Still owning nothing. Erm…wait. I guess I own the island of Antioch since I made that up. Huh. So I have my own island. But I don't own anything else.
Prologue: 4:00 AM, the West End
Hikaru, Demon of Despair, watched in silence as the raven-haired young woman made her way down the dark, wet streets. The rain had stopped about an hour or two ago, but the sun was far from rising and the temperatures were cold. It would be a while before the streets and sidewalks were dry again. Her red eyes watched as the girl paused to look sadly back at the townhouse she had left. Absentmindedly, she grabbed the end of her rose pink braid and began to twist it in her hands.
"Aw…poor baby. The little misfit, all alone in the world," a sarcastic voice remarked. She turned to see a pair of tall women standing a few feet to her right. The first was dressed in a red and black jumpsuit that complemented both her spiky silver hair and catlike golden eyes. The second woman wore a loose, gauzy light blue dress that left nothing to the imagination. She was a little younger than the first woman, but older than Hikaru, with extremely long blond hair and glittering blue eyes emphasized by dark forked brows.
"Ryoko…Dorothy…" she murmured to her sisters, then looked back to the running woman.
Ryoko rolled her eyes. "For the Demon of Despair, you are way too soft, Hikaru."
"Oh, leave her alone Ryoko," Dorothy smiled. "You should give the people of this world a little more credit. They do have their uses…"
"Whore," a muttering voice said from behind them. The girls turned to see a young man with a tight black ponytail and onyx eyes leaning against the wall. He was dressed in white pants and a long white jacket, and a katana hung at his side.
Dorothy's look of seduction grew. She vanished and reappeared next to her brother. "Oh Wufei…you can't say I didn't do the world a favor…" she whispered hotly in his ear, reaching inside his jacket and slowly rubbing his chest. Purring softly, she pressed her lips against his neck before he shoved her to the ground and pointed his katana at her throat.
"Do not touch me, woman. I have no patience for you today," he snarled.
His sister pouted. "Fine. Maybe Lantis will be willing."
"Don't count on it," the man in question answered. The Demon of War was the second oldest, preceded in strength and power only by Ryoko. His hair was as black as Wufei's, but worn short and loose in his face, masking his midnight blue eyes. He wore black battle armor and had a large sword slung across his back.
"Please?" Dorothy asked, reaching up and playing with his hair. Hikaru couldn't help but notice the Demon of Lust was being exceptionally aggressive this morning. She wondered how long it had been since she had assumed a body of flesh and been able to find another being to share a bed with.
The two brothers looked at each other, then both pointed their blades at her. She giggled, then suddenly vanished, only to reappear with her arms draped around Lantis's neck. She nibbled his ear playfully, and he too shoved her to the ground.
"I don't have time for this," he muttered, then vanished into thin air.
Wufei glared at Dorothy. "I have said this for the past three millennia: you make me sick and ashamed to be your brother." He too then vanished.
Dorothy shrugged and stood up. "You know, I was only just messing with them. It's amusing to see their reactions."
"I don't doubt it," Ryoko agreed. "After all, you tired of them about two thousand years ago."
"Yes, they got very predictable," Dorothy smiled mischievously, then vanished.
Ryoko shook her head, then looked at Hikaru. "Pray you never feel lust, Hikaru. The last thing we need is another Dorothy." And she too was gone.
So Hikaru was left alone to stare out at the empty street. The raven-haired girl had vanished during the conversation between the siblings, and she had not seen where she had gone. Hikaru sighed. She had watched as the beautiful young Fire Witch had been taken by the vampire who called himself Shinigami and made into…something. Something whose creation was never meant to be. In a strange way, she felt connected to the girl. For Hikaru too, was never meant to be. None of the demons were. Earth Mother loathed them all, and taught her children to hate them as well.
"It isn't fair," Hikaru murmured.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I know it isn't, Hikaru-chan." A soft voice replied. Hikaru turned to see a short woman with long spiky red hair and bright green eyes.
"Mother…" she murmured. Shortly after the birth of the Vampires, Washu the Mother of Demons had been banished from Earth. But Washu was strong, and could send her spirit to the planet in order to watch over her children. However, she had only told Hikaru this, and only kept contact with her youngest daughter. Neither Ryoko, Lantis, Wufei, nor Dorothy knew that little Hikaru had the power to speak with their mother.
"You're worried about her, aren't you? The witch?" Washu asked.
Hikaru nodded. "Ryoko thinks I'm weak for sympathizing with her."
Washu shook her head. "No, Hikaru. Compassion is never a weakness. But lack of it is. Why else do you think Earth Mother had to drive me from this world? She was weak and feared my power, and she had no compassion for any of us that she were not part of her "vision". So I was banished. Do not let Ryoko do the same to you."
"I am afraid of her. Of all of them," Hikaru admitted.
Washu laughed and patted her head. "Then you are wise as well. Don't worry about it Hikaru. Despite what they may think, they cannot hurt you. It won't stop them from trying though."
