A/N: well, I didn't think I'd really end up writing fanfiction anytime soon. And how better a start than my favorite manga? I absolutely love RoFV, fell in love with it when I started reading it and as I got to read the story of those amazing characters as more and more volumes came out, it became my favorite. Kyou Shirodaira is soooo my idol. I own Spiral ~ Bonds of Reasoning, Vampire Juuji Kai and Zetsuen no Tempest, the latter I finished just last month (France has licensed the manga, as opposed to the US, which is why I have read it). Too bad Spiral Alive isn't licensed in France or US, and that the scantrads are slow.

Anyway this has been in my head for at least several months, possibly more than that. I was reading the manga for the nth time when I decided it was time. I'm off work because I fell sick last week and had to be hospitalized, so I have time on my hands, time I can't use to do anything tedious since I'm not fully healed yet. Good thing for you I own the English mangas, so I can quote the dialogues accordingly (because only a handful of my collection is in English, the rest is in French).

So, this is the story as seen from Nazuna's eyes. Of course, this is more of a prologue than anything. I can't start in the middle without doing a proper introduction, it's not my way of doing things. I've always found her and Li's situation kinda special. They're not present at most of the explanations, yet they seem to know some things. This is my view on things. Of course, I'm gonna invent things and add scenes. Can't avoid that, but this is why it's called fanfiction. I've still tried to be as accurate as I can. On that note, I'll stop annoying you and go on with the story.

Disclaimer: Vampire Juuji Kai (Record of a Fallen Vampire) is owned by Kyou Shirodaira (scenario) and Yuri Kimura (art). Japanese rights are to Square Enix, and English translation and dialogues (in future chapters) are Viz Media's. The only thing I own is my set of the 9 volumes of the manga.

Chapter 01

~Nazuna~

Hagi Nazuna – or Nazuna Hagi, as she has grown used to say for having been out of Japan for so long – was an energetic little girl who grew up to become an energetic woman. As a child, her parents were constantly rebuked by her direct way of speaking and seemingly lack of tact. Fortunately, her fiercely intelligent mind worked to appease them.

Space always fascinated her, from the first steps on the moon to the discoveries of new planets. Since childhood, she dreamed of going into space and exploring herself the limitless night sky. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as she discovered soon enough that she didn't meet the necessary requirements. For starters, she wasn't physically fit enough. And she had to admit her piloting skills weren't that exceptional. But mostly, she was apparently too easily bored and not serious enough – what was with those old farts, anyway? If they didn't like hearing truths, then they just had to go work in politics. They certainly wouldn't hear any there.

Still not deterred in the least, she let her passion – obsession, as her friends used to say – guide her to the states after high school, where she entered a famous university. She studied astronautics, spacecraft design, engineering, and since she couldn't go into space herself, she decided she'd also train future astronauts, so she took that as well.

She was good on her way. She lacked experience, but made up with that in skills – and the people she worked with seemed to admire the wits of that 'slip of a woman,' as they put it.

It was then that she was approached by people in suits and sunglasses – can you be less cliché? – for a top-secret project that she'd know the details of only once she accepted. It was a bit fishy, but it was also very well-paid, long-term, and would provide her with the experience she needed to launch her career to even more heights. Plus, she was very curious, and curiosity has always been a trait she had been hard pressed to ignore. So she accepted.

Nazuna always thought of herself as having an open mind. Even then, when she was first told to help build a manned rocket, powerful enough to reach an alien ship hiding behind the moon, she couldn't help being skeptic. In fact, she outright asked them if they weren't loony.

That could've gone worse, she decided some time later. They respected her talents enough to try to convince her. Or maybe now that she was told – and already signed the contract – they wouldn't allow her to go away. She concluded she didn't care to find out.

Besides, it's not like she'd made the worse reaction. A four-eyed Asian like her nearly had a panic attack.

