The Beginning

It was late at night and a steady drumming rain pattered on
the windows of the large apartment. A man sat at a desk working hard,
writing feverishly. A pot of ink was beside him but a lot of it
dotted his hands which were scratching away at the paper with a
feather pen. A gas-lit lamp was the only thing that lit the room.
The sound of rain was replaced by a patter of running feet as a small
girl ran into the room.
"Shido, mother wants to know if you would like something to
eat." Shido shook his head and continued to write. "You haven't
eaten all day, you're going to die of starvation."
"I won't die of starvation, Phoebe. I have to get this paper
done by tomorrow." Phoebe skipped up and glanced over her brother's
shoulder, watching him write for a little while.
"What is it?"
"It's my essay to a college over in America. I'm trying to
get in so I can learn how to be a doctor." A few more minutes passed.
"Do you mind? Tell mother I'll be done within an hour."
Phoebe stomped away but stopped at the door, "Shido?"
"Hm?"
"If you do get into the school, what will happen to me and
mother?" Shido put down the pen and walked over to the little girl.
He played with her blond, puffy, pigtails and then gave her a hug,
"Don't worry about that. I'm thinking of you all the time. Once I
make enough money over seas then I'm going to invite you two to move
over with me."
"Really? I'll get to go on a boat and stuff?"
"You'll get to go on a boat and stuff." Phoebe gave a big
smile and darted off to find her mom. Shido returned to his work.

FOUR MONTHS LATER...
"I can't believe it Shido! It's so wonderful they accepted
you!" Christine exclaimed and kissed her son on the head. Phoebe
jumped up and down in excitement. That day's mail had contained
Shido's passport to a new life-- he had been accepted into the
college, his first day started only in three more months.
He gave a grin, "I'm so excited, I've always dreamed of
helping people. Now I finally get the chance!"
"What will you do, brother?" Shido thought a bit, "Well,
medicine is so advanced these days that with the right expertise one
can even cure epidemics. I'm hoping to save millions of lives."
"Shido's a fine young man, isn't he?" Christine asked and
opened her arms to Phoebe.
"Uh huh!" she replied, giggling along with her mother. Shido
grabbed his long coat and scarf, putting them on he gave both girls a
quick kiss.
"I'm going to go and treat myself to a drink. I'll be back
soon." Christine nodded, "You deserve it." With that he left for the
local tavern. The night was clear but moonless and slightly chilly.
Street lamps were just beginning to be lit. Shido walked happily
along, finally entering a loud and cheerfully lit building. Inside a
piano played as a group of older men played a game of poker, gruff
laughter came from a corner and Shido gave a wave to those he knew.
"Give me something weak, Hilda." Shido said to the bartender,
sitting himself on a stool.
"Got it. You sure seem happy tonight, Shido." Hilda cleaned
a glass for him, filling it to the brim with beer. Shido gratefully
took it, "I just got word that I was accepted into the medical
college."
"That's fantastic Shido, I'm so happy for you!" Hilda
cheered. Giving a grin Shido sipped at his brew and glanced about the
bar.
"So, you want to become a doctor?" came a smooth, accented
voice from his left. Shido turned to see a smiling blond man sitting
on the stool beside him. "It's so nice to see someone who really
cares for humans these days."
Shido gave a blush for the man was quite handsome. He wore a
black cape, his long flowing hair tied back in a black bow. "Yes, I
love knowing the fact that I can change lives."
"Of course, it is a wonderful thing to be able to do that. I
know what you mean." He gave a nod.
Shido smiled, "Are you a doctor, also?" The stranger gave a
short laugh, smiling at Shido. "No, that is another story, Mr..."
Shido held out a hand, "Shido. Tatsuhiko Shido."
"Cain," the other gratefully shook his hand. "May I buy you
another drink, Shido?" Cain pointed to the empty mug but Shido shook
his head.
"That's all I should be drinking. I don't have a head for
alcohol. Thank you though."
"Then that one is on the house." Cain gave another smile. He
liked the looks of this young man with his long purple hair and
flashing green eyes. He seemed strong willed and loving-- just what
he was looking for. The two talked most of the night, the bar slowly
emptying, until they had to be kicked out at closing time.
"It was a pleasure talking to you Cain. Do you come here
often?"
"Almost every night."
"That's good, I'll come here tomorrow and maybe we can
continue our little conversation." Cain agreed, the two shaking hands
once again. As he was putting on his coat and scarf, Shido noticed
that the beer Cain had ordered for himself had never been touched.
Shido walked back home, whistling a classical tune he had
heard, but his happiness was cut short when he came upon a large
crowd. Glancing over people's heads he managed to see two guards
carrying a dead body away from the scene. "What happened?" he asked a
passer-by.
The villager shrugged, "The young boy was just found dead. He
died from blood loss but there's not a drop of blood anywhere on the
ground."
"Who," Shido said frowning, "who could've done it?"
"Demons if you ask me," an old lady whispered, making the sign
of the cross. Shido finally pried his eyes away to continue walking.

