ix.

chapter nine - we've become echoes

If time is an illusion, then Shiori was surely lost within it's folds.

Her life became training her new ability along with honing her current ones. The brunette aimed to become a prodigy in her skill sets; she wanted to be someone her loved ones could rely on. Kaname trained alongside her, watching her with a proud air about him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She had boldly asked (in that trademark monotone of her's) one time, completely ignoring that these looks were probably supposed to have gone unnoticed— or at least, unaddressed.

Kaname, not one to falter even when he was completely caught off guard (which he was, from the slight widening in his eyes), had replied almost instantly. "Because I am happy to be here. By your side, that is."

Shiori couldn't remember how she had replied, or if she had even said anything at all. She did remember his words halting her; making her almost fumble in her steps. Kaname most definitely found that to be amusing, and was sure to tease her for it later.

Days turned into months, which turned into a year. Before she knew it, herself and Kaname were turning twelve, and Yuki— five. With their new found growth, came the dark, dark horizon.

Shiori wanted to look away. She didn't want to face it. Even though she had been struggling and trying so hard to prepare for what she knew was going to come… She was scared; she didn't want to do this. Despite her mental maturity— despite her rebirth even, she was still most definitely a child.

Then, Shiori would look at sweet, innocent little Yuki— and, of course, he would look back immediately as if he sensed her gaze on him before sending her the most dopey grin. She would look at her dear mother and father who, despite their coddling ways for the past couple years, loved her and her siblings so, so much. She saw how happy they were together; how happy they were to have a family.

She would look at Kaname and see him for who he really was; not the imposter he was portraying, but the ancient vampire she knew him to be. Shiori could see he loved her and Yuki, and that he respected and appreciated Haruka and Juri in his own way. She knew he was happy to have a family, if not guilty because of how he received it.

Shiori thought of all these things, and of her friends, and she remembered what the future would be like if she didn't at least try to change it. If she could at least throw a wrench into Rido's plans, she would be satisfied that something had been done instead of nothing at all.

These things gave her strength, and, with strength she was given energy that she didn't know she could even possess.

Shiori had definitely improved in her training; wielding her daggers was second nature, now, and hand-to-hand combat was just as easy as walking. Her shielding ability was still a work in progress… Not to mention Juri and Haruka could still beat her when sparring one-on-one, however, considering the fact she was only twelve, and they were both two fully grown purebloods— she felt like she could hold her own pretty well in comparison to when she first started her training.

She and Kaname were on par with each other; their spars often ending in draws. Their wins and losses were practically tied as well, but that only encouraged Shiori to work harder. She used Kaname as a measuring stick, because comparing herself to Juri and Haruka was just too unrealistic at this current point in time.

Maybe it was because her parents thought their situation had changed, or maybe it was because Shiori had proved she could take care of herself. Either way, Haruka and Juri approached her with a decision they had made.

"We know how much you've missed your friends," Juri had said. "So, we think we're finally ready to let you visit them as you please again. Of course, you won't be alone— Either one of us, Kaname, or Kaien will be there to escort you."

And that was what led to where Shiori (and a hidden Kaien) were now: walking through the small town that was located somewhat nearby the Kuran and Shiki Estates. Beside her was Senri Shiki, now eleven years old and already shooting up in height.

It had been… around maybe five years since the two had seen each other?

If they were anyone else, their reunion would be awkward. After so much time apart, it was hard to tell where your boundaries lie after all. However, Shiori and Senri were Shiori and Senri, so, if anything— being back in each others' presence was like a weight being lifted off their shoulders. More so Senri's, who had had to live in solitude with his mother during Shiori's five year absence.

The two walked close enough that their hands would brush against each other. Eventually, Shiori grew annoyed with the contact and just took a hold of the taller boy's hand. Senri glanced at their hands, as if examining the gesture, but didn't say anything about it.

Though the silence between them was comfortable, Senri eventually decided to breach it. He unconsciously squeezed Shiori's hand as he gathered what he wished to say in his head. Shiori waited patiently, questions of her own piling up in her mind. They communicated through letters, but some things were best discussed in person.

