Summary

When Kagome is separated from Inuyasha and the others during a fight, she is saved from drowning by the King of the Night...

Kagome/Kaname

A/N: Oh, I am soooo excited to be bringing this to the table. This is a long chapter. Well, long for me. Not only did it give me the excuse to completely rewatch Vampire Knight, but it also gave me the excuse to reread the manga too! Is such an avid fan. -sigh-

On a completely different note, this is my first time dabbling in the Vampire Knight realm. I hope I do it justice. Oh, and Takeru is Ichijou's ancestor. I made him up. He has long blonde hair, usually worn in a low ponytail, and brown eyes. Just want to clear that up now. So now, I present to you, for your enjoyment...

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"Inuyasha! It's in its forehead!" Kagome Higurashi shouted, pulling her bow taut and letting her arrow fly. It missed and she stomped her foot in agitation. She hated that her skills in archery were so horrible.

Despite the fact that their little group had been battling this newest incarnation for the past few hours, they were barely making a dent in it's defenses. An ogre's skin was said to be iron hard, so normal weapons were nearly useless. That opted Sango's trusty bone boomerang out.

"I'm on it!" her hanyou friend cried, swinging Tessaiga around and unleashing the Wind Scar for the hundredth time and cutting off the ogre's arm. It simply laughed and regenerated the lost limb again using the power of the Jewel Shard in it's possession. Inuyasha snarled in rage and parried the blow the ogre sent his way.

Sango! What's taking so long?" he shouted, glancing at the demon slayer. His inattention cost him, and he was sent flying into some trees. There was a painful thud as his body made contact.

"I'm almost done!" Sango replied, dodging the claws that swiped at her agilely. Miroku had been incapacitated a while back after accidentally sucking in several poisonous wasps with his wind tunnel. He'd hoped to end the fight quickly; it hadn't turned out well for the monk.

Kagome chewed her lip in agitation as she reached to support Miroku's weight feebly. Sure, the monk was one of her best friends, but did he have to be so heavy?

"Lady Kagome, I apologize for being such a burden," Miroku mumbled, still loopy from the antitoxin that she had fed him nearly 15 minutes ago. The priestess huffed and dragged them over to a nearby cliff edge to get out of range.

"It's okay, Miroku. You're not a burden," Kagome soothed, setting the dark-haired male down to try and catch her breath. She would attempt another arrow in just a moment.

"Fox Fire!" Blue fire circled around the duo and warded off the poisonous insects that had tried to gether around them.

"Thanks Shippo!" the school girl called out, smiling at the young fox that took a stance in front of the humans. Shippo grinned and sent another wave out. He was getting so much stronger now.

"No problem Kagome!"

"Inuyasha! It's ready!" Sango suddenly yelled, jumping away from the monster and lobbing her newest creation at it. To Kagome, it looked like an ancient bomb, what with the wick sticking out of it and... the priestess paled in horror.

"Miroku! We've got to move!" The monk drowsily giggled, diving in for a free grope. She slapped him to get him under contorl, then pushed his away from the cliff's edge when he got too close.

Inuyasha took that moment to burst from the trees, Tessaiga ringing with it's wind powers and unleashing a devestating attack. Aimed directly at the bomb next to the ogre.

"Wind Scar!" The blades of demonic wind careened towards the creature, and though it stood there and merely laughed, the smirk on the hanyou's face never let up. The bomb ignited and an explosion rocked the area, cracks forming on the cliff edge Kagome was precariously balanced on. His victory was short-lived.

She felt the earth rumble and give way under her feet. The cliff was collapsing! The raven-haired school girl screamed as her world titled backwards.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted, rushing towards his friend and stretching his arm out to try and catch the priestess. His fingers barely brushed hers and he watched helplessly as she tumbled out of sight.

"LADY KAGOME!"

"KAGOME!"

"MAMA!"

