The night wasn't too dark, since it was illuminated by the city itself. The moon, however, was only partly visible as it disappeared behind the clouds in irregular intervals.

There were quite a couple of creatures of the night that would think of such a night as too bright for their tastes. But amongst them, there was one who just recently learned of her powers… and who also just learned that she loved flying around at a night like this.

The vampire princess landed on the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse while looking at the moon with a smile. A black bat was fluttering around her.

"It's so beautiful, Luna," Usagi said softly. "Isn't this weird? I've never been the kind of girl that liked to go out late, but look at me now…"

"It's the instinct of a vampire, Usagi," Luna replied. "While you are only half vampire, your genes give you that natural attraction to the darkness that all vampires have. Face it, you've become a nocturnal predator."

"You mean I have to drink blood?" Usagi asked her in an upset voice.

"Unlike true vampires, it is not needed. However, if you don't drink at least a bit of blood regularly, your bloodlust might overcome your common sense… which is why I advise you to find a way to quench that thirst. Maybe you'll find a person who is willing to let you feed upon him or her a couple of times…"

"I'll only do that if I absolutely have to," Usagi said with resolution. "Well, I can still rob a blood bank…" She chuckled to herself.

Luna rolled her eyes at the princess' humor. "Very funny. Now, don't you think this was enough for tonight? Your parents will most likely be worried about you… and you still have to tell them about your new identity."

"In a moment," Usagi said. "First, I'd like to find out what that is."

Luna blinked. "What are you taking about?"

Usagi pointed at the moon, where a dark silhouette with wings was visible. It was quickly approaching her. "That thing, over there. It has wings like I do…" With a thought, she transformed her cloak back into a pair of leathery wings. "You think it's a vampire, too?"

"I don't think so," Luna murmured. "As a vampire familiar, I have the ability to sense the natural aura of all vampires… no, that's something else. However, it doesn't have to be friendly… so stay on guard."

"Fighting again?" Usagi sighed. "This new job never gives me a break, does it?"

Luna rolled her eyes yet again. Now the princess saw her destiny as some sort of part-time job…

The creature reached them quickly. They now saw that it was a being with sharp claws, red skin and a long tail. It also had the built of a teenaged girl.

"You are the vampire princess," the creature spoke up as she landed on the roof, in front of Usagi.

"Yeah," Usagi replied while eyeing the creature curiously. "What's it to you?"

"I've been looking for you…"

"First of all, state your name and business, gargoyle," Luna commanded. As a former pet of Dracula's family, she had the right to do so.

"I am Rei Hino of the fire clan of gargoyles," she introduced herself.

"Hino?" Luna wondered. "But that's a human family name."

"I've been raised by a human," Rei explained.

"Oh, really?" Usagi was intrigued. Here was a creature of the night, just like her, raised by humans. "And what do you want with me?"

She was surprised when the female gargoyle dropped down to her knees. "My lady… I am here to pledge loyalty to you. I am at your command… as my family has sworn to protect you ever since they defected from Dracula." She lowered her head.

"H-hey, wait a minute," Usagi spoke up. "I'm new to this whole vampire business, you know? I barely know anything about… well, who I used to be in this former life. I've just come to terms with my newfound abilities and I don't think I want servants…"

"I beg of you, please do not reject me, princess!" Rei pleaded. "I've been waiting for this moment my whole life… there's nothing else I can do in a world of humans. And I would rather die than serving evil…"

"Don't talk about dying! And get up from the ground!" Usagi shouted. Rei looked up at her in surprise. She saw that the young vampiress was offering her a hand with a smile.

"You know, I could use some help… but instead of a servant… why can't you be my friend?"

Rei hesitantly took the hand and stood up. "A… friend?" She meekly looked at the ground. "I never had a true friend…"

"Then I guess it's about time," Usagi smiled. She shook the gargoyle's claw hand. "Hi, I'm Usagi. Wanna be friends?"

A hesitant smile spread the gargoyle's face. "Y-yeah, I'd like that."

Then a sudden scream was splitting the darkness. They quickly turned their heads.

"What was that?" Rei gasped.

"It's coming from the park," Usagi said. "Maybe it's what's-her-name's servants again?"

"Who are you talking about?" Rei asked in a confused voice.

"The Lady Carmilla," Luna explained. "An evil vampire who commands the forces of darkness in Dracula's absence."

"You… you're talking about THE Dracula??" Usagi asked in a shocked voice.

"Yes, I do… and I fear that Carmilla's trying to collect young girls as a sacrifice… for a ritual to ressurect her old master. That's the reason why Medusa took on the form of your friend's mother."

