A/n: I wanted to go ahead and knock this out of the way while I've got time. I've got a huge report due, I'm going on vacation, I'm going to be home for like 2 days, then I'm going on another trip, so it'll probably be like, a while, before I write again, and I'll feel like I've abandoned it if I don't at least add in a second, possibly a third chapter. I also added an OC that I just drummed up out of nowhere. She doesn't play a major role or anything like that, so there's nothing to worry about there. So, yeah, no more seriousness, and on to the fic! Yayz! *Applause*
Renji saw someone that he did not recognize, a woman.
She was petite, about 5 feet tall, with jet black hair that fell in thick, glossy waves and framed her round face. Her eyes were the most interesting thing about her. They were an unearthly green. They were dark, mossy, emerald with swirling clouds of wispy silver that wrapped around her pupil and glinted whenever they caught the light. Her skin was the color of a warm, café au lait.
The woman smiled at him, but she didn't speak. Whenever Renji tried to ask the small woman a question, she would interject with a dainty finger pressed onto his lips. The woman soon began to lead him down a dimly light hallway, that was accommodated with cobblestone floors and walls made of black granite. The only light came from the worn down candles the rested inside iron-wrought lanterns.
After minutes of traveling, in silence, throughout what seemed like endless, winding hallways the woman stopped Renji where he stood by putting an arm out in front of him. He ran into her arm and promptly backed up. She smiled brightly and musical laughter escaped from her full lips. Renji flushed.
She then lifted her other arm and pointed towards a dark corner. "What do-" Renji was cut off, yet again, by a dainty finger to his lips. The small woman lifted the hand that she had used to stop him with, and placed feather-light touches on his eyebrows.
A sharp sting shot through his head making him wince. He drew in a deep breath as he slowly opened his eyes and shook with fear when he realized what had happened to him.
His vision, it had changed. Dramatically. He could see everything in a different way. His eyes widened in wonder as he watched small dust particles dance around in the warm open air. He examined the textures of the multiple objects in the room. While he watched everything with his new eyes, he failed to notice the woman who was trying, desperately, to get his attention.
Soon, she tapped him lightly on the shoulders and pointed back to the dark corner, but it wasn't dark this time. It wasn't lighted, but he could see. What he saw caught him in a frozen, half-kneeling stance.
It was him. That man…with those eyes. Those eyes that Renji could never seem to forget. Gin. That name rushed through his head. "G-Gin," he whispered.
"I'm surprised at you," He replied. When Renji said nothing, he continued, "You didn't follow me after I linked my mind with yours; that takes a heavy amount of will power. It's almost admirable."
"Yes, it is interesting isn't it?" The petite woman's voice rang like light, silver bells from behind him.
"We can further investigate your abilities later, but now," she said as she stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "we must lock you to your new life."
She lowered her head and then looked back up, her vibrant green eyes meeting Renji's rusty, reddish-brown ones. "I, Nagura, of Grand Castle Obsidian, place you, Renji Abarai, into the Amethyst Order of the Grand Obsidian," her voice was filled with power as thundered throughout the damp hallways.
"And, I, Gin Ichimaru, right hand of the Grand Obsidian triad, and next in line in line heir of the Amethyst Order, accept the into Castle Obsidian's Amethyst branch." The moment he finished. The woman, Nagura, lifted her wrist up to her mouth and curled her top lip upward; this action revealed translucent white fangs that curled, like the talons of a hawk, towards her more human looking teeth. Renji watched in horror as she pressed the tip of her fang against a vein in her wrist.
Slowly, blood began to bubble up and dribble down. She huffed impatiently as she pressed the tip of her tongue against the wound and quickly pulled away as she watched the blood pour out of her wrist in a steady flow.
Nagura moved her bleeding wrist, and let it hover in front of Renji's lips. He stared down at the blood in fear. "Drink," she instructed. He gasped, but did as he was told, mostly for his fear that this woman could hurt him if he didn't.
Gingerly, he pressed his lips to the source of the blood and let the crimson droplets fall onto his tongue. The taste of blood exploded in his mouth and made him crave more. Now, more confident in what he was doing he parted his lips and pressed the tip of his tongue against her wound.
She laughed softly as she tapped the side of his head. "Ah, ah, ah, I believe that's enough for you. Considering you're enjoying the taste of blood, and the fact that you-" She was cut off by Renji doubling over in pain. His chest, it burned. He called out in pain.
"There it is!" Gin said cheerily as he watched the young man who lay writhing on the floor. He let out another cry of pain as the burning came back with much more force than the first wave.
***
Renji bolted upright in his bed panting and gripping his sides. A thin layer of sweat head covered his body and he was shaking. He began to rock back and fourth and take in deep, calming breaths. "What the hell was that," he growled as he pressed a hand to his still burning chest.
"A shower," he mumbled to himself as he slung his feet off of the edge of the bed and onto the hardwood floor, "that's what I need." He concluded as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.
As he made his may to the bathroom, he thought about the feeling in his stomach; it had passed, and for that, he was grateful. He breathed heavily and stared into the mirror.
He gasped aloud as he stared down at his chest. Tattoos. Those weren't there before. Were they? Renji pondered as he tapped his index finger on his chin, trying to recall any drunken nights he had recently. None came to mind. He lifted a shaking hand and began to trace the intricate, ebony tattoos that started below his shoulders and ended just above his waist.
Now, he had become more interested in the tattoos that covered most of his front, and promptly forgot about the shower he had planned on taking.
