Vampire Knight Fan Fiction ❯ The Cure ❯ Chapter 1
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Punkrock_grl92 
http://lemonlimemaidfanfiction.weebly.com/the-cure.html
I highly recommend reading my fanfiction on my website rather than here, but it is easier for me to get the reviews on this site due to the fact that it is more organized for reviews.
I simply find it difficult to read my stories on this site. When I upload my file, it alters the spacing and other stuff as well. And I don't know how to fix it...
Anime/Manga: Vampire Knight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.06.2015 | Updated On: 01.06.2015 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 191 | Status: Completed
http://lemonlimemaidfanfiction.weebly.com/the-cure.html
I highly recommend reading my fanfiction on my website rather than here, but it is easier for me to get the reviews on this site due to the fact that it is more organized for reviews.
I simply find it difficult to read my stories on this site. When I upload my file, it alters the spacing and other stuff as well. And I don't know how to fix it...
Anime/Manga: Vampire Knight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.06.2015 | Updated On: 01.06.2015 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 191 | Status: Completed
CURE CH. 1
Zero Kiryuu dropped his belongings with a heavy thud by the door. He kicked off his shoes and striped off his shirt once he reached the privacy of his apartment, desperate to get out of the cold, wet clothes that clung to him. He was soaked from the rain, his bangs were matted to his forehead, and large droplets of water rolled off of his silver hair. He ran his hand through it in attempt to rid it of some of the moisture, but it didn‘t do much good.
Clad in nothing but his boxers, Zero made his way to his sloppy, unmade bed with his gun in hand, collapsing into its soft mattress with a heavy sigh.hunting took a lot out of him. His eyes throbbed from the lack of sleep for the past few days. Helet them drift shut, but he knew he~be able to doze off. The burning itch in his throat and sharp hunger pains in his stomach prevented him from obtaining any sense of peace. Opening his eyes, Zeroup at the ceiling in frustration, his hands absently began to twirl Bloody Rose between them.
It had been seven long months since Zero had last seen the sweet, trusting, innocent girl that was Yuki Cross.’s fidgeting with his gun halted and he gripped it tightly between his two hands, his knuckles turning white from the effort. The painful throbbing in his chest increased at the mere thought of her name. It'ther name anymore; it was Lady Yuki Kuran now.
Zero recalled the day she left to be with her pureblood brother and his jaw tightened. Kaname was so condescending and conniving that it made Zero’s blood boil, yet Yuki had always admired the pureblood, as if he were a saint rather than a vampire. In her naïve and impressionable mind, the pureblood could do no wrong.this time, Zero had strived to protect her from vampires; meanwhile she had spent her time being helplessly infatuated with one, something he just could not understand. How couldanyonecruel, blood-sucking beasts appealing?
After it was all said and done, all Zero could do was watch her go, letting bitterness and hatred consume him as she happily left Cross Academy with a smile. For the first time, he hated her. For the first time, he wanted to put an end to her existence, just as he didallvampires. She betrayed him.
When the time came, he would do what he had to do no matter what, and he~let anything get in the way of that,not feelings. He had learned the hard way that hunters couldn't afford feelings or emotions when it came to their work. Years ago, Touga had lost his eye as a result of trying to save him from the teacher-turned-level-E, all because of Zero's emotional attachment to her and his "feelings".
Everything that had happened between himself and Yuki~matter because it~change whatbecome. She~Yuki anymore; she was a monster. And if it was true that she was no longer hisYuki, then her would have no problem fullfilling his awful vow to end her life. He mourned her, as if she were already dead.
After all this time, he only regretted letting himself get close to her. He had failed to keep a safe distance between them. No matter hard he tried to push her away, shut her out... she always managed to somehow work her way in again. Only for Yuki, a soft spot had formed in his heart over the years; But the day her humanity was stripped from her, was the same day his heart hardened towards her and his instincts as a vampire hunter took over. In that moment, they became enemies; Vampire versus Slayer. Things were different now;shedifferent now. As far as he was concerned, the two purebloods deserved each other. But then, why did it still hurt so much?
Forcing himself to turn his thoughts to other matters, his hands began to nervously play with his gun again, twirling it between them and passing it back and forth in a futile attempt to distract himself, not only from his thoughts but the nagging pain plaguing him as well. Restless, Zero got up from his bed and began to pace the length of the room thoughtfully, gun still in hand.
Cross Academy never fully recovered. The school was still mostly in ruins and the students had all been sent home, but Kaien Cross continued to reside there alone, refusing to abandon his beloved Cross Academy. He was slowly working to revive it, but anyone could see it was a lost cause. Zero believed him a fool for even trying. Everything that the school stood for had failed, as Zero had always known it would.
Unlike the Headmaster who had stayed at the school, Zero had left everything behind and started over. The Association invited him to stay in one of the small apartments on their premises that were reserved for only the best hunters and he hadn't hesitated to take them up on the offer. It was too painful to stick around the academy when every place in the school seemed to hold a bittersweet memory of the girl- or rather, thevampirehad betrayed him.
The word ‘vampire’ left a bad taste in his mouth.
But despite his efforts, her memory seemed to haunt him no matter where he went.sweet voice echoed in his ears and a vision of her flooded back to him as they often did.
"I don’t care if you hate me along with the rest of the night class; I won’t let you give up on yourself!” Yuki’s gaze was intense as she looked at him. He remembered the way her cheeks were lightly flushed and how her heart sounded as it thudded against her chest. He could tell she was nervous, but she seemed to be very confident in her decision to offer her blood to him, seeing complete determination in her eyes. He had always marveled at how selfless she was… forgetting all about her own well-being to help him. She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her relationship with Kaname... for him.
