Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers) Fan Fiction ❯ Nabiki 1/2 (A Very Scary Thought) ❯ How the Dark Half Lives... ( Chapter 123 )

Nabiki 1/2

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

Nodoka remained perfectly still as the Blood Mother leaned forward, and then Ling-Ko brought her lips up to the tender throat of the other woman and with great ceremony paused before parting her lips and baring her fangs, and then she brought her mouth down to "kiss" the neck of the Saotome Matron, her teeth sinking into soft warm flesh and drawing forth the rich salty, coppery tinged flavor that was the life sustaining essence that she was after.

Nodoka only made a slight, soft noise upon being so pricked, then she gasped as a warmth passed through her that was wholly indescribable. For a moment she felt linked to the other woman, then something else passed between them…and Ling-Ko withdrew her fangs, pausing to lick the wound clean of every droplet of blood, leaving only the closed marks of her "kiss" in passing, at which point she smiled and looked fondly upon the other woman.

"There," the Blood Mother pronounced, "I have laid my mark upon you. Now you and your family are officially under my protection and none shall trifle with you without incurring my wrath. Tsiel tribe welcomes you, and you are a sister to my house. May the sun and the moon shine down upon you with equal benediction, and may your family grow and prosper to bring honor to your name and ancestors."

"And on behalf of the Saotome family, I thank you for your benediction," Nodoka replied with equal tones of warmth and sincerity.

Ling-Ko touched hands with the other woman and gave a look of warm affection, "You have no idea how honored I am that you have agreed to join your house to mine. I have many human friends, but I find you and yours to be of special interest to me and not just because of the curious destiny that fate has visited upon you. I rejoice in finding a new sister, and I relish the chance to meet with your niece, Kasumi, that I might welcome her as yet another blood sister."

"You will like Kasumi when you meet her," Nodoka reassured, "Everyone does. She's such an exceptionally loving and dutiful child that I often wish that she were mine, though I am just as equally content that she is a part of my family, if only by adoption."

"I confess to being more than a little curious about just what sort of person she might be," Ling-Ko remarked, "Yet from your description…and the memories we now share…I can sense that she has a good soul and a beautiful heart who will bring credit to any family who joins her to their household. So tell me, does she have any boyfriends that she's fond of?"

"Well…no," Nodoka admitted, "But there is one she…sort of likes…and another man who likes her a lot, though Kasumi does not see it…"

"Interesting," Ling-Ko leaned forward, "I look forward to hearing all about the details. So…are these men in her life both handsome young studs, or just average fellows? I certainly hope that, if it is the latter case, they are of an understanding nature since Kasumi will have special needs that will requite an enlightened husband to support and care for her. Such men are rare in my experience, but I certainly do hope that your Kasumi will wind up lucky."

"Well," Nodoka confided, "The man who has had a crush on Kasumi since she was a young woman is a doctor friend of ours who is quite a remarkable fellow. He is a gifted healer with a magic touch that can soothe the aches and strains of the body…and he is quite the handsome one too, though more than a bit shy when it comes to dealing with Kasumi."

"I like the sound of him already," Ling-Ko happily beamed, "So…why does he not take the initiative and confess his true feelings?"

"Well," Nodoka began, "The truth is…whenever Kasumi comes anywhere near to him, the doctor tends to go all to pieces…he's quite excitable around her as he is with none of his patients, and though he is a man of extraordinary even temper and wisdom, he becomes a clown and a fool over Kasumi. It really is quite remarkable, but I believe it is a token sign of the depth of his affection for my niece."

"Sounds very much like love to me," Ling-Ko smiled, "I might like to meet this doctor, he sounds like quite a catch for your niece…"

As the two new friends started chatting together like old schoolmates catching up on the days of their youth, Natsumi and Miyuki were keeping company with the spiritualist, Himiko Se, whose quiet and mature personality made her an implicitly trustworthy confidant, especially in light of the presence of so many other sorts who tended to make the off-duty policewoman more than a wee bit nervous.

"So, you're not really a vampire yourself, but you share some of their qualities?" Natsumi asked.

"Yes, something like that," Himiko replied, "Actually, I'm what they call a Familiar, someone who is bonded to a vampire and can act as a source of nourishment and companionship in times of need, but I'm still mostly human."

"Nourishment?" Miyuki asked.

"Companionship?" Natsumi blinked.

