Vampire Knight 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The twinkling of the stars glistened in the velvet sky. The full moon shined brightly over the glow of the castle where the soft playing of an orchestra's music flowed through the night like leaves caught in the wind. Laughter rang through the walls and the colorful gowns of the fair maidens moved with the beat of the music, but all turned still when the tapping of a wine glass was coming from the direction where the King and Queen sat upon their throne.

"Thank you, my dear guest for being here with us today to celebrate a special time of year for me and my wife. For today we celebrate the seventeenth birthday of our sons Zero and Ichiru."

The crowd erupted in cheers, but once again died down as the King rose up a hand for silence.

"Yet, its an even more special time for our eldest son who is close to the appropriate age where boys his age are given an arrange marriage with a person their parents had chosen, but that shall not happen to my son. I want him to find happiness with someone he truly loves. Like I have found the one I loved." The king said as he kissed the back of his wife's hand. "That is why; me and my wife have chosen many candidates for him to choose from, all from different social backgrounds and well known with respectable parents…"

Zero leaned his chin on his palm as he listened as his father talked. Zero had a bored expression on his face; he didn't understand what was so special about him getting married. It all seemed rushed in his opinion; even though he was given candidates which were all chosen by both his parents, he still felt as though he was being forced to love someone he didn't know.

"_What's with the bored expression, brother?"_ Ichiru whispered next to Zero.

"_I don't see why I am forced to marry when there is you."_

"_We may be brothers, but you are the oldest one and it is always the oldest who are to take the throne." _Ichiru answered truthfully._ "Plus, I already have someone I like."_

"_You have someone you like?" _Zero snorted._ "Dear lord, save the poor soul of the person who has to be stuck with him"_ Zero said teasingly which caused Ichiru to elbow him.

"_I doubt he will need any saving once I'm through with him."_

"_The person you like is a guy?"_ Zero asked his brother, yet wasn't able to get an answer for Zero's father called for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen my eldest son, Zero Kiryu"

Zero rose to his feet and walked until he was besides his father.

"My dear son, may you find the love of your life. The person you are willing to spend all eternity with and may you find that person within the year, so that you will be crowned the new King of our kingdom. So let us cheer for the victory of my son!"

"Long live the King," The crowd began chanting. "Long live our future King, Zero!"

-0-

"Mother, father…are you out of your mind?" Zero shouted.

The night had already faded to bright morning, all the guest had returned home. Zero was in one of the couches in the bedroom of his parents; his mother was sitting on the bed while his father was standing besides the fireplace.

"A year! You're giving me one year to find me a partner!"

"Please Zero, don't shout…" Zero's mother said as she continued to brush her long curly hair.

Zero made sure to lower his voice before speaking again. "Why am I only given a whole year?"

"Relax, that's plenty of enough time to find a mate." Zero's father argued. "I married your mother in less than that time."

"That was mostly because you already knew her."

"He does have a point there, Daisuke."

"Saya, please stay out of this."

"See, even mother agrees with me."

"She never said she agreed, Zero."

"But still, it's not fair father." Zero insisted. "I don't understand why it even has to be me, when Ichiru is just as old as I am."

"Yes, but you are the oldest." Daisuke answered in a stern voice.

"Only by a few minutes…"

"Enough Zero! I simply don't care if you think it's fair or not, you will find a mate within the year time limit. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, I understand father."

"Good, now you're dismissed."

Zero bowed then took a few steps backwards and without looking at his father turned on his heel and left through the double doors, making sure he slammed it shut as he left.

"Don't you think you were a little too hard on him?" Saya commented as she made her way to her husband, her red silk robe flowing as she walked gracefully to him.

"That's the only way I can get through to him Saya; this is the way all vampire children learn."

"Daisuke look at it from his point of view, you of all people should be able to relate to him. Don't you think we pushed a lot of pressure on him? I mean, he is still just a child. It will take years for him to get to our level. So please don't give him any more reason for him to dislike us. I don't understand why it is so hard for you to admit that you were wrong sometimes and ease it up a little, because if you keep acting like this you will truly lose your son forever."

"The Kiryu's have been ruling this land for centuries, blood was shed on this land. We've seen the world go by us with each passing year. But don't you think that it is now our time to rest? We have yet to take our much needed slumber."

