Two years ago…

I woke up as usual and laid my school clothes on the bed. I took a shower and as I dried off, I looked at my features in the mirror. I saw a mature thirteen year old girl that had dark red hair, almost the color of blood, and piercing green eyes that glowed. I went back into my room and got dressed. I had breakfast, brushed my teeth, and then blow dried my long hair. I looked at the ring my parents gave me and I was all of a sudden worried.

I walked into my room and used a small amount of my powers to see if they were alright and I felt the strong emotions of being betrayed and hurt. I used my sight on them and I saw a blue eye and a crimson eye just before I heard screaming. I was so startled that I fell backwards on to my bed.

"Mom? Dad?" I said, tears forming in my eyes. I tried again but I couldn't find either of their life forces. I grabbed the house phone and dialed my home schooling teacher's number.

"Hello?" I heard.

"Ms. Kasumi? It's me, Yuuyako." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. It didn't work.

"Yuuyako, what's wrong?" Ms. Kasumi said. I took a deep breath.

"I decided to check on my parents and I can't feel their lives anymore. It's like they…" I trailed off, thinking of the worse.

"Yuuyako, don't think like that. I'm sure that they just got to far for you to reach sweetie." my teacher tried to reassure me.

"My powers can go any distance though. They told you that, didn't they?" I said. I could hear my teachers heart rate pick up.

"Why don't you get your things together and I'll come pick you up. I'll call them before I leave, Ok?" Ms. Kasumi said.

"Yeah. Thank you." I said, and my teacher hung up. I pushed end and grabbed my school supplies that were littered all over my computer desk. I packed up my backpack and looked around my room. Everything was spotless except for my desk. I took a shaky breath and walked out of my room and down the stairs. I grabbed my jacket off the living room armchair and put it on. I watched the trees outside, bare because it was so cold.

"It's not even winter…" I muttered and I thought about what just happened.

"My parents may have just gone to sleep." I laughed shakily. "No, I can tell when their sleeping. They just blocked themselves from me? Yeah, they blocked me. That's all they did." I said, trying to convince myself I just hallucinated the eyes.

"The eyes…" I quietly said. It was the eyes that I couldn't get out of my head. Blue as the afternoon sky and crimson like blood. Like my hair.

The doorbell rang and I jumped. I was thinking too much about the matter. Heck, I was thinking too much for a thirteen year old. I stood on my tiptoes and looked out the peephole, seeing the familiar sight of my teacher. I threw open the door and hugged her.

"Were you able to reach them?" I asked in a worried tone. She frowned.

"I called them, yes. But a man answered the phone. He asked to take a message and I told him that I would call later, but the man said that the battery was dying and that it would be a while until your parents could charge it."

"They get busy when meetings are going on. What did you tell the guy?" I asked.

"I told him to pass on the message that you just had the feeling that you need to talk to them about something. I thought the man was lying so afterwards, I called a friend of mine and told him about it. He'll be coming here to give us some news on them." Ms. Kasumi said. I nodded and sat in one of the armchairs. Ms. Kasumi closed the door and went into the kitchen.

"Do you want something warm to drink or do you not want anything?" my teacher asked and I looked at the window.

"Yes please." I replied to her question. A few minutes later she came back into the room and handed me a warm mug of my daily nutrition. I nodded at her and she did the same back. We waited for her friend to arrive and he came fifteen minutes later. I was on the verge of falling asleep because of the inactivity and so I took another sip from my cup. The liquid flowed down through my throat and woke me up a little. The doorbell rang for the second time today and my teacher got up and answered it.

"Ah, Kaien. Thank you for coming." I heard Mrs. Kasumi say. I racked my brain for the name Kaien and a picture came up. With me in my parents arm, he was standing next to them with a glasses and cloak on, and underneath I saw a shiny gun. This was one of the pictures that was on the wall of my parents room. My teacher and her 'friend' walked in and he stayed out of my line of sight while Ms. Kasumi talked to me.

"Yuuyako, this is Mr. Cross. He was your parents friend also and he runs a school for other vampires." she said, and he walked into view and bowed.

"Hello Miss Akane. As Ms. Kasumi said, I am a family friend, but I am also someone who has contacts with people. I tracked your parents cells and we … found… them. They were on their way back here on the usual meeting." Cross said, dodging having to say that they actually talked with them. I stood up and looked at the floor, flexing my jaw and clenching my fists.

"Ms. Akane?" the man said worriedly. I bit my lip, trying to keep my powers, and emotions, under control.

"Just tell me." I forced out, barely in a whisper. Ms. Kasumi took a breath, getting ready for the news.

"They, your parents and a few others, were attacked by the looks of it. I analyzed their clothes and other items and it all pointed to either a very strong vampire, or one of the purebloods got to them." Cross said. I felt like screaming bloody murder and going after who did it.

"Now that you've told me, where will I go? I don't know any family members, and I doubt that my parents would give Ms. Kasumi the trouble of taking care of a child at her age." I said, nodding at my teacher. She smiled sadly, and nodded in agreement. Cross cleared his throat.

