Rim: Hey, I've finally reclaimed my sanity. I'm out for the holidays and now that the semester is over and I don't have to go to those damn classes anymore, I'm going to be all better and I can write. Let's see, I guess I should get started and thank everyone for their reviews and all that nice stuff. Well, this is a treat for you all, the chapter that started me writing this story in the first place.
------------oooooo-------------
Rei stared at the spot where Tala's body once was, before the vampire spirited him away. Slowly getting up from where he had been tossed, Rei stumbled over to the spot, his eyes refusing to believe that Tala was indeed gone. Now in the clutches of that vampire. He should have been able to do more for his friend, now who knew what was going to happen.
"Damn it Rei, you should have been able to do more!" Rei cursed at himself. "You idiot, how could you…how could you…" Tears slipped free, rolling down his cheeks, as he tried to get a grip on himself and what was happening. How was he going to explain to Tala's grandmother that he wasn't able to stop that vampire from kidnapping Tala?
It would definitely be ludicrous even to consider that there was a chance he could follow the vampire's trail in order to retrieve his best friend. He had no way of telling in what direction the vampire had taken Tala, let alone how far. Until he got a lead, he was going to have to pray that Tala would be safe from harm. Ray was having doubts towards that vampire's interest in keeping Tala around for long. Vampires were known to kill their "playmates" once disinterest swelled.
Maybe Tala's stubborn nature to submit to anyone would peak the fiend's attention long enough for a rescue plan to be staged the moment his whereabouts were discovered. For now, all he could do was plan. The raven haired demon hunter was reluctant in speaking this incident with Tala's grandmother in a whole, due to the fact of what he had discovered. Surely it was false what Tala's grandmother had told him. There was no way that his grandmother would be part of some vampire clan. She wouldn't be able to live in that house without suffering from the barrier which protected that house, let alone the crystals each one of the Ivanov family members wore.
"There has to be some big mistake about all this," Rei repeated, tearing himself away from where he was standing so he could go back to the Ivanov household to tell Tala's grandmother what had happened. "It's all one big mistake, there's no way it could be true. I'm not going to believe it, Tala is human, nothing else, sure he's strange, and growing up he was a little more so than now, but he's human. I know he is…I know…"
Despite the pain which throbbed in his chest from the energy that fiend had hurled at him, Rei continued his trip back to the Ivanov household, his mind playing tug-a-war with what he had been told, and what he believed in. Half of what Tala said made sense in a way, but Rei's mind continued to tell him how ridiculous it really was. By the time he was back at the Ivanov estate, Rei really didn't know what to believe anymore.
"Rei, where's Tala?"
"Huh?" Rei blinked, looking up to find Katsumi standing in front of the house, looking at him with worried eyes. "Ma'am…" That's right, he was going to have to tell her not just want happened, but also what that vampire had said. Looking back down at his feet, Rei bit his lip, thinking about how he was going to go about this task without making it seem so out of control. He was supposed to be watching over Tala, helping him to get better. The only thing he was able to do was get Tala captured by the enemy. With no way whatsoever in tracking Tala down and rescuing him.
"Rei…what's happened?" Katsumi questioned, seeing the look of guilt enter the demon hunter's eyes.
"I…I'm sorry ma'am…it's my fault," Rei bowed to her. "I didn't think that anything would happen. Tala wanted to clear his head, so I helped him leave his room…now…" Rei squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to stop the tears, the pain that his guilt was causing.
"It was Kai, wasn't it," the woman said. "What did he tell you?"
"The vampire said…it would be Tala's decision now if he wanted to come back," Rei replied.
"No," Katsumi shook her head. "I meant what Tala told you."
"He…" Rei fell silent, in spite of the fact he wanted to ask the woman all about the things that Tala said. There was only one thing that stopped him in doing so: fear. He feared that by asking Katsumi, he would found out the truth towards Tala and the Ivanov family even though Tala had told him himself what he discovered. It was easy to overlook what Tala said, he was far from stable after the incident he just went through.
