Sayori ran her fingertips over the cover of her bed. Next to her Yuuki's bed was empty and cold. It had been many nights since her best friend had slept there. Yori bit her lip as she looked at the smooth, unwrinkled covers. Yuuki was a Vampire, a Vampire and so was the rest of the Night Class. Yuuki pushed herself up and walked out of the room. She had to go to the Moon Dorm. She knew if Yuuki was gone, Kaname was as well. The others would probably go soon too. She had to get to them before they left. It was daytime. Could they even go out during the day? She didn't know, she hoped not though. She hoped they would at least wait until nightfall to leave. She raced out of the dorms towards the Moon Dormitory.

Though she hated to admit it as she ran towards it it was not just the running that made her heart pound. Oh dear, would they be able to hear it? Would they be offended? Did Vampires get offended? She had so many questions, she had no idea how she would be able to ask them. They were so jumbled that when she opened her mouth she probably wouldn't even be able to speak. Shaking her head she ran faster as she hurried towards the Dorms. Running faster she sprinted to the gates. It was easy to get in, though she did not know if it was supposed to be challenging or not. She tentatively reached out and opened the door, stepping into the darkened room.

"What do you mean you can't find him?!" she recognized Ruka's angry, frightened shout.

"Exactly what I said," she heard Shiki's cool monotone, "I cannot find him."

"The entire Council is dead, Ichijo's missing and we have no idea where Yuuki or Kaname are," she turned her head to hear Kain's deceptively controlled voice, reciting the facts with the same controlled tone he used when scolding Aido.

Councils? She knew Yuuki was gone but she thought they would at least know where she was. She was supposed to be a Princess or something right? And Kaname, Kaname was in charge of them all! Why didn't they know where they were. It was like someone had thrust her into a place she had no business being. She didn't know anything about Councils or Vampires or anything of the sort. She felt like there were two worlds that had existed in the Cross Academy and she had only known one of them. The other was right there, just out of her reach. She looked at the Moon Dorm, wondering if she should say something or if it was better for her to keep her mouth shut. Maybe she should just go. She took a step backwards but she was stopped by someone's chest.

With a shriek she jumped backwards. Standing there behind her was none other than Hanabusa Aido. He was out of his school uniform, the dark blue sweater and jeans seeming oddly casual on him. Behind her she heard people come to the balcony as the others wondered what she was doing. She could see Kain, Ruka, Shiki and Rima all standing there looking down at her with confusion. She took a step backwards, everything in her screaming that she had trespassed, that she had done something wrong.

That she had to run.

It was instinct, pure and simple but it was the most powerful urge she had felt in some time. She had no business being there, even if Yuuki was a Vampire now. This was the Night Class! She had always sensed something was different, different and somehow inexplicably wrong. She hadn't been one to oggle them, to stand there and scream with the rest of the girl but, then again, she had usually found the actions of her piers to be rather boring. It was something she and Yuuki had bonded over. Now that she knew what was wrong with them, that they were vampires it was like she was prey stuck in a den of predators. Could they hear her pounding heart? Was it like when she was hungry and could hear the water boiling for rice? Her foot took another step backwards.

"Hanabusa--" Kain began.

His hand streaked out and grabbed her arm. Yori almost shrieked but managed to keep another cry from spilling from her lips. His hand was cool and firm against her arm, not painful but she could feel it was unyielding. She imagined that if she tried to run her arm would remain in the Moon Dorm. She had been so grateful to them for keeping them all safe and she still was but being grateful was one thing, being alone with a bunch of blood sucking Vampires was another thing entirely. She turned her head to see Aidou standing there still, his unusually somber eyes never leaving her quaking form.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Y-Yuuki," the word was hard to say past the chattering of her jaw, "is Yuuki alright?"

"We're wondering the same thing ourselves," Kain spoke up. Yori's eyes widened in surprise.

"W-what? B-but she's--isn't she supposed to be powerful?" she demanded looking at them, "how can you not know if they're alright?!" No one said anything, "Zero. Oh--" she turned around, "someone has to tell Zero--"

"No," Aido's fingers tightened on her skin, "we are not involving nay hunters, especially not Kiryuu."

