* * *
Contamination
* * *
She sensed it from thousands of miles away and it tore her from restless sleep. She stared into the mirror across from her bed with tear-stained eyes, trembling against the power that assailed her. Bright red numbers reflected back at her, declaring it 3:41 a.m.. She could barely process the numbers, barely even feel her comforter around the searing vice clenching her heart. It ripped through her, an evil blackness crawling its way around her body, tearing at her mind and soul. But she had no darkness to feed it, and so instead it poisoned her.
Sickened by what was happening, she felt bile rise in her throat. Her body was rejecting what it could of the silent toxin. Grabbing the nearby trashcan she held it between shaking hands while she retched. Every fiber in her body stung with the deep pain that was attempting to consume her.
Setting the bin down she wiped her mouth off, staring out the window and around the room. She knew with certainty that the target of the attack was not her, but her soul mate, and such agony could mean only one thing.
Darien was beyond her reach.
Her mourning began anew.
* * *
He awoke in darkness. Something cold and hard was beneath him, a dais of stone. Sitting up from his position, he turned to gaze into the inky blackness surrounding him. Something felt wrong and yet he could not place it, like a nightmare you cannot recall upon waking. He couldn't remember what though, and that bothered him deeply. It was a familiar sensation, being unable to remember...something important...
Before he could begin to panic, he felt white hot pain in his head. His eyes were burning, as though someone had carved them from his skull, rubbed acid beneath them, then reinserted the orbs. It was agonizing, but despite the pain he made no sound. The pain was allowing him to see through the black chasm before him. A force he could not understand urged him to turn, and even without light he could see a pile of stones resting before him.
Something about them called to him, drew his attention. Lifting them, he looked down at the rocks, wondering how they could pull him towards them so. Nephrite, Kunzite, Zoisite and Jadeite. Their names came to him unbidden, and he paused a moment to consider that fact. Sliding them into his pocket, he stood. That is when he noticed another presence within the darkness. He could smell her, sense her, and yet he could not hear her drawing breath. He could not hear himself drawing breath either. He stared at her, curious about his new existence.
Long scarlet hair trailed in waves down her back, and her ivory skin seemed to glow in the darkness. Blood red lips stretched into a smile as she approached him. Her smile revealed fangs, and for a moment he wondered if he possessed such fangs as well. Reaching towards him, she lifted taloned hands to slither along the side of his face.
"Prince Endymion," she cooed, and he was startled by the harsh contrast between her voice and her figure. Even with such a perfect hourglass shape and classic beauty, her voice scratched against his ears. The title she had given him seemed to fit within his psyche, however, and he quickly accepted it as truth. The name brought memories, and a distorted idea of his former life played out in his mind. "You are now my puppet..." she continued, one of her claws scraping his cheek. Against his initial impulse to grab her wrist and rend it from her body, he nodded to her words. His mind and body were not cooperating, and it frustrated him for the briefest of moments. Obeying her will was a task he did not truly care for, but one he would be required to endure nonetheless it seemed. There was also a dormant hunger, and inherently he knew that if he followed her bidding it would be sated.
She removed her hand from his face and the malicious smile returned. It might have frightened him had he understood the complexities of his new life. "Go to the surface..." it was with this comment that he realized they were in some sort of an underground cave. "Kill the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium..." her eyes had begun to sparkle with chaotic fervor, absorbed inside her own enthusiasm. Deep within he sensed that the tasks she set before him would be difficult if not impossible, and a faint whisper of agreement filtered up from the stones within his pocket. Her eyes began to glow and for a moment he was startled, but quickly seduced by the glowing of her red eyes. He could think of nothing but her commands as she spoke, "and steal the Silver Imperium Crystal!"
Using her teeth, she drew a line along her wrist. Immediately the wound began to well with blood. Entranced, he leaned forward, his lips closing around the injury. When his canines lengthened and plunged into her skin, he had another flash that once again, something was amiss. Before he could dwell on it further, the coppery liquid began to well up in his mouth. With it came power. He drew more and more of the fluid into his mouth, until he could feel his own skin glowing with stolen energy. Withdrawing his fangs, he watched as she crumpled to the ground, shaking.
