Magic Knight Rayearth/魔法騎士レイアース 1. Default Chapter

SWORDS AND FANGS

**Chapter One: A Very Important Mission**

By: Demosthenes

**"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to Mankind."**

_~John F. Kennedy_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything from Magic Knights Rayearth; please don't sue me. Anyway! I have only seen the first four episodes of the first series and well; I love this show. My fanfic is an Alternate Universe fanfic, so it won't be affected by that fact since I did some research on the characters. It's about a Vampire prince named Ferio, and a great Vampire Slayer named Fuu who has two friends by the names of Hikaru and Umi… hehe! Please R and R since this is my first Rayearth fic.  (This chapter has been edited.  10/20/03)

**Author's Note:** Well, I've come along way now, and I'm going back and adding some detail to the original chapters, which according to me, were written in the stone age! I have seen more than four Rayearth episodes by now, have several mangas, and have visited many sites! (I even went dressed up as Hikaru for Halloween and A-kon.) I'll have a note saying that the chapter has been updated (like this one) for you all to know. But if you don't have the time or the commitment to reread it, it's ok. There's not much of a change in plot. Only detail.  
  
The Vampires and the Humans had been at war for as long as Fuu could recollect. Peace between them had proven elusive, nay, impossible.  The situation had given birth to the vampire slayer, which had become necessary in order safeguard the survival of the human race.  The turmoil was one that had given many a young child nightmares.  And yet, here she was, right in the middle of it.  A vampire slayer's life was not easy.  No one had said it would be.  And yet, sometimes she found herself wondering why fate had given her this path. Fuu's gloved fingers ran gently through her caramel hair as she peered out of the silver framed window, her eyes watching the glittering stars painted in the night sky. The view was simply breathtaking, but the calamities of the world restrained people from enjoying the true beauty of nature. "Staring out to space again Fuu?" her comrade Umi inquired as she walked up behind her. She put a hand down on the windowsill and accompanied Fuu at watching diamonds glitter in a canopy of ebony.  
  
"Oh, Umi you shocked me," Fuu smiled warmly, eyes sparkling in the starlight.  
  
"The night sky really is gorgeous," Umi commented touching the glass that reflected the speckled collage.  The two friends watched the twinkling stars, mulling about the how ephemeral life seemed.  The moment of contemplation was shattered; however, by Hikaru's arrival.

"Hi everyone!" Hikaru greeted them cheerfully as she walked  into the room. Excitement was plastered across her face, and she seemed to float over to them. Her ruby eyes were glowing as she clapped her hands together and looked about the room. It had been the base of the three slayers since they had first received their training.  Hikaru could never grasp how the years had flowed by so quickly.  Slayer philosophy called for their warriors to be trained young, but that time had escaped them before they even realized it.  The room held many memories, but it was a physically pleasant as well. It was quite a cozy place with baby blue walls and three silver framed beds in the corner farthest from the window. Dangling from the door was a myriad of ornamental garlic; Umi would plead on a daily basis for them to get rid of the garlic because it clashed with the fashion of the room. Carefully hidden in the closet were all their weapons, waiting anxiously for the heat of battle.  
  
"Well Hikaru," Umi asked in her usual nonchalant tone, "do we have another mission or what?" She shouldn't have even asked; however, because the look of alertness on Hikaru's face divulged the answer.  
  
"Actually," Hikaru answered pausing for slight drama, "we've been assigned a very important mission; in fact the most important of all." She stopped once more to plan out how to explicate the situation to her fellow slayers. The mission. The thought of it sent shivers cavorting up and down her spine.  
  
"Really?" Fuu's interest had clearly been caught, "Please continue." She straightened out her beryl outfit and mentally started to prepare herself for whatever Hikaru might say.   
  
"Well! Don't keep it all to yourself!" Umi shouted in a voice decked with impatience, "tell us!" Hikaru would keep them standing on the edge of the cliff of suspense if someone didn't force her to push them off.  
  
Hikaru started to speak, choosing her words carefully, "The war on Vampires has been a long lasting battle. Causing more casualties on our side than theirs. Headquarters want us to find and kill the Vampire prince so that we can end all Vampire threat to humanity." The task only sounded simple in words, but in action it would be nearly impossible.  
  


Fuu blinked and then clenched her jaw.  She hadn't expected this at all.  This was a job for older slayers.  It was true that they had surpassed their peers long ago, but it still shocked her that the headquarters would put in place an operation of this caliber.  
  


"We've been ordered to kill great mass murdering vampires before, but how in the world will we be able to kill the prince?" Umi asked dumbfounded. She began to also wonder why a task of such magnitude would be handed over to them, elite as they were.  
  
"Come on Umi, we're the legendary Vampire Slayers, we can do anything!" Hikaru answered optimistically.  She was clearly ignoring Fuu and Umi's body language.  
  
"Maybe you're right," Umi commented, "but where will we find him?" She couldn't see how sending only three slayers would get anything accomplished.  
  
"Well," Hikaru said, "I've been given a map on a possible location and some instructions. Headquarters has been tracking vampire activity and have pinpointed an area where the base is most likely located." With those words, she took out the map she had been given.  As they huddled around it, Fuu felt a pang of worry shoot through her spine.  Something in her gut told her it would be different this time.  Fate was planning away, and her lack of control paralyzed her with fear.  
  


* * *  
  
  
  


Prince Ferio sat at his throne with hands crossed over his chest, rather disheartened about the situation of his people with the humans. The vampires couldn't help that their appetite was appeased only by human blood, and none of them ever intentionally killed humans unless it was in self-defense.   
  
"Prince Ferio," a voice encumbered by authority addressed him. Ferio looked down from his throne to see his close companion, Clef, standing before him with robes flowing across the black marble floor. Clef's piercing blue eyes reflected much anxiety.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ferio asked catching the hint of worry in Clef's eyes. He sat up more erect; preparing to soak in anything Clef might have to say. The prince's forest green hair was currently disheveled since he had awoken only an hour or so ago and since then done nothing but worry. His hands gripped the black arm rests even tighter, the ornate carvings digging into the palms of his hands.  
  
"Nothing," Clef answered as if he didn't know what Ferio was talking about; he found himself regretting coming to the prince in the first place. Ferio was already plagued by the many afflictions that came from the war against humans.  
  
"Did the humans get another one of our kind?" Ferio interrogated, determined to find out what was going on. He knew in his heart though, that even if it were true, Clef might not tell him. He thought himself well prepared as prince to accept anything since it fell along with the duties, but Clef always had this fatherly motivation when it came to protecting him.  
  
"No sir," Clef replied truthfully, there was no use worrying the prince over rumors that the humans were sending their greatest warriors to assassinate him.  
  
"All right Clef," Ferio replied, deciding to let Clef think that he wasn't the least bit suspicious. It was obvious that if he wanted answers he would have to go find them himself.   
  
  
  


* * *   
  
  
  


"So to get to the Vampire Empire," Fuu stated while pointing at the map, "we'll have to cross these mountains first and then make our way to the castle where the Vampire Prince resides."   
  
"That seems to be the only way," Umi commented in exhaustion. The mountains seemed like quite a large impediment and would probably take longer to cross than it would to get the job done if everything went as planned.  
  
"Well! What are we waiting for?" Hikaru chimed in with her energetic "let's go" attitude, "Let's get ready!" 

The three girls opened their closet and pulled out a secret compartment containing all their equipment. Each put on their slaying armor and grabbed their weapon of choice. Both Hikaru and Umi wielded beautifully carved wooden swords perfectly crafted for slaying vampires, and Fuu was the master of an archery set with wooden arrows enhanced so that they could penetrate anything that stood in her way. The three girls, now fully armed in an array of blue, red, and green as well as prepared to face their vampire enemies, set off to begin their adventure.

Well, here's what I have so far. There's going to be much more adventure in the future, so please R and R and if there's enough demand I'll post the next chapter!


	2. Setbacks

Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer and Author's Note: Ehm. Here's the second chapter, and I wanted to point out that this whole VAMPIRE issue didn't arise from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In fact, I've never even seen an episode of that show (sad ne? I mostly stick to anime) Really, the Vampire idea came to me when my friend and I were talking about love/hate relationships and instances where to enemies fell in love. And thus, I began looking for a good couple to use that idea with. And I thought, well, why not the Rayearth characters? Another thought also came to me, about pairings. Just to tell you right now… Ferio/Fuu, Lantis/Hikaru, and for Umi, I'm having this fic have alternate endings because you know there is such a split issue over the whole Clef or Ascot thing. So I'll tell you when the point is when the fanfic splits into its two alternative endings. Really, this is my first Rayearth fic, so I have NO IDEA how well I'm doing. Do you people really like it? One more thing, about the wooden weapons issue. I had the weapons be wooden because they are vampire slayers and well; to kill a vampire you drive a wooden stake through their heart (or at least that's what I've heard) that's why I had the wooden weapons. Ok, this speaking session is getting really long so I'll just start on the story now. Ja ne and Enjoy!   
  
Ferio spread out his silky bat wings and stared out into the night. It would only be a few more hours until the sun rose over the horizon and he would be forced to go into slumber. Hunger jabbed him in the stomach; he had forgotten all about eating since his mind was occupied with different possibilities could have been bothering Clef. He heard the rustling of another set of wings and turned around to see Lantis carrying two drinks. Lantis walked towards him and handed him one.  
  
Ferio smiled and answered jokingly, "Are you sure this isn't poisoned?"  
  
Lantis winced, "You'll just have to try and see won't you?" Ferio snickered and put the drink up to his lips. It was rather refreshing to have something to drink since he hadn't had time to go out that night and find any victims. Yet he didn't know why he was still so worried about what was getting to Clef, besides he had always seemed so relaxed and worry free before.  
  
"Something's bothering you," Lantis said plainly.  
  
"Not at all," Ferio lied.  
  
Lantis bowed and walked away probably to prepare to sleep. Ferio merely sighed and stared at the stars; he shouldn't be worried. No, everything would be fine; the vampire race was much stronger than the human race.  
  
  
  
Though it was still night, the three vampire slayers had already set out on their journey to cross the mountains that stood between them and vampire territory.  
  
"I know crossing the mountains is the only way, but why do we have to go in the middle of the night?!" Umi whined.  
  
"An early start is the best," Fuu answered, "and besides it will be dawn soon."  
  
Umi sighed, she had gotten used to losing sleep over long Vampire Hunts.  
  
"There they are!" Hikaru exclaimed pointing to the mountains ahead of them, "after we cross those mountains we'll be in Vampire territory and we'll be able to look for the palace." The mountains seemed like oversized monsters with their heads in the clouds. The moonlight shed its pallid light upon on them making them look even more unwelcoming.  
  
"But no one's ever actually been exploring the vampire territory and in all our other hunts the vampires were hiding among the humans," Fuu added in, "it's uncharted territory and the only thing we know about this prince is that he lives in a castle somewhere among that territory."  
  
"Great, more proof that this mission is going to be a failure," Umi took a deep breath.  
  
"Oh come on Umi; we can do anything!" Hirkaru uplifted her two friends. Presently, they began to climb up the mountain. The ground at the base wasn't too steep, which was good. All around them were tall coniferous trees blocking the moon and starlight. Darkness seemed to envelope them and the three slayers had to huddle closer in order not to lose one of them from the rest of the group.  
  
"Don't worry," Fuu reassured, "soon enough the sun will rise and we'll be able to get some light."   
  
  
  
"Aren't you going to be getting some sleep?" Clef asked walking into the throne room one last time before he went to catch up on some sleep. The sky was getting lighter as the sun was about to rise.  
  
