~The Dead Returns~
With no way out and a duel to the death taking place, Weiss didn't know what to do or who to turn to at that time. Mercurius and Tsuki were getting extremely aggravated with each other and were about to just blow the whole damn place up, but they knew that that wouldn't solve anything. Tsuki was cut up pretty bad, but she wasn't the only one. Mercurius had a flew bruises and slashes on himself as well. 'I'll never be able to defeat her unless I have the Angel's Blade, but how to get it? Hmmm…I know…' Mercurius said to himself as the battled slowly progressed towards Kojiro and his comrades. When he was about ten feet away from Kojiro, Mercurius made his move. Without even giving him a second to react, Mercurius ran with lightning speed over to Kojiro and snatched the holy sword from the unsuspecting half breed's hands. Tsuki's eyes widened when she saw what he was now holding. "Well now, not so tough are we Demon? This is where I kill you all off for good, then the world and all of its humans are mine for the picking." Mercurius announced. "Yeah right……over my cold dead body bastard…" She muttered and ran at him. " As you wish my dear…" He replied and dodged her attack by inches. She stumbled and fell, dropping the scythe as she did so. She shook her head and held it in one hand, then looked up at Mercurius who was now hovering over her, grinning evilly. "Ha ha ha ha….So this is how it all ends for your kind, such a pity…You know something though…." He bent over and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and whispered in her ear, "That is the same look your father gave me….just before he died…" Tsuki's eyes widened as he let go of her and raised the sword over her heart. "Die now demon!" He yelled and thrust the blade down at her. Tsuki clamped her eyes shut and waited for the pain to shear through her body. But no pain came…just a soft silky feeling. Everything was silent. She then slowly opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. The silky feeling that she felt was in fact the robes of a young handsome man with large, flapping black wings, and a long black demon tail. His eyes were narrowed and his yard long braided ponytail swayed behind him. He seemed familiar to her, but she could recall who exactly.
"No! I-It can't be! I killed you over 20,000 years ago, right in front of your own family! How can you be here!?" Mercurius shouted in shock. The youth just replied in a low growl, "I told you I would be back for you Mercurius Cosimo De Midchi…and I kept my word…" "Who the hell is that?" Yohji asked. "I do not know…but he does seem familiar to me…" A now calm and guarded Mikari explained. "Hmm…really, what do you think Kojiro?" Kojiro shook his head and answered, "I don't know either really, it's all a blank to me, but I do recall my mother telling me about the Demon who fell to Mercurius in the time of the great rebellion…I wonder if that's him.." They all gazed on as Mercurius stared wide-eyed at the new addition to the party. "Y-You have to be dead….I killed you with the Angel's Blade….Why aren't you dead!?" "That is a secret that I can never reveal Mercurius, I should've taken care of you when I took care of your lover and parents, but I was kind enough to spare you…This time I will not be so generous…" He replied, then looked down at Tsuki, who was still in complete frustration as to who this guy was and why he was protecting her…though he did look kinda cute… "Tsukiryuu…" He said. Tsuki blinked and realized he was talking to her. "Y-Yes?" "I need you to go over there with them for a moment, I need to speak with Mercurius alone…" "O-Ok…" She got up and walked over to the other confused people and watched. "So none of you know who this grade A nutcase is or where he came from?" Ken asks scratching his head. Mikari, Tsuki, and Kojiro shrugged.
"So, this is what you've been up to all this time is it Mercurius? I would have expected better of you….sinking this low in such a short time…" "Shut up….don't forget what happened to you the last time you stood up against me…." "Oh yeah, well then you don't pose much of a threat because I'm still standing. I will give you one more chance to give up, but if you don't I'll be forced to kill you, and in front of your own family…" Mercurius sweat dropped and thought about what to do. He could either give up and surrender right in front of everyone, or he could die a noble and honorable death in front of his family. As the two talked, they dropped their guard a little and relaxed. There would be now fighting right now. This was a good time to ask questions, so that's what Yohji did. "Umm…so…who is this guy exactly?" The man turned to the group, then turned to Mercurius. "So…you didn't tell anyone what happened that long time ago…I thought you would've been smart enough to at least tell your family how this all started….I guess I will have to do it then….My name is Duo Shonosia….I was the original Lord of the Dark Realm, but something happened that changed the fate of every demi-human in the world…" 'Duo…Shonosia? Where have I hear that?' Tsuki thought as she listened to what he had to say. " I will show you all what happened 20,000 years ago…." Duo said and with a wave of his hand, a gray cloud appeared and a picture started forming.
( Dark Realm Kingdom B.C.)
" My Lord, I believe that the festival is going to be taking place soon, shall we start with the decorations?" A guard asked. "Yes go ahead, I will not delay such a fine holiday as this, inform me of any adjustments though alright? Dismissed…" Duo replied and walked over to a balcony. When he looked over, he saw a large and vast city, filled with lights and sounds. People were everywhere, preparing for the Dark Light Festival. It was a holiday celebrated by the humans, Demi-humans, Demons, and Vampires, declaring the unification between human and Demi-human creatures. Duo sighed and went back into the room, when a familiar old face came running up the stairs, ending up tripping at the top and landing flat on his more youthful face. Duo laughed and looked down at his friend. "Mercurius….Still as clumsy as always…so…how was your day?" Mercurius got up and brushed himself off, then a couple seconds later grabbed his nose and whined, "Oww….that hurt…huh? Oh my day? It was good and you?" The young Lord shrugged and replied lazily, "Fine I guess, just making preparations for the festival….and trying to find the little demon princess…" "Ohh…she ran off again eh? Well I'd be happy to help ya Duo ol buddy ol pal…." Duo laughed again and patted Mercurius on the back. "Great…two heads are better than one after all, Gysla would do it, but she's busy helping with the flower arrangements, so I got stuck with babysitting…Oh well, I guess that's just the life of a father huh?" "Yep…now lets go find that little pain in the ass…." Mercurius grinned and ran out the door. Duo rolled his eyes and smiled. What a day to start off with.
Meanwhile, a certain little someone was putting fire flies in the fireworks room. She quickly snuck away as the engineer and a man in a black robe opened the door to go inside. Suddenly all of the fireworks were going off. She sat behind a tree laughing her ass off as the fireworks flew everywhere. Duo and Mercurius saw this and nodded in agreement. It was her alright. Just as she was about to leave she heard, "TSUKIRYUU!!" "Uh-oh….I'm in trouble now…." Chibi Tsuki peeked around the tree trunk to see her father standing there with his arms crossed and a mad expression on his face. "Ok now would be a good time to go…." "I don't think so munchkin…." Mercurius had popped up out of nowhere and picked Tsuki up. "Ahhh! Meri….Put me down!" Mercurius walked over to Duo and dropped Tsuki at his feet. She stood up and looked at her dad, then let her gaze drop. "I-I'm sorry daddy….I was trying to have a little fun…" "Oh really? Well having fun doesn't mean setting off all of the fireworks in the storeroom…..I should punish you for that, but I'm in an extremely happy mood, just don't let it happen again do you understand?" "Y-Yes daddy…." He could see how upset she was and sighed. He leaned over and whispered, "Though I must admit, it was really funny when all of the workers came stampeding out of the storeroom…hehehe…you should've seen Mitsumi's face when he opened that door, he was screaming like a girl…." "Really?" "Definetly…" Tsuki giggled and screamed as her father swept her off her feet and into his arms. "So should we all go find your mother? Maybe you could help her with the flowers, since you love gardening sooo much…oh and don't forget to put in a lot of Snap Dragons, they are our favorite after all…." "Oh and we can't forget the Roses, Gentians, Cherry Blossoms, Cattleyas, and Freesias….Those are the family flowers after all….." Duo nodded and set Tsuki down. She bolted for the garden area as soon as he did, which made him happy. "Finally, she has something to do other than taunt and torture the poor maids and workers….Now on to business…Mercurius…" Mercurius nodded and followed Duo to the throne room, where they held their important meetings. "Well now that we are all present, we can discuss the matter of the strange changes occurring throughout the kingdom. Someone said it was a disease, others say it's a revolt, but I'm not sure who to believe, All I know is that this must end before the festival starts, or all hell will break loose." "Duo is right, those people aren't normal, they keep growing more violent and inhuman. For some odd reason, we demi-humans haven't been infected, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. We must find out how and why this is happening to them, if we don't cure it soon, the whole human population could be turned into these zombie-like monsters…." "But what about the unaffected residents? How are we to keep them away from the ones who are infected…in fact, how can we tell if one is infected? Is it contagious? And is there an actual cure for it? It might be irreversible…" Mitsumi pointed out some very important facts. The other council men agreed and began thinking of what to do. Duo was getting very frustrated. Mercurius saw this and spoke for him. "Well right now we need to find the contaminated people and bring them to the laboratory where they can be protected from themselves…If you want to know how to locate an infected person, look for pale skin tone, bloodshot eyes, and rotting flesh. That's how you'll know…We shouldn't let this spoil the holiday however, although it may be a hazard to the humans, we do have ways of protecting them. We will shield them until after the festival, then we can look for the cure…it isn't contagious, at least we don't think. So far the only way a person can be infected is by drinking that water that we got from the lake, which was contaminated by the outsiders…No one drinks form there now, but I think that's what is making everyone sick. So, as soon as the festival is over, have all of the centuarian guards locate and bring in all of the sick here, then we can heal them…for now, just keep a sharp eye on the humans, who knows how many are already turning into the monsters…Dismissed…." The councilmen got up and bowed, then left, all except Mitsumi, Mercurius, and Duo. Duo sweat dropped and slouched down in his chair. "Great…first the problem with the satyrs not getting their share of the water supply last dry season, now it's humans turning into demi-human maniacs….just my luck, if this keeps up I'll miss my anniversary for the fifth time in a millennium…Gysla isn't too happy about that Y'know…." Duo sighed. "I wouldn't know my friend…I'm not married…" "Yeah you just sleep with every woman you see…" "I resent that Mitsumi!!! You should talk!" "HA! You can't say that! I'm a demon and demons only sleep with the ones they spend an eternity with, so you can't accuse me of shit!" Mitsumi laughed. Mercurius glared at him and shrugged. "I guess you're right Mitsumi…At least I can have all the women I want, you're stuck with one forever….Just like our poor friend Duo here, having to spend an eternity with that bitchy wife of his….Ow! Ok! Ok! I didn't mean it!" He rubbed his arm where Duo hat punched him, then sighed and walked over to the window. "Just think….tomorrow we get to relax and have fun, no work, no meetings…and we can all spend time with the little brat….god knows that if she wants attention she'll get it…" Duo and Mitsumi laughed and nodded in agreement. What they didn't know however was that tomorrow wouldn't be as joyous as they had planned…..
