A/N: And then months later... I seem to update in spurts... More at the end of the chapter but grad school is a killer. I also walked the Camino de Santiago which I HIGHLY recommend for anyone who is a little adventurous. Look it up. Or message me. It's a life-changing experience.

Disclaimer: Don't own VK.

"Yuuki, Kaname has disappeared. He killed Aidou-kun's father and vanished…" Yagari's words bit into her flesh like acid. She sucked in a breath, pain and horror colliding within her.

Before she could react, he was continuing, and his words left her numb and breathless. "Yuuki," Yagari spoke almost gently; he must have known or guessed the impact his words were having on her. "We have reason to believe that he's headed for the Hunter's Association."

Yuuki merely nodded, digesting this information and swallowing with difficulty the lump that had lodged itself in her throat. Insane. She knew it happened to purebloods who had lived too long. But it was she who had pushed him to it. This had happened because she had rejected him, and… She took a shaky breath. She wouldn't break down in her adopted father's office.

"If he comes..?" she managed, and then quickly shook her head, nullifying the question. She already knew what would happen if he was to come. Nothing good could result from it… Instead, she asked, "If he does come, how long..?"

It was Kaito who answered her now, in a low voice, "Not long…"

"Yuuki," the Chairman said softly. "Kaname-kun paid me a visit last night. He confirmed to me that he was falling to madness and...he intends to sacrifice his heart to the furnace at the Association before that happens."

Yuuki clutched her arms tighter around herself, barely holding herself in as she stumbled down the sidewalk back to the apartment. All of this, this entire terrible series of events, was her fault. She was the cause, the center. Her actions had been the first to set off this terrible, now potentially fatal situation. Surely, then, it was her responsibility to end it, but what could she do?

If she had chosen to remain with Kaname-sama, she herself, as well as Zero, would have been miserable. But the choice she'd made to return to Zero had caused Kaname-sama to suffer. Ultimately, she had caused the onset of this madness by betraying Kaname-sama. She was the reason he intended to sacrifice his life to the furnace. She was the reason Aidou-senpai's father had been killed. It was too much.

Kaname-sama's heart would power the flames and the metal within the furnace that created the hunter weapons for eternity. But Kaname-sama himself would be forever lost. She would never again be able to see his face, hear his voice...have even a trace of that crimson in her life... It would all be lost forever. No matter how much he had hurt her, she couldn't keep herself from loving him, couldn't keep from feeling, at least in some corner of her heart, that he was still her brother. Her onii-sama.

Hot tears traced their way down her face. She didn't want this. She didn't want to lose him. But neither did she wish to return to her caged life at the mansion. Was there no middle ground? Some way in which she could hold on to both of the men she so dearly loved?

Somehow, her hands found the door to Zero's apartment, and she pushed her way in blindly. Immediately, she could tell that the silver-haired vampire wasn't there. Sorrow was taking hold, but she was somewhat relieved that he wasn't there just yet. She needed some time to think, to process the deep, anguished emotions that churned within her.

Her back found the wall, and she slid to the floor, lost amidst so much pain and self-doubt. How could she ever face Aidou-senpai again, knowing that she had been the reason his father was murdered? What could she do to salvage her brother's sanity? Where was the road that she should take? Wasn't there a road that didn't end in sorrow..? It seemed as if there was no end to the misery that she caused for everyone around her.

Yori pushed open her door carefully, balancing her textbooks in one arm and manipulating the keys in her other. It had been a particularly long day at school, it seemed. Every period had seemed to drag on for a century. Even the lunch hour had seemed incredibly prolonged. Or perhaps she had only wanted to return to see Aidou again. She smiled to herself. Despite the circumstances, it was really quite comfortable having him stay with her.

The door shut behind her, and she noticed now that the blond vampire was in the room, sitting on what had previously been Yuuki's bed, staring vacantly into space. The usual vibrant blue of his eyes had transformed to become devoid of even a spark of life or laughter. A shadow occupied his face that Yori had never seen before, a phantom that seemed to drain all of the life from him. She put down her books and went to him, suddenly frightened. Something terrible had happened.

"Hanabusa, what's wrong?" she asked quietly, anxious. "Did something happen?"

His eyes flicked to her face then, dead still waters that absorbed the light until they had become almost black. His face was utterly pale, lips dry and fingers locked together so tightly that his knuckles had become white. When he spoke, it was as if over a great distance. "My father is dead."

Yori sucked in a breath, shocked. His next words, however, astounded her. "Kaname-sama killed him."

"What?" Her eyes widened, horrified. "Why?" She pressed a hand to her mouth, trembling.

"I don't know," he replied in a flat voice. "I told you that he would find a way to punish us…" He trailed off then, fist clenching even tighter, eyebrows colliding together and shoulders shaking as he fought to contain his emotions.

Immediately, Yori's arms wrapped around him, overcome with the need to hold him. She could feel him trembling against her as he pulled her closer, clinging to her like a lifeline. She heard him inhale sharply, trying to stay calm, and she stroked his hair, hands trailing down to rub his back as she would a small child.

"I'm here, I'm here," she murmured, and when she felt his chest spasm against her, she knew that he had finally let himself cry, although silently.

For the first time in her life, Yori felt hatred coil around her heart like a virus. Kaname Kuran was like a cancer. He had infected and destroyed the lives of everyone around him. Her best friend, the man her best friend loved, and now her own lover… She had never despised anyone before, but after this she knew that she could never forgive Kaname for as long as he lived.