"Yeah, I'm coming," Ferio answered turning his gaze away from the sky and making his way to his resting room. His room was quite a pleasant place with stonewalls and silky black drapery. All around the walls were suits of armor and assorted weaponry. The left corner was his resting place; there was a black marble coffin with white silk cushions inside. Ferio pushed back his deep green hair and situated himself inside the coffin to sleep. He pulled the coffin lid over his head just about when the first rays of the sun came over the horizon.  
  
  
  
"Oh look the sun is rising!" Hikaru declared to the two other exhausted slayers. They had been scaling the mountain for quite awhile now and as the ground grew steeper climbing up became even harder. The sunlight was welcoming though, for it lighted their path so that they were no longer wandering in the dark. Hikaru began to skip up the mountain in a very cheery manner.  
  
"Be careful Miss…" but before Fuu could finish Hikaru had tripped over a root and came tumbling down onto the rest of them. The three girls tumbled down pretty far before they were able to stop.  
  
"Great! Now we have to climb that all over again!" Umi shouted angrily looking up to see that they had tumbled down about a several hours worth of scaling.  
  
Hikaru blushed, "I'm really sorry you guys."  
  
"It's ok," Fuu smiled, "Everything has a reason for happening, I'm sure this does too." Umi had already gotten up and was trying to clean her beautiful light blue hair of the twigs it had collected. Fuu and Hikaru stood up as well.  
  
"Well, looks like we're going to have a long day ahead of us," Fuu declared. The other two sighed and once again they started to scale the mountain.  
  



	3. Ferio's Discovery

Chapter Three  
  
Disclaimer: As I always say, this is my first Rayearth fic, and I've had to do loads of research to make sure that the characters are in character as much as possible having only seen four episodes. So I really would LOVE the feedback. Is this something that needs be continued?  
  
Slowly the sun set over the horizon, and night began to fall. The stars painted an aesthetic mosaic in the raven black sky. The evening breeze was nice and cool and it seemed like those perfect nights that were only possible in fairy tales. Ferio yawned slightly getting up from his coffin. The sleep had been wonderfully refreshing and now he was ready to catch some prey. Slowly, he walked over to his mirror and fixed his dark green hair. Tonight, he wouldn't go hungry, no tonight he would go out hunting. He pulled a black silk cape over his back and smiled maliciously as he left his room.  
  
  
  
"We really should have brought a flashlight!" Fuu sighed, the forest was once again pitch black and their vision was now very limited.   
  
"Yeah," Hikaru agreed.  
  
"At any rate, we should be careful and stick together," suggested Umi quite worried that they might be separated. She pushed back her lovely light blue hair and stumbled along with her two companions.   
  
Fuu shivered slightly and felt herself falling behind. It was so dark, nothing could be seen not even if it was right in front of her emerald eyes. Her foot got caught on a rock and she felt her body fall and hit the ground. Darkness enveloped her as she sank into unconsciousness. Since Fuu was usually rather quiet neither Umi nor Hikaru noticed her absence from the group. And since the darkness hindered them from seeing each other, they would not be able to notice until dawn that one of their dearest friends was missing.  
  
  
  
Ferio stood on the balcony, his large bat wings fully open and spread out.  
  
"Going out to eat?" Ascot asked casually as he walked by. He was wearing his usual fluffed up hat.  
  
Ferio's golden eyes smiled, "Hey, a prince can't go hungry two nights in a row!"  
  
"Yeah, sure, but Clef sure seemed worried about something," Ascot answered. Ferio's heart fell, so he wasn't the only one who sensed that. He had been hoping that his acute senses were growing dull and that he had been wrong, yet that did not seem the case.  
  
"Come on!" Ferio exclaimed, "if I'm not worried, you shouldn't be either."   
  
"Slayers," a resonant voice whispered. The two turned around to face Lantis who was leaning against the wall across from them. They hadn't even noticed that he had entered the room.  
  
"What do you mean about Slayers!?" Ascot asked trying hard to mask his tone of worry.  
  
"I'm sure he just meant that I should be watching out for Slayers since they were able to kill his brother," Ferio said trying to break the tension that was building up.  
  
"I think what Clef is hiding from us that is that we are going to be attacked by Slayers," Lantis replied plainly.  
  
"Nonesense!" Ferio shouted, his tone softened a bit, "first, humans aren't that smart, second they have no idea where are base is all the vampires they've ever slain were on their own turf, third we'd have the home playing field advantage even if they were brave enough to find their way here."  
  
Lantis shrugged, "I suppose you are right." With that he left, and Ascot ensued. Ferio stood upon the balcony railing the moon shining down on him and leapt forward simultaneously he flapped his oversized wings and flew into the night. His nose tickled for he could smell the scent of humans in the air, something rather odd when he was still in Vampire territory. As he glided gracefully over the mountains the scent grew stronger and he began to follow it downwards into the forest. His eyes were well adjusted to the night, so he could see everything as clearly as humans can see in the daytime. Lying unconscious on the forest floor he saw a young lady who looked about his age. He knelt down and gently pushed back her sunshine hair. He didn't recognize her outfit as that of a slayer since he had really never came so close to one before. Somehow, he did not have the heart to drink her blood- yet. He opened his wings and pulled the young lady into his arms and took off. He found himself even more curious about humans now, despite the danger.  
  
  
  
"How long have we been wandering around in darkness?" Umi asked tired of being unable to see anything.  
  
"Don't worry," Hikaru reassured, "the sun will soon rise and we'll be able to see again."  
  
  
  
Ferio entered the castle through the same way he had left. He quickly ran to his room, for fear that one of the other vampires might see the human guest he had brought along with him. There, he laid her carefully down on a black carpet. He pulled off some of the black drapery and put it over her as some sort of shabby blanket. The sun would be rising soon; he could sense it. He walked over to the door and locked it, putting the key into his pocket. Now no one could come in and no one could leave. With that done he lay back into his coffin for a nice cozy nap, when he woke up he could investigate more about this human girl.  
  
  
Okies! That's it for this chapter. Please R and R and tell me how you like it!   



	4. The Cottage

Disclaimer: I do not own Rayearth. Please R and R. One more thing, that was too short. Anyways, this idea did not come from any anime or show or book! It came from an RPG Idea I had. I asked one of my friends to play one of the parts and told her how I wanted it played out. We played it out and then I said that I would write a fic on it. But the original characters used were one of my fanfic characters and another character, and since fanfic characters aren't always that well known I decided to use the Rayearth characters. (By the way, for those wondering, the fanfic character was Selene.)  
  
The rising of the sun brought good news and bad news to the two slayers. Now, they were able to see; yet the discovery that Fuu was missing came down as a hard blow.  
  
"I wonder where Fuu might have wandered off to," Hikaru nervously stated full of worry. For humans rarely ventured into these parts and Hikaru feared that if they didn't find Fuu she might be lost forever.  
  
"Shall we retrace our steps, stay here, or move forward?" Umi asked. Hikaru knew that their duty was to be true slayers and to do their job. In fact, it was dangerous that the three of them had become friends because now they would be more emotionally involved and may not always be rational.   
  
"We have to move on," Hikaru said regretfully, yet she knew that as a true slayer there was no other way. "My conscience shall forever haunt me for this decision," she thought as she walked steadily forward with Umi following her. And thus they continued venturing over the mountains coming closer by the second to vampire territory.  
  
"I'm tired," Umi sighed several hours later, they had already crossed the first mountain and were now starting to scale the second.  
  
"Come on Umi," Hikaru encouraged, "we have to get there, do it for Fuu!" A slight look of determination came on Umi's face as she began to quicken her climbing pace. The trees were as thick as ever, which even in the daylight made it hard to see.   
  
"I really hope Fuu is ok," Hikaru sighed as they trudged along.  
  
"Me too," Umi agreed. Presently, the two girls reached a clearing admist all the trees.  
  
"How odd, it seems the trees stop here and then start a mile higher," Hikaru said pointing higher towards the mountain.  
  
"Oh look Hikaru there's a cottage!" Umi exclaimed rubbing her tired eyes to make sure that what she saw was not merely a mirage. Hikaru saw it as well, a little farther up stood a small stone cottage.  
  
"I wonder if anyone lives there," Hikaru whispered to Umi.  
  
"I sure hope so! Then they can give some food!" Umi shouted excitedly. When they had started out they had rationed out their food but obviously the journey was longer than they had suspected it would be. The food intake had been meager, and after a while they didn't have anything to eat. Wild berries had kept them alive, yet it wasn't the most delicious and filling meal to be had.   
  
"Let's go knock and see if anyone's home," Hikaru suggested. Umi nodded.  
  
As they cautiously approached the cottage, the sun began to set over the mountaintops.  
  
  
  
As the stars began to pop out onto the sky Ferio stirred within his coffin. He slowly came out and looked at the human girl lying on the ground. She was breathtaking, with her sunshine hair and alabaster skin. He gently shook her, yet she did not stir.  
  
"I wonder if she's still alive," he mused. He took her pulse like he had learned in his human culture class he had taken a few years back. He had never really thought it would ever come in handy. She still had a pulse, though it was rather faint. "Perhaps I should get her some human food," he thought unlocking his door and sneaking out. He knew there was a stash of human food somewhere that was collected for testing to find out more about the human civilization. Finally after much looking around he was able to find a pitcher of water and a sandwich. He walked back happily carrying those items to the sleeping lady. He nudged her softly once more and this time to his surprise she opened her eyes.  
  
  
  
"Hello!" Hikaru shouted, "anyone there?" The cottage seemed deserted yet Hikaru kept knocking. Finally someone answered the door. A stunning young lady with blond hair in a ponytail and chocolate brown eyes stood there staring at the two of them.   
  
"Ah! Guests!" she exclaimed, "we never get them in these parts, come in come in!" she ushered them in. The two enervated slayers entered without a doubt. The hostess introduced herself as Lady Presea of the woods.   
  
"My name is Hikaru," Hikaru smiled and held out her hand, "and this is my friend Umi."  
  
Presea turned her face away from the two girls and smiled revealing pearly white fangs, "Hikaru," she thought, "Ah yes, the famous Vampire Slayer. Sir Clef will be very pleased that I found you before you got to the prince."   
  
Well! Here it is, yeah it's kinda a cliffhanger and I'll try to update soon. Please R and R!   
  



	5. Into a Trap

Chapter Five  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rayearth. YAY! Go me! I decided to write another chapter. (ok, so it's not such a big deal) Alrighty then, here it is. Please R and R!  
  
Fuu looked up to see two golden eyes staring down at her anxiously. Her head felt light, and she weakly sat up. Ferio took a step back and smiled warmly. Fuu quickly realized that the man was a vampire by his protruding fangs and black bat-like wings. As a reflex, Fuu pulled out her bow and put a wooden arrow against it. She aimed directly at the vampire's heart, ready to send the arrow flying if he dared make a move towards her.  
  
"Now, now, you shouldn't play with bows and arrows. Someone could get hurt," Ferio commented cool as always. He brushed back his forest green hair and opened his wings. Fuu slowly put the bow and arrow down, but was still not ready to drop her cautiousness towards him.  
  
"That's much better," Ferio snickered looking at the girl more closely.  
  
"Who are you?" Fuu asked softly, courage filling her heart.  
  
"I should be ask'n you the same thing," Ferio answered, "since you are on my territory." Ferio circled around the girl like a vulture examining his prey as he waited for it to die. "But, since you asked first, I suppose that means I have to answer first," Ferio declared, "My name is Ferio and I'm am the prince of all vampires." Fuu shuddered, so this was the man they had come to slay, in that case he couldn't know who she really was. "Ok," Ferio declared, "it's your turn."  
  
