A/N : Hi people ! (gets knives and rotten fruits thrown at her) Eek ! I'm sorry, I'm sorry ! I know it's been an awfully long time since I've updated this fic ! I really am sorry. If you wanna know the reasons for the lateness, just go to my profile, it's all written there. If you don't give a damn, that's fine with me too ! I won't bore you with my explanations if you don't want to hear them. That's why it's not written here.
Raiu : Just start already. Don't you think you made them wait long enough ?
Nobody asked your opinion, Raiu.
Raiu : And nobody asked to hear your rambling, but you're rambling anyway.
I've got just about enough of you ! (takes out a laser canon) Die ! (fires several times)
Raiu : (has taken refuge in her fallout shelter)
Akari : (ignores the war raging behind her) Just read on people, I'm sure you'll like it !
.: Ketsuen' :.
by cherry fantasy
Chapter one : From so far I've come
The power of our breed, he shall enhance
If he should reach 1 000 years of existence
Child of darkness, prince of the underworld
He shall be kept untouchable
Japan, year 2006 (present days)
It was the middle of summer, and the night was calm and warm. During the day, the streets of Domino City were bustling with activity, from the endless flow of people rushing across the streets to the constant car traffic. But now that night had fallen, every last one of those same streets, except maybe the Main road, were suddenly totally empty. Well, maybe not totally...
A semblance of life remained in the city, while most other people were sleeping peacefully at home. There was still all those thugs hanging around in the lower-districts and the dark alleys, some of them brave or influent enough to actually venture in the more public places. What were they doing out at this time of night ? The usual : street fights, smoking, exchange of drugs, sometimes meetings between gang leaders, either violent or not. Often they would also do minor infractions, just for fun, or corner a poor passer-by who had been unlucky enough to be there at the wrong time. They would give him the scare of his life, steal his money, beat him up maybe. There was murders sometimes, it was inevitable in such a world with such people. But if you think those were the scariest beings wandering the nocturne city, you are greatly mistaking. In fact, they were all unconsciously offering themselves as a nice little snack for the real dangers of the night...
On top of a forty-storied building, a lone figure was standing, looking carelessly at the landscape below. It was wearing black leather boots adorned with metal studs, black and tight leather pants with two belts hanging at the waist, and an equally tight sleeveless shirt made of the deepest red silk. Over all was a long black trench-coat, also made of leather and waving gracefully in the wind. A simple earring shaped like an egyptian ankh and made of silver was hanging on the person's right ear, while a black choker was adorning the slender neck.
The leather clad figure walked to the roof's ledge and stepped fearlessly on it, its whole body keeping a perfect balance. The boy, for it was indeed a boy, slowly raised his gaze to look at the sky ; even with the sun gone, the bright city lights were making the stars almost invisible. The boy sighed dejectedly... Spiky tri-colored hair was crowning his head, some blond bangs framing his handsome face, and piercing blood red eyes glanced at their surroundings in an uninterested manner...
"Yami !" he suddenly heard his name being called.
"Damn..." Yami grunted.
He thought about fleeing for a moment ; he knew he could escape his pursuers with no real difficulty. But then his father would throw a fit and give him one of his lectures once he got home, saying that «he didn't have the right to escape his guards» and that «he should learn to be more responsible» because «something could happen anytime» and blah, blah, blah... Much too often his father seemed to willingly forget that Yami probably was, after him, the most powerful of their breed.
Yami sighed and got off the building's ledge, stepping on the roof once more. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and just waited.
It wasn't long before three other men joined him, their feet not making any sound on the concrete rooftop. They were all wearing dark leather clothes and boots in a fashion similar to him. Yami knew them since... in fact, as far as he could remember (which was a very long time), he had always known them. They were his three personal guards : Mahado, the loyal one, Shada, the wise one, and Karim, the silent one. But they weren't only his guards, they were also his friends, and he cared for them very much. And he knew they all cared about him too, a little too much even...
"Yami" Shada started with a severe tone once they all stood before him, "do you know what your father told you about sneaking off on us ?"
"Yes"
"Would you then please remind it to us ?" Shada added, narrowing his eyes.
"When you go outside, always take your guards with you whatever your business is. Never quit their range of sight and if forced to do so be sure to let them know your location through your telepathic link" Yami recited dully.
"Glad to see you remember" said Shada. "And were you in any way forced to leave us behind just now ?"
"No"
"Then you are conscious that you broke the rules concerning your protection again" stated Mahado.
"Yes" Yami answered coldly, apparently unfazed.
Karim rolled his eyes and Shada shook his head disapprovingly. Mahado just sighed and asked :
"Why ?"
