(A/N) Well, you've waited long enough. Go ahead 

Disclaimer: No, I have not bought Crescent Moon lately. So, I don't own it. I do own Saye Heida, though.

-WithOneKiss,OurStareIsComplete – Chapter Eight

Mahiru groggily lifted her head, all too aware of the throbbing pain it caused her. A look at her surroundings was rather unhelpful as it was too dark for her to see. Her hair was sticky on her damp forehead, and she struggled to breathe in the moist atmosphere. A dull ache somewhere beneath her made her realize she was kneeling rather uncomfortably on solid stone. She tried to wipe her hair out of her eyes, but her hands were bound to what appeared to be a pole. Another second seemed to pass slowly in her mind, and she realized she was not alone.

"Finally awake, are you? How's your neck? That's gotta smart after a while." The voice was female. She sounded amused. "You've been hanging your head for about a day."

It only took a second, a much faster one than before, for Mahiru to realize she was in danger.

"Who are you?" Mahiru asked, trying to sound brave, but not entirely sure if she pulled it off. "Why am I here?" Mahiru's eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness. She thought she could see someone sitting down a few feet away from her. Her eyes began combing the area for an exit. Need to get out! She screamed at herself. Her captor chuckled.

"Don't even think about it. There's no point even thinking about escaping, I'll know what you're going to do before you even do it." Silence greeted these words.

"…Who are you?" began Mahiru quietly after a moment.

"Heh. That's none of your concern." Silence again.

"Saye?" Mahiru asked suspiciously. The atmosphere changed instantly. Mahiru could almost taste the hostility coming off her captor in waves.

"How do you know my name?" asked Saye tersely. Mahiru decided that maybe she shouldn't answer. She heard Saye stand up. "I'm talking to you. How do you know my name, wench?" A blow suddenly landed on Mahiru's head and she cried out more in surprise than pain. "Tell me now!"

"N-no!" stuttered Mahiru. Slap! Saye's hand knocked Mahiru's head back, and she cracked her head on the pole she was bound to. "…ow…" Mahiru felt a warm liquid trickle slowly down from where she'd hit her head. Mahiru felt strangely queasy.

"I'm waiting."

"…"

Wham!

"Ugh!" A small amount of blood spurted from Mahiru's mouth. She trembled.

"So…how do you know my name?"

---

Collaborated up on the roof of the Moonshine, stood the 'Moonlight Bandits'. Misoka was standing in the middle, all eyes and ears on him, except for Mitsuru, who was quaking with anger, or fear.

"So, in conclusion, we'll need to find out where they are before we can go in there. Akira, I need you to sniff out Mahiru, and Nozomu, you take it from there. Once we locate her, we'll need to come back here and –"

"No!" Mitsuru interrupted loudly. "There is no way we are leaving her with that maniac any longer than necessary. I say we just go now, find where she is, get her, and leave! She is in danger? Don't you understand?"

"Stop right there, Mitsuru," said Nozomu quietly. "You're not the only here who cares for Mahiru." It came with almost no warning: a loud, ferocious snarl that fit only the most monstrous creature. Mitsuru had torn his paper charm and transformed. He lunged at Nozomu.

"Maybe not,' he screamed at him, "but I'm the one that she cares back for. Got it?"

"Mitsuru, get off. This is not the time to panic, or to fight." Misoka commanded. Mitsuru growled, and jumped off the roof.

"I'm going to get her myself!" he shouted at them!

"Mitsuru!" Misoka called, but Mitsuru continued flying away from then. Misoka turned back to the group. They were all waiting for orders. "Okay, Akira, off you go." Akira bounded off the roof, transforming as he went. "Nozomu, I want you to use Mr. Bat to see if he can scope out Mahiru."

"Done." Mr. Bat flew instantly to Nozomu's side before streaking off into the night. Nozomu headed in the opposite direction, shaking his head, and snarling ferocious thoughts about Mitsuru. His face saddened as he thought of his poor Mahiru, trapped somewhere, alone, scared. He paused in the shadows of an ally, and leant against the wall. He covered one of his eyes with his long, skeletal fingers, and his pupils became slits as he used his vampiric sense to scope out Mahiru's whereabouts.

He saw a damp, dripping place, reeking with the stench of decay. The tantalising smell of blood reached his senses. He heard nothing, though. He tried to figure out where they were. Underground…he surmised. The smell of blood was rising…

Nozomu leaped underneath the first man-hole he finds, and runs along the slippery, mossy channels of the underground, his nostrils flared for the smell of blood.

---

This is useless! Mitsuru screamed at himself. I should have gone with the others! I'm getting no where! He spun around hopelessly on the spot, staring around desperately for a hint of Mahiru. What's the good of that stupid connection we have with teardrops if it won't work when I need to find her??? In a desperate attempt, he poured his heart out through his head, screaming not just for Mahiru in his head, but in his heart.

---

'…are you ready to tell the truth...hmm?' asked Saye sweetly. Mahiru stubbornly shook her head again, one eye slightly puffed up and bruised, one lip swollen, and cuts all over her face. 'Oh…that's a little sad, isn't it?' Saye smiled, and with an insane satisfaction, used her mind control on the knife she'd brought with her and dragged it deeply across Mahiru's arms, causing deep gashes of blood. Mahiru exclaimed loudly, her body stiffening, and then sagging. She sobbed.

Saye walked placidly around the face her, and squatted down in front of her. She gripped her chin roughly, and pulled Mahiru's face up near hers.

'Do you not like pain, baby human?' Saye stared at Mahiru. Mahiru whimpered and shook her head. Slap! 'You know nothing of pain!' The connection of her hand on Mahiru's swollen and sliced face stung. A rope of saliva hung from Mahiru's mouth. She couldn't close it. It hurt to move. She nearly passed out from shock when she felt Mitsuru suddenly inside of her head.

'Mahiru?? Can you hear me? Mahiru?'

'Mitsuru, yes, I can hear you,' she thought back. She wondered if Saye could hear this.

'Where are you?' asked Mitsuru urgently.

'I don't know. I'm underground somewhere I think.'

The blade of the same knife suddenly pierced it's way slowly through Mahiru's stomach.

'Are you going to stop that yet, human?' Saye demanded, whacking Mahiru across the face. Maybe I'll just get numb, eventually…Mahiru thought vaguely. 'I can hear what you're thinking, and one more word to that insolent Tengu, and the both of you will be dead.' Saye began pacing in front of Mahiru. 'You are one inch away from death, so why don't yo-UGH!' Nozomu had flown out of nowhere, and kicked Saye in the head. She tumbled over, landing face down on the floor.

'Mahiru!' shouted Nozomu. Mahiru could barely speak, she was so pleased. Nozomu bent down, and began untying her restraints, when Nozomu stiffed, and faced Mahiru, his teeth sliding down, and his whole body transforming, Saye giggled from her spot on the floor. Nozomu bent his head next to Mahiru's neck, already streaked with blood from her face. He licked up from her chin. Mahiru cried out.

'Get her.' Saye ordered. Nozomu bent his head to her neck, and bared his long white fangs.

---

(A/N)

So…that's the end of that chapter. I really am awfully sorry about how incredibly long it has been between posts. Thankyou to the people who have stuck with me. Um, the dramatic climax of the story is coming soon…so…stay tuned? Thanks, again, for being patient.

-COTA