Author's Note: I will slowly start to deviate and stray from the cannon a little more after this chapter. I will be using a few elements from my high school days of tabletop role playing in this chapter, as well as a few spins on some classic Vampire lore. And I'm sorry, I love Tohru; but he's about to undergo a lot of abuse in following chapters, and I might end up making Sunako come across as really cold. I'm apologizing to fans of both characters now. Please don't hate me! The series wanted Sunako to be a sympathetic character, but she really was the mastermind behind everything. (Ironically as I was writing the scene where Natsuno's father found him, the station I was listening to started playing the theme song from TruBlood, kind of helped this chapter flow a little easier.)
Brainwashing and Blackmail
Chapter 3: It Was A Lover's Embrace
Tohru sat in the corner, his head buried into his knees, his hands in a death grip on the fabric of his pants, which were soaked from his tears. He hadn't wanted to bite Natsuno that last time. His fists clenched even tighter as he remembered how it had happened.
As Natsuno and Tohru had pulled free of their kiss, Natsuno threw his arms around Tohru and gently pushed Tohru's head to his neck. Tohru tried to pull away, as he could smell Natsuno's blood, but at the same time, he had to be careful not to hurt the weakened teenager. "Natsuno? No, what are you doing?" Tohru objected. He'd been ignoring the hunger in favor of the time with Natsuno.
"It's alright, Tohru," Natsuno said softly, "I don't hold anything against you. There's no helping it. You said yourself, the 'Shiki?' have declared me a common enemy. They won't negotiate, and you're certain we can't run. If it's going to happen, then I'd rather it be you than Shimizu or some stranger."
"Natsuno, please don't ask me this," Tohru objected.
"Tohru-Chan!" Natsuno groaned, still groggy from the previous night's blood loss. "We don't have any way out of this. I don't want to ask it of you any more than you want to do it. But I can see it in your eyes. You're getting hungry, you'll have to find food soon anyway. I won't fight, not against you, Tohru-Chan."
"Natsuno," Tohru sobbed.
"What about your family, Tohru?" Natsuno asked. "Didn't you say they were using your family as ransom for my death?" Natsuno caught both of Tohru's hands in his own. "I didn't know those were the terms when you came that first night, Tohru-Chan. But I can't let you endanger them just for me." He gently caressed Tohru's cheek and wiped away a stray tear running down the blonde Shiki's face. "Don't blame yourself, Tohru. I told you I'd willingly give you my blood and I meant it." Natsuno kissed Tohru's forehead. "I don't want you to have to do this, Tohru. But we're out of options. Just promise me, no matter what happens after tonight, you'll still be my beautiful, sweet Tohru-Chan."
"Natsuno," Tohru sobbed, hugging the dark haired boy tight. "I'm so sorry." He helped Natsuno lie back down on the bed.
"It's ok, Tohru-Chan. Lately, I'd had the feeling I'm never going to leave this place," Natsuno conceded. Natsuno gave a soft gasp as Tohru's fangs gently sank into his neck, Tohru's icy cold tears splashing on Natsuno's bed and body. Tohru was as gentle as he could be as he sucked Natsuno's blood. Natsuno's hand gently caressed Tohru's head and ran through his hair. Natsuno smiled. With Natsuno's dieing breath, Tohru heard the words, "I love you, Tohru-Chan."
"Natsuno," Tohru sobbed, "I wish we could have done it your way." Tohru wasn't going out for food tonight, with Natsuno gone, he felt more hallow and empty than ever before.
Megumi glared at Tohru as she left to find her food. "I'll get you for taking him one day, Tohru Mutou," she hissed.
Tohru looked up at her. For the first time in all her fifteen years of knowing Tohru, Megumi actually felt afraid of the look in his eyes. She took a step backwards as he stood and stared her down. "GET OVER YOURSELF SHIMIZU!" he screamed at her. "I didn't take him from you! He was never yours to begin with. You were outside his window last night, you heard what he said; he never had any feelings for you! Maybe I should be glad I did it, at least he's finally free of you, you psychotic bitch!" Tohru crossed his arms and flopped back onto the floor, looking away from her.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Tatsumi's voice rang out, as he entered the room. "Tohru-Kun, they can hear you all the way at the other end of the hall. Megumi-Chan?" Tatsumi liked Megumi, she thought more like he did than any of the other Shiki from the village, "Shall I teach this little whelp a lesson about talking back to their sires?"
