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The Shinma's Attack
Chapter 1
On a cold night in Gaea Van was standing outside on his balcony staring up at the 2 moons that hang in the sky while holding a pendent with a pink shaped tear drop stone on a gold chain in his hand and thinking about the girl that lived there as a light breeze blows against him. Hitomi.
That name never left his mind; it kept repeating it's self in his head like a broken record player. How he longed to see her again just to hear her voice, see her sparkling green eyes, see her smile. Van still wished that he had told Hitomi how he really felt when he had the chance, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Now he was regretting for never telling her and for letting her go back home without telling her in the first place. "Hitomi, I hope you're happy there." Van whispered to himself as he remembered when he first met Hitomi.
Van remembered her always staying in the shadows and never saying anything, only replying to people who spoke to her with a small nod or shaking her head slowly or mainly just not saying anything. She seemed so sad and lonely; at first Van thought it was because he had brought her to his world and she was upset about it. But then as time went on he came to think that it might be something else. He went to her room one night and found her on the floor crying her eyes out like a small child. She wouldn't tell him anything when he tried to comfort her. All he really got from her was "No. It's nothing really. I'm okay."
But Van wasn't about to give up until he got a good enough answer. He could tell by her voice and by the loneliness that could easily be seen in her eyes that she was upset about something. She spoke in the lowest, saddest voice he had ever heard. He would do whatever it takes to find out what was wrong till finally she spoke "Van! Please! It's nothing really. I..oh..!" Hitomi put her head in hands as more tears came down.
"It's okay Hitomi, you can tell me. What's wrong?" Van had said in a gentle voice while putting a supporting arm around her shoulders trying to calm her down.
"..I..I'm just not happy. I'm just never happy!"
With that said Van was determined to change all that and so he did. He spent more time with Hitomi and did his best to try and cheer her up and try to talk to her about why she was so sad. But Hitomi never wanted to talk about it so Van let it go. "When Hitomi is ready she'll tell me." He thought. "Besides whatever the reason it must really be bad if she doesn't want to talk about it."
Hitomi never did tell Van why she was upset, but did in fact change her mood. She became more active and talkative. Van even found himself liking her more and more as each day went by. Hitomi was really just something else. If Van only knew how right he was on that. Suddenly someone burst through Van's bedroom door yelling at the top of they're lungs.
"Vaaan-samaaa!! Vaaan-samaaa!!"
Turning his gaze from the Mystic Moon he soon felt someone pulling on his arm.
"Whoa Merle! Calm down! Your going to pull my arm off if you don't let go of me! What's wrong?"
Van's gaze soon met the teary blue eyes of Merle who stopped pulling on Van's arm, but kept a firm grip on him like her life depended on it. Merle had changed in the past 2 years, but not much she still was the same Merle at heart. Merle's pink hair was a little longer than before, it went down a little passed her shoulders, she was taller now so she could now see over Van's shoulder. Merle wore a dress that went down to her ankles and had short sleeves and it was the same color orange like the little dress she wore 2 years ago when Hitomi was around; and as always she had her ruby red nail file hanging around her neck.
"Oh Lord Van it was terrible! You must come quick!"
Van put a gentle hand on the cat-girl's shoulder. "Merle, relax! Just calm down and tell me what happened."
"Van-sama! There was another attack!"
Van's eyes widen in shock. "There what?! What was it this time?!"
"In the training room, two guards were sword fighting and then...and then!!" Merle began to choke up more tears.
"It's okay Merle! Tell me! What happened?"
"While they were fighting!! It was so fast Lord Van!! They didn't know what hit them!! I was passing by and I saw it!! This.thing!!...This shadow came out of the wall and opened it's mouth and swallowed them whole!! I heard it laughing and the men's screams!! I could see them struggling to get out of there, but it was no use!! What's happening Van-sama?! What are these strange creatures that keep attacking us?!! I'm so scared Lord Van!!"
Van pulled Merle into a tight embrace trying to calm her down. For about a month there have been strange attacks happening everywhere in Gaea and everyone is in a state of panic. There were creatures or most likely demons that no one has ever seen before attacking people without warning or mercy and no one can put a stop to it. Not even an entire army, for that was proven when Basaram was attacked. The demon was only 1 man and when the army charged him the man raised his arms high in the air and in the blink of an eye every man, but the demon was dead. Right after that an army of guymelefs were on him and they too in a blink of an eye were dead. "It's ok now Merle. It's over. Does the council know of this attack?"
Merle sniffed before replying. "No. Not yet. I came running to you first. But they might know now because others heard the screams and I ran pass people headed to the training room on my way over here."
"You did good Merle. I'm just glad that you're all right. No one is really safe anymore. I'm going to a meeting with the council to try and figure out what's happening and who's doing this and why. I want you to relax now understand?"
"Yes, Van-sama."
"Good. Go find the council and tell them I request a meeting at once."
"Yes Van-sama, but just promise me that you'll be careful. You never know when another could strike."
"I will Merle and you do the same."
With that the cat-girl licked/kissed Van on the cheek and left the room. Van turned his gaze back to the Mystic Moon and went in deep thought. It didn't make any sense at all. All of Gaea was at peace till the attacks began. Why was this happening? Why now all of a sudden? Who was doing this? How can we stop this? What are these demon-like creatures? Where do they come from? Those were the questions that all of Gaea wanted to know, but mainly it was how to stop the attacks. An army of men and guymelefs had no effect on them what so ever so what else could be done to put a stop to this?
