Okay, so this is the first chapter of my newest little idea thingy. It's a lot longer than the first chapters of my other stories which made me kinda happy. Enjoy the story.

Chapter 1: "I Never Expected This To Happen."

"Life is what you make of it. Nothing more, nothing less."

Arisa stared at the words etched in her -former- fiance's grave, her blue-grey eyes red-rimmed and dull from crying. 'If that's really true, then I guess life is a miserable pit of disgusting liars.' She told herself, turning away from the monument with contempt in her eyes. She hated all these pretentious idiots who showed up to her fiance's funeral, all wanting to make a pass at the young -now single- hunter.

"These people make me sick.." She muttered bitterly as she reluctantly left the graveyard, intent on coming back to visit him when none of these ignorant monsters were around to supposedly 'console' her, when all the while they just stared at her body instead of the grave stone.

Arisa made her way through the town aimlessly, simply wanting to find someplace quiet to wait out the remainder of the day by herself. She was so lost inside herself she didn't even notice when she collided with someone as she turned a sharp corner. "I-I'm sorry."

"Are you lost, miss?"

Arisa looked up at who she'd collided with and immediately took a step back, her hand unconsciously reaching for the gun she kept hidden in her coat. 'Vampire.' "No, I'm not. Now please leave me alone." She didn't feel like shooting any idiot vampires today, more death felt like it would just drag her further into the pit of grief and sadness she'd already flung herself so far down in to.

The vampire's lips curled into an easy smile. "You don't need your weapon, I'm not going to hurt you." He told her calmly, obviously startling the girl even more with just how calm he was.

'Are you so used to being around hunters?' Was what she wanted to ask him, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she simply lowered her hands to her sides and left the weapon in its holster. "I'm sorry for running into you." She apologized again before turning and walking away in the opposite direction, not taking a second glance at the vampire as she left.

The vampire watched the girl's retreating back, his smile fading only slightly. "Wonder what was eating at her so badly.." He muttered as he went off to rejoin his companion.

"Where did you run off to, Ichijou-san?" Shiki asked boredly when he returned, pushing away from the wall he'd been leaning against. One of the model's eyebrows rose curiously when he noticed the scent on his friend. "Trouble?"

"Did you hear a gunshot, Shiki?" Ichijou smiled at his friend.

The red-head shook his head.

"Then let's finish up here and get back to the dorms, Kaname's going to wonder what's taking us so long."

Arisa watched the sun set from her position on the roof of one of the town's many old, abandoned buildings. 'I wish you could see it with me.' She sighed, thinking about her fiance burried six feet below. "You always loved to sit and watch it with me before going on a hunt..."

"I can watch with you, if you want..." A bone-chilling voice called from behind her. Arisa;s hand slipped her gun from its holster and turned around.

"Go find someone else to munch on, vampire." Arisa spat venomously, pulling the safety off her gun.

"Ooh.. So scary..." The vampire chuckled darkly, advancing toward the hunter. "Going to shoot me? Kill me?"

Arisa's hand faltered on the trigger. "Sh-shut up." She stuttered, taking a step back. Or at least trying to, until her foot nearly slipped off the rooftop. 'Shit.' She threw her hands up in an attempt to cover herself and unconsciously clenched her eyes shut when she saw him lunge.

"You know, you shouldn't shut your eyes like that miss hunter."

Arisa opened her eyes just in time to see the vampire turn to dust, ash surrounding them in a mini whirlwind before fading into nothingness. She turned to see the vampire she'd met earlier that afternoon staring at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Why did you help me?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"Why not help you?" He said back, smile widening.

"Because I'm your enemy." She retorted, readying her gun. "Now answer me."

"Because I can."

Arisa was caught off-guard by his answer, but did her best to hide it. "Do you have a hero-complex, vampire?"

"Takuma."

Arisa merely stared at him oddly, head tilted slightly to the side in confusion.

"My name." He explained. "It's Takuma, not 'vampire'."

Arisa stared at the overly friendly vampire for a few uncomfortable long moments. "Thank you then, Takuma-san." She turned and began making her way over to the door that led back inside the old building.

"I could get you down much faster, if you'd like?" He held a hand out to her in invitation.

Arisa, against her better judgement, accepted and let him take her small hand in his. She found it odd when she didn't feel that unnerving chill slither down her spine when he picked her up and headed for the edge of the roof, as she had felt with so many other vampires. For a moment she felt as if she was in a normal human's arms. In his arms...

At least until he jumped from the roof, easily landing the nearly three-story drop with the grace of a panther.

She staggered for a moment when he set her back onto her feet. Immediately he was by her side, steadying her as she waited for her body to right itself. "Are you alright?"

Arisa stepped away from him. "Y-yes, thank you." She turned and began to walk away. "Goodbye."

Ichijou watched her go reluctantly, until a slight shine caught his attention. His eyes immediately focused on the silver ring on her left ring finger, its silver band glinting in the light of the full moon. "Miss!" He called after her, relieved when she stopped and turned to him. "What's your name?" She didn't answer at first, and Ichijou thought she didn't hear him. He was about to repeat the question when she answered, her reply so quiet he almost didn't hear it, even with his sensitive vampire hearing.

"Ishura Arisa." She told him, turning a corner and dissapearing from view.

His heart felt like it sank into the pits of his stomach when he heard the name. Reaching into the pocket of his overcoat, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper his Grandfather had given him nearly two weeks earlier. With trembling hands, he straightened the paper and re-read its contents:

"By order of the Senior Council,

Assasinate Ishura Rakurai

Classification: Hunter

Crime: Confidential."

Ichijou suddenly had the urge to have Kain set the offending piece of paper ablaze. The poor girl had no idea she'd just run into her beloved's murderer.

"And she'll never find out." He told himself as he began heading back to the Academy.

On his way back he passed by the graveyard and saw her figure bent over one of the many stones, agonized sobs squeezing themselves out of her thin frame.

The sight of it made him think back to all those times the prefect Kiryuu had called them monsters, simple beasts who wore human skin. It made his heart sink even further to know that deep down, the vampire-hating prefect had been more right than Ichijou was ever willing to admit. "This wasn't supposed to happen.." He forced himself to continue on his way.

"I never expected this to happen."

Okay, so that's chapter 1. It's got to be the most sensible first chapter of a story I've ever written. Let me know what you think.