Vampire Princess Miyu Fan Fiction ❯ When Friends are True-A Vampire Miyu Saga ❯ The Meaning of a Ribbon ( Chapter 23 )

Author's Note: Hey guys! I am so sorry this took so long to get out…I've been really busy the last few weeks. Between finals and personal problems, it's been nuts. And this chapter was, for some reason, very hard to word right, and I wanted to word it right because…well, you'll have to see, won't you? I hope this chapter is as touching as I wanted it to be, but you tell me. As a small warning, this chapter is a bit violent towards the end. Enjoy!

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"Who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose?
Only time..."

~Enya, Only Time

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Meaning of a Ribbon

He found her sitting on a tree branch, staring off into the sunset, obviously lost in her own thoughts. Poor girl…so much weight on her shoulders at one time…it's not fair. He caught himself. Why did he think that? More importantly, where had he thought of that before? The empty void in his mind pulsed, sending a wave of pain thought his body. The waves were getting worse, and the burning pain was lasting longer afterwards.

But, he knew for the time being, it did not matter where this sense of sympathy came from nor why he constantly reprimed himself for thinking that way. The important thing was that he felt, deep inside, that Miyu did not want to really be alone right now. And the only person who knew that and could be of some help was him.

For a moment he was unsure of what to say. It seemed that there were sometimes when she became more upset when he spoke to her, as if it inflicted physical pain on her…but that was understandable. What he did to her a few days ago…she had nearly died. When it had happened, he had felt little remorse. That is, until her golden eyes locked with his; then an anguish he had never known before nearly stopped his heart. Now the memory sickened him. Why had he wanted to kill her? He could barely remember. Right now it seemed to be so far away and unimportant…

He grit his teeth against the sudden wave of pain. Had he thought that before? Why was he getting all these visions of déjà vu? This time the pain did not go away right away. It clung to his mind with claws like white-hot daggers, searing and burning. It tore at the back of his eyes, within his temples and stirred nausea in his stomach. The wave was so bad that he reached up with one hand and held it against his eye, as if applying pressure would help relieve the pain, but it was to little avail. It took what seemed like hours before the pain passed enough for him to speak. Apparently Miyu still did not know he was there.

"Miyu?" He began cautiously, his voice soft. Something told him that with as on the edge as she was, the wrong move could probably result in the removal of his head. "Are you…are you all right?"

"No, I'm not all right." Her voice was bitter but not towards him; it probably would have been that way to anyone who would have been speaking to her right now. Still staring into the sun, she put a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. He did not doubt it if she did. "I don't understand. Why is all of this happening? And why now?" She suddenly gave a short, cold laugh as if she thought of something ironically funny, and let her head slip from her hand, her face hidden in her arms. "You know, if someone would have told me that all of this was going to happen a week ago, I would have laughed at them. But now…now I don't know what to think."

"What are you planning to do?" Larva tried to keep his voice casual as he leaned against the nearest tree. In reality, it was because the pain in his head was rapidly draining all the strength from his legs. He was not sure of how much longer he could remain standing; they had been trembling for some time now.

"Do what I was born to do and defend this land. Besides, it's all that I have left…"

Larva had to bite down, hard, on his lip to restrain the hiss of pain that threatened to escape from them as the void shuddered. "What about the Chinese Shinma? You seem to be friends with them."

"They're all very nice, but it's not the same." Miyu's voice was even more hushed, as if she was afraid that one of them was going to hear her. "They don't fully understand."

Unsure of what to say next, Larva did not say anything. There was a few more moments of silence before either one of them spoke again. The tension was running high, like an over stretched spring. Finally…

"Are you…afraid…of what's going to happen?"

Her reaction nearly made him jump as her cool composure almost shattered. "You're damn right I'm afraid! Did you not hear Mori back there? This…Caial…killed a full-grown, pureblooded vampire and her Shimobe with her bare hands! How can I stand a chance? A defenseless girl…half-breed?" Those last words were so venomous that Larva flinched. Miyu's rage left as soon as it came and she set back against the tree again, staring at the sun. "What chance do I have?"

