I Own Nothing.
Mad World
Preface: Midnight, the West End
Rain poured outside the townhouse in Antioch City. Bad weather was common on the cross-shaped manmade island of Antioch, but the storm was particularly bad tonight. It was hard to tell what was louder, the sound of the raindrops hammering on the roof and street outside, the sound of the thunder rattling the windows, or the sound of the waves crashing against the breakwater less than a mile away.
Inside the townhouse, however, it was calmer and a little more peaceful. The resident, a young man in his early twenties named Touya Kinomoto was listening to Chopin preludes and reading a book of spellcraft dealing in his particular area, psychic energies. His mahogany eyes were focused on the page in front of him, as he brushed his dark brown hair out of his face. The light reflected gently off his tan skin, though every now and then they flickered threateningly and caused him to look up and around. But the electricity held, and he took another sip of tea and returned to his book.
But as he did so, he felt a strong aura approaching him, emanating powerful emotions of fear, anxiety, disgust, and loss. He wondered if there had been an accident outside on the slippery streets, or if he was just feeling some lost child afraid of the storm. However, the sheer strength of the aura amazed him. It radiated a strange sort of heat, almost like that of someone with a Fire Gift, but it was warped, altered.
Thunder crashed even louder, and this time the lights failed and sputtered out, bringing him out of his reverie. Cursing, he stumbled to the kitchen and found a flashlight. Digging his way through the drawers, he managed to locate a few candles and the battery-powered lantern he kept in the coat closet. He lit them all, and placed them strategically around the kitchen and living room area. Finally, he settled down to read again, but he could feel the presence closer than ever.
It was looking for him, calling for his help.
Touya paused to think a moment. Under normal circumstances, he'd assume it was a member of his coven. But none of them had the kind of power this being was showing. Hell, he didn't even know of anyone, witch, vamp, or were, that had this kind of power. And yet, it did seem familiar.
Muttering to himself about his bleeding heart, he went to his bedroom and grabbed an automatic handgun and a large silver knife. Pulling his raincoat on over his jeans and sweater, he shoved his feet into his running shoes near the door and stepped outside.
It was pouring, and bitter cold. His breath formed in hot little clouds in front of his mouth and nose as he looked and probed for the one searching for him. There was no one he could see visibly; the streetlights had gone out with the electricity. But he could feel someone close. At the bottom of the steps, leaning heavily on the railing. Slowly, he stepped down them.
"Touya…"
He blinked in surprise as a thin, cold body fell into his arms. It was a girl four or five years younger than him, with long raven black hair and piercing violet eyes. She was dressed in a low cut blouse and miniskirt under a long black coat blowing free in the wind. She turned her pale face up to him, a look of fear and relief twisting her features.
"Rei?" he asked, surprised. The Fire Witch from his coven had not been his first guess at his stalker. But there was no doubt now that this was the one who'd been looking for him. "What the hell happened to you?" he lifted her up gently and carried her inside.
Once he'd laid her down on the couch, she stared at him, violet eyes wide, and uttered a single word.
"Shinigami…"
He froze and stared hard as she pulled her hair away from the side of her neck.
Marring her ivory skin were two tiny, black holes.
Episode 1:
The Lament
Scene 1: Earlier that day, Antioch Secondary School
As the final bell for the day rang, the students leaped from their desks and dashed towards the door. After stopping at her locker, an energetic ninth grade girl dashed down the hallways, dodging students and teachers alike as she made her way towards the door. It seemed nothing could stop the feisty redhead, until someone called her name.
"Sakura! Hey, Sakura, hold up!"
Sakura Kino spun around to see who it was that had called her, when a younger girl with long blue pigtails and ruby red eyes emerged from the crowd.
"Oh, hey Sasami. What's up?" she asked, green eyes darting up to the clock on the wall.
"I know you're in a hurry so I'll make it quick," Sasami Makibi said. "You know that biology test you were helping me study for? I didn't do so great, and I was hoping you would tutor me again over the weekend."
Sakura smiled. Sasami was a year younger than her, and she frequently tutored her in science and Latin, in exchange for Sasami's help in math and history.
"Yeah, no problem. Saturday okay with you?" she suggested.
"That'd be great. You can come to my house, my aunt's going to be working late again, so I'll cook dinner for you if you like," Sasami offered. Besides being a good math and history student, Sasami was a great cook, with skills rivaling those of Sakura's older sister, Makoto.
