Summary: All mobile suits retired the war is over. Now the vampire, Heero Yuy, views the humanity he gained as a weakness and blames Relena. Now he's counting on her to take the unwanted soul she brought back with her to her grave.

AN: I'm not even sure if I should post a Gundam Wing fanfiction here, but read it anyways. PG-13 for vampire related violence.

The rain poured. Soaked to the skin. It was cold. Wind hissed. Stung. He didn’t care.

The pain was gone. And he had lived through it. He knew he’d live, if one defined his existing as living. But there was still a small hope. The hope to die

Leave

Forever

Never Return

The pain was gone but the ache that ate away his soul returned. The ache was back. Because... His soul...

It should be gone.

It was wretched that it had burdened him in the first place. But to return to a lifeless body... after all the war... the soul

It should be gone.

His body desired blood. The soul fought against it and his mind tried to shoo the soul.

Two years ago the soul reappeared in his body. The unwanted conscience returned after uncounted years.

It wasn’t expected. He was long dead. The soul dispersed and the body became an animalistic shell. A soul wasn’t needed for survival, and survival was all that was needed. He needed no companions to care for. He needed no kindness. He needed no love or hate. Yet the despised soul returned.

He now knew why he’d accepted the job.

That human knew what he was, and was tempted. The fool was tempted enough to approach him.

And he’d accepted. He learned to pilot a gundam to fight for outer space. He was to fight to bring peace to humans.

Perhaps he’d be killed. That would have been nice.

It was something to do, something to pass time. It was something he never needed. His soul wanted a purpose.

Now the war was over and the gundams were the heroes. Humanities peace was brought by a vampire, controlled by an unwanted soul.

And what an unwanted soul it was.

‘So get rid of it,’ a voice whispered.

The vampire reached out with his mind only to sense no one. Just a voice in his head.

Then again, it wasn’t a bad idea.

Who ever said you could not rid a body of its soul?

The vampire smirked. It was evening, time to feed. He’d think clearly after he’d had some blood. He walked into an alley feet squishing in his wet boots.

******
“Our village must ask you to leave,” the wise woman stated. “The birds and stones tell me ill of you. They say you will turn into a demon. The stones and birds don’t lie,” she explained. “In your current state you would never harm the village. But when you change, you will be a danger to us all. Leave now in honor or the village will force you out.”

“I don’t understand,” he replied in shock.

“The stones and birds never lie. Now leave.”

He paused. His entire life lay in this village. “At least let me tell my family my fate.”

“You will be gone by tomorrow morning. Understood?”

He hurt. “I understand, wise woman. I will leave for the well being of the village.”

“I’m sorry that such a fate would be fall you of all people. I wish you well.”

******


He sliced the victim’s neck disguising the bite mark and wiped the remaining blood from his lips. Humans were stupid. About four centuries ago, they buried themselves in studies, and seeing as vampires didn’t make sense, they were dismissed as myths. He figured none of it made sense. Why did he drink blood? Why would he exist forever? Why was he damned to be what he was?

“You’d rather be human, just like me.” Spoke a voice.

He didn’t turn. He knew who it was.

“No,” he said, “Humans are weak. I’m better off with power.”

The human was dead. If he was a human, it might as well be him laying wide eye, pale, and bloodless.

He turned to leave. One less human. One less life. One more kill. What did it matter? Life was cheap.

“It seems so much better to live a short naïve life rather than suffer for millenniums.” The younger of the two continued speaking more to the air than to the other. “To drink a human’s blood to continue to exist.”

“Humans are food. Nothing else.”

“Oh, yeah?” he questioned. “They’ve been my food as well for quite a while now. But I can’t kill them when I feed. Even you have to admit they mean something to you, Heero.”

He stopped. “I’ve told you. My name is not Heero.”

“As mine is not Trowa.” The younger of the vampires replied.

Heero was a code name given for the war. He had long forgotten his own name after thousands of years without use for it.

The younger vampire hadn’t had that time to forget his own name. His years counted only 76, but as a human he was an orphan. It’s impossible to lose something you never had, and in his case it was a name.

“You shouldn’t be attached to humans,” the murder stated and continued to walk. “You have to leave them or kill them after one or two years. If you don’t they start asking questions.”

Trowa smiled grimly, “I know. Don’t become attached to humans. I guess that’s something I won’t learn for another three hundred years. And then what do you suggest I do? Trust a vampire?”

The older turned back. “You can never trust a vampire.”

******

He looked down the barrel of his gun.

Humans had easily succeeded in creating instruments for the purpose of killing each other. Young vampires rarely killed. They were too attached to the humans, blind of their faults. ‘Humans think and talk. They have feelings. They don’t deserve just be killed off like cattle.’

What a load of crap. Humans didn’t have to kill, but he’d watched the years travel. They wedged wars fighting for power. Killing. Humans invented guns, and bombs and other tools of massacre. The humans were a self absorbed overconfident race that continually struggled for power. The guns, bombs, and mobile suits simply aided them in their disgusting duel for power by taking lives.

Of course a gun, bomb or mobile suit wouldn’t harm him. Tear his flesh at worst, but it would simply grow back same as before. Immortality was so sour. He could never leave this body.

Gun... with this he’d kill her. Kill her from the balcony. Kill her with the weapon invented by humans to murder each other.

She talked of pacifism. Discarding weapons, forming one nation, throwing away war; this revolutionary girl called for changes. Her words flowed knitting themselves together in a poem. A poem speaking of peace, and the road to the wanted destination. She spoke convincingly. Smooth words, pure words that appealed like blood seeping from an open wound.

Blood...