"Mother, I'm back," he whispered into his mother's ear. She
was asleep in bed and moaned in response. Shido walked into the room
he shared with Phoebe; she was fast asleep as he stepped out of his
clothes. Climbing into his warm bed he thought of Cain. The man had
struck a place in Shido's heart. He was, no doubt, very smart; damn
good looking too. He turned over on the bed, hoping that he'd see
Cain once again the next night.

Cain and Shido continued their nightly meets at the tavern,
talking about whatever came to mind. Shido looked forward to the
night, he had to admit that the two were beginning to have a strong
friendship. Christine began to get nervous about her son's interest
in this other man. On top of that, there had been more murders of
young men in the town.
"My mother is very scared about those recent killings. Have
you heard of them?" Shido asked after taking a sip of his beer. Cain
nodded solemnly, "Yes, sadly I have. Those poor boys, but their
deaths are so mysterious."
"It's as if a demon sucked the life right out of them." Both
were quiet for a moment. Shido gave a nervous smile, "Wouldn't it be
an exciting thing to come and go as if a ghost, just a flip of a hand
and another's life is at your mercy."
Cain gave a nod but his expression remained serious. Reaching
out he took Shido's hands and held them, they were very warm compared
to his frozen ones. "Could you do me a favor?" Cain asked looking
into Shido's wide, concerned eyes, "I know a way in which you can have
that power and also have a chance to change the lives of many,
including yours."
"How? Will I have to give up becoming a doctor?" Cain gave a
shake of his head, "No, but what I have to offer is so much greater,
you may not consider being a doctor, anymore." Shido leaned in to
hear, Cain's voice had dropped to a whisper.
"Please meet me tomorrow night at the town's cathedral. I
will give you the details there and you can decide."
"I'll try--"
"No!" Cain hissed, his eyes were desperate yet they had a
glint in them that Shido didn't like, "You must come, for it will be
the last time I ever get to see you!"
"You're leaving?" Cain gave a sad nod. "Please come. Can I
trust you on this one?" Shido promised and, holding the icy hands to
his lips, placed a brief kiss on them.
"I promise," he smiled, blushing somewhat. Cain seemed
flattered by the gesture, happy to have won the boy's affection. They
left the bar but Shido did a double take as he left. Something about
Cain's smile made it look threatening, but what?

Christine was waiting in the house when Shido got home.
"You're later than usual, what happened?" Shido hung up his coat on
the stand.
"Don't worry; I was only talking to my friend, Cain."
"I thought that killer had gotten to you!" Shido laughed. "It's not funny, Shido. I want you to stay home with the family
tomorrow."
"What!?" he shouted and spun around to face his mother, "I-I
can't! I promised Cain that I would meet him at the cathedral
tomorrow night!"
His mom gave a sigh, "I don't want you to get killed. The man
kills boys your age. Why does Cain want to meet you at the cathedral,
anyway?"
"He wanted to tell me something important, not to kill me.
This is the last chance I will get to see him." Christine frowned
slightly, pointing to a chair for Shido to sit.
"Sounds odd to me, how do you know he's not the killer?"
"Who, Cain?" Shido laughed, "No, he wouldn't."
"Does he have a last name, or told it to you?"
"No."
"All the more not to trust him."
Shido stood up angrily, "You don't understand, I would like to
see my friend. I promised I would!" He marched past his mom who was
trying to calm him down. "I'm going, whether you want me to or not!"
Shido threw himself on his bed, anger boiling inside of him. His
mother couldn't tell him what to do, he was almost 22 for God sake!
He had sounded rather childish though, yelling at mother like that.
"What's wrong, brother?" Phoebe asked from her bed. She had
heard the argument but was confused at what was going on. Climbing
into her brother's lap she hugged him. Shido smiled down at her, "Mother isn't being fair to me. I know she cares, but I can't break a
promise I made to a friend."
Phoebe nodded, "She always says not to break promises. What's
so special about this one?"
"I don't think she likes my friend, Cain."
"Oh, him. He is kind of scary." Shido rolled his eyes,
"Everyone mistrusts him!" Lifting a giggling Phoebe into the air he
threw her into bed. Tucking her in he said." You'll have to be on my
side for this one, alright?" She yawned but agreed, falling asleep
quickly.

