The orange haired vampire who introduced himself as Akatsuki Kain invited Sakiko into the Moon Dorms, which looked more like a parlor of a mansion for a rich person rather than regular dorm rooms with candles illuminating the pathway towards Kaname's dorm room. Sakiko couldn't help but look around, thinking if she had chosen a vampire's body to borrow instead of a human's she would be living in this dorm.

A cold breeze floated around Sakiko, kissing her skin and causing her to shiver slightly. When in her real body she never felt the weather - a vampire doesn't feel the heat or the cold - but in Akira's body she did feel the weather against her skin.

And it felt amazing.

"Dorm President Kuran is waiting in here," Akatsuki states, pushing open the door. Sakiko stepped in.

Kaname was sitting behind a chess board, wearing an opened maroon dress shirt, blue jeans and his hair dripping as if he had washed it before. Akatsuki closed the door behind him, the door closing with a soft clink, leaving Sakiko and Kaname alone in the room together.

"You called for me," Sakiko says, approaching the desk. Kaname nodded. He picked up the black Queen and dangled it between his fingers. Sakiko eyed the chess board wearily. "What's with the chess board? Don't tell me you play by yourself. How depressing."

"I don't use the chess board for playing Akira," Kaname says, placing the queen back down. "You are a part of this chess game."

"Oh really?" Sakiko asked sarcastically. "Am I black or white?"

"That it up to you," Kaname answered. He suddenly got a serious look as he stared hard at her. "Kiryuu. I wasn't aware that there was a daughter in the Kiryuu family."

"Well, there is," Sakiko responded.

"I can tell something is off," Kaname says after a while. "I can feel something wafting off you, like a scent. A vampire scent. But it's not a Level D or E."

"Oh, what?" Sakiko asked.

"Level A," Kaname answered. "A Pureblood."

Sakiko stared hard at Kaname before walking forward and sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk that Kaname was not sitting in.

"Alright Kuran," Sakiko says, flinging the white King over with her finger. "You know what I am, but do you know who I am?"

Kaname narrowed his eyes. "I know you're a Pureblood from the Hiou family, I can tell that much." He tilted his head to the side, staring hard at Sakiko. "But you're not Shizuka Hiou. That's kinda impossible, since she's the last one. Who are you exactly?"

"Can I trust you?" Sakiko asked.

"That depends," Kaname answered. "Are you on my side?"

"And what side would that be?" Sakiko asked.

"There is someone I want to protect," is all Kaname said. Sakiko raised her eyebrows but didn't question him.

"What do you know, I have someone I want to protect too so I guess I'm on your side," Sakiko answered. "You're right, I'm not Shizuka. I'm her twin sister Sakiko. It's nice to meet you Kaname Kuran. Three thousand years ago I became friends with Haruka and Juuri Kuran. We shared our desire to protect and help humans. Didn't like Rido Kuran though."

"Sakiko Hiou," Kaname repeated her name. "Why exactly did you take Zero Kiryuu under your wing, huh? What was so special about him that amused you?"

"He never amused me," Sakiko answered, an urge to defend Zero's honour boiling deep down inside her. "He reminded me of someone I lost. He gave me purpose, he gave me something to live for in my long life. You're a Pureblood and understand that we get tired of our long lives. Zero gave me a purpose. To be honest I don't know what I'll do without him. I came to the realisation that I can't live without him. He completes me, and I know I complete him. We're like a harmony and melody. Without each other we're just boring sound without a purpose, but together we make a beautiful piece that goes good together. I'm sorry, I suck at making metaphors but it's true."

"Fair enough," Kaname chuckles. "But answer me this one question without using a metaphor: how're your feelings towards Shizuka?"

"I'm angry at her for what she did to the Kiryuu family. I'll kill you if it's to protect the ones I love, especially Zero," Sakiko answered truthly. "But at the end of the day she's still my sister and I still love her and I'll do anything for her. Complicated, right?"

"No, that's understandable," Kaname answered. "Can I ask you anothee question?"

Sakiko groaned, getting annoyed towards the other Pureblood. "Fine, what is it?"

"Why exactly did you choose a human body?"

Sakiko couldn't help but snort at that question. Why a human body he asks!

"I've always been curious what it will feel like to be human," she admits, stroking her hand through her hair. "The feeling of the weather against my skin, the feeling of being out of breath when I ran long distances, the feeling of not healing straight away but slowly like a regular human - well, I heal faster than an actual human but I heal slower than a Level D vampire. I like to have human feeling for once, not vampire feelings. And defiantly not Pureblood feelings."

Sakiko stood up to leave but Kaname's voice stops her.

"Sakiko, your love for humans will be the end of you one day."

Sakiko didn't look back as she answered, "I don't doubt that one bit."

"Akira, come with me."

Sakiko froze at the sound of the headmaster's voice but followed him anyway. Sakiko followed Headmaster Cross to his office where he slid into his chair and looked up at her over his glasses.

"There's a new student I want you to be friends with," he says. "Since you're both new here I'm sure you'll be good friends, however I couldn't find Zero anywhere."

