Thank you for the reviews, they mean the world. Please be aware that I'm switching up the stories of the Sakamaki/Thank you for the reviews, they mean the world. Please be aware that I'm switching up the stories of the Sakamaki/Mukami youth. It's only a little different, however, so I'm not taking too many liberties!

-0-

He didn't have a name before he met Ruki. Not a proper name at least - he didn't count 'gutter-rat' and 'filth' as appropriate labels, as true as they were. He met his 'brothers' five days after the man he would later call his Master had picked him up from the streets. He had been assaulted, beaten and lay in a puddle at the side of the pavement, his right eye squished into a bloody pulp a few feet away. The nameless boy could remember very little, aside from the feeling of sharp daggers at his throat and the ice cold pain that seared through his veins. It hurt, far more than any mortal beating he had received, for days. Then one morning - the pain ended. He awoke in a room he had never seen before, a room which smelt of delicious foods and was beautifully decorated. Panic set in - where was he? How had he survived the last beating he received, he had been certain that he would die. He remembered the sharp feeling at his throat and moved a hand over his neck. It was smooth, no trace of any cut. Confused, he swept his hands through his hair, fingers brushing over the empty eye socket. His stomach leapt - where was his eye?

A soft noise from across the room drew his attention and he turned his head to see the strange older man entering through a wooden door, followed by two younger boys. Instantly, the nameless boy scrambled off the bed and dove underneath, crawling back until he was crouched in the corner, against the wall. The three sets of feet moved closer until they stood close at the bedside.

"Please don't be scared," the man had a soothing voice, but it did not calm the frantic beating of his heart. He shrunk back against the wall, lowering his head into his chest to fit beneath the bed. "We will not hurt you."

"Who is 'e?" a rough voice piped up.

"Quiet Yuma, he's obviously frightened. Look, come out from under there," came a third voice, this one smooth and deep.

The nameless boy looked up from between his knees to see a boy around his age crouching down at the end of the bed. The boy was pale, with dark grey hair and steely eyes. His face was settled in a serious expression, one far too mature for a boy his age. The clothes he wore were lovely, they looked like the garments the rich people from the gentleman's club wore.

"Do not be afraid of them," the soothing voice of the older gentleman said. He watched as a pair of feet moved away from the bed and across the room. "I will leave him in your care, Ruki. Please be gentle with him, Yuma, he has been through a lot."

The nameless boy stiffened when he heard the kind man headed out of the room, leaving him alone with his 'brothers'. He started to move to the end of the bed, scrabbling around on his hands and knees. "Wait-!"

"Stop," the grey-eyed boy ordered, swiftly moving to block the boy from running. He began to panic and scuttled back into the corner when he felt a hand grab his collar and drag him roughly out from under the bed. He thrashed against the hand, but could not shake it off and shrieked when he was picked up and pushed back on top of the bed.

"Get off 'a me!" he yelled, scooting back across the covers until his back hit the cool wall behind him. The grey-eyed boy stood at the end of the bed, arms crossed over his chest. Another boy, with messy brown hair and freckled tan skin, stood close by the bedside, grinning widely at him. He was huge compared to the nameless boy, in both height and muscle and though the smile on his face appeared genuine, the boy knew better than to trust him so readily.

"Calm down," the grey-eyed boy said. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" the nameless boy watched with wide eyes as the grey-eyed boy sat down on the end of the bed.

"My name is Ruki," he replied, fixing his gaze. "And this is Yuma."

"Where am I?" he asked, glancing from side to side at them.

"Our house," Yuma replied, folding his arms across his broad chest. "Pretty, ain't it?"

The nameless boy felt his mouth twitch, almost breaking into a smile, but he restrained himself. Even a friendly appearance was not to be trusted, he had learned that ten times over whilst living on the streets. He swallowed thickly, only now noticing how thirsty he was.

"Why am I here? What's going on?"

Ruki leaned back against the wall behind him and swung his legs onto the end of the bed. "It's complicated. I'm sure our Master will explain it to you later."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he said, angrily. The small boy growled in irriation and swept his long blonde fringe behind his ear, revealing the hollow where his right eye should be. Yuma visibly shuddered at the sight and Ruki clenched his jaw uncomfortably. "And where the hell is my eye?"

"I'm afraid that couldn't be sav-"

"Been pretty much stamped into a mush. Looked like a rotten tomato," Yuma interrupted. The large boy frowned and his nostrils flared in anger. "Fuckin' disgusting how they treated you. I would've killed 'em."

