Really sorry for the long delay on this chapter but here it is. I hope you enjoy this one as it is the last chapter of the first arc; after this there will be a time skip. Any thoughts that you have on this latest chapter and the 1st arc of the story will be much appreciated ^-^.

Covenant

Ichiru couldn't remember falling asleep, but when he opened his eyes he found himself lying in a soft bed, a light blanket covering him; the light of the mid-day sun was streaming through the bedroom window. Unwilling to wake up and seeing that neither of his parents had come to wake him he turned on his side in order to escape the light that woke him. Briefly opening his eyes as he adjusted the blanket that covered him he caught a glimpse of Zero resting peacefully in the bed next to his.

That was when it all came flooding back to him.

The night before, when he had taken Shizuka's hand and allowed her to cross the barrier, the body of his father lying face up in the blood drenched snow, the cruel laughter of his mother as she grew drunk on his fear and the feeling of his brothers blood coating his hands as he desperately tried to stem the flow. The images flashed in his mind before he could fully grasp their meaning, but he understood what they meant.

It wasn't a dream.

He got up slowly, unwilling to take his eyes off Zero; half afraid that if he blinked his brother would vanish. Even as he walked to Zero's side he found it hard to believe that his brother was alive, there had been so much blood, it took all of Ichiru's will just to stop himself from looking down at his hands to make sure they weren't still dyed red, covered in his twins blood.

As he continued to look at his brother he couldn't help but notice how much paler Zero was than usual or the black shadows that shaded his eyes, but his breathing was even and his face looked peaceful in sleep.

It was so strange for Ichiru to see Zero like this, throughout their childhood it had always been him; Ichiru was the one who fell sick, who got injured or passed out during training not Zero, he was the strong one, the one who always looked out for Ichiru. He felt so confused, as well as being worried about his twin he couldn't ignore the guilt that had begun to well up in his chest as he sifted through the previous nights memories, the pressure continued to grow and soon Ichiru was having trouble breathing.

He had been so focused on the battle between his father and Shizuka that he hadn't even wondered where his mother had escaped too when she had turned and run leaving his father to his fate, the thought that she had seen him never even crossed his mind. Ichiru would never forget the desperation and fear that had laced Zero's voice when she moved to stab him; it was the same fear that had gripped him when Zero tackled him shielding Ichiru from the blade, the same desperation he felt as he held his dying brother and begged the Pureblood for his life.

Reaching the side of his brothers' bed he moved to gently shake his brother by the shoulder, mostly to make sure that Zero was ok; but partly to see if his brother was actually there. Just as his hand was about to land on Zero's shoulder his wrist was seized in a strong grip and swiftly pulled away; quickly turning his head he came face to face with Shizuka.

"That would be most unwise at the moment" her voice was quiet but clear as she drew him away "he still needs rest and if you were to wake him in his current state the result would be…unfortunate". Changing her grip she gently held his hand as she drew him from the room, Ichiru would have protested, saying that he wanted to stay with Zero but the gentle hold on his hand and the quiet control Shizuka emitted made him reconsider.

She led him to a study two doors down from the room Zero still slept in, the room was small but cosy and the walls were lined with row upon row of book cases some holding books of varying age while others held boxes and glass vials containing powders of unknown origin. A desk with three chairs rested in front of the rooms large bay window which gave a view of what would have been beautiful wild garden, had it not been covered under layers of fallen snow. An archway to the left of Ichiru obscured from his sight by one of the larger oak bookcases led to a finely yet conservatively furnished parlour with a ornate fireplace, the room hadn't been occupied in years and had mainly been used for storage.

How did Ichiru know this?

Simple, he had led her there.

This was the house his parents had been preparing to move to the night before Shizuka's assault. If Ichiru were to look around the house he would find most of his families possession half unpacked and scattered about the rooms in what could only be described as a form of organised chaos. The house was smaller than many of the other estates owned by the Kiryu family; but this lands value did not lie in its size or its grandeur, its value rested in the barrier seal that surrounded the property. Crafted over 200 years ago it was designed not only to ward off vampires but hunters as well and each new family head had added new layers of protection over the generations. The manor could only be accessed by those who had permission from a living member of the Kiryu family, meaning not even someone like Yagari sensei would be able to gain access without Ichiru or Zero's permission. If anyone tried to circumvent the barrier by force the resulting backlash of energy was likely to incinerate them. It was the perfect place for Shizuka to rest and recuperate.

Releasing his hand Shizuka took a seat by the window, the sleeves of her casual lilac yukata draping over the edge of the chairs arm rests.