"My name is Lorraine, and I was on my way home from berry picking and I tripped and fell in the dark," Fuu knew that her pretext for being there was rather lame, yet maybe by some shear stroke of luck, he would buy it.   
  
Ferio nodded, "Ok, I'll give you a few minutes to live before I eat ya, so you have any last comments?"  
  
Fuu shuddered, it seemed this would end in one of those "either he goes or I do" situations, and she didn't want to make a decision she might regret later- that is if she lives long enough for a "later".  
  
  
  
Presea turned back around and shook Hikaru's hand commenting, "You surely must be hungry, allow me to give you some food."  
  
"FOOD!" Umi declared happily, they had been on an empty stomach for quite a while and it was becoming obvious.  
  
"I'm sorry but we do not wish to trouble you anymore than we have," Hikaru stated in her sweet polite voice.  
  
"Hikaru?!" Umi shouted shaking her partner, "We'll starve if we don't eat anything!" Presea stifled a small giggle; it was so interesting to watch these humans and their strange behavior.   
  
"Oh you two, don't worry about bothering me; I'd be delighted to make you my guests for dinner," Presea smiled walking off to the kitchen. She rummaged around a bit. "Where did I put that human food?" she thought looking in all the cupboards. She finally remembered that most human food had to be refrigerated because like blood it would spoil after some time. She opened the small refrigerator in the corner of her kitchen and pulled out some food. She then grabbed a small bottle from her pocket- sleeping potion. "Pity I have to use this, I would have enjoyed their company," she thought, "but after they fall asleep I have to take them to Sir Clef in order to make sure nothing happens to our dear Vampire Prince." She sprinkled the liquid solution over the human food and set the bottle aside. Putting on a smile, she carried the two platters outside and placed them in front of the two human girls. "Dig in girls!" she announced stepping away from the table.  
  
"Oh food! Finally food! Finally we're together again!" Umi exclaimed not waiting to be told again to dig in. Hikaru laughed at her hungry friend, yet hunger had also gotten the best of her as well and she started to eat. They finished their meal quickly and both gave a sigh of contentment. Presea knew it wouldn't be long now. A few minutes had passed and Hikaru felt herself grow very tired.  
  
"You know, I feel really tired," Umi said as she finally gave in and dozed off.  
  
"Me too," Hikaru's eyes grew heavier and heavier and then she too fell asleep. Presea decided to quickly fly to the castle and get someone to help her carry the two girls to Sir Clef, so she let out her wings, which she had been hiding from the human girls and flew off into the night headed towards the castle.  
  
  
"Have you seen Ferio?" Lantis asked Clef, feeling a tiny twinge of worry.  
  
"No, he's been in his room all day," Clef answered.  
  
"You think we should check on him?" Ascot suggested, it was rather odd for Ferio to stay locked up in his room.  
  
"Don't worry you two, do you recall the last time we disturbed the prince when he did not want to be disturbed?" Clef commented. The other two laughed, oh they remembered alright, he had chased the person who had disturbed him all through the castle, and in the end he gave them all a big lecture on disturbing other people's privacy. The event had been quite hilarious, and everyone knew from now on not to disturb the prince under any condition.  
  
  
Ok, That's the Fifth Chapter. Please R and R so I can know if I should continue. Thankies! ^_^   



	6. One more Day

Chapter Six  
Disclaimer: I do not Magic Knights Rayearth. Ok, here's the sixth chapter, read and enjoy. And PLEASE R and R.  
  
"Alright Fuu," Fuu thought to herself, "stay calm and try to stall for time." "Er, last comments," she studdered, "well, I must say… I'm rather hungry." She had spotted the plate of food that was on the floor, she wasn't lying either she really was hungry. Ferio turned his attention to the food he had brought in earlier; he had forgotten all about it.   
  
"Ok, ok, I'll give you some food," he smiled slightly, "but only because I'm a generous guy." He walked over to the plate of food and leaned over to pick it up.  
  
"Alright, it's now or never," Fuu thought quickly pulling out one of her arrows and putting it to her bow. She aimed, and as she pulled back the bow's string, Ferio looked up. He grinned maliciously, his smile made Fuu's stomach drop. He raised his gloved hand and held it with his palm facing her. Her whole body became paralyzed and the bow and arrow dropped far from her grasp.  
  
"Good girl," Ferio stated, picking up the plate and handing it to her. Fuu's motor skills returned to her abruptly and she found that she could once again move around, but Ferio kept a stern eye on her so that she would not be able to reach out for her weapon. She silently ate, and even though it was only an old sandwich such was the extent of her hunger that she savored every bite. Ferio brought over to her a pitcher of water and a cup, which Fuu also welcomed immensely.  
  
  
  
Presea arrived at the palace shortly and started to look around for anyone to come to aid her carry the two slayers to Sir Clef.  
  
"Looking for something, Presea?" a deep voice addressed her from behind. Presea turned around to face Lantis with a worried look in his eyes. "Is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"No, not at all, but I have a nice surprise waiting back at my cottage," Presea chuckled, "and I need your help to bring them here."  
  
"Them? What do you mean Presea?" Lantis questioned.  
  
"Oh, you'll see," she answered.  
  
"Stop playing games, and tell me if you want my help," he replied his tone remaining steady despite the fact that Presea was intimidating him.   
  
"I have caught two slayers who were headed this way, they are in my cottage unconscious," Presea stated, "we better hurry and bring them to Sir Clef to dispose of before they wake up again and wreak havoc upon the vampire kingdom."   
  
Lantis nodded in agreement and opened his dark silky bat wings, "Let's not waste any time then."  
  
  
  
Fuu tried to drag out the eating of her sandwich to create herself more time to think of a plan, but to her demise she was on the last bite and she hadn't thought of any way out of her dilemma. Ferio stared at the young human girl, some how he had lost his appetite at the sight of those emerald eyes filled with unease towards him. Fuu blushed slightly as he noticed he was staring at her, "It's not nice to stare," she commented. Ferio quickly diverted his gaze to something else, yet it was hard not to stare at her because he had never seen a creature quite so beautiful.  
  
He winked saying, "You know what, I'm not very hungry so it looks like you're gonna live to see tomorrow." Fuu let out a sigh of relief; she would have another day to plot her escape.  
  
  
  
The two vampires landed gracefully in front of the cottage. Presea opened the door to reveal the two slayers lying on the ground still sound asleep. Lantis held his breath; they were slayers all right, and perhaps the same ones that had killed his brother. "You get the red haired one," Presea suggested as she picked up the blue haired slayer. Lantis gently picked up Hikaru; she looked so helpless unconscious, more like a little girl than a dangerous slayer but he knew that he shouldn't let looks deceive him. Presea walked out of the cottage, ready to fly back to the vampire castle, Lantis however took a bit longer. He was gazing at the young slayer and couldn't help but notice that she was undeniably gorgeous.  
  
"Come on Lantis!" Presea nagged, and Lantis quickly stepped out of the cottage and opened his dark wings. The two then set off flying into the night to take the captives to Sir Clef.  
  
Well, that's it for now, please R and R if you want more!   



	7. Clef

Disclaimer: I do not own Rayearth, and unfortunately I never will. (sighs) So, everyone wanted more? Ok, just one question is everyone ok with Umi/Clef or will I have to do a double ending fic, cuz that'll make it even harder for me if I have to do a double ending. And if you're an Ascot/Umi fan, please don't scream at me if you want a double ending, just ask nicely and I will. I'd rather not do a double ending though because I'm planning on making this break into several parts. Anyways, let the story begin~!  
  
Just as Presea and Lantis arrived the palace, the warm rays of the dawning sun peeked over the mountains. The two slayers that they carried were still unconscious, to the relief of Presea who had feared the sleeping potion might have worn off by now. "Hurry, we have to hand them over to Clef before the sun is over the mountains," Lantis stated, for sun and vampires did not mix very well. Presea nodded in agreement and the two headed towards the wing of the palace in which Sir Clef would work.   
  
  
  
Clef had been laboring strenuously lately, trying to come up with a new defending mechanism in the event that humans came and attacked the castle of the prince. It hadn't been easy either; vampires had many limitations even though the race was older and more advanced than humanity. Clef sighed, if only the two races would learn to accept each other, than everything would be so much easier, but sadly acceptance didn't come easily. The entrance of Lantis and Presea holding two young human girls curtailed any further ideas. "What's this!?" Clef asked flabbergasted, "What are these humans doing here?!"  
  
"I found them meddling around in the area of forest near my cottage," Presea answered, "I wasn't able to get their intentions for being here but it's obvious by their attire that they are slayers."  
  
"There were only these two?" Clef interrogated, if two humans had gotten so close; who knew how many others were coming.  
  
"Yes, only these two," Presea replied; Clef let out a sigh of temporary relief, but now he had to figure out a proper way to deal with the two human nuisances. He was perfectly aware that any harm brought upon them might lead to war, which made it even more difficult for Clef.   
  
"Lay them there," Clef instructing pointing to two beds over in the corner. Vampires had no use for beds, but Clef had them because he would use human articles to study about them and try to grasp a deeper understanding of their motivations and weaknesses. Lantis and Presea at once obeyed, though secretly Lantis felt a bit hesitant about leaving the young girl he was carrying with Clef because he feared that harm might befall her.   
  
"There's no need to worry," Lantis thought shaking the thought out of his head, "besides, why do I even care? This is a human girl and I am a vampire."  
  
"Lantis, we better leave now," Presea, suggested, "the sun will soon rise." Her voice was gentle and understanding as if she had caught on to the war that had started within Lantis's heart. Lantis nodded and left, heading for his personal quarters. Presea exited a bit slower, trying to contemplate what had just happened. She had never seen that look in Lantis's eyes, the one he had when he was carrying that young human girl. "Is it possible?" Presea thought, "Is it possible…"  
  
"Presea, you better go too," Clef's words pierced her thoughts. She walked away briskly not needing to be told twice what to do. Clef sighed, "I think I should listen to my own advice." He went to lie in his own coffin, which was situated in the room next to his lab. His eyelids fluttered a bit, and after a few minutes he slept soundly.  
  
  
  
It was hard to believe, but Fuu had spent the whole night conversing with the Vampire Prince. Only when he informed her that the sun had begun to rise and that he must get his rest did Fuu realize that the whole night had gone by. Now that he was fast asleep, Fuu could sit and reflect on what had happened. After he had shown a bit of mercy and granted her an extra day to live; they had sat down and started to talk about various things. The conversations themselves were as clear as crystal to her:  
  
"You mean, on one day out of the year, human children go dressing up as all sorts of creatures and get sweets by just knocking on someone's door?" Ferio had asked rather confused when Fuu had begun to talk about the concept of Halloween. She couldn't recall exactly how the topic came up, but she remembered well how odd it seemed to Ferio for such an event as Halloween.  
  
"Yes," Fuu nodded, "it's a tradition, and some even dress up as vampires."  
  
Ferio laughed, "I'm going to take that as a compliment instead of mockery, yet it seems so absurd when I think about it. It'd be like us having a day of dressing up like humans." Fuu smiled as she recalled his words, yes it did seem a bit absurd especially from the view of a vampire. But instead of thinking more of what they had spoken about earlier, other topics came to her mind. Her friends.   
  
