[Fic] Full Metal Panic: Rebirth of the Nine Dragons
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:39 pm
Full Metal Panic: Rebirth of the Nine Dragons
Chapter 1: Bloodlust
The November air was cold and brisk, but it no longer seemed to have any affect on him. He’d been dead for over a month now after all. He was a large burly man with a face horribly disfigured with scars. His hands and mouth were stained in blood. But it wasn’t his own.
He stared down at his latest victim with dispassionate yellow eyes. The conditions of his “rebirth” were strict and boring, so every now and again, he’d allow himself an indulgence such as this one. The unfortunate man who was now lying in a pool of blood with his eyes glazed over had been heading home to his family. But he would never make it. It would be hard to recognize his body at this point.
His killer had originally been rather excited with this type of activity. He was after all testing out his new-found strengths. But now that he was growing comfortable with it, this game was growing tiresome. He was ready to move onto bigger and better things.
“Dammit, Gauron, how many times must I tell you that we must not kill humans for sport!” The large man turned around to see three Chinese men walking toward him down the dark, poorly lit alley. All dressed in long, flowing black coats, and none looking too pleased with him. “Each body you leave behind brings further suspicion to the Order.”
The one speaking was Marcus. He was widely considered to be a very powerful vampire with hundreds of years of experience. With him were two of his sired vampires. When the wind blew their coats opened, Gauron could see that while Marcus was unarmed, his two subordinates had .45 caliber handguns and short swords hanging from their belts.
“Are you out here to spoil my fun again, Marcus?” the scarred man asked in a condescending tone. The tone wasn’t lost on his master.
“You will address me as ‘Sire’ and you will do as I instruct you to do, is that understood?” he responded sternly.
A thin smile crossed the Gauron’s lips. “You know, being immortal and having all sorts of new power isn’t much fun when being bound by all these rules. In fact, it kinda just sucks the life out of it. Heh heh.”
Marcus wasn’t amused by the pun. This newly embraced Child was beginning to be more trouble than he was worth. “You listen to me,” he hissed. “We went to great pains to have you brought back because the elders thought you might have some potential given your talents as a human. But if you continue this insubordination, we may consider you a failed effort and have you… removed.” Normally, the Embracing could only be performed on a living human being. But through special rituals and blood rites, a recently deceased corpse could be revived. These rituals were rarely practiced, but the elder vampires had decreed that the man known as The Nine Dragons would be a valuable asset to them.
The defiant vampire dropped his smile and scowled at the threat. “I think I’m getting tired of this little game, Sire.” The last word was dripping with sarcasm. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I think it’s for us to part ways. I am after all a businessman and I can’t let a little thing like being dead for a few weeks slow down progress, now can I?”
“Do you think we’ll simply let you leave?” he sneered. At that the two men standing beside Marcus reached into their coats to ready their weapons. “These laws have been in place for thousands of years and they’re the reason we have endured so long in a world that would have us hunted and destroyed.”
Gauron laughed. “What a joke! You’re supposed to be hunters and instead the only reason you’ve survived this long is because you’ve hidden like rats in the shadows. If you people had an ounce of balls, we could rule this world.” He stalked closer to Marcus. “I was a mercenary before this. I lived my life day by day. Worrying about how I’m going to get by another thousand years isn’t something that concerned me then and I’m not about to start now. I think I’d rather be dead than hiding in some hole for the next millennium,” he said threateningly.
“I see. So that is your decision. Then we have no choice but to accommodate you,” the sire retorted.
As soon as Marcus said that, the other two took it as their cue to attack. But before they could unholster their pistols, the muscular man had moved with blinding speed behind him and snapped his neck, causing his body to go limp. It wasn’t enough to kill a vampire, but it immobilized him long enough for the man to take his pistol.
Gauron used the smaller man as a human shield when the bullets came flying his way. The subdued man’s body jerked as each bullet punctured his unconscious body. He then returned fire to Marcus and his remaining Child. The more experienced vampire evaded the spray of bullets with a feat of speed similar to the one Gauron had just used. The second subordinate wasn’t so lucky. The rounds that had riddled his body had left him severely wounded. He grunted and groaned, struggling to stay on his feet.
