HY : I don't own VK...And whoa, has it really been like 4 months since I last updated this fic? Apologies to you, the lovely readers, for the long wait. RL has been really busy, but thanks for patiently following this fic. Comments would be appreciated on how the plot is going :D Thankies!

# CHAPTER 13

"The nerve of that stupid girl's arrogance!" snarled one man when all his members had gathered. "Just because of her words involving our families, the issue was closed immediately! It was blatantly obvious that old hag Yamashita sided with her own gender!"

"She even said she'll stop giving her blood tablets to those fucking pieces of trash…Bitch!" agreed another, equally seething as he thumped his fist on the table.

"I suggest we teach her a lesson…," drawled a third man as he released a puff of smoke from his cigarette.

"We'll have to be careful, so that Yamashita, Yagari and Cross don't find out! They're her support after all!" said the first man.

"Actually that's not necessary, my friends…" The fourth man smiled, his golden tooth glinting in the dark of the room.

"And why's that?" asked the second man.

"We apparently have a hidden supporter who wasn't satisfied with Level Es getting the blood tablets as well…If you find anything during your rounds, I gladly suggest that you forget what you saw and sweep all the dust around haphazardly. Do you understand?" explained the fourth man.

The other three slowly began to smile when they figured out their colleague's words.

"You mean…you found…?" That mark, that symbol of damnation?

"Yes." A nod in confirmation.

"Good, very good…did that failed hunter think she could match us…?"

All the men laughed, keeping their pact secret. They would wait and watch out for the young female hunter.

Waiting to see her efforts go down in dust.

"Good night, Kaname-sama," wished Seiren as she prepared to head to her room but Kaname stopped her.

"Seiren, could you please do something for me tomorrow?"

"What is it, Kaname-sama?" Seiren looked at her lord.

"Please help me investigate this vampire President Namura of Ryuushuu Pharmaceuticals. After a week, report to me everything you've discovered." Kaname didn't like the way the older vampire had been acting towards Seiran, and he'd seen the other pureblood feeling discomfited at the attention. It reminded him of his years under Asato Ichijou's guardianship. Although he still wasn't too pleased that Seiran was adamant she treated other vampires the same way she treated humans, he decided he had to look out for her.

Once Seiren left, Kaname sank onto the lounge chair, his fingers tweedling with the queen chess piece. He'd always thought Seiran fitted the role of a queen, but with her nature she would decline the role because she liked to be free from all the unnecessary rules of the vampire world...

"What about you, Kaname? How would you act?"

He had sidestepped her questions, instead answering, "It's a sin for a pureblood to kill another pureblood, Seiran, even though we're of the same status."

"I never said I'd kill…but if the pureblood's reasons were totally out of bloodlust and nothing more…I see no reason in allowing it to live…" Seiran's tone was neutral, but his keen detection had discovered uncertainty, because she still lived by a moral and egalitarian code.

Kaname's fingers released the piece.

She's…too similar…and yet…

No! Seiran was not like her. Never like her…

He shut his eyes, dismissing the matter. He was thinking too much for no apparent reason and he stifled the urge to chuckle. Just because everything had settled into place for him with no dangers after Yuuki, he was probably being slightly paranoid – too unlike him.

"Niisan…Niisan…"

Kaname's chocolate orbs peered to his right to see Yuuki smiling at him as she continued, "Come to bed, oniisan. Why are you sleeping here?"

Russet velveteen locks similar to his own…Beautiful, large brown eyes…Not black and blue…Not black and blue…

"Yuuki…" He cupped her cheek, drawing her closer towards him.

"Kaname oniisan…?" asked Yuuki tentatively, blushing. Somehow, she was not used to the way he looked at her, that look of mixed emotions of love…and something else. Despite being together for these few years she was still shy around him.

"Will you promise me something?" His voice sounded breathless, and she felt another flush heat up her face again.

"Yes? Oniisan, you don't need me to promise you anything…" How can you ask me that? You know how much I love you! I would do anything for you…Anything!

He hugged her tightly, whispering into her right ear, his breath hot. "Don't ever change the colour of your hair…please…"

"I won't, oniisan…If it pleases you…" The last sentence was barely a whisper as she kissed him, comforting him – this was one of the times when Kaname, the gentle vampire she knew seemed so fragile…

With her promise, Kaname allowed Yuuki to lead him to their bed.

Think only of Yuuki…

Yes…

The hunter in his thirties with a crew cut seriously marched up the steps of the Hunters' Association which had been repaired after some confidential events which occurred a few months ago. The higher ups hadn't mentioned anything about what had happened, or why President Yuho had mysteriously passed away from an ailment which shocked all the hunters when they found out. Even a respected colleague, Tamaji had passed away during his investigation of the Orchid Murders but the murderer had been killed by none other than Seiran Kaede, Tamaji's charge, seeking vengeance. Murder had been repaid with murder – not a morally correct way, but he empathically understood her actions although he thought she acted rather rashly.

