My New Year's present to all my readers! Have a great year!
A/N: *sheepish* I know I said I was going to update "Surrender", but I'm already in the mindset of this story and there are oh so few chapters to go before its done so I wanted to finish this story first before I move on to my other story so I can focus on that one exclusively…to many complexities involved in "Surrender" so I need to keep my facts and characters straight. T__T
the girl in the mirrior: lol. Thanks. I'm glad you think so. I don't like cliché stories so I'm glad mine doesn't seem like one. XD
nekosoulreaper: You won't see Sai/Itachi in this chapter but they will be in the next! Oh, and you'll definitely see Kimimaro and Juugo in the next chapter...*tries not to spill the plot, XD* I'm glad you liked the pairing. I just recently got into the pairing, well more like thought they would make an awesome couple. XD
SouthParkfan2: Thanks for the review! Here's you're update. You won't see vampire Neji here, but he'll definitely appear in the next chapter.
Rokugatsu-Nin: Thanks for the review! Here's you're update.
UcHiHaHyUuGa: Thanks for the review! Here's you're update.
MizzDarknezz: I'm happy to say that Neji will be able to cope with the truth, he just needs some time. Kimimaro and Juugo were my last couple so there are only 3 couples in this fic. A much smaller number than my other stories XD The SasoXDei pairing isn't a main couple but they will appear periodically later on. Glad you like each couple's story, I try to make each unique b/c they are, at least in my head.
AnimeFreak4261: Here's you're update, please don't die…you won't find out the ending if you do T__T Itachi and Sai aren't in this chapter, but they will be in the next chapter.
leesoca: lol. Believe me you're not the only one liking the Sai and Itachi pairing. Though they don't appear in this chapter, but they will in the next.
Ramenbulldog: Thanks for the review!
Black-Sky-Loves-Me: You got your wish; this chapter is all about Neji's past. Thanks for the review and hope you enjoy the chapter.
Shogi: You know something's pretty bad when self-induced amnesia is put into play in order to cope. You weren't the only one surprised by the pairing, and I completely agree with you on the whole connections issue. I'm glad you got that from the chapter b/c that was my intention. As for Sai and Itachi, I can't believe how popular this pairing is. They're not in this chapter, but they will be in the next. I have many plans for Sai and Itachi. *evil grin* Happy Holidays to you as well. ^-^
dragonlilly1993: Thanks for the review! Here's you're update.
PlayfulSylph: hahah. You're not the only one in love with this pairing, but unfortunately they aren't in this chapter, but will be in the next.
Gaarahottie: *gushes* Thanks. I'm glad you like the way this fic is going. Hope you like this latest installment.
C.H.S..M.L: I hate to disappoint, but this chapter is not "happy" in the traditional sense. Hope you like it anyways though.
Kio: Thanks for the review! Here's you're update.
berni16: lol. No one actually guessed correctly when it came to this couple. But I'm glad you like the twist. XD …As for Neji and Gaara, their relationship isn't so neat and tidy, but they will eventually work things out. I have to admit I am a little harsh with Neji in this fic as penance for my other fics in which I've made Gaara suffer *sheepish* …and Itachi and Sai. I can't believe all the positive reviews I've received concerning them. I planned to make them an important addition to the story so I'm glad everyone seems to like them. I have many plans for them…*snickers* Don't even apologize for the long review. I love them! It makes me get my butt in gear.
-x-Deadly-Coincidence-x-: lol. But do get your work done! *blushes* Thanks. Its always refreshing to hear that my story is very much appreciated and leaving readers wanting more. I'm glad you like the unexpected twists, you'll be surprised by the ending, I can assure you. *zips mouth before she lets anything slip out* Hope you like my other fics if you read them. XD
Chaotic Darkness: hahaha! I do have to say that the cast is quiet…charming? Nah, they're damn Hot!!! I'm glad you like the fic, and here's your update. Hope you like it.
MaddyLovesL: hahahaha! Yeah, Neji is definitely uke in this fic. But you are right, he's too pretty to be seme, though I have made him seme in other fics. XD lol. You won't have to wait long, here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, no matter how much I want Gaara and Neji as my personal entourage.
