Escaflowne 1. Prologue

I don't own Escaflowne nor do I own Vampire Princess Miyu so no suing me.  
  
This just be the prologue so the real action will be a comin later so don't worry ya'll. I'm not sure when I'll be updatin caz I just thought of this like at 4:30am this morning. If ya have seen Vampire Princess Miyu then ya know where I might be goin with this and if ya will be so kind as 2 give me advise 2 where 2 go with this. I love advice. Advice is welcome from everyone!!! If ya haven't seen Vampire Princess Miyu no worries!! Ya will understand this story and will enjoy it quite well. Hopefully.  
  
plez review when ya done readin and tell me what ya think. Thanx!  
  
Flame me if ya want BUT however ya flame me I'll flame ya right back!!! Good and hard!!! So w/e ya have 2 say I'm listenin! Bring it on!!! FLAMES WELCOME!!!!  
The Shinma's Attack  
  
Prologue  
It's been 2 years since the girl Hitomi Kanzaki returned from Gaea, 2 sad, painfully, long years. When Hitomi first went to Gaea and met Van and the others, never in her whole life had she been so happy. On Gaea she made true friends for the first time in her life, she finally understood what love and friendship was, and maybe had fallen in love.  
  
Yes, Gaea had really shown Hitomi a whole new way of life; they helped her understand that there is more to life than pain, sadness, and death. But when it was time for her to return home she wasn't happy, but didn't show it on her face to Van or anyone really while she was on Gaea; and if anyone did catch her with a sad look on her face she would quickly make up something and if they didn't believe her and kept asking her what was wrong she would never answer them.  
  
Hitomi wished that she could have stayed in Gaea with Van forever, but she knew that could never be. When Hitomi was talking with Van one night about each other's families Hitomi had lied about hers. Hitomi didn't have a father, a mother, or a little brother nor a family. She had no one. Not even friends, Amano and Yukari weren't even real friends to her in the first place. They were just.there. They never did truly care for her own well being.  
  
Hitomi hated to lie to Van like that, but what could she do? What else could she say? She couldn't tell Van! She could never tell Van what she really was; she could never tell Van that she wasn't even human! That she stays alive by killing humans and feeding on there blood! She could never tell Van that she was a shinma! A demon of the darkness. Demon of hell.  
  
Yes. Hitomi Kanzkai was indeed a shinma, but not just any shinma, a vampire shinma. Whenever Hitomi could she would sneak away from Van and the others and look for animals to feed on instead of humans. But at times the hunger would take control of her and she would attack some helpless human and then dump the body so no one would know of what she was. Besides the animal blood wasn't enough, she needed human blood to stay strong and alive. Animal blood wasn't helping her much.  
  
Hitomi felt so ashamed every time she did that, but that was the life of a shinma. Shinma's stay alive by killing humans or that's how most do. Some stay alive just by taking advantage of a human's heart, fears, or greatest desires. There are even some shinma's though very few, that don't even need to feed on humans to stay alive. But still they do cause trouble that can be most fatal.  
  
It goes to show that humans and shinma's can't live in the same world together, for only disaster will come. A shinma's very presences can cause death and pain to a human just because.the shinma is there. Shinma's can do that because they were born from the darkness and are evil beings that have no love in they're hearts. At least there not suppose to.  
  
Hitomi was just like every other shinma, cold, heartless, doesn't care who lives or dies. But when she met Van he helped her open up her heart to other's, help her see the world from a different view. That was the first time that someone showed her true friendship and kindness.  
  
Later after that she learned to love, then leaned to love him. Van. But it could never be. She could not stay on Gaea for she would only bring more disaster and for her love towards Van she would leave Gaea and spare him of all the trouble. She would do it just for him. Him. Van. Van deserved all the happiness that he could get; he didn't need any more trouble. So she left. Hitomi left him.  
  
Now 2 years have gone by and Hitomi is just as miserable as you can be. She lives a human life by day and shinma by night doing what every shinma does, taking advantage of a human and using them to there own advantages and making sure that they don't get caught by the Guardian.  
  
The Guardian. the one person that every shinma hates. The Guardian is a shinma that tracks down other shinma's mainly known as stray shinma's and sends the strays back to where they belong, the darkness. Shinma's like Hitomi will slip out of the darkness once in awhile and cause disaster wherever they go and it's up to the Guardian to send the strays back to the darkness.  
  
The Guardian is said to be a teenager and will remain as one forever until all the stray shinma's are sent back to the darkness, giving the Guardian forever to find every shinma.  
  
Hitomi knows of the Guardian and tries her hardest not to be found out. For if she was discovered then she wouldn't be able to return to Gaea someday like she hopped. She still had strong feelings for Van and would do anything for him. Hitomi knows that if she wishes hard enough she can go to Gaea, but while she is wishing she will give out many energy signs that she was there and the guardian would be there in a flash. Even if she wasn't caught by the Guardian, in Gaea she would bring disaster to the world with her poison her very presences.  
  
That was the only reason why she has not yet return to Van. Van. Van. `Van, I miss you so much.` Was all that Hitomi thought. Little did she know that there was a new evil about to arise from the shadows that will threaten the entire world of Gaea. 


	2. The Begining

Thank ya 2 all who reviewed! ^^  
  
The Shinma's Attack  
  
Chapter 1  
On a cold night in Gaea Van was standing outside on his balcony staring up at the 2 moons that hang in the sky while holding a pendent with a pink shaped tear drop stone on a gold chain in his hand and thinking about the girl that lived there as a light breeze blows against him. Hitomi.  
  
That name never left his mind; it kept repeating it's self in his head like a broken record player. How he longed to see her again just to hear her voice, see her sparkling green eyes, see her smile. Van still wished that he had told Hitomi how he really felt when he had the chance, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Now he was regretting for never telling her and for letting her go back home without telling her in the first place. "Hitomi, I hope you're happy there." Van whispered to himself as he remembered when he first met Hitomi.  
  
Van remembered her always staying in the shadows and never saying anything, only replying to people who spoke to her with a small nod or shaking her head slowly or mainly just not saying anything. She seemed so sad and lonely; at first Van thought it was because he had brought her to his world and she was upset about it. But then as time went on he came to think that it might be something else. He went to her room one night and found her on the floor crying her eyes out like a small child. She wouldn't tell him anything when he tried to comfort her. All he really got from her was "No. It's nothing really. I'm okay."  
  
But Van wasn't about to give up until he got a good enough answer. He could tell by her voice and by the loneliness that could easily be seen in her eyes that she was upset about something. She spoke in the lowest, saddest voice he had ever heard. He would do whatever it takes to find out what was wrong till finally she spoke "Van! Please! It's nothing really. I..oh..!" Hitomi put her head in hands as more tears came down.  
  
"It's okay Hitomi, you can tell me. What's wrong?" Van had said in a gentle voice while putting a supporting arm around her shoulders trying to calm her down.  
  
"..I..I'm just not happy. I'm just never happy!"  
  
