Sympathy for the Diva

Disclaimer: Don't own so don't sue

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Conclusion: Nankurunaisa

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Having escaped the blazing wreckage of the opera house, human and chiropteran alike converged to meet up at the apartment where Julia and Mao awaited them. This part had all been planned and expected. What was not was the sight of Diva stepping into the same apartment, her hand clasping Riku's and their arms cradling their daughters. Understandably it caused a stir among those who didn't know what had happened to bring this about.

Moses was glaring at her but made no hostile moves, Lulu looked unsure of what to make of her, and David made no effort to hide his skeptical glare. Mao was outright angry, though more for being out of the loop than anything else, and Julia was obviously studying the situation carefully before expressing an opinion.

Karman, however, was proving to be the most expressive critic of the current circumstances.

"Diva is our enemy!" The artificial chevalier shouted as he tried to lunge at the queen.

"So was Saya!" Irene cried back, she and Riku struggling to restrain him. For her part Diva sat on the ground letting her babies play with her fingers, appearing utterly unconcerned at the goings-on around her.

"That was different," Karman growled back, at last relaxing enough to be released. "Back then we knew no other way than to take what we wanted…" he glowered.

"I know that Karman," Irene said softly, "and I don't blame you for it. Yet the fact remains that before meeting Saya we ended the lives of a number of innocent people. I bear that responsibility and guilt as much as you do. I may not have been able to stomach killing them, but I still fed from the victims. When I think back to those days, to the things we did… we did them to survive, because we were alone in the world, afraid and in pain… and yet those people… they did not deserve to die like that… and now… now they can never be brought back…" her eyes began to tear and Kai hugged her from the back.

Karman's shoulders shook with repressed emotion, his head held low. "We knew no other way… how were we to know it was wrong?"

"I have no answer to that," Irene said softly, "but can't you consider it possible that Diva might have been the same? Maybe she also knew no other way to live?"

Riku noticed Diva had eyed Irene thoughtfully at this and could tell she was touched by her words, though she kept silent.

"She has a point Karman," Moses remarked to his friend gently. He then leveled his gaze at Diva. "Even so, how can we be sure she wants this second chance? She doesn't appear to be at all repentant."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Kai remarked grimly, still far from happy with the situation. "You guys must have felt something back at the opera house when Diva broke down over Riku. There's no way sadness like that could have been faked, it made me feel as awful as I've ever felt in my life."

The mention of the psychic effects of Diva's breakdown was enough to start Lulu crying quietly, and the haunted look in his eyes made it clear Karman had indeed felt what the others had felt. Still, he dismissed the notion. "So she mourned, what does that prove?" he demanded.

"That she's not a monster," Saya replied, speaking up for the first time since the argument started. She sat next to Haji, her tired body leaning against his as she drank some tea to calm her nerves. Riku continued to look about nervously as he knelt next to Diva and gave her hand a squeeze he hoped was reassuring. Though again, Diva seemed perhaps the calmest person in the room. Riku knew it was because of the new decisions she had made on how to live her life, but all the same Riku knew her passiveness in this would likely be seen as simply not caring.

David shook his head. "That's immaterial Saya," he replied before turning away from her. "Joel, I know you have always felt pity for Diva, but I am concerned that it is now effecting your judgement. I won't deny Diva seems to have changed from the dangerously unstable girl we encountered at The Zoo and back on our ship. However, do you really expect this change to last? Do you really intend to simply let Diva walk free?"

Joel shook his head. "Actually David, what I would like to propose would be more of a system of parole for Diva, for lack of a better term. The fact of the matter is that Saya and her family are the ones most capable of making sure Diva doesn't cause anyone further harm. Furthermore, with them she could continue to be rehabilitated. Of course, I would need and hope that you would agree with this miss Diva."

Diva looked up when he addressed her, revealing she had in fact been paying close attention. "I meant what I said earlier," Diva replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I want to be with Riku as long as he'll let me, I want to learn more about what it is to feel the way he does. If I have to live with Saya and Kai to do that then I will."

"What?!" Kai exclaimed. "No way in hell!"

