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

Chapter 15:

Appearance. Inheritance. Difference.

"Something's wrong."

Van Helsing tore his attention away from the giant map on the wall and looked over at Saxen, who had previously been sitting at her desk writing in a notebook. Moksha, who until now had been sitting in a sphinx-like pose near the bounty hunter's cabin door staring into space suddenly rose and looked at the pair inquisitively. They had agreed to stay on board the ship, currently parked several thousand feet over Tokyo, while Duo and Effie conducted their investigation on the latest search for a Sacred One. However, they had noticed Dru's absence several hours before, and had gathered in Saxen's cabin to discuss the situation. Unfortunately, after about ten minutes Tabby had commented on how boring the conversation was, "not to mention the extreme sexual tension", and had rocketed out and disappeared to one of the farther reaches of the Tsunami.

"What is it?" he asked, standing behind her.

Maverick closed the book and stowed it in the desk drawer, running her fingers over the lock. Something clicked and it glowed for a second, then she stood up. Pulling on her coat, she turned to face her human companion.

"Can you feel that?"

He paused and closed his eyes. He could feel something. His heart began to beat very fast. Something was wrong. He opened his eyes and saw a young girl in a strange white garment standing a few feet away from him, a small pink creature on her shoulder. Dru was slowly circling the girl, like a vulture stalking its prey. Soft hands with black manicured nails squeezed at his shoulder. Effie.

He blinked and suddenly he was walking around the white-clad girl, a strange desire rising up within him. His blood called to her, sister to sister. Wait…sister to sister?

There was a quick, sudden blast of loud techno music and a whirl of flashing lights before it suddenly all went black. Blinking, he opened his eyes and saw Saxen, her face suspicious and confused.

"Van Helsing?" she asked uncertainly, stepping towards him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he shook his head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He had seen something, several things, through other people's eyes. His fellow deities', to be specific. Or had he? Perhaps it was just a freak hallucination. Or perhaps…

"I saw them. What they were doing," Van Helsing said finally.

Maverick cocked her head. "What who were doing?"

"The others. Duo, Effie, Drusilla, maybe Tabby, but I'm not sure."

"A vision?"

He nodded.

"What were they doing then?"

"I'm not sure," he repeated. "It was like I was seeing what they saw. I think I was Duo first, because Effie was gripping onto me…him…pretty tightly. There was another girl too, a young girl in white. Drusilla was stalking her, but I don't know why. Something about blood calling blood…"

He shook his head. It was fading as he recalled it and explained his vision. But when he tried to feel the others again, whatever connection there had been was gone. Van Helsing stared apologetically at the bounty hunter.

"Don't worry about it," she shook her head, then put her hat on her head. "I think we should go find them though. You said Dru was there? That's very strange…I was sure she was here with us. Tabby too. I—"

She was cut off by the sound of a loud thump from down the corridor outside. Moksha leapt to his feet and let out a single, warning bark. Locking eyes with Van Helsing, Maverick pulled out a revolver and stood by the door, then tossed a second to him. Catching it, he stood across from her, Moksha in between growling lowly. Mouthing a count of three, Saxen opened the door and looked down the corridor. A dark lump lay on the floor about halfway down. Slowly, the three made their way towards it. When they were about three feet away, the lump stood up and resolved itself into the swaying, clearly inebriated figure of Tabby.

"Tabby! Mother Vyasa…" Saxen rolled her eyes and took the younger woman by the arm. "Where in the thousand hells were you?"

Tabby smiled. "Saxie sweetheart, I gotta tell ya somethin. I love Tokyo. Da sake is ta die for…"

"Yeah, sure. Why don't we get you to bed?" Van Helsing led her to her cabin, trying not to laugh. Maverick appeared clearly disgusted, but she too was masking a grin behind a glare that was just a little to glittery to be threatening.

Once the blond goddess was safely snoring away in her bed, the two humans retreated back into the hallway, where a not-unfamiliar redhead was leaning against the wall with an amused grin on her face.

