Hagi's eyes snapped open when a shrill scream echoed through the wall. It took him a moment to fully awaken. His attention went straight to the door when the scream started again, followed by sobs. He bolted out of the bed and straight for Saya's room as he donned his shirt and pants.

Saya was having a nightmare.

She was at the tower once again, on one side of the door, while Diva talked to her from the other side of the door. "Diva, why must you and I be so different from them?" she asked. "I can't keep taking blood from them- isn't that the same as murder?"

Diva answered, "But they eat chickens and pigs. Do they care one bit about that being murder? You taught me so much about the world, Saya, but you know so little. We have to survive- just like them. So a few humans have to die, why does that matter?" She thought of the numerous humans that had been brought to her. She'd drain them without a thought to any of the questions Saya had.

Saya answered abruptly, "Because it's wrong! I don't know why, but I just know it's wrong."

Diva took a moment before responding, "Saya, Amshel told me that they sometimes start huge wars for no good reason…"

"Well he's wrong!" Saya snapped back. She wrung her hands in her lap as tears filled her eyes and spilled, Diva just didn't understand. She sighed, "I don't want to fight with you, Diva. Let's agree to not discuss it anymore."

"Yes," was all the girl offered.

Saya recognized the conversation as the one she had with Diva earlier that day.

She smiled sweetly as she thought of how happy Diva would be when she was released from that horrible tower. Holding the brass key in her hand, she ran up the steps with sunlight filtering through the many windows of the tower, reflecting off the climbing roses that adorned the walls. As she came closer to the top, the roses went from pink to lavender. When she reached the door, it was surrounded by blue roses.

Giggling at her magnificent secret, Saya placed the key in the lock. With a turn of the key, the lock fell to the floor. She opened the door and looked inside. A hooded figure sat crouched by the window, not looking up.

"You can come out now!" Saya called to her, giddy with excitement.

The figure moved slightly, commenting, "I'm afraid."

"Don't be silly, I'll be with you the whole time," she answered and beamed a glorious smile.

The figure rose and began to follow her.

As soon as they reached the base of the tower, Joel, Hagi, and many of the staff members appeared. With a sudden snarl, the figure behind her was upon them. Red splattered her vision and covered the walls. Bodies of those she loved lay on the ground, positioned at impossible angles, splattered in blood. The smell filled her nostrils and her eyes began to burn.

What was happening?

Her mouth hung open as the figure removed her hood, bodies surrounding her. Saya saw her own reflection, a drop of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. She screamed.

Her eyes snapped open and stared at the man over her. She had no idea who he was, but he smelled… delicious.

Hagi was shocked when she finally opened her eyes. They were glowing rubies, staring not at his face, but his neck. He gasped as he felt every fiber in his being scream at him, "RUN!"

He refused to move. This was his friend and she would not hurt him. He knew this. Instead he held her hands down and reassured softly, "Saya, it was a bad dream- a nightmare. It's over."

Joel arrived in his night cap and robe, followed by Amshel and about half of the staff. Joel and Amshel pushed the staff away from the view as they feared the young man was about to be massacred. The two scientists knew from previous experiments that when the girls' eyes glowed, it meant they were having a blood lust. Saya was breathing in growling pants as she moved her mouth closer to Hagi's throat.

His voice strained as he fought against his instincts, "Saya, it's Hagi. Please, calm down." He released her hand and stroked her hair. "I won't hurt you and I know you won't hurt me."

Her growling pants turned to soft whimpers as her glowing eyes faded back to their usual brown shade. She blinked as she felt the pricking of her fangs disappear. "H-Hagi?" she whimpered. She was suddenly launched herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Joel nodded to Amshel and they motioned for the staff to leave, Amshel following close behind them. Joel stood and watched in amazement. Hagi had completely calmed Saya's blood lust. He knew now that Hagi was more than capable of looking after Saya after he was gone. The way he looked at her at that moment was so beautiful- so filled with adoration and love. So Hagi has fallen in love. I hope Saya will realize what she feels for him soon. The next phase of the experiment depends on it.

Saya was skipping through the weeds and brambles a month later, her nightmare all but forgotten. Hagi would be gone until noon getting Joel a gift so Saya was left to enjoy herself. She had a plan, though. Amshel was always in his study these days, but she had seen where he put the key to the lock. It was in his desk drawer under his stack of notes. She would retrieve the key in the morning while he was showing the cooks where to place the dishes of food and go over the seating arrangements.

