Sadness and pain...

XxXxX

It was midnight. In his bed, Kaname stirred restlessly in his sleep. He was having a nightmare, a nightmare that was long forgotten all those years ago. The nightmare that was supposed to be forgotten as it was a reminder of his sins in the past, yet the dream has resurfaced and haunted him. He tried to escape from the nightmare but his attempts were futile. Gripping his fists, Kaname forced his consciousness to return and he was successful. Finally.

He breathed heavily from the traumatic experience. When was the last time he managed to be scared off by his own dreams, he wondered and didn't know the answer. He placed an open palm against his racing heart, listening to the beats that were quite faint but was visible when he felt it. He closed his eyes, leaned against the headboard with the pillows supporting him, and cried for the first time in his second chance of life.

The tears flowed in a way that Kaname couldn't explain. The nightmare...

"Yuu..." that was all he managed to say.

Now, he could clearly see the images of his late beloved wife. Yuu was more than a wife; she was a friend, a lover and his partner. They were together for thousands of years, the thought of being separated from her pierced his heart into pieces. His life has no meaning before he met Yuu and when he did, he began to live for her as his life was created for her. As long as she lived, he would live. The small woman ruled him with only one power, her greatness.

However, Yuu is no longer here... She is long gone, Kuran. Long gone!

Kaname realized that fact. He didn't need to slap himself to grasp the reality. When he lost Yuu, he lost her and largely a part of him as well. His heart was gone, his hope has disappeared, his duties felt like nothing and everything that had to do with him was forgotten in the instant. As for love, it has a big meaning for him but as soon as Yuu passed away, the love he felt . . .

There was no spark of love for him.

Life began to feel dull. Life began to feel hopeless.

Everything was becoming a tower of despair, growing yet disappearing.

Despair. Loneliness. Sadness.

Anger. Rage. Ruthless.

What else to say, Kuran Kaname, the bearer of this name?

You still have Yuuki. Even if she is not similar to Yuu, Yuuki is born from a part of Yuu. Yuuki is still Yuu.

"Yuuki?" Kaname's voice came to life. He laid there without motion and suddenly, the realization hit him. "Yuuki!"

Kaname swept the covers and looked at the clock by the bedside. It was midnight!

He looked at the door across the room, then to the surrounding of the bedroom itself. Yuuki wasn't here, he realized.

"She has not yet returned. It's midnight, it is strange if she's not yet home." Kaname knew mumbling did nothing good for him but there was nothing else to do besides that. Yuuki has not yet returned. She could still be out there, searching for the remaining Pureblood vampires families. How long has it been since he last saw her?

Odd, Kaname thought to himself, why do I felt as if I heard of this line before?

Kaname turned around and stared at the window as an illusion formed on the window frames. It was the image of Yuu happily smiling at him before he left for the meeting with the Great Elder and the Pureblood vampires regarding the war between vampires and opposing vampires as well as humans. Yuu's smile! It was the last time he saw her alive before... Before!

"Yuu died and I wasn't able to say goodbye to her. Yuuki is not yet home..." his thoughts rushed in a circular motion and Kaname remembered Rido's sarcastic mocking earlier. She has not yet returned, Kaname? Does that mean she has left you? Touching his forehead as if it was painful to think, Kaname shook his head and ignored the nasty thoughts.

He rushed to the door and left the room, with one name on his lips. "Yuuki!"

XxXxX

"Shoutou, we will part from this point." Kuran's icy tone left his mouth as they stopped at the junction. The left road was the path to the mountains and thus, the Kuran's home while the right road lead to the base of the vampires. Shoutou, who was carrying Hana looked at him in surprise. Kuran noticed his reaction and explained. "Please inform the Great Elder and everyone else about Yuu. Moreover, I believe Hana needs a better place to stay for the time being. If I bring her along with me, I do not think I can watch over her while I'm with grief over her mother."

His companion slowly nodded in understanding. Kuran needed his time alone with his wife, although it was unfair not to take care of his daughter but Shoutou knew that at the time being, Kuran's mind was full of Yuu, not Hana's. Kuran was a loving and responsible father, he was stern with his daughter but he loved her without a doubt. It was similar to Shoutou and his own children. He has a son and two daughters with his beloved wife. The loss of his wife was impossible to imagine but the loss of his three children, it was more painful. "I understand," he told her. "I'll come see you after a while. Remember, you're still sane deep inside there."

"I know." And Kaname left the two of them as Shoutou took the other path.

XxXxX

The Great Elder waited for the passing of time as the remaining five Purebloods waited for the arrival of Kuran and Shoutou. A few minutes later, the door was forced open and revealed Shoutou with Hana in his arms. All of them rose from their seat and looked at them with questions. The Great Elder requested Shoutou to bring Hana to him and he did.

