This was such a long chapter. I'm very tired. Also, slowburn? Don't know her.


8


"You're sure that it's in there?" Rei asked Momo, looking at the ruins before her.

The skirt of the mandarin collared black dress she wore moved when the wind went through the area. Her pink eyes were focused on the old, crumbling buildings. She knew this area, where it used to be. The metropolitan building that had stood proudly in Tokyo was reduced to nothing but crumbling concrete. She'd been inside it once, back when she had been younger. She quickly ignored that train of thought as Momo nipped on her cheek. They needed to quickly find her claymore. She took a deep breath and jumped down from the ledge she'd been standing on. The landing caused her to wince, but nothing had been broken.

"Be careful," Momo gently warned, jumping down from her mistress's shoulder. "There are level E's running around here."

"Those poor people," she softly muttered before looking at a piece of the Tokyo tower. "They are remnants from the wars, still stuck in that situation."

"It would be a kindness to let them pass on," Momo stated.

Rei didn't know about that. She listened to her heels clacking on the old pavement. A few pieces broke off and she easily kept her balance. She looked around, seeing a few cherry trees struggling to grow towards the surface. She brought her hand up and placed it against the trunk. The tree rapidly grew, something she needed it to do, and the ceiling gained holes as the branches broke through it. Maybe this would allow people to find the ruined city. A hiss rang through the air, and she ducked under the charging level E, her hand slowly traveling through its chest. She quickly removed the vampire and noted that he had been a salary man. The tattered remains of the professional suit tipped her off on that. How his clothes survived that long she wanted to know. She watched as his body turned to dust, and her eyes gained a sorrowful

"Which building?" she asked Momo.

"Nippon Ginkō," Momo answered.

The Japanese national bank? There might be more in there than her claymore. She began to run through the ruins, her take down of the salary man had caused the other level Es to stir. She jumped up and landed on a large chunk of what used to be the Capsule tower. Another level E charged her, and she ducked under their flying body. Her pink eyes flashed red, and the level E became angrier. These level Es weren't as scared of Purebloods as the modern-day ones were. They reminded her of Zero, of the stubborn humans she remembered. She brought her hand forward and grabbed the level E and threw it into another one. Ah, a girl wearing Techware, that took her back.

She jumped down from the debris and landed on another one, moving from debris to debris. She needed to find where the bank had moved to. The Diet building had moved, and now she didn't really know where to go. Tokyo tower had changed places. She dropped down when a level E tried to take her down, she barely winced when they slammed into a building with full force.

"We're getting close," Momo informed her.

"Right, we're up on the Tazai line," she muttered.

She finally found the national bank and hurried towards it. It was mostly intact, which had been surprising. She half expected it to be just as decrepit as the rest of the underground city. Tokyo had not survived the war, well neither had London so she supposed it was fair. The door slammed shut behind her and she quickly locked it. The damp air hit her nose and she tensed at the family scents still locked in the building. The smells of modern-day Tokyo were still there, from the pollution in the air to the bakery that had been nearby. Her hands trembled as she noted the shadows on the old, tiled floor. Ghosts from the nuclear blast. She brought her hands to her head as her breaths came in as harsh pants. She hated knowing what had happened.

"Mistress," Momo called, and Rei slowly looked over at the fox. "We need to move."

"I…I hate the government I really do," she couldn't help but say, repeating the words she had said to her father.

Momo readied herself before slamming into her mistress's stomach. She let out a cough before patting the fox out of gratitude. That had pulled her out of the memories. She continued through the bank; this building had truly lasted over the years. Momo ran up to a particular vault and Rei easily opened it. It had been left unlocked, either that or the rust allowed it to be opened easily. There it was the case that held her claymore. She slowly stepped up to it and ran a hand down the mahogany. This had been too easy, too out in the open. She lifted the box, and the glint of silver caused her eyes to widen. It was a little dull, but still in perfect condition. She picked it up and winced slightly. It was burning her hand. The anti-vampire weapon had been the proper weapon during the war, and before her wish had been made. She clenched her jaw and waited for the sword to realise who was wielding it. The burn slowly faded, and she brought the blade down in an arching swing, taking down a charging level E that had been lying in wait.

"We need to go home, Momo," she softly informed her familiar. "Is there anything else?"

"The wedding kimono, and the formal kimonos your human mother left you," Momo stated watching the pink eyes widen in surprise. "She kept them here, in the trunk."

Rei quickly picked it up and tied it to her back with one of her longer ribbons. Tying them all together created a strap. She took in a deep breath and allowed her eyes to turn a glowing red. It was going to be a fight to get out of the ruins. Momo hopped onto the trunk and held on to the best of her abilities as her mistress swiftly took down level E after level E.

Rei didn't get back to the school until late at night. She clambered up a random window and gave a silent prayer that it was her's. Her head was pounding from using her abilities after so long of just using her ability on plants and nothing else. A purebloods powers were insane when she really thought about it. The occupant of the room was a swift person, reacting as soon as she face planted onto the small rug. Her nose twitched, noting the smell of blood that wasn't her's. Her left eye was tightly shut, one of those level Es had been faster than she first thought. It got her eye, but she could feel the skin stitching itself back together. It'll leave a scar for a few hours.

"What the hell?" Zero's voice hit her ears and she grumbled something unintelligent into the rug. "Where were you?"

It seemed his curiosity won over his hatred for her. She slowly picked herself up slightly and looked at him. His eyes were wide in disbelief as she continued to force herself into a sitting position. Zero was in regular clothing, his damp hair caused her to pause. The scent of familiar blood hit her nose. That was…Yuki's blood.

"Tokyo, more specifically near what used to be the Shinjuku area," she answered, Zero wondered if she was purposely trying to piss him off.

"If you weren't going to tell the truth then why answer?" his tired question made her frown.

"I actually was," she stated, and he stared at her. "I needed to retrieve my sword; I apparently left it in a bank…I don't remember doing that."

