The Blood Red Moon

Chapter 3: Taming the Blood Beast

Ariana was at a loss for what to do with that half devil. He annoyed her and then again he intrigued her. The sea's sounds were calming to her. A gust of wind whipped at her hair sending it everywhere. She tucked the most annoying ones behind her ear. So entranced was she by the sounds of the sea she didn't feel a dark presence walk up from behind her.
"Hello pretty," a voice purred into her ear.
"Go away Drake I already have a master."
"I know. Be warned a hunter is after you Ariana."
"What would you care?"
"I know you care or maybe even love this one."
She didn't deny that statement. "I don't want to see an unhappy demi-goddess."
"I've been unhappy my entire life."
"Does he know about your curse," he hissed in her ear.
He dragged her back against his chest. This made her skin crawl. "Does he?"
"Yes he knows some of them."
"Just some? Not your biggest one yet right?"
"And what is that?"
"Your demon heritage curse."
He ran a hand down her back in a seductive manner. The reaction was different from when
Virgil ran a hand down her back. This time a huge amount of pain ran down her spine causing her to jerk around and hit Drake in the face. She stood there facing him ready to fight if necessary. Virgil was near bye and she knew he was listening.
"The curse only appears if the person that claims me doesn't love me in return."
"I highly doubt someone like him can love you."
"Great power doesn't last forever we all know that. Besides what do you mean someone like him?"
"He's half devil Ariana. A creature not capable of love."
Ariana lashed out again. How dare this idiot presume to know Virgil? She hit him across the
face and landed a swift kick to his family jewels. He collapsed letting out a string of curses.
"Get out!" she snarled. "You're not welcome here."
"You assume (gasp, grunt) a great deal."
He staggered to his feet.
"I don't assume anything I can only hope."
"Hope is a weak emotion."
"I'll always keep the hope alive that he'll return my love. That's all I can do."
"He can't love. HE stood back and watched his mother die. He's pure evil Ariana."
"So are you."
"I'm evil but not pure evil."
"Leave before I unleash Sun Dance."
"And risk his blood lust killing your hero?"
"Sun Dance won't kill him."
"Be warned Ariana once he learns of your darker half he'll hate you."
"That maybe but I have to risk it."
He vanished with a snarl.
"I know you're there Virgil."
"What curse?"
"The curse that states that my death. It comes when you get out of control with my power once you have it."
He couldn't ignore the fact that she had told that Drake fellow that she loved him. Her open
expression astounded him. Black angel wings fanned out. The feather primaries were tipped with navy blue. Virgil seriously hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. A power shifted around the area. Her body began to quiver as the transformation took over. Soon Sun Dance stood before him. The wind shifted the mane to make it look like flames.
"You will pay Virgil Sparda," the lion hissed.
"Go on ahead Sun Dance."
The lion leapt forward. Something brought it crashing to the ground in mid leap at Virgil's feet. The beast was fighting to get up. (if you can't imagine what's going on just imagine that the sit command was used slamming him into the ground. Just like what Kagome does to InuYasha.)
"Run!" Ariana's weak voice growled from the beasts' mouth.
The normally forest green eyes were turning crimson. The beast came to his feet and attacked. Virgil was at a loss for what was going on around him. He thought he was on Sun Dance's good side. Something glittered around the beast's neck. It was an emerald stone shaped like a tear drop surrounded by silver. The 'Heart of War' began to thump wildly in his shirt pocket. With his devil senses he knew finally whose heartbeat the stone beat in time with. It was Ariana' heartbeat. He drew the stone from his pocket.
"I command you to stop!"
"Commands only work on Ariana devil," Sun Dance snarled.
The lion knocked the stone away from Virgil's hand into a fountain. Water steamed up from the fountain as the red hot stone evaporated the water. Virgil knew this wasn't going to end well, but he didn't want to hurt Ariana. Suddenly the lion stilled. It was back in it's statue form staring out over the sea. Ariana lay breathing heavily on the statues' back. Her dark clothes were in shreds and angry red welts were running across her skin. Relief washed over him once he realized that her eyes were their normal forest again.
"I'm sorry Virgil."
"For what?"
"I attacked you. I had to cleanse him. The beast is satisfied and knows that you'll take care of me."
"I don't understand."
"It's a battle challenge of a sorts. If you fail you become a bloody smear on the wall."
"They failed because they couldn't beat Sun Dance?"
"No, they couldn't prove to him they could care about me after they had the power."
"And he thinks I will?"
"If you prove you can't then I'll die, it's as simple as that."