She heard her friends yelling for her as she plummeted towards the river below, screaming the entire way. A lone branch jutted out from an odd tree along the cliff and the priestess slammed into it, cracking her head and the branch. She heard and felt nothing more.

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More than anything, he'd wanted to get away from the cloying overbearing feeling of utter aloneness. The feeling of desperation that welled up inside him at the thought of his people. It had been a long time since he'd been back in his native Japan. And he felt that nothing had changed. At all. The humans were still the same. Angry, supressed, intolerable. Only this time, it was the demons that were oppressing them.

Kaname sighed in frustration, running a hand through his dark hair, and surveyed the landscape in the sunlight. It had just rained and the droplets on the land seemed to magnify the intensity of the giant fire ball in the sky. He would tolerate it, though, for the sake of a little more freedom. He had wanted to stand in the sun one last time before he decided to settle down into that eternal sleep he'd been planning.

Something flickered in the river near the tree he was standing under and his sharp eyes followed the movement. Was that... a human? How strange. What was she doing floating down the river?

'She looks... dead,' he thought, carefully observing her as she bumped against a stump sticking out of the fast moving current. She groaned and coughed, spluttering up water in the process. Then, with a determined glint in her unusual blue eyes, she began to fight the current to try and cling to the stump.

'Humans... They cling so stubbornly to what they cannot achieve. She'll drown before she makes it to the edge,' Kaname mused, observing in a detatched sort of way under the shade of his tree as the girl continued to fight for her life. Her grip shifted and she slowly began to inch towards the bank. It was... fascinating. She had such a strong will to live. It was uncommon for humans to have that kind of determination.

His breath caught in his throat when she flung herself onto an outcropping of stones, scrabbling fruitlessly for a hold on the smooth stones. He wanted... but that would be foolish.

'Will she succeed?' He got quite a shock when her blue eyes suddenly glared in his direction. Could she-!

"Hey you! I know you're there!" she shouted, barely heard above the roar of the river.

Yes. Somehow, this little human girl could sense him.

"Don't just stand there! Help me! I can't swim!" She waved an arm before losing her grip on the rock. Shrieking, she was plummeted into the murky depths again. Heart in his throat for some reason, he hurried over to the huge log that served as an impromptu bridge.

'Can such a bright light really be snuffed out so easily?' Her hand shot out of the water and he lunged for it, pulling her against the current into the tree before she was sucked under. In an easy show of strength, he plucked her out of the water and deposited her on the log next to him.

She then proceeded to cough up half the river.

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She couldn't have been more grateful when the strange man pulled her out of the river and onto the bridge. After coughing for almost three minutes, she finally sat up, shivering from the sudden gust of cold air. Pushing her discomfort aside, she leaned back and got a good look at the guy. She was sure her jaw dropped.

He was absolutely gorgeous. Dark brown hair and eyes. Pale smooth skin. Perfect features.

And here she was feeling distinctly like a drowned rat.

'He's not human, that's for sure. Definitely some kind of demon,' Kagome thought, annoyance flashing through her briefly, 'Why is it that demons are so beautiful? It's not fair!'

"Are you all right now?" he asked, elicting a shiver from the priestess. His voice sounded like dark promises on a stormy night, with just the right amount of sin mixed in.

"Y-y-yeah!" She hated that she sounded so breathless. What was wrong with her? She was acting-!

'Like a horny teenager. I guess it's supposed to be normal.' But damn it all! She was not going to lose her composure just because some incredibly sexy demon had fished her out of a river. Taking a deep breath, she managed to center herself and flash him a nervous smile.

"I'm sorry. Near-death experiences make you all weird inside sometimes," Kagome blurted out sheepishly, rubbing her head in embarrassment, "Thank you for helping me. Usually I can swim just fine, but the current was too strong and I've done something to my ankle." She glanced down at her bum foot. "I hope it's not broken."

