Chapter 3: Obsfucate Reality
The Five Femme Fatale
El3v3n
All characters belong to their respective owners.
Obsfucate Reality
"Really? Atem found a caitiff while out hunting tonight? That seems strange, he's usually rather not fond of accepting newcomers…" the faint whisper of a voice fluttered; its sound twisted in a surreal unfamiliar vibration.
"That's not what I heard…" A louder voice rose with scratchy echo. "He didn't just find her. He turned her." A startled gasp escaped.
"No…surely you're mistaken. I mean, it-it's, forbidden."
The spectrum of Earth's colors swirled in a distorted fashion before quickly fading into the black abyss. However, as if to torture Sakura's brain, they returned repeatedly with full force. Bending in impossible ways to successfully give the sensation of spinning mid air. Her mind screamed to see shape and form and even as she tried to beg of it aloud, her lips remained firmly shut. The kunoichi's body had seemingly lost contact with the mind's demands. Every tactile sensation was missing, leaving the girl with only a mangled sense of sound and blinding sight. Eternity seemed to pass as Sakura drifted through her sleepless paralysis, when finally a new feeling emerged.
Burning. Fire. It raged through her mouth and scratched at her throat. Feeling as if she had swallowed sand, followed by smoldering shards of glass, her ragged breaths of the cool air did nothing to calm the fury of what her tongue and throat demanded. Her mind ebbed at her body's desire. What she wouldn't give for a drop of water, or more appropriately, an entire lake of the substance to drown the emblazoned pain. Sakura begged for it - prayed - for salvation to rain into her mouth. As if some higher power had been listening, she finally felt her muscles obey and snapped her eyes open.
Complete darkness filled her vision as a wave of panic traveled over her. She frantically sat up and released a small yelp when her head contacted with a hard surface and knocked her back down. Hot tears began to wet her face as the pain of her throat and confusion took over her emotions. A feral snarl escaped the pink haired girl's mouth as she drew back her fist and called upon her super strength jutsu. The sound of splintering wood filled her ears as the deadly charged appendage jutted upwards. She stealthily leapt through the opening and fell to a defensive crouch onto the ground. As her eyes quickly adjusted to the faint light of the room, she groaned upon feeling uncontrollable shakes throughout her form. A swift movement caught her darting eyes and she fell onto her bottom upon spying two other individuals in the room, looking at her in awe.
"Water." She begged from the depths of her dry throat. The shorter of the two suddenly sprang away to the back of the room. Sakura watched wide eyed as she delved into a refrigerator and immediately returned with a long stemmed wine glass containing a dark liquid.
"Drink this." Her high pitched voice ordered, sweetly.
The kunoichi dared not question its contents as she snatched the glass with molten speed and took its contents into her mouth. Sakura moaned into the precious cup as the cold liquid drowned the flames that raged within her. The drink felt amazing upon her tongue, enveloping her body in a satisfaction she could associate with no other pleasure. Its taste was both sweet and savory, a unique flavor that seemed to satisfy any sort of craving of nutritional pungency. Immediately the glass was empty and Sakura extended her tongue to trace the last drops off the rim of the vessel. A squeak escaped her as she looked pleadingly toward the two women. Her face fell into a pathetic pout, like a young child begging for a second helping at dinner. The shorter woman giggled and promptly handed Sakura another glass, which she once again snatched away and brought to her mouth.
"It's much better warm and fresh, but this will have to do for now!" The cherub-like girl spoke followed by a happy-fanged grin. The Konoha ninja's eyes immediately caught a flash of the girl's unusual teeth and promptly put down her empty glass.
"We showed up just in time for your debut, Kiddo." The taller woman said, her shining blond hair glowed in the candlelit room. She winked an amethyst eye toward the kunoichi who merely blinked. Sakura suddenly sprang to her feet with cat-like speed and fell into a defensive stance.
