The Black Rose

Chapter 2

Black released Rena's neck and held the unconscious girl in her arms, licking the blood off her lips. The flavor of it still lingered in her mind. She had never tasted blood so sweet.

She looked at the girl in her arms. Rena looked like a sleeping princess, except for that scowl that was etched on her forehead. Black suddenly felt sorry for the girl.

She moved aside some of her hair where the bite mark was and gently kissed it, making it heal. She then picked up the girl's fallen dagger, however, after feeling the silver burn her hand, she dropped it.

"I am a vampire. She's a hunter. I must remember my place."

She thought about what to do with the dagger, when a thought came. She tore off a piece of her clothing and wrapped the knife in the cloth, so the silver metal wouldn't touch or burn her. She placed it in her pocket before lifting Rena up, carrying her as she walked through the shadows of the night.

With a title such as "royal", Black owned a grand mansion secluded in the deepest, darkest part of the city. The doors opened widely as Black walked in and closed behind her, the loud echo of the doors creaking and closing shut resonating through the empty manor. She walked up the stairs to an empty bedroom; Black never needed it, since she rarely ever slept, but it was always just there in the mansion.

She laid Rena down on the bed and watched over her silently as she slept. Silver moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the girl's porcelain skin.

"It's been so long... You've grown up to be a hunter just like them, haven't you.. Rena?"

Black had met Rena before. Or rather, she had seen her, only once. A very long time ago...

Flashback, 6 years ago...

It was the very night Rena and Jurina's parents were killed by a powerful vampire. Black was there when it had happened. She saw how the two girls cowered in fear, crying over their parents' lifeless bodies, as the monster crept forward, eying the two.

In a panic, Rena had picked up her father's gun and pointed it at the vampire. Her hand shook as she aimed it, threatening to kill him.

"Go away..! Don't come any closer..!"

Black saw the whole thing unfold. That monster, an evil, merciless Royal vampire, was going to take the lives of those two innocent children. It was a miracle that their parents had arrived to save them. However, at the cost of their own lives.

The vampire smirked as he stared at them.

"We shall meet again," he turned and left the two. Rena held her younger sister as she cried into her chest.

When he returned, Black asked him, "Why didn't you kill them?"

"Everyone has to wait for when the apple is ripest, correct? They're still young, not fully matured."

He looked at Black and smirked again.

"Why have you been watching over them for so long now? Something about that girl peaked your interest?"

"It's none of your business."

"Just remember. You can never be with that girl. You're both from two different worlds."

End of Flashback

"I should've seen this coming..."

Black felt disgusted by herself. Why did she care so much for those two human girls? And specifically of the two, Rena? She had felt guilty when she saw the two at their own parents' funeral. There was this burning pain in her chest whenever she saw Rena's face, a mix of grief and anger in her eyes.

She didn't know why she let the girl catch her attention. Just every now and then, the memory would pop back in and out and always remind her of the girl. She simply sighed and looked back over at Rena.

"These feelings are forbidden... we're from two different worlds... yet..." Her hand slowly reached out to touch Rena's hair. "Whenever I see her, it feels..."

Before her fingers could touch her, however, Rena's eyes snapped open and she looked straight into Black's.

Black pulled her hand away and slowly stepped back as Rena sat up from the bed, completely in shock over the situation.

"You..!" Rena reached for her blade, but she realized it wasn't where it should be. "Eh? Where? Where is it?!"

Black took out the blade wrapped in cloth. However, she hesitated on giving it back, as she knew this girl was out to kill her.

Rena glared at Black. "You monster..."

"Please," Black tried to reason, placing the blade back in her pocket. "I don't want to fight."

"I think otherwise..." Rena growled as her hand balled into a fist.

No weapons meant she was left to fight with her bare hands. She ran up to the vampire and swung her arm to punch her, but immediately missed. Black wasn't going to use her speed this time; it would only cause more trouble. She wasn't going to fight, so she was merely relying on her reflexes to dodge.

"Vampire..! I'll kill you!" the hunter roared as she ran to attack Black once again.

After a few dodges, she was able to catch the vampire off guard and landed a punch on her cheek. Soon after her guard was weakened, she was stricken down by another punch. She touched the blood on her lips with her thumb.

Black smirked. "You're trained well."

"Don't flatter me," Rena growled with anger as she lifted Black up, punching her repeatedly. "All of you vampires are the same..! Monsters! You only care about yourselves!"

"R-Rena..."

Anger flared in Rena's eyes and she swung her arm harder. "Don't you DARE say my name!"

Black knew it'd be bad having this girl who's out to kill her in her own home. And if she let this girl leave, she'd still want revenge and come back for her with more than just a gun and a silver blade. If she told the other hunters her location, it'd mean the end of her.

