Here it is! The FINAL Chapter of the Vampire Fic Before Dark. Now I worked like a dog on this one, writing mumbo jumbo, so enjoy it!! nah. j/k :) Just enjoy it and tell me what you think. Before Dark Chapter 13 By SophiaChan "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... She walked along the coast crying and screaming. Her bloody tears staining the crashing waves below her. The edge of the cliff she stood upon was only inches away. The earth already crumbling under the slightest weight. She paused, turned, and stared over the ocean towards the west. The sun was beginning to rise, she could feel it. Every hair on her body quivered with fear. She had become weak over the past few days. She had left her post as the strongest vampyre in the land to being lower than the ones who drank the blood of reptiles. She choked back a sob. The sun rise. She had remembered so clearly what it would be like to see through her perfect vampire eyes, but she had so longed to see it through human eyes once again. To feel the actual warmth that only humanity could feel on their skin in the sun rise. Even if it meant to do it one last time in the end of her existance. "Shinosuke..." She murmurred, wiping her bloody tears off her cheeks. "I miss you so much. I wanna be with you. For eternity. In the world beyond the mortal reaches of life. To the heavens where I know you are watching me." Over the horizon of the sea the first crack of light began to appear. The sky began to bleed and the stars began to hide. A ray of bloody tears landed slowly at Akikos feet. It mixed with the blood that dripped from her eyes. "I love you Shinosuke..." The sun crept upwards, smiling. A victim that so longed had laughed eternally at it was now it's breakfast. Up, creeping, stalling, an endless mockery at the princess. "Kill me sun... kill me... I don't wanna live anymore..." Her skin was already beginning to burn, the smell of her dead flesh was intoxicating. The sun beamed happily when suddenly it disappeared, and a long shadow of a gateway took it's place. Akiko stared at it venomously. "How dare you interupt my death..." "Akiko." Her ears twitched she gasped. "Shinouske?" "Akiko..." The Princess cried. "Shinosuke.... where are you? I miss you so much..." She fell to her knees crying. The sky was filled with blood, but the burning goblet did not show. She wanted to die. The she lifted her head slowly. She felt a hand massage her head in comfort, and strong arms wrap around her. Akiko closed her eyes, a small ruby falling from her eyes. She put her arms around those around her and hugged them. "Shinosuke..." "Akiko.... do not do this to yourself. It was fated for me to die. And it is fated for you to live to the day we net again. Understand?" She sobbed. "I love you..." "And I love you.... but we will never be able to be with eachother if you kill yourself now..." "I can't wait..." "You have to. For the both of us. Be strong. You are the Princess and therefore carry the responsibility of keeping the eastern land under control and safe. The world of the night needs you Akiko..." "I need you..." She wished to turn to see him but couldn't he wouldn't let her. ".....don't look at me Akiko...look at the sun. Let us watch it rise together..... for when the sky fills with blood it's the dawn of a new chance to live, and maybe the chance to die....don't drink from it's goblet unless you are willing to be human..." Akiko did not undertsand. She leaned into the spirit and opened her eyes to watch the gateway disappear, and the sun begin to rise. This time it did not hurt her. She stared at the sun with deep hate, but drank from it anways. If she let her eyes look more deeply through the blinding rays of sun, she would've seen the sneering face of the Kikoutei. "RYO!!!!!" The goblet fell from his pale hands. Tumbling through the cold air, the remaining blood flying out to the world. The goblet crashed to the ground and shattered, a small lake of blood forming at his feet. His cold eyes were glazed over, he bowed his head. He screamed and an invisible wave of power came out of no where and shook the cavern walls. "YOU BASTARD!!!!" Shin leaped over Akiko and tackled Ryo to the ground. They hissed and scratched at each other like animals. They rolled on the ground wrestling, glaring heatedly at one another. Shin looked into Ryos golden eyes with his own, they both bared their fangs and growled. Shin sliced Ryos cheek open, but only a few drops of blood appeared. "You ass hole! I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!!" Ryo laughed. It was more like a snake laughing at the pleading mouse in it's bite. "Shinosuke.... welcome to my humble home." He threw forward his arm and punched Shin off him. They stood hissing at eachother, circling one anothjer, like a dead dance. A dance of immortal fate. One that was told so many years ago. The vampire clans glared at each other, and waited for their master to give a command. Shuten stood off to the side with the easterners. He had pinned Nasuti to a wall, and she wouldn't be able to escape his spirit grasp. Akiko continue to lay on the sacrifice table. As the other vampires were so wrapped