Well, here's chapter four of Night of the Blood Contract! Sorry for the long wait everyone, but it wasn't my fault. Maggie was the one responsible for this chapter so Cindy is innocent ^_^
CINDY AND MAGGIE DOES NOT OWN UTAPRI OR THE CHRACTERS! ROSETTA BELINGS TO MAGGIE WHILE HIKARI BELONGS TO CINDY!
Haruka sat practically bouncing in her seat with impatience. Its been a few hours since Hikari was taken right from under their noses. She and the six vampires were on a train to god knows where. Haruka looked nervously over to they boys in the seats around her. Right next to her was Ittoki-kun. He had fallenasleep almost as soon as the train started moving. In front of herwere Ren and Masato. They were debating about something, but Haruka couldn't keep up with them long enough to find out what. Tokiya and Natsuki were behind her. Tokiya had ear buds in and was nodding his head slowly to a beat, while Natuski was looking at a piyo magazine.
But it was Syo across the aisle that really caught her attention. He was in the seat by himself with his head leaning on the window and staring out at the country as it flashed by. He's been extremely irritable since they took Hikari. The boys knew it was because she was his favorite food source, but Haruka couldn't help thinking it was something else. But she had to push that thought out of he mind and focus on finding Hikari.
The train stopped and her vampire companions were instantly on their feet. She followed them off a bit hesitantly.
Syo and Tokiya were whispering in front of her.
"You should take her somewhere and hide until we can get Hikari back." Syo said.
"I'm one of the strongest here, you'll need me." Tokiya crossed his arms.
"Its because your one of the strongest that you need to stay and protect Haruka. We don't want to lose both of them in one day." Syo grumbled.
Haruka burst between them. "I'm not staying behind! I'm going with you to find my little sister!"
The six of them stared. They didn't expect such an outburst from the shy girl.
"You don't understand what we're dealing with, Haruka." Natsuki said.
"But she's my sister! The only one I've got! Please! You have to let me come! I wouldn't be able to handle waiting somewhere safe while my sister's life could be in danger." Haruka pleaded with her chin dropping to her chest.
"…Its getting dark." Haruka looked up in surprise to see Masato staring off into the sunset. He slowly turned his head back to her. "It'll be even more dangerous where we're going when the sun sets. Are you sure you want to come?"
She nodded furiously.
Masato looked at his friends. They nodded in turn until Syo was the only one left. A grunt of approval was all they got from him before he tore off into a sprint.
Tokiya and Otoya each took one of Haruka's hands and ran with her. At the speed they were going, it didn't take long to reach their destination.
The house they stopped at was not what Haruka had been expecting. She was expecting a run down haunted mansion with weeping willows and bats. But they were standing at the gates of a very modern looking mansion with fountains and marble statues.
Tokiya chuckled at her surprised expression. "A haunted house would be preferred, but would draw too much attention. Keeping modern helps us hide."
They quickly went to the door and rang the bell. After a moment of waiting, the door opened.
"Ah, I see our young lords and masters have returned." Haruka stared in shock at the girl leaning with her arms crossed in the doorway.
She had shoulder length, roughly cut black hair and gray blue eyes with pale white skin contrasting greatly.
"We need to see Hyuga." Syo said sternly.
"Well, I'm afraid he's already returned home. You have his current address, go find him there." The black haired girl started to close the large door, but Ren stopped it with his foot.
"Emily." He growled. "He gave Him something of ours and we've come to retrieve it.
"Not my problem." She tried to close the door again, but he just pushed it open wider.
"How's that little plaything of yours?" Ren purred. Emily's face hardened. "I hear she's been taken in. For everyone to use… How did that feel, Little Lamb?"
"You should really stop calling girls that, it'll give them the wrong idea. And why do you need two. You've got one perfectly healthy one right there. When Hyuga brought that other girl in earlier, she was on the brink of death. He almost considered disposing of her." She said coolly.
"Just let us in, god dammit!" Syo muttered.
Emily bit her lip and stared at Haruka. "Tell you what. I'll make a deal. I'll let you in if you give me a taste."
Haruka stepped behind Otoya and he held up an arm protectively.
Emily chuckled. "Lord Ittoki, I didn't think I'd ever see you this loyal to a human." The way she sneered that last word gave Haruka chills.
"Enough of this." Tokiya said with an orderly voice. "As Vampire Master, a rank higher than your own, I order you, Emily, to let us in!"
Emily shuffled a bit with her jaw clenched before moving aside to let them in. "You know," She said quietly to Tokiya as he passed. "Once Izzy moves up in ranks, she'll make me her right hand. Then I won't have to worry about any of you outranking me."
"Dream all you want, cousin. That day will never come."
Haruka's face grew in surprise and she turned to the vampire closest to her, Ren, to ask about that little exchange. Ren just placed a finger over her lips. "No, Little Lamb. We'll explain absolutely everything once you and Hikari are safely away from this place."
Haruka swallowed her questions and nodded.
Emily led them through corridor after corridor, few doors open revealing rich, modern rooms, before they came to a set of stairs leading down. This staircase checked off all the items on Haruka's list of cliché vampirisms. It was cobble stone with candles on the walls and she even had to suppress a scream when she saw a skull.
She found herself in a large, underground banquet hall. There were many people lounging around sipping wine glasses full of a thick red liquid Haruka knew was blood. All their eyes turned to her and she put her head down to avoid eye contact.
As they walked, Haruka noticed something odd. Every now and then, she would see someone who looked completely out of place. They were even paler than the vampires and wore exposing, thin, white garments. Practically all of their exposed skin was covered in puncture wounds. Haruka didn't know what to think of them… until she recognized one.
