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Blood Ties
part one
by Shala-chan
Crimson wells up, tempting me beyond belief. So inviting . . . just to lick it away . . . who would know that just a scrape could bring about such seductive emotions and thoughts? I wonder why . . . It never did before. My head hurts. Must've been something in my drink, maybe someone spiked it. Ow . . . it's so hard to think . . .
Rowen gazed across the room at Sage. The blonde was staring in disheveled fascination at his arm, which appeared to be . . . bleeding, somewhat. Rowen licked his lips involuntarily. His befuddled mind caught a stray thought from Sage. He shook his head to clear it. Bad move. He groaned. Sage looked at him blearily.
"I think . . . someone . . . spiked . . . the drinks . . ." he told Rowen unsteadily. "I feel like crap."
"Ditto . . ." Rowen agreed. "We should see about tha othas."
"Yeah." Neither of them made any move to get up. Sage was usually awake, up and running by now. He got up as the sun started to rise, and it was already almost overhead. Rowen looked at the clock. More like already going down . . . "We missed tha day, Sage," he said softly.
"What?"
"The sun is beginnin' to set, Sage, not rise."
"Kuso!" The blonde swore violently, then caught his head between his hands. "Then we really need to get up." He rolled himself out of bed, wrapping himself in his blanket to augment his boxers. Rowen copied the move.
"I'm hungry," Kento said as he bumped into them in the hall. He was clad similarly.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sai said, emerging from the room he shared with Kento.
"Because that's tha only normal thing that's happened since yestaday?" Rowen suggested. "Let's get some dinnah. I'm starved."
They entered the kitchen. All four winced simultaneously. Sai flicked off the switch.
"Hey!" Ryo said.
"Sorry," Sage said, not in the least penitent, "it was hurting our eyes."
"You guys musta had some wicked drinks," Ryo said. "Those hangovers seem really bad. Mia's looking crappy too."
"How come you're all cheery?" Kento asked suspiciously.
"I was the designated driver, remember?" Ryo said. "I didn't touch a drop all night. Can you turn the lights back on?"
"No!" Rowen snapped. He immediately regretted it. "My head . . ."
"You okay?" Sai asked. He went over to the stove. "Scrambled eggs okay? I think it's about all I can manage."
"Sounds . . . fine . . ."
Ten minute slater, Sai handed them all plates and sat down. Ryo dug in with enthusiasm. So did the others. Four sets of hands clamped over four mouths as four warriors fought off extreme waves of nausea.
"I thought I was hungry," said Kento weakly. Sai bit his lip.
"It can't be the eggs, can it? Probably just the hangovers. I suggest we all lie down until it wears off."
"I second the motion," Sage said. The four mutely shoved their plates at Ryo, flicking on the light as they left the room. "I don't get it," Sage groaned as he flopped onto his bed. "I'm hungry enough to eat a horse, but I can't eat. Come on."
"Yeah . . . it's not fair! Ow!"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just bit my tongue." As he spoke, Rowen detachedly noticed he felt better, even though his tongue was bleeding a little.
"Ah . . . the old 'bite me' technique." Rowen looked over at Sage. Actually, a bite of his friend didn't sound to bad at the moment. The thought went right through from his mind to Sage's. "What?"
"Sorry, Sage. Just sounded . . . temptin', I guess."
"Tempting . . ." Sage mused. "You know, I was this close to licking my arm before.
"Why?" Rowen asked.
"I think it was the blood," Sage said indulgently. They cast startled glances at each other.
"You don't think . . ." Rowen began.
"No way," Sage said vehemently. "There's no such thing as vampires. Besides, you have to be bitten for it to work or something."
"And thea's no evil Dynasty, Sage."
"What's that supposed to mean, Rowen?"
"That afta what we've seen, anythin's possible."
"I - I suppose there's only one way to find out, really. Without killing ourselves, I mean."
"Yeah. Ya neck or mine?"
"You know, my heart is still beating. Maybe it's just . . ."
"Good point. Vampires are supposed t' be livin' dead. No heartbeats, right?"
"Yep. No heartbeats. Although I guess . . ."
"It couldn't hurt ta try?"
