Disclaimer: I don't Vampire Knight or any characters
"Yuki! Yuki!"
"Ha-Headmaster…"
The Headmaster made his way over to Yuki. The expression on her face confirmed his suspicions that something had indeed happened between her and Zero.
"Alright, so are you going to tell me or not?" The Headmaster inquired without so much as a greeting. "I couldn't get Zero to say even a peep!"
Yuki looked away from her adopted father then and obdurately replied, "That's because he doesn't know what happened."
"So what's he upset about then? That you won't tell what happened?" The Headmaster questioned.
"No, that's not it," Yuki said.
"Then what's going on here? Why is Zero acting so strangely?" The Headmaster asked.
"Because," Yuki choked, "I erased his memories of my entire existence."
"What? Why? Why would you do something like that, Yuki?" The Headmaster demanded. "You and Zero are supposed to be allies! You're supposed to be hunting down Kaname together! How are you going to be able to do that if he doesn't even know who you are?"
"Well, in that case, you should just take him off the mission. I am perfectly capable of tracking down Kaname without Zero's help!" Yuki insisted.
"No, I won't let you do that, Yuki," The Headmaster said. "I am not about to let Kaname have you. Not again! And without Zero serving as the barrier between you two, you'll undoubtedly be pulled back into Kaname's twisted world all over again!"
It was one of the few times Kaien Cross had ever lost his temper with his friends' dear child—the little girl he had raised as his own, but who had never fully accepted him.
"Headmaster," Yuki addressed firmly. "I belong to Kaname. I was born to be his. I will not deny him, even if he has chosen to deny me."
"Yuki, I, too, believed in Kaname whole heartedly. However, there has been a battle raging inside of him for 10,000 years. It was battle I didn't even know about." The Headmaster claimed. "He struggled against it for so long. But now I'm afraid that he has gone and burst. He's on an insane rampage now and nobody really knows why!"
"That's why I want to find him, Headmaster. I want to understand why." Yuki said. "I mean, I know it has something to do with what that woman he loved in another life wanted, but that doesn't explain why he's murdering innocent vampires like Aidou-san's father!"
The Headmaster stayed quiet for a moment as he absorbed all that Yuki was saying. Then, he said, "Zero is waiting, Yuki. We can finish this discussion later."
"Headmaster, you can't—
"Don't worry, Yuki. I will play along and I will have everyone play along…for now."
"Thank you, Headmaster," Yuki whispered.
"Come on now, let's head to the car." The Headmaster said and placed a hand on Yuki's shoulder as they walked out of the train station together. When they arrived at the car, Zero was gone.
"Oh my, he must have gotten impatient and started walking back to the academy." The Headmaster sighed.
"Either that or he was angry about sharing a car with a strange pureblood." Yuki deduced.
"Yes, that could be too. Well, in any case, go ahead and get in. He couldn't have gone too far." The Headmaster said.
Yuki walked to the passenger's door where Zero had been sitting. As she opened the door, she noticed a few stray blood tablets strewn across the seat and floor.
"Oh dear, what a mess he's left," The Headmaster murmured as he leaned across the driver's seat to collect the blood tablets.
"He's…he's still taking them?" Yuki gasped.
"Well, yes, they're the only things keeping him sane." The Headmaster murmured. Then, his face saddened. "So that's it. You thought if Zero stopped yearning for your blood, his suffering would end."
"Was I wrong?" Tears formed in Yuki's eyes as the feeling in her stomach rose to her heart.
"Well, I'm sorry to say this but...he is going to notice the blank canvas where you used to be, Yuki. And unfortunetly, that in itself could drive him to the brink of insanity." The Headmaster stated.
"What…What can I do?" Yuki cried. "If…if I let him drink my blood then…"
"Yes, you will be able to show him those memories from your point of view. But seeing a memory isn't the same as remembering something." The Headmaster stated.
"So there's nothing I can do? I've just gone and caused him more pain and confusion?" Yuki wailed. Her emotions were so overpowering that they caused her to fall to her knees. The Headmaster went around the car and helped her into the passenger's seat.
"Alright, then, we'd better get moving or we'll lose him," The Headmaster stated.
"Why am I so stupid?" Yuki whimpered.
"You're not stupid, Yuki. You did what you thought was right." The Headmaster said, leaning over to hug his daughter. "Now all you can do is be there for him. Be his friend…In fact, think of it as a new beginning. It'll be a second chance. It'll be a chance for him to become more accepting in getting to know who you are now…who you've grown into…"
"Zero will never accept me, Headmaster…" Yuki insisted.
"He will once you prove to him that all purebloods are not evil." The Headmaster said.
But I am evil…
The Headmaster moved away from Yuki and walked over to the driver's side to get in the car. The engine starting and the sound of wheels turning were the only things heard all the way to the academy.
"We've moved the Association headquarters secretly into the main office. Classes are running normally and we are only to conduct business here at night. We hope to rent out another building in town in the next few weeks to temporarily run out of until we rebuild the Headquarters." The Headmaster was explaining this Yuki as they walked across the campus to his office.
"Headmaster," Yuki finally spoke. "Kaname hasn't shown up at the Association since it was destroyed by the Parent Furnace, has he?"
"No. And somehow I imagine he will be staying as far away from it as possible from now on." The Headmaster said. "I guess I'm not even sure why he showed up the last time…Perhaps he sensed that the Parent Furnace was upset."
"Isaya-san told me that Kaname plans to use his heart to refuel the furnace," Yuki stated.
