The Masquerade

Finally the big night! Watch out, it's almost horror movie scary! Or predictable. Lol. Jk. For boys masks ((amasquerade . com)): Astaroth, Effigy Porcellana Jolly M-150, Jolli Venetian Prince black. For boys costumes ((ballroomfashion . com(Men-Standard): F01 (Men-Latin): MB09 ((amasquerad . com)) (costumes- Mardi Gras): Lucky Strike


The big night had finally come. Naomi had insisted that they do each others hair and make-up. Naomi being the best at cosmetology planned her look and took Azami step by step through it. Azami instructed Naomi what she wanted her look to be and Naomi followed, if not adding her own little flares to it. Naomi insisted on a down-do. Curls bounced around her face making her look like 18th century royalty. Naomi also thought that Azami would look good in an up-do. It took effort, but they managed to hide most of the red in her hair and wrestled it into bouncy up curls, if not as curly as Naomi's. Soon they both looked dressed to kill. They walked out of the dorms and found Zero leaning against a tree. Naomi blushed and walked over to him. "Guess who?" she asked him.

"Hello Naomi," he said and smirked. "And Azami."

Azami smiled and nodded to him. Zero looked very handsome actually. In a formal suit, white shirt, black jacket with gold lining the lapels, and black pants and polished black shoes. He actually looked dashing! His mask was currently on his forehead, but it looked like typical Zero. Plain, white on one side and black and white diamond checkerboard on the other. "For you," he said and opened a box to reveal a red carnation corsage.

Naomi blushed and pinned it to her below the right strap. Azami smiled and felt a little third-wheel-ish. "So are we going or what?" she asked.

"Yeah let's get this party started!" Naomi shouted.


The Night Class had gone all out on the decorations. Jack-o-lanterns covered every light, skeletons made imaginary chaperons at every corner, chains lined the banisters and hung from the chandelier, and the snack table was full of gruesome delicacies. The Night Class had also taken their costumes to the next level as well. Aido even had the nerve to dress like stereotypical vampire! He let his fangs show and even his red eyes flashed a few times, claiming he had special eye contacts that, when caught in the right light, they glowed red.

Naomi smiled as they entered, several girls started to whisper and a few guys nodded and whispered with approval. Azami blushed when she caught sight of Ichijou staring at her or who seemed like Ichijou. He was dressed in a purple satin suit, with black and green checkered vest, and white shirt. His mask of choice was a golden jester, with dangling bell things and all. It seemed to have a little bit of black faded into it as well. Azami sighed as she made her way to the punch bowl.

Naomi and Zero made their way to the dance floor. Zero looked as awkward dancing the waltz as he was when he was asking Naomi out. Azami watched the spectical as attentively as every other girl in the room. "Hello," Ichijou said from behind her.

Azami smiled as she turned to him. "That wouldn't be Azami under that mask?" he asked.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Azami said, absently stirring her punch.

Ichijou smiled as well. "You look beautiful," Ichijou said and his gaze travelled away from her.

Azami rolled her eyes. "But you seem to be missing something," Ichijou said and pulled out a small black box.

He opened it to reveal a white rose corsage. Azami smiled brightly and pinned it above her heart. "Well?" she asked.

"Ravishing," Ichijou said.

"So where's your date?" Azami asked and took a sip of her punch.

Ichijou smiled nervously. "Well, she actually took sick, so I'm free," he said.

Azami rolled her eyes. "I see," she said.

"And I would be very honored if you would join me for a dance," Ichijou said and bowed gracefully to her.

Azami smiled. "Depends, I hope you're skilled in ballroom dancing," she said.

"You know ballroom dances?" Ichijou asked, a little unconvinced.

"Every one," Azami said. "I know a Wicked Waltz, a Sizzling Salsa, a Rockin' Rhumba, a Powerful Pasadoble!"

Ichijou nodded, very impressed. "I can waltz," he said.

"Then we'll stick with waltz," Azami said and gripped Ichijou's hand.

