Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ 'Do You Want to Live Forever?' ❯ The Way of The Fang--Educating the Pure Bloods ( Chapter 15 )

A/N: Cel is in his fully realized form, and as such, he calls everyone by their full given name. That is because he becomes immediately mind-bonded to any individual he comes in contact with, and their name is the first piece of information he gleans from them. It is his way of showing them that he is superior despite his so-call 'half-breed' lineage. It is one of the powers/gifts that makes him what he is; The Almighty Fang. He is the 'Savior' of the Pure Bloods and the Humans, therefore, he is gifted with many supernatural powers. Mind-bonding, reading, and manipulation are but a few of his unique powers. We already know he can jump higher than any other Vampire, he can fly, he has the gift of telekenesis (he moved the northgate with his mind), and he can move faster than time (runs really, really fast). He can also warp from one plane of consciousness to another at will and has the knowledge of the old ways fully at his disposal. That is how Hiko was able to contact Pythagoras through the blood-bond. Cel has memories of the ancient ones and his mind is like an archive. He is irrevocably bound to his mate and she to him.

Glossary: Lubit=Beloved/Precious, Simpatie=Love, Indragostit=Lover, Nevasta=Lady Wife, Tovarus=Friend

My humble apologies. I am unable to edit out the html codes that appear at the beginning of the sentences. I don't know or understand why they are there. Grrrrr... Tsuki-san

Chapter 14

The Way of The Fang

Part III: A Leader's Understanding

Cel

Kaoru Kamiya

Hiko Seijuro

Aoshi Shinomori

        & nbsp;   A shuddering sigh escaped the gapping mouth of Cel as the deeply imbedded fangs of the vampire general pulled free of his throat. A rush of dizziness washed across him like a great wave of warm water, and as his head drooped to one side, his eyes rolled back into his head. Swaying from the loss of blood required to prepare and teach Hiko, he felt the sensation of becoming separated from himself and his vision began to dim. So much more had been required than he thought, but it was a necessary sacrifice he would willingly make again if need be. He would bleed himself dry if it meant saving humanity and the souls of his own people. But as his mouth smacked dry as a desert, fatigue rose from the core of him and all he could comprehend was he needed to sleep. His body was spent and he needed to rest.

          &n bsp; "Simpatie!" The anxious cry of his Mate sounded far away as he felt himself slipping beneath the fog of unconsciousness, and although he knew he should try and reassure her that all was well, he realized there was not enough time, and then his world went dark. "Kenshin!"

         &nb sp;  "What's wrong? What's happening to him? " Aoshi flew to Cel's side and swiftly knelt next to him as he slipped into unconsciousness. "My Lord?" He cried as he lifted the slender shoulders back into his arms and gazed fearfully down into the glorious face. "My Lord Cel, can you hear me? Holy Mother, Kaoru, what's happening to him?"

          &n bsp; "He's given too much blood, Aoshi." Kaoru's voice was sharp with her level of concern for her mate as she leaned over his body and cupped his face in her hands. "He offered everything he had trying to help Papa understand, and he's almost dry. Dammit!"

           ;  "What can we do? Tell me what to do."

          &nb sp; "You can't do anything, Aoshi. It is for me to do." Shimmering silver eyes bore harshly into the intensity of icy blue as Kaoru pulled the leather sleeve up baring her wrist. "Just hold him for me, that is what you need to do for now."

          &n bsp; "Of course. Do I need to tip his head back?"

          & nbsp; "Desigur. Just a bit." And as Aoshi dropped Cel's head back, Kaoru flashed her fingernails before his face showing that in the passage of only an instant they had changed into something resembling small daggers. Then with one swift slashing motion she drew her index finger across the wrist, cutting it in one clean motion. Placing the open wound over her mate's lax lips, she allowed the hot liquid to drip inside of his mouth as quickly as her heart would pump it in. "Swallow, simpatie." she whispered fervently. "Please swallow and come back to us. We need you now, not in a few days. Come back, Kenshin." Kaoru's voice took on an urgent note as she cupped the back of his head and buried her face in his hair. "Come back to me, simpatie. I need you too."

          &n bsp; He was just setting alone in the gray dimness of his mind when it found him. The small bouncing ball of silver light that came swirling out of the misty reaches came straight to him and began dancing a wild circle around his head. A smile of pure love and joy crossed his face as the shimmering ball of iridescence coaxed him to follow it on a merry pathway back out into the world of life and breath. Somehow he knew it was only going to be a matter of time before it came for him as it was, so he stood up and brushed his hands off on his pants and started up the path. It would not take long to go back where he was needed. Just a short journey really. A few steps, and then...

             "I knew you wouldn't let me stay gone for long, Lubit." The gentle touch of Cel's hand pulled Kaoru away as the raspy words filtered out between his teeth, and although the voice was strained, it was stronger than either of the two Slayer's were prepared for.

          &nb sp; "My Lord Cel," Aoshi raised the man up into a more convenient sitting position while supporting his shoulders with his arm. "Are you alright? You gave us a terrible fright, Sir."

          &n bsp; "Ah, forgive me, Aoshi Shinomori. I did not mean to cause alarm, but sometimes it takes a great sacrifice to achieve that which must be done. "

             "But did you have to share so much blood in order to achieve the goal you sought, My Lord? It seemed you very nearly died from this sacrifice."

         &n bsp;  "No, my tovaras. I would not have died from this sacrifice though it was, indeed, more than I thought it would be. Rather, I would have drifted in limbo for a time until my system was repaired or restored, but death would not have been my companion, so rest your mind on that count."