"What happened? Where is Kuran?" he asked, then looked at Hana with concern. He noticed her tears stricken face and knew instantly what had happened. His predictions had come true and it was a tragedy for the Kuran family. "Hana?" he called out to the child. "Be strong, my child. You still have your father, you are not alone. Not yet."

Hana was quiet as Shoutou explained to the vampires about Yuu's death. "Kaname has taken Yuu-sama's body to his home and he instructed me to take care of Hana while he's still in grief over her death. He said that Hana is too young to understand what happened to her mother, therefore I brought her here. She'll receive protection here as Kaname do not think he'll be able to protect his daughter in his current state.." He then stopped, signalling to the Great Elder that they were entering a very sensitive subject, thus inappropriate for a child such as Hana. The Great Elder ordered his servant to come and take Hana for her rest. As soon as she disappeared from the door, Shoutou thanked the Great Elder for his assistance.

"Very well. Continue, Shoutou. What did you find at the scene other that the Queen's body and the princess?" the Great Elder asked.

Ouri raised his hand as he said, "Pardon me, sir. But where exactly did you find the Queen's body, Shoutou?"

"Her body was found lying on the ground, beneath the white snow in a hidden street. From my observation, Yuu-sama used her body to shield Hana from the blizzard passing through the town as they were unable to flee the scene. Apparently, she was wounded a few minutes before the blizzard hit the area. I saw her wound at the back of her body when Kaname lifted her body. The wound didn't seem to heal, which is odd."

Shirabuki then said, "It is odd. A vampire is able to heal his or her wound without any difficulties but the Queen?"

"I do believe the weapon used to hurt her has a special ability which prevented Yuu-sama from healing."

"Oh? Do you have the weapon with you?" Hanadagi requested, in which Shoutou nodded.

He inserted his hand inside the inner pocket of his coat and revealed the weapon, covered with the cloth. "I will warn all of you to handle this dagger with care. When I touched it a moment ago, I felt a shock throughout my body. In normal sense, a weapon like this is harmless to us but with the shock I received, I doubt that this weapon is considered normal."

"Did you inform Kuran about this weapon? He is very familiar with weapons, I am sure he can tell what this weapon is made from." The Great Elder suggested but Shoutou replied that Kuran was not interested as he believed the dagger was a normal weapon. "That's a pity. He didn't touch it, I suppose?" he added.

"He didn't, sir. I tried to persuade him to test the dagger but his mind was shaken with Yuu-sama's death. I didn't persuade him after that. We all know how Kaname is, if he's annoyed, he refuses to do anything we ask him to. However, I still have no idea what prevented Yuu-sama from healing her wounds. It is strange, really," said Shoutou, staring at the dagger with questions. What caused Yuu-sama's death? The blizzard was definitely out of question. I am sure the dagger was the weapon used but a vampire does not die with a mere weapon like this! However, there's another question to be answered: who killed Yuu-sama?

The vampires grunted. The only evidence and clue to the mystery of Yuu's death was the weapon: a dagger.

The Great Elder tapped his fingers and asked Hiou to take the dagger and slash his arm with it, only to receive a reply, "Huh? What if I die, sir?"

"As long as the dagger does not slash your head or your heart, any other body parts are fine. Plus, I do not want to kill you, I want to see what will happen if you hurt yourself with the dagger. I have a theory in mind but I will not receive the answer if there is no one willing to be the scapegoat. Now, do it!"

Hiou was reluctant, knowing if he touch the dagger, he would feel a slight pain but the Great Elder insisted he do it, thus, he did so. "Oww!" he hissed when the dagger cut a small part of his arm. "There, I did it. Now what do I do?" he asked, still in pain. The blood tricked down his arm and the vampires tried to refrain themselves from the smell of his blood.

"We wait. Let's see if the wound will heal."

The clock ticked and they realized the wound was healing in a slow period. "I see. It took you this long for the wound to heal," the Great Elder said.

"If Yuu-sama's wound is deep, that means she'll take a great deal of time to heal?" Touma suggested.

Shirabuki said, "It depends where is the wound located at."

"Shoutou?" the Great Elder questioned. "Where is the wound you saw at the Queen's body?"

"Near her heart. I mean, the back of her heart."

Hanadagi released a sigh. "A vampire die when he or she is attacked at the head or the heart."

"That means, Yuu-sama–?" Shoutou asked.

The Great Elder nodded. "The wound was fatal, her death was unfortunate. The weapon confirmed that it prevented the Queen from healing her wounds thus leading to her death since she was out there for hours with no blood supply. Now the question is, who made this weapon and why this particular weapon is dangerous to us?" he asked. "If any of you have an idea, do share with us."

