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Love Bites	By : Dancinginthedarkkk Category: Pokemon > General Views: 1485 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, Satoshi Taijiri and the rest of the Pokémon Company Intl. do. I also do not own any part of the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. I make no profit.

Chapter List
- 1-Marked
- 1
From Hesiod’s poem to Nyx

“There also stands the gloomy House of Night;
ghastly clouds shroud it in darkness.
Before it Atlas stands erect and on his head
and unwearying arms firmly supports the broad sky,
where Night and Day cross a bronze threshold
and then come close and greet each other.”

(Hesiod, Theogony, 744 ff)

☾

April 10th,

“Finally,” Ash yawned as he blinked to adjust his eyes to the darkness outside of the movie theater. “Man. How long was that last movie?” Gary stood next to him, his Han Solo vest flapping in the breeze along with the loose shirt he wore. Ash, himself was dressed as Luke, head to toe in cream and white, with his father’s utility belt hanging from his hips. Ash closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the cool air, even though they were in downtown Vermillion, the smell of the ocean surrounded them.
That was, until the salt smell was interrupted by the sugary-sweet smell of cherries. Ash opened his eyes and looked at Gary who was blowing out what had to be the biggest cloud of smoke Ash had ever seen. “They’re only about two and a half hours, and we’ve got the prequels over with.” He silently sighed as Gary rubbed his eyes as he looked down at his watch. “It’s barely one in the morning and we’ve got the next eight to go.” Ash blinked at him. They’d been at the theater since eight p.m. that night.
“At least the theater is kind enough to give viewers breaks between the movies…” Ash sighed wearily, coughing when he inhaled a cherry cloud. His foot hit the ground in a stomp of frustration at Gary, “Can you stop that?” Ash gulped and lifted his foot, swinging it gently for a moment when Gary shot him a look. He turned his body to Ash and leaned in close with a smile.
“What? This?” He inhaled and a hand gently stroked Ash’s cheek. Ash gasped at the sensation, his heart pounding in his ears as he stared back at Gary, who was inches from his face. A finger tugged at Ash’s lip and he suddenly felt dizzy as he leaned forwards into Gary and within seconds his mouth was full of cherry. Gary pulled back with a laugh, and more thick vapor was blown in his face. Ash frowned at him in embarrassment, before he looked away and did his best to not look hurt.
“I kinda don’t think I can survive another eight movies.” He looked away from Gary and stared down at his boots.
Gary sighed and rolled his eyes, dramatically folding over next to Ash before he grinned up at him and winked. “Come on Ash, don’t tap out on me yet. You’re the one who planned this whole thing! Anyways, the next episode doesn’t start until four fifteen. If we get to the hotel in the next ten minutes, we’ll have enough time to take a nap and get some food before we come back.” He took another rip, “Sound good?
He was right of course, they were a week away from Gary’s sixteenth birthday and Ash had wanted to do something special for his best friend… It was almost divine intervention that the newest movie was coming out just before his birthday. More-so that Spark Cinemas in Vermillion was running the eleven movie event that Ash had managed to snatch tickets to. Gary had been into the galactic sci-fi series since they were children, and while Ash himself had never been too interested in them, it made Gary happy.
And Ash loved seeing Gary happy, well, he loved Gary in general. Ash knew that honestly.. He’d sit through a thousand movies for him. He silently watched Gary smoke, captured by the way Gary seemed to glow against the lights behind him, from his auburn hair to his long thick lashes. Ash had been crushing hard on him since they were children, not that Gary had ever really noticed- or that Ash had ever given him the chance to. Gary’s father was the Mayor of Pallet, and his own father was the Sheriff, Ash knew that two of the most powerful men in town having gay sons would not be taken well.
But Ash was tired of waiting. I don’t want to miss out on my chance. He loved Gary, and he was going to tell him. Tonight. And he prayed that Gary felt the same. Ash was tired of joking around.
“Yeah,” Ash said finally. “Sounds good.” He followed after Gary down the streets back to the hotel, his friend was busy making rings which always managed to billow into his face, leaving Ash with a sticky feeling on his cheek. Even though it was still early, the streets were quiet as they took a shortcut through the park towards the hotel. “You know, it’s hard to believe that the guy who plays Anakin isn’t a Vamp.”
Gary looked at him, “What makes you say that?”
“Well you know, all the great actors and actresses are Vamps. Like, Natalie Portman, she’s a Vamp.” Ash shrugged, “I mean he must have been really good to beat a Vamp out of the role is all.”
“Vamps aren’t that great, you know.” Gary grumbled, “We’ve just been conditioned to believe that they’re better than us because some dumb Goddess gave them a stupid tattoo.” He rolled his eyes. “Us humans are just as talented. They’re just bloodsucking freaks.” The tone Gary’s voice took on was almost scary. The distinct sapphire crescent moon that decorated the forehead of a Vamp was the defining trait of a Vampyre, every Fledgling received one when they were Marked by the Tracker Vampyres , who well.. tracked down humans “destined” to be Vampyres.
Ash, as well as the rest of the world weren't sure why they even had them. What he did know was that for some odd reason, they were hard to cover up. Vampy actresses and actors often had to reapply makeup through scenes just because something in the mark ate through foundation. And he thought back to the few scenes where Natalie Portman’s mark had proudly displayed itself though her white face paint, instantly disappearing in the next scene.
Ash looked around to the trees that surrounded them, “Yeah…” He didn’t want to fight with Gary about it. Vampyres dominated the arts, the most successful actors and actresses are of the Vampyre race. Musicians, artists, painters, writers, singers, dancers- Ash couldn’t even list everything that they did well, simply because they did everything well. But he wasn’t exactly bitter at them for it, it just meant that he and Gary would have to work a little bit harder to get where they wanted to go. The breeze turned cold and he instinctively huddled closer to Gary as they left the park. “You think there are any out right now?” He cautiously looked around at the few passerbys along the sidewalk.