Before the injured vampire could act, Gauron grabbed his captive’s blade and threw him into his partner like a rag doll using his new strength. And before the two of them could even fall to the ground, the Nine Dragons was upon them and cleaved both their heads from their shoulders. They then burst into flames and disintegrated into ashes.
The former mercenary then turned to deal with Marcus himself, but before he could finish turning around the master used his unnatural power and speed to plow into Gauron. He soared over a dozen feet back into the alleyway, crashing into several crates. The sword that had been in his hand skidded harmlessly into the back corner of the alley. Almost as if he’d teleported to him, Marcus appeared where the new vampire had landed. He grabbed him by his neck and lifted him into the air, trying to choke the unlife out of him.
“You’re a fool, Gauron! To have mastered the ways of the vampire in such a short period of time to this extent is uncanny! You could have been one of the greatest creatures to ever have roamed the night. But instead you have chosen death.”
Marcus then noticed that something wasn’t right. Gauron wasn’t struggling at all. He didn’t see any pain in his face either. At most, it was some slight discomfort.
“For all that talk, is this really the best you can do?” If it is, then I’m afraid your best hundred years are behind you,” Gauron taunted with an evil grin. He could now see the panic in Marcus’ eyes. It was time to end things.
He grabbed Marcus by the wrist and used his other forearm to smash behind his sire’s elbow, swiftly snapping the joint. He howled in pain and his grip on Gauron’s throat slackened immediately. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the insane man grabbed his former master’s broken arm and flipped him over his body, driving him hard into the concrete. He landed with such a force that the pavement crumbled around him. The pain caused his vision to blur as he stared up at the insane man’s cruel face. Up until now he’d always looked down on him and viewed him as a troublesome child in need of discipline. But now his former charge appeared more like a demon to him and it terrified him down to his very core.
Gauron then grabbed the man by the throat. “Let me show you how it’s done!” he shouted, hoisting Marcus into the air. He ineffectively tried beating on the man’s powerful arm with his good hand, but was helpless in his grasp. In the end, he could only struggle and choke. Gauron’s dead yellow eyes betrayed his evil intent.
“You think you’re so strong because you’ve managed to not get killed for a few hundred years? Pathetic. The reason a ‘rookie’ like me was able to beat you so easily was because you and all your kind really don’t know a damn thing about being killers. You call yourselves predators, but in the end, it’s nothing more than some cheap magic tricks in your hands. After all this time, you never learned how to uses the powers you’d been given.”
The world was starting to fade for Marcus as he felt the bones in his neck starting to give way. His last vision was Gauron’s hideously disfigured face turned up into a sick smile. As everything turned black, he heard his killer say, “And that’s why things like this happen.” Gauron gave one last squeeze, snapping his neck. Marcus’ body stiffened for a moment and then went completely slack. Summoning the dark powers deep within him, he then used both hands to brutally twist the incapacitated vampire’s head from his body, with a savage yell. He was completely unaffected by the blood and gore than poured all over his hands. He casually dropped the body as it turned to ash like the other two he’d finished off.
“Well, Marcus, I’ll say this: you were at least a little bit of fun for me. But when you get down to it, there are regular humans who could put up a better fight than that.” Gauron closed his eyes and touched one of the many scars on his face. “I can think of at least one that’s just a kid,” he whispered. He then turned and walked away from the scene in the ally.
“Time to move onto more interesting things. What’dya say we pick up where we left off… eh, Kashim?”
******
One week later…
Kaname Chidori let out a sigh of contentment. “This vacation is just what I need,” she said to Kyoko who was helping her pack and prepare food for their upcoming camping trip to the mountains.
“I know what you mean. These last few weeks have been pretty tough in school with our midterms coming up,” Kyoko replied in her usual chipper and upbeat way.
Kaname frowned and set down the outfit from her closet she’d been looking at. Despite what Kyoko had said, she knew her best friend really didn’t know what she meant. Her classes were going fine, as usual, but between dealing with a certain moron blowing up half the school on a daily basis, running from terrorists and assassins, and numerous other unpleasant events, her nerves were about shot. On top of that, Sosuke had been even worse than usual lately. He was constantly on edge and that usually translated into problems for her to clean up.
Through sheer willpower, Kaname cheered herself up and resumed the task of packing her backpack. Come hell or high water, she wasn’t going to let anything ruin this trip. She’d make sure Sosuke behaved himself, even if she had to kill him herself. “Yep! This will be a no-stress weekend!” she shouted to herself while pumping her fist with determination.