She enjoyed a morning with Diva and then decided to have a walk around the Zoo, since Hagi had not returned. Grabbing a small limb from the ground, she began whacking some of the longer grasses along the trail. She looked up to her left to see the cliffs. They were so beautiful and rugged. Something caught Saya's eye, it was small, red, and growing on the side of the cliffs. She walked to the base of the cliffs and got a better look. Lilies! Red lilies were growing out of the rock, 10 feet from the summit. She had to get them!

Looking at the rocks thoughtfully, Saya realized she'd never be able to climb up the sheer face, but maybe she could climb down from the top. She only needed to get down far enough to get the lilies and then climb back up- simple!

But the lilies would wilt by tomorrow and she really would prefer to give them to Joel freshly picked. She groaned, "Oh no. Hagi plans to spend the entire day with me tomorrow to make up for being gone so much." She sighed and then formed a plan. "I'll just have to find a way to get him here."

The darkness of night began to dissipate in the deep blue of predawn. Saya rose from her bed and slipped on her robe, waiting for the sun to rise. It would be a beautiful day today. Joel's 72nd birthday. Saya smiled as she watched the sky begin to glow pink with the rising sun. She would wake Hagi, but he usually grumbled about being awakened before dawn, so she figured she'd leave him to his rest.

Marie stepped into the room, knowing how Saya enjoyed waking early to get dressed and start her day.

By the time the sun was well into the sky, Saya was up to her usual mischief. Joel had awakened at 8 in the morning, an hour ago, and had asked his personal attendant to awaken Hagi. Saya begged them to let him sleep a bit longer as they had him up well into the night with party preparations, but she knew he'd be upset if he woke too late to spend a bit of time with her.

Saya hurried to Amshel's study. He wasn't there, thankfully. The desk drawer- the object of her search, was slightly open. There it was, under the pages of his studies, the brass key. Saya smiled brightly as she lifted the key and clutched it to her chest. The noise of conversation between a few servants got her attention and she closed the desk drawer before she dashed out of the room.

Hagi was still asleep when she opened the door to his room. She knew she was always welcome here unless the door was locked, which he did periodically lock the door. They had a heated argument over it once. Saya was rather put off that he would have a secret that he wouldn't share with her. But today, the room was unlocked.

Saya stifled a giggle as she caught sight of him sprawled on the bed, still fully clothed in yesterday's attire. He must have been really tired. She shook him gently, "Hagi. Hagi, wake up."

He opened his blue eyes sleepily and rubbed them with his hands. He gave a wide yawn and then his eyes rested on Saya. He sat up abruptly and spoke, "Forgive me for sleeping so…"

She silenced him with a wave of her hand and informed him, "I asked Joel to let you sleep late. He had you up so late last night." She placed a hand over his and said, "I'll let you get ready, Hagi. Then you can reveal your surprise for me."

"Thank you, Saya," he smiled as he watched her leave the room.

Saya ran through the brambles, to the tower, up the stairs, and through the hall to the oak door. The morning sun filtered through the vines of roses that climbed the walls around the door. The lock fell at her feet as she opened the huge door with a long creak! She poked her head in the door and saw a figure wrapped in rags.

"I opened the door!" she called out. The figure didn't respond. "Now you can come sing that pretty song for Joel's birthday party!"

"Saya!" a voice called out.

"That's Hagi," she informed, "he must have come looking for me." She looked back at the figure and reassured, "I have to go, but I'll see you at the party!"

She ran down the steps hurriedly and found Hagi looking for her.

Diva's blue eyes looked down on the scene. The man Saya called Hagi was quite tall and very handsome, but the way he felt for the woman that he handed a pink rose to was clearly evident in his eyes. Her bright blue eyes turned to the open door and her velvety voice uttered, "Joel."

Hagi walked next to Saya as she chatted away about the party and her excitement. She suddenly noticed the picnic basket in his hand and giggling with excitement, "We're going on a picnic!"

He smiled warmly and gave a nod. She sniffed the rose he gave her and giggled as she schemed. "Hagi," she asked, "can we have the picnic at the cliffs?"

His eyes widened as he commented, "Joel has forbidden us…"

She whined as she interrupted him, "Joel this- Joel that… come on Hagi, Joel isn't here. Besides, what kind of trouble can we get into there, anyway?"

Hagi's face became stern, but he nodded regardless. He owed her a bit of fun, being away from her for so long. The thought of where he'd followed her to earlier came back to his mind. He took a deep breath as he looked at her. "Saya, why were you at the castle ruins today?"

