Standard Disclaimer: I don’t own “Sailor Moon” or any of the attendant character to which valid copyright laws apply. This work of fiction is done without any expectations of reward other than the occasional fan letter! Authors’ notes are at the end. I’d be grateful if you’d take a moment to read the. This story is rated “R” for violence and adult themes. Younger or more sensitive readers may want to hit the “back button” right about now. *************************************** “Seduction” - by Meara Chapter Five – “The Third Choice” *************************************** Rei ran until her lungs burned for air, forcing her to lessen her pace or collapse. She walked where her feet took her barely noticing what direction she was heading in. Each footfall sounded like a cannon shot in her head, bringing memories back that she’d tried so hard to bury forever. “You mustn’t make Daddy angry, Rei,” her mother’s anxious voice told her. “You must never make Daddy angry.” Only a small child, Rei had nevertheless understood the fear in her mother’s hushed words. “He doesn’t mean to hurt you. You see, there’s a monster that lives inside your Daddy. When he gets too angry, the monster can come out and do bad things.” Tears ran down Rei’s face. She absently used a hand to wipe them away as she walked on in a futile attempt to out distance the truth. She could remember being huddled in the closet in her bedroom or under the bed, praying that monster who wore her father’s face wouldn’t find her. How could she have ever forgotten those awful nights when she tried so hard to hide from the sounds of her father beating her mother? A flash of memory took Rei like a ravening beast and she could see her father, his face so contorted with rage that he didn’t look human. He shouted her name as he reached into the closet to pull her out. “No Daddy,” she moaned, lost for a moment in the intensity of the memory. “I’ll be a good girl. Don’t hit me, Daddy, please don’t hit me any more.” Rei walked off the edge of the curb and the jarring bump of her misstep brought her back to the here and now. Kami, she was so tired, but Rei knew that she couldn’t go home. Not now, not when her father might still be there. Along with the fear and grief was an anger so intense that it wanted to consume her. She was mad at her father for the lies he’d told her. She was mad at her grandfather for keeping something this important from her. Worst of all was the irrational anger at her mother for dying and leaving her with the monster who was her father. Rei wasn’t sure how long she’d been walking. Her body ached and demanded that she stop moving, at least for a few minutes. Looking around, Rei noticed in a distracted way that she was in Juban Park. It was deserted at this hour of the night, so going to the closest bench, Rei sat down heavily. She buried her face in her hands, lost in misery. The recollections Rei had of her early childhood had been mercifully vague until recently. The years spent in the loving care of her grandfather had allowed her to forget the worst of them. The fractured memories of pain and fear had been carefully tucked away into the dark corners of her mind, only surfacing as a bad dream every now and then. The walls that kept those memories sealed away had cracked the night of the incident in the elevator. Tonight’s events had shattered that protective barrier and she was at the mercy of a confusing jumble of words and feelings. A collage of disjointed images ran frenzied circles in Rei’s mind. All she had to do was close her eyes and they overtook her. She could hear her mother crying softly, begging her father to stop. Worst of all, she could still hear her father’s voice when he tried to explain away how he’d beaten her mother the night she died. ~I was so angry and I just lost control. You know what it’s like, princess. You get angry, too, I’ve seen it. ~ There was a little voice in her mind that said she was just like her father. The memory of every time she’d ever lost her temper came flooding back to her. “No,” Rei moaned. She looked at her hands and they shook under the careful scrutiny. How many times had she lashed out in frustration and anger? “Oh Kami, what have I done? What am I?” How many times had she slapped Usagi across the face, justifying her actions as the only way to stop her hysterical friend? Her father’s voice haunted her. ~I was so angry and I just lost control. You now what it’s like, princess. You get angry, too, I’ve seen it. ~ “No,” Rei whispered, unaware that she was giving voice to her thoughts. “No, I’m not like you, Daddy. I don’t want to be like you.” “Rei?” The smooth, male voice made Rei turn, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and anguish. “M…Mamoru? What are you doing here?” “I’m on my way home from a lecture at the University tonight.” The naked pain on her face almost made Mamoru flinch. The words were almost automatic, and he silently blasted himself for just how inane they sounded, but they fell from his lips before Mamoru could stop them. “Rei, are you all right?” She sniffled once, trying to put on a brave face. “Yes, I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine,” Mamoru replied. “Remember when I made that offer to listen at the temple the other day? Well, it’s still open if you want to talk to someone.” Rei looked down at the ground. “I’m not sure I can, but I think I’d like to try.” *************************************** (Usagi…) Someone was calling her name and Usagi turned over in bed restlessly, pulling the light blanket with her. She roused slightly, dreams still running through her half awake mind. Murmuring Mamoru’s name, Usagi tried to drift back down into that soft, wonderful world, but the voice followed her persistently. (Usagi…) came the call once more. (Usagi, come to me.) Mumbling for the voice to let her sleep, Usagi rolled over. The summons was soft, but one she couldn’t ignore no matter how hard she tried. Like a sleepwalker Usagi threw back the covers bumping Luna as she did. “Usagi-chan, are you all right?” came the drowsy voice of her feline guardian. (Usagi, come to me. You must come to me.) “I gotta go…” Usagi mumbled, feeling the power of the call in her head yet again. Luna opened one eye and saw that Usagi was shuffling off in the direction that would take her to the bathroom. Since it appeared to be nothing more sinister than the call of nature, she went back to sleep. The voice in Usagi’s mind whispered the call yet again. Pulled by the power of that summons, she moved out of her bedroom door then down the stairs. Nothing seemed quite real to Usagi and the thought that she was still asleep crossed her mind. That made sense, she decided upon reaching the front door. (Open the door) the inner voice prompted. She did so and saw Mamoru standing there smiling at her. “I want to be with you, Usagi. Let me come in,” he