SMST: Journey into Mystery! – By DS Wynne


Disclaimer: "SM", "R1/2", "ST" and other concepts belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story.


Part 9


Stella woke up, still thirsty. However, her sire, Usagi, sees this.

"Th-thirsty…"

"I know," Usagi says, as she goes over to sit by Stella's bedside. She then exposed her left wrist. "Here."

Stella sits up, and hesitantly takes Usagi's offered arm…

Usagi slightly grimaced, as Stella bit into her exposed skin. Although Usagi's bloodline was more potent, and although her body could regenerate new blood at a phenomenal rate, Stella's drinking directly from Usagi's veins still put a strain on her body.

"That's enough," Usagi says gently, yet forcefully.

Stella hesitantly ceases her consumption. On instinct, she licks the wound, sealing it in the process.

"How do you feel?" Usagi asked, as she removes her arm from view.

Stella looks out towards the window. She could literally feel the presence of the others, as they stalked for more prey. Worse, she felt some sort of primal urge to hunt inferior beings…and consume them.

"Stella?"

Stella turns to face her sire.

"It feels…strange," Stella says, as she gets up. "It's as if I am in some sort of drunken haze."

"That's the rush of drinking rich blood," Usagi says, as she looks out towards to window.

Stella nods her head in reply. She then realizes something.

"When did I get moved?" Stella says.

"I moved you a few hours ago," Usagi says. "I wanted us to be alone during the final phase of your transformation."

"Oh."

Stella notices a floor length mirror. She wondered what she looked like…

Usagi sensed her intentions.

"Stella, be careful-" Usagi warned.

Stella took a good look at her self. She appeared noticeably thinner…almost petite. She expected that she would get paler, but she noticed that her eye color was bluer than normal—almost translucent—and her blond hair had increased in length…almost floor length.

"My hair-!"

"I guess that's one of the side-effects," Usagi says, as she takes a strain of Stella's hair. "But I have to say that if you do cut it, it'll grow out to the length again within twenty-four hours."

"Hmmm," Stella says, as she felt her luscious locks of hair. "Well, I could get into the business selling my hair…"

"Heh, good one. Oh, and one more thing…"

Usagi brings out a tiny bag with a strong attached to it.

"What's that?"

"All vampires have weaknesses," Usagi says. "However, each clan has their own specific weakness. For one clan, it's the inability to see one's self in the mirror. For another, it's insanity. For some clans, the physical body is affected."

With a sigh, Usagi places the string and bag around Stella's neck.

"And what is this…?"

"Our weakness happens to be tied to the soil where we…'died'. When we regenerate, we do so in the soil of the land where we died. For you…it's here in Barrow."

"So, I presume that this little bag is soil from around here?" Stella asked.

"Yep. And when your blood gets potent enough, you will no longer need to where it."

"I see."

As Stella and Usagi stood in silence, their extraordinary senses picked up a disturbance outside.

"Stella-"

"I know, it's time," Stella says, as she ties up her hair in a more manageable form.

"Not just that," Usagi says. "The towns jaunt forward through time will be at an end, and you know what that means. Oh, and one more thing: just because YOU are a vampire now, that doesn't mean that you are safe. Victor Marlow and his breed ate antitibu…survival of the fittest, so be careful."

Stella sighs.

"I know, I know."

And with that, Stella opens the basement window, and crawls out and into the open.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Oleson makes sure that his ammunition was available.

"Now, I want you to keep this modified cell phone with you at all times," Ranma says, as he hands the Sheriff the phone.

"Why?"

"As long at the town continues to jump, we will be constantly out-of-synch."

"I see," Oleson says. "It'll be like falling out of a car while the car is moving."

"Right."

Oleson looks at the seemingly empty town…

"I'm ready to help my people…and my wife."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ranma says, as he takes his cell phone, and activates the right function…

FWOOSH!

Now, Oleson and Ranma find themselves…back in town.

"Whatever you did, nothing worked-" Oleson began, just as he sees so-called people jumping into the middle of the street.

"Guys-"

"Look," Ranma says, as he points out the fact that they were…vampires.

A middle-age man with a "crew-cut" hairstyle steps forward.

"I do not know what is going on," says the man with the thick Slavic accent. "But we tire of this cat-and-mouse game."

The man directs one of his minions to take down Oleson and Ranma. Oleson took aim-

BANG!

The impact slowed the vampire a bit, before convulsing in pain.

"Impossible!"

"I know of your kind, 'leech'," Ranma says with a smirk. "So don't be surprised if we happen to be prepared for you."

"Who…who are you?"

"Doesn't matter what MY name is…because all of you will be dead before too long."

And with that, all heck broke loose…

Meanwhile, Stella skulks about the alley, trying to get a sense of the area…

"Stella?"

Stella turns to see Wilson.

"W-Wilson? Is that you?"

Earlier, Wilson had gone after his father, when said father went crazy.

"Wilson, I'm glad that you are okay-" Stella says, as she was about to hug Wilson. Instead, she sees that he had been turned into a vampire. Unlike her, Wilson's vampirism made him into an animal."

