The Queen of Nightmares

(A/N By the way, the gray line means Scene change)

Chapter 1

The New Girls

Amaya's POV

Night had spread her dark wings over the city. A crescent moon, thin as a cat's claw, and the brilliant silver stars were the only thing that lit the way. Spider webs hung on gently on branches of evergreen trees, shining silver in the combined moonlight and starlight. Dead leaves were whistling in the zephyr breeze. Every thing looked . . . calm. Peaceful. Like nothing could go wrong.

I envy the people who live here.

I could feel the purr of Katsu, my pet cat, as he walked alongside with me. I could feel his strong muscles rippled through his dark brown tabby coat, and I could see his eyes, a mesmerizing emerald green.

I could feel my cane on me shoulder, smooth and polished. I could feel the weight of my bag on the curved part of it.

In the night, I felt safe. Protected. Like if someone was watching over me.

"Well? Are we going in?"

My 'sister' (as I put it) was the only other person with me. Her hair flared gold in the light of the night. Her eyes, a dark mixture of the dark green of the forest and the reddish-brown of burnt sienna were full of fright.

She was wearing a long, kimono that was midnight blue with silver crescent moons. In her right hand was her bag with her stuff.

"Kasumi, everything is going to be alright. I promise you." I said, not even louder than a whisper, but I knew she could hear it.

"But, Amaya," she pleaded, like a child who was scared.

"But nothing Kasumi. We have nowhere else to go." I said firmly. Kasumi looked worried, which was unusual. She was normally brave, courageous; willing to try anything. But now, she was just an echo, a shadow, of her former self.

"I know, but I kinda scared. The place looks creepy." She said, and did a little shiver.

"Not to me." I said. I really didn't think it was creepy. It looked—and felt—homey to me. All in a Gothic style, it felt right.

"Well, you ready?" I asked Kasumi. She was taking deep breaths.

She nodded.

I took the door handle and pushed on it. It glided surprising easy, and I was greeted to the chime of a silver bell that was hanged from the ceiling.

It was amazing. Black and white tiles decorated the floor. Wooden tables with white linen tablecloths. There was a wooden bar table, ebony, by the looks of it. Behide it was a lighter brown table. There was black walls with windows on the walls. I already liked it from the get-go.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I asked, looking around for anyone. I stepped in, taking in everything. I could feel Kasumi come behind me. I moved to the right so that Kasumi can have some room. Katsu was in the middle of us.

"Oh! Sorry about that. I had to get something that fell!" A dark haired girl turned up from the ebony bar table. She was wearing a beautiful dark purple kimono with plum blossoms.

"Um, yes. We were wondering if you have any rooms for rent?" I asked.

"Well, yeah I do." She said, smiling sheepishly.

Something caught my attention. There was someone in the back.

He had blonde hair, short, with a blue belt-band in it. He was dressed unusually. He was wearing a trench-coat-like coat with arm warmers, and under this was a white undershirt with a blue ring that matched the color of lapis lazuli. His eyes were a color that rivaled the beautiful color of sapphires. And the instant our eyes met, I felt a sharp, electric spark go through me.

"And your names are?" the girl asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Kasumi Suzu and this is my sister, Amaya." Kasumi finally decided to speak. But, her voice was kinda shaky.

"Well . . ."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

We all turned out heads to the scream. A man, a blonde fell onto the floor.

"Hifumi! Are you okay?" the girl cried running to the man.

Kasumi ran alongside with the dark haired girl. Me, and the boy in the back both just snickered.

"I-I think so." Hifumi said, trying to get up. He turned his attention to me and Kasumi.

"Customers?" he asked, turned his attention back to the dark haired girl.

"No, they're looking for some rooms for rent." she answered Hifumi.

He smiled and finally got onto his feet while me and the boy in the back was still chucking.

"What are you laughing at Hiruko!" Hifumi asked, pointing a finger on the blonde haired boy.