Riku turned to him, "but Kai, you said earlier…"

"I know that her feelings for you and the babies are real, and I can't say I hate her the same as I did before," Kai replied, clenching a fist. "But Riku… that doesn't mean I'd be able to live in the same house as her." Looking into Riku's moistening eyes he sighed in exasperation. "Damn it… this whole night has been a lot to take in… I… I just don't know…"

"I know…" Riku said quietly, "I know but still… there has to be a way to make this work."

Kai glanced at the teenage female who had been silent thus far. "What about you Mao? You and Okamura don't have anything to say about this?"

Mao sighed, no longer angry now that she knew what was going on. "Frankly, at this point I feel out of my depth. After all the awful things I've heard about Diva, seeing her in person like this with Riku so passionately defending her, it's hard to believe she's the same person. I don't know what's right to do here."

"Ditto," Okamura stated. "but after all that drama in the opera house it's hard not to feel sorry for her."

"We can't decide this based on feelings!" David yelled, slamming his hand on his chair and standing up. He now turned to address Joel. "Assuming this idea could even work are you actually telling me you think there is justice in it? Do you really believe she should not be punished for the crimes and suffering and death she has caused?"

Joel's expression turned more serious. "And I would ask you, David, can there really be justice in any of this? Can justice even apply in the same way? Diva is not like other humans, she is a special case. Furthermore, her mental and psychological problems can certainly be seen as mitigating factors."

Joel folded his hands thoughtfully. "Also, as I'm sure you know the vast majority of the crimes we sought to end were done by her chevalier or those they employed. As Riku told me when we met up on the way here, Diva had little knowledge of those things and even less to do with them. Amshel indeed was the driving force behind most of the atrocities."

David glowered. "It wasn't Amshel who slaughtered our agents a year ago, what of them?"

Joel's expression turned softer and sympathetic. "That is true… we lost many good man that night… but does killing Diva make their deaths have any meaning? What if by sparing Diva we were to be able to save lives? Wouldn't that be a better tribute to them?"

"Save lives?!" David questioned, incredulous, "just how long do you intend to make me listen to this nonsense Joel? How can you expect me to-"

"Please!" Riku interrupted him, grasping David's arm and then pleading with his head bowed respectfully. "Please just give us a chance! I know she's done horrible things, I know that she deserves to be punished! But I want to help her, I want to see her happy and I think now she finally can be! I swear, I'll make sure she doesn't hurt anyone. I'll stake my life on it!"

While David stared back in shock at Riku's outburst, Lewis looked unsure of himself but spoke anyway, "it isn't like we have any prisons capable of holding her unless she gets weak first. And if Saya is refusing to fight her and Riku is going to protect her, we can't do much about it by ourselves. I for one don't want another battle to start simply because we couldn't agree on what to do with Diva. There's been so much bloodshed tonight already…"

David sighed in frustration, no longer sure of just how he felt. "Riku… I can't help but wonder what your father would think of this."

"He took me in… a chiropteran who he knew I had killed so many innocent people…" Saya said quietly, her hand holding Haji's tightly, "and cared for me like I was his own flesh and blood. The circumstances may have been different… but I think he would want us to help Diva if it was possible. She did save Haji…"

Saya was not personally comfortable with the idea of living anywhere near Diva, let alone in the same house. Everything had changed so quickly and it still felt surreal. The night had begun with her resolute in killing Diva and herself and now, scant hours later, they both seemed to have a future. She had saved Haji, but even that didn't mean she could just act like the past never happened. Still… if it was for Riku… and after all she wouldn't need to live with Diva long before she'd get herself a thirty year vacation of sorts. Maybe by then she would be more accepting of the idea.

"But as I was saying," Joel began, getting everyone's attention back. "Diva could help us save lives. Isn't it possible Doctor Julia that her blood could be used to make treatments for the artificial chiropterans?"

"It is feasible…" Julia replied, hand to her chin in thought as she leaned forward, unintentionally showing a bit of her expansive cleavage and making Lulu (who stood nearby) gape and wonder just why her breasts were so tiny in comparison to the doctor's.

Oblivious to Lulu's inner musings, Julia continued, "I'm already having some success devising substitute blood for the Schiff to use while Saya is dormant, based on studying her blood, and I've also uncovered elements that relate to what causes the artificial chiropterans to form. It stands to reason that having the actual source blood to study would hasten my research."

"You'd help them, right Diva?" Riku asked, looking at her imploringly.

