Hey all! This story here is a ShikixAkiya fanfic, one that I hope I'll be able to continue. :) To all the ShikixRima fans out there, sorry. I do agree they make quite the pair, which is why this story is going to be very fun - very intriguing, because somehow, I'm going to have to make it work.

This story is going to focus more on Shiki and Akiya in the beginning, and later on, bit by bit, I'm going to bring in the other characters. This is the first chapter, so it's more of an introduction, and less of the plot. It's going to get a lot more interesting, I promise you guys! :) I've tried to make this story slightly different from the norm, by adding slightly more depth in it. I'm hoping that later on, this can be a story that provokes thought as well. But of course, it's going to focus a lot more on romance - gotta have the love!

And of course, the must-say: I don't own Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does :)

*Btw, this is the me one year later speaking, if this chapter bores you, please skip to chapter 5. I know its me being selfish

If all of the above hasn't scared you off, [gosh, I hope not] then scroll down, welcome to my story...

Kuraderu

...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction - AkiyaxShiki

Kuraderu ©forever - a i n e

Chapter One

...Start of a Beginning...

"Sweetie, you'll be fine. Cross Academy is an exceptional school." I wondered who my mom was trying to convince – herself, or I. My dad gave me a cheery wink from the driver's seat. "My little girl'll do just fine." Mom smiled too, looking hopeful for me. I twisted my lips in what I hoped could pass as a grin. My mom's expression slipped slightly. My dad laughed, then revved up the engine of the car. "Someone should be coming to see you soon – bye, my little girl!" It was the end of a five minute goodbye – the kind that I had gotten used to.

Then I was staring at the back of the little red car, watching my parents disappear in a spray of gravel and dust. Bye, mom. Bye, dad. Bye, parents who've made me transfer school – doomed me to months of ostracism – because their favourite son needed to pursue his studies in a college far from home. So we had to move house, and I had to transfer school. I sighed. It was time to say bye to the sarcastic me, too.

Looking around and seeing nobody in sight, I sat down on the sturdier of my two luggages and surveyed Cross Academy. It was one of those schools which seemed to exude an air of stateliness, managing to be old and yet not ancient. As I appraised it, I wondered how I was going to spend the next few years studying in a school so large, and so dignified.

And after half an hour of increasingly impatient waiting, I began to wonder if I was going to study in the school at all. Why wasn't anyone coming? The letter of acceptance had very clearly stated that someone would arrive to show me the way to the dorms.

I wondered what life would be like, living without my parents and brother. It was both hard to imagine, and yet not difficult at all. Staring at the horizon, I shivered slightly as the cool morning breeze swirled around me, disarraying my fringe so that my vision was slightly hampered.

Brushing the hair away from my eyes, I felt my spirits lift slightly. The blue sky was clear, and devoid of clouds. It looked like the day was going to be a sunny one.

Standing abruptly, I walked over to the gates hesitantly. Slowly, very slowly, I pushed the cold metal gently. As I applied a bit more pressure, the gates swung open before me. Swallowing, I turned and took my stuff, then, after a slight hesitation, strode inside the compound.

Struggling with the weight of the luggage, I made my way awkwardly down the path, towards the source of enthusiastic chattering. The excited buzz grew louder as I approached, and after a few minutes a large crowd of students came into view, all of them talking amongst themselves. They were all girls.

A group of guys hung sullenly back. I seemed to be witnessing some sort of extreme gender discrimination going on.

"They're at it again." A straw haired boy rolled his eyes at his raven haired companion, and I eyed them curiously as they walked by, shaking their heads at the same sight.

"Ah, they're at it every day. Why would today be different?"

"I dunno, I guess I just hoped that some of them would have gotten tired of those night class guys, and give us a chance."

"With guys that look like that, it's no wonder they never bother giving us second looks, really."

"Man, am I really going to have to go through school life without ever getting a girlfriend?"

I stifled a snicker. Considering a specific sentence the straw haired guy had said, I realised that I could understand each of his individual words, but strung together they made no sense at all. Night class? Was there a day class too, then? What about an afternoon class? But who in their right minds would study at night? Though that was a question I should be asking myself – and, really most teens my age.

