Title: The Ties That Bind Us
Author: DeadRoseBlush
Chapter One: You Lied To Me
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Rae sighed; she lay in her bed. The sheer blue curtains of her four-post/canopy bed were drawn so the moonlight that filtered through cast a blue glow upon her. She wasn't what you would call hot or amazingly gorgeous, but she was pretty in a mysterious way. Long black hair fanned out around her. She was slim with long legs and ample breasts. She had moon kissed skin, which never tanned; she thought it was one of her biggest flaws on her body, a grave injustice. Her bangs fell lazily over her closed eyes. Those eyes opened with one more sigh from the pink lips. Those eyes were bright green currently that changed to whatever she wished them to be. Dark slim brows drew together in a frown. She rose and drew a curtain back. She wore a simple nightgown but it was enough to cover and keep her cool in the night's summer heat.
She opened the fairy tale window, and leaned out, inhaling the thick fog filled air. She surveyed the garden. Her mother's garden. It's a pretty garden, with weeping willows and Japanese maples, scattered about. Orchids, lilies, roses, irises, and any other exotic flower imaginable are scattered about the cobble stone paths. There are two ponds. One small and ornamental with large, fat koi swimming around and the other is only slightly larger and are natural hot springs. There are Sakura, peach, and apple trees too, and patches of black, blue, and raspberries. There are also ivy twining around some trees and climbing rose decorating the pretty arch. There also is her vegetable garden. There is a well too, that reached deep into the earth. It had been there for years and years. The house was beautiful and sturdy. Her mother had inherited it, just as her mother had and her mother before that. And when she would marry she would inherit it. It was the family pride; all women in the generations had owned it and the shrine. The shrines original names had been lost through time but everyone called it the AkaTsuki Shrine, meaning the Red Moon shrine. Her Japanese mother was infinitely proud of it though when she had married her father, whom had passed away when Rae was six (A/N: that was ten years ago), he had convinced her to leave it in Japan. Rae had no clue how it had gotten to Oregon but it was there. Her mother had told her that it had been magically moved there from Japan; Rae had always thought the story was rubbish, and her mother had just replicated it from the original that was still in Japan somewhere in the wilderness. Instead Rae returned to her bed and paused listening to her mother breathing with her Slayer senses. 'Yep! Definitely asleep!' Rae thought. She got dressed and started inventory on her weapons that she was carrying with her that night.
"Let's see, Two stakes? Check. Holy Water? Check. Silver Cross on throat? Check. Daggers in various reachable areas? Check!" Rae stood staring at her mirror. Her long black hair was pulled into a ponytail and her bright green eyes were outlined in eyeliner. She wore jeans, a tank top with a leather duster and combat steel toe boots. All in all she was ready for some Slayage. She climbed over her balcony and let herself drop to the ground.
Lightly she ran through the paths. Her feet making no sounds as she walked in the moonlight. Rae felt as if she were a goddess. Who long ago angered the Powers That Be. In their anger they sent her to earth as a youkai, in the feudal ages of Japan. Ever since then she had been re-incarnated so many times as anything but her goddess form that she felt relief in knowing that she was just human for now. Yeah, she wished for a fairy tale life like that. Wouldn't be great to find out that you were once a goddess. She never told anyone but ever since she turned out to be a Slayer she had wished for something like that to be true, it could have been that, or the weird dreams she had been having along with her prophet dreams that came with being a Slayer. She smiled, unlocked the gates and headed away on her motorcycle.
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Rae fell into her bed, her body weary. "Rae?" came her mother heavily accented voice from the other side of the door.
"Hai, Okaasan?"
"Did you just get in?" she winced.
"Hai."
"What did I tell you?"
"Gomen nasai, Okaasan." She muttered. She heard her mother's loud sigh from the other side of the door and hearing her mother's footsteps fade away she promptly let herself fall asleep.
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/"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies." The haunting voice echoed in her ears as flashes of green light and scream erupted around. Rae found herself caught in the middle of a battle. A boy no older then she glared defiantly at a snake-faced man as she stabbed a stake into a Vampire. It screamed a terrible scream and she watched on as she turned her head to a blonde boy. His eyes widened and he yelled something but all that she heard was the words of the same haunting voice, "Befriend the Dragon." Flashes of others memories overloaded her brain. She screamed in the foreboding silence as pain invaded every muscle. It was sharp and quick. It felt like a thousand Primal Vampires tearing at her body. Her cries died down as more memories overloaded her brain, none of them connected but at the same all of them in a circle entwining like lovers. Pain of loss filled her being and her brain overloaded. She writhed and screamed, as her flesh was torn by hungry Primal Vampires. "Befriend the Dragon." Filled her ears as the face of a blonde boy, no, man swam in her sight. Everything went black. /
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She sat up in bed, letting out a scream of pain and terror. Tear trickled down her face and she held herself tightly. Her mother burst into her room. "Rae! Daijoubu desu ka?" she asked quickly in her native language.