Diva shut her eyes in thought and nodded after a moment. "If that's what it takes. It sounds better than the tests that Amshel and the old man used to perform on me."

"I can assure you of that," Julia replied, feeling more and more open to working with Diva like this as she considered the potential benefits. "You will be treated as well as I can at all times, you have my word, and the both of you will be informed before any procedure is planned or attempted."

David groaned, frustrated but more accepting now. "If we do this, we need more than just Diva's word. She can't be given the option of simply running away if something goes wrong."

Joel nodded. "That is reasonable. Do you have a problem with that Diva? I can assure you that whatever we use it will only be with your and Riku's approval and non-lethal."

Diva glanced at him. "I'm getting tired of all this talk, so I'll just put it this way. I have nothing tying me to my old life anymore. Riku and my babies are my life now. If it means making them happy and keeping them safe, I'll be a good girl for you people."

The silence that followed indicated an agreement, even if many in the room were still not really happy or comfortable with it. It wasn't how they imagined this struggle begun so many years before to end but that didn't change the fact that it had seemed to finally end. And for that there was a sense of relief for all. David gave another heavy sigh, this time more from fatigue than frustration and Julia got up to place a comforting hand on his shoulder and lead him back to sit in a chair beside her.

It was now Saya had begun to pick up on the nearly invisible clues to Haji's emotional state. He seemed to be deep in thought but on another matter than Diva. She placed her hand on his. "What is it Haji?"

"That man…" he pondered, seemingly both to Saya and himself, "he did not have to die. I believe I could have stopped Amshel without him, so why would he sacrifice himself?" He looked at Diva, silently requesting her opinion.

"He didn't," Diva replied flatly. "If I know him at all, Nathan just wanted a flashy exit that would keep people from looking for him. Its clear he wants me to live my own dreams now so he stepped aside. Still, I wonder if I'll ever see him again, he always was fun to be around."

"But Saya's blood-" Kai began.

"Wouldn't work," Diva interrupted, glancing at Kai in a mocking way that was sure to anger the boy.

"Why?" Okamura inquired, eager enough for info to address the queen directly. After all he'd seen that night he'd lost all sense of fear by now.

Diva gave him a cursory glance and shrugged. "Because, he's not really my chevalier, he never was. I'm not sure whose he was or where he came from but he certainly never smelled at all like Saya."

David was stunned at this information, having not been present when Nathan explained himself. "A chevalier from another queen… but even if he was immune to Saya's blood, even chevalier couldn't survive an explosion like that."

"Maybe, but who says he was even in the explosion?" Diva asked with a bit of a sly smile. "He could have gotten out in time if he really tried. But I don't think you have to worry about Nathan causing any trouble. He was always pretty peaceful so long as you didn't make him mad."

Lewis yawned widely, "for now, I think it would be best for those of us who aren't chevalier to get some sleep. We've got a lot of chaos to deal with in the morning with all the chiropterans that have been confined around the world tonight."

Julia agreed, "at least they are relatively docile now, through some unexplained psychic link with Diva. On the news I saw officers leading them into cages with nothing but a few ropes. People will want to know about the possibility of a cure, so we should put out the information as soon we can. Through the proper channels of course, we'll need to keep Saya and Diva's existence secret."

Joel folded his arms and nodded, feeling rather fatigued himself. "For that reason it is fortunate you used an alternate form for your public appearances Diva. Because of that to the world the girl known as Diva will be said to have died tonight in the attack. We'll have to work on getting you a new identity though, but I think I can convince my allies in the government to assist, though I may have to cash in on the few favors they still owe me."

"I can keep my name though, right?" Diva asked, genuinely concerned. For all her hatred of Saya, Diva had always valued the name she had given her for the simple reason it was the first thing that she ever had of her own. "Saya kept her name."

"Yes, that should be doable," Joel agreed. "Though you will need more than just the name Diva. But that can all be worked out later. A great deal has happened and I think a little rest will help us process it."

"I am tired…" Diva stretched a bit a bit and grabbed Riku by the arm to pull him closer. "Okay, let's go to bed Riku, the babies can sleep beside us."

"Us?" Lulu asked. "But Riku doesn't sleep."

"Doesn't matter, he stays in bed with me. I sleep best that way."

