Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: Bitter Reunion

And so tomorrow has finally come at last, Shuji, Mia, and Alez is already in the main house with everyone else. "I'll stay out here," Alex says as they reach the main house. "Good idea," Yuki nods and pulls Amber along up the stairs. Standing on the porch to the room was Ritsu, Ryo, Rin, Yuei, Ken, Kentaro, Sakura, along with many others that Alex never seen before.
"Good morning love," Alez greet Amber with a soft kiss on the lips and a gentle smile. "Good morning," she replies smiling at him and blushes lightly. "Okay lovebirds, prepare for the chaos up ahead..." Yuki rolls her eyes making a disgusted face over their lovey-dovey. "Are you ready for what lies ahead of us?" Alez ignores Yuki. Amber nods her head holding onto his hands tightly like a little kid clinging to her mother or father for protection when frightened.
Together the three steps inside where an old lady sitting tiredly in a high chairs that seem to make for a king or queen. Her hair flow down to her waist, very pale skin tone, and those onyx piercing eyes that seem to see through your soul. Dressing in tradition kimono, her long sharp nails and bony hands bring a little chill down anyone's spine when they see it. Kneeling not so far from that lady are Shuji and Mia, and then Shuji gets up and walks up to the lady and stands next to her with his solemn looks staring at Yuki, Alez, and Amber.
"So you've finally decided to come home," the lady looks up at Alez with a little twinkle in her eyes. "I only wish to comes back to introduce you all to someone that I will be marry to by the end of this year." Alez says coldly. "Oh Alez, you know that you can't marry anyone but me..." the lady hisses reaching her skinny hand out to him. Like a machine, Alez uncontrollably walks up to her.
"Oi..." Yuki perks up. "I can't control myself..." Alez groans. "Alez..." Amber calls out and runs up after him. "Silence, mortal!" the lady swings her hand and sends both Alez and Amber flying backward. "Oh my..." Yuki jumps in the way and catches Amber but not Alez. Mia silently reaches out and grabs Alez's hand to keep him from breaking the paper wall and out in the front yard.
"Kane-sama! It is time you need to realize that we all wanted to live our lives our way," Alez shouts getting up and bowing at Mia. "Maybe, it is time you learn your place..." Kane hisses getting up baring her fangs. "Alez...." Amber whimpers. "I'm sorry you have to find out this way, love..." Alez turns around and manages to smiles at Amber through little tears in his eyes. "Please, don't go against your family just because of me..." Amber takes a dive at him and hugs him tightly crying.
"FOOLS!" Kane shouts angrily swing her hands and the sleeves of the kimono flow gently. Amber feels something really strong heading their way so she turns over and trying to take it instead of Alez. "No!" Alez shouts seeing the power surging closer to Amber's back.
"Get down!" Alex shouts and Yuki and Mia reach out and pull both Alez and Amber down quickly to get out of Kane's powerful surge. Right on cue, Alex burst in from the door smashing through it crossing her arms over her face taking in the power for the other two. It was so strong that her watch breaks like a twig and her arms are cuts, and it sends her sliding backwards and falls over Alez and Amber.
"Ow..." Alex groans. "Shut up and run..." Yuki shouts picking Alex up and bust through the wall with Alez, Amber, and Mia behind her. Outside, Ken already sits in his car and speeds off out of the Ureshima’s compound once the five of them get on. They drive all the way out into the wooded area of the estate, without saying anything.
"We should be save here or so I hope," Ken says stopping the car in the middle of nowhere. "We'll be okay, you should get back before Kane-sama find you were with us and kill you too." Mia says padding Ken's shoulder. "Yes ma'am..." Ken nods slightly and drives away. "Shit... she's bleeding too much..." Yuki murmurs holding Alex on the ground.
"Come on," Mia says running off and the others follow closely behind. They made it to a huge summer house, although it looks like no one uses the house in years. "Lay her down..." Mia says walking up to the couch and then rushes away to find some towels. "Come on... come on..." Yuki mumbles unbuttons Alex's shirt to look at how bad the wounds are. "Alez, get out and keep a look out..." Mia says calmly bringing the water and towels. Alez let Amber down and walks outside without any words or remarks that he normally would say.
"Bandages!" Yuki says and Mia rushes off as Yuki gently dabs the blood on Alex's chest with a wet towel. Mia helps Yuki wraps Alex's chest and arms up as Amber stands there watching helplessly, and then Yuki notices that the cut above the right eyebrow straight down to the cheek is still bleed and cleans it up too. It takes over an hour to clean Alex up and changes her into new clothes, and her breathing is pretty weak so they didn't move her from the couch at all.