"Okay then, I'll show up around four. See you then Sasami-chan!" Sakura waved, then continued to her run down the hallway. When she finally made it outside, her eyes scanned the crowd of departing students. It was hard to pick out an individual amongst the throng, but even when they all dispersed, she didn't see him.
Sighing sadly, she turned in the direction towards home then began to walk. She had only gone about ten feet when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Leaving without me?"
She spun around and smiled. "Syaoran…I thought you'd left without me."
Syaoran Li smirked, amber eyes sparkling beneath his curtain of auburn hair. "I got held up in physics. Meiling wanted to talk to me."
"Oh," Sakura's face fell as she glanced at Syaoran's left shoulder, and imagined the ugly scar that lurked between the gray and maroon of his school uniform.
Syaoran didn't look at her, and cursed himself for mentioning Meiling. It wasn't that Sakura didn't like her, but it was obvious that the reverse wasn't true. His cousin had nothing but antipathy for the girl, especially not since...
"Syaoran?" Sakura asked softly.
"Mm?" he replied.
"Do you ever regret what I did? That I made you what you are?" she murmured.
"You mean, do I wish you hadn't made me a werewolf?" Syaoran simplified, then shook his head. "No. Before you did, I didn't have anybody. Now I have the pack. And you."
"You had Meiling, and her coven," Sakura pointed out.
"I'm not a witch, Sakura. I don't belong with them. You have no clue what it was like all those years they let me live with them. I was welcomed out of pity, not love or respect," he commented sharply.
She shook her head. "Sorry. I'm sorry I brought it up."
Syaoran stopped and studied her closely. Sakura had been born a werewolf. After her parents had been killed in a battle against the island's band of vampires, her older brother and sister had become the alphas of the pack. And besides them, there was also Presea, the young artist who'd gladly taken him in after Sakura accidentally scratched him, Haruka, a dour, antisocial college student, and Ferio, the good natured but sometimes reckless high school senior who lived in the apartment below Sakura. It had amazed him how close they all were, but as he grew into his wolf instincts and began to learn about the great spirit known as Earth Mother, he understood the bonds of love and loyalty between all werewolves that were especially strong in packs. In this pack, in particular.
"It's okay," he said finally, then put an arm around her shoulder. "But don't ever feel bad about it, okay? Trust me, this is the best thing you've ever done for me."
"Aw…you guys are so cute!"
The two students looked over to see a black Mustang convertible parked along the street. A pretty older girl with long brown hair and Sakura's bright green eyes sat in the driver's seat.
"Oh shut up, Mako," Sakura muttered. "What do you want?"
"Hop in, both of you," Makoto said. "I'll explain it on the way."
The two looked at each other and climbed into the cramped backseat of the car.
"You seriously need to get a bigger car, Makoto," Syaoran commented.
Makoto glared at him from the rearview mirror. "Hey kid, it's not like I plan on being your chauffer for the rest of my life."
"Knock it off, both of you," Sakura snapped. "Now seriously, what's going on Mako?"
"Hunt tonight. Seniors only though. Syaoran, you're gonna crash at our place for the night. We want you two together, just in case," she explained.
Her sister rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Mako-chan! This is the third "seniors only" hunt you guys have done! When are you going to let us help you?"
"Look, I don't make the rules, I just enforce 'em. And anyways, it's a school night," she replied.
"But you and Ferio are going," Sakura pointed out.
"Yeah, but we're not failing algebra," Makoto smirked. "And anyways, we're thinking we might be able to get at the Big Three tonight."
The car was silent. The "Big Three" were Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, and Hotaru Tomoe, the deadliest members of the local vampire clan led by Duo, who called himself "Shinigami". It was these three vampires that had killed the last alphas of the pack, and Makoto in particular wanted nothing more than to rip their hearts out, burn them into ashes, then toss them into the sea. She had always been particularly close to her mother, and she would never forgive them for taking her away.
"So you're going to the East End," Syaoran said. The East End of the island was the haunt for vampires, while the werewolves stayed in the North End, the witches in the West End, and the humans in the South End and scattered throughout the rest of the island.
"Mm-hm. That's another reason why we don't want you two down there. It's one thing to hunt down the leeches in our territory, but they've got the home field advantage this time. Don't get me wrong, you two are good fighters, but we're not 100% sure that even we are all going to get out tonight," Makoto finished as she parked the Mustang in the apartment building's underground garage.
