Chapter 7: Found

It was dark outside, the moon only half full as it hung forlornly in the sky. As Yuki sat at the dining table mulling over her assignment, trying to decipher the meaning behind the poem, she twirled her pencil and bit her lip. It was one of the more sluggish nights, and she was feeling the siren calls of sleep but trudged on with her homework.

Shizuka was seated on her armchair in the living room, only a few steps away, embroidering a floral pattern on a dress that one of Aoi's customers had ordered. The customer had requested an elaborate design of peonies and Shizuka had embroidered so many flowers and animals throughout her life that she could start her own school of embroidery. The needle dipped up and down through the fabric, the dainty blue petal taking shape with each fluid movement of her hand.

Nearby, Aoi was perched on her seat in front of the sewing machine, head bowed and absorbed in finishing another dress. Recently there had been more ladies placing orders at Erina's dressmaking shop, so she had brought her work home to ensure the deadlines were met. Although it was tough keeping up during the busy season when the socialites were purchasing new dresses to attend soirees, Aoi welcomed the work – it meant more money.

As clouds briefly obscured the moon, Shizuka suddenly sensed an approaching presence, one she dreaded as much as she was familiar with it.

He had finally found them, earlier than she had expected.

In her split second of inattention, her hand continued to move, and the needle pierced her finger, causing a single red drop of blood to fall onto the pale blue dress she had been laboring over. At the scent of her blood, the other two immediately looked up from their tasks.

"Shizuka-sama, are you alright?" Aoi queried, evidently worried.

Her mistress was staring out the window at something Aoi could not see, a grim frown on her normally composed visage.

"Okaa-sama, what happened?"

Yuki had left her books and had also come over. Kneeling, she took the needle, thread, and fabric from her mother's hands, placing them to the nearby table. Her mother had never accidentally pricked herself with the needle before, something was wrong.

As she took her mother's hands in her own, she suddenly sensed what had upset the older woman. It was a cold, dark, and fearsome presence, one that caused her to start shivering uncontrollably, as if she had known its terror from her earliest memories.

She had seen her uncle's face before when fragments of her mother's memory slipped into the blood she fed from. His eyes, one icy blue and the other an angry red, had haunted her in nightmares, back when she was very young.

"Aoi." Shizuka placed a reassuring hand on Yuki who had buried her face into her lap, "Take Yuki and go to the Toma boy."

Although she still could not sense what the purebloods had detected, seeing Yuki-sama's terrified behavior and hearing Shizuka-sama's order, Aoi understood that her former master had finally found them.

She nodded and hurried to retrieve the katanas from the compartment hidden under the kitchen floor. As Aoi prepared to flee, Shizuka cupped Yuki's face with her hands, making her look up. The girl's large eyes stared back at her with uncertainty and fear. It was the same expression she had made as a baby, when that man had lifted her from her crib to examine his future prey.

"Yuki, listen to me," Shizuka's voice was firm, and she looked into the girl's eyes, "Leave with Aoi as fast as you can. Do not look back and focus on fleeing."

Yuki shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, aware her mother was planning to stay behind and hold that man back by herself as she and Aoi fled. Even though her mother was strong, her opponent was Rido. The same man that had killed her birth parents even though they were also supposed to be powerful purebloods. Her mother could not defeat him by herself.

"Okaa-sama, come with us, Shizuku would help us!" Yuki pleaded as she grasped her mother's wrists.

Shizuka looked down at the upset girl and shook her head. Even if they all fled, he and his followers would catch up. The best option was for her to take down as many of them as possible and buy time for the other two. Aoi and Yuki could defend themselves from the lesser vampires, but they were just hopeless prey before Rido.

"Yuki-sama, we have to go now," Aoi informed her ojou-sama, having returned after hastily throwing on her coat and retrieving the katanas and Yuki's coat. She stood at the living room entryway and looked at her mistress, praying this would not be the last time she saw her.

Shizuka stood up and pulled the reluctant girl over to Aoi. "Yuki, you have to be strong."

Yuki continued shaking her head, refusing to let go of her mother's arm.

Aoi swallowed the lump in her throat and forcefully grabbed Yuki's arm. "Yuki-sama, we must flee now, Rido-sama will be here in no time. Both you and I are too weak to do anything but notify Toma-sama and have him come to Shizuka-sama's aid."

Despite her own desire for Shizuka-sama to flee with them, Aoi was well aware of the realities of their situation.

