Chapter Six: Icy Blood Ties
Tsukune was unceremoniously awakened by the pounding on his window. His eyes burst open, the teen jolting straight up, looking around. He saw Moka in a blind panic, tears streaming down her face as she yelled his name.
Tsukune quickly got up, running over to the window.
"Moka, calm down." He said. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Tsukune-kun, they took Mizore-chan!" Moka said, pulling him.
"Wait, how'd you get to my window?" He asked. "I'm on the second floor of this house."
"I jumped." Moka said, the silly tone in her voice gone. She was in a panicked, serious mode now. Tsukune grabbed the Monster Compendium from his dresser, Moka leaping down with him in her arms. She set him down, pulling him to Mizore's house where Tsurara was sobbing at the table, her hear on her arms, folded over the table.
"Miss Tsurara!" Tsukune said. "What's going on?!"
"Someone stole my little girl!" She wailed.
"I saw it happen." Moka said. "I think I can describe them."
"Tell me what they looked like." Tsurara said. "At that point I will decide if we should involve the police."
"Why wouldn't we involve them?" Tsukune asked.
"This may be a youkai case." Tsurara said. "In that case, humans would be useless to trust."
"I see." Tsukune said. "Well, describe it, Moka."
"Well, I only saw they were wearing a cloak." Moka said, thinking. "But, I felt this cold chill."
"Oh god." Tsurara's eyes grew wide as her breath came in short, hollow breaths. "A Yuki-Onna."
"Yuki-Onna?" Tsukune asked. He opened the Monster Compendium, reading aloud.
"Yuki-Onna." The scary form of an ice creature occupied the page. "Two classifications of this creature exist. The first is the spirit of an ice youkai. The second is the more common form and usage, the culmination of a human who is given the spirit of an ice youkai. This is unlike hybridization due to the controlled transformation and transfer. Blood may be used for more stability, however, this is not necessary. There are very few Yuki-Onna (maiden) simultaneously alive at one time, if any, due to death or prior to fusion. The Yuki-Onna is a being surrounded in several myths and legends, though the true variant is unknown to time, mostly being in spirit form and inserted into humans. Legends have travelled about the souls of Yuki-onna being forced into the bodies of young maidens, which is referred to as 'soul raping' by the crude. The spirit is said to be an ancient snow fairy youkai in some instances (see: Jack Frost). Such an action forces the maiden to be transformed into a Yuki-Onna, granting her all the powers of the youkai. Blood stabilizes the transformation, however, it does give the maiden used more will power, which is the typical opposite of the desire of the spirits inhabiting them. A Yuki-Onna is capable of forming ice around its entire body if it has enough energy to do so. This ice is harder than any ice found in the human world if it is powerful enough, surpassing any metal or substance in the case of god tier Yuki-Onna. Lower level Yuki-Onna can only create ice on their hands or head, though this can become stronger with training. They can fire ice as a projectile or create icicles that emerge from the ground. The hardness of said ice is the same as the ice they can generate around their whole bodies and the distance at which their ground icicles can extend varies on their power and energy as well as capability. They are capable of blending into the wind as well as freezing a being in ice or from within. The temperature at which they utilize their powers depends on their power, though, it will never be above negative seventeen degrees Fahrenheit. One weakness of the Yuki-Onna is heat, but their tolerance can be built up with more power. Fire youkai are sensitive to their power as they are sensitive to fire youkai. It is said that if the spirit were to be forced out of the Yuki-Onna, the host would return to being entirely their previous species, no matter how much blood was injected into the maiden. This has not been proven, however, as there is not currently any known way to extract the spirit without killing the host during or prior to the extraction. One suggestion was that a power stronger could force the spirit out, but the correct youkai type has yet to be identified. Threat level is one to ten out of ten."
"Wow." Moka said. "I guess we'll have to find this Yuki-Onna."
"You'll have to enter the youkai world to do that." Tsurara crossed her arms. "It won't be easy, I can assure you of that."
"how do we do that?" Tsukune asked.
"Well, I'll show you." Tsurara said. "Lemme get ready."
"Ready?" Tsukune asked.
"You better dress warm." Tsurara said. "Vampires may be able to take the cold of a Yuki-Onna's territory, but you certainly can't."
