Divine Expectations

by Jazlynn

Life is short and then you die. Life is short, but an immortal can live forever. At least, that should be the case. After all, an incident that happened 1000 years ago cannot possibly happen again, right? Subaru x Caren x OC. Sequel to Lilacs and Winds.

3. Unexpected Faces

'Ello loverlies! Back for more, eh? Well, I figured that I'd get this posted now since it's 'Snow-mageddon' outside and I'm trapped inside my house. Things around going to get very interesting now so, you'll want to pay attention to all the little details in this part. The last and final part of this story will be posted on Monday December 22nd. Enjoy!

Divine Expectations
Unexpected Faces
Written by: Jazlynn

It all seemed like so long ago. It seemed like years since I had been left by Subaru and it seemed like centuries had past since Mathias had abandoned me. Yes, abandoned seemed like an appropriate word. He had not returned to me after almost three months had passed! Three months! Whatever Mathias was doing, it was taking far too long. However, I wasn't sure why I was thinking about Mathias. He tore a large hole in my non-beating heart. Then Subaru came. He was able to patch that hole for me and I felt… happy. It wasn't like the feelings I had when I was with Mathias. Yes, there was something between Mathias and I but… for some reason, this feeling that came to be between Subaru and I… it felt pure. It was love.

The thoughts seemed foreign to me as they ran through my mind. My golden eyes were stuck on the vast dark sky as the stars twinkled like diamonds. The white snow glistened around me as I tried to sort through the thoughts in my head. I would have to return to my palace soon—the dawn would soon approach and the sun would rise. I thought of Subaru with his sparkling blue eyes and golden hair when I thought of the sun. I then thought of Mathias with his elusive golden eyes and dark brown hair that framed his pale face in all of his godly perfection when I gazed back up at the moon. My night and my day. I must've been the earth—forever to be shrouded in night and then day. But now, there was nothing. There was no sun and no moon.

A tear streamed down my face as the thoughts continued to run through my mind. I needed to distract myself from my thoughts. It was taking too large of a toll on my mind. I recalled my sister's proposition of going on vacation. I think it was time to take her up on that. Besides, I wanted the comfort of my sister's presence. This would be good for me. It would give me the chance to get both Subaru and Mathias off of my mind.

I sat up and pushed myself up off the mound of snow that I had been laying in moments before. I looked down at my snow covered clothes and quickly brushed the fluffy substance off. I was only wearing a pair of jeans, a lavender spaghetti strap shirt and a black sweater with the silver zipper only pulled up halfway. A freezing wind blew past me and I didn't even shiver. My body was dead and such things like temperature ceased to bother me. I wouldn't burden myself with wearing a huge winter coat when it wasn't necessary.

As I walked towards the ocean, I recalled Subaru's departure. I didn't know how I would go on without seeing his smile everyday. It was a hard fact for me to accept but... I had fallen in love with him. I was madly in love with him, just as I was still in love with Mathias. That thought hurt. It hurt a lot. The two loves of my life were far from me and there was nothing I could do about it. However, I was pretty much over Mathias. The only images that were floating around in my mind were images of Subaru with his fluffy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was a human and was one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever laid my eyes upon.

Hard as it was, I pushed the thoughts of Subaru out of my head as I reached the ocean. Chances were that I would never see him again even though I wanted to. He went to further his studies somewhere else and I didn't know where that was. So, both my sun and moon were missing and I had no idea where to find them. I only had the ramblings of an old woman to lead me to my moon and there was simply no trace of my sun.

I dove into the ocean and then headed towards my palace as fast as I could. Small rays of sunlight were beginning to shine through the Antarctic waters and they danced gracefully on my pale skin. My violet eyes flickered around as I swam, as if in paranoia—a bad habit that I had picked up a long time ago. I just wanted to get to the Arctic Ocean. I really wanted to see my sister again. Besides, it wasn't like she was trapped in Gaito's castle anymore and would be hard to find.

As my palace came into view, the only thought in my head was telling them that I was going to the Arctic to spend some time with my sister. My servants would be satisfied with that answer, right? They wanted me to go out and be active. I would simply do what they wanted. I would go out and do something that wasn't solitary.

I made my way into my palace through the front entrance with a confident and pleasant look on my face. Some of the mermaids that were lingering in the main hall looked to me with shock. Yes, my actions would most likely take them by surprise. In all my time back in the Antarctic Ocean, I had only once used the main entrance. That could be considered something taking into account all the times I had left my palace to go dwell upon the land after Subaru had left. The confused mermaids slowly approached me as if something was amiss.

"Lady Caren, are you well?" One of them asked.

"Oh, yes, this is very unusual of you." Another piped in.

I gave each of them an odd look. A memory stirred in my mind. The frightening images of deceased mermaid came back into my mind and my expression slightly faltered. No! I would not think that way! These were my attendants and they were very much alive. I allowed that façade of confidence return to my expression.

"Of course I'm well. Besides, one should not question the purple mermaid princess's actions."

Oh. For a moment there, I thought I was Mathias. That would be something that he would say, not me. Once again, I pushed the thoughts of Mathias out of my head. I didn't need to be thinking about him. He was a jerk who had left me three months ago. However, he was very impressionable. I knew that anyone who lived with him for too long would pick up on his habits and begin to act the way that he does.

"Lady Caren?"

My attention was dragged towards a mermaid who had just entered the main hall. Her voice was familiar: meek and respective. It was the mermaid who had convinced me to go out that first night. I recognized her now. When I thought about it, even though I had returned to my palace a few times after Subaru had left, the last time I saw this mermaid was on that night. She was swimming towards me, her eyes showing that she needed to tell me something.

"What is it?" I asked, allowing for her to speak.

She stopped in front of me, her eyes seeming unsure about something. "Well, you see, in your absence, a man came to the castle to look for you. He seemed very on edge about something."

My eyes widened in shock. A man came here looking for me. My stomach twisted in an unpleasant way as my mind put two and two together. Mathias had been here. That was the only explanation! He'd been here while I was off with Subaru! He was here! I took hold of the young mermaid by the shoulders and she looked quite surprised by my eagerness.

"When was he here? Did he say what his name was? Did he say when he'd be back? Is he coming back?"

The girl was completely shocked as I bombarded her with questions. I could tell that she was trying to come up with the answers as fast as she could but… I had very little patience. I feared that I would go mad if I did not know about Mathias. I knew that there was no chance of getting my sun back but… perhaps I could get my night. There was a chance—however small it was.

"Please, Lady Caren, I need a moment to think!" The girl said while trying to pull away from me. I let go and she took in a deep breath.

"You see, he came here the day after you left for the surface. He came here demanding where you were. He said that you had called out to him and he needed to find you immediately. I told him that you were out and that I didn't know when you would be back. He seemed very… troubled. It was frightening to see a man look so on edge about something. By the way he acted; it was as if your very life was on the line."

I took in all that my servant had told me. Mathias had heard me call out to him. My voice not only reached Subaru, but Mathias as well. Did that mean that my sister was all panicked about what had happened to me? She couldn't just up and leave her country to check on me either. I breathed in deeply acknowledging what I had to do.

"I must visit my sister in the Arctic Ocean. I have to speak with her immediately. Please, keep things in order around here until I get back."

I turned to leave but one of my servants had to question me. "When will you be back, Lady Caren?"

I turned to look at her, uncertainty in my eyes. "I really don't know. I might be gone for a few weeks. Before, my sister wanted me to go to Paris and Germany with her. I don't know if she'll want to take that trip when I'm there or at another time."

"Very well," the servant replied. "We shall keep things running smoothly here."

I nodded in her direction and I swam off towards my room. There was just one more thing that I needed before I left: the journal. I hadn't been reading it much, lately. However, I still found that it was vital to me, somehow. I wasn't going to leave it behind now. There was still so much more to read in it.

I quickly entered my room to find the journal lying on my bed where I had last left it. I took the book into my arms and swam outside from my balcony. I breathed in deeply as I headed in a northern direction. I glanced back as my palace became smaller and smaller in the distance. I turned my gaze away from my palace. There was nothing left for me in Antarctica. There was only a broken heart and a shattered dream. I didn't want to have to return there. Not right now.

I kept on swimming forward, resting whenever I needed to. More often then not, those stops would be to read a little bit more from the journal. Something that I had read caught my interest and made me want to read more from the journal. The mermaid princess's lover had introduced her to his cousin, Felix. Now, I suppose that there was no connection between this Felix and the Felix that Subaru was talking about but… it brought a smile to my face.