There was a possibility-though relatively minuscule-that Tala had made the entire thing up in his frantic state of mind which was edged on by the incident and the vampire's harassment. If Rei learned from the woman that Tala wasn't making any of it up, and that indeed the Ivanov family was plagued with a curse with being vampiric in nature, then everything up to that point would have to be taken into a new light. Sure he said he didn't care that Tala was a vampire in nature or what, but he feared what the vampire would do with that sort of information. Would he try to turn Tala against the human race or his family? Would there be a chance he would have to hunt down Tala and kill him before other hunters in the area discovered Tala?
"Rei, it's important that I know what you discovered about Tala," Katsumi said.
"He said…he has vampire and human blood in him," Rei said. "Is that true…is everything he told me about you being from a vampire clan, and his father's side being cursed by a vampire clan…is all that really true?"
"Yes Rei, it is," Katsumi nodded. "I didn't want to have to tell him any of the things that he now knows, but Kai's involvement in Tala's life wouldn't allow. I was forced to tell Tala everything, now he doesn't know what to do."
"You didn't have to tell him anything," Rei argued. "You could have let him think that the vampire was lying. That would have been easier than telling him that he's like that creature. At least he would have been able to kill that vampire without doubts."
"You're wrong Rei," Katsumi replied. "If Tala were to remain ignorant of what he was, Kai would have taken advantage of that weakness. By telling Tala everything, I've at least given him the chance to discover the truth towards many of the questions I'm sure have been buried deep in his heart for so long. I've given him a chance to see through the white and black lines."
"White and black lines? What's that supposed to mean? I do not understand any of this," Rei frowned.
"Of course you don't. I doubt there are many left in this world who know what I speak about," Katsumi said. "Rei, may I ask you a favor to not speak of what has taken place with Tala or what you know."
"But what about Tala? We have to save him somehow!" Rei exclaimed. "You really aren't going to let your grandson remaining in the hands of that vampire are you? You seem to know so much about that thing, you must know where it lives. I could go rescue Tala and bring him back here, so Jasmine and the others don't worry."
"It's out of my hands, Rei," Katsumi said. "There's nothing neither of us can do."
"Or do you mean won't do," Rei countered hotly. "You know that thing you can talk him into giving Tala back! Why are you so reluctant to help your own grandson? Do you want him to become one of those things? To lose his soul to the devil? Is that what you're saying you're going to allow to happen to Tala?"
"No, of course not."
"Then help me save Tala," Rei begged.
"Rei, have you thought about what you're asking me?" Katsumi questioned. "If I were to tell you where to find Kai, what are you going to do when you get there? Kill the whole Hiwatari clan and rescue Tala? I hate to sound so pessimistic, but you are a fool whose plan will fail. Tell me Rei, what do you expect to do?"
"Just as you said, I plan to go there and kill the whole Hiwatari clan and rescue Tala!" Rei replied.
"Regardless of the fact that you and Tala went on many hunts together and trained to become hunters, there is a big difference in planning and acting. You are a demon hunter, Rei. You were not trained in dealing with vampires. Tala not only was trained for that job, but he has protection against vampire magic, you do not. Let's not forget that the Hiwatari clan is a very powerful aristocratic family, much more powerful than an average turned vampire. You would die before you laid eyes on Tala," Katsumi stated.
"But I have to try," Rei said.
"How will I explain to your family when you don't come back and there's a possibility that you are dead?" Katsumi questioned.
"What else is there to do then?"
"I hate to say this, but the only thing that we can do is wait and hope that Tala will return to us by himself. I know you don't like thinking about that, but there's nothing else we can do."
"I don't want to accept that," Rei muttered.
"You're going to have to," Katsumi responded.
"Why, because you say so?" Rei asked. "He's your grandson, and you're just going to turn a blind eye to the fact that he's going to be used by that vampire for God only knows what. Do you really care about him, or was that just like the secrets you kept from him? How can you be so nonchalant about his situation?"