Yami turned his back on them and stared at the city before him, silent. After a moment, they saw his lithe shoulders slump slightly as he said without turning around :
"Because those rules are choking me"
Although it was well hidden, they could clearly hear the sadness in his voice. Their formal attitude vanished at the very second ; right now, Yami wasn't a charge they needed to protect, he was a friend who needed comfort and understanding.
Mahado approached him and gently placed his hands on Yami's shoulders, pressing them reassuringly. Then he said :
"I am so sorry Yami. You know we would do something about it if we could"
"But you can't"
"...No. We can't"
"I know. Thanks anyway" He paused then added : "...And sorry for running off on you"
"It's Ok, I suppose. We understand"
"Will you tell father ?"
"Not this time"
Yami turned his head to look at him, then at Karim and Shada. They all gave him small smiles, and hesitantly he smiled back.
"We should return to the mansion now" declared Karim.
Yami grumbled a bit but he agreed. The four of them stepped on the roof's ledge and without so much as an hesitation, jumped off the building. They touched the ground seconds later, completely unharmed and without a sound except for a rustle of cloth.
They slowly got up from their crouched positions, straightening their clothes. Before they could leave though, Shada turned around and narrowed his eyes at Yami, asking with a clipped tone :
"Yami, have you fed tonight ?"
The latter frowned and looked away. This was answer enough for his companions, who let out a collective sigh of exasperation.
"What are you trying to do, starve yourself to death ?" Mahado exclaimed, a trace of concern in his voice. "You know you need to feed at least once a night !"
"Can't I just have some from the reserves we keep at the mansion ?" Yami asked, still not looking at them.
"It's been four nights since you've fed on that stuff, Yami !" Shada said. "You need something fresh or you'll get sick ! And don't get me started on what your father will do if he finds out that you've been taking from the emergency reserves instead of hunting for your meal !"
"I know, I know !" Yami growled out, getting frustrated.
He'd always hated to hunt, and he would always hate it. But sadly, it was that or dying a slow and painful death. Yami had no great desire to suffer such a fate, and even if he did, his father would find a way to force-feed him before letting anything happen to the "Child of the Prophecy". Especially now that Yami was nearing his one thousandth birthday.
Also, his three guards would get in trouble if it was discovered that they had let him feed on the mansion's reserves. That Yami could knock them all out or freeze them with his will alone would not be taken into consideration. They had been chosen to be his personal guardians and as such they were expected to be able to keep him in line. Nobody could touch him (even though he'd probably receive a six hours lecture from his father), but his guards would be punished. Yami didn't want that.
"Alright, you win" he finally said dejectedly, resigning himself to the inevitable. "I'll go find something quick and get this over with"
"We're coming with you" Mahado stated with a tone that just dared Yami to argue.
"Yes, I know" this one merely retorted, rolling his eyes.
And then they were on their way, heading toward the lower-districts where preys were always easy to find. Soon the four of them had vanished into the shadows of the alley without so much as a sound, as if themselves were part of the darkness.
Which really, they were.
o0o
«Gettin' anything, Otogi ?» a voice asked through the static of a communication device.
«Negative» came the answer. «Honda terminated one earlier, but that's pretty much all»
«Report» a third voice ordered dryly.
«Male, about my height, short red hair, wearing black clothes with a red trench coat. He was alone»
«His victim ?»
«A woman in her twenties, probably a prostitute. She's dead. We were already too late when we arrived on the scene»
«Damn !» the first voice exclaimed. «Well, you both Ok, guys ?»
«We're fine Jonouchi. I got a few scratches and Honda a nice shiner, but that's all. He's taking care of the woman's body as we speak»
«Good. So, ya haven't seen any other since then ?»
«No. How about you two ?»
«Negative» answered the cold voice from earlier. «We haven't met any since the start of our round. Something isn't right»
«Yeah, normally they're already going rabid at this hour of the night !» Jonouchi said.
«Maybe there's some kind of gathering that we don't know about ?» Otogi suggested. «Or maybe an Ancient sneaked into town without us noticing. That would have most of them off the streets for a couple of nights»
«It's a possibility» came the neutral answer. «They could also be preparing something. Something that we won't like»
«Those damn bloodsuckers !» Jonouchi ranted. «Just as I feel like slicing a few of them in half, they decide to go "Let's play hide and seek" on me ! Parasites, that's what they are !»
«Shut up, Katsuya, or you'll get stabbed in the back» the cold voice stated.
«Pfff ! As if those wackos could sneak up on me !»
«I wasn't talking about them»
«You're such a jerk, Kaiba ! Why in the world did Pegasus pair you up with me tonight ? He knows damn well we can't stand each other !»
«It is not for us to question, Katsuya. Now just be quiet and pay attention to your surroundings»
«Bastard...» Jonouchi grumbled before ending the communication.
