Yeah, this one won. Ochi is now up for adoption, but I really don't want to let her go…after I finish this maybe. I will post a bunch of junk about my trip on my profile soon, but right now I gotta get a chapter of this out and then a Soul Eater chapter and then another one-shot me and my sister were working on out first. I got a workload people. I'll leave Ochi's story out on the web, simply because you might want to read the fragmented version that it is even though I won't be finishing it for…ages. So then, start reading.

Meva's POV:

"You called me master?" I said, standing before the great double bed, dating back all the way to medieval times, and not changed since. My master was lying on the bed, pale and sickly. "Meva…come closer…" he moaned, making a faint beckoning motion with his hands. "Master, you shouldn't try to talk." I said gently, sitting down on the bed. He shook his head, reaching for my hand. "Meva…the twins…you must…" I patted his hand comfortingly. "I will master. But you shouldn't say such things, you'll be fine. The sickness will run its course." He shook his head. "Meva, don't lie to me. We both know I will never leave this bed again."

I shuffled my feet, avoiding his gaze. "Master, what about your wife?" I said quietly. He gasped for air, and I tensed, opening my mouth to call for the doctor. "She will not listen to me. She tends to me when you are not here. I order you to remain." I shook my head. "She already ordered me to leave your care to her master." I said softly. He cursed weakly, and I bowed. "Master…I will miss you." I said, a tear slipping down my cheek. He smiled at me. "I will miss you as well Meva. Take care of my family for me." I nodded, shutting the door behind me. I hit the wall and slid down it, unable to accept what I had seen. "Where's Papa?" A child's voice above my head asked, and I looked up.

"Master Richard still can't see anyone young mistress." I said, bowing my head to Alle. She stamped her foot on the ground. "Why not!" she protested. "You and mommy can see him!" I sighed. "Mistress Amarta is as stubborn as a goat." I said, standing up. "And I can't get sick, remember?" She pouted, hugging her teddy bear. "Where's young master Alex?" I asked, folding my arms. She looked guilty. "Nowhere." I gave her a decided look. "Nowhere is where kids get into the most trouble. Tell me." She sighed, walking away towards the grand ballroom. "He's going to pour water on His Prissiness's head." I shook my head. "I don't like that man any more than you two, but he is a guest. Guests must be treated civilly, and sadly, that does not involve ruining their nice wardrobe."

She glared at me under her perfectly cut bangs. "Do you think he wants Papa to…go away?" she said, bottom lip quivering. I sighed. "I don't know young mistress. All I do know is he reminds me of a slimy snake." And snakes always have some sort of bite under their scales, poison or not. I don't trust him as far as Mistress Alle could throw him. I sped up slightly, immaculate uniform whispering behind me. My ears caught wind of water sloshing inside a bucket, excited breaths, and the whispering sound I knew came from the target's over-fancy clothing. "YOUNG MASTER ALEX!" I shouted, and there was a guilty pause. I came out under the chandelier, seeing a thankfully dry Sir Hugo and a very embarrassed Alex. "What is the meaning of this!" he spluttered indignantly.

"Young master Alex was being a little childish." I said coldly, meeting him eye to eye. He sneered, eyes flicking to my bare shoulders. I didn't flush. I got some very odd, and occasionally interested, looks at my back a lot, since it was completely at odds with my sever uniform. Black tunic, with black leggings and a black pair of boots, the bare back and shoulders caught most people's eyes. Of course, they'd be even more surprised at why I need a big hole in my clothes. I thought with amusement. Alex climbed down, without the bucket. "How'd you know I was hiding!" he said plaintively, and I suppressed a smug grin. "I have my ways young master." I said calmly.

"Is Richard alright?" Sir Hugo said, and I caught the greedy gleam in his eye. "As alright as can be expected." I said neutrally, flashing him a warning glance. He sighed, putting on a mask of sorrow. I didn't fall for it. "He will be sorely missed." He said gloomily, as Alle and her twin raced for the doors. The next second I was free to hiss at him, and did so. "Don't be so sure!" I spat. "Master Richard won't fall to some weak thing like illness." He smirked. "I don't know how strong anyone could be, controlling a vicious creature like yourself every day. " I blinked. "How did you-" I said angrily, backing away from him. He advanced, grinning wider. "I have my ways. But see here," he tapped his chest, and I gaped at him. "I think I need to update my wardrobe. Maybe a necklace."

I whirled, blindly running away, trying to find "Mistress Amarta!" I yelled, seeing her exit Master Richard's room. She turned to see me, and a look of alarm flashed on her face. "Meva? What's wrong?" She asked. I took a deep breath. "Sir Hugo. He knows. He wants my necklace." Her lips turned down in a thin frown. "Are you sure of this?" she asked roughly. I nodded. She straightened up. "I will not abandon my husband. But you must take the twins." She pressed a key into my hands. "Take them away, far away. To…" "America." I said instantly. "Sir Hugo would never think of going there." She nodded. "Keep in contact. Keep them safe." I nodded, already running for where I had left the twins. "I will mistress!" I shouted over my shoulder.

