Angel.
Feathers? Why are there feathers all around me? Takeru wondered, reaching out to touch one of the gently floating white feathers all around him. He was in a dreamscape of unimaginable size and description. To say it was mysterious would have been a very severe understatement; to say that it was wondrous would have been an insult.
Ow. He felt pain as the feather changed into a shard of glass. What the hell? If this was a dream, it was seriously time for him to wake up. He rarely ever dreamed, in all his centuries. Most of the time he just floated in a dark void. Black blood, ichor, the blood of vampires, spilled from the wound upon his hand, far more liquid than he had expected. Of course, it wasn't really dangerous, but it was painful. In morbid fascination he watched as it trickled down his perfect, pale skin and licked it slightly.
It wasn't as though he had a fetish with ichor, he just felt like it. The taste was flat and slightly dry, like a red wine he particularly did not like. Another feather drifted onto his hand and he stifled a shriek of pain. It moved slightly and very swiftly. Soon, on his palm, was etched a pentagram, perfect and the cuts so fine, they could have been made by a scalpel. Black blood oozed from it. He looked around. Apart from himself in his street clothing of a black leather coat, black shirt, and dark jeans, the only colors about him was the white feathers, his pale skin, and his gold hair. The surroundings couldn't be described and couldn't be classified with mundane, flat hues.
Now I've seen everything.
As the feathers fell down, ripples came from the ground, as though they touched water. Then they sank slowly into nothingness.
Hell. Where am I?
The dreamscape faded and he found himself- under an ocean? Sure enough, crystal clear waters were around him as sand was beneath his bootclad feet. He took a breath and found he could breath as easily as he could on land.
Three hooded figures were in front of him, shrouded completely in black. Only the bottom parts of their faces and their hands could be seen, and the features were elegant, ethereal, and stark white. One held a spindle, the object spinning rapidly and trailing off a gold thread, which was being held by the figure's thumb and index fingers. The other held a bundle of the gold threads, drawing one out very carefully. Then the last held a pair of scissors, a hand ready to grasp one of the strings that the other woman was holding.
"Takeru Ishida." The voices seemed to come all around him.
"Who are you?" he asked, finding his voice.
"We are the past, the present, and the future. We are known by many names but most commonly, the Fates."
"The Fates?" He remembered vaguely about Norse and Greek mythology discussing these three mysterious women who controlled the destinies of every living thing.
"That is right." The one on his left, holding the spindle, seemed to say.
"Even the undead are under our rule." The center, holding all the threads, spoke.
"Nothing, not even the highest powers, can escape from our judgment." The last, the one holding the scissors, resounded.
"Your life is growing short, but there is another path." Present held up a peculiar string. It was very long but split into two around half way down. One end was very short; the other continued the string's length.
"What must I do?" His mouth felt very dry and he failed to notice that no longer did the cuts on his hand bleed.
"Turn back while you can," Future said. She seemed the grimmest of all three.
"Your life has been destined to become one of hardness," Past told him, still spinning.
"Do not deny your heart."
"Oh, the poor boy."
"Suffering so long."
"We ordained it ourselves, sisters."
"But this is the fruit of our labors."
"Wait! What do you mean?" He kept his voice brisk, his face and tone icy.
"You are an angel of darkness. Find your light, for even the shadows are cast by light. You know who she is. Will you stay in the bowels of hell, or will you redeem yourself to see the light of heaven?" Present seemed to be their leader.
"There is a life who is also tied to this. He will find you, and guide you."
"You will know him when you meet him."
"Never forget who you are, Takeru."
"We aided in your creation, as well as all else."
"Even a mirror of dark glass will reflect light."
"Takeru."
"Takeru."
"Takeru!"
The vampire's blue eyes burst open as he seized the wrist of whoever was hovering over his bed. "What?" the blond immortal snarled.
Falsely guileless gray eyes looked at him through wire-rimmed spectacles. "It is time to wake."
"Eriol, you bastard," the vampire groaned, releasing the man's wrist. "Don't do that do me."
"What is that?" Faster than a striking viper, Eriol grasped Takeru's wrist.
Livid and perfect, as though freshly tattooed, was a black pentagram upon the vampire's left palm.
"I have no clue what the hell this is," Takeru said, looking at it.
"Dress up, in the mood for a snack?"
