Disclaimer: If Fruits Basket isn't mine than BtVS probably isn't mine.
Chapter 8: Shopping for Destruction
Ayame's shop was located downtown, in the midst of the city's swankiest hotels, restaurants, and stores, and only a five minute walk away from the infamous red-light district. In other words, Ayame had chosen the perfect place to open a business specializing in women's lingerie— and fulfilling men's fantasies, as he had adamantly insisted Yuki and Tohru acknowledge when they last visited.
Ayame said no less when Uo, while they were devising a plan of action, asked him what he sold.
As the band of warriors stood in the light of the rising sun the next morning, staring at the front window of the shop, Uo's face contorted into an expression of disgust, her nose wrinkled, and she whispered, "Remind me to never get left alone in a room with him." Tohru assured she would do so as many times a day as necessary.
All ten were armed with as many stakes, vials of holy water, bunches of garlic, and crosses as they could reasonably carry and still be able to battle.
They were all there, even Mai, who had put up such a fuss about being left behind that they had taken her along, but had put her with Rin and Haru because they were going to guard an area that wasn't going to be seeing a lot of fighting— hopefully.
Ayame was left at the house, tied up so he couldn't leave and warn the fan-vamps. He was still utterly clueless about the true identity of the fan-girls even after the questions Uo had asked and some comments that had been made.
"I guess this is it, then. Good luck, everyone." Tohru looked extremely nervous, but determined to save Yuki.
They said their good-byes and went off in separate groups to their positions.
…
Tohru and Kyo remained in the sunlight as the groups split, and were going to barge in through main entrance in 5 minutes to crash the fan-vamps' party.
"Ready?" Kyo asked.
Tohru laughed haltingly. "No, but ready or not—!"
"Here we come," he finished. They both chuckled, longer and louder than such a lame jest would have normally warranted.
"Do you think Yuki's really in there?" Tohru whispered, now afraid that they'd given away their position to the enemy.
"That damn rat had better be. We're risking our lives for his wimpy, white, never-had-a-girlfriend ass."
"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" she asked hesitantly
Kyo glowered. "What do you think Kagura is?"
Tohru felt like he'd slapped her. "Since when are you dating Kagura?"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Kyo hastily began again. "It's just that Kagura won't take a hint and go away, so it's like having a girlfriend, only I don't love her back, you know? And Yuki doesn't have a Kagura." He glanced at her askew. "Did that make any sense?"
Tohru twisted a stake around in her hands, biting her lip and refusing to look him in the eye. "Uh-huh. I understand. Don't worry about it."
Tohru could feel from the change in his vibes, however, that he was very worried about it.
…
Rin, Haru, and Mai were in the next group. They were going to go in the back door and guard it to make sure no vampires escaped. 3 minutes now.
Rin and Haru hugged, "Be careful, Haru. I won't ever forgive you if you get hurt." Haru kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry."
Mai was completely oblivious to the couple behind her and was preparing herself. The others had practically buried her in crosses and garlic, and had given her some stakes. She began humming "The Flight of the Valkyries."
…
Motoko shifted nervously in the front passenger seat of Hatori's car. Hatori turned the key in the ignition and switched on the radio. Motoko took this as an indication that he didn't want to talk.
She played with a lock of her hair to pass the time, wrapping it around her finger and then carefully pulling the finger out to see if she could get the hair to curl. When it wouldn't, she gave up, instead twisting the hair tightly and watching it unravel when she let go. She was so absorbed in her game that she didn't notice Hatori staring quizzically at her until he cleared his throat.
Motoko blushed and smiled weakly at him. "Yes?"
"I was going to ask if you'd like to choose the radio station."
Something baroque was playing softly. "No, this is acceptable." There was another awkward silence before she decided to strike up a conversation with the enigmatic cousin of her beloved. "How long have you had the car?"
He seemed to visibly deflate, causing his hair to fall into his eyes. "A few years."
"It's nice."
"I think so, too. It carries a lot of memories."
Hatori's reaction to her question intrigued her. "Are they good or bad?"
"Both." He turned his gaze back to her. "I bought it with my ex-girlfriend," he explained, cautiously.
