Sacrificial Doll

Mugen no Ryvius fic by Elise

Rating: R
Warnings: Vampires, blood, slash (shounen-ai). Oh, and AU. Pairings: Ikukou (IkumixKouji), Kouji+Aoi, Ikumi+Kozue?
Disclaimer: Ryvius is property of Sunrise. This fic is just for fun. And Ikumi/Kouji.
Summary: Piloting student Kouji Aiba is bitten by a vampire, and his friend Ikumi promises to protect him- against himself, if need be.

Notes: Please read these Author's Notes! (or at least skim for the important parts)

I started this while I was on a Vampire Chronicles kick ages ago (a very long time ago... I haven't read Anne Rice since Merrick came out). This particular chapter was first uploaded to on Jan. 7 of 2003. This version was uploaded April 9, 2006, during my great SacriDoll Editting Phase. Each chapter will have a slightly editted version up. These edits are changing some spellings to those used in the North America release, and a couple added tidbits with Neya, for the most part.

I know right now, there will be yaoi overtones in this fic. My Kouji and Ikumi are not precisely platonic (although at the point I'm writing, it's not exactly reciprocated feelings either…), and I know that the thought of two boys makes some people uncomfortable. Please stop if you become uncomfortable, and don't force yourself. I really think it's better to just leave off reading something if it bothers you, especially sexually. And there are vampires in here as well, so there will be blood. As food. yummy –note sarcasm-

This is very Alternate Universe. I apologize, because I really should be working on other things (like a second journey fic or something at least mildly based in canon and not slashing Ikumi and Kouji…), but this one hit me with more inspiration first. For those of you familiar with Ryvius, there are some spoilers for Ikumi's background and other small incidences. And I'm going with the earlier characterizations for everyone, since this is completely AU. The personalities from earlier in the series work better.

For those of you not familiar with the series, yes, the characters evolve so much in the series that they almost seem to have different personalities. It's a fascinating character study, really. But you're just here for the nummy vampire shounen-ai, aren't you? -

Right, right. Shutting up now. On with the story.

Prologue - A Very Bad Shortcut

"Thanks, man!"

The group of boys grinned at each other. Kouji waved as he turned to head back to the bridge.

"Dammit, Aiba!" George McCartney jogged to catch up with him, practically juggling the large box in his arms. They'd gone to Secter E-7 to pick up some components the engineering students had just completed. The components still needed testing, but if all went well, they would enable the survey ships the students used to have twice as much maneuverability. All the gung-ho pilots were ecstatic at the idea, including McCartney.

"Why'd you have to bug so quick? Got a hot date or something?"

"N-no," the smaller boy stammered. "I just have to get back. I've got a lot of work to do..."

"No fun at all, Aiba. Well, I guess not all of us can be natural geniuses like the VG group, huh?"

That was an understatement. Only the four best out of all the 2nd Class piloting students had been chosen to operate the complex mechanical weapon called "Vital Guarder Einvalt", and in the test that had determined their rank, Kouji had scored a whole 36 - out of 100. Kouji suppressed a grimace at the memory.

"Yeah..." he sighed. "Plus I have to do some stuff for Juli-"

"'Juli' is it? So we're on first-name basis with the Sub-Captain?" McCartney winked at him. They turned a corner and started down a thin corridor that McCartney swore was a short-cut. "Man, you've got it made! Besides the mad studying-thing, of course. I mean, Sub-Captain Bahana is a babe, and the girl who does the announcements when you don't- the flight attendant trainee, not the Zwei chick, Guinea-"

"Faina?"

"Yeah. Her. She's got a sexy voice. Is she as cute as she sounds?"

"I guess..." Kouji flushed. He always flushed when people asked him about Faina. She looked at him funny ever since they'd started working on the bridge together, like she was evaluating him. But she was pretty, with silky brown hair and rich cinnamon eyes...

"Watch it!" McCartney yelled as Kouji nearly ran into someone coming the other way.

"Ah, sorry..." Kouji looked at the man who'd nearly trampled him. Tall, lanky, swathed in a long, dark coat... Red, gleaming eyes...

"Kouji!"

The tall man's hand lashed out, knocking Kouji aside. His head hit the wall with a sickening thump and his vision exploded into a field of stars. He screamed. There was so much pain... Head and arm, entire right side twisted...

McCartney, have to help McCartney... His thoughts were drowned in a feeble gasp. His left hand reached out, trembling from the effort, as the tall man bent over McCartney.

Kouji let out a choked sob as stinging heat ran up his right arm. His vision swam.

McCartney...

The outstretched arm dropped, strengthless. Death was black, and stank of blood.

"Where'd that putz get to..." Ikumi Oze mused aloud. After he'd gotten out of another training session (in which he'd grilled Yuuki Aiba about his brother again, and gotten nothing but grunts and a 'Mind your own business', as usual), Juli Bahana had asked him to track down his roommate Kouji. It seemed that he'd gone down to E-7 to get the new flight components from the engineers but weren't back yet. Juli needed Kouji's progress report on the project ASAP, and Stein Heigar was getting twitchy about it.

Ikumi thought Heigar needed sedatives, but didn't say so. You didn't insult the Zwei on their own bridge. They were, after all, the top-ranking pilots and commanding officers of the Ryvius, and had given him a sweet position with the Vital Guarder team.

He'd reached E-7 with no sign of Kouji or McCartney, his muscle on this trip. The engineers told Ikumi that they'd been there, not too long ago.

"McCartney's got short-cuts all over the ship," one of them added. "Maybe they took one of them. Try hanging a left at the blue 'E-6' sign. There's an old poster for the beauty contest underneath it, so you'll know which one."

"Thanks!" Ikumi said jovially and left them to their work- even though they were only modifying all the card decks in the computers to have half-naked pictures of the ship's sphix, Neya, on the face cards. Ikumi considered that a worthwhile project.

He found the corridor easily, and headed down it without hesitation. After a few minutes, in which he mentally cursed McCartney and his 'shortcuts', he saw a shape moving ahead of him in the dim light. "Kouji?"

The figure's head swiveled to look at him with

"Kouji!"

He ran at them. It didn't matter that this person was larger, taller, stronger than him. He had to protect his friend!

Ikumi and the tall man roared as they collided, Ikumi with rage, the man in surprise. "What are you doing!" Ikumi demanded. He perched on top of him, shaking him by the lapels on his dark coat.

The man pushed Ikumi off of him with a shove at his face that forced his head up and cracked his neck. He threw him aside easily, hissing. Ikumi dizzily saw him draw himself up to his full height. His eyes blazed, and he parted his blood-colored lips to reveal sharp incisors.

"I heard shouting down here!"

"Someone needs help!"

"I can't believe this!"

Voices and footsteps echoed down the corridor. The man flinched and darted off away from their direction.

"Thank goodness..." Ikumi sighed. Then he remembered. "Kouji!" He quickly crawled to where Kouji lay motionless. "Kouji!" The brown-haired boy was slumped against a wall. His right limbs stuck out at awkward angles, and there was blood on his collar and behind his head. Ikumi pulled him gently into his arms, not even noticing when his proverbial cavalry of engineers finally arrived. He just sat there, calling Kouji's name.

"Call the infirmary," one of the engineers ordered. "We have students down. Bring three stretchers; I don't think Oze will be able to walk either." She flinched visibly as Ikumi wailed.

"KOUJII-!"

to be continued