Kyoko could only stare perplexed at her friend who was evidently talking to no one.
“Um… Kana?”
This snapped Kaname out of her thoughts as she realized she’d been making a fool of herself.
“What? I wasn’t doing anything! Are we going to pack or what!” she shouted very quickly and finished off with an embarrassed chuckle. She then went to running about her apartment, grabbing the necessary items she needed for the trip… and some she didn’t need.
Kyoko smiled nervously. “Kaname, are you thinking about Sagara again?” Kaname froze at that.
“Wh-what makes you say that?”
“Because you only get like this when you’re worrying about him.” Kyoko emphasized her point by nodding her head at the toilet plunger Kaname had been trying to stuff into her bag.
“Well, what do you want me to do?” Kaname snapped at Kyoko. “He’s probably going to bring all kinda of bombs and guns and ruin my no-stress weekend!” Just then an image of her peaceful, relaxing vacation being blown up in a mushroom cloud along with half of Japan popped into her head. “Uh… Kyoko, I’ll be back in a little while. I have to some precautions.” She gave Kyoko a nervous chuckle as she headed for the door. And with that, she grabbed her coat and ran outside.
Kyoko sighed. “This isn’t what I’d call no-stress…” she muttered as she looked down at the plunger her best friend had dropped in her hands before rushing off.
******
Meanwhile, Sosuke Sagara, sergeant of Mythril, was packing his own backpack for the upcoming trip. Though his own preparations looked somewhat different from the innocuous supplies Kaname and Kyoko were bringing. Explosives, automatic weapons, sensor traps, spare ammunition, and knives among other odds and ends. Sosuke was preparing for battle.
'Hmm… I wonder if I should radio the Danaan to request AS support.'
His thoughts were disrupted by a loud knock on his door. He checked the peep hole with his Glock in hand. Seeing that it was just Kaname, he lowered his guard and opened the door. “Is something wrong, Chidori?”
Kaname scowled and pushed past him into his apartment. “Yes, something’s wrong! What’s all this?” pointing to the heavy arsenal he had laid out on the ground. Kaname being upset with him and barging into his apartment without permission was nothing new, but considering he hadn’t even done anything wrong that day, he wondered what had brought on this hostility.
“I am preparing for our trip into the mountains. The terrain and wildlife there can be very dangerous under certain circumstances. It’s best to take some precautions,” he said matter-of-factly. Kaname felt her temper rising as she saw her fears coming true.
“You call THIS a ‘precaution’?” she shouted lifting up a rocket launcher he’d set amongst the weapons he planned to bring along.
“You never know when a situation may arise where you might need such a weapon.”
“ARGH!” Kaname finally lost her temper and smacked Sosuke over the head with her harisen. She then grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face close to hers, narrowing her eyes at him. “Listen to me, Sosuke! I really need this vacation so I’m going to ask you nicely: PLEASE don’t ruin this trip for me and the others. And that means don’t do anything violent, crazy, explosive, or war-like! Got it?”
“But Chidori…,”
“No ‘buts’!”
Sosuke sighed. “Very well… But the risk of an unfortunate run-in with a wild animal is always present. It would be foolish not to take at least SOME means of self-defense. I will do my best not to disrupt your vacation, but please allow to at least bring along some light artillery.”
Kaname released his collar and slumped her shoulders. After a moment, she looked back up at him with a suspicious glare. “How ‘light’ exactly?”
“Uh… just some knives and a few small caliber guns…”
“Uh huh…”
“…And some a few claymore mines for around the perimeter of our site.”
“No explosives!” she vehemently protested.
Her sudden shout caused him to stand at attention. “Yes, ma’am! I understand!”
Kaname finally gave in and sighed. Sosuke was Sosuke and he wouldn’t change. The best she could hope to do was to keep the damage at a minimum with some kind of compromise. “Alright…” she consented, sounding like she’d been defeated. She looked him in the eye with a pleading look and placed a hand on his chest to make sure she had his attention. “Sousuke… I mean it. A lot’s happened recently, and I’ve been really looking forward to this trip so I could get my head cleared. Please don’t ruin it for me, okay?”
