Hello, and welcome to the second chapter of Bloodlust. If you're reading this…I love you! If not…then I shouldn't say anything. You won't get the message! Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this, 'cuz I am. Kind of. If people would REVIEW more, I would probably get more into it. Sigh…
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Kairi and Sora walked down the street together, fingers entwined. They laughed together, their voices seeming distant and far away from where I sat watching them. Sora pulled her in, and they kissed. From the second story window, I could clearly see the happiness on their faces, a joy that only showed when they were with one another. I sighed and withdrew from my window into my dark room.
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. I paused for a second, wndering if they had spent ten minutes making out. It seemed likely.
As I opened the door, Kairi's ring caught the light. I flinched as the reflecting light ripped my eyes, blinding me. The two of them didn't notice my discomfort, too busy looking at each other lovingly.
"Are you two going to say something, or did you get the wrong address?" I asked, irritable and impatient. They blinked at me, smiling blankly.
"We're going downtown," Sora said, wrapping his arm around Kairi's waist. She laughed and put her hand on his. I was barely able to resist the urge to gag. "Wanna come?" he finished.
"Not if you two keep acting like that," I said seriously, grabbing my leather jacket off of its hook. When I turned back, they had their tongues in each other's mouths, kissing like there was no tomorrow. Scowling, I walked around them. Behind me, I heard their laughter, and I sank deeper into my loneliness.
I slouched along, with the two of them bouncing around me like eager little puppies. I had to make an effort to keep from yelling, "Sit!" at them in frustration.
The streets were quiet and empty, and we just walked around, talking about nothing in particular. Actually, I didn't talk at all. It's kind of my policy, after spending so much time around jerkoffs in the dark. Don't speak until spoken to, or else the consequences are immediate, dire, and painful. I knew that it applied here, too. If I said anything, I would just be ignored, as usual.
"Hey guys!" Kairi chirruped happily, "Let's go to—"
I never heard what she wanted to do, because at that moment her foot caught on something, and with a yelp she pitched forward. Without thinking, I caught her.
She said something, but I didn't hear it. Instead, I heard his voice hissing in my ear, "You're not human. She is. Do the math, or else let yourself become the pursued."
I shoved Kairi's chin up, sinking my fangs deep into her slim neck. She choked, spray-painting my hair crimson, but I didn't care, ignoring it, drinking in her blood greedily as my mind went into a tailspin. She was human, the hunted, and I'm the hunter, and Sora's here, too, pulling me off the dead girl and I spin, cracking his neck with my arm as easily as snapping a twig, and I see his eyes as he falls, rolled back and staring in surprise and anger, fright and hate—
"NO!" I screamed, jerking my hands away. Kairi flinched back in surprise, eyes wide. That look. Fear. I couldn't stand it, not from my friends, and with a lurch I take off, running as fast as I could. Now they've seen, I'm sure, the thing that resides in me, the bloodlusting beast that I really am.
I didn't stop running until I got back to my house, breathing hard. I took the stairs two at a time, nearly killing myself as I tipped on the last step, sprawling in the hallway. A sob rose in my throat as I lunged up again, hurtling myself into my parent's room. They both worked, and I knew that neither one was going to be home any time soon.
The cabinet was locked, but that presented no problem for me, being a Keyblade wielder. But not Master, no. Still, it was useful for unlocking things.
The gun was where I knew it would be, nestled in soft cloths. My dad kept it carefully oiled and primed in case he needed it. And it wasn't one of those pissy little six-shot pistols. This was something you'd expect to see with a cop or FBI agent.
I returned to my own room, comforted by how little light was able to creep in. My eyes fell on the still-full glass beaker of my own blood, and my gaze narrowed.
"That's what you want, isn't it," I snarled to him. Blood spattered the wall as I sliced open my wrist deeply, licking up the blood that seeped out. Without hesitation, I kept going, not even waiting for the flow of blood to stop. One, two, dozens of new cuts scored in my flesh, and vermillion streaked my skin, striping it darkly. I yelled, throwing the blade hard. It whistled through the air, sending a circular wave of blood spiraling though the room. Bandages, cut by the sharp edge of the ivory wing, fluttered to the ground, red flowers blooming on the white field.
The gun clisked as I flicked the safety off.
"Are you happy now?" I yelled. "I'm going to die, does that make you happy?" For once, he didn't answer, but I knew he was watching. Waiting.
The gun was icy cold against my temple, the barrel parting my long hair delicately. I smiled. They couldn't fear me now.
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Kairi gave chase as Riku ran off.
"Kairi!" Sora yelled, and she could hear the confusion and concern in the voice of her fiancée. She ignored it, focusing on her target's receding back. From his direction, she guessed that he was going back to his house.
Soon, he was out of sight, far faster than she. Still, Kairi kept running, worried. There had been something about the way he had screamed, and after he caught her…it as like he had become a different person. His expression had changed….but mostly it had been his eyes. The usually bright seagreen eyes had been stained a cold red, like crimson steel. It had given her the creeps. But then he had snapped out of—whatever it had been, and all she could see in his eyes was bottomless dread.