Hikaru smiled slightly. All her life, she had always felt so close to her mother. The despair that filled her always went away when she was in the presence of Washu's love. She couldn't understand how Earth Mother could have driven someone so good and loving as Washu from the planet, except for that she was indeed afraid of her mother's power.
"I understand," Hikaru answered. "I suppose I'll just keep on doing what I have been doing. Avoiding all of them at all costs."
Washu frowned, then shrugged. "I guess that's all right for now. But Hikaru," her tone became serious as she looked her daughter in the eye. "There will come a day when you will have to stand up to them. You. No one else."
She swallowed hard. She hoped that day would not come for a very, very long time.
"Also, be aware," Washu said, looking around. "Earth Mother walks."
Hikaru blinked in surprise. "What?"
"She is pretending to be a human or a witch, and is living amongst the people of this world. Be very careful. If she finds you or your siblings, she will do all she can to destroy you," she warned.
"But," Hikaru reasoned "she can't do anything to us. Not with you protecting us."
Washu looked away and was silent for a long time. "My power is fading, Hikaru-chan. Even now, it has been difficult for me to send out my spirit to you. I am afraid I am dying, Hikaru-chan, and I will no longer be able to protect you. That is why you will have to stand up to Ryoko and the others and take control yourself. You are the only one with the compassion and strength to forgive them and protect them."
"Mother…" Hikaru whispered. She shook her head and put her arms around her.
Her mother returned the hug, then pulled away. "I'm afraid I have to leave you now, Hikaru-chan. Keep my love with you, and do not tell the others anything I have told you."
She nodded. "Yes Mother."
Washu smiled at Hikaru, then like her children, vanished.
Episode 2:
The Effect
Scene 1: 4:00 AM, the Kino's Apartment
Syaoran awoke to the sound of the door opening. Sitting up, he looked over to see a stoic Trowa and a pissed-off Makoto walk through the door. The girl was speaking in a harsh whisper.
"The fucking leech was right there in front of me! I almost had him Trowa! I got a knife in his shoulder!" she hissed.
"Sh…you'll wake the others," he whispered.
"I'm awake," Syaoran murmured, sliding off the couch and walking over to them. "You two okay?"
Trowa nodded. "Yes. You and Sakura have any trouble?"
"No. Mako, what are you talking about? You got a knife in who?" he asked.
"Shinigami," she answered bitterly. "Ferio and I caught him feeding. We came so close!"
Syaoran blinked. "Are you serious? You almost got Shinigami?"
"'Almost' being the key word," Mako snapped. "And now I am shit, so I am going to go to bed and turn on Lifetime until I feel better. Good night…er, morning. Whatever."
With those sentiments, she marched off to her room and locked the door. Syaoran looked at Trowa. "Did she forget she has school in four hours?"
"Would you like to remind her?" he asked.
Syaoran smiled cynically. "You going to bed or should I make you some coffee or something?"
"I'll make it myself. You should get some more rest," Trowa answered.
He shook his head. "No, once I'm up, I'm up. I'll sleep after school."
"Suit yourself," Trowa set the coffee maker, then sat down at the counter.
"Everyone else all right?" Syaoran asked.
"Yes. Haruka's in a good mood too; she managed to bring down a loner vamp near the old theater. Ferio's just as mad as Mako though," Trowa explained.
"You and Presea find anything?"
"I didn't. But Presea…" he trailed off.
Syaoran's eyes shot up. There was a close bond between the artist and himself. He loved Presea like a mother, and worried about her nearly as much as he did Sakura. Besides that, Syaoran was well aware that very few werewolves had lived to old age. It was inconceivable yet quite probable that the older Presea got, the less chances she had to survive. "What?"
Trowa looked at him. "Mako mentioned that the reason she and Ferio came so close to getting Shinigami was because he was feeding, right?"
"Yeah…"
"Presea says she saw the victim get up and walk away. But before that, she threw a fireball at him."
"A fireball? Was she a witch?"
"Had to be. And she walked away. Do the math."
Syaoran closed his eyes and thought deeply. Through experience, the pack had learned Shinigami never left his victims alive unless he was making them into a vampire. And if the girl was a witch…
His eyes flew open. "You're saying he made a vampire out of a witch?"
Trowa nodded. "That's what it would appear to be."
"Mother…" Syaoran murmured. "How the hell do we handle that? Witches are Earth Mother's servants too, but a vamp with witch abilities…"
"Presea may have made a mistake," he suggested.
Syaoran shook his head. "I seriously doubt it. She's got good eyes, you know that. If she says she saw a witch turn vamp, I believe her."
"Believe what you want," Trowa answered, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He was silent a while, then spoke again. "However, I do think we should look into this. Even the possibility of a half witch, half vamp is dangerous. Especially if she was made by Shinigami. The members of his clan are particularly strong and also tend to kill more than other vampire. What's worse is that if she decides to form her own clan, the members will carry on both the witch and vampire blood. Meaning…"
"There'd be two clans and only one pack of wolves to keep them down. And both will be led by the most dangerous vampires this island has ever seen," Syaoran finished
The two men stared at each other, then into their cups of coffee. The younger spoke again.
"I'll do it."
"Do what?" Trowa asked.