“Vamps?” Gary looked around, “Maybe, Vermillion is chock-full of ‘em.” He looked around before he held open the door to the hotel and Ash hurried in, right after Gary and they headed straight for the elevator up to their room.
Ash stretched under the blankets, Gary was snoring softly in his ear. Ash curled back against him and Gary unconsciously pulled him closer. Ash was hot, he felt sweaty and Gary’s body heat on him certainly didn’t do him any favors- but he wasn’t complaining. Gary had never been one to cuddle , and had complained more than a few times growing up. Ash saw this as progress. He yawned and kicked off the blanket, and stared at the clock. It was nearly three-thirty, and he knew they would need to get up soon in time to grab some food before the next movie.
But being warm and curled up in Gary’s arms had him dreading the loud ringtone that erupted from Gary’s bedside. Within seconds he felt a rush of hot air as Gary yawned and pulled himself away.
The diner was full of other moviegoers, Ash and Gary had managed to snag a few seats between a row of Stormtroopers . Ash ate quietly, accepting a few compliments on his costume from other Luke cosplayers that passed him on their way to leave. And while he wasn’t too interested in the conversation that Gary was having with a Leia , he did his best to not get left out.
Suddenly a cold chill ran up his back and he sat up, looking around at the now dwindling crowd of people, his eyes caught on a man standing just outside of the diner. He was handsome in an almost otherworldly way, he had high cheekbones and strong brows and an even stronger jawline.. and for a moment it looked as if he was scowling. Like looking at Ash was an inconvenience.
Ash shivered as he watched him and the realization hit him, he was a Vampyre, he could just feel it. “Ash.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of him, his long, shiny dark hair was neatly wrapped into a braid, and his bangs, neatly framing the sapphire mark that was centered on his forehead. “Ash.” They locked eyes for a moment before a hand waved lazily in front of his face. Ash blinked once and the Vamp was gone. “Ash! Come on. We’re about to head to the theater.” Ash looked up at Gary for a moment and stood. “We’re all heading back to the theater as a group.”
“Oh! Uh, yeah!” He turned and gathered his plates and hurried to take them to the bin. “Thank you!!” He waved at the diner staff as he hurried out the door after the small crowd. They all chatted cheerfully as they walked down the empty street in a small herd, Ash walked behind them slowly, watching Leia absolutely gush over something Gary had said to her. She pulled out her phone, and after a few taps, handed it over to Gary, and Ash unconsciously tapped his pocket for his own phone.
And stopped when he realized he couldn’t feel it. “Gary??” He looked down the street behind him, sighing when he could still see the lights of the diner on. “Gary!!” And although Ash didn’t see it, Gary sighed as he and Leia turned back to him.
“Yeah Ash?” He handed her back his phone.
“Do you have my phone? I think I left it in the diner.” Ash bit his lip as he turned back to Gary, watching as the rest of the group continued.
“No. I don’t have it, you think you left it in the room?”
Ash shook his head as he tapped his foot. “Will you guys wait for me if I run back to the diner and see if they have it?” He already started walking backwards when Gary and Leia frowned, before he broke into a run. He could see people walking out of the diner and he picked up speed, skidding to a stop just as an older woman locked the door behind her. “Ma’am! I think I left my-”
“Phone?” She held up his phone and jingled it slightly, the screen glinting in the darkness around them. “Here you go baby.” She smiled at him as he gratefully took his phone from her.
“Thank you so much ma’am! You guys have a good rest of your night!!” He hopped from foot to foot as he checked his phone before putting it away.
“You’re welcome baby,” She smiled at him as she and one of her workers began to walk away. “Stay safe sweetheart, the city is dangerous at night.”
“Will do!” Ash waved and turned back to where Gary and Leia were waiting.
Or rather.. Where they were supposed to be waiting for him . He could see them disappear down the park trail with the rest of the group, the lump of disappointment that formed in his throat hurt as he hurried down the street. He wasn’t just disappointed, he felt wounded when Gary very pointedly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Ash could faintly hear her laughter, along with some of the crowd singing, but he also heard something else.
Something that made his stomach knot up and his heart pound. Footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Behind him. He took a deep breath and did his best to stay calm, maybe it was just another moviegoer that was leaving the hotel? Maybe it was just some random person on their way home? Maybe… Ash shuddered as the image of the Vamp from earlier flashed in his memory. He stopped under a streetlight and listened for a moment, pulling out his phone so he had something to look busy with, if it was just someone who was minding their own business. The footsteps stopped and blood pounded in his ears as he scrolled through twitter and quickly texted Gary.
Hey man.. I got my phone, it was at the diner.. … Delivered. The air turned cold and he shivered as he listened to the utter quiet around him.
Gary, I think I’m being followed.. … Delivered.
He switched back to twitter and slowly started walking again, “Oh god.” whispering as the footsteps behind him picked back up.
Meet me at the park. I’m really scared dude. … Delivered.
He stared at the message screen, silently begging for Gary to read the message. He picked up his pace, heart racing as the heavy, almost violent sounding steps also sped up.
HELP ME. … Delivered.
His phone jostled out of his hands when he ran into the trunk of a car, falling to the ground next to it and hurried to get up, eyes focused on the ground as he searched for his phone. “Fuck.” Near the front of the car laid his phone, and he moved to pick it up when a large boot settled over the back of it, Ash pulled his fingers away just before they got crushed and he looked up at the owner of the boot..
To nothing but the starry sky above him. Ash blinked and looked back down at the phone, stomach sinking as he picked it up. Is my mind playing tricks on me? WAS the boot real? He turned his phone over, the screen was cracked, severely cracked, and he had a notification but he couldn’t quite read it with the way lines ran through the screen. “Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck FUCK.” Carefully brushing away pieces of glass, he tested the screen, frowning when the only response he got was a bloody thumb.
Ash sighed as he steeled himself and turned around, he couldn’t hear anything, but that didn’t stop his nerves from yelling at him that he wasn’t alone. But the sidewalk was empty, the street was empty and so was the other sidewalk across the street. Ash was alone . He sighed in relief, still on edge, but thankful to be safe. That was.. until the hair on the back of his neck stood up at the sensation of something touching his hair.
