After leaving the theatre, Riho and I walked slowly towards the apartment, taking as many detours as possible. The night air felt good, and we wanted to just spend some more time together. As we walked towards the park, we looked at the stars. The streets weren't as crowded now, and it was a clear starry night. A crescent, silvery gold in color hung in the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure walk out of the alley of the street opposite us. A flash of blonde hair was the only real detail, but I knew that particular figure too well. Cain. Riho and I kept going, heading into the park. As soon as I thought he was gone, I stopped her behind a tree. "He's here. I just saw him before we entered the park."
"Oh. I guess there's no avoiding him." She said eyes turned down.
I hugged her and stepped out from the behind the tree. and right into the waiting presence of Cain. "Hello Shido. I've come to warn you; to offer you one last chance. The Golden Dawn will break soon. Where will you be? At my side, or in it's wake? I'd quit this charade of yours and just get it over with. All mortals die. What will you do when, or rather, if your NOS friend dies, hmmm? How will you find another one to feed off of? Or will you return after she dies?"
"You stay away from her, Cain. I'm warning you." Cain laughed at this, disappearing into a shadow, as though he hadn't been there. Riho walked out from behind the tree.
"I guess we'd better go make sure she's alright then. After all, Cain would hurt her. He nearly killed me, and I was lucky that you were there." I turned to face her, and we walked out of the park. A cold wind now blew, chilling to the heart. Riho clung tighter to me, as I hugged her tight against me. Coming towards us, a teen walked at a leisurely pace. He wore no coat, but was easily recognizable. He was pale, skinny and silent. The boy from the school, the one who had been staring at the moon, smiled as he walked by.
We reached the apartment without further incident. Riho and I stormed into the apartment to find Yayoi standing there, holding a gun to my face. Her eyes were wide, as if in fear, as she lowered the gun slowly. Her eyes were wide, sweat beading down her face. "Yayoi, are you alright? Ms. Yayoi?" Riho walked over to Yayoi as I checked the room. I turned to face Riho as she cried out. Yayoi was leaning on her with her full weight, passed out. I walked briskly over to them and picked Yayoi up, laying her on the couch. At her neck were deep puncture wounds and I just now realized how pale she is.
"Riho, go call an ambulance. Now!!" I commanded over my shoulder to her. She turned and grabbed the phone dialing the number to the hospital. She spouted out the situation very hurriedly to the lady on the other end, "Help, she's really pale and she needs help and hurry!!!" Riho was barely able to say the address with her quivering voice, that I walked over to the phone and grabbed it, explaining in full the situation to the EMT on the other end, "My friend, she was bitten by something. I don't know how it happened, but when me and my girlfriend, whom you just spoke to, got back from our date, my friend Yayoi Matsunaga was lying on the ground. She's really pale and lost a lot of blood, but the wound's closed up. We need an ambulance immediately." I proceeded to give the address to our apartment, and hung up.
After the ambulance arrived, Riho went with Yayoi to the hospital. I put on my coat and went out the door. It had begun to rain, and the night was nearing one in the morning. I made my way to the park. There, I met a familiar group. They were combat ready, already transformed. I didn't know quite how they knew to be here, until Guni floated into view. "What are you doing here?" I asked, teeth clenched. My brow was shaking now; I hadn't wanted them to be here. They would get in the way, and Cain would figure out their ties to me. I was an endangerment to their lives, just by associating with them.
"We want to help you fight the Breed," replied Serena, "We want to keep it from killing again." Her friends nodded in agreement. I looked at them and shook my head.
I turned to walk away. Over my shoulder, I said to them, "The best way you can help, is by staying on your toes, and away from me and Guni. We're marked by someone more powerful than that Breed, and I'll be damned if one of you gets killed on account that you were trying to fight that thing with me." I left the park at a quick pace, heading down the street. Guni caught up to me, her face stern.
"You could've been nicer to them. They're only trying to help," she said. "You were there when Riho made her choice. She nearly died because of her involvement with me. Cain knows whom I associate with. He struck home with Yayoi, and caused me to turn Riho. I don't want it happening again," I had my fists clenched in my pockets.