It was then that he remembered his response, "Yuki, how could I ever hate you…”
Zero suddenly felt his stomach lurch and this mouth began to water. The familiar feeling of nausea hit him, and the burning of bile worked its way to his mouth. Unable to make it to the toilet in time, he dropped to his knees in front of the trashcan beside his nightstand, Bloody Rose colliding clamorously with the floor as he threw up. Stomach finally feeling a little more stable a few moments later, he wiped his mouth and sat back against the wall feeling rather drained and weak.
Since Zero no longer had Yuki to offer him her blood, he was forced to resort back to using the blood tablets that his body insisted on rejecting. Being unable to keep the pills down had caused him to lose a considerable amount of weight and he was becoming dangerously pale and famished more and more each day. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could live the way he was. The only reason he had made it so long was because of Shizuka’s blood that he acquired through Ichiru and Kaname, as well as Kaname's pure blood and all of Yuki's now awakened pure blood flowing through his veins. With the blood of 3 purebloods and the blood of his twin, he had gained incredible powers, and with them, he had been able to control his thirst for awhile, and he was even able to take the blood tablets without throwing up. But he had quickly learned that it had been only temporary. He supposed that the only true way to prevent becoming a level E was to drink from Shizuka directly, but since she was dead, he was pretty much screwed. He may have prolonged his fall to level E, but it was still only a matter of time before the “end” inevitably came for him…
Zero had grown accustomed to the ache in his chest, the hunger, and sleepless nights. Every day seemed to be even worse than the last. He~doing well to say the least, mentally or physically.
A knock broke the silence and Zero rose to answer it, forcing himself up off the floor. He pulled the door open to reveal a petite, young human girl with long raven hair and dark violet eyes.
The girl standing in the doorway was named Ayame. She was his neighbor who lived in the apartment across the hall who was also from a strong line of vampire hunters, something that she and Zero had in common. She knew that Zero wasn't just a hunter, but a vampire as well. Shenormallyhad distaste for bloodsuckers, but she made an exception since it was obvious that Zero hated vampires as much as she did. He really made absolutely no effort to hide it.
She and Zero saw each other now and then in hunter meetings and such. Since the academy had shut down, Zero had devoted most of his time to vampire hunting, using it as an emotional outlet and distraction. He did everything he could to keep his mind on other matters rather than let his self be consumed by his negative thoughts and emotions or dwell on things that~be changed.
Ayame stood rather awkwardly at the door for a minute with a ghost of a blush lightly staining her cheeks and a notebook clutched in her arms while Zero looked at her expectantly, forgetting that he was only in his boxers. Voice temporarily escaping her, she~help but let her eyes wander over his perfectly muscled chestabdomen, taking note of how the muscles around his hip bones created an alluring 'V' trail leading down to his...
cleared his throat impatiently, successfully bringing her out of her trance. She had been gawking at him much too long for comfort.
“Erm,” She started, as if she were suddenly shy, “I… I thought I’d come by to bring you some the updates, notes, and information thatyou'vethroughout the week.absent from the hunter meetings a” She offered the notebook to him but he~take it, only continued to stare at her, creatingrather awkward silence. “Erm, so you've heard about the increase of level E attacks in town, right?” Ayame mentally kicked herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Of course he knew, he was the only reason they hadn't taken over the whole city yet. It was really just a desperate and pathetic attempt to put an end to the uncomfortable atmosphere between them.
finally took the notebook from her with a quick “thanks” and went to shut the door.
“W-wait,” she said frantically as she put her hand up to stop the door before it could shut in her face. “I thought that maybe you could give me some pointers and prepare me for my performance exam coming up.” she trailed off a moment before adding, “erm, together. You know, tutor me.” The blush on her cheeks darkened slightly.
Zero sighed heavily. He~in the mood for company. “Look, I’m really not in the mood.” He movedshut the door once more, but she stopped it again.
“Please?” She gave himthe look,look that no guy could resist. She was very aware of the affect her looks had on men. She knew she was attractive and could get any guy she desired, therefore she had mastered the opposite sex at a young age. Ayame was used to boys getting flustered around her, but Zero however, was different. She could never get the same reactions out of him as the other guys, which drew her to him like a moth to a flame. In fact, he was the only one that madeherflustered.simply~understand why he seemedbe the only male to be completely immune to her charm; that alone was enough to make her helplessly infatuated with him. A guy had never captured her interest the way he did.was a mystery; a complicated and challenging puzzle that she wanted desperately to solve.what exactly it was about him that was soshe couldn't quite put her finger on it. She supposed that itpartially because she was the type of person to want what she~have, but there was more to it than that. For one, heequally as attractive as she was, if not more so, seeing as all vampires were gorgeous, flawless beings. He also had an effortless and undeniable sex appeal which he didn't even seem to be aware of. On top of his admirable looks, strength, smarts, and skills, the two of them shared a lot in common. They shared a strong hatred for vampires and the same dedication to vampire hunting. Zero Kiryu was quickly building a name for himself in the world of vampire hunters, maybe even surpassing Kaien Cross… and even his ownToga. And since she was the daughter of the Association's President, she supposed she herself was quite famous as well.
As Ayame had suspected, her charmhave any effect on him and Zero~hesitate to decline her wishesmore, but thatmean she was about to give up. She blocked the door for a third time.
“Look, I know you probably don’t care, but I don’t want to be alone tonight. I keep hearing about all the Level E attacks near here. I can handle myself, but I just think it's best to stick together,” She paused trying to judge his reaction but when she she added, “I won’t ask any personal questions, I promise. We’ll just talkvampire hunting.”