She was being used. The girl had become nothing but a puppet used by those wanting more lives and more power to their name. Her plan would never convince these people. But her elegant words gained support from others. The others followed what pretended to be behind her. They supported the lying scandals controlling the pacifist. They supported them because of her. She had to be killed.

The girl finished her speech. She glanced his way and looked into his eyes.

He’d kill this worthless stupid human girl.

Her face was lovely, like gazing upon the dawn. Her features were strong and determined. She held power. Her kindness, intelligence and resolve led her to conquer all. No one could not love her. She touched hearts.

He’d talked to her. She softened him. She brought him comfort, relief. The kindness she exhibited soaked into his mind and nourished the soul.

She had to die. All that he had to do was pull.

He looked down the barrel of the gun.






Relena...







He turned away. He couldn’t harm the human. His soul longed to be with her.

******

His eyes snapped open. A dream... Just a strange dream...

He hadn’t had one in such a long time. Vampires just didn’t have dreams. But they always meant something. Of Course.

He’d kill her.

Kill the woman who brought back his soul. The sweet kind woman who warmed his soul had to die. Kill her. Kill Relena. Kill his soul.

Yes

Exactly

******

He looked upon the front door to his small house. He’d never set foot in this region again. The shock of his dismissal had worn away and was replaced by grief.

Life was good to him here. He lived in this small house with his widowed sister and her young son. Living in a farming and fishing village had suited him just fine, but to leave it behind. That did not suit him.

He didn’t prefer to live in crowds. His house was on the outskirts of the village in the middle of the small field that he owned. The sea was near so that the sent of salt was distinct to the area. You could reach the water in just half an hour at a walking pace if you took a shortcut through the forest.

The life was simple, uneventful. The way it should be, peaceful and sincere. He knew not how to live any other way; the people raised him as such since he was child. And now he was to be stripped from all this? All would be gone.

What did the birds know? What did the stones know? He’d never seen one speak in a tongue he recognized. Who was the wise woman to know how to speak to such things?

He opened the door possessed by anger and resentment.

His house was always neat. At the time, his sister would be cooking their food for the night, his nephew playing with the grass dolls his sister had made him.

He removed his shoes to enter.

The sight before him blew his mind.

The three year old cried panicking in a corner. His sister was sprawled on the ground dead. A man from the village he had never been fond of stooped over her. Sucking blood from her neck

“You demon!” he cried.

The manned raised his head from his prey and turned.

Indescribable hate flowed through his veins. He pulled out his fishing knife, jumping forward driving it into the man’s heart. He pulled back, black blood dripping from his knife and hand.

The demon chuckled. “That won’t harm me, human.” His skin knitted itself back together crawling, like the short legs of a cockroach, covering his wound.

The demon struck the other.

He flew into the wall with a sickening crunch. Darkness closed in. It was surely the end. The demon’s laugh echoed in his head as he slipped from the conscious world.

******

“You’re leaving, Trowa?” Catherine asked softly.

“Yes,” the vampire replied as he packed his belongings.

“But why? Why are you leaving us?”

“There are things about my past that you’ll never understand, Cathy.”

“You’re a gundam pilot, I know that. But that’s behind you now. You’ve got a home here and you’re leaving it?”

“A demon like me can’t have a home.”

“What makes you think you’re a demon, Trowa? Tell me? Are all the other soldiers demons too? They’ve done the same things as you.”

“If they’ve done the same things as I have, they’re demons.” Trowa confirmed.

“So what are they doing returning to their families? Why should they have a home?”

“They don’t. Those who have existed off of what I have don’t have homes. They don’t have families. I’ve already told you: there are things about my past you will never understand. I can’t have a home or a family. You’re better off without me.”

The vampire picked up his belongings.

“Are you coming back?”

Trowa couldn’t bring himself to answer. He knew what the answer was. He could never return.

“Fine then, leave; leave those who care about you. Don’t come back. See how much pain you’ll cause or have you even thought about that, Trowa?”

“I’ll cause you more pain if I stay.”

“How can that be?”

“I’m sorry, Catherine. I can’t stay.”

“What happens if you stay, Trowa?”

Those who knew his identity would use her against him. His location would be attacked. Many things came with being a gundam pilot. If those problems weren’t enough... She’d find out what he was. Another vampire would attack her. She’d grow older, he wouldn’t. He’d drink her blood. If that happened he could get carried away. Kill her. Stop, and leave her in extreme pain. Turn her into a vampire. Then she’d suffer forever, just like him.

“You really wanna know?”

“Yes.”

“You’d die.”

“Trowa...”

“Goodbye, Cathy”

The vampire left his home, knowing he’d never be able to return. A cold tear slid down his cheek. He wiped it away, knowing he had to move on, again.

******

“So Trowa, where ya headed?” asked Heero.

“To Earth, my shuttle leaves in half an hour. Are we on a nick-name basis now?” the younger replied.

“It just gets a better response than the word ‘you’.”

“So where are you going?”

“Apparently same place on the same shuttle as you”

“What are you doing on Earth?”

“Cleaning up”

Trowa sighed. Cleaning up was the term they used when they had to leave or kill whatever humans with whom they’d become acquainted. It was time for him to ‘clean up’ as well.

“I told you not to become attached to humans.”

“Better to love and lose than to not love at all.”

“Human nonsense”

“What about you? Are you just going to disappear again? There’s a lot more people you involved yourself with this time. I think you’ve even got some soul back. You’ve attached yourself to some humans.”

“Watch your mouth or I’ll kill you along with them.”

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger since we met.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re strong.”

******

The old vampire walked down the lonely streets of the colony. The year was A. C. 139 and the news announced serial killings on the L3 space colony. They’d died from loss of blood from having their neck sliced and the killer wasn’t picky about who it murdered. All ages and sexes were found dead. Another vampire; this one seemed somewhat powerful. There weren’t many vampires left, much less strong ones.

