~Third person PoV~
  Hina has passed out due to the amount of times that Kei had electrocuted her with his lightning powers. Throughout her body, she had bruises everywhere, since her vampire powers were sealed away temporarily because of the serum. She was feeling a pain she had never felt before, but she still held her head high, confident about the choice she had made. Her beautiful purple dress had become tattered, and her silky brown hair which was once held up was now down.

"We are never going to get anywhere like this..." Sara stated, looking down at the seventeen-year old princess.

"We'll try again tomorrow evening. She'll eventually break." Kei said, turning around, as he left the cell.

"How hard is it to talk, daughter of Kaname Kuran?" Sara said as she glared at her, leaving behind Kei.

"Hina! Oi, Hina!" Aito called out, gently patting her cheek to wake her up.

"Here, let me uncuff you. I'll take you somewhere where you can be comfortable, and change out of that dress."

Once Aito had freed her from her restraints, he carried her bridal style to his room. However, Hina's eyes had shot open as her eyes glew gold.

"Let me go, right this instant! DO you hear me?! I'm not going to talk, you psycho! You, nor my great-uncle will break me apart! I know that the others will come and stop you!"

Hina was angry. So angry that she fell for something as ridiculous as this.

~flashback, Hina's PoV~

"Father, I'm going to get a drink. I'll be right back." I stated.

"Don't take too long, Hinata. The ceremony is going to begin soon." My father answered.

"It won't take long." I answered cheerfully.

As soon as I took off to get a drink, which was located near a darkened hallway, a butler had come up to me.

"My lady, care for this drink? It is indeed, a non-alcoholic mix of some rare and exotic fruits."

It really looks nice! The colors are very vibrant...

"Oooooooh! Looks tasty! Thank you!" I said cheerfully as I took a sip.

"Anytime, Kuran-sama...." He answered with a smirk.

What? How does this butler know my last name... ? People here see me as Hina Tsukiyomi...

"Are you okay? Here... let me take you to your room..." He said as he began walked me out of the ballroom.

What's going on....?

"You're finally mine, Hinata...." He whispered.

Is that... Aito...? Damn it! No!

"No.... I will never be yours ever again. I belong to Mitsuru..." I said with a groan.

Those were my last words before I passed out. That was when I realized that he had drugged my drink...

~end of flashback, Hinata Kuran's PoV~

At that time, I wasn't thinking. I really liked how nicely presented the drink was, and I had drank it without giving it thought.

"I love you far too much. And seeing you in pain hurt me so much..." He said as he opened the door to his room.

I knew that he was lying. What he believed was love was not love. It's obsession.

"You never loved me. You were with me to destroy the vampire race and maybe with the time we spent together, you probably started to like me in a different way, but that 'like' was not love."

"No... It was not that way, I love you, Hinata! Why else would I be doing all of this?!" He said, putting his hands over his head.

"You want to destroy the vampire race! Your feelings are mistaken for obsession."

Aito then pushed on the bed.

"You will understand what our purpose is. You're mine. I'll get someone to change you into more comfortable clothes. I'll come back as soon as you are all changed. You are all mine now, Hinata. I won't let anyone lay one finger on you every again." Aito said, as he turned around with an unwavering expression.

If I had my powers, I swear, I would not think twice with taking his life...

He then left the room.

Hinata...

Hinata, can you hear me?

I looked around the room and I did not see anything.

Someone then appeared in front of me, sitting on the king-sized bed. She had short black hair and blue eyes. She resembles my grandfather quite a bit...

"Who are you?" I asked curiously.

She smiled.

"I'm your great-grandmother, Reina. I'm here to help you." She reassured me.

"Help me? With what? You're a spirit."

"But I can provide you with knowledge. I've heard you've never transformed into your true form."

"No..."

"And why is that?"

"It isn't necessary..."

"Well, it can serve very useful to you now. Instead of waiting for the others, why don't you try awakening it?"

"How am I supposed to... When my vampire powers are currently dormant..?"

"It's possible. After all, Royal Purebloods are the most powerful beings. We always find ways.  That serum was developed to seal away the powers of Royal Purebloods in case one committed a crime. What I am a bit confused about is how those twins managed to get their hands on it..." Reina stated as she was thinking to herself.