"Most humans can't swim. It's understandable," Mr. Gorgeous, as she'd come to dub him until further notice, replied, kneeling down to take a look at her swollen ankle, "You should probaby stay off it for a while. It looks bad."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," the priestess muttered before she could stop herself. She slapped a hand to her mouth in shock and gulped as she met his surprised gaze.

"I'm...sorry. I didn't mean it," she said in a small voice, tearing her eyes away from his with a great deal of effort. For some reason, she felt she shouldn't look into his eyes again unless she was prepared. Otherwise, she might get lost in them.

'How strange. I didn't know demons could do stuff like that.'

"I think I... understand. You must be a little frustrated," Mr. Gorgeous answered, faint amusement twinkling in his dark eyes, "I'm called Kaname. If you want, I could get you over to the bank so there's no chance of you falling in again." Kagome hesitated. Was that really a good idea?

"... Thank you. That would be... nice. I'm Kagome, by the way." Apparently, it was. Also, apparently, her mouth was choosing, of it's own violation, to run off without her brain's permission. Bad mouth.

He scooped her up in his arms without much reservations, much to her surprise. Were humans always so... lightweight? This girl was tiny! She couldn't be more than a young teenager, if he were to guesstimate.

He set her down gently on the bank, watching her curiously as she examined her ankle, hissed in pain when she touched it, then took a look at her surroundings.

"I think... I'm going to have to stay here until my friends find me," Kagaome muttered, glancing around again in slight paranoia. She didn't recognize anything around here. She must have floated much farther down the stream than she'd initially thought.

"Are you really... going to just wait here? There are several things that would probably eat you alive around here," Kaname asked, tilting his head in askance. Himself included, had he been the type to gorge on humans. The shivering girl sighed and tried to wring some water from her indecent green kimono.

"Well, what else can I do?" she replied, sliding her leg and trying to put pressure on her injured ankle again. She groaned in pain before flopping back onto the bank in defeat. "I can't walk, I don't know where I am, and I have no weapons whatsoever! I'm practically a sitting duck!"

"I don't know about duck, but, yes, things are not looking well for you." Kagome huffed in annoyance and leveled a glare at the dark-haired man. He seemed completely unaffected.

Kaname sighed, rapidly attempting to come up with a solution to keep the life he'd just saved from being annihalated so shortly after his help. He refused to allow her to waste it meaninglessly. So far, the best scenario was one he wasn't going to enjoy. At all.

"I've a better idea," he decided to compromise, "Stay with me until your ankle heals up, and I'll return you to your friends." Kagome blinked up at him with bright blue eyes.

"Are you... serious?"

"I would not lie."

"But..." She was actually protesting! How was she even able to say no to him? "How would I get there? If I decided to say yes and all!" she added quickly, not wanting to sound desperate.

"I could carry you?"

"You... don't mind?"

"No."

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Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder sleepily, lulled by his dark soothing presence. After working out arrangements, Kaname had let her clambor onto his back. He'd then set of in a seemingly random direction. She should have been afraid; even terrified. But, for some reason, she could muster up the feelings. Kaname was just... different. And good. She could just tell.

"I don't really know why, but I feel... safe with you," the priestess sighed.

"... You're the first human to ever say that," Kaname replied, shifting the girls' weight on his back slightly. The sun would be down soon and he wished to have this girl safely enconsoned in his home before his fellows came out to 'play' as they liked to call it.

"Really? But you're so nice!" Kagome protested, moving her head and unintentionally pressing her cheek against his. Kaname's skin was... cool to the touch. It was odd. And, now that her niggling curiosity was coming back, she really wanted to know more about her saviour.

"Hey, Kaname?"

"Hmm?"

"What kind of demon are you?" He ground to a halt in order to give her his best incredulous stare.

"... What?"

"It's just, I can't really tell. I know what dog-demons feel like. and cat-demons, centipedes, frogs, spiders, bats-!"

"I'm not a demon, Kagome," he cut her off raising a brow at her flabbergasted look.

"Then... are you a half-demon?" the priestess asked hesitantly, hoping she hadn't offended her new friend.