"What do you want me to do Rei? It's not like I'm able to go there and argue with Kai to let Tala go. I may have been close to him decades ago, but it's not the same. He will not listen to me so easily. I think he might actually be in love with Tala more than anything else," Katsumi said.
"That creature doesn't understand the first thing about love," Rei argued. "His kind is arrogant, soulless creatures who care about nothing."
"You're wrong Rei. He use to be different, a long time ago. What changed his opinions of things were human hunters. Believe me, there is much more to this war between vampires and humans than you know. This will be a chance for the truth to be known."
"I don't understand." Rei had no idea what the old woman was talking about. It was like she was saying that he was ignorant of the truth and that vampires were not to blame for the events which transpired in the world. Of course that could not be right. Vampires plagued mankind for centuries; they were the reason that their land was isolated from the rest of the world, why the people on this forsaken land were long forgotten. If it weren't for demons and vampires, there would be no reason to fear life or carry a weapon when traveling.
Katsumi looked at Rei with a short smile. "I know, my child. It's not your fault, I don't blame you. What went on in the past is out of your control, do not worry about it. And Rei…do not worry about Tala, he will not forget us. He will come back when he is ready to. That's what I believe."
"What if he comes back a vampire? What then? Will you have the others hunt him down and kill him?" Rei said bitterly.
"If he comes back a vampire, then there's nothing I can do. I just hope that he will make the right decisions in remaining alive. I do not want his sister to mourn him any more than she will now," Katsumi replied softly with a weary look. "It's now here duty to be heir of the family with her brother gone."
"You aren't going to tell her…what you told Tala, will you?" Rei worried.
"No, there's no reason to," Katsumi shook her head. "Not unless her blood becomes just as potent as Tala's in the next few years, which I doubt. At least I get to spare her tender heart from the pain of knowing the truth. I'm sure Tala would agree with me."
"I think so too," Rei nodded. "I just hope…"
"We all do, Rei," Katsumi interrupted, knowing what the golden eyed demon hunter was going to say. "But we might not get that wish."
"I can still hope can't I?" Rei said.
"I don't want to take that away from you if it will make you happy," Katsumi replied.
---------oooo----------
"Master Kai, welcome back home," Boris replied with a bow as Kai walked into the Hiwatari estate carrying in his arms the unconscious Ivanov heir. Kai turned red eyes on the demon with a questioning look. The gray eyed demon was staring curiously at the bundle within Kai's arms. "An afternoon snack, young Kai?"
"Is there a reason why you are wandering around?" Kai countered the curious demon. "You're usually at my grandfather's beck-and-call. Unless you're acting on my grandfather's orders. So, what has my grandfather requested you to do?"
"You were his main order, young Kai," Boris said.
"Why am I not surprised. I guess it went something like 'find my idiotic grandson and make sure he doesn't do anything hesitant due to his trivial interest in that human hunter from the Ivanov clan', am I right Boris?" Kai voiced. "My grandfather knows I have an 'obsession' with the Ivanov heir, so it's only right that I don't do anything that will disgrace him."
"You think so harshly of your grandfather, young Kai," Boris said.
"But it's true, isn't it?" Kai said firmly. "I know how he thinks. He doesn't want me to disgrace him if other clans were to find out that I'm chasing after one of our main threats of existence like a love sick puppy. You can give my grandfather this message for me, I have proven my theory."
"Is that all, master Kai?"
"Yes, that's it," Kai said, beginning to walk away from the demon.
"I am to assume what rest within your arms is your so called 'obsession', Kai?"
"Consider it like you first said, an afternoon snack," Kai smirked, continuing to walk away from Boris. He didn't care what Boris or his grandfather thought about him, he finally was going to get the object of his many weeks of study. He now knew that Tala was more than just an average human. His curiosity was now sated, the only thing left to do was sate another emotion within him.
Continuing to his destination-his room-Kai considered what he was to do now with the hunter. Of course he would make Tala want him, that was in due time. Tala wasn't going to submit to his desire so easily, it would take a bit of work to get the red head into accepting that this was meant to be. After all, his parents were going to make him and Katsumi marry when he was old enough. It was going to be much the same, except for wanting Tala wherein Katsumi was more like a sibling to him.