*knock knock*

"Miss Hinata?"

"Hinata. You have to face your fears and connect with your inner self. Deep down, within you, your true form is just waiting to be awakened. You must accept your past and move on to your present. I'll return when you are alone again, dear."

With a cheerful smile, the majestic woman had disappeared. My great-grandmother? She still looks like Juuri Kuran's age...

I sighed. "Come in."

"I'll leave you with these change of clothes. Is this alright?" The maid asked as she showed me a silky sky blue nightgown.

"Yes, that is fine." I answered.

"All right. Then I will take my leave. If you need anything, call for me. My name is Kotomi."

Kotomi...

"Also... If you just need someone to talk to, I'm here." She concluded as she bowed and exited the room.

She's a vampire, but she's one of the common ones. Plus, she's really pretty. She has pretty, long light brown hair and hazel colored eyes. She was a little shorter than me, and she looks like she is about sixteen years old...

If I wasn't so weak right now, then I would just disappear and go back home with Mitsuru... This was a mistake. I just wanted to take responsiblity as the representative of the Sora Empire, but look how much chaos this has caused...

She then bowed, and left the room.

I then changed out of the dress and put on the nightgown. I then made my way to the dresser and sat down.

I need blood.... I want it. I crave it so much... Especially Mitsuru's....

I then looked at the image of myself in the mirror, which was filled with bruises and scratches. I sighed and picked up the brush, brushing my hair to make it look decent.

*knock knock*

"Hina, I'm coming in."

Ugh....

He entered the room, then closed the door and locked it.

"You look so beautiful and defenseless... Now I have you all to myself..." He said as he walked up to me, standing behind me.

"You know what I find funny? That a Vampire Slayer such as you loves a vampire like me. You want vampires to not exist, but yet you 'love' one. It just doesn't make sense."

"Heh. Really? Then what were your feelings when we were dating at that time, hm..?" He whispered into my ear.

"That was that time when I didn't know what your intentions were. To be honest, I didn't mind that you were a Vampire Slayer. I loved you, of course. But when I found out that you and your brother really had intentions to persecute the vampire race, I knew that you were with me to kill us."

"All right, fine! That is true! That is the goal of the Vampire Slayers! But don't you see? I started to love you genuinely. My goal was to kill the Emperor and Empress, and secretly keep you alive. I was going to tell you that someone else had entered the castle and I would take you away with me where no one can find you..."

I stood up and looked at him angrily. "Why are you telling me this?  You truly are a psychopath....! You were going to kill my parents? Hah. They would probably kill a human like you in less than two seconds."

He posessively put his arms around me. "Vampire Slayers always have ways to kill their enemies..."

I broke from his touch and slapped him hard on the face.

"You're an asshole. How dare you... Threatening to kill my parents and my race? I swear if I had my powers, I would turn you into a Level E and let you rot away. Your a monster. I hate you and  I wish I never even had a relationship with you. You disgust me in so many ways."

Aito's face became twisted as he smiled creepily. "You need to know your place, Hina... You will never touch me like that again. One way or another, you will love me. Even if it means breaking you."

Ugh, I have to do something... What that lady said; Awakening my true form... I have never thought of using them. After all, I don't know if I will be able to master them... Not after finding out that my mother had failed to control her powers...

"It seems with that hard of a slap that I just received, you are slowly beginning to get your energy back. I should bind you once again to make sure you don't do anything stupid... " Aito said, forcibly pulling me back to the bed, cuffing me to the railings of the bed.

I will heed your words, Great-Grandmother... For now, I will deal with this and use this time to calm myself.

~Serenity Tsukiyomi~

~play the song~

All of us were in the throne room, still dressed in our attire from the ball. My parents and I were sitting in our respected thrones, while Kaname stood to my right.

Rina, Satsuki, Aiko, and Azusa were standing to the side, looking curiously at the blond haired boy. Same went for the aristocrats. Especially Hanabusa, Akatsuki, and Ruka.

"He resembles you a bit, Hanabusa..." Akatsuki whispered.

"I have to agree with Akatsuki on this one." Ruka answered.

After a few whispers, Mitsuru cleared his throat.

