Author's Note: Next chapter! This one is devoted to Hao is hot, kuri kuri-chan, and especially to l2uly, who has reviewed both of my previous chapters. And, two chapters in two/three days? I am getting good at this!

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter Two

Within a few weeks, Mari had settled into life at the clan house. She knew most of the people (or at least the ones that bothered to talk to her), and, most of the time, get to where she was going without asking for directions. When she did get lost, within an hour Macchi, or Kanna, or even Hao-sama would walk by and help her find where she was going (unless it was Hao, then she pretended she knew exactly where she was, even though that caused her to get even more lost). Macchi constantly made fun of Mari's love of 'Dracula' ("We don't turn to dust in sunlight, we just get sunburned. Crosses, hurt us? Ha! Some of us go to Mass! And what's up with the garlic thing? I love garlic!"). Apparently the only things true about rumors is that a stake to the heart would kill a vampire, and they did require blood to survive (only once a month, except right after one is turned, then for the first year, they need blood twice a month- Mari found out the blood she needed was mixed into her food).

Of course, Hao was still trying to get Mari to give him respect (not that she noticed). He'd ask her to do something for him (clean something, fetch something, tell someone something) and she'd refuse (she was busy, she didn't feel well, she didn't know where that was) and walk off. Someone else would jump forward, eager to make Hao-sama happy, not even noticing that the new girl just snubbed him (or they pretended they didn't, after all who wants Hao's wrath turned onto them?).

It was, in a word, surreal. For Hao, though, it slammed back into reality with the arrival of a simple letter.

"He-e-e-eey..." Macchi drawled, poking Mari's shoulder, causing the other girl to poke her finger (she just had to hold the needle in that hand). Macchi was lying half on her bed, half off, hanging over the edge upside down.

"What?" Mari asked, sucking her finger. She was in the middle of repairing her doll, Chuck.

"I heard Hao-sama's brother's clan is coming to visit. Is it true?"

Mari scowled. How the hell would she know? She had been there, what, three weeks?

"Mari doesn't know," Kanna cut in from her seat near the window. "She's new, remember Macchi?"

Macchi giggled, looking sheepish. "Oh, yeah."

"It is true though," Kanna continued. "Yoh-sama's clan, and the psycho bitch's."

Mari quirked her head, turning to look at the blue-haired woman. "Psycho bitch?"

"She means Jeanne, the leader of another clan," Macchi laughed. "She hates Hao-sama, but she's too weak to do anything but talk. Kanna, why is she coming?"

Kanna opened the window and lite a cigarrette before answering, then said, "Her clan and Yoh-sama's have both found their new member. Since Mari joined, all the clan's have to meet, and show each other their new members. Part of some old treaty or something."

Macchi nodded. "Oh, yeah. Kanna, you're so smart! Or old," she muttered the last part.The older woman was gracious enough to ignore the last statment.

Mari, who had just finished repairing Chuck, put her kit away and jumped onto her own bed. "Why is Mari joining the clan so special?"

The other two mused over her question, and shrugged. "We can't really explain it. Maybe we should ask Hao-sama?"

"No thanks, Mari will remain ignorant," Mari's voice took on her don't-talk-about-that-person-to-me tone.

"Well, we don't have to ask Hao-sama! We could ask Opacho. She's been here the longest," Kanna offered.

Mari nodded. "Okay."

They searched the castle, eventually finding Opacho in the library with Nichrome (who was holding a large stack of books).

"Opacho-chan, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Macchi chirped, walking up to the dark-skinned girl. Kanna followed, but Mari hung back.

"Oh? I've been here all day," The girl answered. "What do you want?"

"Why do Yoh-sama's clan and Jeanne-sama's clan have to come here?" Kanna asked.

"To see Mari, and for Hao-sama to see their new members."

"Why?" Macchi prodded.

"So no clan can have more members than the others without everyone knowing. It prevents war," Opacho explained, adding a book to the pile Nichrome was holding. Nichrome wobled slightly. "You see, to not draw attention to ourselves, we only add a new clan member once every few years. Jeanne added her's a few years ago, and Yoh-sama added his last year. They've been waiting on Hao-sama, and now that Mari's here, they're coming."

Mari nodded from behind her friends. She pushed past them and took some of the books from Nichrome. He threw her a grateful look. "Mari thinks that makes sense."

Opacho blinked. "Mari? When did you get here?"