She blushed as she thought of her secret, knowing that tone in his voice meant that he didn't approve. "I was… just exploring."

He took a breath and spoke, "You know last year a child fell through the ground there and broke his leg. The ground is weak there, that's why Joel and Amshel have forbidden us to go there."

Saya groaned, "I forbid this! I forbid that!" She turned to him and asked, "Don't you ever get tired of being so obedient, Hagi?"

"It's for our safety, Saya," he responded petulantly.

She knew the mood between them had suddenly gone cold and didn't like it one bit. Reaching out and clutching his sleeve, she smiled at him, "Let's not fight. You're my best friend and I don't like when we argue."

He smiled his response. He didn't like to argue with her either.

They made their way to the cliffs as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Diva meandered through the halls of the manor, it was strangely empty. Humming her song and enjoying the echo of her voice bouncing off the walls, she wandered into a large room full of fluffy pink pillows. "Saya," she cooed as she took in the strong scent of her friend that saturated the room. The scent was mixed with the smell of that man servant, Hagi. Diva shrugged, he was of no consequence.

She noticed a pale blue dress in the closet, her favorite color. She shrugged off the rags and pulled the soft blue cloth over herself. The reflection of herself in the vanity mirror caught her attention. She gasped as she came to press her fingers to the glass. "That is me," she breathed as she realized she looked like Saya, but her eyes were different. "Blue," she cooed. Noticing the hairbrush, she grabbed the silver object and clutched it to her breast. It smelled like Saya.

Her song began again as she wondered through the halls again and came to a large room that smelled strongly of the old man that put her in the tower. "Joel," she snarled.

"Yes," a deep voice answered her from behind. She whirled around to see the man she most feared and loved- Amshel.

"This is Joel's office," he informed. His brow furrowed as he asked, "How is it that you have been released?"

Fear held Diva in place, clutching the hairbrush, and shut her mouth tight.

He grabbed her forcefully and began dragging her from the room. "I don't know how you got out, but I will find out and you will never get out again."

She suddenly found an inner strength and lashed out, tearing away from him. "NO!" she shouted as he was stopped mid-lunge. She blinked with surprise, but didn't know why he had stopped.

He shook his head and then rushed her again. This time, she dodged him and he crashed into the desk. She jumped onto the desk as he came to her and grabbed her leg. She thrashed out and kicked him with all her strength, sending him into a wall, knocking him unconscious.

She smiled wickedly as she began to run the silver brush through her hair. It felt good and she began to cheerfully hum as she noticed the candle. She clutched the brush to her chest again as she swept her free hand though the dancing flame. As she shifted to see it better, she scrunched her nose at the strong scent of something offensive. It came from where Amshel was sprawled. She knew nothing about the kerosene lamp that had been shattered on the ground by her feet. She threw the candle at the smell, hoping to make it leave, somehow. The wall next to Amshel erupted in flames as she turned to leave.

On the desk by the door, she spotted a beautifully decorated book with an image of her tower on the cover. There were gold sweeping letters that she couldn't read. She gathered the pretty book in her arms and left the hairbrush in its place.

Hearing the happy voices outside, Diva wondered out of the room as flames licked the door from behind her.

Saya watched as Hagi climbed down the face of the cliff. She didn't understand why it should be him to climb down, it was her gift to Joel after all. He was reaching for the flowers next to him, the one's that weren't as dark or pretty. "No! No!" she called down as he looked back up to her. She pointed a few feet from him and called, "Those over there."

He stretched out and missed. Changing his footing, he reached further and clasped the stem of the red lily with a triumphant smile. It wasn't to last. The rock gave way beneath his hand and with a look of terror on his face, he fell into the ravine below.

Saya screamed, "Hagi!" She ran as fast as her feet could carry her with tears streaming from her eyes chanting, "Please let him be okay. Please let him be okay."

He wasn't breathing and staring sightlessly at the sky. A stream of blood leaked from his mouth as blood poured from the back of his head, coloring the ground crimson. "So much blood," she breathed as she came to her knees by him.

"It's a simple transfusion." Joel's words echoed in her mind.

"Why?" Now Hagi's voice joined his. "It's not as if she's lost a lot of blood."

Hagi had lost a lot, far too much. "Maybe," she reasoned as she reached into his jacket, "if I give him some of my blood." Her hand came back and opened his pocket knife. She cut her palm.

