Author's Note: GASP. NEW CHAPTER SO SOON? Yep! Hi guys! :) Here's Chapter 4! Enjoy and please review :)
Disclaimer: Credits to Matsuri Hino, Blackened Wing and TammyTBoneTTB!
Update: Expanded their fighting scene :) It was much too brief.
PAST
Moonlight streamed in through the open window, basking the unlit room in its pale glow and casting shadows all around it. Kaname was leaning against his desk, deep in thought, long fingers running lightly over the pendant in his hand.
He had attempted, after much deliberation over what the smell of his blood could do to the Night Class, to use his blood on his mother's necklace. But it hadn't worked in the slightest.; the necklace was still totally closed off to him. All he had managed to achieve was the frenzy into which his fellow vampires had gotten, and the worry of his inner circle, who had immediately come running to check up on his well-being. With barely-veiled annoyance, he had sent them away, with orders to calm the rest down. Takuma had been the last to leave, and when he turned to give his friend one last glance of concern, his eyes had fallen upon the necklace in the pureblood's hands. Kaname had seen the recognition in his eyes, followed by quiet understanding. Although the blond vampire had not said anything, much to Kaname's gratitude, he had shot him a sympathetic smile and nod, before chasing the other vampires speedily out of the room and closing the door behind them.
Alone with his thoughts once again, his mind wandered through all the various possibilities that could've led to his mother's necklace being around Kiryuu Zero's neck, and how it was no longer blood-bound to his family's blood.
That necklace was supposed to have been in the property of whoever had attacked and killed his parents. He had always had his suspicions about his uncle. Was it possible that Rido had realised the significance of the memory necklace, and had its ownership switched so that Kaname would never be able to obtain the proof of that fateful night? And perhaps he had then gotten rid of it, and it had somehow landed up in the property of one Kiryuu Zero. It was by no means an impossible scenario, but he hadn't thought his uncle would ever have been able to realise what kind of stone the necklace held. If this were true, Kaname would have to find another way to prove that Rido had been the one responsible for what happened to his family. For even though he had seen his uncle burn that night, Kaname was not that naïve to think that everything would be over that easily. His uncle was sure to have underlings who would make sure he paid for his death. Even though years had passed, Kaname had never let himself be lulled into a false sense of security, for he knew that if their positions had been switched, he would have had the same plan: to wait years until the other vampire had let his guard down, before striking. That was why, even after all these years, Kaname had still been trying his best to track down the necklace, knowing it was pretty much the best and only proof he could get of what happened that night in his house.
And now, here it was, sitting securely in the palm of his hand.
All that searching, and it turned out that it had been sitting right under his nose all this while, hanging innocently around the neck of a boy he saw every day.
Kaname ground his teeth angrily. The hunter had insisted on hiding the truth from him. How dare he!? This was Kaname's family heirloom, and he would get the answers he desired, even if it meant torturing the other male. Yuuki... would just have to understand. This was just too important to him.
Tucking the necklace into his pocket, he strode towards the door, motions determined and purposeful.
Zero was sitting on the grass, leaning against a large tree. His eyes were closed, and his breathing even. Outwardly, he was the picture of peaceful tranquillity. But it was merely a deceptive façade. His heart was racing, mind swimming in confusion.
Not long after Yuuki had stopped him from going after the pureblood, her eyelids had started to droop, limbs noticeably slackening around him. He had almost decided to let her sleep there next to him, so that he could spend more time with her, even if it was just observing her in her sleep, but seeing her shifting uncomfortably on the cold, hard ground had gnawed at his heart. He just could not bear to have her suffer, even if this somehow was still just a dream. Thus, he had hoisted her up into his arms and carried her back to her dorm room. Zero knew that had she been awake, she would have been protesting violently at being carried across the school grounds in such an embarrassing position, so he relished in being able to do it now that she was asleep. Yori's eyes had bulged out of their sockets when she had answered Zero's knock to find them in such a position, but other than blushing furiously, she hadn't said a word.
Zero had briefly considered watching over Yuuki from the branches of the tree next to the window, but dismissed the thought almost instantly, knowing that that was behavior way too similar to that of a stalker. He had let his feet lead him back to where they had been patrolling before, while his mind replayed the memories of earlier that evening - the cruelty in Kaname's eyes and the violent reaction he had had to the necklace. Was this really just a dream? If so, why hadn't he woken up yet? Opening his eyes, Zero stared down at his hands. He felt incredibly stupid for even considering what he was about to do, but then, what did he have to lose?
