Chapter 18:

Her giggles echoed throughout the night as she skipped her way down the cobblestone paths. Every now and then she twirled upon her feet, her lithe form spinning gracefully as she walked, her white laced skirt billowing as she did.

"Lady Cassandra!" Came the voice of the maid behind her. "Lady Cassandra I must insist that we return to the castle at once!"

"Just ten more minutes Beatrice." The girl named Cassandra replied. "I never get to go out of that dreary place. I don't understand why grandfather wants to keep me cooped up! The outside world is so beautiful!"

"Please milady! Your grandfather will not be pleased with this!" The maid, Beatrice, pleaded. "Let us return to the castle!"

Cassandra sighed in irritation, her silver hair blowing gently in the breeze. "And do what? Be surrounded and waited on by those detestable and lifeless dolls? Have nothing save for bleak marble and the dull atmosphere for my surroundings? Beatrice I can't stand that life! My grandfather can do what he pleases, but he has no control over what I wish for myself!"

Beatrice sighed in exasperation. "You should know that he does care for you…"

"Well, he has a very interesting way to show it." Cassandra snarked. "So what if he is family? That is not how family works."

"But milady, he took you in when your parents passed away!" Beatrice said. "Surely you realise that he has your welfare at the foremost of his mind?"

"Does he really?" Cassandra replied with an indignation that shocked even the accompanying maid. "Is it because I'm family or because he has need for me to have that kind of treatment?"

"Milady!" Beatrice gasped. Cassandra now sighed. Beatrice was one to have strong views of family unity. What she said just now might have struck a nerve in her servant.

"I'm sorry for that outburst." Cassandra replied remorsefully. "It's just, it can be so frustrating with all the rules he has set for me! 'Don't go outside. Don't bring anyone in. Don't go anywhere without an escort.' Ugh, it is so tiresome!"

"I'm sure." Beatrice nodded. "But I'm sure he only means well for you. After all, you will be the one to inherit everything he owns."

"I suppose so." Cassandra nodded. "He still refuses to tell me why though. He constantly calls me his little heiress. Why that is so he delights in not telling me. I wonder if he finds the same delight in how the rest of my siblings treat me."

"I do admit…" Beatrice nodded. "Sometimes your sisters can be rather demeaning."

"That's putting it lightly Beatrice." Cassandra replied. "But fine, we will return shortly. At least let me enjoy the night a little bit longer."

"Very well then milady." Beatrice nodded, content with letting the Pureblood enjoy her time a little longer.

"I'm afraid you cannot do such for any longer." A dark voice came from behind. Cassandra and Beatrice turned sharply to see a man standing right behind them. Cassandra frowned at the newcomer while Beatrice bowed her head.

"Hello grandfather." Cassandra said with a hint of revulsion. It was always like him to send one of his lifeless puppets for such meagre tasks.

"Why do you reply with such apprehension my dear?" The doll replied in a voice that was not its own. "After I did all this effort to come get you home…"

"Then stop sending these mindless drones after me." Cassandra grumbled. "Send someone like Franklin or maybe sister Katarina if you are so concerned about your own health."

"Unfortunately, they are otherwise indisposed. Thus, I made it my personal task to bring you home. Surely that counts as some form of effort? Perhaps you ought to think a little bit more on the position I have before mouthing off what is on your own mind." Her grandfather chastised through the doll.

Cassandra huffed, knowing her grandfather was right. Despite it all, there was no helping the fact that her grandfather had poor health while the remainder of his servants or her family were too busy to add an extra chore to their daily timetables. "Apologies grandfather. I'll head home right now."

"Very good." He replied through the puppet. "I have asked the family to gather save for Katarina and I would like for you to be there as well. As my successor, it feels only correct."

"Understood." Cassandra nodded. With nothing more to say, the puppet now returned to its usual behaviour, which Cassandra believed would be to lie as a near-lifeless heap in a dark place; somewhere no one would notice it, ensuring that no suspicion would be aroused. Cassandra huffed as she turned on her heel and made her way home. "Come Beatrice, it'd be best to not keep them waiting."

"Of course milady." Beatrice nodded, the maid following soon after.

She found herself in the same scene again. Blood was everywhere. She assumed it was freshly spilt, for it was still warm to the touch.

