A/N Hello to all those who have waited for this story patiently. I will do my best to post a new chapter every week. For a more detailed summary of this story on my profile. Please enjoy and write a review so I can tell if you like it, hate it, or just want to tell me hi.

New Orleans Feb. 15, 2021

The city was alight with activity. Vibrant colors and lights seemed to thoroughly envelope the Crescent City and the streets roared with the noise of party-goers. The moon was a yellow crescent above the party below. Party-goers and parade members alike were being boisterous as they crowded together in a sea of ruffled, glittery costumes, booze, and exposed skin. Tonight proved beyond a shadow of a doubt why this place is called "Sin City."

Even though the only true day of Mardi Gras was actually what was known as "Fat Tuesday", the inhabitants as well as tourists celebrated the holiday for nearly a week. Tomorrow was that particular Tuesday and by all accounts, the most lively and insane.

Mardi Gras proved to be a vibrant and loud affair here. The dark figure crouched on the roof of a tall building watched the scene below without any expression on his alabaster face. His ebony waves caught in a slight breeze and played about his face as he straightened and looked off to the east. Decided, he leapt into the night to find a quiet, dark place to wait for morning. He would never find his target in this crowd.

David and Julia had recently discovered the creatures he hunted. Creatures- it seemed a strong word to describe them, but it was what they were. They appeared human, but they indeed were not- at least, not completely. These were a hybrid of chevalier and human- all female so far. Julia had given them the title- princesses.

Hagi settled in at a park that was closed for the night. The black scrolling bars of the iron fence that guarded the park were easily jumped over, even with the huge black instrument case that he carried over his right shoulder. He pulled the old instrument from its case.

He took very good care of the cello. It shined with a thorough waxing as he rosined up his bow. When at last he moved the bow across the strings, the song was a melancholic piece of perfection. Only the listening birds and squirrels could appreciate the man's impeccable talent, but the intended heard it, even though she was in a chrysalis on the other side of the planet.

His face never changed as his eyes slid closed and he swayed with the effort in creating the beautiful notes that seemed to flow from his hands as smoothly as melted butter. He made it look effortless, as if it was easy to make the music flow so precisely.

The first case came about when a woman came to the Red Shield scientist seeking answers. She was referred to by a physician that knew Dr. Julia was becoming an expert in genetics and blood. The woman was an orphan as a child and her problem was that she was now 120 years old and she looked like she was in her 50s. Julia ran some tests, but Hagi happened to be nearby and the scientist was rather surprised when the stoic chevalier began to show some interest. In Hagi's case it only meant that he stuck around rather than disappearing.

It was found that this woman had chiropteran blood, but it was not from a drug like Delta 67. This was indeed genetic. Julia looked up a few records and found the genetic sequence that Amshel kept records of for each of Diva's chevaliers. Hagi didn't need all that science, he knew by the way she looked and the timeline that this was Amshel's daughter.

The discovery of her helped Hagi to find the others. He found that their presence felt the same as a chevalier, but weaker and less pronounced. You could only sense them if you were in a very close proximity. The human blood of their mothers made them weak in comparison.

The discovery opened the floodgates, as it were. Soon, there were others that came forward with issues with their aging, or lack of aging. Hagi almost smirked- almost, when a large number of them arrived with blonde hair, green eyes, and the look of an angel. Of course they were Solomon's daughters, ten so far.

Julia practically begged Hagi for a blood sample, but he refused. The request brought memories back, painful memories that tore his heart. Blood, screams, war cries, pain, betrayal… fear. No, he couldn't let her- not again. She was not even out of diapers in the first incident, so she couldn't know what it was like. She reasoned with him that she wouldn't use it for anything that dealt with Saya. She needed to simply test a theory.

He stood fast and glared the scientist down. She bargained, "A strand of hair, at least. Hagi, I have told you numerous times that I have no intention of waking Saya and I am not lying. What I want to do is test my theory as to why all these offspring are female."