"How…" Senri began, but paused, then tried again. "How is your family, Shiori-hime?"

'Shiori-hime? Has he been keeping in contact with Hanabusa?' Holding back a teasing remark, Shiori allowed a small smile. She wanted to tell Senri all about her new baby brother, but she knew that until Rido and his uprising had been dealt with, Yuki's existence couldn't be revealed. She didn't want Yuki to end up like the original Kaname...

"We're all doing fine. Things are still… Different." Shiori refrained from adding: because of your father. "I'm allowed to go out now, however. So, I'm happy I can see you again."

The cousins shared a meaningful look, and Senri surprised Shiori with a small smile of his own. He gently patted her head, shocking her more.

"I'm happy to see you, too." He frowned. "Writing letters makes my wrist hurt."

Shiori nodded in understanding. Several feet behind them, Kaien did all he could to hold back his amused chuckles.

"Ah," Senri paused, bringing the two to a stop. "I just remembered… I was recruited by a modeling agency my okaa-sama used to work with."

"Oh?" Shiori hummed.

"Yes," Senri nodded, blinking solemnly. "She accepted their offer immediately."

The brunette didn't even have to ask her cousin if his mother had consulted with him first. His dead-eyed expression was a clear enough answer that if the offer had been brought to him directly, he would've refused on the spot. Perhaps this was Michiru Shiki's way of hanging onto a small sliver of her previous fame, something that had just been continuing to deteriorate along with her mental state through the years.

Shiori wished Senri luck.

"Hm, it suits your cute and unique appearance, at least."

Senri said nothing to that, and when Shiori looked at him, the young boy was carefully avoiding her gaze and trying to hide his face entirely. Shiori raised an eyebrow at his actions, but left it alone nevertheless.

Eventually, Senri made a noise akin to clearing his throat. He finally replied, "Ah."

Shiori took that as agreement, and nodded.

"You could be a model as well, then," Senri continued, much to Shiori's surprise. She had thought that conversation was over. "As a pureblood, you are more beautiful than most."

"You think so?" Shiori asked honestly, toying with a piece of her dark brown hair in thought. She had never given her appearance much thought before. Was she really viewed as someone beautiful? Even above others? This made her curious to see her reflection; when was the last time she really sat down in front of a mirror?

Senri once again paused before answering, "Isn't it obvious?" His voice was quiet, and his eyes were downcast.

Shiori looked up, prompting him to meet her gaze. "No."

"...So blunt," Senri said, amusement in his eyes.

Shiori shrugged, and the two continued to their destination.

Soon enough the local candy store, Madam Kyandī's Treats, came into view. Without fail, whenever Shiori read the name (written in English) a feeling of nostalgia would rush over her. The English language seemed familiar to her; perhaps she knew it in her previous life, but who knew? She had no memories of it to speak of, other than a vague recollection of a once-fictional series.

As they entered the establishment, a bell chimed to signal their arrival. It was not very busy today, so the owner, Kyandī herself, was already greeting them with a friendly smile. Shiori wondered if the older woman recognized them, or Shiori, at least; she used to be a frequent customer before she was confined to her home.

Shiori liked sweets, especially white chocolate. She'd probably sample any sweet set in front of her— with the exception of fudge. She hated fudge.

Senri on the other hand, as Shiori learned, didn't really like sweets. He would eat them when offered, but that was all. So, while Shiori decided to buy a bag of white chocolates, he decided with a simple box of dark chocolate pocky.

Treats in hand, and with a kind goodbye from Kyandī, Shiori and Senri returned to the streets. As they walked, the two ate their candies in a peaceful silence. Eventually Shiori huffed about being tired of walking, and they stopped at a small park.

They relaxed on a bench, wordlessly leaning against one another as they watched the sky and ate their candy. Somewhere in the trees, Kaien contemplated with an amused smirk that if Kaname were to witness this scene, he wouldn't be too happy.

