"Kaito!" Zero called again, worried for his friend. Don't be dead, don't be dead... He could feel him breathing, but it didn't mean he wasn't worried.
"As expected of him, " Kaname's voice rang out. Zero turned his head to see the man walk by him, "He managed to prevent his vital organs from being hit in such a short amount of time." Zero's eyes were pained as he said,
"I don't need you to tell me anything." He lifted Kaito up and set him down on a ledge against the mansion, and stood next to Kaname, saying as he got out Bloody Rose, "I was just about to head first into battle, alone."
Kaname felt a smirk forming, "Really? And take so many on alone? Their bosses aren't even here yet."
Zero straightened his back, trying to appear taller, and said, "Yeah, so step back. I'll be fine."
"That doesn't sound right to me," Kaname argued calmly, "seeing how you let your comrade get hurt like that. I can only conclude that it was because you were distracted. Zero remembered Kaito's words to his memory loss and frowned, another headache forming. He place a hand to his, covering his right eyes, and muttered,
"Shut up..." What did Kaito mean by that? He then growled, aiming his gun at a Vampire, "I don't have time to listen to your sarcasm right now!" And pulled the trigger. And why am I leaving my back to "His" care? He wondered as the war begun. Shouldn't I be hating Vampires to their core?
They were all surrounded, so, in an attempt to get away, they went back to Cross Academy.
"Chairman, do we really need a new Parent," Yuuki questioned, frowning, "new weapons? To the extent that we have to sacrifice someone..."
Kaien said nothing and Amaya angrily slammed her hands on his desk, demanding, "Why aren't you saying anything!?"
"Hey, ladies," The Hunter with the scar on his face interjected with his arms crossed, "this guy here is always saying the same things as you two, but Purebloods are equivalent to weapons that have their own consciousness. And for us who've lost their weapons, can't become Hunters. Above all, where in a bad situation where all Purebloods are trying their hardest to break into Headquarters. If we don't make weapons, we'll all be in big trouble."
The scent of lilies than made itself known as a familiar voice rang out, "Yuuki! Amaya!" The girls' turned their heads to see Yori racing towards them, Yagari standing by the doorway. Zero stood by Yagari, staring at the cousins and thinking, What strange Vampires...
Yori wrapped her arms around their necks in a hug, Amaya exclaiming,
"Yori, what're you doing here!?"
"Yori-Chan, why?" Yuuki questioned worriedly, "Didn't you here about what's happening right now?"
Yori leaned back, her eyes sad and worried, and looked at them, saying, "I've heard, but this is a safe place, isn't it? Rather, if anything happens here, we Humans wouldn't be safe, so there's no difference."
Yuuki and Amaya automatically gained sad and apologetic faces as they stared at Yori. Amaya's had guilt on hers, feeling as though she could have stopped all this from happening, but didn't.
And now they have those guilty, apologetic faces on... Zero thought, staring at them. He felt his chest tighten for some reason and turned his head, unable to look at them. He started to head out into the hallway, thinking, they don't really seem like Vampires at all and...for some reason, those are expressions I don't want to see on their faces. He decided to go visit Kaname and headed down to the cell where he was being held. The cell Ichiru died in, in his arms.
Kaname had his legs crossed, his hands clasped together and resting on his lap, asking curiously, "Is something the matter?"
"I'm here to tell you that the preparations for the Furnace are going very well."
"Aliza-San, are you sure about this?" Kaien questioned the blonde, "You'll be sacrificing your own life-"
Aliza cut in, her jade eyes flashing with determination, "Yes, I'm sure. My sister and I promised Juri we would keep her children safe, and that includes Kaname-Kun. As one of the last two remaining ancestors, it's my job. You know this, Kaien, do not question my judgement. My sister may have been adopted by Haruka and Juri's parents, but that does not mean we are not blood bound."
"You...are you serious about this?" Zero asked incredulously, unable to believe that he would sacrifice his life for something like this. Kaname felt a smirk form,
"To think that I'm hearing this from you of all people." Kaname then questioned, "Why did you change your mind and decide to ask me? Shall I explain everything in detail from the beginning?" He offered. Zero was silent for a moment,
"No...It's fine. I get it already." That faint smile filled with uncertainty and doubt, the actions towards the Pureblood girl which seem restrained... "You don't think you're the one for her. That she'll find someone else." They all seem to piss me off, "And that's why you don't understood what you should do to really-" He cut himself off, unsure of what to say after that.
