Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin; I am merely borrowing some of its characters for a few chapters. The Vampire facts are not mine, I'm going by the facts that I actually find. I really don't believe in portraying Vampires the way that they're not, it's disrespectful to our fellow creatures that share our world.
Written By Shadow Empress
Chapter Three
The entire kitchen of Misao Makimachi's was covered in egg yolk, burnt toast crumbs, fried sausages, and what seemed like orange juice. Within the chaos, an older Vampire was chasing the youngest around with a frying pan. The two were screaming insults at one another as they ran from the kitchen towards the living room and back again in what seemed like a never ending circle.
What stopped the two however was the unfamiliar sound of the other Vampire's laugh. The two turned towards the source of the sound and couldn't help but smile when they were met by Kaoru Kamiya holding her stomach from laughing so hard.
"You two look absolutely ridiculous," laughed out Kaoru as she wiped the blood that had escaped her eyes from laughing so much.
The younger Damned Ones looked down at themselves and couldn't help but join in on the laughter when they saw that they were both covered in what was supposed to be their breakfast, or rather dinner.
Finally composing herself, Misao sighed before placing her frying pan in her sink and rinsing it down.
"I can't remember you laughing so much before, Kaoru. I guess making this mess was worth it if it got you in a better mood tonight," smiled Misao.
Kaoru only shook her head as she watched the two try to get the bits of food off of their clothing.
"What caused all of this?" asked Kaoru as her eyes swept the dirtied kitchen.
To both of their surprise, Yahiko confessed, "Itachi musume here was cooking breakfast, but most of it turned out burnt as you can see. I was stating that even a bum could do better than her when she started throwing everything that she had just cooked at me."
Kaoru couldn't help but laugh again when she saw Misao sending daggers at Yahiko, who seemed to be settling in just fine.
"Why don't we clean up and then get a drink? We couldn't have eaten any of this anyways, although I'm not so certain it was edible in the first place," commented Kaoru as she looked at the completely black piece of bread on the floor.
"You mean we can't eat normal food anymore?" questioned Yahiko as he looked up at Kaoru for an answer.
Kaoru only nodded solemnly, "We can only have blood within our system. When a human is transformed, his or her internal organs are destroyed except for his or her brain and heart. We don't have the necessary acids and whatnot for us to digest our food, which is why we never have to go to the bathroom.
"In a few years you'll probably be making food out of habit and then just leaving it there. It's necessary to make food and throw away some of it so that the humans around you don't notice you don't eat. I had just made a sandwich back at my own place before I was called here by a certain itachi musume," said Kaoru, sending a glare to Misao when she remembered how she had left her sandwich on the counter at home. Looking back at the confused Vampire, Kaoru added, "You should make food a day before you feed and then throw it out the night of your feeding so that when people see you again, you'll look more human. Vampires are all about secrecy from the humans."
"So I'm guessing you didn't notice that you weren't eating solids?" asked Misao to Yahiko from the kitchen while she began cleaning the yolk that managed to get on her cupboards.
The teenager blushed before answering truthfully, "I wasn't really myself for the past few nights."
Misao and Kaoru exchanged glances before nodding in understanding.
"We're going to have to drop you off at the Shinsengumi headquarters here in Las Vegas in a few hours. They'll need to be informed that you've been found so that this game of 'Who can find the new Vampire first' ends," said Kaoru.
"Then we can go shopping for some more clothes and things for you, Kaoru. Honestly, what woman leaves to the other side of the world without anything but the clothes on her back and her purse?" scolded Misao as she rinsed out the rag in the sink while shaking her head.
"I was in a rush! I helped you get Yahiko to safety, didn't I? Anyways, just leave the cleaning to the maids. They're bound to come in once we leave. We might as well help Yahiko feed correctly tonight before turning him in," said Kaoru as she walked over to the door.
"At least let us change first," complained Misao, reminding her friend that their clothes weren't exactly in the best condition.
