Blood Hina
Chapter One:
The Disappearance of Urashima Keitaro
Naru lay on her back, head hanging upside down and her hair fanned out on the floor. She lazily watched Sarah and Kaolla maul each other in a video game they were playing. Assorted junk lay around in the living room of the Hinata Inn as the kanrinin had not been present for quite some time. Over a week, in fact. The Sunday before, Keitaro had left to pick up an exotic spice that Shinobu needed for a new recipe… And simply hadn't returned. A search of the small hot springs town had revealed that Keitaro was not to be found. He had, by the looks of it, disappeared off the Earth.
The results at the Hinata Inn had been predictable: Shinobu was beside herself, believing that the worse had happened, Kistune assumed that Keitaro had hooked up with a "woman of the night" or had simply fell down in a sewer and hadn't gotten up, Kaolla was in the process of sending out search robots in her spare time, and Motoko attempted to hide her concern by putting on a veil of indifference and contempt for Keitaro.
Naru herself, however, was very worried. She still hoped that Keitaro would be found soon, but with each passing moment, her hope diminished. It was a common fact: Keitaro wouldn't leave the inn if he could help it. He had gone to extraordinary lengths in the past to make sure that he remained there, and it was impossible that he would stay away on his own accord. Naru dealt with this in her own special way. She pushed down her worry, frustration, anger, and fear and attempted to appear as indifferent as Motoko about Keitaro's fate.
So, that ruled out the idea that he had run away. What was left was that he was taken by force. And, in Japan, something like that just doesn't happen. The most likely thing, Naru figured, was that Keitaro had been involved with the Yakuza. It would've explained a few things. How the inn was able to keep running each month, despite the fact that rent was rarely collected successfully, and even when it was, the extra cost of broken walls that were the result of the constant beatings Keitaro received always kept money tight. Perhaps Keitaro had been loaned money by the Yakuza to pay for the inn maintenance, and he hadn't paid up in time. So, they kidnapped him.
Now, this scenario would've been quite unlikely. The Yakuza in Japan is very docile when compared to the crime syndicates in other countries. Rarely do they murder or kidnap. In fact, in years past, the Yakuza had a tendency to go after the murders and the kidnappers in villages. Now, they kept to giving out bribes, loans, and running brothels. But still. Naru was worried and reason rarely makes sense to the worried person.
As Naru contemplated Keitaro's fate, growing more worried with each second, Shinobu was in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. This was, in fact, the first meal that she had prepared in a week. She had been in no state to be able to prepare a meal and only now was she beginning to cook again, believing that, when (or if…) Keitaro came home, he would be tired and would need a good meal.
As Kaolla prepared to finish Sarah's character in their game, a buzzer that lay on a table behind her began to beep loudly. She dropped the controller, spun around, and grabbed it. As she did this, Sarah managed to gain the upper hand and annihilate her opponent. Kaolla didn't notice this, however, as she began yelling loudly a moment later.
"He's back! He's back! Keitaro's back!" she declared loudly.
As Naru sat up to see the buzzer, a loud crash came from the kitchen as Shinobu charged out and into the living room, expecting to see the manager. She looked around expectedly once, then again, believing she had missed something the first time. The second time again revealed that Keitaro was not in the room. She looked around one more time, confused, and then down at Kaolla and her curious buzzer.
"Senpai… He's back? Where?" Shinobu asked, bewildered as Sara and Naru moved in closer to look. The device was, in actuality, a tracker linked up to Kaolla's network of robots designed to find Keitaro at all costs. Whenever someone matching his profile was spotted, it would begin to buzz loudly and would display his location.
"He's closing in! He's still three-hundred meters out of range, though… Two hundred and ninety-nine… Two hundred and ninety-eight… ninety-seven…"
As Kaolla began the countdown, Shinobu dashed out of the room to inform the other residents. She charged up the stairs of the inn and barreled into Kistune's room, puffing and panting.
"Mitsune-san… Senpai… Back… Tracking… Buzzer… He's-"
Kitsune cut the panting Shinobu off as she stood, grinning. Coincidently, she had been reading a magazine article about men who run off with prostitutes to get away from their responsibilities.
"Who's he with?" inquired Kistune, grinning.
"With? What…?"
"You know… Is he with a girl?" Kitsune's grin was even bigger now as she closed in on a flustered Shinobu.
"With? Ah! He's not… I… I don't think…"
A second later, Motoko walked down the hall, giving off her air of dignity as she did so. She looked and both of them and opened her mouth to say something. Kitsune got there first, however.
"Keitaro's come back! With a girl, no less!"
