Disclaimer: All (okay, most) of the characters mentioned belong to the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguié. ALL credit goes to her. ... Please don't sue me?

Summary: Ken's grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the "evil" that the townsfolk believed she practiced. Amidst these dark days, a new man enters his life. Ran is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and yet he makes him shiver. But the young Lord is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family ages ago. Now Ken must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma's house…

Scarlet Moon

By Ninetails

Chapter 1

The woods were changing. The cycle of death had begun yet again. What were once proud, green trees now stood half-naked, clothed only in hues of fire and gold. Their gnarled branches stretched downward toward the faint path that wound below. Upon it a young boy with pale skin and dark hair walked side by side with his older brother, unaware of the wolf that was stalking them. The trees saw though, and whispered a warning as the wind rattled their remaining leaves.

The little boy was skipping along, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the chill air. It was the color of blood and it drew the wolf in closer. Flitting like a gray ghost, it slunk along behind the trees, just steps behind them, and watched. The boy turned, as though he heard what the trees were whispering, and shivered a little. Feeling his movement, the older boy glanced back as well, his longish blonde locks swaying in the breeze. The wolf circled them warily until he stood on the path before them.

When the children turned back, the wolf was there. It lunged forward, it's powerful jaw sinking razor fangs into the smaller boy's legs. The boy screamed as the force of the beast knocked him down, his own blood spraying up into his suddenly pallid face. He struggled to sit and came face to face with the monster.

Beside him, the older boy raised his dagger in the air, one quick movement, before plunging it into the wolf's chest. The creature cried out in pain and let go of its prey. It jumped back, blood gushing from the wound, and stared at them for a moment before turning and staggering off into the trees.

The trees shook sympathetically, showering down leaves upon the children, covering both them and the trail left by the injured wolf. As night drew near, the trees continued to shiver, urging the children to run home, and whispering another warning.

It wasn't safe in the woods after dark.

Ken clung to Youji as the taller boy staggered out of the forest carrying him. With every step his older brother took he screamed, a fresh wave of pain washing over him. They stumbled toward the village, shouting. From their tiny homes the villagers spilled forth, drawn by their cries.

"Help! Wolf!" Youji continued to shout, panic evident in his voice as he cradled the shivering form of his brother against his chest.

From the nearest hut their father, Reiji, came running, fear straining his features. "Children!" he shouted, the fear in his voice clear to Ken even through the roaring in his ears. He felt his arms reaching for him.

"My legs are on fire, Father," he whimpered, his throat raw from crying, "Put it out."

"You're not on fire, child."

"But I can feel it. It's burning me," he sobbed. Slowly his vision faded, but he could still hear his father's rough voice calling his name. He tried to answer but couldn't. In his mind he pictured once again the wolf that had attacked him, from the silken gray of his fur to the piercing violet of his eyes.

I never knew wolves had violet eyes, he thought before darkness claimed him, the worried green of his brother's eyes the last things he saw.

When Ken awoke, sunlight was streaming into his eyes, and his legs still felt as though they were on fire. His first sense was one of fear, and he cried out.

"Hush, little one, you are safe," a familiar voice said soothingly. His brother stood over him, his handsome face twisted as if he were in pain.

"What is wrong, Youji?" he asked.

The taller boy picked his frail body up, hugging him. "Thank God you're awake," he whispered against his soft cheek.

"You're tickling me," Ken protested.

His brother laughed and laid him back down. "You had us all frightened, little one."

"Am I going to die?" Ken asked, the fear still tugging at his heart.

"No, God be praised," his father said from the doorway.

Ken turned to look at his broad figure and saw tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight frightened him more than the pain he felt or the memory of the wolf that had inflicted it.

His father turned away from him, and his voice was muffled as he continued. "You will be alright. You will even walk again, though the scars will remain."

His father's words frightened him still more, and he struggled to sit up. Youji pushed against his shoulders, trying to hold him down, but he fought him. His fingers clawed at his brother's hands and he scratched him. At last he rose up on his elbows just as his blanket slid to the floor.

He stared in horror at what was left of his legs. They were crisscrossed with angry red wounds. Whole chunks of flesh were missing, and the marks of the wolf's teeth were clearly visible.

He dimly heard Youji's voice telling him that everything was going to be fine. How can it be? Ken thought, his horror mounting with each passing second.

"I'm hideous!"

"No! Listen to me. You are still the Ken we love and you will heal in time."

Ken nodded for his brother's sake because he could hear the pain and the fear in his voice, and it broke his heart. He would be strong for him. In his heart, though, he didn't believe him.

A movement in the corner of the room caught his eye, and he turned to glance at a cloaked figure standing in the shadows. Grandmother? he wondered for one wild moment. But it couldn't be, because his grandmother lived in the forest and wasn't allowed to come into the village - ever.

Outside, he heard a commotion, many voices mingled together in excited shouting. He turned away from the cloaked figure as his father strode to the door and flung it open. He stood for a moment before turning with a satisfied nod. "They have the wolf."

"I want to see it," Ken quavered, fear and hatred filling him.

"So you shall," Youji said swooping him up into his arms. He carried him tenderly outside. Coming up the path was a group of men who wore tired yet triumphant looks.

"We followed the trail of blood," his cousin, Kase, shouted from the head of the troupe. "We lost it, but when we searched the area, we found this wolf, already dead. He died of the wound you gave him, Youji."

Ken tightened his grip around Youji's neck, his heart beginning to pound in fear as he caught sight of the monstrous gray brute. They dropped the wolf at Youji's feet with great ceremony.