Sir Hugo's POV:

I stepped into Richard's room, noting with distaste that his bedroom was musty and stale with age. He should throw out all this old junk and renovate. I approached the bed, noting with satisfaction the pale form kneeling by it. "Amarta." I said softly, and her head whipped up. "You!" she hissed, still holding her dead husband's hand. "You poisoned him!" I held up my hands in a gesture of supplication. "Now, now, I didn't do what time would have done eventually." I said smugly. She glared at me, eyes sparking with an inner fire. "You'll never have it." She growled, clutching what I so dearly wanted as it hung on her throat. I flicked open my knife, cutting her throat in one clean movement.

She fell choking to the floorboards, gasping for breath. "You'll never have it…it goes only…to a family member…" she choked out, and I sat down beside her in a bored manner. "I know. I have placed a phone call that will ensure your children will be dead within the hour. The people have been instructed to bring it to me if they outlast you, which is pretty likely." She lifted her head in a last-ditch effort to defy me. "She'll never…obey you…" I shrugged. "I don't care whether she does or not. I just want her power."

Meva's POV:

"But I don't wanna leave Papa and Momma!" Alle wailed, and I sighed. I bent down, pulling their faces close to mine. "Listen young masters. Your parents both charged me to keep you safe, and that means leaving. Do you understand?" I said, yanking on their collars to prove my point. They both nodded reluctantly. I shoved the locked door open, letting a gust of earthy, moist air billow out. Alle coughed and Alex gagged. I wrinkled my nose. I hate being underground. Not my element of choice. "Come young masters, and from now on, be absolutely silent, unless I say otherwise." I hissed, ushering them into the tunnel. They both went in without a word, and I let the door swing shut behind me.

We went on, in the dark, and more than once one of the twins tripped and fell. I sighed in exasperation. "Sorry." Alle whispered. "I can't see." I blinked. But I can see fine- I cursed silently. How long has it been since I've worked with humans in the field directly? I forgot how weak their senses are. I swung her up onto my back, and grabbed Alex's hand. "Just hold onto me, but be quiet still." I whispered to them, leading them deeper into the darkness. After a while, we came to a dead end. The tunnel was low enough I could reach the ceiling, and I put Alle down. "Back away young masters." I whispered, setting my shoulder against old stone.

I heaved, and a gritty trickle of pebbles and dust rained down on me. I clenched my teeth and pushed again, and dying sunlight streamed down on us as the trapdoor flipped open with a thud. I boosted Alle and Alex up, and then followed. We were in an abandoned cottage, and the trapdoor was almost invisibly set in the main bedroom. I shoved the bed on top of it, flipping the trapdoor back over. "We can talk now, but only if it is needed." I said, dusting my hands off. Alle raised her hand. "What are we gonna do now?" she asked. I looked out the window. We had come a long way, all the way into the woods I could see from the highest windows in the manor. "We hide. Then we are going to America." I said, pulling them over to the door.

Alex broke free, making a gun with his hands and saying "I'm gonna see a cowboy! Bang bang!" he said, firing it at his sister. I rolled my eyes. Off by several decades. And they say I'm old fashioned. He chased her out the door, and my amusement smartly vanished. "Not that way!" I whisper-shouted, pulling him back. Alle stopped in the yard, staring at us, and my ears caught the sound of a rifle being cocked. I lunged, bringing my pride and joy out in a sweeping arch. I wrapped my wings around her not a moment too soon, and a bullet pinged off my feathers. I swirled, flinging her into the arms of her brother and slamming into the sniper full force, bringing my wing up to slice his windpipe. He fell, a spray of blood covering my face and part of my wing.

I turned, seeing Alle and Alex staring at me in awe. "You're an angel." She said in awe, and I rolled my eyes. "Anything but, young master. I will discuss my lineage at a later date. This way." I led them deeper into the forest, reveling in the wind that breezed through my feathers. It's been so many years…so many decades since I've been free of the ground…so many centuries… I flapped them a little, and almost gasped in ecstasy as I lifted off the ground for a heartbeat. Then grunted in annoyance as both children wrapped themselves around my legs. "Don't go!" Alle said breathlessly, clinging to me tightly. I shook her off. "I'm not going anywhere young mistress." I said a bit guiltily, because that's exactly what had been running through my head.

The next few hours were probably a nightmare for the children, exhausted, wet, cold, and dodging sniper bullets and ambushes at irregular intervals. I was having a blast. I had to suppress laughter as I sliced through a soldier's bullet-proof armor, because that would have scared the children even more. Even so, demented giggles were erupting from my throat, and I was repeatedly soaked in blood. I decapitated a man with contempt, reveling in the activity. So many boring decades on butler duty, waiting on people, bowing, scraping on people not fit to lick my masters' boots, and finally I get to do something interesting! Alle and Alex scrambled from their hiding places, approaching me with caution. I took a shaky breath.

