Das Gewahlte
by RikkuChic9
***
(Author's notes: All the same stuff. This chapter is actually WAY more dialed down from the last one. There's really only blood, medium violence, and minor drug/alcohol content. This one has a bit of angsty Ken, but more at the end. I noticed that I didn't have this earlier: there's you know, vampire violence, vampirism, and blood... this chapter has a bit, but later it will go up, too.
Disclaimer: I have absolutely NO ownership of Weiss Kreuz or any of its characters and such.)
***
Ken skipped past Youji's room and almost made it across Omi's closed door, until the frame flew open knocking his face in. Omi scanned outside his little lair finding Ken rubbing his red nose.
"Oh, sorry about that Ken." Omi walked like a zombie towards the kitchen leaving Ken in pain.
"Man, what is it with everyone around here lately?" As Ken stalked down the hallway, he noticed Youji coming out and slamming the door to Aya's room rather roughly.
The former J-Leaguer cleared the way quickly as Youji stormed past him. Youji was trying to calm himself after a not-too-pleasant chat with the red head.
***
The brown-haired boy took up his usual spot in front of the television spralled out on the sofa. Despite the cruel irony, Ken still loved to watch Soccer with much interest while nimbling on some jellied bread.
Omi had rushed to school a little before Youji had, strangely early, left to open up shop this morning. He had a feeling Aya had still lurked around which may have been the reason Youji hadn't.
Aya and Youji did seem to act distant the whole day while at the shop as if they were purposely avoiding each other. Omi seemed like he was uncomfortable about everything for some reason, too...
"Whatever..." Ken didn't feel like pre-occupying himself with their problems.
Aya poked Ken lightly on the shoulder making him turn around.
"I'm off to bed."
"Oh... Sure. Hai." Speak of the devil...
Ken sat taking a deep breathe in relief hearing Aya go down the hallway. He turned off the tube getting up thinking that he should probably hit the hay, also.
"Hmmm... Now that I think about it... I'm not all that tired, yet." The teal-eyed boy grinned playfully.
***
After parking his motorcycle outside, Ken entered the small pub that he always came about on his spare time. He took up his usual seat at the counter with his typical drink. Although it was quite late in the evening, Ken felt pretty awake which wasn't very normal for him.
"Is this seat taken?"
Ken spun around to encounter a lovely and, surprisingly, completely dressed woman standing behind him smiling.
"Iie..." He only stared at her not blinking.
Her hair was a long silky jet black, but with extremely pale blue, almost silvery, streaks all colored into it. Her skin was moonlight pale and flawless. She wore a light blue sweater which highlighted an aquamarine ring on one of her well manicured hands with nails almost like crystal glass. Her ankle-length dress was just as black and silky as her hair.
Ken watched her sit next to him and then turn to him blinking once.
"... Hi." She smiled softly.
He noticed that the only make-up she seemed to wear was an extremely pale shade of pink on her lips and a light silvery blue eyeshadow. The shadow accented her equally pale eyes of the same silvery blue shade. They were probably contacts, but something about them said they were natural... Ken found them eerie, but strangely beautiful and radiant.
"... Konbanwa..." Ken tried to snap out his embarassing daze.
The woman giggled softly which seemed to kick him back to his senses.
"What?" The brown-haired assassin blushed.
"You're very funny."
"... Why'd you say that?"
"You're turning so red."
This made Ken sink in his chair feeling like a huge idiot in front of a gorgeous stranger like her.
"I'm sorry. I don't even know you and I'm being so rude."
"... No... No problem," Ken straightened up, "So you don't feel rude anymore, the name's Ken. Hidaka Ken."
"My name's Ming Yue, Ken. Not like you might care or anything."
"... You're not from around here are you? Well, with a name like that." Ken assumed with confidence.
"Yes. I lived in China for a while before moving to Japan." Ming Yue cupped her hands on the counter.
"You work here, then?"
"Yes. For a music company."
"Wow." Ken suddenly felt relaxed leaning a bit close to Ming Yue.
"So, what do you do?" Ming Yue glanced at him like a fairy.
"Oh, me? ... I'm a florist."
Ming Yue giggled a little and smiled.
"From the look of that motorcycle outside, I'd think you owned your own shop or something."
"Oh that. I like to ride, a lot. You like motorcycles or something?"
"I'm interested in mechanics somewhat, but don't own any really." Ming Yue rested her chin on the back of her hands.
"That's cool."
While Ken and Ming Yue chatted away, it seemed hours, but only thirty minutes had passed when she got up from her seat.
"Gotta go so soon?" Ken looked confused and disappointed at the same time.
"Business. Oh!" Ming Yue quickly scratched out something on a piece of paper, "here's my home phone and apartment address. Just incase you wanna call or come by some time if I'm not here."
"Maybe tomorrow afternoon or-"
"No." Ken looked surprised by her quick dejection to his suggestion.
"I'm too busy during the day at my job. Maybe the evening, anytime."
"Alright." Ken waved a little to the moon-like Chinese as she strode out into the night.
***
"Ken! Hello! Hey, Ken-ken!"
Ken awoke from his day-dream from Youji's yelling.
"Don't call me that."
"He's normal." Youji walked off with a bright Sunflower from who-knows-where fighting off the usual horde of teenage fan girls.
