352 years and counting...

[Ninja of Cao]

This is getting really interesting now.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Thank you.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Seven: Aideen's Other Side

Aideen lay still on the ground, bleeding heavily from her chest. Her breathing came in short, tortured breathes, and her skin grew cold.
Violet kept pleading for her sister to survive, but it looked like this was the end for Aideen Hayashi...or was it?
Suddenly, Aideen's eyes shot open. They glowed a bright red; the color of blood. Her movements blurring together, she got up from the ground and looked at her brother tearing apart the remaining human.
"A-A-Aideen?" Violet stammered; she was both happy and shocked her sister was still alive, but something was very different about her.
Aideen ignored her little sister and just starred at the blood on the ground with hungry eyes. She pulled back her lip and beared her teeth; long fangs glistened in the light.
"Vampire!" Violet yelled and got as far away from Aideen as possible.
Yukio heard Violet and turned to see what she was yelling about.
"How is that possible?!" He demanded, but was thrown aside.
Aideen gracefully and silently walked towards the door that Kiyoshi disappeared down; her eyes now full of sorrow instead of hunger.
Violet pounced on her sister's back, instincts taking over, and tried to kill her.
Her sister just shrugged her off and disappeared down the dark hallway.

Kiyoshi ran but the wound was burning. He knew he had to save Aideen, but exactly how he would do that was a mystery to him. At first, he ran as fast as he could to see her, but his body was starting to give out from losing so much blood. I'm going to die here. Just like Aideen, I'm going to die here...Then he heard soft footsteps echoing from the enterance of the passage. He hid in the shadows and waited to see if it was friend or foe that was chasing him.

Aideen ran so faster that her legs blurred and no one could possibly focus on one leg. She was desperate. She knew that her friend was in trouble, and something told her she had to find him. His scent filled the tunnel and that's what made it so easy for her to find her way, but blood also lingered in the air and that made her eyes glow even brighter.
She ran past a corner and stopped when she heard a faint heartbeat. She turned to see a human in the corner. He was bleeding and held a knife over his chest, ready to protect himself if needed.
"Kiyoshi, are you alright?" Her voice was music to the human's ears.
"A-Aideen? Is that really you? What happened to you?" He asked while struggling to stand up.
Aideen grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet. "I...don't know. Honestly, I don't know, but we must go before..."
"Before what?" Kiyoshi asked.
"Before the blood starts getting to me." She replied coldly then picked Kiyoshi up and slung him over her back. In seconds she took off running.
Kiyoshi had to close his eyes to stop from getting dizzy as the walls flew past him.

"Violet, was that really Aideen?" Yukio asked after their "sister" left.
"Yes, I saw her change right before my eyes. How is it possible she is both demon and vampire?"
"I don't know, but it's obvious she's not a pure-blood demon like us. It's our duty to destroy her."
"W-what? She is our sister! How could you even think that?!"
Yukio grabbed Violet and pulled her close so he could glare at her more effectivly. "Our parents would be ashamed that they produced such a freakish offspring. It is our job and our duty as pure-blood demons to kill all that shame our parents."
"But...but..."
"Violet, it is for Aideen's own good that we kill her. We'll bring her to mother and father and then we will kill her while she sleeps. It's the only way to kill her with some of her dignity intact."
"Yukio, this is wrong..."
"I know, but me must destroy her before she destroys us."

[Ryaque]

Really good Scarlet. You really are a very talented writter.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Eight: Death Sentence

Violet and Yukio waited for their sister to reappear. Each knew what they had to do, but Violet still didn't want to hurt her older sister, no matter what she was.
Aideen seemed to materialize out of thin air. She stood in the enterance to the secret tunnel with Kiyoshi on her back.
"Aideen, it's probabuly best we go see mother and father until this all blows over." Yukio suggested.
Aideen nodded in agreement. She started walking towards the door when Yukio's arm stopped her.
"Leave the human here. He is useless to us."
Aideen's eyes flashed with anger and a hiss escaped her lips.
Both demons jumped back at her reaction.
"It's okay, big sister, Kiyoshi can come along." Violet quickly said.
They all headed out of the building towards the distant hills.