"To all of you, I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Mitsuru Yamamoto. Like her and Emperor Kaname, I come from the future as well... The Empress had allowed me to come, but I guess I was too late... Aito Hiroi is mentally unstable. He will do anything to get what he wants, whether it is by force or not. I blame myself...."

I looked at Mitsuru, who looked very worried for Hina's well being, and I smiled.

"Mitsuru. It seems to me like you care a great deal for her. So why are you blaming yourself?" I asked him.

"I should have been by her side when she had made this decision. I should have came before all this happened."

"This happened all of a sudden. We weren't on our guard, that is all. What is Aito's intention for Hina, anyways."

"There are two reasons," Emperor Kaname stated. "One is that they want to get information of the future, and how it came to be that way. And the other one is that Aito has a strong obsession for Hinata. I am guessing that their goal right now is most likely to kill you, Serenity. If you die, there will be no successor to the throne of the Sora Empire, and the if the Sora Empire falls, then so will the other kingdoms."

After he had said that, there was a silence in the room.

"What is the plan, then?" Satsuki asked.

"We have to save Hina as soon as possible!" Rina said in a motivated tone.

"Serenity? What is your stance on this?" My father asked.

I stood up and smiled. "We're going to save her, of course! Since it is likely that they already took her powers away, then she is powerless. The only way out for her now is to attempt to transform into her true form."

"There's one problem with that though." Mitsuru stated.

"And what is that?" Azusa answered.

"Hina has never transformed into her true form before, nor has she ever thought about it. She only talked about it once... She said she was afraid, because when Empress Serenity was back in Cross Academy, she had failed to control them."

"So it's the fear that is holding her back." Kaito stated.

"Transforming into our true form requires that we don't feel any emotion at all. But what I don't understand is how Serenity transformed into her true form while she was upset that day..."

I don't even understand myself how that even came to be... How that could have been possible?

My mother then intervened. "When you summon your true form while feeling any form of emotion,  you will obviously be completely unable to control it. You aren't yourself, and you become the emotions that you feel. If you are angry, then obviously you are going to destroy anything that comes in your path. Hina needs to face her fear is she is going to become her true form."

"I believe in Hina. If anyone can do it, she can. Just by looking at her, you can tell how confident she is." I reassured everyone.

"Then what's the plan then?" Zero, who finally spoke had stated.

"We go rescue her, of course. We cannot waste a moment.  That Aito may be torturing her.... over even worse... He may be trying to repeat the events that happened a few months ago." Emperor Kaname stated.

"Then let's do this as soon as possible." Kaname, who was by my side stated.

"All right then. Then all of you, make preparations immediately. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask us." My father said with a smile.

"Thank you, Father." I answered.

All of us then exited the throne room.

"Right now, it's 3 am. Let's all meet back here by four. It's better to strike in the day, since the vampires there most likely are asleep. We'll organize ourselves to make sure we don't make a mistake."

Everyone nodded and we went split off. I had asked Kimura to assign everyone a temporary room where they can get changed and relax a bit before we leave.

Kaname and I went to my room. But I'm a bit nervous... Kaname's never been in my room here in the castle... When we were young, Kaname had his room and I always spent time in his....

"You alright, Serenity?"

"Y-yeah! I'm fine... Just a bit worried for Hina, that's all." I answered as I opened my room, which was double doored.

Kaname closed the doors, locking them.

I sighed as I took of my tiara and put it on my desk as I opened the curtains to my room. The moonlight poured in.

"What a beautiful room. It really suits your tastes."  Kaname said as he looked around the room, taking off the crown that really emphasized his majestic features.

Kaname then went to the room where my bedroom was.

"You have a hot tub here, Serenity?"

"Yeah. Perfect place to relax and look up at the stars while taking a bath here..." I said, as I followed him to the bedroom.

My eyes glowed gold as a painful thirst hit my throat, and I grabbed the railing of my bed, then closing my eyes.

"Serenity?"

I didn't respond.

"It's okay. I know what you want. I am happy to give you my blood whenever you need it."

"I'm sorry, Kaname... The urge right now is far too painful..." I whispered with a growl, while pulling him against the wall.

I gently moved his hair to the side, and placed a kiss on his neck, then biting my fangs into his neck as I had my hands on his chest.

He groaned a bit once my fangs had made contact with his neck, putting his arms around me.