With a thought he was clothed in a different ensemble, a jacket slung over his shoulder. With another thought he had teleported from the cave to the busy streets of Japan. He had no idea where he should search for this princess, or the crystal the woman had mentioned. His feet began to move, fueled by instinct. He decided to let intuition guide him for the time being.
* * *
Somewhere between exhaustion and depression she had fallen unconscious, but sleep did not grant her rest.
Her dreams tormented her. Her prince, her Endymion would dance on the edge of her vision. Veiled in fog, he would call for her to save him. Even as she ran towards him, she could feel him being pulled farther from her. Screaming, crying for him, she could feel desperation starting to grip her. The mist became tangible, chaining her body down and preventing her from reaching him.
"Bunny..." She heard something from behind her, recognized the voice, but could not respond. Her limbs were petrified, dragging her to the ground.
"Wake up. You're going to be late." The idea of being late jogged her brain. Opening her swollen eyes, she turned to see her cat beside her.
"...Luna?" her voice was hoarse from sobbing. Realizing that the source of the intrusion was her cat and not her beloved, she rolled over. "Darn! Just Luna." she muttered, ignoring reality and attempting to slip back into her dreams. They were the only place he still frequented.
She felt the feline move away from her, the shift in the bed as its posture slumped. Sighing she sat up, knowing that her harsh words had offended her guardian. Scooping up the cat, she tugged her to her chest. The fuzzy warmth of the cat did nothing to erase the pain in her chest.
"I'm sorry Luna. I love you. I'll get up." Rolling from the bed, she released the cat. The last time she had been caught crying because of Darien the entire senshi guard had intervened, and she did not want to revisit the experience. For now she would act as though nothing were wrong, as if the other half of her heart was not a gaping black abyss.
"Bunny, don't forget this," Luna held a lunchbox in her mouth, garbling the words. Reaching for it, she faked a brilliant smile.
Rushing downstairs, she grabbed her bags from the counter, putting her shoes on before dashing out the door. "I'm off! Bye-ee," she called, picking up the dark feline who climbed to her shoulders.
"Bunny's back to normal." Kenji remarked, leafing through the newspaper as he watched her run out the door in a swirl of blond hair.
"It's because of Luna." Ikuko placed a fresh cup of coffee before her husband. "She stayed by her the whole time."
Bolting down the street, Bunny stopped at a corner to catch her breath. Luna hid a smile as she watched the young girl pant like a marathon racer. "I'm going to the command room. We're investigating that stone sword." Luna hopped from her shoulders to the ground with the innate grace of her species.
Nodding, Bunny brushed her hair from her face, waving to the cat. "See you later, Luna!" Bunny smiled, for some reason feeling better than she had in weeks. Holding her books closer to her chest, she mumbled, "Good luck," as she turned to run into the courtyard of Juuban Middle School.
She barreled into someone, the impact knocking her to the ground in a haphazard jumble. Groaning in pain, she turned to apologize, but the stranger was already departing in the other direction. Luna gave a sharp gasp of recognition, and for an instant Bunny stared after the man as well. His stance, his hair and height all seemed to be the same as Darien’s...
The ringing of the school bells galvanized her into action and, scrambling, she grabbed her bag, lunch and watch. She chided herself, knowing that she was only comparing the man to Darien because of her dream earlier that morning. Picking herself back up she sprinted towards the school, fear of detention filling her with adrenaline.
Luna watched her run off, hesitating before turning to head towards the Crown Arcade. Even with her superior animal senses, she never noticed she was being followed.
Bunny was halfway across the schoolyard when she noticed the quiet ticking. Fumbling through her bags she soon found the source.
Tuxedo Kamen's broken pocket-watch was working again.
* * *
His first day of searching had been fruitless. The only highlight had been the spiked energy he had felt near the middle school, which he believed had originated from the talking cat. A sweet scent had also hung in the air, but he was so focused on his mission that he ignored it for the time being. The animal did seem out of the ordinary, and so he had followed it to a place called "Crown Arcade." Unfortunately, it had been closed when he arrived, and he still wondered how the feline had snuck in. The rest of the day he had wandered, oddly at ease with his new environment. Almost as if he fit in with the human lifestyle. Unfortunately, he had become lost swiftly, and then spent the rest of the day attempting to find his way back to the arcade. Eventually he stopped his efforts, knowing that after the sun went down the business would certainly be closed.