"Yes," Himiko smiled, revealing her own sharpened canines, "Sometimes a human and a vampire form a blood pact to share essence without the one having to fully cross over into becoming the other. I'm bonded this way to Miyu, and I am her familiar. She drinks my blood when other sources are not available and I produce excess amounts of hemoglobin to compensate for my losses. Normal vampires can't easily replenish their blood levels since their bodies tend to feed on the Eurythecytes and Plasma that human bodies regularly produce. The degree to which they lose blood on a daily basis varies from one tribe to the next, and some Vampire strains lose the ability to regenerate blood altogether. Goya are a prime example of the latter case and that's why they need vast amounts of blood to keep their unholy life-force going. Nosferatu is another strain that can't produce hemoglobin, which is one of many reasons why they resemble bloodless corpses. Miyu's strain, the Shinma, produce blood of a different type than is most nourishing to a human, so she needs human blood to synthesize the enzymes that she needs in order to stimulate her body into producing the actual type of blood that she needs. It only takes a little to kickstart her body's production of these enzymes, and that's why she requires much less blood than other types of vampires. It's also why Nightbreeds like her can get by with passing herself off as a human and not be detected for her more…exotic qualities. At any rate, the medium of blood allows for the transfer of vitality from victim to vampire, and this is why there is the connection between Miyu and me.

"You sound quite fond of her," Miyuki noted, "Have you known each other for a very long time?"

Himiko softly chuckled at that and said, "Not so long…a little more than a decade, and when I first laid eyes on her I thought she was the very devil incarnate, but now…yes, I suppose I am rather fond of Miyu-chan. You have to understand something, though…she may look like a young girl barely fourteen or fifteen years of age, but in reality she's almost fifteen years older than I am. We met when I was a little girl and she was still new to her Vampirism…and she put her mark on me and made me forget all about it, until I was an adult and had pursued the career as a Spiritualist and professional Exorcist. That was how I came to know her again…I was investigating a case, which I thought resembled normal vampirism, but instead it turned out to be a renegade Shinma that was at fault. I was startled at Miyu's abilities, her total contrast to anything that I would have expected in a vampire of her nature, but gradually I got to know her, and to accept that she was that same devil girl who had so often haunted my nightmares. Now…I suppose I could be counted as one of the very few that she genuinely considers to be her friend. It's not easy getting close to her…but the sharing of blood tends to erase normal obstacles and has given me a deeper insight into the meaning of what it is to be her, and with it has come a certain sad acceptance of the loneliness of her burden."

"Burden?" Natsumi repeated.

Himiko nodded to where Miyu was consulting with Larva, Yui and Nagi, "She bears the weight of her entire clan upon her shoulder. Originally it was the scheme of the Shinma Masters to use her as a pawn to infiltrate the mortal realms…she was to be their sacrifice, their Judas Goat, whatever you might want to call it. Instead she upset their plans and wrecked their timetable, first by enslaving Larva, then by accidentally unleashing a group of renegade Shinma into the mortal realm. Miyu made it her duty to hunt those Shinma down and to banish them back into the shadows, and then one by one she defeated the Masters to assert her authority as their Princess. She now protects humanity from the wrath of the Shinma, and under her wise dominion they have grown to accept a certain truce that has held for most of the past decade. Mind you, more than a few Shinma would like nothing better than to overthrow her rule so that they can fulfill their long held schemes for plaguing the human realm as their masters from the shadows. Miyu knows this and must constantly be on vigil against this, and she can know little peace beyond those moments when she consorts with innocent humanity, with whom she must always play the role of a young girl innocent of the things of the Dark. She is a Princess with few loyal subjects…but Larva and me…we do what we can to help ease her burden."

Natsumi and Miyuki exchanged looks over this, then the former said, "So…she's really a good guy?"

"Yes," Himiko smiled, "I suppose she is good, though not without faults of her own, and she is trapped eternally in the body of a young girl with all the attendant needs and hormones that cause her such intense frustration. Imagine if you wanted to be like other girls and knew it was impossible? She has flirted with dozens of boyfriends, but in the end all of her attempts at relationships come to nothing, which only adds to the loneliness of her burden."

"I…see," Miyuki said dubiously, "But she still must feed on blood, and I can't quite believe that yours is enough to sustain her."

"No, but I provide what I can to help out," Himiko smiled, then she surprised the two policewomen by undoing the top buttons to her shirt and peeling it down to reveal the left side of her upper body, and there-right above the bra that she was wearing-they could see fresh bite marks that were just a few millimeters above where her left nipple would be showing were she braless. Without meaning to the two humans gulped a bit and unconsciously felt their own breasts start to tingle in sympathetic resonance, which was both exciting and disturbing since they could only just barely imagine what it felt like to be bit there.

"I don't really mind it anymore," Himiko smiled as she buttoned up her shirt once again, "Every time she drinks from me she is avoiding the need to feed somewhere else, though Miyu is always careful to select her victims and never drains them beyond their means of sustaining themselves. She rarely kills, and this is not just because the normal practice among Vampires these days is to avoid needless killings. Her bite can send one into a dreamlike state, or have other beneficial qualities, depending on how she chooses to use her connection. Often she will ease the burden of someone tormented by need or loss, but I think what she wants more than anything is to find that special friend who would not mind sharing her loneliness with her, either a boyfriend or a girlfriend who would not mind going through eternity at her side as her companion."

