Selenity owns Fire Blossom, Annabellina, and Frank. Nyneve owns Saxen Maverick and Moksha.

Chapter 9:

Flames. Conflict. Kindness.

"Effie…what are you doing…?" Saxen asked warily.

The girl looked up at her. "Saving him."

In all the years and hardships and dangers she'd faced, Maverick had only very rarely felt fear of her enemy. But now, looking into Effie's eyes that had suddenly gone from such a gentle brown to a fierce gold, a shiver ran down her spine. There was no doubt about it. The girl had power. And what manner that power had, she could only guess. The only think the bounty hunter knew for sure was that it couldn't be trusted any more than Effie could be trusted in the pilot's seat.

Carefully, almost tenderly, Effie touched the side of Duo's face and slid her fingers down until they were just resting over the holes in his neck. Closing her eyes, tiny flames sprung up. But instead of flickering like normal flames, they flowed. Flowed right into his blood, purifying it of the corruption Dru had filled him with.

Although his body had been still for several minutes and he stilled appeared to be unconscious, Duo started to twitch. Then he started to scream. And it was like nothing any of them had ever heard. Cries of agony filled the room, no words, just scream after scream until they all wondered how he hadn't passed out from lack of breath.

Saxen flinched at the sound of it and longed to cover her ears, but had too much pride and dignity for such a sign of weakness. Her orange eye focused on a spot across the room on the wall of the cabin and she tried to block out the sound, and failed. Standing a few feet away in the corner of the room, Van Helsing watched sympathetically, but couldn't see a way to help at all. However, he was not so troubled by the boy's pain as he was angry at the indifference and callousness that Drusilla watched with. He glared at her angrily, and knew what would have to be done once they were sure Duo was all right.

And Effie. Tears poured down her face as she continued to feed the flames into his neck. They could see her mouth moving in the silent mantra "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry". It even got to the point where the tears ran onto Duo's forehead, as if she was hoping they could somehow cool the searing pain within him.

When it seemed that none of them could take it anymore, Fire Blossom yanked her hand away and stumbled backwards. She would have fallen if Van Helsing hadn't been there to catch her. He looked towards Maverick helplessly, and she nodded and took the girl into her arms.

"You okay?" she asked. They were the only words of comfort she knew.

Effie nodded weakly and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yeah…yeah, I'll be fine. And so will Duo."

"You want us to go? Leave you alone?"

"Please."

Saxen let her go and stood up. Her eyes met Van Helsing's, and they instantaneously looked towards Drusilla with hard eyes.

"Saxie?" Effie called softly, looking up. Her eyes were brown again.

"Mm?"

"Don't."

Maverick's face was grim and she said nothing. Grabbing Dru's arm roughly, she and Van Helsing left the room.

"Are we off to play in the gardens love?" Drusilla asked innocently as Saxen dragged her down the corridor.

"No," she answered shortly. She stopped in front of a never-used cabin and nodded to Van Helsing. He opened the door while she shoved her inside. They followed her rigidly.

"What in the thousand hells were you thinking?" Maverick growled.

Dru only smiled. "He said he wanted to."

"And how long did you have to hypnotize him until he did?" Van Helsing asked.

"Not long, dear Gabriel. Not long at all. We couldn't be late for the party, you see. Else the tea should be spoiled."

"Damn you!" Saxen cursed slamming her fist against the wall. Van Helsing gripped her shoulder and shook his head. She clenched her fist.

"You could have killed him, Drusilla," he said, his voice low and deadly.

She laughed. "Killed him? But lovely Gabriel, the she-wolf already has! And you, and me, and the little warrior, and the icy little pup, and—"

"It's necessary," Maverick cut off, upset at being called the "she-wolf". "And what you were doing…it was just perverse!"

"He tasted wonderful."

At that moment, Saxen most likely would've probably thrown a punch straight into the vampire's face. However, before she could even move, Van Helsing grabbed Dru and slammed her against the wall hard. A small silver rod dropped out of his coat sleeve into his hand, and with a click it expanded into a lethal-looking stake.