"I understand all that Daisuke, but when it comes to my children I don't care how tired I may be, I will always stand by them." Saya said as she placed a gentle kiss on her husband's cheek. "I will see how he's doing."

Daisuke watched in silence as he saw his wife leave the room, placing a hand upon the cheek his wife had kissed. He gave a small smile before walking to his bed for a much-needed sleep for tonight they were expecting very important guests.

-0-

Zero was sprawled on the couch in his study with one arm resting over his eyes, the dark blue shirt he was wearing was unbutton and hanging loosely on either side showing off his flawless skin only the Kiryu family possesses; he was in that position when his mother came in.

"Come to scold me some more?" Zero asked opening an eye.

"No Zero, I just came to talk that's all."

Zero was about to sit up when his mother placed an elegant hand on his chest. "There is no need to get up, just rest your head on my lap."

Zero lifted his head enough so that his mother had room to sit herself and then rested his head on her lap. Zero allowed his mother too gently trail her fingers through his hair like she had done when both he and Ichiru were younger, he could almost feel his eyelids become heavy with tiredness.

"You know your father is sorry for snapping at you back there."

"Did he say that? Or are you just saying what you think will calm my anger towards him?"

Saya sighed. "Even if he didn't say it, I know that he is and you need to forgive him Zero, you know too well how stubborn he can be."

"No kidding."

Saya couldn't help but smile at her son's straight forwardness.

"I don't get why I have to marry?"

"That is so you can be able to rule while your father and I rest."

"Purebloods can live for centuries, yet why do they want to spend the rest of their lives in a casket?"

"It's just in our nature; soon you will be doing the same when your son or daughter is ready to rule."

"Yea about that, shouldn't I be marrying a woman to create a heir?"

"Zero, do you want to know a secret about your father's clan?" Saya whispered softly in her son's ear.

"Okay, what is it?"

"The males of the Kiryu clan are able to produce a heir."

"We can what?" Zero shouted as he sat up quickly almost hitting his mother's head with his own. "Are you telling me I can have babies?"

"Yup, that's exactly what I'm saying Zero. That is why our pureblood family is the most desirable of all the others."

"Oh great, add more wood to the fire."

"Zero…" Saya placed both hands on either side of Zero's face. "I know this is something you didn't wish to hear, but it is something that must be done. You need to grow up Zero. Live the life in which you were born to."

Saya kissed the tip of Zero's nose. "It is early, you must get some sleep. We'll discuss this further when your father is present and not to mention we have guests arriving tonight."

"Goodnight mother" Zero whispered as he watched his mother leave the room.

It was quiet for a few moments after his mother left until Zero heard a small pebble hit his window. Zero walked over to the window and saw that his childhood friend Takuma was looking right up at him.

"What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"What? Have you forgotten that you wanted me to meet up with you?"

"That's right, at the party…"

Zero remembered telling Takuma to meet up so they can both watch the sun rise like they use to do when they were both young. Zero climbed onto the ledge of the window and jumped with a cat like grace until he landed on his feet.

"I was in need of a break…" Zero said.

"Then I came at the right time."

_'You sure did Takuma…' _Zero thought to himself. "How about we race and see who will get to the cliff first?"

"You're on, Zero." Takuma challenged. "On my mark, we both run."

Zero nodded and watched silently as Takuma counted backwards from five and once he reached one, they were off. Zooming through the forest that surround the Kiryu castle at vampire speed, dashing and jumping over fallen tree trunks that were on the forest floor until the two finally came to a stop when they reached the cliff.

"Looks to me like it's a draw." Zero said looking at Takuma.

"Yea, I guess it is…" Takuma agreed. "So why all of a sudden did you ask me to join you and see the sun rise?"

"I wanted a place where I can escape for a while and this spot was the first to come to mind since we use to come here all the time when we were kids."

'_This must be hard on you Zero.'_ Takuma thought side glancing at Zero who was busy looking across the horizon where an orange yellowish orb began slowly rising. _'I wish I can erase the worries you are feeling, yet what can a simple vampire with the title of Noble can do?'_

"Thank you, Takuma."

Takuma was struck speechless at the response Zero had given; he didn't understand why Zero was even thanking him for, but even so that didn't stop his heart from racing.