"Blood bound?" Kaien asked curiously, frowning. His chin rested on his hands as he listened to her blonde.
"Yes. We were but 9,320 at the time, but they took us in, on the condition that we formed a blood bond with them. You are aware of the conditions of the blood bond, yes?" Kaien formed a small smirk, asking,
"Do enlighten me."
"You can never betray, you can never harm, and you must do what they say as though they were your own flesh and blood. But, in our case, our blood was replaced with the blood of the Kurans', a risky and dangerous maneuver, but we agreed to it anyway. I am not betraying or against him, I am just doing what I think best for him and his Juri's daughter. He loves her a lot, but he does not feel that he is fit for her and that she will find someone else. But Yuuki loves him just as dearly as he does her, and I'm afraid, that the sacrifice he is going to make, will be too great for her to handle. Pureblood she may be, she still has the heart of a Human, and feelings are fragile. Look at my sister's daughter for instance, she's been broken one too many times, and with Nagamichi's death turning out to be a farce, she was able to return, little by little."
"You have your own daughter, yet your going to kill yourself just to save Kaname?" Kaien asked bitterly, "That's a ridiculous concept to think of, but it is one I have no choice to accept, unfortunately." He sighed dramatically and leaned his head against the table, tears falling comically down his face as he whined, "My children are all growing up!"
...
Zero sat in his room, on his bed, a hand to his face, What did I want to say after that? That dungeon he was staying at...That place was..., He placed a hand over his right eye, closing them, It was where Ichiru lost his life. The place where Ichiru risked his remaining life to tell me his last words... "Live on, and Fullfill your goal."
Zero could remember his brother falling limp in his arms, blood stained all over him and his clothes, even the dungeon floor. Ichiru's blood had stained his lips and yet he encouraged him, forced him to drink his blood so they could become one, so Zero could do what he was meant to do.
Zero grit his teeth, growling in his mind, I should understand the meaning behind those words...and I've decided to achieve it my own way, and yet... where did I leave those thoughts?
X.X
There was a knocking on the door and Amaya asked loudly, cuddling on the bed with Hanabusa beside her,
"Who is it!?"
"It's me," Came Zero's voice. Hanabusa tightened his grip on Amaya slightly as he continued, "You and the Pureblood girl have visitors. I am to escort you there." Amaya let out a sigh and said,
"Give me a minute!" And she got up off the bed to put clothes on. Once she was dressed, she gave Hanabusa a pointed look to do the same, and he pouted childishly. Amaya opened the door a crack and slid outside into the hallway, face red from embarrassment, and said, "Where's Yuuki?"
Zero replied calmly, barely casting the ginger a glance as his headache formed once again, "We're heading out to get her."
"Have you tried the dungeon where Kaname's at?" She suggested, slightly uncomfortable in Zero's presence. He said nothing for a few moments as they walked towards the dungeon, but what he said next made Amaya want to hurt him for saying something so embarrassing,
"You shouldn't do such things in the middle of a war." She gave him a glare, face red, and retorted,
"Shut up. What we do in our spare time is none of your business!" Not anymore... She thought, guilty and sad at the same time. She made her choice, she had to stick with it.
But what bugged Zero the most, was the way she kept on blushing and how irritated he felt when he thought of her and Hanabusa doing such things. For some reason, it really bugged him. He came up with a response quickly and said smoothly, "I never said it was."
"You implied it!"
"Define implied?"
"Ah-Just, Just shut up. Yuuki~!" Amaya called out as she raced down the spiraling stairs that led underground, leading towards the dungeons of the School. She didn't know how to open the gates so she just waited for Zero, the awkwardness, and let him lift it up, saying,
"So you were in a place like this? Come out, you have visitors."
"Me?" Yuuki questioned confused, cuddling with Kaname, his jacket around the both of them.
"Yes." Zero replied.
"Even Amaya?"
"Yes." There was the clip-clapping of the steps and Amaya turned her head, freezing at the sight of Isaya and a woman with light blue hair and eyes.
"...No..."
"What..." Amaya couldn't speak. Please tell me what I think is going on, really isn't going on...
