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Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Hellsing. This is for entertainment, nothing more.
A/N: A new story. I'm going to be focusing on this one for a while until school ends. Then we'll see about my others. I want to start this off with a warning. I like to be a little thorough and precise in my writing. So whenever I write about the Nazis, I try to do their persona as correctly as I can. I do not believe in their views and neither do I believe they did good things. But this is merely a fanfiction, not a vocal outlook of my own personal views. And we all know how crazy the Major and the rest of the Millenium group are, so please, cut me some slack and just enjoy this story. It is a crossover between my two favorite series and I do want feedback. So enjoy!
Vampires.
Werewolves.
They are the monsters of legend, the Originals. Feared throughout the world of both light and night, they dominate the humans, forcing them to either enslave the Midians to kill their own or create a greater monster. Wars exist between them, between those of the day and those of the night.
But because they are fighting each other, they never search the skies. They never inspect their waters, or pay too close of attention to the forests. They never expect the shifting shadows to be anything but an Original, nor do they dare believe there are monsters far worse.
There is something worse than the 'No-Life King'. A force more horrible than a human's arrogance. One that makes all the evils in the world bows down before him.
However, this one is human, and therefore he is gentle. There is a thin line between his conscience and his humanity, a boundary that is stabled only when he is brought together with his bride.
Mary Magdalene, the woman of pure blood.
Hell hath mercy on the being that dare cross him and the one he loves.
Chapter One – The Promise
Part One – The Monster known as Night Furey
War. It could be smelled in the atmosphere, could be seen over the horizon as the dim golden glow of bombs and rifles firing flashed and light up the sky like a second sun.
War. The threat loomed over the horizon like a bad smell. As they grew closer to the war front and away from the borders of China, movement was a constant stir. Whether it is countrymen readying battalions or scared countrymen running into hiding, it filled this part of the world like a rampage plague.
War. As they went closer to that place, they would be in the midst of it, centered at its heart.
Night Furey saw this as all unappealing. The air around here was horrible and they were still on mountain soil, not quite reaching the cities. Actually, she preferred not to go and instead stay in the safe haven they had formed in China, one of the few places left on this continent that was not steeped in this blood filled trap.
But the very reason that it was safe made it the most dangerous. They had to go, take the girl there, and save the world, as cliché as it sounded.
Really, she wondered about the wisdom of this decision. Where they must go was already Hell on Earth and there was so much either of them can do. Their power went so far.
In the end, though, they couldn't refuse, couldn't go against what he decided, and so they must go as the girl's protectors.
Without another thought on this matter, Night Furey allowed her weight to fall backwards off the branch she had been sitting on. The descent was long and for a normal human it was fatal. But with a grace and swiftness that extended beyond human means allowed her to catch hold of all the thick branches on the way down, using the momentum of the fall to slow her down and give her the opportunity to land gracefully on her feet.
Often, this miraculous feat would be the cause of teasing, as Night would be referred to an animal, most often to a cat. She was not a neko, far something worse and yet the jokes still came when she climbed these trees.
"You act so much like a cat that it's hard to see you as anything else."
Silently, she grumbled and stretched, blowing out the hair of the bangs that nearly covered her face. Through the strands, she could see the sky, the lightening of the vast blue that signified a new coming day. And still, battle could be heard by her superior ears, the cries of pain and death that would make a simple demon orgasm in a second.
Night trudged forward, using stealth to keep from stepping on branches as she made her way back to camp on the hill's bottom. Smoke came from that direction, at first startling her that grew quickly to dread. She moved faster until she was near upon it before stopping and looking ghastly at the source.
A small cooking fire had been set up, despite her specific orders not to make one as the flames could attract trouble. She felt the incorrigible need to smash her head against the nearest tree in protest for the mindless stupidity.
They were in a warzone, with the nearest battle just two hundred feet away. How many times did she express the bad idea of lighting a fire, even a simple cooking fire? One would think she wasn't talking to demons!
Landing squarely beside the problem, Night Furey opened her mouth and prepared to put it out when the flap of the nearest tent opened, revealing the girl and her charge.