From his side of Domino City, Otogi shook his head and raised his eyes upwards, praying for a divine intervention. He heard footsteps behind him and glanced back quickly ; seeing it was Honda, he dropped his guard slightly.
"All done ?" Otogi asked, talking about the woman's body.
"Yes" Honda answered. "Who were you communicating with ?" he added.
"Jou and Kaiba. I swear, one of them's not gonna come back in the morning, and it won't be the vampires' fault !"
Honda smirked and said :
"Arguing much ?"
"No kidding" Otogi said with a sigh. "They're making a sport out of it, and it's who's gonna get the gold medal first !"
"It shouldn't surprise you. We all know they can't stand each other's face"
"I'm not surprised, I'm exasperated ! They have to work together or they're gonna get themselves killed !"
"Jou, maybe. Kaiba, I seriously doubt it. Don't forget he's the best of all of us. And since he's with Jou, well we shouldn't worry about him either"
Otogi sighed again and admitted :
"You're probably right... Anyway, it's so dead tonight they'll be lucky if they even see a vampire"
"True" Honda confirmed, slipping an arm around Otogi's waist. "See, you're worrying for nothing, love"
Otogi leaned in the other's embrace and answered :
"Yeah, I suppose I am... I mean, what could possibly happen that Kaiba wouldn't know how to handle ?"
o0o
"See anythin' yet ?"
"No"
"Jeez, this is so boring ! If I'd wanted to take a walk, I'd have done it earlier today at the park !"
Seto Kaiba scowled, trying to repress the urge to strangle his blond-haired partner. Pegasus wouldn't be happy about it, and it wouldn't look very good in his records. But why couldn't the stupid mutt just shut up for more than five seconds ? It was driving him crazy !
He was about to mention that fact aloud with a few other comments of his choosing when suddenly, he heard a scream.
Whirling his head around in the estimated direction the scream had come from, Kaiba also heard Jonouchi exclaim beside him :
"Finally, some action !"
Kaiba frowned, but this wasn't the moment to start arguing.
They both took off toward a dark alley at their left, weapons out and body poised for the upcoming fight that would certainly take place. They ran as fast as their legs would allow (which was very fast), taking a few turns and penetrating deeper and deeper into the lower-districts. Gradually they slowed down, making absolutely no noise as they approached their destination. After one last turn they halted their steps, coming upon a scene that was both horrifying... and quite strange.
A rather small figure wearing a black leather trench coat was standing with its back to them, its body slightly bent over that of a young girl who couldn't be more than sixteen years old. The figure had long spiky hair standing upright on its head like a crown, black locks tipped with red. The creature was slender and not very tall, but nonetheless seemed to have complete control over its victim, who now laid motionless in its grip. What made this scene so odd though was the three men standing side by side around the spiky-haired figure, as if protecting it. Those men were tall and muscular, looking much more like a challenge. Obviously though, their only purpose was to guard the smaller one ; they were just standing there with their arms crossed, waiting without so much as a blink while the other fed.
Those three men looked like bodyguards.
Now wait, a vampire with bodyguards ? That was unheard of ! Allies, servants or followers, maybe, but bodyguards ? Even the Ancients didn't have such a thing ! What vampire could be important enough to require the use of bodyguards ?
All those observations had taken Jou and Seto merely a few seconds, but it was enough for the shorter vampire to finish its meal. The two Hunters could only watch in anger as the vampire slowly raised its head, removing its fangs from the girl's neck. Strangely though, instead of simply dropping the body to the ground, the figure lowered the girl gently and laid her down with care on the dirty pavement.
What happened next though was what really rooted the two Hunters to the spot. Literally.
The figure rose and wiped its mouth with its sleeve. Then, with its back still to them, it spoke up, the voice definitely male :
"Don't move"
Jou and Kaiba frowned, wondering what the vampire was babbling about...
...until they realized that they couldn't move their body anymore.
They were discovered, and they were paralyzed from head to toe. Not good was an understatement.
Now, of course they knew that vampires had strong psychic powers and that they could control humans with their mind. Every Hunter knew about such basic knowledge concerning the vampire race. But, precisely because of that knowledge, every Hunter was given a magical amulet that prevented vampires from using their powers on them. Seto and Jou had on particularly strong ones. Even an Ancient would have trouble getting passed its magic.
Yet, with only two words and without even establishing eye contact, this small vampire had frozen them as if the amulets weren't even there.
The three other vampires hadn't moved, apparently not surprised by what was happening and obviously not doubting the efficacy of the smaller one's power. The latter then turned around, and Jonouchi and Kaiba finally got a good look at him ; what they noticed first was the golden blond strands pointing up in his spiky hair, over the black and red locks. A few other blond bangs framed his youthful face, and a silver earring shaped like an ankh was dangling from his right ear. In appearance, the vampire looked no older than them. He had high cheekbones, a proud little nose and large almond-shaped eyes underlined with black kohl. Their color was absolutely striking : red. Ruby red. Red like blood.