said softly. “Okay,” she answered in a whisper. A bemused smile spread across her face and she pushed the door open wide. “Mamoru” stepped inside, the door not quite closing behind him. He slipped his arms around Usagi and pulling her close, began to kiss her passionately. Oh yes, this was definitely one of those lovely dreams she had about Mamoru every now and then, Usagi decided. But if this was that dream then why wasn’t Mamo-chan naked like he usually was? Oh well, he was so incredibly sexy, even fully clothed, Usagi mused happily. She enjoyed the feel of his warm arms holding her so tightly. Usagi sighed with pleasure as his lips moved to rain kisses on her face. From his midnight hair to those perfect red eyes, Mamoru was the most handsome man in the world to her. That thought made her pause. Usagi closed one eye, in an attempt to concentrate. Some thing wasn’t right here – red eyes? “Mamo-chan, aren’t your eyes supposed to blue?” she asked. That question seemed to clear some of the cobwebs from her mind and Usagi noticed for the first time that Mamoru appeared to be several inches shorter in this dream than he usually was. “And how come you’re so short tonight?” “Sweet Usagi, none of that matters does it?” the monster with Mamoru’s face said. He took Usagi by the chin and looked in her eyes. “You only need to listen to my voice,” he stroked her cheek when she gasped as he went deeper into her mind, pulling up the memories of her nightmare. “You’ve been having bad dreams again, haven’t you?” Her doubts forgotten, she leaned against his hand and whimpered like a child. “Make it stop, Mamo-chan. You were gone and it hurt so bad. I don’t want to remember anymore.” “Hush, my love. I’m here now and everything will be all right,” he murmured, his lips moving to trace a path down onto her neck. A wicked smile showed razor sharp fangs. “I can make the pain and all the bad dreams go away, Usagi.” The monster raised his head a little, letting is tongue flick out at the spot he’d chosen. “Just a kiss and they’ll all go away forever.” Usagi gave a soft sigh of surprise and relief when, as promised, the painful memories of the shattered soul bond and of watching her friends die were washed away by the intoxicating delight that flooded her. That was all that mattered, a voice whispered in Usagi’s mind. This was what she needed so badly, to forget and to feel good again. She should just relax and enjoy it all. “Mamo-chan,” she mumbled, allowing his arms to support her. “That feels so good…” Her gaze grew clouded and Usagi started to drown in the sweet, molten pleasure that flooded her mind and body. Kudoko was careful to never let the illusion slip while he held her. He drank deeper than he had dared to before, letting his hands roam Usagi’s body with a skilled touch born of a century and half of practice. He toyed expertly with the Princess while he fed. His hands caressed and teased, stoking the power and passion he could taste in her blood. At last she gave a strangled gasp and collapsed against him. Pulling his head away, Kudoko Akuma smiled down at her. Her eyes glazed and vacant, Usagi lay quietly in his arms, open to whatever he desired of her. This was the moment he’d worked towards. Kudoko’s free hand moved to undo the top of his shirt. A fingernail opened a shallow cut on his chest. The hand then slipped around to the back of Usagi’s head and guided her to the wound. She stirred in his embrace, feebly trying to move her face away in mute protest. “Drink, Usagi. You have to do this so we’ll never be apart again,” he murmured in a honeyed voice. The hand pushed against her, forcing her lips to the cut. “Drink and we’ll be together forever,” he coaxed. A smile came to his lips when he felt her do as he’d bid. Kudoko held Usagi tightly when her body gave the expected jerk, leaping against his arms as the enthralling magic in his tainted blood flowed into her. It was over in an instant and Usagi’s eyes rolled up into the back of her as she slipped into unconsciousness. “Mamoru-san?! What are you doing?!” The vampire turned, Usagi still in his arms, at the sound of Luna’s voice. Startled, the illusion shattered and fell away from him like broken glass. Kudoko snarled at the cat, fangs fully exposed. Luna arched her back and fur stood on end in an automatic reaction to danger. “You’re not Mamoru,” she growled. Feline reflexes took over and the black lunar cat launched herself at the monster, claws extended. Letting the insensible princess drop to the floor, Kudoko managed to catch Luna by the scruff of the neck. “Well, what have we here,” he said with a dark laugh. “What are you supposed to be – some kind of guardian?” He held the squirming cat at arm’s length. “Aren’t you a little small for that kind of thing?” Enraged, Luna twisted and raked down the inside of his arm with her back claws. “Big enough to take care of the likes of you!” A snarl erupted as the sharp claws drew blood. Cursing loudly, the monster threw Luna away from him as hard as he could. She sailed through the air, vainly trying to take control of her arc of descent as she saw where she was heading. It all happened too fast and Luna slammed into the mirror by the front door. She fell to the floor, shards of glass raining down with her as she went. Kudoko turned away from Luna when she didn’t move again. He knelt and let his hand slide down Usagi’s throat to the hollow at the base of her neck. A smile came to his lips when he felt her pulse, slow and steady beneath his fingers. Gathering her up in his arms he started for the door. By taking his blood, the Moon Princess was now irrevocably bound to him. He had enough control of her to ensure that Usagi would not wake until he wished it and that left him free to pursue another important matter. Rei, he decided, had flatly refused him for the last time. He had hoped that she would come to him of her own free will, but admitted that it was now unlikely. It was Rei’s fire and passion that attracted him, but it also made her amazingly stubborn. His acquisition of Usagi complete, Kudoko decided he could safely deposit the unconscious princess at his place and make a much anticipated side trip. A sensuous smiled tugged at Kudoko’s lips. The night was young and the Hikawa Shrine was less than a mile from his apartment. *************************************** Rei couldn’t even look at Mamoru while she told him about her father. Her tale of abuse spilled out her like an unstoppable flood of grief and anger. A part of Rei was surprised that she was able to talk about the things she’d suppressed so deeply for over a decade. Still, her worst fears remained locked deeply inside her heart, and Rei found she couldn’t voice them. There was the gnawing fear that she truly was just like her father, that it was only a matter of time before she became the monster he was. “This isn’t your fault,” Mamoru