Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ Untold Knight ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

The wind in her face blew strong and hard as she raced across the open land. Her heart beat with the rhythm of the beast's hooves beneath her as they tore into the ground. All Catherine could think of was her father. His voice, face, the he'd eat, and even the way he'd protected her against the evil he'd faced himself. Catherine wanted him alive again, and she now found herself with the power to do that... she had the life stone.

D, Anathros, Ryu, Adrian, and Dracula rode as fast as they could trying to keep up, and Catherine wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. It was going to get its master there before the others could catch up.

Anathros' eyes went wide as an important fact dawned on her she had currently overlooked when they had taken off after Catherine. "Ryu?" Anathros swallowed hard as he looked at her. "The. . . the stone she had in her hand. Could it have the life stone?"

"You're right, that stone could be used to revive her father. But. . ." Ryu looked as if he was about to cry. "That would give that demon a chance to come back."

"But if the wizard gave it to her he must trust that she can stop it." Anathros said it more to reassure herself than anything else.

Dracula squeezed his mount right along side D's so he could talk to Anathros. "What is the life stone?"

"It is exactly as it sound, a stone that can bring people back from the dead." Again Anathros lowered her head. "But if she uses it she'll have to kill him again. He won't be her father though. We never used it because the person brought back will be the person that we destroyed long ago. He made the stones, but went mad and used them to try and take over my homeland. He failed, and was locked up into the life stone."

"Should we track down the Death Stone?" Ryu asked.

"No, she had the staff too. It was across her back." Anathros poked D in the ribs getting his attention. "Ride as fast as you can!" D nodded and spurred his horse faster. Ryu jumped off from behind Adriad horse and ran ahead off them trying to catch up with Catherine before she reached her the castle. Anathros buried her head into D's back to hide the tears she could no longer control. “The she'll bring back is cruel, and powerful. We don't stand a chance.”

"Don't worry, we'll save her." D said warmly. Anathros looked up to see him actually smiling, and found an odd sense of comfort.

Catherine arrived at her home castle and dismounted quickly. "You'll stall them, right?" The creature nodded making its reins jingle and ran off in the direction they had just come from. Thrashing about its fiery mane that licked about it hungrily, the ground it touched was scorched beneath the powerful hooves.

"I'm coming father!" Catherine yelled pulling out the diamond and running up the steps. Finding the door to his room jammed she kicked it open shattering the wood. Throwing open the lid to his coffin she press the life gem to his chest. Her blood red hair turned to flames that danced down her back.

A wind picked up as she drew on her own power to call upon the power of the Life Stone. "I command you to heal my father, and bring him back to life!" Demanded Catherine frantically through her tears. The room lit up in a flash of light, and threw her back against the wall painfully.

A muscular hand shot out from the dust picking her up by the throat. Grayson stood before with a crazed look plastered across his face. "Fa-father!" Screamed Catherine with all her might.

Grayson 's fangs extended, and Catherine's eyes lit up with fear as the man who she once knew to be her father pulled her closer. He bit down carelessly into the tender flesh of her neck.. As he started her of her blood Catherine let out an ear-piercing scream that could be heard across the land.

(Meanwhile)

The horse Catherine was riding had kicked D and Anathros off of the mount they rode. Adrian was just beginning to fall off when the stirrup to the saddle was hit and broke off sending him plummeting to the ground beneath his mounts razor sharp hooves. The beast then ran over to Dracula, and stopped hearing a scream from the castle. Quickly rearing up and spinning around it bolted back for the castle. Anathros took advantage of its hast and jumped on pulling D up behind her.

Adrian mounted quickly his beast and set off after them. Dracula had long since taken off after the crazed beast.

Grayson heard the main doors fly open and slammed his chamber door closed and put a dresser in front of it. Catherine dangled limply in his grasp as he drew more of her blood within himself, and in a final attempt drew upon her power to ignite her blood. Howling in pain he stumbled back dropping her to the floor.

Catherine lay still trying to replenish her powers strength for another attack.

"Damn it!" Anathros yelled sending her foot flying through the door with one swift and well-aimed sidekick. She looked in through the hole to see Grayson leaping at her. She pulled back as he broke though the door and landed on her pinning her to the floor.