The Minister's Son
Weeks passed and Neji remained a ghost of his former self. No longer did he gaze in open curiosity at the sights he had only ever read about in books. Nor did he snap back witty remarks at his vampire companion. Time passed and he barely said less than a dozen words to the other. He did this not out of spite, but simply because he had nothing to say to Gaara—at least not now. Not with his thoughts so jumbled as they were, but he had no one to blame but himself. He knew the vampire had only spoken the truth, however harsh it might have come out, it was still the truth.
Neji was a never human as he believed all these years. He knew that not. But he wasn't a vampire either.
If not human or vampire, then what exactly was he?
This was the question that plagued his mind since his breakdown, and the reason why he remained silent. How could he move on when he didn't even know who he was? But even with his mind in such turmoil, he did know one thing for certain.
His parents.
His beloved father, human as he was, and his lovely mother; a vampire.
Gaara had been right, he could accept the fact that his mother was a vampire, but it was a different story altogether when it applied to him. He loved his mother, no matter whom or what she was, in the end she was still his mother. Kind, gentle, and full of many stories to appease any young boy who dreamed of the world beyond; she had been half his world, the other half had been his father. He loved them. He did. But himself…
"Gaara," the brunette called softly, for the first time breaking the silence between them.
They were near a gorge, the moonlight spilling over them as they traveled through the night, but Neji was far too focused on his current thoughts to pay any attention to their surroundings.
The vampire immediately turned around at the unexpected call from his mate a bit of surprise coating his features. "Neji?" he questioned, his eyes scanning his lithe form, heart almost stilling as he waited for him to continue.
"I…never meant hurt you," his voice floated in the moonlight, pearl-like eyes boring into the ground, unable to look at his companion. His hair cascaded forward; brushing pale hands fisted at his sides, each shaking from suppressed emotions. "I just wanted to be normal. Please understand," he whispered, breaking Gaara's heart with each word.
"It's okay Neji." Gaara rushed to his side, capturing him in a loving embrace. "You don't have to explain yourself to me," his voice thick with emotions too hard to swallow. "I never meant to hurt you, I'm sorry that I did. Please forgive me," he begged, running his hands through those soft locks.
"You're wrong," Neji murmured. "I owe you at least an explanation if not more."
Gaara could literally feel shards of glass piercing his heart with every word Neji spoke. How could Neji apologize to him when it was his own harsh words that had lead him to so much suffering. He felt disgusted with himself. If anything he should be the one apologizing—he had on many occasions, but Neji had been too numb to notice, and now for some reason, his mate asked for his forgiveness. It was intoerable.
"Neji, love. Please don't apologize."
Neji pulled back from the embrace, placing a single finger on the vampire's mouth.
"Please let me get this out…I need to."
How could Gaara refuse him? It was a simple request to grant, no matter how much it might pain him, so reluctantly he nodded in acceptance.
Neji smiled an angelic smile that Gaara felt he hardly deserved but adored nonetheless. Then Neji did something unexpected—he leaned back into the embrace, tugging Gaara's arms around himself, needing him to hold him. A need Gaara was more than happy to fulfill as he wrapped his arms around his mate, holding him close.
"As you know," he began, lips almost brushing the vampire's ear as his lilting voice told the tale of his parents.
"My mother was a vampire. My father, Hizashi, met her when he was a young man in a distant land. He was the second son of the minister so it was not his duty to take over the cathedral. I suppose it was for the best since he felt no real pull to the church. My uncle always told me he was an explorer at heart…he went abroad. For years he explored the world until he came across my mother. She had never known her mate, but knew he was dead; at least that's what she told my father. She was like a wraith in the world, living merely for the sake of living with no real goals or pursuits…she was lonely." Neji felt a chill run down his spine, remembering Gaara's words all too clearly. He wondered if the man holding him so gently had experienced the same loneliness as his beloved mother.
He hoped not.
Gaara felt the skin beneath his hands grow suddenly cold and drew his mate closer, sharing his body heat with him. Neji did not protest, and instead nestled his head into Gaara's shoulder needing this simple comfort, if only for a moment.