Sighing, Kaoru sat down on one of Misao's couches and waited as the two raced into their rooms to change.
.:oXo:.
What are you so angry about?
What are you talking about, I'm not angry.
Then why did you run out of the club like that?
Maybe because I didn't want to see you all up against that…that prostitute!
You thought she was a prostitute?
Then explain to me her completely exposing clothes and sluttish attitude.
She's a Source; she's supposed to act that way. It's how she gets her money and how we Vampires feed publicly.
What do you mean she's a 'Source'?
Sources are humans that know that we exist and in return for this knowledge, they give us their blood to feed off so we don't have to grab some random person off the street to feed off of. It keeps our secret safe.
Oh.
Don't tell me you were jealous.
What? No way! I just don't like women who so willingly give themselves to men. It's completely dishonorable and disgusting. It gives men the wrong impression about women!
Uh huh.
Urg! Men and their conceited minds!
.:oXo:.
"Do I have to wear this to the club? I mean…. It's a club for crying out loud! We're supposed to go there and get down and dirty; how can I do that in this?" demanded Sanosuke Sagara as he indicated the black suit he was wearing.
The older Vampire ran a comb through his red hair and placed it in a ponytail as he turned to face his friend.
"Sano, we're going to the club to meet up with Takasugi and get information. We're Ishin Shishi and our duty to Katsura comes first," said Battousai as he adjusted his own black suit.
Sighing, the taller man fumbled with his tie before racing a hand through his spiky hair to make sure that it stayed up like always.
"You mean we can't feed tonight?" complained Sano after a few minutes of silence.
"We already fed this week; deal with it. I told you to drink coffee or something last night other than blood. It would have helped in keeping the blood within your body from completely evaporating and making you weaker. We might not be able to eat, but we can drink," stated Kenshin as he walked over to their kitchen counter and grabbed his keys.
"True, but you know I don't drink anything other than blood and sake. We should store up on rice wine before we leave or at least get a small sip from one of the Sources nearby. I mean…we're not going to be late and it won't take long," insisted Sano while he grabbed his wallet and followed his friend out of their apartment building.
"Must you feed?" asked the irritated Vampire after locking their apartment.
"I need the energy just in case we get attacked at the club. Please?" Sano begged when they entered the elevator.
"I'll think about it," said Battousai finally when the elevator doors closed with a ding.
.:oXo:.
You have to promise me that you'll never join any of the three organizations and that you'll remain neutral.
Why? I don't see what the big deal is.
I'm serious, Kaoru. Your life will be controlled and you'll become a target. Promise me.
Remain a neutral so that I don't get stabbed in the back? Is that why you're one?
If you join, it'll be like joining a side in a war. It's best to remain out of the fighting so that you don't risk losing or gaining something.
You still didn't answer me. Is that the reason why you're not part of a group?
Must you always have straightforward answers?
Yes, now answer me!
Then yes, that's the reason.
What's the reason?
Have you even been listening to what I've said at all?
Um…. Not really.
…
.:oXo:.
Kaoru watched the lights of Las Vegas play across her vision as Misao drove them towards who-knows-where in the state of Nevada.
Staring out of her window, Kaoru kept her attention on the passing buildings outside and barely remembered a time when she had actually saw the city as an exciting place. In fact, nothing seemed to interest her and even though her enhanced senses made it look more spectacular than from a human's perspective, nothing seemed to catch her attention. All around her it was the same thing, the same colors merging to make another and the sparkle that she had once known had vanished from her. Everything yet nothing was the same ever since she parted ways with her creator and it was sometimes so hard to contemplate the thoughts in her head that she would end up killing more than her fair share just to relieve her mind of stress.
"Hey, Misao?" asked Yahiko, his shy voice snapping Kaoru out of her brooding.
"Yes?" Misao asked as she looked in the rear view mirror to see Yahiko's face.
"Last night…you mentioned something about the Shinsengumi, Ishin Shishi, and Juppongatana. What exactly are they?" questioned Yahiko curiously, reminding the two that he was still inexperienced.