"I'll find this girl. This vamp-witch. We've got to stop her before she and Shinigami wipe us out completely," Syaoran volunteered. "Sakura can help too. And Presea. We can do this Trowa."
"It'll be dangerous," he pointed out.
He thought a moment, then shrugged. "Maybe. She's still at least part witch, right? Ever since they were born, witches and werewolves have been allies. Depending on how she feels about being a vamp, maybe we could actually use her against Shinigami. If we try to talk with her…"
"I don't mean she's a danger," he cut off. "You know Shinigami isn't going to let her go. Go after this girl and you will undoubtedly cross his path. Who knows? Maybe she'll even help him against you. But either way, it's Presea's choice whether to let you do this. I know I'd advise against it. And there's no way in hell I'm going to endanger Sakura."
Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "She's not a little girl, Trowa. If you keep sheltering her like this she will never be able to protect herself."
There was a flash of anger in the man's green eyes. For the most part, Syaoran respected Trowa as the alpha male, and Trowa respected Syaoran as both Presea's adopted son and a promisingly useful member of the pack. But there was one subject that always threatened to shatter that bonds of honor and respect between them: Sakura. Though Syaoran would never admit it to anyone including himself, he loved her more than life itself. Trowa, as her brother, felt the same way. And both were sure they understood her best.
Trowa's calm, emotionless mask reappeared on his face, and he took another drink of coffee. Syaoran stared at him a while longer, then grabbed the change of clothes Presea had dropped off the night before and vanished into the bathroom. When he reemerged, fully dressed, he gathered his things and headed for the door.
"Tell Sakura I'll meet her at school," he said, then left.
Scene 2: 1:00 PM, Antioch Secondary School
The courtyard of the school was filled with students talking and enjoying their lunch. Most of the trees had turned spectacular shades of red, orange, and gold, and several of the younger students kicked the fallen leaves around in an attempt to pass the time until the bell rang.
Sitting beneath one of the trees, a boy and a girl sat in silence eating their lunch. The girl, Meiling Rae, was glaring angrily across the courtyard at Sakura, who was currently talking and laughing with a blue haired girl whose name slipped her mind. Narrowing her red-orange eyes, she absentmindedly cracked her knuckles. If it weren't for the fact she was only a Novice, she would've broken Sakura's neck two years ago when she had taken Syaoran from her. Taken him and turned him into a monster like her. Oh, she knew that she was supposed to be all nice and friendly with all races, werewolves included, and she usually was. But not to Sakura. Sakura did not deserve to be treated kindly after what she did.
Her companion raised an eyebrow beneath his shaggy brown bangs and edged away from her slightly. Ascot too was a Novice studying at the Temple of the Earth, but while Meiling was fourteen, he was only thirteen, and was intimidated and awed by the witch with the Physical Gift. Although she was inconsistent in her skills (she was only a Novice after all), he envied her superhuman strength and speed that Earth Mother had granted her. Though he had been taught from an early age to be thankful for the Gift he was given, being an Earth Witch was boring despite the Gift's versatility. Assuming he ever became a Specialist, he would not only be able to cause earthquakes and control rock, he would have power over the Earth and the very seasons themselves. Earth Witches were rare, and usually grew to be very powerful. But Ascot was yet to acquire the confidence necessary to wield his abilities in such a way that he would be promoted to Adept.
"I wonder where Syaoran is?" Meiling mused, taking a drink from her water bottle. "I thought he trailed her everywhere."
"Who?" Ascot asked, his mind still elsewhere. It jerked back suddenly when he saw the anger visible on Meiling's face as she glared at Sakura.
"Her. I refuse to speak her name," she snapped.
He jerked his head back. "Sorry, sorry. I wasn't thinking. Um…let's see…I think I heard Syaoran say he was going to be studying in the library during lunch."
"Library? Are you sure?" she asked.
"I…I think so," Ascot stammered.
Meiling stood up and grabbed his wrist. "Well come on then! We've only got about fifteen minutes left!"
Sure enough, the two found Syaoran in the library, poring over a thick book and scribbling down things in a notebook.
"Go stand over by the door or something," Meiling ordered Ascot. He shrugged, then wandered over to the computers and started a game of Solitaire. Meanwhile, Meiling walked over and sat down across the table from Syaoran.
"Hi," she said.
His head shot up. "Meiling! I was looking for you!"
She raised an eyebrow and brushed one of her black ponytails over her shoulder. "You weren't looking very hard."
"I meant when I'm finished here," his face was serious as he spoke the words she'd longed for him to say. "I need your help."
Meiling smiled. "Sick of being a were already Syaoran?"
He put a hand over her mouth and looked around. "What the hell are you thinking? You know it's dangerous to reveal what we are around all these humans!" he hissed.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Please, forgive me."
Syaoran sighed. "Yeah, you're forgiven. But listen to me, I really do need your help. Does anyone in your coven keep in contact with unclean witches?"
"Of course not," she answered matter-of-factly. "It's forbidden."
"I know. But still…do you even have any information on who the unclean witches are?"
