In The Name of the Moon
The castle�s walls were white and pristine. The masters of the castle and the Dead Apostles that served them kept quiet, as if silence was a virtue.
His throne was carved from stone, and as thick and heavy as any of the castles walls. He sat comfortable in the silence, his thoughts his only company.
The Masters of this Castle had been born as part of this world, and so were ignored by even the Beast of Alaya.
But he was not like them. Without a doubt, he had too many enemies�his end was near.
After his end, he could not be born again; not even in the bodies of the masters of this castle, who had been made in his image. They each had a place in their souls for his, but he who was perfect could not be reborn in those who were imperfect.
A suitable vessel for him was something did not exist.
Such a thing would probably never come about naturally.
But that which he could not find, he would make with his own hands�
XxXXxX
Her mother�s voice awakened her from her dream.
�Usagi, it�s past 8 o�clock!�
Usagi�s eyes widened as she looked at her alarm clock.
�Oh no! I�m going to be late!�
XxXXxX
�Why does morning always have to come so soon?� Usagi yawned. �I�m still sleepy��
She briefly wondered about the dream she had, but not at its strangeness. To her, it was just another in a string of dreams she�d had for as long as she could remember. She could never make any sense of hem, but that was normal for dreams, right�?
But that one had seemed a bit different than usual�
Usagi was torn from her thoughts as she tripped over something and had to catch herself before she hit the ground.
Glancing back to see what she stepped on; she saw�a black cat.
She briefly wondered if this meant she�d have bad luck.
Realizing her mind was going in strange places again, she shook herself back to the present.
�Sorry, sorry! Did I hurt you?�
Rushing over to the cat�s side, she picked it up. It was small and a bit shabby looking, but then, she had stepped on it. It had a small Band-Aid on it�s forehead.
The cat apparently didn�t approve and immediately tried to scratch her.
As Usagi was just a commoner, she quickly dropped the cat and shielded her face with her arms.
�Ah! Forgive me!�
The cat ignored her completely, instead trying to paw at the Band-Aid furiously.
�Huh?� Usagi blinked. �Do you want me to take it off? Okay, just don�t scratch me.�
The moment Usagi had a grip on the bandage, the cat darted away, tearing it off herself and looking like she was going to make a run for it.
And then she stopped a few feet away, looking back at her with oddly reflective eyes.
They were a strange, golden yellow, and Usagi couldn�t help but be drawn into them. Suddenly, her body felt strange and distant and she began to move closer to the strange cat against her will.
And suddenly, a loud bell rang, snapping her out of her trance.
Closing her eyes and feeling a bit dizzy, Usagi lifted a hand to her head.
And then her eyes snapped open as she realized what that bell meant.
�I�m late!�
Immediately forgetting about the cat, she turned and dashed away, knowing she�d be in trouble.
XxXXxX
Usagi�s best friend, Naru, sighed as she sat down next to her, causing Usagi to glance at her inquisitively.
�Things have been hectic lately,� Naru reflected. �There have been so many strange things happening; I�m kind of worried.�
�Are you talking about the murders?� Umino asked. He was another friend, but honestly, Usagi found him a bit creepy sometimes.
Still�Usagi had to agree with her friends. Lately, there had been a lot of really strange murders. Bodies had been turning up completely drained of blood and the police were already beginning to call the incidents the Vampire Murders.
Naturally, the school rumor mill was full of stories about students being abducted and eaten by vampires and sightings of bats and even a few vampire boyfriends.
It was kind of weird. At first, Usagi had been really scared, back when all those stories had involved friends disappearing and bloody murders, but then people had pointed out that if it ws a vampire, the murders wouldn�t be bloody. This had led to a loud debate about the details of vampires, which had somehow gotten around to them sparkling in sunlight before Usagi had gotten confused and wandered off.
She wasn�t sure what to believe, but somewhere between rotting corpselike monsters abducting children in the night and beautiful, romantic moonlit nights, the original horror had faded.