It had to be the work of one of her brothers. She was certain about that. Zero moved closer and she shot him a look when she heard him sniff. He cringed at the scent that covered her. It smelt of too many different things at once. He couldn't even recognize it. The pollution didn't truly exist around them.

"What the hell," he muttered.

"Modern day Tokyo would kill your nose," she dryly commented before pushing her hair over her shoulder. "The other scent you caught is nuclear fallout. I'm safe, too many years have passed for it to retain a dangerous radioactive level. Don't give me such a strange look."

Zero was staring at her in disbelief. She was blasé about the entire thing. He didn't know if she was being entirely truthful. He looked at her, her straight across bangs were sideswiped and tucked into the long curly strands that he was able to find in a crowd. Rei felt her head throb and the room spun for a few seconds.

"Does… does the hunters society know that the ruins from the war are filled with level E's?" she softly asked, and he shook his head, and he watched as a sad expression appeared on her face. "Those poor people."

Zero didn't get to ask her anything else when she collapsed. He reacted instinctively and caught her before she hit the ground. The harsh scent sticking to her wasn't enough to hide the smells of flowers he associated with her. Her soft breathing was close to his ear. His heart thumped in his chest; his breathing became ragged. He was trying to ignore how close she truly was to him. Momo appeared from the trunk she had tied to herself. The small fox looked like she was ready to be sick. Just what did Rei do to the poor animal? Momo walked up to her mistress and bit her hand. Forcing the teenager awake. Right, she had something important to tel him.

"Zero," he heard Rei softly say. "You do know that I'm always going to be on your side, right?"

She passed out once again. He didn't even get to respond. He shifted her a bit in his arms. He remembered back when they were kids. How many times she'd fallen asleep on him. She clutched onto his shirt, another trait she still had. His door opened and he narrowed his eyes. Kaien stood there, a cup of tea in his hand.

"She's back," Kaien seemed relieved by the sight of his eldest daughter. "And you have more questions."

"What war is she talking about?" Zero asked, shifting his weight just the slightest.

"The global war that ruined society and brought about vampires," Kaien answered, closing the door behind him and sitting at Zero's desk. "All the pureblood vampires come from the original ones from the war. The Hio family was the largest family out of all of them, and they all became vampires."

"They used to be human," Zero quietly repeated.

"Hio Suzu was the first to turn and became the progenitor for the family," Kaien continued. "A pureblood family can have their progenitor reappear into the line when it is threatened, it is why it was strange that a second daughter had been born to the current Hio family."

Zero knew why that information had been given to him. The girl that he had a crush on as a child was the first vampire of the Hio family. That explained a lot of her odd behaviours. How much of it did she remember? Was she mentally that old? He was gaining more questions instead of answers.

"Rei said that there were level e's in the ruins," Zero informed him. "She felt bad for them."

"Because chances were she once knew them," Kaien confirmed. "She knows the memories, but like an outsider…I've only spoken to Suzu twice, and both times was incredibly pleasant. She was a sweet girl."


Rei awkwardly sat on the ground next to Zero. His eyes were closed as he slumbered in the sun. She didn't mind watching over him during their class. She…she wasn't the best around horses. They didn't easily trust vampires. And she didn't blame them for that. It was one of the reasons why she was exempt from doing anything during physical education. She just had to show up. Zero's eyes slowly opened as he gained a somber expression.

"What's wrong?" Rei softly asked him.

"You make Sukiyaki a lot," he commented, and she blinked in confusion. "Do you like it?"

"I'm fond of it, but it isn't my favourite dish," she admitted, looking up towards the sky with a small smile. "I like motsunabe, it's a hot pot made with pork or beef offal. A good dish for a cool day."

"…You ever try vegetable soup?" his question caused her to frown a little before a sad expression.

"No one's ever been able to recreate the taste of okaa-San's version," her admittance caused his eyes to widen.

Her entire stance was different, too human. Her pink eyes were focused on the sky and so incredibly grief filled. It felt like he was looking at a completely different person. The calm pureblood and the grief filled ex-human. He slowly reached forward with his free hand and gently grabbed hers. She looked down at him in confusion. Before a small smile appeared on her face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"When you tap into those memories you seem so human," he answered, frowning slightly. "No wonder you can stand the day light."

"It's not just that, I've grown used to the light," Rei admitted, and he noted the differences in their smiles. "I adore being awake during the day, life is so much livelier when the sun is out."

"Hmm," he hummed quietly, and she let out a soft laugh.

"Did you know that the Hio hair wasn't always white?" she asked, and he saw a spark in her eyes that he hadn't seen in years. "The human Hio family had dark hair, which was normal for Japan. Light coloured hair was rare."

"Do you miss it?" Zero's question caused her to tilt her head.

"A little, but then again I never had brown hair," she reminded him. "The memory of a progenitor is a slippery slope, if you start to see yourself as that person then you can lose your mind…it's not surprising having so many memories can be an incredible stressor."

There, she was back to being her usual calm self. He sighed through his nose before pulling her hand back. She hit the ground with a soft grunt, and he got a swift kick to the shin in retaliation. He let out his own grunt. Her kicks had gotten a bit stronger since they were kids. He looked back up at the sky. Would they even be able to rekindle that same friendship? He had spent so many years hating her for what her older sister had done. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and he narrowed his eyes.

"I swear your thoughts are so loud," she muttered, amusement lacing her voice.

She winced when a few of the more rambunctious boys of their class started to loudly proclaim their riding prowess on the school horses. Zero turned to look at them with annoyance. What was with their classmates? The ones at their old school had been somewhat normal.

"I apologise, that is loud," she mumbled wincing at another loud sound. "Those poor horses."

"Right," Zero agreed. "Lily's going to kick one of them."

"She'll most likely kick Yuki," Rei stated watching as her younger sister slept against one of the wood posts. "I still don't what she did to her."

"Lily see's her as a threat," Zero shrugged. "Somehow."

