Scene Six

A Truth Revealed

Rikimaru is training outside his house in the moonlight. He feels a slight pain in his body, but it goes un-noticed. Rosa is sitting in a chair on the porch, watching Rikimaru train. She looks up when she hears movement in the distance. Rikimaru looks at Rosa and notices she is looking, not at him, but in a different direction. As he follows her gaze he sees a pale-skinned young man walk into the clearing. For some reason this man looks familiar to Rikimaru and Rosa recognizes Tatsumaru almost immediately, but she does not say anything. Tatsumaru stands about three feet away from his brother. "Who… are you?" Rikimaru asked slowly.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" Tatsumaru asked.

"No," the blue-haired Ninja said bluntly.

"Oh come now. Doesn't my appearance mean anything to you? Does it even trigger anything in your memory?" Tatsumaru moves closer to Rikimaru.

"No. Nothing," Rikimaru said with a shudder. Tatsumaru begins playing with Rikimaru's hair, twirling it around his index finger.

"Wow, dear little brother…" Tatsumaru said as he begins stroking Rikimaru's left cheek, and then he runs his left hand down his brother's chest. Rikimaru has a problem with this case of affection. "…You mean you don't even remember your own bro…?" Rikimaru raises his sword and removes the mask from his face. The young Vampire sees two pointy fangs protruding the Ninja's lower lip.

"Why are you so angry with me, dear little brother?" said Tatsumaru with narrowed eyes.

"I can't help it, something or someone is controlling me…" Rikimaru said through gasps of pain. A broad smile crosses Tatsumaru's face.

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet!"

"WHAT?!"

"Do you remember your last encounter with Tatsumaru?" the Dark Master asked as he calms down.

"Yeah, that's when my brother bit Rosa…"

"Tatsumaru bit you as well. And over the last few days, your body has been changing to obey his orders and what he wants." Tatsumaru begins transforming into a winged beast—a Devil.

"What did he bite me as?"

"He bit you as a Vampire of course! But Tatsumaru will control you in any form. The spell he put on you is unbreakable even in Death." Rikimaru looks at his brother hatefully. "Don't worry dear little brother I won't kill you yet. You're for too important to me, for you to die so soon!" Rosa walks closer to Tatsumaru while he is still transforming. She puts her hands on his muscular chest; inputting sixteen jewels. The power that the jewels release into his bloodstream all at once causes him to scream in pain. "AHHHHHHH!" Tatsumaru then speaks with a slight growl in his voice. "What the Hell are you doing?!" Tatsumaru looks for Rosa to Rikimaru and back again.

"I have given you sixteen jewels that will increase your powers a hundred fold, but you must master them first," Rosa said dully.

"Rosa, you must be fucking crazy to help the forces of Darkness! What has gotten into you?" Rikimaru asked her.

"She serves me now. Just as you will be doing soon, dear little brother!"

"I WILL NEVER SERVE THE LIKES OF YOU!" Rikimaru yelled as the pain in his body increases. Tatsumaru watches Rikimaru with deep interest.

"It seems to me that you have no choice in the matter. I really like these odds…" He backs away from Rikimaru, trying to contain the pain in his own body.

"WHAT?!"

"The more you defy Tatsumaru the worse the pain gets, it is as simple as that," Rosa said in a drone-like voice. Tatsumaru turns Human again. Rikimaru lowers his head so his face cannot be seen. He is clearly thinking about his sticky situation.

Rikimaru's thoughts: I clearly have no choice in the matter. So, for the time being, I will play along until the right moment in which I can finally destroy the Vampire King! Rikimaru looks up at his brother. "Very well, I will play along," Rikimaru said and then to himself. "…For now anyway..."

"GOOD!" Tatsumaru said in a happy voice.

End of scene Six