To Love in Darkness

by Asteral-Dreamer

In one moment, Haruhi's life changed. She learned that she could use magic and in the next she found out that there was a whole other world existing right next to the one she knew that she had only thought was in fairy tails. Now that she sees everything that was hidden from her, what will she do?

10. Chapter 10, A New Understanding

Chapter 10:

Chapter 10, A New Understanding

Haruhi began to stir and slowly opened her eyes. Looking around, she saw that she was in a traditional style room. The futon she was on was situated on a slightly raised tatami floor and there was a few cushions situated around a small table in the corner near a set of open shoji doors over looking a walkway leading to a garden. Given how bright it was outside, Haruhi guessed that it was around midday. She slowly sat up and continued to look around the room. Other than the bed and table, there was a slightly modern door across from her and across from the doors leading to the gardens was another set of doors which she assumed led to the rest of wherever she was.

"You are awake," Qurdox spoke, relief evident in his voice.

"Where..." Haruhi looked around and paused when she looked back out in the garden.

Resting his head on the walkway at his full size was Qurdox. Haruhi could see that the rest of him was laying in the sun and smiled softly. She could see the worry etched in his eyes but the relief in them as well.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"A few hours," Qurdox replied. "You are at the residence of your friend Mitsukuni. It was closer to where we were and since you had succumbed to sleep, it was better than trying to explain myself to passersby. His mother, Lady Michiko, has done a Blood reading on you. I had given my grace with the understanding that her fangs would not be used. I will let her tell you what she found and learned. Most of it, I am certain neither you nor your father know. Your teachers, Umehito and Alyona are present as well."

"Is my dad here?"

"He is. He has also brought you a spare set of clothes. Although I will admit, more traditional items suit you better."

Haruhi quickly looked down and saw that she was in a sleeping yukata instead of her uniform. Since Qurdox had mentioned that they were at Hunny's house, she assumed that either he or his mother had one of the servants change her. She looked around and saw her overnight bag resting by the bed and pulled it into her lap. Opening it up, she let out a small sigh. Inside the bag was a pink dress, a change of underpants and a bra. She was about to let out a groan about the clothes until she pulled them out and saw a set of jeans and a white shirt.

"Ryoji may be a little flamboyant," Qurdox stated. "But he does know your likes and dislikes. Although he would like to see you dressed more femininely, he will not force you to within good reason."

"He's learned since last year," she retorted. "I also had a long talk with him during the summer about trying to make me wear frilly things. I told him that I will wear it for special times but other than that, if it's not practical, I'm not wearing it."

Qurdox let out an amused rumble. "So I see. Although I enjoy being able to stretch to my full height after being in a smaller form for the time I have been here, I would like to walk by your side and look around the inside of this estate. The areas I have seen show promise. It reminds me a bit of my original home."

"Where are you from actually?"

"The time of my hatching was when no man had yet walked into my home. You know it better as Tibet now."

Haruhi looked at her dragon in awe. From Tibet? One of the most religious places in the world? That was a shocker but it did explain a bit and she also began recalling what she had stipulated as requirements for calling her Familiar/Companion. Slowly coming to a stand, Haruhi recited the spell that would allow Qurdox to only be about the size of a large dog. Once his transformation was complete, he moved into the room and began looking around and Haruhi joined him. She learned that the door across from the bed led to an almost completely modernized bathroom which she was going to use in a bit. There was no closet but there were drawers lining the bottom of the platform the futon was on. Opening them carefully, she saw that there were spare sleeping yukata and tabi socks in one of them and the others were empty. She gave a small shrug of her shoulders and grabbed her clothes before heading into the bathroom for a shower.

*~*0o0o0o0o0*~*

Ranka fidgeted slightly in his seat. Looking around the table, he had to remind himself to be respectful and not so "off the wall" as Haruhi usually claimed him to be. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm himself.

"You can relax Ranka," Kyoya tried to sooth. "They asked to meet you. You have done nothing wrong."

"I know," he sighed. "But how can I relax when I am sitting in the house of the Haninozuka Family when the only one I have ever met is Mitsukuni?"