"Hitomi, I'm so glad that you're not here right now. Things aren't safe on Gaea anymore with the attacks. I'm glad you're home. For I'm sure you're a lot safer and happier there than you would have been here."
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Truth was Hitomi wasn't happy nor was she safe. Even before she ever went to Gaea she was never safe nor was she happy. The Guardian was still out and about hunting for stray shinmas'. Oh how Hitomi hated the Guardian! Even when Van showed her kindness on Gaea and taught her how to understand human feelings, for that is something that shinmas' can never understand; but Van somehow helped her understand and it made her change her ways. However when Hitomi returned home, her wicked ways returned to her and she went back to being the shinma that she was born to be. Attacking humans and draining them of there blood, taking advantage of a human's heart and using it for her own evil desires. Even when Van had taught her how to love it still could not change her way of life. Evil, hate, pain, death, sorrow, was the life of a shinma. And the person who she hated most of all like other shinmas' was the Guardian!
The Guardian! A shinmas' worse nightmare! Everyday a shinma had to watch every move they make. The slightest thing could get the Guardian on they're trail and before they know it they will be back in the darkness to once they came. And for some unlucky shinmas' they never get the chance to make it back to the darkness alive. For sometimes in the process of sending a shinma back to the darkness it can kill them if enough power is used.
Hitomi could never allow the Guardian catch on to her. For Van's sake she could never allow it! What would he do if he ever found out that he would never see her again? That she had been sent into the darkness to remain there forever? Or that she had been killed in the process of her being sent back to the darkness? Or! What would he do, what would he say if he ever found out that she was a shinma? That was the only thing that Hitomi never wanted to think about. She was afraid of what the answer might be. Afraid. Afraid that Van would turn on her if he knew.
It was a warm night in Tokyo, Japan with a bright full moon high in the night sky a perfect night for hunting. Hitomi stood in the shadows behind a back ally waiting for her prey to come along. Hitomi hadn't changed at all. She still had light brown, short boyish hair and wore the same light tan color school uniform that she went to Gaea in.
As much as Hitomi hated it, she still went to school with other human teenagers. Hitomi really had no reason to go to school in the first place for she was never going to use the things they taught her there. The only reason she went to school was to blend in with her surroundings and make it easier for her to hide from the Guardian.
A few more moments had passed when suddenly a teenage girl with short brown hair, wearing the same school uniform as Hitomi, and looked to be about the same age that she was, was headed her way. Hitomi looked to be about the age of 17, but in truth she was over 100 years old. That was the up side of being a shinma, for you can remain a teenager forever and never grow up. But still a shinma would die eventually, but that is another reason why shinmas' prey on humans; it helps shinmas' stay alive much longer than they normally would. Which is 1,000 years or more. Or even less.
As the girl got closer Hitomi's hunger grew even more with each step her prey took. When finally the girl was close enough Hitomi stepped out of the shadows just as the girl was passing by. With half of her body still hidden in the shadows and the other half out so people could see her she spoke.
"Hey girl. What are you doing out at this time of night? It's not safe." Said Hitomi in a calm, low, emotionless voice. "You looking for something?"
The girl with short brown hair stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Hitomi.
"Oh? Well um no not really. I just came from the library and I'm now on my way home. I lost track of time so I'm a bit late."
"Oh. I see. Were you studying for finals?"
"Yes I was. How'd you guess?"
"Just a hunch. If you're studying for finals people often lose track of time. It happens to everyone."
"Yeah, I guess you're right now that I think about it. Hey, look I gotta go I'm already late as it is, but I see that you're wearing the same school uniform as me so maybe I'll see ya around sometime at school okay? Later." The girl then turned and then went on her way leaving Hitomi with an evil grin creeping across her lips.
"No girl. Ya see ya won't be seeing me around. Hell ya won't being seeing anyone else around ever again!" Before the girl had the chance to do anything, using her quick speed Hitomi ran up to the girl and grabbed her, holding her so she couldn't get away. Then once the girl's neck was moved to the side Hitomi snaked her fangs into her neck violently and began to drain her of all her blood. It was warm, rich, and bitter. Just the way Hitomi liked it.
Once she had drank every last bit of blood Hitomi let the lifeless body fall to the ground. Licking her lips she turned on her heal and walked off into the night knowing that any minute now people would soon be coming, for when she grabbed the girl she let out a scream which was loud enough to be heard from miles away. And if people were to come so was the Guardian, which was a good reason to get as far away as possible.
Later that night Hitomi had wandered off into the park. It was nearly midnight and for a long while she just stood there staring up at the bright full moon thinking about the boy who taught her a new way of life. Taught her that there was more to life than just death and pain, taught her how to love and the meaning of being a friend. That boy was Van Fanel. Van. That name never left her mind, it kept repeating over and over like a broken record player. She missed him more than anything and would do anything for him. All she wanted now was to tell him how she really felt and be with him forever.
But she didn't and hated herself for never telling him. But yet it was probably for the best. Van was a being who's very presences wouldn't cause the life any creature while Hitomi's would cause the entire world total chaos. She was a shinma. And that was why it could never be with Van. For who could ever a love a shinma?
Somewhere else not to far from the attack:
"It's a quite night wouldn't you say so Miyu?"
