A Warning From the Mouth of Dogs

Shizuru's jaw hung slack, she couldn't even process what she had just heard. The last she knew, they were fine, and now this. Something's going on here, either she's found someone else or she thinks she needs to stay away from me for some reason. But why would she think that? I need to get to the bottom of this. She started to leave but came to a startling realization, I don't know where she lives.

She pulled out a laptop she had bought, but couldn't figure out how to turn it on. Dammit, why does technology have to be so difficult. She fell to her second resource, the phone book. Unlisted, dammit Natsuki why are you so hard to find. A thought occurred and she rummaged through a drawer before pulling out a small business card, 'Natsuki M. Kruger, Texas Custom Bikes' and an address for the place. Great, now I just need to get someone to ask around during the day.

She made her way to Pantomime, looking to ask Chie for help. She noticed Takeda Masashi at the bar who saved her a lot of trouble. "Hey, you're Natsuki's girlfriend? Shizuru, right?"

Shizuru approached him, "Yes, can you tell me where Natsuki lives? I need to speak to her."

"Yeah, she lives in some shitty apartment on the east side." Takeda told her where it was, "I called her earlier to ask if she wanted to come here but she said no and sounded kinda scared. She's been in the shit before but I've never heard her freak out like this. Whatever can scare that woman is something I wouldn't want to fuck with."

"I can handle anything, it's Natsuki getting hurt that I'm afraid of." She thanked Takeda for the information and ran immediately for Natsuki's apartment. When she arrived she ran up to Natsuki's door but paused. What if she's with another woman in there? I don't think I can take that.'

She knocked and Natsuki's voice came from the other side, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Natsuki, can we talk?"

Natsuki's voice sounded anxious, "You shouldn't be here, Shizuru."

Shizuru sounded resolved, "Natsuki, if you're with someone in there just say so."

Natsuki started to protest when Shizuru felt herself burning, she screamed and fell to the floor. She heard a voice behind her, "Shizuru Viola, we've been searching for you. Take her." The burning stopped and she felt herself being chained and dragged away.

-TOM-

From the other side of the door Natsuki heard Shizuru scream and unbolted the door. By the time she got it open they were already gone, taking Shizuru with them. Dammit Shizuru, why didn't you stay away. She ran to her bedroom closet, where she had recently found Duran bound and gagged, and grabbed her pistol out of the drawer she kept it in. 'I don't know where to start, but I'm going to find you.'

She reached the door just when another woman did, "Are you Natsuki Kruger?" Natsuki nodded, "Come on, we need to hurry." She pulled Natsuki outside and to a waiting car, "I've been tailing Shizuru for a day, now, and I noticed her tracker moving erratically. I followed her here and now the tracker is heading downtown."

Natsuki had her pistol out and ready, "He said they were Knights Templar, and that they wanted to kill her."

Miyu's eyes widened, "He said that? Well the Knights Templar are tasked with hunting down evil and she is a vampire."

Natsuki didn't hide her surprise, "Did she tell you?"

Miyu shook her head, "I saw her fight a few men who thought they could have their way with her."

They pulled up in front of an old building downtown, the place looked like it had been abandoned for years. "This is the place," Miyu drew her own pistol, "are you ready to use that thing?"

Natsuki fell into step behind Miyu, "This won't be my first time shooting a man, and this one deserves it."

-TOM-

Shizuru was chained to the floor and ceiling, they had left her naked staring out of a massive window at the moon as it fell. Behind her she could sense a large man, probably the one who had carried her here, and in a chair to her right sat a light haired man with an odd looking gun in his hand. He fired it at her, it shot a beam of UV light that burned her flesh as it struck. She screamed. "You are a monster, Ms Viola. A true terror of the night. The Knights Templar are devoted to destroying you and your kind."

Shizuru laughed, "Yes they are, but you're no Templar, John Smith. That's right, I know who and what you are, dog." She felt a hand strike her, but it wasn't strong enough to cause her damage. "You should tell your man to stop before he hurts himself."

Smith fired the UV light and burned up Shizuru's thigh, she winced. "My grandfather was staying in a woman's house when the wolves came. She fed him to them and was surprised when they turned him and he tore her head off. She was surprised, not because of his vengeance on her, but because they had spared him when they had taken so many. He was strong and the wolves saw that. He came to serve the Black Prince, as I now do."

Shizuru's eyes widened, "The Black Prince? He's coming back?"

Smith smiled, "Yes, though you will not live to see it. The sun will rise soon and burn you to ash, I will not risk you defying him."

