Blood+ Fan Fiction ❯ The Blue Blood ❯ Phantoms of the Night ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4-Phantoms of the Night

(The following scene is from Blood+ Episode 10 with a few creative liberties taken in the characters' stream of consciousness and alterations at the conclusion of the episode. I do not own any characters that appear in Blood+.)

“You never call me. What's the occasion?” The sound was calming to Karl's ears; Solomon's was the only voice that did not cause his muscles to tense up.

“I've decided to move the container to the research farm.”

“That's rather hasty, isn't it?” Solomon looked over an illuminated Paris at night. The Eiffel Tower was aglow, but in the city of love he had only business to attend to; it had become his life during the long periods without his queen. It had been almost thirty years since he had last seen her and he feared that she was somehow slipping away from him. As of late he had been feeling restless, not at all like his usual self, and he couldn't help but be aware of the growing emptiness inside him. He hoped that Diva would wake soon, so that his despairing emotions would subside. But it would be to no avail.

“Someone's been snooping around.”

“Oh?” The information sparked his interest. Who else would be intrigued by the contents of the container? He knew the answer. He felt a twinge of pain; a mere pluck of the heartstrings but nothing more. He rationalized; it was probably only Saya.

“Solomon, that is all for now.” Solomon felt Karl's reluctance; there was something he was not telling him. He wrapped his finger around the telephone cord, unsure of how to proceed.

“Listen, Karl. We are all Chevaliers. And we all five want the same thing…right?” Karl was momentarily reminded by Solomon's words of the blood bond he and his brothers shared. But as he looked out his office window, he eyes settled on the bell tower of the chapel and he remembered why he was there and what he was after.

“That is right, Solomon.” He inhaled deeply and tried to mimic the same tranquil, composed demeanor that Solomon constantly wore but he was clearly not as good at it. “There is nothing to hide between blood brothers.” With that he abruptly slammed the phone back onto its stand. He had neglected to tell Solomon who the nuisance was and what else he had seen.

Karl knew that if he told Solomon that he had seen a young girl with amber hair and striking blue eyes around the school then Solomon might have taken irrational actions. He rationalized. `I have always wondered about the Blue Blood and Solomon's connection with her but not once have I questioned him about it or meddled in his affairs with her. Why then should I be obligated to inform him about my activities against Saya?' He looked at the student identification picture at the top of the paper on his desk. `Saya will be mine. If I have stayed out of Solomon's affairs, he should grant me the same graces. Yes, we are blood brothers…'

“But there are things we cannot say because we are blood brothers.” He chuckled to himself as he gazed upon the blue rose in front of him.

 

Saya picked up the single blue rose that had been laid on her desk. There was a murmuring all around her; some pealing with excited squeals, others seething with jealousy. She stared at the flower with wonder and confusion.

“Isn't this--?”

“Look at it! It's a blue rose!” exclaimed Min. “This means that the Phantom has fallen in love with Saya.”

Saya could not believe it, though it was hard not to imagine after her encounter with the Phantom. She twirled the flower in between her two fingers. Something seemed very familiar about the sight of the blue rose. She couldn't place it, but she knew she remembered something…something important…a sign…

 

 

Saya sat down to eat her lunch. The other girls had been talking about her all morning. Some spoke with sincere amazement; others carried more envious tones. She observed that the girls at the school often did not know much about stealth and they tended to be quite blunt with their comments while saying them at a decibel range unsuitable for spiteful gossip. Saya heard a few of them conversing about her as she seated herself at the table.

“Is that the girl that the phantom is supposed to be in love with?”

“What? Are you serious? The blue rose is supposed to go to the prettiest girl on campus.”

“You mean her?”

Saya saw, out of the corner of her eye, Anna Marie staring at her with a furious intensity and then quickly turn her head away as Saya moved to meet her gaze.

“You're the talk of the town now.” Stated the girl across from Saya.

Min attempted to comfort her as she handed her another roll. “Saya, don't let it get to you. I'm sure it's just someone playing a trick on you.” But Saya knew better. The others stared and Min rested her head on her hand as she wondered. “I can't believe it happened to Saya.”