"Eriol, you're not even a vampire."
"Demons would count, would they not?" Wide eyes looked at him innocently.
Eriol was a slim, slightly short man, with rich blue-black hair highlighted with deep royal blue silver. His face was pale and with the innocent features of a young man entering high school, but his stature and gray eyes belied that. He was dressed nattily in a deep gray suit, complete with expensive looking shoes and silk tie. Armani, Takeru supposed. Eriol always loved elegant clothing, probably some strange demon sense.
Actually, no one knew what Eriol was exactly. Probably a minor demon-human hybrid with a fetish for blood now and then, but he never divulged the secret. And also, he had the odd habit of popping up at the oddest of times, disappearing for weeks on end before reappearing and staying for a year. But still, he was one of the closest things Takeru had for a friend.
"Are you going to drain your victim completely this time?" Takeru asked, buttoning his shirt.
"No, don't feel like it." his friend sipped a glass of wine.
"You're taking a major risk every time you do."
"I can wipe memories remember?"
"And also, it's not as though you need blood to survive."
"So, I have a fetish."
"As well as for clothing from the top brands, red wine, being generally sadistic, mysterious, and annoyingly wise, and scaring the shit out of everyone. Not to mention fornication."
"What can I say? It is only my personality." He smiled that so annoyingly mysterious smile.
Takeru pulled on his sunglasses, hiding his sapphire blue eyes. "Let's go then. The night is still young."
~*~
"Another wasted night," Taichi said, gesturing with a cigarette.
"Put that away," Hikari snapped. "Smoking will kill you."
In disgust, her older brother did so. "I wasn't going to."
"Onii-chan, please, we've been on our toes lately. And where did you get that?"
"Ferio, said he took them off of Honda. Apparently another brunette who is Chinese and whose name I will not mention gave a big lecture to the pointy haired kid."
"He would." Hikari pushed back her hair. "And look who's talking Mr. I-got- a-bush-on-my-head."
"My hair is not a bush!"
But the girl held up a hand to silence her indignant brother. "Shhh, I sense something."
She started to pull out her .45, very, very slowly. Slowly pushing down the hammer, she started to aim at whatever was in the shadows. Taichi also reached for his weapon, but she shook her head. A shot fired, and dust rained upon her brother.
Coughing in disgust, he wiped himself off. "You could have warned me."
"I did," Hikari said innocently, blowing the smoke coming from the muzzle. "I think I might need more ammunition."
"It's a shame we can't kill off the Ishidas with silver, like those other vampires," Taichi muttered.
"You have a point there," Hikari answered, slipping her gun into its holster and patting it fondly.
"That's a night's round though. Come on, let me get you some coffee, my treat." Taichi threw a brotherly arm over his younger sister's shoulders, and she stifled a smile.
"I'm telling you, the way to a woman's heart is a latte," Taichi was saying as Hikari rolled her eyes, taking a long sip of her drink.
"Caffeine." she murmured to herself before looking at Taichi. "As if. I think that's why you've been single for years if that's your philosophy."
"And you can do better?" Taichi arched an eyebrow pompously. "Miss I-prefer- to-remain-single-and-am-still-a-virgin?"
"Just because /you're/ not a virgin doesn't mean I have to be like you," Hikari snapped, shoving her brother little, his cappuccino in the danger of splashing out of the cup. "Let's go home, I'm tired and our round is over."
Taichi yawned. "I have a conference tomorrow, sorry sis but it's only me, the boss and a few others. But I'll be back in time for a nap and some free time before our nightly rounds."
"Alright big bro. Come on, we best get some sleep. I might go out during the night though, or early morning, I have to take care of a few things. Don't expect me until around you come home."
~*~
Takeru let the body of the mortal drop, a drunken bum. He still felt giddy from the cheap-alcohol laden taste of the blood, like horrible beer. It left a nasty taste upon his tongue, but it was better than starving, and poor quality blood that was obtained by hunting bested the best quality poured out in the safety of a haven. He supposed it was the exhilaration of the hunt and the fear laced within it.
Eriol held the limp form of a young woman, a prostitute from her clothing. She was dozing, blood trickling from her mouth. The other man whispered something and let her go. She straightened and robotically, she walked out of the alley, her eyes glazed.
