Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba.

Vampires

By: Twilight Kitsune

Chapter the Seventh

Kyou sat on the roof of one of the taller city buildings. His Orange hair was plastered to his face and little rivulets of rainwater were washing away the red tinge that circled his mouth. His mind was a whirl of questions; should he return to the lair? Should he become Kyofu again? If he did, would Tohru and the others be safe? Before he could begin to delve deeper into these questions, a shadow landed behind him, unnoticed. Before Kyou knew it, he was hanging over the edge of the building by the neck face to face with Miji.

Miji's face was twisted in a snarl lit only by the flashes of lightning as the storm around them progressed. A growl escaped his lips as he threw Kyou down into the concrete of the roof. Rising, Kyou took a blow to the head, and flew backwards, narrowly missing the edge. Struggling to get upright again, he was stopped by a sharp hit to the neck which sent him down again. Deep red blood started leaking down his face from various injuries and a deep bruise was forming around the base of his neck where his spine was trying to heal back together. He felt a great hand wrap around his neck and send him flying upwards only to come down upon Miji's raised fist. Several ribs cracked and had he been breathing the wind would have been knocked several streets clear of him at the blow, but Miji didn't cease, and Kyou didn't resist. Blows landed in various spots as Miji took his frustrations out on the young vampire. Finally bored, he threw Kyou toward the edge of the building and stalked toward him, good and slow.

"Why don't you fight?" he asked, anger lacing his unnaturally calm voice. Kyou looked up into the eyes of his attacker, meeting the Miji's deadly gaze with his own lost look. Kyou rose to his feet, swaying a bit from loss of blood and other various injuries that hadn't completely healed.

"There is nothing to fight for." He answered, his empty eyes looking into the distance. He didn't even see Miji standing there, only the memories that ran through his mind along with the pain. Rain pelted down even harder, washing the excess blood from his face as he stood there staring off into his memories. Miji looked slightly amused, and in reaction stepped forward, wrapping his left hand around Kyou's neck.

"Was there ever?" he asked, throwing Kyou off of the roof.

Hatori walked calmly down the hall, totally unaware of the recent events concerning Kyou. He was following a small balding man that looked to be in his late thirties. The man had seen a lot of the dead in his life, being that he was the medical examiner, and the smell of death with an undertone of sterile equipment that kept most out of that particular branch of the Hospital, didn't bother him too much. Hatori wasn't too put off by it either. Among the smell of death was the answer to Kyou's whereabouts and if they found Kyou, then life at the Sohma house might be cheerful for once, with the curse broken and everyone happy.

"Through here." The medical examiner commanded as he opened a nearby door. Hatori followed him into a sterile room with hundreds of little steel doors in the walls and bright white lights glaring down on the metal table that was the centerpiece of the room. The medical examiner walked over to one of the steel doors and pulled a slab of metal out with a pretty young woman on it. Her brown hair hung loose around a pale, bloated face that one could tell had once held much beauty. The only wound on her body was a slash mark across her neck.

"The young woman is completely drained of her blood," explained the medical examiner, "but the only wound anywhere on her body is this gash on her neck." He said as he tilted the woman's head so Hatori could see the mark clearly. It spread from the hairline to the collarbone in a slant about half a centimeter thick; the dark red of the dried blood held a stark contrast to her pale skin.

"What could have been used to do this?" asked Hatori.

"No one is sure. All we know is that this is the 15th victim this month to be killed in this manner."

"15th ?"

"Yes, it would've been 16h , but one of the latest victims survived"

"Did the victim give an eyewitness account?"

"Yes. She described the killer as dressed all in black with pale skin, orange hair, and a scar around his left wrist."

"Kyou!" yelled Tohru as she saw his prone form in the alleyway. She pulled Kagura with her as she ran to Kyou's side. He was unconscious and covered in injuries, though the injuries were hard to see because of the blood that was flowing lazily from them.

"Kyou, Kyou wake up!" said Tohru, shaking Kyou a little harder than she meant to. He stirred, and opened his crimson eyes a bit. His eyes were glossed over with a fine black film, similar to that which covered his victims' eyes before they died.

"We have to get him to the apartment." said Kagura as she too knelt by his side.

"Alright." said Tohru as she watched Kagura lift him. Kagura was really stronger than most gave her credit for.

"Let's go." said Kagura as she stepped out of the shadows of the alley and into the sunlit main alley. Kyou's unconscious body bucked violently, catching Kagura by surprise. Nearly dropping him, Kagura stumbled backwards into the shade of the alley where she stood, dumbfounded. Kyou had calmed, and fell limp in Kagura's arms once more.

