Oh, I just LOVE Count Cain. Well, maybe it's because it's by Kaori Yuki, but jeez, IT'S SO COOL. I've always wanted to write a Count Cain story, so here it is!

The Lady Of The Rain is a Victorian children's story. I read it when I was in year 6, and it always stuck with me. This Fanfic is basically a mystery based around the tale. As the tale evolves, so does the fanfic. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Cain and Riff belongs to Kaori Yuki, who's art is superb. Cain and Riff are gorgeous! ^_^

The Lady Of The Rain

By Birdie

'There was once an old woman, she lived with her husband in the middle of a vast countryside. It rained a lot there, and was often bitterly cold.

One night, there was a knock on the door. The old woman opened it, and there stood a lady dressed in silk clothes and a veil covered her blonde hair. Even though it was pouring outside, she was not at all wet.

"Please may I seek shelter in your home?" she asked in a soft voice.

The old woman nodded. "Yes, come inside."

The lady came inside and sat down. She looked around with pale blue eyes. "You have a very nice house. Are you happy, madam?"

The old woman sighed. "We are content, but last year, our daughter died. We have been troubled ever since."

The lady said: "If I give you a daughter, will you love her more than anything in the world?"

The old woman nodded. "Yes, we will love her more than anything!"

The lady stared. "A lot of women say that, but not a lot actually keep their promise." She turned to the rain. "You will have a daughter. Please love her more than anything."

With that, the lady stood up and walked back into the rain.'

~*~

"Count! Come quickly!"

Cain ran forward. It was a body of a girl, her entire body was wet with water.

"Elaine S. Peters," the policeman informed. "We found her washed up on the riverbed after the storm."

Cain looked at the body. "She drowned to death, didn't she?"

The policeman nodded. "It seems very likely. Once it starts raining, it's pitch black and you can't see a thing! It's very easy to fall into the river and drown!"

The dark-hair count stood up. "Does it rain a lot here?"

"Yep, all the time."

"How many deaths have there been before this?"

"I don't know…3 or 4, I guess."

"ELAINE!!!!!"

A woman ran forward, pushing her way through the ever-growing crowd of people. "OH MY LORD!!! ELAINE!!!!"

The policeman tried to hold her back. "Mrs. Peters! Stop!"

"WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ELAINE???" the woman asked frantically.

A sigh from the policeman. "Mrs. Peters, I'm afraid your daughter has died."

"NO!! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!!! YOU'RE LYING!!! ELAINE~!!!"

~*~

"How could this have happened…?" Mrs. Peters kept on saying.

"Mrs. Peters, what happened the night Elaine disappeared?" Cain asked.

The woman looked up.

"Mrs. Peters?"

"Please, call me Helen."

"Helen, please describe what happened the night Elaine disappeared."

Helen sighed. "We had an argument…"

Cain frowned. "Over what?"

"Oh, things. My husband died a few years back, and it's been total Hell since then. My Elaine didn't want to marry a nice young man I chose for her, and that night, she disappeared."

"Why did you want her to marry that man?"

"He was a lord…well, would be. We needed the money. Elaine had a weak heart. We needed that money for her operation. The Ina Carter Foundation is very good, but very expensive. But she didn't love that man…"

Cain nodded. "I see."

Helen broke down in tears. The rain outside was reflecting her sorrow, beating fiercely on the window glass. The world outside was just a whirl of pelting water and darkness.

~*~

"It seems slightly strange that 5 girls all drown in the rain…" Cain said suspiciously.

"One could wonder if there was something mysterious behind all this." Riff said sensibly.

"Are you saying this is a murder case?" Cain asked with raised eyebrows.

Riff put Cain's coat and hat on the peg. "I can't think of a motive so far, but it seems too strange to be a coincidence."

Cain shrugged. "We'll see how this progresses."

"Count! There's been another death!"

Cain jumped. "What?! So soon?!"

A boy ran forward. "The patrol officer was walking along the river, when he saw a body! It's another drowned girl, Rebecca Collins!"

Cain groaned, grabbing his coat. "See you later, Riff."

Riff nodded. "Good luck, Master Cain."

~*~

"My poor daughter…my little ray of light…" Mr. Collins sobbed. "My Becky, why did you die…?!"

"Some information would be helpful…" Cain yawned.

"Come again?"

"Did anything happen before Rebecca's death?"

Mr. Collins thought back. "Yes, we had a disagreement."

"On what?"

"A silly thing, about going to school. She wanted to go to University, but with her health condition, it seemed difficult. I didn't want any trouble, so I made her stay home. She was very upset, and she ran out into the rain. I didn't really think much of it at the time. How wrong I was."

Cain turned to face the man. "Rebecca had a health condition?"

"Yes, a heart problem." The old man sighed.

"Just out of interest, did you go to any clients?"

"Yes, the Ina Carter Foundation. Why?"

Cain turned away. "Oh, nothing really…"

To Be Continued…

Ooh! What's up with the Ina Carter Foundation? Cliff-hanger? Review if you like it! See you later!

--Birdie