"I have got to introduce you to killing your prey," Takeru said in disgust, wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I only have a fetish, not a hunger," Eriol responded, wiping off his own lips with a handkerchief. Takeru held up a hand to silence the other being as sharp ears detected a certain voice.
"Taichi, you are too dense for your own good," a young woman said in exasperation as two people, looking related, passed by the alley.
Takeru narrowed his sapphire blue eyes. That woman seemed very familiar. Wait, could she be?
As the two walked off, Takeru told Eriol curtly, "I want to be alone. You may be a partial caretaker, but I am old enough to go off on my own."
Smiling that so annoying little smile, Eriol disappeared with only, "As you wish."
Takeru muttered, "Damn him." With that, he launched into the air, flying upon wings of pure black, a silent specter following the brother and sister.
Hikari stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. A faint stream of snoring came from her brother's room, even with both doors shut. Turning a little, she flicked on a side lamp. As the light illuminated from her bedside table, it fell upon a framed picture. Eyes sad, she picked it up. Ghostly sounds of giggles and laughs echoed in her head as she saw her parents and her brother, not to mention herself.
/flashback/
Hikari wept as two caskets were lowered into the earth. Taichi put an arm over her shoulder, letting her cry into his chest.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "They're in a better place Hikari. As long as we have each other, everything will be alright."
/end flashback/
Luckily her brother had been allowed to take the place of her legal guardian, despite being young himself. That prevented them both from being adopted and possibly separated. Hikari let a single tear fall as she set the picture down.
'Okaa-san, Otou-san, I miss you so much.'
Turning off the light, she resumed staring up at the dark ceiling. A faint thread of light came from the translucent curtains from the blaring streetlights outside, partially but not completely, lighting up the room. Twisting a little, she sensed something, and tensed up. Slowly she reached for her small handgun hidden in her pillow. It wasn't the first time they had a break in, but how this intruder managed to get past Taichi deluded her. But she heard a symphony of snoring and changed her mind.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something, or someone standing at the foot of her bed, shrouded in shadow. Defying all laws of science, he seemed to cast no shadow. Narrowing her eyes, she counted before getting up in a swift movement, handgun pointed at the figure.
"Don't move! I know how to shoot this thing and I'm not afraid to!" she snapped.
The figure seemed amused. Piercing the darkness were twin sapphire blue eyes, the most beautiful shade of blue she had ever seen only one other time. She gaped but those few seconds were all the stranger ever needed to act. Moving effortlessly, he grasped her upper arms, knocking away the handgun. Hikari felt ice cold trying to penetrate her to the very marrow of her bones, even with her pajamas.
She thrashed, but this person obviously was skilled at this. Immobilizing her, he kissed her passionately and she felt all reason and consciousness leave her as control dripped away like water from her cupped hands.
Takeru smirked as he gathered the unconscious slayer into his arms. Something protested against his actions and a cynical voice whispered, 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' But he merely ignored the two. He had felt drawn to this young woman for a mysterious reason and he was going to find out what it was.
Concentrating, he felt himself tremble a little as a light flared. In one of his hands was a folded note. Setting it on the bedside table, he gathered up clothing for her from her closet, noting with amusement the array of black in it.
With that, he disappeared into the night, with his prize.
~*~
Taichi slipped out of bed (after turning off that annoying alarm clock), and dressed quickly. Going into his sister's room to kiss her goodbye, he noticed she was gone.
Finding a note on the nightstand, he read, "'Dear onii-san, I've gone out for a jog and I have to run a few errands. Don't be worried if I come a little late. Love, Hikari.' Hmm, I would have thought she would have wanted to sleep in a little. Oh well." Setting the note down, he headed out of the apartment.
~*~
Hikari floated- well, that was all she could think of at the moment. She hated the dark since she was young. Well first she was afraid until she graduated to mere dislike. The whole point was that the dark and her were not a great combination, and she was surrounded by it completely.
Hikari.
What? Whose there?
She-who-was-not-quite-she tried to reach for a weapon but could not find any. A low chuckle resounded about her and the slayer felt very claustrophobic suddenly.
I am all, yet none.
Crap, now I'm listening to voices carrying riddles.
She felt some kind of pain and then suddenly, wind touched her face in a wild, fleeting caress, as though she was flying. Then white wings were around her, pure and soft. Belatedly she realized the wings were hers.
