I don't own anything except the Takahari family, their Dragoon Spirits, Kenji Okamura, and Cassius

***

The morning after the vampire attack, we left the travel agency and continued on toward Mushroom Rock Road, which would take us to the final leg of the journey to Djose Temple.

I glanced at Tidus as we set out; from the looks of things, something had gone on between him and Yuna the night before, after I'd gone to sleep.

"So how are things with the Lady Summoner?" I asked him with a smile.

Tidus apparently realized what I was getting at. "Hey, it's not like that. I'm just her guardian!"

I chuckled. "Just a companion traveling on the same road, huh? That's how it always starts. Take it from an old hand at the adventuring business: it's not time that forges relationships, but trial. Battles forge friendships and other relationships better than almost anything else. Remember that."

"Yeah, whatever." He changed the subject; he probably had the usual teenager feeling that said anybody older than twenty knew about as much as a turkey. "Guess you've got Wakka annoyed."

I shrugged. "Not my fault he's a true-believer type. I just happen to believe in a different deity, and while I normally respect other religions, there are times when I run across beliefs that have more holes in them than Swiss cheese. Naturally, no faith can be proven to be true, but this idea of 'Yevon'? Sorry, but I just can't accept that a 'god' would continue to punish the children for the sins of the fathers a thousand years later. Sin exists, certainly; I can't deny it, having fought it. But it's not here to punish people for using machinery; if it was, I dare say there'd be an equivalent on my homeworld, Earth, because we use machines all the time. I estimate at least a couple of billion people would die if we lost our technology, for the simple reason that we couldn't make enough food."

"I guess you're right," Tidus said. "I'll talk to Wakka, maybe at least get him to stop ranting at you."

I waved a hand in dismissal. "Go ahead, but it doesn't really bother me. I've always enjoyed a good debate."

I wandered away, back to my own group. We were traveling together, yet still somewhat separate. Given the tensions with Wakka and a few other problems, it was inevitable.

Rose raised an eyebrow when I got close. "'A companion traveling on the same road'?"

I grinned. "Yeah, I know. The same thing Dart said six years ago." I hadn't been present for it, but Rose had told me about it, a couple of years later. "It's true, though. Mark my words: those two are going to realize eventually what they feel for each other."

Rose smiled. "No matter how much they refuse to admit it to themselves."

I put an arm around her. "Yeah. It always comes out in the end."

***

We were stymied when we reached the start of the Mushroom Rock Road; it was guarded by Crusaders, who refused to let anyone pass. A summoner was standing in front of them arguing. "You dare to impeded a summoner's pilgrimage?" the woman demanded.

"Sorry, ma'am, no exceptions."

That'll be Dona, the rude one Ryan mentioned, with Barthello. I guess she still hasn't learned any manners. Figures.

Dona sighed. "Come on, Barthello. Since these upstarts have seen fit to impede our passage, we'll just have to find another way." They left.

"So now what?" Tidus asked.

"Now I try my powers of persuasion," I said. "A little something called aggressive negotiating." I sauntered over to the Crusaders. "Okay, fellas, one question: what the blazes gave you the idea that you could block the road on a whim?"

One of them stiffened. "It's not on a whim. Things are going to get dangerous here, and soon. We cannot in good conscience permit civilians to risk themselves."

I bared my teeth in what might be charitably described as a smile. "That's not your decision to make, buddy. And besides," and I drew Raiden-Ken, "I think we can take care of ourselves." Using a kuji sequence, I teleported behind him, and then back so quickly there briefly seemed to be two of me.

The guy had courage, at least. "I'm sorry, sir. No exceptions."

I felt the presence of someone else. "Is there a problem?"

Seymour. That figures.

"We need to pass here to continue my pilgrimage," Yuna replied. She seemed in awe of the maester. "But they won't let us through."

"I see." Seymour turned to the Crusaders. "Please allow Summoner Yuna and her party to pass."

"But, Maester-"

"I'll take responsibility."

"Very well." The Crusaders stepped aside.

On his way by, Seymour turned to me. "You would be the warriors who lent aid in Luca?"

I nodded. "That's us. I'm Ian Takahari. These are my siblings, Ryan and Karen, and this is Rose."

