Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Kyuketsuki Shishi ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“Talking”

`Thoughts or Thinking'

Chapter 3

"Has your time living in the world of light softened you, Kazuma?" asked Kiron.

Kazuma was about to answer his old master when the sound of feet running towards him stopped him. He turned to see Yukina and the others behind him.

"Kazuma, p-please let-"

"Don't call me that! You have no right to call me that after what you guys said!" said Kazuma, not bothering to look at the ice maiden.

"Kuwabara-kun, please, let us explain," Kurama said, slightly annoyed at the orange-haired man.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something important, but I do need my assistant," said Kiron, speaking for the first time.

"Who the hell are you?" Shizuru asked, trying to keep her surprise out of her voice. `Where did he come from? It's like he just appeared out of thin air.'

"I'm professor Hotoari from Tokyo U," said Kiron, lying easily.

"May I ask who your assistant is, sir?" Shizuru said, watching Kiron closely.

"Why, this boy right here. He and I are leaving to study some whale shoals in the Pacific Ocean, but we do need to hurry. Our airplane leaves tomorrow and we still have preparations to make," said Kiron, looking into Shizuru's brown eyes as if daring her to defy him. A shiver ran down Shizuru's back as she looked into Kiron's ice cold, blue-green eyes.

"Y-yes, yes, that's right. I came to tell you I was leaving," said Kazuma, catching on to Kiron's plan.

"Oh? Ka-Kuwabara, why didn't you tell us sooner?" asked Yukina, sounding hurt.

"That's my fault. I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to take him along with me to the study. That`s why Kazuma couldn't tell you, he had to wait till I could confirm he was coming, which happened late last night," answered the vampire.

`Kiron?' Kazuma called, using a telepathic message to communicate with his former master.

`Don't say anything. I'm sure these stupid beasts will fall for it,' was Kiron's telepathic reply.

"Okay, but before that, we need to talk to Kuwabara just for a minute." Yusuke moved to grab Kazuma and bring him to his side.

"That will have to wait. I need Kazuma's help in packing. Whatever it is that you need to talk about, it can wait till he comes back," said Kiron coolly.

"And when will that be?" Hiei asked suspiciously. There was something about Kiron that gave Hiei the creeps. It had something to do with how Kiron's energy felt, that made Hiei suspicious. It was dark and silent... like death.

"Within a few months. Now please excuse us, we must be going." Kiron nodded at Kazuma. Out of habit of working for the vampire for years, Kazuma pulled out his car keys. He didn't bid farewell to the Reikai team as he drove away.

"Well, you obviously made a mistake," said Kiron, breaking the silence.

"A mistake?" Kazuma asked.

"You trusted them too fast. You thought that because they are demons you didn't need to worry about them like you needed with my kind," explained Kiron in an emotionless voice.

"I don't need to be told that!" snapped Kazuma, only to sigh afterwards. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to take my anger out on you but this has been a hard blow. I believed I had found good friends. I guess I thought it was safe to bring down my shields."

"You're never safe enough to bring down all your shields. Even in the world of light," said Kiron, not looking at Kazuma.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Even when they arrived at Kazuma's apartment the two stayed quiet. The silence was only broken by Myoujou, who welcomed back her master by rubbing against his legs, purring all the way.

"Hi, Myoujou." Kazuma picked up his golden, blue-eyed cat, stroking her fur and causing her to purr even louder.

"So this is where you fled to, as well," said Kiron, looking at Myoujou.

Kazuma stared at him in confusion, but that ended quickly as Myoujou hissed an angry warning at Kiron as she dug her claws into Kazuma's arms, making him wince.

"Kazuma, why don't you start packing? With me here you won't need to take the train," suggested Kiron.

"Kiron, I don't want to sound ungrateful or untrusting, but why were you following me? Did you think I wouldn't keep my promise?" Kazuma asked the vampire.

"I'll admit I had my doubts but... I see that I was wrong not to trust you."

Kazuma placed Myoujou down. The cat hissed once more at Kiron before running to Kazuma's bedroom, making Kiron smirk at her. Kazuma paid them no mind, as he was busy with his luggage. Packing didn't take long, but a problem did arise when his cat meowed hungrily.

"Crap," said Kazuma.

"What is it?" Kiron asked, stepping out of the painting room.

"It's Myoujou. I'll need someone to take care of her while I'm gone," said Kazuma. He reached out for the phone but stopped. He couldn't call Shizuru, Yusuke, Yukina or Kurama; not after what had happened at the temple.

"Don't worry about her. I'll send one of my slaves to take care of her," offered Kiron.

"But..."

"No buts. Now, are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Kazuma crouched down one last time to pet Myoujou, who licked her master's hand.

"Take care of yourself, Myoujou. Be good now."

"Meow!" Myoujou sat back on her hind legs, watching as Kiron placed a hand on Kazuma's shoulder. A second later, they disappeared.

Kazuma took a deep breath as Kiron and he appeared in the vampire's living room. The brown-haired vampire removed his hand from the orange-haired man's shoulder and pressed a button on his desk. A moment later, a slave, a water demoness to be exact, came in and presented Kiron a tray with a glass and a bottle of wine, although Kazuma was sure the latter contained blood. Kiron popped open the bottle and poured himself a drink, then handed the wine bottle back. The demoness bowed and left.

