Guilty of Being Innocent
A Side Story to "The Ostiary"
Kochou-hime
All characters belong to their respective owners.
A.N: This story is set 1,000 years prior to the beginning of "The Ostiary" during which Serenity and company have begun their mission to defeat Zorc and his terrorizing of the Earth.
"Can I get you anything else, Miss?"
The question awoke the lovely golden haired woman from her stupor where she stared upon a bowl of creamy white soup. Turning her bright eyes to look up at the plump-faced woman from where she sat, she pulled her soft pink lips into a pleasant smile.
"No, thank you," Serenity replied cordially. The dining attendant nodded as she shifted to remove the plates before her.
"Oh dear, you didn't finish your meat. Or, well, much of anything at all!" The well nourished server commented in a motherly tone, shaking her head at the now cold food that had been merely pushed around the plate.
"I-" Serenity began to explain and paused when the woman who was older only in appearance lifted her delicate wrist between her index finger and thumb. The waitress's mouth dropped open as her tired brown eyes fell squarely on the blonde's face.
The new Moon Queen, currently incognito as an unsuspecting human, was and had always been a sight to behold. Her hair shone like spun gold, faceted into two perfectly shaped buns on the crown of her head where the remaining locks were left free to spiral down to her calves. Though so petite she could be mistaken for a child, she retained the shape of a winsome woman. The fairy's narrow waist brought attention to her small yet praiseworthy curves where her pale blue dress fit snugly across her round bust and streamed down past her hips to her knees in frills and lace. Many would often stare at her in utter amazement, especially humans like the one who looked upon her unblemished and pale face now. Serenity blinked her glossy blue orbs beneath the fringes of blonde strands that graced her forehead as she politely retracted her hand.
"You may be thin," the woman spoke again softly, "but you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Has anyone else ever told you that, deary?" A rosy tinge flooded across Serenity's face as the woman laughed. "You and your cousin," she spoke tossing her glance to the other woman at the other far end of the long table. "The both of you are the loveliest ladies I've ever met! Where are you two from, again?"
"Thank you for your kind words," Serenity's true cousin, Minako, replied. "We're traveling from a town far north from here. It's very small, you've probably never heard of it." The royal cousin lied expertly in an unwavering voice. The waitress nodded, and smiled as she cleared the table.
Minako, or Mina informally, could be mistaken for Serenity's identical twin in her loveliness and general appearance. Displaying a hair and eye color that matched the Queen's she differed in being considerably taller and wearing her hair long but still much shorter than that of her cousin. Her honey blonde locks cascaded down her back and were decorated by a large white bow secured to the back of her head. The Royal cousin also donned a stunning frock whose light yellow hue complimented the lady's sun kissed skin. When the meal attendant finally exited the room with all the used dinnerware, Serenity released a heavy sigh.
"Do you think they have anything sweet around here?" The Moon's sovereign whined. Mina narrowed her eyes in annoyance upon the other woman who was poking around the covered saucers sitting on the table. Serenity's brilliant eyes widened when she spied white crystals in one of the bowls. Taking a tiny taste with the tip of her finger, her expression contorted unpleasantly. "Blegh, salt." She spoke aloud.
"You know," Mina spoke as she crossed her arms and settled her indignant stare upon the other fairy, "If you don't watch how many sweets you eat you're going to get fat one of these days!" The insulted royal closed her eyes and stuck her nose up into the air.
"I've been eating the same way for almost a hundred years and I am not fat." Serenity pouted toward her older cousin. Mina erupted into soft laughter as she stood from her seat.
"I suppose you're right. I'm awfully tired are you ready to retire back to our rooms?" The taller blonde asked. Serenity shrugged as she glanced toward the dining room's large window. Darkness had covered the Earth and candle-lit lanterns adorning the outside of businesses and homes within the small city glowed into the curious fairy's pupils. Gracefully rising from her chair, Serenity strolled alongside her companion from the room.