A wave of excited muttering broke into my thoughts. Pretty sure my luggage would remain unmolested in the middle of the path, I left them there and walked towards the crowd of girls. The guys dissipated, almost disgusted.

It seemed like there was a special event going to occur, yet I couldn't remember any festivals that should be held that day. Since everyone seemed to be fixing their attentions on the gate, I stared blankly at it too. It was fashioned well, but it was still just a gate. Frowning hard, I glared at it. It remained a gate.

Then the sound of a lock being pushed sounded, and I heard an excited whisper, "they're coming out!"

Suddenly everyone was pushing forward to get a better look, and I stumbled as the crowd shoved forward. "Don't push, please, everyone!" A short girl with shoulder length brown hair tried to keep everyone behind the path, looking extremely harassed. As she lifted her hands to block the crowd, I noticed the white band encircling her upper arm, designed with an intricate red symbol.

The gate opened.

Wondering what everyone was getting so worked up over, I tiptoed, trying to see over the heads in front of me. Silky raven hair that reached to his shoulders, gentle obsidian eyes, pale skin and an impeccable, almost noble bearing when he walked. He was the first one out of the gate, and he was beautifully handsome. As he walked forward, behind him a group of equally pale skinned, ungodly beautiful creatures revealed themselves, all of them looking as if they had walked out of Hollywood's Most Beautiful List of the Year. Or perhaps the century.

I wondered why they were dressed in the same uniform, but one where white replaced the black that everyone else was wearing. A thought came to me, and I began to understand a little of what the straw haired boy had said.

"As beautiful as ever, girls!" I heard a cheerful voice call out.

"Kyaaaaaa!"

"Aidou-senpai, look this way!"

"Aidou-senpai, I love you!"

"Aidou-senpai, marry me!" My view was obstructed once again as more than a few girls tried to rush forward – to do what, I didn't know. Mug him? – and it wasn't until a few moments later that I could catch a glimpse of them again.

"Yes, yes, no need to get excited, girls!" The speaker was a guy with blonde hair, and light blue eyes that had a tinge of teal, although that may have been merely the effect of the sun. His features glowed with confidence and his smile was edged with a mischief that multiplied his appeal. He was shorter than his leader, yet just as handsome.

All of them were stunning, but in their own way – each of them had their own appeal. Gray eyes surveyed the crowd coldly, before closing with a sniff of disapproval and a swish of waist length light gray-brown hair. It wasn't the colour of an old woman's hair, it was just...grayish brown. It's hard to describe. Soft blonde hair that was paler than any of the others' emerged from behind the long haired female, to reveal a tall guy with a friendly smile. He was breathtakingly handsome, in a very refreshing way.

"Ichijou-senpai looks even more handsome today, doesn't he?" A girl to my left whispered excitedly to her friend.

"Yeah! Move your head, I want to take his picture!"

"Shiki-senpai! Look here please!" Handphone cameras flashed among the crowd, and I watched the school celebrities bear up a little wearily under the attention. Was there a class just for the handsome and beautiful?

"Good morning, Yuuki." The raven haired leader bent greeted the short, auburn haired girl. Just happening to be nearby, I saw her cheeks turn crimson as she blushed furiously.

"G-Good morning, Kaname-senpai!" Yuuki replied quickly, avoiding his eyes. Kaname smiled slightly, then walked away.

"Stop pushing! Hey, all of you!" An irritated voice snapped out, and I looked up instinctively to the person who spoke with such a self-assured authority. I couldn't see him, but he sounded too close to be one of them.

It was one of those times that I wished I was many inches taller than my 1.57 metres, but then that was just something I had been wishing for a long time. I guess I should be grateful I had even grown at all – my parents were so worried about my sudden but rare growth spurts that my mom had resorted to trying out all sorts of weird food on me that was supposed to make me grow. I remain a living testament that long beans really don't help you grow taller.

"Man, you're late, Zero!" Zero? As in really, Zero?