In the spirit of the holiday, the Night Class insisted they only play Halloween songs. They stepped out on the dance floor just as "This is Halloween" started to play. Ichijou bowed and Azami curtsied and their dance began. As their dance progressed, they seem to get more familiar with each other. She had to admit Ichijou was a very fair dancer. She had never danced like this since...


"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce my daughter, Lady Azami!" Aiko announced to the whole Isamu clan.

Isamu Azami was now a lady. Freshly graduated from Rowanwood Academy for Young Ladies at the ripe age of 16. She strode down the staircase, a white dress billowing behind her. She had fresh red streaks in her hair, which not many of her relatives approved of. She smiled down at her parents, at her school friends, at very close relatives, but she didn't see one face in the crowd, the one face she's been begging to see since she got back home. "Now to the dance!" Aiko proclaimed.

Azami spent her time mingling, dancing, mingling and dancing with every suitor her mother pushed at her. She finally escaped the frenzy by going out on the balcony. Even if Rido showed up, she probably wouldn't have time to spend with him. "Am I late?" a familiar voice asked.

Azami smiled brightly and sighed with relief. "Rido," she whispered without even turning to see who it was.

She rushed to him and hugged him tightly. Rido chuckled and held her tightly to him. "So this is the new Azami?" he said, and broke away.

He sat on the rail and took a good look at Azami. "Azami now a young lady," he cooed.

Azami smiled and spun around as if showing herself fully to him. Rido smiled and sighed. "So beautiful," he said.

Azami blushed. "But no matter how much your family hypes it up, you'll always be my Azami, my morning sun," he said as he got back up and wrapped an arm around Azami's waist.

Azami smiled. "Well, I'd like to see what you learned," Rido said. "May I have this dance?"

He bowed and offered his hand. Azami smiled. "You may, kind sir," Azami said and placed her hand in his.

Rido escorted her out onto the dance floor. He bowed to her and she curtsied and it continued into a splendid waltz. "My, my, you're quite gifted in this department," Rido said.

Azami shrugged. "It's harder than it looks, especially when you're in an all girls school and always being forced to play the man," she said.

Rido laughed and spun Azami. "I'm quite good at the other dances, you know," Azami said.

Rido rose his eyebrows. "Really?" he said. "Perhaps I should test your skills sometime."

Azami loved the sound of that, was ecstatic to get any alone time with him actually. Rido dipped Azami as the song ended. Suddenly applause erupted around them, they hadn't noticed that the whole floor had cleared to make room for them. Everyone had been captivated by their stunning performance. Her parents looked very pleased and they clapped the longest. Rido took her back out onto the balcony. Azami laughed and spun around and sat on the rail. Rido smiled and leaned his elbows against it, looking out at the night.

Now that she was older, at the proper age to marry in fact. She realized something. That Rido was fairly attractive. She dared not be modest, he was freaking hot! His eyes always glowed with a kind of fiery intensity that she longed to be apart of! His body was chiseled finely, as if carved by angels. His smile sly, crooked, mischievous. And his scent always seemed to call to her. And when she thought of this, she thought about how she would kill to be married to Rido. She silently thanked God that her parents had chosen Rido to be her husband. Azami looked to Rido who still looked up at the night sky and at that moment, she longed to pull his succulent body to her and kiss him as long and as hard as she wanted!

Rido looked to her and smiled wide. Azami smiled back and she thought, if she could she would always make him smile like that, always have him by her side, dance, play, laugh, talk, and dream together forever.


Ichijou dipped Azami as the music ended. Azami smiled up at him, but felt the tears leak from her eyes. Once he righted her, he escorted her outside onto the balcony. Azami put her hands on the rail and sucked up her tears. "You really do look beautiful," Ichijou said standing next to her.

"Thanks," Azami said.

"I also want to say, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings that day," Ichijou continued. "I said I wanted to be your friend and I guess it wasn't very friendly of me to choose a girl without even thinking of you."

Azami smiled. "It's alright, the gift is beautiful and very thoughtful," she said. "I probably wouldn't've come if you hadn't given me this dress."

Ichijou looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"The dress, it was your apology gift," Azami said, uncertaintly.

Ichijou started to shake his head. "No, no," he said. "The corsage and the dance and the formal apology was my apology."