Swiftly, before he could change his mind, he reached out to grab the tender flesh at his inner wrist, twisting it as roughly and painfully as he could. He cursed violently under his breath as pain coursed through his arm. Well, that had been a ridiculous idea. But it confirmed his suspicions. He was still here in this world. He hadn't woken up to find himself back in the villa, or even anywhere in his world. Which could only mean that this was not a dream, as he had initially believed.
But if it wasn't... then what was happening right now? Had he somehow been transported back into the past? Time travel? wondered Zero dryly. He had never heard of such a thing before. If something like that existed, it would be pretty big news, wouldn't it? It had to be impossible, right?
Zero sighed, rubbing his face wearily with his hand. All these questions were making his head ache. All he wanted to do was to just lay down and get some sleep. Hopefully, the next time he opened his eyes, he would see his lover standing over him, looking at him with concern in his eyes and calling his name...
'Kiryuu.'
The hunter's eyes snapped open. Kaname was standing a few steps away, staring down at him. For a few blissful seconds, Zero's heart swelled with hope and happiness that perhaps he really had awakened from that nightmare. But then, he realised that his surroundings were still the same as before, and the pureblood in front of him was not, in fact, looking at him with love and concern, but instead, anger and frustration. He sighed inwardly. He really didn't want to have to deal with this, but it appeared as if he had no choice. Still, he let his eyelids flutter close, trying to remain in the comforting darkness for a few more seconds.
'Kiryuu, I need you to tell me the truth about this necklace.'
Apparently, the pureblood was not going to let him off. Zero opened his eyes and got to his feet, eyes fixed on the vampire in front of him.
'I already did.'
He could feel the anger rolling off the pureblood in actual, physical waves. He almost let out a grim smile, but managed to control himself just in time.
'Do not joke with me, Kiryuu. I will not hesitate to crush you in an instant, even if Yuuki gets hurt.'
Zero pressed his lips together in a thin line. Had past Kaname always been this annoying? Demanding that things went his way, utilising threats in an attempt to frighten his opponents into submission. Well, he supposed so. It had just been too long since the hunter had had to see this side of him.
Too caught up in his thoughts to have seen it coming, Zero suddenly found himself pressed up against the tree behind him, throat gripped cruelly in Kaname's hand.
'Speak the truth while you still have the chance to,' ordered the pureblood, piercing glare aimed at the hunter at his mercy.
Zero said nothing, merely observing the other vampire. The one who looked so very much like his sweet lover, but was worlds apart in terms of personality. When the hand around his throat tightened, the hunter refused to gasp for air, or give any outward indication of his discomfort. He would not allow this cruel Kaname the pleasure of seeing him submit. Yet at the same time, he found himself not struggling in the least. Was it because he couldn't bear to hurt Kaname? Even though this was a totally different version of the Kaname he knew and loved? How pitiful...
Kaname's eyes narrowed. Not only was the prefect not talking, he was not fighting back at all. If he hadn't been so frustrated at the other's continued defiance towards him, a pureblood, he would've taken a few seconds to puzzle over the hunter uncharacteristic passiveness. As it was however, his anger was growing to new heights, once again lowering the temperature around him. He let his nails lengthen into sharp claws, piercing the delicate skin of his victim's neck. The pained hiss the hunter let out was somewhat gratifying to his ears, and he pushed them in deeper, feeling warm liquid pooling out of the wounds he had made. As he watched Kiryuu's blood trail slowly down from his neck to his collar bone, a sudden thought crossed his mind. Still keeping his hand around the boy's throat, he reached into his pocket, drawing out the necklace. After a moment's hesitation, he raised it, bringing it closer to the flowing blood.
Zero's eyes widened when he realised what Kaname was about to do. So what? his mind protested. Just let him see the truth! It'll make things easier for you!
But Zero could not just stand idly by and let the pureblood continue. This was not his Kaname, he knew, and the memories in that necklace would not be easy to watch, especially when this Kaname hated Zero with every inch of his body. Just before the necklace came into contact with his blood, the hunter struggled wildly, using his fists, elbows, knees; whatever he could, to push the pureblood away. All those training sessions with Kaname had not gone to waste, because a few of his blows actually managed to connect. Whether it was because of his increased strength or because the pureblood was caught by surprise, Zero didn't know, and didn't very much care. At that moment, all he think of was putting as much distance between himself and Kaname as possible. Once the grip around his neck was gone, he took off, sprinting as fast as his body would allow, not once looking back.