Ken seemed a little strange trying to function in the shop that day after last night. All his mind seemed to want to think about was Ming Yue...
"Ken! I asked you to get those two orders of Sweet Peas! Please, don't just stand around!" Omi was stressing himself over the crowd.
"Oh-hai."
When the brown-haired boy entered the back room, Aya was at his usual post. Watering the flowers down.
"Tough crowd?"
"Exactly." Ken walked his way back into the main area not caring that Aya was taking the easy job, like always.
When Ken came in some random girl was standing outside the door, when he bumped into her softly with his bare arm and she fell back slightly onto it with her hand.
Ken's body jolted a bit violently as he immediately experienced an incredibly strange and cold feeling, almost intense pain, occur from their continued contact. He didn't notice the girl fall to the floor after the few seconds and a few other girls screaming and crying. Ken felt a cold flood of emotion and thoughts rush into his body to the point where he dropped the two flowers with a crash. He dropped from the intensity.
Ken couldn't keep much of anything in focus as people were shouting to call the ambulance or anyone. The teal-eyed boy just blanked out mumbling nonsense.
"Mitsu... Keiko...aaa..."
***
Ken awoke on his bed surrounded by his fellow assassins.
"Nani...?"
"There was quite a scene at the flower shop this afternoon." Omi looked a little annoyed and nervous.
"What do you mean...?"
"The ambulance came for that girl. You do remember that, don't you?" Omi kept his glance.
"...Keiko...? ... Goes to Mitsu High... Dad divorced... Mom and sisters..."
"What are you talking about, Ken?" Omi really appeared peeved.
"Keiko? The girl...?" Youji was the only one to stand up and go up to Ken touching his head and arm.
"... You feel anything from that, Ken-ken?"
"... No... Quite calling me that..."
"He'll be fine. Just tired and got worried over that girl probably."
"Hey, what happened to Keiko... that dog... her's..."
"She just had a seizure or something, but she was fine afterwards. Well, the nurse said that." Youji looked at Omi and Aya who just nodded.
"Get some rest already." Aya scowled a bit leaving.
"Don't have any understanding for him, either?" Youji whispered like venom to himself.
Omi moved as Youji's death flame toward Aya re-ignited when he whipped past Ken's door.
After Omi left Ken's room quietly, Youji stopped him in the hall.
"Are you going to lecture me some more about 'that' business?"
"No. I was gonna fill you in on what I believe is up with Ken." Youji flicked his hair a little.
"Then what?" Omi put his hands on his hips.
"His mind's too damned jumbled up for some reason at the moment, which I think I may know why, but it seems too unlikely..."
***
Mommy! Mommy! My doggy!
'... That... MY dog...'
She must have eaten something bad, dear.
What's wrong with Miki, Mommy!
'... Stop crying...'
I knew that mean man did it! He made Miki go away forever!
'I-I... What the hell is going on...'
That stupid man had sprayed poison and killed my dog when I was just a little girl.
It's no big deal anymore Keiko! Come on let's go to that flower shop that just opened. The flowers'll might cheer you u-
Will you all just shut the hell up!
'What's wrong...?'
Those boys at the flower shop are so nice... and not too hard on the eyes either.
See, told you you'd feel better... even if it wasn't the flower-
Oh shut up!
'... She looks so happy... laughing.'
Why couldn't Daddy stop drinking that stuff, Mommy?
'... Da... d?'
He couldn't stop throwing things around you and your sisters... so him and I told each that it would be best if you grew up away from him, Keiko.
I want Daddy back!
"Stop it!"
Ken looked down at his arm which for some reason was extended out as if he were trying to reach someone. He calmed a bit noticing that he was still in his bed... in his room and seeing the night sky outside and lights. He breathed slower and placed his hand on his moist forehead.
The brown-haired boy laid back trying not to think anymore. He closed his eyes to try and regain some sleep not pondering over... his strange dreams.
Ken failed to notice Youji sitting on his dresser who had silently watched him the entire time.
***
"She's not here today?"
Ken had raced over the following midday to the small bar he'd been to the two past previous nights. He seemed to really want to erase whatever he was feeling and all of the events that had happened yesterday afternoon from his mind.
The rest of the guys had went off to their daily obligations and left him to recover. Ken had awokened a while after they'd left and was hoping to, maybe, catch Ming Yue for lunch or something to get his mind out of everything.
"Nope. Now that you mention it she never really comes around her during the day. Mostly in the evening after workhours."
Ken stood there for a small moment putting his hands into his pockets. He touched a tiny folded up memo inside remembering what Ming Yue had said. His heart leaped slightly.
"Sankyu." His teal-eyes sparkled a little as he left swinging the doors.
***
Omi was the first to walk into Ken's room to check his condition after they'd closed shop.
"Ken-kun? You awake?" Omi pulled the covers back realizing that Ken wasn't there.
"... Um... guys?" Aya, surprisingly, got there first with Youji following.
"What?"
"Ken's gone. He left this paper." Youji came up and looked at the note Omi handed to him.
"What's..." Youji looked over it briefly and quickly got an urgent expression, "Shit."
"What?" Omi seemed a little confused.
"Omi, just... dammit... I didn't want to break you in like this." Youji pulled his dark blond hair with frustration.