After staring and tracing for a few moments, he decided that it would be best to go back to sleep.
The rest of that night, Renji fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
***
Renji yawned softly as he stood up and walked over to his dresser. He had a major headache. Then he noticed it.
Fear kept him from realizing it last night, but the supervision that he had been given in his dream hadn't passed. It made him dizzy, and he tried his best to push it to the back of his mind and ignore it.
He couldn't help himself from staring at those tattoos. Maybe it was fear that had mad these somewhat interesting tattoos seem like a horrid curse. Now, they stood out on his slightly-tanned skin. They made him look exotic. Renji had never been one for preening, but he felt as though this was an exception.
He nodded to himself as he pulled on his white, button-down shirt and light denim jeans. He yawned again and began to trudge over to his kitchen.
The moment he opened his fridge, he heard it.
It was the sound of something, an animal most likely, pawing at his door. His curiosity peeked, and he strode over to the door and opened it a bit, jus to peek outside. He heard something next. It was the loud sneeze-me-sniffle-ow-snort of a cat. He turned to the source of the noise.
He jumped backwards as he stared at what he presumed to be a she-cat.
Her pale ginger fur and paler jade eyes both glittered in the apartment that was lit only by the dim, early morning light. What Renji felt next shocked him the most.
It was a gentle push. It felt like pressure was building up behind his nose. Aren't you the one who should be doing this?He heard a voice that was light and sweet like yogurt ask inside his mind.
Doing what?! He snapped at the mystery voice. Who are you?
Look down. The voice instructed. Renji did as he was told and stared down into the pale jade eyes of the somewhat marsupial-looking cat.
"No way!" He shouted out loud. "I am not talking to a cat!"
Well, technically, we're not talking. Were thinking to each other, which… is basically the same thing, but, yes, you are "talking to a cat". She repeated what he just said.
"No, no, no, I-I'm imagining this you are not talking-"
Thinking. She interrupted.
"Fine, thinking to a cat!" He got down onto his knees and looked down into her eyes.
"You're not real," he whispered to her, but somewhere inside of him, he knew that this small, chubby, she-cat, was indeed very real.
He stood up quickly and walked over to the door; Renji opened it, yet again, and turned back to the cat. "Go! Get out! Shoo! Out! Get out of my loft!" He shouted at her as waved his hand vigorously in front of the door.
No, I can't leave. I've chosen you. You are mine and I am yours. We are not to be parted.
"No, listen, cat-"
Zabimaru. She interrupted again.
Renji chuckled softly at the name, then continued, "Okay, fine, Zabimaru, you are a cat, I am a human, I chose you; you don't get to pick"
Are you down yet? Because if you are, I do get to chose you, and you are most certainly not a human; you are a vampire! She snapped as she glowered at him.
Renji gasped aloud. He began to shake his head. No, no, no, he thought, that can't be possible. V-, Renji couldn't say it, Vampire, not even in his thoughts, th-they don't exist they're not real. Cats don't talk. None of this is real it's just another dream. I-it's not real. It's not true. I-I'm dreaming. That's all this is, another dream. He babbled inwardly.
Denial isn't good for you.
"You shut the fuck up!" Renji shouted as he whirled around to face the cat. "And get out of my head!" He yelled, but this time, when Renji snapped his mouth closed, he felt a light prick on his tongue.
"What was that?" He asked aloud as he clapped a hand over his mouth.
Interesting, Zabimaru said as she padded over to him, you've already sprouted your fangs.
Fangs? I don't have fangs. Humans don't have fangs! Renji thought that it would be better to keep this conversation between the cat and himself.
As I said before, you are not human. Stop denying it. You need to follow me, or…would like to kill all of your little human friends?
I'm not a vampire! He snapped. I'm a human!
Fine, if you're so human, please follow me, and demonstrate you mortality.With that, the small cat padded off towards the door, with the, now curious, Renji in tow.
***
Renji sighed as he followed Zabimaru out of the apartment complex and out onto the street. She plopped herself down onto the concrete and looked up at him with large, pale jade pools.
"What do you want me to do?" Renji asked as he stared down curiously at Zabimaru.
Continue about with your normal human activities.
Renji nodded; slowly, he turned and began to walk toward the Enigma Garden, a small café down the street. An odd feeling coursed through his body every time he passed by someone on his way to the café. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine, cedar, and dark, melted chocolate. It was absolutely irresistible. He could also hear a gentle thrumming that sounded very close to a pulse. He bit his bottom lip and tried to ignore the smell. Renji's head was still reeling from the newly received vision he had magically obtained.
Give it up, Red-head. It's killing you to walk by all of these humans, so give in. They're yours for the taking. Zabimaru pushed.
No, I am not a- one of those freaks! I am not like that! I'm human! I have a life, and friends!
Fine, I'll let you torture yourself for a few more days and maybe then, you can accept the fact that you are what you are and you can't change it; no matter how much you deny it or don't believe it.
Renji sighed as he turned around and headed back towards his home; he suddenly wasn't in the mood for anything to eat and his had begun to sting.
When he arrived home he flung himself back into bed and pulled the sheets over his head. Zabimaru worked her way under the sheets; she pressed her small body against his chest and fell asleep along with Renji.
A/n: Yes! I'm done! It took forever to finish this. Yes! I just want to dance! Tee Hee, I made Zabimaru a girl kitty. Aren't I awful. No flames or anything flame-like. Please write reviews!