Megumi stared at Tohru, as if she wished her eyes could set him on fire. "Leave him, Tatsumi-Kun," she sighed, turning around to walk away. Tohru and Tatsumi both looked up at her in shock, this was an unexpected answer. "He killed the love of his life last night," she stormed out the door, "There's nothing we can do to draw any pleasure out of torturing him tonight."
"He did what?" Tatsumi asked, looking down at Tohru. He knew Tohru and Natsuno had been close, he just didn't realize how close. Now Tatsumi had even more reason to hope Natsuno wasn't one of the ones to rise up. Nao's family didn't raise up because she had been the one to bite them, they held no regrets having let her do so. But to come back from a 'lover's embrace', Natsuno would not be an easy one to control. "I see why you were so hesitant to carry out your orders, now," Tatsumi growled, "Why didn't you tell me your friendship with Natsuno was more than that? I thought Megumi-Chan was making jealous conjectures about the two of you."
"It wouldn't have changed things," Tohru sighed, "You still would have forced me to do it." Tohru glanced upward at Tatsumi. "What about my family, Tatsumi-Kun?" he asked, "You promised…"
"Your family is safe, for now," Tatsumi snarled begrudgingly. "I have more important things to worry about. Go out and feed, Tohru-Kun."
Tohru sat silently for a moment, as if he were thinking about it. He looked away from Tatsumi, like Megumi had said, there was nothing they could do to him tonight that would break him. "NO."
Tatsumi sneered at the blonde Shiki and stormed off. Sunako wasn't going to like this.
Earlier in That Morning
Natsuno's father woke up to find the house deathly empty. Natsuno's mother Azusa was nowhere to be seen, all that was left of her was a note saying she'd found Natsuno dead and had left, unable to bear the village any longer. Yuuki went to check on Natsuno, to find his son's lifeless body lying in the bed.
Natsuno's eyes opened when his father called out to him. "I'm still alive?" Natsuno thought to himself. "I feel a lot stronger too. SHIT!? What the hell?" Natsuno sat up and looked at his father. Natsuno wasn't sure what was going on with his body, but he had an idea. He was stronger than the night before, but still felt a bit weak, hungry even. A sudden idea struck him. Without a word, he struck out at his own father, biting Yuuki's neck. Natsuno pulled away and spat some of the blood he had drank, what did the Shiki see in this stuff, it wasn't in the least bit tantalizing to Natsuno's taste buds. It did prove one thing, however. He may not be a Shiki, but he's definitely some form of Okiagari, as just that little bit was enough to return him not just to full health, but he somehow surpassed it. He immediately set his plan into action, using his hypnotism to have his father call in a funeral home from the city. The Shiki wanted Natsuno gone, and he knew just how to convince them he was. When the hearse arrived, he sent his father to meet with the men, having brought them inside, away from prying ears, it was explained that it was all a terrible misunderstanding of the situation, that the boy had come to develop a case of Catalepsy.
The rouse worked, Akira and Kaori came back by-they had returned the same day Natsuno had tried to send them away, and when Yuuki turned them away, a couple of men from the village told the kids that a hearse had been there that morning. If the humans believed Natsuno was gone, then surely the Shiki would as well. Natsuno both regretted and reveled in the breach of his father's mind from the hypnotism. It was more than he thought his father deserved, but at the same time, there was a childish notion in his head that his father deserved it for being so stubborn in the first place. Natsuno knew he'd have to be careful from now on; he couldn't be seen by the villagers, he couldn't be seen by the Shiki. He'd have to avoid windows should anyone be outside and stay in the shadows as much as possible. He would stay in his house, though, until his father's mind recovered, at least.
The Shiki had struck the first blow against him when they took Tohru. When they blackmailed Tohru into killing him, they won the battle. But little did they know, this war was far from over. Whatever happened to him and Tohru from now on, Natsuno was determined he would make them pay ten fold. He'd make their villainous leader Sunako pay for threatening Sotoba in the first place, and he'd make Megumi and Tatsumi pay for hurting Tohru. But first, he needed a plan of action.
