Age 6: Atsuko and Ghosts

"Oh, and then we talked about animals in science today! That was really fun!" Zero pauses by the playroom as he hears Atsuko talk, he hears him pause, silence is in the room before he starts to talk again like as if someone responded to him.

"Atsuko? Who are you talking to?" Zero knocks on the wall so as not to startle his son. Atsuko looks away from the empty space beside him and smiles up at his father.

"I'm telling Uncle about school today!" He tells Zero like as if there actually was someone beside him right now. Although, he doesn't doubt it too much since he did see Ichiru at least twice before and a bit after his sons were born. He hasn't seen him since, so he figured he passed on, or it was just his head playing tricks on him.

"Oh? What uncle?" He then thinks about Kaname since that is his uncle as well. He seriously doubts it, though.

"Uncle Ichiru! He says you can't see him anymore, but he's always with you because you're one again. What does that mean?" Zero is startled. A part of him didn't actually believe he could see spirits, but he's saying things neither him nor Alondra have talked to him about. Zero looks back as Alondra comes by. He stops her, and she looks at him curiously.

"Did you talk to Atsuko about Ichiru?" He questions her as she tilts her head. Then she snaps.

"Oh! You mean like how he can see spirits! Ugh, is he still hanging around?"

"Uncle, that's not nice to say to Mama!" Atsuko scolds what looks like the air to his parents. Alondra glares at the space but sees nothing.

"Atsuko, I'm done. I'm so bored." Rei walks in between his parents and goes over to snuggle up to his little brother. Atsuko smiles and hugs him.

"Hey Rei, can you see him too?" Alondra asks him as he looks back to where she's pointing.

"See who? Mama, you're crazy." Zero holds Alondra back, and Rei takes cover under Atsuko's shirt.

"Zero, your brat of a son is getting way too sassy." Alondra puffs her cheeks.

"Wonder where he gets it from?" Zero comments sarcastically, and Atsuko giggles.

"Papa and Uncle said the same thing." Atsuko pats Rei on the back until he comes back out. Atsuko looks at his stretched out shirt and pouts.

"Geh, the magic of twins. . . And I couldn't see it!" Alondra whines at Zero and hugs him. He just sighs and smiles.

"Good to see my stubborn big brother as happy and in love as ever." Atsuko looks up at Ichiru and nods. He looks over at his nephew and ruffles his hair before adjusting it again.

"Oh! Rei, let's see your homework now! You better have done well!" Alondra tells her son, who looks at her with a bored expression.

"I know I did it right, Mama." Alondra pouts at him, and Rei sighs as he gets up. She brightens up, and Zero smiles as they head out.

"How about we check yours, Atsuko?" Zero walks over to sit beside his youngest. He grins happily and shows him his work. He takes it and looks it over, helping him out with any of his mistakes and teaching him how to correct them.

"Thanks for the help, Papa!" Atsuko smiles brightly as he puts his homework away neatly. Zero nods and takes his backpack, standing up from the floor.

"Atsuko is... never mind. Go wash up. It'll be dinner shortly." Zero says to him. Atsuko tilts his head but smiles and nods. He runs out past Zero to the bathroom. Zero looks around the room, but he's completely alone. "Ichiru, thanks for watching over the boys."

"Papa! Check my homework. Mama probably didn't catch my mistakes!" Rei barges back into his bedroom. Alondra comes in behind him with a vein throbbing on her temple.

"Rei Kiryu... I know how to do simple addition!" Zero holds in his laughter to avoid the rage of his wife. Fortunately, the one who can laugh is Ichiru Kiryu.

Age 6: Family?

"Alrighty, here we are, boys. Remember what I tell you boys every beginning of the school year." Alondra crouches in front of her sons a few feet away from the school gate. Atsuko is practically in tears as he holds Rei's hand.

"Pretend vampires don't exist and pretend vampire hunters don't exist. We are all human." They repeat. Alondra nods and wipes at Atsuko's face to clean him up.

"And what about you, Atsuko?" Zero reminds his youngest.

"Don't talk to people that only I can see." He whimpers, and both parents sigh.

"I know you like talking to anyone who speaks to you, but humans don't normally talk to ghosts. Actually, I don't think vampires do either." Alondra comments, and they look to the school gate.

"Get going inside, boys. It's time for school. We'll come by later to pick you up." Atsuko, let's go of Rei to hug his parents.

"Bye, Mama, Papa, I love you." Now Alondra is the one who tears up.

"My baby! I love you too!" She hugs him, making Zero and Rei sigh at the excess of emotions. Eventually, the two of them get pulled apart, and they all take their separate ways.

"Atsuko, we're at the same school. Stop crying like that." Rei pulls his little brother along to where their class is lining up. Atsuko's lower lip quivers as they reach their spot.

"But. . . But I'm nervous on the first day! Also, I feel bad about not being able to talk to people who are ghosts, and we can't tell people what we are." Rei sighs at his overly kind little brother. He just pouts at him, totally oblivious to the looks they get.

In spite of trying to pose as ordinary children, their presence seems to be otherworldly to actual ordinary human children and adults. It gets them a lot of attention, not as much as their parents, but it's up there.

"Hello." Both boys turn to the voice behind them. Atsuko confirms it is a live person with that as well.

They look to a boy their age in the same school uniform who definitely has more of a presence that isn't human who smiles at them. He has a clean mess of dark brown hair under his hat, and his hazel eyes make him look sleepy or a little sad with the way they slightly tilt.

"Hi! I'm Atsuko, and this is my big brother, Rei! Who are you?" Atsuko questions the boy. He relaxes at the gentle greeting.

"My name is Yuui. I'm new here and I saw you two and came to see if you wanted to be friends." Atsuko's eyes sparkle, and he takes his hands, nodding eagerly. Rei just stares, suspicious of the vampire that approached them.

"You seem suspicious of me. I'm not here to cause trouble. I was just drawn in by my own kind." Yuui explains to Rei, who glares at him.

"You can tell what we are, but you don't feel like us. So you must be a pureblood. You have the same feeling as our mama." Atsuko looks between the two a bit confused by the suspicion in Rei. Before they could exchange more words, the bell rings to get all the kids together. They go to their class to begin their day.

~0~
"Who are those shady grown-ups?" Rei and Atsuko look out of the window as scary looking men in suits stand near the classroom window at attention.

"Oh. . . They're here because of me. My mother had them sent out to keep an eye on me. It's annoying. The humans here won't be trouble." Yuui frowns a bit as he looks out.

"It's okay, Yuui-kun! We can still have fun!" Atsuko hugs him, surprising him a little. Rei pouts and glares at the sight before him. Atsuko pulls him over and ends up keeping his arms around both of them.

"You're so kind, Kiryu-san." The young boy gasps and looks at Yuui with a pout. Yuui looks at him very confused.

"Eh? That's too formal! We're friends!" Yuui sighs and smiles a bit.

