Vampirates
By: K_Leigh_B
Summary: Her feelings get the better of her, and encouraged her to take a course in life based on a promise. But along the way, she finds out the truth of reasoning as well as the truth about herself. But with Vampire Pirates as companions on this journey? What could possibly go wrong?
Rate: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon nor do I assume I do. This is merely a random plot I thought of to which I used the Sailor Moon characters. . please don't sue *hands and knees* plsss. I also want to say I don't own 'Wanted' nor the storyline, but used the idea as a beginning. I also don't own .Hack. I merely used characters names. THE VOICES MADE ME DO IT!
Chapter 2: Eight Years Later
Okay, so now you know how my journey begun. But since then, it has been eight years since I actually made something for myself. I had gone through a lot of trouble, and hardship, but finally after eight years I got familiarity back into my life… but I suppose that was when the real trouble begun.
After the night I made my promise, I thought of every possible thing I could do to save Darien. Unfortunately though, it was not until two years later on my tenth birthday while on an outing I escaped the clutches of the orphans nuns and fathers. I had run and run until my legs had given out on me. I had gotten far, but it wasn't until then, that I remembered I had nothing on me but the shoes and clothes I wore. I was penniless and hungry. After roaming for a few days I came across a farm. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the front door since I fainted. But when I woke up I was in a nice warm bed. A lady soon came in with a tray with food. Anyways, after talking to her and telling my story, she agreed to let me work for her, feeding the animals, doing farm work and cleaning in return for food and clean clothes.
It was close to a year being with her when stray bandits attacked her. It was not by accident that they took me; because when they had come across me, they said it themselves, "Estelle Goddess." Obviously it would appear that these 'bad guys' knew more than normal society about, well… me. But after a few days with the bandits, I slowly made myself one of them and learned as much as I could. It was my second year with them, and we were camping just outside a small village in the sands around a fire.
"When you stole me from that woman's farm years back," I posed the question to the leader who had stolen me, "what did you mean by 'Estelle Goddess'?" he was seating back from the others and I came to him. These questions of my existence were running wild in my head. Everyday I would try to ask the leader… but the opportunity would slip, or I'd merely force myself to believe I was hearing things that day. But today, I had a feeling inside me that forced my mouth open, and the words to spray out.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Standing up, he ushered me to come with him. He led me away from the others, far enough so they were just out of sight. "You do not know who you are?" he asked with humour lashing his words. One brow slightly rose as he turned and looked upon me.
"No sir. When I was 4, I was on a boat crash and forgot my past." I looked at him, "you are the second person to mention 'Estelle' around me." I help my voice solid and even. No emotions on my face. I did not need him playing with me. I wanted straight answers, and by jolly that is what I will get!
He started laughing a deep unbelieve laugh, "Well, what have you heard about the place?" he asked me wiping the tears from his laughter.
I thought for a moment, "Not much, just that it was a magical place created in stories. It's not real… and it's the one place that well… pirates, bandits and other bad people want to find for all its riches and such."
He just looked at me. "What if I told you, that it was real, that people have been there? That it is a magical place? That you my dear are one of its creatures?" his face was stone serious. And for a rather joking man, this meant he was dead serious.
I held my breath in. Surely he was lying? Bandits are good at that? "I would say; have you been there? And how do you know?" my voice was pushing, curiosity was there, and the chief bandit knew it.
"The people who travel there hardly come back… it's the one place us bandits and pirates aim to reach in our glory for gold and jewels, but it's still a mission of doom. Mostly it's a one way trip, unless you know where you are going." He laughed. "But still… even with a map, the place is a maze, and the temptation is too easy to get yourself lost."
"But you did not answer my questions." I urged. If he was pulling my leg and making this whole story up, I would by Goddess make him tell some pretty convincing lies then!
Leaning in quietly, his eyes captured mine intently, "Yes, I have been there. Yes I want to go back, but no, I will not. I gave up my pirate life for land life. That place is crazy and scary. Absolutely beautiful! But I was there for a total of three months. The crew I was with were killed off and I was only lucky to exit that god-forsaken place thanks to another helpless crew that entered the void and opened the gateway for me to exit. Ever since, I tried my hardest to keep away. And here I am, on the other side of the world, on land."