"I see. That was impressive, what you did back there."

"We all have our talents." And I have no intention of giving you the full story, Seymour. Something about you doesn't smell right.

"Indeed." Seymour smiled. "Perhaps we will meet again."

"Perhaps. But I hope not," I added to myself in a low tone after he'd left.

I was somehow not surprised when Wakka walked over. "Hey, why didn't you tell him all of it? He's a maester, he's supposed to know when things like that show up in Spira!"

"Wakka, shut up," I said tiredly. "I don't trust him, and I don't like him, and besides which, as I said in Luca, I am answerable to only one man: His Majesty Albert, King of Serdio and the Jade Dragoon. I do not acknowledge the authority of anyone else."

He tried another tack. "What about the leader of your clan, yah? Don't you take his orders?"

"Actually, no, he doesn't," Ryan said from behind me. "In case it slipped your notice, Ian is the leader of the clan. He gives the orders. And the rest of us obey, even if it means dying."

"Then I'm gonna have to tell Seymour myself," Wakka said, and started to walk off.

"I wouldn't," Rose said, voice cold. "You would be jeopardizing our mission, and Ian's orders from Albert did clear him to kill if necessary, in order to protect and complete the mission."

Karen nodded agreement. "Don't get him angry. People tend to get killed when my brother gets angry. Sometime remind me to tell you about Count Draco von Schneider, and how he came to a very bad end after he made a pest of himself by going after Ian about a dozen times."

Wakka stopped in his tracks. "Uh, how bad was it?" Curiosity and fear had temporarily gotten his attention.

"A friend by the name of Lloyd cut off his head, and I stabbed him through the heart," I said offhandedly. "So, yeah, people who anger me tend not to live to tell about it."

"What about that guy on the way to Luca?" Wakka countered. "He's still alive, isn't he?"

Yes, what about me, Takahari? asked a voice in my head. Don't be so surprised, vampire hunter, the voice added. You've been bitten; that gives me a connection to you.

"Shut up, Cassius," I muttered, then turned my attention back to Wakka. "So you saw that little altercation, did you? Well, Cassius is a special case. For one thing, he's about two thousand years older than I am. That makes him one of the ancient vampires, the most powerful all breeds. I am quite possibly the only person ever to survive one of his attacks. Or at least, without quite becoming a vampire myself."

"So you're scared of him, yah? And here you're supposed to hunt 'em."

I gazed at him coldly. "If you're not afraid of him, then you aren't very bright." I turned away and resumed walking.

You're right about that, Takahari, Cassius said in my mind. And you should be very afraid indeed, for we will soon meet again. Prepare yourself.

At this, I turned my thoughts inward, attempting to close my mind to Cassius, building a mental lock against him. Get out of my mind, Cassius! With an almost physical effort, I cast the invading presence out of my consciousness, though I knew it wouldn't last long.

Rose caught me as I collapsed. "Ian, what happened?"

I glanced up. "It's Cassius. He's found a way to send me more than just dreams. I've locked him out of my mind for now, but I don't think it'll last." I paused, thinking. "The bastard... he's just trying to scare me, but it's working anyway. He's using his victories over me as a tool, and it's working."

"Think, Ian. When was the last time you fought him on more or less even terms?"

I thought for a moment. "Ten years ago, when we first met. I didn't see him again for years, and then he got the drop on me."

Rose laid a hand on my shoulder. "So you've had ten years to improve your own skills. And this time, you won't be alone. You never have to fight alone anymore."

"I know. Thanks, Rose." I stood straight. "Come on, let's go."

***

We made our way quietly, more or less, until reaching the first evidence of the upcoming Operation Mi'ihen: what appeared to be primitive cannons, pointing out to sea. Wakka strode over to them and kicked one.

It hurt his foot more than the machina. "What's his problem?" Tidus asked.

"His brother, Chappu," Lulu replied. "He left the sword Wakka gave him behind, and fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon, instead."

That would explain Wakka's virulent hatred of our guns, I thought. A reaction to his brothers death.

Wakka had apparently overheard the exchange. "That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!"

Yeah, right, Wakka. You may even believe it, but that doesn't make it true.

