Vampire Knight Chapter Six: The Forest

This chapter is written from Yuki's perspective, it follows her as she runs away from Shizuka's villa and into the surrounding forest. Can she out run Toga Yagari, Shizuka and Yori?

[Yuki Cross's Perspective] Chapter Six: It was now well into the night. A few hours had passed since I escaped Shizuka Hio's villa. The thoughts of my escape brought on the memories of the two brave vampire hunters. One was dead, I had seen it myself, but what of the other one? Was she still alive? A deep sense of guilt penetrated me. Had she died to protect me? Had they both died protecting me? I put my mind at ease by telling myself that I did not know for sure if the second hunter was dead. I then remembered Yori, she was a vampire now, I had seen it myself. She had pale skin and ruby eyes. At that moment I realized my now-deep hatred for Shizuka Hio. She had twisted the fate of my dear friend by turning her into a vampire. As much as I hated Shizuka, I couldn't let my hatred for her blind me, otherwise I'd end up doing something stupid, then I'd end up like that poor male vampire hunter, or worse, I'd end up like Yori.

Since the horrors that occurred in that villa, I had run a considerable distance into the woods surrounding the villa. I was now in a treeline, catching my breath and reflecting on the horrors of Shizuka's villa. Had Shizuka come looking for me? Had Toga Yagari come looking for me? What about Yori? Since Shizuka bit Yori and gave her life as a vampire, does that mean she is Shizuka's slave along with Toga Yagari? The thought of my closest friend being a vampire slave to a monstrous pureblood vampire like Shizuka brought a tear to my eye.

And what was happening back at Cross Academy? Did my father send out a search party for Yori and I? What of Takuma? He was a vampire, has he killed anyone else? How is Zero feeling without me? Is he worried? Has he come looking for me? Questions pounded the inside of my skull. It's fine. I'll bet that someone is looking for Yori and I right now. I told myself. My heart pounded in my ears. I was so afraid that either Toga Yagari, Shizuka or even Yori, who I assume is Shizuka's slave because she gave Yori life as a vampire, would find me. I had now caught my breath. Before running farther away from that villa, I checked over my shoulder to see if I was followed. I wasn't. I looked back in front of myself and ran, putting more distance between me and that villa by the second.

I ran down the hill that I was just on top of. I checked over my shoulder periodically to make sure no one was following me. After a few minutes of sprinting, I spotted a treeline that was fairly small, but would provide adequate cover while I caught my breath. I ran over and squatted in the treeline. No sooner after I did that, I saw someone descending the hill that I just came down. I slowly shifted from a squatting position to a laying position. I then silently thanked my father for the black day class uniform that I was wearing. As the figure drew nearer, I recognized the form of the figure to be Toga Yagari. My fear rose. Had he seen me? He then looked my way. I did not make eye contact, I froze, fear paralyzed me. Toga Yagari stepped right up to me, although he didn't seem to be looking at me. He stopped when his boots were right in front of my face! I recognized the boots as the ones that kicked me in the face to knock me out that night back in my dorm.

I was so terrified right now. I did not move, and did not look upwards. Was he looking down on me? I didn't dare look up to find out. I lay there unmoving, with my gaze fixed on his boots. Finally, when I was sure that he was looking down at me, he moved. He started running of to my right, with his back to me. Did he seriously not see me? Relief spread through me, making me light headed. I sighed with relief and sagged in closer to the ground. I stayed there for a while longer, so as to avoid being seen in Yori or Shizuka ran down that hill. Would Yori be loyal to Shizuka or to me? I wondered this. Would she remember our friendship? Or would she be loyal to Shizuka because she gave her life as a vampire? I just wished I was back at Cross Academy, back to where I belong. I wanted Yori to be by my side, I wanted to see Zero, I wanted to see my father. A single tear flowed down my cheek. You won't do anything with an attitude like that. I told myself. I knew that was true, so I got up and looked around myself. No one was near, Toga Yagari had vanished and there was no sign of Shizuka or Yori.

I kept running away from the villa; In the direct opposite direction. Then a thought hit me: Was I getting closer or further away from Cross Academy? This thought caused me to slow down a little. Where was I? I was so focused on escaping Shizuka's villa that I had no idea where I was going. I decided that since I had already run so much in this direction, there was no sense in changing direction, so I ran on. I'll come to a town soon, right? I asked myself. I figured that the chances of coming to a town were pretty good, so I ran even harder, determined to find civilization and get back to Cross Academy. There, that was my goal.

