Hi again! I'm sorry I took so long to update compared to before, but for some reason I wrote both the new chapters as one, which made it take a lot longer...anyway. The story is really moving now, and I hope the plot developments meet with reader approval. I want to say thank you to my reviewers (who have been so nice) and everyone else who has read this little fantasy of mine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight. I'm not sure if I even own Asraella; she's been taking over lately...grumble...insubordinate OC's...

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The rest of the week flew by to Asraella. She spent most of her time with Yori, due to their schedules being the same. She was bubbly and engaging, allowing Asraella to sometimes briefly forget the things that brought her to Cross Academy in the first place.

Saturday morning arrived, and the sunlight that just barely sneaked in through the corner of her window woke Asraella at a much too early hour, in her opinion. Why is it that the one spot that gets sun in the mornings has to be right where I am? I have got to rearrange. She threw her legs over the side of her bed and withdrew them quickly as the soles of her feet brushed the cold floor. I have to get slippers, too. She gathered her courage and stood up, rushing over to her dresser to get some socks and the clothes for the day. She glanced up into the mirror as she rummaged through her drawer. Her long blonde hair was still in its braid, but the shorter pieces around her head had come loose, and were sticking every which way. Her eyes were clouded with sleep, but she couldn't miss the large red mark on half of her face where she had been laying on her pillow. Her large nightshirt, the only pajamas she wore, was twisted up around her torso, exposing her almost to the hip on one side. The other side would have been equal to it if not caught on the edge of a piece of gauze on her other hip. Her fingers brushed it lightly, and she lowered her eyes from the mirror, avoiding the accusations of her reflection. Asraella couldn't feel guilty anymore for it; she had lost the capacity to. The only person who probably wouldn't think she deserved her punishment was the one individual who had the most right to condemn her. She slammed her hands into the top of the dresser, curling her fingers inward until her nails almost broke the skin of her palm. Yes, she deserved it! She deserved every repetition of the dream, every ounce of pain this life could throw at her. She squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to let her emotions appear as tears. She had cried enough since coming here. She shook her head quickly and looked up again, regaining control of her own head. God, I look horrific! Now what to wear… She focused her attention on something else.

This was the first day that she didn't have class, and so she wanted to wear something representative, something cool, for her first day outside of Cross Academy. It only added to the pressure that almost everyone else would also be in town that day. She returned her attention to the clothing in her dresser and picked out what she thought would be a cute outfit. Asraella changed quickly, and ran out her door still pulling on her top. She wasn't worried about being seen; the fourth floor, she had discovered, was virtually empty except for one girl at the very other end of the hallway, who Asraella never saw. She dashed down the steps of the smaller staircase, pausing for a second at the second floor, as she always did, to look out the windows.

There was a beautiful tree directly beyond it, and she loved to look out on her way to or from classes. The window frame set apart a scene that wouldn't look out of place on a postcard, with everything just right. Today, in the pale morning sunlight, the leaves had almost all fallen, and the dew from the nighttime hours coated the leaves that still clung to the branches, making it appear that the beads' slight weight was enough to pull the leaves down into the oblivion that was the ground, covered and created by their comrades-in-arms that had already given up their claim to their summer home. Asraella appreciated this, and then ran down the last flight of stairs, slowing to a walk in the hallway that led to the main foyer of the Girl's section of the Sun Dorm. She reached it only to discover the foyer was empty, and this gave Asraella a moment of doubt. Did I read the time wrong? Am I crazy early, as usual, or is Yori late? She glanced at a grandfather clock, positioned against the far wall, and checked the time again. Ten minutes early. With this information, she went over to the foot of the large central staircase and sat on the bottom step, and waited for Yori to arrive.

She didn't have to wait for long. Within minutes Yori had come downstairs, and she greeted Asraella with a smile. "Good morning! Ready to go shopping?"

Asraella returned her smile with a dazzling one of her own. "Totally!"

The actual traveling into town was uneventful, but Asraella still thought it was a phenomenal experience. The town itself was pretty, with a rustic charm that mimicked the Cross Academy. Buildings had an older style of architecture, but all the modern amenities that a worldly student could ask for, including clothing stores, gift shops and other eclectic stores that anyone could spend hours in. After walking around the area a little bit, Asraella was still taken by the whole atmosphere. "Yori, this is awesome! It's…it's so perfect!"

Yori looked at Asraella oddly. "Um, Asraella, its just town…I don't see what you find so fascinating." Her tone was filled with confusion.

Asraella looked sheepishly at her, realizing that she was acting rather irrationally. "Well, Yori…" She took a deep breath. "My house back in the States is outside of town, and the town itself is nothing like this. I mean, here there's some sort of culture. Back home, everybody's spread out and there is no 'downtown' area. Just strip malls. School is really the only place to meet friends." Asraella lost her smile, and looked down. And what friends we met, huh?