Alas, he only managed to buy himself a few seconds, before he was hit hard in the back by an invisible force. He probably could have fought it and remained on his feet, but he let himself fall, using the momentum to curl into a smooth roll that had him on his feet in a second. A blurred shape whizzed towards him, and he deftly side-stepped, one fist thrusting up in a vicious, powerful hook. Not having expected the ex-human to even be able to avoid him, Kaname just managed to twist his body at the last minute. The blow missed its intended target, the pureblood's stomach, but just managed to clip his ear.
Kaname sprang backwards, his hand clapping over his ear, which had started to bleed profusely. His head was ringing from the blow, and he knew that had Zero succeeded in striking his body, he would be much more than just half-deaf right now. Blood trickled down the side of his neck and he wiped it away with his palm in annoyance, already feeling the cartilage in his ear start to mend itself swiftly. He eyed the hunter with narrowed, furious eyes. The Level D should not have been able to even touch him, much less land a blow. How was this even possible!?
With a growl, he dived forward, at the same time using his mental powers to hold the hunter fixed in place. Unable to fight off the mental hold on him in time, Zero slammed hard into the ground, Kaname crashing down on top of him. The wind knocked right out of his lungs, he gasped desperately, trying to draw air in to clear the black dizziness swirling around in his pounding head.
Taking advantage of his temporary disorientation, the pureblood flipped the ex-human onto his stomach, pinning his wrists in a single tight grip above his head. Finally able to breathe again, Zero struggled violently, but with his hips straddled by the pureblood, trapping him firmly against the ground, wrists locked in an unforgiving hold, he was totally defenceless. His mind automatically flashed back to the last time they had been in such a position, when Kaname had been desperately craving blood, and he had agreed to give his. At that time, he had felt equally vulnerable and at the other's mercy, not knowing if the pureblood would be able to hold himself back from drinking him dry. This time, all he was worried about was the pureblood watching the memories they had had together, yet the dread he felt was almost as bad as when he was about to be bled dry. He continued thrashing on the ground, trying in vain to free himself, despite the dull throbbing in his head from where he'd hit the ground.
Kaname chuckled mirthlessly at the other's foolish attempts to escape. Didn't he know by now that no one escaped a pureblood? Without any hesitation this time, he brought the necklace to the blood on Kiryuu's neck, causing him to jolt in surprise.
Zero tried to lock the necklace the instant he registered it being thrust against his neck, but the few seconds of initial surprise had allowed one memory to filter through. It was the most recent one, just before he had left his lover's bedroom earlier on that evening. The kiss on Kaname's forehead, his promise of breakfast, the exchange of their feelings for each other – the scene played out clearly in the darkness of night. Still, Zero was glad he had managed to stop the memories before the more... passionate scenes could escape. God knew how the pureblood would react to that. Already, just from watching this short, mild scene, the pureblood over him had tensed up, hand unconsciously increasing its death grip on his wrists. Zero knew that if he didn't do something to escape right now, the pureblood would do everything in his power to have full access to the necklace. Probably at his expense. And that wasn't something Zero was particularly looking forward to.
In this position, there was only one thing Zero could do, much as he would prefer not to. Taking a deep breath, he called upon his vines, an assortment of the smooth ones and the thorny ones, because he knew the hunter's poison in his thorns was the only way he could really slow the pureblood down. In a flash, his vines were wrapped tightly around the pureblood, pulling him off of Zero. The hunter swiftly got to his feet, head spinning slightly from his earlier injury and the blood loss from his neck wounds. Not wasting any time, he snatched his necklace out of Kaname's hand, before proceeding to run off in the opposite direction. He knew his own solution was to seek out Yuuki, because the girl's presence would surely stop Kaname from any further attempts, despite what the latter claimed. So it was to Yuuki's room that he was now headed. He cursed himself mentally for not having just stayed with her as he had wanted to. It would've saved him a lot of trouble.