Omi bit his lip getting an awful feeling in his stomach about what it could be. Aya knew the message... stepping out of that reality and into the hallway.
***
"I never expected you to really come around, Hidaka." Ming Yue was smiling sitting down next to Ken on a, quite large, red sofa.
Ken was surprised since Ming Yue had put her living conditions in a pretty modest way. The "apartment" was more of a luxurious penthouse. She had quite a few eerie chinese-style paintings that were hung on walls of crimson red. There were curtains and couches of the same rich shade around the large living room. There was nothing, but a tiny balcony and silk curtains, paintings, and two sofas in the room. Nothing else really. His jacket was hung up in the hall, leaving only his white t-shirt.
"Told you I wasn't around until after night hours." Ken felt a bit dumb for searching the pub in the early afternoon that day.
"I just wanted to talk I guess. Kinda creepy stuff happened recently..." He rubbed one of his arms feeling slightly cold.
"Keiko? You shouldn't worry about that anymore."
Ken looked at her sharply with a very tiny suspicion and for some small reason, danger.
"How did-?"
Ken almost felt like her eyes were piercing into his which made him go silent. He winced at her cold hands touching his face, but couldn't resist whatever it was about her. He quickly found himself sunk into her soft red couch with her leaning over him cooing strangely.
"Please, Ken... I knew I wanted to have you when I saw you that day."
What the hell was she talking about? Ken knew he'd only meet the woman only two days ago and she suddenly wanted to make a move this quickly? He thought she was going to possibly rape him or something which he could easily avoid, but for some reason he didn't seem to be able to move or do anything. He felt sick when she began kissing down his neck.
'Damn, what a stupid guard down...' Ken didn't even expect anything.
"Ken... Don't be afraid, please?" Ken was wondering if she was expecting him to say something.
Ming Yue's eyes were probably the only thing that Ken was looking at at the moment, but turned his head away feeling like a complete idiot for such an easy mistake. When he'd turned away he felt a sharp tiny pain at the base of his neck and cold lips on his skin. He clenched his teeth a little at the shock and his eyes glazed slightly as he felt a disgusting, yet pleasuring warmth fill him.
While this went on for less than about a few seconds, Ken immediately felt the same strange painful force from when he'd touched the girl, Keiko in the flower shop. Ken pushed away roughly then opened his eyes when he saw Ming Yue picking herself off painfully from the floor at the opposite wall of the room. She was shaking a little looking at Ken who just stared wide-eyed at her from his nervous position.
"W-what did you do... to me?" Ken's lips seemed to shiver just slightly seeing the blood-red irises of her eyes and stained canines in her pale lips.
"Oh shit." Ken stumbled to the floor pressing one of his hands over his bleeding throat and gasping.
"Ken, why'd... how did you throw me... that strength... how?"
Ken's head was aching hearing and seeing different images of a small, pretty black haired girl run through his head who strangely resembled a young Ming Yue... The brown haired assassin clutched his head and was crying very softly beginning to mumble nonsense like he had before.
"Ken...?" Ming Yue was cut off when she reeled slightly, quickly ripped out of her neck, and dropped onto the floor... a silver dart.
Omi had his arm still aimed from his throw where he was standing in his assassin clothes in front of the balcony curtains.
"Just step away from the man, lady."
She turned around to find Youji, also decked in his assassin wear, playing with his wire in his gloved fingers.
Ming Yue was immediately alert of Youji after a short second.
"What business do you have here, Half Blood...?" Ming Yue didn't seem particularly frightened by Youji's presence, but didn't intend to let her guard down.
"That's what I was about to ask you, babe."
"What'd you do to Ken?!" Omi had a look of fury across his face towards the woman.
"I did nothing..."
"Don't go fibbing to the Slayer now, Mingy." This statement from Youji seemed to get a slightly nervous reaction from her.
"Slayer," Ming Yue glanced at Omi and back at Youji, "... you're his Watcher? ... Going against your own k-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Youji harshly pulled his wire with fangs clearly in view due to his anger.
"Guys...?"
Omi turned noticing Ken on his knees and pale trembling just slightly.
"Ken-kun?"
Omi didn't have time to react as something knocked him to the ground and Youji cursed himself. Ming Yue almost reached Ken as she was crying crimson tears, but was immediately stopped by an almost invisible burning silver wire held tightly by Youji. Ken looked up at her noticing her tears as the same color of her liquidy eyes.
No! Don't make me!
Ken blinked knowing somehow that he was experiencing Ming Yue's memories.
I don't want to be like you! I want to go back to my family!
Don't! Then... Just take me...
Mother, why are the neighbors dying?
Diease, I suppose, my child...
I'll do anything! Just spare my family and everyone!
The teal-eyed boy felt her fear when...
"... You became... a vampire...?" Ken glanced up at her, believing, but at the same time not... what he'd seen.
"Ken... I just wanted..." Ming Yue gave-up a little, "...we could never... you're that Slayer's... Keeper."
Ken blinked trying not to cry and was extremely confused by everything.
"Your gift... too rare for a Keeper... for anyone..." Her drops reached the floor, "... but I still... just wanted to be with you..."