"Why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything."

"That's where you're wrong, you have done the most important thing of all and that is being a friend to me."

Takuma had to turn away for he didn't want to have Zero see the ridiculous blush spreading across his face. His heart was beating fast, yet there was a slight pang feeling lingering there. Maybe because for as long as he could remember he had always wanted to be more to Zero than just a friend. But he just couldn't bring himself to confess, to afraid to be rejected and lose Zero forever. That's why he vowed to keep his love for him a secret and guard him from the shadows.

"Takuma are you okay?"

"Um…yes, just got touched by your words, that's all."

"What a softie you are, but then again it's your kind heart that I like most about you."

After a few moments of silence between the two, a voice that belong to Zero's guard was heard.

"There you are, your highness." Kaito Takamiya that served as one of the guards that served under the Kiryu clan spoke again. "You shouldn't be here at this early hour."

"My father sent you?" Zero asked but didn't get a response from Kaito thus proving he was right.

Zero took one last look at the glowing orb. "It seems like my days of watching the sun rise has finally come to an end."

Zero reached out his hand as if to grasp something, but knowing that nothing was in front of him but air, he let it fall limply to his side.

"I'll see you tonight, Takuma." Zero said as he followed Kaito back in the direction in which he had come.

Zero left with only one thought flowing through his mind and that was what or who will be at the end of his fingertips.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Queen Victoria was of mostly German descent; she was the daughter of the fourth son of George III, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn." Rido read from a history book across from a bored looking Zero.

It was mid-afternoon as Zero sat quietly listening to his tutor lecture him about the era of the great Queen Victoria to which his parents had a great chance to meet at one point in their lives, but of course that was decades ago and a new era was arising with Zero as the new successor of his parents great reign.

There was no way he could live up to everyone's expectations, which he knew. Everyone was putting so much pressure on him that Zero felt as if a steal building was weighing on his shoulders, making it hard to move forward into the world everyone wanted him to enter, when deep inside he just wanted to drop the building on their heads and run in the opposite direction to a world he only knew of and felt free to live his life in a way he wanted to.

Zero gave a sigh as he slouched in his chair, so lost in his own worries that he didn't see Rido pull out a ruler. It wasn't until Rido smacked him with it on his hand did he get taken from his thoughts.

"What the hell was that for?" Zero growled rubbing his hand.

"You must focus on your studies, your majesty. And might I mention that a prince should not slouch in his chair, it's bad for your posture."

"Screw my studies. I already know most of it anyways and half of it I already lived through it. I maybe eighteen in vampire years, but I am more than a few decades in human. So personally, I don't see the point." Zero responded somewhat rudely causing Rido to smack him again on his hands.

"Respect your fellow pureblood, prince Zero." Rido answered with a smirk on his face.

"Rido, has anyone ever mentioned that you are a sadistic bastard?"

Rido thought for a moment before smiling. "Yes, quite a few times actually."

Zero felt his eye twitch with great amounts of annoyance. "You're really impossible, you know that?"

Rido merely shrugged his shoulder before he stood up and walked behind Zero. "You look stress, your highness. Let me fix that for you."

Zero at first flinched away from Rido's hands on his shoulders, but after a brief second of hesitation, Zero began to relax into the touch.

"Your shoulders are so stiff, which could only mean you are defiantly worried about tonight."

"Please, don't remind me."

"How many are expected to come, Zero-sama?"

"There will be two arriving tonight and the rest will come the following day."

"That's quite a few candidates."

"Yea and I only have one year to choose between them, for one to become my mate." Zero blushed as he thought about it.

Having a male mate was uncommon among purebloods since they were very few of them. Yet, the Kiryu clan was pretty much the only ones who had the privilege to choose a male as their partner.

"You truly are a rarity Zero-sama, since you have a special trait flowing in your veins."

"Please don't remind me." Zero shuttered. "I can't even picture a baby coming out of me."

"Yea, but the love making would be exciting."

"That's disgusting, Rido."

Rido laughed as he wrapped his arms around Zero's shoulders and leaned his chin on one of them. "You know, Zero-sama; my son will be coming tonight."

"Don't tell me he is one of the people I have to choose from?"

"Oh, but he is." Rido whispered. "He is handsome and charming like me."

"Who said you were charming?"