"Ruka told me her family is going to be having a party to celebrate her twelfth birthday," Shiori said, remembering the letter the strawberry-blonde had sent her a couple days ago. "Are you going to attend?"

Senri sighed heavily, which was answer enough for Shiori. "I don't want to."

"But your okaa-san is probably going to make you."

Senri huffed, nodding his head with a disgruntled expression.

Shiori smiled. "Maybe I'll be able to go to this one. I know I've missed a lot."

Senri nodded quietly, his hands holding his box of pocky just a bit tighter. Shiori stared at the poor, squished box before placing a hand over Senri's. He was startled, going by the speed in which he lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it won't be as bad as the last one you told me about."

"Mm.." Senri frowned, unable to remember which one Shiori was referring to. She had missed many parties while she had been away, after all. "Which one?"

"The one where you had to dance with every single girl there that was your age," Shiori recited it as if the letter Senri had sent her was directly in front of her. "You wouldn't stop talking about how much your legs hurt afterwards."

"Oh," Senri recalled in distaste, "I remember." He looked at Shiori with a pleading expression now (Kaien would say he merely blinked up at Shiori pitifully), "If you're there, you can protect me."

"Me?" Shiori imagined herself standing guard in front of Senri, warding off all unwanted advances. She immediately frowned right after; that sounded like a lot of work. "No thanks."

"Shiori-hime would leave me to the wolves?"

The brunette nodded resolutely. "Yes."

"You're a terrible princess."

"Kana-chan wouldn't agree."

"He doesn't count."

"That's unfair."

To no surprise of Shiori's, she wasn't allowed to attend the party the Sōuen's were hosting. Despite having expected her parents to deny her request, Shiori was still a bit upset with having to stay home. Which oddly, was very out of character for her.

Usually, she'd dread having to attend anything public and social, but it had been years and she missed her friends.

Kaname would be attending, along with Haruka, who would be guiding and teaching Kaname the ways of the game. Politics, as Juri had kindly translated when Shiori had furrowed her brows. Then suddenly, Shiori didn't mind not being able to go anymore, because she knew she'd be receiving the same lessons.

Shiori didn't care enough to spin sweet words for the vampire community. She would say how she felt and would never regret it, even if the response she received was loud and troublesome. Her parents knew this, and therefore should have also known that no matter how much they tried to teach her about flattery and buttering up the right people, she would never stoop so low as to lick someone else's boots.

They should be buttering her up. She was a pureblood after all, and a Kuran, at that.

If she had said that out loud, Juri would have smacked the back of her head for her hubris. Which was… fair.

As it went, Shiori spent the better part of the night with Yuki, just enjoying each other's presence. The young boy sat in her lap while she read aloud from one of her books. He followed along well enough, and would even get a little too into it for Shiori's tastes. More than once Yuki had jumped up in excitement, accidentally jostling her arms which resulted in her hitting herself in the face with the book.

The smaller brunet was always overly apologetic, but, as her chin remained sore, Shiori remained irked.

Taking a calm breath, Shiori simply stated, "If you want me to finish this story.. You need to either stay still or get off of me."

Yuki pouted, looking close to tears, but valiantly promised he wouldn't move another muscle. Shiori smiled slightly in satisfaction, nodding to her baby brother before turning back to the book in her hands.

This time, Yuki stayed true to his word and stayed still in her lap— Which may have only happened due to him falling asleep shortly after she began reading again. That didn't deter Shiori, who kept reading (at a softer volume) until the door to Yuki's room was opened.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Shiori looks up at the sound of Kaname's voice. The boy was standing in the doorway, a soft smile on his face as he stared down at them. Shiori returned the expression, setting aside her book to give him her full attention.

"Just reading." She shrugged but was careful not to jostle the boy in her lap. "How was the ball?"

Immediately, Kaname's good mood seemed to plummet.

Shiori snorted at his darkened expression.

