"The innocent times are over…" Shizuka whispered to her children earlier that night when they stood outside of the large, white mansion belonging to the Kiryuu hunters.
The Kuruizaki family, or what remained of it, watched the dead or dying hunters at their feet. Shizuka cornered the head of the family, the ones who did the deadly deed, in their bedroom and allow her children to attack whoever else was in the house.
They had been lucky, they'd picked a night of a gathering and all the Kiryuu hunters were present.
They had not begged for their lives, like a normal human would, they'd kept their dignity as hunters and fought till their last breath at the hands of the Purebloods.
Shizuka's children killed with hatred pulsing through their veins. Angered that their father was murdered by this clan -who had been celebrating the birth of their leader's first child, a female named Kyra, only moments ago- and had his blood drained from his body to be drunk by them to allow the Kiryuu hunters longer lives. So as Iruka's children drained the life blood from the monsters they also absorbed their father's power.
Shizuka stared at the newborn in her crib, asleep and unaware of the massacre taking place. "Get…Get away from her…" Gasped Kyra's cousin, Zuko. He'd gone to his uncle's room to fetch his baby cousin, but was taken by surprise when he saw Shizuka Hio and the dead bodies of his uncle and aunt.
"Okaa-sama~" A sing-a-song voice chirped. Maria, Shizuka's daughter, walked in her long silver hair was drawn back with a ribbon and she wore a kimono similar to her mother's, including the fact that it was covered with blood. "Ichiru and Zero are finishing up their dinner down the hall," The young Pureblood's gaze dropped to Zuko dying on the floor. "Hmm," She lowered her hand to Zuko limp body and lifted him up, after examining him for a moment she spoke. "He'd make a good servant, strong and helps that he has a nice face."
The hunter wondered how someone so beautiful, could be so evil. He met the Pureblood's violet eyes with his green ones and the Pureblood's aura became enraged. With a snap of her wrist he was thrown across the room and slammed hard against the wall.
"Though he'll need an attitude check," Maria smiled as she stalked towards him.
"Maria, no playing with your food, we have no use for servants, we'll take the young one and go." Maria turned to her mother in shock to see her holding the young hunter in her arms.
"Yes Okaa-sama, I'm sorry." Maria bobbed her head to the older Pureblood and Shizuka left without another word, and then she turned her attention back to her snack. She cupped his face in her hands and smiled seductively, she bent down so her face was leveled with his. "Too bad, I would have loved making you jump through hoops for me." She licked the long gash on the side of his face.
"Don't toy with me." He growled. Maria smiled and gripped his curly, sand blond hair.
"I won't let your life go to waste; you consumed a lot of my father's blood. I will become Queen someday so his life blood will help me achieve that goal." She pulled at his hair and made his neck come to an arch. "Such a shame, you were in your prime of years too." Then she barred her sharp fangs into his throat.
Zero and Ichiru watched as the hunter squirmed with the venom of a Pureblood flowing through its veins, cheap entertainment; only to see her suffer. Zero had ripped at the throats of the hunters with glee; loving to see the clan that had so proudly killed his father crumble at his feet.
Like his mother said "You are not Pureblood royalty until you use your fangs on humans,"
A prince, he was a Pureblood royalty now.
He didn't know if it was the glory of the moment or the overdose of his father's Pureblood blood mixed with hunter's, but he threw his head back and laughed. His younger twin stared at him like he had gone mad and flashed his fangs, still in a feral blood gutted state the twins would normally fight after a feast either for their sister's attention or the last D class vampire in the cellar of their mansion home.
Zero caught sight of his twin's stance and his eyes darted to the ex-human in the corner of the room. "I'm full," he declared, whipping his mouth with the sleeve of his dark blue shirt. He moved out of the room and down the corridor to meet up with his mother and sister.
Ichiru watched as the hunter squirm across the floor from a couch in the room. Suddenly she became still and clutched her throat as the burning sensation of hunger took over, but Ichiru was too deep in thought to notice.
