Prequel: Prayer

A/N: My plot bunny has been bugging me to write this. It "supposed" to be a Valentine's story but sadly I was overwhelmed with too many RL issues to complete it on time. I wanted to post this fic so badly that I have to cramp whatever is left of my Chinese New Year holidays to write it.

Warning: My writing style would not be as good as the original writer of CoB, SGK. I'm still a beginner in descriptive writing thus some of you may find my story does not flow as fluent as hers. I apologized if I were to make any grammatical errors and typos as I am cramping this is such a limited time.

This one – shot is separated into two parts. The first one is the prequel of Cradle of Blood (CoB). It's totally AU and it does not clash with the main plot in CoB.

The second part is my version of expected ending. This AU ending was based on my dream (you can see how deep my obsession can go…). Again, this is NOT the REAL ENDING OF THE STORY. Please do not misunderstand my intention as plagiarism. I have no idea what her version of CoB's ending.

In short, I would categorize it as a one short once it's finished. At the moment, the status will be ongoing.

Appreciation: I would like to thank Sagakure for allowing me to use her Cradle of Blood fanfic as reference. Her suggestions were very encouraging. I would like to thank YenGirl for encouraging me to post this up since our last conversation months ago. ;)

Heavy droplets of rainwater wet the dry earth bellow. Flashes of lightening lit up the darkened sky followed by the ferocious roar of thunder as though in reply. A frightened little boy was running barefooted through the heavy thunderstorm; doubtful of his destination. The boy, named Kaname Kuran, was a pureblood. Purebloods were said to be the most powerful vampires that had ever existed – known as the king of the vampire society. However, a cruel twist of fate had spelt the end of their reign Along with the defeated side of the war; the vampires, they faced a malicious destiny – permanent enslavement.

Even the children like Kaname were not spared. Shortly after end of the war, the young pureblood was captured and enslaved by Asato Ichijou, the traitorous vampire who had led to his family's demise. Badly wounded and heavily drugged by anti-vampire chemicals, Kaname were forced to tolerate unspeakable torture and abuse from his captor without having any respite. Days for freedom seemed bleak as days passed for the twelve year old, shackled to the filthy walls of the cot.

However, that did not stop Kaname from hoping. He strongly believed that one day he would be able to find his way out of the hellhole. The chance that he had dreamt of had finally arrived when one of Asato's servants carelessly left the cell door unlocked when he came to collect the leftovers. As quiet as a mouse, he crept out of his the cell. He successfully bypassed all the guards undetected until he reached the kitchen.

Kaname quickly scanned the surroundings. Luckily, they were no one around. Perhaps Ichiou had them busied themselves with one of his soirée. Without wasting any time, he wriggled into the tiny space in between a stack of wooden cartons of wine bottles and the wall. He squeezed himself into a small hole hidden behind it. This was his only nearest escape that he knew of.

He silently thanked Takuma for his help. The cheeky blonde vampire had showed him this particular escape route when they were kids. It was Takuma's favourite hiding place for hide-and-seek. Aside from the royalist families, Kaname used to visit the Ichijou's back when he was a kid. He would tag along with his parents to the mansion, attending vampire gatherings held by the head of the Senior Council.

Kaname hated those moments when he had to deal with the adults in the party. Putting up a fake mask and accommodating those hungry vultures were among of the things that he disliked the most. Despite that, he always looked forward to meet his friends, even though he really never showed it. The grandson of Ichijou would welcome him in open arms and dragged him into one of his "adventures". Together with the rest of the noble kids: self- reserved Kain Akatsuki, rebellious Aidou Hanabusa and shy little Ruka Souen, Kaname made himself a group of strong allies.

Unlike the rest of his subordinates who revered and fear him, these five vampires were fiercely loyal and inseparable to their pureblood friend. Kaname could always depend on them, knowing they are all willing to aid him sincerely, without expecting anything in return. That's was why when Kaname heard of his allies' defeat by the hunters; he couldn't help worrying about their safety. He had ordered Seiren to send reinforcements to help his friends, but it was too late. The grey haired vampire failed to retrieve any information about their whereabouts after their capture. The news devastated the young pureblood gravely. There was little he could do as Kaname himself was captured soon afterwards.

Little that he knew, the Fates has other plans for them in the future…

.

Kaname winced as millions of raindrops splashed upon his abused back like thousands of sharp needles. His marred back was still bleeding sluggishly due to the drugs retarding effects. His vision was fogged by the heavy drizzle, the pureblood had no idea of where was going. However, that did not stop him. It would not be long until the prison guards have realized he had escaped from his cell.