Sosuke felt a little guilty at the look she gave him and the nearly desperate sound of her voice. He knew that he was only looking out for her well-being, but he also was aware that the problems he caused in the process often made a lot of trouble for her. And after all she’d gone through in the last month, he realized she was probably in need of some relaxation.
“I’ll do my best. It won’t be a problem,” he tried his best to reassure her.
She nodded her acknowledgement as she walked past him to leave his apartment. She had her doubts, but all she could do was hope for the best. “Thanks. See ya,” she said dejectedly.
When the door closed behind the girl, Sosuke looked around his bedroom. He promised himself that he would somehow not ruin this trip for Kaname, while still being careful to protect her. He then went about putting away most of what he’d taken out.
Though, lately… he’d had a sneaking suspicion that someone was watching him…
******
Kaname sullenly walked back to her apartment. The winter night air was freezing her, even though she was wearing a coat. The biting wind swept her long blue hair about her face. She hugged her shoulders trying to keep some warmth in.
'Why does he have to be like that? Why can’t he just act normal for once? It’s not like I’m asking him to change or anything. Just… give me a break sometimes.'
Of course, she had been the one who had invited him to come along in the first place. She could have avoided all this trouble by not asking him to go with her. But then… she had to admit, she did enjoy his company. It just wouldn’t feel right without him. He was definitely the most interesting person she knew, and there were times when had a strange, quirky charm to him.
And besides that… the month before while he was away, she’d been targeted by an assassin. She’d managed to fight and survive, but she couldn’t remember a time in her life she’d ever been more terrified. During that time she realized just how much she depended on him to be there for her. So despite all the chaos he caused in her life, she definitely felt much safer and more secure with him around.
Anyway, if I didn’t bring him along, he’s probably try to stalk behind me from the shadows. It’s better for him to be somewhere I can keep an eye on him.
It then occurred to her that this line of thinking wasn’t like her at all. Sosuke hadn’t even done anything wrong yet and she was already letting herself get worked up. At this rate, even if he behaved perfectly, she’d ruin the vacation herself from agonizing over it. She resolved that this gloomy negativity wasn’t going to help things any. It was her unwavering optimism that had seen her through so many situations, and it would see her through this one.
“Nope! This will be a great camping trip and even if Sosuke starts to get out of line, I’ll just knock him back in place!” She smiled brightly to herself, proud of her ability for self-motivation.
Her mood was suddenly damped by a cold chill that ran over her. It wasn’t from the air though. It was as if it ran straight through her blood. The streets suddenly seemed darker and more desolate than usual and it made her feel very insecure. Her senses for this sort of thing weren’t nearly as keen as Sosuke’s but it was as if she could feel someone watching her. But as she looked around, she saw no sign of anyone nearby.
“Probably just imagining things…” she reasoned to herself. But she still hastened her pace back to her apartment.
As soon as she’d left the area, Gauron stepped out from the shadows from which he’d been hiding. “Heh. A camping trip, eh? This’ll be the perfect opportunity for us to get reacquainted, don’t you agree, Kashim?”
To be continued...
******
Author’s notes: It’s been at least a year since I’ve written any fan fiction, so I may be getting a bit rusty. And this is my first attempt at a FMP fan fic. But I’m confident this story will turn out well.
For the record, this story takes place about a month after the events of the “End of Day by Day” FMP novel. For those who don’t know, the FMP anime and manga are based on a novel series. “End of Day by Day” is the novel that takes place right after where the anime ends. Since I don’t expect too many to have read it, I’m trying to give just enough clues that those who have read it will know what I’m talking about, while those who haven’t can enjoy it without getting anything major ruined for them.
I think the most difficult aspect of this chapter was the conversation between Gauron and Marcus. I’m introducing a supernatural and ancient element into a relatively modern story. So it was tricky trying to have Gauron converse with a wise 500-year-old vampire without making things sound too out of place in the FMP setting.
Concerning vampires, I’m not really basing the ones in this story on any one concept, though I may borrow from several. So I’ve taken some liberties on what their abilities and weaknesses are.
Like any writing I do for this series, particularly regarding Sosuke and Kaname, I’m focusing on capturing the feel of the source material. Ideally, this story will seem like another one of Sosuke and Kaname’s misadventures that fits between the events of the series.