As they got in the elevator and pressed the button, Sakura looked up at her sister. "You will all come back, Mako-chan," she said softly. "I know you will."
Makoto smiled and ruffled the younger girl's hair. "I hope you're right, kid. I hope you're right."
Scene 2: That Evening, The Temple of the Earth
"Finally! A night off!" Minako Aino grinned as she and her fellow students made their way back to the girl's dormitory of the Temple. Her long blond hair blew free in the breeze, and her cornflower blue eyes held a mischievous look.
Usagi Tsukino shared her friend's joy. "Yeah. Mother knows how long it's been since we haven't had either homework or practice or religion for a night." She looked a great deal like Minako, though her hair was longer, darker, and tied into two long ponytails.
Umi Ryuuzaki looked thoughtfully at the Illusion and Light Witches beside her and brushed back a strand of long sky blue hair. "You know…we should take this opportunity to have a little fun for ourselves."
"Oh? What kind of fun?" Minako asked, raising her eyebrows.
Umi smiled. "Lucifer's."
The blond girls looked at her. Umi had a Water Gift, and had a tendency to be a little unpredictable. But Lucifer's was very close to vampire hunting grounds, and none of the three Adept witches was really confident enough in their ability to deal with vampires. That sort of thing was left to the Specialist witches, Noin, Ayeka, and Touya, or the Master, Clef. Then again, it was supposed to be a great club…
"I'm in if you three are," another voice replied. The three girls looked back to see Rei Hino towards them. She was a year ahead of them, and was considered one of the best Fire Witches in the history of the coven. A year ahead of them in school, Rei was not one to associate with the younger witches, but she held the unwavering admiration of the Adepts and Novices.
"You serious Rei-chan?" Usagi blinked in surprise.
A light smile spread across Rei's face. "Why not? We're supposed to be the intermediaries between the races, so shouldn't we spend time mingling amongst them?"
"She has a point," Minako commented.
"Come on, who knows when we'll get another chance like this?" Umi added. To go out or hang with Rei she thought.
"Hm. Okay, I'm in," Minako replied.
"Me too," Usagi agreed.
"Cool. There's an 8:00 train that goes to Goethe Avenue. We'll meet at the station at ten to, all right?" Umi said, looking to her friends.
"Okay! Come on, Mina-chan, we've gotta find something to wear!" Usagi cried, latching onto her arm and dragging her into the dormitory. Umi and Rei followed suit.
Scene 3: 8:30 PM, the Penthouse at the Vladimir
As the sky grew dark outside, a young man stood at the window and watched the lights of the island blink on one by one. From the top of the hotel, he could see the entire cross of the island, even to the old lighthouse at the quiet, almost rural South End. He smiled to himself and ran his tongue over his fangs. Someday he would take his two closest friends with him and hunt at the South End. Who knew what sort of prey he'd run across there?
"Are you going out tonight?" a soft voice asked.
He turned to see a young girl, perhaps fifteen, with pale skin, large gray eyes, and long black hair standing beside him. He shrugged.
"Maybe. Care to join me, Tomoyo?" he offered. Tomoyo Daidouji was one of the younger members of his clan. She had been turned only about a year ago by Eriol Hiragizawa, another young vampire, and was yet to build up the confidence and skills to hunt just for fun, as he enjoyed doing. However, she was calm and loyal, and often insightful when it came to the relations between the clan members, and he enjoyed her company, though not nearly as much as others'.
"No thank you. We do not exactly share the same tastes, Duo," she replied.
He let out a small laugh and patted her head. She was not one to mince words, another quality he liked in her. But it was true; he enjoyed seducing beautiful young girls then feeding off of the blood they willingly gave, while Tomoyo simply wandered around until she found a child or other weak human and attacked, most of the time leaving her victims dead rather than dazed and confused. It was no wonder she was known among the werewolves as the Devil's Daughter.
