Finally! It's here! Enjoy! And try to guess who the man on the throne is! Here's a hint, he's one of the characters in 'It's Happening Again...'
Clink. The metallic sound of nails on glass echoed loudly in the vast, dark chamber. There was absolutely no light, so the room was like some black void. No ordinary person could see the black velvet carpet, the gruesome sculptures, and the detailed, macabre portraits that decorated the room.
But the man on the ebony throne was no ordinary person. His slanted cold golden eyes shone with their own light from the shadows, and it was quite obvious he could see clearly.
The man chuckled to himself, the sound reverberating in the room. He lazily stroked the delicate wineglass in his hand, swirling the thick, deep red liquid it contained. He raised the glass to take a sip – and the heavy doors on the other side of the room flung open. Golden light streamed into the room, but stopped short of the throne, leaving the man in shadow.
" My lord!" A man strode in powerfully, sweeping into a deep bow before the throne.
The man chuckled again, flicking a lock of dark hair behind him. " You didn't knock. How rude."
The crouching man looked confused, and a little scared. " Er, I'm sorry, my lord."
" Apology accepted. This time. So, you were saying?" The man waved a delicate hand.
" Step one has been initiated, my lord. The target has been mesmerized. Shall we proceed?"
The man on the throne sipped his drink again, thinking. " No."
The bowing man looked up, surprised. " But – "
" No." The first man repeated coldly. " We wait. Instead, initiate B-1."
" Yes, my lord." The crouching man said quickly, bowing rapidly.
" Now be gone." The other commanded. " Don't bother me again."
" Yes, of course, my lord." The visitor agreed instantly, bowing as he backed out. The doors closed behind him.
The man on the throne sighed with something akin to joy as the darkness filled the room once more. He drank deeply from his glass. Yes, soon it would be his time.
Soon it would be war.
The man laughed at the thought, and the laughter echoed in the dark chamber, bouncing off the walls, increasing in volume and glee.
Soon.
The dark-haired boy tilted his head up, absently licking his pale lips with a flick of his rose tongue. The gentle sprinkle of rain fell welcomed on his face, sliding down his white cheeks.
" Yoh." A quiet voice came from next to him. Another boy stood there, almost like he had materialized out of the misty rain.
" Ren." The first boy nodded in acknowledgement.
" What are you doing?" Coming from anyone else, it would've sounded like an accusation, but the golden-eyed boy's tone was even and mild.
" Enjoying the rain." Yoh slipped his hands into his pockets, looking into the distance.
" It's not a replacement, Yoh." Ren's voice was slightly colder this time.
" I know." Yoh sighed, his head drooping a bit.
" Hey, you guys! What's up?" Another young man walked towards them, having appeared as suddenly as the others. A weak smile curved his lips were a huge grin once would have shone. He noticed the expressions on the other faces, and his face became solemn once more. " Rain, eh? It's not a replacement, Yoh."
Yoh's calm face turned to his friend. " Ren already said that, Horohoro."
" Just as long as we're clear on that." Horohoro shrugged.
" We are." Yoh turned his face back to the sky, the cold rain gently trickling down his face. His friends mimicked him, and they fell into a comfortable silence.
What seemed like an age later, Ren spoke.
" It's incredible this is what we miss most."
" It is, isn't it? Unable to cry, to pretend the rain are the tears that should run down our faces." Horohoro remarked.
The three boys lapsed back into quiet. They were very extraordinary young men; that was apparent at the first glance. Perhaps it was the whiteness of their cold skin, the thinness of their bodies, their pointed nails and ears, or the ageless look in their eyes.
Or perhaps it was the fangs. The gleaming sharp fangs that indented their lower lips when they weren't careful, the fangs that marked what they were.
The fangs of Vampyre.
Because these boys were Vampyre. Ageless, immortal, blood-sucking Vampyre.
The one named Ren finally lowered his head, the collected rain on his face running off. He had been Vampyre longest, almost 400 years. His father had been a guard of the Forbidden City, and in 1644, when the palace was overrun by rebel peasants, he had been turned by a stray Vampyre. He, unlike the others, was more accepting of his fate, because there was nothing tying him to the mortal world. The only one he had cared about, his older sister Jun, had been turned a few years after he, when she had stumbled across a Vampyre lair in search of him.
Horohoro was second to look down. His ice-blue eyes were empty and filled with ache, partly because of his inability to cry. He wanted to, and he needed to, but the tears wouldn't come. Vampyre can't cry. He rubbed his eyes, and when he'd removed his hand, his eyes were blank once again. Those pale orbs had once been dark, but as he lived his immortal life, they slowly faded. Perhaps all those unshed tears had bleached the icy irises. Horohoro had once been a happy person, but being Vampyre takes its toll. Undoubtedly he was still one of the more joyous undead, but he wasn't as cheerful as he used to be. And he'd only been Vampyre for seventeen years. Ren wondered what would happen to his personality in a decade, a century.
Yoh was the most recently turned, just five years ago. That was probably why he was the most melancholy. But that wouldn't last long, Ren reasoned. Soon he would become accustomed to this life. Already he had been showing flashes of his former self.
" We should head home." Ren placed a hand on Yoh's shoulder.
