Author's Note: Chapter 6! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D

Disclaimer: Credits to Matsuri Hino, Blackened Wing and TammyTBoneTTB.

PAST

'Zero...'

Zero blinked. He was lying on his bed in his dorm room, he realised, as his gaze swept the room languidly. It was dark outside, with stars peeking out here and there across the night sky. A cool breeze wafted into his room through the open window, bringing with it the scent of the flora and fauna outside. It was so peaceful being back here in this familiar room. It was as if nothing had changed from the last time he had been here. Well, technically, since he was back in the past, it had not. The arrangement of the furniture was exactly as he remembered them; his belongings all precisely where he kept them. The only thing missing was... Bloody Rose.

Back in his present time, the hunter did not carry his gun around with him around the house, especially not when he had just woken up and was about to prepare breakfast for his lover. But he knew his old self carried the weapon on him all the time, regardless of where he was going and who he would be with. So Zero had not been at all surprised to find the gun missing from where he used to keep it under the pillows when he was sleeping.

'Zero.'

He sat upright with a jolt, head snapping around to the source of the low voice. He had thought he had heard his name earlier, but it had been so soft he had thought it must have just been the whispering of the wind, or his ears playing tricks on him. He had not sensed any presence in his room, so his internal alarms had not gone off.

But now, the voice was clearly audible, though still quiet. And he could clearly feel the presence of the intruder, standing right beside his bed. How had he not sensed him approaching? As his eyes rose to meet the other's, they confirmed what his senses were telling him.

'Kaname?'

A second too late, he remembered that the vampire standing beside him now was not his dear, sweet lover, but someone who saw him as an enemy; as a competitor and an eyesore. He still could not get used to the fact that he was now in the past. Shaking his head slightly and shooting the pureblood an apologetic look, he corrected himself quickly.

'No, sorry. Kuran. What are you doing here?'

Despite his outwardly calm façade, Zero could not help the wariness in his tone. If he had not sensed the vampire's approach, it probably meant that Kaname had been suppressing his aura. Meaning the pureblood had been trying to sneak up on him. The only reason that this Kaname would do that... well, it probably was not for the purpose of a casual social call.

The hunter's fingers twitched, aching to be wrapped around safe, reassuring metal. He almost wished that he had thought to bring Bloody Rose with him down to the kitchen, just so that he would have an edge over the pureblood now. For he knew if Kaname wanted to attack him, a similar result to what had happened in the forest earlier would ensue. Perhaps he would be able to give as good as he got, and injure the pureblood as he had managed to previously, but he highly doubted he would be able to subdue him enough. His senses were telling him that the pureblood was back at full power, with the hunter poison probably already gone without a trace. Running an eye over him, he could see no visible wounds, nor could he smell any of the blood that he had managed to shed in their earlier conflict.

'"Kuran?" Why so cold, Zero?'

Zero's brows furrowed at the unexpected reply. Before he could ponder any further, the pureblood continued smoothly, a smirk starting to form on his face.

'After everything we've been through, everything I saw in the necklace, I really doubt we're still on last name basis.'

The hunter's eyes widened in shock. He definitely had not expected that kind of reaction from the pureblood regarding the memories in the necklace. Even though he had been unconscious during that time, he had seen this Kaname's strong reaction to seeing that one, mild memory. It was not at all difficult to imagine what seeing the other ones would have done to him.

'What's going on with you?' hissed Zero, confusion and apprehension building up as the pureblood positioned himself on the edge of his bed, still staring at him with that smirk adorning that handsome, perfect face. Though the vampire in front of him looked and smelled so much like his lover, his manner and personality were unmistakably worlds apart. He could never again mistake this pureblood for his lover. And after all the violence and bloodshed in the forest earlier, it was difficult for Zero not to feel cagey and distrustful around this Kaname. He was capable of anything, with clearly no qualms when it came to hurting him in order to achieve his goals.

'I'm simply... curious,' replied the pureblood, smirk growing wider. He shifted himself closer to the hunter, who automatically shuffled backwards using his hands and heels to maintain the distance between them, inadvertently bringing himself closer to the headboard.

'About what?' growled the hunter, discomfort and agitation evident on his face. What was the pureblood planning? What sort of attack was he trying to carry out? Whatever it was, he needed to stay alert and not let his guard down just because this vampire looked so much like his lover.

