Chapter 14

"Zero!" Willow called out to the boy in front of her leaning against a stone pillar of the school, making him look up before he turned towards her with a look of relief.

"Thank Kami-sama you're back." He groaned out tiredly.

"I was only gone one day. How come you sound so exhausted?" She asked in amusement with a raised eyebrow.

"You were gone one day but you were absent for two." He reminded her.

"We took our time getting back and then resettling in. That still shouldn't make you sound as exhausted as you do. What happened?"

"Yuki happened, that's what. Ever since Kuran dropped her off after their day together she won't stop raving about how lovely her date was with her Kaname-sama." He sneered while pitching his voice high to sound like a girl when he said the Pureblood's name.

"So they didn't stay at the house as I thought they would. I know how much Kuran-san doesn't like going out if he can avoid it. Yuki must of convinced him to though." She mused thoughtfully, before shrugging uncaringly.

"Yeah, well, she won't shut up about it. I am, however, surprised she hasn't asked about your and the Headmaster's where about yet."

"I am not. You and I both know the moment Kuran-san enters the picture, she will forget everything else around her."

"True. She does have a one track mind when it comes to him."

"Anyways, other than that, how have things been?"

"Quite."

"Hmm."

"I don't like it. It's never a good thing when things become this quite." He muttered between gritted teeth. Every instinct in his body was screaming something bad was coming their way and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I wish I could disagree but I can't. I wanted to ignore my instincts a little bit longer but since I came back I have felt like there's a dark shroud surrounding the school." She admitted uneasily. "It would seem that whatever that has been building over the past years is about to break. Shit is starting and we are right in the middle. Be prepared Zero. We have been in the calm before the storm phase for a while and the storm that's about to hit, I am afraid that it will change us in ways we never thought possible."

"..."

"So, why are you out here on your lonesome. I would have thought that you would be with Lady Lily if you weren't patrolling the school. The crossover is over with and the vamps are in class. So, that part of your duties is over until it's time for them to go back."

"Truthfully, I have a mission from the Hunter Association. A Level E is hunting teenage girls and they want me to find him and finish him off." He confided in her.

"What's the problem Zero?" She questioned, not really understanding why he was hesitating. It wasn't his first rodeo after all.

"There's no problem."

"Then why the hesitation then?"

"I…I don't want…" He paused not knowing how to word his desires without sounding childish.

"You don't want to continue hunting the small fries but the bigger and the badder. Am I right? Not only that, I am sure you're getting sick and tired of the Hunter Association rubbing your face in the fact that sooner or later you're going to turn into the thing that you and they hunt. Right?" She answered for him, getting a nod in return.

"Yes."

"I don't blame your frustration. You have both the skills and experience to start hunting more than low level E's. I also don't blame them for not putting to much on you either."

"What?!" He growled offended and hurt by her words.

"Hear me out." She soothed raising her hands up in surrender. She got a tense nod in return. "You and I both know that the Association is bending a lot of rules - if not outright breaking them - for you to still be a Hunter. You aren't the first Hunter to be turned into a vampire and what usually happens when that situation comes about?"

"They are put down before they can lose themselves and hurt other." Zero automatically answered grimly.

"Exactly. You were very lucky that Otou-san and sensei were able to talk the President into sparing your life. However, the other Hunters are not happy with your continued existence. Too them, it's going against their very beliefs for you to still be alive. So the President is in a position where most of his Hunters are not happy with him while also trying to get some use out of you until you can no longer continue as you have. This world will not survive if the other Hunters decided to boycott in their offense with the President's favoritism. So if the President only gives you low level jobs, then know it's not because you can't do higher level ones but it's so that the fragile peace is kept."

"I understand. It doesn't mean I have to like it." He grunted out unhappily.

"No, it doesn't. Anyways, when are you going to hunt this one down?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I have the hideout's general location but I want to study the map more to make sure I have all the entries and exits in order while getting the general feel of the surroundings."

"Good idea. Though be careful. You and I both know that if the Association has sent the mission to you, that Kuran-san will have given the same mission to one of his own as well. We won't know who he will be sending out so it could be one of the vamps that would use this opportunity to take you out with the excuse that you got in the way when they were going for the kill." She warned.

"I will."

While it only happened once, once was enough to make a lasting impression. It was one of the first missions he did after the school had just opened. Neither he nor Willow knew that Kuran would be sending out one of his troops to take care of the same Level E as him. So, imagine his surprise when he was attacked by a vampire wearing the Night Class uniform after he finished off the vamp he was sent to kill.

