A/N: Alright, Chapter 1! So sorry for the delay, school is being difficult. No flames or hate, please. This story will be kinda long, I'm sure, so be patient! THIS IS A YAOI STORY! If you don't like that, how did you get here?

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Lanyath- Muito obrigado. Fico feliz que você tenha gostado!

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Kawaii Neko Kitsune, KxZ fan girl, Unmei no Kaze, alexjjije, ben4kevin, layla14394- Thanks for the follows!

Now, on with the story!

~Cool breeze and autumn leaves~

Cool wind gently blew through the grounds, lightly caressing the gently falling leaves, easing them slowly downwards to the brittle grass. Birds began to quiet their song, following the wind back to their nests. Sunlight slowly dimmed, the glowing orb floating lower and lower towards the horizon, bathing the world in rich amber light. It waited only it's children to follow its example, dwellers of the light being beckoned towards soft beds with tired eyes and half-covered yawns. It was time for sleep.

However, some sun-dwellers were less fortunate than others.

A loud clamor rang out through the grounds, screams and cries for attention. A group of noisy girls crowded in front of pristine white gates, practically running over each other in their battle to be first in line. Every person was struggling to reach the gates, if only for a moment, so that they would be seen. Yet, much to the girls' dismay, being so near was not allowed.

The burden of keeping them all at bay fell to one small girl. Well, she and her sullen male companion, but he was no where to be seen.

~Slow motion daylight~

The poor prefect tried her hardest, but it was impossible to hold back a sea with her tiny arms. She was no Moses, after all. Quickly enough, she was swept away, thrown down by the strength of the masses. With a thud, she was seated firmly on her knees while the hoard swarmed over her.

She struggled against them still, trying to stand without being run over. A gentle hand made its presence known by resting lightly on her shoulder. She jerked back with surprise, glancing up sharply.

Her eyes quickly lost their harsh glint as she saw the face of her savior, turning to pools of cinnamon warmth. A soft, rich voice reached her ears as the person helped her up. "Yuki, are you alright?"

Snapping out of her daze, the now-standing prefect leapt back a step. Her face was as red as the crimson leaves falling around them. "Yes, Kaname-sama! I'm sorry for having troubled you!"

The man smiled in mild amusement. "No need to be so formal. It makes me feel rather lonely." His hand reached towards her face, intending to brush the hair from it...

Only to be slapped away by another. "Get to class, Kuran," growled a silver haired boy, standing directly behind the petite girl. Yuki glared at the newcomer, but the man only smiled more. This boy alone would dare to lay a hand on a pureblood.

~A lone pair of watchful eyes~

This boy did not care for respect or rank, for position or status. His eyes were chips of lilac ice, completely frozen over. The only emotion shown was a mixture of fury and loathing for the pureblood vampire in front of him, and the rest of his race in kind. A single glare was enough to scare away the most fearsome beast.

And yet, Kaname only smirked, smothering the urge to laugh. "You are so scary, Kiryu," he stated calmly, moving to where the rest of his group was standing. Glancing back, he sent a small smile towards the two prefects. "Take care."

Ignoring the farewell, he turned towards the mob of girls that still called after the people dressed in white. "Get to your dorms, now now!" He growled. "Or do you want to have detention for a year?"

The hoard dispersed almost before the words left his lips, cof plains about the prefects attitude thrown back over their shoulders. The silver haired boy brushed these off as easily as he had brushed off the pureblood. He had no time for such immature morons. It only caused him more trouble.

~Over sees the living~

He could hear his brunette companion take a few steps towards him, but he didn't turn. He just walked away, melting into the trees swiftly, before she could get too close. "Zero!" she called. But he just kept walking. He needed the space, had to place some form of distance between himself and the younger girl. He was already far too close. If he got much closer, it wouldn't be good For either of them.