"No!" cried Shinobu. "That's not right! He's-"
"A… girl?" asked Motoko. She closed her eyes and then opened them. The hand on her katana tightened as she spoke.
"What kind of girl?" asked Motoko, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"A woman of the night!" yelled Kitsune, barely able to control herself.
"A… a…" Motoko swallowed. The sheathed katana came out of her robes and she began to walk downstairs. A second later, however, a crashing noise ripped through the inn and all three ran downstairs as fast as humanly possible.
As the three arrived in the living room, the door opened. A deep, collective breath was taken in… And then collectively exhaled. It was not Keitaro who stood there, but Noriyasu Seta with blood running down his head. He was dressed as usual, and carried with him a large cardboard box. There was a moment of silence before Sarah leapt from where she was sitting and all but strangled her adoptive father.
"Papa! You're back!" Seta laughed and patted Sarah. He put her down and smiled at the rest of the assembled tenants. Before anyone could say anything, he sniffed the air and spoke.
"Shinobu-chan, are you cooking something? It smells delicious!"
An hour later, the inhabitants of the Hinata Inn sat around a table eating. It was nearing dusk and it had begun to rain profusely. Seta had made small talk, telling about his latest excavation. No one really listened, however. They were all still in part shock from getting their hopes up. Naru especially, stared at her teriyaki chicken numbly. She picked up a piece of the dish, set it back down again, and picked it up again. Kaolla, on the other hand, was more interested in trying to figure out why her machine had mistaken Seta for Keitaro. It was as she decided that nothing could possibly be wrong that Seta opened his cardboard box and laid the contents on the table.
"So, this is my prize. The most important thing I found in China!" he said proudly. It was a large clay slab which appeared to be only a part of a much large whole, as though it had been broken off. It was written in a language that was neither Chinese nor Japanese, made up of characters that seemed familiar but ultimately weren't. The most striking aspect of it were the pictures painted next to the writing. Some were of men killing what appeared to be some sort of strange demon while others simply showed strangely dressed men with characters scattered around them.
"What… Is it?" asked Kitsune.
"Can we eat it?!" yelled Kaolla, looking up suddenly.
Seta laughed. He lowered his head, and smiled smugly.
"This… Is a relic of the Shih of China."
"Shih! Is that delicious!"
"The Shih," continued Seta. "Were a group of demon hunters founded in China. This slab is an instruction manual for finding Kuei-jin."
"Are Kuei-jin delicious?" asked Kaolla, now very interested in the slab of stone.
"Kuei-jin are vampires," said Seta as he smiled. "According to this, they live all through out Asia, preying on humans and… Drinking their blood."
A scared little noise came from Shinobu who had her hands clasped tightly and held up to her face.
"Are… Are there Kue-jin around… here?" she asked, obviously very frightened.
"Bah. Come on, Shinobu-chan," said Naru, smiling reassuringly. "There're no such thing as vampires! Or Kuei-jin!"
"Maybe you're one of them," smiled Kistune.
Naru rolled her eyes. "You've all seen me out in the day time, haven't you? And I have a reflection in the mirror. And I-"
Kitsune scowled. "A likely story, Kuei-jin! It's obvious you're a-"
"Like hell I am!" yelled Naru. The frustration that had been building in her since Keitaro left was dangerously close to being unleashed upon the dinner table. Seta, however, managed to step in just in time.
"There's on way to tell if Naru-chan is a vampire," he said, grinning. "This slab was written for the purpose of allowing the Shih to spot vampires."
"Well?" asked Kitsune. "What's it say?"
Seta cleared his throat and everyone moved in for a closer look, even Motoko, who was trying to remain out of the whole thing. Sarah hung on her adoptive father's neck as he began.
"The Hungry Dead will be found as such. Be on your guard for he who is paler than the moon at the high time of the month. For he is one who hasn't any blood of his own contained within his body. He is Hungry Dead. He must be executed immediately.
"One should be mindful against those who are never seen in the daylight. The Great Archer Yi placed upon the Hungry Dead a curse as he died, so that never shall the Beasts bear the light of the sun, lest they rot where they stand. The sun is fatal to the Hungry Dead and you must use her as a weapon whenever possible. She is the one weapon that shall always strike the mark true.
"You must look for any who seem too graceful. The Hungry Dead have natural reflexes that are greater than those of normal humans. If a villager talks of a family member or friend who has suddenly and without reason become more graceful and has gained endurance, search out this person immediately, lest he be allowed to kill another. Always keep your ears opened, for the Hungry Dead can walk with the sound of snow hitting the ground.