( Dark Realm Kingdom B.C.; The Night Of The Festival…)
Tsuki was running up and down the halls screaming about how excited she was to go out and see all the lights in the city, unfortunately everyone else thought she was just a little too excited and wished she would stop screaming. "Okay Tsuki enough! We all know how happy you are, but please, you don't have to express it so loudly!" Mitsumi hollered while plugging his ears with his fingers. Mercurius was also fed up with the noise and grabbed Tsuki. He put a hand on her mouth and glared at her. "You say one more word and I'll personally feed you to the dragons….got it?" Tsuki nodded all wide eyed as he set her down. "Daddy wouldn't let you though….oh well whatever, I'm going to go bug Miss Teela, at least SHE will be as enthusiastically ecstatic as I am…So….see ya dorks!" Tsuki said sticking her tongue out then running down to Teela's room. Mitsumi and Mercurius both sweat dropped. "I hate when she out does us with her sophisticated little pain in the ass attitude…." "Yeah tell me about it….is enthusiastically even a word?" "I dunno maybe we should try looking it up in the dictionary….I don't even know words that big….it hurts my head too much…" Mercurius replied. They sighed and walked down the hall and out to the courtyard to wait for the rest of the group.
Teela was sitting at her dresser, putting on powder, and a lot at that…. "Miss Teela….are you ready to go? Huh huh? Are you?" Teela gazed over at her doorway and saw Tsuki standing there playing with her hair. "Umm…N-No dear, why don't you all go on ahead of me? I have to speak with Mastice and Kilinia…We'll all catch up to you later alright? Don't forget to tell your…father as well, he might want to know…now go on…" "Ummm….ok I guess….see you later Miss Teela…." Tsuki squeaked and ran out the door. Teela turned back to her mirror and stared at her reflection for a moment, then took some powder and began covering the rotting area on her neck.
Everybody was sitting in the courtyard chatting when Tsuki came flying down the steps, occasionally tripping and falling on her face. When she reached the bottom, she went over to Duo who was talking with Gysla. "Mommy, Daddy, Teela says she will catch up later, she needs to speak to Mastice and Kilinia first, then they'll all join us in the city…She promised me already that she would be there for the parade, so we don't need to worry….C'mon before the party is over!" She piped, jumping up and down, while tugging on her father's robes. "Geez, Ok, ok we're going, just please chill out…." Heero assured her. Tsuki smiled and jumped on his back. "Give me a piggy back ride Hee-chan?" "Ha ha alright…Just don't pull on my wings too much, it starts hurting after a while and if you do, I'll have to pull on your wings, deal?" "Deal!" "Ok lets go…" Heero said and started galloping down the walkway. Mitsumi and Mercurius laughed and ran to catch up. Gysla was about to join them, when she noticed that her husband wasn't moving. "What's wrong darling? Aren't you coming?" "Huh? Oh yes, yes I'm coming I just don't feel too comfortable leaving Teela and Mercurius's parents in the castle alone, something doesn't feel right I know it….maybe I should go back and check on them…" "And break your little girl's heart when she finds that her father left her?" Duo sighed and let his gaze drop. "Well, no….but those people…..I just don't trust them, I know that Mercurius cares for them a lot and he is my best friend, but they've been acting weird every since I allowed them to come and live in the castle with us…they never join us for dinner, and rarely come down for anything…I tell you they're up to something and I won't allow that under my roof…but since it is the night of the festival and Tsuki really wants me to be there with her, I'll let them slip out of it….but I will have a talk with them when we get home…." "oh yes….Mr. Tough, high and mighty….it's either my way or the highway…you really need to relax Duo or you're going to drive everyone crazy…." Duo gave her a funny look and arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Well I can be as serious as I want for as long as I want and no one can say or do anything to change that…" "Oh I'm sure I could do a lot to change your mind Mr. Serious….now lets go before Tsuki sends the guards out looking for us…" Duo nodded and together they made their way to the brightly lit city.
Teela watched as the couple left the courtyard, then disappeared into the shadows. She reappeared in the throne room where two figures were standing. "So….is he gone yet?" Mastice asked. "Yes….it took him forever to leave though…soft hearted old fool….he may be older than any creature on the planet, but he still isn't the smartest…." "That is for sure….it is just a shame that all three of us were infected….Duo said that vampires and demons couldn't catch the virus, but apparently he lied, just to make the demi-humans look up to him in hopes that he would have a solution. No matter….once we are rid of him we can take over the rest of the kingdom, then all of those worthless humans will be open for attack. I can't believe that the stupid bastard thought that humans and vampires could live together in peace and harmony….well that's a bunch of bullshit…humans are our source of food….we should be able to feast on anyone we please, and not just the weak, sick, or dying ones…it is a disgrace! Soon we will have everything we've wanted for so long….You and Mercurius can finally be living like the real lord and lady, instead of second best…." Kilinia stated. Teela nodded in agreement. "But the only problem is….how do we kill Duo? He is an immortal and has many followers who are willing to die for him….There is only one weapon that can kill him, but it is guarded by the celestials, and you know Angels don't like us…." This complicated things a bit. Mastice and Kilinia were at a total loss on that subject. "We'll just have to imprison him then…" "But he can break out of anything we throw at him and you know it….we'll just have to lay low until we can get our hands on the Angel's Bastard Sword." Teela and Kilinia nodded. "Well since everyone is distracted, we can go out and have some fun….I'm feeling hungry and all of the best people are at home right now, they don't go to the festival…so…up for it ladies?" Mastice asked, holding out his hands to them. They grinned at each other and took his generous offer. "And afterward we can head up to my room and have even more fun…." Mastice grinned. The women giggled as they walked out of the castle and down to the darker neighborhood of the city.
While that was going on, Duo was already in the city with his family. They spent the whole night enjoying themselves. Tsuki had managed to kick Mercurius's and Mitsumi's asses at the dart throwing game. She nailed every single bubble where as Mercurius and Mitsumi couldn't even hit one, and most of them were the size of bowling balls. "HAHAHAHA…..You guys suck big time!" Tsuki bragged. "Yeah, yeah shut up you little pain in the ass…." Mitsumi yawned. Soon it was time for the parade, but there was no sign of Teela, Mastice, or Kilinia. "where could they be daddy? Teela promised me she would be here for the parade…" Tsuki complained. "I don't know sweetheart…but I have a good idea…" Duo growled.
Meanwhile, Mastice, Kilinia, and Teela were having a festival of their own….a blood festival. They had slain about 50 people already. It was 6:00PM when they left the castle, and it was now close midnight. "This is fun….I think we should do this more often…" "I know Kilinia….I'm getting a rise out of it….Now I want to be really naughty……." Mastice cooed. Teela and Kilinia rolled their eyes and smiled at the thought of that. They had been at this for hours now. They didn't know that it would determine their fates though.
After the parade was over, Tsuki had fallen asleep in Mitsumi's arms, so they thought it best to head back to the castle to turn in for the night. The group got home around two or three in the morning and were completely exhausted. Mitsumi told everyone that he was going to put Tsuki to bed, then go to bed himself. The others said their goodnights as well and went up to their rooms. Just as Duo was getting into bed, Heero came running in. "Duo come quickly! We've got a serious situation here!" "Augh, can't this wait until tomorrow Heero? I'm tired." "No my Lord…It is very urgent…Please come with me…" "Hmph! Very well…but I swear if this isn't anything EXTREMELY important, I'll tan your hide myself…." Duo snarled and got into his robes, then followed the Angel out of his home. When he arrived though, his whole perspective changed dramatically. "We counted exactly 178 people brutally slain and drained of their blood. Who do you suppose did this?" Duo's eyes narrowed and his teeth and fists clenched. "I know EXACTLY who did this Heero….get my strongest guards, we have some vampires to find…" Heero didn't really understand, but obeyed his master's orders.