When the pureblood moved even closer to him, Zero unconsciously adjusted himself backward again, then cursed softly, forcing himself to remain motionless and to stop backing himself into a corner. Literally. But even though he had stopped, Kaname continued shifting forward, his body heat and scent enveloping Zero. As the familiar, heady scent filled Zero's nostrils, his body instantly and instinctively responded to having his lover so close to him. His bite mark tingled, and heat spread through his body - his cheeks, his ears, his chest, and, most prominently, down there. All too quickly, Zero found his heart rate speeding up, breathing unsteady. Inwardly, he cursed himself violently. How was it that just the mere scent of the pureblood had him reduced to such a pathetic, needy, quivering wreck? He needed to get away, before he ended up doing something ridiculously stupid.

Swiftly turning his head away from the alluring scent before him, Zero swung his legs off the side of the bed, the heel of his hand pushing off from the bed as he made to rise from the bed.

But a firm, sharp yank of his arm had him tumbling back onto the sheets, his awkward position resulting in him losing his balance and landing on his back. The next second, the pureblood was leaning over him, arms supporting his weight on either side of Zero's head, knees nudging Zero's legs into position between them, pressing against the outside of the hunter's hips and holding them steadfastly in place. Zero was effectively trapped between the mattress and the pureblood's body.

The hunter scowled up at his captor, stubbornly refusing to struggle against his hold.

Not that he could not eventually escape, of course. But that would involve some violence, and he was loathe to be the one to initiate the aggression. It also helped that the body pressed up against his was that of his lover, albeit the younger version of it. His already high-strung body became even more hyperaware of the heat and closeness, arms yearning to wrap around the warm, familiar body, lips aching to press against the other's. He cleared his mind of such obscene thoughts quietly, yelling at his libido that this was not his lover.

But his mind instantly lost track of such thoughts when Kaname leaned down, positioning his face mere inches away from his. The pureblood's unique, delicious scent completely filled Zero's senses, clouding his mind and filling it only with Kaname. How those captivating eyes were staring intensely into his, as if staring right into his very soul; how his skin looked so alluringly soft and smooth; how his hair hung down in gentle wisps, tickling his own cheeks; how those sweet lips were so close to his, so close that if he just moved his head forward a little, he would be able to taste and savour them...

No, get a hold of yourself, idiot, scolded the hunter. This is notKaname! Stop thinking such stupid, perverted thoughts and start trying to think of a way out of this situation instead!

With effort that had him tightly gritting his teeth, Zero maintained an unaffected, almost bored, expression on his face.

'What do you think you're doing, Kuran?'

Even to his ears, his voice was strained and edgy. He swore inwardly when Kaname brought his face even closer, a knowing look playing across his features. Zero tried to turn his head away, but the pureblood grabbed his chin with one hand and held him still, leaning his forehead against his.

Unable to look away, all Zero could do was get lost in other vampire's gaze, even as their noses pressed together, and the pureblood's breath caressed his lips. Dimly, he thought of trying to struggle, but his body protested vehemently at that idea, refusing to obey his mental commands to move.

When the hand gripping his chin slid upwards slowly to cup his cheek in its warm embrace, a small shudder ran down Zero's spine. Just that innocent action sent tendrils of heat and pleasure unfurling and spreading all through his body. Having become accustomed to receiving pleasure from the pureblood's touch, Zero's body was extremely sensitive when it came to Kaname, with even the barest of touches inciting unbelievably delightful sensations. Despite his best efforts to control himself, Zero could not stop his trembling and slight breathlessness. He swallowed hard, willing himself not to give in, no matter how good it felt.

The pureblood's soft chuckle had him jolting in alarm as the body pressed so snugly against his rubbed against his eager body, sending more delicious heat spreading out from every point of contact. Zero bit back a cry, squeezing his eyes shut to try to block out the overwhelming sensations. Was there something wrong with him or what? His body was way overreacting to every little thing! It was as if his body had been starved of affection for weeks; as if he had not just spent hours with his lover just the previous day.

'What I'm doing, Zero, is giving my hunter some love.'