"Well young one, now that you are rested it appears that we have a moment to talk".

As she said this a blush ran along Ichiru's face whilst he remembered how he'd almost immediately collapsed after he had shown her the way into the manor. When she had extended her hand to him and asked him to come with her the relief that had washed over him was almost tangible, without hesitation he had taken her offered hand; captivated by the beautiful smile that had adorned her features. It was as he stood that she had asked him whether he knew of a place that she and Zero might rest. He could still recall the rush as the sakura petals surrounded the three of them and the sudden feeling of weightlessness as he and Zero were spirited away, when the petals cleared he found himself standing next to Shizuka who still held his brother standing on a hill that overlooked the estate. As soon as they had passed the barrier all the days' exhaustion that seemed to have been dogging him caught up with him at once; his limbs grew heavy, his body shook with the cold and the last thing he remembered was being caught by a warm and strong arm just as sleep claimed him.

When he looked back at Shizuka her face held neither pity nor anger only…curiosity? He couldn't be sure but he held her gaze; unwilling to show her any more signs of weakness he ignored the weight that seemed to lie in his chest, he was used to this pain and knew he would be able to last until he had answered her questions, however after that he would most likely collapse. For what seemed to be the hundredth time in as many days he cursed his weak body.

"Will Zero be alright?" The question escaped before he could stop it but she did not seemed offended.

"Your brother will be fine once he has rested; he just needs time to adjust."

Hearing this Ichiru began to relax if only slightly.

Seeming satisfied with whatever she had found by gazing at him Shizuka gestured to the other chair and asked him to sit; once he was sitting comfortably she leaned forward in her chair so that there was only an arms length between them.

"Ichiru…would you like to become stronger?"

Of all the questions Ichiru had been expecting her to ask this one was the furthest from his mind and so when it came he couldn't stop himself from asking a question of his own "why?"

She smiled at this as she leaned back in her chair "for now I would say simple curiosity is my main reason but you have not answered my question Ichiru."

He took a moment to consider her question; he had seen firsthand how powerful she was but he had to wonder why she would offer him this. Still he knew he would not get answers unless he gave them.

"I don't want Zero to have to sacrifice himself protecting me, I don't want to be weak and cause him to worry."

Saying this he could no longer hold her gaze, the guilt that had haunted him earlier returned increasing the pain in his chest.

"Is it out of guilt that you wish to become stronger?"

He answered without hesitation "no, I only want to protect Zero; like he's always protected me."

Ichiru could hear the smirk in her voice when she replied "that is a worthy answer but you still wish to know why I would grant you strength?"

He nodded not trusting his voice as he raised his eyes.

"There is something I want and it has become apparent to me in the last few days that I cannot achieve it alone, you have already shown yourself to be quite resourceful."

He knew she wasn't telling him everything but he could tell that she was not lying to him either and what other choice did he have. The fact that she was giving him a choice was reason enough for Ichiru to trust her. Looking at her now and remembering how she looked on the night they had met he couldn't bring himself to refuse her.

"I will help you…Shizuka sama."

Pleased with his answer Shizuka drew up the sleeve of her yukata to expose her wrist and then using one of her sharp nails she drew a thin line of blood before offering it to Ichiru.

"Drink."

After sorting through the wreckage of the house and searching the perimeter once more the only trace of the twins Yagari had been able to find was a small trail that led to the woods which had soon vanished a few steps away from the aged sakura tree; the same tree where he had discovered what was left of Saika. When he had first discovered the area he had assumed that all the blood that glimmered half frozen beneath the trees had belonged to Saika, the feeling of hopelessness that had crashed down upon him when he realised it didn't had almost threatened to drown him.

The fear of what he would discover when he finally found the twins only added to the weight of his thoughts.

With nothing further to be gained from what remained of his friends' former home he had left making his way to the association at a measured pace, though not before setting the house ablaze; what remained of Akihiro and Saika inside, a funeral fit for a hunter.

He knew that news of the Kiryu clans' destruction would not be welcome, but he decided to keep the possible survival of the twins to himself. It had taken three hours, three miserable dragged out hours to explain the events to that insipid cretin of a president and when he was finally permitted to leave he had exited the building feeling far more tired and emotionally drained than when he had arrived.

It was late afternoon by the time he found himself at Cross's house, he approached the house at a slow walk, his shoulders heavy with the days' events. His depression only grew deeper as he contemplated how he was going to tell his old friend what happened; he had barely raised his arm to knock when the door swung open before him revealing the form of a young brown haired girl about the same age as Zero and Ichiru.