"I suppose that's it. I've just got this nagging feeling, you know?"
"Exactly. Back ta it, ya neck or mine?"
"Do we have to try neck?"
"Best way, I think."
"In that case, mine."
"Ya sure?"
"If I wasn't, do you think I'd have offered?" Sage said tersely. "Just . . . do whatever."
Rowen rolled gently out of his bed and walked over to Sage's. He grasped his friend's shoulders lightly, and put his mouth near Sage's neck. The next thing he knew, some instinct made him sink his fangs into just the right vein.
Fangs? he thought to himself, bewildered. I nevah had fangs before. He sucked greedily for a few seconds, then realized that this was Sage. His eyes, which he hadn't noticed were closed, flew open, and he pulled himself reluctantly away. His startled blue eyes met Sage's violet ones. "I'm not hungry anymore," he offered.
"Oh, god, Rowen, what's happening?" Sage half-sobbed. "This can't be . . ."
"Ya need a drink?" Rowen asked.
"No alcohol now, Rowen, not after last night."
"I wasn't talkin' about beah, Sage." Rowen shyly proffered his neck.
"Rowen . . ."
"It's only fair," he said, sounding somewhat afraid.
"I . . . I guess . . ."
"Just pretend yah kissin' a girl or somethin'."
"Rowen! I couldn't . . ."
"Just, like, lead up ta it or somethin' if ya want, k? If that'd make ya feel more comfahtable."
"Oh, Rowen . . ." Sage breathed. "That's the most . . ."
"Bullshitty piece of crap ya've ever heard?"
"I was about to say nicest thing you've ever said to me." Sage steeled himself. Okay then, Date, just like kissing a girl. He brushed Rowen's lips softly with his own, then began a small line of kisses going from the other boy's jawline to his . . . neck . . . instinct worked once again and his fangs sank in. He nursed Rowen's neck gently a minute or so, then pulled away. He self-consciously wiped the back of his hand against his mouth. "I feel a lot better now," he said. "Thank you, Rowen." His voice said it wasn't just for the blood.
Rowen looked at him deeply for a moment, searchingly, then said "We should probably tell tha othas."
"Yeah."
They both stood up, no longer feeling like something the tiger dragged in. As one, they walked down the hallway to Sai and Kento's room. Rowen knocked. They heard the sounds of conversation stopping and a voice called wearily to come in. The two stepped almost guiltily into the room.
"What's wrong?" Sai said immediately. He took a closer look at them. "You two look much better than you did a little while ago."
"Yeah, well, we used deductive reasonin' and dealt with it," Rowen said.
"What did you do?" Kento asked.
"Had something to drink," Sage said glumly.
"Alcohol is not the answer right now," Sai said disapprovingly.
"We'a not talkin' about alcahol," Rowen said, sighing. "We'll show ya . . . Sai, bite Kento."
"WHAT?"
"Just do it," he snapped back. "Anywe'a is fine, neck is bettah." Sai looked uncertainly at both he and Sage, then Kento.
"Do whatever, dude," Kento told him. Sai approached Kento's neck with trepidation - then seemed exceedingly startled as his fangs went in. His startlement faded in a moment to the bliss Rowen had felt in the beginning. Like Rowen, he also pulled away quickly. Kento's face was astonished from start to finish.
"I just drank Kento's blood, didn't I," Sai said shakily. It wasn't a question. Sage nodded an affirmation. "What have we become?" Sai whispered.
"I'm still hungry," Kento said, eyeing Sai. Sai slowly offered his neck. Kento took his wrist instead, brought it to his mouth, and bit. True to his appetite, a took a little while to be satisfied. "Well . . ." he trailed, "that was certainly interesting . . ."
"And I have the feelin' it'll get mo'a so as time goes on," Rowen said. "Just what we needed. T' become blood-suckin' vampiahs. Great. Just great."
"Not 'we'," Sai reminded him. "Ryo looked fine."
"But he said Mia . . ." Kento's expression was anxious. "We should really check on her."
"What if she figures it out and -" Sage was out the door before he finished his thought. The others looked stricken, and dashed after him.
"Ryo!" Rowen yelled.