"It certainly was… an event." Kaname sighed, deciding to take a seat beside Shiori. He leaned into her shoulder, sighing deeply as he tried to unwind from the night's events. The three siblings stay curled up together for at least an hour; Kaname telling Shiori about the ball and their friends while Yuki slept without a care in the world.

Eventually, Shiori found her eyelids growing heavy and decided she wanted to retire to her own bed. Kaname could sense her intentions immediately, and was already helping her gently maneuver Yuki onto his bed and off of her.

"I'll tuck you in, Shiori-chan," Kaname teased, placing his hand on the small of Shiori's back as he led the girl back upstairs and to her room. She had no energy to reply, simply humming her thanks to him and keeping her eyes closed until they reached their destination.

At five-years-old, Yuki Kuran had something to say.

The Kuran family sat together in their basement at a makeshift table, enjoying a rather nice dinner. It was not something they usually partake in, not needing human food, but it was still a nice experience and a good excuse to spend time together.

Back to the matter at hand— The young Yuki had decided to interrupt the small talk going on between his family members to say one very important thing.

"I want to marry Shiori-nee-sama!"

Needless to say, the family was struck speechless. Shiori herself had sunken low in her seat, trying and failing to hide her reddened face. Kaname's jaw was clenched as he tried to keep his composure; the bent fork in his hand did poorly for this. Haruka and Juri shared wary glances, reliving their childhoods in the span of a second.

Kaname was the one to break the silence, an impish smile on his face. "Really now? What a funny coincidence, otōto. As I, also, wish for Shiori-chan to be my bride."

If Shiori had been eating, she would have choked on her food. Juri and Haruka seemed to have similar reactions; hurrying to place their glasses of wine down lest they spill it.

Yuki, however, was not in the least affected by this declaration. If anything it spurred him on further. With a huff, he slammed his hands on the table, standing atop his seat as he declared at the top of his tiny lungs: "Nee-sama loves me the most!'

"Oh, how wrong you are, Yuki-chan." Kaname didn't flinch, a sickly sweet smile on his face.

Shiroi took a sip from her glass, finding relief in the tangy taste of blood within all this chaos.

Before Kaname and Yuki's little tiff could escalate (though she was sure Kaname was just teasing their little brother; she didn't want to chance damaging their relationship), Shiori cleared her throat before speaking loud enough to garner their attention.

"Stop," she said, fingers tightening around her glass. "I love you both the same; how I feel isn't a competition."

Yuki nodded, seeming to understand— "And so you'll be my wife…?"

Shiori's hold on the glass tightened. This was annoying and exhausting; she wanted nothing more than to just finish eating and go straight to sleep. Instead she was here, having her stress and annoyance levels rise up.

To make matters worse, Kaname continued to stoke the flames with that smile on his face. "Actually, Shiori-chan and I already promised to get married a long time ago."

'I don't remember that,' Shiori thought numbly, eyes dead as the fire between Kaname and Yuki got hotter and hotter. Meanwhile, Haruka and Juri continued to watch, as if unsure how to approach this themselves.

Yuki gasped loudly before whining, "That's not fair! I wasn't even given a chance!" The small brunet turned to his parents with tears in his eyes, "Can I please marry, Nee-sama? Please?"

Now becoming involved, Haruka and Juri paused before explaining how that sort of decision would solely rely on Shiori. Thus, the attention was shifted back to the young brunette who was none too pleased at this point.

Shiori finished off her glass of blood, setting it back down onto the table. It shattered instantly upon contact, making Yuki squeak in surprise while her parents and Kaname's eyes widened. Shiori remained unphased, simply brushing her hands off with a napkin and standing from her chair.

"As of now," she looked from Yuki to Kaname, "I don't want to marry either of you; I'm not some trophy for your meaningless competition."

With that, she left the room altogether.

As the door shut behind her, the remaining Kurans were left speechless. Haruka and Juri looked properly shocked, but proud with the way Shiori handled this, no matter how serious the bickering was or not. Kaname looked troubled, and Yuki...

Yuki's lip wobbled before he burst into tears. "Nee-sama hates me now!"

