Hello again my lovely readers. It has come to my attention that Yuu is incorrect and Yu is correct when spelling the shortened version of his name, so I will do so from now on. –sigh- I will go back and fix my previous posting eventually. Sorry for that. I hope everyone had a wonderful independence day! It rained a lot where I live, but I hadn't planned on setting off fireworks anyways. My neighbors put on one hell of a show all weekend though, so it was all good. Here is Chapter 6, enjoy!

Chapter 6: Drowning Pool

It wasn't long after I drifted off that Mika had another episode of spams. Glancing down at him, I bit my lip in worry. Becoming a vampire was not pleasant. Every single cell of the human body dies, and then is reborn again; mutating into something similar, but much different. I placed my fingers back on his temples and pushed myself back into him. My mind collided with his pain and suffering as I poked around until I found the small light of his consciousness that was flickering violently. Carefully, I wrapped myself around it, blocking out his physical emotions and his body stilled. Once the blue swirling storm that was his psyche calmed as much as possible, I pulled myself back out and continued to observe him. He would remain unconscious for the majority of what was left of the change. I ran my hand down my face in exhaustion. It had been quite some time since I had tapped into my powers. I rarely had a need to use them in the past, once I mastered them after my father passed. I should probably build my endurance back up, I had a feeling I would be needing them frequently in this world of deceitfulness that my brethren lived in. I glanced around the room and began to slowly move things about with my mind as I pet Mikas soft hair. Once the room was a bit tidier, I looked over at a chair that Mika had knocked over and broken in his despair. Taking a deep breath, I glared at the chair and willed it back together. In my mind's eye, I watched as the glyosidic bonds of the cellulose contained in the wood began to reform, starch, glycogen, and other molecules began to group together again, and with an oddly satisfying groan, the chair was whole again. I blinked a few times as dark spots appeared in my line of vision; my warning that I had done quite enough for today. I sighed when I realized I was going to have to consume human blood again much sooner than normal. Looking down at Mikas relaxed face, I realized it was worth it, if only to shorten his suffering for the time being. I closed my eyes again. It was early in the morning, if I were to get a little more sleep it would help for the time being. Sliding out from underneath Mika, I scooted him over and laid down next to him on my side and watched his even breathing. Making my breathing match his own, I eventually left the conscious world.

My eyes popped back open when the sound of whimpering broke the silence. Light was filtering through the windows and the room was no longer dark at all. Mika was sitting up on the edge of the bed facing away from me. Cautiously, I sat up and reached my hand out brushing my fingertips against his arm. He cried out and turned dizzyingly fast and slapped my hand away. His eyes were wide and moving about in their sockets way too quickly for his own good. He looked panicked. Realizing what was going on, I kept my voice almost a whisper when I spoke.

"Mikaela, calm down. Your new senses will take some time to get used to," I murmured gently. His eyes snapped to my purple ones. His pupils we no longer round like a humans, but slitted like a cats. His hands were shaking violently as he reached towards me. His line of vision had moved to my throat and he gulped. I was not prepared for his speed or strength when he tackled me off the bed. Hitting the floor with his weight on top of me further disoriented me. I wasn't sure what was going on until I felt his canines pierce my neck none too gently. An odd, yet pleasant warmth began to spread through my body. It was then that I jumped into action. I wrapped my arms around him and rolled us so that I was straddling him, which caused his grip to go limp in surprise and I pulled my throat away from his mouth with a frown on my face. My blood was smeared around his mouth, and some had dribbled down his chin. I could feel some sliding down my collar bone also. Realization hit Mikas face at what he had just done and a look of shame crossed his features. He let out a devastated wail. I wiped away the blood that was traveling down my chest. The small tear in my neck had already healed. "My blood will do nothing for your thirst the first time Mikaela. You will have to drink human blood, or that of your masters in order to survive," I stated quietly. I knew that wasn't what he wanted to hear. Newborn vampires were difficult to handle. They were very strong, and were not in control of themselves until they consumed the proper blood to quench their new appetite. Let alone one who was as emotionally bent as he was currently. Deciding it would be best to get him to Krul as fast as possible, I pulled him up before he could fight back and struck him in the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious. Throwing him over my shoulder, I took one last look around the little house before taking off towards Kruls castle.