Riku blushed, grinning nervously as the topic was steering in an uncomfortable direction. He could see Saya and Kai's expressions mixing concern and irritation. "Really, it's no big deal guys, I'm just comforting her," he meekly placated.

"Yeah," Diva agreed, keeping an arm around him. "It's not like I'm going to have sex with him with all of you people so close by. I'm too tired and Riku would be too nervous to do anything, although that part itself could be fun…" she said as if to herself and moved to nibble his ear.

Riku could only blush, smile and stammer at the shocked silence of the others at the sight of Diva nibbling and licking his ear so erotically. And if Saya and Kai's displeasure at the sight was anything to go by it seemed that the newly established peace between them and Diva was being put to the test already.

"Bold little vixen, isn't she," Okamura stated to no one in particular.

--

The time after that for a while seemed to rush past like a dream. Red Shield ended up implanting Diva with a small device inside her body that both allowed them to pinpoint her location anywhere on Earth and to incapacitate her if she ever became a danger to anyone. Using a code known only to Saya, her family, and the senior members of Red Shield, the device could be remotely activated to produce pulses of sound at a frequency that would rapidly knock the chiropteran queen unconscious. The device would also activate if she attempted to remove it from her body by force. So far at least they had not needed to use it, save for the initial test to make sure it would work correctly. Riku intended to keep things that way.

Riku had taken the trust Red Shield placed in him very seriously and never strayed far from Diva's side, which suited Diva just fine. It was a good thing too as he had learned to sense her moods well enough to anticipate when her emotions threatened to get out of control and threaten harm on someone. His presence and senses were equally helpful in her therapy sessions, though it took them a while to find a doctor who they could trust with the truth of who she was and who was brave enough to be near her when she got upset. Slowly but surely her psychological health continued to improve.

It was decided that for now the family could remain at their old home, suspicions about their not aging being kept from occurring as they learned to use their transformation abilities to fake an older appearance. This ability could only go so far though and they knew that eventually they would have to move away and establish new identities with the support of Red Shield. For now though, they wanted to enjoy their lives again as much as they could.

Saya stretched out a bit before cuddling deeper into Haji's arms in their bed. Things were so different now, but so much better. There was Haji himself for one. He had changed, or, rather he had gone back to who he really was. She didn't know for sure if it was the burden of their mission being lifted and their newly stable life or if it was due to the level of intimacy they had achieved so quickly, and repeatedly, or some combination.

Whatever it was, it was amazing how much and how quickly Haji had mellowed over the past few weeks. He was nearly as expressive as he had been before the incident in Vietnam. He was still not particularly social and tended to be quiet as was his nature, but he rarely spoke in quite the detached, emotionless tone he often had used before. His small smiles had also become more frequent. Love seemed to be spreading everywhere, with Mao and Okamura now travelling together again and David and Julia expecting a baby.

As for the other members of the Schiff, Lulu was planning to join up with Mao and Okamura soon, while Karman and Moses were assisting Red Shield in collecting and transporting the remaining chiropterans to holding centers. Hopefully a cure for these people would be found soon.

Saya herself had been eagerly exploring the possibilities her new relationship with Haji and blushed a bit as she thought about just how "excited" she had gotten with Haji during the night. Even with her sleep approaching it seemed her long-repressed chiropteran sexual desires could give her a… well… frightening… amount of energy. She needed to make sure to give Haji a bit of her blood before the two went out to start the day. Just to make sure he'd be okay, and also to reduce the chances of Diva noticing anything off about them and starting with her crude comments. It amazed Saya how quickly her thoughts in reaction to Diva's name had changed from "mortal enemy" to "shameless brat." The way she would hang all over Riku in non-private situations was positively infuriating. The girl had no sense of decency or tact. At least Kai and Irene tried to keep their private life out of dinner conversations, when Diva let them that as, as she often enjoyed teasing Kai about the various things her keen ears picked up on at night from their room.

Not that she didn't appreciate the strange relationship, although at the same time she avoided thinking too much about the disturbing connotations of her blood sister and adopted brother doing those kinds of things.

She sighed contentedly and caressed his face. "Can we get up?"

"If that is what you wish."

"No… I mean, are you okay from last night?"

There was that smile again. "As I told you Saya, you don't have to worry about harming me. You would need to be trying to seriously hurt me in order to do any real damage."

