Sorry to all my readers for taking long to update this story. Actually this story was mostly asked by most of you. I'm glad you really liked it. To thank you all I wrote eleven pages for you to read. I hope you have a lot of fun reading it, as I had much fun writing it. To warn all of you, most of the ideas in this story is not my own. I borrowed the plot, the setting, and ideas from a book called Dark Gold by Christine Feehan. She's my favorite author so far. Do feel free to read the book if you like. This story is alike o that story, yet it has it differences. If you think I should stop writing this fic, then I'll gladly stop writing it. But ff.net is all about readers like us to expand our imagination. Oh Yeah, make sure you are old enough to read this story, because it's rated restricted for its contents.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series and Christine Feehan story and ideas, so please don't sue me because I don't have any money. I'm poor. : (
The Struggle for Hope
Chapter two
Kaoru straightened herself very slowly. Within mere seconds, Yahiko was out of her arms, her grasp and went running to the vicious monster. Kaoru felt her heart skip a beat, as she watched the bloody claws sink into her brother's shoulders.
"You will comply to me now, now that I have your brother?" the monster inquired softly.
Kaoru had to find some determination, some strength. She slowly lifted her trembling chin to look at the monster before her. "Is this what you call free will? If you're using my brother to get me to comply with your wishes, then you know nothing of free will." She challenged him, as her rubbery legs moved a few steps closer to him.
The monster now became annoyed. He let a low hiss, as he quickly grabbed the leg of the boy and held him over the cliff's edge. "Sine you speak and seem to care so much about free will, then I'll let go of your brother, and not only that, but free his mind as well so he can know how painful death is like." His claws clinched together, as he said every single word slowly and precisely so the young woman who was stubborn can digest his every word.
His words seemed to open Kaoru's mind, propelled her into doing his bidding. Now she felt so much fear for her brother's life. She loved him so much; she couldn't stand to have anything happen to him. He was so young and innocent, yet this monster was willing to end his life so easily, as he took the other three women's life. She stumbled forward the last few remaining feet. "Please I beg you to give him back to me! Please don't drop him!" There was so much pain in her voice, but it only fed the monster's excitement.
He laughed the horrible laugh, which echoed through the night, as Yahiko came back to life, screaming his lungs off. As he soon realized his situation. He screamed for his sister, his chocolate brown eyes, full of fear rested on her face, for she was his only salvation. Kaoru could do nothing else but fight the monster, but it was useless, because the monster fended her off with one hand, while he held Yahiko with his other hand.
With every energy she had left inside her, Kaoru braced herself in front of the monster, standing perfectly still, so she could look deep into his evil eyes. "You don't need to use him anymore. Just please give him to me."
"If I want you to comply to me, then he will be very useful for me to use. In order to ensure your corporation, I have a lot of further use for him." He removed Yahiko from over the cliff, and set him aside. He waved his hand in the air; to ward off anymore screaming from him, his full attention was kept on Kaoru. "You will join me, and become what I am. Together we shall walk the earth, ruling every part. Everyone will live in fear when they see us come. We will have powers then you can ever imagine."
"But I don't want such power, and never do I want any power such as that," she protested, as edged closer to her brother, to snatch him away from the clutches of the horrible monster. "You say that I'm something you're looking for, but I'm not. You haven't even known that I existed until tonight."
The monster looked at the woman who stood before him. As he examined her pale features, he couldn't help but laugh. "I'm nothing ordinary. I know about you from your brother's mind, but trust me when I do say I am far from human."
"Who are you?" Kaoru held her breath, afraid what his answer might be, to know the story, the knowledge of what people thought to be legend, to be myth, was really true. That a powerful beast walked the earth that had power to control people's minds, control actions, draw people, and draw people to him, even from a far distance. From what he did to old Henry, those three women, Kaoru knew he was no human.
"I'm just a figment of the imagination, the fear of humans. I'm a vampire who walks through the night, feeding on the living, hunting the weak, and reveling in their pain. And you are my bride to be, who'll share my glory."