"Yagari san" she chirped her voice filled with innocent delight "please come in, the head master said you would be coming today."

"Thanks Yuki" he said as he crossed the threshold lightly patting her head as he passed her ; it was as he stopped to dump his bag and removed his shoes that he noticed the girl leaning out the door to look over the path as if she was expecting someone else. With a sigh he walked up behind the girl and gently grabbing her by the collar he pulled her away from the door as he closed it, when she looked up at him; her wide brown eyes a mixture of indignation and surprise he merely sighed "he's not here". From Yuki's the confused expression he could tell that his answer wasn't enough for her but before he could elaborate Cross rounded the corner; by his side one of the last people Yagari wished to see at the moment, Kaname Kuran.

The young man stood just shorter than Cross and with his deep brown hair and rich brown eyes that bordered on crimson he made for quite the opposing figure even though he looked no older than 16.

He had known the pureblood was there, but actually seeing him still caused Yagari to discreetly finger his gun. The young pureblood seemed to take no offence from his action as he continued to walk to the door.

"Yagari san, I heard that you were far away, but you've returned? As expected of the associations' no. 1 Vampire Hunter"

"My business in not with you today Kuran, be grateful."

Reading the atmosphere Kaname inclined his head to Yagari in acknowledgement; which Yagari returned, before Kaname excused himself saying good bye to the head master and Yuki in turn.

Yagari watched as he left. The young pureblood had barely stepped outside when a large black wolf emerged from nowhere before its master. When the wolf reached his side Kaname simply extended his hand and the wolf dissolved into a cloud of bats which soon obscured the young vampire from view. When the cloud had cleared nothing was left of the pureblood but the tracks he had left in the snow.

Having seen that the young Kuran leave Yagari closed the door and turned his attention to Cross.

Upon seeing his old friend Cross broke out in a soft grin, but the smile soon faded when he noticed Yagari's expression and the absence of the boy he had expected to be with him.

"Yuki, would you be so kind and go and make us some tea?" Cross asked her as he gestured for Yagari to follow him the living room; Yuki did not complain as she was sent away, she just gave a quiet nod and scurried off to the kitchen to do as she was asked.

Just to make sure that she wouldn't try to ease drop from the kitchen Cross closed the living room door before coming to sit opposite Yagari who had already made himself comfortable. Getting straight to the point Cross asked the question that had bothered him since he had seen Yagari arrive alone "what was Akihiro's excuse this time?"

Yagari knew this would be the question his friend would ask but he still hadn't been prepared for the feeling of dread that filled him with what he knew he had to say. His hesitation gave Cross the chance to start off on his usual tirade "Zero is not a vampire! He doesn't deserve to be confined just because of Saika's insecurities, why does he keep refusing to see-"

Cross went on like this for a while and Yagari let him but…he had to tell him.

Taking a deep breath he looked his old friend straight in the eyes as he spoke.

"Kaien!" Yagari interrupted just as Cross started to get louder.

"Akihiro is dead…Saika as well"

Dead silence reigned.

Cross sat frozen, his mouth hanging open slightly as he absorbed what Yagari had just said.

"H-how? Who?"

"The pureblood Kuruizaki Hime, she seemed to hold a grudge against the two of them; especially Saika considering the state her body was in when I found her. The pureblood turned her before killing her." Yagari voice was level as he spoke, betraying none of the turmoil that roiled within him.

As if remembering something Cross jerked suddenly "what about the boys…what about Zero and Ichiru? Their not-"

"I'm not sure" his hands tightened into fists as he remembered Akihiro's last words.

'Please Yagari, I know they're alive…you have to get them back'.

"If they are, I will find them…I promised him I would."

"Yagari I-" before Cross could say anything further a small knock came on the door, they both looked up to see Yuki entering the room; a small tray with a pot of tea and three cups held precariously between her hands. Cross stood to give her a hand while Yagari resolved himself to continue the conversation later. This was no topic for innocent ears.

He was falling.

He was falling and the void that surrounded him was dark.

If he tried to move he only fell faster and the darkness would close in around him, robbing him of whatever lucidity he had left. In the darkness all Zero could focus on was the pain; like the night when his father had carved the Hunters seal on his neck fire seared through his veins, however this fire was far more powerful, it coursed through his body in waves and with each pulse Zero could feel a little more of himself fade.

Something deep within him was changing, morphing into something else as the pain burned away everything he was.

All measure of time was lost to him, for all he knew mere minutes could have passed since he had fallen into this void of pain but every second felt like an eternity to him; so when the pain finally began to grow fainter he hardly noticed. Zero had been so focused on the pain that when it had finally ceased spasms of phantom pain still coursed through his veins.

