A/N- Thanks for all the great reviews! I got some really great ones for that last chapter. Well, I hope that this next chapter will get just as good reviews. Thanks again, and enjoy!

Chapter 11- Why Me?

Sophy had still not returned from town as the sun began to set. This suited Ria's purpose just fine. She wore jeans that could stand a little wear and would allow decent movement. She also wore a t-shirt that fit nicely and extended just past her hips. It was black with a white design that resembled a face, but, upon closer inspection, would reveal the word "liar" to be spelled out in cursive. Sara shook her head as Ria coiled the whip—simply carrying it, unwilling to risk possible damage to her laptop—and checked herself out in the mirror.

"We're going to fight the evil undead, Ria. Not to a fashion exhibition," Sara laughed.

Ria turned, sneering playfully. "Hey, the right clothes are important for any occasion. Fighting vampires in a frilly dress, for example, inappropriate."

Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I can't argue. Are you ready?"

Ria nodded, a bit too eagerly. The two descended the staircase of the home and exited, locking the door behind them. As they cleared the front walkway and turned left, heading towards the graveyard, Sara glanced back at the house.

"Perhaps you should have left a note for Sophy. She wouldn't be so angry if you let her know the little things, like a time you'll be back," she said.

The hunter in training shrugged, adjusting the whip on her shoulder.

"It doesn't matter," she muttered.

Sara sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

The two were walking rather casually, allowing the sun the time it still needed to disappear beyond the horizon. Ria nodded, gesturing with her hand for her ghostly friend to continue.

"You were so angry at Sophy for asking you where you had been. Why? She was simply worried for you, worried you might have been hurt. I don't understand."

Ria sighed and shook her head, kicking up dirt with her sneakers. She glanced around at her surrounds, in lieu of delaying her answer, thankful for its relative desertedness. No houses out this way. Nothing but the graveyard and Eternal Night. Finally, she met her friend's eyes.

"It was stupid…I know. But, it was just wrong for her to be suddenly worried."

"How can that possibly be wrong, Ria?"

"You don't understand. Before Dad died…Mom didn't take much interest in things like that. I mean, she made rules, but Dad was really the one who enforced them. And he was pretty fair, I think. Not too lenient, but not a dictator of the house, you know? Mom would always push me off onto him if I did something wrong. And she never, ever, asked me why I had broken the rules. Dad was the enforcer."

Ria sighed, her eyes downcast as she recalled her father. Jared Smith had been a kind man, but firm. He had been a high school English teacher in her local school. She had even had to have him in class once. It had been her most difficult one ever. She smiled vaguely, remembering him lecturing her on the importance of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Poe, and good grammar. She sighed, suddenly aware that Sara was still staring at her, that they were still moving forward, and that her friend was waiting patiently for her to continue.

"It's just…it's like Mom feels like she has to be Dad now. Like she has to replace him. It's driving me crazy. It started right before his funeral. I know she means well…but it's wrong."

Sara rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Perhaps you ought to tell her this?"

Ria let out a "ha" of disbelief. "Like she would listen! She would just think that I was being a melodramatic teenager!"

"I'm sure she's suffering too, Ria. Just give her some time, then try it."

The walk continued in silence for a ways. The sun cast its now red rays upon the earth. Ria found it slightly ominous to her upcoming challenge and took a deep breath. Finally, Sara cleared her throat, to gain her attention.

"If I may ask…how did your father die?" she said so quiet that it was almost a whisper.

"Cancer. The doctors caught it too late. He lived only a couple of months past the diagnosis. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. It must have been painful for you…and her."

Ria's mind suddenly flooded with a flurry of memories in the form of simple images. Her father as she had known him for most of her life—a handsome, smiling man who adored his family and job. Then, her father as he had appeared in his last weeks of life—weak, wasting, hooked up to every medical machine known to man, and in pain. She felt the tears well up in her eyes. She shook them away and sighed.

"Ah, can we stay focused on the upcoming task?" she asked, a bit louder than she had intended to.

"Of course, but Ria, if you ever need to talk to someone…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. The task? Me versus evil vampire, round one?"

Suddenly, as if time had been fast forwarded, the two found themselves standing just under the gateway to the cemetery with the sun completely gone. Ria sighed.

