Curse

Zero had spent the day sifting through the old books that lay piled on the small desk crammed in a corner of his room; most of the books had been given to him by Yagari but there were a few that had sneakily been handed to him by his father. The book he was currently reading held was the oldest in his small collection and contained one of the more detailed histories of the origins of the Hunters Association and their dealings with the Pureblood line of Kuran and the Vampire council.

Most Hunters discredited the history; refusing to believe that the source of their power came from the very vampires they sought to destroy but Zero enjoyed the tales, they helped to pass the time.

At the moment he was reading to try and distract himself from the low murmur of voices that filtered down from upstairs. If he concentrated he would easily be able to make out what they were saying but he had heard it all before and knew how the 'discussion' would end, there was no point. In the end he knew his father would yield; he always did.

Turning the page he was looking over the diagram that depicted the family trees of the Purebloods when his concentration was shattered by the sound of something smashing upstairs. Finding himself unable to focus when the hushed voices upstairs turned to shouts Zero closed the book with a snap and placed it back on the desk with the rest of his small library before retreating to his bed. Closing his eyes and covering his ears he tried to ignore the argument that raged above him; but he couldn't. The voices grew louder and fragments of the conversation drifted down, until one sentence cut sharp and clean as it ripped through the air.

"I will kill him myself before I see him freed!"

A silence followed the outburst that filled the space around him like a chasm; it stretched on for a moment until it was replaced by the hushed placating murmurs of his father.

The words came as no surprise to Zero.

When he was younger he could remember being treated the same as Ichiru, at least by his father. His mother always seemed distant, always watching him with eyes tinged with an emotion he could never quite understand. He now knew that emotion had been fear and that fear soon darkened and turned to hate.

He was only seven the first time she had tried to kill him.

Only seven and she had mercilessly tried to crush the life out of him. At the time both he and his brother had been shocked to see the sudden change in their mother but as her violent outbursts became more frequent he realised that she had never loved him and instead had always feared him, for some reason his young mind could not fathom she had feared him, but now he understood.

Like her, his father and Yagari Shishou he held power; but his power was different, his power was stronger and that scared her.

While lying in his bed trying to block out the memories consumed by his mothers hate filled eyes he could no longer ignore the creature that stalked the perimeter of the barrier surrounding the house. It was back, the presence that had thrown him into awareness the night before; unlike the times he had previously sensed it the vampire now remained still, just beyond the reach of the barrier, as though it was waiting for something. At this point he couldn't bring himself to care, the fact that he could still hear his parents meant that they were unaware of it and with the barrier in place there was nothing it could do; no matter how powerful it was.

After what seemed like hours to Zero but in reality was probably only a few minutes the voices upstairs had calmed and the silence once again covered Zero like a shroud. He hadn't been able to hear the conclusion of the 'discussion' as his father liked to call it, but Zero wasn't about to get his hopes up. He knew in the end, one way or another that woman would get what she wanted, a small sigh escaped him and the corner of his mouth twitched up in a way that could be mistaken for a smirk; he had realised some time ago that he could no longer bring himself to call that woman his mother…it made him sick to even think about how much joy it would bring her to hear him say that.

Sleep evaded him as the minutes wore on and anxiety clawed at his chest as the silence pressed down on him. There was nothing he could do but wait, but he didn't have to wait long.

It happened in an instant; one moment the aura of the vampire was quiet almost calm, the next it was crashing down around him like a wave. It was not the power of the presence that made it hard for Zero to breathe let alone stand but the cold hard edge of killing intent that it infused the air with. The intent faded as fast as it came but the aura remained and Zero was finally able to draw air into his starving lungs.

Sitting upright in his bed he remained still and quiet as he waited for any sound from upstairs. Sure enough he soon heard the sound of rushing footsteps followed by the hollow thunk of an empty saya clattering against the floor, more footsteps and then silence.

Standing now Zero strained his ears as he moved closer to the stairwell listening for any sound that might tell him what was happening. Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs the low sound of rushing air reached his ears accompanied by a spike in the vampires' aura.

On pure instinct he dove just in time as the door at the top of the stairs was thrown off its hinges, the dust almost choked him as the small underground room was filled with debris from the hall. Coughing and shielding his eyes he picked himself up off the floor and quickly dusted himself off before looking up the stairs; wood and brick littered the staircase and the jagged remains of the doorframe hung lifeless off the wall as the light from the hall flooded the passage.

The door was gone.

It took a moment for Zero to truly grasp the implication of what he was seeing. By the sounds coming from outside it was clear that both his parents were too distracted meaning neither could stop him.

The door was open and neither would be able to stop him.

The words Ichiru had spoken the other night echoed though his mind: "Why do you choose to stay?"

It was his choice and now more than ever he had a chance.

He could run.

He took a step forward but was stopped dead by one thought.