"Wh-who ahr you? Whyere am I?" She demanded but frowned at her inability to pronounce her words correctly. She shifted her lips as it felt like something had been lodged into her mouth. The smaller woman laughed melodically and tossed her light brown hair.
"Don't worry; they take some getting used to." Sakura narrowed her eyes.
"What taykes gettinfg used to? What diyd you do to me?" She demanded. The blond haired woman flashed a deadly grin and pointed to a mirror at the far side of the room with her perfectly manicured finger. Sakura cautiously stepped toward the chasm, all the while tossing guarded glances toward the strangers. Finally allowing her eyes to adjust on the silver surface, a stunned jerk flew throughout her body.
Sakura hardly recognized the beautiful woman in the mirror, but after a few moments finally concluded it to be her. Her skin nearly glowed in the dimly lit room and appeared even paler than usual, if that was even possible. Every imperfection, while few in the past, had disappeared as she studied her flawless face that encased a pair of green eyes that glimmered brilliantly even in darkness. Her mouth fell open and she balked at the sight of her source of current speech impediment. She ran a finger along one of the porcelain projections as the two women floated on either side of where she stood.
"I've gotta say. Atem may have lost his mind, but he certainly has good taste." The blond woman purred seductively as she leaned in to place a kiss upon the stunned girl's soft hair.
"Don't say that Mai! But yes, you are very beautiful. Even more so than you remember before the change?" The girl smiled toward Sakura into the mirror. The kunoichi gave a slight nod and felt her hands be captured by those of the two women.
"Come with us." The one called Mai whispered as the two nearly floated Sakura from the room. They drifted along a dark, candlelit hallway in silence.
"Who'sth Atem? I've ch-changed?" Sakura stuttered, inwardly cursing her blundered speech. The taller woman chuckled.
"I guess it's safe to assume he didn't explain all this to you before he turned you?" Mai snickered.
"Asking permission for things is not exactly his style." The short brown haired girl laughed. "But then again, neither is siring fledglings." Sakura felt a shiver flutter through her spine at the girl's comment.
"Look kid, there are a lot more details for you to learn but I'll sum it up for you quickly."
The blond stopped before a pair of double doors and flung them open to reveal a grand and ornate room within. Once the women entered inside, the doors creaked shut and the short girl flew to a closet and began rummaging within. Mai shifted her purple eyes upon Sakura who gulped in response.
"You've been turned into something magnificent. You'll never age or die from natural causes."
Sakura blinked in disbelief as the woman handed her another glass filled with dark red liquid, to which she eagerly drank. She sighed as the smooth tasting drink electrified every inch of her body.
"It really is wonderful, but there's a catch." Mai smirked. "To nourish your body and give you strength to move you must steal the vitality of human life." Sakura stopped drinking as she looked to the woman in confusion. "Their blood will fuel your body." She said seductively.
The pink haired girl's eyes traveled down the glass and she froze in shock upon staring at its contents. Blood? She had been drinking, blood? The stem slipped from Sakura's fingers and the vessel went tumbling to the ground before quickly being caught by the tall and busty blond.
"The sooner you accept it; the better off you'll be." The woman said darkly before taking a sip from the glass herself. "You're a vampire now." Sakura felt as if a sheet of ice had covered her skin with a chill taking over her sensations. The short girl had finally emerged from the closet with a dark purple dress in hand.
"Think this will fit?" She asked with a fanged smile.
Sakura sat obediently at an antique vanity in the dark room as the girl who introduced herself as Mana happily brushed her hair.
"I'm so glad the dress fits you! We're so close to the same size, but don't worry; you'll get tons of pretty new clothes soon!" The girl cheered as if Sakura was her own personal dress up doll.
"Where are we going?" Sakura spoke slowly to avoid slurring her speech while staring into the mirror. The purple dress was flattering, both in its shape and color that complimented the young girl's hauntingly green eyes. Its neckline plunged dangerously low, however, to reveal a perfect pair of breasts that were somehow larger than she had last remembered.