Duo stormed back into the castle and headed straight up the stairs and into Mastice's room. The doors flew open with a large flash and boom, as Duo walked up to Mastice's bed, which had quite a lot of movement going on. Three heads popped up from under the covers when they heard the doors slam. Duo's eyes widened when he saw who those THREE people were. Plus, the noise happened to wake everyone else in the castle, and soon Mercurius, Gysla, Mitsumi, and Tsuki were standing in the doorway. Kilinia and Teela grabbed onto Mastice as Duo advanced on them, his blood red eyes flaming with rage. "MASTICE COSIMO DE MIDCHI!!!" Duo yelled, making the room shake. Mercurius's eyes widened when he saw Teela in bed with his parents. "T-T-T-Teela? H-How….W-Why…" Mercurius just couldn't speak at that moment. He was too shocked and heartbroken to say anything. Gysla glanced at him, then saw Tsuki standing next to him. "Mitsumi…..take Tsuki into the other room….I don't want her witnessing this…" "Y-Yes my lady at once…Tsuki…" Tsuki turned to him. He picked her up and went into the lobby to wait for further instructions. Everyone could tell that Duo was very pissed. "Mastice…..I can't believe you would do something like this…." "Like what my lord?" "I welcome you into my kingdom, I take you into my home, I was even kind enough to make you part of my council…..but I would have never expected something like this of you…..this is the lowest a vampire could go…." Duo exclaimed trying to stay calm. Mastice knew that Duo wouldn't buy anything he said so he came straight out with it. "So? Humans are food, not friends. We should be harvesting them for our meat, not treating them like our equals, soon they will be demanding respect and other things. I will not allow it!" "oh? And how are you going to stop it? Everyone is happy the way they are, but you….you are just sick…feasting on the helpless townsfolk when you know that they don't pose a threat to you in any way…." Mastice had nothing to say to that. Then Duo noticed that the third woman was in fact Teela, at first he thought it was just another slut Mastice picked up, but it was actually Mercurius's lover. "Now I know that you are a sick minded son of a bitch! Sleeping with your son's lover! I can't believe you Mastice…" "Well she wanted it, Mercurius wouldn't give her what she wanted so I did…." "That's no reason to embarrass you son! I am totally disgusted with you…." "Oh shove it human-lover!" Duo's eyes narrowed. He didn't like it when people called him that. He was only treating the humans as they treated him. "Mercurius I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to take action here…please forgive me my friend but even you know what must be done…." Mercurius's gaze dropped. "Yes I know…go ahead…." "Go ahead and do what!?" Teela asked, but was quickly cut off by a enraged Duo. "SILANCE QINTASH!!!" everyone's eyes widened. Duo had never called any vampire a Qintash before, no matter how angry he was. "Heero, get them clothed and take them to the dungeon…..the execution will take place at sunrise tomorrow…..now everyone return to your rooms…." Duo ordered. Mercurius wanted to object to the execution, but one sharp glance from Duo told him that it had to be done. They all went back to their rooms while Heero and the guards took care of the prisoners. Duo walked into the lobby and stared at Tsuki. "Tsuki go back to your room and go to bed…." "But what about Mr. Mastice and Ms Teela and Mrs. Kilinia?" "Never mind that Tsukiryuu now go to bed." She knew instantly that his patience was growing thin and ran to her room. Mitsumi blinked a couple of times and jumped a little when Duo spoke to him. "Mitsumi…There is going to be an execution tomorrow morning at sunrise, please be ready before then…I want this done quick and clean…" Mitsumi gulped and nodded, then returned to his room. Duo stood there alone in the lobby for a moment, then slowly headed back to his room where his wife was waiting. "So….they are going to be executed?" Gysla asked as Duo got into bed. He didn't look at her when he spoke. "Y-Yes…everybody knows how much I don't want to do it, but I can't let this happen again…and I can't let a slut like Teela ruin Mercurius's life by having an affair with his father, I knew those three were more than just "friends" when they first entered the castle, that was one of the reason why I didn't like them. I knew that Mercurius was going to be hurt, but I couldn't stop it…now it has to be this way, you understand don't you?" He finally looked up at her with hurt in his eyes. Gysla stared at him a moment then replied gently, "Of course my love, you know I'd always understand you….it's just a shame that such noble people could turn so evil at such a rapid speed. One minute they're your friends, next they're your enemies….I will just never understand that…." Duo put a hand on her face and gazed into her eyes. He could tell she was as hurt as he was. "Well, we should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day…personally one that I don't want to come…." Duo whispered. Gysla nodded and kissed him gently, then waved her hand to put out the candles and went to sleep.
( December 23rd, The Morning Of The Execution )
Before the sun rose, Mercurius was allowed to pay one last visit to his parents and ex-lover before the trial was to begin. The guard reluctantly let him in to see them. He stopped just beyond their reach and watched them. "What do you want?" Mastice muttered. That hurt Mercurius. " I-I came to see you all…You are my family you know…" "Ha! You family? Don't make me laugh…you're as disgraceful as that bastard Duo Shonosia…You are not a relative of mine if you're with him…." Kilinia snarled. Mercurius's eyes widened. He then looked over at Teela when the guards came in to take them to the platform. "Mercurius….sweetheart please help me…" Teela begged. Mercurius backed away in revulsion as she tried to embrace him. She knew he wouldn't buy it. "At least be there for the execution….I beg of you, please be there…" "…………fine…" was all he said before leaving them in the hands of the guards who gladly drug them out by their chains. Mercurius would never forget this day. 'Duo…..he turned my own parents against me….and my lover……how could he?' Mercurius thought as he headed up to the garden maze. Heero was waiting in the heart of the maze where an unwise and deceiving plan was going to unfold.
Mastice, Kilinia, and Teela were dragged outside to the platform where the guillotine would usually stand, but it was taken down for this morning's special event. All three of them were forced onto their knees and had their heads in a vice to hold them in place. The whole entire surrounding city was there to be witnesses for the deaths. Mitsumi walked up the steps in his custom velvet black and crimson robe, and in his right hand was a 6 foot tall silver scythe. He had no expression on his face, cloaking his true emotions towards this whole thing. He stood before the convicts and awaited for the Lord Of The Dark Realm to arrive for the trial. Soon, Duo was standing at the top of a small stage which he normally used for entertainment. He motioned for everyone to be silent and began the trial. "We are all gathered here today to witness the execution of the traitors Mastice Cosimo De Midchi, Kilinia Cosimo De Midchi, and Teela Rensvania. They have been accused of slaying and draining innocent people and attempted murder of the lord of the Dark Realm." Everyone could tell that Duo was having a hard time announcing this, he was getting choked up and had to frequently stop so he wouldn't make an idiot of himself. "They have been found guilty of these crimes and is hereby sentenced to death…" Duo declared. He looked down at the convicts and then up at Mitsumi. "The Grim Reaper will be the executioner….Reaper…." Mitsumi stared a second, then raised his scythe over their heads. Tears started falling down Duo's face, but he paid no heed to them and nodded. Mitsumi ended it all in one swift blow. Everyone watched as the three heads rolled off the platform and onto the dusty ground. Mercurius, though he promised to be there, was not present, and neither was Heero for that matter. The question was, where were they?
After the execution, Duo had everyone enter the throne room so they could once again discuss tha matter of the virus. It seemed that Mastice, Kilinia, and Teela were in fact infected with the virus at that time, they just didn't tell anyone. "How are we to stop this my Lord? We still don't know what it is?" "I know, I know but the problem is not just the virus, but the people who are infected themselves. We found out that if someone is scratched or bitten by one of the infected people, they will also become a victim. We must find the cure and fast or the whole city will fall victim to the virus….And yes even vampires and demons can be infected by it so don't think you can protect yourself for long, I'm doing the best I can right now so please bear with me." Duo explained. The meeting was almost over when the doors suddenly flew open and in walked Mercurius and Heero. "Mercurius what are you doing here?" " I came here because you killed my parents!" "But you know it had to be done…." " No! I didn't have to be that way….that virus is what caused them to do that! You didn't have to kill them! You wanted to kill them! They told me themselves!!" Duo couldn't believe what he was hearing. His own friend turning on him like that. He knew it had to be done and it wasn't the virus that caused them to act the way they did. "Look, I'm sorry that I had to kill them, but it was the only way to keep it from happening again. You know it was the right thing to do so don't deny it…now please, if you have no business here then leave…" Duo remarked and turned to leave, when he heard Mercurius grunt his retaliation. He turned back to the young vampire and gazed at him. "Why are you doing this Mercurius? Is it for revenge supposedly? There is nothing to avenge so drop it, it's getting old real fast…" "I don't care what you say anymore Duo….you killed my parents and my lover and I can never forgive you for that!" He slowly reached for a sword sheathed to his belt, then remembered how many of Duo's loyal subjects were in the building, which happened to be the whole city. He took his hand away and backed towards the door. "Mark my words Demon Lord….I will find you…and your entire kingdom will crumble in my hand!" He warned and left. Heero gave his former leader one last look before disappearing through the doors as well.