Yoh looked as if he didn't hear his friend, but then he lowered his head, looking a bit downcast.
" Okay."
" Come on." Horohoro stood at Yoh's other side, smiling encouragement.
Yoh suddenly flashed a brilliant, carefree smile. " Let's stop for coffee on the way." Vampyre could eat, although they didn't require food. All they really needed was blood a few times a week.
The three trod soundless in the foggy night. It had stopped raining quite a while ago, and was now very misty. It made them lose track of where they were, and before they knew it, the coffeehouse had emerged before them.
Ren pushed open the glass door, holding it out for his companions. His eyes scanned the room, and locked on a solitary man in the corner booth across the small café. He and his friends made their way over, weaving through the close-set tables and chairs. They slipped into the vinyl bench across from the strange man.
" Hey, Faust." Yoh grinned at their friend. The blond German looked up in surprise from where he had been studying his cup of black coffee.
" Guten tag." The man smiled back. Ren couldn't help but notice that even when Faust VIII smiled, he looked sad. His already pale skin was even whiter, and that was accented even more by his violet-stained lips and the dark smudges under his eyes.
" How are you?" Horohoro asked, for once using proper language.
" I'm fine. And you?" The German's voice was soft and lightly accented.
" Would you like to order?" A blonde waitress appeared at their table, holding a notebook.
" Ah, yes. I would like an iced cappuccino, and…" Yoh trailed off, looking at his friends.
" Earl Grey tea." Ren said.
" Hot chocolate with extra marshmallows!" Horohoro cheered quietly.
The waitress smiled flirtatiously. " Is that all?" Her eyes trailed over the pale, but handsome boys.
" Yes." Ren said brusquely, fixing her with a hard stare. Her smile faltered and she excused herself.
" Earl Grey tea, Ren? What happened to green tea and milk?" Faust teased lightly, his purplish eyes twinkling.
" I've drunk green tea and milk for four hundred years. I'm reaching out a bit." The Chinese boy shrugged, casually revealing his age to the German Vampyre. Faust looked like he had been Vampyre for a long time, but it had really only been twelve years. He had been turned willingly, when searching for a way to defeat death.
" What have you three been up too? I haven't seen you in half a decade!" Faust sipped his coffee, leaning back.
" Hardly a long time." Ren raised an eyebrow.
" Not all of us are old geezers, Ren." Yoh joked. " I turned five years ago!"
" Yeah, gramps, this is only the second time Yoh's met Faust." Horohoro joined in, elbowing the disgruntled Chinese boy.
" The first time was at your initiation, was it not?" Faust asked politely. " If I remember correctly, it was a very rushed affair, no?"
" Yes." Yoh nodded. His turn had been unscheduled, so the initiation had been hasty and sloppily done.
" Speaking of initiation, isn't it about time for your full-turn?" Faust observed.
" You're physically the same age as Ren and Horokeu, right?"
" Yeah, it's next week." Yoh smiled brightly at their approaching waitress.
" Here you go!" She chirped, clearly over Ren's scary glare. She set down her tray and removed the cups, placing each drink before their owners. " Anything else?"
" No. Now leave." Ren glowered. The waitress pouted, but left in a huff, mumbling about rude pretty-boys.
" You'll be a real hit at the school dances." Faust spoke wryly, looking at Ren. Before the Chinese boy could retort, the German had turned back to his companions.
" You had your full-turning already, Horokeu?" He inquired.
" Yep! And call me Horohoro!" The Ainu grinned, his cat-like expression enhanced by the whipped cream on his upper lip. He greedily took another gulp of his hot chocolate.
Faust nodded, and the three younger men drank in silence. Vampyres had three ways of drinking blood. The first kind was merely to feed, leaving no effect on the victim except for a gap in their memory, for the first way allowed Vampyre to secrete a saliva that closed fang marks and erased the encounter from their victim's minds. The second turned the victim into a half-Vampyre, without the immortal life or youth. This way the victim could age appropriately. At that point the third way was performed, to make the victim immortal.
" So, Faust. What have you been up to?" Yoh broke the silence easily. Conversation was one of his many gifts.
" Not much. I've just been studying. Burning the midnight oil, as you say." He gave a lopsided grin, showing one sharp fang.
" You work too hard!" Yoh tsked, winking. " You should have some fun!"
" Perhaps I will. It was nice talking to you." Faust stood, having finished his coffee. " Maybe I'll see you again?"
" We're looking forward to it." Horohoro grinned, and joined in waving as the thin German exited the shop.
There was more silence, then the sound of a cup being set down. Ren stood up, tossing a few bills on the table.
" Let's go."
The other two nodded, and finished their drinks quickly. There might've been a time where Horohoro would've argued, but there was too much sense in Ren's statement. The three hadn't fed in days, and it was too dangerous surrounding themselves with humans.
They made their way to the door, but just as they were leaving, another group came in. Horohoro collided with a small figure, and only caught a glimpse of a thin female face and surprised obsidian eyes before Ren pulled him away. Horohoro protested, his heightened senses recognizing something in those eyes. But Ren didn't release him until they were a safe distance away.
Horohoro looked longingly at the café, where the three girls had just taken their corner booth. He only had eyes for one of them, younger than himself, with straight, pale blue hair.
" Ren! That was my sister!"
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