"No. I'm a..." Kaname trailed off, not sure if he really wanted to tell the innocent girl what he really was.

"... A what?"

"... Vampire."

The silence stretched on for far longer than he would have liked. Now that he was becoming used to her chatter, the vampire was uncomfortable in the quiet. Kagome was a... bright girl. Full of life and personality. She wasn't someone that was just initially quiet. Sighing inwardly, Kaname continued to walk again, hoping that she wouldn't start screaming all of the sudden.

"... Really? A real vampire?"

"It's not like there are fake ones." Kagome huffed in annoyance and glared at her pack mule. He merely smirked in amusement. She was so easy to rile up. It was fun.

They spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the early evening bickering back and forth amiably until she fell asleep, her dark head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

'Perhaps, then, she doesn't care that I'm a monster in a human form. How... strange.' He'd never felt so content before, and he really had this small human girl to thank for it.

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Kagome was jostled awake when he set her down gently in a chair. She looked around sleepily in confusion, brows drawing together in an effort to figure out just where she was.

It was cute.

And sadly, he could tell he was already becoming attached to the small human. It was... unnerving how easy it was.

"Whazzat! Where... are we?" she muttered, failing miserably to suppress a huge yawn. Kaname smiled charmingly.

"My home... for now, at least."

"Oh. Do you move around a lot?"

"I have to. Otherwise the humans will figure out that I'm not exactly one of them," he replied, flickering briefly into a spare room to find her something to wear. He rummaged in a drawer before drawing out a change of traditional clothes for the small female. It was a light blue yukata with a dark blue sash. They were made to fit a young woman, so he hoped they would work for her. Stepping out and handing them to her, Kagome tilted her head to the side in question as he scooped her up again and proceeded to the baths.

"A change of clothes. You can't wear what you have on. It's filthy, not to mention unsightly," he answered her unasked query easily, sliding open the bath door and stepping into the steamy room. Kagome huffed and flushed in annoyance.

'Why does everyone always dislike my uniform?' She glanced down at herself and took a long look at the state of her clothes for the first since falling off that cliff. She looked... awful. Not only did she have mud caked onto several spots, but damp gunpowder, ogre guts, and nasty river water were mixed in as well.

And, Lord only knew, she probably stank to high heaven. She sudden felt bad about the vampire having to deal with her for several hours. 'His nose must be on sensory overload. Looks like I'm going to be scrapping this uniform too. There's no way those stains will come out.'

"... Thanks. I'll... get cleaned up," the priestess muttered, biting her lip to keep from groaning when he set her down. Damn, but her foot hurt! He watched her carefully, resisting the urge to just baby her. When she nodded to herself and hobbled over to the huge basin, he suddenly felt that he'd overstayed his welcome in the bath and turned to sweep out of there quietly.

Kagome finally sighed in relief when the door closed. She'd been debating on how to tell him nicely that he needed to leave when the vampire suddenly turned and left. It would make things much easier; not to mention less embarrassing.

With that thought, she got herself ready for a long, hot, luxurious bath.

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She was carried to his room still wearing her socks. She'd hesitated about wearing them, but her feet were freezing. In the end, she'd scrubbed the cotton to the best of her ability and set them over a heated stone to dry.

And when Kagome finally felt significantly cleaner, she dressed in the yukata with rosy cheeks and donned her slightly damp socks to ward off the chill. Kaname had merely raised a brow in amusement and swept her off her feet again.

'I think he actually likes carrying me,' the priestess mused, muttering under her breath about being treated like a porcelain doll.

"If you try to walk on that bad ankle, you may permanantly damage it," he'd huffed when she voiced her opinion out loud, "I am not an expert on human healing, but even I know that."

Kagome had fallen into a sullen silence after that. This was how she came to meet Kaname's friend Takeru Ichijou.