"I will not let him get away with this…." "I-I know of a way to get rid of him once and for all master Mercurius…." "Oh? And how would I do that exactly?" "The Angel's Bastard Sword….it'll eliminate any dark and evil creature in the world…The only problem is you can't touch it…..well at least if you didn't have Angel Gloves on, that would protect you…." Mercurius took this into consideration and asked, "But if the sword is in Heaven, how will I get it?" Heero grinned and pointed to his wings. Mercurius had forgotten that Heero was an Angel. "Alright then….get me the sword and the gloves….then I can kill him off for good…and have my revenge…." "Hold on a minute, I didn't say I'd get the stuff for free…." "Hm? Then what do you want? Name it and it's yours…" Heero's eyes flashed and he replied darkly, "I want immortality…if my wings are torn off I become mortal, but if you make me immortal I can still live forever….it is that for the Angelic items….deal?" Heero held out a hand. Mercurius thought this over carefully and agreed, taking the Angel's hand. "Deal…." "Alright, first the immortality to make sure you don't go back on your word, I heard vampires are very sneaky….I'm not taking any chances…." Mercurius sighed. "Very well….but I warn you it will be painful, oh well, thank God it's you and not me…." Heero already knew what must be done however and was prepared for the worst. Mercurius slowly walked up to the youth , then sank his teeth into Heero's neck. Heero would've screamed, but he was in too much pain. After a few short seconds, it was over. Mercurius let Heero go and backed away, wiping the blood off his mouth. Heero dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around himself. He felt strangely cold now and almost couldn't stand, but he managed to get to his feet and stared, wide-eyed at Mercurius who didn't say anything. "Are you sure I'm immortal now?" "Yes….I guarantee it, now please get me the items before Duo catches on to us…." Heero nodded and took flight, heading for the Heavens in search of the ancient artifacts.
It was late at night when Heero returned to the middle world and found Mercurius hiding in the same place that Heero had left him at. He landed softly on the ground and handed the vampire the gloves, then the sword. "It took you long enough…." "Well there were a few obstacles, but I got them didn't I?" "Yes you did and I thank you for it…." Mercurius replied as he examined his new weapon. This was going to be the start of an enormous and bloody rebellion.
( Dark Realm Kingdom B.C. 12,000 Into The War…)
It had started 12,000 years ago….and all because of a blind little boy who couldn't see the light of truth. Now, Demons, Vampires, Demi-humans, and Humans were fighting on one side or the other. There were either Duo's followers, or there were Mercurius's followers. Everyone chose a side, for if you didn't you would surely be taken for the enemy and would be killed. Although people were either fighting for him or against him, No one could locate the whereabouts of the former Dark Realm Lord. He had disappeared after the castle was ambushed and hasn't been seen since. Some say he is in hiding and is giving up on his people, others however know for a fact that he is recuperating so he can take down the Celestial Vampire Lord and free the rest of the world from his oppression. Mercurius has been searching for Duo ever since Heero was caught and killed for traitorism and handing over the Angel's Bastard Sword to the enemy. He swore he would find Duo. And soon he got his wish.
After 12,000 years of searching, Mercurius, the Celestial Vampire Lord had finally found the Demon God's hideaway and had surrounded it. There was no way out. "Mercurius stop this at once! What happened to you!? You've turned from a caring and loving friend into a bloodthirsty murderous bastard!" Duo yelled as Mercurius closed in on the man's family and friends. "Enough of this Duo Shonosia……I have finally caught you and I intend to finish what is started…." "Duo's eyes widened. He could feel his wife holding onto his hand tightly, then he realized that Tsuki was at his side holding onto his robes. He knew there was no way out this time, the least he could do was save his little girl in hopes that one day she would bring back the life of the Demon Clan. Tsuki looked up to her father, who was white with fear. He knelt down and looked at his daughter. "Tsukiryuu….I am so sorry….you will have to go on without us…." "No daddy…I wanna stay here with you…" "No Tsukiryuu…if you do, there will be no hope left for our kind, here take this with you, it will help you fight against the vampires…" He said and pulled out a small, emblem, necklace. On it was a silver cross, with a different colored gems on the ends and a single white one in the center. "What is it for?" "You will know soon enough my dear, and one more thing…..what ever you do, don't let the vampires get a hold of this…" He continued handing her, what looked to be a locket. She stared at it a moment then asked, "What is it?" "It is a Soul Collector, it is used to gather the souls of the dead. It also holds a gift, given only to those of celestial blood….a scythe….it may sound strange, but that power and weapon will help you…….now go, before they see you…" "But…" "GO!" he finishes and pushes her away. Tsuki runs a few yards before turning back. Her eyes widened as the master vampire walked up to her father and drove a white blade through his heart. "DADDY!" Tsuki screamed, as she watched him and the rest of her family and friends die….then runs into the forest, never to look back…
As Mercurius watched the demons die, a little girl stood by him, watching intently. He looked down at her and smiled. "Well Alexiel….I have finally done it….Duo has fallen and I am the new Dark Realm Lord….Soon you will have all you've wished for and much more….just wait and see…." "Thank you daddy…" was all she said.
The gray cloud suddenly evaporated and Duo turned back to Mercurius. "Now you know the truth. He did it all because I had to execute his traitorous family. It was their fault, but Mercurius was too blind to see it. He still has the heart of a selfish and disobedient child….I wanted to spare him, but now I'm afraid I can't do that…..or he'll do it all over again…and….I don't want Tsuki to live through that nightmare after all these years…." Tsuki's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that her father was alive, standing right there before her, and she didn't even see it. Mikari was also shocked to see that Tsuki's father, the one who killed her great grandparents was standing there talking to them. She wouldn't have it. She wasn't going to stand there and watch this Demon murder her love. "Nooooo!!!" Mikari screamed and pushed Yohji out of the way. She ran and stood in front of Mercurius, putting her arms up in defense. Mercurius grinned at the look on Duo's face. "Well it looks like you're still too soft. Look, Even the human that I changed into a vampire is willing to die for me. Sort of pathetic really, but it makes a great shield…she may be a fool, but I could use her for other things that are vital for my survival…." "You're still as low as ever Qintash…I can't believe you use women as shields from your own battles. How much more pathetic can you get!" "I dunno….want me to try harder?" Mercurius mocked. "Hmm….fine then….I won't use her as a shield anymore….in fact I really didn't have much use for her anyways, I just wanted the immortality she had to offer…." He said. Nobody saw what was coming next. Instead of throwing her out of the way and attacking Duo, Mercurius merely shoved the blade through her in hopes to reach Duo's heart. No luck though. Mikari's eyes widened as the blood started flowing down her body. "She was worthless anyways, I can just find another woman to use……hmm…your daughter looks like a fine specimen…how about I use her?" Duo clenched his teeth and grasped his scythe tightly. " over my dead body bastard!" "With pleasure…" Mercurius said and threw Mikari's dying body aside. Yohji quickly ran over to her as Duo and Mercurius fought. He lifted her up and examined the wound. It was definetly a fatal wound. "H-How are supposed to fix this? Tsuki come and heal this wound!" Tsuki looked up and replied wearily. "I-I can't Yohji….I can't heal any wound that is caused by and Angelic item…." Yohji's eyes widened. He gazed down at Mikari who was dazed, but looking back at him. She had finally returned to normal, but she did it a little too late. "Y-Yohji….I-I'm sorry…." "You don't have to be Mikari, I understand what happened…." he could see she was trying to fight back the tears, but they came flowing down her face. Yohji thought all was lost, when he remembered reading something on the Vampire Scroll Tsuki had. He wasn't supposed to see that, but knowing him, he wouldn't listen and read it anyways. He recalled a paragraph about making a human a vampire's immortal slave, meaning that they would be bonded together forever….He couldn't believe he remembered that, probably because it sounded kinky, but he remembered it. He also remembered how the ritual was done. He slowly took his wire and wrapped it around his hand, then pulled on it tightly, til it started to bleed dramatically. He threw the wire on the ground and gazed at Mikari who was starting to slip away. "Hold on Mikari, I'm not going to lose you…." he whispered and placed his bleeding hand on her wound. Odd as it seemed, the wound started glowing and was disappearing right before his eyes. The blood turned to a silver liquid, then evaporated. Mikari's eyes sprang open and she gazed up at Yohji, who had on the same stupid grin as always. "Now we are one….we're bonded for eternity, great, now I'm stuck like this forever…" Yohji yawned. Mikari laughed and hugged him. He returned the favor and the two quickly walked over to the others who were happy to see them alright. The problem now was Duo and Mercurius. Were they really going to fight to the death? Or can they solve this another way?