Thanks for reading and please review,
Weltall Elite
Chapter 1: Bloodlust
The November air was cold and brisk, but it no longer seemed to have any affect on him. He’d been dead for over a month now after all. He was a large burly man with a face horribly disfigured with scars. His hands and mouth were stained in blood. But it wasn’t his own.
He stared down at his latest victim with dispassionate yellow eyes. The conditions of his “rebirth” were strict and boring, so every now and again, he’d allow himself an indulgence such as this one. The unfortunate man who was now lying in a pool of blood with his eyes glazed over had been heading home to his family. But he would never make it. It would be hard to recognize his body at this point.
His killer had originally been rather excited with this type of activity. He was after all testing out his new-found strengths. But now that he was growing comfortable with it, this game was growing tiresome. He was ready to move onto bigger and better things.
“Dammit, Gauron, how many times must I tell you that we must not kill humans for sport!” The large man turned around to see three Chinese men walking toward him down the dark, poorly lit alley. All dressed in long, flowing black coats, and none looking too pleased with him. “Each body you leave behind brings further suspicion to the Order.”
The one speaking was Marcus. He was widely considered to be a very powerful vampire with hundreds of years of experience. With him were two of his sired vampires. When the wind blew their coats opened, Gauron could see that while Marcus was unarmed, his two subordinates had .45 caliber handguns and short swords hanging from their belts.
“Are you out here to spoil my fun again, Marcus?” the scarred man asked in a condescending tone. The tone wasn’t lost on his master.
“You will address me as ‘Sire’ and you will do as I instruct you to do, is that understood?” he responded sternly.
A thin smile crossed the Gauron’s lips. “You know, being immortal and having all sorts of new power isn’t much fun when being bound by all these rules. In fact, it kinda just sucks the life out of it. Heh heh.”
Marcus wasn’t amused by the pun. This newly embraced Child was beginning to be more trouble than he was worth. “You listen to me,” he hissed. “We went to great pains to have you brought back because the elders thought you might have some potential given your talents as a human. But if you continue this insubordination, we may consider you a failed effort and have you… removed.” Normally, the Embracing could only be performed on a living human being. But through special rituals and blood rites, a recently deceased corpse could be revived. These rituals were rarely practiced, but the elder vampires had decreed that the man known as The Nine Dragons would be a valuable asset to them.
The defiant vampire dropped his smile and scowled at the threat. “I think I’m getting tired of this little game, Sire.” The last word was dripping with sarcasm. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I think it’s for us to part ways. I am after all a businessman and I can’t let a little thing like being dead for a few weeks slow down progress, now can I?”
“Do you think we’ll simply let you leave?” he sneered. At that the two men standing beside Marcus reached into their coats to ready their weapons. “These laws have been in place for thousands of years and they’re the reason we have endured so long in a world that would have us hunted and destroyed.”
Gauron laughed. “What a joke! You’re supposed to be hunters and instead the only reason you’ve survived this long is because you’ve hidden like rats in the shadows. If you people had an ounce of balls, we could rule this world.” He stalked closer to Marcus. “I was a mercenary before this. I lived my life day by day. Worrying about how I’m going to get by another thousand years isn’t something that concerned me then and I’m not about to start now. I think I’d rather be dead than hiding in some hole for the next millennium,” he said threateningly.
“I see. So that is your decision. Then we have no choice but to accommodate you,” the sire retorted.
As soon as Marcus said that, the other two took it as their cue to attack. But before they could unholster their pistols, the muscular man had moved with blinding speed behind him and snapped his neck, causing his body to go limp. It wasn’t enough to kill a vampire, but it immobilized him long enough for the man to take his pistol.
Gauron used the smaller man as a human shield when the bullets came flying his way. The subdued man’s body jerked as each bullet punctured his unconscious body. He then returned fire to Marcus and his remaining Child. The more experienced vampire evaded the spray of bullets with a feat of speed similar to the one Gauron had just used. The second subordinate wasn’t so lucky. The rounds that had riddled his body had left him severely wounded. He grunted and groaned, struggling to stay on his feet.
Before the injured vampire could act, Gauron grabbed his captive’s blade and threw him into his partner like a rag doll using his new strength. And before the two of them could even fall to the ground, the Nine Dragons was upon them and cleaved both their heads from their shoulders. They then burst into flames and disintegrated into ashes.