"Okay, Atsuko-kun." He smiles brightly and nods in approval. As kids do, they forget the vampire guards outside and just have fun and learn, waiting for the school day to end.

"Mama! Papa!" Atsuko runs to his parents and greets them with a hug. Rei just walks his way over to them. Looking back as Yuui pauses. No one who looks like family seems to be waiting for him. Yuui notices him looking at him and smiles. He turns away and walks over to his parents, his mother's arm going around him gently. Releasing the tension he didn't realize was on him.

"Y-Yuui. . ." The twins look up at their mother, who looks at Yuui, surprised. She lets the boys go and kneels down in front of him. He gives her a lonely smile.

"Obasan." Alondra smiles gently and hugs him. His hazel eyes widen a bit, but then he hugs her back.

"Papa, how does mama know Yuui-kun?" Atsuko looks to his father confused. He looks at them.

"Ouri Yuui, the son of Lady Ouri and your Uncle Kaname Kuran. He's your cousin." Both twins look at Yuui, surprised. Yuui glances over at them shyly, feeling guilty that he didn't admit that they were relatives. He just wanted to see if they were good people and if he could get along with them without having them feel obligation because they're family.

"You're so cute and squishy! I love you!" Alondra lies on the floor with her two babies who lie on a blanket. Atsuko smiles and makes happy sounds as she rubs their bellies. Rei just tries to look grumpy.

"Stop making your Zero fa- augh!" Zero steps on Alondra's back, lightly, but enough to make her huff and struggle.

"Oops."

"Abuse!" Alondra manages to knock him down and pins him on the couch. She smirks as she straddles him. Zero looks up at her and then pulls her down.

"This feels -"

"I know, it's real, though. We are finally together," Baby sounds respond to"All four of us." Alondra says to Zero, gently touching his face as they look into each other's eyes.

"Finally. . ." Zero leans in, closing his eyes. Their lips touch just as the doorbell rings. Both have weapons in hand as they sense a pureblood presence that is suddenly at their door.

"Alondra, protect the boys." Alondra worries for the one she loves, but her children are far more defenseless than she is.

"I mean no harm, I am the head of Ouri now and wish to meet with you, Kuran-san. I am Yume Ouri." The pair looks at each other. Alondra goes for the door, keeping her blue rose behind the door.

"Ouri, I haven't heard that family name since -"

"My brother was murdered by the mad daughter of Shirabuki, yes, I recall. But I come to introduce you to someone." Alondra frowns confused and realizes the bundle of blankets in Lady Ouri's arms moves.

"Tiny baby?!" She watches the young pureblood's demeanor change and become excited and childish.

"Yes, Kaname Kuran-san asked for me to introduce him to you when this child was born. His only son, Yuui." Blue Rose clatters to the ground.

"Alondra, what is going on?" Zero finally looks out as she steps out, seeing her step out. She is taking a bundle into her arms.

"Zero, I-I have a nephew!" The teary-eyed brunette smiles brightly as she turns to him, looking down at the newborn. His hair is the same dark brown as Kaname's, while his eyes are a matching hazel to Lady Ouri.

"Nephew? But how?"

"Hey, yeah. When on earth did Kaname have an affair behind Yuki's back?!" Alondra frowns as she looks back at the woman. She tucks her auburn hair behind her ear.

"This was more of a deal. He didn't want the pureblood lineage of the Kuran to just end with you, so I agreed to have his child. As for what I got in return, it is something I don't wish to discuss. At first, I tried to feel nothing for this child and was going to give him up to you. . ."

"But you're his mother and grew to love him. I understand that perfectly well." Alondra kisses Yuui's forehead and hands him back. "I have my own children who I also love very much." Alondra pats Zero's hand, making him glare at her.

"I'm the child? Really?" She shushes him.

"I see, I did not expect you to have a child as well."

"Yeah. . . Neither did I. But that's fine. I just hope you will let me stay in his life. I'm glad that my family has expanded beyond me." Alondra smiles brightly at the pureblood woman. She stares at the brunette and then smiles.

"I suppose a pureblood with so much light and humanity would do him well in this dark world of the purebloods."

"Yuui, how did you end up here?" Alondra gently holds his face as he looks at her with a warm smile.

"I. . . I asked Okaasama to let me come and get to know my cousins. She was reluctant since this school is for humans and during the day, but she trusts that you would put my cousins here because it's safe." She nods in reassurance and stands up, taking his hand. They walk over to her family.

"Rei, Atsuko, I'm sorry this took so long to happen, but meet your cousin. Yuui is the son of your Uncle Kaname." He bows his head respectfully.

"We're family!" Atsuko cheers and hugs Yuui. He once again is surprised and then relaxes at the warmth and light that comes off of Atsuko, putting him at ease. Rei just gets close and pats his shoulder.

"Where is his mother? Those goons have been watching us for a while." Zero mentions. Alondra looks back and feels familiarity at the sight.

"They're guards. . . The same kind Kaname had when he was left all alone after our parents died and Yuki and I were human. Asato Ichijo made that his life before he became an independent adult." Alondra recalls the times she was forced to drink Kaname's blood. He exposed his memories to her. If it was to garner sympathy at the time, it hadn't worked. It was during the time she didn't trust him at all.

"Yuui-sama, it is time to go back home." Yuui becomes sad and doesn't really want to let go of Atsuko, who still hugs him and Rei. He's feeling a little selfish now that he has kids his own age to play with. They're very different from the other vampires he knows. In spite of Rei and Atsuko only being noble class vampires, they treat him like someone who is neither above nor below them.

"I think you guys can go home. I can call Yume and tell her that Yuui is playing with his cousins. I'm his aunt, so I'm allowed to see my nephew." Alondra steps in front of the boys and gives the guards a tight smile. They're unsure of what to do since the pureblood before them also has the ability to control them. She is also accompanied by a vampire hunter.

"Um... We are only following Ouri-sama's - " Alondra pulls out her phone and makes a call, putting it on speaker.

"Alondra-san, what can I do for you?"

"Hey, Yume, I see you enrolled Yuui into the same school as the boys. We met up. Can I bring him over to my house to play with his cousins? You're more than welcome to come as well and join us for dinner. I don't want the goons, though." Alondra says, staring down at the nervous guards. Yuui smiles to himself, feeling relaxed.

"Yay! I want to play longer with Yuui-kun!" Atsuko cheers happily. It ends up slightly interrupting Yume's answer. It leaves a pause.

"Very well, I shall arrive to your home. You may take Yuui with you. As for you men, return to the manor."

"Yes, my lady." The guards back away and leave Yuui alone with the family. Alondra thanks Yume and hangs up, looking back over at the children who look up at her.

"Shall we go home?" Atsuko nods happily and pulls Rei and Yuui with him into the car. Zero lets them in and opens the door for Alondra. He lets her in, smiling as he watches the proud look on her face. He drives them to their home, and they invite Yuui in. The boys take him to show him around the house.