"Bet ya didn't know the Goddess of Chaos was also the Goddess of Alcohol, huh? A regular Bacchus, don't you think?" Washu asked, winking at them.

"You took her out drinking, didn't you?" Saxen asked.

Washu held up her hands. "Of course not! I was looking for her because I needed her! And even though I'm proud she could drink that much sake before passing out, I'm still very upset that she's in her current state!"

"You don't look upset," Van Helsing commented.

"That's because I'm eternally cute," Washu replied with a grin, which soon straightened and became serious. "You need to go find the others. They need help taking down their target."

"The girl in white?" Van Helsing asked.

Washu blinked. "Um…yeah. How did you know?"
"He saw her. Or Duo saw her. Something like that," Maverick answered.

The goddess's expression grew even more surprised. "A mental link? So soon? That's amazing!"

"Washu! Damn it, if the others need us we don't have much time to waste do we? So what is it exactly we're dealing with?" Saxen snapped.

The trademark holo-laptop appeared, and the image of the girl in white materialized on the screen.

"Okay, sorry," Washu said. "Anyways, this is the target. Her name is Miyu, and she's a royal vampire from one of the oldest clans in Japan. She is the last of her line, and is known as the Guardian because it is her responsibility to send all beings of shadow back to the darkness from where they are born. Don't let her looks fool you, because besides being a vampire she also has the ability to create fire at will, and also has the knowledge of one hundred and twenty-some years. Not quite as old as Dru of course, but this girl is far more sane and just as dangerous."

"So she's too powerful for them?" Van Helsing asked.

"No. Between Duo and Dru, I think she could be subdued quite easily," Washu continued. "But the problem is, she's only half of the Sacred One we're looking for."

"Half? How can she be half?" Maverick asked.

The image of a looming figure in black wearing a white mask appeared on the screen next to the girl. "This creature is a European demon called Larva. A "Western Shinma". He serves Miyu in all that she does. The two are also bound together by blood. He is the other half to the God of Justice. Both must be killed and resurrected. She is the Judge, and he is the Executioner. You must have both to have the One. Got it?"

Saxen paused. "We have to kill them both?"

"Yes, and it won't be easy. Duo and Dru are safe of course, but Effie's life is in direct threat. If she dies, Saxen, things are going to get very difficult for you. But you've still got a little time. Miyu doesn't feel threatened yet; she won't summon Larva until she does. And when she does, all of you are going to have to work very hard, especially with Tabby incapacitated."

The laptop vanished, along with its user. However, Washu's presence still hung in the air.

"Van Helsing, you show her the way. You know where the others are. Now move it! There's no time to loaf around!" her voice called. Her presence faded.

Saxen looked at Van Helsing. "Well, you heard her." She paused, then spoke words she had never spoken before. "I'll follow you."

Smiling affably at the one-eyed woman, he led her to the ground landing port that would beam them Star Trek-style to the oddly deserted parking lot a few blocks from the University of Tokyo. He only paused to take the crossbow from his room, and to place the borrowed silver revolver in Saxen's hand.

"Duo…what's she doing?" Effie whispered to her companion, squeezing his arm even tighter (if that was possible).

He winced in pain, but kept his eyes focused on Dru and the girl in the kimono. "Didn't we already talk about this?" he glanced at the ball of flame still hovering over Effie's free hand. "Feel free to throw that thing at any time."

"Not if I don't have to!"

The sound of Dru's hysterical laughter made them look up. "Ah yes. Little vixen doesn't like blood," she explained to girl in white. "Speaking of blood…your little girl. Your sly little fox…she had red hair, didn't she? Naughty girl…ate Mother Goose's egg didn't she? And it hatched, and her poor little tummy ripped open like a pretty red and white rosebud. Didn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" the girl murmured. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" Dru asked. She appeared in front of the girl and knelt down to stare into her eyes. A feathery white hand reached up and touched the girl's face, then ran down to her lips. She parted them, and gently stroked the girl's fangs. "I'm you, blessed precious." She smiled, revealing her own fangs.