"Yes it is Shiina. Though a bit to quite for my liking." Replied an emotionless, sad female voice.
Two figures were sitting up high on a tall building gazing up at the full moon in the clear night sky. The one called Miyu was sitting with her legs hanging over the side of the building wearing a knee length white kimono with a purple sash tied around her waste into a large bow behind her back. She had long brown hair that was in a bun on the left side of her head with her hair in a brad tied with a red ribbon and wears nothing on her feet, but another red ribbon tied around her right foot. Her skin is pale and almost looks to be part of the walking dead, yet only in a very beautiful form. She has light brown eyes that sometimes will change to the color of a pale, bright yellow.
The one called Shiina was different however. She has a childish type of voice, but didn't look like a child instead she looked more like a rabbit. She looked to be about a foot tall with rabbit-like ears with black on the very tips of her ears. Her ears hung from her head over to the side, all but her right ear that hung over her right eye, her large right eye. Both of her eyes were different. Her left eye was small and normal, a nice ruby red and white. But as for her right eye it was yellow with red in the center and scary looking. She had short hair all over her that was the color of a VERY light pink that could almost be mistaken for white. Her tail really didn't look like a rabbits at all. It just went all over the place pointing in different directions. The creature that was called Shiina was sitting on Miyu's lap also looking up at the full moon and gave a tired sigh before replying.
"That's because the shinmas' have been active lately very strange if you ask me. It wasn't easy catching on to a shinmas' whereabouts, but now all of a sudden they keep on popping up. For some reason they have become more active. You think there all up to something Miyu?"
The brown haired girl's gaze never left the moon as she began to stroke Shiina's back. "No. That's not what shinmas' do. Shinmas' only look out for them selves and rarely ever help anyone else. They already have enough problems to deal with and don't want to have to worry about anyone else's problems."
"That is true." Shiina said as she closed her eyes. "But you never know when a shinma will appear all of a sudden and out of the blue cause some major damage."
"I know Shiina. But that is why I am here. It is my duty as a Guardian to stop shinmas' from doing harm and return them to the darkness. It's my destiny. My fate."
This wasn't the first time Shiina has heard Miyu talk of this and it sure wouldn't be the last. Shiina knows of what pain and sorrow Miyu has faced being a Guardian and knows that as time goes on she will have more to face. Miyu never wanted to be a Guardian; she never wanted to have this fate. Now that she is a Guardian her fate, her destiny is to be alone. Alone. All alone forever. Never to lead a normal life or much of a happy one.
When Miyu was growing up she didn't know that she was a shinma, a shinma vampire princess at the most. Her father was a Guardian and her mother a human. She didn't know her father very well especially since he died when she was very young. Her mother never really talked of him much to Miyu and she could never understand why until that one night when she discovered everything.
Miyu had learned of what her father was, of what she really was and that she was to become the new Guardian. On the same night that she became the guardian an evil shinma had attacked and killed her mother and everyone else that had been secretly protecting her until it was time for her to wake up and become the Guardian. The shinma that attacked knew of what Miyu was and wasn't about to let there be a new Guardian let lose to send stray shinmas' back to the darkness. The shinma that attacked was the first shinma that Miyu had sent back into the darkness.
After that night Miyu had been alone ever sense having no friends and no family. It wasn't after a long time that she met Shiina and later Larva who was a former stray western shinma. Larva came from the western world to take over Japan and to establish the power of shinma, but was stopped by Miyu and is now Miyu's loyal, faithful, servant and most of all her special friend.
(A/N Larva is said as Lava. The R in Larva is silent just thought I should tell ya.)
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
The quite night was suddenly shattered with a shrill scream over the city pulling Miyu and Shiina out of they're thoughts.
"Holy cow! Sounds like someone is in trouble!" Shiina had said as she raised her right ear reveling her right eye and gazed out over the city. Shiina's right eye had special powers that could help her located certain people or shinmas' if needed. Shiina's eye can also give her information on shinmas' and anything else she may need info on.
Shiina looked around in every direction while using her senses trying to pick up the cause of the scream then finally stopped and faced towards the left. "I've got something Miyu! There's a shinma at work here, about 7 miles that way!"
Without a word Miyu removed Shiina from her lap and placed her down at her side and quickly stood up and hurried away in the direction Shiina had said was the place where the shinma would be.
When Miyu arrived at the scene about a minute later she found a young girls body laying on the ground with her tan, dull eyes wide open plainly showing pure terror in her eyes. She also noticed that she had two bite marks on her neck with some blood, stains on them. Miyu bent down to the girl to get a better look at the marks on her neck and checked to see if the girl was still alive. She wasn't. Her skin had a dead pale look, all the color was gone and her skin felt cold indicating that all the blood in her body was gone.
"I see that I'm not the only vampire shinma in the city, there is indeed another."
"What do you plan to do about it now Miyu?" A mans voice had said.
"The same thing that I always plan to do Larva." Miyu slowly stood up with her sad eyes on the girl's body and speaks in that sad, low, emotionless, voice of hers. "Send the trouble maker home. I don't like stray shinma causing trouble in my new neighborhood."
The man called Larva appeared out of the shadows and right behind Miyu. He wore a midnight black, baggy cloak with a hood over his head and wore a white mask with black, thin teardrops that were upside down, each one under his eyes. He also had two more, thin black, teardrops that were right side up each above his eyes on his mask.