"Out." Mana said simply as she stood back to admire her handy work.
"I can't believe you've never heard of vampires before. Where have you been living all your life? Under a rock? It's just as well I suppose, we won't have to unlearn you of all the false truths about our kind." Mai chuckled as she leaned back on an Egyptian style chaise. Sakura's mind traveled briefly back to her memory of Konoha and couldn't help but smile.
"Something like that." She admitted.
The myths and legends of the civilian cities rarely infiltrated ninja villages, but apparently, the story of vampires should have been something more closely paid attention to. The kunoichi fought the urge to sigh as she focused her mind on the Hidden Leaf village. She had most certainly gotten herself stuck in a sticky situation, one in which she must keep the secret of Konoha from the outside world at all costs, even at the forfeit of her own life. Taking a quick moment to scan the room for possible escapes from this surreal reality she froze upon the sound of a dark masculine chuckle that filled the air. A hot breath tickled the back of her neck as a familiar looking white haired man appeared in the mirror; standing behind her.
"My, my. You turned out well." He whispered huskily. Something clicked within Sakura who immediately sprang away from her seat with incredible speed to the far side of the room. A wild snarl ripped through her throat, like a threatened wildcat with her back up to the wall. "Ohhh." The man purred with a smirk. "The pink kitten doesn't want to play nice." He taunted with a dangerous grin. An enraged hiss launched from the pink haired vampire earning yet another laugh from the tormentor, who was promptly slapped upside the head.
"Bakura! You know better than to sneak up on a fledgling like that. It's going to take forever to calm her down now!" Mana pouted as he rubbed the back of his head and scowled in annoyance.
"Besides." Mai spoke sultrily from her lounge. "She did quite a number on her coffin earlier, I'd be careful if I were you." Bakura's irritated stare faded longingly to the woman and he immediately appeared by her side.
"Ah, Mai." He spoke thickly. "You know well enough only a select few beings on this Earth are a match for me." Sakura's eyes immediately traveled to the large closed doors and obeyed the instinct within that beckoned her to run. Mana's small arms flew around her waist and forced them both to the ground.
"Do you often use the shadows to visit Mana's room? It's awful rude you know. What if she had been changing clothing?" Mai teased steamily, seemingly unnerved by the fledgling's attempted escape. Bakura bared a wicked grin and leaned in closer to the beautiful blond.
"I would be more than delighted to visit your quarters if I were to ever warrant an invitation." He rolled. Mai lifted a suggestive eyebrow before bursting out into a low chuckle, she promptly stood and brushed her hair away as she moved toward the room's exit.
"Only in your dreams, Bakura." She laughed as she left through the now open doorway. Bakura snarled audibly and tossed the struggling Sakura an irritated look before he too disappeared into the dark wall at the end of the room. The pink haired vampire bared her teeth as she continued to flail against her captor.
"Please calm down. I can't let you go now, you'd only hurt yourself!" Mana pleaded. The sound of the girl's soothing voice had a calming effect over her and Sakura sighed as she felt her body relax. "You're awfully powerful for a fledgling! Were you strong as a human?" Sakura responded with a whimper as Mana stroked her hair. "It's alright, don't worry." She cooed.
Before long, a much calmer Sakura was strolling alongside Mana whose babbling was drowning out the paranoia and rolling concerns in the kunoichi's brain.
"…the entirety of our coven lives in the manor. Don't worry; you're very safe and protected here. I'm sure there are others in the lounge; let's go meet them!" Mana said happily as she took a left around one of the winding halls of the giant and mysteriously dark dwelling.
"What's a coven?" Sakura asked with a blink.
"Well, a coven is a group of cohabitating vampires, mainly for protection but for social aspects too! The vampires of each particular coven live under the rules of a leader, who's the strongest, in exchange for protection from other covens who may live by different ideals…" Mana explained. Sakura blinked at the peculiar similarity of the covens to the ninja villages.