"I see," Saya replied, looking down, her eyes subconsciously drifting to Haji's right hand. That was the hand that had been stuck in its transformed, monstrous state ever since that day in Vietnam when she had so terribly and repeatedly cut into it. She wondered if Julia's research might ever allow him to return it to normal again. After all, she had already developed a permanent cure for the Thorn by isolating certain elements in samples of Saya and Diva's blood.

However, there was sadness even in this new life. She tried to avoid thinking about how she would soon enter her dormant period, and how much she would miss in the ensuing thirty years. But there was nothing she could do other than prepare. In all her years she had never had to leave so much behind when becoming dormant. If there was one thing she still hated about being a chiropteran it was this mysterious need to sleep for so long.

Indeed, if she was interpreting her senses right, she might not last another day awake. Fueled by a renewed need for his touch, she kissed Haji's cheek and cuddled in his arms.

"Haji, I love you… so much…"

"And I you."

Nothing else needed to be said. They were practically clairvoyant when it came to each other these days and soon their bodies were moving rhythmically against each other, their hands tangled in their hair, pleasured murmurs escaping their lips.

They would remain in bed through the morning hours. Let Diva tease them, Saya decided. She wouldn't let that stop her from making the most of every waking moment she had left.

-- Several months later

For most it was another ordinary day. But for the two chiropterans sitting deep in the family tomb, it was a day that would mark a change in their lives that would last for years.

Diva had sensed it coming a couple hours ago and had said her goodbyes. She wanted only Riku with her when it happened, the tomb was no place for her babies. So now she sat here next to him, waiting for her dormant period to begin.

In a corner near them was Saya. She had been asleep for months already and her body was wholly concealed within the protective silk cocoon that always encased the queens shortly after they became dormant. Though Saya had a few years before woken over a year before Diva had, it would seem that the timing of the sleep was somewhat variable, and in addition the time of Saya's previous awakening may have been influenced by her forced awakening during in Vietnam.

Diva sighed as she eyed the cocoon. "Big sister Saya needs to always be first it seems like. First to get born, first to be loved, first to go to sleep and first to wake up."

Riku chuckled. "Maybe, but is being second really so bad?"

She held his hand and leaned into him with a smile. "I guess not…"

Diva briefly considered how she would like to make love with him one last time before sleeping, but she knew she didn't have enough energy left for it. Besides, they had already done it a ton of times the previous night. This left her with her idle thoughts, regrets and hopes running through her without distraction. There was so much she still wanted to tell Riku, so much she wanted to say, yet so little time to say it in. The words were just refusing to come to her and the more stressed she got the harder it became.

Now it was getting hard to keep her emotions from spilling out, but at least she was speaking her mind again. "You know, I want to promise I won't kill anymore… but I don't know if I can… if I'm ever without you, what happens if I lose my way?"

Riku thought for a moment about his answer, then smiled. "I don't think that'll happen, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't. Still, if it does, my dad once told me that when you get lost one thing you can do is remember where you've been. Follow those memories and you'll find your way back."

Seeing Diva's uncertain expression at the analogy, Riku explained. "Just don't forget me, don't forget yourself and who you are now because of everything we've been through. Focus on those memories, even the ones that make you sad. If you do that then you'll be able to find yourself even when times are tough." He laughed a bit at his explanation. "Did any of that make sense to you?"

"I understood enough," Diva smiled, "and you're sweet. Another thing though…" her expression saddened again, "before I go to sleep, you should know that when I wake up… sometimes the nightmares and the stress cause me to go crazy for a while. I might attack anyone nearby who isn't a chevalier."

Riku nodded in understanding, putting his arms around her and laying on the floor with her. "You won't have to worry about that. I'll just make sure I'm the only one here when you wake up. Thanks to our link I'll sense when you're about to awaken, and once you calm down our daughters can see you and then we can start healing together again. The old Diva will be dead and you'll be able to be whoever you want to be. And just like it is with Haji with Saya, I'll always be by your side."

Diva sighed happily, only to tense up soon after. "It's not fair!" she suddenly snapped, twisting in his arms briefly, even her anger not enough to rouse her from her fatigue, "I finally have the family I wanted all this time! Why can't I watch them grow up?!" A few frustrated tears escaped her eyes as her voice became quiet. "Why do I have to sleep?"

