Wow, I actually uploaded in less than a week. You guys should be happy, took a lot of effort... ^^"... Anyways, please enjoy it, I spent a LOT of time on it, and so did my beta reader SuiTsuki. Please thank her to.

And one last note - I would tell you to thank Melodicxstar for the inspiration etc. as well, but... (Flashback: Getting killed by melodicxstar for taking apart whole pencil case, taking apart every single pen and putting together in bad order) yeah...

Jessica's POV

Ugh. My head hurt. It felt like I had a sword stuck in my neck. My right arm felt like it was a frostbite victim, while my left arm felt like it was stuck in a furnace.

And worst of all, I think my mascara was smudged.

"Mmmph." I moaned, not finding the ability to move the muscles in my mouth.

"MMMPH!"

I tried to move my numb hands to my mouth, but failed miserably. They felt really heavy. I dropped them, not having enough energy to return them to my side.

My head was spinning, and started spinning the other way when my hands fell on my neck. It felt like I had something there, I just couldn't place my finger on it. Figuratively, of course.

"Mmmph?" I tried to raise one of my fingers to my line of sight, and succeeded. A little.

Something must have been wrong with my vision. It was probably blurry or something. I mean, why would there be red paint on my neck?

"Jessica!"

I started at the sound of my name being called by the mysterious voice, finally finding the ability to move my body. My hands jerked down automatically to steady myself, and my vision spun in a circle.

"Don't strain yourself. It will only hurt you later."

A different voice this time, one I could distinctly classify as Tsuki. Emotionless as always, I suppose. And still wearing that unfashionable gray sweater.

"Why? Should something be wrong with me?"

My sight steadied, and I noticed that I was still in the café at the party. Except that most of the party members had gone home. And that we were in a deserted corner. And it was pitch black outside. And that the red paint was also on my jacket as well.

I heard a sigh, and saw a shadow move behind Tsuki. The stoic girl dodged to the side, and I got barreled down by the blackness.

"MMMPH!" I screamed, my voice muffled by another unfashionable gray jacket.

"I was so scared for you! I'm glad you're okay!" The shadow babbled into my hair, and I started to gasp for breath. It reluctantly let go, and I saw Yuuki's concerned eyes looking down at me. Her brown eyes were watery, and there were tear stains running down her cheeks.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong with me." I grinned, attempting to prove my point.

"Nothing at all?"

Tsuki raised one eyebrow in my direction, and I nodded. I mean, numbness wasn't really a problem, was it? It would pass in a few minutes anyways. It was just the after effect of spending all day skiing and then falling asleep. I was always numb in the mornings.

"Take a look."

Tsuki handed me a handheld mirror, and I grabbed it off her eagerly. The glass was slightly cracked, and the reflection dim, but I could still see myself quite plainly.

"I don't see anything wrong with me." I replied slowly.

Tsuki gave out a sarcastic laugh, "Nothing at all?"

I squinted my eyes, and pulled the mirror closer.

"Well, my hair is extremely messy, my make up is just… Eww." I smiled, happy with my list, although not so happy with the things on it.

"Oh, and then there's this weird red paint on my neck." I added as an after thought. "I wonder how that got there."

Yuuki collapsed into a chair, her head in her hands.

"Do you remember anything, Jessica?"

She looked up at me, eyes wide with the spark of hope. I shook my head slowly, extinguishing the light.

"Anything at all?"

I shook my head again, trying to recall - what to me seemed like - the dark, distant past.

"Well, I do remember coming back after skiing. And I remember you guys disappeared. I thought you had jumped out a window, but I wasn't too sure. So I went over to check, when I heard a voice call to me."

Tsuki's eyes flashed with excitement, "And…?"

"It's not all that exciting, really. She just asked me if I was finished with my hot chocolate. It wasn't the usual guy working at the counter, but a stranger."

"What did she look like?" Tsuki took a step closer to me, towering over me with her abnormal height. Either that or I was just plain short.

"How tall are you Tsuki? Have you grown since I last checked?"

She cursed under her breath. "Just continue with the damn story, Jessica! This is important!"