When he was first changed, there were many vampires with wide ranging powers. They could shape shift, become invisible, read minds, move objects with mental power, and have incredible speed. There were strong vampires then.

He liked strong vampires. Nowadays there were few vampires, partially due to his efforts. Among those left; he was the strongest. The only thing that can harm a vampire is another vampire, and he’d proven that well. He’d find the other vampires, fight them, win, and suck them dry. Dry of their existence and their powers. Those powers went to him.

So naturally he had many powers.

He’d made a hobby of hunting other vampires, all the time he grew stronger.

He sensed another vampire; very weak. He followed the aura through an alley finding what he was looking for.

This vampire could not be the serial killer.

The young form was slopped against the back of a building asleep, his red blood slowly oozing from a bite on his neck. He’d just been killed.

The vampire leaned down and touched the wet slimy substance on the victim’s neck. He couldn’t be any older than he was when he was changed, 16.

Undoubtedly a spawn of the one he was hunting. That demon had to be close, the kill was fresh.

“I see you’ve found my fledgling,” stated a voice.

The vampire turned around. This was the one he was looking for.

“How would you like to die, human?” the man questioned.

The vampire raised his eyebrows. His enemy’s powers apparently did not include sensing auras, mind reading, or common sense for that matter. The man vanished. The stronger sensed it behind him and turned. ‘Invisibility can’t make up for lack of intelligence,’ he thought.

He jammed his fist into the other’s stomach. His enemy became visible again shock and fear dancing across his face. “Now your powers are mine,” the vampire stated and sunk his fangs into his opponent’s neck. He sucked quickly stealing blood, powers, and so called life. The weaker of the vampires cried as he shriveled into a dehydrated wrinkled corpse.

He felt slightly stronger. That was an easy kill.

The fledgling stirred.

The new vampire tried to get up, only to cry out in pain and fall back. He needed blood. That body would perish if it didn’t get some blood.

He knelt down before the other, and pulled out a pocket knife.

“You,” he addressed. “You’re his fledgling?”

The other looked up at him.

He slit his wrist. “Drink,” he stated.

“Drink? You’re blood?” The other asked confused and frightened

“That vampire changed you. I killed him. You’re a vampire now, kid. A vampire that currently needs blood.”

“I’m a vampire? But that’s impossible. There’s no such thing as vampires.”

He held out his wrist. “Drink,” he repeated.

“I could never...”

“You can and you will. Drink.”

The younger hesitated. Need and instinct shoved aside virtue. He put his mouth to the cut and began to suck.

‘He can’t even bring out his fangs, he’s so weak,’ the older noted. “The one who changed you didn’t give you much blood.” He waited a moment longer and pulled back his wrist. The fledgling grabbed his wrist and weakly pulled it back before realizing what he was doing. He abruptly let go.

“What’s wrong with me?” he asked.

“You’re a vampire. You want blood. Wait here.”

The younger didn’t object being barely able to move. His new acquaintance soon returned with an unconscious human.

“What’d you do to him?” the new vampire exclaimed.

“Knocked him out,” was his flat reply.

“Why? What’d he do?”

“He did nothing. You need blood.”

“You’re telling me to kill this random person?”

“If you don’t get some blood you’ll loose control of yourself and go on a killing spree. We can’t have vampires doing that in this age. That includes you.”

“Drink blood, like a demon, I won’t.”

“You drank my blood, didn’t you?”

“But...”

“But what? You’re a vampire, a blood sucking demon. You exist off other’s blood. Get over it.”

“I couldn’t kill someone like that. I can’t. Isn’t a human life worth something to you?”

“Life is cheap.”

“How can you say that?”

“It comes with being a vampire.”

“Weren’t you human?”

“Yeah, so what?”

“Humans think and talk. They have feelings. They don’t deserve to just be killed off like cattle.”

“You’ll be killing them off like cattle in a few days if you don’t get some blood.”

“Just kill me, then.”

“You’re already dead. Now do as I say.”

“I can’t kill! I won’t!”

“If you’re worried about killing them you’re better off drinking some blood now. You want to go mad?”

“No.”

“Then this is sensible. If you don’t want to kill humans you don’t have to. Forcing you to kill is something even I wouldn’t do. If you don’t want to kill, drink your fill and stop.”

“Can I even control myself now?”

“If you’re so worried about killing the man, then I’ll stop you before you do.”

That seemed pretty convincing. He wouldn’t kill him, just drink a little. What harm could it be?

But to drink blood like a demon, truly become a vampire. He couldn’t. But he didn’t have to kill. He could just not be an evil vampire.

“If you don’t want to kill the human, then I’ll make sure you don’t,” the experienced vampire affirmed.

It was so tempting, and seemed harmless. He bit.

The older sighed. That one had some will. He had to redo his thoughts to get him to drink. He’d probably never kill a human. He finished feeding shortly. He shivered and stared blankly at the now pale human.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. You didn’t kill him, and he’ll be back to normal in a few hours.” The older stated.

“I’m so cold.”

“You’re dead. Your average body temperature will drop ten degrees. You’ll get used to it.” He explained. He paused for a moment noting the other’s guilty pained expression as he viewed his first meal. “What’s your name?”

“I’m an orphan. I don’t have a name.”

“No name?”

“That’s what I’m called.”

“Then we’re in the same boat.”

“You don’t have a name either?”

“I had one. Centuries ago, but I forgot it.”

“That old, huh?”

He nodded the affirmative. “Let’s go then, No name. I’ll show you how the vampire world works.”

“All right, but what should I call you?”