"You may be a goddess now, but part of you is still vampire. And unless I get rid of that," his hand slid up to her throat and started to squeeze gently. "You'll probably murder us in our sleep, wouldn't you?"

Dru sputtered and struggled to speak. "Can't…just…she-wolf…vixen…"

Van Helsing's brown eyes were hard as he lightly touched the tip of the stake to her chest. "You won't get the chance to try it…"

Then to his surprise, tears began to fall from the vampire's eyes. Her sobs were choked and painful. "Please…please don't scold me…I'm so cold! So hungry…so alone…Grandmum's gone…Daddy's gone…and my sweet Willy. Where do we go love? I don't know…you don't know…no one knows. Into the strangeness of all the worlds we go, where the are no stars and no green meadows with heather on the hills…"

"Van Helsing."

Maverick's face was calm and serious. There was no pity in her eye or expression, but the malice and anger was gone now. She shook her head slowly, then pulled his arm from her throat. Drusilla swallowed but stayed pressed back against the wall.

"If you ever," the bounty hunter said slowly, "ever, try that again to any of us, or anyone who's going to join us in the future, you will be punished. Do you understand? Van Helsing can kill the vampire blood, and who knows what will be left of you then?"

"I don't know," Dru whispered.

"Actually, her body would probably die."

Maverick whipped around to see Washu standing on the far side of the cabin, arms crossed over her chest and leaning against the wall. She looked oddly composed, something neither Effie nor Saxen had ever seen.

"Washu?" Van Helsing asked. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled slightly. "It's my ship, I'll come when I want." The redhead walked forward until she stood directly in front of Dru. "So you're Drusilla, hm?"

"Yes. You are the mother, aren't you? The naughty promise-breaker who makes silly questing games?"

"If you want to call me that, yeah," Washu took another step forward. Maverick and Van Helsing looked at each other. It seemed that Washu was taller now, more mature. She didn't even seem like the same person.

"I've got a present for you Drusilla," she continued.

"A present?" the vampire looked at the others. "I've been very naughty. Very naughty indeed."

"I know. But you're not going to be naughty anymore, are you?"

"I don't know."

Washu laughed slightly, then pulled a small case out of her pocket. Flipping it open, she revealed a small ruby cross no bigger than the tip of her finger. Carefully, she picked it up.

"Kneel down please," she asked.

Silently, Drusilla went to her knees. With her free hand, Washu tipped her chin up and pressed the little ruby cross against her throat. The vampire let out a single piercing scream as the cross erupted into a burst of light. Two seconds later, it was gone, the only trace of its presence the dazed look in Dru's eyes.

"Washu…what was that?"

"A little bit of Effie's power we were going to use in the "zappy collar". After thinking about it a while and running through some calculations, I realized that eventually, our Goddess of Majick would either starve or go crazy with the pain of getting zapped all the time. Well, more crazy anyways," the genius explained.

"So instead you…?"

"That cross was a conversion of Effie's power into a compact supply of human blood. Several millennia's worth. By the time it runs out, the power of the Nine will have faded and she won't even be a vampire anymore. It also sterilizes her own blood, so that if it should happen that she tries to sire another vampire, the blood will be impotent and the victim will just suffer a little blood loss."

"And you did this all with Fire Blossom's power?" Van Helsing asked softly.

There was a tiny spark in Washu's eyes, a spark of the immaturity that said I know something you don't. "It was just a miniscule fraction of it, Gabriel. And she donated it before she healed Duo, so she barely noticed the loss."

"Is she really that strong?" he murmured.

Washu grinned again. "You'll have to find that out from her for yourself."

And with that, she walked out the door.

Duo had remembered pain. The worst pain he'd ever felt. And he had felt a lot of pain through the years. Being shot, being sliced, breaking bones, and being burned in explosions. But this, this had felt like fire was going through his very veins, like flames had been eating him from the inside out.