Ken saw her head snap back just slightly and stared in slight horror as he noticed the silver arrowhead protruding from her chest. She smiled slightly at Ken as she fell and crumbled softly into a fine dust across the floor. Omi's arrow tumbled to the pile as he stood there shaking a little putting his crossbow down.
Ken finally pulled his hand from his neck noticing that it had completely healed and despite this odd discovery... he really didn't care to be shocked after all of it. He did feel a little wozy, but glanced up to see Youji pull off his shades. Before he blacked out in a dry misery, again, Ken noticed something about Youji's eyes, well... his irises.
'...red...?'
***
Ken heard Omi's alarm clock go off in the next room. He stretched a little as he rose out of bed and opened his eyes.
"What the heck are you guys doing in here?" Youji and Omi were standing next to his bed.
"How are you this morning?" Omi looked like he couldn't stand still.
"... Fine. Why?"
"... Do you remember anything?"
"Well, I had the craziest dream of my life... but that's all." Ken got up between them which made Omi move to the side quite swiftly.
"What?" Ken wondered why the heck Omi was keeping his distance from him.
"This is what."
Youji barely touched Ken's bare arm when the brown-haired boy swooned slightly. Ken felt a familiar rush of mental images and such like before, but less intense.
"... Then it wasn't a dream... was it?" Ken fell onto his bed and remembered Ming Yue's face... when she died.
"... This is proof that I wasn't meant... to be happy." His whisper didn't really reach anyone.
"She just wanted to turn you, Ken-ken... That's not true love."
Ken laughed a little to get things out of his system.
"How would you know, damn player." Youji for once smiled at this signaling that Ken was quite normal.
"So are you, you know, a vampire?"
Youji frowned slightly.
"Ken-ken, don't mistake me for one of them."
"He's only a half vampire Ken-kun. He's still human, though." Omi tried to help the matter a bit.
Ken looked up at Youji, who he noticed his eyes were back to their normal green.
"... I fed. Before we left to get you."
Ken didn't need any further explanation to his sudden answer... kinda getting the clue that Youji was probably telepathic or something...
"Youji already told me about you being my Keeper, Ken-kun."
"What's that?" Ken felt slightly informed about that also, but not as much.
"You'll always know where Omi is. You have a connection to the Slayer that I don't, so your link is stronger. Your sixth sense about him is unnaturally in tune, also. Your 'gift' seems to have permanently surfaced since last night."
"Wait, about that..." Ken saw that Youji already expected this.
"Ken. There's no name or anything for it because it's so, kinda ridicuosly, rare in an extreme nature. No one, but an insanely tiny handful of people are born with this power. You were just one of those lucky ones out of the million who drew the small straw. Basically, if you come into physical contact, meaning the bare skin, with someone else, you, in a sense absorb their memories, thoughts, everything about them. If you happen to touch a being that isn't human or just a supernaturally-gifted person, you'll acquire whatever powers they have, but only temporarily. The memories are the ones that stay with you forever."
Ken seemed a little surprised, but seemed to put two and two together.
"Some of the dangerous stuff about this... is that, if you were to stay in that special contact with a normal human being for too long it could end up fatal for them. If you touch 'em for a short time, the worst that could happen, is what happened to that girl in the shop the other day. A severe, but nothing too bad, case of fainting due to the exhaustion of going through it. Any longer would have someone end up in a coma. Too long in the contact, could result in the death of the person. For non-humans or unnatural-humans most of the them just end up either quite weak or significantly weak. It all depends on the length of contact."
This part made Ken feel more alienated than he'd wanted.
"What I suggest? Wear long clothes or something. Gloves are definately something you might want to start getting used to."
"Why all of that? Can't I control it or..." The look on Youji's face answered him.
"This power of yours went into permanent turn-on last night. Meaning there's no way for you to control it. Like to turn it off and on or anything. It's stuck with you. Forever. You can't make it go away, Ken."
Ken just looked at the floor.
"So is this the reason I had suddenly had that much strength to push her like that. The explanation for why my neck had healed that miracuosly, too. Why I keep hearing and seeing her flooding my mind. She'll never go away will she? Keiko either?"
"Ming Yue was just lonely from her two century long vampirism. She wanted you to be the one to keep her company for an eternity that's all."
Ken didn't seem surprised by the length of her life.
"Despite that, I'm going to have to get more used to this. You weren't wanting to make me fight a vampire that old so soon did you, Youji-kun?" Omi's blue eyes curiously stared at Youji.
"Well, if you look into those memories that you received when we made contact... you'll get the full low down." Youji seemed strangely cheerful as he strolled out of Ken's room.
"Ken-kun? It's confusing, but... well, you'll get it." Omi looked tired as he groaned at having to miss a day of school because of his first Slayer outing.
After Omi exited Ken's room, he realized that most of his shirts were tees or sleeveless. He remembered that his gloves were really only for biking or missions and wanted to get more casual ones.
Before Ken leaned back into his bed to think for a while, something came through his mind when he ran into a particular memory which made him sit up in a fury.
"So that's where my-!"
Ken ran out the door yelling hilariously.
"YOUJI!!!"