Suou Kajiwara shook his head, feeling sorry for the young female trainee hunter who had to weather such bad news. It was a good thing she was at the Cross Academy with Kaien Cross and Toga Yagari to take care of her, he thought. And now with this case I discovered… his thoughts turned grim as he felt for the evidence bag in his trousers' pocket. I hope it's all a mistake on my part, that it was just a coincidence it had to be there…But a small part of him was aware of the truth, there were no plants nearby the scene. He was on his way to talk to the new President to find out the course of action to be taken.

"Are you sure about this, Suou-san?" asked the President, concealing the worry she felt after reading his report and hearing his explanation. Her eye was also on the damning flower – if not for the flower, she would have dismissed it as a typical Level E dusting case.

"Yes, President-sama. I scanned the entire area if anything was amiss, but it seemed like the weapon used to kill the Level E wasn't there. It could have been a bullet as well, because no bullet cases were found."

Hmmm…this person is covering his or her tracks. Which leads us to two possibilities – the murderer is either a hunter or a vampire…mused the president. "Good work, Suou-san. I'll let Yagari take over the case, if you don't mind."

Suou shook his head. "No, President-sama."

"Suou-san, I think this matter doesn't have to be disclosed to anyone since Level Es are now a delicate issue amongst hunters." Because if my hunches are right…there were people who knew…and yet had not reported anything…Her gaze hardened momentarily before returning to its neutral look.

"I understand." He nodded. Another thing admirable about the late Tamaji's charge, Seiran, was that she invented those tablets which helped Level Es despite the fact she was a vampire hunter whose duty was to hunt them down. He himself never liked taking a Level E's life unless they had totally lapsed into insanity.

The president looked at one of the few hunters she felt she could trust while she knew corruption within the H.A itself was crumbling the respectable pillars of the organization. "Do you think giving those blood tablets to Level Es was a wrong decision, Suou-san?"

The hunter's eyes widened as the topic was changed suddenly, eerily at the same time he had been thinking about it. "No, I thought it was a good thing. I think if lives can be saved it is better, isn't it, President-sama?"

"True. Once again, thank you for your report, Suou-san. You may head back to your office now." She smiled at him, knowing she had found another ally before she was going to tear down the H.A organization and replace the 'tumours' she had kept an eye on for years. Right now she was waiting for the right time to strike.

After a sweet breakfast of toast from Zero – it was his turn to make breakfast as Seiran told him she'd prepare breakfast on those days he patrolled alone at night – Seiran rushed to the Chemistry lab with a smile on her face. It was time for her to get back to working hard. Since there would no longer be any opposition from the H.A, she was free to look at the other work the vampire community had requested of her. Requests for other types of chemical products had poured in for her selection after her success of winning the Promising Pharmaceutical Invention of the Year award, and Sensei Naro was helping her screen through them to see which were truly beneficial to the vampire community.

The top most request – probably Sensei Naro didn't look at this file – had been to make a Beauty Pill which would ensure the middle aged vampire nobles would remain as fresh and young as the day they debutanted. Seiran snorted over such a vain desire to forever remain youthful. As though they weren't satisfied with their maintained looks of at least 50 years compared to humans…I should recommend them to shoot some botulinum toxin, a.k.a botox instead…That will totally freeze their faces off!

Forty five minutes after reading through pointless rubbish and her irritation growing at wasted time, the Kaede pureblood slapped the file shut and decided to walk around the lab to pick at her brains. Hmmm…it would be nice if I could invent something for the hunters' side too…

Slowly her gaze landed on the window and she pulled the drapes aside before unlatching the stills. Her nose was tickled by the dust and she sneezed, turning away as her eye caught a sudden movement of something floating. Honestly, these Night Class vamps don't even open the windows? she wondered, pinching at her nose bridge. Her sapphire eyes turned to locate what she had glanced at earlier.

It was a spider web, intricate and fragile, affixed onto the corner of the window pane and stuck to it was a trapped housefly. Like a small child, Seiran gazed in wonder at how such thin threads could support the weight of the prey so much heavier than it. An image of threads trapping criminal vampires appeared in her mind and she began to nod her head. Yeah…that could work…a contraption which can release these strings which bind…Something small... Her eyes dilated. That's it! Her fingers reached into the pouch attached on her waist, bringing out an Orchid Dart.

Orchid Dart version 2…She went back to where she had been sitting earlier, flipped up her laptop and began her research.

Lesson no. 14 : Can repeated traumatic history even be accepted in the first place …? No matter how mentally strong a person is, sometimes such an acceptance is a tough obstacle to hurdle across.