up in the staring contest she, strugged weakly to break free of the chains that held her. Shinosuke...she thought...i have to do this. I will do this for you. I love you to much to see you in so much pain. She moaned silently as she caught sight of her left wrist. It was sliced open, and blood oozed out from the wound Ryo had inflicted on her. She shook a sudden wave of diziness away and slipped out of the chains, from constricting her figure into a small size. She tumbled off the table, unnoticed and lay on her stomach, weak. She looked up and stared at the grinning Kikoutei and she saw the sun. Outside the sun toyed in the sky. Blood was dripping all over the sea. It stained the sinful world with that of death and destruction. Youja gate ways began to appear over the land. They were unopened, waiting for the command and authorization for them to eneter the mortal world and have fun. Red lightning shot across the sky out of the bloody clouds, and it poured. Shadows leapt about, dancing. And only the innocent souls that were taken by death cried for the small childs body that lay lost and alone in the bloody bushes. They cried with the human spirit...for Jun who would be lost and alone forever. "Shinosuke," Ryo said the name with acid. "I'm so glad you could make it into this timeline to witness the event of me taking over the world." "Well it was an opend day on my calendar so I thought 'what the hell'?" Shin growled at Ryo. "Bastard, leave Ryo alone. He-" "I am RYO! You see me Shin? I am the one by that name. I wore the Rekka yoroi and I will wear the armor of both night and day." "Without a soul?! I laugh at you you baka." Ryo's eyes gleamed. "Who needs a soul when I have the demon world at my command." He paused. "You can't stop me, I have the power of the sun, of the darkness, the sin that even darkness hides from under my control. Arago himself would never try and look at me for I am that that will destroy you and this whole screwed up world." Shin sighed. "So your just plain evil. Gotcha." He grinned. "You know, you have got to get a better position in life. I know it will get pretty boring for you." Ryo growled. "You disrespect your mother. The mother of all of us vampires. The darkness gave birth to us Shin, as it did long ago. Evil came about to explain us, but we are more powerful than that." "I don't need a history lesson. I'm just gonna kick your sorry little bony ass, and maybe stake you here and there until you set my friends go." The demon vampire smiled. "Well then, come and get them." He blinked and the Western vampire clan surged forward as one. Shin growled and pointed a finger at them. "GET THEM!!" The Eastern vampires leapt into action and blood and body limbs flew everywhere. Flames licked the ceiling of the cavern, the armors in the cages stood deathly still and the shadow of demons danced before them laughing. Two pairs of golden eyes stared at each other. They circled one another, and then leapt towards each other screaming like banshees. "You gonna die!!" shin screamed. "Funny you say that about your own fate!!" Ryo shot back. He leap backwards, into the air, floating on the wings of dead angels, and beckoned Shin to join him. Shin growled and flew at him with speed. The battled in the air. Western Master grabbed Shin by his collar and flew him across the cavern and into the wall. Dust and rocks tumbled onto them, and they smiled at each other. "Thanks, you just popped my back. I needed that." Shin screamed and grabbed Ryo by his own collar and shoved off against the wall, ramming him against the far end of the cavern. The master laughed and rolled his eyes at the easterner. "Pathetic." Akiko looked into the mask of the Kikoutei. She stared right at it, and it stared right back at her. She dragged her self closer to the white armor, her blood trailing behind her, and looked at it again. For when the sky fills with blood it's the dawn of a new chance to live, and maybe the chance to die....don't drink from it's goblet unless you are willing to be human... She nodded, lifting her trembling hand up to touch the glowing feet of the armor. Her blood dripped onto it. "Shinosuke..you were so right...so right.... I am willing to drink from the goblet now. I see what humanity is, even in this masacre." The armor twisted it's face into confusion. The blood from her wound that dripped onto it's feet pulsed and began to strecth like hairy roots over the armor. Over it's legs, it's chest, around the arms and into the mask, giving it a taste of immortality, the blood flowed. It lived. It pulsed with a heart. The blue eyes appeared behind the mask and seemed to smile down at her. Thank you...... you seen me... Akiko nodded and smiled back, lowering her head against the cold floor of the cavern. She closed her eyes and let herself be held in the Kikouteis arms. Your welcome....live now....humanity..... The armor began to glow so brightly that the vampires stopped their fighting and stared as one at the Kikoutei. Ryo and Shin, strangling each other, floated in mid air and gawked at the armor. "What he hell is happening?!" Ryo growled. He gasped as he saw the armors in the cages beginning to react to the glowing white armor. His eyes widened as he saw in his minds eye, a mirror. A wall of glass, and hidden behind that wall were the lives he had taken. Their cold lifeless bodies hung in solitude and silence. