A/N: here's chpater 2 enjoy... I know many of you dislike the format but please deal with it untilI have the time to change it, which should be soon... please r&r

Darkmoon Child

Corrupted Sin

Chapter 2: Princess why do you cry?

Ayane was awakened the next day by her cousin knocking loudly on her door. She sat up in bed, wiping her eyes triedly with the back of her hand. She called her cousin in and Mahiru waltzed through the door clad only in her dolphin pajamas. Ayane grinned over at her in a half dazed fashion. Mahiru sat down next to Ayane, wrapping her arms around her.

"I don't want to go to the Moon Palace. But if it will save the empress it's worth it, right?" Mahiru looked up into Ayane's eyes as if searching for the answer.

"Of course it's worth it, plus we'll all be there with you so you have nothing to fear," Mahiru smiled up at Ayane, then stood and shuffled back out of the bedroom, Ayane felt dumbstruck as she stared at the slowly closing wooden door. The door stopped moving within inhes of closing. Ayane's head jerked up and she found herself staring into the blue depths of an extremely blonde beauty. She started as she pulled her gaze from his and tried to cover herself up with what little cover there was left on her bed, suddenly filling naked in her skimpy night wear. He walked inside of the door, closing it behind himself. She watched him slowly turn the lock before approaching her.

"What are you doing?" Ayane glared at him reproachfully a moment before he sat on the edge of her bed, far to close for comfort or decency.

He edged closer, his fingers ghosting over the side of her face. She jerked away from the sudden touch, he anticipated it cupping her chin with his fingers. His lips moved towards her slowly, brushing over hers softly. He pulled away looking satisfied. She stared at him, curiosity and anger burning in her eyes.

"Just as I thought-" he mumbled standing to turn away, she grabbed his hand jerking him back down.

The jerk threw him off balance and he landed in her lap in a tangle of limps. Ayane glared down at him, he glared right back. Neither made a move to pull apart, they just sat there glaring one another down. Then suddenly, neither sure who moved first, Nozomu's lips were on hers and they were sharing a passionate kiss. Nozomu's experienced lips molded Ayane's as he sucked on her lower lip, causing a low moan to escape her throat.

She pulled away suddenly, pushing him away. She glared at him angrily, moving to the other side of the impossibly small bed. He stared at her dazed, his eyes slightly glazed over. She pulled her knees to her chest covering herself with the sheet still laying between them.

"What was that for, you prick?" she looked at him, hurt evident in her expression.

"Hey you kissed me the second time," snapping out of his slight daze he decide to do a little snapping of his own.

"Why?"

"Because, I needed to know something. Vampires have predestined mates, they know the minute they kiss the person. To begin with they just have a strange deja vu feeling, I had that so I decided to find out for sure. I didn't want you to be my mate, but sadly you are. A vampire can only be with his mate, he can sleep with whomever he chooses but he must eventually settle down with his mate, it is the only person he can bear children with. That is why I kissed you, and that is why you kissed me back. Now excuse me, I must go inform Oboro of this," Nozomu's normally controlled face was in shambles as he left the room, his nightmare slowly coming true.

Oboro was seated in the lounge when Nozomu finally found him. He immdiately stood up and crossed the short distance to Nozomu when he saw the crestfallen look upon the young blonde's face.

"Is it the princesses? Are they alright? Is something wrong Nozomu?" Oboro worriedly looked into the tear filled eyes of the teen.

"I have found my mate, Oboro," Oboro's eyes widened as the blonde dropped dejectedly onto one of the bar stools.

"I take it she's not to your liking?" Oboro sat beside him absently pushing a strand of hair behind the boy's ear.

"It's Ayane..." one tear fell absently down the boy's face.

"Ayane?" Oboro's shock melted as he watched the tears slowly fall down the boy's face.

"Yes, I had a hunch when I met her, but then I kissed her. This morning to be exact, she's my mate... I'm positive. I don't know what to do," Nozomu laid his forehead on the inside of his palm.

"Well first, she moves into your room... as is custom with such things. She can have her own bed because of the special circumstances though. Then we inform the others, does she know?" Oboro paused at the boy's small nod. "Okay, good, then I guess we wait and hope for a miracle. I suppose that is the most we can do at this point. Your fates are sealed, there is nothing we can do to change that. Everything will be alright."

"No it won't, why'd it have to be her?" Nozomu's voice was filled with anger and Oboro turned in time to see a silver ponytail flutter in the doorway.

"Because you two are two heads of the same coin. You complete each other. Where you lack she fills and vice versa. You just haven't figured that out yet," Oboro spoke softly, knowing that Ayane may still be listening.

"We are nothing alike, we can't be... Maria..." Nozomu choked out between sobs, burying his face in his hands and his drawn up knees.