Kaoru heard what she didn't want to hear. He said it all perfectly seriously. She didn't know what to do. She was torn between the needing to laugh hysterically, or to cry from knowing the real truth. She realized now that everything about Enishi's game was true. The way Enishi portrayed the vampires in his game, was exactly how the monster before her acted. How did Enishi do it?
"Your life⦠it isn't my type of life," she whispered softly. Here she was pleading for her life and Yahiko's life, when she already knew her answer. But then how did one address such insanity?
"You think you could easily get away from this situation by begging. My little precious one, when will you ever learn? When a vampire made up their mind, they made up their mind. There's nothing you could do to change that." The monster grabbed Yahiko's shoulder and held it very tightly between his fingers. Kaoru gasped in fear when she saw her brother's blood.
Please come up with something. Try something, anything to stall him from hurting Yahiko any further. Kaoru thought fast, as her sapphire eyes watched the red rich liquid fall to the floor. "I was serious when I said what I said. I like the sunshine. Vampires like to hang out at night. I hate wine, let alone blood. But I do know this place, actually it's a bar, where you could meet a lot of girls who wears a lot of black and worships the devil. They may even drink blood. You see me; I'm completely opposite then that. I'm ultra conservative."
What was she doing? Why was she having a conversation with a vampire that was killing her brother? Wasn't there anyone who was around? Anyone who could help her at all? How long can she continue to keep him busy, to prevent him from injuring Yahiko any further?
The vampire's laughter was soft and taunting. "You think someone could help you? No one can? I can draw them closer to me if I want to, or keep them away from me."
"Why me?"
"Because you're one of them. Your mind was strong enough for me not to control, meaning that you're a true physic. There are a few women born into this world who are like you. My kind requires that kind of mate."
"I don't know any of the knowledge you speak of. But I do admit there are things that I know others don't know," she conceded, while she raised a trembling hand to push her hair back. "I knew you were here, if that's what you were talking about." Kaoru trembled in fear for both her brother and herself. She had to get him out of here, before the situation became any worse then it already was. She hoped that someone will come and rescue her brother and her. She felt as though someone was going to rescue her and her brother from the clutches of the vampire hands. "Look, please I beg you to let me take Yahiko home. I promise to come back here tomorrow night to meet you. You don't need him. If I don't return, you could always find me." She so hated to look at what this evil monster did to her precious brother. He looked so lifeless, his body limp, his eyes glassy. She wanted nothing more then to run to him, and hold him close. To protect him and hold him forever. If she could save him, nothing else would matter, not even her own life.
"I cannot and will not let you go. There are others who will want you for themselves. My duty is to protect you from them. I must stay near you at all times."
Kaoru rubbed her pounding temples with her palms. The creature was fighting constantly through her mental shields to invade her mind. From the constant struggling Kaoru knew her defenses were beginning to crumble. Keeping him out of her head became very painful for her. "Do you have a name? Anything I could call you?"
"Do you wish to be very polite to me?" he asked while laughing at her.
"Yes I think it's better to get off of this kind of start." Her constant struggling to remain in control was completely going in vain. Somehow she had to get away from him and find some way to save Yahiko. Like she mentioned earlier, she didn't care about her life, but the life of her younger brother. Deliberately she dug her nails into her palms and concentrated on the sensation to keep her mind focused.
"If you want to be civilized by all means, then no problem. My name is Shishio Makoto. I originally came from the Carpathian Mountains. You may have noticed my accent."
Kaoru stretched out her arms. She couldn't stop herself. She felt so weak, so helpless. "Please, I beg you to let my brother go, Mr. Makoto. He 's just a little boy."
"If you wish to keep him alive, then you must comply to my every wish. We can make something mutually beneficial between us. Do you agree?"
Kaoru allowed her hands to fall at her sides. She failed to have her brother in her arms, but she didn't fail to save his life. And that was all that matter. She was exhausted, frightened, and her head hurt terribly. Somehow the monster knew her discomfort, she knew he felt her defense weakening, his voice inside her head drove her crazy. "Yes I'll go, but please leave my brother here alive."
"No my precious, I can't and won't do that. Come here to me now."
