Unexpectedly Close To The Edge

Set 3 years after Vampire Knight Guilty, however, certain enemies aren't as dead as they were thought to be.

~{}~ signifies a change in time or perspective

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, these awesome characters do not belong to me in any way. They belong to Matsuri Hino. I just stole them and put them to use for my own sick mind ;)

Summary: Yuki's death brings the two former enemies Zero and Kaname closer than they ever expected to be. As the two of them - both broken in their own way - struggle to pick up a life again, will they cope by putting each other together again?

Rated M: mature emotions, rape, violence, M/M lemon (seriously, rated M for good reason!)


AN: I'm still amazed at all of your reviews - thank you so much. Hope the chapter isn't too long and I added enough line spacing. Enjoy!


Chapter 5: An Unprecedented Return

The blond noble sat in a large plush couch, his blue eyes gazing at the newest issue of a popular manga resting in his lap. He loved manga – and he loved this story in particular. But now he wasn't even seeing the ink on the page. The usually cheerful noble had it all - a job, a promising relationship and - after his inheritance - money to buy almost anything he desired. All the comforts he required were there. But for once, Takuma Ichijo was not smiling. The house he sat in was currently empty, void of life. He had left the lights on in the hopes that it would make him feel better. He had even turned on a random internet radio stream to feel some kind of life in the quiet place. But the emptiness refused to yield. There was no reason for him to be here – yet he lingered. It was foolish, perhaps, but he would not give up. Not yet.

It was only about twenty-four hours ago that - silently, with a heavy heart - he had watched the pureblood depart. Deep down inside, he hoped against hope but his mind kept telling him it was futile. Logically, he knew that the pureblood had gone to find his death to end the madness. For two weeks he had been present as Kaname slowly descended into the loss of his bond mate and sister.

Of course, Takuma mourned the loss of Yuki as well. The Kuran princess had been generous and kind unlike many other spoiled pureblood women. Having been human for so long had left its mark on her personality. And though others whispered about it behind her back as though it was some kind of weakness, Takuma had found her to be anything but weak. She was merely inexperienced and shy. She simply hadn't treated anyone with arrogance, but that had nothing to do with her actual strength. She was kind and gentle, though her temper was a lot quicker to flare than her brother's. Especially during the beginning, while she was still unaccustomed to her powers, glass objects in the mansion seemed to have a remarkably short span of existence. But there were also other occasions; whenever she was delighted or joyful - even at small things - the place had lit up with her happiness. Her heart had been strangely child-like. Takuma was truly very sad for her loss. But still, Kaname had a closer place to his heart; maybe because he had known him so much longer.

To have to watch someone so close to him suffer like that was heartbreaking for the noble. Every day he had dared to approach the pureblood – technically defying Kaname's will each time – to help him with the untouched stack of documents piling up. The pureblood had barely acknowledged his presence. With Kaname hardly doing anything at all, Takuma had begun to realize what a workload the pureblood usually managed. But even trying to keep up with all of it hadn't remotely been enough to take his mind off the pureblood's state.

Every day it had gotten worse. The aura descending over Kuran mansion had been devastatingly depressing. It hadn't been long before Takuma had seen himself forced to send away most of the staff because of their susceptibility to it. The noble was fairly sure the pureblood wouldn't have wanted them to commit suicide because of his aura. So he had dismissed them all except for two more resilient women. Kaname hadn't even noticed their absence. He hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten, and he had repeatedly refused Takuma's blood – confessing to him there was no way he could stop once he started. He had downed half a year's worth of blood tablets in a week. But there had been nothing he could do to elevate the pain.

Takuma's gaze slowly wandered across the Victorian-style windows where the glass had cracked under Kaname's wavering control. Actually, hardly any glass object had remained intact at all. The state of Kuran mansion mirrored its owner's deteriorating condition. The pureblood had been on the verge of losing it entirely, when Takuma had caught sight of him stumbling toward the vaulted cellar like a hunted animal with cracks in the walls following him like a pack of wolves. Takuma had dismissed the remaining staff that day, knowing Kaname was truly dangerous now.

The entire mansion had shaken in its foundation as though there was an earthquake. For two days, Kaname had locked himself inside the cellar; Takuma still wasn't sure what he had been doing during that time, but his theory was that he seemed to be exhausting his power without doing too much damage. The walls of the south wing had collapsed, burying most of what had once belonged to Yuki under a heap of rubble.
Still, Takuma had refused to leave. He wouldn't leave the pureblood's side in such a state. No matter how dangerous it was for himself. The next time he had seen Kaname, the pureblood had tried to return to his room. Barely able to stand, let alone walk, Takuma and Seiren had half carried him the rest of the way after finding his shaking body in a feverish heap on the stairs.

Remembering that, Takuma's eyes filled with tears. He had never seen the beloved pureblood in such a state. It had shot straight to his heart. Even now it still did. No one should have to suffer like that. He and Seiren had taken turns nursing the malnourished body back to health, knowing that only blood would provide what he needed; but still, even with his skin ashen and eyes swirling crimson, Kaname had refused their blood.

Days later, when the pureblood was able to walk again, Takuma had wondered at his suddenly low energy level, but he hadn't dared to ask. The pureblood should have been close to full strength again. Instead, his normally brilliant aura had seemed artificially suppressed. It was that night that he had told Seiren to leave for South America and had softly said goodbye to Takuma. The small smile he had forced at those words had said it all. Kaname did not expect to return. And sadly enough, neither did Takuma expect him to.
A tear made its way down the noble's cheek. Kaname had known. It was over. He had sternly sent Aido, Kain, Rima and Ruka away two days before Yuki died, telling them Yuki was getting better and he wanted them on a four-week holiday. Takuma's instructions were to keep them from knowing what happened until everything had resolved itself – one way or another.