She had no other choice. She had to make Rena forget.

Before she could land another punch, she quickly grabbed Rena's fist and pushed her down, making them switch positions. She pinned both of her wrists to the floor as Rena struggled to be released from her grip.

"Let me go! I'll kill you! I'll kill you once and for all, vampire!" she yelled angrily.

To hypnotize somebody, one needs to look straight in the eyes. But with Rena thrashing around, Black found it to be a bit more difficult. She needs to catch her off guard, make Rena look at her eyes.

She smirked as an idea crossed her mind.

With some difficulty, Black managed to grab both of Rena's hands in one hand, and at the same time grab Rena's face with another. She held her chin and touched her forehead against Rena's, their lips just inches apart.

"Let go..!" Rena tried to struggle out, but Black maintained her grip.

Her eyes locked on the vampires, staring into the pitch black orbs against her will.

"Don't fight." Black said softly.

Rena's struggling ceased, but she was still trying to break free from her restraints.

"I said don't fight." Black said in a more forceful tone.

After that, Rena's struggling finally stopped. Her eyes lost their light and become empty and lifeless.

"Just relax. Everything's okay, there's no need to fight."

"..No need... to fight..."

Black stood up while pulling Rena with her. She released her hands and they both fell limp at her sides. She smiled as she kept staring into Rena's empty eyes, further hypnotizing her.

"You will go back to your headquarters. You will tell them that you did not find me, and you will forget what I look like in two days time."

Rena stared back at Black with unblinking eyes. "Okay.. I will do as you say."

"Good. Now go."

Rena obediently turned around and left the room. Black shut the door as she took out Rena's blade. She knew she had to return it. She couldn't keep it.

She placed the cloth covered dagger on her dresser.

"I'll give it back the next time I meet her... whenever that will be..." Black sighed out, holding her cross. "But... she'll still hate me.. because I'm a vampire... I can't make her change how she feels..."

Then, another idea crossed her mind.

"Unless..."

---------------------------

As Rena was walking down the city streets that night, she dialed a certain number on her phone. She heard it ringing on the other line before the person picked up.

"Rena. Did you find her?" Takamina's voice answered.

"Yes. She thinks that I forgot about her. I'm gonna lay low for a while, just in case she tries to move again. Once she does, I'll catch her when she least expects it and kill her."

"That's why you're our Ace."

"I'll be going home now."

"Alright. Night, Rena."

"Night, Takamina."

As she hung up, Rena walked back to where she had parked her motorbike and started riding across the city streets.

"She's stronger than I expected... I need to plan something for the next time I face her."

That night, she road alone as she was contemplating on how to face that vampire. More importantly, she knew she had to find her dagger and get it back. It was important to her; she needed to find it fast so she can kill that vampire Black.

Rena finally arrived home and parked her bike outside beside of Jurina's bicycle. She walked inside the house and saw that there was only one light on, coming from a lamp in the kitchen. There, she saw Jurina, sleeping on top of the counter table. There was an empty plate and glass in front of her, implying that she had finished dinner, as well as some homework papers from her school. She is still in high school, after all.

Rena smiled and pet her younger sister's hair as she looked at her sleeping face.

"You really won't change, will you?" she whispered before picking Jurina up into her arms and carrying her to her bedroom.

"Rena-chan..." she heard the puppy girl whisper in her sleep. "Rena-chan.. come home safe..."

She smiled slightly, seeing how Jurina cared for her so much. Rena set her down in the bed and tucked her in. She then gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I'm here, Jurina. Don't worry.. no vampire can ever keep me from you. I won't let it happen."

~~~Flash Forward~~~

Two days had passed since Rena had seen Black. She had disappeared from Japan without a trace. They weren't even able to find her mansion, even though Rena remembered the exact path of where it was.

She knew that the vampire must've been planning something.

But, in any case, Rena continued to lay low so Black wouldn't catch what she was doing. She remembered how she was able to resist Black's hypnosis and faked having her memories erased. Now, the vampire wouldn't be suspicious of Rena coming back. Then, like a stealthy panther eying her prey, Rena would pounce and kill Black when she finally cornered her.

Rena and Jurina were training together when Sayaka called all the hunters together. They all stood in front of the tall girl as they saw a very happy face on her.

"I have good news. We just got a new hunter in. She's going to make a very formidable ally. Come on," she called the person forward.

Rena's eyes widened. "No...!"

The girl smiled as she pulled some of her raven black hair behind her ear, smiling as she looked at them with dark, almost pitch black eyes.

"It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Kashiwagi Yuki. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."