Author's Notes: I'm on a roll!! Chapter 2 is up and running!! Maybe I'll get three done by the end of the day... ^_^ Be prepared for another short chapter (that took me FOREVER to write!!)! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN THE WHOLE GOD DAMNED WORLD!!!! MMMWWWHHHAAAAHHHAAAA!!! o_O;

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Heaven's Flames

Chapter 2

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            Usagi slowly cracked her eyes open. She yelped slightly at the stinging sensation that jolted under her eyelids. Bringing a hand defensively up to her face, Usagi began to sit up. The blonde buried the heels of her hands into her eye sockets and groaned. She slowly let one hand drop to the ground next to her. Threads of grass greeted her fingertips.


            "What...?" Usagi blinked open her eyes in surprise. She looked down to find that she was sitting in the middle of some type of meadow. "Where the hell...?"


            The blonde whipped her head around in all directions in astonishment. Trees seemed to populate the whole area. Usagi craned her neck up as high as she could, but couldn't figure out where the trees ended and the sky began. No sunlight what-so-ever was visible, making the forest dark and damp. She could taste the moisture in the air on her tongue as she breathed in.


            Usagi shuddered and shakily got to her feet. The weeds and grass around her brushed along her calves. She silently prayed nothing was poisonous. Then, laughing mentally at her stupidity, realized she had much bigger things to worry about. For example: where the hell was she?!


            "H-hello...?" Usagi croaked out unsurely. "Is anyone th-there...?" Despite the humidity lingering in the air the blonde's teeth began to chatter. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead and upper lip. "C-could someone please tell me where I a-am...?"


            Usagi gasped at the sound of a tree branch snapping behind her. She spun around, heart skipping a beat. There, a few yards off, was a beast nearly thrice her size. Blood hammered through Usagi's veins, her eyes going impossibly wide. It had the head and torso of a man, and the body of a horse.


            "Ce-centaur...?" Usagi whispered almost inaudibly.


            The creature didn't seem to hear Usagi, or even notice her presence. But, then it jerked his head to one side, sniffed once, and stilled. Usagi's stomach lurched. After an agonizing thirty seconds of Usagi praying the centaur didn't know she was there, it briskly turned away. The blonde let out a heavy sigh of relief.


            "My God..." Usagi rested her hands over her shuddering chest. "What is this place...?"


            A blood-curdling scream broke through Usagi's thoughts. Heart nearly bursting in surprise, the blonde snapped her head to the source of the noise. Just beyond her was a thick cluster of trees, looming over each other. Usagi could just make out between two of the trees a hunched over figure. No, make that two hunched over figures. A deep wave of foreboding washed over Usagi's brain.


            Sucking in a deep breath, clenching her fists, and summing up all her courage, Usagi strode over the patch of trees with wobbly legs. The figures were coming into better focus now, and, even though the scream had ended not long ago, Usagi could hear raspy breathing and slurping sounds. The blonde's stomach churned. She rested her hand on the trunk of one of the trees, and peeked through a small gap in the cluster to watch more closely.


            A young man was bent down on one knee, holding a small child in his arms. The little girl was limp in his hold, eyes closed, neck snapped to one side. It was obvious she was dead. The man had his head buried in the crook of her broken neck, blood gushing from the sides of his mouth.


            The veins in Usagi's neck constricted, nearly suffocating her. It took her three tries before she was able to swallow the rising bile in her throat. Whatever this place was, it was bringing the most horrible sensations to the surface.


            The blonde desperately tried to regulate her breathing. Usagi was just about to take a step back when the young man's elf-like ears twitched. His head immediately snapped up from the child's throat, revealing two puncture wounds. The teen's eyes darted around nervously before landing on a rigid Usagi. He gazed at her in surprise for a moment, blood-stained lips slightly agape. Usagi could just barely make out two fangs in his mouth. His icy blue eyes hardened, glaring at Usagi with more scrutiny then the blonde found necessary.


            The young man threw the child to the side and slowly stood. His heavy stare never wavered. He ran the back of his hand over the blood stains on his lips. Flicking a stray piece of raven-colored bang behind his elf ear, he took a step forward.


            Usagi was too terrified to even comprehend what was occurring far as even to think to run. Her eyes grew wider as this... vampire... came closer to her. Usagi absentmindedly noticed that the flesh around his eyes was a deep purple, and the rest of his skin was so pale it seemed as if he was glowing. He stood a mere foot away from her now and Usagi could smell the blood that was still lingering on his tongue.


            "You're new here, I imagine?" the young man spoke with a voice matching that of a boy who hadn't hit puberty yet.


            Usagi blinked in surprise, unable to find her voice. She was too shocked at how his voice was an octave too high for his rugged looks to respond. Sure, he was only a inch or so taller than Usagi, which isn't much considering the blonde had just hit 5'4", but he had the build of male around the age of 17 or so.


            The vampire in front of her cocked a curious eyebrow. "Lemme guess, you're wondering why my voice is so high pitched." Usagi let out a little surprised hiccup sound. A scowl made its way over the raven-haired teen's dark red lips. "Don't ask." He paused, taking a step back to look at Usagi more fully. "So, are you new here, or not? I haven't seen you around."


            "Wh-where's... 'here...?'" Usagi croaked out. She still had yet to find out what this place was, and right about now she wasn't so sure we wanted to.


            "You don't know?" He looked at her in a mixture of surprise and of pity for her stupidity. "We're in the game," he answered matter-of-factly.


            Usagi's expression grew blank. "Game...?" She blinked.


            The young male let out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever," he retorted, brushing past the stunned blonde. "I don't have time for dumb chicks."


            The young blonde's shock slowly raged into fury. "'DUMB CHICKS?!'" she screeched, whipping around to watch the vampire's retreating back. "HEY! Just who the hell do you think you are, buddy?!!"


            The dark-haired teen paused mid-step, as if considering her question. He turned to her slowly, a small smile gracing his blood-red lips. "I am..." He paused, trying to find the right words. "Well, you could call me 'The Vampire Mamoru.'" He bowed slightly, in a sarcastic way.


            "M-mamoru...?" Usagi repeated, making sure she heard him correctly. "So, y-you really are a vampire...?"


            Mamoru nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now do you get it? This isn't the real world anymore, kid." All traces of sarcasm left his milky white face.


            "No, I don't get it!!" Usagi whined, throwing her arms in the air. "Just what the hell is going on?! The last thing I remember doing was playing a video game! Then I wind up waking up in... this place," she threw her arms around on "this." "And I was nearly spotted by some centaur THING, and then find YOU sucking some poor little girl dry!!" Usagi sucked in a deep breath. Mamoru watched her in slight admiration that she could spew all that out in one breath. "JUST WHERE THE HELL AM I?!!!"


            Mamoru let his head drop, a small chuckle breaking past his lips. "You're loud voice is going to be the end of ya." He locked gazes with the blonde again. "It's survival of the fittest here." Mamoru gestured to the said child. "Trust me."


            "And where is 'HERE?!'" Usagi seethed, loosing all patience, and fast.


            The teen vampire eyed her warily. "I call it Hell," he replied softly, letting his eyes wander for a moment. "But, it's real name...?" Mamoru rammed his hands into his pockets. "Heaven's Flames."

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Author's Notes: The plot is thickening!!! *does a little jig* I have WAY too much energy for a girl with mono... ^_^ REVIEW!!!