"Wouldn't a sperm sample be more effective, Dr. Julia?" a young intern asked as he came to her side with the results of another test. She glared over the rim of her glasses at the young man then turned to see the chevalier giving him his own narrowed-eyed glare.

Hagi held back the expression of shock as he wondered at this young intern's audacity. What was Julia up to anyway? "I have nothing to do with these women. They are the offspring of Diva's chevaliers. I suggest you do your testing on them since you will not be getting any assistance in this matter from me," he spoke coldly before leaving the room.

Julia shook her head as she wondered how she'd be able to convince him that she meant no harm and no one would be hurt from this.

Hagi stilled the bow as he could feel it in the air- something had changed. Most of the remaining chiropterans were dead, thanks to the Red Shield, but something was in the air. Something was changing and for better or worse, he did not know. A small shiver emitted from the chevalier as he decided it was time to move on. He'd return for this princess in a few days, once the Mardi Gras festivities died down and he could find his query in peace.

He survived the explosion at the Met, but he had been scarred and torn, his good arm was gone, too. It took nearly 3 years to heal and get to Okinawa- to Saya. He looked down at his healed arm as he placed the cello in the case reverently. It had originally regenerated to a claw, but Julia had used a compound she had discovered and- voila! Unfortunately, it did not affect the right one the same way. It healed much more slowly. Julia supposed it was because it had been that way for so long.

It was in 2013 that Kai managed to catch Hagi in the act of changing the withered pink rose for a fresh one. He chatted away in his friendly manner about the American girl that came into his life like a breath of fresh air and how the twins were growing and looking forward to meeting the man that was their Auntie's silent companion. After a lengthy one-sided chat, Kai insisted Hagi come home. The chevalier blinked and stood his ground.

Kai turned and looked at the chevalier. His red hair whipped in the warm sea breeze as his brows furrowed, "Look, Hagi, Saya said she wanted to live with you and me and everyone else- or did you forget?" He didn't wait for a response and continued the scolding, "Of course you wouldn't. You have a memory that won't quit and I know you. I know you way more than you think I do. You will do anything to make her happy." He then turned and began down the stairs mumbling, "Get your ass home before Saya wakes up and yells at me for not dragging you there sooner."

Hagi remained still as Kai began to descend the steps. What would make Kai think that Hagi would just simply follow him? He was immortal and used to a life spent in mostly solitude, only changing for the brief respite of Saya's awakenings. He would, of course, return for that.

When the red-haired man realized he wasn't being followed as he commanded Hagi to do, he turned. "Well, are you going to just stand there like a statue?"

Hagi stared. His expression stayed the same as his hair played in the salty breeze.

He ran his hand roughly through his spikey hair before he clenched his fist and asked, "Do you really want me to hit you again?" Hagi blinked causing Kai to explain, "She may have forgotten to tell you she loves you back, but she did kiss you, Hagi and then she said she wanted to live with you. Most guys would take that as an invitation to move their crap into her house!"

Hagi corrected, "She said she wanted to live- as in survive. She was not referring to living arrangements, Kai."

Kai scoffed and then laughed. "You can be a real idiot sometimes, Hagi."

Hagi raised an eyebrow. He wanted to respond to that, but he knew better. Rather than argue, he began the decent to the street below and go with Kai. He knew that he would never hear the end of this if he didn't.

Hagi let his wings explode from his back as he continued his journey to the hotel. He had a unit of blood waiting there along with a report to send to Joel about the whereabouts of the newest princesses he found. One was in New York and another was nearby. They were both around 60 years of age, but looked like they were in their late 20s. One was Solomon's and the other was the first one that would belong to James.

Karl stuck with Asian women. His 3 known daughters were in China and one was in Korea. Hagi sensed at least 2 more that were somewhere in Japan, but so far, he had not found them.

He closed the door with a quiet click and made his way to the small refrigerator on the chest of drawers. He hated the taste of cold blood. The room was nearly pitch black as he slung his jacket over a chair and rolled up his sleeve. The chevalier inserted the needle in his vein, not concerned about the dark. Being a chiropteran has its advantages. He hooked the bag on a coat hook in on the entry door and sank into a chair he placed there. His mind drifted as the blood filled his veins.