Hagi heard her voice calling to him, she sounded so very sad. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn't move. "Please don't cry. It doesn't hurt anymore." It seemed like only moments before the blackness thickened and he felt as if he was going to fall asleep.

A strong metallic taste filled his mouth and began to burn his throat. It shot through his limbs and his heart clenched in his chest. He felt his body bending and contorting at impossible angles, bones shattering and regenerating, organs shifting and changing. My god this must be hell! He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, but he was at the mercy of whatever force came over him. Suddenly blackness consumed him. He slept for the last time.

Saya was mortified as she watched Hagi's body writhe and spasm. Trying to hold his head in her hands, she cried, "Hagi what's happening?" With one last impossible twist, his body fell back and he went completely still. She leaned her head to his chest again and heard no heartbeat. "What have I done?" she whispered.

Leaping to her feet, Saya raced back to the manor with his blood on her dress. She screamed out as tears streaked her face, "Joel! Mr. Amshel! Anybody! Please, Hagi's hurt!" Clearing the forest, she came to a horrible sight.

Diva came into the courtyard and was met with a most intoxicating smell. Having been starved for decades, the girl felt her fangs prick her lips and a devious smile stretched across her face. Her eyes glowed as she made short work of the humans. "So… hungry…" she murmured as her mind drowned out the terrified screams.

Her hunger finally sated, she crouched on top of a pile of bodies. There he was, clutching his chest with a feeble old hand. That- man! "Joel," she growled as she moved toward him.

Saya came to the clearing and gasped in horror- the mansion was engulfed in flames. Her eyes were drawn to the party that had been completely destroyed. Bodies… blood, so much blood. Blue eyes- glowing… staring. Joel dead. Blue eyes glowing. "Di-Diva," she stammered as she stepped back.

The girl looked just like her! Blue eyes instead of brown looked back at Saya. Hagi had come up to the scene with a line of blood drying in the corner of his mouth. His home- their home was engulfed in flames. He looked so very sad, but Saya was focused in front of her.

Diva let off a maniacal laugh as Amshel came up behind her. He informed the group, "You are sisters- twins, destined to fight one another for dominance over the world." He regarded Hagi coolly, sensing a new strength in the boy- Saya's chevalier. Lifting Diva in his arms, his body transformed into a monster that looked to have come straight from the bowels of hell and flew off.

Saya fell to the ground and screamed. Hagi was at her side in a heartbeat, but their brief respite was short-lived. A group of survivors came at them, wielding pitchforks and torches.

Hagi's vision became shrouded in red as he felt an overwhelming need to protect Saya. The next thing he knew, he was airborne, snapping necks and slashing with a new weapon- his claws! The haze cleared as he realized he had his teeth sunk into a man's neck and he was gulping down mouthfuls of blood! He dropped the man in horror as his body sagged from the exertion and shock.

Saya crumpled on the ground, covering her mouth in horror. The pain from the fall and his transformation, the Zoo burning down, Joel's demise- none of it hurt as much as the way she was looking at him. He tried to go to her, but she lifted the object nearest to her as a shield- a book. Joel's Diary was scrolled on the front cover in gold embossed letters. "Stay away," she cried.

Hagi withdrew his hand as if he'd been burned. "Saya, please," he pleaded. "It's only me. I would never hurt you and you would never hurt me- remember?"

She sobbed as she lowered the book with tears spilling down her soot covered cheeks. Not looking at him, she asked, "Did- did my blood… do this to you?"

He was at her side in a heartbeat. "I- I don't know," he responded. Taking the book from her, he thought aloud, "Maybe this book can tell us."

The pair read through the diary with shocked expressions. Diva was a test subject and so was Saya. Half-way through the diary, Saya stood and wondered into the smoldering remains of her childhood home, Hagi following close behind with the book in his arms. When she found her room, she was grateful the flames had not completely destroyed it. The sword Joel had given her as a gift for her recent birthday was still in its place. She unsheathed it and fisted her long hair.

Hagi looked on, his face completely expressionless as she ran the razor sharp blade through the midnight strands. Her severed hair fell to the floor in a pool of black. Her voice was strong and determined, "I don't want to look like her."

She turned to him as he hefted the cello onto his shoulder, "Hagi, you do not have to come with me."

"I want to," his response was immediate.

She gave him a tight, grateful smile, "Thank you."

End

A/N Okay it was a sweet one and very sad. I hope you enjoyed my take on what happened while they were at the Zoo! Please leave a review to tell me whether you liked it or not.