The girl's gold eyes glittered, and she leapt backwards. "LARVA!" she screamed.

There was a rush of blackness as a hand with an edge like a knife slashed across Dru's face, eliciting an angry, serpentine hiss and the formation of ugly ridges on her formerly lovely face.

"Naughty naughty…we are not amused, ghostie. Not pleased at all," she growled, lunging for him.

Effie squinted as she tried to make out the new figure's features. Very tall, with white manicured hands and a dead ashen face with dead black eyes and a painted mouth. The body was completely hidden beneath a black cloak.

"No one touches Miyu," the figure, the one the young vampire had called Larva, warned.

"I'm sorry," Effie apologized, stepping forward. "But it is her destiny to die for this greater cause. Miyu," she looked towards the vampire. "Please, let's do this quickly and painlessly. You don't want trouble, do you?"

Miyu stared back at her, gold eyes calculating in the glow of the streetlights. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I know my destiny. I will decide when it will change, and when it does, Larva shall do it for me. But in the meantime, Shinma, it is time for you to go back to the darkness."

More balls of flame flared up in the young vampire's hands as she leapt up in the air and soared towards the hitchhiker. Setting her jaw, Effie cupped her own hands, but before she could, there was a flash of blackness and a cold wind that knocked her back.

"Effie, don't," Duo's voice echoed in the blackness. "I won't let you be the one to shed the blood here."

"Duo?"

A change had come over his voice. It was lower, and colder. But the chills it sent down her spine were not unpleasant. They were, in fact, frighteningly delightful. As Effie looked at him, she noticed there was an aura of darkness about him as well. And something…something on his back…

Duo looked back at her. He too had felt the change coming over him. The power that was flowing through his veins. Eyes glittering and fading to black, he smiled a fanged grin at her. "You saved me once Effie. I'll repay the favor, I promise." With that, a pair of leathery black wings spread from his back and a glowing green scythe appeared in his hands. He turned back to Miyu.

"Here's destiny for you, kid," Duo replied with a smug grin, rising up. However, when his scythe came down, it collided directly with an onyx blade in the white hands of the Western Shinma. He said nothing, but fought the God of Death to the ground.

Miyu narrowed her eyes as she watched them. Had she been mistaken? Was it really the boy that was the Shinma? But how could that account for the girl's ability to create fire?

There was little time to dwell on this, because at that moment something slammed into her from the side. It was the other vampire, the one who spoke so strangely. Dru tried to pin Miyu to the ground, but soon found that though she was stronger, wrestling the Japanese vampire was like trying to wrestle an eel.

Miyu leapt over the battling men and landed on a tree branch. "I don't know who or what you are, but you have no business here. Goodbye."

Two balls of fire spiraled towards Dru. Her eyes widened and she held up her hands.

The fireballs sputtered and died.

"What?" Miyu cried, staring in shock at the sight. "How…what did you…?"

Dru cocked her head, a confused puppy dog look on her face. Then she began to laugh, so loudly and shrilly that even Duo and Larva looked over at her.

"Ah…can you not smell it, Little Sister?" she giggled. "We are Majick, you see. We are Majick. If we don't like the stars, poof! We put them out! Can't pull little white rabbits out of hats, no. But we can put them back! Make them disappear! Gone gone gone, in a little puff of smoke. Poof!"

"Dru…" Effie reached out for her, but the black haired woman raised a hand.

"Uh uh uh uh uh!" Drusilla smiled. "No no, Little Vixen. You say no blood, so no blood you shall receive! No, you stay back and out, vixen. Not for you, the spoils of this battle. Not for you."

Before she could say more, there was a sound of a swish and an arrow lodged itself in the tree just inches from Miyu's head.

"Good to see we didn't miss much," Van Helsing commented, walking towards the group with Saxen and Moksha in tow.