Screaming as he whipped around, and walking backwards, he was met again with… nothing. Ash took a deep breath and shook out his arms, putting his phone away into his belt. “Okay Ash. It’s like four o’clock in the morning, and you’ve only had like two hours of sleep. You’re safe.” He nodded to himself and slapped his cheeks gently before he turned around, bumping into someone .
“Are you sure about that.. Ash?” Hard eyes locked on his own and the man from the diner.. the Vamp from the diner smirked at him for a moment. In the low light Ash could almost see the crescent mark clearly, but he was more focused on the straight, white teeth that glinted dangerously as he smiled down at him. Every nerve in his body was screaming for him to run!! Run!! Fucking R. U. N. But he couldn’t move, at all, like his feet were frozen in place.
All Ash could do was stare.
He was stunning up close, well, he was still stunning when Ash was staring at him back in the diner but words couldn’t even describe him now. Light, ice blue eyes, with long lashes and while his smile was very obviously menacing- Ash felt his cheeks get hot the longer he stared at it. He shifted his eyes away from the Vamp’s face, trying to break himself out of whatever spell he was trying to use. Ash instead focused on the thick dark braid that hung over one shoulder, and upon closer inspection he realized that his hair wasn’t black, like Ash had thought, but instead a beautiful eggplant purple, and he was taller than he had looked back at the diner. Yeah. Most definitely a Vamp.
It was moments later that Ash realized that the Vamp was waiting for a response. “I-” He began, looking around, trying to think of a way to get away without having his throat ripped out.
“Go ahead. You know you want to run.” The Vamp leaned down and whispered in his ear, before walking in a small circle around him until he was standing right behind Ash, who shivered at the cold air that tickled his ear. “Let’s make this fun. Tell you what..” Heavy hands settled on his shoulders, and Ash couldn’t help but audibly whine as a sharp nail slowly raked up his neck, tapping above what Ash guessed was his arteries. “If you can make it to the theater without me catching you, I’ll let you go and we can act like this encounter never happened. I’ll even give you a head start.” He pointed down the street, where the flashing signs of the theater glittered like a beacon in the night.
Ash gulped. The park had to be three blocks away, the park itself was massive. There’s no way he’d make it to the theater in one solid piece. The fact that he’d be racing a Vampyre was also a big red, flashing “oh fuck” sign in his head. Everyone knew that even a Fledgling could outrun a race car at full speed. His chest ached and he looked up at the Vamp, who grinned and rubbed Ash’s shoulders softly before letting go. “Please…” His eyes teared up as he whined, frustrated with himself as he started to cry.
“Get ready.” His voice was laced with venom, and Ash’s breathing got ragged. “Set.”
“Just let me go.”
“ Go .” Those blue eyes sparked with something Ash didn’t even want to begin to comprehend.
His body was completely out of it, for a second, he just stood there, wiping his eyes before he took off as fast as he could. “HELP!” His voice didn’t even sound the same to him, he could hear the Vamp laughing at him and he looked back to see the Vampyre staying true to his word, standing in the middle of the street where Ash left him. He turned back, willing his legs to move faster as he took a deep breath. “HEELP!!”
No one, however, answered him. “Fuck.” He heaved as he heard footsteps behind him, but before he knew it, he made it onto the gravel trail that wound through the park. He stopped for a moment to think about which path was the shortest to the theater, but the appearance of the Vamp hanging out of a tree next to him made him scream and start running again.
The trail disappeared and the trees grew closer together as he jumped and sprinted through the thicket. Ash realized his mistake when it got so dark that he couldn’t even see where he was going. He stopped to take a breath, looking around even though everything was pitch black. He gulped when he heard a tree shake a few feet away from him. “.. Please..” He took a step back, staying still after nearly tripping over a branch.
Ash whimpered as a heavy thump in front of him signaled the end of his nocturnal friend’s game. “You run pretty fast.. for a human.” Ash held out his arms and slowly turned in a circle, not exactly sure which direction the Vamp’s voice had come from. “Let me guess, you’re in track?”
“N-no..” His voice shook as he turned to it.
“Really? Wow. Waste of talent.” Ash could almost hear the smirk. God, he wished he could at least see something . The Vamp tsked, and Ash felt warm fingers circle around his neck as their owner walked around him. Ash put his arms down, it was no use in trying to protect himself from something he couldn’t see. “Well, now that you’re nice and warm..”
Ash screamed when he was pulled against the Vamp, one hand pulling down the shoulder of his shirt, and the other cradling his head. He screamed until he felt the quick bite of sharp teeth and a feeling of heat fill him. And before he could stop himself, he let out a moan . This feels amazing. The effect that being fucking fed on had on his body absolutely horrified him. He shifted his legs, already feeling his jeans begin to get tight. “God-“ He whined as the Vampyre groaned against him, he could feel the deep rumble in the man’s chest as he continued. The hand on his shoulder quickly traveled down to his hip and pulled him closer, the other hand moving to do the same.
Ash moaned at the sensation of the warm tongue running along his skin, the warm thigh that gently prodded between his own. Warm hands groped him through his clothes. “Please..” He wanted more , of what, he didn’t really know. He gave in and shifted his legs apart and held on tightly to the man’s shirt, the way the man rolled his hips against him had Ash seeing stars in the darkness.
Then something hard pressed against his back, and it took Ash a moment to realize he’d been hoisted up into the air and was now pressed against a tree. Instinctively, he reached up and held onto the head of the Vamp, his other arm wrapped around his shoulder, so he didn’t fall. Strangely enough, being wrapped up in the Vamp’s arms was like wrapping himself in a warm blanket just out of the dryer. It made him feel all fuzzy inside, from his head down to the veins in his legs which.. should have scared him, but he wasn’t, not anymore.
One final drag of a tongue against his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and seconds later he felt lips pressed against his own. He grimaced at the taste of his own blood but it didn’t stop him from opening his mouth to the tongue that pressed against his lips.