Ouri raised his hand and said, "I wonder, sir, if this weapon is from our enemies?"

"What do you mean?" Touma asked.

"A vampire cannot touch this weapon, we've seen what happened when Hiou touched the weapon. This weapon is harmful to us, the vampires but our enemies have humans on their side. If vampires cannot handle this weapon, won't this make the humans have the capability to handle this?" he suggested.

"Ah!" Shoutou gasped. "In other words, the weapon is created to specially kill us?" he asked.

Shirabuki slammed his fist on the table. "Those despicable humans! How did they manage to find a way to kill us? They already know about the head and the heart but preventing us from healing, that's too much! Sir, do you have any idea what the weapon is made from? I am sure that this dagger is not the only weapon they made, there must be others, still in their possession!" he bellowed

The Great Elder shook his head. "That is why I asked Shoutou if Kuran has seen the weapon when he found it. As I said earlier, if all of you were paying attention, Kuran's knowledge about weapons is quite remarkable and admired by me. I am sure if he study this weapon, he is able to see what it is made from. The base is the same but we're interested with a special material added into this dagger, which is unknown."

"I will bring this weapon to Kaname, sir." Shoutou rose from his seat and explained that it was time for him to visit Kuran and make sure the vampire was still sane instead of the opposite effect. "I cannot leave him alone in grief, he's still under my care even if we're both adults now. Please excuse me."

"Hanadagi will come as well," the Great Elder said.

Shoutou looked at the Great Elder and asked why, in which the Great Elder replied, "You'll need Hanadagi, in case something happens."

Without further questions, Shoutou and Hanadagi left the room to the Kuran's home. The rest looked at the Great Elder, once more, and Ouri asked, "You asked Hanadagi to accompany Shoutou. Is there a special reason, sir? Why didn't you ask Touma or Hiou instead? They're young and closer to Kuran, no?"

The said Pureblood vampires stated a negative reply. Ouri chuckled at their reaction. Shirabuki tsked at Ouri's attempt. "Trying your best to amuse us but it is not working, Ouri. I wonder if your children have such kind of humour in them, just like their own sire?" he said, smirking at the older vampire.

"Don't be surprise that our own descendants may end up together, bastard." Ouri sneered.

"Hmph!" that was Shirabuki's reply. "If they do, I will pity your descendants. My family and descendants are not very kind with people from your family."

The Great Elder coughed and both of them silenced. "Thank you for the amusement; Ouri, Shirabuki. It is not the time to discuss about your personal interests. I will give you my answer, please listen carefully," he said before continuing with the reason. "I asked Hanadagi to accompany Shoutou since he is the second closest to Kuran after Shoutou. The rest of you are not familiar with Kuran's behaviour and thus, you wouldn't know how the death of the Queen would affect him. Shoutou has the feeling but he wouldn't be strong enough to face against Kuran's wrath."

"Wrath? Why?" all of them asked.

"Shoutou has the dagger with him. If he's able to make Kuran examine the dagger, we will find out what is the added material but if this weapon is used as an attempt to murder the Queen, her death is not acceptable. Not to anyone, not to us and especially not to Kuran, her husband. I suppose you understand where I am leading this discussion?" he asked, deciding not to further the discussion.

The vampires were left with no choice but to agree. "I see. That is why you asked Hanadagi to come along. What else did you see, sir?" Ouri asked.

"Nothing. I believe at this time the two of them should be in front of Kuran's home. I hope the best for the three of them."

"We all hope so."

If the weapon originated from the enemies, on what purpose did they kill the Queen? It didn't make sense at all.

The Queen was a spectator, she has no major role in this war, but...

Kuran does!

XxXxX

If there was a first time for anything, then there was a first time for one occasion: death.

It was only the question whether one was ready to face the realization or escape in their world of fantasy.

How does one mourn for a person's death? How does one cope with a person's death?

However, the question one would ask, "How will the death affect you?"

XxX

Kuran Kaname

I didn't remember how I entered this room with Yuu in the cradle of my arms. After I parted ways with Shoutou, ordering him to take Hana to the Great Elder as well as report to him about Yuu's death, I made my way through the heavy snow towards my home. No, I told myself silently, shaking my heard, It is not correct, Kuran. It was not my home any longer, it was my family's home: mine, Yuu's and Hana's, the place where every bad things turn to good for the three of us, especially to Hana as it was her definition of home. We would be safe here, together, our bond never breaking. It was safe, until now...