Rido smiled and rubbed his face against the side of Zero's cheek. "Stop denying it your highness, you must admit that you find me attractive."

Zero rolled his eyes before Rido tilted Zero's head to the side so that he could be facing him. "Out of all those who are coming tonight, my son is the perfect fit for you Zero-sama, unless you wish for me to be your mate?"

"What do you think you're doing, Rido-sama?"

Rido turn to see Takuma Ichjirou standing by the doorway of the library in the Kiryu castle. His arms were crossed over his chest and his face was sporting an irritated look as he stared at Rido.

"Ah, Ichjirou-san. What pleasure it is of meeting you here today?"

"I came to pick up Zero." Takuma answered with a huff.

"Oh, is my session time with Zero-sama all done already?" Rido looked at his pocket watch that was chained to the outside of his pocket. "Gosh, it really is over. That's too bad, because I wanted to spend more time with Zero-sama today."

Takuma grabbed Zero's wrist and yanked him from Rido's arms, pulling Zero closer to him and giving Rido the dirtiest glare he could possibly give as he spoke. "Well Zero and I have plans already so you can't have him."

Rido looked shocked for a moment before laughing. "Who would have thought that you of all people had fallen?" Rido shook his head. "This is really going to be interesting to watch."

Zero looked confused. He honestly didn't know what had just transpired, so instead he decided to ignore it. "Come on Takuma, let's go."

As they were leaving, Rido shouted _'good luck'_. Zero waved his hand thinking that Rido was referring to him, only leaving Takuma to know that Rido was actually saying that to him more than he was to Zero.

"You two are always at each other's throats." Zero pointed out. "Is there a specific reason why?"

Takuma smiled in his cheery way. "No of course not, that's just how we get along."

Zero gave Takuma a look that showed him he knew he was lying, but Takuma only smiled brighter.

"You know Takuma; if you keep smiling like that, your mouth is going to fall off?" Zero teased.

"Yea, but you'll be the one to pick it up and put it back on for me, wouldn't you?" Takuma made a cute sad pout up at Zero.

"Of course I will. Because that's what friends are for."

"Yea, friends were made exactly for that." Takuma answered awkwardly.

"Takuma are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Zero." Takuma reassured. "So let's go riding before your guard Akatsuki Kain realizes we're gone."

"Way ahead of you." Zero said running toward the back staircase that lead outside with Takuma following behind him.

-0-

"I am so nervous." Saya said pacing back and forth.

"I don't know why, since it's not you who is the one that is going to meet candidates as fiancés today." Daisuke murmured as he flipped through his book.

"I know, but just image. My baby boy is going to find himself a partner. Doesn't that get you nervous?"

"No, it just means he's taking full responsibility, that's all."

Saya sniffed. "My son is growing up so fast."

"Can you stop being so emotional about it, it's not that big of a deal. Some times you can be so much like your brother Kaien Cross."

"Excuse me…"

_'Ah shit.'_ Daisuke cursed as he prepared himself to get a lecture from his wife.

"Now listen here Daisuke, our eldest son is taking on something that is very important. Something that I know for sure, we are putting too much pressure on him."

"Yes, but it is his duty as our heir."

"I know that, but I feel bad that I have to force him to become an adult so soon when he is still just a kid."

"A kid that needs to grow up. That was how I was taught when I was his age, every prince his age is faced with this responsibility and he is going to have to get use to it like everyone else." Daisuke waited for a response in which he knew would come, but when he didn't get any, he looked at his wife who was staring off into space. "Saya what are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing really, I just felt a ping in my stomach that's all." Saya said with a smile.

"You women are so sensitive to everything. But then again your brother is the same way."

Saya pulled on her husband's ear making him yelp in pain. "Are you calling my brother a woman?"

"N-no sweetie I wasn't. I was just saying he was sensitive."

"That's like calling him a girl. Plus he can be quite manly."

"I don't think wearing a floral apron can be categorized as manly."

Saya pulled on his ear harder.

"What? You don't think men can wear them?"

Daisuke was afraid to answer in fear that his wife will rip his ear off if she heard the answer.

"Got nothing to say do you, big man?"

"No, not at all. You win."

"Good, now give me a kiss." Saya demanded to which her husband obliged without complaint.