She went to him reluctantly. She had no other choice. Yahiko was her everything, her life, her happiness. She loved him more then anything, and was willing to give her life up, if it meant to save his. He was all she had, and if something happened to him, she would be nothing. The moment Shishio touched her, she felt sickened. His bloodstained hand caught her upper arm, and drawled her towards him. He dropped the unconscious boy to the floor, and held a firm grip on Kaoru's arm as she made a move to go her brother.
"Stop, you're hurting me. You don't need to get yourself worked up. I was just going to check on my brother," Kaoru said. Being in such contact, being so close to evil made her stomach churn, she feared that she might vomit from his dark threatening aura.
"Leave him alone for the time being." His finger tightened, as he fully drawled her to his hard body. She could smell his fetid breath, the scent of blood and death. His pure white skin felt so clammy and cold.
Kaoru struggled to break free from his grip. She tried to escape, but it was useless. If she compared herself to him, her strength was compared nothing to his, he could easily crush her if he chose too. Shishio bent closer to her neck, his breath was hot and foul, as his lips touched her skin.
"Please don't, oh God no!," Kaoru whispered, her voice faltering on her. The way she was being held, if the vicious monster decided to let her go, she would fall helplessly to the ground. Her knees buckled, as she waited for his teeth to sink into her skin.
"Your God has failed you," he whispered. His teeth pierced her skin, causing her to cry out in pain briefly. He dragged her closer to his body as he fed hungrily from her, her blood, her life flowing into his veins giving him ultimate power. He nearly crushed her small frame with his larger body. She could feel his fangs inside her as he drunk, drained her body. He connected them somehow in a dark ugly way. She weakened, went sluggish, her heart stuttered and labored. Her lashes swept down as she mentally screamed at herself to keep herself awake, to fight and live for Yahiko. She could have sworn she saw black dots swirl and filled her vision, and she slumped heavily against the vampire's frame.
He lifted his head slowly to watch the helpless woman he held in his arms. "Now you must drink to live." His teeth tore his own wrist opened, and pressed it to her lips. He watched as his tainted blood dripped into her mouth.
Kaoru had enough life in her to avoid ingesting the hideous liquid. She tried so hard to move her head, so badly to keep her mouth shut, but he was too powerful. He forced her to drink his tainted poisonous blood, while he stroked her precious throat, savoring every swallow she took of his tainted poisonous blood. But he didn't replace most of the blood he had taken from her, mainly because he wanted her weak, he wanted her amendable to do his bidding.
Shishio dropped his victim beside her brother and lifted his proud head to the world, the dark endless world he knew. The woman's blood was hot, sweet, and so full of life. After all his endless years of living he finally found her. The one who would provide him his need, his emotions, the very life he once owned. Once upon a time he had feelings, he was able to feel happy, sad, worried, etc. Then he met her, the one who he truly loved with all his heart, but because of his pride, he lost the very one he loved. Her name was Yumi, a sweet seductive temptress. She was human, while he was a Carpathian. The time when his race was dying out because most of their Carpathian women were gone, he fell for a human woman. The match was incompatible. A human can never intermingle with a Carpathian, unless she had secret powers. She had to be born with a special gift others couldn't do. Yumi did have secret powers, but her love for him was not strong enough to unite them both. From the night he lost her, the night she ceased to exist in this world, he gave himself into the darkness, becoming a vampire, the fear of people. He walked the night ever since looking for a replacement of his long lost love, and finally he found her. The long nights of searching, the time he spent alone, he finally found his woman who'll take over Yumi's place, and he could have his revenge on Battousai.
The weak instinctive woman's movement brought back his full attention. Just now he was wondering about his past, that he didn't even notice the woman was still conscious. He snarled with jealousy when he saw her cradled her brother's head. Many would want her, but he won't let them have her for she was his and his alone. Once the transformation was complete she will come to him on her own free will. The boy she was cradling now, would be the same boy she will no longer need. He could get rid of the brat and have the woman to himself. Shishio picked the boy up by the collar of his shirt, tossed him aside like he was some ragged puppet, and looked into the woman's eyes.