Still, even someone as absentminded as her could tell how serious the murders were. Her mother wasn�t quite at the point of picking her up and dropping her off, but she was insisting that she walk back with her friends and be back several hours before dark. Usagi had seen enough of the news to accept that without argument or complaint.
Naru shook her head, though, surprising Usagi.
�I�m talking about this new �Sailor V� who�s been thwarting the murders. I�m glad it�s getting safer, but we started with vampires and have moved on to superheroes. I swear this town is just getting weirder and weirder.�
XxXXxX
�Bye, Usagi!� Naru waved goodbye, breaking off from the group to get to her house. Usagi�s house was a quite a bit further away than hers, but the Arcade was just a little bit away. Usagi always stopped there after school and the guy who ran the game center took her back to her house during his break.
Still, Naru felt bad for making Usagi walk to the Arcade by herself, even if it was during the day. But her own mom wanted to make sure she was safe.
Speaking of which�
�Mom, I�m back!� Naru said, taking of her shoes before going into the house.
She frowned after a minute when she didn�t get a reply.
�Mom?�
Getting a bad feeling, Naru went to check her mom�s bedroom. Sometimes, her mom got tired after work and went to bed. Opening the door, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mom in bed.
Smiling, she almost shut the door, but then she noticed something that made her heart skip a beat.
Her mom looked�wrong. She was paler then she should be�a sickly looking pallor that looked unhealthy. And nothing at all like the way she normally looked.
�Mom�?� Naru said, approaching the bed, reaching out to touch her mother.
She was cold.
Too cold.
Eyes wide in alarm and suspecting the worse, she moved a hand to her mother�s neck and just as quickly drew it away.
It came away wet with blood.
For a moment she stared at her own hand in horrified disbelief.
And then her mother�s eyes opened and she rose from the bed, focused intently on Naru.
Backing up, the girl couldn�t help herself.
She screamed.
XxXXxX
The castle�s walls were white and pristine. The masters of the castle and the Dead Apostles that served them kept quiet, as if silence was a virtue.
His throne was carved from stone, and as thick and heavy as any of the castles walls. He sat comfortable in the silence, his thoughts his only company.
The Masters of this Castle had been born as part of this world, and so were ignored by even the Beast of Alaya.
But he was not like them. Without a doubt, he had too many enemies�his end was near.
After his end, he could not be born again; not even in the bodies of the masters of this castle, who had been made in his image. They each had a place in their souls for his, but he who was perfect could not be reborn in those who were imperfect.
A suitable vessel for him was something did not exist.
Such a thing would probably never come about naturally.
But that which he could not find, he would make with his own hands�
XxXXxX
Her mother�s voice awakened her from her dream.
�Usagi, it�s past 8 o�clock!�
Usagi�s eyes widened as she looked at her alarm clock.
�Oh no! I�m going to be late!�
XxXXxX
�Why does morning always have to come so soon?� Usagi yawned. �I�m still sleepy��
She briefly wondered about the dream she had, but not at its strangeness. To her, it was just another in a string of dreams she�d had for as long as she could remember. She could never make any sense of hem, but that was normal for dreams, right�?
But that one had seemed a bit different than usual�
Usagi was torn from her thoughts as she tripped over something and had to catch herself before she hit the ground.
Glancing back to see what she stepped on; she saw�a black cat.
She briefly wondered if this meant she�d have bad luck.
Realizing her mind was going in strange places again, she shook herself back to the present.
�Sorry, sorry! Did I hurt you?�
Rushing over to the cat�s side, she picked it up. It was small and a bit shabby looking, but then, she had stepped on it. It had a small Band-Aid on it�s forehead.
The cat apparently didn�t approve and immediately tried to scratch her.
As Usagi was just a commoner, she quickly dropped the cat and shielded her face with her arms.
