The thud of hooves upon the ground, the crisp night air. Zero can feel the rocking motions of the horse beneath him, and when he looks down he can see the white legs tearing at the earth as the ground blurs below them. He can feel the wind, whipping at his face, and the whistling sound it makes as it runs by his ears. The rest of the landscape is pitch black. To his sides and front it seems as though the land has been swallowed. To the rear, the steeds footsteps glow a blinding white, the color of said steed.

Quickly, Zero realizes that he is also lit. His clothes, they are old fashioned, and why is he wearing a cape, are, thankfully, only slightly glow-ey. His hands, on the other hand (hah-even in this weird place he can find something amusing), when he looks down at them, are their usual colors, but the emit a strange light. When he pays his hands too much attention, however, he is jerked by the horse's movement, and has to scramble to keep his balance. Once again situated, he realises that he never looked up.

And he has to remember to breathe, because the sight that meets his eyes is not something he really expected.

Zero wakes in a sweat, his lungs burning with the need for oxygen and his heart going overtime. He drew his hand up with a groan, shielding his eyes from the brightness that leaked through his curtains. He concentrates for a few breathes, on simply calming himself down and pulling himself together.

Giving a harsh sigh, Zero rolled away from the unforgiving light of the sun, and curled himself into a loose ball. These strange dreams had been happening for months, ever since Kaname Kuran had thrown his heart into the furnace and had been frozen by Hanabusa Aido beneath the Hunters Association.

The ache in his chest was something that he could not explain, something that echoed in his mind and ricocheted in his chest. Zero couldn't understand it. He found, that he didn't want to understand it. He found himself missing the old Yuki, during times like this.

Yuki had changed when her "older brother," her ancestor, was no longer awake or aware enough to guide her. Changing herself so that she could fit with the descriptions of what the nobles and other vampire saw as the appropriate attitude for a pureblood princess. Conforming herself to their wishes, she became what Zero despised, and the change was so drastic it even changed her views on him. Him and Cross Academy. Deciding that she had had enough playing school, Yuki married a young pureblood from the America's, a man who was willing to take on the power and responsibility of the Kuran name. Likely because he was the second son and would not amount to much in his own household.

She had given birth to Kaname's child, and she had sent him to the Chairman and himself to raise, as she was busy with her new family.

Needless to say, neither of the recipients of the precious bundle were all too happy. Zero loved her dearly, but she had become someone who he would not be caught dead with. She had become a cruel and manipulative Pureblood. Cross, having at least more experience with children than Zero, got the pleasure of taking care of the boy. Yuki had named him Akira, after what his father had sought and longed for the most.

Yuki supported her brothers dream, and for that reason kept the Academy within the Kuran sphere of support. But she herself no longer attended, and she refused to speak with either him or the Chairman on anything other than business. That or talking, rather lecturing, them about her son. The son that she didn't see anymore.

Zero stretched himself out on the bed, and dragged himself towards the edge of it. Sitting up, he wearily observed the differences between the Moon and Sun dorms. He had been staying in the Moon dorms ever since he had graduated the school, he was not a prefect any longer and was considered something of a Hunter, even though his Vampire status kept him from being truly accepted by the Association. On occasion, they sent him assignments, but always dangerous ones, ones that he went on alone. Save the odd mission that Yagari-sensei or Kaito accompanied him on.

He pulled himself up and out of bed, his body protesting the movement and awareness during the daylight hours. Grabbing a pair of pants and a skin-tight black tee, he moved towards the door, and pondered what he would do that day. Leaving his room, he pauses to check in on Akira, and, seeing the boy still asleep, checks on the Chairman. Said man is asleep on the couch, twitching and murmuring happily as he dreams.

You old fool, Zero thinks fondly, fixing the blanket back over the man. Can't you sleep in your room?

