Disclaimer:I do not own Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does.

Summary: Damned by his parents, hated by his brother, Zero is scrapped as the worthless twin and sold into slavery. Will he find salvation in his new master or does more suffering await him?

A/N This fic is totally different from my other stories. A tear jerker, make sure you don't forget those tissues, you may need them because of the angst situations and hurt. For those who have a hard heart and don't cry, good for you. When I write I'll not mention which ccountry the story is set in. You may assume it's Japan of course but when I talk about some things or places, I'll describe them from as is in my country, because unfortunately, I've never been to Japan. Don't know whether they'll be rape coz I'm not really into that stuff (maybe Kaname raping Zero is not a bad idea, huh?) but if there will be, I'll definitely warn you. Maybe Mpreg too, we'll see. Also thought I might explore 'THE CURSED TWINS' as shown in VK, the fact that twins aren't supposed to be born into hunters. The topic is not clearly explained or exhausted, I've done some research on it but I just ain't satisfied, there are many questions but it doesn't really matter I have my own theory about it and will come up with many ideas. Of course my ideas are just made up about the curse so don't go saying I'm wrong, okay? If anybody has some ideas about the cursed twins and want to write a story on it, you're welcome to do so. I'll try to write long chapters but it's not a promise. If you like my story and think I'm taking too long to update, PM and pressure me into writting the next chappie, sometimes I just get so lazy. This fic is rated M. Enjoy.

Chapter One

''You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body but you will never imprison my mind.'' - MAHATMA GANDHI

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Zero looked from the man to the woman from where he stood as they quarreled over the letter he had given them. His grandmother had died the previous night in her sleep and had left a letter for him on the bedside table, with instructions to call these people should anything happen to her. They were supposedly his parents. Parents he knew nothing about until today. He had questioned his grandmother while she was still alive about his real mother and father but she had always changed the subject. As time passed by, he had stopped asking because he knew full well that the topic bothered her. But now the truth was before him. Inside the letter addressed to him, was another letter that he had presented to his parents thus the quarrel. He had no idea what it said but his so called parents looked really angry.

''There's no doubt about it that he's the other twin. That old, fucking hag, how could she do this to us?'' Mamoru asked his wife.

''Calm down honey, don't talk badly about the dead. I'm as shocked as you are and I know that what she did was wrong but we have to put our heads together and think of a solution otherwise we'll be in big problems with the association and also lose the house.'' Saeko whispered.

Mamoru sighed heavily. This is just what we need after all this years. ''We have to tell him about the letter.'' Saeko opened her mouth to protest but he continued, ''Of course I'll leave out the part about the will. This is your mother's house he has no right to inherit a single thing from it.''

''You're right; we can't hide this from him. He has to know his fate. You tell him.'' Saeko said. They walked over to where Zero was standing. ''We need to talk to you.'' she said.

''Is it about the letter? What does it say? Is it true that you're my parents?'' Zero asked impatiently. He was still shaken by his grandmother's demise and had been miserable since then as he awaited his parents' arrival.

''Yes we are your parents but,'' Mamoru hesitated, how to explain, ''have you ever heard of the twin's curse?'' he asked.

''Yes I have.'' Zero replied.

''Your mother gave birth to you and your twin brother fourteen years ago....''

''I have a twin brother?'' Zero interrupted.

''As I was saying,'' Mamoru said, '' because of the curse, one of you was supposed to be killed. You were supposed to die on that day but your grandmother took you away from the midwife and raised you up in secret. We had no idea of what she had done at that time because she broke off all contact with us. You see, your mother knew that she was expecting twins and shared this knowledge with your grandmother who was against the killing of one twin. She also lost a child, your mother's twin brother, it's no wonder she went to such lengths to keep you alive. All this time, we thought you were dead that's why we're in shock.''

Zero couldn't believe his ears. As if finding out that his parents were still alive wasn't enough, he also had to find out that he had a twin brother and was assumed dead by his own family. ''I don't know what to say.''

''Go and pack your clothes, you're coming with us.'' Saeko said. Zero left the living room and went to his bedroom to do as he was asked. He didn't have anywhere else to go now that his grandmother was dead. He was still a minor and couldn't support himself at the moment. They are my parents after all. It will be alright if I stay with them. It's better than going to an orphanage.

