It was about eight o'clock at night, and before me in a dark, drab room paced a man of the same ambiance. His indigo locks framed his neatly hood-concealed head as he narrowed his matching eyes to the door before him.
"He should be here any minute. Now Link, I know you don't want to do this as much as I do, but there's a lot of things you need to think about here. We need a new member of our little group, don't we...?"
There was a knock on the door and Ike gave me a knowing glance, reaching out for the handle and politely telling Marth to "come in".
"You called me here?" Marth asked apprehensively, seeing as we weren't smiling like he was. At least, I wasn't. Ike chuckled darkly, taking a sweeping step closer to the prince. "Indeed we did. Do you know what vampires are, Marth?" The Altean raised an eyebrow, looking confused and a little scared. "Yes...why?"
"I don't think you do. You see, vampires are not bad creatures. We simply...thirst. When we detect something on our 'radar' that we like, we will not give up until we get it. We are ambitious. We are indefatigable. I have seen you, seen your ways, seen how you move and speak and even the scent of your blood, and I am very determined to keep you near. And now, we have you right were we want you. We do not wish to scare you or cause you to run away, but it must be done because it's all I can think about day and night. You are too submissive, my prince, and it's about time you grow a spine."
He stepped ever closer, backing Marth against me and I felt a pang of guilt as I grabbed him so that he couldn't move. He struggled, coming to the realization that he wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. Ike helped to hold him down and his face nuzzled itself almost lovingly into his highness's shoulder and his canines clamped around Marth's soft, warm flesh.
Everything was there as Marth was bitten. I saw crimson down his neck. I heard his scream of pain. I felt him collapse against me as it was done.
All in nearly a second and a half.
He clung to me. I was his only lifeline at the moment and I was also helpless and watching him suffer. Traumatized, he trembled like a leaf, whimpering softly as a shaky hand traced its fingers over the two punctures in his collarbone. He stared with wide indigo eyes at Ike and then, as he was let go, he stumbled back and his vision directed to me with an expression that melted my heart.
"Congratulations. You are officially one of us."