"A lack of appetite is another sign of the Hungry Dead. The Hungry Dead do not receive nourishment from the food of man and as such, they will rarely eat. Watch for this always. The Hungry Dead, however, can be…"
Seta smiled and looked up. "That's where it cuts off. But, Naru-chan, I think there's enough there to prove you aren't a vampire."
"See?" muttered Naru, glaring at Kitsune.
"Fine, fine, fine… I was just kidding."
Motoko stood and began towards the door. "I'm going to bed. Good night." Sarah, Kaolla, and Kitsune followed Motoko's lead and dispersed from the room, leaving only Seta, Shinobu, and Naru. Shinobu shivered.
"Seta-san, you… You don't really believe in vampires, do you?"
Seta shrugged. "I don't really know." Noticing Shinobu's worried look, he smiled and patted her. "If there are vampires, I can assure you they don't live around here."
Shinobu smiled and nodded. Seta stood and left the room, saying he had something to speak to Haruka about. After he left, another worried look came over Shinobu.
"But… What if… Urashima-senpai… What if a vampire got him?"
Naru slammed her bowl down and glared at them. Shinobu squeaked and hid behind Seta.
"There's no such THING as vampires… Keitaro's fine, he's probably off getting stoned off his ass in a brothel in Tokyo! He has some cute girls on his arm, a can of beer in the other, and-"
"Narusegawa… What do I…?"
Naru froze and turned around slowly. Keitaro was standing behind her. Apparently, neither Seta or Shinobu had noticed him walk up.
"Kei… Keitaro… Wha…." Stuttered Naru as she looked up at him. He was quite pale, and soaked to the bone. He rubbed the back of his head with his hand and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, did I scare you?"
"Pfft. No, of course not! I was just surprised because I thought you'd have had the guts do stay in Tokyo at your brothel!"
"Brothel?! What brothel?" cried Keitaro, looking very surprised. He looked from Naru, to Shinobu, and then to Seta.
"I… I…"
"Well, how do you explain you're absence?!"
"I… I can…"
"Urashima-senpai…" whimpered Shinobu. "Where were you? I was worried about."
"Oh… I just go a little sidetracked while getting the groceries. That's all."
"Pfft. Getting sidetracked doesn't involve being gone for a week. But-"
"Keitaro!"
All four of them turned to see Kaolla flying at Keitaro at a blistering speed. She knocked into him, smashing him into a wall. "We missed you!"
Sarah then burst into the room, laughing happily. She picked up the Shih tablet and promptly smashed it over Keitaro's head. Kitsune and Motoko entered at the same time. Motoko stared at the scene before shaking her head and sitting down. Kitsune, on the other hand, strode up to Keitaro and slapped him on the back.
"How was your time in Tokyo, eh? Where're the cute girls! Did you bring us any drinks?" she asked, laughing.
"Cute…Girls…" muttered Motoko. She dashed forward, drawing her sword, and knocked Keitaro through the wall. She stared at him as he struggled to stand and smiled. "Welcome back, Urashima."
Blood Hina
Chapter Two:
The Reappearance of Urashima Keitaro
A minute or so after his beating, Keitaro was sitting at the table, once again proving his superhuman endurance. And the questions began.
"Keitaro, where the hell were you?!" demanded Naru, ready to knock him into orbit and give the international space station a new, unscheduled Japanese resident.
"Uhh…" began Keitaro, not quite sure what to say. He scratched his head, laughed sheepishly, and tried to think of something to say.
"Didja' bring us presents?" asked Kaolla, happily. Keitaro was about to answer when someone, possibly Sarah, kicked him under the table. As he composed himself and tried to answer again, Motoko spoke.
"Urashima, we want to know of your exploits. Now. And if-"
Motoko was cut off as Tama-chan flew into the room unrepentantly. The little turtle landed on Motoko's head and squeaked, smiling at the assembled audience. Motoko froze, her joints locking up. She then fell over, apparently going into some sort of a coma. Shinobu rushed over to her.
"Keitaro, what I want to know…" began Kitsune, grinning. "Is how many girls you-"
Naru laughed. "C'mon… Like Keitaro would have the balls to…"
"Uhh…" tried Keitaro. Kaolla jumped from her place to grab Tama-chan. Sarah soon followed and the familiar chaos ensued. As Naru's argument with Kitsune intensified, she turned to Keitaro, pulling back her fist.
"While you were gone, did you sleep with any girls?"
Keitaro opened his mouth to say something when Haruka entered the room, followed by Seta. He looked at them helplessly.