I cocked my head to the side, trying to wonder how it could be so important to know what happened in the few minutes that they had disappeared from the room.

"Sometime today, perhaps?"

I frowned at the sarcasm in her voice. She was being especially mean today.

"Well, I don't know. She was… Weird. She had extraordinarily long hair, in the most out of date style ever. Her clothes were a little old fashioned as well. But I didn't really concentrate on how she looked. I was more concerned with my hot chocolate."

Both girls opposite me deflated a little, and I heard the silver haired girl mutter under her breath, something along the lines of 'Typical Jessica'.

"Well, she told me to hurry up and finish my hot chocolate, so that she could clear it away. And I got all angry at her, and told her that I was the customer and that I had priority over her."

I paused, and leaned in closer to add affect.

"And she told me… That it would not last for long. In a really threatening voice."

Yuuki jumped up out of her silent reverie, and ran to my side.

"Do you know what she meant?"

I shook my head, and Yuuki adopted a discouraged look.

"I just leaned in to make it dramatic."

I smiled, pleased at my joke. Tsuki had a bored look on her face, and Yuuki looked downtrodden. Apparently my joke wasn't very successful.

"And then what happened?"

"I drank the hot chocolate. No duh. And then… I don't quite remember. All that happened after that, was… Numbness."

Tsuki stared at me intensely with her sapphire eyes.

"Any pain?"

I shrugged, clearly defining my confusion.

"Why would there be any pain?"

Tsuki turned away from me, to face Yuuki.

"She is still in shock. We must let her rest for the time being. We can leave the rest up to the chairman." She stated dispassionately, her eyes cold.

Yuuki nodded gravely, before getting up and walking to another table. She leant over it, placing her hand on an object lying there.

Tsuki closed her eyes, wrinkling her forehead in a frown of concentration. She started murmuring under her breath, words I couldn't understand. I felt utterly forgotten.

"Hey!" I called out, trying to grab their attention.

Both girls turned to look at me, emotionless expressions on their faces.

"What shock? Why would there be-"

I cut myself off in midsentence, and started to tremble violently. Pain started to shoot up my arms and legs, immediately lifting the numb cloud off my brain. My neck felt like it was on fire, the red liquid on it feeling suddenly cool.

Red liquid.

I lifted up a shaky hand, and glanced my red stained fingertips.

Blood.

My body delayed the reaction, but when it finally registered, I screamed out in pain and confusion, my brain too clogged with thoughts to do anything. The fog was gone, and everything that had just happened in the past few minutes had finally clicked into place.

Except the pain. Where was the pain coming from? Why was it hurting me?

I could dimly hear my name being called, but the sound never made it past my ears. The throbbing ache in my neck somehow prevented my comprehension of sound.

I bit my lip, trying not to scream out again. Already my vision was clouded red, and I was starting to lose consciousness.

I collapsed onto the table I had been subconsciously sitting on, blacking out.

But the pain didn't stop.

Tsuki's POV

"Do something Tsuki! Anything!" Yuuki screamed out to me, her eyes wide with fright. Sweat was poring down her face due to the sheer pressure she was put under. "Please!"

I stepped back from the flailing girl on the table, motioning for Yuuki to do the same. My eyes scanned the scene, my mind still trying to comprehend the situation.

How could such a calm setting turn into so much confusion so quickly?

Jessica, who had only moments ago been sitting calmly brain dead on the table before me, was now lying on her back, her arms and legs flinging out to the sides at an immeasurable pace, screams leaving her mouth every few seconds. Sweat was coming out of her body like waterfalls, her clothes drenched.

And I know that this would be most important to her, but her mascara was also smudged.

At the exact moment that Jessica had descended into her fit, Yori had awoken on the table behind me. She was also in a fit of some kind, but not as violent. She seemed to be arguing mentally with herself, debating over some unknown topic.

Or the well known topic of vampires.

"DO SOMETHING TSUKI!"

I snapped back to reality, only having been gone for what was two seconds.

"Stand back." I ordered in my calmest voice possible, trying to keep my voice emotionless.

"How can you be so…. Emotionless at a time like this? Why don't you feel sadness, or suffering?"