Motoko didn't know how to respond to that. Should she try to comfort him, with a hug or a pat on the hand, or would he take offense if she did? She suddenly felt dreadfully shy, and very young next to Hatori, although she knew he couldn't be very much older.
"I'm sorry," she finally answered, looking out the window.
…
It was time. Each group moved in, like planned. Tohru and Kyo would cover the front door, and move in with caution. Uo and Hana would have the back door. Rin, Haru, and Mai would each go to a separate wall and take the windows there. Matoko and Hatori would guard the perimeter, and have the car ready, just in case.
Tohru felt the vampire's presence as they approached the front door. She held up a hand in a gesture that meant 'stop'. Kyo obeyed. Doing a half walk/half crouch she stealthily moved up to the wall right next to the door. She stood up against it, and…knocked on the door.
The door opened. "Yes?" A female voice said. A pause, and "Anyone there?" A few more seconds passed, and then the girl stuck her head out. I know her. Tohru thought, before grabbing the girl's mouth and pulling her out the rest of the way. The Fan-vamp struggled, and Tohru raised her stake to dust her when she faltered momentarily. The Fan-vamp's outfit was scandalous. That furthered her resolve to rescue Yuki from this place. The stake plunged.
Kyo came up to her. "Those are the outfits that Ayame sells?" He sounded outraged. Tohru nodded mutely. "We have to put him out of business!" Tohru nodded again.
The two moved into the shop itself.
…
"Time to go." Uo observed quietly.
"Be on your guard, Uo." Hana kept her gaze on the door.
"I plan to stake me a vamp, so I'm expecting you to do your part and roast a few."
Uo and Hana moved up the stairs to the back door with grace and dignity. Well, Hana did. Uo was itching for the fight.
They reached the door. Hana sent out denpa waves to see if any Fan-vamps were near. "There are no vampires guarding this door," she reported.
Uo reached out, and twisted the doorknob. It was unlocked. "Whoa, is this a bad tactical strategy or what?"
"I believe they are simply idiots."
"Ah."
They walked in.
…
Rin, Haru, and Mai quickly split up to go to each's respective goals.
Rin had the front windows. After seeing Tohru and Kyo go in, she clutched her stake closer to herself and went to the windows. There were nothing in the first two, and the third one was unlocked. It appeared to lead into a storage room. She opened it and slipped in.
When she set down her foot, she lost her traction. After grabbing the window sill, she looked down. It was a crimson, sticky substance…blood. When that realization hit her, she blanched. She followed the trail of blood with her eyes and saw two legs, hidden behind a pile of cloth.
Carefully walking over, she saw a dead girl. She recognized her from Yuki's school. There were two small holes in her neck.
"Poor girl," she murmured.
The girl's eyes opened. "I disagree. There is nothing poor about me."
Rin gasped and backed up. The girl sat up. "I feel hungry." She said to herself. Looking up, she smiled. "You'll do just fine." Her face instantly morphed. Her eyes became yellow, she grew fangs, and her forehead became ridged.
The vampire charged with such speed that Rin instinctively kicked out. The kick landed, and the vampire flew across the room. Must be the horse in me, she thought distantly. She remembered Matoko's and Hatori's instructions. Rushing over, she raised the stake and drove it down, noting the quite revealing outfit. Her stake missed.
Uh oh.
The vampire was still dazed, so Rin quickly raised it again and, this time, staked her.
That was close. She got up. Suddenly she realized that the vampire had just exploded into dust. Well, I guess they were right. Demons and vampires exist. She cautiously went to the door, and listened for anybody outside it. Nothing. She carefully opened the door, and slipped past it.
…
Haru hoped that Rin would be okay as he watched her slip into the shop. Sighing, he went to his designated windows.
Examining one, he found himself gazing into the eyes of a fan-vamp. She snarled and hurled herself through the window at Haru. With a loud crash, the pane shattered, and Haru sidestepped to avoid the flying glass.
Without her prey to bring to an end to her voyage through the air, the fan-vamp collided with the ground and slid another meter into the bright morning sunshine. She promptly combusted into a writhing, shrieking mound of flame.