With no way out and a duel to the death taking place, Weiss didn't know what to do or who to turn to at that time. Mercurius and Tsuki were getting extremely aggravated with each other and were about to just blow the whole damn place up, but they knew that that wouldn't solve anything. Tsuki was cut up pretty bad, but she wasn't the only one. Mercurius had a flew bruises and slashes on himself as well. 'I'll never be able to defeat her unless I have the Angel's Blade, but how to get it? Hmmm…I know…' Mercurius said to himself as the battled slowly progressed towards Kojiro and his comrades. When he was about ten feet away from Kojiro, Mercurius made his move. Without even giving him a second to react, Mercurius ran with lightning speed over to Kojiro and snatched the holy sword from the unsuspecting half breed's hands. Tsuki's eyes widened when she saw what he was now holding. "Well now, not so tough are we Demon? This is where I kill you all off for good, then the world and all of its humans are mine for the picking." Mercurius announced. "Yeah right……over my cold dead body bastard…" She muttered and ran at him. " As you wish my dear…" He replied and dodged her attack by inches. She stumbled and fell, dropping the scythe as she did so. She shook her head and held it in one hand, then looked up at Mercurius who was now hovering over her, grinning evilly. "Ha ha ha ha….So this is how it all ends for your kind, such a pity…You know something though…." He bent over and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and whispered in her ear, "That is the same look your father gave me….just before he died…" Tsuki's eyes widened as he let go of her and raised the sword over her heart. "Die now demon!" He yelled and thrust the blade down at her. Tsuki clamped her eyes shut and waited for the pain to shear through her body. But no pain came…just a soft silky feeling. Everything was silent. She then slowly opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. The silky feeling that she felt was in fact the robes of a young handsome man with large, flapping black wings, and a long black demon tail. His eyes were narrowed and his yard long braided ponytail swayed behind him. He seemed familiar to her, but she could recall who exactly.
"No! I-It can't be! I killed you over 20,000 years ago, right in front of your own family! How can you be here!?" Mercurius shouted in shock. The youth just replied in a low growl, "I told you I would be back for you Mercurius Cosimo De Midchi…and I kept my word…" "Who the hell is that?" Yohji asked. "I do not know…but he does seem familiar to me…" A now calm and guarded Mikari explained. "Hmm…really, what do you think Kojiro?" Kojiro shook his head and answered, "I don't know either really, it's all a blank to me, but I do recall my mother telling me about the Demon who fell to Mercurius in the time of the great rebellion…I wonder if that's him.." They all gazed on as Mercurius stared wide-eyed at the new addition to the party. "Y-You have to be dead….I killed you with the Angel's Blade….Why aren't you dead!?" "That is a secret that I can never reveal Mercurius, I should've taken care of you when I took care of your lover and parents, but I was kind enough to spare you…This time I will not be so generous…" He replied, then looked down at Tsuki, who was still in complete frustration as to who this guy was and why he was protecting her…though he did look kinda cute… "Tsukiryuu…" He said. Tsuki blinked and realized he was talking to her. "Y-Yes?" "I need you to go over there with them for a moment, I need to speak with Mercurius alone…" "O-Ok…" She got up and walked over to the other confused people and watched. "So none of you know who this grade A nutcase is or where he came from?" Ken asks scratching his head. Mikari, Tsuki, and Kojiro shrugged.
"So, this is what you've been up to all this time is it Mercurius? I would have expected better of you….sinking this low in such a short time…" "Shut up….don't forget what happened to you the last time you stood up against me…." "Oh yeah, well then you don't pose much of a threat because I'm still standing. I will give you one more chance to give up, but if you don't I'll be forced to kill you, and in front of your own family…" Mercurius sweat dropped and thought about what to do. He could either give up and surrender right in front of everyone, or he could die a noble and honorable death in front of his family. As the two talked, they dropped their guard a little and relaxed. There would be now fighting right now. This was a good time to ask questions, so that's what Yohji did. "Umm…so…who is this guy exactly?" The man turned to the group, then turned to Mercurius. "So…you didn't tell anyone what happened that long time ago…I thought you would've been smart enough to at least tell your family how this all started….I guess I will have to do it then….My name is Duo Shonosia….I was the original Lord of the Dark Realm, but something happened that changed the fate of every demi-human in the world…" 'Duo…Shonosia? Where have I hear that?' Tsuki thought as she listened to what he had to say. " I will show you all what happened 20,000 years ago…." Duo said and with a wave of his hand, a gray cloud appeared and a picture started forming.
( Dark Realm Kingdom B.C.)
" My Lord, I believe that the festival is going to be taking place soon, shall we start with the decorations?" A guard asked. "Yes go ahead, I will not delay such a fine holiday as this, inform me of any adjustments though alright? Dismissed…" Duo replied and walked over to a balcony. When he looked over, he saw a large and vast city, filled with lights and sounds. People were everywhere, preparing for the Dark Light Festival. It was a holiday celebrated by the humans, Demi-humans, Demons, and Vampires, declaring the unification between human and Demi-human creatures. Duo sighed and went back into the room, when a familiar old face came running up the stairs, ending up tripping at the top and landing flat on his more youthful face. Duo laughed and looked down at his friend. "Mercurius….Still as clumsy as always…so…how was your day?" Mercurius got up and brushed himself off, then a couple seconds later grabbed his nose and whined, "Oww….that hurt…huh? Oh my day? It was good and you?" The young Lord shrugged and replied lazily, "Fine I guess, just making preparations for the festival….and trying to find the little demon princess…" "Ohh…she ran off again eh? Well I'd be happy to help ya Duo ol buddy ol pal…." Duo laughed again and patted Mercurius on the back. "Great…two heads are better than one after all, Gysla would do it, but she's busy helping with the flower arrangements, so I got stuck with babysitting…Oh well, I guess that's just the life of a father huh?" "Yep…now lets go find that little pain in the ass…." Mercurius grinned and ran out the door. Duo rolled his eyes and smiled. What a day to start off with.
Meanwhile, a certain little someone was putting fire flies in the fireworks room. She quickly snuck away as the engineer and a man in a black robe opened the door to go inside. Suddenly all of the fireworks were going off. She sat behind a tree laughing her ass off as the fireworks flew everywhere. Duo and Mercurius saw this and nodded in agreement. It was her alright. Just as she was about to leave she heard, "TSUKIRYUU!!" "Uh-oh….I'm in trouble now…." Chibi Tsuki peeked around the tree trunk to see her father standing there with his arms crossed and a mad expression on his face. "Ok now would be a good time to go…." "I don't think so munchkin…." Mercurius had popped up out of nowhere and picked Tsuki up. "Ahhh! Meri….Put me down!" Mercurius walked over to Duo and dropped Tsuki at his feet. She stood up and looked at her dad, then let her gaze drop. "I-I'm sorry daddy….I was trying to have a little fun…" "Oh really? Well having fun doesn't mean setting off all of the fireworks in the storeroom…..I should punish you for that, but I'm in an extremely happy mood, just don't let it happen again do you understand?" "Y-Yes daddy…." He could see how upset she was and sighed. He leaned over and whispered, "Though I must admit, it was really funny when all of the workers came stampeding out of the storeroom…hehehe…you should've seen Mitsumi's face when he opened that door, he was screaming like a girl…." "Really?" "Definetly…" Tsuki giggled and screamed as her father swept her off her feet and into his arms. "So should we all go find your mother? Maybe you could help her with the flowers, since you love gardening sooo much…oh and don't forget to put in a lot of Snap Dragons, they are our favorite after all…." "Oh and we can't forget the Roses, Gentians, Cherry Blossoms, Cattleyas, and Freesias….Those are the family flowers after all….." Duo nodded and set Tsuki down. She bolted for the garden area as soon as he did, which made him happy. "Finally, she has something to do other than taunt and torture the poor maids and workers….Now on to business…Mercurius…" Mercurius nodded and followed Duo to the throne room, where they held their important meetings. "Well now that we are all present, we can discuss the matter of the strange changes occurring throughout the kingdom. Someone said it was a disease, others say it's a revolt, but I'm not sure who to believe, All I know is that this must end before the festival starts, or all hell will break loose." "Duo is right, those people aren't normal, they keep growing more violent and inhuman. For some odd reason, we demi-humans haven't been infected, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. We must find out how and why this is happening to them, if we don't cure it soon, the whole human population could be turned into these zombie-like monsters…." "But what about the unaffected residents? How are we to keep them away from the ones who are infected…in fact, how can we tell if one is infected? Is it contagious? And is there an actual cure for it? It might be irreversible…" Mitsumi pointed out some very important facts. The other council men agreed and began thinking of what to do. Duo was getting very frustrated. Mercurius saw this and spoke for him. "Well right now we need to find the contaminated people and bring them to the laboratory where they can be protected from themselves…If you want to know how to locate an infected person, look for pale skin tone, bloodshot eyes, and rotting flesh. That's how you'll know…We shouldn't let this spoil the holiday however, although it may be a hazard to the humans, we do have ways of protecting them. We will shield them until after the festival, then we can look for the cure…it isn't contagious, at least we don't think. So far the only way a person can be infected is by drinking that water that we got from the lake, which was contaminated by the outsiders…No one drinks form there now, but I think that's what is making everyone sick. So, as soon as the festival is over, have all of the centuarian guards locate and bring in all of the sick here, then we can heal them…for now, just keep a sharp eye on the humans, who knows how many are already turning into the monsters…Dismissed…." The councilmen got up and bowed, then left, all except Mitsumi, Mercurius, and Duo. Duo sweat dropped and slouched down in his chair. "Great…first the problem with the satyrs not getting their share of the water supply last dry season, now it's humans turning into demi-human maniacs….just my luck, if this keeps up I'll miss my anniversary for the fifth time in a millennium…Gysla isn't too happy about that Y'know…." Duo sighed. "I wouldn't know my friend…I'm not married…" "Yeah you just sleep with every woman you see…" "I resent that Mitsumi!!! You should talk!" "HA! You can't say that! I'm a demon and demons only sleep with the ones they spend an eternity with, so you can't accuse me of shit!" Mitsumi laughed. Mercurius glared at him and shrugged. "I guess you're right Mitsumi…At least I can have all the women I want, you're stuck with one forever….Just like our poor friend Duo here, having to spend an eternity with that bitchy wife of his….Ow! Ok! Ok! I didn't mean it!" He rubbed his arm where Duo hat punched him, then sighed and walked over to the window. "Just think….tomorrow we get to relax and have fun, no work, no meetings…and we can all spend time with the little brat….god knows that if she wants attention she'll get it…" Duo and Mitsumi laughed and nodded in agreement. What they didn't know however was that tomorrow wouldn't be as joyous as they had planned…..