***
(Author's notes: Wah. Poor Ken-ken. Anyway, yeah you'll probably notice Aya's absence so far, but lucky for you, he's the star of the next chapter. *_* After that, the whole story will take off more quickly since I don't have to introduce and explain too much stuff anymore. Hope you enjoyed.)
by RikkuChic9
***
(Author's notes: All the same stuff. This chapter is actually WAY more dialed down from the last one. There's really only blood, medium violence, and minor drug/alcohol content. This one has a bit of angsty Ken, but more at the end. I noticed that I didn't have this earlier: there's you know, vampire violence, vampirism, and blood... this chapter has a bit, but later it will go up, too.
Disclaimer: I have absolutely NO ownership of Weiss Kreuz or any of its characters and such.)
***
Ken skipped past Youji's room and almost made it across Omi's closed door, until the frame flew open knocking his face in. Omi scanned outside his little lair finding Ken rubbing his red nose.
"Oh, sorry about that Ken." Omi walked like a zombie towards the kitchen leaving Ken in pain.
"Man, what is it with everyone around here lately?" As Ken stalked down the hallway, he noticed Youji coming out and slamming the door to Aya's room rather roughly.
The former J-Leaguer cleared the way quickly as Youji stormed past him. Youji was trying to calm himself after a not-too-pleasant chat with the red head.
***
The brown-haired boy took up his usual spot in front of the television spralled out on the sofa. Despite the cruel irony, Ken still loved to watch Soccer with much interest while nimbling on some jellied bread.
Omi had rushed to school a little before Youji had, strangely early, left to open up shop this morning. He had a feeling Aya had still lurked around which may have been the reason Youji hadn't.
Aya and Youji did seem to act distant the whole day while at the shop as if they were purposely avoiding each other. Omi seemed like he was uncomfortable about everything for some reason, too...
"Whatever..." Ken didn't feel like pre-occupying himself with their problems.
Aya poked Ken lightly on the shoulder making him turn around.
"I'm off to bed."
"Oh... Sure. Hai." Speak of the devil...
Ken sat taking a deep breathe in relief hearing Aya go down the hallway. He turned off the tube getting up thinking that he should probably hit the hay, also.
"Hmmm... Now that I think about it... I'm not all that tired, yet." The teal-eyed boy grinned playfully.
***
After parking his motorcycle outside, Ken entered the small pub that he always came about on his spare time. He took up his usual seat at the counter with his typical drink. Although it was quite late in the evening, Ken felt pretty awake which wasn't very normal for him.
"Is this seat taken?"
Ken spun around to encounter a lovely and, surprisingly, completely dressed woman standing behind him smiling.
"Iie..." He only stared at her not blinking.
Her hair was a long silky jet black, but with extremely pale blue, almost silvery, streaks all colored into it. Her skin was moonlight pale and flawless. She wore a light blue sweater which highlighted an aquamarine ring on one of her well manicured hands with nails almost like crystal glass. Her ankle-length dress was just as black and silky as her hair.
Ken watched her sit next to him and then turn to him blinking once.
"... Hi." She smiled softly.
He noticed that the only make-up she seemed to wear was an extremely pale shade of pink on her lips and a light silvery blue eyeshadow. The shadow accented her equally pale eyes of the same silvery blue shade. They were probably contacts, but something about them said they were natural... Ken found them eerie, but strangely beautiful and radiant.
"... Konbanwa..." Ken tried to snap out his embarassing daze.
The woman giggled softly which seemed to kick him back to his senses.
"What?" The brown-haired assassin blushed.
"You're very funny."
"... Why'd you say that?"
"You're turning so red."
This made Ken sink in his chair feeling like a huge idiot in front of a gorgeous stranger like her.
"I'm sorry. I don't even know you and I'm being so rude."
"... No... No problem," Ken straightened up, "So you don't feel rude anymore, the name's Ken. Hidaka Ken."
"My name's Ming Yue, Ken. Not like you might care or anything."
"... You're not from around here are you? Well, with a name like that." Ken assumed with confidence.
"Yes. I lived in China for a while before moving to Japan." Ming Yue cupped her hands on the counter.
"You work here, then?"
"Yes. For a music company."
"Wow." Ken suddenly felt relaxed leaning a bit close to Ming Yue.
"So, what do you do?" Ming Yue glanced at him like a fairy.
"Oh, me? ... I'm a florist."
Ming Yue giggled a little and smiled.
"From the look of that motorcycle outside, I'd think you owned your own shop or something."
"Oh that. I like to ride, a lot. You like motorcycles or something?"
"I'm interested in mechanics somewhat, but don't own any really." Ming Yue rested her chin on the back of her hands.
"That's cool."
While Ken and Ming Yue chatted away, it seemed hours, but only thirty minutes had passed when she got up from her seat.
"Gotta go so soon?" Ken looked confused and disappointed at the same time.
"Business. Oh!" Ming Yue quickly scratched out something on a piece of paper, "here's my home phone and apartment address. Just incase you wanna call or come by some time if I'm not here."
"Maybe tomorrow afternoon or-"
"No." Ken looked surprised by her quick dejection to his suggestion.
"I'm too busy during the day at my job. Maybe the evening, anytime."
"Alright." Ken waved a little to the moon-like Chinese as she strode out into the night.
***
"Ken! Hello! Hey, Ken-ken!"
Ken awoke from his day-dream from Youji's yelling.
"Don't call me that."
"He's normal." Youji walked off with a bright Sunflower from who-knows-where fighting off the usual horde of teenage fan girls.