"I don't know…" Riku replied in as comforting a tone as he could. "Maybe miss Julia will be able to find out while you're asleep. Maybe someday you won't need to do this. Until then just leave things to us chevalier."

"Yes but…" she hung her head. "They'll be grown by the time I see them again… will they even know me?"

He turned her face to look at him. "They will, I'll make sure of it. Me and Kai will tell them all about you and Saya when they're ready to hear it. We'll take trips here to see you while you sleep, and someday… we'll all be together again, whether its five years, ten years or even if we have to wait the full thirty."

For a while Diva stared at him in silence, then reached out to stroke his face, as if wanting to confirm he was really there and not some cruel hope her mind had dreamed up. Finally she spoke again. "Thank you… Riku… for saving me… for loving me…"

"Diva…"

"Things could have turned out so much worse so easily. If I had killed you on that ship…" her eyes were pained at the thought, "I'm sure I wouldn't be alive now."

"But you didn't-"

"But I could have!" she cried back, then whimpered, not meeting his eyes. "It was a whim… that was all it was at first… like Amshel said, I spared you on a whim… but then it became so much more… more than I ever imagined…"

"Same here," he replied softly, stroking her cheek. He smiled brightly, "I never could have imagined things turning out like this, but I'm glad they did."

"Riku…" she weakly tried to touch his cheek in return, but found she lacked the strength to raise her hand far enough. She grimaced in annoyance at her helplessness. "Riku, please…" she begged him in a small voice, "its almost time so please… tell me you love me again… kiss me… again and again until I fall asleep. I want my last thoughts awake to be good ones, so that maybe this time… maybe this time the nightmares won't come."

Riku nodded and bent down to her ear but kept her in his arms. He let his breathe tease her earlobe for a moment, making her quiver before he spoke with all the sincerity in his heart.

"I love you, Diva."

He cupped her face and moved his mouth toward hers.

"I really do love you…"

He kissed her, for once the one to lead the passion.

I love you! I always will.

Into her mind, into the kiss, he poured out his feelings. Diva murmured softly in contentment as she returned his kiss with what little strength she had left.

And not because of your blood, not because I am a chevalier, but because I choose to. Because everyone deserves a second chance at happiness, at being a good person and being loved… in your own way, you most of all.

He felt the movements of her mouth slow, then at last stop. For a moment time seemed to stop as it hit him. It had happened. The thirty year sleep had overtaken her.

Wiping his eyes and sniffling, Riku soon couldn't hold back and grasped her in a strong hug. He held her like that for a while, all but silent as he cried out emotions he still did not fully understand. Eventually he laid her down, keeping his head against hers, he shut his eyes and whispered a farewell aloud and into her mind. "I know you can still hear me Diva. So I'll say it again. I love you. Not only that, but our daughters love you, and Saya loves you. And when you wake up you'll find more people who love you and who you can love back. You'll never be alone again. So remember that if the nightmares ever come."

"Rest well," he at last whispered and kissed her on the cheek. Raising himself up to look at her, his face brightened. Diva lay there silent and still, but a small smile had found its way to her lips.

Riku felt his heart warm at the sight. "Yes… when you wake up I'm going to show you how life is supposed to be. Until then, I'll live for the future, for the both of us."

--

Notes:

Well once again I took longer than expected, but the important thing is it is done. One hundred and sixty five pages worth of story, it's finally done! Don't know for sure what I'll write next or for what series but it will be a one shot or a two-part story for sure. Stories like this just take too long.

I hope you found I balanced closure with being open-ended. That's why I did not name Riku's kids (couldn't come up with good names for them anyway) and didn't say if it was for sure Saya and Diva would sleep for thirty years.

In addition, I've redone chapters one and two due to a few references to James under the name Jason, I get the two names confused so easily it seems. I've also redone chapter two of my DearS story to have Takeya ask about Io's theory on DearS all becoming reproductive rather than having her simply brush the issue aside.

Hope you enjoyed the story, the title, in case you wanted to know, refers to the Japanese saying from the series that means something like "it will be better in the morning."

On another note, let me advertise a manga series I've gotten into that I think would be great for anyone who liked my story. It's called Dance in the Vampire Bund, and features gorgeous, sexy art and a compelling storyline. At first you may think it is some kind of loli-fetish manga but it isn't really. The main vampire character does look like a little girl but there is more to this than meets the eye. The story has a lot of heart and the side characters and romances are great. For those who want the story spoiled further feel free to email me with what you want to know, but I'm only on volume 3 of the English version so don't expect Japanese version spoilers, its one of the few series I've abstained from looking at the Japanese version for.