Zero sighed heavily once more at her hopeful expression. “Fine,” he said simply in defeat. He~much care forpersistence, but he~have the energy to keep arguing. He turned from the door without shutting it anddown on his bed as he had before.Did Zero have a few off-putting traits? Sure. He was distant and angsty and very private, sometimes even downright rude. But he was straight-forward and didn't sugarcoat things. She couldn't say that any of his more undesirable traits bothered her much... not when she had grown up with such an overbearing, insensitive father.Happy that he gave in, Ayame closed the door behind her and moved to sit on the bed beside him.around his room, she noticed the vomit in the trashcan and crinkled her nose. “Are you sick? Is that why you haven’t been around lately?”“I thought we were going to talk about vampire hunting,” he replied, trying to avoid answering.
“We will,” she assured him,“right after you answer my question.”
Zero grumbled in frustration. She was so bold and pushy, and much to his displeasure, she seemed to brush off and ignore his smart remarks and patronizing glances with an effortless ease. He was used to the meek little girls from the academy who’d back away at even the slightest glare from him. Otherwise, he just found it annoying when they would follow him around or ask him personal questions, both of which this girl seemed to be particularly good at.
Zero sat up to glare at her. “It really~any of your business,” he snapped in growing irritation. “But if youhaveknow,” Zero paused and bowed his head as if ashamed of what he was about to say, “I… haven’t had proper nourishment in awhile.” If he was lucky, maybe revealing that he was thirsty for blood would scare her away.
Confusion appeared on Ayame’s pretty face. “Don’t you use blood tablets? I see you take them all the time.”
“I take them, but they don’t do much good,” he explained, “My body rejects the pills and I end up throwing them up. They only take the edge off for a short period of time.” He studied her reaction as he explained and was mildly surprised. The girl was now aware that she was alone in a confined space with a hungry vampire, yet she still showed no signs of fear or wariness. Shedidn'tappear the slightest bit tense. Zero thoughtshe had simply over-looked the implications of his statement and~put two and two togetherOr maybe she simply~intimidated and blew it off because she was a hunter. On thewas curious and intrigued by the notion. There was something pleasantly exotic about being alone in a vampire’s apartment. It~take long before she found herself fantasizing about what it wouldlike to be bitten by a vampire; or more specifically, if Zero were to bite her. A pleasant shiver ran through her body at the thought. She wanted to feel his hot, labored breath caress her skin as his sharp fangs sank into her delicate, sensitive flesh… to get the overwhelming rush of ecstasy as he hungrily took what he wished from her, dominating her… to feel his strong, hard body pressed firmly against hers… to look into his steely eyes and see smoldering lust burning in them…
Her cheeks, she knew, were flushed. She was so turned on by the idea that she could have begged him right then to take her. Trying to keep herself under control, she did her best to push her fantasy aside and not to reveal how aroused she was.
Managing to compose herself, Ayame replied, “I see. It must be very difficult for you to live that way.”
Zero fought the urge to roll his eyes and sarcastically mutter ‘no duh.’ Instead, he settled for a slightly nicer response. “I guess...”
“So,” she began to change the subject, keeping her word to stick to the particular topic, “How many vampires have you killed?” Her tone was overly optimistic and as casually as she could, Ayame ‘innocently’ pulled her hair to one side, revealing the smooth, creamy skin of her neck and leaned forward as if eager to hear his response. She hoped to get a reaction out of him by exposing skin. Nothing had worked so far… And she~see harm in teasing.
Zero’s whole body visibly tensed at the gesture. As redness seeped into his eyes, he forced himself to turn away. Why would she do that after what he had just told her?! Was she really that ignorant or just stupid?
His breathing picked up, the burning in his throat increased, and his heart pounded hard against his chest like a wild animal trying to break free from its cage. He was trembling as he struggled to get himself under control.
Ayame smiled inwardly. It worked; He wanted her. Maybe not sexually like she wanted him, but she had gotten a reaction like she had hoped. Butterflies whirled around her stomach and she was dying with anticipation. But she was soon disappointed when after only a short moment, he seemed to be back to normal again.
“I don’t keep track,” he answered, but there was still a small, almost undetectable hint of huskiness lingering in his voice.
“Well, I do.” Brushing off her slight disappointment, she continued to make conversation, “In fact, I keep a tally in the back of the notebook that I gave you, along with some of my family’s vampire hunting techniques and some other neat stuff. Here, I can show you.” As Ayame picked up the notebook that had been abandoned carelessly on the nightstand, she started to flip through the pages when an idea suddenly struck her. She tried to conceal the small smile that appeared on her lips.
As she flipped a page of the notebook, she made sure that the edge of it ran across her finger just right, slicing it open. “Ouch!” She cried out, grumbling and cursing in forced aggravation, “Damn, I got a paper cut.” Blood welled up on her fingertip. Ayame paused a moment before looking up at him. “Do you want the blood? There’s no sense in letting it go to waste,”she said with false concern, holding her wounded finger out to him.
Zero froze, partially because of the tempting offer and partially at the blood slowly sliding down the length of her finger that he~tear his eyes away from. His lavender eyes flooded crimson again, symptoms returningTrying to act quickly, Zero pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and fumbled around in it for the blood tablets that were kept there.Ayame was a little startled at the sight of Zero's eyes changing colors. She had witnessed the change in other vampires before, however it felt different somehow since it was Zero. Pushing the thought aside, she vaguely wondered what he was looking for in his drawer.
Suddenly, Zero stopped his frantiche noticed something strange; Ayame’s blood had a certain…scentit that disturbed him and definitely caught his attention. It was the smell of strong longing… desire… lust. He knew what the scent was because he had tasted and smelt something similar to it before. Only before, it was in Yuki’s blood.
Then realization hit him. Ayame was a vampire hunter; there was no way she could unintentionally be so ignorant and careless around a vampire. She~bare her neck to a vampire by chance… or cut her finger andher blood to him on accident. She had been intentionally trying to tempt him... manipulate him. She wantedto bite her. He definitely~find her motives cute or funny, to say the least. It was cruel…… revolting.
