The Light at the End of the Journey

Ever since the beginning, the three of us had been trapped within the perpetual darkness of an endless forest.

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"This will be my last gift to you."

Zero's mauve purple eyes snapped open and his right hand was instantly raised in front of him, ready to call out Bloody Rose at a moment's notice. He was filled with confusion when he noticed that he was sitting at the mahogany desk in his office at the Association's headquarter, instead of being in the underground furnace room at Cross Academy.

Dong...dong...dong...

The grandfather clock in his office chimed thrice, signaling the current time to be midnight. It was only then did Zero realize that he had been dreaming earlier. He must have fallen asleep while reviewing the reports for the Hunters' Association, which explained the scattered paperwork on his desk. Nonetheless, the dream he had was not any random dream. It was a recollection of a past memory.

That's right.

Kuran Kaname had sacrificed his life to become the new Parent metal and Zero himself had gained greater power from the reformed Bloody Rose, which had integrated into his being and became an inseparable part of himself. With this newfound power, Zero had single-handedly ended the battle with the Purebloods at Cross Academy and thus, transient peace had once again returned to the world.

However, power was not the only thing that Kaname had given Zero.

A few months after the battle with the Purebloods, Zero realized that there was something different about himself. His thirst for blood was still present, but it was no longer as unmanageable as before. Moreover, he felt more ... in control of himself. It was an indescribable feeling. Nonetheless, he had went to seek for answers from Aidou Hanabusa, the self-proclaimed genius, who had then come up with the deduction that Zero's lifespan may have been lengthened through the complete assimilation of Bloody Rose into his being.

In other words, as long as Blood Rose remained intact, Zero will continue to live.

Although that was merely a speculation without the support of any solid evidences, Zero had believed it to be true. After all, there were no other explanations for his perfectly healthy mind and physical condition. In fact, he had never felt as fine as he was now, except for the time when he was still a human teenager... Perhaps, this was the meaning of the whispered words in the wind that he had heard on that day. This was his last gift to him. Zero chuckled at the thought. If that was true, he guessed he really should be thanking Kaname after all.

Well, without realizing it, it had already been 25 years since then, Zero thought wistfully.

With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes and rubbed the side of his head with one hand, while holding one of the reports with his other hand.

"Oh, you're still here?"

In response to the inquiring voice, Zero casually shifted his sight towards the mop of ash-brown hair that had peeked out from his opened office's door. Aside from Chairman Cross and his mentor, there was only one person who would intrude upon his office to check up on him from time to time. Coincidentally, this person was also one of the few people that Zero respects and trusts with his own life.

"Unfortunately, the reports won't get corrected by themselves, Kaito," said Zero in a matter-of-fact tone as he resumed looking through the report in his hand.

With a grin, Takamiya Kaito merely shook his head as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. Despite being at the age of forty-seven, he looked as though he was in his late thirties with a clean-shaven face and wearing a pair of thin-rimmed spectacles. This wasn't unusual as all Vampire Hunters possessed certain amount of vampire genes from their ancestors and the amount of vampire genes that they possessed allowed them certain extent of longevity, such as in the case of Cross Kaien, who could live for more than two hundred years and even now, still looked as though he was in his mid-twenties.

"Considering that it is already past midnight, today marks the first day of your official four-day leave. So, shouldn't you be heading home now?" asked Kaito as he headed to Zero's desk and picked up one of the reports for viewing. Seeing as Zero didn't answer him, he passed a brief glance at the silver-haired Hunter and said, "You know, she must also be missing you at home."

"Kaito," Zero spoke in an admonishing tone, which only made the older man sighed.

"Seriously, Zero, leave these work to me and go home," said the brown-haired Hunter as he placed the report on the desk and looked at Zero sternly.

"There's no need for that. I am almost done. Besides, as the president of the Association, I can't just drop my work halfway and leave," replied Zero bluntly, without looking away from the report in his hand.

Seeing that Zero had not looked at him throughout their conversation, Kaito snatched the report from Zero's hand as he said, "This is why you have me, your vice president, to assist you. I am here to manage the Association and to do these works for you when you are on leave."

Zero opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by Kaito who said, "Unless, you don't think I can handle this and that I am not worthy of my current post in the Association?"

"Of course not."

"Then, good. This discussion is over," said Kaito resolutely with his arms crossed over his chest.

Be it in the past or the present, Kaito was the only person who will speak to him in such a casual and frank manner, regardless of his current status as the President of the Association and his grim reputation as a legendary vampire hunter. Other Hunters in the Association was merely afraid and wary of him, in which Zero don't blamed them. After all, not only was he an ex-human vampire with astonishing power, he shares an intimate relationship with Yuuki, who is the last of the Kuran Pureblood and the figurehead of the vampire society. It was no wonder that they were doubtful of his allegiance to the Association and in general, to humanity... Nonetheless, it was reassuring that Kaito didn't treat or look at him any differently than in the past.