"Who's the leader?" She asked suddenly and her eyes widened as she gazed upon Mana's telling smirk. "Oh…wonderful." Sakura commented dryly.
"Don't worry, he's out right now but he'll be returning shortly. I'm sure he'll be more than pleased that you're awake." Mana chirped.
A strange feeling of both dread and excitement tingled along Sakura's skin. It hadn't once occurred to her that evening that she would once again encounter the man who exerted almost heavenly attractiveness. Who, ironically, was the most powerful member of a group of immortal man-killers. He, the one who got her into this mess in the first place.
"Why didn't he kill me?" Sakura blurted out suddenly. Mana halted and looked toward the green eyed girl, stunned. "Mai said that vampires need to feed on human blood, why didn't he just do me in like he was supposed to?" Mana gulped and surprised Sakura with a shrug.
"I, honestly, don't know. You'll have to ask him." Was all she said as the two finally entered the lounge area where the eyes of many vampires immediately fell upon the newcomers.
Sakura sat nestled, uncomfortably, in a large arm chair while male vampire with long pink hair happily chatted with her.
"I must say, your lovely pink hair is vunderful, if we had children their hair vould be perfect!" He said in his strange German-sounding accent.
"Uh," Sakura said rubbing the back of her hair and turned a colorful shade of red. The man merely laughed at her discomfort.
"Alright Zigfried, that's enough." Mana came immediately to Sakura's defense earning a few chuckles from the others.
"Yes, we wouldn't want to frighten the little fledgling." Said a feminine voice from the entryway of the room. Sakura shifted her eyes to observe two stunning women, one with long blond hair and a taller woman with cascading dark locks. The blond immediately narrowed her eyes upon Sakura's inquiry to which the girl immediately averted her stare.
"Rebecca, Vivian." A third voice emerged from the room's atrium. "I thought you two were out for a bite to eat?" Mai's sultry form walked past the two women and perched upon the armrest of Sakura's chair.
"We just returned, and low and behold the little childe is awake." The blond said with knitted brows. A snarl escaped from Mana in response. Mai merely clicked her tongue and stroked Sakura's soft pink hair.
"Careful with the insults, Rebecca," Mai warned with a smirk. "She is, after all, favored by Atem, as it was he who turned her." The two women balked.
"You lie! Besides, he prefers me! Are you blind?" Vivian protested. A hiss escaped the companion at her side.
"And why is it then that he ignores you? Clearly, I am the object of his affection!" Rebecca screeched. The two continued to argue as a loud creak of opening doors and subsequent slam filled Sakura's ears.
"He's returned!" The two bickering vampires cried in union as they quickly bolted from the room. An even lighter shade of pallor filled Sakura's face as her memory filled once again of the vampire with the haunting red eyes. Panic overtook her form and she squeezed her eyes shut in the hopes that this might all be some unfortunate dream that she could now awake from.
"Good evening, Pharaoh." The voices of both Rebecca and Vivian rang sweetly from the not so distant atrium of the manor. An indignant snarl was all they gained in response.
"Bakura! I was under the impression that you were to meet us. It was hardly as entertaining without you to provoke Weevil." The ominous voice of Atem barked in amusement. A chuckle followed.
"Well I was on my way to collect Mana as well, however, it seems your little friend has awakened. I couldn't very well leave her to only Mana to care for in your absence." Bakura smoothed. Only the sound of clicking footsteps against the marble floor followed as they made their way to the parlor to where Sakura had listened to the encounter. The kunoichi felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest and felt no comfort when she shifted her eyes to the previously bold Mai that now held only a nervous expression.
"Good evening, Atem." Mai said softly as she stood from the chair's armrest. Sakura froze as she now gained a clear view of the doorway.
