A/N: NightWalker: Midnight Detective belongs to Kiyori Sasano, Ryota Yamaguchi, and the folks at U.S. Manga Corps. No copyright infringement intended. My second NightWalker fic (It's official. I'm hooked). I was wondering how Shido, Yayoi, and Riho all met, so I came up with my own version, a prequel, you might say, to the series. ;) However, I'm ignoring Volume 2 all together and Episode 9. (Inspired by the Special Unit 2 Pilot opening... I like Yayoi...)
Summary: Prequel to A Visitor in the Night and the series...
Moonlight drifting on the waves...
I'll swim alone in the dark ocean.
I'll run away alone in the dark sky if I can meet you...
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Beginnings
Evil Overlady
~ Prologue ~
Young Yayoi Matsunaga leaned over her open bedroom window, chin resting on her knuckles, violet eyes staring up at the moon from beneath flowing red hair.
The bedroom door creaked open. "Yayoi?..." her mother's voice came curiously. The woman sighed and entered. "Yayoi-chan... You should be asleep. It's well past midnight..."
"I'm not tired," the girl replied, shifting her weight ever so slightly.
Mrs. Matsunaga came and sat down on the bed beside her. "Yayoi... You needn't worry about the Night Breed... We're in a neighborhood full of NOS agents and their families. Nothing's going to happen to you... You should rest."
Yayoi slowly shifted her eyes. "What about the vampires, Mother? They can look and act just like regular people..."
The woman watched her daughter with sad grey eyes. "Yayoi... There's... something you don't know..."
Yayoi's dark eyes looked at her with renewed concern. "Mother...?"
The older Matsunaga ran delicate fingers along the curve of Yayoi's cheek. "Don't worry about the vampires, dear... You're special." The woman stood, smiled tightly at her. "Now, get some sleep. The doctors would like to run some more tests in the morning."
Yayoi grunted. "More tests? I feel like a pin cushion..."
Mrs. Matsunaga watched her. "When you are my age, my daughter, you will understand..." She turned and left, closing the door lightly behind her.
Yayoi watched the door for a good while, then lowered her eyes.
* * *
Sirens filled the mid-day air. Fire engines, police patrol cars, and an ambulance choked up the street of a suburban neighborhood, surrounding a white house.
A young brunette girl, dressed in a yellow school uniform with a red bow slightly undone in her hair sat obediently on a cot while paramedics poked at her for injuries.
Behind the police barricade she could see the black body bags of her parents being loaded into another truck.
Her blue eyes welled with tears and she buried her face in her hands.
* * *
Tatsuhiko Shido watched the scene from behind a pair of blue-shaded sunglasses, long lavender hair ruffling only slightly in a breeze with his tan trench coat. "Another Night Breed attack... Damn it..."
Something wriggled in his hair and a small female voice piped in his ear. "But this time there was a survivor, that teenage girl over there."
Shido slowly turned his head. "We should keep an eye on her." His voice held an air of suspicion.
"We?" the voice repeated. "How did I suddenly get elected babysitter?"
"It's just for a little while, Guni," he replied innocently.
"Hmph... Little while..."
"Excuse me." A woman in a yellow jacket, skirt, and high heels brushed by them, deep-red hair caught in the midday breeze.
One of the police officers holding the barricade moved to intercept her.
She held up her ID. "Detective Yayoi Matsunaga," she identified herself.
Shido let his shades slide down his nose and let out a drawn out whistle.
A tiny blond-haired, green-skinned head poked out from his hair. "Hey. Don't get any funny ideas, lover boy- wha!"
He faded into the crowd with a ruffle of scarf.
* * *
"Detective Yayoi Matsunaga," Yayoi repeated to the school girl, holding out her hand peaceably. "Miss Yamazaki... I know it's difficult to be asked this but... Do you have someplace to stay tonight?"
Slowly, the brunette shook her head, eyes lowered, looking like they were about to fill with tears again.
Yayoi sighed and looked to the detective beside her who shook his head.
Yayoi turned to the girl. "You can stay at my place..."
"Detective..." he hissed.
"What safer place for a Night Breed survivor than in the home of a member of the NOS?"
Unbenounced to Matsunaga, Shido had found cover beside the ambulance, listening in on their conversation. "NOS...?" he repeated quietly, rubbing a knuckle under his chin in thought.
The girl looked up. "I... I would like to stay with Miss Matsunaga..." Soft-blue eyes turned the other detective's way. "If that's all right..."
"Call me Yayoi, and, yes-" She looked deliberately at her coworker. "-That shouldn't be a problem..."
The other detective swallowed his words.
"Riho," the girl said, holding up her hand.
"Riho," Detective Matsunaga repeated. "Pleased to meet you."
Shido's golden eyes briefly became slits, and he vanished once more.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~