"You don't have to do this yet," Sara said, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"No. You're wrong. I do have to, otherwise Walter will have me as an appetizer," she replied, uncoiling the whip.

Sara shuddered. "Don't say that!"

"Uh, Sara?"

"Yes?"

The two advanced ever so slightly into the graveyard.

"How do I know which grave has a vampire?"

Sara turned to stare at her, clearly without an answer. However, the cosmos had her covered. From a grave a few yards in front of her, a hand thrust up out of the freshly piled soil. Ria grinned sheepishly.

"Never mind."

She advanced, not too closely, allowing the creature to pull itself completely out of the ground.

"Remember your training, Ria. Just like the tree…only, this tree can move."

"Like the Whomping Willow, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind. Not important," Ria said, stepping forward as the vampire was now fully risen.

It was a man in his late twenties, still in the navy suit he had been buried in. His short, black hair had earthen roots in it, and his long, white fangs were bared.

"My first meal…" he hissed at Ria.

Ria grinned cockily at him, going into a stance. "I don't think so."

He laughed at her, seeing her choice of weapon. She merely continued to grin. When he shook his head at her, she crooked her finger in a "come here" move. He smiled like a hungry coyote and rushed at her.

She struck out and the whip connected with his neck, leaving seared-open wound, exposing muscle. The monster no longer smiled. Instead, it was now both Ria and Sara did so.

"Very good! Keep it up! Don't let your guard down and power through. He's young, not too strong," Sara instructed, placing herself off to the side of the fight, like a referee at a sporting event.

Ria nodded curtly as the newly made vampire came at her again. She ducked this time and rolled out of the way, lashing at his back as she popped back up. Another connect. He howled in pain.

"I'll pick my teeth with your bones!" he shouted at her.

Ria rolled her eyes. "My, my. I bet you watched a lot of cheesy horror movies when you were alive."

When he rushed at her again, Ria, still crouched, lashed her whip at his knee. He lost balance and toppled past her as she rolled back to her original position. She stood.

"He hasn't got control of his strength yet. A good choice of target for him, but I wouldn't try it on a more powerful vampire," Sara said, arms crossed.

"Noted," Ria muttered.

The vampire recovered, launching himself at her once more. It was time to end it. The vampire had his neck extended in his lunge. Ria struck out, wrapping the whip around his neck, and pulled. The power over the vampires that it held took effect, and the vampire's head rolled to the ground, free of its body. Both were dust in moments. Sara smiled and clapped.

"Very well done. You weren't even hurt. Much better than Sonia or even Leon on their first try," she said, approaching the girl.

Ria beamed. "Thanks! No criticism?"

"None that I haven't already given. Considering your training time and amount, you did very well. Let's head home. You should rest. We'll go the café tomorrow to celebrate, then try again tomorrow night, if you're up to it?"

Ria nodded, almost dancing her way out of the cemetery. Sara laughed. The two chattered endlessly about the fight. Sara laughed at the explanation Ria gave her of her feelings of the moment.

"It was unreal…but so cool! I mean, I did it, Sara! I killed that frickin' sucker!" she said, punching the air with the fist she had the whip gathered up in.

"Sucker is…appropriate," Sara laughed. "I'm proud, but don't let it go to your head, okay? Carelessness is the fastest route to death."

"I know, I know! Don't be a buzz-kill!" Ria laughed, smiling playfully at her friend.

Suddenly, Sara came to a complete halt. Ria stopped as well, a brow arched. The two were still not within sight of Belmont Manor. Ria looked around, trying to figure out the reason for their sudden stop.

"What?" she asked, giving up trying to find an explanation of her own.

"Ssh!" Sara said, putting a finger to her lips. After a moment, she added, whispering, "Do you hear that?"

Ria quieted herself, straining to hear. At first, all she could hear was silence. Finally, she heard it. It sounded…wind-like. Like the flapping of a bird's wing. Then, after a little bit longer, she noticed that it had the sound of leather to it…like a bat's wing.

"Ria, look out!" Sara suddenly shouted.

Ria saw the cause for the warning just as Sara had shouted. From the sky rained a series of fireballs in Ria's direction. The girl ducked and rolled out of their path. Once she was in the clear, she cast her eyes skyward, looking for the cause. It was not hard to find.