"We've come to fullfill our promises," Isaya told Kaname.
"We're ready." The girl spoke. Kaname closed his eyes and Yuuki looked at him, crying out,
"No, I'm not going!" Kaname embraced her tightly, whispering in her ear,
"Return to the world of light, Yuuki. Even if you forget about me, I will continue to remember you." he pulled away and looked her in the eyes, the amount of love he had for her showing in his eyes, "You're more suited to be under the sunlight."
Amaya took a few steps back, but was prevented from escaping by Zero, who gripped both Amaya and Yuuki's arms, dragging them away. Yuuki shouted,
"That's something for me to decide, Kaname!"
"Let go of me! I refuse, I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!" Amaya cried out in protest, tears pricking her eyes, as she dug her nails into Zero's arm before slapping it a few times to try to get him to let go, "No! I can't! Not now!"
Zero glanced down at her and Yuuki, eyes widening when he caught sight of their tears. Something about them crying bothered him, greatly. They soon found themselves by the gate and Yuuki and Amaya pleaded with Isaya and the woman to not reverse them.
"Isaya-San, this, please stop it!" Yuuki begged. "We want to stay as Vampires!"
"I can't just change back into a Human now! What about Hanabusa!? What about my dad!?" As much as she was angry at him, she still loved him. "I can't just leave them!"
"Now is not the time for us to lose our powers!" Yuuki cried out in protest. Isaya, the woman, and Zero continued to lead them further into the grounds. "Everything is happening because of the existence of Purebloods,"
"It's not like Yuuki's not related to everything! She, too, is a Pureblood!" Amaya cut in, adding her two cents. "A-And I have Pureblood blood in me too, I'm her cousin, so therefore, I'm kinda related!"
Zero stared intently at their crying faces and actions, thinking deeply, ...Who were they again? The two people who were always by my side. There was someone who blamed herself for not being able to do anything...
Yuuki ripped herself away from Isaya, while Amaya placed her hand on the woman's arm, trying to break free.
"We're saying," Amaya started to scream, tears streaming violently down her face, "that there's now way that we can just leave everyone and escape by ourselves!"
In the back of Zero's mind, he remembered a girl crying because of something she was afraid of, and another of a girl who always demanded what was wrong with him. He was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll excuse myself." They didn't seem to hear him as he started to walk away, thinking, I could care less about what's happening right now. Tonight, two Pure ones and an Aristocrat will disappear. He stopped though, hearing Isaya speak,
"Daughter of Juri and Haruka, I thank you. To be entrusted with the mission of making you Human, I am happy to finally end my journey which has long lost it's meaning. This is a good end to the life I thought was meaningless." He reached out and placed a hand against Yuuki's face, causing her eyes to widen.
"Dude, stop complaining about how crappy your life is and enjoy the good moments. It's okay to be happy." A voice rang in Zero's head.
Amaya tackled Yuuki, forcing her away from Isaya's hand, crying, "No! I won't let you take her!"
"Warashibe-San?" Isaya asked, causing the bluenette to nod her head and walk over to the two girls, forcing them away from each other.
"The ginger changes first; she is the most resistant. Hold onto the Pureblood so she doesn't attempt what Chuoko-San did." Isaya nodded and took Yuuki from her, holding onto her arms tightly. Amaya whimpered quietly as Warashibe gripped her arm tightly and placed a hand over her face, closing her eyes.
Zero thought deeply for a moment, a prick of guilt and sadness hitting him, and he turned his head, catching sight of Amaya's fearful eyes and Yuuki's pained face.
Amaya prepared herself for the inevitable, squeezing her eyes shut. Hanabusa...I'm sorry. Zero, if you even remember who Yuuki and I are, and what I did, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. Hanabusa, Zero, forgive me. I'm sorry. She tensed, tears still streaming down her face, when suddenly the grip on her face and arm vanished, a hand gripping tightly around her other arm, pulling her away Warashibe. Amaya gasped and opened her eyes, only to find herself slammed against a tree, Zero gripping her shoulders tightly.
