Hello, People! *stares at empty audience* Eheheh, yeah, sorry I haven't updated in a while. This isn't really an update either. There were some things I didn't really like in the first chappie, so I changed them and made a new one. But don't worry! Right after this (and I mean right after) I'll work on the second chapter! In fact, I've already started it. It should be up either this week or next. So anyways, here is the revised version of Of Love and Blood: Chapter 1.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Of Love and Blood
A Card Captor Sakura fanfic
Chapter One-
Bitten
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"Raitei Shourai!!"
A bolt of lightning struck the near young man's attacker, just barely hitting him. 'Damn,' he thought, his chocolate colored eyes glaring into the darkness. 'If only I could see better...if only it were day...'
But, of course, it had to be night. The attacker would never come out during the day for fear of death.
Syaoran ran down the dark alleyway with only the light of the moon. He was fast, but his assailant was faster. The man, who was shrouded completely in shadow, caught up with Syaoran and forced him onto the ground. Syaoran couldn't see well, but he knew they were there, those sharp, long teeth that could and would claim his life…
He felt his neck being pricked in two places. Syaoran writhed in anger, but the man wouldn't let go. Even though he seemed frail and weak, he was much more powerful than the future Li Clan head. Syaoran could feel him drinking; he felt the blood being seeped from his very flesh. And then it stopped.
Syaoran was confused for a moment. Was the vampire going to let him go? Was he going to get out of this alive? But then, he saw the vampire slit his own wrist. And as soon as Syaoran saw a shiny spark that let him know the vampire was bleeding, and badly, did he realize what was going to happen.
"I know what you're thinking," the man said, still holding Syaoran to the ground. "You hate me, don't you? You hate my kind. Your whole clan does." Syaoran stayed silent, and the man decided to continue.
"Your clan has been killing my kind for centuries," he stated. "Damnable fools who think we're a menace to society. But now..." he chuckled in an insane sort of way. "Now you shall pay."
With that, the vampire thrust his wrist into Syaoran's mouth, forcing the young man to drink the blood. At first, Syaoran felt as though the vampire blood was scalding, tart, and tangy at the same time, and tried to spit it out. But the blood was rushing to fast now. He had to consume it.
The man on top of Syaoran began to chuckle again, and showed no signs of wanting to remove his wrist. "I want you to know what it's like, having to hide yourself from God-given sunlight, having to prey on those who were once as your own, having to dash from those who just may be right about you, and then start all over..."
If the vampire had anymore to say, he never got his chance. A flashlight, held by someone Syaoran knew closely, shone in their direction. Syaoran glanced at the person who held the flashlight and found it was Meiling, and then turned up to get a good look at the vampire.
The man looked as if he was in his mid-thirties, but aging a bit quickly. He had chin-length black hair the looked like it hadn't been combed in weeks, with a few grays here and there. His face was just showing signs of wrinkles, and his dusty-brown eyes, although squinted, looked aged. The vampire leapt off of Syaoran and took of, figuring that if one Li Clan member had showed up, others were surely on the way.
As soon as the vampire was gone, Meiling ran toward Syaoran. "Oh, my god, Syaoran!" she cried. "Are you all right? He didn't...he didn't...make you one of them, did he?"
Too exhausted from the previous happenings, Syaoran didn't answer at first. Then, ever so slightly, he nodded his head. "Oh, god, Syaoran!" Meiling threw her arms around him and sobbed.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Eight months later...
Sakura sighed as she looked out the window. The postman had just pulled past her house. "Mail's here," she said, her tone full of boredom. "So get it," Meiling snapped, clearly irritable. She and Syaoran had had to live in Tomoeda for the past five months, owing to the fact that the Li Clan Elders had banished Syaoran. The clan did not like the idea of a vampire as their head, as they had also been known for their hatred of vampires. Meiling had decided that she would follow Syaoran. She said it was because he needed someone to look out for him, but everyone knew it was because she still loved him. Even since six years ago, when Syaoran told Meiling he was dating Sakura, the Chinese girl had still not gotten over him.