I assumed that I was on the border of Hanon and Rina's countries when I stopped to read from the journal once again. The happy mood that this mermaid princess's life had had was slowly beginning to decline. I found myself worrying about what had happened to her. I flipped through the pages until I found the next entry I needed to read.

November 1, 999

My love has not been well as of late. He has tried to distance himself from me. I do not understand the reason why. I have tried to contact him but he ceases to give me any reply. I worry for him.

There have been some things I've noticed that might have contributed to this. I've noticed that he's become rather weary and not as strong as he once was. Whenever he was around me, he would often get quite dizzy. Perhaps he has become ill, though, I hope that should not be the case. Most people who become ill do not become better. I only pray that he has not come down with the plague. I'd rather have him killed quickly than to suffer through plague.

Well, as much I would not like to put down this pen, I must as my love's mother is quickly approaching me now. I do not know what she wishes to say to me for she has never come to me before of her own free will. I suppose I shall know in due time what the matter is.

"Well, well, if it isn't the mermaid princess of the Antarctic Ocean."

My eyes stayed focused on the page, not aware of one of those sickeningly familiar voices. I wanted to read more. I wanted to know what the mermaid princess's future mother-in-law wanted to say to her. I moved my hand to flip the page when the second voice managed to pull me away from the journal.

"I wonder what's written in that book, Sister Sheshe. She seems awfully intrigued by it."

My eyes slowly lifted from the pages of the journal to the Black Beauty Sisters who had come in my way. I held the journal close to me as if my life depended on it. The funny thing was that I did feel as if my life depended on this journal. It was a strange intuition, yes, but the one thing that I knew for sure was that I would not let the Black Beauty Sisters get their hands on it.

"I think that there's something in that book that she's hiding from us, Sister Mimi." Sheshe accused with a dangerous look in her eyes.

I quickly looked around for the younger water demon to find that she was nowhere to be seen. I felt something forcefully push against my back and I felt my grasp on the journal loosen. I watched in horror as Mimi seized the book from my arms. I pushed myself forward to go after the book and I felt myself crash into something. A glowing light had surrounded me and I was aware of the horrible predicament I was in. I heard both of the sisters laughing. I glared at them from my prison.

"Oh! Won't Michel be so pleased with us?" Mimi chimed happily.

"Oh, yes. And we now also have this pretty little book." Sheshe added in while taking the journal from Mimi. "Now, let's see what it was you were hiding, Purple Mermaid Princess."

I watched in horror as the sisters opened the journal. They would read the life of one of my predecessors! I felt as if they were completely invading her privacy! I was more obligated to read her words than they were! I was, after all, one of her successors! However, I felt confused as I watched the confused expressions on the faces of the Black Beauty Sisters.

"What is this?" Sheshe asked, seeming quite disgusted.

Mimi took the book from her sister and began to recite what was written on the first page. "'I am truly sorry but, the words that I had written in this journal were strictly meant to be seen by my successor, Caren, in the year 2003. However, since you disgusting creatures wish to know what I have written in this book, I shall give you a sneak peak of what Caren was about to read. She needs to know the truth of the things which occurred at this time. And as for you, you will become aware of a secret; a secret that will give you nightmares for the rest of your days among the living—nightmares that Caren would have to face had she not become what I had been destined to become before her. And now, I invite you to witness the events that took place on November 1st of the year 999.'"

My eyes were wide with shock at each word that Mimi had said. That was not what was written on the first page of the journal. I had never been personally addressed in the journal. I felt as if I was dreaming. This couldn't have been right. Words written in ink could not be changed on the paper it had been written. People who were living in the year 2003 could not be mentioned in the year 999.

I watched Sheshe and Mimi shriek as the journal emitted a bright lavender colour from its pages. All of us were engulfed in its light; unable to see what was happening. When the light faded, we were no longer in the ocean. We were all in human-like forms in what seemed like a castle. I felt panicked by the fact that I wasn't in my mermaid form when around the Black Beauty Sisters. They would know exactly who I was and I would become an easy target for them. However, when I glanced at my appearance, I was shocked. I hardly looked like myself at all!

My hair was completely straight aside from a few curls that fell loosely at the sides of my face and it was a shade of purple that was almost comparable to black. I was also dressed in attire that was not near what I would normally wear. I was dressed in long flowing lavender robes made from velvet and silk. This dress seemed more medieval than the one I had worn on the night I had been turned vampire. Looking back at Sheshe and Mimi, they were dressed in similar clothes only in red and blue. They were both looking at me as if I knew what was going on. The only problem was that I didn't know what was going on. The two had interrupted me before I had gotten the chance to read what was going to happen next.

The sound of rushed voices alerted me and the Black Beauty Sisters that there were people quickly approaching. When that group of people came rushing into the hallway that we were standing in, I was sure that they would have said something. However, they kept up their pace and headed right for us as if we weren't even there. I cringed when I figured that they would run right into us but, I was quite mistaken. They didn't run into us, they ran through us. Sheshe and Mimi seemed quite shocked at the phenomenon that had just occurred. They demanded that I give them an explanation as to what had just happened but, I stayed quiet, watching the people that hurried down the hall.

They were heading for a door at the end of the stone hallway with torches in their hands to light the way. When they opened that door, I heard more voices. Two of the voices sounded like they were arguing about something but, the third voice… I knew exactly whose voice that was. It sounded pained and tortured but, I knew the voice. It was that voice that would forever be engraved within my memory.

"I guess that means… I'm 'it'."

"I am having a party tonight and you happen to be the guest of honor."

"Let us play a game, Caren."

"Once upon a time, you found me. Now it is time for you to hide and for me to seek."

"Caren, where are you?"

"I've seen the blood pulsing through your veins and I want to see if you taste better than you smell."

"Tell me what you want more than anything in the world. Give me the pleasure of taking it away from you."

"You only have to suffer through death once and then you can live forever by my side."

"Mathias…" I softly whispered in a pained tone of voice.

I moved forward, heading towards that door, completely ignoring the looks that the Black Beauty Sisters were giving me. I didn't care what they thought at the moment. Mathias was here and he was in pain. I had to go to him! I felt my pace quicken and I heard the Black Beauty Sisters quickly following me. I entered that room like a ghost. No one saw me but they all tensed as if they felt my presence.

My eyes were drawn to a large bed where Mathias was tossing and turning in. However, he wasn't at all like I remembered him. His hair was a lighter brown and his skin wasn't the pale colour of a vampire's. The two big things that I noticed were that his eyes were a light blue and he had a heartbeat. He was human.

"What is going on, Mermaid Princess?"

I glanced back to find that Sheshe and Mimi looked quite upset that I had wandered off. All of a sudden, I didn't want them here. I didn't want them to see my love in the state he was in. I didn't want them to see him at all. I turned away from them and rushed over to Mathias' side. I placed my hand on his forehead and I could feel the immense heat radiating off of him. His blue eyes snapped open and he was looking right at me. He could see me. I knew that he could. He was looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Angel…" he gently murmured through a broken voice. "Angel, make the pain go away…"

Mathias was reaching out to me now as if I could somehow relieve him of his pain. I wanted to. I wanted to help him so badly. However, I knew that I could not. Mathias' father had to save his life. That was how things had happened, I was sure. I could hear a commotion starting all around me. Everyone was going on about Mathias's condition but not me or the Black Beauty Sisters. Mathias was the only one who could see me.

"I want everyone out now!" A male voice demanded.

I became aware that everyone was leaving the room aside from the man who made the order and a woman whom I hadn't noticed before. The Black Beauty Sisters moved to a corner so that they were out of the way but could still see what I was up to. That man though, he looked so familiar. I couldn't figure out where I'd seen him though.

"No! I won't let you harm him!"

I looked over at the woman who was now looking very overprotective of Mathias. She looked very much like Mathias, now that I thought about it. Then a thought occurred to me. This was his mother. This was his mother and she seemed to know that if left alone, Mathias would surely die.

"Lucretia, you know that he will die if I do not turn him!"

My eyes were drawn back over to the man who had ordered everyone out of the room in the first place and I finally realized something about him: he was a vampire. His eyes lingered on me before they fell back upon his wife.

"I will not have any part of the devil lingering within my son!" She cried out. "God will answer my prayers and save my child!"

"God?! What has God ever done for our family? He has yet to bless us with anything!"

I cringed. I didn't like where this argument was heading. I wasn't quite sure about what I believed in. Most of the time, the marine world secludes itself from human religions. I glanced over at Sheshe and Mimi to see how they were reacting. They were being quiet, also seeming uncomfortable with the topic of argument.