It was already something familiar to Anju, for she hadn't gone a month without this strange dream. She stared at the shadowy surroundings, a mixture of vexation and terror encroaching into her mind.

Something moved in the peripheral of her vision. She turned to see a butterfly hovering slightly above the pool of blood. It then nestled down upon a small stone before leaning forward to drink the red fluid. Anju grimaced at the sight, something she could only deem as horrific beyond nature.

"Is it scary?" Came a voice. Anju now turned her head to see the phantom girl once more. Her white dress and brown hair billowed in an unseen wind as she flashed a small smile at her.

"Well, I don't know if there are blood sucking butterflies…" Anju replied. "So yeah, that does kinda freak me out."

"I don't know if there are blood sucking butterflies either." The figure replied. "But I don't find them all that scary. Is that weird?"

"Not as weird as talking to you like this." Anju said as she curled up on the mattress. "How long are we going to keep this up?"

"Dunno." The girl answered. "This is actually a first for me too. I mean, the only thing I remember is just darkness, like a strange sleep you can't wake from."

"Who are you anyways?" Anju asked. "I still don't know your name."

"Like I said before." The girl giggled as she walked closer to Anju. "It's a secret."

"That is starting to get old." Anju grumbled.

The girl shrugged. "It's the only thing I know. It's the only thing I have to say right now regarding that."

Anju fell back down on the mattress as the girl walked to her side. "So anyways, what is yours?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

"I don't know if I should be saying my name to strangers…" Anju replied.

"Huh…" The girl nodded, seeming to agree. "Logical reason. Then, maybe I can guess?"

"I don't know if I should let you…" Anju started to protest, but it was too late. The girl was already firing off names, starting with those that began with the letter Y.

"Yukari? Yuno? Yoko? Yuko? Yona? Yuki? Yumiko? Yuki?"

"You said Yuki twice…" Anju frowned.

"Did I?" The girl blinked quizzically. "I don't think I did."

"You did." Anju deadpanned.

The girl went silent for a few seconds before she began the guessing game again. "Akari, Atari, Aika, Aina, Akane, Aimi, Akemi, Akeno, Aoi, Ayane, Anzu, Anju…"

"Anju… That's it right?" The girl blinked. Anju now looked up, keeping her face as straight as possible. She had no intent on making it know that she was right.

"It is!" The girl cheered. "Anju is your name! Right? Right?"

"N-No…" Anju shook her head.

"It is!" The girl cheered as she hugged Anju. "Finally! Finally I can call my new friend by name!"

"Wait what? Friend?" Anju's eyes went wide. "What do you mean friend?"

"That's what we are, right?" The girl smiled.

"Wait a sec!" Anju protested. "How are we friends now? Every time I've seen you in the past you've only hurt me!"

"Huh?" The girl replied. "I did?"

"Really?" Anju moaned. "All that blood sucking and tearing my body to pieces? You're telling me you don't remember?!"

"Umm…" The girl blinked as she immediately broke eye contact with Anju.

"Oh give me a break…" Anju groaned. "Of all the things you forget, why did it have to be those…"

"Sorry?" The girl replied apologetically.

"Ugh…" Anju sighed. "Well, I guess if you are remorseful, I can forgive you."

"YAY!" The girl cried out with joy. "Anju is my friend now!"

Anju sighed as the girl continued hugging her, worried for an instant that this could be taken the wrong way by anyone else.

"So alone… for so long…" She heard the girl mutter. "I finally have someone, to talk to…"

"I definitely, won't let you get hurt. I promise…"

Definitely the weirdest dream I've had… Anju thought to herself as she got ready for class. Right now, she thought it truly best to not tell anyone about this chain of dreams that had been going on. After all, her dream just said she was its friend. Anju tried hard to not think about what that meant. She felt that doing so would indefinitely erode her brain cells. Plus, she could imagine the hysterics it would drive into the rest of the student body should something as ridiculous as that get out.

Not to mention… Anju now stared ahead as Ichigo and Misaki headed to class, alongside the rest of her classmates. She didn't want to get into the freaky situation of explaining how she has a dreamtime friend. Imaginary friends were bad enough but this? Anju was more than certain that it would entail more than just a trip to the psychiatric ward.