"Did you talk to old Keinu in Tokyo, Keitaro?" asked Haruka, seemingly unbothered by what was going on in the room. Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing. Kaolla fell in mid jump and landed on top of Motoko, effectively waking her up. Shinobu recoiled but then turned to Keitaro. All eyes turned to Keitaro, who scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Uhh… Yeah. He said everything would be okay."
"Good," smiled Haruka. She glanced into the living room and back at Keitaro. "You… Will be cleaning all that up, right? You're still kanrinin…"
"Oh. Yeah, yeah, I will." And, with that, Keitaro left the room.
An awkward silence filled the room. Kitsune turned to Haruka.
"Who's Keinu?"
"Old friend," she asked. "I had asked Keitaro to find him and relay a little message. I didn't think it would take this long though."
"Yeah," said Seta, stepping in. "I found him in a library in Tokyo. He didn't have enough money to get back so I gave him a ride."
"Oh," said Naru. "It makes sense, I guess…"
At that moment, Keitaro entered again. He was holding a stack of magazines. As he stepped into the focus of the light, everyone really noticed how horribly pale he was.
"I'm not sure if I should throw these out or not. Who do they belong to?" he asked, holding them up.
"The top one is mine," answered Naru. She held out her hand for it as Keitaro stepped forward to give it to her. Getting a "good" idea, suddenly, Sarah stuck out her, right in front of Keitaro's path. Predictably, he tripped. And, assuming the laws of physics had applied, he would've fallen straight into Naru. But, for whatever reason, that night, they didn't. As Naru tightened her muscles, ready to punch, Keitaro reached out at the last second, placed a hand on Naru's shoulder, catching himself. Yet another awkward silence filled the room as Keitaro pushed himself up and handed Naru her magazine.
"S-sorry, Narusegawa. I must've slipped or something. Sorry." Glancing around nervously again, Keitaro backed out the door. As he left, the occupants of the room looked at each other and then at Naru, whose muscles were still tensed. Haruka shrugged and left the room along with Seta as Kitsune stood up, scratching her chin, and smiling.
"Well then, that proves it."
"Proves what?" asked Shinobu, who was surprised as everyone else.
"It proves…" smiled Kitsune. She looked at each and everyone of them before continuing. "It proves that, our friend Keitaro… Is a vampire."
Kaolla jumped up suddenly and cheered. "Keitaro's a vampire!" She burst into giggles and Sarah soon followed suite. Shinobu, on the other hand, shook her head fiercely.
"He… Senpai can't be a vampire!"
"But he is!" declared Kitsune. "He's so pale! And he only came out at night! Seta said he picked Keitaro up at a library and drove him here! But Seta came in while it was still light out and Keitaro didn't! Only after it got dark did Keitaro come in!"
"Well… Maybe he fell asleep on the car ride."
"Well of course he did! He was sleeping in the back! All vampires have to sleep in the day time, you know. And with Naru… Seta, what did it say about vampires being extra graceful?"
Shinobu fell silent. She looked around the table as Kitsune continued.
"Think of when Keitaro left. Was he that pale? No! Something happened. And that something was that became a vampire. Naru, he touched you! Was he cold and clammy?"
Naru snapped out of her shock. Her muscles finally untensed as she came back to reality.
"No… He wasn't… But-"
"But nothing! He's a vampire! And vampires prey on humans, right? So, we have to form a coalition to stop the vampire! The Hinata Inn Inquisition!"
Kaolla and Sarah cheered as Kitsune began laughing. Shinobu put her head in her hands, far too frustrated to argue. Motoko stood and spoke, her voice filled with annoyance.
"I'm going to meditate," she said simply and left.
Kitsune turned to Kaolla and said, "After we exterminate Keitaro, we have to investigate Motoko."
"Exterminate! Is that delicious?"
Kitsune ignored the question. "Now, to our headquarters!"
"Where's that?" asked Sarah.
"My room!" declared Kaolla as the three hurried off.
Naru and Shinobu were left in the room. Shinobu sighed and looked at the food left on the table. She stood and began to clear it as Naru was left alone with her thoughts.
Naru was still quite confused. She certainly hadn't entertained the idea that Keitaro might be a vampire until a few seconds ago… And, despite what Kitsune had said, it still didn't make much sense. At all. Keitaro was Keitaro in as much that Keitaro equals Keitaro. He was just Keitaro, not a vampire, not Kuei-jin, just Keitaro. Still, something persisted in the back of her mind. He was deathly pale. When she had seen his hand up close, she knew that something was truly wrong. The skin on his arm wasn't natural. It just didn't feel alive. But, if Keitaro wasn't alive, what was he?