She pissed me off! In front of me, this desultory, egoistical but kind, woman I don't know, Zero ranted angrily in his head as he stared at Amaya's fearful, confused, and tear-stained face, he froze suddenly. His grip on her shoulders loosened slightly, confused, Woman...whom I don't know? That was wrong...He stared intently at her, eyes wide, before stating quietly, his grip tightening on her shoulders, "...No..." He then proceeded to declare angrily, "Your name is Amaya, the woman I wanted to protect, but who refused my protection!"
Her eyes widened.
Isaya released Yuuki as Amaya whispered in disbelief and guilt, "You...remembered?"
"You seem to be at a loss of what to do." Zero observed coldly. He then turned his head to the brunette, saying, "And you're Yuuki...the one who acted as a sister to me."
"Z-Zero..." Yuuki said, unsure of what to say or do. Neither of the girls' knew. Amaya then demanded, regaining herself,
"How did you remember!? I made sure you forgot everything! All your thoughts and feelings towards us, every single detail that would lead to us, everything!" Her voice sounded desperate. Zero returned his attention back to her,
"I only remembered what I was missing. And you admit that it was you, the one who took something precious from me."
Isaya looked at the the trio and said, "For now, we'll postpone turning you both into Humans. The situation has changed."
"We're being attacked." Warashibe announced, daggers suddenly finding themselves in her hands. They stalked off, Yuuki and Amaya announcing in unison,
"I'll go too!" Only to have themselves held back by Zero, who hissed,
"I'm taking them back." He pressed Amaya against a tree, making sure she couldn't use her bracelet, and started with Yuuki, gripping her wrist tightly and biting it roughly. It was sweet, he noted, but it wasn't what he was looking for. She wasn't giving him enough memories. It told him about his childhood with her, everything before Amaya came to the Academy. He released her and Yuuki fell to the ground, exhausted. He took quite a bit of blood from her. He then moved to Amaya, making her gasp as he pressed his body firmly against hers, a hand clamped over her mouth and the other on her shoulder, lifting her head up.
"Wha-!?"
"My memories." And bit down. This is what he was looking for. All the memories she took from him, all his feelings, everything he heard and smelt, was returning to him. This sweet blood that tasted like Pomegranates was what he was craving for, for so long.
"Z-Zero-!" Amaya gasped again and started to feel herself grow weak. She lifted her wrist up to his neck, only to have him release her shoulder and grip her wrist, slamming against the tree. He drunk hungrily, greedily, desperate to get back what was his. "Ah..." Black dots where in her vision now. "I-I can't..." Her legs gave way and she fell, eyes closing and limp. Zero caught her and said with blood stained lips,
"Ichiru told me to live and fulfill my goal..." He held Amaya close to him as Yuuki sat up, watching the scene with wide eyes, "but I was afraid... All this time, I haven't faced my true feelings." He opened his eyes, which were filled with regret, "I won't hide behind excuses anymore."
...
Hanabusa caught sight of Zero carrying an unconscious Amaya bridal-style in his arms and a limping Yuuki trailing behind them. He demanded angrily, storming towards them, "Hey! What are you three doing here at this time!?" He saw Amaya's state and instantly grew worried, but didn't have much time to say anything when Zero shoved Amaya into his arms,
"Aidou-Sempai, take care of them both!"
"Eh!? Hey!" He shouted after the prefect who took off in a run. Yuuki stumbled towards the two.
...
"I know you can hear me, Kuran Kaname!" Zero shouted once he reached his destination, "I know you believe you're not the one for her, that you only want her to be happy with someone she can truly love, but following that belief does the exact opposite! I understand this better than anyone! If you don't want to make her cry anymore, then follow your true feelings, come out and protect this Academy with me!"
He turned his head to look behind him when he heard the fluttering of bats and the flickering of flames. He gazed at the ginger and added with a serious look on his face,
"And you...You're just doing what you think is best for your daughter, but you're only making it words, correct?"
...
"We will fight you until you hand over the head of the Kuran family over to us," A Pureblood with dreadlocks spoke. His eyes flashed red as he added, "And if we don't have enough soldiers, we're just "Scout" some Humans, that's all." There was a silence before he declared, "ATTACK!"
And thus the battle begun.
"If you don't want to die, open up the Anti-Vampire Gate!" A Vampire demanded, only to have his eyes widen when flickers of flames spiraled onto his skin, consuming, before turning him to ash completely. He screamed in agony and Akatsuki merely sighed, flexing his wrist.
