ALERT: angst! Angst!... Just angst!

(Should I say enjoy? It does not sound right to me)

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

"A PUREBLOOD BORN FROM HUMAN PARENTS." The thought hunted the ex-human all night long. He felt horrified at the idea of history repeating itself. Even if Aido manages to find a cure to vampirism now, what if in other millennia new purebloods are born hungry for power and rise for supremacy again. Their efforts would be pointless. Yuki did explain that Hina-chan is an extremely rare case and the only one so far. Her creation was due to genetic modifications that happened to both her parents due to heavy consumption of the drug. The tests showed that for a pureblood to be born from human parents, both of them should have a history of consuming one particular blood pill sold in the black market; it has higher content of pureblood than the others do. Luckily, they were expensive and not as widely spread, plus the chances of two consumers with modified gene getting together and produce offspring is low. Zero suspected that this was the important issue keeping his master busy. Without a wink of sleep, Zero went on with his daily routine the next day, making a mental note to investigate it once done substituting for the headmaster.

At the end of the day, Zero was in his office with Yuki briefing Gin about the school regulation and all the formal stuff he needs to know. Then Yuki proceeded to relay the teaching material and Zero turned to finish the last papers for the day when Kaname came into the office after knocking. Yuki bounced from her seat despite her heaviness and gave him a hug, not aware of the dark look the pureblood gave to the new guest. Gin got flustered for a moment looking back and forth from Kaname to Zero, trying to understand why the man who walked on them here is. Zero hid his smirk behind laced finger as he watched. "Now let's see how mister smooth talker will get out of this sticky one, although I doubt Kuran would bust him, but he does not know that". Unfortunately, for the hunter, Gin was saved when Yuki introduced Kaname and mentioning how she talked about him to the teacher.

The blue haired man stood and extended a hand to greet him that the pureblood took reluctantly "I am glad to meet you in person, Kuran-san! I always wanted to thank you for taking my sister and niece under your care. I am truly grateful."

Kaname gave a business smile before answering "There is no need to thank me, your sister have been doing a good job as the primary aid of Yuki, and her daughter is growing into a fine lady. She recently became playmate with my cousin's son as well."

"Oh you mean Kei-chan! That is the only topic she talks to me about on the phone lately, her adventures with Kei-chan." Said Gin with a happy tone

"It is a good thing that you were recruited here, Moriya-san! I have to insist though that you follow the rule of being assisted by a prefect or a faculty member should you visit your sister and niece. To guarantee the safety of you all." The ethic teacher nodded in agreement, and Kaname excused himself after giving Zero the reports he brought. However, Yuki stopped him.

"Wait Nii-sama! I almost forgot! Everyone, father decided to come tonight in order to welcome Moriya-san and see how we are doing. Therefore, he is inviting us all over at his house for dinner. Ichiru is on his way, as you may already know. So don't be late." Announced the petite woman with a clap of hands. Zero groaned; he needs to go buy grocery and cook as much as possible to make it seem like he does not want to exhaust a tired Kaien in hope to escape his poisonous food.

The old ex-hunter arrived just in time to find that Zero was almost done with dinner preparation and Ichiru setting the table with the help of Gin. He was surprised to see his twin sons get along well with the new guy, but was happy about it. A little later, Yuki called saying she will not be able to come because she had urgent matters to attend to, and that Kaname will come for a drink with the Chairman later. Cross was depressed and sulked about not being able to see his lovely daughter after he worked himself to the bone to get a night off. Nonetheless, the chairman enjoyed the lively conversation with Gin and Ichiru as the three got acquainted with each other. Zero contented himself with picking on the food with no appetite.

At the end of the dinner, the conversation turned into a serious one as Zero complained about Kaien keeping him in the dark about the surge of new purebloods.

"Why did I have to hear about it from an outsider anyways? You could have briefed me during one of your annoying phone calls. Is this the hush-hush reason that Yagari-sensei had to step down and oversee it personally?"

"Well-"Kaien started to explain but got cut off by the curious voice of the new addition "Oh! Yagari-san is back into action again. Thank god! That Takamiya was extremely depressed when we talked about his mentor going into hospice care-mmmph" Ichiru was too late to cover Gin's mouth as the word already reached his twin's ears.

Zero's eyes widened and his lips parted in a whisper "Hospice?"

Kaien stuttered trying to find the words to save the situation "No…K…Kiryuu-kun, he did not say that… I ..I believe he mea-" *BAM* *CRACK* the old ex-hunter flinched as his son slammed a fist making the dinner table split in two and sending the leftover dishes flying all over the place.