Yuuki advanced cautiously towards Jessica, trying to get around her flying limbs. I yanked her back roughly, throwing her onto the chair that she had previously occupied.

"What was that for?" She cried in indignation, annoyance written all over her face. As well as those other emotions she was talking about.

"I can not let you get hurt. I need you. Approaching Jessica will only further injure the two of you, and render the two of you useless and helpless."

Yuuki pulled at her brown hair in frustration, biting her lip so that she wouldn't scream at me.

"What is wrong with you? Ever since I met you, it's all been about you, you, and you!"

I frowned in disagreement. She noted this, and continued with her rant.

"And Vampires! We wouldn't be in this situation, if it weren't for you and your stupid ideas! If you wouldn't be so stubborn about your own beliefs, and try to listen to others for once, none of this would have happened!"

I listened to her with one ear, the other one preoccupied with making sure Jessica didn't hurt herself. She was higher on my priorities list then Yuuki's false accusations were.

As long as Jessica was on a flat surface where she couldn't roll off and harm herself, she was fine. The table was wide enough, and quite barren of objects. She was safe for now, unless she did something completely unexpected.

Yori was in her own little world, completely oblivious to the scene around her. Her eyes were closed and her brow furrowed. Her hair stuck out messily to all sides, her hands absent mindedly combing through it. Her mouth was moving to shape words, but she did not actually utter a sound.

Yuuki, on the other hand…

"Well? Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?"

I stared at her, positive that she would be intimidated under my hard composure. She seemed to be hyperventilating, obviously due to the stressful conditions she had been placed under just after leaving the hospital. Her voice was ten pitches higher then usual, and her eyes were permanently enlarged.

"Why accuse me of things I haven't done, when you have only known me for a day? A day is barely enough time to judge a person."

She made some sort of noise, before tearing out more of her hair. It didn't look like she had an answer to my rebuttal, but was still not ready to give up the argument.

"Well, if you're so high and mighty, THEN FIX THIS PROBLEM NOW!"

I blinked, surprised at her tone of voice.

"My, you are moody today."

"Don't you dare talk to me as if you've known me for my whole life. I can just throw your words right back at you!"

"I've known you longer than you've known me."

She quieted for a few moments, and I continued to gaze at her calmly.

"Please don't talk in riddles. They're hard to understand."

I sighed, dropping my gaze.

"Please help me understand."

I glanced at her through my fringe, and saw that her face finally held the defeated look I had been waiting for.

"You'll figure out soon enough on your own. The final battle is imminent."

A surprised look crossed her face.

"Huh? Final Battle? I don't even recall having a first one."

I turned away, to face the now silent Jessica, leaving Yuuki's question unanswered. Jessica was lying peacefully on the table, and Yori was leaning over her with her hand on her forehead. Yori looked up as I approached, her face completely blank.

"She has a fever."

I nodded.

"We need a doctor. I don't feel too good either."

Her face had a green tint on it, and she looked like she could puke at any given moment. I took glimpse at my watch, noting that it was exactly eight in the evening.

"They should arrive in 5 minutes."

Yori paled slightly, and immediately sat down on a chair. Yuuki ran to comfort her, and I span around to face the other direction. I didn't like to witness public displays of emotion much. I was not a big fan of those types of interactions.

"Why not?" Yori's voice penetrated my thoughts, and to my great embarrassment, I realized that I had spoken out loud.

I squared my face into an emotionless expression, before turning around to face the two conscious girls.

"Because of jealousy."

If I had not tried so hard to keep my face vacant, then I probably would have had a surprised look on my face just like Yuuki and Yori did. A little voice inside my mind told me that I uttered the phrase too plainly.

"Why are you jealous?"

The questions. People always asked too many questions. Sadly enough, that's one quality I prefer in Vampires – they tend to assume things rather than ask questions. And they know when to ask questions and when not to.

"Because I am incapable of such an act."

Yuuki rolled her eyes, and I faced the opposite direction again. I was glad that they didn't pursue the matter, even if that action did hurt me a little inside.

But it was not my fault. I was bought up like this. Ever since my parents…

"Tsuki."