“Whatever you want to”

******

His eyelids cracked open. He wasn’t dead? He figured the demon would have surely killed him. Killed him just like his sister.

He tried to stand to no avail. Every muscle ached, every bone crunched, his head felt like it was about to explode. The pain... it was like he was dying...

“Or dead,” he heard.

The demon; he’d kill him. Kill him now.

“Kill me?” responded the demon.

His eyes narrowed. How did this demon know his thoughts? Thoughts were protected and isolated in one’s own head.

The demon only laughed. “Humans are such fools; weak fools with no power. You don’t have to be a fool anymore. I’ve changed you into one of us.”

“You changed me?”

“Exactly, all you have to do is drink some of my blood before you die. And then you live forever.”

“No!”

“Yes. You’re already a demon like me. A soul less shell, a vampire that exist off human blood.”

“I’m not one of you! I’ll never be one of you.” He hissed.

“Probably true, you’ll most likely be killed off by a stronger vampire before you let go of your precious human ignorance.”

He picked up a knife. Kill the wretched man. He’d kill that demon. He’d kill all others like him. Kill them until he found himself satisfied with his killings. The demons deserved to die.

“Feisty, now are we? Careful, you don’t even know how to kill me.”

“You’ll see about that. I’m not the fool.”

He lunged forward with untouched speed. He swung the knife at the man’s chest.

He missed.

He threw the knife.

As if to show off, the demon allowed the weapon to pierce his shoulder. He grabbed the knife’s handle pulling it out of his body. The demon struck the other across the jaw.

He expected to be thrown against the wall, defeated. He didn’t move. The pain inflicted by his attack paled in comparison to that which pulsed through his body.

A deranged instinct over took him. He had to win the fight for what he believed in...

Or was it just for blood?

The ache was gone replaced by this mad desire. He struck his enemy once. Twice. A second instinct burned from a pain on his neck. It went up through his head down to his feet and tingled at the tips of each finger.

Kill

Bite

Suck

He bit his adversary. Blood flowed into his mouth. He swallowed savoring the taste. Taste like salt and sugar, gloom and joy, hate and love, life and death and it tasted good. He wanted more.

More blood

He drank the blood. It inched through his body. The taste turned into his emotions and with so many contradicting factors in the taste... His emotions disappeared.

He sucked. Sucked animalistic, starving for blood. He wanted to see death before him played out by his own hands.

The death of the monster came too quickly for the young vampire to realize what he was doing. He was now a demon. His enemy was dead and at the moment that was all that mattered.

The vampire that had attacked the small family shrunk and shriveled. His skin curled in contracting. Flesh vanished off the bones as the new vampire, his fledgling, killed him. That is if you could kill someone dead.

He let go of the corpse. Power, incredible power was in his hands. He could do everything that demon could and more. He wanted more power. More power and more blood, he definitely wanted more blood.

“O... Oji... Oji-san?” whispered a soft voice.

He looked down. The want for power and blood dampened. The young boy looked up at him, tears glossing his innocent eyes.

He leaned down and pulled the boy into his arms making to leave.

“We’ve got to leave, Hozumi,” he told his nephew. “I no longer have a place here. That man has turned me into a demon.”

******

He sat down on the earth and opened his book. One thing humans could do well is tell lies. They would make up stories, nonsense, and fiction and then write it so that you wanted to read it. Sometimes he almost believed them.

The books entertained him until a foolish human would wonder by in the dead of night. That person’s life would be sacrificed for his dinner. He leaned back against a strong old oak tree and interested himself in his book.

Soon enough he smelled a human, sauntering along like they had all the time in the world. Let it enjoy the last of its insignificant life.

The san had set and all the light that remained was the soft starlight and the red haze resting on the west horizon. He’d been sitting in the park reading for a few hours. Myths about his kind burning to ash in the sunlight were just that; myths. Stories of vampires waiting in the dark of night for their next kill... he wouldn’t deny it.

One could say Heero liked being a vampire. To a vampire night was as clear as day and an average mind could be read like a book. It was easy to remain unnoticed and you could change your appearance if you wished. It’s easy to say there are perks to being an immortal monster. But after being an immortal monster for more than a thousand years, the existence was conventional.

He closed his book. He could smell the human. The soft beat of the heart echoed in his ears. He’d wait knowing that if he went to greet his prey, their sixth sense would jump and they would run away before he got to them. The reason he cared was not that he couldn’t catch them but simply that chasing them into a crowd would alert humans of what he was, as well as other vampires of his location.

He had to be careful not to so fully alert a human’s sixth sense. A small sense was ignored but when foreboding ran through a human’s every last drop of blood they generally got the idea. Their sense of foreboding warned them when vampires were near and gave them little bits of information on which humans had minds laced with murder. Of course the humans ignored it. This in turn made hunting ten times easier. He sensed the human wonder closer.

He waited and the person wondered in front of him. He looked up, ready to kill.

“Heero?” she questioned.

“Re. Relena.” He choked, “What are you doing here?”

“Earth and Space delegate’s meeting is tomorrow, here in Berlin.” She explained. “We’ll be discussing, tariffs, trade, and we’re planning to elect a leader.”

“Are you going to run for office?”

“No, I’ve gained enough publicity being the foreign minister. People have asked me how I handle it, being so young. I tell them I have to continue peace, but I wonder how I can stand it all. How have you been?”

“Fine,” he replied. ‘Kill her!’ screamed his mind. “She’s a human, food. Nothing more. She’s a worthless stupid human girl.’

“It’s nice to see you again.”

She stood a few feet away from him. Was she sane? What did it matter? A human girl stood, just like others, with blood and life. No, not just a girl, Relena

‘Kill her!’ his mind commanded again. ‘Don’t be attached to humans.’

“What have you been doing?”