Larva was stunned. Miyu had never been this short with anyone, ever. If he thought that he was speechless before, it was nothing compared to now. What could he possibly say to take away that anxiety? But he didn't have to speak when Miyu sighed.

"I…I can't do this alone. Regardless of how many people there are with me… I can't do this by myself." Her voice was tainted with disbelief and, if he was not mistaken, downright fear. "She killed her Shimobe with her bare hand."

It was a different type of fear, Larva noted. "You're…not afraid of death for yourself. Who is it?"

Her answer was unnerving. "Yours."

Larva was taken aback. It was obviously concerned for him, she proved that a few nights ago, but to value his life more than her own? "Miyu…" He looked up to where she was sitting, but was surprised to see that she was gone. A little surprised, he looked back straight before him and gave a start when he saw that she was now standing across from him, leaning up against a tree.

"Sorry." She said, her face still somber. "Just a trick Mori taught me."

"Why…are you so concerned for me?"

"Because…" It suddenly became very hard to talk as her throat constricted. "Because, you proved to me once how much you wanted to protect me." Her head was hanging so low that her bangs covered her eyes, which Miyu was grateful for when she had to squeeze her eyes closed when tears sprang to them as the horrid memories crossed her mind. "And if Caial's that determined again…I…I don't want her to kill you. I couldn't bare to stand that again. That's why…that's why I don't want you to get involved tomorrow. I don't want to see you hurt because of me."

For a brief moment, Larva forgot the pain for how much her words touched him. This girl…why was she so concerned for him? What did he once mean to her? What did she mean to him? Unsure of what to say, Larva remembered suddenly the red ribbon he had been carrying with him for the last couple of days. "I…found this a few days ago." He said, holding out his hand with the ribbon curled on it to the vampire. "I thought that you may want it back."

Miyu looked up and took the ribbon from his fingers, looking over it, feeling its silky smoothness glide between her own fingers. Unwillingly the tears returned, and this time she made no motion to hide them or hinder their fall. "I just…" She started. "I just want things to go back to the way it was before. When it was just you and me. Why do things have to be so different?" Larva did not say anything, but only watched her, concerned. "You…really don't remember anything, do you?"

Larva planned his next words carefully, as to not to upset her any more. Unable to think of anything, he only shook his head slowly.

Once again, Miyu seemed to loose some of her patience, but was able to keep herself from yelling. "Gods, Larva, what the hell did they do to you to make you hate me so much? And why now?"

"Miyu, I don't hate you." Larva put in quickly, wanting to put an end to that absurd thought in her mind. "I…I don't know what happened before I woke up on the ship, but all I do know is that I can't remember you." Before he could stop himself, he was crossing the space between them, one hand on her shoulder and the other curling a finger under her chin, making her look up at him. When their eyes locked the void writhed, but he pushed it back as best as he could. "But I want to remember. It feels as if there's something missing inside me. Can you help me?"

No tears came to Miyu's eyes this time. Instead, unable to restrain herself, she broke free of his grip only to throw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she buried her face against his chest. For a split second, Larva felt awkward, unsure of what to do, but he felt something stir inside of him and he wrapped his arms around her, suddenly feeling very comfortable and content.

It did not last for long. In the next moment it felt as if something heavy and hard slammed into the inside of his skull. The pain that rolled over him was so intense that it made him fall to his knees, breaking his hold on Miyu and clutch his head in his hand. He was dimly aware of Miyu calling his name; the world around him was spinning and out of focus. It felt like hours before everything straightened out again and the pain had subdued enough for him to make out Miyu's face, which was looking extremely worried for him. "…rva? Larva?" Her voice faded back from the whining ring that had filled his ears. "Larva? What happened? Are you all right?"