said softly in the long silence that followed Rei’s tale. “There’s nothing you could have done to stop your father, or to prevent your mother’s death.” Rei continued to stare at the ground. “Maybe…maybe if I’d been there that night instead of sleeping over at a friend’s house, then my mother wouldn’t have gone out into the storm.” Mamoru placed a tentative hand on Rei’s shoulders, unsure if she would tolerate any man’s touch right now. “Or maybe she’d have taken you with her and you’d both have died. That’s the problem with the ‘what if’ game. You can’t know that anything you did would have made any difference. Playing that game only hurts you more in the long run, Rei. I know - believe me I know.” “He should have told me,” Rei said, finally lifting her head to look at Mamoru. “My Grandfather had no right to keep this from me.” “He was trying to protect you,” Mamoru replied. “Perhaps he could have handled it better but any mistakes he made were out of love for you.” He was right, Rei knew, but she was still so hurt by the revelations of this evening. “He should have told me,” she repeated. “You don’t keep secrets from the people you love!” The sharp tone made Mamoru smile. This was more like the Rei he knew. “And just when are planning to tell him that you’re Sailor Mars?” Rei opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. She took a long, shuddering breath and was surprised by the small laugh that bubbled out of her. “Always being right is very annoying, Mamoru. How does Usagi put up with you?” “What can I say?” Mamoru shrugged his shoulders, “My Usako is a saint.” “Kami, I’m so tired.” The lighter moment faded quickly for Rei, replaced with bone deep exhaustion. “But I can’t go home. Not when my father might still be there.” “There’s only one way to know, isn’t there?” Mamoru reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He offered it to Rei, waiting patiently when she hesitated for a moment, before taking it. Her hand shook as she dialed the number. The phone rang only once before her grandfather picked it up. “Grandpa?” she choked out. “Little girl, where are you?” he sounded so anxious that tears sprang to Rei’s eyes. “Are you all right? Oh Kami, I’ve been so worried.” For once Rei didn’t try to stop the tears that ran down her cheeks. She felt Mamoru move to gently rub her back in a gesture of support. “I’m okay. I’m with a friend. Grandpa, can I come home, now? Is it safe, is he gone? I don’t want to see him,” she wept in a small voice, feeling like a little girl once more. “He’s gone, Rei,” the old man’s voice was rough with tears of his own. “And you never have to see him again if that’s what you want. Please, little girl, please come home.” “Okay,” she replied, unconsciously rocking back and forth on the bench. “I’ll come home. I love you, Grandpa…” “I love you too, Rei.” By the time Rei had closed up the phone, Mamoru had his hand out to offer her tissue. She took it and wiped the wetness from her face. “Thank you.” “Don’t thank me, yet,” Standing, Mamoru offered Rei his arm, “I still have to walk you home.” Rei blew her nose loudly, “No, no, it’s okay. I can get myself home.” “What kind of hero would I be if I let you do that?” he asked in a mockingly insulted tone. Too tired to fight, Rei just smiled and took the proffered arm. “You’re a prince of a guy, Mamoru.” “Yeah,” he replied with a sly smile, “but don’t let it get around. I think that’s one secret that needs to be kept a while longer.” *************************************** For a city as cosmopolitan as Tokyo, most sections of it had the small town habit of rolling up the sidewalks at about ten in the evening. Once the major shopping areas and the restaurants near them closed down, it grew very quiet very quickly. The thrumming of the engine of the red sports car echoed slightly off the surrounding buildings when it gilded into a parking spot. “Are you sure you left it here?” Haruka asked, slightly aggrieved as the two climbed out of the car. “I’m positive, “Michiru answered, moving towards the front door for the Crown Fruit Parlor. “I remember having my wallet to pay for the drinks just before we gave Rei a ride home. It’s got to be here.” Thrusting her hands into her pockets, Haruka walked with her lifemate. “I’m not sure that Motoki will still be here, though. This place closed almost an hour ago.” Michiru used her elbow to tap the tall blonde in the ribs. “Excuse me, but I would have noticed I was missing my wallet a lot sooner if you hadn’t insisted that we take the ‘scenic’ route home.” That made Haruka smile. “True, true. But the view of Tokyo bay in the moonlight is worth the side trip, ne?” She reached for the front door, expecting to find it locked. She nearly tripped backwards when it came open. “It’s open?” Haruka sounded surprised. She followed Michiru into the empty lobby of the parlor. “And the lights are all still on,” the Senshi of Neptune’s voice was low, barely above a whisper. A shiver ran down her spine as her sixth sense kicked in. “Something isn’t right here.” The two slipped quietly towards the back of the room. Haruka glanced at Michiru who nodded and they each moved to one side of the small, narrow hallway that led to the back offices. Peering carefully around the corner, Haruka saw that the light in the office was on and the door was ajar. Silent as cats they approached the door, once again splitting up so that each stood on one side of the entrance. Keeping most of her body out of doorway, Haruka snaked out her arm to slowly push the door open. When nothing happened, she caught Michiru’s eye. The two moved with the perfect timing that only years of teamwork could bring. They burst into the small room in the same instant, but what they saw made both of them stop in their tracks. There, lying on the floor unconscious was a beaten and bleeding Motoki. *************************************** Kudoko Akuma was frustrated. He’d attempted to enter the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine, but had been repelled by the power of light that pervaded the temple. So many of the “Shrines” in Tokyo were little more than theme-parks these days that he was unpleasantly surprised when his flesh had started to burn the moment he attempted to pass under the torii. He’d retreated to the shadows, pondering the best way to get Rei to come out to him when heard the approaching voices. “Are you sure you don’t me to come up with you?” Mamoru asked. “Or I could call Usako or one of the girls to stay with you.” Rei gave him what she hoped was a confident smile. “No, but thank you for the offer. This is something my Grandfather and I have to work out on our own.” “All right,” Mamoru replied with a sigh. He could sense the turmoil that lay just underneath the forced calm. “But don’t be too surprised in the morning if you find that the Inner Senshi have invaded this place. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand everything about women, but I do know that you five have a special bond between you.” Impulsively, Rei leaned forward and kissed a surprised Mamoru on the cheek. “You’re right Mamoru, you don’t know everything about women,” she said giving him a gentle push to be on his way. “But I do know that my friends will be there when I need them.” Rei watched him go, waving back when he stopped to look at her one last time before rounding the corner. She then turned and faced the ancient, stone steps that led to her home. With a deep, shuddering breath, she prepared to mount them and try to put her life back together. Rei had no more than shifted her weight to move when a restraining hand was suddenly on her arm. She whirled, surprise turning to outrage when she saw who it was. “Kudoko Akuma,” Rei hissed, anger suddenly flaring up in her. “I don’t this need this right now. Let me go.” His eyes shifted from green to red, fangs nudging out from his lips when he gave her a smile. “On the contrary, beautiful Rei, I am just what you need.” *************************************** Mamoru had thought briefly about heading back to see Usagi after dropping off Rei, but one look at his watch changed his mind. He had been heading to her when he’d come across Rei in the park. At this hour Usagi would probably be asleep. Mamoru knew that trying to wake Usagi up under the best circumstances was not an easy task. His night had been difficult enough as it was and he decided to head for home. When he rounded the corner of the street that the Crown Fruit Parlor was on, he noticed that all the lights were still burning in the restaurant. Having the place fully illuminated was, in itself, was odd enough to grab his attention. The cost of electricity was such that Motoki’s father was fairly strict about light use after the business had closed. A glance at his watch told Mamoru that the Crown had closed about an hour ago. The nagging feeling that something was wrong ratcheted up notch when he saw the bright red Ferrari that belonged to Haruka parked out in front, the headlights still on. “Motoki?” Mamoru called, pushing open the front door that should have been locked. “Motoki are you here?” “Back here!” came Michiru’s voice from the office in the back of the restaurant. Mamoru was prepared for trouble, but the sight of Motoki laying on the floor, beaten and bleeding shocked him. “What happened?” he whispered, kneeling down to assist in the first aid Michiru was giving Motoki. “We don’t know,” Michiru replied. Behind her Haruka was on the phone calling for an ambulance. “I left my wallet here earlier this evening and when we came back to get it, we found Motoki like this.” “Heads up,” came Haruka’s voice. She’d found a first aid kit and, still on the telephone, tossed it to Mamoru. He caught the small box and quickly opened it. Outside of Band-aids, gauze, a burn cream and an ancient pair of tweezers, there wasn’t much of use in the kit. Opening the gauze, Mamoru folded it over several times before placing it against a still bleeding wound on the scalp. At his touch Motoki gave a low moan and his eyes cracked open. “Easy, Motoki. Help is on the way,” Mamoru applied gentle pressure to stop the flow of blood from the cut on his forehead. (How long have I been out?) Motoki wondered, glancing up at the clock on the wall. (Oh God – Usagi! I have to warn them that he’s after Usagi!) He tried to speak but the compulsion Kudoko had placed on him was still in force. The only sound he could get out was a garbled whimper. Since the moment he’d fallen under the spell of the vampire, Motoki had been looking for a way to circumvent it. Unable to speak or write the truth, Motoki had taken the only avenue left to him. Desperate, he used it now. “Try and relax,” Mamoru said in a soothing voice. “We’ll get you to the hospital as soon as we can.” It was hard, the beating had left him sore and battered, but Motoki was able to make his hands work. He reached out and grabbed Mamoru as hard as he could. His clumsy fingers began to spell out his message. “Just lie still, Motoki,” Mamoru said, missing the significance of the moving fingers. (I know you took the damned course in American Sign Language last year,) Motoki raged in his mind. (You can’t have forgotten all of it. I’ve been studying the damned book just so I could learn enough to warn you, now look at my hands!) A grimace of pain and frustration spread across Motoki’s face and he started his message again. Michiru was the one who caught the meaning of the moving fingers, putting a hand on Mamoru’s shoulder. “Mamoru, his hands… Motoki are you using American sign?” (Yes!) Motoki cheered. With great care he slowly spelled out the words one more time. U…S…A…G…I… “You know American Sign Language?” Mamoru asked in distracted fashion. “Doesn’t everyone?” Michiru replied dryly as she watched Motoki’s dancing hands. “Usagi? He’s spelling out Usagi’s name. Wait, there’s more.” Sign Language was a required course for all Med students. It seemed an odd thing to be learning American Sign Language in Japan, but it turned out that it was the standard used by medical personnel the world over. To be honest it was one of those annoying required courses that he’d taken and forgotten about as soon as it was over. Mamoru’s limited knowledge was slowly coming back to him, and he followed Motoki’s hands as the blond man spelled out the last of his message. “He’s after Usagi.” Mamoru sounded confused. He searched for the part of him that was connected to Usagi. The bond was quiet with no hint of trouble. “Who’s after Usagi? I don’t understand.” Haruka was beside them now and she watched Michiru go pale as she read what the message the dancing hands gave her. “Kudoko Akuma?” she said suddenly remembering Rei’s comments about him. Haruka stood in back of Michiru. “Wait a minute, isn’t that the guy who’s been hitting on Rei? What would he want with Usagi?” Michiru glanced at Mamoru as he too finally understood the word Motoki was signing. With the last of his strength the blond man tried to pull at the collar of his shirt. Michiru reached out and did it for him. What Mamoru saw made his heart almost stop with fear. There, at the base of Motoki’s neck were two, raw puncture wounds. “Oh no, Rei was more right about him than she knew,” Michiru said in a horror stricken whisper, turning to look at a stunned Haruka. Mamoru was all ready on his feet and running for the door. “Kudoko Akuma is a vampire – and he’s after Usagi.” *************************************** Rei was a small child again, hiding in the darkness. She knew with a cold fear that made her stomach knot that her father was out there, looking for her. Whimpering, she curled into a tight ball, praying that this time he wouldn’t find her. But he did find, of course, he always found her. He was there, standing