"Yukio, Violet, and Aideen too, welcome home my childeren!" Michiko, the demons' mother, ran forward and hugged them all.
A man with with fire red hair and red eyes stood farther back and eyed Kiyoshi with hungry eyes, but still greeted his childeren. "Welcome back, honorable son and Violet, and finally Aideen, you come to visit your parents."
Aideen smiled and bowed her head; Kiyoshi was unconcious on her back. "Father, mother, I am sorry I did not visit sooner, but being in jail is a good enough reason I believe."
"Oh my, you poor girl!" Michiko said, "are you okay?"
"I'm covered in scars, but I'm alright. Thank you, mother."
Hisao glared at Aideen and wrinkled his nose, but said nothing.
Violet grabbed Yukio and led him away, both of them senced their father's anger.
Aideen tried to follow but Michiko stopped her.
"Why do you carry a human here, and why do you smell of blood?" She demanded, all kindness faded from her voice. Her eyes turned red with her anger.
"He saved my life..."
"You fool! Aideen, you let a human save you!? Dishonor! Dishonor on us all!" Hisao boomed. He slapped Aideen across the face and sent her straight into the ground.
She didn't fight back. Her parents were far more powerful then she was. They would kill her if she did not choose her words carefuly enough.
Michiko tore Kiyoshi away from the girl and stomped Aideen's head into the ground. "You...are a vampire aren't you?!"
Aideen sobbed but managed a nod.
"Then on sunset of tommorrow, you will be put to death. I will not tolerate a half-breed in my family!" Hisao said and started dragging his daughter away.
"Father...I'm still Aideen Hayashi-"
"No! You are not! No longer will you carry that name!"
Aideen sobs grew worse. Now her parents hated her as much as the humans. She felt so alone. She didn't know why she was what she was. She didn't choose to be different, and now her life was going to end. She cried and nearly drowed herself in her tears, but deep down a thought truely scared her. She wanted to die...

[Ryaque]

You've got to be kidding me. Just because Aideen is part vampire she's being put to death?! Wow...this is a good story but still what is wrong with these demons?!

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Nine: Reborn And Free

Sunset came far too quickly for poor Aideen. Her parents were true to their word, and she was dragged out in chains to await her execution. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her limbs were sore from being chained, and her heart was dead because she wouldn't be able to say good-bye to Kiyoshi.
Yukio dragged her to a small wooden block and shoved her head down onto it. "This is too good for you." He spat at her while chaining her to the wooden block.
"I didn't ask for this, big brother..."
"You are not my sister!" He replied with no remorse then walked away.
Violet came up to Aideen and gently stroked her hair. "I'm sorry. I don't agree with this, but there is nothing I can do."
"Violet, protect Kiyoshi after I'm gone...please?"
Tears came to the young demon's eyes, but she nodded and promised.
Lastly, Kiyoshi stepped forward and kneeled down next to Aideen. "Why are you not fighting back?! You're so much stronger then this! You...you're just giving up?!"
"I have no choice."
"There is always a choice! Choose to live, Aideen, and break free! Get away from here!"
"I am no longer Aideen Hayashi, and no longer do I have the right to live." The sad demon corrected him.
"It is not in your parents' power to decide who deserves to live and who doesn't. Please, don't die..."
Michiko tore the human away and glared. "No talking to the dead vampire." She hissed then turned towards Aideen; a silver ax shinned in her hand.
Hisao stood behind Aideen and looked at her with pure disgust. "After all we did for you, you betray us this way."
"I did not! If I am a vampire, I was born that way! I did not choose to mix the blood lines."
"Silence!" Michiko ordered.
Hisao took the ax from his wife and raised it high above his head. "Good-bye, nameless half-breed, and may the gods have mercy on your damned soul." Silently, the ax swung down through the air and a sickening thud filled the air.