"Thank you, Kaito."

"Geez, Zero. You're becoming as long-winded as that daughter-loving fool."

An amused smile crossed Zero's lips as he knew full well the person that Kaito was referring to.

"Anyway, you better go home now or I will kick you out of your own office."

Knowing that Kaito means it, Zero silently stood up from his seat, gave Kaito a friendly pat on the shoulder and went to retrieve his overcoat from the coat hanger by the door before he left his office with an amiable smile on his face.

It is good that some things never change.

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Even though we were freezing in the cold darkness, we continue to wander aimlessly in search of the exit to the deep and dark forest.

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While sitting on the rug by the fireplace, Yuuki was going through the box of items that Cross Kaien had found in his residence recently. Apparently, the items in the box belonged to Yuuki when she was still a Day Class student in Cross Academy. Ever since Yuuki had left his guardianship, Kaien had packed her remaining belongings into a box and kept it in the attic. As time passed, he eventually forgot about its existence until he stumbled upon it in the attic, which was twenty-six years later.

After hearing the bespectacled man's explanation, Yuuki can't help but to laugh as she realized that only the chairman could be so forgetful. Nonetheless, as Yuuki was going through those items in the box, she was amazed that the items had not been as damaged by time as she had expected. Moreover, she felt sweetly nostalgic as she held those items in her hands.

Her Prefect's whistle, Prefect's white armband, some of her favorite novels and ...

Yuuki smiled tenderly as she took the item out of the box and held it on her lap with both hands. It was the photograph of the first day at high school for both herself and Zero, in which Yuuki's head was sticking up from Zero's shoulder with a jubilant twinkle in her eyes, while Zero had a stern expression on his face. She still remembered that time as though it had happened recently.

On that day, she had clung onto Zero's arm as she urged him to smile for the camera. In return, Zero had responded by asking her to let go of him, but she had childishly refused to do so by holding on tightly to his arm. While Zero looked troubled by her actions, Yuuki had noticed that Chairman Cross, who was holding the camera, was laughing silently at the sidelines.

Back then, I am the one who had resolutely said that I will never let you go.

But ... that isn't really the case, is it?

In the end, it is you who never let me go...

... and I am glad that you didn't, Zero.

== 25 years ago... ==

Yuuki stared listlessly into the flickering flames of the burning furnace. This furnace was where he rests, no, to be precise, this was where he will be forever. Her only family, her beloved older brother, Kuran Kaname.

In the first few moments after he had left her, she was unbearably sad and hurt by his passing. Then, the sadness had turned into anger... towards the Purebloods that had come to assault them at the Academy. With Artemis held firmly in her hand, she had rushed up towards the surface, determined to put a stop to the senseless battles that had claimed far too many lives. The only problem was that she had overlooked the fact that Artemis was already at its limit. With her weapon disintegrating into pieces, she would have lost her life if Zero had not appeared as he did.

Witnessing the overwhelming power of the reformed Bloody Rose and how it had selectively eradicated the enemy Purebloods and left the benevolent Purebloods unharmed, along with meeting the knowing look in Zero's mauve purple eyes, Yuuki knew deep within her heart that this was Kaname's doing. It was his last act of kindness to protect both humans and vampires.

Why ...Why can't you care more about yourself instead of others?

If circumstances had allowed it, she would have laughed at her own thoughts. After all, she knew full well that her brother was the kind of person to put other people's interests ahead of his own. No matter what he had done or said about himself, to Yuuki, Kaname was always a gentle and kind person, always.

"Yuuki."

It was Zero who had called her.

He had stood silently by the door of the furnace room, ever since the others had left the room in order to give her some space and time by herself.

Knowing how much Kaname had meant to her, they were aware that no words could possibly console her or ease her grief towards his death. Even so, Zero couldn't bear to leave her on her own. Without a word, he had watched her lonely back ... until he could no longer watch in silence anymore.

"I am not going to run away anymore, but I am not doing this because of what he said. This is what I have decided for myself. This is my decision," he had said in a firm voice, but the following words were filled with a hint of pain and anxiety, "That's why, Yuuki, you too must make your own decision."

My decision? What is there ... left for me to do?

"It's alright to take your time to think about it. Knowing you, you would have a lot to think about because you would blame yourself for everything that had happened."

But, it's true, isn't it? If I were stronger, I could have stopped this from happening. I could have found another way.