in the place where the shadows met the light. Even though his back was to her, Rei knew at once who he was. “Daddy?” Fright and anger vied for control. “Go away! I don’t want to see you!” He turned, seemingly not surprised to see her and in his arms was Usagi. The smooth, charming smile she knew so well was on his face and he looked straight at her. “You can’t get rid of me so easily,” her father said. “After all I’m part of you aren’t I? I’m every- thing you could be. I’m everything you will be.” Taking Usagi by the chin the Rokojou pushed her head to one side, exposing her slender throat. He looked at his daughter, black eyes becoming red and fangs nudging out from between his lips. His voice was deep and smooth, even in tone as if he was stating the obvious. “There are only two kinds of creatures in this world, Princess,” he repeated. “The strong and the weak; those who use people and those who are used. Which one are you?” “No!” Rei called out in a desperate voice. “No, Daddy, please don’t hurt her! I’ll be a good girl, really I will be!” Laughing at her, Hino Rokojou tilted his head back. He plunged down and started to feed. Usagi cried out in anguish, begging him to stop. Hino ignored the pleas for mercy and continued to feast on the lifeblood of the woman in his arms, utterly oblivious to anything but his own needs. Usagi began to blur and shift into a new shape. Rei watched with horror as the woman in her father’s arm was no longer her best friend, but her mother. “Stop it!” Rei screamed, tears running down her face, “You’re hurting her! You’re hurting her!” A terrible fear welled up inside Rei along with a sense of déjà-vu. She knew what was going to happen. In another second her mother was going to die at the hands of her father. With a scream Rei threw herself at her father, tearing him away from her mother. She seethed with a fear and rage born of a desperate longing to stop the pain that had been with her since her earliest memories. The inferno of anger inside of Rei erupted, burning hotter than she’d ever known it to. Grabbing him by the arm she wanted only one thing; to put an end to his ability to hurt her once and for all. “No more hurting people,” she screamed at her father. “No more hurting me!” Flames suddenly wreathed her hands, running into the man she held before she could even try to stop them. “FIRE SOUL!” The inferno engulfed Hino Rokojou, but instead of screaming in pain, he laughed at Rei once more. His body burning to ashes, Hino smiled at his daughter. His hands grabbed her face and pulled it close until he looked deeply into her eyes. “I proud of you, Princess,” whispered to her in the instant before he was completely consumed. “Like father, like daughter.” She jerked away, horrified both by what she had done and by her father’s words. She looked at her hands. They still burned with the same fire that raged in her soul. “My…my father’s daughter? No, I don’t want to be you,” she shrieked at the ash that swirled away into the darkness. “I don’t want to be you!” “Can you choose from only one of the two paths your father sets for you?” came her grandfather’s voice. Rei turned and saw Okibi Souji. The sacred fire that gave the Hikawa Shrine its name burned in back of him. “Or will you chose a third? Remember who you are and find your own destiny.” Tears in her eyes, Rei ran to the old man. He wrapped his arms around her and she let him comfort her. Rei felt so safe, so loved and protected that it washed her pain away. Rei slowly woke in the dimly lit room, her grandfather’s words still echoing in her mind. Had it all been a dream, Rei wondered? Had the confrontation with her father been nothing more than a nightmare? There was an odd ache at the base of her throat and she put a hand to it automatically. Although her fingers were still thick and clumsy with sleep, Rei felt the two welts there. When she brought her hand in front of her face, she could see the traces of dried blood on the fingertips. Oh no,” she mumbled, not wanting to believe what she saw. The memory of what Kudoko had done to her hit Rei like a blow. She could remember the wild, sensual ride his kiss had brought and, worst of all, her reaction to it. “Oh no…” “You’re awake,” came a voice from the darkness around her. “This is surprise. I was sure you’d be out for at least a few more hours.” Kudoko Akuma walked out of the shadows. He came to crouch down by the couch she lay on. “I drank more deeply from you than I’d intended to, but once I started it was so hard to stop.” He smiled, letting a hand reach out to tenderly stroke her cheek. “You are exquisite, my beautiful Rei-chan, everything I’d hoped for and more than worth the wait to have you.” “Drop dead, you jerk,” Rei mumbled, pushing his hand away from her. “Been there, done that,” Kudoko laughed delightedly. “Death is only the beginning for people like us.” The fog in her head was persistent, making it hard to think. “I’m nothing like you.” “We have much more in common than you think,” Kudoko smiled back. “Tell me, my Rei-chan, who’s the man in your life who abuses you? Is it your father or your grandfather? Does he hit you until you beg him to stop, or rape you and tell you that you wanted it?” He paused only for an instant at the look of shock on her face. “I know all about the pain you live with because I’ve lived it too. Do you know how I got to be what I am now?” “Bad karma?” If the barb annoyed him, Kudoko didn’t show it. “His real name was lost over the centuries of his life after death. He became known to his slaves as ‘The Master’. I was one of those slaves, taken by him the day before I turned fourteen. For seven long years he used me as a plaything and a sexual toy. I was twisted into what pleased him at the moment; pleasure or pain, love or torture. He owned me, body and soul.” There was stirring of pity in Rei for the creature before her. “He used you like an animal.” Yes,” Kudoko’s eyes grew distant for a moment and he seemed to be speaking less to Rei than to himself. “To make sure he could have me forever, he changed me and made me into what I now am. At first I wished that I had truly died, but that changed just as I did over the years. You and I, Rei-chan, we’ve learned the hard lesson that love and justice are only illusions. The only way to keep from being hurt is by being strong enough to keep them all afraid of you.” The moment of reverie ended and he smiled at Rei once more. “I’m going to give you the greatest of all gifts - revenge. As my consort you’ll have more power then you could have ever imagined. Your vengeance can be as fast or slow as you want it to be. He’ll beg, my beautiful Rei, I can promise you that. The man who abused you will beg for mercy.” “I’m not like my father,” desperation crept into Rei’s voice. She could suddenly hear her mother’s voice begging her father to stop hitting her. “I don’t want