Author's Notes: It is an interesting experience when writing and creating within a world. Sometimes massive changes must be fostered upon it, for good or ill. When creating a 'life' within a world, and letting it draw breath and gain depth, there is always pain involved when you sometimes kill a character you like. However, plans within plans, and plot has to move forward. With that said, I can't help but smile when Lord Cain speaks. I spent so many years with the Legacy of Kain series, that even though they are not quite the same being, I still imagine my Cain speaking with Simon Templeman's voice. Call it a quirk, if you will. ;)

Disclaimer: Upon my solemn vow, I don't own Rosario + Vampire, or any of the wonderful quirky characters that live and breathe within that universe. I only own the ones that I created for this fanfic, and my own beloved Diademonica.

Rosario + Vampire: Concerto of Shadows

Chapter 13-Illusions Drenched in Blood.

Night Raven Council Chambers, Three Months Before.

Lord Canis snarled at the hulking Minotaur. "We are lapdogs to no one, you ungrateful ass! We decided long ago that to be partnered with the vampires for the betterment of our world! It was in both of our species best interest that they became so intertwined! It has long since evolved into more than just a partnership, but into a definite kinship with them! The vampires will not face any potential dangers without us at their side! You will do well to remember that it was our unified forces that saved your ungrateful asses after the Greeks decided that your kind were nothing more than monsters! I can't-"

Lord Cain was suddenly there at Lord Canis' side. He gave the werewolf a small smile as his hand lightly gripped the werewolf's massive wrist. He glanced down at Lord Cain, and nodded. Lord Cain released Lord Canis as he now faced the belligerent Minotaur and Dryad Witch, his eyes blazed with an inner inferno. "So, you have decided to cast your lots in with my rebellious children, have you? Very well. To what are your aims, exactly? Or, do you intend to prattle on and waste our valuable time with your pointless and empty words? Whom is your master puppeteer, woods witch? Does Lord William pull your strings? Or, does another strike so cowardly at us from within the shadows, hmmm?"

Lady Virgil's smile faded, and was quickly replaced with her no longer hidden deepest resentment. "No one pulls my strings, vampire. I charted my own life's course long ago, and if it happens to have coincided with yet another displeased Council Lord, then so much the better. We will no longer have ourselves dictated to by the shadow of a once great warrior when we have our own destinies before us."

Lord Cain snorted loudly and crossed his arms. "Yes, you will indeed have your grand destinies that are so richly deserved. I will make sure to give you your grand destiny, woods witch. If you do not seek friendship and equality within these Chambers, then your destinies will indeed be hastened to their inevitable conclusions."

Diademonica had enough, and she stepped forward to defend her Lord. Her trusty symbiotic Apocalypse blade already withdrawn and held tightly in her left hand. Her eyes flashed with loathing as she descended the steps down toward the rebellious councilors. "You stupid bastards!" She spat hotly toward the Dryad Witch and Minotaur. "I knew both of your races even within my own world. My kind helped humanity there hunt them down to extinction! In this world, I thought things would be different. As I expected, both of your races have proved what spineless whiners you are! How DARE you raise your blades against the Lord that protected and kept your ungrateful races safe!"

Lord Cain raised his hand, a corner of his mouth twitched with amusement. "My loyal Enforcer Diademonica, I appreciate that you stepped forward. However, stand down, good woman. I will fight my own battles, my dear."

Dia looked from the belligerent Councilors, then back to Lord Cain. With a nod, she sheathed Apocalypse and fastened it onto her back again. With one last look of hate at both of the disloyal Councilors, she stepped back a couple of feet and crossed her arms. Lady Haruna met Dia's eyes, and she lightly shook her head at her fellow Enforcer. Lord Cain called the shots, and it was time to see what he had in mind.