             Aoshi sighed in great relief and the arm that supported Cel seemed to grip him a fraction tighter. "I am grateful to know that, My Lord. Very grateful, but you are certain you are all right at this moment?"

           ;  "Desigur, tovaras, thanks to my Lubit." His arms reached out at that point and filled themselves with the body of his ebon haired mate whose face had become streaked with tears of both relief and happiness. "Kaoru..." Cel breathed the beloved name into the curve of her throat and shoulder. "My beautiful Lubit, how I have missed you this day."

          &n bsp; "You have?" The hitch in her voice made his arms squeeze her more tightly.

           ;  "Desigur. I may not be able to let you out of my sight more than an hour or two, Simpatie. I-I don't want to be alone without you so long again." The halting admission made him sound just a bit insecure and Kaoru pressed a reassuring kiss into his cheek.

          & nbsp; "And we do not want to be without you so long again either, My Lord Cel." The deep baritone voice of Hiko Seijuro drifted over to and surrounded the three vampires causing them to shift and meet his stalwart gaze. "I have committed many wrongs in my lifetime, My Lord, but none so heinous or shameful as those I have committed against you. I come before you now, Great One, as your servant though I am unworthy to be even that. In the old days I served your Great-Grandfather, King Maxmillion, and then your Grandfather, Prince Crede. In my way I have always served the Corban's and their bloodline because that was my families destiny from the beginning. But in all that time not one of us has ever tasted a single drop of the ancient blood. Not until today, and as I lay in your arms drinking the knowledge of your linage, I was gifted with a vision that I could no more deny, than I could deny my own King."

          & nbsp; "Vision?" Kaoru moved to kneel next to her father, gently touching his arm. "What did you see, Papa?"

          & nbsp; "I saw 'The All Father' himself, and he spoke to me."

          &nb sp; "You saw- you saw Pythagorus? You saw the God of The Dark World?"

             "Desigur, and he called me by name, and sited my lineage to me."

          &nb sp; "He told you where your blood comes from?" Kaoru sounded incredulous as she stared at her father's contrite face. "But I thought we were always pure bloods? That we all came from his bloodline."

         &n bsp;  "Nu, it is not so. I have learned the secret that has been lost. I have learned The Way of The Fang, and in doing so, I have discovered The Great Sin we are all guilty of, and until we find a way to cleanse the path between our people and The One God, we will be doomed to fall beneath the boot of Uriel's wrath."

             "We are all guilty?" Kaoru's face was a mask of confusion and only Aoshi's appearance could be said to look any worse. The poor slayer looked as if he had just swallowed a rotten egg... whole.

          & nbsp; "Desigur, Lubit." Cel replied to his mate and then he reached out and offered his hand to Hiko. "So, you finally understand, Leader? The way has become clear to you?"

          &n bsp; "Desigur, Great One. And I am ashamed. You are the way to our salvation and I named you 'Abomination' when it is we who are the tainted ones. How can you ever forgive me for my narrow minded foolishness, My Lord?"

          & nbsp; "Forgiveness is a simple task, Leader, but can you not see, it is not my forgiveness you require at this moment. It is your own. Now that you see and understand your folly, you and I can step forward into the light of knowledge together and set right that which has been made wrong. Do you see this?"

          & nbsp; "I- I am not sure. There is so much I do not yet understand, Great One. So much that must change, so much to do and so little time."

          & nbsp; "That is a truer statement than you know, Leader. There is not much time, but there are more allies available to us than you are aware of, and that gives us an advantage. What you must learn now is Trust and Faith. Without these two things our people will be defeated before we ever see the great battle."

           ;  "What allies do you speak of?" Hiko exchanged bewildered looks with the two confused slayers. "Who are they? How do we find them?"

          & nbsp; "They are all around us, Leader. They are everywhere you and yours exist." As the light of understanding continue to fail his companions, Cel finally shook his head in exasperated defeat. Chuckling with good natured frustration, he grasped Hiko's arm again and stared him dead in the eyes. "The Human's, General Seiguro. We have the Human's, and there are far more of them than there are of the Made. Even more than two hundred million."

         &nbs p;  "The Human's." The face of enlightenment shone brightly on the astonished vampires face as he smacked his forehead. "Mother help us. I never thought of that."

          & nbsp; "Now you have, and we have much to do. Desigur?"

        &nb sp;   "Desigur, Great One. WE have much to do."

The Way of The Fang

Part IV: Together Again

Cel

Kaoru Kamiya

         &n bsp;  Cel was exhausted and it showed in his face and step as he tried to maintain a strong presence among the awed Pure Blood community. The initial fear and confusion was wearing off and the people were beginning to approach him with tentative looks and wary touches almost as if they were not quite sure he was real. But the innate gentleness of his heart showing through the gleaming golden eyes bid them come forward and feel the silken mass of his near floor length hair, examine the milky daggers inside his mouth, and freely stroke the long razor talons gracing each fingertip.

         &nb sp;  He had proved to them beyond any doubt that he was the superior being and the strongest male among their ranks, and thus established his claim to the right of First Leader without contestation or dispute. Now, he stood quietly and proved to them that he meant them no harm, that it was his responsibility to protect and care for them.

          &n bsp; "Forgive my anger, but it was necessary to gain the attention of those I needed to contact. Please try to understand," he said as he touched first one face and then another. "I am here as your teacher as well as your leader, and there is so much for all of you to learn, so much for you to know... there is so much that has been lost."

          & nbsp; "Lost?"

        & nbsp;   "Lost? What has been lost?"