Rei's lips became a thin line. She knew why. White Lily could sense what Yuki truly was. Rei knew it because of the converging timelines. She still didn't know how it happened, or why her first self decided to reawaken her memories when she did, but it was a blessing in disguise. She felt the wind pick up and enjoyed the soft breeze. There were no more screams for Bell-Chan, or countless hours of piano playing. Just her, and her family. A loud commotion and the smell of blood snapped her out of tranquility. Zero unlinked their hands and quickly reacted.

White Lilly had charged right for them, and Zero had jumped onto her back and calmed her. Rei's eyes were wide in surprise, and she could hear whispering amongst the female students. Well, Zero just earned himself some fangirls. Rei slowly got up from the ground, brushing dirt off the back of her skirt. It was an impressive feat.

"Zero, Rei are you two, okay?!" Yuki asked, running up them. "White Lily can be temperamental, but she's never run away before."

"She probably sensed something she didn't like," Zero stated, slowly moving Lily over towards the pureblood vampire.

The white mare brought her head down and sniffed at the vampire. Rei froze when she was nuzzled. A horse that liked vampires? What a strange creature. She brought a hand up and gently patted the mare's nose. It was nice to have a horse enjoy her company.

"Cross, Kiryu, the headmaster wants to see you," the teacher told them.

The three shared a look and slowly made their way to the headmasters building. Rei could smell smoked fish in the air and sighed. She'd requested many times that he not smoke fish in the building. He could make himself sick doing so. Zero opened the door for them, something that Rei noticed they were used to. Kaien stood at his desk with his lunch. His eyes brightened at the sight of the three.

"I have a special task for you," he informed them. "I need some items picked up from out of town, I thought you would all like a break from school."

That was how Zero found himself walking through town in civilian clothing. He watched as Yuki happily walked on the short brick wall next to the sidewalk before glancing at the vampire by his side. Rei was looking at the list in her hand, her expression slowly changing to something incredibly confused. His hand brushed against her's, and she blinked, slowly looking at him. Yuki was in her own little world, not noticing the change between the two taller teens. Rei's small blush made Zero's eyes widen a bit.

"It's been a while since we last came to town," Yuki's statement broke their eye contact. "It's a privilege for the headmaster to ask us to do a task, since leaving the school grounds is restricted."

Rei felt bad for their father. He raised both her and Yuki, and Yuki still couldn't bring herself to call him by the right title. Then again, it might be a small subconscious part of her knowing that her real father had been a kind man. The Kuran's, while they did have a circle for a family tree, were quite kind in how they treated others. A hand grasping onto her's made her train of thought end. Zero was changing, their relationship wasn't what it had been. No, it had changed once again the second he learned that she had the first Hio vampires' memories. He was oddly gentle with her and seemed to see her differently. Then again, the way she parted her hair had changed. She moved it out of the traditional Hio style and into something more modern. The side-swept bangs slightly covered her left eye and seemed to have changed her image to different people. Kaien treated her the same, but Yuki seemed to look at her as inspiration of sorts.

"Don't look so bored," Yuki chided Zero, not even noticing the connected hands. "We should be enjoying ourselves right now."

"There's nothing to enjoy," Zero griped, and he felt Rei's hand twitched slightly.

"Stop being such a killjoy and come on," Yuki stated, grabbing onto Zero's shirt, and pulling him behind her.

Rei made a face when Zero quickly brought her forward and released her hand. She somewhat missed the warmth he provided. It also reminded her of when they were kids. Apparently, she got lost in crowds a lot. Kaien used to panic, and Zero put a stop to it by holding one of her hands. Ichiru had joined in on it. It used to make her blush back then as well. The thought of Ichiru made her sad. She knew his reasonings, but she couldn't help but wish there had been another way. She blinked with Yuki linked their arms and pulled her into the first store. It was a rug? Why did their father need a new rug? She felt bad for Zero, he was the one to carry it. Rei looked down at her list and noted that he needed candles as well. Her head tilted to the side in confusion. Just what was he planning? Still, she picked out the packs he requested, birthday and regular candles, before getting him a new lighter. She knew the one they currently had was starting to die. Yuki brought forward another item and the confusion surrounding the three was notable.

"Is…Is he cooking for us?" Zero asked.

"He's having us pick up an old styled hot pot," Yuki murmured.

"Can I see the ingredients list?" Rei asked and Yuki showed her, her list of items.

Intestines? Chinese Cabbage…oh these were the ingredients for Motsunabe. She didn't realise she was going to be the one cooking for them. She stood up straight and gave a small smile. Yuki was still worried about the ingredient list.

"It seems like I'll be the one cooking," Rei stated, and Yuki blanched. "Don't worry, it's good."

"But intestines?" Yuki quietly asked.

"I know how to prepare them," she chuckled. "Again, don't worry. Have I ever made something you didn't like?"

She had her there. Zero sighed and adjusted the rug on his shoulder. He would've carried Rei's bag if she wasn't so territorial over it. Her narrowed eyes were a warning. He remembered the time she had kicked him in the shin, and he had been trying to help. Yuki hummed to herself as they continued to walk through the small town. Zero had a hold on Rei again, and she welcomed his slightly slower pace. She was starting to feel tired; the blood tablets had helped with her healing but didn't fully reenergise her.

"It's been a while since we've been here," Zero quietly commented.

"Yeah, the last time was when we were kids," she agreed, smiling slightly. "Things have changed quite a bit…I'm happy that we're on speaking terms again."

Zero's cheeks turned pink, and he quickly looked to the side. He'd cover his mouth with his hand if he could. Why would she say something like that? Her tone told him that she meant it too. She was happy. Her soft smile was impossible to look at.

"It…It was difficult to look at you for a long time," Zero admitted and she gained a look of understanding. "You two look alike, but at the same time there are differences."

She nodded her agreement. Nothing she could say would make him feel any better. Yuki looked back at the two and got a smile out of her older sister. Their clothing really made their personalities shine. Zero's practical clothing, Rei's slightly alternative fashion, and her own sportsy clothes. She liked seeing what they could wear out and about. The school uniforms made them too alike. She chuckled to herself and saw a coat that would fit Zero.