Ariana slid off the lion's back and slowly made her way towards the house. "Oh Black Knight don't leave the 'Heart of War' out in the open to long because darkness is drawn to it."
She walked right past the stone without taking a single look in its direction. With a single leap she landed on his bedroom balcony. Walking in she changed into a shirt that wasn't shredded.
Something made her look around cautiously. There was a dark presence around here and it
wasn't Virgil. Slowly she backed up towards the balcony not taking her eyes off the possible threat in the room.
Virgil felt it. A twinge of a familiar power made rage wash over him. He hadn't felt this power in years. A power that he hoped he'd never feel again. Virgil ran for the stone and scooped it up. Ariana snarled as she turned and leapt off the balcony. She didn't get very far. A shadowy creature caught her in mid leap. Ariana struggled fiercely as they landed heavily on the ground. The creature was enjoying her struggles to much so she stopped fighting.
"Let her go Mundus," Virgil snarled.
"Ah Virgil it's been so long."
"Not long enough. Now let her go. She has nothing to do with this."
"What's so special about her Virgil? Maybe that fiery personality? Or maybe even the fact that she's beautiful. I never pegged you to be that shallow though."
Mundus nuzzled her shoulder and hair. "Where did you find her?"
"Ariana I command you to fight back."
"Yes."
"Yes, what?" Mundus asked unaware of the bond those two shared.
A blue like power surrounded her and began to come off her in waves. Her forest green eyes kept getting darker. Something formed in her hand. She drove what ever it was backwards into Mundus's gut. He let her go with a few strangled curses. Blood dripped to the ground.
"Clever girl. Using your energy like that."
"She too much for you Mundus?"
"Is she going to be to much for you Virgil?"
"I can handle her. Ariana come here."
She walked up to Virgil's side. Her movements were like she was in a trance. Virgil moved to step in front of her once she stopped. Her wings fanned out then twitched a few times before settling down.
"Can you trust her at your back or even in your bed?"
Ariana was getting pissed at this idiot males assumptions about her and Virgil's relationship.
"Virgil remove this man before I do so, and trust me my way won't be gentle," she snarled.
"I like them rough," Mundus purred.
"Mundus leave this place. I don't feel like cleaning up your scattered body parts once she's done ripping you to shreds."
Virgil turned and headed back into the house. Ariana gave him a glare fit to kill before following Virgil inside. Mundus grinned maliciously as he thought about this new development for the stoic Sparda twin. He vanished quickly. Virgil waited until Mundus's presence was no longer on the island before he whipped around and slammed Ariana into the nearest wall by the throat.
"What wrong with you?" he demanded harshly.
"You commanded me to fight, so I fought."
"You fought because he pissed you off."
"We're you even listening?" I AM NOT A WHORE TO ANYONE EVEN YOU!"
"I wasn't..."
"No, but he was. Just forget it I wouldn't expect you to understand."
She punched him across the face. Once his grip loosened she bolted up the stairs. He hated the fact that this simple girl was changing they way he was. Someone stood in his path to get to her. A man stood there. He wore an odd mesh of clothing that Virgil had never seen before. His hair was dark brown and his eyes were the same deep green as Ariana eyes.
"Don't break her heart kid."
"And you are?"
He formed a ball of fire in the palm of his hand. Suddenly the 'Heart of War' was in his hands. The guy hadn't even moved.
"I'm Aries."
"Is that suppose to mean something to me?"
"You love her?"
"I don't love anybody."
"To tell you the truth I am also Sun Dance. She fell in love once you know. That bastard broke her heart. In my beast form I ripped his heart out and fed it to him. I maybe a god but I love my daughter."
"Did the other man leave his mark on her?"
"No you are the first and the probably the last to leave that mark."
"What's the deal with the black stripes on her face?"
"Her mother's fault. They appear when the girls show extreme emotion but not many people can see those. I want you to take care of her devil half-ling."
The god tossed the stone back. He caught it easily. When the god left the room the dark weight that had settled on Virgil's shoulders vanished. He heaved a sigh of relief. Slowly he made his way to where he felt her presence. It was evened out so he knew she was unconscious. She was curled up on his bed asleep. Her wings twitched every now and then in sleep. He shrugged as he went into the next room and laid down to sleep. He grumbled under his breath hoping no lion would be his wake up call.

A/N: Thanks for everyone on of those reviews. I'm
glad you enjoy the story.
I'd like to thank.
Bustahead (you are always encouraging me to go
on with my stories no matter how many people
hate them.)
Silver Fox (as always little sister encouraging me
where the others won't.)
Virgil91
Blanka
Kowaiki
BladeMaster16
Sydon
LuciaLover
VergilLover