Carrie was a nice young woman. It had surprised her when Kai returned home with Hagi in tow. The blue eyed blonde regarded Hagi with caution, he was an odd looking man. Kai insisted that Hagi was his sister's boyfriend and he was simply quite old fashioned but there was nothing wrong with him. She seemed nervous around him and he knew that it didn't make it any better by watching her every move.

His steel blue eyes made the woman nervous. To her, it always seemed like he was trying to find her flaws and expose her secrets. Kai would scold Hagi about his constant staring, but the chevalier never gave a reply.

It was on one of Mao and Okamura's visits that Carrie learned to become more comfortable around Hagi. Mao had mentioned that Carrie seemed anxious around him and wondered why. When Kai explained what was going on, Mao scoffed and told her, "Just think of him as another piece of furniture, everyone else does. The only person he's concerned with is Saya. If you talk like you're the boss of him, he'll do what you say anyway."

He ignored Mao's words, but she was right about one thing, his only concern was for Saya. Well, maybe that had been true before, but now there were two others that he felt compelled to look after.

Kanade and Hibiki were something altogether different. Hagi tolerated the humans, but he felt something genuine for the two girls. He would walk them to and from their daycare when they were younger, but when they started school, he brought them to and from there. He spent the afternoons with them as Kai would work in Omoro with his wife. The chevalier didn't mind babysitting the girls. Truth be told, he adored them.

Kanade was shy and sweet. Her eyes were brown and she liked to keep her hair short. Her locks were a deep brown and her face resembled Saya's. She liked to be outdoors and run, but she was also fascinated with Hagi's cello. He had begun giving her lessons and she was progressing well.

Hibiki was bold and daring. Her blue eyes almost seemed to glow constantly. She was often in trouble for starting fights and back talking her teachers. The girl had Riku's face and her mother's personality, but she was a loving and kind soul when you got close to her. She likes to sing and play the piano.

He wondered how the girls were doing. After all, he had been chasing down the princesses here in the US for two weeks now. This must be the last for sure- how much more information did Joel need anyway? Julia should be completely flooded with questions from the women he had contacted.

It was simple. He found the women, checked their background to see if it was a possibility that they were chiropterans, and then relay what he found to Joel. Joel would then send the information to his team of researchers and they would then inform Hagi about what should be done next.

If they were princesses, Hagi would approach then directly and give them a little information about the Red Shield and then give them Julia's business card. They usually contacted Julia within a week.

Hagi relaxed in the chair, letting his body recuperate. Earlier, he had found and killed a chiropteran, so he would need to shower and get the blood off.

Chiropterans were still around but they were harder to find. Since Diva died, the creatures had no blood lust, so the attacks were only when they were driven from hiding due to hunger. They usually would only need to drain one human a week to survive. That was usually when they were caught and either killed by him or member of the Red Shield. Their weakened states made them easy to kill. Julia had retained a few in order to test any remedies on them, so far none worked.

The moon was shining in the window, outlining everything in a pale blue glow, but it was still quite dark. It would have been peaceful if it weren't for the noise of party goers that were stumbling back to their rooms, drunk and boisterous. The quiet chevalier was used to drowning out the background noises of humanity in order to search his thoughts. It was pointless to wonder about them, or even give a second thought. His life was out of touch with theirs, he preferred to interact with them only when necessary. Their presences brought on a hunger he forced into hiding.

Julia insisted that he receive regular transfusions in the major cities where he traveled. There were Red Shield contacts there that would be well stocked, knowing he would need blood. More and more, Hagi noticed he was slowly opening up to these humans.