Of sixteen short years, Orihime Inoue was the only human of their group. Light skinned with auburn hair that shimmered like fire and large, expressive gray eyes, she looked startled by Night's sudden appearance, before giving the night monster a large and welcoming smile.
"Night! When did you get back? I missed you all night," she asked.
"Just now. I needed to patrol the area." She answered distractedly, looking directly at what the girl was currently holding in her hand.
"What is that?"
"Huh?" Orihime looked down and followed her stare. "Oh. It's a pan."
"Why do you have a pan out?" Night continued in a tired daze. One look around and she found that no one else was there, keeping watch over their precious cargo.
"Well, everyone's working so hard and I wanted to make us breakfast," the girl explained and looked guilty by her admission. "Did I do something bad? It's only a little fire. I hope it's not so bad."
Shaking her head, the monster answered with the best cheeriness she could muster at the moment. "Nay, lass. Doona worry about it. It is a thoughtful expression, but I wonder what happened to the others." She dragged a hand down her face in tired agitation. "I'll go hide the smoke. Just cook to your heart's content, Orihime."
The auburn girl looked at her companion with a worried frown. She opened her mouth to speak when something suddenly landed heavily beside them. Night Furey went into hunter mode, instantly appearing before Orihime with heavy black claws retracting from her fingers, her eyes a blazing gold.
"I found them, Orihime! I found the raspberries. But I had no luck with the honey. Why do you need them anyways if you're going to make scrambled eggs?"
The newcomer turned and grew instantly quiet. "N-Night Furey! When did you get b-back?"
The dark monster relaxed her stance, sighed, and gave no release in the glare she aimed at the neko hanyou that had dropped in. admittedly, he was young and inexperienced, and therefore not the type they needed as a guard. But there were many great attributes about the hanyou that made it necessary for Night Furey to recruit him.
Such as the superior strength that managed to make a nearly five feet hole in the ground below the child. His large cat ears twitched noticeably from the sides of his ears, as the boy climbed out and looked guiltily towards his superior. In his human form, he appeared no more than a boy's adolescent age, looking timeless and mischievous.
His name, oddly enough, was Eirren, and he hailed from Night's own home country of Scotland. Perhaps it was of that shared lineage that made her soft in choosing him, especially of his naiveté. And also, she thought, he made a good companion to the girl they were taking to the middle of the slaughter. To keep her sanity, she needed someone to keep her stable and Night Furey wasn't one to do it.
Night sighed and bit her lips with one of her fangs in an attempt to calm herself down. Both of them should of known better than to leave Orihime alone! Speaking of which, where was the other man of their strange little party. Looking around, Night saw no trace of him and looked straight at Eirren with the hardest stare she could muster, enough to make the cat boy very uncomfortable.
"Where is Sado?"
Eirren relaxed when she didn't exploded into a loud and terrifying lecture. "He said he was going to find eggs 'cause Orihime wanted to cook for us. He said it'll only take him a moment. He'll be back soon!" he answered readily.
"Bloody hell, not you too," the dark monster muttered darkly. She took a glance at the quiet girl beside her, looking very guilty and kept fidgeting noisily. A slight flush covered her cheeks spoke of her embarrassment and sincere apology for this.
Oddly enough, Night believed that face. Believed that she genuinely apologizes for her actions, unlike the certain manner most humans would go upon. Or maybe she has been far too long away from the world. That could be it, she supposed.
Swallowing her pride, Night informed the two, "Once Sado gets here with the eggs, we shall have breakfast and be on our way. We've wasted too much time idling in the same spot and it gives me an uneasy feeling to stay here. Next time, however, I will not be so lenient. If you dare leave Orihime alone again, I will punish you. Got it, Eirren?"
"Uh, ah, yes!" the cat boy quickly saluted his affirmative answer, dropping the raspberries in the process. "Uh, oh."
"Pick those up. wasting food is a crime." The dark creature turned her back and went towards the tent.
"Where are you going, Night?" Orihime asked, watching the creature go.
"I need sleep. I'll be out for a while," Night informed, lifting the flap. "I hope this time I can leave Orihime's security up to you?" She looked pointedly at Eirren.