Luckily, Zero’s anger was enough to overpower his thirst and distracted him from the blood, at least for the moment. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” He yelled at her.
Ayame’s heart skipped a beat at his sudden harshness. She~intended to make him angry with her. She blinked stupidlyhim, deciding to play dumb. “Nothing,” she replied. “What are you talking about?”
“You knowexactlyI’m talking about,” He insisted knowingly.
The callousness in his words stung. She averted her gaze and said nothing. That was enough to prove her guilt.
“Get out.” He demanded.
Her heart heavy with regret, Ayame set the notebook back on his nightstand and quietly left.
As soon as she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. Returning to the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out the small tin of blood tablets and hurriedly swallowed a couple, desperate for the minimal relief they provided.
It sickened him to admit it, but at the moment… he would doanythingreal blood; perhaps even kill. Grabbing Bloody Rose from where it had been left on the floor, he clutched it tightly in his lap as he sat hunched over on the edge of his bed. If he thought he~control himself any longer… He would have to use the Bloody Rose on himself. His hand moved to theon the bed and fisted it desperately.
The thunder rumbled menacingly and dark, treacherous clouds flashed, rain pouring violently from the livid heavens.
It was dark when Zero reached his destination, a modest house located in a secluded area of town. A level E vampire had broken into the home in the middle of the night, murdered the small family that lived there, and had been residing in their house.
This particular vampire had a routine; it would move from house to house, hiding out and feeding on its inhabitants one by one while before moving on to its next victims. If the vampire~taken care of, it wouldto kill. The vampire landed itself on the list and needed to be exterminated immediately. Apparently the last hunter assigned to the job had paid with his life. Zero~have any more details than that.
pulled his gun and cautiously approached the house, taking the porch stairs two at a time and trying to make as little noise as possible. He opened the front door with one hand, Bloody Rose ready in the other. Zero could already smell the blood and the putrid stench of rotting corpses as he entered the dark house.
There was no one in the foyer and none of the lights were on, but a flickering glow could be seen reflecting on the wall from the top of the staircase to his right. He made his way to the stairs and began to ascend them, careful not to alert his prey of his presence. With every step he took, the thick, metallic scent of blood and rotting grew stronger, he mentally prepared himself for the gruesome scene that might await him.
When he made it to the doorway that was emitting the light, the hunter took cover in the dim, shadowy recess beside the entry, pressing his back to the wall and listening for any sound or movement coming from the room. But there was none; only dead silence met his ears.
After a moment, Zero decided to peer into the room and instantly regretted it. Three shriveled bodies were sprawled out on the floor; a mother, a father, and a small little girl’s body. Their faces were sunken and deathly white, their eyes vacant, glazed and bulging. Even their pet dog had been completely sucked dry, its head completely detached from its body. Thick, crimson liquid soaked the carpet in large puddles and splatters of it stained the walls and furniture. The dancing light of the fuzzy TV eerily illuminated the ghastly scene in a very disturbing way.
Zero flinched away from the scene and back into the darkness. Nausea overwhelmed him, and he covered his mouth with his arm to muffle his gagging and in attempt to keep himself from vomiting.
It was reasons such as this that he hated vampires so much. They were cruel, cold, and heartless. So many of them were willing to ruthlessly slaughter innocent people and families, even helpless children just to satisfy their sick, selfish thirsts. There were other ways for a vampire to survive without the need to kill humans, but most of them~care. Human life meant nothing to them. Of course, Level Es were the worst; they wereof caring about anything but their next meal.
Regaining his composure to the best of his ability, Zero readied his gun once more. The level Ein thewhich meant he had to be on guard. The crazed creature could be anywhere and could possibly be aware of his presence.Zero began to search the rest of the house.he cautiously approached the next doorway, slight shuffling and rustling sounds could be heard from the darkness at the end of the hallway. Zero took one step toward the shadows and suddenly a figure burst from the darkness and knocked him to the ground. The creature snapped at him with its fangs and swiped at him with its claws, snarling and crazed. Struggling to hold it back, one of its clawed hands swiped the side of Zero’s face, leaving deep gashes across his cheek.
Crying out in pain, Zero mustered what little energy he had and thrust the vampire off of him. He scrambled to reach his gun which he had lost some point between being knocked off his feet and the struggle.
Recovering from Zero’s attack, the level E jumped on him once more, its hair waving around wildly as it thrashed about and whaled on him. Struggling to hold the creature back, Zero pressed the cold metal of his gun into the monster’s stomach and before it could react, he pulled the trigger.
Relieved to be back to his quiet apartment, Zero wiped the dried blood from his cheek, the scratch marks on his face from earlier already completely healed. With a heavy breath, Zero shrugged off his wet jacket and let it slid to the floor as he entered and carelessly nudged the door shut behind him with his foot before removing his shoes.
He had taken care of the level E quickly and with minimal complications, considering. He was lucky to have come back virtually unscathed. His strength and endurance had been suffering for hisLately, even theamount of strenuous activity took too much energy. Drained from his hunt, he felt as if his legs could give out any moment.
The rain continued to pour from the dark heavens and the soft pitter-patter of rain filled the dim, lonely room. Zero laid solemnly on his bed, the only sound breaking the night’s silence was the sound of the rain colliding with the glass of the windows.
A worn picture rested in Zero's hand, Bloody Rose in the other. It was cold nights like these that he would sometimes think of Yuki, despite the intense sharp pang in his chest in doing so. It was inevitable. Even if he somehow managed to let the rain lull him to sleep, her memory never failed to invade his dreams. That seemed to be all she was now… just a dream.
Examining the picture of the two of them from years ago, memories flooded back to him… Zero shut his eyes trying to block them out. Visions of kind smiles, of pouts and blushes, and playful teasing overwhelmed him. He dreamed of short, shiny brown hair and soft skin, and the innocent giggles of a small, fragile girl that he would never see the same way ever again.
