Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Princess Miyu. . . . .but it'd be totally awesome if I did.

O.O This story has been completely neglected for an entire year and I feel so bad. (smacks herself) "Return to Me" is finally at it's end. Thanks to all who've read. (The partial poem is MINE!)

And when the end draws near

When the sky darkens, the wind blows,

The ocean churns and earth burns

I will still love you

Forever till the end of time.

(-)

Miyu walked along the gray beach of the Japanese Shinma Realm with an invisible halo of hatred over her head. With each step she took the sand underneath her delicate feet would burn and turn black, leaving a trail of charred footprints in her wake.

The ocean churned angrily and the white waves crashed violently against the jagged rocks that framed the base of the steep cliffs. In the distance she could see a giant, amorphous shadow rocking side to side in the ocean.

She stopped and the sand around her feet burned and then caught aflame as the smoke billowed up around her. It whirled up into the air like a phantom's shadow and went forward in the air towards the amorphous figure in the water.

Miyu watched the smoke travel ahead of her through glassy eyes masked by hate. Pure, wretched hatred. Her hands clenched the end of her kimono then relaxed then clenched again. Her muscles were taunt and she wanted so much to strangle something that she almost leapt forward; bolting straight for the Western ship struggling to stay afloat, but she stopped herself with the little control she still had.

"All in good time," she mumbled to herself. "Just a little more time. No need to give it all away." And in short but quick strides, she began to move again, following the thick string of smoke that steadily moved forward towards its quarry.

(-)

Carlua sat on the steps leading up to the deck. She had collapsed there when they had returned to the ship and had not moved since. Lemures had gone on, knowing better than to disturb her when she was in a bad mood. Her emotional strength had run out and the wall she had built around herself to keep Larva's death from affecting her had crumbled and now the feeling of loss was overwhelming. They had left Miyu behind to die; great, good riddance to her but why they left Larva's body behind to rot with her made her feel sick. The least they could have done was brought it back for a proper burial on his homeland. Pazusu at least would have wanted that.

The corridor suddenly became unbearably hot to the point where it was suffocating. She fled up the stairs and opened the door. She stepped out onto the deck and found that a thick fog had settled all around them. The fog insulated the heat and it became harder to breathe. She swayed back to the door.

"Lemures!" she called down the dark stairs. The air shimmered and he appeared in time to catch her as she fell through the air, knocked out by the choking smog. He set her down on the floor; there was no time to carry her to her room. He flew up the stairs and leaned over the railing, training his eyes on a petite figure standing at the heart of the fog storm.

So, Miyu had survived after all. He wasn't thrilled by the Japanese Guardian's defiance and annoyed that he would have to go back down to the shore to finish her off; again.

(-)

Miyu waited patiently on the shore as the fog swarmed around her. By now the fog should have enveloped the ship. She really hoped they both hadn't been taken out by it. It wouldn't be as fun killing them if they didn't fight back.

Suddenly the ground disappeared beneath her feet as she was picked up and thrown up into the air. She went up then can down hard against a sheet of rocks, slid down with them and became buried underneath another level of rocks that came crashing down upon her. A high-pitched scream filled the air and the rocks on top of her disintegrated. Miyu looked up and saw Lemures standing in front of her, blood draining from his left ear. She grinned. "A sneak attack, so unlike you." He didn't respond to her taunt and she frowned. "What? You can't hear me?"

The air became alive with chattering and the sky above them darkened with the black wings of large crows. They gathered above them sending loose feathers raining down towards the ground. Miyu didn't even bother to look up at them. Birds were no match for her. The crows gathered together and swooped down for her baring their talons, ready to strip her of her flesh. Miyu closed her eyes and threw her head back. Fire erupted from the core of her body and rushed up, surrounding the demonic flock and reducing them to ashes. Ashes rained down upon her and she bowed her head. Blood slowly spilled out of a gash that lined her belly. She glared at Lemures who stood in the same place but with his right hand coated in blood. He wasn't going to go anywhere near her; he had learned his lesson the first time. If she so much as touched him he would burst into flames, but he still had to attack with caution. She had warped his equilibrium with the high-pitch scream. Already he had missed his target, having sliced her belly instead of beheading her.

Miyu held her hands out and fire leapt from them hungrily racing for their target. Lemures waved his hand and the flames disintegrated in the air but he took a step back. The flames had gotten too close for his liking before they had disintegrated. He would have to find another way around Miyu's pyromaniac tendencies. She moved a step closer.