"Well, I have not yet given up on my faith. God will be merciful and spare my boy."

I didn't want to see the expression on the vampire's face. I knew that he would be infuriated and I could already feel the rage he emitted in the room. I focused my eyes on Mathias who kept on looking at me. I softly stroked his hot face and I could see the relief in his eyes. I felt kind of happy that I could see what he looked like as a human. He still looked perfect to me. I smiled softly at him before his father bellowed out an angry reply.

"I can easily save his life and you choose to put your belief in a corrupt faith? If that be the case, then you've condemned our boy to the afterlife, you wretched witch!"

I heard Mathias' mother begin to cry as her husband stormed out of the room. I felt so helpless in that moment. I wanted to console both Mathias and his mother. I wanted to shield them from the evil in their family. However, there was nothing I could do. A voice took me from my thoughts and both Mathias and my eyes flashed over to Mimi. He could see the sisters as well.

"What is going on mermaid princess?" She asked in a low frightened tone.

"Who was it that wrote the journal that brought us here?" Sheshe demanded as well.

I breathed in deeply, continuing to softly stroke Mathias' face. I turned to look at them as a bunch of new knowledge flowed into my mind like a river. Knowledge that I was sure I didn't possess before. "The owner of that journal was one of my predecessors from 1000 years ago. She was in love with the man that I am in love with now. However, she was brutally killed by the man you just saw who, I know, will hunt you down and kill you if you ever spread word of this. My predecessor is going to send you back now. I only request that I can stay a little while longer."

Then it is done.

That same violet light enveloped the Black Beauty Sisters and they faded away from sight. I was overcome by a feeling of reassurance that they would not speak a word about what they saw. I knew that their minds would, however, be plagued by it. They would certainly have nightmares when they slept, I was sure. I looked back down at Mathias who seemed to have witnessed the event as well.

"Angel, where have the other two gone?" He asked, seeming frightened.

I looked into his big blue eyes and softly placed a kiss on his forehead. "They went home, love. I shall stay with you, tonight."

He seemed calmed by my words and I smiled. I was in complete awe looking down at the human Mathias. One could easily assume that he was either eighteen or nineteen but, when I thought of the Mathias from my time, I imagined him to be a lot older and more mature and even… dangerous—just like his father. Right now, he seemed a lot more like his mother, Lucretia, who had fallen asleep by his side.

I crawled onto his bed and cuddled up beside Mathias, wrapping my cold arms around him to help ease his fever. I wanted to stay like this forever. I wanted to stay beside Mathias and forever have him near me. This was what I had wanted for such a long time now.

Don't get to comfortable.

BAM! The oak door swung open and Mathias's vampire father entered the room. His eyes were glowing red and I was suddenly filled with fear. Lucretia had woken from the noise and she screamed upon her husband's demeanor. Mathias tried to cling to me, completely frightened by his father. I could hear both his and his mother's hearts beating quickly as the predator closed the door behind him.

Lucretia flung herself onto Mathias' bed and stayed in front of him the entire time. I also clung to Mathias as if to protect him. I glared at the vampire, knowing from his earlier glance that he could see me as well. However, he paid me no attention and he grabbed his wife by her hair and pulled her off the bed.

"I will save our son and there is nothing you can do about it. If you believe that God is the only one who can save him then I am God!"

"No!" She screamed out again. "I will not worship a false god!"

"Then what good are you?!"

I knew what this angry vampire would do to her now. He was going to kill her. He was going to kill his own wife! I suddenly flung myself over Mathias and tried to shield his eyes as best I could as his mother screamed out in agony behind me. Mathias screamed out in terror—obviously knowing what was happening. Tears ran down my cheeks as I tried my best to comfort him. I understood why Mathias had wanted to keep his father a secret from me. His father was truly a monster—more of a monster than Mathias and I were in my time.

My hold on Mathias tightened when I failed to hear Lucretia scream anymore. His father would come to turn Mathias now and I could do nothing about it. I felt a cold strong hand on my shoulder and I let out a scream myself as I was flung to the stone floor.

"No!" I yelled out, my voice now seeming broken.

I watched in horror as the vampire sunk his teeth into Mathias' neck and then pull away. I felt outraged and saddened by the act I had just witnessed. It was terrifying! I cried out as I tried to struggle back onto Mathias' bed. I could see how much pain he was in and I knew exactly how he felt. I could almost recall that sensation that seemed like electricity running through my veins. All I could do was scream. Screaming was all that Mathias could do as well.

I saw him quickly fading away from me and I felt myself return to my mermaid form. Mathias had, once again, been torn away from me and I was left in tears. I allowed myself to sink to the sea floor and I cried and cried and cried. I cried for all the suffering that Mathias must've gone through after his turning was complete. I cried for how he must've felt when he discovered that his father had killed his mother. I also cried for the way he looked at me when his father pushed me away. It was a look of lost hope. A look that I had worn when I found out that he had left me for the first time.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I don't know how long I had cried for but, eventually, I had run out of tears. I knew that I couldn't continue to sulk there on the ocean floor and I knew that Noel was probably still worried about me. I couldn't keep my sister waiting. Besides, what with everything that had been happening to me lately, I could use her comfort.

I found the journal lying near my and I picked the book up. I traced my hand across the frozen lilac on the cover and a few tears streamed down my face. Funny, I thought that I had none left. I had learned so much from that last scene that was presented to me. So many pieces of a puzzle had just been fit together and I was beginning to see a horrific picture.

There were a few things that I was now sure of. One, the owner of this journal, this mermaid princess, was in love with Mathias 1000 years ago. I also knew that her name was Rose—or something along the lines of that—and she was very similar to me. I also knew that the phantom palace I had found belonged to her. Lastly, I knew that she was still lingering within this world—guiding me in the world of vampires as best she could. She was trying to give me a message. I still couldn't figure out what it was though. There were many mixed messages I was receiving and I didn't like it. I wanted her to just tell me what she was trying to say.

I flipped through the pages of the journal to find that all of the entries were there and the same as they had been. Curiosity rose in my mind at something. What exactly was it that I was about to read? I quickly flipped to the entry I wanted and I began to read.

November 1, 999

Oh God, I am terrified upon what I have witnessed tonight. The devil has come to steal Mathias' soul from the light.

I blinked, slightly shocked. That was the first time that Rose had used Mathias' name. Before, she would always use the term 'my love'. I flipped a few pages back to find that the term 'my love' had been replaced with Mathias' name. Had Rose been keeping his name from me? I didn't understand why. Perhaps she wanted to keep him anonymous. But now I knew so, there was no point in changing 'Mathias' to 'my love'. Going back to the entry I had been reading, I continued where I had left off.

Mathias' mother, Lucretia brought me to her family's castle. I discovered that Mathias had become sick with the plague. When I entered his room, he seemed very happy to see me. He beckoned me to his side and he called me his angel. He continued to call me that while a priest tried to heal him with the power of God. I wasn't sure of my position on the subject but, I was praying too that some miracle might save my beloved Mathias. I did not expect the devil to come and bestow a curse upon him!

I discovered that Mathias' father is a monster. He did, indeed, make a deal with the devil. I watched in fear as the man killed his wife, Lucretia by biting into her neck and draining her of her blood. I clung to Mathias—more fearful for his life than mine. My attempts to protect him went in vain. I was torn from him and flung to the floor. I screamed out as the devil's host bit into Mathias' neck. This monster was going to kill him! He was going to kill Mathias and there was nothing I could do about it!

However, to my confusion, his father moved away from him. Mathias began to scream. I thought he was dying and I flung myself on him. His fever drastically increased and I truly believed that this was the last moment I would ever get to spend with him.

I waited and waited for Mathias to pass yet, he still lives. Even as I write this, he is alive—still screaming from whatever his father had done to him. There is nothing that I can do other than stay by his side. I promised him that I would not leave him.

I fear that Mathias' condition is worsening. His skin feels as if it is icing over as I write this. For now, I must give all my attention to Mathias. However, I will say that the sun has now risen over the horizon and it is a new day. Perhaps a new day awaits Mathias? I can only hope so.

Oh my goddess, Aqua Regina. I was Rose in her little illusion! I couldn't believe it! Well, actually, I kind of could. We were both in love with the same vampire and were both Mermaid Princesses of the Antarctic Ocean only, I still am. I was amazed at how Mathias was turned though. He actually witnessed his mother's murder. Rose had witnessed it too. It must've been horrific for her to have seen that.

