The Tale of Azure - Book I: Shades of Green and Blue

Chapter Nine: Alexia Branson, the "Good Vampire"

As of this chapter, we begin to enter a "crossover phase" with supernatural characters from two different series which I am quite fond of: The Vampire Diaries and Vampire Knight. Some characters will make a cameo but others will interact with the "Shades"' characters. Their background is partially made-up, especially Lexi's. This phase will last for six more chapters. I hope you enjoy delving a bit in the supernatural world.

One more last thing before we start: I do not own "Harry Potter", "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", "Vampire Knight" and "The Vampire Diaries".

Between the 15th and the 16th July 1942, the Delacour Mansion was bustling with energy. The Delacours' only daughter Céleste was marrying Keane Warren. Naturally, the event received human and supernatural guests, including the Werewolf clan Lockwood, Lord Elijah Mikaelson, some Pureblood and Noble Vampires...and Ghosts.

The wedding reception had gone the way it was supposed to be; polite smiles, good food, beautiful clothes – Muggle attire was optional – and an enormous list of guests. Witches would saunter the place in their best robes for the occasion while the Vampires preferred the formal "Non-magiques" – French term for Muggles – dresses and tuxedos.

Myrtle and Holly had also dressed for the occasion: her twin was clad in a red dress that reached her knees, contrasting with Myrtle's cream dress that reached below the knee. Finally, Keane's crucifix was proudly displayed on her attire's neckline. Holly was wearing a gold necklace with St. Patrick's effigy. Their hair was devoid of bangs and held securely by hairpins. If hers was butterfly-shaped, Holly's looked like a rose, her favourite flower.

The only people that were not in ceremonial robes were the Aurors and the trusted bodyguards/assassins of the Japanese vampires; they were on duty, which meant wearing a regular black raincoat, white blouse and black pants for the Aurors or a simple black tux in the case of the bodyguards/assassins. Fortunately, nothing bad had happened because the event was being attended by an Original Vampire and the Japanese Vampires; no wizard or witch dared to approach a Mikaelson or one of the Vampire clans without knowing the consequences.

And, thank God that no incidents with unsuspecting humans had happened; all the Vampire guests possessed remarkable self-control over their hunger...

Well, it was to be expected; they had been sipping either human blood infused with lavender tea or a pale pink liquid that originated from the automatic dissolution of something called "blood tablets". These "tablets" were what Pureblood and Noble vampires – Kuran, Shōtō, Aidō, Sōen and Kain – had recently begun to use instead of feeding on human blood.

By nightfall, Myrtle was walking the gardens with Azure, pausing when they saw the future King and Queen of the entire Vampire race.

Physically, they appeared to be in their late teens, despite they were in fact, much older and powerful than the Mikaelsons. Also, since they were born vampires unlike the former Viking family who had been turned into vampires by magic, Japanese vampires possessed some variation of Elemental Magic. Purebloods did not have a drop of human blood in their line, unlike the Noble Vampires, hence why their lifespan was unnaturally long.

Overall, the supernatural community respected greatly the Kurans and their pacifist way of thinking, something that made Myrtle feel reassured. In different circumstances, humankind would have to deal with a different kind of war.

The Revolution and Hitler would be the least of this Earth's problems.

"Lady Jūri and Lord Haruka Kuran," Azure whispered to Myrtle before politely curtseying and nudging the petite girl to do the same when the couple passed by them. After a nod and a gentle smile, the pair continued their stroll with fingers enlaced. They were the epitome of a young couple in love. "I saw them when I was little. They haven't changed a bit."

"They're beautiful..." Myrtle mused aloud.

The Kuran siblings indeed possessed an ethereal beauty that surpassed Lord Mikaelson. Lady Jūri had warm and very long dark brown hair that fell before her eyes, albeit a bit messy and curly. Her eyes were warm and chocolate-brown. Lord Haruka's eyes reminded Myrtle of garnet stones. His hair was short and dark brown with bangs covering most of his eyes.

"Yes, they are," a female voice said from behind, making the girls turn around to see Céleste's bridesmaid. She had hazel-green eyes and curly blonde hair, a stray lock falling on the left side of her shoulder. Her hand was holding a glass of a pinkish liquid. She was also wearing a lapis lazuli necklace and a burgundy dress with a mesh overlay on a luminous matching satin lining and whose bodice enhanced her curves perfectly. Myrtle could still see the lapis lazuli earrings that Lexi used in order to walk normally in the sun. Like Azure, she had gloves, only that hers were white opera length gloves.

She greeted them with a warm smile, "Hi, I am Lexi Branson. My full name is Alexia but don't call me that. I am eternally 21. Nice to meet you!"

The joke hadn't been lost on Myrtle and Azure; they began to laugh, Lexi joining them. After some quick self-introductions, Lexi began to explain that she had been turned in the sixteenth century. Her best friend – Stefan – was a vampire who had been "off the rails" because of his "Ripper side", a binge eater vampire with the habit of tearing the victim's heads off due to a vicious feeding, for some time until she knocked some good sense on him.

"It was the year of 1603, 20th March. The guy who turned me was a right bastard who believed he could get a pretty girl to do anything he wanted just because he had made her like him, which obviously meant he was entitled to be my 'owner'... – her eyes had darkened at this momentarily – ...but after I was force-fed some human blood, I kicked him with my new supernatural strength, fled and found a cave."

Lexi then told them she had spent the first weeks feeding on small animals, which was not substantial for a newborn vampire. One day, she chose to embrace her new vampire nature. "I am not proud of that but at that time it was the only way to make the thirst go away. It also meant that instead of taking some drops, I would drink the person dry. How was I supposed to know that my would-be first human kill was a werewolf whose kind does not usually have a quarrel with vampires?"

"The not innate lycanthropy," Azure said matter-of-factly, folding her arms over her rose-patterned light green bolero jacket that went very well with the gown of the same colour and pattern. She was secretly wearing flat shoes with socks as the length of the dress easily concealed her feet. Her previously messy dark blue hair was in a half-up, half-down style. "People who are bitten by a werewolf, turning into werewolves every full-moon, but nevertheless can do magic because they have a wizard or a witch as a parent."

"Certain people at the Ministry call them 'Half-breeds' and support their segregation like Hitler's Nazi forces did before sending Jews to concentration camps," Myrtle added, shaking her head. "It's a cruel world to live in."

"Prejudice runs in human nature," Lexi commented with a growl, her gloved hand tightening the hold on her glass briefly. "But that night, I did not see that. The human who I thought to be the perfect victim paralyzed me before I even got close. I knew he or she was a practitioner of witchcraft.In those times, it was common for my generation growing up while hearing thestories about witches and warlocks. We called them 'Devil's worshippers'...throughsacrifices, they could enhance their dark powers or summon creatures." She bit herlip. "I was so afraid that I asked the Lord to let me die quickly and startedsaying the prayers, but the final strike never happened. Instead, the strangergrabbed me by the ear and furiously told me in a low voice: 'What kind of idiotare you?'"

"Didn't you say those words to me back in 1864?" A new male voice said in an amused tone, cutting into the conversation. "Sorry for interrupting your wonderful storytelling, Lexi."

Now, can you guess who spoke?

Once again, read and comment, if you please!