Chapter 10: First Glimpses

The moon hid behind thick clouds, and the sky was completely dark by the time Shizuku arrived at his destination, several hours after he had set off from his manor. It was rather tiring traveling such long distances in the form of his bats, but if he had taken the car or gone by train, he would have risked being followed. The Senate had their spies spread throughout the country, and ever since the incident with Rido, who was such chums with the Senate, they would undoubtedly be keeping extra tabs on him.

Despite having exerted himself, he shivered a bit through his coat. Although it was late spring, and the surrounding trees all bore heavy crowns of dark leaves, the temperatures in the mountains dropped noticeably at night.

Before approaching the door, he stood back to examine the residence that Yuki, Shizuka, and Aoi had moved into. Despite being much smaller than what he was used to, he supposed it was still spacious enough for three people to live in. More importantly, it was reasonably well hidden, the exterior of the building blending in with the surrounding environment. This cottage was also deep in the mountains, the nearest town more than an hour away by car. They would be safe here, unlikely to be discovered by Rido for a while.

The door opened before he took another step and light spilled forth onto the doorstep, partially blocked by Aoi who was standing at the entrance.

"Toma-sama," she bowed and greeted him.

He nodded at her.

He had developed a fondness for Aoi over the years and viewed her favorably for her steadfast loyalty to her mistress. She was a faithful and courageous servant, choosing to follow Shizuka despite the danger of standing against Rido. Most lower vampires, in consideration for their lives and societal standing, would have sided with the powerful and well-connected Rido, instead of his politically disenfranchised and socially isolated wife, whose reputation was tainted with rumors of insanity.

As he stepped inside the narrow entrance hall, Aoi took his coat and hat, arranging them on the nearby coat rack.

He was a little surprised that Yuki had not bounded out like an overly hyper puppy to meet him as she usually did when he visited. As if sensing his unvoiced question, Aoi informed him that Yuki was currently at her friend Maria's place, and will return in a quarter of an hour.

A part of him was a bit miffed that she had gone off to call on her new friend even though he had already sent word he would be arriving around this time. It was especially offensive, considering how he had not visited them in a few months. Although he maintained a regular correspondence with Shizuka, keeping her informed of the latest news his sources had gathered about Rido, he had only exchanged a grand total of three letters with Yuki during this period.

It seemed Yuki was too busy with her new friend nowadays…

Well, it's not like I care, that girl is a lot of work and I'm better off not having to deal with her and her shenanigans, he thought and scowled.

"Toma-sama, Shizuka-sama would like to meet with you first," Aoi said.

He nodded and followed her into the living room where Shizuka was seated regally on the couch. The windows were opened, and a chilly breeze blew in, stirring the edges of the curtains that were pulled to the side.

Aoi excused herself and retreated down the dark hallway, leaving the purebloods to themselves.

Shizuka was as elegant and impeccably dressed as usual. Her pale hair was tied up in a plait and she was clad in a simple dark green midi dress instead of her usual kimono.

At his entrance she glanced up from her glass of red wine.

He noticed a crystal decanter on the coffee table and wondered if it contained Cabernet Sauvignon or perhaps a Syrah. The last time he had visited Yuki back in the cottage, he had observed Shizuka sipping from a sake cup, a flask of Daiginjo-shu at her side as she stared at a landscape painting, a tinge of melancholy in her distant gaze.

A long time ago, he had seen that same hint of melancholy in the eyes of his parents when they thought he was not looking. Perhaps it was an inevitable side effect of living multiple centuries, though in Shizuka's case, Rido probably had something to do with her pensive air. Even among the less reputable purebloods, that man was an outlier.

Shizuku greeted the older woman respectfully and she indicated with a fluid gesture of her hand for him to sit. He took the seat diagonal from her.

"Has the Senate been making trouble for you recently?" she inquired casually, slowly swirling the glass in her hand and examining the red liquid as it sloshed in the translucent vessel.

"Those annoying goons have always been troublesome," he replied ambiguously.

She smiled faintly and accepted his answer without pushing further. "In regard to what I asked you to look into last time, have you found out anything?" she asked, looking directly at him, no longer toying with the wine glass.