"Yes ma'am! I promise not to let ye down!"
That is the least of my problems, the monster mused and went inside her tent to catch a few minutes' rest.
No matter where she went, who she lived as, that distinct smell of blood continues to linger. Even if she drenches herself in chocolate, or the foulest perfumes in the world, she doubted she would ever get rid of that smell. It was more of a conscience thing, than any physical smell, and it was one that she knew she would never get rid of.
Night Furey opened her eyes, returning to a world that she had wanted no part of. In fact, had that man never called out to her, she would have remained in her dormant state, away from the world and its sorrows. Away from the wretched past she did not want to call her own.
Last of her kind, Night Furey was a unique monster that could classified herself higher than the Originals. Her powers were her own and there has yet been a creature that could match her blow for blow. However, her weakness was her human heart, the human view that she had that kept her from being cruel, from being detached to piety and misery. Because of what she was, she needed to be all of that and more, if she was to survive the progress of a long immortal life. But raised as a human, it was hard to let those attachments go.
She sat up and reached inside her vest, pulling out a pocket watch. Opening the hatch, a distinct melody began to play as the hands showed the time, still early in the morning. She had not slept long, barely half an hour, for she was in fact incapable of sleeping for long periods of time, which was strange for a dragon. The insomnia was something she had gotten used to over the years of dormancy, and it was in fact now useful to her now that they traveled through this war-sacked continent.
War. No matter how long she lived, Night believed that she would never understand the humans' need to experience this tragedy. Monsters as well were inflicted by the curse of war, for it fed them greater than a normal, uneventful hunt for food. It gave them terror, human flesh, and the excuse to run wild while blaming it on the insanity of the humans.
They acted no better than the monsters they were.
The music stopped and through the silence Night could hear the chatter outside between Orihime and Eirren, a lively chatter over food. She sniffed the air, smelling the odd concoction of scrambled eggs tossed with raspberry sweetness. There was no need for her to eat this food that would make a human retch, but Night loved Orihime's strange recipes. They had the same distinct taste as the jewels that were her diet.
Lifting from the bed, Night opened the flap and went outside, shielding her eyes from the blaze that was the sun. Sado had come back, she saw, and he gave her a nod of greeting from his spot near the small fire, beside the two youngsters. His full name was Yatsura Sado. He was a tall individual, and a hanyou as well, dark skinned to take after his Spaniard mother, though there was no identifying factor of his father.
She returned the nod and looked over at what the two had made.
The eggs were pink and a little dry, but had enough juice to wet the tongue. It short, they looked delicious.
"Ah, Night! Good morning!" Orihime gave her bubbly smile, one that never failed to make Night both smile in return and make her feel very uncomfortable.
"Un. 'morning." She took a seat beside Sado. "Any trouble with the fire?"
Sado shook his head. "I took care of concealing it. No animal will come our way."
Night did not fail to notice that he included the humans in that statement. While a gentle and easy-going man, Sado expressed a strong dislike for his weaker cousins. An incident within his past was the cause of his mutual hatred, but Night wasn't one to pry. To each their own, was her outlook.
Sitting back, she announced, "We're three days from the borders of Mongolia. However, we are also just two days away from the Great Wall, where we could enter Russia. Given with what time we have left before Judgment day, we need to choice the faster route."
"Russia's no good. It's already been touched by the war," Eirren pointed out.
"True, but in Mongolia we have no cover. It is mostly desert terrain and the only provisions we have we take from our surroundings."
"And for transportation, we'll need to steal a truck," Sado pointed out quietly. "On foot, we'll never make it in time."
Night mused over this quietly. Sado was right; they were on limited time in which they were supposed to bring Orihime to Warsaw, Poland, now known as the capital of evil among the Underworld. There, he would rise and break the flow of darkness emitting from that place, and together with Orihime, they will return the darkness and purify men's hearts.
Or that was how the legend went. Night Furey really had no idea what would happen once they brought the girl there. All she did know was that she had been chosen to bring her and it was a summons she could not refuse.