"You know what I think?" Daisuke said after him and his wife broke apart.

"What?"

"I think that somehow you and your brother had a personality swipe, because you are much more aggressive than the average women, while your brother is way too sensitive for an average man." Daisuke teased.

Saya was about to pull on his ear again when Sayori, one of the household maids came running into their room. She was breathless and had tears in her eyes as she tried to speak.

"What's the matter Sayori?" Saya asked nervously.

"Outside there was an…an accident."

"Oh my god, who was it?" Daisuke questioned as he stood up from the couch.

"I-It's Zero-sama, he…he"

"Tell us what happened, Sayori please." Saya pleaded worriedly.

"Zero-sama and Takuma-kun were out riding horses. Jasper the black horse didn't like Takuma-kun much so they switched horses. Zero-sama was riding Jasper while Takuma was riding Lily and then after a while they started hearing strange noises coming from the back of the stable which began making the other horses stir up and as…as they were riding in that direction to check it out, a bear c-came out and startled Jasper and Lily. Jasper bucked up, flinging Zero off him and followed Lily who ran in the other direction taking Takuma with her. B-both I and Kaito saw this happen from the back porch."

"Where's the bear?" Daisuke demanded.

"Kaito scared him off by shooting a bullet in the air."

"What about Zero? Is he okay?" Saya asked gripping onto Sayori's shoulders.

"He…He"

"He what, Sayori?"

"He won't wake up!" Sayori said bursting into tears.

Saya and Daisuke glanced at each other before darting with vampire speed toward their son. Praying to themselves as they ran, that their son was still alive.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The room was in a blurred mess when Zero opened his eyes. It took him a few minutes to assess where he was and once he realized he was alone in his room, he sighed in relief. His head was pounding and his body ached, his memory of what happened was slowly coming into focus. He remembered everything. His studies with his tutor Rido, going for a ride on horseback with Takuma, then a bear came out of no where and next thing Zero knew he was flung from Jasper's back and everything after that is blank.

Zero rubbed the back of his head where the pounding was persistent. Despite the fact that Zero was defiantly in pain, and that much was obvious, he was just glad nothing else happened. Dropping his hand at his side, Zero pushed away the covers from his body and slowly lifted his wary body from the bed, using everything he could reach for balance. Zero didn't know how long he had been asleep for but he did know that he had to use the bathroom badly. So as carefully as he could he made his way over to the bathroom and in front of the toilet.

Dropping his silk pajama bottoms around his ankles, Zero reached down between his legs, yet what he found had him screaming at the top of his lungs and in came Takuma who was just down the hall from Zero's room when he heard the frantic scream.

"Zero what's the matter?" Takuma spoke once he was before the bathroom door.

"Where's my penis!" Zero hollered at the other. Takuma looked down before immediately averting his gaze elsewhere, all the while blushing to the roots of his hair.

"Z-Zero…" Takuma started, eyes still looking elsewhere. "P-Please put down your s-shirt and look at yourself in the m-mirror."

"Why?"

"Just please do it."

Zero let go of the hem of his shirt that he held up over his stomach, which he now realized was several sizes bigger, and walked over to the sink mirror as Takuma told him to and what he saw had him screaming once again.

Somehow Zero became a girl. His short silver hair was now long and pooled to the middle of his back. He was several inches shorter, his body was slimmer and curvy, and right at the top of his chest were breast. Two round molds that fit perfectly in both hands.

"What the fuck happened to me!" Zero asked once he stopped screaming, his voice soft and high pitched like a girl.

"I-I'll explain in a moment but first c-can you please but this on." Takuma stuttered, as he handed Zero some clothes.

Zero unfolded the cloth and grumbled when he saw what it was. "This is a dress!"

"I'm sorry but Saya-sama thought it could be appropriate attire for you to wear."

"My mother gave you these?"

"Yes…"

Zero frowned before grumbling again.

"Wait here." Zero slammed the bathroom door shut. If Zero needed answers as to why this happened, then he must ask the only people who may know…his parents.

-0-

"What about this one?" Ms. Kiryu beamed at her husband, who was sitting on his chair by the fire, behind him was Ichiru who was trying to surpass a grin at the miserable look his father was sporting. Daisuke had for the past three days been forced to endure as his wife had her personal designer fabricate numerous dresses and gowns for her newly acquired _'daughter'_, after discovering their son's gender change, Saya had been happier than ever before, hence Daisuke's miserable state.

