I originally wasn't going to continue this, but I decided otherwise.

As the reviewers requested, I will input the reactions to Zero's death, each person will have their own chapter. The people included are: Yagari, Kaien, Kaito, and Yuuki.

. . .

Chapter Two: Brother in arms . . .

. . .

It felt like someone had ripped the oxygen straight from his lungs, and crushed his heart with a single blow. What? Ice replaced the blood thrumming through his veins and Kaito had to bring his digits to his neck in order to breath.

He was suffocating but there was plenty of air.

"The ashes have been gathered, what should we do with them, Takamiya-san?"

The ashes. The edges of his vision blurred and his inner demons burned. Kaito swallowed down his escalating grief, his eyes too dry to shed a single tear. When he spoke, his voice sounded empty, even to his own muted ears, "Give them to Yagari, I'm sure he'll want to properly dispose of them."

The people in their despicable white suits, nodded, and bid him goodbye without a single word. He didn't mind, he wanted nothing to do with them anyway. People say 'don't kill the messenger' but he wanted nothing more than to do just that. Misplaced fury was the least of his concerns as his gaze bared down with malice upon them. He was attempting to cut them apart with his eyes.

When the door shut behind their turned backs, the door to Kaito's heart slammed shut as well. Thorns, similar to the ones Zero used to rip through their mutual enemies, locking it up tight. The silver haired hunter was no longer around to order them away.

The realization dawned on him with a splash of freezing water, the reality of the news bringing with it a sorrow that had surrounded his life for far too long. He hadn't expected to feel such raw pain again after he had ended his brother's existence with his own hands.

He had been mistaken.

"Leave Ichiru alone, Kaito!" Boyishly large lilac hues stared at Kaito in fierce determination as a protective arm flew out to guard his younger twin, separating him from Ichiru. He was much smaller than the brunette was, and yet he stood his guard without fear.

It both impressed and thoroughly annoyed the fifteen year old.

"C'mon, I'm just teasing him. Why do you have to be so uptight?" Kaito countered, his stare locking with the boy's. The fire within had only kindled into a brighter flame.

"He doesn't like it, stop." As if Ichiru was purposely trying to convince his brother that his statement was true, his little pale hands gripped Zero's beige coat sleeve. Like a defenseless child, it irked him beyond belief.

That little shit, he thought before he rolled his eyes and stalked over to the elder of the twins and shot him a half-hearted glare, "fine. Let's just start training already so I can go home."

There encounters had always been like when they had been children, before their lives had taken different directions and had shifted into very different paths. Yet even as he grew up and walked the road paved for him, he could remember the silver headed twins. The one who had stood out the most had been the one with those unnervingly protective eyes.

Zero.

He had never expected for their paths to cross and blend into one after he had went abroad and the Kiryu massacre had transpired. Yet when they had, he had took it in stride. But he didn't think they would ever grow to be so close; he didn't anticipate he would care for the young hunter so much. But he did, dear god, he did.

"Zero!" Kaito's arms wound themselves around the prefect's slim yet muscular chest, thrusting him out of harm's way.

He had never wanted anything to happen to him.

A hand, foreign yet familiar, rested over his own to curl around his palm.

Zero's comforting words had fluttered into his ears, understanding and soft. Kaito had gripped the back of the man's coat, clinging to him for sanity.

Zero had known the pain of losing what you love most, just like he did.

"This is my bed, you know." Zero said in exasperation before he rolled away, burying his face into a pillow, only a single purple hue peering out from beneath the messy strands of moonlit hair.

Kaito paid his words no mind, and sat comfortable at the edge of the mattress, his hand braced on the headboard for support. "Ah, scoot over, I'm crashing here tonight."

After spending days at Zero's side, supporting him and watching his back, the male had become more than an obligation. He was his friend, a true brother in arms—the most noble yet broken man he had ever met.

Kaito's back slid against the wall, until his body crumpled to the floor. His long legs pressed against his chest as he resisted the childish urge to curl into himself. When Zero had finally done the unforgivable, Kaito had acted as he thought he should, as he was taught. He hadn't given Zero pity, withholding his emotions behind a concrete wall of pride.

He would give anything—anything—to take it back now.

Recalling that shattered knight bound in chains in his head, Kaito's insides churned in agony.

Sighing softly, Kaito moved to sit on the floor behind Zero's chair. Resting his head against the plastic seat. He could almost feel the warmth of Zero through the object… it was a reminder that he had failed to protect this individual that meant so much to him. Failed to protect him from life's cruel ways. "Her name was Haruhi."

"Haruhi…" Zero repeated after a moment then he chuckled in a sorrowful way that made Kaito's blood turn cold. "Haruhi… I'm sorry for what I've done to you…" That blood stopped completely and Kaito, for the first time since he had entered the room, he turned around to stare at Zero, his eyes searching for the lilac pair he knew so well.

Instantly he found them looking down at him in agony, a beautiful smile of pain among that angelic soldier's face.

"Zero…?"

"I'm sorry."

"Zero why do—" The doors to the room opened inward as officers came in, quickly moving to apprehend the boy Kaito wasn't ready to part with yet.

"Zero needs to go into custody now. You can speak with him at a later time."

Kaito ached to protest but he just averted his eyes and nodded curtly.

He should've said something, he should've let Zero know that everything would've been alright, that they could get past this.

But he hadn't. Instead, he had let Zero suffer alone and he would have to live with it for the rest of his life. Because now the boy was gone, his existence wiped from the world without a warning.

Zero would've gone to jail, but they could've gotten him out: Kaien, Yagari and him, they could've figured out something. It would have been a huge hurdle, but Zero could've made it.

Kaito had never gave him a reason to try and leap.

The thought ate away ate his soul, darkness picking apart his resolve not to shed a single tear with unrelenting force.

It was his fault Zero had killed himself. It was his fault he had died alone in that miserable place.

His forehead hit his knees, and a single crystal blue trail slid down his cheek.

Zero,

I failed you.

He would stay like this, for a just a moment longer.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.