Feeling comfortable in his reassuring embrace, I took a bit more of his blood, and then retracted them, catching my breath.

"Thank you.... Sorry that I acted that way all of a sudden.."

"It's alright." He answered with a reassuring kiss on my forehead.

I smiled.

"I wish we can stay like this right now. Just the two of us... But we have a responsibility to take care of now, right?" He asked.

"Yes. We have a great deal of time to be together... We'll end this, and finally... we'll have all the time in the world to ourselves..." I whispered in his embrace.

After having that special time to ourselves,  the both of us then changed into some comfortable clothes, and sat on the couch, indulging in a nice of cup of tea before going to meet with everyone.

"So, Serenity... about that "true form" that is the main discussion with everyone here... What is the source of that power? How did the Royal Purebloods get that power?"

"To be honest, I have no idea.... My parents never told me about the history of that power, or where the source of it is from... All I know about this power is that we must have total control of it, or else it could affect the lives of many..." I answered, then taking a sip of my tea.

"I see." He answered.

I sighed. "I really am going to have to train myself to use these powers. A day will come when I may have to face my own uncle... And I know that I will have to call forth those powers when that day comes..."

Kaname put his arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"When you access those powers, I'll be with you ever step of the way... Maybe I can serve as some sort of a motivation for you..."

I smiled. "You are always my motivation, Kaname." I said with reassurance.

He caressed my cheek and brought his lips upon mine.

I closed my eyes, and gave into his gentle kiss.

No matter what, I will protect my people and Kaname, even if it means my life...

He looked at me with a kind smile as he caressed my cheek. 

I looked at the time and noticed that the appointed time to meet everyone had arrived.

"I guess it's time, huh..." I said, as I put my tea cup down on the table.

"It seems that it is." Kaname answered.

The both of us stood up and he held my hand tightly.

"Let's go and find her." He stated.

"Yes..." I answered.

The both of us, our hands linked together, departed from my room and went to go and meet with everyone else.

When we went to the hallway that was in front of the throne room,  Zero and Kaito were the first ones outside the throne room.

"Oi, Serenity. Your maids and butlers think we are going to kill them. Every time one passed by they just ran away..." Kaito stated.

"It is natural, of course. You both are vampire hunters, after all." I answered him.

"Well, we should always be careful, even if they are your childhood friends, Serenity...." Azusa stated as he came up to us.

"When I'm with Serenity, I wouldn't even think of doing such a thing towards the people that are the same race as her." Kaito said, as he looked at me with a gentle smile.

"And you say that I'm into her...." Zero whispered.

The group then arrived, however, Kimura arrived, looking a slight bit worried.

"Serenity-denka... Yuuki Cross is in the town of Shizukesa, looking for you... "

"How did she find out the location?!" I asked with a surprised expression.

"No idea... But she may be in danger."

"Tch, this girl... doesn't she know the trouble she is getting herself into...?"

I looked around and saw that everyone was already here.

"Well, we can take this advantage to go into town, then leave from there on out.  But quickly we have to formulate a formal plan. Saving Hina will not be easy with all the vampires that are there..." I stated.

"Exactly. So Kiryu and Takamiya, you two will stand outside the area, and take care of any other rogue vampires that approach the area." Kaname stated.

"Yes, and Rina, Azusa, Aiko, Satsuki, Kaname, the Emperor, and I will infiltrate the place, while you Mitsuru, will go and get Hina."

"Understood."

"And you guys will help out Zero and Kaito, in case they decide to pull any tricks." Kaname told the aristocrats.

"Of course, Kaname-sama!" Aido said with a bow, as the others nodded in agreement.

With that, we had made our way out of the Sora Castle to the town to save the stubborn Yuuki-san.

~Yuuki Cross' PoV, a little before she arrived at the castle~

So this is the Sora Empire that Serenity-san's family rules.... It's so pretty! The moon was shining proudly in the sky as I approached a town. Not too far from the town, was a massive castle that stood out greatly. The castle was on a grand mountain, and what separated it from the town from the castle was water, which obviously had a bridge to create a path, and a massive gate, which was guarded by two guards. The town was extravagant... Lots of families with their children walked around, and some others were purchasing fruits from the stands. It was like any other human town, but it still had this vampire-like aura to it...

