Chapter 7: Calm before the Storm

While the soiree was going on, Yuuki was resting on the couch in the room upstairs when she heard the door open. She opened her eyes and saw the boy that she had met in the marketplace earlier.

"Um, Onee-chan," the boy said nervously, "I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I found my mommy though, so I wanted to thank you for your help. Bye!" He ran out of sight.

Yuuki stood up from the couch and quickly walked toward the door. When she peered out through the open crack, the boy was already gone. That was fast, She thought to herself, but I'm curious about him. I must follow him. She slipped through the door. "Forgive me, Kaname," she whispered.

When she tiptoed down the hall, she heard music, talking, and laughter coming from the great hall. Maybe he could be within that crowd? She wondered to herself as she continued to tiptoe toward the balcony that provided a view of the party. She hid herself behind the balcony and peered out from behind the banisters.

She was astounded to find so many beautiful vampires in one area. They all had perfect complexions and wore the fanciest of gowns and suits. She could recognize several actors and models in the party as well, and she could not believe that they were vampires as well.

When she averted her eyes to the middle of the floor, she saw Rukia waltzing with Ichigo among several other couples, such as Senri and Rima. She smiled at the sight, glad that they were having a great time. She noticed Kaname talking to a handsome blonde man who looked like an older version of Aido; that must have been his father and the master of the house.

"My lord," Nagamichi Aido spoke to Kaname, "Thank you for attending such a lovely evening."

"The pleasure's all mine, Lord Aido," Kaname replied with a smile. "Thank you for the invitation."

"I must introduce you to someone," Nagamichi said as his hands rested on the shoulders of a shy, blonde girl beside him. "This is my daughter, Tsukiko. I was wondering if you would consider marrying her."

"Father!" Hanabusa exclaimed in disgust and embarrassment. Tsukiko blushed even harder.

Kaname wondered if she was also embarrassed by her father's sudden invitation. "I must apologize, Lord Aido, but I have only met her. So I must decline."

Hanabusa breathed a sigh of relief. Nagamichi grinned cheerfully. "I see. No worries then. I can understand your reasons."

From upstairs, Yuuki could also breathe a sigh of relief. Then she saw other parents introducing their daughters to Kaname, and he politely refused their offers. However, when he noticed her from the corner of his eye, Yuuki's heart seemed to have stopped. She discretely stood up and hurried to her room before she was completely found out.

Kaname frowned when he saw Yuuki. What was she doing outside her room? He turned back to the aristocrats and to Nagamichi, excused himself politely with a slight bow, and turned to walk upstairs.

Yuuki was on the couch when he came in, and she had her eyes closed.

"Yuuki, I know you're not asleep," Kaname said.

Yuuki blushed and sat up. "Hi Kaname," She smiled innocently.

However, Kaname's expression never changed. "Why didn't you keep your promise?" He questioned. "I told you to not leave this room, didn't I?"

Yuuki frowned and looked down with guilt. "I'm sorry, Kaname. It's just…that boy came by again and my curiosity got the better of me. I won't hurt you like that again, Kaname. I promise."

Kaname sighed and sat next to her on the couch. "I could use a bit of a break from them anyway." He ran his fingers through Yuuki's hair and she blushed at his touch. They stared at each other for a moment. Yuuki's heart was beating furiously as their faces started to grow closer.

All of a sudden, Kaname ended up on top of her and she was lying underneath him on the couch. He was on all fours above her, still staring at her face. "I can't wait any longer," Kaname spoke. "I've been all alone for 10 years, just waiting for my moment to reveal my true feelings for you. Now, the time to wait is over."

Yuuki's eyes widened at his words. Kaname's…true feelings?

"Yuuki," Kaname said, "Will you become a vampire…and spend all eternity with me?"

Yuuki's eyes widened even more. A proposal?! She could not believe what she was hearing. The object of her affection, the one that she had adored so much for the past ten years, was proposing to her right here and now. What was she going to say?

Kaname waited for her answer, wondering if it was a little sudden. Then suddenly, Yuuki smiled and said, "Yes."