Ash adjusted his arms and sighed as he let the man take control of the kiss and rolled his hips against him. Every moan he gave off was echoed by the Vampyre until he was dizzy, lightheaded and a part of him was also relieved to feel the tent in the Vamp’s crotch that pressed up against his own. He’d never been kissed so.. passionately before, if he could even call it that. This man, despite everything that happened not even ten minutes ago, had made Ash feel more wanted than Gary ever had in their 15 years of friendship. The Vamp pulled away much to Ash’s disappointment, he even unconsciously let out a whine and reached for him. Ash slid down the tree and sat there for a moment, his whole body was alight, and he started laughing almost uncontrollably.
“Something funny?” The Vamp sounded amused, and seconds later strong hands pulled him up from the ground and held him close.
Ash hugged onto him and laid his head against the man’s chest, he was too short to reach the man’s shoulder. Then he was let go and a strong hand tangled in his own and he was gently guided through the woods, back to the trail Ash presumed. “I.. I thought you were going to kill me… and you kissed me instead.” Ash couldn’t see where he was walking, but he was thankful that the Vamp was there to lift him up periodically when he needed to step over something.
“I like a good chase… Adrenaline makes blood taste even sweeter, or, that was my theory.” Ash couldn’t help but giggle as cold air hit his ear. “Until you confirmed it.” He could practically hear the dazzling grin that must have been on the man’s face.
“Really?” Ash could see the lights that lit up the trail in the park, and all too soon they were standing in the middle of the light.
The Vamp shrugged. “Humans often assume that Vampyres need to kill them to feed, but that’s because when humans need to feed, they kill animals instead.” Ash blinked at that, “Really, humans are just scared of how good we make you feel.”
Ash turned red as the Vamp smirked, and a part of himself knew he was right. Growing up, he’d always heard horror stories of Vampyres ruthlessly killing their victims.. but now he wondered if those were true. It did feel good to be fed on, it felt even better to make out after being fed on. Ash adjusted his pants, thankful that his hard-on had gone away during their walk. Though, he could still feel the tingling in his body, the need that had nearly consumed him when he’d been kissed.
The Vampyre looked down at him and cupped his face softly, and Ash took in a breath of air when his thumb dragged at his bottom lip. “You have very pretty eyes, has anyone ever told you that?” Ash shook his head as the Vamp leaned closer. Ash took a step forward and leaned in to close the gap. “Shame.”
But Ash didn’t get the kiss that he was expecting, instead the Vamp held him for a moment and just stared at him. “You’re going to forget this ever happened.” His voice was low, almost monotone, his eyes seemed to start glowing in the low light. “You’re going to stay here, and wait for the human..” He turned his head to the side, like he was listening, and with a low growl, “That left you behind.” He paused for a moment. “You just got confused on your way to the theater. No one was following you..”
“I just got confused.” Ash repeated. The blue-eyed man just nodded, eyes turning red for just a moment before he.. disappeared into thin air. Ash blinked again, and turned around at the sound of Gary grumbling.
“Ash!” Gary sighed. “What happened?”
“I…” He frowned as he looked at Gary, who crossed his arms impatiently. “I don’t know..”
“Oh? You don’t know?” A roll of green eyes sent his heart sinking. “You texted me like a madman saying that you were being followed.”
Ash blinked. He didn’t remember that. “I did?” He remembered running down the street after taking his phone from the nice woman at the diner, and he remembered bumping into a car and dropping his phone. “I don’t remember anyone following me.”
Gary looked at him and laughed, “So now you’re going to lie? You’re a piece of work Ash. Is it because I walked off with Amber? God you are so needy, I can’t do anything without you right?” He put his hand up against his head. “Come on, the movie’s about to start.”
Gary’s words, along with the tone his friend had taken, hurt. Before Ash even knew what he was doing, he pressed his lips to Gary’s and held on tight to the vest. For a moment, Gary stood still, in what Ash guessed was shock, until one of Gary’s hands pressed against his chest, and Ash pulled away for a breath of air.
They silently stared at each other, Ash was almost lost in Gary’s green eyes until they narrowed in anger. “Ash. What the fuck man?” Gary wiped his mouth and scoffed. “Come on, we need to find good seats.” He turned and headed back down the trail.
For a moment, Ash felt as if he was going to cry, suddenly a cold feeling dragged up Ash’s spine, and he looked back at the park around him, shrugging when he saw no one there.
April 15th,

Ash sniffled, struggling to stay quiet as Mrs. Padden drawled on and on. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep, the sudden chill he’d woken with hadn’t gone away and his lungs burned with every breath he took. Before he could stop himself, he coughed and coughed like his lungs were trying to turn themselves inside out. The whole class turned to look at him as Mrs. Padden also turned to him.
“Sounds like someone needs to lay off the cigarettes Mr. Ketchum.” She huffed, her hand on her hip. “Or is it vaping that you kids do nowadays?” One time , Ash thought. One time she’d caught him taking a hit off of Gary’s vape after school in the bathroom. He didn’t even like it. Ash sighed as he thumped his hand against his chest to try and calm his cough. Every part of him was on fire, and his eyes watered at the massive headache that was now also coming to kick his ass at nine in the goddamn morning.
“Vaping, Mrs. Padden.” Duplica leaned out of her seat, and Ash gratefully took the bottle of water she handed to him. “Smoking is so unattractive nowadays.” Her eyes were apologetic, watching Ash finish the bottle in seconds. He took a deep breath and swallowed the last bit of water. What is going on?! Ash couldn’t help but wonder as his headache made him feel like he was going to hurl.
“Oh dear, it’s always been unattractive.” Mrs. Padden shook her head as she headed to the front of the room and sat down at her desk and pulled out a pink slip. “Ash dear, I’m just poking fun.” She continued writing before getting up and heading for him, he could very faintly make out the words ‘Nurse’s Office’ as he took it. “Now- while recent research has told us that the Change originates in the DNA during hormone surges triggered by puberty, we can’t seem to figure out why such a small percentage of teenagers are Marked, and why an even smaller percent survive the Change to a fully grown Vampyre .”