The next day Shido avoided his mother as much as possible, he
didn't want to get in another argument. Day hours passed and soon
evening fell, Shido waited impatiently. His mother stood at the door
as he put on his coat.
"Please, don't try and stop me, it's useless." He pleaded.
"I know, but is there any way you can meet him tomorrow
morning. It would make me feel so much better."
"No," he said with a shake of his head, "I want to go and see
Cain. I have to. Don't worry about me." With a fare well kiss on
her head he rushed out the door and into the night.
The walk to the cathedral was not far, but fear made Shido's
pace faster. The whole town seemed desolate and silent, making the
fear grow stronger. He sighed in relief as the overhead cross came
closer and closer, the sign of God was his sanctuary. Opening the
front doors he walked in. A huge cross loomed above the alter in
front of church, stained glass windows adorned the walls, and a
staircase to the right led up to the bell tower. The sudden noise of
the doors slamming shut made Shido jump around. "Cain?" he asked, but
no one was there.
"Shido," came Cain's voice from behind. Shido turned around,
gasping in amazement at what he saw. Cain's long blond hair flowed
gracefully as he descended down in mid-air. Shido saw that no
supports held him when Cain's feet touched the marble floor. "Shido,
I am glad to see that you came." Shido took a step back.
"What's going on here?" His friend's features had changed.
The usual friendly eyes had turned cat-like while his smile revealed
fangs. "Vampyr!"
Cain held out his hands in an inviting gesture, "Where there
is light, there is always darkness. I want you to join me in those
dark shadows, Shido. Humans are merely things for us to prey upon."
Cain proceeded to walk closer, as Shido desperately tried to step
away.
"No, stop! Stay away!" In a flash Cain had his hand upon
Shido's throat, lifting him off his feet towards those wickedly sharp
teeth.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it? I have waited so long in
the shadows for you to come to me." A pinprick of pain cut off
Shido's cry for help. He only groaned in fear and disbelief. He
could feel his very life being drained away through two holes in his
neck upon which Cain's lips sucked. Soon his strength left him, his
struggling arms and kicking feet went limp, the room spun. Right when
Shido believed his heart would slow to a stop Cain pulled away. He
smirked, throwing the lifeless body to the floor. Shido couldn't move
an inch, he could only breathe and stare up at the ceiling.
A voice whispered into his ear, "You are a chosen one now, but
you must withstand a final test of strength... and love." Cold hands
grasped his shoulders, ripping off his shirt and rolled him onto his
stomach. Shido clamped his eyes shut. Oh God, no. He really was the
murderer after all, and he's a vampyr. Now he's going to rape me.
Why didn't I listen to mother?
"N-no..." was all he could mumble out as he felt his pants
being pulled off. The marble was cold, but nothing compared to the
fondling and caressing hands on Shido's butt. He heard the sound of
Cain removing his own clothing and soon felt the touch of his burning
erection.
"I do this out of love, Shido." The cold hands spread open
Shido's cheeks, followed by a ramming pain. "AAaaah!" he cried out,
tears filling his eyes. This can't be happening to me, no! Why me?
Why God? He screamed again with each thrust that entered him like a
spear. Blood had begun to trickle between his legs from the rape.
Mother, Phoebe... I'll never see them again. He thought, trying to
ignore the pain, the humility. Through his tear filled eyes Shido
looked up at the giant crucifix. Why? He asked again. Cain climaxed
at that moment and Shido's vision descended into darkness.