Kaname smiled also and lowered his head to kiss her. "Thank you, Yuuki," he said between kisses.

Yuuki returned the kiss. "You're welcome."

Their kisses turned passionate, and Kaname roamed his hands along Yuuki's body, feeling her arms, her legs, everywhere on her body where he could reach. Yuuki moaned while she wrapped her arms around the pure-blood's neck, allowing him to feel her. This was what she had always dreamed of, and now it is coming true.

While he was still feeling her, Kaname kissed her jaw, then her chin, then her throat, and made his way to her neck. Yuuki purred under his gentle touch. She was not afraid of what would happen next. He softly licked the side of her neck, and she squirmed from the pleasure. He looked up at Yuuki with concerned eyes. "Are you sure you want me to do this?" He asked.

"Yes I am," Yuuki replied. "You're the only one that I can allow to do this. Please Kaname."

"This will hurt," Kaname warned, "but I promise the pain won't last long."

"Please Kaname," Yuuki begged. Her eyes closed while she continued to wait.

Kaname gave in and licked Yuuki's neck a couple more times. Then he opened his mouth, baring his fangs. He was about to bite Yuuki's neck, but to her disappointment, he stopped. "I can't do it," he said.

"What?" Yuuki asked, opening her eyes.

"It's not right to do it now," Kaname said, shaking his head. "Not yet. After all, I'm still a little hurt that you broke your promise."

Yuuki was guilty once again. "Kaname, I said I was sorry. Why won't you forgive me?"

Kaname smiled sadly. "I will in time. However, until I do, can I rest my head on your chest for a while?"

Yuuki smiled. "Go ahead."

Kaname rested his head next to Yuuki's chest and smiled when he listened to her heartbeat. It had a calming effect on him, and he knew that if there was a chance that he would successfully turn Yuuki into a vampire, he would miss hearing the sound of it. He smiled as he closed his eyes, holding Yuuki's hand in his.

Yuuki caressed Kaname's smooth hand with her fingers. She could not believe that he almost turned her into a vampire, but he must have had his reasons for not turning her right then. She thought of what he said before he proposed. He must have been so lonely, and it must have been so sad to go through such loneliness. But you're not alone, Kaname. You have me, and I promise you that I'll still be here for you…always. I love you, Kaname-sama.

Her last thought made her furrow her eyebrows. Kaname-sama? She had not called him that since she was a child, but in a way, it felt right. He was hers and she was his, and she would give anything in the world to spend her life with him. She smiled softly and closed her eyes.

She found herself on the snowy banks, wearing her lilac petticoat and gray scarf, and she was a child, no older than the age of five. Snowflakes twirled and circled around her like feathers until they settled onto the ground her feet. She smiled as she held her hands up, hoping to catch the delicate and soft flakes.

However, the snow suddenly turned red, and Yuuki was immediately reminded of blood. A look of terror shone in her eyes as she saw specks of the blood-red snow on her mitts. However, that was not snow, but actual blood.

Time skipped in the dream and she found herself in darkness. Spider webs hung around her, and blood poured in waterfalls. She wanted to run away, she wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

Voices were heard all around her. The first two voices belonged to a child's, and Yuuki was reminded of her own.

"I'm scared!"

"Scary vampire will eat me!"

"Will you run away?" That was a different voice for it seemed to be more grown-up. She saw a vision of an older woman reaching toward her, locks of long brown hair draped over her shoulders. The woman was wearing a white dress with a few blood stains. Yuuki never caught a glimpse of the woman's face because more blood rained down and blocked her view.

Yuuki woke up screaming and in a cold sweat. She panted and cried as she pulled on her hair. What was going on? What was that dream? Was it…a dream? It felt real. Did it have something to do with her past—her forgotten past?

"Yuuki," Kaname's soothing voice tried to reach her ears, but Yuuki continued to pant and tremble. "Yuuki," Kaname repeated. "You had a bad dream. It's going to be okay." He wrapped his arms around her tightly, whispering soothing words in her ear, repeating them like a mantra. "It's okay. It's okay. It's okay."