What about Ichiru?

Dread filled him as he thought of this; without thinking Zero bolted up the stairs careful not to slip on any of the debris that littered the corridor. Reaching the hall he was met with a scene of absolute chaos, looking to his left he could see what used to be the front door was now a gaping hole in the wall, the rest of the hall hadn't fared much better with wreckage scattered all along the hall. For the most part Zero ignored the destruction as he tore up the stairs to the second floor heading to his brothers bedroom; slamming the door open he was about to call on his brother when the words died on his lips.

There was no sign of Ichiru, the room was completely empty but the window was wide open.

Running to the window he was stopped cold as he caught his first glimpse of the vampire; white hair that shamed the snow that fell around her streamed behind her in the wind as she leapt forward, her eyes glowing demonic red as she charged her prey. There was no mistaking her for anything other than what she was…a Pureblood; beautiful, graceful and above all else terrifying.

He stood frozen leaning against the window; his father fought against her wielding his katana as if it were an extension of himself as he moved smoothly from one stance to the next, but when compared to the fluent movements and lithe agility of a Pureblood it was nothing.

Before he could blink his father had been disarmed and in the next instance the white snow surrounding him was dyed crimson. His father fell; face down in the snow, still alive but completely at the mercy of the Pureblood.

He only realised he was backing away when his back softly brushed against the wall opposite the window, the cold touch of the wall jolted him back to reality; he didn't know what to do but one thought kept coming back to haunt his mind, he had to find his brother.

Facing the door, not caring whether anyone heard him he called for his brother "Ichiru!" there was no reply from the silent halls but the echo of his own voice, fear gripped him; was Ichiru outside?

Looking over his shoulder and realising that he would have no chance of escaping unnoticed through the window Zero silently backed out of the room before turning and bolting down the stairs. Practically throwing himself down the stairs he jumped the last few steps he ran through the hall not missing a step as he avoided the chaos aiming for the back door; through the hole in the wall at the other end of the hall he could clearly hear the sounds of battle however he paid little attention to it, without even looking over his shoulder he threw open the back door and tore out into the cold night air.

As his bare feet met the cold snow he almost stumbled but quickly regained his footing and took off for the tree line. With the house blocking him from sight and the oppressive aura from the vampire there was no way his parents would be able to sense him; still he was cautious, not knowing how the battle was progressing or what the Pureblood intended to do when she had won he kept low, not slowing until he reached the cover of the trees.

Taking in great gasps of air he leaned his back against a tree as he closed his eyes, the small part of him revelling in the fact that he was no longer trapped was overwhelmed and almost suffocated by the need to find his brother; he couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't…Zero shook his head at that thought trying to dispel it, there was no way he was going to allow anything to happen.

Concentrating he focused pushing his senses out, searching for any trace of his brother. The moments passed at a painful slowness and with each passing second Zero became more and more anxious. He was about to give into his fears and go running through the forest when finally he sensed it, a presence so much like his standing at the edge of the tree cover; wasting no time Zero dove through the forest twisting and turning as he tried to avoid the low branches that attempted to bar his way.

As he grew closer to where he had sensed his brother an unearthly screeching noise began to grow louder in his ears, it was painful to listen to; like the strings of a harp being wound too tight ready to snap with the slightest strain, still he raced through the undergrowth determined to find Ichiru.

A flash of colour in the darkness drew his sight; turning to his left his eyes met the sight of the chalk dusted pink petals of a Sakura tree but it was the silver glint below it that caught his attention. Relief flooded Zero as he saw Ichiru safe; his brother leaned against the tree his eyes completely focused on the clearing before him.

Leaning forward Zero rested his hands on his knees as he took several deep breaths; his body had not yet fully recovered from his previous ordeal and his mad dash through the woods had only aggravated the wound on his neck, he ignored the pain and the throbbing ache in his muscles as he began to walk towards Ichiru.

He had nearly reached his brother when the slightest rustle of leaves made him look to the right of the tree.

There was no moonlight this night but the ethereal light given off by the Sakura was reflected in the metal of the deadly blade. She advanced until she stood directly behind Ichiru, the blade raised ready to come down on his unsuspecting twin.

"ICHIRU!"

Without hesitation Zero threw himself over his brothers unguarded back; he hardly felt it as the blade tore through his back, he only felt the sensation of something warm flowing down his back however the cold soon set in numbing his body. Trying to focus, to stay conscious he could hear someone call his name as they lightly shook his shoulders, but the cold was making him tired and all he wanted to do was sleep; he was about to slip unconscious when another gentle shake allowed him to crack his eyes open.

With great effort Zero managed to turn his head to meet the tortured gaze of his twin, he was about to tell Ichiru to run but the words caught in his throat as crazed laughter cut through the silence of the night.