Hiruko stopped laughing to talk to him. "Nothing, just at your new failure. I really wonder how you dress yourself." he said, still chucking; me with him.

Kasumi and the dark haired girl had to hold on to Hifumi so he wouldn't kill Hiruko.

"Hifumi, calm down. You need to relax." the dark haired girl said, holding on tight to Hifumi.

Hifumi finally took a deep breath and calmed down. Kasumi and the girl both let him go.

"You're right Mizuki." he said darkly, looking down. "Anyway, who are you two?" he asked, looking at me and my 'sister'.

"I'm Kasumi, and this is Amaya." Kasumi introduced us. "And this is Katsu." she said after a thought, pointing at our dark brown tabby tom.

"Well, I'm Mizuki." the dark haired said nicely, gesturing to herself, "I own the Silver Star Tea House. The guy you just saw was Hifumi. He also rents a room here." she gestured to Hifumi. "And in the back is Hiruko." finally she gestured to him. "He's our residential Baku."

Time froze for me. Hiruko? He's a Baku? Well . . . this will be interesting.

Hiruko looked shocked as he looked at me. He noticed my cane over my shoulder and he noticed the crystal ball on the curved part of it.

"You're a Baku?" I whispered softly, the words barely leaving my lips.

He nodded slowly.

"Is something the matter?" Mizuki asked, looking to me and Hiruko and to back to me.

"It might be." Hiruko said, sapphire eyes locked on to mine.

"I'm also a Baku." I said softly, looking at Mizuki.

"WHAT?"

I sighed. "It's a long story." I said simply.

Hifumi looked at me. "But, you really don't look like a Baku." he said.

I smiled. "That's what a lot of people say."

Hiruko gestured to a seat across from him. I walked slowly to the seat and sat down, putting my cane and bag down next to me. Mizuki, Hifumi, and Kasumi went and got chairs to sit down near us.

"It's a long story, and it is not a happy story with flowers and sunshine and other stuff. You guys sure you want to hear it?" I asked, looking at each one of them. They all nodded.

"Well . . . it started out like this."

Flash-Back

She was so happy.

She had everything.

A man to take care of her.

A child waiting to be born.

A family to support her.

Nothing could go wrong.

As she thought.

"Sora! What name is good for my child?"

That was my name at the time. My mother and father called my that because I loved to look at the sky.

I looked up from my reading. Mai, my sister was glazing happily at her belly, looking forward for her new child.

I shrugged. "I was thinking about Ayame. Iris flower, it sounds so pretty. But, I also like Fumiko, it means Child of Treasured Beauty. I don't know which one to pick. Sora, please help me out." my sister begged me.

I sighed. I knew that she wouldn't stop talking to me unless I said something.

"Go with whichever works best for your child." I said, turning my attention back to my reading. "But, I like the name Miyako. It means Beautiful Night Child." I said after a thought.

"And what if Takeo doesn't like it?"

"Then find another name." I said, my words sharper than knifes and not looking at her. I always hated it when she mentions Takeo.

Mai glared at me with vicious cold eyes. "What's wrong with you? You used to be fun." she said, her words ice-cold. We didn't say anything for a while until Mai said: "You're . . . You're jealous aren't you? That's why your not yourself."

I snapped up and narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm not jealous." I said in a cold tone.

I wasn't jealous. I just had a really bad feeling about Takeo and her baby, like something was going to go wrong.

I told Mai not to trust Takeo from the beginning. I never liked him. His eyes, a dark brown, had a cold fire to them that I didn't like. Mai never listened to me.

She was a geisha at a local bar, and that's how they met.

"Yeah, you try to deny it, but the truth is that you are jealous!" She laughed, cold and cruel. "I knew it. That's why you said Takeo was bad news! You wanted him for yourself!" she yelled at me. I didn't move a muscle.

This is the reason why I didn't want her to have this child.

This is the reason why I didn't want her to have Takeo as her husband.