Kaname followed his dull instinct to trail the wet gravel road, leading him further from the Ichijou Mansion. His stamina was fading away; he had slipped into random mud puddles and fell a few times as he ran. Despite that, he continued dashing forward and only stopped for brief seconds to rest. After hours of hurdle through the thunderstorm, the pureblood had finally collapsed.

.

The chirping of the birds stirred Kaname from his unconsciousness. The awful thunderstorm had finally passed and the sky was once again filled with clear blue skies. The pureblood found himself lying in front an old abandoned church, body still wet from the rain. After a few seconds of struggle, he staggered into the building to seek refuge. There were no one inside to his relief; the last thing that he wanted was to bump into humans. With his current state, Kaname would be an easy prey to anyone of them, even to an unarmed man. Like vampires, purebloods were desired by humans. Rather than the powerful, enriching blood they possessed, these so-called kings of vampires were deemed as prized items in the slave market. The younger a pureblood, the more valuable it would be. A strong and healthy one could fetch an enormous sum, one that was worth of five years of a farmer's harvest combined together. Purebloods are deemed to be prize collections of rich merchants, bought as private pleasure slaves. Some unlucky ones would be used as "test subjects" to vampire hunter's research on their enemies. It was rumored pureblood's blood was a part of the recipe for immortality, though there were not enough scientific proof to that at the moment.

Kaname entered the nave of the abandoned church. There were several rows of wooden pews placed in middle. The lack of care caused the pews to rot and splinter. Patches of mosses adorned the edges and seat at random position. Wild weeds grew from the cracks of the parquet floor, its serene green contrasted with the dark colors of flooring. The aisles were equally in bad condition; they were smudged with brownish green patched and badly damaged by old age. Kaname looked up and saw a few broken clerestories on both sides of the aisle. Several glass shards were lying beneath the dusty ground, with a few chunks of rocks beside them, as if they had been deliberately wrecked.

The only part that seemed to be in good condition was the chancel. The items on the altar seemed untouched, though there were specks of dust on them. The sight of Holy Cross and the window painting of baby Jesus in the arms of Virgin Mary mesmerized him. His deceased parents were atheists and had never visited any churches (vampires are not really welcomed in churches anyway). This was Kaname's first time being in one. When he was younger, he had read about them from one of his storybooks, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He had recalled reading something about baptism, caroling and sermons sessions. Even though the Kurans were somewhat pagans, they stressed on moral values and respect for other beings. Haruka and Juri were also pacifists. They strongly believed that a pureblood's power and position function was to govern their fellow vampires to strengthen peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires, avoiding any unnecessary conflicts.

Kaname knelt in front of the cross. He clasped both of his hands together and bowed his head to pray silently.

"Dear God, you may not see me as someone who is worthy of your protection, but please hear me out. Even though I have gained my freedom, I felt so lost. I have nowhere to go. My parents are dead and my little sister is far from my reach. Please have mercy on me and lead me from this confusion, I beg of you…"

Out of a sudden, a soft tap landed on his shoulder.

Oh no, there is a person in here…

Kaname retracted in response. He didn't know what to do. Too terrified of what's coming, the pureblood quickly raised his hands in front of him and bowed his head submissively hoping that it would appease the stranger. Subconsciously, he hissed in pain when the abrupt movement tore open one of his healing wounds on his scarred back.

"I'm really sorry for trespassing. I will leave now. Please don't hurt me," he begged.

"Chill out, there. I'm not hurt you," said a gentle voice.

He opened his eyes and saw a pair of Lilac looking at him. Unlike the ones he had seen before, they were radiating with concern and pure warmth. Those beautiful eyes belong to a silver haired boy. From his looks, it would seem to Kaname the boy was around his age with a difference of a year or two (in reference to human age, of course).

"Are you alright?" asked the boy, tracing his fingers along the pureblood's scarred back. Kaname flinched a little from the contact; flashes of Ichiou and his disgusting touch came haunting in his mind.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? " asked the boy again apologetically.

Kaname shook his head. The kid took it as a no and continued to inspect the crisscross scars on the pureblood's back.

"What terrible wounds! Where did you get these from? " he asked quizzically.

The pureblood averted his eyes away. His long fringe hid a faint blush on his milky cheeks. Kaname was touched by the boy's kindness. Rather than causing him harm, he was strangely concerned about his well-being.

Maybe this boy has not realized the pureblood's true identity yet, he told himself.

"It's alright if you don't wanna tell. But first, I need to take a look at your wounds."