Cain waited patiently in a chair, anticipating the moment his
fledgling would awaken. Green eyes fluttered open, followed by a
moan.
"Wh-where am I?" Shido asked, his eyes darted about
frantically.
"Please, do not be afraid, Shido. You are safe in my home."
Shido sat up looking even more confused.
"Shido? Is that my name?"
"Yes, I saved you from a very unfortunate lifestyle. You can
live in peace now for you are one of us."
"Us?" Shido wondered. He had no memory of what had happened
to him or where he was. This man seemed very nice and welcoming,
talking in a deep seductive voice.
"You are a vampire now. One of the Chosen Ones to prey upon
and rule over humans."
"And what is your name? Are you my lover?" Getting up he
walked about the bedroom, delighted to hear the blond man laugh.
"Lovers? I believe we are that. My, I think you will be well worth
my time, Shido. My name is Cain."
"Cain..." Shido said softly, loving the sound of it. His
lover, Cain. He walked over to the chair in which his master sat.
"Cain, my love," he repeated for he liked seeing his master smile
like that.
"Come and sit my dark child. You are so beautiful, you know
that?" With elegant fingers Shido laced them through Cain's hair,
also taking a seat on his lap. "So what exactly must I do to be a
vampire?" he asked, staring into Cain's face, as if to memorize every
detail.
"Surrender to your instincts, my Shido." The hand threaded
through into Cain's golden locks suddenly pressed him towards Shido,
who kissed with warm, soft lips. Pulling away from embarrassment
Shido looked away. "I-I'm sorry. That was what my instincts told me
to do..." Cain cupped his hand under his fledgling's chin.
"You seduce me when you surrender, and I like it."
"I'm so glad..." Shido's eyes closed halfway in ecstasy as
Cain placed long playful kisses on his neck. "Mmmm, I love you..."
Cain chuckled, "Oh, you have yet so much to learn about my
love. But right now is not the time for that, you'll get a bigger
taste of it later." Shido was confused when Cain began to laugh at
his own pun, "Anyway, you must be thirsty. Come, I will show you how
to hunt."

The two slipped out of the mansion into the clear night.
Shido marveled at objects with improved vision while they headed
towards the village from whence Shido came. They were walking down a
street when Cain stopped suddenly. "What is-"
"Shh!" he held a finger to his lips but smiled evilly,
pointing towards a building not too far away. "Wait and hide in the
shadows, don't come out until I say to." Shido gave a nod and crept
behind a building, peeking out to watch.
Cain made his way down the street just in time to run into a
frantically hurried woman. As she locked up the building she had left
Cain tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Hilda, can you be a
darling and unlock the place? I believe I left something in there the
other day."
"Of course sir! Say, you haven't seen Catherine's son, have
you? I heard..." her voice faded away as she entered the tavern.
Cain gave a quick glance towards Shido, beckoned, and followed Hilda
into the tavern. Shido ran towards them quickly and watched silently
through a window. Hilda was about to turn on the lights, but never
had a chance as Cain grabbed her from behind. Wrapping one arm around
her chest he placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. She muffled
a scream as he tilted her head, exposing her throat.
"You may come in now, Shido," he called. Shido obediently
came into the tavern, Hilda's eyes widened in disbelief. Her heart's
racing thuds filled his ears but the smell of warm blood in her veins
made him walk closer. "Go on Shido. Her blood is what helps us live,
without it we cannot survive." Shido was right over her neck now and
stared at the pulsing vein in her throat. Without another thought he
leaned over and delicately bit into her throat. Hilda's blood gushed
out and filled Shido's mouth. If he had been human the blood would
have been spat back out, but now, as a vampire, it tasted like a drink
for the gods. In a frenzy Shido threw his arms around the woman,
spinning her away from Cain, and crushed her body against his. In his
excitement he tore open her neck making the blood flow everywhere.
Hilda gurgled out one last groan and went limp, Shido still trying to
drink every last drop with hungry noises. Cain laughed in amusement
at the bloody spectacle, it pleased him to see his child hungered for
such violence. He finally dragged Shido away from the broken body and
stood him up. His face was a mess, his eyes wild and yellow, along
with a new pair of fangs, stained red from blood.
"I congratulate you on your first kill, Shido but you have a
few things to learn." They stepped over the dead body, back outside
and into the streets. "First, while violent kills like that can be
fun, you get more blood on your face and the floor rather than in your
mouth. Kill the human more slowly and let their heart pump the blood
for you; once the heart stops the blood flow stops too."
Shido nodded, "I could hear her heart beat and everything, but
does everyone we bite die?"
Cain shrugged, "To tell you the truth, I've never tried to
save my victims. Our bites kill, no matter how little the amount of
blood is when we take from them. I have heard of those who are immune
to us, though..." Thoughtful silence surrounded the two vampires and
they continued to walk.
"I haven't seen you feed yet," Shido pointed out, "Aren't you
hungry?"
"Don't worry about me, Shido. I'll find someone."