"Hm. I suppose I'll have to go alone then," Duo answered. He would've preferred that Heero Yuy or Hotaru Tomoe had gone with him, but both enjoyed hunting the alleys of the inner city and the dangerous wooded parks of the North End to the Goth vampire wannabes that frequented the East End. The two had been the first victims he'd ever turned, and he loved and trusted them above all other members of his clan. But alas, they had left for the evening quite some time ago. Contrary to popular belief, vampires do not burn up in the sun. However, it is far more conspicuous when they are seen by normal humans in daylight rather than to be spotted by a few twisted nightwalkers after dark. Both Hotaru and Heero passed off as humans quite well, and often left to hunt at sunset. However Duo, with his long brown braid and luminous violet eyes, was far more noticeable and questionable. Therefore, he usually waited until after dark to wander through his territory.
Duo's clan was the only one existing on the island, though there were smaller groups and individual vampires scattered around the East End. The last large family of vampires had been destroyed seventy years ago during several street skirmishes over the rights to hunting grounds and prey. Similar fates had fallen upon the vampires' enemies as well. There was only one pack of werewolves in the North End, though there was a rumor as to a pair of renegades that lived in the South End. Most of the "dogs" as they were dubbed, had been killed one by one through the years, and those that lived joined the few surviving packs until a single one was left. Likewise, there was a single coven of witches in the West End, but there were other witches that lived and worked individually scattered amongst the humans. The single witches were deemed "unclean", meaning that they had allowed their power to be corrupted by mixing blood with any of the other races.
He couldn't help but smile at the pure hypocrisy of witches. They were sworn to accept all other races as part of the world, but if one of their own no longer fit their image of perfection, he or she would be driven from the coven and left vulnerable. Through the years, he had encountered several unclean witches, but it was always a secret desire of his to actually make one unclean. To find a witch free from her coven and to take her. And not only did he want to just take the blood and power from her, but he wanted to turn her, an act forbidden amongst all vampires, for only humans were considered "safe" enough to make into vampires.
But Duo always was one to break the rules.
That was why he needed to hunt, because at that very moment, there was not one, but four clean witches in his territory, and he was determined to have at least one, if not all, for himself.
Scene 4: 9:00 PM, Lupine Park
The entire pack of wolves had gathered in the park three blocks from the Kino's apartment building. Though there had been a loud argument an hour ago about it, Sakura and Syaoran had joined them in order to pray to Earth Mother and conduct the rites to ensure a safe hunt.
It was a ten mile run to the East End, but the strength of the wolves had never faltered once, and Ferio swore that he could run the entire length of the island and back, thirty miles, in less than two hours.
With the exception of the two younger pack members, they had clothed themselves light and ready for a standing battle if necessary. Though they all preferred to fight as wolves, it was actually easier to kill vampires in a human form, because then weapons could be accessed much easier.
Makoto was dressed entirely in black, and had several throwing knives stowed in her belt. Of everyone in the pack, Sakura liked Makoto's fighting style the best. It was a combination of kung fu and American street fighting tactics, and her opponents always left with several pints of blood missing.
Her older brother, Trowa, fought differently. He was four inches taller and three years older than Makoto, though he had the same brown hair that fell over one of his green eyes, and was a talented gymnast. Rather than fight with his hands, he had two handguns hidden in his gray jacket that worked well for fighting in both close and distant ranges. Besides the jacket, he too was dressed in a pitch black turtleneck and pants.
When first looking at Presea, the oldest member of the pack and a semi-famous sculptor, none would guess her to be much of a fighter. However, the blond, bronze-eyed woman practiced an almost ethereal style of martial arts. Oftentimes, she appeared to be dancing with her eyes closed to some silent melody, but the blows she dealt to her enemies were quick, painful, and frequently deadly. Rather than being dressed in black, she wore a tight white tank top and a pair of khaki shorts with brown ankle boots. The optimistic Presea claimed she owned nothing black, and that the outfit would allow for better movement anyways.
Both Haruka and Ferio were experienced swordfighters. However, Ferio's style was greatly different from Haruka's. He wielded a large curved broadsword with powerful sweeps that rarely failed to remove a body part of an opponent. His jacket and pants were both camouflaged, and his green hair was tied back in a short ponytail. The scars on his face were faint, dulled by the battle anxiety glowing in his orange eyes.
Unlike Ferio, Haruka's style of fighting consisted of more pain than damage for her adversaries. Her blade was a small, light saber that dealt light, whip-like blows that set fire to the nerves they split. The others frequently accused her of being the sadist, but she didn't seem to care. Strangely, the part she seemed to enjoy most of all was when her enemies realized she was not the handsome young man she appeared to be, but in fact a woman. Then she would toss her short sandy blond hair and her normally dull blue eyes would turn steely, and she would laugh, sounding like the wolf she was. Her uniform was a navy windbreaker over a tight gray t-shirt and matching navy track pants.