"Since we don't have a definite mood of transportation, we are going to have to travel through Russia," Night decided at last. "It's nearly spring, so the weather will be to our advantage and the forests should be filled with lots of game, so we won't have to worry for a while. If we are to get to Warsaw in time, we need the best shortcuts we can get. We might not be able to avoid the war itself, but we can avoid getting totally involved. I can only promise you that much," she added, turning to Orihime as she did.
The girl put down her fork and nodded readily. "Yes! I understand. I'll try my best to give minimal involvement," she promised. Then she blinked and tried not to look crestfallen, her small hands gripping her plate.
The dark monster gave a grunt in her throat, sharing a look with Sado. Finally, she caved in and said, "I don't mean for you to fight against your nature. Do what you will but do it secretly. We don't need the warmongers to learn of your existence or ours, just about an unexplainable miracle that has spread throughout the populations. If they know what's good for them, they'll ignore it and focus on their war."
Sighing in relief, Orihime smiled. "Thank you, Night," she said.
"Oi, Night Furey," Eirren spoke up through a mouthful of egg.
"What is it? And swallow before you talk," Night told him.
He swallowed. "Why not fly us over there? Won't it be a faster trip that way? Then we won't have to worry about the war and the humans," he pointed out, sounding proud of himself for thinking it up.
"She can't," Sado answered for her. "She may be a Dragon, but she is only one. And we are more likely to be sported by air than land. Remember, we have more than humans to worry about. There are plenty of monsters out there whom would like to see an eternal war so that they may engorge themselves on human flesh in secret."
"And I'm too small in my Draco form to carry all of us," Night Furey added, an embarrassed flush rising in her cheeks. "I won't be able to take off with so many on back. I may be able to carry Orihime and make the journey alone. However, there are reasons why I need your additional help and protection. Out in the sky, even I would be a sitting duck for everything that makes it their territory. And with this war, I dread to imagine what sorts of vultures are lurking beneath the soot-filled clouds."
"Wow. I didn't know that," Eirren whispered thoughtfully. "I thought you were strong, Night Furey."
"I am not the Hollow King," she grounded out, annoyed. "And despite what the legends may say, I'm not invincible. If you don't remember anything else I tell you, at least remember this: if you are someone strong, be prepared to find someone stronger than you. There is no such thing as true immortality in this world."
"Ah, r-right. Sorree."
Night shook her head. "Nay. Tis all right. You're young, so there is much you don't know." She stood. "We need to get moving. Break camp and dispel the fire."
They all nodded and stood, going quickly to their assembled work.
There wasn't much to disassemble as they had packed light. There was two tents to be shared by two (though Eirren would sneak in the female's to be with Orihime, to whom he was treated as a younger brother); the necessary cooking materials needed for cooking; necessities for Orihime's human needs; and finally, gathered and dried fruits and vegetables for emergency situation, in case they could not catch game or other provisions of food, or to eat on the way when Orihime got hungry and they couldn't stop for a break.
Though Eirren enjoyed human food, neither of the monsters gathered had any need of it. They could digest it, but it gave no nutrients and was simply a waste. All they needed to concern themselves with was Orihime's health and that she is comfortable as they descended to the worst part of the world to be in at the moment.
The demons and human girl were entering hostile territory and it polluted the air with soot, gunpowder, and charred remains. Night could barely discern anything past the human fear and death. The gunpowder wouldn't be able to overpower those smells when the wind would blow from the west. It would get so bad that sometimes even Orihime could smell it with her weak human nose.
"Yuck! Doesn't that smell inviting," Eirren groaned, as he sneezed several times.
"Try to bear it. It's actually worse if you tried to breathe through your mouth," Night advised, covering her face with her hand. "Unless you like this taste."
"What kind of taste?" the cat boy asked curiously.
"Open your mouth then if you want to know so badly."
Night stopped Orihime by the arm. She took out a blue bandanna from an inner pocket of her vest. Quickly, she tied the flimsy cloth around the lower part of the girl's face, looking out of place with the black habit of a nun that the girl wore. They all did, dressed up in different styles that did not at all go with one another.