He~deny that he missed her… so much, that it was unbearable.
No, he~missher… He missed who she used to be. The girl that he missed had been pure and untainted, childishly naive, sweet and kind... and human. She would never be the same, and it killed him inside to see her as a vampire, turned into the one thing he loathed more than anything else in the world. She was never supposed to be like him; she was never supposed to be a vampire. She was… supposed to stay the same innocent mortal girl that he remembered… That’s how he would always remember her.
Zero Kiryuu dropped his belongings with a heavy thud by the door. He kicked off his shoes and striped off his shirt once he reached the privacy of his apartment, desperate to get out of the cold, wet clothes that clung to him. He was soaked from the rain, his bangs were matted to his forehead, and large droplets of water rolled off of his silver hair. He ran his hand through it in attempt to rid it of some of the moisture, but it didn‘t do much good.
Clad in nothing but his boxers, Zero made his way to his sloppy, unmade bed with his gun in hand, collapsing into its soft mattress with a heavy sigh.hunting took a lot out of him. His eyes throbbed from the lack of sleep for the past few days. Helet them drift shut, but he knew he~be able to doze off. The burning itch in his throat and sharp hunger pains in his stomach prevented him from obtaining any sense of peace. Opening his eyes, Zeroup at the ceiling in frustration, his hands absently began to twirl Bloody Rose between them.
It had been seven long months since Zero had last seen the sweet, trusting, innocent girl that was Yuki Cross.’s fidgeting with his gun halted and he gripped it tightly between his two hands, his knuckles turning white from the effort. The painful throbbing in his chest increased at the mere thought of her name. It'ther name anymore; it was Lady Yuki Kuran now.
Zero recalled the day she left to be with her pureblood brother and his jaw tightened. Kaname was so condescending and conniving that it made Zero’s blood boil, yet Yuki had always admired the pureblood, as if he were a saint rather than a vampire. In her naïve and impressionable mind, the pureblood could do no wrong.this time, Zero had strived to protect her from vampires; meanwhile she had spent her time being helplessly infatuated with one, something he just could not understand. How couldanyonecruel, blood-sucking beasts appealing?
After it was all said and done, all Zero could do was watch her go, letting bitterness and hatred consume him as she happily left Cross Academy with a smile. For the first time, he hated her. For the first time, he wanted to put an end to her existence, just as he didallvampires. She betrayed him.
When the time came, he would do what he had to do no matter what, and he~let anything get in the way of that,not feelings. He had learned the hard way that hunters couldn't afford feelings or emotions when it came to their work. Years ago, Touga had lost his eye as a result of trying to save him from the teacher-turned-level-E, all because of Zero's emotional attachment to her and his "feelings".
Everything that had happened between himself and Yuki~matter because it~change whatbecome. She~Yuki anymore; she was a monster. And if it was true that she was no longer hisYuki, then her would have no problem fullfilling his awful vow to end her life. He mourned her, as if she were already dead.
After all this time, he only regretted letting himself get close to her. He had failed to keep a safe distance between them. No matter hard he tried to push her away, shut her out... she always managed to somehow work her way in again. Only for Yuki, a soft spot had formed in his heart over the years; But the day her humanity was stripped from her, was the same day his heart hardened towards her and his instincts as a vampire hunter took over. In that moment, they became enemies; Vampire versus Slayer. Things were different now;shedifferent now. As far as he was concerned, the two purebloods deserved each other. But then, why did it still hurt so much?
Forcing himself to turn his thoughts to other matters, his hands began to nervously play with his gun again, twirling it between them and passing it back and forth in a futile attempt to distract himself, not only from his thoughts but the nagging pain plaguing him as well. Restless, Zero got up from his bed and began to pace the length of the room thoughtfully, gun still in hand.
Cross Academy never fully recovered. The school was still mostly in ruins and the students had all been sent home, but Kaien Cross continued to reside there alone, refusing to abandon his beloved Cross Academy. He was slowly working to revive it, but anyone could see it was a lost cause. Zero believed him a fool for even trying. Everything that the school stood for had failed, as Zero had always known it would.
Unlike the Headmaster who had stayed at the school, Zero had left everything behind and started over. The Association invited him to stay in one of the small apartments on their premises that were reserved for only the best hunters and he hadn't hesitated to take them up on the offer. It was too painful to stick around the academy when every place in the school seemed to hold a bittersweet memory of the girl- or rather, thevampirehad betrayed him.
The word ‘vampire’ left a bad taste in his mouth.
But despite his efforts, her memory seemed to haunt him no matter where he went.sweet voice echoed in his ears and a vision of her flooded back to him as they often did.
"I don’t care if you hate me along with the rest of the night class; I won’t let you give up on yourself!” Yuki’s gaze was intense as she looked at him. He remembered the way her cheeks were lightly flushed and how her heart sounded as it thudded against her chest. He could tell she was nervous, but she seemed to be very confident in her decision to offer her blood to him, seeing complete determination in her eyes. He had always marveled at how selfless she was… forgetting all about her own well-being to help him. She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her relationship with Kaname... for him.
It was then that he remembered his response, "Yuki, how could I ever hate you…”
Zero suddenly felt his stomach lurch and this mouth began to water. The familiar feeling of nausea hit him, and the burning of bile worked its way to his mouth. Unable to make it to the toilet in time, he dropped to his knees in front of the trashcan beside his nightstand, Bloody Rose colliding clamorously with the floor as he threw up. Stomach finally feeling a little more stable a few moments later, he wiped his mouth and sat back against the wall feeling rather drained and weak.