"In other words another vampire," Natsumi said, "Or someone who wouldn't mind becoming one for her sake."

"Exactly," Himiko nodded, "As a Familiar I gain certain…abilities of my own without having to cross over to becoming a full Shinma. I am stronger than a normal woman, faster, with all of my physical abilities magnified accordingly, and I have a connection to the spirit realm that has intensified the natural gifts that nature has bestowed upon me. I do not age like a normal woman and I heal very quickly when injured. I'm not as strong as a real vampire, nor do I have a need for blood, but I can drink it if I have to, and it will revitalize me. You might say I'm kind of a halfway Vamp, and with all of my senses enhanced to a degree that you could not imagine I find the nightlife suits me well. The one downside is that if I am either killed or reduced to a state of near-death I risk the danger of reverting into a full vampire, after which I could be considered something of a novice Shinma."

"I…see…" Miyuki slowly noted, "In other words…you share a part of Miyu-san's essence."

"Her blood is mixed with mine, yes," Himiko replied, "But the agency that causes full fledged vampirism is in temporary remission. It will remain dormant unless death itself causes it to become active. I suppose that makes me a kind of sleeper Vamp, a not uncommon condition as there are a great many people who walk in the day with the taint of Vampire blood who never realize it until something causes it to become active, just as it was for Miyu-chan on the day when she converted."

"How can someone be born of a vampire?" Natsumi asked while scratching her head, "Aren't they, like, the walking dead or something?"

"Goya vampires are," Himiko explained, "Their bodies are trapped in a kind of limbo state that's partly ethereal, partly solid. That's why they crumble to bits whenever you disrupt their central nervous systems…they literally get torn apart down to the molecular level by the sudden loss of equilibrium between states. Loire and other more "pure" strains are far more stable than this, and if you kill one they can still be revived by various occult means. With Jezril it's even more intense…you literally have to cut the head off and burn it to ashes, then bury it separately from the body, or else there's a real chance that their bodies could be put back together. About the only way to be certain of death with a vampire is to cremate the body and scatter the ashes over holy ground, or moving water. Some part of a vampire is thus trapped on the ethereal plane and cannot cross back over to the living world without some type of connection. That's the reason why Dracula is still with us in spite of numerous reports of his death, but when it comes to reproduction…well…some strains of Vamp do have fully active metabolisms, greatly slowed down from normalcy, but still strong enough to go through a sustained pubic cycle. They can have sex like normal humans and get pregnant, and then they bear their young in the normal human manner. A child born of the union of two vampires is called a 'Pure Blood,' while the offspring of a union of human and vampire is called a Vampyr, while those who become vampires who started out as full blood humans are merely "Turned" and are considered mere Peons. It's the Pure Bloods who sit at the top of the food chain…except, of course, for those rare individuals who are born with specific traits that turn them into Masters…or Blood Queens, as in the case of Ling-Ko."

"What is a Blood Queen anyway?" Natsumi asked, "Or Blood Mother…whatever you want to call her?"

"A Blood Mother is a stage beyond the level of a Master," Himiko said in a very sober tone of voice, "An extremely rare combination of factors produces one, and they're like Queen Bees in that normal vampires are compelled to bow down to them and respect their influence, much like Leguire over there, not that he likes chaffing under anyone's heel as you may have noticed."

"I see," Miyuki said, "So you have a sort of social hierarchy that holds everything in place?"

"That's right," Himiko nodded, "About a thousand years ago the Masters of Asia and Europe got together and formed The Council of Blood, the supreme authority for all Vampires, as means of holding at bay the wrath of the human world, which might otherwise have organized to destroy us. This was about the time when the Catholic Church was starting to organize the first of many programs against anyone who lived outside of the authority of its clerics, and similar threats were being posed to Vampires the world over by The Council of Wizards, and by a group we know of called the Watchers…humans who keep track of occult events, and who raise their pet Slayers as a means of curbing our numbers. Before there had been rare enclaves where Vampire chiefs got together and discussed territorial disputes between the various tribes, but the Council was organized to maintain a kind of peace between the human and Nightbreed worlds. About five hundred years ago it went through an organizational shuffle, and a certain Romanian Count came to prominence as a Master among Masters. You've heard something about his legends, but you don't know the full story and he's not totally evil or the devil incarnate or the reborn Judas Iscariot, or any such nonsense as Hollywood likes to think up. His father was a mass murderer who got on the wrong side of the Eastern Orthodox church, who ironically were responsible for his conversion to Vampirism, but his son was the one who gained the power of a Pure Born Master, and he-as much as anybody else on the present council-has ruthlessly maintained the peace so that even most Goya are afraid of him and refuse to cross paths with any of his agents."

"So what makes this Dimitri character so different?" Natsumi asked.

