"If only I could clear my eyes, then I might breathe once more. Then I might breathe again..."

Chapter Two

1000 Shards

He had finished what they had both set out to do from the start. Alucard had met his end at the hands of Tsukune and his newly found Shinso strength.

It was finally over and yet, he could not enjoy it, he could not fully realize the accomplishment after so much loss.

"There are no victors in a war"

The phrase came unbidden in his thoughts. He never understood what it meant until now. Sadness becomes a part of either side, no one is spared from the grief of friends and lovers lost.

He realized early on in a moment of self-reflection that with each kill he made and each death he suffered, a part of him would die. For he had become the very thing which he fought.

Truthfully, It's been said that in order to kill a monster, you have to become one.

Standing on a cliff high above the sea, Tsukune Aono contemplated his existence. All the while, the waves were calling him.

The Shinso Vampire wondered idly if the fall would kill him before the water did, Soon realizing that there are few ways for a Shinso to meet their end and it would just cause him extreme pain at most.

Chuckling darkly, he came to the conclusion that even death has been denied to him now. It seemed fate was not done toying with his life.

He thought he caught a flash of silver on the beach at the foot of the cliff. The thought of Moka following it. He still couldn't accept her own fate, he wouldn't.

To have been chasing a dream in the dark for so long, only to have it snatched away the moment you reached its warm light was too much for his mind to comprehend. He felt lost and helpless.

He couldn't face his friends, they reminded him too much of better times. Their bond withered and tainted at the loss of innocence throughout their journey. He felt an overpowering need to get away from it all. But could he leave this life in search of a new one? Could he even call it a life after leaving so much behind?

He's sure the girls would understand in the end. They had been understanding and supportive of him and his choices thus far.

The only thing stopping his train of thought was the idea of saying goodbye. He was no good at it... Especially after losing Moka.

Maybe he could be selfish, just this once and do whatever pleased him? He deserved that much after all he's gone through. The right to make his own choice in his dark times.

He fingered the rosary dangling from his hand. A gift from Moka that she had planned on giving him after their victory. It was a beautiful silver rosary in the form of a chain around his wrist. He hadn't felt the need to remove it and so he had no idea if it would come off at will.

He recalled a certain memory of one of the few conversations he had with inner Moka

FLASHBACK

Tsukune was thrown against a tree, the force making it groan and tremble violently. Moka always held back her true strength when sparring but her blows still packed a punch.

As he started to get up on all fours, coughing and gasping. He asked, "Why k-keep wasting your time by.. training me Moka-san? It's obvious I've reached my limit" He could hear her footsteps coming towards him but he still hadn't caught his breath.

She responded by delivering a hard smack across his face. Her beautiful face etched with annoyance and disappointment.

"You must never be ashamed to be who you are Tsukune-kun, I would not let anyone other than my equal be my companion in a fight" Moka chastised him after the moment of weakness.

He had failed to land a single punch on her after an especially rigorous training session.

His eyes showed shock and pleasant surprise. He'd never heard her speak so passionately about him. He immediately felt shame for questioning his worth and finally stood back up. A new confidence holding his shoulders up and filling him with strength.

"O-of course! I'm sorry Moka-San, I will try harder. I promise never to give up again!" This caused a small smile to appear on her face and a light red dusting to appear on her pale cheeks.

"You'd best not forget your place again Tsukune-kun!" She said while preparing herself for another bout

FLASHBACK END

It was one of the very few times he remembered inner Moka giving him a complement and showing her respect for him. It also helped him realized that his dream of truly being able to stand by her could become reality, if he remained persistent and patient. He never showed her any weakness after that.

Now, as he felt the breeze being carried by the never ending motions of the sea, he smelled the fresh ocean air and came to the conclusion that as a tribute to her memory he would go out into the world and try to give shape to his currently amorphous life.

He breathed once more before turning around and walking away from the view of a setting sun being reflected by the ocean, a wavering radiant...

(A week later)

Tsukune finds himself boarding a plane, having set everything up for his trip and notifying only Issa Shuzen of his departure. His bond with the elder vampires family obligating Tsukune to at least give him notice.

He really wanted to make as small of an exit as possible.

He'd told the girls of his need to be alone with his family as a cover story for the whole ordeal. He wanted to spare them as much hurt as possible and so he was extremely reluctant to tell them of his true intentions of moving away. He still wasn't sure exactly how long he would be away or if he even intended to come back.

Finding his assigned seat, he sits down while nervously toying with the rosary on his wrist. He's been having second thoughts. Maybe he's behaving irrationally? What if this is just running away from his demons?

Squashing down those thoughts for what seemed like the hundredth time, he stares out into the horizon. "No" he thinks, "If Moka-San has taught me anything, it's to follow your instincts.."

Reaffirming his decision, He stares at the sun slowly rising over the morning clouds.