Against his will the exhaustion that now dominated his body crept over Zero's mind and he fell into unconsciousness haunted by the sound of that woman's crazed laughter.

Ichiru continued to shake Zero as his brothers eyes slowly closed, for a second he thought Zero was coming back around when he turned his face to look at Ichiru but his eyes were cloudy and unfocused and soon closed under the exhaustion that consumed him.

Harsh laughter cut through his despair and as he looked up he was met by the sight of his mother half bowed in her laughter, a bloody Kodachi gripped in her hand. Her arms cradled her chest as she continued to laugh uncontrollably; Ichiru tightened his grip around Zero as he pressed his back against the tree behind him trying to get as much distance as possible between himself and his mother.

There was nothing he could do as he watched her raise the blade, the laughter grew louder and seemed to echo all around him.

His world turned red as the crazed laugh was chocked by a gurgled cough, a single porcelain hand protruded through his mothers' chest allowing the blood to flow freely and stain the untouched snow of the forest floor.

The beautiful form of Shizuka Hio seemed to materialise from the shadows as she came to stand directly behind that woman. He could see that Shizuka was whispering something to her dying victim but he couldn't hear it over the hammering of his own heart which seemed so much louder now that the laughter was gone.

In one smooth movement Shizuka sunk her fangs into the vulnerable flesh of her prey but from the amount of blood that fell to join the puddle that was quickly forming in the melting snow it was clear that she didn't drink any.

Already his mothers' body was beginning to turn to dust and when Shizuka removed her hand there was nothing left to support the crumbling form as it fell to the ground as nothing more than a pile of ash.

Ichiru didn't care; his full attention was focused on Zero as he once again tried to rouse his twin but Zero's body was still in his hold and the blood continued to flow from his back dying Ichiru's hands crimson as he tried to staunch its flow.

The light rustle of silk over snow alerted him to the fact that Shizuka was still there, she crouched lithely before him; her bloodstained white kimono the only indication she had fought in her otherwise unruffled form.

"P-please" the plea escaped him as little more than a whisper "you can save him, please he can't die! Not because of me, I wanted to save him! Please you have to save him!" The tears rolled down Ichiru's face unbidden as he held his brother closer; if Zero were to die…

The silence that followed his plea was enough to chill the blood in Ichiru's veins but Shizuka didn't keep him waiting for long. A slight tilt of Shizuka's head and the outstretched arms she offered sent hope burning through Ichiru; as gently as he could he moved his twin into her embrace.

As the child was moved into her outstretched arms Shizuka had to hold her breath; the smell of fresh blood was intoxicating and if she allowed herself to become drunk on its heavy scent there would be nothing that could stop her from draining both the boys of every last drop of their precious life's blood.

The boys' breath came in short uneven gasps as she settled his head on her lap, the wound on his back was deep and as she traced her hand along his back to examine the extent of the damage she could feel the countless half healed scars that littered the boys small frame. She was drawn out from her observation when a small cough escaped the boys now pale lips bringing with it blood.

Shizuka couldn't help but sigh as she wiped the small trail of blood that flowed from his lips; his half lidded eyes followed her every movement but he was too weak to stop her.

She couldn't help the smile that twitched at the corner of her mouth as the boy continued to stare at her without a single trace of fear; the twins continued to intrigue her, she hadn't found something this interesting since.

Stopping her thoughts dead she returned her attention to Ichiru who up until this point had simply been watching his brother with quiet concern as he sat in the cold snow refusing to move even as a cold blast of air sent a shiver down his spine. With delicate movements she lifted Zero so that his head rested comfortably against her shoulder; in his half conscious state all he could manage in protest was soft groan as the ripped fabric of his shirt shifted against his back. Lightly shifting his hair she exposed the hunter seal branded into his neck; she eyed it with distaste but in this instance its usefulness outweighed her aversion.

Lowering her lips her fangs gently sank into the smooth skin of his neck only marred by the hunter seal. As she drank she could feel seal begin to burn her lips as the curse within rejected her touch, the pain reminded her that if she went too far she would kill him; even so her eyes began to glow red as the warm liquid slid down her burning throat.

The boys' heart began to beat faster as adrenaline raced through his veins, in his barely lucid state he tried to escape her grasp but she held him; one hand gently caressing his hair as the other wrapped round his torso restraining him. Just as he was about to lose consciousness she released him and without the support of her restraining arms he slumped back against her shoulder, levelling her with a look full of such loathing she felt as though it might scorch her.

The blood she had taken from him had managed to heal most of the wounds she had received in the battle in a matter of moments and as she checked she could see the scar on Zero's back begin to close, however they would both need time and more blood to fully recover.

Picking up Zero as though he weighed nothing she extended her free hand towards Ichiru, with a smile that had not graced her lips since she had lost him she asked one question.

"Shall we go?"

