In response to a review: this story happens immediately after Vampire Knight six. When the idea for this story came into my head, I was unaware of any events happening afterward and of any facts such as Senri Shiki's father's name. I especially did not know that he was a Kuran. I did not even know that Senri Shiki was a model. Now I know far too much. Anyhow, this entire story I built knowing only what the first six volumes told us -- and believe me when I say that I memorized them, missing not one detail that would make my story unfactual in any way. I wanted the readers to be able to believe that what I wrote really could happen in volume seven.

In reguards to Senri's Shiki's father's name: Assuming my fanbase would speak English, I thought that no one would mind if, when addressing Senri Shiki's father, I used Senri's last name for his father's last name. That may not be how it works in Japan, but it works for people who speak English. The father's last name becomes the last name of his wife and children. Not knowing Senri Shiki's father's name was no problem for me -- it is proper in Japan to use last names without first names. So, this is how the names go in my story: Senri Shiki is commonly addressed as "Senri" (his first name, of course, being what only friends call him; I make it clear that, when Senri is in a formal situation, he is called "Senri Shiki" so there is no confusion) and his father is always addressed as "Shiki-sama."

I hope this clears everything up.


The Story of Amara Kuran | Mariah Bryant

Book One, Chapter Twenty-Three

Our Preparation

"I don't want to do this." Yuki whispered to Kaname. She held tight to him.

"No one wants to do this, but it is what must happen." Kaname told her, hugging her back. "You must understand. I would not be able to fight if I had you to worry over."

"But you wouldn't have to worry over me! I know how to use the Bloody Rose Gun and the Artemis Rod! I am pretty fearless! Let me fend for myself!"

Though I had taken Mike a ways away from Kaname and Yuki's departure scene, I could still hear it loud and clear. My heart screamed at me. This was what was supposed to happen. But what if I had been able to stop it somehow?

Mike took both of my hands. He was silent. I knew he was upset with me.

"I have decided recently that you know what you are doing, and I trust you with everything I've got." Mike told me quietly.

I sighed. This was the last place I wanted to be! "I will be seeing you soon." I said simply, and let his hands drop.

I turned very suddenly then and went back to the waiting limo. After nodded once at Zero -- who would be guarding Kaname's and my beloveds -- I got in and did not look back.

***

I sat with Kaname in his and Ichijo's room, my eyes closed, working over every detail of the prophesy again. I had already found that it would be necessary to lead the armies away from the mansion and the garden, and that would account for an early departure on our part. Kaname stared out of the window. Kain and Ichijo lounged on the couch. Aido paced around the room. Seiren leaned against a wall.

"How is it going?" Aido asked.

"Not well." I answered through stiff lips and a strained jaw.

"Have you seen anything new?"

"No."

"How many times have you looked over the prophesy?"

"Countless since I had it, but three times today. I am looking so closely that it each time takes a while."

"Yeah. . . . So what does it look like?"

"I cannot tell you that. It would mess up the balance."

"Is it scary, like watching a horror movie?"

"You have the gist of it."

"Is it in red? Are people dying?"

I was about to reply but I did not want the pain. I stopped myself, then sighed. "I cannot answer you."

"I am not much of a fighter. Will I be in the battle? I really think I should just wait in the house."

"With your gifts? You will be a natural." I assured him, laughing to myself.

"Hanabusa, please let her concentrate." Kain said.

Aido went quiet and continued to pace.

I sighed and opened my eyes. Kaname turned to me. "Have you come up with a plan?"

I knew the underlying question and proceeded to glare at my brother. "Of course. The vampyre hunters and assassins will lead us. I will go straight for Shiki, with you to back me up, since killing me is his main priority. Everyone else will handle the assassins. Likely, all that can will be after me to hold me still while Shiki finishes me off."

"What do you plan to do to him?" Kaname asked.

The question nearly brought tears to my eyes. "I . . . I do not know what I am to do. It would not be right to use my abilities."

"He will be using his." Kaname said.