"I had a letter delivered to me years ago from your parents. They knew, from what I had told them of my life, that if they had any children and something unexpected happened, that I would take whoever in. That just so happens to be you." he said, and bowed again.

"Since you are one of the purebloods, I would like to let you know that there is one other that goes to Cross Academy, and that if you go, he could help you with controlling your powers if you have not already." the man said politely. I nodded stiffly.

"I've heard that students go home on the holidays. Would I stay with you or can I come and visit my teacher?" I asked. The man shrugged.

"You may do whatever you wish, just as long as it isn't anything illegal." he joked. I frowned and turned to my teacher.

"Is that alright?" I asked. She nodded and hugged me.

"I just want what's best for you since all this is happening so fast. Kaien, when will she need to leave?" Ms. Kasumi said, still holding me. She sat me in the chair I was in and went back into the kitchen.

"I was going to say that she can pack today and then leave tomorrow for the academy. She can take whatever she wants. The house won't be sold because it will be yours when you are of age." he said, nodding to me at the end. Ms. Kasumi handed Cross a cup, tea probably, and then handed me another cup of my 'nutrition'. She sat on the couch and brushed her graying hair out of her face.

"Then why don't I help you pack while Kaien stays in the guest bedroom, hm?" she asked me. I just nodded. Cross sat in another chair and Ms. Kasumi stood up.

"I'll let the two of you talk while I scrounge up some suitcases." she said, and then left the room. I listened to her feet go up the stairs and then briefly pause at my parents bedroom. She continued from there and up to the attic.

"Do you want to ask me any questions?" Cross said, with a faint hint of hope in his tone.

"Why are- were my parents so sure that you'd be a good pick in a godfather?" I asked. I knew that would throw him off a bit, but he took it in stride.

"I have taken in two other kids and they are your age. Both had near death experiences but I still took care of them. Yuki is the girl. She has brown hair and she would take care of anyone. She wants to help others." Cross said fondly. "Zero… is the boy. I still need to get past his defenses. He won't open up to anyone but Yuki has told me he likes animals. He spends most of his naps in the horse stables." Cross explained.

"What was his life like?" I asked quietly, curious about this secluded boy.

"I doubt he would be happy to hear that I told you, but I'll explain anyway. Maybe you can get him to warm up." Cross took a deep breath. "His family were vampire hunters, and they were killed by a pureblood named Hio. His twin has disappeared off somewhere, but when he was attacked, he was brought to my place, his throat on the left side bloodied. Since then, he's hated vampires and doesn't trust anyone."

"I'm a pureblood, so wouldn't he distance himself from me?" I asked. Cross shrugged.

"Who knows? I haven't figured anything out and nothing I do will soften him up."

"Yuuyako? Can you come help me with your desk? It's a mess!" my teacher yelled. I walked out of the room and walked up the stairs, Cross following me silently. I stood in the doorway and my teacher was bent over my papers.

"Sorry Ms. Kasumi, but I have my own language. You won't know what papers are which subject." I said, smiling faintly. She stood up.

"No wonder. I would've thought you spent those long nights decrypting these. Why don't you pack all your school supplies and I'll pack your clothes?" she suggested. I nodded and grabbed a suitcase. By the time I finished packing my papers, Ms. Kasumi was only halfway through packing my underclothes. I packed all my jeans and shirts, and picked out a few jackets. A big tan snow jacket, a dark blue pullover sweater, and my zip up 'biker' jacket. I grabbed all my tank tops and shorts for summer weather and sleeping, and left all my modest nightgowns in my closet. My parents never made me wear them because they were from snooty relatives that they didn't like, but ones I never knew. I dug through the bottom of my closet and pulled out several sneakers and a few dress shoes like flats. Cross stayed in his little corner and stayed out of the way but spoke once I started zipping up the suitcases.

"Do you not have any formal dresses?" he asked. I shook my head.

"My parents never needed me to go to their meetings." I replied. I could see the wheels turning in his head. Once I packed my ds and cheap laptop that I bought with my own money saved up, we all started to drag down my three suitcases to the living room. By that time, it was dinner and I could tell Cross and Ms. Kasumi were hungry. They sat down to eat while I sat on the couch and worked on my geometry. Cross was watching me while I quickly worked through my math and he spoke once I closed the book.

"Isn't geometry a bit high for a normal thirteen year old?"

"I'm not a normal kid Mr. Cross." I counteracted. He nodded in agreement and took another bite of his salad.

"Kaien, I've taught her since she was three. She would've been a child prodigy if she had the determination to do it, but she is a bit…" Ms. Kasumi trailed off.

"Perezoso." I finished for her. She nodded. Cross blanked and looked between us with question.

"Lazy." I translated the Spanish word. I took a sip of my drink and started on my English. I read a section and then got on Microsoft on my laptop and typed away with one hand while looking at the questions. I could feel Cross's eyes on me and so I looked up.

"Can I help you?" I asked. He just stared.

"She's been able to type since she was six." Ms. Kasumi said. After that, I went up to bed and laid there, not being able to get to sleep, but exhausted. My eyes decided to just let it all out then but I made no sound. I cried until dawn, the light welcoming me when it shunned the other vampires.