After gathering all his books, Ash hurried out of the room, heading right for the bathroom next door as his stomach heaved. He pushed past the boy he ran into on his way to a stall and dropped to his knees in front of a toilet. He felt like he was about to pass out as he wiped his mouth and flushed, moving to stand so he could go and wash his mouth out in the sink. He could faintly hear Mrs. Padden still talking.
“Once Marked, a Fledgling must make their way to a House of Night school or else, within a day, their pulmonary-capillary system will begin to break down and their insides will begin to liquify which causes the Fledgling to drown in their own blood and bodily fluids, as seen recently with that poor boy out in Unova, who’s parents refused to let him leave home.” Ash took a deep breath as he swished his mouth with water and spit. “Well, more importantly, it is not in fact, the House of Night, it is simply the Adult Vampyres. They secrete what’s called, for lack of a better term, a ‘Shield Pheromone’ that calms the body of a Fledgling and allows them to stay healthy enough over the four years it takes to complete the Change. After that, a Fledgling cannot be away from an Adult for more than four hours or their body will begin to reject the Change, and once that process begins, it cannot be reversed.”
Ash stared at himself in the mirror, her words seeming to resonate within him. For a moment he imagined himself with one of those sapphire marks like his uncle Christopher had. Ash squinted and swore that for just a moment he saw the center of his forehead begin to pulse, but when he blinked past his headache, it was gone. Mrs. Padden kept speaking about her experience with the Vampyre race, everyone in town knew that her twin sister had been chosen by them. Though, she was rarely ever seen around town, since Pallet was a strict No-Vampyre Town, and nearly everyone held that same value. All, of course, except Mrs. Padden and himself.. but to speak out about it was a sure-fire way to ruin his social life.
Ash rolled his eyes and sighed as he finally pushed away from the sink, adjusting his backpack before he headed for the nurse’s office. “Well..” Ash looked down at the slip, “If I get sent home, I get sent home.”
“Sweetie, if you weren’t feeling well, why did you go to school?” Delia pressed a cold towel to Ash’s head before she finished tucking him in, working her way around him with her hands to make sure he was in a secure, warm cocoon.
“I had a test today in first period.” Ash sighed when she quickly kissed him on the cheek and gently held his face. “Math is the worst. Plus it’s Gary’s birthday. We’re supposed to have a party tonight.” He frowned up at her as he got comfortable. “Can I still go?”
Delia frowned back at him for a moment before sighing. “Take a nap first, if you feel better after your nap, you can go.” She reached up and tucked the blanket in under his neck. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me, okay?”
“Okay.” Ash coughed, taking slow, deep breaths that felt peaceful to him, his aching body relaxed into the mattress as he closed his eyes. Very faintly he could hear music, almost rhythmic and ceremonial as he drifted off, but just before the world went black, he swore he heard a woman’s voice.
Ash Ketchum, come to me my sweet son. Follow me to your destiny.
When he woke, he did not feel better. In fact, he felt worse. Not even the hot shower or warm soup his mother had made him helped at all. His head felt as if it would explode, and every intake of air was a challenge. But today was his best friend’s birthday, and if things went the way Ash planned, this would be the beginning of a new chapter for their friendship.
The fake plastic crown on his friend’s head glimmered in the low light of the kitchen. Gary’s glasses glimmered against his phone screen and Ash stopped for a moment to just take in how handsome his friend was. They hadn’t spoken about the kiss since it had happened, in fact, Gary had made out as if it had never happened at all. Part of Ash was hurt, because Gary’s lips had felt perfect against his own- but he was going to get a solid answer from Gary tonight. No matter what.
He hoped Gary liked him back.
The party was small, it was just Gary’s friends, or the Nerd Herd as Ash had been lovingly calling them since freshman year. Gary’s parents were out of town for the weekend, visiting his sister at college, which meant they had the house all to themselves. Well, the house wasn’t completely empty, Gary’s grandfather was home, but he knew when to ‘give the kids their space’, as he liked to say.
“Hey Gare?” Ash coughed as he carried in the abandoned cups left by the nerds who were all gathering around the tv as Star Trek booted up, “Can I talk to you?” Setting them down on the table, he snapped his fingers to his friend who was busy tapping away on his phone. “Gary?”
“Yeah what?” Ash noticed the way his friend looked at his phone and could tell almost immediately that his friend was talking to a girl and for a moment, his heart sunk and something deep inside of him told him that this wasn’t the right time to talk. “Bud… are you sure you don’t just wanna go home? Not to be rude or anything, but you really look like shit man.” Gary pushed up his glasses and moved over to put his hand on Ash’s forehead. Gary’s hand felt cool against his forehead and Ash hummed for a moment as he breathed in the faint smell of whatever cologne Gary had on. “You’re burning up man.”
Ash sighed and sat down, making sure to not cough on Gary before he took a bag of ice that Gary was handing to him. “Gary, it’s your birthday, I don’t care about a common cold. I need to talk to you...” The birthday card in his back pocket was burning a hole in his jeans…
“Um, I’m pretty sure this can wait Ash. You look like you need to go to the hospital, let me go check if we have any medicine.” He made a face of disgust as a cough wracked Ash’s whole body enough to leave him sniffling with his head down on the counter. “Dude..”
“I think I’m gonna throw up.”
“Dude!“ Ash didn’t look up to see Gary’s face, his head was spinning so fast that he didn’t hear the knock on the doors that led outside to the pool. “Dude! One of those freaks is here!” At that, Ash’s head snapped up in almost uncontrollable anger.
“Stop calling them that! They’re Vampyres Gary, they’re no different than us!” He turned his face towards the door, and outside stood one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. “She can’t come in anyways, Vampyres have to be invited don’t they?” He turned back to Gary, who was looking even paler than normal.