"Dimitri…is Dracula's nephew," Himiko explained, "He was born a century and a half ago in a quiet Romanian village to the Count's younger sister, Ludmilla, but his father was a Rakshasa…about the nastiest type of shapeshifting demon around. He came to her pretending to be another vampire, but by the time he left his seed in her the truth had already come to light. This is the same guy who later attacked a woman of the east who gave birth to Donovan Bane, so in a way Bane and Dimitri are half-brothers by the same Dark father, and they hate each other with an intensity that you could not possibly imagine."

"Whoah," Natsumi exclaimed, "That big guy with the gold eyes and the impossibly huge sword is related to this Dimitri creep?"

"Yes," Himiko said sadly, "But Donovan is almost the complete opposite of Dimitri, a soul in torment who sought refuge in the priesthood of a benevolent Yogi. He studied to learn how to control his own dark power, to temper his thirst for blood and to master his inward demonic nature. He is a Damphyr, a special breed of half-breed human, but he tends to favor his human side and shuns the darkness that is within him, and he's one of the most powerful Darkstalkers around…and one of the saddest. If it wasn't for the companionship of Anita…"

"That child with the sad eyes and the headless doll?" Miyuki clarified.

"The very same," Himiko replied, "Anita was born with a gift…a very powerful one, but when she was six years of age she witnessed the death of her entire village during a raid staged by Dimitri, who was seeking to steal a relic from a local church and didn't much care about the collateral damage he was causing. Anita watched her parents die, drained of blood before her eyes, and it affected her more deeply than you can imagine. It also brought her power to the fore, and that was what warded Dimitri off…a six year old girl with the power of a full born Telekinetic."

"She's that powerful?" Miyuki asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, and she's likely to get a lot stronger when she gets older," Himiko nodded, "Donovan found her and took her under his wing…or maybe it would be more accurate to say that she found him and started following him around everywhere. I'm not sure if even they know just how their relationship got started, but Donovan's been training and protecting Anita ever since, but Dimitri would like nothing better than to get his fangs into the girl so he could absorb her vast potential."

"Bastard," Natsumi softly spat.

"That he is and much, much worse, I'm afraid," Himiko nodded, "His Rakshasa side makes him more dangerous and more vicious than any regular vampire, but he's still very human in ways that would surprise you. For example…though he prides himself as a loner and spurns the companionship of mortals and other Darkstalkers, save for when he battles them, he has recently found himself deeply attracted to a mortal enemy named Morgan Anslat, a Succubus from the demon dimension of Makai…"

"A Succubus?" both Policewomen chorused.

"Yes," Himiko grimly smiled, "A different sort of vampiric being, one who feeds on the nourishment of sexual potency to sustain her immortal life. She's a powerful night creature who can suck the life right out of you with her touch, and for the longest time she and Dimitri hated each other…until something changed in their relationship…either that or they just hated so hard that it turned into something else…a hatred that is indistinguishable from love, and that began their dark alliance."

"You don't say?" Miyuki said, "So this Dimitri has a girlfriend?"

"After a fashion," Himiko conceded, "Morgan is the daughter of Beliol, the Demon King of Lust in the dimension known as Makai, where he is absolute sovereign. Some time back, Morgan got involved in a palace intrigue to overthrow the rule of her immortal father, and for a time everyone believed that Beliol was dead and that Morgan was the rightful queen and ruler…but then her father mysteriously seemed to return from death and she was cast into exile, which is why she hooked up with Dimitri."

"Because she needs him to get back at her old man?" Natsumi guessed.

"That's how it started out, yes," Himiko acknowledged, "Dimitri feels that he is also the rightful ruler of Makai since his father came from that world and was a servant of Beliol. Indeed, he even lived among their court as one of their nobles for a few decades before he made himself too much of a nuisance and was kicked out about a century or so back. Dimitri's been plotting his revenge ever since, so it was natural that Morgan thought to ally with him, fully intending to dispose of him later. But then a curious thing happened…they fell in love, and for villains of their nature that's about the worst sort of fate you can imagine."

"I should think so," Miyuki remarked, "Having to care about another person whom you intend to work alongside can be…awkward under the best of circumstances…" she gave Natsumi a meaningful look, "But in the end…the advantages are not to be underrated."

"Yeah, well…for them it's been a rocky relationship from the start, and not just because the two of them don't trust and respect each other any farther than they can throw their respective castles," Himiko smiled, "Morgan is jaded with boredom after so many centuries of living…she started that palace coup mostly to relieve her boredom, and after she assumed the throne she became even more bored with the pomp and circumstances of office. Then her father slew some people whom she had actually begun to care about, and now she lives for revenge, and being distracted by love is the last thing that she could have wanted. Hell, she even once turned herself into stone in order to avoid Dimitri, but that only lasted a few months before he figured on a spell to turn her back. These days she resents him every bit as much as she wants to be with him, and I think it's driving the both of them batty. You can't even tell if they want to kiss or kill each other most days…of course I only know most of this on hearsay, but the stories they tell on the Underground grapevine…" she shook her head and chuckled, "Tabloid news journalism ain't got nothing on the rumor-mill between vampires."

