Blood+: Storm Inside a Teacup.

~Storm Inside a Teacup~

The full moon fell upon them on this heavy dark night. Saya looked down at the young man with an angry and bloodthirsty stare. Her long dark hair was strewn all around her making her look wild and uncivilized.

Haji stared up at the woman who was his only best friend. They had been together through the good times and the hard times in both their lives. She was also the woman who he was in love with despite the differences of their destinies.

He was the chevalier and she was his queen. Even so, he wouldn't give up the love and endearment he held for Saya. Maybe destiny would give him a chance to live a new world with Saya.

Her face was covered in blood that belonged to chiropterans and humans that she had slaughtered only moments ago. Her sword clashed against his small dagger as he held back her attack on a human boy.

"Saya, stop this now, "Haji declared as he stared into her eyes.

Saya growled in frustration as she felt the adrenaline rush through her veins. She lifted her bare foot and maneuvered her foot to hit him on his abdomen. Haji gasped softly as he fell to the floor, but still held her attack with his own. Her sword was lifted into the air in mere seconds and brought down again cutting half of his arm. Haji exclaimed in pain as blood splattered everywhere around them.

Her red eyes glowed with evil intentions as she watched the familiar young man cast his eyes downward. Haji held a pitiful stare of confusion and sorrow in seeing her act in this strange manner.

"Saya," he whispered softly. His blue grey eyes stared down at the floor in defeat. The gunfire soon resumed in the background and reached her ears as Saya took a run down the dirt pathway heading deeper into the village.

His defeated stare stayed permanent into the corner of her mind as she continued killing all the hearts that were beating with life. Her adrenaline rush was becoming too hard for her to keep up with it and she soon found herself swimming a void of darkness and pain.

Saya bolted upward on the bed shaking in fear. She reminisce the nightmare that had taken place inside her head. She knew deep down in her heart that it wasn't a dream, but a memory to be more precise. A horrible memory when she had hurt Haji with her own two hands. She just couldn't bring herself to forgive her horrible act.

I wounded Haji and made him feel deceived of my trust. He became hesitant in wanting to stay by my side.

Saya's hands cupped her face as she held back the tears forming in the corner of her maroon eyes. She knew that Haji might be standing just outside her door and if he detected anything out of balance in her, he would come inside the room to check on her.

She took a small breath in and out feeling her chest rise up and down with the movement. Her maroon gaze landed to the window that held no curtain to hide the darkness that accompanied the moon and the stars behind the glass.

Maybe, it's not too late. I can still apologize to him. Saya thought as she silently pushed the covers aside and allowed her feet to touch the cold wooden floor. Mm, I should probably change out of my sleeping night clothes, first. She concluded as she glanced down at her lavender cotton shorts that reached at length with her knees. She was also wearing a tank top that matched her sleeping cotton shorts. The tank top was decorated with many layers of white lace and a V shape curved at the top of her chest.

Saya was certain that this outfit would be inappropriate to be prancing and walking around with. She was just about to go and pick up her draped outfit from the chair when she heard a loud thud come from outside of her door. Haji! Oh no, did Diva or one of her chevaliers find our hide out? She thought franticly as she grabbed her sheathed sword and ran outside the doorway of the room she was currently occupying.

Her maroon eyes took in the top floor of the small cabin house they were currently staying in. She found no suspicious movements or shattered objects that might have been damage in battle. Her defensive pose relaxed as her tense muscles released the anxiety that had managed to build up inside her.

Her bare feet led her to the peak of the stairwell as she focused her attention downstairs. She could hear feet shuffling on the wooden floor and the drag of something heavy. Her lips were firmly pressed tightly against each other, as she debated whether to casually inspect the source of the noise, or to strategize an attack.

Could it be Haji that made that noise, earlier? Did he trip over something, or, did someone manage to attack Haji from behind? Saya questioned the reasons inside her mind as she took a step down. Her hand grip didn't lessen on her weapon. For a moment, Saya resented the fact that she didn't have Haji's ability to detect the spiritual essence of a body. But she knew that Haji as her chevalier needed that ability to be able to find her, his queen.

She knew that there was only one way to find out and so without any hesitance, she ran down the staircase, and languidly maneuvered her way to the location of the noise. She found the backdoor leading outside, wide open.

Saya took a deep breath to control her adrenaline coursing through her veins. She knew that the danger had passed, because she found no trace of damage all over the small cabin house. Usually a chiropteran or one of Diva's chevaliers would have caused a great destruction by this current moment in time. She would have also heard voices or some sort of verbal noise coming from their elaborate breathing.

Yet, the mysterious sounds of what was going on with Haji made her curious. Saya glanced curiously outside of the door as she poked her head out the doorway. Her maroon eyes focused on the dark green grass and the starlit sky with a half full moon in its wake. She couldn't find Haji anywhere and that worried her. She could have been wrong, and perhaps there was someone else here with Haji. Maybe, the enemy was stealthier than she had first guessed.

Her foot stepped on the soft grass that awaited her outside. The soft wind breezed by her mid length black hair strands. The air was rather freshening to breathe in and feel against her warm skin. She scuffled down the grass only reaching halfway out of the house when she felt something wet and moist touch her right ankle.