All of a sudden, Subaru's words resurfaced in my mind. They were words that I hadn't thought of in the longest time. They were words that Subaru had spoken on the night that he met me. I heard his words so vividly in my mind. 'Apparently, a vampire fell in love with a mermaid princess and the vampire king wasn't too happy about it. So, the vampire king went out and killed the mermaid.'

Rose was the mermaid princess in this story. I knew she was. Mathias was the vampire king. But who was the other vampire? And why would Mathias kill Rose if he loved her? None of this made sense to me. The temptation was getting to me and I flipped the page to the next entry. I gasped when I found that the next date was in December. She hadn't written in over a month?! I couldn't believe it! Nevertheless, I began to read.

December 17, 999

I know I haven't written in a long time but there have been so many things that have happened in the time I've been gone. Thankfully, Mathias is alive and well. However, he is different. I don't know how to describe it. I've never seen so much change in a man so quickly. Well, no, he's no longer a man. He is a Night Dweller. That is what he said that their kind are. He doesn't sleep at night. His father doesn't either, apparently.

There are other big changes other than that. Mathias' beautiful blue eyes are now a liquid gold colour that seem dangerous, dark and constantly hungry. His skin is now a deathly white colour and his light brown hair is almost black. Those were the obvious changes. However, there were other ones as well. There were changes that had occurred that could not be identified by appearance. Both his diet and personality changed as well.

Mathias doesn't eat. Well, not in front of me, at least. His diet consists of animal blood and the food that he eats as a prop. Normal human food has absolutely no taste or satisfaction for him. He told me that he only eats it to seem more human. Human blood is the only thing that will rid him of his hunger. However, he has sworn to never drink the substance. For that, I am glad. I am not pleased with how his personality has changed, though.

He has become evil, in a way. His heart is full of hatred—especially towards his father for inflicting this lifestyle upon him. He despises everyone around him and he hardly even acknowledges me anymore. It seems as if he hates me as well. I have lost sleep over this matter and I cannot make the pain in my heart go away. I love Mathias so very much. I don't want him to hate me. I do not think I would be able to bear it if he forsakes me.

Well, Subaru's story seemed more likely now. Mathias seemed a lot darker now. Did he really act that way and ignore his fiancée? Yes, he would. If he left me then he could easily ignore his fiancée. My only question was whether or not he killed her. I still didn't think it was likely. Mathias wouldn't have killed a mermaid princess. Would he?

I pushed the thought out of my mind and slammed the journal shut. I wasn't going to allow myself to think this way. My sister was in her kingdom waiting for me. I wasn't going to get sidetracked this time. Determined, I got off the sea floor and I began swimming north. I still had a long swim ahead of me. I couldn't afford to get distracted now.

I decided that it would be best to not dwell in my thoughts so I tried my best to only focus on the ocean scenery. I had only been to Rina's kingdom once before and I was finding navigation a little bit tricky. However, I found familiarity when I was in the area of the Green Mermaid Princess's palace. I knew where I was now and I knew that I was much closer to Noel's kingdom. I certainly wouldn't be long now.

I pushed myself to swim faster and faster. I tried to focus on my speed rather than what I had recently learned. I tried to focus on the every movement that my body made. I tried to focus on how my muscles were moving in order to propel me faster. When I focused on that, I found it easier to speed up my pace even more. I was certain that I had broken some sort of swimming record among sea creatures. Then again, the fact that I was only half-mermaid probably meant that I would inevitably be cheating.

I was soon welcomed by frigid waters similar to the waters of my kingdom back in the Antarctic. I had finally reached the Arctic Ocean. This was my sister's kingdom. It was so similar to my kingdom although, it had a few distinct differences. The main thing that I noticed was that there was no huge landmass that surrounded the top of the earth. The closet thing that they had to Antarctica was Canada. Subaru had been born and raised in Canada…

No! I mustn't think about him! Subaru was gone. There was absolutely nothing that I could do about that. Still, my non-beating heart ached for him. I still wanted him as much as I wanted Mathias. It made me wonder if I'd ever be able to go on without Subaru even if I was somehow reunited with Mathias.

My pace slowed to a stop as I began to ponder these things. Lucky for me, I didn't have to dwell on them for too long. Fortunately, a killer whale swam by and pulled me out of my thoughts. The creature swam towards me with curious eyes and swam in a circle around me. Its eyes held recognition towards me and it let out a cry of happiness. It moved around to my back and gently shoved my forward before it swam ahead of me. It waited, looking back to see if I would follow it. I was confused by the whale but decided to see where it would bring me.

I propelled myself forward to swim after the creature and it seemed to delight in my decision. It began to make a sound very akin to singing and I decided to join in. My voice and the whale's echoed throughout the barren ocean as we swam and I was beginning to feel quite comforted. I missed that sense of companionship that I had when with both Subaru and Mathias. It was good to have some interaction again.

My eyes were instantly drawn to the next thing I saw. They beheld a glorious palace that had been built up with deep blue walls and indigo arches. I saw many mermaids swimming around—all of them with some shade of dark blue in their hair. Most of them were playing with more killer whales and a few seals. I felt a smile spread across my face and I broke out into a quick paced swim to the main entrance. My sister's kingdom. I was finally here.

Eagerness, excitement and anxiousness bubbled within me as I entered my sister's palace. Sashes of every kind of blue were hung from the high walls and concave ceilings which gave the main hall an interesting atmosphere. It almost reminded me of the ballroom back in Mathias' mansion. However, architecture and decorating was the last thing on my mind at the moment. I was looking for something—or rather, someone better.

That was when I saw her. Her back was turned to me and she was speaking with a few of her attendants. I watched her as she gracefully pushed her sapphire hair back behind her ears as she spoke, seeming to not take notice when it fell right back to where it was. Right now, she was the most beautiful person in the world to me. Right now, I didn't care if I would never see Subaru or Mathias ever again. I had my sister. I swam forward, my excitement now clearly evident on my face.

"Noel!" I cried out with joy as I flung myself toward her.

She seemed quite surprised as I fell into her arms; however, she quickly embraced me knowing that I was simply there. I hugged her as well and I swore that I would never let her go. Never again would I go for a long period of time without her. I needed her more than I would ever need Mathias or Subaru.

"Oh, Caren!" She exclaimed, acknowledging my presence with somewhat of a relieved tone. "Thank goodness, you're alright!"

I glanced up at my sister, already knowing what she was referring to. "You heard me call out to you, didn't you?"

She nodded in response and held me tighter. "It was so hard to not go to your aid. I wanted to—I really did. There was an issue that arose here that I had to deal with so, I couldn't come to you. I'm so sorry."

I gave her a smile of understanding. "Don't worry. I already had to others come to my aid—Mathias was one of them."

Remembrance flickered through Noel's eyes as I quietly mentioned Mathias. Suddenly, I could see the thousands of questions that arose in her eyes. "He came back to you?"

I lowered my head and let out a sigh. "Not necessarily."

Noel hummed in response and then glanced around. I watched as she gave her servants an apologetic look and they nodded in response as if they understood her need to be alone with me for a while. They swam off and Noel and I were alone in the main hall. However, that didn't seem to be enough for Noel.

She pulled away from me and took my hand to lead me to a more secluded area of her palace. We passed many elegant rooms and, eventually, we came to a room that I assumed was Noel's bedroom. She pulled me inside, making sure to shut the door behind us. Apparently, her room put the rest of the palace to shame. It was large—just like any princess's room would be however, it was decorated quite differently. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling with thousands of sparkling sapphires dangling from the silver frame. The precious jewels threw dark blue rainbows all over the room which illuminated another beautiful feature the room possessed.

All the walls had a gorgeous mural painted on it. It was of both the world above and below the sea. On the wall where the land was most visible, I could see polar bears playing with each other on a snowy, mountainous tundra. Another wall showed a bunch of killer whales swimming on the water's surface while many icebergs floated around them. On another wall, there were mermaids playing and swimming with a bunch of seals below the ocean's surface. On the final wall, it showed both the land and sea where all three murals were merged into one—an image of both the land and sea coexisting peacefully with one another.

There were many other things that I noted about the room but, I tried to bring my focus back to my sister. Noel proceeded to swim over to her bed and she sat gracefully on one side. She patted the spot beside her, motioning for me to come and sit by her side. I accepted the invitation and allowed her to cradle me in her arms. She softly stroked my hair and the tone of her voice took on a more motherly role than a sisterly one as she next spoke.

