Mikoto Misaka slipped over the rim of the garden. And quickly rushed over to the gathered crowd, each looking at her with worried eyes and hushed voices. The smell of blood was heavy, growing stronger as she moved through them. The pain grew in her chest, Vita sobbing throughout the heavy silence. And she found her.
Vita was kneeling in the churned earth, cradling a girl's body. Her blood turned the dirt black. Vita raised her head, eyes burning, fangs bared in frenzied grief. She cried," Mistress!" desperate and savage. "you're alive..." doing her best to smile, but it quickly faded as she looked back at the young woman lying on the ground. "Thank the goddess." She whispered.
"What happened?" Mikoto asked urgently, coming to her side. Quickly looking over the wounds. "she must have..." Vita struggled to hold her composure. Mikoto looked up and around. Seeing many of the rear vanguards, bloodied and battered but alive. All worried looking, begging for her to do something. They had come forward. Mostly likely to help fight the second wave of beasts. "what didn't she ask for it?" she heard Vita saying as she gently stroked her dirty, stained face. "I could've given her mine." She whispered.
Mikoto recognized the young woman. The young scout who had collapsed. And why Vita was murmuring. She was wearing armor crafted of insect shells. Though thick, the armor was barely a match against the brutal slashing of sharp claws and teeth of the beasts. She glanced up and saw others, heavily bandaged and some still bleeding. The scent of blood feeds her prey drive. She clenched her jaws, forcing the urge down. Her armor had deep claw marks and chunks torn away. Her bloodied arm hanging by shreds. Torn muscle, scrapped and bloodied white of bone. It was mendable, but it was the wound across her throat that was the issue. Vita's hand squeezed tight. It was easy for a predator to tell. Her throat guard had been ripped apart, and needle-like teeth had shredded her throat.
She could see the red streaks of blood rage forming in the whites of Vita's eyes. She put her hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Vita." Her voice was a potent whisper and command. She was using Queen's intent. The ability to control the mood of another vampire. But Vita was older and more powerful than most. Her jaws clenched tight. "I know..." she growled, "I just can't... She's, my sister, and I... ordered them.. her, especially her, to stay back." she gently stroked the girl's face, the other balled into a fist, blood seeping between her fingers.
Mikoto knew that when Vita was human, she had sisters. And knowing Vita, she had thrown herself deep into the community. Rushing around the jungle, touching and being touched by the little ones, exchanging her DNA. And after so many, she had found some that resembled her sisters.
"so this is the fourth sister?" Little misaka said.
"And her name?" Mikoto asked. "Mariam.." Vita whispered. "And you expected a sister of yours to listen to her older sister?" Mikoto tilted her head. Using a cute attack. "let me try to help... I am pretty sure I.." the words struggled to leave her throat.
Vita slowly shook her head, "I've tried... I can't turn her." Mikoto sighed, biting her lip. "are you me?" she said on the sly.
The young woman's skin was pale and chalky. The blood was seeping slowly now. A weak heartbeat followed by silence and another fading beat. She was dying. Almost gone.
"you can," the Queen of Blood's voice slipped like a soft breeze. "You can do it." Her voice was kind and confident. "but each garden is different. The DNA is unique.
A gentle sigh. The Queen of blood must have rolled her eyes. Mikoto could just see it in her imagination. "she has lost too much blood. All you have to do is..."
"give her some of mine... and override her DNA." Mikoto interrupted.
She remembered when another queen, under the control of the Catholic church, had attacked her in Academy City. And tried to use her blood to override little misaka. Only to fail in the end.
The Queen of Blood laughed, "Very good... now...come here, my love."
Mikoto fretted her brow. "What?"
"Oops, sorry," the Queen of Blood probably blushed, "seems I forgot too.. she sighed. "I am talking to my daughter..so.." her voice faded.
Mikoto removed her gloves, unzipped her sleeve, balled her hand into a fist, and sank her fangs into her wrist. Her fangs throbbed as she filled her mouth, slowly opened, and cupped her hand. The blood slipped from her wound and pooled in her palm, and she looked at Vita. Watching her with tears streaming down her cheeks. "But... that.. won't."
Mikoto gave a quick wink. Vita removed her hand from the young woman's neck wound, and Mikoto held her hand over, and blood poured into it. She clamped her hand over the hole, bent over, put her fingers on the girl's chin, opened her mouth, and kissed her, letting her blood and saliva drain into the mouth.
Mikoto lifted her head as the wound on her wrist healed. Wiping her mouth, she spoke. "hold her..." lost for a moment, knowing what her Mistress was hoping, trying to do. Vita hesitated, but the other three daughters jumped on her legs and waist.
The young girls' eyes flashed, a horrific gasp of breath, something between pain and more pain. She arched her spine, kicking and screaming, and Vita quickly laid across her chest and held on to her. She seized and tremored. Flopping and jerking like a large fish out of water. Others piled on top to keep her still. Her pale white skin flushed and colored, and her lifeless eyes came alive like a flicked switch. Her throat stitched and healed itself. Vita reached into the mouth and removed her fangs, leaving two bloodied spaces between her teeth.
Mariam took a deep breath, and her eyes searched for her. She found Mikoto Misaka and stayed on her, drinking her in.
Vita fretted her brow and looked at Mikoto, "how?" she asked.
Mikoto sighed, "It was a chance. A little voice in my head said to do it." she nodded, "and I did."
It was weak. But it was there like an image coming closer in a fog. Mikoto Misaka could feel a new member coming into her house. She rose, put her hands on her hips, and looked over them. Her one hundred who had come with her on this journey, bloodied, battered, and wounded. All of them were eyeing her as if she was prey. And then it hit her. Glaring down as, Vita held Mariam in her arms. That same expression on her tired face, looking only at her. Mikoto Misaka pursed her lips, wrinkling her forehead as her eyebrows drew close in concern. Then her eyes widened, lips slowly parting in sudden realization. The creases on her brow deepened as the truth dawned on her. "oh…phph.."
"oh...this is not going to go well.." little misaka said with a shake of her head.