That wasn't surprising at all. When Zero didn't want to be found he couldn't be found. Sakiko could only find him because of the scent of his blood, and it was difficult to find him while in Akira's body.

"She was supposed to have started a while ago but due to health issues she had to wait," Cross explained. A soft knock on the door sounded before it opened. "Ah, here she is now."

Sakiko turned around to see a shy-looking girl standing wearing the white Night Class uniform. She had purplish gray hair and purple eyes.

"This is Maria Kurenai," Cross introduced as Maria stepped into the room and shut the door behind her gently. "Maria, this is Akira Kiryuu. She also transferred to the school today and I thought you could get to know each other."

Maria was staring at Akira hard, her purple eyes narrowed. Sakiko could feel something coming from Maria, something familiar but faint, something that she could not place her finger on. The name Kurenai was familiar somehow, like she had heard it before.

"She's a Night Class student?" Sakiko questioned, looking over at Cross. "How'm I supposed to get to know her if we're in different classes and different time periods?"

"I'll think up something," Cross says.

Maria and Sakiko walked side-by-side through the grounds of Cross Academy, silence stretching between them as they walked. Sakiko was still trying to figure out where she had heard the name Kurenai and she could feel Maria's eyes on her.

Suddenly Maria stopped, a sad look on her face. Sakiko turned to give her a questioning look.

"Akira, I'm scared," she admits, her eyes downcast. "I'm afraid the other vampires will hate me. A sick vampire is always looked down upon, and I'm afraid about how they'll treat me."

"Don't worry," Sakiko says. "If they give you any trouble you can come and talk to me. I'm pretty sure they're afraid of me." Sakiko thought about Hanabusa who no doubt was still bleeding from the dagger thing.

Maria surprised Sakiko by throwing her arms around her neck, nuzzling her neck. Sakiko's eyes widen at the sudden gentle gesture to the other vampire girl.

"Thank you so much Akira," Maria sniffles. "You're such a nice girl. I like girls like you, they're so ... yummy."

Maria let go of Sakiko and walked away, flashing a grin at Sakiko over her shoulder. Sakiko could still feel the ghost of Maria's arms around her neck, warm and gentle at the same time. Where had she felt that before? It was so familiar to her, as if she's felt that since her birth. Oh, she remembered now, who used to hug her like that when she was younger.

Shizuka.

Maria hugged the way Shizuka did back in Sakiko's childhood before her slumber.

*Flashback*

Sakiko sat in the corner of the cage she and Shizuka shared, a black bonnet sitting in her lap as she stared down at her black kimono. Shizuka sat in the opposite corner, wearing a white version of Sakiko's kimono and bonnet. That was how everyone told them apart, while dressing them up as opposites, which they were.

Black and white.

Gentle and fierce.

Kind and sassy.

That was what set the identical twin sisters apart.

"Shizuka-Nee, do you know what you will do if you get out of here?" Sakiko asked, putting the bonnet on and looking over at the young girl sitting across from her.

"I don't really know to be honest," Shizuka answers. "I'm not sure if we'll ever get out of here."

Sakiko sighed and flicked her fingers, a spark of flame igniting on her fingertip. Another difference between her and Shizuka. Shizuka could manipulate plants, especially cherry blossoms, and Sakiko could manipulate the four elements of earth, air, water and fire, which in turn could destroy of dwell plants.

"I don't exactly want to stay in here for all eternity," Sakiko muttered, flicking her finger again and shutting the flame off like a light. "But we will, because that's the curse of being a Pureblood, isn't it?"

Shizuka stared at Sakiko, their identical cherry blossom pink eyes staring into each other, before she got to her feet and walked over to Sakiko, throwing her arms around her in a comforting embrace. Shizuka's arms were warm and gentle, everything that Shizuka was and Sakiko was not.

"Some day we will get out of here," Shizuka whispered. "But as long as we have each other we don't need freedom."

*End flashback*

Maria, or Shizuka as it was actually Shizuka in Maria's body, stood at the window, staring down at Akira Kiryuu who was walking with Zero Kiryuu. Ichiru was sitting in a chair behind her, staring into space. Shizuka couldn't stop staring at Akira. There was something familiar wafting off her, but it was faint.

"Ichiru," Shizuka whispered, taking Ichiru by surprise. "Do you have a sister?"

"No," Ichiru answered.

"Is there a member of your family named Akira?" Shizuka asked. Ichiru frowned and shook his head no. Shizuka's eyes drifted to Zero, who was staring at Akira with longing in his eyes. She would recognise that look anywhere. It was the look Ichiru gave her sometimes.

"Brothers don't give their sisters that look," Shizuka muttered. "I'm convinced that she's not really his sister, that it's a cover up. What do you think Ichiru?"

"Of course I think it's a cover up," Ichiru muttered. "I think I'll know if I have a sister or not."

Shizuka stared at Akira harder, her eyes narrowed. All of a sudden her sister's face came into her mind.

I wonder where you are now Sakiko, Shizuka thought, looking up at the blood red moon.

The same thought went through Sakiko's mind as she looked up at the same blood red moon.

A gust of wind picked up a pile of cherry blossoms on the floor, sending them into the air like a whirlwind.