by S. Coop
John shook his head.
“So I have a vampire-slash-demon boyfriend who can shape-shift and has an insatiable appetite for both flesh and blood? I knew you were special, but this …” Pony tried to absorb everything that John told her. “It’s actually kind of cool, though. Except for the flesh eating part.” Pony stared at John. “You’re gonna have to stop that.”
John nodded and raised his eyes as Morgan and Lasandro came into view.
Lasandro smirked at Morgan. “Told you she was fine.”
“We felt that you were hurt,” Morgan said. “We went to John’s house and found his mother and grandfather dead. We were scared they took you or worse.”
John waved at the two. “Hey, bro, hey, sis.”
Morgan looked at John’s blood-stained chest then at Lasandro, who was laughing, and then back to Pony. “You didn’t.”
“Hehe.” Pony looked down, turned her toes inward, and shrugged.
“I asked her to do it,” John said, “I would have died if she didn’t change me.”
“At least John asked,” Lasandro joked, looking at Morgan.
Morgan smacked Lasandro on the arm. “Well, it’s never too late to fix mistakes.”
“You guys see what I have to put up with?” Lasandro asked. “She’s so abusive. I’d file for divorce, but we were never married and I do love her so.”
“Lasandro, I swear to God!” Morgan yelled and dashed toward him.
Yes, they are always like this. Pony answered John before he asked.
Can you hear me? John asked.
Pony nodded.
Okay, this is fucking awesome! You should have made me a vampire sooner!
Pony laughed.
Morgan was chasing Lasandro around, trying to slap him.
No offense, but your brother and sister are kind of annoying. John said. Total buzz kills.
Morgan stopped running. We can hear you too, John!
Yeah, bro, Lasandro said. Why so much angst? You really need to work on that.
“You’re the very definition of angst, Lasandro,” Morgan quipped. “Don’t! Don’t’!” Morgan screamed before Lasandro rapidly snatched her up in his arms and spun them upwards.
“Let me down!” Morgan said, blushing from embarrassment.
Lasandro gave Morgan a long, juicy kiss, while they descended. “As you wish, my queen.” He winked. “I’ll tear that ass up later.”
“Eww, get a room.” Pony gagged.
“Speaking of getting a room …” Lasandro looked at Pony and John.
“What?” Pony asked.
“Let’s just say we feel your pain and your pleasure.”
Pony blushed. “Um, I thought you two were off for New Zealand.”
Morgan rolled her eyes. “We can’t leave Japan because everyone is after us everywhere.”
“We tried to leave, but we had to kick some serious ass just to survive this far.” Lasandro let go of Morgan, and she floated to the ground.
Morgan threw a knapsack onto the ground, and pure silver daggers and throwing stars fell out. “These assassins know exactly what they’re doing. Most are equipped with those.” Morgan pointed to the weaponry. “The good thing is that most of our assassins are human. And here’s your sword. Pony. Lasandro didn’t know which one was yours, John, so he brought all six.” She tossed Pony her sword.
Pony grabbed it and caressed the sheath. “I missed you, my darling.”
Lasandro threw a couple pairs of leather gloves to John and Pony. “There’s mesh inside. That’s the only way we can use these.” He grabbed a pure silver-throwing knife.
John put on the gloves and picked up a dagger. “This almost killed Pony.” He looked at the tip. “It’s designed to break off at a certain point.”
“A vampire’s worst nightmare.” Lasandro said.
“There was a huge Japanese vampire at the house,” Pony said.
“We ran into him,” Lasandro said.
“More like he ran into you,” Morgan said. “It was like watching sumo wrestling only louder.”
“The guy was like Godzilla on steroids,” Lasandro said.
“And yet you thought you could take him,” Morgan said. “Good thing I saved your ass from him.”
“I coulda took him,” Lasandro said, sparring like a boxer.
“We got some information on him from some other Japanese vampires,” Morgan said. “They despise the AVA and were more than happy to talk. The guy Lasandro bumped stomachs with dates back to the Edo era.”
“Isolationism, military dictatorship, the Tokagowa era,” John said.
“You know your history,” Morgan said.
“His name is Hiruyoshi Nakamura,” Lasandro said. “We’ll just call him Yoshi for short. The guy’s a stickler for rules. If you ask me, he should lighten up. All rules and no fun make Yoshi a very grumpy vampire.”
“We can’t leave Japan until this guy is dead.” Morgan said.
“Dead dead.” said Lasandro.
“We have some armor in the car courtesy of some vampires we killed,” Lasandro said. “Speaking of cars, what the hell happened to that?” Lasandro pointed at the Mazda.
“John kept jumping on top of it.” Pony side-eyed John. “He punched the grill and everything.”
