~~Nightmare~~

As I rode closer and closer to D, he noticed my presence…he then shouted out to me, "STOP!"

I faced him with a curious expression and I stopped my horse…D stopped right behind me, "D what's all this?" I asked.

D was silent for a moment, not moving or speaking…then he looked up at me, "Why were you in the house of Meier Link?"

I sighed, "Why must you know?"

"A Bounty Huntress does not go into the homes of Vampires." He said.

"Well I'm not your average Bounty Huntress now am I D?

"Very well." He replied flatly, I sighed…sometimes D was the worst person to have a conversation with.

"Did you just stop me out here to ask me why I was visiting Meier?"

D looked at me with a blank face, "I also wanted to let you know that you can stop your pursuit of the kidnappers, for they have been captured."

I was dumbfounded…was D serious? Had I just blown a job because my personal life was more important to me then any high paying job? Did D capture them? He must have.

"Well congratulations D." I said looking away from him…I was feeling kind of mad and I felt my fangs begin to grow.

"Save it…I didn't capture them."

My eyes widened and I faced him again, "Then who did?"

"A group of hunters called, 'The Marcus Brothers'."

I was silent…I had heard of the Marcus Brothers, they were the best of the best in the human arena. I could understand why they would beat me to the punch, but D…how did they beat D out to it?

"What happened? How come your not the one who got to claim the Bounty prize this time?" I asked.

D sighed, "Something came up."

I frowned; he threw me off with his response, "Another job?"

"No."

"Then what? I am very curious to know what made the great Vampire Hunter lose a mission." I said mockingly.

D glanced away from me and up at the moon, right then he looked like a full-blooded vampire, a child of darkness and Prince of the Vampires. But that's what he was anyway, Prince of the Vampires, who would've thought.

"I had something to take care of…that's all you need to know." He replied not shifting his gaze away from the moon.

"As you say your highness." I said jokingly.

D looked over at me with a sharp gaze, "Don't call me that."

"Why not? It is what you are…a prince…Prince of the Vampires."

I saw D begin to form a fist…but I knew he wasn't mad at me, he was mad at something else.

"I'm not a prince."

"I guess it's a title you don't want to live up to then. Why?" I asked curiously.

D sighed, "I'm not a Vampire…so I'm not going to say I'm Prince of Vampires."

"At least you know what you are…by your father…" I began softly. D looked over at me and he seemed to become interested in what I was beginning to say.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I don't know who my father is…all I know is that he too was a vampire. He left me with my mother's family when I was still a baby…so I don't remember him…I don't even know his name." I said making myself feel worse.

I couldn't believe what I was doing just then…here I was…I had just failed a job to benefit myself, I was more confused then ever about my father and now I was spilling my secrets to the one man who I thought I would never tell anything to ever. I mean sure we've known each other for centuries but…some things just don't connect…like me and D. Yet, why were we talking to each other now?

"Is he still alive?" He asked me.

I looked up at the moon in hope of feeling some form of comfort enter my tormented soul, "Meier says yes."

D was silent a moment, then he spoke, "So that's why you visited Meier," I looked over at D surprised, "You wanted to inquire about your father."

I nodded, "Correct. I got nothing much out of it except a very obvious answer."
D looked over at me, "He lives."

"Yes." I replied.

"There are so many vampires out there…you know you may never find out who he is." D said, I don't think he realized the effect his words had on me. I felt like I would never find my father…and my questions about him would never be answered.

"Perhaps but…I still will try if I can."

"I admire that." D replied.

I then decided to ask D something that I had wanted to know ever since I found out who his father was, "D?"

"Yes?"

"Do you see your father?" I asked softly, almost regretting ever asking.

D was silent and he began to ride gently ahead of me on his horse, I followed next to him…as he rode slowly through the night and over the gray nighttime hills.

"I haven't seen my father since I was little…and I never really came to care for him…I never will."

I sighed, "What of your mother?"

"She died when I was still a child…when she died my father went into a state of madness and for a time he became a dangerous creature to man."

"What happened? What did he do?" I asked intrigued.

"He went on a blood rampage…killing and massacring. My mother was murdered by jealous vampire women…he gave them a slow and painful death. He was then feared not only amongst humans but amongst vampires and Barbaroi…the most powerful creature on earth." D said replied. I couldn't exactly tell what it was he was thinking at the time, but I could definitely feel his hurt…there was a lot of it, and I felt a lot of his pain for it was similar to my own.

"So why did you never take your place among vampires? Why did you, the son of Dracula not take your place as Prince?" I asked.

"I am a Dunpeal…I am not like vampires just as I am not like humans. There was no real life I could make for myself that was honest in a way of vampire or human. I suppose that the life of a bounty hunter would give me some sense of belonging to something that suited me…but I was wrong. The humans I help persecuted me when they found out about my heritage as a vampire and the vampires condemn me for killing my own kind. "

I listened to him intently; I felt his pain so much…

"I can relate to you D in many ways I hate to say. I know what its like to be treated badly because of how you are born. The life of a Dunpeal is no life at all and we both know that, just like every other Dunpeal out there knows it. I guess we lived so long that we don't let it bother us anymore…but for me it still hurts…the past will always hurt me I know that. For you it may be different, then again it may not be so different…but I will say this…I feel a great swell of pity for every Dunpeal that is born because that is the worst life you can have."

There I was again…spilling my guts out to D and I didn't even know why. It wasn't that I was attracted to D…I never was attracted to him actually…although he is good looking and all…I still never felt that thing for him and for me it was ok…because a part of me felt like that is how its supposed to be.

I then began thinking about Meier and the rumors of him in love with a human, if that was true what would become of it…another Dunpeal obviously.

"Have you heard the rumors D about Meier in love with a human girl?"

D looked over at me, "Yes, I'm still not sure if its true though."

"That makes two of us. I tried asking Meier about it but when I did he gave me no answer." I said trying to figure out why Meier never answered that question of mine.

"If its true we will know soon enough I imagine."

I looked over at D, I didn't like how he said that…it sounded so final.

"I hope it isn't true D. Cause if it is…I'm sure a Dunpeal will be sure to follow." I said stating my concern.

D nodded, "I understand that…I'm not thrilled about that idea either."

Finally we approached a fork in the road, one way was headed for Garet town and the other was headed for Tex town.

"I'm heading towards Tex town." D replied.

"I guess this is where we part ways then…" D looked over at me, "I have to head to Garet town for I have relative of my mother's there and I want to see if perhaps they can answer some questions about my father."

"Very well then…till we meet again Skye…or should I say Scarlet."

My eyes widened, did he just call me by my real name? I thought he didn't know it?

"Huh?" That's all I could say as D rode off towards Tex town.

"How much do you really know D?" I said to myself as I then rode off towards Garet town.