With nowhere to go, he had spent the night at a club. Dining on the flesh and blood of dancers had kept him entertained through the predawn hours. He alternated between the bar and the dance floor, on occasion taking a victim into one of the private rooms for a snack. He had only drunk from three humans, but they would be enough to last him through at least another day of searching. Human blood was infinitely more rich than that of the woman he had feasted on originally, although it did not carry half as much power. Sleep seemed to be unnecessary for him.
It was nearing noon now, and the full wrath of the sun beat down upon him. Its light began to burn at his neck, but with a flick of his hand a scarf appeared. Wrapping it around himself, he continued towards where he now knew the Crown Arcade to be located. He stopped when he heard voices approaching from beside him.
"So tell Reika..." came a nasally voice, which was interrupted by a second more pleasant alto.
A blonde man walked beside a brunette as they rounded the corner. "Okay already." the blonde human said, waving off the other human's words.
"Hey, Andy." The brunette had stopped walking, noticing their new company. "Who's that in front of the Crown?"
Turning to them, Prince Endymion addressed them both, "Do you work here?" He could see that both men were nervous from the dark aura he projected.
Clearing his throat, "Andy" looked up at him. "Uh, yes. Can I help you?" His tone hid the tiniest of quivers and Prince Endymion rationalized that these humans would be more useful to him if they were not petrified. Slowly he sealed his power back within himself, smirking.
"I just wanted to get into the arcade..." he worked to make his voice sound hesitant and weak.
An excited glimmer dawned within his green eyes. "Oh! are you the new part-timer? Did pop give you the interview?" Andy pointed to a flyer pasted on the window of the arcade. "I'm Andy. My dad owns the building, and I help him out." He continued to ramble in a rush, grinning. "What's your name? Are you in college?" At his awkward silence, Andy paused to examine the stranger. "Hey... Aren't you.....That's right!" He inclined his head as though seeing Prince Endymion anew. "Aren't you Bunny's friend? I thought I'd seen you around somewhere."
The name drew his attention more than the speech and he repeated it under his breath. "'Bunny'..." the whisper was intimate as it slipped past his lips. Tasting the name in his mouth, he decided that it was to his liking. The name was familiar, and it's owner immediately sparked his interest. He mused that this rabbit may be his key to finding the answers he sought. He had come across no better leads. But to encounter this Bunny, without scaring it off, he would need to blend in.
"Endo, you go on ahead," Andy called back to his friend, who smiled and started walking away.
"Ok." Endo took one final glance at the stranger and Andy while they conversed. It proved to be his undoing.
Endless black met faded brown, and Endo found he could not pull his gaze away. Nor could he move any part of his body. Even as panic began to fill him, his mind deserted him. In a second, nothing was left but a hollow maw where Endo used to stand, and Prince Endymion turned back to Andy.
"From now on," his voice was smooth and mesmerizing, and Andy quickly found himself struggling to resist. His resolve weakened for a fraction of a second and before he could strengthen his will the words crept into him, cloying his brain's ability to access the situation. "I'm your best friend, Endo..."
* * *
It had been four hours, and his impatience rose with each hour.
This "Bunny" had not arrived yet, and he was growing frustrated. He had implanted a compulsion within her to come hours ago, and she still had yet to answer his summons. Taking out his anger on the Sailor V game seemed to work as a temporary relief to the tension building inside him. Sending out another command, he pounded the buttons. The more she ignored his summons, the more suspicious he grew.
Bunny awoke clenching the sheets, and as she sat up she felt a headache begin its hammering. Wiping her eyes free of tears and grit, she looked out the window. Awakening like this reminded her of waking in Darien's apartment only a few days ago. She could feel fresh tears sting her eyes, everything was too overwhelming... Rising from the bed, she tiptoed past the senshi as they continued to discuss the stone sword, and left Amy's apartment. She needed fresh air, anything to clear her head. Maybe a few rounds on the Sailor V game too, she amended.