She shrugged. "I guess Master Clef might. But if he did, he wouldn't show anyone other than the Specialists. Definitely not a novice," she paused. "What's going on?"
Syaoran looked around again, then leaned his face towards Meiling's. "I will only talk about this because you're my cousin and because you're the only witch I can trust."
"Gee, thanks," she muttered. He ignored it.
"Listen. Last night, the senior members of the pack went on a hunt. Two of them came this close to killing Shinigami when they caught him at the train station on Goethe Avenue," he held up two fingers pressed together to show her. "And Presea, the one who took me in, said she saw him feeding on a witch. But he didn't kill her. She got up, shot a fireball at him, then ran away. We're not—Meiling?"
He stared at her. His cousin had gone deathly pale and her hands were shaking violently.
"Meiling?" he asked again. "What is it?"
She took a few deep breaths then moaned, closing her eyes and putting her face in her hands. "Last night, Usagi, Mina, Umi, and Rei went to the East End to go clubbing. When they were at the train station coming back, a vampire attacked them. They almost escaped, but he caught Rei and before they could save her, a train came between the platforms. After it passed, both the vampire and Rei were gone," she explained. The three witches had come home late the night before, tears streaming down their faces as they told the same tale she had. And now, it seemed, they knew of what became of their missing comrade.
Syaoran put his arms around her. "Oh Mei…I'm sorry," he whispered. When his mother had died he had only been seven years old and alone in the world (he didn't know his father). Meiling's coven had allowed him to live at the Temple as an act of charity, and he had lived there until a year ago, when he became a werewolf and been adopted by Presea. He had known several witches, including Rei. A Fire Witch with a cool demeanor and a fiery temper, she was envied by the younger members of the coven for both her human traits and her extensive power.
Meiling wanted him to keep holding her and to keep comforting her, but at that moment the bell rang. Ascot appeared from nowhere and stared at the two. He too was aware of Syaoran's status as both a werewolf and Meiling's cousin, but he knew he had to act on behalf of the coven.
"Come on Meiling," he said, staring apologetically at both her and Syaoran. "We're going to be late."
Syaoran touched his shoulder. "Ascot," he said. "Take her back to the temple right away after school. Tell Clef that a member of our pack will be paying a visit at some point during the weekend. If he asks what it's about, just say that it's very important that he not continue searching for Rei Hino."
Ascot blinked. "Rei? What…?"
"Go," he said gently. "You're going to be late for class."
The boy nodded, took Meiling's hand and led her from the library. Syaoran's eyes were on them the whole time.
Scene 3: 10:00 PM, The East End Breakwater
"You what?" Heero asked.
Duo smiled and leaned back against the concrete barrier dividing the breakwater. The waves were small and sleepy tonight, occasionally sending up the finest salty spray every few minutes. But it was never more than enough to moisten the face of the three vampires sitting on the edge of the concrete.
"She reminds me of our lovely Firefly," he remarked, putting an arm around Hotaru's shoulders. She made no move, either to shrug it off or settle beneath it. "Black hair, purple eyes, a gorgeous body, lots of fire…am I making you jealous?"
"Do you think I would waste our time with such an emotion?" she asked quietly.
He pouted. "You mean I mean nothing to you?"
She said nothing again and picked up a small chunk of concrete and threw it into the water
"Do you realize how dangerous it was to make a witch into one of us? You should've turned a dog for all it's worth," Heero muttered.
Duo barked out a cynical laugh. "Sorry mate. But the wolf bitches don't do anything for me except try to shove a blade or two in my chest."
"And a girl who tries to burn you alive is far better," Hotaru replied.
"Ha! I knew you were jealous Hotaru-chan!" he grinned. "Don't worry. When it all comes down to it, I like you best."
Heero grunted.
"You too, Heero."
"I don't give a damn who you like best. Your recklessness is going to kill you someday," he warned. "And from what you said, the witch isn't very happy about becoming one of us."
"No…but then again you didn't like it much when I turned you either. Actually, nobody did. Except Nakuru. That whore," he snorted. "That was a mistake, but she's not a danger to us."
"Nakuru isn't the most powerful Fire Witch on the island," Hotaru pointed out. "By turning her, Duo-kun, you've given her the means to destroy you."
"The rest of us too, probably. If we were smart, we'd get off this island before she figures out what she's capable of," Heero commented.
Duo turned away so they wouldn't see his face turn an even paler shade of white. In truth, he really didn't care what happened to the rest of his clan. But life without Heero and Hotaru…his shadow and his firefly…
"Of course, we won't," Hotaru answered. "We've lived on this island since it was built centuries ago. We're not about to leave now."
Duo stood up and put his arm around her shoulder again. "Thank you, Hotaru-chan," he said, kissing her cheek softly. Her skin was cool and smooth, even more so than it was when he turned her that night when he saw her in the garden behind her house, staring in awe at the brightness and fullness of the moon. He'd been a young vampire then, only having turned one other: Heero, two hundred years before and only days after he'd experience his own transformation. Unable to resist the dark beauty, he'd taken her and turned her without a thought. It was years after that his affection for her had grown and flourished into something immortal and invincible.