"I know you loved Maria, but she's gone now. She died a long time ago, Nozomu, and there is no going back. Ayane is your mate... please don't take it out on her because you're hurt. She's going through enough already," Oboro glanced sharply at the softly sobbing bundle.

"I know, but it's so hard. She looks nothing like Maria, they're complete opposites. I just wished she reminded me a little of her," Nozomu went on brokenly.

"Nozomu, I know it hurts, but it really is time to move on. Now hurry and dry your tears, its almost time to leave for the Moon Palace," Oboro shoved a handerchief gently into his hand and stood to leave.

Ayane stood back with a yelp, wearing a small oreintal dress. Oboro smiled at her kindly and motioned for her to go into the room he was exiting. She walked in to witness a sobbing Nozomu, she shook her head sadly turning to leave. She stopped as she heard her name whispered, turning back to face Nozomu.

"Ayane- come here please, come sit by me," Nozomu's watery voice was muffled by his hands as he ran them over his face.

Ayane complied, pulling herself up onto the bar stool. Nozomu faced her, eyes red rimmed from crying. She cringed as a single tear fell down his face.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," her voice was soft as she looked away.

"No I should be the one apologizing. It's just, I was in love once, with a girl I grew up with a demon named Maria. She was a vampire like me, but we looked nothing alike. She was short with midnight black hair that fell just below her shoulders, and dark chocolate eyes that seemed to always be smiling. She was the happiest person I knew, and although she wasn't my mate I was determined to marry her. Our parents approved, thinking that once we hit the turning age we may prove to be mates after all. The turning age for a vampire is seventeen, she died when we were both sixteen. She died of the diesease thats been infecting so many of our kind, she died in my arms. That is why I joined Oboro to begin with, I didn't want them to take away every other lover's heart and tear it in half. I lost my virginity, if you can call it that, to Maria, and my first kiss- so many firsts... including my first heart break. Now you know why I push women away, the reason I push you away is because I don't like you. I don't know why, perhaps its because I see the hurt behind the façade and it reminds me so much of what I went through. Perhaps its because you're just not my type, or because you don't show interest- I seriously do not know," he looked at her sighing deeply after his short speech, his blue eyes were clouded with the past and several unreadable emotions.

"I'm sorry Nozomu, I didn't mean for this to happen. I certainly didn't mean for any of this to happen, because that would mean I'd be at home safe in the ams of my mother. I would be a junior in a school I knew with my own friends, and someone would still need me. I'm sorry you hurt Nozomu, but I hurt too. Remember that next time you take your feelings out on me, I have emotions as well and hurtful words cut as a dagger would my skin... cuts don't heal quickly, they fester and sometimes become infected if left untreated, they hurt and sting days after the intial act, and they are not soon forgotten. I have many cuts and bruises dealt me that still have yet to begin to heal and I feel you do too, neither of us need any more to deal with," her voice was soft and floated on the wind to his ear, he looked away as he words hit home, knowing it was the truth and a truth he would have to contend with from now on.

"Yes, Ayane, you are completely right. Perhaps I should explain more about this 'mate' thing, eh?" he tried a feeble grin and failed despairngly.

"Sure, why not- we have a while before its time to leave and we're both ready," she sat back on the stool and closed her eyes calmly.

"Well mates, as I have previously explained, in a vampiric world, are the only ones who a vampire can be with and have kids. Mates send this little alarm into the vampires mind and kissing them confirms or denies the suspicion. The way it works is strange and I don't totally understand it but the vampire knows for certain once he kisses the girl, or if its in a girl's case the guy. Usually its one of their own race and somone they previously knew and liked, unlike in our case. Once a vampire finds its mate and the mate is informed they share a bed, or once again in our case a bedroom," he stopped a moment noticing the slight shock that crossed her face, her eyes opening a bit to look at him.

"Go on, I'm listening," she closed her eyes again, folding her arms lesuirely behind her head, in all appearances relaxed.

"They do not marry usually, unless the live among humans, and their children take the vampire's last name, if they are both vampires the male's, except in the cases of the mate being a higher bred demon, such is the case here, then they take the other's name and status. Sometimes it just depends on what they turn out to be, like if one child is a vampire and the next is the other breed than they have seperate last names. Two mates always have a heightened sense of connection after they finally claim one another, a painful process I hear- but having never done it have no clue exactly what it emplies, its an instinctual thing. Mates cannot...erm mate, without claiming one another, its another sign for those who are still unsure about their choices. Oboro is having your things removed to my room even as we speak, I can hear him moving," Nozomu paused and looked about the empty bar, his blue eyes sad.

"Sounds interesting, so if the mate refuses?" Ayane smiled cheekily over at him, the smile not reaching her now open eyes.

"Then the vampire will die, and then the mate," Nozomu glared at her hard and long.

"Well that's depressing," Ayane shook her head slightly, removing the thought from her head.