It wasn't long before she reached the Crown Arcade. Staring at the sign, she took a moment to wonder why she felt so compelled to come here. The shadows of two figures occupied the Sailor V game and redirected her attention. She realized that the first man was Andrew before turning her gaze towards the second man. She recognized him as the stranger she had bumped into on her way to school. Her heart began to flutter.
He smelled her before he saw her. The door chimed, but he refused to lift his head in greeting and frighten her off. After four hours of waiting, he would take no chances. "Hey, Bunny." Andy raised a hand in greeting, rising from his position peering over the second man's shoulder.
"So, you're Bunny?" Prince Endymion rose from his seated position at the Sailor V game, careless of the fact a bright red Game Over was now flashing on the screen.
Bunny was stunned mute by his uncanny resemblance to Darien. He was tall, with raven hair styled in the same cut. Even his posture was the same. As she examined him she noticed differences as well. His skin was paler, and his eyes swirled like dark vortexes, not a trace of blue within them. Reaching out, the man stroked one of the buns on top of her head, smirking. Startled, she looked up at his face, searching for any indication that he might be Darien. "You wear the same buns..." she could feel her heart leap into her throat, anticipating an odango joke, "as Sailor Moon." His smile was cold, not warm and teasing like Darien's had once been. "It must be a popular hairstyle." She stared up at him, tears threatening to spill forward at the slightest provocation. Her mouth turned down in a pretty pout, crestfallen.
"Bunny, this is my best friend Endo. He started working here part-time." Motoki smiled, wrapping an arm around Endo's shoulder.
There was disbelief in her eyes and it surprised him. Prince Endymion let power seep into his vision as he gazed at the small girl. "I go to the same KO University as Andy. I'm a freshman." He extended his hand; she hesitated before shaking it. His fingers were warm in her hand, another similarity to Darien. "Charmed..." His voice and eyes was hypnotic, and Bunny found herself drawn towards him.
"I hear you're good at the Sailor V game." Even his voice was familiar, although Endo’s had a dangerous edge whereas Darien's voice was gentle even when arguing with her. She was drawn back to the present as he continued. "Would you show me now? I'd like to learn from you." The dark timbre was soothing despite the underlying threat, and she nodded her assent. Sitting down at the console, she began a new game.
His lips curled upwards; let the games begin, indeed.
* * *
He had followed her home. Trusting his hunches had led him full circle, back to the talking cat. Instead of worrying him, this made him more certain that Bunny was somehow linked to the princess and her crystal. So he waited there, in tree outside the room suspiciously decorated in pink. Extra precautions were necessary since she had a pet, and he took great pains to remain still and call forth a breeze which would remove his scent. He waited for hours, until she had finished her dinner and returned to her room. He waited until after she had skipped her homework to read her manga, 'til she had taken a shower and tucked herself into bed.
His hunger had grown oppressive, to the point he wished to gorge himself on any he witnessed, devouring them whole.
But now, the wait was over.
Both Bunny and her talking cat were asleep.
In a blink he was in her room. Two feline ears perked at the shift and even before she could open ruby eyes, he had grabbed the cat and transported it several blocks away. By the time the cat awoke and returned, he would be done with the girl, and ready to remove the memory of tonight from both girl and cat.
Turning to the blonde, he moved to her bedside. A stray hand drifted through her hair as she slept, unaware of the threat. With a wistful sigh, she rolled towards him. He leant down, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent, fresh from her recent shower. His other hand slipped lower, tracing the contours of her body. The rim of her ear was warm against his lips and he whispered to her, "Bunny..." delighted as her lips curved upwards even in sleep.
"Endymion..." she murmured, leaning closer to his touch. His eyes narrowed, wondering how she knew his real name. No matter, her blood would give him the answers he sought soon enough.
Tracing a finger down her jaw line, he trailed hot kisses down her neck. She was beginning to stir from her dreams, and when he felt her pulse rise with awareness, he latched his lips around the skin. She let out a tiny gasp, eyes heavy with fatigue and desire. Pricking the skin with the tips of his fangs, he watched the flesh redden. Feeling her arms beginning to move despite lethargy, he ceased his preamble and drove two ivory teeth into her.
