Blood Oath: Destiny

Chapter Nine: Power of a Pureblood

Nagamichi paced back and forth in the sitting room of the Aidou villa due to how it had been more than a day since the disappearance of his only son, Hanabusa and due to the one he had seen taking his son, he knew exactly where he was. 'That girl has gone too far! To order a servant to kidnap my son!' he thought as he knew his anger was toward one of the powerful purebloods, one with a frightening power, but he did not care. 'I will get him back!' he thought as he could sense that his niece and nephew were on their way toward the sitting room.

Out in the hall Akatsuki walked beside his cousin and one he at times saw as more than that but he knew that she would never return any feeling he may have due to the fact that she had feelings for Lord Kaname. Though he decided to push that from his thoughts as he heard his cousin, Ruka, speaking.

"Why were we summoned here again?" she asked glancing toward Akatsuki who merely shook his head. "I mean it isn't like we have been that close with Hanabusa so why would his father send for us? We should be out there looking for Lord Kaname not on a pleasant visit!" she said showing her annoyance but Akatsuki sighed ever so slightly.

"It is just for a while due to how Nagamichi sounded near desperate over the phone." Akatsuki said as he got to the door first and pushed it open to allow Ruka to enter first, something she did without even so much as a glance toward Akatsuki. Something he was beyond used to at this point as he stepped into the room and let the door close behind him with a soft click. Though it seemed the subtle sound had gotten Nagamichi's attention as he stopped and looked toward the pair. "What was so urgent?" Akatsuki asked as he looked toward the older vampire who was obviously beyond stressed about something.

Though at hearing Akatsuki, Nagamichi had looked toward his niece and nephew as he had a look of obvious relief at seeing that they had come and so quickly. It did not take long for him to explain his urgent phone call to Akatsuki. "I need the two of you to go to the Hoshioko estate because Hanabusa was kidnapped and I am certain that is where he was taken." Nagamichi said as Akatsuki got a bored look on his face and shook his head.

"Are you sure he did not just run off of his own choice?" Akatsuki asked due to how a year ago his cousin had refused to stay away from the one who had been revealed to be a pureblood princess after her awakening. "Because it is obvious from when I saw him about two months ago that is what he was wanting to do, to go and be with Lady Ametsuki." Akatsuki said as he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Ruka had a very disapproving look.

However Nagamichi drew Akatsuki's full attention when he spoke again. "I know that was not the case due to how when it happened he was injured before being taken by the twin of Zero Kiryu." The older vampire said with a pure disgust for what had happened. "I do not know what happened a year ago, but I know for a fact that ever since my son got involved with the niece of Shizuka Hio, he has not been himself." Nagamichi said as Akatsuki and Ruka found that they could not help but agree due to how they had seen it happening the year before.

"So just go and bring him back?" Ruka asked after a brief silence since she figured do this and then she and Akatsuki could get back to finding Lord Kaname. She had been very upset since he had disappeared without a word the year before, something she fully blamed Ametsuki for due to how it seemed that her showing had started a chain reaction.

"Yes because I think if we can get him away from her then it might be possible to free him from whatever hold that the girl has on him." Nagamichi said not caring that him speaking in a way was disrespecting one of the rare purebloods. Though not long after that, Ruka and Akatsuki had dismissed themselves so that they could head to the Hoshioko estate since they were sure it would take a while to get through the defenses since they had both heard that there were various protections that were originally from the hunters because of how Lady Ametsuki's personal attendant was a skilled former hunter.

/

Hanabusa kept going at a fast pace to where Ichiru had to run to keep up to him, and despite Ichiru trying to voice that Hanabusa should stop, the young vampire paid no mind as he kept on course for the library which was just up ahead at this point. Once he got to the door he forced them open only to find some shelves off to the side and he could hear noises from behind them, most distinguished was the voice of Shizuka yelling from behind the shelf.

"Uryu! Do not do this! She is not yet ready to handle the full truth of what is going on!" Shizuka called from behind the shelves as there was a sound of a sword colliding with the wood which was obviously Satsujin trying to free the two of them.

