| Trials of Darkness By: The Bard's Apprentice Anime: Night Walker Rating: PG-13 ~Chapter One~ Every evening for the last 200 years, I’ve awakened to a beautiful sight. The first thing my eyes light upon is a face – a glorious face, framed by soft lavender hair. I see the well-shaped nose and brows, the gentle lips, which hide the source of his sorrows. Sometimes, I wake to see his deep, marine eyes watching me lovingly. These first moments of every night give my eternity purpose. There was an unhappy interlude when my nights began differently, though. When I awoke that first night, I was alone in the coffin. I was scared at first. I didn’t remember where I was. For a moment, I simply was Yamazaki Riho again, a normal human girl. Except, I was surrounded by wood and shadows. Then I came to myself and pushed the lid farther down. I dressed quickly and hurried downstairs to look for Shido. He wasn’t in the church offices or the sanctuary, his regular haunts. Everyone else was still at evening mass in the chapel, so I couldn’t ask them. I headed to the infirmary on the second floor. “Hey, Riho!” Satsuna greeted me as I entered the main room to find him watching TV alone. “Hi, ‘Suna. How’s the wound?” “Sister Ana found traces of silver, so I’m not outa’ the woods yet.” “Hmm. NOS must’ve been expecting a dangerous Breed,” I joked. He threw a pillow at me with his good arm. I laughed and dodged. “Well at least that explains why a simple gunshot wound hasn’t healed in over a day. Hey, have you seen Shido around?” ‘Suna’s face took on a puzzled look as he tilted his head. “He didn’t say good-bye to you?” “What?” “He left around noon. It rained today. He came by here to tell the Father he was leaving.” “Leaving?!” My breath caught in my chest. “Where was he going? Why? When’ll he be back?!” What was going on? Why would Shido go out without telling me? – unless it was after a Breed. But he would’ve been back by now. The sun had already set. Oh, no. What if he’d been hurt? ‘Suna sat up on the couch, careful of his wounded shoulder. “Calm down, Riho-chan. He’ll be back soon enough. And it’s not like you’ll get any older while he’s gone,” he chuckled. I gave him a sour look. Then plopped down next to him. My anxiety was obvious to him. “If it’s any help, I heard him say something about the vampire sanctuary near Kyoto. Shido probably flashed there, and he’ll flash back when he’s done. You worry too much.” He was probably right. I was just being silly. Shido would be back soon. He’d been around a long time and could take care of himself. But why hadn’t he told me? I waited in the rectory until Father Izawa came from mass. As he walked through the door, his face said he’d been expecting me. “Now, Riho, listen to me, child. Shido couldn’t tell you. He – “ “Why not?!” “Let me finish.” He came over and sat me down on the sofa I’d just jumped up from.” He didn’t know when he’d be back exactly and he thought you’d insist on going with him.” “What’s wrong with me going to Kyoto? I spent fifteen years there!” “How do you know he’s in Kyoto?” “Satsuna overheard you when he left.” “Oh, dear.” The Father suddenly looked worried, but I was too stressed to notice. “Why Kyoto, anyway? What’s going on?” Father Izawa came back to himself. “Oh, nothing too serious. There’s just been as excess of attacks of late. They called for help and Shido answered.” He began to remove his ceremonial robes. I stood and followed him to the closet. “Well, if that’s all, then why didn’t he want me going? I could help!” “Oh, Riho. Shido’s very capable and he loves you very much. He didn’t want you compromised.” “Why would I be compromised? They’re just Breeds!” “My, my, so many questions.” He chuckled and I subsided, trying not to look too guilty. “Walk with me to dinner, Riho.” I followed him out of the room and down the corridor towards the dining hall. He was silent for a while. I could sense he was holding something back. Our steps echoed off the tile and stone as moments seemed to turn to hours. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I snarled as I grabbed his arm and turned myself. “Tell me what’s going on!” But he only chuckled at my now golden eyes and bared fangs. “Riho, my child, don’t try that on me. I’ve faced up to far more dangerous creatures than you.” He put a hand on my cheek and I dropped my face. “You’re as gentle as a kitten. I know you’re anxious, but trust me when I say that everything will be fine. Just have faith in the Lord.” I sighed. “Father, you know I –“ “I know, I know. You’re a damned soul. Yes, Shido’s given me that lecture.” I couldn’t help but smile as my eyes returned to normal. Shido had his ideas about our lifestyle and was set in his ways, but that’s how he coped with his eternity. Sometimes it grew difficult to listen to his pessimism though. The priest saw my look of introspection, and patted my shoulder as