From there, we headed on to the Command Post, where a Crusader I recognized, Gatta, was standing guard. He seemed displeased with something. "Is something wrong?" Tidus asked him.

"Of course something's wrong!" he replied forcefully. "I joined the Crusaders to fight Sin, not stand guard here!"

I smiled slightly. "'Stay in the rear and count the gear'?"

"If you want to prove yourself," Auron began, "first you must complete the tasks that are given you."

Gatta didn't reply; he simply waved us through.

In the Command Post itself, we encountered another maester, by the name of Kinoc, who greeted Auron warmly. "Auron! It's been ten years, hasn't it? I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet. Where have you been all this time?"

"Fulfilling a promise to a friend," Auron replied, and began to walk away.

Kinoc stopped him. "Just tell me one thing: have you seen Zanarkand?" Auron simply grunted and moved on.

I think I'm going to get along with this guy just fine, I thought. But I can't understand why this operation is being lead by a pair of maesters. I mean, not only are they using machina, which goes against "Yevon's teachings", but they're also working with Al Bhed, and they seem to be Yevon's equivalent of the anti-Christ. I shook my head. Something about this doesn't smell right.

The Sinspawn they were using as bait didn't help; it seemed to me to be an invitation for massacre. If Sin really did come back after its spawn, we were in for a lot of trouble.

***

I was correct, but not in quite the way I expected. Once the operation began, the bait decided its handlers would make a better meal than what they had been feeding it, and attacked.

"Let's go!" Tidus ran into the battle, followed by Yuna and the rest of her guardians. Obviously the leader type.

I motioned to my group. "Come one, let's kill that thing!"

While Rose, Karen, and Ryan moved in, a dark shaped swooped in on me. "You're going nowhere, Takahari!"

I sprang out of the way, drawing Raiden-Ken in the same motion. "Cassius! You kakushigo!"

"Yes, me, Takahari. And this time, you're friends aren't around to help you. They're busy, and right now they wouldn't see us even if they looked. Isn't magic wonderful?" Cassius drew his gladius, smiling. "Shall we begin?"

When the clash of swords echo...

"Alright. Come on." Now that I was face-to-face with him again, I felt a strange calm. Whatever happened, happened; all that mattered right now was my skill with the blade.

I made the first strike, only peripherally aware of the greater conflict around me as my blade flashed in a horizontal arc at the vampire.

Cassius blocked; I pulled back, cocked my wrist, and swept Raiden-Ken in a vicious backhand slash, lower-left to upper-right, then spun around in a portion of the Shun Goku Satsu attack.

My awareness narrowed to the small space in which we fought, my attention entirely upon our clashing swords. For some reason I did not quite understand, I was faring much better in this battle than the previous. At sea, Cassius had quickly disarmed me; here, it was all he could do to block strikes without losing his weapon.

He was finally back on the offensive. I ducked an attack aimed at my neck, parried a disemboweling cut, and backflipped over a knee slice.

"You've improved greatly," Cassius said. "But you're not invulnerable." He slipped an attack passed my guard, and I grunted in pain as he laid open my cheek. "Check."

"What do you think this is, a chess game?" I growled through clenched teeth. With all my strength, I slashed upwards, locking his blade against mine.

"Not too far from the truth," the vampire replied. "Chess is but war without the bloodshed, after all." With an abrupt twist of his wrist, Cassius' blade broke free of the clash, while my own katana went sailing away. "Not what are you going to do, Takahari? You've lost your weapon, and with it, any hope of defeating me."

I managed a tight grin. "Don't be so sure." Gathering my strength, I charged at him.

Cassius didn't at first realize just what I was doing; suicidal attacks tend to have that effect. When he did, his eyes widened. "No-"

"Sayonara!" I slammed into him, carrying us both off the cliff, while Cassius' fangs neared my throat...

***

Author's note: Now that is the fight seen I've always wanted to write. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, so you shouldn't have to wait too long to find out what happens to Ian and his nemesis.

To answer WildfireDreams, the vaccine was designed to be used only on those who are fully vampire. It wouldn't work on Ian.

That should about cover things. Thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you think of this. ~Solid Shark