"We should get back to the school before sunset," Zero commented.

"You don't have to worry, the night class has today off so they won't be coming out of their dorm," Yuki answered, pulling down the coat and looking at it. "Gimme your arm."

Zero released Rei again and held out his arm for Yuki. She judged the fit of the sleeve and then gave a nod of her head. She knew Zero's size fairly well.

"Good," Yuki muttered. "If I leave you alone Zero, you don't take care of yourself at all. You need someone to choose for you."

Rei was incredibly surprised by those words, and slightly hurt. She rubbed at her bicep in thought, hearing Zero's sigh. No one liked hearing that about themselves. He leaned back slightly, and Rei realised how close he was when his back touched her's.

"You're like a younger brother who needs looking after," Yuki stated, a teasing grin on her face.

Zero quickly turned on his heel and began to walk away. Rei was being tugged behind him, her expression one of fondness at the other teen. Yuki blanched, finally noticing their connected hands. Yet, a soft smile started to appear on her face. It was nice to see them getting along.

"Are you mad?" Yuki asked, paying for the coat.

"No, I'm so appalled that I find it funny," Zero stated. "You're a year younger than I am. You look like a grade schooler and you're acting like a big sis? That's hilarious."

"I'm only in the same grade because I'd have to join the night class if I wanted to be in our actual year," Rei muttered and Zero looked down at her. "Kaname was trying to get another pureblood into the night class to try and keep the nobles under control…I refuse to be his pawn and he knows it."

She also liked making his life difficult. She used to do it back when they had been human, and she would continue to do it in the present. The only issue is that she couldn't kick him in the head in greeting. He had better reflexes as a vampire then he had as a human. Zero's expression darkened at that revelation. He heard Rei yawn slightly and looked back to see the tired expression on her face.

"We should eat something," Yuki suggested.

Rei looked at the menu for the café that Yuki had dragged them to. She wasn't really in the mood for ice cream, but she needed something. Zero once brought food from a ramen place and she wanted to go there. Zero looked at the open menu in Rei's hands, the waitress not really noticing Yuki with the two vampires in front of her and only giving them two menus. Yuki was going to order the parfait; she knew what she liked from the café. Zero just got a black coffee while Rei ordered a Chai latte and Caesar wrap. The parfait came out first. The coffee and latte next.

"Zero you should eat something," Yuki stated. "I'll treat you for carrying all that stuff."

"I wanted to eat shio ramen," Zero stated and Yuki tensed slightly.

"Well, I love the parfait here," Yuki said, not even able to look at him anymore. "Yori and I came here last time."

Rei sipped at her latte while Yuki dug herself into a hole. Zero took a small sip of his coffee before propping his arm up and resting his chin on it. Rei was slightly worried about him, he seemed tired as well. His devolution was starting to affect him, more than he let on.

"You still can't go outside school grounds alone," Zero commented.

"I can," Yuki defended.

"I know you're afraid," Zero pointed out.

"It's all right, Yuki," Rei informed her.

"If you leave the school you remember," Zero said and Rei's mouth became a straight line. "That not every vampire is well-behaved like Kaname Kuran or Rei."

"Shut up, I'm not afraid of what happened ten years ago," Yuki grumbled at him as Rei's wrap finally came.

"You eat a lot," Zero pointed out to Yuki as Rei started to eat her food.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Yuki pointed out as she finished her parfait. "You know a lot about me, and Rei knows a lot about you, but I know nothing about your past! I don't even know if you had any siblings."

Rei stopped in eating her wrap, slowly lowering it to the table. Yuki became aware of the tense atmosphere. Rei knew why he hadn't said anything about Ichiru. Zero had been betrayed by his own blood, he deserved his silence on what happened. Had she been betrayed by Ichiru? No…she didn't deserve to even think that way. She finished her wrap and sipped at her coffee in a somber manner.

"I had a younger brother," Zero answered. "He died that day."

"Zero," Yuki softly said as Rei gently reached over and placed a hand on his arm.

"Are you two from the cross academy night class?" Broke the sad tension amongst them and slowly caused it to tense. "Oh, you are! You look different from ordinary people. Students from the elite class aren't like everyone else."

Zero heard Rei move, and the waitress blinked in surprise when some yen was placed on the table and the pureblood vampire briskly walked out of the café. Her pink eyes were narrowed in annoyance. He gave it a few seconds before the waitress in a maid uniform gave him a sunny smile.

"There's someone named Aido, right?" she asked. "He likes to come in here for sweets sometimes."

Zero swiftly joined Rei outside. She was pushing her hair back from her face. Her eyes closed as she thought about something. He slowly came to a stop next to her, and she opened her eyes. The soft expression in them causing the back of his neck to burn.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have bailed without you back there," Rei apologised.

"It's fine," Zero sighed. "Next time we'll stop at the ramen stand."

Rei blinked at that before nodding her agreement. A part of her warred inside her. Should she mess with Zero, or should she simply smile and nod. A slight smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help herself; it was too well placed.

"It's a date," she stated looking at a nearby stand and missing his surprised expression. "I'm going to go look at the flowers real quick."

"…Rei," Zero called, causing her to pause in her steps and blink at him in confusion. "Don't buy another plant."

"But my mini garden looks so sparse," she stated, puffing out her cheeks slightly.

Was it childish of her? Incredibly. But she enjoyed the familiar conversation. It wasn't the first time that Zero had warned her away from buying plants. The last few times had been harsh snaps. She welcomed his grouchy reprimand. Still, she headed over to the stand and bent at the waist to see the different flowers.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" the stand owner asked, her kind eyes looking at the teen in question.

"You carry Jade vine and a Franklin tea flower," Rei commented, looking at the turquoise flowers. "How much."