I entered the house and rushed toward the study, fearing if I was too late to accomplish what I have planned beforehand. In the midst of the books covering every inch of the room, I carefully walked toward a bookshelf. Studying the position of the books, I pressed a secret button and waited for the shelves to move itself as I stepped inside the secret door, carrying Yuu firmly down the staircase. My steps were slow and hidden but in a few seconds, I found myself face to face with a great, large door. The outside walls were made of bricks and this was a secret passage.

It was carved with the symbol of the Kuran family. The Great Elder has presented each one of us, the seven Pureblood vampires, a family symbol that would prove to be useful until the end of time. The Great Elder has stated that the symbols were useful for secret communication among us. If one remember the symbols and the family belonging to that symbol, it would be easy to track down the person without interrogating anyone, thus preventing unwanted chaos. Besides the gifts of names and family symbols, the Great Elder has given each one of the vampires a secret chamber located underneath their homes.

It's purpose... would come when the Pureblood needed to use it.

And this was the secret chamber I seek. I forced the door open using telekinesis and carried Yuu inside, my strides constant. There was nothing inside this windowless room covered with white, nothing except a mirror. I walked toward the mirror without knowing why I wanted to go there, only my feet knew the reason. Once I was there, I stared at my own reflection. I wasn't smiling, instead I showed a grim and tired expression. My heart was not happy, I told myself, Yuu's death was not something I was hoping for. It was far from that!

I left Yuu and Hana earlier today for a meeting with the Great Elder, it was something I normally do and Yuu understood why. My position as the King of Vampires required me to place my family aside and focus on the vampires, the people I have placed my complete trust. My people have believed in my ability to lead them but the opposing factions who were my enemies once, continued to remain as one: enemies. I have tried to negotiate with them in joining my government but they refused, vowing to overthrow me and would not back down until their own deaths. As I do not have an answer as a reply to them, I've let them go to decide what they wanted to believe. Whatever choices they made was not my responsibilities and their deaths would be acceptable.

Even though I loathed them for their desire to overthrow me that they would considered working along with the humans.

However, I began to wonder if my decision to leave my wife and child without giving them extra protection was worth it, as much as I despised having vampires watching our movements but if they were useful, I might reconsider the suggestion but it was too late for me to rectify the matter. If only I had known earlier, this mistake could be avoided but what's done was done. I would not question what fate has decided on my wife. Yuu...

I looked at the body I held firmly. Yuu's eyes were closed and she seemed relaxed. She was beautiful when she was sleeping except now, she wouldn't wake up anymore as her sleep was eternally forever. I wouldn't be able to see the beautiful eyes that were the prettiest among all, far more beautiful than my own eyes. She wouldn't be there when I wake up from my sleep, there would be no greetings from her and there wouldn't be any hugs from the back, or kisses before I leave for the meetings. She wouldn't be there when I return from the meetings, there wouldn't be sweet words formed on her lips and the saddest of all, she wouldn't be there when I die, if there was any of that chance but knowing that she left me earlier, I might think about it.

I suppose, the worst of all, would be to lose her smile.

When vampires die, I remembered the Great Elder's words, they do not leave anything behind. Their bodies will turn into dust. However, on certain circumstances, when a vampire dies, his or her body do not turn into dust right away. This is because of the surrounding area. If the place is cold and the body is buried under the cold, for example the body was placed under the snow, his or her body may remain intact until...

"The body is placed in a warm temperature, then the body will disappear and turn into dust," I finished. That was why when Shoutou and I discovered Yuu and Hana buried beneath the snow, despite Yuu being dead for a couple of hours earlier, her body was there; still in the perfect condition and a perfect shield to protect Hana against the raging, scary storm. If I wished for Yuu's body to remain despite her death, I could have kept her in the solid frozen ice but knowing that even with her body's presence, her soul was no longer there. It would be impossible to retrieve her soul unless she was reborn.

Yet, even if she was given a new chance in life, she wouldn't be the Yuu I knew. She would be a different person with different personalities and behaviour, she might even have a different name and she might not remember me anymore. She wouldn't have the memories we shared together or the secrets we linked together with our mutual trust. She wouldn't be her, and I wouldn't be me. We might distance ourselves since she didn't remember me at all.

She wouldn't be Yuu. She wouldn't be her.

And I wouldn't like that.

I knew her time was near and I waited before I would forever be apart from her. It hurts, I told myself, to lose her before I could say any last words. I let a single tear slid down my cheeks and I whispered my words of love to her, even if she might not hear it but I am sure she'd appreciate my efforts to admire her beauty. "I love you, Yuu. I love you and nothing else is greater than that. I will miss you but do not worry, I'll take care of our child. I promise you that."

I may not be the greatest dad of all but Hana's my daughter and she is the only one left after Yuu. It's do... or lose Hana forever. I won't die, yet.