"Any clues as to how we can catch this vampire before it strikes again?"
"No. All we really can do is wait. Wait for it to show it's self and hope that we get it before it takes the life of it's next human target. Other than that we can't really do anything else, the damage is done. This human's life is gone and there's nothing we can do about it. Our job is to catch stray shinma and nothing more, we can't fix the problems that a shinma may have caused."
With that said they turned and walked away into the night ready for the next time that a shinma should appear.
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Back on Gaea:
After Merle had informed Van's council that he wished to have a meeting she ran to her room and closed the door, locking it. She stood there for a moment in the dark with her back up against the door staring off into the darkness and taking deep breaths. It was at that moment that she felt another presence in the room.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
There was no reply expect the sound of a slight laughter that could barely be heard unless of course you were a cat. The cat-girl began to walk slowly toward her bed while looking around the room for any sign of movement. "Who's there?!" Merle repeated only this time with more fear in her voice.
"Your only loyal friend that's who." The voice was female and raspy and sounded almost dead and the voice spoke slowly.
Merle gasped as the room suddenly became much colder and wrapped her arms around herself while still looking around in search of movement. She knew who it was that had come to haunt her, but then again she didn't. For the past 2 weeks Merle had been having this strange in counter with something of the unknown and it not only scared her, but it also gave her comfort. She didn't know why it did it just did and yet when it wasn't giving her comfort it would also bring terror and bring evil thoughts and bad memories into her mind and say such horrible things. No matter how hard Merle would try she just couldn't escape it, it just would never leave her alone like it was drawn to her by some force. Once or twice she had tried to tell Van, but whenever she tried the words would never come out and she'd suddenly forget how to speak and then she'd hear a voice inside her head laughing at her effort for help. Van was worried about his life long friend, but Merle didn't want him to worry about her well being so she told him that everything was all right and that he should just forget it. Still from time to time Van would ask if everything was all right and she would answer always the same "Yes, Lord Van! Everything is just fine stop worrying about me after all it's my job to worry about you!"
Slowly Merle fell to her knees with her arms still around herself and put her back up against her bed slightly shivering. By the way things were going at the moment she could tell that tonight the unknown hadn't come to give her comfort.
"You're not my friend!" Cried the cat-girl. "You never were! Go away!!"
Faint laughter could be heard through out the entire room making it imposable to tell where the voice is coming from. "Ah, but you see my dearest.frieeennnnd.I am your frieeennnnd. Your only true frieeennnnnd." Came the raspy dead female voice.
The cat-girl put her hands over her ears and slammed her eyes shut in hopes to drown out the voice, but it was all in vain for the voice could easily go inside her mind. "NO!! You are no friend of mine!! Van is my friend and so is Allen, Dryden, and Melerna!!"
"Wrong giirrrl! Van and the rest are no friends! Allen barely even knows you, Melerna is nothing but a stuck up Princess who can't afford to waste her time on low life beast people. Dryden is a man who would waste no time or money on you and Van! If Van really cared about you like he says he does then he wouldn't have his heart stuck on some woman who isn't even here and hasn't been here for two years!"
"No! Van does care about me we've known each other since we were children we're like brother and sister!"
"Yes, but haven't you always wanted more from him than brotherly love? Go on and say it. You can't lie to me there isn't a thing about you that I don't know about. Say it!"
Tears began to fall down Merle's face as she barely manages to answer. "Y- yes.."
"And did he ever take the time to notice?"
"N-no."
"Then tell me what that's suppose to mean?"
"That Van..Van..doesn't..doesn't.."
"Van doesn't.."the voice said with a grin.
"That Van doesn't care."
"That's right. Now you are beginning to understand no one here in this world cares about you. No one ever has! This whole time people have been using you and you were just there. But not anymore for that is why I have come."
"Why.have you.c-come?"
"To be you're friend that's why. To help you make it through all this pain and suffering. I'm here for you."
Once again like many times before Merle began to fall deeper and deeper into the power of the voices words. `My only loyal friend. Van is not my friend I have no friends. Wait!` This time however she snapped out of those thoughts and opened her eyes. "How dare you lie to me!! How dare you try to trick me!!" the cat-girl yelled in anger as she stood up straight with her fists balled up.
"Van is my friend he always has and always will be!! So what if he doesn't have the same feelings for me, as I do for him that doesn't mean that we can't still be friends!!"
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Think what you may, but soon you won't think that! In time you will see the truth that I am you're only true friend."
"Never!! You're just some creep trying to ruin my friendship and turn me into.into some kind of slave for you! Well here me now because it won't work! I'll never give into these lies! NEVER!!"
"We shall see friend, we shall indeed seeeee.."
With that the room went back to normal and the voice was gone. Sighing with relief and glad that it was over..for now the cat-girl fell straight on her bed right into a deep sleep. Every time the voice had visit her she would always feel so tired like she was losing her strength and every time the voice had disappeared she would always right after fall into a deep sleep.
Moments later the room became cold again and this time a figure could be seen, but yet it wasn't much of a figure more of a woman's shadow in the faint moonlight. The shadow glided over to where Merle slept and it's red giant lips turned into an evil smirk. The shadow covered Merle from head to toe with a dark force field and began to drain her life force slowly away.
"Soon my friend, sooooon you shall seeeee my true power. The power of shinma."