And now he felt cool. Not frigid, but as though he had fallen into a swimming pool before he'd gotten used to the water. And there was something warm near his face, almost touching, but not quite. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was met with the barrage of pale blue light.

His indigo eyes blinked a few times and he struggled to sit up. A little stiff, but not sore. He tried to remember where he was, then it all flooded back to him. The battle near L3, the giant spacecraft, the fight with the Ravana, and meeting that…vampire?

A soft groan came from the desk next to him. Effie sat at it, her head cushioned on her arms it rested against the top. She appeared to be sleeping, with one arm hanging off the desk down near Duo's pillow. He paused, then picked it up and rested it on the desk. But with that one touch, he realized that it had been Effie that caused the burning pain, and yet, if she hadn't, he wouldn't be alive. Of course, Duo had no idea how he knew this, and that was probably the most confusing of all.

"Um…hey…" he shook her gently. "Effie?"

She groaned again, opened her eyes, and slowly sat up. She yawned and stretched. "Come on Saxie….just let me sleep in!"

"Saxie?" he smiled. "Try again sleeping beauty."

She blinked, then gasped and threw her arms around him. "Duo! I was so worried you wouldn't make it!"

He was knocked backwards slightly, but hugged her nonetheless. "Hey…whatever you did, I'm strong enough to handle it no problem!" Duo paused. "What did you do anyways? I remember that girl…the vampire?"

Fire Blossom nodded solemnly. "Drusilla. I'm so, so, so, sorry about that! Really, I had no idea she would—"

He shook his head. "Don't mention it. It was partly my fault anyways. When she started with the psycho talk, I should've gone running for you."

She laughed. "You're as bad as Saxie!"

"Yeah, but I'm more fun," he said matter-of-factly. "But seriously…what did you do to me?"

"I burned the vampire blood out."

"What?!?!?!?!"

"I said I—"

"I know what you said! How the hell did you burn my blood out?" Duo cried incredulously.

"It wasn't your blood, it was Dru's. And I'm sure you don't want me to demonstrate, but I will show you this," she held her hand out to him with her palm up, where a marble sized ball of flame rolled and spun excitedly.

Duo's eyes grew wide. "How the hell do you do that?"

"I'm Connected."

"To what?"

"Don't bother asking, she won't tell you," Washu said, walking through the door. She had reverted back to her childlike form and was smiling proudly. "Well, you'll be happy to know our little vampire issue has been taken care of. Might still want to keep an eye on her though, in case she gets a little ambitious."

"Will do," Fire Blossom nodded, then looked at Duo. "Duo, this is Lil Washu. She's the one who sent us to find you."

"Pleased to meet you," he replied, winking at her.

"Good way to make a first impression, Duo Maxwell," Washu winked back. "You get the 411 of what's going on around here?"

"The basics, yeah."

"Well, in case they forgot anything, Saxen and Effie are questing for the Nine Sacred Ones, the gods of Jurai that I and my sisters promised to the people a long time ago, and you are one of those nine, the God of Death."

He nodded. "Yeah, they told me that."

"And did they tell you that you'll be responsible for helping them kill the remaining six so that they can achieve their immortality?"

"Yeah, they told me that too."

"And did they tell you about the entertainment complex?"

"Eh?"

Effie's eyes lit up as she leapt to her feet. "How could I have forgotten! Come on, I'll show you!" she grabbed his hand and yanked him up.

"Heh," Washu smiled. "Okay, you two have fun. Effie, I'll contact you in a couple days about the next target. 'Til then, you can take it ea—"

But they were already gone.

Several hours later, as Duo and Effie sat playing video games, the God of Death looked over at the girl next to him.

"Hey, Effie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for saving me. You're real sweet, you know that?"

"Uh-huh. Now DIE!" she laughed as she beheaded his undead swordsman. Duo shook his head and joined her.