"It's your turn!" she called out loudly.

"Still willing to stall?" he asked.

"I'm not stalling."

"Then die." Miyu felt an electrical shock travel throw the air like a sonic blast and she was embedded in the rock wall behind her. There was no pain but she flinched from the intensity of the hit. She opened her eyes and he had disappeared only to reappear hovering in the air.

"Damned crow," she muttered. She sent another set of flames after him but he dodged them somewhat ungracefully. He tried to land on the ground but his body and mind weren't at the right place at the right time and he ended up landing off centered losing balance and fell. Miyu took advantage of the movement and set the sand aflame around him.

"Burn!" she screamed but he disappeared again just before the flames engulfed him. They had only started to fight and already both sides had taken on a considerable amount of damage and neither side was willing to stop their attack and flee patterns that had formed. A wall of rocks came crashing down from the top of the cliff and Miyu dodged. She could feel the air crackle with another electric spike and the sand spit up all around her before circling around to crash into her. She fell back and the waves of sand struck each other sending hot, burning sand into her face. She cried out and covered her eyes.

Miyu tried to fight back, knowing that Lemures would take advantage of her temporary blindness. She sent flames scattering out everywhere. The flames swept across the sand leaving black scars and raged up the side of the cliffs. When she finally regained the use of her eyes the entire area was nothing but smoking sand and burning rock. Lemures had fled to the sky and hovered hundreds of feet above her. She glared at him. "I'll clip your wings," she thought bitterly.

The air shimmered and in her peripheral vision she saw a transparent veil waver. She only gave it half a glance before tuning her full attention back on the enemy. She knew that Lemures was going to wait for her to make the first move. He was fully on the defensive and would only attack when she let her guard down.

She could feel an inferno raging inside of her, begging for release, and she had such a desire to release it. She just needed to find the perfect moment.

"Come down here, Lemures. I want to show you something," she taunted while waving an orb of fire out in front of her. She became increasingly irritated when he refused to come down. "Come down here now!" she screamed. Flames burst up from the ground and circled around in the air rushing towards him. The sky became alive with fire and he was quickly engulfed in the blaze. Miyu grinned happily. One down, one to go. The shimmering veil reappeared and Miyu turned her attention to it. Behind the veil, not clearly seen, was the silhouette of a man. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Larva?"

The flames dispersed in a sudden decrescendo and she felt a body of energy move past her. The veil with the silhouette disappeared and Lemures reappeared, alive, in its place. Blood ruptured from a ragged line drawn across her neck and her hands flew to her throat to try and stop it. She choked and sputtered blood from her mouth, flowing out from the corners of her lips. She fell to her knees gasping and crumpled to the charred sand.

Lemures wiped the blood from his hands. "Die in peace."

(-)

Carlua woke up with a start. The last thing she could remember was being on deck with the fog all around her. After that, everything was a blur. She stood up and with the aid of the banister, climbed up the stairs to return to the deck. When she opened the door she found the deck had disappeared and had been replaced with a realm housing tall, black, twisted trees and red crystal orbs. The sky was a fiery red backdrop for the gray clouds. She tried to retreat back downstairs but found that the strange red realm had engulfed the entire ship. Something shifted near her and she moved away startled by the sudden movement. One of the hundreds of trees quivered and began to morph into a humanoid shape. The rough bark turned into black flowing material and pale flesh.

"No," Carlua gasped, her hands shaking. "No, you're dead. You're dead!"

Larva watched her through clouded eyes filled with pity. "I will never die," he whispered and his voice seemed to echo from every dimension. "As long as this realm, this sanctuary, continues to thrive with Miyu's essence then I shall continue to thrive."

Fear fell from her and she became furious. She had wasted all this time and effort only to be hurt and betrayed. "Then I shall destroy your precious sanctuary!" she spat enraged. She held out her hands and pale, white orbs materialized in the air all around them. She clenched one hand and the orbs on her right side exploded into white smoke shattering the red orbs near them and disintegrating the black trees. Before she could close her left hand, Larva grasped her wrist and held it above her head. Carlua struggled to break free but his nails dug into her skin to keep her still.

"This has gone on long enough," Larva said. "I'm sorry Carlua, but since you are a Stray Shinma I must return you to the darkness."

A searing pain ran down her arm and throughout her entire body. She gave a cry and tried to fight him but no matter how much she clawed at his flesh he didn't let go. Suddenly she was thrown down into an abyss of darkness, falling away from everything; the red realm, the trees, the orbs, and the only relation she had, had left. She landed on a hard surface sending a jolt through her body. She quickly sat up and looked around her.

