Blood Tears,

Chapter Eight:

Shaken

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I do own Nekros. Nyah.

Faust stood up slowly once Nekros' retreating form faded into the darkness. He felt sick, but bit down the urge to empty his stomach's contents. After all, he really didn't want to kill anyone, or have a repeat of that incident with Ren. It seemed so long ago now, like a faded memory.

Three days… In three days he would be forced into a life he didn't want, with no escape in sight. Or rather, a death he didn't want. But what would happen to him if he didn't meet Nekros like he was supposed to? He remembered reading somewhere that half-vampires who weren't fully turned changed into mindless monsters, doing everything their masters wished of them. Faust shivered, pulling his blood soaked coat tighter around himself again. He couldn't allow that, he thought with growing conviction.

He walked back the way they must have come, trying not to get lost in the labyrinth of dirty streets surrounding the area. The people here were a shady lot, though he must have fit in now, or else they were just ignoring him, for neither looked at the other. Though whether it was because of him or because of them, he didn't know. Nor care to.

Wandering aimlessly with thoughts running through his head, he soon lost track of time. Unfortunately, the sun was rising, and although it did him no physical harm, it still made him feel absolutely awful. So he retreated to the shadows and he waited. He was unable to rest though, for he kept seeing his face in his mind. He could see Nekros' eyes as he sentenced him to a life- or rather- death full of never-ending horrors. But it didn't have to be all bad, did it? Surely, with his new abilities, he could find a way to bring Eliza back. Suddenly his heart was filled with insufferable sadness. No… No matter whether it was in the best of intentions or not, he would never, ever curse her to a fate like his. He shuddered briefly, turning the collar of his coat up to cover his face.

'What kind of desperation am I in that I would think such things about the woman I love? Obviously enough to lessen my worth as a person… Nein. I will not dwell on it any longer. But what will I do? Where will I go?' It brought to mind a memorable movie quote…

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn…"

And with that, he turned over and fell asleep, his dreams full of blood and lilies.

For the next few nights, Faust did nothing but think about his upcoming transformation, and the consequences it brought about. He was pacing in the streets, occasionally looking up at the now almost completely full moon. Faust leveled his gaze on the clock that hung on the wall in front of him.

'Well, this is it. In 24 hours, you'll be dead.' Faust turned away 'Not that I was very 'alive' to begin with even before all of this.' His eyes burned with suppressed emotion as he fought to never admit losing to death once again… But this time he couldn't bring life back…

As unlikely a place to find help as could be, he had decided to go back from whence he ran away from. Perhaps Ryu would understand… Faust could see the moon rising now…He hadn't wanted to drag him into this, but it was his last hope; and also Ryu, of all people, deserved an explanation.

Faust hugged his arms closer to his body; lately he had been increasingly unable to keep warm. He walked briskly, hurrying to get to Ryu before the moon reached its zenith. He had a rather unnerving feeling of being watched. He turned around, but there were only the empty streets behind him, dead leaves blowing around in ever present waves. Faust turned back around breaking out in a run now, his inhuman speed making the trees and buildings flash by in a blur.

He broke into the room with little difficulty, after all Ryu's window wasn't permanently locked. Ryu hadn't noticed his entry at first, but when he did, he jumped off his bed and pressed against the opposite wall in shock.

"Faust? You…? What?"

Faust smirked sardonically.

"Still afraid of me Ryu?" He purred. "You needn't worry. It's only those traitorous 'friends' of mine that have to… worry."

Ryu stepped forward from the wall, reaching out comfortingly, but stopping before any actual contact.

"Faust. What's happened to you?"

Faust shook his head sadly, looking up at Ryu from his place on the floor. He sighed.

"Unfortunately, there is no time for me to tell you everything, but I can tell you what you need to know. I was bitten by a vampire some few nights ago." Faust took Ryu's disbelieving look in stride, as he knew that would be his initial reaction. He paused to let Ryu put the facts together; and seeing his eyes widen in realization, continued. "I didn't want to attack Ren, I just couldn't help it. You see Ryu, unfortunately this will soon be permanent. You are my last hope! I don't want to die Ryu! I don't!" He had latched onto Ryu's leg and looked at him beseechingly through his lashes.

