I do not own Blood+ or any of the characters, although Haji makes me wish I did.

It is almost time.

The breeze carried with it the scent of cherry blossoms and ocean air as it danced through the foliage of the trees in Okinawa. The shifting leaves revealed the city lights in a diamond-like twinkling display. The setting sun cast brilliant hues of crimson, gold, sapphire and indigo as it sank slowly below the ocean-filled horizon. The pristine pearlescent beach seemed to glow with the rising of the moon highlighting the lone figure dressed in black, staring off into the distance.

The man was tall, dressed all in black except for the white of his silken shirt. He carried a large black case over one shoulder, which was adorned in long, graceful sweeps of silver filigree. His hair was so black that the moon cast blue highlights throughout his tresses, and it was pulled back to the nape of his neck by a deep blue ribbon. A few tendrils escaped the gathering to caress the lines of his patrician features, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to hold a world of secrets as he gazed upon the rising of the luminous moon.

The heartbeat resounding in Haji's ears had been slowly, over the past few days, increasing in pace. A sure sign that the awakening was approaching. He was always aware of the exact moment she opened her eyes.

The last time she awoke had been agony for him, because he couldn't find her. Red shield had hidden her away from him as punishment for him breaking ties after the Vietnam episode. He was still ashamed of his cowardice that night in Vietnam, in the face of his queen's anger, and his capitulation in allowing Red Shield to force her to awaken early merely because her absence caused him intense pain.

He had been battered by her confusion and fear upon awakening this last time without him, and the only thing that allowed him to maintain his sanity as he searched desperately for her had been the fact that, over time, her distress had lessened.

Haji knew where she slept this time, his only regret was his absence from her side when she had finally succumbed to slumber. He had been trapped under the rubble at the MET in New York city for weeks after the explosion. He had been working his way through the crushing rock slowly, and by the time he was finally able to claw himself free of the crushing darkness, he had felt Saya finally close her eyes for the last time that awakening.

The feeling of Saya's sleep overtaking her always filled Haji with a feeling of desolation and loss. This time had been even more difficult. He had finally found the strength to express his true feelings to Saya, and cradle her in his arms, as he had often fantasized about doing. The press of her petal soft lips, and her sweet fresh taste, had followed him these last 30 years as he struggled to press on till her next awakening.

Now, the awakening was quickly approaching, and the thought of Saya was causing a sweet ache of longing in Haji's chest.

It is almost time.

The frantic rhythm of a distant heartbeat called to him incessantly, and his waiting was almost, blessedly, over.

Haji turned away from the rippling moonlit path in the water and began to make his way back to the family tomb where Saya was beginning to awaken. He raced along pathways and buildings, finally leaping onto rooftops in order to run faster. His passing by was invisible to the multitude of humans passing below, and a trail of blue was left in his wake that would have only been visible to others of his kind.

He finally reached the top of the stairs leading to where Saya was resting when he was forced to come to a stop. A man stood in his path, dressed in a pale gray suit with hair the disturbing color of liquid silver. It seemed to flow like mercury in long waves that brushed the tops of his broad shoulders. His eyes were a startling lavender color that were set off exquisitely by his dark sooty lashes and his pale luminous skin. It was easy to see the lean athletic build through the cut of the suit.

He was also a chiropteran.

Haji quickly palmed one of his many daggers. He could sense immediately that the being in front of him was not only a chiropteran, but a chevalier as well, and one Haji had not encountered before. He had not seen another of his kind since the last battle with Diva, and his chevalier instincts were in an uproar with this beast being so close to his queen's resting place.

"I mean you no harm," the man stated quietly, holding his open hands away from his body in a recognizable peaceful gesture.

"You are chevalier to the Red Queen, are you not?" The strange man continued.

Haji remained mute and watched the being in front of him for any sign of hostile intent.

"My name is Mikhail. I was sent to seek out the Red Queen and her chevaliers upon her awakening. Does she rest here?" Mikhail shifted slightly to move closer to the stone door he was standing in front of leading to the crypt. Suddenly his arm was pinned to the nearest wall with the blade of a dagger still singing from its' flight. The red gem in the hilt glittered fiercely in the moonlight.

Mikhail glanced over his shoulder at Haji with a small smile on his lips. "I am, indeed, gratified to learn that the Red Queen's chevalier guards her so well." He turned back to face Haji fully and calmly removed the dagger, casually flicking it back to embed in the stone near Haji's feet in a lightning fast move.

"Again, I mean you, nor the Red Queen, any harm. Rest assured I am not associated with the last Blue Queen in any way, and it is imperative that I speak with your queen, with both of you actually." Mikhail reached into his suit jacket's interior pocket and pulled out an envelope with a silver wax seal. "I know that you both have been through a trying time, and I know you are anxious to be with your queen. I ask only that you read this letter and contact us at a more appropriate time."

Mikhail gently set the envelope on the ledge beside him, being careful to keep his actions slow and methodical as Haji was ready to act upon the slightest hint of hostile movement.