So he had kept quiet until now. Tomorrow, he would have to tell them. They would be heartbroken. And angry at him. Takuma shook his head. He wasn't Aido or Ruka, he wasn't completely infatuated with Kaname, but he loved the pureblood very dearly as a friend. If for a noble there ever could be friendship with a pureblood – then Takuma had it – or had had it – with Kaname. He would rather have the pureblood back than all the wealth he inherited from his deceased grandfather. He wanted the pureblood's reassuring aura around again, the solemn safety he always radiated. He wanted the simple things back – the fact that it all appeared so easy when Kaname was taking care of everything. It wasn't like Takuma didn't have a lot of work to do. But it was different if you just followed the orders or if you had to give them. Following Kaname was easy. He was clear, realistic and – for a pureblood – fairly lenient. Who else would have put up with Aido for that long without giving him a torturous death?

Kaname hadn't only been a friend – he had been his protector. Nobles were keyed to the pureblood they served. Without Kaname, they were leaderless. After a pureblood's death, the nobles that had served him were free game. Any pureblood could claim them. Unless they served the Vampire Council, of course. But even that could not truly protect them if a pureblood set their eyes on getting what they wanted.

As an Ichijo, he was expected to serve the Council – but Takuma couldn't picture it. The lot of backstabbing liars had done nothing to gain his trust during the time he served Kaname. All he ever saw them do was – at best – to meddle with affairs that were none of their business. Watching them do everything they could to sabotage the pureblood's plans at peace with the humans angered Takuma. But he refused to serve another pureblood. Only to Yuki could he have imagined a closer connection, but without her...

Through his tears, he pulled out the envelope from underneath his manga, fingering it without pulling out the sheet of paper within. The letter had come today – as though the Council's blood hounds knew about every step the pureblood took. As though they knew Kaname wouldn't return. The Council wanted him. They preferred powerful nobles without attachment to a pureblood. If Kaname really was dead then he was an obvious choice – before he was claimed by others. Besides, his grandfather had been in the Council – they were obviously hoping to be able to bend the grandchild toward similar intents to carry on the legacy. Such offers were a one-time only, so with bitter regret in his heart he had accepted. As of tomorrow he would be part of that same Council he loathed. He knew the politics. But he didn't even want to think about it.

So many nobles would do anything to be a member of that Council, but Takuma only wanted Kaname back. He could almost feel the bright and steady pulse the pureblood's aura exuded whenever he was near. Takuma sniffed quietly in the empty room. It did nothing to keep the shameful tears at bay. But there was no one there to see the unseemly tears, unbecoming for his status. He remembered that strong aura so clearly. He would never feel it again – and in wanting it to return so much, he was imagining it to himself. But it wasn't real.

Or was it? Takuma had attributed it to his imagination, but now he was sure he felt a growing echo of it.
But… but that was impossible. He had left, gone to die. But the more the noble strained to perceive it, the more he could feel it - the brilliant energy he knew so well kept growing steadily. So, was he losing it or was Kaname still alive after all?
Quiet footsteps at the front door alerted the noble. The lock in the door turned. It was too good to be true.
Surely, Takuma thought, I must be hallucinating.
Nevertheless, he tentatively stepped into the entrance hall as the door opened.

"K... Ka… Kaname-sama..." Takuma breathed in awe.
Wiping his tears aside, the blond noble still hoped he wasn't hallucinating. On second thought, if he had been hallucinating, he certainly wouldn't have pictured the pureblood in the attire he was currently wearing. It looked rather… large… on him… and a bit too... casual.
"You have returned..." he whispered still shocked.

It definitely had been his aura and he wasn't hallucinating - this was him.
Suppressing the urge to run up and hug the pureblood, he stepped closer. He knew of no precedent where a pureblood had survived a broken blood bond with another pureblood. Lower classes were occasionally saved by forming a bond with a more powerful noble or even a pureblood. That happened rarely. But the second bond had to be stronger than the first to save the person in question. Seeing Kaname now could only mean that he had formed another bond. Stronger than that with Yuki. But to whom, Takuma could not begin to guess.

"Takuma." Kaname's voice was a little laden, but steady. The chocolate eyes were looking at him evenly. His aura was sad, but also strong and collected.
"Yes, Kaname?"
"Shouldn't my vice president be working when I am not available?" the pureblood inquired mildly with a small smile on his face.
Takuma blushed crimson.
"I'm sorry... I thought... I didn't know..." he stuttered.

Kaname laid a hand on the noble's shoulder. "I know what you thought and I assure you, you would have been right but for an unforeseen act of kindness. There is nothing to worry about, I do not hold it against you."
"Thank you, Kaname." Takuma bowed. A familiar scent lingered around the pureblood. It was only faint amid Kaname's strong pureblood scent, but the noble knew him long enough to be able to distinguish the subtle difference. Takuma was positive he knew it, but he was too worked up about Kaname's return to be able to place it.
"Please notify my secretary. I will be there in half an hour." Kaname's request interrupted his train of thought.
"Yes." Takuma reminded himself to concentrate.
"Perhaps I should ask, if I can expect you to be there, too?" there was a pleasant glint of amusement in the dark eyes.
"Of course you can, Kaname-sama." Takuma consented immediately, blushing furiously again.