Since Zero no longer had Yuki to offer him her blood, he was forced to resort back to using the blood tablets that his body insisted on rejecting. Being unable to keep the pills down had caused him to lose a considerable amount of weight and he was becoming dangerously pale and famished more and more each day. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could live the way he was. The only reason he had made it so long was because of Shizuka’s blood that he acquired through Ichiru and Kaname, as well as Kaname's pure blood and all of Yuki's now awakened pure blood flowing through his veins. With the blood of 3 purebloods and the blood of his twin, he had gained incredible powers, and with them, he had been able to control his thirst for awhile, and he was even able to take the blood tablets without throwing up. But he had quickly learned that it had been only temporary. He supposed that the only true way to prevent becoming a level E was to drink from Shizuka directly, but since she was dead, he was pretty much screwed. He may have prolonged his fall to level E, but it was still only a matter of time before the “end” inevitably came for him…
Zero had grown accustomed to the ache in his chest, the hunger, and sleepless nights. Every day seemed to be even worse than the last. He~doing well to say the least, mentally or physically.
A knock broke the silence and Zero rose to answer it, forcing himself up off the floor. He pulled the door open to reveal a petite, young human girl with long raven hair and dark violet eyes.
The girl standing in the doorway was named Ayame. She was his neighbor who lived in the apartment across the hall who was also from a strong line of vampire hunters, something that she and Zero had in common. She knew that Zero wasn't just a hunter, but a vampire as well. Shenormallyhad distaste for bloodsuckers, but she made an exception since it was obvious that Zero hated vampires as much as she did. He really made absolutely no effort to hide it.
She and Zero saw each other now and then in hunter meetings and such. Since the academy had shut down, Zero had devoted most of his time to vampire hunting, using it as an emotional outlet and distraction. He did everything he could to keep his mind on other matters rather than let his self be consumed by his negative thoughts and emotions or dwell on things that~be changed.
Ayame stood rather awkwardly at the door for a minute with a ghost of a blush lightly staining her cheeks and a notebook clutched in her arms while Zero looked at her expectantly, forgetting that he was only in his boxers. Voice temporarily escaping her, she~help but let her eyes wander over his perfectly muscled chestabdomen, taking note of how the muscles around his hip bones created an alluring 'V' trail leading down to his...
cleared his throat impatiently, successfully bringing her out of her trance. She had been gawking at him much too long for comfort.
“Erm,” She started, as if she were suddenly shy, “I… I thought I’d come by to bring you some the updates, notes, and information thatyou'vethroughout the week.absent from the hunter meetings a” She offered the notebook to him but he~take it, only continued to stare at her, creatingrather awkward silence. “Erm, so you've heard about the increase of level E attacks in town, right?” Ayame mentally kicked herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Of course he knew, he was the only reason they hadn't taken over the whole city yet. It was really just a desperate and pathetic attempt to put an end to the uncomfortable atmosphere between them.
finally took the notebook from her with a quick “thanks” and went to shut the door.
“W-wait,” she said frantically as she put her hand up to stop the door before it could shut in her face. “I thought that maybe you could give me some pointers and prepare me for my performance exam coming up.” she trailed off a moment before adding, “erm, together. You know, tutor me.” The blush on her cheeks darkened slightly.
Zero sighed heavily. He~in the mood for company. “Look, I’m really not in the mood.” He movedshut the door once more, but she stopped it again.
“Please?” She gave himthe look,look that no guy could resist. She was very aware of the affect her looks had on men. She knew she was attractive and could get any guy she desired, therefore she had mastered the opposite sex at a young age. Ayame was used to boys getting flustered around her, but Zero however, was different. She could never get the same reactions out of him as the other guys, which drew her to him like a moth to a flame. In fact, he was the only one that madeherflustered.simply~understand why he seemedbe the only male to be completely immune to her charm; that alone was enough to make her helplessly infatuated with him. A guy had never captured her interest the way he did.was a mystery; a complicated and challenging puzzle that she wanted desperately to solve.what exactly it was about him that was soshe couldn't quite put her finger on it. She supposed that itpartially because she was the type of person to want what she~have, but there was more to it than that. For one, heequally as attractive as she was, if not more so, seeing as all vampires were gorgeous, flawless beings. He also had an effortless and undeniable sex appeal which he didn't even seem to be aware of. On top of his admirable looks, strength, smarts, and skills, the two of them shared a lot in common. They shared a strong hatred for vampires and the same dedication to vampire hunting. Zero Kiryu was quickly building a name for himself in the world of vampire hunters, maybe even surpassing Kaien Cross… and even his ownToga. And since she was the daughter of the Association's President, she supposed she herself was quite famous as well.
As Ayame had suspected, her charmhave any effect on him and Zero~hesitate to decline her wishesmore, but thatmean she was about to give up. She blocked the door for a third time.
“Look, I know you probably don’t care, but I don’t want to be alone tonight. I keep hearing about all the Level E attacks near here. I can handle myself, but I just think it's best to stick together,” She paused trying to judge his reaction but when she she added, “I won’t ask any personal questions, I promise. We’ll just talkvampire hunting.”
Zero sighed heavily once more at her hopeful expression. “Fine,” he said simply in defeat. He~much care forpersistence, but he~have the energy to keep arguing. He turned from the door without shutting it anddown on his bed as he had before.Did Zero have a few off-putting traits? Sure. He was distant and angsty and very private, sometimes even downright rude. But he was straight-forward and didn't sugarcoat things. She couldn't say that any of his more undesirable traits bothered her much... not when she had grown up with such an overbearing, insensitive father.Happy that he gave in, Ayame closed the door behind her and moved to sit on the bed beside him.around his room, she noticed the vomit in the trashcan and crinkled her nose. “Are you sick? Is that why you haven’t been around lately?”“I thought we were going to talk about vampire hunting,” he replied, trying to avoid answering.
“We will,” she assured him,“right after you answer my question.”