The Chairman had taken Yuki's abandonment hard, and had been in a funk for several months after she left. Eventually he pulled himself together, doing his best for his adopted son. When Yuki's boy had arrived, both of them had been shocked, but Yuki, who had only come to drop off the child, explained that she couldn't care for him. Her new husband didn't want their to be a child in their house that didn't belong to the both of them.

So she brilliantly decided to dump the kid on them. Not to say that they were not absolutely taken by the child. Little Akira Kuran had brought the two of them so much joy and hope, he was welcome to stay with them forever.

Passing through the kitchen for breakfast, Zero notices that Cross left the mail addressed to him aside. While leafing through the small pile, he notices the trademark envelope that the Association uses to send him his assignments. Wearily, he eyes the paper, debating whether or not to open it now or after breakfast.

Now, he decides, and rips open the envelope. As he thought, an assignment. Rolling his eyes, he unfolds the letter to get a good look at the simple message;

"A group of Level E's, nesting site; East of the Academy. Eradicate them all."

How like them, to not even give him the exact coordinates. He can smell the distaste all over the letter, and wonders why they even bother to still send him on missions. I imagine, he thinks, they do not do it because of my skill.

Finishing up his breakfast, and writing up a quick note for Cross, Zero walks back to his room to get ready for the hunt.

Luckily, he did end up finding the location of the nest. Zero was a professional Hunter, no matter how the Association treats him, he will still do his job. Currently on the mission from said Association, he stalks the nest of a large group of Level E's. Zero thinks of himself as, first and foremost, a Hunter, or rather, a protector of humans. No matter his Vampiric nature or his status as a Level D, he still strives to be the person his parents would have raised him to be. Did he still have his Humanity? To the Association, the vampires, Hell, everyone but Chairman Cross, Yagari-sensei, and Kaito, that was up for debate. However, that didn't mean Zero was going to act like an Inhuman beast.

Musing over what his life has become, Zero dances across the battlefield, dodging the slashing fangs and claws of the bloodthirsty creatures that dream of draining him dry. In his mind he repeats the mantra that he learned, and trained himself to hold to; "No hesitation, shoot to kill, do not falter." Those words had been drilled into his head since he was a child, but only after his sensei had gotten injured because of him did he realize the importance of such words. Bloody Rose, clenched tightly in his grip, shoots rapidly, and his aim is steady and sure. Dodge and fire, dodge and fire, rinse and repeat, again and again. His body reacts, his motions almost entirely automatic as he decimated the beings that are no longer Human.

The missions had been getting more and more dangerous, and his body couldn't keep up. This one was easy, but that was setting off warning bells in his head. When all the Level E had been disposed of, he stayed, still and waiting for the metaphorical shoe to drop. His blood pulsed through his veins, his eyes darting rapidly about, but the adrenaline high was slowly fading, as the chemical was filtered from his blood. The attack came from his left, moving out from his blind spot into the open, and charging him with the recklessness that only a Level E can possess. He jerked to the side, his movement making barely dodge the attack of the Level E, but there was something off with this Vampire. It was too intelligent to be just another run-of-the-mill mad Vamp, and that was confirmed through the way the creature planned and waited, and even now, after the first attack failed, it just waited. It watched him with too intelligent eyes, and stayed just out of optimal range for Bloody Rose.

Wiping at the blood on his cheek, from the attack from said Vampire, an attack that would have taken his head if he were a lesser Hunter. So this, he observes, is why they had sent him. The E was strange, an unknown part of the equation, and they probably wanted them to take each other out. Two birds with one stone. That doesn't confirm his theories, but the lack of information on the mission, the number of E's for a single Hunter… It all pointed to disposal, disposal of an unknown variable. Come on, he was a Hunter, born and bred, he knew the ways they got rid of loose cannons. A soft sigh escapes him. This is the last mission I take from them. Bastards.