Well, obviously it is an empire ruled by vampires. I asked to Headmaster if I could read some books that he had on the Sora Empire, and surprisingly, he did.

If anything happens, I do have Artemis, it should be fine. I just have to reach the castle and talk to Serenity-san....

"Oi, look there's actually a human stepping foot into a vampire kingdom...." One of the villagers stated.

"She don't know what she's getting herself into.... She better turn back... Before Blood Horde decides to snatch her up and eat her." Another answered.

Blood Horde...? What is that?

"Hey, missy. We split from the other vampires for a reason. We don't want to be near humans... Only because we don't want to devour them. I find it in your best interest that you leave the Sora Empire immediately before one decides to eat you up... " A middle-aged looking woman said.

"I wish to speak to the princess of the Sora Empire! S-She's in the Night Class within Cross Academy!

I have to face my fear... If I don't, how will I ever move on...?

"No one here is permitted to speak to the Princess or enter Sora Castle. Only those who are authorized may enter. You see, Serenity-denka has revealed herself to be alive just recently and has become the representative of the Sora Empire."

"But there has to be some way! Maybe if they bring my name up in the castle, they are sure to let me-"

"Why would they even let you in in the first place? You are nothing but a human. Listen to my warning, honey. It isn't safe for humans to be here. Leave this place at once and never return." She concluded, walking away.

Fine, if it isn't safe, then I'll just keep Artemis in my hand! I've dealt with vampires countless times in my duties as a member of the Disciplinary Committee!

I walked into the depths of town, and all of the vampires were looking at me.

"Well, well, well. What do have here? A human girl within the Sora Empire! This is a grand surprise!" A man from within the crowd said.

People from within the crowd began to move out from their way and I saw a group of people wearing black cloaks.

"Are you the Royal Guards of the Tsukiyomi family?" I asked curiously.

The leader laughed.

"Of course not. Our hands our far too tainted to serve our beautiful and majestic princess.... We kill outsiders such as humans or vampire hunters that dare to step foot into the Sora Empire..." He said with a creepy smirk.

My eyes widened and I quickly took out Artemis.

"Oh, so you're a vampire hunter? Have any experience?" He said, walking around me in a circle.

"N-No."

"Name?"

"Yuuki Cross."

"I see, Cross, huh. You don't happen to be the daughter of the legendary Kaien Cross, don't you...?"

Oh no...

I stayed silent.

He laughed in amusement. "Our princess most likely doesn't want to involve herself with the likes of you. We've heard the stories going around. You have feelings for our new prince, don't ya."

I looked confused at his statement.

"Don't be stupid! Prince Kaname? Someone here in our town attends Cross Academy's Night Class and they've seen how you were always trying to win his heart, and boy, did you almost do it...."

My eyes widened. I forgot, Kaname-senpai is married to Serenity-san, making him the prince of this empire... I'm sure a great deal of people here don't like the fact that I have feelings for their prince...

"P-Please listen...."

"We do not listen to lowlife humans, nor do we give mercy. We split for a reason. Humans have their place, and we vampires have ours. You want coexistence? To hell with that. You want to take our prince away for your selfish desires? To hell with that as well. We'll just kill you right here, and show you your place."

The man's eyes glowed red, and his facial expression had the desire to kill, which made me close my eyes tightly.

"Stop this at once! By the order of the Princess Royal of the Sora Empire!" A familiar, but commanding voice called out.

I slowly opened my eyes and turned around.

Serenity-san.... She was standing there, as her silver hair blew from the wind. Also there, was Kaname-senpai, Aido-senpai, Shiki-senpai, Kain-senpai, Souen-senpai, Ichijo-senpai and Rima-sempai as well...

Her majestic appearance made those men freeze.

"What are you doing with this human girl?" She asked.

"Your Highness.... She's a human that should not be within the grounds of this empire. Plus, she's the one that's trying to take Prince Kaname away from you... She doesn't deserve to live."

"Her intentions do not matter. This is a living being, and I despise the fact that you men are trying to take her life away for petty reasons such as the ones that you had just told me. This behavior is unacceptable, and I don't wish to see it again. Understood? Because the next time I see this, there will be dire consequences..." She said as she glared at them.

"Yes, Serenity-denka....." The man said as he and his group began to walk away.

