In the Shadow
of the Vampire
By: Psychotic
Tanuki
AN: AU
Kaoru/Battousai /Kenshin, Megumi/Sanosuke, Misao/Aoshi and it is a vampire
fiction. I hope I haven't overdone it…^^; Misao comes out a bit OOC... maybe
Kenshin is a little OOC……I took his angst to the extreme…T-T;
"Speech"
Thought
Disclaimer: Does
not own Kenshin….wish I did…
Prologue: "And the
waters turned red…like blood"
The smell of blood wasn't something
that he could forget easily. It tends to hang in the air, like a curtain of
metallic perfume that could be tasted in the mouth and felt in the nose. It
gave him a type of mind numbing effect, a state of complete nothingness, yet
filled with complete pleasure. It was that same feeling of pleasure that
disgusted him, and made him wretch inside. It was the reason why lay curled up
in his apartment corner, with only his eyes daring to peak out into the
night.
His internal reverie was cut short
as his 'other self' growled in anger. He sighed in his corner; he hadn't killed
anything in a week, preserving his instable sanity. Death brought upon the
beast, it was an addiction worse than that of any drug.
Squeak.
His dark blue, almost violet, eyes
glanced from underneath his arms that a rat had entered his line of view.
Squeak.
The memory of the smell filled his
nostrils, sickening him. The memory of the taste filled his mouth. Oh, how he
longed to vomit. His mind lay in unease, it propelled him forward. You are not that pathetic. He fought the
urge and unconsciously, his leg began to twitch up and down. His breathing
began to become labored and his whole frame shook.
Squeak.
Crack.
Crunch.
He reveled in the blood as it
dripped down his forearm, and into his eagerly awaiting mouth. Using his
lengthy fingernail, he tore open the rat's skin and plunged his face into its
blood. Blood splattered over his white shirt, and dotted his pale face.
Miniature intestines lay discarded on the floor, yet he was not hungry. No, a
vampire of his age did not need to feed every night…even now; he was not
swallowing the blood. The taste of it on his tongue was enough.
Splat.
He threw away the rat from him, and
it skittered across the floor, spewing blood. The dark blue, almost violet, eye
color slowly receded into their pupils, as hauntingly beautiful gold spewed
back out of them. A feral grin tugged at his mouth; once again, the killer of
man was free. His gentler self was getting better; he had been incapacitated
for a week and a half. Running a slender hand through his long, burgundy,
blood-colored hair, he swept it up into a high ponytail, unruly bangs falling
forth. When Himura Kenshin had died, he had been born.
The
Hitokiri Battousai is back.
--------------
Takani Megumi sighed. Rubbing the
bridge of her nose, she set down the newspaper she had been reading gently onto
the table. Honestly, they didn't pay her enough money to keep this dilapidated
ICU unit running. With Genzai-sensei gone, Ayame and Suzume to take care of as
well as her patients, she began to feel this week's toll upon her. She stared
at the unmerciful clock, of all weeks to place this upon her, the fates chose
this week. Her long black hair had been tied haphazardly into a ponytail and
her russet eyes diverted their attention. She looked at the newspaper she had
just set down, its headline boldly staring back at her.
HITOKIRI BATTOUSAI REAPPEARS; 20
MASSACRED
He was back. The bastard was back.
Closing her eyes she sighed in defeat. She was not strong enough, nor was she
up to this. Damn it all, one doctor was not going to be able to bring down the
most feared killer in all of
"You dumb fuck." She threw the
newspaper into the trash, Tomoe had fallen in love with the Battousai, who did
not return the sentiment, and he had only fooled her, deceived her and then
killed her.
Why was he back in
Ironically, the only thing that
could kill such a powerful monster was a sickly, poverty-stricken, diseased,
and dying girl Kamiya Kaoru. Megumi shook her head; Kaoru had been dropped at
"Oi, tanuki-chan, wake up."
Flickering on the lights, Megumi sighed as she watched Kaoru snore on, without
even acknowledging her existence. Reaching a slender hand forward, she slapped
her hand over Kaoru's mouth and pinched her nose shut. Seconds later, she had
achieved a favorable result along with an annoyed tanuki.
"Megumi-san! Are you trying to kill
me?!" Kaoru had shot up out of her bed, and now glared at her doctor, who had
become the closest thing to a friend since her stay here.
"I was just merely waking you up, no
need to get flustered about it." Megumi coolly replied gripping her clipboard. The
hospitals would be the first place the Battousai would look for her, and soon,
"WELL you COULD have woken me up
NICELY." Kaoru pouted, crossing her arms over her chest, she set her baleful
eyes onto Megumi.
"Don't look at me like that.
Besides, not even YOU could hear above your snoring- Now roll up your sleeve, I
need to take your blood pressure." Sending one last glare, Kaoru complied with
Megumi's request and stared ahead at the clock on the white wall. It was 9'o
clock in the morning, and Kaoru sighed. She always got up at 9'o clock; she
always ate at
"Good, 111/70, you're not in danger
of hypertension." Kaoru snorted. Next, in her incredibly predictable life would
be dream analyzing, which was something she was not quite comfortable with, at
least, not today.
"So, did you have any dreams last
night?" Kaoru glanced sidelong at Megumi. The doctor was not her usual calm,
collected, conniving kitsune self. She seemed shaky, almost unsure as to her
answer and Kaoru found, that she felt the same.
"No."
"Don't lie to me Tanuki." Megumi frowned, it was not like Kaoru to try
and lie about her dreams, not unless they were disturbing. Today, was
important, if Kaoru had seen something in her dream, it would prove whether or
not Tomoe was right in announcing that there was another. If not, then Tanuki
would gain her freedom in this instant.
Kaoru, on the other hand, knew her
answer would decide her future. Depending on her answer, she would either be
able to go free, like she'd always wanted, or stay here forever. However, could
she lie? Could she forget their dead faces staring up at her? Could she forget
the stench of blood? Could she live with herself if more of them died?
"They're dead. Twenty of them,
dead." Megumi let out a shaky breath, Tomoe had been right in her prediction,
and this confirmed it. She was now sure that the Battousai had felt Kaoru's
presence last night, and now he would seek her out. Neither of them were safe,
nor was anyone else in
--------------
He prowled through the streets ever
so carefully. His followers would've surely felt his presence by now and he
waited demurely, his plans had been set back significantly. Golden eyes
narrowed, this would be much harder with the Rurouni in the way. Although, the Battousai pondered, to an extent, he is quite useful. He
looked around him as people bustled about their own busy lives, some worried,
some overly cheerful. He looked at where his feet had led him and smiled
maliciously. The Headquarters of the Oniwabanshu.
The Oniwabanshu HQ, was the place
where he would find one of his loyal supporters; Shinomori Aoshi. He almost snorted at the irony of it all;
Shinomori was in debt to him, a vampire, when Aoshi was okashira of the most
successful vampire slaying communities. Shinomori himself knew this, although those
twits and Okina did not. His daisho was uncomfortable against his thin frame,
constricted by the blasted trench coat, not unlike Aoshi's, only without that
gaudy collar. He stared at the steps before decidedly walking down ever so
slowly, his geta clacking along the concrete. The headquarters, most cleverly
disguised as an underground store with a large wooden door waiting at the
bottom of many stairs.
As he reached the bottom of the
stairs, his cold golden eyes stared at the door. Willing the Rurouni to come
out, the Battousai held a definitive rule over the body. He would not allow the
Rurouni full control ever again. A week and a half out of commission, as well
as a year of inaction was what it had earned him. At least, until last night.
Shinomori would be most displeased. And with that final thought, he knocked on
the door.