Zero grumbled in frustration. She was so bold and pushy, and much to his displeasure, she seemed to brush off and ignore his smart remarks and patronizing glances with an effortless ease. He was used to the meek little girls from the academy who’d back away at even the slightest glare from him. Otherwise, he just found it annoying when they would follow him around or ask him personal questions, both of which this girl seemed to be particularly good at.
Zero sat up to glare at her. “It really~any of your business,” he snapped in growing irritation. “But if youhaveknow,” Zero paused and bowed his head as if ashamed of what he was about to say, “I… haven’t had proper nourishment in awhile.” If he was lucky, maybe revealing that he was thirsty for blood would scare her away.
Confusion appeared on Ayame’s pretty face. “Don’t you use blood tablets? I see you take them all the time.”
“I take them, but they don’t do much good,” he explained, “My body rejects the pills and I end up throwing them up. They only take the edge off for a short period of time.” He studied her reaction as he explained and was mildly surprised. The girl was now aware that she was alone in a confined space with a hungry vampire, yet she still showed no signs of fear or wariness. Shedidn'tappear the slightest bit tense. Zero thoughtshe had simply over-looked the implications of his statement and~put two and two togetherOr maybe she simply~intimidated and blew it off because she was a hunter. On thewas curious and intrigued by the notion. There was something pleasantly exotic about being alone in a vampire’s apartment. It~take long before she found herself fantasizing about what it wouldlike to be bitten by a vampire; or more specifically, if Zero were to bite her. A pleasant shiver ran through her body at the thought. She wanted to feel his hot, labored breath caress her skin as his sharp fangs sank into her delicate, sensitive flesh… to get the overwhelming rush of ecstasy as he hungrily took what he wished from her, dominating her… to feel his strong, hard body pressed firmly against hers… to look into his steely eyes and see smoldering lust burning in them…
Her cheeks, she knew, were flushed. She was so turned on by the idea that she could have begged him right then to take her. Trying to keep herself under control, she did her best to push her fantasy aside and not to reveal how aroused she was.
Managing to compose herself, Ayame replied, “I see. It must be very difficult for you to live that way.”
Zero fought the urge to roll his eyes and sarcastically mutter ‘no duh.’ Instead, he settled for a slightly nicer response. “I guess...”
“So,” she began to change the subject, keeping her word to stick to the particular topic, “How many vampires have you killed?” Her tone was overly optimistic and as casually as she could, Ayame ‘innocently’ pulled her hair to one side, revealing the smooth, creamy skin of her neck and leaned forward as if eager to hear his response. She hoped to get a reaction out of him by exposing skin. Nothing had worked so far… And she~see harm in teasing.
Zero’s whole body visibly tensed at the gesture. As redness seeped into his eyes, he forced himself to turn away. Why would she do that after what he had just told her?! Was she really that ignorant or just stupid?
His breathing picked up, the burning in his throat increased, and his heart pounded hard against his chest like a wild animal trying to break free from its cage. He was trembling as he struggled to get himself under control.
Ayame smiled inwardly. It worked; He wanted her. Maybe not sexually like she wanted him, but she had gotten a reaction like she had hoped. Butterflies whirled around her stomach and she was dying with anticipation. But she was soon disappointed when after only a short moment, he seemed to be back to normal again.
“I don’t keep track,” he answered, but there was still a small, almost undetectable hint of huskiness lingering in his voice.
“Well, I do.” Brushing off her slight disappointment, she continued to make conversation, “In fact, I keep a tally in the back of the notebook that I gave you, along with some of my family’s vampire hunting techniques and some other neat stuff. Here, I can show you.” As Ayame picked up the notebook that had been abandoned carelessly on the nightstand, she started to flip through the pages when an idea suddenly struck her. She tried to conceal the small smile that appeared on her lips.
As she flipped a page of the notebook, she made sure that the edge of it ran across her finger just right, slicing it open. “Ouch!” She cried out, grumbling and cursing in forced aggravation, “Damn, I got a paper cut.” Blood welled up on her fingertip. Ayame paused a moment before looking up at him. “Do you want the blood? There’s no sense in letting it go to waste,”she said with false concern, holding her wounded finger out to him.
Zero froze, partially because of the tempting offer and partially at the blood slowly sliding down the length of her finger that he~tear his eyes away from. His lavender eyes flooded crimson again, symptoms returningTrying to act quickly, Zero pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and fumbled around in it for the blood tablets that were kept there.Ayame was a little startled at the sight of Zero's eyes changing colors. She had witnessed the change in other vampires before, however it felt different somehow since it was Zero. Pushing the thought aside, she vaguely wondered what he was looking for in his drawer.
Suddenly, Zero stopped his frantiche noticed something strange; Ayame’s blood had a certain…scentit that disturbed him and definitely caught his attention. It was the smell of strong longing… desire… lust. He knew what the scent was because he had tasted and smelt something similar to it before. Only before, it was in Yuki’s blood.
Then realization hit him. Ayame was a vampire hunter; there was no way she could unintentionally be so ignorant and careless around a vampire. She~bare her neck to a vampire by chance… or cut her finger andher blood to him on accident. She had been intentionally trying to tempt him... manipulate him. She wantedto bite her. He definitely~find her motives cute or funny, to say the least. It was cruel…… revolting.
Luckily, Zero’s anger was enough to overpower his thirst and distracted him from the blood, at least for the moment. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” He yelled at her.
Ayame’s heart skipped a beat at his sudden harshness. She~intended to make him angry with her. She blinked stupidlyhim, deciding to play dumb. “Nothing,” she replied. “What are you talking about?”
“You knowexactlyI’m talking about,” He insisted knowingly.
The callousness in his words stung. She averted her gaze and said nothing. That was enough to prove her guilt.
“Get out.” He demanded.
Her heart heavy with regret, Ayame set the notebook back on his nightstand and quietly left.
