A/N: We had a little cliff hanger in the last chapter, and here I'll reveal why Fay suddenly became pale…or would I? Hehehe... Read on to find out.

'Uh Kuro-tan,' Fay said quickly as he grabbed the decanter and the glass from Kurogane's hands, 'I don't think you'd want that.'

'Why wouldn't I?' Kurogane asked, as he tried to take them back, but something flashed in Fay's eyes that made Kurogane freeze in a mid-grab. He suddenly looked pale and… frightened? Fay seemed to have realized that his emotions were showing, because the next second he flashed a brilliant smile and said, 'this stuff isn't wine. It's something I came up with for vampires, and humans can't consume it.'

'Why?' Syaoran asked with interest.

'Because for humans, it could be fatal.' Fay said, looking at Syaoran as he poured the red liquid back into the bottle. 'And I'm sure you don't want Kuro-tan over there,' Fay looked over at him, 'dead.'

'Smells like blood.' Kurogane said as he sniffed the air and scowled at Fay with narrowed eyes. The idiot was grinning but he still looked pale. There was also the look in his eyes… He was hiding something.

'It's supposed to, silly.' Fay said, waving his hands in the air, 'otherwise how would a vampire take it?'

Before Kurogane could reply though, his cellphone started to ring. 'Yeah?' he said putting the phone to his ear, 'this late?... Maybe you should stay there tonight…huh? Okay fine, don't leave now; I'm coming to get you.'

'Who was it?' Syaoran asked.

'Tomoyo.' He replied, his eyes traveling over to the bottle in the boy's hand, 'says Yuuko had to leave so I'm going to get her.'

'I'll come too.' Syaoran said as he put the empty bottle down and got to his feet.

'No, you stay here.' He said, casting Fay a suspicious glance.

Kurogane got to his car and began the drive to Yuuko's house. She lived in the city next to Kashmir, but that was an hour's drive away. Kurogane opened the window to let the cool night air enter the car. He sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair as he drove along the mountainous road. Why did Tomoyo go to the witch anyway? He never trusted that woman. She had befriended the vampires for crying out loud. How could anyone trust her? What with all her stupid theories and beliefs.

She said vampires have souls too. They too were supposed to have a conscience… they too cared about others. Kurogane snorted as the thought crossed his mind. Screw that. No matter how dense or stupid someone is, he could see that vampires are nothing but bloodsucking demons… coldblooded murderers… mindless beasts… they cared for no one. No matter how helpless or weak or young their victim was, they will never show mercy. That word does exist in their dictionary.

Conscience was something that was meant for the living and as far as Kurogane was concerned, those bastards were no longer alive; and they did not, could not have a conscience. If they had a conscience, if they could care, then those…things shouldn't have destroyed a happy family. They should not have sucked a mother's bone dry, nor should they have killed a father in cold blood as he tried to protect his family. They should not have killed somebody's younger sister. They should not have beaten a boy to a pulp because he was too weak to stop them, too weak to do anything, too weak to fight, too weak to protect his sister and too weak to even protect his own life.

Kurogane gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles grew white. He drove on without really looking ahead. The painful memories kept on playing in his mind, like a film set on fast forward.

The double chinned monster told his followers to leave the boy dead. The thing had thrown his sister's dying body to him and left, but not after stabbing her in the heart.

'Now she won't come back. Ever.' The vampire said with a satisfied smirk, and then he left. As he held onto the cold, life less bodies of his family, the boy himself died. On that cold freezing night, the young innocent boy died along with his family, but a ruthless slayer had been born in his place. One who had sworn to rid the world of those foul abominations.

Only when he had entered the city limits did Kurogane return his attention back to the road. He knew where the witch lived. After all he was the one who dropped or picked Tomoyo up from there more than half the times she went to see the witch. Upon reaching his destination, Kurogane stopped outside the Japanese style house and honked the horn. He wasn't gonna set foot inside that place…ever.

He honked several more times but Tomoyo did not appear at the door. If Kurogane hadn't known better, he would have thought that maybe Tomoyo was in some sort of trouble. Cursing the witch, Kurogane got out of the jeep and walked towards the front door. He rang the bell, but instead of Yuuko, the door was answered by a raven haired girl who had crimson lowlights in her hair.

'Hey Kurogane,' she said brightly, 'you're here to pick Tomoyo up, eh?' She held the door open for him.

'Yeah,' Kurogane nodded gruffly without moving.

'Auntie left quite a while ago, Kurogane,' the girl said with a smirk, 'why don't you come in?' She turned her back to him and began to walk inside. 'Please don't forget to close the door.'

Kurogane glared at the girl; she was annoying too, just like her aunt. Kurogane followed her and closed the door quietly. He wasn't going in because she had asked him to. No. he was going in because he had to get Tomoyo.

'You got here early,' Tomoyo said calmly without looking up as she typed on the laptop.

'Well, the idiot was getting on my nerves so I left early,' Kurogane replied as he stood there with crossed arms. It was a lie though. He had been worried about Tomoyo. Worried, that she might once again decide to leave on her own if he didn't get there on time. After all, she had already done it many times in the past, and on each and every one of those occasions she had been attacked by vampires. each time, he arrived just in time to save the girl he loved. Kurogane didn't even want to think of what could have happened if he ever failed to get there in time. Because for a very strange reason, Tomoyo always became a vampire magnet.