"Let's see…. How can I put this so that you'll understand?" asked Misao to herself as she thought about it for a second and tried to find the right words to use. "Well, Kaoru and I are part of the Shinsengumi because of our beliefs. Put it this way, these three can be considered Vampire organizations; each with its own leader, ideas on certain things, and motivations.
"Our world is controlled by one Vampire and a smaller branch of six other Vampires--one for each continent except for Antarctica of course--who support him and are addressed as the Council. They make sure that our secret remains a secret to the humans. The only way to do so is to keep track of all Vampires, which is why they're always the first to find out when one is either created or killed.
"They keep track of where we go by making us go to one of their bases and tell them where we wish to go before allowing us to do so. Then when we arrive at our destination, we must sign a recognition form so that they know that we didn't lie and went somewhere else instead. This also allows them to narrow down suspects, or rather Vampires, who are risking our secret and leaving behind a tad too much evidence on their victims. If a person in Tokyo was found with two fang marks on their body, the Council would go through their files and find the list of Vampires who were in Tokyo at the time of the death and then punish the Vampire for being so careless."
Misao paused slightly as she kept one eye on Yahiko and the other on the road. She smiled openly when she saw how the boy was taking in all the information. He seemed completely awed by the information. The Vampire could only wonder if that was how she looked when Kaoru informed her when she was first Embraced, or rather began to change.
"You keep your eye on the road, itachi musume, I'll explain the rest of it," said Kaoru as she turned her head in her passenger seat to look at Yahiko, who sat in the back seat by himself.
Growling at the nickname, Misao went back to keep her entire attention the road and avoiding being hit by the other cars around her. Las Vegas was always crowded no matter what part of the day it was.
"The Shinsengumi, the organization we support, believes in keeping the Council in power. For this reason, we currently hold the most power out of the three groups because the Council is still in control. Those who are at the top of the Shinsengumi don't have to fill out a form saying where we are at all times so that our enemies, from the other two organizations, don't ever know our location. This is one of the reasons why I joined the Shinsengumi," started Kaoru.
"Unlike us however, the Ishin Shishi wants all Vampires to be their own leader. They want independence and to destroy the Council. The bad thing about this is that when a Vampire has nothing to worry about--since if the Ishin Shishi have their way, the Council will no longer exist and could no longer punish them for their mistakes--he or she will eventually become careless and end up leaving a trail for humans to follow straight to our culture. We can't have that happen or the number of Hunters will increase and having the entire human population looking out for us will lessen our chances of surviving. We need victims who don't know ways to kill us or defend themselves.
"Then there's the Juppongatana who believe in a system like our current one, but with Shishio as our leader. The Juppongatana wouldn't be a problem if that were all that they were about, but they don't just want their leader to gain power, they want to expose us to the human world again. I'm sure you know why we don't want to become publicized," said Kaoru as she looked at Yahiko seriously.
When Yahiko became uncertain and bowed his head in shame for not knowing, Kaoru sighed. It would have been easier if the boy was transformed by another, at least then his creator would do the explaining instead of her.
Thankfully it was Misao who answered, "If we were to reveal ourselves to the humans, then they would come together to try and get rid of us. They have the advantage of not sleeping in the morning and eventually they'll find out where we sleep and destroy us then while we're most vulnerable. Their numbers well pass ours and we'll become extinct within the first century of our return. It'll only be a repeat of what happened the last time we lived among the humans, but with the technology they have now, none of us will be able to escape to the shadows."
Yahiko stared at the two and nodded as he finally took in the much needed information.
"So any other questions?" asked Misao when Kaoru leaned back into her seat and looked out the window again.
Shaking his head, Yahiko looked back down at his hands.
Misao relaxed slightly before she pulled into a packed underground parking garage and began looking for a place to park her silver Celica.
"If any of you see one, give a holler," said Misao, narrowing her eyes and trying to locate an opening.