          & nbsp; "What do you mean by 'lost' Great One?"

          &n bsp; "What have we lost?"

          & nbsp; "How do we get it back?"

          & nbsp; Questions from every direction bombarded the golden-eyed vampire. Confusion and distress lay written on the faces around him and the feelings of anxiety began to rise as the people struggled to grasp a concept they did not comprehend. A sigh lifted the slender, yet well muscled shoulders and Cel tried to prepare himself for the burden of explanations that was his alone. But it seemed his mate had other ideas.

          & nbsp; Kaoru sensed as well as saw the utter fatigue that weighted down the figure of her mate, and she knew if she did not step in and force him to rest, he would push himself beyond his limits even perhaps to the point of collapsing. She was not going to let that happen.

             "Simpatie," Her voice was quiet but firm as she laid a hand upon his shoulder. "It is time for you to rest. You have given much this night and if you do not take a respite, you will not be able to continue."

         &nb sp;  "I am fine, Lubit." The sternness of both his gaze and his voice took her by surprise, but she was undaunted and pushed her cause more firmly.

             "I am sure you believe that, my dear, but you are far from it. You are wearing your exhaustion like an ill-fitting overcoat. Now do as I say! You must rest!"

          & nbsp; Cel's left eyebrow lifted in a show of surprise and his mouth opened for a brief moment as if he might say something, but then he clamped it shut and nodded in mute acquiescence of his mates firm request. Kaoru smiled with relief and took his hand leading him away. He allowed this contact for a moment and then pulled his hand free so that he could wrap his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to his side.

          &n bsp; "I have missed you, Lubit." He whispered huskily into her ear as he nuzzled up against the side of her head. "I have missed you so very much."

          & nbsp; "Have you?" Kaoru leaned over into his feline-like caress and sighed contentedly. "I'm glad. I have missed you too."

          &n bsp; "Has it really only been one day since I first looked into your beautiful face, my precious Kaoru?"

             "Desigur, Simpatie. Only one day." Her arm looped around his waist as they fell into step with each other. "I have some difficulties believing it myself, yet... it seems I have changed so much and the way I look at the world has changed as well. I am no longer the woman I was when I left the compound yestereve. I have become something else."

          & nbsp; "Desigur, you are my beloved and soon to be Nevasta."

        &nb sp;   "Your Lady Wife?" Kaoru tipped her head and looked up into the shimmering amber crystals that were his eyes. "Is that really how you see me, Kenshin? As your Lady Wife?"

          & nbsp; "Do you doubt it, Kaoru Kamiya?" The smile that crossed his handsome face sent the butterflies living in her stomach on a wild flight of sexual awareness. "But I also see you as my Indragostit... and I have missed the haven of your body." His nose and mouth burrowed into the satiny softness of the ebony tresses that fell along her temple and cheek and Cel brushed a heated kiss across her smooth skin. "I find myself craving the warmth of you, Lubit. I want to feel you wrapped around me while I plunder the deepest reaches of your soul. I hunger for you, Kaoru... I need to be inside of you."

          &n bsp; "Y-you're too tired for that, Ken-shin." A shudder raced through her body chattering her teeth as she leaned her head back upon his arm and bared her neck to him. "You really are ready to drop and you know it."

          &nb sp; "I will never be too tired to make love to my mate, Kaoru. Never. Now show me to a bed before I embarrass us in front of all these curious eyes."

          & nbsp; Kaoru giggled and pulled him toward a hallway that disappeared into the heart of the compound. "All right, simpatie, God forbid you do anything else to shock these poor people. I believe we have all had enough theatrics for the time being."

             "Desigur, Lubit, that we have." The grateful man breathed into her hair as he allowed himself to be led. "That we have."

          & nbsp; Behind them they left a cavern full of curious and somewhat confused people. A few were now wearing knowing grins and smiles on their faces as they watched the couple fade into the dimly lit hallway. Others mingled among themselves wondering what the great mysteries were that Cel had to share with them. He made it all sound so ominous and frightening, but was it going to be that terrible? Of course, there was the General's reaction to the knowledge he received while in blood-bond with The Fang, and if that was anything to judge by, then perhaps they all needed to be prepared for the worst.

          & nbsp; Hiko's dark green eyes rested thoughtfully on the golden vampire as he watched him disappear with his only daughter. The vibrating thrum of power was still singing through his veins and his spirit creating a sensation of giddiness he had not felt before. He realized it was a little like being drunk on a very fine wine, only more so. And the weight of knowledge he now possessed was extraordinary as well as frightening. Had he only known...

           ;  'Why was none of this in the Holy Archives? Why was none of this information ever written down? We should have known long ago what happened when Milos broke the law of the blood born and created the first 'Made'. We should have known about Lucifers Sin and the impact it could and would have on our people if we succumbed to the temptation of the 'blood'. We should have known... What happened to the records? Were there ever any that spoke of these things? Oh Father, Great Pythagoras, why didn't you leave us records of these words, so that we might have avoided this tragedy of life? None of this was ever written anywhere. Why? Why? We should have been given the opportunity to save ourselves before it came to this.'

OooooooooooOooooooooooooOoooooooooooOooooooooooooOoooo ooooooooooOooooooooo

     &nb sp;      The door closed with an audible 'click' as Cel pulled it shut behind him. Slumping back against the cool metal, he willed his mind to relax and clear itself. So many thoughts and images were racing back and forth. It was difficult at that moment to tell which of them were his own, and which was 'the body collective' of the 'Ancients' the General had tapped into. A dull, aching started to throb rhythmically between his eyes and he lifted a hand to press against the bridge of his nose.