Kaoru managed to sit up. Her head hurt, everything seemed to be turning in circles for her. It was impossible to know her location. All that mattered to her was her brother's safety. She knew the vampire's initiative. He wanted to make her like him, but she vowed to never be like him, because she would die before turning like him.
Without further warning Kaoru leaped to save her brother. Her arms outstretched to catch her brother's limp form, however due to the sudden impact of catching him, she found herself falling through midair. She never calculated her consequence, when she launched herself forward to catch her brother. In doing what she did, she threw her brother and herself off the cliff. The wind rushed around them, through them. The salty moisture in the atmosphere stung yet cleansed them. The waves beat furiously against the jagged rocks below welcoming and making their sea grave. Kaoru was willing to die but not like this. She closed her eyes, held her brother tightly in her arms, waiting for the sudden traumatic incident, waiting for death to claim them.
Talons caught her, wings flapped. Her enemy saved them for their very doom. Kaoru cried when the talons bit into her skin, as if punishing her for doing her misdeed. The huge bird carried her brother and her away, from their only sanctuary into another dark depth of the world, where there wouldn't be a chance for someone to save them. She held tightly to her brother praying that she would never let him go, praying that some miracle would happen, that someone will come to their rescue. A few tears escaped her eyes as she buried her face into her brother's black hair. Tears burned her throat as well. She whispered her sorrows, she whispered her apologies to her brother, for not being able to save him from this horrible hideous creature. She felt sorry for herself, because now she could feel the tainted evil, the presence, and the blood that flowed within her veins, binding them together forever.
The place was dark, dank, it had a musty yet salty smell. The place reminded Kaoru of a cave, but there was no entrance to escape from. The vampire tossed them aside like they weighed merely nothing to him.
"You will never dare to defy me again, or else I'll make that boy suffer hell, more then you can ever imagine. Do I make myself clear?" he demanded, as he towered over her.
Kaoru gulped. With some courage left inside her drained, battered weak body, she forced herself to sit up and face the hideous vampire. "Where are we?"
"This is my lair. No one can find us, especially that hunter who's been after me." He laughed harshly as he looked into Kaoru's sapphire eyes and saw puzzlement mixed with fear. "His senses are confused because of the seawater. Therefore it would be impossible to find me. He has killed my kind, but he can never reach me."
Kaoru scanned her surrounding cautiously. From what she saw, there was no way to escape. Somehow she felt a barrier, she saw the salty water reaching her hips, some small waves of salt water, clashed against her skin, on the fresh open wounds the talons gave to her. On the outside, her face held an impression of fear and a quizzical look, but inside, she cried because of the pain she felt.
As each tidal wave made their way into the cave, it rose higher clashing against Kaoru and her unconscious brother. She held him tighter, brought his body closer to hers so she can shelter him from the incoming waves. She wondered why the vampire would hide himself from a hunter. Was it possible he feared this man or whatever the hunter was? Maybe he was the one she knew who was coming to rescue them.
"The cave winds upward into the mountain, and downward below to the earth. The farther back one goes, the dryer it would be. The opposite would be wetter." He cocked his head to one side as he regarded her with his bloodshot eyes. "This day might be uncomfortable for you, since I cannot trust you to be around me while I sleep, yet I cannot give you such freedom to roam knowing how clever you are. You left me no choice but to chain you, to guarantee you don't escape me, plus that you don't get harm. The waves might get higher, but I know you can manage them. Though, I don't know about your brother's well being."
"Why are doing this? Why are you making us suffer? What don't you kill us and get it over with," Kaoru cried.
"I have no intention of taking your life. I'm far from that idea. Instead I'm going to make you what I am. You're going to walk in the shadows like me, dwell and revel in people's fear, feast and supplement yourself with their blood. I'll guarantee your enjoyment of such."
"But don't I have to come to you on my own free will?" There was no way she would ever become like him. She will never become such a certain type a vampire who takes people's blood, and who lives in the shadows. There was no way he could ever train her to be like him, unless her used force on her. But as she thought about not becoming like him, she felt Yahiko stir within her arms.