And they did, for not long after that they stumbled across two
patrolling officers at the gate of the town. Shido, remembering
Cain's advice, fed slower this time, savoring the taste of blood. By
the time the guard dropped dead Shido was well satiated, warm with
blood as it ran through his veins. But even though his feeding was
slow he was finished before Cain. Sitting down on a tree limb Shido
watched him play cat and mouse with the guard. One moment Cain held
the pitiful man by the neck, draining him. The next moment, he was
letting him stumble away, catching him once again to feed off him.
Soon he finished the guard off and Shido and Cain made their way back
to the mansion.
"I'll take that for you," Cain took off Shido's coat but threw it
sloppily on a chair. It was three hours until dawn but the young
vampire was full of energy still. "Sit down, you make me dizzy with
your pacing." Shido made a sly grin as he walked over to Cain’s
chair, suddenly throwing himself onto Cain. The chair tipped and the
two vampires went rolling across the floor. Shido ended up on the
bottom and was pinned down.
"The living room floor is not the best place for this." Cain
sneered above Shido, "Come into the bedroom with me and I will show
you how it's done."
Cain shut the door behind Shido, "Lay on the bed and leave the
rest to me." Climbing on top of him Cain began to kiss the other
softly, but the kisses became more rough and desperate. Shido clawed
at the back of Cain's shirt, his neck victim to little bites and
blood filled kisses. The two stripped down to nothing and moved
against one another agonizingly, a slight glisten of sweat appeared.
Cain dominantly presided over Shido's quivering body, giving many
kisses on the right places. Shido gripped the bed sheets out of pure
bliss when Cain deep throated him, stopping in time to pull out a jar
of lubricant. Shido sat up, looking slightly angered the fun had
stopped.
"Don't worry Shido, the best part is yet to come..."