Alondra giggles as she watches them disappear around the corner. Zero looks over at Alondra, somehow knowing exactly what she was going to say.

"Well, you couldn't get along with Kaname, but it looks like our respective kids sure do." She says with a bright smile at him. He wants to say that he called it but decides against it and just decides to tease her with some flirty touches instead.

"This is our room! All our toys are here! Organized by me!" Atsuko opens the toy box to show Yuui the inside. Every single toy is organized by size and seems to all fit in like a puzzle piece. It makes him rather curious as to how long it took Atsuko to do all of that.

"A really long time. He didn't want help." Rei answers his unspoken question. Yuui looks over at Rei, who is looking into the box. Yuui is sure he's always seen it, but Rei seems amazed still by Atsuko's neat organization. Atsuko gasps as he stands up.

"We need to get out of our uniforms! Yuui-kun, you can borrow some of my clothes while your mama comes!" Yuui doesn't really get a chance to say anything as Atsuko goes to his bedside drawer and pulls out clothes carefully. "Oh! I wonder if we can just take our bath!" He says excitedly. Yuui blushes. He's never bathed with anyone before. He's only been washed by maids who are fully clothed.

"Ugh, I hate bath time." Rei mumbles in a way that Yuui is sure he doesn't want Atsuko to hear. Atsuko looks back at Rei, Yuui can't really tell what it is, but it is very cute. It makes him want to agree to the bath. Rei seems to be in the same predicament.

~0~

"There, all you three boys are clean!" Alondra sits on the floor and pats the floor so she can blow dry their hair. All three boys become relaxed as she runs her gentle fingers through their hair, and the warmth of the hairdryer makes them a bit drowsy.

"She's on her way. I can sense her coming." Zero steps in as Alondra finishes up with the boys who wake themselves up again.

"Great! Well, Yuui, it looks like your mother is here to join us for dinner. You boys can keep playing together, we'll go greet her, okay?" The trio nods and watches the pair go off.

"Wow, we get to meet your mama! I'm excited, I wish we could meet Uncle Kaname." Atsuko says as he adjusts himself to face Yuui. Yuui looks down at his hands that rest on his lap.

"I want to meet Otousama too... I don't know what he's like. Okaasama has never talked about him before." The young boy admits to the twins before him. Atsuko looks at him sadly and takes his hand. Rei scoots a little closer but makes no effort to touch Yuui. "Atsuko-kun..."

"Mama has a lot of stories about Uncle. We can tell you some if you want!" Atsuko smiles at him, feeling relieved at the hope that fills Yuui. He smiles softly and nods. "Hmm, where should I start?"

"Well, his name was Kaname Kuran. He was the elder brother of Mama and her twin sister, Yuki Kuran. Have you not gone to see his body?" Rei questions Yuui, he tilts his head confused. It's news to him that he could go see his father's body.

"I don't know where he is." Yuui admits to them. "I didn't even know I could go see him. Okaasama never tells me anything about him. The only thing I knew was that he is Obasan's brother and my father." Atsuko and Rei look at each other, wondering if they did the right thing by telling Yuui that. "Have you two seen him? Where is he?"

Rei and Atsuko tense up. The voice that comes out of Yuui seems very alluring and makes them want to tell him everything. "He's in the place Papa works at. They are there for a while longer before they finish fixing their old building." Rei says without control. He puts a hand to his throat, wondering why he couldn't stop himself.

"He's in the basement of the building! He's in an ice block to keep him safe! Aido-san put him there!" Atsuko says and covers his mouth. Yuui looks at them and then back down at his hand.

"The Aidos... Okay, don't tell the grown-ups what we talked about." The twins nod their heads and seem to feel like themselves again as he says that. Yuui hasn't realized he used his pureblood powers to sway the two noble class twins.

"Yuui-kun, if you ask Mama, I'm sure she will take you to visit Uncle Kaname." Atsuko says quietly. Yuui looks at him and wonders if it was possible. None of the adults ever seem to want to answer any questions about Kaname Kuran. It feels like he's a forbidden subject.

"Your father, he's a vampire hunter, right?" Yuui questions the twins. They nod their heads simultaneously.

"He only puts away the bad vampires in jail!" Atsuko says, not really realizing that his duty is to exterminate the bad vampires. Yuui nods his head, feeling like he's got most of the information he wanted.

The night goes on normally, the adults talking about things the kids don't understand while the kids talk about the most random things and play together. This goes on until they all end up asleep, the adults taking care of them as the night ends.

~0~

"Huh? Hello?" Alondra sits up and squints as she answers her phone, still half asleep. Zero grunts and sits up, wondering who is interrupting them so early. "Yume?"

"I can't find, Yuui, anywhere! One of the maids is missing, too! I don't know where they are at, did they go to you?!"

Alondra climbs out of bed, heading out to look through the front and back doors, trying to keep herself and Yume calm. Zero helps her out by looking into the twins' room, but they are sound asleep. Just them.

"I don't see him anywhere inside or outside! Do you have any idea of what might have made him do such a thing?!" Alondra questions concerned, but Yume has no idea what he might be doing either. Alondra looks up as Zero walks in with his own phone at his ear. He mouths to her his location. "Yume, I know where he is. I will get him and bring him back to you. I'll let you know the whole story when we get back. Okay?"

Atsuko sits up and yawns, getting his full time of rest. He climbs out of his bed and walks over to Rei's bed, and shakes him.

"Time to wake up, Rei." His elder brother groans and tries to hide under his covers. Atsuko keeps shaking him and calling out gently to him. Rei is unable to go back to sleep with his persistent little brother and sits up, glaring ahead at the door. Atsuko smiles and happily goes back to his bed to fix it up. Rei grumbles to himself and gets out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom. Atsuko goes over to his bed to fix it as well with a bright smile on his face.

"You're awake."

"Ah! Good morning, Uncle Ichiru! What's going on?" Atsuko looks at Ichiru's concerned expression. He sighs and explains what happened to Yuui and how the events of the day before caused this.

"Oh no, do Mama and Papa know?!" Ichiru nods in confirmation. Atsuko makes up his mind and rushes out of his bedroom, being startled as he bumps into Zero's leg.

"Easy, what's the rush?" He helps Atsuko up. He looks up at him with a worried expression.

"Papa! Yuui went to see where Uncle Kaname is, right?! Is he okay? Is he in trouble?!" Zero looks down at his worried son. He crouches down and puts a gentle hand to the top of his head.

"Alondra is taking care of it. How did you know?" Zero questions him confused.

"Uncle Ichiru told me. But it's our fault... we told Yuui-kun about Uncle Kaname and where he is. I'm sorry. We couldn't stop ourselves..." Atsuko looks down apologetically. Zero can't help but find it hard to believe sometimes that he can speak to Ichiru like as if he were there. He can only assume that while he's still alive, Ichiru will be around as well.

"Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. Neither you nor Rei. The boy made his own choice, and he has to learn from his actions." Zero explains to him.

"Is it wrong for him to want to see his papa?" Atsuko and Zero look back over to the open doorway as Rei stands by it. Zero sighs and motions him over. Rei becomes a bit nervous but walks over, closing his eyes as Zero puts a gentle hand to his head, too.

"It's not bad for him to want to see him, but... he's in a state where he will never be able to speak to, see, or even touch his son. I suppose his mother wants to spare him from that loneliness of having his father right before his eyes, but not being able to have a true bond with him." He explains to them the best he can. Answering any confusing parts to them.

"Is there really no way for Yuui-kun to have a papa like we do?" Atsuko looks at Zero sadly. Zero shakes his head.

"No, it's... it's a long story you boys are not ready for. For now, please be there for your cousin. He's going to be a little lonely right now." Atsuko nods his head without hesitation. Zero looks over at Rei, who also agrees to it. He is content with that, and they go to get dressed to wait for Alondra to get back.

~0~

"There she is, look! Alondra has come to pick you up." Kaien Cross smiles to the young boy who keeps to himself on the couch. The maid keeps her distance, trying to figure out what was going on. She answers questions from Sayori.

"Yuui!" Yuui jumps off the couch and runs over to hold on to Alondra's skirt. She crouches down and hugs him. "Yuui, why did... no, why did you come here on your own? Why didn't you ask your mother to tell me?" Yuui tightens his hold on her, trying to keep his emotions buried. She pulls back to hold his face gently.

"I know you want to see Kaname, but you should really have told us. Your mother is worried sick, you know?" He whimpers and ends up crying. Alondra holds him again and lets him cry. Kaien walks up to them and hands her a couple of tissues. She takes them and helps clean up Yuui.

"I was surprised to see this boy. You only told me about his existence, but I never thought I would meet him so soon." Kaien says as he looks at Yuui. Alondra smiles and kisses his cheek gently, picking him up.

"It shouldn't be too surprising, Yuui is curious to see the face of his father. Can we go see Kaname-oniisama?" Kaien smiles and nods his head. Alondra greets Sayori with a smile before following out Kaien to where Kaname sleeps.

"It's going to be a bit chilly down here, Yuui. Stay close to me, okay?" He nods, his heart starting to pound as they get closer to his father. Alondra smiles and keeps him calm. Kaien lets them through to the basement and stays back so they can look upon Kaname together. Yuui's eyes widen as he looks at the sleeping man.

"Yuui, this is your father, Kaname Kuran. He sleeps here to preserve his body so we can wake him up someday. There's hope, but it will probably take a very long time. I'm talking hundreds of years. I'm sure Yume didn't want to show you this place because it would be painful for you to wait so long to even meet your father that you can't even talk to right now." Yuui continues to stare at him. He does wish he could talk to him.

"Do you think he knows about me?" Yuui questions Alondra softly. She smiles and nods her head.

"He sure does. He's the one who made sure you were born before he had to go to sleep. Ever since I met you when you were a newborn baby, I come from time to time to tell him about you and how much you've grown. Every accomplishment you've had. I'm sure he would have loved you very much." Yuui's bangs hide his eyes as he looks down. Alondra looks at him carefully before he drops his head on her shoulder and sobs. She holds him close, soothing him gently.

Alondra looks up at Kaname's sleeping figure as Yuui's cries echo through the room. "Can you hear him, Kaname? How does your son cries out for you? Somehow, we'll find a way to wake you up again. With this life that Yuki entrusted to me, it may help with your missing heart. For you to get to know your son, though by then, he may want nothing to do with you. So, I hope you're jealous that I can hold this cute child and give him lots of love." Alondra looks up at him one last time before walking away with Yuui. Leaving her former school behind to take her nephew back to his home.

Age 7: Playdate

"Yori!" Alondra smiles and hugs her friend. Sayori hugs her back and smiles, looking down at Alondra. Unlike her pureblood friend, Sayori grew a little taller and looks more like a woman. She looks her age, unlike Alondra. She mentioned that at around eighteen years old, the age progression for a pureblood slows down to a snail pace. For example, she may age by one year every century, but she doesn't actually know.

"Hi Alondra, I'm happy we could all come together now to have our kids play!" Sayori looks back at her children, who stand at attention. Alondra crouches down to greet the twin blonde girls and their older brother who has the same tan hair as his mother.

"Hello there, Takashi, Amaya, and Saya! My boys and Yuui are in the backyard if you kids want to go ahead and play." Alondra says to them with a gentle smile. The girls seem to sparkle as she mentions Yuui.

"Yuui-sama!" They grab on to their brother and pull him inside. He protests, but he's weak to his little sisters who gang up on him. Alondra and Sayori giggle.

"They totally get that from Aido." Alondra says with a grin. Sayori nods in agreement. She definitely remembers how devoted her husband was to Kaname Kuran. It carried over to their children, who are very devoted to Yuui.

"Yuui-sama! You're here!" Amaya and Saya let Takashi go and bow to him. Yuui looks over at them and tilts his head.

"I told you two to stop bowing to me." He reminds them as they stand up, blushing and holding each other as they get scolded. Rei arches an eyebrow.

"Girls are so weird." He mumbles

"Welcome, Takashi, Amaya, Saya!" Atsuko happily greets the Aido siblings.

"Hello." Takashi greets everyone softly, definitely trying to be the total opposite of his loud sisters.

"Atsuko-kun!" The girls run over and hug him, nuzzling each of his cheeks. Atsuko just takes it and smiles, hugging them back. Rei's eye twitches in annoyance, and he walks up to pull them apart.

"Amaya, Saya, let Atsuko-kun go." Yuui tells them seriously. They release him just as Rei takes Atsuko back into his arms. The situation just goes over his head as he puts his hands to Rei's arm around him.

"Wow, everyone is so friendly here! See, you two are going to be fine!" The group looks over to a blond boy who comes in with two four year olds with mahogany hair.

"Akashi, you came too! Did you get the twins to follow along, too? They really don't go anywhere without you." Takashi smiles as he walks up to him. Akashi smiles and moves up the twins so they can see everyone properly.

"Awww, Haruna and Shiro are so cute!" They're so short!" Amaya and Saya squeal over the blank faced twins. They back up and hide behind Akashi again.

"Noisy..." They mutter softly. The children all greet each other.

"Hmm? Isn't Kalen here? Auntie Ruka must be late. Or Kalen doesn't want to come out." Takashi looks to the door, no more children coming out. They all jump as he comes running out, and the door closes behind him.

"Ah..." Ruka smiles from behind the closed door and waves. Kalen looks back, and she looks down at him with a frown. He shivers and goes to join the group of children.

"Auntie Ruka wanted you to socialize, huh?" Amaya and Saya tease Kalen. The young boy sighs and nods.

