Of Sun and Moon

Hey! Sam here (: Okay, now for a brief statement. I promised myself not to post until I had 3 chapters done, but I just couldn't help it. I felt so bad. Anyways, updates will be a VERY long wait. Perhaps 3 weeks to a month. School's been hell, I had 4 quizzes, 2 essays, 1 test and a whole bunch of homework crap…within one week. Ugh. Stupid college preparatory schools.

**Italics are flashbacks and the regular parts are the present! REMEMBER that. I don't want to put "flashback" and the beginning of each one…that's just…unnecessary lol.**

Disclaimer: I don't own the MR characters

Rating: F for Fax

Between Love and War

"C'mon, I trained you better."

A girl rolled her eyes at her friend's comment before closing them again, and then inhaling deeply. She smelled the lush aroma of the forest, the crisp fall wind swirling around them, gently blowing leaves through the air.

Her friend watched her carefully, his eyes slowly traveling down to her nose that wrinkled whenever she laughed, to her cheeks that turned the cutest shade of pink when she was furious or embarrassed, and finally to her lips which were so soft that sometimes he just wanted to –

"Dylan," she said, "I swear you cheat at this game. It's like you fly from one spot to another."

He smirked to himself. He did cheat . . . all the time. "Listen to my voice," he breathed, his voice hitching, "and find it. Find me."

Suddenly, an idea came to the girl. She grinned, though making sure not to let it show on her face. Suddenly, she was falling to the ground, about to collide with the leaf-covered forest floor.

But not before strong arms caught her around the waist, carefully lowering his best friend to the ground, him on his knees as he held her small body to his own. He shook her gently, hoping that in any moment, she would open her eyes and laugh at him for being so worried . . . but she didn't.

She waited until she heard him promise that he wouldn't force her to play this game anymore before opening her hazel eyes that glinted with mischief and amusement.

What she saw when she looked up at her friend's face made a breath catch in her throat. His beautiful turquoise eyes were glazed with tears, reflecting his concern. Seeing him . . . vulnerable, made her chest constrict, but also happy in knowing that he cared about her.

She shrugged the feeling off before extending an arm out and tousling his brown hair, a smirk on her lips. "If you can't find someone . . . make him come to you," she whispered, her warm breath reaching her friend's face, causing a shiver down his spine. "And that's when the student becomes the teacher," she stated grinning, pushing his shoulder playfully.

He stared at her, just realizing how he'd felt at the thought of losing her. "That's not fair. You play dirty," he rasped, still shaken from what happened.

She climbed to her feet, dusting her coat with an air of pride. "All's fair in love and war," she told him.

"Love?" He rose to his feet, watching as she made her way back to their village. "What's love got to do with anything?" he called after her.

The girl turned around to face him, her cheeks rosy from the crisp fall wind, and her brown hair in a messy French-braid. "Everything," she answered, before turning around again. With her back to him, she continued, "Who knows, Dylan, maybe one day you'll go into war for love."

She smiled, rolling her eyes, as she heard her friend muttering, "I doubt it."

Standing hidden only a few yards away from them was a boy their age. His tear-swollen midnight eyes narrowed at the killer of his brother. At that moment the boy's morals disappeared like they had never existed in the first place. Hatred for the killer devoured the boy, watching as he wrapped an arm around a girl's shoulders. Their laughter reverberated throughout the forest and the boy's hands clenched into fists at his side, his knuckles turning white.

He promised to himself that he would get vengeance for his brother's death . . . and that he would take something precious to the killer.

His best friend.

And so the war began . . .

~:*:~

Ari eyed Fred as she slumped tiredly over her worktable. He could tell that she was stressed out about the case; their mom and the Elders depended on her. Her need to make people happy was probably both her greatest and worst asset; she was spineless and wouldn't stand up for herself. And it was always Max or Ari that fought her battles.

"Win, can we talk?"

Fred raised her head to look at Pierce who was holding a cup of hot chocolate in his hands, an obvious "peace treaty". "I'm kind of busy," she muttered quietly, lowering her head to focus back on her notes.

