*chains herself to the computer so she can start working on this thing*...HERE
IT IS!! i warn ya, it may be bad cuz of my writers block. tell me how ya like
it!

Before Dark Chapter 12
     by
SophiaChan

    She suddenly leapt into the sunny sky and whipped out her sais. "Lady
Kayura of the Youja Kai!"
    
    Shin and Shuten gazed up at her in shock. Her deviled sais glared angrily
in the sun, and she twirled them above her head, ready to destroy anything
that came near her. He laughter was wicked and hurtful, like a jagged piece of
glass slicing across a chalk board.
   "YOU WILL DIE!" She screamed as she dove staright down to Shin. 
    He gasped and leapt away from her deadly weapons and watched as some of
the earth erupted from the ground from the force of her blow. She growled and
launched at him again.
   Gracefully, like a cat, he dodged her sharp sais, barely missing them. He
swerved around them as if dancing with death. Kayura growled again and swung
out her leg, which he didn't expect and he was tossed to the ground. She stood
above him, a sai to his thoart and one to his heart. She grinned maniacly.
  "Well vampire Shin, we end it here Eastern blood."
  "Kayura," he gasped. "how?
  Being as cocky as she normally was, she was to dume to know by him asking
this question, she will of course answer and give him time to think of a way
to escape her death trap.
  "How?" She laughed. "How? It was fate Shin! Fate took me to the U.S. Of
course you would think I would be a good little priestess in the place of
shuten, and i was, for a short time being. I had come upon an ancient legend
of a dark master coming from the west to destroy the east. It intrigued me for
it was Kaosu who had killed the Sandara vampire way back then. And it was Ryo
who was fore told to come and lead the dark creatures of the night..."
  "When did you become a vampire?"
  She lightly tapped his thoart with the tip of her sai. If she was smart
enough she would have already cut of his vampire head and be done with him,
but she continued.
   "...I do not really remember. I had found my master, Ryo, at a boardwalk in
Santa Cruz in California. Western vampires were everywhere. By that time he
was already their "god" and when he saw me, he took me in as one of his own."
She grinned, her fangs gleaming, her eyes rolling back with an insane look.
"ooh how wonderful it felt to become a vampire... the pleasure...my master
gave me the immortality of the night. With the strength of the darkness i was
invincible..."
  "but what about your humanity...?" Shin asked, seeing the figure float ever
so slowly to the backside of the vampire bitch. 
   Kayura stared down at Shin, and he gasped as she suddenly laied upon him,
tossing one sai to the side, putting the dull of her other blade, deeper
against his thoart. She put her cheek to his and growled like an animal.
   "Humanity has been forgotten. Never ask me about my past for i will not
remember it... and it hurts so much..."
    "..kayura...."
    "...shin...."
    "NOW!"
    Kayura screamed as Shin shoved her upwards into the sky and then she
stopped her air clogged in her thoart. Blood dripped from the side of her
mouth as she choked on it. Shuten held her tossed sai in her thoart, dangling
her in the air. Shin slowly backed away from her and stood.
   "Hey, I though spirits could grasp things."
   Shuten shrugged. "Eh, I lied. We can grab things when we focus enough."
   "Ah.." Shin looked at the dangling Kayura in the air. She was still alive.
"Kayura... where is Ryo? Where is he?" 
    She stuttered. "never...going to tell...."
    Shin growled. "Do you want me to do it the hard way?"
    She didn't answer, only growled at him, which sounded more like a drowning
gurgle. More blood trailed from the corner of her red lips. 
    He sighed. "Guess so. Lower her to my eye level Shuten."
    Shuten nodded and lowered the captive down. "Look into my eyes Kayura...
look into them and tell me what I want to know.."
   As Shuten was watched, he stared in slight shock as Shins eyes melted from
their normal "human" color to a hypnotizing golden glare. He bore deep into
her own vampire eyes, with an authority she had never seen before. His face
grew pale, and his fangs gleamed. Kayura was slowly lifted hypnotically from
the sai and was held in the air by her unconciousness.
   "Look into my eyes... where is Ryo? where did he take the others?" 
   "...the blood..." she murmured. "to the wave of blood..."
   "Wave of blood?" Shuten asked, staring inquisitivly at Shin. "What does she
mean by that?"
    "That's what I'm gonna find out. Kayura, demon, tell me, what is this
'wave of blood' ?"
    Her eyes drooped, hypnotized. "By the sea, near abandoned wharehouses.
Where life was reborn into a living death. By the sea.... by the sea.... full
of blood..."
    " 'By the sea, full of blood." Shin glanced down, thinking. " 'By the sea,
full of blood' . Oh on the soul of Shuten..."
    "You rang?"
    "Shut up." Shin shook his dangling prey for a moment. "Is this where Touma
was created into a vampire? On the old pier? That cave?"
     She nodded. "Yes... by the pier, the old cave. He watched... waited...
laughed... my master..."
     "He saw me create Touma into a vampire." Shin averted his eyes and let
the other vampire crumple to the ground into a heap. "Down by the old pier."
    "Shin, I don't know exactly what went on over there, but you gotta get
there before Ryo creates the Kikoutei and summons the goblet."
    "Master... why do you despise me so?"
     Shin and Shuten glanced down at Kayura who had rolled onto her back,
murmuring about Ryo. She looked almost dead,  but was healing with her vampire
blood.
   "Why...? Why let her get in between us?"
   Shuten looked at Shin who had begun to walk away, back towards the house.
"Hey, what about Kayura?"
   "Leave her. She's strong enough to drag herself out of the sun. By tomorrow
she'll have healed. And by that time, this will all be over." He paused. "One
way or the other."
   "Shin..."
   "Come, lets get Nasuti and go to-"
   He stopped as he entered the small house. He sniffed the air and quickly
dashed into the room he had left Nasuti in. She wasn't there, but a trail of
blood lead out the back door, away from the house. He frowned, as Shuten came
up behind him.
   "She went back to him."