"Well, we can't allow that," Usagi frowned. She jumped up on the edge of the roof. "Rei-chan… whaddya say we help those people in need?"

Rei had come here, ready to put her life on the line in her mistress' service. And now that Usagi had offered her friendship… she was more than ready to follow her anywhere.

"I am ready, my princess!" she said as she spread her wings and stood next to her friend.

Usagi frowned at her. "Stop calling me that!"

Rei just smirked at her and together, they flew off.


Five minutes ago… a young woman was taking her little dog Miyo for a walk. Her name was Unazuki Furuhata and she was the younger sister of Usagi's crush Motoki… and in the evening, she enjoyed strolls through the park.

"Let's take the path past the fountain, Miyo," Unazuki smiled. "The flowers growing around the fountain are the most beautiful flowers in all of Juuban."

Her little fox terrier (her brother had given it to her as a birthday present) barked once, and Unazuki smiled as she took the path that was taking her to the fountain.

But when she reached the place…

Unazuki's eyes widened and she nearly dropped Miyo's leash in surprise. "Oh my…" she murmured. "This is new…"

Growing in front of the fountain was the biggest, most beautiful flower she had ever seen in her life. It somehow resembled a huge rose, or maybe a tulip with closed petals… it was bright red and bigger than the fountain itself. And this wasn't the only unusual thing… all around the fountain, smaller versions of the huge flower were growing, each of them about half the size of the bigger bulb. Unazuki clearly remembered that the evening before, these strange plants weren't here.

"I wonder who planted them here…" she said as she slowly walked among them. Miyo curiously sniffed one of the closed buds. Unazuki looked up at the largest flower. "But they are really beautiful…"

She gasped when without any warning, one of the smaller flowers opened, spreading its petals. A large number of green vines came shooting out of the flower and the ground around it. Unazuki let out a shrill scream when she and her dog were grabbed by the vines… and pulled into the flower, which closed its petals around her body. Her cries became more muffled… and then everything became silent.

A soft giggle was coming from the large flower.

Only a few minutes later, two winged creatures with leather were landing on the soft grass. "What's this?" Usagi gasped. "What's with these flowers?"

"Those are no ordinary flowers…" Rei growled as she bared her claws. "I smell something… the stench of evil… LOOK OUT!"

The two girls jumped out of the way when a bunch of vines came shooting out of the ground and missed them just barely.

"What the…?" Usagi gasped.

"It's over there!" Rei growled and gestured at the largest flower bud. "RRAAAAAHH!" She opened her short muzzle, and a fireball came flying out.

"YEOWCH!" someone yelped when the fireball set one of the flower petals on flame. The flower opened and revealed the nude, upper body of a beautiful woman with pink hair. She angrily glared at the young gargoyle. "What's wrong with you? You wanna set my whole body on fire?"

"That was the idea," Rei snorted. "Don't play dumb! I know your species… you are here to lure unsuspecting humans into your trap, devouring them as you trap them with your smaller buds."

"That's a bad thing to do," Usagi frowned.

"Careful, Usagi… an Alura Une is a conniving fiend," Luna squeaked.

"Well, that's just rude," the flower monster said as she crossed her arms below her ample bosom. "Why do you have to bother me? I'd like to eat in peace."

"Eat?" Usagi asked. "Eat what? There's no food around here."

The Alura Une giggled. "I beg to differ," she smirked. "Or do you think all these flowers are empty? They all contain my latest victims…"

Usagi gasped. "You… you let them go, you monster! I won't allow you to eat them!"

"Oh, I'm not eating them," the Alura Une shot back. "I'm gonna deliver them to my mistress… so we can use their life energy to revive our dark lord!"

"Not if this gargoyle has anything to say about it," Rei growled as she leapt at the monster. A number of vines tried to block her way, but she simply shredded them with her talons.

"Stupid little girl… go away!" the Alura Une shouted. As Rei approached her, she gestured with her arms and a wall of thorns grew out of the ground, blocking the gargoyle's way.

"You coward! Come out and fight!" Rei roared.

"Leave this to me, Rei," Usagi smirked as she approached the wall of thorns. Spreading her wings, she focussed her powers… and transformed the wings into a swarm of bats. Back when she fought the Medusa, she had already used bats as one of her attacks… and she felt that these were actually parts of her own body, extensions of her will. Using her mind, she commanded the bats to fly over the thorns and attack the plant monster directly.

"OW!" it screeched when dozens of bats bit and scratched her. "Out of my hair, you little pests! Hey, get them off me! That hurts!"

Distracted by Usagi's swarm, she didn't defend herself when Rei broke through the wall of thorns, using her claws as a machete. Usagi came after her new friend. "This is your last chance," Usagi told her warningly. "Release the humans… or else!"