I felt the soft, tingling brush of the wind (although it was a windowless chamber) and without looking, the burden I held of Yuu instantly became lighter. I opened my closed eyes and noticed that my hands were no longer holding a body, instead the only things left on my hands were the clothes Yuu wore and her hairpin. The floor was covered with the dust. (In case anyone's wondering where she placed her hairpin, it's a secret.)

"Oh... God!" I knocked down the mirror as I fell to the floor. I never thought that losing Yuu would become this sad, so painful with the need to hold her.

But I wasn't expecting the rage, the hatred...

And the fate of the mirror? It shattered into pieces.

I didn't know who I wanted to place this blame on. The vampires or the humans? Or myself, the one and only.

As I proved to the world that I've let my wife passed away and there was nothing to hide about that.

XxXxX

"Do you think he's inside his house? I don't feel anything from inside there." Shoutou said as he arrived at the steps in front of Kuran's home, followed by Hanadagi who was calm throughout their silent journey. "I hope he's alright. It's not good if he's not okay, as much as this is full of sarcasm, he's a king and a king cannot be emotional. That is like... the golden rule."

Hanadagi mouthed that there was no such thing as a 'golden rule' as Shoutou indicated, although he agreed over the fact that a king was given no chance to show his emotions in public. "He's inside there, the energy is faint. After all, if it's not his home, where else could he go?" he questioned. "He has the Queen."

Shoutou shrugged. "I tried to open the door but it won't budge!" he hissed and tried again. "This is so strange, the last time I entered this house, I can open the door with ease but now...? Did Kaname place a spell or something? Geez, this is his friends coming to check on him! Why can't he make an exception for us? We're not his enemies so–" Shoutou paused and muttered a strangled cry. "Ahhh!"

Hanadagi jumped toward the Pureblood and quickly blocked Shoutou from flying over the sudden burst of energy from inside the house with his arms. "Careful, Shoutou! Kuran has unleashed his inner demonic powers, you cannot see it but you're able to feel it. Are you alright?" he asked, tension increasing as he waited for the next burst of energy. When the aura he felt disappeared, he let go of the shocked Shoutou who was covered with the pile of snow. He smirked at the flushed face of the young vampire. "If you were here alone, you would be knocked down unconscious."

"Huh? Why?" Shoutou suddenly asked. He immediately recalled the Great Elder's request that Hanadagi follow him instead of him going alone to see Kuran.

Hanadagi noted the sudden realization in Shoutou's face but he answered his question anyway. "As much as you're older than Kuran, in terms of the strength of your powers, yours are weaker than Kuran's. Even Touma is not up to his strength. That is why you need me to shield you from the force. It's dangerous and lethal that only experienced Pureblood vampires can block it. You cannot see the energy since it's invisible, thus it is harder to locate it."

"Oh, thanks. But you're not the only one who can do that, right? Ouri-san, Shirabuki-san... and Hiou-san as well?" he asked.

"Those two are able to deflect the force although Hiou is between the experienced ones and the inexperienced ones such as yourself. The Great Elder chose me because besides you, I'm closer to Kuran. The rest of them won't do much effect if they come to soothe Kuran's broken heart. He won't listen to them, remember?" he said, reminding him of what Shoutou knew best: Kuran's stubbornness.

"Right. But you didn't call him Kaname like I did! Why?"

Hanadagi chuckled. "You're young, you're able to call him anything you like and he won't mind your 'advances' as both of you are around the same age but I'm older than him, it won't be wise to call him with his first name and the most important fact of all, he is the King of Vampires. Ouri, who is the eldest of us all didn't call Kuran as Kaname, so I didn't see the reason why I should call him Kaname even if I am close with him. If I have to see the situation, you're the closest to him among all of us. I am simply his mentor, besides the Great Elder who is everyone's mentor and father."

Shoutou decided to nickname Hanadagi as the person whose words were sharp and straight to the point, yet it was hard to get through him. Bastard.

Hanadagi removed himself from Shoutou and went to the door. "I believe we can call Kuran out now. I didn't feel the energy anymore so it is all right." He raised his right arm and stripped a layer off his skin, turning it into a ball of bat. He slipped the bat through the door knob and waited for the bat to reach Kuran. He turned around and plastered a sweet smile. "What do you think of my performance?" he asked.

"Disgusting." Straight to the point, Shoutou, he snorted inside.

"Haha. You're good at this sarcasm thing!"

"I'm not!" he protested.

"You reminded me of Touma. You two are very alike!" his cheerful voice chirped.

Shoutou denied his declaration, stating that Touma was his complete opposite. "His temper is unreachable and he's always against Kaname!"

A chuckle came from his end. "Ah, really? I feel he's more against you, not Kuran. Trust me, once we go back to the base, let's compare the two of you!"