Haru exhaled noisily and muttered something about stupid fan-girls. He turned his head in time to see Mai turn the corner, staying in broad daylight as they had instructed her.
He jumped into the window the fan-vamp had so considerately opened for him.
He took in his surroundings and didn't see or sense anything living (or dead). He shrugged and crossed the room to the door on the other side and opened it. Haru was now in the sewing room. He looked around in wide-eyed wonder.
"Good God!" he whispered, "Ayame must be stopped!"
…
Mai turned the corner and, staying in the sunlight, discovered herself in front of another set of windows. She approached them cautiously. The others told me to stay in the sunlight at all costs, but I have to go and save Yuki! Who knows what insidious deeds the fan-girls are doing?
She made up her mind and quickened her pace towards the windows, unconsciously staying in the daylight. That's when she noticed the small door tucked away in shadow, very neatly hidden.
Aha! So the splendid Yuki's brother lied! Now I can go charging in gallantly to save Yuki, instead of climbing through those nasty, grimy windows.
Mai skipped happily to the door and turned the knob, only to find that it was locked. Mai was disappointed but then turned cheerful when she realized that now she could kick the door down like those beautiful people- they didn't compare to Yuki of course- in the American movies she liked to watch.
Mai backed up and kicked the door. The door didn't even dent, and now she had a very sore foot.
"Owww…oww…ow…that was a mistake," Mai lamented as she held her foot. She straightened as she raised her voice, "Hello! Hey, is anyone in there?" she called through the door.
"Yeah, someone is here, why?" A voice called back from inside Ayame's shop.
"Oh! I need to get in. Could you open the door? Please?"
"Sure! Just a second!"
After a few seconds Mai heard the lock click and the door opened. She saw a girl standing there, dressed in a very revealing outfit smiling at her and beckoning her to come in.
"Oh, um…why don't you come out here, first?" Mai was suspicious of the girl, since she vaguely remembered seeing someone who looked like her during a Yuki Fan-club meeting.
The girl was either extremely dumb, not a vampire, or didn't see that Mai was standing in a patch of sunlight.
"Sure!" the girl chirped cheerfully and promptly went up in flames when she flounced over to where Mai was standing.
"I'm guessing that you were a vampire. Sucks to be you!"
Mai walked up to the door, made sure the door was unlocked, closed it, and then slammed it open in what she was sure was a dramatic and inspiring entrance.
She glanced around her and took in the surroundings.
"What an awful place!" she cried as she took off in a random direction.
She ran to the next room and swiftly ran into something. She fell over and looked up to see a very angry Rin.
"You're supposed to be outside."
…
Tohru and Kyo stood amongst the shelves of cloth and racks of clothes that made up the show-room in Ayame's shop.
The lights were off and it was hard to see, so they had consequently been stumbling around blindly and wishing fervently that they had thought to bring flashlights. They depended on Tohru to tell if the objects they ran into were vampires or not.
"Where do you think Yuki and the rest of the fan-vamps are?" Tohru whispered to Kyo.
"How the hell should I know? I've never been here before! You're the one with the slayer sense, anyway." Kyo answered in a louder voice.
They both turned and jumped when they heard a rustling noise come from somewhere in the shelves near them.
"What was that?" Tohru asked very quietly.
"I don't know! Do I have to spell it out? There could be anything in here!"
"It could have been a rat."
"I wouldn't be surprised."
Both tried to move stealthily towards the area where the sound had originated, but they found it rather difficult to do and ran into a few shelves as they made their way through the shop. Tohru nearly shrieked when she felt something move over her foot. Kyo grabbed the offender and held it up so he could see it a little better. He snorted.
"It's a rat."
Tohru chuckled nervously "Oh, I feel kind of silly."
Kyo tossed the rat forcefully away. He had long ago decided that he didn't care for any kind of rat, zodiac or not, and smiled when he heard it collide with something and squeak painfully.
"Don't be—" Whatever he was going to say was cut off as the noise came again louder. Now it sounded like— sobbing?
"It sounds like a girl, and it's coming from over there." Tohru pointed. "It's weird. I can't tell if it's human or not."