Naru shook her head. It was all too much. There was only thing to do: Speak to Keitaro. And so, Naru left the room as well.
As Naru climbed the stairs, her mind continued to race. What if Keitaro, despite of all the evidence against it, was in actuality, a vampire? No, no… It was too hard to imagine. Far too hard to imagine. It was impossible in every sense of the word. Suddenly, a piece of word shot out in front of Naru. She stopped just short of stepping into it. She turned to look to her right which revealed the person holding it. Motoko.
"We need to talk," she said simply as she pulled Naru into her room.
Inside Motoko's chambers, Naru was treated to green tea as they both sat down. She set her katana down next to them in a sword rack. Naru noticed, however, that the sword rack had a spot for short sword. A spot that was empty.
"You've noticed something weird about him, right?" began Motoko, getting right to the point. Her eyes bore into Naru as she spoke.
"Uhh… Yeah. I have. I was going to talk to him and-"
"He isn't the same. There is something wrong with Keitaro."
"But what?" asked Naru. "You don't think he's a vampire or… What did Seta call it? Kuei-jin?"
Motoko shrugged and her answer didn't help Naru. "He could be. I sensed that he wasn't the same. Something about him is most definitely wrong. And I want you to be careful."
"C'mon… It's Keitaro! If he was a vampire, do you think he would hurt me?" Naru smiled. "Intentionally, I mean."
"Yes," answered Motoko simply. Naru stared at her and neither said anything for awhile. Finally, Motoko spoke again.
"My grandfather once told me a story about the Hungry Dead… He explained that the distinction between the Hun and the P'o and the Yin and the Yang of their soul becomes greater… Thus, if a vampire accidentally lets his P'o, the evil side of him, take over... It might kill indiscriminately."
Naru stared at Motoko who reached into her robes. She pulled out the wakizashi which had been missing from the sword rack. She handed it to Naru.
"Either way, take this. If he attacks you, aim for the heart. It will disrupt the blood flow. Then, scream as loud as possible. I'll come."
Naru took the sword and stared at it. She shook her head and set it down. "I really don't think I can take this. What would Keitaro think, if I came into his room with a sword? And I-"
"He'd know you were ready for him. So, stick it inside your shirt and don't let him get close enough to feel it."
"But-"
"No buts!" yelled Motoko. She pushed the wakizashi over to Naru and glared at her. "Take it. You can always apologize to him later. I'll take the blame."
Naru scowled and put the blade inside her shirt.
"You'd better… This is so stupid," she muttered as she stood. Motoko stood as well and turned to her as she walked out the door.
"Be careful anyway."
Blood Hina
Chapter Three:
In the Company of the Dead
Naru stopped and hesitated at Keitaro's door. She was nervous beyond belief. And her imagination began to take over. She pictured a pot of blood, boiling, and Keitaro stirring it, laughing evilly. She could just imagine bodies of young girls, defiled in all matter of vile ways, and hanging on hooks like pieces of meat. She shuddered and shook her head. That, like the idea that Keitaro was a vampire, was impossible.
And so, Naru entered the room. What she saw was not a scene of gore and atrocities. Instead, she saw Keitaro studying, with dozens of books, manuscripts, and scrolls spread about. As she walked in, Keitaro looked up suddenly. His skin was perfectly white. There was absolutely no color to it.
"N-Narusegawa! What… Why are you here?" Keitaro asked as he looked at the writings laid out on his table and on the floor. He pulled a few of them close to him as Naru knelt and picked one up.
"'Varney the Vampire'?" she asked, reading the English title off the cover.
"Uhh… Yeah. I just picked it up for some reading and-"
Naru turned her gaze to the other books on his table. Only a few were had kanji, the majority were written in what she guessed to be Chinese. She picked up scroll and unrolled it, revealing the image of a human body with lines leading from various points in the body to their respective ideograms.
"Keitaro… What is all this stuff? Can you read any of it."
"Just… reading…" he muttered nervously. "I can read… You know, some of it."
Naru put down the scroll and picked up another one which showed a graphic depiction of a horrible serpent-like monster ripping a young woman apart. She turned to Keitaro, obviously confused.
"What the hell is this stuff?"
"Like I said. Just some reading…"
Tossing the scroll down, Naru stood and put her hands on her hips, determined to make a stand. She glared down at a frightened Keitaro and began.
"You disappear for a week and then when you get back you act so weird! What's wrong? Tell me! I'll help you if I can. But something obviously happened and I want to know!"