he walked away. I sighed again. He turned back to me, having remembered something. “I’ll send someone up after dinner so you can eat.” “Oh, that’s alright. Sister Sarah fed me yesterday.” He chuckled again. “So that’s why you’ve been so energetic and she’s been tuckered out.” He winked at my blush and disappeared into the dining hall. I returned to our rooms and plopped down in front of the TV. After a while, though, I got bored and turned it off. There was no one around to make comments on the news or point out how pointless the shows were. I even missed Guni, who had gone to visit some cousins in the forest. She may have been the most annoying bitch of a fairy I’d met in my 150 years, but she was better than no one. I sighed and went downstairs to sit with Satsuna. Three days passed. I couldn’t sleep the whole time. At least it rained those first two days, and I could occupy myself by going out. Shido had saved up quite a large nest egg from the days when he ran a private detective agency specializing in Breed-related cases. He often gave me gifts or spending money, so I took what I felt to be my allowance. (Technically, part of the money was mine anyway, since I used to help out around the office, too.) I went uptown and bought a new white dress. Surprisingly, it didn’t make my pale skin too noticeable. I couldn’t wait for Shido to see it, although I knew he’d tease that it was impractical and that I would get blood on it. The third morning dawned sunny, confining me to the church. I spent the morning playing virtual games with Satsuna, who was almost fully healed thanks to the herb-lore and numerous “attentions” of the sisters. He’d just beaten me at a shooting game again when we heard a commotion from down the hall. I stood up and went to the hall door. I had to jump back as the door was flung open and an unconscious vampire was carried through towards the intensive care rooms. I glimpsed a gaping wound in his abdomen which was bleeding freely. I went back to the couch and sat. “They’ll have to feed him fast. He was losing a lot of blood.” It was then I noticed that ‘Suna was paler than usual. He was staring at the floor, eyes wide. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did you recognize him?” He turned to me, bewildered. “Didn’t you? It was Mikao.” “Mikao?!” I’d met him years and years ago when I was traveling. He lived at the sanctuary at Kyoto. “What’s he doing here?” ‘Suna had gotten over his initial shock. “I don’t know, but that neck wound was serious!” “Neck wound? I only saw the hole in his belly.” “He’s been bitten.” I couldn’t breath. Bitten?! . . . What vampire would bite another of his kind in violence? I was stunned. My mind went blank of everything but disbelief and fear. And yet there was a trace of a thought at the back of my mind that was starting to twitch. Suddenly, the hall door burst open again. It was the Father. He didn’t even spare a glance for ‘Suna and me, but rushed on toward where they’d taken Mikao. I tried to follow, but he’d locked the door behind him. My mind swirled with questions now . . . and that nagging sensation that there was something I should be realizing. We sat there in silence for a while. It’s funny; when I was human, any extended silence petrified me, but when I was turned, it didn’t seem quite so scary anymore –almost as if, now that I had eternity, I could stand to wait for the next sound I would hear. After a while, two of the sisters came and offered to feed us. Because healing sapped so much of his strength, ‘Suna was famished. But I still had that nagging twitch of a thought. I glanced at the door where they’d taken Mikao and decided I wasn’t that hungry. I politely refused and left Satsuna to enjoy himself. I simply sat in the apartment that afternoon, missing Shido terribly. It seemed that as each moment passed he was farther and farther away from me . . . and something else was coming closer. A shiver went down my spine. I tried to think of something else. Mikao. It was disturbing that he’d been bitten. I kept seeing the blank look in his eyes. If he’d been human, I’d have thought him dead, the way those eyes had stared. It was almost as if he wasn’t there at all. Who could’ve – would’ve – done that to him? There was that nagging twitch again. What was Mikao doing in Tokyo anyway? Why wouldn’t that twitch go away?! I sighed and shifted on the couch. Although our apartment had no windows, I knew it was almost sunset. Suddenly, I looked up. I wasn’t alone. There was a presence in the room. I turned myself – made ready for anything. I saw nothing but darkness. Something brushed my hair. I thought I heard a low chuckle. I spun as I jumped up. I recognized the presence – it was the same one I had felt coming closer and closer, as Shido went farther from me. . . . But I knew it from somewhere else too . . . Behind me! “Riho!” I blinked, stunned, as