A demon, blue and muscular, with skin like leather yet somehow akin to stone and wings to match snarled down upon her. It hovered, screeching at the girl.

"It's a gaibon!" Sara shouted.

Ria didn't care what it was. It was a demon that was firing at her. It had to go. She let the whip unfurl once more out of her hand.

"Suggestions?" she called to Sara, dodging another series of fireballs.

"Jump and hit…avoid the fire?" she replied, shrugging. "You're not really ready for something like this!"

"Gee, you think?"

Gaibon screeched and landed, its chest puffing to release more fireballs. Ria took her chance.

"I don't think so!" she shouted, striking.

The hit connected, catching a wing. The creature howled in pain, and released only a couple of its intended shots. Ria rolled and struck again, now that she had grounded it. She caught its other wing, tearing a hole clean through it.

It charged at her, no longer able to fly. Ria screamed and dove out of the way. Sara shook her head.

"I've never seen one do that before!"

"Damn it!" Ria shouted as it turned to fire again.

"Kill it! Kill it!" Sara called.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do, Sara?"

As the fireballs came at the girl, Ria moved only far enough to get out of the line of attack. She lashed out, connecting the whip much in the way she had when she had finally killed the vampire.

"Here goes!" she said, tugging with all her might. This was soon followed by a loud, "Whoa!"

The gaibon had changed into a crimson red and had leapt into the air, airborne for a minute. But that minute was all that Ria needed. Recovering quickly, she pulled, turning her weight into an anchor. The head rolled off the gaibon's body, and it crashed back to earth. The body erupted into flames, until only bone fragments were left. Ria hit the ground, hard, huffing and puffing.

"Damn!" she shouted again.

"Ria! Oh, dear! Are you okay?" Sara asked, rushing over.

"Ow," she said, sitting up.

She inspected the left sleeve of her shirt. "I think it singed me a bit when I wrapped my whip around its neck."

"Better a singe than death," Sara said, sighing with relief.

"Always the optimist."

Ria sneered and pushed herself to her feet. Sara smiled.

"Let's get home…fast."

Ria had no arguments. She began to move so fast, she was almost running towards her home. She had not even gathered the whip up again, simply letting it drag along the ground.

"How did that demon find us?" Ria asked.

Sara was having no trouble keeping up, of course. She shrugged, holding her skirts up as if the dirt could actually affect them.

"I don't know, really. The evil of the world must be aware of you…or at least, becoming aware of you, Ria. The Belmont power is almost supreme amongst the world of hunters. The only power I say that could really rival the Belmont lineage is Alucard's, given his vampiric heritage."

"So, what?" Ria asked, Belmont Manor coming into view. "Evil has a good-dar? It'll be after me now?"

"I think so…the clock is quickly winding down."

The manor was still far out of reach for the pair. Ria's brow furrowed, her thoughts turning to her mother now. If evil was coming for her…it would find her at her home…where Sophy was. Her mother, an innocent in all regards, was in danger…because of her. Her heart sped up, remembering that her mother had not been at home when she had left.

"We have hurry," she muttered, moving even faster now.

Sara did nothing to acknowledge her statement, only matching speeds. However, as they drew closer, another figure appeared in their path. Ria swore, using a word she was sure that neither Sara nor her mother would be happy to hear her say.

"What now?" she muttered.

The answer came soon enough. His red hair blazing even in this moonless night, Isaac stood with a sardonic smile spread across his face.

"Lady Belmont, we meet again," he said, bowing low.

Ria stopped and crossed her arms, the whip dragging across her feet.

"It's Smith, if you must know. My last name is Smith, and I don't have time for you right now," Ria snapped.

Isaac raised a brow. "Smith? Really? You should've informed me before, my dear."

"I'm not your 'dear.'"

From a holster on his back, Isaac withdrew a long spear. It was crimson red, with a gleaming blade and two bat-shaped wings protruding from either side underneath the blade.

"The Chauve-Souris, my favorite weapon. You know, I really can't abide a draw. Let's conclude our little fight, shall we?"

Ria sighed, taking the same stance she had taken when fighting the vampire. "If you want your ass kicked, that's fine by me."