The vampire looked down at her. He picked her up by her arm. "I'm rather impressed with your abilities. You are quite strong for a human. Your mind is very resilient against mine, but you shouldn't test my patience because I could be rather cruel if provoked."
Kaoru felt a hysterical sobbed in her throat. It choked the inner life out of her, making the pain inside even more unbearable to go through. Despite of her weak state, she still held onto her brother. There was no way she wanted to get on bad sides with this cruel, evil vampire. After what she witnessed tonight, she thought she could never go to bed peacefully again, that's even if she ever have chance too.
"Someone will surely miss the three women and Henry," she implied.
"Who's Henry?" he asked suspiciously, jealousy showed on his face.
"You should know. You killed him."
"The stupid old man. He got in my way, and died. Anyways I sensed you in the restaurant defying me, and I used the old man and the boy who belonged to you as puppets. They fulfilled their purposes.
"Is that why you killed him, because I cared for him?" Kaoru's horror deepened by every second. Her inside hurt so much she felt as if a thousand nails drilled into her organs, while her heart ached for sweet old Henry.
"I cannot allow old remnants from your old life to divide your loyalties. You belong to me, always me, and only me."
By instinct, Kaoru clutched her brother tighter. Eventually the vampire was going to kill her bother, just as he killed Henry. Yahiko would not be in her life anymore. She had to find some way for him to escape. The vampire dragged Kaoru deeper into the restless cave.
"I must get you away from the sun, or else you'll get burned. Since you're not fully transformed as yet, your body is being held on a thin life, between life and death," said Shishio harshly as he dragged the young battered woman deeper into the cave.
Kaoru fell several times at the incoming wave, but that still didn't stop her from holding on to her brother tightly. The vampire continued walking dragging the weak body of the woman behind him. Somehow the woman feisty ways, the courage behind her fears, the ways she was willing to give her life for another, the intense struggle, her powers, her tenacious mind, reminded him of his beloved Yumi. This young woman was already beginning to replace her. Once she became a full vampire, he will know what is like to love again, and he will provide her everything he could ever offer her in life.
Shishio finally reached the end of his destination. Carelessly he shoved the young woman and the stupid brat she was holding in her arms against a rock. Connected to the large rock was a ling silver chain. At the end of the silver chain was a cuff, which Shishio used to lock her hand in. He gave her mocked laugh, as the metal cut into her soft skin. She slumped against the rock uncaring about the incoming waves. She rested her back against the rock, positioned her brother unconscious form on her body. She shivered while her teeth chattered.
"I'm going to rest now, and soon you will too. When you arise you should fully become what I am," Shishio said harshly, his lips turned into an evil grin. Then he turned around and absconded into the darkness of the cave.
In Kaoru's lap, Yahiko suddenly stirred. He got up, rubbed his eyes, and cried out as he saw the weak state Kaoru was in. He hugged her, clinging to her. He was so glad to see her alive. "He killed Henry Kaoru, he killed him!"
"I know Yahiko, and I'm sorry you had to witness it," she said very softly, as she rubbed his black hair in a comforting gesture. "Now listen to me Yahiko, listen to what I want you to do. The tidal waves are rising. I want you to look around carefully and see if you see any higher rock you could climb on."
"I don't want to leave you behind. I'm so afraid sis."
"I know little bro, I am too. But right now I need you to be very brave for me. I know you could do it."
A wave rushed into the cave. The salt water reached up to her chin. Some of the salt water got into her mouth, she coughed, and choked on the salt water. Yahiko saw this and hugged his sister. "I can't do it sis. I'm so afraid. I can't leave you here."
"Yahiko, please don't worry about me. Look for higher ground and recover there, please."
Yahiko gave Kaoru a stubborn look, he shook his head denying her wish. "No I won't go sis. I'm staying right here with you."
Kaoru didn't have the energy to argue with her little brother. She braced herself to get up. "Okay then both of us should find higher ground."