"I hope they're ok," she whispered to herself, "and I hope they aren't worrying about me." Of course, she knew they would be worrying about her and probably looking for her as well. She could only wish that they were ok, and that no vampires had captured them. And if they had captured them, she hoped that they were as friendly as the young prince, who even though he had tried to exercise his power in the beginning he had turned out to have a kind heart. And then it was when it struck her, something she had absolutely put out of her mind even though it should have been her first priority. Her mission. To get rid of the vampire prince, and yet here he was before her and after tonight, after they were beginning to get to know each other better, how could she ever complete her task? She had gotten herself in a quagmire, one she feared she might not be able to get out of. She hadn't told him that she was a vampire slayer; in fact she had even lied about her name. What would his reaction be if he found out? Would he have treated her differently if he had known from the beginning? The questions circled within in her head and were beginning to cause her anxiety.  
  
  
OK! That's the chapter. This is in celebration that ff.net is back up again! Please R and R.   
  
  



	8. Hikaru and Umi Awaken

Disclaimer: I do not own MKR. Well, guess what? I'm not going to tell you whether I'm going Umi/Clef or Umi/Ascot. You'll just have to wait and *see*. I know most of you might rant and say I'm sadistic for being so secretive, but I just say have a little patience. Besides, a little suspense can't hurt, now can it? Well, enough my blabbering and allow the story to begin. Since this is one of my most reviewed stories (I hope it continues to get reviews) it's one of the most updated. Let the story begin:  
  
Fuu was unable to sleep at all that day, even though her sleeping habits had acclimated to sleeping during the day and being alert all night whilst she conversed with Prince Ferio. She was relieved as the last pink rays of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon and the silver stars began to paint the ebony sky. Ferio awoke shortly afterwards and greeted Fuu in a refreshed manner. He quickly noticed, though, the look of lethargy in her eyes.  
  
"Your sleeping habits must still be in tune with that of a normal human," he stated. Fuu nodded, she didn't wish to tell him that what was really intimidating her was the fact that everything she had said to him about her identity was a pure lie.  
  
"In that case, you are free to sleep right now if you want," his tone was soft and sweet. She had expected him to remind her that her one day of living was up, yet that was not obviously on his mind at the moment.  
  
"No really, it's alright," she reassured him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "I was hoping we could talk some more."  
  
"Why couldn't all humans be like you?" Ferio didn't even think before he spoke, and he became a slight shade of pink. Fuu wanted to answer back, "Why can't all vampires be like you?" but she kept silent as her cheeks flamed scarlet. The moment was precious, and followed by a long duration of silence.  
  
  
  
"Where are we!?" Hikaru stated as she slowly opened her eyes. Clef had not yet come to his lab and thus there was no one else in there but herself and Umi when the red headed slayer opened her eyes. Umi began to stir as well, and presently she sat up in her bed and scrutinized their location in absolute confusion.  
  
"Hikaru, what happened?" Umi asked softly, her voice quivering with worry.  
  
"The last thing I remember was eating at that lady's home," Hikaru stated looking at her surroundings, "we either fell asleep and don't remember, or there was sleeping potion in that food and we've been abducted."  
  
"Please don't say such scary things!" Umi protested, "besides why would anyone want to kidnap us?!"  
  
"I bet you Fuu is somewhere around here too," Hikaru commented still composed, "don't worry Umi, we're the best vampire slayers ever, and I am confident that we will get out of this perfectly fine!" As she said this, the door opened. A young man with light brown hair entered and stared at the two girls.  
  
"Who are you!?" Umi asked in her forceful manner, "and where are we?!"  
  
The young man brushed back some of his hair, "My name is Ascot and you are being held as prisoners of Sir Clef. I just thought you two might want a little food to keep you healthy." It was then that Umi noticed the tray Ascot was holding in his hand, yet she wasn't done questioning yet, despite the fact that she was starving.  
  
"Prisoners?! ME?! A beautiful creature like me, a prisoner?!" Umi interrogated, "how is that possible?! What is the meaning of this!?"  
  
"I'm sorry for you discomfort, miss, but orders state that you are to remain as prisoners until Clef can figure out exactly what you were doing so close to vampire territory," Ascot remained calm despite Umi's outburst, "I suggest you eat something."  
  
"How are we to know that you have not done something to our food?" Hikaru asked calmly. The young man shrugged, fidgeting with the sleeve of his white and green uniform.  
  
"I suppose you'll just have to trust me or starve," he answered tersely.   
  
"Just great," Umi muttered, though she did reach for a plate on the tray. Hikaru followed as well, grabbing the plate of food presented to her. On each plate was a sandwich- peanut butter and jelly to be specific. "Well, it's better than nothing," Umi thought optimistically as she bit into her sandwich. She expected Ascot to leave, but instead he just sat down in the corner and quietly observed them. "I know I'm gorgeous," Umi joked, "but you don't have to stare. Ascot became a faint pink, though he did a good job of hiding *most* of his embarrassment. He rose to his feet abruptly and quietly informed them that Sir Clef would come and see them shortly. Afterwards, he departed, making sure to lock the door behind him. Umi and Hikaru were alone once again, and now filled with nervousness at their situation. From what Ascot had said, they surmised that he was a vampire, but since he hadn't come close enough for them to distinctly note any fangs, nothing was concrete.   
  
"I really hope Fuu is ok," Umi whispered. Hikaru nodded in agreement, right now they seemed to be stuck in a quagmire themselves. The door opened once more, and this time a shorter man walked in. His hair was a purplish silver (alright, I'm not too sure about that, but I'm going according to some of the pictures I saw on the internet) and there was an air of authority about him. The look on his face was extremely serious, as he looked at the two young slayers.  
  
"You must be Sir Clef," Hikaru addressed him bravely.  
  
"Yes, you are correct, and now may I ask who you might be?" Umi and Hikaru looked at each other as he asked that question. They were both aware that the incorrect answer could put both their lives in grave danger.  
  
  
CLIFFHANGER!!!!!! I know many people will be ticked at me for doing that.. but cliffhangers are kinda fun to write… Anyways, R and R and tell me if you want me to post the rest! Thankies! ^^  
  
  



	9. The Truth

Aw, the horror. My computer died on me. And I had lost my access to Internet save for five minutes a day to check my email. (Surely not a sufficient amount of time to write the next chapter of my story) ~~~ (Unless you're superhuman, and I can assure you, I am not.) For the sake of sparing you from my pointless ranting I shall begin. ^^  
  
An uneasy silence ensued; Hikaru and Umi were both trying to think over what they should say.  
  
"Would you like to answer my question?" Clef stated calmly. Beads of sweat began to trickle down Umi's forehead.  
  
"To tell you the truth sir," Hikaru began, she had always been the courageous one of the bunch, "I. I don't remember anything."  
  
"Yes, same here," Umi was shocked that she had mustered enough mettle to speak up.  
  
Clef raised his eyebrows inquisitively, "You remember nothing? How can this be?"  
  
Hikaru shook her head, "I can only remember one thing, we were on our way to grandmother's until we reached that nice lady's house. we were so tired we much have fallen asleep and hit our heads." Umi winced, the story sounded so lame, it was hardly plausible at all, but Clef nodded at the story. He shuffled over to a giant archaic looking bookshelf and pulled out a dusty lavender book that was covered in a thick coat of dust. He gently blew the dust off and thumbed through the pages. He paused for a moment reading over the words.  
  
"You must have what humans called amnesia," he declared glancing up from the book to the two girls, "how interesting, I must make a study of this." With that he marched out of the room, book still in hand. Umi burst out laughing, unable to suppress it any longer.  
  
"Quiet down!" Hikaru stated sternly, she usually wasn't so strict but in times of desperation, she did whatever was necessary.  
  
"Oh, lighten up, Hikaru, he believed every word of it!" Umi smiled.  
  
Hikaru shifted uneasily, "He's not stupid, Umi, he'll find out eventually. which means we have to think of a plan. Now, there are three things we need to accomplish to call this a success. One is to kill the vampire prince, the next is to find Fuu, and the last is to escape unharmed."  
  
Umi nodded brushing back a silky strand of light blue hair, "But as long as we're stuck here, how on earth will we be able to accomplish any of that?"  
  
"I don't know yet, but I promise, I won't rest until I think of a way."  
  
Outside the door, Clef squatted with one ear pressed firmly to the door. He smiled contently as he found out the information that he had been searching for. However, he was also filled with worry as well, he would have preferred that the story they told him to be true then what he had heard now. Indeed, the Prince was in danger, and he knew that it was his cumbersome responsibility to protect him.  
  
  
  
"Did you rest well?" Fuu was the one to break the silence.  
  
Ferio smiled and nodded, "It must be restless for you to just stay in this one room, perhaps you'd like me to give you a tour of the castle?"  
  
"If it would not be a problem for you, I think that would be wonderful," Fuu answered happily.  
  
"Then let's go," Ferio held out a hand to Fuu, which she gladly took, and then helped her to her feet. He walked over to the door, black cape fluttering behind him, and opened it slowly. With keen eyes, he checked the surroundings to make sure no one was around and then opened the door all the way. Together, they walked out and the tour began.  
  
  
  
"What could be taking them so long," a resonant voice filled with worry stated.  
  
"I have no idea," another voice added in, "I would think they would have finished the job by now and returned."  
  
"I think it's time for us to take action," yet another voice spoke up.  
  
"Yes."  
  
  
  
Clef strode quickly to Ferio's room, in an effort to warn him of the plot against his life. The candles hanging along the castle walls flickered softly as he walked by. As he reached the young prince's door, he paused and then knocked.  
  
Silence.  
  
Clef knocked again, this time more frantically.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Clef winced, of all times for the prince to be out, why now? He quickly walked off, hoping to find the prince sometime soon.  
  
  
  
Ehm, and this concludes my new chapter. ^^ Tell me how you like it! BTW, any ideas on who the "voices" should be? I really don't know yet, I'm thinking it could be Hikaru's brothers but I'm not too sure yet. (I got Manga 4 and 5 of Rayearth for my birthday, I was so happy! ^^) 


	10. Realization

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knights Rayearth. I sure wish I did.  
  
Author's Note: Well, Here's the next chapter ^^. Also, if you'd like me to email you when I update, just email me at ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com with the subject "Swords and Fangs" and tell me so! Please, please, please review, because I LOVE to hear from everyone ^_^. Thanks.  
  
Ferio began to lead Fuu through a long corridor deprived of proper lighting. To Fuu's surprise, after walking several yards, Ferio stopped. "This is an old painting from our old world," Ferio stated pointing to the portrait that hung in an ornate gold frame. Fuu gasped in awe - the painting was unlike anything she had ever witnessed before. The land it portrayed did not have much light, but all the flora and fauna were different shades of silver, dark blue, and dark purple. In some odd, mystical way the land intrigued her. Then a thought came into her mind.  
  
"Your old world?" Fuu interrogated, "what do you mean? Have you not always dwelled on earth?" Fuu noticed that Ferio's eyes dimmed at the questions as if it caused painful memories to arise.  
  
"Sit down, this is going to take awhile," Ferio replied. Fuu complied, sinking down on to the cold stone floor. Cold. Just like what everyone thought vampires were. Fuu shuddered at the thought. She had been trained to believe it all her life - Vampires were cold heartless demons that were a threat to mankind and needed to be destroyed at any cost. However, everything she had witnessed in her time with Ferio had been contradictory and it made her wonder. "Where shall I start?" Ferio muttered to himself. Fuu gently pressed back a strand of golden hair and commenced to stare at Ferio. "A long time ago," Ferio began to speak, his voice quivering as he spilled out memories so long unspoken. Fuu's emerald eyes filled with anticipation as she clung to his every word. "Listen, Miss Lorraine," Ferio stated, "most everything you know about the vampire race already is myth. Allow me to tell you the true story that no human knows. The picture you see here is of our world; or what was our world. It was the most beautiful place you might have ever witnessed. Unfortunately, we were cursed with an inadequate system known as the pillar system." (Yes, this old world of theirs is kinda like a Cephiro. This *is* an MKR fic)  
  
"Pillar system? What do you mean by that?" Fuu asked perplexed.  
  