Kaname smiled. "I am glad to hear that. However, for today I would like you to remain at Kuran mansion. There are a few things I would like to discuss with you in private when I return and a few things I want to leave in your capable hands. I also have a request to make though I will elaborate on the details later. Seiren is currently attending to other security matters and therefore I would like you to remain here and have the staff take up their work again."
Takuma nodded.
"Once they're back, have them prepare a guest room close to mine."
"Yes, Kaname. Any special requests?"

~{}~

Kaname smiled knowingly. Takuma wasn't stupid. Of course he would guess about the reason of his return, he understood the laws of blood bonding as well as anyone. But right now was not the time for it. He would find out soon enough.
"Keep it as simple as possible." Kaname answered. Seeing how Zero lived – simplicity was obviously his preferred style of habitation. Most likely the hunter would consider the abundance of warmth and food to be unnecessary luxury, but he would just have to live with that. The thought was rather amusing, Kaname decided. He looked around the place, then back to the blond noble.

"Apparently, the windows and a few walls are in dire need of repairs. Have them see to that as well." Takuma nodded faithfully.
"One more thing..." Kaname began. "I want you to personally make sure they clean the place and leave no trace of my sister. Anywhere."
"Yes. Of course, Kaname."
The pureblood turned to leave but Takuma's quiet voice stopped him.
"I am happy you have returned."
Kaname smiled softly again, looking back. "I was lucky, my friend." he said quietly. Then he went to his room to change - leaving the blond noble smiling in the entrance hall.

~{}~

"Hey kid." The smell of strong tobacco had already alerted Zero to the speaker.
"Sensei." Zero acknowledged, inclining his head. One clear blue eye stared intently at him from under long untamable, curly dark hair. Zero knew that gaze – he'd grown used to it over the years. He'd long given up on trying to evade it or appear more alert under it. Yagari would always see through the act. Instead, he kept a stoic face when meeting his mentor's gaze. It was all training – not that Level E's cared about his facial expression. But Zero was still perfecting his skills on combatting higher class vampires. And with them it was vital to hide any trace of weakness.

By now it was part of Zero's nature to weather his sensei's gaze unwavering. The idea was to appear void of any emotion, instead of pretending to feel something that wasn't there. Constant training was the key. Just like reading his mentor's expression was.

Even with half of his face barely visible in the shadow of his hat, Zero could tell he was displeased. He obviously knew about the nature of this upcoming meeting and most likely disapproved of some part of it. Yagari usually knew. It was one of the reasons why he was the best. Physical superiority wasn't worth much of you didn't know the politics. Zero had heard his sensei had been nominated for the Association's presidency twice before – yet instead of accepting, here he was, an under-decorated, extraordinary hunter, standing knowledgeably in the shadow, leaning against the wall smoking and waiting for the one hunter pupil none of the other active hunters would take in.

Zero had always suspected that was because Yagari wasn't one for the paper work. It was no secret he preferred field work to a desk job. But Zero remembered he had asked his sensei about why he seemed to love the shadows so much. Yagari's reply had been simple: "Kid, you don't learn about the most important things standing in broad daylight."
Zero had never paid much attention to the political affairs - he avoided the Association. For someone without a future, long-term intrigues seemed to be a waste of time. But after drinking Kuran's blood, he would live longer now. A few more years perhaps. He pushed the thought aside. It was unpleasant and dissatisfying. Besides, there was work to do.
After scrutinizing him for a few seconds, Yagari's lips turned into a frown of displeasure.

"You haven't been sleeping, kid." His mentor accused.
Zero snorted softly. "I'll be fine." he replied, knowing Yagari wouldn't push it – it was one of the things Zero really appreciated about his sensei. He made his statement, voiced his displeasure and if it wasn't immediately life-threatening, the rest was Zero's problem. Yagari wasn't into coddling. Many students preferred a more easy-going and talkative buddy-kind of relationship toward their mentor. With all he'd been through, Zero had learned to fully appreciate the more authorative, serious no-nonsense approach Yagari had: clear rules, no unnecessary chit-chat, straight to the point talk and absolute loyalty to his principles. Buddies were great to sink a few drinks – but surrounded by Level E's, he definitely preferred Yagari.

Unconsciously, he himself had ingrained much of his sensei's traits into his own behavior – the two of them got along perfectly on missions for any length of time. Zero always considered his sensei's presence soothing. To him, Yagari always radiated safety – even if he would suddenly pull the rifle on him to test his reflexes. Especially now, with all the confusion about the bond and Kuran's visit – he was glad to see his mentor.

The young hunter had the feeling that his sensei waited up on him on purpose whenever he had to make an appearance at the Association. His vampire aura and internal animosity against him had earned him trouble before - hunters had already pulled their guns on him more than once when he walked into the place alone. With Yagari there, no one dared to go against him that rudely. The experienced hunter seemed to feel the need to protect him and Zero was strangely grateful for it. Not that either of them would have ever admitted to it...

With the exception of Kaito – Yagari's older student – hardly any of the other hunters liked to be stuck with the two of them for more than a day. Not because they didn't make a great team and chances of survival weren't exceptionally high when on a hunt with Zero and Yagari, but because even sitting side by side, the two of them were stoically silent for hours on end when every other normal person would have long died for a faint reminder of verbal communication. Both Zero and Yagari agreed that if you knew what to do, words only added unnecessary confusion. This also meant that neither of them overly enjoyed meetings.
Yagari pushed away from the wall and grunted. "Let's get this over with." He growled gruffly, nodding to Zero.