After Hotaru he had accidentally turned the lovely street woman Nakuru and allowed her into his clan out of pity. The number had remained at four for years until a boy named Eriol came to him and demanded that he be made a vampire. Surprised at his forwardness and knowledge of the race, Duo had granted his wish. Then a year ago, he had come across a quiet young girl who had refused to die after he fed from her. He respected her strength and resilience and rewarded her by making her into a vampire and brought her into the clan. And eventually, he would find the wayward Rei and she too would join them.
"We do not want her, Duo," Heero said softly, bringing the leader out of his memories.
"What?"
"We do not want this witch to join us," Hotaru elaborated. "Despite the fact that you turned her, she is not like us. The strength she has from being a witch preserves her power even now. If you bring her into this clan, she could turn against us at any time and destroy us all."
"She won't!" Duo persisted.
"Duo," Heero continued. "None love you or respect you more than Hotaru and myself. You know that."
"Still…"
"We are thinking of you Duo!" Hotaru exclaimed. "In your heart, you know that if you come within a mile of the girl, she will incinerate you and throw the ashes into the ocean, and you will be lost to us forever! You know the curse. Earth Mother's damnation…"
"There is no curse, and Rei will not hurt me!" Duo yelled. His fists clenched. "I won't let her."
"Would you kill her if that was the only way?" Heero asked.
Duo glared at them both. "I don't know."
And with that, he stormed away down the breakwater.
Scene 4: The Next Day, the Makibi's house
"So tell me again how a bird's digestive system works," Sakura said as she sat at Sasami's kitchen table, flipping through the pages of the biology book.
"I'd really rather not while I'm preparing the chicken," Sasami replied as she poured a delicious looking garlic sauce over the two chicken breasts in the pan.
Sakura laughed then closed the book. "I guess that's enough for now anyways. I don't know Sasami. You seem to know it all. How'd you fail test?"
"Easy. I got a quarter of the questions wrong and wrote five sentences for the essay," she answered.
"Hm…maybe it's your nerves?" Sakura suggested.
Sasami shrugged, then put the chicken breasts in the oven and started taking vegetables out of the refrigerator. "That's possible. I haven't been sleeping well lately either."
"Any idea why?" she asked, wandering over and grabbing a baby carrot. Sasami instantly grabbed it back.
"I need that," she snapped, then started washing the vegetables.
"Huh. Lack of sleep's making you crabby too I see," Sakura observed with a smile.
Sasami laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. It's just…"
"What?" her friend asked.
She looked over and studied Sakura's face closely. "If I tell you, will you keep it a secret? I didn't even tell Aunt Kiyone about it."
"I guess, yeah."
"'I guess' isn't good enough Sakura," Sasami said. "Promise you won't say anything."
Sakura frowned. "Sasami…what's this about?"
"Promise," she repeated.
The redhead sighed. "Okay, I promise I will not tell another living soul this secret, whatever it is." She leaned back against the wall and kept her eyes on Sasami. "That'll have to do."
"All right," she answered, then started to chop the vegetables. "When I was walking home from school a while ago, this guy started following me."
"What?" Sakura blinked.
"Don't worry, it wasn't an old creepy guy or anything. He was about my age, maybe closer to yours. Kind of cute, actually. And he didn't ever do anything threatening. Never even talked to me. He just followed me. I guess he didn't care if I saw him, because every time I turned around he was just there, not hiding or anything."
"Has he followed you since then?" she asked.
Sasami nodded. "Yes. Every day since. Sometimes I even see him when I go grocery shopping or to the library."
"Sasami! Why haven't you told anyone? This guy could be a stalker, or a rapist, or a serial killer for all you know!" Sakura cried.
"Then why hasn't he come after me by now? I've been in isolated places with him before, and he's never done anything to me," she answered calmly, then looked up. "Remember Sakura…you promised…"
"If it meant keeping you safe Sasami, I'd gladly break that promise," Sakura said.
"Sakura!" Sasami looked desperately at her. "Sakura, you can't. If you do, he might go away."
"Uh…duh!" she snapped. "That's kinda the point!"
"But I don't want to get rid of him," Sasami exclaimed.
Sakura looked at her like she had just grown a second head.
"I don't know what it is…" she went on. "I feel…protected. Like he's watching over me. If he goes away…I don't know what'll happen."
Her friend bit her lip, unsure of what to do or say next. "…What does this guy look like?"
"Like I said, about our age. He's got black hair, and he wears it in a ponytail. I'm not really sure what color his eyes are, but he's got glasses. I've always seen him in black and blue clothes too," she described.
Sakura's teeth drew blood from her lips. The description matched a vampire in Duo's clan. She wasn't sure of his name, but she and Syaoran had fought him a few times. He was a good fighter, wielding a saber similar to Haruka's, but made out of pure silver. Even a scratch from the blade would make the strongest were deathly sick due to the poisoning effect silver had on were blood.
"Listen Sasami…I think I know who you're talking about…" she said.
Sasami's eyes brightened. "Really? How old is he? Is he nice? Where does he live?"