It was nearly impossible to see anything. The incoming tides clashed against the rocks, making it sound like thunder. The atmosphere tasted like salt water. Kaoru shivered violently, her teeth chattered. Her body felt useless, so drained, she had to support herself against the wall. The salt caked her hair, the wounds on her body throbbed with pain. She felt something and saw a higher cliff where Yahiko can be boosted to safety, but the only problem was she wasn't tall enough to boost him.
The next wave that came in lifted Yahiko off his feet. He led onto Kaoru's hips in time before he could drift away. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. "I'm going to stand as long as possible. I'm going to lift you, and then put you on my shoulders. It won't be so bad." She tried her best to sound encouraging.
Yahiko looked scared but he nodded in his in a trusting mannerly way. "Is the monster coming back to kill us sis?"
"Yes he is going to come back, and no he isn't going to kill us because he wants something from me. But if I can hold out a little bit longer we can get ourselves out of this situation."
'Sis, when he bit you, he laughed in my mind, and told me once you turned to be like him, he was going to drain me of all my blood. I knew that wasn't true. You would never do that."
"Good boy." She could feel her brother hugged her tighter. A brief small smile played on her lips, but quickly vanished as it came. "That's part of his mascilious plan. He wants to scare us. Turn against each other. Always remember one thing, Yahiko, we are always a team no matter what." She let her head lay on his as the waves came closer to them clashing against them and rising higher. She was exhausted, her body weak after using its limitation to save her brother, to keep him closer to her. She prayed silently for the time when the hunter will arrive. Her heart knew he was going to find them. It just only took a matter of time, but Kaoru knew she didn't have that much time to live either.
Dimmed light was streaming into the cave. Her eyes fell tightly shut. In her mind she saw images, whirling around. They moved so fast, she couldn't even put a slow image, a display in her mind. All she can make out was a bloody red color that came as fast as it went. She felt liquid, warm liquid enticing her to do things she never did. It was warm, vivid, and felt so good. She drank the gulping, her nose being drenched with the warm liquid. And for a moment when she did open her sapphire eyes, she saw pure golden eyes looking at her, but then it vanished.
Cries of help, woke her from her deep slumber. Down by her feet she saw the tidal waves pushing at her brother and then trying to take him away. He held on as tightly as he could, he nails dug within her skin. She felt really weak, her knees buckled, any second, her legs might give away.
"I'm awake Yahiko. I'm sorry for failing you once," she whispered. Her throat struggled to say a few words, the pain inside was unbearable, her physical wound throbbed as the sea clashed against her body. She lifted him up in her arms. There was no way she can continue this. She felt like giving up. She couldn't hold her brother for long. Her arms were giving away.
It's so cold Kaoru. I want to go home." Yahiko trembled in Kaoru's arms, he clung to her as the tidal waves kept o coming in.
"I know, I want to go home too. Just try to get some rest."
"It hurts doesn't it?"
"What?" Just as she asked her question a wave clashed against Kaoru's figure roughly. For a mere second she almost let Yahiko go.
"Where the vampire bit you. You were moaning while you were sleeping."
"Yes it hurts just a little bit. Now Yahiko listen to me. I'm going to lift you on my shoulders. You might have to climb on my shoulders by yourself okay?"
"I can do it."
The waves bounced up against Kaoru's body. Somehow through the waves assault, Yahiko managed to make climb on her shoulders. Kaoru felt like she was going to give away. She was so weak, she nearly went down to her knees. The waves reached her mouth almost up to her nose. She could feel things brushing against her legs. Yes it was horrifying, yet she had to deal with it. Her hair which was once tied up neatly was loose and untamed, it unravel itself like seaweed in the incoming waves.
"We can do this Yahiko."
"Yes I know we can. I'll save us no matter what Kaoru," he said. He grabbed a ledge and made sure that supported his sister and him. Kaoru went back to sleep. As the waves receded Yahiko climbed down from his sister's limp form. He decided to do what his sister mentioned to him earlier, and explored the cave, their prison. He wandered around the cave searching for some fresh water to drink. He felt the warm sun on his cool skin. As he wandered off, he didn't hear his sister's panic.