"Yes… Kaname Kuran is currently attending Cross Academy, the school run by Kaien Cross, a former vampire hunter," he reported, trying to keep his general distaste for the Kurans from slipping into his words. "He is the leader of the Night Class, composed entirely of vampires, mostly those from the ranks of the aristocrats. Even the grandson of Asato Ichijou is attending alongside him."

Shizuku hated that old geezer, who frequently and unabashedly tried to control the purebloods with increasingly limiting policies. However, despite his animosity towards the man, even he had to admit that aristocrat was impressively sly and formidable as an opponent, giving credit where it was due.

The older woman processed the information calmly and remarked, "Then that must be where the other girl is, for Kaname to play student like that."

He nodded, aware of who the "other girl" referred to. It seems Yuki would be reunited with her siblings in due time.

"Shizuku, you do not need to get involved more than you already have," she suddenly said, her solemn gaze fixed on him.

He understood the unspoken consideration behind her statement but steadily held her gaze. "Having already come this far, standing against Rido, I won't back down now. Besides, this is the most interesting situation I've come across in a while, and I'm always up to the challenge when it comes to opposing the cretins on the Senate."

Shizuka leaned her head slightly to the side and smiled, amused at the reckless and vindictive courage of the boy before her. How confident and energetic the young are, she thought wryly.

They sensed Yuki's quickly approaching presence, indicating her return and Shizuka ended their conversation. A minute later, Yuki burst into the living room, her usual lively self, wearing a collared light blue dress and carrying an enamel cake carrier.

"Shizuku, you're here! Look, I made this cake with Maria-chan. You and mother should try it!" she happily announced, not even taking the time to catch her breath.

Without waiting for their replies, she set the carrier on the table, next to the decanter of wine, and opened it to reveal her sweet and hopefully edible creation.

The older woman responded that although the cake looked remarkable, she was full and had no appetite left for dessert. With a pleasant smile and a swish of her skirt, Shizuka gracefully excused herself and retired to her bedroom.

Yuki pouted at her mother's defection, unsure if she had been speaking the truth or making an excuse to avoid consuming her creation. She turned to focus her attention on the boy, who looked grimly at the cake on the table. Although it looked innocent enough – lathered with white frosting and decorated artfully with an abundance of strawberries and blueberries, Shizuku held deep reservations about tasting any of her culinary concoctions.

As he wondered what excuse to use, Aoi came in bearing plates, cutlery, teacups, and a warm pot of tea. With efficient pace and movements, she set down those items and removed the wine decanter and empty glass. Smiling kindly, she then informed her ojou-sama that she was currently on a diet (though she appeared perfectly slim to Shizuku) so she will unfortunately have to miss out on the cake. As quickly as she had swept in, she retreated to the kitchen.

Yuki's pout deepened and she glared at Shizuku, daring him to wriggle out of trying her handiwork as Aoi and her mother had. She took the knife, cut a large piece of cake, transferred it to a plate, and held it out towards him. He stared at the proffered plate without enthusiasm.

"You don't have to be so wary, it was 95% made by Maria-chan. I just helped her mix the ingredients and wash the fruit," she informed him while continuing to sulk.

She cut an equally big slice for herself and started eating, seated beside him.

Shizuku had no idea if this Maria-chan was as equally atrocious as Yuki was in the culinary arts but decided to take a bite in the face of no escape. It was not like he would really die – he would only come close to death at worst.

Hesitantly he stabbed the cake and inserted the tiniest morsel into his mouth. To his relief and pleasant surprise, it tasted great. In fact, he could even compare it to cakes from the high-end bakeries he occasionally visited.

Yuki glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, assessing his reaction. She was satisfied seeing him relax and take a bigger bite, eating without his prior reluctance.

"This Maria is not bad at baking," he commented after finishing his slice and taking a sip of the chrysanthemum tea. "You should learn a thing or two from her."

Yuki glared at him and kicked his foot. "And you should learn to be more of a gentleman and be nicer to ladies."

He snorted at her referring to herself as a lady. Most ladies he knew did not eat messily enough to leave bits of frosting around their mouth like she did.

"Anyway, what were you talking about with mother?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"None of your business, it was a conversation between adults."

She laughed and patted his head, emphasizing how his current height was shorter compared to hers. "Huh, I see, Mr. Adult."