Zero sighed when she came back with two plants. She was looking at them with a small smile, gently prodding them to check their health. She discreetly healed them a bit, and the flowers perked up. No one in the area surrounding them noticed. He looked at the turquoise flowers of one of the plants before turning his gaze on the more normal coloured plant. The white flower stood out amongst the large green leaves. He was going to learn the plants; he knew most of her garden anyway. Kaien liked to send him to help her, especially when they were younger and during their roughest period. He watched as her head snapped in alarm up as his eyes widened in worry. There was a low-level vampire in the area.

"Zero, we need to lead them away from the main road," Rei softly said.

"This way," Zero ordered and she nodded her understanding.

She would stand back while he hunted. It was his bloodline, and she wouldn't stand in the way of it. He held up a hand and she paused in her steps. His eyes were narrowed, slowly moving side to to side as he surveyed the area. She protected her plants a bit, knowing that if it came down to it Zero would be able to take down the low-level vampire. Her nose twitched slightly. The scent of blood hit her, and her eyes widened.

"Yuki," she stated, resisting the urge to run to her little sister.

"Rei, she'll be all right," Zero said, causing her to send him an uneasy look.

Zero jumped down from their vantage point and quickly took charge of the situation. Rei was slightly surprised that he was able to even touch Yuki's Artemis rod. She watched as her little sister fell to her knees in relief. A tight-lipped expression appeared on her face before she jumped down as well. She landed on the heel of her brown school boots and Yuki's expression softened into slight relief. Rei turned and looked at the attacking vampire. A level E, an ex-human. It cowered under her gaze, unlike the ones in the ruins. It sensed her power, either that or it knew better. She liked Zero better, and the post-war level E's. They had courage.

"You used to be human," Zero said, looking at the level E as Rei knelt next to Yuki and gently patched her up.

"I wonder," the level E stated.

He, the level E was definitely male, cackled. Yuki's attention was grabbed when Rei relaxed a bit. She smelt someone familiar. Yuki's arm was all wrapped up and she winced the slightest when it was tightened. She looked over at her older sister and saw the kind smile on her face.

"We'll get it cleaned later, this will do for now," Rei told her. "Ichijo-San, why are you here?"

The level E stopped cackling and barely had the chance to turn when he slowly split in two. Yuki looked at the blonde-haired vampire and saw the serious expression on the happy vampire. She blinked when the katana was sheathed, and a smile returned to his face. The kindness was something she only saw from vampires like Rei and Kaname.

"You didn't need me at all," Senri grumbled.

"Ah, Shiki-San should you be outside?" Rei's question caused the teen to blink.

"As long as I return inside soon," he confirmed, and she nodded her understanding at that.

Rei slowly stood back up, grabbing her plants as she did so. Takuma gave the plants a curious look and she held onto them a bit tighter. She shifted the plants and held out a hand to Yuki. Yuki accepted the help up and stared at the two night class vampires.

"Why are you here outside?" Yuki questioned.

"Not now, go back quickly and get your wound treated," Takuma stated. "Your blood is a little too provocative, even for us."

Rei looked at the simmering intestines. She was put on dinner duty, without being asked. She moved to find a cutting board and made a face as she couldn't. She looked up and blanched. Who put it above the stove? She reached for it and huffed when her fingers brushed against it. She stood back and blinked when she hit something soft. She turned to see Zero standing behind her. He reached up and grabbed the cutting board.

"Are you going to shred the cabbage?" Zero asked.

"Yeah, and the burdock root…plus the chillis and garlic," she stated thinking about the recipe. "I'll also add some soba noodles."

She was reaching inside the fridge when she heard a knife slicing through the cabbage. He was helping her? She hadn't expected that. A soft smile appeared on her face, and she went back to the intestines. She needed to keep an eye on them. Otherwise, the entire dish would end up suffering.

Kaien checked in on how daughter and watched as Zero held out a few of the ingredients to her. They were completely in sync, and he smiled at the sight. Zero caught her attention for something and she smiled slightly. He did a wonderful job with the knife work. Kaien inwardly squealed at the sight. It was so nice to see them getting along once again! He went to set the table and paused when Rei gave a soft laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to launch some cabbage at you," Rei apologised to Zero, removing the cabbage on the side of his face.

She put it in her mouth and munched on the piece of cabbage. Kaien shook his head at the before shuffling to the dining room. He trusted Rei's cooking after the chocolates. She had a wonderful understanding for flavours.

"The chocolate you made," Zero said, watching as she boiled the intestines inside the soup.

"Hm? They weren't too sweet, were they?" Rei asked, worrying slightly.

"They were good."

The compliment made her smile grow and her cheeks turn a bright red. It also caused the scent of her blood to grow stronger. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to regain his control. The food was ready when he opened them again. The soba noodles were placed inside the bowl and the stew followed. He grabbed two of the bowls and carried them out. Rei soon followed. Yuki seemed a little unsure of the meal, but the smell made her stomach growl. She picked up her spoon and took a cautionary taste.

"It's delicious," Yuki stated in surprise.

"Thank you," Rei said, smiling before eating her dinner.

"It's been a while since we've had dinner together as a family," Kaien commented, lightening the mood a bit.

"I keep telling you that your "my style" cooking is a bit off," Yuki informed him.

"I keep telling you not to consider me part of your family," Zero grouched at him.

Kaien looked between Zero and Rei. He wondered for how much longer that would be true. His eldest daughter looked up from her food and gave him a tired smile. She needed to sleep. Good thing that class wasn't in session the rest of the day. He gave a sad sigh. Something had happened.

"Did something happen while you were in town?" He asked and Yuki tensed up. "You were injured, right?"

"I…I got hurt from…" Yuki trailed off.

"Oh, before I forget, here you are Zero, Rei," Kaien said, digging around in his pockets and holding out two containers of blood tablets. "You'll be running out soon, right?"

"Don't look so shocked this is going to be the norm for me now," Zero informed Yuki.

"Why do you two look so down?" Kaien asked. "The tablets restrain the urge to drink blood, but it's also like having a meal."