"We need some water to throw them off the track." I said firmly, heading towards a stream. They followed like puppies, and we all splashed through, me taking significantly longer, because I wanted to get the blood off my wings. They were a deep chocolate brown, with tiny little glints of gold and russet, and little flickers of maroon. They were also mottled with a creamy white, all combining for a truly beautiful effect. The cream faded out the closer you got to my back, so where feathers met skin there was just a deep brown with red and gold speckles, streaked faintly with russet. I came out on the other side all clean, with not a hint of blood on my magnificent wings.

I listened hard for pursuit, but it seemed like Sir Hugo had trusted in his hired goons. Fools. "Come young masters. We need a spot to sleep for the night." I said, glancing around. I clambered up a particularly thick tree, and waited. When they didn't come up, I peered over the branch, confused. They were staring up at me in shock. "A tree is safe. You can exit by different trees in case of attack. Nobody thinks to look in a tree." I said, and they shrugged and climbed up. I lay along a thinner part of the branch, warning them not to make a sound. I closed my eyes, waiting for the light doze of sleep to settle over me, but Alle said pleadingly. "Meva, I'm cold." Alex joined her. "Yeah, it's really cold out here."

I turned, looking at them. They were huddled together, shivering. I sighed. Humans. I moved over to their part of the branch, extending my wings slightly. "Come over here. I'll keep you warm." I said, and they scuttled over to me, one on either side. I closed my wings around them, and they let out identical gasps of shock. "You're feathers are so soft." Alle said admiringly, snuggling into the support my wing provided. "They aren't sharp anymore." Alex said accusingly. I shrugged. "I thought it best not to cut my charges to pieces. I can make them sharp at will. This is how they normally are." He tugged on one of my primaries. "Does it hurt when they shoot at you?" he said curiously.

I fluffed out my wings for more warmth. "Not really. About as much as it would hurt you to be poked. Stop yanking on my feathers, I need those ones." He looked up at me pleadingly. "Can I have one you don't need?" he said, widening his eyes in the begging trick dogs used. I sighed, casting a glance along the length of my wing. Black quill, black quill, where's a white one? I made a satisfied sound. There you are. I tugged at one of my secondaries, and it broke free. I handed it to him, watching morbidly as another grew in its place. "If you ever need to know," I said, pointing to the feather he was holding. "You should only pluck my feathers that have a white quill like that." He looked at it closely.

"A white what?" I pointed to the thickest part. "That shaft. Where all the little barbs come together. The "stem" of the feather, if you will. My white ones regenerate almost instantly, the black ones can take up to a week." He nodded, yawning. Alle said from my other side "So what are you if you aren't an angel?" I shrugged. "Something else. I was born like this, and grew up like this, and I'll stay like this. But I'm no angel." I muttered under my breath "Twinkly-toed-idiots." She stirred "Wha?" I shook my head. "Nothing young mistress." They both drifted off to sleep, and I sighed sadly. Sleeping sitting up was not one of my more natural skills, and they needed a lookout, poor things.

But it was something to do. So I scanned the horizons, sweeping them in an even gaze, waiting for the sound or scent that alerted me to a stranger's presence. Why did they have to bring that up? I winced. I never know the answer. I know I'm not human, and not an angel, and not a vampire, I know what I'm not, but I want to know what I am. I sighed. While I'm dreaming, I also want to be free of the binding. Being free is a lot more fun than being chained to a family. But, I was above all things, a realist, and right now reality didn't like me very much. You are an unknown. It told me. You are a pawn on the family chessboard, the most powerful and secret pawn. And you're staying that way.

Sure, there was an easy solution. Scream loud enough, then watch as the twins were torn apart, grab my necklace, and toddle on my way. No big deal. But, sadly, my morals can be pesky sometimes. The family has been good to you, and Mistress Amarta was trying to break the spell. Stupid thing. Why does that damn necklace even exist! I wish I could smash it to pieces. Also a physical impossibility, but one that was not governed by morals. Speaking of, I saw a shimmer around little Alle's neck, and peered closer to see the necklace securely chained around her tiny neck. I let out a keening moan, because that meant only one thing. Mistress Amarta was dead. I felt the bonds holding me loosen considerably, then tighten. And so is Master.

I looked at my new Master and Mistress. Alle was breathing out of her open mouth, black curls tumbled about her face. She would grow up to be a beauty, but right now she was an unformed, scared little girl. Alex, on my other side, was sleeping more…carefully, if it can be described that way. She may be a thinker, but you'll grow up to be a fighter little one. His black locks were cut much shorter, and he was more muscled already than his slightly built sister. I sighed, ruffling my feathers. Keeping these two out of trouble is going to be harder than flying in a hurricane. I thought grumpily, already plotting.

For those that wonder these things, yes she is kinda like Alucard. I'm going for similar personalities this time. I know a lot of people have already read this, but please, Review, Request, Rcomment. Auf Wedersien!