After he defeated the baby vamp, he dragged him back with him to have some words with the Moon Dorm President about sending vamps to finish him off. Long story short, the vamp was expelled for attacking another student regardless if it was on school grounds or not and the animosity between Zero and the Night Class grew even stronger after that. Mostly because the Night Class didn't appreciate the Level D - not that they knew he was one - yelling at their precious Dorm Leader.

After that conversation, they went about their usual routine of patrolling the grounds, dodging Yuki, and then going to bed to get the precious few hours of sleep they could get.

~The Next Evening~

"So, I heard that not only Senri and Rima but also Yuki had interfered in your hunt today." Willow commented causally when she met up with Zero at the Gates between dorms for the change over.

"Yes, she was there."

"Hmm. Why was she out of school bounds I wonder?" She muttered, eyeing the approaching beast in human skin. She was doing her best to ignore the screeching and squealing as best as she could.

"I felt her following me when I left school grounds. I thought I had lost her in the crowds so I could finish my mission without her getting in the middle of it before finding her again and taking her back to school. I didn't have time to stop and argue with her for I would have not only lost my target but another girl would have lost her life if I had stopped to deal with her." He explained hoping that she wouldn't be angry with him for not turning around to send Yuki back to school before continuing on with his mission.

"I don't blame you for not wasting time with the girl. She should have learned by now not to interfere in other people's business. Definitely, if it involves a hunt."

"She thought I was running away." He confessed with a dark scowl on his face. He blushed slightly when he saw the stunned look on her face.

"Why in the hell would she think you would be running away? It's not like this is the first time you left school grounds on your own." She asked stunned.

"She walked in on me in the bathroom. She then went on talking about how it was her duty to provide me with blood. Where she got that I idea, I don't know. She pissed me off, so I pushed her against the wall and told her the truth. It's not me she wants to give her blood to, but to Kuran. She just wants to use me to get use to having her blood sucked so she doesn't do anything embarrassing when Kuran starts to. She threw her clothes at me and ran away. Then the Headmaster came in to ask if I was going to head out soon then kick me out so that he could use the shower. After that, was when I left. She'd been following me since."

"Pft. That's hilarious. Why didn't you try taking your showing in the Dorm like a normal person instead of going to the Headmaster's bathroom? You know that the lock has been broken for a long time and I doubt it's going to be fix anytime soon."

"You know I can't stand communal showers. You don't know what any of the other people bring into them or when they are last cleaned. I, at least, know who is using the Headmaster's bathroom and how clean it gets." He insisted stubbornly. It wasn't the first time Willow made a comment about him not using the boy's communal showers.

"Then you really can't complain when you get walked in on. You know that those two don't really care if they walk in on someone or not. They are too uncouth to knock before entering a room."

He glared at her not able to say anything to that. It wasn't the first time either one of them walked in on either him or her while they where in the bathroom. The reason the lock on the bathroom door was even broken was because the Headmaster broke it to enter when Zero had locked it so he could shower in peace. His excuse on why he broke it was because he didn't like locks all that much and that he really had to use the bathroom. As one could guess, it was never fixed.

"Anyways, we better get into position, the gates are going to open soon." Willow stated as she started to walk away to her part of the group in order to get them in a semblance of order.

He turned towards his part of the group of fiends and saw one of them trying to toe the invisible line that they weren't allowed to cross. He was in no mood to put up with their antics tonight.

"If you try to take one step forwards…" He started calmly. "…I'll make you cry." He then turn with a dark glare on his face, ignoring the other fans screaming at him and trying to encourage the girl to continue forwards. "You shouldn't give me so much trouble." He then growled in warning, scaring the fans into frozen statues.

"Hey, cowboy. There's a little miss that needs saving from the big bad Idol who dragged her away." Willow called out, hidden amusement in her voice.

"Then go get her." He called back. "It's your turn to save her."

"I don't want to. Do you not see that mob in front of the door. They look even more crazed than normal." She answered with a sweat drop. There was no way in hell she was going to get in there to "save" the other girl guardian.

"Fine. But the next couple of saves are on you." He gave in since he knew she wouldn't budge no matter what.

'She can be so stubborn.' He thought with an inward pout. He too didn't want to deal with that crowd either but did it anyways.

"I am going to the Headmaster to tell him that the switch went smoothly again tonight." Yuki told them after being rescued and the last of the Day Class left for their dorms.

When she didn't get a answer, she looked at them and saw that they weren't even paying attention to her.

"What's wrong with the two of you? You've been off all day." She demanded while stomping her little foot in the hope they would pay attention to her finally.

"Something is coming. It's getting closer as we speak." Willow surprisingly answered. "Yuki! Hurry up to the Headmaster's and ask him if he knows who's coming. Now!" She commanded when she saw Yuki about to protest her orders.