"Geez."

Yuuki's auburn eyes widened in surprise when a pair of arms had wrapped themselves around her from behind and holding her closely against a warm form.

"Let it go, Yuuki. Let go of everything and say that you will come with me."

She could sense the desperation in Zero's voice and his firm hold. He was afraid of losing her, just like he always did in the past. But... why? Why is it that even now, after everything that had happened, after all the pain that she had caused him, she was still so important to him?

"It's alright if it takes you years or even a few decades to say it," he leaned his head on top of hers and held her closer to himself, "but please, please say it before I turn into dust from starvation."

Why is it that when I had allowed myself to sink to the bottom, you are the one who had pulled me back to the surface?

For the first time since the end of the battle, Yuuki allowed her tears to fall freely from her eyes.

== Present day... ==

Even so, Yuuki didn't stay together with Zero after that.

Instead, with the aid of the Night Class nobles and the support of Shouto Isaya, Yuuki had spent twenty years trying to fit in to her new role as a ruler of the vampire society. As she was adamant in carrying on the dreams of a peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires, she was still in contact with Zero from time to time through the Hunter's Association, which was led by Cross Kaien and Yagari Toga.

It was only after twenty-one years had passed since Kaname's death did Yuuki finally sorted out her feelings and decided to be together with Zero. Even though they were never officially wedded to one another due to their important positions within their respective society, they were perfectly contented with the fact that they could live together under the same roof.

Sometimes, it was hard to believe that they had been together for four years now.

Although they rarely saw each other now since Zero was appointed as the President of the Hunter's Association two years ago and Yuuki had recently passed most of the management of the vampire society to a newly-formed council that consisted of Aidou Hanabusa, Souen Ruka, Akatsuki Kain, Senri Shiki and Ichijou Takuma, this situation had not diminished their feelings for each other. Instead, it had further deepened their love for one another.

As the saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder".

Just when Yuuki was thinking about Zero, she suddenly sensed his familiar presence a few paces away from their home. Knowing that he had returned from the Association, Yuuki hastily placed the photo frame and the other items back into the box before she stood up and walked out of the living room, eager to see him for the first time of the day. Just as she reached the entrance room, the entrance door clicked open and Zero's face came into view. When their eyes met, their lips had curled up to form a tender smile at the same time.

"Welcome home," greeted Yuuki as she stepped forward and gave Zero a quick kiss on the lips, followed by a bear hug.

As he embraced Yuuki in his arms and breathing in her familiar scent of sunlight and spring, Zero murmured in perfect contentment.

"I am home."

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Even though it was difficult, I believe that we will eventually escape the dark forest and the day when we could warm our frozen bodies under the warm light of the sun will come.

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A couple of years later, Yuuki and Zero eventually had a daughter and a son.

One-hundred and forty-five years later, Aidou Hanabusa discovered and perfected a form of medication that could turn vampires into humans.

Five-hundred years after that discovery, the Kuran became the last existing Pureblood clan. The other Pureblood clans had either taken the medication to become human or had been eliminated by the Hunter's Association due to committing grievous offences towards humanity.

Having decided that their roles and responsibilities as leading figures of both the vampire and human society had been fulfilled, Yuuki and Zero had decided to take the medication and become humans since Yuuki's sincerest and most carefree moments were when she was living as a human in Cross Academy, while it has always been Zero's deepest wish to live and die as a human. Nonetheless, they allowed their children to decide for themselves the choice of either remaining as vampires or becoming humans. After becoming humans, Yuuki and Zero lived the rest of their mortal lives in utter peace and bliss.

After another two hundred years had passed, the anti-vampire weapons were no longer needed as the last Purebloods, who were Yuuki and Zero's children, had taken the medication and became humans. Thus, the flame of the furnace can finally be extinguished.

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At the end of this long and endless journey ...

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As though he had just awakened from a long and endless dream, Kaname opened his eyes and found himself lying amidst a familiar green field.

"Kaname."

As he turned around towards the source of the voice, he saw a silhouette being illuminated by the radiant light of the rising sun at the horizon. His eyes widened in surprise as he instantly realized two things. Firstly, the sunlight did not burn his eyes or caused him any discomfort at all and secondly, he knows the identity of the silhouette.

"Kirie..."

After standing up on his feet, Kaname took an unsteady step forward and then another. Eventually, he sprinted towards the silhouette. As he held the lithe form of the hooded woman in his arms, a genuine smile crossed his lips, which mirrored the one on his beloved's face.

After countless separations and more than ten thousand years of being apart, the two ancestors of the vampire race are finally reunited.

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... may you find the light that you seek.