"What was that?" asked Kagura, panting slightly.

"It's like he's allergic to the sun…" said Tohru, uncharacteristically smart for lack of another character. "We've only seen him at night since he came here, so it would make sense..."

"He wasn't allergic before..." Kagura said, carefully stooping and setting Kyou on the cool pavement where she could fuss over his injuries a bit. "But maybe we should wait until nightfall anyway."

"How are we going to get back in the hotel without being stopped?" asked Tohru, sitting beside Kyou.

"I don't know. Maybe when he wakes up we can get some information." said Kagura as she leaned against the alley wall, not knowing what to do next.

And so the girls waited by Kyou's side until dusk fell. As the red glow of the setting sun settled into the nearby streets, Kagura turned to Kyou and shook his shoulder, quietly calling his name. With a strangled groan his eyes fluttered open, drawing a gasp from the girls.

"What…"

"That's what we'd like to know." said Kagura simply, recovering from the sight of Kyou's glossed over eyes.

Blinking slowly, Kyou fought to stay awake. "I'll explain…" he started, but his voice caught in his throat and failed. Horrible rasping noises filled the alley as he tried to speak.

"Don't talk. We need to get you back up to our apartment. If we help you, can you walk?"

Kyou forced his eyes open a bit more and forced his breathing to calm.

"I'll…"

"You'll try right?" asked Tohru.

Kyou jumped slightly at her voice. "Yes..." he rasped.

"Alright," said Kagura as she lifted Kyou's arm over her shoulder and Tohru did the same. Lifting together they got Kyou on his feet. He was taller than both of them which made it hard, but still he tried to support himself. It was no use, his body just wouldn't do it. In the end, Kagura ended up wiping off as much blood off Kyou's face as she could and she and Tohru took Kyou through the main lobby under the cover that he had been in a bar brawl and needed to sleep it off. Through some great feat of luck their plan worked and they managed to get Kyou onto the couch in their joint room.

Kagura left to get some water for the three of them and left Tohru by Kyou's side. Carefully Tohru cleaned the rest of the blood from Kyou's face with a wet cloth and sat back to check on him. Kyou had opened his eyes again at the loss of her touch, but his eyes couldn't be seen under the ever darkening film that now covered his eyes.

"Can you hear me?" asked Tohru.

"Yes…"said Kyou, his words barely audible.

"Why can't you talk?" asked Tohru.

Kyou's hand rose to his neck and pulled way some tattered bits of cloth. Protruding slightly from his neck was a thick wooden stick that obviously went deep into his neck.

"Oh My God!" said Tohru as she stared at the injury. Kyou's hand started to fall away, and Tohru caught it in hers.

"I have to pull it out." she said, her voice shaking.

Kyou weakly pushed his and Tohru's hands towards the splinter.

"Okay." said Tohru as she set Kyou's hand on the couch again.

"What's going on?" asked Kagura as she entered with a pitcher of ice water and several cups.

"Kyou… he's got a…" Tohru said, pointing to Kyou's neck.

Kagura set down the things she was holding and came over to investigate.

"We have to pull it out." said Kagura after a long silence. "Tohru, grab some towels from the kitchen."

Soon Tohru had several towels ready in her hands as Kagura wrapped her hands around the stick. "Ready?" she asked. At Tohru's nod Kagura pulled the stick free and Tohru pressed the towels into the wound. Kyou didn't move much, at all, and the girls thought he had fallen asleep again until he opened his sightless eyes. Tohru pulled back the towels a bit and found the wound barely bleeding.

"Kagura…" she said nervously. "Isn't it supposed to bleed more than that?"

Kagura looked puzzled at the wound. "Yeah." she said, "Yeah, it should."

"Kyou?" asked Tohru.

Kyou turned his sightless eyes toward her voice and spoke quietly, "Yeah."

"Drink this." said Kagura, pouring water into his mouth. Kyou gulped the water down effortlessly, far better than anyone in his condition should have.

"Maybe food will help." said Tohru quietly and she went into the kitchen to cook something.

"No Leeks." Kagura reminded her as she tended to Kyou.

Tohru returned several minutes later with a plate of salmon onigiri.

"Perfect." said Kagura as she took one from the plate.

"Kyou, eat this." She said as she held it to his lips. He didn't move to eat it so Kagura tried to force it into his mouth, but to no avail.

"Kyou you have to eat." she said stubbornly.

"Please!" added Tohru.