Suddenly, with absolutely no warning at all, an intense burning pain seared through Zero's entire body, causing him to collapse to his knees. What the hell was that? wondered Zero, as he tried desperately to clear his vision of the momentary fog that had clouded it. He could barely move, limbs still trembling unsteadily from the blow he had taken.
And then he realised. His vines. Kaname must've destroyed his vines.
Zero exhaled shakily. No, dammit, he cursed. I can't stay here, shaking like a leaf! I need to get up. Move, you stupid body!
But despite his desperate pleas, his body refused to obey him. A few minutes, it begged. Give me a few minutes to recover.
However, Zero did not have the luxury of a few minutes to rest.
Through the haze of pain, he sensed the pureblood stumbling up behind him. Before he could figure out his next move, he felt a harsh kick bury itself into the side of his ribs, forcing him to collapse onto his back with a pained grunt. Kaname leaned over him, panting slightly, face pinched and wan from the sheer power he'd had to use to destroy the vines. He was bleeding all over his limbs and torso, from the terrible wounds inflicted by the hunter's vines. It was very clear hunter poisons were at work, because they were still leaking sluggishly, not beginning to heal at all. He was beginning to think that nothing would ever be able to surprise him again. First the ex-human had struck him, and now, he suddenly had his own power? That was completely unheard of and impossible. There had never been any cases of ex-humans developing noble-like abilities, especially not ones who were practically losing their minds to bloodlust. What in the world had Kiryuu done for him to have changed so much!?
Distracted by these troubling thoughts, thinking Zero was too debilitated to move, the pureblood didn't realize the hunter had managed to successful regain some command of his limbs. A swift kick in his stomach had him doubling up, stumbling backwards a few steps as he coughed harshly to catch his breath.
Zero tried to get to his feet, but the best he could do was struggle onto his hands and knees. He glared up at Kaname, panting heavily. The pureblood shot him a piercing glare. Again, he growled mentally. The stupid ex-human managed to get another blow in... Dark anger swirling chaotically within him, he ignored the pain, taking a few steps towards the hunter.
'Get lost, Kuran,' hissed Zero harshly. 'Or do you want me to open up more holes in your body?'
Despite his ferocious threat, he knew he could not follow through with it, however much he wanted to. It was impossible for him to summon any more vines, at least right now, when his body was still shuddering from the effects of the hit it had taken. Regardless, he would try, even if it killed him.
However, he didn't get that chance. The next second, he found that he could not command control of any of his limbs. With a start, he realised that Kaname was mentally holding him still, just like he had on their first date. At the time, he had found it amusing and had been more than glad to allow his lover to take the lead. But now, he couldn't stop the panic building up in him. If this was really still a mere dream, it was turning out to be the most detailed and agonizing nightmare he'd ever had. He hadn't thought his imagination could ever have depicted his sweet, lusty lover as such a violent, cruel vampire.
Zero fought mentally with all his might, battering against the pureblood's mental hold on him. In a swift motion, Kaname leapt atop him, a fist connecting hard with his jaw. The ex-human barely managed to bite back a cry as lights exploded in his vision. Eyes screwed up tightly, he gave a jolt when something cold was pressed roughly against the side of his neck. The pureblood had seized Zero's moment of distraction to try to unlock the necklace using his blood again. In a flash, his mind pushed past the haze that was threatening to overcome him, hurriedly locking the necklace mentally and preventing any playback of his memories. His body might still be weak, but his mind was very much in one piece.
With a growl of frustration, Kaname pushed against the hunter's mental walls, trying to get into his mind to unlock the necklace. Zero smiled grimly, knowing the pureblood would not be able to get what he wanted that easily. Over the years, the hunter had had many lessons trying to resist the pureblood's mental invasion. Though he never managed to stop the pureblood from eventually breaking in, the time it had required the latter to do so had gradually increased over time. Zero's mental resistance was now definitely much stronger than it had been. Perhaps he was almost as strong as the unsuspecting Kaname before him now, who also had hunter poison circulating in his system and taking its toll on his body. He could sense that the pureblood was weaker than he was before. Perhaps Zero would be able to overcome him.
He had to try.