"I'm uh…not really sure…I don't know him that well…" she stalled. There was no way she could tell Sasami her follower was a vampire. She hadn't even told her that she was a werewolf. Sasami was human, and therefore totally oblivious to the existence of vamps and weres beyond horror movies and gothic novels, and the concept of witches frightened and confused her.
"But I do know that he's not a good guy like you think," Sakura pointed out. "From what I've heard, he's done some pretty bad stuff. Murder, rape, all that stuff I said before…"
It wasn't exactly a lie. Vampires did murder, and many of them did rape their victims. She wasn't entirely sure Sasami's vamp committed the latter, but in order to survive he'd have had to kill his victims. And if not, if he had made them all vampires, well then that was just as bad as rape and murder combined.
"And some people say Meiling Rae is a witch," Sasami rolled her eyes. "Come on Sakura. You know we both refuse to judge people by rumor."
"This is the exception to the rule," Sakura pressed. "Sasami, if our friendship means anything to you, trust me on this."
Sasami pressed her lips together. "I'll make you a deal. If you promise not to tell anyone, and I mean anyone about this, I promise I will avoid this guy at all costs."
"And if you see him again," Sakura added. "You'll tell me."
She thought about it, then nodded. "You. Only you.
"Okay then. I promise," Sakura replied.
"I promise too," Sasami answered. The two girls shook on it.
Scene 4: 8:00 PM, The SIC office
"Hey guys, I'm back!" Tenchi Masaki smiled as he walked into the office with two plastic bags of Chinese food.
"Yay! I'm starving!" Mihoshi Winner leapt up from her desk and crossed the room in three strides, and peering excitedly into the bags.
Her twin brother Quatre looked up from his computer. "Mihoshi relax!" he laughed, standing up. He passed Ami Mizuno's desk, where both she and Kiyone Makibi were staring at Ami's laptop screen.
"Come on you two. Aren't you hungry?" he asked.
Kiyone and Ami raised their heads simultaneously. "Hungry?"
Tenchi waved at them, brown eyes laughing. "Jeez, if it takes you this long to notice my coming back, how long if I'd have gone missing?"
Ami blushed and shoved a strand of dark blue hair behind her ear. "Sorry Tenchi. We were just becoming so exceptionally engrossed in this DNA data analysis Kiyone located in the archives and…"
"Ami-chan please!" Mihoshi whined. "I don't know what you're saying!"
Kiyone rolled her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. Quatre laughed slightly and lowered it for her. "Come on. You need a break," he said kindly.
She shrugged. "Maybe."
He smiled and passed her a carton of beef chow mein. The physical resemblances between Quatre and Mihoshi were remarkable. Both had platinum blond hair and large blue eyes. But Mihoshi was taller and tanner due to the time she frequently spent out in the sun. Quatre was Kiyone's height and had bangs that fell in front of his eyes, and was much quieter and more innocent and childlike than his sister. Mihoshi was enthusiastic and outgoing, though quite flighty most of the time and on occasions seemed to have lost anything remotely resembling human intelligence. But both were kind and affectionate, and you couldn't help but love either of them.
Tenchi threw an egg roll on a napkin and sat down in front of his computer. The newest member of the SIC was a friendly young man with a spiky black ponytail and a friendly demeanor. He was easygoing overall, but just as dedicated to his work as any of his coworkers. It was also a signature trait that he could stay perfectly calm even when under the worst pressures of his career, a reassuring thought for the rest of the team.
Ami was the youngest member of the team, but had served for longer than any of them excluding Kiyone. A child prodigy, she had graduated college at sixteen and had started working with the Global Investigation Network the year after. When the Antioch SIC had been formed four years ago, Ami had been hand picked from the mainland-based SIC to work on her native island with the other four members. She was pretty enough, with her hair cut short and her eyes as blue as Mihoshi and Quatre's, but it was no secret that she loved her job more than anything else.
Kiyone was the leader of the group, both officially and unofficially. A former investigator working on the island's police force, she had been chosen for her flawless records and sober personality. Even more than Ami, she was a workaholic. Which discouraged the few men whose hearts and eyes had been captured by the teal tressed and aqua-eyed woman. But that didn't bother Kiyone as much as the guilt that she was the only one of the team that had a child to think about. Her sister and brother and law had both died mysteriously prior to the SIC's formation, leaving their then seven-year-old daughter Sasami in her care. It bothered her that she couldn't always be there for the niece she loved so much, but Sasami seemed to understand and didn't resent her at all for it.
The five individuals were all different, but all worked together as a part of Antioch's Supernatural Investigation Committee. When questionable cases arose on the island, they were the ones to check it out. Meaning they were fully aware of the existence of vampires, werewolves, witches, and demons. However, the cases were kept confidential, and it was imperative that no one ever truly found out about them. Kiyone was head of the committee, in charge of reporting the status of the cases and delegating the other members and herself in investigation. Second in command was Mihoshi, who handled the research gathering and was also the unofficial getaway chauffer (the joke was that no one else could drive like her without getting themselves killed). Her brother Quatre was an intelligence and tracking specialist, which translated into a scout and spy. He was also a good negotiator and communicator, and was frequently the one to speak with members of the other races. Tenchi was the equipment and weaponry technician. When fighting was necessary, he was usually the one to handle it, but also worked on developing and repairing weapons and working on the committee vehicles when necessary. Ami, the computer expert, was a hacker and also shared Mihoshi's duties as a research analyst. Most of her time was spent in the office, but that didn't bother the timid girl very much.