to be him!” Her head spun and she pressed her eyes closed. A part of Rei wanted so badly to hurt her father the way he’d hurt her, but most of her knew that it was wrong. “No, if you do that then you only become as bad as they are. It has to end. The circle of pain has to be broken.” There was disappointment in Kudoko’s voice as he rose and walked away into the shadows. “You still cling to the values of the weak. This is why I’d hoped you sleep through what’s coming tonight.” He glanced back over his shoulder at her and saw Rei trying to rise. “Don’t try to get up, Rei-chan, you’ll find you won’t be able to.” A small lamp on an antique roll top desk was clicked on. Rei fell back onto the couch, the dizziness worsening the more she moved. The room was still spinning, but Rei was able to make out a figure in the lamp’s paltry glow. Curled up in a large, overstuffed chair was Usagi. Glazed eyes staring off into space, Usagi was smiling at something only she could see. Even from the couch Rei could see the ugly puncture wounds at the base of her neck. “Usagi!” Rei attempted to sit up until the dizziness forced her back down once more. Any attempt to rise was met with a force that slammed her back onto the sofa. “What have you done to her – to me?” “Usagi is quite happy in the illusion I’ve crafted for her, aren’t you pet?” One hand reached out to pat the princess on the head as one might a favored animal. “In my studies of Sailor Moon, I’d noticed that Tuxedo Kamen tends to show up whenever she feels that she’s in trouble. So, the best way to prevent any interference from Chiba Mamoru or the Senshi is to keep Usagi quiet and content as long as possible.” Picking up a porcelain bowl and a matching vial, he glanced at the woman on the sofa. “And as you for you, beautiful Rei, until you and I are more of the same mind, I thought it best to place a small compulsion on you. You won’t be able to get off that couch until I allow it.” Stubbornly, Rei kept trying to sit up. “I don’t know what you have planned,” her violet eyes narrowed as she snarled at him. “But I will not let you hurt Usagi.” “So stubborn…” With a resigned sigh the bowl was placed on the floor. He removed the stopper from the vial and carefully poured the viscous liquid into the bowl. “Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Very well then, watch.” Kudoko went to the chair that Usagi was curled up on. He bent over, cupping her chin with one hand and tilting her head up. “Usagi, look at me pet,” he murmured. She gasped slightly as he sifted through her memories, finding one he could use. The form of Kudoko Akuma shimmered, shifting and rearranging itself into one that Rei immediately recognized. “No…” Rei whispered. “Chiba Mamoru” turned to smile at the young woman on the couch. The perfection of the illusion was spoiled by the burning, red eyes. “Usagi would never refuse to anything her ‘Mamo-chan’ told her to, now would she?” The monster with Mamoru’s face closed his eyes and opened his arms. The bowl shuddered and a circle of blue liquid rose from it to reach the ceiling. It flared to life abruptly, the incandescent fire casting eerie shadows through out the room. Within the arcane flames a shadowy mass formed, like a hellish fog. Her sixth sense screaming at her, Rei stared at it and could see a dim shape deep in the mists. Pulling the dazed and unresisting Usagi to her feet, Kudoko turned her to face the writhing, blue wall. “I have brought you the Moon Princess, the one who holds the power of the Ginzuishou.” The thing behind the barrier moved closer, Rei jumped when she heard the creature’s voice echo in her mind. Her skin was crawling with the sense of evil that came from the creature. “What are you doing?” Kudoko smiled at her. “Exactly what I said, I was going to do. I’m taking the necessary steps to ensure that I will be the most powerful being on this planet.” *************************************** “He looked like Mamoru,” Luna moaned. “But I knew it couldn’t be Mamoru-san when I saw what he was doing. I shouted and it must have startled him because he shifted back into his true form.” She lay in the healing embrace of Hotaru. The others had been silent as she told them how she’d discovered Usagi in the arms of the vampire. By the time Tuxedo Kamen and the others had gotten to the Tsukino home both Usagi and the creature that stole her were gone. There was only the broken glass and a blood stained floor to prove that the attack had happened. “I can’t believe that Kudoko Akuma is a vampire.” Venus was still in shock. The man she’d been so hot for all summer was one of the cursed undead. Her luck with the male of the species (any species it seemed, Minako mused grimly) was running true to form. “Well, that explains why Rei-chan dislikes him so much. And why he only worked nights.” “The news gets better,” Makoto hung up the telephone in the living room. “Rei’s grandfather says she never made it home. Kudoko Akuma has spent months chasing her. I can’t believe that Rei’s sudden disappearance is just a coincidence.”.” Pluto stood very still beside Saturn, listening to the tale unfold. She looked at Tuxedo Kamen. “You’re still not getting any sense that Usagi is in danger are you?” she asked. It was less a question than a statement. “This kind of seduction is why vampires have managed to stay hidden from the world for so long. They can make their target feel very good - so good that they never suspect that any real harm is coming to them until it’s too late.” Uranus didn’t like where this was going. “What do you mean by ‘too late’?” “I mean,” Pluto replied in a low voice that commanded attention, “That if this Kudoko Akuma is able to make Usagi or Rei take his blood they’ll be bound to him in a way that only death can end.” The blue eyes behind the white mask were hard with both fear and an a quiet rage. “Then we’ll just have to make sure that to we put an permanent end to this monster,” Mamoru said. He tried once again and felt for the bond between he and Usagi, but it was quiet within him. A twist of his wrist called a single rose. “And I’ve got his one way ticket to hell right here.” *************************************** Kudoko moved in back of the dazed princess, an arm around her waist to steady her. “Usagi, I want you to do something for me,” he whispered to her. The crystal blue eyes were open, but the look in them was distant, as if Usagi was still dreaming. She leaned against the man in back of her. “You want me to do something, Mamo-chan?” “Yes,” Kudoko held Usagi when she swayed for a moment. “I need you to use the Ginzuishou. Call on the crystal, Usagi.” “No!” Rei called out from the couch. She tried to rise but an invisible hand forced her back down. “Usagi, that’s not Mamoru, don’t listen to him!” Usagi blinked at the sound of Rei’s voice, confused. “Rei…Rei-chan?” Kudoko glanced at Rei with