We interrupt your regularly scheduled fanfiction for breaking news. Lugratsu week may have come and gone but you can't blame me for wanting to get this out there to celebrate it. Have fun, get your heart broken, and I'll see y'all later. ^.^
Vampire Trinity
Chapter 1
Ashes and Dust
A soft whimper rouses him, the dreary edges of his dreams being left behind to seek out the sound. With nare a whine he rolls over, pale chest reflecting in the moonlight seeping through a crack in the cabin's wall.
He gets up, coal eyes landing on the wicker basket standing across the room. His feet follow his eyes, leading him to stand beside the basket. Unknowingly his lips tilt into a small smile, revealing sharpened incisors in the moonlight.
Leaning one hand on the edge of the basket, with the other he strokes midnight blue hair, crooning softly when a small hand clasps his thumb.
"It'll be alright, Silver. Momma will be back before sunrise." The babe whimpers again, his navy blue eyes locking onto his father's.
The man raises his other hand, palm up so that it's in the infant's sight and smiles, watching as the palm begins to glow blue. After a second, a large snowflake hovers over the man's palm. The babe giggles, his small arms reaching for it when there's a disturbance in the air current traveling through the one-roomed cabin.
He doesn't bother to turn around, his sensitive nose already picking up the scent of water lilies he knows so well.
Arms wrap around his middle and blue hair falling in long locks enter his vision. He hums, looking down into dark blue eyes.
"Hello beautiful." He leans down, his lips brushing hers in a ghost of a kiss. "Did you feed well?"
Even if he can taste it on her lips, he more than knows one feeding is sometimes not enough.
She smiles, reaching up to kiss him in return. When she pulls away, the moonlight catches the crimson red against the plaster pale skin of her neck. "It could've been a better night, my darling, but I fed enough for both of us."
He eyes the dripping liquid with a dry swallow. It's too dangerous for them both to feed on the same night and though he'd gladly give up his feeding night for her to feed herself and their son, his hunger is beginning to weigh heavily on him.
After a minute he finds his voice, giving her a pained smiled. "I'm happy to hear it, Juvia."
The bluenette frowns, one hand rising to settle on his cheek. She rubs her thumb over the pale skin, her brows furrowing in concern at the weak flow under her fingers.
"Gray, darling. Why did you give me tonight?"
Gray swallows, turning away to look at their son once more. "I can wait to feed, Juvia. You and Silver are more important."
She scowls. "Gray, you've given me the last three feedings. You and I both know it's not healthy for you to go so long. What if you were to turn on someone in the daylight?"
Knowing she's right he sighs in resignation, looking back at her.
"I just don't want something to happen to you two. I don't know what I'd do if—" He can't finish the thought. There are hunters out there, those that hunt their kind. He's more afraid of what might happen if they were to be found then the hunger ravenously clawing at his stomach.
Juvia smiles softly, her thumb rubbing circles over his cheek. "There are drunk sailors in the harbor. It should only take you a few hours to hunt among those and get back before the sun rises." He opens his mouth to object but Juvia presses her thumb to his lips, quieting him. "Silver and I will be fine. Now go before it gets any later in the night."
He gives her a mixed look. When she doesn't bend he moves away, reaching for the undershirt draped on the back of the rocking chair.
By the time he's completely dressed, Juvia is sitting in the rocking chair, their son clamped to her breast to feed. Gray smiles softly, burning the sight into his memory. They may have millennia more to live but he doesn't want to forget here and now.
Eventually, he has to turn away. The night is slowly passing by and he needs more than one feed to even take the edge off his hunger. He pauses at the door, glancing back at her. "I will be back before the dipper has set, don't miss me too much."
Juvia giggles, watching him open the door and step out. "My darling Gray, I miss you already."
With that, he closes the door behind him and turns out into the night. Almost immediately his coal eyes flash red allowing him to see as clearly as if it was day. Then he takes off, running full throttle down the dirt road leading to town. His breath remains even, his footfalls light, and leaving nare a hint of his passing.
The distance between their cabin and the town by buggy on a clear day can be covered in three hours. By the time the smoke of fires burning in homes reaches his sensitive nose, the moon has barely moved across the sky.
Gray, however, surprises himself when he realizes that he'd miscalculated and is forced to dive into the woods bordering the road to dodge a horse-drawn carriage. While he waits for the carriage to move on by he leans against a tree, taking a deep breath to focus on the surrounding area.
Off in the distance, he sees the steeple of the church, the bronze bell perched at its peak sitting quiet for the night. Around the holy building, more houses are laid out, a couple with candlelight slipping through the glass while most are dark; their occupants in bed for the night.
Every few minutes the light of several lanterns appear at different points across the city, swaying to signify a green coated guard on duty.
