….I really tried to think of something else, really. I told myself 'let it die'.

Then I realized they don't die.

Logic likes to defeat my reason.

And I know most people didn't want me posting another story, but this chapter was already done beforehand. That and my cousin Shelby expressed how excited she was when I told her I might write this that I just had to. -_-' Whether or not you read it I don't really mind, but this is more for my cousin and my own amusement. Still, if you did bother to click this, thank you for reading and I hope Idon't dissapoint you n.n

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"No."

They didn't know that one word could have so much power behind it, they did know, however, how stubborn the speaker could be. One of them sighed sadly and the rest of them fidgeted nervously, looking back at their leader. Lloyd stood set in his tracks, glaring at the group as he down-right refused to take another step toward the place they were approaching. They understood, really they did, but this was something they had promised to do. Nonetheless, Lloyd out-right refused to near the twisted woods behind them.

"Lloyd, look-" Raine started.

"'Look' nothing," he snarled, "I'm never going in there again, Devil's Arm or not, nothing, I repeat, nothing is worth even looking at this place a-!"

"Maybe you should wait out here, then," Raine frowned, "We can go in and find it, you can wait in town and we'll meet you there later."

The teen fidgeted, glancing aside and then back at his friends, his eyes going up to look at the sun.

"But…it'll be dark in a few hours…" he muttered.

"What? Bud, we're not afraid of the dark-" Zelos started.

"You should be!" Lloyd snapped. "There's- there could be more things in there! Guys, please, let's just forget about it and-"

"Do you want me to stay with you, Lloyd?" Colette asked, smiling weakly.

"…"

He looked at her, her comforting smile and her sky-eyes, and that sincerity she had behind her words. How? How could she still be like that towards him after she had seen- after she had experienced first-hand- what he had become? A wave of guilt washed over him, of cowardice; Colette had just as much reason to be afraid of this place…but she wasn't putting up a fuss like he was, she was going in, brave as always.

"N- No, it's all right," Lloyd shook his head, "I'll…go in, I'm sorry for- I just-"

His eyes widened.

"Guys-!"

The group turned and Zelos put up a 'guardian' just in time to block a large furry hand-like appendage, the rest of them taking stances as the arm slid back into a coffin on the back of a coffin-master, which eyed them from the darkness. Several other monsters joined them, but the group dealt with them easily enough. They were no serious threat at this point, though it was after the battle they realized that someone was, in fact, quite shaken up.

"All right, is everyone okay-? …Lloyd?" Raine started.

Blood had splashed on the side of his face during the fight, staining his right cheek. Lloyd was shaking violently, his eyes wide and his skin pale as he tilted his head to the side, as if trying to get his own cheek as far away from him as possible. It was not possible for him to look at it, of course, but his eyes were fixated to that corner of his head, as someone would freeze and stare at a large insect that had perched on their skin.

"Lloyd? What's wrong? Are you hurt-?"

"G…Get it off me…" Lloyd stammered, barely able to speak as his shaking worsened, "Get it off…please…someone…get it…"

"What? Lloyd, what're you-? Oh!" Genis gasped. "Oh! Um…um…Does someone have a rag or something-?"

Raine took one from her pack and hastily approached Lloyd, wiping the fluid off the side of his face. He didn't move at all, just stayed frozen in place, his entire being shaking with an almost fierce intensity. The boy let out his held breath when Raine pulled away, feeling that his skin was dry. They were all staring at him, he knew that, but…but it felt like his cheek was burning, like that- that stuff had tainted him. He didn't even realize that he was crying until he felt something warm slide down his cheek, hastily wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"I'm…I'm okay," he forced, his voice cracking, "I'm sorry, I-"

"You're not okay," Raine said, her eyes narrowed, "You should go back to the city and try to relax, all right? We'll drop you off there and then-"

"I said I'm-!"

"I'll go with you, Lloyd," Colette said again, "If you don't want to be alone, I understand…"

Lloyd froze, eying the girl a moment before his face fell and he sighed.

"A- All right…just- just everyone be careful, okay?" he muttered.

So it was that the pair ended up alone in the large room they had gotten for the night, waiting for their companions to come back. They had barely been there ten minutes when Lloyd flinched, staring out the window.

"Lloyd? What-?" Colette started.

"The sun's going down…" he muttered.

Slowly he walked to the window, looking out into the dusk-covered city as the shadows began to dominate the landscapes, with the reds…like blood. His entire body flinched and he quickly shut the covers, turning on the lamp nearest to him. With that he went about turning on every light, shutting all the covers that let in the outside world. He didn't stop until it was done, only then realizing Colette was eying him warily, concerned.