'Well then, have a seat,' Tomoyo said, nodding towards a sofa to her right, 'I would still need some time to finish this.'

'I thought you were ready to leave when you had called me?' Kurogane said as he seated himself. If Tomoyo said she needed some time, it usually meant that it would take her the exact opposite.

'I was,' Tomoyo replied as she continued typing, 'but then Masooma came here and pointed out a few things I missed earlier.'

'Oh yeah, I forgot,' Kurogane mumbled, 'leave it to the niece to find faults.'

'And what is that supposed to mean, Kurogane?' Tomoyo said, finally looking at him, skeptically.

'Nothing,' Kurogane shrugged, 'just get this thing finished so we can leave.'

'Leave? So early?' Masooma pouted, 'and here I was thinking I might have some company for dinner.' She said, setting a bottle of sake and a glass in front of Kurogane.

Kurogane surveyed the bottle suspiciously, 'what is this?'

'It's called sake, silly,' she smiled, and for some reason she reminded Kurogane of Fay, 'and it's not tampered with. I checked myself.' She added, seeing the apprehension on his face.

'Are you sure?' Kurogane asked, picking up the bottle, 'I wouldn't' trust that witch to just leave something like this around and not mess with it.'

'One hundred percent,' Masooma nodded as she seated herself as well. 'Found anything useful yet?' she asked looking at Tomoyo.

'Not really.' Tomoyo replied, 'just some rubbish about magical essences and their qualities.'

'I see.' Masooma replied as she took the bottle from Kurogane and poured the wine for him. 'What does it say?'

'Well, it says that magical essences are of three types: buried, active and dormant.' Tomoyo replied, 'their possessor is also known as the source. According to this article, the essences, when combined, are the keys to some sort of ultimate power.'

'Ahan,' Masooma said, walking behind Tomoyo and leaning over her shoulder to view the screen. She muttered something which Kurogane and Tomoyo did not catch. 'Well, I guess you can research this stuff some other time.' Masooma said brightly, 'I think I will prepare dinner for you two. Kurogane looks like he is itching to get out of here.' She said, smirking at the scowling hunter.

'Aren't you gonna eat?' Kurogane asked, when he saw that the table was set only for two.

'Me?' Masooma said with a glazed look in her eyes, 'no I think I'll eat later. I made this especially for you two. I hope it's not bad. It's been quite a while since I cooked anything.'

'Wow, this is amazing Masooma!' Tomoyo said as she started eating, 'this is really good. Don't you think so too Kurogane?' she asked, kicking him under the table to get his attention as the said man was eating his food with inhuman speed.

'Ow.' Kurogane exclaimed, 'yeah it's not bad.' He said, shortly returning his attention to the plate before him.

Masooma beamed as she stood in the door way. She watched them eat with a distant look in her eyes.

'Well, please enjoy yourselves then, I'll be in the living room.' She said as she walked out. She picked up the laptop and turned it on once again. She muttered something and the web page that Tomoyo opened on magical essences opened once more. She read it thoroughly. This was definitely something. Fay and the others knew about the sources and the use of the essences, but what they did not know was about the ritual involved in the separation and the re-bonding of the essences. This would definitely help them turn the tables on Ashura and the coven.

'Alright bye.' Tomoyo waved from the jeep as Kurogane started the engine, 'the food was amazing, please eat something yourself too.'

'I will.' Masooma replied with a smile as she waved after the moving vehicle. She closed the door and sighed, 'it's not like I have any other choice.' She said sadly as she walked back to the kitchen. She picked up the dishes and put the contents away in the fridge. Then she walked over back to her room and removed her leather wristband which she wore all the time. 'I am so sorry guys.' She said as a single tear fell from her eyes.

'So was that stuff really rubbish?' Kurogane asked as he silently drove on, leaving the city limits.

'no.' Tomoyo replied, 'it was quite useful actually,' she said, looking at him seriously, 'I mean; now we don't just have to look for one other source but two othersources.'

A/N: hmm so now we know of Kuro-tan's past as well. And look, he finally gets some sake.

And it looks like Tomoyo and Kurogane also know about the sources. But what exactly is the power that their essence can grant? They are looking for two other sources; does this mean that they already know of the third source? Well you'll find that out in the chapters to come.

Fay: I didn't know Kuro-tan had a sister?

Kurogane: WHAT??? (Yelps suddenly which causes him to choke and gag on the sake he was drinking)

Me: (grinning widely) well now you do know.

Kurogane: what the hell? (Swears a very long stream of curses as he coughs) I was an ONLY CHILD!!!

Me: (sweatdrops) uh really? Oh erm…well it's my story so erm… that means that err… I can do whatever I like…yeah that's it. I can do whatever I like because I'm the writer. (Smiles in a satisfied way)

Fay: (looks past my shoulder and gets excited.) hey is that Masooma? I think I'll go say hi.

Me: (sweatdrops as I see Kurogane draw his sword and look over at me) okay erm well… I think I'm gonna run for my life...

(In the distance) hey stop…you can't do this to me…you can't tie me up. Who's gonna write the next chapter???

Helppp!!! (Kurogane walks off with his arm around Tomoyo)