She didn't know why, but the movement gave her the chills as she stumbled forward. Saya tried to regain her balance, but failed due to the steep on the hill. She felt herself flying for a second as the wind rushed by her ears, and the river blood flowing steadily inside her, rushed to her head.

The girl gasped when she felt warm arms steady her fall. The grip to the embrace was like floating in heaven for a second. She instantly knew that it was Haji who was holding her up. In order to prevail the fall on both their parts, Haji had lifted Saya up and held her in a tight embrace. His black coat that was left unbutton allowed Saya's tank top to mesh with his white casual buttoned up shirt.

One of Haji's hands was place on top of her hip, while his right arm was stretched out touching nothing, but air as he balanced them from falling. Saya held a surprised expression on her face, while her feet barely brushed against the grass below her. Haji had his head facing side ways to avoid her face being near his own. He held an expressionless face.

"Are you alright, Saya?" He asked softly before she heard a dog bark some sort of greeting to her. Her maroon gaze landed on the dark brown dog, who was probably the cause of her fall in the first place. It seemed that the dog was rather fond of Haji. Was Haji playing with the dog, earlier? Why is it that I find that image so funny? Saya contemplated as she managed to stifle her laughter. The dog began his search once more to find his buried bone. "Haji..." Saya mumbled out loud feeling her cheeks heat up from the close contact.

"Did I wake you up? Forgive me if I did." He said as he settled her petite body back down into normal gravity. Her feet brushed against the prickly grass. She almost felt a sense of loss when his arms pulled away from her. "No, it wasn't your fault, Haji." Saya said as she gazed up at the stoic man.

"Haji, what exactly are you doing right now in the middle of the night?" She asked, remembering that her dear chevalier could not fall asleep like a normal human could do. Haji motioned to a wooden brown chair that he had brought out only a few minutes ago. "I was planning on practicing on the cello, outside. It is a refreshing night." Haji said in his quiet tone. He hardly spoke to anyone, but Saya.

Haji walked over to the abandoned chair and where his cello case rested upon. The cello instrument had yet to be brought out from its safe container. Saya followed behind her chevalier enjoying the calm silence shared between them.

Haji took a seat down on the chair and reached out with his bandaged hand to open the instrument case. Saya's hand reached out to stop him as she kneeled down from his side of the chair. "Haji… Does it still hurt?" She heard herself softly say as she stared into his blue grey eyes.

His eyes reflected confusion for a second, before he realized that she was referring to his bandaged hand that hid his chiropteran arm. He didn't speak for a moment as he reminisced on the memory. Saya tried her hardest to hide her ashamed face knowing that the wound she made on Haji's heart was still there. It hurt to force her tears from not releasing the pent up emotion welling inside her.

"It has lessened. Time can heal wounds over time." He answered before using his other hand to lift her chin up. Saya's tears were then released as she reached out to grab his chiropteran arm. "Please, forgive me Haji. I- I wasn't myself back then. I really don't know what came over me back in Vietnam." Saya said as she felt haunted by the memory repeating inside her head. She brought down her lips to caress the bandages that covered his arm.

She hoped that she could heal the wound with her tears and kisses. Haji reached out to pull Saya up from the floor and into his lap. Saya held a startle expression with teardrops accenting her wet eyelashes and cheeks. "Saya, you have already been forgiven. Do not worry yourself about the past."

"But, Haji I hurt you both physically and mentally. Your gaze was so sad…" Saya half whispered as she tilted her head to the side. Haji was earnestly staring back down in her direction. He took in her small frowned lips and her guilty maroon gaze.

"Saya, how long have you been holding these feelings inside you?" Haji questioned earnestly as his human hand reached out to caress her cheek and remove the salty wet substance. She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Ever since I read Joel's diary," She said feeling guilt that the conversation had somehow moved to her wellbeing.

Haji couldn't help, but feel guilt for making his queen suffer for so long without his consent of this knowledge. Hesitantly, he brought his face only but a few inches lower to place a kiss on top of her eyebrow. She left out a soft gasp feeling her cheeks heat up, again. She remembered that in the diary, the current Joel had mentioned that Haji was brought to the Joel's mansion to see if Saya could reproduce children. They had chose Haji to be her supposed 'mate'. The thought only made her cheeks heat up, again.

"Haji… do you really forgive me for hurting you back in Vietnam? Even, if you have to carry the reminder of the memory everyday with you." Saya asked as she still held in her possession his chiropteran arm. Her sheathed sword was lying on the green grass next to them.

She knew that this chiropteran arm would forever be a memory of her cutting it off. His arm had successfully managed to regenerate over the centuries, but in the form of a monster that has to be hidden behind the white gauze bandages.

"You have always been forgiven." He said softly as he gave a hand squeeze to her warm and tender hand. "That makes me feel a lot better. Thank you Haji," Saya said before placing a warm kiss on his cheek feeling the calm of the storm breeze by her.

"I'm glad." Haji spoke before casting his blue grey gaze up to the million star pieces floating in the dark lit sky.

~The storm in the troubling hearts has victoriously managed to resolve itself. But, a storm inside a teacup is yet from being over. ~