Chapter Six: Outside Cross Academy

Kaname P.O.V

"Not yet...but that day will eventually come. Kill me by your own hand then."

Zero...is afraid of going berserk and becoming a vampire who only lusts after blood...it's Zero's decision...

Everyone in my class had already started their riding lessons while I sat against the fence and fell asleep, seeing images from the day Yuki had saved me. Ten years ago...that man was there...a mad vampire...lusting for blood.

"Kaname, wake up." said a familiar voice.

Jolting awake, I grabbed his wrist just before he touched me. "Shino!"

"It's unusual for you to fall asleep during phys ed." He said.

"I had something on my mind...I just..." I laughed and scratched my head.

"...I have bad news for you, Kaname. You were asleep...so now the only horse left for your lesson...is White Lily, the Wild Horse." Shino said and Lily's eyes seemed to glow. "I'm done with my lesson...so use your guts and ride, Kaname." He patted me on the arm and backed away. "If you look away, she will kick you."

"Okay..." I said and slowly walked towards the horse. "Easy, there..." I started to unwrap the reigns from the pole and she suddenly became startled and kicked me then ran in the opposite direction.

"WHITE LILY RAN AWAY!" one of the students yelled.

"Ow...my butt..."I groaned.

Zero P.O.V

The sound of hooves running towards me reached my ears, waking me up. Looking over, I saw the horse. "You're ruining my nap..." I said. She stomped her hooves and charged, jumping in the air when she reached me.

"WATCH OUT, KIRYU!" said one of the riders.

"KIRYU!" The other one said.

I grabbed Lily's reigns and jumped onto her back. "Lily...it's all right." I patted her mane and she calmed down.

"Kiryu is amazing. She calmed down White Lily, AKA 'The Wild Horse From Hell.'" said one of the students.

"No wonder Zero is the only one in the Day class who can glare fearlessly at Yuki Kuran." Her friend said. "Kiryu is the rising star of our class." She cried. "Damn those Night class girls! They treat us Day class girls like fools!"

"Zero!" I heard Kaname yell as he ran over. "Sorry, Zero. White Lily is quick-tempered, but she's never ran away before. I wonder she suddenly..."

"She probably sensed something she didn't like..." I looked in the direction of the Moon dorm.

Takuma P.O.V

"Well...that surprised me. That horse is too sensitive. As soon as I opened the window, it kicked Kaname and freaked out...do herbivores hate our smell that much?" I sniffed the back of my hand. "What do you think, Yuki?" I looked over at her and closed the window. "Even though we have today off...you're still working. You never rest."

"The senate is persistent in wanting reports..." She said and went back to writing.

"...Writing reports for those old women even though you don't want to...you're different from me. I read too much manga, and I'm sleepy during the day." I closed the curtains and looked at her from the corner of my eye. "Anyway, Kaname is all right...the horse only kicked him in the butt."

"Oh." Yuki kept her eyes closed.

"Huh?" I turned around to look at her and brought my hand up to my mouth. "No way! You must've been really worried about him. That was cold!"

Yuki opened her eyes and looked over at me. I smiled and walked towards the door. "Well, I'm off to read more manga..."

"Ichijo."

I turned around to look at her and sighed, running a hand through my hair. "What would you like me to do...Yuki?"

Kaname P.O.V

"MMM! It's been awhile since we last came to town." I stretched my arms above my head whle walking on the wall. "It's a privilege for the headmistress to ask us to do an errand...since leaving school grounds is restricted." I turned around and pointed at Zero. "Hey! Zero, you look bored! Right now...we should be enjoying ourselves a little!"

"There's nothing to enjoy." She said, bored.

"WHAT?! Stop being such a killjoy and come on!" I grabbed her sleeve and pulled her along.

Zero carried the bag over her shoulder and I checked the list. "Hm. The headmistress asked us to get...let's see...oh. She's cooking for us. Beef liver, bok choy..."

"There's more?" Zero muttered.

"Hey, look. Zero!" I dragged her over to one of the stands and looked at one of the jackets that was hanging up.

"We should get back to the school before sunset." She said.

"You don't have to worry. The night class has today off so they won't be coming out of their dorm. Hey, gimme your arm." I said and she held it out to me. "Good." I held the jacket against her and saw that it was a perfect fit. "If I leave you alone, Zero, you don't take care of yourself at all...you need someone to choose for you. You're like..." I laughed. "...a younger sister who needs looking after." Zero turned away from me. "You're mad."