    "DAMN YOU RYO!!!" Shu managed to scream through his howls of pain. "How
could you do this to us!!?? We were you're friends!!"
    His muscles were tight, his blood pumping so harshly that it was
scratching his vein. Sweat dripped down his face, mixing into a salty red
mixture with the blood that oozed from the cut on his lip. He screamed again
as another bolt hit him. 
   "Bastard!!"
    A scream from the cage next to him brought his attention to Seiji, who
also dangled in the painful waves of electricty that took not only their
armors power, but their life force. Shu looked through the river of pain in
his eyes at Seiji. His head was bowed, his hair matted down with sweat. He was
so pale, that he looked like a god damn ghost. His small cries were the only
things that proved that he was still very much alive, but as of right now, the
power surged over the limp body with so much ease, Shu didn't know what to
think. His friend looked like a rag doll hanging on it's death bed.
    "Seiji...." Shu moaned. "Seiji.... you still with me buddy?"
    There was no response. The power surged some more.
    "Seiji... don't give up on me right now. I need you man. Hey, can you here
me? Yo, Date, open your eyes..."
    Still no response.
    Shu sighed and bowed his head. "I don't know what to do Seiji. This has
been a major pain in the ass, you know that? I mean..." He sniffed. "This is
all to hard for me. Even when we battled against Arago I was scared. I never
liked to admit it or show it, but I was. But we pulled through. All of us.
Together. As one we made it happen and we kept our cool." He sniffed again,
and glanced back at Seijis limp body. He didn't move.
   "Seiji, I'm scared now. Scared as I was when fought the youja. This time
I'm scared I would never see the smiling faces of my friends again. I love you
guys." He laughed slightly, even though he began to cry. "I don't wanna die
Sage. I don't wanna. We got all to much in our lives to live for. Our family,
the world, our dreams,  and our friends. Shin, Touma, Ryo and even the
annoying brat Jun. We got to much to live for, you know what I mean?"
    No response, only silience and the sudden sparks of the energy being
taken. Shu glanced away, tears coming from his eyes. There were tears that
feel from his eyes, those of pain and hate, but also those of lost friends. He
cried these the most. Small waters of despair that trickled down his cheeks,
down to the cavern floor below. The falling was like eternity, and then they
shattered, the tears died, along with more of his hope.
    "Seiji, just hang in there." He murmurred. Suddenly feeling tired. "Hang
in there. We can pull through. Somehow, someway, we can..."
    His eyes grew heavy. He felt so weak. He mabaged to take a glance at the
other  cages. He still could see the other three armors that belonged to his
fellow Troopers. 
   Touma... Shin... Ryo... guys, I need your help. I don't know what to do.
Seiji... I feel so weak. My life is being taken away. Is this how it feels to
die, slowly and painfully? Ryo, I wish we can save you. We need you. Come back
to us. Come back to your senses...Guys, I'm gonna miss you. I feel so tired.
My head hurts, maybe if i close my eyes for a minute, I can regain some
strength.. maybe... if only.. if only a demon could cry like a humans soul
can. From the heart. 
   He closed his eyes, he bowed his head. He let the darkness come in on him
and fell to his death.
   If one was to look in on the room, he or she would see the five armors. So
beautiful. So colorful. Radiating a glow that could warm anyones heart. And in
the far corner they could see the white armor. Gleaming with a hidden secret.
It's body glowed with a devilish power. It would seem to be laughing at you.
Mocking you. You would gasp and quickly avert your eyes from the horrid thing,
as the last part appeard on it's shoulders. The helmet with it's twisted
sneer. The silver mask keeping the dark power locked in. You wouldn't notice
though, even if you scrutinized the armor, the beautiful blue eyes that
pleaded from within the darkness for the chance of humanity again...
     Help us... help us...
     All that would be a cold wind.
    