"Our old world was held up by the powers of my sister, Princess Emeraude. It seems all complicated, I know… it is. It was also an insufficient system. You see, for many centuries- for vampires have almost eternal lives as long as they have the proper conditions for life, my sister protected our land and kept everything in place. But, then, she fell in love with this vampire - his name was Zagato. We usually never came to the human world, you see because the plants of our world could provide all the nourishment we needed."  
  
"Everything sounds fine there, what happened?" Fuu questioned curiously.  
  
Ferio shrugged, his golden eyes looking sadder than ever, "One day, the plants all just began to die. We still don't know what triggered it. Zagato was sent to the human world to see if he could find an alternative food source and he did. Unfortunately it was… well, you know. He came back to our world and took a colony of vampires with him to yours. Meanwhile, conditions back at home were beginning to get a little better. My sister was a very powerful young lady. A century or two passed - Zagato would make frequent visits to his lover in the homeland. Life more or less, seemed to be getting better. Food was still not as plentiful, but we were surviving…until…"  
  
Fuu was half listening; her mind was shuffling through its memories. The name Zagato sounded so famaliar.  
  
"Then, something we had not ever anticipated occurred," Ferio clenched his fists trying to go on with the tale, "Zagato was killed by a group of elite slayers."  
  
Fuu looked up, trying to hide the shock in her eyes. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together now. They - Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru had been the "elite slayers" he was referring to.  
  
"My sister was so grief-stricken that she failed to hold our world together. Everything died and our home became a desolate wasteland. Left with no other choice, most of us departed and came to earth. A few like my sister, remained…only to perish." It was followed with a discomforting silence.  
  
Fuu felt hot tears trickle down her cheeks. She quickly got up and embraced Ferio on an impulse. "I'm sorry," she whispered, wanting to reveal everything to him… wanting to ask for his forgiveness but instead she said, "I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you." Ferio was dumbstruck by Fuu's hug of sympathy, yet he smiled a little. She quickly pulled back, blushing at the realization of what she had done.  
  
"It's ok, really," Ferio sighed, "I'll get over it. Really." Fuu smiled warmly, even though she was still unsure. She hoped in her heart that he could forgive her, for they had only done what they had been trained to do. 


	11. Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knights Rayearth.  
  
Author's note: This part here was a part of chapter ten but for some reason, ff.net did not upload it as a part of chapter ten. I really don't know why, but here it is. Thanks to all the people who emailed me!  
  
As he searched frantically all over the palace for the prince, Clef bumped into a tall handsome figure - Lantis. Though he was in quite a hurry, Clef paused for a moment to question him, hopeful that the whereabouts of the prince would be revealed.  
  
"Lantis! Have you perchance seen his highness?" Clef asked, his tone apprehensive. He was fiddling nervously with a golden charm he wore around his hand to ward off malicious spirits. It was unlike him to lose composure, yet the situation was so dire, that he could not keep calm until the prince had been warned.  
  
Lantis shook his head while raising an eyebrow in an inquisitive manner, "No, sir, I'm sorry but I have not." He had begun to wonder exactly what was going on – he knew, of course, of the arrival of the two slayers, for he had brought one of them – a ruby haired one that had lingered in his mind from the time he had set his eyes on her. He hoped surreptitiously that she had not done anything to invoke Clef's anger since for some reason unknown to himself; he did not wish any harm to come upon her.  
  
Clef sighed; a million negative thoughts running through his head, "Lantis, will you please do me a favor? It is imperative t that I find the prince right now!"  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Lantis asked, he almost wanted to ask about the redhead slayer as well, but he decided to keep his mouth shut on the topic since Clef seemed so worry-stricken.  
  
"Here is the key to the holding area by my lab. Could you please go in there and make sure the two slayers don't try to pull anything off. And please be careful, they are very dangerous!" Clef pulled out a small brass key as he spoke and handed to Lantis. Then, without further trivial conversation, he took off to look for the prince once more in a swish of robes.  
  
Lantis fidgeted with the key a bit and chuckled to himself. He need not ask after all. Then, something he had not thought of before began to trouble him. "What if she thinks of me as a monster?" he thought. In all his life living in the seclusion of the castle, he hadn't met many girls, and he certainly had no idea how to strike a conversation with a human! He pushed these thoughts out of his mind and headed for the small holding room in the outskirts of the massive castle, eager to see what awaited him.  
  
  
  
Author's note: Alright, here we begin chapter 11. ^^  
  
The moment following the hug seemed to be a tad awkward, both Fuu and Ferio averted each other's gaze, in effort to think over what had just occurred.  
  
"What's this emotion I am feeling?" Fuu thought befuddled, "It must be just sympathy. Yes, that's it. But… Wait…I've sympathized before, and it felt nothing like this… I feel like…I am a ballerina dancing among the sun- kissed clouds… What's wrong with me!?" For that moment, she wished dearly that she really was Lorraine, the innocent girl who had cavorted through the forest and gotten lost – but alas, it could not be.  
  
Ferio gawked at Lorraine with golden eyes filled with confusion, he had never met a human before face to face, but now that he had… things were different. "I almost feel like," he pondered upon the light feeling that seized him when he saw her, "that it wouldn't be so bad spending some more time with her." He shook his face in disbelief, these thoughts could *not* have been crossing his mind. Clef had taught him better, had he not? Humans were cynical – Clef trained him to remember that. "Was it not humans who caused us this pain and demise? We would have had our old world if it were not for their brutality," Ferio thought to himself. A cauldron of emotions seethed within him, and it was causing his heart to pound faster with every second.  
  
  
  
Umi and Hikaru were engaged in light chatter about escape when the heavy door creaked halfway open.  
  
"Could it be that serving boy again?" Umi whispered to Hikaru as she felt every muscle within her tense. She didn't want any more surprises – in fact, at the moment, all she wanted was to go home. This attitude was always hers on every mission, she wanted to get the job done and go on with her life. A life as a slayer was unexpected and fast paced; she cared for neither. However, destiny had laid her this course, and she was to abide by it. She would fight, for the sake of humanity and because if she didn't, there were not many with the capacity who could. "Oh why couldn't this talent be bestowed on someone else," she had often wondered at night while gazing wistfully at the stars.  
  
"I don't know," Hikaru answered, her voice ripping through Umi's reminiscing. The door opened all the way to reveal the regal figure that was Lantis. Hikaru let out a small gasp, though at that moment, she could not identify why. Silently, he closed the door and pulled up a mahogany antique chair covered thickly with dust. He gazed at the fiery-haired wonder, at a loss for words.  
  
"Who do you think you are barging in here and scaring us half to death?!" Umi railed in her usual manner.  
  
"Sorry," his reply was soft and concise.  
  
"Oh, I don't think he meant to scare us," Hikaru defended him almost automatically without thought. As she finished saying this, she froze, mortified.  
  
"I have been assigned by Mage Clef to watch over you two," Lantis stated, trying to justify his presence, "I know these quarters probably give you discomfort and I hope you pardon the inconvenience." He too, was quickly taken aback by his own words. "What was it of my business if they are comfortable or not?" he thought, "It is not like they are noble guests… why they are prisoners and a possible threat to life as my race knows it, so why am I acting this way?"  
  
"You've got the discomfort part right," Umi answered disdainfully as she ran her left hand through sky blue hair.  
  
"Do you know what's going to happen to us?" Hikaru interrogated intently. Her eyes were like two rubies glistening in moonlight and worry creased her brow. She was leaning forward a bit from her seat, as if his word would either uphold her or make her fall.  
  
"I…I… don't know," Lantis stammered; he was shocked by his sudden loss of composure.  
  
"Great, we're all gonna die," Umi stated in a voice drenched with sarcasm. Lantis blinked and just stared.  
  
"Aw, while we are all stuck here together, why don't we introduce our selves?" Hikaru suggested in her effervescent voice, "My name is Hikaru." Umi glared, befuddled by why Hikaru would want to be friendly towards the enemy.  
  
  
  
Well, that's the end of Chapter 11. I know it's kind of a cliffhanger. I'm sorry about my erratic updating and for not writing in so long. I was so busy last month, but finally the work that's kept me from writing is DONE!! I'm ecstatic because now I can write more!!! Please R and R! 


	12. Dangerous Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knights Rayearth  
  
Author's Note: Ehm. I'd like to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. Will you please forgive me? ;_; Anyways, if anyone would like me to email them when I update… (Since I do so erratically) they can send me an email at ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com saying so, and I will. Now onward to the tale!  
  
Lantis fidgeted nervously for a few seconds; this sort of overwhelming feeling was so foreign to him. "My name is Lantis," he finally replied to Hikaru's introduction. He didn't know what else to say, just that much had taken him more effort than anything else ever had. "Now what?" he thought to himself. He hoped that she didn't sense the apprehension in his tone. He strived to understand this feeling bubbling within him. Little did he know, though, that it was the same feeling Ferio was feeling at the same moment for 'Lorraine'.  
  
Umi continued to just stare at the situation. "Why is Hikaru introducing herself to the enemy?" she wondered, "I suppose she's trying to play innocent. In that case, I better play that game too." Umi brushed back several strands of sky blue hair and feigned a smile, "My name is Umi. Pleasure to meet you." She definitely did not mean the last part. Both Hikaru and her were swinging their feet back and forth on the edge of their beds. But it seemed more like the edge of dear life itself. It was blatantly apparent to both of them that if the vampires ever found out the true nature of their presence it would be the end for them. Unfortunately, neither of them knew that Clef was not as ignorant as he had shown himself to be.  
  
"Well, Lantis, what brings you here?" Hikaru asked casually. She stood up from the edge of the bed and flashed a smile. Lantis blinked several times and tried not to stare.  
  
"Wow, she's so blasé," Umi thought, "How on earth can she remain so calm?!" Beads of sweat were beginning to slide down Umi's alabaster skin and her hands were shaking slightly. She was never the bold one, but she could usually keep herself more composed than she was at the moment.  
  
"Clef told me to keep an eye on you because…" he stopped himself. "No, I can't allow my emotions to overrun my common sense," he thought angrily. Yet he only slipped out of the tide pool of emotions for a second. In an instant, he was heaved back in again. The second he started to speak, Umi and Hikaru gave each other appalled looks.  
  
Both were thinking the same thing, "Oh please don't let Clef know the truth!"  
  
Hikaru giggled nervously, "Oh, I see, it's a secret… so you can't tell little ole me?" It was quite out of character for her to act this way, Umi noted, but then again, desperate times called for desperate action.  
  
"Oh no, that's not it," Lantis lied. It gave him a horrendous feeling inside to lie to her for some reason. He felt like his whole body was on the verge of sublimating. "It's just that… Clef wants to make sure you don't hurt yourselves." He knew as soon as he said it that they wouldn't buy it. Even humans were smarter than that.  
  
Hikaru suppressed a frown, but then decided to play along, "Oh, ok." She was biting her lower lip in nervousness. Part of her wanted to knock Lantis out right then and there so that they could escape, and the other part of her didn't have the heart to do such a thing. She found herself caught between emotions and duty. "Last time I followed duty, we were unable to find Fuu. And we may never find her," she thought, pain overtaking her chest at remembering the loss of her dear comrade.  
  