Kyou turned his head slightly. Kagura handed Tohru the onigiri and put a hand on Kyou's jaw and a hand on his forehead. Pulling hard she managed to open his mouth. Tohru shoved in a piece of onigiri and Kagura let go, letting Kyou's mouth to slam shut. In shock, Kyou swallowed the onigiri roughly down his damaged throat.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" asked Kagura. "Try another."

Kyou felt his body reject the onigiri and turned his head to the side as it violently forced its way back through his mouth, bringing what was left of the undigested blood in his system back up.

Kagura stood there in shock beside a very scared Tohru.

"What…" she tried to say, but couldn't get any farther. The door opened a minute later and Haru came in. The shock on his normally emotionless face was worth a thousand words. He ran forward and asked what was going on as he saw Kyou laying on the couch.

Kagura could say nothing as her voice had left her. Tohru tried to explain, but also found it hard to speak. Haru knelt by Kyou and asked the problem directly.

"They… tried to help." Said Kyou weakly.

"What will help?" asked Haru.

"Blood…" said Kyou weakly.

Haru pulled back his sleeve and brought his wrist to Kyou's mouth. "Don't kill me." He said with unnerving calm. Kyou sank his fangs into Haru's arm and drank his life until he felt Haru's heart weaken. With newfound strength Kyou pulled away and licked his bloodstained lips. Haru swayed and collapsed to his knees beside the vampire.

"I thought you were kidding." Haru said quietly.

"No. Thanks." said Kyou as he sat shakily up.

"What did you do that has the girls so scared?" asked Haru.

Kyou looked around for a sign of them and found none. "Where are they?"

"Momiji took them into the bathroom to clean up. What did you do to them?"

"They tried to make me eat. My body didn't agree."

Haru nodded. "Can you stand?" he asked.

Kyou shook his head. "I can barely sit."

Haru tried to stand, but found himself too weak. "Are you okay if I just kind of sit here?"

"Yes." said Kyou. "I know you can't move. It's alright."

Just then Momiji came bouncing back into the room, followed by Tohru.

"Haru, why are you on the floor?" asked Momiji.

"Little tired." He said.

Momiji came over and slipped Haru's arm over his shoulder. The two made an interesting pair as they made their way towards Tohru's bedroom. Momiji turned as they got to the door and asked lightly, "Do you mind if Haru uses your bed Tohru?"

Tohru shook her head and watched Momiji take Haru inside. Carefully Tohru picked her way around to the front of the couch where she could be face to face with Kyou.

"Can I get you something?" she asked.

"Tea would be okay." Kyou said quietly. "And orange juice would be a good idea for Haru."

Tohru nodded and put a kettle of water on the stove before pouring some OJ for Haru and bringing it to him. When she returned, Tohru watched Kyou nervously as though afraid he'd explode at any moment. When he spent several minutes in one piece, Tohru nervously sat beside him and asked if he could explain a few things.

"Sure." Kyou replied.

"Why… why does the sun hurt you?" asked Tohru.

"I'm a vampire." Kyou replied simply.

Tohru stared at him in shock. "You're a… what?"

"A vampire." He said quietly, as though ashamed. "It's why I never came home."

"When… Why… How?" asked Tohru, still very much in shock.

"Shishou found me outside your work place. He ended up turning me after he got me back here."

Tohru sat in silence, trying to absorb everything she'd just been told. It was all swirling around in her mind like a whirlwind. Tohru stared into space for several minutes until the whistle of the forgotten kettle drew her back to the real world. Making tea for herself and Kyou, she returned and carefully handed Kyou a cup before taking her seat beside him. He took a sip of the scalding liquid without the slightest negative reaction. Tohru watched in awe.

"That isn't… too hot?" Tohru asked at last.

"No. It's really good hot."

"Oh."

Silence.

"So, what happened to you?" asked Tohru nervously.

"I was in a fight."

"What kind of fight was it that drove a stick through your neck?"

"That wasn't the fight, it was the fall."

"From where?"

"The… a ways up." Kyou said, not wanting to scare Tohru anymore than he already had.

"Kyou… What's wrong with your eyes?" asked Tohru finally.

"It happens sometimes, usually when I'm really hurt or short on blood."

"Can you see?"

"A little. Mostly shapes and stuff."

"It'll go away right?" asked Tohru, suddenly more scared again.

"Yeah." Said Kyou.

Tohru breathed a sigh of relief surprising even herself with the sudden concern she felt.

"So that blood, it wasn't from internal injuries?" asked Momiji from the doorway.