Pushing open the door to his room, Kai narrowed his eyes at Tyson who was sitting on the edge of his bed awaiting him. Blue eyes tinged with crimson narrowed at the bundle within Kai's arms. "What do you think you're doing in my room Tyson?"
"I was waiting around for you," Tyson said, his eyes never leaving the hunter. Jealously boiling over by the minute.
"I've been out, now remove yourself from my bed and my room," Kai ordered.
"What do you plan on doing with that hunter?" Tyson demanded. "He shouldn't be here, you know that Kai! Why did you bring him to the estate? You can't tell me that you're so blind as to see that he wants to destroy us all! You have to wake up Kai! Please, before it's too late."
"Out of my room, now you damn mutt," Kai growled.
"But Kai!" Tyson pleaded.
"Tyson, I'm only going to warn you once, because I swear if you make me pissed off, it's going to be the last time you have to worry about what will happen to me. Now out of my damn room," Kai snapped.
For a moment, Tyson appeared as if he wasn't going to heed Kai's warning, as he unrelenting stared at the Ivanov hunter. Eventually, the blue haired vampire moved off the bed, walking past Kai out of the room, slamming it shut behind him. Once Kai was alone with the hunter, he walked to the bed, laying Tala down. Tala moaned softly, his eyes fluttering for a moment.
"Rei…" Tala whimpered in his sleep.
"You don't have to worry about him nor anything else anymore," Kai leaned down and whispered into Tala's ear. His cool breath blowing over the contour of it, sending a little shiver subconsciously up Tala's spine. "Wake for me, Tala."
"No…" Tala murmured, turning his head away.
"You can't escape reality forever my dear hunter," Kai chuckled. "You can try to push yourself back into unconsciousness, but it's not going to work forever. You will have to open your eyes and acknowledge the truth."
"Go away…" Tala said.
"I'm not going anywhere," Kai said, climbing over Tala and staring down at him. "Open your eyes and acknowledge the truth."
"Leave me alone…go away…" Tala said, his eyes opening despite his attempt to go back to sleep. He grew aware that he was in Kai's presence some time ago while they were moving. During that time, it was easier to slip back into unconsciousness and pretend it was all just a dream, but it was like Kai said. He couldn't remain like that forever. He was only a matter of time before he couldn't dodge it. His eyes locked on the red ones above him, watching him amusingly. "Why have you brought me here?"
"You should already know the answer to that question by now," Kai grinned. "Because I want you to be mine. I told you that a while back."
"When you used your witchcraft to seduce me," Tala snapped.
"Witchcraft?" Kai grinned. "I did no such thing, you were the one that wanted to kiss me, if anything, it was the blood running through your veins which subdued you. I only was going to give it what it wanted. You shouldn't blame me for your own blood."
"I can do as I please," Tala glared.
"There it goes again, those beautiful eyes cutting into me," Kai replied silkily. "That's the exact look that I fell in love with. It reminds me of my previous lover before he was killed by a group of hunters. Maybe he was an outcast from your family."
"Do you think I care?" Tala said hotly. "I don't care about your relationship with anyone."
"Is that jealously I hear in your voice?" Kai teased.
"No! Why would I care?" Tala argued.
"Good question," Kai said, leaning down to kiss Tala lightly, ignoring the light pricking of energy that tried to repel Kai. Under him, Tala squirmed feebly, unable to push Kai's body from over him. When Kai pulled back, he stared down at the red lips which were trembling. "Tala…"
"Damn you…why…why did you have to come into my life? Why did you have to become interested in me? I was happy not knowing what I know now," Tala said in a hushed tone. "I was happy without the truth, now I don't know what I have. You ruined everything, and for what? Because you have some silly infatuation on me? I don't know which one of us is more foolish…"
"Those are human thoughts, human concerns. They don't apply to us. You know what you are now, what your family is. Even if I hadn't exposed it, it would have eventually been uncovered."