A feral growl sounded from the back of Zero's throat as he kept his head down. His bangs hiding his expression but his wrath palpable through the tense air across the room.

"YOU believe what?" the taut voice of the hunter sent shivers through the stunned men "Oh! Is there any other word he said that I might have confused with… hospice?" he exhaled and his voice got tighter as he added, "You have five seconds to tell me what you believe he might have said". The hunter was silent for a moment, head still down and not moving.

"Kiryuu-kun… listen… I can exp-EEP…"Kaien did not get the chance to finish as he was yanked up by the collar of his shirt, coming face to face with a furious silver-haired hunter with a piercing glare. Amethyst eyes starting to morph red from anger.

Zero snapped and started screaming bloody murder in his adoptive father's face "EXPLAIN WHAT! DO YOU HAVE A READY-MADE ANSWER FOR SITUATIONS LIKE THIS AS WELL!... Listen well Cross, I am fed up with all your deceptive tactics and you hiding the truth all the time. I am fed up with having to obey orders like a lackey just so that I can make up for refusing the fucking association president's position. Yesterday, I was outraged at the fact that I was not aware of such dangerous information of new fucking purebloods popping out of nowhere, and now… Now you are telling me my mentor... the man I respect the most… the person I owe my life to is… is.. is dying?! And you are probably going between the association and his place! Who knows, maybe Ichiru was visiting him when he tells me that he went on a date! And lets not talk about the other bastard! And… and here I am, fuming like a brat at how he did not make time to meet me before going, since ALL OF YOU made me believe he is out of the county… ON A BLOODY MISSION!" His voice was out of breath and thick with emotion as he tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat, finally letting go of the man.

A storm of guilt, pain and plea went through Cross's eyes before he averted them from the accusing stare of his son. Seconds later, Ichiru came up to his brother from behind, softly gripping both shoulder to prevent him from turning around. He then rested his forehead into his twin's shoulder blade, and whispered, knowing pretty well that he can hear him: "It is not Cross's fault, Nii-san! It is not my fault! …That you did not know is no one's fault… Sensei asked us not to tell you… He…" Ichiru gulped and exhaled in an effort to keep his voice even as he remembered his mentor's words "He is the one who came up with the idea of the oversea mission… He asked us to keep his illness from you and…" letting out a shaky breath, he gripped his brother's shoulder tighter "… and when he is gone… we were supposed to tell you that he died during the mission like any proud hunter would wish to die. That is his last request" His dying wish, trembling hands let go of Zero's arm and wrapped around his waist hugging him tightly. The hunter could feel the wetness where Ichiru's face snuggled on his back; he could hear the soft sobs. However, he could think of only one thing

Zero said softly: "I … I need to go!"

Ichiru's eyes widened and he tightened his hold "NO! NO! You will not! You can't do this to him"

"HE CAN'T DO THIS TO ME EITHER!" screamed Zero as he unclasped Ichiru's hands, the latter tried to prevent him from going with all his might. Sadly, the human twin was no match to the vampiric strength of his brother as he was simply shoved aside. Zero sprinted to the door with Kaien running after him and calling for him to stop. Deaf to the world, the silverette snatched the car keys from the key holder, not bothering with the coat, and yank the door open to leave only to end up bumping against something hard, staggering back for a second. "Kaname-kun, stop him!" yelled Cross from behind when he saw the figure blocking Zero's way out. The pureblood reacted just in time to block him as the hunter was about to bolt out.

"Move out of my way Kuran!"

"I will move once you've calmed down" answered Kaname in a firm tone, resisting the relentless pushing of the hunter.

"I said .OFMYWAY!" screamed said hunter as he pointed his gun to the vampire's chin, and looking at him straight in the eyes… Kaname stared back at him defiantly without an ounce of fear, and then smiled.

Suddenly, Zero's vision started to get blurry and his hold on the gun slackened. Kaname gripped the wrist and shook out the gun letting it fall to the floor. Just as the drowsy hunter tried to resist, he pulled the silver head flush against his chest. Zero tried to scream but it only came out as slurred grumble "Bastard! What... did you… do! Let go…stop it…"

"Where were you planning on going in that state?" the pureblood asked, while looking at Kaien, few feet away. The old ex-hunter mouthed Yagari's name without sound, so that the hunter does not get agitated. He could not get any closer as Kaname's aura was starting to affect him as well.

"I neeeed to go see…him" the slurred answer came in a muffled voice.

"What if he does not want to see you? Will you still go?"