She was lying at the bottom of the stairs. The door was still open and a slight breeze blew in. She had fallen down the stairs? Had it been possible that she had been sleep walking? She pulled back her sleeve revealing the marks that Larva had left on her arm. No, it hadn't been a dream it had been reality. She quickly got up on her feet and flew up the stairs. She had to find Lemures.

(-)

Miyu could still feel the anger boiling in her chest as the blood stopped welling out of the gash across her throat. The sand darkened around her, turning black until it changed again and hardened into smooth clear glass that cracked into jagged shards. The shards pulled away from each other and took flight straight into the air. An extremely large piece was formed under her and lifted her up till she was standing. The glass surrounded them and reflected every detail about them like mirrors. Lemures took a step back but showed no fear. Miyu bowed her head and her bangs hid her eyes.

"You should have stayed in the Western World when you escaped Darkness," she mumbled.

There was no time, literally no space. No thoughts, no chances to defend, not even a breath was taken from the air. Miyu hadn't even realized she had pulled the trigger. When she looked up the glass was no longer hovering around her. Every jagged piece had hit its mark, impaling his body fast enough that it wasn't even fazed.

And for a moment, she was thinking like herself again. There was blood everywhere, splattered on the sand like a wave. He bared such a resemblance to Larva that she almost felt sorry for what she had done until his mouth slackened and blood whispered across his lips from the corners of his mouth, then she regained her sadistic composure. His eyes were still clear and he looked almost as if he was going to say something. She thought about how funny it would be if he continued to live if only for a few more moments. After all, chickens could live without their heads for a few days. Miyu laughed at the thought.

Suddenly, something appeared in her peripheral vision and she turned her head to perceive Carlua standing near a landslide of rocks with her hands over her mouth, trying to keep back the tears. Miyu smiled at her and clenched her hand. The glass shards reverted back to sand, stained red, and drained out of the wounds. To Miyu's disappointment, his eyes closed and he fell backwards. Carlua rushed from where she had stood and caught his body in her arms. She wasn't strong enough to hold him up and they both fell to the ground. Her dress was quickly soaked with blood as she cradled him in her arms. It had been so unreal. His death had been so quick she could have sworn that there had been no pain. She touched his face and felt how cold he was. She couldn't handle seeing him this way.

She bowed her head and let the tears stream freely down her cheeks and onto his forehead. She had lost everyone close to her; Larva, Lemunia, Pazusu and now Lemures, the last person who understood how she felt, understood what it was like to mourn for the people you loved. They were never close though, just two accomplices in a game with a common goal. If it hadn't been for Larva they probably wouldn't have given more than a passing glance to each other.

Miyu watched Carlua mourn over her fallen comrade, becoming ever impatient with waiting. Why was she even allowing her to mourn when she hadn't even begun to mourn for the lost of her lover? The sand began to churn around them. Carlua looked up, her face tear-streaked and worn. Miyu glared at her. "Don't cry any more you wretched beast," she ordered. "You're fated to die the same way." The sand hardened and rose up in the air once more but in red jagged shards of glass. "Look! You get red stained glass," Miyu smiled. "Don't you feel special?"

Carlua shuddered out of fear but made no move to try to defend herself. If she was going to die then she wanted to be sure that her body was able lie down next to his for companionship. They had come to Japan together, they were going to leave together.

When Miyu realized that Carlua wasn't going to try to fight her fate she frowned. "Stupid girl." A wave of a sand swirled up into the air and the red glass took flight, spinning wildly around it like a whirl wind until the wave of sand warped with it and came crashing down upon them. When the sand had thinned out both Carlua and Lemures had disappeared.

Miyu fell to her knees as a wave of excruciating pain struck her. The pure rage that had enveloped her mind fled from her and she screamed as every bone in her body felt as if it were being crushed. The entire time she had been fighting, every wound she had received, every blow she had taken her body hadn't registered the pain until that very moment when it all came flooding back to her. She suddenly remembered each pain and at the exact moment when she had received it. She curled up into a ball on the sand and sobbed. The tears burned her face like boiling water and she tried frantically to wipe them away with her swollen, bruised hands.