“What?” Saya did not understand what a big deal the blue rose was to the other girls at the school.

“Phantom's blue rose. You know.” Commented the girl once more. Another shook her head in agreement.

The other interjected. “So this means the Phantom chose Saya, right?”

All four of them leaned in closer to confer with one another.

“Yeah right, but where do you think the Phantom got the blue rose from?” Min inquired.

The more stout girl suggested, “It must be from…that place, don't you think?”

Saya's eyes widened. “Uh, what do you mean by…that place?”

The girl stared around the room and looked back at her friends. Her reluctance was obvious but then she held her hand to the side of her mouth and whispered, “I'll tell you.”

 

Saya crept out of bed as Min breathed softly, assuring Saya of her sleep. She crossed the courtyard and looked beyond the chapel and at the garden her friends had told her about. The only place on school grounds were blue roses could grow. She felt Haji's presence behind her.

“I received a blue rose.”

Haji's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How may I help you?”

“I want to go to that rose garden. My friends told me about it. They say blue roses bloom there.” Haji knew what this meant. But he could not reveal his knowledge to Saya. She would have to remember on her own. “I'm sure there's something there that will lead us to the Phantom.” Saya eyed the ravine that separated her from the cliff where the garden stood. “How am I gonna get in there, Haji?”

Haji approached her from behind and wrapped his right arm around her waist. She gasped as he pulled her up into his arms and carried her. A few small cries escaped her lips as Haji leapt off the ground with her and they landed beyond the garden's gates across the gorge.

Saya wandered around the paths that were surrounded by all sorts of roses. She stopped at a small gated structure and was surprised. The walls were covered with roses.

“The blue roses.”

In the shadows, a figure moved. Haji felt their presence. His eyes narrowed, but he did not turn to see. Saya turned the lock on the gate and it screeched open. She peered into the structure and down the hole that was in the middle of the floor.

“A cellar?”

Haji wished to alert her to the figure's presence as well. “Saya.”

But she turned towards him and suggested, “Let's check it out.”

He did not argue, but instead walked forward and jumped down the hole as Saya descended the ladder. To the side there was a room barred off and Saya peered through.

“A container?” Her voice echoed through the cellar as she read the number on the front. The person had come close to the structure; Haji sensed them. “721226.” Haji knew that whoever was following them, had probably heard Saya. “I wonder what's inside it.” Haji felt the person's presence gradually fading away; he postulated that all they needed to hear was the number on the container. His concern lightened. Saya shook the bars in an attempt to unlock the gate, but as soon as she did, someone shouted from above them.

The headmistress had seen a figure in the dark creeping towards the structure. She was busy unlocking the gate just as the person was about to approach the entrance and had not seen them enter. She stood by the structure, but figured that the person had run off. But then she heard the clanking of metal and shouted down there, a little afraid of receiving a reply.

“Is someone down there?” Ms. Lee did not hear a response. She opened the gate. Saya and Haji stood close to the wall behind the ladder, where it was the hardest to see. “If anyone is down there, come out.” Ms. Lee tried to use her candle to help her see down the hole, but the stick of wax offered little light beyond its immediate reach. Slightly unsatisfied, but a bit spooked, the headmistress closed the gate and proceeded out of the garden.

Saya and Haji climbed back up the ladder and watched the headmistress close the gate behind her. Saya turned the corner and saw Ms. Lee walking to the chapel.

“So you can get here from the chapel. But this place is--” Her eyes wandered back to the blue roses that clung to the sides of the structure. “There's something strange about this place.”

 

“You all need to learn the history of Vietnam because you ladies are expected to take on important roles in leading the future of our country.” Ms. Lee lectured to the girls. “The reason we're visiting this museum today is to understand the sacrifice that was made to make this country what it is today. This entire land was a battlefield…” Saya stared at all the war artifacts that lay inside glass cases. Her classmates began talking over the headmistress.

“The history of the war?”

“Uh was it twenty years ago?”

“Wasn't it thirty years ago?”