~{}~

When Kaname walked into his headquarters, all voices died down instantly. For three days he had not made an appearance, leaving no notice as to his whereabouts. Knowing about his loss, the assumption was legitimate that he would never return. Nonetheless, his closer followers had come to work even though there was hardly anything to do, except to ensure continuity of the company's dealings. They simply followed up on all things Kaname had appointed to them before he left, inquiring about his wishes through Takuma.
Now that he had returned, large unbelieving eyes stared at him. The pureblood had expected a little emotion of Takuma and had been thoroughly surprised to have caught him crying, but he hadn't assumed anyone at the office would care. Obviously, he had been wrong.

Though many of them showed surprise, Kaname noticed that most of the faces were smiling at him honestly. A small part of the pureblood was happy that, after believing he had left or had died, his employees and followers had honored his wishes; that they had continued and were actually glad to see him back. It meant more to him than he had initially thought. He shouldn't feel that way, a pureblood that cared too much for his pawns was vulnerable – it was frowned upon. They're societal value was considered to be small and to him they should be nothing but expendable puppets. He wasn't supposed to care, but he found he did.
Kaname believed that each of them must have a place in society. Therefore so did he. And he intended to make the most of his pureblood abilities in his position. If it was their place to follow, it was his place to lead as best he could. For the company that meant he'd better make profitable decisions for everyone involved. Even if it was only for these pawns Yuki would want him to do his best. Kaname had resolved to adhere to that. So he would.

The pureblood strode past the desks from where his employees stared after him - he was sure that none of the vampires had missed the fact that the bond had been broken.
He sighed. Not that it was any of their business whom he was now bonded to, but keeping wildly surging rumors in check was imperative now. A large meeting would be inevitable...
"Please arrange a full staff meeting in meeting room 1 in an hour," he said to the cluster of nobles staring at him.
"Of course, Kuran-sama." they answered, bowing flustered.

~{}~

"…number of Level E's has increased here and here sufficiently. Our newest intel suggests…" Zero and Yagari entered the large meeting room. There were about thirty active hunters in the room listening to the vice president's briefing. The room was darkened a little to make the projected images visible. The Association's vice president was currently pointing to a map of a small town in the area of question. The sparingly furnished room left no space for any more to sit – all the provided chairs were taken already. Yagari – who had never been seen sitting in any meeting – leaned against the wall at the far end of the room peering out with his clear blue eye from under his hat. Zero stood beside him, concentrating as much as he could. He was feeling the ache in his chest that reminded him of how far he was from the one he was bonded to. It hurt, but Zero found that if he treated it like his thirst, it was well manageable. The ache wasn't that different. So ignoring it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

So far, Kuran hadn't once gotten into his mind, he had to give the pureblood that much. A few feelings of sadness and gratitude assailed him through their bond, but other than that there was nothing worth noting. He hoped that he himself wasn't leaking too much of his thoughts to him in return. The hunter was careful not to let his mind wander and found it rather difficult.

The briefing was actually a rather welcome opportunity to focus. With his heightened senses, it was more of a challenge to process all the information. He hoped that it busied his mind enough to keep his thoughts to himself. His enhanced hearing magnified the voices – not only the monotonous drone of the vice president's voice, but also every small whisper exchanged between the attending hunters.

If he hadn't been so intent on refusing to let his mind wander, he wouldn't have bothered to listen in on Tanaka's description of his latest affair or Kato's boasting about how many Level E's he could take down in ten seconds. Zero had always thought this kind of behavior would end once people graduated.
Obviously he had been wrong.

This whispering was as bad as any children's classroom. It disgusted him that these were the hunters that people relied on to protect them from a threat they didn't even know about. And while they distracted everyone during a meeting, boasting about their questionable achievements, there was a good chance that innocent people were dying.

"We have determined this to be one of the main sources of Level E activity." Zero recognized the hide-out on the map the vice president was pointing to. He had been there with Yagari many times already. It was an old underground system of sewage tunnels, water drainage and wine cellars. It was the perfect place for any number of Level E's to hide in. Though they didn't die instantly of UV light, most Level E's avoided it nonetheless, because it became increasingly painful to them as they changed. The tunnels were perfect - daylight never reached in there, the tunnel system had multiple outlets close to human settlement and it was almost impossible to completely cleanse the tunnels of them.

"As you all know, any attempts at making the tunnels uninhabitable for them – short of completely filling the system with concrete and cement – will only make it more difficult for us the next time they do find a way to inhabit it. However, we will attempt it nonetheless. Beginning with tonight, we will raid the tunnels from different entry points every night for an entire week. This operation will include all active hunters, exempting those who are scheduled for routine patrols. After that, we will send in a specialist task force to install multiple seals in each tunnel. This will include permanent hunter charms and tons of cement. Knowing this, I hope you are clear on the fact that each of you is responsible for clearing the tunnels to a degree of absolute certainty. The workers involved in sealing those tunnels know nothing of their danger and I expect all of them to return from their jobs alive. Is that clear, Tanaka?"