"Van! Saxie!" Effie cried, rushing to them. "Thank god. Where's Tabby?"

"At home. She ah, went…out," Saxen finished lamely. "It's a long story. But listen, Washu contacted us."

"Washu?"

"You have to kill them both, Miyu and Larva. They're bound together, so they make up the same God. They both need to die," she went on.

"Well duh! What the hell do you think we've been trying to do?" Duo snapped, all evidence of his foreboding essence gone.

"The ghostie is like the others, yes? So he must die like the others. But he cannot, he cannot. Because the little vixen sheds no blood. And you, Little Sister," Dru smiled. "You will die like all the others too. All our precious angel hunter need do is what he does best. Angel? Be kind to us. We are tired, and would like to go home to bed."

Van Helsing looked first at Dru, then at Miyu. Staring apologetically at her, he raised his crossbow. But then came the black wind, and the glint of streetlights on an onyx blade…

"Effie, kill him!" Saxen screamed.

Without thinking, and controlled by some influence that may or may have not stemmed from the Goddess of Majick, Effie turned to look at the descending demon. In the blink of an eye, and almost without any action from the brunette, Larva burst into flame.

"Larva no!" Miyu cried, but before she could move there was another arrow song and the small, light dart from Van Helsing's crossbow was sticking out of her throat. She stared down at it awkwardly, pulling it out with a wince of pain. But before it was completely extracted, two more darts lodged in her torso, then a few in her shoulder, and one in a bared thigh. She fell from the tree. Saxen ran forward and picked up her limp body, looking questioningly at Van Helsing.

"She's supposed to turn to dust, isn't she?" she asked.

He shook his head. "She's not just a vampire. Her body is protected. I don't know if she's completely dead, but if Fire Blossom could kill Drusilla with a little box…"

"Good point," Maverick agreed.

Meanwhile, Effie was slowly stalking Dru, fury in her eyes. "You…you made me do that!"

"We did nothing of the sort, sweetheart," Dru replied with a smile. "We are Majick, but woe, we have no toys to play with. And sweet vixen, you let me borrow your darling little trucks. Only borrowed, dear heart. Not your fault if the toys crash, is it? No no, Responsibility, Daddy and Grandmum taught us that a long time ago, yes. But…" she paused and smiled again. "Could the little toy trucks be borrowed again sometime, vixen? If I am very good and ask very politely and eat my dinner all up?"

"You…" Effie did not appear satisfied. However, before she could unleash any sort of wrath upon the Goddess of Majick, Duo tapped her on the shoulder.

"Um, anyone else bothered by the fact this guy is still burning? Don't we need his body or something?"

"Shit…" Saxen cursed.

Effie turned back to Dru. "Well?"

"Well what, pixie pup?"

"You put out Miyu's fire before! Put mine out now!"

"Oh. If we must, we must. Messes are great fun, but we must behave if we want to—"

"Drusilla! Stop stalling!" Van Helsing scolded.

She smiled at him. "Attend to Little Sister please, angel. I will take care of the ghostie." With that, Dru looked at the burning corpse of the demon and waved her hand. The flames disappeared without a sound, leaving a white body with pale blue hair, unseeing ruby eyes, scraps of charred black fabric, and a broken mask.

"So that's what he looks like for real," Effie murmured, approaching him and brushing aside a strand of hair. She smirked. "Kinda cute."

"What?" Duo cried. "Are you saying I mean nothing to you?!?!?!"

She laughed, stood up, and hugged him tight. "Of course not. You saved my life. You're my hero."

The God of Death smiled proudly. "That's more like it."

"If you two don't mind," Saxen snapped, carrying Miyu's still body while Van Helsing hoisted Larva over his shoulder. "We've got a ship to get back to. And I'd like to get a little sleep before having to deal with two new members of our little society, and the Goddess of Chaos with a hangover."

Duo and Effie paled. It was going to be a long night.