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to escape the picture but he couldn't, to calm himself. Why was he so scared? Why did he suddenly feel pained? The bodies there meant nothing to him...but then again.... Human! Ryo! Rekka! Ryo! Remember! You and I will be one again! You won't defeat me this time!! Western Vampire Master, I am more powerful then you would ever be. I'm more powerful than the darkness in you. And guess what? I'm not evil. "Then who are you?" Ryo asked, afraid to know the answer but knew he had to. I'm your human spirit. He choked, and let Shin go, screaming, and put his hands to his head. He growled in pain, screaming out obscenities. "NO! NO! NO! NO!" Shin floated away from Ryo and stared at him and the armors. "The Kikoutei.... it's...it's giving back the power..." Shin couldn't believe his eyes and then alomst fainted. "AKIKO!!!" He saw her body sprawled on the floor before the Kikoutei and flew down to her. Suiko quickly lifted her in his arms. She felt so light. Why did dhs feel so light? A pool of blood had surrounded her, and she was sticky with it, though he held her close, brushing the black hair away from her pale cheeks. "Akiko...." Her breathing was shallow. She didn't open her eyes. He shook her slightly. "Akiko...open your eyes. It's me, Shinosuke. Please open your eyes. Akiko, princess.....?" The human spirit can not be contained or destroyed for long my love. I had forgotten so long ago, when I died and lived on that ship. But you taught me over the centuries. You taught me......buso....suiko.....!!!!! "NOOO!!!" Shin screamed as he was taken from Akiko and pulled through the transformation into his armor. The cages shattered in light as a blue swirled free and surrounded him. He closed his eyes, bloody tears flung from his cheeks. A beautiful tune invaded his ears. It was a song.... Through a gateway..... my world is seen.... my blood staining it all.... a life not forgotten from there i lived.... now the demons..... eneter my world.... to protect this life.... by my side.... my lover stands.... In a hand he will my heart.... humanity.... my blood streaming down his arm... together... as one.... i see myself through the mirror... the darkness took me.... warmed by each others touch.... whispers of humanity.... together as one.... evil is born to good.... and placed back into the darkness.... taking humanity with it, but not my spirit. Shin exploded out of the wall paper and appeared in his Suiko yoroi. His eyes were still closed. But he could feel his dead heart pounding in his veins. The blood was flowing. Outside he could hear the waves crashing against the bloody sky. Their own battle going on. Ryo by now had stopped his insanity and stared blankly at Shin. Everything was quiet. Not a sound was heard. "Western Vampire Master Ryo, I Suiko no Shin, will destroy you and your clan. You have trespassed into my world. The Eastern world and we won't let you." His opponent snickered. "You and what army?" "The human spirit...." Ryo looked confused and then took a step back as Suiko twirled his yari and aimed it at the other armors in the cage. The Kikoutei nodded silently and smiled. "CHO RYU HAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The power surged forth from the weapon and at the armors trapped in the cages. The bondage shattered like glass, the mirror in the water and out from the swirling blue liquid, the Kourin, Kongo, and Tenku appeared, sparkling and pure. "TENKU NO TOUMA!" he yelled as he pulled put his golden bow. His eyes smiling with wisdom. Four arrows flew out from his pack and he aimed and fired at three of the western vampires. Direct hit. They grunted. Fell forward. They exploded into dust. "KONGO NO SHU!" the other cried as he twirled his weapon. He slammed it right into the cavern ground and a giant crack ripped towards Ryo, who growled and leapt to the side. He then had to quickly whirl backwards, getting knicked by the blade of a long sword. Ryo gasped as he saw Seiji in a battle stance. "Kourin no Seiji, at your service." Ryo looked at the four men in armor. "How!? How can you be alive? Touma was killed back in the mansion and you two died here! How can this be happening?!" Touma smiled, his fangs gleaming happily. "Let's just say that we ARE back, and ready to kick some demon butt, and well for one, I'm rather cranky for getting killed for like the fifth time!" Shu grinned. "You're cranky if someone tries to wake you up at a civil hour in the morning." Ryo laughed. "Well this is just perfect. I can kill you guys off the honorable way." He gestured to the Troopers for his clan. "Kill 'em." The vampires rushed forward. Seiji swung his sword and sliced off the head of one. Blood landed on his cheeks and his eyes kept their icy glare, giving off the refelection of the head that rolled to his feet. Touma howled with laughter and shot the golden arrows at the westerners. Dust and blood flew everywhere as the Easterners ripped off the limbs of some other vampires. Shu chased a group of westside teens down a hall and into another chamber. It was dark and he had to dodge the quickly moving attacks coming from all directions. He paused, and listened with his ears and mind. A scuttle towards him made him throw his staff back and the naginta made a hole in a vampires stomach. It screeched loudly and then there was an -ulch!