"Yuki-chan…" Juri said gently, reaching over to cradle her son's face. "That's not true."

"But she doesn't love me anymore! She doesn't want to marry me!"

Haruka shook his head. "Yuki, just because she doesn't want to marry you.. That doesn't mean she hates you. You can still love someone you're not married to."

Yuki sniffled. "You and Okaa-san, though—"

"That's different. It's true we love each other, but we can still love other people in different ways. We love you, don't we?"

Yuki nodded, and Haruka smiled.

"We're not married, though. Are we?"

"Ew, no!"

Haruka and Juri laughed. "Do you see what I'm saying? Your nee-chan still loves you, but right now she isn't thinking about marriage. All of you are still young, anyway— don't get too ahead of yourselves." Haruka ruffled Yuki's hair, making the boy giggle as he latched onto the offending hand.

Juri sighed happily in relief, looking up to address her eldest son. "Now, Kaname— Ah, he left."

xxx

Shiori could sense him outside; Kaname stood outside her door patiently. She wasn't sure what he was doing— He knew she was upset and needed some space right now, and it wasn't like him to go against that. Perhaps what she had said had shaken him a little? It was harder to read him now that he had regained his memories.

The brunette laid quietly on her bed, staring up at the ceiling in contemplation. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts, but Kaname's presence still plagued her. Was he waiting for her to speak? Or was he thinking about what to say?

Shiori didn't know, and she was too tired and stressed to care.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kaname spoke.

"Shiori, I'm sorry. My intention wasn't to put such pressure on you and I—" the boy paused, but Shiori waited patiently, still listening intently to every word. "I need you to know that no matter what the future holds, I will never force you to make a decision between Yuki and I."

Shiori wanted to huff and question what if she didn't want to choose either of them? What if she ended up loving someone else? Why was there this assumption that she would fall in love with either Kaname or Yuki? They were only children; why must this be a concern at all in this current moment?

She said nothing, however, and continued to listen to her brother.

"Shiori, I adore you. No matter what happens— I just want you to know that."

Then he left, and Shiori was finally alone. She wanted to think about what Kaname said, and what exactly the future will bring. Will she have to make a decision between her brothers? The Kuran line was dependent on her marrying one of them, but what if that wasn't what she wanted when the time came to choose?

Sometimes, Shiori thought it would be better if she just ended up alone.

Sighing, Shiori slept.

Her dreams turned into tainted nightmares of familiar mismatched eyes.

They didn't bring up the incident afterwards. Instead, Shiori opted to sweep it under the metaphorical rug and act as if it had never even happened. She had nothing to say about it, anyway, and Kaname had seemed to make his peace with it. He had said what he wanted to say before, and if there was more left out… Well, he could bring it back up at any time.

He never did though. It didn't matter much to Shiori either way.

Some things were better left unsaid, and she felt as if this was one of them.

Things went back to how they were before, and the siblings continued to interact without any sort of hostility. Kaname and Shiori continued to train, and, later, Yuki also started to receive lessons; ones that Kaname and Shiori also had to go through when they were their little brother's age.

Unlike the twins, Yuki loved these lessons. He finally had something else to look forward to every day, and it also meant he got to spend even more time with Haruka and Juri. Too often it felt like they were busy with their work. Haruka with politics, and Juri with the construction of Cross Academy.

Soon it was winter, and with it came the snow.

Shiori enjoyed the snow; whether it was falling from the sky or laying stagnant on the ground. It always looked so beautiful to her, and the cool sensation of resting atop it to take a nap was hard to beat.

That's where she found herself currently; outside the mansion and beneath one of the many trees surrounding the building. Shiori was content as she lightly dozed on the snow. Occasionally, she would open her eyes to gaze up at the night sky. The stars were especially bright tonight, making her want to reach out and grab them.

Inside, her parents and Kaname were with Yuki, all helping him with his studies. Right now they were working on teaching him to read and write. He wasn't too bad, but definitely not as quick to catch on as Shiori and Kaname were. They were special cases though, obviously.