The nameless half-breed stood up from the wooden block, the ax cutting into her arm but she was otherwise unharmed. She glared at her mother and father and threw the ax away.
"What you are doing?!" Yukio demanded.
"Making a choice!" The girl answered then lunged forward, knocking both Hisao and Michiko off their feet, and grabbed Kiyoshi's hand.
"Ai-" he started to say.
"No, I am no longer known by that name," the girl cut him off, "my name...is Scarlet!" Scarlet's eyes burned a fierce yellow as she fulling unleashed her demon power. Once again putting Kiyoshi onto her back, she ran away from her family.
Violet followed close behind, but she wasn't chasing her sister, she was following.
"What are you doing, Violet?!" Scarlet asked when Violet finally caught up.
"I told you I didn't think it was right, and now that you broke free...I'm not going to just stay behind."
"You'll be banished just like I am."
"I can live with that." Violet replied.

The group finally stopped at a small inn and bought a room for the night. The Inn Keeper starred at the girls with a stunned look on his face, but didn't say anything about their yellow eyes. Scarlet slept on the floor while Violet and Kiyoshi slept in two separate beds.
"Scarlet?" Kiyoshi called.
"What, Kiyoshi."
"What are we going to do now?"
"We're going to meet up with an old friend of mine. He'll let us stay there until I think of a plan to keep all of us safe."
"We're in danger?" Kiyoshi asked.
"Yukio will come after me, and then go for you two, but I won't let that happen."
"But, isn't he...your brother? Why would he hurt you?"
"When a demon has its name removed and is banished, all ties that demon had with the family that banished it is broken. No longer am I his sister, and no longer is he my brother."
"But, that's just..."
"Stupid, I know, but demons have lived that way for hundreds of years."
There was silence; then, "Scarlet?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you want to protect me?"
"Because you're my only friend, I don't want to fail you."

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Ten: Ki-ki

Violet woke up to see that Scarlet had left the room. She glanced over and saw Kiyoshi sleeping on the bed a few feet away from her. I wonder where Scarlet went...
As if to answer her question, Scarlet walked into the room but looked slightly different. Her hair was shorter and was put in a loose ponytail; her eyes were a very dark red, and her skin looked paler then normal.
"Scarlet, are you alright?"
"It's very hard to remain appearing as a demon ever since my demon heart was stabbed. I'm afraid I can only appear as a vampire for long periods of time." She answered then went to the inn closet to see if she could change out of her now torn clothes.
"You smell terrible." Violet teased.
"You're always welcome to leave then!" Scarlet snapped, but immediatly after the words left her mouth she froze, as if she was shocked they came from her mouth.
"Wow, you're very snippy. You're acting too much like a vampire." Violet rolled her eyes but a playful smile spread across her face.
"That's the thing, Violet, I wasn't bitten by a vampire because I'm not dead. The only way I could be both is if I was born that way, but Michiko and Hisao are both pure-blood demons. So what happened to me?"
Violet thought for a moment then replied, "maybe Hisao isn't your real father, or Michiko isn't really your mother."
"That would explain things, wouldn't it?"
"I think you have a different mother. You take after father far too much for it to be a coincidence. You have his eyes, or had I should say, and his temper. However, you also have his inteligence and strength."
"So, my mother must be a vampire. I wounder if I'll ever find her some day."
"I'm sure we have plenty of time to figure that out."

Kiyoshi woke up to the smell of cooking meat. He opened his eyes to see a plate of steaming bacon with a note.
It said: Dear Kiyoshi,
Violet and I have gone into town to get supplies, but I made this for you. I hope you like bacon! We'll be back soon, and maybe with some company.
Love,
Scarlet

He smiled and started eatting his breakfast. The food was the best he'd ever eatten! He savored every flavor and took nearly two hours to eat it and yet it never got cold or hard. I can't wait till Scarlet comes back. I need to ask her how she made this!