"I was held up." Maybe it was his nickname or something, the guy sure didn't sound like a...zero. Zeroes should sound like nothings, right?

"That's not fair, Ze..." I wasn't listening anymore, my gaze drawn to the rest of the Hollywood's Most Beautiful. A guy that would have been auburn haired if the red in his hair had not been so domineering walked beside a dazzlingly attractive blonde, both of them walking too close to be merely friends. I guessed they were a couple. The guy had one of those eyes that seemed to change colour every time they were in a different light, and now they were a deep cerulean, with blanked emotions behind that drew me in. I blinked, then looked away.

The last was a guy with honey tinged hair and golden eyes that just eyed the crowd indifferently, his cool orbs giving nothing away. They walked together, behind Kaname-san, speaking softly amongst themselves.

"Akatsuki-senpai looks absolutely stunning today!" As a chorus of agreements sounded behind me, I stared at their backs, moving away in a group of white among the sea of black uniforms. It wasn't like I was a nun or something; when I saw an attractive guy, I would appreciate his looks. And the guys that just walked by were definitely much more than merely attractive. Yet while I acknowledged that fact, I didn't feel any attraction towards them, and barely even any appreciation. What I felt was almost a kind of apprehension...aversion. It disturbed me. I wondered if it was possible for people to be beautiful to the point of making me nervous.

Since young, my intuition had always made me irrationally averse to some people. Even without speaking more than a sentence to them, I would just not want to get to know them better – it was one of those feelings where you know there's absolutely no chemistry between the two of you. Most times, I didn't get why as all those people later turned out to be perfectly nice.

When my mom heard about it, she shook her head and smiled. "Well, I guess your intuition is just very bad. If that's the case, you shouldn't trust it, you know. Judge people based on their character, not an innate feeling."

Yet I had never felt that way about so many people at once. Huh, maybe I was being jealous, who knew?

Once their source of excitement had left, the crowd slowly began to dissipate, the girls comparing pictures snapped of their favourite guys. A few of them had apparently even taken pictures of the girls – Ruka and Rima, as I overheard unintentionally, though I had no idea which girl had which name. Later I heard that apparently the guys, too embarrassed to be caught dead in front of the gates in the morning, would buy pictures from the girls.

I found myself next to my luggage, and stared at it contemplatively. Oh, right. I had completely forgotten. What am I going to do now?

The large bags were receiving their share of odd looks – and who could blame them, for why on earth would one see a luggage in the school two months past lessons started? Uncomfortable, I was about to pick them up and get myself lost in the compound when I heard the sound of running footsteps, followed by my name, "Kaneshi-san!"

Relieved, I turned and straightened. It was the short, brown haired girl – Yuuki, and a tall silver haired guy who was walking behind her, his hands buried in his pockets. A band identical to Yuuki's encircled his upper arms.

Was that Zero?

"Are you Kaneshi Akiya-san?" Panting very slightly, Yuuki stopped before me, noting my luggage and clothes.

"Yeah, I am." I smiled. "You are..."

"Kurosu Yuuki, and over there that's Kiryuu Zero." Spot on! "Sorry we didn't meet you at the gates! The Night Class ended late today, so I was unable to make it, and Zero woke up late as well..." This time, I heard the capitals in the words – the Night Class.

"No, it's fine. Uh, could you tell me where the dorms are?"

"Ah, we'll bring you there!"

I blinked. "but don't you have class? There is class now, right?"

"Yes, but it's fine." She replied, smiling.

"Right, if you're sure, then thank you very much!" I bowed slightly.

"Ah, no, it's nothing!"

Zero had finally reached us, and without a word, he walked over to my belongings.

"Kiryuu-san," I spoke quickly, "I'm fine carrying that. It's pretty heavy..." Lifting it effortlessly, he gave me a look, then walked on, looking as if the luggage was as heavy as your average handbag. Not that I could visualize him carrying a handbag. Kurosu-san and I caught up to him easily, and while taking in my surroundings and committing them to my doubtful memory, I asked a few questions.

"Were those people in white the Night Class students?" I queried, curious.