In a world of Hunters and Vampires, Humans received the shortest of the three-ended stick. Zero faced the last of the pack, more than likely the most intelligent one, and called both his Vampire and Hunter strength to the fore. The Hell he would give the Association the satisfaction of having him killed on this mission. The E had frozen when he turned to face it fully, and it watched him with its wide eyes, pupils blown by the scent of blood. The beast's fangs were bared and drool slid slowly down its chin. Zero paused when he realized that it was speaking, and that the words, though slightly unintelligible, if he strained his hearing he was able to make them out.

"Vampire...Hunter...different...strange...smells good...Vampire but...a Hunter...TRAITOR!" The murmuring grew steadily louder and broke into a screech halfway through the last word. It lunged, abandoning all caution in its bloodlust, and foolishly ran into the range of the Anti-Vampire weapon clutched in Zero's grip. As the vampire charges Zero raises his weapon and gives two harsh pulls upon 'Roses trigger. Her response is a pair of coughs, the sound drowned out by both the harsh breathing of the two remaining creatures in the alley. Needless to say, both bullets meet their targets, the Vampire's chest and forehead respectively, and it vanishes into dust.

A sadness settles over Zero, and he grieves quietly for a moment. Grieves for the Humans that lost their lives, either by the hands of the level Es, or by the fangs of the Pureblood who turned them. Brushing the dust of the fallen Humans off of his body and clothes, he returns 'Rose to her holster and turns to exit the building.

As he leaves he remembers, with a shock, as, how could he forget, that he too was turned by the highest of the Vampire society. That he too, will fall to madness and depravity. Maybe even slaughter humans before he dies, and judging from his power, not to mention his blood, he may take out a few Hunters, if they are sent after him. Sometimes Zero just wants to slide his gun between his teeth and pull the trigger, to end his life and ensure that he doesn't take any innocent ones. That, he mused, was perhaps, part of the reason why he still Hunts. Not to say that Zero was a self-sacrificing individual, he wanted to live. At least he had hope he had wanted to. He would just do his job, and if he died during the completion of a mission? All part of the occupational hazards, risks taken by any and every Hunter that accepts a job.

Zero had thought that he knew and accepted the fact that he would die. After all, every time he defeats an E his mind regurgitates the same thoughts and feelings, not to mention the fact that he had thought about it almost constantly since Shizuka Hio had killed his parents and Turned him. He realizes over and over again that he will go mad and be killed or taken as a slave to some bitch-ass Vampire, who will more than likely be a Pureblood.

For a time, he had thought of other things, and allowed himself to hope. Yuki, and loving her, had been the lifejacket that he clung to amidst the storm of his emotions and the battering waves of Shizuka's lingering control. Hating her, longing for Yuki and the sense of peace she gave him, that was all, that for four years, dominated his mind. Yuki destroyed him, twice now, Ichiru ripped him open, and Shizuka laughed as she danced on his broken heart. Now, all that was left of it was a bleeding, broken, mangled piece of flesh. And he killed himself internally, tore open wounds, whenever his thoughts veered down this path. Thinking about it only prolonged suffering.

Dammit, Zero cursed under his breath, I need to stop dwelling on that. It does more harm than good. Especially now that Yuki is gone.

Yuki and her brother had been Zero's only source of nourishment for his Vampire side, and, despite how he fought it, the primal need for blood was always clawing at the back of his mind, tearing his restraint. He would try to resist, guzzle down blood tablets by the handful, no matter the harm they did him, and writhing when they not only did not satisfy him, but made his cravings worse. And blood tablets didn't stop the needs of his body, and having had only pure blood since his vampire awakening, he was going through some heavy withdrawals. Pure blood, the only thing that could halt, or at least slow, the fall to Level E, was out of his reach. Kaname was frozen, Yuki was gone, and he refused to take blood from regular people. Knowing that he will fall without pure blood to sustain him, Zero will not try to fruitlessly prolong his life, and each time his Hunger surfaced the longing for Pure blood hit him, smacked him right in the face. He was pathetic.