          &n bsp; "I told you, didn't I?"

          &nbs p; "Told me what, Lubit?" Weary golden eyes opened to gaze lovingly into the fine features of his mate who walked up to him and leaned into his waiting embrace. A deep sigh of pleasure left Cel's body as he cradled the woman next to his heart. How had he existed so long without her? He didn't know, but he knew he couldn't live without her now.

          &nb sp; "I told you that you were exhausted, and I was right." She nuzzled under his chin and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You can hardly make it this far let alone do anything else."

          & nbsp; "Are you challenging my prowess as a 'male', mate?" The severe tone he tried to inflect into his voice was pitiful, and Kaoru giggled at the attempt. "You're supposed to be subservient and respectful, lubit," Cel chided as he chuckled and nibbled on her earlobe. "You aren't supposed to laugh."

             "Oops! Sorry! I forgot I was supposed to be all cowey and female. Are you going to punish me now?"

          &n bsp; "Don't tempt me." He growled crushing her to him and burying his face in her throat. "I have too many other things on my mind that I want to do to you to be worried about punishing you as well."

          & nbsp; A low moan of hunger crawled out of Kaoru's vitals and she pressed her body as close to her mates unyielding form as she could. Her hands slid up his back and curled over his shoulder as she bent her head back giving him full access to her flesh and an answering shudder quaked through him.

          &nb sp; "Mine," he breathed heavily as the fangs in his mouth lengthened slightly and grew needle sharp. "You are mine, Kaoru, mind and no others."

           ;  "Dessigurr," her voice slurred and grew raspy as the heat of desire rose in her blood and her own fangs became daggers of lust and need seeking a physical release. A low, moaning cry of sexual starvation echoed through the arousal charged atmosphere, and the next thing she knew, Kaoru was staring into a pair of eyes burning liquid gold. "Simpatieee..."

       &nb sp;    The softness of the bed came up to meet her back, and then he was covering her with his body pushing her down into the heaped up blankets. Moments that were somehow seconds flashed by as he removed both of their clothes. Small satisfied cries swept through the room as flesh met flesh and hands locked together. Tongues danced through fangs and mouths kissed, molded, and reacquainted themselves with their beloved. Tastes were remembered and shared, hips and thighs pressed and urged, shifted and rolled; the dance was beginning as the partners took their places.

             "Ken-shin, I-I need you."

          &n bsp; "What do you need, indragostit? Tell me and I will give it to you."

          &n bsp; "I... I need you... here." Her hips surged up into his arousal making him groan deep within himself. "I need you inside... please." She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips, pulling him down onto her as she arched up into him again. "Please, Kenshin, I ache, my stapan, I ache for you."

          &n bsp; "And I burn for you, my nevasta. You are my light, always. Always, Kaoru. Now and forever." With his heart pounding and his breath hot upon the flesh of her breasts, Kenshin settled firmly between his mates thighs and entered her with one swift thrust. She cried out his name on a high thin note and fisted her hands in the glorious mane of his flaming, red hair. The strength of her grip around his waist lifted them both off the mattress as her thighs contracted with ferocious pleasure.

         &nbs p;  For several moments, Cel savored the remarkable sensation of once more being buried deep inside his mates body. It was glorious, it was heaven, it was the key to his sanity. Languidly he took one of her pink nipples into his mouth and sucked on it. Kaoru shivered with the contact of his lips and then his tongue. Sucking harder, he brought the faint scrape of his fangs to bear and felt her quake violently beneath him. His mind clouded as a wave of desire and hunger washed through the core of him, and in the splintering of an instant, he had sunk those fangs deep into the tender flesh surrounding her sensitive nipple. The taste of her blood invaded his senses like a heavy drug, and he pulled her up into him even as he began a bone-jarring rhythm between her open thighs.

             "Iiiuunnnaayyaaa!" The unintelligible sob of aroused hunger sliced through the air as Kaoru's voice box contorted around the primitive sound of pleasure-pain. The world was fading and spinning and she was on a roller coaster of sexual sensation that was frying her brain. Vaguely she realized that her mate, Cel-Kenshin, or was it Kenshin-Cel? was fucking what was left of said brain right out of her head. Not to mention he was doing the blood-bond thing again, only this time he was making contact through her nipple. It was a horrible, blasphemous thought, but as far as her limited intelligence was concerned, the whole world could blow up right now and she wouldn't care. At least she would die happy. Nothing had ever felt this good before, nothing.

           ;  Kaoru could sense him drifting closer to her mind, and despite the giddy, glowing sensation she was getting off the sex, she could almost see him. That beautiful, golden ethereal creature she remembered from the first bonding. He was close, but not quite, and then the feeling was gone.

          &n bsp; "Oh, Lubit," Cel-Kenshin murmured as he pulled his fangs free and laved the nipple with his tongue, soothing it and stopping the blood flow. "How much I love you, sweet lubit. More than you will ever know." And then he pressed his damp forehead against her chest, slipped his hands beneath her buttocks, and rode her hard until he heard the strangled screams of her release. His followed and he rolled to his side pulling her with him so he could continue to hold her close.

          & nbsp; "Did I hurt you, Kaoru?" Soft lips tenderly brushed her forehead.

         &nbs p;  "Nu, Kenshin, I am fine." She nuzzled into his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his neck.

          &n bsp; "Did I- did I please you?"

