Update: I have managed to hide from real life long enough to get some fanfic writing done. Who knows how long it will be before I am discovered and forced to be a responsible adult again. Real life is a wily hunter. ;)

The annual Cross Academy Ball was approaching at the speed of a charging stallion, and Reina was pissed off about it. Anticipation for the ball was bleeding over into every facet of academy life. The stairs were cluttered with garlands and wreaths. Boxes full of decorations kept getting in her way as she tried to navigate the buildings. Since the night class was far too delicate and noble to be expected to lift a finger, the day class students were responsible for all of the preparatory work leading up to the ball, which meant they had special permission to remain on the grounds after curfew. Thus, the campus was more crowded than ever and full of drama, as squealing day class girls lined up along the terraces to get a glimpse of their favorite boys as they transitioned between classes. Day class students kept finding ways to slip notes to their preferred dance partners in the night class, often interrupting lessons with some half-baked excuse about needing help with the decorations. This was Reina's first time experiencing the madness of the Cross Academy Ball, and she was already considering taking another vacation just to avoid the whole thing.

At least she was not the only one who had to suffer. The Guardians were being worked to the limit, monitoring the day class students and making sure they did not interact too closely with the night class. Zero had taken to stalking around campus with a murderous look on his face, and Yuki had become more quiet and withdrawn. The dark circles under her eyes suggested she was likely missing sleep. Even Kaien Cross could often be seen with a troubled expression on his face as the ball drew nearer, which worried Reina more than anything else. When the Headmaster lost his characteristic smile, she knew that things were not all right.

But what could be so troubling? This was the question haunting Reina's mind the most. The ball was irritating to her for obvious reasons, but Kaien Cross loved that sort of trumpery and fanfare. What's more, he had surely overseen many balls and other celebrations during his tenure as headmaster. So what was different about this one, that it was so stressful for him? The only difference Reina could see was the presence of the new student, Maria Kurenai. Her arrival had definitely disrupted the night class, much like Reina's had. For a vampire who supposedly had a weak constitution, Maria was extremely forward with everyone, almost to the point of being openly rude. She interrupted conversations with her own opinions and seemed unabashed to contradict her instructors. She had already been the cause of several "incidents" which had served to mobilize the night class against her. First, she insisted on staying in that old, abandoned dormitory instead of in the Moon dorm with the other students. Second, Reina heard that she had brought a personal servant with her, which was supposed to be against Academy rules. Third, she had already ventured onto campus grounds during the day on several occasions, definitely against the rules, requiring Takuma to drop everything and chase her around while the day class girls cheered him on. No amount of scolding or frigid treatment from her fellow students seemed to shame her; she just carried on with that blithe little smile, as if everything was a game to her and she was always winning.

At first, Reina had been mildly intrigued by her. Like herself, Maria also did not seem to give a fuck about the Academy, its rules, or the social structure of the night class. She had even wondered (despite her first impression) if they might become friends; however, she had quickly put that idea aside. Maria's saccharine, entitled behavior was far too annoying for Reina put up with. Also, Maria had already committed the most egregious sin, in Reina's eyes- she had blatantly fawned over Kaname Kuran upon meeting him, even touching his hand while gushing about how happy she was to meet a pureblood. It was disgusting. Oddly enough, the other night class students seemed to agree, although for different reasons- it went against their social code for an aristocrat to touch a pureblood without invitation.

Anyway, despite all of that, Reina's assessment of Maria Kurenai was that she was more of an annoyance than a threat, so the question of what was causing Kaien Cross so much stress still remained. If she had to guess, she would say it had something to do with the strange aura drifting around the campus. It was weak, not a full-fledged thing, which made it very difficult to pin down to a particular location. Nonetheless, it was unsettling, although the Headmaster seemed to be doing his best to ignore it for reasons unknown. Whatever he was playing at, she was sure it would-

"Miss Reina Otonoshi."

Reina's thoughts were cut short by the voice of her Ethics instructor. He was looming over her, looking slightly exasperated. "As I said twice before, it is your turn to demonstrate the Viennese Waltz with your partner. Please proceed to the center of the classroom."

Reina glanced beside her at the empty space where her dance partner should be. She had not bothered to pair up with anyone at the beginning of class, and he ought to know it would be useless to ask her for a demonstration of a dance she didn't know. Drawing her shoulders together, Reina stared down the instructor. "Sir, this is an Ethics class. Why are we dancing in the first place?"