His elder brother had left him to finish his meal in peace, but he worried it was just another trap. It was Zero's venom in the newly made vampire's body, but Ichiru had taken a bite out of her as well.
Finally he noticed the dark haired girl's glare from the ground where she sat, her nimble body quivering from pain and fear.
"How…could you?" She gasped clutching her burning throat she made an attempt to stand.
Ichiru outstretched a hand towards the girl and smiled at her. "Come here." His voice drifted like a song through her ears and she found that she could do nothing but obey him. The hunter knew what was coming next and she felt grateful she'd die and be with the rest of her family, and not be damned like these creatures who called themselves royalty.
~X~
Word had spread fast about the Kuruizaki's slaughter of the Kiryuu hunter clan. They were both rejected and adored at the same time. Whenever they went to a gathering now the Nobles could feel the power of Iruka-sama's blood waving off them in violent lashes of power that told the Noble's their stand in society.
Shizuka painted her lips red like blood, proudly when she confessed her deed to the Council. Zero, Ichiru and Maria at their mother's side ready to snap at anyone who spoke a bad word about them.
"Shizuka-sama your behavior and ideas of revenge do not please the Council." Ichiou commented.
"My family and I killed the hunter clan who viciously murdered a Pureblood, I believe you should be thanking us." Zero stated dryly his eyes locked with the Kuran's Pureblood Prince sitting across the room. I wonder if he ever killed anyone.
"They killed my husband, my brother, my children's father. We were only doing what we thought fitting." Shizuka said, running her fingers through her long white hair like Iruka once did. "The Kiryuu clan also took Iruka's blood, those vile mortals…"
"It was reckless and stupid attack that could have killed you all." Kaname shot back, standing from his chair. "True our families are rivals, but we cannot risk losing anyone. Especially now."
"Aw, you're no fun Kaname-kun." Maria whined as she played with the tips of Ichiru's hair.
"Maria-sama, have you chosen your husband yet?" Ichiou changed the topic and caught the entire Council off guard. Maria's violet eyes narrowed.
"Ichijou you snake," She quipped. "You know I've chosen Ichiru."
Ichiou frowned at the young princess. "Ah, the princess chooses younger brother of the clan, where have I heard this story before?" His seaweed eyes darted over to Kaname, who glared viscously back.
"Ichijou-san, I take offence." Kaname retorted, sitting back down.
"My apologizes, Kaname-san." Ichiou said quickly, not even meaning it. "Shizuka-sama I can see that you will be proud of your decision no matter what, so it is useless too speak with you now."
"Yes it is," Shizuka said examining the length of her nails a bit too well.
"I'd like to talk to you about your current state."
"What 'current state'?" Shizuka looked up and once she met Ichiou's eyes she knew what was coming. "Maria, Zero, Ichiru please step outside for a moment." The siblings all looked at each other than back at their mother.
"Only if Kaname-kun will step out as well," Maria said. Kaname, not wanting to get caught in Shizuka Hio's ranting fury, stood from his chair and followed the Kuruizaki children out the double doors.
As usual, since the first day he met them, they all hung together in a tightly knit group in the dead middle of the hallway. Maria stood in the middle flanked by her brothers' and all of them had a serene, yet fiery aura to them. Maria smiled and skipped towards Kaname as he let the door shut behind him.
"Kaname-kun, I heard you too are betrothed." Kaname's eyes narrowed. How did this girl-woman get a hold of such gossip?
Well she was a firm believer in their family's pact to utterly loath each other for all eternity, and she was always looking for her advance in the battleground that was their world.
"Not betrothed, engaged. Betrothed is a long way from engaged." Maria clapped her hands together under her chin and tried to smile sweetly, yet her lips curled too much and that was a sure sign that she was angered by him correcting her.
"To whom?" She asked. Kaname fell silent and then he smelled her, his darling sister was coming down the corridor, alone.