The Shinma's Attack
Chapter 1
On a cold night in Gaea Van was standing outside on his balcony staring up at the 2 moons that hang in the sky while holding a pendent with a pink shaped tear drop stone on a gold chain in his hand and thinking about the girl that lived there as a light breeze blows against him. Hitomi.
That name never left his mind; it kept repeating it's self in his head like a broken record player. How he longed to see her again just to hear her voice, see her sparkling green eyes, see her smile. Van still wished that he had told Hitomi how he really felt when he had the chance, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Now he was regretting for never telling her and for letting her go back home without telling her in the first place. "Hitomi, I hope you're happy there." Van whispered to himself as he remembered when he first met Hitomi.
Van remembered her always staying in the shadows and never saying anything, only replying to people who spoke to her with a small nod or shaking her head slowly or mainly just not saying anything. She seemed so sad and lonely; at first Van thought it was because he had brought her to his world and she was upset about it. But then as time went on he came to think that it might be something else. He went to her room one night and found her on the floor crying her eyes out like a small child. She wouldn't tell him anything when he tried to comfort her. All he really got from her was "No. It's nothing really. I'm okay."
But Van wasn't about to give up until he got a good enough answer. He could tell by her voice and by the loneliness that could easily be seen in her eyes that she was upset about something. She spoke in the lowest, saddest voice he had ever heard. He would do whatever it takes to find out what was wrong till finally she spoke "Van! Please! It's nothing really. I..oh..!" Hitomi put her head in hands as more tears came down.
"It's okay Hitomi, you can tell me. What's wrong?" Van had said in a gentle voice while putting a supporting arm around her shoulders trying to calm her down.
"..I..I'm just not happy. I'm just never happy!"
With that said Van was determined to change all that and so he did. He spent more time with Hitomi and did his best to try and cheer her up and try to talk to her about why she was so sad. But Hitomi never wanted to talk about it so Van let it go. "When Hitomi is ready she'll tell me." He thought. "Besides whatever the reason it must really be bad if she doesn't want to talk about it."
Hitomi never did tell Van why she was upset, but did in fact change her mood. She became more active and talkative. Van even found himself liking her more and more as each day went by. Hitomi was really just something else. If Van only knew how right he was on that. Suddenly someone burst through Van's bedroom door yelling at the top of they're lungs.
"Vaaan-samaaa!! Vaaan-samaaa!!"
Turning his gaze from the Mystic Moon he soon felt someone pulling on his arm.
"Whoa Merle! Calm down! Your going to pull my arm off if you don't let go of me! What's wrong?"
Van's gaze soon met the teary blue eyes of Merle who stopped pulling on Van's arm, but kept a firm grip on him like her life depended on it. Merle had changed in the past 2 years, but not much she still was the same Merle at heart. Merle's pink hair was a little longer than before, it went down a little passed her shoulders, she was taller now so she could now see over Van's shoulder. Merle wore a dress that went down to her ankles and had short sleeves and it was the same color orange like the little dress she wore 2 years ago when Hitomi was around; and as always she had her ruby red nail file hanging around her neck.
"Oh Lord Van it was terrible! You must come quick!"
Van put a gentle hand on the cat-girl's shoulder. "Merle, relax! Just calm down and tell me what happened."
"Van-sama! There was another attack!"
Van's eyes widen in shock. "There what?! What was it this time?!"
"In the training room, two guards were sword fighting and then...and then!!" Merle began to choke up more tears.
"It's okay Merle! Tell me! What happened?"
"While they were fighting!! It was so fast Lord Van!! They didn't know what hit them!! I was passing by and I saw it!! This.thing!!...This shadow came out of the wall and opened it's mouth and swallowed them whole!! I heard it laughing and the men's screams!! I could see them struggling to get out of there, but it was no use!! What's happening Van-sama?! What are these strange creatures that keep attacking us?!! I'm so scared Lord Van!!"
Van pulled Merle into a tight embrace trying to calm her down. For about a month there have been strange attacks happening everywhere in Gaea and everyone is in a state of panic. There were creatures or most likely demons that no one has ever seen before attacking people without warning or mercy and no one can put a stop to it. Not even an entire army, for that was proven when Basaram was attacked. The demon was only 1 man and when the army charged him the man raised his arms high in the air and in the blink of an eye every man, but the demon was dead. Right after that an army of guymelefs were on him and they too in a blink of an eye were dead. "It's ok now Merle. It's over. Does the council know of this attack?"
Merle sniffed before replying. "No. Not yet. I came running to you first. But they might know now because others heard the screams and I ran pass people headed to the training room on my way over here."
"You did good Merle. I'm just glad that you're all right. No one is really safe anymore. I'm going to a meeting with the council to try and figure out what's happening and who's doing this and why. I want you to relax now understand?"
"Yes, Van-sama."
"Good. Go find the council and tell them I request a meeting at once."
"Yes Van-sama, but just promise me that you'll be careful. You never know when another could strike."
"I will Merle and you do the same."
With that the cat-girl licked/kissed Van on the cheek and left the room. Van turned his gaze back to the Mystic Moon and went in deep thought. It didn't make any sense at all. All of Gaea was at peace till the attacks began. Why was this happening? Why now all of a sudden? Who was doing this? How can we stop this? What are these demon-like creatures? Where do they come from? Those were the questions that all of Gaea wanted to know, but mainly it was how to stop the attacks. An army of men and guymelefs had no effect on them what so ever so what else could be done to put a stop to this?