The dark-haired man sighed. "Look, I don't like it either, but it's tradition to suspend the regular curriculum during the week before the ball so the students can polish their….social refinements. We'll get back to Ethics as soon as the event is over."

"My social refinements are just fine. They don't need any polishing," Reina declared bluntly, crossing her arms as a group of classmates burst into sneering laughter.

"I beg to differ. Anyway, this is part of class participation, so I would advise you to dance."

"I refuse. I don't even know this dance." Reina stated, becoming uncomfortably aware that everyone was staring at her. In about three seconds she was going to end up storming out of this classroom, too.

"How can you not know the Viennese Waltz? Were you raised in a barn?" a snotty girl's voice tittered, followed by more laughter and squeals of delight. The vampires were taking a lot of pleasure from her inability to dance their damn waltz.

The instructor looked downright irritated now. "Girl, you're making this harder than it needs to be. Just do what your classmates did, and-"

"I will dance with her." Reina's back bristled at the sound of the sickly sweet voice emanating from the corner of the room.

Eyebrow twitching, the instructor turned toward the approaching grey-haired figure. "Miss Kurenai, that is not the traditional waltz we are trying to teach, since you are both females-"

"I will lead." Maria Kurenai was suddenly right in front of her face, and before Reina had the chance to refuse her or smack her, their hands were suddenly intertwined and the slender vampire was guiding one of Reina's palms to her shoulder, the other to her waist. Maria imitated the position with her own hands and suddenly yanked Reina onto the dance floor. For such a frail body, she was surprisingly strong, and for a moment the two girls did not so much dance as wrestle with each other as Reina tried to get away. Behind them, an out-of-tune waltz started to play on the organ.

Maria laughed in her high-pitched, saccharine voice. "What's the matter, Reina-san? I told you I would lead. All you have to do is follow my movements."

"I didn't ask you to lead me anywhere!" Reina growled lowly, wresting control of the dance and steering them away from the gawking students. "Who needs this sort of thing, anyway?"

"I agree with you," Maria murmured in a sing-song voice, stroking the fabric over Reina's waist until she slapped her hand away. "This sort of thing is useless, in the end. But still, can't it be fun while it lasts? Can't it kill our boredom for a little while?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Reina squeezed Maria's tiny hand to prevent her from laying it upon her again. "I don't know what you're doing here, and I don't care. If all you want to do is play around, you can do that back in your own home. This academy- these people- are not your playthings. So fuck off."

Much to her displeasure, Maria began to giggle like a child at this, brushing her hair out of her eyes and looking directly into Reina's. She suddenly seized her in a grip that pulled their bodies close together, and Reina could feel Maria's claws digging into her flesh, coming dangerously close to drawing blood. While she staggered backward, Maria laid her chin on Reina's shoulder and whispered, "I like ones like you, Reina-san. So disobedient and hostile. You remind me of someone else at this academy, too. Yes….you have the same eyes as him." Maria licked her lips, then winced as Reina retaliated by spearing her own claws into the aristocrat's side. "It makes me want to….crush you."

The two girls swayed perilously on the dance floor, locked in a savage death grip. Reina moved her hand and clutched the back of Maria's neck, squeezing and feeling the spinal cord beneath the cold, cold skin. A presence. There was a presence here. Undaunted, she bared her fangs at the smaller girl. "Maybe you'll get the chance to try."

"Okay then, that's enough of that!" An overly anxious voice interrupted as Reina found herself and Maria pried apart by the white-clad arms of Takuma. She glanced around and discovered that a few other pairs had started to dance, although most were still sequestered against the far wall, looking at them in disdain. "I'll be cutting in for this next dance, if I may. Reina-san?"

Without giving her a chance to react, Takuma pulled her away toward another part of the room and assumed the lead position for the Viennese Waltz. Incensed, Reina slapped his hands away. "Don't touch me! Why does everyone have to touch me?!"

"Sorry, sorry." Takuma backed up and waved his hands in a gesture of apology. "I only did that to get you away from her. It looked like you two were trying to hurt each other. You can go now, if you want."

"What is wrong with her?!" Reina hissed, glaring in Maria's direction. The petite aristocrat was standing by herself in the middle of the floor with that infuriatingly blithe smile upon her face.

Takuma glanced worriedly between them. "I don't think you ought to engage with her, Reina-san."

