"Ah, Mistress Sierra. How very nice to see you again. Do come in, I'm always looking for good help. Or, in your case, maybe a little more hmmm?" the black-cloaked man stated with the ghost of a grin. His lifeless onyx eyes and sickly white skin gave an all too true impression of death which contradicted the vitality of his movements. So, that maggot was even dressed in formal wear like the star of one of those vampire plays.

Pathetic.

"You want me for your bride? You're a joke Renny."

The grin became a scowl.

"I'm already more than you'll ever be! I have everything you took from me..."

The candlelight flickered, disturded by the speed of his flight towards her.

"and I have your power..."

Silent and seeminly unnconcerned by his sudden attack, Sierra calmly ducked under the Neclord's fist.

".. and I know how to *use* it!"

The pale man landed abruptly, but was quickly back on his feet. His words echoed in the barren chamber.

" But you don't have everything, do you Variev? You don't have what you always wanted most...."

He looked as if he was waiting for something.

"...Is that another wrinkle I see?"she calmly observed.

The pounding of footsteps filled the void as he once more charged at her.

".. Another grey hair? All the humans you've sacrificed over four hundered years.."

This time he caught her despite her unnatural speed, and the blow sent her crashing into the rough stone wall. Sierra did her best to hide the pain which blossomed in her ribs.

".. all the zombies you've made and starved to horde the power..."

Her voice was gravelly now, her breathing heavy as she rose to her feet. A slow trickle of blood ran from her nose.

"... It's never favored you, has it?"

Haloed be the soft yellow flame of of the candle behind her, Sierra looked at him with someting akin to pity.

"I'm going to live forever and you're not. I've already won."

"SHUT UP!!"

Stumbling, the Neclord's wild punches couln't even come close to hitting his former lover. She had him now. He would drop his shield when distracted. Centuries of hunting had taught her never to fight a more powerful opponent without a plan, and she knew more about her adversary's magic than he could ever hope to understand. The glowing scythe appeared once more just before the unexpectedhappened.

"Sierra!" a rough cry attacked her from behind. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

All traces of imperiousness left the vampire's manner.Memory clawed at her, engulfing her, ripping her dignity to shreds as she was confronted with the illusion her enemy had crafted for her. He too had the experience of centuries behind his hunt.

"Mama?"

In blood-red eyes, you could see the whole world come crashing down.

When the girl who was now the laughingstock of the Sun Gala just wouldn't stop weeping, the chamberlain did the most sensible thing he could. Steering the poor child into a little used room in the bowels of the manor, he told the guards to send for her mother.

That had been a mistake.

"Sierra!" the the woman screamed at the bawling girl.

"Mama?" she replied, a ray of hope holding back the tears. She gave woman whose face was caked with makeup a plantitive little smile. That is, she did until Mistress Yashka slapped her.

"M-Mama.. why...?" the girl's plea was heartbreaking to the old man, but the Duchess had told him not to interfere. A crimson welt was forming on one pale cheek.

"What have you DONE!" The woman spit into her daugter's face, pulling up the child by the hair, " You FUCKING SLUT!"

"Mama.. please Mama.. you have to believe me Mama.. those two men were lying... I didn't.. I would never have slept with them..." the girl was sobbing uncontrolably now, an ocean of tears transforming into a plea for help.

" SHUT UP, girl! Why should I believe a worthless piece of trash like you?"

"B-but Mama.. you said.. you said I was going to be a Lady..."

"A lady? A goddamned WHORE like you a LADY!?" the obese Mistress Yashka laughed.

" Don't s-say things like that Mama... don't laugh..we have to go home.. to see Daddy. I'll try hard Mama, you'll see.. we can try together. You always told me that you loved me so much you would make me a Lady.."

"You stupid, stupid girl. It doesn't even matter if you rutted with them or not. You're worthless to me now," the woman said, manner colder than the arctic frosts. " I never loved you, and I'll have no more of thee. By getting rid of you I can save the family's position. It's a Lady's duty to protect her family, you know that."

" But Mama... I'm.. I'm your..."

The woman, features granite, walked out of the room with the last words she would ever say to the girl.

"You're nothing. You're not my daughter."

The vampire stared into empty space, weeping.

"Mama.. how... you're not.. you can't be real..."

"Quiet!"