"But if it was a godforsaken place, then how did you know I was from there? That I am one of its creatures?" Okay. His story was a little convincing I must admit. But his trick worked, I was interested in hearing some more.
A small smile spread across his features, "Because when you enter that place, you are welcomed by such beautiful damsels that looked like yourself, with all the fruits of life, lushes foods and wines, but also because you have the same speck in your eyes. You may appear to be innocent and pretty, but there is something there, and I think, sooner or later you will find out your powers and just how amazing they are."
"But you are not scared?" I started, "if you know I am such a terrible deceiving thing… then why keep me?"
"Maybe it's an old fool's hope, maybe I'm hoping we'll come across pirates of sorts and trade you off for lots of gold," he wondered off.
"Hope that whoever lost me will find me, and grant you riches for keeping me safe?" I merely asked, "Or maybe that one day you'll return there and hope that having me with you will be let you pass the gate to somewhere unbelievable… the place of beauty from the stories?"
"You're not so dumb. But you can't get angry at a man for trying and wishing."
"If you weren't a bandit I'd have every right of calling you a selfish malicious old man!" I started to yell. "Using me! Just to toy with your own wants!"
I was getting very angry, and for some reason he was grinning at me with amazement in his eyes, and THAT made me even angrier. But then my vision became red and I was snapped out of being angry to shocked and scared. I looked at the chief and realized there were deep lashes in his skin. I quickly ran to him, "What happened! Oh my goodness!"
Choking, I could hear him slowly faint out his next words, "Fury is the passion of fight… you my dear… are the special Estelle goddess that went missing…" and that was when I could see his aura fade to nothing. He had died. But his last words caught. 'The Estelle Goddess that went missing.' I was scared, and before the other bandits had time to notice what I must have done, I ran away.
The two years I was with them, they had taught me how to fight and defend myself. Not only that but how to steal and become a bandit. I was good at it. The chief said I was fast learner. But there were reasons as to why he took me in the first place, and I most certainly did not appreciate being used, so I snuck into a house while the tenants were out and I stole some male clothes and shoes and cut my hair shorter. I couldn't live with cutting it all off; I had to keep length, so I took a hat to hold it up, taking ink to draw a small moustache on. So upon exiting the house I looked like a boy. I had stolen some money from the houses I had broken into and started a small savings.
You could say I was a one-man bandit show. I stole to survive. It was the only way I could survive. Times were getting tough; villages were getting stricter to ensure people like me didn't steal from them.
After having a life on the run and stealing to make a living, I did get sick of it… and the fact that I was only sixteen, with three years living as a bandit by myself; I was young. I had many more opportunities ahead of me, and I was going nowhere. No progress on myself this way and definitely no progresses on finding Darien. No, I had not forgotten Darien for one moment. He was always on my mind. And the necklace around my neck burned the raging flame inside of me to find him. I know it's hard to understand, but the only reason I came up with, for me chasing after a boy I hardly knew, was well… I must have loved him. There must have been some weird connection… and well… nothing really normal happens when it comes to me.
So upon deciding how young I was, and the opportune moments ahead of me, I decided to clean up before heading into the next village and try to get a normal job and have some sort of normality back into my life. Hoping, that maybe something will happen, to which it would benefit me.
Making the most of what I had, I had hired a room at the local inn and made myself more 'girly'. After washing thoroughly, my hair had become very dead; losing its shine and my skin, due to travelling had become duller. So no one would recognize me, at least straight away. Finding a clean pair of clothes, I headed down to the reception.
"Excuse me," I walked towards the woman at the reception desk, "I was wondering if you knew where one such as me would go to possibly apply to get a job around here?"
The woman just looked at me, "how old are you Hun?" her voice was high-pitched and a bit snobbish.
"Sixteen ma'am"
"Why don't ya head down the road to the local tavern; the misses there is looking for a new waitress."
I smiled at the woman, "thank you very much," and I left the reception out the door towards the tavern.
I was skipping, yes skipping towards the tavern like a three year old. I do not know why, but it made me happy that I was actually going to do something worthwhile with my life.