Heero smirked evil itching to the surface, “Killing random people by drinking all their blood. What did you think?”

“I didn’t know you had a sense of humor,” she frowned.

“I don’t”

He stood and leaned over to Relena and bit.

She gasped.

Blood seeped into his mouth. Her blood was different. It tasted. Blood tasted like nothing. It never had since he had first drunk. It tasted of life, happiness and fear. He didn’t like the fear in her blood. He wrapped his arms gently around her small form, willing the fear to subside.

She relaxed. Fear was replaced by sadness and resolve.

“Are you going to kill me Heero?”

He drank her being. She held purity, kindness, and gentle determination. He felt her love for peace, and remembered her actions. He could taste her hopes, dreams, and virtue so strong that they existed in her very blood. What he tasted was her soul and life.

He wanted to taste that blood forever.

He pulled back from her neck.

“No,” he answered.

What was he doing? What was he saying? Why was he sparing this human? How was Relena different from the others he’d killed?

He knew her name. She addressed him by a name, even if he couldn’t call it his own. She was kind and cared for him and...

And he cared for her.

He wasn’t supposed to care! He was a vampire! Right?

She reached towards him and touched the back of his hand.

“Huh?”

“You’re cold” she whispered and leaned against his chest.

“What are you doing?”

“In my dreams you’re warm but you always kill me.”

“You dream about me?”

“All the time; and I’m still dreaming.” She stated, “Vampires aren’t real. Neither is this dream.”

He wanted to wake her up, shake her. Do something so that she would know this wasn’t a dream. He wanted to agree with her, make her believe it was a dream. That way she would never know what he was. He wanted to kill her so that his soul would leave his body.

Yet...

What if....

A ping resounded in the cabin.

A dream again; a dream about Relena.

None of it made sense. Why couldn’t he kill her, even if it was just a dream? Caring for a human would be his downfall. Besides, he couldn’t care for her. He was a vampire and she a human.

He didn’t have to dream about her. In fact, he didn’t have to sleep. Vampires didn’t need to sleep. He wouldn’t sleep, he wouldn’t dream. He couldn’t do either until Relena was dead.

“The space craft will be entering Earth’s atmosphere shortly. Please fasten your seat belts and remain seated,” stated a high pitched robotic voice.

Heero followed instructions obediently, as if it made a difference. He could have his entire right arm severed off and if bandaged together, it would re-attach itself. He could jump out a 30 story window and be perhaps injured, but not for long. A vampire could float in space for three weeks and live. Live to tell about it; that was a completely different matter.

The ship jolted as it entered Earths atmosphere.

“So Heero, where will you be going?”

“Sanc”

Silence. The unspoken statement was obvious.

“We will be landing in Monte Carlo Space and Air Port in 15 minutes. It is February 8 12:40 PM. Weather is fair skies with temperatures in the upper twenties (Celsius mind you : P). We hope you have a successful business trip or an enjoyable vacation. Thank you for choosing Winner Airlines.”

‘If they knew my business,’ Heero thought, ‘they wouldn’t be wishing me a successful trip.’

The space ship lowered skimming on the Mediterranean and made its way to the unloading deck. The fasten seat belts signed turned off. Heero stood and glanced at Trowa.

“Till fate throws us together again,” Trowa stated.

Heero nodded and left. Time to clean up.

******

‘What’s his face,’ his friend had been called. ‘Joined the circus, lost his memory,’ had been explained.

That wasn’t good. If Trowa had lost his memory, it was trouble for everyone. He wasn’t supposed to know Trowa’s secret, but he did. And if Trowa had forgotten he’d turn insane.

“He’s here?” Quatre mused looking around at the colorful boxes and high tents. “Trowa!” he shouted, “Trowa! It is you! It’s really you.”

Trowa turned in his kneeling position at the lion’s cage. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

“What do you mean? You don’t remember me? How much have you forgotten?”

Trowa stood, backing away.

“Trowa, you’ve got to listen to me. You don’t realize what you are, do you? I won’t let you make the same mistake I made and end up hurting others. You’re a vampire, and you’ll go mad if you don’t remember. You’ll go mad if you don’t get blood. You told me so yourself.”

“A.. a vampire?” Trowa stuttered.

“Yes.”

Trowa stood, shocked at such a statement. How could he be a monster that drank blood? Yet blood did sound good. He felt weaker every day and...

“I’m not lying to you. Please remember.”

Trowa took a step forward. Quatre braced himself.

A metal bucket crashed to the ground. “Trowa! Get back in the tent,” yelled a girl.

“But Catherine”

Catherine regained her posture. “Go back and help the manager. I’ll finish looking after the animals, K?”

“Ok.”

Trowa turned and left.

She turned to Quatre.

“He’s not going back out with you to fight.”

“But...”

“Trowa’s like a brother to me. He’s lost his memories because they’re too painful for him. He doesn’t want to remember.”

“And it’s all my fault. It’s because of a mistake I made that he’s like this. And I’m so sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, then leave. He’s better off at the circus here with us.”

Trowa watched from inside as this boy turned and left. “I know that guy. I’ve met him before. Why can’t I remember?” he muttered to himself. Trowa shivered. “I’m so cold.”

******

Trowa stood at the payphone, duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. He’d reserved himself a flight to Vejle, Denmark boarding in 45 minutes.

He’d watched the other leave for Sanc. It wasn’t his business to stop him. In fact, he knew it’d be easier to take Heero’s way out, but he didn’t want to.

Trowa flipped open the pages containing numbers and names. He couldn’t go by Trowa Barton any longer. He’d have to steal another identity; he’d just change his last name for now.

Kosh, Trowa Kosh. That sounded perfectly Danish. What did it matter anyways? It was only one more name.