"Sweetheart, is this really necessary?" Daisuke asked pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Of course!" Saya huffed, a deep red dress gripped in her hands. "I will not have my daughter wear anything less than perfect."

"Oh goodness, I will rue the day when Zero finally wakes up-"

SLAM

"MOM!" Came the harsh cry followed by the door to Zero's parent's bedroom being slammed open.

"Well speak of the devil." Ichiru said when he saw his brother at the door.

"Oh I just knew that lavender dress would look great on you!" Saya squeaked in joy as she stared at a not so pleased Zero.

"Can someone please explain to me why I have a vagina?"

"Z-Zero, please don't say that." Takuma blushed, the image of said word still clear in his mind.

Zero took a deep calming breath before choosing his next words carefully. "Fine, then can someone explain how and why I'm a girl?"

Ignoring the fit of muffled giggles from Ichiru behind him, Daisuke took a deep breath and spoke. "Zero, please sit down. Takuma close the door if you will."

Takuma nodded and followed Zero to the couch near the fireplace where Zero was sitting very unladylike on his spot.

"Zero I am sure you remember or at least recall the talk you and your mother had?"

"Yea, that the males from the Kiryu clan can produce a heir." Zero answered.

"Well, there's more to it than that." Daisuke started. "Males can't really give birth to babies since they lack the required sex organs to actually produce, carry or give birth to a baby…"

"Okay, but how does that explain why I am a girl?"

"Relax, I'm getting to that…" Daisuke said before continuing. "A long time ago, way back to the time of our ancestors, giving birth to more than one baby of the same gender was a great sin. Because back then the purebloods of that society maintained a fixed male to female ratio, so in order to keep that ratio the ancestors developed a trait that can change ones gender to either male or female depending how few is the opposite gender since balance between the both genders was absolute. Yet as time went on many wars broke out and a lot of the first generation of purebloods were either killed or turned into humans, so the ancestor families who had developed and had this trait had long since died off, so that balance now is no longer necessary. However, it is known that one pureblood family from that time still remained who still carried this trait in their blood."

"And that is our family?" Zero finished.

"Correct."

"But why me?"

"It always happens to the first born."

"By first born you don't mean…"

"Yes, what happened with you also happened with me." Daisuke answered. "I was born a girl. My birth name was Aiko before your grandfather changed it to Daisuke after I was changed into a male."

"When does this transformation usually happen?"

"When you turn eighteen, however, when you banged your head from the fall somehow the process developed sooner."

"So in other words I am stuck this way forever?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you are."

Zero slowly shook his head. "I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry Zero, I-"

"Don't say anything anymore!" Zero interrupted as he stood from his spot on the couch. "You should've told me this from the beginning." Zero ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't deal with this, not right now."

And with that, Zero left the room a hurry, then down the stories toward the door to the court yard but before he was at the door he bumped into another who was coming the opposite way, the collide was enough to send the other on his back and Zero falling against him.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Zero apologized as he lifted himself on his hands.

The person beneath Zero chuckled before answering. "It's alright Zero-san, no need to apologize."

Zero looked up to the stranger who called his name and what he saw was a handsome male, dressed in a grey silk shirt and black slacks. His reddish-brown eyes were staring back at Zero's; his chestnut brown colored hair was moist at the tips probably due to sweat from his recent trip outside in the afternoon heat.

Zero found himself blushing a little without really knowing why. "I'm sorry but who are you?"

The male tilted his head to the side and frowned. "Don't tell me you forgot about me already? It's me, Kaname Kuran…your childhood friend."

Zero eyes went wide. _'Of all the people I had to come face-to-face with, why does it have to be him…that damn Kaname Kuran.'_

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Zero narrowed his eyes as he pushed himself away and stood. Never in his life would he be seeing this person again. Zero hated Kaname to the very core of his being, even if they grew up together. In fact, that even gave him even more reason to hate the other.

"What are you doing here?" Zero hissed out the words through his lips.

"You still harbor hostility towards me, I see."

"You gave me plenty of reasons to when we were growing up together."

"Oh come on, don't tell me your still pissed off about all that?"