Aoi's harsh words got through to Yuki, who recognized the truth in her words. Wiping away her tears, she nodded, she would go as fast as she could to Shizuku and have him come help her mother. Surely her mother would survive until then – she must. She let go of her mother's arm, threw on her coat, and took the katana Aoi held out to her.

"Okaa-sama, I'll be back soon, so promise you will not die?" She asked Shizuka, who simply nodded, smiling sadly.

Taking one last look at her mother, Yuki turned and followed Aoi out the back door, into the cold night.


After watching Yuki and Aoi until they disappeared beyond her view, Shizuka walked over to the fireplace. She took the katana from where it rested on the wooden stand atop the mantle, feeling the lacquered black wooden scabbard in her grip. The tsuba decorated with gold inlay still retained the design of a sprig of cherry blossoms. This sword and its matching wakizashi were the only mementos she had of the father she never met, and they had accompanied her all her life.

A long time ago she had once found herself holding the same sword while facing the same man. Back then his eyes had taunted her, goading her to slash him, but she had resisted doing so, not giving him what he wanted.

Tonight, she would finally draw her blade against him in a fight she most likely would not win. Rido was many things, but he was not weak. After all, he had even killed and devoured his own parents, giving in to their basest vampiric instinct to pursue power.

Sensing he was nearly there, she walked out the front door and stood in the yard, looking at the empty branches of the wintering plants, covered with last night's snow. It was a pity, but she would not see the garden bloom this year even though she had been looking forward to the lilies. The years they had spent here in this cottage had been pleasant, but Yuki could no longer return here after this night.

Their peaceful days had finally come to an end.


Finally arriving at the location he had been searching for more than a decade, Rido resumed his form from the mass of bats. He sensed only one presence – the one he was most familiar with. He supposed the girl had fled not too long ago, but that did not concern him much for he would track her down eventually no matter where she went. For now, he would focus on this woman who had run away from him, taking his prey with her.

A few meters away, his wife stood silently, clad in a white kimono, her long hair fluttering with the wind while her hand held the scabbard of an undrawn katana. She stared at him as coldly as before, her eyes the hue of cherry blossoms looking at him with disgust, as though he was some creature that had crawled out a cesspool of filth. Ah, how he had missed the way she glared at him, hating him so much but unable to do anything. He leered at her and reveled in her animosity towards him.

"How cruel of you to look at me like that, when I am your husband who has longed for you the past decade," he said and grinned widely, revealing his fangs.

As he finished his greeting, his subordinates finally caught up. The horde contained mostly ex-humans as well as some level-C minions the Council he was so familiar with had assigned to him. They bowed and stood back, awaiting his instructions.

Spreading his arms open, as though he expected her to run into his embrace, he continued in his taunting tone, "Shizuka, if you obediently return home to fulfill your duties as my wife, I will overlook your betrayal. I am the most magnanimous spouse one could hope for."

She scoffed at his words. "How could I betray you when I never stood by you in the first place?"

His heterochromatic eyes narrowed. Of course she would not submit to him quietly, throughout their centuries together she had continuously defied him to the point that it had become almost a game between them.

Despite having expected this outcome, anger flared in him. Even though she was his wife, she had always distanced herself from him. She had endured his provocations throughout the years, invariably choosing to ignore and avoid him instead of confronting him. And yet here she was, finally pointing her sword at him, to protect that wretched offspring of Haruka and his beloved Juri. How dare she choose Haruka's spawn over him?

"So, you'll stand against me then," he stated, staring darkly at her.

She did not reply, only looking resolutely back at him.

"Fine." He turned to the nearest servant. "Go after the girl."

The servant nodded and led the others in the direction Yuki and Aoi had fled.

As they ran, the snowy ground beneath them cracked and thorny vines snaked out, wrapping around them, and immobilizing them. As the vines squeezed tighter, the sharp thorns pierced their skin, draining their blood and life force, reducing them into ashes as buds sprouted along the vines and blossomed into flowers glowing an eerie red.

Rido looked at her, her eyes glowing ruby red as she manipulated the plants that ensnared and killed his minions.

How exciting it was to see her using her powers… he grinned at the adrenaline rush as he prepared for battle. For a vampire, the only thing more exciting than drinking blood was unleashing their feral sides and engaging in a life-or-death battle until only one remained standing.

"It's foolish wasting your energy with that wide-range attack," he said as he bit his index finger and drew out blood which he used to form a whip. "Don't forget who you should be focusing on."

Quickly drawing back the whip, he lashed at her.