"Just be yourself," Hunny said with a smile. "If my parents can handle me, then they can definitely handle you."

"My alien of a brother is right you know," Yasuchika stated before yelping in pain. "Damn it Satoshi! What was that for?!"

"Respect your elders," said the shinai wielding teenager.

Ranka watched with a slowly growing amusement as the two younger teens continued to bicker back and forth with each other and thought back to some of the things Haruhi had said about the pair. At first he thought she was exaggerating about the younger Morinozuka hitting his equally young cousin. He had to agree with one aspect though, it was kind of funny watching them bicker.

"Are you sure you two are nothing more than cousins?" Ranka asked with a slightly confused face but inside he wore a bemused smile.

Both teens stopped midsentence and looked at the cross-dresser with a look of shocked horror. Hunny tried so hard to hold in his laughter at the looks on their faces but failed and fell to the floor laughing so hard he started crying. Mori had his hand on his head which was dropped to his chest but if anyone actually took the time to look, they would see a highly amused smile on his face. Kyoya looked at the two teens with a smirk before looking directly behind Ranka. Unknown to almost everyone in the room, Michiko and Sayuki along with their husbands had walked into the room about midway through their younger children's bickering. At Ranka's seemingly harmless question, both mothers had to cover their mouths to keep sound from escaping and the fathers looked at each other before looking back at their sons.

"That would be an interesting answer to know," Kyoya said, his smirk growing as he glanced back at the shocked boys. "Are you able to answer that for some clarity? I'm sure we aren't the only ones who are curious."

Satoshi and Yasuchika both were about to retort when a muffled laugh reached their ears. Turning towards the sound, both almost lost all pallor of color in their faces. There at the door were their parents. It was clear to see the amusement in their mothers' eyes and, although a little harder to spot, the amusement in the eyes of their fathers.

"They are only cousins," Hunny stated once he caught his breath. "If they were anything more, it would be really hard to hide it from our families. Though with how they bicker back and forth it is sometimes debatable! Sometimes they are like Hika-chan and Kao-chan!"

Satoshi and Chika looked at each other then at the red haired cross-dresser who wore a genuinely curious look then Yasuchika leveled a dark glare towards his brother while Satoshi looked genuinely terrified at the comparison. Neither could find anything to saw to either statement. Michiko and Sayuki looked at each other before shaking their heads amused and sat across from their guest. Both had heard his genuine question at the bickering between their sons and thought it was amusing.

"Mitsukuni is correct," Michiko smiled. "They have argued like this since they were much younger than they are now. While the companionship between Mitsukuni and Takashi is one of silent communication and understanding, Satoshi and Yasuchika are a little louder about their opinions on things. Especially how Yasuchika treats his older brother."

"He needs to show respect to his elders!" Satoshi yelled in his defense.

"I do respect him as a martial artist," Chika yelled back. "But in everything else he is an alien!"

Satoshi was about to take another swing at his cousin with the shinai in his hands when it was taken from him.

"Enough," Akira stated, holding the bamboo blade tightly. "Sit."

Bowing his head softly, Satoshi complied with his father's order. Yasuchika was about to gloat but one look from his father and he kept it to himself. Yorihisa sat next to his wife and Akira did the same. Michiko smiled at their guest.

"You must be Ryoji," she greeted. "Mitsukuni has said a great deal about you. I must say you are better dressed than most of the female guests we get on occasion."

"Oh stop," Ranka gushed. "You'll make me blush, and you can call me Ranka. As for what I am wearing, it is nothing compared to your own beautiful clothing, dear Haninozuka-san. I can also see where Mitsukuni gets his looks."

Michiko blushed softly at the genuine words. She usually only got such complements from people trying to gain something out of being kind to her but it was quite obvious that this cross-dressing man wanted nothing from their family.

"I will concede that my eldest favors his mothers appearance while my youngest favors mine," Yorihisa stated. "However in strength they favor me."

"Really? I would like to see that."

Everyone in the room deadpanned. No, you don't... they all thought. You really don't...

"Trust me dad," Haruhi said softly. "You don't want to see what Hunny-senpai can do when he is mad."