However Hanabusa only vaguely heard those things as his electric blue eyes were locked on the older vampire that was standing by the couch where Ametsuki lay still in a deep sleep like state. "What did you do!" Hanabusa yelled as Uryu looked toward him faint annoyance in his expression.

"I do not feel obligated to explain this to you since the fact that you are involved is a fluke at best." Uryu said as Ichiru went to pull Hanabusa back since he figured the further away from Uryu that they were, the better it would be for Hanabusa, but it was as though Hanabusa was frozen to the spot.

"You took away our memories!" Hanabusa yelled as he clenched his fists at his side as ice seemed to form around him in the form of an icy mist. "Why did you take away the memory of us meeting as children?" he asked as Uryu gave Hanabusa a look that showed that he saw him as nothing more than an insignificant insect that was lower than dirt to him, not even worth noticing since to him Hanabusa would not be around long. Though at seeing that Uryu was not wishing to even answer, Hanabusa continued. "Was it something to do with how I am not of the same standing as her? If so that is no reason to wipe our memories like that!" Hanabusa said as some of the ice formed into sharp shards and shot at Uryu only for them to shatter before they could make contact.

"You have a lot of nerve, son of Aidou." Uryu said as he turned to fully face Hanabusa. "For you to have no fear of one who is above you, to attack me with no regard to how I can crush you with a single thought, which to me shows that you have broken the taboo." Uryu said in a low threatening tone as he glanced toward his granddaughter on the couch beside him as he thought more than ever that leaving things over the last year to happen had made things even worse.

Though in the second that Uryu had looked away, Hanabusa shrugged off Ichiru only to charge at Uryu but what happened next was almost to the point of a blur. In the second that Ichiru got shrugged off, Satsujin and Shizuka had gotten out as all three yelled for Hanabusa to stop but it was too late. Uryu did not allow Hanabusa a second to even consider the consequences of his actions but instead without even so much as blinking sent Hanabusa back slamming into the closed door as it gave way, barely slowing Hanabusa down as he then slammed into the wall opposite of the now destroyed door.

Without any hesitation Satsujin turned and rushed over to Hanabusa's limp form to find he was alright. He glanced back at Shizuka and nodded to her as he had conveyed in that small gesture that he was going to take Hanabusa somewhere so that he could rest and recover some but as he had gone to move Hanabusa he heard the voice of Uryu call after him.

"When that boy wakes, make sure he understands he is never to lift a hand against me I will not be as merciful as I was this time." Uryu said as Satsujin looked toward him and merely nodded since he knew better than to show that he still had freewill since that would give away that he had also broken the taboo by having drank from Ametsuki. Granted he had first done so when she had changed him but he had done so a few times since, and she in turn had fed from him. But pushing that thought away, Satsujin gathered up Hanabusa and rushed from sight as he took Hanabusa back to his room to put him to bed.

Though not long after that Ametsuki had started to wake as she first seemed out of it as Shizuka rushed over and Uryu allowed the woman to approach the couch to speak to Ametsuki. However the look on Ametsuki's face said it all as she did not even wait to hear what her aunt had to say but instead stood and rushed from the room before anyone could stop her only for Ichiru to rush out after her.

Shizuka had watched as Ametsuki ran out only for Ichiru to turn and run after her, as she figured he would be able to keep her out of trouble and safe. Though she could not help but think on the foolishness of the son of Aidou in the moment before due to how his actions had proven something to Uryu and would only serve to make things worse. More so in him attacking one of the oldest vampires known to still exist. One that had been around since vampires had first started to appear, a pureblood lord unlike any other. Where not even she would aim to match wits with him because she knew her limit and did not wish to leave her beloved niece in the hands of Uryu who seemed to only have the thoughts of destruction with what he had done. For in Shizuka's eyes, Ametsuki had not been anywhere near ready for what he had shown her, since she was sure part of it had been the fact that the women of the Hio family were cursed.

Uryu had ignored the damage he had done in sending away the son of Aidou but once everyone was out of the room besides him and Shizuka he walked over to his old desk and leaned against it facing the younger vampire. "You are angry with me?" he asked in a tone showing he did not care even if she was.

"You already know the answer to that." Shizuka said in a low tone as she gave Uryu an annoyed look.

