Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry for the long wait, alligators, but since college is getting more strenuous, I'm just updating anything I have inspiration on. So, updates might take a little bit longer, but they shall continue! I hope you all enjoy the chapter despite all that!
Rias groaned as she awoke the next morning. She was still feeling some of the aches from the previous night's encounter. There was some bruising from where she had crashed into the vampire and a bit of mental exhaustion from using her Power of Destruction without having practiced in a while. Shrugging off the second with the knowledge that breakfast would fix that problem, the redhead went about choosing her dress for the day. It would have to be something that covered her sides to hide the bruises and scrapes.
As she went about her morning routine, Rias thought back to the vampire girl, Moka Akashiya. Long silver hair reminiscent of the legendary Shinso vampires and the same red eyes as well. Her aura, while powerful, hadn't been much more so than Rias'; she probably wasn't as trained with her Shinso power as her mother. It made sense considering Rias wasn't nearly as powerful as her brother due to not training as often as he. With her entire Shinso power unlocked, Moka could have posed a legitimate threat to Rias had she wanted to.
The redhead stopped as she was lathering her mass of hair. Had she wanted to… Moka had made no move to attack her. Even before the werewolf had shown up, all Moka had done was threaten her. She had even attempted helping Rias get to safety so that she wasn't caught. Why would a vampire, the current number one enemy of all Devils, try to help the sister of the person in charge of the Devils escape? It certainly couldn't have escaped her notice that Rias could be the ending of the war, could it? No, there must have been another reason she let the Devil Princess leave.
Shrugging, Rias finished washing her hair and grabbed a towel. Quickly drying off, Rias wrapped the towel around herself and began brushing her hair. It was perplexing to say the least. There hadn't seemed to be any kind of ulterior motive, either. Moka had genuinely wanted to help her, going so far as to tell her which way to go to get back home. Which in itself was intriguing as she knew where one of the entrances to the Underworld was and yet, there had been no raids on the Devil Palace at all since the beginning of the war.
Rias groaned as she slipped into her undergarments and dress. It was so confusing, trying to figure out this person. She was different than the other vampires Rias had come into contact with. At least they were clear in their motivations to kill her, but Moka's motives weren't so obvious.
Glancing down at her hand, the redhead traced the small scar left behind from Moka's bite. She could feel the hum of the vampire's blood in her system, not enough to overpower her own or give her the power of a Shinso. However, it was enough to know that, if she were to call Moka right then, the vampire would come to her. Of course, doing so could be dangerous as Moka said that her father didn't let her leave the castle. If the silverette were to suddenly bolt from the premises, there was no doubt in Rias' mind that several of the vampire guards would follow to attempt apprehending her.
With a sigh, Rias finally closed her hand and made her way to the dining hall. All of the thinking had made her late to breakfast. Her big brother was already there with Grayfia, discussing something about the war, most likely. Both glanced up at her entrance and Sirzechs cocked his head. "Rias, are you feeling well?" he asked softly. "You're later than usual."
"Just took a little longer to wash my hair, Brother," Rias responded, curtsying and smiling at Grayfia. "It's nothing."
"If you're sure," Sirzechs murmured. Grinning, he clapped his hands together. "Well, I've got a surprise for you."
Rias' head perked up at this, the princess sliding into her seat as she watched her brother curiously. Sirzechs took a deep breath and said, "I think you'll finally be able to go out on the surface now."
Blue eyes widened in shock at the news. "Really?" Rias asked excitedly. "I can see Akeno and Koneko and Yuto again?"
"That's right," Sirzechs laughed. "However, unfortunately, you will only be permitted to leave the palace when it is nighttime on the surface. I don't want the vampires finding you easily and, during the day, it would be difficult to miss our hair. I know it's been difficult for you to be cooped up in the castle while your servans are still above ground. So, though only at night, you're allowed out of the palace. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes!" the younger redhead cheered. "Thank you so much, Brother!"
"You must be careful, Rias," Sirzechs interrupted his sister before she could get into the full swing of celebration. "If the vampires catch you, they will not hesitate to kill you. Please don't do anything dangerous while up there."
"I will!" Rias chirped, digging into her breakfast happily.