It didn't take long for Lord Cain to act. Everyone within the Raven Council Chambers gaped loudly as Lord Cain slowly and methodically drew Mourningblade from its enchanted protective sheath that always lay at his side. The weapon's empty eye sockets now glowed with a hungry, eerie red light. Demonic whispers and children's demonic laughter echoed softly within the chambers. Everyone who watched the standoff shivered at how…excited, the blade sounded. Even Lord Branham glanced briefly at Lady Virgil as he took an uncertain step back, elements of fear upon his bullish face.

"You have my complete, and undivided attention. Tell me, Branham, do you want this to be mercifully quick and painless? Or, do I show you the true depths of Mourningblade's appetite?

Lord Branham shook his head and banished his fear as he bellowed a loud warcry that reverberated within the Council Chambers. He drew his hefty double-bladed battleaxe, and lowered his head and snarled. His cloven foot stomped on the floor several times. With one last mighty roar, he bull-rushed forward with the intention of striking down the Vampire Progenitor, and trampling him underfoot. He had the desire of murder written upon his face, and his deepest resentment of the vampire fueled his charge.

Lord Cain's lip drew back in contempt as his eyes narrowed. His snow-white hair suddenly changed into the raven black color of his youth. His formally withered and gaunt appearance he wore as a convenient disguise was now discarded quickly. He now was an almost perfect replica of those images of himself that were displayed with such reverence upon the ceilings within these very chambers. Lord Cain's eyes flashed as his teeth bared in anger. It was the grand return of the Father of All Vampires, and woe to those that earned his vengeance and wrath!

Faster than anyone would have believed, the now youthful vampire Lord Cain faded into an almost fully transparent state, and 'blinked' away from his foe off toward the monster's right side. Shadowed and gracefully silhouetted copies of himself trailed in the wake of his escape, which created distortions and confusion. The shadows then merged together and created the solid form of Lord Cain. The giant Minotaur's great battleaxe now swung through nothing but empty air, which grossly overbalanced the giant warrior. He stumbled badly as he struggled to right himself from his having over-reached himself.

Lord Cain quickly went on the offensive. Without so much as a whisper or grunt of exertion from its owner, the Mourningblade now shrieked through the air with deadly intentions and bit clean through the Minotaur's thick wrists. Those great hands still tightly held that impressive battleaxe, but now it landed completely useless with an announced loud clank upon the stone floor. The Minotaur's eyes went wide with his utter bewilderment and pain. With disbelief etched upon his face, Lord Branham's horned head turned slowly toward Lord Cain, his eyes since turned glassy with shock. That was the moment when the vampire had pressed his final attack and leaped toward the great beast. As he passed right before the Minotaur's head, the blade shrieked through the air yet again as Lord Cain passed Lord Branham in his mid-leap.

Lord Cain landed silently only a few feet to the left of his throne. The great vampire's back was to the Minotaur. The great monster's head toppled forward, and landed heavily upon the floor with a loud crack. Great showers of red blood fountained out from the headless and handless torso. With a heavy wet sound, the body toppled forward and now lay at peace upon its severed parts. Without a word, Lord Cain turned and held the point of the blade toward the body. Ever trickle of that rich, red blood that was spilled, and continued to be emptied from the body, soon rose up from the floor into a red mist and was greedily devoured by Mourningblade.

Tsukune and Moka both stared with their jaws hung open at the scene. In just a matter of seconds, Lord Cain had wiped the floor with that great monster, and didn't even look to have broken so much as a sweat. Tsukune finally swallowed some of his surprise and wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist. He glanced down the row at his friends, and all of them had identical looks of astonishment upon their faces. Well, at least he wasn't the only one that was completely taken aback by Lord Cain's abilities. I knew he wasn't as weak as he let on, but, such power and abilities! No wonder he is the Father of the vampire race!

Lord Cain stepped quietly forward until he stood just a few feet from the inert corpse of the former Raven Lord. "Mourningblade has fed well, I see." He leered down at the corpse. "There is another opening upon the Council now that must be filled. Pity. It will prove trying to find a worthy candidate to fill your seat, Lord Branham. Perhaps one who truly wants to make a difference for the better?" He shrugged as his eyes now focused entirely upon the Dryad Witch. "Well, Lady Virgil, are we to continue this nicely choreographed dance, or has Mourningblade finished its grand feasting for a while?"