Isaac laughed, high and cold. "My, my, aren't we sure of ourself? Come, child!"

He charged her, spear held like a battering ram. Ria, almost lazily, side-stepped and wrapped her whip around his weapon, pulling. It was sent flying. Isaac's eyes were wide. He recovered, growling. When Ria moved to strike, he rolled, picking up the spear on his way. He lunged again, this time managing to cut Ria's arm, just below her burn. She cried out, but did not dare stop moving.

"Very good! You've improved…but you still can't beat me!" he taunted.

Ria struck, catching his chest. He cried out and leapt back, looking down at the wound she had inflicted through his slashed black shirt. It was clean, about three inches long. He dipped his fingers into it, bringing them to his lips, and licking the blood off of them.

"Very impressive, girl. Do it again."

Ria's eyes were now the ones that were wide. She shook off her appall and struck at him again. This time, he used his spear to catch the whip, pulling Ria to him. He caught her in his arms, laughing.

"You'll be quite formidable with a bit more training," he said, holding her as she struggled.

"Ria!" Sara shouted.

"Let me go!" Ria shouted, kicking at him.

He chuckled. Then, much to Ria's shock, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "As you wish."

He pushed her from him. She landed on her backside. By the time she looked back up, Isaac was gone. Sara shook her head.

"What was that about? Why won't he kill you?"

Ria stared at her friend, jaw set. "Gee…I don't know. Nice to know that you're worried about the fact that he could've!!"

Sara shook her head. "I'm sorry! It's just…the bad guys usually don't run off quite like that, not when they can easily defeat you. Not to say that I'm sorry that he did!"

"Hey! I think I gave him a run for his money!" Ria said, standing and brushing herself off.

"That is true. Come on, we'll finish this discussion at home."

The two moved on, at slower pace, convinced that they could encounter no more this night. However, once they reached the gates of Belmont Manor, they found themselves proven quite wrong. Leaning on the threshold of the gate, arms crossed, was a pale, bald vampire dressed in purple armor. Ria froze.

"That's a vampire," she said stupidly.

"That's a master vampire," Sara corrected.

Ria let out a noise that was a mixture of a whine and a groan. The vampire looked up and smiled wide. He bowed, bring a hand across his chest, turned palm up.

"Greetings, child. I am Lord Orlox, master vampire and magician. You would be a Belmont, yes?" he said, a bit too pleasantly.

"It's not going to help if I say no, is it?" Ria asked. Orlox guffawed.

"No, I'm afraid not."

"But…I'm a Smith by name."

"But a Belmont by blood, and take it from someone who knows…it's the blood that matters."

Ria nodded. She cast a worried glance at Sara, not caring if the vampire saw her stare at what would look like no one to him. When she looked back, she groaned.

"What do you want?"

"To get to know you," he said.

Ria readied herself, correctly interpreting what he meant. He laughed. There was a brief moment where neither moved, and even the two present that did not breathe appeared to be holding their breath. Finally, Ria struck. When she looked again, there was no one there.

"Behind you!" Sara shouted.

Ria turned two seconds too late and found a purple ball of light connecting with her chest, throwing her back. She looked up from her place on the ground at the grinning, skeletal-like vampire.

"Not bad…but you are very new to this, aren't you? We'll be seeing you again, I'm sure. I'll give Lord Walter your regards," he said, bowing once more.

"No!" Ria shouted, launching herself at Orlox. However, he was gone long before she had even gotten to her feet.

"He's going to tell Walter, Sara. My mother…" Ria said, staring at the spot where the vampire had been.

Sara sighed. "All things in their time. We knew this was going to happen, Ria. Let's go in. We'll deal with the consequences of this night later."

Ria nodded, following her friend inside her dimly lit home, where she found Sophy peacefully asleep on the couch. Blissfully unaware of the danger her daughter had just thrown her into.

End Notes: Okay, I hope the endless fights didn't seem monotonous. I just wanted Ria to have a really crappy night, ha. Also, a little Harry Potter joke in there…I couldn't resist. When I was talking to Slinky, I made a mention of the dialogue I planned to use for Sara, which I followed by laughing and mentioning the willow. I decided that maybe Ria would so something similar. Well, please review!