Chapter Five- Reborn

Kurama's eyes flew open and he sat up, gasping and coughing as air filled his lungs. He panted as he struggled to recall his last memories. Pain, feeling weak, Karasu! His thoughts clicked into place and he looked around to see a dark place that he nonetheless saw clearly. It was a depressing yet livable room with glassless windows. He was lying on a four-poster canopy bed and saw he was wearing a black suit. He looked left before looking right and into Karasu's eyes. He gasped and slid away from him.

"Welcome back, Kurama," Karasu said. "Tonight is the beginning of your immortal existence."

Kurama glared at him as he hopped off the other side of the bed only to find Karasu in his face. He gasped, turned, and saw Karasu gain. "Get away," he said through gritted teeth.

Karasu smiled in amusement. "You have a lot to learn about vampires and I will gladly mentor you."

"I believe I will discover them myself. You have made a grave mistake. Now that I know where you dwell, I will inform Hiei and he will dispose of you."

"You could, but he may take you for a ghost or a stranger. Remember I said your coma would be mistaken for death? Everyone who knows you believes you are dead."

"You mentioned Hiei mistaking me for a stranger. Why?"

"Look." Karasu held up some of Kurama's hair.

Kurama gasped. His red hair had gone black! He also noticed that his skin was death pale and he had small claws on his fingers. His tongue brushed against the slightly longer fangs as he turned from Karasu. I'm now a vampire and everyone believes I'm dead.

"I will say it again," Kurama said. "I will discover my abilities on my own. My mother will not care that I am a vampire; she will still love me."

"Very well, then. Go back to your mother. Let me just say this: You must drink blood at least once a day."

Kurama slowly backed up to a window, wary of a trick on Karasu's part, but he simply stood there, arms folded. He glanced back, saw a two-story drop, turned, and leaped down. He landed lightly on his feet and fled the house, taking note of where it was. He ran several blocks before stopping, breathing steadily despite having run a considerable distance.

Makes sense as vampires are just reanimated corpses: The undead. My heart no longer beats and I must drink blood in order to exist. No doubt Karasu has been draining humans. I cannot and will not. He heard a shuffling and turned to see an alley cat. He slowly approached the creature, deciding it would do for his blood meal. He crouched down and held out his hand to coax the cat. The cat came closer and Kurama struck, seizing it, and sinking his fangs into it to begin drinking.

He dropped the stunned cat and spat out the blood. It was awful and felt like it was burning his tongue! Does this mean I can only drink human blood? Kurama sighed. He supposed he could drink a little and leave them alive. Wait. The blood bank! I can, regrettably, steal from it and spare innocent lives. Relieved, Kurama dashed off for the bank to snitch a bag or two to sustain himself in the short term.

Karasu sat on the windowsill and gazed out into the night, occasionally swatting insects out of existence. He thought about Kurama and their little conversation. I should have anticipated that he would want to distance himself from me. After all, I am the one who turned him and he despises me. He will likely try to drink animal blood: I tested that after draining a human. It was disgusting and it burned. I know there's a blood bank and Kurama will likely go there for blood. Once he drinks, his supernatural abilities will unlock: The super speed, the high jumps, and turning into a bat. He will suspect that sunlight is harmless as he will deduce that I've been following him.

Hmm, I wonder if I can drink demon blood. I've glimpsed weak demons fliting about. I think I will test that now as I have already fed earlier today to replace Kurama's body with another body. Karasu took to the air in search of a demon victim.

Kurama sighed contently as he capped the bag he drank from; one of two he stole. That had been so much better than the cat blood. Well as vampires used to be humans, it makes sense that only human blood will suffice. Kurama gazed out of his alley at the almost deserted street. Most people were asleep as it was about three in the morning. I could slip into my room and sleep there. When Mother returns home, I will jump out the window and ring the doorbell. I'll explain everything and she'll still love me. He smiled at this plan and sped for home far faster than he had before. Whoa. I'm as fast as Karasu now. Is it because I drank blood just now? Hmm, I wonder what else I can do. I will spend time over the next couple of days to find out.

He climbed up the tree to his room, slid open the window, got in, and collapsed gratefully on his bed. He laid there to take in recent events. Karasu had come into his room two nights ago, bit him, and fed him vampire blood. The combination of bite and blood made his heart stop and sent him into a death-like coma. He had awakened hours ago as a vampire and told that everyone believes he's dead, thanks to the coma. Karasu clearly thought I would accept his assistance in being a vampire. I do not need his help; I usually operate best on my own. Kurama continued to dwell on the attack and how he gradually became a vampire during his coma. He obviously didn't want to be a vampire and knew that if he wanted to cease this way of life he would have to truly die.

What would kill me? I know sunlight will not work as Karasu has been following me during the day. Silver, perhaps? A cross? A stake? Possibly. Fire? Yes, that could work and I happen to have a fire demon for a boyfriend. If I ask, Hiei may use his fire to kill me. It's possible he will refuse, but I will still ask as I wish to die. Kurama's eyes slid shut and he fell asleep as the sun rose.

He awoke to the sound of a door opening. He checked the clock and saw it was afternoon. He rolled out of bed, took out his bag of blood, and drank some before going over to his vanity. He smiled at seeing he had a reflection before gazing at his image. His hair was long and black which accented his pale skin as did the suit. His green eyes were still an emerald color and when he opened his mouth, his fangs were clearly noticeable. He grabbed his brush and ran it through his hair before stowing his bag into the inside pocket of his jacket, going out the window, and going around to the front door. He slowly exhaled before ringing the bell.

He heard footsteps behind the wooden door before the lock clicked, and the door opened. Shiori stood there, stared, and her mouth fell open. "Shuichi?" she whispered, astonished.

"Hello, Mother," he whispered also.

She stepped aside to let him in and once she closed the door, she hugged him. "Shuichi! You're alive! How is this possible? You were clearly dead and why is your hair black?"

"I can explain. A demon who I fought and killed was revived as a vampire. Three days ago, he bit me and fed me vampire blood which stopped my heart and sent me into a coma that looked like death for forty-eight hours. I awoke last night as a vampire and I'm guessing that is why my hair is black."

Shiori took a step back. "You're a…vampire now?" she gasped, voice trembling.

Kurama nodded. "I do not like what I have become. I would rather be truly dead."

"Then do it," Shiori said, her voice now cold.

"What?"

"Do it. Kill yourself. You are not really my son anymore. The Shuichi I knew is dead. Get out, vampire." Shiori pointed forcefully at the door behind him.

"Mother," he whispered, stunned.

"I am not your mother anymore. You are a stranger to me. Get out, now." She opened the door, pointed outside, and once Kurama had stepped out, she slammed the door behind him, the lock clicking into place.