Sighing, Shiori finally felt herself slipping a bit deeper into unconsciousness. In the back of her head, she knew Kaname would scold her later for falling asleep outside in this weather. Which was ridiculous, because she was a pureblood vampire, and the cold weather didn't affect her the same.

She smiled slightly just imagining the scenario.

'He's always concerned about some— !'

Her thoughts halted; Shiori bolted upright with wide eyes.

She sensed three people on the Kuran property, and they were moving in her direction. Two of them were unfamiliar to her, but, one of them… One of them was very dark and strong. She knew who that was.

Shiori scrambled to her feet, eyes still wide in shock and fear. Her heart was beating too fast, and she didn't know what to do because he was here, and the rest of her family were in the basement while she stood outside and alone.

Frozen with shock, Shiori could only watch as the three figures appeared in her view. Two of them wore cloaks and stood on either side of the third vampire amongst them.

Rido Kuran walked toward her with a devilish grin and an excited glint in his eyes.

'Move, move, move. Move, Shiori! Move!' The brunette chanted to herself, but her eyes couldn't break away from Rido's and she was terrified.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Shiori dug her nails into her flesh to the point of drawing blood. The pain shook her, and before she could even comprehend what was happening, she was running back towards the mansion.

"Such a delectable smell," Rido said as the scent of Shiori's blood reached him. He laughed then, flicking his arm in her direction and conjuring two blood whips. "Shiori-chan, where do you think you're going? That's no way to treat your favorite uncle."

The blood whips reached Shiori in a matter of seconds, wrapping around her ankles and pulling her backwards harshly. The girl fell forward, her head landing harshly on the ground. A scream left her throat at the impact, but Rido remained unaffected.

"Haven't you missed me?" Rido practically hummed, pulling Shiori towards him.

Shiori hissed in pain as her body slid across the snow. Small scratches littered her exposed skin, and she could already feel a bruise forming on her head from the fall.

Suddenly, Haruka and Kaname were outside, and Shiori almost smiled in relief before Rido's cold hands reminded her where she was. The man had finished pulling her to him, and was now holding her to his chest. One arm wrapped around her waist, while the other was delicately grasping her throat.

"Release her, Rido!" Haruka yelled, wanting to step forward, but whenever he so much as leaned in their direction, the grip Rido had on her throat tightened.

Shiori was frozen in the man's hold, feeling helpless. She had been preparing herself for this moment, but, when the time came, she hadn't been prepared for the amount of fear Rido would instil in her. All she could do was stand still, hoping she would get an opportunity to break free.

The brunette's eyes found Kaname's. He had been looking at her the entire time, refusing to look away for even a moment. He looked entirely too calm for the situation at hand, but Shiori knew what he was feeling. Kaname was furious.

Rido laughed at Haruka's demands, flexing his arms around Shiori. He made a show of breathing in her scent and ran a hand through her hair. Shiori didn't break eye contact with Kaname, refusing to focus on the feeling of Rido's hands on her body.

Kaname's jaw clenched before he calmly took a step forward. "Don't touch her."

"Oh?" Rido smirked. "As much as I'd love to stay and listen to your little demands, I've gotten what I came here for." He pecked Shiori's head at that, grinning all the more when Haruka and Kaname began to shake in visible rage. Kaname may have expressed it more subtly, but the anger was clearly there.

Rido continued, casually looping a lock of Shiori's hair around his finger. "Though, I'd love to stay and meet my new nephew— Shiori and I really must be going. Don't worry, I'll be sure to return and to put you all out of your misery."

Haruka looked slightly taken aback that Rido had found out about Yuki's existence, but he didn't let it distract him. The older vampire looked into Rido's eyes and saw the future that awaited Shiori. Her memories would be suppressed, and she'd be locked into a gilded cage. She would be conditioned to become a beautiful wife for Rido; he wanted what he couldn't have with Juri.

In a blink of an eye, Haruka stood in front of Rido. "I'll die before I let you take my child away from me."