"Give them a few days to think I'm truly gone, watch them from the shadows, carefully. Kill and dispose of any who discover me," Natsuno told himself, "I can't afford any mistakes." He began working out his plan, but as the sun went down, he began to find it more difficult to focus, as his mind began to wander to Tohru. "Tohru-Chan," he sighed aloud, looking out at the moon, "I'm sorry I can't come for you right away, Tohru. Stay safe." Was he safe? As far as the Shiki knew, he had rid them of a common threat. Were they hailing him a hero? Was Shimizu making him feel worse about what he'd done? Or was that Tatsumi he'd expressed so much fear in busy finding a new way to torment him? Natsuno growled and shook his head at the very thought. "Tohru doesn't deserve to be miserable!" Natsuno decided to stay in the first night, going out too soon was risky, and his mind was too filled with thoughts and worries over Tohru. He had to be focused or he could get careless.
Back At Kanemasa
Tatsumi went to Sunako, almost afraid of what she'd do if he told her what he had learned about Natsuno and Tohru. It was an oversight on his part. "Sunako?" he gently knocked on the door to the room he knew she would most likely be in.
"Come in, Tatsumi," Sunako's voice called back.
Tatsumi entered the room. "We may have a problem, Sunako," he said as he shut the door, thinking it best not to beat around the bush.
Sunako frowned. "Is the Mutou boy still refusing to kill his friend?"
Tatsumi shook his head, "Worse than that. Tohru Mutou DID kill Natsuno Yuuki/Koide last night."
"Then what's the problem?" Sunako asked.
"From what Megumi Shimizu's telling me, she witnessed the event. It was a lover's embrace," Tatsumi said.
Sunako's eyes narrowed. "Lover's Embraces are forbidden, Tatsumi!" she exclaimed. "I agreed when you suggested sending someone this Yuuki/Koide would trust, but perhaps we should have sent Shimizu after all."
Tatsumi hung his head. "I know, Sunako," he made no excuses, accepting her scolding, "But apparently when Shimizu embraced Mutou, he went to the grave with unspoken, unrequited feelings. It wasn't until last night that the two of them admitted how they truly felt."
"Tatsumi!" Sunako said in a commanding tone, "This Yuuki/Koide cannot rise up as a Shiki! If our funeral home here in Sotoba picked him up, make it so! He was already an enemy, if he returns from a lover's embrace, there's only one person who will be able to control him, and that's the Mutou boy, unless we kill the Mutou boy, that is. Even I as this town's head Shiki won't have any hold over him."
"Even if we kill the Mutou boy, that could be a risk," Tatsumi sighed, "Yuuki could go into an uncontrollable frenzy. I will look into it, Sunako."
"Is the Mutou boy going out tonight?" Sunako asked.
"He's refusing to. He's unruly tonight, he even had Shimizu backed into a corner when she lamented Yuuki's loss," Tatsumi informed her.
The lights in Sunako's eyes flickered at these words. "So she can't even control a Shiki that she sired. There's no way she could control someone he's sired in a lover's embrace, either, then. Tatsumi, learn the situation with Yuuki/Koide, see to it that he will not become a further threat. As for the Mutou boy, send him to me."
"As you wish, Sunako," Tatsumi replied, turning to leave the room.
Sunako bit down on one of her thumbs, a look of anger on her face. How could they have made such an oversight? She would have to find some way to appeal to Tohru, to convince him that what was happening here was the natural way of things, that killing was the only way to survive. She sighed and resolved to tell him about how she had turned. Surely her story would reinforce the idea that it's better to take human lives in order to keep yourself alive. Right?
Tatsumi went to find Yoshie Kurahashi, the only other Jinrou, to inform her of the situation and request her help in learning as much as possible about what happened to Natsuno. As he looked for her, he passed back by Tohru, who was still sitting in the corner, refusing to move. "Tsk…" Tatsumi scoffed, seeing him still sitting there. "I thought I told you to go out and feed?" he growled.
"I'm not in the mood, Tatsumi-Kun. Please, just give me tonight," Tohru sighed, realizing Tatsumi didn't seem like he was going to leave him alone.
"Whatever, Sunako wants to see you anyway," Tatsumi informed him.