"I don't have a thick coat." Tsukune said, chuckling nervously.
"Well, I got you one!" Tsurara said, running to the closet, tossing out a coat.
"Uh… thanks?" Tsukune said, surprised.
"Don't worry, it's just one of mine." Tsurara chuckled. "Now, you're ready. Let me get my gear."
"Gear?" Moka asked.
"Of course." Tsurara chuckled. "You think we only communicated with youkai? We also were capable of fighting against them if need be. We could take on vampires if we were good enough."
"Wow." Tsukune said. "Well, could I have some too?"
"You think you can handle it?" Tsurara asked. "I'm sure you've never used it before."
"I… I could try." Tsukune said. "For Mizore."
"Good boy." Tsurara smirked, going to her closet and getting out a jacket and two automatic rifles.
"R-rifles?" Tsukune asked. "What are these for?"
"They shoot mini explosive rounds." Tsurara asked. "Perfect for taking down a Yuki-Onna. We'll also need some daggers."
She tossed Tsukune a sheathed dagger, the teenager gasping in shocked as Tsurara stepped out of her closet decked out like a soldier or a renegade.
"Now" She said, cracking her neck. "Let's go get my daughter back from whatever freak took her away."
With Mizore
The icy blue haired girl trembled in pure, unadulterated fear as she was strapped down to the table, her gag and blindfold still on.
Her captor stood over her, gently running her fingers over her body. The tear stains on Mizore's face shone brightly.
"Such a beautiful form." Her captor said, her seductive voice alluring, but Mizore was too afraid at the moment to even notice. "I'm sure you would make a beautiful Yuki-Onna. Now, let us begin the ceremony of transformation."
Mizore mumbled out a muffled reply, as if asking what was going to happen to her.
"I'm going to turn you into the most beautiful of all youkai." Her captor said, removing the blindfold. "A Yuki-Onna."
Mizore's eyes were red from her crying, soaking wet from the salty liquid that spilled from them. She looked up to see her captor's face for the first time. She strained through the blurriness of her tears and the inclusion of natural light to see it carefully.
She wore a kimono like dress that flowed down, a mixture of whites and blues, all with a regal look to them as she stood, taller than Tsurara. Her hair was a pure white, not a fleck of discoloring in it. Her eyes were a stark ice blue, shining brighter than Mizore's, but less pure, less innocent, and certainly more maliciousness. Her skin was pale and she looked like a beautiful corpse, though she certainly would not be mistaken for one. She wore a crown of ice that came to an intricate and very complex pattern, interconnecting with icicle spikes on her shoulders and arms where the sleeves were fuzzy. Her expression at the moment was one of truest superiority and determination to prove power and dominance.
Mizore's next muffled and fearful question was as to what a Yuki-Onna was.
"A Yuki-Onna" her captor explained with a sinister smirk. "Is a fusion of a pure maiden and a soul of a Yuki-Onna. As you can figure out, you are the pure maiden. How ironic that it is from the Shirayuki family, one of the oldest monster sympathizers. I'm sure you were aware of that."
Mizore shook her head in fear, not wanting to make her captor mad.
"I see." Her captor smirked, stroking her face. "Well, I shall make you into my special Yuki-Onna. You will be powerful, strong, graceful. My personal maiden to do my service."
Yuki shook her head tears threatening to spill anew as she thought of how she'd never see her mother or Tsukune(-kun) or Mona(-san) again, never hold them in her arms and enjoy spending time with them and hanging out and going to eat or to the movies or just talking and eating in her kitchen. Instead, she'd be this woman's pet essentially and they would have no idea where she was or how to get there.
"Oh, foolish girl." The woman said, stroking Mizore's face with the back of her hand. "Who said you have a choice?"
With Tsukune, Moka, and Tsurara
The three walked up to the bus station, standing next to the sign.
"This is how we get to the youkai domain?" Moka asked.
"One of them." Tsurara said. "Now, we're going to have to be careful. Yuki-Onna are said to be the only monsters that can truly rival vampires, so, obviously be careful."
"Right." Moka and Tsukune nodded in cooperation.
A strange looking bus pulled up to the lot. It seemed to have a ghostly look to it, being a little paler than a normal bus.
