Author's Note: Wow, you guys are great. I got the number of reviews that I wanted! I didn't think it would actually happen and if it did, I figured that it would be a few weeks. Well, now that you guys have indulged me on that, I'm going to be even more selfish! Yep, before I upload chapter 9, i want... hmmm... i want.. ooh, i know! I want 25 reviews total! So I'm looking for five. Trust me, they give me a lot of encouragement to write the next chapter. Anyway, here's chapter 8, enjoy! R&R!

Secret Rose

Chapter Eight

An Uninvited Visitor

"You…" Saya said, pointing a shaking finger at the clearing dust. "It can't be… why here?"

"Oh my dear Saya, I assure you it can. I heard you were having another ball. Last time our dance was cut short. Not this time."

The dust cleared and what was standing there made the entire hall scream. Everyone except for Harry, Ron, Hermione, Haji, and Saya, who had all already seen a chiropteran before. Standing there were three chiropterans and the Phantom, Karl. Yes, standing there was someone who wanted Saya dead. Standing there was Diva's chevalier.

"Phantom…" Saya said.

"Saya, we need to get the children out of here. Their magic doesn't work against them." Haji said, trying to "bring Saya back to Earth".

"You're right," Saya said to Haji, then to everyone else she yelled, "Everyone! Get back against the wall towards the stage! Your magic doesn't work against them! Go now!"

There was a huge commotion to get there. Everyone but Professor McGonagall ran towards the stage. "Can you two handle this?"

"Yes. Now go protect your students. Hurry."

"Trying to play the hero again are we Saya?"

"You know I will always protect everyone. From chiropterans, from you, and from Diva."

"You would protect everyone from Diva? You would kill your own sister?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes. I will do it to protect my family."

"I see. Get your sword out Saya." the Phantom said with a psychotic smile on his face. Haji opened up his case and retrieved Saya's sword for her. He handed it to her and the Phantom began to speak again, "And now we dance!"

With a flick of his arm, two of the chiropterans ran towards the two immortals. Saya cut her hand on the sword and then lunged towards the attacking monsters, her eyes blood red. One chiropteran swung at Saya. She ducked under its arm and swung her sword towards its neck, cutting its head clean off.

"That's one."

Unbeknown to Saya, the other attacking chiropteran was getting ready to slash her back. Before she could do anything, however, Haji was already there, her back to his, blocking it with his shield.

"Are you alright Saya?"

"I'm fine Haji. Just keep that one there while I attack it!"

While Haji was keeping it busy, Saya jumped into the air, landing right behind the monster. She refilled her sword with her blood and slashed it across the back.

"That's two. Just two more."

With another flick of the Phantom's wrist, the last chiropteran ran towards Saya, a crazed look in its eye, like all of the other blood-sucking monsters before it. This one was easy, Saya just stabbed it in the stomach.

"And that's three. All that's left is you Phantom."

"Indeed Saya! It's finally time for our dance!"

The Phantom held out his arm, the glove and part of his sleeve tearing off as his hand enlarged and turned green. When the process was done, the hand came to be in its chiropteran form. Karl smirked and then lunged towards Saya, slashing at her face with his hand, only to be blocked by her sword.

He smirked and grabbed the sword while throwing Saya towards the crowd of petrified school children. He threw her right into the arms of a very scared and trembling Ron.

"Thanks Ron." she said, and was off again.

Saya and Haji shared a look while Haji nodded in understanding. Haji leaped into the air, throwing daggers at Karl's chiropteran arm. Saya took that opportunity and ducked under the Phantom's chiropteran arm, slashing her sword upward from his stomach to his chest.

"What good will that do you? You forgot your blood my dear Saya." Karl said, transforming into a full chiropteran and throwing Haji into a window which he crashed through and fell out of sight.

"Haji!" Saya exclaimed.

The Phantom took both Saya's arms and sword and held them above her head, like being chained to some invisible wall. "Why are you protecting them? They're just little children. They're nothing like you."

"You're wrong." Saya said.

"Am I? Tell me, do they have those wonderful red eyes of yours, or chevalier, or immortality? I didn't think so. They're nothing like us. They think that we're monsters. You know it just as well as I do."

"No…"

"Yes. There is no reason to protect something that hates us with such a passion and fire it could burn this entire castle down. Join us, join your real family. You could, you know. I bet that brother Amshel would welcome you with open arms. I know that Solomon would love to see you. And let's not forget about your dear sister, Diva. Yes, she would be very happy to have her older sister with her. I have no doubt."