Kiron glanced at Kazuma over his shoulder. "You'll be staying here for your training. Lark will take you to your room now," he said as he sent a telepathic summoning.

A black-haired, human girl with bronze-colored skin and almond-shaped, brown eyes answered the vampire's call. She wore a long tunic and trousers of faded colors. Her eyes only looked up once before focusing on the floor again.

"This way, sir."

Kazuma followed the young girl upstairs and down the east hallway. As she entered his assigned room, she turned around quickly, causing her black hair to smack against Kazuma, who was looking over his new living arrangements. For some reason, this made the girl panic as if she had greatly offended him.

"I'm sorry, sir! Please, forgive me! It is-"

Kazuma held his hands up. "It's not your fault. So this is my room... for now?"

"Yes. If you need help, please call me." Lark bowed and left. Kazuma took the chance to inspect his new room. There was a four-posted bed next to a covered widow. A desk and chair made of fine cherry oak wood were placed next to the left wall. Sitting down on the bed, Kazuma thought about all that had happened today to him. First, Kiron; latter, the betrayal. And now this.

`Kami, so much has happened in so little time.' He growled at himself, pushing the thoughts aside for the moment. As he lay down, sleep took over him and he closed his eyes. A few hours later he was woken up by a familiar face: Akito.

"Akito?" Kazuma said sleepily.

"Good evening, Master Kazuma. Dinner is ready," Akito said, leaving without saying more.

Kazuma stood up, yawning. He didn't need to be shown were the dinning room was. He had worked here as a kid and knew his way around. Once he arrived there, he was surprised to see two other people: one male, the other female. The male had short black hair; his bangs fell over a black and yellow bandana. His brown eyes were angrily staring at Kiron. He wore a yellow T-shirt with ripped-off sleeves and black travelling pants. Next to him was a hitchhiker backpack with a red umbrella on top.

His female friend had long purple hair held in two buns on top of her head, with two purple locks of hair over her shoulders. Her skin was peach-colored and her purple-red eyes were watching Kiron with animosity as well. She wore chinese pj's with a pattern of lotus flowers. As Kazuma entered, she spared a sideward glance at him, studying him, then turned towards Kiron again.

"Kazuma, I would like you to meet Ryoga Hibiki and Shampoo. I'm unable to say her real name in Japanese. That language just doesn't have the right words or sounds," informed Kiron, ignoring Ryoga's and Shampoo's glares.

"Hello," said Kazuma.

They only nodded at him. Neither of them seemed in the mood to talk. Kiron spoke up again.

"Both of them are vampires... new ones," explained Kiron plainly.

Ryoga glared at him as if it was his fault for being a vampire. Shampoo merely looked away. "I told you. Neither of us wants to be a vampire! Both of us were changed against our will!"

Ryoga's anger and hatred flashed deeply in his brown eyes, while Shampoo just grunted at him.

"Was it you who changed them?" Kazuma asked his former master.

"Me? No, it was another vampire's work," said Kiron. "Come sit. The others will be joining us shortly."

The table was a long rectangular table with four chairs at each side and one chair at each end of it. Since Ryoga and Shampoo were sitting next to each other on the left side, Kazuma sat on the right. A moment later, the door to the kitchen opened as the serving slaves began to bring food. It was normal food that living begins would eat. Kazuma knew Kiron, Ryoga and Shampoo could eat that kind of food to sustain themselves for a while, but it would do noting to calm down the bloodlust. For an unconscious moment, Kazuma's hand shot up and touched his throat. He could remember the fangs of his old master digging into his throat, drinking away his blood. For a fleeting second, he thought he felt the two dots of blood on his fingers as he pulled them back, only to see that there was no blood.

Once the plates of food were on the table, the kitchen door reopened and Akito and Lark came out. Akito carried three medium-sized bowls, which he placed in front of Shampoo, Ryoga and Kiron. Lark carried a larger iron pot which she set down on the middle of the table. Inside was a dark, red liquid. Kazuma turned his head away. The smell and color of the liquid was all too familiar to him. Ryoga, seeing the blood pot, turned away too, a sickly look on his face, but his female friend looked hungrily at it. By the look on Shampoo's face, she didn't mind drinking blood but her male friend did. Kazuma sat there, puzzled at the two. How could the two get along when one didn't wish to drink blood and the other didn't care?

`What a strange pair the two are,' thought Kazuma as he continued to consider the newly made vampires.

"Ah, here they are," announced Kiron suddenly, looking over his shoulder.

The door to the dinning room opened and in walked a man with long, white hair and pale skin. His ice-blue eyes held wisdom in them, but also playfulness. On top of his head were two white, cat ears, with a matching tail swinging back and forth on his waist. He wore plain clothing, and on his neck rested a silver necklace with the planetary symbol of Venus in gold.

"Artemis, it's good to see you," greeted Kiron.

"It's good to see you too, Kiron," answered the newcomer.