A/N: Hey guys! Finally! Karma meets Chichiri, and it's a rather saddening experience. I can't wait til I finish the next chapter! Can you believe, I almost had no help on this chapter! Gregory and Samara were on strike for this one. So I got some outside help.

Me:Chichiri! I need your help! Please!

Chichiri: What do you need help with Ky-chan?

-Later-

Chichiri: I'm flattered that you want to write a story with me and Tasuki in it ya know?

Me: Yea yea. Just wait until you read the fifth chapter.

Chichiri: Excuse me?

Me: Nothing!

Ha, poor Chichiri, so unsuspecting. I love him though. Well, enjoy this chapter, and the next!

The Eighteenth Birthday -3-

Night quickly fell upon the country of Konan, and Karma was awake early, eager for her assignment this night. She would finally meet her son's future mate.

The air was cold, and smelled as though it had just rained, or it was going to rain, but it didn't bug Karma as she jumped onto the wall and looked upon the guards in the courtyard. She then jumped down and touched lightly to the ground, running past them without them seeing it.

'It's lucky that they don't get attacked by vampires often.' Karma thought before walking along the halls of the palace. She looked into each room, searching for the monk's room.

The first room she looked on had a beautiful purple haired woman, sitting at a vanity set. "Oh Emperor Hotohori, why don't you return my feelings?"

The second room she came upon had a pinkish haired boy sitting at a desk, studying. Karma stepped up behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder. "You should be sleeping." The boy suddenly yawned and rubbed at his eyes, standing, ignoring Karma like she wasn't there.

The third had a muscular man, a doctor by what Karma could tell, mixing herbs and mashing them into a bowl, making a remedy by the looks of it.

The forth was a bigger room then the rest of the rooms, and had a beautiful brown haired boy, brushing his long hair as he looked in the mirror.

The fifth had a young couple in it, a teal haired boy holding a brown haired girl in his arms as they kissed, the gesture touching her heart as she looked on before she left.

The sixth, she paused, she could sense him in here. She opened the door, the darkness somewhat lightening up as she did. She stepped in and walked over to the bed. "Oh Genro." She whispered softly before making sure the covers were covering him properly. Her son was quite attractive, and his looks showed his attitude. She smiled when she noticed that he was also smiling. "What are you dreaming of, Genro?" She asked softly, putting a hand to his forehead.

When nothing came into her vision, she sighed. She needed permission from him in order to see into his thoughts, and this, she didn't have. "Sleep well Genro." She commented, kissing his forehead like a mother would before leaving the room.

The last room HAD to be the monk's room, but when she approached, she felt nothing living in the room. So she walked in, and sure enough the monk had not yet come to bed. "Well damnit." Karma said with a cross tone to her voice. What was she to do?

Karma sighed, closing the door behind her then sat on the monk's bed. It was nice and comfortable, even she could have a good night's sleep on it, but it felt so cold to her. Her bed was always warm, but that was because her husband was usually in bed before her. She shivered lightly as she continued to sit. "So very cold indeed."

Meanwhile, Chichiri had been in a meeting, planning an important event. He sighed, looking at the scroll he carried. A lot had been covered at this meeting, and it was all written in this scroll. Now all he needed to do was make the words reality and everything would be set for the upcoming event in a few weeks. Right now though, he would worry about getting some well deserved sleep.

The door to Chichiri's room then opened and she quickly turned, ready to fight whoever had just entered. Fortunately, it was the monk she had been looking for. There was obvious shock on the monk's face, and she slowly stood and began making her way over to the blunette.

Chichiri's mind tried to bring the knowledge for his blast, to send this woman back, but his mind didn't cooperate, so instead he tried for a simple blocking spell, and that didn't work either. Not only that, but he was hesitant to attack a woman who he did not know was a friend or foe.

"Calm down Chichiri." The woman suddenly said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I only wish to speak with you about important matters, so please, sit and relax." She then waved him in the room, as if it was hers.

Chichiri, suddenly relaxed by the girl's touch followed her waving, and then thought to light the candles in the room to give them light.

The woman closed the door then turned to him and smiled. "I'm so sorry to have scared you, but I didn't want to wander around any longer." She then plopped down on the bed and examined him. "Hmm, you do look like a good candidate."