Now, the seven wolves were gathered in the deserted park, standing in a circle and silently praying to the Earth Mother. Presea, as the eldest, would begin the rights as soon as they'd finished. When the bowed heads were raised, she drew a small ornamental knife from her pocket.
"Earth Mother, please accept this sacrifice of our pack. We pray You will protect us on this night when we venture into the darkness to punish those who have sinned against You and Your children," she said clearly, taking the knife and pressing the edge into the palm of her right hand.
She then passed the knife to Trowa, who spoke. "Mother, please give us the strength to fight for You." Then he too, cut his palm and passed it to Makoto.
"Mother, please watch over Your children Sakura and Syaoran, who cannot join us on this night. Protect them from evil and hold them in Your embrace should they be afraid," she said, slashing her palm and passing it on.
"Mother, keep us unseen by dangerous eyes tonight as we journey to the battlefield, and cover our fight in Your shadow so that human sight will not view it," Ferio said, his voice somber for once, as he sacrificed himself.
"Mother, aid us should our numbers grow few, and should we leave this world for good, please guide us safely into Your arms," Haruka said ominously. She was about to hand the knife back to Presea, when Sakura took it. She blinked in surprise; sacrifice was only traditionally given by those about to hunt. It was unnecessary for Sakura to give blood to the Earth Mother.
"Earth Mother, please bring our pack home safe to us tonight. No matter what cost it may be to us, please bring them all back to us safe and sound," she said softly, as she too pressed the knife to her hand. Her siblings and the other pack members watched her with respect and awe, and their looks increased when she handed the knife to Syaoran.
"Mother, keep us all safe this night. Give us courage and lend us Your spirit so that we may all grow and continue to love You and each other for as long as we all live," he finished, cutting his palm and returning the knife to Presea.
She nodded in approval to the youngest members of the pack, then looked out at the rest as they spoke in unison.
"Mother, please accept this sacrifice of our love and life so that You may answer our prayers."
Then they simultaneously turned their palms downwards and let the blood drip from their palms into the cool, dew covered grass. When they had finished, the five senior pack members had shifted into their wolf forms. Trowa and Makoto were both large red wolves, just as Sakura was when in her wolf form. Ferio was black as the sky above them, while Presea was snow white. Haruka was long and lithe and gray, and looked ready to kill the next thing that moved.
Sakura knelt down and hugged them all, using her spirit voice to wish them good luck.
Don't worry, Sakura-chan, Ferio replied, licking her hand reassuringly. After all, you're always saying "Everything will be all right."
But please be careful anyways, Ferio-sempai, Sakura answered as the five wolves vanished into the darkness.
Scene 5: 10:13 PM, Lucifer's
The four witches stepped out of the nightclub into the cool air. The last two hours hadn't really been what they'd expected. The place was crawling with vamps and humans who looked like vamps and no body seemed that friendly, save for the one guy who'd tried to talk Minako into going home with him. But the music was good, and it seemed pretty safe overall, just not welcoming. Even Rei seemed disappointed, and had spent most of the time nursing her Bloody Mary at the bar. So no one minded too much when Usagi pointed out that they'd better leave if they wanted to get back to the Temple before the 11:00 curfew.
Now the four Adepts were walking down the deserted street back towards the train station. If they girls had been human, most likely they'd have been attacked by one or more vampires by now. But the auras of their powers were strong, and they were well aware of the ancient code that bound vampires to feast on humans alone.
"Well, I gotta say, Umi-chan. You could've picked a better place for us to spend our free night in," Usagi complained.
Umi shrugged. "Hey, I've never done dealings with vamps before. How was I supposed to know they have lame clubs?"
Lame? Duo mused as he watched them from the shadows. Well, Lucifer's isrun by a mainlander. He had tracked the witches' auras to the club, where he had tried to lure the Illusion Witch, but to no avail. Now, as he saw all four of them, he was carefully choosing his victim.
The Illusion Witch had been his first choice because of the midriff-baring halter top and dangerously low cut pants she had warn. Also, you'd think from the way she'd danced in the club she would've killed for the opportunity to submit to him. But no. She'd blatantly refused, and he knew it was not a good idea to get on the bad side of someone who has the power to make you see things that weren't real, even if she was only an Adept.