Alone and seated on the cold apartment floor, Yuuki clutched her knees closer to her chest, pressing her face against them tighter and tighter with every passing breath. The pain that was lodged beneath her skin now was choking her. Why was it that her choices always hurt the people that she cared for the most? It didn't matter which way she turned, the labyrinth of consequences stretched out infinitely around her in every direction like a colossal spider web which continued to construct itself so that she would always remain at its center, eternally trapped. Was there no end, no path with enough weight to break through the dangerous threads?

The darkness was clamoring around her, she could feel its presence, its touch like the lick of a phantasmal flame. She had caused Zero's suffering before, and now she was equally responsible for Kaname-sama's. How could she save them both, how could she keep both of them from such terrible suffering? She only wanted for them both to find happiness, just as she herself had been searching for it… But either choice, to pursue such happiness with Zero or Kaname-sama, either choice left the other foundering in an endless pitch black night.

And then, deeper and greater still, was the knowledge clotting like bile in her throat that she had now caused Aidou's suffering, as well. She hadn't raised her hand against his father directly, but hadn't it ultimately been her fault that he was now dead? She sucked in a sharp breath, trembling and folding further in on herself. In this way she had committed the greatest sin of all, she had wounded a friend so gravely that they could never recover, could never regain what they had lost…

Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

The words repeated themselves in her mind, again and again, beating down her resolve, her strength. There was nothing she could do. She had to do something. She had hurt the people she cherished in irreparable ways. These thoughts scraped and jabbed at her courage like scalpel blades, leaving her weak and trembling. She wanted to cry, but now even the tears were caught in the web and unable to fall.

She felt the weight of a hand settle against the top of her head, familiar and warm. She started, jolted from the nightmare of her thoughts, and raised her gaze upwards to Zero's face. In her daze, she hadn't realized that he had returned. There was a trace of concern in his eyes as he knelt before her, not for the situation, but for her, and she could sense that he understood what was going through her mind. She could feel his love transmitting to her through that simple touch, and slowly felt herself relax ever so slightly, the blackest edges of her thoughts fading to a lighter shade.

"...The Chairman?" he asked, and she realized that somehow he was aware of the situation as well.

She nodded miserably as he removed his hand from atop her head, her own hands wringing helplessly in her lap.

"I went to the Association today... They're saying Kuran killed Aidou-senpai's father and...there are rumors he's going insane..." He looked at her carefully, gauging her emotions, though she was sure he could guess how she was feeling.

Taking a slow breath, she whispered into the air, "He plans to throw his heart into the furnace there..."

Zero took in this information. Then, "What do you want to do?"

She looked at him, into those violet eyes. He would support her no matter what, she knew. No matter how painful the decision was. There was so much guilt festering inside her now. And perhaps it was true, perhaps Kaname-sama would have never killed Aidou's father if it weren't for her, however… She floated along within the violet of Zero's eyes. However, she had made her decision. Zero had always respected her choices, and likewise shouldn't Kaname-sama accept them? She had always tried to honor the decisions he had made, and if he truly loved and cared about her as she wanted to believe, then shouldn't he as well..?

The back of a hand tapped against her cheek, bringing her back, keeping her grounded and steady. With that simple touch, Zero had kept her from falling back into the void of her thoughts. In truth, she already knew what she wanted to do. Although she had chosen to live her life with Zero at her side, she couldn't abandon Kaname-sama either. No matter what his intentions had been or the things that he had done, she knew it was true that he loved her, and she could not simply forget the past that they had shared. They could not be together, but she could not leave him to descend into madness, either.

She took a breath. "I have to try and stop him."

Zero nodded then, standing and offering her his hands so that he could pull her to her feet as well. "I'm going with you."

Yuuki let the silver-haired vampire pull her to her feet, and stood there for a moment, still clasping his hands, staring at him. What had blinded her from realizing sooner how much she loved this man? She felt incredibly blessed, and incredibly lucky, to have him back by her side again. The thought that she had almost lost him forever stabbed through her again, a throbbing wound that had still not quite closed. She would never let him go, never come close to making that mistake a second time.

Smiling, albeit without her usual energy, she let go of his hands to twine her arms around his waist and press her body tightly against his. Immediately, she felt him lean into the embrace, his arms tightly wound around her, simply holding her. She could feel the reassurances radiating from his body, both physical and emotional. She loosened her hold only enough to raise herself up on her toes, hands moving around his neck now. He seemed to know what she wanted, because the corner of his mouth creased up into a slight smile as he bent down, lips meeting hers halfway in a tender kiss.

When they broke apart, she grinned happily, temporarily forgetting all of her worries and fears as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck contentedly. For a moment, she felt the scratch of bloodlust against the back of her throat, her fangs so close to the pulse of his veins beneath the pale skin.

The rumble of Zero's voice through his chest curtailed this, however, as he said as gently as possible, "We need to go to the Hunter's Association soon, if we want to have time to stop him."

She took a small breath. His words brought her back to reality. She didn't feel so terribly lost, however. Not with Zero here, holding her close. He would be right there beside her, through it all. No matter what happened.

And she would never be without him again.

A/N: Review?

So I know I left everyone hanging and I do apologize profusely... I started writing another fic that I'm really excited about but I've put it on hold to finish this one. I already have 25 chapters for the next one? Lol? My plan is to basically finish it and then do weekly chapter releases so that no one is left hanging for months or even -cough- years for an update. More information on that later, but I really value all of you a lot and I feel so guilty for taking so long to update, so I think that a weekly release would be a good option. That way, you all know when the chapters are released and there's no waiting.

All that said, I also just want to thank everyone so much who has stuck with this fic. You guys are seriously the best. 3