The blonde vampire was... interesting. He was a complete contradiction. A happy vampire? How was that even possible? But they'd hit it off right away, and for that, Kaname was grateful. It would have been upsetting had his only true comrade disliked the human girl. They chattered amiably about this and that as he gathered the supplies to make a splint for Kagome's ankle. And when he knelt down in front of her, he immediately noticed when they fell silent.

"Umm, Kaname?"

"Hmm?" He reached for her injured foot and slowly peeled the sock down her leg. Her skin was... soft.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked, much to Takeru's amusement. Kaname glanced up at her in what looked like confusion. Truly, though, he was feeling wickedly amused. This girl had some interesting reactions.

"Fixing your ankle," he replied innocently, splinting and wrapping her foot slowly. He even leaned down and laid a tiny kiss on the bandage when he was done; if only to see what color red she would turn. "There. All better."

Kagome flushed bright crimson, squirming slightly in embarrassment at this suddenly playful side of the vampire.

'He's so hard to figure out!'

"T-t-thank you," the priestess stuttered, sliding her foot away hastily and tucking it underneath her quickly before the sneaky male could pull anymore tricks.

He rose, a smirk barely visible on his handsome face. "I'll find you something to eat. Come, Takeru." And the two vampires swept out of the room, leaving a frustrated priestess to ponder what was going on exactly.

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"Are you sure this is a good idea, Kaname?" Takeru asked the moment they were out of Kagome's earshot.

"What?"

"Keeping the girl. She's human. That's going to attract a lot of unwanted attention," his friend elaborated, playing with the ends of his long hair in agitation.

"I can't send her out there injured, Takeru. She's practically helpless," the king countered, hissing softly in annoyance when the blonde shook his head. He did not like to be questioned. Especially by his own comrades.

"I'm only trying to help you, Kaname. You in the middle of fighting a war. If those others find out about her, I guarantee they will attack her."

Kaname sighed and shook his head.

"Regardless, Takeru, she stays until she is well enough to walk again. Then I will return her to her village. It is the honorable thing to do." The blonde vampire muttered then sighed.

"If you say so, Kaname. I hope she doesn't become a hinderance." Kaname glared before knockng gently on Kagome's door.

"Kagome? I brought food? Are you-?" He opened the door and poked his head in, blinking at the sight that met him.

Kagome lay sprawled out in the middle of the bed, sleeping peacefully. Her cheeks were flushed from her bath and, now that the overwhelming stench of the river water had been washed away, her scent sparkled cleanly. She seemed... at peace.

"Kaname? What is-!"

"Shh! She's sleeping," the older vampire whispered, gliding silently in and setting the tray of soup down. There was something about this human. She was... different than her fellows. He sat down next to her and tucked a few stray strands of dark hair behind her ear. Kagome huffed quietly in her sleep and turned her face into his hand instinctively. Kaname bit back a smile at the innocent gesture.

Takeru watched quietly from the door way as his old friend handled the human girl ever so gently. He was really amazed. Kaname was not always known for being gentle and kind. This human seemed to have wormed a place into his superior's deadened heart somehow. All in the span of a few hours.

'I didn't even know such a thing was possible. Maybe... not all humans are the same,' Takeru thought, brown eyes thoughtful as he observed the human girl sleeping next to his old friend. And for once, Kaname seemed truly at peace.

Kaname watched the priestess sleep for a few more hours before he made a decision.

Kagome was powerful, that much he could tell. She was unlike any other human, or vampire for that matter, that he'd ever had the chance to meet and know about. Power was something treasured and craved. It was an instictual desire for a vampire to drive himself to become more powerful.

And come hell or high water, this girl would belong to him.

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It took a week and a half before Kaname deemed her safe enough to walk. Too bad he still insisted on trying to carry her everywhere. Even though she kind of enjoyed the attention, the priestess knew she needed to get back to her friends. They were probably worried sick about her. Kaname had finally agreed with her after an enormous amount of wheedling and begging from both herself and Takeru, whom she'd initially come to like very much. He was unbelievebly sweet and even-tempered for a vampire.

