Chapter Eighteen: Hope

Authors Note: Well, I finally got around to writing this after a couple of days. I meant to say this in the last chapter but there will a couple days hiatus between chapters for this. Also, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS STORY HAS REACHED OVER A THOUSAND AND A HUNDRED VIEWS! I want to thank you guys so much for being patient and supporting this story. It's because of you that I keep uploading new chapters. I want to thank Chierrysky, anne and James Birdsong for your reviews. I'm glad to knows you guys are enjoying this as it progresses. Also, I wrote in some of the earlier chapters that Seiren was still a girl but that was my mistake. You might have noticed that the guys were wearing tuxedo's instead of their uniforms. I changed that because since the girls were all wearing dresses, I figured the guys should wear a tux. Please review

Normal P.O.V.

"That man...will save me...?" Zero ground out through her teeth, the barrel of her gun aimed right at Shion as he sat behind Kaname, a smug look on his face.

Kaname stayed where he was, his sword still drawn. "That's right. If I keep y end of the bargain...are you listening, Zero? The only way to end this without you turning into a Level E...if you drink this man's blood, Zero..." Kaname took a breath and watched Zero. "As I promised, I'll be bitten by him and become the same being that you are. I'm scared, but I'm fine. Because...that way...I can save you."

Zero kept her eyes on her childhood friend.

Kain P.O.V.

I re-entered the ball room, hoping to see dorm president Kuran but the only ones here were the students. I felt my shoulder bump into someone. "Sorry." I looked over and my eyes widened.

"Oh, Kain! Won't you join us?" Takuma said, smiling as she danced in a circle with Seri, Roman and other day class boys.

I sweat dropped. "No, thank you..."

She looked disappointed. "Oh? That's a shame."

I do have urgent business. Excuse me." I said and walked away.

They started chattering immediately. "Isn't it almost time to change places?"

"Eh...but..."

"Hey, hey. Calm down."

"Hey, no pushing."

Someone yelled and there was a loud BANG. I turned around just in time to see the vice president kneeling down beside one of the students that fell. "Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?"

"No...I'm fine." He said.

I grabbed Takuma by her arm and pulled her away. "Vice president, may I have a word with you?" I lowered my voice to a whisper. "What are you doing, gathering all these boys? You aren't planning on eating them afterwards, are you?"

Ichijo actually looked annoyed. "How rude. I'm just being friendly." She turned serious. "By the way. What is the urgent business?"

"First, I have to report it to dorm president Kuran."

"I see." Takuma just smiled and waved. "Yuki left all the matters about that new student to me, but if it doesn't have anything to do with it, it's okay. I hope it's not a big problem."

I walked away from and stopped when I found Seiren. "Hey, Seiren. Where's dorm president Kuran?"

"Out on the terrace." He looked over at me, his face blank like usual. "...Is something wrong?"

"Not much." I said and walked to the terrace, waving to him. I stepped outside and found the terrace was empty. I narrowed my eyes.

Kaname P.O.V.

"Get back, Zero." I kept my place in front of Shion, my sword still drawn.

"Even if the story about drinking his blood is true...it can be after I kill you halfway, can't it, Shion?" Zero glared at him while he just sat there, smiling.

My sword clanged on the floor when I dropped it. "Zero..." No reason...could give me the right to stop Zero.

"Move, Kaname!" Zero tried to push me out of the way as I grabbed Bloody Rose. "Now that things have come to this...are you going to tell me that killing vampires is a bad thing?"

"No, it's not that! It's not like that..." Zero's feelings during these last four years...I brought my hand up, the one that had the ring on it. I've always been close to her...but... "I don't really want to do such a thing, but...I'm sorry, Zero...!" But...I was about to press the ring against her tattoo when she grabbed my wrists.

She pushed my arms away, keeping a tight grip on me. "Why are you trying to stop me?! I..." She cut herself off we=hen she saw that I was trying not to cry. "Kaname..."

"This boy has tamed you..." Zero looked up, a strange look on her face as she bared her fangs. "Are you happy to finally hear your masters voice?" Shion stood up and walked over to us. "Do you not feel like obeying me...? It is because I have returned to my rel body, that my voice has the power to bind you. Ah, this is just good. Hold Kaname like that for a while. You do understand, don't you? The commands given by me...your parent and master as a vampire. You cannot disobey, Zero..."

I turned back to Zero. "Zero, let me go..." The power to bind her...?

Zero's grip became tighter and I turned around, trying to get away. "Zero...! You don't have to make Zero do such a thing! I'll be obedient while you drink my blood!"

Shion stood in front of us. "For four years...this body has been ravenous...did you think that your blood would really be enough?"

I watched in horror as he moved the strap of Zero's dress and sunk his fangs into her neck. Zero! I looked away. "You said that you only needed my blood...! Stop it...!" I clenched my fists. "It should be enough already! Why are you being so cruel to her?!"

"I'm punishing her for becoming so attached to you..." He took my face in his hands. "Kaname...you tell me that I am cruel, but who are you to tell me...? The fact that your decisionwould torment Zero...it is obvious even to me..." He lowered his face down to my neck.

"I...thought that...it'd be okay if I was with Zero..." Even though I was scared, I still smiled. "I wonder...if she'd forgive me one day..." I was surprised when I felt her hands weren't on my wrists anymore.

"Don't..." She covered her face with her hand and that's when we realized she was fighting for control. She reached past me and grabbed Shion by his throat.

I turned around. "Zero...!"

"It is pointless, Zero." Shion said, trying to control Zero again. "You should stay still as my puppet for now. You cannot even squeeze these fingers around my neck, can you?"

Zero pulled out Bloody Rose, using her teeth to lengthen the chain and, surprising both of us, shot herself in the leg.

Her hand tightened on Shion's throat as she glared at him. "Don't you dare take anything else away from me!" Zero pushed me out of the way and shot him several times in the chest.

I grabbed her arm to stop her. "Zero, no...!"

"Ha...ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Shion escaped from her grasp and jumped back, landing in front of the couch, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "I will not die like this."

"I won't...let you take...anything else away from me again..." Zero pulled her arm free and fired off more shots that Shion deflected. "I'll finish...everything." I just stared at her, wide eyed. Shion stood there, his blood dripping from the wounds he recieved. "Let's put an end to this and be at ease, Shion...I've lived only for this day..." I ran up and grabbed her from behind. "Let go, Kaname..."

"I still haven't asked you what happens afterwards..." What I've always feared...what I've never been able to ask because I was scared. I looked at her. "When this is over, what do you plan on doing...?"

She just looked at me, caught off guard by the question.

Shion answered. "There was need to think deeply about it, am I right, Zero?What has always been deep down in you heart is...she wishes to die along with me."

I was right. Zero had a dark expression on her face as she turned to him, aiming Bloody Rose at him again. "Yeah, that may be so..." She was cut off when a sword was thrown and it stabbed her in her arm.

"Zero...!"

"Lord Shion..." We looked over to see a female standing in the doorway, her face hidden behind a mask. "What are you doing, toying with her?"

"Don;t do such an unnecassary thing...!" Shion growled. "You are uncalled for."

"I understand. But I cannot be convinced...with this indifference in the ways we are treated."

"I...thought you were already dead..." Zero glared at her, her eyes cold. "Maria..."

The girl reached up and removed the mask. "You remembered me, huh? Zero..." I just stared. She had the same light purple eyes and silver hair, even though hers reached to the middle of her back. She looks...exactly like Zero! "...My dear sister."