"I refuse!" it was a flat answer from Shoutou's end.

The bat suddenly flew outside but Hanadagi caught it perfectly. "He's here," he said, molding the bat into his skin once more. Shoutou couldn't help but felt like throwing up seeing the entire scene. "What? It's something normal unless you're that innocent to see something restricted like this," he demonstrated the act but received a snow ball on his face instead. "What a bitch."

"What a bastard."

The two glared before Hanadagi smiled once more. "You're jealous, pet. How interesting and you already have a wife, and I'm taken already."

"Don't call me a pet!" he growled at him. "I'm not interested with you!" he added quickly. It was a fact that both vampires were married and have children.

"Haha, very funny!" he clapped his hands, shaking his body with laughter.

"Jerk," Shoutou clenched his fists, ready to beat up Hanadagi even if he's stronger than he was.

The door slowly opened, revealing Kuran behind the door. Shoutou changed his face expression, running toward his best friend. Hanadagi stood there, not moving as he watched the reunion scene. He didn't need to run like Shoutou in order to support Kuran, the naïve boy, but he needed the amusement. "Are you alright, Kuran? The Great Elder predicted that your end didn't end well due to the Queen's death. We're here to check on you," Hanadagi asked as Kuran invited his two friends inside the house. Kuran took them toward the living room as the three sat down.

"I'm fine," Kuran's coarse voice answered as the reply. "Yuu's body has turned into dust a few minutes ago. She's in the afterlife, I am happy for her sake."

"But you cannot be happy, Yuu-sama's death is not an accident, it's murder!" Shoutou spatted.

Kuran looked at his friend and said, "I don't think I understand you, Shoutou. Don't tell me you're still with the weapon you found at the scene?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I am still with that weapon!" he answered defiantly and shoved the dagger out from his coat. "To add, the Great Elder specifically requested that you inspect this weapon! We did an experiment and it turned out that vampires cannot touch this weapon unless there's cover between the two. I'm holding this weapon with a cloth but I would like you to hold this thing with your bare hands."

Kuran's eyes moved to see Hanadagi and he silently nodded the truth of Shoutou's words. "With my bare hands? It's a normal weapon."

"You'll know when you hold it yourself." Shoutou placed the dagger on the table.

"Fine," and Kuran took the dagger from the table. He didn't expect the shock to instantly hit him, though! "What the...!" he didn't let go of the weapon despite the despicable pain it gave, instead he forced his own powers to counter the painful shock given by the dagger. Now he understood why Shoutou said it was not a normal weapon, because it wasn't! He hissed at the pain but it was bearable. A few minutes passed, the pain disappeared and he successfully neutralized the dagger's power. "I placed the wrong trust on you, Shoutou. You are correct, this weapon you found at the scene of Yuu's death, it's far from normal. The materials are the same except one, the blood of vampire is mixed with the materials."

"Blood?" Hanadagi and Shoutou asked in surprise.

Kuran nodded. "It's blood, I am sure of it."

"So our assumption is correct? This is a weapon created by the humans?" Hanadagi asked, adding since they didn't have humans around, they couldn't test the effect of them. "Therefore, we don't know if this weapon have any ill effects on the humans. We have the feeling it won't affect them but we're unsure."

"This dagger is designed to react against vampires, which is why it is painful when we touch it. A weapon maker won't make a weapon if he cannot hold it thus I conclude that this weapon is indeed created by humans. But... This dagger has the blood of a vampire. Humans do not have vampire's blood in their system so I am thinking that a fool has given his or her blood to the humans instead."

Shoutou then said, "Wait. Doesn't that mean this fool actually betrayed us?"

"No, I don't think so," Hanadagi answered. "If it's a fool, then it's a stupid fool but it's nowhere near a betrayer. This vampire never betray us because he doesn't work for us. He's part of our enemies, thus it is undestandable why humans are able to obtain the vampire's blood without difficulties. In exchange for these despicable lives of the humans, the vampires offered their blood so that humans can make their weapons to kill us. However, let's refresh our memories. After all, the Great Elder asked us to inform to the King about what we have so far. Agree?" he asked.

The two vampires gave their approval. Hanadagi cleared his throat and started speaking.

"Very well. First of all, this case started before the storm hit the town. At this time, we're discussing over what the enemies would decide in the war. We're aware of the storm but as Kuran stated, blizzard or no blizzard, both sides would fight. But, the enemies changed their mind and didn't pursue to attack us so we didn't do anything in return since instead of a blizzard, we received a heavy storm. Anything else to add?" Hanadagi asked but both asked him to continue. "At this time, I am sure that the Queen and Hana-sama are somewhere in the town and something happened."

