Title: Recollection

Author: Sanyu-Kumiko

Anime: Nightwalker, Midnight Detective

Genre: Drama Shounen-Ai

Pairing: CainxShido

Part 2:

Shido pushed open a heavy rod iron gate and stepped into the Harrison Cemetery. Cragged headstones and statues of angels all well worn with age and acid rain stood amongst newly clipped green grass. It was dark and the moon's bright face was shielded by thick, heavy rain clouds that threatened to drop their heavy loads over the world below at any moment. Shido had received a letter under his door at the beginning of the evening from an anonymous writer who claimed to have witnessed some satanic activity in the graveyard as of late. Having nothing better to do, Shido took the case. It was better than sitting around watching his cactus grow.

There seemed to be nobody around, but it was early in the evening so Shido carefully picked out a spot to sit on a nearby bench hidden in shadow to watch for any Satanists. He didn't know what he expected to find out in the cemetery. He assumed that if he saw anything it would more than likely be a group of teenagers pretending to summon the devil or smoking pot or something of that nature. He doubted it was anything serious. True Satanists just don't hang out in graveyards.

He waited for two hours. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to give up and leave he saw something move at the far end of the cemetery. With great caution he stood up and began to walk in that direction. Beneath an old, swaying willow tree sat a figure cloaked in crimson. As he neared the face of the individual showed just barely beneath the shadow that was cast by the hook of the cloak. The face looked up at him as he approached.

"Who are you? And what are you doing out here?" Shido asked. He was hesitant to be forceful. Even though the cemetery was closed it could have still been someone mourning a death of a loved one. The face lit up with a smile.

"Waiting for you." A low, thickly accented voice purred. It was a voice Shido had never heard before. Before he could respond to cast his weapon the figure jumped up and with a flutter of the cloak it was upon him. Shido yelled out and tried to fight back, but it was no use. Unconsciousness engulfed him in a matter of seconds.

A dim light flickered from somewhere nearby. Shido forced his eyes open as wide as they could go and gazed upon his new surroundings. They were very unfamiliar. It was a cell, much like a dungeon or a wine cellar, with empty wine racks and mold-covered stones upon the walls and ceiling. Shido could feel the cold stone against his back and smelled the scent of abandon, much like an old book smells. Dust and rot surrounded him. He tried to sit up but found that he could not. He turned to look at his right wrist and found that it was bound to the floor with a shackle. The left, too, was bound as well as his feet.

"Ah, good. You are awake." The voice from before echoed from all around. The crimson cloaked figure was standing at Shido's feet. Bright, golden eyes watched him with an intensity Shido couldn't quite read.

"Who are you? What is going on here!" Shido demanded, yanking at his limbs. The figure let the hood of his cloak down to reveal shoulder length brown hair that glistened in the dim light. His smile was sinister and within his pale lips shone the distinct fangs of a vampire.

"My name is Adrianne." He said slowly, his western European accent making his speech seem lethargic. "And I am your brother..."

Shido's eyes widened. He stared in shock up at this man. "How can you say that! I have no brother!" Shido yelled, growing frustrated.

"Oh, but you do. I am your brother, Shido. I have heard a lot about you, and from what I have heard all is true. You are just as rude and as human as Master Cain told me..." Adrianne whispered with an evil sneer. "You see, I am the second child of Cain, born to take the place of his first child - the failure."

Shido stopped struggling. What was he talking about. "So, you are a disgusting animal like Cain? So what - what do you want me for?"

"You are a problem." Adrianne replied calmly. "For the past two years Master Cain has been in quite a down state of being. All he speaks of is you. All he thinks of is you, and all he hopes for is for your return. He is a wise and honorable Master, but he obviously is overrun with emotion. He can not see that you are too human for your own good." The vampire stated, eyeing Shido as he lay on the floor. "His beautiful lover must be eliminated."

Shido gawked. "Lover? And what? You are talking nonsense!"