Letting his body relax on the grass, Zero focussed all his attention solely on strengthening his mental barriers against Kaname's attempted invasion. He knew his own strengths, and was well aware that he was too weak to force the pureblood out of his mind totally to free himself from the mental trap. But that was not his intention. He just wanted to stop Kaname from getting through his walls and unlocking the necklace's memories. Even though this was Kaname, and those memories were of them together, Zero knew that the pureblood he was fighting against at present was not the same one he knew and loved. This one would not be able to handle what he would see. Zero had not been wrong in likening the necklace to something like a porno, because most of the memories on there were, in fact, of the amorous nature. This Kaname would probably have an aneurysm and destroy the school in a fit, or something. But deep down, the real truth was that Zero didn't want to share his precious memories with anyone but his Kaname, much less a crazier, crueller version of his lover.
So he fought hard, pushing back against the other vampire's hammering against his shields. Seconds passed, then minutes. The pureblood was still stuck outside.
It had worked.
Zero maintained his defences, not letting himself relax even when he felt the pureblood's mental attack ease up and eventually cease. He opened his eyes, rapidly blinking away the traitorous tears that had gathered behind his eyelids.
Kaname's face was a few inches above him, incomprehension and frustration starkly reflected in his features.
'When I last saw you during class changeover, you were the same as always. And now, you suddenly have a whole new power, and can even resist me mentally. How did you change so much in just a few hours, Kiryuu?' asked the pureblood quietly, in a tone of authority and superiority that no normal vampire, much less an ex-human, would be able to resist.
But then, Zero was no ordinary vampire.
He had no trouble whatsoever remaining silent, returning the pureblood's assessing gaze with his trademark defiant glare.
Anger flashed in Kaname's eyes at the hunter's continued impertinence and disobedience. Again, his hand shot out to wrap firmly around the pale, slender neck beneath it, squeezing it so tightly that barely any air could flow.
'Answer me, Kiryuu.'
Zero ignored the other's words, wheezing lightly as his lungs heaved for air and his head started spinning again. He tried to struggle, but the pureblood's mental hold on him still held fast. As his vision started swimming and his oxygen-deprived brain began shutting down, Zero did the only thing he could, immobile as he was.
A massive tangle of thorny vines rose up from all around him - his body, the grass, the trees –, all rushing toward the pureblood, intent on stopping him, even if that involved hurting him.
Unfortunately for Zero, the pureblood had anticipated that very action. His claws lengthened and slashed mercilessly at the closest vines, stopping them before they could wrap around his body. At the same time, he concentrated hard, focusing single-mindedly on drawing out all of his remaining power. Steadfastly ignoring the soul-crushing agony that burned his mind from the incredibly intense strain he was putting it under, he obliterated every last vine.
This time, Zero couldn't hold back his pained cry. Pain exploded all over his body, frying his nerve receptors and causing the muscles in his body to spasm. He had called upon so many, spinning them all from his own power in that moment of desperation, so their utter destruction had a horribly debilitating effect on the ex-human's body. Head reeling from the aftershock, he didn't realise that the pureblood had released his throat, and the necklace was now in its place. In the aftermath of Kaname's attack, all of Zero's mental defences had collapsed, leaving his mind wide open. With no effort at all, Kaname swooped right in, unlocking the necklace. Zero was absolutely powerless. Trapped inside the world of pain in which he had been thrown into, all he could do was lie there limply, eyes closed, only vaguely aware of Kaname's consciousness in his mind.
A corner of the trembling pureblood's lips turned up faintly in triumph when he regarded the almost unconscious boy. That had been almost too much for him to handle. Even now, it was taking everything he had to simply remain conscious. He couldn't move even if he wanted to. But it had all been worth it, because the stubborn hunter was finally, finally pliant and obedient. Taking a deep, shuddering breath to force his mind not to get overwhelmed by the darkness lingering at the edges, Kaname let himself into the unguarded mind, easily commanding it to initiate the necklace's playback.
As the pureblood silently examined the 'footage', starting with the most recent memory and going backwards from there, he felt a growing sense of horror. Though the short memory that he had seen previously had already been pretty clear, he had managed to tell himself that it wasn't what it had looked like. But now that he had access to everything, there was no denying it. The memories clearly showed that he and Zero - of all people! – were in a mutual, loving relationship, one that had already been accepted by his inner circle, no less. The first physical scene he had come across, he had watched with horrified eyes and a dropped jaw as he had seduced the other male and it had continued for the next hour. Bile rose up in his throat as he saw every step, every detail of the sexual activity playing out in front of him. Kaname thought it would never end. A sense of revulsion overwhelmed him and his stomach churned and somersaulted, threatening to regurgitate his previous meal. Swallowing rapidly and taking deep breaths to calm his body down, he continued the playback, grimly and resolutely skipping over the physical parts.
