Disclaimer : I don't own VK nor its characters. Any resemblance to any fanfictions, the living or RIPs is highly unintentional.

Thanks LOADS to everyone who reviewed, added my story to their alerts, favourited it as well as listing me as their favourite author (*bows*). I really appreciate your support! I'll have to make a more serious disclaimer here since there's been an uproar in CLJ about some artist copying Hino sensei's lovely work without even acknowledging it - don't want to get into that sort of trouble either!

Here's the next chapter :D

# CHAPTER 24

Vampire?

Zero's ears chilled when he heard her words. No…This wasn't right…This was pure insanity! Why the hell was this happening? No…not again! Not like this!

Kaname and Yuuki were equally stunned.

"Please, Seiran, calm down. Tamaji wanted to save you!" pleaded Toga, holding his palms upwards in a show of surrender. Chairman Cross nervously fingered a little blade he kept in his drawer. Seiran's face was close to being a madwoman.

The grandfather's clock in Chairman Cross' office clanged 3 am in the morning. Seiran's limbs went stiff. She dropped to her knees, clutching her head.

"Seiran!" Toga wanted to approach her but the chairman pulled him back.

She's having a fit! Yuuki's eyes widened and she took a step towards the fallen girl. Kaname gripped her hand, stopping her movement. "We have to help her! Can't you see she's in pain?" she argued, glaring at her brother-fiance but Kaname's eyes weren't on her.

She's…transforming…Kaname realized. If he hadn't bitten Yuuki to turn her into a vampire, she would have undergone a torturous transformation, but then again she was a Kuran whereas Seiran was a Kuroumura – their transformation methods would be different, although very painful.

What's wrong with her? Zero felt fearful as he saw the way she was suffering. His eyes were fixed on her and his hold on Bloody Rose tightened on reflex.

A crescending ringing in Seiran ears made her claw blindly about. She felt intense pain, like her bones were cracking. Wh-What is happening to me? "Arghhh!" she screamed out when another spasm of sharp pain coursed through her body. The bones in her body appeared to have restructured themselves. Her head was getting dizzier by the moment. What was wrong with her body? Maybe she was having an epileptic fit, or a heart attack after the immense shock…It didn't make any sense. Everything she was looking at seemed to be…

Blood…Drip…Drop…Images of blood…

Murder…

"I'm waiting, Princess…"

The last few minutes of her life time running out…

Maniacal laughter resonated in her head as she trashed about, gripping her throbbing head.

"I'm waiting, Princess…"

"NO!" she fought against the alien feeling budding inside her and hugged herself tightly to prevent herself from possibly hurting the rest in the room who were staring at her with mixed emotions – horror, fear…repulsion…

Her clawed fingers raked at her orchid tattoo, bleeding it. The clock ticked 3.19 – ten minutes after Seiran Kaede was born to the world, seventeen years ago.

"Akiro…do you know this is a big risk you're taking? If the hunters find out, they will hunt us down for using their magic," Tsukiko weakly spoke as she held out the newly born Seiran to her husband.

Akiro stared at his wife tenderly, brushing her hair before replying softly, "Tsukiko…I'm actually a hunter myself…A vampire hunter whom the female Hunters' Association president is my ally."

Tsukiko wanted to protest but Akiro hurriedly added, "Please let me perform the charm first and I'll explain why I took up hunter arts, risking my life…"

The complex charm was carried out rapidly in order not to lose Seiran's life blood – the ten minutes most important to her proper development as a vampire.

Afterwards, a mentally exhausted Akiro told his wife the truth of his 'double' life as a vampire and a hunter in secret, working on certain occasions to ensure his family's safety. Most of the time he was a 'noble' aristocrat vampire to the community.

*

The pain had stopped and she shakily got onto her feet, stumbling twice, before painfully looking at the rest in the room. They had edged away from her, it seemed. Something…something was wrong…

Kaname, Chairman Cross and Toga looked at Seiran, all three lost for words. The tattoo had unleashed the pureblood Seiran Kaede who had a more feminine build, vermillion red hair which went slightly past her shoulders but yet the same rich blue eyes.

