This is my first fanfiction - both Vampire Knight and otherwise on this site. Please, review, and I on my side - will try to update as quickly as I can (which can inititially be not that quickly as I presently suffer a severe deadline - but, alas, the story wouldn't let me alone anyway).

It's Kaname-centric, and it's mostly Angst, with maybe some Hurt/Comfort thrown in, and it shouldn't be too long either - in fact, in my head it feels more like a one-shot, maximum two-shot, it's only that I really do not have time to write longer chapters right now. The timeline is somewhere after the current chaotic events in the manga resolve themselves, aside from the fact that I quite on purpose shut out the appearance of Sarah and a probability of further complications/events that it implies. Lets say - in this universe - Rido is slain, corruption in both Vampire Council and Hunters' Association eradicated, the world is still in turmoil but should settle eventually... all is good and jolly, ain't it?

Many thanks to Hino Matsuri for the brilliant manga and characters (which I do not own - go figure), and many thanks to BlackenedWing, YenGirl, Sagakure and many other brilliant fanfiction writers for the concepts of blood bond and other useful things to know about the Vampire Knight universe which have grown to be "almost canon" and as such form the basis on which I elaborate in this story.

solitaire
- 1716, "solitary person, recluse", from Fr. solitaire, from L. solitarius.
- Sense of "a precious stone set by itself" is from 1727.
- Meaning "card game played by one person" is first attested 1746.
(from Online Etymology Dictionary)

also - the card game known as "solitaire" in US is called "patience" in the UK.

This was the day we triumphed…

And by all rights he should've been triumphing too.

All his subtle manipulations have worked. All the plans he had painstakingly put into action came through. All his carefully laid cards, his little chess pieces performed admirably. And even if understanding of things accomplished was yet to dawn and some work was yet to be done…

...the casualties were low, and the innocents – a fairly large category in his mind including almost all inadvertently involved in this conflict, humans and hunters and even the remnants of dazed and confused (when suddenly left all masterless) Level Ds in the woods (something that needed attention, but – Kuran created as they were – he hoped that blood of another Kuran can make them stable, the blood either he or Yuuki will have to donate… later… something that needs to be done... he didn't relish the prospect, but... he hoped there aren't more deaths… more destruction)…

the innocents were largely unharmed…

…and the vampires… those who stood by his side out of their free will… those who fought the most and suffered the most… gentle seeds of future he planted and nurtured to the state of current understanding of the inherent possibility of peaceful coexistence they now fought to protect…

...they will heal… grievous as some of the wounds received were, they will heal… even Takuma, pale and lifeless as he lay in the hands of Senri and Rima, who brought him from the council building… even Zero, mangled as he was from that blow he/Rido had sneaked in before the vines had wrapped around him in the last, almost unconscious attack, before the silver thorns with their anti-vampire poison had penetrated his skin, shutting down his vampiric powers, shutting down the very powers that kept Rido's consciousness alive in the long-given blood that was sadly part of Kaname's own, wiping his uncle out of this last refuge, last hostage-weapon that he had…

they will heal…

…given time and fed back to health by the generous gift of life-sustaining liquid their loved ones shared with them at this very moment… in fact he could taste the traces of their blood scents in the air – sweet and light and alive over the heavy overload of all the dead blood spilt today… and above and beyond them – that one scent that filled him with gentle if somewhat remote wistfulness – sweeter and lighter and more alive, more vibrant even – the scent of Kuran blood… was she still feeding it to the ex-human hunter? Or was she wandering among the moaning bodies sparing a few drops here, a spoonful there of this naturally potent medicine to those who needed it most? He could so see his gentle and kindhearted Yuuki doing exactly that…

be careful, dear… don't overextend yourself…

…they all lived, and even though it will take the time for the world to slowly rotate into new position, now that seeds were planted and the soil laid bare for them – there was every chance that something new and beautiful will grow out of the chaos of this day… given time…

…so – it was all the more cause for celebration…

…this was the day we triumphed…

… and he wondered what was wrong with him and why he couldn't feel the least bit of triumph as he sat alone above the lake, his arms tightly wrapped around half bent legs, eyes closed and throbbing forehead pressed down into his knees…