With that said Van was determined to change all that and so he did. He spent more time with Hitomi and did his best to try and cheer her up and try to talk to her about why she was so sad. But Hitomi never wanted to talk about it so Van let it go. "When Hitomi is ready she'll tell me." He thought. "Besides whatever the reason it must really be bad if she doesn't want to talk about it."  
  
Hitomi never did tell Van why she was upset, but did in fact change her mood. She became more active and talkative. Van even found himself liking her more and more as each day went by. Hitomi was really just something else. If Van only knew how right he was on that. Suddenly someone burst through Van's bedroom door yelling at the top of they're lungs.  
  
"Vaaan-samaaa!! Vaaan-samaaa!!"  
  
Turning his gaze from the Mystic Moon he soon felt someone pulling on his arm.  
  
"Whoa Merle! Calm down! Your going to pull my arm off if you don't let go of me! What's wrong?"  
  
Van's gaze soon met the teary blue eyes of Merle who stopped pulling on Van's arm, but kept a firm grip on him like her life depended on it. Merle had changed in the past 2 years, but not much she still was the same Merle at heart. Merle's pink hair was a little longer than before, it went down a little passed her shoulders, she was taller now so she could now see over Van's shoulder. Merle wore a dress that went down to her ankles and had short sleeves and it was the same color orange like the little dress she wore 2 years ago when Hitomi was around; and as always she had her ruby red nail file hanging around her neck.  
  
"Oh Lord Van it was terrible! You must come quick!"  
  
Van put a gentle hand on the cat-girl's shoulder. "Merle, relax! Just calm down and tell me what happened."  
  
"Van-sama! There was another attack!"  
  
Van's eyes widen in shock. "There what?! What was it this time?!"  
  
"In the training room, two guards were sword fighting and then...and then!!" Merle began to choke up more tears.  
  
"It's okay Merle! Tell me! What happened?"  
  
"While they were fighting!! It was so fast Lord Van!! They didn't know what hit them!! I was passing by and I saw it!! This.thing!!...This shadow came out of the wall and opened it's mouth and swallowed them whole!! I heard it laughing and the men's screams!! I could see them struggling to get out of there, but it was no use!! What's happening Van-sama?! What are these strange creatures that keep attacking us?!! I'm so scared Lord Van!!"  
  
Van pulled Merle into a tight embrace trying to calm her down. For about a month there have been strange attacks happening everywhere in Gaea and everyone is in a state of panic. There were creatures or most likely demons that no one has ever seen before attacking people without warning or mercy and no one can put a stop to it. Not even an entire army, for that was proven when Basaram was attacked. The demon was only 1 man and when the army charged him the man raised his arms high in the air and in the blink of an eye every man, but the demon was dead. Right after that an army of guymelefs were on him and they too in a blink of an eye were dead. "It's ok now Merle. It's over. Does the council know of this attack?"  
  
Merle sniffed before replying. "No. Not yet. I came running to you first. But they might know now because others heard the screams and I ran pass people headed to the training room on my way over here."  
  
"You did good Merle. I'm just glad that you're all right. No one is really safe anymore. I'm going to a meeting with the council to try and figure out what's happening and who's doing this and why. I want you to relax now understand?"  
  
"Yes, Van-sama."  
  
"Good. Go find the council and tell them I request a meeting at once."  
  
"Yes Van-sama, but just promise me that you'll be careful. You never know when another could strike."  
  
"I will Merle and you do the same."  
  
With that the cat-girl licked/kissed Van on the cheek and left the room. Van turned his gaze back to the Mystic Moon and went in deep thought. It didn't make any sense at all. All of Gaea was at peace till the attacks began. Why was this happening? Why now all of a sudden? Who was doing this? How can we stop this? What are these demon-like creatures? Where do they come from? Those were the questions that all of Gaea wanted to know, but mainly it was how to stop the attacks. An army of men and guymelefs had no effect on them what so ever so what else could be done to put a stop to this?  
  
"Hitomi, I'm so glad that you're not here right now. Things aren't safe on Gaea anymore with the attacks. I'm glad you're home. For I'm sure you're a lot safer and happier there than you would have been here."  
  
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Truth was Hitomi wasn't happy nor was she safe. Even before she ever went to Gaea she was never safe nor was she happy. The Guardian was still out and about hunting for stray shinmas'. Oh how Hitomi hated the Guardian! Even when Van showed her kindness on Gaea and taught her how to understand human feelings, for that is something that shinmas' can never understand; but Van somehow helped her understand and it made her change her ways. However when Hitomi returned home, her wicked ways returned to her and she went back to being the shinma that she was born to be. Attacking humans and draining them of there blood, taking advantage of a human's heart and using it for her own evil desires. Even when Van had taught her how to love it still could not change her way of life. Evil, hate, pain, death, sorrow, was the life of a shinma. And the person who she hated most of all like other shinmas' was the Guardian!  
  
The Guardian! A shinmas' worse nightmare! Everyday a shinma had to watch every move they make. The slightest thing could get the Guardian on they're trail and before they know it they will be back in the darkness to once they came. And for some unlucky shinmas' they never get the chance to make it back to the darkness alive. For sometimes in the process of sending a shinma back to the darkness it can kill them if enough power is used.  
  
Hitomi could never allow the Guardian catch on to her. For Van's sake she could never allow it! What would he do if he ever found out that he would never see her again? That she had been sent into the darkness to remain there forever? Or that she had been killed in the process of her being sent back to the darkness? Or! What would he do, what would he say if he ever found out that she was a shinma? That was the only thing that Hitomi never wanted to think about. She was afraid of what the answer might be. Afraid. Afraid that Van would turn on her if he knew.  
  
It was a warm night in Tokyo, Japan with a bright full moon high in the night sky a perfect night for hunting. Hitomi stood in the shadows behind a back ally waiting for her prey to come along. Hitomi hadn't changed at all. She still had light brown, short boyish hair and wore the same light tan color school uniform that she went to Gaea in.  
  
As much as Hitomi hated it, she still went to school with other human teenagers. Hitomi really had no reason to go to school in the first place for she was never going to use the things they taught her there. The only reason she went to school was to blend in with her surroundings and make it easier for her to hide from the Guardian.  
  
A few more moments had passed when suddenly a teenage girl with short brown hair, wearing the same school uniform as Hitomi, and looked to be about the same age that she was, was headed her way. Hitomi looked to be about the age of 17, but in truth she was over 100 years old. That was the up side of being a shinma, for you can remain a teenager forever and never grow up. But still a shinma would die eventually, but that is another reason why shinmas' prey on humans; it helps shinmas' stay alive much longer than they normally would. Which is 1,000 years or more. Or even less.  
  
As the girl got closer Hitomi's hunger grew even more with each step her prey took. When finally the girl was close enough Hitomi stepped out of the shadows just as the girl was passing by. With half of her body still hidden in the shadows and the other half out so people could see her she spoke.  
  
"Hey girl. What are you doing out at this time of night? It's not safe." Said Hitomi in a calm, low, emotionless voice. "You looking for something?"  
  