Lantis could see sadness glittering in those ruby eyes. Something was bothering her, and he wanted to make it go away. "What is she thinking about?" he wondered, "Does she have any idea what kind of fate might await her?" The thought of Clef having the red haired slayer killed made his stomach perform flips.  
  
* * *  
  
Ferio led the way down another corridor that was darker and damper than the others. This fact alone caused a few fears to rise within Fuu. "What if he indeed tries to drink my blood?" she thought. She had already learned that weapons at the moment would be pointless.  
  
Ferio hadn't meant to bring her into the dark corridor, which many even vampires usually avoided, but he had heard some rustling and Clef's voice so he feared that Clef might be near. He knew very well that if Clef found Lorraine, he would probably have her put to death because she was a violation to safety precautions. Clef didn't fancy the idea of humans knowing the exact location of the Vampire palace.  
  
* * *  
  
Clef rushed along quicker, jogging past the painting of the former Vampire world and into the dark corridor. It was the only place that he hadn't checked so it was the only place the prince could be. He couldn't imagine why the prince would come to the dark corridor, since it was damp and usually hot in the summer. Trepidation bubbled within him. "What if there were more slayers that we missed, and they have already gotten to the prince?" he stated softly to himself. "FERIO!" he called aloud, his voice drenched with worry.  
  
* * *  
  
Ferio froze; someone had called his name. Instantly, he knew it was Clef. Fuu raised an eyebrow and stared at him, obviously she had heard the calling as well. "You have to hide, Lorraine," Ferio whispered, his golden eyes reflecting sincere worry. He grabbed her arm firmly yet gently and dragged her through the corridor. There was a small room at the end in which no one stayed in. No one ever went in there, and he suspected that the conditions might be quite unpleasant for a human. But it would have to do. He opened the door that was strewn in cobwebs and pushed Lorraine in. "Listen, dear, I want you to stay in here and not to say a word until I get you. Please." With that, he shut the door and winced at the prospect of her being stuck in there all alone. It was just in time, for Clef came running down the hall. Ferio leaned against the door so that he would not open it.  
  
Clef stared at his peculiar positioning, "Are you hiding something?"  
  
* * *  
  
Under the canopy of night, three figures set out from human society. Their secret destination: the vampire territory. The wind blew hard against their faces as they traveled with the moon as their only guiding light. They did not carry lanterns because they feared it would attract too much attention. Three of their best slayers had not returned from an imperative mission, and they felt it was time to take action. So, with hoods over their heads and weapons in hand, they traveled with hopes that they would get to their slayers before it was too late.  
  
* * *  
  
Lantis was beginning to consider telling the two slayers the truth and helping them escape. He knew it would be considered high treason and might cause the end of his own life if anyone found out, but it was a risk he was becoming more willing to take by the second.  
  
  
  
Yes, it's kind of a cliffhanger, sorry. Anyway, if you'd like me to email you when I update, just remember to send me an email at ladydemosthenes@yahoo.com. 


	13. Hearts' Burden

Swords and Fangs

Chapter 13: Hearts' Burden

By: Demosthenes

"Where there is love, there is pain."

~Spanish Proverb

          The cobwebs caressed her hair, nearly looking brown from the lack of proper light.  The atmosphere was humid, unbearably so, causing her to choke for want of air.  She dared not move a muscle, lest her vocal cords beckon loudly and betray her position.  She found that she trusted Ferio and his judgment, though he was supposed to be her enemy.  "He doesn't truly know who I am," she thought, mind laying burden under the weight of guilt, "would he be caring as he does if he did know?"  She was horrified by her own choice of words, "Caring?  Is that it?  Does he actually care about me?  No.  It's that I care about *him*."  Her stomach flipped in anxiety, in terror, and in confusion; she was a slayer.  With duties and obligations.  And no time for the desires of the heart especially since the desire of her heart was her enemy.  "The desire of my heart," she nearly whispered to herself, "Is that what he is?"  Her mind didn't need to answer the question because her heart replied for her, and it said yes.  Her brain retorted with a thousand reasons why such a love was insane.  Why it was impossible and fanciful.  And it brought back images from her childhood to make its point…

"Concentrate, Fuu.  Concentrate on your enemy," the deep voice explained while situating her childish fingers on the bow.  Only five and a bow already in her hand.  She shot at the target.  And hit her mark.  There was a deep sigh of contentment, "Good girl.  You're learning."

"Sir, why must I go through this every day?" she inquired in the honeyed voice of reason.

"Because very bad creatures called vampires are hurting everyone.  And we need you to save us," the resonant voice answered.

"Like a superhero?" she asked, small emerald orbs gleaming.

"Yes.  Like a superhero."

She sighed, "I sure don't feel like a superhero," she thought to herself.  "Or maybe I do.  Maybe like one of those tragic superheroes who fall in love with their greatest enemy."  She closed her eyes, immersing her vision in utter darkness and then opened them again in hopes that they would have adjusted to the darkness.  It was only a little bit easier to see now, not much, but enough.  Her eyes spotted many objects that she could not identify on the other side of the room covered in blankets of cobwebs, but she had neither the strength nor courage to go and investigate.

*     *     *

"I said are you hiding something?" Clef repeated the question, while gripping his staff tighter.  

"No," Ferio answered, golden eyes glimmering with defiance, "Of course not."

Clef raised an eyebrow and then motioned for Ferio to move aside, "Then you wouldn't mind if I took a look."

Ferio hesitated, and then moved aside, holding his breath, hoping, Clef would not see her.  And if he did, maybe she could play dead or something along those lines.  Clef glared at the door for a moment – the door once adorned with fanciful tapestry, not peeled and soiled, the once glorious testimony now killed by the hands of time and negligence.   

*     *     *

"Then you wouldn't mind if I took a look."  The words pounded through Fuu's veins, pushing her heart into her throat.  There was only one thing that she could do, and that was to make her way to the back of the room.  With a deep breath, she gathered all the mettle within her and let the adrenaline conquer her muscles.  She felt similar to a squirrel about to be pounced on by a hawk, with the only option for escape was to jump into a bottomless pit of tar.  But there was no time for assessing her options.  She would have to run or risk getting caught.  And her choice was running – her muscles took flight, carrying her to the other side of the room through curtains of sticky cobwebs.  She had to bite her lip to keep from screaming as the webs embraced her and the air became as dense as lead.  She stumbled, tripped, and finally, pressed herself behind an object that was rectangular like a coffin.  And that was when the door swung open.

*     *      *

Clef peered into the darkness, at first glance it seemed that no one would be hiding in there.  But then realization swept over him – cobwebs that had been intact over the duration the room had been abandoned were freshly broken.  He held his staff high into the air and muttered an incantation, causing the orb on top of it to glow brightly with light.  Behind the coffin, Fuu had to shield her eyes.  "Come out, human," Clef nearly growled, the orb can sense your presence.  "But not just any human.  Come out SLAYER!"

Ferio's mouth fell wide open at his words, "Slayer?  What do you mean Slayer?"

Fuu, having no other choice, stood up from her position, her green armor glittering in the orb light.  She stood, clenching her fists, biting her lower lip, and nearly shivering in fear.

"Have I taught you nothing, Ferio?  Look at her armor!  Clearly that is the apparel of a slayer!" Clef shouted pointing to the glimmering emerald attire.  Ferio looked at her in horror and realization.  Clef was right.  It indeed was a slayer.  "What's your name?" Clef spat, "I have your friends so don't even think about lying."

"Fuu," she answered, eyes looking down to block out the look of horror on Ferio's face.

Ferio nearly snarled, "You lied to me.  So, your intention all along was to kill me.  I can't believe I was so stupid as to not see that!"

"No…" Fuu choked out, trying to hold back the tears that she couldn't believe were nearly flowing out.

I'm sorry that it was all Fuu/Ferio.  I promise, I'm going to get L/H and A/U very very soon!  ^_^  Don't you just love the cliff hanger?  Anyway, if you want to know when the next chapter will be up just send me an email at ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com.  Ja ne!


	14. Last Hope

Chapter 14:

_Last Hope_

By Demosthenes 

As long as we have hope, we have direction, the energy to move, and the map to move by. We have a hundred alternatives, a thousand paths and an infinity of dreams. Hopeful, we are halfway to where we want to go; hopeless, we are lost forever. 

Hong Kong proverb 

Disclaimer: I do not own Rayearth.  And I envy those who do.

Author's Note:  Ehm.  To be quite honest with you, there was a little voice in the back of my head that urged me to abandon fanfiction completely and settle for my original pieces, which I do not post on fanfiction.net.  However, I kept getting emails from people asking me to continue with it.  So I suppose the public wins.  Not only that; however, for some reason that has inspired me to continue with fanfiction.  Thanks.  ^_^

            The dungeon where she sat was cool, but the condition of her heart made it seem bitterly cold.  The anger that had flushed across Ferio's face earlier as realization swept over him was more than Fuu could hope to bear.  And now the image of that moment could not seem to leave her mind at peace.  Clef had wasted no time in locking her up in the dungeon, far from the prince once he recognized her as a slayer.  His grasp around her arm had been hard, and several times Fuu had fallen to her feet as he dragged her to the dark prison located in the lower legions of the castle.  But the most caustic part was when she watched through eyes blurred from tears as Ferio turned his back on her when Clef started to take her away.  The emerald-eyed prisoner hugged her knees to her chest, trying to ease her sobs.

*     *      *

"Light shall soon banish the darkness," he thought, hugging his cloak over his shoulders.  Their arrival at the Vampire Castle was imminent, and even one as experienced as himself found his body shuddered at the prospect.

"So this is the chaos into which we sent them to," his companion stated squinting at the darkness of the dense forest.

"They'll make it," a female voice added, "They're tough."

*     *     *

For some reason unknown to him, a feeling of danger overtook Lantis.  Something had happened, but he could not possibly discern what.  This inkling pushed him beyond any doubt that he should try to preserve the life of the redhead.  Thrill rumbled through his body; it seemed the excitement he had always hoped for was finally here.  "He knows," Lantis stated.

Hikaru blinked, "What do you mean he knows?"

"Who knows?" Umi inquired, confused.

Lantis looked away, measuring the weight of the words he was about to utter, "Clef.  Clef knows that you are Slayers.  And if we don't act, then the consequences shall not turn out favorable on your behalf."

Umi shuddered, "Slayers?  Whatever do you mean…"  

Hikaru silenced her, "No, Umi, it is no use playing these games.  This Clef is not one to be duped by the legerdemain of mere humans.  It seems we're dealing with powers that exceed our own."  Lantis closed his eyes and nodded, mentally applauding her wisdom.

"Hikaru, we must leave now.  I feel danger is near," Lantis stated, pulling the keys out.  He headed towards the door, and indicated with his hand for Hikaru and Umi to follow.  Without hesitation, Hikaru walked over to his side, her eyes shining with newborn strength.

"WAIT ONE SECOND HERE!" Umi cried as she watcher her companion stand next to the vampire, "How do we know that he isn't tricking us into a confession and then sending us to our doom?"

Hikaru sighed, and considered the question.  She squirmed slightly at the idea, but then stood straight when she opened her mouth to answer, "It seems that we have no choice, Umi.  At least this way, there's a glimmer of hope that we might be able to get through this.  I would prefer to go with Lantis than to wait around here for Clef."