And so it went with the two lovers. Shido and Cain would
awaken every evening, leaving the mansion to hunt in town. After a
kill of one or two people they would return to the mansion, screwing
each other to the point of exhaustion. It wasn't until a year later
that Shido's life became more difficult.
For the first time in weeks Shido had been able to wake up
before Cain and get out of the mansion. As much as he enjoyed hunting
with Cain, sometimes it was nice to be able to kill without
supervision. The killings were always slow and torturous when he was
there, but when Shido was alone he preferred to drain them quickly and
painlessly. The truth was he had become tired of the usual leading on
of humans. It had been fun at first, they could get any beautiful
woman, or man, they wanted into their bed to play with and then feed
on. But now Shido wanted a break from it.
Walking through the streets there was still plenty of light
outside, for the sun was beginning to get low in the sky. Shido
stayed away from crowds, taking an alleyway. Garbage lined the alley
along with many stray cats, but among the mewing he heard another
noise. Crying. Stopping at a pile of broken wooden beams he glanced
behind it to see a little girl hunched over and crying. Shido was
hungry, he still hadn't fed, and he had never taken the life of a
child before.
"Why are you crying little girl? Come here," he said softly,
using his vampiric power to manipulate her movements. The girl's blue
eyes went wide in surprise but then became dull and lifeless as the
mind control set in. Shuffling forward she was soon enfolded in
Shido's big arms who held her close as he drank. Blond pigtails
tickled his face which was buried in her neck, they seemed oddly
familiar to him, along with the pink dress and blue eyes. He finally
stopped his meal to look upon the girl's features which were pale.
With a final gasp she scrunched up her face, and with all her strength
whispered, "Shido," going limp as her little heart beat stopped.
Shido nearly dropped her in fear and surprise. How had she
known his name? Did he know her?
"Wait, don't die! Tell me, who are you? Come back, please!"
Shaking the tiny body did no good, so, lifting her up, her ran out of
the alley. Frantic on finding help Shido looked about him for a sign,
a person, anything! Squinting into the burning sunlight which was
still low in the sky he ran towards the cathedral's cross, it wasn't
too far judging by it's distance above the rooftops. "Hold on, we'll
get you somewhere safe," Shido whispered. The priest would help, he
had to know some way to help the innocent little girl. God helped the
innocent, did He not? Running through the arched doorways he panted
as he walked down the aisle. No one was there, not even a priest.
Shido placed the girl gently on the alter, it seemed like a respectful
thing to do. Tears had begun to fill his eyes as he stared at the
unmoving body, it was so terrible. How could he have killed such a
small, innocent girl? One blood tear fell after another.
"I'm so sorry. What have I done? I will never forgive
myself. God will never forgive me either." Something about the
crucifix above the alter made the tears come even faster, making him
cry harder.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move from the
alter. The girl's hand was twitching! Shido gave a gasp when she sat
up slowly, turned her head towards him, and blinked. Blue eyes flashed
a cat-like yellow.
"You're alive! Oh God forgive me for what I've done to you
though." He hugged the young girl tightly after lifting her off the
alter.
"Brother?" she asked making him immediately back away,
"Brother, it is you! What happened to you? What did you do to me?"
"B-brother? I don't know what you're talking about. Is that
how you knew my name? Is this all a prank?"
"Don't you remember me, Shido? I'm your little sister,
Phoebe." Tears of desperation began to fall from her eyes as she
sought in desperation to make her brother remember. He only shook his
head in confusion. He had no memory of ever belonging to a family.
"But it's true Shido! How can you not remember mother or your passion
to become a doctor? It meant so much to you. You're no longer my
brother, you're someone else. It's all that Cain guy's fault." Shido
was startled at the mention of his sire's name.
"Cain? How do you know about Cain?"
"He took you away from us one night a year ago. You left to
meet him at this cathedral and you never came back."
"Then, where's mother?"
"She's dead. About a week ago she was murdered by your
friend! I saw it all, how he drank her life away, snapping her neck!
Now I'm one of these creatures too and so are you!"
"I'm so sorry Phoebe." It was all he could say as he held
open his arms to hug her. She shoved him away, "Why did you take me
away from Mama? I want to be with her!" Blood tears streamed down
her pale, little cheeks and she whirled away in anger, running up the
bell tower stairs.
"Hold on! Wait!" Shido gave a shout and began to chase
after. The spiraling stairs were really steep but he could not catch
up to the pattering steps of Phoebe. Sunlight filtered through to the
top steps as they neared the top, giant bells gleamed in the sun's
dying light.
"No! Don't go!" Phoebe continued to run and, with a strong
leap, flung herself into the sun's last rays. Shido watched in horror
as her body disintegrated into a million shining flakes of ash.
Falling to his knees in sorrow he bowed his head, "Forgive me, forgive
me, forgive me. Oh, please forgive me," he sobbed out, not caring if
he got burnt. But the sun had fully set and the nighttime had already
thrown it's blanket of protection about the vampire.
Shido had walked aimlessly around the town for hours before
Cain found him, his face had red stains from crying so much. Nothing
made sense and the last thing he needed was Cain to muddle everything
up once more.
"Shido, what has happened?" he asked once catching up to him.
"Leave me alone, Cain. I need to think."
"Tell me what has happened."
"I just killed my sister!" Shido snapped and Cain fell
silent. Shido grew more angry at this reaction. "You're supposed to
say, 'What sister my dear Shido?' but, no. You knew all along about
my past and purposely kept that knowledge from me. You made me forget
so you could do what you wanted with me." Cain slowly embraced the
quivering young vampire, trying to sooth his fears.
"Shido, I only wanted to save you from-"
"No you didn't save me from anything but a normal mortal life
in which I was perfectly happy in. Now... just leave me in peace."
"All right Shido. But I love you." With that Cain
disappeared into the darkness leaving Shido utterly alone.

It was seven hours later when Shido finally came back to his
home. He had found the town's graveyard and was searching for his
mother's grave. He had found it along with one which had his name
engraved on it. Catherine Tatsuhiko 1741-1780. His mood was still
dismal but he now maintained a decent composure, walking into his
bedroom with a blank face. Sitting on the edge of his bed Shido felt
the mattress dip as Cain sat on it behind him.
"Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone, messaging
Shido's shoulders. Shido gave a snort, "I'd have to say you need to
tell me some things about my past. Before today I didn't know I even
had one!"
Cain sighed deeply, "Take off your shirt." Shido turned
around.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Just do it or I won't tell you what you want to know."
Following orders he unbuttoned and threw off his shirt, shivering a
little as the air hit his skin. Cain continued his messaging as he
talked.
"I should have told this to you before but, yes, you did have
a family. A mother named Catherine and a sister named Phoebe. Now,
when I saw you in the tavern for the first time I knew you were the
perfect one to be my companion. I tried everything to get you to be
with me but your mother always got in the way. I made you a vampire
before she could permanently take you away from me and send you off to
doctor's school. But don't you see? I did all this out of love, I
didn't want you to remember. I made the pain of realizing immortality
less severe." Shido sighed and Cain wrapped his arms around him,
giving a kiss on the side of his head. I want my life to be as simple
as it was when I first became a vampire, Shido thought, but there's no
turning back now.
He leaned back into his master's shoulders with eyes closed.
Cain smiled to see his love hadn't totally rejected him. He pulled
Shido onto him as he lay back onto the bed, holding tight to Shido as
he giggled and squirmed. Laughs gave way to kissing. Cain bit his
tongue, filling his mouth with blood and released it into Shido's
through a passionate kiss. Shido tried to play hard to get but gave
in as soon as his pants were invaded by the other's hand. The two
played around a bit more then fell asleep, exhausted by their little
sex games. Shido snuggled closer to Cain hoping all would be
forgotten by tomorrow evening.