"Again," went unspoken.

Rido's eyes widened, but he didn't let his brother's sudden attack throw him off. Instead, he laughed at Haruka's desperation and quickly jumped out of the way of his reaching hands. Kaname went to corner him, but the two vampires Rido had arrived with moved to intercept him.

Haruka and Kaname were forced to face off against the two vampires.

"So the Senate are your puppets now, brother?" Haruka said, apparently recognizing the two vampires as members of the council.

Shiori watched, her body stock-still in Rido's grip, as Kaname and Haruka fought the two vampires. Their pureblood abilities should have made fighting against two Level Bs no problem, but she couldn't help but worry. With every passing second, she feared they would mess up and fall victim to the vampires' brutal attacks.

Rido seemed content to watch the display, slowly retreating as he did so.

'Do something. Do something!' Shiori chanted to herself, trying to force herself to move. 'What a useless fool! You trained all this time, just to freeze up and let him win?'

When Rido killed her twin brother, Shiori was a defenseless infant with barely enough motor control to do anything other than wave her arms. Now, the man was back again, ready to kill her entire family in order to take her away. She had grown and gotten stronger since then.

If she didn't fight back now, what would her excuse be this time?

With a frustrated yell, Shiori violently pulled herself free from Rido's grip. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he watched her fall away. With a flip, the brunette landed on her feet, just in time for Rido to send a blood whip her way.

Shiori deflected it with a small shield from her hand, causing the whip to break connection. Rido stumbled as the blood splattered across the snow, clearly not having expected that.

"What's this?" Rido's curiosity peaked. "Since when did you…?" He laughed then, striking out once more with another whip. Again, Shiori deflected it, making blood decorate the snow.

Again and again, Rido would strike at Shiori, each swing eliciting an excited laugh from the man. Shiori blocked each attack, but it felt as if he was driving her into a corner.

"Shiori, behind you!" Shiori heard Kaname yell, and quickly generated a shield behind her. Immediately, an attack from another senate member was blocked by her shield, causing the vampire to fall back from the force.

'Another one?!' Shiori took another look at her surroundings, and, sure enough, along with the vampire that had attacked her, several more of Rido's underlings had joined them.

Shiori's brows furrowed in concern. She was sure Haruka and Kaname could handle the incoming crowd without a problem, but, still… there were so many.

"AAH!" The one Haruka was fighting let out a scream before disintegrating to sand.

One less to go.

"Did you forget where you are, darling?"

Distracted by the two new vampires, Shiori failed to block the blood whip that was sent her way. She cried out as it came into contact with her stomach, harshly knocking her back and into a nearby tree.

"Shiori!"

Haruka's voice was distant and frantic to Shiori as she slumped into the snow. Her ears were ringing as she attempted to recenter herself. As she tried to stand, limbs shaking, snow fell from the branches above and on top of her. There wasn't enough to bury here, but it was definitely adding salt to the wound.

"One hit and you're out?" Shiori could vaguely make out Rido walking her way, her vision still slightly dizzy. "What did Haruka and Juri teach you? I didn't even hit you that hard." She once again tried to stand, but then Rido was there, grabbing her by her throat and lifting her up as if she weighed nothing.

She wanted to cry, but her face remained fearless.

'How am I still so weak? Was this all for nothing?'

"You're not weak," Rido cooed, making her realize she had spoken aloud. He caressed her cheek. "I'm just that good."

Shiori grunted, pulling her face away from his hand. Rido continued to smile, though, unbothered by the rejection.

"Are we done playing now?" He looked over her head where Haruka and Kaname were. "Or should we stay a little longer?" His smile turned sinister. "I don't mind tying up loose ends."

"No." Gritting her teeth, Shiori thrashed in Rido's grip. He merely tilted his head, watching as her legs kicked out at him and how her hands clawed at the one on her throat.

Rido sighed, "You're so cute."