"Oh, like it was my idea!" the brunette huffed, glaring at him.

"I didn't mean that. I just meant, for the future. I believe Kaname has already spoken with you about-"

"You two! Less talking, more dancing," the instructor barked at them. All the other students had started to waltz now, except for Kaname and Maria, who stood at opposite ends of the room with unreadable expressions on their faces.

Takuma nodded helplessly and held out his hand. "May I?"

"I suppose." Reina sighed, awkwardly placing her other hand on his shoulder. "But I still don't know how to dance. I was born in a barn, remember?"

"I'm sure you were born in a very nice place that had nothing to do with farm animals." Takuma smiled sincerely and guided her onto the floor. "Perhaps a lack of quality dance instruction, but that doesn't mean you can't dance. It just means you haven't danced. Sooner or later, everyone dances."

And, much to Reina's surprise- imperfectly and with great patience- they did.

/

After her classes were over, Reina was making her aggravated way back to her vehicle when she literally bumped into Yuki Cross. The little prefect was standing on the pathway to the swan fountain, looking completely spaced-out. She didn't even try to recover her balance as the two girls ricocheted off each other, and Reina ended up grabbing the lapels of her uniform before she hit the ground. "Hey there, be careful! Pay attention when you're walking!"

Yuki blinked and only then seemed to register Reina's presence. "Oh….hello, Reina. Thanks for catching me."

Reina released her as she dusted off the rumpled hem of her shirt. "You okay? You seem half-asleep. You shouldn't be out patrolling in this state."

Yuki smiled blithely, the kind of smile Reina did not like. "I'm fine, really. It's just been so much extra work preparing for the ball on top of studying for semester finals. I'm not the best student, so it doesn't come easily to me…."

Reina scoffed. "Whoever thought of holding a ball during finals week should have his ass kicked. Sorry," she added gruffly, reminding herself that she was probably talking about Yuki's father.

The little prefect smiled dimly. "It's okay. I know the Headmaster doesn't always have the most sensible ideas. Like when he agreed to transfer Zero to the night class…."

"Oh….yes. How did that turn out?" Reina asked, remembering the reason Yuki had been at the Moon Dorm during that violent afternoon.

"After you saved me, Kaname took me upstairs and healed my wounds. He was really worried about me, and I almost couldn't bring myself to bother him more, but I had to ask him to halt Zero's transfer. He agreed to it more easily than I thought he would."

Without thinking, both girls had begun to wander down the path toward the fountain. Reina stowed the idea of leaving in the back of her mind for the moment.

"He said he had no choice, if I was willing to put myself in harm's way to make such a request on Zero's behalf. He said my safety came first." Yuki's cheeks pinked slightly, and Reina looked away, wrestling with her instinct to make a snide remark.

"So….Zero's staying in the day class, then?"

"Yes, as long as he behaves himself. And I know he will. The Headmaster has taught me a way to subdue him if he gets out of control, but I don't think I'll have to use it." Yuki said earnestly, her eyes flickering between worry and hope. "Especially now that he's being fed on a regular….sorry," she added quickly, blushing even harder.

"S'okay," Reina commented nonchalantly, eyeing the graceful figures of the arching swans above them. "On another note, Yuki….you know anything about that new girl, the one in the night class?"

"Maria Kurenai?" Yuki asked, looking surprised. "No, not much more than everybody else knows. I heard the Headmaster say she was sickly, and that's why it took her so long to enroll in school. When I showed her around the Academy, she seemed shy and a bit scared. Is she doing better now?"

Reina stared hard into the lightening sky, not wanting to alarm Yuki unnecessarily. "Well, I'd say she's gotten over her timidity…." she grumbled darkly, searing the distant treeline with her eyes.

"You look like Zero does when he sees her."

"Huh?" Reina blinked and directed her attention back to Yuki.

The little prefect sat down on the edge of the fountain, chewing her lip. "Zero seems to really dislike her for some reason, but he can't tell me why. I'm not sure he even knows himself. But whenever she's in the vicinity, he gets this look on his face like he's preparing for a fight. It makes me nervous. You have the same expression whenever you're around Kaname-sama, I've noticed….and just now, when I mentioned Maria-san. Why?"

"Tch…." Reina paced the length of the fountain, grinding her teeth. "There's a lot of reasons for it, and I'm sure it's the same with Zero. Let's just say it's a vampire instinct."

