So, here it is! The long-awaited sequel that I finally wrote and uploaded. You may feel the beginning is a little rushed but I wanted to get straight into it. Hope you don't mind! I haven't checked through the chapter yet, but enjoy it anyway! Next one coming soon ^_~
Firstly though, a profile :D
Name: Tsubaki Kuroda, previously Sakura Cross
Age: 17 D.O.B March 1st
Height: 168cm Weight: 49kg
Hair: Maroon hair (more brown than red), wavy, waist-length, fringe. Usually down but occasionally in a ponytail.
Personality: More confident than she was before. She used to be very shy but now she is getting more comfortable around people.
Likes: Cooking, Senri Shiki ;)
Dislikes: Snakes
Other: Her vampire powers were hidden away by the Senior Council who did not approve of her parents. Rido is a big part of her lost memories.
~~~
Chapter 1 - Tsubaki Kuroda
I tied up my overgrown hair into a ponytail and sighed. Life was so boring now that Takeru had gone back to the academy and Senri left to go modelling with Rima. All I could do was stay at Aunt Kyoko’s house and wait for clues to appear. She had already helped as much as she could, but she was getting ill. Reiko, my mother’s best friend, gave me tons of information but none of the pieces fit together.
My priority goal at that moment was to find Haruka Kuroda, my father. He disappeared after I was taken by Rido Kuran, and by Kaien Cross. Kaname played a big role in that part, finding me when I was wandering around at night after Senri saved me from Rido. Ever since I had retrieved the rest of my memories just a few weeks ago, I just had to find Haruka. I knew exactly what he looked like now, but I just didn’t know where to start.
When Senri came searching with me, we mostly walked in silence, asking shopkeepers and innkeepers if they knew Haruka Kuroda. None of them had even heard of him. I almost gave up on searching but Senri became my strength. We shared a room for six nights, would you believe it. I was so happy about being with him even if he slept on the sofa whilst I hogged the whole double bed. Unfortunately that happy week dissolved after Rima called for Senri. She looked restless, as though she had been picturing images of me and Senri. Then I returned home, having gained nothing. That was all seven months ago.
Takeru said he didn’t have anything to do, staying at aunt Kyoko’s house. So he went back to the academy, the place he was working as an intern. The Headmaster obviously wanted him back as well. So I was alone, for seven weeks. He sent me a letter on my birthday, which definitely made me smile.
The thing I had been doing for the most part of those painful weeks was practising how to control my powers. I used rats as my opponent and shot out my vines of Camellia at them. I provided myself with blood tablets and made sure I didn’t overuse them. I tried to study but nothing good came out of it. And the rest of that time I walked around the big garden, my mind full of thoughts. I would’ve loved to go back to the academy but it was too risky, as Takeru had said.
“Tsubaki? It’s dinner time,” the housemaid, Ume said. She was at the door, smiling. I returned the smile and went down to the dining room. Aunt Kyoko was already sitting down, reading a book.
“Ah, Tsubaki. This novel is very interesting, I hope you’ll have a look at it,” she said, showing it to me after placing a bookmark where she had stopped reading. It was called Vampire at Dusk. I flicked through the first few pages, and it was about a human who had been turned into a vampire.
“Looks good,” I replied dully. The cook brought out two plates of dinner and I ate it quickly. My day consisted of the same things - I woke up, had breakfast, did something useless until lunch, did the same until dinner, then went to sleep. I really had nothing to do. I guess this was real boredom, unlike the ones at the academy when I had finished all my homework and had nothing to do.
“What did you do today?” aunt Kyoko asked, trying to start a conversation.
I shook my head. “Nothing much. I did a few maths problems I found in my old textbook, walked around in the garden and practised using my powers. That’s about it.”
Aunt Kyoko sighed. “We really should get you to do something better than be bored here. I really don’t suggest searching for Haruka, since you had been doing that for a while without gaining anything. And the academy... Will they still accept you after you left for nine months? Maybe we should ask Takeru-kun to quit his job at the academy-”
“No, you can’t do that! He loves that job, teaching people German. And all the students love him too… it would be such a horrible thing to do, dragging him back here to accompany me.”
“Ah, you’re too considerate! Let’s leave Takeru-kun for now, since he does enjoy that job. What about the Kuran girl you lived with?”