Saya's arms went slack, clearly under his spell. "Diva…" she whispered as Karl dropped her arms.

"Saya! Don't give into him! Saya!"

Saya knew that voice. It wasn't Hagi's, or Karl's. No… that voice belonged to…

"Kai!"

Standing in the door way were David, Kai, Julia, Lewis, and Riku.

"Saya, you must fight him!" David yelled to her.

"Mr. David…" Saya said, before cutting her finger on her sword. "You're right… I. Will. Fight!" she yelled, plunging her sword into her stomach, her sliced up dress… and into the Phantom.

"What? NO!" Karl yelled while he pushed Saya off of him and threw her into the air.

"Saya!" Haji flew in through the window, brandishing his chiropteran wings. He saw Saya in the air and hurriedly flew to catch her.

"No! No! This can't be happening! Saya! Saya! I will-" Karl yelled, but couldn't finish as his body was completely crystallized.

"Saya!"

The entire hall formed a large circle around her and Haji, who was sitting on the ground supporting her bleeding body and pulling out the sword. In the front were Harry, Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, Kai, David, Riku, Lewis, and Julia. Riku was holding his sister's hands, tears slowly starting to form in his eyes.

"No… Saya. Please… wake up. Don't leave me." Riku said, tears now slowly falling down his face. After a second, he lowered his head towards the floor and closed his eyes, tears now forming a small pool around himself.

A hand reached out to hold his face. "Do you really think that I would leave you and Kai all alone?"

Riku looked up, wide-eyed and teary at his sister's smiling face. "Saya!" he yelled and threw his arms around her.

"Riku. Easy, she's in serious condition."

"I'll be okay. It will only be a few minutes until this heals." Saya said, smiling at David. "Kai, come here for a sec."

Kai knelt down on the opposite side of Riku, "Yeah Saya?"

Saya smiled and ruffled his hair with her free hand. "Have you two been behaving?"

Kai laughed a little. "Yeah, we have."

"Good. Haji, do you think that you could help me up?" Saya asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea right now Saya." he said, concern written all over his face.

"It's okay. It's almost completely healed, just a little bit left and then I'll be perfectly fine." He didn't look completely convinced but let her up anyways.

"Thanks," she said to Haji before turning to everyone else, "I'm sorry that you all had to witness that. Unfortunately I can't leave in case of another attack on the school. But I promise you that I won't attend any more classes or sleep with you all. The only time you'll ever have to see me is when we eat and I'll eat at the teacher's table. You all won't have to deal with me anymore. I truly am sorry."

"Saya-" Kai began a bit angrily but Saya shook her head and smiled.

"No Kai, it's alright. I would probably be scared of me too if I had witnessed all of that."

"Wait, don't we get a say in this?" Harry asked, stepping forward towards Saya.

"What?" she asked, clearly confused and shocked.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that we don't want you to do that. You have been our friend for a few months now and here we don't treat our friends like that."

"Yeah, it's nice to have another girl in our group other than me." Hermione said smiling.

"Yep. And Hagi's not that bad of a guy either." Ron said, smiling a little.

"All that this means is that we have some really interesting friends." Harry said again.

Saya looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Thank you everyone…"

"Although," Ron said, "A little explanation wouldn't hurt either."

Saya laughed a little. "Mr. David, is that alright with you?"

"I suppose. After all, it might be a good idea to have some wizards as allies."

"Thanks." Saya said.

Saya explained her entire story right then and there. She explained about how she was the only one who could be sure to kill chiropterans. She explained about Diva, their blood, their immortality, the zoo, and their chevalier. She even explained about her thirty year long sleep.

"No one really knows why it happens, but after two or three years of an 'active' period, I go into a thirty year sleep."

"Wow, and I thought my life was tough." Harry said.

"It's really not that bad. Not when I have Haji, Mr. David, Julia, Lewis, Kai, Riku, and the entire Red Shield backing me up. Nothing is nearly as bad as long as you have friends."

"I suppose you're right." Hermione said.

Saya smiled but her smile disappeared after a second. "What's wrong Saya?" Haji asked.

"I just feel… so tired…" Saya said, and then fell asleep right there on the floor.

"Oh my, is she alright?" Hermione exclaimed.

"I think she'll be fine. You would be pretty tired after that too." Lewis said.

"We just need to let her have some rest. Let's take her to the hospital wing so that we can monitor her and have medical supplies at the ready if we need to." Julia said.

Haji nodded and carried Saya bridal style out of the room to the hospital wing while Riku carried her sword after them.