…
Moka's eyes glazed as she sat on her throne. Her claws on one hand drummed quietly on the arm of the chair while the claws on the other hand tapped against her cheek. Her father was on another of his long speeches, this time about some kind of agricultural thing. She could really care less about that; all morning her mind had been on something far more appealing.
Ever since the previous night, Moka hadn't been able to get the redheaded Devil beauty off of her mind. Remnants of her scent had been on Moka's outfit when the silverette had returned home. It was a pleasant smell, similar to fresh earth and rainfall. Moka had stowed the clothes at the bottom of her clothing hamper so that the staff didn't also catch the scent and become suspicious.
Even after discarding her outfit and slipping into bed, Moka had stayed awake for a while afterward, remembering the way Rias had felt in her arms. Such soft skin for a creature her father was adamant on destroying. She hadn't had the redhead in her arms for very long, but the way Rias had felt against her body still made Moka blush. When she had finally made it to sleep, all Moka had seen in her dreams was that scarlet hair, flowing in the wind with the other woman's movements.
Because of her thoughts being filled with nothing but the Devil Princess, the second youngest vampire was much more restless than usual. Twice she had zoned out during her father's speech and had only barely pulled herself back to focus. Moka wasn't sure why she was so restless. It was doubtful she and the Gremory Devil would ever see each other again, so there wasn't even anything to look forward to.
The three other Shuzen women glanced to their silver-haired member in confusion. Apart from Akasha, Moka was usually the most focused during Issa's daily speeches. The fact that she was tapping impatiently at her throne and her eyes continually glazed over with disinterest was new to all three of them. Even Kokoa had stayed awake just to watch her beloved older sister in puzzlement. Issa took no notice, of course, so absorbed in what he was saying that he didn't notice.
Akasha cocked her head as she looked to her daughter. I wonder what could be bothering her this much? Is it because she isn't allowed out of the castle? I'm certain I could convince Issa to let her out more often now that she has proven her power in the latest battle. I am not sure it's completely safe to let her go, but her power should be high enough now for her to at least roam the woods around the property. Green eyes narrowed at the memory of the monsters that had attacked her baby girl the day Aqua arrived. Now that she's trained in her power, she will reduce any lesser monsters to ribbons if they dared lay a hand on her. Only the werewolves are a problem, but even they will not be able to stand against her once her full power is released.
Aqua's thoughts were along similar lines. Has something happened recently? Perhaps there's something within the castle that has caught her interest. Bright red eyes narrowed at the thought. I will have to make certain all of the staff are up to speed on how to treat my little Moka. I would hate for her to take an interest in one of them and they attempt to use her for their own gain. I'd sooner kill them than let them take advantage of her.
Kokoa's eyes tracked the movements of her sister's claws. She knew of the Shinso power, but that didn't stop her from wanting to beat Moka with everything she had. The way her sister was moving now was different than usual, which meant that she had been training differently. Because of the war, Kokoa knew that Moka hadn't trained with Akasha in a while, but was she training herself? If that's so, then I'm going to train too! I'm not going to let you get ahead of me, Moka. Not without a fight!
Finally, Issa's speech ended and he turned to his family. All four women were just barely in time to school their expressions and turn their eyes back to him as he clapped for them to be dismissed. Within seconds, Moka was across the throne room and out the door before any of her family members could say a word to her. Akasha and Aqua shared a glance while Kokoa went off to find a clearing to practice with Kou. Nodding between them, the two older vampire women decided to have a talk with the silverette.
Meanwhile, said silver-haired vampire was on her balcony, watching the arc of the afternoon sun. The wind blew her hair slightly as her mind wandered to Rias Gremory once more. She wished she'd had a chance to taste the Devil's blood, but since she had been giving instead of receiving, the most she got was the slightest taste on her fang. Shivering at the prospect of drinking from a Devil, Moka turned her attention back to the sky. She couldn't wait until nighttime. Perhaps she would wait at the entrance to the Underworld for Rias to return to the surface.
There ya go! Another chapter down. I know this one was very little dialogue on Moka's end, but don't worry. That will get better. I'm still figuring out how to continue the story, but I definitely know where I want it to go, so no worries about that. Drop me a review and I'll work on the next chapter when I can!