"Larva," she called out to the gray ocean. Her voice crackled from her parched throat. The ocean had calmed and the waves lapped soundless against the shore. She couldn't help but want to die. So much pain for only two Stray Shinmas and there were so many more Shinmas that needed to be returned to the Dark. She felt sick at the thought. She didn't want to be the Guardian anymore. She just wanted to be allowed to die even if she died alone, as long as she found peace. She closed her aching eyes that had seen so much over the pass few days. Beauty beyond what she had never imagined she would witness or experience. And the horrors of losing control, losing so much as to go against morals and viciously murder. True, they had been Strays and yes, they had caused Larva to die but even they didn't deserve to be put out like that.

Miyu could feel herself slipping away. It was a frightening yet relieving feeling like hanging from a ledge high up in the air, knowing that if you let go you would go falling to your death. But when your arms go numb and your strength gives out you fall relieved that you no longer have to force yourself to hang on for the people who will never come to save you. She called for Larva one last time before jolting awake when she heard a murmured response in the distances. She sat up, no longer in pain, to behold the expanse of her Crimson Realm all around her. The red orbs lined the twisted black trees that rose up towards the endless red sky. She never felt so at peace.

"Miyu," the voice murmured clearer this time.

Miyu couldn't help but let the tears flow freely before turning to behold Larva sitting next to her. His skin was a healthier shade of color and there wasn't as much as a scratch on him. Miyu closed her eyes to clear her vision before falling into his arms and she went into a fit of thick sobs. He quietly held her and patiently waited until she had taken the time to compose herself. She pulled away enough so she could take his head in her hands and caress his face.

"You're alive," she choked. Larva nodded and Miyu could feel a fresh batch of tears forming behind her already reddened eyes. "But I took all your blood. I felt you die." The tears broke free and she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to him, fearing at any moment he would be torn away from her again.

"I will always be here," he whispered in her ear. "We are one and I will always be a part of your realm until we both die together."

Miyu relaxed her grip and ran her hands down his shoulders. Together. She would never have to fear dying alone because they would always be together, from beginning to end. She suddenly felt sick and she gripped Larva's cloak.

"Larva," she murmured. "Lemures . . .and Carlua . . . .they're both. . . . ."

"Sleeping," Larva finished for her. "I know." He nodded behind her and she turned around. They laid under a black tree with low twisted branches that formed a canopy over them as they slept. They looked so peaceful almost harmless. She still hated them so much for what they had done but she was glad that they were finally laid to rest. After all, she was the main reason why they were so full of bitterness and anger against the Japanese Shinmas. She had taken away the one person that they had loved and cared for and not being able to bring him back to them drove them literally insane. It was cruel and perhaps if she had taken a closer look she may have been able to prevent all the battles and the suffering. Larva moved closer to his old friend and cousin and sat next to them. Miyu joined him and stood beside him.

"I feel so cold," she said looking down on them.

"It's not your fault," Larva said. "They were not the same people I had left behind in Europe." He slipped his arms under Lemures' body and held him for one final embrace. "This is our final journey together my friend." He laid him back down and kissed Carlua's forehead. "Forgive me, Carlua." They sat in silence for a moment and then Miyu rested her hand on his shoulder. Larva took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"We shouldn't stay here very long," Miyu whispered. "We need to rest. There are still more Shinmas to return to the Dark."

Larva stood up and embraced her then they walked together towards the trees until they disappeared, and the Crimson Realm darkened.

(-)

The gray waves of ocean water lapped gently against the hull of the darkened Western Ship that still weighed anchor parallel to the shore. The ship itself had not been disturbed by the ongoing battle that had taken place on the shore and it waited patiently for its two occupants to return. A sudden breeze ruffled the frayed edges of the sails and something appeared on deck wrapped in a red cloak. For several hours it laid still on the deck until finally a slender hand reached out from underneath and pushed the thick fabric aside.

Carlua sat up with her head in her hands. Her head ached and she felt sick. She looked up at the mast towering above her and realized she was still alive. She untangled the cloak from around her legs, pulled it around her and forced herself to stand up. She looked out across the shore like she had done a few nights before but only this time she did it alone. She pulled the cloak tighter.

"It's over, Lemures," she whispered. "Let's go home." She turned away from the Japanese landscape and slowly followed the stairs below deck. A few moments later, the ship detached from the realm and disappeared into the fog.

-The End-

Sequel? O.o

BlueDragonGirl1: OMG! It's done. It is finally done! I can't believe it! It was two years ago when I first put up chapter one and now I'm posting up the finally chapter! I am so thrilled and relieved at the same time. Thanks to everyone who had read and reviewed over the past two years. I hope you will continue to read my works and aid a hand with your wonderful advice. R&R!