"If they're with you, they would have a better chance of survival. You should realize that. Riho was caught away from you, not beside you." By the time Guni said this, I spotted black movement out of the corner of my eye. The Breed leapt at me, and for the first time since I'd gotten up, I felt a pain in my chest. I tossed the coat, flipping off the building as the Breed launched a bunch of dark tendrils at me. Guni flew up and away, trying to get a vantage point. I, on the other hand, understood now how to fight this one. I remembered back from an earlier case, as I ran up the side of a building with the Breed chasing me. I reached the roof, and jumped to the opposite side, creating my crimson blade. Landing, I watched as the Breed pulled itself fully onto the roof. It noticed my tactics, understanding somewhat, and condensed into a humanoid form. The boy. Pale, as though sunlight had never touched his body, because he couldn't let it. His eyes were red now, as opposed to the cold blue. He looked otherwise perfectly human and healthy. But now, he had an air of age around him, as though he weren't really a teenager. My eyes began to play tricks then, as the Breed shifted into the form of Riho, but not the real one though. Dressed in dark clothes, her hair was now a deep red. The Riho from the nightmares Cain had given me. I heard Cain speak to me then.
"Yes, Shido, I think you may be right about this Breeds identity. You may be very well correct, or if my guess of what you think is wrong, which I sincerely doubt it is, then you are wrong as well. This Breed is of my body. It is connected to me mentally, and therefore shares my every strength and weakness. It also has all of a Breed's strengths. You have met your match. Surrender to me. I may yet forgive you for your past defiance."
"Go back to Hell, Cain, and stay there this time!!" I tightened my grip on the sword and charged the Breed. It's form became an ooze, in human shape, and it's right arm swung up, morphing into a long blade. Our blades met, and it tossed me aside. I got up slowly, studying it. It swung it's left arm at me, and from across the rooftop it went from arm to a mass of tendrils, each armed with a deadly spike at it's tip. They split, becoming a black rain, and I jumped off the rooftop, diving to the street below. Guni slowed my fall, and I stood on the street, looking up as the massive Breed changed shape, becoming a demon slime that made it's way slowly down the side of the building. It's many tentacles secured hold of the building, and lashed out at the ground occasionally. "Guni, I need your power now. You keep going on about it, and now we need it." I didn't take my eyes off the Breed. Guni flew up higher, and began gathering energy, enough to destroy the thing. I shrugged off my blade, and began to gather my own vampiric energies, molding them into a form suitable to fight this thing. I'd only done this a few times, and this would weaken me severely, but it needed to be done. Footsteps and the noise of the beast faded. My sight became dark, violet in colour, with nothing hidden. I put my hand to my mouth, and bit open the main artery there. The blood flowed slowly, but picked up pace. It all gathered in my palm, forming an orb. I saw the various blasts of the elements hit the Breed, saw the chains of hearts attempt to bind it, and saw another force of power hit it. I released the orb, flinging it in such a manner that it flew up and above the Breed, scattering it's crimson jewels. "GUNI, NOW! DO IT NOW!" My voice was distant, but Guni was ready. She forced all the power she could into a single blow, forced it all at the Breed.
The effects were instantaneous. The Breed screamed at the impact, shattering windows for miles around. More people came to watch, more than I had noticed even there. Many ran. Few stayed, and those few were witness to the greatest demon to land on their doorstep. The black ooze that had been the Breed was now gone. Cain floated in it's place, his own power spent keeping it under control. He showed no sign, but as I was linked to him, I knew we were now evenly matched. Cain floated up and away. 'We will meet again, Shido. I have lost my patience with you for the final time.' I watched as he disappeared through the wall, and out of my perception. I noticed for the first real time since I began my concentration of power, that the Sailor Scouts were here. Guni landed on my shoulder, as the scouts ran over to me.
"We thought you could use some help. So, we came as fast as we could," said Lita. I blinked a couple of times, letting what she said register.
"Thanks. You shouldn't be doing this though. Guni and I would've figured a way to keep the thing distracted." I checked my watch. "Dawn will break in a few hours. I gotta go sleep for the a while, regain my strength."
"Sorry about Shido's lack of people skills at the moment. He's trying to talk, and control the need to feed at the same time." Guni sat on my head while saying this, yawning.