"But Zero--Zero loves Yuuki!" no-one said anything, clearly this though had occurred to him, "and she loves him!"

"Yuuki left with Kaname, her fiance," Aido said, anger creeping into his voice.

"Of course she would!" Yori cried, "unless its going to hurt him Yuuki always does what Zero wants! She'd jump off a cliff if she thought it'd help him! Of course she'd leave with another man if he--if he needed a reason to live. Yuuki would give him that reason! She loves Kaname but she's in love with Zero!"

The Vampires all traded glances.

That was not good.

"Drink."

Zero looked up as Kaien placed a glass of water in front of him. He was surprised to find he actually was quite thirsty. Kaien walked around to the other side of the desk and sat down, reaching up and pulling off his glasses with a sigh. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before he ducked down, reaching into the drawer of his desk. He pulled out a a small white box. Sliding it open with his thumb he showed Zero the contents of the box, the small white pills. Zero felt his stomach roll at the sight of them, barely able to force the water down.

"Your ingestion of Ichiru's blood has most likely cured your inability to consume these," he said.

"No."

"Let me make this clear," Kaien said, "I will not have you running around this world like the depraved monster you clearly are not," he pushed the box towards him, "no matter your power you are a Vampire and as such you are going to need to consume blood. If you hunt humans I will hunt you down and kill you. To avoid this, take these," he said.

Slowly Zero reached out and picked up the box. He reached into it and pulled out one of the pills. Carefully he placed it in his mouth and swallowed. There was no gagging, no urge to vomit and get that pill as far away from him as he could. In fact, when he swallowed it he felt marginally better. Not looking at his Uncle he picked up the box and slid it closed, slipping the white vial into his pocket. He looked at him, waiting. Kaien picked up his glasses and put them back on, something Zero was beginning to think was a nervous habit.

"Talk," Zero ordered.

So he did.

THIS IS IN THE PAST

The practice blades flashed as the two opponents fenced, their faces hidden behind white helmets. They seemed to be evenly matched, both were obviously well trained men, hardened for battle against enemies unfightable by ordinary humans. No magic spells fell from their lips, the practice blades had been tipped to prevent injury and the padded white garments they wore ensured that any slips would leave nothing but the slightest bruise--a joke in the world they lived in.

"Ha!" with a triumphant, distorted cry one lunched and pressed the tip of his blade squarely into the other's heart.

"Touche," his opponent said, his voice amused, as if being beaten was nothing more than a joke.

Kaien Cross reached up and pulled his mask off, his gold eyes glinting at his opponents disregard of his obvious defeat. His blond hair fell freely around his face, though it was not difficult to see past the honey strands. His opponent reached up and removed his mask with a far more delicate motion. Lavender silver hair was pulled back in a tight coil to reveal almost feminine features and bright gold eyes that shone with amusement.

"You lost," Kaien said harshly.

"This time" he replied with an enigmatic smile as he walked over to the long table, laid down his foil and picked up a crystal jug, pouring mineral water into two matching tumblers and walked back over, "it keeps me sharp, knowing there's no Vampire who could possibly kill me if I can last a minuet in a fencing match with you."

"You're out of your mind, Makato."

"So its been said, about the both of us," Makato Uchiwa smiled as Kaien took a drink of water, their eyes never leaving each other.

Friends, enemies, both were sworn predators, it did not matter what they were when the weapons were laid aside. Kaien Cross might have been legendary but Makato Uchiwa was just as infamous. It was a coin toss as to who the council would pick as their President. The difference was that while Kaien couldn't have cared less, Makato actually desired the position. Kaien knew to expect some kind of underhanded move from his sometimes friend, sometimes enemy. He was just going to have to be even more vigilant than usual. Well, it was no different than being on a long term mission. He survived those, he'd survive whatever Makato and his ambitious heart had to throw at him.

"Has my cousin decided to make your sister an honest woman yet?" he asked with the same odd smile.