"Who do you think is coming?" Zero asked in a strained voice when Yuki disappeared around the corner. His instincts were screaming at him to run. To run and never stop. That he didn't want to be anywhere near that being that was coming.

"I don't know. For some odd reason, the aura feels somewhat familiar. It's like we crossed paths a long time ago. It's hard to tell since it seems that something is interfering or even masking a lot of the aura." Willow tried to explain but knowing she was failing. "All I know is that who ever this aura belongs to, is the catalyst that would bring the storm upon us." She predicted solemnly.

She can feel it in her very bones. Whatever events this being brings will either make or break them. She hopes for all their sakes, they don't allow this one to break them.

'But why in the hell, is this aura so damn familiar? I swear I felt it before, but where damn it?' She thought in frustration. She hated this not knowing. 'Does otou-san even know that they are coming? If so, why didn't he give us a heads up?'

"While I would be upset if Otou-san knew about this new arrival and not tell us, I think I would prefer that to this being a surprise visit." She commented in aggravation. It would be just like her father to surprise them like this to keep them on their toes though.

"Agreed. Do you just want to go to his office instead of waiting for Yuki to get back or what?"

"No. There's no point. They have already made it and heading in his direction. We might as well wait."

"..."

She glanced at him again and saw that he was leaning against the tree they stood next too while looking to the sky. She didn't want to say anything, but now that the people where closer, she could feel another aura that was hidden by the more powerful one. An aura that she wouldn't be able to forget even if she had tired. An aura she had thought long dead.

'I guess this surprise is my fault. I never asked Death if he was alive or not. Too much of a coward to get confirmation of my failure to save him. Though, how am I going to break it to Zero who was more crushed about the lost of his twin than his own parents? I can't keep it a secret but if I say anything, it could break him since neither of us went looking for him when we couldn't find his body. That should have been a clue that something wasn't right. When in the hell has he been for these past years? Why did he hide from us? More importantly, Zero?' She wondered with a dark scowl on her face.

"What's the matter, Willow?" Zero asked curiously when he saw the dark look on her face. He shifted uncomfortably when she turn her bright intense gaze on him. It was like she was weighing her options about something.

"What I am about to tell you will not be easy to process." She had to warn first before diving in. He had the right to know who followed the other aura here.

"What is it?" He demanded tensely, not liking the look on her face. It look like she was about to break while also expecting him to break as well. He gritted his teeth, clenched his hands into fist and lifted his chin up to show her that he was ready and won't break from the news that she would depart with.

"There's another aura underneath the one we first noticed. An aura that we have grown up with. You more so than me. An aura that we thought long since dead." She paused when she saw the dawning horror grow on his face.

"No…" He uttered softly, like a feather gliding on the wind.

"Yes. Your brother, your twin has come back from the dead." She told him, not wanting to beat around the bush with something like this.

He fell back against the tree with his head down trying to absorb what he was just told. He never thought that his brother was alive. He had grieved for his twin for years and to find out that he was alive this whole time, hurt him really bad.

"If he was alive…" He started to asked before he was interrupted by Yuki coming over and punching him in the arm.

"You're loafing off, Zero!" She exclaim on a huff, turning to Willow. "You too Willow-nee. You two shouldn't be slacking off but patrolling to make sure the Day Class doesn't bother the Night Class."

"That's enough Yuki!" Willow hissed not in the mood to deal with her childishness when they just got the shock of their lives. "What did the Headmaster say about the new arrival?"

"Oh! You will never guess what!" She crowed with a beaming smile on her face, happy to know something before either of the other two knew.

"Spit it out!" Willow growled, her patience reaching it's limits faster than ever before.

"Oh fine. You two are never any fun." She pouted before hurrying to explain what she found out when Willow started to raise her hands as if she was on the verge of hurting her. "We got a new Night Class transfer. Her name is Kurenai, Maria. She's a Aristocrat that was suppose to have started earlier but due to her health issues she wasn't able to come until now. She's really nice. I hope we can be friends."

"I hope we can be friends as well, Yuki." A soft feminine voice answered making everyone whip around to her direction.

Their eyes landed on a female vampire with a petite build, pale skin, grayish-purple hair and eyes. Her hair is long and straight with a full dolly fringe at eyebrow length and with a small bun adorning at the side of her head. Like a lot of the other vampires they came across, she was beautiful. However, the most unsettling for the two main Guardians; she resembled a vampire that changed their life in the worst way. Hio, Shizuka.

"Shouldn't you be settling in or even in class right now?" Willow asked sharply. She was upset for not paying attention to her surrounding.