"Naru, I… Something did happen." Keitaro answered quietly. He closed the book he was reading, stood and looked at her. It was all Naru could do to keep from running away in fear. Keitaro's eyes began to give off a whispy green fire that floated up to the ceiling and disappeared. His jaw became unhinged and his mouth opened wide, revealing two rows of jagged teach. Keitaro's skin became scaly and broke open in several places, into faces that screamed and moaned.
A second later, however… The changes vanished and Keitaro was Keitaro again. Naru took a few steps back, her breathing ragged. Keitaro closed his eyes for a few seconds, opened them, and spoke.
"Did you see that?" he asked quietly.
"Yes… What… Why… What was it?"
"That," said Keitaro quietly. "Was-"
Before Keitaro could finish, the door to his room burst open again. There stood Kitsune, Sarah, and Kaolla. Apparently, they had gone through with their promise to destroy Keitaro because they now had uniforms that proudly stated that they were members of the Hinata Inn Inquisition. The uniforms also stated that the medical smocks should not be taken from the hospital, but that was besides the point.
"Urashima Keitaro, you have been found guilty of the sin of being a vampire!" yelled Kitsune, as she read aloud from a piece of paper. Keitaro's eyes widened as he stared at the three. For no conceivable reason, Kaolla was wearing a pope hat in addition to her Inquisition uniform. Sarah leapt forward suddenly, and brandished a crucifix. When Keitaro didn't recoil in agony, she drew back her hand and stared the cross.
"Must not be holy enough…" she muttered quietly.
"No matter!" yelled Kitsune. She turned to Kaolla and yelled, "Inquisitor Su! Had you readied the anti-vampire ray?"
Kaolla shook her head. "Not yet!"
"What? You said it would be ready!"
Kaolla scowled. "You try getting a trans-bio-energy conducter power switch from Hong Kong in an hour! I have a back-up weapon, though! Show them, Sarah!"
Sarah smiled evilly and removed from under the back of her uniform… A frozen steak. She charged Keitaro and smashed it into his head. She proceeded to beat him mercilessly as Kaolla smiled proudly. Kistune, on the other hand, was less than thrilled.
"Steak…" she muttered.
"Yeah! Stake!" yelled Kaolla triumphantly.
"No, no… Steak…"
"Yes! Stake!"
"You were supposed to have a stake, not a steak!"
At that point, Sarah ceased in her beating of Keitaro and returned to her comrades.
"The Steak of God doesn't seem to have much effect on the vampire!" she yelled.
Kitsune sighed and said, "Well, vampire it looks like we-"
Kitsune was cut off as Motoko stormed into the room. She was obviously unhappy. The swordswoman glared at them all before yelling angrily.
"If you want to get rid of a vampire, you stick him in the sunlight! It's not that big a deal! Now, all of you! Go to bed! Some of us are trying to sleep!" And with that, Motoko stormed out of the room, much like she had stormed in.
Kitsune smiled and kicked Keitaro as he lay on the ground. "So, enjoy your last night, vampire scum!" Kaolla and Sarah left then, presumably to get some sleep or yell at company service guys in Hong Kong.
Keitaro sat up and put his face in his hand. "This can't be happening," he muttered quietly. Kitsune kicked him again and laughed.
"C'mon… It's just a game. You only have to live through it for one more day," she said as she left as well.
As the room once again settled into a peaceful state, Keitaro turned to Naru. She was, more or less, frozen in place, still quite frightened by what had been revealed to her. Keitaro waved his hand in front of her face, and when that didn't get a response, he poked her.
"Naru? Narusegawa? Are you alright?"
"A dream," she whispered. "A stupid, bad dream… That's all…"
"No…" said Keitaro slowly. "This isn't a dream…"
"Then what the hell is it?!" demanded Naru angrily, snapping out of her daze. She composed herself and glared at Keitaro.
"Tell me…" she growled. She drew back her fist and launched it forward. Instead of it making contact with Keitaro's chest and predictably sending him flying out the window, he caught her hand only a few inches away from his chest. Naru stared at him partly in shock and partly in confusion.
"How… How'd you do that?" she asked. She shook off his hand and struck again. And again, he caught her fist.
"Uhh…" said Keitaro, staring dumbly at his hand around Naru's. "I don't know… Reflex?"
"You didn't have reflexes like that before! Is this a vampire thing?"
"Oh," said Keitaro sighing. He dropped Naru's hand, sat down, and leaned back against the table, pushing aside a stack of European vampire novels. "So now I am a vampire?"
"I didn't say that!" said Naru as she sat down in front of Keitaro. "It's just… It the best explanation for everything!"