The two had stayed within this quaint inn since the past evening upon Ra's suggestion. She and Mina with the company of a werewolf alongside a handful of vampires and dragons had schemed upon a plan to stop Zorc Necrophedes, a powerful demon currently terrorizing the planet with plagues and death upon even the most unsuspecting creature. Of his most tragic victims were the lives of Serenity's late mother and father, the former King and Queen of the Fae which was still fresh on the current Queen's mind. She found herself wishing day and night that her beloved parents would have stayed out of the Earth's business, as they and the rest of the Fae had made their new home on the Moon almost a hundred years ago to avoid hatred and violence such as this. The fall of the two royals had left a giant hole within her filled only with terror and disbelief as the pair were officially the most powerful fairies in known history and arguably some of the oldest beings to have survived the dangers of living on Earth.
Their powerful lineage was the sole reason she was recruited by Shimon for this risky undertaking. Serenity from birth had inherited the divine gift of her mother: the capability to create life, form and shape with the light that radiated from the depths of her soul. And so, with a heavy and aching heart the new Queen traveled to the Earth with her cousin leaving behind a younger brother, a terrified and confused eight-year old who waited for their return from the safety of their home on the Moon. The plan they had contrived involved luring the demonic creature to a land named Babylonia, a place deemed almost impossible to find and disconcertingly, a place none of their group had ever been. There, through the aid of her powerful companions she would create and trap the hateful being inside an impenetrable prison where he could never again do to another what he had done to the ones she loved.
"Did they say where they were going or when they'd be back?" Serenity muttered as she and Mina walked toward their rooms in the silent hallway.
"Seto said that he had heard some of his pack members mention something about the 'Life Elixir'," Mina spoke in reference to the item the mystical map to Babylonia, which supposedly led the way through the completion of tasks and riddles, had requested. "They went to investigate and it would be best if we stayed here-"
"And out of their way." The Moon Queen sighed. The women stopped before the door to Serenity's room to which she promptly opened.
"Look," Mina spoke comfortingly, "let them fight their own battles. If they think they don't need our assistance than that's fine by me. We've come to complete one task and I plan on doing everything I can to keep you out of danger." She finished as she followed her sovereign into the room. Serenity sat gently upon the blue and green checkered quilt of the bed and looked up to her cousin.
"How do we know this 'Babylonia' place even exists? None of us has ever been there and to be honest with you I'm not really convinced." Serenity grumbled fiddling with her hands before her. Mina quickly plopped down onto the bed beside her and caught the skeptical woman's gaze.
"Ra said he has met many of his kind who swears they've gone there by accident. You've got to have faith, Bunny. I know Aunt Serenity taught you better than this." The older blonde smiled warmly.
"She's dead, Mina." Bunny's voice rang coldly, "Nothing is how it was meant to be." The Queen's eyes welled with forlorn tears as her cousin leaned in and brought the petite woman into an embrace.
"Get some rest. Everything will be better in the morning. Remember how much we loved playing outside during the day when we were children?" Serenity nodded. "We'll go check out some of this town tomorrow. I promise." The petite fairy watched as her cousin moved to exit the room.
"Who's paying for all of this anyway?" Serenity asked as Mina reached the door. While much simpler than the grand Moon Palace, the inn they were staying at would certainly be considered a luxury to those who dwelled within the modest city. Being of royal descent, neither Serenity nor Mina needed to worry about making purchases on the Moon and had no currency to pay to reside at the establishment.
"Bakura did," Mina replied with her back turned to her as she turned the door knob. The blood drained from Serenity's face at the sound of the vampire's name.
"I thought you said they left? Did he pay for everything in advance?" The Queen asked urgently.
"Seto left with Ra and Blue Eyes," Mina answered as she turned to look at the girl upon the bed. "Bakura and Yami stayed behind to look after us, just in case." She finished quietly. Serenity felt as if her heart skipped a few beats as she stared wide eyed toward her cousin. "I don't think they'll bother us or anything like that." Mina said as she stroked her fingers along the door knob, "Besides, maybe it's just me but don't you think Bakura is quite charming?" Serenity responded silently as her mouth dropped agape toward the woman's incredible statement.
"Heh, heh," Mina laughed nervously as she quickly stepped outside the exit. "Goodnight, Serenity!" She called just before she firmly latched the wooden door.