“She’s one of those… trackers.” He whispered as he took a step back towards the living room, and for a moment Ash realized that all of the commotion from the other room was gone. It was at that time that he noticed that the nerd herd had come to see what Gary was yelling at, and were now all squawking at the her like she was some animal at the Zoo. “I can’t be Marked, it’s against God.” Gary turned back to his friends just as the door finally opened.
It was like a dam had broken, all of the nerd herd was screaming at the top of their lungs- but Ash wasn’t paying attention to that. He was more focused on the fact that he felt so much better. It was almost instantaneous, he could breathe again, his head stopped pounding, but his forehead did start to throb.
“You are not allowed here freak.” Gary walked forwards with a glove of garlic in his hand, “I will not be one of you, so you can just head on back to your cave.” The Vampyre didn’t even cast Gary a glance, her eyes were in fact, turned to him.
She was supernaturally beautiful, long, shiny pink hair and electric yellow eyes clashed with the sapphire blue crescent moon that was almost delicately placed in the center of her forehead. With every step she took closer, Gary took one back, dropping the clove before hiding amongst his friends. Ash felt his face grow hot as she stopped in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gary’s face was almost hurt as he and the rest of the nerd herd watched her lift her tattooed palm to him.
“Ash Ketchum! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee, hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night .” Her voice was strong, clear and almost proud as her finger pressed to his forehead.
A name came to him in a daze as his forehead erupted in pain, Plumeria , he could only guess that this was her name, a hand held to his forehead, he blinked up at her in awe.
Plumeria looked at him curiously for a moment before she looked down at her palm. The spiral tattoo in her palm was bleeding heavily like she'd cut it open with a knife, strangely enough, none of the blood was dripping, it was like a bead of water that wouldn’t break. They both watched as the tattoo seemed to reabsorb the blood. She looked at the sapphire mark, “Man kiddo, Nyx wanted you bad. I hope you make the right choice, it seems to me like you’re friends with a lot of ignorant losers.”
Ash blinked and nervously looked around at his group of friends to see them all staring at him with fear in their eyes. And behind them, he could see Gary quietly making his way up the stairs to his room. His eyes locked with his best friend for a moment, and Ash felt like he was going to cry when he heard Gary’s sigh and watched him disappear.
Plumeria sighed, “The nearest House of Night is in Vermillion City, I suggest you say your goodbyes tonight and leave.” She looked around at the crowd of boys behind him and then turned to smile at him, before winking. “I vant to suck your blood, bleh!” She raised her hands… well.. her.. claws , and hissed at them, grinning at their screams before she started laughing and left the way she entered.
The herd ran in fear as Ash pushed past them to make his way upstairs to find Gary. Ash found him in his room, sitting at the window and looking out. He quietly knocked on the door before entering. “.. Gary?’
“Get out demon.” Gary’s words were full of venom, his back turned to Ash. Ash blinked for a moment in the low light and felt anger bubble up inside of him.
“Garrett Oak!” He couldn’t help but stomp his foot, succeeding in getting Gary to turn and look at him. “I am not a demon. I am not a freak .” He stopped to cough into his arm before continuing. “I’m just me, Gary. The same Ash that you grew up with, the same person I was ten minutes ago before I was.. Marked. This doesn’t change who I am!”
Gary didn’t look so convinced as he rolled his eyes at Ash. “You have that thing on your face now Ash, how are you ‘the same’? You’re either going to turn into one of those freaks or you’re going to die.” Ash watched as his friend laughed in disbelief and shook his head. “Everything has changed.”
“It doesn't have to.” He took slow, small steps until he was close enough to Gary to hug him, Ash choked back a sob of relief when Gary didn’t cringe away from him. “I love you..” His headache was returning, and his lungs burned with every breath he took, but he didn’t pull away from Gary who was looking at him with a genuine sadness in his eyes. Ash closed the gap and wrapped his arms around Gary’s neck, “I love you as more than a friend. That’s why I chose to not go home, it’s your birthday and I wanted to be with you.”
Gary didn’t say anything back, Ash blinked back tears as he moved his hands to Gary’s face and gently ran his thumb over Gary’s cheek and just as he was about to lean in, he smelled something delicious. He couldn’t quite put a finger on what exactly it was. It smelled completely different from his cologne, in a good way, he couldn’t help but close his eyes and take a deep breath. Ash hummed before he looked around to see Gary’s hand lifted up in the moonlight. In Gary’s hand was his pocket knife, he’d pressed his thumb into the blade, and even though the bead of blood was small, the scent it gave off seemed to fill the room.
“I.. I want-” Ash absentmindedly licked his lips and looked back up at Gary, who was now thoroughly disgusted and pushing Ash away from him.
“You just can’t help yourself can you?”
He blinked, “What?” Hurt that Gary had pushed him away. Gary rubbed his thumb off on his jeans and was putting the knife away. “What did you do that for?” His eyes were locked on the hand that was now hidden in a pocket. “Were you really testing me to see if I would react?” The urge to cry was overwhelming.
“Your eyes did some freaky motion the second you saw my blood, but you love me right? Or was that just some tactic so you could rip open my neck?” His friend scoffed and stepped closer. “All you freaks really are the same. You really tried to stand there and tell me nothing has changed but you didn’t see yourself just now.”
The tears were falling now, Ash shook his head as he reached out for Gary. “Gary please.. ”
“Get out. Get out of my house.” Gary turned away from him again. “I don’t want to see you again.”
Ash wiped his eyes and rubbed them as he turned to leave, coughing his way out of the door. He sniffled just before he turned back, “I really do love you… And I was thinking that after graduation next month, that we could have moved in together.. You know, outside of Pallet Town.” Gary sighed as he turned and moved to close the door to his room. “Please, just think about it? Vermillion is a nice city..”
The door closed without a response and Ash could barely keep it together as he hurried down the stairs to leave the house. The moment the front door closed behind him he couldn’t stop the sobs that shook his entire body. Once he was standing in the road, he looked up at Gary’s window and wasn’t surprised at his.. ex friend watching him. Gary closed the blinds and the lights turned off, Ash took a deep breath and started the short walk to his house just though the plot of land behind Gary’s house.