Yuuki's tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around Kaname's waist. Her trembling slowed down and she took deep breaths.

"Yuuki," Kaname repeated. "Are you alright?"

"K-Kaname," Yuuki whispered. "It was terrible. I saw blood, lots of blood, and…and…"

"Sh, it's going to be okay," Kaname continued to soothe, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh Kaname," Yuuki said as she smiled through the last remaining tears that streamed from her eyes. Her trembling immediately ceased and she was breathing normally, but Kaname continued to hold her on that couch, protecting her from whatever trauma she had left.

Kaien eventually came to pick Yuuki up, and Yuuki was waiting with Kaname at the door. Kaname made sure that no one would see her as he walked with her down the stairs, but Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Ichigo, how did Rukia taste cause I saw that you were all over her," Hanabusa quipped.

Ichigo turned around and kicked the aristocrat in the groin and he curled in pain. He knelt down and whispered, "You say one word and you're dead, got it?!"

Hanabusa, still in the fetal position in pain, replied in a shrill high-pitched voice, "Ok, no problem."

Ichigo stood back up and walked away, leaving Hanabusa to recover.

When Hanabusa recovered, he noticed Takuma leaving early and he frowned skeptically. Okay, what the hell is with Takuma these days?

Rukia stood against the wall and sighed as she stared at Ichigo, thinking about what transpired. What was he thinking? She thought to himself. He was never like this before, so why now? What's his deal?

"Hello!" A cheerful voice broke her out of her reverie.

Rukia looked up to see a beautiful vampire with long, wavy orange hair that was tied back into a princess style and soft eyes that sparkled in the chandeliers' light. She wore a white Victorian-style gown with a pink sash around her waist. A ruby rose pendant glistened on her neck. White gloves made of silk covered her hands and wrists, and her smile seemed intimidating to her. Then again, everything about her was intimidating because this woman was a pure-blood vampire.

A man wearing a black tuxedo stood next to her. His eyes had a cold stare to them behind a pair of glasses, and his jet-black hair was long but tied back in a ponytail.

Rukia was at a loss for words when they came up to her. "H-hello," she said."

"You must be new," Orihime said as she looked Rukia over. "My name is Orihime Inoue, and this is my fiancée, Uryuu Ishida. We are childhood friends-well I am anyway-of Ichigo Kurosaki. Speaking of which, it seems that he has taken quite the liking to you."

Rukia blushed, speechless by this woman's words. There was something in her voice that spelled suspicion. What if this woman found out that she was in danger of what she would become? Either way, she had to say something. "Um…maybe," she said silently.

"What class are you?" Ishida asked. "You're definitely not a pure-blood vampire, and you smell too heavily of a human."

Rukia was again at a loss for words. She wished someone, anyone, would take her away from this. These people were making her very uncomfortable. She wanted to run away. She looked around. Where was Takuma? Why did he just leave her here…alone?

The couple was waiting for her to answer. "I'm…I'm…" Rukia tried to say, but she could not find the right words. I can't tell them that I was once a human because they'll suspect me, she thought to herself, Takuma told me that vampires who were once human are watched closely because of their danger to lose their minds. However, I can't lie to them either, she thought to herself. What am I going to do?

"That's okay, you don't have to say it," Orihime said with a kind smile. "I apologize for what Uryuu said. Anyway, we're going to leave you alone, so we'll see you around maybe. Nice meeting you!" As they walked away, Rukia gave a huge sigh of relief.


The limousine transporting Takuma stopped in front of Las Noches, and the blonde aristocrat stepped out. He walked down the walkway toward the mansion and entered through the large door.

"Ah Takuma, old friend," Tsukishima greeted, "So happy that you arrived."

"Tsukishima," Takuma replied. "I want to make this quick." They continued to walk down the hall.

"Don't worry," Tsukishima assured. "Aizen-sama is usually pretty quick when he gives his missions to us. I hope you're not too afraid."

"Never more confident," Takuma said with a grin. "I must say that I'm looking forward to it."