It was supposed to be a tactical maneuver, but Night seriously doubted that. In fact, she doubted anything that came out of Urahara Kiseke's mouth, whether be the truth or another lie. However, she still found herself dressed in the butler styled clothing that had been altered to show off her femininity. Sado was dressed much like a poor farmer with a cap over his head and Eirren appeared like a poor orphan, a street urchin with secondhand clothes.
If asked, they were supposed to say that they were traveling together, accompanying the nun to the nearest monastery. And if there weren't any nearby, then they were on a pilgrimage. Whatever worked, she supposed, though she still didn't trust the sandy blonde man.
At the question she read in those gray eyes, she merely said, "We can breathe such filth because of what we are. But you are a woman of pure blood and it is very crucial that nothing taints this blood."
"Oh. I understand then." Orihime smiled brightly. "Thank you! You're always looking after me, Night."
Night shook her head. "Doona think of it," she said, and moved on, leaving Sado to step by her side.
During her time with the human girl, Night Furey had been thanked many times in a single hour, a feat that has not occurred in long, several years. It made her uncomfortable, this appraisal, for it made her apprehensive, since the last person whom gave the dragon her thanks lost her life.
That was a sorrowful mistake and she had the guilty knowledge of being naïve. To be honest, however, she was fearful that she would do the same mistake when it came to Orihime and her safety, that her arrogance in her powers has not yet been cured.
Kiseke could give her all the pretty words and sweet assurances that he could, but nothing could deny the fact that what the Night Furey feared the most was the Night Furey herself.
"There it is!" Eirren had gone up ahead, pointing down to where a visible guard post was stationed to monitor the incomings and out of the Russian country. "Once we past those guys, we're in Russia!"
"We need to do it in secret. We can't risk knowledge of our arrival reaching unwanted ears," Night muttered softly, trying to think of a plan.
"Look." Sado motioned towards a spot near the post, where several large trucks filled with equipment and supplies were gathered for a final inspection before they were passed through.
"That's it! We can hide Orihime and Eirren in one of those trucks. Good work, Sado." The dark monster nodded to the hanyou in a proud manner.
Sado bowed his head self-consciously, unused to such praise.
"Wait. Whatta 'bout you guys?" Eirren asked, looking at the two elders.
"Yes. Aren't you coming with us?" Orihime added, looking worried at the prospect.
"Nay, lass. We be right behind you," Night assured them both. "However, it would be better if you and Eirren travel this part alone. Humans will be likely to take pity on a nun and young urchin than the likes of us, especially with these rumors. I doona know if these men be Nazis, but I doona want to take a chance. It's too risky and we have much to lose."
Sado stepped forward and looked down at the auburn haired female. "Do not worry," he told her. "If you fret about it, then bad things will happen. Best to let things run their course, and trust us on this. We promise that nothing will go wrong."
Night couldn't have worded it better. Sado had a calming effect, one that despite his fierce visage and powerful frame allowed someone who was close to him to relax in his presence. That effect affect Orihime now, as her eyes softened and she nodded with a little more conviction than before.
"Alright. I will trust you guys that everything will go well. May the Lord watch over us all and grant us safe passage. Amen."
None who stood there could repeat that world, so their answer came in nods. At last, Orihime took Eirren's slightly clawed hand in hers and began the short descent that would bring her down to the hill's bottom, onto another path leading to the trucks.
"Wait." Night tossed an overnight bag, filled with cooking supplies. She cringed as she belatedly realized that it might have been heavy, as the poor girl nearly toppled over when she caught it. "Sorree."
"No. Don't worry about it," Orihime smiled to show that it was alright, despite her obvious effort to hold the bag.
Sado quickly changed bags, giving her the bag filled with nuts and fruits, a lighter load. He took the heavy bag for his own, despite already carrying the tents.
"What I meant by this, not the mistake, mind you, would be that you have evidence that you are traveling," Night continued, an embarrassed flush on her face. "There is clothes in that bag as evidence to your claim."
"Oh. I see." Gripping the straps, Orihime nodded. "We're off now."
"Merry meet, merry leave, and merry meet again," the dragon said, before both she and Sado vanished from sight.