Holding out for four years is an impressive feat, and clinging on, just barely, for another four years is admirable. However, all things come to an end. Eventually he will fade. He has been holding out since Yuki left him, but the drive and will to keep going forwards has slowly died.

Just as he was thinking this, as though called, in the middle of unfamiliar territory, bloodlust hit. The harsh burning in his throat roars to life. The dryness of his mouth. The screeching of his vampire side. Zero falls to the side, leaning heavily against the old walls of the building. Gasping breathes leave the young Hunter's mouth, his face contorting in pain as he struggles to keep a hold upon his mind. He slowly slips away. Darkness encroaches upon his vision, and he heaves, even as his body gives out under the strain of his hunger.

As he fades from consciousness, a shadow fills his vision, and all he can think is;

Fuck, why didn't I sense them?

"Damn kid, you fucked yourself up pretty badly."

Yagari Touga stood over the spasming body of his former pupil. Well, in his opinion, he was still his pupil, little shit still had a lot to learn. Said little shit was getting there, though. He had been absolutely enraged when he had heard that the president of the Association had sent Zero on what was basically a suicide mission. Knowing that his student is strong does not halt the worry that swelled up and choked him. Zero was family. The higher ups had sent his family to die.

Yagari sighed, hand raking through his hair. He needed to get Zero out of here, nowhere was safe for him right now. Well, at least not out of Cross Academy. Drawing his eyes back to his student, who has been surprisingly quiet throughout his momentary lapse of attention, he sees that he has finally gone still, truly in the grasp of unconscious. Leaning down, making sure to shift his weapons, still keeping a good grip on his gun, he hefts Zero into his arms. He was a lot lighter than Yagari expected him to be. Need to get some food in you, kid.

The six hour drive back to Cross Academy was not something Yagari enjoyed. His student was injured, passed out in his arms, and obviously suffering from bloodlust. The ride was tense and he kept flicking his eyes up to the mirror to keep an eye on Zero. Yagari kept telling himself that it was because he didn't want him to be uncomfortable, but he also knew that the wariness in the presence of vampires caused him to also check that his student was not lunging for his jugular. No matter that he knew that Zero would never willingly do such a thing, much less to him. It still tickled at the back of his mind.

When they arrive at the academy, Cross greets them, takes in Zero's condition, and promptly drops the happy persona. He and Cross take Zero into the house, and to what was once Yuki's room, but is now Zero's. The two of them drag Zero onto the bed, and Cross rushes away to do something or other, Yagari wasn't really paying that much attention.

Despite his worry, Zero had been out for the entire trip. With his ("stupid," he mutters fondly,) student on his bed, he takes a moment to look around. Kid barely has anything in his room. Extra bullets, clothes (all plain and boring, but functional), a shit-ton of socks holy motherfucking shit Zero what-the-hell-does-this-kid-need-that-many-socks-for-anyway?, a spare knife, etc. Almost nothing personal. But, Yagari muses, most Hunters are exactly the same. Out of the corner of one eye, he sees a pair of pictures. Placed gently beside the kids bed, on the nightstand, are the things he cherishes the most. Well, pictures of them anyway.

The one closest to the bed is a family photo, it has Zero's parents, Ichiru, and himself in it. He is distantly surprised that they got a picture with him in it. He vaguely remembers standing while someone takes it, too. The other one, was the one he was sort of expecting. Chairman Cross, Yuki, before she changed, and Zero. Chuckling, he wonders how they got him to let them all take a picture together. It was probably the girl.

The mission site had been a mess of dust and blood when Yagari had gotten there, and he couldn't help but be even more angry at the Association. They almost threw away the life of one of their best. Absently, Yagari wonders how Zero got away with merely a scratch on such a dangerous mission. Shrugging, he decides to ask the kid when he wakes.

Cross comes bustling in, bringing with him a glass of water,blood tablets, and a huge fuss. Yagari endures the Chairman's blubbering and ridiculousness as patiently as he can. He hopes to God that Zero wake up soon, though, or he's going to kill something.