Lady Virgil found herself in a rather dumbfounded state at what Lord Cain had just done to her compatriot. She had counted on Lord Branham's might to have weakened the decrepit vampire so that she could swoop in for the kill! Obviously, the Vampire Lord was not as weak or withered as he had first appeared to be. She finally closed her mouth with a snap, and her gaze that was full of hatred as her eyes locked with Lord Cain's. "I will see you dead for this, vampire!"

"Let us continue this amusement then, little woods witch! Worthier creatures then yourself has tried and failed miserably over the course of eons. Let's see just what you have snarled under that root of yours."

Lady Virgil's hands dove toward the stone floor. With several grunts of effort, she penetrated deep into the stone floor. Her vines soon rose up from the cracks within the floor. The vines grew larger and thicker as they twisted and turned and encircled Lord Cain. They climbed upwards as they continued their journey until it finally enclosed itself just a few feet above Lord Cain's head. With one last grunt, the Dryad Witch withdrew her hands from the floor. She sauntered her way over to the caged vampire, merriment danced within her eyes. "Well, 'Lord' Cain, do you have any last minute requests before I terminate your very existence?"

Lord Cain gave her a savage grin, his long fangs flashed in the light. "Yes, my dear. Always make sure your prey is truly ensnared before you give way to gloating."

Lord Cain's body soon faded into thin dark smoke and quickly melted into the floor. With a strangled cry of alarm, Lady Virgil clapped her hands. Her vine trap now closed upon nothing but empty air. With an added element of fear, she backed up quickly from the remains of her empty vine cage trap. She pointed toward Tsukune. "You, human! Where is he? Tell me, or I will crush the life from your worthless body!"

"Why, I am over here, woods witch."

Lady Virgil whirled quickly around and then stood frozen in place. Lord Cain stood several feet away, his form now quite solid. His body appeared wrapped within writhing black flames. Mourningblade was held loosely in his left hand. His ruby colored eyes narrowed as his right arm snapped forward with his right hand opened, his fingers curled slightly. Lady Virgil gasped loudly as she felt herself held within Lord Cain's telekinetically charged steel grip. As Lord Cain's right arm rose up, the Dryad Witch's stomach lurched painfully as her feet left the floor. Her eyes now finally widened in true fear, and her iron will suddenly crumbled before the might displayed by the powerful vampire.

"My-my Lord!" She gasped loudly. "Please, show me mercy!"

"Mercy?" Lord Cain snarled contemptuously. "Mercy to one of the ones that threatened the safety of my Council? Mercy upon one that wanted nothing more than to have my death at her unworthy hands? There can be no mercy granted to the foes that stand before Lord Cain!"

For the briefest moment, Lady Virgil's fear was replaced by her seething hatred and rage. "My people will not stand for this! There will be bloody vengeance reaped upon your kind, vampire!"

Lord Cain laughed mockingly and spat. "Yes, let the other witches of the woods come for us. I will indeed be the herald of their extinction! I postponed that proposition so long ago, but it will be time to reap what your kind have sown. May you be at peace with whatever deity you worship, woods witch, as you will be greeted by them soon enough!"

Lord Cain quickly clenched his hand shut. The sickening sounds of Lady Virgil's bones and insides being crushed into a pulp reverberated within the chambers. So violent was the pressure imposed upon her body that Lady Virgil's eyes popped out from her head and rolled upon the floor. With one last look of the deepest contempt upon her twitching corpse, he whirled his right arm away and opened his right hand. The Dryad Witch's broken body slammed into one of the support pillars. It fell heavily upon the stone floor, clear fluids leaked from her broken body and puddled beneath her still form. Those fluids bubbled and hissed for a moment before everything went silent.

