The Bloody Ties that Bind

A/N: This fic randomly decided to spring fully-formed into my head while I was trying to write another fic. And because I have a one-track mind, I had to stop what I was doing and get started on this one instead. I'm kind of desperately in love with this concept, so I really hope people enjoy this.

Disclaimer: Tragically, I do not own Ouran Host Club, otherwise I would probably try to set it in my awesome alternate universe… though that might upset some people, so maybe it's for the best.

Pairings: Mori/Haruhi (obviously), Kyouya/Kaoru, Tamaki/Hikaru. There are also some mentions of past one-sided Kyouya/Tamaki.

Chapter 1

Sometime in the early 15th century, clans of vampires roamed the land and battled for territory. Humans had few defenses against these creatures of the night, and the ones who were in the most danger were those who lived in the villages in neutral territories between warring clans of vampires. And our story begins in a small village between the warring clans of Lobelia and Ouran…

After a long day of toiling in the fields alongside other villagers, a young woman with long brown hair dragged herself to her small hut well away from the rest of the village. After losing her parents to a vampire attack three years earlier, Haruhi Fujioka could not abide the pitying glances of the townspeople, nor could she stand the marriage proposals offered by men who thought the beautiful young woman needed someone to take care of her now that she was alone in the world. It had been an easy decision to move to a meager hut closer to the fields where she worked. She could be alone there with her thoughts and the few books she was able to afford. It was rare for anyone in such a decrepit village to be educated, much less a girl, but her parents had encouraged their intelligent daughter, and whenever she had a little money, she would travel to the nearby cities and buy any books she could lay her hands on.

But tonight there would be no reading by candlelight. It was spring, and time to plant, so all the villagers worked long and punishing hours, knowing that a poor harvest would mean they would starve over the winter. Haruhi needed all the sleep she could get during these few exhausting weeks. But tonight she had a special errand to run.

Tonight was the third anniversary of her parents' deaths, and Haruhi needed to visit their graves. Although darkness was beginning to gather, Haruhi thought that if she hurried, she would be able to make it back home before any vampires came prowling around. Vampire attacks were few and far between in their village, thankfully, but they never ended well. So Haruhi quickly washed up and changed into a faded and patched-up brown dress, put a brown bonnet on over her long hair, and collected the flowers she would place on her parents' graves before hurrying into the foggy twilight.

The fog whirled around her, disorienting the young woman as she hurried along the well-worn dirt path. She held a lantern aloft, squinting into the fog around her, but the light was feeble and not particularly useful.

Finally she reached the cemetery and quickly located the two small gray stones side-by-side where her parents rested. Haruhi knelt at their graves, running her fingers over the uneven letters she had painstakingly carved into the rocks herself. She said a prayer for their lost souls, then laid her flowers on the two stones.

"Oh Mother… Father… I miss you so much," she whispered. "I'm still not married… The boys in this village think I'm helpless, and I can't stand that. I wish… I wish I could leave this village… I think there's something more for me if I could leave… But I'm afraid to. I don't know if I can do it." She bowed her head, tears falling from her eyes.

Haruhi could not be sure how long she knelt there, alternately praying and talking to her beloved parents. But suddenly she noticed how oppressively silent it was… Not a single bird or insect chirped. Not a blade of grass rustled in the wind. The hairs on the back of Haruhi's neck stood up and she grabbed the lantern, holding it up and squinting into the fog again. But it was futile, she could see only a few feet in any direction.

"Saints protect me…" Haruhi whispered desperately. It was much too dark… the night held so many dangers. She started to move toward the dirt path that would leave her to her meager dwelling, but then an icy breeze whistled around her and she heard the distinct crack of a breaking twig.

With a gasp, Haruhi blew out the flame in the lantern and bolted towards the trees. If there was something stalking her, surely they would assume that she would head towards the path and the village… surely the smart thing to do was to run into the woods and hide until the danger had passed.

Scrambling into the trees, she crouched and held her breath, trying desperately to hear any sound at all that might indicate she was in danger. Hearing nothing, she started to move through the trees, hoping to take a round-about route to her home. But she had gone only a few paces when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up again. A strong wind suddenly whistled through the trees, tearing the bonnet from her head and whipping it off into the darkness. And then the fog parted to reveal three young women.

Haruhi couldn't stop herself from gasping. All three women were utterly beautiful and they didn't look like any villagers or townspeople she had ever seen. All three wore beautiful dark red gowns of the type that Haruhi had always imagined that nobility wore… the sort with plunging necklines, ribbons, gemstones, and other frivolous decorations. And the dark red color frightened Haruhi. Only one group of people would ever wear that blood-wine color… the members of the vampire clan Lobelia.

The woman in the center was tall with very short dark hair. "Look what we have found, ladies… A little rose has lost her way…"

"Oh Beni…" the girl with long golden hair gasped. "She looks… delectable…"

"Yes," hissed the third girl who had shoulder-length reddish hair. "She looks so sweet… Please allow us to have a taste, Mistress Beni."

"Enough, Chizuru... Enough, Hinako," the tall woman said, her deep voice ringing through the trees. "We are not animals, are we?"

"No, Mistress Beni," the girls chorused.

"That being said… I can smell her from here. It's… intoxicating." And before Haruhi could even blink, the tall woman was standing next to her, her nose pressed against the human's neck, nuzzling at her pulse. Her tongue slithered from her mouth to trace one of the veins leading back to Haruhi's heart. "I don't know… how much longer I can control myself," she gasped breathlessly. Her two companions moaned in response.

Haruhi jerked herself away from the vampire, for vampire she surely was. "Please!" she exclaimed. "Please let me go!"

Beni's eyes glimmered red with bloodlust and excitement. Fangs appeared, flashing harshly even though there was no light to speak of in the foggy forest. "No one is going to stop us, beautiful flower," she said with a wicked smile.

Haruhi knew the woman was right. So she did the only thing she could do under the circumstances. She turned and ran as fast as she could. It was most likely futile, for vampires were far faster than any human, and they could simply track her by following her scent, but Haruhi didn't care as she ran desperately through the forest, screaming for help.

Tripping over some unseen obstacle, Haruhi slid across the slick grass and she heard a whooshing noise nearby. She started to roll over, but found herself pinned to the ground by a red-eyed Beni. Her fangs were bared as she lowered herself towards the girl, but Haruhi managed to kick her away and scramble to her feet again. But she only got a few more paces before she was tackled and pinned down again.

Haruhi screamed louder than ever, and squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch the fangs descend upon her neck. But instead of the expected sharp pain, she felt a thud against the side of her body and found herself being rolled over. She could vaguely see a man attacking the woman who had been about to kill her. Haruhi realized that the male must be another vampire, for he was holding his own against the female. More male and female creatures swooped from the trees, engaging in intense battles, and one lone human girl lay breathless on the ground, seemingly ignored by all of them. The adrenaline and fear became too much for Haruhi, and she fainted dead away.

A/N: Yes, very short, I know... But it's an introduction, and things will start picking up in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are much appreciated!