"I…I don't know." He said, his voice shaking. He was feeling incredibly sick as well, but he understood now as well. "I don't know what it is. It feels as if something's inside my mind…and every time I think of you, it causes me pain… It's keeping me from remembering you. Miyu…I think it's killing me."

A cold fear swept over Miyu. Trembling slightly, she reached up and placed her cool fingers on the side of his temple. She learned how to sense people's thoughts long ago, not necessarily read minds, but just enough to locate the source of their pain. And, sure enough, there was something in Larva's mind… Or, rather, missing from it. In all of her years, Miyu had never felt something quite like this. It was unmistakably a void, but capable of destroying Larva's mind and, with it, his soul. The fear grew as she thought of some way she could break it.

Suddenly the void pulsed again and tremors of pain coursed up Miyu's arm and tore at her own mind, making her see stars. Larva moaned and his head fell against her shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around her. Then, to her horror, Miyu realized that this thing was drawing her in to. The pain was becoming so intense that she could not react to it anymore, and before she could think of what this evil possibly was, darkness was creeping into the corners of her vision, something stabbed painfully in the back of her eyes, and the world went black.

* * *

It was a heart breaking sight. A small girl was kneeling on the ground, a small green bird curled up in her small hands, very still and very dead. She was weeping helplessly, not understanding what had just happened. His heart went out to her, and for that time he forgot all about what his original mission was. At that time it seemed to be the least important thought.

As a child, Miyu never forgot her "big brother" that told her that life was a beautiful moment, and when that moment was up, then they had to move on. During the warm days, she would spend hours outside, playing with a small stuffed bunny-doll her parents gave her, talking to him as if he was right beside her, when in reality he would watch her from the trees, much to Lemures' disdain. The other man would constantly badger him about finishing her off when she was young, but Larva never even took his words in consideration. She was so young, so innocent, it seemed to be a crime to take her life now. So instead he watched her with a fondness that he surprised himself with, content when she was happy. Her laughter was like music to him. And when her father died, her mother found her crying in the garden, asking him if her father's moment of beauty was over as well. Her mother heard her calling to Larva, her "onii-san", and told her daughter that she was too old to be playing with imaginary friends. Maybe it was because Larva was not there to comfort her like he did when her bird died, but Miyu only agreed with her mother, and never spoke to Larva in the garden again. For some reason, a part of him felt sad because of it.

Never spoke to him, that is, until Lemures finally talked him into carrying out what they were there in the first place for. By now, Miyu was thirteen years old; young by human standards, but too old by Lemures'. Finally, tired of Lemures' constant griping, he approached Miyu one day after school, when she was walking home, completely alone. It surprised him that she remembered his voice so quickly, after so many years when he thought she had forgotten about him. Her eyes were wide with fright and she dropped her books, the papers scattering at her feet as he approached her, telling her that the call of her blood must be silenced. Of course, Miyu had no idea what he was talking about, but he did not dare to mention to her that she was, in fact, a vampire, in fear that it might trigger something inside of her. What had actually was something that neither him nor his Western Shinma companion could except. Until then Miyu seemed to be rooted down to the spot in fear, but suddenly she panicked and broke away from in, cutting her hand on his sharp fingernail in the process. As she looked at her blood, her heart beat changed, her eyes blazed gold, and she lunged at him, sinking her new fangs into his neck and drank his blood. Then she did something even more unsuspecting; she gave Larva some of her blood, thus binding them together, as master and servant, forever.

When Miyu came out of her trance, a look of pure terror crossed over her face. She stared wide-eyed at this man who continued to stand before her, who looked to be in equal shock. Then she saw the blood on his neck, and tasted the blood in her mouth. She shook her head in disbelief, moaned, and took off running towards her house, leaving Larva standing alone.