The illusion was really quite realistic. The Neclord congratulated himself on a most excellent piece of work, and wordlessly directed his simulacrum to back Sierra into position.

She was worthless.

Nothing.

Why didn't Mama love her? Mamas were supposed to love their daughters.

She was going to be a Lady. She had to stop Mama. Mama would make her a Lady again.

Or not.

She was worthless.

Mama didn't want her. Sergei didn't want her. Damaged goods, he said. She could hear them all laughing, the ones who had smiled and joked with her. Why were they laughing? Their hyena's mirth filled the whole world up ...

Blinded more by a state of clinical shock than tears, the girl bolted from the room, pushing away the elderly chamerlain with a strength she never knew she had. Skirt torn, makeup smeared, and hair unkempt the child who dashed down the halls bore almost no resemblance to the shining white vision she had been. She didn't know she was running in the wrong direction until her dash through the winding hallways ended not at the front gate but at a tiny chamber.

It was dusty in the forgotten little room, and the only furnishing seemed to be the silver moon ornament which somehow illuminated the unpolished gold on the walls. That, and an odd looking sword.

Mama wasn't here. What was she going to do? Mama was gone. Gone far, far away. It was then that she heard the echoing baritone in her head.

"Mortal! So, your kind has finally remembered the ceremony."

"W-what?" Sierra was crying again.

"You aren't here for the ceremony? You mortals should appreciate me more. If it wasn't for my awesome power this rune..."

The girl looked with a desperate fear at the sword.

" Are.. a-are you talking to me? You aren't laughing..."

"Of course I'm talking to you! I am the mighty Star Dragon Sword, incarnation of the Night Rune..." the sword seemed to resonate with some eerie power which blocked out the omnipresent moonlight. The girls eyes lit up in a not entirely healthy manner and a tiny giggle escaped her lips. She understood.

"Magical sword.. my destiny of course... there's nothing else for me to do.. it's all just like a fairy tale.." Sierra picked up the worn blade, pampered arms straining at the weight.

"What are you doing? I don't recall granting you the honor of being my slave..."

"It's okay Sword" she said with a nervous laugh. Mama was gone. Now her mind was gone. This had to be insanity, after all.

"I understand what to do now. You came to help me, didn't you? That's why you didn't laugh. You're a nice sword.. you're not so strange. I knew I was in a fairy tale..."

She carefully rotated the blade in her hands, contemplating something the blade wasn't sure he wanted to know about judging by the strange gleam in her eyes.

"I'm nothing. Mama always said that waste has to be gotten rid of..."

A flash of comprehension hit him, followed with what would have been a cold sweat were the sword human. If only that frigging rune wasn't blocking his power as he stood guard. Wait a second, if she..

Oh crap.

"Mortal, you musn't do this. You don't understand what the consequences will be. Now just try to calm down...."

"Shhhhh, Sword. I am calm! It's nothing... I'm nothing... Goodbye Sword... and thank you... You'll stop them from laughing at me.." she said with an unnatural melody.

"NO..!"

For the first time in her life Siera Miuret made her own decision, a little bit of rebellion to overturn a lifetime of subservience. Unhesitating, she slid the protesting blade into her chest.

Once apon a time, an older kind of little girl lay dead at a forgotten alter. She looked just like a princess. When they found her body soaking in a pool of blood, most agreed that it was all very tragic. An investigation would have to be carried out if only for the sake of the poor girl's mother. Those high society types, the common people whispered, were just horrible. Something had to be done. A week later, they didn't even remember her name.

None of the guards who found her noticed that the implement of her death was missing. The accountants certainly didn't realize that a little silver ornament had gone missing from a mansion overwhelmed by gold. None of them knew that a woman, some handmaiden of destiny, had pulled a blade which seemed to radiate darkness from the girl's corpse. There were no watchers as moonlight washed over the cadaver in the windowlessroom.

Over twenty-five hundred years later, a woman who was already dead stared at a ghost of the past. She knew it wasn't real, but by the time both sense and anger overruled her heart and she put her fist through the illusion it was too late. The empty velvet dress crumpled to the ground, and a more mortal adversary moved in for the kill. The woman's bravado returned.

"You think you can take me, maggot?"

The Lady wasn't there at the moment, driven out perhaps by the cruel daggers within the deadly glare of the vampire. Unfortunately, that same vampire was injured, fatigued, and cornered like a rat.