Two years have passed since Zero vowed to kill off every pureblood, including Yuuki, but when the chance comes he can not make himself pull the trigger. He leaves her alive, unable to fulfill his pledge. However, now that Kaname is dead and Yuuki, who is now a mother is hunted, she turns to the only other man she's ever loved. Is Zero willing to forget the past to save the woman who stole his heart?
I didn't get a chance to reply to all the reviews but I want all of you to know that I appreciate each and every one of them!
And, I know that everyone is going to ask this, NO, Zero does not love Maria, and Maria doesn't love Zero in that way. She's so attached to him because he is Ichiru's twin and even though she cares for Zero she does not love him. I did NOT mean the scene between Maria and Zero to be romantic, it's more of a brother sister relationship!
And also, just so everyone knows, I put Yuuki's pregnancy equivalent to a humans. Nine months that is. Thank you everyone for the reviews and adding me to his/her favorites.
Zero arrived at the new location of the Hunter's Association. Since their president had been killed off the society had struggled for the two years to keep their group strong. Yagari had taken the role of the substitute president since he had been the top ranked hunter.
After the battle the bond that Chairman Cross had struggled so many years to form had been corrupted. The old hatred between vampires and humans grew stronger and it was not uncommon for hunters to fight against aristocrats and level-D's instead of the level-E's.
Indeed the total chaos that had come from the battle had turned the time of peace into a time of war. When Kaname Kuran had taken his lover away, when Rido Kuran had reawakened, discrimination amongst the different groups had tore everyone apart.
The two purebloods had taken on both the Vampire Society and Hunter Assocation. Hunters and Vampires, purebloods and aristocrats, each side wanted the others dead. And so, friends had turned to enemy's, loyal servants betrayed their masters and distrust spread like a plague around them.
Zero stepped into the ramshackle building, ignoring the immediate silence that came along with the awestruck stares. It had been a routine he had easily become familiar with. Not many hunters trusted him, and those who did but since he had proven his true hatred to vampires and his loyalty to Yagari, he had been allowed to stay as a member.
Zero Kiryu was a name that had become famous both in the Hunter Association and the Vampire Society. A name both respected, hated and feared. The story of the doomed level-E, magically becoming a regular vampire who took on three purebloods. No one had known the true story of how Zero had killed off the reawakened Rido Kuran and then turned on Yuuki and Kaname. The ex hunter turned vampire, who hated his own kind. The servant who had turned on, and was claimed to have killed his master Shizuka Hio...
Of course, most of it were rumors and although Zero had been questioned about each incident he never spoke about any of them. He had become the perfect hunter. The knowledge of a vampire with the hatred of their enemies. A monster killer, loyal to the safety of humans.
"Zero-san!" Maria called as she ran up to him. After news of Ichiru's death Maria had turned on vampires as well and had managed to look up Ichiru's old teacher. Yagari had quickly taken to the girl, and easily showed her how to become a hunter herself. To everyone's surprise she had passed the skills of veteran hunters and had gained a high reputation within the last two years.
The members watched in amazement as the girl skipped to the desolate hunter.
"You did come!" She said happily before she started to cough violently. Zero waited patiently for her to pull herself together. She may have become a great hunter but she had been sick for so long, he wondered if the strain of the Association had added to her illness.
"Where's master Yagari?"
"In the back, the meeting is about to begin." She said with a smile, boldly grabbing his hand to drag him through the hall. "Come, sit down." She chimed.
The inside of the building was nothing like it's exterior. The huge hall was covered with marble tile. Chandeliers burned from the ceiling and ten rows of cushioned chairs surrounded the red curtained stage.
Both Maria and Zero sat in the front row as the others filled in behind them. Seconds later Yagari appeared on the stage. His eyes scanned the familiar faces until they rested on Zero. He smiled slightly then turned to the others.
"This is the final meeting with me as your president. I had taken the role to try and keep what little peace between vampires and humans there was left but I have failed in my attempt. In our last meeting all of you voted to attack and eliminate the purebloods Kuran Yuuki and Kuran Kaname…"
Zero's stomach tightened when he heard the names. The way they were paired, the lovers… He shook the thought from his mind and focused on his former master.
"…I have come to say goodbye to all of you and pass down the presidency to our new leader! Inori!" There was a round of cheers from the group. An older man stood from his seat, walking up the stairs and shaking hands in acceptance.
"Thank you, thank you." Inori said and waited for silence until he continued. "We're all grateful for what you've done Yagari, but the time when we sided with these beasts is over. It's time to stand up to these monsters! To protect our society!" Cheers of agreement filled the room. "We'll show them what it is to turn on the Hunter's Association! The time to attack is now! Gather your weapons men, avenge our president!" As the other hunters stood and murmurs broke out through the hall Yagari looked at Zero and Maria and motioned them to follow him behind the curtain.