Vampires. The very name itself made her feel frigid all over. Her mother and every other elder she had ever known had warned her to run away in the opposite direction if she were to ever come in contact with one. Once described to her as nothing but sentient monsters who were arrogant enough to look down on every other living creature as nothing else but toys for their own amusement, it was no surprise that Serenity had been repulsed at the thought of having to travel with one let alone two of them. If it hadn't been for the pair's familiarity with their enemy she would have vehemently refused Shimon's insistence that they must accompany them.
Shaking her head, Serenity's thoughts rolled back to Mina's comment. While her lovely cousin was notorious for being popular amongst even the most attractive men, this time she had gone too far. For her to suggest Bakura to be charming was simply outrageous. Besides him being a blood-thieving and murderous savage, some of the things he had voiced aloud made her wonder if the white-haired male was even of sane mind. But truthfully, it wasn't the loud -mouthed Bakura that worried her; instead it was the other vampire who would make her blood run cold every time he was near.
Yami is what they called him.
Appearing to be much more reserved than his boisterous companion, the man rarely spoke of much outside the mission at hand, well, besides occasionally taunting Seto which was usually instigated by Bakura in the first place. The mysterious vampire held an air about him that nearly screamed of danger with an aura as black as the clothes he wore over his sharp and agile form. But beyond the vague sense of warning that swarmed around him, to describe Yami as attractive would be a gross understatement. His divine physical presence was so entrancing to her that she couldn't help but silently reprimand herself for feeling any sort of alluring pull to a creature such as him.
His entire appearance was absolutely exotic to her, as if he was from a foreign land she had never been. Although not incredibly tall compared to the other Earthly men she had encountered, he stood lean and exuded a level of confidence that made her wonder if he truly believed the entire world belonged to him. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of his eyes that she was reminded that Yami was a being very unlike herself.
The monstrosity hiding behind the guise of a magnetizing human made itself known through his intense stare. His shockingly scarlet orbs were feral and untamed, as if they were better suited for a wild beast that didn't so much resemble a man. Although she made great effort to stay out of him and his companion's attention, Serenity had on occasion caught his emblazoned watch. She felt as if he looked through her rather than at her with eyes so cold and uncaring they fell upon the Queen like she was nothing; the most insignificant creature to have ever lived. His piercing gaze was so convincing of this that she momentarily believed it herself.
Serenity shivered upon recalling his callous stare. As she shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind a small noise escaped from her torso.
"Ugh, is there really nothing sugary in this place? Some fancy inn," The royal fairy grumbled to herself and turned her pouting lower lip toward the bedroom's window. Her anxiety had only made her hungrier and there was nothing that could cure a bout of distress like a morsel of sugar-coated goodness! Her cerulean eyes widened when an idea billowed into her mind. There would certainly be some sort of eatery or bakery within the small city, maybe even several, that had exactly what she desired. Moving her gaze to the closed door she pondered asking Mina to accompany her. Yet, she had seemed genuinely tired and perhaps she would forbid the idea of venturing into the city at night all together. Drumming her fingers thoughtfully against the bed's surface the new Queen suddenly stood, revealing a long black cloak from her magical subspace pocket. If there was any perk to being the Sovereign of the Fae it had to be the freedom to do as she pleased, at least when it came to her insatiable addiction for confections.
The small fairy had stealthily escaped from her room's window with ease and it wasn't long until she was walking the cobblestone streets of a town named Dulcis in complete wonder. She felt some sense safety beneath the hood of her black laden cloak, as it was a universal symbol that those with covered faces wished not to be bothered. Her eyes darted curiously from horse drawn carts towing cargo to the people strolling within the night in groups, pairs or sometimes alone. Serenity had never been amongst so many humans at once even though the city was hardly bustling in the nightly hours. She and the rest of the Fae had relocated their home to the Moon when she was only five years of age and in that time she hadn't encountered a single human entity. Her first encounter of the hominid people had been just a few weeks ago, as she had arrived to the Earth just a little over a month previously. Studying each one as intently as she could with the aid of dimly lit lights on the entrances of the small buildings, a delicious smell caught her sensitive nose. The hungry girl's eyes lit up hopefully as she immediately moved toward a modest building with a large window at its front.