The womanizer flushed beet red at being caught inattentive. "Uhmm, yes, sir." He stuttered into the absolute silence.
Using the moment of undivided attention in the room, the vice president continued. "Twenty hunters in teams of four will be dispatched to each entry point. Considering their experience with the conditions of this particular hide-out, the following hunters will be leading the teams: Yagari, Kaito, Kobayashi, Taro and Kiryu…"

The vice president's next words were drowned in an outcry of indignant protest. Zero was rather surprised himself that he had been nominated. He had never been given the position of leading a team. He usually worked alone or with Yagari. Most hunters refused to trust him if Yagari wasn't part of the team. The outburst of protest was predictable, even Yagari's presence didn't help this time. The air was full of "No way I'm following the lead of a vampire…" and "You can't trust a leech!", even going so far as "He's going to turn on you the minute you don't look and suck you dry."

Zero's face showed no reaction to any of the allegations. Instead, he listened for the missing voices, singling out the hunters who weren't protesting and would probably follow his lead. A hunt with a mutinous team – no matter how experienced – was bound to become a suicide mission.

"SILENCE!" The vice president roared over the din. Reluctantly, the protests quieted to angry muttering.
"Kiryu." He addressed the silver-haired hunter directly. "Are you willing to lead a team?"

This was a question everyone was asked the first time they were appointed to lead. It was usually a rather ceremonial act and a moment that made mentors proud and parents cry, but now it was a question of honor. It was more like a dare. The silence was oppressive.
Zero appeared unaffected by it. He nodded once. "Yes." He said with a clear voice looking the vice president straight in the eye. Angry glares pierced him from all sides. But he showed no reaction to them.
"Then chose a team that will follow you."

That again was supposed to be a moment of glory. The vice president wasn't a sadistic man. He had said the words with just a slightest hint of doubt. He may be all kinds of dull and boring during a meeting, but he didn't like to see another hunter treated that way; even if he had his own reservations.

It was tradition that young hunters chose experienced ones on their first team for the feeling of safety, in case anything went wrong. It was also an unspoken tradition that those experienced hunters would feel honored to be nominated, since it spoke for their reputation with the next generation of hunters. Zero knew all of this well enough. But the only senior hunters that wouldn't refuse him were leading their own teams. Considering the overall reaction, the whole thing had been staged to humiliate him in front of just about all of them. But the silver-haired hunter would not be put down so easily. To hell with tradition.

The oppressive silence deepened on the room as all eyes rested on his decision. Zero nodded shortly and spoke with a calm voice. "Nakamura, Ito and Yamada." He made eye contact briefly with each of them as he said their names and knew he had chosen the right ones. None of them denied his request. However, the majority of hunters was obviously dissatisfied with his choice. There was a great deal of angry muttering.
"They're all kids, for heaven's sake. Even if he doesn't eat them they'll never get out of there alive."
"I can't believe their handing their kids over to a leech…"

But Zero tuned it out, preferring to go through all the things he knew about his team members. True, they were all young. But then, so was he. Zero was twenty, hardly what one might call a senior hunter. But due to taking on any assignment, he had a certain amount of experience to show for and he knew the terrain of those tunnels well enough. Better to have a young loyal team than constant mutiny. Nakamura and Yamada were only a year younger than himself. They trained together and were good friends. If one of them was in trouble, the other wouldn't hold back. Taro was their mentor – but they were fairly independent now. They were both skilled especially in throwing knives and using the sword. Nakamura was one of the few female hunters. What Zero liked most about her, was the fact that she wanted to be treated just like any other hunter. He respected that about her. It was also the reason why she was as good as she was. What she lacked in strength and reach compared to Yamada, she made up with agility and speed. Training together since they were seven, the two of them were like siblings - bickering included. Zero hoped they would keep that to a minimum.

Ito was a born spell-caster. The small and lean brunette was twenty-six and still in training, because he had started his training as a hunter at an older age than the others. Although he knew how to use a gun adequately and was good at hand-to-hand combat, his greatest strength was charms and spells. Ito's ever-positive attitude got on Zero's nerves sometimes, but others liked that most about him. He was fairly sure the other two would appreciate his company. The team members complemented each other in fighting style and temper. Yagari put his heavy hand on Zero's shoulder. "Good choice, kid." He growled.

Those words were all that mattered to Zero. It also seemed that they were the ones that mattered most to the others as well. Seeing Yagari approve of his choice didn't alleviate their suspicion, but it stopped their ranting. None of the hunters would openly challenge Yagari's judgment. One by one, Yagari, Kaito, Kobayashi and Taro chose their teams. After that, a lengthy discussion was about to begin as to who would go to what part of the tunnels. Zero didn't care which part they were to take – they were all equally dangerous and equally wet. Luckily, Yagari's word quieted everything quickly, cutting a long debate short – effectively ordering every team to take an equally large part. His team and Kaito's team would enter the system from the west. Kaito agreed with his former mentor without hesitation. Taro's team would work their way through the old system of cellars on the south side. Kobayashi's team insisted on 'aiding' Zero's team.

~{}~

In his office, Kaname gracefully dropped down on his chair and let his thoughts drift to Zero. His fingers touched objects on his desk, but his eyes did not see them. His mind was miles away.
Kaname had had hardly any time to think about their bond. He was feeling the distance, but he dare not question the hunter during his work. If he broke Zero's concentration on a hunt, he might be hurt or even die - that was certainly counterproductive to what he intended.

He didn't want to rush things, but if they both wanted to live at least part of their lives similar to before the bonding, then the Kuran mansion was obviously the better choice for both of them to live in. He would visit the hunter after work. He needed to. They needed to speak. And he needed to see him. They were blood bound, and even if his mind knew Zero was not a helpless child, their bond demanded he make sure his mate was safe.

