Twist of Fate
Chapter Six: Natsu
I always knew when the first of the month came around because that was literally the only day I was able to get clean (well, as clean as I could get).
I wasn't sure on the specifics, but the first of every month was something called "the Day of Rest" for vampires, though that was all I knew about it. On this day, I was able to get a 'shower,' which was essentially a bucket of ice-cold water with soap thrown in and a pair of somewhat clean short-pants-things that never fit exactly right, but, hey, at least they didn't smell like death.
I sat cross-legged on the floor as Yukino picked out the tangles from my hair that a month of not bathing and constant blood clots from hits across the top of my head always caused. It hurt, but not as bad as when she drank from me, and it at least made me feel somewhat human again, so I'd finally relented when she offered to help me out some months ago.
She used her claws to pull out the clumps of dried blood, which always took a good half an hour or more, then ran a spiky brush with metal combs through the locks to work out the remaining tangles.
My hair was getting pretty long, since I wouldn't let her anywhere near my head with a pair of scissors, so it was a tedious job. Occasionally, she would point this out in a not-so-subtle way of telling me I should have it cut, but I refused each time. She probably could have forced me to comply, but for some reason this vampire didn't hate my guts, which was odd.
"Alright," she said, sitting back and setting the brush on the floor beside her, which had pink locks tangled in the combs. "I think I got the majority of the tangles out."
"I think you pulled half my hair out along with the tangles," I noted dryly, raising an eyebrow at the brush.
"Maybe if it wasn't so long, I wouldn't have such a hard time getting the tangles out," she shot right back.
I couldn't help the amused snort I let out. There it is.
"Anyway," she continued, "hurry up and wash your hair out before Queen Minerva comes down to investigate."
"Isn't she occupied with this Day of Rest shit?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
She scowled and ignored my question, pushing to her feet and bringing the brush with her.
"I won't wait forever, you know," she warned.
"Really?" I asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because I was under the impression bloodsucking demons lived for eternity. So it looks to me like you have all the time in the world to wait around for me."
She turned a narrowed-eyed glare my way. "I do," she said, "but you do not have such luxuries."
That brought me up short.
I scowled and chose not to reply, instead dunking my whole head into the bucket of ice-cold soapy water she had brought for me, jagged fingernails scrubbing the long, pink locks until they felt almost clean. I let my nails scrape my scalp, too, because that was always caked in blood and dirt, then flung my head back, sending a spray of water at Yukino, who squeaked in surprise and jumped out of the way.
"Mongrel," she hissed at me, shaking out the water that now clung to her–very white–now see-through blouse, effectively revealing the white bra beneath. I couldn't have done a better job if I'd tried.
I smirked.
Catching my gaze, she quickly covered her chest with her arms and turned slightly away from me, a murderous glare now fixed on her face.
"That was terribly unkind," she seethed, voice taking on an irritated tone. I shrugged, and her glare deepened.
If looks could kill, I thought. The old adage brought an amused smile to my lips.
Yukino growled and flashed across the room, pinning me to the floor and knocking over the bucket of soapy water, which soaked through my new(ish) pants. Before I could react to this change of events, she had her teeth in my skin.
My cries were muffled by the hand she held over my mouth, purposely trying to keep me as quiet as possible which I always found strange. Was she not allowed to drink from me? Surely the Queen Demon herself could tell when another vampire bit me?
Then again, maybe not.
Yukino only drank from me enough to get a "snack," and not enough to make me pass out from blood loss.
She pulled back from my neck, then slid her tongue across the wound she'd made to seal it. It was always a strange sensation, feeling my skin seal. It didn't hurt exactly, but it didn't feel good. It was an uncomfortable sort of feeling.
The glare was gone when she pulled away from me, replaced with a look of contentment. I scowled at that, feeling disgust wash over me as I always did after being fed on.
"Thank you," she said, before turning and leaving the room without another word.
I grumbled under my breath about how fucking annoying women were, then pushed myself into a sitting position and scooted away from the puddle of water that covered the floor.
Ah well, I thought. That damn floor needs some soap anyway.