He brusquely swatted her offending hand away from his hair. "Go ask your mother if you want to know, but I'm not in the habit of blabbering."

Seeing as he was not going to answer her first question, Yuki decided to change the topic. "Where have you been these past months? How come you haven't dropped by to visit in a while?"

"I got more work recently, so I was too busy to visit. Unlike you I actually have responsibilities."

Yuki huffed, "I'm not as carefree as you think, you jerk! Mother has been training me more nowadays and its always so tiring, especially since I still have to keep up with lessons."

The boy gave her an unsympathetic look. "That should be the standard, your mother has been too soft on you. Besides, how busy are you really when you have so much time to hang out with this Maria-chan?"

She gulped, recognizing the truth in his words. It was undeniable that she had been spending a lot of time lazing around in Maria's room reading magazines and watching TV. It was not her fault that the latest drama they were following was so addictive!

"Um, that's not the point! I've been much more diligent these past months! Anyway, let me tell you about Maria!" She quickly changed the topic and started rambling about her new friend and the amazing creation called television among other things.

Shizuku pondered if Yuki should be allowed to watch so much TV without supervision.

He highly doubted she was watching educational documentaries on the animal kingdom or the histories of different countries. More likely than not, she was consuming sappy romances, the bilge that frumpy housewives and starry-eyed teenage girls love. The dramas were all variations of the same theme: a naïve girl (usually lacking money and brains) capturing the heart of a cold and mysterious man (always wealthy, smart, and handsome), while everybody (apparently for lack of better things to do) tried to tear them apart. At least that's what he had gathered from the chattering of his maids, whenever they were on break, and he happened to pass by. These shows would only give her more unrealistic ideas about the way the world worked, and she was already lost in la-la land half the time…

As his visit came to an end, he donned his coat and hat and walked out the door. He turned back to face Yuki who stood in the doorway and stared after him, disappointed he was leaving so soon.

"I won't be visiting for a while with the increased workload I have to deal with."

Her eyes widened and she frowned briefly, visibly dejected by the news. In spite of her heavy heart, she forced herself to smile cheerfully. "Don't miss me too much, though I know it will be hard for you being all alone, stuck in your gloomy office."

He scoffed, "I'm glad to get some peace and quiet without you around. And for the record, my office is not gloomy, it's sophisticated, something a brat like you can't comprehend."

She responded by childishly sticking out her tongue and he waved once before dispersing into a flock of bats and flying off, disappearing into the dark night.


"That's her," Yuki gasped, squeezing her mother's hand tightly in her excitement.

Although her physical body was seated next to her mother in their mountain hideout, she was currently using her familiar's eyes to view something far away. Many miles removed from them, her butterfly perched on a tree branch, next to her mother's sparrow.

After being separated from her younger twin sister years ago when they were babies, she was finally seeing her again for the first time, at the age of 14.

Although she had no memories of her sister, she recognized her instantly. There was simply a familiar sensation about the girl that arrested her attention. Her sister, Yoko, was currently walking out of the main lecture building of the academy.

They were clearly not identical twins, differing in many physical traits. For one, Yoko was notably taller, by as much as half a foot. For another Yoko's hair was a darker shade of brown, and very curly, in an almost unorganized way, notably different from Yuki's straighter locks. Her eyes were also a serene light blue, in contrast to Yuki's energetic brown eyes.

Yoko was easy to spot amid the crowd of students streaming out the building, because she had a certain calm aura, carrying herself as though she was much older than her actual age. She walked briskly, her back straight and eyes focused, unlike most of the other students who strolled leisurely while chatting with friends, catching up on how their day went.

Yuki stared in fascination at her twin sister, the one who had accompanied her from the very start when they were still in their birth mother's womb. She wanted to hold her close, feel her warmth, and breathe in her scent. Her butterfly familiar fluttered its wings, slowly ascending from the branch and moving towards the girl.

She felt a tight grip around her wrist and turned to see her mother looking at her and gently shaking her head.

"Now is not the time, Yuki," Shizuka stated quietly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Yuki frowned, feeling mildly frustrated, but returned her butterfly to the branch. Her mother was right, she had agreed to only view her sister from afar.