So, Zero fled to the one place in which he would have peace. The familiar smell of hay and sweet feed greeted him, comforting him. A strange sense of calm settled over him as he proceeded to the very last stall. There, his solace was waiting for him.

A beautiful white mare stood proudly in the stables, her wild eyes watching the boy with sympathy. In her eyes, that boy belonged to her, almost like he was her colt. From the very first day he came to the stables, she had watched over him. No one else could tame her, and she would never break, but for this child, she would be gentle.

He opened the stall door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. Giving the horse a pat, he moved past her and picked up the brush. Softly, he started to brush her down, telling her his problems all the while.

~Feel the presence all around, a tortured soul, a wound unhealing~

"Lily," Zero murmured, "I don't know how to handle this anymore. I just can't take it. I don't want to hurt her. I've never wanted to hurt her..."

"And yet, it seems that is all you're capable of doing," commented a new contributor. White Lily snorted in distaste, stamping her feet loudly, albeit carefully to avoid hurting her caretaker. Said caretaker spun around, a glare hardening his expression previously soft expression once again.

"Kuran," he spat, utter loathing seeping into the name. "What do you want?"

The pureblood unmasked his aura and stepped out of the shadows. "Merely to speak with you, Kiryu," he replied. "A simple tête-à-tête, if you will."

The hunter snorted. "I have no time to converse with the likes of you, vampire. Now get back to class, before you make me lose my temper." His pale hands were already reaching for the gun concealed in his jacket.

Garnet orbs observed the movements, almost amused. "No, Kiryu," Kaname stated condescendingly. "It is my temper that you should be scared to make me lose. And it is already short as is. Besides...," here, he smirked, "are you not also a vampire? Just a beast in human form, like me, right?"

Zero grit his teeth. "Shut up!" He said, trying not to let all his emotion show. The dam broke, however, much to his distaste. "Just shut up! You don't know anything! You don't have a fucking family! You don't have a heart! You don't know anything but manipulation and hunger! You're the monster, not me!"

~No regrets or promises, the past is gone~

Burgundy eyes narrowed, and two shots were fired into the still night. Before a third bullet could leave the barrel, though, the gun was wrenched from the hunter's fingers and flung into a pile of straw. Kaname stood a mere two inches away from the younger male, his fingers wrapped tightly around the other's wrist.

"Heh," the brunette scoffed, shaking his head lightly. "You are the one who knows nothing, Kiryu. You are just as much a beast as I, if not more so. Heartless, am I? Well, perhaps you should look in a mirror."

The silverette growled and bared his fangs. Attempting to jerk away from the pureblood, he spit out a reply. "I know very well what I am! I am a Kiryu, and a hunter, not some twisted animal like the rest of you! I have a heart, and a soul. Can you honestly say that, Kuran? I doubt it."

Kaname bared his fangs in return, snarling, "You think you know everything, don't you? It's pathetic. I could show you some of the horrors I have seen. Then, would you be so brave, hunter? I could..."

~But you can still be free~

Abruptly, he dropped the hunter's arm. His calm facade had returned. "You act just like a wounded cat when you're injured. You get backed into a corner, but you will never admit to being wrong. It's almost cute, really. Well, I'll be taking my leave now, Kiryu. Just remember: don't lay a finger on Yuki. Come by the Moon Dorm next time you become thirsty." Then he was gone.

Zero picked up Bloody Rose and stored her back in his jacket. He grumbled under his breath about the stupid, cocky pureblood. However, he couldn't stop the flood of tragic memories that attempted to drown him beneath their immense weight. Yuki, his parents, his brother,... So much blood,... So many sins...

~If time will set you free~

He resurfaced quickly enough, but his heart ached with renewed pain at each moment gone wrong in his life. It was sharp and bitter, making him wish to vomit. All the things he could've done differently, all the words he could've said... It was killing him.

But the one that remained at the forefront of his mind were the words that the loathed vampire had spoken. 'Are you not the same as I?...'

~But it's a long, long way to go~