The nameless boy let his fringe fall back in front of his face and grew quiet. Random flashes of memory filled his mind - he'd been at the club, he'd tried to run, he'd-

"I should be dead, shouldn't I?" he said, looking over at Ruki. "Why am I not dead?"

Ruki rolled his head back against the wall and let out a short sigh. "Our Master can give second chances. You will stay here from now on, with us."

"Yeah!" Yuma laughed, his previous anger dissipated. "You'll be our new little brother."

The boy continued staring at Ruki, who no longer stared back. "Second chances don't come cheap, I imagine."

"He only asks that we listen and follow orders when they are given," Ruki replied, softly. "I can assure you that no harm will come to you in this house."

"Or outside it for that matter," Yuma commented. "Ain't nobody or nothing be able to hurt you now. Part from me, o' course."

Ruki scoffed at his brother's remark. "I will leave it to our Master to explain that part."

Confused, the nameless boy sunk lower down the wall. "I don't understand any of this."

"Come on, it ain't hard. You're gonna stay here with us," Yuma chuckled, his deep voice rumbling pleasantly in his chest. "What's your name?"

"I don't know. I don't have a name."

Ruki glanced over at Yuma, who was looking straight back at him with an unusually serious expression on his face. The grey-eyed boy nodded and slowly turned his gaze back to the blonde. "Everybody deserves a name."

"Yeah!" Yuma chimed in, trademark grin spreading back over his face. "What do ya' wanna be called?"

The nameless boy shifted nervously on the bed, lacing his small hands together in his lap. He looked away from Yuma, unable to understand his kindness - it was not something that he had been privy to since his life began. Momentarily, he glanced over at Ruki, who was staring intently back at him. When he caught the other boy's eye, he quickly looked back at his hands. That sharp grey glare made him uneasy. The nameless boy wasn't sure if it was the way he held himself with such aristocratic poise, or the eery stillness, but was something a little odd about Ruki.

"Um, I don't know, I've never thought 'b-bout it."

Ruki closed his eyes in thought, then looked back up at him. "Kou."

"Kou?" he replied. The hardness in the other boy's eyes had softened and he finally felt his tension ease slightly.

Ruki nodded, looking at the light seeping in through the window. "It was my Father's name."

The nameless boy furrowed his brow, then gave Ruki a short, but genuine smile. "I like it. Kou. It's a good name."

"Yeah!" Yuma laughed, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Suits ya'. And we're all going by Mukami, not sure why but it's a good a name as any. "

Ruki nodded. He pushed himself off the bed and turned back to look at his brothers. "I have some things I need to discuss with our Master. Yuma can you make sure that you both get to dinner on time, please?"

Kou relaxed and allowed himself to smile freely at the two boys. He was still uncertain to his current predicament, but he couldn't help but think that something had changed for the better.

-0-

Karlheinz breezed into the entrance hall with a satisfied smile on his lips. Shu stood up from his seat and settled his drink on the small table next to him, immediately on edge. His Father was usually at his most unpleasant when he was happy. The elder vampire halted in front of his sons and laced his hands together in front of him.

"Have you ever heard of the Endzeit plague?"

Shu and Reiji exchanged glances and shook their heads, confused by their Father's words. Karlheinz turned away from them, to look out of the window.

"It is a disease and a rather nasty one at that. It wiped out a number of our ancestors, the ancient Demons, the First Bloods and so forth. It is only a matter of time before it mutated to kill us also - something I will not allow to happen, even if it means curating a new race myself."

"A new race?" Shu repeated, slowly. "What does this have to do with Yui?"

"You know, I have always thought we Pure Bloods to be incapable of feeling in the way humans do. Our kind, demon-kind, we are so stunted in our emotional growth. The power of a demon, with the compassion of a human - a new, enduring race, leading the Earth forward into perfection. To feel, in such an intense manner, that would be marvelous. Don't you think?" The Vampire King turned back to his sons with a thoughtful look on his face. "I have tried to lead this era myself, but alas, I was unsuccessful. Still, my experiments with Cordelia were not without reward. I have created the perfect blend of human and demon in that girl. With Cordelia's heart buried in her chest, she should be able to reproduce with a vampire, as no other human could. It is irritating that she has fallen for you."