As she flew, she found herself heading toward a shadowed person, immense wings sprouting from his back. But the faster she flew, the further away he was taken. In frustration, she put on a burst of speed. As she felt so close, the figure vanished.
Someone kissed her softly as she wept, kissing away her tears and holding her in a wonderful embrace. "I will never leave you, I love you, and I am always there for you."
Groggily, Hikari opened her eyes to find herself in a- coffin? Thrashing a little, she breathed. 'Alright, I'm in a coffin, no need to panic.' She then pushed up at the ceiling and found it moved. Applying more strength, she managed to push off the cover of her rather gruesome bed.
Waiting for her was a rather bored looking young man. "So now you're awake," he said dully.
Hikari did not like the emptiness of his silvery eyes at all, although he was very attractive. "Where am I?"
"Wait here, and make yourself presentable." Rising, the man left by going through the wall.
"Isn't he just cheerful?" Hikari muttered darkly, looking around the room.
She was in a stone chamber with no windows at all though lushly furnished and sparsely lighted with three pairs of candelabra. Getting out of the coffin, she staggered toward the wardrobe. Inside were several days' worth of her clothes, most black.
Slamming the twin doors closed, she paced upon the red velvet carpet beneath her feet, searching for someway out. After a few minutes, she sank into a chair in disgust and resignation. This was a completely solid prison.
"I would have thought you would awake at this time," came a cool, quiet voice. A young man with gold hair, pale skin, and black clothing stood just a few feet behind her. His eyes were completely hidden due to his sunglasses.
"What do you want with me, vampire?" Hikari spat, assuming a stance swiftly. If she had to, she could fight unarmed.
"I didn't expect for you to have such fire," the man said in that silken voice of his.
"You better damn well get used to it," Hikari snarled. "Who are you?"
"Tut, tut, too many questions." The man took off his glasses, revealing the gleaming sapphire azure optics hidden by them. "Some know me as Takeru Ishida, but I prefer to be called the Dark Angel."
A/N: Ooooohhhh, cliffhanger! Aren't I evil? I hope you like this so far! I might decide to do a few changes but I promise I will try to update quickly. But please review!
Feathers? Why are there feathers all around me? Takeru wondered, reaching out to touch one of the gently floating white feathers all around him. He was in a dreamscape of unimaginable size and description. To say it was mysterious would have been a very severe understatement; to say that it was wondrous would have been an insult.
Ow. He felt pain as the feather changed into a shard of glass. What the hell? If this was a dream, it was seriously time for him to wake up. He rarely ever dreamed, in all his centuries. Most of the time he just floated in a dark void. Black blood, ichor, the blood of vampires, spilled from the wound upon his hand, far more liquid than he had expected. Of course, it wasn't really dangerous, but it was painful. In morbid fascination he watched as it trickled down his perfect, pale skin and licked it slightly.
It wasn't as though he had a fetish with ichor, he just felt like it. The taste was flat and slightly dry, like a red wine he particularly did not like. Another feather drifted onto his hand and he stifled a shriek of pain. It moved slightly and very swiftly. Soon, on his palm, was etched a pentagram, perfect and the cuts so fine, they could have been made by a scalpel. Black blood oozed from it. He looked around. Apart from himself in his street clothing of a black leather coat, black shirt, and dark jeans, the only colors about him was the white feathers, his pale skin, and his gold hair. The surroundings couldn't be described and couldn't be classified with mundane, flat hues.
Now I've seen everything.
As the feathers fell down, ripples came from the ground, as though they touched water. Then they sank slowly into nothingness.
Hell. Where am I?
The dreamscape faded and he found himself- under an ocean? Sure enough, crystal clear waters were around him as sand was beneath his bootclad feet. He took a breath and found he could breath as easily as he could on land.
Three hooded figures were in front of him, shrouded completely in black. Only the bottom parts of their faces and their hands could be seen, and the features were elegant, ethereal, and stark white. One held a spindle, the object spinning rapidly and trailing off a gold thread, which was being held by the figure's thumb and index fingers. The other held a bundle of the gold threads, drawing one out very carefully. Then the last held a pair of scissors, a hand ready to grasp one of the strings that the other woman was holding.
"Takeru Ishida." The voices seemed to come all around him.
"Who are you?" he asked, finding his voice.