"Anju, are you okay? You seem really spaced out." Hibiki said from behind her.

"Just thinking about stuff Hibiki." Anju replied. "I haven't had the best sleep in a month. Truth be told, I've been thinking that I needed a visit to the doctor."

"So why haven't you?" Hibiki asked.

"Because the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that even a doctor couldn't help me." Anju groaned. "But I suppose it's starting to get better. I don't feel like falling asleep anymore."

"You have been dozing off a lot in the past few weeks." Hibiki nodded. "I heard that the chairman would soon be seeing you for all this."

"Tell me about it…" Anju sighed. "Well, time to break myself out of that loop. So what do you think will be happening in math class?"

"Who knows?" Hibiki shrugged as they caught up with Lauren and Gerald. "Just be sure to pay attention."

"Got it…" Anju groaned as class began.

As expected, math class was as dry as ever. Thankfully, Anju believed it wasn't about to get her into dreamland. It was still rather unnerving to watch the teacher keeping his eyes on her at all times. Well, she supposed if he wanted to wait for her to doze off, she supposed she'd disappoint him.

Still, it was rather challenging to keep up with logarithmic equations. She constantly struggled with working out the different functions on her calculator while simultaneously trying to absorb the words of the teacher. She groaned, her eyes now darting toward the clock, sighing internally as she realised it was just fifteen minutes left before the class ended. It was going to be a long fifteen minutes it seemed. As she turned her eyes back toward the board, her mind froze.

There she was now, the girl from her dreams, right in front of the board. She looked different this time, her white dress now stained with red splotches of blood. Blood could also be found upon her lips, dripping down her chin and onto the floor. All the while, butterflies fluttered around her, their wings blacker than obsidian. She stared back at Anju's with her blood red eyes, giving a small wave in greeting. With the same hand, she touched the board, leaving a huge streak of red across the equation.

Instantly, Anju felt the bile rising in her mouth. Her body jerked as she tried to keep it in, though it didn't stop the retching sound that echoed through the class.

"Ann?" Hibiki blinked. "Is everything okay?"

Anju looked up at her friend as the whole class stared at her. "Uh, you didn't see?"

"See what?" Hibiki frowned. "You just jerked so suddenly, like you had a fit or something."

Anju's brain went into overdrive as she realised the only one who must have seen the mysterious girl was her. She looked for signs of the girl such as the blood stains or the butterflies, but none were found.

"Ms. Cross? Is everything alright?" The teacher asked.

"S-Sorry." Anju apologised. "Must have been something I ate…"

"Well at least your disruption was due to a good reason." The teacher said as he resumed the lesson.

Anju now resumed her focus on the lesson, her mind still plagued by the apparition she saw.

At least there is a little bit of light. Cassandra mused as she walked down the dark hallways, her form casting shadows amidst the light of numerous candles. If there would be anything more dreary than the castle she had to call home, it would definitely be her state of mind the minute she stepped foot into its dark halls. Why did her grandfather insist on living in such a gloomy place was beyond her.

She stared outside, looking at the fog that now encroached upon the castle. She knew that it was the only way they stayed safe in the world that vampires now shared with humans. Still, it didn't hurt to try and make the natural barrier of their home a little less bleak.

She now stopped before the ornate black door at the end of the hallway. Beatrice hurriedly took her coat off before placing upon her neck the necklace her mother wore. Cassandra smiled as she fingered the large ruby that was the crowning jewel of the necklace. "Thank you Beatrice. I wouldn't know what to do without this…"

"It is my pleasure milady." Beatrice bowed. "I pray your evening goes well."

Cassandra nodded her thanks as Beatrice retreated into the shadows. Beyond these doors was no place for a maid like Beatrice. Very few could actually maintain the mental fortitude long enough in her grandfather's presence.

Cassandra breathed, clutching the ruby tightly as if hoping it would give her strength. Once she had composed herself, she pushed against the black wood, the doors opening effortlessly.

"At last, the wandering runt has returned." Cassandra now looked to the source of the snide comment, a black-haired female vampire with a small mole beneath her left eye and wore a thick layer of makeup and lipstick. Her feet were propped up against the table, an extremely unladylike posture.