Mamoru waited until Zero was out of sight and then asked, ''What do you mean he's coming with us?''

''We can't leave him here. You know my mother's condition on her will. We have to take him in and continue raising him up in secret until he turns eighteen when he'll be able to fend for himself. If we let the state take care of him, not only will we lose our jobs and this house but we'll also have problems with the Hunters Association for keeping both twins alive. They'll not care that we had nothing to do with it, they will judge us harshly. Let's take him in for those two years and make him sign over the house to us. We'll then sell it and earn a lot of money from it.'' Saeko said.

''I suppose that makes sense. But where will we hide him? It will be very risky if anyone sees him or notices that he isn't Ichiru.''

''We'll have to lock him in the basement until he understands his fate. He shouldn't be alive in the first place.''

''You're so merciless but I can't blame you. Nobody can blame us for reacting this way. That's the way life goes for vampire hunters. We aren't allowed to have twins. We understood that from the beginning. The kid should also understand that too and not take it to heart.''

''Do you feel sorry for him?''

''Of course I do, a little bit. I felt very sad that I had to give up one of them, which mother wouldn't be pained? But I got over it and moved on. He's just like a ghost to me; I don't feel anything for him. He will just cause us more trouble.'' Saeko said expressionless.

''We have to think of ourselves first, he's the stranger here. Now that I think about, he's the reason why Ichiru is always sick. It's just like the curse. He has to die for Ichiru to be healthy again. For our son to become a strong, hunter like us. Too bad we can't kill the boy yet until we get our hands on his inheritance. I curse that mother of yours for doing this to us. May she burn in hell.'' Mamoru clenched his hands into fists.

''She has always been a cunning woman, that's why we never got along. There were so many things we never agreed on. She must be laughing at us wherever she is, that bitch. Damn her!'' Saeko cursed.

''I'm finished.'' Zero suddenly appeared, pulling a suitcase with him.

Saeko smiled at him. ''Let's go.''

When they arrived at his parent's house it was already dark. Zero was shown around the house and then to his room which was the basement. It was like a store, all dusty, piled with books, cartons and bottles. He looked at his father questioningly. ''You will sleep here from now on.'' Mamoru said.

Huh? ''But this place is dusty; may I sleep on the couch in the living room until I clean it up?'' Zero asked.

''You still don't get it, do you?'' Mamoru asked. Spoilt brat. ''You're in no position to be making requests. You will accept whatever is given to you without complains because in this house you're an extra. You shouldn't be here in the first place. Use that mattress over there.'' he pointed to an old mattress on top of the boxes.

''Okay.'' Zero said. He didn't protest any further. How I'm going to miss my old bed! ''When will I meet my brother?'' he asked.

''He's already asleep, you'll meet him eventually.''

''Goodnight, Dad.''

''Don't call me that.'' Mamoru said.

''What should I call you then?''

''Call me sir.''

The next day when Zero woke up, the door to the basement was locked from the outside. He called for someone to come and open it but no one did. He went and sat down on the mattress. What's going on? When evening came, his father came down to the basement followed by his mother and a boy who looked exactly like him. ''So that's him?'' the boy asked and Saeko nodded.

Zero looked at the boy, who he'd already guessed was his twin brother, and then turned his gaze to his father. ''Why did you lock the door?'' Zero asked.

''You're not supposed to leave this house. If anyone sees you, it would mean trouble for us. Get used to this basement because it will be your home from now on. You may not leave this room unless we tell you too, is that clear?'' Mamoru asked.

''But what about school? I have to go to keep going.'' Zero said.

''You won't be attending anymore. If the association finds out that we're raising twins, we'll be in deep shit. So stay hidden. Don't go out of the house. If you disobey those rules, you'll have to answer to me.''

* * * * *

Two years later

Zero wiped the sweat off his forehead and hurriedly cleaned the last of the windows in the kitchen. He had been busy with his chores since morning because his parents had told him to do a thorough cleaning of the whole house and be finished by the time they got back from work. It was Christmas Eve and he wasn't looking forward to Christmas like everybody else. In fact, he hated holidays. To him, holidays meant spending the day alone in misery. Not that he spent his days with other people. He had already stopped going to school, he hardly saw his family members when they around because he was always confined in the basement and was also forbidden to leave the house.

