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 10: Scary Shadows
Family: Ryou & Shou
Other Characters: Camula
Word Count: chapter: 1,138||story: 11,507
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's decision on where to search for the vampire came very simply. Vampires needed to stay in the dark. Only one place in the mansion came close to being dark on a regular basis. So, with the sun still riding high in the sky, he made his way down to the storage areas deep under the mansion. He held a flaming torch in one hand and a lantern in the other.
A tiny part of him wondered exactly how ridiculous he looked like this and if he should wait for Kenzan and the others to show up.
I'd like to, but I can't, he mused as he moved along. It's going to take them days to get here and who knows how many people the vampire could attack by then. It could even try to attack Ryou, and Shou wouldn't stand for that.
All right, Ryou had more experience than he did fighting off evil monsters, but Shou still wasn't going to let it try anything. For that matter, it might try to attack him, and he really wasn't going to let that happen.
So, taking every step with caution and keeping his attention turned toward dark corners, he proceeded on his search. He hoped he was right about the vampire being down here in the first place. If it had chosen some other place to nest, then he would be wasting his time.
He'd heard stories about vampires and other monsters before and how their lairs could have huge piles of treasure from centuries of hoarding. This monster hadn't been here long at all, so there wouldn't be anything like that there.
Not unless it brought some with it. Shou tried hard not to laugh at the thought and managed to stifle most of the giggles it brought up. He reminded himself that he was on a serious mission to protect everyone in the mansion and he should pay attention to what was going on around him instead of giggling at idiotic thoughts. The scolding didn't work nearly as well as he hoped it would.
Ahead of him, something rattled, a pebble racketing across the stone floor. All thoughts of humor vanished out of Shou's mind and he brought himself to attention, staring ahead. Lamp and torch caused shadows to flicker and bounce even as he froze where he was, slowly looking around for any signs of where the pebble had come from.
He saw nothing at all, only those shadows cast by the light he brought with them.
Shou cleared his throat and raised his shoulders higher. In the deep depths of his mind, he recalled that he hunted a creature that could be so much stronger than him, that could have decades or centuries of hunting prey behind it, and all he had was a single torch to defend himself.
Should I really be doing this?
Regardless, he was here, and it needed to be done. Bringing a pack of servants or anyone else would've only given the creature time to hide and strike again another day. There was the slim chance that it could be reasoned with, but he honestly didn't know. Better to be safe than sorry.
From the deepest darkness there spoke a voice, one that he didn't know if he heard with his ears or with his mind. The same part of him that reminded him that he'd come down here with nothing but a simple torch to defend himself said he knew this voice. Most of the rest of him ignored that. He didn't know any vampires.
"What do you down here?"
Shou swallowed. No one but him should be here in the first place, so if he heard a voice, then it had to be the vampire. "Are you a vampire?"
"That doesn't answer my question. Why are you here?"
"It does answer it. Because if you're a vampire, then that's why I'm here." Shou tried to move forward, wanting to bring a little light to the area, but not a single muscle of his body wanted to move. He could've been a statue for all that he could do anything.
"And what are you doing here if I'm not one?" It sounded almost as if whoever it was wanted to laugh at him. It wasn't a pleasant laugh if they did.
"You still shouldn't be here." Shou wrenched the words out of himself. "But who are you and why are you here?"
There wasn't a reply for a few moments. Shou thought the other had vanished when they spoke again. "I live here. This has been my home and my family's home for generations. I have as much right here as you do."
Shou would've shaken his head if he could. "No, you don't. There haven't been any vampires here ever."
"You would be wrong about that." Something flickered in the depths of the shadows. Shou tried to get a better look at it but to no avail. He didn't know if that was because he couldn't move at all or because there wasn't anything there to see properly. "What is it that you want with me?"
Even knowing that he couldn't move didn't stop Shou from trying to raise his head up in pride and determination. "I want you to stop attacking people!"
"I can't do that." The voice even sounded a little regretful. "It isn't -" The words choked off without warning, then picked up again. "It isn't possible."
"Why not?" Shou wondered if his ears were deceiving him. Did the monster sound upset about it? That – that couldn't be right? Could it?
Again silence reigned for a few worrisome seconds. "It is what I am. A vampire kills people. I have no more control over that than you do of killing for your food." A pause far too brief for Shou to fill. "And don't try to tell me that you don't. Whatever you eat, you kill, be it meat or plants."
But these are people! Shou wanted to say. That makes a difference! The words froze in his throat even as another movement registered. Something from the shadows, something in a shape that was written in the deepest parts of his mind as safe, as would never hurt me, as always there to help me, moved forward to where he could see it better.
Shou could see the face. He did not want to. Even if his head couldn't move, his entire body was a single screaming word of no. This couldn't be allowed. This wasn't right at all. It had to be a trick.
And the thing that wore his brother's face came closer, every movement as silent as Ryou's had become since his return, and cold fingers, the chill of death, brushed the side of Shou's face, and Shou knew nothing else.
To Be Continued