"Hello big sister Lucretia." Cassandra greeted, though she knew the greeting would do little to please her third oldest sister. Lucretia was among the most spiteful of her siblings, and was enraged when their grandfather had announced Cassandra as his successor.

Such was evidenced at how Lucretia merely snorted back. "Spare me your pity. I would so love to put you into a hovel for the rest of your life if Grandfather wouldn't punish me for it."

"Cease your bile Lucretia…" Came the vampire seated opposite her, filing her nails. Just fifty years older than Lucretia, Irina was the second oldest of the four girls. "I tire of your insults every day. Truthfully, you are the one who I wish would be shoved into a hovel." Cassandra's eyes narrowed at her sister's words. She knew Irina said this not out of pity for her or because Lucretia was out of line. No, Irina was, by all accounts, simply a sadistic individual who loved nothing more than to make everyone around her miserable. At least, when she was in the mood for it.

"Hello big sister Irina." Cassandra greeted, getting a curt nod from her older sister while Lucretia bristled in fury. As she took her seat, Cassandra now bore witness to the verbal war that began between her older siblings, with Lucretia throwing out insults while Irina retaliated with monotone jabs that hit harder than all of Lucretia's profanities combined.

"Goodness, you lot are in quite the bickering mood." The three of them turned as James Ridley entered the room. Lucretia and Irina immediately went tense as soon as they eyed his face. Cassandra for one narrowed her eyes as he came in close to her.

"Lady Cassandra, it is good to see that you are safe." James said as he bowed. "When I had found out that you had snuck out again, I was beside myself with worry."

"Save it James." Cassandra said. "For the record, I never asked you to look out for me, and neither has grandfather."

"But of course milady." James replied. "I apologise for being out of line. It's just that your grandfather has chosen you to succeed this family, and as one who owes this family his life, I feel it my solemn duty to ensure its line continues for eternity."

"I find your concern touching." Cassandra nodded. Deep down however, she had nothing but mistrust for this vampire. It was, by far, the only thing she and her sisters have in common. "Where is big sister Katarina? Is she arriving?"

"Not today." James reported, still bowing. "Your grandfather has given her some duties to attend to."

"I see." Cassandra nodded. Of all her oldest siblings, Katarina was the one who came to accept their grandfather's decision easily. Still, Cassandra was sure she didn't like it one bit.

"Always like the big sister to be absent and not get told off…" Lucretia said with scorn. "Cassandra is too dim for her own good, Irina is just a pompous little bitch. Why wasn't I chosen as the next head of our family?!"

"It's because you are just a brute with no indication of intelligence at all, you hairless chimp." Irina said back. "Oh, I actually forgot to add slut into the middle of all that. Forgive me."

"You want to see brutish dear sister?" Lucretia snarled as she got to her feet, baring her fangs. Irina responded in kind, hissing and snapping to a hunched position.

At once, the door opened again. Everyone in the room straightened immediately as the hooded figure entered. His crooked cane tapped loudly in the silence of the room as he made his way to the high chair at the head of the table. James quickly pulled it out for him, allowing him to sit down.

"Irina, Lucretia…" The figure addressed the two sisters. "Do you two find enjoyment from such barbaric malignance?" He raised his hand, motioning for them to sit.

"Apologies for the outburst grandfather." Irina said as she gestured to her sister. "I'm sure Lucretia feels the same." Lucretia on the other hand appeared incensed, but otherwise remained silent.

"No matter. I have no intent to discuss such trivial matters." He replied as he rested his decayed hand on the table. "Now, onto our actual business. Irina, how are negotiations going on your end?"

"Extremely well grandfather." Irina replied in a business tone. "I have managed to get a hold of twenty different shipping companies as collaborators. Though they are small in size, they overall have been able to provide us with what we need. I doubt there will be complications in that regard, but I will remain diligent to be safe. I doubt that I can make anymore moves however, as doing so will arouse the Aidou family to suspicion."

"Excellent." He replied. "And what of you Lucretia? How have things gone on your end?"

"I have been able complete five more of those boxes grandfather." Lucretia replied. "Franklin has already made the necessary arrangements to deliver them."

"Wonderful." The hooded figure said. "I am pleased with your efforts."