"Irritating how?" Shu said, through gritted teeth. He had no clue what his Father was rambling on about, but it seemed like the kind of age long plan he would involve himself in. A new race, Cordelia's heart - this was way over his head.

"Well, you have had the girl long enough and nothing seems to have progressed with her physically. I suppose the Pure Blood route is rather exhausted, so I'm afraid I will have to decline your request. The girl has yet to fulfill her purpose and I wish to try another route. Eve must awaken, for the sake of our kind."

Shu raised his hands to his head and covered his eyes with his palms as he Father railed off his soliloquy. He could feel blood pounding against his temples and red danced behind his eyelids. The sweet image of Yui filled his mind momentarily and he knew that his only option was to take action. In a way, the thought scared him. He had spent so many years slumbering that the idea of facing his responsibilities was daunting. The vampire groaned loudly into his hands and he winced when he felt his fangs elongating and digging into his skin.

"I would like to see the effect of Eve choosing a half-breed, or perhaps relation of the heart that lies within her chest, thus-"

A foul crack rang out in the hall. Reiji barely had time to register his brother's movements before a thick spray of blood spattered across his face and blinded him. He gasped and took a step back, wiping his sleeve across his glasses. Through the smeared red he saw his Father's body collapse to the ground, his knees giving way under the weight of his torso. Shu was standing above the body, one arm outstretched before him.

"Shu, what on Earth-" Reiji began, blinking to try and regain focus on the scene before him. He was silenced when his brother's head lolled onto his shoulder to look at him. His eyes were bloodshot, the usual azure had been replaced with a dark pitch. The veins around his temples were popping out from underneath his pale skin and his jaw hung loose. In his outstretched hand he held his Father's dismembered head. Blood dripped onto the ground from the jagged tear at the base of the neck.

Shu motioned to the door with his head. When he spoke his voice came out as a harsh rasp. "Get out. I have to..."

Reiji nodded, still stunned. His Father's golden eyes were dull, blank, but they still stared out of the lifeless skull as if they were glaring at him. He blinked again, forcing himself to shed the shock. "Don't forget to burn the head after you're done-"

"Eating the heart, yeah, I know," Shu growled, lips curling into a grimace. "How tiresome."

The bespectacled brother stared intently at Shu as he raised the head and brought it closer to his face. "I never thought you would be able to do it."

"It will be disgusting," The blonde wrinkled his nose. "But I did not care for that man, you'll see no remorse from me."

Reiji chuckled, narrowing his eyes at the dripping head. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what?" Shu replied, looking back over at his brother. Reiji was relieved to see the familiar tint of blue in his eyes. The bulging veins beneath his skin seemed to be receding as well.

"I mean - I never thought you would have the spine for it. It seems that girl was the encouragement you needed to take up the mantle and face your responsibilities."

Shu laughed. Reiji nodded his head to him then made his way out of the room, leaving the elder son alone with the remains of his Father. He lifted the head up to his face and grimaced at the slack-jawed smile still present on his lips.

"I-" he paused, and forced the pang of guilt out of his mind. He was not sorry and there was little point proclaiming lies to a dead man. Karlheinz has meant very little to him, the label 'Father' was just a label, nothing more. Shu remembered an early encounter in which Karlheinz told him that he was incapable of love, that demons and vampires like themselves would never be more than monsters.

Shu threw the piece of flesh into the fireplace as he sauntered past, then crouched down next to the headless man. Eating the heart. How pleasant, he thought, as he began to tear through his Father's shirt. The Sakamaki brothers were all familiar with the method of taking the mantle, but he never thought it would be he who was to become the new Vampire King. He didn't want the position or the title but it was the only way to put an end to all this. With apprehension and the image of Yui in his mind, he tore into Karlheinz's chest, ribs cracking cleanly beneath his strong fingers, and pulled out the dead heart.

-0-

Subaru slammed his glass back on the table, almost crippling the stem in the process. He leant forward to eye the contents suspiciously, frowning at the low level of liquid that remained. With a slightly foggy mind, he grabbed the bottle of red wine that sat in front of him, hiccuping slightly as he went to pour another glass for himself. There was little left in the bottle also, so he gestured to the waitress to bring him another.