"We are the past, the present, and the future. We are known by many names but most commonly, the Fates."
"The Fates?" He remembered vaguely about Norse and Greek mythology discussing these three mysterious women who controlled the destinies of every living thing.
"That is right." The one on his left, holding the spindle, seemed to say.
"Even the undead are under our rule." The center, holding all the threads, spoke.
"Nothing, not even the highest powers, can escape from our judgment." The last, the one holding the scissors, resounded.
"Your life is growing short, but there is another path." Present held up a peculiar string. It was very long but split into two around half way down. One end was very short; the other continued the string's length.
"What must I do?" His mouth felt very dry and he failed to notice that no longer did the cuts on his hand bleed.
"Turn back while you can," Future said. She seemed the grimmest of all three.
"Your life has been destined to become one of hardness," Past told him, still spinning.
"Do not deny your heart."
"Oh, the poor boy."
"Suffering so long."
"We ordained it ourselves, sisters."
"But this is the fruit of our labors."
"Wait! What do you mean?" He kept his voice brisk, his face and tone icy.
"You are an angel of darkness. Find your light, for even the shadows are cast by light. You know who she is. Will you stay in the bowels of hell, or will you redeem yourself to see the light of heaven?" Present seemed to be their leader.
"There is a life who is also tied to this. He will find you, and guide you."
"You will know him when you meet him."
"Never forget who you are, Takeru."
"We aided in your creation, as well as all else."
"Even a mirror of dark glass will reflect light."
"Takeru."
"Takeru."
"Takeru!"
The vampire's blue eyes burst open as he seized the wrist of whoever was hovering over his bed. "What?" the blond immortal snarled.
Falsely guileless gray eyes looked at him through wire-rimmed spectacles. "It is time to wake."
"Eriol, you bastard," the vampire groaned, releasing the man's wrist. "Don't do that do me."
"What is that?" Faster than a striking viper, Eriol grasped Takeru's wrist.
Livid and perfect, as though freshly tattooed, was a black pentagram upon the vampire's left palm.
"I have no clue what the hell this is," Takeru said, looking at it.
"Dress up, in the mood for a snack?"
"Eriol, you're not even a vampire."
"Demons would count, would they not?" Wide eyes looked at him innocently.
Eriol was a slim, slightly short man, with rich blue-black hair highlighted with deep royal blue silver. His face was pale and with the innocent features of a young man entering high school, but his stature and gray eyes belied that. He was dressed nattily in a deep gray suit, complete with expensive looking shoes and silk tie. Armani, Takeru supposed. Eriol always loved elegant clothing, probably some strange demon sense.
Actually, no one knew what Eriol was exactly. Probably a minor demon-human hybrid with a fetish for blood now and then, but he never divulged the secret. And also, he had the odd habit of popping up at the oddest of times, disappearing for weeks on end before reappearing and staying for a year. But still, he was one of the closest things Takeru had for a friend.
"Are you going to drain your victim completely this time?" Takeru asked, buttoning his shirt.
"No, don't feel like it." his friend sipped a glass of wine.
"You're taking a major risk every time you do."
"I can wipe memories remember?"
"And also, it's not as though you need blood to survive."
"So, I have a fetish."
"As well as for clothing from the top brands, red wine, being generally sadistic, mysterious, and annoyingly wise, and scaring the shit out of everyone. Not to mention fornication."
"What can I say? It is only my personality." He smiled that so annoyingly mysterious smile.
Takeru pulled on his sunglasses, hiding his sapphire blue eyes. "Let's go then. The night is still young."
~*~
"Another wasted night," Taichi said, gesturing with a cigarette.
"Put that away," Hikari snapped. "Smoking will kill you."
In disgust, her older brother did so. "I wasn't going to."
"Onii-chan, please, we've been on our toes lately. And where did you get that?"
"Ferio, said he took them off of Honda. Apparently another brunette who is Chinese and whose name I will not mention gave a big lecture to the pointy haired kid."
"He would." Hikari pushed back her hair. "And look who's talking Mr. I-got- a-bush-on-my-head."
"My hair is not a bush!"
But the girl held up a hand to silence her indignant brother. "Shhh, I sense something."