Since everyone had been in Tomoeda at the time, Eriol returning from England a few months ago, Sakura had taken to inviting them all over on Sunday afternoons. Unfortunately, it was a hot and sticky day today, and no one was really in the mood to do anything. Tomoyo and Eriol were settled on the couch, the television on in front of them but not really watching anything. Meiling was sitting on a chair, bored out of her mind, and her expression said so. Syaoran was pacing back and forth, looking at his feet as he put one in front of the other. Sakura had noticed him doing that a lot lately. Ever since he had come back, in fact. Sakura thought that maybe it had to do with becoming a vampire, but was grateful that the change didn't affect his looks. She didn't know if she could bear her seventeen-year-old boyfriend suddenly turning into a grotesque being.
Sakura sighed and walked out. She didn't really want to get the mail, but she had no choice; recently she had been getting tons of letters from the Li Clan which all somehow related her with Syaoran's becoming a vampire. She didn't really see how they could come up with any connection, but Sakura knew that if Fujitaka or Touya ever found out that she was receiving hate mail from one of the richest families in China, there would definitely be some questions asked which she did not want to answer.
Sakura approached the mailbox, and, sure enough, it mainly consisted of letters from the Li Clan. She threw most of them aside, then noticed one was from Syaoran's sisters. Remembering her first unusual encounter with them, she decided to open the letter. It read:
Dear Sakura,
Fuutie: How are you????? We miss you sooooo much over here! And your yummy brother and his friend too!
Shiefa: Fuutie, get over it.
Fuutie: What? It's not my fault they are hot. Anyway, how is Syaoran? He hasn't returned any of our letters! Is he eating well? Does he remember how to do the laundry and to put clean clothes on everyday? Does he have a six-pack yet??
Shiefa: Fuutie!
Fuutie: Oh, shut up, Shiefa, I'm not like that! I'm just making sure our baby brother stays healthy!
Fanren: Hey, Sakura! I've always wanted to know, what is going on between you and little Xiao-Lang??
Fuutie: Yes, do tell!
Feimei: I've kind of been wondering that, myself.
Fuutie: So tell us, what is he like in bed?
Shiefa: FUUTIE!!!!!! She's only 15!!
Fuutie: Oh, yes, I forgot.
Feimei: You forgot? Somehow, I highly doubt that. Anyway, Sakura, please tell us what is going on over there. We miss our Xiao-Lang so very much!
Fanren: Waaahh!! We miss our little wolfie!
Shiefa: He hates that nickname, you know.
Fanren: All the more reason to use it! Go on, Sakura, give it a try!
Feimei: Yes, call him little wolfie and watch him almost murder you.
Fuutie: Awww, little wolfie wouldn't murder his future lover, now, would he?
Feimei: Oh, quite right. But don't tell him we told you this nickname, Sakura!
Fanren: Yeah, he'd kill us!
Fuutie: Bye, and when you and little wolfie do, um, you-know-what, remember, I want details!
Shiefa: I wish you a happy day, and remember: I have nothing to do with them.
Fuutie: Awww, you know you love us!
Shiefa: Get away from me, stranger!
With much love,
Shiefa, Fuutie, Feimei, and Fanren
Sakura smiled. I was nice to know that somebody in Syaoran's family didn't hate her guts. That letter had definitely perked up her spirits. She entered the house with a cheery face on and announced, "Hey, everybody, why don't we make a cake? I've got all the ingredients in the kitchen already. If we start now, we may be able to finish before dad and Touya get home!"
Meiling looked at Sakura with and expression of disgust. "That's your idea of something interesting to do? Man, you're dull." Sakura looked crestfallen. Tomoyo, who could not bear the thought of her friend being hurt in any way, came to the rescue. "A cake sounds perfect to me!" she said. "I haven't baked in so long! And I'm sure Eriol would love to help, wouldn't you?" She nudged Eriol a bit, hoping he would get the message.
"O-oh yes!" he said, looking as though he had just woken up from a trance. "A cake sounds like a fine idea to me! How 'bout it, Syaoran?" Syaoran just grunted, not slowing in his step. "It'll be chocolate," Sakura said. Syaoran stopped dead in his tracks. No matter how vampire-like he may have been, Syaoran still could not dismiss the idea of chocolate and this, Sakura knew. Sighing, he headed toward the kitchen. "Where's the cake mix?" he asked. Sakura smiled. It may not have been the most entertaining thing to do, but at least it was an activity. She decided to take the opportunity to tease him as the whole gang entered the kitchen.