"Hitomi, I'm so glad that you're not here right now. Things aren't safe on Gaea anymore with the attacks. I'm glad you're home. For I'm sure you're a lot safer and happier there than you would have been here."
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Truth was Hitomi wasn't happy nor was she safe. Even before she ever went to Gaea she was never safe nor was she happy. The Guardian was still out and about hunting for stray shinmas'. Oh how Hitomi hated the Guardian! Even when Van showed her kindness on Gaea and taught her how to understand human feelings, for that is something that shinmas' can never understand; but Van somehow helped her understand and it made her change her ways. However when Hitomi returned home, her wicked ways returned to her and she went back to being the shinma that she was born to be. Attacking humans and draining them of there blood, taking advantage of a human's heart and using it for her own evil desires. Even when Van had taught her how to love it still could not change her way of life. Evil, hate, pain, death, sorrow, was the life of a shinma. And the person who she hated most of all like other shinmas' was the Guardian!
The Guardian! A shinmas' worse nightmare! Everyday a shinma had to watch every move they make. The slightest thing could get the Guardian on they're trail and before they know it they will be back in the darkness to once they came. And for some unlucky shinmas' they never get the chance to make it back to the darkness alive. For sometimes in the process of sending a shinma back to the darkness it can kill them if enough power is used.
Hitomi could never allow the Guardian catch on to her. For Van's sake she could never allow it! What would he do if he ever found out that he would never see her again? That she had been sent into the darkness to remain there forever? Or that she had been killed in the process of her being sent back to the darkness? Or! What would he do, what would he say if he ever found out that she was a shinma? That was the only thing that Hitomi never wanted to think about. She was afraid of what the answer might be. Afraid. Afraid that Van would turn on her if he knew.
It was a warm night in Tokyo, Japan with a bright full moon high in the night sky a perfect night for hunting. Hitomi stood in the shadows behind a back ally waiting for her prey to come along. Hitomi hadn't changed at all. She still had light brown, short boyish hair and wore the same light tan color school uniform that she went to Gaea in.
As much as Hitomi hated it, she still went to school with other human teenagers. Hitomi really had no reason to go to school in the first place for she was never going to use the things they taught her there. The only reason she went to school was to blend in with her surroundings and make it easier for her to hide from the Guardian.
A few more moments had passed when suddenly a teenage girl with short brown hair, wearing the same school uniform as Hitomi, and looked to be about the same age that she was, was headed her way. Hitomi looked to be about the age of 17, but in truth she was over 100 years old. That was the up side of being a shinma, for you can remain a teenager forever and never grow up. But still a shinma would die eventually, but that is another reason why shinmas' prey on humans; it helps shinmas' stay alive much longer than they normally would. Which is 1,000 years or more. Or even less.
As the girl got closer Hitomi's hunger grew even more with each step her prey took. When finally the girl was close enough Hitomi stepped out of the shadows just as the girl was passing by. With half of her body still hidden in the shadows and the other half out so people could see her she spoke.
"Hey girl. What are you doing out at this time of night? It's not safe." Said Hitomi in a calm, low, emotionless voice. "You looking for something?"
The girl with short brown hair stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Hitomi.
"Oh? Well um no not really. I just came from the library and I'm now on my way home. I lost track of time so I'm a bit late."
"Oh. I see. Were you studying for finals?"
"Yes I was. How'd you guess?"
"Just a hunch. If you're studying for finals people often lose track of time. It happens to everyone."
"Yeah, I guess you're right now that I think about it. Hey, look I gotta go I'm already late as it is, but I see that you're wearing the same school uniform as me so maybe I'll see ya around sometime at school okay? Later." The girl then turned and then went on her way leaving Hitomi with an evil grin creeping across her lips.
"No girl. Ya see ya won't be seeing me around. Hell ya won't being seeing anyone else around ever again!" Before the girl had the chance to do anything, using her quick speed Hitomi ran up to the girl and grabbed her, holding her so she couldn't get away. Then once the girl's neck was moved to the side Hitomi snaked her fangs into her neck violently and began to drain her of all her blood. It was warm, rich, and bitter. Just the way Hitomi liked it.
Once she had drank every last bit of blood Hitomi let the lifeless body fall to the ground. Licking her lips she turned on her heal and walked off into the night knowing that any minute now people would soon be coming, for when she grabbed the girl she let out a scream which was loud enough to be heard from miles away. And if people were to come so was the Guardian, which was a good reason to get as far away as possible.
Later that night Hitomi had wandered off into the park. It was nearly midnight and for a long while she just stood there staring up at the bright full moon thinking about the boy who taught her a new way of life. Taught her that there was more to life than just death and pain, taught her how to love and the meaning of being a friend. That boy was Van Fanel. Van. That name never left her mind, it kept repeating over and over like a broken record player. She missed him more than anything and would do anything for him. All she wanted now was to tell him how she really felt and be with him forever.
But she didn't and hated herself for never telling him. But yet it was probably for the best. Van was a being who's very presences wouldn't cause the life any creature while Hitomi's would cause the entire world total chaos. She was a shinma. And that was why it could never be with Van. For who could ever a love a shinma?
Somewhere else not to far from the attack:
"It's a quite night wouldn't you say so Miyu?"