Before Zero's brain could process the pureblood's words, his lips were covered by Kaname's soft, warm ones. Eyes widening in surprise, he parted them, about to protest, but Kaname used that opportunity to slip his tongue into his mouth, swallowing up Zero's surprised gasp. Although Zero's mind swum with panic and desperation to escape, his body melted totally under the pureblood, satisfied that it was finally receiving the loving and touches it had been desperately craving for. His lips and tongue responded automatically, mirroring Kaname's actions, playing and teasing against the foreign lips and tongue, tasting and soaking in as much of the pureblood as was possible. Against his will, Zero's arms curled up behind the pureblood, hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt to pull him closer. Again, he felt the pureblood chuckling, but this time, the sound and vibrations reverberated and amplified within his mouth, magnifying the pleasure that poured forth into his quivering body. Zero moaned softly, almost delirious by all the sensations Kaname was wringing out of him. All thoughts of resistance had been erased completely from his mind, replaced with a deep, desperate desire for more. More contact, more heat, more pleasure, moreKaname.

Throwing all caution to the wind, he wrapped his shaky arms around the pureblood's body, pressing him tightly to him, tongue continuing to dance with Kaname's, their breaths mingling and filling what little space existed between them. Lips locked in a passionate kiss, limbs tangled in a loving embrace – this felt so right, no matter what the rational part of Zero's brain was arguing. Here, in the pureblood's arms, was where he belonged. Forever and always. How could he ever have any doubt? What did it matter which version of the pureblood held him now? It felt equally right. Equally pleasurable.

And then, abruptly, Kaname pulled away, leaving his body suddenly cold and lonely. Zero let out a cry of protest, so hopelessly lost in the haze of pleasure he was submerged in that he did not immediately notice the change in the pureblood. His arms clung stubbornly onto Kaname – or was it Kuran? He didn't even remember anymore. And what did it matter anyway, really? -, unwilling and unable to let that delightful warmth leave him even for a second. But when his arms were forcibly pried apart and wrenched away, body pushed roughly back against the sheets, eyes that he had not realised were closed snapped open. What he saw had the thick fog in his mind dissipating immediately, like strong gales of wind swiftly clearing it away.

Kaname was crouched in front of him, eyes blood red, mouth open in a menacing snarl, all his teeth sharpened into lethal, pointed fangs. His hand were raised and curled, displaying nails that had been lengthened into deadly claws, all aimed toward him. Gone was any trace of humour, or civility, even, in his eyes. The only thing Zero could glimpse in them was the predatory glint directed his way, much like how a lion would eye its cornered prey in triumph and anticipation, knowing victory was his.

And it was.

As Zero watched in horror, frozen to the spot, one hand shot out with lightning speed to pierce and tear into his chest without hesitation. Zero's mouth opened in a cry of pained anguish, but his voice caught in his throat, not a sound making its way out. He felt rather than saw Kaname's hand continue onward into his body, only stopping once it reached his heart. Long fingers wrapped around the pumping organ, grabbing it so forcefully that Zero would have screamed, if only he still had control over his voice. Before he knew what was happening, the pureblood jerked his hand back violently, teeth glinting in a vicious and cruel smile.

Stars exploded in Zero's vision, leaving him reeling in white blindness. Excruciating pain emanated from the hole in his chest where his heart used to be, all the nerves torn and destroyed.

It hurt. It hurt so badly that he wanted to scream and cry, even if he had never been the kind of person to show weakness and vulnerability. This was just too painful to take in silence.

But he could not scream. Could not cry. Could not do anything more than let out a strangled gasp and collapse against the mattress, hearing his damaged heart beating unsteadily in Kaname's hand, smelling his own blood pouring out of him and painting everything in its path red.

'W...h...?' he managed to choke out. Even if he had to die, he needed to know. Why so suddenly. The pureblood had never hidden his contempt and dislike towards him, but never had he shown him violence.

Until now.

Zero heard a mirthless laugh echo around the room, before a cold hand gripped his throat tightly, claws tearing skin and flesh and drawing fast-depleting blood. His body jerked at the sudden contact, but otherwise, he was still immobile and silent.

'Because how can I accept being bound to an ex-human?'

And then another explosion of pain overwhelmed him, before he was able to sink gratefully into the welcome arms of dark unconsciousness.

Zero jerked upright, gasping and choking. One hand clutched at his chest, which still throbbed with the echoes of mind-numbing, piercing pain. His frantic gaze shot down beneath his shirt, desperately needing to confirm what his hand was telling him. With relief, he discovered the skin, though pale and covered in a sheen of cold sweat, was smooth and unblemished, no trace of anything having plunged violently through. He could feel his heart exactly where it was supposed to be, pounding rapidly but normally under his hand. Zero sagged back onto the damp sheets, letting his eyes flutter shut to block out the memories playing out in his mind. Forcing himself to take long deep breaths, he tried to calm himself down, to stop his ragged breathing and his accelerated pulse.