Each one of the scenes he watched had him cringing in dismay and struggling to hold down his stomach's contents. And he couldn't believe the amount of sexual activity that had been recorded in the necklace. What sickened him even more was how almost every one of them had been initiated by himself, with the hunter responding in kind.
Once the playback was finally over, the memory of that first dance echoing in his mind, Kaname released the necklace like he had been burnt. Despite his complete lack of energy, he practically threw himself off the other boy. He bent over, coughing and retching, finally losing control of himself. A few minutes passed as his stomach emptied its contents into a rose bush.
Rose. It reminded him of Zer-Kiryuu's power as he had seen it in the necklace, the flower pinned to his jacket on their first date, and that thought made his stomach heave all over again.
Once he was finally done, he got to his feet gingerly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Unsteadily, he stumbled his way back to where the now fully-unconscious silver-haired hunter was lying, all but collapsing against a nearby tree. Gasping hard for breath, Kaname shook his head roughly, willing himself not to lose consciousness. With supreme willpower that he had developed after years of practice, he forced his blurring eyes to open and keep a close watch over his enemy.
The hunter's features were relaxed in sleep, silver hair messed up and spread on the grass, not unlike when it was spread on soft, white sheets – the pureblood froze.
What the hell had he been thinking?
Zero woke slowly. As consciousness returned to him, so did the agonising pain, though it had lessened to some extent. Having had copious amounts of pureblood blood in his body had made it much tougher. As a result, not only was he physically stronger, he recovered from wounds more quickly as well.
Not quickly enough, Zero thought with a grimace, as he sat up slowly from where he was sprawled on the grass. Fire burned through his upper body even with the simple act and he had to struggle to keep from collapsing back down. His mind was still dazed and sluggish, senses all out of whack. Thankfully, his vision had more or less returned, save for the fuzzy edges, and he turned his head gingerly to glance around him.
Standing a few feet off from him was the pureblood, leaning against an old oak tree with his arms crossed over his chest. He was eyeing the hunter with a cool, unreadable stare. With a deep sense of satisfaction, Zero observed that the wounds his vines had inflicted were still bleeding, the pureblood's body visibly shaking from their earlier fight.
It was clear Kaname was not done with him yet - his very presence here was proof of that - but was intentionally choosing not to react to his awakening. After years of observing his lover with business competitors as well as enemies, the hunter knew Kaname's games like the back of his hand, understanding that was what was happening now. He wouldn't give the pureblood the satisfaction of being affected by the thick silence and being the one to initate conversation.
He stared back at the pureblood evenly in the eyes, setting a bored, unperturbed expression on his face. Minutes ticked by as both prideful males engaged in an unspoken challenge.
And then, surprising Zero, the pureblood's eyes flicked away from his face, and he pushed off from the tree, making his way towards the other vampire unsteadily.
Kaname must be more affected by what he saw in the necklace than he realises, thought Zero, as he maintained his position on the ground, unmoving, even though his senses were on high alert, screaming at him to put more distance between him and the emotionally wrung-out pureblood. He ignored his feelings, fighting against letting his wariness show on his face. Even though his strength would return gradually, he knew that if the pureblood wished to hurt him, he wasn't in any shape to put up much of a fight. Though his training over the years had vastly improved his strength, and though the other vampire had hunter poison running through his veins, Kaname's constitution and body was still that of a pureblood's, which meant it was inherently much more powerful, and way more adept and efficient at recovering from wounds than his was. Despite the hunter poison running through the pureblood's veins, Zero's body had suffered greater shock and damage. It was a pretty safe bet that he would take a much longer time to heal than the pureblood.
Zero cursed inwardly. Even though he had known Kaname had always held himself slightly back during their sparring sessions, he had always hoped that if he really tried, if he was really intent on taking down the other with no care for his well-being, he would somehow be able to do it. Yet here he was, unable to match up even with the younger, weaker version of his lover.
Well, he thought grimly. At least I managed to hold my own enough that he's barely able to stand.
Zero was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a leaf crunch beside him. Looking up, he realised that the object of his thoughts was now standing directly over him. Not changing his initial expression, the ex-human let his eyes remain on the other's. The pureblood seemed much calmer than before, giving no outward indication that he was about to attack him again.