Zero got up in a manner that was threatening. Kaien swallowed some cabbage and quickly waved a hand to try and calm the teen. Rei reached up and gently grasped Zero's hand. Oh, that seemed to get him to stand down. He sat back down and picked his soon up. Yuki stared between the two as Rei continued to eat her dinner. She had a sad nostalgic look on her face. She hadn't had this dish in so long. The time she reigned over the vampires of her faction, Kaname doing the same with his own, made it impossible for her to eat dishes she enjoyed. Things that reminded her of simpler days.

"You were invited to Ichijo Takuma's party," Kaien informed Rei, reaching into his overly large sweater and pulling out a canary yellow envelope.

"He has neat handwriting," Rei observed, accepting the envelope, and studying it.

She opened it and made a strange face. A birthday party, with semi-formal attire? One of her nice lavender kimonos would do the trick. She could pair it with a dark purple obi with a square pattern. She blinked when her empty bowl was picked up. Zero was clearing the table. A frown on his face. He was upset about something.

"It's going to happen more and more now that you've gotten older," Kaien's serious comment made Zero pause. "The noble vampires will be expecting you to lead them and behave in a manner that only purebloods can."

"Momo said the senate has been scheming as of late," Rei confirmed. "But she couldn't get too close for more information."

"That's where she is," Kaien commented and watched as his daughter nodded. "It feels like it was just yesterday when I was able to carry you under my arm, now you're doing espionage."

A fond expression appeared on Rei's face, and Zero stared at it. The human expression was so natural for her. He went back to grabbing the dishes when Kaien snapped his fingers. Rei needed a nap before she headed to the party! He quickly shooed her that way and she sighed as she entered her room. Her new plants sat happily in her room window and the kimonos were still wrapped up in the washi paper. She slowly opened the one she wanted and gently ran her fingers against the silk. It was handmade by her mother. The lavender coloured kimono with flowers and cranes patterned on it made her smile sadly. She was supposed to wear it for her coming to age ceremony, even the fur was neatly packed. She pulled the washi paper back over and placed it on her desk. That nap sounded wonderful. She paused and slowly walked to her bathroom. She was going to do something that might make her father sad.

"That's the Kuruizaki-hime's sister?" a vampire whispered to another.

Rei moved her head to the side, the bells in her hair let out cheery tinkles. The once overly long strands now resting between her shoulder blades. She was looking more like her father than her older sister, but the curly strands of hair was unlike either of them. The sounds of her zori hitting the pavement was loud. It was rare for her to appear amongst the vampires, Kaien had kept her out of the spotlight, and out of the senate's clutches. She blinked slightly when Takuma gave her a sunny smile.

"You made it, Hio-Sama," Takuma stated.

"Of course, you are a wonderful person to talk to," Rei stated, hearing her own awkwardness in her words. "Besides, you invited me. It's rude not to show up."

"I'm honoured," Takuma said.

Rei gave a slightly amused sigh before handing over his neatly wrapped gift. A few volumes of the manga she sometimes caught him reading during her patrols. His green eyes lit up and he accepted the gift while exchanging a glass of red liquid. She gave it a cautionary sniff. It was a blood tablet mixed into wine. She discreetly looked around and caught the label, inwardly blanching. That was Chateau Lafite 1998. A three-thousand-dollar bottle of wine. Her mind did the quick calculations into yen. 419,671. Why? What was it with the modern vampires and such expensive items?!

"Rei, it's been a long time winced you've worn something like that," Kaname's quiet comment made her eyebrow twitch. "You even cut your hair."

"Yes, it made more sense for it to be shorter," Rei said, allowing him to move their positions. "You remember how it was all those years ago."

Kaname did remember how short she once had it. He could picture the pink eyed girl with such short dark brown hair that she looked like a boy. She was frowning at him, clearly annoyed at something he had done. A towel was around her neck, ah so they were at practice. They had both been on the track team, and very popular. He blinked as the brown-haired teen became a girl with longer white hair and a serious expression.

"You look like your father," he commented, and she looked ready to hit him.

"Don't mess with me you ass," she grumbled.

A part of him missed his oldest friend. She truly didn't like what the vampires were doing. She hated the incestuous relationships that had appeared. He knew that if she were to retake her place as one of the vampires leaders, she would put an instant stop to it. He brought a hand up and gently picked up a strand of her hair.

"I do like this colour on you, it fits your eyes better, Hinagiku-hime."

Rei's face was stuck on polite kindness as she plotted Kaname's murder. He just gave her the nickname of Daisy princess. She knew one of the meanings behind that flower was gentleness. The only person that could ever say she deserved that flower was Zero, and no one else. She heard a few of the other noble vampires muttering her new title. She began to pray it wouldn't catch on.

"They'll never find your body Kaname," her gentle threat in English wasn't lost on her fellow progenitor.

He took a seat on a lounging chair and Rei cautiously joined him. She sipped at the blood infused wine and contemplated informing her father of the alcohol on school grounds. She decided it wasn't worth the headache. She watched as Takuma walked around the party, her gift still in his hands. He hadn't even opened it yet, but he refused to place it down.

"None of them know what to think of you," Kaname informed her, his voice amused. "It's like the time that you first came out for the turnover."

Right, most of the nobles had bowed in respect upon seeing her. A few had sent her curious looks before she looked at them. Her sister was feared by the nobility, but she was somehow well received. She took a sip of her drink, and slowly began to tap her fingers against her thigh in slight agitation. Kaname caught the movement and watched as certain fingers arched, and others stayed flat. It was in time to the piano that a lower noble was playing.

"You were trained to play piano," he commented, knowing exactly when.

"They we're going to use me as entertainment while in that cage," Rei admitted, and she distinctly heard something break in the distance. "They taught me piano to be their little thrush. Their favourite songbird."

So, that made him mad? She welcomed the silence; the piano was no longer working. The string all in halves. Pink eyes widened slightly when Yuki and Zero entered the party. Takuma smiled at the sight of more people, even if one of them was a semi-murderous Zero. He welcomed them happily and Rei let out an amused sigh, he was more human than anyone she knew. Zero looked at her the second she made that sound. Kaname looked between the two of them. Ah, he hadn't been expecting that development. The bond between the two obvious to him as the ex-humans' eyes widened just the slightest as he took in the vampire's formal kimono.