Chichiri watched the woman with a strange look before he spoke up. "You obviously know my name, can I know yours na no da?"

"Huh? Oh right, I'm Karma. Nice to meet you." She said, still looking him over. "Tell me Chichiri, do you have any love interests?"

Chichiri gave her the strangest look, as if asking 'are you serious?' but behind his mask he was blushing lightly, someone having already popped into his head.

"Yes or no?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright then." Karma stood and walked over to the monk, getting close to him as she stared him in the eyes. "Take off your mask."

"What?" Chichiri said quickly, surprised she even knew he was wearing a mask.

"You heard me, remove the mask."

As Chichiri stood there, he slowly released the magic that made it apart of his face and Karma quickly snatched it away. There she started staring deeply into his eye, not seeming to be bothered by the scar at all.

Chichiri kind of flinched under the gaze of this woman known as Karma, but he stared back into her eyes, and as he continued to look into them, they got sadder.

"Is something wrong na no da?"

"Your life…it's just so sad."

"What are you…?" Chichiri asked, knowing by the statement that she couldn't be human.

At this question, she moved forward, as if she was going to kiss him, but she tilted her head at the last second, burying her face into his neck.

Chichiri tensed as two sharp pains ran throughout his body. He knew now what this girl was; she was a vampire, one of the last few still left. He expected to be drained of his blood, to faint from blood loss, but after a moment the girl pulled off of him and licked her lips.

"Your blood, it's sweet."

"You're why my powers didn't work earlier?"

"Mhm, Suzaku, Seiryuu, Genbu, and Byakko powers don't work on me, or any other vampire alive."

Chichiri watched her suspiciously. He knew that vampires often took one human feeder that would last for the human's lifetime.

Karma noticed the look and chuckled. "Oh don't worry. I'm here on other matters then finding a feeder. Well, actually, it's not for me." At the look she received from Chichiri, she continued.

"I know how you feel for Genro. Ah, excuse me, Tasuki."

Chichiri blinked, casting his gaze downwards. He was very good at hiding his emotions, hiding all but his happiness and even though he knew it was wrong, he couldn't hide his affection for the red head, or at least not from this woman.

"Chichiri, may I tell you a story?" Karma asked, moving back over to his bed and patting a spot beside her for him to sit.

Chichiri hesitated, but joined her.

"You see, I was once a human too. The daughter of a farmer in a simple village, but I always dreamed of better things. Dreamed of a beautiful husband that would be the envy of others, but would always be caring and sweet. One day, he came, in fangs and all. His name was Daichi, and he looked desperate for a place to stay for awhile, and I instantly offered him my home. The same evening, as I slept, he snuck into my room and began to drink from me. That night on, I was enticed by him, and knew I would have him for my own. On the day he decided to leave, he proposed to me, and turned me into a vampire so I couldn't refuse his offer.

Twenty years later, we had a beautiful son, but we had to give him up shortly after his birth in order to protect him. He grew up with five older sisters, and shortly joined the bandits after he was ten. You know him as Tasuki."

Chichiri's eye widened. Tasuki, the energetic bandit he came to know and care for, was a vampire.

"Tasuki can't be a vampire ya know? He's never tasted blood ya know?"

"That's because he's not eighteen yet. Listen Chichiri, he doesn't know what he is, and if he doesn't take blood on the first night he is eighteen…he'll die."

Chichiri closed his eye and shook his head. This couldn't be real. This had to be a delusion caused by eating Miaka's cooking.

"Do you understand what I'm asking you to do?"

"You're asking me to give myself to Tasuki, to be his feeder until I die and he moves on…ya know?"

There was an obvious pain in his tone when he finished his sentence. If he did this, he'd save Tasuki, but become nothing more then food to him, to be discarded and replaced when he was no longer helpful.

Karma looked at him, feeling the pain radiate off of him. She sighed and put a hand on his leg. "Just think about it. You don't have to do it, but if you help him, I'll find a way to help you two. I want to see my son happy, and he's only going to be happy if you're with him."

Chichiri looked up at her and received a soft smile. "He dreams of you often."

Karma stood and made her way over to the door, turning back to look at him. "Please, just consider it."

With all that needed to be said spoken, Karma left the monk to his thoughts, hoping that her efforts wouldn't be in vain.