Shiori heard more than saw her father and Kaname arrive. In unison, the two attacked Rido, forcing him to release Shiori and deflect their hits. As soon as Shiori was free, she retreated further back and tried to catch her bearings.

The other vampires were now piles of sand amongst the snow; the only one left was Rido.

'This is different from before.' Shiori's mind was working fast, trying to piece together what happened on this fateful night. Originally, Haruka fought Rido alone, and Kaname was too late to save him because of that.

Shiori's heart swelled in hope. 'We'll save them. They don't have to die. Rido will die here.'

Something was missing from her memory, though. She couldn't remember how Haruka died. She knew Rido killed him, but how?

"Now this isn't very fair! Two against one?" Rido continued to evade and dodge the attacks sent his way, but Haruka and Kaname were relentless. They weren't going to let Rido get away this time.

Shiori could see Kaname faltering at times; unable to deal what would be a fatal attack. Those slip-ups almost cost him, but each time Haruka was there to evade a hit that was sent her brother's way.

'Damn it.' Shiori frowned, 'I forgot that Rido is Kaname's Master.'

Kaname couldn't kill Rido himself, but he could injure him, at least.

"I'm growing tired of this game, brother," Rido huffed when Kaname landed a vicious hit onto his arm. The man hissed, cradling it against himself. He raised his uninjured hand, conjuring another a sharp spear made of blood.

Kaname and Haruka prepared to evade it as Rido lashed out. It missed both of them entirely, making the two pause for a second. Was Rido tiring out so terribly that his perception had diminished?

The cruel smile on his face said it was the exact opposite.

"What...?" Haruka and Kaname turned to where the spear had been directed with wide eyes.

'What did he—?'

Shiori met Haruka and Kaname's horrified gazes, and slowly looked down.

Rido's blood spear was embedded in her chest.

"Shiori!" Kaname and Haruka's screams blended into each other. Shiori was still confused, though. She couldn't even register the pain going through her body right now; all she could do was wonder why?

'Why did he….?'

"I guess being easily distracted runs in the family." Then Rido was upon them, a weapon in his hand that he shouldn't have. Shiori's eyes widened. That was what she had forgotten.

"Otou-sama!" Her scream was guttural; it was the loudest she had ever been in her life.

Haruka turned, but it was too late. Shiori watched with tears in her eyes as Rido stabbed Haruka in the chest with the sword from the Hunters.

With one last push of energy, Shiori launched a shield at Rido. It threw the man back and pinned him against a nearby tree. The wood cracked with the force behind her attack, but it remained stable enough to hold Rido down at least temporarily.

"Otou-sama, is it— Did it reach your heart?" Kaname's eyes were wide, his hands outstretched towards their father, but unsure what to do.

Haruka held onto the sword in his chest as he dropped down to one knee.

"Kaname, Shiori…" Haruka's skin began to crack. "No matter what, you know I have always loved you both. Your Okaa-sama and I—"

Haruka's body shattered into shards of glass, and with it Shiori let the darkness take her.

author's note: rip to the fluff, you will be missed :) i didn't mean to make everything all nice and happy, only to dump all the angst and trauma on you all at once but… oh well! lol and sorry to leave everything on a cliffhanger, but it didn't feel right to continue everything after a line break. thank you to everyone for your patience! i know i always take forever to update, but rest assured i will never drop a story without letting you guys know in advance.

it was so hard writing a scene with just shiori and senri . they are quiet and speak in gestures, but for the sake of my readers and my sanity i can't write a whole scene of just that so i had to make them actually speak… blegh.. in sentences. disgusting.

edited by fortheloveofb! thank you as always for taking the time to edit my messes :') i appreciate you always.

Guest 01: thank you for your patience, and i'm happy i was able to surprise you with an update. i hope this one is a nice surprise as well :)

Guest 02: aww :') i miss you too bb

Yuna: i'm glad you're loving the story! sorry for the wait with this new chapter, but i hope it was up to your standards /3 also rip to the fluffy moments lol they were good while they lasted.

story rec: "as above, so below" by IsabellaWinters