Azami frowned at this new found knowledge. "But if you didn't give this to me then who-?" she started.

Azami thought back to the letter in the box. You know who. Who could, "You know who" be, if not Ichijou? "Are you alright?" Ichijou asked and put his hand on her shoulder.

Azami flinched out of his touch and backed away from him with a fearful look on her face. "No, I-," she started. "I need a moment."

She picked up her dress and rushed back onto the dance floor. She wrestled her way past dancing couples and her eyes scanned every which way, not really sure who or what she was looking for. Suddenly she bumped into a figure. "Oh sorry," she said and gave a little bow.

Azami stopped for a second. She looked up and she had no idea who it was, his eyes were protected with a strange fabric, probably made for him to see to the outside, but the outside couldn't see to the inside. She knew he was a vampire, she could feel the vibe coming off of him. She thought it was Kaname, at least without his whole face, he looked like Kaname. He wore a strange mask, black with odd tendrils going off, almost like horns. Even a few stretched downward. He wore a kind of Latin looking suit (if that's what it could be called). The shirt was opened so that his chest was nearly fully exposed, he also wore black slacks that were tight around his waist and dare she say, his butt. She blushed and tried to turn away. However, the gentleman, who might've been Kaname, made a gracious bow and motioned the dance floor.

"You want to dance with me?" Azami asked.

The man nodded and held out his hand. Azami looked back at where Ichijou was and his eyes were scanning the crowd for her too. Azami smiled wickedly, she wondered what he would think if he saw her dancing with his best friend. Azami nodded. "Okay," she said and placed her hand in his. The music started up in a slow, yet tempting tempo as if it would start to get faster. "Poison" by Groove Coverage started to play.

He pulled her close, closer than was appropriate for a waltz. Of course he led her perfectly through the beginning of the dance. However, once she got accustomed to it, she realized he was trying to lead her into a Rumba. Suddenly she started to take over for him. Suddenly she was pulling off acrobatics that she hadn't pulled since she was 16. Every moment that they touched, every time skin was on skin, a sudden electric shock rushed through her. She wrapped her leg around his waist as he dipped her. Her neck extended to the ground and suddenly she felt his lips graze the hollow of her throat. She gasped and broke away as soon as he lifted her back up. She never imagined that Kaname would dance this way, not with her. What happened to Yuuki? Azami's eyes started to scan the crowd and suddenly she saw Yuuki and Kaname up on the stairs not really watching the dance, but being aware of it. Azami's eyes darted back to her partner, who waited for her next move. She strutted up to him and he did the same. They grabbed hold of each other and he spun her tightly against him. Her heart raced, her breath was shallow. There was only one person that had the eerie appearance of Kaname and that was...

As the song ended... Rido... dipped her and the crowd around them once again erupted in applause. She wanted to get back up, but he seemed determined to hold her as long and as hard as he wanted. Azami gulped and suddenly her hand lashed out and ripped off his mask. Her eyes widened as her theory was finally proved. She stared into the hungry blue and red eyes of Rido Kuran. He rose her back up and hugged her against him. Azami squirmed and pushed against his grip to no avail. "Is this the way you greet your future husband?" Rido purred.

"Let go of me!" Azami growled.

"Never again," Rido hissed.

Suddenly the Night Class was onto him and they started to circle around them. Rido smirked and suddenly black smoke formed around each of the vampires, freezing them in place. Except Yuuki and Kaname. "What are you doing?" Azami cried.

"I am a pureblood, they dare not rise up against me," he said as if it was all the explaination she needed.

He gripped her wrist and pulled her along, she wrestled and writhed and pulled away all the while. Azami immediately reached down to her leg and pulled out her sword from her leg strap. She gripped it tight and sliced his arm. Rido cried out and withdrew his hand. He glared at his own gift, never had he thought that she would use it against him. "You still have that?" he asked.

"So that when you found me, your own gift would stab you in the back," Azami said.

She flicked the handle and it unfolded completely. Rido lowered his head. Gradually a deep rumbling sound came from his throat, it got louder and soon he burst out laughing. "You think you can end me?" he asked. "You? You're just a human, besides you wouldn't be able to."

