Hey guys, Nikki here!

I'm back with a new update and hopefully you'll like this chapter as much as a previous two! I'm absolutely loving all the feedback for this story and I'm definitely motivated to try to update quicker and give you guys something to enjoy~ So, keep reviewing! I'm loving what you all have to say c:

I wrote the outline of this in history while I was getting out of taking notes and it took me a little bit to actually finish typing this! I'm sorry for making you all wait, but I hope you'll be satisfied with this new chapter c:

Just a warning, though, Lucy's emotions will be extremely heightened so if she feels anger, for example, she'll be livid. Therefore, she might seem a bit OOC in some scenes. This is just due to her transition just being completed and she's not used to life as a vampire yet.

All that aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter~

DARK PARADISE

She woke with a start, her neck aching with every panicked movement she made. Her teeth were killing her as well. There was a constant ache in them and she just didn't understand why... It was all very strange. She didn't even quite remember what had happened prior to her waking up, but she had a feeling it was not good.

"Ah," She jumped at the new voice, her ears picking up on it instantly. Even her nose had noticed something different, which was rather odd. "You're awake."

The voice belonged to her mother, who was looking refreshed and... smug? She watched with curious brown eyes as the older blonde moved to sit at the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping slightly with her weight.

"I'm surprised, Lucy. Normally it takes two or three days for one to wake up after what you went through but you were up in just under four hours," Layla Heartfilia's lips turned up into that of a fond smile and Lucy found herself dumbfounded. What the hell was her mother talking about? What could she have possibly gone through in just a few hours? Taking in her daughter's confused look, Layla continued. "Your memory will come back, my little Lucky Lucy. You'll remember everything that happened prior to you waking up, but first, you must eat." At these words, Lucy took notice of the rather empty feeling that had settled into her stomach.

"Virgo will be back momentarily with your supply and then, we'll discuss." Layla then turned her head to look at the door, which opened once her gaze was upon it. Virgo had just returned from visiting the nearest hospital to restock the royal family's supply and with a smile, she offered one of the bags from Lucy's share to the blinking girl.

"Is that... Blood?" Her eyes widened at this discovery, her mouth open with disbelief. Why was Virgo offering her blood? She wanted food, not blood. She hadn't lost any from whatever had happened before she got here so why would she need some more?

"Yes. Drink up, Lucy." Her mother's tone was firm, demanding. There was no room to even attempt to think of detesting the queen's request and so, with questioning eyes, she reached for the bag. Her movements were tentative as she slowly took the straw Virgo then offered her, sticking it into the bag with a cringe at the soft pop it made. Her lips descended on the straw and she took a sip, gasping when she realized just how good it tasted. She was quick to drink the bag dry, already demanding another from Virgo.

"My, my, you sure are hungry." She could hear the amused tone in her mother's voice clear as day and frankly, she didn't like it. Turning to the queen, she frowned deeply and crossed her arms over her large chest.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Lucy's voice was venomous and her mother had blinked at this before merely grinning wickedly.

"Why, what ever do you mean, dear Lucy? You're perfectly fine, if not better than fine." Her mother's expression had suddenly turned into a rather deadly smirk. "Do you not enjoy feeling powerful? It's so exhilarating, Lucy. You're one of the strongest girl's in the world now, don't you understand that? Why, you should be grateful to be considered good enough to become what you are now, what you were destined to become!" Lucy had merely cringed as Layla's voice grew louder and louder. She could clearly see how irritated her mother was becoming with her, as it was evident in her words.

"Don't be a spoiled brat, Lucy. Be excited that you're a vampire, child. You'll never age nor will you have to worry about death unless you happen to have a run-in with a stake," The blonde's eyes widened when the word vampire was spoken. She couldn't be... They didn't exist. They were only in fantasy novels, figments of the author's imagination meant to entertain and fascinate the readers. They couldn't exist... It just wasn't possible...

"I'm... a vampire?" Her voice was soft, but Layla heard her loud and clear. She had merely nodded her head with a gleeful grin.

"Isn't it great? You're finally part of this family, Lucy." The newly created vampire watched as her mother got to her feet, heading for the door just as Virgo entered once more with a few more blood bags. "You'll learn to embrace who you are, dear child." Lucy watched her go, then, with narrowed eyes. How dare her parents do this to her! She had plans to fall in love and get married, have children and grow old with her husband. She could no longer fulfill the dream she had once had to have children. And for what? So her parents could carry on some dumb tradition or something? She had never felt so used before, especially by her own parents! How could they be so selfish?!

"Lady Lucy, your bags." Virgo's voice caught her attention and she nodded, turning to the pink haired maid as she handed them over. Lucy took her straw out of the first bag and poked a hole in the second one, making quick work of each bag. Soon, there was multiple bags littering her bed not to mention a small trail of blood dribbling from the right corner of her lips. She wiped at the warm liquid and growled, getting to her feet without a second thought. She was going to speak her mind, let her parents have it.