They continued in the direction Tohru had indicated when it stopped and they heard a gasp. "Oh, please don't hurt me! Please!" the girl begged. She got up from where she had been huddled on the floor and threw her arms around Kyo and hugged him.
Tohru gasped as Kyo threw the girl off him. She landed on the floor a few feet away. The girl snarled in a very in-human way, jumped up, and raced towards Kyo.
"That was very rude," she cried as she leaped to attack Kyo and imbedded herself on the stake he held. It was when she dusted that both Tohru and Kyo realized that Kyo had not turned into the cat.
"Kyo! Are you alright…why didn't you transform?"
"I…I don't know. Maybe it's because she was undead."
"Maybe. Come on, we have to find Yuki."
Kyo nodded, and they stumbled blindly around for a while longer before Kyo ran into a wall that luckily held the light switches. He flipped a couple and sighed in relief when the lights flickered on. Kyo frowned when he saw that all the other lights switches were flipped into the "on" position, which indicated that the only room that had been dark was the one they were in.
"I didn't think the fan-vamps were smart enough to set a trap. Maybe Rika has some brains," Kyo said to himself.
"Kyo! This way!" Tohru whispered excitedly as she gestured wildly to a closed door to their left, nearly hidden behind a ribbon-and-ruffle laden ball gown. "It's Uo and Hana."
They approached the indicated door and stood next to the wall on either side of it. Tohru nodded to Kyo, who was next to the doorknob. He threw the door open and Tohru ran into the room. She collided with Uo, who, after the initial shock, gave her a big hug. Hana was right behind her.
"Jeez, you guys sure know how to make an entrance. Kyo-Kyo, you didn't have to slam the door so hard. Now every fan-vamp will be coming to see what made the noise." Uo considered that for a moment, and then said. "Well, actually, I think that's a good thing. C'mon guys! We gotta go save Yuki and kick some undead butt!"
"We've already kicked most of it," Kyo informed her, "but if we find anymore, you'll have first dibs."
"You're in luck, Uo. There are two trying to escape into the basement as we speak." Blue sparks crackled around Hana and she strode away from the group. Uo followed.
"I didn't even realize. What would I do without them?" Tohru happily gushed to Kyo.
"There's a basement? Since when is there a basement? Hey! Ayame didn't say anything about a basement!" Kyo ranted as he and Tohru caught up to Uo and Hana.
"This is a creepy place, you know?" Uo said, "I am never coming back here." She paused, "Uugghh, some nasty thoughts just occurred to me about the basement."
"Wait. There's some people coming. Not vampire, human." Hana paused and turned her head to one of the doors in the hallway they were walking in, just as it opened and a flustered Rin came out dragging Mai, who was protesting profusely.
"Mai! You were supposed to stay outside. Was that really so hard to do? You're going to listen to me and do as I say! Okay?" Rin finally caught sight of the four in the hallway. "Hi. I found Mai wandering about, so now I have to drag her around and she won't shut up. Where are you going?"
"The basement. There're two fleeing vampires there. We found a rat in here, so this place must have sewer access," Tohru answered.
"Really? Sewer access… that explains why they're going to the basement. Follow us—we don't have time to find Haru." Uo started walking again.
"It's a good thing I found you guys first, then," Haru said, coming out from another door. "Some of what I've found in here is absolutely frightening. I wouldn't want to be in here alone."
"Haru!" Rin let go of Mai's arm in favor of Haru's. "Let's go, now that everyone's here."
Tohru disappeared down the staircase, followed by her entourage. Kyo made sure he wasn't far behind her, just in case.
…
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Tohru immediately spotted Yuki, lying on the floor of a giant birdcage.
"Yuki!" She whispered. Tohru looked around before hurrying over to the birdcage. Wait…Birdcage? She quickly squashed the mental images, but she didn't think everyone else did.
"Yuki?" She said again. He was conscious, but had a glazed expression on his face. She got the impression he was zoning out for his mental health. She used her Slayer senses and quickly determined he was also still a living, undemonic being.
By then everyone else was standing next to her. "Hey, you damn rat, snap out of it!" Kyo viciously shook the bird cage.