The quiet of night calmed him, and the full moon shining bright oddly made him feel at home..
Ash Ketchum… He saw her first, before he heard her voice. She stood in the middle of the field, at the halfway point between his house and Gary’s house, but just as he was about to answer her, she continued. Come to me, my son. Something in her voice made his soul leap, and despite how much it hurt to even breathe, he instantly began running to the woman.
Ash was wheezing when he finally reached her. She was so fantastically beautiful, somehow even more beautiful than Plumeria had been. Her crescent mark was framed by sapphire blue and silver swirls that ran down from her temples and wrapped under her chin. Long, thick straight hair that was so black it was purple in the moonlight framed her face, and contrasted with the bright white dress she was wearing. Her deep brown eyes were full of love and what looked to be flecks of gold, her lips curved up in a smile. “Who are you?” He finally asked, after catching his breath, and no longer feeling like he was dying.
I do not have one name, Changing Woman, Gaea, Grandmother Spider, Dawn, Mary, Asherah… As she spoke every name, her face transformed slightly, but kept her beautiful features. Nowadays, I am known as Nyx. But you pumpkin, may call me Mother. Her voice was calming, like a harp, her smile was like the rising sun. Ash could immediately feel his face turn red after hearing her call him by the pet-name his mother had been using since he was a baby.
He felt as if he knew her, but from where, he couldn’t be sure. It took Ash a moment to remember where exactly he’d heard the name Nyx from, and then it hit him. “Plumeria!” A dazzling laugh came from her, “Plumeria told me.. that you… wanted me. You’re the Vampyre Goddess!” He bent down to bow before her.
There is no need to bow Ash. Her smile was genuine as she beckoned for him to walk alongside her, and he did. She was tall, taller than him by a foot or so, but the Goddess made sure to walk slowly so he could keep pace. Well, in truth, it was the ancient Sinnaathi touched by the Change who worshipped me as the mother they searched for within their endless Night, however, I am not their sole creator. I have been honored to call their descendents my children for many ages. I know you have some hesitation in accepting the name Vampyre, but in it, you will find yourself. She smiled at him very softly, and for a moment, Ash felt like he was going to cry. Her warm, loving energy surrounded him like a blanket. Before he even realized he’d done it, he flung himself into her arms and buried his face in her chest.
“He.. called me a freak.” He couldn’t help but sob. “He made me feel like a monster..” Nyx’s beautiful face was soft as her hands moved up to hold his face very gently.
Do you think that you are a monster, my son? Ash shook his head fiercely, sniffling while she wiped away his tears. Good, because you are not a monster. You are not a freak, or a demon, or any other hateful word you’ve heard. You are my son, and you are beautiful. She hugged him close and patted his back. I do understand, the words of loved ones hurt more than words of enemies. But you must not listen to what others claim you as, only you know who you are.
That calmed him enough to take a step back from her. “Thank you Goddess.” He blinked back the rest -of his tears and shakily smiled at her.
It is my honor to give you my unconditional love Ash. I am happy to give it to you. She took a deep breath, and continued walking. Plumeria was correct, I did send for her to Mark you. I have known your soul for eons, ever since you were a starseed in my womb. From the second you were reborn, I have waited so anxiously to meet you.
“I… don’t understand.” Ash looked at her in pure confusion as she gently cupped his face again. “Again? Reborn?”
Nyx nodded and looked up to the sky. While you have been born to Cordelia and Sebastian, and they are your parents no doubt, I am your mother. You are my son incarnate, you are my opposite. I am Night, you are Day. You are the Son of Night.
“Like a demigod?” His brain hurt as he thought about the fact that he now had two mothers.. He didn’t feel like he was any different than other people he knew. And if he was a demigod then why didn’t he have super strength or could talk to animals or something? “Goddess, I don’t mean to be rude, but this is all very confusing.”
Nyx laughed, I know my child. But no, you are not a demigod, you will never regain your status as a god. If you must know.. They’d stopped just outside of his house, in the middle of the road. In your past life, the life where I had raised you as Hemera, you grew… tired.. of your status and asked me for one thing. She looked down at Ash and brushed his hair back from his forehead and ran her finger over his mark. You wanted to live a new life, as a human being. So I gave you your wish. And I sent you down to your parents as a gift of new life.. Her face was almost sad, Now here you are. A young fledgling. I can’t tell you how proud I am, how happy I am that you’re happy.
She hugged him close to her and pressed a single kiss to his mark, which tingled as she pulled away. I must go now, I hope I have not left you with too many questions, but you need to only look inside yourself to get the answers you are seeking. We will meet again.
And then she was gone, leaving Ash dazed, but happy as he turned to his house.
From the street, Ash could see that the living room light was still on, so instead of heading for the front door like Ash had been planning, he made a beeline for the side of the house. Ash stared up at the old oak tree that had conveniently grown well past his bedroom window, which he and Gary had been using as a means to sneak out for years.
Maybe I can pack my bags and Thunder quietly enough to leave the house within the hour and catch a cab in Viridian. If I’m not…. Ash sighed as he hoisted himself up the tree, like he’d been doing for years. Only this time would be his last. I hope they love me enough to at least let me leave.
He covered his mouth to cough. He dry-heaved for a moment, straddling the thick branch nearest to his window, after a moment, he leaned forwards and pushed the window open and slipped into the room.
Immediately, he dumped his backpack out onto his bed and looked around his room. What DO Vampyres wear? Capes? Suits? Nothing felt right as he tucked a few pairs of jeans into the bag and some black t-shirts. He knew that for sure they’d be wearing black, but he wasn’t sure what else. He closed his closet door and was met with his reflection in the mirror.
A part of him was surprised that he even had a reflection, but everyone knew that the “no reflection due to not having a soul” thing was a stupid myth. He looked exactly the same as he had before he left the house before Gary’s party.
Well… almost the same. He took a deep breath and brushed back his hair from his forehead. And there it was, the sapphire mark was almost delicately centered on his forehead, like it had been there from birth. It stood out against his skin, almost making him seem paler than usual, or maybe it was the moonlight that poured into his room through the window.