“You two have no clue about a war that took place in your own homeland?”

Saya paid no attention to them. She was too engrossed by the museum pieces beyond the glass. She stopped when she saw pictures of GI's; staring at them, trying to remember…

“Because it happened before we were even born.”

Saya's eyes scanned across all the pictures. Suddenly, a memory of chiropteran teeth with blood and saliva dripping from them came to her. Her eyes widened in shock. Where had the image come from?

She began to remember more. The sound of a helicopter overhead, and another chiropteran lumbering towards her. Her eyes settled on a Vietnamese mother and her child; the child's terrified eyes reminded her of a girl…a girl sitting beside the door to her house; eyes filled with terror.

`Her eyes…I know this…' The scene turned red before Saya. Min turned to see that Saya had fallen behind and was staring at some old war photos.

“Saya.” Min started toward her, a little annoyed. But Saya was too far gone already.

She saw herself slicing chiropterans in half, blood gushing from their bodies. Her reflection changed before her. Her hair was longer and she wore a white smock that had been stained red with blood. But the worst part about this transformed version of herself were the demonic, red eyes staring back at her; how she hated those eyes; filled with malice, pure hatred, and an animalistic lust for blood.

Min approached her. “Saya, what are you doing? You're gonna be left behind.” Saya did not move, but saw the same horrified girl running away from her; all Saya could focus on now was the blood pumping through Min's veins; her heartbeat pounding in Saya's ears. She wanted to silence the pulsation. Min raised in eyebrow. “Saya?” She still did not move, but let out a broken breath that conveyed her fear. “What's the matter Saya?”

Min put, what she believed to be, a comforting hand on Saya's shoulder, but instead Saya turned to her friend with a look of utter horror. Before Saya's eyes, Min turned into the frightened girl, sitting beside her doorway. She stepped back. Her expression was horrified.

“Oh…no…” she whispered to herself.

“Saya?”

“No. No! Stay away!” Saya turned and ran away as Min called out to her.

“Saya!”

Saya ran through the streets of Hanoi with her horrific memories playing in her head as she remembered her role in the Vietnam War. She felt herself running just as she had when she slew all those innocent villagers. She was so consumed with her memories that she did not sense those following her. She paid no attention to the light, airy voice in the background or the sound of the wind beating against a cape. She was too far gone.

Saya ran into an alley and leaned up against the wall. She saw herself attacking another innocent person and then she buried her head into her hands as she slid a little closer to the ground.

“Saya.” A voice called to her in the darkness. She stopped her sobbing but her eyes were still wide with fright.

Down the alley, she saw a single blue rose coming towards her. A figure masked and covered by a cape appeared from out of the dark shadows holding the flower. He kissed its petals before throwing it at her feet on the ground. Saya realized who the person was.

“Phantom.” She took a step back.

“Saya, I've been looking forward to seeing you.” She walked backwards a few more steps before turning to run, but the Phantom jumped over her and cut off her escape. He raised his arms, revealing one teal-skinned, clawed hand. Although she had suspected what he was, she still gasped in surprise.

“Chiropteran?”

Suddenly a large case appeared in front of her and shook the ground. Haji held onto the object and glared menacingly at the Phantom who had jumped out of the way of the half-hearted attack and chuckled.

“Haji.”

“Saya.” He threw he sword at her and she caught it, but the feel of the weapon reminded her of what she had done. She could not will herself to wield her sword.

Haji sparred with the Phantom, using his dagger. But the Phantom struck and the dagger went flying while Haji still held the Phantom's wrist.

“Don't tell me you're Saya's--” The Phantom could not force himself to say the word aloud.

“Saya, you must fight.” She had heard Haji utter the words many times before, but in this instance, they evoked only fear from within her. She could not motivate herself to pull her sword from its sheath. Her mind was set on the pictures in the museum and all the flashbacks she kept having.

“What happened? Back then?” Her face was fixed with horror. Haji glanced over at her, his voice filled with concern.

“Saya.” But the Phantom punched him in his stomach and kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying into the building. The force that propelled Haji against the wall also broke an awning from above and it landed on the pile of rubble, and Haji, below. Dust filled the air. The event forced Saya to come to her senses for the moment.