Tohru's eyes opened wide and he slowly looked up. The look in his eyes was that of a frightened child. A summons by Sunako usually meant death. What could she want? Tohru had done as he was told, even if it had been quite begrudgingly. Why was it that all of a sudden it felt like he was in more trouble for having done this deed than he would have been if he had continued to refuse? He sighed and stood up, a look of resolve in his eyes. If Natsuno was truly gone, there was no point in fighting to survive for himself. If she was going to kill him, then he'd welcome it.
He was surprised when instead, Sunako offered him a teacup full of blood and invited him to sit with her. She told him her story, how she had wakened in her grave, crawled her way out, and when she found her family, they sent her away somewhere. She explained how she found herself attacking and killing the servants that had been sent to bring her food, and how she finally made an escape to look for her family again, but they were no longer in the house, and how she continued looking for them until it became obvious that enough time had passed that even her own little sister was long gone. "Why did you tell me this?" Tohru asked curiously.
"I thought perhaps you could understand," Sunako answered. "We did not become Shiki because we wanted to. We still have our souls, even though we are undead. This is what separates us from normal vampires. Sure, even Shiki will occasionally loose their humanity, but it's much more rare. Do you understand, Tohru-Kun? We're doing what we're doing in order to survive."
"I guess so," Tohru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He looked away from her, staring out the window. He remembered Natsuno's words. It was a bold move, but he did it anyway. "But, Sunako, isn't there a better way?" he asked, hesitantly.
Sunako looked up at him. "A better way?"
"Seishin Muroi-San, the Junior Monk from the temple. I'm sure I've seen him visit you. Can you honestly tell me he doesn't know what's going on?" Tohru asked. He was treading on thin ice, he knew it, but it had to be said. He looked back at Sunako who was trying to hide an annoyed look. "Is it possible to coexist? To find humans willing to accept what we are and to give their blood freely. If we don't kill them right away, or even give them a few days to recover, their blood count will return to normal." He found himself quoting straight from Natsuno.
"Did your lover put that idea in your head?" Sunako asked coldly. Tohru froze at the sound of her voice. Did she really have to use that choice of wording? Sunako stood up and walked around to Tohru, her vacant black eyes locking onto his brown ones. Her pupils flared their light blue glow and she continued, sounding quite annoyed. "Yuuki/Koide was an enemy to our people. You are a hero for riding us of his threat. Do you really believe humans would accept us so easily? How many movies and stories do they have where they kill those like us? We eat to survive, they kill if they so much as suspect. Your friend was trying to poison you against the nature of things. We can not coexist! Eat or starve, kill or be killed. That's the way it has always been."
She was surprised when Tohru's eyes didn't turn their vacant black and red as he looked into her eyes. She was equally surprised when he looked away, trying to hide the tears, and continued to talk back to her. "I don't know if I can believe that, Sunako," he said quietly. "Granted there are stories of humans killing Vampires, Okiagari, Witches, Zombies, and Werewolves. But there are just as many stories of Demons and Vampires living and working alongside the humans peacefully now days. Natsuno only began learning what we are because he saw Megumi when she first attacked me. When he saw that I had risen up, he tried to offer me a better way. Muroi-San's family is one of the head families here in Sotoba, Dr. Ozaki's is another. If you'd spoke to them, explained things, they could have helped the town accept you before the panic of a nonexistent epidemic had set in." Now he really was on thin ice. "Tell me, Sunako? Muroi-San and Dr. Ozaki are like brothers. Their bond is as strong as mine and Natsuno's was. Do you intend to play them against each other too?"
Sunako blinked in confusion, even she couldn't hypnotize Tohru into doing as he's told tonight. These final words struck a chord with her, however. She snarled at him, baring her fangs. "HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME IN SUCH A MANNER!?"
Before another word could be said, they heard Megumi's voice outside the window, shrieking a wail of agony. Sunako turned to look out the window, wondering what all the commotion was. For the moment, Tohru was safe from Sunako's wrath. He joined her by the window, as she swung it open. Tohru didn't know what was going on, but he didn't find himself feeling any sympathy for his murder as she folded in on herself, in sobs and tears. Masao was behind her, looking as though he'd just taken quite the beating from her, as usual.