The girl with short brown hair stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Hitomi.  
  
"Oh? Well um no not really. I just came from the library and I'm now on my way home. I lost track of time so I'm a bit late."  
  
"Oh. I see. Were you studying for finals?"  
  
"Yes I was. How'd you guess?"  
  
"Just a hunch. If you're studying for finals people often lose track of time. It happens to everyone."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right now that I think about it. Hey, look I gotta go I'm already late as it is, but I see that you're wearing the same school uniform as me so maybe I'll see ya around sometime at school okay? Later." The girl then turned and then went on her way leaving Hitomi with an evil grin creeping across her lips.  
  
"No girl. Ya see ya won't be seeing me around. Hell ya won't being seeing anyone else around ever again!" Before the girl had the chance to do anything, using her quick speed Hitomi ran up to the girl and grabbed her, holding her so she couldn't get away. Then once the girl's neck was moved to the side Hitomi snaked her fangs into her neck violently and began to drain her of all her blood. It was warm, rich, and bitter. Just the way Hitomi liked it.  
  
Once she had drank every last bit of blood Hitomi let the lifeless body fall to the ground. Licking her lips she turned on her heal and walked off into the night knowing that any minute now people would soon be coming, for when she grabbed the girl she let out a scream which was loud enough to be heard from miles away. And if people were to come so was the Guardian, which was a good reason to get as far away as possible.  
  
Later that night Hitomi had wandered off into the park. It was nearly midnight and for a long while she just stood there staring up at the bright full moon thinking about the boy who taught her a new way of life. Taught her that there was more to life than just death and pain, taught her how to love and the meaning of being a friend. That boy was Van Fanel. Van. That name never left her mind, it kept repeating over and over like a broken record player. She missed him more than anything and would do anything for him. All she wanted now was to tell him how she really felt and be with him forever.  
  
But she didn't and hated herself for never telling him. But yet it was probably for the best. Van was a being who's very presences wouldn't cause the life any creature while Hitomi's would cause the entire world total chaos. She was a shinma. And that was why it could never be with Van. For who could ever a love a shinma?  
Somewhere else not to far from the attack:  
"It's a quite night wouldn't you say so Miyu?"  
  
"Yes it is Shiina. Though a bit to quite for my liking." Replied an emotionless, sad female voice.  
  
Two figures were sitting up high on a tall building gazing up at the full moon in the clear night sky. The one called Miyu was sitting with her legs hanging over the side of the building wearing a knee length white kimono with a purple sash tied around her waste into a large bow behind her back. She had long brown hair that was in a bun on the left side of her head with her hair in a brad tied with a red ribbon and wears nothing on her feet, but another red ribbon tied around her right foot. Her skin is pale and almost looks to be part of the walking dead, yet only in a very beautiful form. She has light brown eyes that sometimes will change to the color of a pale, bright yellow.  
  
The one called Shiina was different however. She has a childish type of voice, but didn't look like a child instead she looked more like a rabbit. She looked to be about a foot tall with rabbit-like ears with black on the very tips of her ears. Her ears hung from her head over to the side, all but her right ear that hung over her right eye, her large right eye. Both of her eyes were different. Her left eye was small and normal, a nice ruby red and white. But as for her right eye it was yellow with red in the center and scary looking. She had short hair all over her that was the color of a VERY light pink that could almost be mistaken for white. Her tail really didn't look like a rabbits at all. It just went all over the place pointing in different directions. The creature that was called Shiina was sitting on Miyu's lap also looking up at the full moon and gave a tired sigh before replying.  
  
"That's because the shinmas' have been active lately very strange if you ask me. It wasn't easy catching on to a shinmas' whereabouts, but now all of a sudden they keep on popping up. For some reason they have become more active. You think there all up to something Miyu?"  
  
The brown haired girl's gaze never left the moon as she began to stroke Shiina's back. "No. That's not what shinmas' do. Shinmas' only look out for them selves and rarely ever help anyone else. They already have enough problems to deal with and don't want to have to worry about anyone else's problems."  
  
"That is true." Shiina said as she closed her eyes. "But you never know when a shinma will appear all of a sudden and out of the blue cause some major damage."  
  
"I know Shiina. But that is why I am here. It is my duty as a Guardian to stop shinmas' from doing harm and return them to the darkness. It's my destiny. My fate."  
  
This wasn't the first time Shiina has heard Miyu talk of this and it sure wouldn't be the last. Shiina knows of what pain and sorrow Miyu has faced being a Guardian and knows that as time goes on she will have more to face. Miyu never wanted to be a Guardian; she never wanted to have this fate. Now that she is a Guardian her fate, her destiny is to be alone. Alone. All alone forever. Never to lead a normal life or much of a happy one.  
  
When Miyu was growing up she didn't know that she was a shinma, a shinma vampire princess at the most. Her father was a Guardian and her mother a human. She didn't know her father very well especially since he died when she was very young. Her mother never really talked of him much to Miyu and she could never understand why until that one night when she discovered everything.  
  
Miyu had learned of what her father was, of what she really was and that she was to become the new Guardian. On the same night that she became the guardian an evil shinma had attacked and killed her mother and everyone else that had been secretly protecting her until it was time for her to wake up and become the Guardian. The shinma that attacked knew of what Miyu was and wasn't about to let there be a new Guardian let lose to send stray shinmas' back to the darkness. The shinma that attacked was the first shinma that Miyu had sent back into the darkness.  
  
After that night Miyu had been alone ever sense having no friends and no family. It wasn't after a long time that she met Shiina and later Larva who was a former stray western shinma. Larva came from the western world to take over Japan and to establish the power of shinma, but was stopped by Miyu and is now Miyu's loyal, faithful, servant and most of all her special friend.  
  
(A/N Larva is said as Lava. The R in Larva is silent just thought I should tell ya.)  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
The quite night was suddenly shattered with a shrill scream over the city pulling Miyu and Shiina out of they're thoughts.  
  
"Holy cow! Sounds like someone is in trouble!" Shiina had said as she raised her right ear reveling her right eye and gazed out over the city. Shiina's right eye had special powers that could help her located certain people or shinmas' if needed. Shiina's eye can also give her information on shinmas' and anything else she may need info on.  
  
Shiina looked around in every direction while using her senses trying to pick up the cause of the scream then finally stopped and faced towards the left. "I've got something Miyu! There's a shinma at work here, about 7 miles that way!"  
  
Without a word Miyu removed Shiina from her lap and placed her down at her side and quickly stood up and hurried away in the direction Shiina had said was the place where the shinma would be.  
  
When Miyu arrived at the scene about a minute later she found a young girls body laying on the ground with her tan, dull eyes wide open plainly showing pure terror in her eyes. She also noticed that she had two bite marks on her neck with some blood, stains on them. Miyu bent down to the girl to get a better look at the marks on her neck and checked to see if the girl was still alive. She wasn't. Her skin had a dead pale look, all the color was gone and her skin felt cold indicating that all the blood in her body was gone.  
  
