Scarred Fates : Sequel to Twisted Fates. It's Seiran and Zero's final year at Cross Academy. More enemies inadvertently created due to her newly created blood tablets are out to get her…And who is that elegant lady plaguing her dreams? Why is everyone targeting the Level Es Seiran decided to protect…? Zero x OC (Seiran). Sorry, bad at summaries -.-"

Disclaimer : I don't own VK nor its characters. Any resemblance to any fanfictions, the living or RIPs is highly unintentional.

Dedicated to those who supported Twisted Fates. For new readers, do read TF in order not to feel lost :P

THANKS LOADS to everyone who reviewed, added my story to their alerts, favourited it as well as listing me as their favourite author (*bows*). I really, really appreciate your support! Here's the next chapter :D

I'm awfully sorry for not updating in almost a month - many things have happened in school - the usual tests, ups and downs, etc, that I hadn't had the time to update. And to those who reviewed, I'm sorry for not replying to your wonderful reviews and PMs but I'm awfully busy at the moment and the final exams are next month, so I might not be updating in awhile. Gomen! ." I'll reply to reviews and PMs after the exams... So I'm uploading this chapter and the next for the time being.

CHAPTER 7

"It is time to summon my puppet…I think the time is ripe…," smirked the Mastermind as he finished his shower and his human servant – a young boy – handed him a towel to dry himself.

"Will you be needing anything else, Master?" asked the servant meekly, turning away as his lord put on his clothes.

The Mastermind looked at his slave momentarily before a dark thought entered his mind. Hmm…I wonder….

"Come here."

The boy walked towards the pureblood, his head bowed.

"Tilt your head towards your left."

He did as he was told.

His Master put a hand around his neck, drawing his tongue out and licking his neck. The boy shivered, unused to such an action but his brain had been dulled under his Master's control.

The pureblood rammed his fangs into the boy's neck, greedily lapping up the pure, untainted crimson liquid that glowed steadily into his mouth. The child struggled in his arms, silently screaming as he had muted the boy's screams.

Such pure and sweet blood…The Mastermind pulled out of his victim who had gone slack in his arms. Letting the boy drop onto the cold tiled floor, he strode out of the room, deep in contemplation. It is no wonder that even you couldn't resist the taste of human blood, Mayuu hime-san…

Making his way into his secret chamber, the vampire locked the door and sat in the middle of the circle that he drew with the combination of his daughter's and mostly his blood. He had made sure that the first step of his plan had gone into fruition and now this was the next step. Cutting his fingertip with a silver blade, he leisurely wrote a Greek inscription surrounding the circle before finally smearing his lips with his own blood. That charm was complete. No reactions had occurred while he wrote out the charm, indicating his success.

Closing his eyes, he mentally summoned his puppet. Come to me, he whispered in the silence of his room. Come to your Master… Then he waited patiently.

Hmm…what exactly does one wear for a date? wondered Seiran as she removed her blazer in the bathroom after a tiring day of receiving parents and school mates. She mentally visualized her clothes, canceling out what she deemed was unsuitable. It was a date, not merely an outing. Emphasize on the word 'date'.

She remembered Sensei Tamaji had a dress code for each different outing. In a goukon that she assumed to be a friendly outing, he was just dressed casually. When he went to a host club – for hints on higher class cases, he used to say but she doubted him – he would dress to kill. And Zero wasn't exactly a host and more of her friend she had special feelings for…Dress casually, it is, then… She settled for a simple blouse and slacks that was her birthday present two years ago. Or maybe she ought to wear a skirt, since she was a girl after all…?

The next question was, "Urgh, Sensei, what do I even do on a date?" she groaned softly as she turned on the shower.

"Dates are meant to be enjoyed, Seiran…You usually find out more about the person you are dating when you are on an outing together..." Tamaji's eyes twinkled as he looked at Seiran who was looking dumbfounded at the way he was dressed. He was in a dress suit at the moment.

True…Sensei had been telling me occasionally what he does at outings especially when I looked at him rather irritably at the times he came home drunk… Seiran nodded to herself, her mind recalling everything she could possibly remember about what her old Master had said.

The Mastermind's wait was not long as his prey's thoughts connected with his and he smiled with total satisfaction.

Yes, my Lord? The new puppet's thoughts were sent back.

I want you to go to town at night and hunt down Level Es who are being treated with the pureblood Seiran Kaede's blood tablets. They will not emit a stench well associated with their kind due to the treatment. Seiran Kaede is your enemy, remember that, so you need not show mercy towards the Level Es who beg for you to spare their lives. When you have dusted them, I want you to leave a single orchid flower on their dust…

Very well, my Lord. I will see to it…

Zero was nowhere to be seen as Seiran stepped out of the shower with a smile on her face at least with some knowledge on how one should behave on a date. Thank goodness I had Sensei to guide me through life…She walked towards her closet, picking out her outfit – the simple white blouse and grey skirt that went slightly past her knees. And the shoes…she supposed she could handle the high heels once more.

Her eye caught a stick-it-note stuck onto her Physiology text book and her smile widened.

Seiran,

Is it alright if you head out of the academy towards the park in the middle of town? I'll meet you there at 6 pm, am going to get my textbooks first.

Zero

Hah, now he moves his butt! Classes start in three days…I wonder how he's going to cope when I'm with the Night Class…I hope he doesn't fall asleep in class too often until he gets detention. Shaking her head amusedly, she opened her desk drawer, took out a small package before leaving the room. The package was her gift to Zero which she got from Tokyo but she didn't pass it to him yet because they had been so busy lately with paperwork and filing of both the Day and Night Class students' discipline reports.