Kaoru got up from her weird dreams. The same pictures she drew for Enishi, were the same pictures that wandered endlessly through her head. Somehow the main character, his long blood red hair tied in a ponytail, his leaned muscular frame, his golden eyes forever haunted her. In his presence she felt, she felt his deadly power, a need to imply to his wishes, yet in another way he was calm, gentle, understanding. Kaoru felt like she knew him, or felt his aura before. Was that why she was able to draw Enishi's characters for his new game so good? He said it was like she could read his mind, like if she was in there before. Another fact was, she felt some type of weird link to Shishio, even before he took her blood. It was weird how she knew him, or felt him before he came near the restaurant.
Kaoru opened her dazed sapphire eyes, but only to panic when she didn't see her brother. Did the waves take him? She failed miserably. How could she ever live? Knowing the fact that she lost her brother, she had no reason to live.
Then all of a sudden Yahiko appeared. Kaoru let out a huge gasp, her heart pounded fiercely. Her head hurt terribly. When will the suffering end?
Yahiko looked as his sister. He was afraid to admit it, but she looked horrifying, terrible. Her lips, which were once so pink, were black and swollen. Her clothes were tattered, ripped. White salt covered her skin, giving her a horrendous look. Her raven hair, had white, grayish streaks that hung around covering the curves of her face. Her legs had hundred beads of blood, where something nibbled away her skin. Her voice sounded funny, her neck was wounded and raw. Yahiko sat down near his sister and took her hand.
Kaoru felt something, something uneasy stirred inside her. She knew the exact instant when the sun set. She looked at Yahiko with eyes full of fear. The vampire arose from his slumber and was heading towards them. She put an arm around Yahiko's shoulders, and drew him near her. "He's coming. Please get out of here as fast as you could."
"But Kaoru," he protested.
The look Kaoru gave him told him not to go any further. But also he saw something else in her eyes, a look like love, and concern. He looked at his sister love in his eyes.
"I love you Kaoru," was all he said before he left her.
The vampire walked further into the cave. Then he saw his mistress of darkness. She was a horrible sight to look at. Her clothes completely torn, her skin pale white, her hair streaked with whitish grayish colors. Her body completely splattered with droplets of blood. She needed to feed tonight. If she didn't then she was going to die. He got closer to her, bent down, and raised her fragile wrist to his mouth. Using his tongue, he licked the specks of blood from the wound the metal cuff gave to her. Slowly his tongue made his way from her wrist to her neck. He sucked her neck a little before his fangs sank into her neck deeply. Kaoru was too weak to fight him. All her energy lost, she was completely vulnerable, exposed to his liking. He could do whatever he wanted and get away with it. There was no one around to save her. Not that it matter to her. Her brother was safe. Her life meant nothing. She would rather die then become someone like him. As he drank from her blood, her eyes shut, her body became languid. She was suffering from the loss of blood and hypothermia.
Shishio felt her body slump against his. He had to catch her before she fell. Her heart labored, her breathing shallow. He had taken too much again. He tore his wrist and clamped it over her mouth. He forced her to drink the warm red liquid running through his veins. He couldn't take control of her mind and force her to do his bidding. He was till trying to find a way to control her brain. Her pattern waves in her brain were different from a normal human's brain. Each time he forced her to feed, he brought her closer to his dark world. He would not allow her to die. She needed to live to help him regain his emotions, to help him feel again. And after from the lost of his beloved Yumi, he would not let the same faith happen this young woman.
Just then he stopped her from taking his blood. He felt someone familiar dropped by in his lair. "Come and see the hunter. He's here and he's relentless," he said a dark seductive voice.
Shishio hauled Kaoru as he went to welcome his uninvited guest. His dark eyes searched within the shadows of the cave, looking for the hunter known as Battousai. He dropped Kaoru carelessly to the floor as a figure came up before them. But as fast it came, it went.
She crawled into a corner, where she hugged her knees. Her small form trembled both from fear and the cold. She felt his aura, the same aura she felt from her dreams. The man in her dreams was real. As her mind was occupied in finding the figure she saw earlier, she felt small hands tugging at her legs. She saw her brother Yahiko had come back to her. Her heart thumped in both fear and happiness. She should be mad at her brother for not obeying her order, and then again this was no time to get angry. She hugged her brother, clutched him to her chest, so she could cover his eyes from the battle scene-taking place before her.