"Because of how I refused to allow you to keep my grandchild in the dark about what is going on?" he asked as he brought up his arms and smoothly crossed them before himself, not caring for the way Shizuka was looking at him but he decided to brush it off. "Or were you thinking that she would be able to break the curse being ignorant of the weight of the situation?" he asked only for Shizuka to give him a slightly annoyed look.

"It was not your choice to make! You have had nothing to do with her since right before my mother-" Shizuka started but Uryu gave her a harsh glare forcing her to fall silent.

"You may think I never had anything to do with her, but I was the one making sure Level E's did not find her while she was living under the guise of being human!" Uryu said as Shizuka gave him a shocked look since she knew that for six years Ametsuki had lived with Misaki and had thought she was human up until the fateful night that one had tried to kidnap her. "I even put in the request to the Association to have my own son killed to save her from his clutches." Uryu ground out as he let his arms fall back to his side as they formed into fists. "All because Yukiro knew of the power that she was born with and thought it would be wasted for her to be given to his son, he wanted her for himself."

"So you think that you are grandparent of the year for you doing those things?" Shizuka asked as Uryu chuckled darkly.

"No, I am nowhere near that. Though you should be thanking me for how I spared you from a horrible fate." Uryu said as Shizuka growled at him but he paid no mind as he continued. "Yukiro was furious that his brother got to be with Sachi, and he was near relentless with him wanting you." though at hearing that Shizuka gave him a confused look, something that Uryu once again ignored as he continued to speak. "But perhaps I should have let him have you rather than the curse coming to a head with my grandchild." Uryu said shaking his head only for Shizuka to step closer.

"What does that have to do with the curse?" she asked only for Uryu to shake his head.

"Do not act like you did not sleep with your brother in law." Uryu said as Shizuka moved so she was before him holding him by the throat.

"What do you know of that night?" she demanded only for Uryu to reach up and slap her hand away.

"Only that you're the reason the curse was not broken the moment that Ametsuki and Hanabusa proclaimed their love for one another. Because of your selfish actions, Ametsuki stands no chance of breaking the curse on her." Uryu said as he turned and walked to the window. "Such actions are not befitting of a mother."

/

Ametsuki did not stop running until she was out in the garden as the only light was from the moon and stars above. She felt beyond confused, and even frightened at the memories she had seen due to her grandfather forcing her to remember one and him giving her a view of one that was his own. She soon reached a bench at the far side of the garden as she sank to the ground before the bench not caring about the small rocks digging into her delicate flesh from her knees to her ankles as she leaned over the seat of the bench, her pale arms resting on the smooth warm wood. She leaned forward and placed her forehead on her right forearm that was over her left as her shoulders shook from silent tears as she remained there not even realizing that someone was approaching until she heard a soft voice call her name.

"Ametsuki?" the voice of Ichiru met her ears as she did not even lean up but remained as she was as she continued to cry silently. Though in her silence, Ichiru had become more worried so he walked closer and knelt down to her right and gently rested a gloved hand on her small right shoulder that felt beyond fragile in his open hand. "Please look at me..." he said in a near plea because of how he could hear soft sobs coming from her along with feel the shuttering of her delicate shoulder.

Ametsuki shook her head at Ichiru as she soon found her voice but it was shaking, where she seemed to be straining just to get a full sentence out. "No...I...I don't...want you to...see me...like this..." she said but after she had finished a fully audible sob escaped her lips only for her to seem to bunch up ever so slightly.

Ichiru felt a pang of pure sadness at seeing the one he wished to protect and one whom he loved in this state. But after a moment he shifted his hand away from her shoulder as he slipped out of his jacket only to rest it around her small pale shoulders, something that seemed to have gotten her attention due to how she had leaned up and looked toward him while her long white hair fell about her pale face, but it did not hide the fact that there were trails from fresh tears having fallen from her tear filled cerulean eyes. Though the two of them sat there staring at one another for a brief moment before Ichiru found his voice again. "Why are you so upset?" he asked giving Ametsuki a concerned look as worry could be seen gleaming within his lavender hues.

