Well. New story. Idea just kind of struck me randomly, after reading a new manga, Vampire Knight. Which, oddly, has nothing to do with knights at all. O.o

So. To make this all nice and happy, a disclaimer is needed.

Disclaimer: I don't own Aerith. Or Cloud. Or anyone else you might recognize. Alright? Now, this is the only time I'll be nice about it. Next time, watch out. –innocent smile-

Oh, and just a note: I've never played FFVII. Sad as it is. So, for all of the characters and facts, it's based on lots of fanfiction, and things I've read about the game. So. If I mess anything up, just tell me, please?

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

It was just after midnight. The Kingdom of Midgar was sleeping soundly, save for its princess, who was restlessly wandering the large corridors. Her long chestnut hair was pulled back into a thick braid, like always, and she was clad in a light pink nightdress, her bare feet making barely a noise as she walked.

The reason for her walk was rather simple; she couldn't sleep, and so decided to go visit the kingdom's garden, where she was frequently seen tending to the flowers. She had a way with flowers that had led to a grand garden.

As she turned a corner, a lone figured was revealed to be standing at the end of the passageway. She tensed for a moment, and then relaxed, instantly recognizing the long, vivid silver hair.

"Princess," the man said in a low, pleasant voice as he bowed to the girl. "What brings you here at this time of night?" He hid his excitement; this was his chance.

She gave a small, sheepish smile. "I couldn't sleep," was her reply, in her soft, melodic voice. "And I thought I told you that 'princess' was not necessary. I'd prefer you call me by name."

He nodded. "Alright, then, Aerith," he corrected. "Any reason why you couldn't sleep?" His voice was a mask of concern.

She shook her head. "I'm not really sure," she said. "I just got the feeling that something was amiss, and so I got up for a walk in hopes that the suspicion would pass. However," here she frowned, "it's only gotten stronger. Have you seen anything out of place?"

"No," he answered. Taking an unnoticed deep breath, he began, "Aerith, would you come here for a second?"

She nodded and walked down the long hallway so she was right beside the man. "Yes?"

"Thank you, and good night," he said in a barely audible voice, before bringing her closer to him and pricking her with a concealed needle, making everything in her sight go black as she collapsed.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

The next morning, Aerith awoke, feeling strangely lethargic. She remembered last night, up until everything had gone black. "Had I fallen asleep?" she asked allowed to herself, before standing up and stretching.

After getting ready for the day, dressed in a long, satin pink dress and her hair in its traditional braid, tied with a pink ribbon to match, she walked out of her quarters and down to the cook's kitchen.

Walking in, she greeted the maids who were scurrying around, one picking up dirty towels, while the other replaced them with clean ones.

"Good morning, princess," they called out cheerfully with a bow of their head.

"Good morning," she replied with a smile and a nod.

Walking in farther, she found the head cook, a thin, red-blonde haired girl named Refia, and sat beside her at the long white table where food was being prepared.

They exchanged good mornings, and then Refia asked, "So, miss, what'll it be this morning?"

Aerith thought for a moment, before surprising herself by replying, "Anything with meat, if that's alright." The slender girl had realized that she'd been craving rare cooked meat since she awoke.

"Alright, miss," Refia replied, and began to prepare her meal.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Twenty minutes later, after Aerith had finished her breakfast (bacon, ham, and a little bit of sausage), the girl set out to the garden, carrying with her a watering can.

She walked along the rows of flowers, making sure that every bud and petal was cared for. However, she hurried this morning; for some reason, the sun felt unusually hot and bright.

She tripped as she walked among a row of roses and felt dizzy; Aerith decided to go inside, and finish the watering later. She was feeling rather ill, and felt that a long nap was all that she needed.

When she'd put away her things, she walked into the castle, content to lie in her room, a cool clothe on her forehead and her blinds shut to the seemingly blinding light of the sun. She slipped into a dreamless sleep.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

The princess awoke at sunset, feeling strangely awake; how long had she been sleeping? Raising bleary green eyes to the clock, her eyes widened.

It was nearly seven in the evening.

Calculating quickly in her mind, Aerith figured she'd been asleep for roughly twelve hours. After all, she'd woken at six-thirty, and breakfast had taken around twenty minutes…

Alarmed, she sat up. Well, she thought to herself, at least I'm feeling better. She stood up and dusted off her dress before exiting her room and walking down to the main hall, where dinner was being served.

She slipped in, unnoticed, and sat beside her mother, who was deep in talk with one of the maids. Due to her mother's kind nature, everyone, staff or family, sat together for meals, to create a feeling of equality.

Aerith reached for a piece of steak (rare, she noticed) and fell into talk with the girl sitting beside her, a timid dressmaker named Yuna.

Yuna was a petite girl with brown hair and mismatched eyes; one of a jade color, and the other sky blue. Her looks, combined with her gentle, easygoing personality, had caught the attention of a chocobo trainer named Tidus.