"I see that I'm not the only vampire shinma in the city, there is indeed another."  
  
"What do you plan to do about it now Miyu?" A mans voice had said.  
  
"The same thing that I always plan to do Larva." Miyu slowly stood up with her sad eyes on the girl's body and speaks in that sad, low, emotionless, voice of hers. "Send the trouble maker home. I don't like stray shinma causing trouble in my new neighborhood."  
  
The man called Larva appeared out of the shadows and right behind Miyu. He wore a midnight black, baggy cloak with a hood over his head and wore a white mask with black, thin teardrops that were upside down, each one under his eyes. He also had two more, thin black, teardrops that were right side up each above his eyes on his mask.  
  
"Any clues as to how we can catch this vampire before it strikes again?"  
  
"No. All we really can do is wait. Wait for it to show it's self and hope that we get it before it takes the life of it's next human target. Other than that we can't really do anything else, the damage is done. This human's life is gone and there's nothing we can do about it. Our job is to catch stray shinma and nothing more, we can't fix the problems that a shinma may have caused."  
  
With that said they turned and walked away into the night ready for the next time that a shinma should appear.  
  
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Back on Gaea:  
  
After Merle had informed Van's council that he wished to have a meeting she ran to her room and closed the door, locking it. She stood there for a moment in the dark with her back up against the door staring off into the darkness and taking deep breaths. It was at that moment that she felt another presence in the room.  
  
"Who's there? Show yourself!"  
  
There was no reply expect the sound of a slight laughter that could barely be heard unless of course you were a cat. The cat-girl began to walk slowly toward her bed while looking around the room for any sign of movement. "Who's there?!" Merle repeated only this time with more fear in her voice.  
  
"Your only loyal friend that's who." The voice was female and raspy and sounded almost dead and the voice spoke slowly.  
  
Merle gasped as the room suddenly became much colder and wrapped her arms around herself while still looking around in search of movement. She knew who it was that had come to haunt her, but then again she didn't. For the past 2 weeks Merle had been having this strange in counter with something of the unknown and it not only scared her, but it also gave her comfort. She didn't know why it did it just did and yet when it wasn't giving her comfort it would also bring terror and bring evil thoughts and bad memories into her mind and say such horrible things. No matter how hard Merle would try she just couldn't escape it, it just would never leave her alone like it was drawn to her by some force. Once or twice she had tried to tell Van, but whenever she tried the words would never come out and she'd suddenly forget how to speak and then she'd hear a voice inside her head laughing at her effort for help. Van was worried about his life long friend, but Merle didn't want him to worry about her well being so she told him that everything was all right and that he should just forget it. Still from time to time Van would ask if everything was all right and she would answer always the same "Yes, Lord Van! Everything is just fine stop worrying about me after all it's my job to worry about you!"  
  
Slowly Merle fell to her knees with her arms still around herself and put her back up against her bed slightly shivering. By the way things were going at the moment she could tell that tonight the unknown hadn't come to give her comfort.  
  
"You're not my friend!" Cried the cat-girl. "You never were! Go away!!"  
  
Faint laughter could be heard through out the entire room making it imposable to tell where the voice is coming from. "Ah, but you see my dearest.frieeennnnd.I am your frieeennnnd. Your only true frieeennnnnd." Came the raspy dead female voice.  
  
The cat-girl put her hands over her ears and slammed her eyes shut in hopes to drown out the voice, but it was all in vain for the voice could easily go inside her mind. "NO!! You are no friend of mine!! Van is my friend and so is Allen, Dryden, and Melerna!!"  
  
"Wrong giirrrl! Van and the rest are no friends! Allen barely even knows you, Melerna is nothing but a stuck up Princess who can't afford to waste her time on low life beast people. Dryden is a man who would waste no time or money on you and Van! If Van really cared about you like he says he does then he wouldn't have his heart stuck on some woman who isn't even here and hasn't been here for two years!"  
  
"No! Van does care about me we've known each other since we were children we're like brother and sister!"  
  
"Yes, but haven't you always wanted more from him than brotherly love? Go on and say it. You can't lie to me there isn't a thing about you that I don't know about. Say it!"  
  
Tears began to fall down Merle's face as she barely manages to answer. "Y- yes.."  
  
"And did he ever take the time to notice?"  
  
"N-no."  
  
"Then tell me what that's suppose to mean?"  
  
"That Van..Van..doesn't..doesn't.."  
  
"Van doesn't.."the voice said with a grin.  
  
"That Van doesn't care."  
  
"That's right. Now you are beginning to understand no one here in this world cares about you. No one ever has! This whole time people have been using you and you were just there. But not anymore for that is why I have come."  
  
"Why.have you.c-come?"  
  
"To be you're friend that's why. To help you make it through all this pain and suffering. I'm here for you."  
  
Once again like many times before Merle began to fall deeper and deeper into the power of the voices words. `My only loyal friend. Van is not my friend I have no friends. Wait!` This time however she snapped out of those thoughts and opened her eyes. "How dare you lie to me!! How dare you try to trick me!!" the cat-girl yelled in anger as she stood up straight with her fists balled up.  
  
"Van is my friend he always has and always will be!! So what if he doesn't have the same feelings for me, as I do for him that doesn't mean that we can't still be friends!!"  
  
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Think what you may, but soon you won't think that! In time you will see the truth that I am you're only true friend."  
  
"Never!! You're just some creep trying to ruin my friendship and turn me into.into some kind of slave for you! Well here me now because it won't work! I'll never give into these lies! NEVER!!"  
  
"We shall see friend, we shall indeed seeeee.."  
  
With that the room went back to normal and the voice was gone. Sighing with relief and glad that it was over..for now the cat-girl fell straight on her bed right into a deep sleep. Every time the voice had visit her she would always feel so tired like she was losing her strength and every time the voice had disappeared she would always right after fall into a deep sleep.  
  
Moments later the room became cold again and this time a figure could be seen, but yet it wasn't much of a figure more of a woman's shadow in the faint moonlight. The shadow glided over to where Merle slept and it's red giant lips turned into an evil smirk. The shadow covered Merle from head to toe with a dark force field and began to drain her life force slowly away.  
  
"Soon my friend, sooooon you shall seeeee my true power. The power of shinma." 


	3. Chapter 2

4 those who have reviewed I'd like 2 thank ya very much!  
  
Here's a LONG 1 4 ya! I think it's long.  
The Shinma's Attack  
  
Chapter 2  
  
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In Fanelia the rulers of other countries on Gaea came to discuss the strange attacks that had been going on for about a month after two long years of peace. At this moment Van was in a meeting with them talking of plans to stop the attacks, but so far they came up with nothing.  
"We must do something to stop this!! Not to long ago my people, were attacked again by these strange creatures!! I say we use whatever we've got and destroy them before anymore damage is done!!" said Masao the King of Basaram in rage bringing his strong fist down upon the table and made it shake.  
  