Once he's sure of his safety Gray moves on, picking up his pace to make it across the town before one of the guards on duty can see him and raise the alarm. Too many kills in the surrounding area have put them on edge. Dimly, he makes note to bring up to his love about moving again, to keep the humans from discovering what they are.
The raven-haired man pauses on the docks, ducking behind some crates to avoid the guard turning the corner and opens his ears, nearly stumbling in hunger at the many hearts beating in the ship moored to the pier.
He eyes the guard now walking out of sight then pushes away from the crates, keeping his lithe, lean body hunched to avoid detection from the crewmen on the ship.
A small part of himself rationalizes the humans would never be able to see him in the dark but a larger part still calls for self-preservation. This part pushes for him to climb the anchor chain rather than risk a run up the gangplank.
Reaching the top of the chain he launches over the railing, his feet silent as they hit the deck and rolls behind a barrel. When no screaming or yelling starts Gray gets up, walking confidently down the stairs to the main deck.
It's not the first time he's hunted among the ship-men so it comes as no surprise when the sailor stumbling below deck barely acknowledges him with more than a nod.
Gray merely smirks, eyeing the sailor before he writes him off for the heavy stench of sweat, blood, and alcohol coming off him in waves.
He waits, counting four guards passing the docks then follows the sailor through the door below deck. His hearing guides his path, leading him to the Captain's quarters.
In front of the door hung with the Captain's hat, Gray pauses, slowly lifting the handle and pushing it open. Inside the room, he finds the Captain of the ship wide awake, his tired gaze traveling some maps until he looks up, glaring at Gray.
The Captain is a gray-haired man, wrinkles of laughter and sun deeply lining his face, but his eyes are bright if a little glazed with exhaustion.
"Damn it, Sanji, I thought I told you not to bother me unless it's important."
To find the Captain so out of it he'd confuse a stranger for a crewman, Gray finds it more than amusing. He chuckles. "The last time I checked my name was not Sanji."
Captain squints, reaching for his glasses sitting on the desk in front of him. "Who are you? You don't sound like any of my men." He slides on the spectacles and goes wide-eyed in shock. "No, no, no."
Gray grins, his crimson eyes shining in the light of the lantern. Crossing the cabin in two large steps, he attacks the Captain. The old man barely has time to think before two incredibly strong arms immobilize his body and...
He releases a gasp of pain, his lifeblood escaping from the marks left by the two long incisors dug into his neck. Gray drinks deeply ignoring the weakening struggle of the old Captain. When the Captain finally falls still, Gray drops him back into the chair and steps back.
Energy floods his veins once more, his senses increasing dramatically now he's been able to have a taste. Along with the burst of energy, his hunger makes itself fully known. Every heartbeat of the crew on board the ship is a siren's call to his cavernous hunger, one that pleads for him to seek and fulfill.
The taste of blood, the call of the hunt, it pulls the vampire from the Captain's cabin and to the officers' quarters. Each room he enters he strikes quickly, taking the kill before the sailors even realize their death is upon them.
As he stumbles out of the cabin of his fifth kill, he comes to a stop in front of a Sailor standing frozen in fear in the hall. Gray stands straight, the blood coating his shirt and neck a horrifying addition to his calm demeanor.
He smirks, eyeing the sailor as a predator does prey. "Oh I do hope you're smart enough to keep your mouth shut." He wipes his chin, licking the blood off the back of his hand. "After all, I hate it when my food begs for mercy."
Even though the sailor is drunk, he realizes the danger standing before him and screams, a very high pitched sound that causes Gray to flinch. Then he turns tail, taking off down the hall toward the steps leading out into the night.
The raven-haired vampire snarls in anger, setting his hands on the floor. A blue mist shrouds them. "Ice make floor!"
What had mere hours before formed an innocent snowflake for his son, now forms a layer of ice across the floor and walls of the ship, causing the sailor to slide back toward Gray.
The sailor constantly slips and slides trying to get back on his feet. Gray calmly approaches him, walking as if the ice isn't an inch thick covering the wooden floors.
"I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut." He snarls, wrapping one hand around the sailor's neck and hoisting him up the wall. "Your incessant noise bothers my ears." Then he smirks. "I've had my fill for the night but I suppose one more won't hurt."
He leans in. The sailor's breath hastens as long incisors stained red graze his neck. Knowing his time is up, the sailor closes his eyes, sending a prayer to the gods. Closer, millimeter by millimeter his death inches.
Gray screeches, stumbling away from the sailor, his hand on his own neck, wrapped around the wave tattoo that lines the pale skin. His hands shaking, Gray turns away from the sailor, immediately darting for the stairwell out into the night.