Violet silently walked down a dark alley, following two muscular and hooded men. She didn't look worried, even when the men kept glancing at her with unusual looks on their faces.
"I suggest you behave, gentlemen, before I'm forced to hurt you."
Both men laughed. Then they stopped at a dead end. One man stepped behind Violet while the other stepped closer to her.
"I'm afraid we must 'check' you before we show you the priest."
Violet glanced around with a smirk on her face. "I wouldn't try to touch me if I was you."
The man infront laughed and stepped forward. "You don't scare us girly." He reached for her chest.
Suddenly his arm fell to the ground, separated from his body. He yelled from the pain and staggered backwards when another girl appeared out of the blackness; red eyes shining and cutting through the darkness.
"She warned you, and now I'm afraid I must punish you for trying to touch my sister." The girl hissed then turned towards the other man. In a second, she appeared behind him and snapped his neck.
The body fell to the ground; a look of shock still lingered on the man's face.
The one armed man got up and stepped back towards the wall. "Please, don't kill me, have mercy!"
Scarlet laughed. "I won't kill you if you take me to the priest."
Violet nodded and gave him a sweet smile. "My sister isn't as patient as I am. You might want to do as your told."
The man gave a longing look at his arm then started leading them towards the priest.
Scarlet leaned in close to Violet's ear and whispered, "he's not human."
Violet nodded; her suspisions comfirmed. "What is he then?" She whispered back.
"A phantom. He probabuly works for the priest." Scarlet answered.
"Oh, I see." Violet glanced at the man's wound and saw it wasn't bleeding. Her sister was right. This man wasn't human.

"Violet, Aideen! We-wel-welcome!" A kindly priest said and spread his arms wide to embrass the two girls.
Neither girl moved. Violet bowed polietely and said, "Aideen Hayashi no longer exists. She is Scarlet." Violet corrected.
Scarlet nodded then embrassed the priest. "Long time no see, Ki-ki."
"Aw, Scarlet, why must you call me th-th-that nickname? I have a r-re-real name!"
"I know, but I will always call you Ki-ki, Ki-ki."
The priest shook his head then embrassed Violet.
"So w-w-what brings you to my ch-chu-church?"
"We need a safe place to stay." Violet said.
"Did you know my mother? My real mother?" Scarlet asked out of the blue.
Ki-ki looked at Scarlet's eyes and pale skin and instantly understood why she acted different then she normally did. "So, you finally kn-kno-know about your true jeans?"
Scarlet nodded and subconciously reached up to feel her fangs. She realized what she was doing and rested her hand at her side.
"Well, both of you are we-wel-welcome to stay, and I'll answer all your qu-que-questions about your mother." Ki-ki stammered.
Violet nodded.
Scarlet started to leave. "I must go and get a friend first." She said.

[Ninja of Cao]

This is a very good story. I wish I could write this good.

[-I'm_Ur_Drug-]

wa!!! this ish amazing! would you..write a story with me? :3 lol. i mean..with both of our imaginations and awesome story writing skills combined..we..we could rule the world!! or..at least rule the forum story world xD

[ItachiUchiha62]

this is an amazing story! cant wait for more ^_^

[Invisible Fog]

I think you should describe more of the area but I like everything else.

[Kiko-kun]

Nice, you should copy and paste the chapters on the first post, it will be easier if you get alot of posts.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

The story has been cancelled until further notice. Sorry.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Eleven: Kidnapped

Scarlet walked through the ramshackled streets and felt pitty for the people living here. The buildings were old and rotting; some were just heaps of wood on the ground. The shutters and doors on every house were off their hinges and squeaked eerily with every breath of the wind.
This place must be hell to live in. She thought.

In was a good ten minutes later until she stood before the door to the Inn. It was still early so only the Inn Keeper was up. He starred at Scarlet for a moment then went back to cleaning the counter.
"Your friend left." He said without looking up.
"What do you mean?" She walked up and sat on the bar stool, trying to make the Keeper feel as uncomfortable of her presence as possible.
"Two men in hooded cloaks said they knew him so I let them go up. Next thing I know your friend is walking outside with them and talking about someone by the name of 'Aideen.'"
"Did they happen to say where they are going?" She asked, trying not to get worried about Kiyoshi.
"All they said was they were heading to the docks on the far eastern side of town."
"Thanks." She slapped some money on the counter and ran out the door.
Damn that Ki-Ki, I know he's behind this!