DP

King Jude Heartfilia and his wife Layla were happily discussing their daughter's quick transition when the subject of their conversation burst into the throne room. Her footsteps were heavy and her eyes were dangerous, nearly a dark chocolate brown with rage. There were thin, dried trails of tears that streaked her pale face and her hands were balled into fists that hung helplessly by her side.

"Lucy," Her father spoke fondly to his daughter, pride clear as day on his bearded face. "We were just talking about you and your wondrous progress!"

He didn't miss the low snarl that curled the blonde's top lip up in disgust and his eyes had then darkened, his once joyous face quickly morphing into one of anger.

"You can take that talk and shove it right up your ass," She knew she'd come to regret those words and she was indeed correct. Her father was before her in an instant, hand already coming across her left cheek. She was sure she had whiplash from how quick her head moved with the sheer force of the contact. A low whimper sounded in her throat and she tried her best to swallow it, but it just wouldn't go down.

"I'll dagger you myself, insolent girl, if you even think of talking to your father, no, your king in such a manner again!" He boomed and his voice echoed off the stone walls, Lucy flinching as her ears rung. Her senses were heightened, she had begun to realize. No matter, it wasn't like she could loose her hearing completely with just a loud voice.

"Why? Because you don't like to be stood up to? Well that's your own problem to deal with because I, frankly, don't give a shit!" She snarled once more and the king raised his hand to slap her again. He was, however, stopped when she wrapped her hand around his wrist, moving to twist it. A sickening crack resounded throughout the throne room and she smirked at her father's shocked expression. It quickly turned into one of pain, however, as he growled. She had broken his wrist and although vampires could heal quickly, it had still hurt.

"Lucy, that's enough." Her mother's voice caught her attention and she turned to face the woman she was said to be the spitting image of. Jude Heartfilia was then escorted back to his throne by the healer of the court, a mage with rather powerful abilities. She had quickly gotten to work on his already healing wrist, setting it back into place and making sure no bones were completely shattered with the sheer force Lucy had used.

"Go back to your chambers and don't come out until tomorrow morning. Your brother will be home them and we want to welcome him as a family. If your attitude isn't in check by then, I will personally see to it that you have a miserable first two weeks as a vampire. Do I make myself clear, young lady?" Layla left no room for disobeying her orders, as she had earlier in her daughter's chambers. With a grumble, Lucy nodded and left without another word, leaving the royals alone with nothing but angry comments about the testy new vampire.

DP

The next morning, she had woken up late after spending the night locked in her room with nothing but her books for company. While by her lonesome, she had decided to do some research on her species. She had found very little on vampires and while she was slightly disappointed, she knew that it was inevitable. It was surprising to have even learned that vampires truly existed, especially once she was turned into one.

Truth be told, the whole thing was a bit strange. Never had the thought even crossed her mind that her parents were anything but normal. She knew of her mother's magic abilities as far as being from a long line of mages, but vampires? Nothing had prepared her for this.

A sharp knock startled her and she jumped, noticing the almost familiar smell that seemed to seep into her room through the crack beneath the door. There was something different about it, but there was no denying it... Her brother had returned.

"Open the door, please." His rough voice hit her sensitive ears and she got to her feet, reaching the door within seconds. Her speed was extraordinary, which she figured was part of the whole vampire thing. It would come in handy, she knew that much.

"Welcome back," She offered a smile as he bent down to wrap his arms around her small frame. His orange hair tickled the side of her neck, his hair being soft as ever. She was pressed flush against him, their proximity a bit overwhelming for the eighteen year old. She could smell everything on him! Where he'd been, which gender he had been with, what he had eaten, and even if he brushed his teeth or not. Every scent was lingering on his body and the smells drifted into her nostrils, overpowering her heightened sense of smell.

"You reek!" The man backed off, releasing his little sister from the embrace they had been locked in. Her face scrunched up and she frowned up at him, chocolate eyes full of curiosity. "When was the last time you took a shower and washed your clothes?!"

"I don't know. I was traveling," He paused to sniff at himself. "Do I really smell that bad?" Lucy nodded and her brother laughed, pulling her in for another hug. Her arms wrapped easily around his neck and he lifted her from the group, spinning them around in a circle once or twice. They had done this as little kids prior to his sudden disappearances for months on end. Back when things were better, of course. Their parents weren't as power hungry and the kingdoms were actually somewhat civil with one another, but something changed and with that change, their interactions changed as well. They weren't as close anymore, much to her dismay. Her brother was often away for long periods of time without contacting her at all and she had found that while she missed him, the feeling was slowly fading with each time away from him.

"Anything exciting happen while I was away, little Lucy?" He asked and she set her lips in a tight line, knowing this would be a difficult thing to discuss with him. He wouldn't like it, that's for sure...