"No." said Kyou, sounding ashamed again.

Tohru looked from Kyou to Momiji in shock. When did everyone start figuring this stuff out? Why was Momiji suddenly so serious? It was still just a big confusing blur. Momiji came and sat by them for a few minutes, no one spoke. It was actually Kyou who broke the silence.

"Get out of here." he said quickly, struggling to his feet.

"Kyou, what's happening?" asked Tohru.

"Get to Momiji's apartment, NOW!" said Kyou, lowering into a fighting stance.

Tohru backed away at the sound of Kyou's voice. The mixture of malice, anger, and even a bit of fear drove her back. Momiji handed Tohru the keys to his apartment and sent her away as he ran to get Haru and Kagura. Momiji was half-way across the room when a shadow swung through the window sending glass shards across the room. Tohru screamed and Momiji tried to run, but the shadow hit him hard in the head and continued on, making his way towards Kyou.

"What do you want?" demanded Kyou.

Evil laughter filled the room as the vampire stepped forward. "I want to finish what I started with you."

"What did you start?" asked Kyou.

Miji laughed again and swung at Kyou. Kyou somehow managed to duck the blow and deliver a kick of his own. But his efforts were without result as Miji countered with a roundhouse kick. Kyou fell from his already unsteady legs and tried to roll out f the way of Miji's blow, but missed. As Miji was about to deliver a second blow to the already down Kyou, Tohru leapt between them.

Miji laughed and turned his attention the girl who had so often been pulled from his clutches. "What do you think you are human?" he asked with a laugh.

"Stop hurting him." begged Tohru, "Please, Please stop."

"Begging. How very human." said Miji as Kyou threw Tohru off of him to save her from Miji's blow.

"I'll tell you what. You recover and live with your precious humans for a year. When your time is up I will hunt you down and we will fight to the dust. Do you accept?"

"Yes." said Kyou, "As long as you leave this country and stay away from all related to the Sohmas."

"Agreed." said Miji, who lowered a hand. Kyou raised his own hand to Miji and the two bit each other's wrists, just enough to draw blood.

"In a year then." said Miji as he leapt out the window.

"Yes." said Kyou, struggling to get to his feet again. Tohru ran to him, crying.

"What did you do?" she asked through her tears.

"I just bought us a year of borrowed time." said Kyou who had given up on trying to rise and lay on the blood soaked rug where he was.

"But what do you mean a fight to the dust?" she asked.

"I mean that he and I will fight until one of us returns to the dust; until one of us dies."

"Kyou, you can't…"

"Don't worry about it. We'll deal with it later. How's Momiji?"

Tohru crawled frantically to his side and tried to wake him. Momiji didn't stir at first, and it took both Tohru and Kyou to wake him. As he stirred with a groan and turned his head, Tohru saw a line of blood trickling from his ear and gasped.

"Call an ambulance." said Kyou quietly as he shook Momiji some more. Momiji opened his eyes a bit and looked at Kyou.

"It's bright…" he whispered.

Kyou turned to call to Tohru, but Haru had already hit the light switch.

Turning back to Momiji, Kyou did all he could to keep Momiji awake. Momiji's eyes drifted open and shut, fatigue almost overtaking him again and again. Haru threw a blanket over Momiji and sat beside him, trying to help as best he could.

"Where does it hurt?" asked Tohru?

"My head." said Momiji almost dreamily. His attention kept drifting off to other things as the fatigue kept eating at him.

"His head…" Tohru said into the phone as she stood over the guys, restrained by the phone cord. She listened to the receiver for several moments then asked, "What are his symptoms?"

"The light hurts his eyes, he keeps trying to go back to sleep… his pulse is fast." Haru said in his monotone, disturbingly calm.

Tohru repeated what Haru had said adding that he was bleeding from his ear. She listened to more instructions and then hung up the phone.

"You should leave." Haru told Kyou.

Nodding, Kyou stood as best he could and dragged himself to the window, blood trailing from him. Sliding open the window, he grabbed a hold of the fire escape and dragged himself out the window and down into the shadows where he disappeared.

Haru took up the post of keeping Momiji awake until the ambulance came and Tohru curled herself into a ball, letting the shock of past events flow from her in a flood of tears.

AN: Well, there's the newest chapter of Vampires. It was good and long I'm proud to say, and I had a lot of fun writing it, however it turned out. I regret that I can't reply to my reviewers in this chapter (I couldn't in the recent Demoness either so don't feel left out.) because of computer issues, but I will try for next chapter. Thanks for reading.

T.K.