"Fuck," he growled, under his breath, leaning his cheekbone against his palm. He stared strangely, off into space somewhere. The past few nights had been exhausting for him and his mind was still confused as to the events that had occurred. It couldn't be coincidence that Yui's blood appeared to be the same as Cordelia's, could it? There was something rotten going on and he couldn't help but think the situation had been influenced by Karlheinz in some manner. The details were unclear still, so he hoped Shu and Reiji would lend some clarity or else he had no idea how this would all end. He raised the half-empty glass and drained it quickly.

The waitress sent him a smile as she settled the new bottle down on his table which he returned, after a momentary pause. He wasn't sure if it was the wine, exhaustion or the cramped, dark space of the bar, but her smell was intoxicating. How long had it been since he last fed - surely a couple of days now? He grit his teeth together. His wounds would heal quicker and perhaps his misplaced feelings for Yui would dissipate if he fed. This was a dive bar and there were three patrons, no one would notice. He could just leave the body in the backroom and - he stood up shakily, grabbing the unopened bottle and heading toward the door.

He wasn't meant to be here, he was meant to be back at the Tower, watching over Yui. In his current state he wouldn't feed cleanly, or nicely and there was no point in killing the waitress with the pretty smile for his own, selfish sake.

"Thanks," he mumbled, throwing a note down on the table.

"Thank you," the waitress called, the disappointment due to his departure evident in her voice. "Come back soon!"

Subaru threw the door open and headed outside, taking in a deep breath of the evening air. He would find an animal to feed from for now, until his head was clear and he could drink from their stores at the Manor.

An hour and two dead deer later, he was headed for the Tower, his belly full of thick, sour blood. The dawn was rising - he'd been out for longer than he'd thought. The countryside was quiet, the only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of leaves and the morning birdsong. Subaru enjoyed the moment just before sunrise. He was the only one of his brothers to yearn to see sunlight. Not just the sparse rays of dawn, he wanted to be surrounded by light, to feel the heat - it was a pipe dream, of course, someone like him could never leave the dark.

On the wind, he heard a sound. At first he thought it was a cat wailing but, after pausing to listen, he realised it was screaming. And it was coming from the direction of the Tower. Subaru felt his stomach drop and he took to his heels at full speed. There was no mistaking the sound at a closer distance, it was his Mother screaming. He panted as he threw open the door and headed for the lift. The wailing echoed around the stone walls as his mind raced - what could have happened? He slammed his fists against the metal grate door of the lift - why had he left them alone? How could he be so stupid? Perhaps Ayato had found them, maybe the triplets had come looking-

He pulled the door aside and ran down the hallway, searching for his Mother. At last, he found her tucked into the corner of her bedroom. Her eyes were wide, darting from side to side frantically as if looking for something. The woman was clutching her hair between her fingers, pulling it painfully away from her scalp. Her entire body was shaking from the force of her screams and she seemed to be rocking back and forth on her bare feet. He had seen this before, a number of times. His Mother had many triggers, so many that Karlheinz thought it better to move her out of Sakamaki Manor altogether and isolate her in the Tower. For every day of clarity, there were two of psychosis.

"Mother?" Subaru said, crouching down in front of her. She didn't seem to hear him and the screaming continued. He reached forward and grabbed her hands, pulling them gently away from her hair. The woman thrashed violently, but he kept his grip on her wrists strong and refused to let her go. He stayed quiet, as he always did and tried not to cry. When he was young, he had been terrified of her fits and would lock himself in a separate room until Christa quietened. While listening to her, he would cover his eyes with his palms and weep - for her and for fear that he himself might end up like her. Subaru had grown to swallow his fears, telling himself that she needed someone to help, she needed something to hold onto to pull herself out of her delusions and it was his duty to her. Beneath the screaming, she was still his Mother.

The woman's screams grew softer until they faded into a garbled repetition of, "No no no no no…"

Subaru sighed and drew her closer, wrapping his arms over her shoulders. Christa fell forward and rested her head in the crook of his neck, sobbing loudly.

"Why is she here?" she hissed, her tone suddenly vicious. "How is she here?"

"Who? Yui?"

"Cordelia is wearing her skin," Christa spat, pushing him off her. She stood up sharply and began to pace quickly back and forth across the room.

Subaru clambered to his feet and looked at her cautiously. "Cordelia?"

"That thing, inside her, it started beating and it wouldn't stop and-" Christa paused. Her demeanour changed from angry to distressed and her face crumpled. "She's supposed to be dead, isn't she?"

Subaru moved over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He held her tight so she could not run and looked her straight in the eyes. "Look at m - calm, stop. Look at me. Cordelia is dead. She has been dead for years. Nothing is going to hurt you."