His neck, it burns as hot as any fire. A feeling that holds more fear than any hunter could possibly instill. He barely notices leaping the railing to land on the deck. Ignoring the guard, he whisks by. The buildings of the town disappear in a blur. None of it matters in the rising wave of fear for his mate and their child.
The fresh energy he'd gained from the sailors is put to use, pushing the limits of his inhuman speed. Even so, it feels like an eternity before he's sprinting down the road to their home.
A home cloaked in flames so bright it blinds him to look at it.
In front of the burning cabin, he finds a familiar carriage, the very same he'd passed on his way into town and without a second thought he kills the horses. He turns, eyeing the blaze in rage until he spots a figure laying on the ground by the trees.
Gray rushes over, a choked gasp escaping him when he recognizes the long blue hair. It is a gruesome sight, the blood—her blood—that discolors her once beautiful dress. Underneath the blood, he can barely smell their son's scent among the burned cloth and soot. He turns her over, one hand under her head.
"Juvia, please speak to me." He leans forward, his forehead against hers. "Please, Juvia, please, please speak to me."
She shudders, a cough causing the dribble on her lip to splatter his face. Then she opens her eyes, if only barely. Juvia gasps, one hand reaching up to grab his arm. "Gray, you have to go."
Tears escape his eyes. He shakes his head but she isn't done.
"Take our son and go." Her breath shudders and she closes her eyes in concentration. "I won't be able to make it."
He snarls, shaking his head harder. "No, Juvia, I won't leave you. Not again."
She smiles softly as she raises a hand to cup his face and her body begins to ripple. As it does, their son rises from the waves, sleeping silently at odds with the chaos around them.
His hands hover between the two. Take his son and protect him or hold on to his mate, his mate that is supposed to be with him for eternity.
"Please my darling Gray. Take Silver, show him the world as you always promised me." Her hand begins to fall.
Gray can't do both. He can't catch her and hold their son as well. So he does what he must, he allows her hand to fall to the ground. Instead, he huddles Silver closer to him, overly aware of the babe's whimpers.
The mark around his neck pulses, the deep oceanic blue draining from it, and he openly cries, howling to the night sky his grief.
Cackling sounds from behind him and Gray looks up, his crimson eyes swirling in anger and grief at the two figures approaching through the shifting smoke.
"My, my. You vamps just keep getting weaker and weaker."
Gray snarls, clutching his son as close to his chest as possible without smothering him.
"Come now, Madame Knightwalker, let me put this poor excuse for a vampire down."
He can't help it. A shiver of fear travels through him when he hears the name. When the tip of a sword appears at his neck he tilts his head back, glaring at the armored red-headed woman standing before him.
She ignores her partner for the moment, smirking maliciously at Gray. "So you're the ice vampire that has been living in these parts for the last fifty years. I had been wondering when I was gonna find your little settlement."
Silver whimpers and Gray tucks him into his chest. He partially lifts a lip, snarling at the woman.
"I don't care who you are or how many of my kind you've killed. You will die for killing my mate, I will make sure of it."
A darkness even blacker then the shadows cast from the fire descends upon the Hunter. She adjusts her wrist ever so slightly causing the tip of the sword to knick Gray's skin.
"You're out of your mind vampire." A laugh comes from behind the woman, drawing Gray's eyes to the shorter man standing behind her.
In the light of the fire, it's nearly impossible to see him apart from the shadows lining his pale face. The remainder of him hidden by the black clothing he wears.
Knightwalker snarls, her grip on her sword tightening. "Shut it, Hughes, before I throw you in the fire."
"Shutting up, Ma'am." He can't help it. The vampire snickers at the man's sudden obedience.
The sound brings their attention back to him and Knightwalker smirks. "Any last words before you follow your partner to hell?"
Gray opens his mouth to retort but another voice cuts him off.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
He bends over, narrowly dodging the barrage of flames that appears overhead. Knightwalker avoids it as well, though her partner isn't as lucky, receiving a face full of flames from the attack.
The sound of a pair of rapidly pounding feet causes the grieving vampire to breathe a sigh of relief.
Hearing a yelp he looks up, tears of gratitude pooling in his eyes at the sight of the pink-haired man standing in front of him. As if the salmon pink hair isn't enough to set the man apart, he wears a white-scaled scarf over his sleeveless coat, and white harem pants tied halfway up his calves. His hands, rough and calloused from hard work are lit by bright orange flames.
The man snarls, bringing his hands up to guard his center.
"Gray, are you alright?"
Gray can't help himself. He chuckles in relief, lowering his head to look at his son. "Yeah, Natsu, we're okay."
The pinkette nods, looking over his shoulder past Gray to Juvia's limp body. "Sorry we didn't get here earlier."
He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. There's nothing we couldn't have done."
Natsu turns back to the Hunters, his jade eyes swirling crimson. "Maybe not but now I can burn some hunters and not get yelled at for it."