"But you and Zero are…." Yuki began, before suddenly interrupting herself with a gasp. "Oh, Kaname-sama! G-good morning!"

Reina whipped around to confront the tall, white-clad figure of the night class president, who was approaching them with Takuma at his side. He nodded languidly. "Good morning, Yuki."

"What, did we say your name too many times?" Reina crossed her arms with a fierce scowl. "Anyway, see you later, Yuki. Get some rest before finals."

"A moment, if you please, Reina-san. I would like to speak with both of you regarding the upcoming ball," Kaname requested smoothly, inclining his head toward Yuki. "If I may?"

"O-of course," Yuki stammered, blushing furiously.

Reina narrowed her eyes at the insufferable pureblood. "Take a hike, Kuran. Why would I even go to your damn ball in the first place? As if I didn't have other th-"

"Hey, Reina, look! Little ducklings! Aren't they cute? Let's catch up to them!" Takuma's overly cheerful voice interrupted her berating as he pointed energetically toward the pond on the opposite side of the fountain. Before Reina could reply, he had seized her arm and swept her down to the shore, leaving Yuki and Kaname to talk in private.

There were indeed three little ducklings paddling among the reeds near the shore. Reina refused to be distracted by their cuteness. She wrestled her arm away from Takuma for the second time that night. "Damn it all, what are you doing now?! For god's sake! That bastard brought you along just to distract me with ducklings, didn't he?"

Takuma laughed nervously, morning breeze ruffling his light blonde hair. "To distract you, yes. Truth be told, I was just improvising with the ducklings. Kaname wanted to talk to Yuki first, but he figured you'd run off if left to your own devices."

"Tch," Reina huffed again, beginning to stalk along the shore. "You shouldn't let him use you like that."

"He's not using me, exactly….not in the way you're thinking of." Takuma was jogging to keep up with her. "Regardless, I am the vice president of the night class, and my duty is to support the actions of the president for the benefit of the Academy."

"How does constantly bothering me benefit the Academy?" Reina snapped impatiently.

"Oh, come on," Takuma cajoled, smiling hopefully. "It's all in the way you look at it, no? And anyway, don't run off so soon! Just have a look at this duckling here. You can't tell me you don't think he's cute." Much to her surprise, the aristocrat held up a fluffy, chirping duckling which he seemed to have procured out of nowhere.

Reina stopped walking and eyed the little creature. "All right, I've looked at it. Now take it back to the pond where it belongs."

"Not yet! We have to pet him first," Takuma insisted brightly.

Reina scowled, unbalanced by his sunny disposition. "I know what you're really up to."

"You can't look at this duckling and not pet him," the vampire insisted, ignoring her accusation.

"This is idiotic."

"Pet the duckling, Reina."

"I refuse."

"Come on, he's just a baby. He's going to be sad if you don't pet him."

"Damn it all-"

Without warning, Takuma plopped the duckling into her palms and stood there grinning as she struggled to hold onto him. Eventually, Reina was able to cup him in one hand while using the other to stroke his feathers soothingly. The tiny bird chirped in contentment and settled down into a warm ball. Reina sighed and glanced up into Takuma's amused face. "I'm still mad about this."

The blonde aristocrat hummed in satisfaction. "Well, I'm happy. You're not as rough as you try to seem."

"You wanna make a bet on that?"

Before Takuma could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps intervened. "I see you've made a friend," commented the suave voice of Kaname Kuran. "Thank you for delaying her, Takuma. You may leave us now."

"Sorry, Reina-san. I had to," the aristocrat apologized, looking genuinely worried about leaving them alone. "I'll make it up to you. I'll buy you some muffins."

Reina could not think of a response, so she watched him retreat silently, stroking the soft feathers of the duckling to calm her nerves. Whatever Kaname Kuran wanted, it was bound to be annoying, but she could manage like she had before. Taking a breath, she turned her back on the pureblood and stalked back to the shore to reunite the duckling with his family.

"I hope you can spare a few moments, Reina-san."

"Yeah, like you left that to chance," she snapped, immersing her hands in the pond and watching the duckling paddle out to his fellows, chirping excitedly as if telling them of his adventure. For a moment, the ghost of a smile traced her lips before it fled in the morning light. "Let's have it, then. What do you want, Kuran?"

