A Kiss from a Rose on the Grave

Disclaimer:
I Do Not own any of the Shaman King characters, the place they live in, or indeed anything to do with them. I also do not own the Night World, or any of the principles of it- especially the soulmate principle. I do not own the song 'Kiss from a Rose' by Seal.

I do own my characters, and everything about them

That is Gul, Sparrow, Astrid, Fahd, Steren, Sher, Tierra, Lorccan, Shyam, Torqueo and Jasmine. I own where they live, etc.

Eram quod es, eris quod sum. - I was what you are, you will be what I am.

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers, and people who have added me to thier favs! It's half term next week so expect some more chapters.

Chapter 4 - A Dose of Poison

Gul could feel the tears in her eyes welling up. She tried to keep them in, but to no avail.

Across the room Lorccan, Astrid and Sparrow were watching her intently. Or, to be more precise, Astrid and Sparrow were watching her- Lorccan was playing with a Rubix cube.

"It's no use crying about it, you know." Sparrow told Gul coldly. "It's not like you can change the past."

Astrid shot Sparrow a look that Gul missed. A disapproving one.

Sparrow sighed and turned to Gul.

"Eram quod es, eris quod sum" This caused Gul to look up.

"You were never like me. I was killed- but you were born dead, technically."

Astrid placed a restraining arm on Sparrow as the vampire snarled at the weeping girl.

---

Sparrow paced across the living room floor, she was trying to keep the anger inside.

The little cry-baby just killed her best friend. She scoffed. Humans can never be friends with us.

The witch Astrid walked slowly into the room, before collapsing on the sofa with a sigh. Sparrow peered at her face.

"You look awful."

Astrid tried to laugh, but it dissolved into a hacking cough.

"I've just had another late night."

"How late?"

Astrid looked away and fidgeted. She muttered something under her breath.

Sparrow shook her head and sighed.

"Why do you bother? If we lose you, nothing will matter!"

Astrid snorted. "I'll do it, and I'll survive- besides its not like I'm on my own."

"Are you sure this is the right girl? I mean she's like a pansy. No backbone."

"That's what He said."

Sparrow shuddered. "How do you know what he wants?"

Astrid remained calm. "He wants the girl. If we give him what he wants he'll help us in the future. The Night World will defeat the hippies of Circle Daybreak. Then the world will belong to us and an elite race of shamans!"

"Does that mean The Dragon will rule us then?"

The landing creaked.

Sparrow's eyes glinted maliciously.

Astrid's back stiffened. "We'll talk about this later."

---

Gul sat cross legged on the bed, looking out of the window. In her fingers she twiddled a small golden necklace. It was one of those best friend hearts- Gul had the 'Friends' half of the heart, with a little G engraved on the back. Jasmine had the other with a J on the back. Well, she wouldn't have it anymore.

Gul's eyes became misty as she thought of her best friend and all the times they had shared.

Jasmine was the first one Gul had told about her abusive mother.

Gul had never had a father.

So, Jasmine and her family gave her the love she had never had before. Jasmine's mum had been more of a mother than Guls' had ever been.

And now Gul had killed Jasmine, and probably terrorised Tierra for life.

So why didn't she feel guilty?

It was like the calm lull after the storm. Gul expected to break down soon, but she knew she had to escape.

Still fiddling with the necklace, she stepped out into the hall. Voices came from the end of the corridor. Astrid's tired one, and Sparrow's fierce one.

She heard the conversation.

Now she knew she had to escape.

---

Gul crept with vampire ease through the kitchen. She carefully avoided the kitchen utensils to see... the Jaguarundi sitting by the door.

It smiled, and then formed a mouth. Its body swirled and writhed as the figure changed from a jungle cat into a half human.

The tail of the figure swirled around behind him as he spoke.

"Leaving so soon?" He bared his teeth.

Gul could feel her sadness weigh down her shoulders, but Lorccan was still speaking.

"You know, we're connected in ways deeper than you realise."