"Sounds to me like they deserve each other," Natsumi turned and looked directly at her partner then said, "Um…Miyuki? Mind if we have a little powwow session…just the two of us?"

"Oooh, sounds romantic," Miyuki chuckled.

Natsumi could not hold back a guilty smile over that but gave an apologetic look towards Himiko, "Excuse us…partner conference and all that."

"Oh, don't mind me," Himiko waved the point away, "I've been in love myself a time or two, and I know how high-maintenance it can be to have a girlfriend."

The two policewomen gave equally sheepish looks at this before moving off to another portion of the Tendo compound, but almost before Himiko drew another breath she heard a voice murmuring into her ear, "Telling tales behind my back are we?"

"I didn't think you'd mind," Himiko said without turning around, "You've certainly never held back on sharing your secrets with me."

"Or anything else," Miyu remarked with a soft chuckle, slipping am arm around the older-seeming woman's waist.

"Lolita," Himiko softly chided.

"That only applies to older women who seduce young girls, not the other way around," Miyu corrected.

"I meant exactly what it sounded like," Himiko turned to her Princess and slipped her arm around her waist, then Miyu stood on tip-toes so that they could bring their mouths together and they kissed quite intimately, pretending all the while that there were not a dozen different sets of eyes watching them from various points in the compound.

Soun noticed, but the only thing he said aloud was, "Let me see if I understand this again…these people are all vampires?"

The panda sitting opposite from him held up a sign that read, "Don't mind me, I'm only a panda, and I'm no good for drinking."

"Well, most of us anyway," Lenore answered him, "But you don't need to worry about us biting you. The Queen's given her reassurance that you're under her protection."

"Nobody here would have the nerve to do anything without her approval," Chloe said softly, "Even Weres know better than to tangle with a Blood Queen."

"Except for our enemies," Kiima noted, "Who have already made several attempts upon her life."

"Using humans and Goya no less," Leguire sniffed dismissively, then frowned as he studied the Shogi table, "So let me see if I understand this…you play to cheat? And the object here is to see if the other man will notice?"

"Sounds almost like a game for vampires," Yasmina noted.

"Yes, and some of us are rather better at it than others," M'shulla added with dire foreboding.

"Amen to that, right Sis?" Tsien-Ko remarked to her twin sister.

"Perhaps it might make for good training, as it was traditionally intended?" Mei-Ling suggested.

"I don't like it, I tell you," Nagi murmured at the sidelines, just loud enough to be audible to the others, "It's been too quiet since we left the bloody conference. Can we really be sure our enemies intend to hold off until morning?"

"That is our hope," Larva replied in a slightly ethereal manner, "The wards that Himiko-chan and I have placed about this yard should serve to keep out even the minions of Dimitri."

"Let's hope you're right about that," Yui murmured, "But…I just can't shake this feeling that Nagi is right about this…we're too open and exposed out here, and who knows what else Dimitri could be planning? The night's not even that old yet, and it's still a couple of hours before midnight…"

Little did the Shi Princess suspect but that a pair of eyes were gleaming from a short distance away in a tree just outside of the walled yard surrounding the Tendo household. A pair of ruby lips twisted up in a smile and then a feminine voice said, "You got that right, little Missy. You're not out of the woods just yet, and I've got a basket full of goodies I'm just waiting to serve you…"

"And what sort of goodies did you bring for me, Cutie?"

All at once the blonde woman in the tree became aware that someone was hugging her rear, and with a startled oath she fell out of the tree, yelping as she hit the ground and reaching for her sidearms when she noticed something peculiar…

Her top was feeling just a wee bit drafty.

She glanced down at herself then gave a startled yelp as she realized that somehow she had lost her brassier, and as she turned to look for the guilty party she found a wizened old gnome waving it in her direction with a cheerful remark of, "Lose something, hot stuff?"

The blonde let loose with a sharp invective as she reached for her guns, but before she could squeeze off a shot the little man disappeared into the night with a cheerful, "What a haul, what a haul!" to mark his passage.

Rather than betray her position by firing off a round, the blonde instead spoke into her throat mike and said, "BB to all units already in position, prepare to move out!" Then she snapped off her mike and grumbled, "Next time I see that old freak I'm filling him with enough lead to sink the Yamato."

She cocked her triggers and got ready, then climbed back up into the tree to begin once again the countdown for the final showdown between the Queen and her assailants, only this time they were prepared for the engagement, and she felt confident that her quarry would stand little chance of escaping her units once again. This time their Master's plans would not be thwarted, and with the kind of firepower they were packing the end result was all but a matter of predestination.

"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf indeed?" the blonde chuckled, even as she prepared to give the fateful attack signal…

"But Imoutochan," Kasumi said quietly, "I am only trying to help him."