Azami growled furiously. "You want a BET!" she shouted and rushed at him.

The sword flashed out, but he was too quick. He flashed behind her and his claws reached out and sliced her arm. Azami cried out and fell to her knees. She looked back at him, her eyes filled with hatred. She held the wound and she knew her blood probably smelled tempting to Rido. "You think you can use Gemini against me?" Rido asked.

"Gemini" being the name of the sword. "I just did," Azami snarled.

Rido frowned and reached out to Azami. She slapped his hand away and rose Gemini again, slicing along his stomach. The cuts weren't even deep, they healed almost instantly. Azami growled with frustration. Rido was having none of it. Suddenly, what looked like blood ropes came from his body and lashed themselves to Azami, circling her wrists, her ankles, her stomach, making her completely immobile. One of the whip/ropes slapped Gemini out of her hand. "As I said, did you really think you could best me?" Rido asked approaching her slowly. "Especially when you're alone!"

A flash of moonlight glinting off metal raced by and Rido shouted and collapsed. His shoulder bloody, but healing slowly. "Rido!" Yuuki cried as she held her weapon of choice "Artemis".

Rido smiled as he held his shoulder. "Yuuki, it has been awhile since I smelled Juuri's scent," he said.

Kaname stood by Yuuki glaring down at his uncle. "Ah, Kaname," Rido said. "You'll be happy to know that Yuuki's blood no longer tempts me, but her's calls to me like no other blood."

Azami's eyes widened. Her blood was what he was after all along? "I'm afraid that, that news does not calm me in any way, Rido," Kaname said. "Let the girl go."

"Ah, but don't you know, she and I are promised to each other," Rido continued.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have a choice in the matter," Kaname said and approached Rido.

"Perhaps you're right, but that is entirely up to her, isn't it?" Rido said and smirked wickedly. "Now if you'll excuse us, we do have some business to attend to."

Kaname picked up Gemini and suddenly lashed out at Rido. Though he couldn't kill him, he could at least harm him. Every blow he struck towards his head or heart seemed to be deflected by an invisible force and thrown elsewhere. Rido lost concentration of his blood whips and they withdrew from Azami. She sighed as she hit the ground and watched as Kaname fought off his uncle. Yuuki raced to Azami's side and gripped her shoulders. "Go, run!" Yuuki said. "We'll take care of things just run and hide, we'll come and find you when it's over."

Azami didn't want to leave the fight, she wanted to end him herself, but she could see even with Yuuki, they seemed outmatched. She wondered where Zero was until she got her answer, with his "Bloody Rose" shooting off at the sky. Once everyone was distracted she took off into the woods as fast and as far as she could go. After awhile of running she leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath. "Azami?" a voice asked from the shadows.

"Who's there?" Azami called.

Naomi stepped out from her hiding spot with wide, frightened eyes. "Naomi," Azami said with relief. "What are you doing here?"

"Yuuki and Kaname ordered everyone to head to their dorms or go somewhere to hide," Naomi replied. "Who was that, that caused such a stir?"

Azami shook her head. Naomi kept staring at her. "We need to get farther away," Azami said and started out.

Naomi followed quietly behind. After they walked a distance, Azami stopped again. "Some dance this turned out to be," Azami said.

Naomi nodded. "Why so quiet?" Azami asked, she'd've thought that Naomi would just be a buzz with questions, but apparently she was too afraid to voice them. "What no kiss from Zero?"

Naomi shook her head. "Yeah, well, maybe you'll get another chance," Azami said.

Suddenly she heard a rustle in the bushes and her head darted toward the sound. She watched the spot with a fearful attentiveness. "I'm very sorry about all this," Naomi said quietly from behind her.

"Why, it's not like it's your fault," Azami said.

No it was all her fault, she shouldn't have come here, she shouldn't have endangered her friends and classmates. As soon as this was over she was going to pack up and live in a cave. "I'm very sorry," Naomi said again, this time her voice shook as if with tears.

"Naomi?" Azami said and started to turn around.

A pressure on her head, seeing stars, ground fell out from under her, then... all went black...