The vampire was beautiful.
The thought crossed Jou's and Kaiba's mind at the same time. They immediately tried to deny it, but it was impossible, especially with those ruby red eyes looking their way. Not that the vampire was using his powers on them. No, what really disturbed the two Hunters was that they knew the thought had been theirs, and not some vampire mind trick.
Meanwhile, the vampire just stared at them and said :
"Hunters"
It wasn't a question, nor an accusation. He sounded like he was merely stating a fact.
His red gaze swept over Jou, then lingered a bit longer on Seto ; this one had never been so confused about what he was feeling. He hated vampires, and for a very good reason. He hunted them, he killed them, he was one of the best... And yet, Seto found himself liking the way those red eyes lingered on him, feeling pleased to have caught this gorgeous creature's interest... Immediately after he blinked, not believing his own mind. He would've shook his head to clear it, had his body not been paralyzed.
Kaiba knew those had been his own thoughts as well.
What the Hell was going on with him ?
The spiky-haired vampire approached them, the other three following behind without a word. Jou and Kaiba tensed, knowing that at the moment they were unable to defend themselves if they were attacked. But the vampire merely stopped a few feet away from them, looked them up and down, then said :
"You're good. You've killed many among my kind" he stated with that matter-of-fact tone again. His voice was deep and strangely soothing...
"Yeah, so what ? What are ya gonna do about it, shrimp ?" Jonouchi spat. They were paralyzed, but they could still speak.
Seto almost groaned in exasperation. 'That's it mutt, anger the vampire while we are at his mercy !' he thought sarcastically. How Katsuya had survived so long, it was a wonder to him.
The vampire though didn't seem to take offence, to both Kaiba's and Jonouchi's surprise. He glanced at Jou but had no other reaction. Then he pursued, completely changing the subject :
"The girl is not dead. I did not take everything. You should bring her to a hospital when I release you from my hold. If she rests she will be fine"
The Hunters just stared at him, stunned beyond words.
The vampire gave them one last glance, then turned around and walked away, his three companions only a few steps behind him. Just before the four of them vanished into the night, Kaiba heard the vampire's voice whisper in his head :
I hope we will meet again, Seto.
Then they were gone, and Jou and Kaiba were suddenly free to move. For a moment they said nothing, then Jonouchi exclaimed :
"What in Pete's name just happened ! Who the Hell was that vamp ?"
"I don't know" Kaiba replied dryly, his mind still filled with visions of ruby red eyes.
Working somewhat on autopilot, he walked toward the teenage girl lying on the ground and crouched beside her. Reaching out, he put two fingers to the side of her neck...
"So, she really alive ?" Jou asked, having come to stand beside him.
"Yes" Kaiba answered, feeling a pulse beneath his fingertips.
"Damn..." Jonouchi breathed out. "What kind of vampire takes pity on his preys and lets them survive ? ...Come to think of it, what kind of vampire has bodyguards, can freeze Hunters despite their amulets, and lets said Hunters go unharmed when he had the perfect occasion to kill them ?"
"I don't know" was once again Kaiba's only answer to every question.
'What kind of vampire can break through my mental shields and read my thoughts, when no other was ever able to ?' Kaiba thought, his emotions still a jumbled mess.
"Jeez, Pegasus will flip when we'll report this to him !" Jou declared. "And that's if he believes a word we say !"
Seto just took the unconscious girl in his arms, intending to bring her to the Domino Hospital, which by luck wasn't very far. Then again, could he truly believe this was a coincidence...?
Jonouchi followed him, for once being silent ; this only proved how confused he was. To be honest, Kaiba wasn't faring much better at the moment, although it was probably for different reasons...
( ...I hope we will meet again, Seto... )
Somehow, Kaiba had no doubt about that happening in a very, very near future.
What bothered him was that he was hoping for it, as well.
A/N : So, how awful was it ? Or (gets an incredulous expression) was it actually any good ? Well, I'd be happy if you told me it was, 'cause I'm not so sure about this chapter... But don't lie for my sake either, I want your honest opinion !
Akari : I thought it was good cherry-chan !
Thank you ! (glomps Akari)
Akari : Hey cherry-chan, where is Raiu ?
Raiu : (pokes her head out of her fallout shelter) Is it safe to come out yet ?
NO ! (fires away with her laser canon)
Raiu : Ah ! (quickly hides back in the shelter)
Akari : My, those two will never change. (turns to readers) Please review everyone, cherry-chan would really like it !