpable. The Purebloods aura was spiking and receding; Zero was sure they had an audience despite neither speaking a word.

Zero just knew Kaname would chew him out. He was expecting it. Waiting. There was no other reason he got up from bed. Ever since he crossed paths with him in the Dining Hall, discovered that he would be partnered with him for the rest of his sentence, Zero knew he would die by the Purebloods hands. For a second he thought about fighting it; he certainly would if he was his regular human self. But now, after an entire evening of dwelling on the thought, he began to look forward to it.

Poor little Level E came alive at the prospect of death. He embraced it. It was fitting, after all, that he die by the hands of a Kuran.

So there he sat. In silence with Kaname Kuran, waiting to meet the final death. Receive Fate's last act of cruelty (or mercy) towards him with open arms. He certainly wasn't going to say anything; that much he hoped the Pureblood was aware of.

"How?"

Or not.

The question, it hangs in the air as Zero takes it in. Reels in every memory and detail and statement that could easily answer it. Kaname looks at Zero with steel cold eyes expecting to be answered, but Zero, he stays quiet. There is a heavier, longer silence that follows. Suddenly time seems to hold still when finally lavender eyes travel to collide with winey brown. In them can easily be read his refusal to answer.

Everything happens so fast; there was a blur of red and brown when Zero's head collides with the wall. He coughs blood, and struggling at that, because it seems Kaname has laced his fingers around his throat. The Pureblood's face hovers above the Level E's and his hot breath fans his cheeks as he repeats himself. "How?"

Zero's vision is blurry; the hard smack against the wall has made his world spin. All he could comprehend was that the Pureblood was kneeling over him on the bed, with a tight hold on his neck, straining him against the wall. And his eyes: his eyes were fiery red to match his anger.

But Zero saw something else. Zero saw a hurting vampire with a need for release.

He closed his eyes to the image of the red-eyed beast. It was time. Zero resigned himself to his fate.

Suddenly his head was thrust forward only to be thrust backwards again; against the wall harder than before. There's a ringing in his ears, but that still doesn't overshadow the clear voice of malice demanding. "You will tell me how she went."

Zero clenched his eyes. Why was Kaname still bothering at this point? Zero wasn't going to say anything. He should just get this over with. As a matter of fact, he was anxiously waiting for Kaname to be finished with him. If it were the other way around Zero wouldn't have second-guessed anything. The Pureblood would be dead within first glance.

Still, all Kaname did was growl. His grip tightened and Zero could only clench his eyes tighter to hold it all in.

It hurt. His head was throbbing and the skin around his neck felt tender, as if any second Kaname would draw blood. He certainly would leave his mark; Zero was susceptible to bruising easily.

Expecting another blow –a slap, claws, fangs, another bang against the wall- the word 'Why' instead resonates within the cell. It takes Zero a moment, considering his head took a good beating, to realize the word came from Kaname. "Why." Again; all its malice gone. The word, originally a question, Kaname says with such a finale. Like there is no answer; yet Zero knows the answer. He knows the answer because he knows what the Pureblood is asking.

"I deserve to know." Zero couldn't believe it. Never in his life had the Kiryu twin ever heard, let alone believed to hear the Kuran prince's voice break like it just did. Just as shocking though, was Kaname's release on him. His hand, arm, eyes, body, aura, his whole presence receded from Zero's bed back to his own.

It was instinct for Zero to inhale desperately. His body was granted free access to healthy quantity of air. He couldn't help it if he started hacking and coughing. He didn't expect to see or feel an aftermath.

Finally, when Zero collected himself enough to stop gagging, he peeks a glance at Kaname through silver bangs. The Pureblood is tucked away in his bed sleeping towards the wall, giving the impression he hadn't just choked Zero into the wall.

After wiping away what little blood stained his lips, slender fingers touched gingerly at the swelling on his neck. He grits his teeth to hold in a gasp that turns into a hacked cough. Zero was so sure Kaname was on the brink of killing him, so why did he stop? What was he waiting for? Answers?

"How?'

Having enough of staring at Kaname's supposedly sleeping back, Zero pushed himself off the wall.

"You will tell me how she went."

He settled himself in the middle of the bed, faced the wall, and carried on as he had before. Bed sheets wrapped tightly around him and closed into himself, staring at the nothingness of the wall. Beyond his sudden fits of coughs the rest of the night went by in silence.

"I deserve to know."

In an abrupt second the room was engulfed in darkness. Zero had subconsciously wondered why their cell was still lit up, dim as it was, while all the others were pitch black. Another perk of Kaname's, no doubt.

"Why."

The question echoed in his mind as his eyes began to droop. Zero understood why Kaname came to ask it. Its answer wasn't without consequence. Everyone was afraid of what the Pureblood King's reaction would be. As they should be; he was unpredictable. Along with personal reasons of his own, Zero also felt he was doing him a favor. He convinced himself not to let him know the gory details. As he fell into the abyss of sleep at last though, his mind plagued him with another question: who is the greater recipient of this favor? Kaname or himself?

A/N – This chapter wasn't going to originally be as long. I was going to cut it after Takuma's POV: partially because I wanted Kaname and Zero to have a chapter of their own and because I really liked Takuma's closing sentence But it has been so long since my last update and I wanted to get something … impacting out there for those who waited patiently.

I also really wanted to get it out soon, so don't mind the many (and a great many) mistakes lounging everywhere in this chapter. I could have held back and reedit it a few times but I was just so anxious to get it out there. So, go easy on me, neh?

ALAS! I, ColorlessXrainboW, grant you all permission to throw tomatoes, pineapples, watermelons, and coconuts at me. I personally haven't stopped berating myself for leaving you all hanging almost two years ago.

R&R if you will. I'll be that much more motivated to get the next update out. If not, please enjoy this (depressing and dark) story from your first-row seats.