"Where are we?" asked Yahiko instead as he looked out his window towards the buildings that surrounded the parking garage on three sides.
"You're going to need to learn how to feed before we drop you off at HQ. I thought that hanging around a crowded and noisy club would be the perfect place, since considering your age, I'm guessing this is the type of atmosphere you'll be into when you're on your own," explained Misao when she finally found a vacant spot and parked her car.
"I'm only fifteen…. I can't really get into any of the clubs," said Yahiko as he hesitated to get out of the car.
"Don't worry about it, this is Las Vegas! No one really cares and if for some odd reason they did, I could always make up an alibi saying that I had to take you along since my parents made me baby-sit. My license says I'm 18 and I'm allowed to drink their alcoholic beverages.
"And since we're both Inheritors, we can get our licenses changed next year if we wanted to. I stopped at 18 since that seems to be the age my body wants to stay at. Don't worry; there are plenty of adults who are shorter than you. No one will suspect your real age," said Misao with a wink as she dragged the younger Vampire out of the car and towards one of the doors in the back of the parking garage.
"Wait! You mean we can drink water and stuff like that?" questioned Yahiko while he picked up his pace to stop himself from being pulled along.
"Yup and it's actually encouraged. Water helps with the slowing of the evaporation of the blood we drink during the day. Then at night it helps increases the blood amount in our body so we can have a larger supply of energy. Once a Vampire runs out of blood, he or she will either die of dehydration or strength and in this day and age, the strong live and the weak die," said Misao smiling at Yahiko's look of shock.
When a few others passed them, Yahiko whispered, "Is it really a good idea to be talking about this kind of stuff while there are so many around?"
It was Kaoru's turn to answer as she walked beside them, "The Kochou is known for attracting a darker crowd and is avoided by most of the Las Vegas authority. The owner is one of us and so are most of his customers."
Yahiko gulped at hearing the last bit of infomation and had to be hauled through the doorway by Misao, who was now tugging him by the arm.
The moment that he stepped inside, he immediately pulled his hand free from Misao and covered his sensitive ears from the pounding music of the club. Even the flashing lights were beginning to make him dizzy and the smell of alcohol and smoke was so powerful that he nearly vomited right then and there. He felt himself being pushed from side to side by the mass of bodies on either side of him and was grateful when Misao pulled him towards her again.
"Just stay close to us and don't bother any of the other dancers. You'll get use to all of this in time and don't go around feeding off of some random person like you did before. We'll tell you who to try and get a bite from. I'll even introduce you to a few Sources that'll help you out," said Misao while the two walked through the crowd.
"What's a 'Source'?" asked Yahiko after he got over his embarrassment at having to have her save him from getting squashed.
Not wanting to have to be the one to explain, Kaoru called out to Misao and pointed towards the bar in the center of the club before heading off in that direction. She smirked when she saw Yahiko's eyes widen Misao whispered something into his ear. For some reason she felt a bit guilty for giving Misao such a nasty definition of Sources back when Misao first began to show signs of changing.
Sitting down at one of the four counters that surrounded the bar, Kaoru placed a bill down and was immediately greeted by the bartender.
"What can I get the only girl in white?" asked the man, baring his fangs slightly to see her reaction.
Growling enough so the other Vampire could tell what she was, Kaoru said calmly once the bartender understood, "Anything red."
"Plasma on the rocks coming right up," said the bartender with a smirk as he took her ten and went to get her a drink. It would have been suspicious if the drink style wasn't displayed publicly on one of the boards that hung overhead; another weird name to the ever clueless creatures.
However, before the bartender could go any further, another familiar voice shouted, "An extra one for me and one without ice for my buddy here."
If Kaoru hadn't heard the voice so many times that it had engraved itself in her memory, she would have never turned around. She was certain that if the rooster head was here, then he would be too.
In the moment that she turned around in her seat, Kaoru felt everything around her go completely silent and black, except for the pair of amber eyes that stared right at her.
.:oXo:.