I ran a hand through my hair, which didn't get caught in tangles for once, and tried to right the haphazard locks. It was no use, I could tell; even without a mirror I knew my hair never really fell exactly as it should. Not that it mattered. It wasn't like I had anyone to impress.
Another good thing about the monthly Day of Rest was how damn quiet it became in here. I almost never got visits from any of the vamps besides Yukino, so it was almost like a day of rest for me, as well.
I stretched my arms as far as the chains would allow, feeling my bones crack as I worked out the tension in my stiff muscles. With a heavy yawn, I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes.
…
I awoke to searing pain flooding my body.
"Nng!" I tried to cry out, but there was a thick cloth stuffed in my mouth, muffling the scream. Someone was biting me, but they obviously weren't there with the intention to feed. I'd only experienced this sort of bite a handful of times these last three years, only when I really pissed off Minerva, but it was a pain even worse than an ordinary feeding, made worse, still, by the cloth that tasted of battery acid, stinging my nose and throat.
Nails dug into my scalp, but they weren't the long, claw-like nails that the women possessed, these were short and dull, though still managed to inflict pain as they gripped my skull with an undeniable force.
A male, I thought as the pain threatened to pull me back under, but no. That was what the cloth was for, and the disgusting taste—it would keep me from passing out.
I struggled against his hold, suddenly more afraid than I'd been since coming here. I couldn't see his face, so I had no idea who this person even was. All I knew was that this pain was too intense even for me, and I needed it to stop.
What the fuck is going on?! I wondered, as his fangs tore into my flesh again and again.
"Father!"
At the exclamation, my gaze shifted, albeit blearily, to the entrance of my cell—wait, no, this wasn't my cell. This room was different, darker and more cave-like. An eerie sense filled the air and I felt my blood turn cold.
Minerva stood in the doorway, fists clenched and body shaking with rage. Her scornful expression was enough to leave goosebumps on my skin, but my attacker merely pulled back, almost casually so, and fixed her with an equally terrifying glower.
"Minerva," the word was a hiss, and my blood dripped from his fangs, making me gag.
"You will call me by my proper title, Father," Minerva sneered, looking ever the terrifying ruler. "I am your Queen."
He scoffed, "You are a spoiled little brat that needs a good thrashing."
She flinched at that, the coldness in this man's voice rivaled that of Minerva's, which I didn't think was even possible.
"Why do you have a human pet inside these walls?" he demanded of her, then reached back and gripped a chunk of my hair, pulling me down to the floor and pressing my face against the hard rock.
"He's mine!" she seethed, looking like she might lunge for him, or maybe for me. "I found him, so he's mine to keep!"
"You know the rules, Minerva!" the man bellowed, the sound ricocheted off the walls of the cave and reverberated through my skull to the point where I swore my ears were bleeding.
Minerva winced, covering her ears and letting out a sharp hiss through her teeth.
"You are supposed to bend to my will!" she screeched at him. "This is my coven now—!"
"Your mother didn't know what she was doing when she appointed you as leader," the man sneered at her. "She was just as worthless as you. Women shouldn't rule! It's preposterous!"
"That's the way it has been for millennia, Father!" she argued, red eyes reflecting the rage she felt, the greens of her eyes completely consumed by them.
I tried to get away from her father—did demons even have fathers?—but all I managed to do was scrape my face on the sharp rocky floor. His hand didn't so much as budge as I struggled. I don't even think he noticed, the bastard.
"Things change."
I shuddered as the cold tone echoed throughout the room. Minerva looked taken aback, mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.
"Leave this piece of scum to me, Mini!"
Minerva growled, fists clenched so tight they pierced her palms. Blood trickled to the floor. I watched the drops fall as if in slow motion. One, two, three…
"I told you not to call me that!" she shrieked in rage, then lunged for her father.
He easily caught her by the throat with one hand, while still keeping a firm hand pressed against my face.
"Leave this place, Minerva!" he intoned, then tossed her across the room as if she weighed no more than a pillow. She crumpled to the floor near the door, cast a murderous glare my way, then ran from the room.
As soon as she was gone, the man plucked me up by my hair and dragged me across the room. I couldn't see where he was taking me, but I heard something like water dripping from a faucet. My blood ran cold. Nothing good could come of this.