Ametsuki looked away for a second before figuring she could confide in Ichiru since he was one she saw as a close friend, one that she could trust with anything, even her very life. So after a brief moment she took a deep breath before looking back to Ichiru. "When my grandfather returned a memory to me, he allowed me to see another one, one from his own past." she said her voice shaking ever so slightly before she spoke again. "And in his memory, it was revealed that Aunt Shizuka and I are both cursed since we are from the Hio family..." Ametsuki said looking down so she did not see the shocked look on Ichiru's face at that. "That and before he could tell me more when I woke, Aunt Shizuka and Satsujin barged in and stopped him from saying more to me and in my confusion I ran." Ametsuki said as she held back the dark truth that her own grandfather had been the one to aid in placing the curse.

Ichiru was beyond shocked to hear that both Ametsuki and Shizuka were cursed as he pushed aside his worry since at the moment he could tell that Ametsuki was beyond terrified by the truth that had been revealed to her. "Is there any way to break the curse?" he asked as Ametsuki nodded.

"Yes." she said in a shaking tone. "For me to find love that is pure and true and for it to be expressed fully from myself and the other by the final stroke of midnight on my eighteenth birthday..." she said looking at Ichiru with a sad expression but his eyes had gone wide as he spoke.

"But then it should be broken because you and Aidou are in love and have surely expressed it to one another." he said figuring it best to not reveal that he had seen the two embracing one another shortly after he had brought Hanabusa back to the estate.

Ametsuki shook her head at Ichiru. "I thought so too but it seems something is not right with it because of how it should have broken the curse." she said in a sad voice. "But I do not know what it could be because from the memory grandfather returned to me, I met Hanabusa when we were both still very young and we both love one another..." she said in a sad tone.

/

Kaname walked along the hall toward the room of the girl that he had steadily been seducing as she was already like putty in his hands thanks to how Kal had been treating her like a child despite her being a teenager almost an adult. 'So long as she can fulfil her purpose that is all that I care about.' Kaname thought to himself as he came to the door and inched it open only to see that Amami was already sound asleep, something that for some reason reminded Kaname of his former fiancé, Yuki. 'Why is it that I keep seeing Yuki in her?!' Kaname thought to himself in frustration as he quietly closed the door to avoid waking the princess who was sleeping inside of the room.

"Having a hard time containing yourself?" a smooth voice asked from the shadows as Kaname looked only to see Kal walking toward him from the far end of the hall. "I notice that you have not fed from her in some time, is it due to how she reminds you of a lost love?" Kal asked as Kaname gave him an annoyed look.

"Even if that were the case, I do not see why it would be of any concern to you." Kaname said only for Kal to chuckle ever so slightly.

"I have given you the best crutch possible in our little wager, and yet you refuse to use it to your advantage. Or are you really that keen to give up being king?" Kal teased before turning his back to the other vampire. "Either way I do not really care one way or the other because even if you fail to use the one I have given you, that will not slow me down in my desire to obtain what is rightfully mine." Kal said before he walked away only for Kaname to be beyond frustrated as he decided in that moment that it was time for him to put a stop to the game, for him to keep his position and to wipe that smirk off of Kal's face. So with that in mind Kaname turned back to the room he had been about to enter as he thought to himself that he would allow the princess to maintain her innocence for a few more nights before he claimed her as his own. With that decision he turned and walked away from the door toward the room that he had been staying in.

/

During the few days since finding out the truth, that she was cursed, Ametsuki had all but avoided going near her grandfather who had said he was staying, something that had led to a confrontation between him and Shizuka which ended with it being a compromise due to how both of them wanted to be sure that Ametsuki remained safe. And so at the moment she was in the ballroom sitting on the upper balcony on the rail with her legs hanging over the rail as she was still beyond shook up, and she had been avoiding Hanabusa a bit due to how the curse had not broken but it was supposed to when she found love. Did that mean that the one she felt love for was not the one she was destined to be with? 'There has to be something more to this!' she thought in frustration before she heard faint footsteps approaching her as she was nearly tempted to leave the ballroom since she was wanting to be alone, despite how at the moment she desperately needed to feed.

Before she could move, she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind as she knew the scent right away, that of Hanabusa. She held her breath, fearful that if she inhaled his scent to much she would go insane and attack him. "I wouldn't stand so close…" she whispered only for Hanabusa to shift his arms as he lifted her from the railing and turned her to face him before putting her back on her feet so that her bare feet rested on the cool marble.