Just a dream, that's all it was, he repeated over and over in his mind. Just one hell of a dream.

He could still feel the sensation of warm lips moulding skilfully over his, the passion of another tongue exploring his mouth and battling with his own, the heat of that familiar body pressed up against his, sending waves of pleasure crashing through him. And then, the horror and shock of having his heart ripped right out of his chest replacing all sensations. His chest pulsed painfully as he relived the scene. The unbearable agony. The inability to control any part of his body. The terror and betrayal he had felt.

Shaking his head violently to erase those memories, he willed his racing heart to slow, pushing away all thoughts of the dream. Because that was all it had been. Even if had felt so real that he could not tell if he was still dreaming.

No, he told himself firmly. Kuran Kaname would never do something like that by his own hands, not when he could just command one of his vampires to do the dirty work for him. After all, why would he want to sully himself with the blood of a Level D?

Although the grim thought of how he was likely to die did nothing to lessen the ache in his heart, at least it reassured him to some extent, giving him a rational thought to hold onto and believe in, no matter how false it might turn out to be.

Once his breathing was as normal as he could manage, he opened his eyes slowly, letting them sweep across the room. Like in his dream, he was in his dorm room, shrouded in the darkness of night, with only starlight basking the room in a dim, pale glow. Just to be safe, he let his senses scan the area, breath escaping in a relieved whoosh when they picked up no trace of any other vampire ever having been there.

As he let his gaze rise to the ceiling above him, the memories of the past few hours came creeping back, allowing him to fill the time gap between the fight in the forest and to waking up in his room.

'The Time Switcher spell?' echoed Zero mutely, staring up blankly at the pureblood.

Kaname nodded distractedly, trying to draw out whatever information he could remember from those few pages he had managed to recall.

'It's a vampire charm, but very old and extremely unheard of. Most vampires and hunters have probably never heard of it before.'

'So what, it switches-'

Zero broke off midsentence to take a step back, while Kaname turned to him in slight amusement. One micro-second later, something zipped through the exact spot the hunter had been, moving so fast that all a human would have been able to see would be a faint blurring of the trees behind, and the sudden stirring of the blades of grass.

But Zero was clearly able to pick out the figure of one Hanabusa Aidou.

'Kiryuu, how dare you hurt Kaname-sama?' snarled the blonde as he spun on his heel to glare at him. 'You filthy D, you have no rightto even look at him! I'll kill you for your audacity!'

And then, he leapt forward, claws extended, ready to tear the ex-human in front of him to shreds.

'Stop.'

That single word was all it took to pull him abruptly back and root him to the ground. Kaname's command had been soft, but it was more than enough. Aidou growled menacingly, glaring daggers at the hunter, but otherwise did nothing else towards him, held back by his pureblood's order.

Silently, Zero regarded the blonde vampire. As impulsive and loyal as always. The Aidou that existed in his time had not changed one bit, still a hot-headed spitfire and blindly devoted to his precious Kaname-sama. Zero had never thought that he would ever be able to get along with Aidou, but they had actually become good friends, much to both their surprises. The hatred that had been omnipresent in the blonde's eyes toward him had gradually lessened, and eventually faded. His own contempt and disgust of the noble, too, had faded with time. Both of them had realised how much they had in common – their interest in charms, their protectiveness over Kaname – and although they would die before ever admitting it, they respected and admired each other.

But the Aidou in front of him now was not the one he had grown to think of as a friend. This was the one who still hated his guts, who looked down on him and called him a D; the one who had not discussed and researched together with him on charms, who had not done all he could to save him after the disastrous flood. This Aidou would not hesitate to kill him, and would have attempted to do so already if not for Kaname.

'You bastard, wipe that stupid smirk off your face!' hissed Aidou.

Zero blinked in surprise. Smirk? With widened eyes, he realised that the corners of his lips had tugged upwards, without him having realised. But not in a smirk, as the blond noble had assumed, but a smile. An actual, honest to goodness smile. He had smiled at seeing Hanabusa Aidou. Because he had been truly happy to see him.

The hunter baulked at the thought. No way...