I struggled harder, and actually managed to make him lose his grip on me for a moment. I dropped to the ground, knocking my chin painfully hard, then pushed to my feet and ran.
Or I tried to, but my body was so weak and tired that I barely made it to my feet before crashing back to the floor again.
It took all of five seconds for Minerva's evil father to catch hold of me again, this time wrapping a large hand around my too-skinny arm.
"You piece of shit, human!" he growled, stomping hard now as he made his way back toward the dripping water. "Let's see how you fare with a little bath—smells like you need one."
"Fuck you, asshole!" I tried to say, but the gag muffled my voice.
Despite my struggles, he managed to lift me easily with one arm, nearly breaking it in half as he pulled it roughly, then dropped me into a large pool of water. He held my face under the surface, and I could just make out his evil smirk through the rippling water above me.
I kicked and flailed uselessly, and tried desperately to hold my breath.
I can outlast this bastard! I won't give in! I can pull through this, I can…
But my thoughts grew hazy, and I sucked in a breath, my lungs immediately filling with water. It burned through me like a flame. I tried to fight against it, willing my body not to give in now, but the water was all around me, suffocating me, and I couldn't last much longer.
Suddenly, just as blackness started to blur my vision and my body started to grow heavy, rough hands pulled me from the water.
I was dropped onto the floor, but I was only vaguely aware of what was happening. I tried to open my mouth, to scream or yell or say something, but my mouth wouldn't respond. My brain wasn't connecting to my body like it should.
"...okay?" a voice was saying, though it was too distorted to really make out. A flash of white filled my vision but my eyes were hazy as though I were still peering through water.
"Is...dead?" asked another voice, this one male.
"I don't… so," came the first voice, female if I had to guess.
Finally, the gag was pulled from my mouth.
"Beat…. chest!" came the second voice, then something was knocking against my chest, hitting me. I instinctively wanted to flinch in pain, but my body was still frozen. Was I even breathing?
"Come on!" said the woman, still beating on my chest. "Breathe, asshole!"
A feeling of nausea suddenly swirled inside my stomach and I gagged, coughing up water and bile. Strong arms helped me to sit up, where I continued to expel water. I gasped for air, suddenly feeling more clear-headed, though still disoriented as fuck.
"Are you okay, Natsu?"
I turned my head to see Yukino staring at me with a worried expression. Behind her, a blonde-haired bastard I recognized as Sting with his brother, a black-haired bastard, stood with crossed arms, staring at me with mirrored blank expressions. They didn't look hostile, but they didn't look all that friendly, either.
"It's… a party," I managed to get out, before falling onto my back.
"Oh!" Yukino's face appeared over mine.
My vision was clouding over again, my breathing slowing considerably.
"I'm… fine… Yuki…" I gasped out, and then let the blackness pull me under.
… .
Cold.
Wind against my face.
Fresh air.
Shouts and cries of rage or terror or both.
The sensation of falling, or flying.
Pain—excruciating pain.
Solid ground—dark skies.
Cold fingers against my face.
A blonde-haired angel—blood-red eyes.
A whispered voice—a lilting melody to my ears.
Then, blackness.
A/N: Well, there you have it! Kind of a tease, I guess, sorry about that! But anyway, let me know what you guys think! You have all been so amazing these last five chapters, I am so unbelievably thrilled! We surpassed 100 followers this week, like, that is so amazing to me! I was hoping you would all love this story as much as I love writing it, but I never expected this kind of turnout in only a few chapters. And your reviews are all so fun to read! I love how invested you all seem to be, it's really encouraging! Thank you guys so much!
devo333100, Um, does that answer your question? XD
PersonaUserOrpheus3245, There is a lot of background plot on why Lucy is the way that she is, why she acts and reacts in certain ways. I spent a great deal of time coming up with her character background and figuring out the kind of person I needed her to be. Things that happened in her childhood and things that have happened since becoming a teenage Queen, all play a role in who she is today. Of course, she has many issues and she's not going to be the perfect Queen in only three years, but we will just have to see how she continues to learn and what mistakes she makes along the way. She may be a vampire, but even they're allowed their own trial and error.
Beta: Sleeping4tNight