Ken seemed a little strange trying to function in the shop that day after last night. All his mind seemed to want to think about was Ming Yue...
"Ken! I asked you to get those two orders of Sweet Peas! Please, don't just stand around!" Omi was stressing himself over the crowd.
"Oh-hai."
When the brown-haired boy entered the back room, Aya was at his usual post. Watering the flowers down.
"Tough crowd?"
"Exactly." Ken walked his way back into the main area not caring that Aya was taking the easy job, like always.
When Ken came in some random girl was standing outside the door, when he bumped into her softly with his bare arm and she fell back slightly onto it with her hand.
Ken's body jolted a bit violently as he immediately experienced an incredibly strange and cold feeling, almost intense pain, occur from their continued contact. He didn't notice the girl fall to the floor after the few seconds and a few other girls screaming and crying. Ken felt a cold flood of emotion and thoughts rush into his body to the point where he dropped the two flowers with a crash. He dropped from the intensity.
Ken couldn't keep much of anything in focus as people were shouting to call the ambulance or anyone. The teal-eyed boy just blanked out mumbling nonsense.
"Mitsu... Keiko...aaa..."
***
Ken awoke on his bed surrounded by his fellow assassins.
"Nani...?"
"There was quite a scene at the flower shop this afternoon." Omi looked a little annoyed and nervous.
"What do you mean...?"
"The ambulance came for that girl. You do remember that, don't you?" Omi kept his glance.
"...Keiko...? ... Goes to Mitsu High... Dad divorced... Mom and sisters..."
"What are you talking about, Ken?" Omi really appeared peeved.
"Keiko? The girl...?" Youji was the only one to stand up and go up to Ken touching his head and arm.
"... You feel anything from that, Ken-ken?"
"... No... Quite calling me that..."
"He'll be fine. Just tired and got worried over that girl probably."
"Hey, what happened to Keiko... that dog... her's..."
"She just had a seizure or something, but she was fine afterwards. Well, the nurse said that." Youji looked at Omi and Aya who just nodded.
"Get some rest already." Aya scowled a bit leaving.
"Don't have any understanding for him, either?" Youji whispered like venom to himself.
Omi moved as Youji's death flame toward Aya re-ignited when he whipped past Ken's door.
After Omi left Ken's room quietly, Youji stopped him in the hall.
"Are you going to lecture me some more about 'that' business?"
"No. I was gonna fill you in on what I believe is up with Ken." Youji flicked his hair a little.
"Then what?" Omi put his hands on his hips.
"His mind's too damned jumbled up for some reason at the moment, which I think I may know why, but it seems too unlikely..."
***
Mommy! Mommy! My doggy!
'... That... MY dog...'
She must have eaten something bad, dear.
What's wrong with Miki, Mommy!
'... Stop crying...'
I knew that mean man did it! He made Miki go away forever!
'I-I... What the hell is going on...'
That stupid man had sprayed poison and killed my dog when I was just a little girl.
It's no big deal anymore Keiko! Come on let's go to that flower shop that just opened. The flowers'll might cheer you u-
Will you all just shut the hell up!
'What's wrong...?'
Those boys at the flower shop are so nice... and not too hard on the eyes either.
See, told you you'd feel better... even if it wasn't the flower-
Oh shut up!
'... She looks so happy... laughing.'
Why couldn't Daddy stop drinking that stuff, Mommy?
'... Da... d?'
He couldn't stop throwing things around you and your sisters... so him and I told each that it would be best if you grew up away from him, Keiko.
I want Daddy back!
"Stop it!"
Ken looked down at his arm which for some reason was extended out as if he were trying to reach someone. He calmed a bit noticing that he was still in his bed... in his room and seeing the night sky outside and lights. He breathed slower and placed his hand on his moist forehead.
The brown-haired boy laid back trying not to think anymore. He closed his eyes to try and regain some sleep not pondering over... his strange dreams.
Ken failed to notice Youji sitting on his dresser who had silently watched him the entire time.
***
"She's not here today?"
Ken had raced over the following midday to the small bar he'd been to the two past previous nights. He seemed to really want to erase whatever he was feeling and all of the events that had happened yesterday afternoon from his mind.
The rest of the guys had went off to their daily obligations and left him to recover. Ken had awokened a while after they'd left and was hoping to, maybe, catch Ming Yue for lunch or something to get his mind out of everything.
"Nope. Now that you mention it she never really comes around her during the day. Mostly in the evening after workhours."
Ken stood there for a small moment putting his hands into his pockets. He touched a tiny folded up memo inside remembering what Ming Yue had said. His heart leaped slightly.
"Sankyu." His teal-eyes sparkled a little as he left swinging the doors.
***
Omi was the first to walk into Ken's room to check his condition after they'd closed shop.
"Ken-kun? You awake?" Omi pulled the covers back realizing that Ken wasn't there.
"... Um... guys?" Aya, surprisingly, got there first with Youji following.
"What?"
"Ken's gone. He left this paper." Youji came up and looked at the note Omi handed to him.
"What's..." Youji looked over it briefly and quickly got an urgent expression, "Shit."
"What?" Omi seemed a little confused.
"Omi, just... dammit... I didn't want to break you in like this." Youji pulled his dark blond hair with frustration.