"I'm appalled that I find it funny. You're a year younger than I am." She turned around and started walking. "You look like a grade schooler...and you're acting like a 'big brother'? HA! That's hilarious."

"I'll take this one. you don't have to wrap it." I told the stand owner.

"Hurry up or I'll leave you behind...'big brother.'"

"Please give me the change quickly!" I snapped. You're a year older than I am, but you cut school-that's why we're in the same class! When we first met, you were just the same height as I was! I grabbed the bag and watched her. Being like this...makes me feel like we've returned to the old days somewhat. Yeah. Zero is Zero. Even if you are...a vampire now...

We sat down at one of the tables in the cafe. "Zero, you eat something too. I'll treat you for carrying all that stuff."

"I wanted to eat shio ramen." Zero said.

I took a bite of parfait as I realized that I took her to a cafe without asking. "Well, I love the parfait here, so..." I looked away to avoid making eye contact. "Shino and I came here last time..."

Zero looked at me then turned away. "You still...can't go outside school grounds alone..."

"I can!" I huffed at her.

"I know you're afraid to." She said and rested her chin on her head. "If you go outside the school...you remember, don't you...that not all vampires are 'well-behaved' like Yuki Kuran..."

"Shut up!" I slammed the glass onto the table. "I'm not afraid of what happened ten years ago."

"You eat a lot." Zero said, staring.

"Shut up!" I shoveled spoonfuls of the parfait into my mouth. "No fair!" I slammed the empty glass back onto the table again. "Somehow you know lots of things about me, Zero...but there are lots of things about your past that I don't know...like whether you have and brothers or sisters...or which school you attended..."

"I had a younger sister..." Zero said suddenly and my eyes widened in shock. "She died...that day."

"Zero." I said and wiped the whipped cream off my nose.

"Excuse me. Are you from the Cross Academy Night Class?" The waiter asked and we looked at him. "Oh, you are! You look a little different from ordinary people."

"Um...wait..." I stood up.

"Students from the Elite class aren't like everyone else." He smiled. "There's someone named Aido in the Night class, right? She likes sweets, and she comes here sometimes...please tell her to come again..."

Zero stood up and grabbed her bag. "I'm leaving." She said and went to the entrance.

"Wait for me outside." I said before she left.

Zero P.O.V

I stood outside the door and narrowed my eyes. "I...smell like they do..." Feeling an ominous presence, I looked up and realized someting wasn't right. I dropped the groceries and ran off.

Kaname P.O.V

I opened the door and stepped outside. "Zero...are you all right?" I asked and noticed that she wasn't there. "Zero?" Where did she go? I saw the abandoned bags and ran down the alley. Zero? I wasn't paying attention and something cut my arm as I ran past it. "Ouch...on no..." I put my hand on my arm as it started bleeding. "Zero! Where are you?!" I yelled. Sensing something approaching from above, I turned around and drew my sword, blocking it.

"Heh heh..."

"A vampire?!" I said and it jumped back.

"Your blood...smells good..." she said and grinned.

My heart started racing as I remembered the snow of that day. "No..." I said, trembling.

"Let me...eat you up..." she smiled, revealing her fangs and rushed at me.

"Don't just stand there...Kaname!" Zero appeared behind me and grabbed the sword from my hands, stabbing the vampire in the shoulder as she slumped to the ground.

"Zero!" I looked over my shoulder.

"The sword...is unhappy I'm weilding it..." She said and looked down at her.

I slumped down to my knees, grabbing the wound on my arm. "Why is there a vampire here?"

"Something is happening in the back." someone said.

"Yeah, it started a little while ago." someone else said. "What is that sound?"

"Let's check it out." replied the first voice.

"This is bad." said Zero. She looked over at the vampire. "We can't...let other people see this."

"Blood..."

"You used to be human." Zero said.

"Oh?" The vampire jumped into the air. "I wonder."

The vampire was suddenly cut in half. We could see two girls behind and one of them was weilding a sword. The one with the sword looked up and I immediately recognized her. "What?! You're..." The vampire slwoly turned to dust in front of us.

"There...we go." She said, sheathing her weapon.

"You didn't need me at all." said the redhead.

"You're from the Night Class...Takuma Ichijo and Serena Senri. Why are you here?" I asked them. "Why are you outside...doing this?"

"Not now, Kaname. Go back quickly and get your wound treated." Takuma said, holding up a finger. "Your blood is too provocative for us."

I gripped my arm. I realize...there's still so much I don't know.