"Bakery," Serenity read the name spelled in big white letters upon the glass aloud happily. Cupping her hands on the large pane she peered into the barely lit room observing a few people blissfully consuming their delectable treats. Shifting her attention to each of the patrons, she held herself back from drooling when she spied a beautiful slice of chocolate cake sitting before one of the patrons. Cake being her absolute favorite food she knew immediately that's what she would obtain for her late night snack.
"Alright Serenity," she whispered, "Get in. Get the cake. And go back to the inn." The fairy reiterated the plan to herself. As she reached forward to grip onto the door's handle she suddenly released an enormous sigh. Just how was she planning on financing her sweet-toothed mission? Blowing a puff of air up into her wispy bangs, she racked her thoughts as her tummy rumbled in protest. Perhaps she could barter for a piece of cake? Serenity knew she had jewelry within her subspace pocket that would be more than enough to cover the cost. Checking left and then right for any approaching walkers, she reached for the magical item and paused when a peculiar sound filled her ears.
A feminine cry escaped into the night sounding as if it were coming from just outside one of the buildings. Loud enough to pique the fairy's acute senses but quiet enough not to draw attention from any of the street dwelling humans, Serenity stiffened when the sound once again returned. Warily shifting her steps closer to the unsettling noises, she stopped upon confirming the cries to be coming from a dark alley between two of the buildings. Squinting her eyes in focus, she listened to the muffled sounds of moans escape. A deep blush settled upon her cheeks as she realized she may be eavesdropping on a couple's intimate moment, but then she frowned as the groans picked up once more. An affair being carried out in a dark and dingy alleyway seemed unlikely and in the event that some poor woman was indeed in trouble, she had to investigate. Creating a small light orb at the palm of her hand, Serenity bravely burst into the buildings' crevice and balked at what she saw.
Two shadowy figures were tangled in the pitch-blackness, in which the woman was pinned to the wall by the other whose head was firmly latched to the trapped one's neck. The female's moans and cries sounded oddly pleasurable and would have been a signal for her to leave, but an odd feeling in the air kept Serenity's feet secure to the ground like heavy boulders. The flash of a glowing and crimson eye upon her elicited a gasp from the fairy who suddenly felt herself overwhelmed with a paralyzing fear. As her eyes focused with the aid of her light source, her memory pegged the male's angular jaw and wild spikes of tri-colored hair as someone she recognized.
Yami slowly lifted his face away from the now protesting victim who made no effort to struggle against him, keeping his side-gazing eye firmly attached to the new visitor. The scent of iron drifted into the air as Serenity's covered eyes widened upon two visible and bleeding bite marks upon the woman's neck. Hearing a soft chuckle, she watched, completely frozen as the vampire brushed his tongue across the wound inducing it to mysteriously disappear without a trace of its former existence. Taking in a deep breath, Serenity's mind finally demanded of her to do what she had always been instructed in the event she should come across a vampire.
Run.
Turning around in haste, she tore from the alleyway and into the streets, reabsorbing her magical orb of brightness as she did so. Her breaths racked in panic as she practically flew across the cobblestone with fast traveling legs as her mind throbbed in confusion on the proper way to respond to such a situation. The fast traveling woman didn't get far, however, when she was suddenly knocked to her bottom upon slamming into a person who crossed her path.
"Ah!" Serenity's high pitched voice called out as she came in contact with the hard ground.
"Whoa there," a pleasant male voice sounded as the fallen stared into a hand extended down to help her up. "Young girls like you shouldn't be out this late on their own!" Without thinking, Serenity grabbed a hold of the hand and was pulled to her feet so quickly that the hood of her cloak fell down and settled on her shoulders. Looking up into the man's face she assessed he looked young, perhaps no older than his mid-twenties being human. His hair was short and golden and had bright blue eyes that could rival her own in hue.