"Yuuki, are you alright?" Kaname-senpai asked as he held out his hand.

"Y-Yes... I am. Thank you..." I answered, taking his hand and standing up.

Serenity-san walked up to me, looking a bit bothered.

"Yuuki-san, it is not safe for you to be in the Sora Empire.... Those men could have really killed you if I hadn't showed up..."

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to come and talk to you..."

"Talk to me? About what?" She asked, a bit confused.

"I want to help you in any way I can.... I want to show that I can be useful... So please. Let me accompany you in your journey."

"No, you're not." Zero said, walking up to us.

"Zero..."

"Go back home to where it's safe, Yuuki. This confrontation is something you should not be taking part in. You could get killed."

"For once, Kiryu is right. I don't want you to get hurt." Kaname added.

"But.... I want to help! I feel like I'm useless being in the sidelines!" I stated.

'Which is exactly where you're supposed to be, Cross Yuuki." Aido said, glaring at her.

"This is soon to become a war between the vampire races. This will have a great deal of bloodshed and it is no place for little human girls like you to be in. You don't even have experience with that weapon, if those lowlifes were on the verge of killing you." Satsuki spat.

"So with that said, go back to your little happy human life, and stay out of ours." Azusa said as he and Satsuki began to walk away. The Aristocrats followed, and the only ones that remained were Kaname, Zero, Kaito, and I.

"They don't mean in hurting your feelings, Yuuki-san, but it is indeed, the truth. They want you to be safe and not be involved in this painful, cruel world... For the sake of the people that care about you, please heed their words...."

"Serenity-san...."

She's looking at me with such worried eyes... I've never seen that before, not until now...

I bowed. "I was stubborn. I wanted to help, for my sake. To be honest, for some reason, I had this burning desire within me to protect you, Serenity-san... It felt like something I had to do. But I guess I was wrong. Why would a weakling like me want to protect someone who can protect themselves?"

"You truly are a crazy girl, Yuuki... But I think it is in everyone's best interest that you return home. I'm sure Headmaster Cross is worried sick."

I sighed. "I guess you're right..."

"Kimura will take you back to Cross Academy. All of us will return there soon, so wait for us, alright?" She said in a reassuring tone.

"Of course!" I answered cheerfully.

At least I was given the opportunity to see such a beautiful empire...

"Take care, Yuuki." Kaname-senpai said with a gentle smile.

"I will...." I answered.

The four of them followed the others, where they had ended up going to the horse stables that seemed to be used by the royal family.

~Serenity Tsukiyomi~

"I was stubborn. I wanted to help, for my sake... To be honest, for some reason, I had this burning desire to protect you, Serenity-san...It felt like something that I had to do. But I guess I was wrong... Why would a weakling like me want to protect someone who can protect themselves?" Yuuki stated.

Heh... She may not remember, but after all, if she was still a vampire, she would have been the next protector of the Tsukiyomi family. She does have the courage though, so that is a start somehow. But now she's a human. No longer she may involve herself in our affairs.

"You truly are a crazy girl, Yuuki. But I think it is in everyone's best interest that you return home. I'm sure that Headmaster Cross is worried sick."

Yuuki sighed. "I guess you're right..."

"Kimura will take you back to Cross Academy. All of us will return there soon, so wait for us, alright?" I reassured her with a smile.

"Of course!" I answered cheerfully.

"Take care, Yuuki." Kaname said with his usual gentle smile.

"I will..." She answered.

As we were walking to the stables, Kaname put his hand on my shoulder.

"Wow, Serenity. I've never seen that side of you."

"Well, obviously as the princess of the Sora Empire I have to take responsibility for our people. If we don't show authority, then obviously there is going to be a stir. It is best that Blood Horde sees only my authoritative side, or things here may become a mess."

Kaname answered with one of his usual kind smiles.

I went to my white horse, whom I had named Tomoe when I was about five years old.  Kaname used to take me on rides at the time since I really wasn't trained to ride a horse until I had turned seven years old. However, Tomoe was given to me as a birthday gift from my dad, which was my 5th birthday.

"Hey, Tomoe... I'm home! Remember Kaname?" I said to her as I was petting her mane.

She whinnied in response as if saying, 'yes," and Kaname petted her as well.