The words rang through Lantis's ears, and settled into his heart.  The girl preferred coming with him instead waiting for Clef.  "A compliment?" he thought, "No… just a last struggle to survive."  But part of him still wanted to think that perhaps, just perhaps, this human girl and him would reach some level of understanding with each other.  He put the key into the lock and opened the door, but what he saw was not what he expected to see.

"Hi Lantis," the robed figure stated.

As usual, I'm going to end with a pretty cliff hanger.  ^_^  Please be nice and leave a review.  


	15. No Regrets

Disclaimer: I do own Magic Knight Rayearth.

Author's Note: I'm going to keep this short and sweet so you guys can get to the important part – the story.  Gomen for taking so long.  You can still email me at ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com to leave any comments or criticism.

**_Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable._**

**_Sydney J. Harris_**

"Ascot?" Lantis stated, slightly shocked, "What are you doing here?  Sir Clef told me to come and keep an eye on these two slayers… there's no reason for you to be here…"  He secretly motioned for Hikaru and Umi to sit back down in case Ascot suspected anything.

"Lantis…" Ascot began, "Do you really think it's fair?"

Lantis blinked, "What are you talking about?"  He wanted to cling to the hope that perhaps Ascot was thinking along the same lines that he was.  

Ascot shrugged timidly, "Is it fair that these two girls be killed without… a word?  I mean, I have heard often that humans will train children to become slayers from the day that they can crawl… is it fair, then, to kill these girls for what has been sown into their souls from their childhood?  Don't they deserve a chance to really see that we are not what humans make us out to be?"

Lantis stared at him, mouth slightly agape, "You are aware that what you speak is treason."

Ascot closed his eyes and shrugged, "To allow my heart to be locked up within these cold stone walls without protest is treason."

Lantis smiled, "Then, I'm glad that you will assist me in doing what I was about to do."

Ascot's eyes flew open, "Then, you were going to save them too?"

"Ok, ok!" Umi exclaimed, "I know you two want to spend all day bickering about your heroics, but if we go on like this, we'll be dead by the time you two decide that we should leave!"  

Hikaru blushed slightly at Umi's sudden outburst, "I believe what Umi means is that we better be on our way before you two are caught helping us."

Ascot and Lantis nodded in agreement.

*     *     *

Ferio sat in his room, sulking.  Dawn was imminent, he knew, but sleep did not encumber his eyelids.  He couldn't stop thinking about Lorraine, or rather, Fuu and the way that she had so eagerly protested the accusations he had set against her.  "Are they all trained to be so convincing?" he thought, "Do they learn how to make tears flow like that…?"  He let out a small sigh.  "I suppose the only way to be really sure about her purpose is to go and speak to her," he said aloud to himself.  Ferio pulled himself up and walked slowly towards the dungeon, knowing well enough that if Clef caught him, he would be adequately railed.  

*    *    *

            When she first heard the soft pattering of feet hitting stone, she thought it was her imagination.  But as the rustling noises grew louder, hope began to fill her heart.  She quickly replaced the hope with fear, lest she be disappointed.  "It could be that man coming to have me killed," she whimpered softly.  "Or it could be Hikaru and Umi coming to save me," she added as an afterthought.  She shivered slightly, pulling her knees to her chest.  Perhaps if she strained her mind hard enough, she could make herself disappear.

"Fuu?" the voice was stern, yet contained gentleness mingled with curiosity.  

Fuu looked up quickly, and through the dark that blanketed the dungeon, she could make out a figure standing outside her cell.  "Who is it?" she asked softly, hoping her imagination wasn't teasing her.

"It's me.  Ferio," the Vampire Prince replied, "I wanted to talk to you."

Fuu's heart skipped a beat while she thought, "He wants to talk!"  She could hear him squirming restlessly.  

"Fuu, why did you come here?" he asked softly and reluctantly.  His breathing was heavy, heavy and sweet to her distressed ears.

"Oh Ferio…" Fuu sighed, "You had to ask such.  But this time, I'll tell you the truth.  We… I mean, I… was sent to kill you.  But… I've noticed that you're not as bad as they make you out to be.  And as of now, I have no intention of taking your life."

Ferio frowned and then smiled, "Well, that's a relief.  I suppose."

"I'll understand if you still want to keep me in this dungeon.  I would fear for my life if someone came to kill me," Fuu replied.

"Can you bear it until night comes again?  The sun is rising soon, and if I let you out now, I won't be able to make sure that Clef doesn't catch you."

Fuu smiled warmly, "You mean that you won't be able to keep an eye on me.  Well, very well, I suppose I'll be able to bear one night in this despicable place.  After all, I am a big tough slayer."  She stretched out in the cell, slightly relieved.

"Tomorrow, then?" Ferio asked while leaving.

Fuu closed her eyes and whispered softly, "Yes, tomorrow."

There it is!  ^_^  I hope everyone enjoyed.  Be nice and leave a review.  : P You don't have to if you don't want to, but the reviews are what keep me going!

P.S.  Sailor Moon Fans may want to check out The Pirate and the Princess, another AU fic that I'm doing while I do this one.


	16. Shattered Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth.  I do own this plot, though.  

Author's note: I think this chapter is the precursor to the climax of the story.  There are a few interesting developments.  For those of you who missed the Ferio/Fuu angst, here it is, and a bit more is on the way.  I didn't have any intentions of waving a magic wand and making it 'all better' immediately.  Though I do have to let you know ahead of time, I like happy endings.  Well, bitterly happy ones.  Sad happy ones too.  I just want to keep everyone guessing!  ^_^  Additional comments can be sent to ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com.  

Chapter 16: Shattered Hope 

"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

-Anonymous 

The sleep that overtook Ferio was not as rejuvenating as he hoped it would be.  In fact, when he woke up the next night, he found that all his muscles were aching from lethargy.  He lay still in the coffin, pondering what he was about to do.  "I promised her I would free her," he muttered to himself, "but what if she kills me as soon as she's out?  These slayers have been trained to feign innocence…all slayers are my enemy."  He sat up, staring out through his window into the endless night sky.  He knew somewhere over the mountains were the human cities, and somewhere in those cities, people were waiting for these slayers to come home with his head.  Ferio closed his eyes, "I'm sorry, Fuu, but you can't go home.  I'm sorry it has to be this way, that fate be so cruel to both of us.  But you are my enemy, and I am yours.  And this is the way it has to be."

The prince pulled himself out of the coffin and decided to go speak to Clef.  After all, an execution time had to be set.

*     *     *

She didn't know what time it was, but it seemed as if she had sat on the cold stone floor for eternity.  A small whimper escaped her lips, "What if he doesn't come for me?"  She remembered his story about his sister and their former world.  She remembered the fact that it was the death of Zagato that had caused all this happened.  Then, she recalled that she was the one responsible for his death.  "It was Hikaru, Umi, and I that did it."  She wanted to scream.  "Oh, Ferio, if you knew, would you still free me?"  Fuu shook her head and wiped the tears crystallizing in her eyes.  And then she looked about her.  It was a cold prison for her both physically and mentally.  Cold and empty, like the caustic feeling that gnawed mercilessly at her soul.  She stood up and gently stroked the bars of the cell, trying to embrace and banish the coldness at the same time.  It was impossible, as impossible as a slayer loving a vampire.  And it was at that moment that Fuu did something she had sworn never to do.  She abandoned all hope.

*     *      *

The three of them could see the vampire castle looming over the horizon.  

"I hope Fuu is ok," the female stated, worry saturating her voice, "I could never forgive myself if she were hurt because of a mission I sent her on."

"We're always throwing them into the clutches of danger," the younger male responded, "I'm sure they'll survive this one just like they survived all the other missions.  This time; however, we'll back them up just in case."

"What exactly is the plan?" the female voice inquired.

"We're going to kill them all.  Get rid of this nuisance now, and get our girls out of there.  This will be the last battle against the vampires, and we'll be victorious.  They don't stand a chance against our new weapons," the elder male answered.

"Pity we developed this new technology after they had already set off…"

*     *     *

Lantis wished that he had the ability of staying out during the day, since their escape would have been easier when everyone was asleep.  He had considered just giving the two girls the keys and allowing them to leave on their own, but a selfish part of him wanted to go with her.  Wanted to be able to gaze into those ruby eyes one last time, to see the gratitude welling up within those bright orbs.  He led the way, with the red head following him, and behind her lagged the blue haired girl.  Behind the girl with the abnormally long hair walked Ascot, whose proximity to the sapphire-eyed slayer was surprising.  Well at least, he thought it was a surprise; Ascot always struck him as a shy vampire.  His hair hid his eyes, but when they were visible, there was an unidentifiable longing in them.  It was as if he had never acclimated to the air of this new world, to its feel, to its food.  "Food," he thought, shaking his head.  He hated drinking blood.  They all did.  They weren't the monsters everyone depicted them as.  If only the human world understood.  If only **she **understood.  "I am not unlike yourself," he desired to say.  But instead, he remained reticent, taking an odd comfort within the cradle of silence.  His feet moved quickly through corridor after corridor.  There was the temptation to take the short cut, but too many people would be traveling through it at that time of night.  

Hikaru watched his every movement, amazed that there was no fear in his face.  He was helping them, though they were his mortal enemies, and yet there was no fear!  Not even a fear of being caught.  She found it remarkable.  "Perhaps they can hide their emotions very well," she thought, "Or maybe he's leading us astray.  Maybe he's tricking us.  But then, he would still show some sign of being nervous.  I suppose only time will tell his intentions."

They were almost there.  Ascot knew it because he had taken this route many times.  Circuitous as it was, it was quiet and out of the way, allowing him to arrange his thoughts without outside noise.  But this time, he wasn't traveling the path alone; this time, he was with Lantis, who was acting much bolder than he had ever seen him act before.  "And this time, there are those two girls," he thought, almost smirking to himself.  Something about the energy of the blue haired one intrigued him.  She seemed vain in a way, and yet, so helpless; the redhead seemed to have greater mettle, while the other seemed to beg for someone to protect her.  "How did something so beautiful and fragile get a job hunting vampires, I wonder," he mulled.  And despite that, it seemed that she pushed on, even though the fear in her eyes were as visible as stars in the country sky.

Umi followed Hikaru, wondering whether this would be the last place she would ever see.  Her heart worried about Fuu, even though she knew she was in danger herself.  "I'm not as selfish as I seem," she thought, feeling that she'd rather have herself suffer through peril while Fuu was safe.  Fuu and Hikaru.  They were like sisters to her, and she valued their lives even more every day.  

Lantis stopped and listened.  He could hear the rustling of the wind, which meant they were almost outside.  They would be safe outside, if only they could sprout wings and fly away with their eyes glittering in the starlight, then everything would be perfect.  He would make one last request of her before she left.  It would be a selfish request, but it was something that had to be said.  He was tired of living this life.  He wasn't a monster and resented having to live under the shadow of such a deplorable name.  "Yes," he thought, "I think I will."  Lantis would ask her to free him from this miserable life.    

I think that's a good place to end it there.  I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review!


	17. Tears of the Fallen Angel

Disclaimer: I do not own MKR. 

Author's note: The question of the day, or I suppose, the question of the week is this: if this series ends in such a manner that a sequel is necessary, would you read it?  The first season of MKR, after all, ended in a way that left us all agape.  I won't reveal any more details, but I think you'll enjoy how the whole two pieces (should it be popular enough for a second) is going to end.