"No, no nonsense at all. You have upset him, and your continued existence is causing him great grief. So, you must be killed. He will mourn your loss and then move on to better vampires and stop neglecting me." Adrianne snapped back at Shido. Shido pulled at his arms once more and glared at the other vampire.

"I was never his lover. I'm not ...gay." Shido growled. Adrianne stared down at him with a blank expression before bursting out into a high-pitched cackle.

"You? Not gay? Please... who do you think you are fooling!?"

"I'm not!" Shido insisted. He had never thought about this before, but suddenly it all dawned on him. It explained everything, why Cain kissed him, why Cain referred to him as his love... maybe he was his lover... maybe he was gay?

"So- now we must get on with your execution. The night will soon end." Adrianne hissed. He pulled forth a stick and walked up to the candle on a small table in the corner of the room. Shido watched him light the stick, which revealed itself to be a torch, and frantically began to struggle within his binds. His wrists began to bleed as he pulled and the metal restraints began to creak but did not break. He could not bend them from his manacled position on the floor. Adrianne began to approach him with the torch. Shido could do nothing to save himself. As the flame was lowered upon him all Shido could think of was Riho and Guni. What would happen to them? And Yayoi? And the humans... the business, his memories, his life.

With a roar the flames raced up his clothes and began to burn his skin. He screamed. There was nothing else he could do. As the flames ran up along his chest he could hear his brother's roaring laughter echo around him. As the flames crawled across his face and kissed his lips he wondered if this was the end. It seemed that it was.

He closed his eyes and waited to die.

The burning touch of fire soon ebbed away to nothingness. He could see nothing. He could hear nothing and, to his relief, he could feel nothing. An empty sensation surrounded him. No longer could he feel the cold stone against his back. The weight of his own body seemed to have been burned to ash and blown away upon a ghostly wind. Despite this emptiness his soul remained. His mind, it seemed, was suspended between the state of something and barren place of nothing.

Then a sensation. The nothingness began to fill up around him. Feeling began to silently flood into the empty space. Red water rushed around him and began to rise. It rose until his mind could float upon it. Slowly he began to drown within this tide of dark, churning red water. Tossed back and forth between rough, crushing waves his mind began to feel again. He could feel the sensations of the red liquid against his being. He could feel the thick, heavy liquid run across his fingertips and toes, over his chest and lap against his sides. The push of his new bed of red ocean rocking beneath his back was a welcomed feeling. He had a body again.

Then, to his amazement, the red water became warm and soothing rather than rough and malevolent. It washed over his being and brought to him a soothing sensation that calmed his dread.

The waters then calmed completely. Soon, he was floating freely upon it's wondrous, glassy surface. Above him seemed to be a sky of a brilliant canvas of glowing white. There was no central source for this light and there seemed to be no end to the vast expansion of fair, luminous sky.

His soul was at peace. He wondered, then, where he was. What was this place he had plunged to? It certainly was not hell. Where was the legendary fire and brimstone? Was this the underside of heaven he was gazing upon? What was this ocean?

So many questions rushed to his mind. How long would this last? Where was he going? What about his friends? What would they think? Was he lost to them forever?

Something touched him and an invisible hand plucked him from the warm, soothing red waters of his calm, peaceful ocean and dragged him into a dark place. Everything went black. The touch was cold and with this cold came the weight of his body, pressing down on his chest. His limbs, tired and worn, could now be felt in their entirety. His skin stung. His eyes ached to see, but there was nothing but never-ending darkness.. Every muscle upon his body ached.

Quickly, Shido tried to make sense out of all of this new chaos he had been flung into. He concentrated on the cold touches as much as he could, despite the angry pain that had begun to numb his senses. He was being carried. The distinct feeling of two arms against his limp, heavy body could be made out behind the raging pain of his affliction. He was being moved, but by who? Then he felt a stable, flat surface against his back. He had been set down.

His mind raced. What was going on? Where am I? Who has me now? Am I going to die?

Finally, overcome with exhaustion, he passed out.