I continued on with my goal in mind. I had to be well away from Shizuka's villa by now. Just then, I heard footsteps trampling the dry leaves around thirty feet to my right. I threw myself into a treeline nearby and I layed down, much like I had when Toga Yagari almost saw me. I looked up to see not Yori, Shizuka or Toga Yagari, but it was the female vampire hunter with the shotgun! "Girl, are you alive?" She asked, pointing the gun at me. I stood up and raised my hands to the sky, fearing that she'd shoot me. I put my hands up over my head. The woman walked over and checked my neck. "Alright, you have no fang marks, and put your hands down, this gun does nothing to humans, it only hurts vampires." She told me. I looked at her, she was short, maybe 5 feet five inches, she had brown hair and green eyes. She was a little plump, but she was pretty muscular looking. "What is your name?" I asked her. She looked at me. "Irene. What's yours?" She asked me. "Yuki." I responded. She nodded. I didn't stop looking at her. "What happened to Shizuka? What happened to the man, Toga Yagari? What happened to my friend, Yori?" I asked her.

The vampire hunter woman looked at me. "Well, I shot Shizuka a few times in the arms and legs, it'll hurt her like hell, but she won't die from it. Since she is a pureblood, she will heal from those major wounds in a day or so. I couldn't get a clear shot at her heart or her head, which is where you hit a vampire if you want to kill one. As for the man, Toga Yagari, he took off after you, haven't seen him since. And your friend... Yori... Well, a most unfavourable fate awaits her." Irene told me. Worry filled me. "What will happen to Yori?" I asked Irene. She shook her head. "Well, there are different ranks of vampires, at the top being purebloods, which is what Shizuka Hio is. Next there are aristocratic vampires, which are slightly less powerful that purebloods, then there are common vampires, which are vampires who were formerly human, which is where your friend, Yori is. For now." She said.

I cocked my head at Irene. "For now? What do you mean?" I asked her. Irene stared at me and said "Well, vampires who are formerly human will inevitably lose their sanity and... They fall to Level E. Where they completely lose their sanity and their lust for blood takes over, a Level E vampire is very dangerous, they react only on instinct, and they will do anything for blood. They kill mercilessly and communication with a Level E is almost impossible." Irene told me. Shock filled me. "How long does Yori have until... Level E?" I asked her. Irene thought for a moment. "It depends on how mentally stable and healthy she is. There are reports of vampires who resisted the fall to Level E to up to four years." Irene said. This gave me a little hope. "Is there a way to stop the fall to Level E completely?" I asked her.

Irene bit her lip, as if decided weather or not to tell me something. "Well, there is a way to permanently stop the fall to Level E." Irene said. I was filled with hope for Yori. "Really? How?" I asked Irene. Irene regarded me with a strange look. "Well, the only way to permanently stop one's fall to Level E is to... Is to get the vampire who is falling to Level E to drink the blood of the pureblood who turned them into a vampire." She said. I froze. Would Yori do that? "So you are telling me that Yori must drink Shizuka's blood if she wants to keep her humanity and her sanity?" I asked Irene. She nodded. "That is exactly what I'm saying." She said. I nodded, understanding.

Just then, I heard footsteps coming. They came so abruptly and so quickly that I froze in fear. I could still hear them. I looked around but saw no one. I looked to Irene, she had heard them, too. She readied her shotgun. Suddenly, I saw a blur of motion behind Irene, and a man approached, he hand her in a headlock from behind. "Hello there, hunter." He said. Irene screamed and kicked to get out of his grip, she couldn't. He then plunged his fangs into her neck, his ruby eyes glistened in the moonlight. Irene screamed. "No!" She yelled as the vampire bit her. She did not stop kicking and screaming. I ran over to her, fear filled me, but I saw my chance to help her and I went for it. I took the shotgun out of her hands. I put it to my shoulder, aimed at the vampire's head, and pulled the trigger.

Bang! The gunshot went off, the shotgun barrel flared and the recoil of the weapon knocked me to the ground, forcing me to yelp in pain. My shoulder stung. I looked up to see that the vampire who had attacked Irene was now dead. It's head was gone, and blood spattered the nearby trees. I pumped the shotgun, this ejected the used shell and loaded a fresh one in. I went over to Irene. Sorrow filled me. I was too late. She was very pale. I checked for a pulse but felt none. She was cold as ice. Blood dripped from the two fang marks on her neck and flowed down her shoulder onto the ground. Was the vampire who did this under Shizuka's control? Was it just passing by? I then heard footsteps trampling the dry leaves around forty feet away, they were faint, but still audible. In a moment, a cold, autumn breeze blew and tossed my hair. Then I saw them. Standing forty feet away on top of a hill, were Yori, Shizuka and Toga Yagari. They must have heard the gunshot. Even from here I could see Yori's striking ruby eyes.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think :) Credit to 'Yuki' on Writerscafe who is helping me write this fan fiction!

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

Excellent chapter. Lots of action it in. Narrow escape after narrow escape. Likeable characters and this is easy to read, which is only a good thing, believe me! Very interesting plot/storyline.

[Ryan Henderson]

Thank you for the kind review!

[Tina Kline]

You are very welcome.

[John Mcnab]

I LOVE this! I like how Yuki was ALMOST found in the woods, and I like how Yuki recognizes Toga's boots as the ones that knocked her out in her dorm in the first chapter. Beautifully written!