Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Title: Of the Darkness: Chapter 3: Viscious Voice
Family: Ryou & Shou
Other Characters: Camula
Word Count: chapter: 1,269||story: 3,490
Genre: Family, Supernatural||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge, section J, #006, multi-chapter with 15-25 chapters; Written for the One Sibling Boot Camp, prompt #50, shade Notes: It's an AU. It involves vampires.
Summary: Shou invites his brother in after Ryou returns from a long trip away. That is his first mistake. It only gets worse from there.


Shou nibbled on the food the servants had brought him, casting quick glances every few moments to the corridor that led to Ryou's personal room. There'd been some kind of noise down that way just a little while earlier, but he hadn't been able to tell what it was, and he didn't really want to interrupt Ryou while he was eating. Whatever had happened on his trip, he needed rest to get himself back into condition.

I wonder if he'll tell me what happened. The trip had been an important one; it would've had to be in order for Ryou to go out with such a huge storm threatening. Shou hadn't been certain that anyone should go at all, but Ryou insisted, and he was the head of the family.

At least what family they had left. Just the two of them didn't make up a very big family.

At any rate, Ryou had gone out, and Shou waited for him to come back, and the storm came, the rain fell, and it fell, and it hadn't stopped falling, and for all Shou could tell it might never stop. He wished that they had some kind of a weather mage who could give them something that resembled hope. But their lands weren't what they used to be.

That was one of the reasons Ryou had gone out in the first place. One of the few villages that still held a strong loyalty to the mansion and the Marufujis within it sent word that some kind of monster preyed on their people and livestock. Ryou, always a strong warrior, wanted to see if he could find any trace of it.

I doubt if he saw so much as a footprint. Not in weather like this. Only Ryou could say for certain and until he recovered from his drenching, he wouldn't say anything at all.

"Shou."

One startled squeak and a tray of food scattered over the floor later, Shou wrenched around to stare at the corridor and his much dryer brother. "Where did … how did you do that?" Shou knew that Ryou had always been soft-footed, but he'd not heard so much as a step.

Ryou only looked at him, one eyebrow rising in that way that he had, and moved over to him. "The storm should end soon."

"Huh?" Shou blinked and shook his head, trying to get his thoughts put into order. "What? How do you know?" Not even the greatest weather mage could've guessed that. One might be able to tell if it would end in a week or so but 'soon'?

Even when Ryou stepped on the flagstones, he made no sound at all. The more Shou considered it, the stranger it was. "That doesn't matter. I want to send someone to bring a few friends to visit. We haven't had company in a long time."

Shou blinked even more. That wasn't even close to the conversation that he'd thought they would be having. "Big brother, what did you find out down below? Are the villagers all right? Did you find out anything about the monster?"

"It wasn't anything for them to worry about," Ryou replied, not looking at Shou. His attention seemed focused elsewhere entirely, but Shou couldn't guess on what. There didn't seem to be anything else for him to look at except the crackling fire. "What do you think? Would you like your friend Kenzan to come for a while?"

Shou rubbed the back of his head, trying to work out what was going on in his brother's mind. "I guess." He'd received a letter from Kenzan just a month earlier, telling all about his experiences in the southern part of the kingdom, and mentioning an attractive young lady he'd met as well. "Why, though? I mean, you don't really go out of your way to invite people."

"I already said that it's been too long since we had company," Ryou pointed out in a maddeningly calm voice. Shou nodded with a bit of reluctance. Just because that was true didn't mean his worries eased. Ryou wasn't ever this detached from things. While he could be – and usually was – aloof and with his mind on more important matters than visiting friends, this just struck a wrong chord deep within Shou.

Maybe they can help me figure it out? Fubuki and Yuusuke had known Ryou since the three were young children, all of them fostering for a few years together. If anyone would be able to tell if something was wrong with Ryou, then it would be them.

"You're right," Shou finally said, when his brother tilted his head toward him in expectation of an answer. "I'll write a letter to Kenzan."

He was a little tempted to try for another friend as well, Prince Juudai himself. The prince knew all manner of strange magics and unusual creatures, not to mention that his guardian was one of those unusual creatures.

No. This isn't important enough to tell him about. Besides, there wasn't any way their mansion was suitable for the prince to stay for more than a single night, and that only in dire circumstances.

He started to get up; if the weather really was going to clear up soon, then he wanted to have the letter ready as soon as possible. He stopped before leaving the room, though, another thought tugging on his mind.

"I heard some noise coming from your room before. Is everything all right?" Sometimes some of the servants tried to take liberties, giving orders to the two young men. Shou usually didn't mind himself, but Ryou could be difficult on occasion. If that was all it was, he still wanted to know.

Ryou glanced toward him and for a single moment, Shou thought that his eyes, normally a cool shade of blue-green much like his hair, gleamed brilliant scarlet. He took a quick, unsteady step back, stifling the fear in his throat.

"Of course it is. I was only having something to eat." He glanced away and Shou swallowed, forcing the fear that still choked him back down.

That was all it was. Ryou having his dinner. One of the servants would have to pick the tray up later. There wasn't anything at all to worry about.

Shou told himself that over and over, even as he nodded and hurried down the corridor to his room, and deep in the thudding depths of his heart, he realized that for the first time in his life, he was very glad that his room and Ryou's were at least two corridors away from one another.


There wasn't any denying it this time. Someone else was there, even if Ryou couldn't see who it was. The laughter in his mind rang too clear and with a shadow of dark amusement that he would never feel.

Who are you? He wanted to speak the words out loud, but it was as if a hand lay against his throat, keeping him from doing so. What do you want?

You don't remember me, my little doll. It was a woman's voice, one that sent chills all through him as nothing in his life ever had. I haven't wanted you to.

As before, he could feel fingers tracing through his hair. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the touch.

Relax yourself, precious one. We have much to take care of before you're ready to join me. I so look forward to seeing you in your full glory.

Who are you? he demanded once again, and her laugh echoed all through him.

Camula.

To Be Continued