"Yes we do indeed need to put an end to this, but have you already forgotten? Not even a whole army of guymelfs can put a stop to them and I do believe that it was your army of guymelefs that were destroyed by only one creature." Came the calm reply from Dryden the King of Asturia.  
  
King Masao stiffened at the reminder of what happened that dreadful day. "Yes I know that! But what if we tried a different way? What if we used Basaram's greatest weapon on them? Surely that is powerful enough to put an end to them?"  
  
People around the table began to mutter to one another about the idea. It's true. Basaram's weapon was indeed very powerful, but the question is will it be strong enough to wipe out the demons?  
  
Van was sitting at the head of the table wearing his usual red sleeveless shirt, black pants, and his sword at his side with his red-brown eyes closed and arms crossed listening to them and thinking about what they had said. Right now things didn't look good for Gaea, it seemed that nothing could put an end to the terror that was being spread all through out the world and still no clues to where they came from. Yet Basaram's weapon might be strong enough to get rid of them, but that was where the problem is.  
  
Rashi, one of Van's council, men who looked to be in his early fifty's spoke "An excellent idea majesty. Basaram's weapon just might have what it takes to be rid of these demons once and for all. From what we've seen in the Destiny War two years ago I'd say that will have no trouble taking them out."  
  
For the first time Van finally spoke up, but still kept his arms crossed and eyes closed. "Basaram's weapon might in fact be enough to get rid of them, but we have one problem."  
  
All eyes in the room turned to the King of Fanelia surprised at how he finally was speaking.  
  
"Based on the information that I have on the creatures, they only attack at night and only people who are alone and helpless."  
  
"Yes, Lord Van we know!" said another one of Van's council, men called Lance who was the youngest of the council, who looked to be somewhere around the ages of 30-35. "The creatures attack late in the night when no one is around to help. Due forgive me my lord, but I really don't see what the problem is with the use of Basaram's weapon. With it we can wipe out the demons and save Gaea!"  
  
"Yes that's true we could easily wipe them out, but have you forgotten Lance?" Van paused for a moment then continued when no one answered. Van opened his eyes and glared at everyone in the room.  
  
"Are problem is for the safety of the people!!" The boy King said with anger in his voice as he brought both of his fists down hard upon his chairs armrest.  
  
"If we set Basaram's weapon off yes it may kill the creatures, but it will also kill the people!! The creatures only attack where there are people and since the city if full of people that is where they will stay!! They won't leave the city so trying to lore them out won't work!! What is the point in trying to save the lives of the people if were just gonna end up killing them while trying to kill the damn demons?!! All you have talked about is how to get rid of the creatures and haven't yet talked about of how to insure the safety of the people!! Right now it seems like nothing that we do will stop these attacks from occurring so what our best chance is now is to try and save the people when they are attacked! Fight off there attackers or something, anything! While doing that not only will we be saving lives, but also learning. Learning the creature's weakness. These things must have a weakness all we have to do is find it and by doing this we have more of a chance of understanding where they come from and what is it that they are after."  
  
The room was dead silent when Van finished his speech. Then a moment later Dryden spoke.  
  
"Well I guess the King of Fanelia is right. We haven't been talking much about the safety of the people and they are the ones who are mainly getting attacked. Well Van-sama I don't suppose you have an idea of how we are going to protect the people from these demons do you?"  
  
To be honest the young King had no idea of how to really protect the people at all and he was just about to answer when a child-like voice spoke.  
  
"I have an idea of how to protect them good sir."  
  
Everyone in the room turned in the direction of where the voice came from. It was a short young girl who looked to be of the ages of 11-13. She was standing in front of the doorway and wore a white and light purple kimono that went all the way to the ground and was slightly to big for her; the long sleeves covered her hands. In her arms she held a Japanese doll that had pale skin, slick short black hair, wore a red rob, a light green vest, and had its eyes closed. The girl had black hair that was in loose pigtails tied with red ribbon, her eyes were a teal color, her skin was snow-white, and in an ice blue color they're on her forehead was some kind of Japanese symbol. By the looks of her she didn't look very warm at all and if you touched her you wouldn't feel heat instead you would feel nothing, but coldness.  
  
The girl took a few steps inside the room and as she walked in the room became much colder sending chills down the backs of the men. Something about this girl was strange not just the way she dressed, but the way things felt when she walked in like the way the entire room suddenly became freezing cold. Van noticed this and knew that she was more than what she seemed to be and that something was up.  
  
"Sumimasen, chotto onna no ko!" Rashi spoke as he stood up from his seat. "This is a private council meeting you are not suppose to be here!"  
  
(A/N- Sumimasen- Excuse Me  
  
Chotto- Little  
  
Onna no ko- Girl)  
  
Van raised his hand to Rashi to tell him it's all right.  
  
"Hold on Rashi! She said she knew how to protect the people, that is what you said right?" Van asked the girl.  
  
The girl bowed to Van as she spoke in her child-like voice. "Why yes as a matter of fact I did plus I also know where these so called demons come from and what they are."  
  
Everyone in the room looked at the girl in shock and disbelief. For a whole month no one had any clues as to what and who these creatures are and where they came from and now here they may finally have an answer.  
  
"So are you trying to tell us that you know who they are and where they come from?" The King of Fanelia asked the young girl. "This isn't some childish game is it, because if it is I will not have that here and you should leave now!"  
  
"Oh no! This is no game I a sure you King of Faneila. For if this was indeed a game" The girl spoke as she stood up straight and grinned an icy grin. "I wouldn't be here right now, in fact if this was nothing more than a game I would be outside right now laughing at you for even trying to figure out a way to stop the attacks when in truth it would be useless."  
  
"Just what are you getting at girl?" King Masao asked beginning to get annoyed with the girl.  
  
"What I'm getting at is that you can't defeat the creatures with Basaram's weapon because it is pointless. Those creatures are much stronger than that weak little toy, no human weapon can kill them."  
  
The King of Basaram was in rage. "How dare you say such a thing! I'll have you know that the weapon of Basaram was what helped win the Destiny War two years ago mind you! So I wouldn't go and be calling it weak!"  
  
The girl grinned another icy grin at the King, which sent a cold chill down his spine. "Perhaps. But when it comes to these demons your weapon doesn't stand a chance. However there is still a away to defeat them."  
  
Before Masao could reply Dryden spoke in order to keep the peace. "Then perhaps you'd be so kind as to tell us how to do that miss."  
  
"Reiha. My name is Reiha and this is Matsakaze." Reiha said as she motion towards her doll Matsakaze.  
  
"Well then Reiha would you happen to know where these demons come from?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Then might I ask where do these evil creatures come from?"  
  
Reiha's grin only grew wider.  
  
"The creatures that attack your world come from none other than the Mystic Moon."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Earth: Tokyo, Japan  
It was night with another bright full moon hanging in a starless night sky. Miyu stood over a dead body of a jogger that was lying in the grass on the side of the path in the park. Once again the body had bite marks on his neck with bloodstains on them and all the blood drained from the body. This was the 20th body that Miyu had found that showed signs of being attacked by a vampire shinma. "Well at least the shinma hadn't skipped town." The Guardian thought. "But the number of lives being lost because of this shinma is still increasing."  
  