Omi bit his lip getting an awful feeling in his stomach about what it could be. Aya knew the message... stepping out of that reality and into the hallway.
***
"I never expected you to really come around, Hidaka." Ming Yue was smiling sitting down next to Ken on a, quite large, red sofa.
Ken was surprised since Ming Yue had put her living conditions in a pretty modest way. The "apartment" was more of a luxurious penthouse. She had quite a few eerie chinese-style paintings that were hung on walls of crimson red. There were curtains and couches of the same rich shade around the large living room. There was nothing, but a tiny balcony and silk curtains, paintings, and two sofas in the room. Nothing else really. His jacket was hung up in the hall, leaving only his white t-shirt.
"Told you I wasn't around until after night hours." Ken felt a bit dumb for searching the pub in the early afternoon that day.
"I just wanted to talk I guess. Kinda creepy stuff happened recently..." He rubbed one of his arms feeling slightly cold.
"Keiko? You shouldn't worry about that anymore."
Ken looked at her sharply with a very tiny suspicion and for some small reason, danger.
"How did-?"
Ken almost felt like her eyes were piercing into his which made him go silent. He winced at her cold hands touching his face, but couldn't resist whatever it was about her. He quickly found himself sunk into her soft red couch with her leaning over him cooing strangely.
"Please, Ken... I knew I wanted to have you when I saw you that day."
What the hell was she talking about? Ken knew he'd only meet the woman only two days ago and she suddenly wanted to make a move this quickly? He thought she was going to possibly rape him or something which he could easily avoid, but for some reason he didn't seem to be able to move or do anything. He felt sick when she began kissing down his neck.
'Damn, what a stupid guard down...' Ken didn't even expect anything.
"Ken... Don't be afraid, please?" Ken was wondering if she was expecting him to say something.
Ming Yue's eyes were probably the only thing that Ken was looking at at the moment, but turned his head away feeling like a complete idiot for such an easy mistake. When he'd turned away he felt a sharp tiny pain at the base of his neck and cold lips on his skin. He clenched his teeth a little at the shock and his eyes glazed slightly as he felt a disgusting, yet pleasuring warmth fill him.
While this went on for less than about a few seconds, Ken immediately felt the same strange painful force from when he'd touched the girl, Keiko in the flower shop. Ken pushed away roughly then opened his eyes when he saw Ming Yue picking herself off painfully from the floor at the opposite wall of the room. She was shaking a little looking at Ken who just stared wide-eyed at her from his nervous position.
"W-what did you do... to me?" Ken's lips seemed to shiver just slightly seeing the blood-red irises of her eyes and stained canines in her pale lips.
"Oh shit." Ken stumbled to the floor pressing one of his hands over his bleeding throat and gasping.
"Ken, why'd... how did you throw me... that strength... how?"
Ken's head was aching hearing and seeing different images of a small, pretty black haired girl run through his head who strangely resembled a young Ming Yue... The brown haired assassin clutched his head and was crying very softly beginning to mumble nonsense like he had before.
"Ken...?" Ming Yue was cut off when she reeled slightly, quickly ripped out of her neck, and dropped onto the floor... a silver dart.
Omi had his arm still aimed from his throw where he was standing in his assassin clothes in front of the balcony curtains.
"Just step away from the man, lady."
She turned around to find Youji, also decked in his assassin wear, playing with his wire in his gloved fingers.
Ming Yue was immediately alert of Youji after a short second.
"What business do you have here, Half Blood...?" Ming Yue didn't seem particularly frightened by Youji's presence, but didn't intend to let her guard down.
"That's what I was about to ask you, babe."
"What'd you do to Ken?!" Omi had a look of fury across his face towards the woman.
"I did nothing..."
"Don't go fibbing to the Slayer now, Mingy." This statement from Youji seemed to get a slightly nervous reaction from her.
"Slayer," Ming Yue glanced at Omi and back at Youji, "... you're his Watcher? ... Going against your own k-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Youji harshly pulled his wire with fangs clearly in view due to his anger.
"Guys...?"
Omi turned noticing Ken on his knees and pale trembling just slightly.
"Ken-kun?"
Omi didn't have time to react as something knocked him to the ground and Youji cursed himself. Ming Yue almost reached Ken as she was crying crimson tears, but was immediately stopped by an almost invisible burning silver wire held tightly by Youji. Ken looked up at her noticing her tears as the same color of her liquidy eyes.
No! Don't make me!
Ken blinked knowing somehow that he was experiencing Ming Yue's memories.
I don't want to be like you! I want to go back to my family!
Don't! Then... Just take me...
Mother, why are the neighbors dying?
Diease, I suppose, my child...
I'll do anything! Just spare my family and everyone!
The teal-eyed boy felt her fear when...
"... You became... a vampire...?" Ken glanced up at her, believing, but at the same time not... what he'd seen.
"Ken... I just wanted..." Ming Yue gave-up a little, "...we could never... you're that Slayer's... Keeper."
Ken blinked trying not to cry and was extremely confused by everything.
"Your gift... too rare for a Keeper... for anyone..." Her drops reached the floor, "... but I still... just wanted to be with you..."
Ken saw her head snap back just slightly and stared in slight horror as he noticed the silver arrowhead protruding from her chest. She smiled slightly at Ken as she fell and crumbled softly into a fine dust across the floor. Omi's arrow tumbled to the pile as he stood there shaking a little putting his crossbow down.