"Nice to know you still love chocolate, little wolfie."
Syaoran stopped in mid-step. "How did you-" he began, but was cut off by Sakura with a giggle and a quick kiss on the cheek.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Sakura looked at the timer. Only fifteen more minutes to go on the cake. Fujitaka and Touya would be home in about an hour, so she decided she would make dinner tonight. After everyone had washed up, they decided to watch TV, this time with much more interest.
"Mmm," murmured Eriol. "That cake smells excellent." "It does," commented Meiling, who had decided to help in the end. Syaoran looked immersed in his own thoughts as usual. "You know," he began, "I haven't drank in over a few weeks."
Sakura blanched at these words. Both Eriol and Meiling's eyes widened, and Tomoyo even gave a tiny gasp. Sakura, who seemed a little loss for words, finally stammered, "D-don't you th-think you can handle one more night?" Her eyes were pleading. Syaoran sighed. "I suppose," he said. "It wouldn't really be any good for me, though. Who knows what would happen if I went for more than a few weeks without blood? My family never did like vampires much; the only research we did on them was how to kill them, not what to do if you become one."
Sakura looked around nervously for support. Tomoyo didn't offer any; anytime anyone even uttered the fact that Syaoran was a vampire, she got frightened. Meiling looked like she was trying to pass the whole thing off as no big deal, but she still hadn't adjusted to Syaoran's new 'appetite'. Eriol, whom Sakura expected to be the most helpful, showed nothing at all, not the slightest hint of fear or even disgust. He just stared at Syaoran, as if daring the young boy to go one more night without blood.
Sakura sighed, defeated. She raised her head to Syaoran and said, "Well, I guess we have no choice. Just promise me, whoever it is, you won't hurt them."
"Have I ever?" Syaoran asked.
"I wouldn't know," Sakura responded. "I've never seen you when you go out."
"Do you want to?"
"N-not really…"
"Fine, then," Syaoran said, opening the front door. "I'll see you guys in the morning."
He left the house slamming the door behind him.
…
Ding!
"Oh, darn," Tomoyo said, her fear gone with his absence, "he didn't even get to try the cake!" "We'll save some for him," Eriol reassured her. "Plus, we still need to frost it." He and Tomoyo, accompanied by Meiling, all left for the kitchen to retrieve the cake from the oven and let it cool. Sakura stayed, looking at the door, as though she expected Syaoran to come walking back through it any minute, to start laughing and say, 'Haha, it's a joke, I'm not really a vampire.' "But he never does," whispered Sakura as she choked back a sob, hanging her head down low. "He never does come back, and he never will. He'll never be the same Syaoran he was less than a year ago…"
Ding-dong.
Sakura looked up and stared at the door. Had she been imagining it? Had Syaoran decided to finally give up the joke?
Ding-dong.
"Kinomoto, answer the door!" Meiling shouted from the kitchen. So it had been real. She wasn't imagining it! Syaoran was back; he was finally the Syaoran she had known and loved so dearly!
When Sakura opened the door, she thought there was no one there at first. Then, she saw a small orb of purplish-pink light. The orb fluttered around for a few seconds, as though making sure it had caught Sakura's eyes, then flew down. Sakura looked down with it. There, on her doorstep, was a man. No, not a man, a boy. Definitely a boy, she decided. He was extremely pale, and his crisp black hair was a bit long and a bit curly, and his head was facing the ground. He was wearing what looked like a simple black shirt with black pants. He was also bleeding. Badly. It looked like he had had to struggle with those wounds for a while.
"C…card mistress."
I took Sakura a few moments to recognize that it was the person in front of her that had called out her name. His voice was strangled, as though it took most of his energy to talk. "I need," he began, "…your help." "What can I do?" Sakura asked, her voice full of worry. "Save…" the boy gasped. "Save my clan. Please."
Sakura didn't like not being able to see his face. She lifted his head up and cupped his chin in her hand. His eyes were a striking blue, she noticed. They were sharp, like some sort of blue gem. She also noticed his mouth, or rather, what was sticking out of it.
Two long, pointed teeth.
Just like the ones Syaoran had.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
*rereads* Hmm, I still don't feel very comfy with it. But since I got 9 reviews for one chapter (which is pretty good in my book) then I guess I'll continue. Now, to finish up chapter 2. Stay tuned!