Blood Tears,

Chapter Nine:

Transformation

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

Nekros flew through the night sky, grinning triumphantly as he carried off his prize. His destination was the graveyard, and as soon as he reached hallowed ground he was forced to retract his wings. But he had reached where he wanted to go, so what were a few steps on foot anyway? He carried Faust, struggling and writhing like a captive snake, into a nearby vault.

Inside the vault, romantic candles and blood-red roses lay on every available surface. In the left-hand corner, another girl like the first lay, unconsciously awaiting her turn to be drained. Despite his ineffectual struggles Nekros took Faust up to the sole coffin that resided there, like it was some sick wedding altar.

"Now my sweet, hush."

He had previously been running his fingers soothingly through Faust's hair; now he gripped him tightly in place, staring with his hypnotizing eyes into Faust's own panicked and terrified ones. Faust's eyes grew gradually blank, and he ceased to struggle. Nekros looked at his work approvingly, smiling wide enough to show off his now prominent fangs.

They were both kneeling in front of the coffin, the candle light casting eerie flickering shades over them both. Nekros gave a tender smile to Faust, before biting him slowly and lovingly on the neck over his previous marks. Faust's eyes widened in pain, Nekros' fluttered shut in sheer bliss. But he eventually released him, and turned to the wine bottle and crystal goblet (Lord knows where he got it) that sat on the coffin next to them. As Nekros poured out the wine bottle's red contents, Faust realized with a start that it was blood. Once the goblet was full to the rim, he replaced the cork in the bottle and set it aside.

"Now Dear …drink. Drink and you shall be at my side for eternity. We shall rule the world as one!" Upon being told this, and seeing the blood looming ever closer, Faust's struggles resumed. Nekros frowned momentarily, and then grinned like a skull. "Ah! So strong already, to have broken my paralysis! What power you shall have once you are a vampire!" And so his impending doom drew closer as his struggles were rendered ineffectual.

It tasted absolutely vile and he wished he could spit it back into Nekros' face but alas, he couldn't move anything. Except he drank like one who had been parched for days in the desert sun. He drank like he had never before; and despite the taste, he found to his revulsion that he enjoyed the sensation. As soon as the horrid process was over, he found that another feeling had started up. It wasn't bad at first, just a slight warmth in his teeth, but then it grew. Facing a burning like the fires of hell, Faust ripped them out himself, rather than face the agony of them working their own way out.

"The longer fangs of a fully-fledged vampire… Oh… So beautiful…"

Faust felt- Oh! How he felt! Such power as only the devil can give was welling up inside him, filling him to the brim with possibility. His entire body was electrified with it. He turned to Nekros, then.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't stay with you. Bastard!-" With that he backhanded the other vampire straight across the face, shouting:

"Especially after you turn me against my will! Unfortunately for you, you gave me the power to kill you, and as such, I won't stop until I do so!" With that said, Faust turned and ran from Nekros, ran to the only place he knew he could turn for help. Ryu.

Nekros sat there in stunned silence. The greatest thing to ever happen to his life was running away from him, and all he could do was put a tentative hand up to his cheek where a bruise was already starting to form. But then a smile broke out across his face.

"So feisty… He will be mine." For now though, he would let him cool off for a bit.

Faust wandered through the streets that night; despite knowing that there was but one place he could go, he didn't like the limitation. But Ryu was the only one he could turn to right now, so he walked the long way back to the Onsen. Walked, for the sole realization that he knew he wouldn't be followed, at least at the moment. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. It probably had something to do with his new powers. At any rate, a few minutes later saw him back where he was so rudely torn from what seemed like so long ago. A few quick insistent raps on the door saw Yoh answering it. Faust looked at him coldly.

"Where's Ryu?" He asked, with equal frigidity.

"In his room. And Faust…" Yoh shuffled his feet a bit. "I just wanted to let you know that we believe you… And we'll do what we can to help."

Faust softened a bit, but admonished,

"A lot of good it did me when this first started." As he walked down through the hall to Ryu's room, he felt only slightly better towards his friends.

He didn't even get a chance to knock before Ryu had opened the door, pulled Faust in, and enveloped him in a crushing hug. Needless to say, Faust was a bit overwhelmed with the display of affection.

"I was so worried about you… Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Ryu… For the moment I'm fine… And if anyone was hurt, it was him." Faust blushed a little. "Um… might you please let me go now?"

Ryu noticed Faust's flushed state and reluctantly loosened his grip, though he kept him at a mere arm's length away from him.

"What happened? Did he follow you?"

Ryu's barrage of questions was starting to disorient Faust.

"Whoa, hold on Ryu. Too many questions at once, you know?" Faust smiled sheepishly at Ryu, who loosened his grip a little. "Now, before you ask again, I'm fine. And Nekros didn't follow me."

"So that's his name then, is it?" Faust merely nodded, continuing:

"And he… he made me…"

"Yes?"

"He made me a… a full vampire. This is permanent now. At least it's better than becoming a mindless drone, nein?" he tried to laugh but it came out like more of a pained noise. Ryu shut the door softly, pulling Faust over to sit on his bed.

"You can stay here as long as you need to, Faust. But we need to find you a better hiding spot, one where Nekros won't look." He paused for a moment, contemplating his choices. "Why not my gang's place? I'm sure they wouldn't mind, and nobody bothers to look there for anything!" He looked at his bedside table clock. "It's thirty minutes to sunrise… Are the legends true? Will the sun hurt you?"

Faust nodded.

"Alright, I guess you can stay here, I'll have to find something to cover the window while I'm gone." Ryu turned and looked at the window thoughtfully, ignorant of Faust, until he slid to the floor at Ryu's feet, taking a pile of blankets with him. "Hey, hey! What's wrong?"

"Gone?" Faust asked, wiping red tears from his face. "Why does everyone I care about leave me?"

Ryu felt a sudden rush of affection and protectiveness for the pale doctor, who was made even paler as he was sitting bathed in moonlight from the window. He cursed the day Nekros was born; it was his fault Faust was in so much pain.

"I'm only going to make sure the place is still ours, rival gangs are always trying to take our place, you know? I won't be gone long. I promise."

Ryu was surprised when Faust decided to hug his knees, but his expression softened and he ruffled Faust's hair affectionately.

At the same time, Nekros was going back to Garradus' place, for he got the feeling of being called back. And he knew enough to trust his feelings, especially about his superior. After all, he really wasn't up to challenging him at the moment.

"Ah Nekros… Come in! It is time for the next part in your sad little play. You need to find a mate. Create another vampire to continue our little line of blood, hmm?"

Nekros stared at Garradus as though he had grown another head.

"You mean you want me to go out and find some girl?"

"Not necessarily…" Garradus said vaguely, taking a sip of the questionable red contents of his wineglass. "But hear me on this, Nekros," He started, saying his name like it were some joke to him, "If you do not find a mate, I shall be forced to pick for you."

An image of the girl that led him to Garradus in the first place flashed through his mind, causing his lip to curl in disgust. Garradus stared at him for a moment, or rather through him. He laughed in his usual cryptic manner.

"Ah, I see. You already have a mate in mind don't you. Very well then, if you tell me their name-"

"Not yet!" Nekros growled, "I'll let you know who they are when I bring them to you."

His master laughed coldly.

"You spoil all my fun don't you?" he drew closer. "Remember, it was I who brought your pitiful existence back. I can reverse it just as easily."

Nekros turned with a whirl of black and stalked off, slamming the heavy ebony doors behind him. Garradus laughed cruelly, swirling the content of his wineglass in satisfaction.