Title: "Keepsake"
Author: Agar
Disclaimer: Vampire Hunter D is the creation and property of Hideyuki Kikuchi, who in my eyes is worthy of deification.
Rating: G
Summary: Has anyone ever noticed the earrings D wears? They don't seem to be anything other than decorative, and D isn't the type to wear jewelry. The story of how they came into his possession. Plus, how he got the name D.
"Keepsake"
by Agar
The sun rising behind the mountains edged their snowy peaks in gold filigree. Above them the sky was a pale pink shot through with orange, before fading into a deep blue, and further west into stars. Already the dawn cast long shadows over the expanse of the castle grounds, and soon the full strength of the sun would come to bear upon her sitting room window.
Lady Lucinda set down the book of 19th century poetry she'd been reading to admire the view through her cut glass window. One of the largest and most elaborate of it's kind in the castle, it had been commissioned upon her engagement to the High King, one of many wedding presents she'd received from her husband. Though it's center was unadorned to allow a clear view, it's corners were exquisitely detailed stained glass. Hundreds of jewel tone flowers, all her favorites, were depicted in full bloom to make a lush, lifelike border that would never wilt, even in winter's frost. Stretching almost entirely from floor to ceiling, windows the size of hers were a rarity in the castle. The castle's light was primarily provided by atomic lamps, the few windows meant only for admiring the stars or letting in the perfumed night air of the gardens.
In silence, Lucinda thought on how she both loved and hated these moments, the twilight hours between day and night when dawn and dusk looked no different. She loved the dawn for it's beauty and warmth, but hated it for leaving her alone, if only for the day. Due to the vampiric nature of the castle's hundreds of inhabitants, only her own personal servants, not all of them human, and herself were awake in the day. Sometimes when the quiet of the empty stone halls was particularly oppressive she felt as if she haunted her own home.
But then the evening came, and though the night air would be chill, her love would be awake at last and a different warmth would overcome her.
High above the castle grounds in her solar, Lucinda turned away from her view to check her clock. 6:53. Perhaps she should sleep today so she might be awake through the next night to spend time with her husband and, of course, their beloved son.
Perched on the edge of the windowsill sat a small, pale boy. Like his mother, he had dark, near black auburn hair that fell in soft waves around his face, but unlike her he lacked her graceful curves, and was instead all awkward limbs like most boys his age. He was dressed for bed in soft velvet that covered every inch of skin except his face and hands, making the contrast between his white skin and the dark fabric all the more apparent. To any stranger it must seem odd to see him wearing what looked like winter nightclothes in late summer, but in reality it was designed not for warmth, but to absorb sunlight.
"D, come away from the window. It's nearly dawn."
"Yes, Mama."
"You should be getting to bed soon. You got up early to watch the sunset with me. You'll need your sleep if you want to go riding tomorrow."
She could see the disappointment on his face, but he brightened at the mention of riding. Still, he made no move to leave.
"Well, perhaps you could stay up a bit longer. Here—," and she took the midnight blue spider silk shawl off her shoulders and draped it around his neck and head. Carefully, she arranged it to frame his face, and the material soon hide him from view. From beneath it's edges, his blue eyes peered up at her curiously.
"I've heard that the people who live at the desert's edge wear a scarf like this. It will protect you from the sun's light, my moon flower."
D wrinkled his noes in distaste at the girly pet name, scowling underneath the silk. He tugged at it's fringe absentmindedly, but left it in place as he crawled onto the pile of feather cushions on the sill. He pressed his face to the cool glass and watched the birds leave their night roosts, dark specks against the sky. If he held his breathe, he could hear them singing.
As D watched the world wake up, Lucinda reminisced fondly on the times when she herself sat in the same spot and cradled an infant. He had grown so fast, she thought, and wondered if the passage of time was even faster for his immortal father.
Lucinda scoffed at her husband. "What kind of name is Dracula for a baby? We'll have to call him something else until he grows into it. Dray, or Dee for short, perhaps."