   Ryo blinked and rubbed his eyes with a hand. Yup. He was seeing things
clearly. The sun was setting, the bloody flames licking like tongues on the
cold ocean mirror. He shivered slightly as Nasuit ran her lips over his neck.
   "Master... the sun is setting..." She whispered huskly into his ear.
   He moved his shoulder to move her away slightly. She tickled him. "Nasuti,
look out over the ocean. What do you see?"
   She pouted and turned her attention to the sea. "I see blood master. The
heavens are full of the blood, and so is the sea." She looked at her master.
"Is Nasuit correct?"
   He grinned and put and arm around her waist. "Yes, Nasuti. You are correct.
The sun is setting and the blood is appearing. I feel that the Kikoutei has
been created. It is calling to me. It wan'ts to play."
   Nasuti moaned. "Oh master, can i play with the puppies? I really wanna play
before the ceremony. Please?" 
   Ryo considered for a moment and then smiled. "Sure, you can play with the
puppies. But be quick, cuz I'm gonna be there soon." He paused. "Oh and make
sure that the Princess is comfortable. Prepare her for the ceremony."
   Nasuit felt giddy and she giggled happily. "Yes my lord!" She wrapped her
arms around his neck and kisses his lips, biting her own so he could have a
drink of her blood.
   Ryo smiled and took her blood. "Tasty."
  