Tatsumi came into the room, while Sunako watched the scene below unfold. "Sunako, I have news," he said. He hesitated when he saw Tohru was still in the room, unsure what would occur.
"Is it about Yuuki/Koide?" Sunako asked flatly. Tatsumi nodded. Considering Megumi's behavior below, Sunako had surmised it was something of the sort. "And?" Whatever it was, she wanted Tohru to hear it.
"It appears his body was picked up this morning," Tatsumi answered.
"This morning? Then our funeral home didn't collect him?" Sunako asked.
Tatsumi shook his head. "No, it was a funeral home, but one from the city." Tohru gasped and put a hand to his mouth, slumping back against the wall, as if he already realized what Tatsumi's next words were going to be.
"We won't be seeing him again, will we?" Sunako asked.
"No," Tatsumi said, shaking his head, "They don't bury people in the city, they cremate them."
"N…Natsuno…" Tohru sobbed, sinking back to the floor.
Sunako glanced back at the blonde. She was still angry that he dared to speak back to her, but in this state, there was nothing they could do to him that would prove fruitful. "Make certain, Tatsumi," she whispered to the green haired Jinrou, as she turned back to Tohru. Her face went back to that of the sweet little girl she was frozen in time as. Her eyes were once again their vacant black. She smiled at Tohru and put her hands on her knees, as she bent forward to look at him. "Tohru-Kun," she said softly. "I'm sorry. You're grieving the loss of someone close to you," her voice was full of poisonous sweetness, "And here I've been scolding you. Deep down, even you secretly hoped your Natsuno would become one of us, didn't you? Take a couple of days to clear your mind. I will have someone fetch your food for you tomorrow. But if you don't start feeding on your own by the end of the week, I will summon you again, and I won't be as forgiving for insubordination." That sickening sweetness that flowed from Sunako as she spoke, even Tatsumi felt a shudder run through him.
Tohru gave her a quiet 'Thank you' and left the room. Tatsumi quietly watched him leave, before turning to Sunako. It was like he could read her mind, "You're cruel Sunako," he said, a hand on his right hip, his left arm hanging limp. Sunako turned and looked at him. He smiled. "I like it."
"Tatsumi, somehow, I get the feeling we aren't rid of this Yuuki/Koide so easily. His blood is still running through Mutou's veins tonight. I can't even hypnotize him." Sunako looked back out the window, as Yoshie and Masao tried to comfort Megumi. "Keep your ears and eyes open. Report back to me if there is any change in information." She looked back at him. Tatsumi nodded. "And keep a close eye on the Mutou boy. Should you learn that we're wrong in our belief that Yuuki/Koide is gone, he mustn't find out. If he continues to be a problem, bring him back to me."
"Sunako, are you sure feeding him tomorrow will be a good idea?" Tatsumi asked, more curiously than trying to question her motives.
"He's a hero right now. He shared a cup with me tonight, so he won't go hungry. Feed him tomorrow at least, I promised him that. What would you suggest, Tatsumi?" she asked.
"I would have bled him and then starved him to make him want to go hunt. If we take it easy on him, it might create more problems than it solves," Tatsumi suggested.
"I hadn't thought of that," Sunako said, pouring herself another cup. "Care to join me before you go hunting for the 'fledglings'?" she asked, "When's the last time you drank some for yourself?"
Tatsumi smiled, feeling humbled that she would offer him to join her. It seemed the only people she trusted more than him were the Kirishikis Chizuru and Seishirou themselves, and Seishin Muroi the temple's Junior Monk, whom had written and published several books that she had read and come to love. "I suppose I don't have to rush off, just yet. Thank you, Sunako," he accepted.
Sunako smiled, handing Tatsumi the cup she poured for him. "Feed Mutou tomorrow night. If he's still refusing to feed on his own the following night, then put that plan into action. We can't have insubordination in our ranks. You can say that you had only just heard that he'd spoken back to me tonight, and use that on top of his refusal to eat as an excuse to punish him if it comes to that. Should it come to that, feel free to be as rough with him as you need to. But for now, I don't want him harmed."
Tatsumi nodded. He was glad she accepted his suggestion, and with these last words, she had given him the license to toy with the blonde teen all he wanted.