"She approached him not for food, but conversation. They became fast friends and friendship eventually turned into something more."
Neji stopped for a moment, unsure how to say the next part, but knowing he had to. He brought his head up and peered into his mate's eyes asking for understanding. "She gave him her blood. It was taboo, but she ignored it. She wanted him to be with her always. He was not her mate, but he didn't have to be. He gave her more love than she had ever thought she would ever receive in this lifetime…I like to think that she loved him, as much as she knew how to," thick knots of emotion clogged his throat making it hard to go on. "They were together for two years before I was born. My father had ingested enough of her blood to make him into something altogether different, not vampire for he was still human just different. His blood had enough vampire blood to allow her to conceive. After my birth, my father asked her to return with him to his home. He wanted to share his joy with his family. My grandfather had already died by that time, so my uncle was the last of his family. For a long time, she refused but eventually conceded. I don't know how he convinced her, but one night they arrived at my uncle's home with me in tow. He had told no one about his return or my existence, so you can imagine my uncle's surprise. My father told his twin brother everything and presented me to him. I was only four years old at the time, but I can remember clearly the pride shining in his eyes when he first presented me to my uncle, but his twin did not approve. He was appalled. I remember some of the words exchanged between them that day, I didn't understand them then, but now…" he trailed off.
"It's okay," Gaara whispered in his ear, kissing the top of his head, offering what little comfort he could. Neji appreciated his efforts. "I didn't know of my heritage at that time. My parents kept me in the dark afraid I was too young to understand the complexity of it all. So, I didn't understand their words, but their emotions were clear even to a child. Eventually, their argument escalated to the point where my uncle threw my father out…it would be the last time my uncle ever saw my father alive again." His voice hitched momentarily, unable to hide the anguish that accompanied the next part of the story.
"It is taboo for a vampire to share their own blood with a human, even more damning to have an intimate relationship with a human for more than carnal pleasure. It was the role of one's mate to hold such a position. But those that passed judgment on my mother without even meeting her could not have known her mate was long dead. She knew it because she felt it. It was like an empty hole in her heart that could never be filled. That's how she explained it to my father at least. She was condemned for her crime and sentenced to death along with my father. The same sentence would have been placed on me if they had known of my existence, but my parents had made sure that no one outside my uncle and our nanny knew I existed." He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath as he tried to collect himself for the next part. "The assassins came just before dawn and broke into the inn my parents were staying at for the day. We were going to leave the city that night, but it was too late," his voice hitched as he desperately tried to blink back the tears threatening to fall down his face as he remembered that day. It was the worst day of his life. "My mother," he gulped, a large knot in his throat making it difficult to speak. "She tried to fight them off, tried to protect my father, but she was no match for them…they killed her."
Tears fell freely now, the memories still too raw. "My mother died to protect him, but in the end they killed him anyways and left his body strewn across the cathedral steps for all to see. I was in the adjoining room with my nanny and had heard everything through the thin walls. I remember my father's yells my mother's cry of mercy…the terrible sounds that accompanied their dying screams. I was terrified, and when one of the creatures entered my room I thought I would be next. I was huddled in my nanny's arms, afraid of the boogeyman before us. He was smeared with blood, my parents blood no doubt. The man did not linger long, he did not know of my existence so in his eyes, I was merely another human amongst many. After the incident, my nanny brought me to my Uncle's home knowing of no other relative that could possibly claim me. That's when my Uncle adopted me as his own son. It wasn't until years later when I was older that my uncle told me of my heritage." Neji clutched Gaara's shoulder with shaking hands, and fixed tear-filled eyes on his mate, begging for forgiveness. "You have to understand, I had been raised as the eldest son to the minister, trained to take over the church. I spent years pouring over the scriptures, committing every word to memory, so when he told me I was the very demons my faith preached against I was in shock, and the thought of sharing anything with those creatures that killed my parents so brutally while I lay in terror in the next room revolted me and drove me over the edge."
Neji stopped, he couldn't go on anymore. The weight of his sin was too heavy for any to bear; he had committed the ultimate sin that night. "Neji," was all Gaara managed to say, feeling the pure unfiltered agony his mate was experiencing through their bond. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone," he chocked out as wave after wave of grief poured out of his mate.