   "Okay so a guy walked into a bar and said 'ow'. Funny? HAHA ain't that
funny? Hello, why isn't anyone laughing? Am I the only one that thinks that
was funny?"
    "Shut up Naaza!" Anubisu growled. "I had enough of you to last me a life
time." 
    "Hey, don't tell me to shut up. I can do what I please you ass hole."
    "Hey come and say that to my face punk!"
    "I would if I could but i don't wanna cuz I don't like to beat up
midgets," Naaza shot back.
    "Who the hell are you calling a midget?!?!!?" Anubisu roared. He stood
quickly and tried to charge at Naaza, but his chains held him back to the
wall. "You freaking little snake man, I'm gonna kick your sorry littl-"
   "Hey! We got a woman in our presence!" Rajura said calmly. "Now why don't
you BOTH shut the hell up before I kick BOTH of your little asses?"
    "UH HUH!"
    Akiko sighed and put a chained hand to her head. She had been listening to
the MaShos ever since she woke up to them in the first place. There was
Anubisu, the one with the scar. He was very high strung and seemed to be in a
bitchy mood. But he was a little good looking, about twenty years of age. Then
there was Naaza. He  was an annoying little man who told the worst jokes. He
also went on complaining about some dead man named Shuten and how sorry he was
when he saw that he was dead. The little snake man got on her nerves and she
would have minded if Anubisu beat the shit out of him. And then there was
Rajura. A very serious man that had a sense of arogance about him. He was
quiet in his little corner of the cavern, and only spoken to her a few times.
It looked like he was always thinking. She smiled. Rajura was pretty good
looking. Naw... couldn't be. His smile, his shiny white hair. Eh, it must be
the patch. Ya, the pirate thing was very attractive.
    "Can you guys just shut up?" Akiko moaned. "You're gonna drive me crazy."
    Naaza glanced at her. "Hey, you can't tell us what to do. Even if you are
royalty." He paused. "Man i need something good. Something tasty. I want to
get out of here before I -"
    She huffed. "Naaza, can we say 'heroine addict' ?"
    The MaShos looked at her blankyly. Their quizical looks signifying that
they had no clue what the hell she was talking about. She sighed and glanced
away. Suddenly she looked up at the presence she felt enter the room. It was a
young woman, of Western blood. She had come into the room, wearing a smug look
on her face.
   "Master said I can play with the puppies."
   Anubisu looked at Nasuti. "Screw off bitch."
   "Aww, that's no way for a puppy to talk to it's master."
   Nasuti walked to Anubisu and slammed him against the wall with her vampire
strength. He eyes were deviled. Her lips stained with blood. She smiled and
licked his neck. 
   "I'm gonna make puppy bark..."
   "Bow wow..." He cracked.
   Naaza watched on, slightly worried. "What are you gonna do to him?"
   Nasuti caressed Anubisus neck as the others watched on, helpless at doing
anything to protect the poor man.
  "Bark, puppy..." 
   Nasuti put her lips to his neck and bite. There was a sickening break of
the skin and then the pathetic moans from Anubisu who felt as if he was being
caressed on the inside by a thousand hands. His eyes rolled back and Nasuti
smiled as she drank. Blood trickled from the side of his neck and fell to the
floor. Drip... drip... drip.. drip... endless...
   Akiko shook her head. The sound was going to drive her insane. "STOP! STOP!
Nasuti stop!!" She screamed. "I COMMAND YOU TO STOP WESTERNER!"
   Nasuti snapped her head around and glared at Akiko, who squated firmly on
her rock. Their eyes met. Nasuti dropped Anubisu and he crumpled to the
ground, still alive, but unconcious. Rajura and Naaza looked at their friend
worriedly.
   "You, dare to command me to stop playing?" Nasuti growled, as she circled
the rock. "You little..."
   "I am the Eastern Vampire Princess Akiko. I command all the vampires that
set foot on my land. And you my poor excuse for a predator of the night, are
on my land and therefore under my control. And so I command you with the
authority I carry. Even your 'master' is under my control. He is a weak,
pathetic, little man-"
    Nasuti screamed in rage and ripped her nails across Akikos face. The
Princess gasped, as he head was flung to the side. She was shocked. She tasted
her own blood on her lips and then turned back to glare at Nasuti.
   "Wow, chick fight," Naaza observed.
   Nasuti was about to strike another blow when she sensed her master calling
to her. "Master?"
    "Nasuti, bring the princess to the armor room. The ceremony will take
place there. The sun has almost set. Quickly. It has to be done before the
darkness."
     She nodded and smiled heatedly at Akiko. "It's time girlfriend."
     Akiko nodded and allowed herself to be taken from the rock, and lead out
of the room. She glanced back at the MaSho who hung in silence staring after
her with a care she had never seen before. She choked slightly as Rajura
smiled at her.
    "Good luck," he told her. "We believe in you..."
    She nodded and disappeared down the dark hall knowing that she would
probably never see them again.