Krul was sitting on her throne looking bored as usual. Her legs were crossed and he cheek was resting on her fist. She perked up when she saw me approaching with Mika.

"The transformation has been completed," I stated answering her questioning gaze. "His thirst is very strong. He bit me in an attempt to quench it." At that, she laughed.

"Almost complete," she corrected me, "he will have to drink the blood of a human in order to become a full vampire." I sat him down at her feet. She nodded at me in approval. "Sit with me, Serenity. We will see how he does when he wakes up." I made my way over to her throne and sat next to it, leaning back against it with one leg stretched out in front of me. I bent the other and wrested my arm on it. Titling my head back I looked up at the ceiling. As the silence drug on, Krul leaned her head over the arm of her throne and put herself in my line of vision. I smirked at her odd childlike behavior. "You look exhausted Serenity. Was my little pet that much of a handful?" I sighed at her teasing tone.

"I just wasn't prepared for his strength was all," I answered truthfully.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked knowingly. I hated to admit it, but I was. I knew it was the only way to get rid of the exhaustion and the burning of my throat that the exertion of using my powers had caused.

"Yes," I answered bluntly. She motioned for one of her guards who quickly disappeared and returned with a large crystal bottle full of blood and two crystal glasses. She poured me one and I downed it. Laughing again, she refilled my glass.

"You certainly were thirsty," she said. I sipped on my second cup, not feeling as parched as I had been before.

"Thank you," I murmured ignoring her last statement.

"No problem," she said happily. "Would you like to change clothes and shower? I am sure you would enjoy some time to yourself. You can come back and sit with me when you are done." I glanced over my shoulder at her, relief clearly written on my face.

"Yes, please!" I replied thankfully. She motioned to one of her guards again and started giving him orders.

"Take Serenity to a bathing room and find her a suitable change of clothes," she demanded. The guard glanced over at me and bowed. I felt heat rise to my cheeks at the treatment. He took off and I followed. He opened a door for me, and I smiled at him as I went in.

"Thank you," I said. He bowed again and left.

I walked into the large tiled room and looked at the large deep bath in awe. I turned on the water and looked around at the various shampoos, oils, and soaps that stocked the room. I squealed in excitement when I came across a large basket filled with bubbles, bombs, and fizzers. I picked through it curiously and stopped when I came across a coffin shaped one that caused me to laugh. How fitting. Once the tub was full, I sank into it and dropped the coffin in the water. To my shock and excitement, the water started turning black. Will this stain my skin?! I thought worriedly. Oh well, too late now! I scrubbed at my skin gleefully and turned the faucet back on to wash my hair. My long blue locks floated around me, a great contrast to the black water. I confirmed it wasn't going to stain me. Glancing over at the shampoo, I ended up choosing one that smelled like a wonderful mix of caramel apples and vanilla. Once everything was finished, I hopped out. Patting down with a towel, I started to brush out my hair. Once finished, I pulled it all to one side and began to put it in a thick side braid. Glancing at the door, I noticed a neat little pile of clothes that were mostly black, with a dark burgundy color peeking out. Upon further inspection, I realized it was beautiful short black skater dress with a lace middle and lace long sleeves. I threw it on and spun around. The dress flared out from my waist and was very flowy. It accentuated my small waist and curvy hips perfectly, but was a little tight on my bust. Either way, it was beautiful. Refreshed and feeling much more awake, I bounded through the halls as I made my way back to the throne room. I was almost in a hyper sort of mood. When Krul saw me approaching, she nodded in approval.

