Chapter 1
As usual in the distant castle of Yukai, known to most simply as 'The House', the sun was shining brightly and nature was calm and peaceful. Save for the exotic birds, gargling brooks and the member's of the Yukai Coven going along their daily duties, the peaceful country side manor was tranquil as Musica rested on a nearby hill. Even though the sun was out, the vampire prince wasn't being burned or weakened by the day light. Since Yukai was a mix of several different breeds of creatures, the combined knowledge and mystical ability gave way to new developments for several different methods to guard the weaknesses of the other members in the coven. In Musica's case, this would be the resistance to the ultraviolet rays emanating from the sun. On the hill, the fair featured prince looked off into the near distance, surveying the land to the horizon. Accompanying the sunny afternoon was a lazy warm breeze that ruffled the half way shoulder length silver hair of the prince. Being true to his name as the Rose Master of Yukai, several rose petals drifted in slow circles around him as if they were dancing on the wind. All this was quickly disrupted as a figure clad in a midnight blue kimono with blue and red ribbon's tied around her waist appeared lightly behind the lounging prince and to the right, her shadow facing away from the prince's location. Her features included hip length raven black hair, immaculate porcelain smooth skin and dark violet eyes. If there was anyone that Musica trusted the most to successfully complete a mission adequately, it was this girl. She was the 1st Errant Knight of the coven and his second in command; the left hand of God as it were.
Saluting, even though Musica couldn't see her display, the young woman spoke just loud enough to be heard by her prince. "Musica-sama..", she said in her slight Japanese accent. "At ease Alice, and please…" he replied in his strangely calm and cynical voice with his usual trace hint of his old English background from the era known as the Renaissance, where he grew up, "… you don't need to salute me." Nodding once as the prince laid his head back to look at her, she continued on with her reason for interrupting his peaceful afternoon. "The banquet to celebrate our first year of being a registered coven of vampire and non-vampire member's with the Volturi is almost underway." Laying back completely, Musica looked up at the partially cloudy sky and sighed lazily. "Then in that case, did you really need to tell me about it?" Getting slightly agitated, Alice used her power to materialize a rather large foam hammer to hit him in the head with it. "Your sister you baka!!" She let the hammer fade as she regained her composure in front of her leader. "She wants you to see how she decorated the Grand Hall." Performing an elegant and fluid back flip, Musica got to his feet and stretched, yawning slightly with his left eye closed. After he was done stretching he looked at her with his bright azure blue eyes. "Well, if Jess wishes me to see how she decorated. Who am I to say no?" Smirking lightly, he took a step forward, using the thought step technique to move from one area to another, instantly just by thinking about it. The impression in the grass where his feet were, barely had time to reform itself before Alice used the same technique and followed him to the grand double doors that linked the courtyard of the inner manor to the grand hall where the banquet was going to be held.
Leaning on the right side of the door way, Musica waited patiently for Alice to catch up and began playing with a vine that had crept its way up the sides of the inner manor. With a slight expansion of air molecules, Alice appeared next to him and looked at him expectantly with her unusual eyes. With a shake of his head, he opened the right door as she simultaneously opened the left. "Well sis…" No sooner had he opened his mouth had his sister, High Princesses Jess, launched her self at him. "Big Brother!!!" Not wanting to hurt his dear little sister, Musica went along with her momentum and fell back into a soft rose bush conjured by his own power. Heh, he thought to himself, that's so like her to tackle me to the ground without evening a warning. Such randomocity. Jess, his sister and high princess of Yukai, wore a black dress with floral designs. Her hands were covered in black gloves that reached to her elbows. Black combat boots surrounded her feet and with a grin on her face, her pearly white fangs gleamed in the sunlight. "Big brother!!! Lookie!!! See how the decorations are!!" Being practically dragged to his feet by his sister, Musica got up and walked into the door with his right arm around the shoulders of his sister.
