Death Do Us Part

Interlude

Tama squeaked with glee as she flew back to the cave. She found her missing brother! She would bring him home to her elder brothers. Her brothers who'd lived much longer than she had. She changes to her regular form, lands in the snow, and starts running towards home. She wasn't quite ready to levitate yet. Sabo was teaching her how to do it, and she would practice every day until she could fly from one village to another. She was also learning to hunt for herself to keep her occupied from worrying about Luffy. Her first time catching prey surprised the hard-to-impress Ace. Luffy's created such a skilled, young vampire. It's not every day a newly-turned one can hunt this early.

Tama smiles upon reaching the entrance to the cave. She runs in. "Big bro Sabo~!!" she exclaims.

Before he can react, Sabo is thrown to the ground by the force of Tama's hug. He sits up and adjusts his shirt, chuckling at her antics. His arms wrap around her in a touching embrace.

"What joy have you encountered on your flight, sister?" he asks.

"I found him, big bro!" Tama cheers, clapping her hands together.

"Found who?"

"Big bro Luffy!"

Sabo gasps, grabbing Tama and pulling her up to her feet. He kneels on one knee and places his hands on her upper arms. "Where did you find him?"

"He was in a coach!"

"So he's alive after all."

Ace jumps down from a ledge. Tama smiles when she sees him but backs away from his terrifying aura. Even when he wasn't hunting, he had an ominous vibe around him like a shell.

"Y-yes, big bro Ace," she stammers. "The hunters didn't hurt him! Isn't that amazing?! He got away!"

"Where did you say he was?" Ace asks her.

"He was sitting in a coach parked near the cemetery where you found him."

"Was anyone else in the coach?"

"There was a mortal boy. He looked to be around my age. Sadly, Luffy didn't keep him as a snack."

"Do you have any idea who the coach's owner was?"

"I saw two people come running from the cemetery. A man with a long nose jumped to the front where the horses were, and a woman jumped into the coach with Luffy and the mortal. I think the woman was the girl Sabo had eyes on."

Sabo takes in her words before groaning. "Please tell me he was a bat when you found him."

Tama shook her head. "Nope! He was a vampire again! That was how I was able to find him!"

Sabo began to fret. He grunts and runs a hand through his hair. Did she tell him about their past together?!  "Curses!!"

"What's wrong, big bro Sabo?" Tama asks. "Luffy found the girl you liked! He's going to bring her back!"

"He won't if he's surrounded!" Sabo angrily exclaims under his breath.

Lovely had seen Luffy's vampire form. Because she hadn't killed him, as a hunter would have, they'll fall in love again. Sabo will lose her forever! There's got to be some way to remove her from Luffy before things get out of hand.

"What are we going to do now?" Tama asks.

Sabo turns to her. An idea crossed his mind. Tama's missed Luffy for a long time now. It would make her very happy if she fetched him and Lovely herself. What an achievement that would be.

"Tama, my dear sister," Sabo calls to her, "how would you like to assist me in bringing Luffy and my love back home?"

Tama gasps and looks at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "I would love to, big bro Sabo!! What do I have to do?!"

Sabo places a hand on her back and walks her to the cave's entrance. "You have to change into a bat again and find the coach. Do you have any idea where it could be at this moment?"

"It headed into the woods," Tama says, snapping her fingers. "I'm sure of it. I heard the long-nosed man shout when they entered."

"Perfect. Now listen closely, dear sister. When you find that carriage, you'll distract the so-called long-nosed man from his post and strike when he least expects it. Do you remember the 'helpless young lady who's lost her mother' act we've practiced?"

"Yes, big bro!"

"That's what you'll be using. Once you take care of that man, you'll throw the boy in the car out of the way."

"And then I bring Luffy and the girl home!" Tama nods until a difficulty comes to life. "How am I supposed to carry the others home for a snack?

"The forest is full of our kind lurking in the shadows. They rarely leave their abodes, but if you let them know the mortals' importance to us, they'll be willing to help you."

"Got it!" Tama exclaims, changing into a bat and perching on Sabo's finger.

"Good luck, sister Tama," Sabo smiles wickedly at the night. "Fly as fast as your little wings can take you. Bring us word of their location if you're tired and we'll meet you there."

Tama flies away, squeaking into the night. Ace follows behind her. 

"Where are you going, Ace?" Sabo asks.

"I'm going to make sure she does the job right," he says. "We can't risk another failure such as Luffy's again."

Sabo nods as his elder brother flies away. He slinks to the back of the cave and sits beside a colony of bats. His dark heart squeezed the inside of his chest. He reached out to gently scratch a small bat's head.

There's no need to be afraid any longer, my Lovely. I shall wait here like a lover. You would want that, wouldn't you? We'll get to know each other more, and you'll be the happiest vamp in all of England.