"Ah, you saw them? Yes, they are." Kurosu-san replied.

"There are so few of them?"

"No, just that the rest live in different dorms. Oh, about dorms, Day Class students can't visit Night Class dorms, or approach them when they are in class." Oh. I guess there would be some girls daring enough to do that. Maybe all of them, from what I saw.

"Do they really study at night?"

"Yup, they do."

"Isn't that weird?"

"Well, that's why it's called the Night Class." She was evading me, and her discomfort was getting obvious. Not wanting to go over like the Spanish Inquisition, I changed the topic.

"So I'm in the Day Class?"

"Yes, with the rest of us!"

"Is there an...Afternoon Class?" Dumb question, I know, but I couldn't help it.

She laughed, but not scornfully. She looked way too nice to do something like that. "No, there isn't."

"Oh, I see..." I grinned self-deprecatingly. Darn. No late morning waking ups. "So are there any other rules apart from that one about the Night Class?"

"No, just normal school rules. Like don't be late for class, no eating in class, that kind of thing. Oh, and the dorm closes at midnight, so try to get back by then. There shouldn't be any trouble with that, though, because students aren't allowed out of school during the school term."

I nodded, keeping that in mind. Though the school was unarguably beautiful, it didn't look like a nice place to spend the night alone. You know, it was a bit too haunted mansion-y, with its architecture and its size and its atmosphere and..uh...

Right, fine, I'm afraid of the dark. Perhaps not the dark, per se, but what lies within – even though I'm not so sure myself whether I believe in that, either. Ghosts. I suppose I've never outgrown that fear of the supernatural.

It's fun, though, to trace back ghost stories. ("the friend of my friend's friend told my friend's friend who told my friend who told me she saw..."). Who the hell was your friends' friend's friend? I never got the answer.

Realizing my mind was wandering, I shook myself out of it, trying to remember the path we had taken so far. We had passed a tall, large building, which I guessed was the classroom. Before us was another one, which was attached to the classroom building. The door, made of a dark wood, was welcoming and I felt a slight surge of anticipation. What did my home for the next few years look like? Zero pushed the door open.

"We're here. This is the Day Class' dorm for females." He said, pausing in the middle of the room. The interior of the building had the same air as the building itself – elegant, old, and welcoming. Yuuki smiled, walking to the staircase with me following. "This is the common room, where you can get together, have a celebration – anything you want. There are three levels, your room is on the..." She paused, glancing at Zero. "Where is it?" Taking out a piece of paper, Zero scanned it briefly, then said, "third level." Even after carrying my stuff for so long, he didn't even look strained.

"Sorry I forgot." Kurosu-san grinned sheepishly.

"It doesn't matter, Kurosu-san."

"Ah, calling me Yuuki's fine, Kaneshi-san!"

I grinned as we made our way up the stairs. "You can call me Akiya too, Yuuki-kun." The banisters were polished to a shine, and I felt strangely alone in the place as we walked upwards. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the dormitory was currently empty, because everyone else was in class, but somehow I doubted it. I missed home already.

Glancing at the slip of paper again, Zero stopped outside the fourth door from the staircase, on the left of the corridor. "This one." He passed me the key, to which a line of red string with a gold stripe tied a piece of plastic to it. The name on the plastic read "Kaneshi Akiya". I slid the key into the keyhole, turned it, and opened the door.

The room was pretty big, with two beds on each side. Both were unoccupied, but the left one had three sets of uniforms folded and laid neatly on it. "With your arrival, there is an odd number of students, so you have the entire room to yourself. Meals are served downstairs, or if you want there is a kitchen on the first floor for you to cook your meals. Mmm, that's all I can think of for now, if there's anything else you need or want to know, feel free to ask us!" While Yuuki was talking, I surveyed the room, not sure whether or not I was happy that I had the whole room to myself.

A dresser stood between the wall and each bed, with a mirror and a lamp above each one. The lamps were old ones, not by age but by design. There was a bookshelf on the left corner of the room, and a study table that took up the remaining length of the back of the room. A lamp sat on the middle of the table, and two chairs sat side by side, pushed neatly in. The room on the left was the toilet, where toiletries were provided. If I ran out, I could buy more from the shop beside the canteen.