Having been distracted finishing off his servants, she unsheathed her sword a few milliseconds late, and despite blocking the brunt of his attack, sustained an injury to her side. Her blood dripped through the torn silk, staining it red, with drops falling to the snow. The lovely contrast of red blood on white snow and the familiar scent of her blood aroused his bloodlust even more. With his eyes glowing red, mirroring hers, he grinned viciously and moved in to follow up his previous attack.


The temperature dropped as the night wore on, and as Yuki hurried towards her friend's manor, snow started falling gently before gradually blowing in drifts. The snow blurred her vision, frustrating her. Aoi was right behind her as they made their trek through seemingly endless fields interspersed with stretches of woods. Not having a watch, Yuki couldn't tell how much time had passed, and felt her panic rising.

Shizuku had mentioned it took a little under an hour for him to get to her residence when traveling as a flock of bats. Assuming she was able to travel as fast as he, it would take roughly two hours for them to return for her mother.

A sudden terrifying thought occurred to her – what if Shizuku wasn't home? She forced the thought to the back, she had to hope for the best and focus on reaching her destination. He had pointed out the direction of his residence a few times before, telling her it was nestled deep in the mountains to the west.

The wind blew against them, tiring her even more. She was not used to travelling in the form of her familiars for such a duration, there not having been any prior chance to do so. It was hard to catch her breath, and in her mind, she berated herself for being so weak, unable to do anything but flee. Even now, her strength was gradually abandoning her...how her body ached to rest! But that was not an option, she would never forgive herself if her weakness cost the life of her loved one.

As Yuki headed up the mountain and made her way around numerous skeletal trees, a spire gradually came into view. She was now close enough to detect his familiar aura. It was faint, but it was there – he was home after all. At that moment, she could have cried from sheer relief but concentrated her remaining energy on reaching him and delivering her message.


As Shizuku sat before the oversized desk overflowing with paperwork he had put off, he suddenly froze, his hand holding the ballpoint pen in mid-stroke. Over the next few seconds, he realized he had not imagined it, and that Yuki's presence was indeed approaching closer. The instant he slid off his chair, about to head to the window and look, a flurry of butterflies crashed through, sending glass flying throughout the room.

He barely had time to shield his face with his arms, and as the fragments from the impact settled, he uncovered his face to see Yuki. She was in her winter coat and collapsed on the marble floor littered with glass. She was bleeding from smashing through the window, but her wounds were almost finished healing. As he rushed over to help her up, Aoi came in through the window, part of her coat snagging on the glass, but she paid it no mind. She was breathing heavily, clearly fatigued as well.

While he helped Yuki to her feet, she abruptly grabbed his arms, and he saw her eyes were wide with anxiety – something had happened.

"Shizuku," she panted, her voice weak, "you have to go help my mother, she is fighting Uncle Rido alone."

Several thoughts raced through his head, the first concerning her parentage. He had always assumed Rido Kuran was her father, since she certainly looked like a Kuran and did not resemble Shizuka at all. But he supposed further inquiries into her family background would have to wait.

He was more concerned about facing Rido, who was far older and more powerful than him. Seeing Yuki's desperation though, he could not back down and reject her plea for help. Besides, he was the head of the Toma clan, and his pride would not allow him to retreat. If anything, he should be excited, it was not often he could use his powers without regard in a fight. Furthermore, Shizuka was strong, and if they faced Rido together, they should be able to force him into retreat.

He hurried to retrieve the sheathed broadsword hanging decoratively behind his desk, the weight of the weapon a bit unfamiliar in his hand. It had been a while since he last used it, but he supposed muscle memory will come to his aid during the fight.

His butler who had heard the alarming noise and ran up knocked loudly before opening the door, to be greeted with the shocking sight of the broken study window and two female strangers, one of whom he sensed was a pureblood. Shizuku snapped his fingers at the flustered butler, who managed to professionally recompose himself within seconds. He ordered him to retrieve his cloak for he was heading out and to have some maids take care of their guests. The butler bowed and went off to fulfill his master's orders.

"I'm coming with you too!" Yuki protested.

"You're already tired just coming to notify me, there's no point of you going back if you'll just get in the way," Shizuku replied. She was so frustrating with her foolish recklessness.

Yuki wanted to argue but knew he was right. Her arms and legs felt as heavy as lead, and she wasn't sure if she could even walk out the door by herself. Aoi placed a hand on her arm and shook her head, silently telling her to let Shizuku-sama go by himself. Her mistress would not want Yuki-sama to return to the danger, walking straight into the wolf's jaws.