"I knew that dress would look good on you!" she exclaimed. "I like what you did with your hair," she added, grabbing ahold of the braid when I was close enough. "Such a pretty color," she continued as she admired it. Strained breathing took my attention away from her. I looked down the steps to see Mika was awake. I hadn't even noticed. He looked awful. He was pale and his hair stuck to his face that was coated in sweat. He was on his knees, arms wrapped around himself. "He awoke shortly after you left," Krul murmured. I went to move towards him, but Krul reached out and grabbed my wrist. I looked back at her questioningly and she nodded her head towards the entrance of the throne room. A guard walked through carrying a small human child who appeared to be unconscious. I felt my heart sink and pulled my wrist out of Kruls grip. Sitting down next to her throne, I sat quietly to observe. The guard dropped the child carelessly in front of Mika, bowed, and walked away. After a few moments, Mika grunted, sounding as if her were in pain.

"Come on Mika, just drink his blood," Kruls voice called out sweetly. It was like she was training a puppy. "Accept that this is your life now, and I promise that you will start feeling better. You'll finally be transformed into a complete vampire with an immortal body and strength far beyond that of a human."

"N-No. No way. I refuse to become a vampire!" he cried out and glared at her. This caused Krul to laugh.

"You say that now, but your body must be craving blood. I bet every muscle you have is in pain; thirsty and crying out for a sip." She got up and walking to Mika, pulling his face up to look at her. "Why do you fight it? Give your body what it desires," she taunted. Mika slapped her hand away from her.

"Shut up!" he yelled.

"You're going to waste away," she sang. He bowed his head and glared at the ground.

"I'd rather die as a human than live as a vampire," he cried out defiantly. Krul sighed.

"I see," she said and walked towards her throne. "I'll admit immortality isn't as glamorous as one might think. It can be boring, living for thousands of years, never ageing. Maybe you've got the right idea. There's just one problem, you can't die normally anymore; because I've changed you for good. If you don't drink blood, you'll become a hideous demon. You'll have no will or mind of your own. So you have to drink Mika, or else yo-"

"There's no way I'll do it!" he yelled. "Never. I will never become a monster like you!" he turned to Krul, fangs bared, and a look of hate on his face. I felt my heart constrict at his words. When he noticed me by the throne our eyes met and his widened. I felt a tear escape and slide down my cheek, and turned away to hide my pain at his words.

"Well, I'll give you another option then," Krul said and started to walk back towards him with one of the crystal glasses in her hand. She quickly brought her nails up to her wrist and slit it, splattering blood on Mikas face. "Drink your fill of my blood, it's the only other way that you'll survive." She held her wrist over the glass and began filling it. Mikas eyes widened as the smell hit his now. His breathing picked up in pace and he clenched his hands. "There's absolutely no reason for you to refuse this," she said and bent down holding out the glass to him. "Here, have a little taste." Mika looked like he was about to take it, but suddenly slapped the glass from her hands It flew to the side and shattered, spilling Kruls blood all over the ground.

"No! Weren't you listening to me? I won't ever become one of you!" he insisted desperately. He had his eyes squeezed shut as if he were opening he'd wake up and this would all just be a bad dream. Krul began to reach toward him, but changed her mind and stood to begin walking away. The cut she had made in her wrist had not started healing yet, and it dripped blood as she walked. Suddenly, Mika jumped up and thrust himself toward her, grabbing her arm. She gasped in shock at his sudden movement and Mika sank his fangs into her arm. She gave an almost relieved laugh.

"That's it! Drink deep," she sank down to sit on the steps with him and started petting him. "You're mine now, Mika. You're never going to be able to leave me. For all of eternity, you're my pet; my obedient little blonde servant, Mikaela Hyakuya," she murmured and hugged him. I could see the tears in Mikas eyes. I leaned my head back against the throne and stared at the ceiling again. This was such an awful situation. I felt horribly for Mika. Ferid ruined his life, simply because he was bored. I gritted my teeth in anger. I had finally found a human that accepted me. Or at least seemed to. Now he hated vampires more than ever before. Ferid was an evil bastard, to humans at least. However, it didn't seem like the vampires had very good relationships. At least the ones in power anyways. Lacus and Rene seemed to be good friends. I wonder if being loyal to Krul was a smart idea. She seemed less cruel than Ferid. She viewed the humans that same as the other vampires, but she didn't go out of her way to torment them. The sound of clothes rustling brought me back to reality. I looked over to see Krul had taken her seat on her throne once again. Mika had followed like a lost little puppy and was sniffling to himself. He sat near me, but wouldn't look at me. I sighed and reached over to ruffle his hair. When he looked at me, he had a look of guilt on his face. I tried giving him a bright smile in hopes to cheer him up. It was a goofy sort of look, as my smile was far too large and my eyes were almost closed. Krul was looking at me with amusement in her eyes. Mika just stared at me, expression unchanging. I gave him a normal smile and then looked over at Krul.