Born into a family of hunters, he was supposed to have been killed at birth because of the twins curse but his grandmother had taken him in and raised him in secret. He was sad that she was gone but at the same time glad that she died a natural death and not because of some sickness. On that day, he had woken up to find her unmoving body on her bed. At first he had thought that she was just resting because the calm expression on her face but when he touched her, she was as cold as ice. He had mourned her for months because she was the closest thing he ever had to a mother. Another thing that saddened him was that his parents didn't allow him to go to her funeral. That was just too cruel. He had wanted to be there, to say goodbye but they had locked him in the basement again.

He blamed his fate on the curse. He had learned about it when he started training as a hunter. It was said that a family of vampires hunters should never have twins because one would absorb the life energy of the other. Should the twins be born, the parents would have to decide which one would live and which one would be killed. It was sad that his parents had decided to give him up but that was the fate of the hunter's twins. He still regretted coming to this house. It's not like he had anywhere else to go, but if he had, he would leave without a looking back. He had just turned sixteen for Kami's sake, how was he supposed to make a living on his own?

He walked around the house to make sure he didn't miss to clean a spot. Satisfied with his work, he went back to the basement. While he slept in the cold room, his twin brother Ichiru had a warm, comfortable room. Even now he couldn't believe they were his own flesh and blood. They treated him like trash. Fine, he was unwanted, he understood that already but the torment they put him through every day, he wouldn't wish it on a dog. He was like a servant in his own house, he did all the cleaning and wasn't supposed to complain. His father had said he would have to earn his keep by doing most of the house work. He laid on the thin futon on the floor and closed his eyes and slept.

Sometime later, Zero awoke to pain on his stomach. He sat up and glared at his twin brother Ichiru who was standing next to the futon. ''Why have you kicked me? Couldn't you just wake me up without doing that?'' he asked.

''I called you several times but you didn't hear me, so I thought I kicking you would do the trick and what do you know, it did.'' Ichiru said smiling. ''Dad wants to talk to you.''

Zero rubbed his stomach in circular movements. It hurts, it hurts. ''Tell him I'm coming.'' he was in so much pain, he didn't think he could walk just yet.

''He said now,'' Ichiru grabbed him by the hair and pulled him roughly across the floor. At first Zero couldn't stop him because his brother was holding his hair in a tight grip but he somehow managed to grab Ichiru's hand and pulled it away. As far as strength was concerned, he was without a doubt, the strongest of them. He stood up and walked out of the basement. As he walked through the corridor into the living room, he gasped in shock. The floor was wet and the carpet was full of sand particles as if someone had poured it there purposely. Before he could open his mouth to speak, his father backhanded him so hard that he fell down from the blow.

His father pointed to the floor. ''What is the meaning of this, I thought your mother asked you to clean the house? As if that's not enough, you make me wait when I call you? Don't you have respect for your elders?''

''But I clea....'' Zero began to say but his father started whipping him with a cane. He tried to run away but his father caught him. Zero cried out in agony. ''Dad, clea....''

''Don't call me that, I'm not your father. I didn't sire such a useless son who can't do anything right.'' Mamoru continued whipping him harder while Ichiru stood there watching them with a smile on his face. ''I don't know why you're still alive, you should be long dead and not giving me headaches like this.''

''What going on here?'' Saeko asked from the front door.

''Mum, please help me.'' Zero held out his one hand towards her. ''Please help me, Dad is going to kill me. I cleaned the house, honest. I don't know where all this sand is from but I cleaned. Help...'' he cried.

Saeko looked at the carpet and put two and two together. ''What time is it?'' she asked.

Zero looked at the clock on the wall through his tears and answered, ''It's five-thirty.''

''You had the whole day to clean, what have you been doing?'' Saeko asked.

''I found him sleeping, Mum.'' Ichiru said.