He had ruled out the Light Witch from the beginning. Though she was the prime example of purity and innocence he was longing to taint, she appeared to be the youngest and weakest of the group. No doubt if he made a move towards her the other three would go at him in a second. And though he was the strongest vampire on the island, he was not sure he could defeat a combined attack from three trained Fire, Water, and Illusion witches.
Now it was down to the Water and Fire Witches. The Water one was certainly beautiful and was wearing almost as little as the Illusion one. Her power was strong, but nowhere near strong enough to stop him. Probing into her mind, he found her name was Umi Ryuuzaki, and it had been her plan to bring the girls out to the East End tonight. No doubt if they were attacked her guilt if not her conscience would drive her to protecting them while telling them to run. Then he would be free to take her and turn her and make her his own.
Duo was about ready to go for her when he caught sight of the last witch. She was a little older, a little darker, and a great deal more powerful than the other three. Looking at her, she reminded him of his beloved Hotaru, though her hair was longer and her eyes more violet than indigo. But Hotaru did not have the spirit or the fire that this witch had, and his desire for her absolutely consumed him. Rei Hino, her name was, and no doubt her reaction to an attack would be the same as Umi's. She would put up more of a fight, of course, but still, she would lose. Even a Specialist in witchcraft wouldn't be able to defeat him.
Smiling, he watched as they entered the train station. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he was happy to see the train back to the West End would not arrive for another ten minutes. And he could easily have Rei in five.
As the girls sat down on the bench to wait, Umi looked around boredly and yawned. "We're gonna be crap in the morning."
"Oh well. Maybe Ayeka-san can give us something to help," Usagi suggested.
"Nah, you know her. Unless you're dying, she's content to let you suffer," Minako said. "There was this one time…oh Mother, not again."
The guy who'd approached her at Lucifer's was standing near the wall, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He slowly moved forwards.
"Evening ladies," he greeted, the wind ruffling his long black coat.
"Look, I told you at the club, I don't want—" Minako began.
Duo's gaze hardened as he stared at her. "This doesn't have anything to do with you, lady. Not anymore anyways. Rei Hino?"
Rei narrowed her eyes and slowly rose. "What? How do you know my name?"
"You're one of the best, we know your name down here. Hell, the whole damn island knows your name," he replied.
A small spark of flame appeared on Rei's fingertip. "Not the answer I was looking for, psycho…"
"Rei-chan no!" Usagi cried, putting a hand on her wrist. She whispered in her ear. "We're supposed to be welcoming to other races, remember?"
"Other races my ass. I don't have to be welcoming to a stalker," she snapped.
"Rei, stop it," Umi ordered. "The train'll be here any minute."
Suddenly, Duo pivoted and threw Umi over the edge of the platform onto the track.
"UMI-CHAN!" Usagi screeched, running to the edge and jumping down to help her.
"That's it. You're going down you son of a bitch!" Rei snarled. The spark on her fingertip grew until it was a watermelon sized ball of fire then flew forwards towards the vampire.
However, he darted quickly out of the way and lunged for her. Just as he was about to get his hands on her neck, however, she shimmered and vanished.
Damn…the Illusion whore… he remembered. Sure enough, there stood Minako, shielding Rei as she too disappeared over the edge of the platform. She cupped her hands and twisted them so her palms faced him, and suddenly there were several hundred copies of her standing in a line along the edge of the platform.
Snarling like a wild man, he lunged for one of the illusions, which shimmered and vanished like the false Rei had. He nearly fell over the edge of the platform, but caught himself and leaned backwards. Dashing through the line of witches, he glanced at the platform across the track and saw that the Light Witch was pulling the injured Water Witched up onto the platform, and that the Illusion and Fire Witches were scrambling up the ten foot wall.
He jumped off the platform and across the track, throwing himself against Rei and pulling her down to the track.
"Rei!" Minako screamed, but her cry was suddenly punctuated by the sound of a train. Eyes widening, she shoved the unconscious Umi upwards onto the platform and scrambled up herself.
Meanwhile, Duo had his hands around Rei's waist and pitched her up onto the other platform, then leapt up after her just as the train started speeding through the station. Before she could run away, he pounced on her and held her to his chest.