"That - that thing," she mumbled, tears pouring down her cheeks. Subaru nodded - clearly 'that thing' was Yui. "Wasn't dead. Her heart beat so loud a-and the smell of her-"

"Listen," Subaru said, firmly. "There's no heartbeat, I hear nothing. No smell, no-"

He cut himself off. No, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. He let go of his Mother's shoulders and headed for the door. Christa began to wail again, her cries filling the Tower, as he made his way to the room where he had left Yui. Filled with panic, he swung open the door.

The bed was empty, the sheets impeccably smooth and remade. The window was shut, the hatch locked. Everything was still, peaceful. The only things left were a sour smell, one he did not recognise and the small flower beads from her hair lying near the pillow.

-0-

He was a confident boy on the outside, he had to be in his role as an idol, but Kou hated his imperfections. After his shows, he would spend hours pouring over the mirror, identifying areas he thought problematic that day. He often found issue with his height, the way his hair fell, whether or not his eyes were too far apart and then - his eye. It always came back to his eye. He was grateful for the gift of sight and the extra powers that came as a part of his glass eye but he hated the way it sat, the way it rolled around in his socket like a dead weight. Most of all he hated what it reminded him of. A filthy sewer rat with no name. He would never be that again, there wasn't a person in this city who didn't know his name.

Kou had changed much over the years after his transformation. At first, he had been quiet, withdrawn, hiding behind the larger Yuma and more intelligent Ruki. However, as he grew from a child into an adult, his confidence soared. People started telling him he was beautiful and soon, he started to believe them. Crowds would gather to hear him sing at open-mic nights, then venues, then arenas. Attractive women and men fawned over him and told him they loved him. Their love was fake, but he didn't care. He was equally talented in spinning lies peppered with false adorations. You give, you take. That was life. Quickly, he had become the boldest member of their family, the bright star who everyone adored. Kou had everything he had always dreamed of, peering up from beneath the surface in the sewer, and he was happy.

Over time, beneath the confident, cheerful exterior grew a selfish, spoilt man. His feeds were more vicious than his brothers', he liked to play with his food before he ate it. He liked to make his victims run, to believe they had a chance to escape and then tear them apart in fits of crazed laughter. Kou didn't mind making a mess. Humans were vile creatures in his opinion, they deserved a demeaning death.

It was midnight, and the blonde pouted at his reflection in the living room mirror, angrily folding his arms over his chest. Why couldn't he be as tall as his brother Yuma, or even Ruki for that matter? Hell, he was only just shy of being the same height as Azusa! He would be perfect if he could just grow another couple of inches. The vampire brushed his silky locks behind his ear and winced slightly at the sight of his right eye. Well, almost perfect.

"Ugh. So fucking annoying," he grunted, spinning around on his heel. Yuma was laid out on the couch behind him, eyes closed in relaxation. The larger man shifted slightly, crossing his ankles.

"What is?" he asked, eventually. Kou would undoubtedly start babbling his usual nonsense, but he knew better than to ignore the blonde vampire.

"Doesn't matter," Kou said, throwing himself down into the armchair opposite Yuma. He leaned against the armrest and stuck his hand beneath his chin, thrusting it in the air.

"Are you sulking?" Yuma asked, chuckled derisively. His brother was so sensitive and though it was amusing to watch him work himself up, the larger boy did find it somewhat trying.

"Fuck off, Yuma," Kou snapped. "I said it doesn't matter."

"Whatever," Yuma answered, as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. He looked back up at the ceiling, ignoring the little huffs and grunts coming from the blonde. "I hope Ruki and Azusa get back soon."

The other boy scoffed. "I don't know why he had to take Azusa anyway. One of us would have been much better."

"He said 'e needed someone quiet to go unseen. I'm fucking huge and you're a loud little prick. Azusa was the obvious choice," Yuma replied, scowling at his brother.

"I'm the better choice," Kou grumbled, kicking off his shoes. He swung his legs around so they hung over one armrest whilst his back leaned against the other. "I don't like that they went during the evening. The Purebloods have to stay out of the sun, don't they? We should have gone during the day."

"Our powers are less effective in the sun though," Yuma mumbled. "They'll be faster an' stronger."

"I still don't like it. What if they get caught?" Kou sighed, fiddling with a piece of his fringe.

"They won't get caught," Yuma answered. "Have a little faith."