Taking one last look in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, she cautiously made her way out from the Sun Dorm's boys' dorm. She didn't want Zero to get into trouble if any of the other Day Class boys found out that a girl was sharing his room.

Zero blinked and yawned before looking at his wristwatch. 5.30 pm. Good, he still had half an hour to get dressed and leave. He picked up the few textbooks – English, Chemistry and Maths – that he was bothered to get in one arm and a covered basket in another arm before heading to his room. Based on the faint pulse of Seiran's heart beating due to the faint blood bond they shared, he knew she had already left for the park. Ahh, Seiran…punctual as ever…His smile faltered for awhile when he wondered, how is she going to cope with the Night Class' ungodly hours of their classes? She needs to sleep too…

No, he firmly reminded himself as he stepped into the empty room, Seiran knows what's best for her. Her studies with the Day Class might be too simple and ineffective for her mental capabilities. Dumping his books onto the bed as well as the basket, he strode towards his wardrobe and pulled out a white long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans before discarding the jeans for a smarter looking pair of black trousers. First date…must dress properly…

Honestly, Zero probably was as inexperienced as the girl he liked regarding romances and the things couples did, but hanging out with Yuuki awhile ago – when she was still Cross and not Kuran – and listening to the girl gush about the annoying male Kuran was enough to give him some ideas on what to do on a date. He would be a gentleman and make sure Seiran enjoyed her date with him.

Digging around his cupboard for the present he bought for Seiran from Tokyo, he spotted it bunched up together with his handkerchiefs and picked it up. Feeling guilty for not having the time to pass her the gift, he stuffed it into his trousers pocket before picking up the basket and leaving. He didn't want to be late for his date either.

Seiran sat on the park bench, enjoying the scenery in front of her. The park was well tended with various flower bushes and there were fish in the large fountain with a cherubic angel spraying water from the amphora he held. She saw children gaily playing with their toys and parents watching them with loving eyes and a small pang of loneliness hit her heart but she brushed it away. Her parents had given her an ultimate sacrifice and she would respect their memory and be grateful she was alive. There were also a few couples who were further inside the park area, having their private moments together. Seiran turned away, suddenly feeling shy and decided to focus on the splendor of nature instead.

"My, my, if it isn't the famous Seiran Kaede," drawled a cool voice Seiran disliked. It was her old nemesis, Takaya Wayu, who liked to insult her when both of them were training at the Hunters' Association. She inwardly cursed for shutting down her vampire skills, including tuning down her hearing frequency until she didn't hear him approaching her from the left side. But then again, it wasn't like she wanted to hear the mushy overrated gushing of couple nearest to her. Like words of 'I love you more than the sun itself' wasn't enough to make her wry.

She raised an eyebrow, studying the teenager momentarily. In the last year she had left the H.A, Wayu had gained more weight and looked more like a slimeball. Figures…He must be enjoying himself there by ordering his pups around to do the dirty work for him. Her eyes landed on a badge he seemed to be proudly wearing. A Hunter's Inquisitor badge…So…Daddy must have bought you the position, right? Wayu's father was one of the Senior Council members and she felt that maybe Wayu carrying tales to his father had stopped her from obtaining her license. But right now she didn't care about the license. With her new abilities she had gained so much more that she felt that the license didn't mean that much to her any longer.

Wayu must have thought she was charmed by his charismatic looks as she didn't say anything so he smugly said, "Seeing the actual man in me now, eh, Kaede?" He cast a leery eye upon her body and she resisted the urge to cause the earth to swallow him up.

"You've put on weight, Wayu. Let all your servants do the work while you bask in false glory?" she replied.

He scowled. "Look here, Kaede, you should respect me! While you are a failed trainee hunter, I have become the H.A's Inquisitor, a position you'll never hope to hold in your lifetime!"

Seiran purposely yawned. "Not like I care being an Inquisitor anyway, standing in court and opening the sessions, asking the questions as well as reading out the final verdict. Suits you though, considering you were always such a gossip monger."

From twenty metres away, Zero had spotted a stubby boy talking to Seiran and he hadn't missed the leery look and Seiran's heart thudding slightly harder before returning to its own pace. He hastened towards their direction, wanting to gouge that boy's eyes out of his head for looking at Seiran that way.

Wayu suddenly smirked, as he thought of another way of annoying her. "Hah, and you decided to lick the soles of the vampires by making blood tablets for them instead. A pity, Kaede, you could have used your brains for something more worthy instead, like creating better weapons for us vampire hunters…." He pretended to smack his forehead. "Oh, I forgot, without a master or a license, you probably can't hunt vampires any longer…My sympathies…"

He was severely disappointed when Seiran laughed instead. And he's grown dumber too. If a certain set of vampires heard you say that about me, they wouldn't hesitate killing off your entire family for your insolence. She opened her mouth to reply when a firm arm snaked around her waist and a familiar voice warmly spoke, "Are you alright, Seiran? Is this guy disturbing you?"

Lesson no. 8 : It's pointless in arguing with people who don't have the intelligence in the first place.

Wayu first appeared in the earlier chapters of TF - just a pest - lol. He doesn't know Seiran's a vampire because she can hide her pureblood aura, thus still appearing to be human.

Thanks again for your lovely support and please do R and R so I can improve!