"Reinforce the restraints. We've seen how strong his father is, I don't want him getting loose."
Arystar tried to turn over, away from the rambling voices and found he couldn't move. "Uh…?"
"He's awake!"
Arystar was suddenly released from his paralysis and sat up on his bed, panting and looking around at his small empty room. "Just a dream…" He rubbed his head as he tried to shake the dream away. His eyes fell on a red band of skin across his wrist and he blinked. "…" He looked at it and then to the bed, "Must have hit it on the frame…"
---
"Dad, time for breakfast," Arystar couldn't help but smirk when he pushed open the door to his father's room to see the older Krory sprawled across the bed barely visible under the tangled covers. "Come on Dad, get up," he tugged the cover, a foot dropped off the edge of the bed. "Now I know where I get it from…" Another attempt sent an arm to the floor. "Fine, sleep in… Don't blame me if you go hungry," Arystar shook his head when his father moved only enough for the blanket to cover the fallen limbs. "Sleep well."
---
"Bored again…" Arystar sighed over another game of Chess. Occasionally one of the scientists would sit down for a game but it always ended quickly. He was getting tired of solo games as well. "I'm hungry," he decided to grab a between meal snack. "Hey Robert," he happened upon his friend wondering the halls as he munched on his snack.
"Hey. God it's boring today. No missions, nothing to do…"
"Yeah, at least you have missions," Arystar frowned before taking a bite of the apple he held.
"Mmm? What you munching?" Krory came down the hall, yawning and wiping his eyes sleepily.
"Apple, want some?" Arystar tilted the fruit toward his father.
"Smells good," Krory stole a bite before letting his son have it back.
"Jeez Dad! Eat the whole thing…" Arystar pouted at the suddenly half gone apple. "Just because you missed breakfast doesn't mean you can steal my food."
"You offered," Krory ruffled his hair before they all headed off down the hall.
"Still doesn't mean you can just eat the whole thing," Arystar bit down into the apple, they all froze when there was a crunching noise that had nothing to do with the apple. "…" When the apple was pulled away a large fang shaped tooth was sticking out of the red flesh. "HUH?!"
"Ut oh…" Krory paled.
"What the," Robert clamped a hand over his friend's mouth before he could say anything he would regret his father hearing. "It came out!"
"Yeah, we all see this… Why?"
"…" Arystar was still too mortified to do little else but gape at the apple, the hole the tooth had meant to occupy clearly visible. "Just, what the," Robert silenced him again.
"Well there is good news, it doesn't have a root," Krory was observing the missing tooth. "It seems I was wrong… You will be losing your teeth, it's a baby tooth," Krory held up the flat 'rootless' end of the tooth for them to see.
"Baby… tooth? Huh?!"
Robert started laughing, "Awe! Da widdle vampire is wosing his baby toofs!"
"This isn't funny!!!! Why the hell would I be losing them now?!"
Krory could only shrug.
---
"Komui!" Papers flew everywhere as the department head jolted awake, "Tell me you have an explanation for this?!" He blinked at the fang held out in front of him. "It fell out! And now my teeth are loose!"
"Oh my…" Komui blinked and shifted his glasses to see clearer. "It fell out?" He carefully took the very sharp tooth to look more closely, "There's no root…"
"Yeah, figured out it's a baby tooth," Arystar cringed when he ended up lisping a bit. "Why now? I'm too old to start losing teeth!"
"Well… Some people don't lose all theirs until they're 16, so that would explain losing a tooth but," Komui blinked up at the frowning boy.
"They're all loose! And I've never lost any before!"
"Can you show me them? I mean… all of them?"
"Like when Dad shows his?"
"Yes," Komui got up from his desk.
"Uh, I think so. I've never done that except for when Akuma were around or I was thirsty. I can try…" Arystar opened his mouth so Komui could see the gap and tightened the muscles in his jaw. He could feel the teeth sliding down; it was working. "Ugh!" Arystar gasped when three more teeth came out once they slid far enough to fall free of the gums. "Great…" He lisped out right now that he was missing his top incisors. "This is so not fair…" Komui was trying and failing not to laugh at the lisping vampire. "It's not funny!" Arystar pouted as Komui resorted to flopping into his chair or fear falling down he was laughing so hard.
"It is, I'm sorry but it is," Komui said unable to catch his breath.
"Ugh! Why me?!"
"Luck of the draw?" Komui offered
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Arystar was not amused.
"Well, if you don't feel like waiting until they fall out on their own I'm sure I could assist," Komui ducked behind his desk to present a set of pliers large enough to pull a T-Rex's teeth.
"No!" Arystar waved before covering his mouth. "I'm good," was heard behind the muffling hands.
"Then I guess you will have to wait for them to sort themselves out," Komui gave a kind smile, even with the giant pliers setting on his desk in arms reach.