"Now, tell me everything that happened to you."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I let out a groan as I sat impatiently on the seat of a passenger train. I was sick of sitting in this cursed piece of technology. Trains were the only mode of transportation that Noel and I were currently using to cross Europe. We'd been on a train all day and I hated it. I was beginning to absolutely loathe it. There just wasn't anything for me to do. Sure, I might've talked to Noel but, she wasn't exactly awake at the moment. She was lucky enough to be able to fall asleep. I, on the other hand, could not. So, I was left to try and distract myself on a train ride that never seemed to end.

I decided to recall the events of my discussion with Noel when I first arrived at her kingdom. I had told her my life story from when we had last seen each other. I told her about everything. I told her about Subaru, about how I had fallen in love with him and still love him as much as I do Mathias. I told her about the ruins I had found in Antarctica and about Rose and the journal. I told her about the assumptions I had made about how Mathias may have been the one responsible for one of my predecessor's deaths. The only things I didn't mention were the illusion Rose had shown me and the connection I tried to make between Subaru's friend and Mathias' cousin. I knew that Felix would be irrelevant but, the other one just seemed so personal. It was something that I couldn't share—even with Noel.

I smiled as I laid my eyes upon her form, curled up on the double-seated chair. She looked so peaceful—so serene. It was as if she didn't have a care in the world. I was amazed by the fact that my twisted life seemed to have no effect on her. She just absorbed the information as if everything I was telling her was perfectly normal. None of it was normal though. I didn't even think that her reaction was considered normal. A normal person would have freaked out of would have been wary of me. Not my sister though. She was just so compassionate and understanding… she still loved me—despite the evil creature that I am.

I let out a content sigh before turning to look out the window. A frown crossed my face as I could only see a thick fog. I couldn't even see the scenery of what I imagined would be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The mountains and trees were all shrouded in mist and dark rainclouds blurred the vision of a clear blue sky. And, not only was it exceedingly wet outside, the amount of moisture of the train was sickening as well. None of the humans could detect it but, it was hazing my senses and messing up my sense of smell. The smell of damp pine pretty much overpowered every other scent that I should have been able to pick up.

I let out a groan and I tried to curl up on my seat like Noel had done in hers. I closed my eyes, feigning sleep, pretending that I might actually fall asleep if I really tried. I tried to let my mind go completely blank to see if I might slip into unconsciousness. Unfortunately, my attempts went in vain. No matter what I tried, sleep would not overcome me. There wasn't even a trace of tiredness in my body.

So, I just laid there—my eyes still closed—and tried to focus on the scents around me. They all seemed muffled to me. I couldn't pick out a single distinct scent. Then, my sense heightened and I was able to pick up one scent. I knew this scent. I remembered it from some point in my past as a vampire. I listened, trying to pick up on the distinctly female footsteps that were walking down the aisle. My eyes snapped open and I sat up to quickly look at the vampire who was passing my seat. Our eyes connected and I could see a range of emotions flicker through her eyes. First there was shock, and then fear. Genuine fear. I didn't know why she was so afraid but I knew that she was here. She was here and that meant that he was somewhere nearby.

"Miranda…" I said quietly, acknowledgement clearly evident in my voice.

"Lady Caren…" She started in a quiet tone so that only I would be able to hear her voice. "What are you doing here?"

A bitter smile graced my lips and my remark didn't sound as cheerful as I had wanted it to sound. "I'm on vacation. What are you doing here, Miranda?"

She seemed to hesitate before giving me a reply. "I was… searching for someone."

I cocked my head to the side. "Someone I know?"

Miranda looked around cautiously before looking back at me. "N-no. You've never formally met him before."

Hmm… someone I'd never formally met before. Well, that took Mathias out of the equation. I was worried that she had been searching for him because something bad had happened. It made me curious as to who it was she was looking for. Maybe it was that Nikademus vampire. I had never formally met him before. Did he count? I didn't know. But, maybe I could get more information out of Miranda. I wanted to know where Mathias was.

"I see…" I murmured gently in response to her. Then, I looked at her hopefully while patting the seat beside me. "Care to sit? I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about."

It seemed as if Miranda was hesitating again. Even more so this time than when I asked why she was here. I shifted over to make more room for her, hoping that she would take my hint and sit down. A triumphant smile spread across my face as Miranda reluctantly sat down. Not being able to help myself, I hugged her tightly. She recoiled from me and let out a quiet hiss. I quickly drew back from her and I didn't have to look at a mirror to know that shock was clearly evident on my face. Miranda had just hissed at me and it was the most threatening thing I had ever heard in my life. Suddenly, I didn't want to talk to her anymore. Suddenly, I was terrified of the woman who had become my best friend in the time after I had been turned.

"Miranda…?" I almost couldn't speak. I still couldn't believe that she had hissed at me. It was like a painful slap to the face.

The blonde vampire's face seemed to twist with torment and anguish as she looked at me. "Oh, Caren, you had to choose Germany, didn't you."

I felt so confused by her actions and words. First, she threatens me and then becomes very sad that I chose to go to Germany on my vacation. Noel and I had decided on this trip long ago. I didn't understand what was so bad about Germany.

I was about to ask her what was wrong with my choice of a vacation spot when a beeping sounded from the pocket of the jeans Miranda was wearing. The beeping sounded like a familiar tune that I couldn't quite recall the name of. It only clicked in my mind that the beeping was from a cell phone when Miranda quickly answered it.

"Have you found him?" She asked quickly.

"No. I take it you haven't either, then."

My eyes went wide when I heard the voice on the other line. I knew that voice. I knew it better than my own. It was the voice that once terrified me, that once consoled me, and that once hummed sweet lullabies to me although I could not sleep. "Mathias?"

Miranda flinched and I could hear Mathias gasp on the other line.

"What is she doing there?" Mathias demanded with venom dripping on each of his words.

There it was. A second slap to the face. I was feeling utterly rejected in that moment and it hurt more than when he left me that first time. The way he spoke, it sounded as if I was some sort of venomous snake—a disgusting, repulsive thing that didn't deserve to live. And, in that moment, I wanted to die. I wished that he would have killed me that night instead of turned me. I wouldn't have felt the pain I did now.

"Miranda, let me talk to her." Mathias commanded angrily while hissing through his teeth.

The blonde vampire immediately handed the phone into my hands and a look of pity and sadness crossed her face once again. I tried to ignore her expression. I tried to ignore the fact that the man I loved seemed extremely angry with me.

"Mathias?" I asked quietly, my voice breaking as I spoke his name.

"Caren," Mathias started, seeming as if he had gotten his anger under control for the moment. He still sounded really mad, though. "Go home. Now. You don't belong here."

I heard the phone click. The third and final slap. I thought I was in pain before. This was a million times worse. I silently handed the phone back to Miranda and she shoved it back into her pocket. She stood up and gave me a final glance of sadness.

"Caren. It would be best if you do what he says." She stated before walking back into the aisle. She briefly stopped to give me one final piece of advice. "Oh, and please, don't go into the car behind this one. It wouldn't be a very wise choice on your part. Be sure to get off this train as soon as possible and surround yourself with humans."

With that, she walked away from me, looking quite miserable. I, on the other hand, was still trying to accept what had happened in that brief moment of time. It seemed to me that my mind had stopped functioning. I just sat there, my eyes wide; looking at the place Miranda had been sitting. She had been there a moment ago. Now she wasn't. Perhaps I had imagined that she was there and the whole thing had never happened.

That had to be it. The incident never happened. I was just under a lot of pressure and I was only imagining Miranda and the sound of Mathias' voice. Mathias didn't hate me. He loved me. That was why he had turned me. Of course I belonged with him! He was just being silly. No, he wasn't being silly at all. He had never said anything to begin with. He still loved me.

I tried to forget the scene that I believed had never happened. I looked back at Noel and listened to the steady beating of her heart. She was still fast asleep. I smiled—something that seemed to be so difficult even though I knew that the meeting with Miranda had never happened—and looked out the window. Light broke through the dark clouds and for the first time in a long time, I saw the sun.

I felt absolutely mystified by the natural light as it illuminated the countryside. Its golden rays shone down on the pines and rolling hills, painting the once misty terrain with vibrant and lush shades of green, red, yellow, and orange. I could see rain still falling from the dark clouds around the sun and watched as the sunlight reflected off the crystal-like liquid. I could see thousands of rainbows dancing around the sky and felt absolutely awestruck.

