"Please, Maya-chan! It's only for a few hours! Please, do it for your father!" Kaien bubbled, looking at her with doe eyes, tears running down his cheeks.

Maya couldn't help but roll her eyes, not believing that she was about to agree with this sad excuse of a father. She'd forgiven him for the most part when she realized that hating him would get her nowhere, but was not going to fully commit to his ideals. That didn't mean she would be completely buddy-buddy with the older man or fully accept him as her adoptive father, but he had looked after her for the past five years. "Oh, would you knock it off?! I'll do it, for heaven's sake!" She said. 

Kaien fell on her, squeezing her in a death grip as a thank you, happy that she had accepted to help with the Social Ball a few days from now. She hadn't planned on going, but if she wasn't going the result would her being cooped up in her room doing absolutely nothing. Besides, the only way she may get through tonight was if Zero was there, knowing that he was going to hate it as much as she was. 

Kaien let go of her, happy as a clam. "Yuuki and Yori are going into town to see if they can try and find dresses. I know that you've been wanting to get out and stretch your legs, so this would be the perfect opportunity to do that."

Maya sighed, she hated dresses and shopping. Both together were one of her worst nightmares. "When?"

"In a few hours. You can take my car."

"Thanks." She was down at the bottom of the stone staircase outside of the gates a few hours later, leaning up against the hood of the car as she waited for Yuuki and her friend Yori. Glancing at her watch, she sighed and turned her head when she heard hurried footsteps and caught sight of the both of them heading down the stairs. 

They drove into town but had to park on the side of the road due to the mass of people that walked along the cobbled streets. Cars were few and far between in the city, and it was usually overrun with stands, and people. Even though Main Street looked cute, the half-fallen buildings around it looked rather intimidating and depressing. 'A little slice of heaven' was rather fitting for the situation. 

It took a couple of hours. Yori and Maya found their dresses, but Yuuki had gone home empty-handed.

The night of the Social Ball finally arrived. Maya and Yori made their way to Yuuki's room and found her putting on her Disciplinary Committee badge on her arm over her school uniform. 

"Uh, Yuki. Where's your dress?" asked Yori. Maya shifted the package under one arm and walked in.

"I don't have one. I'm going on prefect duty like the Headmaster wanted." She replied. Maya set down the box she had been holding onto Yuuki's bed.

"Now you do," said Maya. 

Yuuki looked at the tag, eyes widening. "It's from Kaname!"

Maya nodded. "He asked me to give it to you."

Yuuki opened the lid and held up the pale pink dress, stunned that Kuran had given her such a gift.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shoes Maya wore were already killing her as they walked towards the ballroom. The last time she had worn heels was to her parents funeral, but that had been only for a couple of hours, not half of the night.

The dress she wore was an A-line gown and the color of silver. It had short sleeves and a semi-low neckline, her dark brown hair pinned half up. Yuuki and Yori walked on either side of her, both concentrating as to not stumble and fall in their own high heels. 

"Zero!" Yuuki exclaimed when they reached the miniature staircase that led into the ballroom. The lights from inside fell on the ground, helping them find their way. Two figures stood in the doorway, faces silhouetted from the way that they stood.

A gust of wind blew their scents towards Maya, confirming indeed that one of them was Zero, the other was Kaien. They seemed to be waiting for someone, probably Yuuki. She knew that he had feelings for her, it was as clear as day on his face when he thought no one was looking. 

Yori excused herself, running inside when she saw her friends, leaving Yuuki to be gushed over by Kaien and Zero and Maya to stand alone. 

Maya looked at Zero in his school uniform, which was buttoned and fixed up. "Wow, you clean up nice, Zero-chan."

Zero adjusted his tie, huffing. "Thanks. Don't call me that."

"Why not? I always used to when we were kids."

"Yeah...whatever." Zero walked inside, leaving Maya to walk in after him. The Night and Day Class boys in their pristine school uniforms, all of the girls were in gowns. 

About an hour into the party, she found herself alone on one of the veranda's that poked out from the ballroom, leaning on one leg, she crossed her ankles, feeling her ankle holster and gun rub against her opposite leg. 

"Getting fresh air?" 

Maya jumped, turning her head to see who had stepped out after her. "Kuran..."

"Please, call me Kaname. We are friends, aren't we?"

"I never agreed to it."

"You saved my life, I saved yours. That should be enough to quite the formalities, don't you agree?" Kaname replied, coming to stand next to her. They both stared out into the darkness, fireflies lighting up the grounds. His tone was lighthearted, but she could see the look that adorned his perfect features. It was sad, pained even. She had never seen him with these kinds of emotions on his face before. 

Say something to him!

She frowned, pushing away that voice in her head. "Are you alright?" Walls seemed to snap up, hiding whatever emotions he had thought he'd had under control.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." She replied, turning to face him, one hand on the stone railing of the balcony. She was tall enough that her head came to just above his shoulder, she wouldn't have to crane her neck so far back to look up at him.  "I can see it on your face. Why did you come out here...Kur- Kaname?" The name felt strange in her mouth. It was too informal.