�Ah! Forgive me!�
The cat ignored her completely, instead trying to paw at the Band-Aid furiously.
�Huh?� Usagi blinked. �Do you want me to take it off? Okay, just don�t scratch me.�
The moment Usagi had a grip on the bandage, the cat darted away, tearing it off herself and looking like she was going to make a run for it.
And then she stopped a few feet away, looking back at her with oddly reflective eyes.
They were a strange, golden yellow, and Usagi couldn�t help but be drawn into them. Suddenly, her body felt strange and distant and she began to move closer to the strange cat against her will.
And suddenly, a loud bell rang, snapping her out of her trance.
Closing her eyes and feeling a bit dizzy, Usagi lifted a hand to her head.
And then her eyes snapped open as she realized what that bell meant.
�I�m late!�
Immediately forgetting about the cat, she turned and dashed away, knowing she�d be in trouble.
XxXXxX
Usagi�s best friend, Naru, sighed as she sat down next to her, causing Usagi to glance at her inquisitively.
�Things have been hectic lately,� Naru reflected. �There have been so many strange things happening; I�m kind of worried.�
�Are you talking about the murders?� Umino asked. He was another friend, but honestly, Usagi found him a bit creepy sometimes.
Still�Usagi had to agree with her friends. Lately, there had been a lot of really strange murders. Bodies had been turning up completely drained of blood and the police were already beginning to call the incidents the Vampire Murders.
Naturally, the school rumor mill was full of stories about students being abducted and eaten by vampires and sightings of bats and even a few vampire boyfriends.
It was kind of weird. At first, Usagi had been really scared, back when all those stories had involved friends disappearing and bloody murders, but then people had pointed out that if it ws a vampire, the murders wouldn�t be bloody. This had led to a loud debate about the details of vampires, which had somehow gotten around to them sparkling in sunlight before Usagi had gotten confused and wandered off.
She wasn�t sure what to believe, but somewhere between rotting corpselike monsters abducting children in the night and beautiful, romantic moonlit nights, the original horror had faded.
Still, even someone as absentminded as her could tell how serious the murders were. Her mother wasn�t quite at the point of picking her up and dropping her off, but she was insisting that she walk back with her friends and be back several hours before dark. Usagi had seen enough of the news to accept that without argument or complaint.
Naru shook her head, though, surprising Usagi.
�I�m talking about this new �Sailor V� who�s been thwarting the murders. I�m glad it�s getting safer, but we started with vampires and have moved on to superheroes. I swear this town is just getting weirder and weirder.�
XxXXxX
�Bye, Usagi!� Naru waved goodbye, breaking off from the group to get to her house. Usagi�s house was a quite a bit further away than hers, but the Arcade was just a little bit away. Usagi always stopped there after school and the guy who ran the game center took her back to her house during his break.
Still, Naru felt bad for making Usagi walk to the Arcade by herself, even if it was during the day. But her own mom wanted to make sure she was safe.
Speaking of which�
�Mom, I�m back!� Naru said, taking of her shoes before going into the house.
She frowned after a minute when she didn�t get a reply.
�Mom?�
Getting a bad feeling, Naru went to check her mom�s bedroom. Sometimes, her mom got tired after work and went to bed. Opening the door, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mom in bed.
Smiling, she almost shut the door, but then she noticed something that made her heart skip a beat.
Her mom looked�wrong. She was paler then she should be�a sickly looking pallor that looked unhealthy. And nothing at all like the way she normally looked.
�Mom�?� Naru said, approaching the bed, reaching out to touch her mother.
She was cold.
Too cold.
Eyes wide in alarm and suspecting the worse, she moved a hand to her mother�s neck and just as quickly drew it away.
It came away wet with blood.
For a moment she stared at her own hand in horrified disbelief.
And then her mother�s eyes opened and she rose from the bed, focused intently on Naru.
Backing up, the girl couldn�t help herself.
She screamed.
XxXXxX
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