( Dark Realm Kingdom B.C.; The Night Of The Festival…)
Tsuki was running up and down the halls screaming about how excited she was to go out and see all the lights in the city, unfortunately everyone else thought she was just a little too excited and wished she would stop screaming. "Okay Tsuki enough! We all know how happy you are, but please, you don't have to express it so loudly!" Mitsumi hollered while plugging his ears with his fingers. Mercurius was also fed up with the noise and grabbed Tsuki. He put a hand on her mouth and glared at her. "You say one more word and I'll personally feed you to the dragons….got it?" Tsuki nodded all wide eyed as he set her down. "Daddy wouldn't let you though….oh well whatever, I'm going to go bug Miss Teela, at least SHE will be as enthusiastically ecstatic as I am…So….see ya dorks!" Tsuki said sticking her tongue out then running down to Teela's room. Mitsumi and Mercurius both sweat dropped. "I hate when she out does us with her sophisticated little pain in the ass attitude…." "Yeah tell me about it….is enthusiastically even a word?" "I dunno maybe we should try looking it up in the dictionary….I don't even know words that big….it hurts my head too much…" Mercurius replied. They sighed and walked down the hall and out to the courtyard to wait for the rest of the group.
Teela was sitting at her dresser, putting on powder, and a lot at that…. "Miss Teela….are you ready to go? Huh huh? Are you?" Teela gazed over at her doorway and saw Tsuki standing there playing with her hair. "Umm…N-No dear, why don't you all go on ahead of me? I have to speak with Mastice and Kilinia…We'll all catch up to you later alright? Don't forget to tell your…father as well, he might want to know…now go on…" "Ummm….ok I guess….see you later Miss Teela…." Tsuki squeaked and ran out the door. Teela turned back to her mirror and stared at her reflection for a moment, then took some powder and began covering the rotting area on her neck.
Everybody was sitting in the courtyard chatting when Tsuki came flying down the steps, occasionally tripping and falling on her face. When she reached the bottom, she went over to Duo who was talking with Gysla. "Mommy, Daddy, Teela says she will catch up later, she needs to speak to Mastice and Kilinia first, then they'll all join us in the city…She promised me already that she would be there for the parade, so we don't need to worry….C'mon before the party is over!" She piped, jumping up and down, while tugging on her father's robes. "Geez, Ok, ok we're going, just please chill out…." Heero assured her. Tsuki smiled and jumped on his back. "Give me a piggy back ride Hee-chan?" "Ha ha alright…Just don't pull on my wings too much, it starts hurting after a while and if you do, I'll have to pull on your wings, deal?" "Deal!" "Ok lets go…" Heero said and started galloping down the walkway. Mitsumi and Mercurius laughed and ran to catch up. Gysla was about to join them, when she noticed that her husband wasn't moving. "What's wrong darling? Aren't you coming?" "Huh? Oh yes, yes I'm coming I just don't feel too comfortable leaving Teela and Mercurius's parents in the castle alone, something doesn't feel right I know it….maybe I should go back and check on them…" "And break your little girl's heart when she finds that her father left her?" Duo sighed and let his gaze drop. "Well, no….but those people…..I just don't trust them, I know that Mercurius cares for them a lot and he is my best friend, but they've been acting weird every since I allowed them to come and live in the castle with us…they never join us for dinner, and rarely come down for anything…I tell you they're up to something and I won't allow that under my roof…but since it is the night of the festival and Tsuki really wants me to be there with her, I'll let them slip out of it….but I will have a talk with them when we get home…." "oh yes….Mr. Tough, high and mighty….it's either my way or the highway…you really need to relax Duo or you're going to drive everyone crazy…." Duo gave her a funny look and arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Well I can be as serious as I want for as long as I want and no one can say or do anything to change that…" "Oh I'm sure I could do a lot to change your mind Mr. Serious….now lets go before Tsuki sends the guards out looking for us…" Duo nodded and together they made their way to the brightly lit city.
Teela watched as the couple left the courtyard, then disappeared into the shadows. She reappeared in the throne room where two figures were standing. "So….is he gone yet?" Mastice asked. "Yes….it took him forever to leave though…soft hearted old fool….he may be older than any creature on the planet, but he still isn't the smartest…." "That is for sure….it is just a shame that all three of us were infected….Duo said that vampires and demons couldn't catch the virus, but apparently he lied, just to make the demi-humans look up to him in hopes that he would have a solution. No matter….once we are rid of him we can take over the rest of the kingdom, then all of those worthless humans will be open for attack. I can't believe that the stupid bastard thought that humans and vampires could live together in peace and harmony….well that's a bunch of bullshit…humans are our source of food….we should be able to feast on anyone we please, and not just the weak, sick, or dying ones…it is a disgrace! Soon we will have everything we've wanted for so long….You and Mercurius can finally be living like the real lord and lady, instead of second best…." Kilinia stated. Teela nodded in agreement. "But the only problem is….how do we kill Duo? He is an immortal and has many followers who are willing to die for him….There is only one weapon that can kill him, but it is guarded by the celestials, and you know Angels don't like us…." This complicated things a bit. Mastice and Kilinia were at a total loss on that subject. "We'll just have to imprison him then…" "But he can break out of anything we throw at him and you know it….we'll just have to lay low until we can get our hands on the Angel's Bastard Sword." Teela and Kilinia nodded. "Well since everyone is distracted, we can go out and have some fun….I'm feeling hungry and all of the best people are at home right now, they don't go to the festival…so…up for it ladies?" Mastice asked, holding out his hands to them. They grinned at each other and took his generous offer. "And afterward we can head up to my room and have even more fun…." Mastice grinned. The women giggled as they walked out of the castle and down to the darker neighborhood of the city.
While that was going on, Duo was already in the city with his family. They spent the whole night enjoying themselves. Tsuki had managed to kick Mercurius's and Mitsumi's asses at the dart throwing game. She nailed every single bubble where as Mercurius and Mitsumi couldn't even hit one, and most of them were the size of bowling balls. "HAHAHAHA…..You guys suck big time!" Tsuki bragged. "Yeah, yeah shut up you little pain in the ass…." Mitsumi yawned. Soon it was time for the parade, but there was no sign of Teela, Mastice, or Kilinia. "where could they be daddy? Teela promised me she would be here for the parade…" Tsuki complained. "I don't know sweetheart…but I have a good idea…" Duo growled.
Meanwhile, Mastice, Kilinia, and Teela were having a festival of their own….a blood festival. They had slain about 50 people already. It was 6:00PM when they left the castle, and it was now close midnight. "This is fun….I think we should do this more often…" "I know Kilinia….I'm getting a rise out of it….Now I want to be really naughty……." Mastice cooed. Teela and Kilinia rolled their eyes and smiled at the thought of that. They had been at this for hours now. They didn't know that it would determine their fates though.
After the parade was over, Tsuki had fallen asleep in Mitsumi's arms, so they thought it best to head back to the castle to turn in for the night. The group got home around two or three in the morning and were completely exhausted. Mitsumi told everyone that he was going to put Tsuki to bed, then go to bed himself. The others said their goodnights as well and went up to their rooms. Just as Duo was getting into bed, Heero came running in. "Duo come quickly! We've got a serious situation here!" "Augh, can't this wait until tomorrow Heero? I'm tired." "No my Lord…It is very urgent…Please come with me…" "Hmph! Very well…but I swear if this isn't anything EXTREMELY important, I'll tan your hide myself…." Duo snarled and got into his robes, then followed the Angel out of his home. When he arrived though, his whole perspective changed dramatically. "We counted exactly 178 people brutally slain and drained of their blood. Who do you suppose did this?" Duo's eyes narrowed and his teeth and fists clenched. "I know EXACTLY who did this Heero….get my strongest guards, we have some vampires to find…" Heero didn't really understand, but obeyed his master's orders.