For some reason, Kaname seemed reluctant to let her go. The human girl couldn't even fathom why.

They traveled for several days before they encountered the worst possible opponent, in Kagome's opinion. She really wished that Inuyasha was here.

"Interesting choice in companions you've acquired, Kagome," a dark voice rumbled behind the trio. Takeru growled, whipping out his blade and turned to face his opponent. The fact that someone had snuck up on them was extremely unnerving to him. Kaname immediately swept the human girl into his arms and whirled to face the enemy, wind kicking up in his ire.

Kagome froze up in terror at the sight of the man in the white baboon pelt several yards away. Naraku had come to visit.

'But is this one the real one? Or another doppleganger?' she thought, valiently pushing down the overwhelming urge to flee in order to concentrate on the flow of energy around the half-demon.

"Interesting that you decide to show your face all of the sudden, Naraku," the priestess hissed, glaring angrily at him. There was no feeling of the Jewel on this one. It was obvious now that they were dealing with one of the puppets.

"I like to keep tabs on those I deem worthy, my dear," Naraku smoothly replied, shuffling a couple of steps forward, "However, it seems you've been separated from your guard dog."

"Well not for long." He merely chuckled darkly, taint and malice oozing from him.

"This is an... intruiging development. I never imagined that I would have such a... delicious opportunity," Naraku countered easily, quite used to playing with his prey before going in for the kill, "You are Kaname Kuran, are you not?"

Kaname inwardly snarled at the menacing hanyou that was causing his little human to shake in fear, but outwardly kept a serene facade. "I am. And who are you?"

"I... am but a lowly hanyou. I am called Naraku," he bowed mockingly to the Vampire King.

"Very well. What business do you have with me, half-demon Naraku? Be quick about it, for I have better things to do," Kaname snapped coldly, his normally dark eyes burning the crimson of his people.

"I will not keep you; I merely wish to offer my services in your quest to return the little priestess to her people," the doppleganger smoothly lied, his mouth quirking underneath the baboon mask, "Surely one such as yourself wouldn't need to worry about something so... trivial."

Kaname glanced sharply at the human girl in his arms then back at the half-demon. So, Kagome was a priestess? That would explain her sparkling scent and the underlying magic just beneath her skin. He was literally holding a ticking time bomb in his grasp.

"Master, holy beings are able to purify us as well," Takeru muttered, too lowly for Naraku or Kagome to hear. The Vampire King nodded minutely; he already knew the risks. However...

"I have no need for the assistance of a creature that terrifies my human. Be on your way, hanyou, or I will send you away in pieces," he made his decision, and by the thankful expression on Kagome's face, it was the correct one.

"... You're a fool, then, Vampire King. Her magic will rip you apart," Naraku growled menacingly, tentacles springing forth from under his pelt, "but not before I do." And then he attacked.

Takeru blocked the initial strike, parrying hits easily and slicing off several tentacles along the way. Naraku retracted slightly and feinted to the left before striking out at the blonde's right. Kagome whimpered at the sight of her friend's blood when he flipped out of the way.

Kaname hissed and muttered something under his breath before setting her down gently and instructing her to take cover in the trees nearby. The priestess beat a hasty retreat, wondering what the older vampire was planning. Her questions were answered when he whipped out a steel rod that transformed into an enormous scythe and he jumped into the fray.

Despite the fact that Kaname was incredibly fast, Naraku made up for it in cunning. Dodging several potentially fatal hits, the puppet struck out, landing a direct hit on the vampire. Kagome gasped in shock, though, when he did nothing.

Kaname grit his teeth when the half-demon managed to pierce him in the side and flipped his scythe around. Swinging swiftly, he easily decapitated the head of the puppet. It disappeared into dust.

"No, half-demon. You are the fool if you believe yourself capable of standing on equal ground with me," the king muttered, crushing the doll under his foot before going to check on Takeru. The blonde looked no worse for the wear; his injuries had already healed.