Smiling evilly, he held her chin up with one hand and pressed her close to him with the other. "This'll only hurt a bit, dear."
Rei tried to summon her power, but before she could free her hands she felt his fangs pierce her neck. Screaming in pain, she tried to pull away but every second she grew weaker and he grew stronger. She felt everything growing dark, felt the fire of her soul going out. There was no doubt in her mind that he would kill her. She would die from all the blood he was taking from her.
"No, my dear. Not yet. No death yet," he whispered as he released her chin. She stared dully at him, too weak to do anything but watch as he bit down on his wrist.
"Drink," he ordered, pressing his wrist to her lips.
No! Don't! she tried to tell herself, but she couldn't help it. The blood flowing into her mouth was sweet and rich and life giving. She drank deeply, feeling the lost strength coming back. The fire was slowly rekindling.
Then all of a sudden, she heard the vampire curse as the haunting sound of wolf howls pierced through the station. He pulled his wrist from her and stared at her.
"Listen to me, Rei. I will come back for you, or I am not the one called Shinigami," he said, then pressed his lips to hers and kissed her hard.
When he pulled away, Rei put her hand to her mouth gently, confused at his action. But then she felt her teeth, felt the fangs that had only minutes ago been normal incisors, and the disgust and horror at his act rushed over her like a tidal wave.
"You…BASTARD!" she screamed, and lunged for him. However, she was cut off by two werewolves, a red and a black, that had appeared on the platform and were now viciously attacking Shinigami. He shoved them off, and yelled as they shifted into a girl with knives and a boy with a sword.
"Run Rei!" Shinigami called as he drew a sword of his own and easily held off both werewolves.
Rei glared at him, then put her hand palm out to him and threw a large ball of fire at him. "This is not over!" she screeched, then turned and red.
She did not notice that the flaming orb she had released was black.
When she stumbled out into the streets, she noticed it was starting to rain. There was no sign of Usagi or the others, but the sound of werewolves was everywhere. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have mattered. Werewolves and witches respected each other for their common worship of the Earth Mother. But werewolves were notorious for loathing vampires, and now that she was…
"Oh Mother…" she whispered, falling to her knees. Tears streamed down her face. "Oh Mother…Mother…Mother…"
In one instant, everything she had ever known and loved was lost to her. She had ceased to be clean when the vampire had drunk her blood. She had ceased to be a witch when she drank his. She could never return to the coven, could never associate with her friends, could never even walk freely through the West End. And now, she felt thirst like she'd never felt before. A seemingly insatiable thirst for blood.
Very well then. She could die of thirst. End this nightmare. Wait here in the streets until a merciless werewolf came and ripped out her heart. But would that truly kill her? She did not know. But the despair of it all was overwhelming.
Of course, the pink-haired girl watching from the alleyway made sure of that.
Slowly, Rei got to her feet. She would have to feed. Then she could figure out what to do. She walked through the streets, no longer noticing the sound of the werewolves. The bloodlust was quickly consuming her consciousness. So when she saw the young couple dressed in gothic clothing getting into their car, she did not hesitate to tackle the woman and bite into her neck, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of her life force. And when her heart ceased to beat, she went for her boyfriend who was pressed against the car in shock. It was only when he too lay dead at her feet was she able to think clearly again.
She was horrified at the sight of the dead bodies before her. She had killed them? It was like she had been dreaming in fast forward at the time. But there was no question. There were the marks from her fangs on their necks. Disgusted by the sight of them, she summoned her fire and put a hand on each of their foreheads. Immediately the two dead bodies burst into flame, and she forced herself to watch them burn until there was nothing left but cinders. It was her self-induced punishment for allowing all of this to happen.
But what now? The vampire Shinigami had said he'd be back for her, but the last thing she wanted was to join him. And who knew? Maybe he'd been killed by the weres. But she hoped not. She wanted to do that herself.
First though, she would need to find a safe place for the night. The coven was off limits. However, the three Specialists, the Sky Witch Noin, the Healing Witch Ayeka, and the Mind Witch Touya, all lived in residences outside of the Temple, where Clef was Master. Could they be trusted? Ayeka, definitely not. Though she was supposed to be a healer, Ayeka had zero tolerance for unclean witches, and an idea as alien as a vampire witch would seem abominable to her. Noin might take pity on her, but she too would refuse to help her. But Touya…
Rei blushed slightly at the thought of him. When she had first come to the Temple when she was a seven-year-old Novice, she had been quite taken with the darkly handsome young man who had just risen in his rank to Adept. He had been her mentor and helper, and as she grew older, she even fell in love with him. However, she had never dared to act on her feelings, because at that point Touya was a Specialist and was totally committed to his power. He would never return anything for her that deeply. Then again, he did have the power to read minds, and she secretly hoped he'd realized how she really felt about him.