Kaname stared down at the silver-haired boy below him.
'Kiryuu. Those memories. Are they real?'
The hunter blinked. Should he lie? It would actually make things so much easier, wouldn't it, if he just said, 'No, they're fake'? He wouldn't have to explain everything and then deal with the pureblood's disbelief and anger.
Before he could reply, however, Kaname shook his head lightly, eyes fluttering shut.
'No, never mind. I know they're real. It is impossible to implant fake memories into a memory stone.'
Zero didn't know whether to feel relieved or not. On one hand, it seemed like he wouldn't have to convince the pureblood of their relationship, since the other was so certain that the memories were genuine. Yet, on the other hand, he highly doubted that the pureblood would just accept their seemingly-impossible relationship that easily.
'You,' began the pureblood, drawing Zero's attention back to him. 'You're not the same Kiryuu Zero I saw this evening during changeover, am I correct?'
Reluctantly, the hunter gave a small nod. Honestly, he shouldn't be at all surprised that the pureblood had managed to come to that conclusion. Kaname had always been insightful and intelligent, able to draw conclusions from incredibly crazy situations. Perhaps the pureblood could tell him what had happened to him. If he had gotten over the urge to torture him for information, that is.
'I don't know exactly what happened. One minute I was in my own... world, the next, I was waking up here, with Yuuki.'
Kaname frowned. Crossing between worlds? Was that even possible? He had heard about some vampire spells that allowed one to cross time, but that wasn't the same as crossing dimensions, was it? And it couldn't be that this Zero was from thefuture, right? Because that would mean he would get involved with him within years, and that was just too ludicrous a thought to even consider.
'The world that you're from, what is it like?'
Zero swallowed. He couldn't very well tell him that it was set years from now, with Yuuki murdered, and the two of them in a committed, romantic relationship, now could he? Then again, the pureblood already knew about their relationship, so at least that part wouldn't be too awkward. But how would he ever tell him about Yuuki? Or that he very possibly was from the future?
Thankfully, Kaname was still continuing on.
'In your world, you and I, we're... together? Romantically?'
Okay, maybe it wasn't so 'thankfully' after all.
'Um,' said Zero, averting his gaze, trying his damnest to will away the embarrassed blush threatening to make its presence known. 'Sort of.'
'...I see.'
A few seconds of uncomfortable silence ensued, both vampires looking away from each other, each lost in their own thoughts.
'Ka-Kuran?'
'What is it?'
'Have you heard of any spells about, I don't know, say, time travel?'
Kaname's heart skipped a beat at the other's words.
'Time travel?' he repeated. 'Kiryuu, are you from the future?'
The dismay in Kaname's tone had Zero glancing up at him sharply. Ah. It looked like the pureblood had put two and two together. Perhaps he shouldn't have raised that question, but he had needed to know. And judging by the way Kaname had answered, it looked like it was indeed possible. Ignoring the horrified expression on the other vampire's face, he gave the most truthful answer he could.
'I'm not completely sure. But it is possible?'
The look on Kaname's face remained, but he nodded his head slightly.
'I've heard of a spell that would allow a vampire to travel across time, but there has only been one successful case, of a very high-standing, pureblood vampire. Even then, he only managed to reside in the foreign time for a few minutes, before he became too drained, and had to return. I doubt anyone, even a pureblood, would've been able to hold on for as long as you have.'
Zero nodded, eyebrows creasing. He obviously hadn't willingly cast any spells to send himself into another time, much less be able to maintain it for so many hours unknowingly. So then, how had he ended up here?
Kaname frowned slightly as he considered the same question. Suddenly, pages of an old book he had once read flashed through his mind. If his memory served him well, it had been about switching past and present selves of the same person. It could be done to a person without him having to know, and did not take very much to maintain, only requiring a single sacrifice to initiate. Its name...
'The Time Switcher spell.'
That's it for this chapter! See you guys in the next :)
To Hi (guest reviewer): Thank you so much for your very kind words! You're the one that gives me the motivation to keep going, even when I have no inspiration. I'm really glad you like how adorable the characters are, and I will make sure to include scenes of Kaname giving past Zero some sweet loving ;P I look forward to having you along as I journey through this fanfic :) Thank you again for your support and hope to hear from you soon! :)