"Oh, ok. Well, cya later then!" They waved and ran off. Likewise, I made began to walk back to the apartment. I grabbed my coat, which was half a block away, in an alley, and got home. Walking in, Guni flew off somewhere else, and I collapsed on the bed.
"Oh. I guess there's no avoiding him." She said eyes turned down.
I hugged her and stepped out from the behind the tree. and right into the waiting presence of Cain. "Hello Shido. I've come to warn you; to offer you one last chance. The Golden Dawn will break soon. Where will you be? At my side, or in it's wake? I'd quit this charade of yours and just get it over with. All mortals die. What will you do when, or rather, if your NOS friend dies, hmmm? How will you find another one to feed off of? Or will you return after she dies?"
"You stay away from her, Cain. I'm warning you." Cain laughed at this, disappearing into a shadow, as though he hadn't been there. Riho walked out from behind the tree.
"I guess we'd better go make sure she's alright then. After all, Cain would hurt her. He nearly killed me, and I was lucky that you were there." I turned to face her, and we walked out of the park. A cold wind now blew, chilling to the heart. Riho clung tighter to me, as I hugged her tight against me. Coming towards us, a teen walked at a leisurely pace. He wore no coat, but was easily recognizable. He was pale, skinny and silent. The boy from the school, the one who had been staring at the moon, smiled as he walked by.
We reached the apartment without further incident. Riho and I stormed into the apartment to find Yayoi standing there, holding a gun to my face. Her eyes were wide, as if in fear, as she lowered the gun slowly. Her eyes were wide, sweat beading down her face. "Yayoi, are you alright? Ms. Yayoi?" Riho walked over to Yayoi as I checked the room. I turned to face Riho as she cried out. Yayoi was leaning on her with her full weight, passed out. I walked briskly over to them and picked Yayoi up, laying her on the couch. At her neck were deep puncture wounds and I just now realized how pale she is.
"Riho, go call an ambulance. Now!!" I commanded over my shoulder to her. She turned and grabbed the phone dialing the number to the hospital. She spouted out the situation very hurriedly to the lady on the other end, "Help, she's really pale and she needs help and hurry!!!" Riho was barely able to say the address with her quivering voice, that I walked over to the phone and grabbed it, explaining in full the situation to the EMT on the other end, "My friend, she was bitten by something. I don't know how it happened, but when me and my girlfriend, whom you just spoke to, got back from our date, my friend Yayoi Matsunaga was lying on the ground. She's really pale and lost a lot of blood, but the wound's closed up. We need an ambulance immediately." I proceeded to give the address to our apartment, and hung up.
After the ambulance arrived, Riho went with Yayoi to the hospital. I put on my coat and went out the door. It had begun to rain, and the night was nearing one in the morning. I made my way to the park. There, I met a familiar group. They were combat ready, already transformed. I didn't know quite how they knew to be here, until Guni floated into view. "What are you doing here?" I asked, teeth clenched. My brow was shaking now; I hadn't wanted them to be here. They would get in the way, and Cain would figure out their ties to me. I was an endangerment to their lives, just by associating with them.
"We want to help you fight the Breed," replied Serena, "We want to keep it from killing again." Her friends nodded in agreement. I looked at them and shook my head.
I turned to walk away. Over my shoulder, I said to them, "The best way you can help, is by staying on your toes, and away from me and Guni. We're marked by someone more powerful than that Breed, and I'll be damned if one of you gets killed on account that you were trying to fight that thing with me." I left the park at a quick pace, heading down the street. Guni caught up to me, her face stern.
"You could've been nicer to them. They're only trying to help," she said. "You were there when Riho made her choice. She nearly died because of her involvement with me. Cain knows whom I associate with. He struck home with Yayoi, and caused me to turn Riho. I don't want it happening again," I had my fists clenched in my pockets.