- as it's head came flying off. Shu frowned and stared at the MaSho who stood behind him. Rajura grinned. "Well long time no see Kongo." Shin stared at Ryo and pointed his yari at him. "Ryo, give it up. You won't win against the four of us and my clan." Ryo shook his head. "No." He paused. "You're not the only one who can still harness the power of the armor. So what if your spirit is immortal Shinosuke. So what if you brought back the other Troopers to fight against me clan. I still have won. I am the darkness, and well.... i killed your fiance." Shin growled. "No...shut up. She's not dead." "I opened a vital vein in her body Shinosuke. Even vampires can't heal quick enough to live through that." He grinned, his fangs gleaming. "Now this is the time to end what we started. I meant to kill her long ago, but you got in the way. So now I'm just have to kill you off and I'll be done with it." "NO! CHO RYU-" "SOU EN ZAN!!!!!" Flames up and around Ryo, his eyes ablaze and wild. He laughed as the flames soared through the air to Shin who screamed getting burned. He was thrown backwards and landed on his knees. Ryo dashed to him and lifted him up by his thoart. "...and Shinosuke dies tonight..." "NOOO!!!" Ryo laughed and dug his fangs into Shins thoart. Shins veins pumped faster and faster as Ryo drank from him. The nectar stained his lips, stained his cheek and ran down his thoart. The blood was sweet. Ryo pulled back slightly and gazed into Shins golden eyes. The light was fading from them. "Sweet dreams Shinosuke..." He kissed Shins lips lightly. Shin could taste his own blood. Ryo raised his hand in the air, his nails sharp like razors, and swung them down to cut off his head. A golden arrow whistled through the air and struck Ryos shoulder. Ryo stopped, and looked down at the weapon. "Ouch." He glanced up at Touma and saw that the archerer had another arrow pointed in his direction. This time at his head. "Let...my master...go," Touma said slowly. "Or you're gonna find a new place to hang a coat." Ryo tossed Shins body to the side and laughed. He reached over and pulled out the arrow from his shoulder. He advanced towards the archerer, but then stopped as he pulled back the arrow, ready to fire. "Come on Touma. Kill me. I'm a vampire. You're a vampire, we are bred to hunt and kill. Come on. Shoot that blasted arrow into my heart." Touma shook his head. "No.. I won't do that." Ryo smiled. "Thought so. Weak... pathetic, little boy...." Suddenly Ryo was lunged forward, a sword implaing him from behind. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he slowly turned to see Seiji holding his no- datchi in him. "Even humans can kill...." was all that Seiji said. Ryo coughed up more of his blood and slowly pulled himseld out of the sword. Touma and Seiji held their weapons high over him, waiting for him to make a move. "Seiji....didn't know you had the guts in you to do that to your leader." "You are not my leader demon. The real Ryo disappeared." He smiled. "Look at your reflection. Where are you at?" Ryo gasped, blood pouring from his mouth. He saw the Rekka armor... saw the virtue of benevolence... saw the smiling human that was once Rekka no Ryo... it was all there in the past. He gasped again as he snapped back into reality and found that he was wearing the Rekka yoroi. "NO! NO!" Ryo screamed. He couldn't take it. Everything was confusing for him. He knew he was evil. All of the above evil, but still the armor came to him. It beckoned him to wear it. He didn't want to. All the others were wearing their armor. Maybe that's why it scared him. Something inside the armor was there. It was after him. And that terrified him. He suddenly slashed a blade of one of the swords in his hands, over Toumas face. The vampire screamed and fell backwards, and Seiji dodged the other blow. Rekka was to quick and escaped an attack from Kourin. He dived to Akiko and grabbed her. "THIS ENDS NOW!!!!!!!!!!" His golden eyes were wild, nothing could reach him- "GEN TESSAI!!!!!" The cavern went up in dust. Ryo and the others found themselves standing on the cliff. Akikos body in his arms. He gasped as he saw Touma being held up by Seiji, Shin with Shu, and the MaSho standing behind them. The Kikoutei seemed to have disappeared. "I'm not going to let this happen!!!" Ryo yelled. His mind lost. "Not going to let this happen!!!" Shin weakly lifted his head. "Let Akiko go..... please...." "Ryo, let us help you..." Shu pleaded. "Ryo...please let us help you. We know that there is some human left in you." Ryo shook his head. "Let me be. The world is mine. Get used to it." There was silence.... Drink from the sun... Anubisu glanced around. "What was that?" Naaza frowned. "You heard that? ....drink from the sun.... create the Kikoutei