"Buses run this late?" Moka asked.
"This one does." Tsurara stepped up to the door, which opened.
"Evening, madam." The driver said, smirking under his hat. He wore a blue bus driver's uniform and cap, but his eyes were glowing dots under his cap, hidden completely.
"Nurari." Tsurara nodded. "I assume you know why I'm here."
"Of course." He said in his ominous sounding voice. "didn't expect you to bring a vampire though. Specially one this powerful. Akashiya, huh?"
"H-how do you know my name?" Moka asked, stepping back a little.
"I also knew your mother." The driver, Nurari, smirked through his cigarette, staring right into her soul it would seem.
"Who are you?" Tsukune asked, nervous and suspicious.
"Someone who doesn't take sides." Nurari said. "But, I must say, you've got some tough battles ahead, Akasha spawn."
"Wh-what?" Moka asked.
"Be careful who you trust." Nurari smirked as he closed the doors, the three sitting down quickly. "There are many groups out for your head. Among them the Yuki-Onna and Hellsing. Best be careful."
"Hellsing?" Tsukune asked. "Like the vampire hunter?"
"Or the anime?" Moka asked, her eyes widening.
"The hunter." Tsurara said. "I thought they were a myth."
"Some people think monsters are myth." Nurari looked back at her with a slight side glance.
"But, an organization as powerful as Hellsing supposedly is can't go undetected."
"How does a kaiju youkai go undetected?" Nurari asked with a slight smirk.
"Human form." Tsurara said. "But, they supposedly use monsters to accomplish their goals. No one would hide that long."
"Some are more patient than others." Nurari looked back in the mirror. "Especially when it comes to the bloodline of Alucard and Akasha."
"Wh-what do you know of my bloodline?" Moka asked. "A-and about my grandfather and mother?"
"Nothing you need to know now." Nurari said. "It will all be clear someday. But, you may have to make a choice between humanity or youkai. So, if it came down to it, what would you do? Accept your youkai nature and fight the humans or remain as a human and fight the youkai?"
"I would accept both sides of myself and try to make both come together in peace." Moka said after some thought.
"A wise answer." Nurari smirked a little wider. "But, not the easy one. That path is fraught with danger."
"And the other two aren't?" Tsurara asked.
"Less." Nurari said. "With the other choices, you got an entire classification of beings at your back. With option three, you risk being hated by all. With that, you would become a martyr for your cause, like others before you. Question is, would you stop the battle before they all crucify you or would it be a lost cause?"
"Sometimes martyrs had more impact in their death." Tsurara said.
"True." Nurari chuckled. "But, only one martyr was recorded to actually come back to see his work and he started a religion around it. Hell, the rosary itself was made the ancient symbol of purification because of him. 'Course he was god, but if the instrument you died on becomes the universal symbol of purification, I'd say that's a martyr who held some influence."
"Thousands die based on the words of martyrs." Tsurara said. "A cause worth fighting for. I chose my martyr to follow."
"Your bloodline chose a similar route to Miss Akashiya." Nurari said. "I respect that just as I respected the first Lady Shirayuki all those years ago. What about you, Tsukune?"
"How do you know my name?" Tsukune asked. "I never said it."
"I've had my eye on you." Nurari said. "Anyone who has the courage that you have has to have some importance."
"Of course." Tsurara said. "There's a lot riding on this."
"What path do you choose?" Nurari asked. "I'm curious since you have ones you care about on both sides of the equation."
"I would fight for Moka's cause." Tsukune said. "I want a day where Moka wouldn't have to hide her vampyric nature and humans wouldn't have to worry about monsters and youkai eating them."
"The words of a martyr." Nurari smirked. "Well, I wish you both luck on your quest. Just remember this: sometimes you have to force the world to change to accomplish a change."
"Understood." Tsukune said. "So, uh, how do we get into the youkai domain?"
"This way." Nurari said, the bus driving into a tunnel. The world behind them seemed to disappear and warp with a twisting, sickening feeling. The strange feeling tripled as the smell of sulfur entered their lungs. Suddenly, a freezing blast whipped through their lungs as well, Tsukune shivering despite his thick jacket.