Then his senses prickled, warning him of the vampire presences approaching the three of them. Zero had no doubt of who they were, so he waited mutely and motionlessly as Kaname's inner circle flanked the pureblood, all glaring furiously and threateningly at him, eyes tinged red from the delicious scent of pureblood blood hanging in the still air. None of them dared make a move towards Zero, although the burning desire to avenge their pureblood's spilt blood was clearly reflected in each of their gazes. The snarling Aidou standing tensely but unmovingly in front of the hunter was a clear message that Kaname did not want them to attack. And so they waited for his orders, death glares aimed towards the silver-haired hunter.

Zero had taken a second to look over each of their faces, faces that looked almost exactly like those in his time, except those were more than just 'Kaname's inner circle', but were also on the short list of people he could call 'friends'. They had proved their loyalty to not just Kaname, but to him as well, throughout all those years of hardship.

They had earned much more than his friendship.

They had earned his trust.

And for Zero, that was not something he gave away lightly.

So all these faces around him were of vampires that he cherished and cared for, even though intense rage and hatred were evident on each of their faces. Zero had to remind himself that, just like Kaname, these were not the vampires he knew.

'Calm down,' commanded Kaname smoothly and calmly, drawing the attention of all the vampires present.

'But, Kaname-sama, he dared to hurt you! How can we just let him get away with that?' protested Aidou wildly, spinning around to address the pureblood with a pleading, imploring look. Behind Kaname, Ruka nodded in assent, face hardening.

'All of you, return to the dorm. I will handle this myself,' demanded Kaname, disregarding Ruka and Aidou's violent protests.

As all the vampires bowed in respect, turning away reluctantly and preparing to return to the dorm, Kaname called, 'Takuma. You stay behind.'

'Aidou should stay too,' added the hunter quietly, steadfastly ignoring the glares that were once again thrown his way. Glancing up at the pureblood who had an eyebrow raised, he explained, 'He's good with charms and spells.'

Aidou sputtered, face turning red with anger.

'How dare a lowly D like you address a noble by name? And who the hell do you think you are to presume to have any idea of what I'm good at!?'

If Zero had not felt so annoyed by the blonde's continued arrogance and contempt, he would have found his bemused anger amusing. As it was, he shot the noble a cold, silent glare, before addressing Kaname again.

'He'll be useful.'

The pureblood was silent for a second, before he nodded. 'Alright. Aidou, you stay too then.'

All the other vampires' eyes widened. Had Kuran Kaname, pureblood and Night Class President, just listened to a lowly ex-human's opinion? Never had Kaname ever treated the ex-human civilly, and now he was taking advice from him?

Aidou was the most shocked, jaw dropping and eyes widening to saucers. How dare that ex-human!? How dare he demand that he stayed behind? Who did he think he was? He wanted to tell him to go to hell, and that he, Hanabusa Aidou, would never do anything that he wanted.

But with great effort, he held his tongue back. It was behaviour highly uncharacteristic of him, going against everything that he was made of, but he had to. He wanted to stay. He wanted to know what was so important and secretive that his Kaname-sama and that filthy D were alone in the forest. The hunter's casual mention of charms and spells had piqued his interest. When he had been young, he had always been greatly fascinated by them, often pulling Kain and Ruka in to assist him. More often that not, his practice of them had gotten all three of them in trouble with their elders, but Aidou had managed to grow his knowledge of charms and hone his natural talent at them. He knew their intricate workings and their deadly flaws, and which worked best during different situations.

He was, he would daresay, an expert on them.

But how would the hunter have known about that? He doubted even Kaname-sama knew, probably not even noticing that all the library books he read were that of charms. Not that that was his fault of course, defended Aidou immediately. The pureblood was buried up to his neck in paperwork about much more important things.

'Aidou, are you okay?'

With a jolt, Aidou realised that the other vampires had all left, leaving only the four of them standing in the grass. Takuma was gazing worriedly at him, having been the one to ask the question. In horror, he realised that Kaname too was looking down expectantly at him.

'I'm fine!'

Zero folded his arms over his chest, watching with amusement as the blonde vampire flushed red and reassured his Kaname-sama that he was 'totally fine' and all but begged the pureblood to continue.

'This is something that no one else must know about, unless I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?'

When both vampires nodded their assent, bowing with a hand over their heart, Kaname continued.

'Have either of you ever heard of the Time Switcher spell?'

Because Zero was observing him so closely, he saw the flash of recognition in Aidou's eyes. His heart skipped a beat. Was it possible that he might know something about it? The blonde's brightening face and enthusiastic reply confirmed his hopes.