Troopers. Create it for the Rekka.... he will find himself there.... Seiji heard the voice. "Akiko..." Shu was still pleading with Ryo. "Ryo.... there is human in everyone. Shin, Touma, they are proof of that. The human spirit can't be contained forerver Ryo. Don't you know that? It always finds a way. "Remember back when we first defeated Arago? We were taken. Remember what we wanted you to do? We wanted you to kill him even though it would kill us too. But you didn't. You knew that our spirits were still deep within the evil. Don't you remember?" Shin joined in. "Arago needed you for you were like his heart. But Ryo, you as his heart would have made him more human than he would have thought. You, his heart, cried for each of us. A human heart can cry....demons can't...." Something clicked in Ryos head. Bloody tears stained his cheeks. He bowed his head slightly and glanced down at Akiko. She was still breathing. He stared at her. If only..... "Buso Suiko!" "Buso Kourin!" "Buso Kongo!" "Buso Tenku!" if only..... He let her go. She fell to the earth and lay still. Ryo could't help it. "Buso Rekka...." Colorful swirls of energy escaped from the Troopers and surrounded Ryo. His armor glowed and the red light swirled into the other forms of energy they landed before him, exploding into the Kikoutei armor. Flames danced around it, and Ryo stared at it in shock. if only a demon could cry like a humans soul can.... His golden eyes blinked and stared into the mask of the Kikoutei. From the darkness a pair of pale blue eyes appeared and looked at him. They stared into each other. No secrets hidden. They saw what each other had been through and took comfort in that. ....from the heart. The Western Vampire Master shed a single tear and spoke to the person inside the Kikoutei armor. "Ryo..." The blue eyes smiled a single blue tear falling down it's pale cheeks. They fell.....both human tears... falling...falling.... "SOU EN ZAN!!" The Western Vampire smiled and let the flames from the Kikoutei take him. He disappeared in the flames. The human tears landing among the soft green grass at the edge of the clifff. The air was salty and a sea breeze combed through the Troopers and MaShos hair. The Kikoutei had disappeared along with Ryo. The clouds and the sky were now clear of the blood and darkness. The sun would be coming up soon. It was almost time. They stared at Shin who was kneeling at the edge of the cliff, holding Akiko in his arms. She was so pale, she could have been transparent.Her lips were a deep blue, and her chest only rose a few centimeters, very shalloww breaths. "Akiko...." Shinosuke murmured, caressing her cheek. "The Westerners have been defeated. Fate has brought us back togther again." She sighed slightly, her eyes closed, a tear ran down her cheek. "Shinosuke... I found out the meaning of your words..... when we sat on this cliff together... I'm drank from the goblet.... and I'm gonna drink from it again...." "Akiko....shhhh....." He held her tightly. "Shin.... lets watch the sun rise together... drink from it and you will gain your humanity." She smiled slightly. "...please...this will be our last chance....eternity is coming to and end for me..." He sniffed slightly and kissed her forehead. He looked over the horizon with her and togther, they watched the sun fill the sky with blood. The blood of humanity and the dawn of a new chance to live. Akiko sighed. "I can feel it Shin.... the sun is so beautiful..." "Akiko...." "........i...love...you.....Shin....." Shin nodded and tried to hold back his human tears as his he felt her leave him. His vampire lover dying as she wanted to. As a human in the sun rise. Two days later found Shin back at the same cliff. He held an urn in his hands and looked over the sea at the setting sun. Beside him stood Touma. And behind him stood Shu and Seiji. "Ryo will return one of these days," Shin said. "When he is needed for the Kikoutei, we know he'll appear. In spirit." He chuckled slightly. "Just like Shuten." A pause. "How's Nasuti doing?" Touma grinned slightly. "She's doing okay. The blood transplant helped her." He paused. "I just don't understand how we became human again. Shin?" Shin blinked, still staring over the ocean. "We drank from the true goblet. That's what the souless Ryo missed. He misunderstood that the Kikoutei was the armor of the sun, and the sun was the goblet. It's confusing I know, but we were healed by the thing that most vampires die in. The sun." "Interesting." Shin glanced down at the urn in his hands. "Akiko always loved the sun rise, but her favorite thing to watch was the sun set." "Really?" He nodded and opened the urn, shaking the ashes onto the air that carried them out to the sea. "Now she will always be with the sun set. Just before dark." Fin Well.... what do you guys think... it took me over four hours to cram all this into it. I know I know, you Ryo fans wanna kill me for making him go off. Why didn't I kill Nasuti? Well she does have a place in there. ^^; I want to thank all of you who read my vampire fanfiction and kept me going on it. I really hope you enjoyed the ending. Thank you again, and blessed be. ~SophiaChan