I shot up into the air as Kaname walked into my line of sight, followed by his coven of Vampires. I crinkled my nose in annoyance, smelling something that smelled suspiciously like blood.

At least I didn't need to continue down the painful path my mind was taking me through.

"Hurt the girl and die, Vampire."

He frowned, and I stared coldly into his eyes. The hatred was flowing freely between the link our eyes made. I would never show respect to a vampire for my whole life. It didn't look like Kaname would back down either, so I was a little relieved as Yuuki jumped between us and broke our eye contact.

"Yuuki." Kaname stated calmly.

She blushed furiously, before bowing down low in apology. I mentally groaned.

"We need to discuss plans." I stated, coming straight to the point of the matter. Yuuki's eyes flickered nervously from Kaname to me, then to Jessica lying serenely on the table.

"But Tsuki…" She started, pouting in my general direction.

"Leave her here. She is useless to us now. And so is Yori. Leave her here too."

Yuuki was about to protest, but closed her mouth when Kaname raised his hand to signify that he wanted to speak.

"Tsuki is right, if not in the nicest way. I have to agree with her. And your friends will be perfectly safe here in this café. We will leave a guard as well."

Yuuki tried to object, but the words died on her lips when Aidou stepped forward as well. I wondered if she would ever get a word in edgewise. She was too nice for her own good.

"I will protect them with my life. Do not be afraid, Yuuki."

Yuuki's face progressed into a magenta colour. She should really get out of that habit. It was bad to have all your blood rush to your face, when facing a group of blood thirsty creatures.

"What about Edward?" Yuuki questioned slowly, in an innocent tone.

"What he does doesn't concern me."

"But they are vampires like you!"

"No they're not."

I turned away from the argument before me, to see how Yori was going. She hadn't moved an inch since Yuuki left her side, but her eyes betrayed her feelings. She was scared.

But then again, who wouldn't be?

And it also seemed like she was taking in every word spoken, and storing it in her mind for later. Probably in a folder marked 'Vampire Business'. I had a fat folder of my own on that particular topic.

"Are you coming, Tsuki?"

Yuuki held the door open for me, ignoring the cold blast of air that filtered through. I walked over to her briskly, and into the crunchy snow outside. The full moon reflected the cloudless sky onto the snow. I shivered, my breath coming out in a puff.

"What have you found out, Vampire?"

Kaname's clan glared daggers at me, and I brushed them off lightly. My only concern at this point of time was his response. A battle plan could easily be formulated with the right information.

As long as we struck first, we could win. The element of surprise was a major factor in our battle style.

"They look like they are ready to attack at any time. We must move soon, to beat them to it."

I glared at him.

"Define who you meant by using the word 'we'."

His face was solemn, and I did not like it. Not one bit. It seemed as if he had something very grave to tell me, that even I would get upset over.

"She's behind it. She is the one who is organizing the attack."

I gasped, my expressionless mask crumbling before my eyes. Images of a silver haired woman covered in blood flashed past my eyes, fangs extending out of her mouth. Zero lay on the floor at her feet, and his brother cowered behind her. Snow was falling through the open doorway.

My thoughts turned to hatred. Hatred of the pureblood vampire who turned me into what I was today. Hatred of all vampires.

And rage. Rage was consuming my system rapidly. Kaname had known the perfect words to set off my internal temper, and used them against me. But once she got involved in anything, I was automatically involved as well. She had to die. And Zero and I were going to kill her.

"Hiou Shizuka."

I spat the words out, trying hard not to rip out someone's throat. The anger was boiling over the brim, and I didn't know how much longer I could contain myself from harming someone.

I balled my hands into fists.

"We attack tomorrow."

All done! Hope you liked it! Sorry about no preview, but I wanted to get it out asap. Next chappie is the beginning of the battle! (Grins in glee). Please review, and its your last chance to vote on the poll on my profile. Please put just that little more effort in, like I did with this chapter. Thanks ^^

Note: All damage done to the author due to annoying cliffhangers will be grately appreciated by Melodicxstar. Actually, she wants you to kill the author. Have fun...