Speechless, the High King of the Nobles watched his wife walk away while fussing over the babe in her arms. "Really! Such a big name for such a little thing," she muttered. "You don't even have teeth yet. You couldn't suck the juice from a raspberry!"
But those days were long gone. A time would come when she would be old and frail, yet her son and husband would would be forever youthful. Centuries, then millennia would pass without her in their lives except in memory. What legacy would she, a mortal woman in a world of vampires, leave behind?
As she gazed at her son, she knew the answer. Here was her flesh and blood who, for all the graces his vampirism bestowed, carried traces of her. It was evident in his auburn hair and dark blue eyes, a match to her own.
A memory from her childhood came to her suddenly, and she could have laughed in delight. Here was something tangible to pass onto her son! She had kept it all this time as a memento of her own mother, now long dead.
"D? I have something for you."
Curiosity won out over watching the sunrise, and he jumped from the window to come to stand beside her. When she did not immediately produce the 'something,' and instead moved to sit at her vanity table, he rocked on his heels impatiently like any other child his age. Inwardly, she snickered at the picture he made.
She took out from her vanity drawer a carved wooden box so small it fit in the palm of her hand. Black lacquer gave the wood a smooth finish and red coral inlay shaped into hyacinths decorated it's lid. They were her favorite flower.
"Years ago, before I knew your father, my mother gave these to me for my coming of age," she said softy, lost in the memory. "My family was poor and had little money for frivolous things, so she traded a quilt for them with a traveling man who had no use for old jewelry. By most standards, they are very plain, just tiny studs, but I was a simple girl and didn't need or want fancy earrings.
"Now, I find myself drowning in gold and pearls by your father! What need do I have for these except for sentimental value? They only sit in the back of my vanity, gathering dust, a relic from a former age." She shook her head. "That's why I would like you to have them, D. They are all I have left from my old life. Wear them, and remember your human family."
She handed him the box, and he clutched it to his chest like it contained something far more precious than out of date jewelry. D looked at his mother with wide eyes.
"Well? Open it."
Small fingers flipped the latch and lifted the lid, only for D to frown in confusion. Clearly it was not what he'd been expecting. Puzzled, he picked one of the earrings up to inspect it.
Lucinda's description was accurate. Unlike her other jewelry, these were made of stainless steel, not any precious metal, and decorated with only a polished blue-grey stone the size of his pinky nail. When he held it up to the light, it remained opaque and did not sparkle the way the other things in her jewelry box did.
Lucinda saw the direction of his gaze and looked back at the open drawer of gem encrusted necklaces, white gold rings, and finely detailed broaches, the combined value of which would have bought the town of her birth several times over. "I know they don't look like much, but I think they're rather elegant for their simplicity. Besides, I can't imagine you would want to wear any of my girly things!"
Looking back down at box, D seemed to come to a decision. He held it out to her. "Put them on me?"
She smiled. "Of course."
Careful to avoid slipping on her satin gown, he climbed into her lap and turned his head to present her with his right ear. Taking one earring, she unfastened it's back, then pushed his hair out of the way to slid the stud into the tiny hold in his ear lobe. She stuck the back on the earring, then repeated the process with the left ear. Finished, she leaned back to admire the effect.
"They suit you, young prince. Look."
Twisting around, he looked in mirror behind them. Unlike his father, D had a reflection, and he examined it carefully to see if he liked the look of his new accessory.
D's ears had been pierced as a baby for his formal introduction as the son of the High King. Though only a few months old, he'd been dressed in attire befitting a prince to proclaim his royal status, including a necklace adorned with a black star sapphire, one of the crown jewels, and matching earrings. Nearly every Noble on the planet, and a few who had been off-world, had come to see the heir to the throne, for despite his human blood, he remained the King's firstborn and only child. Though many in attendance did not approve of their King's choice in Queen, no one had dared speak badly of her or her half-breed spawn that night.
"They match your eyes." Deja vu, for her own mother had said the same thing to her years ago. It was one of the traits D had inherited from her.
In the reflection of her mirror, Lucinda saw her son smile.
"D?"
Silence greeted him.
"D?"