Forest, Collyer, Albin, Laughlin, McQuiston, Sparks, White, Rice, Maroder, Seay, Zaya, Davis, Large, Smith, Waldrup, Dover, Barton...

In all those lives he’d lived he’d done been just about everything from professional musician to gundam pilot. Most definitely these last two years were the most exciting. War, danger, guns, tyrants, and despite it all... Despite all that had happened he’d formed allies and friends among the humans. One human discovered what he was, and remained his friend. A circus performed had adopted him as her brother. It’d be hard to let go of these people. It’d be hard to forget they’re names. It’d be hard to leave Trowa Barton and his memories behind, but time to move on. After living as a vampire for sixty years, he couldn’t comprehend the word ‘forever.’

Trowa pushed in a few coins, and waited for a dial tone before pressing zero for the operator.

“Connect me to the Best Western Torvehallerne in Vejle, Denmark,” Trowa stated into the phone. “I’d like to make reservations for tonight... One person... The name’s Trowa Kosh... Thank you.” He hung up the phone.

Yes, he would be Kosh for now. As far as the rest of the world knew; Trowa Barton was dead; and to some extent they were right.

******

The sounds and smells of animals filled the circus. Quatre entered the tent and glanced around.

“Catherine,” he addressed, “Hey, Catherine!”

She paused and looked up from her work. “Oh, it’s you. Are you responsible for taking Trowa away again?”

“He’s not here?” Quatre questioned in shock.

“No.” She spat, “He said he had to leave; told me we were better off without him.”

‘I guess it’s to be expected,’ Quatre mused, “When did he leave?”

“Early this morning.”

The human glanced his watch nervously; it was only a bit after noon. “I can still catch him.”

“We have no clue where he went.”

“I’ll find out.” Quatre turned, quickly exiting with determination. Trowa wasn’t going to have the last word.

******

The vampire reached into the flames and turned the embers. Sparks rose into the starlight night.

“Can I try?” asked a small human boy with black hair carelessly cut below his ears.

“No” stated the demon.

“You always say no.” the child emphasized. “Why do you get to touch it?”

“You will burn yourself. I can’t.”

The boy backed down, sheepishly nibbling on a bowl of rice. He put down his bowl, and reached for the flames.

The vampire caught his hand. “Hozumi, I told you no. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Why can’t I?”

“You’re human, that’s why.”

“When I grow up, I want to be just like you, Oji-san. Then I’ll be really strong.”

“When you grow up, you’ll realize how lucky you are to be alive. Most demons would have you for dinner. As for me, I’d much rather be human. You don’t understand the curse of blood.”

“But then you’d have to sleep, and eat and you couldn’t be strong and all that other stuff. No one can tell you what to do. You’re immortal. You can do anything you want.”

“If I could do anything, I’d become human again, but in case you can’t see, I haven’t changed a bit.”

“Why would you want to?” asked the boy crawling into the demon’s lap. “When you’re a vampire you’re super powerful and everyone has to listen to you.”

“Some times, there are things better than having people listen to you.”

“Money?”

“No, Hozumi. Not money.”

“Toys? Lots of toys?”

“No; lots of love. Love is something that people give to each other, but they never give it to someone like me.”

“Am I allowed to?”

The vampire smiled at the boy. “Sure.”

“OK. I give you lots and lots and lots of love.”

“And I give it all back,” the demon replied.

“That’s no fair.”

“Sure it is. You’ve just got to give it back again.”

“I give you a bunch of love, this big,” said Hozumi, stretching his arms as far as they could go.

“And I give you love 100 times bigger than that,” the vampire said.

“How big is that?”

“Big”

“Really, really big?”

“Really, really big.”

“Wow,” said the boy. “That’s big. Oji-san, tell me about Ka-san again.”

The vampire smiled once again. “Your mother loved you very much,” he began and told the boy stories about his sister, Kayiki, the way they’d grown up. He told his nephew what she looked like, and how she was always busy. Just how she would smile at every one, and love everyone: no matter what.

And her son listened till he fell asleep.

The demon gently moved the boy out of his lap onto the ground. He stood, time to hunt.

“Do you miss him, Heero?”

Heero turned slowly. It was just another dream.

“I don’t know”

“How can you not know what you feel? Are you that confused?”

“What you see of me now misses Hozumi, and my human life. But the demon that speaks outside of my dreams likes him better dead. He believes it’s easier without close contact with humans. Sadly, that demon is right.”

“You don’t have to be that way.”

“I don’t have a choice. Vampires can’t be attached; I’ve got to move on. All I can do is keep living.”

“But you can still love. As a vampire you loved that boy.”

“I’ve changed! Everyone changes.”

“And you’re still changing. Every vampire was once human. And that’ll be stuck with you. Humans change, and whether you believe it or not, the blood in your veins is human blood. Corrupted blood, but it is still human. Change for the better. Become human again.”

“And how do you suggest I do that.”

A long pause followed. “I don’t know.”

“Of course not, it’s impossible.”

“Can a vampire not love?”

Heero walked close to the girl, looking calmly into her eyes. He gently placed a hand around her neck.

“You’re cold...” she whispered.

The vampire leaned forward, and softly placed a cold kiss on her lips. “Stay away from me, Relena, or I’ll kill you.”

******

The drone of the traveling bus greeted the vampire. He glanced out the window at the cloudy sky.

That was one dream too many. Relena had interfered with his thoughts too much, and he couldn’t get the despicable girl out of his head. He’d arrive in Sanc Kingdom in a few minutes.

Then she would die. Then he wouldn’t think of her. Then the soul of his past self would finally leave this dead body. He’d kill her, kill it.