"Yes it is Shiina. Though a bit to quite for my liking." Replied an emotionless, sad female voice.
Two figures were sitting up high on a tall building gazing up at the full moon in the clear night sky. The one called Miyu was sitting with her legs hanging over the side of the building wearing a knee length white kimono with a purple sash tied around her waste into a large bow behind her back. She had long brown hair that was in a bun on the left side of her head with her hair in a brad tied with a red ribbon and wears nothing on her feet, but another red ribbon tied around her right foot. Her skin is pale and almost looks to be part of the walking dead, yet only in a very beautiful form. She has light brown eyes that sometimes will change to the color of a pale, bright yellow.
The one called Shiina was different however. She has a childish type of voice, but didn't look like a child instead she looked more like a rabbit. She looked to be about a foot tall with rabbit-like ears with black on the very tips of her ears. Her ears hung from her head over to the side, all but her right ear that hung over her right eye, her large right eye. Both of her eyes were different. Her left eye was small and normal, a nice ruby red and white. But as for her right eye it was yellow with red in the center and scary looking. She had short hair all over her that was the color of a VERY light pink that could almost be mistaken for white. Her tail really didn't look like a rabbits at all. It just went all over the place pointing in different directions. The creature that was called Shiina was sitting on Miyu's lap also looking up at the full moon and gave a tired sigh before replying.
"That's because the shinmas' have been active lately very strange if you ask me. It wasn't easy catching on to a shinmas' whereabouts, but now all of a sudden they keep on popping up. For some reason they have become more active. You think there all up to something Miyu?"
The brown haired girl's gaze never left the moon as she began to stroke Shiina's back. "No. That's not what shinmas' do. Shinmas' only look out for them selves and rarely ever help anyone else. They already have enough problems to deal with and don't want to have to worry about anyone else's problems."
"That is true." Shiina said as she closed her eyes. "But you never know when a shinma will appear all of a sudden and out of the blue cause some major damage."
"I know Shiina. But that is why I am here. It is my duty as a Guardian to stop shinmas' from doing harm and return them to the darkness. It's my destiny. My fate."
This wasn't the first time Shiina has heard Miyu talk of this and it sure wouldn't be the last. Shiina knows of what pain and sorrow Miyu has faced being a Guardian and knows that as time goes on she will have more to face. Miyu never wanted to be a Guardian; she never wanted to have this fate. Now that she is a Guardian her fate, her destiny is to be alone. Alone. All alone forever. Never to lead a normal life or much of a happy one.
When Miyu was growing up she didn't know that she was a shinma, a shinma vampire princess at the most. Her father was a Guardian and her mother a human. She didn't know her father very well especially since he died when she was very young. Her mother never really talked of him much to Miyu and she could never understand why until that one night when she discovered everything.
Miyu had learned of what her father was, of what she really was and that she was to become the new Guardian. On the same night that she became the guardian an evil shinma had attacked and killed her mother and everyone else that had been secretly protecting her until it was time for her to wake up and become the Guardian. The shinma that attacked knew of what Miyu was and wasn't about to let there be a new Guardian let lose to send stray shinmas' back to the darkness. The shinma that attacked was the first shinma that Miyu had sent back into the darkness.
After that night Miyu had been alone ever sense having no friends and no family. It wasn't after a long time that she met Shiina and later Larva who was a former stray western shinma. Larva came from the western world to take over Japan and to establish the power of shinma, but was stopped by Miyu and is now Miyu's loyal, faithful, servant and most of all her special friend.
(A/N Larva is said as Lava. The R in Larva is silent just thought I should tell ya.)
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
The quite night was suddenly shattered with a shrill scream over the city pulling Miyu and Shiina out of they're thoughts.
"Holy cow! Sounds like someone is in trouble!" Shiina had said as she raised her right ear reveling her right eye and gazed out over the city. Shiina's right eye had special powers that could help her located certain people or shinmas' if needed. Shiina's eye can also give her information on shinmas' and anything else she may need info on.
Shiina looked around in every direction while using her senses trying to pick up the cause of the scream then finally stopped and faced towards the left. "I've got something Miyu! There's a shinma at work here, about 7 miles that way!"
Without a word Miyu removed Shiina from her lap and placed her down at her side and quickly stood up and hurried away in the direction Shiina had said was the place where the shinma would be.
When Miyu arrived at the scene about a minute later she found a young girls body laying on the ground with her tan, dull eyes wide open plainly showing pure terror in her eyes. She also noticed that she had two bite marks on her neck with some blood, stains on them. Miyu bent down to the girl to get a better look at the marks on her neck and checked to see if the girl was still alive. She wasn't. Her skin had a dead pale look, all the color was gone and her skin felt cold indicating that all the blood in her body was gone.
"I see that I'm not the only vampire shinma in the city, there is indeed another."
"What do you plan to do about it now Miyu?" A mans voice had said.
"The same thing that I always plan to do Larva." Miyu slowly stood up with her sad eyes on the girl's body and speaks in that sad, low, emotionless, voice of hers. "Send the trouble maker home. I don't like stray shinma causing trouble in my new neighborhood."
The man called Larva appeared out of the shadows and right behind Miyu. He wore a midnight black, baggy cloak with a hood over his head and wore a white mask with black, thin teardrops that were upside down, each one under his eyes. He also had two more, thin black, teardrops that were right side up each above his eyes on his mask.