"You have been avoiding me, and I want to know why." He said as there was hurt in his voice and in his shining blue eyes. "Is it because of the memory?" he asked in a soft whisper since he now also remembered the fact that the two of them had actually met when they had been no more than small children.

Ametsuki shook her head at him as she looked away unable to hold her breath any longer as she exhaled only to breath normally trying to ignore the sweet scent of the one she loved. "No. It is just that I have had a lot on my mind since grandfather showed up." She said which was the truth but after a second Hanabusa lightly took her hand in his own.

"Part of it being your hunger?" he asked as Ametsuki looked at him with wide eyes that took on a crimson glow for a second before she looked away. "I thought so." He said as he encircled his arms around her only to pull her close as he leaned down ever so slightly. "Go ahead." He said only to feel Ametsuki shift in his arms.

'I really am a pitiful creature…' she thought to herself as she reached up to the collar of Hanabusa's shirt while she undid the buttons to expose the side of his neck only for her to lean in closer as her fangs became more pronounced. 'But his is the blood that I crave above all others…' she thought as she opened her mouth only to sink her fangs into his neck as a few tears fell from her closed eyes as she began to feed on him as she felt Hanabusa hold her closer.

"Hanabusa!" a voice called out from the lower level of the ball room as Ametsuki withdrew her fangs in shock and turned to look back toward the source of the sound to see it was Ruka, and beside her was Akatsuki. "What are you thinking letting her continue to toy with you!" Ruka asked in a low tone as Ametsuki was tense due to how she had only fed for a brief few seconds before being interrupted. Something that was a dangerous factor due to how she was unpredictable when she was deprived in such a way.

"Ruka?!" Hanabusa said in shock as he looked toward his cousin before shifting his eyes to the other. "Akatsuki? What are the two of you doing here?" he asked as he let his arms fall back down to his sides as he remained near Ametsuki not realizing the seriousness of the situation that his cousins were putting themselves in.

"We were sent by your father." Akatsuki said keeping his eyes on the young princess beside his cousin. "We are to bring you back home to find a way to free you from whatever power is over you." He said but that had done it as Ametsuki moved from Hanabusa's side only to jump down from the balcony to be only a short way from Akatsuki and Ruka as she landed in a slight kneeling position before she stood, her long white dress shifting with the subtle movements as her long white hair fell about her shoulders and in her face.

"You dare…" she said in a low tone as she straightened fully. "To break into my family home and throw the accusation that Hanabusa is here against his will?" she said as she slowly started toward the pair not too far from her. "What gives you the right to do so?" she asked in a low tone as Akatsuki and Ruka looked beyond shocked. Possibly due to the fact that the one they had known a year ago was a timid girl who had no idea who she was, but the one before them was a terrifying pureblood princess.

"P-princess Ametsuki…" Akatsuki spoke after a moment all but near hoping that he would somehow get through to the furious young princess. "We…we meant no disrespect-"

However Akatsuki never got to finish the sentence due to how an odd wave of ice shards smacked into him sending him through the air and sliding across the floor before he slammed into the far wall as Ametsuki looked toward him with glowing crimson eyes. "I never gave you permission to speak." She said in a low tone only for Ruka to run over to her and grab Ametsuki's arm.

"You are out of line acting like this!" she snapped only for Ametsuki's crimson eyes to fall on her as an unseen force sent Ruka across the room where she slammed into the wall where it dented in before she slowly started toward Ruka.

"You should know better than to touch a pureblood who has not granted you permission to do so." Ametsuki said only to hear approaching footsteps as she was suddenly pulled back against someone as she struggled with them only to feel a pair of fangs sink deep into the side of her neck as she cried out for whoever it was to stop but they did not release her but fed on her to the point that she went limp in the person's arms and slipped into an unconscious state.

A/N: I am so sorry about the delay with getting this chapter up, and that it is not as long as the last one. Though I am hoping that it was worth the wait. The next chapter will be a turning point in the story, so the way it is planned now it will be a long chapter, if not longer than chapter eight. I want to say a very special thanks once again to Myra K Kuran who has been reviewing every chapter of this story. Until next time.