Kaoru looked out into the battle scene. Images swirled around so fast, she couldn't see what was going on. The presence she felt from the vampire was fear and rage. If he was that afraid of the hunter, then she had every reason to be afraid too.
Out of a fog, a huge bird materialized. It came so fast into the cave, the image was a blur. Talons extended, glowing eyes gleamed intensely at Shishio. A heavy fog swirled around the bird. When it cleared Kaoru fought back the scream welling up in her throat. She saw part bid form, part man.
The creature soon became a man, not so tall, not so short either. He had a leaned muscular shaped body. His hair was so long, and the color of blood red, as it flowed with the wind. His face shadowed, but she could see his eyes were a color of molten gold pinning the vampire with his intense gaze.
"So Shishio we meet at last." The voice was beautiful, forever haunting, the rippling of notes were so pure, she could listen to that voice forever. He stood his ground, his picture so perfect, to Kaoru it reminded her of a samurai from Japan. "I cleaned your messes all over town, and within the state. Your challenge to fight me was something I couldn't resist."
Shishio backed off, keeping distant from the hunter. "I never challenged you. As you know, I kept my distance from you." He spoke out in fear, Kaoru went cold. The hunter was so powerful, the way he carried about himself, was full of grace, he kept himself in a confident and calm manner. The way he stood, struck fear in her heart.
"You killed when it was considered forbidden. You went against the natural laws." The hunter titled his head examining the vampire carefully.
Shishio thought it was enough talking. He struck out at the hunter, bearing his fangs and his wicked claws. The hunter easily moved aside and struck at his throat. Red blood erupted from Shishio's throat causing him to hiss violently in pain.
Kaoru horrified at the battle scene before her shielded Yahiko's vision when the vampire's blood sprayed on the floor. She clutched him protectively. She felt the vampire's pain since they were connected. She couldn't believe when he shift-shaped into a wolf, bearing his fangs, moving with agility, her eyes couldn't even catch. As launched himself again and again, Kaoru could see blood emanating all over the floor.
Shishio stopped before him. "You think you're not like me. You know you kill like me and you rejoice in it. You love to hear people's pain, you feed in their fear, and you take advantage of your strength on the weaker souls. You, Saitoh, Aoshi, and the others are all the same. Both you and I know that."
"You have broken our laws Shishio. You chose to give your soul into the darkness, you chose power instead of life. You also turned a human woman into a derange vampire, and for that you must pay."
The vampire stood tall and strong, clutching to his wounds, as blood splattered all over the floor. He positioned himself in an attacking stance, ready and waiting to strike his enemy.
"You know you could never defeat me." The way he said those words were so true. Kaoru knew it. He was not bluffing. In this fight Kaoru saw he had the upper hand. He talked so calm, so gentle. The way he moved, Kaoru could see his muscles rippled through his black button down shirt.
In a blink of an eyes the hunter moved with such agility; the hunter struck down his prey. Fog swirled around him and the vampire leaving Kaoru to look at nothing but a dense cloud of fog. Then she felt it. A hard blow came within her chest, her body screamed out in pain, her throat to full and croaky made a gasp, and her sapphire eyes widen in fear. Her mind went berserk; she knew the instant the vampire died. She saw in her mind flashes of his memory. She saw a time when he was younger, the time he first went to war, the time he met her; a young beautiful woman named Yumi. The last vision she saw from Shishio's memories was the night he lost her and he fully gave himself into the darkness.
Kaoru saw a body dropped onto the floor. She clutched her brother and pushed him in back of her to protect him from the hunter. Her sapphire looked at him in fear; her wounds throbbed in pain, her body screamed mercilessly, her heart thumped faster and loudly in fear. The pain Shishio felt, was what she felt. She could stand the pain no longer. As she backed up, one pace at a time, she felt herself overcome with anxiety, as the fog disappeared. Her heat labored then stopped. Before her, molten eyes stared, as she fell into a deep slumber.
