Darkness and Light, Sorrow and Joy
by Ranma Inverse
-Alternate Universe-
Fushigi Yuugi
Chapter Three






Author's notes: Sorry for taking so long to write this one out? *dodges knives* T.T I said sorry!!!
Also...there is foreshadowing in this chapter. Much slightly-hinted foreshadowing. =D
. . .
"...When I was lonely, you're body touched mine so gently..." -Dark Of The Night, DJ Mystik & DJ Epic.
. . .
The sound of bars shutting, click of a lock, steps, and then an overly large door slamming shut and being locked. Miaka, Yui, and Tasuki looked around the tower they seemed to be locked in. "....Where do you think we are, Miaka?" Yui asked.

"Some sort of tower or dungeon, idiot," Tasuki pointed out grumpily, earning a glare from the blonde haired young woman.

Yui 'hmphed'. "I asked Miaka, not you."

Meanwhile, Miaka felt around the darkness and came upon something soft. She rubbed against it slightly to try and figure out what it was. There was a soft sort of rustling sound, like clothes. Her eyes widened and she backed away. "I-I'm sorry!"

The redheaded man and her friend turned her heads to the sound of her voice quickly. "What's wrong?" they spoke unison.

"I think I've found something...or someone. I'm not sure though...does anyone have something to give us a little light?"

"Oh! I forgot..." There was a small flicker, and then a small flame on a candle was lit, covering the room in a dim light. The candle was held by Yui, who smiled.

Miaka nodded and the three got closer to the crouched form. It was slumped over, back to the wall, in a sitting position. Long, silvery gray hair hit it's face from their view and cascaded around it. Tasuki blinked. "What'cha think that is? Human or Vampire?"

The form shifted, and slowly, it's head tilted upwards to meet their gazes. "It's V-A-M-P-Y-R-E, actually...but the real way of it has been forgotten to most, I suspect."

The three young humans backed away. "Th-then you're..." Yui gulped. Tasuki began to growl, but before anyone did anything, the silvery haired being raised a hand.

"I am neither human nor vampire. Not completely. I am a dhampir."

"Dhampir?" The three blinked simultaneously.

"A being born from both a vampire and a human," it paused, then raised it's head high enough for them to view golden eyes, almost similar, in a way, to Tasuki's own. "I must insist that you stop regarding me as an enemy, male human. That reminds me, what are your names?"

"I'm Yui," the blonde one spoke up, curious about this new person. Tasuki shrugged and relaxed from his fighting stance, his wounded form finding it difficult to keep it up, anyway.

"Tasuki. Yo."

The dhampir shifted and tilted it's head towards the brown haired young woman, hazel eyes and gold locked in a gaze for a moment. "And you?"

"Miaka," she smiled. This dhampir wasn't like the vampires she had ever known...perhaps she could befriend him. Friends were something people lacked nowadays. She held her hand out to the dhampir in a friendly manner. "And your name?"

"...Hotohori."

The young brunette nodded and repeated the name, liking the sound of it. Tasuki turned his head her way and pointed to the wall. "Miaka, how are we gonna get out? I'd prefer ta get outta here soon."

Before Miaka could speak, Hotohori rose and looked at them seriously. "You wish to escape?"

The three nodded simultaneously. The regal dhampir began to wear a small smile. "...Would you mind if I joined you, then?"

Tasuki began to object, but Yui spoke up, finally. "That would be wonderful!"

The hazel eyes young woman sat down and tried to think. Yui, Tasuki, and Hotohori sat near her and tried to come up with a plan.

And through much swearing on Tasuki's behalf, cheerful ignorant comments from Miaka, an almost easily distracted Yui, and a seriously thoughtful Hotohori, not much was done.

Not until a gag was inserted into fang-boys mouth, anyway.

. . .

"...Ready, everyone?" Yui checked once more. The small group nodded and began. The one barred window in the large tower, at the very top, Hotohori stood on as the other three climbed atop him. From the weight, Hotohori flinched.

"Remember, you two drop together into the closest tree and we meet at the place we mentioned." Yui and Tasuki nodded. "Yui, you have the majority of the..first aid kit, right?" Yui nodded again. "Good...Tasuki, I know this'll be hard because of your wounds...but if you want a real chance to get better..."

Tasuki cut the brown haired woman off. "I know, geeze. I can do this, it'll be easy." Miaka smiled and turned her face back to Hotohori, underneath her.

"...Let's go!"

. . .

The door burst open and a young man ran over to wear Nakago stood looking over maps. "Nakago-sama! The dhampir and the new slaves we caught are escaping!"

"...Then go after them. Do not act as if I need to inform you of something so obvious, slave. Tell Tamahome and Tomo."

The slave bowed and ran out the door.

The pen the blonde vampire held in his hands snapped in two from the pressure as he clenched it tightly. ...He would not let him escape...nor the one who didn't even know who he was...

Not this night.

Not ever.

. . .

Seperated from Yui and Tasuki now, Miaka and Hotohori slid through the forest almost silently. Suddenly, Hotohori stopped, grabbed Miaka and pressed them both to the ground as footsteps passed them.

"If we caught them again...do you think I could get the brunette? She looks easy to handle...and fun to break."

"I don't care, as long as I can find myself with that blonde human..."

Anger rose in Miaka, but when she tried to speak, a hand covered her mouth. Awhile after the footsteps and voices had gone out, Hotohori, holding Miaka, snuck over to a tree and stood up behind it, Miaka's back pressed to his chest, his hand still covering her mouth.

He leaned his head towards her ears and spoke quietly enough so that only they could hear. "...If I had let you speak, we both would have been worse than dead. Now, I apologize...but try not to talk again in a situation like that."

Miaka nodded and he released her. Their journey continued.

Hotohori stopped and raised a hand, motioning for the female behind him to stop. She did, and Hotohori turned, picked her up, kicked a caked-layer of dirt out of the ground to reveal a sort of...tunnel. She couldn't see where it led, for it was too dark. Miaka looked up at the dhampir questioningly.

"Crawl through it, at the end is a small, open area, wide enough for us to sleep in while the search dies down. It's getting to the point in the night where vampires find it easiest to search out their prey. Unfortunately, we are the pray. Now, go."

Miaka nodded and did so, and shortly after, Hotohori came as well. "Well, I blocked the entrance, so they won't find us. Stop looking so worried, remember in the plan, Tasuki and Yui have a place like this as well," Hotohori spoke.

"How did you know these two small cave-like things were here?" Miaka asked.

The regal looking man's expression turned solemn. "When I was a child...before I was a prisoner, I dug these to play in as 'fortresses', I suppose you one could call them."

The brown haired young woman 'oh'ed and turned her back to him, laying down, using her hands as a pillow. "Well, good night."

Hotohori turned is own back to her and did the same. "..If only," was his quiet reply.