"So," Yuna said in her soft, quiet voice as she picked at her dinner, "why're you late?" Aerith looked around, then, content that her mother wouldn't hear her, replied.

"I wasn't feeling very well. I slept all day, though, so I'm feeling better. Don't let my mother—"

"Don't let your mother what?" a warm voice interrupted, clearly amused.

Aerith laughed softly. "Nothing, mother. Don't worry about it." The princess's memory flitted back to the last time her mother had heard she wasn't feeling very well.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Aerith!" Ifalna cried out, rushing to her daughter's side and clutching the pale-looking girl to her chest. "My poor baby!"

"Mother…" the small, eight-year-old Aerith had replied. "It's just a little cold. I'll be fine in a little while."

"But you're sick! I've got to take care of you, and make sure that you're alright! What kind of mother would I be if I let you suffer?" She looked down on her daughter with bright green eyes, and the small girl relented.

"Alright," she finally replied softly, then coughed. "But for now I'd really like to just sleep, if that's okay?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Alright," her mother replied, and turned around again to talk to the maid she'd been conversing with.

"Where's Sephiroth?" Aerith remarked, looking around and failing to find the silver-haired man she'd ran into the night before. She still wanted to ask if she'd fallen asleep the night before.

"I'm not sure," Yuna replied, fiddling with her hair nervously. None of the hired help much liked Sephiroth, but he was a trusted member of the family, so no one was ever rude or unhelpful to him. Still, he made the majority of the people in the castle feel uneasy.

"I think I saw him in his room a little before," Tidus said, taking a seat beside Yuna and blushing the smallest bit. "If you want to see him, you could go up there after dinner."

"Thanks, Tidus," Aerith replied with a smile.

Standing up, the flower girl (the nickname given to Aerith by townspeople for her flowers) made her way out of the crowded room to Sephiroth's room, where she tentatively knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice replied, and so she opened the door and stepped into Sephiroth's office.

"Um, Uncle…" Aerith began (she'd started calling him that since she was little; the name stuck), "did I happen to fall asleep last night, talking to you?"

He gave a wry smile before replying, "Yes. I'm afraid you were rather tired, and I just managed to catch you as you fell. I carried you back to your room."

"Thank you," she replied, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for falling asleep like that. I guess I was just rather tired. Well, that's all. Good night!"

As she walked out of the room, he smirked. "Good night," he replied, "though you won't exactly be sleeping."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

The next few weeks passed without much incident. Aerith noticed that she'd been sleeping less at night, and more during the day. The sun still gave her a headache and dizzy sensation, and her craving for rare meat increased.

One night, while she was brushing out her hair before tying it back into its braid, Aerith came across an odd scar on her neck. It was two silvery-white marks on her neck, about an inch to an inch and a half apart. They were beginning to fade, but were still noticeable if you looked close enough.

"I must've gotten bitten by something," she remarked, before tying her hair back and tying a pink ribbon over it.

She looked outside, where a small group of men had just arrived on chocobos. She guessed that they were knights, by the way that they were dressed, and Aerith was curious.

She arrived at the front doors as the knights were walking their chocobos out to the stables, where they were under the care of Tidus and a taller man named Wakka, who had bright orange hair.

She waited until they were approaching the castle again to alert her mother, and together, they walked out to the gates to welcome the newcomers.

"Hello?" Ifalna called out cautiously, watching as the four men began to walk up the large pathway to the castle doors. They were dressed in regal clothing, yet with armour, swords sheathed at their hips and a metal helmet on their heads.

One called back a greeting, and added, "We come as friends."

The two women waited for the men to appear at the doors. When they did, the queen graciously opened the door and welcomed them in. Once they were inside, the four men took off their helmets, revealing two brunets, a blonde, and what seemed to be silver hair.

"I am Squall," the first brunet said, bowing and blinking his ice blue eyes in the bright light. "I come from the kingdom of Balamb."

"My name is Sora," the second brown-haired boy introduced, "and this is Riku." He motioned to the silver-haired boy beside him. "We both come from the kingdom of Hollow Bastion."

The last man, a knight with spiky blonde hair and green-blue eyes introduced himself. "I am Cloud, and come from the kingdom of Avalanche."

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you," Aerith replied with a curtsy and a smile. "I am Aerith, and this is my mother, Ifalna, the queen of this kingdom. We invite you to stay with us as long as you wish, if that is alright?" Ifalna nodded.

"We thank you," Sora replied with a nod of his head. "Tomorrow, we ask of a meeting, with the king and queen. And princess, of course," he added, with a nod toward Aerith.

"What for?" Ifalna asked, not unkindly.

"It will all be explained tomorrow, Your Majesty," he replied. "Now, if someone were to show us to our rooms that would be most helpful."