"Wh-where are we?" he asked.
"We're entering the domain of the Yuki-Onna." Nurari smirked. "Get ready, kids, it's time for your first exam on how to survive in the youkai world."
"time to get my daughter back." Tsurara said, cracking her knuckles.
"Be warned." Nurari looked over at her. "You know who's behind this kidnapping. Don't expect this to be a walk in the park. Expect to have to fight for every ounce of the journey."
"Oh, I know." Tsurara slung her gun over her shoulder. "I plan to."
"Good." Nurari said, smirking with a chuckle. "Because here's your stop."
"Good." Tsurara said, stepping out of the bus like a badass, pulling out another gun and stepping out to see a small army of frost creatures. Their bodies were made of solid ice and their yellow eyes glowed with bloodlust.
"Sent the frost beasts, eh Yukia?" Tsurara cocked both guns, stepping forward, Tsukune and Moka stepping out, gasping at the army of creatures.
"Hit 'em hard and hit 'em good." Tsurara began to open fire on the creatures, Tsukune shooting a couple as well. Moka ran forward, punching them in their icy bodies, kneeing them and shattering some. The creatures swarmed around them, driving the three into a small triangle.
"Surrounding us, eh?" Tsurara smirked. "Nice try. You two, duck!"
Moka and Tsukune ducked as Tsurara pulled out a small vial. She threw it on the ground, the vial exploding in a ring of fire, surrounding the three as Tsurara stood there, guns blazing as she fired round after round into the frost creatures, shattering them and sending them flying into other creatures.
The ring of fire was melting those that got too close, but when it melted, Tsurara charged forward, firing a line straight through to reach the end of the line.
"Run, you two!" She called back to Moka and Tsukune. Moka picked up Tsukune, taking off in a small sprint, easily catching up with Tsurara.
"We're heading straight for her fortress." Tsurara said, the two looking up to see a large structure entirely made of ice.
"Is that where Mizore is?" Moka asked.
"Most likely." Tsurara said, gritting her teeth. "Now, let's get going!"
"Right!" Moka and Tsukune nodded, running with her as the icy haired woman mowed through lines of the frost creatures like they were nothing.
"Say" Tsukune said as he ran. "What are these things?"
"Basically drones." Tsurara said. "They are basically mindless lumps of ice that fight for the queen, in this case, the snow priestess."
"Snow priestess?" Moka asked.
"Yukia." Tsurara said. "A woman whose heart is so cold this place is like hell in comparison. So, pretty evil. We need to get Mizore back quickly!"
With Mizore
"It is time for me to transform you into your new form." The woman, the snow priestess, Yukia, said, stroking Mizore's face. In her hand appeared a frost covered vial that seemed to have something moving inside of it. Another appeared that had an icy blue liquid inside. Mizore stared in horror at the two, not knowing what either was, but knowing it wouldn't be pleasant for her if all was said and done.
"I'm sure you're wondering how this process works." Yukia smirked an evil smirk at Mizore.
Mizore's eyes widened as she began to weakly struggle, her every fiber of her being trying to help her escape the restraints that held her fast to the table. She began crying anew, her muffled sobs bringing a laugh to her captor's lips.
"Struggle and cry all you want." She said. "You cannot escape your destiny."
This made Mizore cry harder, her struggles renewing themselves.
"Oh, don't worry, my dear." Yukia placed a freezing cold hand on Mizore's chest, holding her down. "It'll only hurt for a bit. Then, it will all be gone. All of the pain, all of the emotion, all of the love. So don't cry for losing your friends and family. Once you become a Yuki-Onna, you won't even remember your feelings for them."
Mizore mumbled out a tearful statement similar to 'why are you doing this?'.
"Because you are going to become part of something big." Yukia laughed. "You're going to become a true being of war, a youkai capable of taking on any foe, including a vampire. You will be unstoppable, and I will be the one who will give you the strength to do so."
Mizore shook her head in fear, Yukia laughing even harder.
"Oh, come now." She said. "You'll experience the true abilities. Now, let's see which you get first. Let's use the spirit first."