"I had better head back to Ferids, before he begins wondering where I am," I mumbled. I really didn't want to go back to that mansion with that psychopath.

"I have some business to attend to and will not be at my castle until tomorrow night, so why don't you take Mika with you? I will instruct Ferid that he is to remain under your care. Tomorrow night will also be when the thirteenth progenitor and his aides arrive, so the following day we shall see what kind of use you can be to us on the battlefield," she informed me. I looked at Mika who look horrified at the idea of being near Ferid. Or maybe it was staying with me that terrified him. She noticed his look as well. "If you don't wish to stay with Serenity Mika, you could always stay in the castle by yourself with some of the guards looking after you," she said. He shuffled a little closer to me. "I take it you choose to stay with Serenity then." He nodded his head. "Very well. Be on your way, I will see you both tomorrow." I stood up and made my way down the steps to head towards Ferids place. Mika scrambled after me. We remained silent as we weaved through the city. When we passed the lines for the blood donations, Mika froze. I turned to look at him. He was looking at the children with mixed emotions. He was missing his family, but also fighting his thirst. I could tell it wasn't as bad as it had been before he drank from Krul. He was not sweating or shaking, and when I grasped his hand, his attention came back to me. He looked up at me and I tugged gently.

"Come, Mikaela," I said gently. He let me pull him forward. Finally he spoke.

"I c-can smell them," he muttered sounding disturbed. I nodded and continued to pull him along.

"Yes, your senses are much stronger now. Even as an incomplete vampire, your senses are stronger than that of a humans. It will take some getting used to," I confirmed. We continued through the city. It wasn't long before we reached Ferids mansion. Krul must have gotten word to him quickly, because he seemed to be expecting us. He pulled open the front door before I had even touched the doorknob. That charming smile of his was planted on his face. I resisted the urge to punch him in the mouth. I smiled politely back at him, playing this little game once again.

"Serenity! I was beginning to wonder if something happened to you!" he exclaimed. I walked past him, Mikas hand still in mine and made sure he was as close to me as I could get him.

"I have been spending time with the queen. I have come to find that we have a lot in common. It is nice to have another girl around to spend time with, especially after being alone for so long," I said smoothly. "Although I must admit, I missed your charming smile, Ferid." He smirked at me.

"You flatter me darling!" he stated. "Ah, little Mika, how nice it is to have you amongst our ranks!" Mika wasn't playing this game and glared hatefully at Ferid, saying nothing. "Shall I prepare him a room?" he asked looking at me innocently. Before I could answer, Mika spoke.

"Krul said I am under Serenity's care. I want to stay with her," he demanded coldly. I was taken aback at his tone. He was already showing some of the traits of the other vampires. Ferid seemed a little surprised as well. I shrugged my shoulders and Ferid laughed

"My bed is plenty large for the both of us. There are also many sofas in my lounge area, thanks to your generosity, Ferid," I said smugly. As we walked past Ferid, I planted a chaste kiss on his cheek and winked at him. His eyes lit up in amusement at my actions.

"You certainly seem to be getting comfortable with us, dear Serenity. For that, I am thankful," he called after us. I turned around and blew him a kiss.