When I entered the tavern, the musky thick smell overwhelmed me. It was like a haze at first, but as I furthered in I could see much better. Finding the bar, I looked at a woman.
"Excuse me, excuse me!" I exclaimed.
She just looked at me. She had short curly hair and was wearing a maid's outfit. She was slightly biggish, and she looked like she was a kind person.
"I was told you were looking for a new waitress," I said as I came closer to her, "the woman at the inn said I should try here looking for a job."
"Yes, I know her," the woman said sweetly as she looked over me, "how bad do you want a job?"
"Really bad," I looked at her. "I've got nothing else."
"Well I've already found another waitress, but can you sing? Or dance?"
"I can sing…" I started, "but it's been awhile!" I quickly added.
"If you can sing you can dance," she said matter of fact, "now, do you want this job or not?"
I just looked at her, "I'll take it!" My voice was clam and stern.
"Very well, I'll hire you. But your first two pay checks are going into your uniform, and getting you new clean clothes and products for your hair and face." She looked over me again, "when can you start?"
"Whenever," I said automatically.
"Okay, wait by the stairs and will be two seconds."
I waited by the stairs and looked around. The décor was nice… nothing special… but before I could snoop too much the lady was walking towards me. "Follow me dear," she said quietly as she started to head up the stairs.
Following her, I noticed a lot of closed doors and a long hallway. She led down the hallway right to the end. Opening the door quietly, she hurried me inside, closing the door immediately. "Okay," she said walking towards another door. "I want you to have a bath, and I'll get you a new dress to wear. I will then do your hair and make-up."
"Thank you!" I quickly said.
"Not a problem dear… I just hope they like you…" she mumbled as she grabbed for stuff in the cupboard.
"What do you mean?" I asked, curiosity smothering my words.
She turned to me, "Our main clients are very picky… so we go through a lot of singers and dancers…"she then returned to the door and closed it. "Now let's get you bathed and dressed."
After the nice bath, I got dressed in a grey frilly maid like dress. The top of the dress was rather revealing in a low cut V with a red bow and the skirt was rather filly that went outward… I'm sure there was a technical word for it… but I was never one for girly things. But the lady also got me to wear long… long white socks that went just above my knee with black heel like shoes that had a strap over the bridge of my foot… yes… heels… me… total catastrophe in its self.
"Are the shoes…" I looked at her, then back to my feet, "really necessary?"
She let a small laugh out, "yes my dear… our clients like cute. And that is cute." She turned towards a duchess vanity whatever you called it thing, "now over here, we'll do your hair and make-up."
I did as I was told, and sat where she told me. "So is tonight like my…. trail? Or something?" I asked as she did my hair.
She paused for a moment and continued, "No," she fiddled around some more with my hair. I was going to ask again, but she looked like she wanted to say something extra. "We're getting a very special visitor," her voice shook. This made me think that maybe they were some kind of powerful people or something, but I let her continue. "And he is very particular about having a singer to sing every time he comes in… and currently we didn't have any… so you coming in here was a god sent," she smiled. "I just hope he isn't too picky."
I didn't say anything further. I already kind of grasped what she meant. She was hoping I looked 'girly' enough for him. She had washed my hair enough to get some shine back into the silver and curled my shoulder length hair into rolls that dropped. She also cut my hair, giving me a fringe that feathered around my face. "Perfect," she said once she dropped the last curl and stepped back. "I must say, the silver hair is very mesmerizing… I think he shall be pleased… very mysterious," she… well I think it was a praising statement. "Now for your make-up dear," she said stepping back to me, grabbing a brush full of powder.
I'll admit, I sneezed a few times and made her slap me lightly on the shoulder to stay still, but she was very, VERY pleased with the end result. Maybe a little TOO pleased. She just stood there staring at me. Joy was on her face, along with a smile, but there was something else there too. Like realisation, but not completely?
"Is it done?" I asked softly to break the silence.
It was like someone slapped her back, "oh, yes," she laughed, "I'm pleased with the result! I think you will last here!" she praised.