the light poured in from the hall, flooding my senses along with Father Izawa’s presence. I let out the breath I’d been holding. Maybe he was what I had felt. I had not slept or eaten since Shido had left; weakness always made me confused and jumpy. I returned myself to a human appearance. “Father, is Mikao alright? What happened?” He ignored my questions, frowning more deeply than I’d ever seen him do. “Please, speak with me in my office, Riho.” He turned and headed for the stairs. I hurried after him. “Father? What –“ “Not here, please.” Something was troubling him. Mikao? – It couldn’t be . . . Shido? As we entered his office, he motioned to a chair and I sat. He didn’t say a word, as he sat behind his desk. For a moment he simply stared at its clear surface. The tension was back. I wanted to scream at him to say something, to tell me what was going on, and why Shido wasn’t back yet. The silence continued. He opened his mouth once, as if about to speak, but then closed it again & continued to stare at his desk. I was starting to get scared. After a while I began to wonder if he hadn’t forgotten I was there. I leaned forward & quietly said, “Father?” He looked up at me. His jaw dropped a little as he saw my face and a sadness grew in his eyes – and was that . . . fear creeping in at his brows? He stood quickly and turned away from me. In that moment I did pray. Please, let Shido be unharmed! Please! When the Father had composed himself, he turned back to me. “Riho, I’m sorry if I’ve caused you to be anxious. You’re friend – Mikao, you called him? He was on his way to warn us –“ “Warn us?! About what? What’s going on in Kyoto?” Then I remembered. “Shido!” I gasped. “No, no! Calm down now, child. As far as we know, Shido’s just fine. But, Mikao . . . he’s passed on now.” I was overcome by emotions pulling me in different directions. I fell back into the chair. Shido – Shido was alright. I could have cried, I was so relieved. But then, Mikao . . . When you’re immortal for all intents and purposes, the thought of a friend’s death is just as indescribable as it is unexpected. It leaves a hole in you; and it’s all you can do to not let fear fill that hole and swallow you, just as they were swallowed by death. I knew the Father wasn’t wrong about Mikao. We’d seen too many vampires killed over the past few decades, for him to make a mistake. Father Izawa came and knelt beside me. “He was attacked outside Tokyo. It was a miracle he made it this far. He should have died long before he did with such a loss of blood.” I was cold now – unable to feel pain or sorrow or fear. I simply listened to the words, my eyes focusing on one spot, as the old man took my hand. “Don’t think he died in vain, child! I’m sure his time had come. He gave so much to make it this far. “There have been troubles in the south of late. I should have told you.” The unattainable thought twitched. “Kyoto’s been under attack not by average Breeds, but by vampires.” Twitch. “I’m sorry, Riho. I shouldn’t have promised Shido I’d keep this from you.” Tw-Twitch. “He came to me and explained. He said he had to go, and immediately –“ Twitch! “—and that I was to know where you were at all times until he returned.” Twi-Twitch!! “Then Mikao showed up today. He came to just before he left us. He said that Shido had sent him to keep you safe. At least that’s all we could make out – he’d had so much blood taken from him –“ “What?” I was shaken out of my stupor. “Who took it?” I jumped up. “W-we d-don’t know.” The Father stood and quickly backed toward his desk, staring at me. I thought of the neck wound. It seemed unnatural – cannibalistic and skewed. Something felt very wrong. The nagging twitch of a thought was almost throbbing now. But it still wouldn’t come. Father Izawa had backed around his desk. He ran for the door, and burst out, leaving it open. I was still preoccupied. My eyes were again trained on one spot. Only this time, I wasn’t cold. I was raging with energy. Pulsing. Throbbing. It was building, collecting inside me, inside that hole left by Mikao’s death. The door slowly closed. Everything began to grow dark. Everything slowed. Pulsing. Darkness. Throbbing. Something . . . – forced breath – there . . . A steady hand came to rest gently against my back. A deep, velvety voice spoke softly, calmly in my ear. “He hasn’t taught you how to deal with this kind of power surge, has he?” Warm. Caressing. Dangerous. I knew this voice. Twitch. “Don’t get worked up over me. You’ll strain yourself if you don’t calm down.” I felt some of the energy leave me. “That’s right. Trust me; I can help you.” I let my shoulders sag. “You belong to a gifted race. This power is your right. You must learn how to use it.” There was another hand on my neck. It caressed my skin; soothed the tension in me. I felt more energy draining out through those strong, satin fingers. I was lowered back into the chair, drained now of that paralyzing tension. It occurred to me to wonder what was going on. I was still surrounded by darkness. And the presence from before had returned. So it hadn’t been Izawa; it was . . . Cain! He appeared before me, the intense darkness drawing in around him. I tried to stand, to run, anything! But found I could not. “You haven’t the energy for it. You starve yourself here. Why? – when you could rightfully take anything you ever wanted.