"Bite me, you filthy halfbreed!" the Alura Une hissed.

Usagi simply shrugged and stepped aside. "Rei, if you please…"

"Gladly!" Rei smirked as she stepped forth. She took a deep breath…

"No! WAIT! I changed my mind…" the Alura Une quickly shouted.

But it was too late. Rei exhaled… and the big flower, along with the upper body with the Alura Une, was engulfed in flames. The evil creature screeched one last time, then it died.

Usagi sighed. "Well, that makes two monsters I've killed today…"

"You did well," Luna told her as she landed on her shoulder. "And don't feel bad… they deserved death. And look, now that she's dead, all of her victims are released."

She was right. All around them, the smaller flower buds opened. A great number of confused, young women came stumbling out of the withered flowers.

"What… what happened?" one of them murmured. It was Unazuki. "I only remember being pulled into that flower."

"It's all right," Usagi told her. "We freed you. The evil monster is gone."

Unazuki and the other women looked at Usagi and Rei with wide eyes. A couple of them were afraid when they saw the wings and Rei's feral look, but Unazuki stepped closer. "Who… are you?" she asked the vampiress.

Usagi smiled as she called back her bats, transforming them back into wings. "I am… the Vampire Princess! And from this day on… the humans of Tokyo are under my protection."

"You're amazing!" Unazuki gasped.

"What are you doing?" one of the other women whispered. "Look at her! She's not even a human!"

"But she saved our lives," another woman spoke up. "Shouldn't we at least be a bit grateful?"

"But what if she saved us just because she wants to suck our blood?" another girl shouted. "She said it herself, she's a vampire!"

"We should leave, Usagi," Luna whispered. "Don't worry, the humans will get used to you… given some time."

"I sure hope so, Luna," Usagi sighed as she and Rei turned to leave.

"Wait!" Unazuki called out after them. "Please, just a second…" She ran after them.

Usagi looked at her. "Yes? What is it?"

Unazuki sadly looked down at the small, furry body she was holding. It was her dog, Miyo. "Please… can't you help her? You've got special powers… can't you make her wake up?"

Usagi looked down at the little dog. "Luna?" she quietly asked the black bat.

Luna shook her head. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "The Alura Une's flower buds are draining a living being's energy away to keep her victims helpless… Normal humans are just paralyzed as long as she's alive, but this dog has such a small body… all of its life energy was drained."

Usagi sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't help you."

Unazuki sniffled. "It's not your fault… oh, my poor little Miyo…"

Usagi grasped her hand comfortingly and then spread her wings. Together with her new friend, she flew away.

"I wish I could have helped that poor girl," she sighed.

"We were lucky enough to find out about that monster before it sacrificed its victims," Rei said as she glided next to her. "At least no human was hurt."

"Why are they doing this?" Usagi asked. "Why now?"

"The dark count can only be revived every 100 years," Luna explained. "And the next date is drawing nearer and nearer… around that time, his servants also become more powerful."

"We need to do something," Usagi said. "We need to protect the humans… we need to make sure that those monsters stay away."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Rei nodded. "And at the same time, we can make sure they can't gather enough sacrifices to revive him."

"You'll help me, Rei?" Usagi asked.

"Of course!" the gargoyle smiled. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Usagi smiled back at her gratefully. Then she thought of something. "Oh no… I have to go home. I have to explain everything to Mom and Dad… they will be so worried."

"Go ahead," Rei told her. "I need to find a quiet place to spend the night. When the sun rises, I will turn into stone… but next night, we can meet again. Don't worry, I'll find you."

"Okay. Thanks for helping me today, Rei. You are the nicest gargoyle I ever met."

"Good to hear it," Rei smirked. "Well… take care!" And they parted ways.

"Usagi…" Luna looked at her princess. "Rei is the only gargoyle you've met up to now."

"So? She's still nice," Usagi said.


When the first sunrays were breaching through the trees, Unazuki and her brother Motoki were burying the small body of Miyo in a secluded area of the park.

"Goodbye, Miyo," Unazuki whispered. "I wish I had more time to spend with you…"

She cried a bit and her big brother hugged her. A couple of minutes later, they left.

They didn't notice a lonely figure standing in the shadows of the trees. A dark cloak and a hood were covering its thin body and its face. The blade of a huge scythe was glinting in the morning sun.

"One more life meets the comforting embrace of Death…"

The figure looked up into the sky. "But Dracula's life is eternal… and soon, he will be back to cover the world with darkness once again," it spoke in a soft, female voice.

And when the sun had risen completely, Death was already gone.