"Phew... glad that was over..." Yuki sighs, sitting next to where Alex is laying. "She's a halfa, so how can't she heal like we do?" Alez asks sitting next to Amber who is shaking like a leaf. "Do you know how strong Kane-sama is?" Mia looks at him coldly. "Even I can't heal up fast, it takes like 8 hours to one day for me to heal the last time she gets mad because you leave the family." Yuki says rubbing her right shoulder.
"Why don't you try and explain what just happened to her instead of picking on Alex?" Mia says pointing over at Amber. "Yo," Yuki waves at Amber. "Huh? Yes?" Amber is pulls back to reality again. "This will take a while, so if you need a break during the conversation don't hesitate to say so. Okay?" Mia smiles at her. "Um... sure..." Amber blushes a little.
"It started way back, so far back that we sort of lost count." Mia starts the story. "Anyway, Kane-sama was the second true-blood vampire. Her father created many halfa like Alex here and having children with them to have a three fourth vamp. Then he killed all halfa and have children with the three fourth, then killed them and reproduced with the 3/4's children. So, after that was the true-vampire, which is Kane-sam. She and her father gave birth to many others, and among those others' kids are Shuji-sama and Mia-sama here. Finally Kane-sama grows old of her father, she drink him dried." Yuki continues after Mia.
"Even though we don't necessarily have to drink blood to live, and we actually live just like everyone else. So the drinking blood to turn people into vampire becomes the most forbidden rule since Kane-sama becomes the head of the family. Since her rein, the Ureshima family expands up to over one hundred members and the estate and businesses we do also grow rapidly. I'm sorry that you have to find out things this way love," Alez says looking down at her hands in his.
Already it has been a week, and the members of the Ureshima are out to hunt them down. Shuji and Ken are being put away in the house's dungeon for being part of the set up, and Kane punishes them without showing any mercy. The two of them get a good beating from her; it is so bad that their skin is full of cuts and bruises.
It was a quiet and yet a little chilly morning, but it is already the start of the summer. Mia is still asleep, and Yuki is in the kitchen preparing breakfast and hot water to change bandages for Alex. Alez and Amber are still cuddling up in their room together, but they still haven't done anything inappropriate either.
"Eh?!" Yuki blinks staring at the empty couch in front of her as she brought out the water and cloths. Rushing up the stairs, she opens every door to every room shouting 'Alex!'. Mia was woken by Yuki's loud voice and together they head to Alez and Amber's room. "Yo, she's missing..." Mia stops in and stares at Alez lying on the floor. "Dude... why are you sleeping on the floor?" Yuki looks at him. "What? Amber..." Alez gets up and looks over at the empty bed. "EH?!" the trio sound shock.
"Would you mind helping me takes off the bandages on my eye?" Alex asks Amber, standing just a bit out of the house's site. Amber did so and almost forget to breath, looking into Alex's face. "Thank you, the scar didn't fade did it?" she calmly asks seeing it all in Amber's eyes. "It didn't..." Amber reaches her hand to touches the scar. "It doesn't matter..." Alex closes her eyes at Amber's touches. "My chest... is completely healed though..." Alex continues after a moment of silent between them. "I'm glad..." Amber smiles softly.
"I..." Amber pauses taking a deep breath. "Huh?" Alex raises an eyebrow at the other girl. "You know... Even though I've found a guy that treats me like you have, yet I'm..." "Yes?" Alex takes out a cigarette and lights it. "Hey... I didn't know you smoke..." Amber suddenly forgot what she was trying to say. "I don't, but I just feel like it." Alex says watching the smoke slowly vanishes in front of her. "But you say that smoking is bad for my health..." "You're alive, I'm not so why I should I care?" Alex takes another puff and exhales it. "I do..." Amber grabs the cigarette and throws it on the ground putting it out with her foot. "Hey!" Alex looks down at the now destroyed cigarette. "You were the first person to make me feel happy and whole..." tears jerking up her blue eyes.
"Listen to yourself, you're a grown up and have a good boyfriend. So we're nothing but strangers met once before..." Alex turns away from Amber and about to heads back to the house. "We're not strangers; we've been together for over a month..." Amber grabs Alex's arm. "We are what we are, and there's nothing to change the fact that you're now having a boyfriend who is willing to go against his entire family just for you. So having someone who treats you so well, don't go and destroy it all in a moment of outburst..." Alex shrugs Amber's off.
