Chapter 4

The next night.

Rayne walked silently through the darkened streets of Japoness. As she did, she once again cursed her father for making her what she was. If it wasn't for her damned 'allergy' to sunlight, Celes Victoria would have been dead earlier. It was just unfair. Rayne was more human then Victoria, and yet Rayne would never feel the suns warm rays, while Victoria could bask in them.

And now Victoria had friends, friends with powers she had never seen before. Well, in some ways they were similar to Kagan's powers, but not quite. She'd never seen energy bolts like that, nor someone create what seemed like a small sun in their hands. It definitely felt like the sun.

Rayne peered out of the alley. The restaurant she'd fought Victoria in front of was just within view. It seemed closed, but the lights were on within.

Then she saw her.

Victoria stepped out from the restaurant and looked around. Rayne moved back and closer to the wall, blending in as much as possible with her surroundings. As a vampire, Victoria had very good night vision. But then, Rayne also had good night vision as well. She watched Victoria stand out in the street, looking both up and down the block. She was then joined by the young woman that had sent the energy bolt at her the previous night. The Woman also looked up and down the street, but paused and stared directly at Rayne's location. She then said something to Victoria.

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"The alley."

Celes turned and looked where Kristine had told her. She could just barely make out the dark figure there.

"Are you….?" Celes started to ask before Kristine glared at her.

"I don't have to see her you know." Kristine said, annoyed, "I am a Goddess."

"Right." Celes pulled out her gun and checked the ammo.

"Not the gun again."

Celes glanced at the Goddess. "You have something better in mind?"

"Yes." Kristine formed a force bolt and sent it hurtling towards the alley.

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"SHIT!" Rayne jumped from her cover as the energy bolt hurtled towards her. The bolt slammed into the corner of the alley and detonated.

Rayne landed with a roll and pulled out her own guns. She fired at the vampire and woman. Once again, the woman raised her hand and Rayne's shots were deflected by a blue shield.

"Damn it." Rayne muttered. This wasn't fair! She'd come here expecting to fight Victoria, and maybe Alucard if he was here. But this………

Rayne went into a fighting crouch and flipped her blades around. She glared at the two women and was prepared to leap when………

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A male voice came from behind her.

Rayne glanced over her shoulder to see the man from last night floating behind her.

Floating?

She turned slowly and stared at him. He had bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. He also had strange blue markings on his forehead and on his cheeks. He was also wearing dark blue and grey robes.

"What are you?" Rayne finally asked.

"A god." The man replied.

Rayne blinked. She wasn't expecting that answer.

"Are you serious?" she asked, "I mean……come on……you're god?"

"I don't lie. And I'm A god, not THE god." The man replied, "Keima, God first class." He bowed slightly.

"If you're really a god," Rayne said, "Why are you defending her?" She pointed at Victoria.

"Celes is a very old and dear friend to me, as well as my family." Keima replied, "How else do you think she got here before Terra 2 was rediscovered?"

That caused Rayne to pause. She had wondered why most of the reports she'd read listed Celes as in the Shogun's Security service years before Earth knew Terra 2 existed. She'd assumed that Terra 2 had a different dating system. She shook her head.

Back to her mission.

"She is a Vampire!" Rayne said, "She preys on humans!"

Keima shook his head.

"I've known Celes my entire life." He said, "She has never fed on a living being."

"Then where does she get her blood?" Rayne asked. That should stump him.

"Blood Banks." Keima replied, "As she's told you, she's never fed off a live mortal."

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"Shouldn't he be sending her to hell or something?" Kristine asked.

"I would have thought so." Celes replied, "She should have jumped at him by now."

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"I still don't understand why you protect her." Rayne said, "She's a vampire! She's evil!"

"Technically, you're evil too." Keima replied, "You DO feed off of live mortals."

Rayne shuffled her feet slightly. "Only the evil ones."

"And does that make it right?" Keima sighed, "Look Miss Rayne, there is going to be trouble in the weeks ahead. I'd prefer to keep Celes Victoria alive."

"Why?"

"She has fought Demons before. She knows what to expect." He then gave Rayne a curious look, "You have fought Hellspawn before."

Rayne blinked. How did he know?

"I know many things." Keima said. He then sighed. "I know you have no reason to trust me. But I wish to propose a deal."

Rayne looked at Keima curiously.

"What kind of deal?"

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Minutes later.

"YOU WHAT?" Celes practically screamed.

"I made a deal with her." Keima replied.

Celes sat down at the booth stunned. Sentaro and Kristine looked equally stunned.

"What kind of a deal?" Kristine asked.