'I need to start paying more attention. She could have killed us at any time because we were so busy paying attention to Yuki that we let our guards down. Damn it.' She thought angrily at herself.

"Willow-nee! You don't have to be so abrasive!" Yuki snapped at her, ignoring the death glare she got in return nor noticing the horror filled widened eyes of Zero. "Are you ok, Maria? I thought you were in class."

"I joked around too much and now everyone hates me." She told them with a saddened voice that only fooled Yuki while she grabbed a clomp of her hair to pull it in front of half her face to give the impression of shyness.

Their attention was drawn when Zero moved forwards a step.

"Zero?" Yuki and Willow called at the same time but for different reasons. Yuki in confusion while Willow was for a warning for him not to do anything stupid.

The moment he drew his gun was when the two female guardians reacted. Yuki standing in front of the vampire with her arms spread out wide. Willow grabbing his arm and bring it down before he could shoot.

"Zero. I need you to listen to me." She hiss lowly in his ear to where the other two couldn't hear regardless of vampire hearing or not. "I know that she not only feels familiar but that she also has information about your brother. Except,they don't know that we know he's still alive. We can use that to our advantage and figure out what the hell is going on without tipping our hands too soon. We will allow them to keep the impression the we're still in the dark to keep their guards down while we can move to put a stop to whatever fucking plan they have. Because, we both know that their plans are nothing good for either us or this school. So, I need you to refrain from killing her for now. Ok?" When she got a nod in return, she slowly let go of his arm.

"What the hell, Zero? Pulling a gun on her for no reason. One of these days, someone will take great offense and attack you, you know." Yuki huffed in annoyance before turning to the vampire behind her. "I'm sorry if he scared you. He's a guardian of this school like me. He's my partner, Kiryu, Zero and the girl next to him is also a guardian and my sister. Her name is Cross, Willow. I don't know what's gotten into him, he usually doesn't take things this far." She told her with slight confusion on the last part. "Well, actually…"

"I shouldn't have been wandering around the grounds when I knew I would have gotten in trouble. I am sorry. Thank you for protecting me, Yuki. You're a good girl and I really like you." She told her before leaning in slightly to purr out. "I know girls like you taste really delicious."

When the other two heard what she told Yuki, they tensed just in case she tried to take a bite. They had no interest in hearing any whining from either the girl herself nor the Headmaster for not stopping it before it happened.

"Be my friend." Maria called back as she was leaving, not waiting around for a answer.

"Yuki." Willow called, commanding her attention immediately after the vampire disappeared. "This is the only warning I am going to give you. If you don't heed this warning, then you will be on your own. I will not go out of my way to save you after this."

"What? Willow, what are you talking about? Zero, do you know what she's talking about? Zero? Zero, what's wrong?" Yuki demanded scared when she saw how tense her sister was and the barely hidden trembling of Zero's body.

"Pay attention, Yuki!" Willow said in the most authoritative tone of voice she could; making Yuki's attention snap back to her while straightening her back as much as she could. Even Zero snapped to attention at her tone of voice. "Heed my warning. Stay away from that vampire. Don't go near her, don't even look at her if you could so much as help it. If you have no choice but to interact with her, always make sure you're not alone. And what ever you do…DON'T…TELL…HER…ANYTHING!"

"I don't understand. You're friends with vampires. Why is it wrong for me to befriend vampires too?" Yuki couldn't help but ask with a pout not really understanding the dangers the new student posed.

"I don't care if you befriend a vampire or not. I have nothing against their race. That vampire, I do. Just for once in you life, do as you're told. Stay away from that one. Let's go Zero."

As the two walked away from her, Yuki couldn't help but think that they weren't being fair to the new vampire.

'She must be so lonely having to arrive at a new school in the middle of the year where the other students have already formed their clicks. Not only that, but she has fragile health on top of that. How can I not try to be friends with her? Then again, Willow never truly asked me to stay away from someone before. I don't really want to go against her either. What am I going to do?' Yuki thought worriedly.

When she got back to her dorm and saw that her roommate and friend was sleeping, she decided against waking her up to ask for her opinion like she wanted to. She will just ask her in the morning. For now, she was too tired to keep worrying about it.

In the stables, Zero and Willow were in the middle of hashing out what they were going to do about the new threat that came out to play while also trying to figure out what to do about the one who came back to life.

In the Moon Dorm President's room, Kaname was looking at his chest board thinking that all his plans were coming together like he wanted. While down the hall from him, the new student was thinking the exact same thing with her bodyguard watching over her.

What none of them know is that none of their plans will come together as they have thought. Not with the Mistress of Death having someone they want to use for their own gain to protect. And protect him she will.