Her back arched, her body almost completely off the bed and for a moment he felt pain from the purity of her blood. However, it was a subtle burn and she was much too delicious for him to stop now. He sucked the wound slowly, intent on drawing the experience out. Beneath his hands she trembled, and he closed his eyes in rapture as her life began to fill him. She tasted like wine. A heady ambrosia that overtook his senses and flooded his body with lust. Her blood was decadent, it was sweet and satisfied him in ways no other's blood ever had; it was a drugging mixture of innocence and vitality. He found himself spiraling out of control as he drank from her. The pleasure he could taste from her only added to his own, tiny moans beginning to slip past her lips as well. The power in her blood was intoxicating and before long he was pulling in greedy gulps, his original plan forgotten entirely.
She was more than worth the wait.
All too soon he realized she would die if he drained her further. With great discipline he pulled away. It only occurred to him then that he had been so blinded by rapture that he had not gleaned even one tiny bit of information from her.
Growling, he tilted her face towards. She stared up at him with glossy orbs, dazed with the euphoria and blood loss. "Listen to me," he commanded, cutting a path along her waist line with his nail. She whimpered softly in pain, unable to move. "I will return tomorrow. You will get rid of the cat, and leave your window open." He saw her lids begin to lower and cursed under his breath. He had precious seconds left before she fell unconscious and his chance to impart directions was gone. "You won't remember anything from tonight except a sweet dream." Sliding a finger across her lips, he licked her taste from his. She had already passed out. "A very sweet dream." He leant down, digging his fingers into her shoulders and kissing her hard.
Stepping to the window, he could already make out the cat running towards him. He would find this hidden Control Room, and he would take the Crystal and kill the princess too. Tonight had been a failure, but tomorrow was only a scant few hours away. Turning slightly, he whispered "'Til then, Bunny," and leapt from her window, landing in front of Luna.
She was hissing and clawing at him as he grabbed her scruffy neck. Looking down he noticed that she had managed to slice a line in his arm. Snarling, he turned to her, growling "You will return to sleep." Coal black eyes shone in the moonlight, his aura simmering around his form. The cat's eyes were already growing glassy from the mental assault. "And you will recall nothing of this." Dropping her to the ground, he stalked down the street, a predator in the night.
Swiping his tongue up his arm, he watched the gash seal itself. With a muttered oath, he headed towards the same club from last night. Damnable animal would force him to feed again.
The next time he saw that cat, he swore he would force it to bath in its own blood.
* * *
Bunny went through the next day in a daze. She felt like a marionette, being pulled by some unseen force through her daily routine. Strange dreams haunted her at night, a tangled mix of hopeless searching for Endymion and erotic fantasies involving Endo. She didn't know which one she wanted, but she knew that if she continued to dream of both men her heart would shred in two. Once school had let out, she found herself drawn to the arcade again.
She smiled despite herself. She wanted to see him again...
A loud voice distracted her. "Bunny!" Turning to look sideways she saw Luna glaring up at her. "You're coming here too much. He's not Darien Shields...Bunny!" She didn't look her guardian cat in the eyes. For some reason she felt that seeing Endo was right, even though in her heart she knew it was wrong; he was not Endymion, and no matter how she many times she attempted to replace the emptiness in her soul, she knew that nobody else would be able to fill the void.
Closing her eyes so that Luna would not see her hopelessness, she murmured "I know that..." Turning her back on the cat, she headed into the Crown Arcade. Endo was not Darien, but thinking of Endo made her feel giddy, giving her goose bumps and chills. She didn't love him, or even trust him, but the thought of him brought her a strange satisfaction. A satisfaction she was scared to identify. Luna turned away from her charge, hurt by her dismissal. Bunny was already heading around the corner when Luna headed towards Artemis' house. Bunny probably just needed some time alone.
"Andy, This game is fascinating...no matter how far you go, you keep getting new levels. It's like it's really Sailor V fighting." He paused, smiling. "No, its more like someone somewhere is controlling Sailor V through this game." Endymion sped through the level, his smile turning predatory as he sensed Bunny approaching the arcade.