"How could I not?" I boasted. "Everyone has been so welcoming so far! And the entertainment around here has been priceless," I added with mock sweetness dripping from my words. He smirked at me once again. I glanced down at Mika, who was glaring up at me in response to my words. I gave him an apologetic look. I hoped he understood what I was doing, but I knew his wounds were fresh so I bent down and pulled him into my chest, smashing his face against my breasts as I had done when I first met him and ruffled his hair enthusiastically. Making eye contact with Ferid, I gave him a dazzling smile. "And now I get to be friends with this little cutie forever and ever!" At that, Ferid let out what seemed to be a genuine smile.

"I am glad you are happy with the outcome. I must admit, I was worried you would hate me for my treatment of his little family. But it gets so boring around here. Tomorrow should prove to be entertaining as well. Crowley and his aides will be here. It's always interesting with those three around," he said.

"Yes, I look forward to meeting them," I ended the conversation and continued to my room with Mika in tow. He continued to remain silent. When we got there, I went to the fireplace and got a fire going. Mika was seating in one of the squishy leather chairs watching me solemnly. "I'm going to run you a bath," I stated. He nodded and continued to stare in the fire. I strolled into the bathing room and began gathering towels, and then started filling the large tub with warm water. I was a little over zealous with the bubbles, but I hoped Mika would enjoy them. When I turned back towards the door, I let out a squeak and almost fell on my butt. He was standing in the entranceway, watching me. I brought a hand to my chest. "Mikaela, you scared the shit out of me!" I hissed. I saw the slightest bit of amusement flash in his eyes, but it was gone quickly. Sighing, I walked over to him and led him to the bath. "Get cleaned up, I'm going to find you some other clothes. Leave yours in the hamper," I ordered. He nodded at me and I left the room. Making my way back out into the hall, I wondered around until I bumped I came across Ferid again. He gave me his signature smile.

"What can I help you with, lovely?" he asked sweetly.

"I need a change of clothes for Mika," I replied. He took a moment to look thoughtful and turned. I assumed I should follow.

"All I have are livestock clothes," he said. I shivered. Of course he had spare clothes for the humans laying around his home. Creep.

"That'll have to do then," I grumbled. "I'm sure Krul will have something made for him soon," I added. Ferid handed me the clothes and I bolted back to the room. When I reentered, the smell of saline hit my nose, and I could hear Mika crying softly to himself. I made my way to the bathing room, and knocked on the door. "Mika?" I called softly. I heard him sniffle and I walked in. He was sitting in the middle of the bathtub surrounded by bubbles. He moved towards the edge closest to me, causing water to slosh out and hit my feet. He looked at me apologetically. I walked over and sat on the edge of the bathtub and motioned for him to lean back against the side of the tub. I reached over and grabbed a tiny wooden bucket and dipped it in the water and then poured it directly over his head. He spluttered, not expecting the large amount of water that hit him. I laughed softly and he glared at me over his shoulder, his blonde locks sticking to his face. I grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squirted a generous amount into my hand and sat down on my knees, leaning forward to reach him, and started lathering up his hair. He sat still for me as I gently massaged his scalp. He still had dried blood in his hair, so it stained the water that drizzled down his neck just a little. His tears had stopped, so I at least accomplished that goal. I was surprised when he spoke to me softly.

"Serenity, will you sing to me again?" he whispered. I cocked my head in surprise. So he did remember me singing to him during his transformation.

"Absolutely Mikaela. Do you have anything specific you would like for me to sing?" I asked gently. He frowned.

"I don't know many songs," he replied. I refilled the little bucket and tilted his head back this time, so the soap wouldn't get in his eyes. I poured the water into his hair and ran my hands through it. As I repeated this process to make sure it was rinsed, I thought hard about what song I should sing. I started humming to myself at first, when the memory of a sound of a guitar hit me. A song from my past, when the Earth was still beautiful and alive. With the music playing beautifully in my head, I opened up my connection with Mika so that he could hear it too. He gasped at the odd sensation of hearing what was in my head and turned to look at me with confusion and questioning in his eyes. I simply smiled at him with encouragement. When he calmed down, I began to sing with the music.

Heaven's not enough

if when you get there..

