"I'm starting to wonder if he's succumbing to the madness," Lily huffed, staring at Gajeel's unconscious body. They had carried him back and laid him in his bed. The side of his face was turning purple from Lily's hit and he showed no signs of waking up.

"What do you mean?" Levy said, sitting next to Gajeel and brushing her fingers across the bruise on his face.

"Sometimes when a human is turned, something about their makeup won't allow the change. It could be genetic or something with their personality, but they go mad. Though, it usually only happens with new vampires… and its not so bloody," Pantherlily crossed his arms, concern clear on his face, "I've known him since he was a mercenary. I've always seen him as the killer… its hard to picture him actually dying,"

Levy felt like she was going to cry again. Despite what had happened, she was still in love with him. She knew the Gajeel that had been in the village wasn't him, this made apparent by how confused he was after she'd made him come to. It was almost as if he'd been under a spell.

"Lily…" she whispered, drawing the cat's attention, "Is there anything else that could be wrong?"

"I don't know," he looked at his friend somberly.

"I'm going to the library," she suddenly declared, taking Lily off guard.

"Why?" he lifted an eyebrow at her. He could see determination in her eyes as she headed for the door.

"I'm going to try and find out more about vampires. Maybe I can find something, maybe even something to reverse the… madness. If you want to help me, why don't you try to find me more books?" she looked at him over her shoulder.

He smiled weakly at her. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't going to give up. He glanced at Gajeel one last time before walking over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder, "I'll be back soon. I know the right place to look… but will you be ok if he wakes up?"

"I'm sure I'll be ok. Besides, it doesn't look like he's going to be awake anytime soon. I'll find a way to keep him here if he does, though,"

He nodded and started down the hall, "Be careful,"

"I will," she turned and headed for the library. She would do what she did best: read.

Gajeel…

Gajeel knew he was dreaming… he had to be right? The last thing he had remembered was drinking the blood of the barmaid before he blacked out. He saw snippets of things. Fire roaring in the haze of his mind and people screaming. He remembered losing energy suddenly and falling to the ground, something warm and sticky covering his flesh. Sometimes he felt adrenaline rushing through his veins but it was all like a dream, a hazy nightmare full of death and fire. He remembered the smell of burning flesh and the remnants of an old folk song… and Levy's voice…

He stood in his dream and saw her standing there, blood pooled around her feet. Her mouth was open and screaming something but no sound came out. Her brown eyes were filled with horror and he kept wondering why.

'Gajeel…'

"Stop it!"

Stop what? He was walking up to her, desperately wondering what was going on. He wanted to try to calm her down and pull her into his arms. She was pulling away from him, repulsion on her face.

"STOP IT!"

'Gajeel…'

She smacked him across the face; the force making his head snap to the side and a popping noise came from the base of his neck. The action less hurt him and more stunned him. He looked at her questioningly but she only looked revolted, her body recoiling from him.

"Levy?" he held his hands to his sides and she turned from him, her blue hair wiping around behind her. She looked back, her eyes full of anger.

"I hate you…" she whispered, her eyes flashing red, "You monster."

A weight could have just fallen and crushed him. He reached out to touch her arm, make her turn around and explain. When his hand touched her skin she screamed as if it burned her.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, pulling away from him, "You're a monster! Why did you do this to me?! Why did you make me like you?!"

"Levy… I…"

"Stay away from me! I hate you!"

She turned and ran from him, tears falling from her eyes. He ran after her, his heart feeling like it was being ripped to pieces.

'Gajeel…'

"Fuck! Shaddup!" he screamed, his voice resounding into nothingness as blackness stretched around him. He turned in circles, trying to find Levy again, but she was nowhere to be found. The blackness had engulfed her as she fled from him.

'She thinks you're a monster,'

"Who in the hell are you?! Get out of my head!"

'I'm afraid I can't.'

"SHADDUP!" his voice filled the black void around him. His limbs were shaking and he felt like all of his energy was gone. He fell to his knees as something akin to grief wracked his body. He desperately prayed for silence.

'What god are you going to call on for help? Who would help a homicidal vampire?'

"Stop talking…" Gajeel whispered. His skin was crawling. He felt like his sanity was slowly being chipped away. The voice had never been there before. The first time he'd started hearing voices was when he killed Jose...

'What? Did you think you could kill him by yourself? Don't make me laugh…'

"Where in the hell are you?!" Gajeel bellowed. The voice resounded around him, coming from everywhere and yet nowhere. He turned around in circles, looking for it source and yet finding nothing. His only company was the darkness that was starting to smother him.