"Hmm, well, we can't have that, now can we? We want to come to his senses, not go 'poof." The Headmaster laughed to lighten the mood. Of course, it had no effect. He coughed and changed the subject, "Anyways, I'm sorry we didn't find Zero. He probably went back to his apartment to get some rest. He does have class in a few hours after all."
"Hmp! Like something as trivial as class would ever get him to take of himself!" Yuki scoffed. "He's probably just avoiding me!"
"Well, in that case, I'll be officially assigning him to assist Kaname Kuran's fiancée in tracking Kaname down." The Headmaster said. "He won't be able to hide from you forever!"
"I still think he'd be better off that way," Yuki claimed.
"Good morning, Zero-kun! I see you're off to class!" The Headmaster sang as he caught Zero on his way later that same morning. Yuki was standing next to the Headmaster.
What do you want, Headmaster?" Zero grumbled.
"Zero, you're so cruel. Just assuming that I want something!" The Headmaster pouted.
"Then I'll be go—
"But since you brought it up…you've met Yuki here, right?" The Headmaster pushed on Yuki's back to get her to move closer to Zero. She resisted.
"Yeah, we actually ran into each other at Isaya-san's residence." Zero stated.
"Perfect! Since you're acquainted, I can tell you all about your new mission now!" The Headmaster chimed.
"New…mission?"
"Yes, Yuki here will be assisting you in your search for Kaname!" The Headmaster declared.
"I don't need any help…especially not from a Pureblood…" Zero muttered and tried to walk away, but the Headmaster stepped in front of him.
"Ah, but, Zero, she's not just any pureblood. She's Kaname's fiancée. As such, with her help, you'll surely have a far easier time tracking him!" The Headmaster exclaimed.
"Oh, so this is Kaname's fiancée. Glad to know you've finally crawled out your lair long enough to go deal with that troublemaker yourself." Zero said.
"What do you mean crawl out of my lair?" Yuki demanded, the old instincts to defend herself against Zero's taunting uncontrollably bubbling to the surface.
"Well, you've remain such a mystery that I just assumed you sat around all day doing nothing." Zero explained. "Although, I suppose you do come out for exclusive events such as the ball that Ouri was murdered at."
"You know I was that ball?" Yuki questioned.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I never actually saw you. I was too busy making sure a human girl that was there visiting a vampire friend of hers didn't get attacked to notice much else. I certainly heard Kaname Kuran's fiancée was there, though." Zero replied.
Yuki was dumbstruck. Zero remembered Yori's "friend" being at that ball and he remembered Kaname's fiancée being there, but clearly he was not connecting the dots.
How does he remember this "friend" and not me? Yuki wondered, but she dared not ask the question aloud. She feared it would only make him realize the presence of the white canvas.
"Can I go now, Headmaster?" Zero questioned. "I'm going to be late."
"Oh, sure, go on, Zero-kun. Have a wonderful day at school!" The Headmaster called as Zero was walking away.
"Headmaster," Yuki spoke. "If Zero realizes Kaname has a fiancée and Yori has a vampire friend, doesn't he realize that you have daughter he lived with for fours but yet knows nothing about?"
"Yes, Yuki, it's only natural that he remembers his acquaintances' relationships even if he doesn't directly remember you. That's the white canvas, Yuki." The Headmaster explained. "His mind does seem to be compensating for Yori and Kaname's relationships, though, so it makes me wonder if it's not compensating for mine as well."
"So, there is no white canvas after all?" Yuki cried in relief.
"I don't know, Yuki. I wouldn't be so sure. I just don't know if his mind will be capable of compensating for everything." The Headmaster sighed.
I will be your ally then, Zero. I will gain your trust and get you move close enough to me to drink my blood. But when you do get close to me, you won't need it anymore, because by then you'll be free and your suffering will truly be over.
I just need enough time to get to Kaname beforehand. I can't leave behind any unfinished business.
"So you've gone and erased Zero's memories?" Yaguri lit a cigarette and inhaled the tobacco. The Headmaster had called him and Kaito into a meeting to discuss the situation after he'd spoken with Zero and had introduced him to Yuki.
"And we're just supposed to play along that you're the concerned fiancée searching for her beloved?" Kaito questioned.
"Yes, your cooperation would be greatly appreciated," Yuki replied.
"It's too complicated," Yaguri insisted. "Someone's going to blow it sooner or later. And just how do you think Kiryuu's going to react then?"
"I don't know," Yuki admitted.
Yaguri scoffed and said, "You really are a stupid child, aren't you?"
"Hey now," The Headmaster sputtered, "don't you go talking to my precious child that way!"
"You do realize you're just as big as an idiot as she is for going along with this, right, Cross?" Yaguri stated.
"Yeah, what's even the point?" Kaito questioned. "I say we just tell him what a bad girl she was and just get it over with."
"I'm afraid that would be too overwhelming for Zero. It's best for him to spend time with Yuki so he can figure it all out on his own. He may be a little bitter about it for a while afterwards, but I say that's better than everything coming out at once and making absolutely no sense." The Headmaster argued.
"I don't know if I agree with you that that's going to be a whole lot better for him in the end," Kaito said, "but I guess I can see there's no simple way to clean up this mess that daughter of yours has made."
"So, you'll go along with it?" The Headmaster wondered.
Kaito sighed and uttered, "Fine."
"Whatever," was all Yaguri could muster. "I'll inform the other hunters immediately."
"What about the students, though?" Kaito demanded. " It's not like we can force them into a vow of silence considering they don't even realize vampires exist, let alone that the prodigal daughter is one."
The Headmaster contemplated the situation for a moment and said, "I'll handle it."
He walked out of the room.