"Human thoughts and concerns…you keep forgetting I'm human," Tala retorted. "I'm human with nothing left. I can't go back home and live like before. Not without doubting everything I've ever known."
"You are a vampire, of very noble blood," Kai corrected. "It's time for you to regain your heritage and shed that mortal coil. You know exactly what you need to do, don't you my dear Tala?"
"I need to remove my pendant," Tala said, making no move to remove it. He wasn't going to, even if his grandmother was telling him the truth or not about it binding his blood, that wasn't the reason behind tossing it aside. By removing it, he would be acknowledging that he was no longer going to believe in his life. That pendant stood for everything which he had built his life on, there was no way he could easily toss that aside.
"Are you going to be stubborn and keep it on?" Kai wondered.
"It's the last piece of my life that you haven't taken away from me," Tala voiced. "The last piece you're not going to get."
"Is that so?" Kai chuckled, enjoying Tala's stubborn will to submit. "What if I tell you that I'm not giving you a choice in this matter?"
"There's nothing you can do that will make me remove it," Tala declared.
"What if I brought back your friend's severed head to you?" Kai grinned. "In exchange for your friend's life, you remove the pendant and accept your new life?"
"I can't believe you would sink to methods like that," Tala growled, raising his hand up to the crystal resting at his throat.
"I knew nothing else would motivate you because you're such a stubborn one," Kai smiled, watching Tala break the crystal from the thread.
"I hate you…" Tala murmured, letting the crystal roll off the bed and drop the floor.
"You'll love me in due time," Kai grinned, leaning down to lick at Tala's now exposed neck. Nipping lightly at it as he listened to the gasp escape Tala's throat. The scent surrounding Tala strengthened, causing Kai to want the red head under him more. Roaming his hands underneath the shirt, he felt Tala arch against him, tossing his head back at the cool fingertips sliding over his skin.
"I'll never…love you…" Tala moaned, reaching up to grip Kai's shoulder, the vampire's lips making their way from his neck to the mouth which awaited him.
"You say that now, but you will change your mind, I'm certain of it," Kai assured, protracting his fangs. Licking at Tala's lips, Kai managed to pry open Tala's mouth, puncturing his bottom lip. Blood bubbled up, just as Kai used the tip of his own fang to draw blood from his bottom lip also. Leaning down to kiss Tala once more, he mingled their blood together, forcing Tala to swallow. Some of the blood dribbled down Tala's chin, but Kai lapped it up. Pulling back, he stared down at Tala. "Now, shed your former life and be reborn."
"No…" Tala choked, gripping Kai's shoulder tighter as he fought the urge to vomit, then choke on his own vomit. His lungs began walling up, burning from lack up oxygen as his body convulsed violently.
"I know you can survive this Tala, prove to me that your stubborn will shall not give in to this and allow you to be a mere vampire of low class. You are not going to be a filthy turned vampire are you? You're going to become full blooded, aren't you," Kai said, watching the convulsions worsen as Tala screamed.
"It…hurts…" Tala screamed, his heart hammering against his chest. "Kill me! Oh God kill me please!"
"Fight it Tala," Kai said, pinning Tala to the bed. For a while Tala continued screaming, until Kai heard his heart finally stopped, his body twitching a few times before going limp; eyes closing on their own accord. Releasing the red head, Kai listened for the faint, erratic heartbeat to spring up. Minutes ticked away until the sound reached his ears. It would be some time before Tala would reawaken a vampire, and spend many restless days and nights wandering about. Kai knew this was going to take a while for his stubborn lover to accept, those blue eyes spoke more than Tala would ever willing admit.
----------oooooo-----------
Rim: A little Christmas present for all my fans of this. I hope everyone enjoyed it, even though I could have been done like three hours ago, if I hadn't decided to wandered away from my computer twelve times. Oh well, I can't help I like to wander places, I did at least get it done, now we shall move on with my next few pieces.