Lemures had abandoned him, undoubtedly humiliated and outraged at Larva's failure. He couldn't say that he blamed him, but it was a blow that hurt him. Lemures had been, after all, one of his best friends since childhood. But, at the same time, he couldn't make himself angry with Miyu, either. It was not her fault, and he knew that her actions were not against her own will… But something had happened when they exchanged blood. It was as if he was no longer alone in his mind, as if a small piece of Miyu was with him… He could feel her thoughts, her emotions…and they shook him to the core. Suddenly feeling concerned, he went to the house that Miyu lived in with her mother, a place that now seemed very strange and alien to him.

Miyu had stayed home sick that day from school, although her reasons were for anything beyond sickness. What that man…Larva, his name was…had called her…a vampire. She drank his blood. She was a vampire… Did that mean that the normal rules of a vampire apply to her? All throughout the day as she sat in her dark room, she clutched a crucifix tightly in her hand, but was careful to avoid anything that cast a reflection, as if she was frightened that she would not see one if she looked. The worse part about all of at was how Miyu avoided the sunlight. She spent the entirety of her "sick" days avoiding the sunlight that seeped into her room over the course of the day, in fear that the sunlight would hurt her as it would vampires in all the stories. Larva watched her helplessly from the shadows of the Japanese Shinma Realm, wanting to tell her that the sunlight wouldn't hurt her, but he was almost…afraid to confront her, afraid of her reaction. He would not blame her if she hated him…

She avoided to expose herself to light for the entirety of her sick days until dusk the last day, when she had fallen asleep and found herself cornered by the setting sun. Instead of panicking, like he thought she would, she merely extended her hand towards the beam of sunlight, hesitated, then dipped her fingers cautiously into it. Larva watched with a sort of pitiful feeling as the young girl moved her hand in the golden light as if it was something she had never seen before and wondered about her humanity…or now, lack of it.

After she discovered that sunlight would no longer hurt her, Miyu tried to return to her life as normally as possible, but it was useless. Larva's presence was always with her, no matter how far he tried to separate himself from her, but it was difficult to keep such a distance. It was like there was some invisible bond that kept pulling them together, no matter how hard they fought it. But the worse part was Miyu's growing thirst for blood, which over the course of the next week sent her into a reeling confusion of frustration and agony, a mix of feelings that kept her running from everyone who tried to talk to and anyone whom she could confide with.

Then came the faithful night when the Osa of the Japanese Shinma Realm came to visit Miyu and bestow upon her the destiny that lay before her. When her mother revealed to her their legacy and how she had always known what they were, and what Miyu was to become. The poor girl was devastated, and no matter how much she denied it, there was still a part of her that knew and could not deny that it was true. For the first time since her Awakening, Larva appeared before her, trying to comfort her and convince her that she had to accept her new role as a vampire for her own sake, but his explanations infuriated her. She fled into the forest then, and it was not until her mother followed that he finally left as well, wanting to find the scared girl before something else did.

He searched for her for what felt like hours, until a wave of emotions rolled over him so strong that he thought it would have knocked him out. It was a sorrow unlike any he had ever felt before, a sorrow so strong that he felt as if he was in pain. But it was not sorrow from him; he was feeling Miyu's emotions through the bond that she had created when she drank his blood. She wanted to die she was in so much pain…it was like she was being tortured and forced to die a long, slow death…a cold fear had swept over him. He followed the feeling of sorrow, using it as a sort of homing devise until he finally found her.

The poor girl looked terrible; dirty and bloody, her eyes swollen and her face streaked with tears, and on top of it she looked utterly exhausted. When she saw him, they only stared at each other for a few moments before Miyu spoke. Her voice was raspy and ever word caused her pain. "You came here to kill me, right?" She demanded of him. "Please, just get it over with…" Until that time, Larva had forgotten that that was the original reason why he had come to this place…That seemed so far away and unimportant now. Without thinking twice, he walked over to her as she ran again, but this time right into his arms where she wept bitterly against him, begging him to take away the pain. There was nothing more that he could do other than give her the silent comfort that she so desperately needed.