And now, Touya too was forbidden to her. The thought made her heart break. But he could be trusted to keep her for one night, just one night, while she planned out everything she needed to do in order to survive.
She took a deep breath and turned west. His townhouse was just on the interior of the west end. It would be a long walk, but now that she was a vampire, she could run as long as necessary in order to survive.
Epilogue: Midnight, the West End
"So you'll have to leave the island then," Touya said softly as he looked at Rei. She was sitting up straight on the couch with a cup of tea in her hands. Apparently, she still liked to drink mortal beverages.
"I'd rather not," she answered, glancing up to meet his eyes. "As long as I stay away from the Temple…"
"Don't be so sure," he replied. "You're not just unclean now, Rei. You're a whole new breed. Who knows? Maybe even Clef will want you to stay."
"Doesn't matter if he does or doesn't," Rei commented. "It's against the code. Only pure witches can be admitted to a coven. And I refuse to be taken in out of pity."
Even now, she has to preserve her pride Touya observed as she took another drink. "I guess you're right. But who's to say he won't want to hunt you down?"
Her head snapped up. "Hunt me?"
"Like I said before, you're a whole new breed. If you're a danger to the coven or to other humans…"
"But I'm not! They don't hunt other vampires, and anyways, what about the whole "accept other races" thing?" Rei cried.
"I don't know Rei. I just don't know," he said, then rose and touched her shoulder. "But if they do hunt you, they won't be the only ones."
"Shinigami," she said again, this time her voice filled with hatred and fury. "I will make him pay."
"You should let the werewolves do that," Touya commented. "The best thing for you to do is to go to the mainland and live as best as you can there. Hopefully no one will try to follow you."
"Damn it Touya!" Rei stood up. "I am not going to run like a coward just because I have suddenly changed species! This is the only world I've ever known. My family is buried on this island, my friends are on this island—"
"But you can't see them," he pointed out.
"You think I haven't realized that?" She was yelling now. "How do you think it feels to know that you'll have to live not just the rest of your life as an outcast, but live forever being feared and hated by the people you love? You have no idea what I'm going through! And Mother help you if you can't even find a shred of compassion for me!"
When she was finished with her tirade, Touya reached out and held her close. "I am sorry, Rei," he whispered, breathing in the scent of her hair.
She wanted to yell at him again. Why was he finally being so kind and gentle to her now? When it was forbidden?
"Because I've already taken a chance in letting you come here," he answered, reading her thoughts. "I may as well go all the way."
"You mean…?" Rei blinked. Was he admitting he felt the same way about her as she did about him?
He kissed the top of her head in response. "Not quite. You're just a little too young for me."
She blushed and wanted to step away, but his arms still held her tight. Slowly he tilted her face up to see him. "If you're going to stay on the island, you'll need a place to stay." He released her and went to his room. When he returned, he handed her a check.
"Three thousand dollars?" Rei cried. "Touya, I can't take this…"
"Take it," he said. "I can't promise that I won't try to find you if Clef or one of the other Specialists orders me to. But I want you to at least be safe from Shinigami. Find an apartment in the inner city, and get a low profile job. Stay out of the East and West Ends."
She shook her head. "I'll stay out of the West End, that much I'll do. But the East End, no way. I'm going to find that bastard and make him pay for doing this to me. For making me into this monster."
Touya touched her cheek. "Do what you have to, Rei. But promise me you'll be careful, and that you won't do anything stupid."
"When have I ever done anything stupid?" she asked indignantly.
He smirked. "You went clubbing in the East End."
She whacked his shoulder. "Low blow. But okay, I promise."
"Good. Get some sleep. I want you gone in the morning," Touya said, handing her a blanket and a pillow from his closet. She spread out on the couch and stared at him through the flickering candlelight, memorizing his face. She didn't realize he was doing the same, even after she fell asleep. Once she had, he knelt down next to her and kissed her lips, then went to bed.
When he woke up in the morning, she was gone.