He spent time in Julia's office, receiving transfusions. At first, he would listen to her tales of motherhood or the latest drug she had created, hoping to reverse the effects Delta 67. But lately, he was speaking a bit more than he usually did. He found the woman to be quite attentive and, for some reason, he felt a need to talk. Most of the conversations were about the princesses and what their strengths and weaknesses were. When the conversation turned to Saya, he would become quiet and opt to fix his gaze on the window.

Julia knew the silent chevalier was feeling anxious about her awakening. She had frequently reassured him that as long as she fed from only him for the week after her awakening, her memories would return very quickly. The chevalier looked skeptical, and for good reason. She knew how it looked- here she was, only in her 50s, who was she to tell him how to do something he had been doing for the past two centuries?

Working for Cinq Fleches had taught her a lot. One thing that was most important now was that one of Diva's chevaliers guarded her during her sleep, but it was a different one that would gorge himself on blood and spend a week with her when she awoke. It insured that her memories would return quickly.

He recalled when Joel came to Julia's clinic last year and spoke to him.

"Hagi," Joel greeted warmly as he wheeled himself into the clinic where Hagi was sitting, receiving a transfusion at Julia's insistence. "You look much better than the last time I saw you."

"I was still recovering from being buried under 50 meters of rubble and a crater for 2 years," Hagi informed as he recalled the injuries he sustained. Nearly a year of hunting and resting had passed before he was strong enough to return to an informant that could help him get back to The Red Shield.

"I am sorry, even our best rescue attempts could not locate you," Joel responded with a bit of regret in his voice. "We thought that you were closer to the surface. No one thought the explosion would have pushed the foundation of the Met 40 meters lower than where it originally sat."

Hagi responded, "There is no need for apologies. I would have returned regardless, for Saya."

Joel nodded and then informed, "I feel I should inform you about what I have done to the Zoo." Hagi didn't respond. "I have decided that it would be best if the tower and the catacombs below were to be demolished."

He noticed the chevalier raised an eyebrow. Joel raised a hand and reassured, "I did not demolish the mansion. I felt it would be best to rebuild it and let the people of Bordeaux turn it into a museum. They will only mention Joel I name as the original owner of the Zoo and that he was a collector of exotic animals, there will be no mention of the actual events that caused the fire or chiropterans."

He noticed the dark haired chevalier fix his gaze on the window that faced the tomb where Saya slept. He continued, "The upper floor and bedrooms will be restored, but the museum has strict orders that the second floor is for Red Shield members only." He lifted a key in his hand, "I hope that when Saya awakens, you will take her there for a time. My hope is that it will bring back happy memories for her."

He noticed the chevalier was still keeping his gaze fixed on the window. Joel I's diary had told that Hagi was an inquisitive and very bright young man. He seemed a bit quiet, but another side of him appeared when he was around Saya- he would smile and laugh. Joel added, "I hope it will bring back happier memories for you as well, Hagi."

At this, a pair of steel-blue eyes turned slightly toward him and then returned to the window.

"Also," Joel said, "It seems the first Joel left you and Saya an inheritance. It wasn't discovered until recently, but considering he left the amount in gold, it is worth vastly more than he originally planned. You each have over one million dollars to your names." He placed a card in his hand along with the key. "The funds for your inheritance have been placed in this account. I trust you know how to use a debit card?"

The chevalier did not turn his gaze but gave a slow nod. What use did he have for money- especially such a large amount of it?

Knowing he was not going to get much out of Hagi at the moment, Joel politely gave his farewells and placed the debit card and the key on the small table next to Hagi. He was rather surprised when he turned to leave. Hagi spoke, "Thank you, Joel. Thank you for all that you and your forefathers have done for Saya and for me."

Joel turned his head and saw the chevalier was actually looking at him. He gave a small smile and a nod before he turned and continued to leave.

Hagi still had no idea what he would do with all the money the first Joel left him. The Red Shield took care of his travel expenses and hotels.

The plastic bag that once contained blood was now empty and the quiet man withdrew the needle, feeling revived. He headed for the shower to clean the blood from himself as well as his clothing. He couldn't meet the newest princess like this, it would cause a panic and that was more than he cared to contend with.