It was as some of the darkness began to recede that Zero realised that the pain was no longer there. As he looked around he could see cracks and fissures begin to spread throughout the darkness bringing with it an ominous red light. The cracks grew wider as fissures intersected causing large pieces of the void of darkness that had surrounded him to fall away; all too soon the darkness was gone, replaced by red and instead of falling he was sinking.

Sinking in a sea of red that dragged him down and he was drowning in it. His lungs and throat burned with his need for air, he wanted to scream but he couldn't call out; his hands clasped his throat as he held his breath trying to hold on just a little longer…

When Zero opened his eyes the world he saw was tinged with red but it didn't matter, right now all Zero could focus on was the burning pain in his throat; even though he took great breaths of air he still felt like he was drowning. Each breath sent a lance of searing pain running down his throat which caused Zero to curl in on himself.

It was as he lay there curled on the bed that he finally noticed a scent that seemed to fill the air around him. Half dazed Zero rose weakly from the bed and on unsteady feet made his way towards the door.

As the scent became stronger more of Zero's awareness escaped him; the tint of red the world had developed only grew stronger as he walked down the hall, leaning against the wall to keep himself from falling. Halfway along the hall the pain once again overwhelmed him causing him to slump against the wall and sink to the floor, he tried to breathe deeply in order to calm himself as he sat on the floor, but each breath merely made him more aware of the scent. He had to find out what it was.

With difficulty he stood and tried to focus on the door in front of him, all he had to do was make it to that door and he would have his answer.

Each step was a struggle but he managed to slowly make his way to the door. Standing outside he reached towards the handle when suddenly his hand seized, he couldn't bring himself to open the door; for some unknown reason fear had suddenly flooding his mind as he looked at the door. He wanted to run away, he didn't want to know what lay behind the door, his fear caused him to take a step back, but then he sensed it; another wave of that intoxicating scent that caused another shock of pain to lance through his throat.

Something deep within him screamed for him to open the door. He needed to know what that scent was.

The boy stumbled in just as his brother had finished drinking her blood, the wound was small and so healed almost immediately when Ichiru was done but the scent of her blood still hung in the air and it was this that had attracted Zero.

He stood slumped against the open door; one hand clutched his throat while the other clung to the door. By the looks of him it was taking everything he had to remain standing and she had to admit that the fact that he was even awake impressed her.

Ichiru was staring at his brother; shock clearly written in his eyes, it was a look that was perfectly mirrored by his twin. The only difference between the two was their eyes; while Ichiru's eyes were the same deep shade of lilac they had always bee, Zero's were not, instead his eyes now held a crimson lustre, a clear sign of what he had become.

Ichiru tried to speak but he faltered as he recognised the look in his brothers' eyes.

Zero continued to stare at his brother.

"Ichiru what are you…devouring…"

His breath caught as he saw a small droplet of blood run down his brothers' chin; letting out a pained gasp he fell to his knees as the tattoo on his neck began to glow; the seal working to suppress his power.

"Zero!" Ichiru tried to run to his brothers' side but Shizuka grabbed his wrist before he could even take one step and gently pulled him behind her back so that she stood between the brothers'.

Without warning Zero lunged.

In an instant Shizuka was standing behind the boy, her arms restraining him in a gesture that was almost tender; Zero continued to struggle and thrash against her hold, his mind completely overwhelmed by his vampire instincts.

It all came to an abrupt end when she gave one simple command "Zero, stop."

Her voice was barely above a whisper but instantly the boys' body grew still in her arms. Bringing her hand up to his chin she gently tilted his head back so she could look into his eyes, the crimson glow had slightly dulled and he appeared to stare at nothing as she gazed down at him. Satisfied that her voice had bound him she kept one hand on his shoulder while she brought the other to her lips.

She could feel Ichiru's eyes following her "Shizuka sama what have you-"

"It's alright Ichiru" her voice was calm and placating, with no further warning she bit down on her wrist and allowed the blood to flow freely.

The moment Zero saw the blood his eyes widened, his breathing became unsteady and his body began to tremble. As she lowered her wrist she could see how his eyes followed it, she could see the desire in his eyes but when she offered her wrist he shrank away from it, forcing his eyes closed and turning his head away.

Shizuka smiled as she observed his defiance.

"So you still have some semblance of your own will even when you hear my voice?"She couldn't help but smile as she was reminded of a certain man "but you cannot go against me Zero."

He kept his eyes closed as he shook his head trying to resist but she could tell the scent of her blood was getting to him.