"Keep back…whatever you are!" Natsume growled in warning, "I won't let you have my Tachi-sama."

"But I don't want him," Kasumi pointed out, "Natsume…you are being silly. I would never harm Tatewaki-kun. He is like a member of the family already, and since the two of you are now engaged to be married…"

"How could you know about that?" Natsume said with a narrowing of her eyes.

"I overheard you," Kasumi replied, "I have very good hearing, and you ware wearing his ring. Oh my…and such a large diamond he's given you…"

"Uh…Oneechan?" Kurumi said dubiously as she stared at the sharp stake that was presently gripped in her sister's hand, "Do you mind not pointing that at Kasumi? You're making me nervous…and we've got more important stuff to worry about."

"More important than giving our sister the peace of salvation that she deserves?" Natsume snapped without taking her eyes off of Kasumi.

"Ah…yeah…that," Kurumi pointed to the stricken Keiko Arigami, whom Nabiki was kneeling over, sobbing profusely.

"It's not fair!" Nabiki cried, "Why did it have to be her? It should have been me that she-demon went after…"

"Life ain't fair, Kid…trust me on that," Frank tried to console her, "Your friend put up quite a row, but against Morgan…" he looked away, feeling disgusted at his own clumsy attempt at offering condolences.

"Hate myself for saying this," Talbain softly murmured, "But when they look like that the only decent thing to do is dig a hole and bury 'em…"

"Such a loss is a tragedy no matter how many times it happens," Donovan raised a hand in the manner of offering benediction, "I will pray for her soul, much though it was depleted by Morgan. She was brave up to the end, and I know that she would want you to continue living with her memory to guide you. Let us honor her sacrifice and seek to find justice upon her killer…"

Very quietly the girl named Anita said, "No."

"Eh?" Donovan looked down at his small ward, "Anita…?"

"You said never to give up hope," Anita replied, "Why are you breaking your word to me now, Donovan? She's not all gone yet…you still could help her."

"Eh?" Donovan said as he stared down at the withered husk that had been Keiko Arigami, "What do you mean? Morgan stole her energies…"

"But not all of it," Anita stepped forward, "There's still a little bit of it left, and I'm not going to let it be snuffed out, not like the last time."

Frank sensed the rise of power surrounding the younger girl and with his overlarge grip yanked Nabiki back off of Keiko's shrunken body. The Tendo-Saotome heir just stared in bewilderment as the nine year old continued to advance upon her friend until Anita was poised directly in front of Keiko, and then the strange streamers of blue-white energy rose up from around the child to surround the Kickboxer's body, and Keiko was bathed in the light of the child's aura, glowing from inside as though a fire had been rekindled.

Everyone gasped as the area was painted in a shimmering blue-white intensity for the next several moments, and only when that fire died down again did they dare to look at Keiko's body, which-much to their surprise-was restored to health, and she was even breathing!

The pigtailed redhead drew in a deep breath before opening her eyes and glancing around. For a moment she seemed disoriented, but then she said, "I'm…alive? I live again? But…"

Almost faintly, Frank heard John Talbain say aloud in a semi-mechanical voice, "Y'know…I can almost remember hearing that from somewhere…only…what the hell just happened?"

"Anita?" Donovan asked.

"She's all right now," Anita replied, "Morgan didn't take all her energies, and she still had her soul…I could feel it the whole time you guys were gawking…oh…"

All at once the young girl started to sway upon her feet, and Keiko-reacting from instinct-sat up to steady her with a hand, feeling the coolness of her touch against the hot skin of the child and belatedly realizing the significance of the gesture.

She looked up at the grey-eyed child and with her own blue eyes shining with emotion she said very soberly, "Thank you."

For an instant Anita's mouth quirked slightly as though she were attempting to smile, but then she went back to the same emotionless stare that she usually manifested and pronounced a soft, "Just don't get yourself killed again."

"I'll try not to," Keiko promised, then looked around and said, "Uh…hi guys, anybody miss me?"

"Keiko-chan?" Nabiki hesitantly came forward, then all at once she sank to her knees and threw her arms around Keiko, hugging her tightly to her breast, much to the surprise (and pleasant delight) of the Kickboxer, "You're alive! Thank the Kami…!"

"The child…revived her?" Natsume asked.

"Apparently," Tatewaki said, "There is more to this child than is dreamt of from her appearance."

"That child, as you so put it, is a powerful Telekinetic with spiritual energies that even Donovan doesn't know how to fully rate," Talbain informed them.

"I see," Mousse said, "So she was able to infuse Arigami-san with new energies to replace what had been lost."

"Well, thank somebody for that," Kurumi sighed, "I thought for sure that Red was a goner."

"Oh my," Kasumi murmured, seeing the way her sister was clinging to the revitalized Keiko.