She started to pull out her .45, very, very slowly. Slowly pushing down the hammer, she started to aim at whatever was in the shadows. Taichi also reached for his weapon, but she shook her head. A shot fired, and dust rained upon her brother.
Coughing in disgust, he wiped himself off. "You could have warned me."
"I did," Hikari said innocently, blowing the smoke coming from the muzzle. "I think I might need more ammunition."
"It's a shame we can't kill off the Ishidas with silver, like those other vampires," Taichi muttered.
"You have a point there," Hikari answered, slipping her gun into its holster and patting it fondly.
"That's a night's round though. Come on, let me get you some coffee, my treat." Taichi threw a brotherly arm over his younger sister's shoulders, and she stifled a smile.
"I'm telling you, the way to a woman's heart is a latte," Taichi was saying as Hikari rolled her eyes, taking a long sip of her drink.
"Caffeine." she murmured to herself before looking at Taichi. "As if. I think that's why you've been single for years if that's your philosophy."
"And you can do better?" Taichi arched an eyebrow pompously. "Miss I-prefer- to-remain-single-and-am-still-a-virgin?"
"Just because /you're/ not a virgin doesn't mean I have to be like you," Hikari snapped, shoving her brother little, his cappuccino in the danger of splashing out of the cup. "Let's go home, I'm tired and our round is over."
Taichi yawned. "I have a conference tomorrow, sorry sis but it's only me, the boss and a few others. But I'll be back in time for a nap and some free time before our nightly rounds."
"Alright big bro. Come on, we best get some sleep. I might go out during the night though, or early morning, I have to take care of a few things. Don't expect me until around you come home."
~*~
Takeru let the body of the mortal drop, a drunken bum. He still felt giddy from the cheap-alcohol laden taste of the blood, like horrible beer. It left a nasty taste upon his tongue, but it was better than starving, and poor quality blood that was obtained by hunting bested the best quality poured out in the safety of a haven. He supposed it was the exhilaration of the hunt and the fear laced within it.
Eriol held the limp form of a young woman, a prostitute from her clothing. She was dozing, blood trickling from her mouth. The other man whispered something and let her go. She straightened and robotically, she walked out of the alley, her eyes glazed.
"I have got to introduce you to killing your prey," Takeru said in disgust, wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I only have a fetish, not a hunger," Eriol responded, wiping off his own lips with a handkerchief. Takeru held up a hand to silence the other being as sharp ears detected a certain voice.
"Taichi, you are too dense for your own good," a young woman said in exasperation as two people, looking related, passed by the alley.
Takeru narrowed his sapphire blue eyes. That woman seemed very familiar. Wait, could she be?
As the two walked off, Takeru told Eriol curtly, "I want to be alone. You may be a partial caretaker, but I am old enough to go off on my own."
Smiling that so annoying little smile, Eriol disappeared with only, "As you wish."
Takeru muttered, "Damn him." With that, he launched into the air, flying upon wings of pure black, a silent specter following the brother and sister.
Hikari stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. A faint stream of snoring came from her brother's room, even with both doors shut. Turning a little, she flicked on a side lamp. As the light illuminated from her bedside table, it fell upon a framed picture. Eyes sad, she picked it up. Ghostly sounds of giggles and laughs echoed in her head as she saw her parents and her brother, not to mention herself.
/flashback/
Hikari wept as two caskets were lowered into the earth. Taichi put an arm over her shoulder, letting her cry into his chest.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "They're in a better place Hikari. As long as we have each other, everything will be alright."
/end flashback/
Luckily her brother had been allowed to take the place of her legal guardian, despite being young himself. That prevented them both from being adopted and possibly separated. Hikari let a single tear fall as she set the picture down.
'Okaa-san, Otou-san, I miss you so much.'
Turning off the light, she resumed staring up at the dark ceiling. A faint thread of light came from the translucent curtains from the blaring streetlights outside, partially but not completely, lighting up the room. Twisting a little, she sensed something, and tensed up. Slowly she reached for her small handgun hidden in her pillow. It wasn't the first time they had a break in, but how this intruder managed to get past Taichi deluded her. But she heard a symphony of snoring and changed her mind.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something, or someone standing at the foot of her bed, shrouded in shadow. Defying all laws of science, he seemed to cast no shadow. Narrowing her eyes, she counted before getting up in a swift movement, handgun pointed at the figure.