"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered down toward her as his mouth dropped open where he gazed upon her face. "You're just so small, I didn't mean to call you a child." He whispered as his sapphire eyes brimmed with amazement. The beautiful fairy's flaxen hair shined like pale satin under the moonlit night. Her widened eyes sparkled up toward him, glossy with light from a nearby lantern attached to a building.
"I'm sorry!" She called out breathlessly and retracted her hand. Shifting to quickly dart around him she was stopped with a sudden grip onto her elbow.
"Wait!" The man called out in dismay as he gently held the girl's arm. "Are you hurt? Let me take you to get a drink of water at least." Whipping her head behind her, Serenity was half-surprised to see that the terrifying vampire was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm fine, really." The fairy turned back to the gentlemen.
"You seem upset, why were you running so fast? Is someone after you?" He asked filled with concern. When Serenity vehemently shook her head, thinking it the best way to respond the man smiled warmly.
"I guess you were just in too much of a hurry then. You know, I was just on my way to get something to eat, would you care to join me? It's the least I can do to make up for this little collision and all." The blonde man offered genuinely. The overwhelmed woman tilted her head to one side as she looked upon the man confoundedly.
"But, I ran into you, it isn't your fault." She spoke naive to the man's apparent interest in her. He put a hand behind his head and laughed nervously.
"Well if I hadn't of stepped in your way you wouldn't have fallen down! Come on, this place is great, I promise!" Before Serenity could protest she was being carted across the street, arm in arm with the amiable yet pushy young man. Turning her head back around again, she couldn't decide whether to feel afraid or relieved that the red-eyed man's presence was still unknown.
"Oh! And by the way, my name's Motoki! It's a pleasure to meet you Miss…?" The one who called himself Motoki asked hopefully. The hijacked woman hesitated, considering she should probably give a fake name to the man just in case a potential enemy may be watching.
"Bunny," she replied automatically, and inwardly cursed herself for not being quick witted enough to come up with something better on the spot. The light haired man laughed cordially.
"What a cute name. I think it suits you!" He observed producing a blush in the deceivingly young looking girl. A burst of warm air washed across Serenity's face as Motoki opened the door to the tavern they stood in front of. "After you," he indicated. Turning around to look into the night once more, she timidly stepped into the warm yet dark building.
The small restaurant was cozy with a rustic flair. There weren't too many people within the establishment at such an hour of night, ten at the most and all of them men save a solitary female waitress. When she and her friendly kidnapper entered the candle-lit building a sweep of silence overtook those who were once before jovially enjoying their food and drink with conversation. Serenity couldn't shake the feeling of their stare upon her, understanding at once she was a perfect stranger in a familiar town.
"Can I take your cloak, Bunny?" Motoki asked politely. Serenity resembled a startled doe as her eyes widened upon his question. The young man had a kind face and she was certain his intentions were genuine, but the jittery woman's first and foremost concern was escaping back to her room as quickly as possible. Trying not to show her reluctance, she delicately removed the cloak and winced under the fabric when she heard a low whistle escape from one of the men at the bar.
"Cut it out, Nezumi!" The waitress hissed as she tapped her wooden spoon against the man's hand.
"That's a very lovely dress," Motoki spoke, his cheeks tingeing with a blush as he escorted the blue dressed girl to a dim table in an isolated corner of the room. Serenity became completely red as she looked forlornly toward her black cloak that hung by the door. Sitting down gracefully across from the boy she jumped a little when he spoke.
"I hope you're hungry! Risa makes some of the best food I've ever had!" He grinned. The disguised Queen stared blankly into his face as the young human continued to speak, but she hardly registered a single word. Her thoughts were haunted by what she had observed in the dirty alley just minutes before.
Those poisonous eyes, bloody in hue were burned into the backs of her eyelids. Remembering the bite marks upon Yami's captured human caused Serenity to unconsciously grip onto the side of her neck as she imagined him making them with his perfect and deadly dagger-like teeth. What could she have done? Should she have tried to intervene between him and his nighttime meal? The way Shimon and the others regarded the mysterious vampire hadn't been lost with her, she understood at once this particular man was not one to be trifled with. She had a foretelling feeling that spending a moment longer in this little city would prove disastrous.