          &n bsp; "Do you even have to ask?" Her voice was filled with mischief, but he didn't miss the chiding tone that told him he was being foolish and to stop it. "Of course you pleased me. You almost pleased me into everlasting oblivion, Mighty Fang."

          & nbsp; Kenshin-Cel laughed lightly and snuggled his mate closer. "That's nice to know," He quipped as he nipped her shoulder. "I would be very displeased if I couldn't please you, you know."

          & nbsp; "Well, you don't have anything to worry about, so stop it. If you're this good when you're half dead...." They both burst into laughter at her unspoken innuendo. "'Nuff said?"

          & nbsp; "Yes, lubit, enough said. Except one thing,"

             "What is that?"

          & nbsp; "I love you, Kaoru."

             "I love you, too, Kenshin... ummm, by the way, when you're like this, do I call you Kenshin, or Cel, or 'Great One', or 'Lord Fang', or what? I'm sorta confused about that."

          & nbsp; Cel laughed and brushed his lips across hers. "Lubit, you may call me whatever you wish, after all, you are 'The Source', and my mate. That makes you very important, as well as gives you liberties others do not share. So, you choose what you want to call me."

          &nb sp; "I met you as 'Kenshin', and I like the name. I want to keep it that way, does that work for you, oh Great One?"

          &n bsp; "God, I almost forgot what a sass you are," he rubbed his cheek along her nose and forehead. "Desigur, lubit, it works for me. Now, can we take a nap, or something close to it. I am beat."

          & nbsp; "Um-hum. We can. Although, I am not as tired as you. How long do you want to sleep? Do you want me to wake you up before sunrise so you can talk to Papa and Aoshi, or do you want to sleep all night and talk tomorrow night?"

             "Nu, there are things that need to be done tonight. Don't let me sleep past nine-thirty."

             "Alright, simpatie, I promise I will wake you up."

          &nb sp; "Sleep with me for a little while?"

             "Desigur, stapan. I wouldn't miss that for anything." And with a smile Kaoru curled up in her lover's arms and closed her eyes. It had been a frightening day, a terrible day, a day that could have meant the end of her people and all that they knew. But, instead, there was hope now. Hope for the future and a new way to live. It would be a long and difficult path to walk, but did not the way to true enlightenment always require change, and was not change the most difficult lesson of all? Change and Forgiveness. They walked hand in hand for the Clans. The world was going to get a second chance.

          &nbs p; 

The Way of The Fang

Part V: Education of The Masses

Cel

Kaoru Kamiya

Hiko Seijuro

Aoshi Shinomori

Enishii Yukishiro

Misao Makimachi

Okita Soushi

Angel Targon

         &n bsp;  The first order of business was to get all of the Slayers on the same page as Cel and the General, and that was up to Aoshi and Kaoru. Calling an 'all-points' meeting seemed to be the best way, so word was sent to each of the groups throughout the city and in Manhattan. Everyone was ordered to come into the compound for the emergency meeting that night by midnight, no exceptions. The first to arrive were Misao and the China Town chapter, then came Okita and his 'street rats', Katsu and the 'flying circus', and last to pull their panting ass's through the compound doors were Enishii and his 'high class up-towners'.

         & nbsp;  The first thing out of Kaoru's mouth when she spotted Misao and Okita was the root of her worries and guilt at that moment. "Have any of you or your teams seen signs of Stephan and the others?"

           ;  "What 'others' are you talking about, Kaoru?" Misao sensed her long-time friend's anxiety and became immediately concerned. "What happened?"

         &nb sp;  "You mean you don't know?" Confused silver-blue eyes searched the smaller woman's face in fear. "Didn't you hear? They went looking for me last night when I didn't come back from my patrol. No one here has heard from them and we don't even know if they are alive or not."

          &n bsp; "Shit, no, I hadn't heard." Misao's sharp, iridescent blue-green eyes became cloudy as she searched her mind for any recollection of Stephan's name. "Who else went with him?"

          &n bsp; "Jules, Cody, and Angel..." Kaoru's voice trailed off as her brain flashed images of each trusted face across her minds eye. "Angel was barely out of slayer training. She wasn't ready to go out into the danger zone yet. I feel so... responsible."

             "Well, you should."

           ;  Kaoru's head snapped to the side and she fiercely met the shiny mirrored surface of Enishii's spectacles as they teetered on the bridge of his nose. "I do feel responsible, Nishii." She spat angrily and blinked to keep the bitter sting of her tears at bay. "It's my fault they went out looking for me, and it will be my fault if anything happens to them."

          & nbsp; "I'm glad you feel that way, Miss High-and-Mighty Slayer Princess, because it's thanks to my sister that those four younglings are still alive to tell you what they think of you."

          &n bsp; "They are alive?" The incredible joy of hearing that the four slayers were alive totally over shadowed the nasty insult and innuendo that laced the arrogant upper class slayers words. "Where? Where are they? I must see them for myself, Nishii. Where are they?"

          & nbsp; "Of course, you want to see them, Slayer, but what makes you think they want to see you?"

          &n bsp; "Perhaps, Lieutenant Yukishiro, that is a question best posed to the young slayers themselves, desigur?" The smooth, satiny voice drifted between the two slayers like a seductive mist effectively putting an end to the conversation. However, Enishii was not quite ready to end his diatribe and he whirled, with fangs bared, intent upon giving the unwanted intruder a scathing dress-down that only he was capable of.

          &nbs p; "Perhaps, and perhaps not, my good friend, but the first order of business, I believe, is an answer to the question... Just who the hell are YOU?" As the viciously spoken words left the silver-haired vampire's mouth, he found himself choking on what could only be his own tongue. "By the Mother's eyes," he rasped, "who are you?"