The members of the SIC all got along well. It was a necessity, since without cooperation and communication someone was likely to get killed. The Antioch team had remained intact through the years, but everyone knew the horror stories of mainland investigations and negotiations gone wrong. Basic training had taught them all that the other races should be neither trusted nor feared. But the werewolf pack and vampire clan and witch coven were different on Antioch. They were fewer in numbers, but greater in power. Every member of the SIC had dealt with packs, clans, and covens on the mainland, and none of them had come across any like the ones on the island. Ami, Kiyone, and Tenchi, who had all been raised on Antioch, thought so more than anyone else.
"So," Kiyone began, tossing her meal carton in the trash and returning to her own computer. "Now that we're all here…and fed… I can bring up this new scenario I received from James Carigan from the Antioch Police Department."
Plugging her computer into a hologram projector, she typed on her keyboard quickly and brought up the image of the Goethe Avenue train station.
"This is a station on Goethe Ave at approximately 10:25 PM on Thursday evening, September fifth," she typed a little more. The image of four young women walking onto a platform played.
"These four women were seen at Lucifer's from 9:00 PM to 10:05 PM. They were assumed to be either humans or witches waiting for the 10:30 train to Amaryllis Street in the West End," she explained. The image changed as the girls sat down at a bench and a tall man with a long braid walked onto the platform.
"10:26 PM. The vampire known as Duo Maxwell, aka "Shinigami", arrives at the train station." The scene played on as Kiyone narrated. "He approached the women and started to speak to the girl second from the left. She grew angry at his remarks and as you can see, was about to attack him using fire, marking her as a witch. However, the girls to her right stopped her from harming him. Seeing his opportunity, Maxwell attacked the girl to the far right and shoved her onto the tracks. The Fire Witch then attacked him, but he dodged and went for an illusion generated by the girl on the far left, whom we can conclude is an Illusion Witch. While Maxwell went after more illusions, the three remaining girls helped the injured one onto the far platform. At that point, Maxwell got through and assaulted the Fire Witch. And before her companions could help her, the 10:30 train sped between them."
Kiyone paused. "Everyone with me?" They nodded. "Okay, here's where it gets interesting." She rotated the view of the hologram so that the side with Maxwell and the Fire Witch was visible. "Going against our past beliefs that a vampire will not feed from a witch or werewolf, Maxwell subdues the Fire Witch and drinks her blood. Going even farther, we see him offer his blood to her, the ritual for creating a new vampire."
"Wait…is that even possible?" Quatre blinked.
"Keep watching," Kiyone said as the scene progressed. "At this point, two werewolves suddenly arrive and attack Maxwell. They disregard the Fire Witch, and she is able to get to her feet. She then attacks Maxwell and yells what we can assume is a threat of revenge or anger before fleeing the scene. Maxwell and the werewolves struggle for a few minutes, before he breaks and runs with them in pursuit. The three leave the station and disappear."
The other four members of her team stared in disbelief as the hologram vanished. She took a drink of water from the dispenser next to the closet door, then turned to them again.
"Without knowing the identities of the witches, it would be difficult to trace them. But we can assume that all four women are witches, considering that most humans are deathly afraid of them and it is unlikely that two humans would be spending time with two witches. Also, we have our contact within Duo Maxwell's clan, whom I intend to speak with tomorrow. Quatre, your help would be appreciated."
"I…yes, of course," he answered.
"Mihoshi, I'd like you to get in contact with the Temple of the Earth. The head is called Master Clef, and is fairly reliable with his information. Ami, I'd like you to also gather a list of all the unclean witches living on Antioch complete with names, phone numbers, and addresses. Can you have them to me by Monday?"
She nodded. "Yes, it won't be difficult."
"Thank you. And Tenchi, I'd like you to run some scenarios into your computer. If this witch has become a vampire, we need to know of her capabilities. I'd like to have a basic report by Monday if that's possible."
"I'll do my best," he replied.
"Okay
you guys. We should get as much work as
we can done tonight, and I know I'm coming in early tomorrow morning. I'd suggest you do the same," Kiyone
paused. "We're dealing with
something totally new and unknown everybody.
To us, to the island, and the whole world for that matter. Let's keep that in mind, okay?"
Still dazed, everyone nodded
in agreement.
Epilogue: 9:00 PM, Tanners in the South End
Rei sat at a table halfheartedly nibbling at a wilting salad. She had spent the day searching for an apartment, but to no avail. There had been a room available in a little hotel on the outskirts of the city, and she had spent the last twenty minutes sitting in the hotel restaurant feeling scared, furious, and depressed. More than anything, she wanted to go back to the Temple just to explain what happened so that no one would worry. But there was no way she could.