She recognized him immediately, as his shocking and emblazoned red eyes met with hers. The kunoichi's body wanted to cower within the armchair but once again, as she had before the change, became frozen in his stare. His spiky multicolored hair was weighed down lightly, evident of the region's uncharacteristic rain that had soaked his long black jacket. The gorgeous specimen slowly stalked into the room and tilted his head ever so slightly as he studied the beautiful pink haired fledgling. Suddenly his stone-like face erupted into a sliver of a smile and he stopped before where she sat.
"Ahhh, little Abi." He rumbled appreciatively with a widening smirk that earned a giggle from Mana. "Finally awake I see. I hope you slept well?" He outstretched his hand in gesture to which she merely stared at before lifting her eyes back to his.
"No." She said in wonderment. He frowned at first but then chuckled richly as he glided his hands under her palms and led her to stand from the seat. Her legs trembled as if they were made of jelly and she fell into him, nearly gasping as she hit his rock solid chest. The powerful vampire's mouth curved into a teasing smile as he snaked an arm around her waist and gently lifted her chin with his free hand.
"You haven't fed yet."
"She had a little, I gave her what I had stored upstairs!" Mana piped in as she fluttered to Atem's side with a smile. The household master gave her a look of horror as he lifted his upper lip in disgust.
"You fed her stored blood? How revolting." He growled. Mana put her hands on her hips and glared toward him. Sakura blinked in confusion, while still repulsed by the idea of drinking blood, it had tasted quite spectacular.
"Oh it's fine you snob, and the poor thing was dying of thirst. What else could I do, hm?" Mana spat. Atem frowned guiltily and gently sat a stunned and confused Sakura into her chair. He ran a gentle hand through her hair and the hidden smile returned.
"I'll be back shortly with something far more suitable for you." He reassured.
"No way!" The male vampire growled as he turned back to Mana. "She's more than capable of attaining sustenance on her own and I will escort her!" She protested earning a deepened glare. "Besides, she gave me quite a run for my money when she tried to escape earlier." Atem turned his laughing eyes to Sakura who narrowed hers in response, feeling all the more brave by the moment.
"The little Abi is defiant, you say? Well, I would have never guessed that." His voice smoothed over her, laced with sarcasm. "Fine, but I'll take her myself."
"Atem." Said a voice from the doorway. Sakura turned to see a tall man with brown hair and a shorter blond standing beside him. "We really need to discuss Weevil and his clan's activities, tonight." Atem grumbled loudly and ground his teeth in annoyance.
"Or perhaps I'll just slaughter them all…" He sighed to himself. Sakura's eyes went wide as he paid her a simper just before turning back to the doorway. "As you see it fit Seto, I'm sure she'll be under good care?" The clan's master shifted his eyes to the short brown haired girl.
"What do you think!?" She asked indignantly as Atem winced. "She'll be much better taught to hunt from a female anyway, since her target is much differently sought then yours." Mana smirked. Atem snarled at her statement earning only a melodic laugh. "Oh don't worry, we'll behave." She winked.
A few minutes later Mana, Mai, and Sakura were traveling to the manor's exit. A strange feeling overcame her as she turned back into the home's atrium to see her sire's inviting form leaning against the stairwell watching them leave. His eyes steadied onto hers and with only a wink he sent a vibrating tremor throughout the her already overwhelmed body. As Sakura stepped with the two other women into the rain she heard a sudden snap and immediately beside them was Bakura with a wide brimmed umbrella. He turned a glittering and fanged smile to the kunoichi.
"Don't worry little one, this will be fun." His said, sounding quite ominous.
"What are you doing, Bakura?" Mana asked furiously.
"I'll be escorting you three, there's been some suspicious activity from Weevil's clan in the city." He explained.
"Atem seems to forget that I'm as old as he!" Mana grumbled as she angrily entered the sleek black car that awaited them. Sakura slid into the limo between the two women with Bakura seated lazily across from them. She turned her hunger starved eyes toward the dreary and water stained windows, sighing inwardly. She could only wonder how she would get out of this mess.
This is an updated chapter from the original version.
Please leave feedback in a review, it really motivates my continued writing here!
~El3