The butler returned with his master's cloak and maids who immediately started attending to their guests and cleaning up the glass. As Shizuku prepared to morph into bats and fly out the broken window, Yuki grabbed his elbow, her anxiety evident and looking as though she needed reassurance. He did not want to tell her "It will be alright" in case he got there too late, so he merely squeezed her hand before taking off into the night.


They had been fighting for a while, with neither one giving in. Their clothing was tattered and ripped where they had slashed each other, and the snow underneath was red with their blood.

Having just delivered blows onto one another, they now stood facing each other, with only a few feet separating them. The cut she had made from his shoulder to his abdomen was already healing, at the same rate as the wide gash marring her left thigh.

Although he was physically stronger and his attacks heavier, she was faster and her sword technique was more refined, as expected of her lineage. The main reason she was able to last so long against him was her swordsmanship, which mostly compensated for their gap in raw power. He was much stronger in that regard, since he was both older by half a millennium, and had consumed the power of his parents. It also helped that she was able to incorporate her ability to manipulate plants into her offensive with the katana, having vines hinder him when he was not paying attention.

Rido had to admit he was impressed with this woman who was now glaring at him, waiting cautiously for his next strike. Even though he had always kept her locked up like a caged bird, she was able to hold her own in a real fight. Her strength and mastery of the sword was one of the reasons he had ended up marrying her like his deceased parents had wanted – he had no use for the weak, but he did appreciate strength. If she had bore him an heir, he would undoubtedly have been strong. It was a shame how that had turned out.

His senses pricked up having detected an approaching presence – another pureblood. Both he and Shizuka turned to look in the direction of the newcomer. They saw a flock of bats heading their way, amassing together and resuming the shape of a boy right before it landed, a few feet from Shizuka. The boy rushed over to her side, turned to face him, unsheathed his sword, and pointed it at him.

Rido smirked, recognizing the orange-blond hair and green eyes.

"What brings you here, boy from the Toma family?" he drawled, eying the newcomer without much concern. To him who had lived over three thousand years, the boy was a mere toddler who could not harm him, pureblood or not.

"Rido-sama, I have come here to aid Shizuka-sama, I do not wish to fight you, but I'll do so if need be," the boy replied, his voice unwavering despite his awareness of how overpowered his foe was compared to him.

The dark aura emanating from the older man was as repressive as he had expected. He was glad Rido was not using a hunter weapon in this battle, having heard rumors that the man was able to wield hunter weapons like some others of the Kuran lineage could.

"Oh?" Rido lifted an eyebrow as his lips twisted into an arrogant smile, "You managed to find yourself a young friend, Shizuka?"

She did not answer but kept her gaze trained on him, waiting for his next move.

Rido sighed inwardly, pondering what to do next. Despite the boy being no match for him, if he teamed up with Shizuka, the fight would drag on. That would be too much of a nuisance and he was getting impatient. Although he had wanted to sink his fangs into the girl Shizuka had raised so lovingly these past years, draining her dry as his headstrong wife was forced to watch hopelessly in anguish, he would have to put that plan on hold for now.

He would always be able to find them in the end, and he still had to deal with the other daughter that Kaname was protecting. Waiting for this girl to get older and a tad stronger before he devoured her was not a bad idea…

Having made up his mind, Rido slowly licked the blood off his fingers. A tinge of floral flavor was mixed in with the acrid flavor of his own blood – it had been a while since he last tasted his wife's blood. Too bad he had not been able to get close enough for a deeper and more satisfying gulp. He grinned at them, his heterochromatic eyes shining with malicious merriment.

"Shizuka, my dear wife, it seems I'll have to take my leave now. Don't miss me too much though, for I'll be back," he announced and cackled madly before morphing into bats and flying off.

Only when he had fully disappeared from sight was she finally able to relax. Her legs gave way and she collapsed on the snow, one hand still gripping the handle of her katana. The cold wind whipped her hair around and as the adrenaline rush from battle was replaced by fatigue, the cold finally seeped through the tears in her clothes, chilling her to the core. She shivered involuntarily as she stared blankly at the blood-stained snow.

Shizuku remembered his gentlemanly upbringing and hurriedly took off his cloak, draping it around her. It was odd seeing the normally strong and composed woman appearing so vulnerable and tired. He helped her to her feet and led her into the cottage where he would have her rest before taking her back to his estate and reuniting her with Yuki and Aoi.


A/N: A wakizashi is a Japanese sword with a length in between 30-60 cm and serves as the smaller companion sword to a katana. And Rido finally appears! I can't explain why, but it's fun writing from the perspective of a madman lol.