Duo stormed back into the castle and headed straight up the stairs and into Mastice's room. The doors flew open with a large flash and boom, as Duo walked up to Mastice's bed, which had quite a lot of movement going on. Three heads popped up from under the covers when they heard the doors slam. Duo's eyes widened when he saw who those THREE people were. Plus, the noise happened to wake everyone else in the castle, and soon Mercurius, Gysla, Mitsumi, and Tsuki were standing in the doorway. Kilinia and Teela grabbed onto Mastice as Duo advanced on them, his blood red eyes flaming with rage. "MASTICE COSIMO DE MIDCHI!!!" Duo yelled, making the room shake. Mercurius's eyes widened when he saw Teela in bed with his parents. "T-T-T-Teela? H-How….W-Why…" Mercurius just couldn't speak at that moment. He was too shocked and heartbroken to say anything. Gysla glanced at him, then saw Tsuki standing next to him. "Mitsumi…..take Tsuki into the other room….I don't want her witnessing this…" "Y-Yes my lady at once…Tsuki…" Tsuki turned to him. He picked her up and went into the lobby to wait for further instructions. Everyone could tell that Duo was very pissed. "Mastice…..I can't believe you would do something like this…." "Like what my lord?" "I welcome you into my kingdom, I take you into my home, I was even kind enough to make you part of my council…..but I would have never expected something like this of you…..this is the lowest a vampire could go…." Duo exclaimed trying to stay calm. Mastice knew that Duo wouldn't buy anything he said so he came straight out with it. "So? Humans are food, not friends. We should be harvesting them for our meat, not treating them like our equals, soon they will be demanding respect and other things. I will not allow it!" "oh? And how are you going to stop it? Everyone is happy the way they are, but you….you are just sick…feasting on the helpless townsfolk when you know that they don't pose a threat to you in any way…." Mastice had nothing to say to that. Then Duo noticed that the third woman was in fact Teela, at first he thought it was just another slut Mastice picked up, but it was actually Mercurius's lover. "Now I know that you are a sick minded son of a bitch! Sleeping with your son's lover! I can't believe you Mastice…" "Well she wanted it, Mercurius wouldn't give her what she wanted so I did…." "That's no reason to embarrass you son! I am totally disgusted with you…." "Oh shove it human-lover!" Duo's eyes narrowed. He didn't like it when people called him that. He was only treating the humans as they treated him. "Mercurius I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to take action here…please forgive me my friend but even you know what must be done…." Mercurius's gaze dropped. "Yes I know…go ahead…." "Go ahead and do what!?" Teela asked, but was quickly cut off by a enraged Duo. "SILANCE QINTASH!!!" everyone's eyes widened. Duo had never called any vampire a Qintash before, no matter how angry he was. "Heero, get them clothed and take them to the dungeon…..the execution will take place at sunrise tomorrow…..now everyone return to your rooms…." Duo ordered. Mercurius wanted to object to the execution, but one sharp glance from Duo told him that it had to be done. They all went back to their rooms while Heero and the guards took care of the prisoners. Duo walked into the lobby and stared at Tsuki. "Tsuki go back to your room and go to bed…." "But what about Mr. Mastice and Ms Teela and Mrs. Kilinia?" "Never mind that Tsukiryuu now go to bed." She knew instantly that his patience was growing thin and ran to her room. Mitsumi blinked a couple of times and jumped a little when Duo spoke to him. "Mitsumi…There is going to be an execution tomorrow morning at sunrise, please be ready before then…I want this done quick and clean…" Mitsumi gulped and nodded, then returned to his room. Duo stood there alone in the lobby for a moment, then slowly headed back to his room where his wife was waiting. "So….they are going to be executed?" Gysla asked as Duo got into bed. He didn't look at her when he spoke. "Y-Yes…everybody knows how much I don't want to do it, but I can't let this happen again…and I can't let a slut like Teela ruin Mercurius's life by having an affair with his father, I knew those three were more than just "friends" when they first entered the castle, that was one of the reason why I didn't like them. I knew that Mercurius was going to be hurt, but I couldn't stop it…now it has to be this way, you understand don't you?" He finally looked up at her with hurt in his eyes. Gysla stared at him a moment then replied gently, "Of course my love, you know I'd always understand you….it's just a shame that such noble people could turn so evil at such a rapid speed. One minute they're your friends, next they're your enemies….I will just never understand that…." Duo put a hand on her face and gazed into her eyes. He could tell she was as hurt as he was. "Well, we should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day…personally one that I don't want to come…." Duo whispered. Gysla nodded and kissed him gently, then waved her hand to put out the candles and went to sleep.
( December 23rd, The Morning Of The Execution )
Before the sun rose, Mercurius was allowed to pay one last visit to his parents and ex-lover before the trial was to begin. The guard reluctantly let him in to see them. He stopped just beyond their reach and watched them. "What do you want?" Mastice muttered. That hurt Mercurius. " I-I came to see you all…You are my family you know…" "Ha! You family? Don't make me laugh…you're as disgraceful as that bastard Duo Shonosia…You are not a relative of mine if you're with him…." Kilinia snarled. Mercurius's eyes widened. He then looked over at Teela when the guards came in to take them to the platform. "Mercurius….sweetheart please help me…" Teela begged. Mercurius backed away in revulsion as she tried to embrace him. She knew he wouldn't buy it. "At least be there for the execution….I beg of you, please be there…" "…………fine…" was all he said before leaving them in the hands of the guards who gladly drug them out by their chains. Mercurius would never forget this day. 'Duo…..he turned my own parents against me….and my lover……how could he?' Mercurius thought as he headed up to the garden maze. Heero was waiting in the heart of the maze where an unwise and deceiving plan was going to unfold.
Mastice, Kilinia, and Teela were dragged outside to the platform where the guillotine would usually stand, but it was taken down for this morning's special event. All three of them were forced onto their knees and had their heads in a vice to hold them in place. The whole entire surrounding city was there to be witnesses for the deaths. Mitsumi walked up the steps in his custom velvet black and crimson robe, and in his right hand was a 6 foot tall silver scythe. He had no expression on his face, cloaking his true emotions towards this whole thing. He stood before the convicts and awaited for the Lord Of The Dark Realm to arrive for the trial. Soon, Duo was standing at the top of a small stage which he normally used for entertainment. He motioned for everyone to be silent and began the trial. "We are all gathered here today to witness the execution of the traitors Mastice Cosimo De Midchi, Kilinia Cosimo De Midchi, and Teela Rensvania. They have been accused of slaying and draining innocent people and attempted murder of the lord of the Dark Realm." Everyone could tell that Duo was having a hard time announcing this, he was getting choked up and had to frequently stop so he wouldn't make an idiot of himself. "They have been found guilty of these crimes and is hereby sentenced to death…" Duo declared. He looked down at the convicts and then up at Mitsumi. "The Grim Reaper will be the executioner….Reaper…." Mitsumi stared a second, then raised his scythe over their heads. Tears started falling down Duo's face, but he paid no heed to them and nodded. Mitsumi ended it all in one swift blow. Everyone watched as the three heads rolled off the platform and onto the dusty ground. Mercurius, though he promised to be there, was not present, and neither was Heero for that matter. The question was, where were they?
After the execution, Duo had everyone enter the throne room so they could once again discuss tha matter of the virus. It seemed that Mastice, Kilinia, and Teela were in fact infected with the virus at that time, they just didn't tell anyone. "How are we to stop this my Lord? We still don't know what it is?" "I know, I know but the problem is not just the virus, but the people who are infected themselves. We found out that if someone is scratched or bitten by one of the infected people, they will also become a victim. We must find the cure and fast or the whole city will fall victim to the virus….And yes even vampires and demons can be infected by it so don't think you can protect yourself for long, I'm doing the best I can right now so please bear with me." Duo explained. The meeting was almost over when the doors suddenly flew open and in walked Mercurius and Heero. "Mercurius what are you doing here?" " I came here because you killed my parents!" "But you know it had to be done…." " No! I didn't have to be that way….that virus is what caused them to do that! You didn't have to kill them! You wanted to kill them! They told me themselves!!" Duo couldn't believe what he was hearing. His own friend turning on him like that. He knew it had to be done and it wasn't the virus that caused them to act the way they did. "Look, I'm sorry that I had to kill them, but it was the only way to keep it from happening again. You know it was the right thing to do so don't deny it…now please, if you have no business here then leave…" Duo remarked and turned to leave, when he heard Mercurius grunt his retaliation. He turned back to the young vampire and gazed at him. "Why are you doing this Mercurius? Is it for revenge supposedly? There is nothing to avenge so drop it, it's getting old real fast…" "I don't care what you say anymore Duo….you killed my parents and my lover and I can never forgive you for that!" He slowly reached for a sword sheathed to his belt, then remembered how many of Duo's loyal subjects were in the building, which happened to be the whole city. He took his hand away and backed towards the door. "Mark my words Demon Lord….I will find you…and your entire kingdom will crumble in my hand!" He warned and left. Heero gave his former leader one last look before disappearing through the doors as well.