Chapter 17: Tears of the Fallen Angel 

**_"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another."_**

**_~Luciano de Crescenzo_**

Fuu did not have to be told that her death was near.  In fact, when she saw Ferio walking down those winding steps to the dungeon, Fuu could tell by the anger flickering in his eyes, not that fact that Clef was behind him, that the end was imminent.  Clef had changed his robes, it seemed, and now his clothes were a deep scarlet, so that he shone as bright as the blood that the vampires drank.  Fuu sat there on the cold ground, her hands tightly clinging to the bars, for fear, for life.  Clef's eyes did not once meet hers as he opened the door of her cell, but Ferio's did.  The raging passion of anger that glowed from his eyes were enough to burn her heart, and she wished that he hadn't looked at her at all. 

"Come on," Clef spoke with a coolness that froze the heart burned by Ferio's eyes.  Fuu nodded weakly, getting up. 

"If I am to die now… then at least, then at least Ferio deserves the truth.  Maybe then, his heart will be at peace," Fuu thought as she stumbled toward Clef and Ferio.  "May I have a word with Ferio…alone?" Fuu accosted, her eyes holding back tears.

Clef looked skeptical, and he gazed sternly at Ferio, knowing that the Prince would have the final word.

"No," Ferio answered.

"I beg of you!" Fuu cried, the tears spilling over.  Her voice was desperate and soft, her fists clenched in determination.

Ferio looked slightly perturbed, "My answer, is no.  You have no right-"

"You must," Fuu interrupted, brandishing an audacity she didn't know she had.

"Fine.  Five minutes," Ferio replied, shooing Clef away with his right hand.  Clef nodded solemnly and glided up the stairs.  "Now, human, what is it?"

"It was us," Fuu stated more tears slipping down her cheeks, "Your sister's lover…"

Ferio's eyes widened in horror as he quickly jumped to conclusions.  He grabbed her wrist tightly.

She felt her cheeks burn as hot as the hand around her wrist; she felt her heart close itself as tightly as his grip.  

"Who are they?" Ferio barked, his every limb screaming with pain.

"No, not us.  Just me.  It was me," Fuu answered between sobs, deciding in that moment that this way, Umi and Hikaru would be cleared for life.  She would take the blame herself, and she would be the sacrifice so that Ferio was eased, and so that Umi and Hikaru could live on without these vampires on their trail.

"You," Ferio hissed, his eyes melancholic and seething.  Holding her here in front of him in anger, his memories flooded him…

*     *     *

"Are you ok?" Hikaru asked Lantis when she noticed that he had stopped, his eyes glazed in deep thought.

Lantis jumped a bit, "Yes.  Come on, we're almost there."

Hikaru nodded, "Thank you, in advance."

Lantis smiled bitterly, "Well, I suppose there is something you could do to return the favor."

"And what would that be?" Hikaru questioned, eager to help him.

"In time, I'll tell you," Lantis answered, quickening his pace.  Hikaru, Umi, and Ascot picked up their speed in turn as well.  

"I wonder what he could want," Hikaru mulled, thoughts dancing in her head like graceful ballerinas.  She looked back on Umi, whose fright was worn on her face, and then at Ascot, who seemed to be guarding Umi though she didn't know from what.  And last, she looked as Lantis, a tall handsome figure, with movements so graceful and eyes so piercing… "Stop it," she ordered her mind, but it refused to succumb.  Not with such a mettlesome man in front of her.  He had such beautiful eyes, so gorgeous that she could lose herself within them.  A labyrinth which was set for her heart.  "No," her mind screamed, while the slayers heart continued to bask in the vampire's heroics.

Umi watched Hikaru curiously.  The look on her comrade's face was one of conflict and agony, as if some internal war had overtaken Hikaru's body.  "Hikaru," she whispered.  The redhead turned to face her, her expression conveying pain.  Umi gasped at the look in her eyes, there was…love.

*      *      *

"Masaru, I see it!" Kuu shouted as they approached the entrance of the castle.

"Don't worry, little Hikaru, soon we'll be there to save you and take care of those terrible monsters," Kakeru added.

*     *     *

_"Sister!" cried the young prince, crouching next to the weak body of the supreme ruler of the vampires.  _

_"Now, now, my dear little Ferio, tears do not suit a brave boy like yourself," her voice was gentle and fading, "You must go on.  You must save this sweet race of mine, and make sure they survive the dangers of the new world."_

_"But sister!  I will punish those who killed Zagato, I will punish them on your behalf…" he cried angrily, "For you, my dear sister."_

_"No," she stated harshly, "You mustn't blame them.  They didn't know… how could they… if anyone came into our world and started using us as we did to them, we would… consider them a threat too…"_

_"No!  It's not fair!" the young Ferio screamed._

Ferio stared at Fuu.  His sister showed too much mercy, and it was mercy that decimated her, that sent her to her doom.  He would not be destroyed.  

Well, I love cliffhangers, don't you?  All additional comments can be sent to ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com.  Please review.  ^_^


	18. The Hour of Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own MKR.

Author's note: Many of you probably thought I abandoned this fic.  And perhaps, I was considering it.  But I kept getting reviews long after the last chapter had been written, and I began to feel… guilty.  So, I've been inspired to continue, especially since we're coming near the end.  My guess at how much is left?  Hm… I will probably end it all before reaching chapter Twenty-five.  That actually seems like a lot, but considering that this is number eighteen, it's really not.  So enjoy.  And email all additional comments to ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com.  Please R and R!

The Hour of Truth 

**__**

_How dreadful the truth can be when there is no hope in the truth. _

_~Sophocles_

**__**

Umi tried not to gasp. But yet, how could she not? What could she say to the look in Hikaru's eyes? What could she say to the look of trust she was giving to this man? This vampire. A gaze that more than anything else, reflected adoration. Umi shook her head. Perhaps she was only imagining. Yes, that had to be the case. The stress of all the past events had aggregated into this - a delusion. She looked over at Ascot. If she could keep her eyes off of Hikaru, it would go away. Surely it would. She dared not think otherwise. Ascot's pace quickened. Something in the air had changed, but Umi couldn't tell exactly what it was. 

Ascot could feel it. The draft, it tingled his pale skin, sending shivers down his spine. They were almost out, almost outside. Almost free. The blue-eyed angel was watching him steadily, a gaze that was critical, perhaps cynical. She had no reason to trust him. And yet, she was. Perhaps it meant something. Perhaps he wanted it to mean something. The number of female vampires had steadily decreased. They were much milder, much less likely to resist a slayer's aggression. It was a sad state of matters. His race was dying, and he was directly aiding that which was killing him. But there was always that glimmer of hope within his heart. The small flame begging to be fueled by the thoughts that maybe somehow, his single act of kindness would touch the hearts of the slayers. Perchance they would tell the other humans that vampires were not as vile as they were made out to be. The war might end.  
  
The four of them were isolated from the world in that moment. Lantis was well aware of that. How else would it be possible for two vampire slayers and two vampires to walk side by side? The moment was fleeting, and when the ordeal was over, either the slayers or the vampire would lay dead. He was tired. He wanted to give up the fight. Too many times he had watched the ground watered by blood. Too many times had he seen the seething heat of revenge amplified into violence. Man and Vampire. They were more alike than different, but neither side would ever admit it.  
  
Ascot slowed down. He heard a rustle of robes mixed in with muffled voices. Instinctively, he pushed Hikaru and Umi aside, standing in front of them.  The voices grew louder, and with them came two vampires. One stood majestically composed, his silver hair falling casually into his eyes, and the other seemed quite preoccupied with chatting away.  

"Eagle," Lantis murmured.  He was half-relieved, half-upset.  If someone had to come around the corner, at least it was him.  Eagle could be trusted, but he wasn't so sure about Zazu.  

"Oh, hi Lantis!  Hi Ascot," Zazu piped up.  He came over and looked behind them, "And what are you hiding?"  

Umi could feel her face heat up as Ascot's robes brushed against her.  Her heart was in her throat when Zazu noticed them.  She was afraid; more afraid than she had ever been in her life.  The immediate reason was obvious – there was a possibility that these two vampires could catch them.  The subtle reasons was subconscious, something she was trying to deny concerning the man protecting her.

Eagle spoke, composed, "We're going to an execution."  He knew Lantis was about to inquire as to where they were going.

Lantis blinked, "Oh."

Zazu nodded enthusiastically, "They caught a slayer.  And they're going to kill her.  It'll be interesting to watch."

"Hm," Eagle muttered, clearly going only out of respect for the prince.

Umi and Hikaru felt realization sweep over them like a mighty torrent.  Hikaru's knees felt weak, her body ready to collapse.  A single word escaped her lips, "Fuu."

Umi clenched a fist and pushed back tears.  She tried to tell herself there was the possibility of it being someone else.  But there was no one else.  The location of the castle had only been given to them as far as she knew.  It had to be Fuu.

"We have to…save," Hikaru whispered, her eyes watching Eagle and Zazu steadily.

"You should come too," Zazu suggested.

"The ladies wouldn't enjoy it," Ascot muttered, looking down.  He wanted them to leave.  The minutes were inching along lethargically, daring to become eternity.  

"He's right," Eagle concurred, "Come on, Zazu, let's go."  And with that, the two of them disappeared down the corridor.

"That was close," Ascot sighed.  When he turned to look at the slayers; however, he noted how their expressions had changed drastically.  There was determination.  But it wasn't determination to leave immediately; it was something else.  

"We have to go," Umi stated, "We have to."  Hikaru nodded in agreement.

"I don't understand," Lantis answered, "We're almost…we're almost outside.  You can go then."

"They're going to execute Fuu!" Umi cried out, the tears spilling over.

Ascot and Lantis glanced at each other.

"Who is Fuu?" Ascot asked, gently patting Umi's back reassuringly.

"Fuu is like a sister to us.  She's one of us.  The mildest, the sweetest.  She wouldn't hurt anyone.   Honestly, she wouldn't.  We can't… let them execute her," Hikaru replied, wiping the water from her eyes before it dared to flow down in rivulets.

"But how can you be sure…" Ascot started.

"She was lost on the way here.  It must be her.  It must be.  We have no choice in our hearts.  We are going to save her," Umi managed to choke out between sobs.  

Lantis closed his eyes.  Clef and Ferio would hear of their betrayal eventually.  There was no use leaving the job half done.  "We'll help you."  Ascot nodded solemnly, understanding.  "But you have to promise… that you'll remember this.  You'll remember that not all vampires are the scum of the earth."  

Hikaru frowned, "Yes of course."  And before she could stop herself, she embraced Lantis in gratitude.    
  


*     *     *

"I don't want to waste any more time, Clef," Ferio seemed to be using all his self-control to keep from ending Fuu's life himself.  "Put a binding spell on her, and I'll take care of it."  As he spoke, Eagle and Zazu entered the room.  The two bowed simultaneously.  Ferio nodded and gestured for them to come over.  

Clef came over and muttered a few words, and Fuu could feel her body grow stiff.  She felt so empty inside, like a lifeless shell.  Her cocoon was smothering her.  Her lips wouldn't move to form the words she wanted to say.  She wanted to apologize one last time.  She wanted it more than she had wanted anything else.

Ferio brushed her hair back.  There was no use wasting a good meal.

*    *    *

They knew they had arrived.  The castle stood before them, tall and daunting, but their courage and determination was greater.  

"Come on," Kuu stated breaking the front door open with a silver-tipped sword, "There's no time to lose."

More Cliff hanging, but I'll try to update more often now.  Try is the clue word.  If you want an email alert when I update, just email me at ladydemosthenes9@yahoo.com and tell me so.  ^_^  Until next time.  Remember to review.  ^_^


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Magic Knight Rayearth/魔法騎士レイアース, Fantasy, Romance