Instead of leaving like she'd hoped, his feet stayed planted firmly on the ground, his eyes fixed on her. She could feel his gaze on her face and the feelings of insecurity he gave her when they were kids came rushing back. Heat rose to her cheeks when she remembered that he was her first crush and obviously his effect on her hadn't faded over the years.

"Don't tell me you don't find me attractive anymore," he said lightly, trying to force the tense air away.

Fred rolled her eyes, unable to contain the twitching at the corners of her lips that threatened to make her smile. It was then that she felt someone else's gaze on her and when her almost-smile completely faded. She raised her head again, looking past Pierce, and instead at the man who stood leaning against a doorway. His hazel-eyes were hard, his posture tense. And as she looked at him with big brown eyes, he knew immediately what she was trying to tell him. She was asking him to protect her . . .

To tell Pierce that she was already taken.

That she was his. . .

She just wanted him to tell someone.

But he didn't.

And instead, he walked away like it was nothing to him.

Like she was nothing to him.

~:*:~

"What do you want with me?" The girl yelled through clenched teeth, trying to rip her arm away from the boy who held her captive. His grip tightened around her arm with enough pressure to break bones, forcing her to shriek in pain and collapse to her knees.

He let go of her arm and finally he spoke. "You have 1 minute to run and once that minute is over . . . I'll be coming after you. If you escape, I'll let you live. If I catch you, I'll snap your neck."

"Why are you doing this?" The girl questioned, slowly rising to her feet, wincing in pain. "I don't even know you."

He heard her heart beating wildly in her chest, but she kept surprisingly composed on the outside. "Your running out of time," he reminded, his eyes narrowing at her. For just a second, he didn't want to hurt her. It was obvious why his brother's killer was fond of her. He could tell just by the way she held herself that she was brave . . . but at the same time, kind-hearted.

"I wasn't raised to run away from my battles," she stated, assuming a fighting stance.

"You don't know what kind of danger you're in . . . do you?" The boy lunged at the girl, his eyes blood red, and his fangs grazing the sensitive skin of her neck. But it was then that he had made a mistake. He inhaled – involuntarily breathing in the girl's scent. She smelled of the sweetest honey, causing a wave of desire to course through the boy.

The girl's eyes widened, her leg coming up to kick him in between the legs before she ran away from the monster. But suddenly, guilt began building up and the girl looked back at the boy. He was on his knees, his head lowered like he had just lost a battle . . . looking like he just needed a friend.

But why did she keep running away?

When she turned her head back around it was too late and she tumbled into a river. One of the things that her friend had never taught her to do was to swim . . .

Her arms flailed frantically as she tried keeping her head above water. The last thing she saw was the boy standing near the edge of the river, watching cruelly as the waters swallowed her. She regretted leaving, running away from him. Maybe if she had befriended him, the last thing she would've seen would not have been the hatred in the boy's eyes . . .

So she let the waters drag her down, darkness rimming her vision as she looked up at the surface, the sun's reflection causing a beautiful glimmer of light. She smiled before closing her eyes for what she thought would be her final time, feeling at peace, allowing darkness to consume her . . .

~:*:~

Hazel and midnight stayed locked on one another.

Neither had the heart to look away, both thinking that if they did, the other would disappear.

The boy looked sad and in need of a friend. Since the day they first met, the girl promised herself that she wouldn't run away from him again. And if this was their second chance, she would do what she hadn't the first time.

Cautiously, she approached him, his dark eyes never leaving her as she did so. When she was near enough, she held out her hand. When he didn't acknowledge it and just kept staring into her eyes, she took a seat beside him.

"I'm Max," the girl said, bringing her knees up to her chest.

The boy stayed quiet, perhaps hoping that if he kept his silence that she would leave him alone. But the girl was determined not to leave him this time.

"Why are you sad?" she whispered, her eyes turning soft.

The sound of her voice was so sweet, so gentle, that it struck a chord in his lifeless heart. But it was the way she spoke to him that caused the feeling. The way she talked to him like she didn't know him . . .

"I lost someone important to me yesterday," he admitted, avoiding contact with her eyes. "She was my best friend," he added quietly.