“What, Yuki?”
“I suppose. What do you think about going to her? I’m sure she’s just as bored as you,” she suggested. I shook my head.
“She’s finally been reunited with her brother, Kaname. And they’re lovers - I’d be intruding rather than joining them.”
“The hunter society won’t let vampires near it. I guess your only option is to stay here, or find a husband.”
I sighed. “Thank you for concern… but I think I should leave and travel around the villages. I desperately want to find my father, even if I must go alone.”
“If that’s how you really want it, I’ve got just the right person for you!” Aunt Kyoko said excitedly.
~
“Barry-san?!” I exclaimed when Jamie Barry appeared at the doorstep.
“Yo, Sakura! Wait, I should be calling you Tsubaki, right?”
I nodded nervously. What was this ecstatic boy doing here? “C-come on in…”
“Thanks,” he replied, entering.
“Are you planning to stay a night?” I asked.
“Nah, let‘s just get going! By the way, I love your dress. It’s beautiful!” he complimented. I blushed, and looked down at it. I had bought it with Takeru. He said the emerald colour suited me, especially with the daisies printed on. It was only knee length but I loved it.
I got my beige coat from off the rail and put it on swiftly. I pulled on my boots which I was growing out of, and smiled. “Let’s go then!”
~
We had been wandering about for ages, not getting anywhere. I decided to stop at a village inn for the night and ate the dinner aunt Kyoko had prepared. Barry-san was already snoring on his futon, murmuring every now and then. Did he even know I was a vampire? How did aunt Kyoko know him? I thought about this as I ate, and when I had finished I went outside.
It was windy, and dark. The sun had set beyond the high mountains and the streets were deserted. It wasn’t usually like this at seven-thirty in the evening, was it?
My head turned round once. Still, no one appeared. All the shops were closed and the street lamps were dim. My heartbeat quickened vastly as I walked back to the hotel. My fists were clenched tightly, but I wasn’t ready for combat of any sort.
“Excuse me, are you from this area?” a man asked. I jerked away, startled. “Ah, my bad. Sorry for scaring you like that,” he chuckled.
“I-I-I’m not from this village actually…” I replied meekly. I took the courage to look at his face, which was covered in scars. He had a huge build, almost giant-like. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in my answer.
“Well that’s no good. You’d better get outta my sight then. I’m a dangerous guy.”
I took that as my chance to escape. I ran like the wind back to the inn, breathing in quick pants. I immediately unlocked the door to mine and Barry’s room, but when I entered, he was on the ground, limp. No snores came out of his drooling mouth. I gulped and tiptoed over to him. Blood. Painted across his clothes, staining it. I was out of breath again after seeing it, and swallowed hard. My chest felt like ripping apart and my fangs were itching to come out. Suddenly, Barry opened his eyes slightly. My pain stopped.
“Tsubaki… I won’t last much longer… Can you take my blood? At least I’ll die knowing I was of some use to this world,” Barry whimpered. A tear dropped onto his cheek from my eye.
“Barry-san… I can’t do something like that! I hardly know you, yet you’re about to die in my arms!” More tears fell onto his cheek.
“Don’t cry. When you drink my blood, everything about me will fuse into your memories. Hurry, before I really die.”
I took a deep breath and let my fangs sink into his neck. Mountains of blood seeped through my mouth and I closed my eyes.
Barry-san was not a vampire but grew up with them, in a village not far from here. That village was wiped out by a vampire hunter, but he left Barry since he was human. Years went by and Barry hopped from village to village with little money. Then aunt Kyoko picked him up and took him to her house. Her husband taught Barry a ton of things, and soon Barry went to school. He was now fourteen, almost about to enrol into high school. Then aunt Kyoko sent him to Cross Academy and told him to search for a girl called Sakura Cross. When he found her, he returned and gave information to her. Two years later, he came back to the academy and met Sakura Cross again.
I was weeping rivers by the time the vision stopped. Barry-san was like a fish on his futon. I inhaled deeply and carried him outside. The innkeeper was so shocked he ran away, but for some reason, not outside. Just to his room. When I opened the door, there were a few more people on the streets, but they didn’t look like villagers. They had swords and thick, brusque coats just like the one the man was wearing earlier. I hid behind the inn and brought Barry to a nearby ditch. I threw him in and said a few prayers. The whole time I was crying - I really was pathetic. Now I was on my own, and I didn’t even know how Barry had died. I shut my eyes again and tried to recover anything that I didn’t see earlier. And it worked.
