60th Night

A Familiar Scent is the sixtieth chapter of the Vampire Knight manga.

On cover: Kaname Kuran

The title is in reference to the nostalgic scent of Zero that Yuki recognises while semi-conscious.

Summary
Continuing from 58th Night, Kaname sits on his coffin. Rido looms over Kaname and asks him what he had been waiting for. Kaname replies that he is not waiting for anything, Rido agrees, but says that Kaname had been waiting in his coffin for something. Rido talks about the great contradictions inside Kaname, that are tormenting him, causing Kaname to come to that room. Kaname's contrary desire to both watch over Yuki protectively as she 'tries her wings' and conversely, the desire to pull out those wings and Rido wonders what the source of the contradictions is as Kaname gets up and walks away from Rido. Rido speculates that whatever Kaname had been waiting for, will never return and Kaname has lost all hope. Contradiction, the image of a happy Yuki holding a bunch of flowers is contrasted with the image of a sad Yuki chained to a bed. An image of despair shows a woman in a cloak hiding her face, causes Kaname to clutch his head and his head starts to bleed as the image of a figure in a distance is shown. Kaname crushes Rido, after the remnant tells him that he will forever made up of these two things. Kaname tells Rido that he is a good mirror. A look of concern crosses Kaname's face as he senses the trouble with Yuki, followed by anger at Toma.

At the cemetery, Zero watches as Yuki coughs on her blood. Aido expresses concern, but Yuki waves him off, saying its strange to feel herself healing. Aido looks guilty, saying it was his fault, Yuki disagrees. She looks over to Zero and panting heavily, she pulls herself up to Aido's dismay. She looks at Zero, at a loss for words, she eventually blurts out "Good evening!". Hearing her words, Aido looks around to see Zero there and objects with surprise when he sees Zero pull out his gun. A voice from behind, teasingly pretends disappointment at being discovered and missing out on attacking Yuki once more, Toma tells Zero he doesn't need to look so scary. Zero tells Touma to disappear or he will beat Toma's image to a pulp until it no longer works. Toma amusingly bids farewell and disapates into a bunch of bats. Aido holding onto Yuki, says that Kaname will strike back for that, however, Yuki collapses once more. Aido tries to reawaken Yuki, but Zero scoops Yuki up onto his shoulder and says he will take her to a safe house. He requests that Aido send someone to clean up the blood and Aido agrees.

An unconscious Yuki recognises a nostalgic scent in the air, she mentally berates herself for her lame greeting and being unable to think of anything else to say. Zero enters a safe house, greeted by a one eyed hunter. Zero identifies himself using the Bloody Rose and the hunter respectfully offers him a room. Aido slowly follows, but is detained by the security and trapped at the entrance to his utter shock. Zero tells the hunter that the response is slow before picking up Aido under his other arm and telling him he can't enter unless he's a tamed vampire or carried by one as Aido cries in his arms. The undignified Aido declines occupying a room and advises that he will stand guard outside Yuki's room. Aido is at a loss at how to help Yuki, Zero advises to give her a bunch of blood tablets when she regains consciousness.

Zero carries Yuki into the room and Yuki slowly begins to regain consciousness, she hears the pulse of someone near and notices how close the nostalgic scent is. Zero stops as Yuki lifts herself off his shoulder and settles into a position to allow herself to nuzzle into his neck and breathe in his scent. Zero doesn't move as she licks his neck and bares her fangs, Yuki stops before biting him and looks into his eyes instead. Zero stares back and Yuki's eyes widen. She glasps her mouth in surprise staring at Zero. He rhetorically asks if she changed her mind and comments that she barely escaped with her life. Yuki's face is flush and asks to put down on the ground, Zero responds only if she can stand by herself, she looks down and declares that she can and he sets her down.

Yuki backs off, increasing the distance between them, holding her jacket tightly shut. A vampire bat that had been watching them through the window, flies off in the background as Yuki apologises and the window begins to crack. Zero politely disagrees with her apologising and the window glass shatters and the windows fly open. Aido rushes in to find out the commotion. Yuki looks down and apologises profusely. She smiles overly brightly and apologises for always being such a scatterbrain. She promptly jumps out the broken window and bats follow her as she runs off.

Zero clutches his shoulder where Yuki had laid against. Yuki is running at full speed, looking behind her and thinking she needs to runaway. Aido chases after her, wanting to know where she is going. Yuki runs up the stairs and greets a reformed wolf Kaname. She expresses relief that he is ok. Yuki pants tiredly and tells Kaname she wants to go home and that its ok if she is punished. The bats pick up Yuki and disappears, leaving Aido behind.

Characters
Characters in order of appearance:
 * 1) Kaname Kuran
 * 2) Rido Kuran
 * 3) Yuki Kuran
 * 4) Hanabusa Aido
 * 5) Zero Kiryu