"Don't move! I know how to shoot this thing and I'm not afraid to!" she snapped.
The figure seemed amused. Piercing the darkness were twin sapphire blue eyes, the most beautiful shade of blue she had ever seen only one other time. She gaped but those few seconds were all the stranger ever needed to act. Moving effortlessly, he grasped her upper arms, knocking away the handgun. Hikari felt ice cold trying to penetrate her to the very marrow of her bones, even with her pajamas.
She thrashed, but this person obviously was skilled at this. Immobilizing her, he kissed her passionately and she felt all reason and consciousness leave her as control dripped away like water from her cupped hands.
Takeru smirked as he gathered the unconscious slayer into his arms. Something protested against his actions and a cynical voice whispered, 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' But he merely ignored the two. He had felt drawn to this young woman for a mysterious reason and he was going to find out what it was.
Concentrating, he felt himself tremble a little as a light flared. In one of his hands was a folded note. Setting it on the bedside table, he gathered up clothing for her from her closet, noting with amusement the array of black in it.
With that, he disappeared into the night, with his prize.
~*~
Taichi slipped out of bed (after turning off that annoying alarm clock), and dressed quickly. Going into his sister's room to kiss her goodbye, he noticed she was gone.
Finding a note on the nightstand, he read, "'Dear onii-san, I've gone out for a jog and I have to run a few errands. Don't be worried if I come a little late. Love, Hikari.' Hmm, I would have thought she would have wanted to sleep in a little. Oh well." Setting the note down, he headed out of the apartment.
~*~
Hikari floated- well, that was all she could think of at the moment. She hated the dark since she was young. Well first she was afraid until she graduated to mere dislike. The whole point was that the dark and her were not a great combination, and she was surrounded by it completely.
Hikari.
What? Whose there?
She-who-was-not-quite-she tried to reach for a weapon but could not find any. A low chuckle resounded about her and the slayer felt very claustrophobic suddenly.
I am all, yet none.
Crap, now I'm listening to voices carrying riddles.
She felt some kind of pain and then suddenly, wind touched her face in a wild, fleeting caress, as though she was flying. Then white wings were around her, pure and soft. Belatedly she realized the wings were hers.
As she flew, she found herself heading toward a shadowed person, immense wings sprouting from his back. But the faster she flew, the further away he was taken. In frustration, she put on a burst of speed. As she felt so close, the figure vanished.
Someone kissed her softly as she wept, kissing away her tears and holding her in a wonderful embrace. "I will never leave you, I love you, and I am always there for you."
Groggily, Hikari opened her eyes to find herself in a- coffin? Thrashing a little, she breathed. 'Alright, I'm in a coffin, no need to panic.' She then pushed up at the ceiling and found it moved. Applying more strength, she managed to push off the cover of her rather gruesome bed.
Waiting for her was a rather bored looking young man. "So now you're awake," he said dully.
Hikari did not like the emptiness of his silvery eyes at all, although he was very attractive. "Where am I?"
"Wait here, and make yourself presentable." Rising, the man left by going through the wall.
"Isn't he just cheerful?" Hikari muttered darkly, looking around the room.
She was in a stone chamber with no windows at all though lushly furnished and sparsely lighted with three pairs of candelabra. Getting out of the coffin, she staggered toward the wardrobe. Inside were several days' worth of her clothes, most black.
Slamming the twin doors closed, she paced upon the red velvet carpet beneath her feet, searching for someway out. After a few minutes, she sank into a chair in disgust and resignation. This was a completely solid prison.
"I would have thought you would awake at this time," came a cool, quiet voice. A young man with gold hair, pale skin, and black clothing stood just a few feet behind her. His eyes were completely hidden due to his sunglasses.
"What do you want with me, vampire?" Hikari spat, assuming a stance swiftly. If she had to, she could fight unarmed.
"I didn't expect for you to have such fire," the man said in that silken voice of his.
"You better damn well get used to it," Hikari snarled. "Who are you?"
"Tut, tut, too many questions." The man took off his glasses, revealing the gleaming sapphire azure optics hidden by them. "Some know me as Takeru Ishida, but I prefer to be called the Dark Angel."
A/N: Ooooohhhh, cliffhanger! Aren't I evil? I hope you like this so far! I might decide to do a few changes but I promise I will try to update quickly. But please review!