Referring to Zero as his 'mate' was... odd. To say the least. But that's what he was - his blood bound mate.
His thoughts drifted back to that night when the hunter offered his blood. The taste had been exquisite - the thought of that blood stirred a deep form of warmth in his chest. That soul had saved him from madness.

He was indebted to him. It was not the hunter's fault that Yuki had wanted him – Zero had not once interfered after they had left Cross Academy. Kaname himself had used the hunter's closeness to Yuki to protect her. He could hardly blame the hunter for loving her. In a million years it would never have crossed his mind that Zero might not only not kill him, but save him. But their bond was proof of it. It was so much more than he could have expected. Well, technically he had saved the hunter from madness three and a half years ago, but that had been nowhere near as much an act of kindness than what the hunter had shown him in return.

Even if Zero's intention had been to do no more than to return the favor, the emotional state leading to their bond had to have deeper roots. Kaname was still wondering what their nature could be. Looking back on his encounters with the hunter previous to their bonding, Zero had no reason to want to help him. He had used the hunter back then, had saved him solely for the sake of Yuki's protection. That had been an act of preservation toward Yuki's safety. It hadn't been kind at all. It had been cold, calculating and spiteful. Zero had become strong enough to protect his princess from Rido and then the hunter had lost Yuki, just like Kaname had intended. How could he have managed to hurt one person so much and then... then even have the gut to accept such kindness in return? And how could the hunter even bear to help him? After all he had done, even after finding out about Yuki's love for him?

The hunter was an enigma to him. He didn't deserve this kindness. Was this what Yuki had meant when she said that Zero was not the man he appeared to be? Well... he certainly wasn't. Kaname was a pureblood – altruistic intentions didn't add up in his calculations. There had to be reason behind the hunter's actions. All he knew was that he had underestimated the hunter's personality. Things he had assumed about him had obviously been wrong. He needed to understand him better. They were bond mates now and he needed to be able to reliably predict the hunter's actions. So far, he knew too little about his bond mate. Zero definitely still had hunter spirit and a hunter's pride. But Kaname had no way of judging his vampire side. Time would have to tell. The question was just... how much time did they have?

Then there was the other unsolved puzzle about the hunter. He didn't care for himself and the way he looked, he probably worked too much – most likely he was one of the best hunters. His face would show only a neutral expression, a scowl or open anger. Kaname had never seen him laugh or even smile. And though he had all that sadness bottled up inside himself, he refused to cry. Anyone else might think him cold at heart and yet there was also this unimaginable tenderness he had felt from him when he had remembered his twin. Kaname had never met someone like that before. How could he be so fierce and so... so tender?
He just didn't understand that... Sharing a bond with him was going to be a challenge.

Kaname realized with chagrin that he had been staring at his designer stapler for the past twenty minutes.
Sighing, he put it aside before turning on his computer. Speaking of challenge - actually trying to work was really going to be a challenge. The meeting would be soon. He needed to get some work done before he spoke to his personnel. And then he would have to speak to Seiren about the Council.

His thoughts kept straying as he scrolled through his proposals and contracts, when his phone rang in a pleasant tune. It was his secretary.
"Kuran-sama, there's a call for you on line three. Your meeting is in ten minutes. Would you like to answer now or have the conversation postponed?" she asked in a professionally schooled voice.
"I'll answer it now. Thank you." A red light blinked next to the button labeled '3'. He pressed it, phone still lifted to his ear.

"Hello nephew." A smooth voice spoke in an amused tone.
Kaname froze internally.
Rido?
Alive?
"Uncle, what a surprise." he answered fluently in a bored tone, not giving his uncle the satisfaction of hearing exactly how surprised he truly was.
"What do you want?" he changed his tone toward a more brusque manner.
"What? That's all? No planning happy family reunion parties? I am hurt, nephew, really I am." his uncle exaggerated dramatically.

"Perhaps your attempting to murder my sister had a small part in my deteriorating sense for family ties." Kaname answered without emotion, trying to figure out why Rido was calling. And more importantly - how he had survived Zero's final blast.
"I agree that our familial... bonds... may have taken some damage when you had me killed... "
Kaname repressed a shudder at how Rido impressed upon the word 'bonds'. So he knew about him and Yuki... He felt sadness cling heavily at his heart. He closed his eyes.
Yuki... He had no time for mourning now. Still, his emotion was difficult to control.

But he regained his focus when a realization dawned. Rido had just given himself away.
So... he hadn't expected his nephew to be alive anymore than Kaname had expected his uncle to be alive. The young pureblood would be lying if he negated feeling a sense of satisfaction at that revelation. He gave a snort of fake humor, the irony of a phone call between two allegedly dead family members not lost on him.

"Since you claim to have been killed, uncle, would you want the family reunion party to be your funeral? I apologize for not attending to the matter - had I known I would have saved you the trouble. But I wasn't aware the dead came back for the sake of passing invitations to a party."
"We all have our talents, nephew." Rido said smoothly. "They appear to run in the family."
Something in the way he said that let Kaname shiver. Talents like that did run in their family... he mentally swallowed hard, but he shook his head. He wouldn't dwell on that, he would need to ponder his uncle's insinuations later. He decided to ignore his uncle's comment for the moment and hear his reaction to directly questioning him on his intentions for calling.