"Well, if it isn't one of my prisoners." Grayson 's deep voice spoke creuly. "I'll drain you slowly. . ."

"Not if I have anything to do with it!" Yelled D kicking Grayson off of Anathros. He leapt off of the balcony onto the first floor where he found himself surrounded by Adrian, Dracula, and Ryu. Anathros and D dropped down and helped surround him. "Ryu! Go help Catherine."D called and Ryu nodded as Anathros took the place he was standing.

"Yes, that's right. Go help that bitch! She could never kill me. Her emotions make her weak!" Called out the demon within Grayson.

"That's-" Catherine coughed as she stumbled down the steps, "w-where you're wrong." She was clutching the staff she'd received from the wizard, and the left side of her neck to help stop the bleeding.

"You don't know how to work that staff." The demon shuddered a bit when he saw it.

"I do." Catherine let her hand fall from the side of her neck letting the blood flow freely from the wound onto her hand. Wiping her blood on the gem embedded in the staff it turned from grey to a bright glowing red. Another powerful wind flew around Catherine sending her hair flying upward into the air. Anathros clutched D's arm as both Dracula and Adrian struggled to hold back Ryu.

Raising the staff into the air Catherine twirled it around her head, and stopped it dead pointing at Grayson. With a cry of pain she sent the combined power of all the stones in her possession at the possessed body before her. A fire enveloped both her and the demon before her in a matter of seconds.

The wind and fire calmed down revealing Catherine laying limply face first on the floor. With her blood running into a puddle beside her neck as Ryu ran to her side flipping her over into his lap. "D-did I defeat him?" Whimpered Catherine weakly. Ryu looked to Anathros who nodded looking at the pile of ashes on the floor.

"Yes my love, you did." Ryu said as a silent tear slid down Catherine's face. She reached up to gently touch Ryu's face. A weak smile crossed her face as she closed her eyes, and the fire gem removed its bond from her. Anathros' fell from her chest, and so did Ryu's. The diamonds dissolved as they hit the floor. "Catherine?" Ryu shook her body a bit.

No movement came. He looked for a pulse but there was none. Her pupils didn't respond to the light either. Ryu held her body close as he began to weep.

"My job is done." Anathros said catching Dracula attention.

"You're a vampire? And you can stand the sun?" Adrian yelled in surprise. "How?"

"I'm a ghost of a damphire. Sorry I lied about being a vampire. I was permitted to come back for a while. . . " Anathros smiled at Catherine's body. ". . .to see what I was missing in life.”

"What was that?" Asked D turning to her curiously.

"Love, appreciation, passion, and friendship.” Slowly her body began dissolve into the air. Everyone looked around but saw no trace she was ever there; no foot prints or blood. They looked back to Catherine's body as it too vanished.

"Let's go." Dracula help Ryu up, and out of the castle as his body shook with silent sobs.

Ryu looked out at the setting sun as the noble family sat behind him quietly discussing about going their separate ways. He realized they weren't as distant as a family as everyone made them out to. They just had so much to do on their own that they just never seemed to be able to get together.

Drawn from his thoughts by the neighing of Catherine's horse he watched as it pulled at it's reins. He pulled off the halter but the beast went nowhere; it looked in the direction of the small sliver of sun that was left setting over the hill.

Two clouds drew his attention as they seemed to move against the hill. Ever so slowly they grew larger and more defined. He wasn't sure if he was breathing as he made out Catherine's and Anathros' figures. The white of the clouds faded away revealing them entirely as he took off up the hill.

"Catherine!" Ryu shouted scooping her up and spinning her around.. "You're alive. How?"

"Let's just say Anathros and I made a deal with death." D and the rest of the group were now behind them, and D brought Anathros into a tight embrace.

"Hey, D." Anathros spoke tiredly. "Want to play truth or dare?" The mixed group laughed as D flushed a light crimson that glowed against his pale skin. With quick good-byes Catherine and Ryu watched as D and Anathros headed off away from the sun together, and Dracula and Adrian headed back into the forest.

The element stone were scattered during the battle, but the story of their reunion with their master is another one entirely. . .

A/N: Okay, so I may continue on another story or I may not, but I'm leaving open. Taataa!