Keima glanced at Celes.

"Celes remains here. No returning to Earth. In return, Rayne stays on Earth, and doesn't come back here."

Celes blinked. "But there's no reason for me to return to Earth." She glanced at Sentaro and Kristine. "Is there?"

"There are a few ways to get around it." Keima said, "Most involve Demon activity. There is also a no fighting rule between Celes and Rayne."

Sentaro raised his hand. Keima stared at him a moment before speaking.

"Yes?"

"Could you explain why you didn't blast Rayne's ass to hell?"

Keima rolled his eyes. "Unlike certain hotheads, I generally prefer peaceful solutions to problems."

Kristine cut off Sentaro before he could respond.

"So when is she leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Keima replied as he stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a restaurant to open in the morning."

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The next day.

Rayne sat in the spaceport, waiting for a shuttle to take her either directly to an orbiting ship bound for Earth, or to New Texas and then to a ship. She glanced up occasionally just over her sunglasses to look out the windows. The sun was out, but it didn't look like she'd be in any danger from it. She still ached slightly from what that God had done to her.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the feeling of someone beside her. Glancing at the window, she could just make out the reflection of Celes Victoria.

"So much for the myth Vampires don't have reflections." Rayne said with a smile.

"Yeah, go figure." Celes replied.

"Here to make sure I leave?"

"Kind of."

"Alone?"

"No." Celes nodded off to the side. Rayne looked over to see the Goddess standing nearby.

"Who's she?" Rayne asked.

"Keima's niece," Celes replied, "and the daughter of one of my closest friends."

"A Goddess?"

"Yeah. Her husband 'saved' me from a dead-end job." Celes chuckled, "Jobs are much nicer when you don't have the threat of instant death hanging over you."

"I suppose." Rayne replied. She then frowned. "Why are we talking like friends? We were all set to kill each other a day ago."

"Well, we're both technically vampires." Celes said, "You're a Dhampir. I'm a modified Nosferatu. We both worked as vampire hunters." Celes then smirked. "And we both know that there are Gods and Demons out there."

"Right." Rayne looked out the window again to see a shuttle landing. "Looks like my flights here."

"Yeah."

Rayne grabbed her luggage and started towards the ramp. She then paused and looked back at Celes.

"Alucard still on Earth?"

Celes nodded. "I don't know where though."

Rayne smirked. "I'll find him. Keima never did say anything about killing him."

Celes laughed. "Good luck trying."

Rayne looked back at the shuttle. "You know Keima says there's trouble ahead." She glanced back at Celes. "He mentioned Demons."

"Yeah, sounds like him, mysterious and cryptic." Celes sighed, "And he's usually right. The rogue demons have become active again."

"Rogue demon eh?" Rayne turned and started off. "They give you too many problems give me a call."

"I'll do that." Celes shouted back.

Celes waited til the shuttle had taken off before returning to where Kristine was waiting.

"Sad to see her go?" Kristine asked.

"It's like I told her." Celes said, "We're alike. We may not be friends, but we have a lot in common."

The two started walking out of the terminal.

"Dare I ask." Celes said, "But what have you and Sentaro decided?"

"We're going to tell Dawn, Yui, and Arael." Kristine replied, "and there's an extreme possibility of Mana."

"I think I understand why you'd pick the first three." Celes said, "But why Mana?"

"She is the closest person to Mom other then Dad." Kristine replied, "I know there are things Mana and Mom have shared that they've never told anyone. Mana would be the best to gauge Mom's reaction."

"I see."

"You're disappointed we won't tell Mom directly aren't you?"

Celes stopped walking and looked at Kristine.

"I do." She said, "I think keeping this from your mother and grandmother is the worse thing either of you could possibly do." Celes started walking again. "I just hope this doesn't end up biting us all in the ass."

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Author's note

Sayoko and Mana step out from behind the curtain wearing red fur lined skirts, red fur lined jackets, and Santa hats on their heads.

"Hello," Sayoko calls out, "We just want you all to know that the author is working very had with his elves to get then next story out."

Mana snickers. "Elves."

"What?"

"Have you seen the 'Elves'?"

"No."

Mana points. Arael, Yui, and Cayla walk out in green fur lined outfits with little green pointed hats.

"I object!" Yui shouts.

"I do to." Arael adds, "I am not a Merry Man."

"Arael, that's Robin Hood."

"Oh."

"Quiet Elves!" Mana shouts, before falling to her knees snickering.

Sayoko sighs.

"Well, if we are unable to get it out before hand, I wish you all a Merry Christmas."