Max stared at the side of his face for a long time, knowing the he was referring to her. She cleared her throat before trusting herself to speak again. "I'm sorry," she condoled. And before she could stop herself, words were already slipping uncontrollably out of her mouth. "I can be your friend if you want."

She held her hand out to him again, her hazel eyes big and hopeful as she awaited his reaction.

As the girl began losing consciousness, her world darkening, she found herself only able to think about the boy in the forest. Maybe things would've ended differently if she hadn't run away from him. But it was too late now . . . no second chances.

Her last thought was an apology to the boy and then consciousness was completely stolen from her.1

But before the girl fell into the darkness of the waters, a hand grabbed hers, pulling her to the surface where she was cradled in safe arms.

The boy wasn't able to resist her back then . . . even when he hated her.

So there was no hope that he would resist her now . . . when he loved her.

He took her hand in his, shaking it. "I'm Nick," he whispered, watching a small smile find its way to her pink lips.

The girl woke up coughing, struggling to open her eyes and catch her breath. When she succeeded, her vision was hazy as she blinked up at the sun. Turning her head to the side, she saw the boy sitting against a tree, his head bent down. Though light-headed, she forced herself to sit up and make her way to the boy.

"Why did you save me?" she asked quietly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I thought you wanted to kill me."

The boy eyed her hand on his shoulder and turned away as he felt tears rimming his eyes. "I lost a friend," he whispered. "My brother. And I thought that by killing you, I would be getting justice for him." Tears slid down his cheeks and he closed his eyes to prevent more from falling. "But I was wrong."

Leaning over, the girl wiped his tears away with the base of her thumb. The boy opened his eyes to look at her, an understanding smile on her pretty face. "I can be your friend if you want," she said softly, pulling him into a hug, surprising the boy. And then she giggled out of nowhere, causing the boy to smile. "So...if you're a vampire…aren't you supposed to be all pasty?"

For the longest time, the boy had been consumed in anger, but because of the girl he met today, his hatred had been replaced with happiness.

"I'm Max," the girl introduced, holding out her right hand.

The boy stared at it for a moment and then at her face that looked so kind . . . making him forget that she was the best friend of his enemy.

"I'm Nick."

Some things were unchanging – like the love and attraction between the girl and the boy. And even back when they were kids, they knew it was dangerous to be friends. But like a moth to the light, like the sun to the moon, they were attracted to one other. Just like how they were now. And they were willing to take the risk again.

However, this time, as they looked into each other's eyes, they promised themselves that this time would be different.

That they wouldn't mess things up.

But some things, like attraction, were just inevitable . . .

Next few chapters are about Max and Fang's love from both the past and the present. There shall be mucho Fax ^^ and in the next chapter (I was supposed to include it in this one...oh well :P) you shall find out the killer of the boy XD If you listen to this song called "Powerful Stuff" by Sean Hayes, it'll give you a hint of what the next chapter is about ;D Well, it'll give you a hint of the "mood"/tone of the next chapter. Very cute song!

Ooooh…Dylan and Max were best friends when they were 13 :O Perhaps, this is another reason why Dylan hates Nick (aka Fang) because he "stole" his best friend away from him? ;) *hint hint wink wink* lol and if you didn't catch on, the beginning is foreshadowing!

My Dylan is OOC! He is going to be DIFFERENT than the Dylan in the MR books, but he's still competition for Fang, so it's still okay to hate him. :P

OMGOSH, oh yeah! Okay, Fangrules AND Vamp-With-Wings have put this story on Story Alert and/or reviewed :O Like, whoa.

By the way guys! Go check out the MR awards!

http:/forum (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/forum/Maximum_Writing_Awards/97395/

It's pretty cool! And you can vote on your favorite stories and stuff :D So go check it out!

If we don't make it to 465 this week, I'm going to be uuuuuber upset. And if that happens, I lose my inspiration. If I lose inspiration, this story is forgotten. You writers out there know how it is…so please…review? Next chapter will be posted sometime this week if we can make it over 465 in 3 days. Deal? If we don't…I'm not even joking guys, I have so many things going on that I can go on months without updating. The only reason I stress myself out is for you guys.