'I'm everywhere and yet I don't exist. I'm like a shadow in the night, my own being and yet a part of everything. I consume everything. Honestly, Gajeel Redfox, how do you expect to catch a shadow?'

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

'If you insist…'

Blaring light suddenly flooded his vision and he was forced to cover his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to get his eyes to focus. When he could finally open his eyes, he scanned around him. There was nothing, just unending white leading in all directions.

A sigh, so slight it could have been the wind, startled him and made him spin around. His eyes widened as his shadow stretched out before him, growing larger and larger until two red eyes opened and a large toothy grin smiled up at him. It lifted off of the ground and solidified. Staring back at Gajeel was his own likeness, but with glowing red eyes and teeth like a shark's.

Gajeel took a step back, "What the hell…"

"What's wrong?" although the face and body was his, the voice was unfamiliar. Every word dripped with malice like a poison that made his blood run cold. Bad men Gajeel was very familiar with. He'd even become accustomed to Jose's dark presence that filled the air like a dark cloud around him. But this... This voice was like black ink that blotted out the sun. It reminded him of screams for mercy and burning churches. His whole body felt uneasy at the sight in front of him.

"Who the fuck are you?" Gajeel growled, baring his teeth.

"Who am I?" he laughed, his teeth flashing, "I'm just the answers to your prayers, aren't I? You wanted power to destroy your enemies, didn't you? You wanted to give in to your dark desires… I just gave you a little help,"

"Well Jose is dead. I don't need you anymore," Gajeel retreated another step. He had a feeling the shadow before him wouldn't leave easily. In fact, its smile widened until it was unnaturally large.

"Is that what you think?" he smile made Gajeel's stomach turn. The shadow started to circle him like a vulture around a dying animal, "Who in the hell do you think you are? You think you can survive without me? Seriously? Don't make me laugh,"

Gajeel lunged for it, bringing his claws around to slice his flesh. To his dismay, it dissipated. He could feel the chill as he fell through its body, the sudden cold making his limbs freeze and his lungs constrict. When he hit the ground he felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs.

"Pathetic," it spat at him, reforming. His grin was gone from his lips and he reached down and grabbed Gajeel by the throat, digging his claws into his flesh, "You don't need my help you say? I think you're lying to yourself. Isn't there something else you desire? Something you desire more than when you wanted Jose dead?"

Realization filled Gajeel's heart with terror, "You won't touch her…"

The shadow's hand constricted, making Gajeel choke, "What do you take me for, to murder an innocent girl? No… that's you, my friend."

"I didn't…" Gajeel could feel blood filling his throat and mouth.

"Didn't you?" he sneered. He brought his other hand up to touch Gajeel's forehead. Suddenly, visions flooded through his mind, memories he had no idea he had. He killed the barmaid and them rampaged through the village slaughtering everything he saw. People fought back and he eradicated them all. No one was left alive when he finally fell into a puddle of blood, all of his energy spent.

"What was that about not killing innocents?" the shadow mocked.

"Th-That wasn't me… that was you," Gajeel felt bile start to make its way up his throat. Bloody bodies were still flashing in his mind and it made him shudder.

"But we're one and the same, Gajeel. It was you. No I understand you completely, my friend. You want your little girlfriend, your little Levy to be human again. I don't blame you. The guilt must eat you up inside to know you robbed her of her life. You're disgusting, really,"

He dropped Gajeel onto the ground where he sputtered up blood onto the white floor. Gajeel looked up at the smiling shadow, his eyes guarded as he wiped the blood from his lips.

"You… you can change her back?" Gajeel whispered, unwilling to let hope fill him just yet.

"Why of course. All you need to do is ask. But first, of course, I need a few things,"

"What are they?" Gajeel growled, biting his lip in frustration.

"Oh nothing big. Blood of course, but that's not out of the ordinary for you, is it? And of course, the use of your body from time to time. How do you expect me to get around, otherwise? The rest I can handle myself. When the time comes that I've everything prepared, then the rest will be easy. I'll just need you to bring your little Levy to a special place for me, and then by the end of the night she'll be her old self once again. It's all really simple,"

"You won't hurt her?"

"Like I said, who do you take me for? I would never slaughter a sweet, innocent light-dweller. Please, Gajeel, you have my word. I'm just your humble servant, here to help,"

"You'll change her back, and then you'll leave me alone?" Gajeel growled, untrusting of the glowing eyes staring back at him.

"Of course," the shadow held out his hand, a half-smirk coming to his face, "Do we have a deal?"

Gajeel stretched out his hand towards the shadow's.

"Oh, and, um… this might sting just a bit,"