If Yori noticed Asraella's change in demeanor, she didn't say anything. Instead, she caught sight of a pair of people across the street and started waving. "Look, Asraella! It's Yuuki and Zero!" Her enthusiasm visibly waned as she saw Asraella's expression forming. "I didn't expect them to be off campus today…" Asraella was frustrated, and slightly annoyed. Ever since that lunch period several days ago, she hadn't seen Zero except for flashes here and there, and he was always headed away from her. He was also skipping Economics in the mornings. During Zero's absence, however, Yuuki had been spending a lot of time with her and Yori. She had been getting more and more upset with the situation as time went on, and grew convinced that the reason she didn't see Zero was because he was avoiding her. She didn't like it. Yes, he had scared her, but in the aftermath, she discovered she was much more pissed off than truly frightened. The fact that he was staying away only strengthened the emotion. He had overreacted to a simple attempt to be civil, and now he was avoiding apologizing himself! The expression Yori had caught sight of was one of Asraella holding herself in check; she had tried to put her thoughts about Zero aside, but currently they were simmering just below the surface.

She didn't get to vent, however, because as soon as Zero and Yuuki saw Yori and Asraella across the street, Zero turned on his heel and went the other way. Asraella bit her tongue. She was not going to chase him down and slap him…yet. She still had remnants of her bruises from the last time she demanded his undivided attention. Instead, both she and Yori watched as Yuuki yelled after Zero, asking why he was leaving, and then flashed the two of them an apologetic smile as she ran after him. Asraella could barely hear Yori mumble something beside her.

"I really don't know why she entertains him. He can take care of himself, and we would have had more fun today than anything Zero's doing." It almost sounded as if Yori was pouting, and it was so out of character that Asraella looked at her, surprised. Yori continued in a normal tone. "Ok, so anyway. Let's start shopping for your costume! What do you want to be?"

"Um, well, I normally just shop for some really cool outfit and if it looks good, I make up some name for it that makes it a costume."

"Really? I'm not sure I understand. You just make up something?"

"Yeah. For example, two years ago I found an awesome green prom dress that I loved, but had no reason to buy, so I bought it and a pair of wings, making it a fairy costume. I usually do stuff like that."

"Oh, I get it! That's a really good idea. It guarantees that you'll look great in your costume!"

"I guess so. Do you have any great stores in mind that could fit the bill?"

"Hmmm…there's a consignment store about three blocks from here, and they have an amazing dress selection that is very affordable. Do you want to start there?"

"Sounds great!"

Yori set off down the street, and Asraella followed suit. They got to the store quickly, namely because the wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped slightly, making the chill air become closer to outright cold. They rushed in, rubbing their arms and pushing windblown hair out of their faces. Yori did, at least. Asraella's hair was still in a neat braid, and so the wind didn't cause as much trouble. The front of the large store was filled with shoes, making Asraella stop and look. She loved shoes. She quickly glanced over them, and as she evaluated the heels, sneakers, and flats, she found herself thinking of how each pair would wear on a stage, how they would feel, how quickly they could be changed. She shook herself out of her musings. "That is behind me. I don't have time for this now." She looked up to see Yori at the other end of the store already, slowly climbing a set of stairs in the back. She rushed to meet her, and they both arrived at the top floor together. In front of them were racks and racks of formalwear, organized by color, size, and style. Asraella smiled broadly and looked to Yori, who returned it. This was going to be fun.

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The two men were facing each other in an alley. One was wrapped in a long coat, with the hood pulled far over his head, obscuring any clear view of his features. The other was nondescript, except for his eyes. His eyes glowed crimson, catching the faint light in the alley, and reflecting it back with a deep red hue. His mouth was set in a silent snarl, and he was slightly crouched, ready to defend from the advances of the other man. He waited.

"Relax. I'm not here, and neither are you. You can go where you wish, because you don't exist. Understand? Have some fun. It's not every day you disappear." The hooded man started to leave, turning his back on the crimson-eyed figure. The man remaining didn't know what to do. Does he take the stranger, so much more powerful than him, at his word? In the simplistic, animalistic brain of the man, he reveled in the opportunity this presented to him, and decided to risk it. He set off, letting his nose guide him.

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"Come on out! I'm dying here!" Yori's playful whine filtered through the dressing room door.

"Okay, okay, I'm done! Jeez, you are so impatient!" Asraella laughed and opened the door, showing Yori the dress that she was trying on. It was blue, with a full skirt and cap sleeves. She took two quick steps forward, moving into a twirl that made the skirt billow out, and then fell into a deep curtsy as she came around to face Yori again. She stayed there, almost on the ground, as she looked up to Yori's surprised face. "It's rather old-fashioned, don't you think? I like it!"