"That…none of you busi..ness… need.. ungh.. to go … let go…"

"Do you know where to find him?"

"…" the hunter did not answer as he realized that he had no idea where his mentor was, but he would still look for him nonetheless.

"I will let you go now, but on one condition!" Kaname spoke as he lifted the sluggish hunter chin tilting his face up to look at him "I will drive you there and you are not to leave my side until I say so. Deal!"

"Kaname-kun, what are you saying?"

Zero took some time to process what he was told through his muddled brain and then nodded weakly.

"I will take responsibility for this, Cross-san. Good night" announced the pureblood as he retracted his aura, not letting go of the wrist he held firmly. He took the keys from the hunter's hand, grabbed his coat and then pulled him out then into Zero's car. The ex-human had no other choice but to comply as he was deprived of his weapon and feeling powerless from the emotional outburst.

"The place is just twenty minutes away from here," informed the pureblood as he glanced to his side.

Comfortable silence stretched for a good ten minutes as the car drove in the middle of the dark road. Zero's head leaning on the windowpane looking at the sceneries flying away. He glanced at the driver before starting to speak, "You knew about it, didn't you?... haha… Of course you, of all people, would know about everything," snorted the hunter.

When he got no answer or reaction from the pureblood, he growled in frustration and tried to calm himself before starting to inquire.

"So…What is it he has?"

"Terminal lung cancer"… Zero felt his breath hitch as a memory of their conversation about the academy flashed.

"How?... How long? I mean… How much long-"

"The expectancy is a maximum of three months that may get shortened to two." Kaname answered in an even tone, without looking away from the road straight ahead.

"When did he find out?" the hunter's voice became strained at this point, scared of what more he will learn.

"Eight months ago, it was already in an advanced stage. Yagari-san did go through various therapy and cures, however… it spread fast, way too fast" Kaname gripped the steering wheel tighter as he could hear the heartbeat of the hunter soaring up in the silence of the car. Zero squeezed his hands into fist until his knuckles turned white, and started tapping on his forehead with both fists as he rocked on his chair back and forth curled up into a ball, his eyes screwed shut. The rest of the journey went on in complete dark silence.

Long ten minutes later, as the car stopped, Zero looked up and squinted at the neon light of a hospital's entrance. "Room 363, if anybody tries to stop you, show them this card. I will park the car and join you." Came the instruction from the man in the driver seat as he handed him a badge.

The hunter stood in front of the door looking at the room number "363", as he was about to move the doorknob, Ichiru's words repeated in his ears "his last request".

In the midst of his internal war, Zero could not hear the nurse coming his way barking about visiting hours being over and only people with special permit allowed and whatnot… The woman was stopped before she reached him as a tall man stood in her way, with a charming smile, requesting her to guide him to a certain doctor's office. The nurse forgot about her ranting and showed the way, smitten with the handsome visitor.

The hesitant silver-haired finally gathered his courage, slowly opened the door, entered the room and closed the door again with a soft click. Inside the pitch-black dark room, his enhanced vision could distinguish a sleeping figure, hooked to various tubes and cables along with few blinking and beeping machinery on the other side of their bed. His breath caught, the young man tried to deny the truth in front of him. As if trying to convince himself that it is all an illusion due to the darkness, he reached out a shaky hand and pressed the light switch, blinking as the dull grey wall turned bright white. He took a few steps closer to the bed, and stopped as the man groaned as he started to open his eyes, squinting at the light and then looking at his guest. "Yeooo! Idiot disciple… I didn't expect you to come visit so soon; those people are as useless as ever." Spoke the man in a groggy voice. He then cleared his throat and blinked a few times before adding, "Judging from that stupid look on your face, I guess I am on the right direction to becoming a ghost." Finished Yagari with a tired chuckle.

Zero's feet were pinned to the floor, not allowing him to move an inch. His face twisted in a pained expression; eyebrows furrowed together, irises widened and lips slightly parted, showing clenched teeth. His shoulders squared and fist clenched on either side of his hips, slightly shaking. The hunter could not believe that the man talking to him was the mentor he grew up looking up to; Yagari's slightly tanned skin turned ashen gray and clammy, his face was drawn and pale making his cheekbones standout. The eyes that looked at the silver haired hunter were sunken and dull. The once brawny and big arms are nothing more than skin and bones.

One bony hand rose and a finger pointed to a table in front of the bed, white cracked lips moved "Quit gawking at me and get me some water."

While the hunter went to fetch a glass of water, Yagari pressed a button and made it so the headrest lifts for him to get in a sitting position. Once he drank the content of the glass in slow gulp, he motioned to his disciple to sit on a nearby chair.