Kuran then asked if they questioned Hana over what happened before they found Yuu and Hana at the scene, but to his dismay, they were not able to ask her the questions since she was still in shock over Yuu's death. Kuran dismissed the questions, stating he would ask his daughter when she has calmed down. "Then the storm passed and I began to wonder over Yuu and Hana. Then both Shoutou and I went looking for them and we found them, at last."

"Unfortunately, we were too late. Yuu-sama is dead while Hana survived thanks to Yuu-sama's effort to protect the child. A few hours have passed before and after the storm hit the town, and I found the dagger stained with blood. I also noticed the wound on Yuu-sama's back, thus I assumed she was stabbed with the dagger before she died."

Hanadagi continued Shoutou's words, "Both of you parted ways. Shoutou arrived to the base and explained what happened, he showed us the dagger and we tested the dagger on Hiou. It turned out that his wound healed in a few minutes which is unusually late when we use our healing abilities. Thus, we concluded that this dagger slowed down the healing process which is what we vampires possess."

"Hmm. In other words, it does make sense if it's a human-made weapon," Shoutou said.

"Yes. A vampire could have given his blood to the humans and they made the weapons in return. However, since vampires cannot handle this weapons, they've given this special weapons to the humans. In other words, if we fight against humans and they have that kind of weapon with them, we're dead."

Kuran was quiet as he listened to Hanadagi and Shoutou exchanging their opinions regarding the weapons. As it was clear that humans were behind the process of making the dagger and mayhaps the rest of the same type of weapons, the only question left was one: why Yuu became their target instead of anyone else within the vampire society? Why her? Kuran closed his eyes as he tried to search the answer to the question. It was hard for him. A few minutes ago, Yuu has disintegrated into a pile of dust, leaving him alone with nothing and now, Shoutou and Hanadagi were discussing her death with him.

Why Yuu? Why her?

Why no one else? Why not me?

I don't undestand this at all.

He decided to let it out from his heart. "I don't understand it," he started. "Yuu is invisible to almost everyone in this society. Nobody know her status or whether she's even my wife or not. Then all of the sudden, she died! Her death is not natural! Her death is caused by this weapon that humans made. What kind of grudge do they have towards her?" he questioned, not expecting any answers though.

"It is strange as well. The Queen has nothing to do with this war." Hanadagi offered his condolences for Yuu's death.

"The Great Elder said that he saw something but he didn't tell us. Still, Hanadagi know about it. He's just not telling," Shoutou sneered.

Hanadagi laughed. "My goodness, is that how you return the favour I did earlier?" he asked.

"Just tell me about it. What did the Great Elder said?" asked Kuran.

"You won't be happy if you hear this, are you sure you wish to hear the reason?" Hanadagi asked, hoping that Kuran change his mind before it's too late.

Kuran shook his head. "I will accept this truth as I have accepted Yuu's death. Please tell me, Hanadagi. It's the least you can do to help me get through this tragedy hitting me and my family. Yuu is no longer here, if I do not know the reason behind her death, I will never get over this. I love her dearly but if my entire life is wasted wondering what actually happened to her, I will become restless."

Hanadagi understood his reasons and started his own story, "The Great Elder has foreseen that the Queen's death is intentional. Even though you never reveal to the public regarding your wife and child but our enemies have their own ways to know these secrets. Eventually they're able to find out that Yuu-sama is your wife and has thus began targetting her. Unfortunately, as much as we're aware of this, we cannot do anything since you yourself ordered us not to interfere with your private life. At that time, we're positive that if anything is to happen, Yuu-sama is able to protect herself. She is a powerful vampire and is used to killing her enemies if needed. However, one thing we don't expect is the weapon used to kill her."

"The Great Elder didn't see the weapon? Why not?" Kuran asked, his tone of voice slightly changing.

"That is still something he never understand as well. We didn't expect her death to be this soon since it is the war we are thinking about. Due to the storm, we're unable to continue the war but instead of a war, we received the death of the Queen. It is strange, I am very sorry, Kuran. Things are still in mysteries and confusing for us to say, for now."

Kuran nodded and gave his thank you that Hanadagi was willing to share the Great Elder's predictions. "At least I know that her death is not of natural causes but a..." he paused, a thought flashed into his mind. "...a murder?" he said. He glanced at Hanadagi, looking at his face with a sudden realization. "Did the Great Elder say anything about Yuu's death being a murder or something else?" he asked.

"Eh? I thought when I said about it, you already know that her death is a murder."

"But why did a murder occurred when we're expecting a war with the enemies?"