She thought that she was the most beautiful, gorgeous, amazing thing in this world and everyone should do whatever she wants.

"Mai, this is your choice. But, mark my words, Takeo and your child will be the death of you." I said in dead, hollow words. Her eyes, hazel, were narrowed as she seethed with hatred for me. We used to get along, but that was a very long time ago.

She threw a vase at me, which I dodged.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" she screamed and I left the room.

I went to mine. I could hear my mother, father, and Takeo with Mai, asking her want just happened.

I know what she would do. She would tell them that I was mean to her and her child and they, believing her, would probably throw me out of the house.

"Fine then," I whispered and I took an old case I found under my bed and grabbed my clothes, and wrote a note.

Mother, Father, if you believe Mai, then you're as stupid as she is. I'm going. And when she dies from Takeo and her child, I'll be back.

Love, Sora

I took off the quickest exit. The window. I carefully opened it, not making a sound. I leaped into the cold night air, chilling my muscles.

I looked back at my former home. It felt anything else but home. I didn't look back.

I was staying at a motel. It wasn't the cleanest, but it was the best I could do in my situation.

I had just woken up from my nightmare. It happened every night since my sister told us that she was expecting a child.

Then, I head something. To this day I don't know how to descried it.

"Hello, dear Sora."

I will never forget what she looked like.

A swirling mass of black and white, it was mesmerizing beautiful. Her eyes, a dark red, was looking straight at me.

"Who . . . who are you? And what are you?" I asked, scared.

"My name is Amaya, and I am a Baku." she said. Her voice was dark, yet somehow caring.

"B-Baku?" I heard stories about them. They were creatures who were able to eat nightmares. They are never born, nor they never die.

"Yes. And I have been watching you Sora." she said in that dark voice.

"Wh-why?" I asked, clutching the blankets on the bed.

"I know about Mai and her child. And I know that you just want to help her. And I can help you."

I was instantly interested. I was willing to do anything to help Mai see sense.

"How?" I asked.

"I long to die, but me being a Baku, I cannot die. But, I can pass on my abilities and memories to you and I can erase my consciousness." she said.

"I will do it." I said, determination in my voice. Amaya nodded. "Thank you. For now on, your name is Amaya, not Sora."

With a flash of blood red light Amaya disappeared and I could feel it.

Power. Pure, raw, power. I could feel Amaya's memories flow into me and instantly I was carving something so delicious it could only be nightmares.

It was strange, to say the least. But, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.

Everything looked the same. I turned to the bed where there was a cane.

It was beautifully made. It was made of oak, but swirls of ebony could be seen up and down the cane. On the curved part was a small marble-sized crystal orb.

I was now a Baku.

End Flash-Back

"That's about it." I said, folding my arms.

"Wow, so that's what happened." Kasumi said, looking down.

"Wait, I thought that Kasumi was your sister . . ." Mizuki said, looking at Kasumi.

"I just call her my sister. To tell the truth, she is one of my sister's descendents." I said lazily. I was getting sleepy.

"Wow, that's one hell of a story." Hifumi said, shock coloring his voice. I sighed. "If you don't me asking . . ."

"What?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Just how long you're been a Baku? Since you talk of Kasumi as a descendent . . ."

I cracked a grin. "I've been a Baku over 100 years."

For lack of better words, all hell broke loose.

"No way! You're over 100? No way!" Hifumi yelled.

Mizuki and Kasumi's eyes and they gasped. Hiruko just raised his eyebrows.

I yawned and looked out to the window. I could see the yellowish shine that could only be the rise of the sun.

"Oh, it's dawn. I-I didn't know that time moved so fast." Mizuki said, looking out to the window.

"I should retire before the sun gets up." Hiruko said and rose up, taking his cane and a case that was next to him.

"Oh, I need to show you two the rooms! I forgot, that story kinda got to me." Mizuki said, smiling sweetly.