"I forgot. I made myself forget. I couldn't possibly live with such knowledge. I erased everything from my mind except the identity of my parents and their murderers. I knew my mother's was a vampire, and I knew my parents had been killed by vampires, but it was not from personal experience that I remembered, but from my uncle's words."
That was it. He had said what he needed to say, and now that he had gotten the words out, Neji allowed himself to mourn his parents properly. The emotions he had kept at bay since he began his tale broke through enveloping him in anguish and sorrow. He wept into Gaara's chest, his shoulders shacking from the force of his sobs as he cried his heart out, pouring all his sorrows into his cries while his mate held onto him. Holding him tightly, whispering words of comfort, promising his unconditional love and devotion. All the while, a motherly figure in the sky watched over them, her beams bathing them in its ethereal glow creating a space for their sorrow.
x x x x x x
A grim faced Weapon walked on swift legs into a large chamber where the Elders were waiting for his report.
"Tell us of your progress," the Raikage asked him once the Weapon paid his respects.
"We have tracked the course the Sand Prince is taking and have determined his final destination," the Weapon reported to the Council of Elders.
"What is the location?" the Mizukage asked.
The Weapon looked up. "He is coming here."
…
His words were met with silence.
With nothing else to report, the Elders dismissed the Weapon, who bowed in respect before taking his leave.
The Elders remained silent as they digested the meaning of his words.
"He is coming here no doubt to finish what he started 300 years ago," the Kazekage was the first to speak up. "He aims to kill the Council."
"We don't know that!" the Hokage stepped in, glaring at the Kazekage.
"He tried it once, what makes you think he won't try it again," the Kazekage accused, determined to speak his piece. "We cannot take the risk of repeating the mistake of the past. You are all aware of the chaos he caused 300 years ago. We need to stop that demon now before he is allowed a second chance."
This time, no protests met his words. They all knew the travesty that had almost befallen them the last time they had met the Sand Prince. They could not allow such a thing to happen again. Their plan of action was clear. They needed to stop the Sand Prince before he reached their fortress. The Council deported two teams to track and kill the Sand Prince and his mate and kept the rest of their Weapons nearby in case the demon arrived.
x x x x x x
Days passed and Neji slowly recovered from his emotional breakdown, he had purged himself of those festering wounds and now he was stronger because of it.
"We're here," Gaara said, placing Neji back on firm ground. He doubted their movements weren't being tracked by the dogs of the Council, the Weapons would surely be on their trail. So, Gaara deemed it necessary to use his full speed to lose track of them, which meant he had to carry Neji every night, since the young Hyuuga had yet to display any enhancements in speed, depth perception or strength. Even after Gaara had awoken his dormant vampire side, Neji remained essentially human. With time, his mate would slowly begin to display his powers, but for now only a traumatic episode could jerk his powers awake, something Gaara did not even want to contemplate. Besides, it gave him a legitimate excuse to have Neji in his arms every night.
Neji nodded at his words and held onto the other for a moment as he planted his feet back on firm ground. Pale lavender eyes looked around the normal looking place, trying to figure out where exactly they had arrived. They were near a mountainside but still in the woods with nothing to distinguish the place Gaara was talking about. They had traveled for weeks to get here so Neji had assumed they were heading for a city or at least a noteworthy place—not the middle of nowhere.
Gaara stepped away from is mate and walked toward the nearby mountainside. Neji followed his movements and watched as the vampire approached a dense underbrush that decorated the side of the large mountainside. The red-head pushed through thick vines and disappeared behind a wall of overgrown foliage, leaving him behind.
"I'll be back soon," he heard from the distance before a quiet scraping of rock was heard and then nothing.
Minutes passed and Neji stayed in place wondering where Gaara had gone. The thick vines crisscrossing across the mountainside didn't exactly leave much room for exploration, but Gaara seemed to have vanished somewhere behind the thick foliage. He dare not look for him using other senses; he still wasn't ready to explore that part of himself. So he was left to drown in worry as the minutes passed and Gaara did not re-emerge. Neji trained his eyes on the underbrush, waiting for the slightest indication of Gaara's return. He knew the vampire would never leave him; a thought that brought comfort and relief, when only a few weeks ago the same notion would have elicited a completely different feeling in him altogether—dread.