Just another blue

And heaven's not enough

You think you've found it

And it loses you

You've thought of all there is

but not enough

And it loses you in a cloud

"There" most everything is nothin'

that it seems

"Where" you see the things you only wanna see

I'd fly away

to a higher plane

to say words I resist

to float away

to sigh

to breathe... forget

And heaven's not enough

If when I'm there I don't remember you

And heaven does enough

You think you know it

And it uses you

I saw so many things

but like a dream

Always losing me in a cloud

Cause I couldn't cry

Cause I turned away

Couldn't see the score

Didn't know the pain

of leaving yesterday really far behind

In another life

In another dream

By a different name

Gave it all away

For a memory

And a quiet lie

And I felt the face

of a cold tonight

Still don't know the score

but I know the pain

of leaving everything really far behind

And if I could cry

And if I could live what truth I did then take me there

Heaven goodbye.

As the tune came to an end, I closed our connection and Mika gasped again. He was watching me curiously.

"W-what are you?" he whispered. I looked down at my hands. With Mikas hate of vampires, I felt I could trust him. At least with the most basic form of the truth. He knew I was different, he just didn't know in what ways. I met his brilliant blue eyes with my own, and for a moment, I was grateful that he had not yet completed the change to a full vampire. His eyes were so beautiful. I got up and brought him over a towel, and his temporary clothes.

"Get out before you end up looking like a pale little raisin," I said softly, "then come sit with me by the fire, and I will tell you a little more about myself." I turned and walked into my room to give him some privacy. I drug some pillows and blankets over by the fire and chose the floor over the fancy furniture. A few minutes later, Mike joined me. I had wrapped myself up in the blanket so that only my face was visible, and I looked like an eskimo. He let out a soft laugh at my goofiness and made himself comfortable in the mountain of comfy bedding items that I had sprawled about. I was glad his mood had taken a turn for the better. He looked at me expectantly. I was deep in thought on how to explain to him how I came into existence, but even I was a little unsure of all the details, so my statement was pretty simple when it came out of my mouth. "I was born a human," I began. "I was not turned." Mikas eyes widened curiously. "When I reached a certain age, my vampire genes took over, and I became much like a vampire, but still different. I had a human mother, and my father was a vampire. She died giving birth to me. I required much more nutrients in the womb, despite my human body. My vampire genes may not have been active yet, but they were present, and still required upkeep. Father let me know that my mother was odd for a human. She possessed a gift. That gift, whatever it was, was passed on to me, and my vampire genes further enhanced it, giving me powers that he had never seen before. I can feel the emotions of others. I can touch their mind with my own, if they allow it. I can force myself into people if I wish, but that is dangerous and painful to them if they resist, so I choose to do so rarely." I stopped speaking as painful memories tried to resurface, but I pushed them down quickly and focused on Mikas face. I left out more details about my powers for the time being, only revealing what he had experienced of them. One couldn't be too careful.

"So, did you force yourself into my mind last night?" he asked. I bit my lip.

"Sort of, yes," I answered. "You were in no state to resist, so the process was much easier. Once I have entered someone's mind, it gets easier each time. Eventually, you would be unable to resist without a great deal of practice. I must also make physical contact the first few times. After that, I can do it at will, and from a greater distance if needed. Once a strong enough bond is formed, it is almost always slightly open. Just enough that I occasionally get a whisper of the others emotions when they are extreme. Though, I have never had someone be able to feel mine, unless I push it into them. Since no one else that I have met has these powers, I have yet to find anyone to practice them extensively with. They can be dangerous and I don't want to hurt anyone else," I murmured solemnly. At this point, I just started blathering on. "I have spent most of my life with humans, or alone. I do not understand the cruelty of these vampires. I don't remember my father being so hateful. We lived together on the surface for many years. He interacted with the humans as if he were one, and only drank a few to the point of death. Plus, he loved my mother, he must have. How else would I have come into existence," my face turned slightly red at the implications of my thoughts. I shook my head vigorously. Mikas hand on my arm pulled me back to the present.

"It's ok Serenity," he said simply. "Things are different now." I frowned down at him.