"Kaname," His head whipped around to see fifteen year old Yuuki moving down the hallway with grace that would put angels to shame. Her hair was arranged in perfect ringlets that bounced when she walked. The dress she wore was knee low, dark green dress. The dress exposed only her collarbone and had sleeves that stopped at her knuckles.
Kaname met her halfway, almost eager to put distance between him and the Kuruizaki children. Yuuki smiled at Kaname and interlocked their fingers once she was close enough to him. Kaname dropped a kiss on her cheek.
"Kaname-kun," Maria half-hissed, half-purred. Yuuki looked around her brother to see a short, silver haired violet eyed Pureblood female. Looking past her she saw two more of them -twins- only they were male and taller.
Kuruizaki Purebloods, an old sense told her. Yuuki's brown eyes widened and Kaname turned so that Yuuki was standing right beside him.
"Yuuki, this is Maria, Ichiru and Zero Kuruizaki." Yuuki forced a small smile at the three new Purebloods and the female stepped forward again, getting so close that the skirts of their dresses brushed.
"Yuuki, such a pretty name…" Maria cooed twisting a strand of Yuuki's long curls around her finger. "Always such an honor to meet another Pureblood, another princess," The last part seemed to be spat out. Obviously Maria didn't like competition.
Maria's violet eyes narrowed a bit and her nose scrunched. "Kuran," Maria took a swift step away from Yuuki, turning back to the two boys, her hair flaring out around her almost whipping Yuuki in the face.
Yuuki was taken aback by her actions, but judging by her sibling's and Kaname's faces this was normal Maria Kuruizaki behavior.
"I wasn't aware the Kuran clan had a daughter," said the boy with the longer, silver hair as he draped his arm around Maria's shoulder, holding her closer to him.
"Sadly, Ichiru, when Yuuki was born her health and chances of living where very slim, so we had to move to a more remote place so we wouldn't be bothered by the Council." Kaname lied.
"Hn," The boy, Ichiru, said. "And we thought you were hiding from us Kaname-kun. We look forward to getting to know you better Yuuki-chan." Yuuki saw Maria dig her nails into Ichiru's arm and she knew that wouldn't be an option.
"Kaname-san," said the other twin, –who she guessed to be Zero. "Is Yuuki your…fiancée?" He gestured to Yuuki like he was offering his wrist to her, his eyes locked with hers, practically daring her to look away.
Yuuki immediately decided she didn't like any of these new people. They were too stuck in the old feud to even consider sharing the power. Their violet eyes and powerful aura made her think of slaughter and wars. Anything bad and evil in this world came to mind when she looked into the violet orbs of the young royals.
"Yes," Kaname pulled Yuuki a little closer to him. "Yuuki and I have been engaged since she was born." Zero nodded his head, breaking eye contact with Yuuki for a moment; she saw a small smirk on his face.
"Ah, it was one of those engagements; she was born to be your wife then? She was never asked, it was only assumed?"
The light above Zero's head cracked into millions of tiny pieces. "Zero…" Maria jerked around to look at her other brother, in time to see him sidestep the glass shower. Moving closer towards Yuuki and missing the large wooden door of the Council room as it was swung open abruptly.
"I don't have to listen to this nonsense!" Shizuka Hio snarled. The sound of the Council's mash of voices followed as most of them came tumbling out of the room after her.
"Mother…?" Maria watched as Shizuka tore down the corridor. Ichiru tugged at Maria's arm.
"Come on, we have to calm her down." He muttered, and then turned to smile at Yuuki. "It's was nice meeting you." The couple started down the hallway and Yuuki looked up at Zero, still standing in front of her.
"Go follow your family, Kuruizaki-san." Kaname said coldly. Zero rolled his eyes and took Yuuki's hand in his.
"Sorry for offending you, Yuuki-chan." He quickly dropped a kiss on her hand and turned to catch up with his family.