"I know, and even though it is an incredible strength I am still at the advantage. It would not be fair if I . . ."

"Whatever you do, it must be final. Remember what he did to our parents."

"I know what he did. I do not have to remember." I snapped. "Just help me figure out what is the just thing to do."

"Keep him from taking over the senate."

"Well, I could free all of the assassins from his grasp and put a block on his mind to keep him from taking any of our own. That way, at least the assassins are not going to be as bloodthirsty as Shiki had wanted them to be. Our goal is to capture them, not kill them, and this will help."

"If they want to kill us, we have to kill them. They will behave like soldiers, not normal assassins." Kain said.

"Yes, and if all you focused on was capturing them then many on our side would fall, and we cannot have that. But these assassins followed Shiki without their own will. They used to be just like the assassins the senate has sent to help us." I stated strongly. "Once I release them from their hold, they might remember what Shiki has convinced them and if that is so then they might still want to fight us. But those who are hesitant must only be apprehended."

"I agree." Ichijo said slowly. "But aren't most of them heartless?"

"That is correct, but they have families, do they not?"

"True."

"What about Shiki, Amara?" Kaname asked impatiently.

"Then I could hold Shiki still, I suppose, and take his heart out. That seems to be the only way to kill a pureblood: make sure that the heart cannot reattach to his body."

"You are forgetting that we need to save Senri." Kaname pointed out.

I winced. "Yes. That is bad." I thought for a long time, then continued. "Then I will hold him still with my mind, and free the assassins from Shiki's mind control (because that can not be contested and I cannot hold them because then there would be no way for me to kill the ones who have good hearts and free the ones who do not – there will be no way to tell them apart, and honestly I doubt that I can hold that many for as long as it will take) so that they can be taken care of by everyone else. Then Kaname and I will leave with his body and I will read his mind to find his body, then force his soul out of his son's body and back into his own. Then I will take the heart from his body and again destroy it."

"That is a much better plan." Kaname said.

"Yeah. I guess it is the best we can do." Aido said.

"Think: what would you do if you weren't super gifted?" Ichijo exclaimed.

"This would not be happening." I replied. Everyone got very silent.

So the night came. Everyone bustled about. The air was thick. There was a soft blanket of snow coating the ground. Assassins ran for their various weapons or prepared themselves and their special abilities. Vampyre Hunters tended to their guns. The Night Class wielded weapons and special abilities of their own. Kaname, Ichio and I, after explaining the orders to everyone, sat in Kaname's room silently.

Finally Ichio spoke. "There is obviously something that needs to be said between you two, so I am going to go see about the Night Class." He got up and left.

Kaname sighed as soon as we heard Ichio's footfalls go silent, and sat next to me on his bed. "You know something bad is going to happen."

"I have known since that day you left me at the orphanage."

I felt hate in my brother's heart. I had felt it growing there since I was very little, and our parents had just begun to further understand the strain my gifts were putting on us all, especially from the senate. I had always tried to be delicate with him, tried to slow down its progression. When he met Yuki, it was forced into another part of his brain where he could not reason using the memories I had given him. There, it had festered, fueled by emotion. He had been unconscious of it until tonight. He had not known that it was me whom he hated. For ruining his life.

"I heard you screaming Mike's name in your sleep. I heard you sobbing." Kaname told me lowly.

"I know. I heard you, too. I wished you would come in so badly."

Kaname's eyes were so cold. If I failed and Yuki was hurt, he would wish to kill me himself. In the blows he would implant on me, he would unleash all of his emotions. And I would die slowly and painfully.

My brother shook his head slowly, and left. I did not cry over my brother. I had no more tears to cry.

An hour later Ruka and Rima found me and got me dressed in a new kimono shipped to us the day before from my personal designer. When I looked in the mirror I saw a goddess. When I looked into her eyes I saw emptiness. We walked out of the mansion; the last ones out. Ruka and Rima departed and stood at the back of the army. I continued toward the front line. When the army of Shiki saw us, they formed attack formation instead of circling the mansion. Shiki rode behind them in a limousine.