He kinda reminded her of her little brother. A little on the cute side, too nerdy, a real wimp, but adorable in his own way. So she decided to take him under her wing. The poor sap was still trying to deny what he had been told. She gave him a good pat on the shoulder – she thought he exaggerated the cough; really, she wasn't that strong – and lifted his spirits. Tried to, at least. If she dared say so herself, she thought she did a fine job out of it.

Thus, the job began. The scandalous budget made up for exciting work, but it was still hard being cooped up on the island, with no way of communicating to the outside world. She left her hometown years ago to pursue her dream, so it wasn't like she particularly missed her family, but the newness of all her new co-workers soon wore off and she found herself wanting to meet new people, watch the news, have a good party and discuss stupid things. Instead, she found herself talking about nothing more than mechanics, spacecraft, and battle space suits that couldn't have been designed for humans.

On the bright side, her assigned partner, the Chinese four-eyes she learned was named Honhuei Li, was incredibly fun to tease. He was so uptight, serious and he seemed to strive off of the 'Clichéd Scientists for Dummies'. He looked so crestfallen too when his design was deemed too outrageous that she had half a mind to whack him on the head and another half to hug him. Once again, she had to lift his spirits. If that wasn't little brother material, she didn't know what was. The fact he was older than her just made it even more hilarious.

She barely started training the three elite astronauts assigned to the project – three? When they asked them to make six seats? – that the fourth member was introduced to the team. At first, she once again asked them if they weren't out of their minds, shocking Li in the process.

Hirasaka Kayuki, Japanese like her. She was a classic mysterious beauty probably trying to make an impression in that flashy kimono. So they were all shocked when she topped everyone, grown men and all. In fact, it was downright superhuman. Was she some sort of Yōkai, a supernatural spirit from her country's folklore?

If alien invaders really were threatening their planet, she didn't think the idea was so farfetched. But no, apparently, she was as human as her and Li. Still, she must've had big connections, because she was allowed to come and go as she pleased, even to places Nazuna herself was forbidden from entry. Once, she was curious and checked her file, but it had been sealed. No surprise there.

The two other passengers were still elusive. But the work sometimes got so tedious that she didn't have time to think about it. After a couple of years, at another of the Kayuki girl's visit, she finally managed the guts to ask. She can't say the answer surprised her, yet it did at the same time.

You didn't know? They're vampires.

Three words: What. The. Heck? And she said it so matter-of-factly, as if she already ought to have known! Well, if they told her those things, then maybe she would've. Stupid higher ups that expected them to work in perfect ignorance and be happy with it. When she asked for confirmation, she got rebuked, so she just shut up and watched. No need to tell Li, he'd freak out again. The man tended to overreact. Besides, it could still be the girl making fun of her. If that was the case, she didn't want to be laughed at by the others.

Another year passed. Another boring year, when she asked herself more than once if it wasn't really just some lunatic fantasy from some government or other. The deadline for the building of the rocket even passed and nothing. But one night not long after, finally, the sky fell.

~To be continued~

Aaaaand that's it for the introduction. I won't be begging for reviews. I'll simply be happy if people read it and enjoy it, especially since the fandom is so small for this manga. In the first place, I'm not even writing exclusively for others. I did this story for me. So the quantity of reviews probably won't move me. The quality, however, is a different story. I love when people tell me what they love and what they don't. I realize this story will not be as thrilling as some can be. Especially since it's a recap and not an original story. Moreover, the beginning IS boring. Even so, I'll hold on to it and won't be deterred even if I get flames.

I'm well aware it's spelled Lee in the manga and not Li, but internet tells me the proper spelling is the latter. So, I'll stuck with that.

On one last note, I absolutely adore Strauss! He had such a sorrowful life, with only a short bout of happiness in it. Still, he chose where and how to die, but especially how to live, and he didn't waver once. And I believe he was happy when he finally passed on. May you be blessed by the moon in the afterlife, Akabara.