The pink-haired vampire jumps back to avoid the sword slashing through the smoke then aims a kick at the swordswoman. "Fire Dragon's claw!"
He wants to fight, he so sorely does not only to avenge his mate but to protect his son as well. Only with the babe in his arms, he's helpless to do anything save guard the child. Until someone gently lays a hand on his shoulder.
It's the scent of strawberries and vanilla that has Gray taking his eyes off the fight to look up at the blonde standing beside him.
Her normally chocolate eyes are swirling crimson in anger, glaring at the fight in front of them before she looks down and they soften. She kneels, her long legs folding underneath her, and holds her hands out to him.
"I'll protect Silver, you go get those bastards back for killing Juvia." Gray nods, handing the now whimpering Silver to the blonde and gets to his feet.
"Thank you, Lucy."
She smirks, her lengthened incisors flashing eerily in the flames. "You're welcome. Now go."
He needs no more encouragement. Dark blue mist gathers around his hands and almost immediately the ground around him frosts over, ice quickly building to deadly heights despite the raging flames.
As Natsu dodges a sweep of the glittering sword a wave of cold against his flaming skin catches his attention and he grins, looking over his shoulder to see his best friend for millennia standing at his side.
"Hey, Knightwalker!" The pinkette looks ahead when Gray calls out, noticing they've gained her attention and he grins.
"You've picked the wrong vampires to mess with." Both men slide into a twin fighting stance, their backs to each other, and their hands glowing with their elements.
Gray glares at her, silently vowing her death to the gods. "Are you ready—"
"To fight fire and ice?" The words, spoken simultaneously by both vampires carries a sense of danger unnatural by all accounts.
By an unspoken signal, the men attack together, their in sync movements speaking of much experience working together.
Away from the battle, Lucy climbs one of the numerous trees before focusing on Silver, humming a soft lullaby she knows Juvia would sing to calm him down. It works, the babe settling to suck on his thumb as he sleeps and Lucy sighs, her eyes finding their way back to the raging battle.
"You're lucky, little one. Your mother died to protect you and now your father is fighting to protect you. Most of our kind would never have that chance. Well," She pauses, watching closely as a combined spell smashes the carriage to smithereens. "not unless we join a coven."
Lucy snorts. "It might sound ideal but I promise you, a coven is nothing but bad news. It'll be better for you and your father to avoid those places, especially one as young as yourself."
Her lips lift in amusement when Knightwalker's partner is sent flying off the property and she looks down at Silver, one sharp nail rising to trace his soft cheeks. "I will make you one promise though. This is the same promise I made your mother so pay attention little one. Now I can't promise to always protect you," She smiles softly, her finger settling to rest on his lips. "Our kind wanders so often and so is bound to die by one way or another. There is no use promising something so false but I will promise this."
The battle is over, both men watch as the hunter falls to her knees; a fatal stab wound draining the malice from her features. As Natsu walks over to grab the corpse and throw it in the fire he pauses, turning his head to listen to the blonde. Gray follows his example with a look of shock.
"I promise that so long as I breathe I will help to support both you and your father. I will guide you as you grow, teach you the way of the arcane, and I will make sure your idiot father doesn't get into too much trouble while he and Natsu teach you the art of the hunt."
Power arises within her fingertips, the wind lifting with the arcane energy flowing through the blonde and Silver whimpers, clenching his eyes tighter shut as the promise seals itself.
"Luce." The blonde looks up from the babe, only now noticing the battle is over. As she prepares to leap down from the tree, Natsu beats her to the punch, leaping up to hang from a branch beside her. He grins, looking down at his lifelong friend. "What do you say, Ice princess, wanna teach your son how to be the greatest of our kind?"
The grieving Vampire pauses, looking back at his dead mate. One question runs through his mind. Can he raise his son by himself? Teach him how to hunt and use his magic—whatever it maybe—to its fullest? Gray looks back to his friends, suddenly struck by the sight that meets him and though tears pool in his eyes he grins.
"Yeah, Flame Brain, let's teach him to be the best." And the tears fall. Tears of relief that even among the ashes and dust he's not alone.
*Clears throat* So besides the fact I've been hammering my head into a concrete wall for the past three weeks I thought it'd be fun to take a slight detour. I've had this story planned since about the end of DKQ, except it was planned as a NaLu/ brotherly Gratsu. You know NaLu helps Gray get over his grief and in turn he helps them. When I heard about Lugratsu week I decided to go ahead and revamp the idea. It didn't take much, change a few lines here and there and voila a Lugratsu is born. Except I have friends who love drama and disagree with stereotypes about as much as I do and so what y'all see here is born.
I hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter and I'll see y'all back here next week, hopefully with a new chapter of LBB as well.
Grizzly out for the night.