''What?'' Saeko exclaimed. He took the cane from her husband and slapped Zero on the cheek. ''Hold him for me, I'll show you, your place.'' Zero was held tightly so that his back was to her. His mother beat him mercilessly as if he was a cow. ''Don't cry, the more you do, the more strokes you'll get. Zero tried to suppress his cries from coming out but he just couldn't manage. His mother continued her ministration and only stopped when the cane snapped into two. His father gave him one last kick before letting him go. Zero tried to run but fell down again. He crawled, anything to be able to get away. As he passed Ichiru at the door, his brother kicked him on the stomach again. This time he stood up and ran to his room as fast as his legs could carry him. In his room, Zero sat on the thin mattress and rocked his body back and forth as he wept.

His body hurt like hell. Kami-sama, help me. You know that I cleaned. You saw me sweating the whole day but they don't believe me. It hurts, it hurts. Help me to overcome this pain. Heal this body of mine faster because I know tomorrow I'll get the same treatment. I'm sure my back is bleeding from all that beating.He was in so much pain that he had forgotten about the pain in his stomach caused by Ichiru. Where did all that sand come from on the carpet? And the wet floor... I cleaned the whole house before taking a nap.Who could have done such a thing? Ichiru. Who else if not him? He must have done it to get me in trouble. Why does he hate me so much?

It hurts, it hurts.

Breathing hurts.

Crying hurts.

Everything hurts.

Zero looked up as his father came into the basement. ''We're going out to eat. The house better be clean by the time we come back or they'll be hell to pay. And make sure you clean the windows in the living room first, do I make myself clear?''

''Yes, Dad.'' he said standing up from the futon.

''Smack!!!'' his dad slapped him. ''are your ears just for decoration or what? Call me sir, do you hear?''

''Yes sir.'' Zero said.

''Good, now get your ass out there.'' Mamoru said. Zero rushed out of the basement forgetting his jacket. He turned back but his father was blocking the way, ''What is it now?'' he asked.

''I forgot to put on my jacket.''

''That's not my problem, get out of my sight before I hit you again.'' Mamoru threatened. Zero left quickly to find the cleaning equipments. When he had everything he needed, he started cleaning the large window. ''Start from the outside.''

Zero wanted to protest but didn't dare. It would only earn him a slap or even worse another beating. He stepped out into the balcony and was greeted by the cold December weather. He started cleaning as fast as possible to get away from the cold. Good thing he had a long sleeved shirt and a sweater otherwise he would freeze to death in seconds. Not that they help much but they were better than nothing at all. The window was dirty again for some reason. I really wonder. He finished cleaning the outer side of the window then went inside to continue. His parents and brother had already left. So he rushed to his room and put on his jacket to warm his frozen body faster. The pain on his back was ten times worse than before. Whether it was because he had exposed his body to the cold or not he had no idea. All he knew was the pain he was experiencing. It hurts, it hurts. He made himself some tea and drank it slowly while hovering the carpet. Soon enough, the cold left his body.

He thought about his grandmother. If only she was still alive. Why did you leave me? Wherever you are, do you see how this people are treating me? I also want to die. Maybe I'll finally find peace like you. I want to commit suicide but I can't bring myself to do it. What am I living for? Nobody wants me. My parents cast me away as a child. Now I'm nothing but a burden to them. If wishes were horse then I would be dead right now. Because I know this is what they truly wish for me in their hearts. My death. Even if I wanted to run away, where would I go? Should I go live on the streets? Will I manage to survive out there on my own? It would all be the same or even worse. Though I don't think anything could be worse than the treatment I get here.

After making sure that the house was sparkling again, Zero went back to the basement. He removed his sweater then his shirt carefully. There were blood spots on his shirt so he went into the bathroom to check. That cane had done him some real damage. His back was swollen and bleeding a little. He couldn't even bring himself to touch the skin there. He removed the rest of his clothes and took a shower. He flinched as the warm water ran down his body. Ouch, ouch. It hurts. His lower lip was also bleeding from the slaps he had gotten today so he washed it with caution. By the time he finished, he was hungry but he didn't think he could bring himself to eat anything. He was so nervous and scared of what lay ahead. He was afraid that his parents would come back and say that he hadn't cleaned properly. He dreaded the violence he experienced every time. He put on fresh clothes and went to sleep. He had a hard time finding a comfortable sleeping position because he couldn't sleep on his back but eventually he managed.

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Wait, wait.....please please REVIEW. You know they'll boost me to update faster., so onegai. Do the necessary.