A man entered our room through the window. Barry was on his futon, snoring. The man got out his sword and stabbed Barry several times, then made him fall asleep. He escaped into the moonlight and joined his comrades.
I gasped. The man who had stopped me earlier, was he part of that group? Were they sent here to find something? I ran towards one of the men standing on the street.
“E-excuse me! What is your purpose for coming to this village?” I asked, trying my best to be brave.
“We’re looking for a man. Here, have a flyer. Now get lost kiddo.”
I picked up the piece of paper he had just thrown onto the ground and read it.
WANTED!
HARUKA KURODA
FOR NUMEROUS CRIMES OF MURDER
REWARD: 80,000 YEN!
I gasped. Haruka Kuroda? My father? Was he really alive?! But what was this about murder…?
“Wait! Let me come with you! You’re searching for this man, right? I am too!” I exclaimed, feeling excited. Travelling with a group would be much safer than wandering around on my own.
The man stopped, turned around and sent two weapons flying my way. Each one cut my shoulder. I bent down in pain but still looked at him. “We don’t accept no novices. You don’t even have any weapons. Go back to school, kiddo.”
And with that, the whole group left. When the villagers were assured that they had gone, they came out of their houses and opened all the shops again. I went towards a shop selling dango.
“Sumimasen, who is that group who just came?” I asked. The man making dango stopped and looked at me.
“Burukiras. It means literally Blue Killers. They come every fortnight searching for the same person, but anyone they see or hear has to be killed.”
That explained Barry’s death then. “Thank you-”
“Aren’t you going to buy some dango? That information is confidential, might I just let you know.”
“Sorry. I’ll just have one serving.”
I sat down reluctantly at a table and thought. So far, my mission had basically failed. I had only found out that my father was a criminal and dangerous people were searching for him. Barry had been killed because of his snoring, and I had gotten nowhere.
“Here you go. Do you mind if I sit down and eat with you? It’s just I haven’t eaten dinner yet,” the man said, handing me the plate of dango and a cup of green tea.
“Go ahead,” I replied dismissively. “But can you tell me a bit more about the Burukiras?”
“Sure. They’ve have come seven times already. Every time, they bring more people and more weapons. The first time, they killed almost half our villagers and it was a great loss. The second time, five were killed. The third time, the remaining villagers had figured out what they were doing. Searching for a man who was always on the move and apparently killed a lot of people. They arrive here every fortnight after searching day and night, all over the country. Is that much sufficient?”
I finished up the four dango on my plate and nodded. “I have to trust you not to tell anyone, but I’m the daughter of that man they’re searching for.”
“So that’s why you wanted to go with them?” he asked curiously. I smiled, signalling his correct answer.
“I came with my friend to search for Haruka because my childhood was completely messed up. I only found out recently that my real father was somewhere out there. Except the Burukiras killed this friend of mine. I’ll have to go back to my aunt’s place now, which I’ll really regret because it’s so boring there.”
“If you wanted, I could join you. If I wouldn’t be a hindrance…”
“But you’ve got a shop to own!”
“The thing is, I’ve been captivated by your story and by you. Would you let me accompany you?”
If it was Senri saying that, I would have agreed and smiled. But thinking of him only made me more depressed. “Sorry, but I’ll go alone from here. Thank you very much for the dango. I’ll be sure to visit again.”
I left the shop with my eyes shut. The least I could do was gather my belongings, pay the innkeeper and go back home. So I got all my things and paid the innkeeper, who was still terrified, then left the village.
I had never thought for a second that I would find an injured man in a ditch, claiming to be Haruka Kuroda.
~~~
So those of you who have read all of this! Hopefully you're intending to continue. Please read this first!
My plan is for this story to be shorter than the first book, because from here on out it is not so related to Vampire Knight as the previous one. The rest is basically finding her father, enjoying moments together, and as said in the title, searching for Senri Shiki. I would love your votes, comments and fans but I won't force you to. My reason for writing is not to be famous, but to share the love of writing! If you do vote, comment or fan, I would greatly appreciate it. See you! ^_~