One thing did shock him though, his mark was already filled in. He knew from his textbooks that the defining trait of a fledgling Vampyre was an unfilled mark, and Nyx had most definitely called him a fledgling outside in the road. And well, he still felt like he was dying, so he had to be a fledgling.
It was then that he remembered the way his forehead tingled when Nyx had kissed him before she’d gone- and the realization hit him. She had Marked him special, and deep inside of him he felt a feeling of warmth that almost radiated throughout him. Ash knew she had answered him, and he trusted it. He was special to her, so he had a special mark.
It was beautiful, like his uncle Chris’, like Plumeria’s, like his mother Nyx. But now this mark was his own, and for a moment, Ash felt something inside of him surge with pride and.. courage. He hoped that courage would carry him all the way to Vermillion City.
Ash was too scared to go downstairs and face his parents, but he’d make sure to call them as soon as he was safely inside of the House of Night.
Ash turned back to his bed and zipped up his bag, making sure to fit his laptop, switch and all of his chargers into it. There was only one last thing he wanted to take with him, Ash threw his bag over his shoulder and turned to the large guinea pig cage that was pressed against the wall near his bed. “Come on Thunder, we’re leaving.” Ash gently, and quietly opened the cage and stuck his hand inside to feel around for his pig. “Thunder? Come on buddy.”
When his hand found nothing, and the realization that Thunder was not in his cage struck him, was the very moment that he heard it.
“Ash?” The strong voice of his father called up to him from downstairs.
.. … Well fuck. Ash thought. And he stayed as still as he possibly could, but his father knew better.
“Ashton Markos Ketchum, get down here. I saw you climbing the tree.” Ash shuddered at the sound of his full name being called. He sighed and cast himself another glance in the mirror, he took a deep breath and slowly headed down the stairs to the living room.
“Ash sweetheart? Aren’t you supposed to be at Gary’s?” His mother was in her robe, sitting in the recliner with Thunder and his father was sitting beside her, with his hand entwined with hers. And for a moment, Ash considered the stark contrast between his parents and the Goddess he’d just met. It was obvious to him that he was their child, and he had often been called his father’s twin. But in his mother’s brown eyes he found Nyx. His father’s hair was dark brown, rather than Ash’s own dull black, but his golden eyes reminded him of the flecks in Nyx’s eyes. And he didn’t know if it made him feel better that he found his Mother Goddess in his parents, or his parents in his Mother Goddess. “Baby? Have you been crying?”
Ash put his head down and pushed his bangs into his face to try and hide the mark when she stood and made her way over. Thunder wheeked in her arms, chattering happily as she scratched him. “No. Uh.” Ash tried to think of something to say, but he couldn’t come up with anything that wouldn’t get him in trouble. “Please don’t hate me..” He felt his eyes water and sniffled, lifting his head and brushed back his hair. “She came while I was at Gary’s house..”
His mother was pale, she looked terrified, but she didn’t flinch or step away from him. Ash looked over her shoulder to see his father let out a deep sigh. “Sweetie…” Thunder sniffed the air and let out a wheek for Ash and he started to cry as he took his pig from her and nuzzled him. Delia gently reached out and held his face, she smiled at him softly and then hesitantly rubbed the mark on his forehead.
Her fingers felt hot against the mark, Ash pushed her hands away and moved to lean into her, sobbing when she very lovingly wrapped her arms around him, his soul felt at peace as she kissed his mark over and over again, before finally pulling away. “Baby, your uncle Christopher is here. He got here a half hour ago, he told us Nyx sent him.”
The mention of the Goddess’ name caught his attention, but inside of him felt twisted and bad, and he knew that he could not tell them that he had met her. “And he’s here to take you to Vermillion City.” His father finally spoke, putting a hand on Ash’s shoulder. And at the mention of his name, a younger version of his father made his way out of the kitchen. That familiar, soothing feeling that washed over him when he’d met Plumeria and Nyx filled the room.
The sapphire crescent mark centered on his forehead was the first thing that caught Ash’s eye, it was beautiful, surrounded by symbols that Ash couldn’t quite make out. Even though his uncle was actually his father’s twin, his uncle looked to be about twenty while his brother was looking more his actual age of forty-one.
“Hey kiddo. I was wondering when you’d be woah….” His uncle reached out and grasped his forearm, Ash looked down at his hand and very gently grasped his forearm and gave a firm shake. “What happened to you bud? I can feel that you’re a fledgling but your mark is already filled up.” He turned to look back at Delia, who held her hands to her chest. “That’s a great sign, it means he has the favor of Mother Nyx, our Goddess. This means he’ll make it.” Chris smiled softly at her before pulling his nephew in for a hug, being careful of Thunder between them.
“Oh thank goodness.” She sighed in relief, “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you pumpkin.” Beside her, his father also nodded, looking just as relieved.
Once Chris pulled away, he gave Ash a once-over before he nodded. “Alright, I’m going to be waiting in the car, I’ll take your bag. Delia,” he gave her a hug and then moved to his brother. “Sebastian… I’ll let you guys know when visiting day comes around, so you can come and see Ash.” They both nodded to him as Chris headed outside with the bags.
“Ash baby,” Delia gave him a sad smile, moving to hug him. “I packed some things for you, and some food for Thunder..” Ash happily leaned back into her warm arms and kissed her cheek. “Sweetheart, we love you so much, call me whenever you’re able to, I’ll always answer for you.”
“I will mom. I love you.” When he pulled away, he was suddenly wrapped in his father’s arms, but his father didn’t say anything. Thunder squeaked between them before he was let go. “I love you dad. I’ll see you later.” Ash adjusted Thunder as they walked him out to the car where Chris was waiting.
After getting buckled up, Chris looked over at him. “Ready to go?”
Ash sat there for a moment, staring at his parents, at his house… his old house.. “Yeah. I am.” A wave of sadness hit him as Chris pulled out of the driveway and drove off.
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