Authors note: Yeah, Dark Mage here. Rio is busy with exams, so I have written this little bit. I hope that it is up to par, and don't be surprised if it's horrible. Oh, and REVIEWS would be very NICE. We need a little feedback, and don't think that we don't know that there are a lot of you who don't review; it shows a tally on how many have read this story. So R&R and wish Rio luck on her exams! To those of you who do review…you are very much loved! I would mail you Wiz plushies if I could! Review it to Author as Surger is to Asato Tsuzuki from Yami no Matsuei.

Risa was fast. Really, really fast. To the ordinary human she would have only seemed like a blur.

The last thing I remember before it all went black was a startled yell (was it my own?), and red… and brown…

But the most comforting color that I saw was amethyst.

I shot up in from my sleep, panting as I ran my had through my tousled red hair.

What had happened? Was it a dream?

I raised my hand to my neck, feeling the bandages and the soreness that laced my flesh. As an experiment, I poked my neck.

"Ow!" Nope, defiantly not a dream.

Looking around at my surroundings I noticed that I was in my room. Cream colored walls, navy blue colored curtains, and high quality oak furniture. Even though I took in the familiar surroundings I couldn't help but wonder again.

What had happened?

I didn't get the chance to ponder these thoughts when my chamber door suddenly opened.

"You're awake!" Riku chirped, obviously happy with the latest development. "Well, it's about time! You had the Master and I very worried." she stated, extenuating Dark's title with a hint of sarcasm, but not nearly as much as usual.

"Sorry." I replied, scratching the back of my head in a nervous habit.

"It doesn't matter." Riku said with a sigh and a dismissive wave or her hand. "Let's check your neck though." She sat on a chair that was next to the bed scooting it from its position next to the night stand to get closer to me.

"Um…Riku?" I inquired a bit reluctantly.

"Yes?" she replied, fiddling with the bandages on my neck. Vampires healed remarkably fast, but when the injury was from another vampire or an enchanted blade they didn't heal as quickly as if it were a normal wound, at least that was what I was told when Dark took me on my first hunt.

"Well…what happened…exactly?" I questioned timidly.

Riku tensed as the question, giving a heavy sigh before clasping her hands tightly in her lap.

"Riku?"

"I…I…" Riku began, tears beginning to stream down her face. "Risa she…Dark killed her…"

"He WHAT?!" I exclaimed, on my feet and seething with anger.

"No-I, you-you don't understand!" Riku stated her voice unknowingly rising with her grief. "He was just trying to-"

"No! Whatever it was he had no right to kill her! How could he do that to someone?!" I shouted angrily, my temper getting the better of me. Before I even realized it I stormed out of my room.

"Daisuke!" Riku called after me, but it was no use. I ran without hearing, headed towards Dark's chambers.

Dark sighed, drinking dark red blood from his crystal chalice as he contemplated the latest events, gazing at the painting hanging in his extensive chambers.

Aside from his actual bedroom he also had a sitting room that doubled as a study, his personal books lining the walls in their mahogany shelves, a large desk with papers strewn upon it, a small personal dinning room off to the side behind another door, should he ever have personal quests, not that he ever did unless he was going to eat them. The color schemes stayed with the cooler colors, navy and whine mostly.

He couldn't bear to change them after his love left him for the next world.

"What have I done, Rika?" He inquired in a whisper as he gazed at the painting, ghosting his fingers over the image forever frozen in time gazing back at him. "You would hate me if you found out what it was I did." he stated, his eyes sad yet loving as he looked upon the smiling face on the canvas.

Sighing, he averted his gaze from the painting in favor of walking out on his balcony, sipping his blood wine and contemplating what had happened.

He had been looking over one of his more recent paintings that he had created when he heard a startled yell; which was followed by a woman's horrified screech.

Rushing down the carpeted stone steps and through a couple of corridors he saw Riku frozen in the doorway to the kitchen. In a flash he was standing next to her, gawking at what he saw.

Risa was bent over Daisuke's prone form which was sprawled out on the floor. Blood covered her lips and her fangs were jutting out also covered in blood. There was a look of terror when she realized that Dark was watching her.

Without even thinking he grabbed her by her neck and threw her into a stone wall.

After that everything became a blur, with his vision edged with red and vague memory of various agonizing screams.

Dark sighed again, placing his chalice on a small nearby table and leaning against the heavy stone wall. He hadn't ever wanted to kill Risa, but seeing the blood on her lips and Daisuke unconscious on the floor caused his instincts to kick in, telling him to get rid of the threat to his nestling.

In his contemplation he didn't hear the footsteps approaching his chamber; only noticing that someone was coming when his study door opened with a slam.

Whirling, Dark was ready to put up a fight when he noticed who it was.

"Daisuke! You're awake, you shouldn't be-"

"How could you kill her?!" I cut in angrily.

"Daisuke," Dark began, refraining from calling Daisuke his nick-name for fear of further rejection. "I was only trying to-."

"She worshiped you! You were everything to her and you killed her! How could you do that to someone who loved you so much?!" I screeched.

"Daisuke, listen to me for a moment, I was only trying to-"

"I don't want to listen to you, you filthy monster!"

Dark stilled at this, the air leaving his lungs as if he had been punched.

"How?! How could you kill them?" Rika shouted, tears streaming down her face as she held a young dead human in her arms.

"They mean nothing to me. Humans are nothing but mere cattle." replied Dark, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

"How can you say that?! You're nothing but a filthy monster!" Rika yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing in the small clearing. He didn't turn to face her, only started to walk away from her crouched form. He didn't want her to know just how much those words had hurt.

After a bit more yelling I lost my steam, taking in Dark's bowed head and slumped shoulders. I suddenly wondered if I had gone too far, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"Dark…I…"

"You're right…" Dark said quietly, his tone that of a defeated warrior who had lost a battle.

"Dark…?"

"I am a monster, aren't I?" Dark inquired rhetorically, finally looking up at me with a sad smile on his visage. I was taken back for a moment, surprised by the expression. Dark had always been smiles and laughs. He was hardly ever serious, and he never seemed sad, at least not until now.

"I'm sorry…" said Dark quietly. Before I could say anything, Dark summoned Wiz and flew off into the night from his balcony on midnight black wings, ignoring my calls.

OK! How was that? Was is horrible? I hope not…Anyhow, hopefully we'll have our next chapter up soon!