"You love that boy," Kaname quietly observed.

"And you love your sister, you weirdo," she grumbled sending him a frown. "What's wrong with Souen-San? She's nice, loyal, and beautiful."

"Her blood doesn't call to me," his admittance of that annoyed her.

Zero's blood didn't call to her. No, she was drawn by childhood friendship and an odd hammering in her chest. Kaname was most likely right. She loved Zero. Her mind stalled for a few seconds as Kaname explained why they had taken down the level E.

She loved Zero. It had to be the wine. When did she finish her glass? Who was the noble refilling it? Her body felt warm, but her blood ran cold. When did she truly fall in love with him? A crush sounded right, but when did those feelings become deep? She got up from her seat when Kaname urged Yuki to sit next to him. She took her spot by Zero. Inwardly shivering at the sight of Kaname holding onto Yuki.

"I'm sorry about today," Kaname apologised to the brunette. "I didn't think you would be there when the hunting took place."

"It's fine," Yuki softly said, trying to ease the tension.

"But it's your fault too for wandering around there," Kaname stated, and Rei dangerously narrowed her eyes at him. "Did your arm get injured because of that vampire? It must hurt."

"No, it was because I was careless," Yuki said, and Rei was glad she told the truth about that.

"Humans should never be turned into vampires," Kaname's words caused Rei to stand up straighter.

That had been both their thoughts the first time they drank from a human as newly changed beings. She was no longer surrounded by noble vampires. No, she stood amongst pale sand with a dark brown cloak covering her body. Her once brown hair was white, white as the snow that had been falling not even weeks before everything happened. Kaname was across from her, blood dripping from his chin and falling into the sand. Their eyes were both a glowing red, showing their true nature.

"In the old days, when the war between vampires and hunters was at its peak, vampires turned many humans to be used in battle," Kaname continued to explain to Yuki, slowly bringing her arm up so he could look at the damage done to it.

"And it's our own fault that the aristocrats have the responsibility of watching over the ex-humans," Rei's statement made a few of the vampires in the crowd flinch.

"Sometimes we have to kill them off," Kaname said, sparing Rei a sharp look and watching as her eyes narrowed once again.

"It is the vampire hunter's duty to kill vampires," Zero said, staring Kaname down from over Rei's head.

"Then why didn't you kill him first?" Kaname questioned, slowly brining Yuki's injury to his lips to help heal it. "Perhaps you sympathized with him, Kiryuu?"

Rei felt the cool metal of the bloody rose against her cheek and glanced at Zero. If expressions could kill Kaname would be dead. He needed to stop insulting the other teen. She quickly brought a hand up and blocked the ex-human under Kaname's command. The silver haired teen seemed surprised at how fast the other pureblood could move. The pink eyes stared into her own pale violet, and she drew her hand back from the other ex-human.

"You need to stop insulting people, Kaname," Rei informed him, slowly reaching forward and gently putting a hand on Zero's arm and slowly pulling it down.

"I apologise," Kaname said, and she made a face at the unapologetic tone he used.

He still talked out of his ass it seemed. She let out a quiet huff at his non-apology as level E's were explained to Yuki. Their father had kept his past as a hunter from her, yet he had taken the time to tell Rei. To teach her what he knew. A part of her was thankful for his teachings, another was confused by his lack of doing so for Yuki. Maybe it was due to her being far more fragile. She turned her gaze towards the party and grew semi-disgusted by the noble vampires. Cousins were flirting with cousins, some of which she knew were first and second. How their species had fallen so low she wanted to know. What happened to the laws she had created to cement peace? Did they ignore them? A part of her knew that needed to change. Blood hit her nose and her eyes closed for a few seconds. She heard Zero's brisk steps and placed her drink down to follow. Yuki watched as her elder sister went after the other teen, a concerned expression on her usually stoic face.

"They will be all right," Kaname gently informed her as he studied her arm. "It seems to be healing nicely."

"Zero!" Rei called following behind the taller teen the best she could with the zori.

He was an idiot! He could always ask her for help, but he was so damn stubborn! He crashed into the railing of a pool. His breathing was ragged and heavy. She hurried towards him, and he glared. She ignored his glare and knelt before him. Her hands went onto his shoulders, and he shifted to where his head was resting on hers.

"They make me sick," Zero struggled to tell her.

"The blood tablets," she guessed, and his nod let her know that she was right. "Zero…"

Her face turned a bright red when she felt something slick against the side of her neck. Her mouth opened in surprise, and she winced when one of his fangs grazed her skin. Zero didn't want to be a vampire. He didn't want to hurt or drink from anyone. She slowly rocked onto her heels and launched them both into the pool. The cold water seemed to shock him out of his instinctual daze. He gazed into her eyes, took in the shyness mixed with determination that shone there, and his grip on her arms tightened. She brought a hand up and gently touched the side of his face. His eyes were pained. A hand appeared between her shoulder blades and her head broke the surface of the water. She saw the shotgun pointed at Zero and moved to protect him. A loud pop went through the air and her expression turned into a grimace. She held onto her arm with a hiss from where the bullet grazed her skin.

She was more worried for Zero. He had taken a full shot, and she felt the warmth on her face from his blood. His hand was grasping at his now injured shoulder, his eyes wide in complete shock.

"I never thought I'd be killing my dear student with this gun," the man holding it said and Zero stopped breathing.

"Master?" he asked, slowly turning to face him.

He let out a loud sound of pain and lurched forward. Rei moved and wrapped her arms around him, protecting him from the anti-vampire weapon. The man, who wore a cowboy hat of all things, narrowed his eye at her. He recognised who she was, and what he believed she was. She was trying to place the weapon; most vampire hunters had a specific weapon. It told her who they were taught by and what lineage they came from. Even if Zero hadn't confirmed it, she would've suspected that this man was his teacher. Just as this man would be able to tell that Kaien was her's.