******

Quatre looked at the door. With a politically and economically influencing family, it had only taken him a few minutes to track Trowa. And here he was.

Best Western Torvehallerne in Vejle, Denmark, room 305.

The human took a breath, and knocked on the door. He waited, heart banging. It was a sense of foreboding, but he ignored it. The door opened.

Trowa looked surprised and stepped back.

“Quatre? What...” Trowa stopped as realization sunk in. “I suppose you want to talk,” he said and gestured into the room.

Quatre entered, shutting the door. “Why can’t you stay?”

“Think about it. I’m not growing any older. All the humans are. It would look odd to see me stay sixteen. People would ask questions.”

“Yeah, people who care about you. Do you think if you told them what you were they would hate you?”

“Their opinion doesn’t matter.”

“Why doesn’t it matter?”

Trowa leaned against the hotel wall, shutting his eyes. “It just doesn’t work that way Quatre.”

“Why not?”

“Think about it in the long run. I might loose control of myself and kill them. Besides, there are other vampires, and they aren’t nice. Most of the ones that are left are the ones that hunt each other. The rest are young, and they’ll be killed soon. I’ve killed several other vampires; a few of those were trying to kill me. They’d use my human friends against me. And then you’d suffer.”

“Do you not think that we already suffer? Do you want us to think that you disappeared out of the universe? Do you realize how cruel that is?”

“You don’t know pain.”

“Do you even care what happens to us humans?”

“Of course I do. I fought for your peace, and safety. Having me around is not safe. Even if I stayed, would they approve of how I exist? The average person would shun me.”

“Did I?”

“You don’t count. You’re mentally unstable.”

“And you’ve helped me! You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, I don’t care that you’re a vampire. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have destroyed everything in space. I don’t think I could bear to see you leave and never come back.”

“It’s what I do, and I always will. If you know what’s best, you’ll leave. I can’t have any humans following me around.”

“I won’t.”

“Leave Quatre, I can’t be attached to humans. It’s better that way.”

Quatre didn’t move. Trowa looked at his human friend and sighed.

“No matter what I say, you’re just going to stay, right?”

Quatre nodded.

“You’ve left me with no choice. I guess a companion would help pass the time.” Trowa stepped towards Quatre and bit him without hesitation.

The human gasped, unable to move. He felt his blood draining, and his energy leaving him. Trowa was killing him, and he continued to suck his life.

The demon pulled away from his victim. He bit his wrist willing the black blood to bleed.

“Drink.” He ordered.

Quatre looked at him weakly.

“Drink,” Trowa repeated placing his wrist under the human’s nose.

Quatre tasted the blood and began to suck. Then he collapsed, dead.

Trowa picked his friend off the floor and laid him on the bed. It would be nice to have a friend he wouldn’t have to leave.

The demon glanced at his fledgling. Maybe he should have just killed him. Hmm... too late now. Trowa headed out into the hotel hallway. He’d get Quatre a human to feed. It would be odd capturing a human in mid-day, but Quatre wouldn’t be awake for at least another ten hours.

And he couldn’t help wondering what was happening in Sanc. It wasn’t even that far away.

******

The clouds glared menacingly down making a cold February after noon all the lonelier

The vampire waited for Relena outside the World Nation headquarters. The meeting would be over soon, but the time wasn’t his concern. He had all the time in the world. As the seconds droned on, his determination to murder the pacifist swelled to a sickening level. She had to die or he could never rest. Once gone, his mind would no longer be burned by the thought of Relena. And his soul, having nothing to live for, would perish along side her.

And the longer Heero waited, the surer he became of his decision.

The delegates filed out. Kill her...

“Relena,” he called.

She turned, “Heero? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

“I need to talk to you.” He stated. “Alone.” The vampire turned and headed towards the trees that scattered across the country side.

As expected, Relena followed. Into the trees, completely unseen, the foolish girl tagged behind. Heero stood looking away from the girl as he waited for the remaining delegates to depart. The sounds died.

The demon turned.

“What is it you wanted to say?”

She was only feet away from him. He stared into her soft blue eyes. One look wouldn’t change his mind.

He stepped forward and bit her neck. No one but Heero heard the scream.

Relena was on the road to death.

Her blood... It tasted exactly as he’d dreamed it would.

But the kindness burned his throat, the life made his sick. He pulled away, gagging. Every bit of her being was exactly what his kind was not. He clutched his stomach. His body felt as if it was going to vomit its intestines to rid him of her taste. He keeled over spitting blood, black and red.

“Heero!” she exclaimed, “What are you?”

Heero continued to cough up blood. Relena knelt down beside him. She placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. “What are you, Heero?”

The philosophy behind his actions he carried over the years seemed to slip. She’d done it in every dream. She’d done it every time he saw her. Relena had forced a demon to love her.

His body no longer rejected the kindness, and he brought himself to a more respectable position. “I’m a vampire, Relena.”

Relena looked taken aback and then replied sharply. “That’s nonsense. Vampires aren’t... You can’t be.... It’s impossible. There are no such things as vampires.”

“I’m a three thousand seven hundred fifty-eight year old vampire. What you believe doesn’t change a thing.”

“Heero, what happened to you? You’re spitting out nonsense.”

“What happened...? You wouldn’t believe a word I said.”

“Tell me, I’ll listen.”

Part of Heero thought to kill her but... He wanted her to know. He wanted someone to know. “I used to live in a small fishing village near the sea. My father became a samurai fighting for the local shogun controlling the area. My mother disapproved, and divorced him, taking my older sister with her leave. They came to live in that village. Demons rarely bothered the area preferring to stay around the war in the inland. The soil there was fertile and the sea productive. She had me a few months later. It was peaceful in the small village. I hadn’t imagined life any other way. When I was thirteen my sister married and had a son. My mother died of the influenza passing through the area the same year. A year after, my sister’s husband was found dead. At the time no one could explained what happened. They said he’d sinned against the gods of the sea. But as it was, I moved in with my sister and inherited her husband’s land. Things were fine for two short years.