But that was then.
He was a different person from the naïve child he had been just a few weeks ago, however cliché it might sound. His views had drastically changed in the short time, but at the moment that was not what held his attention. "Where is he?" he thought to himself, waiting just beyond the place Gaara had left him, but to his relief Gaara re-emerged from the darkness twenty minutes later. "It's safe," he announced as he motioned toward the spot he had just returned from, silently asking Neji to follow him.
Neji nodded and followed Gaara through the thick foliage until they reached the rocky mountain side. It was then that he noticed the vampire had lengthened one finger into a long and sharp talon. Before Neji could question him, the talon flicked across a pale hand, slitting the skin.
"What are you doing?!" Outrage and concern laced his words as the Hyuuga moved forward to stop the vampire from harming himself again.
Gaara almost chuckled at the misplaced concern. He could withstand impalement and still have enough power to fight a team of Weapons, a small slit would not hurt him. But Neji's concern was endearing so he only smiled back at his mate.
"Blood is needed to open the door," he explained, brushing the bloody talon down the stone and writing ancient words of power into the bedrock. The rock seemed to absorb the blood until not a drop was left. Moments passed, and out of nowhere the indentation of a door began to form on the bedrock. "I was taught many things when I was young," he explained as the door fully materialized and slid open automatically, creating a low scraping sound much like the one Neji had heard before.
"Come," Gaara murmured. "I will show you to your chamber," he told his mate as they entered what appeared to be a long corridor.
"Are we inside the mountain?" Neji asked in awe, forgetting his earlier thoughts as he entered the cave-like setting with awestruck eyes, his face shifting from side to side as he tried to take in the new surroundings.
"We are," he answered. "I made this dwelling three hundred years ago," a hint of reminiscence entered his tone as he recalled the events that had prompted him to create such a place. "It was supposed to be my personal sanctuary," his voice echoed in the enclosed space, his mind returning to that time in his life. All the blood, the screams, the hate. Everything his fault. Always his fault.
"Gaara?" Neji questioned, drawing closer to the vampire, seeing that far away look filled with so much sorrow.
Gaara blinked, his thoughts vanishing as easily as they had come. He turned to his mate noticing the concern, but said nothing further on the subject.
"This place is now yours, my gift to you," he told him, firmly entrenching his mind back on the present—on his mate.
"But why? I don't understand?" His arm swept through the air taking in their current surroundings. "What do you mean, mine? Why do I need such a gift?" He was tired of having so many questions with no answers, especially when he knew Gaara held most of those answers, yet deliberately kept them from him. "Why are we here? Where are we going? Why are their vampires after us? Why did they call you the 'Sand Prince'?" I know you know," he advanced on the other, determined to finally get some answers. "Tell me."
This was not going how he first imagined. The vampire remained in place as his mate advanced on him, fire in his eyes. But what could he tell him? He didn't want to worry Neji, let alone scare him. What would he say if he told him they were being tracked by trained assassins who even now were fast on their trail? Or that he planned to enter their most protected territory to end it all. What would Neji say about such a plan?
He'd be against it. But it was the only way to keep his mate safe; to give them a future.
He wasn't stupid. He knew their existence would never be tolerated. They would be hunted down for eternity as long as the Elders thought they were alive. In their eyes, they were a mistake; a mistake that needed to be eradicated.
If he had been alone as he had been all those years ago, Gaara might have even obliged them, but not now. Not when he had just found his mate. He would kill them all before he let anyone lay a finger on his beloved. Of that he was certain.
Gaara pointedly stared at his mate. "Neji I love you."
Of all the things Neji had expected to hear Gaara say, this was not it. Lavender eyes widen in shock, his brain too stunned to conjure up a response.
"You are my mate. I've waited for you for centuries, and I will not let them take you away from me. You want answers, but are you sure you can handle them?"
Neji gulped, but nodded nonetheless.