She entered, clutching her bags to her chest like a shield. Illuminated by the sun behind her, her hair formed a curtain around her as he watched. A smirk still curved his lips upwards, and he couldn’t help noticing her quiet beauty. His smile widened as he saw the almost unnoticeable bruise resting on the side of her neck. "Well, Bunny. We were waiting for you." She nodded, taking his former seat at the game. He slipped a quarter in, leaning his head in near her neck much the same as he had last night.
His breath fanned against her skin, "You really are good." For some reason, his words disturbed her. A warm hand descended on her shoulder. She fidgeted in her seat, something within her had started at the contact. This had happened before and she couldn't remember when. It made her feel light-headed to try and recall, so she abandoned her efforts.
"You're good too Endo." she flashed him a smile before turning back to the game. Pouring herself into the game, she tried to forget the confusion roiling inside her.
His fingers curved around one of her buns, tracing the texture. "Its like you're one with Sailor V. Like you know everything about her." His voice was sanguine, she could feel herself being lured towards it. She couldn't help the truth that spilled forth.
"Uh-huh, I do. She's a good partner."
His smile grew, finally she was revealing herself. "You act like you've met her. I saw her once myself," he baited, letting power lace his words.
"Really?!" She wanted to face him, but knew that if she turned her attention from the game she would die. A soft sensation above alerted her to the fact he was playing with her hair. Her heart began to beat staccato.
"She was really cool." The hand on her shoulder was slowly stroking down her arm, as another hand twisted locks falling from her pigtails.
A headache was beginning to throb in her temple. Bunny felt transparent, her mind aching with the subconscious effort of warring against his. "Yeah...she's a lot more reliable than me."
A feral glint sparked in his eyes as he watched her. "More than Sailor Moon?"
Startled by the name, she risked a glance back at him. "What?!"
"That hairstyle... it makes you look like Sailor Moon." Now he was surprised, it should have been impossible for the rabbit to escape entrapment in his voice. Locking eyes with her, he let power begin to manifest around him. If his words were not enough to seduce her, his gaze would be. "I wonder where Sailor V and Sailor Moon are when they're not fighting.” The hand petting her hair was caressing her cheek, and it was suddenly difficult for Bunny to think. The hand grazed over her neck, his free hand moving to replace the other's position in her hair, cradling a bun. Breathing steadily became an obstacle. "Do they have some sort of Control Room?" His voice was so perfect, but before she could be consumed by his power, their eyes locked. Black fire burned into her and reality crashed back into Bunny. He wasn't Darien, and no matter how similar they seemed, he was not Tuxedo Mask. He could not be trusted.
Stammering she clenched a fist over her pounding heart. "I... should... I should be going..." Reaching for her bags, she rushed towards the door.
A burst of fury flared within him. With inhumane speed he had grabbed her wrist, holding her at bay. "Bunny." She would answer his questions, if not today then tonight. His eyes narrowed, and if not tonight... "Come again tomorrow." Even though she had refused his earlier hypnotisms, he had an instinct that said she would return to the Crown, if for no other reason than to play the silly video game. "I want to know all of your secrets...Bunny" Swirling darkness began to leak from his gaze, and Bunny trembled at the evil she saw.
"G-goodbye!" Jerking her wrist free, she ran out the door. Her throat was dry, adrenaline pumping through her as her mind spun in furious spirals. He was not Darien, and yet she could still feel herself being drawn in. Self-deprecating tears started down her cheeks as she cursed her fickle heart.
* * *
The first thing he noticed when he arrived at Bunny's home at sunset was that her window was closed.
Letting out a snarl of outrage, he yanked it open in a fluid movement and stepped into her room. It was a small internal triumph that it was not locked, and the cat was nowhere in sight. He could hear the pattering of water silence from her bathroom and with a quick movement, he locked her bedroom door.
Bunny stepped out in nothing but a towel, humming a light tune and wrapping her hair in another towel. Before she noticed him in her room, he slammed her into the wall, his grip ruthless against her soft wet skin.