"That's good to know," Tsukishima commented. They arrived in front of the double doors and entered the throne room where Aizen was waiting for them.

"Welcome, Takuma Ichijou," Aizen greeted as soon as he saw them.

Realizing that he was in the presence of a pure-blood vampire, Takuma knelt before him out of obligation along with Tsukishima. "We finally meet, Aizen-sama."

Aizen stood up from his throne and walked down the stairs. "I'm sure that you will serve me from now on. After all, you don't have much of a choice."

"I was told that," Takuma replied. "Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

"How familiar are you with Rido Kuran?" Aizen questioned.

Takuma's eyes widened as he stood up from the floor. "He killed the parents of…someone I know." He grimaced at what he just said, but he knew that he was gradually forgetting about Kaname more and more.

"How is the poor bastard dealing with it?" Another voice joined the fray. "It seems that Kaname is repeating his mistakes over and over again."

"Juha," Aizen said. Then he averts his attention back to Takuma. "If I'm not mistaken, his body was shattered by that said someone. However, his spirit still remains of this world. We need to find a new body for him, someone he knows very well."

"Like who?" Takuma asked.

"His son," Aizen answered. "You're rather close to Senri Shiki, aren't you?"

Takuma widened his eyes at the name. This task can't possibly include him, can it?

"Is there something wrong, Takuma?" Aizen asked with a raised eyebrow.

Takuma relaxed his face. "No sir. And yeah, he's my dorm mate."

Aizen smiled. "Perfect. Invite him to come to a crypt near Cross Academy. Bambietta and Ichiru will be waiting there. You may be dismissed."

Takuma nodded a thank you, turned and walked out of the room.


Yuuki arrived at the Sun Dormitory and after she had something to eat—Kaien had prepared something for her before he left to pick her up—she went to her room to get ready for a shower.

She thought of that nightmare she had earlier and shuddered at the memory of it. She could not understand why she had such a nightmare and what it meant. Maybe she would talk to someone about it. She also thought about Kaname's proposal and how he almost turned her into a vampire. What was the point in proposing to her right there and then hesitate to turn her even after she said yes? She could not understand why.

After gathering her things, she walked toward the washroom and stepped into the shower stall after taking off her clothes. However, as soon as she turned on the water, blood poured from the nozzle. Terrified, she turned it off with a gasp. What was going on? How could blood replace water? Was she losing it? Was she having another nightmare?

In her conscience, she saw that woman that had reached out to her. Who was she? Why was she haunting her?

Hesitantly, she turned on the tap once more, and water poured from the nozzle. Must be my imagination, she thought with a sigh as she continued to have her shower.

No more than two hours later, Yagari dropped Zero off to the dormitory before heading off to the Hunter's Association Headquarters to give his report. Yuuki was walking toward her room when she met him in the hallway. "Welcome home, Zero," she greeted.

"Hey," He mumbled as he walked past her. Then suddenly, a thought hit him when they crossed paths. "Yuuki, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Um sure," she replied.

"Were you by any chance at that soiree?" He wanted to know.

Yuuki widened her eyes. Zero saw her?! "Why do you want to know?"

"Because maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw you on the upper level."

Yuuki sighed. Good eye, she thought to herself. "I was there, but I wasn't there by choice. A child lured me there and…"

Zero cut her off, "As long as you're safe and away from those monsters. I don't need any more excuses of why you were there because frankly, I don't really give a shit. I'll see you in the morning." He continued to walk down the hallway.

Once again, Yuuki thought about what happened to her and Kaname in that room. "Wait, Zero."

Zero stopped and turned back to her. "What now? I've got to get ready for bed, and I'm not in a good mood at the moment."

When isn't he? "I have a question to ask you," Yuuki said. Zero said nothing as he waited for her to continue. "What would you do…if I ever became a vampire?"

Zero winced at the question, and then he gritted his teeth as he walked toward her. "What kind of question is that?" He growled. Yuuki was about to answer, but he grabbed onto her shoulders. "How dare you ask such a question to me, Yuuki?! I'll NEVER let that happen! NEVER! What brought that on anyway? Did Kaname put you up to this?"