'Kaname-sama, I think I read about it once when I was young!'

Glancing at him sharply, Kaname enquired, 'What can you tell me about it?'

Aidou flushed, looking down slightly. 'It was a really long time ago, so I can't really remember. All I can recall is that it's an old vampire spell that switches past and future selves of a person.'

'Future...,' Kaname's face paled slightly. Was it true then? Was this Zero from the future? But that would mean the two of them would end up in that type of relationship. How was that possible? He had to get the full story from the hunter. But before that, he needed to know more about the spell. Who would bother to target a lowly ex-human? One who was so close to descending to Level E, no less. Knowing what he knew now, about how the two of them were... involved, he could not help but suspect that this had been targeted at him as well.

'Can you get me the book?'

Aidou looked up immediately. 'Yes, Kaname-sama, I think so! It should still be at my grandmother's house, so I should be able to get it here by tomorrow if I leave now.'

Kaname nodded quickly. 'Go now then. Take Takuma with you. If you face any trouble with your family or any other vampires, just use my name.'

'Yes, Kaname-sama.'

The two nobles bowed again, before disappearing into the night, leaving Zero and Kaname alone.

The hunter stared off in the direction the two vampires had gone, hope stirring in his heart. Was it possible that he would be able to return back to his time soon? If the book had information about a spell reversal, maybe he would be back in his pureblood's arms in just a few hours. At the thought of being able to return to his lover's side, his heartbeat accelerated, and his limbs twitched, aching to feel his familiar warmth again.

Just wait a little longer, thought Zero. Soon...

'Kiryuu,' said Kaname, breaking him out of his comforting thoughts. 'I would like for you to fill me in on what happened between this time and the future that you're from. How things ended up that way.'

Wariness filled Zero as he eyed the pureblood. He could almost hear the gears turning in the other vampire's brain. This Kaname probably wanted to know what what had happened in order to prevent it from happening, so that they would never end up together.

And then a thought struck Zero.

What if they could stop Yuuki's death? What if they changed the past? If he remained here, not letting himself get attacked by Ichiru, Kaname would never have been captured by Rido, and their blood bond would never have been completed. They would never have gotten into a romantic relationship, but because of that, Yuuki would not have been left alone during patrol, leaving her vulnerable. Defenceless against Nasser.

She would not have to die.

Zero's breath quickened as the thoughts echoed around his mind. He could save Yuuki. If he allowed the past to change. All he had to do was tell Kaname everything. The pureblood would settle everything, he was sure of it. No harm would ever have to come to Yuuki. She would remain safe and protected, living out a long, rich life as she was supposed to. As she deserved to.

But...

What would become of him? Of them? If all those events did not happen, what would the future be like? Yuuki would be alive, yes, but it would be at Kaname's side. He doubted he would ever have confessed his feelings if not for Yuuki's discovery of his and Kaname's relationship then. They would probably leave the Academy after her graduation. Would he stay on, to help out with the school, with the new hunter class? He doubted Yagari would have been able to train him personally as had happened in his time, without Kaname having arranged for it.

Yet, what did his own suffering matter? When what lay in exchange was Yuuki's life? How could he even hesitate?

Zero's lips parted, forming a reply, but he stopped, unable to continue.

It was not just his own selfishness holding him back, did want Yuuki back. So very much. More than anything in the world. Even if he ended up lonely and miserable, he would do anything to know that she was safe and alive.

But there was absolutely no guarantee of what would happen. The future was unpredictable, after all. What if he changed it, and it became worse? Should he risk it, hoping that Yuuki would remain alive and be able to find happiness, even if it was not at his side? Or should he let things play out, knowing what future that path would lead to? To his and Kaname's happiness. Because his pureblood was truly happy, that he knew for certain. What if Kaname could not find that same happiness and peace in an alternative version of the future? And Yuuki too? What if more horrible things fell upon them, shattering their world more cruelly than what had happened in his time?

The hunter's mind swum with all his doubts and second-guessing. What should he do? He had absolutely no idea what was the best course of action to take. And that terrified him. The future that would follow was lying in his hands. His responsibility to bear. Anything that happened from here would be on him. If anything went wrong, if more people came to harm than in his version of the future, it would be solely his responsibility, for having made that decision in the first place.

'Kiryuu?'