"Stella…I need to feed…" Wilson says, as he slowly moves forward. "STELLA…"

Just as Wilson lunged, Stella's instincts caused her to form talons, as well as causing her to lash out.

SLASH!

Wilson's head rolls away, while a perplexed Stella looked at her hands. She was a monster now, whether she wants to admit it or not.

Meanwhile, Victor was standing alone, as Ranma and Oleson corners him.

"You're done," Oleson says, as he trains his weapon on the vampire. "And you will stand trial for what you have done."

"Me?" Victor smirks. "I've played this game for FAR too long. RRRRRRRR-!"

Oleson and Ranma watched as Victor increased his muscle mass, and became a hulk-like beast.

"Impossible!" Ranma yelled.

"Not for one taught in the art of 'Flesh Crafting'," Victor says in a guttural way.

Suddenly, Victor lashed out. As he extended his arm, his forearms and fist grew even bigger.

POW!

Ranma took the blow easy enough, but his phone was smashed in the process, causing him to be thrown out of the temporal wake.

BLIP!

Oleson watched in horror, as Ranma disappeared. He then returns his attention to the transformed Victor.

"You are alone, little man," Victor says, as he stomps forward. However-

"Ahhhhhh!" Stella screamed, as she jumps on the back of Victor's neck. She began clawing her way. Victor roared, as he tried to swat Stella off on his person.

"Stella?"

"Do something!" Stella yelled. "I don't know how long I can…hold on-!"

Oleson took aim. He only had one bullet left.

"Hold still, damn you!" Oleson says. And then-

BANG!

The bullet made from an anti-supernatural metal hits it target. Now lodged in his brain, the alloy caused an allergic reaction from within.

"Errrrr-ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

Victor's head began to bubble and boil, as he clawed his face.

"Stella, get over here!" Oleson yelled.

"Eben!" Stella yells, as she goes over to her ex-husband. Together, they see Victor's head explode.

POP!

As the remaining body falls, Oleson turns to Stella. He feels her face, and instinctively realized what Stella has become.

FWOOSH!

Ranma reappears.

"Is everything okay?" Ranma says.

"I am, but Stella-"

Ranma sees Stella…and smiles.

"She'll be okay," Ranma says.

"But…how-?"

"Later. Right now, we have people to help."

Oleson turns to Stella, who nods her reply.

Later, as the town returns to the correct temporal nexus, Ranma, Usagi, Oleson and Stella watch the Sun rise in the East.

"I guess I am going to die, now," Stella says.

Oleson turns to Ranma.

"How is she going to be okay, if she is going to die?" Oleson demanded.

"That's because she isn't," Ranma replied. He turns to Usagi.

"Usagi?"

Usagi breathed deeply before turning towards the couple.

"Stella is of MY bloodline…and of a higher generation. The Sun will not harm her."

Stella blinks her eyes.

"Really?" Stella asked.

"Take a look at the Sun…"

Sure enough, the Sun shines brightly over the horizon, bathing everyone in its glory…including Stella.

"How do you feel?" Oleson asked, as he held Stella.

Tears fell from Stella's eyes.

"I…I feel fine."

And with that, the two kissed, and hugged tightly.

"Well, alls well that ends well," Ranma says.

"Perhaps, but now we have to stay here for a little bit longer…another month, Ranma," Usagi says.

"How come?"

"Because of all the damage that those jerks did to the town, and we STILL have to do that assessment."

"Well, I don't know," says Ranma, as he wrapped his arm around his wife. "We can…always you this time for a nice…long vacation. And besides, we have the others that can manage out affairs a bit."

"And, as always, they'll end up in trouble," Usagi smirked.

Meanwhile…

"Wakey, wakey," says a gravely voice.

Usagi open her eyes, and yawns.

"Ah, what a party, last night," Usagi says, as she attempts to get up…only to be chained to a toilet bowl. She scans the area, and realizes that she was in some un-sanitized bathroom.

"I GOT to deal with my partying," Usagi mused. Usagi then cocks her head towards the camera. "And whoever YOU are, speak."

"You are Lady Usashinko Rantsu, a wealthy socialite from Japan," says the voice. "You are not living to your fullest potential. And now, you will be tested."

A panel is opened.

"You have been poisoned. The poison is on the wall. However, you only have one-hour to get it. You have choice. Observe the instrument on the ground…"

Usagi notices a hacksaw.

"Oh, I see where this is heading towards. You want me to appreciate life by testing my survival instincts."

"That is correct."

"Hmmm, no. I don't play other people's games. However, I can show a MUCH better game…"

Reaching into 'pocket space', Usagi pulls out…a 'Lermachand Box'.

"I'm tired of mortals playing god," Usagi says. "Humanity is supposed to move forward, not twist religion and philosophy for personal whim. And if that is what you want to do, stranger, then you shall have your game."

With that, Usagi looks around the building. Others were here, some even more nefarious than the person speaking to her. With a sigh, she tosses the puzzle box into the air. The facing quickly rotates and reconfigures before landing face up.

CLAK!

A melody begins to play…

"Now, we will see who will be tested," Usagi says, as her eyes suddenly go black, as her skin color turns into a pale blue.

Tbc.


Next time: It's "Hellraiser versus Saw versus Hostel"! See you next time!