"Kyo?" Yuki murmured, still with the dazed look in his eyes. "Why would he be here? I must really be going insane."
"Yuki! Don't say that. You've just gone through a very traumatizing experience, that we're here to rescue from, and any normal person would probably be crazy from." Tohru paused for a moment. "Wait…"
"Don't bother, Tohru. He's too shell-shocked. Anyone in his position would be. We need to get him out of here, and then doctor boy can help him. Can you bust open the door?" Uo asked.
"Hatori's a family doctor, not a psychologist. And yes I can." Tohru walked over to the cage's locked door, and grabbed the lock. She pulled at it, easily twisting the lock off. Opening the door, she pulled Yuki out and handed him to Rin and Haru.
"Bring him out to the car." She instructed them. "The rest of us have a few vampires to stake."
They nodded and separated. Rin, Yuki, and Haru vanished up the stairs, but Rin and Haru pretty much had to drag him up.
The rest turned to Tohru. "There are two vampires remaining. They are trying to escape to the sewers below here. Ready to stake some undead butt?" She asked, before walking over to the only other door down here. She tried not to think about how different she had sounded just then.
…
"Hey…Hatori? Did you just see that?" Motoko asked. She had been watching the shop out of the window, when she had seen a figure turn the corner, in the shade.
"No."
"Well, I did. I think one of the vampires escaped."
"It's bright sunlight out. What vampire would be dumb enough to go out in the sun?"
"Fan-vamps."
"Very well." He sighed. "You may go out and check. If it is indeed a 'fan-vamp', please try to capture her alive. There are still questions I wish to ask one of them."
"Indeed." Motoko grabbed a stake, holy water, and some garlic. After making sure her cross necklace was on, she opened the door and walked cautiously towards the corner the figure had disappeared behind.
After turning, in the sunlight of course, she found that her suspicions had been correct. A fan-vamp was standing and the edge of the shade, apparently trying to determine a way to cross the long stretch of sunlight to the shade which would be her path to escape and freedom.
"Stay right there, you fiendish villain! Move and you'll be incinerated!" Motoko commanded the clueless fan-vamp.
Motoko saw that the vamp was entirely surrounded by sunlight, the only way out being back the way the vamp had come, and if she stayed in that piece of shade for much longer it was going to move and leave her at the mercy of the sun. There was no way to get her to the car, unless…
Motoko beckoned Hatori and the car over. Hatori must have been watching her as the car immediately moved towards her. It stopped a few feet away from the fan-vamp. Motoko walked to the car window that was being rolled down.
"It's a fan-vamp, but the only way to capture her is to get her into the car right here, so you'll have to invite her in. Don't worry about her attacking you. I'll set up the back seat so she can't move."
Hatori sighed as Motoko started setting up garlic and crosses in the back seat, "I see I don't have much of a choice." He turned his attention to the fan-vamp, who was staring hungrily at him and the car. The vamp had not heard the conversation between him and Motoko.
After a minute or so Motoko climbed out of the back seat and walked to the girl, who she finally recognized as Minami Kinoshita.
"Hey, Minami! How've you been?" she asked as she walked closer. When she was close enough she grabbed Minami, and keeping herself between Minami and the sunlight, dragged the shocked Minami— who had not been expecting to be grabbed and unable to move because of the crosses and garlic that were dangling dangerously close to her face— into the car, which was full of crosses and garlic spaced in a way that once Motoko sat next to her would keep her in the car unless she wanted intense pain.
Motoko sat next to Minami with a stake ready in her hand and Hatori backed the car into the sunlight so it would be impossible to escape with her undead life intact.
Hatori stopped the car and turned around to face the vampire.
"Tell me, why did you kidnap Yuki? Who is in charge?"
Minami looked like she was going to refuse to talk until Motoko poked her lightly with the stake. Minami got the message.
"We took the wondrous Yuki because we wanted to preserve his glory forever! We wanted to protect him. Rika Aida leads us, but someone else commands her!"
"Who?"
Minami was about to reply when Motoko and Hatori felt something change in the air. Minami gasped and threw herself out the car into the glaring daylight.
"What happened?" Motoko asked Hatori as they stared at the pile of dust that had been Minami.