After taking one final look at the dead man giving him a sorrowful look of apology she turned and walked away. It really bothered Miyu to see humans die at the hands of a shinma when they didn't do anything to deserver it. Even if a human was, as evil as you can be Miyu still wouldn't want a human to die like that. Not at the hands of a shinma for that is a fate that no human good or bad should have and to make sure that no other humans will fall to that fate Miyu would do whatever it takes to put a stop to them.  
  
'I must stop this, I must stop this now!' Thought the Guardian as she broke into a run. 'If I hurry I might be able to catch the shinma and put it out of it's misery. I will not allow this shinma to get away again, I will not allow anymore human life to be lost at it's hands! I try to forgive, but not in this case this shinma has gone to far! I will not let this shinma go free doing as it pleases!'  
  
Once Miyu ran out of the park she stopped and closed her eyes seeing if there are any energy signs of a shinma. So far she felt nothing, but then! "I sense something. It's fait, but it's there." Once again Miyu broke off into a run and while running she used her mind to call out to Shiina and Larva. "Larva! Shiina! I've got a lock on the vampire shinma! It's at Sakawa Cemetery and if we hurry we can end this tonight!"  
  
Before Larva and Shiina could reply the vampire princess broke the mind link. As she ran towards the cemetery she changed from her brown school uniform into her white knee link kimono.  
  
"You will never harm another human ever again. This I promise."  
  
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Sakawa Cemetery  
A little girl with short blond hair and holding a red rose was sitting in front of a tomb stone crying. She had just lost her mother and was left all alone with no other living family. She and her mother were driving home one night till out of nowhere on the drivers side of the car the glass window was shattered! Someone or Something had crashed threw the window and attacked them both, but in the confusion the car swirled around then went straight into a building at full speed killing the mother on impact. However the little girl managed to survive the crash because before impact the one who attacked them got to the girl in time and saved her. But just as the attacker saved the girl the attacker turned on her and was about to finish what they'd started, but lucky for the little girl that was when the cops came so in fright the attacker fled the scene giving the girl an evil grin and saying in a low, unfriendly tone "I'll be back." Still no matter what happens to her now the little girl would never forget that night. The night of her mothers death, the night she met her whole families killer. Her mother's body was examined by police and confirmed that it was the same killer who killed everyone in her family. Her mother had two bite marks on her neck and all the blood drained from her body just like everyone else in her family who was killed. And now thanks to the killer she had no one, she was alone.  
  
"Mommy! Mommy! Why did you have to die? Why?! You said you wouldn't leave me! You said that we would always be together and that no one would separate us ever!"  
  
"Aaaaa! Ain't that cute! A little girl crying out for her mommy! I almost want to cry!"  
  
The blond haired youth turned around and once she saw who it was that had spoken pure terror rose within her. It was the killer!  
  
A teenage girl with short boyish light brown hair, sparkling green eyes, and a light tan color school uniform stood on top of a tomb stone with her arms crossed and an evil grin spread across her face. Her mouth opened a little bit so the little girl could see her fangs.  
  
"What's the matter little girl? Scared?" The teenage girl asked in a low, raspy voice.  
  
"You! It's you! You're the one who killed my mother!" The little girl replied as she backed up towards her mother's tomb. "You killed my mother! My father! My Brother! All of them! Grandma! Uncle Ben! All of them!"  
  
"Oh yes that's right! I did kill them!"  
  
"Why?! Why'd you kill them?! Why?! What'd they ever do to you?!"  
  
"Nothing. They did nothing to me." Was the reply as if she didn't care.  
  
"Then if they didn't do anything to you why'd you kill them anyways?"  
  
"Because that's how I stay alive! I feed off human's blood and they're fears! I even feed off there sorrow, which that is what I'm doing to you right now! I'm feeding off your sorrow, which by the way is very grand! Best I've had in a long time!"  
  
"Wha?! What are you talking about?!"  
  
"It doesn't matter. Because in about a moment you won't be able to care! I've come to put you out of your misery for I've already taken more than enough of your pain and sorrow into me so now there really is nothing left that I find useful of you, expect." The killer's grin grew wider as she licked her lips and fangs. "Expect your blood."  
  
The little girl stiffened at what she said and remembered how everyone in her family was found with bite marks on they're neck and all the blood drained from there body.  
  
"You're.you're.you're a.a vampire?!?" The little girl stuttered.  
  
"Vampire? Hardly! I'm more than a mere vampire I'm a shinma!"  
  
"S-Shinma?! What's that?!"  
  
"Your worse nightmare! AARRAAHH!!" The shinma leaped into the air and rushed at the little helpless girl in mid air in a flash bearing her fangs at the girl.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" The girl screamed as she slammed her eyes shut and put her arms over her head still holding the red rose.  
  
But before the shinma could reach the little girl a figure wearing a midnight black cloak and a mask blocked her path holding a scythe. The figure raised his weapon up high and slammed the long handle into the shinma sending her backwards in the air.  
  
The shinma however made a flip in the air and landed on her feet in a fighting stance glaring knives of hate at the intruder.  
  
"Hey!! Just what do ya think ya doing?!?! Who are ya?!?! Get out of my way!! Huh?"  
  
Just then a thick spooky fog appeared to the right of the shinma and a girl could be seen standing there wearing a white knee length kimono, a purple sash tied around her waste into a large bow, and playing a flute.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?!?! You there what do you want?!?!" The stray shinma cried out.  
  
The girl stopped playing her flute and looked up at the stray shinma with her sad brown lonely eyes and spoke in a low emotionless voice.  
  
"I want you now that you have finally showed yourself, you should know now that there is no escape from me this time. Give up this body, mind, and spirit you must leave her. Go back to the darkness quietly."  
  
The stray shinma stiffened once the mysterious girl had spoken and knew right away who she was.  
  
"So you are the Guardian who I've heard so much about!" The stray shinma spoke in a cruel voice her eyes narrow and cold.  
  
"And you must be the stray vampire shinma who has been hunting humans down for your own selfishness, Hitomi Kanzaki I believe is your name! Hitomi Kanzaki The Japanese Vampire Shinma who is famous for her numbers of attacks on human life."  
  
"Ah, so you've heard of me have you? I see you've been doing your homework! Well it is only right after all you are a Guardian so you should know the shinmas you fight! But do you really wish to fight me? After all you and I are not to different, we both are shinmas; vampire shinmas to be exact!"  
  
"I am not a shinma like you who prey on weak defenseless humans! Vampire shinma or not you and I are nothing alike and never will be!"  
  
"So sorry to hear that. I was thinking that since we both have something in common that we could be friends and not enemies. But!!!" The stray vampire shinma known as Hitomi Kanzaki leaped into the air and went flying towards Miyu as her nails slightly became claws, her green eyes flaring up with a rage reflecting the desire for death, her fangs becoming more of a wild beasts, and letting out a non-human like cry that sounded that of a demon. "Since you choose other wise you leave me no choice, but to kill you!!!! RRRRRAAAHH!!!!!!!"  
  