"Any clues as to how we can catch this vampire before it strikes again?"
"No. All we really can do is wait. Wait for it to show it's self and hope that we get it before it takes the life of it's next human target. Other than that we can't really do anything else, the damage is done. This human's life is gone and there's nothing we can do about it. Our job is to catch stray shinma and nothing more, we can't fix the problems that a shinma may have caused."
With that said they turned and walked away into the night ready for the next time that a shinma should appear.
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Back on Gaea:
After Merle had informed Van's council that he wished to have a meeting she ran to her room and closed the door, locking it. She stood there for a moment in the dark with her back up against the door staring off into the darkness and taking deep breaths. It was at that moment that she felt another presence in the room.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
There was no reply expect the sound of a slight laughter that could barely be heard unless of course you were a cat. The cat-girl began to walk slowly toward her bed while looking around the room for any sign of movement. "Who's there?!" Merle repeated only this time with more fear in her voice.
"Your only loyal friend that's who." The voice was female and raspy and sounded almost dead and the voice spoke slowly.
Merle gasped as the room suddenly became much colder and wrapped her arms around herself while still looking around in search of movement. She knew who it was that had come to haunt her, but then again she didn't. For the past 2 weeks Merle had been having this strange in counter with something of the unknown and it not only scared her, but it also gave her comfort. She didn't know why it did it just did and yet when it wasn't giving her comfort it would also bring terror and bring evil thoughts and bad memories into her mind and say such horrible things. No matter how hard Merle would try she just couldn't escape it, it just would never leave her alone like it was drawn to her by some force. Once or twice she had tried to tell Van, but whenever she tried the words would never come out and she'd suddenly forget how to speak and then she'd hear a voice inside her head laughing at her effort for help. Van was worried about his life long friend, but Merle didn't want him to worry about her well being so she told him that everything was all right and that he should just forget it. Still from time to time Van would ask if everything was all right and she would answer always the same "Yes, Lord Van! Everything is just fine stop worrying about me after all it's my job to worry about you!"
Slowly Merle fell to her knees with her arms still around herself and put her back up against her bed slightly shivering. By the way things were going at the moment she could tell that tonight the unknown hadn't come to give her comfort.
"You're not my friend!" Cried the cat-girl. "You never were! Go away!!"
Faint laughter could be heard through out the entire room making it imposable to tell where the voice is coming from. "Ah, but you see my dearest.frieeennnnd.I am your frieeennnnd. Your only true frieeennnnnd." Came the raspy dead female voice.
The cat-girl put her hands over her ears and slammed her eyes shut in hopes to drown out the voice, but it was all in vain for the voice could easily go inside her mind. "NO!! You are no friend of mine!! Van is my friend and so is Allen, Dryden, and Melerna!!"
"Wrong giirrrl! Van and the rest are no friends! Allen barely even knows you, Melerna is nothing but a stuck up Princess who can't afford to waste her time on low life beast people. Dryden is a man who would waste no time or money on you and Van! If Van really cared about you like he says he does then he wouldn't have his heart stuck on some woman who isn't even here and hasn't been here for two years!"
"No! Van does care about me we've known each other since we were children we're like brother and sister!"
"Yes, but haven't you always wanted more from him than brotherly love? Go on and say it. You can't lie to me there isn't a thing about you that I don't know about. Say it!"
Tears began to fall down Merle's face as she barely manages to answer. "Y- yes.."
"And did he ever take the time to notice?"
"N-no."
"Then tell me what that's suppose to mean?"
"That Van..Van..doesn't..doesn't.."
"Van doesn't.."the voice said with a grin.
"That Van doesn't care."
"That's right. Now you are beginning to understand no one here in this world cares about you. No one ever has! This whole time people have been using you and you were just there. But not anymore for that is why I have come."
"Why.have you.c-come?"
"To be you're friend that's why. To help you make it through all this pain and suffering. I'm here for you."
Once again like many times before Merle began to fall deeper and deeper into the power of the voices words. `My only loyal friend. Van is not my friend I have no friends. Wait!` This time however she snapped out of those thoughts and opened her eyes. "How dare you lie to me!! How dare you try to trick me!!" the cat-girl yelled in anger as she stood up straight with her fists balled up.
"Van is my friend he always has and always will be!! So what if he doesn't have the same feelings for me, as I do for him that doesn't mean that we can't still be friends!!"
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Think what you may, but soon you won't think that! In time you will see the truth that I am you're only true friend."
"Never!! You're just some creep trying to ruin my friendship and turn me into.into some kind of slave for you! Well here me now because it won't work! I'll never give into these lies! NEVER!!"
"We shall see friend, we shall indeed seeeee.."
With that the room went back to normal and the voice was gone. Sighing with relief and glad that it was over..for now the cat-girl fell straight on her bed right into a deep sleep. Every time the voice had visit her she would always feel so tired like she was losing her strength and every time the voice had disappeared she would always right after fall into a deep sleep.
Moments later the room became cold again and this time a figure could be seen, but yet it wasn't much of a figure more of a woman's shadow in the faint moonlight. The shadow glided over to where Merle slept and it's red giant lips turned into an evil smirk. The shadow covered Merle from head to toe with a dark force field and began to drain her life force slowly away.
"Soon my friend, sooooon you shall seeeee my true power. The power of shinma."