Finally, she arrived at his house. The front door was ajar, and she jogged in. As she did, she heard a shout and a loud thunk. She sprinted up the stairs, hearing Riku's words.
"Are you happy now? I'm going to die, does that make you happy?" he yelled, and a wave of helplessness swept through Kairi's body. She sprinted up the stairs, hearing Riku's words.
Bursting through the door, she saw Riku, back to her, holding a serious-looking black gun. She screamed, sprinting into the room, and leaping on him in an attempt at a flying tackle.
The gun hit the wall, and Kairi sat on him, glaring at him.
"What were you thinking?" she screeched. "God, if you want to kill yourself, just talk to us and—" her eyes landed on his mutilated arms and she gasped in horror.
"The fuck?" she shrieked. Riku just looked away, fueling her rage even further. Drawing back a fist, she slammed it as hard as she could into his stomach. He didn't even make a sound, just flinching slightly. She rubbed her knuckles ruefully, bruised from the blow to his muscle-hardened stomach.
He shoved her off, standing up. She leaped for the gun, pulling it away before he had the chance to pick it up. His outstretched hand hit the wall instead, and he turned to glare at her.
"Kairi," he said gently, "You don't understand."
"Bullshit! I'm trying to protect you, keeping you from killing yourself, you asshole! What the fuck were you thinking?"
"Kairi, I'm the one trying to protect you," he said softly, reaching for the weapon in her hand. She yanked it away from him.
"By killing yourself?"
"Yes."
Though not wanting to keep him continuing with these thought, his words made her curious. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.
He winced, as though hoping she wouldn't ask precisely that question. "I…" he said finally, staring at the floor," I want to die while you still think of me as human."
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I chose my words carefully, not wanting to give too much away. Unfortunately, I had forgotten how perceptive she was.
"Are you telling me you're not?"
"No!" I said, far too quickly. Her gaze narrowed.
"Having fun?" said that sibilant, all-too-familiar voice. He materialized, barely visible in the nearly pitch-black room, and only by his pale skin and hair.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
"I want to help you!" said Kairi, getting angry again. I looked at her, then back at him.
"I'm going to show her who…or rather, what you really are."
"How are you going to do that?" I snarled, getting pissed.
"Who are you talking to?" Kairi asked, following my gaze. Her stare seemed to slide right over him, not even seeing him at all.
"She…can't see you, can she," I said. He smiled in confirmation, showing white fangs that glistened with invisible light. "No," he conceded, "No, she can't."
"What the hell?" she said, waving her hands in the general direction of where I was looking, her fingertips missing his face by inches.
"Answer my question already," I said impatiently.
"My, my. A quick temper is not good for something like you. You may want to get professional help with that," he said smugly.
"Just answer my question already, you son of a bitch!" I snarled.
"Riku!" said Kairi, "Stop it, you're scaring me!" Her words made me freeze, panic flashing across my face.
"Funny thing about us," he said, making me look at him again. "You know we can fly, right?" With a rustle, wings blacker than ebony, dark even in the absence of light, unfurled from his back, blending in with his black leather cloak.
"You get them, too," he said, "and that's when the shit really hits the fan…for you and your, ah, friends." He disappeared, and a second later I was on my knees in agony. My back felt like it was being ripped open, torn apart by thousands of tiny blades. A gasp of pain rose in my throat, and through the pounding of blood in my ears, I could hear Kairi's voice.
"What? Riku, what's wrong?"
"N-no," I choked out, trying to push her away, but I doubled over, yelling in pain as the pain tripled, and with a tearing sound and the feeling of having all the flesh on my back ripped off, I flared my wings.
I heard Kairi's scream, loud and clear. Still on my knees with my forehead touching the floor, I struggled to breathe as the pain faded slowly. Raising my head, I met Kairi's gaze squarely. Her eyes were filled with tears, dread emanating from her so powerfully it was palpable.
"R-Riku…" she sobbed. "What are you?"
Her words stabbed into me with a cruelty deeper than any blade could have pulled off. The gun lay forgotten by her side. I wanted to do it, but I wouldn't let myself, in case it caused her to become even more afraid, and causing me even more pain. I closed my eyes, looking away as tears of my own sprung up, stinging and hot.
I heard her clamber to her feet, and I waited for her to leave. But she didn't. Instead, a soft hand touched my wing, full of uncertainty. I still didn't have much control over the ebony obscenities, and they flinched. Still, the hand did not move. I could feel each finger with acute awareness.
"I-I'm sorry…for asking…that," she said.
"No…you're right," I whispered. "I'm not human. I don't know what I am. Who I am."
The hand pressed down, slightly but firmly, with more self-control than before. "Well…I still shouldn't have…said that."
I shook my head, looking up at her sadly. "No. You can say or do whatever you want to me. I deserve it all. I'm not like you and Sora anymore. I'm no better than a dog that's been dumped on the side of the road. A feral stray."
"That's not true—" she protested, but I interrupted her. "I crave blood, Kairi. More than anything else in the world." Pointing at my table, I said softly, "Just look."
She looked. "Is that…blood?"
"Yes."