annoyance, “Stop that, Rei. Lie down and be quiet. You’re only going to hurt yourself if you keep trying to get up.” He moved in front of Usagi, once again catching her gaze. “My voice is the only one you hear, Usagi; the only one that matters. You have to use the Ginzuishou, now.” Smiling drunkenly, Usagi nodded. Slowly she brought her hand up in front of her locket. “I have to use the Ginzuishou.” Keeping an arm around Usagi’s waist, Kudoko once more stepped in back of her. “That’s right, Usagi. You have to use the Ginzuishou to break the Seal.” Rei watched with growing horror as the locket popped open to reveal the Ginzuishou. The stone began to glow, the silver light dancing around the cupped hands. Rei struggled vainly against the magic that held her. Frightened, frustrated and confused she tried to think of a way out, but her mind seemed to be wrapped in a persistent fog. It was part of the magic that was keeping her from getting up, she realized. Almost automatically her hands started to carve out the Kyuuji Goshin ni In. The first lesson her grandfather had taught her, it was an exercise in focus, a way to try and connect with the divine and by now Rei could do it as easily as some people breathed. With each sign she could feel the enchantments that held her weaken. “Rin, Hyou, Tou…” she whispered, “…Sha, Kai, Chin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!” It took all the discipline her Grandfather had taught her, but Rei concentrated on the prayer. She fought against the physical and emotional exhaustion that held her down as effectively as the magic Kudoko had set on her. The words her grandfather had spoken to her in the dream came back to Rei. Remember who you are and find your own destiny.” Like the light of the Sacred Fire burning through the darkness, Rei had a moment of revelation that made it all so clear to her. She had been so worried about being her father’s daughter that she’d overlooked the obvious. I may be my father’s daughter, she thought, But I’m also the daughter of Miya and the granddaughter of Souji and Yuriko. My family has been fighting the darkness for over three centuries and I will not let it beat me! “Yes,” Kudoko smiled when the light between Usagi’s hands flared brighter, “That’s it. Break the Seal, Usagi. Use the Ginzuishou and break the Seal.” With a psychic snap she could feel, Rei shattered the compulsion that held her down. A twist of the wrist brought her henshin wand to her hand. “Mars crystal power – make up!” she screamed, tumbling off the couch. It was the Soldier of Fire who rolled to her feet to face Kudoko Akuma. “You actually managed to break the compulsion. I’m impressed, but I’m getting annoyed, too,” Kudoko gave a dark laugh. He turned his head to look at her, never taking his arm from Usagi’s waist. “I waited too long for this moment to let anyone, even you, stop me. Don’t make me have to kill you, Rei.” “It doesn’t have to be like this,” Rei called back. “Usagi can cure you. You can be human again.” An insane light came to the red eyes. “Human? Why should I want to be an insignificant human again?! Usagi is human and look at her. She’s deaf to anything but my voice, blinded and totally lost inside the illusion I created. For all the power this little girl controls, she was easy to seduce. All I had to do was play on her sympathies and Usagi fell right into my hands.” Rei was almost shaking with both exhaustion and a building anger. “You lied to Usagi to gain her trust. You lied to everyone you met, twisted and used people like they’re toys for your amusement.” “Don’t play the pious Miko with me,” Kudoko snarled. “I’ve seen the darkness in you. You’ve got quite the temper my Rei-chan, and you use it so wonderfully. Under my guidance, you’ll learn to unleash that darkness and it will make you stronger than you could have ever imagined. You’ll be able to make the man who abused you pay, Rei-chan. The moment you see that fear in his eyes, the moment he knows he’s going to hell and you’re the one sending him there, you’ll be free of him forever!” It all slid into place for Rei. Just like someone who had been abused as a child, Kudoko had, in turn, become an abuser himself. “Listen to yourself. You said you hated what the Master did to you, but you’re using and manipulating people just like he did. You’ve become the very monster you say you hate!” the demon from behind the Seal roared. “He's right, Rei. Don’t force me to hurt you,” Kudoko hissed. He turned his attention back to Usagi, forcing his will on her. She reeled under the psychic assault and would have fallen if not for his arm around her waist. “Use the Ginzuishou! The Seal has to be broken! Use the crystal now!” Unable to refuse either the voice in her mind, or the face of her beloved, Usagi clumsily opened her link with the Ginzuishou. The power between Usagi’s hands flared brighter once then twice. “Usagi, no!” Out of time and options, Rei tapped the energy the rage inside her heart gave her. She channeled it into her hands and the sigil of the Solider of Fire appeared. She called out the words and drew back the burning bow, taking direct aim at Kudoko Akuma. He was too close to Usagi to risk releasing the arrow and Rei waited for her moment to strike. “I am Mars,” she shouted, trying to bait him into stepping away from Usagi, “the Soldier of Fire. Let Usagi go or in the name of love and justice I shall punish you!” “Love and justice?” He shouted at her, “Love and justice are illusions, a fantasy clung to by the weak. The powerful use the powerless. That’s the way it’s always been and always will be. Accept the truth you all ready know in your heart, Rei! There are masters and slaves, if you’re not one, then you’re the other. Power is all that matter because only power can keep you from being used!” Kudoko winced slightly as the Usagi called on the Ginzuishou. The purity of the power being summoned hurt him and he finally released his hold on her. He took a single, small step away from Usagi. “You’re more wrong than you can know. But as long as you want to try and justify your actions with clichés, I’ve got another one you might know.” She drew back hard on her flaming bow. “If you play with fire you’re bound to get burned!” The arrow was loosed and flew for its target. Kudoko was struck in the shoulder, just above the heart. He shouted in pain, stumbling further away from Usagi. With the pain came loss of control. The form of Chiba Mamoru shattered and fell away from him like shards of broken glass. Usagi dropped her hands, the light from the Ginzuishou fading away. No longer held by his will, she took a wavering side step and like a puppet whose strings had been cut collapsed to sit silently on the floor. A hand clawed at the burning arrow and Kudoko used his own magic to extinguish it. “This kind of wound, even one backed by your power, isn’t enough to stop me from