But, ignorance is bliss, and it was now one thing Shido no
longer had. The evening after he could not stop thinking about his
sister with each mortal he tried to kill. Even when he tried to take
the lives of murderers he still saw a being capable of forgiveness and
goodness.
"I can't stand it! No matter how hard I try I can't kill!"
Throwing a serial killer he had caught to the ground Shido watched him
scramble away... only to be caught by Cain.
When he was finished with his meal Cain caught up with Shido
who had sauntered ahead.
"Cain, I don't know what to do. I can't even think about
killing another without remembering Phoebe. What if my victim has
children who depend on him? What would happen to them? I just can't
kill a mortal without wondering how many lives are affected by one
death."
"Don't worry, you will soon forget about this whole event. If
that doesn't happen the hunger will drive you to kill again. Just
forget it the best you can."

But Shido couldn't forget, in fact he took time to befriend occasional
mortals. He enjoyed pretending he was human, not a killer, and would
have long conversations. Cain shrugged it off as an attempt to fit in
that would soon fade away-- but the emotions only became stronger.
Shido spent more and more time with humans and less and less time with
Cain. Someone had to steer the youngster back in the right direction.

It was a hot and humid night in August when Shido came home
from his daily mingling with mortals. He rolled his eyes when the
sound of a boyish laughter came from one of the bedrooms. He meant to
pass the bedroom and leave Cain and his victim to themselves but
Cain's voice called him into the room. As he had suspected, Shido saw
his sire teasing a young boy who was very drunk on wine.
"This is my young friend Robert, meet Shido," Cain introduced
and Robert waved a little.
Shido tapped an impatient foot, "What did you call me in here
for?" Cain placed a hand on Robert's forehead, making him fall into a
drunken slumber, and walked over to Shido.
"I've been worried for you Shido. Please, take a break from
your mortals and act like a vampire. I haven't seen you drink for
weeks. Come and take this one from me." Shido shook his head
vigorously trying to inch away.
"No, I try not to kill when I don't need to. Please, let me
go." Cain pretended not to listen as he tugged on Shido's arm towards
the sleeping boy.
"You must drink, I don't want to see you wither away into
nothing."
"Cain, I said NO!" he shouted, tugging his arm free and ran
towards the door, only to have it slammed shut by Cain and locked.
"Don't make me use force, Shido." Cain hissed dangerously.
Shido cowered in a corner, shaking his head. Cain's eyes narrowed and
he swung his hand in a vicious slap. "Damn it Shido! You will do as I
say, now drink!" Yanking him off his feet he threw Shido onto the bed
next to the boy and, with amazing speed, lay on top of him to pin him
down. Grabbing a nearby wine glass he bit open Robert's wrist and
captured the blood in it.
"Drink Shido." But he stubbornly turned his head to the side,
looking up at Cain only to say, "What gives you the right to act as if
you are a god? Choosing who will die at your hands and who will
live?"
"It's because I am a vampire." Cain answered simply and
poured the blood into Shido's open mouth. He gagged but swallowed the
blood anyway. He would never admit it but it tasted good in his state
of hunger. Feeling Cain get up off of him he glared up at him,
receiving another smack for his disobedience. "Don't you ever defy me
again for I could do much worse to you."
"Go to hell!" Shido spat out. Cain turned to him and smiled,
showing his fangs, "I'll take you with me," and, with that, left the
room.