"Well, I'm glad everyone is here! Mama invited everyone so we can all be better friends!" Atsuko says happily as he gets everyone's attention. They all stare at him, awed by the brightness that comes off of him. He seems to wake up an urge in them to protect him always. Atsuko tilts his head at their silence. "Everyone?"

"Cute!" Rei jumps and is caught off guard as Akashi, Amaya, and Saya all hug Atsuko. He struggles to get his arms around the three of them. He ends up having to nuzzle Akashi, who is in the middle. Rei once again becomes annoyed.

"Rei, they're our friends and family, be nice!" Atsuko looks over at his big brother who blushes and looks to the side with a slight pout. Things settle down for only a moment before the kids play together the most random of things.

"Ah, look at them all. They've gotten so big, and it's surprising how many twin births we've had among all of us." Alondra comments with a smile as she watches them all play. She looks to the women who all drink their tea or water. Alondra looks over to Yume, who has never "gotten together with the girls." She listens in on the women who have known each other since high school.

"Yes, I'm amazed too. By the way, are any of you ladies planning on having more kids? I think I'm good with my three kids." Sayori mentions with a smile. The women think about it.

"I'm good." Rima says with a shrug, happy with the two twins she gave birth to with Senri.

"Hmm, it's not in our plans, but I suppose Kain and I wouldn't mind having a girl." Ruka adds in with a gentle smile.

"Takuma and I are also fine with just Akashi. He's already like a big brother to Haruna and Shiro." Shiemi Ito mentions as well.

"Yuui is enough." Yume says softly as the women nod. They look to Alondra, who seems to be thinking hard about it.

"It'll have to be a good while, cause I know I have a high probability of having twins again. I know Zero definitely wants to see how I look pregnant. I do have to make it up to him since he didn't get to see me pregnant with Rei and Atsuko." Alondra ends up making herself blush. The woman laughs at her reaction.

"Well, then it looks like we'll be having playdates for quite a while then. Alondra and Ruka-san will probably have even more with their future babies!" Alondra and Ruka nod at Sayori's comment. They become quiet, sometimes they can't help but see how peaceful things have gotten since they abandoned Cross Academy. Yet, they also know things are far from staying that way for Alondra. Even if she's taken Zero's family name, the Kuran name will follow her like a shadow for life. Even her sons who were also given the Kiryu name.

"I also want to make sure it's safe for me to bring more children into this world." Alondra says, mentioning what they were all thinking. "I also don't want to put any of you or your families at risk because of your association with me." She jumps startled as Sayori had leaned over and squished her cheeks together. She looks at her with a calm expression.

"Don't torment yourself over things that are not happening. This is our time of peace. Don't let the bad vampires take that away from you. You are not alone, Alondra." Alondra is touched to hear the words of her best friend. She stands up and hugs her, feeling at ease. She feels supported.

"I think this is a group hug kind of thing." Ruka says with a bright smile. Rima shrugs and joins in, hugging Sayori and Alondra. Shiemi nods happily and joins in. Yume looks at the scene, unsure of what to do. She looks down and sees Ruka's hand motioning her over to join them. She hesitates a little but eventually joins in. Yume is still getting accustomed to having friends.

"Aww, our mamas are all having a group hug!" Atsuko says happily as all the children spy on their mothers. Some smile, while others are confused as to why the women are all hugging each other. They don't realize that the women all pray for peace to continue in their lives.

Age 8: First Love

"I'm sleepy." Atsuko sits on the grass as Rei keeps pulling him, trying to get him up.

"Come on, Atsuko, don't fall asleep. We have to get to mom and dad! Atsuko, please!" Rei pleads with his little brother. He panics because his brother is never tired out of nowhere. He always follows a strict schedule, so it's impossible for him to be tired.

"I can't. I don't have the energy." Atsuko yawns, and Rei moves to try another method to get him up.

"Don't! Please, we're too far from mom and dad. What if someone bad comes?!"

"No. . ." Atsuko musters up some strength and helps Rei get him up. Rei tries to walk back but ends up catching his foot on Atsuko's. They fall to their side, Rei stays in place, but Atsuko rolls down a hill at full speed.

"Atsuko!" Rei tries his best to get down the hill to where he saw his younger twin roll down from.

"Hey, hey, are you alright?" Atsuko opens his eyes slightly as his double vision starts to focus after rolling down at top speed. He makes out a young boy a bit older than him. He has the blackest hair and eyes he has ever seen before.

"Sleepy. . ." Atsuko mutters out and is helped up to a sitting position. He listens to the heartbeat of the young teen and then looks up at him.

"Sorry, give me some energy." With what little strength he has left, he grabs the back of his neck and pulls him down to plant his lips over his. Energy pours into him from the surprised teen.

As he pulls back, the teen passes out, falling forward across his stomach. Atsuko yelps as the teen lies across his stomach.

"I'm really sorry! Hey, please wake up!" He shakes him, but he doesn't budge at all. Pushing him to roll him off does no good. He's too big for the small eight year old. "Ow, Rei!"

"Atsuko! Hey!" Rei runs over and helps Atsuko roll the teen off him. "What happened?!"

"I-I took his energy." Atsuko starts to cry as he crawls over to the teen. Rei shakes his head and pulls up his brother.

"Come on, we have to leave!" Rei tugs on his hand as Atsuko shakes his head.

"Rei, we can't leave -"

"Sai! Sai, where are you?!"

"Go!" Rei overpowers his younger twin and manages to pull him away, taking cover among the wide trunks of the trees as they head up the hill.

"Rei, is he dead?" Atsuko manages to sob out. Rei doesn't answer as he spots his parents.

"Atsuko, you can't say anything. Or else Mama and Papa won't ever let us out again, and you'll be in huge trouble." He does his best to scare his twin.

"B-but I don't wanna lie." Atsuko continues to protest, but he keeps moving. He doesn't stop following after Rei to get back to their parents.

"Then I will! You don't have to say anything. Just bury it inside your heart." Rei keeps telling him, Atsuko stops talking and looks at the back of Rei's head. He wonders just how much Rei lies and keeps to himself. What he buries within his own heart to save himself or even Atsuko.

"Rei! Atsuko! There you two are! Why did you leave the playground?!" The boys stop as they bump into their parents. Rei looks back at Atsuko, who keeps his head lowered. Zero notices that they're both messy.

"Sorry, we wanted to roll down the hill, and well, it was a lot faster than we thought. It was also bigger. Um..." Rei looks up at them. Alondra crouches down to look them over for any injuries. She looks to Atsuko, who is unusually quiet and is avoiding her gaze. He's not very good at hiding anything. His guilt is very obvious in his face. Alondra reaches out and cups his cheek, smiling gently at him as he looks at her.

"You okay, Atsuko?" He tears up and hugs her. Alondra catches herself before hugging him back.