The former mercenary then turned to deal with Marcus himself, but before he could finish turning around the master used his unnatural power and speed to plow into Gauron. He soared over a dozen feet back into the alleyway, crashing into several crates. The sword that had been in his hand skidded harmlessly into the back corner of the alley. Almost as if he’d teleported to him, Marcus appeared where the new vampire had landed. He grabbed him by his neck and lifted him into the air, trying to choke the unlife out of him.
“You’re a fool, Gauron! To have mastered the ways of the vampire in such a short period of time to this extent is uncanny! You could have been one of the greatest creatures to ever have roamed the night. But instead you have chosen death.”
Marcus then noticed that something wasn’t right. Gauron wasn’t struggling at all. He didn’t see any pain in his face either. At most, it was some slight discomfort.
“For all that talk, is this really the best you can do?” If it is, then I’m afraid your best hundred years are behind you,” Gauron taunted with an evil grin. He could now see the panic in Marcus’ eyes. It was time to end things.
He grabbed Marcus by the wrist and used his other forearm to smash behind his sire’s elbow, swiftly snapping the joint. He howled in pain and his grip on Gauron’s throat slackened immediately. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the insane man grabbed his former master’s broken arm and flipped him over his body, driving him hard into the concrete. He landed with such a force that the pavement crumbled around him. The pain caused his vision to blur as he stared up at the insane man’s cruel face. Up until now he’d always looked down on him and viewed him as a troublesome child in need of discipline. But now his former charge appeared more like a demon to him and it terrified him down to his very core.
Gauron then grabbed the man by the throat. “Let me show you how it’s done!” he shouted, hoisting Marcus into the air. He ineffectively tried beating on the man’s powerful arm with his good hand, but was helpless in his grasp. In the end, he could only struggle and choke. Gauron’s dead yellow eyes betrayed his evil intent.
“You think you’re so strong because you’ve managed to not get killed for a few hundred years? Pathetic. The reason a ‘rookie’ like me was able to beat you so easily was because you and all your kind really don’t know a damn thing about being killers. You call yourselves predators, but in the end, it’s nothing more than some cheap magic tricks in your hands. After all this time, you never learned how to uses the powers you’d been given.”
The world was starting to fade for Marcus as he felt the bones in his neck starting to give way. His last vision was Gauron’s hideously disfigured face turned up into a sick smile. As everything turned black, he heard his killer say, “And that’s why things like this happen.” Gauron gave one last squeeze, snapping his neck. Marcus’ body stiffened for a moment and then went completely slack. Summoning the dark powers deep within him, he then used both hands to brutally twist the incapacitated vampire’s head from his body, with a savage yell. He was completely unaffected by the blood and gore than poured all over his hands. He casually dropped the body as it turned to ash like the other two he’d finished off.
“Well, Marcus, I’ll say this: you were at least a little bit of fun for me. But when you get down to it, there are regular humans who could put up a better fight than that.” Gauron closed his eyes and touched one of the many scars on his face. “I can think of at least one that’s just a kid,” he whispered. He then turned and walked away from the scene in the ally.
“Time to move onto more interesting things. What’dya say we pick up where we left off… eh, Kashim?”
******
One week later…
Kaname Chidori let out a sigh of contentment. “This vacation is just what I need,” she said to Kyoko who was helping her pack and prepare food for their upcoming camping trip to the mountains.
“I know what you mean. These last few weeks have been pretty tough in school with our midterms coming up,” Kyoko replied in her usual chipper and upbeat way.
Kaname frowned and set down the outfit from her closet she’d been looking at. Despite what Kyoko had said, she knew her best friend really didn’t know what she meant. Her classes were going fine, as usual, but between dealing with a certain moron blowing up half the school on a daily basis, running from terrorists and assassins, and numerous other unpleasant events, her nerves were about shot. On top of that, Sosuke had been even worse than usual lately. He was constantly on edge and that usually translated into problems for her to clean up.
Through sheer willpower, Kaname cheered herself up and resumed the task of packing her backpack. Come hell or high water, she wasn’t going to let anything ruin this trip. She’d make sure Sosuke behaved himself, even if she had to kill him herself. “Yep! This will be a no-stress weekend!” she shouted to herself while pumping her fist with determination.