"Thank you grandfather." Lucretia smiled. "At least I am grateful to have done something." At this, her eyes darted to the empty seat and then to Cassandra, who did her best to remain composed.

"Katarina is currently doing as I have instructed." The hooded figure growled, causing Lucretia to back down immediately. "As for Cassandra, I have explicitly said that she was not the most suited to the tasks I have assigned to the both of you. She can hardly be blamed for not possessing the influence of Irina or your industrial prowess, so I would appreciate it if you would not make such judgements about your younger sister."

Lucretia pursed her lips in irritation, but otherwise nodded. "Apologies grandfather."

"But if you are so concerned about the fact that Cassandra has yet to contribute to our cause, then fret not, for I now have a task for her." At this, all looked at him with surprise.

"Me?" Cassandra blinked.

"Yes my dear." The figure said. "You possess not the influence or strength of your sisters. But you have something that is far more valuable. You can move the hearts of others."

"Wha-?" Cassandra blinked, utterly confused.

"You may not realise it, but that is your gift." The hooded figure said. "It is why you are chosen to be my successor, and why this task I require of you is your forte. Only you can bring our dream to fruition. Will you help me here my dear grandchild?"

Cassandra now stared at the maggot that burrowed its way out of her grandfather's hand. Revulsion spread across her face immediately, though she wouldn't be blamed for it. In fact, it was this revulsion that reminded her of their family's mission, and why she had to do what she must. Thus, she had only one answer.

"Yes grandfather." Cassandra nodded. "I will."

"Thank you my dear." He replied. "This is what you must do. You will enrol as a new student at Cross academy."

"Milord if I may…" James Ridley spoke. "Cross academy is quite a ways away, and it is far too close to the Hunter's Association headquarters. I do not doubt your decisions, but perhaps to ensure Lady Cassandra's safety, we should have a trusted servant accompany her?"

"Excellent suggestion James." The figure replied. "Who would you recommend?"

"I believe Beatrice would be sufficient." James nodded. "She is the most loyal towards Lady Cassandra and will see to her needs effectively. Additionally, Beatrice is quite fluent in Japanese and English and will no doubt assist her in communicating with others. Of course, if Lady Cassandra herself is fine with this arrangement."

Cassandra frowned at James, wondering exactly what he was playing at. Still, he did have a point. Beatrice was a person she trusted. As much as she wanted, she couldn't disagree to his suggestion.

"I'm fine with that." Cassandra nodded.

"Very well then." Her grandfather said. "Irina, make the necessary arrangements for Cassandra's admittance to Cross academy. Ensure all documents are in order before she leaves."

"Of course grandfather." Irina replied.

"That is all for today my dear granddaughters." He said as he rose. "Do what you believe necessary, but Cassandra must reach Cross academy by the end of the week at latest."

The room's occupants bowed as he left. Once the doors closed, Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was getting out of this place for an extended time. Perhaps the task she was given isn't so bad after all.

"Be ready to pull your weight runt." Lucretia said, her voice dripping with spite. "After all grandfather just said, it would be terribly troubling to fail him, no?"

Cassandra said nothing in response. She merely made her way back to her room.

Within the next few days, the necessary arrangements were made. In the Cross academy mailbox came the application for a new student to the Night class, a female named Cassandra Kraven.

Author's Note:

So, so, so sorry for the late uploads. I had intended this to be earlier, but with other fanfics that required more immediate attention, progress on this has been slow, too slow it seems.

Additionally, I have been racking my brain with how this story is meant to progress, and it took a while to get the character of Cassandra out of my imagination and onto paper.

At any rate, I hope this chapter was a good way to get back into the loop. Personally, I feel I can identify a little with some of Cassandra's struggles and it was quite an enjoyable time to create her personality and interactions with the rest of her family.

As for Anju and her mysterious dream friend, I actually got the idea of that from another Japanese vampire manga series known as Chibi Vampire. It was quite a fun series that I read before starting to read on Vampire Knight. If you are still wondering who Anju's mysterious 'friend' is, as I have said before, you already know who she is. I may have also given more than enough clues as to her identity, but please don't spoil it for others if you already know. Keep new readers in the suspense.

At any rate, for now it seems I have only this fic to work with, so hopefully I can get chapters out faster. Till then, do read and comment.

Jdbl00d