"Of course," she said with a smile. "Aerith, would you?"

She nodded. "Follow me," she said to the quartet, and began to walk off to a section of the castle near her wing. The four knights, meanwhile, were conversing in low tones beneath her, not out of distrust, but rather habit.

"This is the first kingdom we've come to where we've been treated with benevolence. They are either very generous, or unaware of the troubles affecting the other kingdoms."

"The princess, Aerith. She seems unaffected so far. Unlike our princess, Kairi, who's been turned."

"As has my princess, Rinoa."

"And mine, Yuffie. But you looked too quickly, Riku. She has been turned. Just not very long ago. The marks are still only scars. It takes at least a month for them to become permanent marks."

"So our suspicion was correct, Cloud?"

"Yes, I think so. We are to take her as well. Should we alert the other princesses that it's alright to show themselves? They do not seem to be in danger here."

"I'd think so."

Aerith and the men arrived at a series of four doors. "I hope these are to your liking," she replied softly with another curtsy. "I'm just down the hall if you need me for anything. Good night."

"Good night," they replied, and then each walked into their own room. Once inside, Squall and Sora each retrieved a small, silver phone from their pockets and called Rinoa and Kairi, respectively.

"It's safe," they said in unison, and the girls remarked their "okays" before hanging up.

Cloud, however, had yet to call Yuffie, although he was sure the other two girls would pass on the message. His mind was full of the girl he'd just met, Aerith. She was a kind, gentle person, hardly one who you'd associate with a…

About ten minutes later, Aerith spotted another group of people walking toward the gate. As she walked down the hallway, she heard rather than saw the knights following her.

"Hello," she greeted the three young women who were standing before her. They all looked different, yet were alike in some way.

The first was a girl with short auburn hair and deep blue eyes with flecks of purple, giving them a dark violet hue. She had a dark purple (almost black) cloak on over a pale purple dress that fell just a little past her knees. It was made of a light, floating material, well suited for warmer temperatures.

The second was a taller girl with black hair that fell to her shoulder blades with honey-colored highlights in her bangs. She had deep brown eyes and a thin chain with a ring resting around her neck. She was wearing a dark navy blue cloak over a light blue dress with black embroidery on the hem and neckline.

The third, and last, was a slender girl with chin-length black hair and dark eyes which looked either brown or navy depending on the lighting (1). Her cloak was a dark shade of green, and she was the only one out of the three that wasn't wearing a dress; instead, she was armoured, with a green shirt that cut off at her stomach and short tan shorts. A headband was on her head, under her hair.

From behind Aerith, Sora and Riku simultaneously cried out, "Kairi!" Then, after a short, awkward pause, added, "Princess!" The auburn-haired girl ran to them and threw an arm around each of their necks, enveloping them into hugs.

Squall, meanwhile, was talking in a low voice to Rinoa, seemingly comforting her about something. Her dark eyes were looking glassy, and she threw her arms around him, embracing him.

The third young woman walked straight up to Cloud and slapped him upside the head. "What'd you leave us out there for?" she cried out sharply, looking at him angrily. "Rinoa nearly had a panic attack!"

The blonde looked at his feet. "Sorry, Princess," he replied, stressing the last word.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"I know. That's why I said it."

She glared at him before turning to Aerith. "So. Are you the princess here?" she asked bluntly.

Aerith nodded, and then cast around curious looks to the other girls. "Well. Everyone seems to know who I am now. Who are you three?"

"I'm Kairi," the indigo-eyed girl said, giving Aerith a smile from her position between Sora and Riku.

"Rinoa." This reply came from the dark-haired girl standing next to Squall, her hand sitting inside of his.

"I'm Yuffie!" the armored girl replied with a bright smile. "The Great Ninja Yuffie, to be specific."

"Nice to meet you all," Aerith replied with a smile. Turning to the knights, she said, "I expect that you knew they were coming?"

They all nodded in affirmation.

"Alright, then, if you'll follow me…"

The new group followed Aerith back to their rooms, where she situated each princess in a room across the hall from the guys'. Once they'd settled in, she said, "I hope that you find your stay as comfortable as possible. If you need anything, I'm right down the hall."

Alright's and thank you's were exchanged, then Aerith walked down the hallway to her own room. Once inside, the girls walked into the guys' rooms.

"So," Yuffie asked, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "has she been sired yet?" Everyone looked at her curiously. "It's another word for turned," she added with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh," Sora replied. "Well… I'm not sure. Cloud says that he saw marks on her, but I've yet to see anything. Then again, he's a lot better than any of us at seeing that kind of thing…"

"So," Kairi asked softly, "what're you saying? Is she, or not?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…She's a vampire."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

And so ends chapter one. Let me know what you think by using that little review button down there! Don't be afraid to tell me it sucks. ;)