Zero's head snapped up to look into the pureblood's politely enquiring gaze. Desperately, he willed himself to get lost in the depths of those deep, entrancing chocolate eyes, wishing he could just hide within them and not have to face this situation. And the choice he had to make. He just wanted to run away. Why had he been given such an impossible decision to make? It was cruel. So very cruel.

He needed time to think. He could not make that decision right now, not with that face so close to him, reminding him of everything he had to lose, of everything that could go wrong and destroy the vampire in front of him.

'Kuran, I'm feeling a little tired right now. How about we continue this later?'

Kaname's eyes narrowed slightly at the hunter's not-so-subtle rejection. 'Kiryuu...'

Perhaps Zero's absolute misery was reflected in his grim amethyst eyes, or perhaps the pureblood just had no desire to argue with him, but when the hunter stared into the pureblood's eyes and said, 'I'll meet you at the Night Class dorm in a few hours,' after a moment's hesitation, Kaname nodded.

'I understand. I shall see you later then.'

Too caught up in his inner turmoil to reply, Zero turned on his heel, heading for his old dorm room.

Zero lay back on the bed, breathing hard as the doubts and dilemma he had had came rushing back. He had not planned on falling asleep, but it would appear he had been more drained than he had realised. Almost immediately upon laying on the bed, his eyes had closed and he had drifted off.

And then he had proceeded to have that very disturbing nightmare.

And now, he was no closer to a decision than he had been before.

But hours had passed. And he had made a promise to the pureblood. He had no choice but to go. Because he knew that even if he refused, Kaname would send one of his underlings to escort him there, or come after him himself. And that was way too much trouble than he wanted to put himself through.

Reluctantly, he got up from the bed, smoothing down his wrinkled, damp clothing and mussed up hair. Throwing one last backward glance around the comforting, familiar sanctuary of his room, he left, the soft click of the door shutting behind him an apt representation of what he was about to do.

When one door closes, another opens...

That's it for now. I'm not really very satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but the little time I've had to write lately, coupled the fact that inspiration is kind of lacking nowadays, means that this is the best that I can do for now. It's no excuse though! I shall try harder for the next one, I promise! T.T I apologise for how nothing very much happens in this chapter, and how the dream ended kind of violently, but I hope this chapter didn't turn out too badly. Also, because I will be busy for the next couple of days, the next chapter will most probably not be out next week, as it's supposed to be. I'm so sorry :( Hopefully it'll be out by the following week, though!

Thank you all for coming this far and I hope you enjoyed this story! Much appreciation and love to all those who favourited, followed and reviewed this fanfic! :D If you guys have any ideas or comments about what decision Zero should make, please feel free to leave a review! I desperately need ideas hahahaha. Thank you all in advance :)

Replies to my dear reviewers:

Hi: No problem! :) Hahaha you just made that part funnier for me. Now I smile whenever I re-read that part of the story. And yeah, they really ARE very different, aren't they? Throughout Blackened Wing's story, the reader doesn't really notice because the transition is so smooth and believable, but when I'm writing them like this, it really makes me realize how much Zero has changed from the person he used to be back at the Academy. Much less annoying now, for sure hahaha. Poor Kaname :( he's suffering alone :( but then, Zero is too. Both of them are :( I can't wait for them to finally get back together :) *SPOILER FOR THIS CHAPTER* I needed some lovey-dovey scenes after all the angst of the past few chapters, so I came up with the dream scene...which somehow morphed into such a dark, violent scene T.T well, at least it was only a dream :) Thank you so very much for complimenting my writing style, it really makes me feel extremely happy hahaha! Thank you again for your support and reviews! :)

BeYukii: Hahah yay another Blackened Wing fan! :) Thank you so much for liking this fanfic!:):) Sorry that this update is a bit late, though . But thank you very much for taking the time to leave me a review! :)

SirenDreams: I'm really glad you liked the previous chapter! I was afraid that it was a little too rushed, but since you liked it, I must've done something right :) HAHAHAHA of course, don't worry Kaname! Everything will turn out well somehow...save for a little bruises here and there haha. Thank you very much for leaving such a sweet little review :)

Guest: Hello and welcome to Switched! I do hope you're enjoying this story :) Thank you very much for the compliment, and for taking the time to review! :)

Thank you guys so much for your reviews :) Each one of them gets me really excited and happy :)

Thank you for reading and see you all next chapter! :D *waves*