"Good work, Kid," Frank gave Anita a respectful look before turning his expression upon Keiko, "Gotta hand it to you, Arigami…I've never seen anybody make a full recovery from Morgan's attack like that. How'd you manage to hold out?"

"Oh…that?" Keiko asked with a slightly delirious expression as Nabiki wept upon her shoulder, "Er…well…when she grabbed me I could tell right away that she was a lot stronger than me, and when she started to draw on my energies…well…I figured the only way to counter that was to draw on some energies of my own…a little trick that the Mistress…I mean…Lao once taught me. It involves absorbing dragon liens through contact with the ground, um…through the soles of my feet…"

"I get it," Talbain said, "You were sucking up energy from the ground even as Morgan tried to drain you, and the more she sucked the more you drew, which explains why she got a bit tipsy at the end there…"

"Yes," Donovan agreed, "She must have been intoxicated at the rush of so much power…but such a technique takes its toll on the human body…"

"So I figured out," Keiko winced, then smiled as she held Nabiki tightly, "Kind of like resistance in a wire…sooner or later you short out from being a conduit. Good thing the kid here seems to have taken care of that little problem."

"Well I'll be the son of a used parts store," Frank murmured, "The Kitty came through for once, and all this time I just thought she used water as her resource."

"Well, the same trick works for earth as a medium," Keiko shrugged, "And since I never wear shoes or any type of footwear, it just made sense to teach me how to suck energy out of the ground to sustain me while I'm fighting. You think I go around barefoot just to toughen up my feet? Like they say, it's all about training."

"Training?" Nabiki gave back and pushed herself just far enough away to look Keiko in the eyes, "I thought I had lost you!"

Keiko blinked at that then said, "Um...well…I'm pretty much like a bad penny who always turns up…but do you really mean that? You would have missed me, Nabiki-chan?"

"Well…" Nabiki glanced down, feeling more than slightly foolish at her own emotional behavior.

"Now why couldn't you do this when we were both at liberty and you were single?" Keiko chided, "What would your husband think seeing you carry on with me, or Kodachi for that matter?"

"Ah…well…" Nabiki blushed.

Keiko just smiled at her then moved in and stole a kiss, surprising Nabiki at the intensity and passion that was expressed in such an intimate gesture, and then she felt a tongue intrude past the gate of her parted lips, and automatically her own tongue moved to engage the redhead like two sumo wrestlers contending on the field together.

"Y'know," Frank said, "When I see stuff like that it almost gives me hope for humanity."

"Yeah, but what's her husband gonna say if he finds out?" Talbain asked, hastily adding, "Not that I'm gonna be the one to tell him…"

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked as she saw the way Nabiki was reacting to Keiko's seduction.

All at once Nabiki broke off the kiss and gasped, "Ranma! He's in trouble!"

Keiko looked faintly disappointed, but the next minute she blinked then said, "Kami, you're right! I almost forgot about that…he's been taken prisoner by that Dimitri creep!"

"Then what are we waiting around here for?" Tatewaki demanded, "We must find Ranma-kun at once…and before that monster does something to harm my best friend!"

"What exactly do you expect us to do about it?" Mousse asked, "We don't even know where they got to."

"Dimitri is not so rash that he would take your husband prisoner only to slay him," Donovan informed Nabiki, "I suspect he had a different, darker reason for selecting him and ignoring you others."

"What are you saying?" Natsume asked, "What does that fiend intend to do with our brother?"

"Recall that Dimitri became interested in Saotome Ranma after seeing him dispatch Morgan with astonishing ease," Donovan replied, "I suspect he wants to know the means by which your husband overcame her…"

"Of course!" Nabiki said as she rose to her feet with a horrified expression, "The Kamasenken!"

"The thousand fists of love?" Frank blinked, then comprehension dawned on him and he became as sallow as a walking corpse, "Omigawd! That thing the kid used on you during your big love fest?"

"The Kamasenken," Tatewaki pronounced in awe, "Ranma's ultimate technique for seducing Nabiki."

"That thing he does to turn Oneechan into a pile of mush?" Kurumi asked.

"Hey!" Nabiki protested.

"This is bad," Keiko said as she rose to her feet, "This is very, very bad…if that creep gets his hand on the Kamasenken and figures out how it works…"

"Then no woman anywhere will ever be safe around him," Natsume direly predicted.

"Not that you ladies were all that safe to begin with…" Talbain started to say when he blinked and shot a startled glance towards his fellow Darkstalkers, "Holy Crud, Morgan!"

"Yes," Donovan acknowledged, "That is what I suspect that he intends to do with such a power."

"Oh my," Kasumi spoke again, "I certainly do hope that he doesn't mean to do anything improper…nani?" she asked as she saw the looks that everyone turned in her direction…

"I still don't see why you brought the punk here," Darkwulf growled, "He may know a few tricks, but he's human, which means he's useless."