          &n bsp; Cel smiled, showing off his magnificent, but retracted fangs. The flaming amber of his eyes was also subdued but the sparkle of life was as brilliant as ever, and the wild mane of his blood red hair hung smooth and soft as silk down his back. "Who do you think I am, Enishii Yukishiro?"

         &n bsp;  "I..." The tingle of power sifted through the air and brushed against his face on its way to his soul. "I-I saw you," he whispered in a small childlike voice as his hand lifted to the center of his chest. "I saw you tonight... in a nightmare I had."

          &n bsp; "Desigur, my tovaras. You have all seen me, but do you know who I am?"

          &nb sp; "I-desigur. I know. I knew the moment your face appeared before me in mt mind, but... I was not expecting- I did not think- I..."

          &n bsp; "You did not expect me to be here? Is that what you are having such difficulties saying, Enishii Yukishiro?" The stunned slayer nodded and another patient smile curved through Cel's lips. "I understand. It is all very confusion- to no one more than myself, so perhaps if we try to work the difficulties out together, the confusion will resolve itself, desigur? Is this not a better plan of action than snarling and snapping at each others throats?"

         &nbs p;  "I-I..." Again Enishii nodded as he found himself without the words to speak to such a perfect logic. Nor did he have any idea what to say to the being before him who had been, up until this moment, nothing more than a myth.

          &n bsp; "Good, I am glad we agree. Now, if you would be so kind, Lieutenant Yukishiro, I would very much like to meet the four slayers who volunteered to search for my mate when she did not return as scheduled. I wish to thank them for their selflessness as well as their courage."

         &nbs p;  "You-your mate?" Enishii nearly fainted as the impact of Cel's words struck him full in the chest. Kaoru, the slayer's nightmare, was mate to The Almighty Fang? A heavy fog of impending unconsciousness started to swim around the gapping slayers head as visions of that same head rolling in a bloody mass across the compound floor began to wash across his mind. Had he just been arguing and insulting The Fang's Beloved Mate? Did his mind read true on that fact which named the arrogant, disrespectful, mean-spirited slayer 'The Source'? 'I'm a dead man.'

         & nbsp;  "K-kaoru? You're the-'The Source'?" The confusion of Enishii's mind was perfectly reflected in Misao's glassy gaze. "What the hell is going on?" She cried as she approached her friend and the two men. "Is this guy saying he's 'Cel, The Fang' and you're his-his mate? You mean all of that hooch I saw in my dreams wasn't the tequila I had before I went to bed?!"

          & nbsp; "Misao," Kaoru grabbed the babbling brunette by the arm and pulled her close. "Get a grip, girl-friend," she hissed. "Desigur, this is 'Cel', and desigur, he is my mate. Now calm down before you burst something important."

         &n bsp;  "Calm down?!" Misao screeched. "How can I calm down when the whole world has changed in one day?"

          &n bsp; "Desigur, Misao Machimaki," Cel moved to the distraught woman-girl's side and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "The world has changed for all of us this day, but even more so for me. I now have the responsibility of caring for and trying to protect billions of lives, both vampire and human. Yours is among them. Everyone in this compound is among them." He gave her a reassuring squeeze and then stepped away so he could consider all of the astonished faces that were regarding him.

          &nb sp; "We are standing on the threshold of a new world, my friends, a new time has opened up before us and with it come's the knowledge that we must band together with the allies The One God has given us. This is something we must do if we wish to survive."

          ;   "What do you mean, if we wish to survive?" Katsu came to the front his green eyes snapping with anxiety. "We already know how to survive. Our ancestors did it for thousands of years."

             "Katsu is right. Why do you say it is a matter of survival?" Okita Soushi, the leader of the 'street rats' stepped forward and forced himself to meet the amber gaze of Cel despite the fear that thundered in his chest. "We have been doing a fine job of surviving for over 600 years. What is so different now that you expect us to form alliances with the humans? That is what you are expecting, isn't it?"

          &nb sp; "Desigur, Okita Soushi, Katsu Tsunan, and I concur that you all have been surviving very well for the last 600 years without the humans, but the day of The Holy War is upon us and Gustov Uriel will not stay hidden in the shadows much longer."

           ;  "What do you mean, he will not stay hidden much longer?" Okita looked around at the other confused faces and then, spreading his hands before him in a gesture of entreaty, he spoke. "The Black Diamond has always stayed hidden from sight. He sends his henchmen to do his dirty work. No one ever sees him around the action, so what you say makes no sense unless you think he is planning something."

         &n bsp;  "Is he planning something, My Lord?" Katsu suddenly looked more worried than he had a moment before.

             "Absolutely." The affirmation was made with such solid simplicity everyone in the room caught their breath. "He is already on the move and we must be certain we are prepared for anything, because when he strikes, it will with the snapping swiftness of a coiled viper."

             "How do you know he is on the move, My Lord?" Hiko moved silently to take his place on Cel's right side. "What makes you think this? Have you seen something?"

        & nbsp;   "Nu, Hiko Seijuro, I have not seen anything, but Uriel is no fool. He knows I have awakened, and he knows the meaning and significance of that. He will not wait long to start positioning his people in order to effect a crushing blow." A long, taloned finger thoughtfully tapped against Cel's lower lip. "He will think to strike at us quickly and at the heart of the clans."

             "You mean, he will strike here, in New York."

          & nbsp; "I believe so."

          &nb sp; "It would be the logical choice, but what are his reasons? Why does he do it, My Lord?"