"Are you guys okay?" Kagome shouted, jogging towards them in worry. Kaname and Takeru glanced at her, then eachother, before identical arrogant smirks crossed there inhuman faces.

Kagome stumbled when the earth began to rumble underneath her. She gasped, then screamed when numerous tentacles rocketed from the earth, wrapping around her and pulling her into the sky.

"Lady Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

The priestess struggled vainly to get out, but it was useless. She was going to be taken to the enemy.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, shutting her eyes and letting a tear escape.

"HIRAIKOTSU!" Wind whipped as the giant bone boomerang tore through her prison. Kagome's eyes snapped open at the cry and the sudden sensation of falling. And then she was surrounded by warmth and the color red. She'd never been so happy to see him.

"You okay?" he asked when they landed, setting her down and looking her over briefly.

"You came for me, Inuyasha!"

"Keh! Of course I did! And I woulda been there a lot sooner if the humans hadn't slowed me down!"

"WIND TUNNEL!"

"Yeah? Well those humans are the ones fighting right now!" Kagome countered, glaring at her best friend in annoyance. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles menacingly and drew Tessaiga. Striding forward, he unleashed the blade's powers and grinned as it crystalized.

"ADAMANT BARRAGE!" Diamond crystals fired out in the arc of the Wind Scar and tore through the second puppet that hda remained hidden during the first fight, destroying it easily. Shippo took the oppotunity to set the small wooden doll on fire and cackled with glee.

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"Kaname!" He turned back just in time to catch the human girl as she tripped down the last bit of the hill. After the fight, Kagome had introduced them to her friends. Every one of them had been incredibly wary and very unnerved that the priestess had subsequently made 'nice' with two powerful vampires. Kaname and Takeru both had been a little unsure about leaving the innocent human to the devices of this group, but after watching her deal with Inuyasha when he'd started yelling at her, they knew she'd be fine. Kagome giggled up at him in thanks and adjusted her hold on... a plant?

"Be careful. You just got better."

"Sorry. I wanted to catch you before you left, though," the priestess gasped out, trying to catch her breath for a moment. She had no idea that her raging heartbeat was wreaking havoc on his senses. He wanted... No! He'd promised himself that this human would be different. There would be no taking of her blood.

"Well, now that you have me, what are you going to do?" he teased quietly. Kagome's hanyou friend's ear twitched and he growled lowly at him. The vampire resisted the juvenille urge to smirk at the boy. Kagome just blinked. She didn't get it.

"I wanted to give you this!" She proffered the plant at him, which he now realized was a tiny rose bush, "It's a special red rose my mom gave me. It only blooms once every ten years, but I may not be here to see it. So, I thought, with you having such a long life-span, I'd give it to you."

"For... Why?" Kaname asked, confused at the thoughtful gesture. The only other being that had shown such kindness to him had been... her. He took the pot delicately and looked the plant over. It looked healthy. And green. There was one tiny bud on it.

"Well. I wanted to thank you for helping me. I know it's not much," Kagome replied, suddenly bashful at the thought of her silly gift, "but I hope that it's something you can remember me by."

He gently tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and smiled. How could he ever forget this little human? She was a novelty all on her own. A novelty he had every intention of keeping.

He could clearly see why she had such an odd but devoted group. Had he the chance, he would happily follow her to the ends of the earth. It was simple, really. Kagome was just... Kagome.

"Of course. Thank you, Kagome." Leaning down, he kissed her forhead and turned to leave, this time letting the smirk dominate his elegant features when Inuyasha snarled loudly at him.

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She was attacked by a group of renegade humans-turned-vampires the next time he saw her. Though her group had done farely well with the outbreak, she'd suffered, none-the-less. All because he'd wanted to be selfish for once. All because he thought her a novelty worth keeping an eye on. And it Pissed. Him. Off.