Wide frightened eyes peered up at him. "Wha--Endo?" She tried to push him away, meanwhile struggling to maintain her now vice like grip on her towel.
His hold on her was tenacious and unrelenting. "Did you think I wouldn't return?" Her brows drew together in confusion. In a rare burst of insight, she realized her dreams from the previous night had been based on some fact of reality.
With a gasp, she redoubled her efforts to push him away. "No! Get off me!" Frantic, she looked around her room for Luna, not seeing her guardian anywhere. Quivering with fear, she reached a hand towards her communicator which sat on her dresser.
Her efforts were impeded when he snatched her arm and roughly pinned it to the wall. Endymion was already letting his dark powers seep forth, his eyes glittering as he spoke. "Look at me, Bunny." Against her better judgment she turned to him, shivering at the insane light that had dawned in his gaze.
"N-No...Please..." Her bottom lip was unsteady as he leant down to muffle her protests.
"I promise," his hand drew a bloody pattern down her free arm, "you won't remember any of this." She let out a small whimper, fighting harder for freedom. He pulled her to the bed, laying her down and pinning her form. "Now if you play nice," he ran his tongue along the open wound on her arm to close it. Another tiny noise slipped past her lips at the stinging his tongue brought, "nobody has to get hurt."
"Why are you--" her words ended in a strangled yelp as he drove his nails deep into her side, delighting in her pain.
"I will ask the questions." Slowly he removed his hand, licking the blood caking his fingers with reverence. His eyes darkened as the taste of her again filled his mind. "Where is the Control Room?" By this time she was curling in on herself, blood already soaking into her sheets. Leaning down, he drew his tongue over the wound, moving back up to her face. Her expression was faraway, as if she was locked in another world. Disgusted with her resistance, he plunged his teeth back into the still ripe wound on her neck. Her eyes widened at the intrusion, eyes growing glossy again from the pleasure that tumbled through her body in waves.
Ripping himself free before he began to gorge himself on her blood again, he slapped her face to bring her attention to him again. "WHERE is the control room?" The underlying sense of danger he exuded seemed to have been magnified tenfold in the past few minutes.
"I don't know," her eyes were watery, pleading with him to believe her.
A rapping noise sounded at the door, and a woman's voice drifted in. "Sweetheart are you all right?"
Endymion wasted no time before sinking his teeth back into her neck, draining her and forcing her reply. It seemed to be the only way she would cooperate in even the slightest manner. "Yeah..." Bunny murmured, lost in the rapture sweeping her mind. He continued to pull from her long after her mother had wandered down the hall, the exquisite taste of her blood clouding his mind as much as hers. Her heart was beginning to slow, and he knew that within seconds she would die. A voice inside him roared its anger the idea of her death.
Fighting his more carnal urge to feast on her, he withdrew, black eyes darker than the devil's soul. Once again he had spent too much of her blood too quickly, and she had started with a deficit to begin with.
Standing, he gazed at the fragile form Bunny presented on the bed, naked with blood splattered across her flesh and sheets. To him, she had never looked more gorgeous.
Retreating to the window, he cast the prone girl another quick glance. "You won't remember any of this." And he knew that with those words, she wouldn't.
Landing on the grass outside her window, he slipped back towards the Arcade. It was still fairly early and there was still the possibility that Andrew would be there.
If he could not focus long enough to force her to surrender the information he sought, then there was no point to continuing his efforts with her. He would simply find someone else, who would.
* * *
AN: So, he brainwashes Lita and thus spirals the rest of Endymion's life until both he and Serenity are encased in the Ginzuishou. At that point, I am claiming his little jaunt into vampirism was cured by the crystal's power while both of them were unconscious. I wanted to examine this time period because most other authors who have thus far have turned it into a tragic/dark romance, and I thought that having half of a soul bond perverted would have a stronger effect than that, on both Endo and Bunny. This is a short, so do not review demanding a chapter 2. :P
I want to give a huge thank you to Hapagirl for the incredible job she did editing/beta-reading this piece, and for her constant support and patience in dealing with my self-deprecation and impatience in writing. This fic would not be what it is without her.