Kyoko could only stare perplexed at her friend who was evidently talking to no one.
“Um… Kana?”
This snapped Kaname out of her thoughts as she realized she’d been making a fool of herself.
“What? I wasn’t doing anything! Are we going to pack or what!” she shouted very quickly and finished off with an embarrassed chuckle. She then went to running about her apartment, grabbing the necessary items she needed for the trip… and some she didn’t need.
Kyoko smiled nervously. “Kaname, are you thinking about Sagara again?” Kaname froze at that.
“Wh-what makes you say that?”
“Because you only get like this when you’re worrying about him.” Kyoko emphasized her point by nodding her head at the toilet plunger Kaname had been trying to stuff into her bag.
“Well, what do you want me to do?” Kaname snapped at Kyoko. “He’s probably going to bring all kinda of bombs and guns and ruin my no-stress weekend!” Just then an image of her peaceful, relaxing vacation being blown up in a mushroom cloud along with half of Japan popped into her head. “Uh… Kyoko, I’ll be back in a little while. I have to some precautions.” She gave Kyoko a nervous chuckle as she headed for the door. And with that, she grabbed her coat and ran outside.
Kyoko sighed. “This isn’t what I’d call no-stress…” she muttered as she looked down at the plunger her best friend had dropped in her hands before rushing off.
******
Meanwhile, Sosuke Sagara, sergeant of Mythril, was packing his own backpack for the upcoming trip. Though his own preparations looked somewhat different from the innocuous supplies Kaname and Kyoko were bringing. Explosives, automatic weapons, sensor traps, spare ammunition, and knives among other odds and ends. Sosuke was preparing for battle.
'Hmm… I wonder if I should radio the Danaan to request AS support.'
His thoughts were disrupted by a loud knock on his door. He checked the peep hole with his Glock in hand. Seeing that it was just Kaname, he lowered his guard and opened the door. “Is something wrong, Chidori?”
Kaname scowled and pushed past him into his apartment. “Yes, something’s wrong! What’s all this?” pointing to the heavy arsenal he had laid out on the ground. Kaname being upset with him and barging into his apartment without permission was nothing new, but considering he hadn’t even done anything wrong that day, he wondered what had brought on this hostility.
“I am preparing for our trip into the mountains. The terrain and wildlife there can be very dangerous under certain circumstances. It’s best to take some precautions,” he said matter-of-factly. Kaname felt her temper rising as she saw her fears coming true.
“You call THIS a ‘precaution’?” she shouted lifting up a rocket launcher he’d set amongst the weapons he planned to bring along.
“You never know when a situation may arise where you might need such a weapon.”
“ARGH!” Kaname finally lost her temper and smacked Sosuke over the head with her harisen. She then grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face close to hers, narrowing her eyes at him. “Listen to me, Sosuke! I really need this vacation so I’m going to ask you nicely: PLEASE don’t ruin this trip for me and the others. And that means don’t do anything violent, crazy, explosive, or war-like! Got it?”
“But Chidori…,”
“No ‘buts’!”
Sosuke sighed. “Very well… But the risk of an unfortunate run-in with a wild animal is always present. It would be foolish not to take at least SOME means of self-defense. I will do my best not to disrupt your vacation, but please allow to at least bring along some light artillery.”
Kaname released his collar and slumped her shoulders. After a moment, she looked back up at him with a suspicious glare. “How ‘light’ exactly?”
“Uh… just some knives and a few small caliber guns…”
“Uh huh…”
“…And some a few claymore mines for around the perimeter of our site.”
“No explosives!” she vehemently protested.
Her sudden shout caused him to stand at attention. “Yes, ma’am! I understand!”
Kaname finally gave in and sighed. Sosuke was Sosuke and he wouldn’t change. The best she could hope to do was to keep the damage at a minimum with some kind of compromise. “Alright…” she consented, sounding like she’d been defeated. She looked him in the eye with a pleading look and placed a hand on his chest to make sure she had his attention. “Sousuke… I mean it. A lot’s happened recently, and I’ve been really looking forward to this trip so I could get my head cleared. Please don’t ruin it for me, okay?”