"Mama, I'm sorry! I accidentally took the life force of a human!" Atsuko cries out. Rei sighs and looks over at him, he knew it would be too much for his little brother to do. Alondra rubs his back and looks up at Zero. He nods and heads down the hill to see if the human is still here. They will have to replace that memory. "I was really tired and he found me, so I took his lifeforce without realizing it. I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry, we will take care of this, but Atsuko, please remember your feeding times. You know your energy drains a little faster when you're playing around in the park." She makes him face her. He nods, still upset with himself. "And Rei." The silver haired boy flinches.

"Y-yeah?" He says with a slight stutter. He is unable to meet his mother's disapproving gaze.

"Don't force your brother to lie and don't lie to us either. We're your parents, and we can help you if you make mistakes." Rei plays with the hem of his shirt and nods.

"Sorry... I got scared." He says softly. Alondra smiles and gently pets his hair down.

"It's alright, kiddo. When you drain someone, they don't really die. They just fall asleep because their energy is drained. They'll be okay after some sleep and eating to get their energy back." The twins feel relieved and nod. Alondra smiles and stands up as Zero returns, carrying the young teen they left behind. The twins flinch and hide behind Alondra as he's followed by another man and a boy their age.

"Wah, hunters... " Alondra puts her hands back to make sure they don't run away. "I'm guessing this boy is the one my Atsuko accidentally drained." Zero nods and looks over to the black haired man. "Atsuko?"

"I'm really sorry, mister... I didn't mean to." Atsuko says with a slight tremor to his voice. The boy their age frowns at him, making him duck back behind Alondra.

"Settle down, shrimp. Kiryu-san's kid didn't mean to drain your big brother. He'll be alright after a nap." The hunter says as he presses down the boy's head. He gets his hand off and glares up at him. "Well, no one is hurt, and that's what's important. But if you feel bad, I'm sure you can see the kid and apologize to him tomorrow." Atsuko peeks back over and nods.

"Deal! By the way, are you his dad?" Alondra questions with a tilt to her head.

"Nah, I'm just taking care of them along with the rest of the village. Their old man is dead, and their old lady is in the hospital." He explains to Alondra. It makes Alondra sad seeing such young boys without their parents. The adults talk for a bit longer before Zero helps the hunter take the young boys back to the village. Alondra takes the twins home.

~0~

"Alright, here we are. It's better to meet up in Zero's office! That way you can talk with the young boy!" Alondra says to Atsuko. He nods his head, holding close a box of cookies on his lap. They wait together as they wait for Zero to come in.

"We're here." Zero opens the door and lets the blackette through. Atsuko stands up with the box in hand and looks over into his dark eyes.

"Um, I'm sorry for draining your energy. I was going to pass out from exhaustion, so I just did it. I'm really sorry. Um, I don't know how to make it up, other than not doing it again, and I made you cookies!" Atsuko holds out the box to the boy who looks down at him, surprised.

"Okay, thanks, and it's alright. No one got hurt." He takes the box, looking at the neatly made box. He looks over at Atsuko, who looks at him with eager eyes. He looks over to Zero, who helps him open the box. His senses come to life as the delicious smell of the warm cookies comes up to his nose. It sends a wave of nostalgia and makes him sad.

"Oh no, you hate them..." Atsuko looks down sadly, catching on to the shift in his emotion.

"N-no, that's not it. I just remembered some stuff. Thanks, they smell really good... uh..."

"Atsuko! My name is Atsuko!" The young brunette says with a gentle smile. The blackette smiles a bit.

"My name is Sai. Weird way to meet, but it's nice to meet you properly now." Sai grabs a cookie and takes a bite. His eyes widen at how delicious it is. Atsuko watches him eagerly, waiting for him to say anything. Alondra can't help but laugh a little at her son's eagerness. She pets down his hair and then smacks Rei's hand as he tries to sneak a cookie.

"Ow!"

"They're so good!" Sai expresses as he looks down at Atsuko. He blushes with pride and is happy that his baking made someone happy.

"I'm happy to hear that!"

~0~
"... and then like last time he helped me study on the math-"

"Atsuko, you talk way too much about that Blackwood guy. It sounds like you have a crush on him." Rei says, annoyed as he once again hears about Atsuko and his playdates with Sai and Kei. He doesn't really go to those since he's close by in the park with either one of their parents.

Atsuko tilts his head confused. "Crush?" Rei sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Never mind, of course you don't get it." Atsuko pouts and looks down. Rei winces as his head is chopped.

"Oi, don't confuse and upset my sweet angel baby just because you're jealous that Atsuko is making friends!" Rei rubs his head and glares back at Alondra.

"Ah, please don't argue, Mama! Rei!" Atsuko pleads with them as he stands between them. Alondra relents to her son and pets down his hair.

"You're just too sweet. Don't let Rei get to you. He's just being a grump." Rei sticks his tongue out at Alondra before he leaves the living room. She rolls her own eyes.

"Mama, what's a crush?" Alondra crouches down and takes his hands.

"Don't worry too much about that. You're still little and have time to figure it out. But if you must know, having a crush is just liking someone a lot and thinking that maybe someday you want to be a couple when you grow up. Like Zero and I. But it's not always mutual, and they don't always last. Like I said, you've got a lot of time to find someone special to you. Then that crush becomes love." Alondra explains the best she can to Atsuko. He looks at her with his big eyes before he smiles and nods.

"Okay, Mama! Ah, is Papa free yet? He said he'd take me to the park to play with Sai and Kei today."

"Well, I'm sure he is. I'll get him and continue to get along with those boys, okay? I'm glad you became such good friends in this last month. I'm sure they needed to feel like normal children, too." Atsuko hugs Alondra, and she holds him back to. He nods and looks behind her as Zero steps in.

"Papa!"

"Zero!" Mother and son cheer happily as they see him. He can't help but smile at their similar reaction.

"I'm here, Atsuko. Ready to go?" He nods his head and takes his father's hand.

"I'm ready, Papa!" Zero holds his hand back and then looks to Alondra.

"I'll be here with Rei. He's moping in his room. We'll be okay. You two have fun." Alondra kisses both their cheeks as she sees them out. Atsuko waves one last time before the door is closed, and Zero walks Atsuko down a few blocks to the park.

Atsuko looks around eagerly as they start to see the park. He smiles brightly as he sees Sai get off a bench and waves them over. Zero releases his eager son and watches him bolt towards Sai.

"Sai-kun! Were you waiting long?" Atsuko questions as he looks up at him.

"No, I was dropped off not too long ago. Kei didn't come with me, though. So it's just me." Sai informs him. Atsuko tilts his head.

"Aww, too bad. But we can still play together, right?" Sai nods, and that cheers Atsuko right back up. They head over to the playground together. Zero sits at a bench to watch over them while also getting ahead on some paperwork.