She could faintly feel thirst creeping into her, but she had sworn not to hunt until she absolutely needed to. The weight of the deaths last night and the night before was adding up and crushing her. It would only be so long until it drove her mad, making her into the monster she was all the more.
The waitress walked by and she ordered another cup of tea. She nodded and took the white china mug from her then disappeared into the kitchen. Rei looked around boredly. The restaurant was empty save for the waitress, herself, and a cook she heard somewhere in the kitchen. When she had spoken to the front desk clerk, he had explained to her that the restaurant was open all night for coffee, tea, and light snacks. Rather than go to bed, maybe she'd just hang around there all evening.
The tea appeared as if by magic on the table, and the waitress returned to the counter and resumed reading her magazine. Sipping slowly, Rei stared out the window and saw a shadowy figure walk across the parking lot. Stepping into the light, the shadows melted away revealing a pretty woman some ten years older than herself. Her hair was bright red and felt to her mid-back, little strands blowing across her face with the autumn night breeze. She wore a tan trenchcoat, dark brown tights, and black ankle boots. The fluorescent light made her ruby red eyes glitter and contrast with the pale skin of her face.
Shoving the magazine aside, the waitress walked over to the woman and led her to the booth about three feet from Rei's table. The woman thanked her and asked for coffee, and the waitress disappeared. Keeping her head low as she picked at her salad, Rei could feel the woman's eyes boring into her. Stubborn as ever, she refused to meet her gaze.
When the waitress returned with the coffee, the woman thanked her again and said that was all. In the tomblike silence of the restaurant, Rei could hear her quietly sipping the coffee and setting the mug back down on the table.
"Rather quiet in here," the woman remarked. Her tone made it seem as though she wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, but Rei could feel she was the one being addressed. Out of curiosity more than submission, she raised her head and looked up.
"Yes…must not get much business at night," she agreed.
The woman smiled. "It's considerate of them though. Keeping this place operational all night."
Rei nodded in agreement, then took another drink of tea. "Is this your first time here?"
"Here as in this hotel or here as in Antioch?" the woman asked.
"Either," she answered.
"This is the first time I've ever stayed in this hotel, but I visit the island quite frequently. I had a friend with an apartment on the West End, but she moved to the mainland this past summer," she explained.
"I see…" Rei murmured.
The woman smiled again. "My name's Kaho. Kaho Mitsuki."
Rei paused before introducing herself. No doubt there would be people looking for her. And this Kaho had mentioned the West End. Was she a witch? Rei tried to feel the strong aura revealing a witch's identity. There was none. No, Kaho was just a normal human.
"Rei Hino," she said, standing up and shaking her hand.
"Would you care to join me?" Kaho asked, motioning to the bench across from her.
"Thank you," Rei accepted, sitting down. "So…what's your business here on the island?"
"No business. I just enjoy coming here. It's quite relaxing," she explained.
Rei blinked. "But…two thirds of it is all city! How can it be relaxing?"
"Maybe relaxing isn't really the word," Kaho mused. "It's just different from what I'm used to on the mainland."
"Is that where you're from?" Rei asked.
She shook her head. "No, I was born here on Antioch. But I've spent the greater part of my life on the mainland."
"I see…" Rei repeated.
"And yourself?" Kaho asked.
Again, Rei hesitated, trying to think up a story. "I've lived here my whole life. But my parents died a few years ago, and I've been living with my boyfriend ever since."
"You look a little young to be living with a boyfriend," she commented.
Rei's hand tightened around the handle of the cup. "I know…but I didn't have anyone else to turn to. He's the only one left who loves me, who's willing to take care of me." She sighed, trying not to be too dramatic. "But these past few months, things have just changed. I guess we didn't love each other as much as we though. So now I've moved out and I'm looking for a place of my own. Of course, I'll need a job first…"
"Hm…" Kaho put two fingers to her lips. "You know…I've been thinking of taking up permanent residence on Antioch myself."
"Really?" Rei asked.
She nodded. "Yes. I've got money, and I was hoping to look for an apartment in the city, something temporary until I could get a house or a condo here in the South End. If you wouldn't mind a roommate while you looked for a job…"
"I…" she froze. As much as she would've loved to accept Kaho's offer, there was no way she could. Although they had just met, she already liked the woman, and did not want to risk her finding out about her status as a vampire. Not to mention the fact that even now she was practically begging to be drained.
But when would another opportunity like this come again? The last thing Rei wanted was to end up homeless in the streets of Antioch. Even a vampire was going to have trouble surviving that way. And she was still determined to be more witch than vampire. She refused to let her blind instincts take control of her better judgment. And if worse came to worse, she could always just leave, right? Take off running like she had done for Touya?
"Wouldn't mind a roommate at all, Miss Mitsuki," Rei finished.
Kaho grinned. "Please, just Kaho." She stood up, pulled some money out of her purse, and walked towards the counter to pay for her coffee. "Well then, how about tomorrow we meet here at 8:00 AM for breakfast, then we can start looking for an apartment?"
"It sounds wonderful," she answered. "And you can call me Rei."
"All right then, Rei. I will see you in the morning."