Yori's mouth was still open. "How did you do that? That was perfect!"

"What, the whole curtsy thing? I've known that for a while."

"Where did you learn it? It was so cool!"

"Um…" Asraella focused on keeping her smile. "I was in a show once that required me to do some dancing like that. I had to learn a little."

Yori was intrigued. "A show? Like what?"

"Nothing important, really. Just a show my school put on. Let's pick out a dress for you to try on, too!"

Yori agreed, and the next hour passed that way, both girls trying on different dresses. After a while, Asraella thought she had seen most of what the store had to offer, and decided on buying the blue one that she had tried on before. She told Yori this, and together they started to walk towards the stairs. A sliver of red in the middle of the black dress section caught Asraella's eye.

"Hold on, Yori. Look at this one." She reached in to get it, and pulled it out for her to see.

"Oh, Asraella, it's so pretty! You should try this one on before we go, just so we can see it on someone."

"Alright. Give me a few minutes." Asraella ran back to the dressing room, and slipped into the red dress. She instantly loved it. She called Yori over to get another opinion.

"Yori, could you tell me what you think?"

She caught sight of Asraella and stared. "It. Is. Perfect. You have to get that one, Asraella. It is not an option!"

Asraella took a long look at herself and decided to go with Yori on this one. No matter how she looked at it, that dress was better than the blue one. Looking at herself in the mirror, she thought back to the Night Class boy, whom she had nicknamed "Green Eyes". I wonder if he'll be there. I'd love to show off a little in this! The idea made her smile. She changed back to her street clothes and went to pay for the dress downstairs.

After buying the dress, Asraella and Yori resumed walking around town. After only a few blocks, Yori had an idea.

"I'm kind of hungry. Do you want to go get lunch?"

"Sounds great! Where do you want to go?" Asraella was starving, too, and lunch sounded better and better by the minute.

"Well, there's a place closer to the school that a lot of the students go to, and we could go there."

"That works for me. Which way?"

Yori face got a little red, and Asraella looked at her curiously. Yori noticed. "Um, you see, well, I have to get some things from a store that's about three blocks in the other direction, so do you want to go to the restaurant by yourself and wait? Or you can come with me, I guess." She was obviously uncomfortable.

Asraella, from her behavior, guessed that Yori really didn't want an audience but was being nice. Whatever she's getting must be really personal. What could it be? She tried to think of what she could possibly be getting and nearly laughed out loud when visuals started popping up in her head. Yori walking into a Victoria's Secret—Kodak moment! As it was, she held her hands to her face and tried valiantly to not show her mirth.

"Don't worry. I'll go on ahead and get us a table. You do what you have to do and meet me there, okay?"

"Sure. I shouldn't be too long. Don't get lost!" After giving brief directions, Yori turned and started running back the other way they had been walking, leaving Asraella behind, staring after her. She couldn't stand it anymore. She doubled over laughing, and it took her a minute to settle back down. She was behaving like such a…such a…prude! What could be so bad that she wouldn't feel comfortable letting another girl come with? Whatever it was, Asraella wasn't going to push the issue. Still chuckling, she started walking forward again, in the direction of the school. She followed Yori's directions, took a left after a block, and saw the restaurant's sign lit up about two streets down. Asraella set out down the sidewalk, but hesitated. It felt like someone was behind her. She turned quickly, but no one was there. She continued, every few steps taking a glance back to reassure herself that the pavement was empty. The feeling of having a shadow hadn't gone away. She was passing an alley when she heard something, something that sounded like metal being dropped. She stopped and whirled, hoping to catch whoever it was. Yet again, no one was there. It must have been the wind knocking down a trash can or something. She started again towards the restaurant, towards somewhere no one would follow, when a hand from behind her closed on her mouth, an arm snaked around her waist, and she was dragged into the alley.

Shit! Expletives ran through her mind as she was carried backward, and all she could do was kick and thrash futilely at the person holding her. She knew she landed several clean hits, but nothing was slowing her captor. She bit down hard on the inside of the hand across her mouth, and quickly tasted blood, the metallic flavor making her want to gag. She heard a rough growl from directly behind her ear, and suddenly the hand disappeared. Asraella started screaming as soon as it freed her. "Help! Someone! HELP ME! SOME—"

Her pleas were cut off as the air was driven from her lungs, and spots appeared in front of her eyes. She had a moment to realize that she had been thrown into the wall of the alley. Asraella struggled to stay conscious. Her attacker was now coming closer to her, but the daze from the impact of her head against the hard stone wall kept her from being able to concentrate. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a whisper. "Please…somebody…"

Her world faded to black, and Asraella lost consciousness.

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Thank you for reading! I hoped you liked it! If you have any suggestions or want to give feedback, please review! TTFN, Slomiti Andeo