"Everything? What do you mean?"
Naru put her hands in her laps and tilted her head down as she spoke. "Everything… Your disappearance… Not falling into me…" Naru smiled at a little at this. "Your skin… The reflexes… What am I supposed to think? Maybe Kitsune, Sarah, and Kaolla are right."
"Didn't Aunt Haruka explain my disappearance?"
"That you went to talk with that guy? What was his name?"
Keitaro suddenly found something very interesting on the floor and looked down at his feet, mumbling. Naru narrowed her eyes and scowled.
"You don't know! Haruka was just covering for you!"
"Well… Maybe…" mumbled Keitaro, still not looking at Naru.
"And what about your skin? Why're you so pale? And your reflexes? What about that?"
"I… Well…" Keitaro went silent, not saying a word. Naru stopped as well and the two sat there for a minute, not saying a word. When Naru spoke, her voice was much softer, the anger gone.
"Keitaro… Please. Tell me."
"I… I…" Keitaro looked up and Naru gasped. He had been crying, obviously. Only the tears were red. "I don't know what I am!"
"Keitaro…" whispered Naru. She leaned forward and touched his cheek. "Blood…" she whispered as she wiped the tears away. She looked into Keitaro's eyes, watching as another slight trickle of blood left them."
"Narusegawa… Naru, I died. There, I said it. I'm dead."
Naru recoiled from him suddenly and stared at him, trying to understand. It wasn't so much the statement that frightened her but the way he said it. It was so unusual for Keitaro to show anger…
"On my way to pick up what Shinobu-chan wanted, I was killed. A guy… Some guy jumped out and pretty soon, I was dead."
"A guy?" Naru asked.
"I don't know. He might've been another vampire; I don't know, it doesn't matter right now. I'm dead."
"Keitaro…" whispered Naru. She leaned forward, her eyes and those of the dead man in front of her meeting.
"After I died I went to Hell. Kinda' funny to think about. Me and Hell. But for whatever reason, I'm back. Back from Hell. I clawed and ripped my way through the other souls to get out… I think I erased a few from existence or something like that."
This wasn't Keitaro. That's what it seemed. Of course, she realized, she had never seen his dark side. Always the happy, easy going Keitaro. Never the cruel, angry, diabolical Keitaro. It seemed impossible. She had always thought that Keitaro, despite his shortcomings, was truly incapable of intentionally hurting another. But now, Keitaro told her this. Maybe that's what becoming a vampire did to you: Brought out your cruel side for the world to see.
"Now, I'm a vampire. Isn't that funny, Narusegawa? I've never hurt anyone in my life. Never. I was a clumsy idiot but I never really did anything horrible. Then, I died and I went to Hell. And I'm back. I think who ever the hell is in charge is trying to tell me something. Maybe I should justify my going to Hell. What do you think of that? Should I kill some people? Should I?" Keitaro's breathing was getting quicker as his eyes focused in on Naru's. More blood tears trickled down from his eyes. A second later, he broke into sobs. In spite of her fear, Naru leaned forward and hugged Keitaro, putting his head on her should and burying her face in his.
"God damn it, Naru… What did I do to deserve this? What? Dammit, what did I do?"
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" said Naru quickly as she held Keitaro. This was very awkward for her. She never expected herself to be comforting Keitaro like this. But, then again, she never expected him to become a vampire either.
"Don't worry… Everything'll be okay," whispered Naru. She loosened her grip and Keitaro leaned back and faced her. The blood was splattered into their clothing and the paleness of Keitaro's face sharply contrasted with the red marks that lined it. He sighed and wiped the blood away from his face.
"How will everything be okay?" Keitaro asked frankly. He wasn't crying anymore. He didn't seem angry anymore. He seemed more like Keitaro.
"I don't know… Maybe there's a cure! We could go to a shrine… Or maybe it won't be so bad as a vampire! You can still go to Toudai…"
"The sun. My skin will rot if sun touches it."
"Night classes," replied Naru. For the briefest second, Keitaro smiled. But then, he sighed again.
"By tomorrow, it won't matter."
"What do you mean?" asked Naru, tilting her head to the side.
"The Hinata Inn Inquisition," said Keitaro as he smiled grimly. "They'll drag me out into the sunlight and… Try to make sure Shinobu-chan doesn't see it. It won't be pretty."
"Bah! You're a vampire! Can't you… Turn into a bat or a wolf or something?"
"No…" answered Keitaro slowly.
"Well… Could you run away really quickly?" asked Naru, trying to think of alternatives.