"I will not let him get away with this…." "I-I know of a way to get rid of him once and for all master Mercurius…." "Oh? And how would I do that exactly?" "The Angel's Bastard Sword….it'll eliminate any dark and evil creature in the world…The only problem is you can't touch it…..well at least if you didn't have Angel Gloves on, that would protect you…." Mercurius took this into consideration and asked, "But if the sword is in Heaven, how will I get it?" Heero grinned and pointed to his wings. Mercurius had forgotten that Heero was an Angel. "Alright then….get me the sword and the gloves….then I can kill him off for good…and have my revenge…." "Hold on a minute, I didn't say I'd get the stuff for free…." "Hm? Then what do you want? Name it and it's yours…" Heero's eyes flashed and he replied darkly, "I want immortality…if my wings are torn off I become mortal, but if you make me immortal I can still live forever….it is that for the Angelic items….deal?" Heero held out a hand. Mercurius thought this over carefully and agreed, taking the Angel's hand. "Deal…." "Alright, first the immortality to make sure you don't go back on your word, I heard vampires are very sneaky….I'm not taking any chances…." Mercurius sighed. "Very well….but I warn you it will be painful, oh well, thank God it's you and not me…." Heero already knew what must be done however and was prepared for the worst. Mercurius slowly walked up to the youth , then sank his teeth into Heero's neck. Heero would've screamed, but he was in too much pain. After a few short seconds, it was over. Mercurius let Heero go and backed away, wiping the blood off his mouth. Heero dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around himself. He felt strangely cold now and almost couldn't stand, but he managed to get to his feet and stared, wide-eyed at Mercurius who didn't say anything. "Are you sure I'm immortal now?" "Yes….I guarantee it, now please get me the items before Duo catches on to us…." Heero nodded and took flight, heading for the Heavens in search of the ancient artifacts.
It was late at night when Heero returned to the middle world and found Mercurius hiding in the same place that Heero had left him at. He landed softly on the ground and handed the vampire the gloves, then the sword. "It took you long enough…." "Well there were a few obstacles, but I got them didn't I?" "Yes you did and I thank you for it…." Mercurius replied as he examined his new weapon. This was going to be the start of an enormous and bloody rebellion.
( Dark Realm Kingdom B.C. 12,000 Into The War…)
It had started 12,000 years ago….and all because of a blind little boy who couldn't see the light of truth. Now, Demons, Vampires, Demi-humans, and Humans were fighting on one side or the other. There were either Duo's followers, or there were Mercurius's followers. Everyone chose a side, for if you didn't you would surely be taken for the enemy and would be killed. Although people were either fighting for him or against him, No one could locate the whereabouts of the former Dark Realm Lord. He had disappeared after the castle was ambushed and hasn't been seen since. Some say he is in hiding and is giving up on his people, others however know for a fact that he is recuperating so he can take down the Celestial Vampire Lord and free the rest of the world from his oppression. Mercurius has been searching for Duo ever since Heero was caught and killed for traitorism and handing over the Angel's Bastard Sword to the enemy. He swore he would find Duo. And soon he got his wish.
After 12,000 years of searching, Mercurius, the Celestial Vampire Lord had finally found the Demon God's hideaway and had surrounded it. There was no way out. "Mercurius stop this at once! What happened to you!? You've turned from a caring and loving friend into a bloodthirsty murderous bastard!" Duo yelled as Mercurius closed in on the man's family and friends. "Enough of this Duo Shonosia……I have finally caught you and I intend to finish what is started…." "Duo's eyes widened. He could feel his wife holding onto his hand tightly, then he realized that Tsuki was at his side holding onto his robes. He knew there was no way out this time, the least he could do was save his little girl in hopes that one day she would bring back the life of the Demon Clan. Tsuki looked up to her father, who was white with fear. He knelt down and looked at his daughter. "Tsukiryuu….I am so sorry….you will have to go on without us…." "No daddy…I wanna stay here with you…" "No Tsukiryuu…if you do, there will be no hope left for our kind, here take this with you, it will help you fight against the vampires…" He said and pulled out a small, emblem, necklace. On it was a silver cross, with a different colored gems on the ends and a single white one in the center. "What is it for?" "You will know soon enough my dear, and one more thing…..what ever you do, don't let the vampires get a hold of this…" He continued handing her, what looked to be a locket. She stared at it a moment then asked, "What is it?" "It is a Soul Collector, it is used to gather the souls of the dead. It also holds a gift, given only to those of celestial blood….a scythe….it may sound strange, but that power and weapon will help you…….now go, before they see you…" "But…" "GO!" he finishes and pushes her away. Tsuki runs a few yards before turning back. Her eyes widened as the master vampire walked up to her father and drove a white blade through his heart. "DADDY!" Tsuki screamed, as she watched him and the rest of her family and friends die….then runs into the forest, never to look back…
As Mercurius watched the demons die, a little girl stood by him, watching intently. He looked down at her and smiled. "Well Alexiel….I have finally done it….Duo has fallen and I am the new Dark Realm Lord….Soon you will have all you've wished for and much more….just wait and see…." "Thank you daddy…" was all she said.
The gray cloud suddenly evaporated and Duo turned back to Mercurius. "Now you know the truth. He did it all because I had to execute his traitorous family. It was their fault, but Mercurius was too blind to see it. He still has the heart of a selfish and disobedient child….I wanted to spare him, but now I'm afraid I can't do that…..or he'll do it all over again…and….I don't want Tsuki to live through that nightmare after all these years…." Tsuki's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that her father was alive, standing right there before her, and she didn't even see it. Mikari was also shocked to see that Tsuki's father, the one who killed her great grandparents was standing there talking to them. She wouldn't have it. She wasn't going to stand there and watch this Demon murder her love. "Nooooo!!!" Mikari screamed and pushed Yohji out of the way. She ran and stood in front of Mercurius, putting her arms up in defense. Mercurius grinned at the look on Duo's face. "Well it looks like you're still too soft. Look, Even the human that I changed into a vampire is willing to die for me. Sort of pathetic really, but it makes a great shield…she may be a fool, but I could use her for other things that are vital for my survival…." "You're still as low as ever Qintash…I can't believe you use women as shields from your own battles. How much more pathetic can you get!" "I dunno….want me to try harder?" Mercurius mocked. "Hmm….fine then….I won't use her as a shield anymore….in fact I really didn't have much use for her anyways, I just wanted the immortality she had to offer…." He said. Nobody saw what was coming next. Instead of throwing her out of the way and attacking Duo, Mercurius merely shoved the blade through her in hopes to reach Duo's heart. No luck though. Mikari's eyes widened as the blood started flowing down her body. "She was worthless anyways, I can just find another woman to use……hmm…your daughter looks like a fine specimen…how about I use her?" Duo clenched his teeth and grasped his scythe tightly. " over my dead body bastard!" "With pleasure…" Mercurius said and threw Mikari's dying body aside. Yohji quickly ran over to her as Duo and Mercurius fought. He lifted her up and examined the wound. It was definetly a fatal wound. "H-How are supposed to fix this? Tsuki come and heal this wound!" Tsuki looked up and replied wearily. "I-I can't Yohji….I can't heal any wound that is caused by and Angelic item…." Yohji's eyes widened. He gazed down at Mikari who was dazed, but looking back at him. She had finally returned to normal, but she did it a little too late. "Y-Yohji….I-I'm sorry…." "You don't have to be Mikari, I understand what happened…." he could see she was trying to fight back the tears, but they came flowing down her face. Yohji thought all was lost, when he remembered reading something on the Vampire Scroll Tsuki had. He wasn't supposed to see that, but knowing him, he wouldn't listen and read it anyways. He recalled a paragraph about making a human a vampire's immortal slave, meaning that they would be bonded together forever….He couldn't believe he remembered that, probably because it sounded kinky, but he remembered it. He also remembered how the ritual was done. He slowly took his wire and wrapped it around his hand, then pulled on it tightly, til it started to bleed dramatically. He threw the wire on the ground and gazed at Mikari who was starting to slip away. "Hold on Mikari, I'm not going to lose you…." he whispered and placed his bleeding hand on her wound. Odd as it seemed, the wound started glowing and was disappearing right before his eyes. The blood turned to a silver liquid, then evaporated. Mikari's eyes sprang open and she gazed up at Yohji, who had on the same stupid grin as always. "Now we are one….we're bonded for eternity, great, now I'm stuck like this forever…" Yohji yawned. Mikari laughed and hugged him. He returned the favor and the two quickly walked over to the others who were happy to see them alright. The problem now was Duo and Mercurius. Were they really going to fight to the death? Or can they solve this another way?