"Obviously I trust Ruki, but-"

"Don't you have work or something?"

Kou turned his head to look at Yuma, who was still scowling at him. "I already told you. I took the week off so I could meet this new bride. Don't roll your eyes at m-"

"Try not to kill this one, 'kay?" Yuma interrupted. "We've no chance of becoming Adam if they're dead."

"I didn't try to kill her. It was an accident!"

"Was it fuck-"

"Shut up!" Kou shouted, suddenly. A loud beeping sound rang through the air. "Where's my phone? That's my phone!"

"I dunno, it's your phone, ain't it?" Yuma sighed.

"It could be Ruki." Kou scrambled up from the chair and made for his outer jacket, which was crumpled in a pile on the floor near the door. He rifled through the clothing quickly and finally grabbed ahold of the small device. His excited expression dropped to one of boredom. "Ugh, no."

"Who's it?" his brother asked, standing up.

"Just some stupid girl. I thought she might be fun to - well, y'know - but she wanted to 'wait until marriage' or some bullshit. Too much trouble, so I just stopped answering."

"You're such an ass," Yuma chided, rolling his eyes. "I'm hungry, you want anything from the kitchen?"

"Mmm, yeah. Beer, do we have any?"

"I meant food."

"I'm on an all liquid diet right now, Yuma," Kou replied, dropping his phone back down on the floor. "I've told you a million times."

The larger man sighed, exasperated. "Whatever, Kou. I'll get'cha your damn beer."

Kou flashed him a sweet smile and moved to lie on the couch, stretching himself out like a cat. He was annoyed Ruki hasn't picked him to help out, he could be quiet when he needed to be, he was capable! Part of him wanted to be included more in Ruki's plans, as he greatly respected the grey-eyed boy and in a childish way, he wanted to impress him. But he always managed to disappoint because of his lack of self-control. How many potential Eve's had he spoiled - it must have been around ten by this point. He couldn't help it, he just wanted to have fun.

"Here's ya' fucking beer."

Kou jumped when he felt the can drop onto his stomach and sat up straight to glare at his brother, who was moving around the couch to the armchair.

"Yuma!"

"And you stole my seat," Yuma grumbled, jokingly. He raised a hastily-prepared sandwich to his mouth and grimaced slightly. "I can't cook for shit, can I?"

Kou shook his head and cracked open the can of beer. "Not at all."

"Grow it real pretty though," he chuckled. "Can you turn on the T-"

From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement from the hallway. Immediately he discarded his sandwich and stood. Kou raised an eyebrow, then turned around to look in the same direction as Yuma. Ruki and Azusa were stood in the doorway. Azusa was lurking just behind his brother, smiling vacantly.

"Could you move please, Kou?" Ruki asked, his request more of an order than a question.

"Uh, sure," Kou replied, rising quickly and moving back. He leaned against the arm of the chair and laced his hands together in his lap.

In Ruki's arms was a small, blonde girl. Yuma observed her more closely when his brother laid her out on the sofa and crouched down next to her head. She looked to be unconscious. Her mouth was hanging open slightly and her hair was matted at the back, as if she had not moved for days. She was very pale, sickly looking. Yuma raised his eyebrows when he saw the deep bite marks on her neck and noticed that her shirt was saturated with red stains.

"Is she dead?" Kou asked, curiously.

Yuma raised a hand to her neck and placed two fingers on the side of her throat. Beneath his fingertips he felt a gentle throbbing. "No, she's alive. Unconscious, though? What happened?"

Azusa stepped further into the room and peered down at the girl, mouth twitching slightly. "She was like that...when found her."

Ruki sighed, clearly annoyed. "She's not what I expected. Our Master said she was resilient-"

"Looks pretty fragile to me," Yuma replied. He shot Kou a glare. "So go easy, yeah?"

"Screw you," Kou snapped, narrowing his eyes. "She's not my type anyway."

"Stop, both of you," Ruki said, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "We must try our hardest with this one, he's counting on us. And apparently, this one is special."

"Well, she don't look it," Yuma murmured. "But if the Master reckons she is, we might have a chance with this one."

"Indeed. Kou, could you take her to the guest suite, please? She'll stay there until she is conscious."

"You got it," Kou grinned, pushing Yuma aside to get to the girl.

"Oi, watch it you little-"

"I said, stop!"