"I hope you did not beat your father to the pulp before coming here?" Zero shook his head in denial, looking down at his clenched fists placed on his knees.

"Listen… ehem… these painkillers are making me woozy, so I might be mistaken. Did the king of those leeches bring you here, as I can feel his presence somehow" Zero only nodded once.

"I'll be damned. That prick! " Groaned the old hunter "So? You came here to scream and blame me for keeping you in the dark. Did the cat eat your tongue? Or am I that pitiful you don't have the heart to scold anymore?" grumbled the patient before breaking in a fit of coughs.

"Why?" the strangled voice came from the seat as Zero looked up with glassy eyes. The lump in his throat grew bigger and prevented him from saying anymore.

After recovering from the painful coughing, Yagari cleared his throat and took a shaky breath, and then started speaking in a croaky voice "You know, as I lived for quite a while, and witnessed the death of many of my comrades and dear ones. I came to this conclusion, no matter how long you live with a certain person, no matter how many happy moments you shared together before they die; the first image that will come back to you as soon as you remember them is the last state you saw them in before they disappeared from your life. Of course, other memories will come flooding afterwards, but I cannot help but remember the bloodied form of my comrades when they passed away on a mission, the disgusting form of a vampire scared of dying after I shot them and so on…" He paused a little to catch his breath, and added, "…So, when the verdict was announced, and I learned that I did not have much time left, I… I remembered a certain little kid with bright violet eyes. Those eyes used to shine brighter with happiness when I visit his home, as he would run to greet me every time. When it was time to start his hunter training… The kid stubbornly decided to learn how to use a gun as his anti-vampire weapon, not a sword nor a string like his parents... He raised hell just to have me become his mentor… He worshipped me like a hero, going as far as to mimic the way I dressed and talked at some point. Which gave his mother a lot of grief … I had the best time of my life training him, never expecting one day for him to become the strongest hunter. Nonetheless, I felt extremely proud to watch as he grew into quite the fierce one and praying that one day he would surpass me … hahaaha …" He paused for a minute and glanced at Zero, seeing streaks of silent tears flowing down his cheeks, his bangs hiding his eyes as he looked down. "After his parents died, I gave up hope of meeting him again as I set on a journey to find the culprit for that incident. I was almost certain I was going to my impeding death since I was going after a pureblood, but… fate dictated that I would get a second chance to meet him and help him stand on his feet again…. Well… Anyways… My point is …. The more I remembered how this boy looked up to me the more I hated the idea of letting him see me getting weaker and weaker until my final moments. I hated the image of this sorry state to reflect into those bright eyes, I wanted him to remember me as his strong and proud hero… Too bad this last wish won't come true though!" sighed the sickly hunter.

Zero's eyes widened for a moment as another recent memory triggered of his brother screaming, "You can't do this to him", finally understanding the meaning behind it. He wiped his tears, ashamed of his stupidity and rash actions lifted his face to look at the rare gentle look on his master's tired face. He forced a smile on his quivering lips as he extended a hand on the edge of the bed. He could not bring himself to hold the skinny hand as he bunched up the sheets and squeezed tight.

"I…I…am… ss… fuck!" the hunter cursed as the words refused to come out as his throat tightened so much it became hard to breath. He slammed his head on the bed next to his master and forced himself to try breathing, burning his chest as he took lung full of air. He could feel fingers lacing in his silver strand, massaging his scalp in a comforting manner. As his tense shoulder relaxed, his mentor sighed and retracted his hand "I think it's better if you leave now… No need to apologize; you did nothing wrong… it was my selfish wish that made you suffer like this… I am sorry… Zero!"

Zero's form stilled for a moment, shocked at his mentor's words before he understood the underling message. "Yeah! He is right. Master is sick, tired, and it is in the middle of the night. I am too much of a mess right now, do not know what to say, or if I will be able to even talk. I cannot afford to hurt him with careless jargon. Better leave"

As he made up his mind, the late visitor stood up and walked slowly toward the door, looking at his hand about to switch off the light. He took a deep breath and spoke without looking back at the man lying on the bed "Master, you will always be my hero… Always". He heard a chuckle "You bet... thank you, Zero!"

Without any more words, the young hunter switched off the lights and left the room closing the door as softly as when he opened it. He found Seiren waiting outside "Kaname-sama asked me to tell you to wait for him at the lobby, he will join you shortly." Zero did not bother to look at the shorter woman as he passed her and went on his way.

ALERT: KaZe goodness coming up to make up for depressing chapter *wink*