Kaname was taken aback by the statement. The boy retrieved a bottle of oilmen and a roll of bandage from his pocket. Next, he tore a piece of fabric from his shirt and poured the oilment onto it.

"Don't worry, it's just antiseptic. This might sting a little, though," the boy explained as he moved facing Kaname's back.

The pureblood nodded again in consent. The boy gently dapped the cloth onto Kaname's abused skin. The young Kuran hissed a little as the medicine seeped into the open gashes. After treating the pureblood's wounds, he carefully bandaged his torso.

"There you go. These wounds will heal in no time."

Kaname murmured a soft 'thank you' to the generous stranger who had just helped him. He felt a little bit off of the current situation. His reflexes were still dulled by the anti-vampire drugs, making him unsure of what to do next. They were a long pause hovering between the two boys.

Finally, it was the boy who broke the ice after moments of awkward silence.

"So, what are you doing in place like this?"

Kaname silently debated to himself whether to tell the truth or not.

"Actually, I was finding a place to rest. Then, I came across this abandoned church. Earlier this morning, I was tracking in the nearby forest and accidently slipped," the pureblood lied, to be safe though his instincts told him that he could trust this boy.

"That would explain the wounds. I believed we have not introduced ourselves. I'm Zero from the Kiryuu Clan," said the silver-haired boy with a wide grin on his face, greeting the pureblood in a handshake.

"I'm Kaname. Nice to meet you," replied Kaname shyly as he shook Zero's hand.

"So, do you live around here? Do your parents know where you are right now?

"Not really… My parents had passed away two years ago."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Kaname. It's alright, if you don't have any place to go, you are always welcome to stay at my house. My parents travelled a lot and are seldom at home. You can drop by for a visit if you want to."

"Thank you for the kind offer but I need to go," said the pureblood as he stood up. Kaname was stopped by Zero's grip.

"Hold on, you can't possibly go now. You're still injured," Zero retorted as he pulled his friend beside him.

"I'm fine. I'm really sorry but I have to leave now," he replied. He needed to leave the place as soon as possible before Ichiou's men tracked him down.

I'm so sorry, Zero. If I could tell you the truth, I would. Please understand…

"Listen, Kaname. You and I might have just met only a couple of hours but if you want any help, I'm always available. Here some money to spare. Go and do whatever you need to, k? " Zero gave in after he saw the desperate look on the pureblood's face. He wasn't about to stuck his nose into someone else's business. In fact, Zero trusted his friend's decision. In that short time, both children create a mutual understanding between themselves that could not be describe in words.

Kaname were touched by Zero's words. He hugged his friend in a bear crushing hug.

"Thank you so much, Zero. You have no idea how much this means to me," cried Kaname, tears of happiness stream down his cheeks.

I will always remember you, Zero…

The silver-haired boy caressed the pureblood's soft locks hair and whispered, "Take care, Kaname. I hope we meet again."

With that statement, both boys parted to their separate ways.

.

Unfortunately, the pureblood were unable to escape destiny. His journey was cut short when he was caught by Uriya Yamamoto, Asato's right hand man. Apparently, Ichijou's guard caught up to Kaname 's trail a two days after his escape and apprehended the young slave from his hiding place. After a feeble struggle, Kaname was retrieved back to Ichijou's mansion and was forced to relive the hellhole. As years go by, the fateful meeting with the boy name Zero faded; only tiny fragments of the incident remained somewhere in his mind…

.

Ten years have soon passed….

The two hunters stood in the dimly lit street, among the falling snowflakes that turned to mud as soon as they hit the uneven ground of the old stone paved street.

The older man had a vaguely inebriated look on his unshaved face, and nudged knowingly the silver-haired young one, pointing at the display window they were looking at, and making vulgar comments from time to time, in a way that embarrassed the other rather than helped him choose.

The silver haired hunter's gaze was lost on the farther end of the display window, where a dark haired vampire sat on a Louis XV armchair, with a regal look about him that set him distinctly apart from all the others.

Having his mind made up on his choice, Zero Kiryuu entered the "house" without knowing that he was about to reunite with person that he had met once upon a time at the abandoned church…

A/N: You all know what happens next, right? *grins* For your information, the young Zero that was describe in the story was before the attack on the Kiryuu family. Kaname was also just separated from his family and was enslaved. After his escape, he hoped to find his sister, Yuuki who was protected by Cross Kaien at that time but with no avail. *hugs Kaname*

Check out for the upcoming chapters.

Again, please read and REVIEW!

Thanks!