Gul couldn't hear a word; there was a rushing in her ears.

"Daughter of a Dragon."

Then with a strength born of a broken heart, Gul dove forward and directed a kick at the shapeshifters head. Fortunately for her she found a pressure point.

The boy-cat collapsed and Gul darted out of the open door.

By the time they realised she was missing, Gul had disappeared to the area- and although she swore to return one day, she never did.

Gul awoke with a splitting headache. She swore as the last few hours came back to her. Thinking hurt. To the point laying down still hurt, so Gul eased her pounding body into a sitting position.

She looked around and groaned; at least 5 hours must have passed because it was now dark.

The vampire gave her body a brief check over. There were a few minor scratches where there should have been none. Only wood was supposed to hurt her.

She would survive.

Gul gathered her thighs under her and forced her body into a crouching position and sprang up. She walked a few paces forward, but her body crumpled under her, legs turned into jelly.

As Gul was stirring she saw something on the grass. It caught her eye because it was gold and it glittered.

Half a golden heart.

It said "Best". Gul could feel her vision starting to spin as she reached for it and put her hand in her pocket to find her own.

The grass pendant had a J on the back.

And it fitted exactly with her own.

---

Fahd strolled casually along the sidewalk. It was a nice, quiet night. And, letting himself slip slightly he allowed his body to change subtly. Black ears sprouted out of his hair, unnoticeable in the night. The pupils of his eyes became slits, and something delicate and magical happened to his nose, and sense of smell.

Fahd was a night hunter- in complete opposition to Shear. Where Shear preferred day- Fahd preferred night. Where Shear was confidant- Fahd was shy. Fahd and Shear had the bond that only brothers usually shared.

Both so different, yet both so similar.

His nose caught the smell of vampire blood. Very different from human blood. Then he saw Gul.

Running towards her, he caught her as she fell.

She was in a dead faint.

He touched the small pendant round his neck and spoke softly.

"I could use a hand."

Anna sat on the floor of her room. Yoh and Horo Horo looked at her solemnly.

Yoh blinked. "So this girl's a vampire!?"

Anna nodded.

Horo Horo frowned. "The thing that bothers me most is that she seems a decent person- not a blood sucking monster."

Anna inclined her head slightly. "Somehow, I just can't imagine Gul with red rimmed eyes crawling out of a coffin and attacking people."

Anna suddenly felt a slight tug at her senses. From the pained expression of Horo Horo, she guessed he felt it too.

"Gul..."

There was no rest in this place. Only torment. Gul felt all of her atoms be stripped from her body and replaced. It hurt like nothing she had felt before.

There was only a swirling void with various faces and voices drifting in occasionally. But they were of no importance. Not when you were in limbo.

---

Steren bent over Gul with another herbal formula and wafted it under her nose. She waited a few moments before turning to Fahd.

"It's not working."

Fahd chewed the bottom of his lip in worry, then looked up at Steren.

She sighed. "Yes, I had thought I would have to use this."
She walked over to an old oak wood cabinet and put on a pair of gloves hanging on a peg by the side.

She opened the doors and scanned the bottles. Most of them had either a ground up mixture, or a few dried leaves.

The last bottle had a red label with a skull and cross bones on.

Fahds emerald eyes were wide as he whispered. "Belladonna."

Steren spoke as she took a small leaf out of the vial. "Actually, in this form it's Deadly Nightshade." She beckoned. "Come and help me."

Fahd reached for his own gloves and put them on. Steren placed the tip of the leaf gently onto Gul's tongue, and moved away as she jerked.

Fahd watched in fascination as Guls body started jerking and breaking out into a sweat.

Steren swore. "I hope I didn't give her too much."

She took off her gloves carefully and handed them to Fahd. She put the leaf in the palm of her gloves and looked to Fahd.

He carefully peeled off his own and held them on the inside of the glove and softly crept out the room, careful not to get the gloves near anything.

Steren spoke softly. "Burn them."

Then turned back to the hacking and retching Gul.