"Do not be so rash as to assume too much on mere appearances," Dimitri cautioned as he studied the unconscious Ranma where the latter hung in chains fastened to opposing walls, "I saw something in this youth that was quite remarkable, and I mean to have what he knows, to add his potential to my already formidable arsenal. You will see why if you but wait in patience."

"Patience is something I have much experience with," Anakaris said, "But I do not see why you waste your time with this callow stripling."

"Be mindful," Jumaji said, "This callow stripling, as you put it, actually stood his ground in battle with Lord Dimitri."

"Yes indeed, but that is not why I sought him out instead of the others," Dimitri bared his fangs and smiled, "I must take what this fool has that I have the most need of obtaining, and that means that I will prolong his life for just a little while longer, the better that I can delve his memories and obtain his darkest secrets."

So saying this the Vampire Lord moved forward and poised his fangs over the neck of Saotome Ranma, and ever-so-carefully he bit in, drawing just enough blood to obtain a link, then withdrawing his fangs again and causing the wound to seal shut so that only reddish mark were left showing.

Ranma faintly stirred, but Dimitri waved a hand and returned him back to dreamland. Then for the next several moments the Vampire lord stared intently upon his victim, seeming to search is face with his eyes until he found what he was looking for, and then with a gasp Dimitri said, "Er? A house? Incredible! And so many varied uses…yes…yes…YES! It's all there…all your knowledge…the forbidden arts you call the Senken…"

"Senken?" Darkwulf glanced at his fellow Dark Packers, "What is that?"

They just gave back blank looks in answer.

"Yes!" Dimitri shook his fists in triumph, "Now I understand…it's so simple…how could I fail to have known it? Of course…it makes perfect sense to me now! But to think that such an art could have existed…and beneath my very nose…"

Just then a figure manifested in the room, along with an angry feminine voice that growled out, "DIMITRI-!"

Instinctively Darkwulf, Jumaji and even the dour Anakaris jumped and shied away from the approach of the wrathful Morgan, all three men giving the Succubus Queen the sort of look that men give to a woman on the warpath, and secretly glad of the fact that it was none of them to whom the exiled Makai noble was currently glaring.

"Ah, my dear Morgan," Dimitri smiled as he saw her approach him.

"Don't you, 'dear Morgan' me, you beast!" Morgan snarled as she stormed right up to confront him, "You think I'm going to just forgive you for leaving me behind to fend for myself? And for another thing, this Kasumi that you're so hot and bothered about…OOOHHHHhhhh?" she suddenly gasped as Dimitri took her hand in his own and applied two fingers to the palm, then moved them up her inner arm, causing the Succubus to stiffen and forget all about what she had been about to tell him.

"How is that, my dear?" Dimitri asked as he moved his fingers to touch Morgan in other exposed places, "You are happy to see me? I know that I am more than happy to see you just now. Do you like this? It's a new technique that I have mastered…I call it the Kamasenken."

"Th-whuuuuaaaAHHHHHHH-!" Morgan gasped again as Dimitri's other hand came into play, and suddenly her knees turned into jello and she felt herself wavering on her feet as she fell to her knees before Dimitri, unwittingly bowing her head as he ran his fingers down her backside and caused her to experience a certain…wetness in her loins.

"Ah yes!" Dimitri gloated as he took Morgan's palm once again and ran his fingers along the nerves that he knew would cause her body to cooperate, "Now this is POWER! What matters the ability to destroy lives and crush my enemies beneath my heel? This is the power that all men have dreamed about over the ages…the power over womanhood itself! Now I am truly your master and you must do my bidding, sweet Morgan…or else…"

And as the Dark Pack looked on with mute astonishment they saw the Vampire master the Succubus thusly, sweeping Morgan up into his powerful arms as the latter cooed like a little lost child, then Dimitri gave them all a malevolent grin and said, "No harm is to befall the boy, but inform me if the plan has met with success. Otherwise…Morgan and I do not wish to be disturbed…and we will meet a horrible death upon the one who dares to spoil our fun while I explore the full dimensions of this new technique…with your cooperation, my dear sweet lady."

The trio of Darkstalkers waited until their master had taken his leave of them, then they exchanged nonplussed looks together before daring to voice their pronouncement.

"He's mad as a hatter," Darkwulf said.

"And she's high as a kite," Jumaji noted.

"Drunk upon something…but it would serve us ill if we were to disturb them for the next several minutes," Anakaris noted.

"Minutes?" Darkwulf snorted, "More like hours, and you're damned right I'm not coming anywhere near them while they're going at it. Remember what happened to the last guy who tried it?"

"Oh yeah," Jumaji looked down, "Poor Gunther…"

All three Darkstalkers nodded in sympathy, then as one made silent gestures of respect for the departed…even as the first of many screams were to be heard as Morgan's voice cried out for mercy, followed by Dimitri's laughter, the kind that would make even a Mummy shudder with thoughts of calling upon his own long-departed…mommy…

Continued

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