Miyu fell asleep right there in his arms, her exhaustion finally winning her over. Larva lifted her gently into his arms and carried her back to the home that she and her mother lived in, which was now just Miyu living in it. He did not need to ask her what happened that night; the sorrow that he felt through their bond told him enough. Larva himself had never known his birth parents, as they were both killed when he was very young, so he could not image the pain of loosing a parent, let alone both of them, and be aware of it. Not more than an hour after he brought her back to the house, she was consumed by a fever that lasted for several days. There were several times when Larva was afraid that it would kill her, and without any medication to treat it, she had to wade it out on her own. During her sickness, the Osa appeared again, and Larva stubbornly refused to let him awake Miyu to tell her about the task that she was to endure. Instead, the Osa told him, and when Miyu was once again well enough to walk up and be aware of everything that was happening, then he would tell her.

After the fever broke, Miyu surprisingly cried little for the death of her mother, as if the shock of the recent events had numbed her emotions, only shedding her tears at night. She spoke little, and spent most of the long days staring at the wall, not talking to him, and nearly ignoring his presence. This only became a problem when he had to convince Miyu that she needed blood to survive. When she refused to hunt, Larva finally held his wrist to her lips and held her there with a gentle firmness until she finally drank for him. This sometimes took as long as an hour before she accepted his offer, but still drank little from him. Perhaps it was this personal sacrifice that finally convinced Miyu that she had to hunt for blood. This too, was time consuming and dangerous to not only to her victims but also to herself as well, but she nonetheless learned quickly and was soon strong enough physically and emotionally to endure her task. And still, she would not talk to him.

Larva wanted to convince her that he meant her no harm, and was there to help her while she became adjusted to her new life style, so there was no reason for her to be afraid of him. For several moments, Miyu just continued to stare at him with those eerie golden eyes, looking as if there was something she wanted to say but was having a hard time putting it into the correct words. "Are you…upset with me because it was my touch that awoke you?" He asked finally, a little anxious of the answer, but was surprised when Miyu shook her head.

Finally, she took a deep breath and said, with her words slightly impeeded, "It's the fangs. I keep biting myself."

There was a brief moment of awkward silence, but then Larva could not help himself from laughing. And, to his surprise, Miyu smiled as well. That had done it. The ice was broken. The mood between them was finally comfortable, and Miyu once again entered his arms, when he embraced her like the night her mother died, insuring her that he would protect her and help her through this difficult time.

Now that she was finally talking again, she started asking Larva endless questions about what she was, and what it was exactly that lie before her. It was like she had been born again. Larva was left explaining to her what the Shinma were, the exact Clans, and what role the vampires played in them. It was about as easy as teaching someone how to breathe. When she discovered her powers (in which she nearly set the house on fire when a fireball appeared suddenly in her hand one day), he did his best to teach her how to control it, trying his best to remember how his own masters taught him. The first few attempts to banish the Shinma were extremely difficult and often left Miyu injured and Larva finishing the job, but that too she learned quickly. The years seemed to melt together in that period, and it was not until he looked back on it that he realized it. The sorrow of loosing her mother still hung like a black cloud over her, but now when she cried, it was in his arms rather than hidden in her pillow.

Miyu seemed to be more aware of the years passing since her Awakening, and there was something definitely bothering her after this time. Larva sensed it almost immediately, and when he asked what it was that was bothering her, she was almost hesitant to answer.

"It just…occurred to me, not too long ago." She said slowly, as if she were searching for the right words to use. "Spending all this time here…I mean…" She took a deep breath. "You don't have anyone waiting for you at home, do you? A wife…or a girlfriend?"

Her question surprised him, but he only smiled gently and shook his head. "No…no one like that."

"Someone that you might be interested in?"

"No."

"What about…your family? Wouldn't they be worried about you?"

Larva thought about this for a moment. "My family and I agreed a long time ago that no matter what we did with our lives, the others would accept it without any strife."

There was silence for a moment, but there was still something on her mind. "There has to be someone missing you, or you missing someone or something. I…don't want you to think that you have to stay here because of me."