I'd never seen a rainbow when I was a vampire. Before, I didn't have the incredible sight that I had now. Before, I wouldn't be able to see any of the rain drops falling or any of the tiny rainbows that made up the huge arch that would be noticeable to human eyes. The sun was still shining bright and it made the rainbows so much more vibrant. I could see every single colour on the colour spectrum—thousands of different colours that I could clearly distinguish. I was the only one who could see the true beauty of this wonder.

All of a sudden, the scent of sunshine became very clear to me. I could smell the sun—even within the train with the sickeningly moist air. The scent was extremely familiar and I saw what it reminded of me. The image was vividly clear in my mind and, for a moment, I was overcome by sheer happiness. However, that happiness was not to last long. The image had been shattered by the fact that I would never see my sunshine again.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was mocked by the sun and all of its glory. As much as I thought that the rainbows were enchantingly beautiful, I no longer wanted to see the sun. It was too painful for me to look at. It was too heartbreaking. I needed another distraction.

It was then that I remembered the journal. I still had it with me. I could read something from it. Then again, what with the way Rose was telling of the change in Mathias, I wasn't quite sure I wanted to read more. If I read more, I may really believe that what happened earlier did happen. But if I didn't continue to read, I may not receive the message that Rose was trying to tell me. Reluctantly, I opened the book on my lap and began to read.

January 5, 1000

I have about had it with him! I cannot take much more of this unnecessary solitude that Mathias has forced upon me! Even when I happen to see him (which has become quite rare, I must say) he completely shuns me and rejects me as if I were a venomous snake! I am even considering refusing his proposal. I will not be his wife if this is how he treats me. I can think of much better people to spend my time with.

Well, speaking of that, I do believe that I have grown quite fond of Mathias' cousin. Both of his parents have been killed by the plague and Mathias' father decided to take it within his liberty to… 'save' Felix. He, however, has not gone mad from the devil's curse and has befriended me. He is quite the interesting person to talk to. He is also very observant as well. He actually guessed that I am a mermaid princess! To this day, I still do not know how he knew. The only other person to guess my heritage had been Mathias.

Oh, Mathias. I should hope that he does not discover this friendship. I cannot imagine how he would react. He is not, after all, the same gentle man I once knew. I fear that he may be angered by my choice.

I laughed bitterly. I wondered how Mathias would react if I had told him that I had fallen in love with a human while he was away. Oh, wouldn't he just love that? Maybe I should give that message to Miranda to give to Mathias.

Wait, no! Meeting with Miranda and speaking to Mathias never happened. It couldn't have happened. My mind was simply playing tricks on me. Mathias would never know of my love for Subaru because Miranda wasn't here to receive the message!

Stupid, stupid vampires, I thought bitterly. They were driving me to the point of insanity. Then again, I was certain that every vampire had some sort of twisted part to their mind. Apparently, Mathias had received this over a thousand years ago. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if Rose ended up falling for his cousin. Felix was probably the vampire that Rose was cheating on the 'vampire king' with. Yeah, I could see that. Mathias was a jerk and I loved Subaru now.

Did that mean that Mathias would come and kill me out of jealousy? Yeah, I could see that too. He did, after all, almost kill me that one night. Had I not brought up Noel, he never would have spared me. Haha, how ironic. Noel was the one to save me while she was still in captivity.

A yawn escaped my lips from habit and I glanced around the passenger car. There were many different people scattered about and each of them had their own distinct scents. Some of them were sprawled out on a single seat—much like my sister at the moment—and others were reading or listening to their mp3 players, etc. A heater was blowing the scent of the people in the seat opposite to mine right into my face and I felt my body tense.

When was the last time I had hunted? I searched my mind for a time when I was drinking the sweet life nectar out of some creature. The most recent time I could think of was in Antarctica. That couldn't be good. All of a sudden, that sunshiny scent was all I could think about. It was overwhelming.

I looked out the window to glare at the sun to find that it had gone and hidden itself behind dark grey clouds. That was strange. Why was the smell of sunshine so strong? Wait… could it be? I turned to get a second look at the passenger car. My eyes searched everywhere for fluffy blonde hair and blue eyes. I didn't see anything.

"Hey, I know you."

I gasped and turned as a voice acknowledged me. My eyes widened in absolute shock. Today was apparently a day of reunions. Then again, that first reunion didn't really count. Miranda had never been here. But still, this one was very shocking.

"Taro Mitsuki?"

The brown-eyed musician looked at me curiously and then eyed my sister sleeping on the other seat. He looked back at me and then smiled. "Well, the last place I expected to find you was in Germany."

I smiled genuinely back at him and moved over so that he could sit down. I needed conversation. "You're surprised by seeing me here? I thought that you were still teaching music back in Japan."

"I was," he said somewhat sadly before he decided to sit in the seat beside me. "I decided to come teach music over here for a while."

I hummed in response before another thought crossed my mind. "I bet that must've broken Hanon's heart."

Taro sighed as I brought up the Aqua Mermaid Princess's name. Of course that name would strike a chord. Hanon had been desperately in love with him. She was even worried that I might have had some fling with him. That wasn't really the case. I had heard about Taro and his affair with Sara from Coco. The only reason why I sought out Taro Mitsuki in the first place was because the name sounded familiar. That was all.

"Hanon was upset about it but I composed a song just for her to make the parting easier." He explained, the memory reflecting in his eyes.

I smiled and leaned back against the seat. "She really liked you, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did." He said with a sigh. It seemed as if he tried to push the memory away as he now looked at me questioningly. "So, Caren, what brings you to Germany?"

I shrugged and then glanced over at my sister who was beginning to stir. She would wake soon, I was sure. I sighed and then glanced back up at Taro.

"Well, I've been having a few issues in my life and Noel demanded that I take a vacation. So, she brought me here. Now we're headed for a small city called Lamia Moenia." I explained as if this was something that I'd said many times before.

I didn't actually know what the city's name meant. All Noel knew about it was that it was in Latin and hadn't been changed over to German because that town was still ruled by a monarchy. I thought that was really odd considering Germany's violent past. They were the cause for both 'world wars' yet, this little town remained untouched by it. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Noel wanted to come to this place. History fascinated her more than anything.

Taro hummed in response to what I had said before. He looked at me quizzically before asking another question. "You wouldn't happen to be staying at a hotel called 'Die Bissen', would you?"

I was about to tell him that I wasn't quite sure but, when I opened my mouth, it was my sister's voice I heard.

"Yeah, we are." She confirmed, while shifting to sit up right. "The place is supposed to be really amazing."

Taro nodded at her as if he already knew this. He and Noel quickly got into a conversation about the place we were going to and I fell into silence. I listened to their voices, feeling comfort with the familiarity. Doing this, I was also able to pick up on a lot of information about the German town. It was apparently quite the tourist attraction and the hotel we were to be staying at was huge (not to mention expensive). Taro would be performing there for a few nights to entertain the guests.

Eventually, their voices became silent to me as I fell further into my own. To pass the time, I found myself gazing out the window. The sun was shining again and it seemed as if most of the clouds had cleared up. The sky was bright blue and contrasted against the colours of autumn. That haze of mist was completely gone making the countryside look bright and clear. I admired this natural canvas of colour. It was remarkably beautiful. It was something that could never be imitated with paints or cameras.

Then, as the train proceeded over the peak of a hill, I found myself gaping at what I saw next. I saw the town of Lamia Moenia. It was a gorgeous little town that was nestled within a valley of mountains, surrounded by forests of pines, maples and oaks. Cutting through the town, forests and mountains was a river—unnoticeable to human eyes. The other things that only I was able to see were the intricate, winding streets that all seemed to lead to the heart of the city, the large cathedral was most likely the heart of the city, and the large building at the outskirts of town, overlooking the forest and river which I presumed was our hotel.

The car went silent for a moment before a chorus of 'oooh's and 'ahhh's erupted at the sight. Even Noel and Taro had stopped their conversation to look at the magnificent view. No wonder this was such a touristy place. It was absolutely beautiful. Beauty was all I could see as I gazed down at the town I was to be staying in. I just couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of it as the train wound itself down through the valley.

Time passed and, very soon, my vision of the town became obscured by trees. The ground slowly became level and I knew that we were near the bottom of the valley. Tall trees hovered above the train as it passed underneath a colourful canopy of leaves. I would've thought that most trees around train tracks would be removed but, apparently it wasn't necessary here. I kind of preferred that. It was quite the experience to look out the window and see treetops instead of the sky. The autumn leaves made it even more spectacular. Suddenly, I felt glad to be here. I was glad that Noel had dragged me onto this train. Somehow, I got the feeling that all the pain that I had gathered would end here. This would be my place of redemption.