"Do you hate me too, Mika?" I asked quickly. He looked down at the ground as he struggled to answer.

"No, I don't hate you. You are something different all together," he decided. "I'll keep your secrets. Maybe you can help me when I need someone," he said. His face became determined. I didn't pry into whatever he was thinking. He could come to me when the time was right. I was simply happy to still have a genuine friend in this odd place. And he was now a vampire also. The way he became one was awful, but the pain would quickly fade, like many emotions seemed to once ones humanity was gone. I spent the rest of the day and well into the night telling Mika stories of my long life; of all the things I did with the human friends and family I had made over the years. The crazy parties that would take place, the amusement park rides, the nights camping under the stars. I spoke fondly of the beautiful places hidden around the Earth. He told me about the orphanage and his family. Mika spoke mostly of Yu. He was glad that he had at least escaped.

"Maybe you will find each other again one day," I said positively. He frowned and shook his head.

"He hates vampires even more than I do. He will hate me," Mika responded sadly. I ruffled his hair, trying to be reassuring.

"Don't be so sure Mika. You are family. I don't think you could do anything that would make him hate you," I assured him. He didn't look very convinced.

"I will never drink human blood," he stated. "If I did find Yu, he would hate me for doing that. Maybe if I don't drink human blood, he won't be as mad at me." I didn't bother to try and talk Mika out of that decision. He knew the consequences. If that was the path he chose, who was I to try and force a different path on him? Hopefully one day he would change his mind. I felt my heart constrict at the thought of losing this poor beautiful soul. I wanted to get off of this topic of conversation, so I tackled Mika to the ground and attempted to tickle him. Based off of the 'what the fuck do you think you're doing' look I was getting, he must not have been ticklish.

"Well, shit," I grumbled and climbed off of him. He laughed at my failure and I pouted. Another idea popped into my head. I'd been craving fresh air for a while now. This underground city with its artificial lighting was about to drive me insane. I stood up abruptly and motioned for Mika to follow me. He needed to get used to his new power anyways. I opened the large glass and wood doors to my balcony and army crawled to the railing. He was looking at me like I was nuts. "Get down!" I hissed and waved my hand wildly at him. He rolled his eyes in response, but relented to my will. I chuckled evilly. Glancing around, I realized no one was around and promptly launched myself over the rail, landing silently in the gardens below. I ducked behind a bush and looked up to see Mika staring after me. He looked very unsure of himself. I opened up our link wide and pushed feelings of encouragement towards him and allowed my thoughts to whisper across his mind. Come Mika! You won't get hurt, I promise. He did a double take at hearing my voice in his head. I watched as he carefully climbed up on the rail and jumped. He landed just a few feet from me, but not nearly as gracefully and ended up on his butt. I giggled at him and he glared. Sticking my tongue out at him, I took off in a pace that I assumed he could keep up with. As he started following me, I adjusted my speed to match what he was comfortable with. I almost tripped and fell on my face when I heard his voice whisper across my mind. Where are we going, Serenity? I glanced over at him with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. Recovering quickly, I thought back; we are going outside. I need fresh air. Mika stopped abruptly, and it was my turn to stumble, although I managed to correct my footing. I turned around and glared at him while smacking dust off the front of my body. My glare quickly became a look of concern when I saw his expression. Luckily, we were no longer out in the open. "What's wrong Mikaela?" I muttered softly. He looked…. frightened.

"Last time I tried to leave this place…." He trailed off lost in his thoughts. I took his hand in mine.