Her concern for him touched him deeply, and he only smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close. "You need me more that anyone or anything over there does. I promised I would stay with you and protect you, and that's what I plan to do." Another pause. "Do you…want me to go?"

Miyu shook her head, almost violently, and curled closer to him. "No…no, I like it when you're here. It's nice not having to be alone. I just don't want you to feel sad about the things that you had to leave behind."

Larva did not know what to say to this, but he was finally able to think of something that sounded halfway decent. "How about this…I'll stay as long as you want me to. If you ever feel as if you can handle this on your own, or if you think you can find someone better to stay with you, then I'll leave. But until then, I'll stay with you." Miyu nodded, but he could tell that that was something that she wanted to hear.

The years still continued to pass. Although Miyu's body was frozen, her mind still aged, and eventually she adapted a fiercer, more merciless role of a guardian, but one that Larva had long expected. She was becoming more hostile to the Shinma, more independent of her own need for blood, a strong woman of mind trapped in a child's body. Rogue Shinma everywhere soon knew her name and feared it. But still…there was still that aspect of her past that still tainted her, still made her weep in her sleep and occasionally call for her mother. A time when she still yearned for her past and, at the same time, resented it. Such a time was when she was staying at a girl's boarding school and was confused by the bond of love between sister and brother, having forgot what mortal love was. It was at that time that she was glad that she was what she was…a vampire. But it was also when she revealed to Larva that, at the same time, she was grateful that he was always with her. On top of that, she revealed to him that she loved him, more than anything else in the world. When those words left her lips, and when Larva embraced her, he knew that he would never leave her, by no means and whatever tried to tear them apart. They were vampire and Shimobe. That was the end of the argument.

* * *

When Miyu woke up, her head was spinning, her temples throbbing. Moaning, she pushed herself into a sitting position, but even before she opened her eyes she knew that she was no where she was supposed to be. When she lost consciousness, she had been in the Fifth Layer of the Japanese Shinma Realm, but now…she was in a new world all together. It was black everywhere she looked, and for a moment after her awakening she wondered if there was something wrong with her eyes. There was absolutely nothing obscuring the endless darkness; no visible walls, and no ceiling or sky that she could distinguish. Just unending darkness.

Then she was aware of one other thing; she was not alone in this place. There was someone else with her; someone very familiar, although it was as if the presence was muffled by a thick wall. Nausea gripped her as she made an attempt to stand up, and she forcefully pushed it back. It was a bit of a struggle to her feet, and what felt like after hours of sickening fighting, she was finally standing up, looking around her. Once again, nothing but unbreakable darkness, except…

Her sharp eyes caught sight of something in the distance…or rather, some one. In the darkness it was hard to make out who it was, but Miyu got the feeling that she knew him from somewhere… Her legs felt like lead weights as she made an attempt to walk towards the figure. It felt as if there was something pressing down on her from above, making it a great effort to move forward, but Miyu kept pushing herself further, knowing that she had to see who this person was. But when she was finally close enough to see who it was, she nearly cried out in terror.

It was Larva, but he looked so horrible that Miyu barely recognized him. His skin was paler than usual, his hair falling limply over his eyes, which were lined by dark, almost black circles. There was dried blood on his face and fresh blood dripping from his tattered cloak, forming dark pools on the already black ground. His hands were bound over his head in cold steel chains, and there were chains around his neck and legs, preventing him from moving. Trickles of blood ran down his arms where the chains were biting into his skin. These were not real chains, Miyu knew. They were conjured of magic, and it looked as if they were the cause of Larva's pain. If she could just get him out of those chains, then maybe she had a chance to save him…

Despite the force holding back her legs, Miyu broke into a run, desperate to get to him as soon as possible…she was almost there…

It suddenly felt as if she had hit a brick wall at full-force, knocking her backwards and causing her to fall, in invisible force holding her back crushing down on her, taking the breath from her lungs. Gritting her teeth against the pain in her body, Miyu pushed herself back into a sitting position and clambered back to her feet, moving forward again, but this time with more caution, her hands outstretched. Her fingers touched something in front of her, although there was nothing in front of her…it was like a glass wall…