I merely watched the leaves go by as my sister and Taro talked to each other. Their voices were merely background noise to me as I allowed the world around me to distract my eyes. I saw many things as the train sped through the forest. I saw herds of deer, great hawks, a pack of wolves… a familiar figure that watched the train go by from far off in the forest.

Hold on.

I tried to glance back at the trees but the person was gone. I knew that he had been a fair distance from the train yet, he looked at it as if he saw it. He was a vampire and I was sure that he lived in the town. However, that didn't shock me quite as much as the information that I already knew about this vampire. I had seen this vampire before. This was the vampire Nikademus who was the reason for Mathias leaving me in the first place. Suddenly, I felt really afraid of what was to come in this little town. I feared for my sister's life. I feared for Taro's life. I feared for my own life.

The scenery began to change and I saw many mansions whiz by my eyes. I saw the people that wandered the streets—almost half of them looking abnormally beautiful. The train began to slow and I didn't feel at ease at all. Get off this train as soon as possible and surround yourself with humans.

The warning was so real now that I could not deny the meeting with Miranda. She was on the train, she had spoken to me and Mathias had rejected me. It had all happened. Now, I had to decide what to do. I had to protect my sister as well as Taro from the vampires that were living here. I had to do all that I possibly could to protect them from this danger. First thing was first: getting off the train.

I waited impatiently, tapping my fingers on my lap as the train pulled into the station. I chewed on my lips, waiting and waiting and waiting for the train to come to a complete stop. I found myself holding my breath as the train finally came to a halt. I let my breath rush out of me as I quickly stood up. I swiftly bent over to pick up both mine and my sister's travel bags and I slung them over my shoulder, waiting for her and Taro to stand up. Noel, instantly picking up on my edginess, stood up quickly and put her hand on my shoulder. I glanced at her with worry and she gave me a look that seemed to say 'we'll talk later'.

Taro stood up then, explaining to us that he had to go back to his car and get his stuff and then he would see us later at the hotel. We both gave him a smile (one that was very forced on my part) and bid him farewell. He then left us and we both decided that it was time to get off the train.

I literally dragged Noel off that train with a swiftness that would be hard to match for a human. I just hoped that no one would notice. As we stepped onto the stone ground at the station, my eyes darted around the area. I glanced over at the car where Miranda had gone to and my eyes widened in shock. I saw her and a huge group of vampires. And I was supposed to be illegal. If I had gone to that second car, I'd probably be killed right then and there. I saw absolutely no humans getting out of that car. Fearful, I quickly led Noel away from the train and I found a group of tourists that were walking around. I quickly pulled Noel into the middle of them and I allowed myself to slightly relax.

I couldn't help letting my eyes dart around the town. There were many humans but, I think that the vampires outnumbered them. There were hundreds of golden eyes all watching me—some with hatred, others with pity, and others with disgust. I wanted to shrink low to the ground. I wanted to try and protect myself from their evil eyes. Any good feelings that I had before were gone. I was scared.

Noel held my hand tightly and tried to give me a reassuring smile. I wasn't quite sure if she was aware of the current situation. I could tell that somewhere deep inside her, she was feeling some level of fear as well. She was trying to be so strong in my moments of fear. I was so glad that I had her. She was always watching out for me now that we formally knew each other.

I also discovered that she was an amazing person to have around when it came to navigating around places you've never been before. She'd already taken into liberty getting a map of the town and memorizing it. She knew exactly how to get around and she knew exactly where our hotel was. She found the quickest way to the 'Die Bissen' and the next thing I knew, we were checked in.

The 'Die Bissen' was unlike anything that I had ever seen before. It was, by far, the largest hotel I had ever seen in my entire life. The moment that you entered, it was like walking into an old cathedral from Roman times. The interior looked like the walls were made from gold. The same went for the ceiling and the floor. Large windows were all along the walls and in-between them were large magnificent tapestries that had the most intricate detail I'd ever seen. The high-arched ceilings were supported by great stone pillars that gave the hotel even more of a cathedral-like feeling to it. But the ceiling, oh the magnificent ceiling! It had a large mural painted on it that depicted scenes from the bible. In the center, God was shown as a glorious being. Angels and archangels thronged the heavens around him while seraphim and cherubim flew around, obviously in worship. Then there were the humans, all of them seeming completely unworthy in their worshiping as if they all carried the greatest of sins. Then, on the outskirts of the mural, there were vampires and demons and all sorts of other creatures that supposedly belonged to the devil who scorned God. However, the thing that shocked me the most was the fact that, along with the vampires and demons and dragons, there were mermaids.

I felt very offended by this. Why would mermaids be depicted as being evil and of the devil? We stood for love and friendship and devotion—not hatred and evilness! Why would we be depicted as evil! I lowered my eyes from the mural as if it had disgraced me. I wasn't evil. I was good. Was I to be labeled as evil because I was born? That hardly seemed fair. And what of the other mermaid princesses? I knew that they weren't evil. I had seen the goodness in all of them—even Sara who had gone to the dark for a time. Mermaids couldn't be depicted as evil.

I felt Noel dragging me away from the main entrance towards a more modern looking area in the hotel. It would have been behind the wall where the reception desk was and we entered the area from one of two doorways. A few chairs and couches littered this area where people could sit on if they so wished. At the end of this room, there was a staircase that wound around a thick pillar that served as an elevator shaft. Our room was on the sixth floor of the hotel so, we took the elevator.

After walking around a few winding hallways, we eventually found our way to our room and, once again, I was taken by surprise. The room was huge! It was almost as big as Maki's restaurant back in Japan! It had a high ceiling though, not as high as the one in the main entrance but, if every floor had rooms like this, it was no surprise why I had thought that the elevator ride seemed longer than usual.

There were two king sized beds in the room, both of which had black, lace canopies above them. The beds themselves were made up with dark red comforters of velvet and silk. The curtains were of the same design. They were made up of dark red silk and were covered by fine black lace. Black and red seemed to be the theme of this room. The carpet was black and red, the walls were painted black and red, everything was black and red! Even the desks and bed frames were either painted black or were a deep shade of mahogany. There was a black flat-screen TV and computer in the room as well as a black phone. When I went to go see what the bathroom looked like, I wasn't surprised to find that the black and red theme was there as well. There were black and red walls and shower curtains. Then, there was a black jacoosi, a black slower, a black counter and sink and floor, red soap, red towels, and red candles that were littered around the room.

I let out a sigh and then walked back into the main room.

"Cheerful place, don't you think?" I muttered as I let myself fall onto one of the beds.

I was amazed by the sheer comfort of the bed. It was so comfortable and it relaxed my senses. If I didn't know any better, I swear I'd have been able to fall asleep instantly on these beds. I glanced over at Noel and she appeared to be just as amazed as I was.

"I'll say." She said breathlessly as she gazed around the room again as if to see if it was really real. "I take it vampires like this kind of décor?

I softly laughed. "So you noticed? …Yes, vampires do tend to like their overly fancy décor. They go out of their way to use fine lace, silk, and velvet whenever they can."

Now that I thought about it, the dress I had worn when I first formally met Mathias was made up of those three materials. Those were the days that I missed. In that short time after I had been turned by Mathias, I had felt truly happy. The only other time that I could think of when I was that happy was when I was with Subaru. Oh Subaru. I could have sworn that I had smelt him earlier on the train. My mind was playing tricks on me.

Remembering that Noel hadn't responded to me yet, I looked to find that she had lain down on the other bed and fell into a deep slumber. I smiled at her peaceful figure and I slipped off of my bed, feeling that she would be safe here. Right now, the rising burn in my throat made my main priority to hunt. I would go out onto the forest and seek out some sort of deer or any animal I could sink my teeth into.

Taking one of the two card keys of the mahogany desk, I slipped out into the hallway of the hotel. I easily found my way back to the spiraling staircase and I used this instead of the elevator. A familiar melody sounded in my ears and I recognized Taro's music being played on the piano. I followed that melody until I was in the main hall once again.

This time, I refused to look up at the mural and I looked at how the main hall was set up. To the right of the main entrance, there were a few chairs and couches as well as a few tables. A fireplace was also present in that area. To the right of the main entrance, there was a bar off to the side where people could get drinks if they desired. In the middle of this area, chairs and couches surrounded a platform where a magnificent grand piano was placed. Taro was presently sitting at the piano and playing the song he had composed for Sara. A few tourists were gathered around him, listening to the enchanting melody. I would have stopped to hear him play but, I had to hunt. It was something that I wanted to get over with very soon.

