I do not own Rosario Vampire or any of the characters.

My Choice

Damon pushed himself up, swaying badly, and coughing, uncaring of the blood that splattered across the floor. Mizore had been taken by the Snow Priestess, and was being held hostage. Which meant the Snow Priestess was planning to force her into a marriage with someone. Someone that Mizore wasn't going to want anything to do with, considering she was in love with Tsukune.

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked.

"I'm going to take Mizore back," Damon said, staggering and catching himself on the door. "I gave my word. But I can't keep my promise. I'm going to go and bring Mizore back, even though it'll kill me."

"Let us go!" Kurumu said. "Wouldn't she want to see you alive than have you give your life to save her!?"

Damon staggered outside into the could and spread his wings, taking off instantly, coughing almost constantly, gasping for breath between but unable to catch it. He didn't have long. But he could hear Mizore. He could hear her sobbing and begging someone to leave her alone. However, as soon as he exploded into the window, seeing her pinned to the bed as a man in black pants and a black trench coat groped and kissed her, that man spun, deflecting his hand as he moved to kill him, then drilled his punch into his face, repeatedly, each blow having almost as much force as Cocoa could pack into a punch.

"Stop!" Mizore screamed. "Please stop! Don't hurt him anymore!"

The man smirked, straightening his jacket as Damon lay on the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. "You're lucky, kid. I think We've done enough for tonight, girl. I'll take this intruder to the dungeon. And tomorrow, I'll be back to continue your training."

Damon looked up at the man just as his foot came down on Damon's head, knocking him out.

Damon groaned as the ground shook. He was so cold. His entire body ached and barely responded. He coughed weakly, but he couldn't even put enough force into it to get the blood out of his mouth. He slowly pushed himself up, the blood leaking out of his mouth slowly. He raised a trembling hand, wiping his mouth and looked around. He was in an ice cell, probably under the Snow Priestess's shrine, and he was wearing only a pair of shorts. Even his obsidian watch was gone.

"Damn," Damon breathed as the ground shook again. "I...can't just...sit...here."

He slowly pushed himself up, only to collapse again, beginning to cough. He closed his eyes, the memory of the guy in black molesting Mizore flashed through his head. His hands curled into fists. He refused to leave her with him. He refused to just sit there and die. He swore to save her even if it killed him. He had enough power left. He could feel it inside of himself. Just enough. Just one last time. Then he'd be all used up.

He inhaled slowly, reaching in deep, finding his inner fire. The literal flame around his heart inside his ribcage, the one that had been struggling to keep him alive outside of Hell. The one that, once he used it, would go out and he'd freeze to death. He held his breath for a moment before roaring, a blast of flame shooting out and destroying the bars of his cell door, then melting out through several floors. He grit his teeth as his wings exploded out of his back, his entire body growing its scales, the scales shimmering with a fiery light this time. Then, he was off.

He shattered the ground as he jumped before beginning to explode through floor after floor, travelling rapidly. Finally, he exploded out of the wall of the shrine near the ground, looking up in time to see Mizore jump out the window. Except, there were nothing but massive ice spikes below her. Damon grit his teeth, speeding up and grabbing her, flapping his wings and hurtling toward the edge of the city. The spikes were everywhere on this side, but he could feel his strength leaving him. He wouldn't be able to turn, but if he cold make it to the edge of the village, they could survive falling. He hoped.

"You...you saved me!" Mizore breathed. "Why? Why would you save me!? I've been dirtied by that man! I'm ruined!"

"You'll...never...be ruined...to me...Mizore," Damon panted.

He flapped his wings again, but suddenly, they broke off, his scales going with them. Mizore watched them spin away as they began to plummet, passing the edge of the village and beginning to fall down the mountain. Damon rolled so that he would land first and grunted in pain as he hit, blood spraying out of his mouth. The pain continued as he bounced and rolled. Then, finally, they rolled to a stop and he sighed, feeling the cold rapidly invading his body. Without his inner flame, he was finished. Already frost was beginning to gather on his fingers.

"Damon!" Mizore cried. "Get up! You can't do this! You can't die here!"

"I...knew...I'd die...if...I...came here," Damon smiled. "But I...couldn't...say no. I...I just...wanted...to see your smile."

Tears flooded down Mizore's cheeks.

"You can't die!" Mizore shouted. "If you die I'll never forgive you!"

Something brushed the side of Damon's face and he turned his head, looking around and smiling. They'd landed in a field of Snow Whites.

"So...beauti...ful," Damon smiled. "Just...like you."

"Damon please!" Mizore sobbed. "Don't leave me!"

Damon smiled, as his vision began to fade. He felt a droplet of water land on his cheek. Oh. It's raining. He felt himself beginning to drift off. He was comfortable. He wasn't warm, but it felt like it was alright. He was okay. He was actually pretty comfortable now. He just wished he could see her smile one more time.

An image of Mizore swam into his view, standing outside his dorm room, beaming up at him like the happiest girl in the world after he'd said he'd go to her home with her.

Oh, there it is.

He smiled as her arms wrapped around him. He smiled, hugging her back. He could accept this. If it could just stay like this, he didn't mind dying. Just as long as he could hold her until the end.

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