    They hung ghost like and pale in the cages above him.
    Dead, he thought. They're dead. It took all their power to create the
Kikoutei on their own. The pathetic humans. Oh well. Let's party.
    Ryo smiled at the Kikoutei before him. It grinned back at him. The
shallow, empty, dark grin of evil. It glimmered in the candle lights that were
set up all over the cavern. The ceremony was about to begin. As soon as he
summoned to Kikoutei. As soon as he took her blood.
    "Master, here she is."
     He turned around and saw Akiko being shoved towards him, her chains
keeping her secure. She bowed her head, and a red tear slid down her cheek. 
    "....my love... i'm so sorry... it seems we are never going to see each
other again..." 
    "Awww... don't worry," Ryo gently put a hand to her cheek and looked into
her eyes. "... but it was great while it lasted."
    "Shut up Ryo," Akiko growled. "You dishonor my fiances spirit like that."
    "Oh who gives a f*ck? Your gonna die anyways. Ain't vampire life grand?"
He turned to the other vampires, his clan. "Put her on the altar."
    Three nodded and grabbed her, slapping her onto the sacrificing table. It
had gutters but in, to collect her blood. She began to cry...
    "Shinosuke... i love you..."

    The sun was a blood red. The see filled in it's shadow. Already the stars
began to hide as a horde of Eastern vampires walked towards the old pier,
seeing the darkness of the old cave clearly in the sun set. A comical bunch
they seemed. Eastern Vampires, with a white tiger in the lead, followed by a
spirit of a dead monk and the second most powerful of the clan Shin.
   He looked pissed. He wore black clothing to match the mood of the group,
his long black trench coat flapping in the wind. His mouth was slightly open,
his teeth sparkling, and his skin was so white, it matched Shutens. With all
this he seemed like a Master vampire, his eyes gave a sparkle of a hidden
secret.
    "He wants to play dirty by taking her from me..." Shin seethed. "Then
we're gonna play dirty."
    Shuten glanced at Shin and saw droplets of red tears staining his pale
cheeks. He didn't ask any questions, for he already knew the answer.
    "Shinosuke my love, you know what I really am," Akiko whispered into her
lovers ear. "You know that I love you for eternity, and I'll probably live
that long."
      For eternity... Shin growled. Eternity is a long time...
     Shinosuke sighed as he kissed her neck. "To the end of time..." He pulled
back and looked into her golden eyes. "Akiko, i wanna be with you when
eternity ends."
     I loved her so much...
     Akiko looked at him. "You mean, you want to be a vampire like me?"
     He nodded. "Anything to be with you. I love you."
     Delighted Akiko hugged him strongly, crying in joy. "Oh Shin, I'm so
glad! We can be together, forever. Never to be alone."
     But it was she who ended up being the one alone, and then I created
others that were to be alone. 
     They kissed and Akiko slowly went to her lovers neck and bit. He moaned
as she took his blood. Taking the life from him. When she pulled back, her
lips were tainted with his blood, her eyes a light with an immortal fire. He
watched, breathing heavily, gasping for air, as she opened one of her veins
and raised it to his mouth.
    Her blood was so sweet... i could taste her love as I drank from her.
    He took it heartily, and began to drink. She moaned as her blood flowed
from her cold veins into his mouth. He was so hungry. New born vampires were
always so hungry... he was turning, turning into one when suddenly...
    "Sandara..." Shin seethed.

    Ryo looked up hearing his last name being called. He turned and looked at
the wall thoughtfully. Could it be? Could Shinnosuke still be alive? But
didn't he die in the blast that Kayura made? Yes, there was no way he could
have survived that. But....
   Nasuti nudged him. "Master, the Kikoutei..." 
   He nodded and turned his attention back towards the glowing armor and began
to call upon it. "Kikoutei... great armor of the sun. I call upon your power.
I call upon the power of the day and night, to become one and to give me the
strength of the dark world...." 
   As he prayed the armor began to glow. The mask snickered silently at him,
as the other armor in the cages began to pulse with the loud heartbeat of the
armor. 
   "Kikoutei... i ask of you to bring the gobelt to me! Allow me to use the
sacred cup and bring the worlds together! I Rekka no Ryo summon forth the
power by your will!"
   The armor glowed ever brighter. 