Everyone looked to Haruhi thanking a maid with a smaller Qurdox at her side. It was unseen to the maid but instantly noticeable by everyone but Ranka that the dragon, despite smaller size, was coiled slightly around her legs acting as a buffer. Kyoya saw the faint flicker of his Void moving in and out of her shadow and smiled softly. Once Haruhi sat next to her father, Ranka did a quick once over to see if everything was okay, getting pushed away slightly for being too clingy.

"I take it Haruhi takes more after her mother," Sayuki mentioned as she glanced between the two.

"She does," Ranka smiled softly. "Kotoko was always independent and didn't like feeling trapped. She was a strong willed woman."

The parents nodded softly and the mothers felt a small pang of sorrow for the loss Haruhi and Ranka had endured with the death of the one they both loved. Death was not an easy thing to endure, regardless of race. Although the sorrow was present in both of them, it was clear to see that they have done their best to keep it from the forefront of their minds. Haruhi had thrown herself into her studies to become a top notch lawyer just like her mother and Ranka threw himself into caring for Haruhi the best he could despite his odd jobs every now and then before ultimately becoming the man in front of them today.

"Despite your loss," Akira spoke. "You persevere and continue on. Remembering the good, learning from the bad, and treasuring it all."

Haruhi and Ranka nodded in agreement. It was fairly easy to figure out what the patriarch of the Morinozuka family was talking about since Kyoya was sitting at the table, that and Haruhi had a very good idea of what he was due to what Hunny and Mori shared the other day. Everyone looked towards the door when someone cleared his throat.

"Allow me to present Lord and Lady Nekozawa and their children Umehito-sama and Kirimi-sama," Kadomatsu presented with a bow.

Haruhi saw all four Nekozawa bow in greeting and Yorihisa nodded in return before motioning towards the open cushions. "I apologize for the difference in seating."

"No apology is needed Haninozuka-sama," Katsuro waved off. "We are guests in your home, we follow your customs."

Once everyone was seated, Kyoya pulled out his black notebook. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin."

"Begin what?" Haruhi asked.

"A bit more clarification as well as a complete look at your genealogy."

Ranka tilted his head to the side confused and Haruhi rose a brow. Kyoya sighed and began with what happened earlier that day as well as what happened after. Once he got to the point about Michiko Reading her blood, the matriarch of the Haninozuka family took over. With a bit of help from Kyoya in getting the placement of names right, she fully explained what she got from the blood.

"Memories can change," she explained. "However the events of a persons life never change in your blood. Memories of the mind change and fade, memories of Blood remain the same."

Haruhi and Ranka nodded in understanding and Michiko continued. Everyone gave a small smile of thanks if Ranka added a bit more detail on what he knew of Kotoko's family from the few times he had personally interacted with them. Haruhi listened completely entranced about everything she was hearing. Ranka never really spoke about her mother's family so hearing about it was very interesting to Haruhi. She could tell that Alyona and Katsuro were listening just as intently as she was. When Michiko took a break to get something to drink, Kyoya took over answering the questions that Alyona and Haruhi had about the Katayama family and its skills.

"So her understanding of the more Light and Neutral Balanced Arcana is inherent to her," Alyona commented. "That would explain her rapid excellence with some of the more advanced spells despite our lessons not yet starting."

"There is also her new found understanding of a darker Magic as well," Kyoya stated, causing everyone to look at him.

"What do you mean?" Haruhi asked.

"Haru-chan," Hunny spoke softly. "You healed me, a Vampire, from a wound given by a Holy Blessed weapon. That is nearly impossible. Only another Vampire should have been able to and Takashi was more focused on making sure I didn't loose any more blood than I was. He and i don't really have the training to heal those besides ourselves."

"That and there is only one form of Magic that can heal a Vampire," Chika mentioned. "One that humans shouldn't know and if they do, they are either insane or cursed."

"H-how?" she asked, fear evident in her voice and eyes.

"Blood Magic," Michiko answered. "Humans that know it usually have a collection of strange marks that follow along their veins and arteries that make them look white, like scars. Most that have that scarring, are either near insane or already have lost their mind to their magic. When you were brought here unconscious and the events of this morning explained, I had to see if you carried any scarring. You do not. As you don't have the Scarring, I had to Read your blood to figure out how you could use the Magic only known by a Vampire."