"You haven't changed a bit." Kaname said.

"Tomoe, we are going on a little adventure. Is that alright with you, girl?" I asked as a continued petting her.

I opened her gate and put on her saddle.

"Ready? Since you are going to take the reins." I said with a smirk.

"Heh. With pleasure. It's been so long that I've ridden Tomoe with you. I would love to do it again."

I smiled at his response.

The first one to get on was Kaname, then I followed him shortly after and put my arms around his waist.

"Whenever you're ready, everyone."  Kaname stated as he turned us around facing everyone, who were already mounted on horses.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"Kuran-sama, I sense a few strange presences not too far from the Mizu Kingdom." Akatsuki stated, who was looking around his surroundings to see if he could sense multiple presences.

"Oh, great....So that means their base isn't too far from my kingdom, and I'm the one who's going to have to be taking action..." Azusa said in his usual bored tone.

"We do what must be done, of course!"

"Yes, and we must hurry. I really hope that Aito isn't doing anything to her..." Mitsuru said in a worried tone.

"Knowing Hina... I'm sure she's hanging in there. Hehe! She is my daughter, after all!" I answered cheerfully.

Everyone laughed in response.

"Well, is everyone ready?" Emperor Kaname stated, sitting majestically on the raven black horse.

We nodded our heads and quickly galloped on our way to the border of Mizu Kingdom, which was about one kingdom away from the Sora Empire, meaning that we would have to pass through the Kaze Kingdom. So we may not even be able to get there until tomorrow afternoon since we may need to stop for rest... Meaning we may not be able to attack during the day... Either way, we still have to rescue her...

Hina, hang on... We are all coming to save you..

~Hinata Kuran~

When I opened my eyes after a time of rest, I had noticed that that disgusting creature was sleeping beside me, shirtless.To think, I was once in love with this man. What was I thinking that time? His intentions were always to kill the vampire race, and leave me alive? If he kills one of my parents in the past, then I will fade from existence...

I have to protect them... Not only for the sake of my future, but also because I genuinely care about Kaname and Serenity. Past or future, They are my parents who went through a great deal of things to get to where they are now... and I love them, no matter what form or time both of them come from..

I wholeheartedly believe that they will come....

I breathed in and out, relaxing myself.

That is right, Hinata... Relax yourself, no matter what place you may be in... You are blessed with the powers of both the Kuran and Tsukiyomi families... Our powers compare to none in the vampire race.... We are the most powerful, no matter what. You bear your father's calm personality, while you also bear your mother's cheerfulness... You may be a Royal Pureblood, but you have the blood of a Pureblood as well... That means you are not trapped entirely, Hina. You can escape if you can muster up your strength and hold back your emotions. If you do that successfully, then your true form will  successfully awaken. You must step out of your comfort zone if you don't want to wait....

You can do this, Hinata..... Just concentrate, girl. That's all... If I can just hold back my emotions, I may be able to get my powers back. I will turn this guy into a Level D, and let him writhe in pain as he slowly becomes a Level E...

"Hina... You're awake...." Aito said as he put his hand over my head.

"Yes, I am.  And don't touch me, scum." I spat.

He chuckled in response.

"I just love it when you give me those nicknames... Because you can say as many hurtful things as you like to me... But I'm never going to let you go. You're mine.  And mine only.... You will never be free again..."

Heh. We'll see about that. How scared will you be when you see me in my true form?

I didn't respond to his answer, but rest assured, Aito.... You will soon fall into your own doom...

He then got up from bed and stretched his arms.

"I have some things to do, Hina... Kei may be coming in here later to interrogate you. Might as well just tell him everything about your family and where you come from. I cannot really provide vivid details on where you are from, since I come from the outskirts of the Hi Kingdom. But please, don't let him hurt you any longer..."

"Shut up...."

"I love you, Hina...." He said, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Maybe finally... tonight will be the night..." He whispered into my ear.

Disgusting.. As I'm ever going to let you do that...

He left the room and I relaxed myself once again. Tonight... I will attempt to access my true form. I will not show any type of emotion when facing him.

"Bring it on. I may be in the wolf's den, but I will escape from it...."

~Your blood is the only thing that can quench my painful thirst~

Next chapter~ The Power Within