Upon entering the Grand Hall, Jess rushed forward, and performed a little curtsy before she presented the room to her awaiting elder brother. "Presenting…"She said cheerfully as she skipped to a wall and stroked the decorations covering it, "…the first anniversary and first birthday of Yukai!!" Along the walls were mounted candles that flickered a warm yellow. In between these candles were intricate designs of multicolored roses that were used to symbolize the unity of the Coven. Continuing on her tour for Musica, Jess went to the center of the room and motioned to the fountain. It was about 10 feet in diameter and made of black marble. In the center there was a statue of Musica standing with his right leg on a rock, looking out into the distance. In random spurts, water shot up in arch's over and around him into the kanji symbol for unity. "Impressive sis, this must have taken you every waking moment to make this." Musica said as he trailed his hands deftly across his marble statue's cheek. "Well, you see …" She trailed off and shuffled her feet, being embarrassed that she had to have help to create something of such magnitude as the fountain. "…I cast a spell to bend the water that way, but meh twinny, Karin sculpted the fountain for chu." "That reminds me.." said her elder brother wonderingly, "where is she? I honestly thought she wouldn't want to miss this.." Turning to Alice, he asked her what time it was with a nod of his head. "Its 6:30 sir. The banquet starts in 30 minutes." Continuing on with his sentence, he inquired the where about of Karin, "..especially since the banquet starts soon.." Since Jess and Karin were twins, not only was it incredibly hard to tell them apart except for their attitudes, but they also had a mystical connection. "Oh oh oh," Jess said frantically as she jumped up and down excitedly, "I can scry for her usin' ..that umm..connection we have" She tapped her head and stuck her tongue out. Clapping his hands together once, Musica went to one of the circular tables and examined the silverware with rose designs molded into the handles. When Jess started scrying for her twin, she immediately shivered and sighed with a disgusted look on her face. "What is it?? Is she okay??" Musica said with a slightly worried look upon his fine features. "Yea, she's making out with Gonzy again…" she said in a disgusted tone as she stuck out her tongue. "Why'd you have to find that poor boy and adopt him, he's taken away twinny from us…" "Well, he was near death. I bet he could have scene her, Death herself…" Shrugging and smiling slightly, "Anyway, it's about time she was happy, she's been gloomy ever since mother left.." Out of nowhere, Jess threw a vase at her elder brother which was caught by Alice and put back on the table gently. "It wasn't you fault Jess, and you know that. It was father…" Looking down and sighing slightly, "It was father's fault…" Sensing that a change of subject was necessary, Alice cleared her throat and spoke quietly. "Shouldn't we gather the others now for the banquet, sir.." Nodding and standing up, rubbing the back of his neck he stretched. "Okay, okay. Jess," he looked at his sister and motioned to the door with a jab of his left thumb. "Go fetch Gonz and Karin. Drag them here if you need to." Skipping to the door and waving slightly, she shouted "Okie dokie big brother!!!" As she left the area and skipped down the path, he turned to Alice. "Now you, go round up the other knights and bring them here. I'll stay here in case they show up early." Nodding once to acknowledge her order, she flickered slightly and disappeared to the knight's quarters to gather them.
Since the grand hall was empty Musica decided to sit by the edge of the fountain and use his power to lace the rim with rose petals. When the first petal began to fall, it landed on ice instead of water. Tilting his head slightly, he tapped the ice and exhaled, watching his breath freeze before him. Even though he was twice born, he still felt a chill deep in his core. Only one person he knew was capable of freezing the very air surrounding her. Smiling and turning to look at the door, Musica got up and put his hands on his hips. "Well, you sure took you sweet time getting here…" The figure in the door way had long flowing brunette hair tied in a pony tail behind her with several strands outlining her face. She wore a slightly tattered white and blue kimono with a black battle vest and a blue sash across her waist attaching her katana to her. "…Kazuhira…Fuyu…"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------End of chapter 1