The boys have fun switching out between the playground and just running around without a care in the world. They talk about nonsense when they take breaks in between their running around. The sun still shines, but most of the park is overtaken by the shade of high trees.

Zero stops reading his paperwork and looks up. Nothing is in sight, but his senses are now on full alert. He senses bloodlust approaching. His hand goes to where his gun hides under his jacket pocket.

A scream breaks the silence that had filled the area around him. "Atsuko! Sai!" Zero looks to the playground and sees that his son is being carried off by vampire. A group is keeping Sai back.

Zero curses, trying to quickly think on his feet on how to keep both the boys safe. Sai is a prominent hunter in his young age, but he is not ready to handle an entire hoard.

"Papa, help!" Atsuko cries out at the top of his lungs as he kicks and punches at the vampire. His weak hits hardly have an effect.

"Save him, Kiryu-sama! I can handle - ugh!" Sai tries to be strong and fight the group, but they overpower him easily. Zero shoots at the vampires to get them off Sai as he also tries to keep an eye on where the vampire with his son is going. The distance grows.

"PAPA!"

Alondra gasps and puts a hand to her chest as a sense of doom fills her. She steps out of the kitchen and nearly bumps into Rei.

"R-"

"Mama, take me to the park! I have to see Atsuko! I feel it... something is wrong. He's scared." Rei is clutching his own chest. Alondra all too well understands that bond between twins. How they all just have a sense for when something is greatly affecting them.

"Let's go!" Alondra picks him up, and she rushes out with him. She runs down to the park. She slows down and pauses as she sees hunters have taped off the area. Her world seems to slow down as she tries to look for Zero and Atsuko.

Rei slips out of her grasp as he spots Zero and runs past the tape to him. People try to stop him, but he avoids them as he reaches Zero.

"Papa! Atsuko is... Atsuko... where is he?!" Rei demands of him as he looks down at him, surprised. He clenches his hands and can't hold onto his strong façade in front of his son. "Papa..."

"I'm sorry... he was taken. I had to protect Sai..." He looks out to Alondra. She drops to her knees and stares at the grass as horrifying thoughts cross her mind.

"Eh? You're lying... You're lying! Where is he?!" Rei yells out at him and starts to beat at his legs. He starts to cry as Zero holds back his hands to kneel down and hug him. "Atsuko, come back!" He cries out at the top of his lungs.

Alondra pants as tears spill from her eyes. She is doing all she can to keep her powers from going out of control, as well as an intense flow of emotions come over her.

"Atsuko... my baby... Atsuko, where are you?" She whispers out as she clenches her shaking hands on the grass.

"Don't you dare lose control. That's not going to bring him back." Alondra looks up at Kaito as his own voice has an angry tremor in it. "Focus, and remember who would want to strike back now..."

There is a pause in the air as Alondra goes through her memories. A single moment that occurred four years ago comes to mind. A state of starvation caused by a serious injury. It was the first time her sons learned the realities of a vampire. The beast side. Alondra's eyes glow red as the memory makes her angry. That it was the moment her son first became afraid of her.

"Touma..." Sai glances over at Alondra as he is eavesdropping and being checked on by a medic. He remembers the pureblood families that remain. He clenches his hands and makes up his mind to also help his precious friend.

~0~

"Mmm... huh? What happened?" Atsuko sits up and looks around. Everything is dark, cold, and hard. His heart skips a beat as he remembers he was taken away by someone, and then he blacked out.

"Papa, Mama, Rei... I'm scared. Where am I?" He starts to cry as he stands up. He slowly walks up to the cell bars and looks ahead. His eyes widen as he sees a man in a cell just like his. "Mister! Hey, mister! Are you okay?!"

The man jumps at the cell bars and growls like a beast. Atsuko jumps back, but he's unable to break the cell. He tears up again, feeling helpless. A shadow looms over him in the darkness. He looks up at a blue haired young man. Not that much older than Sai.

"Wh-who are- ah!" Atsuko drops to his knees at his overwhelming presence. It makes him even more afraid than he already was.

"Finally, that woman and that damn hunter really let their guard down. Peace really distracts you, and now I have in my hands their child. Do you know? You have special blood in you." Atsuko shakes in place as he keeps his head down, trying to disappear.

He's never felt this way towards someone. He's always given people a chance and has always gotten into trouble for seeing the best in everyone. The hatred and power of this person leaves him frozen in fear, mentally calling out for his parents and big brother.

"Are you deaf? Or an idiot?" Atsuko covers his ears as he feels his stomach swirl. He feels so sick right now.

"Pl-please... I want to... go home..." Atsuko whispers really quietly through his labored breath. He continues to curl into himself as far as he can. He flinches as the cell is opened.

"As if. We have tests to run." Touma grabs Atsuko by the arm and pulls him away. Atsuko starts to cry as his fingers dig into his small arm. He tries to lighten the pressure by prying off some fingers, which causes Touma to drag him along. Atsuko can barely keep up with his long strides.

"Touma-sama, the table is ready, and so are all the tools." A young woman bows before him. "We extract his blood and combine them with my special familiars, and we can recreate him and mold him to what we want."

"No! Please let go! I'm scared!" Atsuko struggles again as he's put on the table and is held down as a medical mask is put over his nose and mouth. His rapid breathing starts to slow as he is taken down by the anesthetic.

"Begin extracting his blood. Don't take it all in one go. I want to make sure recreating him is successful. To recreate the miracle fangs that can turn any vampire human. Study his body and saliva too, Chise." Touma holds Atsuko's limp arm and exposes his arm. She bows her head and begins to do her work.

~0~

"Are you ready to talk now?" Alondra lifts her head up and glares up at Kaito from her cell. She had gone ballistic when she realized who took her baby boy. They brought her to the Association and locked her up. Zero sat in with her while she went crazy with anger. "You better because you still have another son that needs you."

That makes her a bit guilty. She gets up and adjusts her clothes. "Yeah, I'm ready to get out and talk. But first, I need to see Rei." Kaito let's them out, and Alondra holds onto Zero's arm, and they head out to Kaito's shared office.

"Wow, that is a really pretty drawing, Rei-kun. You're so talented." They see Sayori Wakaba talking to Rei as he colors random animals.

Alondra walks up to him and hugs him. He barely notices as he tries to keep on coloring. "Oh Rei, I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry, I'm focused now. We are going to find Atsuko and bring him home. We're gonna go to Yume-san's place in the meantime. That's where you'll be -"

Rei breaks the crayon he was using to color. "I wanna go! Atsuko needs me!" He yells out to finally look at Alondra. She holds his face gently and kisses his forehead. Rei's eyes droop and then close as he falls asleep.

"I'm afraid not. You've come into some powers, but you're still my baby, and it's my job as your mother to protect you. I will bring Atsuko back." She whispers to his sleeping figure as she holds his head against her chest.

"We are going to get our son back." Zero puts a hand to Alondra's shoulder. She puts a hand back to hold his and nods.

