[Vampire Knight] Deeper than Blood (Book 1)

Chapter Nine

(Akiko First Person POV)

Throught the sixteen years of my life I have always wanted to know my mother. I loved my aunt and uncle, but I've always longed for my mother. And that day I met Mikio, after learning that both his parents were dead, the desire to meet my mother only intensified. The beauty of being a Pureblood vampire was that I had an eternity to find her, but I never expected to find her sixteen years into my life.

"You don't have force Zero to do this!" Yuki says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I will let you drink my blood, OK?"

"For four years now this body has been ravenous, did you really think your blood will be enough?" Shizuka asks as she walks towards Zero and bites his neck. Yuki looked away, not baring being able to watch.

"Face it Yuki," I say, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at me. "This is a vampire's true nature. We are only beasts in human form, right?"

"But she's tortured him enough!" Yuki defends Zero, closing her eyes. "Why are you being so cruel to him?"

"I'm punishing him for being so attached to you," Shizuka whispers into Yuki's ear. "You're being cruel yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you see the choices you are making are causing Zero to suffer," I say, letting go of Yuki's face and stepping aside to let Shizuka get to her neck. "Handing yourself to a vampire like you did, especially the one that took his family, that will defentaly hurt him."

"I just thought that if I was with Zero than everything would be alright," Yuki says as Shizuka leans into her neck, fangs extended. "I wonder if he will ever forgive me."

Zero's hand shots out and pushed Shizuka away from Yuki, surprising all of us. "It's useless Zero," Shizuka says. "Just stay being my puppet for now, OK? You you can't even squeeze those fingers around my neck."

Zero brings his Bloody Rose gun down to his leg and shoots, splattering his blood onto the ground. Shizuka's eyes widen as Zero starts choking her and he screams, "Don't take anything else away from me!" and he shoots her three times. The scent of Shizuka's blood fills the air as she steps back, her blood falling to the ground.

"Okaasama!" I scream as I try and catch her, but she begins to laugh. She grabs the edge of her obi and undos it, throwing it into the air. "But this is not enough to kill me," she says.

"I end it. I'll finish it all," Zero says as he shoots at Shizuka, but she reflects the bullets with the obi. She lets it drop to the floor as the kimono drops at the shoulders, revealing the purple one underneath.

"Those eyes, they so much," Shizuka states. I look into Zero's lavender eyes and see it as well.

"He doesn't even need to think," I say, stepping in front of my mother, shielding her. "He knows in his heart that he wants to destroy himself alone with her."

Zero narrows his eyes in anger as a sword comes flying out of nowhere, embedding itself into Zero's arm. He gasps in surprise as he pulls it out and we all turn to see Ichiru standing at the door.

"Shizuka-Sama, why are you toying with him?" he asks. "I will not allow it, I cannot have you die."

Shizuka humphs as she turns towards him. "You don't have to worry, I have things perfectly under control." She walks towards Ichiru and stops beside him. "Besides you don't have to worry. Now that I have Akiko again I don't attend dying here." She walks away as Zero runs towards her, but Ichiru stops him before he leaves.

"Where do you think you're going? You don't plan on leaving again?" Ichiru asks, looking at Zero.

"The only one who left Ichiru was you," Zero snaps.

"No, what I meant was the vampire world."

"Zero, who's Ichiru?" Yuki asked. Zero uses the sword to push the mask off Ichiru's face, revealing a face identical to his.

"He's my twin brother," Zero reveals. Ichiru laughs as he turns to Zero, pulling out a miniature sword.

"Protect yourself Zero," he says. "I'm no longer the old me. The one who used to follow you around and slow you down is long gone. You see Zero I've been allowed to drink Shizuka-Sama's blood. The flesh and blood of a Pureblood can give someone special powers."

Yuki runs in front of them. "Stop you two! No matter what happens you two are brothers!" Ichiru points the sword at her heart.

"If you get in the way I will not hesitate to kill you, even if Shizuka-Sama doesn't want me to," he says. My eyes flash red and I push Ichiru away from Yuki, baring my fangs at him.

"Okaasama will not punish you if you kill her, but I surely will," I say. "I would even kill you if you as much as lay a hand on Yuki."

"You are Shizuka-Sama's daughter but you aren't what I expected," Ichiru says. "Why would Shizuka-Sama even bother looking for you."

"Listen to me closely boy," I hiss. "With Okaasama gone I am the Pureblood here. And therefore I am in control."

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A trail of blood leads to a room that Shizuka enters, Kaname leaning against the wall.

"You're bleeding badly, Shizuka," Kaname says. Shizuka stops and looks over at him. "Vampire hunter weapons are an extremely dangerous thing. Even a Pureblood's extraordinary healing powers in restrained."

"Son of Kuran, why did you come here?" Shizuka asks.

"This was the room that I used when I first came here," Kaname explains. Shizuka walks towards the window.

"I never properly thanked Haruka and Juri for taking care of Akiko," Shizuka says before turning to face Kaname. "I wonder what she has been doing after they died."

"Don't we both?" Kaname says. He appears behind Shizuka and wraps an arm around her. "You know, I'm just like you. Shizuka, I'll do anything for the sake of the one I love."

Shizuka gasps as Kaname plunges his hand into her chest, her blood dripping to the floor.