"What did you find?" Ranka asked.

"The skills of Blood Magic actually come from your family line," Kyoya stated looking at the shocked man.

"What?! How?!"

"Blood never lies, Fujioka-san," Sayuki clarified.

"With my access to technology," Kyoya began. "I was able to get access to the different achieves that hold family registries. That is how I was able to get you late wife's full family history. As for yours, it only went back to your grandfather. In such cases, I had thought that it was because of some change of name due to personal reasons or Witness Protection but that train of thought was dismissed when I went through the Protection Files. My next thought was perhaps the origin of your family wasn't from Japan but that proved fruitless as well."

"Through your daughter's blood," Michiko continued. "I was able to find the reason. Your great-grandfather, Fujioka-san, was in fact a Cursed Childe from a European Noble Vampire. Cursed Children are formed in two ways. They are either given the blood of a Vampire unwillingly, or they take the blood of a Vampire but do not accept the all that comes with the change. Your ancestor was forced to take the blood of a Nobleman he had never before met. He fled from those that hurt him and found his way to the connection of Mongolia, China and Russia. There, a Royal of our kind gave him a choice that would have been offered back in Europe when they learned what happened to him; to be given a quick and painless death to get rid of his suffering, or to be fully changed and accept his new way of life.

"Unlike many in his position, your great-grandfather chose to accept what he had become. Most chose death as the change was Unwilling and had placed them in a great deal of pain. The one who changed him was Trekiva Tora. At the time, he was the leader of the Mongolian Vampires. I do believe that he still is but also leads the Chinese and a couple Russian Covens as well as a medical distribution company that spans most of the original Orient."

"Then how is it that Haruhi and I are human?" Ranka asked.

"When a vampire enters a union with a human, or in your terms marriage," Sayuki explained. "The child is either human or vampire. From what my cousin has told me, your great-grandmother was human. It was pure chance that made your grandfather human."

"And when a human child of a vampire union weds another human," Michiko continued. "That child is human and so on."

"So," Haruhi pondered. "What does that mean for my dad and me?"

"You have vampiric blood in you," Hunny stated. "It is just asleep. It can be woken up by another vampire or rise itself just enough should your life depend on it."

"Such as this morning?" she asked.

Hunny nodded. "Yup. As well as the few other times you mentioned."

"What other times?!" Ranka yelled.

Everyone winced at the pitch and Haruhi sighed heavily. "And this is why I didn't want to say anything about it..."

"There has been something following her for the last couple of days," Kyoya sighed. "I have had my people keep an eye on things around the apartment as well as your work place Ranka. While Haruhi is at school, very little can affect her as she usually has different people around her nearly all of the time. And now that she had Qurdox, she is protected even when none are near."

Alyona looked at the dragon as he coiled around his charge. She felt the soft hum of her own familiar against her wrist and could tell that her husband and children could feel their own. When they had gotten Kyoya's call, she was surprised and then angered when she found out the series of events that lead up to her new student getting hurt. To her, a student was like her child. One to be watched and protected carefully.

"With respect dear hosts," Alyona asked, gaining everyone's attention. "Would my family and I be able to call our Familiars to Form?"

Yorihisa nodded. "That is acceptable."

Alyona bowed softly and looked towards her husband. Katsuro nodded and called his black cat Ankoku but instead of being about the size of a large housecat, his head came up to Qurdox's shoulder in his current form as he was about the size of a panther. Next, Alyona called Vaska who formed to about the size of a tiger and nuzzled her cheek lovingly. Umehito pulled up Beelzeneff who formed to the size of a medium housecat while Kirimi's kitten Karen was about the same size as the last time she saw it.

"Cats..." Michiko stared. "Big cats...mostly..."

"They are common place in our family, Haninozuka-sama," Katsuro smiled. "In order of Summon, Ankoku, Vaska, Beelzeneff and Karen."

Michiko smiled in welcome but jumped slightly when Ankoku hissed at Qurdox. The dragon just looked at the large cat, stood his full height and let out a dark hiss of his own with smoke seeping from his mouth and nostrils. Katsuro sighed in irritation and Kirimi giggled.

