NIGHTMARES FROM THE PAST-CHAPTER 9
By Red Star
NOTE: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.
Count Vlad Dracula leaned into the comforting shadows of the school across the street from the elementary school. He pulled a cigarette from his jacket, lit it, and calmly emitted a puff of smoke. Japan was an odd place indeed, strange enough to amaze even Vlad the Impaler.
After his cigarette was finished he tossed it into a nearby trashcan and dissolved into mist. The mist then fluidly moved down into a sewer grate.
Later that night…
Yue hovered behind his mistress and watched an impatient Kero circle around Li's head. "Where is he?" griped the Guardian Beast, "It's been five minutes since the sun set! What's he waiting for?" "I think it takes a while for him to wake up," answered Sakura, "You know, like me…" Kero looked at her oddly. "He's not that late." "Well…Hey!"
As Sakura and Kero began to drop into argument, the air behind Yue warped to reveal Dracula. "While I am confident that this argument is important for your private lives," said the vampire, "I suggest you hold it until we are finished tonight." Sakura and Kero stopped and looked down, somewhat ashamed.
The shrine's iron gates were rusted shut. Sakura looked past the gates. "Why did they abandon this place, anyway? It looks fine." "Apparently, the Priest was frightened away by 'evil spirits'," said Dracula as he approached the gate. Kero raised an eyebrow, "And those spirits were?" "A small nest of nosferatu. I believe they're mostly gone now." Dracula's pale hands locked onto the gates. The metal groaned painfully as he pulled them open. When he had opened the gate sufficiently wide enough, he stepped aside and made a bowing posture with his cape. After Kero had floated through, Dracula stepped onto the grounds of the shrine, and pulled the gates shut. He held up a finger toward the group, commanding them to wait. He reached into a pocket and pulled out some little white things. There were some sharp cracking noises as he stuffed them into the cracks around the gate. After finishing the unusual chore, Dracula turned back toward them. "Holy Wafers, Elizabeth will not be able to use this route of escape."
They approached the Shrine quietly. "All right," hissed Dracula, "Stay with the plan." Sakura nodded, cleared her throat and approached the Shrine. The night was quiet. Dracula stared into the darkness, his eyes betraying no thoughts.
"So, Vlad, I was wondering when you would come."
The Shrine's doors swung open to reveal a beautiful young woman with red hair. She was dressed in jeans and a tube top. She walked out and leaned against a door, smiling over at the Count. Dracula still showed no emotion. "How many years, Vlad?" "Twenty-five, I believe," he answered. Her eyes turned toward Sakura, who stepped back a little. Dracula, however, advanced toward her and glared at the vampire woman standing across from him. "Why resist me, Vlad? Is it wrong to desire immortality?" "You are immortal, Elizabeth," "You call this immortality, Vlad?" She ran a hand down her arm. "We're prisoners, Vlad! Free to walk for only the night time, and forced to rest in the daylight, when our enemies are able to hunt us down." She paused, and looked into Dracula's eyes, searching for some sign that he was listening. Nothing. "What do you want with Sakura, Countess?" Elizabeth stepped down the steps and headed toward the girl. "I want freedom, Vlad, a cure," She leaned over and smiled at the girl with a turned head. "I thought that, with so much power, she'd like to help a poor old woman. How about it, my dear? Come, now." She straightened and glared at Dracula. "After all, we are human too." Sakura shook her head and stepped back toward Dracula. Countess Bathory looked shocked. "What has he done to earn your loyalty? Don't you have any fear for him?" Silence. Elizabeth turned and clasped her hands behind her back. She looked into the darkness of the shrine and muttered, "Very well…"
Elizabeth Bathory put her weight on one foot and leaped backwards behind Li. Before the startled boy could react, the countess had grabbed him in a headlock and held Li's head so as to bare his neck to her. Her eyes, formerly a deep brown, were now a ghoulish red. When she spoke, Sakura could see newly grown fangs. "I tried to play nice, brat," she hissed, "Now, I am simply ordering you: Give me what I want or the kid here never sees daylight again!"
Sakura gulped and looked into Li's eyes. She could always see a constant spirit of bravery in those eyes. Now, there was some fear, but still that same courage. Dracula put a hand on her shoulder, never taking his eyes off of his quarry.
"Fine," Sakura said quietly, "What do you want?"
Elizabeth smiled and pulled back from Li's neck.
"There now…that wasn't so difficult, now was it? The Change Card…"
Sakura took it out glumly.
"Now, I want youth. Pure, unadulterated youth. The life force of this city's youth! Bring it to me!"
Sakura sighed. "Change Card…Bring this Countess life! Change Card: Release and Dispel!!"
Light soared out of the card and formed a mystical tornado over Elizabeth. Other lights began to appear and swirled into the tornado, absorbing into Countess Bathory. Elizabeth laughed, not a laugh of evil triumph, but a laugh of almost girl-like joy. Her goal was in sight…
Elizabeth Bathory's eyes turned back to brown. Her fangs vanished. And then, she felt something strange; a steady throb in her head. Putting a hand to her head, she felt for the cause until she touched her left temple.
It was pulsing.
Suddenly, Li broke free, quite easily for some reason.
She turned her eyes toward Vlad, as a dizzying feeling took over.
"How is it, Elizabeth?" asked Dracula, "It's been a while since you've been a Breather."
Elizabeth stared at the vampire, now the only vampire in the area.
"What do you mean, Vlad?"
"Ah, now, Elizabeth, it is ironic isn't it? We vampires survive on lifeblood; however, that does not mean we can tap into the soul itself." Dracula grinned. "Congratulations, Elizabeth, you are resurrected."
Bathory put a trembling hand to her chest, where she felt a heartbeat. Her heartbeat.
Then, Dracula's smile vanished. His eyes began to glow red.
"And now, your blood is good to drink."
Elizabeth shrieked and broke away from the magic, running toward the shrine. She felt something big pounce on her back and smash her into the ground. The last thing she felt was Dracula's teeth pierce her skin, and then go for her jugular.
It seemed to her that the blood flowing into Dracula's mouth was going too slowly…