Kase reached out to touch Ken's hand. A year younger than his brother, he was still several years older than Ken was. His cousin's parents died a year before, and he had been living with them since. He had grown much in that time, his body beginning to make the transition from boy to man, as evidenced by his expanding shoulders and increasing confidence.

"I cut off the wolf's paw for you to keep," Kase told him.

"I don't want it," Ken whispered. "You keep it."

Slowly he looked down at the body of the wolf. It was ugly, its fur splattered with streaks of dried blood and its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. Its fangs were covered with bits of flesh. At last Ken looked into its eyes, which were wide open and staring. They were lifeless, like two little pieces of round yellow glass.

Yellow.

A chill went through him and he buried his head against Youji's shoulder. "It's not the same wolf."

Something was wrong; he could feel it. Two weeks had passed since the wolf had attacked, and in that time he had felt closer to his brother than ever before. He had been by his side constantly, warm and caring. The last few hours though, he had seemed cold and aloof.

"Again," Youji commanded, sitting by the hearth and extending his arms toward him.

Ken struggled up from the edge of his bed, trying to stand. At last he gained his footing. With pain shooting through his legs, he tried to hobble using the crutch his brother had made for him. Since before dawn he had Ken up, trying to get him to move around using only the crutch. He was getting tired and angry.

Halfway to the hearth Ken began to loose his footing and fell onto a chair.

"I can't do it!" he exclaimed as his crutch fell to the ground.

"You can and you must!"

"I'm tired. I'll work on it more tomorrow."

"No, you'll work on it today."

"Why? Why today?" Ken demanded almost childishly, brown eyes flashing.

"Because tomorrow will be too late," Youji said, standing so suddenly he knocked over his chair.

"Why?"

His brother sighed and dropped his eyes to the floor. After a moment he crossed over and knelt beside him. "Ken, the duke has sent a call for men to join him as he marches to fight in a crusade against the infidels holding Jerusalem."

"What has this to do with you?" Ken whispered though he feared that in his heart, he already knew the truth.

"Kase and I are going. We have heard the call and it has resonated in our hearts. We will join the duke and the prince."

"But you are blacksmiths, not knights."

"And they need those more desperately even than warriors. We will help build and repair weapons and armor, and shoe horses. If need be, we will fight as well."

"You are leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"The army leaves at first light. We are traveling to the castle tonight to join it."

Ken threw his arms around his brother's neck and clung to his lean form, terror filling him. "Don't go," he begged.

"I have to," Youji said. "They need me."

"I need you," he countered.

"No, you are strong. You do not need me to look after you anymore. But Father will need you now more than ever. You must promise me that you will help him. Promise me that you won't leave him. He might not be able to bear it the second time."

Ken's tears spilled out freely, running down his cheeks and soaking his shirt. "I can't."

"You can, little one," Youji said, pulling away and staring into his brown eyes. "You are strong and brave. Not even the wolf could beat you."

He shivered at the mention of the creature and began to cry even harder, "But you were there to protect me."

From his belt he pulled his dagger – the very one he had used upon the wolf. He placed it in his younger brother's palm and wrapped his fingers around its hilt. "I will still protect you, so long as you carry this with you."

He stared from it to his brother's beautiful emerald eyes, praying to find the words that would make him stay. A shadow fell across the room and he turned. Kase stood in the doorway, a sack on his back.

"I will miss you, Ken," his cousin said, his voice trembling.

He held out his arms to Kase and he came to him, hugging him tightly. Then the three of them hugged, all of them crying.

Finally, Kase pulled away. "It's time to go," he said softly, and Youji nodded.

"But Father – "

"We said our good-byes this morning," Youji assured him.

"He knew and he did not tell me!"

"We agreed it would be better this way. Nothing is to be gained by lengthy good-byes."

Youji stood and crossed to a corner, picking up a sack that Ken hadn't noticed sitting there. He threw it across his broad back before bending to kiss the top of his head.

"Be strong," he whispered. He turned to Kase, and without another word the two of them left.

Ken sat, shaking and staring at nothing, for several moments. When he could no longer hear the sound of their footsteps, he stood slowly, using the chair for support.

He picked up his crutch and began to hobble painfully. Every step sent pain up his legs, and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. A few steps and he made it through the door. Outside, the road was a river of mud winding between the houses and scattered shops. Smoke curled from all the chimneys, and people walked by quickly, their heads bowed and their spirits dampened by the recent rains.

The thick brown ooze clutched at his boots, and each time he pulled them free the motion was accompanied by a loud sucking sound. Slowly, step by painful step, he made his way to his father's blacksmith shop. Reiji was already there; he could hear his hammer ringing out against steel – strong, angry-sounding strokes.

His father glanced up at him as he entered, but he said not a word. Slowly, Ken made his way over to the forge. A steel blade sat in the fire, the metal becoming soft and pliable. With tongs he pulled it out and placed it upon an anvil.

He leaned his body against a stone pillar and propped his crutch up against the back of it. He reached down and picked up his brother's hammer. The feel of it in his hand brought a fresh wave of tears to his eyes. It was heavy, but he lifted it high into the air. As he slammed it down upon the glowing steel he met his father's eyes. Reiji nodded slowly and then turned back to his own blade. Together they hammered far into the night.

TBC

Author's Notes:

Can you guess which fairy tale this is based on? Sorry for making this more macabre than usual. It's a bit short but I promise that chapter 2 is coming up quickly… around a month or ten. (hastily ducks various flying pointy and blunt objects) Err, I'm gonna post chapters as soon as I get them back from my beta. Rest assured that all questions will be answered in the succeeding chapters. If they're not… too bad. Nyahahaha! (gomen, typing this after drinking a Rhumba frappe from Starbuck's…)