Then she understood. She knew where she was. She was inside his mind. This thing before her, this invisible wall, was the seal that was blocking Larva's memories, the thing that was slowly killing him. And she…this was not her real body. It was a shadow of her physical body, the part of her soul that their bond had tied to him. She also understood that it was now or never; if she did not save Larva now, she would loose him. Balling her hands into fists she slammed them hard against the glassy surface. Pain lanced along her arms, burning her very being, but she ignored it. "Larva!" She cried through the glass, hoping that her voice would carry through. The force holding her back tore her throat with that one word. This magic was going to use all of its evil power to keep her from getting to him. Like hell it will, she thought fiercely. I'll free him even if it kills me.

It looked as if she was not cut off from him completely. At the sound of her voice, Larva winced and raised his head weakly, but when he saw her, a strange panicked looked can over his face. "Miyu…" Almost immediately the chains around him tightened, cutting into him. The streams of blood along his arms began to flow again. "Miyu, get out of here! It will only get you too!" He was cut off when the chain around his neck jerked suddenly as if by an invisible hand, cutting him off abruptly and making him cough violently.

"Iie!" Miyu cried back, slamming her fists again on the glass wall. It would not budge, and the pain in her arms became worse, they had been set on fire from the inside. "I won't leave you! Please, hold on a little longer, I'll find a way to get you out of there!" The taste of blood suddenly filled her mouth. Her throat burned and felt as ravaged as if she had swallowed razors.

"Miyu…run…" The chains holding him jerked violently again, making Larva fall to his knees, the blood flowing thickly onto the ground.

Miyu screamed for him, unaware of the blood that trickled from the corners of her mouth. She beat at the wall relentlessly, trying to break it, but it was useless. At one time she even slammed against it, pushing against it with all her might, willing in to break under her weight, but it held fast. She was becoming increasingly more exhausted now, her head pounding and her lungs screaming for air. Still, she had to keep trying. He had risked his life to save her once, and she was not going to think twice about doing the same for him.

Something shot out through the air from behind her, catching her wrist and pulling her back. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw to her horror that it was a chain like the ones that bound Larva, preventing her from doing what she planned to do. Miyu pulled hard against it, only to have more chains wrap around her, pulling her back into the darkness despite her struggles. She had never fought so hard against anything in her entire life, and not without consequence. The chains were piercing her flesh, making her wounds bleed freely, her blood splashing onto the ground in great red drops, but she refused to cry out or to succumb to the pain. She had to save Larva, at all costs. But she was growing so tired…she wanted to lie down and sleep, to forget everything. Soon her struggles became weaker and farther away…her eyes began to drift shut…This thing was going to win over her, but she did not care anymore…

Then an image floated across her mind, dim and foggy…but she knew what it was, and it jarred her immediately out of her trance. It was a memory back to that day when Larva had taken that fatal blow for her, when he looked down into her face with the blood streaming down him own, and even with all the pain that there was in her eyes, told her to run.

A new fire seared within Miyu. Larva had died for her that day, saving her life. He had promised that he would always protect her, no matter what.

It was time to return to favor. Larva died for her without a single regret.

It was time for her to do the same thing.

Miyu pushed herself up to her feet, her mind clearer and her spirit burning with an even fiercer fire of determination. Gritting her teeth, Miyu twisted her wrists around so she was now gripping the chains, pulling them tight at their source. Then, with a cry that was pulled from the very core of her soul, gave an all-powerful heave against the chains. The chains snapped, the links falling free, and with all the strength she could muster that she never knew she had before, threw herself at the glass barrier.