Shizuka softly squeezed her hand, understanding her daughter's frustration and longing, being so close to the one she longed for but unable to be with her. Yuki leaned her head against her mother's shoulder, and Shizuka stroked her hair, comforting her. The two of them watched the girl walk away, disappearing into the crowd of human students wearing the white uniforms of the school.


Yuki saw her older brother for the first time two or three weeks after she first glimpsed Yoko. Once again, she had been observing Yoko from the distance through her butterfly, but her familiar had arrived at the academy later than usual.

It was sunset, and Yoko was directing the human students to the side, so the vampire students could head over to the lecture hall without being harassed by fans.

Even through her butterfly, Yuki could sense the hectic excitement of the human girls, and was glad she did not have to deal with them herself, unlike her poor sister and her two friends, handsome identical twins with distinctive silver hair. Although humans were weaker than her, seeing the human girls act so wildly reminded her how terrifying humans can be. They elbowed and pushed each other and screamed loud enough to wake the dead. It was not much of a stretch to say that they were only slightly more restrained than unhinged level E's….

The huge ornate gates opened with a metallic groan, and the vampires streamed out in an orderly fashion, led by their leader. Yuki instinctively knew that was her brother because he was the only pureblood in that area.

He was handsome as expected, and possessed a slightly androgynous beauty, with dark brown hair and mysterious brown eyes. He possessed a majestic grace consistent with his identity as both a pureblood vampire and the heir to the esteemed Kuran clan. Yuki was immediately struck by how similar he and Yoko looked, both with that reserved and polite grace. From physical appearances alone, it should come as no shock to anyone that the two were related. Yoko resembled Kaname more than she did her own twin sister.

As Kaname walked by Yoko, he nodded at her and she nodded back.

Yuki observed all this from her accustomed tree branch and wondered what type of person her brother was. Although he looked like Yoko, his aura had a faintly intimidating edge (reminding her of her mother), and even through her familiar, Yuki could sense he was much stronger than herself.

At the exact moment he passed under her tree, he suddenly looked up, right at her butterfly, his gaze steely. His chilly dark eyes seemed to drill directly into hers, even though she was many miles away.

With a jolt, she sprang up from her chair, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

Had he sensed her?

He definitely had; he was still looking straight at her familiar!

Yuki gulped hard and directed her familiar to flutter off. She should have trained more on hiding her aura, as her mother had told her to. Yuki berated herself for slacking off and not doing so, now she had been caught!

Pacing around nervously, she reviewed the unexpected turn of events in her head.

Wasn't she worrying too much? It is not as if he could identify her just from her familiar alone. Besides, what would he do anyway? All she had done was innocently observe from the distance, and he would not be able to track her down from just this. And even if he did track her down somehow, what could he possibly do to her? She was his sister, not his enemy!

Yuki stopped her agitated pacing and breathed in deeply, forcing her nerves to settle down. After what just happened, her brother was probably going to be on the lookout from now on. Yuki concluded that it was probably better for her to not spy on Yoko for a while, and to only observe her when Kaname was not around.

She wondered why she had to feel guilty for spying on her own twin, it was really odd and even humorous when she thought about it. It was not like she was a perverted voyeur peeping at unsuspecting women bathing!

She shook her head, trying to clear her sense of discomfiture.

It was alright, she would reunite with them eventually, and would be able to look at her sister as much as she wanted then. For now, she should concentrate on those math problems her mother had instructed her to complete by the end of the night, along with her reading assignment.

Looking down at the worksheet laid in front of her on the desk, she felt her panic surging again. There were around 30 problems, and she had only done 3 so far…if she failed to finish the set by on time, she would be punished by having dessert withheld for a week and being assigned extra homework. Her mother was already annoyed with her for having failed her biology quiz earlier this week, she could not afford another strike.

Glancing up at the clock, she was appalled to see how much time she had wasted watching her sister. Yuki ran her fingers through her hair, feeling ready to cry and wishing Maria were here to help her. She really loathed geometry with all her heart and railed against whichever mathematician had discovered it. Why bother learning geometry when nobody used it in their everyday lives anyway?

Moaning like a beached whale in the depths of despair, she resigned herself to her waiting tasks.


A/N: Daiginjo-shu is sake (rice wine) where at least 50% of the rice is polished away. And the siblings' paths finally start to cross, ten chapters into the story lol…