"To think...it's to crowded for my liking at the moment." 

"A pureblood vampire who can't handle a large crowd for a few hours? Preposterous!" Maya teased. A hint of a smile graced Kaname's lips, but it grew serious once more.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, the question off topic.

"What?" Maya shrugged. "Um, okay, I guess. My injuries are all healed-"

"That's not what I was asking about, Maya." He said, turning to face me. "Are you in any pain?"

"Pain? What the heck are you talking about? I feel perfectly normal. Your blood did the trick, remember?" Maya's brow furrowed. "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity, but I do have to know. What else is bothering you? You haven't been your usual self this past couple of weeks?"

Maya raised a thin eyebrow, putting a hand on her hip. "Oh? What's my usual self like?"

"Glaring, swearing, and angry outbursts, the usual."

The reply made a small giggle like snort escape and she nodded. "I see...well, I'll try my hardest to continue to be ruder tomorrow."

"Maya..." His voice was expectant, knowing that she was avoiding the subject. 

Maya turned back to the darkness, hands both on the railing, shoulders dropping. She didn't believe she was about to tell Kaname about Daisuke. "My boyfriend...fiancee, was bitten by a pureblood vampire. He was a Dire-wolf like me, so instead of changing into an ex-human, his body rejected the change and he went insane. He was killed ahead of schedule by order of the Association President." She sighed. "When I'd cooled down, I went and confronted him about it. He said 'It doesn't do anyone good to dwell on those who can't be saved'. So, I decked the President in the face and as a result, I got suspended from entering the Association until further notice."

She gripped the stone hard enough that it cracked slightly. "First it was my parents, then my brother, my friend, and now my fiancee...I can't let anyone else die, Kaname. I can't." She felt he back of her eyes burn with unshed tears. "I don't know why I'm telling you any of this either, and I doubt you honestly care about my feelings..."

"I do, Maya."

She looked up at him. "You do? And, why is that?" 

He nodded. "Because you're dear to me, Maya. Even if you don't know it just yet." He said it again. 

Maya didn't reply but turned around to look back inside the ballroom when a herd of girls walked passed the balcony door, giggling and chattering with one another. She spotted Yuuki talking to Yori and another one her friends. Glancing over at Kaname, she saw the same sad look pass over his face.

"So, that's it."

He looked down at her. "What?"

"Stay here."

Maya walked into the ballroom and pulled Yuuki aside. "Yuuki, Kaname is on the veranda. He wants to talk to you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Now go." She gave Yuuki a little shove and watched her walk over to where Kaname stood outside, a triumphant smile gracing her lips.

She turned her gaze away and wandered about the room, making sure that the Night Class was behaving. About twenty minutes later, a familiar chill ran down her spine and she looked around the room, expecting to see Maria or that woman, but neither of them was present. She also realized that Zero, Yuuki, and Kaname had disappeared. She ran from the ballroom, a sickening feeling starting deep within the pits of her stomach, working all throughout her body.

Soon, the smell of blood hit the air and she ran towards the Moon Dorms. She could hear voices in a room at the end of the hall, the door to that room almost closed. Quietly, she walked over and pressed against the wall next to the door, sensitive nose picking up the scent of blood. 

"Why did you chose to come to this academy?" That soft, melodic, feminine voice made her freeze. Shizuka?! She wanted to burst into the room, but some strong feeling was holding her back.

"To repay a debt. It's also the perfect place to assemble all my pieces." There was a small pause and some movement. "You, see. I think you and I probably have the same objective in mind right now. Shizuka, I am just like you. I will do anything to protect those that I hold most dear." 

The scent of blood grew immensely stronger. "You don't seem surprised, Shizuka."

"No, you see, I intended to take your life too, and then use Yuuki as your assassin."

"She would have been a perfect choice. But I am not just doing this for just Yuuki."

"Who else has your attention? That little wolf girl? She would have been even better if I'd managed to make her my slave. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to kill you, after what I, a pureblood vampire, did to her family and her fiancee."

Utter shock slammed into Maya and she had to stifle a gasp. It was her?! Had she done this to Daisuke?

"You knew I was weak from Zero's bullet wound, so you came here to kill me, to pull out my heart."

The rest of the world around her muted, and she slid to the floor, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. Shizuka...had sent Daisuke to his death, but for what reason? What agenda did this vampire have against her family, against Zero's family?

Disclaimer: All rights go to Matsuri Hino! 

Sorry! This chapter did get a little long but I hope you're still with me! Love you guys, and thanks for voting for my chapters!

I do use some scenes directly from the anime in this chapter, but again, I do not own them. But I did make a few sentence changes so that it fit the story. 

What do you think of Maya and Kaname's build in their relationship or do you think they are just good friends? I already know the answer, but want to see what you guys think!