"What?" Miku asked, confused. "One of you?"
"A White Flower," IA plainly said.
"How can you tell?" Miku whispered.
"It's a little too obvious," Yukari said. "And we know that your blonde friend is a shapeshifter."
"Her actions scream shapeshifter," IA said before Miku could open her mouth to ask.
"Where are your protectors?" Miku asked instead.
Yukari laughed. "We have none," she answered
"But what about-" Miku began but was cut off.
"We can take care of ourselves," IA crossed her arms. "Besides, neither of us were born in a wolf community, so it's only natural that we wouldn't have any."
"Aren't you," Miku asked slowly, "scared?"
"The risk is the same for us as it is for any human," Yukari answered, surprising Miku with a tone as serious as IA's. "Fear can't rule our lives, however, but we are indeed careful."
"Why are you telling me this?" Miku asked.
Yukari giggled, bouncing back into her bubbly stature. "Because we know that you may be someone important. Don't ask how we know, for we don't know the answer to that ourselves."
These girls were giving Miku uneasy feelings; the way they talked about things gave Miku haunting images. IA stood stiff and firm, while Yukari loose and bubbly; IA's stature yelled serious, and Yukari bounced non-stop. These girls were different from any other White Flowers Miku had ever seen, she could feel the difference in the air. "Is there something you want from me?" Miku cautiously asked.
"We don't want to hurt you, if that's what you're asking," IA stated. "What we do want you to know, however, is that you shouldn't believe us White Flowers to be in need of protection the way the shapeshifters say we do."
Miku thought the statement over carefully. "What about White Flowers that vampires specifically want? Shouldn't she not be protected?"
"Shouldn't she not fight as well?" Yukari smiled. "Maybe instead of acting helpless, maybe White Flowers should learn to fight alongside their protectors."
"Regardless of the risks," IA said, "wouldn't you feel better knowing that you were helping your friend?" IA snorted her next sentence. "Assuming that you count your protector as a friend, that is."
"Rin is my best friend!" Miku said. "She may be my protector, but she is also the dearest friend that I have!"
"And you're okay with her risking her life for you?" IA asked. Seeing Miku's expression change she said, "Seems not. Don't let tradition get in your way. Fight if the need ever arises."
Before Miku could say anything else, Yukari hugged her and said, "It was a pleasure to meet you!" She let go and left so fast that Miku began to believe that their interaction was nothing more than an illusion.
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"Took you long enough," Rin complained when Miku left the book store. "And you didn't even buy a book!"
"No interesting books," Miku said flatly.
"What's up?" Rin asked, softening her face and voice. She could always tell when Miku felt down.
"The people here . . . are interesting," Miku answered carefully. "It seems that they are somewhat aware of our world."
"Maybe," Rin said. "Some humans believe in our existence, but it's still considered a fairytail to believe in us."
The two girls continued to walk down the street, silent as they listened to the approaching thunder.
"We had best to leave," Miku said, looking up at the sky.
"Mmm hmmm," Rin agreed. Both girls had gotten into the Sedan, with Miku at the wheel. "Sure you want to drive?" Rin said with an evil smile.
"If it rains then I don't want Speed Demon Rin at the wheel," Miku answered. "We can just go back to my house and watch a movie."
"Sounds good to me," Rin shrugged.
After ten minutes of driving, Miku gave a quick glance at Rin and said, "Why do White Flowers need protectors? Are vampire risks that bad?"
Rin didn't seem surprised by that question, but instead thought about it. "Maybe not all do, but those like Luka and yourself are important people and should at least have some form of protection. Not to mention that you're a specific target, so you shouldn't be a minute without a protector."
"What about others?" Miku asked. "Does every White Flower need a protector?"
"Maybe not," Rin said, "but the 'unimportant' White Flowers usually have relatives as protectors, so it's more like family watching out for family. Take Neru for example: She wasn't assigned to be Haku's protector, she choose to protect Haku. Another way to look at it is this: If my mom was a White Flower and not also a shapeshifter, then I would be a White Flower and Len the only shapeshifter. If that were the case, then Len would be my protector not because Dad assigned him to be, but because Len wanted to be. He still tries to protect me, it's his brotherly instinct, but that's not his job. The person that he needs to protect is you and only you. True, we look out for each other and do what we can to prevent the other from being hurt, but that's because we love each other. Maybe not all White Flowers need protection, but that doesn't mean a shapeshifter is going to leave his family to fend for herself."
Miku took it all in. It really surprised Miku how deep a thinker Rin could be during long car rides in thunderstorm weather. Maybe Miku should always do this whenever she had problems she wanted to discuss with Rin. Miku thought about what Rin said and believed that she had a point; if Miku had family that she could protect, then she would do everything in her power to protect them. "But shouldn't a White Flower help fight off a vampire?" Miku asked.
The question really surprised Rin. She sat in shock for a moment but answered anyway. "Why should she? It defeats the purpose of having protectors."
"I'm just curious," Miku said. Miku, having a new thought pop into her head, asked, "How does one kill a vampire?"
"Simple," Rin smiled. "They can be killed just as easily as any other being, so there are tons of ways. Gunshot wounds, blood lose, pierced internal organs - anything that can kill you can kill a vampire."
"So they aren't that super powerful?" Miku asked.
"No," Rin shook her head. "Immortal ones, however, are different. To kill an immortal vampire, you need to rip off his head and, to be safe, burn the body. Mortal vampires, besides the speed and strength, are similar to humans."
Miku nodded her head in understandment. As she thought of what Rin had said, she noticed. "You said a vampire can die of blood lose," Miku questioned, "how is that possible? I thought vampires didn't have blood so that's why they drink the blood of other creatures."
"They have blood," Rin said, "it's just that their blood lacks the ability to carry oxygen properly. To get the, let's say, 'nutrients,' a vampire needs blood from an outside source to help keep them going. It's like how an anemic needs iron, the vampire is the anemic and the blood of others is their iron. A half-vampire, however, doesn't need to feed since their half-human bodies can fully produce the oxygenated blood they need."
"Will a White Flower's blood grant a half-vampire immorality?" Miku asked.
Rin took a moment to think about it. "I've never heard of such a thing, but I don't doubt it's possible. Half-vampires, being half human, are at least somewhat civilized. They aren't murderous freaks like full vampires."
"Are all vampires evil?" Miku asked, wondering if it was true for all of one kind to be so vile.
"Have you ever heard of a good vampire?" Rin countered.
Miku didn't answer but instead drove in silence. Miku didn't want to believe that all vampires were bad, but it wasn't an easy thing to do when they wanted you specifically dead. "You say that all vampires are murderers," Miku said slowly, "but they can't kill a human. It's impossible, Len said so himself. They obviously aren't that big of killers or else half-vampires wouldn't exist."
"They murder White Flowers," Rin said flatly. "Who cares about an innocent girl when her blood can give you immorality? Besides, what makes you think that the vampires loved the humans that they had children with? There are plenty of crimes that can result in such."
Miku gulped, not wanting to think of such things. Miku couldn't find it in herself to believe that all vampires were as evil as the shapeshifters believed they were. Miku knew there was only one way to convince them all that not all vampires were murderers: find a vampire that won't kill her. Miku shook her head at the thought. What was she thinking? All vampires will kill her if it means that they can live forever. She had to avoid all vampires at all cost. No exceptions.
Author's Note: I know, I know, this is a very short and not so great chapter. I thought that I would cover the girls thoughts about vampires, and I think I did an okay job. And yeah, the vampires in my universe are anemic. I don't know where I got that idea, to be honest.
-Ray