Zero narrowed his eyes even narrower at the other.

"Alright, I'm sorry…forgive me now?"

"You think a simple apology will make right all the wrong you did to me?"

"I said I was sorry already." Kaname started as he stepped forward.

Zero stepped back. "Don't you come near me! You have no idea how much I suffered at your hands, how much humiliations I endured. Because of you I had to leave school because of how often I was tormented. Because of you I now have agoraphobia."

"Zero I-"

"I hate you…no…I despise your vary existence."

"Zero…" Takuma called as he made his way down the stairs, Zero's mother following right behind.

Once Takuma made it down the steps, Zero ran into the other's warm causing Takuma to be flattered at first before wrapping the other in a protective embrace once he saw the chestnut haired brunette.

"Zero are you alright."

Zero shook his head against the other's chest.

"How about we go for a walk outside for a bit to clear your head, how does that sound?"

"That sounds good to me." Zero answered before Takuma led him away outside, not once unwrapping his arms around the other.

"Your reappearance sure gave him a fright." Saya voiced out as soon as Takuma and Zero were nowhere from sight.

"Zero still hates me."

"Well it's only natural since you bullied him when he was a child." Saya pointed out. "You pants him before he could kiss Juliet in the school play. You glued his butt to a chair at the Valentine's day dance so he couldn't dance with anyone, then you spilled a bucket of water on him when he was being confessed to at the back of the school building…shall I go on?"

"No, that's enough." Kaname said. "It's true that I did all that and more but you must know I didn't do it with ill-intent."

"I know." Saya reassured as she placed a hand on Kaname's shoulder. "Zero may have been naïve to realize it but I ain't. You are just one of those bullies who pick on the person they like."

"Yea, but it seems my bullying had landed me in the dog house."

"Well that's true, but if I remember correctly, the Kaname Kuran that I knew wouldn't let something like this detour him from getting what he wanted."

"Yea, but how do I get Zero to forgive me?"

"I don't know, but that's where you must get creative and come up with something that could help you out."

"Your not very much help, you know."

"It's not my job to be helpful. I am merely a spectator to the events to come. It is Zero's decision as to who he chooses to love."

"So this is the only help I'm going to get from you?"

"Yup, my only job is to reassure the fallen participants and nothing more because the rest is up to you guys."

"So I'm not the only one competing for Zero's attention?"

"Nope."

"And the other are?"

"Find out for yourself." Saya smiled as she turned to leave. "Oh and as a friendly remainder to you and the rest of you who are eavesdropping into our conversation is that if you wish to capture my Zero's heart, you better start working now since all of you are behind Takuma who is ten years into the lead compared to the rest of you."

With that, Saya disappeared back up the stairs.

"Is it me or is Saya-sama scary?" Hanabusa Aidou voiced out as he and his cousin Akatsuki Kain came from behind the hallway curtain.

"I can't believe you dragged me behind that curtain with you." Kain complained, once again he was forced to take part in another one of his eccentric cousins doings.

"That's Aidou for you." Shiki answered, as he exited from behind the doorway of the living room.

"Were you three seriously eavesdropping?" Kaname asked the trio.

"I was in the living room napping when I heard the commotion in the hallway." Shiki answered.

"I had no intention to but my cousin dragged me into it." Kain replied.

"Blame me why don't you." Aidou huffed, looking at his cousin.

"I am blaming you."

Aidou stuck his tongue out at his cousin.

"Very mature Aidou."

"So, it seems that we all are in a predicament." Kaname voiced out, referring to Saya's last words.

"It seems like it." Shiki agreed with his cousin.

"But it's not like we can't make up for the fact that we are ten years behind." Aidou started. "We just have to all shorten that distance that divides us."

"That's probably the most logical thinking you've come up with so far." Kain teased, causing Aidou to ignore him completely.

"A strategy all of our own to capture the future King's heart?" Shiki muttered.

"Every man for themselves." Kaname smiled.

"Until there is only one winner." Kain said.

"You all know what this means gentlemen?" Aidou spoke to the others in the room with him.

"That everyone here is an enemy." Shiki answered.

"Exactly." Kaname agreed.

"Well then, let the best man win." Everyone finished in unison.

TBC…


End file.

Vampire Knight, Humor, Romance