"So besides renewing our severed family ties, what is it my uncle would waste his time talking to me about?"
Rido continued in mock indignation. "Waste? My, my... you act as though I needed ulterior motives to call my own family when all I wanted was just to know how you fared. But it seems even that is asked too much." His uncle spoke with theatrical disappointment and Kaname was sure now that his assessment was correct. His uncle had no real reason for calling. He had wanted to check on him, confirming if he was dead yet. Combined with being tracked by the Council's watchdogs that didn't paint a pretty picture.

Kaname briefly wondered if his uncle was just a bad actor or if he was actually implying more than he was currently picking up on. The sickeningly sweet voice drawled on.
"You must understand, nephew... my intentions are only to unite our family. All those years wasted on warring against each other. Shouldn't we put that aside? But perhaps I should wait to call again, when your hearing is more… perceptive toward my words."
Kaname translated that statement effortlessly into the threat he judged it to be, but he refused to be intimidated.
"I can assure you, uncle, there is nothing wrong with my sense of hearing. Still, I find it difficult to believe you would have something to say worth listening to." Kaname answered smoothly.
Rido chuckled.
"I will remind you of it the next time we speak." he countered just as smoothly. "And I'm sure there will be a next time. Goodbye, nephew."
The line went dead.

~{}~

On the other end of their now dead conversation, two mismatched eyes narrowed in fury. Instead of being a pleasurable confirmation of his intelligence, it had revealed his sources of information to be inaccurate and untrustworthy at best. His nephew wasn't supposed to have been there in the first place - luckily the secretary had picked up the call and he had had time to conceal his surprise at that revelation fast enough. It also helped a little that he could concentrate on his anger on his servants who had obviously failed, feeding him with incorrect information.

Kaname answering the line had been... well, unexpected... But Rido knew for sure that Yuki had died - he had made sure of the validity of that information, personally. And he also knew for certain the insufferable son of his deceased brother was blood bound to her. Kaname was supposed to have been in no state to be that collected in their little chat. He was supposed to be mourning her death, craving her now non-existing blood and be driven to madness because her end of the bond didn't answer. Even if he wasn't dead - Kaname was supposed to be a sniveling heap of misery. But he wasn't. Something was wrong.

If
his incompetent servants were right, then he did go to the hunters. Perhaps to die. But it made no sense – upon seeing a mad vampire, no hunter would let him live to see another day, pureblood or not. Rido snorted. The Vampire Council had no leverage over hunter jurisdiction. The fools. Rido cursed their weakness. He would deal with that. A few political deficits definitely needed rectifying. But for now he needed to turn his attention back to his nephew.

Maybe Kaname had tricked the spies - maybe he had never left his place at all. It didn't explain his collected state, however. Unless... Could it be? Had he formed a new bond? There was more to this - and if he wanted his plans to be successful at all, his nephew would have to go. One way or another. The broken blood bond with his sister had just seemed a most… natural option. No one would ever question it. Yuki tragically killing herself when in love with a Level D ex-human was believable with her history. Kaname dying as a result of their broken bond was only natural. Beautifully tragic and theatrical… But unfortunately, Kaname was still around. Rido drummed his fingers onto the surface of his desk. How unpleasant. He had underestimated his nephew before. But he would not make the same mistake twice. His plans had a way of backfiring in a most nasty way where his brother's side of the family was involved and that dratted son of his appeared to be continuing their little family tradition.

He needed to find out what exactly had happened. Now that he was back in good health, he would take extra precautions to ensure his plans would not be foiled a second time by that nephew of his.

He leaned his elbows onto the desk letting the fingertips of his hands touch. Speaking of good health... He licked his lips.
I should go and pay a visit to that dear friend Councillor again. His blood was so delicious the last time I visited the noble's guilt.

His lips spread into a malicious grin. Fear tasted most beautifully when served in warm and sticky crimson.

~{}~

A cold wind blew into the Zero's face, taking away the stench for a few minutes, before it died down again. Slowly, the smell of old sewage rose into his nostrils again. It was unpleasant, to say the least. The soft drizzling rain added to the physical discomfort. He was wearing a simple black long-sleeved shirt and a sturdy pair of jeans. Three throwing knives were strapped to each thigh, the Bloody Rose with its chain was resting in a holster at his right and he had two extra sets of ammunition at his left. A hunter knife was hidden up his left sleeve and one around his ankle. He wasn't wearing anything against the rain – they were going into the sewers to fight, he was bound to get wet whatever he wore.
The rain wasn't the only discomfort he was currently feeling. The longer he was parted from the pureblood, the more the incessant ache began to gnaw at the edge of his nerves. Being the definition of stubbornness, however, the hunter kept ignoring it. He would let nothing jeopardize his job. Every increase in that annoying ache only had him harden his resolve to wait it out.

"Maybe we should let Kiryu go in first…" Tanaka suggested, sniggering. Eight hunters were standing at a smelly, old sewage channel halfway up the hill on which the small town was built. Zero's team had been paired with Kobayashi's team to enter the tunnel system from the north until they would separate two kilometers into the underground maze. From there, Zero's team would take the lower tunnels leading into the deeper caverns, while Kobayashi's team would wind their way upward until they reached the discharge systems below the old factories.

Zero knew perfectly well they were trying to provoke him. He merely shrugged, checked his Bloody Rose and throwing knives and nodded to his team.
"I'll go in first, Ito you count to ten, then follow me, Yamada and Nakamura – the rear's all yours. Stay close together and keep the lights down – don't blind each other."