-0-

Blood dripped from between his fingers to the floor. It stained his full lips and had dried into a thick crust on the tips of his flame-red hair. He studied himself in the mirror, green eyes tracing the lines of his pale torso. A number of crescent shaped marks littered his shoulder. He had tried to put the past few weeks out of his mind and indulged himself. But the indulgence had soon turned sour and seemingly no amount of sex or blood could slake his lust. This one hadn't wanted to die, had she? Ayato tilted his head to one side and ran his bloody fingers over the marks. They were deep but they wouldn't take long to heal. He spat into the sink and wiped his hand over his mouth, disgusted with himself. Were these really the lengths he had to go to to satiate himself? It had become so much harder after she left.

"You are worthless to me unless you are the best. Worthless boys must spend eternity at the cold, damp, bottom of the lake, all alone where no one can help them."

He dropped his hand back to his side and clenched his fingers into a fist. Just thinking about her made him furious.

"Must you always be so messy?"

Ayato jumped at the sound of the shrill voice behind him. He turned to see Kanato standing in the doorway to his private bathroom. The vampire was peering over the top of his stuffed bear at the mangled, dead thing that lay in the empty bathtub.

"Tch - I'll clean it up," he retorted, running a hand through his hair. "I did it in the bathroom so you would stop bitching about the fucking carpets, Kanato."

"How considerate of you," his brother replied, turning away from him. "Idiot. Just get rid of it before it starts to smell."

Ayato wrinkled his nose. He remembered that smell vividly - a strange, slightly sweet, foul rotting stench. The body had been in the wardrobe, he'd completely forgotten about it. He'd slept with tissue up his nose for weeks even after they removed it.

"Yeah, yeah - I'll do it. Just get out," he snapped, striding toward the door. "Fucking hysteric."

He slammed it shut behind Kanato, his hand lingering on the wood. The vampire pressed his other hand against the door and leaned forward, hanging his head down between his arms. He breathed in deeply and squeezed his eyes shut. How could he still be so thirsty?

"Are you okay?"

Ayato opened his eyes, but didn't move. He would know the voice of his triplet anywhere. "I'm fine, Laito."

"You don't look fine," he replied. Ayato felt his brother's hand rest on his shoulder.

He pushed himself away from the door and stood up straight. Laito watched him silently, his cat-like eyes narrowing.

"Look, I'll get rid of this. Go to sleep or something, you look exhausted," the triplet sighed, glancing at the figure in the bathtub.

Ayato raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Laito grinned widely and held up a thumb. "Of course. But you owe me one."

The older triplet nodded wearily and headed out of the bathroom. The foul stench of unappetizing blood pervaded his bedroom - he couldn't sleep here. Ayato sighed irritably and yanked open his bedroom door. He'd just spread out in the main hall, at least it was comfortable.

It was silent in the hall and dark, thanks to the thick purple curtains that sheltered them from the light of the sun. He flung himself down on his favourite couch, a larger one, with softer pillows that was tucked away in the corner. The vampire rested his head back and let one of his arms dangle, so his fingertips brushed the cold wooden floor below. As his exhausted mind drifted, he thought back to the first time he had met Yui - in this exact spot. Back then he hadn't registered the familiar smell of her blood, he'd been too distracted by tormenting her. A wry smile pulled at his lips. She was so easy to rile.

Ayato couldn't be certain of his feelings toward the girl. His head had become clearer over the past four days, more so than when she had been present, but he was still confused. It was obvious the driving force behind his obsession with her was the influence of his Mother's blood. He still had no idea how, or why, but he knew that was his Mother's blood. Even thinking about the taste, the feeling - it made his body ache. He ran one hand through his hair and placed the other on his chest, smoothing over the bare skin of his chest.

He didn't dislike Yui. She was stronger than he had originally thought and he liked the fight that was growing in her. She was kind, a nature Ayato wasn't used to but found he liked. And sure she had been fun to play around with, but did he want the girl, without the blood? The vampire sighed. No, he didn't. Not like Shu seemed to.

He truly hadn't meant to hurt the girl, but the madness clouding his mind prevented him from stopping. Her blood made him feel powerful, ecstatic, he was addicted to the taste of it. The hand on his chest began to shake and his throat started to feel raw. He growled and gripped his hair tightly in his fingers. This was pathetic - he would not let that blood affect him like this, he didn't need it.