“Haji!” she yelled indignantly at the Phantom but as he turned, she saw his face in the Vietnamese jungle. She closed her mind to the thought, but she was still in her shocked state.

“What did I…what did I do?” No one answered her. But the Phantom glared and lunged as Saya brought her sheathed sword up to defend herself. He grabbed a hold of it, and they were locked in a stand still.

“What's the matter?” the Phantom demanded to know. “Why are you hesitating? Whatever happened to the you I knew back then?” Saya saw herself covered in blood, slicing through an innocent villager. `Is that really me? Is that monster me? Was I ever this way? What am I?' Outwardly, Saya was a statue and could not force herself to move. The Phantom brought up his right hand to caress her cheek. “Or are you hiding her in this body? Ever since I saw you in the courtyard, with the roses blooming all around you, ever since then I've had this terrible ache in my right arm.” Saya did not reply and only small gasps of air that conveyed her sheer fear escaped her lips. “Do you remember what happened that day?” There were obvious implications, but Saya could not bring herself to consider any of the conclusions that she was drawing about these memories.

“I—I don't know.” Her answer angered the Phantom.

“Are you telling me you've forgotten about that night? About the blood and the flames and the distinctive smell of napalm?!” The flashes were all from that fateful night in Vietnam. Were they really memories or just figments of her imagination? No. Saya had done more than just seen those images, she remembered them. The tangy, sweet scent of blood was still caught in her nose. She felt the pressure of the warm, moist Vietnam air that stifled her lungs that night. She remembered the feeling of the blood splattering across her. She heard the heart wrenching cries of villagers screaming in terror and the pounding of gunshot all around her. Her body remembered that night. All the blood, all the gore, all the death. It was no dream. It was all her.

Saya's mind was left in utter darkness. She began hyperventilating; each gasp for air was more intense and labored than the last. Her eyes started to glow blood red.

The Phantom chuckled with glee. “That's it! Those eyes.” He stared deeply into them as Saya clutched her sword, but her arm began shaking. Her world went dark. All she could see in her mind was the black, fathomless hole of her past.

The Phantom was elated by the unfolding events before him. He was going to see his old Saya returning to him. But suddenly he felt an eerie presence from above. It traveled along the roof top directly overhead before jumping off and landing between him and Saya. If he had not jumped out of the way, the figure would have landed right on top of him. The person was cloaked and hid their face in darkness. Something stirred within the Phantom, but he could not remember this feeling. This feeling of sheer terror. It reminded him of Diva, but this was stronger. It chilled his blood and froze his body. But his anger broke through the fear.

“Who—who are you?!” he demanded. The figure lifted their head up and against the light of the full moon the Phantom gazed upon lightly tanned, porcelain skin that was framed by amber hair that glinted a little hint of red. But what caught the Phantom's attention most, were the bright sapphire eyes glaring back at him. Those gave her away. “No.” His face was filled with disappointment, but it quickly turned to fury. “No! You will ruin everything!” The Phantom attacked with one claw, but the girl pulled out two swords from her sides underneath her cloak and she blocked his attack.

Saya could not see the girl's face, but she saw her fighting. She remembered all the times that she had fought against Chiropteran. She knew that's what she needed to do, but the sword in her hand…although it felt good; it reminded her of all the death she had brought upon this world.

Saya remembered when she and Kai had gone to the beach in Okinawa. He sat there, trying to comfort her.

“So you gottta remember, you'll always be part of the family.” He paused to turn and look at her as he smiled. “An important part of the family.”

Her mind flashed back to when she had come home one day to see Riku and George playing catch. She had caught the ball that had flown too far away from Riku.

“Saya, how'd you catch that?” Riku's amazement had filled her with a bit of pride.

She remembered her father's dying words to her as he clutched her hand with his own clawed one while he slowly began transforming into a Chiropteran.

“Saya, wherever your life takes you, always follow your heart. You must learn to accept your past.”