“But then he came along. It’s been so long, I can barely remember. I don’t know what he did, or if it was just a sense. I never like the man. He was a stranger in the village wanting to escape the life of a samurai. The story sounded like nonsense to me. No samurai would give up their position. I never liked him. In any case I was right. He killed my sister and turned me into what I am. So I killed him. That demon was the first I killed. I was banished from my village, and took my sister’s son, Hozumi.

“I was determined to kill all like that demon, and in doing so I became stronger. Of course, to continue to exist I lived off of human blood, but never killed them. I hated drinking blood, so I killed the others like me.

“Over the years Hozumi and I roamed Japan, traveling to different villages. In all the time we wandered, only two villages figured out what I was. The first one offered me someone to kill in hope that I wouldn’t destroy the village. The second looked at us differently. And since they were unable to kill me... they killed Hozumi. I destroyed that village, not one person escaped. And I killed the people I met after that, for they reminded me of those that had killed of my last family member. I realized the entire world was evil, and in turn, became evil to accommodate. I never allowed myself to become attached to a human again and killed all without mercy.

“Just a few years ago, I became a gundam pilot hoping to be killed or at least have a purpose. And then I met you. Since then I’ve changed. You’ve messed with my thought. I can’t be a vampire with a human mind. It hurts too much. I can’t let you bring back my soul.”

“Heero, there’s no such things as vampires.”

“Believe what you want. That doesn’t change my fate, or yours.” Heero hissed, pulling out his knife. Just because he couldn’t drink her blood didn’t mean that he was unable to kill her.

“Heero,” she repeated. She rested her hand on top of his. “Come and stay at my house for a few weeks. We can talk and you’ll get you senses back.” With that Relena gently stole his knife and closed the blade. Wind blew threateningly chilling the human. “It’s cold out here; you must be freezing in that. Let’s go.”

“Cold doesn’t bother me.”

“Let’s go inside Heero. You’re already sick.”

She stood and urged him to his feet.

“Relena.”

Heero stood and pulled her toward him in an embrace he hadn’t seen fit to give for the last three thousand seven hundred thirty-four years. Now he understood the strange way she affected him. He understood why he couldn’t help it. He loved her.

He resolved not to kill her. He wouldn’t change her either. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer in the ways he had. Relena was his to protect and he would protect her till she vanished from the face of the earth.

She was warm. Humans were so strangely warm.

Heero inhaled the cold February air. It was cold; Relena wouldn’t be able to stand it for long.

Heero paused as realization hit. He was breathing. He was noticing the cold, and it made him shiver.

And unfamiliar pulse radiated through him. The vampire was becoming...

human again...

“See, Heero. You’re warmer al...”













Relena was yanked away. Heero jumped looking into the emotionless eyes of her captor.

“Have you lost your sanity, Heero? You’ve always been the one reminding me how to treat humans. You can’t be attached to them. It will mean your destruction. Kill her or change her.”

Trowa...

“Leave her alone.” Heero stated.

“Letting her live won’t work. I would change her, but it’s not my decision. You’re the one who fell in love with the girl.”

“I won’t hurt her.”

Trowa took the knife out of Relena’s now sweaty hand, flipping open the sharp blade.

Heero’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”

“I would.” the younger chided. “That is unless you would rather do the deed.”

“Don’t!”

Trowa took the blade driving it into her back. He drove it in again, and again ignoring her screams. He pushed her towards Heero.

Heero caught her disbelieving all that had happened.

“You know as well as I, that wound is fatal. She’ll live long enough for you to change her, if you wanted to. Otherwise, she’s as good as dead.” Trowa stated in monotone and leaned against a tree watching the scene unfold before him.

Heero lay Relena on the cold earth, pain radiated from her body in aching waves. He wouldn’t let her slip away. He pull his knife from her back used it to slit his wrist.

“Please, Relena. Stay with me.”

Heero wanted to see her live. He wanted to watch her live with kindness; he wanted to receive one of her smiles. This was the only thing he could do.

His skin crawled back together. Relena choked. He slit him self again.

“Drink, Relena, please.”

Relena looked at his hand above her face, the black blood. She saw his pleading eyes, and weakly raised her hand to hold his. “You’re warm... a dream come true. In my dreams you’re warm, but you always kill me. I believe your story Heero, but I don’t want to be a vampire. Be a kind person, Heero.”

Her hand fell limp. Her breath ceased, and her heart drowned in its own blood.

It had all come together and fallen apart in minutes. The heat was fading from her body. Her hand was as cold as the air around him.

His hurting and shocked features faded into indifference. Heero Yuy was dead, once again.

The vampire forgot the nameless human. She meant nothing, and neither did her words.

“Thanks, Trowa,” the older replied moving to his feet. “She almost drove me insane. “

“No problem. You’ve looked out for me before. Speaking of such, Quatre decided to come after me.”

“What’d you do?”

“Told him to leave.”

“So of course, he didn’t”

“We all know each other too well. So, I have my first fledgling.”

“Lucky you.”

“I better go back and get him. If he wakes up on his own, he’ll go mad. Want to come along?”

“Why not?”

The demons strode into the darker reaches of the trees. The clouds clapped out thunder. The rain poured. Soaked to the skin. It was cold. Wind hissed. Stung. Heero could not care.

And now I leave you with the corpse of Relena Peacecraft as a reminder of what it took to kill a soul.

AN: please reply and tell me what you think!

:...: That was very long...