Sosuke felt a little guilty at the look she gave him and the nearly desperate sound of her voice. He knew that he was only looking out for her well-being, but he also was aware that the problems he caused in the process often made a lot of trouble for her. And after all she’d gone through in the last month, he realized she was probably in need of some relaxation.
“I’ll do my best. It won’t be a problem,” he tried his best to reassure her.
She nodded her acknowledgement as she walked past him to leave his apartment. She had her doubts, but all she could do was hope for the best. “Thanks. See ya,” she said dejectedly.
When the door closed behind the girl, Sosuke looked around his bedroom. He promised himself that he would somehow not ruin this trip for Kaname, while still being careful to protect her. He then went about putting away most of what he’d taken out.
Though, lately… he’d had a sneaking suspicion that someone was watching him…
******
Kaname sullenly walked back to her apartment. The winter night air was freezing her, even though she was wearing a coat. The biting wind swept her long blue hair about her face. She hugged her shoulders trying to keep some warmth in.
'Why does he have to be like that? Why can’t he just act normal for once? It’s not like I’m asking him to change or anything. Just… give me a break sometimes.'
Of course, she had been the one who had invited him to come along in the first place. She could have avoided all this trouble by not asking him to go with her. But then… she had to admit, she did enjoy his company. It just wouldn’t feel right without him. He was definitely the most interesting person she knew, and there were times when had a strange, quirky charm to him.
And besides that… the month before while he was away, she’d been targeted by an assassin. She’d managed to fight and survive, but she couldn’t remember a time in her life she’d ever been more terrified. During that time she realized just how much she depended on him to be there for her. So despite all the chaos he caused in her life, she definitely felt much safer and more secure with him around.
Anyway, if I didn’t bring him along, he’s probably try to stalk behind me from the shadows. It’s better for him to be somewhere I can keep an eye on him.
It then occurred to her that this line of thinking wasn’t like her at all. Sosuke hadn’t even done anything wrong yet and she was already letting herself get worked up. At this rate, even if he behaved perfectly, she’d ruin the vacation herself from agonizing over it. She resolved that this gloomy negativity wasn’t going to help things any. It was her unwavering optimism that had seen her through so many situations, and it would see her through this one.
“Nope! This will be a great camping trip and even if Sosuke starts to get out of line, I’ll just knock him back in place!” She smiled brightly to herself, proud of her ability for self-motivation.
Her mood was suddenly damped by a cold chill that ran over her. It wasn’t from the air though. It was as if it ran straight through her blood. The streets suddenly seemed darker and more desolate than usual and it made her feel very insecure. Her senses for this sort of thing weren’t nearly as keen as Sosuke’s but it was as if she could feel someone watching her. But as she looked around, she saw no sign of anyone nearby.
“Probably just imagining things…” she reasoned to herself. But she still hastened her pace back to her apartment.
As soon as she’d left the area, Gauron stepped out from the shadows from which he’d been hiding. “Heh. A camping trip, eh? This’ll be the perfect opportunity for us to get reacquainted, don’t you agree, Kashim?”
To be continued...
******
Author’s notes: It’s been at least a year since I’ve written any fan fiction, so I may be getting a bit rusty. And this is my first attempt at a FMP fan fic. But I’m confident this story will turn out well.
For the record, this story takes place about a month after the events of the “End of Day by Day” FMP novel. For those who don’t know, the FMP anime and manga are based on a novel series. “End of Day by Day” is the novel that takes place right after where the anime ends. Since I don’t expect too many to have read it, I’m trying to give just enough clues that those who have read it will know what I’m talking about, while those who haven’t can enjoy it without getting anything major ruined for them.
I think the most difficult aspect of this chapter was the conversation between Gauron and Marcus. I’m introducing a supernatural and ancient element into a relatively modern story. So it was tricky trying to have Gauron converse with a wise 500-year-old vampire without making things sound too out of place in the FMP setting.
Concerning vampires, I’m not really basing the ones in this story on any one concept, though I may borrow from several. So I’ve taken some liberties on what their abilities and weaknesses are.
Like any writing I do for this series, particularly regarding Sosuke and Kaname, I’m focusing on capturing the feel of the source material. Ideally, this story will seem like another one of Sosuke and Kaname’s misadventures that fits between the events of the series.
Thanks for reading and please review,
Weltall Elite
How does Sousuke fit in 