As he had before, Lord Cain held Mourningblade forward toward the twitching corpse. He was curious if his twined, cursed blade would eagerly devour her spent fluids, or if it refused the offer. Unlike what earlier was experienced with Lord Branham, nothing happened now. The blade sat there inert in his left hand. He smirked. "Well, it seems that Mourningblade found you just as nauseating and unacceptable as I would have, woods witch." He spoke to her corpse. "I suppose your body will have to be disposed of. I can't leave refuse in these chambers."

Lord Cain sheathed Mourningblade with a snap. Without so much as a backward glance, he headed toward his throne. He smirked with satisfaction as Diademonica still stared upon Lady Virgil's broken corpse. It was a shame that Lord William had not shown half the stupidity displayed by these now dead rebellious council members. It would have been satisfying to have terminated that little upstart. He pulled his sheathed blade from his side as he sat upon his throne once more, his left hand rested upon the top of the hilt. He sat back into his throne his youthful face content.

Lady Haruna blinked, and then she slowly stood. She gave Tsukune and Moka a small smile and a nod. "I will catch up with you later, Tsuki. Lady Luna hasn't yet returned, and I will stand in her place at Lord Cain's side."

Tsukune and Moka nodded mutely, still in shock over the carnage displayed just moments before. How long had the two battles lasted? Two minutes? Ten? Both just watched without more than a swallow as Lady Haruna now stood at her place at the opposite side of Lord Cain's throne from Dia. Lord Cain sat forward. "Well, now those amusing distractions are out of the way. Lord Rylan, do you have anything further to add about the subject we discussed before we were so rudely interrupted?"

Lord Rylan shook his head to clear it, then nodded briefly. "Yes, Father, there is more that needs to be added."

Lord Cain gave Rylan his rarest and most sincere slow smile, his voice now took an almost affectionate tone. "You haven't called me that in a long time, Rylan. Tell me, is that sentimentality I hear? Did you honestly thing either of them could have injured me?"

"No, my Lord." He responded humbly. "It just reminded me of why we hold you in such regard. It is…quite sobering, to see just a mere fraction of your full powers called forth."

Satisfied, Lord Cain nodded. "Quite. What else do you have for me, then?"

"Well, my Lord, this is what Lady Sakura and Lady Shannara long suspected, but I only recently have been added to their ranks. We believe that Lord William has entered into an unholy and foolish alliance…"

XXX

"I see." Lord Cain frowned some time later after Lord Rylan finished. "Do you truly believe that those that serve my brother would set aside the hatred of our kind long enough to not slaughter Lord William on a whim?"

Lord Rylan shook his head. "There is not any proof found just yet, my Lord. However, it would make the most sense. The sheer amount of arrogance and bold confidence displayed by him earlier worries me greatly. I could only see William stand up to you in that way if he felt that he had something with great power at his back. I wouldn't think he would have been stupid enough to do this, otherwise."

Lord Cain rose from his throne again, and in one smooth motion returned the sheathed Mourningblade back at his side. "Well, this is certainly a lot to ponder. I will return back to my tomb and sleep again. There isn't anything further here that requires my attention. I leave this in your capable hands." He cocked his head as he gazed down upon Lord Rylan. "What of you, my son? What will you do now? I daresay that William will not cease his desire for retribution against you or the boy just yet."

Lord Rylan nodded. "No, my Lord, I know he won't be done hounding Tsukune yet. Your acceptance of him and allowance of Moka to stay at his side will only fuel William's insatiable desire to see this morbid fixation of his through to its bloody conclusion. If anything, most of us should return back with him to Yokai Academy, so that he can be protected by those that love and care for him most."

Lord Cain nodded and stepped forward. "Then I have one final 'gift' that I will bestow upon the young hybrid. I expect the next time I see the lad, he will be transformed for the better, and a lot less nervous."

Tsukune swallowed in his obvious nervousness as Lord Cain walked up toward him and Moka. He bent forward, and rested his forehead against Tsukune's. Lord Cain's eyes flashed obsidian for just a moment, as Tsukune's did as well. He pulled back and stood straight up again. "With that, I will bid you all farewell for now. When the time is right, young Tsukune will know what to do to awaken me again."