Yagari walked up the familiar small forest path his boots leaving distinct prints in the freshly fallen snow that covered it. It had only been a day since he received the call from Akihiro but knowing how Saika could be he had rushed his last job, making sure he'd arrived early before Saika could do anything drastic.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he casually scratched the back of his head, Akihiro was finally going to allow him to take Zero away; he'd been suggesting it for years but Akihiro had always had an excuse, one way or another he always found an excuse. If he was honest with himself Yagari would admit that he couldn't blame Akihiro; he knew the man was being stupid, not to mention selfish and in some cases cruel but he also knew that he loved his son's and would do anything to keep them out of the Associations hands.

These thoughts continued to dog Yagari as he walked to the edge of the barrier that surrounded the Kiryu home. As a hunter he couldn't help but admire the work that went into the construction of such a ward, the only ones he knew of that could rival it were those surrounding cross academy and the Vampires Association itself.

He passed through the barrier at an even pace, barely blinking as the familiar sensation that could only be compared to walking through a dense patch of fog washed over him. It was only as he passed the barrier that his feet came to a sudden a dead stop.

The clearing before him was filled with the signs of battle, everywhere he looked the ground was torn up, rubble lay strewn across the clearing, the front entrance had all but collapsed and the once white snow that had covered the clearing was now painted with wide strokes of red. In the centre of the chaos lay a body, unmoving and broken.

"Akihiro!"

Yagari rushed to his fallen friends' side in his desperation dropping the heavy gun case he carried in favour of speed. Kneeling in the snow beside his friend he cared little for the blood soaking into his trousers as he checked for a pulse; it was there but it was weak, how he'd managed to last this long shocked Yagari but it didn't matter. He had to stop the bleeding; tearing off his trade mark trench coat he began ripping it into strips in order to bind the deep lacerations that covered Akihiro's chest.

He was about to lay the first strip across Akihiro's chest when his friend began to stir.

"Akihiro, can you hear me?" Akihiro's eyes moved slightly but didn't open and then he was once again still. "Hey, don't you dare go back to sleep yet; I need to know what happened!" He grasped Akihiro's shoulder and lightly shook it trying to force his friend to stay conscious, after a moment Akihiro drew a deep ragged breath and his eyes shot open; the ragged breath turned into a pained gasp as he tried to rise and failed.

"Don't move" Yagari cautioned as he returned to trying to bind the wounds "I've got to stop this bleeding and having you move isn't going to help me any." In a flash Akihiro grabbed his wrist with strength that shouldn't have been possible in his current state "don't bother" he rasped locking eyes with Yagari "the twins…you have to…have to find them" each word sounded as though it was painful to speak.

Yagari gripped the hand that held his wrist "I will but first I have to get you-"

"No! You don't understand" a harsh cough wracked his body as he continued "they're gone…she took them, please you have to get them back" Akihiro's eyes began to close again as his strength waned.

"Who took them? Akihiro! Was it Saika?" Yagari didn't even want to imagine what would happen if that were the case.

With another cough and eyes half open Akihiro shook his head "No, she ran I don't know where she is."

Yagari's eyes narrowed as distain and dread began to fill him "who took them?"

"Kuruizaki Hime" a sharp intake of breath was Yagari's only response to the whisper of that dreaded name.

"Please Yagari, I know they're alive…you have to get them back…I failed them, I couldn't protect them…not from the Association, not from Saika…so please." Tears rolled down Akihiro's face as the desperate plea escaped him.

Seeing his once proud friend beg nearly broke Yagari, he gritted his teeth as he increased the strength of his grip on his friends' hand "I'll find them."

With that one statement Akihiro relaxed as his eyes began to cloud over "arigato, my friend" for a brief moment the light seemed to return to his eyes "when you do find them please…t-tell them I'm sorry…I'm sorry I couldn't protect them" as the last words fell from his lips Akihiro's eyes slowly closed, his hand slipped and the resounding thud that followed when it hit the frozen ground was the only sound to accompany his passing.

…

Yagari knelt for a moment, his head bowed in silent mourning. When he stood his eyes began to roam the clearing again trying to use the information he had gained to piece together what happened. Walking over to the house he noticed a clear set of footprints intermixed with long frozen trails of blood heading towards the tree line. Curiosity getting the better of him Yagari followed it assuming it would tell him what had happened to Saika, he was right. After following the trail as it doubled back and circled the clearing he emerged at the edge of the clearing, a lone sakura bloomed just outside the light from the clearing; at its base rested a pile of ash that was slowly being blown away by the breeze. He walked over to it picking up a handful of the dust before allowing it to slip through his fingers to be carried away by the wind.

"Saika, you fool."

His mind filled with turbulent emotions Yagari failed to notice the form of the lone black wolf as it slunk back into the darkness of the woods, hurrying to report the new development to its master.

Author note: Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think ^-^