Miyu jumped to the side just in time before Hitomi slashed right through her, but just as she did the Guardian had to leap a great leap backwards the moment her bare feet had touched the ground for Hitomi wasn't done yet as she swung her other claw-like hand at Miyu. "This shinma is fast!" The vampire princess thought. Again the moment her feet touched the ground she had to jump out of the way, but this time she was too slow. Using her great strength, Hitomi slammed Miyu into a tombstone, which caused it to crack into pieces. "This shinma is VERY fast! And strong! Not like any other shinma I've ever faced before! I need help!" Miyu looked up in time to see Hitomi charging at her at full speed with an evil grin across her face. If she needed help now was the time and there was only one person who could help her now. "Larva!!"  
  
The figure wearing the midnight black cloak and mask known as Larva appeared in front of Miyu and slashed out at the stray shinma with his scythe. Hitomi ducked into a roll to the side as the scythe barely missed her. She stood up and charged at Larva just as a black and blue Japanese sword appeared in her hand. She raised her weapon up high and clashed it together with Larva's. Larva shoved Hitomi backwards and charged in to disarm her, but Hitomi saw this coming and did a back flip and once she landed they're weapons clashed together once more.  
  
"Why are you against me?!" Hissed Hitomi with there weapons still together. "You and I are exactly alike!"  
  
"Not exactly! I fight for Miyu now!" Was Larva's reply.  
  
"Foolish Western Shinma!! You fool! She's a Guardian! Don't you see that eventually she'll send you back too?!! It's what she does send strays like us back!! But that never has to happen not if we kill her!! Don't you see?!! If she's dead we never have to return!!"  
  
Larva's eyes narrowed, though you couldn't see it through his mask. "That's not my problem!"  
  
Hitomi gritted her teeth together in anger. "You traitor!!"  
  
Using all her strength Hitomi pushed the western shinma back with such force that he stumbled then she slashed her sword across his chest. Larva hardly had anytime to get out of the way, he was just lucky.  
  
Miyu watched the two do battle and as she was watching a flame in her hand was firing up. Once she felt it was strong enough Miyu fired her flame at Hitomi. "Into the darkness stray shinma! Go!!"  
  
The flame came fast towards Hitomi, but lucky for her she saw it in time. Hitomi shoved the western shinma aside who was trying to keep her from escaping Miyu's flame. "You think that will get rid of me?! Think again!!" Hitomi held her sword out at the flame with two hands as a psychic shield went around her as the flame hit her sword then vanished.  
  
"No my flame! It didn't work!" Miyu said in surprise. "Shiina! Tell me!"  
  
Just then Shiina the rabbit-like shinma creature fell out of a tree and landed on Miyu's shoulder. Shiina used her right eye's power on Hitomi and learned just what was needed.  
  
"Watch out Miyu! This shinma has psychic powers!"  
  
"That's right bunny!! And it's high time I use them!!" The sword in Hitomi's hand disappeared and then she raised her hands high in the air just as an invisible force slammed into Miyu and Larva knocking them both off their feet.  
  
"Give it up Guardian!! You, your servant, and your little pet can't defeat me!!" Hitomi spat.  
  
During all this the blond short, haired little girl just sat there against her mother's tombstone with her knees held close to her chest with her hand still grasping the red rose in fear. "Who are these people?" She wondered. "What do they want? Why are they fighting? Mommy! Mommy, make them go away! Make them stop fighting! Mommy!" The girl began to cry.  
  
Miyu saw this and could have sworn that the girl cried out for her mother. This fight had gone on long enough and it was time for it to come to an end.  
  
"Aaaah what's this? The little girl crying out for her mommy again?" The stray shinma taunted as she began to walk towards her. "Don't worry little girl because in a few seconds you'll be joining your dead mother and family!"  
  
"That's far enough Hitomi Kanzaki!!"  
  
Hitomi stopped dead in her tracks and was about to turn around when a flame came flying over her right shoulder burning her.  
  
"Aaarrr!!" Hitomi clutched her right shoulder and turned to glare at Miyu, but her glare was turned into fear when Larva suddenly appeared in front of her and swiped his sharp deadly hand across Hitomi's chest. Larva's hands were not like any other hands anyone had ever seen before. They were a light pale blue, his nails were rose red, and his knuckles had black strips like long thin tear drops going up half way of both his hands. The western shinma's hands may not have always looked it, but his hands were as sharp as knives so if ever he didn't have his scythe he had his hands, which could be just as deadly or more.  
  
Hitomi flinched backwards nearly falling over in pain. Having one hand holding on to her burnt shoulder and another hand pressed against her chest where Larva had wounded her and while trying to stop the bleeding the shinma straightened her sights on Miyu and what she saw made fear rise up within her.  
  
She saw that Miyu was standing tall with flames burning all around her preparing to send her back into the darkness. Hitomi instantly felt helpless towards the Guardian seeing how that she was more than what truly meets the eye, her firepower was increasing by each passing second. "Unreal! Her power is increasing, but how?! Her power can't be over mine in such a short amount of time! No way!! "  
  
"Into the darkness shinmaaaa!!" Miyu raised her hands high in the air as flames poured out from them and went all around her as it joined together to creature one large flame and went straight towards Hitomi.  
  
`Oh no!! Oh no!! Oh no!! Oh no!! Oh shit no!! Please God no!! Not now!! Van I'm sorry!!` Hitomi could feel the intense heat coming from the vampire princess's flames. It looked like it was the end of Hitomi Kanzaki. She closed her eyes as she awaited death and thought with all her heart of the last person who ever had cared for her.  
  
"Vaaaaaan!!"  
  
Just then a pillar of light came down over her, Miyu, Shiina, and Larva and lifted them up into the night sky along with the helpless little girl.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Fanelia  
"Are you trying to tell us that these demons come from none other than The Mystic Moon?" Dryden asked Reiha again not sure if he heard right.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying. The demons that attack you come from The Mystic Moon."  
  
Everyone in the room began to talk at once among each other with the information that Reiha had given them. Van just sat there his eyes never leaving Reiha's gaze as he stared hard at her teal icy eyes with no expression on his face. All though he didn't look it he was just as shocked as everyone else in the room, but still needed to be sure. The young king searched the strange girl for any clues of a lie, but found none; Reiha was telling the truth. Van snapped out of his thoughts as he began to over hear what the others were talking about.  
  
"Did you hear what that girl said?"  
  
"The demons come from The Mystic Moon!"  
  
"No surprise there! What fools we are for not thinking of that our selves! Everyone knows that the Mystic Moon is cursed and now suddenly these creatures appear!"  
  
"Cursed demons from a cursed moon! It makes perfect sense!"  
  
"They must have come here to curse all of Gaea just like the Mystic Moon!"  
  
"We can't let that happen! We must put a stop to them once and for all!"  
  
After hearing those words Reiha began to laugh. Everyone stopped talking and once again turned to face her.  
  