"If they're with you, they would have a better chance of survival. You should realize that. Riho was caught away from you, not beside you." By the time Guni said this, I spotted black movement out of the corner of my eye. The Breed leapt at me, and for the first time since I'd gotten up, I felt a pain in my chest. I tossed the coat, flipping off the building as the Breed launched a bunch of dark tendrils at me. Guni flew up and away, trying to get a vantage point. I, on the other hand, understood now how to fight this one. I remembered back from an earlier case, as I ran up the side of a building with the Breed chasing me. I reached the roof, and jumped to the opposite side, creating my crimson blade. Landing, I watched as the Breed pulled itself fully onto the roof. It noticed my tactics, understanding somewhat, and condensed into a humanoid form. The boy. Pale, as though sunlight had never touched his body, because he couldn't let it. His eyes were red now, as opposed to the cold blue. He looked otherwise perfectly human and healthy. But now, he had an air of age around him, as though he weren't really a teenager. My eyes began to play tricks then, as the Breed shifted into the form of Riho, but not the real one though. Dressed in dark clothes, her hair was now a deep red. The Riho from the nightmares Cain had given me. I heard Cain speak to me then.
"Yes, Shido, I think you may be right about this Breeds identity. You may be very well correct, or if my guess of what you think is wrong, which I sincerely doubt it is, then you are wrong as well. This Breed is of my body. It is connected to me mentally, and therefore shares my every strength and weakness. It also has all of a Breed's strengths. You have met your match. Surrender to me. I may yet forgive you for your past defiance."
"Go back to Hell, Cain, and stay there this time!!" I tightened my grip on the sword and charged the Breed. It's form became an ooze, in human shape, and it's right arm swung up, morphing into a long blade. Our blades met, and it tossed me aside. I got up slowly, studying it. It swung it's left arm at me, and from across the rooftop it went from arm to a mass of tendrils, each armed with a deadly spike at it's tip. They split, becoming a black rain, and I jumped off the rooftop, diving to the street below. Guni slowed my fall, and I stood on the street, looking up as the massive Breed changed shape, becoming a demon slime that made it's way slowly down the side of the building. It's many tentacles secured hold of the building, and lashed out at the ground occasionally. "Guni, I need your power now. You keep going on about it, and now we need it." I didn't take my eyes off the Breed. Guni flew up higher, and began gathering energy, enough to destroy the thing. I shrugged off my blade, and began to gather my own vampiric energies, molding them into a form suitable to fight this thing. I'd only done this a few times, and this would weaken me severely, but it needed to be done. Footsteps and the noise of the beast faded. My sight became dark, violet in colour, with nothing hidden. I put my hand to my mouth, and bit open the main artery there. The blood flowed slowly, but picked up pace. It all gathered in my palm, forming an orb. I saw the various blasts of the elements hit the Breed, saw the chains of hearts attempt to bind it, and saw another force of power hit it. I released the orb, flinging it in such a manner that it flew up and above the Breed, scattering it's crimson jewels. "GUNI, NOW! DO IT NOW!" My voice was distant, but Guni was ready. She forced all the power she could into a single blow, forced it all at the Breed.
The effects were instantaneous. The Breed screamed at the impact, shattering windows for miles around. More people came to watch, more than I had noticed even there. Many ran. Few stayed, and those few were witness to the greatest demon to land on their doorstep. The black ooze that had been the Breed was now gone. Cain floated in it's place, his own power spent keeping it under control. He showed no sign, but as I was linked to him, I knew we were now evenly matched. Cain floated up and away. 'We will meet again, Shido. I have lost my patience with you for the final time.' I watched as he disappeared through the wall, and out of my perception. I noticed for the first real time since I began my concentration of power, that the Sailor Scouts were here. Guni landed on my shoulder, as the scouts ran over to me.
"We thought you could use some help. So, we came as fast as we could," said Lita. I blinked a couple of times, letting what she said register.
"Thanks. You shouldn't be doing this though. Guni and I would've figured a way to keep the thing distracted." I checked my watch. "Dawn will break in a few hours. I gotta go sleep for the a while, regain my strength."
"Sorry about Shido's lack of people skills at the moment. He's trying to talk, and control the need to feed at the same time." Guni sat on my head while saying this, yawning.
"Oh, ok. Well, cya later then!" They waved and ran off. Likewise, I made began to walk back to the apartment. I grabbed my coat, which was half a block away, in an alley, and got home. Walking in, Guni flew off somewhere else, and I collapsed on the bed.