Gaara sighed, his eyes straying to the ground. Why did his resolve fall to pieces in front of his mate?
He held out his hand to his mate. "Come. I will show you to your chamber. I will tell you what you want to know there."
Neji took his hand and Gaara led him to a large open room. The room contained a large bed with a set of drawers and a small closet, but he barely glanced at the rest of the decorations, his mind firmly set on the vampire before him. He would get his answers.
Gaara led him to the edge of the bed and the two sat down.
"You want to know what I'm planning, do you not?"
Neji nodded, keeping his eyes on his mate.
Gaara took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling as he tried to think of the best way to put it.
"The same people that ordered your parent's death have now ordered our own," serious eyes caught Neji's own and the brunette's heart began to pound faster at the revelation, but he kept Gaara's gaze. The vampire went on. "You must know what that means. The assassins that killed your parents are now after us. They are called Weapons and are some of the strongest vampires in the world. They aim to kill you, and probably imprison me."
"But why? We've done nothing wrong?"
Gaara cupped his mate's cheek with one hand, running his thumb over the soft skin. "We exist," he said. "That is enough for them." Gaara stared at his mate with pained eyes. "What your mother did…it was taboo, and so they killed her and your father because of it. But you, your existence is an abomination to them. To conceive a child from a human is not supposed to be possible. You are proof that it is. You are proof that our two species can interbreed. Can you imagine what would happen if this information where to spread? How could vampires justify their superiority over humans if such a thing were true? How could they treat them as nothing but cattle or pets if they knew such a thing? Don't you see, it would change our world forever."
Neji was speechless. What response could he give to such information?
"And me," he trailed off, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. "My existence is no more tolerable than yours. They would kill me if they could, but instead they would settle for keeping me imprisoned for all eternity."
"But why? What—who are you?"
"I am my father's creation. A demon…but that's not what you really want to know is it. You want to know what I plan to do about it, don't you?" he asked, easily switching subjects. He was not ready to tell his mate about his own terrible past yet. He was sure Neji would never look at him the same if he knew the truth.
"I plan to go to the Council and end this game of cat and mouse."
"What!? You can't! You'll be killed, we both will!"
Gaara smiled down at his mate. "I don't plan on letting anything happen to you Neji. This is my sanctuary--yours now. Created by my own powers. No one can touch you here."
With those words, realization dawned on him. Gaara wasn't planning on taking him with him.
Neji immediately jumped up and stepped away from his mate.
"I'm coming with you! Don't you dare try to leave me behind," he growled. How could Gaara even contemplate such a thing! Neji couldn't just stay behind when Gaara walked to his own death. He wouldn't allow it. They were in this together. Life or death, they would be together.
Gaara lifted his eyes toward his mate, regret creeping through. "I'm sorry Neji, but I just can't let you," and before his mate could register his words, Gaara invaded his mind. Using their bond to take control of Neji's body and before Neji knew what had happened Gaara commanded him to sleep, and so he did.
Gaara caught him before his lithe form hit the floor and placed him on the bed. He stayed there for a few minutes caressing that lovely face, running his hands through those soft locks as he memorized the feel of him at that moment in time. He pressed his lips to Neji's in a last lingering kiss as he left his mate behind ready to face the demons of his past, and give them a future.
x x x x x x
"I want my son back now!" the minister stated, anger in his eyes. Neji had been gone for more than two months now and still he heard no word from the devilish creatures. He could no longer sit back and wait for them, which was why he had decided to contact the fowl creatures directly.
He had made a promise on his brother's grave that he would protect Neji from those demons of Hell, and yet had allowed this to happen. He was so wrought with worry that if it meant getting his son back, then he was willing to seek the help of these demons.
"Do not worry, you will soon have your son back," the Kazekage responded. "I can promise you that."
Next chapter:
It's the beginning of the end. The Kazekage has finally entered the stage, and oh does he have plans for Gaara and Neji.
Traumatic episode anyone? … Neji's power's are awakened and for the first time he is able to fight the Weapons on equal grounds.
But aside from that, Neji comes face to face with Gaara's father in the next chapter, but what will the Kazekage do?
As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. XD