"No more of that," I said sternly. "You must try to move on. I will not let anything harm you. Promise," I insisted and held out my pinky to him. His face relaxed considerably and he wrapped his pinky around mine. We continued on our path once more. We began down what appeared to be a tunnel. Half way though snow appeared in our path, and fresh air was blowing in random spurts in our direction. I took many deep breaths and watched Mikas face. He was almost in awe as we took our final step and were officially outside. I smiled gratefully as I looked to the sky. It was dark, but the moon and stars were shining brilliantly. The fresh air was almost a shock to my lungs, and it took me a few minutes to adjust. I flopped backwards into the snow and stared up through the trees at the sky. The crisp cold of winter nipped at my nose, but I loved it. I hadn't even been in the underground city for a week yet, and I already missed the outside world more fiercely than I thought possible. The snow next to me crunched as Mika laid down beside me. I looked over at him as he stared at the stars. Perhaps I should take him and run? I frowned. I knew it would never work. I had no way to get off the island of Japan. It was the last place I had yet to travel to right before the world went to shit. I wonder what the vampires of the other lands were like. Did they treat their humans better? How were the Americas doing? Were all of the vampires as horribly cruel as Ferid? We would be caught before we could get very far, that's for sure. I was not familiar with much of these lands. Sighing, I forced the thoughts from my mind and focused on looking at the stars. Mika and I remained silent and simply laid in the snow for the next hour or so. When my whole body was numb and the sun was starting to barely lighten the horizon, I decided it was time for us to head back. Deciding to move as fast as possible so that I could get warmed up, I had Mika hop on my back. He wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waste, and I further supported them there with my arms. The wind whipped around us harshly as I flitted back towards Ferids mansion. Mika buried his face in my neck to relieve his eyes from the wind whipping at him. When we reached my room, I let him fall straight down on top of the mound of blankets and such. He landed with an 'oomph.' Mika didn't even care, and instead of glaring at me again, let out a big yawn. In turn, I yawned as well.

"Stop that, you're making me yawn too," I grumbled. I started throwing stuff back up on the bed. He attempted to grab all the things he was sitting on and being them over too. I couldn't see anything but his legs as he carefully shuffled over towards the bed and threw the pillows and blankets on it. I watched him climb in and I went into the bathroom to throw on something other than my dress to sleep in. I found a really soft flowy tank top and yoga shorts sitting in one of the closets, so I threw it on. When I returned to the bed, Mika was blinking sleepily at me.

Mika would never admit it, as he watched Serenity climb into the bed, but he was grateful to not have to sleep alone after being used to sleeping with his family for so long. She was very nice to him and tried to help him, without making him do anything he didn't want to. He hoped one day that he would able to tell her how much he appreciated her showing up in his life, despite all that had happened. Yu was still alive; out there somewhere. Mika was going to find him one day, if it was the last thing he did. He just hoped Yu could forgive him for getting their family killed. Mika was brought back to the present when Serenity reached over and ruffled his hair. He hated when she did that, but didn't have the heart to tell her. Her odd purple eyes were the last thing he remembered seeing, before darkness took him.

Mika fell asleep almost as soon as I got in the bed with him. I watched him sleep for a while. It would seem that he was going to rest peacefully tonight. I reached over and took his hand in mine. He subconsciously squeezed my hand back and scooted a little closer. When he settled back down again, my thoughts began to drift to tomorrow. I was nervous to meet a new group of vampires. I could come to terms with everyone looking at the humans as livestock, even if it did bother me. However, I could not handle dealing with more people that were cruel and hateful deep down inside like Ferid. One of him was more than enough to handle. Also, I was fast and strong because of my age, but I am no trained fighter. What exactly were they expecting from me? I only know basic self-defense and dagger throwing. I don't really think that was going to come in handy for much. Hopefully Krul would not be disappointed in my lack of experience. I realized that my nerves were causing me to trace circles on Mikas hand with my thumb. Trying to push my feelings down, I focused on rubbing his hand so that I would fall asleep also. Time passed easier in unconsciousness. It wasn't long before darkness took me as well, and my mind went blank.

Ok, I am leaving this one here. I hope the transition from first person, to third, then back to first was easily understood. I will indicate that with the line breaks. I really want to play around with that a bit, to make my story come across better. I'm not sure what people prefer to read as far as that goes. Let me know how this works for you. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, so please feel free to review or message me. The song featured in this chapter was Heaven's not Enough by Steve Conte. It was also featured in the anime Wolf's Rain (One of my FAVES). Hope you all enjoyed.