   Byakuen roared and the vampire herd stopped suddenly, staring at the tiger
switch colors and gain power. Shin glanced at KoKuenOh, it's armor glowing.
   "KoKuenOh...?"
   The black tiger lifted it's head and roared again, as dark clouds swarmed
over head. It's armor began to glow brightly. The golden ornament on it's
helmet suddebly sparked, and a prism lightning shot down from the sky striking
it. 

   "Come forth sacred goblet of the Ancients! I command you to! By the power
of the Western Master, I command you!"
   Before him the Kikoutei continued to glow brightly. It's mask a prism. It
shot out the colors and landed upon the top of the altar. There, slowly, the
sacred gobelt began to take shape.

    KoKuenOh plunged forward with a roar and was followed by the swift speed
of the vampires and the floating ghost.
   "Shin!! The goblet is being summoned by the Kikoutei!" Shuten cried. "The
suns alomst set! We must stop the ceremony from continuing!"
   "God damn it Shuten! You knew all along where the goblet was and didn't
tell me?!" 
   "I had to take precautions!"
   
   The Western Vampires looked hungrily at the goblet that Ryo now held. He
grinned wickedly and walked to the altar where Akiko lay. She struggled
meekly, and stared up at the goblet. It glowed with the evil that was brought
into Ryos body.

   Ryo leapt out of the woods, dressed in his familys ninja clothing. He
whipped out his short sword and attacked the two vampires. "DIE!"

  He held a sword from the Kikoutei above her trembling body. And then lowered
it to her upraised wrists that pulsed with the Eastern blood.

  "Eastern vampires!!!" A guard at the cave screamed before his thoart was
sliced out by Shins long nails. 
   He growled as he ran swiftly down the caverns towards the ceremony. Slicing
his enemies with his nails. Blood splattered over his cheek from the wounds he
inflicted on them, and continued merrily on his way. 

  It was as if the world went into slow motion. Sandara vampire leapt out of
the woods with his short sword. Shinosuke had shoved Akiko back, away from the
attack, and he gasped as the sword went into his heart.
  "SHINOSUKE!!!!" 

   Akiko cringed as the cold metal ran along her wrist. The terrible sound of
skin breaking echoed the cavern. 
   "Uhhhh...." she groaned as she saw her blood flow out of her wrist and down
into the goblet. Drip...drip...drip...

   Almost there my princess, almost there.

   He moaned and looked at Akiko, holding the end of the sword in his chest.
"Akiko..."
   He fell forward and burst into ashes.

   Nasuti licked her lips as she saw Ryo raise the the sword to his own wrist,
and slice it open. He cringed and let the blood drip into the goblet. Drip...
drip...drip...

  "We're under attack! We're under attack! We're- ULCH!"
   Shin sliced another vampire down and saw the candle lit hall. 

   He instantly killed Before Dark's fiance , for though he was gaining
immortality, his body wasn't immortal. Only his spirit. 

  He dropped the sword and raised the goblet to his lips.
  "Master!! We're under attack!"
  Ryo glanced to the side and saw Shin charging like hell towards the entrance
of the glowing cavern. The Kikoutei continued to snicker silently.
  
   "RYO!!!" Shin screamed. "DON'T DRINK IT!!!!"

    Ryo smiled. Gave a mocking toast with the goblet and put it to his lips...

   Akiko moaned, her blood still flowing... "Shinosuke....?"

   "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

   He drank... and the sky filled with blood...

To be continued...

Well here it is.... Chapter 12... what did ya guys think? Aye.... i went wack
on it... well that's what I get for watching to much Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
and other horror movies.... ^_^ ...hmm it well it was okay... even with the
writers block i got down pretty good. Heh... okay... i'm gonna go and do
chores now...

~SophiaChan