Shoutou suddenly said, "Ah! That's what been bothering me! The enemies will not stop at nothing even if the weather's bad for the war but this time, they changed their mind and decided to wait. Once the storm has stopped, we're greeted with the news of Yuu-sama's death. Her death is before the storm hit the town, in other words, if this weapon is used to kill her and originated from the enemies, won't it make sense if they chose to kill Yuu-sama even though they have no plans to attack us in whole?"

Hanadagi quickly responded to his words, "Wait, wait! Yuu-sama play no role in this war, remember! They have no reason to kill her!"

"Have you forgotten, Hanadagi? Yuu-sama is the Queen of Vampires! Kaname is leading this war and he's the King of Vampires! It makes sense that they killed her to weaken Kaname so he cannot lead the war with clear mind! I am sure after this, any minute from now on, they'll charge on us! Damn, why didn't I realize it! They left the weapon as a sign that they're not waiting for us. They changed their mind but that..."

"They planned to attack us after we found out Yuu's death? They plotted her death to weaken me? They did that even when Yuu plays no role in this war?" Kuran rose from his seat and said angrily, "They thought by killing Yuu, I will reduce myself to the state of a weakling? I will refuse to fight because Yuu died? Did they not realize it that when they killed the one person who supported me from start to end, I will become weak? No! I am not weak but I am angry. Very angry!" he roared. "Despicable vampires! Despicable humans! How dare they decide the fate of a person!"

Kuran walked out of his home and decided in his mind, he wouldn't wait for his enemies to start the attacks, he would began his own attacks! Hanadagi in panic ran after Kuran followed by Shoutou. "Kuran! Be rational for once! Do not attack when your emotions are unstable!" he warned, trying to keep up with his steps. "Kuran, please! I beg of you!" he gasped. "Return to the base, let us discuss and–"

"NOOOOOO!" he yelled. "I will not wait for anyone, I will not discuss about this with anyone! They killed Yuu and they're going to get the punishment! They cannot decide her fate simply as that! Yuu is important in my life and they chose to terminate her using the worse thing of all things! If they want to fight, they do not have to kill her! They can simply come out and try to take my life. I will fight for my life but when they destroyed my wife's life, there's nothing else to be forgiven. They do not deserve this! I will not wait, Hanadagi! If you wish, go back to the base and inform them that I'm heading out for my own personal battle!" he said and started running ahead of the two.

"Kaname!" Shoutou called out but his words were left as echoes. "Oh dear. What have I done? I didn't expect my sudden realization fueled Kaname's anger towards our enemies. I am angry too when I think about it but Kaname cannot simply attack them by himself. He need us! Hanadagi, let's go to the base and inform them about this! It's better to support him now instead of later. I really don't like this feeling. I really don't."

Hanadagi nodded and they rushed toward a different direction to the base where the Great Elder and the vampires would be. "This is what the Great Elder feared. When Kuran loses his support, his emotions go haywire and his powers become uncontrollable. I do not know what the enemies are planning by doing this, they're not making him weak, they're making his rage go crazy! I am not surprise if he unleashes his deepest, most powerful blast!"

"Is that bad, for once, Hanadagi?" Shoutou asked as he trailed behind Hanadagi.

"Bad? It's worse, Shoutou! Vampires like us may survive but humans, they have little chances! In fact, when Kuran disappeared a moment ago, I began to worry that he might release his powers and we'll be seeing a large pool of blood in any minute. Let's hurry! If we work together with the Great Elder and the vampires, I'm sure we can keep Kuran sane for good!"

"Yes!" but before they could safely escape to the base, Kuran unleashed his powers and both Hanadagi and Shoutou felt the pressure. "What the...!"

"Come on, Shoutou!" Hanadagi said, pulling on his shirt. "We've no time! Kuran has gone mad!"

"Eh?" Shoutou followed Hanadagi without question.

And the war lasted for several centuries.

XxXxX

(TBC)

XxXxX

A/N: I encountered writer's block in the middle of the chapter, sorry for the late update! This chapter is painful to write as it deals with Kaname's emotions.

If you notice, the Purebloods have the tendency to crack jokes at random times (as Touma and Shoutou become the ones to be teased, rarely Kuran!) but honestly saying, they are quite harsh and brutal. I didn't show it since it'll ruin the purpose of the story although I am implying that vampires, even in the past, are not nice and kind like most people think now. I like evil vampires, being nice is just OOC. That's why I don't understand why people want Kaname to be nice, he doesn't have to, he's a vampire. People think evil = villain = must be hated, but personally, being bad drives the plot. But... I don't like the bad boy cliché character, I want the badness to remain until the end.

Teaser for chapter five:

The last part of the Ancestral Past, at last... The origin of the Hunter's weapon lie in Kuran's hands? Artemis's existence? The bloody fate of the Kuran family... ~atemu.

Read and review.