Yuuki never liked it when she and Zero talk about Kaname because he had an animosity toward the pure-blood vampire for the past four years. And she never liked it when he was mad at her like this either. The pressure that he was putting on her shoulders was starting to increase and it was hurting her. "Zero…"

Zero shook her slightly. "Did he?!" Realizing that he would never let her go unless she told him, she nodded. However, Zero never let go of her shoulders, but she could tell that his anger was mixed with sadness. "Promise me that you'll never become one of those monsters, Yuuki! I won't let you!"

Yuuki looked into Zero's face. His eyes definitely held a great deal of hurt, and she felt guilty for causing it. "I promise, Zero. I won't hurt you like that again."

Zero let go of her and hugged her tightly. "You're the only friend I've got, Yuuki," he whispered to the point where he was almost sobbing. "I don't want you to leave me like this."

Yuuki returned the hug and smiled. "Don't worry, Zero. I'm not going to leave you. I promise…and I'm sorry."

That was when Zero did something unexpected. He separated from her and leaned his face next to hers. Their lips had almost touched, but he straightened himself and Yuuki looked at him confused. Two close calls in one day? What is going on with the men in her life?

"I'll see you in the morning," Zero said as he turned around and walked down the hall. Yuuki stared after him, wondering what he was thinking when he almost kissed her.

I'll fucking kill Kaname if I have to, Zero thought to himself.


Senri and Rima decided to call it a night and returned to the Moon Dormitory at around midnight. As soon as they were walking down the hallway in the dormitory toward Senri's room, they immediately began to make out with one another.

"Finally, I get to have alone time with you," Rima said between kisses as she rubbed her hands over her boyfriend's body.

"You've got me wrapped around your finger, don't you?" Senri replied as he continued feel his girlfriend's body when he was kissing her.

They arrived at Senri's door and Rima opened it. "Oh shut up." She closed it with her foot and tackled Senri onto his bed. She loosened his tie and threw it onto the floor. The she unbuttoned his shirt.

"You're really fiery today," Senri remarked.

"Again, shut up and undress me," Rima snapped as she continued to make out with her boyfriend.

Senri reached for the zipper at the back of his girlfriend's dress and pulled it down. He helped her arms free and pulled it down her body, revealing her bra and panties. This aroused him even more as he cupped her breasts with his hands.

Rima moaned at the touch and took her boyfriend's blazer and shirt off him, revealing his bare chest. She undid his zipper from his pants and pulled it down. Senri kicked them off and began to undo the clasps on Rima's bra. The bra came off within seconds. He wrapped his arms around her chest and sucked on one nipple, earning a gasp. Rima fisted her hands through her boyfriend's hair as he continued to tease her nipple with his tongue. Then Senri moved on to the other nipple, licking and sucking on the small nub.

Rima gasped and moaned from the touch. "Damn it, don't stop, Senri."

While Senri was sucking and licking his girlfriend's nipples, he pulled off Rima's panties and stuck a finger in her pussy, earning a louder moan from her. "No wonder you're all fired up," he said with a smirk. He stuck a finger inside Rima's pussy far enough to hear her gasps and moans of pleasure. "You know what? Since you're naked like this, how about we have sex right here and now? I don't think Takuma will be back so soon."

"Didn't he leave early?" Rima asked.

"Yeah, but who knows what he's doing?" Senri said with a shrug. "Besides, you're so hot and sexy right now and we're alone."

Rima smirked at the comment. She slipped off Senri's boxers, revealing his hard erection. Senri pulled out his finger and they kissed passionately for a few seconds, their tongues dancing in their mouths.

At that moment, the door opened, startling them both. "Oh shit!" Senri cried as he scrambled to put his clothes back on.

Takuma walked in the room and froze on the spot when he saw Senri and Rima in each other's arms on the former's bed. Rima was naked and Senri was trying hard to put his clothes back on and blocking Takuma's view of his girlfriend. However, the damage was done; Takuma was blushing and his hand was covering his nose while he was looking the other way.