Pathetic, worhtless, scum. No, he was not. He was better than that, he was better than her. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. He was the best. He did not need her. He hadn't been himself when she infected him, the blood made him reliant and needy. He was the best, even without her. He was the best when he was just himself.

Ayato swallowed thickly to soothe the raw feeling in his throat but found it would not budge. He swung his legs around and planted them on the ground, resting his forearms on his thighs. He would drive this feeling out, sure it might take a while, but he did it before, didn't he?

Of course he did, he was the best.

The red-head grinned. He'd missed his sense of self, he'd missed being him.

"Laito!" he shouted, standing up. "Get your ass down here."

His fellow triplet appeared in an instance, an uncommon look of worry on his face. "What? Are you okay?"

Ayato widened his smile and placed his hands on his hips. "Don't look so fucking worried. Let's get changed, I want to go out."

Laito cocked his head to one side. "Go out? Why?"

"I wanna hunt for something nicer."

"What?"

"I want to find something hot to fuck and suck."

"Oh," Laito replied, worried expression dropping into a sinister grin. "Feeling better are we?"

Ayato nodded. "Spectacular. Let's go, I need to get the last traces of that stupid bitch out of me, she doesn't deserve any more of Yours Truly's time."

His brother chuckled. "Finally ready. Good."

"Yeah, yeah. My judgement was a bit skewed for a bit, okay?"

"It's nice to have you back to your usual asshole ways, Ayato."

"I'm not an asshole, dickhead. Yours Truly is fucking perfect."

The triplets were startled by the sudden loud crash of the main door swinging open. Ayato stepped in front of his sibling protectively, shoulders rising tensely. He eased when Subaru stormed into the hall. He looked furious and still moved unsteadily as a result of previous skirmishes. The albino looked around the hall wildly until he caught sight of his half-brothers, then moved across the hall to join them.

"Where the fuck is she?" Subaru growled, one fist clenching at his side.

"Who?" Laito asked.

Ayato cocked his head. "You mean Pancake, right?"

"Obviously. Now what have you done with her?" Subaru's voice was quivering, as if on the brink of exploding with anger.

The triplets looked at one another, confused.

"I haven't seen our Little Bitch since she left," Laito said, slowly. He looked back at Subaru. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Subaru replied. He surveyed the triplets for a moment and was surprised to find no hint of a lie in their actions. "I left Yui in the Tower with my Mother watching over her-"

"With your crazy-ass Mother? What the fuck were you thinki-"

"She's not crazy," Subaru snapped, angrily. "They were both in the Tower, Mother didn't hear or see anyone come in or out and you know what a fortress that place is. I came back, she was gone. Nothing left but this weird smell."

"Who would want to steal our Little Bitch?" Laito asked, tapping his forefinger against his lips. "Shu?"

"He would have told me," Subaru said, firmly. The vampire sighed deeply and let out an exasperated grunt. "I really thought she would be here."

"Did she run away?" Ayato asked. He leaned back against the arm of the couch, looking down at the floor with a troubled look on his face.

"Yui wouldn't do that," Subaru replied.

"Wait you said something about a weird smell?"

"Yeah, kinda like ash or -" he paused, trying to find the right words. "Like us, but gone off."

Laito chuckled and looked back at Ayato. "Who wants to bet 'that man' has something to do with this?"

Subaru grunted in agreement. He paused, then stepped closer to the triplets. "Wait, there was something else. My Mother was convinced that Yui was Cordelia, she kept talking about the sound of her heart-"

"What?" Ayato snapped, eyes widening.

"Well, she could be having one of her, um, delusions but..." Subaru trailed off. "It's an odd coincidence don't you think?"

Laito hummed to himself in thought. "Her heart couldn't possibly be beating, could it? Shu told us-"

"I saw," Subaru sighed. "If there was the tiniest amount of life left in that girl, I would have known."

The eldest triplet stiffened and pushed himself away from the armchair. "There's something fucking weird going on."

The three stood in silence, uncertain of what to do. Eventually, Ayato let out a deep sigh and started to walk slowly toward the staircase, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"We need to find her," he murmured.

"You know Shu will never let yo-"

"I don't want or need her," Ayato interrupted, as he began to ascend the stairs. "Not anymore. I just don't like the idea of someone stealing from us."

Laito smiled at his retreating brother before looking back at the albino. "This is all very interesting, isn't it?"

"We need to contact Shu and Reiji," Ayato called, just before heading into the upper hallway. "And then, we're gonna find our Pancake."