"Until a better moment," Mikhail murmured quietly. He then crossed his right arm over his chest and bowed slightly before disappearing with a gust of wind.

Haji remained in place for a few seconds as the wind died down. He slowly re-sheathed his daggers as he sensed the chiropteran presence moving farther and farther away. He moved toward the stone door of the tomb and gazed down at the envelope solemnly.

Where did that chevalier come from? Should I go after him and destroy any possible threat to Saya?

Haji shook these thoughts off as he resolved to take care of his queen here and now, the rest of the world would have to wait. She was waking up. He would just be sure to move her immediately to a different location, to ensure her safety, until she was fully awake.

He picked up the envelope and placed it in his coat pocket. Finally, Haji placed his hand against the stone door and pushed, seemingly without any effort, until the opening was wide enough for him to slip through, and then he gently slid the door closed behind him.

As the darkness surrounding Haji in a swath of cool silence, his eyes began to adjust with the aid of the soft rose glow emanating from the corner of the room where Saya rested. The cocoon was floor to ceiling in height, at least seven feet tall, with strands of what looked like webbing branching out to anchor the cocoon securely in an upright fashion. The rose glow radiated from the center of the cocoon outward, in time to the heartbeat echoing in Haji's ears.

Haji approached the cocoon reverently and slowly raised a trembling hand to rest it upon the delicate, silky surface. His eyes slid closed and his breath left him in a quiet shuddering sigh, as his face relaxed into lines of obvious relief.

Haji leaned forward to rest his forehead against the smooth strands of silk, "I am here Saya. I have missed you."

His thumb caressed the side of the cocoon gently as he absorbed the comfort of being so close to her. During Saya's sleep, he would often return to her when the agony of separation became too much. He would rest against the side of her cocoon and allow the slow, steady heartbeat to lull him into the closest he has ever come to sleep since becoming a chevalier.

As the last words slipped past his lips, Haji heard the heartbeat increase its' pace, almost reaching a normal rhythm. Suddenly, there was a slight rustling sound as the cocoon suddenly glowed a brilliant ruby red, highlighting the body of the young girl inside with exquisite detail. Haji felt the breath leave his lungs in a sudden rush, as he gazed upon the beloved silhouette he had not seen for 30 years.

The ache in his chest grew sharper due to the tide of affection and love he was finally experiencing after several lifetimes of suppression. His next breath caught in his throat as he felt a hand press against his own through the silken strands, the hand matching up almost like they were on opposite sides of a pane of opaque glass. His heart raced in time with hers now, as her finger pierced her protective webbing to link with his own.

Haji watched with patience and great anticipation as she slowly fought her way through the shimmering fibers to finally rest against his chest struggling to catch her breath. Her luminous eyes glowed a ruby red, and her hands continued to clutch the lapels of his jacket frantically ,while her muscles trembled from the exertion of utilizing them for the first time in 30 years.

Haji's eyes slid closed briefly to fully appreciate the feeling of Saya's body pressed tightly against his own. She felt as if she had been made to fit him and he could barely contain the tremors of ecstasy trying to make themselves known throughout his body.

"Saya...," Haji whispered softly against the raven fall of her silken tresses. Her hair fell in glorious waves to mid calf. Curling black tendrils curled around Haji's fingers, and he embedded his hands in the glorious mass, clutching fistfuls of hair to his face in an effort to bask in its scent and silkiness. His control over his emotions almost fracturing with the contact, he had never had such difficulties before, but he suspected that his admission of love before her slumber had opened the floodgates, so to speak.

Haji put a tight rein back on his emotions and began to stroke her hair soothingly, waiting eagerly for what he knew was about to come.

Suddenly he felt Saya's fingers tighten on his lapels, her nails slightly scratching through the silk of his shirt to the skin that lay beneath, sending a thrill of quickly suppressed pleasure up and down Haji's spine in a tingling rush. His breath hitched in his throat briefly as he felt Saya nuzzle into the nook between his shoulder and his neck. Her hands moved to pull aside his collar and she brushed her lips softly, and slowly back and forth across his pulse.

Saya's vision was shrouded in crimson, the color so bright that it obscured everything else. The weakness trembling through her muscles was debilitating, and she would have fallen if not for the steadying, strong arms that surrounded her, or the tall body, and firm chest she was cradled gently against. She felt gentle hands stroking her hair soothingly, and then something else demanded her attention.

The sound of a steady heartbeat, not her own, thundered in her ears. She could hear the rush of blood through vessels and veins, and she could smell the luscious bouquet of coppery ambrosia. The wondrous scent was close, very close, and it triggered a hunger response that throbbed in her delicate fangs in time to the steady pulse...not far now.

Saya reached up to pull aside the fabric that was muting that wonderful, pulsing aroma, and she leaned forward to rub her lips gently back and forth across the supple warmth of skin. The sound of a quick intake of breath reached her ears as she opened her mouth to caress the source of the delicious aroma with brief delicate flicks of her tongue.