"I've been here the whole time," Mari replied.

"Oh. Well-"

"So this is where you've been," Hao's voice cut in. The group turned, and saw Hao walking towards them.

"Hao-sama!" Opacho cheered, tossing the book she was holding at Nichrome and running to her master.

Nichrome let out a very long stream of curses as the book rammed his face, and collapsed onto the floor. Mari bent down, dropping her own books.

'How dare she ignore me!' Hao fumed internally. It had been like that for the past few weeks, and it really pissed him off! Even when he tried to help her, she snubbed him! He remembered the first time she got lost. He offered to lead her to her destination, but do you know how she answered? No thank-you, she said. She knew exactly where she was going. He knew she was lost, she had just said so a few minutes before he spoke to her (not that he was following her, he was simply heading where she was going, wherever that was). It still annoyed him two weeks later.

"Opacho, are you having fun?" he asked, pushing Mari from his mind.

"Yes! Nichrome is helping me collect books," Opacho said.

"That's nice. Kanna, Macchi," the two straightened up, "Since my brother and his clan, as well as Jeanne's are coming, I believe it's time for Mari to start training."

Kanna blinked. "Already? But Hao-sama, she hasn't even adjusted to our schedule!"

"I know that, but she needs to train. Part of the reason for the other two clan's visit is to assess the power of our clan with a new member."

"But she wakes up early, and falls asleep early, too!" Macchi whined.

Hao saw Mari frown from next to Nicrome.

"Well, then, you need to get up early, too. She needs to train at least four hours a day. Focus on the common abilities at first. When she becomes adapt at those, you can start on her unique ones." he spun around and left the library. There were still several preparations left to make...

"What does he mean, training?" Mari asked Nichrome. He laughed, and helped her up.

"Every vampire has a set of abilities, common and unique. In order to learn how to control them, you have to train under another vampire's guidance, normally one who has mastered their own abilities. And, before you ask, common abilities are the ones every vampie has. There are two types, concious and sub-concious. Concious ones are the ones you have to learn to control. They include telekinesis, super-speed, and the ability to manipulate humans with words. The sub-concious ones are the ones that autmatically happen. They include accelerated healing, enhanced smell, hearing, taste, and night-sight."

"That makes sense," Mari commented. "But what are unique abilities?"

"Well, those are the ones that not everyone has. They vary, from anything that ends with '-kinesis' to shapeshisting, from telepathy to foresight."

"Shapeshifting?"

"That's very rare, only among the most powerful vampires, and hard to control," Kanna interrupted.

"Yep, very rare!" Macchi agreed.

"Nichrome, how dare you drop my books!" Opacho yelled.

"It was an accident?" Nichrome protested weakly.

"That's no excuse!"

"Opacho-san," Mari said, "Nichrome only dropped the books because you threw a book at him. Mari also dropped some books, too."

Opacho frowned, then sighed. "Oh, whatever! Anyway, Mari, you need to set up training hours with Macchi and Kanna."

Mari nodded, and waved as she followed Kanna and Macchi out of the library.

After a few minutes of silence, Mari asked them, "What are your unique abilities?"

Kanna answered first, "I'm gravitakinetic. That means I can manipulate gravity. Macchi's pyrokinetic. She can manipulate fire. Before you ask, Opacho has foresight, and she can cast an astral form of herself. Nichrome is magnokinetic. He can manipulate magnetic and electromagnetic fields."

Mari mulled that over, then hesitantly asked, "What is Hao-sama's abilities?"

Kanna smirked, and said, "He's telepathic, pyrokinetic, aerokinetic, geokinetic, hydrokinetic, and electrokinetic. He can read minds, and manipulate fire, air, earth, water, and electricity. You know all the lights? He's the one feeding electricity to the whole castle."

"Wow," Mari breathed. 'He's that powerful?'

"Hao-sama is really strong! That's why he's our clan master!" Macchi cheered. They had reached their room by then, and all three imediately went to where they were previously seated.

"So, Mari, your training should take place after breakfast- your breakfast- pause for lunch, and end before dinner. That should make Hao-sama happy." Kanna explained.

"Okay. So when does Mari start?" Mari asked.

"Tomorrow."

"What?" Mari's voice was flat. Flat as in the you've-got-to-be-freaking-kidding-me flat.

Macchi giggled. Kanna sighed.

"Rest up, Mari. We begin your training tomorrow."