The Night Class vice president regained his composure and sighed. "Senri, I thought I told you to wrap it up. Anyway, we've got to go somewhere. However," he walked toward his bed and opens the top drawer, "take this for next time." He threw a condom toward Senri, who caught it with a scowl.

"You cock-blocking asshole," Senri grumbled, "Don't you ever knock?" Then he smirked at his friend's gesture. "Thanks though. I'm not ready to be a father just yet."

Takuma chuckled. "Yeah well, next time, you better lock the door or else I'm busting in with guns blazing."

"Actually it was," Senri started to say, but Rima elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Ow!"

"Idiot," Rima hissed while Senri rubbed the sore spot.

"Anyway, finished getting dressed," Takuma said. "We've got to leave soon."

"Level Es again?" Senri wanted to know.

"I'll tell you more on the way," Takuma answered. "Now hurry up and get dressed, you two. I'll be waiting outside." He stepped outside of the room so that Senri and Rima can get changed.

It took no more than two minutes before Senri and Rima walked out of the room. "So where are we going?" Senri asked. "And will Rima come too?"

"It's just you and me," Takuma answered. "So let's go."

"See you later and maybe we'll finish what we started when I get back," Senri said to Rima.

"I'll be waiting," Rima said. "Have fun." They kissed and Senri walked away with Takuma.

Once they had exited the dormitory, Senri averted his eyes to Takuma. "So where are we going?"

"Let me ask you this first," Takuma replied. "How long has it been since you last seen your father?"

Senri widened his eyes with shock. Now that was a strange question to ask. The brown-haired aristocrat had never seen his father's actual form in over ten years, and he never really cared about him, never had a close relationship with him. "You really are an asshole," he answered with a sigh, "I haven't seen my father in years, and I never want to speak of him. Why did you have to bring it up in the first place?"

"Because he wants to see you," Takuma answered. This made his friend even more shocked. "I know you've had problems with your father in the past, but he's still your dad."

Senri sighed. "Maybe you're right. Let's make this quick then. I want to go back to Rima."

"I promise it will," Takuma replied. They continued to walk toward the crypt together in silence.

They arrive in the crypt, and Ichiru and Bambietta are waiting for them. There was a large stone basin of water in front of them. "Did you bring him?" Bambietta asked Takuma.

"I did," Takuma replied.

"Who the hell are you people?" Senri demanded. He averted his eyes to Ichiru. "And you, you look familiar."

"That doesn't matter, Senri, but I bid you welcome," another voice joined the fray.

Senri looked around to see the source of the voice and ended up looking down when he saw the boy that Yuuki had met in the marketplace earlier. The red and blue eyes gave his identity away. "Hello, Dad," Senri said with a scowl. "I see you've found a new body."

"And I'll transfer to another," the boy said. He stuck his finger in the water and collapsed. Senri winced when he saw something moving at the bottom of the basin. A new and deeper voice spoke from the water, "And I think I found the perfect candidate. Takuma, hold him."

"Takuma, what the hell?!" Senri shouted as his friend held him in place. "You fucking traitor!"

Dark crimson plasma rose from the water and hovered in front of Senri, who thrashed against Takuma's hold. Eerie laughter echoed throughout the room as the plasma enveloped Senri, who panicked. Takuma closed his eyes and tried to tune out his friend's cries. He let go of him while the spirit continued to possess Senri.

After a few moments, everything calmed within the room, and Senri opened his eyes. His right hand was over his left eye, and he smirked evilly. "Well done, Takuma," he said in a voice that was not his own.

Takuma, Bambietta, and Ichiru knelt before him. "It was my pleasure, Rido-sama," Takuma replied.

Senri lowered his right hand, revealing a blue eye.


So Rido has possessed Senri. You'll see what this will do to Rima later on. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and let me know what you think! I also want to thank shiningmoonslayer for some ideas regarding this story as well, such as the ones in this chapter. I'll see you on the next chapter. Take care!