"What can I get you, sweetie?" The feminine voice awoke the woman from her stupor as she looked into the cheerful face of the waitress.
"I'm- really not hungry." Serenity lied, praying that her stomach wouldn't inopportunely rumble.
"Aw, c'mon!" Motoki complained playfully, "have some dessert then! My personal favorite is the cherry pie! Have some, my treat." Serenity's eyes lit up as the prospect of a sugary delight filled her attention. Oh the Gods must have been taunting her.
"It's the best in town," The waitress said with a wink. All terrified thoughts momentarily evaporated as dreams of sugary coated pastries danced within her memory.
"Ok!" She spoke, sounding a little overexcited.
"Great!" Motoki seemed delighted with Serenity's acceptance as he placed his order with the happy woman. Reality immediately honed it as the sweet-craving fairy went back to planning her escape.
'Just one piece of pie, then back to the inn' she bargained with herself inside her head. Maybe she had overreacted a bit, the more she thought about it Yami had never within the month of meeting him spoken a single word toward her. Perhaps she had only imagined catching his fascinated gaze on previous nights, it was arrogant of herself to think the peculiarly alluring man would even bother to concern himself with her.
"So, where are you from? I'd know it if I had seen you around here before." Motoki spoke genuinely.
"The Moon," Serenity replied automatically and screeched at her response internally. Why in hell was she so bad at this lying business? The fair haired man broke into a fit of laughter.
"Oh that's hilarious, Bunny!" He smiled in between chuckles, "The Moon sure does look lovely tonight though, almost as pretty as you are." Motoki blushed and the fairy nicknamed Bunny went pale as she finally realized what was going on here. The unsuspecting Fae Queen had been stolen, albeit politely, from the streets and was being courted by a human.
"Hey, Motoki!" A raucous man from the bar called out. "Come over here for a minute. We wanna chat with ya!" He finished once he caught the man's annoyed gaze. Motoki let out a sigh.
"Let me take care of these guys so they won't bother us anymore, don't go anywhere!" The blue-eyed man said as he stood from his seat and crossed the room. Uh oh. This was more than she had bargained for, how could she have been so naïve? Pie or no pie she had to get out of this mess as soon as possible. Carefully making sure she could make a stealthy escape without the poor man noticing, she slowly hovered away from her chair.
"Leaving so soon?" A deep voice rolled from across the table. Whirling around so quickly that her long streamers of hair flew in front her, she gaped at the spoken. The fairy's bottom fell back to her seat like a bag of stones as she stared with wide eyes at the most intimidating man she had ever met.
Lounging casually in what was once Motoki's seat, was the vampire she had briefly acquainted herself with earlier that evening. The intriguing man appeared amused as he tilted his head and looked toward her with a crooked smile. His appearance rivaled hers as an outsider within the town. Yami's bronze skin and oddly colored hair, upward jutting reddish-black spikes with blonde bangs falling over his eyes, labeled him an obvious foreigner in the small town.
The blood-thirsty beast she had happened upon in the alleyway was gone, and in its stead was a handsome man's inviting form. Beneath the vampire's coal jacket he wore a wine colored shirt where the top few buttons were left informally undone around his neck. Skin so golden it looked as if it were blessed beneath the sun stretched across his well defined collarbone and up toward his masculine face. His intensely crimson eyes shone enticingly upon her, looking like garnet jewels as the candle light from the table danced within them. Serenity was speechless as she gawked upon the man who had appeared out of nowhere. Releasing a low chuckle, Yami lazily flipped open a golden pocket watch and regarded it briefly before returning to her his attention.
"It's rather late for a fairy to be away from her bed," his baritone voice taunted. "Are you enjoying charming the locals?" His insinuation didn't fall on deaf ears as Serenity's quick temper overpowered her previous fear toward the statuesque man.
"I could ask you the same thing." Her fiery reply came with instant regret. She immediately felt nervous upon her flaring statement, where had that come from? Red eyes brimmed with mirth upon her.
"Well, it is certainly relevant to my interests," he countered revealing pearly white fangs in a telling grin.