She held her hand just before his face as her blood continued to flow. A single drop of blood fell just below his eye; she watched as his eyes slowly opened and locked onto her wrist, how his arms wrapped around his chest to try and ward of the cold hunger that had gathered in his chest, she watched as he fought against his instinct…but he couldn't.

In one swift move he grabbed her wrist and sunk his fangs deep into her flesh. He drank deeply and with little restraint as he desperately gulped down the warm blood that flowed from her wrist.

She could feel his heart beat slow as the beast within him was calmed by its first taste of blood.

After a minute or so she withdrew her hand and allowed the boy to fall back against her, his breathing was heavy however it soon subsided when his eyes began to close and the boy began to sleep.

The moment Zero began to fall Ichiru rushed forward but was stopped when Shizuka raised her hand "you don't need to worry now Ichiru your brother will be fine, I promise."

Picking him up she carried him back to the room he had first woke up in. Ichiru was close on her heals and remained quiet as she placed Zero back on the bed.

Turning to Ichiru she smiled and lightly placed a hand on his cheek "as I said Zero will be fine now; I just need you to stay with him until I come back."

"Where are you going?"

She was surprised to find no unease in his voice as he asked her this, but she supposed that his emotions were still a little shaken from everything that had happened.

"I'll only be gone a short while"

He nodded showing that he trusted her. It was a strange feeling for her to be trusted. As she turned and walked to the door she looked back at the brothers one last time; satisfied she left the room.

It was about time she greeted her guest.

He circled the barrier as the light of the afternoon sun dipped into the warm glow of early evening light, the only sound that accompanied him was the light padded footsteps of the familiar that walked beside him. Knowing that it would have been pointless to try and breech the barrier he had waited patiently for the last half hour.

He knew that his patience had paid off when after another few minutes the tree's surrounding him began to bloom, soon the air appeared to ripple as the barrier in front of him parted to reveal Shizuka Hio standing before him.

She looked just as he remembered her; hair the colour of starlight flowed down her back unbound and eyes a colour of pink that could only be matched by the sakura that bloomed in her presence.

She was beautiful and that fact only made her more deadly.

"Son of Kuran" she greeted.

"Shizuka" he returned her greeting, as Purebloods of equal standing there was no need for ceremony.

"What has brought you here" she asked, an all too innocent smile slipped onto her lips as she walked towards him.

"I did not presume to think that you had gone senile in your old age Shizuka, that you would forget what occurred only last night."

She giggled; her eyes lighting up in her amusement "Come now Kaname kun there's no need to be so cruel, after all I'm only seven centuries older than you."

"Enough, the Kiryu family was one of the most prestigious clans within the Hunters association, it goes without saying that they are not pleased that you managed to wipe them out within the course of a single night."

He watched as her eyes narrowed at the mention of the name but the smile never left her face. "I was merely repaying a debt. They took something precious of mine it was only fare that I returned the favour."

"Is that why you took the Kiryu twins?" his question seemed to hang in the air as he waited for her answer but her stance betrayed nothing.

"Why did you come here Kaname?"

"I also have a debt that I wish to be repaid but it would seem that you have taken some of the pieces I was hoping to obtain."

"Those pieces were not yet in play"

"The power of the hunters belongs to the Kuran, you had no right."

"It was a Kuran who set this in motion" she replied "it seems only fitting that I use his own weapon against him."

Stepping forward he allowed the blooming sakura petals to dance across his hand "we probably…have the same objective in mind…Shizuka" at the last word he looked up meeting her gaze and for the briefest of moment allowed a smile to flash across his face.

In a dark room several shadowed figures sat around an oval table; the only source of light in the chamber was the single ornate candelabra at the centre of the table, which did little to reveal the features of those who sat around it.

"It seems we have lost one of our pieces just as we were about to obtain it" one spoke his voice deep and calm.

"This will set back our plans by some time" a feminine voice replied.

"Our Lord will not be pleased" another voice joined the conversation a slight musical trill to his words. "Did the president have anything else to say?"

"Only that it was the work of Kuruizaki Hime, it would seem that she has completely lost her sanity" the first voice replied. "The hunters will soon take care of her; they are not likely to sit idle when one of their most powerful clans was destroyed."

"What now?" it was the female voice again.

"For now we wait" all the figures sat around the table turned at the sound of the childlike voice, in the darkness all that could be seen of the owner were a pair of mismatched eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. "We allow the princess to enjoy her sweet dreams."

END

Author Note: Well hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, I look forward to reading all your reviews :P