          & nbsp; "Because, Hiko Seijuro, every member of the Corban bloodline exist here. If he can destroy us, he can destroy all links to The All Father and The One God. The Oath with the Mother will be forever broken and the Pure Bloods will vanquish in Hell."

          & nbsp; "All will be lost."

          & nbsp; "Desigur. There will be no hope in saving the Earth or the humans."

           ;  "The Alliance with the humans must be made, My Lord, but how will we approach them? To them we are nothing more than horror movie icons and villains. We are storybook myths. What can we do?"

          &nb sp; "Teach them," The voice was small, almost timid, but it made its way into the two mens conversation on the note of sheer will. "We must teach them, Great One. There are those among the humans who know who we are and accept it. We have friends, some of us, and I know they would be willing to help. All we have to do is ask and explain."

         &nbs p;  "You are right, youngling." Cel grinned and allowed soft eyes to caress the young girls face. She looked like a forest nymph or an elf she was so ethereal. Her hair was white-blonde with vibrant gold streaks just barely showing through, and her eyes shown an astonishing lime green as they blinked and winked like two lanterns in her sharp featured face. "What is your name, girl?" He asked as he lightly placed a hand on her slim shoulder.

         &nbs p;  "Angel," she whispered. "My name is Angel."

             "Angel," Glowing golden eyes shown with pride and affection as Cel gazed upon her lovely face. "You are one of those sent to find my Kaoru, aren't you?"

          &n bsp; "Desigur, Great One. I went, but the sun rose before we were successful."

         & nbsp;  "That is alright, youngling. You would not have found her regardless of your efforts, she was with me all that night." His hand gently squeezed her shoulder. "But I thank you for what you tried to do. I will remember your courage and selflessness always, and that of your comrades."

         &nb sp;  "You are welcome, Great One." A brilliant smile crossed the innocent face of the young slayer, and her lime-green eyes shone with a joyful light. "I pray I may be useful to you again, and I put my skills and my life in your service, Almighty Fang. I am yours to command."

         &nbs p;  "I am grateful, Angel Targon, and it is I who is in your debt." He leaned down and placed the softest of kisses upon her smooth cheek, and then turned to face the gathering of slayers. "It is time for us to pull together as a single striking force. We must be united as one body, one mind, and one purpose. It is I who is sent to lead you into the dark days ahead, but it is the power of all our combined strengths that will see us through to the end. I am only one man. Despite my power and the knowledge of the Ancient Ones I cannot do this alone, and you cannot do this without me. We must do it together. Is there anyone here who does not agree? If so, please step forth that we might speak of your concerns."

         &nb sp;  The crowd of vampires tuned and began looking from one to the other, each face filled with questioning and indecision of some degree. Of course there were questions, there were always questions, but who would be the first to step forward. To everyone's surprise it was not a slayer that moved beyond the edge of the circle, but a clan member. And the clan member it was created a tense stir among the others.

             "It is not that I do not agree, My Lord, but I have concerns about the records."

         &nbs p;  "The records? Of what records and what concerns do you speak, Soujiro Kamiya? You are The Keeper of The Holy Archive, you would know more about the records that anyone. Why do you ask me?" Cel moved to stand in front of the dark-haired man who looked more boy than adult and gazed with concern into his blue-gray eyes. "What troubles you?"

          &n bsp; "They appear to be incomplete, My Lord."

          & nbsp; "Incomplete? In what way?"

          &n bsp; "There is no mention in them of a vampire named Milos, or of the Great Sin. Neither is there any reference to the fall of Milos and the creation of the first Made. There is nothing written anywhere about the Oath made with The Mother." A graceful hand raked its way through thick, dark brown hair as a perplexed look fixed itself upon Soujiro's face. "Father spoke to me of it while you were resting, and I searched the records for any mention of these things, and there is not one. Not in even the oldest of the scrolls. I do not understand, if this is such a significant part of our history, and it was what inevitably led us to this point in time, why were we never warned, or reminded? Why were we never told?"

          & nbsp; "I wish I knew the answers to those questions, my brother, but I don't. All I know is what has been born within me to know. Our people teeter on the edge of the abyss of everlasting damnation because of Milos' sin, and because of that, we must destroy that which we have spawned through the unclean perversion of the way of the fang."

         &nb sp;  "The way of the fang? I have never heard this before?" Troubled eyes searched Cel's face and then searched the faces of those around them finding that they, too, were filled with worry and confusion. "What is this thing? There is no mention of it either. I do not understand why the records are so incomplete. It should not be this way."

          &n bsp; "Nu, my brother, it should not be this way, but it is, and if it is there must be a cause for it. The All Father would not have kept such vital information from his children unless there was a reason for it." Cel's talon-tipped hand reached out and gently grasped Soujiro by the shoulder. "What we must not do, is dwell upon what we do not understand and focus upon the tasks ahead. There is much to be done."

          & nbsp; "But, My Lord, are we supposed to stumble around in the dark without the information we need? How can we fight the Made if we do not know what our true goals are? Are we striving to be forgiven for Milos' sins, or are we trying to win a war before all of our people are annihilated and the humans are turned into slaves? Why are we doing this? Is it Revolution or Genocyde? And why are we being held responsible for a sin committed by a man none of us have ever or could ever have known? The lunacy and paradox of the situation is almost unfathomable."