Ryu was speechless for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"How soon?"

Faust blinked back his tears, although some blood still managed to escape down the sides of his face. Ryu realized with a start that his earlier assumption that the blood marks in Faust's room were indeed dried tears was true.

"In only an hour or less… Oh Ryu! I don't know what I'm going to do!" This time, the tears were unable to be held back, and spilled forth like water from a broken dam. Upon seeing this, instead of merely imagining it, nearly made Ryu recoil in horror. As it was, it took a lot of willpower to hold back anything but a small shudder.

"So this… All of this… Is true then? I mean, it's a little hard to believe, but if it's really true-!" Ryu voice held that excited tone of one who had just discovered one of the world's greatest secrets.

Faust looked up at him silently for a few seconds, before reaffirming his words with an, "All that I said, I meant it." That left no room for argument or discussion.

Ryu took Faust's hands into his own, squeezing them consolingly for a moment. He looked deep into his pale eyes as he said, meaningfully:

"Then I'll do everything that is in my power to help you, Faust."

Faust smiled, albeit ruefully.

"Thank you Ryu, you have no idea how nice it is to have at least one person to have hope in…"

"We should get you somewhere safe, I-" Faust had stopped, head cocked to the side like a dog listening to something interesting. "What is it?" Faust opened his mouth to answer, but instead shouted,

"Get down!" and pushed him onto the floor to cover him with his less susceptible body as the window and frame were torn out. The wood and glass gave in with a sickening crunch and shatter-spray of glass shards, showering them both with razor-sharp cutting edges. Although it cut them both, it got to Ryu less, and Faust hadn't even flinched in the slightest as glass shards and splinters cut his skin and lodged themselves in his flesh. Ryu scrambled away on his hands and knees, turning around to see their as of yet invisible assailant. What he saw would leave him with nightmares for the rest of his life.

The vampire Faust was talking about was there, filling the window with his wickedly curved form. His great leathery bats' wings beat the air slowly, keeping his thin frame aloft. His ebony hair ruffled in the breeze, accentuating his blazing red eyes as he grinned full of sadistic glee down at Faust, who was kneeling with his hands clutching the sides of his face as he shrieked.

"It's time, Doll." Nekros grabbed him and flew backward then up and away into the dark oblivion of the night. Faust was left able to face Ryu, and he reached out to his friend, only to see him paralyzed and unable to do little else but strain futilely and watch in shocked horror as Faust is dragged into the night. Nekros' voice carried back to Ryu then, as if it were merely passing through with the wind.

"Do not worry, you are merely paralyzed. I have no desire to harm you… yet. I've only come to claim what's," he drew his tongue up along the side of Faust's face; thereby eliciting a shudder of revulsion. "Mine." Nekros hissed.

When he was finally released, Ryu fell to the floor with a sound loud enough (he figured the vampire must have blocked the first sounds) to wake the others. They came blearily in, waking fully upon seeing the destruction, then panicking over Ryu's injuries. Ryu winced, turning over to look up at their worried faces. 'If they're so quick to help me, why not Faust?' The one word he wouldn't dare think about his friends was hypocrites.

"I'm fine. Faust…Faust...vampire!" And with that final exclamation, Ryu passed out in mental and physical exhaustion. They, namely Horohoro and Yoh, then carried (more like dragged) him through his room and put him in his bed. This accomplished, Anna eventually cleared out everyone but Tamao, who watched over Ryu diligently, awaiting his regaining consciousness.

Out in the hallway, huddled in front of Ryu's room, frantic whispers could be heard.

"What do you think just happened?"

"Did he really just say a vampire did this?"

"How else would they have strength enough to do that?"

"He's right. And we would have heard it had it been anything else…"

"Maybe Faust really is a vampire?"

"Don't talk crazy Manta, that's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible Ren."

"It would explain a lot though… The attack on Ren, his escape, and the way he's been acting lately…"

"And we didn't even try to understand! What's he going to think of us now?"

"Probably nothing good."

The others nodded in agreement.