She opened the ghostly blue vial, a smoky form that seemed to be crystalline, yet gaseous, moving with a smoky pattern towards Mizore. It landed on her chest, moving towards her nostrils. Mizore tried to fight it, the gaseous form entering her nostrils, her eyes glazing over and her struggles becoming frantic as she fought harder. She felt her insides begin to grow colder, her skin gaining the slightest blue tint, her hair becoming more solid, ice like.
When the smoke reached her heart, she let out a muffled shriek of purest pain, feeling the cold spike into her heart, her very being, her very soul.
"Funny how you're becoming something much more than the pitiful human you were previously." Yukia laughed. "Now, you're becoming a true representation of yourself, an icy cold youkai created to bring cold and darkness, ruling the whole of the youkai."
She ripped off Mizore's gag, the painful, pained screams of Mizore ripping through the walls, the sound so loud, it may could be heard outside of the fortress.
With Tsukune, Moka, and Tsurara
"Mizore!" Tsurara shouted, running faster.
"What's wrong?!" Moka yelled, pulling Tsukune along.
"Something's wrong with Mizore!" Tsurara shouted. "I can feel it! Hold on, Mizore! I'm coming for you!"
"We all are!" Tsukune added.
"We'll save you, Mimi!" Tsurara shouted at the fortress, the three trudging through the snow.
With Mizore
Mizore's screams reached a new high as her body continued its transformation.
"Now, to add a little blood to aid in the transformation." Yukia smirked, a long nail making a wound in Mizore's forehead, a strange energy emerging from her nail, preventing the blood from rising to the surface. Yukia poured the contents of the second vial into the wound, Mizore's forehead beginning to throb as she screamed anew with this new transformation taking place in addition to whatever the icy smoke was changing her body. She screamed in pain as she felt like her body was being ripped apart, piece by piece, being reformed into the twisted freak this woman expected her to be.
Her eyes, which she had been clenching shut tight, shot open with a force uncontrolled by her. They were still an icy blue, but they seemed more lifeless, more crystalline. They looked dead and hollow to the outsider, and it may very well have been true. She felt her mouth freeze solid, cold, sublimated air blowing from it in a small trickle.
"It looks so perfect." Yukia said. "More perfect than even the last ones I created. You truly were special. Your soul is the purest soul I've found so far. It's going to hurt so bad to corrupt every square inch of it and turn it into my puppet."
Mizore continued to scream loudly, her voice becoming cracked with overuse as well as the strain she'd put on it from crying. She felt herself becoming colder and colder. Her vision began to swim and go black, slowly dimming as she felt there would be nothing left.
Her vision blackened completely, closing her out of the world. She felt as if she was locked in a cage that was closing in on her tightly. She struggled to escape, but to no avail. She could feel the outside world, could hear what was going on faintly, but she could interact with it no more than she could escape her bonds.
Then, all of a sudden, she felt… serene. A gentle calm, as if she were sleeping. The pressure of the cage was still there, but she could feel more of the world at this point. She was not completely shut out of her own body. She tried to move her body, to do something, but she couldn't.
Outside of her body, she had gone motionless, staring lifelessly up at the ceiling. She had an emotionless expression her mouth open slightly, no noise coming out. It was unclear if there was even breath coming from her body. She couldn't move.
"It is finally done, my puppet." Yukia said. "I finally have the tool I need to continue forth with my plans."
The priestess glanced to the side for a second.
"Well, puppet, it seems your allies have come to rescue you." She smirked, undoing Mizore's restraints. "How about we prepare to greet them?"
With Tsukune, Moka, and Tsurara
The three made it to the fortress, bursting through the door with a few grenades from Tsurara. They rushed through the fortress, trying to find where the priestess could have possibly taken Mizore.
"Where could she be?" Tsurara almost yelled. "She's got to be here somewhere!"
"What about this big red door here?" Moka asked, pointing to said door. "It's always a boss door in Mario, so maybe it's important here!"
"That's crazy enough to work." Tsurara shrugged, the three managing to pull open the door.
On the other side stood a figure with ice on her hands.
"If you want to get to the top, you have to beat the priestess' elite Yuki-Onna guards." She said in an emotionless tone.
What will happen to the group as they try to fight this gauntlet? Will Mizore be saved or is she too far gone?
Next chapter: To Thaw a Frozen Heart