“ My mind returned to a previous time – an encounter between Shido and Cain in a similarly dark room. It had been the last time I’d seen him, over 130 years before. It all came flooding back now – Cain’s brutality, his view of humans as inferior livestock, his part in my turning, and the one thing I’d never forgive him for: his treatment of Shido. Sometimes my dreams would merge with Shido’s or his with mine. Many times I’d awakened from a foreign world to find Shido sweating and trembling like a child in my arms. Always, it was after a nightmare of Cain and the hellish years Shido had spent as his companion, before turning toward the light. What did the bastard want now? Father Izawa’s voice echoed in my head, “Mikao was on his way to warn us.” “You did it! You killed Mikao!” I knew I should feel afraid; what did this monster want with me? Did he know where Shido was? – But I couldn’t be afraid. I was too angry. “I did. He was in my way.” His honeyed voice lingered in the space between us, almost tangible. “You didn’t answer my question. Why stay here, a pathetic lapdog to creatures you could easily rule?” “I – ,” I didn’t have an answer. I knew that I cared about many of them and that I couldn’t bear to see them hurt, much less do them harm myself. I also stayed because this was where Shido was, and I loved him. But how could I explain any of that to this demon. “I don’t have to explain myself to you!” “You might consider differently, if you knew why I have come.” “I don’t care why you’re here! Shido will be here any minute. Then –” He laughed – a deep, resonating laugh which contained neither mirth nor joy. “Don’t bluff with me. I know better than you where Shido-kun is.” My jaw dropped. No. This wasn’t happening. If he’d found Shido, then . . . I knew Shido could never win in a fight against Cain. Cain was far older and more experienced. What was more, Shido wouldn’t kill him – not the one who had made him. Somewhere, deep inside, my lover had a hope that Cain might gain the light one day. Once Shido might have destroyed him, when he thought Cain had killed me. But both Cain and I had cheated death that night. I could feel what little blood I had left leave my cheeks. “What have you done with him? Where’s Shido?!” “I have not done a thing . . . yet. Whether that remains so will rest on you.” “What?” What was he playing at? How could I do anything about it? “I miss him. I wish him to rejoin me in Transylvania. He has been so reluctant, though, that to achieve this I may have to resort to force.” I gasped. He wouldn’t! “But! There is an alternative. You must choose: if you wish me to leave Shido alone –“ “I’ll do anything!” I was gasping for breath now, and I felt so weak . . . but if I could do something to help Shido, I would! “Take his place. Come with me yourself, and learn what it truly is to be of the night.” No. Leave Shido? How could I? I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Shido was my world. Moments of our life flashed before me: a quiet night alone together, a kitten he’d brought me, Shido quietly smiling at one of Guni’s pranks, Shido gazing at me when he thought I wasn’t looking . . . But, if I refused . . . couldn’t . . . breathe. . . I whispered my answer. “Alright. I’ll go.” “Good. You have chosen wisely.” He came toward me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I would have flinched if I’d had the strength to move. I could breathe again, though. “Come. We have a long way to travel.” I still could not have risen from the chair, if I’d wanted to. But I didn’t have to do it myself at all. Cain lifted me from the chair, simply by raising his hand as my body followed his motion. He wrapped his cloaked arm around me and the darkness closed tighter around us. I’d been in this position before – held close beneath Cain’s cloak, unable to move. I wondered in passing if this would have as drastic a result as that previous time had. I was cold inside again. I had just made an incredible decision and the weight which I should have felt on my shoulders was only as light as the cloth of Cain’s cloak. I cursed him, although the thought was an empty one. There was no burning fire in me that this creature who could not feel – could not love – had taken me from my life through trickery. Was this how he’d first gained Shido all those years ago? I closed my eyes and sighed; and in the darkness, I let go. |