"I... You're going to be pissed, but it's better you hear it from me and not mom or dad." She watched as his eyes narrowed at the mention of their parents. Of course, they didn't have the best relationship anymore. No one in her family could do so much as to even tolerate each other now for whatever reason but it affected him the worst.

"What the hell did they do?" His eyes were ablaze and she bit her lip, careful to not break the skin with her newly grown fangs.

"They... I'm a vampire now because of them." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She wanted to take them back upon seeing the look on her brother's face, a mixture of sheer anger and sadness. She could tell that this wasn't what he wanted for her and for him as well.

"I'll kill them," He spoke with such a deadly voice that she shuddered involuntarily and when he turned to stalk out of her room, she moved to catch his arm.

"Loke." It came out as a warning and she got a hiss in response. "Don't kill them... Not yet."

"Why the fuck not, Lucy?"

"Because... You have to help me get to a meeting today. Distract them, play nice. Discuss anything to keep them from seeking me. I made a promise to be somewhere today and I'll be damned if they stop me," She watched him nod and with a devious grin, both siblings set off to accomplish their goal for the day.

DP

The blonde had managed to sneak out of a side door undetected. No one would notice her absence until she was called upon for dinner, unless her brother managed to distract her parents long enough. No matter, it wasn't like she actually cared what they did anymore. She knew what game they were playing at, for she was nothing more than a mere pawn. They used her and she was done with what they were doing. They would pay for it and she'd be grinning wickedly as she watched their downfall take place!

Her large cape hid her well, masking her golden locks with a hood that loomed over her head and some of her eyes. She had to hurry to the carriage her friend Levy had drawn up for them to keep from drawing too much attention to them. She had an appointment to get to and she'd be damned if anything stopped her from doing so.

"Lu-chan," The soft voice rang in her heightened ears and she automatically turned her head in that direction, finding the blue haired girl waving a dainty arm in the middle of an alley. Darkness seemed to surround her with each step and she noticed that her vision got better. She could see in the dark now, which was always helpful when sneaking out of the castle.

"Thank you for accompanying me for this, Levy. It means a lot," She watched her friend nod and offer a smile before turning and heading toward the end of the alley. They weaved through multiple dark streets before finding the black and gold carriage close to the outskirts of the kingdom. The driver was quick to open the door for them and soon, they were sitting across from each other as they began their journey to Makarov's kingdom.

Once on the road, the girls were quick to strike up a conversation. They mostly discussed the meeting today and as Lucy told Levy of her rather nervous feelings toward her, she knew she was leaving out a very important piece of information...

"Levy, I... I have something to tell you." Lucy sighed gently and Levy's eyes locked on her, an eyebrow quirked upward in a questioning way.

"Spill, Lu-chan."

"My parents did something yesterday morning, something horrid. It was an awful experience and I wish it hadn't happened, but it did and now... I'm different," She paused, refusing to look up from her intertwined hands that rested in her lap. She could feel Levy's eyes on her, almost burning a hole in her body. Squirming uncomfortably, she continued on. "I'm a vampire, Levy-chan."

The girl flinched when Levy's hand found its way onto her own two hands, giving a gentle squeeze of understanding. A look of curiosity was shot in the blunette's direction and she watched with chocolate eyes as her friend smiled warmly.

"That's quite alright, Lu-chan." She bit her lip at her friend's words then, looking unsure and rather ashamed of herself. "I'm a vampire too, I'm afraid." Shock found its way onto Lucy's face and she reeled back from her friend, eyes wide.

"You're... You're kidding, right?!" Levy shook her head and Lucy let out a slight giggle, taking the opportunity to pull her closest friend into a tight hug.

"I'm glad I'm not alone in this, Levy. It was terrifying! I didn't know what was happening and feeding was awful," She whined as the carriage dipped into a small hole in the road. They rocked and continued on, the girls sharing their experiences. Levy's tale was one of purer intentions, for her parents had saved her life last summer instead of letting their only daughter die from a terrible illness. Her parents were both powerful mages and they had done everything in their power to make sure Levy had survived, but the Heartfilia's had stepped in and offered to help save their daughter... For a price. In return for saving Levy, Lucy's parents had requested the loyalty and special skills of both mages. They were made to join a special forces team that ultimately kept the peace between the multiple kingdoms. Made up of mages of all types, the team was kept a secret from civilians. They often did everything from late night guarding to retrieving and sometimes even killing criminals.

"I felt so guilty after I learned what had happened. It was my fault they had to sometimes do terrible deeds and I just... Sometimes it's a heavy weight on my shoulders," The petite girl sighed, resting her chin on the palm of her right hand. Lucy nodded in agreement and went to open her mouth, yet before she could utter a word, the carriage came to a stop.

"Lady Lucy, Lady Levy... We have arrived."

Glancing out the window, both girls bit their lips and exchanged a glance. It seemed the time had come for them to meet the people who were going to change their lives.