And while this is the official ending, I did in fact write an additional scene to close the series off. I decided I didn't want it to be the ending because it stated that the sleep had lasted for thirty years and changing those parts would change the effect of the sentences. Still, you may find it worth reading so here it is:

Alternate/Extra Ending:

Contrary to expectations, Riku's appearance had in fact changed a bit over the past three decades. Though instead of actual physical aging this was more his mastering of his chiropteran body's shape-shifting abilities. He'd managed to rework his body enough that he could look slightly older and taller, latter mid teens or so, with no effort. He could only revert to his "true" appearance with effort. Regardless he looked about the same and he hoped that Diva wouldn't mind the slight change.

Saya had already awakened several months ago and thus Diva now had the shrine to herself. It seemed thirty years was more or less an approximate number, though Saya may have woken differently before due to her trauma in Vietnam and memory loss. Regardless, Riku could sense Diva would be waking soon and had been spending every minute in her tomb. He had asked his daughters to remain at home until after Diva had awakened and for the tomb to stay sealed. He wanted to take no chances with Diva lashing out during her awakening.

He now sensed her stirring within the cocoon and soon two pale hands had pushed their way through the silk and begun to pull it apart. Women Diva was revealed bare as the day she was born, the clothes she had worn having been eaten away to dust by the strange silk her body produced. As typical her hair had grown very long in the intervening years. Riku's breath caught in his throat and he felt his eyes moisten. She was so beautiful.

She stared at him with interest, her eyes glowing a constant blue due to her state of hunger. Riku knew from what Hagi had told him that when first awakening a queen was usually only semi-lucid and her actions would be largely instinctual, and though she may not (in Saya's case at least) attack whoever came upon her in that state, she would have an intense desire for blood that would need to be sated quickly. Even after that it could take a while for the queen to regain her full faculties.

He knelt in front of Diva, wanting to embrace her but afraid of startling her. "D-Diva…" he stuttered, overcome by emotion.

She cocked her head a bit, looking confused but at the same time seeming to recognize her name. Soon she had taken hold of his hand and began to examine it curiously. She sniffed it, then idly licked the skin of his palm before pulling Riku's whole body close. He soon felt the prick of her fangs on his neck, followed by the rush of pleasure that always accompanied it. He embraced her, moaning a bit as she suckled.

She lapped at his neck hungrily, struggling to hold onto him even as he tried to get a better grip on her body, the bluish glow in her eyes flickering with arousal. She gasped and sighed in pleasure, sometimes changing to a growl of frustration with her inability to suck on him as hard as she wanted to, her body stiff from not being used for so long. Finally she could feel her hunger being sated and relaxed in his arms, Riku lying back on the cold stone floor without complaint as she settled into a comfortable pace of feeding. He stroked her hair and back, reassuring her she could do this as long as she wanted. He had brought along a good supply of blood packets to rejuvenate himself if need be.

Riku had thought she might not be ready for it so soon but was proven wrong as she promptly began tearing his clothes off. She didn't speak, and her eyes had begun shining again as she gasped and purred and moaned, grinding against him. Diva had satisfied thirty years of hunger for blood, now she wanted to start satisfying thirty years without sex. Riku realized it could be a while yet before he would be able to leave here with her and reunite her with her family in any presentable fashion. Being the polite, patient guy he was, he wouldn't do anything to rush her. It helped matters that he had really missed this too. Plus not needing sleep or food meant he was prepared for what Diva was going to put him through. Namely expressing her thirty years of pent-up energy in the form of several days of nearly constant, fierce sex instead of a bloody slaughter. This was only interrupted by periods of rest where Diva would sleep and Riku would lay there recovering enough to respond when she inevitably woke up for more.

By then she had worked off the excess desire and regained her awareness. Donning the elegant gown Riku had recently placed within the tomb, she carried the very drained and weary but happy Riku out to greet the sunrise of what promised to be the start of a life happier than she had ever dreamed possible. All because of one choice she had made on a whim one night on a ship, and the consequences that had made that choice evolve into so much more.