"Here ya are, hun," The feminine voice startled Serenity as she quickly turned to face the waitress who placed a piece of delectable smelling cherry pie before her. Looking across the table in panic, she jolted upon seeing the vampire had disappeared. "Motoki should be right back, don't worry, the boys are sure giving him a hard time for bringing such a pretty lady in here!" She grinned as Serenity stared agape into her back as she walked away. A dark chuckle sent the woman's spinning head back again as she nearly fell out of her chair upon spying Yami had returned, again from seemingly thin air, to where he was before.
"Motoki," the vampire let the other man's name roll of his tongue, "Lovely, do I hear wedding bells?" he mocked. Serenity had seemingly forgotten her fear of the vampire, who was positively behaving like a jerk.
"I came into town to get something to eat, nothing else." She defended her honor with a frown.
"What a coincidence," Yami's eyes lit up in feigned surprise, "so did I." Serenity's stomach lurched at the thought. He smirked at her reaction and indicated, palm side up, to the confection that sat before her. "By all means, don't hold back on my account." The fairy wrinkled her nose.
" Don't let me keep you from something important." Serenity spoke, not bothering to veil the fact that she wanted him to leave.
"Hmm," The vampire spoke thoughtfully, "I can't think of a single thing that demands my time. I'm not bothering you, am I?" He voiced thickly; resting his knuckles humorously against his mouth.
"No, of course not." Serenity grumbled in fake politeness as she stabbed the pie with her fork. She nearly salivated, distracted from her annoyance, as the action expelled the delightful scent of nectarous berries laced with sugar into the air. The red syrup poured lusciously onto the plate as she lifted a piece of the light flaky crust to her mouth. As soon as the sacchariferous flavor touched her tongue, her eyes fluttered shut with an involuntary sigh. The dessert felt deliciously sticky in her mouth as she satiated her sugar craving with happy chews. A soft rumble from across the table awoke her from her trance.
Serenity's crystalline blues fell upon the vampire in surprise. His hot gaze remained unyieldingly upon her; scarlet eyes feverish in desire. The fairy shivered as an unfamiliar, yet pleasant heat spread across her delicate skin. She felt a pull from the powerful man sitting across from her, his yearning eyes beckoning to her to him like a moth drawn to a flame. Blushing upon being caught staring back at him, she quickly placed another piece of the pie into her mouth.
"Fairies are partial to sweets," her voice cracked after she finished chewing, hoping to salvage the awkwardness between them.
"Ah," he smiled as his typical arrogant expression filled his face, "perhaps that's why-" Yami paused, clicking his mouth shut as Serenity frowned back at him.
"Why we taste so good?" She asked venomously. Looking back down at the pie, the red stained plate made her stomach churn.
'Why couldn't it have been chocolate cake?' She whined in her head and promptly dropped the fork, her appetite completely evaporated at the revolting thought of spilled blood.
Looking up under her bangs at him, his gaze appeared briefly apologetic before immediately returning to their cool and uncaring visage.
"Roaming alone at night is not safe, your majesty," He scolded darkly, "There are several creatures in this area that would love to make you their dinner." Yami suddenly smirked. "Curiosity killed the cat. Weren't you informed of this when you were younger?" Serenity felt fear drop to the pit of her stomach as his mysterious dark aura extended its icy fingers toward her.
"I'm not a cat, so you needn't worry." She replied, attempting to keep her voice level. Appearing ever amused by her response the vampire leaned in closer toward her, pulling a cruel smile over his lips as he commandeered her attention. The golden blonde became very aware of her heart as it revolted violently to this situation against her ribs.
"That may be true, but if I remember correctly I believe the same rule applies for bunnies." He whispered huskily. Serenity gulped and blinked several times when suddenly she was again staring at an empty chair.
"Sorry about that," Serenity gripped onto her chair as Motoki sat down in the vacant seat across from her, setting a plate of food before him. "How's the pie? Isn't it the best?" The young man asked with a smile. Darting her eyes to the plate before her, she cringed as she saw nothing but the memory of bite marks and a bloody massacre on the syrupy surface. With the vampire's warning of other creatures lurking fresh on her mind she quickly stood from her seat.