"Where to? The sun'd get me if I was outside and if I went inside, they'd just drag me back out. And… I don't want to hurt them. Sarah-chan or Kitsune or Kaolla-chan… I don't want to kill again."
Naru looked up but then back down quickly at the mention of killing. She didn't press him but instead went back to think of ways to save Keitaro. Suddenly, Keitaro looked up, smiling.
"I've got it! It's the perfect plan! Why didn't I think of it before?"
"What is it…?" asked Naru, completely clueless as to what it was.
"You! You hit me with Naru-Punch and I go through the roof! When they ask you what happens, you say 'Oh, that Keitaro. He's back to his old tricks. He can't me a vampire, he fell into my chest like always!'. I'll get out of the house and find a place to spend the day. Then, I'll come back and say 'I've been walking back here for the whole day in the sun! That proves I'm not a vampire!'"
Naru stared at him. She sighed.
"I… Guess it could work. It's the best plan we have. Okay."
"Great!" said Keitaro as he stood up. Naru stood as well, drew back her fist, and struck as hard as she could. The blow stuck Keitaro in the stomach and he doubled over, wheezing."
"A little… Aggh… Higher…" he muttered. Naru knelt quickly and helped him stand up straight.
"Keitaro, I'm sorry! Here, maybe we shouldn't…"
"No… Just… Higher…"
"Alright…" said Naru skeptically. She drew back and punched him again. She had aimed for the face but her reluctance to hit him caused her to drop her fist slightly. Her fist made contact with Keitaro's throat this time. He doubled over once again and coughed several times, causing a bit of blood to dribble onto the floor.
"Keitaro! I'm so sorry! We'll find another way. I just can't…" apologized Naru as Keitaro stood back up. He looked into her eyes and sighed.
"Naru…" he whispered quietly. "Sorry."
Keitaro reached forward and grabbed Naru's breast. Nothing happened for a second. Then, on reflex, Naru drew back her fist and slammed Keitaro through the window, sending him into orbit.
Naru watched him fly through the air and land some several hundred meters away from the inn. He struggled to his feet, waved, and ran off into the darkness. Just then, the door to the room opened and Kitsune stepped in.
"What was that? Vampire Boy try to attack you?"
"Ha! Vampire my ass!" said Naru, smiling. "He fell into my chest. Slipped on a book. There's no way he's a vampire. Vampires don't slip on books, do they?"
Kitsune scratched her chin and shrugged. "I guess not… Ah well. I hope he's back soon… The inn got pretty messy without him around." And with that, Kitsune left.
Naru leaned against a wall and gave a sigh of relief. Keitaro, for the time being, was safe. And, hopefully, he wouldn't take a week in getting back this time.
End of Part One
Author's Notes:
Whee! First Love Hina fic. This is the end of the first of hopefully many parts. I intend to write several more stories in the larger one, so please be patient if you like the story. ^_^ Now, a few quick notes.
First, I chose not to explain the meaning of words such as "kanrinin" and "senpai" simply because in the fansubs, they're explained in virtually every episode and every author here seems to feel some obligation to explain them. ^_^ But, if for some reason you don't know what they mean, kanrinin is basically a dormitory manager and senpai lacks a translation, but is used by younger students to refer to older students.
I also chose to refer to Mitsune as Kitsune simply because I find the name Kitsune cuter. Deal.
Also, a few notes about vampires and how I got the idea for this fic. Contrary to what most people do, I chose to use the Oriental vampires featured in White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade companion book, Kindred of the East. I made the decision partly because Love Hina takes place in Japan and partly because Kuei-jin are a thousand times cooler than their Western cousins. Why? Well, for one, Kuei-jin have the ability to sprout a scorpion tail, wings, talons, and a two foot blade of bone out of their arm, among other things. Now, how cool is that? ^_^
Strangely enough, I began thinking about doing a story about Love Hina and vampires after watching the second episode of Love Hina Again. The ending, for those who haven't seen it, shows the girls sans Naru dressed in Victorian England garb. In addition to being UNGODLY CUTE (^_^) it got me thinking. Now, for some twisted reason, I associate Victorian England and England in general with vampires (Note: No offense to English people. My girlfriend is British and she has assured me that there are no vampires running rampant in the streets of London, so you can all feel safe about going outside ^_^). But, Love Hina takes place in Japan, doesn't it? The answer? Kuei-jin!
And, yes, I know the name Blood Hina is stupid but I really don't care. It sounds semi-decent and that's what I'm aiming for.
So, that's about it. The Author's Notes went on far too long and I really hope you didn't read this far. So, until next time, bai bai.