_______________

Kiyoshi walked silently behind the two hooded figures. He noticed one figure had only one arm and couldn't help but wince at the thoughts of what might have happened to him.
One figure stopped and turned to face him. "You know Violet and Aideen Hayashi, correct?" He barked out.
"I know Violet, but Aideen is dead." Kiyoshi answered.
"Don't play games with us, boy," the second, one handed figure threatened, "Aideen was the other demon that escorted you here."
"I don't know any demon named 'Aideen.'" Kiyoshi said and put a hand on his sword.
"Now now, we wouldn't want to do that..." One Hand pointed down towards the water underneath the dock. "Any loud noises and the water demons will wake up and feast on any human here."
"The sound of sword hitting flesh is more then enough to awaken them." The other figure finished.
Kiyoshi swallowed past the newly formed lump in his throat and let his hand fall to his side.
"Now, where is Aideen Hayashi?" Both figures said at the same time.
"I don't know." Kiyoshi answered and tried not to look at them. He was busy making sure there was no movement under the water.
"Liar!" One Hand grabbed the boy by his shirt and shoved him towards the water.
Kiyoshi was just able to regain his balance an inch before he would have fallen into the water.
"Answer us, boy! Where is Aideen?!"
"She's dead! Aideen Hayashi no longer exists!" Kiyoshi yelled.
Underneath him the water rippled slightly.
"Throw him in!" One Hand ordered and the other figure pushed.
Kiyoshi fell towards the water and waited to be devoured.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Twelve: Scarlet To The Rescue

Kiyoshi's sense of direction must be off because he felt himself stop in mid air, and then start floating up. What's going on?! He looked up to see a hand grabbing him.
"Kiyoshi, you okay?" Scarlet asked and climbed back up onto the dock, pulling him next to her.
"How-how did you? With the water? And...and the flying?!"
She chuckled. "Vampires can fly."
The two hooded figures stepped closer and growled. "You again!"
"Come to take my other hand?!" One Hand yelled.
Scarlet smirked and looked behind her. "Waterlay dele deamonza, deirsha del phantomsza!"
Suddenly, three figures erupted from the water. Two appeared to be female, and one was male. They looked similar to mermaids, but their eyes were bright yellow and long spikes came out of their backs.
"Deirsha del phantomsza!" The male repeated and tackled one hooded figure to the ground.
The females tackled the other.
Scarlet covered Kiyoshi eyes and guided him off the dock. "You don't want to see this."
"Why did they only attack those two and not us?"
"Because I asked them to kill them, and they were hungery."
"You speak water demon?" Kiyoshi acted amazed.
"Duh, all demons speak the same language, but there are different variations of it."
"Oh...where are we going?"
"I'm going to take you to meet up with Violet and Ki-Ki."
"Whose Ki-Ki?" Kiyoshi asked.
"I'll explain later." Scarlet answered.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Thirteen: The Island Of Mist

"S-s-so you're Ki-Kiy-Kiyoshi," Ki-Ki stammered as always. "Nice to me-mee-meet you."
"Ki-Ki, why were your Phantoms after him?" Scarlet hissed.
"I wa-wan-wanted to see how much h-h-he knew."
"Ki-Ki!" Violet grabbed the old priest and growled at him. "Never, ever threaten Kiyoshi's life!"
"He was almost water demon food." Scarlet added and protectivly pulled Kiyoshi alittle closer.
He turned alittle red and bravely reached for Scarlet's hand.
She didn't pull away.
"I-I-I'm sorry!" Ki-Ki apologized. "I di-did-didn't think they wo-wou-would pull in the wa-wat-water demons!"
"Listen, Ki-Ki, just tell me where we can find Scarlet's mother and we'll leave." Violet said calmly.
Ki-Ki walked over to a map hanging up on the wall and pointed to a small island. "He-here."
"The Island of Mist." Violet gasped.
"What's so bad about the Island of Mist?" Kiyoshi asked.
"Demons are forbidden there. As soon as they step onto shore they are killed." Scarlet answered.
"So, Violet will have to stay behind?!" Kiyoshi seemed really upset.
Violet hugged him and smiled. "It's okay Kiyoshi. It's not like I'm leaving forever."
"Sc-Scar-Scarlet might also ha-hav-have trouble since she is p-par-part demon." Ki-Ki warned then left the room.
"Come on Kiyoshi," Scarlet lifted him up onto her back, "we have to go to the Island of Mist."
"Good luck, Scarlet." Violet said and bowed.
"Stay safe, Violet." Scarlet said then disappeared in a gust of wind.