It was a cosy room, and I knew I could get used to it. At least, I hoped I could.

"So do I change and get ready for class?" I asked her, eyeing the uniform on the bed. The skirt looked a bit shorter than I was used to. In fact, the skirt itself was something I wasn't used to – I was wearing jeans. I was always wearing either jeans or shorts – my parents had given up trying to force me into those undivided pieces of cloth that were always at or higher than the knee.

"Yes, we'll go together – we're in the same class. Umm, the timetable is under the clothes, we'll wait for you outside!" Yuuki left the room, dragging Zero out along with her. Picking up a set of uniform, I went into the bathroom to change. Not wanting them to wait, I rushed through everything, not bothering to retie my hair. Quickly splashing water on my face, I towelled my face hastily before grabbing my books and rushing out the door.

When I opened the door, Yuuki glanced up at me, slightly surprised, but Zero just straightened and walked off. "Let's go."

Hmm, I think I've finally gotten his personality down. Anti-social.

Took me long enough, yup, I know.

It turned out I was right about the building joined to the dorms, and as we walked towards the classroom, I found myself getting nervous. What was my new class going to be like? I had no idea, and I was scared to death. Possibilities kept coming to me – what if they hated me? What if I couldn't fit it? What if I was the dumbest in there?

All the what ifs contributed to a very silent walk.

By the time we reached the classroom, I could feel dread and uneasiness turning my stomach into chaos. Man, I really needed the toilet. Yuuki turned to me, her eyes concerned, as if to ask, "all right?", while Zero spared me a fleeting glance. I nodded. Stop being such an idiot. I scolded myself mentally. Hold your head high and...don't trip.

"...and so you substitute the x, and place it over here, and you get – Kurosu-san! Kiryuu-san! You're late!" The bespectacled teacher turned round, eyeing us over his black wire rimmed specs. Without waiting to hear Yuuki's explanation, he bulldozed over her, setting off on what looked like the beginning of a tirade. "Bad enough that you don't even listen in class, Kurosu-san, now you – who's that?" He had noticed me finally, and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I'm a new student, sensei. I've just transferred in today."

"Ah." He stared at me, then blinked. "Ah! Kurosu-san," his eyes flashed to Yuuki, "Kaien Kurosu-san seems to have informed me about that...what's your name?"

"Kaneshi Akiya."

"Kaneshi-san, you may take a seat over there," he waved a hand carelessly at an unoccupied seat somewhere in the back of the class, "and Kurosu-san, Kiryuu-san, as you have a valid reason, you're excused this time. But keep this is mind: even though both of you are prefects, that does not entitle you to special treatment! Kurosu-san, if your grades in mathematics do not pick up, I'm afraid you will have to attend lessons after school."

Looking downright miserable, Yuuki bowed. "Yes, Ujiro-sensei."

"Good. Now take your seat." He turned dismissively.

By that time, I had already reached the empty seat – it was an aisle seat, so I was spared the tripping over my classmate's feet and thoroughly embarrassing myself. Walking stiffly under the eyes on me, I couldn't help hearing the whispering in the class, rustling like a breeze that grew stronger as it went. A girl with shocking, definitely dyed red hair watched me as I sat beside her, and as I studied her in return, she said, "tough luck, having to get Ujiro on your first day."

I glanced at her nose ring, then grinned and shook my head. "Yup, tough luck. Is he always like that?"

"You mean him being such an ass? Yeah," she continued without waiting for a reply, "pretty much."

I laughed. "You two up there! Stop talking!" Ujiro-sensei shouted at us, banging his hand on the blackboard for emphasis.

"See what I mean?" My new tablemate turned to the front and crossed her arms, yawning widely. Ujiro-sensei pretended not to notice.

"Kaneshi Akiya. Nice to meet you." I inclined my head. I meant it.

"Fukuoka Mitsuko. Nice to meet you and yada yada all that crap. Call me Mitsuko. So, why'd you transfer two months into the school year?"