She led us to a small flight of stairs and into the second floor. It wasn't was decorated as the first floor, but I liked it.

"Kasumi, there is a free room over there." she pointed to a room at the end of the hallway.

"Oh, Amaya, we don't have a extra room. You'll have to share with one of us."

I smiled faintly. Well, by process of examination, I would sleep with Mizuki or Kasumi.

"I don't mind sharing my room." Hiruko said, opening his door.

"Your sure Hiruko?" Mizuki asked, looking at Hiruko weirdly.

He turned to her and nodded.

"Alright then." I said, going into the room.

It was pretty much empty, expect for a small bed and a table. I noticed he had a closet and bathroom.

"So . . ." Hiruko said, looking at me. I really didn't know what to say.

"I'll be right back." I said, going into the bathroom to change. Hiruko nodded.

Before I started to change, I looked into the small mirror that was there.

My raven hair was a bit frazzled, but you could still call it straight. My eyes, a clear, electric blue, were tired. I really needed sleep.

I took out my bag, grabbed my nightgown and putting it on. I took a quick glance at the mirror again.

The nightgown was black silk, with lace at the bottom. It had thin straps and it just reached to the beginning of my thigh, covering my butt.

I really didn't want to wear this, but it was my only nightgown that I had with me.

I took a quick breath, embarrassment flushing my face. I haven't felt like this in a while.

I stepped out of the bathroom, trying my best not to smile. Some part of me couldn't wait to see the look on Hiruko's face.

I smiled when I saw Hiruko's face. I can't describe it, only because Hiruko would somehow find a way to kill me.

He was just wearing a normal white t-shirt and some black shorts.

I can't believe I'm saying this but . . . he looked . . . well . . . cute. Very cute.

I cracked a grin. "You see something you like?" I asked suddenly, as if I wasn't thinking.

He also cracked a grin. That grin did funny things to my stomach and heart.

I walked gracefully over to the bed and went to the far side of the bed; Hiruko beside me. I could feel his body, surprising strong against mine. His scent was intoxicating, it reminded me of a bloody nightmare. Yum . . . bloody nightmare . . .

I was able to fall asleep quickly and I had good dreams.

Baku don't have nightmares. If we get nightmares, then who are going to eat ours? So, we always have good dreams, but I have better than normal.

Hiruko's POV

=I knew when she left asleep. Her body relaxed beside mine and her breathing deepened.

I have a weird feeling about her since I locked eyes on her. Maybe because it was her eyes. Electric blue that could pierce into your spirit. Maybe because it was her hair. Raven black hair that cascaded like a waterfall. Or, maybe it was because she was the first female Baku I met. Or maybe it was all of those things.

I really didn't know. But, something about her was different.

Normally, I would have never done this to anyone else. But, I did it anyway. Evidence of my insanity.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her loosely to mine. She felt nice under my arms. Soft, and her scent was enthralling. Something told me that her story of becoming a Baku was longer that she was telling, but I let it go. She'll say it when she's ready.

Sleep clutched me into its dark embrace and I fell asleep.

Me - Tada! Wow, I wrote a lot! 12 pages, just for you guys! I told you I'll write a lot more! I kept my promise!

Anyway, I'm also keep my other promise of putting up a notice of all my stories to read Nightmare Inspector and my fanfic.

BTW! Amaya means Night Rain, Kasumi means Mist, and Katsu means Victory!

Just wanted to say that.

A lot of unanswered questions here. What happened to Mai and her child? Why are Amaya and Kasumi at the Silver Star? What are Amaya and Hiruko feelings for each other? Why was that Baku following Sora/Amaya? How did Amaya last 100 years of being a Baku?

Another BTW! I'm sorry if Hiruko was a bit OOC. It's my first time writing him, so hopefully, in time, I'll write him better.

P.S. If you have any nightmare ideas, PLEASE PM me or write a review. I only have two so far. Yeah . . . I need help with that.