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Fourteen: Surprise Visitor

Kiyoshi and Scarlet walked side by side. They were heading to a shop on the edge of the water to rent a boat.
Scarlet grew increasingly nervous it seemed. Her fingers twitched and she clenched and unclenched her hands.
"Scarlet, are you okay?" Kiyoshi put his hand on her shoulder.
Scarlet flinched away and turned towards him. Her eyes were bright red. "No, I'm not okay!" She hissed.
"What's wrong?!"
"What do you think?! Use your head! What do vampires eat?!"
Kiyoshi flinched then started growing increasingly terrified. "You wouldn't eat me, would you?"
"I'm trying not to..." Scarlet replied then turned away from him.

________________

Kiyoshi walked into the shop and was followed by Scarlet. The shop would better be described as a shed. The windows all lacked glass, and the counter looked like the remains of a termite nest.
A blonde haired woman stood behind the counter. She wore nothing but a brown potato sac and her hair was tied back into two pig tails. She smiled polietly at Kiyoshi and cast a jealous eye at Scarlet.
"We need one boat please." Kiyoshi said.
"To where are you heading?" The woman asked.
"None of your buisness." Scarlet hissed then covered her mouth as if she didn't believe what she just said.
The woman looked hurt and left behind a big wooden door.
Kiyoshi turned towards Scarlet and anger flashed in his eyes. "What's wrong with you? Can't you stop acting like a jerk for one minute?! We're doing this to find your mother!"
Much to Kiyoshi's surprise, tears started filling Scarlet's eyes. She ran out the door and didn't look back.
The woman returned and looked confused. "Where's your friend?"
"What did I just do?!" Kiyoshi ran after Scarlet and left the woman even more confused.

_______________

The waves lapped up onto the shore and the cold wind whipped through Scarlet's purple hair. She couldn't remember the last time she cried, or even if she ever cried before. She buried her head in her knees and sobbed. Deep down, she knew what Kiyoshi had said about her was true. She was a jerk that always acted mean to scare people.
She didn't notice the sound of footsteps behind her until she was tackled to the ground.
"Hello again, my ex-sister."

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Fifeteen: Yukio Vs. Scarlet

With one easy motion, Scarlet threw Yukio off and pulled out her sword.
Yukio laughed and pulled out his own sword. "You really think you can beat me, half-breed?"
"That names Scarlet, now, Yukio, and I know I can kill you!" She lunged with vampire speed. Her sword bit deeply into his arm and the blade became stained with blood.
"Damn you!" Yukio leaped back while parrying another one of Scarlet's attacks.
A smile spread across her face. Raising her right arm out to the side of her, she lay her sword flat in the air. With a flash of light the sword lit on fire. "Blade of Fire!" Scarlet's sword spun through the air as she did and slashed without mercy.
Yukio stumbled back with several burned cuts on his arms and legs. "You are a freak, Scarlet." He spat out her name with pure hatred.
"Oh, didn't daddy tell you? He had a small affair with a vampire and got me! I'm afraid he's the one to blame for me!"
"You lair!" His eyes turned yellow and he transformed into his full demon form. The wolf glared at her and crouched low to the ground. "Die, Scarlet!" He pounced.
She had no time to react before the wolf was upon her. Claws met with flesh and blood splattered all over its fur. Scarlet screamed and tried in a futal effort to shove the wolf off.
Yukio lifted his head and grined his giant wolf teeth. Then his mouth went staight for Scarlet's neck and tore right through it.
Scarlet's body stopped moving and her eyes starred up into nothing.
Yukio howled in victory and headed back home to confront his father about her accusation.