"Anki doesn't like the big snake!" she yelled.

"Snake?" Qurdox questioned, pausing mid growl and turning to look at the small child.

Haruhi bit her lip trying to hold in a laugh. "She is only six. Everything is generic to her."

"Haru-chan?" Hunny asked. "Are you okay? You're shaking."

"I'm fine," she stated. "Just...trying not to laugh..."

"Why?" Kirimi asked cutely.

"Kirimi," Umehito sighed. "Qurdox is a dragon, not a snake."

The six year old looked at the large dragon that was just staring at her. "But dragons have wings and breath fire."

"Not all dragons have wings..."

"And Qurdox does breath fire," Haruhi continued. "But he will only do it outside."

"Because inside is for people and lots of things can burn?" the little girl asked.

Haruhi nodded. "You also need to say sorry to Qurdox."

"Why?"

"Because you called him something that is not true."

"Oh," Kirimi looked down sadly. "I'm sorry..."

Qurdox leaned over the table and nuzzled the small child softly in forgiveness which caused her to giggle. Ankoku let out another hiss only to get bopped in the head by one of Qurdox's tendril like whiskers. Kirimi giggled at the surprised look on the large black cat's face.

"You mentioned that the vampiric blood in my dad and me could be woken up," Haruhi stated, looking back at Michiko. "How would that happen?"

"There are two ways," Michiko smiled. "The first is usually the blood itself trying to protect it's host. An example of such is if you were in an accident that would have killed a regular human. The second is being woken by another vampire, however there are specific requirements that must be met and only one way to really know for sure."

"And those are?"

"Allow me to explain a few things first," Michiko spoke. "A lineage like yours is typically called a Crystal Blood. Crystal Bloods are humans born from an immortal line or an immortal born from a mostly human line. They usually come about in Immortal/Human Unions. Although the males of your family after your great-great-grandfather entered in Union with other humans, there would still be a slim chance that a vampiric child would have been born due to your ancestry."

"Meaning, I could be the mother of a vampiric child even if I was married to another human?"

Michiko nodded. "Yes. But if your Union is to a vampire, well, there is only one method to learn if the vampire is capable of being your husband."

Haruhi tilted her head to the side curiously.

"To all but the one Promised to them," Sayuki stated with a slowly growing smile. "The blood of a Crystal is an acidic poison that would kill the taker almost instantly."

Haruhi's eyes went wide as she almost forgot to breath.

"The only other exceptions to that rule," Michiko stated. "Are the parents of the Crystal, or a Historian like myself and even then, the blood is very bitter."

"A Historian?" Haruhi asked.

"A being who is able to Read blood like an Oracle, Seer or Scryer," Umehito explained. "Most tend to be vampires but there are other immortal races that have them."

"Wait," Ranka stated for the first time since the discussion started. "What does this mean for us?"

Michiko smiled. "I was wondering when that would be asked. Your ancestor was originally a Donor to a Vampire of Noble lineage. However the blood of a different Noblemen was used to Curse him. Which made him a Blood Childe of that Noble and capable to gaining some form of inheritance from them. If I am not mistaken, the European Nobleman that had him as a Donor was of the Detrio Family in England. They were, unfortunately, among the first to fall to the Catholic Culling of all of the immortal races in Europe. The Nobleman whose blood was used to Curse him was from the Antiago Family in Spain and I do have means of getting a hold of their descendants.

"You also are tied to Trekiva-sama's family as it was his blood that gave your ancestor his full Change. Claiming your family as his Blood Children as well. In fact I am sure he would love to hear from you."

"If memory serves correct," Katsuro mentioned. "Donors of Noble families on the isle of Avalon were given something as well for being in their service once they are retired."

"But that doesn't really say what that means for us," Ranka reiterated.

"It means," Kyoya stated. "That both of you have as much money and power as we do."

Haruhi looked at Kyoya in shock and Ranka slumped back in his seat. Their whole lives they had an inheritance that could have given them a better way to live, they just didn't even know it existed. But, Haruhi thought. If we had known about it, I wouldn't be the way that I am...I wouldn't have the friends that I do...or the understanding of how the world works...