A barely noticeably shift in the saddle, but no reply.
"D!"
Atop his cyborg house, the dozing dhampire jerked to awareness. "What?"
"Hey, no need to snap. Just wanted to make conversation," the voice grumbled, though the only person for miles was the young man in black on horseback. If one were near enough, however, closer inspection would reveal the source. From where D's hands were folded across his chest, a small, wrinkled face was visible in the palm of the left: a parasite, self aware and capable of speech.
"You've been asleep for three hours," it continued. "I'd say we're still about 50, maybe 60 miles from Gate Town. If we push harder, we could hit town before nightfall."
Though D's supernatural sense of hearing made it impossible to not hear the remark, he gave no indication he was paying attention.
They were in the Southern Section of the Frontier, crossing the stretch of savannah plains between towns. It was a land characterized by scraggly grass and sparse trees, though the poisonous snakes that hung in their branches made any Frontiersman hesitant to rest in their partial shade, lest one fall unexpectedly. It was hot and the afternoon sun overhead was relentless on D's back. At night it cooled drastically, but even without the threat of heat exhaustion there were other, more immediate dangers.
"...Or you could keep moseying along until they close the Gate and we're locked out for the night. Yup, just us and the swarms of 30 feet long acid-spitting mutant wyrms. They don't call it 'Gate Town' for nothing, you know!"
The horse's pace remained steady.
"Hmph. Well don't expect any miraculous rescues from me if you get in over your head. I'm not sucking down a single clump of dirt or match flame, no sir-y!"
"I thought you enjoyed eating fire. You complain often enough of not having the right fuel to work with."
Finally, a sign of life! "Matches tastes bad. Like sulfur and chemicals. Now, a nice cooking fire, on the other hand, with some hickory wood for flavor and a wild animal roasting away..." The parasite sighed wistfully. "Not that you'd ever take time out of your busy schedule to stop and let me eat someone's camp fire," it muttered.
"We'll arrive before nightfall."
"See? You totally ignored what I just said. It's not all about you. I have needs, too! When we get to the inn tonight — provided we're not eaten by that time!—I demand that you rent a room with a fireplace and feed me. Fresh water, potting soil, and everything. I deserve it for all my years of service."
They lapsed back into silence. The sun drifted closer to the western horizon.
"So... Why do you wear earrings?"
D frowned at the abrupt change of topic.
"The necklace I get. I mean, it's saved our hides a couple times," Lefthand went on to explain. "But the earrings don't to anything, do they? They're not enchanted or any kind of technology, so..." It waited for D to finish his sentence and was pleasantly surprised when he actually did.
"They're a keepsake."
"Ah, an old lady friend?" It chuckled. "D, you dog! You never told me about any woman! C'mon, spill! I want all the dirty details!"
"They were my mother's."
"And what an immaculate and virtuous maid she was," Lefthand quickly backpedaled. "A paragon of motherhood!"
D smacked his palm hard into the saddle's pommel and was rewarded with a muffled 'umph!'
Two hours later D arrived at Gate Town , just thirty minutes before the giant steel gate closed for the night. The town inn was quickly located, and with his coin purse noticeably lighter he stabled his horse and unpacked his meager belongings in the room. Thus settled, he retired for bed only to fall into an uneasy sleep.
The next morning he awoke still exhausted from travel, and perhaps sensing his mood the parasite kept mute. If it noticed how D had slept with one hand pinched tight around the small blue stone in his ear, it made no mention of it.
A/N: Heh, never talk smack about anyone's mom.
For a vampire hunter, D sure seems to have a lot of accessories on his outfit (*cough* Amano). I'd like to think it all serves a purpose, like his amulet necklace, but what in the world do the earrings do? I guess they could be some kind of high tech transmitter/communication device, but the books never mention them doing anything, and D doesn't strike me as the type to wear them for fashion.
Lefthand, as I've taken to calling the parasite, can consume the four elements (earth, fire, water, air) to fuel his powers. It often complains when D does not provide all four and then expects it to do miracles, like heal his nearly severed head (seriously, I forget which book that was).