Zero made his way through the dark tunnel, keeping to the side out of the water. Due to the heavy rainfall during the nights before, the sewage wouldn't smell quite as bad as usually. There would also be more water, though. Obediently, after ten seconds, he heard quiet shuffling behind him. Zero had gone first – not only because Tanaka dared him to, and because he was leading his team, but also because he needed no light to see. Rather, it would blind him, making his job more difficult. He knew his team was capable of handling themselves if it didn't get too dangerous, but he still wanted to take on the larger share of danger. They were his responsibility; he intended to return them all home safely.

So far he felt no presence of Level E's ahead, so he moved forward quietly. As the second team entered, he had no difficulty discerning the footsteps of each of the seven other hunters behind him. It made him wonder if the Level E's could also hear that as well. But then again, he could only hear them because he had had pure blood the night before and his senses were heightened now. Beforehand, they would have been difficult to separate if he even heard them at all.

After twenty uneventful minutes, they approached a larger tunnel with several smaller ones branching out to different sides. Zero stopped, listening intently. He heard faint tapping and shuffling noises. Signaling the others to wait, he closed his eyes to pinpoint the tunnel it was coming from. Ito waited patiently a step behind him, while Nakamura and Yamada quietly surveyed the larger tunnel.

Then Zero pointed to his left, signaling three. The others nodded silently. Three shots rang out. Kobayashi's team reached the larger tunnel just in time to find three life sized stains of glittering dust disintegrate against the wall before the heels of Nakamura's dark green boots disappeared down the right-hand tunnel.

This tunnel was much smaller than the first, but it was angled upward more steeply than the last. Ignoring the mingling bodies of rats below his sturdy boots, Zero kept to the left side climbing the unevenly spaced steps. It was difficult to keep this quiet – there were too many rats to step on and they were obviously not inclined to take it silently. But after about a hundred meters it broadened to a cavern, the size of a large three-story house. A sluggish stream of sewage and debris was channeled to their right where four sets of pipes protruding from the brick wall spewed their liquid into it, leading the combined murky waters out the same way the four young hunters had just entered.

The cavern was clearly made for maintenance reasons – a flight of decaying stairs led down to their left into the lower tunnels and an old iron ladder led upwards. The wall on the far side still held shelves with large rusty, iron chains, torn ropes and broken buckets. This was where the two teams would separate. But first the large cavern had to be cleared. While in the tunnel, Zero had already heard the tell-tale irregular shuffling that indicated the Level E's were retreating. Three down was a warning they understood. They had retreated to the larger cavern and Zero could sense the presence of five vampires. Signaling five overhead, he sent the others toward the left while he moved toward the center of the cavern. Three lights surveyed the walls and ceiling on the left, while Zero scanned the pipes in the darkness.

He fired the instant he saw them move. Two were down, before they knew it. Zero moved quietly toward the far end of the cavern. He could hear Kobayashi's team coming up the tunnel now. Another E poked its head out from the pipes and Zero shot it. The sound of a blade hissing through the air caught his attention and he saw Yamada's throwing knife pierce the throat of another one. As the body turned to ashes, Yamada elegantly caught his falling knife.
Kobayashi entered the cavern and his gaze took in the piles of glittering dust.

"Clear?" he asked, two more hunters appearing behind him.
"No." Zero shook his head as Tanaka, the last of Kobayashi's team, entered.
"One left." Zero said. As though on cue, seven sets of lights began surveying the walls and ceiling. Zero focused his attention on the darkness. With four hunters standing a step away from the entrance of the small tunnel and no one trying to blind the other with their lights… There it was. Zero stared straight at Tanaka and pulled the trigger.

Tanaka moved too late as he felt a sting in his shoulder. As the echoes of the gun shot reverberated into silence Tanaka's face turned red in fury. "I knew it!" he yelled. "That vampire cannot be trus…" but he stopped ranting immediately as he noticed the fine, glittering dust raining down all around him. Tanaka's words echoed harshly along the tunnel walls, loud in the silence.
"Sorry 'bout the scratch," Zero muttered. Tanaka gaped at the silver-haired hunter stupidly. Then the persisting sting on his skin prompted him to check his left shoulder. Two deep gashes ran down his biceps, blood trickling into the torn fabric of his sleeve. They were clearly not the graze of a bullet wound, but the claw marks of a Level E. Tanaka stared at them, comprehension slowly dawning. But when he looked up, Zero's silver hair was already disappearing down the flight of stairs.

~{}~

Kaname frowned. So Rido was alive. Alive and up to something - most likely killing him.
The chocolate colored eyes flickered to the chessboard he had left untouched ever since Yuki died. He walked over to it, thoughtfully admiring the intricate design that produced so simple a geometric pattern with so many possibilities of strategic outcomes. Absentmindedly, he touched the obsidian figures. He had always loved the depth of those dark obsidian pieces more than the shiny bright marble ones. Marble was the stone of statues and decoration, of things that were pure, whereas obsidian was the volcanic glass that made up the earliest blades and cutting edges that humans had ever used. Unbidden, the words Shizuka had whispered before she died came back to him:

Your path will be filled with nothing but darkness.

He closed his eyes against her memory. Yes, those dark pieces were like himself in so many ways. He could not deny it. He let his fingers roam over the black knight and queen, still in their checkmate to the white king. But the chess piece he decided to pick up, was the white marble knight. He smiled softly. It reminded him of a certain silver-haired hunter.
Very fitting, he decided, since as a rule, white moves first to open the game. And Zero certainly had opened the game, judging by his uncle's reactions to his nephew still being alive. Kaname's smile faded and a dark glint appeared in his eyes.
It was time to reset the board.