"I…um…" the brunette trailed, glancing away from her, "I- I'm sorry, Colette, I just-"

"You look different," she frowned, biting her lip.

"W- What do you mean-?" he blurted, his hand going to his mouth.

"N- No, not that!" she cried, shaking her head frantically. "You're still- it's not that."

"O- Oh…" Lloyd sighed in relief, rubbing his head, "Then…what did you mean?"

"I…I just meant…you look a little different," Colette frowned, "You seem scared."

"I- I'm not-"

"It's okay, Lloyd, really," she said, looking up at him, "No one can blame you for-"

"Colette, you act as if you weren't even involved," Lloyd glared slightly, "If- If anyone should be upset about all of this it- it should be you. Why- Why are you even talking to me, still? I-"

"Lloyd, it wasn't your fault-"

"I bit you! I bit you, Colette!" Lloyd snapped, shaking his head. "I- I did that to you and- and-"

"And you fixed everything!" she cried, frowning. "Lloyd…it all worked out! It's over now, you don't have to…you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"But…but I-" he shook, looking away from her, "It's…that's…not ever really going to be over, is it?"

"What?" Colette frowned.

He fidgeted a bit, slowly bringing his hand up to place over his heart, his fingers shaking as he felt it pulse under his ribcage, under his muscle, under his skin…a heart that wasn't his. His heart was gone, and…

"I'm…part-vampire to begin with," he muttered, "and now I've got…his heart, and he's a vampire, he's…he's one of those damn royal or 'divine' ones or whatever crap like that... So I just…I can't…"

"Lloyd-" she began, biting her lip.

"Nevermind," he said, glancing away from her.

He ran his tongue along his teeth, something that had developed into quite a habit. They were still dull, still human…that reassured him. That made him feel better, made him calm down a little…

As night fell, Lloyd also fell into slumber with it. His fits earlier had tired him, and he fell asleep- still in his clothes, jacket, suspenders, minus the gloves and boots- on a bed without even realizing he had. He drifted into sleep, into the realm of both his dreams and his nightmares…

He was falling.

Falling through nothing, though…slowly, sluggishly, his head back and his mouth gaping open as he took in slow, labored breathes. It felt as if he was falling in slow motion, that the air was thicker, that it slowed his descent, his hair flipped up around him, almost like he was in water-

Wait. ….He was in water- no, no wait, it wasn't water. But what was it? He was breathing it in, wasn't he? But it felt- no wait, he was swallowing- gulping the 'air'. It wasn't air though, but it wasn't water, if was definitely a liquid-

He recognized the taste.

His eyes snapped open and he saw red.

"Agh-!"

He sprung upright in bed, pale and beads of cold sweat breaking out on his face. A few panicked breathes and he nearly relaxed- until he hacked violently into his hand, coughing. With a groan he moved his hand away, preparing to grimace at saliva covering his palm. That didn't go quite as he expected either, seeing as what he found on his hand was more blood. His eyes widened violently, staring at the fluid that stained the skin of his palm, dripping slowly through the crevices of his hand.

"Wh…what…?" he whispered, staring at it.

He shook his head violently. He was imagining it, he could barely see as it was, the only light was from the shaded windows where the streetlights' glow was dimmed. It was just saliva, just-

He lurched again, hacking into his hand, his face scrunched up in pain as his throat rasped. When his hacking finally stopped he pulled his hand away again, seeing that his hand was drenched- yes, it was red, it was definitely red. It dripped down his lips, through his teeth, sliding down his chin as it slid down his hand.

"Oh goddess-" he whispered in horror.

Lloyd felt his body double over and without thinking scrambled out of bed, racing into the adjoining bathroom while covering his mouth with his already stained hand. His other hand flicked on the light just as he threw up into the sink, his hands clutching the side tightly as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to vomit. Once he finished he opened his eyes and saw- more blood, he'd thrown up blood? He was throwing up blood-? Why-? What was this-? No, no more, no more blood. Why? Why couldn't it just go away- no more- no more! He didn't want to see this, he didn't want-!

He threw up again, refilling the still red-stained sink. Things were getting blurry, his head hurt, he couldn't breathe. He finished and then fell onto his knees, gasping for breath, his mouth and chin stained with blood as he collapsed onto the ground, his eyes wide and blank, his skin pale. He strained for breath, his mind in a panic as his cheek pressed against the bathroom tile…

He heard shouts, and then footsteps, barely managing to look up at the still opened doorway as he saw his friends rush in. His eyes met Colette's horrified blue ones before his eyes closed and the world blacked out, leaving him unconscious on the bathroom floor with the horrid red fluid slurping down the drain with a gruttal sound, like that of a swallowing throat.

….Well that was fun n.n

Heheheheh (smirk)