Saya now clutched her sword in her hand; her determination returned. The Phantom looked over at Saya. The girl noticed that he was distracted and took the time to push him away and kick him in the chest. He flew back, but was quickly on his feet and lunged at Saya. She held her sword and when he stretched an arm out to touch her, she slashed it off and it fell to the ground. The Phantom took a few steps back, surprised at Saya's sudden change. He saw it in her eyes. They had dulled to their normal shade of maroon. He chuckled as his eyes scanned to the alley. Haji got up; ready to defend Saya and the hooded figure still had her swords raised.
“I see. So now I understand.” The Phantom turned and leapt onto the room of the building behind him. With his back turned to the three of them, he tried to understand the events of the night. “You don't remember who you are or what you've done. Did you really leave your memory behind in your sleep?” Saya gripped her sword tighter. “Why? Why don't you remember?” He pulled the mask from off his face and spoke with a resolved tone. His disappointment allowed tears to flow down his cheeks and then fell onto his distorted hand. “If that's the case,” the Phantom sobbed, “Then I have a problem.” He became frustrated and angered by the realization. “I can't just kill you without you knowing why!” He turned towards her, revealing his face.

Saya gasped with realization, but she was the only one to do so. “Chairman.”

“Saya, you may have forgotten everything, but that doesn't change the fact that you are very dangerous.” He placed the mask back on his face and turned towards the cloaked girl. “And Blue Blood.” Her eyes turned towards Karl, but both Haji and Saya's widened with curiosity. Haji was surprised, but Saya did not understand. “HE will learn about tonight. HE will know. And you can no longer hide from HIM. She will not let you. Neither of them will.” He turned to address all of them. “That is it for tonight. We will meet again soon.” Karl jumped off the building and fly off into the night.

“Phantom!” Saya yelled after him as she ran down the alley, but she could not see him. She narrowed her eyes in frustration and breathed “Phantom”.

The Blue Blood picked the blue rose from off the ground and twirled it between her fingers, wondering. Saya turned around to look at the cloaked girl. Her curiosity got the best of her.

“Thank you. For coming to my rescue.” The girl still stared down at the rose in her hand and did not reply. “I'm Saya.” She held out her hand for the girl to take, but the figure did not move, but only continued to gaze at the flower. Saya looked at the blue rose too now and for a moment, she remembered. The distinctive, melancholic song that she had heard in the garden as a child began to play in her head. The sight of the blue rose in the girl's hand had triggered the memory. Saya let her own hand drop to her side.

“Do you sing?” Saya inquired. The girl looked up to reveal her bright blue eyes. They dazzled Saya and she could not help but gaze into them. They stared in silence until the girl handed Saya the rose, which she grasped gently and turned to walk the other way down the alley. Saya stood there motionless; dazed. Haji called after the girl.

“Blue Blood.” The girl stopped dead in her tracks and turned slowly to look at Haji. “Thank you.” He uttered. Saya looked at Haji with a surprised expression, as if to ask how he knew her. The girl nodded her head and began to walk once more but Saya held out her hand and pleaded.

“Wait!” The girl stopped once more. “Who are you?”

With her back still turned, the girl said “Haji just told you.” But silence fell between them so she pulled back her hood and turned to face Saya. “I am the Blue Blood. A Chiropteran Queen.”

Saya was shocked. “Chiropteran?” She looked like Saya. Her face had the same structure only it was framed by shiny, mid-length, amber hair and her eyes were as blue as the sky, not red as blood. The Blue Blood nodded her head. “Then how did you know I was in trouble?”

“I am the eyes and ears of the night and now it beckons so if you'll excuse me…”

The Blue Blood turned to leave but Saya inquired “What if I should need your assistance in the future?”

She only turned her head towards the pair. “Then just whisper my name and I will come.” With that, she faced the light of the full moon on the alley, pulled her hood back over her head and leapt into the Vietnamese night sky.

Saya glanced down at the blue rose that she still grasped in her hand. She pondered on the girl that had handed it to her. `A Chiropteran Queen.' She wondered and whispered questioningly to herself “Blue Blood?”