"I didn't think that you would come." Yagari said the minute Zero and Maria appeared in the back of the stage.
"I wanted to see for myself, now I'm positive that they will all loose." Zero replied. Yagari chuckled.
"You don't think that anyone here is strong enough to take down Kuran?"
"No. You'll they'll loose more men then they can spare."
"I know." Yagari said solemnly. "I tried to urge them against it but I have no power to say no. They're going to attack today" Maria began coughing again and both hunters turned to look at her. "Maria, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes, I'm sure." She replied after she caught her breathe. "Will you join us Zero?" He shook his head.
"Kuran is my own problem, I don't want help."
"I figured that you would say that.-"
"Yagari-san may we speak with you for a moment?" A younger hunter whispered from the side of the stage while more cheering could be heard. Yagari sighed but complied, looking at his previous student.
"I better go. It was good to see you Zero." Yagari said, ruffling his hair playfully before leaving. Zero nodded to his teacher and watched as he disappeared through the curtain before turning to Maria.
She looked up at him expectantly and it took him several minutes before he finally managed to say what he had really wanted to, not daring to look at her face. "Maria, I don't want you to go." There was a surprised silence and she fell into another fit, covering her mouth with her hand.
Zero could smell the blood before he saw it, his body stiffened and she lowered her palm to stare at the red liquid. 'She's getting worse.' He thought to himself as she pulled a handkerchief from her trench coat pocket and cleaned her hand. Maria had always been a sickly person, since the first time he had met her at Cross Academy, but she seemed worse lately.
After another moment she smiled up at him. "Shizuka-sama promised that when she was done using my body she would make me well. She never got the chance… I know you hated her but we both needed her." Zero looked down at her bitter grin, the glassy, clouded look in her eye that she got whenever she remembered the past and he felt a small pang in his own chest. "I'm so glad that you, at least, benefited from her death. I don't think Ichiru could have stood loosing you as well."
His eyes widened in surprise at his brothers name. Maria had loved Ichiru and after his death she had taken to an unwilling Zero, gluing herself to his side whenever possible.
At first he had been wary of her. She was related to the pureblood and had allowed that woman to inhabit her body. She also believed that the Devil Woman from his past was the saint she had dreamed of. They didn't agree about Shizuka but they both knew enough not to bring her up and with that difference put aside, he didn't really mind the ailing girl.
She gave him a bleak, hopeless look and stepped up to him, pressing her lips to his cheek. Zero froze, his body tensing and becoming alert, but it only lasted a second. She stepped back quickly while he subconsciously placed his hand over the spot she had kissed.
"You remind me so much of him, it's unbearable. If I am to die today, I'm glad it's in the name of your brother and Shizuka-sama"
"Maria-" He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't want to loose someone else, especially to Kaname and he knew that's exactly what was about to happen if she went with the hunters.
"There's no doubt that I'm getting worse, I just...I just want to accomplish one thing before I die. Zero…Do you think Ichiru would be proud of me?" There was a pleading in her eyes, she was afraid and Zero knew it. She wanted something reassuring to hold onto, she wanted him to say something comforting, to give her strength…
"Yes, I'm sure he would have." He said. She grinned up at him as Yagari peeked around the curtain.
"Maria, their waiting foe you." She nodded.
"Right. Good bye Zero, and thank you." She gave him one last grateful look and hurried after Yagari. Zero bowed his head as the last footsteps died and he heard the door close. He suddenly had a very foreboding feeling and he rubbed his cheek gently.
"Maria…"
Seiren looked at the closed door to Kaname and Yuuki's bedroom. 'This child choose the wrong time to be born.' She thought as she checked the window for what felt like the hundredth time. The rain continued on through the night, and even though it was already early in the morning the sky was just as dark.
Kaname had joined Ruka in the room while Aido had hurried to gather supplies that the pureblood insisted on. Yuuki must have been having a hard time, Seiren could hear the moans from the dinning hall and it had already been over two hours.
Of course, she was as excited for the newborn as everyone else but the oncoming threat was making her much more apprehensive. Now that Yuuki was in labor it made everyone in the house more vulnerable, especially Kaname. When the hunters did attack he had to be prepared and he had to have his mind on the fight. With his lover in so much pain and a new baby, fighting would be the last thing he would be thinking about.
The old grandfather clock on the wall chimed six and Seiren sighed in relief as a loud crying filled the house, a baby's cry… She felt a sudden pride that quickly waned into fear as she heard the footsteps approaching. She glared outside and sure enough, the small force of hunters were marching towards them. 'Damn it!' She mentally cursed and hurried to the bedroom door, knocking loudly until Kaname opened it to look at her. "Kaname-sama, it's started."
What do you guy's think? I promise that the next chapter will have more action! Fight scene, woo hoo!!!