Laiqqu examined Derp's unconscious body to check for any internal damage; Surprisingly, there was no visible damage to his organs since he was breathing normally, his heart was beating at a safe pace and his fur was still soft and shiny, albeit a bit fluffed up. She heard a loud long creaking sound as the large wooden door behind her was opened, and Mel walked through the doorway.

'How is he?' she asked, finding it rather suspicious that Derp kept falling unconscious. What was his full history, she thought to herself as she checked his pulse.

'Recovery is a slow process but I think he'll be awake in a few minutes. I noticed a bunch of stitches in his head and they all seem to be attached to his hat, and I've been trying to snuff the flame out to avoid setting myself on fire but it just won't go out...' All of a sudden, another long creak was heard from the ceiling, which soon broke open and a mouse screamed violently as he fell to the ground. The two looked at the pile of rubble tilting their heads as a Shaman climbed out of the pile, coughing up dust and brushing his fur off, which was an orangey-brown colour and had bright yellow markings. The girls looked unimpressed but rather amused as they stifled a little giggle, though he looked to the two a little irked. They stopped laughing and soon asked him:

'Who are you?' The Shaman stretched widely, loosening his muscles as he had been cramped under the first floor for a while, it seemed.

'My name isn't important,' he responded, 'I watched your friend killed this 'Sapphireston' and I want to check his condition. It may not have been intentional for him to kill her but I decided to be certain before giving my final judgement.' The Shaman walked to Derp and placed a paw on his forehead, closing his eyes and waiting. Laiqqu and Mel just stood there and watched as he stood there doing nothing for a whole minute and a half. Before they knew it, the Shaman opened his eyes and stepped back with a suspicious look on his face.

'This is bad... This is very bad...'

The two looked to eachother, shrugging simultaneously and looking back to this strange mouse, supposedly crazy in Mel's opinion. He looked back to them and began to explain in detail...



'I have some very bad news,' he started, 'Your friend has an extremely weak immune system, and he cannot control this curse that has been given upon him. The vampire's being has been descended from a very vicious bite one of his ancestors received, and the victim didn't have enough time to get to a medic. His blood got infected by a flesh-eating virus and he died on the spot. Supposedly the virus consumed his entire body before dying in the sunlight, but his spirit remained trapped in a painting, sealed there by the Dark Shaman... There has been a prophecy about this... A child is infected with the Vampire's Curse and hones it's power to defeat the Dark Shaman in hand-to-hand combat. As for the candle you mentioned earlier.... The candle contains his soul which has become the consequence for being infected with the Vampire's Curse. If that flame is snuffed out... He will die. His life is at critical risk, but thankfully there is someone who can protect that fire from burning out. I don't know the whereabouts of the mouse, but her power is intense. Other than Elise and the great Diety, this mouse has been granted with protective magic.'



The two were astonished with the Shaman's intelligence and wondered if he were in some kind of intelligent tribe. The Shaman merely shook his satsuma-furred head shrugged.

'The only problem is that if the Dark Shaman finds out the child's new weak spot the land is done for.' The door opened as the others came through, Kagerou was fully healed and was feeling better than she was before. Kaoru looked at the Shaman and asked with a strict tone;

'... How did you get in here?' The Shaman bowed his head in apology to Kaoru then started to explain again,

'My sincere apologies, madam, but I've been in here for a couple days now. The Dark Shaman attacked me as well, you see, and I was trapped in the first floor ceiling, I feared my time was up. Fortunately the ceiling gave in and I fell through that hole in the top,' He pointed up to the hole as if it wasn't even his fault, 'Anywho, I've learned that your unconscious friend has a weak immune system and was infected with the Vampire's Curse. The stitches in his head that connects to the hat is bonding the cake as a part of him, and the flame on that candle symbolizes his soul and spirit. Thankfully it's not that easy to snuff out, but it's also not that hard, too. I would recommend sheltering in storms and rain and avoiding any contact with lakes and oceans. Any other abilities he may have been granted is a mystery...'

Derp began to move a little as he regained consciousness, moaning in pain.

'Eugh... My head...' He sat up slowly as if he were a zombie, opening his still-red eyes and looking to everyone. They all had a shocked face as they returned from dark crimson to emerald-turquiose while he got back onto his feet limply. He looked to everyone and tilted his head. 'What's wrong?'

'Uhh....' Bela hesitated for a moment and asked, 'Are you alright?' Derp tilted his head at the same angle as everyone else with a confused look on his face.

'I guess I am, why do you ask?' Kaoru looked to Killer and Bela for a second before stepping forwards.

'You killed Sapph... When you were knocked out cold something enveloped into your body and you became this... vile... killing machine... A vampire...' Derp gasped in horror, stepping back with a grimace.

'I... I killed her?! Please tell me you're joking... Heh...' He began to chuckle nervously, his eye twitching repeatedly. 'You're just pulling my leg, eheh...' Killer had to break the news to him as he shook his head. He wanted to be honest, no matter what the consequences were.

'It's true... Kaoru told us you crushed her still-beating heart and ripped it out of her chest like putty.' Derp began to feel a little uneasy; He had never truly meant to kill a friend or a teammate, and the way he killed her... He couldn't take it. He dropped to his knees, sobbing in fear and grasping the fur on his stomach.

'I... I........ I really did....... kill her?' The team watched Derp sob for a while before he eventually stopped. The rubble from when the Shaman fell through the ceiling began to rise up into the air as Derp's fur began to point up into the air. He trembled as he grasped his fur tighter and tighter, until blood started dripping from his paws for grasping so hard. Eventually he threw his head up into the air and screamed,

'I CAN'T ALLOW IT! I DON'T WANT TO BECOME WHAT I FEAR I WILL BECOME!!!'

Derp screamed viciously as he threw a huge chunk of rubble at the team, making an opening for him to run out the door; He headed straight for the mansion's exit and kept running into the darkness. He appeared to have abandoned his entire team and went to fight the Dark Shaman alone...