Ruka questioned the Purebloods calmly, "Turning unwilling Humans into servants, is a grave crime for Purebloods, is it not?" Yagari looked at them in surprise,
"You two..."
Just then, Senri, Aiko, and Rima walked by, Senri saying, "We'll help too. I hate those guys."
"Severely annoying and won't stop complaining," Aiko added, shaking her head with a grin, despite the seriousness of the situation.
Rima spoke next, "The association would have a hard time dealing with them alone."
Takuma, sitting atop the gate, spoke next, "Purebloods' who have gathered here, are you so eager to commit a crime greater than Kaname's and Jack's?" The Purebloods were silent, gazing around at the Aristocrats. Takuma lowered his head, eyes filled with regret, guilt, and sadness, and said, "I, too, have been an accomplice in crimes...but that doesn't mean I can overlook this." He gave them a sad look, "If you continue turning unwilling Humans into Vampires, we will be unable to co-exist."
Touma, decked out in his mini-tuxedo and tophat, scoffed, "What insolence in front of Purebloods. Has living close to Humans and Hunters poisoned you so much?"
"Yes...it is," He said as he started to unsheathe his Katana, "as you say!"
A Pureblood with light pink hair and purple eyes (Terrible combo, don't try it) pointed at the Aristocrats and Hunters and demanded, "Attack them!"
The true battle has begun as the Purebloods and their servants charged towards the gates. Senri bit his finger, his blood whip being aimed at multiple Vampires.
Rima used her kunai's and electricity to paralyze Vampires while Aiko sliced them down with Lucifer, Senri pitching in every now and then to make sure she wasn't attacked. Takuma had Rima's back, slicing furiously at the Vampires that tried to come near her as she and Aiko worked together. He heard Yagari grunt, stepping back, his sword clutched tightly in his hands after he sliced at a Vampire.
"Are you having a hard time!?" Takuma asked Yagari, who grunted again, blocking an attack and stabbing them awkwardly in the stomach.
"Of course I am!" He barked, "This is the only weapon I have and I'm not used to handling it!" He then added, finishing off the Vampire, "And I'm not sure how long it will last! Or the Academy's walls, forged from the same metal, for that matter!"
"Rima!" Aiko shouted, charging forward to slash at the Vampire that tried to attack her from behind. Rima turned her head in time to see a dark haired Vampire fly towards her, fangs bared and claws outstretched, eyes glowing red. She tried to summon electricity to her hand in time, "Duck!" The brunette jumped in the air and Rima did as told, kneeling and moving to the left, as Aiko's sword slashed clean through the Vampire's chest, splitting him in half. Blood splattered around them, but it mostly covered Aiko. She grouched and whined, "Ew! Gross! It's even in my hair-that'll take forever to get out!" Rima cracked a grin, once a Human, always a Human.
"You stay alive and I'll let you take a bath in the Jacuzzi tub." Aiko stood up straight, giving Rima a salute,
"It would be my pleasure to survive, Rima! If you stay alive, I'll buy you a week's supply of Pocky!"
"If you both don't stop," Senri began, slashing at a Vampire that was inches away from Aiko's neck. She whirled her head around, eyes wide. She did not see him coming, "then I'll make sure to eat all of your Pocky and make you babysit Hanabusa for a week!"
The girls' flinched. When he was angered, he knew how to make threats.
"Yes, Senri-look out!" Aiko shouted, causing Senri to whip at the next Vampire that flew at him.
"Ruka!" Akatsuki shouted, catching sight of the weakening brunette, "Fallback for a while, there are too many of them!"
"Yes..." She whispered, stumbling slightly, "Due to the proximity of Purebloods, it's difficult to use my illusion powers..." She caught sight of a blue haired man who glared at her. She narrowed her eyes, flashing them red, as she tried to convince him to kill himself. She felt sweat bead down her face as she grew exhausted.
Soon, the guy with the scar on his face was knocked over and slammed into the gate by a Pureblood, busting it open.
Yagari declared angrily, "The Gate is broken!"
Purebloods charged forwards into the gate, demanding, "Where is the head of the Kuran Family!?"
"Find him!"
They entered the gates and found Zero pointing a gun at them, a wall of flame separating them from them, and Kaname giving them a look, while Jack just stood there with a crooked grin on his face.