Smith stood and motioned for the other man to follow. Before he could take a step the door flew open and Miyu fired two shots, hitting the big man in the chest and head. Natsuki was in next and she hit Smith in the chest and shoulder, he went down in a bloody heap. Before she could fire the killing shot, however, his body started to change and morph, until he stood a foot taller than he normally did and was covered in patches of white fur. His flat muzzle ended in rows of sharp teeth and his hands had extended into claws.

He howled and ran at the women, Miyu dodged towards Shizuru and shot the chains off of her hands, Shizuru ripped the chains away from her legs and stood up. The beast had Natsuki cornered, he was about to bite when he found himself flying across the room and slamming into the wall. Smith panted on the ground, Shizuru approached and planted her foot on his throat, "You go to your Black Prince, dog, and you tell him that I'm not afraid. And if I ever see you again, I will not let you walk away."

She picked him up by the neck and threw him out of the window to fall five stories and land on the hard pavement. The creature stood slowly and limped off, Shizuru turned away from the window and felt a jacket fall around her shoulders. "Here, cover yourself."

Shizuru embraced Natsuki, "Was this the reason you broke up with me? To protect me?"

"Yeah," Natsuki chuckled, "then you had to go fuck it up." They both laughed, "If it wasn't for Miyu here I would never have found you."

Shizuru looked over at Miyu who opened her jacket to reveal a pin bearing a crest she recognized, "Allow me to reintroduce myself, Miyu Grear of the Knights Templar."

Shizuru was shocked, "You're a Templar?" Miyu pointed the UV gun at Shizuru, "Do you intend to destroy me?"

Miyu dropped the gun and crushed it under her foot, "No, I appreciate what you did for Meredith, and if she never wanted to destroy you then you must be a good person. Meredith was the one who introduced me to the Templars, she was very devout in her beliefs. If she saw something in you that stopped her from carrying out her duties then I won't. I heard you mention a Black Prince, who is that?"

Shizuru found her clothes folded neatly in a pile in the corner, "The Black Prince is a legend from millennia ago when the world was still dark and full of danger. It tells of a spirit that appears once a millennia and possesses the body of a man. This man will search out his "Bride" with the goal of impregnating her. If he succeeds, and the child is born of their union, a thousand years of darkness shall fall over the Earth. This is the prophecy of the Black Prince. According to Smith he has returned."

Miyu questioned, "Has this happened before? Has the prophecy ever been fulfilled?"

Shizuru nodded, "The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was the effect of the prophecy coming to pass. It cannot be allowed to happen again."

Shizuru was fully dressed when Miyu asked, "How will we know this man, will he be marked in some way?"

Shizuru answered, "Not physically, no, but something will always seem wrong with him. To anyone with a connection to the spirit world, mystics and shamans, they will be able to sense the spirit within him."

Miyu rubbed her chin in thought, "A mystic, huh? I think I know who to talk to. I'm going to head back to New York and get a hold of my contacts, see if I can find out anything useful. I'll keep in touch."

Shizuru embraced Miyu, who returned it then shook Natsuki's hand. "Thanks for helping me save her, Ms. Grear."

Miyu reached into her coat, pulled out a clip and handed it to Natsuki, "These rounds are silver, it beats the wolves' regeneration. If you see any of them around, you put one in their head without a second thought."

Natsuki nodded and Miyu left leaving her and Shizuru alone in the room. Silence reigned for minutes before Shizuru broke it, "I thought you were seeing someone else."

"You know, this is the first real relationship I've ever had." Natsuki didn't look at her when she spoke.

"A beautiful woman like you, I don't believe that."

Natsuki smirked, "The offers were there I just didn't care about any of them. It seemed like a mistake to open my heart up to anyone."

Shizuru's voice was softer, "Why did you open it to me?"

Natsuki faced her, "I don't know, but when I saw you I knew you were something special. Being with you feels natural, like I loved you long before I met you."

Shizuru kissed and hugged Natsuki, "Thank you for coming after me Natsuki." Natsuki held her close, "Are we still broken up? Because I think Miyu was interested."

Natsuki smirked, "A vampire and an evil hunting Templar, you'd be a perfect couple."

Shizuru gave her a gentle kiss, "Do you want to stay with me tonight? At least until the dawn."

Natsuki nodded, "Sure, but Miyu was my ride. How are we going to get there?"

Shizuru fished in the big man's pockets and found a set of car keys, "Looks like Mr. Smith drove a Mercedes, I don't think he'll mind us borrowing it."

They drove to Shizuru's place and settled into her bed just before dawn. Shizuru fell into her day sleep with Natsuki falling asleep not too long after, I'll just call into work today.

With Running Backwards finished I would like to put more effort into this story, I have gone to the 'separate dialogue' style and, though the relationship has moved quickly, I feel that there is still room to grow. Thank you for reading and reviewing.