"Yeah, what, Ro?" The Wildfire warrior poked his head out of the kitchen.
"Have ya seen Mia?"
"I'm in here," she said from the kitchen. The boys stopped short. Mia emerged, looking absolutely normal, if a bit disheveled. She was holding her arm a bit stiffly though, and . . .
"You bit yourself," Sage said flatly. There was no question in his voice at all. Mia looked at him oddly.
"It was me or Ryo, and I didn't want to hurt him," she said patiently. "What else could I do?"
"Uh, Mia," Tyo said uncomfortably, "what are you talking about?"
"We've figyah'ed out what happened, Ryo," Rowen said, "and ya aren't gonna like it."
"Shall we show him," Sai asked far too calmly.
"Show how?" Kento asked. Rowen tapped a tooth. "Oh!"
"On three, then . . . one . . ."
"Two . . ."
"Three!" the five somehow managed to show their new fangs to Ryo, then retracted them.
"I think I need to sit down ," he said shakily.
"I need a drink," said Sage. "Unfortunately, I have no idea what effect it would have . . ."
Rowen went into the kitchen and pricked his finger with a knife, then came back out and offered it to Sage. His friend eyed him gratefully and sucked on it for a second. "Thanks, Ro."
"Anytime," the archer replied seriously.
"Did you just -" Ryo left the words unspoken, hanging in the air. Sage nodded. Kento caught Ryo as the shock became too much and he crumpled. They carried him over to the couch and sat there patiently until he stirred. "G-guys?" Did - what happened?"
"We think it was the drinks."
"Could be."
"We think you're the only 'normal' person left around the house."
"What about Yuli?"
"Good point."
"We're gonna need ya help, Ryo."
"For what?"
"Well, for one, we don't know much about what we've become, other than myths. We can't chance dying because we didn't know something."
"What can I do?"
"Go ta tha library," Rowen said. "If I write tha librarian a note, you could take out stuff unda my name. We need books on tha occult. Think ya can do that tomorrow mornin'?"
"S-sure . . . I mean, you guys . . . you're my life. If something happened to you . . ." he didn't finish.
"Thanks, buddy."
"Thank you, Ryo. We'll leave you a list of what we need, alright?" Ryo nodded mutely. "In that case, you should go to bed soon."
"What about you guys?"
"I don't think we'll be sleeping, somehow."
"Yeah . . ." They lapsed into silence.
"Mia," Rowen said suddenly, "as long as we'a goin' to be awake, do ya think ya could get some infahmation on vampiahs from ya computa?"
"Probably," she replied, blinking. "If not, I can ask one of the other universities to send me their files. That should occupy most of the night."
"In the meantime," Sai said, "I think the four of us need to discuss feeding." His voice said that he had been badly shaken, and wanted to get his feelings out in the open. Sai was like that sometimes.
"Yeah," said Kento firmly. The four warriors trudged up the stairs to their respective rooms to talk.
"I hope all this isn't making the others too uncomfortable," Sage said.
"It probably is," Rowen offered. "I'm kinda havin' a hard time of it myself."
"Think about how I feel!" Sage exclaimed.
"It's kinda hard sometimes, Seiji." Sage sat down heavily on his bed.
"If . . . if all of this is true . . . about the sunlight . . ." he whispered. "I . . . I won't be able to live." The words hit Rowen like a swarm of bees. He could do just fine without too much sun; all he needed was his stars. But Sage, on the other hand, Sage was a Warrior of Light. He needed the sun, needed it with all his being, needed to drink it up, to bask in it . . . And if all the legends about vampires were true . . . He sat down next to Sage and pulled his friend into a tight embrace. "Oh, gods, Rowen . . ."
Sage clung to Rowen as if he were his only anchor point, the only thing that kept him from being swept away. He sobbed uselessly, something he hadn't done in ages. Rowen just patted his back and tried to soothe him as best he could.
"It'll be okay, Sage, it'll be okay . . . Maybe tha stories aren't all true. Maybe we can go inta tha light." Sage's tear-filled eyes looked at him doubtfully. It was a look most would have attributed to Sai, not the Ice Maiden, as they were all so fond of calling him.