"Whose?" The question was thrown out cautiously, as if she weren't sure that she really wanted to know the answer.
"Mine."
Her gaze flickered, landing on my slashed wrists. I sighed, picking up the cut bandages, wiping the blood away carefully, still kneeling on the floor. I figured she'd be more comfortable if I wasn't towering over her.
"I guess…you can call me a vampire," I said, proffering my wrists. "And, as opposed to drinking blood from innocent people, I…take my own."
She dropped to one knee, grabbing my wrists, gasping at the criss-crossing scars, white against my pale skin. "Holy shit," she breathed, staring. "A-and you've been doing this how long?"
"Over three years now. Ever since…" I trailed off. She quirked an eyebrow at me. "Ever since..?" she prompted, dropping my hands.
"Ever since Castle Oblivion."
"Castle Oblivion? But you—"
"I met the Nobodies in that castle, Kairi. One of which was Number VI, or Zexion. He…he was a vampire. They tried to use me as their lapdog, and he eventually turned me into this. My replica ended up killing him," I finished, irritated. "Wish I could've done that bastard in myself, but…" I shrugged. "At least it looked like me."
"Is that who you were talking to? But he's dead."
"Yeah. I know. I don't understand it myself. He was the one who forced these out," I jabbed my thumb at my obsidian wings, "and he's been trying to convince me that if you found out…that you'd hate me."
"Is that why you said you'd rather die while I still thought of you as human?"
I hung my head, long silver hair brushing the blood-spattered carpet. "Yes," I admitted. "It was the only thing I was thinking about at that point."
"But if you had told us—"
"What? You could have helped me?" I laughed miserably. "What would you have done? Told me you weren't afraid? I wouldn't have believed you. And you can't supply me with blood. I can only take it from myself. I wouldn't think about taking it from either of you. Although, honestly," I said, glancing at her, "Would you really have offered?"
I shuddered as a wave of bloodlust swept through me. Kairi stared, trying hard to keep the fear from her face.
"Sorry," I said sadly, "But you'd better leave."
"Why?"
"So I don't drink any of your blood by accident if I go crazy with hunger. I can only drink mine. It's something I decided a long time ago, and I'm sticking to it."
"No, I don't…I won't leave you here by yourself," she said stubbornly, grabbing my hand and attempting to pull me to my feet. I, however, resisted her efforts. "What's up with you?" she snapped, frustration plain in her voice.
"You're nervous enough as it is. I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable when I'm standing a foot and a half taller than you," I said sarcastically. "But I won't look down on humans. To do that would be to forget what it was to be human myself."
"Oh, please!" she said. "You may not be exactly human, but you're still a person. You're still my friend," she said quietly, tears brimming in her eyes.
"You want to be friends with this? This thing I've become?" I opened my mouth, and my fangs shone. She flinched involuntarily, and I laughed hollowly.
"Don't worry, Kairi," I said gently. "Soon you won't have to be scared of me anymore. I know that eventually my own blood won't be enough to satisfy me anymore. And the last thing I want is for you or Sora to be near me when I lose whatever human part of my mind still remains. So I'm going to leave. Tonight. And you'll never see me again, I promise."
"No…" she breathed, panic on her features. I turned my back to avoid seeing it.
"You don't have to worry. I'll be far away, and I'll never touch you. Please, I need to do this. If I hurt either of you…" my voice trailed off again. "Do you understand? I have to do this."
"No! I don't understand!" she yelled, reaching out and yanking Way to the Dawn from the wall with a quick wrench. She raised it, only showing a brief second of hesitation.
"What are you—" my words were cut off as the ivory wing carved across the skin on the side of her neck. She yelped in pain, dropping the heavy blade. I leaped up despite myself. My wings obediently folded themselves, becoming all but invisible against the leather jacket they had torn through.
Kairi smiled at me, resolve set in her face. "Here. This is for you, so you won't leave. I can't let you leave. Take it."
I inspected the cut, trying not to breathe in the scent of her blood. It was a shallow cut, and would probably stop bleeding in a minute.
"N-no," I said, stepping back, shaking my head violently. Her gaze narrowed. "Take. It," she said, getting mad. "This is from your friend. And when you turn away your friends, you're about as far away from human as you can get, whether or not you have wings."
I, too, hesitated, but the steely look in her eyes forbade any further argument. I gave in, stepping forward cautiously. Her throat convulsed.
"If I feel even the tiniest prick from one of your fangs," she warned, "I'll fucking kill you."
"You'll have to beat me to it," I retorted.
"Good."
With a resigned sigh, I leaned my head down, brushing a few strands of red hair out of the way. I licked her neck, feeling her shiver. I waited for a second, but she just whispered, "I'm fine."
The taste of her blood was better, much sweeter and more pure than my own. I knew that she was afraid. But if she was willing to do this for me, then I was going to have to earn her trust.
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A.N. Yaay! Another chapter done! But where's Sora, you're wondering? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out. Anyhoo, review, please, it makes me feel better about myself. Not an easy accomplishment, but you can so it with a click of a button and three seconds' worth of typing. And flame as you please, I honestly want to know how my writing is.