As soon as she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. Returning to the drawer of his nightstand, he pulled out the small tin of blood tablets and hurriedly swallowed a couple, desperate for the minimal relief they provided.
It sickened him to admit it, but at the moment… he would doanythingreal blood; perhaps even kill. Grabbing Bloody Rose from where it had been left on the floor, he clutched it tightly in his lap as he sat hunched over on the edge of his bed. If he thought he~control himself any longer… He would have to use the Bloody Rose on himself. His hand moved to theon the bed and fisted it desperately.
The thunder rumbled menacingly and dark, treacherous clouds flashed, rain pouring violently from the livid heavens.
It was dark when Zero reached his destination, a modest house located in a secluded area of town. A level E vampire had broken into the home in the middle of the night, murdered the small family that lived there, and had been residing in their house.
This particular vampire had a routine; it would move from house to house, hiding out and feeding on its inhabitants one by one while before moving on to its next victims. If the vampire~taken care of, it wouldto kill. The vampire landed itself on the list and needed to be exterminated immediately. Apparently the last hunter assigned to the job had paid with his life. Zero~have any more details than that.
pulled his gun and cautiously approached the house, taking the porch stairs two at a time and trying to make as little noise as possible. He opened the front door with one hand, Bloody Rose ready in the other. Zero could already smell the blood and the putrid stench of rotting corpses as he entered the dark house.
There was no one in the foyer and none of the lights were on, but a flickering glow could be seen reflecting on the wall from the top of the staircase to his right. He made his way to the stairs and began to ascend them, careful not to alert his prey of his presence. With every step he took, the thick, metallic scent of blood and rotting grew stronger, he mentally prepared himself for the gruesome scene that might await him.
When he made it to the doorway that was emitting the light, the hunter took cover in the dim, shadowy recess beside the entry, pressing his back to the wall and listening for any sound or movement coming from the room. But there was none; only dead silence met his ears.
After a moment, Zero decided to peer into the room and instantly regretted it. Three shriveled bodies were sprawled out on the floor; a mother, a father, and a small little girl’s body. Their faces were sunken and deathly white, their eyes vacant, glazed and bulging. Even their pet dog had been completely sucked dry, its head completely detached from its body. Thick, crimson liquid soaked the carpet in large puddles and splatters of it stained the walls and furniture. The dancing light of the fuzzy TV eerily illuminated the ghastly scene in a very disturbing way.
Zero flinched away from the scene and back into the darkness. Nausea overwhelmed him, and he covered his mouth with his arm to muffle his gagging and in attempt to keep himself from vomiting.
It was reasons such as this that he hated vampires so much. They were cruel, cold, and heartless. So many of them were willing to ruthlessly slaughter innocent people and families, even helpless children just to satisfy their sick, selfish thirsts. There were other ways for a vampire to survive without the need to kill humans, but most of them~care. Human life meant nothing to them. Of course, Level Es were the worst; they wereof caring about anything but their next meal.
Regaining his composure to the best of his ability, Zero readied his gun once more. The level Ein thewhich meant he had to be on guard. The crazed creature could be anywhere and could possibly be aware of his presence.Zero began to search the rest of the house.he cautiously approached the next doorway, slight shuffling and rustling sounds could be heard from the darkness at the end of the hallway. Zero took one step toward the shadows and suddenly a figure burst from the darkness and knocked him to the ground. The creature snapped at him with its fangs and swiped at him with its claws, snarling and crazed. Struggling to hold it back, one of its clawed hands swiped the side of Zero’s face, leaving deep gashes across his cheek.
Crying out in pain, Zero mustered what little energy he had and thrust the vampire off of him. He scrambled to reach his gun which he had lost some point between being knocked off his feet and the struggle.
Recovering from Zero’s attack, the level E jumped on him once more, its hair waving around wildly as it thrashed about and whaled on him. Struggling to hold the creature back, Zero pressed the cold metal of his gun into the monster’s stomach and before it could react, he pulled the trigger.
Relieved to be back to his quiet apartment, Zero wiped the dried blood from his cheek, the scratch marks on his face from earlier already completely healed. With a heavy breath, Zero shrugged off his wet jacket and let it slid to the floor as he entered and carelessly nudged the door shut behind him with his foot before removing his shoes.
He had taken care of the level E quickly and with minimal complications, considering. He was lucky to have come back virtually unscathed. His strength and endurance had been suffering for hisLately, even theamount of strenuous activity took too much energy. Drained from his hunt, he felt as if his legs could give out any moment.
The rain continued to pour from the dark heavens and the soft pitter-patter of rain filled the dim, lonely room. Zero laid solemnly on his bed, the only sound breaking the night’s silence was the sound of the rain colliding with the glass of the windows.
A worn picture rested in Zero's hand, Bloody Rose in the other. It was cold nights like these that he would sometimes think of Yuki, despite the intense sharp pang in his chest in doing so. It was inevitable. Even if he somehow managed to let the rain lull him to sleep, her memory never failed to invade his dreams. That seemed to be all she was now… just a dream.
Examining the picture of the two of them from years ago, memories flooded back to him… Zero shut his eyes trying to block them out. Visions of kind smiles, of pouts and blushes, and playful teasing overwhelmed him. He dreamed of short, shiny brown hair and soft skin, and the innocent giggles of a small, fragile girl that he would never see the same way ever again.
He~deny that he missed her… so much, that it was unbearable.
No, he~missher… He missed who she used to be. The girl that he missed had been pure and untainted, childishly naive, sweet and kind... and human. She would never be the same, and it killed him inside to see her as a vampire, turned into the one thing he loathed more than anything else in the world. She was never supposed to be like him; she was never supposed to be a vampire. She was… supposed to stay the same innocent mortal girl that he remembered… That’s how he would always remember her.