The world was filled with the sound of shattering glass as Miyu fell through the glass wall, shattering it completely. The glass cut at her body, creating a new series of wounds, but she did not care. She had done it. The barrier was broken. And before her was Larva, the chains unraveling themselves from his body. Miyu smiled as she had not smiled in days and collapsed against him, her arms wrapped tightly around his lithe waist as she buried her face against his chest. She could not remember feeling so happy when she felt his arms fold around her, clasping her tightly against him. His embrace was the warmest and most comforting feeling in the world, one that she never wanted to leave from…

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, they were back in the Japanese Shinma Realm, embracing each other the same way as they had been in their state of unconsciousness. The sun was setting low, the sky stained blood red. At that thought Miyu pulled away suddenly, looking herself over. All the wounds she endured during the ordeal were gone. They were both uninjured and both very alive.

"Miyu…" Larva curled a finger under her chin, tilting her head back up so they were looking at each other again. The look in his eyes…if Miyu felt happy when she had embraced him, it was nothing compared to now. He had to same look in his eyes as before, before any of this happened…he looked maybe a little worn through the whole ordeal, but nonetheless, he was back. He smiled down at her warmly. "Thank you."

Miyu smiled back, her golden eyes misting with tears. Abruptly she threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself close and to stop him from seeing the tears fall. Over the years, she had never taken his companionship for granted, but now she was aware more than ever of how much he really meant to her.

One of Larva's hands drifted gently through her hair, then turned her head gently to the side so her lips were against the skin of his neck. She understood at once. Fangs bared, she bit into him as she had so many times before, but this time she took his blood to bind them together once again. In that one seemingly perfect moment, she forgot everything that had happened over the last few days. There was nothing to forgive him for, no reason for him to say he was sorry. They both understood each other too well to worry about such issues.

That was perhaps the most important thing in the world.

And from the shadows, Mori watched silently, her golden eyes narrowed.

"And who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows?
Only time..."

~Enya, Only Time

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To be continued…

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Here's a present for you guys! The When Friends Are True Soundtrack! Okay, not the official soundtrack, but here's some good songs to listen to while you're reading. Songs with the little * by them means explicit lyrics (notice most of them are by Blink 182 songs, heh, heh). I don't own anything for any of these songs, and am not making any profit from them. So, enjoy! I'll be adding songs all the time, so this isn't really set in stone.All the Small Things (Blink 182) Amnesia (Chumbawumba) Bad Reputation (Joan Jett) Boom Shaka-Lacka (Shaggy) Cemetery (Silverchair) Dark Saga (Iced Earth) Dearest Helpless (Silverchair) Do You Feel the Same (Silverchair) Dragula (Rob Zombie) Dude Looks Like a Lady (Aerosmith) Dumbweed* (Blink 182) Emotion Sickness (Silverchair) Freak (Silverchair) Freak on a Leash* (Korn) Gotta Keep Them Separated (Offspring) Grade Nine (Bare Naked Ladies) Gravity of Love (Enigma) Haunted (Dead Can Dance) How You Remind Me (Nickleback) I Believe Love Will Find a Way (Blessed Union of the Soul) I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramons) In the End (Linkin Park) Iris (Goo Goo Dolls) Is Your Love Strong Enough (Tangerine Dream) Kryptonite (Three Doors Down) Learn to Hate* (Silverchair) Lost in the Shadows (Lou Gramm) Master of Puppets (Metalica) Of Wolf and Man (Metalica) One Step Closer (Linkin Park) Only Time (Enya) Reckless Abandon* (Blink 182) Revival (Orgy) Shout it Out (Slaughter) Smells like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) Smooth Criminal (Alien Ant Farm Cover) Spin Me Around (Orgy Cover) Sympathy for the Devil (Rolling Stones) Take on Me (Aha) Vengeance is Mine (Iced Earth) What's My Age Again? (Blink 182) Winds of Change (Scorpions) var PUpage="76001055"; var PUprop="geocities"; var yviContents='http://us.toto.geo.yahoo.com/toto?s=76001055&l=NE&b=1& amp;t=1034191853';yviR='us';yfiEA(0); geovisit();