"Daijoubu…………….." she murmured back, still shaking.
"Iie," she switched back to English. "No you are not. Tell me, what troubles you?"
"It was a Slayer dream." Her mother nodded and sat down, stroking her eldest daughter hair gently.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Iie." Her mother held her for a few more moment before standing.
"Come downstairs. Akko, Adoriko, and Liam are going to eat everything." (A/N: hint there with that name.)
"I'll be down in a minute, Mama." She said. The door closed and Rae slowly got from her bed and peeled off her shirt. Underneath on her left side in the area around her fifth rib there was slightly blood dotted, white square gauze bandage. She groaned as she peeled it off. Four only slightly deep but long scratches lay there and one knife wound lay a few centimeters upward from the claw marks. They had opened just a few minutes ago and blood was oozing from them. She groaned and grabbed the first aid kit from under her bed. She cleaned them with a couple of those disinfectant wipes and put peroxide on them, which hurt like hell. She winced and gave mew of pain before covering them with gauze once more. She inspected the dressing once more and pulled on some cotton pants and a simple shirt.
Rae's POV
I carefully made my way down the stairs into the kitchen. Liam, my older brother was devouring the bacon and Adoriko and Akko were bickering over whose piece of toast it was. Liam grinned at me, his sensuous lips stretching to show his glinting white teeth. His dark brown eyes gleamed and his black hair was super messy. I snorted and looked at my sisters. Akko's long black hair hung at mid-neck, her eyes are bright green-gray. Adoriko however has her hair to her waist and her eyes are the same green-gray but there are flecks of blue in hers. My mother smiles at me and hands me some bacon. I take a piece and tear savagely into it. My Slayer healing needs energy. My hunger makes my blood boil. I push it down and devoured the rest of the bacon on my plate.
My hearing picks up the sound of the mail truck driving off. I perk-up and dash outside. Behind me Liam shouts and there's a clatter as he gets out of his chair and races after me. I reach the mail-box before him. I pull out everything and dash away. Liam shouts angrily and walks back into the kitchen where I am settled. "I wanted to get the mail." He whines even though he is 19. I ignored him and toss a letter to Akko. She smiles. "It's Kyoko!" she shouts and tears off the envelope. Adoriko glares at the letter she's been given. "This is from Tadanaka. He is sooo boring! All he talks about is Pokemon now!" The letters are from friends that have moved away. Another twin set. There are two more letters. Evelyn Rachael Kogo: 1425 RT. 53………… Liam also has one, Liam Conner Kogo. I hand him his and open mine. The seal is odd. 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? What the hell?'
/Dear Miss Kogo, (I of course think 'Ms. Ms Kogo.' In true Jack Sparrow style.)
My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the Head Master at Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a school for witches and wizards. Though you declined your invitation to go here six years ago, we must plead you to please come to our school and aid in a war. Of course we know of your Slayer activities and have invited many other Slayers to come along to. You will not be alone. Lord Voldemort has risen again. He is trying to kill all of the muggles and enslave all other witches and wizards. Fifteen years ago he had done the same thing. A boy, Harry Potter, somehow mysteriously defeated him. We need you aid and expertise to protect him. He is our future. You will of course be taking courses with other students of your age. Again I stress that we need you /vampire/Slayer abilities. Equipment for school and training will be provided as will an invisibility cloak and broom. As soon as you write your reply this letter will dematerialize from your home and rematerialize in my office. Thank you,
Albus Dumbledore-
Head Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry./
I stared at the letter and quickly read Liam's, his was exactly like mine, save for the name and the Vampire/Slayer crap. But oddly enough it did say Vampire/Wizard. I laughed. "Mom check this out. What a crackpot. Wizards? Someone playing a prank!" I gave her the letter and watched as she read it. She began to pale. "Oh kami………………" she whispered, "Liam, Rae, I think its time I told you about your father. Your real father. Akko, Adoriko, go to your rooms." Quietly they made their way out of the kitchen. My mother sat down and rubbed her temples. I don't think she has ever looked this old.
"Real father?" I whispered.
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DRB: so what do you all think of it?
Rae: Shit?
DRB: its not that bad?
Rae: no, no, I'm commenting on the ending.
DRB: oh alright. Questions/Comments/Flames are accepted. I feel I need to explain something, the reason for the vampire part will be explained in the next chapter as will Rae's real past. There will be something else… too.