_____________________

Kiyoshi ran wildly down the shore line, breathing heavily and dragging his legs forward with every step. "Scarlet! Where are you?! Scarlet!" He called, but his call received no response. "Scarlet!" He called again. Suddenly he saw where the sand was stained red. Whiping his head around, he saw Scarlet laying on the beach. She didn't move, and it appeared like she wasn't breathing. "Scarlet!" Kiyoshi ran to her side and tears fell from his eyes. "No, you can't be dead! You've had worse then this! Scarlet, wake up!" He lifted her limp body up and gently stroked the blood stained hair out of her face.
Her blank eyes starred back at him.
"Scarlet..." Kiyoshi held her against him and cried. For the first time in his life, he felt he couldn't go on. He was raised to be a farmer, but was whisked away to be a care-taker for demons, and now, the one demon he was supposed to care for, was dead. Scarlet...Aideen...she was dead. His body shook with heavy sobs. "No...no no no!" He shook her and waited for her to blink and yell why he was holding her, but she stayed limp. Kiyoshi thought about all the time he spent with Scarlet, and realized it was a very short time, and yet he'd grown to care for her. Maybe...even love her. Then, he got an idea, but he had no idea if it would work. Gently, he set her head back into the sand and leaned in close to her face. "Scarlet...I love you..." Then he kissed her.
At first, nothing happened, and the boy began to lose hope. Then, a hand reached up and gently strocked his head.
Lifting his head away, he saw Scarlet looking at him. Really looking at him. She was alive!
"Kiyoshi..." She whispered his name with the greatest tenderness.
"Scarlet!" He held her close again and tears of sorrow turned to those of joy.
"Kiyoshi, that...hurts...a lot..." She said through gritted teeth.
"I'll...I'll get help!" Kiyoshi turned to leave, but Scarlet grabbed his hand.
"Don't leave me...please..." Her eyes started to close and she fainted.
"I promise I won't ever leave you, Scarlet. Not for as long as I live..."

[Scarlet the Heroine]

Chapter Sixteen: Amaya

Kiyoshi and Scarlet sat in a boat that slowely traveled across the lake. Scarlet was asleep and wrapped up in Kiyoshi's jacket in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
No matter how calm Kiyoshi seemed, inside he was worried about her. Most of the wounds had already healed, thanks to Scarlet's half-vampire geans, but the wound on her neck looked angry.
The woman from the store rowed them to the island and tried not to ask questions in fear of getting the purple haired woman mad again.
The lake they sailed on looked bleak and dead. No wind whipped over it, and no movement below it. Every where you look a creeping mist was all you could see. The sky was gray and the water was a darker shade of blue.
Kiyoshi wrapped his arm around Scarlet's shoulders to make sure she wasn't shivering.
The woman glanced at Scarlet again with a jealous eye but said nothing.

Finally, the island came into view. It was large and full of dead trees all along the shore line. Only one path broke through the foliage and it was decorated with mist and dead tree branches.
"What a lovely place." Kiyoshi said sarcasticly and shook Scarlet to wake her up.
She opened her eyes and looked around. "Perfect place for a vampire to hide. I'm sure the sun light doesn't penetrate the darkness of the dead forest."
The two companions got off the boat and thanked the blonde haired woman for the ride. She nodded and headed back towards her little shac.
Scarlet led the way, limping slightly on her right leg, and was followed by Kiyoshi.
The forest seemed to swallow them in her dark grasp. Far off, an owl "whooed" a welcome.
"Scarlet, are you scared?" Kiyoshi asked.
"No, I'm not. Surprisingly both demons and vampires don't get scared easily."
"Or it could just be your stubborness." Kiyoshi joked and earned a chuckle from Scarlet.
"That too."

They must have been walking close to an hour when Scarlet stopped. She raised her head and sniffed the air.
"Someone is watching us." She said and crouched low to the ground.
Kiyoshi drew out his sword and looked ahead of them.
A woman stepped out of the darkness and smiled at them. Her hair was as black as night with white tips. Her eyes were redder then blood, and her body was slender and tall. She wore a loose fitting robe, and a cross hung from her neck. She appeared to have no weapons, and no shoes.
"Why have you come here?" The woman asked.
"I'm looking for my mother." Scarlet answered and got out of her battle position.
"Then why is he with you? Food perhaps?" The woman pointed at Kiyoshi as she spoke and smiled at the word "food."
"He's my friend, not food." Scarlet warned.
"Very well, I am Amaya, and I will take you to your mother." Amaya motioned for them to follow her.
Scarlet nodded, grabbed Kiyoshi's hand, and followed the vampiress through the darkness.
"How does she know who your mother is?" Kiyoshi whispered.
"I don't know, so be on your guard. I don't trust her." Scarlet answered.
Amaya grinned slightly at their nervousness.