Akane Kuran: The Unwanted [Vampire Knight]

Chapter Forty: Little Boy

I rounded the corner and saw Yuuki no where in sight. I began to panic; how could I lose her so easily?

"Where the hell did she go?" I mumbled.

I closed my eyes briefly to focus on her scent. It was still fresh so she had been down here recently, obviously. However, her scent was suddenly overwhelmed by a different one, a stronger one. A scent all vampires know all too well.

Blood.

"Let's go Ikuto," I said calmly, well, trying to stay calm. "I know this scent and it isn't good."

I began to dash in the direction the somewhat pleasant scent was coming from. I knew it was a bad idea for me to head towards it since my bloodlust grows stronger by the day. However, Yuuki was my friend. I needed to go help her.

Within moments Ikuto and I were rushing up the flight of stairs of a clock tower. When we reached the top I saw Yuuki barely holding her own against three vampires, all of which were most likely Level E.

"Yuuki!" I exclaimed, running up to her side and kicking one of the vampires down. It didn't have a massive effect, but it did something.

"Akane!" Yuuki whined. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be--" A gun shot suddenly rang through the air. "--you don't mean for these things to happen."

I suddenly heard yelling so I turned and saw a Level E bearing its fangs at me. It lunged at me and I swiftly dodged its attack. I looked around hastily for something I could use to fight, and saw in the corner of my eye a sharp metal rod.

Please work, I thought desperately.

I held my hand out to my side and heard something shifting beside me. Within moments I had a cool object in my hand. While the Level E was still stunned I jabbed it in the heart with the rod. After a few seconds of agonizing screaming, it disappeared into nothing but a pile of ash.

Glad I have some type of power.

I look over at Ikuto who is also standing before a pile of ash. He looked at me hastily and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. I'm perfectly capable--" I was suddenly cut off when an unusual voice sounded in front of us.

"Well, isn't this something?" I turned and saw the lone Level E snickering at the three of us. He had a strange aura and I couldn't see his eyes, but his grin was wide.

Yuuki stood in her stance while Ikuto and I stood next to her, ready for whatever came next. What came next was something we weren't even expecting. All of the sudden I felt something grab me tightly around my abdomen and hoist me up into the air; so I was looking down upon my comrades.

Crap, I thought.

"Akane!" Ikuto exclaimed as Yuuki showed a shocked expression. Ikuto pointed his pistol at the vampire but he didn't shoot. I wondered why that would be the case. I looked closely at the vampires face and saw something I knew all too well; one red eye and one blue eye.

"Rido," I hissed.

The little boy chuckled, "Glad you finally realized my dear da---I mean niece."

"I think it's about time you let me go. Wouldn't you agree?" I asked with a sly smile.

"Now why would I do that?" Rido asked. "If I have you dangling up there helpless then dear old Ikuto here won't be able to do anything to me. Not that he could anyway."

"What the hell do you want?" Ikuto hissed angrily.

"Does it matter?" Rido said gleefully. "After spending a decade in slumber I just wanted to have some fun!"

"You're despicable," I muttered sternly.

"Really? Well--" Rido looked in my direction before a wide, devious smile crossed his face. I instantly felt the wind rush past me as I forcefully hit the ground. Rido instantly lifted me back in the air as a stream of blood oozed down my forehead, making the vision on my right side turn cloudy red. "--I'd watch that mouth."

Ikuto's expression turned grim. He actually managed to shoot a bullet from his pistol that managed to pierce Rido's small body. It went through his right arm. It wasn't fatal, but it did set me free. I landed swiftly on my feet and sent Rido a hard glare.

Rido took a deep breath in before saying with pleasure, "I haven't smelled that in a long time. It'll never get old...."

I knew exactly what Rido was talking about and I took a few steps backwards as a precaution. I suddenly felt something grab my wrist from behind and when I looked there he was, bearing fangs and all. I began to struggle, but even if he is in a mere boys body he is still stronger than me.

"You wouldn't mind if I..." Rido's voice began to trail off and his fangs neared my wrist. I felt something pierce it momentarily, making a few streams of blood flow. However, within seconds I felt the presence of multiple beings behind me. I didn't even have the chance to turn before I heard a gun shot and the crackling sound of a Vampire Hunters weapon striking a vampire.

Rido instantly let me go, but within moments I saw someone flying across the room.

"Yuuki!" I exclaimed. Using all of my available strength I dashed over just in time to catch her, refraining her from harm.

I set Yuuki down on her feet and I heard a rattled, "thank you," escape her lips. I looked over at Rido who was now kneeling over, holding his bloody leg.

"Well this took an unexpected turn," he rasped. "Oh well, I have one last trick up my sleeve..."

Rido leaped into the air and a stream of blood started heading right for Yuuki. I positioned my body in front of hers, so she wouldn't get hurt.

Nothing happened. When I saw Yuuki's shocked expression I turned and saw what made her that way.

"Ikuto!" I exclaimed.

The stream of blood that was heading our way went right through Ikuto's shoulder, preventing it from hitting us. Rido retracted it and leaped upward onto a beam that was overhead.

"I must be going now," he cooed mischievously. "Dasvidaniya."

Rido leaped out of the clock tower without a trace. I instantly rushed over to Ikuto, who was holding his injured shoulder.

"Ikuto! Are you alright?" I asked worriedly.

I reached towards his wound when he suddenly took a step away from me.

"I'm fine," he said reassuringly.

"But your wound.... It's bleeding!" I exclaimed.

"It's okay. It should heal soon," Ikuto said.

"But--" I was suddenly cut off with Ikuto holding a stern tone.

"We better get back to the academy. We don't want to worry the headmaster."

Ikuto started heading out of the clock tower with Yuuki by his side. I was dumbfounded; what just happened?

To be honest I didn't know what overcame me. I saw the small frail boy from that night; the boy I met at that doorstep. The boy who needed my help; the boy who I was there for when he got hurt.

He's not that little boy anymore. Not after what I did to him.