Ken finally pulled his hand from his neck noticing that it had completely healed and despite this odd discovery... he really didn't care to be shocked after all of it. He did feel a little wozy, but glanced up to see Youji pull off his shades. Before he blacked out in a dry misery, again, Ken noticed something about Youji's eyes, well... his irises.
'...red...?'
***
Ken heard Omi's alarm clock go off in the next room. He stretched a little as he rose out of bed and opened his eyes.
"What the heck are you guys doing in here?" Youji and Omi were standing next to his bed.
"How are you this morning?" Omi looked like he couldn't stand still.
"... Fine. Why?"
"... Do you remember anything?"
"Well, I had the craziest dream of my life... but that's all." Ken got up between them which made Omi move to the side quite swiftly.
"What?" Ken wondered why the heck Omi was keeping his distance from him.
"This is what."
Youji barely touched Ken's bare arm when the brown-haired boy swooned slightly. Ken felt a familiar rush of mental images and such like before, but less intense.
"... Then it wasn't a dream... was it?" Ken fell onto his bed and remembered Ming Yue's face... when she died.
"... This is proof that I wasn't meant... to be happy." His whisper didn't really reach anyone.
"She just wanted to turn you, Ken-ken... That's not true love."
Ken laughed a little to get things out of his system.
"How would you know, damn player." Youji for once smiled at this signaling that Ken was quite normal.
"So are you, you know, a vampire?"
Youji frowned slightly.
"Ken-ken, don't mistake me for one of them."
"He's only a half vampire Ken-kun. He's still human, though." Omi tried to help the matter a bit.
Ken looked up at Youji, who he noticed his eyes were back to their normal green.
"... I fed. Before we left to get you."
Ken didn't need any further explanation to his sudden answer... kinda getting the clue that Youji was probably telepathic or something...
"Youji already told me about you being my Keeper, Ken-kun."
"What's that?" Ken felt slightly informed about that also, but not as much.
"You'll always know where Omi is. You have a connection to the Slayer that I don't, so your link is stronger. Your sixth sense about him is unnaturally in tune, also. Your 'gift' seems to have permanently surfaced since last night."
"Wait, about that..." Ken saw that Youji already expected this.
"Ken. There's no name or anything for it because it's so, kinda ridicuosly, rare in an extreme nature. No one, but an insanely tiny handful of people are born with this power. You were just one of those lucky ones out of the million who drew the small straw. Basically, if you come into physical contact, meaning the bare skin, with someone else, you, in a sense absorb their memories, thoughts, everything about them. If you happen to touch a being that isn't human or just a supernaturally-gifted person, you'll acquire whatever powers they have, but only temporarily. The memories are the ones that stay with you forever."
Ken seemed a little surprised, but seemed to put two and two together.
"Some of the dangerous stuff about this... is that, if you were to stay in that special contact with a normal human being for too long it could end up fatal for them. If you touch 'em for a short time, the worst that could happen, is what happened to that girl in the shop the other day. A severe, but nothing too bad, case of fainting due to the exhaustion of going through it. Any longer would have someone end up in a coma. Too long in the contact, could result in the death of the person. For non-humans or unnatural-humans most of the them just end up either quite weak or significantly weak. It all depends on the length of contact."
This part made Ken feel more alienated than he'd wanted.
"What I suggest? Wear long clothes or something. Gloves are definately something you might want to start getting used to."
"Why all of that? Can't I control it or..." The look on Youji's face answered him.
"This power of yours went into permanent turn-on last night. Meaning there's no way for you to control it. Like to turn it off and on or anything. It's stuck with you. Forever. You can't make it go away, Ken."
Ken just looked at the floor.
"So is this the reason I had suddenly had that much strength to push her like that. The explanation for why my neck had healed that miracuosly, too. Why I keep hearing and seeing her flooding my mind. She'll never go away will she? Keiko either?"
"Ming Yue was just lonely from her two century long vampirism. She wanted you to be the one to keep her company for an eternity that's all."
Ken didn't seem surprised by the length of her life.
"Despite that, I'm going to have to get more used to this. You weren't wanting to make me fight a vampire that old so soon did you, Youji-kun?" Omi's blue eyes curiously stared at Youji.
"Well, if you look into those memories that you received when we made contact... you'll get the full low down." Youji seemed strangely cheerful as he strolled out of Ken's room.
"Ken-kun? It's confusing, but... well, you'll get it." Omi looked tired as he groaned at having to miss a day of school because of his first Slayer outing.
After Omi exited Ken's room, he realized that most of his shirts were tees or sleeveless. He remembered that his gloves were really only for biking or missions and wanted to get more casual ones.
Before Ken leaned back into his bed to think for a while, something came through his mind when he ran into a particular memory which made him sit up in a fury.
"So that's where my-!"
Ken ran out the door yelling hilariously.
"YOUJI!!!"
***
(Author's notes: Wah. Poor Ken-ken. Anyway, yeah you'll probably notice Aya's absence so far, but lucky for you, he's the star of the next chapter. *_* After that, the whole story will take off more quickly since I don't have to introduce and explain too much stuff anymore. Hope you enjoyed.)