doing what I plan, Rei,” he snarled, the arm hanging useless at his side. Another arrow was ready to be loosed. “I know,” she replied, taking aim. “But this will!” In a heartbeat the arrow struck the porcelain bowl on the floor, breaking it. The Seal wavered and started to fall back in on itself. The shadowy figure behind the blue barrier howled in outrage. the voice hissed, seething with anger and hatred. Kudoko was more wounded by Rei’s attack than he let on, but he faced the disintegrating Seal confidently. He still controlled the power of the Ginzuishou through Usagi and was quite sure that he’d have Rei, too, before the sun rose again. “The last time I looked you’re still trapped behind that Seal.” Kudoko gave a derisive snort. “You can’t touch me. Make me ‘pay’? I think not.” From out of the collapsing barrier came a thin tendril of darkness. Before Kudoko Akuma could move it wrapped tightly around his waist. The handsome monster had only time to stare, dumbfounded at it, before he was lifted from his feet. The demon laughed as if Kudoko was a stupid child. “No!” Kudoko shrieked, reaching in Rei’s direction. “Help me!” Before Rei could take a single step, Kudoko Akuma was pulled inside the rapidly disintegrating Seal. He was swallowed up by the darkness on the other side, his last screams for help lingering in the air. Just before the last of the barrier faded away Rei heard the demon’s voice once more. When Tuxedo Kamen and the Senshi arrived a few minutes later they found Sailor Mars sitting in the middle of the floor holding a dazed and weeping Usagi. Neither of them looked up, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. Mamoru raced to take Usagi into his arms, pulling her close and whispering that she was safe now. Mars jumped slightly when Jupiter put a gentle hand on her should, as if only now noticing that the Senshi had arrived. Her duty to her friend and princess done, the Solider of Fire disappeared to become Hino Rei once more. She looked up with haunted eyes to see Makoto on one side of her and Minako on the other. “Rei-chan, are you all right,” Makoto asked softly. No, I’m not,” Rei said and burst into tears. *************************************** In stark contrast to one another they stood at opposite ends of the room. Rei was dressed in the traditional robes of Shinto Miko, Hino Rokojou in a suit from Sax’s Fifth Avenue. An uneasy silence hung in the air for a long moment. “I didn’t kill your mother,” Rokojou finally said. “You have to believe me, I loved her. You’re all I have left of her. I can’t lose you too, Princess.” In his own way, Rei did believe that her father had loved her mother. She wondered if his unchanging protests of innocence in her mother’s death were for her benefit or his. “Rei, Daddy. My name is Rei. You never call me that,” she observed, puzzled by yet one more aspect of the man. “I didn’t kill your mother,” he repeated one more time. “She died in a terrible accident. I didn’t cause her death.” “Yes you did and until you can see that, I don’t want anything to do with you.” Her grandfather was behind her and she’d heard him sigh when her father spoke. Whether it was in resignation or disgust she didn’t know. An angry flush crept up Hino’s face and Rei half expected him to lash out, but all he did turn away from her and head for the door. “This isn’t over between us,” he mumbled while he slipped on his shoes. “Until you change, yes it is. Good-bye, Daddy.” A hand was on the paper door. Just before he shut it, Hino Rokojou looked back over his shoulder at his daughter. A mixture of emotions that Rei couldn’t read flickered across his face. Across a void as deep as the ocean, father and daughter regarded one another. “You have your mother’s eyes,” Rokojou paused, then added, “…Rei.” She went to the door and watched him go, dry eyed. Perhaps she’d cried all the tears for her father that she had in her, Rei mused hopefully. Somehow she doubted it. “Why can’t I hate him for what he’s done? Why do I still want him to love me?” “Because you have not only your mother’s eyes, but her good heart as well,” Souji answered. “Or perhaps it’s just that I’m as stubborn as my Grandfather,” Rei replied, her hand on the door frame. Souji came to stand beside her and gave an amused snort, “Perhaps.” Hino Rokojou walked across the stone courtyard and moved towards the steps that led to the street. He was watched each step of the way by the small group of people that clustered in the shade of the largest of the old trees. Mamoru and Usagi stood next to each other, her hand resting in his. He’d been telling her that Motoki would be all right, but as Rokojou approached they both fell silent. As one they looked at Hino and then turned their backs on him. Makoto glared at Rokojou, seething and wanting an excuse to hurt him. Michiru sat quietly with her Lifemate and Setsuna. As Hino approaches Haruka made a show of putting her arm around Michiru, just to annoy him. Minako was the only one not glaring at Rokojou. She looked at Rei, turning her head in a questioning manner. Without a backwards glance, Rei’s father walked out of her life. The loss hurt more than she’d thought it would. She reminded herself that the sorrow should be tempered by the fact that she wasn’t alone. She had her Grandfather and friends who loved her unconditionally. Rei let an arm slip around Souji’s shoulders and give him a hug. “Are you all right, Little Girl?” he asked gently. “No, I’m not,” she answered candidly. Rei’s glance was drawn to where her friends waited patiently for her. “But in time I think I will be, Grandpa.” Family, she’d come to learn, was less a matter of flesh and blood than of the heart. “I think I will be.” *************************************** Author’s notes: I’d like to take a moment to thank a number of people who have been with me during this story. First, to Masked Maiden, my eternal gratitude for the gifts of her time and friendship. Donnar-I, thank you for stepping up and saying that I should continue, even when I wanted to walk away from this story. Kendall, thanks for being another set of eyes for me. And to Don, who always writes to me with a wonderful C&C, thank you. Your insights, both positive and negative, have been extremely helpful. I’d also be negligent if I didn’t take a moment to mention the finest vampire story ever done in the realms of Sailor Moon fanfiction. It’s called, “The Nocturnal Tour”, by the extraordinarily talented and wonderfully twisted Lord Chaos. Be aware that it’s a hentai story (and eechi in places) but well worth the read. Without the trail blazed by His Lordship, I couldn’t have done this story. Most of all, thank you to all those who have read my work and taken a moment to write to me. I am honored that you chose to spend your precious free time on my stories. May your own projects be blessed with the support I have had. Meara