"I don't think there's a person alive who could make Kimiko honest, least of all Nori," Kaien said with a good natured roll of his eyes.

Makato and Nori were cousins but very distantly, something he was very glad of. Friend at the moment or no, Kaien couldn't bare the thought of being that close to Makato Uchiwa. Besides, Nori was actually tolerable. He also happened to be scared of Kaien, something Kaien was very appreciative of considering he was marrying his beloved sister. All Kaien could hope was that their kids looked like Nori. His sister got into enough fights because of their resemblance, the last thing he wanted was for his nieces and nephews to suffer the same fate. Kids should be kids, he and his sister had been forced into the world of Vampire Hunting far too young. Her children would inherit the same 'gifts' but hopefully they would be able to be kids as well. Kids should be kids, at least for a little while.

Setting down the tumbler of water Kaien set his blade and helmet down, his fingers reached up and undoing the first few buttons before he pulled his hair back into a ponytail, tying it with an elastic looped around his wrist.

"Why do you insist on that foolishness?" Makato asked crossing his arms, "hair up, hair down, choose."

"if someone's got their hair up you can see their eyes clearly. Reading the eyes of your opponent makes it that much easier to beat them," he undid the rest of the buttons to reveal a sweat soaked undershirt, "mask your eyes and you're opponent has one less advantage."

"As if one advantage would make a difference against the great Kaien Cross," Makato snorted with a shake of his head.

"One advantage," Kaien said looking down the length of the blade, "one advantage could mean the difference between life and death, same as one mistake."

Makato smirked as the two walked out of the training room towards their personal quarters. Despite their attire the eyes of every Hunter went to them. Between the two of them there was not a vampire who stood a chance. Many had fallen under their blades. They were young by any other standard but they had outlived countless other Hunters. Makato wore a knowing smile as he walked while Kaien simply glared. He was not in the Hunting for the glory, he was in it to hunt and kill as many Vampires as he could. He trudged up the stairs towards his room, intent on washing off the stink of training.

"Wait," Zero interrupted, unable to contain his silence, "Hunter's Association President Makato?"

"An old rival of mine," Kaien said with a dismissive shrug, "I think if I had gotten the position he would have died of envy."

Zero stared. He knew that Kaien was an excellent Hunter, a Hunter of legendary proportions but to think that he had been considered for the position of President of the Hunter's Association, that was something almost unfathomable to Zero. Despite only having to look out the window to see the sheer amount of destruction that Kaien could do, the idea that he could have been the leader of the entire Association was just--it was hard to imagine. If anything Kaien seemed actually embarrassed by the fact that he had been considered for such a thing. Embarrassed by almost attaining highest honor the Hunter's Association could bestow on him. Even Yagari hadn't been considered for such an honor but his crazy, bouncing 'peace-is-possible' Uncle had been.

"I know what you're wondering," Kaien said standing up and walking over to the window, "clearly I'm better than Makato ever was--considering I killed him and all--so why wasn't I the President?" he looked over at Zero, "can you guess, nephew?"

"Don't call me that," Zero snapped, "and I--" he stopped, "a girl."

"A weakness I'm afraid all Cross and Kiryuu men share," he sighed crossing his arms, "a girl," he repeated crossing his arms.

"Who?" Zero asked.

"Juuri Kuran," Kaien said.

"Kuran?!" Zero stared.

"Yes, Kuran," he smiled, "I'm afraid the Kuran women have a weakness as well," he looked out the window, "a weakness for their elder brothers."

"You mean--" Zero stopped.

"I do," Kaien said, "I was in love with Juuri Kuran, Yuuki's mother who, coincidentally, left me for Haruka Kuran, Yuuki's father and her brother."

A frantic pounding on the door forced them to turn towards it.

"Headmaster Cross! Headmaster Cross please! I have to talk to you!" they half recognized the voice, "Yuuki might be in trouble!"

REVIEW PLEASE!

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Seriously. I've got a lot of fics going on right now and I update the ones I know people are reading.