"Yeah, I guess…"
---
"So we're just going to wait and see?" Robert flopped down on his bed when they got to his room.
Arystar nodded in answer at Robert's question. "This sucks."
"And you lost more, that's weird. The only time that happens is when you get hit and have loose teeth…"
"They just fell out when I showed them to Komui."
"I feel sorry for the tooth fairy," Arystar blinked at his friend. "You know; the tooth fairy? Leaves money under your pillow for your teeth."
"I know what it is. Please tell me you don't still believe in the tooth fairy!"
"Of course not! It was a joke! She'd probably try to pick one up and impale herself on it…"
"Take it from one who's had it happen, ouch," Arystar rolled his eyes. He groaned when he felt one of his teeth wobble when his tongue struck it. "Great, another one."
"I have to ask…" Robert held up one of the missing teeth, "Where do you hide the rest of this?"
Arystar cocked his head, "Huh?"
"I know you have pointed teeth but I've never seen them this long…"
"Oh. You can't see them fully; my gums hide most of it. That's probably the only reason I still have any teeth left…"
"Huh, that's so weird. Maybe you should let them fall out. If they're loose enough to fall out on their own maybe they'll grow back in quicker."
"Ugh. I'm going to lose them either way, but I'd like to keep the ones I have where they are."
"Suite yourself," Robert laid back to look at the fang. "Can I keep this?"
Arystar snorted, "What good is it going to do me?"
"Don't know, most parents want to keep their kid's baby teeth, just thought I'd ask."
"Yeah, I know Dad's a packrat but I doubt he wants my teeth. Keep it.
"Thanks," Robert turned the tooth over. "Maybe I can string a chain through it… It'd make a good keychain, don't you think?"
Arystar blinked and shook his head, "If you can do it go ahead, but don't go telling people where you got it from…"
"Don't worry, I get to be the only one with a real vampire's fang," Robert chuckled before dodging Arystar's swing and bolted out of the room.
"Get back here!" Arystar ran after him.
"Coming through!" Robert ducked between a laughing Lavi and Allen before diving down another corridor.
"Robert! When I catch you," Arystar flew past the two confused Exorcists to follow after.
"Lavi, isn't that the…" Allen paled as he saw where the boys were headed.
"Oh crap," Lavi was already after them.
---
Arystar was stopped at a crossroads, looking down two paths with no idea which way Robert had turned. There was a laugh, Arystar smirked and bolted left.
"Arkun!" Lavi called as he spotted Arystar turning another corner.
"Huh?" Arystar turned toward the echo and stumbled, slamming into an unbolted door and tumbling into a dust filled room. The door slammed shut behind him and he was left looking around a very dark room.
"Are you okay?" Arystar froze at the unknown voice. A childish laughter was heard, "It's alright; I'm not going to hurt you. It's been a long time since I've had a visitor…"
Arystar blinked around, barely able to make out the large furniture in the dark room. "Oof!" His legs slapped into something when he tried to step forward.
"Careful little vampire," the giggling again as a young girl suddenly appeared. Arystar backed into the door when she smiled up at him. "Hello."
"Gaaaah!" The door didn't stand a chance as Arystar rushed out of the room, slamming into Lavi and Allen when he made it to the hall.
"Ow!"
"Jeez Arkun, trying to kill us?"
"G-g-g-ghost!" Arystar pointed back to the room, Allen shook off the stars floating around his head to see the girl that stepped out of the dark smile at them.
"Oh God, not again!" Lavi scrambled to get up and grabbed his hammer.
"Don't fret Bookman, I was just saying hello to the young vampire. It seems he got lost and I was going to help him find his way back…"
"It's a ghost," Arystar was still too stunned by the fact to dwell on anything else.
The little girl laughed, "Yes, I am. If I see your friend I will send him back to you." There was a soft glowing before the child faded entirely.
"A ghost… an honest to God ghost?"
"Yes Arystar, there are ghosts here. Just try to make sure to stay away from THAT one…" Allen patted his should. "Should we find Robert or take her for her word?"
"Well, the science department made sure to destroy all of Komui's dangerous experiments after the incident so… He should be safe," Lavi didn't look entirely convinced by his logic.
"Robert is about to meet a ghost… No way in hell am I going to miss his reaction!" Arystar finally shook off his shock to look around. "Hey, any suggestions on where to look first?"
There was a child's laugh and Arystar smiled, he spotted a little girl duck behind a corner and he ran after. "Thanks Gigi."
Author's corner:
Soz, I had a gamer's moment... LOL. If you get the joke yay me! If not, oh well. As for the teeth, giggles. I had some random thought pop into my head and a friend said Yuuuuusssss! to 'Jr' losing his teeth. Well? What did you think?