"I fail to see what's so funny, care to share with us Miss Reiha?" Van asked her raising an eyebrow.  
  
Reiha stopped her laughter, but still had a smile across her lips. "What's funny is that all of you think that the demons have come here to curse your world when in truth you don't have a clue at all as to why they are here."  
  
"Then perhaps you could tell us since it seems that you know an awful lot about them. Why are they here? Why do they come to Gaea?"  
  
"It's exactly as it sounds like yet it might not be. It may be true that the demons have come to curse you all, but yet I believe that isn't there full intentions I should know for I have seen it all before."  
  
"You mean this has happened before?!" Van replied as he lead forward in his chair to hear more of what Reiha had to say.  
  
"Dear King of Fanelia where I come from attacks like these still go on and even as we speak I can grantee that someone is being attacked at this very moment! Only the attack that takes place is more quietly and done much slower towards the victim, it even may take days or weeks or even years to kill them off."  
  
"No way! And no one has been able to put a stop to them?! Or tried?!"  
  
"No one can put a stop to the demons for no one has the power to do so, humans can't kill them so stopping them is out of the question and the thought about trying oh yes people have indeed tried though few have, but everyone of the few had failed and lost there life. You see? It's pointless to try and fight them when you can't even hurt them so the best thing and really the only thing that you can do is give up."  
  
"Giving up is something that I don't do, not if the fate of my people are in danger! As long as there is breath in my body I won't rest till these attacks are stopped! Everything no matter what it is has a weakness and I will find that weakness of the demons and destroy them so no more harm is done! There must be a way to defeat them!"  
  
"Oh there is a way there has always been a way."  
  
Van was beginning to feel frustrated. Reiha had known all along and yet she was playing with him and saying that it was all, hopeless and now she is saying there was a way! Van was glad to hear that all was not lost yet he was pissed that Reiha just didn't say so sooner in the first place! "Well then why didn't you say so sooner girl?! This is no game! Tell us! How do we stop the demons?"  
  
The whole room grew quite as all eyes were turned on Reiha waiting for an answer that had been most despraitly needed for a month.  
  
"The way to get rid of the demons is to send them back to once where they came from-"  
  
"The Mystic Moon?!" Rashi interuped as he stood up with his hands on the table, staring hard at Reiha.  
  
"NO you old fool!!" Reiha snapped bitterly as she glared at Rashi. "If you'd let me finish I was just about to tell you!! They once came from the darkness and that is where they must be sent, the demons must return to the darkness for that is the only way to be rid of them."  
  
Small talk could be heard from around the table until Dryden finally spoke. "Returning them to the darkness huh? How do we do that?"  
  
"That's the easy part you don't."  
  
The room went quite again as Reiha looked at they're blanked expressions of confusion on their faces then spoke. "But someone else does."  
  
"And who is that someone?" Dryden asked in his calm voice.  
  
"The Guardian."  
  
"The Guardian?"  
  
"The Guardian is the only one who has the power to send the Shinmas' into the darkness where they will stay forever."  
  
"Shinmas'?"  
  
"Shinma is the name of the demons. Shinmas' are the worse and the strongest kind of demon ever to live. They feed on humans to survive in the world and that I believe is the true reason to why they have come to Gaea, to feed off it's people and only the Guardian can put a stop to them."  
  
"Where can we find the Guardian?"  
  
"Oh don't worry I'm sure that the Guardian will find you. By seeing how things are I should say that it is only a matter of time before the Guardian arrives."  
  
"Arrives from where and why is it that only this so called Guardian can put a stop the Shinmas'?" This time it was Masao who spoke.  
  
"Like the shinmas' the Guardian too is from the Mystic Moon and will soon arrive here on Gaea and put an end to these shinmas'. Why only the Guardian you ask can put a stop to them? Simple, it's because it takes a shinma to defeat a shinma."  
  
"You mean to say that the Guardian is a shinma?" Lance asked in shock. "If this Guardian is a shinma or whatever these demons are called how can we be, sure that the Guardian won't turn on us and attack the people?"  
  
"You don't and you don't really have much of a choice. You either take the help of a Guardian or you don't and have the whole world be destroyed by the power of shinma. The choice is yours alone and whatever you choose is up to you for I personally couldn't care less."  
  
`They come..from the Mystic Moon.` Van was speechless as to what he had been hearing. These demons, these.shinmas' had come from the Mystic Moon. Thinking of that made Van worry about Hitomi. What was life like for her on the Mystic Moon with these shinmas's? Was it safe, horrible, what? He didn't know, for all he knew she could have been long since dead! And this talk of a Guardian, the only person who can put an end to the attacks on Gaea and an end to the shinmas' that did this was none other than a shinma them self. Could this Guardian be trusted? Was the Guardian different from all the other shinmas'? It didn't look like Van had much of a choice either trust the Guardian or have all of Gaea be destroyed by demons from another world. Yet another thing that Van had on his mind, how did Reiha know all of this? How did she know that the shinmas' had come from the Mystic Moon? How'd she know all of this?  
  
"Sumimasen Miss Reiha, but I would like to ask you something."  
  
"Yes, King Van?"  
  
"How do you know all of this?"  
  
"Whatever do you mean?"  
  
"I mean how did you know that the Shinmas' as you say they are called come from the Mystic Moon?"  
  
Reiha looked at the young King as a grin spread across her face. For a moment she just stood there and said nothing as she and Van returned each other's gazes. Van could sense something about Reiha as he looked into her cold heartless eyes. He felt that she knew more than she lead on for others to believe and that she was something much more than she appeared. By the looks of her she looked to be a short little girl carrying her doll around while wearing a slightly to big kimono, but if anyone were to look closer you could tell that there was something dark and cold about her.  
  
Reiha smiled at Van and clutched her doll Matsakaze closer to her. "Don't worry you will find out soon enough." With that Reiha turned to leave, but turned right back around to face Van as a pink glow caught her eye. "And by the looks of things I'd say that the time has come." Reiha pointed toward the tear, drop shaped pink stone on a gold chain around Van's neck.  
  
Van looked down and saw that the pendent was glowing.  
  
"You know who has returned to Gaea King Van."  
  
Van looked up at Reiha in disbelief who, was looking at him seriously.  
  
"Better hurry or you will be to late. For the Guardian too has arrived at last on Gaea and the first shinma to be sent back into the darkness just might be your true love." A cold breeze with snow blew in threw the whole room! And when the breeze and snow had gone so was Reiha.  
  
Without a word Van had stood up and ran out of the room not even listening to the calls of the others as Reiha's words repeated themselves in his mind. `I know who has returned to Gaea? Hitomi! It must be Hitomi! I must hurry she might be in danger! Gods please don't let me be to late!`  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Who is Reiha?  
  
Will Van make it in time to save Hitomi from being returned to the darkness?  
  
Will Van still love Hitomi if he ever found out that Hitomi was a Shinma?  
  
Will Miyu help save Gaea?  
  
Will ya review? 


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