3 days later:

"This is the place. The meetings were right. I'll get Atsuko out of here." Sai looks at the abandoned warehouse that is supposedly condemned and set for a tear down, but there has been no movement for that in years. Now he understands why. It was a hideout for a pureblood.

Sai had spent his time listening in to meetings and plans as they tried to find out whether Atsuko was alive and whether they could find his location. It took some digging around in the pureblood world from double-agent vampire servants and easily manipulated servants to get the location.

Now, he followed the rescue team, who was going to be busy fighting vampires. He was going to take advantage of the fray to find Atsuko. He just had to bide his time as the battle gets underway.

"Atsuko, I'm here. Wait for me, I'll save you. You're the first real friend I've had, and I won't lose that." Sai puts a hand to his anti-vampire wire. His heart pounds in his chest as he begins to hear the sound of fighting. His body shakes, and he has to steel himself and shake away his fear.

He closes his eyes, and in his mind's eye, he pictures Atsuko's gentle and warm smile. He's been compared to the sun by those close to him, and he understood why the moment their friendship developed. He nods and runs towards the building, keeping himself hidden from sight from vampires and hunters.

He finds an opening on the dilapidated walls and manages to squeeze through. The wall leads to a gap into the basement, so he falls further than he thought, barely bracing himself for impact. The wind is knocked out of him, and he curls up, struggling to breathe or move to cover since he's out in the open.

It feels like an eternity until he finally catches his breath. He gasps and clutches his chest as he sits up, supporting himself on a tube with a sheet over it. He tries to stand, but the sheet falls, and he drops to his knees to look up into a glowing tube.

"What the... a girl?" Inside is a girl floating in some sort of blue liquid. She seems to be able to breathe in the liquid and sleeps. He looks closely at her face. "Atsuko? No, that's definitely a girl." Sai blushes and keeps his gaze on her face. "But her face is just like his. Well..." Sai looks around and finds a chair and slams it on the tube, that shatters and the liquid pours out, and the girl sinks down.

He uses the sheet to grab her and wrap it around her. She spasms and then throws up the liquid in her lungs and coughs as she starts to breathe. She opens her lilac-gray eyes, and they still see a blurry world.

"Hey, can you hear me? Were you also kidnapped by Touma?" He tries to get the girl to respond. Her hand clutches his arm as her breathing steadies.

"Sai-kun...?" His eyes widen as she calls his name. They meet eyes, and he recognizes the gaze.

"Are you...Atsuko?"

"Not... not exactly. I... sorry... sleepy." The young girl's head drops on his shoulder, and she falls asleep. Sai is unsure of what to do.

"The others... they'll save him, right? This girl -" Sai jumps as he hears approaching footsteps. He gets up with the little girl and runs away to the other stairs that lead him down.

"Chise, hurry, we must take the successful clone and escape. Those damn hunters and that bitch managed to overpower us." Touma rushes downstairs with Chise.

Chise freezes as he sees the little girl is gone. "Oh no, no, the girl is gone! My lord, what do we do?! We can't go get the boy on time!" Chise watches Touma rage and he leaves her behind as he scatters into bats.

"Lord Touma?! Wait!" Chise panics as she is left behind and the hunters burst in. "How... could you?"

"Hungry... I'm hungry..." Atsuko opens his eyes slightly as he comes to. He is face first on the cement floor, too weak to hold himself up. He barely processes the sound of the cell door clattering as it is ripped off its hinges.

"Atsuko!" His eyes fill with tears as he hears the voice of his mother. He can barely turn his head to the sound of her voice. "I'm here! I'm here my sweet baby angel!"

"M...Mama..." He manages a weak smile as he looks at her own tear stained face. She smiles gently at him and holds him against her chest. The sound of her heart soothes him and he falls asleep, feeling safe.

"Alondra, is he alright?!" Zero runs in, his gun out as he looks around for any threats that may have come in after Alondra. It's all clear.

"Let's get out of here. We need a medic to look at him!" Alondra stands up and keeps Atsuko close. "My poor boy was neglected so badly in just two days... Touma is going to pay for what he put him through. I will make sure of it."

~0~

"It's warm..." Atsuko keeps his eyes closed, nuzzling a head pressed against his cheek. He smiles and throws his arm over them. "Rei... morning."

Rei sits up and looks down at Atsuko as he gives him a sleepy smile. Rei feels tears pool at his eyes before he hugs his younger twin carefully. "Good morning, Atsuko."

"Why are you crying? What happened? Where am I?" Rei pulls back and looks into his concerned face. Like he hadn't been the one missing for two days.

"Atsuko-"

"I'm here. Oh! Oh my angel baby!" Alondra exclaims and goes to sit beside him and gently pets his hair down. Zero follows suit, standing over his family.

"Good morning, Mama! Papa!" Atsuko sits up as Rei gets off him. He looks at all their tired and relieved and expressions very confused. He looks down as he sees an IV on him. "Why am I in the hospital?"

The group pauses and looks at each other.

"Alondra, did you-" She shakes her head as she figures out what Zero was about to ask. She did not manipulate his memories at all.

"Atsuko, what all do you remember from when you were awake?" Atsuko puts his thoughts together before telling them about an event that happened a couple months ago. The moment before he met Sai and nearly passed out from exhaustion and lack of energy.

"I'll go talk to the doctor." Zero rushes out as Alondra and Rei stay with Atsuko.

"Hmm?" Atsuko tilts his head as the pair becomes concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Atsuko, it's been months since that happened!" Rei blurts out to him before Alondra can shush him. Atsuko's heart skips a beat as he looks at his mother.

"Mama?!" Alondra hugs Atsuko and tries to keep him calm. Soothing him with gentle words. "But -" he is interrupted as Zero returns with the doctor to check him over.

                   ~0~
"I'm back, Cassie. Are you doing okay?" Sai enters the room he left for the little girl he saved from the warehouse. She peeks from under the blankets, wiping away her tears.

"Yeah... no. I keep having nightmares from that place, but... but I'm glad original me won't remember that, but I'm sorry he doesn't remember you either, Sai-kun..." She whispers quietly. Sai doesn't say anything to that and hands her some food.

"If Atsuko is happy and well, that's all that matters. I don't want to trigger unpleasant memories for him. I'll keep my distance." Sai sits down and watches Cassie eat slowly. "For now, let's get you into a better mental state after the trauma you had to live with." She nods slowly and continues to eat.

"I will hunt down that damn pureblood for what he did to Atsuko and for bringing Cassandra into this world to suffer... I'll get stronger." Sai clenches his hands. He's relieved Cassie isn't as perceptive to his emotions like Atsuko is, or maybe she's ignoring it for his sake.

"Thank you, Sai-kun." She finally smiles a bit at him. He smiles back and nods. All they can do now is just sit in silence. Waiting to see what happens next. When will Touma or any pureblood for that matter.