XXX

Lord Rylan clasped the forearm of Lord Canis. "I wish you could join us, old friend. We could really use both you and Lady Jeanne at Yokai Academy."

Lady Jeanne smiled, her smooth French accent still rich and not diminished after all this time. "While it would be lots of fun, Lord Rylan, we must get back to the Twelve Tribes. They will be very, 'antsy', as you say, to find out what happened here at our Council Meeting."

Lady Sakura nodded and grinned as she stood next to Lord Rylan. "Well, you both have a safe trip back to your people." She winked at her old friend. "I trust we will see you before too much longer though, hmmmm?" She asked with her eyebrow raised and a small smirk. "There still is lots of gossip that we need catching up on."

"Ha Ha, of course, Lady Sakura." Lord Canis grinned and winked at her. "You know I can't keep the two biggest gossip hounds apart for very long."

Lord Rylan's eyebrows knitted with puzzlement as he glanced around. "Has Lady Luna departed us already? I haven't seen her around for some time." He smiled faintly. "I was going to ask if she would be interested in a secretary position at Yokai Academy."

Lord Canis scratched the back of his neck, his lips pursed in thought. "No, I don't think she has gone anywhere yet, Rylan. She always tells us before she goes back home. I don't know, I guess that maybe she and Lady Moria had a lot to talk about. I thought I briefly saw her depart abruptly with her earlier."

Lord Rylan frowned. "Hmmmm, this is isn't like her to be gone for so long." He chewed his lip in thought. Since Dia had gone to see Lord Cain back to his rest, the others now milled around a bit as they waited to head back to Yokai Academy. "Lady Sidhe and Lord Stone already left?"

Lord Canis gave him a big toothy grin. "Yup. They will be there waiting for you when you get to that academy of yours. They will be talking to the Director, and see if they can get places within the academic structure." He tapped his chin in thought and cocked his head. "Are you bringing Lady Haruna with you?"

Lord Rylan nodded. "Yeah, she is quite comfortable with being at Yokai Academy, and with being around Tsukune. He trusts her, as does Moka. I wonder though, do you think Dia might be interested in coming along?"

Lord Canis barked a laugh. "Ha! I think she would nearly jump at the chance! You may have to stroke her ego just a bit, but I dare say she would love to get out of the Raven's Nest for a while." He watched as Lady Sakura and Lady Jeanne stepped away from them, quietly but animatedly conversing in French. He leaned down and whispered. "What about Lady Shannara? Is she going with you, too?"

Lord Rylan nodded. "She will be along presently. Lady Sakura was…less than enthused about the idea, but her healing skills are a wonderful asset to Yokai Academy. Not to mention, she will be able to help assist young Yukari and Ruby with their magic training." He grinned. "I dare say Ruby will be positively ecstatic to meet yet another witch."

Lady Sakura and Lady Jeanne came over to their mates with matching smiles. Rylan and Canis traded identical looks. They were definitely up to something, which was for sure. Lady Jeanne spoke first. "Canis, we should go. We have delayed them long enough."

Lord Canis' eyebrow raised. "Dare I ask why you two are sitting there grinning like the cat that swallowed a canary?"

Lady Sakura tried to look innocent. "Me? I am only talking to an old friend that I haven't had a chance to catch up with in eons."

Lord Rylan's eyebrow rose as he crossed his arms. "Uh huh, sure. Yes dear, anything you say, dear."

XXX

Lady Moria was positively furious! All those methodically laid out plans had been shot all to hell! Her beloved Councilor now lay slaughtered, and Lord Branham, too! She watched from the shadows as Lord Canis and Lady Jeanne departed the chambers. Soon, Lord Rylan and Lady Sakura would lead their little group back to Yokai Academy. Slaying Luna was immensely satisfying, but it just was not enough! Now, she craved bloody vengeance upon the vampires! Her eyes narrowed at the boy, Tsukune Aono. Her lips curled into an unpleasant smile. To hell with your 'command', Burnhart. If I can't strike against Lord Cain, then I will strike at the best hope of your race!