Finally, Saya could wait no longer, her reason swallowed within the red haze of hunger, and she sank her teeth into the luscious offering. She delighted in the flow of candied copper that flooded into her mouth in warm spurts and she swallowed greedily, making a seal with her mouth to create a suction and drink more and more.

Haji's eyes slid closed as he felt Saya's teeth finally sink deeply into his flesh. He tightened his arms around her slight frame, and lowered them both down to kneel upon the stone floor before his legs succumbed to the bliss engulfing him at feeling his queen feeding so voraciously.

Saya's arms were wrapped tightly around Haji's neck and her body shifted against him restlessly as she quietly devoured his life force, and strained to get closer still.

His breath shuddered out of his chest roughly at the feel of her curled so close against him. The awakening, and only a handful of moments of desperate need, were the only times he was allowed to be to this close to her. Haji relished every moment, filing away the physical responses and the emotional impacts for future savoring in private .

They had shared a kiss, during Saya's last period of activity, that had played a part in shattering the carefully constructed barriers he had built to shield Saya from the secret longings of his heart. He was her servant, and her chevalier, and the feelings were inappropriate. However, he was hoping that this time it would be different.

Haji wanted, desperately, to revisit the beautifully, timid kiss they had exchanged at the MET. His ruminations over the years had constantly brought him back to that moment in time, flooding him with memories of petal soft trembling lips, the moist haven of her mouth, and her exquisite taste. However he had already resigned himself to be patient. He had waited over two hundred years to experience his love and he was determined to wait as long as needed. This was not really a hardship when he considered he had not thought her love possible at all, until that desperately sweet kiss.

Diva and her chevaliers were gone, and the war was over, so an actual future could now be considered.

Haji's mind briefly flashed back to a pair of lavender eyes of the man who called himself Mikhail, but he was once again distracted by the shifting of Saya's body against him.

Saya gently withdrew her fangs from the skin of Haji's neck, the movement barely acknowledged by a slight shiver from his body, and a flexing of the fingers twined in her hair. She leaned her forehead to rest against the smooth, warm skin of his neck and allowed the myriad of images, memories, and emotions, that were stored in her chevaliers blood, to roll over and through her.

Joel's compassionate eyes...Solomon's arms around her...Diva's magnificent voice

Kai's quick anger...Riku's warm heart...George..father...Blue Roses

Phantom's tragic obsession...Blood, so much blood! No! Father, don't die!

Haji's small smile, "I have always loved you." Always...always...always...the ceiling, NOOOO!

Saya released a small cry in her trance as she relived her memories of Haji's death.

Haji remained silent, merely tightening his arms around his precious charge and rocking her gently to offer what comfort he could. His heart clenched in his chest at the sound of her cries, but it was necessary to ensure she regained all of her memories.

"Haji!" Saya cried suddenly as she jerked herself out his arms, and blinked her eyes to finally begin clearing the red haze that overshadowed her world. Diamond-like tears trembled on her lashes briefly before tracing crystal rivers down the curve of her cheek bones.

Haji drew her gently back into his arms, brushing his fingertips softly over the glittering tear trails. "Saya," he whispered heatedly against the nape of her neck as his thumb swept away the precious tears, drawing her stricken gaze back up to gaze upon his face.

Saya let out a soul shattering cry as she threw her arms around Haji's neck. The depths of her sorrow given evidence through the violent sobs wracking her seemingly fragile body. She crawled, and burrowed, as close as she could get to his warmth, pulling her legs up so that she was curled tightly into his lap. He held her, while gently stroking her hair and continuing his rocking motion, waiting for her sobs to subside.

Her sobs continued unfettered until she fell back into an exhausted normal slumber. The tracks of her tears still glittering like gems on her exquisite visage. Haji gently rested his forehead against her own, breathing in her warmth and vitality, before gracefully regaining his feet, being careful not to disturb her as she cuddled deeper into the cradle of his arms.

He moved the entrance of the crypt and laid her briefly on the stone in order to removed his jacket. He delicately wrapped her naked body within the warm folds of his coat, and he heard the crackle of the mysterious letter as he reached to gather the bundle of Saya back into his arms.

His brow furrowed slightly at the ramifications of this letter, and Saya's reaction to the possibility of a new chiropteran presence, to the possibility of a new threat. Haji shook off the morose thoughts and refocused on his queen. The most important thing to be done at the moment was to relocate Saya and tend to her awakening, beyond that nothing else mattered. They would deal with the disquieting turn of events when Saya was more coherent.

Haji returned his cello case to his shoulder and cradled Saya closer as he left the crypt and sped off into the darkness. He was mindful to monitor his surrounding s for possible threats. His path across the rooftops of the city was briefly traced by the cobalt blue hue inherent in chevalier movement.

The glowing blue trail reflected briefly in the violet eyes of his silent observer. Mikhail smiled briefly from his place in the shadows within the trees. He turned and disappeared in another gust of wind, intent on reporting to his queen the recent news.

Saya was awake at last.

I hoped you enjoyed my first foray into this world. Reviews are love.