"Even if the bullet only whizzed by it must hurt like hell," the man stated, taking a drag out of the cigarette that sat between his lips. "A spell was put on that bullet to kill vampires. Even if you're hungering for blood, do you still have a reason to brace yourself for this?"

He readied his weapon again and watched as the strangest thing happened. The little pureblood moved to protect Zero, her pink eyes a glowing red. She was giving him the iciest glare he'd seen, not even Zero had gotten to that level before. A large branch came swinging towards him, and he quickly moved back. His weapon was ripped from his hands and held far above his head, by a tree of all things. Hio, that was one of the few purebloods he knew of that could command plants in such a way.

"You're one of that twit's adopted daughters," he stated.

"And you're Yagari Toga," she said, and he noted the soft tone of her voice compared to the harsh expression on her face. "It's been a while…"

"I don't know, or care, what your relationship is with Zero," Toga informed her, narrowing his eye as he gathered just where their relationship was heading. "But whether he lives, or dies is not for you to decide."

"I refuse to back down, and you can't harm me any further without a just reason and we both know it," Rei stated, finally showing what she'd been learning during those short years. "Kiryuu Zero has yet to fall to the status of Level E."

"Yet, he was about to bite you," Toga countered. "Even for a vampire such as yourself that is taboo."

"Bold assumption that my blood wouldn't be given willingly to Zero," Rei huffed, she felt Zero tense up slightly before hissing in pain. "We're getting out of the pool and having a civilised conversation between all parties involved."

"You took things way too far!" Her father's voice removed that icy expression from her face, causing Toga to relax just the slightest. "This is why I hate vampire hunters!"

"You…you would willingly give me blood?" Zero's quiet question was in her ear as Kaien chided Toga.

"I would…but I know that you wouldn't want it unless you weren't yourself," Rei admitted, a sad smile on her face.

Zero stood up straight, and she kept a hand on his shoulder as he turned to look at the two adults. They were in their own world, his master seemed annoyed by the flowery headmaster. Zero moved through the water and back to the edge of the pool. He hoisted himself out and watched as Rei accepted her father's assistance. Her expression became serious as she looked towards the treeline.

"Is there something I can do for you, Toya-San?" Rei's question made Zero look, and the orange-haired vampire simply gave a curt nod of her head before walking back to the party.

Ah, so it seemed that the Toya family still had some respect for the Hio's. Her attention was soon grabbed by her father checking her over for any injuries, his expression turning serious upon seeing the large cuts on her arm. They weren't healing very fast, or at all. The combination of an anti-vampire weapon and her lack of blood drinking was showing itself. All she knew, was that she needed to stop breathing for the moment. For the first time she could remember, the smell of blood was overpowering her senses. It had to do with Zero's blood, and she knew then that Kaname had been right. That bastard was usually good at reading her feelings. Damn him.

"You defended him," Kaien commented as they took a few seconds together to regain their composure. "But at the same time, you're eyes are red."

"When a pureblood finds someone they deeply care about, their blood calls to them more than anyone," Rei admitted. "Zero is that person for me."

Kaien reached for some bandages to wrap around her arm, his mind racing at that knowledge. His pureblood friends told him what that meant. What it meant for a vampire to crave the blood of someone, and only that person. It was an old instinct that was around from when she became one of the first. The chosen mate, he knew for a fact that she'd never had one.

"I knew I was right to call him my son!" Kaien stated and he watched as Rei turned a brilliant red.

"I almost feel bad for the pureblood," Toga said as he walked into the small office to have their civilised conversation.

"Don't, I'm quite happy with papa," Rei sighed. "I apologise for disarming you in the way that I did, I was worried you were actually going to shoot a second time."

"I'm not stupid," Toga griped, sitting down across from the cross family. "You share more than looks with your twit of a father, you have his strangeness and optimism."

Kaien and Rei shared a look, and Toga was welcomed to the silent conversation between father and daughter. He watched as their expressions changed just the slightest, never giving away what they truly felt. No wonder Kaien had been one of the top hunters in his prime. The minute changes were incredible. Eventually, Rei gave a small nod of agreement.

"The hunter's society has no right to this information, but I'm sharing it with you because Zero still seems to trust you and Papa knows how to deal with the society if the information somehow got out," Rei informed him, and he straightened at the tone shift. "I was one of the first to become this way, I'm the progenitor of the Hio family."

"Shit," Toga cursed before turning towards Kaien. "And you still let her be around humans?"

"It was her choice, Rei has never drunk a single drop of human blood since I've known her," Kaien said, steepling his fingers and staring over them with a serious expression.

"Why are you back in the line?" Toga pressed, knowing there had to be a reason for the progenitor to show up again.

"I was awoken by my previous self because everything that is happening is wrong," Rei said, and the shift in her voice startled even Kaien. "Vampires were once humans, yet they have devolved to the point where they gave into animalistic urges. I created laws upon laws that I expected to be followed and yet, they ignore them. Incest is too prevalent giving rise to insane purebloods that don't care about the human's they harm and change. I am here because it needs to change. The laws that I created were to instil peace and regulation between the two species."

Heh, Toga seemed to finally meet a vampire that he saw eye to eye with. Even if it was just barely. He sat back and took a drag out of his cigarette, only for it to be out. Damn vampires and their abilities. He could see her tiny smile of victory. Kaien slowly lowered his hands and stared at his daughter.

"You'd have to reenter the vampire society fully if you were to change everything once again," Kaien warned.

"I am aware, I would also have to go up against Kaname," Rei stated. "We had our own territories back when it all began, certain families are still loyal to who they followed in the first place…I hope that if I were to promise what I wish to change that they would follow me once again."

Toga snorted. It wasn't going to be that easy. She looked over at a clock and slowly got up from her chair. Right, the vampire had school in the morning. She gave a graceful bow before heading out of the room. She needed sleep if she were to start her plans.