"Magic. Compulsion magic." Hatori answered grimly. "I believe that there is much, much more to this than just Yuki and Rika Aida."
"You mean there's magic on the fan-vamps to make them kill themselves if they are about to tell someone who's really in charge."
"It would seem so."
Motoko opened her mouth to say something when Haru and Rin came running out the building holding Yuki. Motoko immediately opened the back seat door and got out of the car to help them. They laid him across the back seats.
"They didn't turn him," Hatori said with relief.
"What did they do to him, in that case?" Motoko asked Rin.
"We don't know. We found him in a huge birdcage that was in the basement. I hope the fan-vamps brought it in themselves and Ayame didn't already have it there, but I wouldn't count on it."
"So that's where the birdcage went to." Hatori muttered as he checked Yuki for any physical wounds.
Motoko, Rin, and Haru stared at him. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know," Rin chanted.
"Where are the others?" Hatori asked Haru.
"They're all safe. There were two vampires escaping to the basement, that's where we found Yuki, we think they have sewer access. The others are chasing them." Haru noticed the pile of dust he was standing on. "So even you guys saw some action." Haru shook his head. "Brainless fan-girls."
"There's someone behind Rika and the other vampires, and, apparently, fairly powerful, too. I'll tell you more when everyone else is here."
…
Tohru and the remaining combatants made their way further into the basement, following Hana and her waves.
"They are around that bend. They've stopped," Hana informed them and everyone sped up.
"All right," Uo said. "I've been waiting for this."
The five of them turned the bend and saw Rika Aida and… Mine? The two turned their attention from the open hatch in the ground to the group.
"Well, it took you long enough. Mine, take care of this. I have to report back." Rika jumped down the hatch after Mine nodded.
"You don't look so tough," Mine sneered. She charged at them—like all the fan-vamps seemed to like doing— she reached Tohru, who instinctively grabbed Mine and threw her— right onto Mai. Tohru gasped.
Mine screamed and burst into flame, since Mai was covered head to foot in holy crosses and garlic. Mai brushed some of the dust off of her and started sneezing.
"Oh…achoo…great, now…ACHOO…I've got dust…ah…ah…achoo…all over me!"
"I AM SO SORRY! I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE THERE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"
"Calm down Tohru. It'll be okay!" Uo told her.
Kyo and Hana were standing next to the hatch.
"Yep. Definitely sewer access. Ayame didn't tell us that. Too late now, though. Rika is gone for good. We won't be able to catch up." Kyo kicked the hatch closed.
"We should get back to the car. It will be good to get out of here," Hana announced and started walking away.
"Wait Hana! We should at least look around for some clues or something," Uo called to her.
Hana stopped, turned her head slowly, and said in a sinister sort of voice, "I already have. There is nothing but the evil remains of the undead." Hana laughed maniacally.
"Okay, Hana, that was creepy. But did you find any clues?" Uo asked curiously.
"No. Just clothes that should be burned." Hana started to walk away again.
They all stared after her. Then Mai said happily, "That's a great idea! I'll go see if we have matches and gasoline." Mai skipped joyfully after Hana.
"We should probably go make sure she doesn't hurt herself. Let's get going. I don't want to stay here any longer." Uo pushed Tohru gently forward to get her moving and Kyo rather forcefully.
(End Chapter 8)
A/N: Slayer Mythology 101:
'Into each generation a Slayer is born.
One Girl in all the world,
A chosen one, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the Vampires,
to stop the spread of evil.'
This quote was taken from Buffy, Season One, Episode One, "Welcome to the Hellmouth." It is restated throughout the series, as well as in its companion show, Angel. At the end of BtVS, Season Seven, Buffy awakens all of the Slayer Potentials in the world, which leads to thousands of Slayers, all women, wandering the earth, and, in most cases, using their extraordinary powers to vanquish evil stuff.
In the Buffyverse, one becomes a vampire through a disgusting blood exchange, where the vamp drinks the blood of the victim and the victim, in turn, drinks the vamp's blood. I believe Anne Rice and Dracula have the same system in their stories.
That wraps up today's installment of Slayer Myth 101!