Yuuki gasped, covering her mouth. Zero took a few staggering steps back. Seiran's real identity had clearly emerged.

Her pureblood status.

A vampire.

Seiran glowered at them, her eyes glowing bloody crimson for a moment before turning back to their original colour.

Plang!

All the glass windows shattered, Kaname protecting Yuuki while the other three scattered around the room for cover, still avoiding Seiran.

At that occurring, she spun wildly about, losing control of her emotions again. That wasn't me. I didn't do that…I didn't…I didn't…Her head was spinning, her breath coming out in small gasps. Tremblingly, her left hand went to her mouth and jerked away when she felt fangs protrude from her lips. This is a nightmare…Oh Lord…

She twisted about, the frightened faces staring at her a blur in her eyes. Shaking her head and gripping her hair, she careened on the direction of a tinted glass cabinet behind Cross' table, her breath still heaving as she put her emotions into place. Control…I need my control! Like I used to have before…

She eyed the cabinet before sharply turning to Chairman Cross. "Is this where you kept my stash of weapons?" Her voice, although still husky, had a new raw edge in it. Guttural.

"Yes." The chairman sighed, after calming down his nervously beating heart. There was nothing he could do now after knowing her status.

"Good." Seiran punched through the glass ignoring the pain on her wounded fist, droplets of her blood flying about. Pain is good…Pain is all I have now. Pain is my new friend. Shoving the annoying shards of glass away which limited her space, she grabbed her sword, bag containing her Orchid Darts and her daggers.

"Aren't you going to have…some blood tablets first?" Chairman Cross asked in a very small voice.

"Doesn't a vampire hunt best when it's hungry?" she spat, making her way to the door. The chairman winced and Toga's face fell.

Seeing Toga's guilt ridden face, she gently added, "Please help me to put Sensei Tamaji to rest and scatter Dancing Ladies all over his grave. Thank you." Her red hair whipped on her shoulders as she marched off, her intentions obvious.

"Seiran-chan!" cried Yuuki, running to the doorway but the other girl had disappeared from view. Please don't tell me she's going to…? She felt fearful.

*

Kain slid into the room, bewilderment clear on his features. "Seiran…she…I tried to apologize but…" Her appearance and aura's different. Like a pureblood's…Seiran had brushed past him without even looking but he was shocked by her hair colour. "Kaname-sama, what is it you request me to do?"

"We're going vampire hunting." There was malice lined in Kaname's voice. Stepping next to Kain, the pureblood was about leave when he looked sideways to Zero. "You should come along, after all you have a debt with her, Kiryuu." *Smirk*.

Zero snarled, "I don't accept orders from you, Kuran!", before he leapt out the window. Toga sighed at his trainee's hotheadedness before leaving himself through the door. He was too old to try such acrobatics. The joy of young bones…

"Oniisan!" Yuuki caught Kaname's hand as he was about to leave. "You have to come back safe! With Seiran-chan and Ichijou senpai both alive." Seiran-chan…you're so hurt right now…

"Yuuki, take care of the Night Class while I'm gone." With that, Kain and Kaname took off.

*

"Look at how pitiful you are…You dare carry the status of a noble? A mere weakling like you, depressed…Similar to a Level E!" 'Master' jeered at Takuma, suffering.

Poor Takuma had been starved since his imprisonment, still shackled to the wall. His pajamas were filthy with sweat and dirt from the earthen walls. His matted blond hair clung onto his face. The noble had finally gotten a grip on his wrecked emotions to realize the situation he was in. "Why did you capture me?" he hoarsely demanded.

Lesson no. 25 : Debts must be repaid.

____________________________________________________________

Aidou : (Skipping for joy) I'm related to a pureblood! I'm related to a pureblood!

Kain : ( Muttering under his breath) Why am I related to this idiot?