"Bunny?" Motoki asked in concern.
"I'm really sorry, but I have to leave now!" She all but stuttered and quickly made way to the door. Yet again, she was abruptly halted when she felt his hand latch onto her elbow.
"Wait!" Motoki pled with panic stricken eyes. "Please don't leave! Will I ever see you again?" His gaze poured obsessively over her as Serenity looked in shock upon him.
"I have to go," she said sternly, attempting to yank her arm back and was further stunned when he refused to let go.
"Please, just stay for a few more minutes." The young man begged and moved his eyes away from her, contorting his face in displeasure when a heavy hand fell gently upon Serenity's shoulder from behind.
"Bunny, there you are! Thank the Gods I thought I'd never find you," A deep and pleasant voice announced. Turning to look over her shoulder she caught Yami's glinting eyes briefly as he paid her with a small smirk before focusing gaze upon Motoki, who stood a few inches taller than he.
"I owe you my gratitude for finding her. She and I were just passing through here tonight and I'm afraid we were separated." The vampire seemed like a completely different person as he lied, sounding perfectly genuine as he spoke to the fair haired man. Motoki narrowed his eyes in scrutiny upon his statement.
"You know him, Bunny?" The human asked suspiciously. Vigorously nodding her head, Motoki appeared absolutely heartbroken. Yami's red eyes focused on where Motoki's hand was still latched to her arm.
"You can let go now," he ordered, his tone beginning to exit the boundaries of politeness. The man seemed reluctant to comply as he slowly released his grip. Serenity felt herself nearly swept off her feet as the vampire's arm snaked around her waist and brought her slender form against him possessively. She nearly melted into his warm and solid body, feeling oddly secure under the protection of such a precarious creature.
"Didn't your mother teach you to never touch a woman without her permission?" Yami provoked as a wicked closed-mouth smile spread across his face. "Especially one who belongs to another." Serenity went red at his suggestion on their association. Motoki frowned as some of the men behind him stood from the bar.
"Is there a problem here, Motoki?" One of the patrons asked. Yami chuckled softly.
"No problem, gentlemen," he spoke regally. Reaching into his pocket, he flipped a purely gold coin toward Motoki to which he promptly caught. "This should be more than enough to take care of everything." The vampire spoke arrogantly. Motoki's eyes went wide upon the valuable object and whispers filled the once silent room. Without a moments more hesitation, Yami relinquished his arm from Serenity and opened the nearby door, indicating for Serenity to walk out ahead of him. Before either had a chance to step outside a loud clang rung in the Queen's ear as the gold coin was flung into the wall just beyond where she stood. Ever so slowly, the frowning vampire turned to look over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes dangerously upon the angry man.
"Don't come back in here, again. You're not welcome, if you do come back we'll be forced to remove you." Motoki snapped bitterly. Serenity's eyes went wide upon the absolute aggressive turn in the once kind appearing man's nature. Yami's red eyes gleamed promisingly toward the man as he stared him down.
"Be careful who you threaten. One of these days someone may call your bluff." The vampire all but growled. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief as both she and Yami stepped out of the tense room and into the chilly night with the door slammed behind them.
I had planned on this only being a one-shot but because I have a billion things to do this weekend I'm going to post it as a part one and part two! (woo! Two-shot!)
So this is set 1,000 before the start of "The Ostiary" as mentioned at the top. Did I overload you all too much with details, repeat too much? Although these are the same characters they were very different people/had different thoughts about the other than they did when they all first met so hopefully you didn't find it all boring! And you may have noticed I mentioned the name of one character who hasn't been yet mentioned in the main story (Blue Eyes White Dragon!)
Like Serenity, I've been craving sweets lately! (Currently dieting, its brutal)!
Also I think the tone of this side-story was all over the place, being ominous, sad, humorous, etc. I guess Serenity is just a complicated character going through a lot of different feelings right now and she clearly has no idea what to think about Yami being incredibly attractive to her, scary at times, and has his moments where he's being a jerk! Hmmm...
The next chapter will be all Serenity and Yami...;)
Thanks for reading!
~Kochou-hime