Taking in a deep breath, I stepped out into twilight and headed for the forest behind the hotel. As soon as I was hidden by the trees, I took off, running faster than the train I had been on earlier. I let my senses take a hold of me and I relied on my instinct. Everything became clear and distinct now. I could hear the leaves rustling as my quick feet passed over them, never staying long enough to make them break. I could hear the wind whipping my violet hair around my pale body. Over the wind, I could hear thousands of heartbeats. I heard heartbeats from the faint beatings from a bug or the harsh beatings of a bat soaring overhead. I was looking for something a bit more powerful.

And then I heard it. I heard a loud, steady beating from off in the distance and I felt drawn to it. I jerked towards the sound, allowing my feet to propel me towards my prey. I was envisioning an elk or a wolf or, perhaps, even a wildcat. However, neither of those things was what awaited me. Instead, I heard another pair of agile feet moving quickly through the trees towards my prey. I pushed myself to go faster, trying to beat this other hunter to the prize. I was getting closer and closer to the unsuspecting creature and then…

It hit me like a wall of bricks.

That glorious scent of sunshine—of Subaru—blew right into my face with a small gust of wind. My body went rigid and I pushed myself to go faster than I possibly could. I saw him then. My fluffy, blonde haired, blue eyed scientist was walking through the forest, completely unaware that both some creature and I were hunting him.

Next thing I knew, I lunged at him and flung him to the ground just as another vampire went to attack him. I heard Subaru gasp and let out a pained cry as he hit the ground. I positioned myself defensively over his body as the other vampire hissed angrily at me. I returned the gesture, my golden eyes narrowing in hatred at this vampire. The vampire growled at me fiercely but I held my ground. I knew I was putting on a good act but, on the inside, I was absolutely terrified. If I hadn't been shaking in anger, I'd be shaking in fear. But I wasn't going to let this vampire kill Subaru.

"Evil wretch!" The vampire spat at me venomously. "I knew that Mathias wouldn't kill you like I told him to!"

My eyes narrowed and I think I went more rigid than I had been before. I recognized this vampire now. This was the second time I had seen Nikademus today. I understood why Mathias wasn't pleased by his presence that one day when he came to our home.

"Leave now, Nikademus!" I demanded angrily, keeping a defensive stance.

He hissed at me again and took an offensive position. "I don't take orders from pathetic half-blood mermaid princesses. I'll kill you right here right now!"

Nikademus lunged forward to attack me and my façade broke. My expression turned to horror and I turned to protect Subaru with my body, letting out a scream of terror in the process. I felt Subaru cling to me at that moment, obviously aware of what was going to happen. I braced myself for Nikademus' attack but, it never came. Instead, I heard the sound of hissing and growling and fighting. I didn't dare look at what was happening. I was too afraid. Then, I heard Nikademus let out a cry of defeat and go running off.

Whoever it was who saved me turned to face Subaru and I who where still huddled together on the ground. Had I any common sense right now, I would try to pick up on the scent of the person. However, all I could smell was sunshine and I was perfectly fine with that.

"Caren? Love, are you alright?"

My head snapped up and I looked over to see Miranda standing in the clearing, looking at me with great worry. I was trembling, as was she, but, I nodded at her. I looked down at Subaru and he was looking at me with frightened eyes. The fear in his eyes made him almost childlike. I felt absolutely horrible for what I had been about to do. I had almost killed him. But, I had also saved his life. Feeling I had to do something, I tried to talk to him.

"S-Subaru? Are you hurt? Please, tell me I didn't hurt you." I went silent, waiting for his response. He just stayed silent, looking at me with scared eyes. I tried to talk to him again. "Subaru? Are you hurt?"

He continued to look at me, as if he was still trying to take in all that had happened. He probably knew that I had tried to kill him. He had probably heard the conversation between Nikademus and I. I had been exposed to him. He knew now that what I spoke in Antarctica was the complete and total truth.

"Caren… Caren…" Subaru whispered, his eyes finally acknowledging my appearance. "You… my beloved mermaid princess… you weren't lying about being a vampire as well, were you?"

I slowly shook my head, overly aware of Miranda's presence and contemplating what she would think of all this. What would she think of Subaru? What would she think of Subaru's knowledge? I had no time to think of her at the moment. Subaru began asking me many questions.

"What just happened? Who was that? And… who is Mathias?" He asked all at once.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. I tried to think of something to say and then, I decided that the truth would probably be the best choice. "Well, that man, that vampire, all I really know about him is that his name is Nikademus. As for what happened… well, Nikademus was hunting you. I was as well, I must confess, but, when I knew that it was you I was going after, I forced myself to protect you instead of kill you. Apparently, that made Nikademus really angry and, he tried to kill us both. Then, Miranda showed up and saved us."

I gestured to Miranda who seemed to be very confused with my honesty with Subaru. She tried to pull together a smile but, it was a poor effort. Her confusion still dominated her face. I looked back at Subaru as he pulled himself up to a sitting position.

"And, as for Mathias…" I lowered my head, my voice becoming quiet. "Well, he… he made me what I am today. He is the reason why I am who I am. He's even the reason why I met you in the first place and how I found you now."

I tried to hold back tears as I spoke of the vampire I still loved. It was all the more harder for me to do with Miranda standing there. She knew my exact feelings for Mathias and she could see the feelings I had acquired for Subaru. I felt Subaru murmur and 'I see' before he pulled me into his arms and planted a kiss on my cheek. Silence fell over the wooded area we were in and I completely ignored it, feeling happier than I was now that Subaru was with me. After a moment, I heard Subaru speak. However, he wasn't talking to me. He was talking to Miranda.

"So, did you find who you were looking for, yet?"

I glanced over at Miranda and she seemed confused for a moment. Then, I saw realization in her golden eyes. I still didn't understand. Had she met Subaru somewhere before this?

"I thought your scent was familiar." She stated while folding her arms over her chest. "Why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Lady Caren earlier? And no, I didn't find who I was looking for."

Something in Miranda's reply clicked in my head. The last time we had a conversation was on the train. On the train, all I could smell was sunlight. When I turned to look for Subaru, I only saw the seats that were facing mine. If Subaru was indeed in that car then, he must've been in hearing distance of my conversation which meant…

"You were practically sitting right behind me on the train and you didn't say anything!?"

Subaru looked at me with a goofy smile on his face. I could see the mischief in his eyes even now. I felt so betrayed by him! He had been there the whole time and I was completely oblivious! And when I was about to discover him, lo and behold, I get completely distracted by Taro Mitsuki! Oh cruel fate!

I heard Miranda laugh out loud and I turned to glare at her. This only seemed to make her laugh even more.

"Forgive me, Lady Caren." She said through her smile. "I couldn't resist! Your face was just too priceless! And the fact that you were fooled by a human was a jest in itself—especially since this Subaru is someone that you already know."

I looked sternly at her but couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She was right. Subaru had fooled me. He had kept himself hidden from me. However, at that moment, it seemed as if Miranda was internally reminded of something and she became more solemn.

"I must say, though, you did pick a bad spot to vacation. I'm sure that as you've noticed this place is filled with vampires. Well, this is because Mathias' father lives here. He's pulled a disappearing act on us and, well, Mathias seemed desperate to find his whereabouts. He told me that he heard you call out for him and he has been absolutely terrified for your life ever since. Now, it would appear that things are quite tangled. You are here in the city of vampires with your sister and now, apparently, with him who you seem to care much for. Mathias is returning tomorrow and no one knows when his father is to return. Oh God, if things should go wrong now after all that we've done to try to keep you alive…"

Miranda trailed off, her voice becoming weak. She suddenly became alert and she let out a low hiss. "Caren, we have to leave now. Pick him up and bring him back to the hotel. I'll catch up with you."

I became alert in that moment as well, picking up on the scents of vampires as they drew near to this spot. My instincts kicked in at that moment and I quickly swept Subaru up into my arms. The next thing I knew, I was running through the forest towards the 'Die Bissen' with Subaru clinging to me all the way.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

Haha! Cliffhanger! Yeah, you probably hate me for doing that, but I just couldn't resist! Anyways, I know I didn't request any reviews but… I'm still feeling kinda disheartened that no one wants to say good things or constructive things about my story. So, I humbly ask for just one review. That's all. It would make me so happy and make me feel as if it was worth continuing this story. (Oh, and to MMayChan… I'm afraid that if you review, it won't count seeing as I'm going to force you to review one way or another. I still love you, bestest buddy! It isn't your fault if your review doesn't count! Actually… you should've reviewed earlier when you first started reading this…)