"The ball is fast approaching," the pureblood said smoothly, shading his eyes against the sunrise. "It is an important event designed to promote unity between the day class and the night class. However, for us it is also more than that…. The dancing lasts until midnight, at which point the day class students are escorted back to their dorms. With no more humans around, the event becomes a nighttime soiree for us vampires. I'm sure you've heard about how important such gatherings are in the night world."

"Sure, and what of it?" Reina tapped her foot impatiently. "I'll not be attending either the ball or the soiree. Such things don't interest me, and besides, didn't you see how tonight's dance lesson went?"

"I will be frank with you." Kaname crossed his arms, his face serious. "I would ask that you make an appearance at this event, specifically during the final hour of the ball and the first hour of the soiree. There are people who need to see you there. What's more, I realize that-"

"No. That's my answer. I'll be going now," Reina stated flatly, beginning to stride across the lawn toward the main path leading through campus. Kaname kept pace with her, unruffled as always.

"I realize that you may not be inclined to accept based on the merits of the event alone," the pureblood continued. "That is why I am willing to make you an offer. Come to the ball, and stay for the first hour of the soiree. Do this, and I shall allow you to access my private library and read whatever books you choose from my collection."

Reina stopped walking, thrown off by the strangeness of the offer. "And why would I be interested in anything to do with you or your collection?"

"Don't you know?" Kaname asked smoothly, indicating in the direction of the Moon Dorm. "I possess rare and aged texts concerning the history of the vampire world, including that of half-bloods. Many of these tomes cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I imagine such things would be of interest to you."

Much as she hated to admit it, Reina was startled speechless by the abruptness of this information. She felt the thrall of possibilities grip her heart, and she fought to keep her face expressionless. It was a tempting offer, as expected from a pureblood. Smooth, silken liars, full of guile. Her red lips creased downward. "And I'm just supposed to take your word that these books exist….that they're the real thing? That's a hell of a leap of faith, Kuran."

"You don't have to take my word for it. Ask the Headmaster if you have doubts." Kaname glided smoothly in front of her, his pale face inscrutable as ever. "Anyway, I have stated my request and what I am willing to offer in return. Now I would like an answer."

Reina wrinkled her forehead in deep, suspicious thought. This type of request, coming from someone like him, didn't make any sense at all. "I don't trust you for a second. Why do you really want me to go to the ball?"

"I told you," Kaname repeated, a trace of frustration in his tone. "There are people who need to see you there."

"And who exactly are these people? I don't know anyone in the night world, and they don't know me. Why would they care….?" Reina trailed off as a sudden flicker of white caught her eye. Far away, in the forest across the pond, she could just make out a silhouette in a pure white uniform with long, grey locks. Maria Kurenai was there, watching. Watching her or watching Kaname, she wasn't sure which. Maybe both.

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed what is happening," Kaname murmured, slowly steering them away from the pond's edge. "You and I have always had our quarrels. But ever since she arrived, the animosity held below the surface of this place has become sinister. Cross Academy is headed straight into conflict, and as much as you pretend otherwise, I know you care."

"What the hell does any of that have to do with the goddamn ball?" Reina hissed.

Kaname brushed his dark bangs out of his eyes. "You wouldn't understand if I told you now. You don't know enough about the night world. In the future, when you look back on this time with more experience and grace, you will realize why I do what I do."

"You know, I'm getting real sick of your pretentious bullshit-"

"The real question is," Kaname interrupted, sweeping a hand between himself and the still-watching figure in the distance, "Of the two of us, whom do you trust least?"

"Huh." Reina stopped walking, confronted by the novelty of the question. "That's a tough one. Can I say….both?"

"No," the pureblood declared in a low, stern voice. "'Both' is a child's answer. Young as you are, you have little time to be a child. Sooner or later, we all have to choose."

"Choose what?" Reina demanded, scraping her nails against her palms in irritation. "Dammit, Kuran, could you be any more obtuse? I think I know less than I did when I started this conversation!"

"Come to the ball, and I promise you will learn much more." As if it was decided, Kaname turned smoothly away from her and continued to climb the hill alone. Reina stared after him, grinding her teeth like serrated knives until she bit down on her palate and paused. The iron taste of blood flooded the soft flesh of her mouth. A long time ago, she'd heard that spilling one's own blood was an ill omen. Now, she thought, it might as well be true. Dark things were coming for her as steadily as if she had been pointed toward them at birth. Reina took a rasping breath and turned away from the false serenity of the pond.

"Goddammit all."