How should I say it? Caught in all the necessary politeness and uncertainty, Mitsuko-san was a breath of fresh air. It was easy to trust to her, because one look at her told you that what you said, she wasn't telling anyone. She wasn't going to gossip about anyone, because she simply didn't care. She was one of those people who were easy to read on the outside, but were frustratingly difficult to read when it came to what was within them. Most of the time, that was because they themselves were unsure, and were an uncertain mess inside, but somehow I knew Mitsuko didn't fit into that category.

"My brother decided to further his studies in Shokugan Academy – not too far from here. My parents wanted to make it easier for him, so we moved over." I shrugged. "The rest of it kind of explains itself."

"Huh...so, have you seen the Night Class yet?" She was testing me, probing me with words.

"Yeah, I have. They're stunning. Have you seen them?" She stared at me for a moment, then a slow smile grew on her face.

"Hell yes. It's pretty impossible not to, don't you think, when my roommate pastes blown up pictures of them everywhere – on the walls, on the dresser, on the ceiling, and – can you believe it – the freaking toilet."

I nearly laughed out loud, biting my lip at the last moment. "Your baths must be a pretty...interesting experience."

"You tell me?" She grinned back. "Can you imagine how it feels like to undress in front of a grinning Ichijou-senpai?"

"Sexy."

She laughed.

I wasn't sure, because that was the way I was, but then I felt like I had made a friend. When I opened my math book, something hard dropped on the table, and I picked it up – it was the dorm key. My key. My room. My life. It was all changing, and I hoped I could keep up with it all. I smiled, then decided to face what would come, face on.

T H I R D P E R S O N

When the gate opened, the wind blew a jumbled mix of scents towards his nose, and he ignored it, trying with a trick of his mind not to think too much about it. While he was mentally counting Pocky's jumping over a fence, something niggled at him. Something was wrong...? No, just different. In a bad way. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't figure it out – it was like one of those dreams which stay just out of your memory when you awaken, so tantalizingly close they seemed to tickle your brain, yet you could never recall them when you were trying to –they only came to you when you stopped trying.

So that's what he did.

While he emptied his brain of thoughts, he saw that the others had noticed it too. They weren't unsettled, not even close to it, but they were looking. Searching. Rima, especially, had sensed something was different, and had glanced at him quizzically a few times already. Hanabusa hadn't seemed to notice anything, and was currently grinning that smile of his that seemed to win all the female population over with just a glance.

Then he caught it.

"Kaname."

"Yes, I know." Without turning around, Kaname nodded to one person in the crowd. She wasn't dressed in the school uniform, and the way she stood seemed to convey a lost feeling, yet there was something about her that was different. Not in the unique-makes-a-person-fall-in-love-way, but in a bad way.

"She smells wrong." Ichijou said softly.

Akatsuki was frowning, staring at her, then he looked forward. "I can't smell anything."

"I almost couldn't, either. Even though I know what I'm looking for, I can only barely smell it." Ichijou smiled easily.

They had walked past her by then, and he turned around, searching for her in the crowd. He was curious; wondering what made her smell like...that. When he saw her, she was spacing out, looking but not really seeing. Which was just as well, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea when she saw him looking at her. You never knew – there was this girl who announced to the class that Ichijou was going to marry her when he wished her a 'good morning'. He closed his eyes and looked away. These girls were crazy.

"We'll talk about this later." Kaname said, turning to them. His gaze swept past them then, focusing on something, then his dark eyes turned cold. "Not much later."

Yuuki was running towards the new transfer student, bowing apologetically.

Not near Yuuki.

A/N: Whoa, Kaname, so protective of Yuuki... Have you guys been wondering who the mysterious 'he' is? I guess not - it's pretty obvious, yeah? This chapter is the beginning, so not as much romance as I'd like...from here I guess you can tell the pairing is going to come out slowly. Not too slowly, though - one side of the pairing is going to emerge, very soon. You'll see!

And please review - it means loads to me. Thanks for sparing that half minute or so :)

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e