He then made the decision to erase her memory. If knowing him was putting her in that much danger, it would be safer for her to not know about vampires in general. She wouldn't be targeted any longer. He voiced his opinion to Takeru and the blonde vampire whole-heartedly agreed. The priestess in question, however, was not so keen on his idea. It was a shame she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Kagome stared up at Kaname sadly, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. He was completely resigned to his choice.

"You don't have to worry," he mumured gently, sliding his fingers through her long dark hair, "It will be as though you'd never met me. You won't remember a thing about us. It's better this way." She glanced over to Takeru, whom was smiling in remorse.

"But... I want to remember," the priestess argued, raising her hand to touch his cheek and wincing when it pulled at her wounds. If she wasn't careful, she would open it back up. And then there would be even more trouble.

"Think of it this way, Lady Kagome," Takeru stated, kneeling down next to his young human friend, "You won't have to worry about vampire attacks anymore. With us gone, they won't bother you again." His brown eyes softened when Kagome started crying.

"T-that doesn't m-m-matter! You're still my friends!" she retorted, wiping vainly at her cheeks. She felt Kaname's grip tighten on her arm before he pulled her into a hug. Something warm trickled onto the top of her head and tried to glance up. She could feel the older vampire's magic beginning to work. Already, she couldn't remember how she had met him. It was disconcerting, at best.

"Don't fight; it only makes things more difficult." His voice was fading, and she felt very sleepy all of the sudden. But she had to stay awake! She had... These people were...

'Why... do I feel so warm? Why am I crying?'

Kaname watched carefully as the human girl relaxed into his body, slumping almost bonelessly against him as her breathing began to even out.

'The next time you might see us, you won't know who we are. You'll look at us through a stranger's eyes,' the dark-haired male thought, committing the way her blue eyes hazed over to memory, sorrow apparant in them. 'It's for the best. This is our goodbye. You're human; I'm not. There's no way something so sinful could work.'

Kagome's eyes slid shut and she succumbed to sleep.

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Inuyasha ran his fingers through his best friend's dark hair; eerily reminiscent of the Vampire King that had recently done the same thing.

"It would be in her best interest if you never mention us to her." Kaname leveled a superior look at the hanyou as the boy cradled Kagome to him carefully.

"I know that. You ain't got nothin' to worry about," Inuyasha replied, grimacing at the tear tracks on the priestess's cheeks. He hated it when she cried. He really wanted to rip the vampire's throat out.

"She is your responsibility now. I will not remain in contact." With that, the dark-haired ancient turned around and walked away against the background of a blood red sunset.

The half-demon sighed, shaking his head as he pondered the events of the last few weeks. How the hell Kagome had gotten a couple of vampires to befriend her went way beyond even his logic.

"Blood-sucking bastards," the silver-haired male muttered, rising and sweeping out of the hut in agitation. Things were for the best now. She was better off not knowing.

Kagome stirred and turned in her sleep.

"Ka...na...me."

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Two months after erasing Kagome's memories of vampires, a blood red rose bloomed from the tiny sapling she'd given him. Kaname sighed, fingering the delicate blossom as his heart clenched painfully. He'd hoped... but it was too much to ask.

"That she could have been the one to save me," the vampire muttered to himself. Rising from his place in the garden, he strode into his home and prepared himself for a long nap. He'd grown tired of the monogamous ways of the world. The time had finally come to lay himself to rest, forever.

"Too much fighting. It's time for these blood-stained hands to be at peace," he sighed, opening the door to his resting place and stepping inside the tomb. There was no need for lights. He wouldn't see them.

'Someday, Takeru may forgive me. It's time.' Kaname laid back, sealing himself into the coffin with blue eyes imprinted in his mind.

He made a promise to himself. If he ever did decide to reawaken, which was highly unlikely, he would find the priestess's reincarnation and keep her forever. Nothing would stand in his way again.

Not even time.

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A/N: All right. The revision is done.

Please please please review. Your words really help me.

Revision (April 22 2011)