The mane of red hair was what caught her eye. Lying there, paler than she remember, and looking practically dead with a vampire feeding from one of her wrists, was someone she thought to be missing a long time ago.
Haruka clamped her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. Her breath grew ragged and heavy. Natsuki put a hand on her shoulder. A quiet inquiry as to why she suddenly stopped.
"A-Ava?" Haruka broke away from the group and ran to the red head. They boys shouted out after her, but she didn't stop until she was by her side. The vampire had stopped drinking from her and was staring at Haruka with curiosity and irritation.
"Ava? Oh my god! AVA!" She started sobbing into the girl's too cold shoulder.
(FLASHBACK)
"Leave her alone you big meanies!"
Haruka looked through teary eyes at the boys running away from the other little girl. When a hand was placed on her head, she sobbed even harder.
"Don't let those bullies push you around, Haruka-chan!"
She looked up at the girl. Wild red hair pulled back in a head band and shining mahogany eyes, all tied up with a bright smile. Haruka smiled at her through the tears. "T-thank you, A-Ava-chan!"
"No worries! I'll always be here for you, Haruka-chan!"
Always be here for you, Haruka-chan!...
Always be here for you…
Always…
…
A fourteen year old Haruka sat sobbing in the counselor's office with Rita and Hikari each hugging her from one side.
"W-what do you mean… missing?" Hikari asked.
"You all haven't had any contact with her in four days, correct?"
"Yes," Rita said, "but we assumed she was just sick."
"I'm afraid that her parent came home from a business trip two days ago and she wasn't at home. They assumed that she was over at one of your houses, but when she didn't call they called your guardians. They reported her missing yesterday."
Haruka sobbed even harder.
No…
She couldn't be… gone!
Ava…
Ava…
"AVA!" She was inconsolable as Tokiya and Otoya made an attempt to pry her off of the girl.
She grabbed Ava's face and made her look straight at her. "Ava?! Ava, please! Answer me!" Haruka pleaded. But thegirl's eyes were foggy and unseeing. She was alive, but not present. Ava couldn't hear her.
"W-what have they done?" She whimpered. Before looking up at all the vampires surrounding her. "WHO DID THIS TO MY BEST FRIEND!"
"You're too loud." A commanding voice rang out through the hall.
Haruka looked over to the end of the hall. There was throne there that she hadn't noticed before. Standing beside it, was a tall man. He had spiky platinum hair and one silver eye and one violet.
"Tch! Ranmaru!" Syo scoffed when he saw the man.
"Shut it, Kurusu! Before I have you locked up again." Ranmaru yelled out.
"Did you… Did you do this to Ava?!" Haruka yelled at the man.
He glared at her. "No. I have no power over the slaves. They are under his majesty's control."
"Control?"
"Haruka!" Tokiya warned and kneeled down beside her to whisper in her ear. "That is Ranmaru Kurosaki! He's the second in command around here."
"Who do I need to talk to about letting her go?" She pleaded.
"That would be me." An assertive voice came from Ranmaru's direction. A man was now sitting in the throne. He had long dirty blond hair and icy blue eyes. He held himself with an air of royal confidence. With a wave of his hand, all the vampires and slaves immediately left the hall.
When Haruka looked back at him, after Ava had been ripped out of her grasp, she gasped to see Hikari slumped in the man's lap. She was wearing a dress like the slaves and her pale skin only made Haruka even more distraught.
She wanted to run to her sister, but the cold glare from the two men in front of her froze her in place.
"Are you here to stay?" He asked the boys.
"No sire," Tokiya bowed respectfully. "We are just here to retrieve the girl."
"Hmm… You should keep them on a leash! That one there hascaused quite the disturbance!"
"They are not bound completely to us, so we cannot do such a thing. They still have free will." Masato said.
The man looked disgusted. "Well why not?"
"They asked for the contract themselves." Ren answered.
"Tch." Ranmaru scowled.
"Sire, we just want her back. Hand her over and we'll leave immediately." Syo said. He tried to sound authoritive, but it came out slightly shaky.
"And if I said no?"
"King Camus," Tokiya spoke up. "We do not want any difficulties. We do not wish for a civil war with the coven."
"Civil war? Civil war?! Ha!" Camus laughed. "Do you call the six of you against hundreds of vampires a civil war?"
"We are your strongest. It would be easy to take most of the coven out." Natsuki said with a smile that gave Haruka chills.
"Its been a long time since you left. Times change. People change. You may still maintain your ranks, but you do not maintain your status as the strongest of my people!" Camus waved a hand before letting it rest on Hikari's neck. "The fact that you let Hyuga get a hold of this beauty proves it." Camus's eyes grew red and he grazed his fangs over Hikari's neck, making her groan even though she was unconscious.
Haruka saw all the boys tense up. They growled baring their teeth. She also saw Ranmaru crouch down into a defensive position.
Camus looked up and laughed. "No need to get defensive." He looked over at his right hand man. "…Ranmaru."
Ranmaru nodded and then vanished into thin air. But the next thing Haruka knew, she was across the room from the boys, beside the throne. Ranmaru was holding her arms down around her middle and had one hand grasping her face, turning it to expose her neck.
"Haruka!" They yelled.
"See? You all have gotten weak!" Camus sneered. "I'd like to keep these girls around. What do you think, Ranmaru?"
"They should be fun to play with." He responded with a smirk and licked up the side of Haruka's face, making her shiver. "Mmm… sweet!"
The girls' guardians growled and took defensive positions.
"Help! Help! Help us!
And that's the end for chapter four. So yeah, QUARTET NIGHT on the bad side! And I Ai and Reiji will come next chapter! I think...
Please favorite and review and do all of that good stuff that makes Cindy and Maggie love you!
~ CineMa2