"Do we have to use it?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"You don't have to," Michiko replied. "Regardless of how much human society has forgotten of the past, our own has actually been trying to find the Lost Children."

"Lost Children?" Ranka asked.

"Humans changed into a blood child, either willingly or not," Alyona clarified. "Many were lost during the Catholic purges and Crusades. Since the last one, many vampire families and Covens have been trying to find their Children or the descendants of them. When found, the child or their families are given to a Historian to find the truth and the connections. Those from a child who took the blood of the Vampire willingly that are Scarred, are sent back with nothing, while ones such as yours are given compensation and whatever inheritance that was promised to them."

"Such inheritances would be given in the amount originally promised to them," Katsuro added. "However it would be given in the amount converted into modern money, along with a total interest that was agreed upon when the contract was written."

"Do you know how much the inheritance from the Detiro and the Antiago Families are?" Ranka asked. "As well as Trekiva?"

"I will have to ask," Michiko stated. "I am not sure what the Detiro Family had given to their Donors but I am sure I can get a hold of the archives. As for the Antiago, I can give them a call later today due to the time differences."

"I would be able to get you in touch with Trekiva Tora," Kyoya added. "I have spoken to him on a couple of occasions. The sooner we get you in touch with them, the sooner you can get what is rightfully yours."

Haruhi felt Qurdox coil around her to try and comfort her. He let out a series of soft growls that reverberated through his whole body to try and relax her. He could feel her shock and stress building with each passing moment.

"This does not change who you are," he stated calmly. "All this changes is what you can now access. You now have the means to expand your knowledge, both in Arcana and schooling."

"But what about my dad?" she asked. "What does this do for him?"

"A great deal of things. It gives him the security that if needed, he has the funds to care for you and himself. He won't have to worry about you not being able to get the items you need for schooling. And that if something were to happen to him, you would not be left with nothing."

"How much of this will change how we live?" she asked aloud.

"Only what you let be changed," Alyona answered. "You do not need to change your lifestyle now that you have been given all of this information. You are still yourself, dear child. Your way of thinking has not changed from what I can see. If I have to guess your line of thought, I would say that you and your father will more than likely use whatever you are given in inheritance as a safety net in case you fall upon hard times."

"You would be right," Ranka stated. "I have lived the way I have for so long, I can't really imagine it any other way. And knowing my Haruhi, she wants to earn her place in the world by her own merits, not by what she is given."

Haruhi nodded. "I want to feel like I earned what I have been given, not have it placed in front of me for no reason; even though that is, by definition, what an inheritance is."

Michiko smiled. "Which is understandable, even admirable. Nonetheless, I will send a call to the Antiago children and ask them for their next convenience. I am certain they will bring their own Historian to clarify what I tell them. I will also see if I can gain access to the registries of the Detrio House."

"I will send a message to Trekiva Tora about this as well," Kyoya offered. "Although it may be my guess that he already knows about your family but chose to wait until you brought it up yourselves."

"That is something we will have to wait and see," Yorihisa spoke. "For now, it is late. You are welcome to stay as our guests for dinner this evening. As well as wait here for their arrival."

Everyone nodded and a few gave their thanks. Haruhi glanced at Mori and tried to remain calm when her eyes met his. She could see the surprise from earlier in them still as well as a series of emotions that brought back memories of the dream she had. Suppressing a shiver, she smiled politely. It is going to be pretty interesting being around Mori-senpai... she thought. Actually, it is going to be interesting being around everyone else as well.

"Hey Kyoya-senpai," Haruhi spoke up as something dawned on her. "What should we tell Tamaki-senpai and the twins?"

Kyoya paused midsentence with Michiko. "To be honest, I would rather not."

Hunny tried to stifle a giggle at the thought of Tamaki's reaction but failed. "Tama-chan would go ballistic! And Hika-chan and Kao-chan wouldn't be much better!"

Haruhi shuddered at the thought. "Yeah...might as well not tell them...unless it can't be helped."

"That would be for the best," Kyoya conceded. "Tamaki as he is, is already annoying enough."