The threat Cain had made worked to some extent, Shido went
back to being an obedient little puppy, but he still refused to kill
unless forced by Cain. This suited Cain just fine, as long as he knew
he still had some control over his companion. Things were almost back
to normal again but nothing ever lasts, as Cain would learn. A month
had passed and Shido was alarmingly pale from not having fed as often
as he should. Cain, once again, decided to take matters into his own
hands. It was time to force Shido to eat, so, as usual, he had to pin
him down and force the blood down his throat. And, as usual, Shido
would resist but end up swallowing the blood anyway. Except for one
time.
"I swear Shido, must we always go through with this? It's
like trying to force feed a child." Cain grumbled, sitting atop
Shido.
"Why must you continually insist on making me kill people?!"
He knew he shouldn't have opened his mouth, but he had to argue back.
Cain took the chance to dribble blood in his mouth. Shido snarled,
he was in an exceptionally bad mood, and spat the blood into Cain's
face. He wiped it off with his sleeve, slowly.
"I'm getting very tired of this, do you wish to die from
hunger? Don't you see I do all this out of love for you?"
"Love? My ass! You don't know the word, Cain. It's all a
game of pain and possession." Shido was answered with a hard blow to
the head. "Is that all you can do, hit like a girl?" Cain glared at
him, got up off the bed, and bit his finger. The blood formed into a
long, broad sword. Shido gasped, he had never seen this trick done
before, but the amazement turned to pain when he was struck by the
flat end of the sword.
"I hope some sense will be knocked into you, you stubborn
lout!" Cain yelled, giving one, final, hard blow to Shido's head,
knocking him into a deep unconsciousness.


When Shido awoke his head was throbbing from a splitting headache.
Dried blood streaked down one cheek but the wound had already
completely healed. Looking up he saw that his wrists had been chained
together by shackles that hung from the ceiling, making his feet
dangle only inches off the ground. With his shirt off Shido was
chilled in the dim dungeon of Cain's mansion. Only a torch provided
light.
With all his might he tried break free but it was useless.
Shido frowned, now what? There was nothing to do but wait for Cain
to release him. And he did come, eventually, but not to release his
helpless prisoner.
"Why am I down here?" Shido asked Cain who looked up at him,
taking his face between two fingers.
"I believe this will do both of us some good. If you will not
behave like a vampire then I must beat this foolishness out of you."
Shido's eyes went wide when he realized what Cain meant to do,
" You're not thinking about torturing me, are you?!"
"I have no other choice; I warned you but you didn't listen.
I might let you go if you show some repentance." He bit his finger,
forming a whip.
"W-wait, hold on!" Shido pleaded and watched Cain disappear
behind him. A sudden pain lashed across his back at the sound of a
whip cracking. He screamed out but was answered by more whips. He
was barely conscious when the torture finally stopped and he was left
alone with his pain.

Cain came back every night to whip the newly healed back,
Shido learned how to bite back his yells and soon he could take the
pain without so much as a tear. After a while he began to feel the
affect of blood loss through the whips and not having fed for a long
time. Shido was worried Cain meant to leave him chained and starving
to death. He began to black out after a session of whips, each
blackout lasting longer than the last. Finally, Cain came in, two
months later, without a blood whip in hand.
Shido lifted his head wearily, "Aren't you going to hurt me?"
"No. I think you've learned your lesson," he confessed as he
unlocked the shackles. With a thump Shido fell to the ground but
didn't bother to get back up, it was too exhausting.
"You must get up, Shido."
"I-I can't. I'm too weak," he mumbled back. Cain gently
wrapped him in his arms, cradling his head in one hand.
"Drink," he said, pressing Shido's lips to his throat, "It
will revive you." With a final surge of energy Shido bit through
Cain's neck, his fangs immediately puncturing a vein. He almost died
of happiness when he swallowed his first draught of blood. Hungrily
he drank wave after wave of blood, pressing Cain down to the floor.
Cain merely smiled and moaned in pleasure at the feel of his lover,
but soon he felt a twinge of pain when Shido began to drink too much.
"You've had enough." Cain pried him away from his neck
watching the vampire breathe heavily.
"Please don't make me do that to you again, Shido. Let's go
back to the way things used to be." Shido nodded. But Cain, he
thought, I will never be the same because of you... Things will never
be the same again.
It was three hours until dawn and Cain was fast asleep in bed.
Shido glanced up at him, listening to the rhythmic breathing for a
while, then carefully got up. After he got dressed Shido packed a few
belongings and silently left the mansion. Looking back he sighed a
breath of relief. He was free.
"I'm free from you forever, Cain." he whispered to the giant
house and turned back around. The half-full moon in the sky lit the
way for the purple-haired vampire who ran. But not even vampires can
run faster than the problems that forever chase them...

Author's notes: Yay! You've finished it! I wrote this fic about 5 years ago (holy carp, has it been that long?!) and it has been salvaged from an old old post I made in an old Nightwalker group. Hence why the paragraphs are so skinny; the copying and pasting over and over through the years made it kinda funky. Sorry about that but I hope you enjoyed! Please review, it always makes for a pleasant surpise!