          ;   A serious, frightening look passed over Cel's face as he clasped his hands behind his back and turned away from the distraught record keeper. His mind was in turmoil as he searched for the words to enlighten the troubled man as well as explain to everyone the reasons that dictated the cause for the war. Unbidden, his golden gaze was drawn to the gem hard stare of the Leader, Hiko Seijuro. He understood because he spoke to The All Father and heard it from Pythagoras' lips, but how would he, Cel, convey that horrible truth to these people? How could he make them understand that the cause for forgiveness and the reason for the war were one in the same? That the redemption of their people depended upon their ability to concur that which they had released into a world of innocent blood?

          & nbsp; A low growl echoed in his chest and Cel's eyes darkened to a molten amber. Anger burned in his chest as he snapped his fangs. Rounding furiously on the shocked group of vampires, he hissed in low, malevolent voice. "The Oath to The Mother must be restored and the breech to The One God crossed. We must remember that which has been forgotten and cleave unto the truth for it is our Holy Gospel of Sacred Trust."

             "Wh-what is the truth we must remember, Great Fang?" Aoshi stepped forward to catch Soujiro as the man stumbled back from the wave of wrath that passed through him. "What have we forgotten?"

         &n bsp;  "It will not be an easy truth for you to hear, as your leader discovered, but hear it you must for it is the greatest truth of all. It is the secret of the past that has been kept from the records, it is the bitter gall of the old ones and it will taste more bitter than garlic. It will be the same for all of you... for every pure blood. It is the mystery of the pure blood lineage."

         &nbs p;  "Lineage? I don't understand, My Lord?" Aoshi's icy blue eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of Soujiro and faced the golden vampire more fully. "Where did we come from if not The All Father? We all descend from Pythagorus' progeny in one way or another... don't we?"

          &nb sp; "Desigur, my tovarus, but not in the way you think."

             "Then... how?"

          &n bsp; "Each and every clan within the pure blood history has its origins in the same genetic spawning pool. All but the family Corban. They alone are direct descendants of the All Father and his Bride, Lilith. Only they are the progeny of the mating."

           ;  "I do not understand." Aoshi shook his head letting his gaze drift over the rest of the confused faces surrounding them. Among them he saw friends, half-relatives, near strangers and his trusted slayers. Pure bloods one and all... or were they something else? "Where did the rest of us spawn, My Lord, if not the All Father's loins?"

             "I do not understand." Stepping away from his warmth, Maggie shook her head and let her gaze drift over the rest of the confused faces surrounding them. Among them she saw friends, half-relatives, near strangers. Pure bloods one and all... or were they something else? "Where did the rest of us spawn if not the All Father's loins?"

             "I do not understand." Stepping away from his warmth, Maggie shook her head and let her gaze drift over the rest of the confused faces surrounding them. Among them she saw friends, half-relatives, near strangers. Pure bloods one and all... or were they something else? "Where did the rest of us spawn if not the All Father's loins?"

"I do not understand." Stepping away from his warmth, Maggie shook her head and let her gaze drift over the rest of the confused faces surrounding them. Among them she saw friends, half-relatives, near strangers. Pure bloods one and all... or were they something else? "Where did the rest of us spawn if not the All Father's loins?"

             "From a human turned Pure Blood."

             Aoshi's face turned a sickly gray as he turned back to face the mighty golden vampire. His mind was screaming in rejection at what he heard from those lips, but as he met the steady, truthful gaze, his heart and soul knew the words held no falsehoods. Somewhere in his long forgotten bloodline, there was a human who had been the first. The first to begin the clan that spawned his blood... and him.

          &nb sp; "By the Mother... why were we never told?"

          & nbsp; "Unless I am mistaken," Cel spoke in a cold, authoritative voice that broke no objections. "We lost the rights to knowing when Milos broke the Oath. Perhaps the records were burned, or spirited away, I cannot tell you, but I do know that so great was the sin, and so great has been the blaspheme that has followed, we are damned unless we cleanse the pathway back to The Mother."

           ;  "But why are we being held responsible for Milo's sin? Most of us have never made a Made?"

          & nbsp; "How many of you are responsible for the death of a human?" Cel's eyes coldly slide across the sea of faces and on them he saw confusion. "How many of you have killed a human, whether it was for food, pleasure, or so-called self defense? How many?" No one spoke. "If there is one among you who does not wear the stain of human blood upon their hands, let he or she step forth." No one came. "That is OUR sin. The shedding of innocent blood. We are the stronger species, we are superior. There should never be a reason for us to kill these weaker cousins of ours. Not any reason is good enough unless we are, indeed, fighting for our lives, but then, how foolish does that sound?" The smell of shame filled the room and not one member of the group could meet his eyes.

          &n bsp; "Bear your shame well, my brothers and sisters, for we are all guilty. Even I am guilty of this crime. My hands are stained with innocent blood and I must redeem my soul. WE must all redeem our souls if we are to get back what was lost."

          & nbsp; "What was lost, Lord Cel?" Soujiro lifted a tear streaked face and regarded the golden vampire with a deep respect. "What must be found?"

             "Our Honor, my brother, and the trust of The Mother. The Oath must be restored and we must regain our place as Protectors of The Earth by guarding The Gates of Hell. That was our purpose for existence from the very beginning."

         &n bsp;  "What are we?" Aoshi placed his hand on Cel's forearm as shock continued to hammer his system.

             "The Angels of Darkness, tovarus, we are the angels of darkness."

TBC

Review Response:

MediaMiner:

Cattie-dono: Hello lovely lady. I've missed you lately on the MSN thing. You're last letter left me speechless with laughter. Thank you more than you'll ever know. You are one of my dearest and most beloved friends. Like I said before, don't you ever change.

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