"Thank-you," I said as I turned in my seat to the mirror. And THAT was when I choked. Seriously, I thought I was like… seeing someone else. She had illuminated my face by making it paler, and adding shimmery stuff around my eyes, emphasizing my eyes were the black stuff she put on my lashes. "Umm…"I tried to ask if this was real, but there was a loud shudder from downstairs. I looked at the lady.
Gasping she looked towards the clock that on the table opposite. "No!" she quickly tired up, running back and forth from the room. "He's early." She started to panic, turning to me she said, "Here's your chance to shine," she smiled as she grabbed me and hauled me down the hallways and down the stairs. When we reached the bottom of the stairs she pushed me behind her, still grasping my arm, and led me towards the bar where there were two men quarrelling. "Excuse me gentlemen!" she raised her voice as she reached them. "There are ladies present in this place! Have some kind of civility to you!" her voice held anger.
Peering around her I could see that there was a whole band of men in the tavern; in front of the lady were three men… more like gods… they were handsome! Umm… yeah, they were quarrelling with the man behind the counter. But the men… I looked back at the other men in the tavern, and they had that pale porcelain skin. But they were dressed in… well… knee cut denim and white, black and blue shirts… I had a thought that maybe they were pirates, but the three in front of me were dressed in formal suits. The headman, I'd imagine so since he was dressed more elegantly in full-length black pants and a matching jacket, had already started talking to the lady. She was trying to somewhat hide me. So I slid my face back behind her, listening to the conversation unfold.
"Madam Ral," there was a pause… I think he was probably bowing or something, "a pleasure to see you again."
The lady had changed her weight onto her other foot, "you're early!" she said unpleased. "And what is this? Making a scene here..." She motioned her arm around. "With you scaring everyone away, how am I supposed to make a living?"
A small chuckle came from the man, "Sorry Madam. But your friend here," he paused… I think pointing towards the barmen, "said a very… disturbing thing to me when I asked where my songbird was."
The lady nodded her head, "Well, I'm sure he must have been confused!" her voice rose at the end when she looked at the barmen. "Your songbird is right here with me," she quickly added as she pulled me from her back and pushed me towards the men. It was all of a sudden, but I could feel my cheeks getting redder, so I looked down at the floor; pretty amazed I hadn't tripped on these heels yet.
The men took a step back, as did the two behind him. "You do not like her?" the lady quickly asked, fear crossed with her words.
I looked up, turning towards the woman, then to the man; but I could not look at his face. The woman was scared, so I did not want to do something to provoke him. I merely focused on something across the room, keeping my head up.
"She is new," he faced the lady.
"Yes," she said slowly, "but she had a wonderful voice! You will be pleased."
He chuckled again, "I am already pleased," he was looking at the woman, but as I turned to her, her face showed shock and fear, "Now get me and my men some drinks," and he turned to me, "sing!"
I swallowed hard and looked at the woman. "This way dear," she pulled me again. "All you have to do is sing, and sing, and sing… and that is all." She pushed me onto a stage like thing, "and please..." there was a faint sound of fear in her voice, "do not leave this stage…" she looked back at the man, "even if he tells you to come to him, or anyone else." She looked back at me, right in the eyes, "promise me you will only do what I tell you, no one else."
I looked in her eyes, something told me that something bad was unfolding, "I promise," I nodded as I looked at her. I couldn't help myself, the next thing just popped out of my mouth, "Who is he? Why are you so scared of him?"
She gulped, "I owe my life to him, so do others in this town, and many other towns… but," she looked at me swallowing deeply, "he, and his crew are to be feared because they are Gods of Death."
I looked at her, my brows furrowing, "what do you mean?" if she meant what I think she meant… well… hell… I'd be scared too!
"Exactly what I said! Now sing!" she pushed me, "sing anything!" she then quickly ran off from my sight and I looked in front of me. There was a stand, and a bright light. Further on I could see everyone in the tavern. Blocking my nerves, I closed my eyes and sung.
Trapped in the darkness of my eyes, I blocked out the light, and I blocked out the little things like the fact there were… vampires… in this tavern; a scared woman, and the fact that the image of myself was still burnt into my memory. Hoping that no one realized just who I was; but more the fact, I could please this man, and make everything run smoothly for the woman who had so graciously given me this job.
But well… one can only wish… for later that night… everything just went downhill.