"Amber...." Alez's voice shakes. Both Amber and Alex stand there quietly staring at Mia, Alez, and Yuki. "Alez..." Amber looks away from his gaze. "Is it true that no matter what I do… you'll never forget her?" his voice is so shaky. "I'm sorry; she's the first person to make me feel special..." Amber has tears running down her cheeks. "But in time... you will forget..." Alex walks away. Alez says nothing more, he just walks up to Amber slowly and hugs her tightly as tears run down his cheeks also.
"We'll leave you lovebirds be..." Mia says turning away and follows after Yuki. They stand there for a few minutes, before Alez pulls away and plant a small kiss on Amber's lips. To her, it feels like the whole world have stop as she part her lips and kisses him back ever so passionately.
So what are you going to do now?" Yuki asks Alex as they enter the house. "Home, I like to go back to where I live and get my life back on track. I'm sick of being called a halfa, and sick of having to deal with you crazy people..." she replies coldly sitting down on the couch. "Who are you calling crazy?" Mia becomes extremely mad and grabs Alex by the collar. "You are..." Alex head butt her hard.
"I make you... so I can break you..." Mia staggers at the blow a little. "I never asked to be turned into this... and you're more than welcome to try and break me..." Alex narrows her eyes on Mia. Before long, a strong invisible wave emits from Mia and even Yuki is having quite a hard time to remain steady. Alex didn't even flinch; she just waves her hand across in front of her and expels Mia's power.
"But before I leave... I have a little pay back to take on that woman, with interest..." Alex feels her scar on her face. "You have become strong..." Mia says breathlessly. "But not strong enough to take on Kane-sama..." "I will beat her to a bloody pulp..." Alex finally bares her fangs at Mia and Yuki. "Alex...." Yuki says softly looking at Alex's angry expression.
"Mia-sama..." "Hm? Rin? What are you doing here?" Mia looks surprises. "Mia-sama... Shuji-sama and Ken-san... they're..." tears dwell up the little boy's eyes. "They're what?" Yuki kneels down in front of him petting his head gently. "They're... being kept in the dungeon... torture... by Kane-sama... Wahhhh..." he hugs on Yuki tightly crying like a little kid having his candy taking from him. "There... there... we'll come for them..." Alex kneels down and pads the boy's back. "But... she'll kill you... and... and... I don't want you to die..." Rin cries even more than before.
"I owe them both too much to just leave them like that," Alex stands up looking outside at the now approaching Alez and Amber. "Why is that little brat here?" Alez asks, seemingly not liking Rin at all. "He's here to bring some good news and bad news..." Alex tilts her head to the right a little. "Good news is that we're free to do as we please... and the bad news is that both Shuji and Ken are now being punished in your and my place..." Alex grins giving Alez a sarcastic look. "Then we'll go save them..." "You're not strong enough to take a beating from her..." Yuki says wryly at Alez.
"You just worry about taking care of her, and making sure that Ritsu and Ryo don't interfere with us..." Mia says with a distance look in her eyes. “Now Rin, you go back and tell Yuei to find a safe place and hide... We'll come to get things in order tomorrow... and we'll call for you when everything is finish... okay?" Yuki pulls away and smiles at him. "Mm..." he wipes his tears away and nods his head like a brave little boy. "Yes, you're a brave little boy..." Mia pulls him into her arms and hugs him. "I'll be brave... I want to grow up and protect Yuei... like Shuji-sama protecting you..." he giggles a little.
"That settles it... we're heading there tomorrow... so Rin, you need to get home and do as we told you, okay?" Alex says. "Yes, I'll see you tomorrow..." Rin replies happily and runs off out of site. "We're just hoping that we can, aren't we?" Amber asks quietly. "Who knows..." Alex shrugs her shoulder and lies down on the couch and go to sleep again.
She didn't want to stay awake to look at her mirror image with Amber, and she didn't want to think about those who once was her friends are now her enemies. Suddenly her world doesn't seem too bright anymore, nothing but pain and confusion so far. She doesn’t know why Amber can't just love Alez completely with her all, and why Ken would let himself being caught and tortured. There are just too many things going on in her mind that she just can't bare to open her eyes, she just wish it was only a bad dream. So when she opens her eyes, she'll be back in the US and nothing is going on, she's just an ordinary graduated student trying to make a living in this big yet cruel world.