“Yeah, I guess I got pretty wild,” John said.
“Good thing there were no cats around.” Morgan looked at Lasandro.
“Again with the cat, Morgan?”
Morgan laughed.
“Anyway, with all four of us fighting, I’m sure we can take this guy down.” Lasandro threw the star into one of the trees.
“Let’s do it!” John said. “I’m pumped!”
“Hold on there, Tarzan,” Lasandro said. “You need a shirt. Can’t just throw the armor over your chest.” Lasandro looked at Morgan and snorted when he saw a smile cross her face.
John grabbed the bag from the back of the Mazda and finagled out a short-sleeved black shirt with a skull on it, and quickly put it on.
Lasandro drew in a breath and looked at John’s outfit. “You’re literally the male version of Pony. So cute.”
John rolled his eyes at Lasandro. “I actually kind of like them. This is how a badass vampire dresses.”
“I can’t take this anymore.” Lasandro grabbed the bag of weaponry and retrieved the star from the tree. “Get dressed and meet us at our car. Bring the swords. No hanky panky either.” He and Morgan vanished into the dark.
John looked at Pony. “I guess this is it.”
Pony grabbed two swords and tossed them to John. “Two handed sword technique, okay?”
“Hell yes!”
“You have the strength to pull it off now. Hands in position on both swords. Twin sword hand strike. Right hand strikes down, left hand moves back. And repeat.”
“So, kind of like a windmill effect.” John said.
“Right.” Pony said. “And let’s hope our windmills can defeat an ancient Godzilla on steroids.”
Chapter Twelve
We Are Family
They parked near the base of Mount Ibuki and looked down an ancient black castle sitting on an island of rocks and stone near the north end of Lake Biwa.
“How did I know this guy would have a ginormous fortress with fifty million rooms? The guy’s a walking cliché.” Lasandro eyed Morgan.
“Well, he doesn’t fight like a cliché,” Morgan said.
“Hmm, he kind of does,” Lasandro said. “He’s overpowered and old. That’s kind of cliché.”
Morgan shrugged and nodded.
Lasandro turned to the back seat and faced John and Pony. “So, who’s going to be the bait?”
“Lasandro!” Morgan gasped.
“What? We send in the bait first to throw the others off track.” Lasandro shrugged. “I say we send in the newbie.”
“Whoa, wait a minute,” John said.
“You were all hyped and ready to go back at the forest,” Lasandro said.
“I know, but I don
’t think the bait tactic will work well here,” John said.
“He’s kidding, John,” Morgan said.
“I am?” Lasandro said.
Morgan rolled her eyes. “We go in pairs. Lasandro and me take the front and you two take the back. We meet in the middle. Did you guys put on the vests?”
“Yep,” Pony said.
“I haven’t.” John removed his shirt, threw on the armor, and put his shirt back on. “This feels weird. It’s hot and pinchy.”
“You know what else feels weird, hot, and pinchy?” Lasandro asked.
“What?”
“Pure fucking silver!” Lasandro yelled.
Morgan laughed.
“Okay, okay,” John said. “I understand.”
Yes, he’s always been like this even before she turned him, Pony said
And remember I can hear you, Johnny boy, Lasandro teased.
“Looks like we’re going swimming.” Lasandro said as they left the car. Morgan and Lasandro ran north along a rocky beach, and Pony and John ran south.
Pony and John swam a mile to the rocks at the base of the castle and bounded over the boulders. They hid behind a rock formation and counted the guards, all of them human.
We count six back here, Pony said.
We got about eight to ten here in the front, Morgan said. They are all armed as far as I can see.
Um, won’t Yoshi hear us talking to each other like this? John asked.
Silence.
The kid has a point, Lasandro said. Mind silence until we’re all together again.
Mind silence? Morgan said. Since when has any part of you been silent, Lasandro?
Can we please get on with this? Pony asked. Fight with each other later.
“Okay, John. Follow me …” Pony turned to John, didn’t see him, and looked at the castle where she saw him sneaking up on one of the guards.
John! Shit! Pony dashed for the other guard, who didn’t have time to react before she swiped at his calves, cutting off both of his legs at the knee.
At the same time, John sliced his guard’s head clean off his torso before backing up against Pony.
Four more guards charged at them while two shot off pure silver shards. John grabbed Pony and hurled her in the air before blocking the silver with his sword. Pony kicked off the side of the stone castle exterior and swiped at the gunmen, cutting off their arms at their elbows.
John lunged forward, swinging his katana horizontally outward and took out the two who remained.
They grabbed the guards’ guns, broke down the back entrance, and entered the castle.
“Duck!” warned Lasandro as he threw two stars making a boomerang effect.
Pony and John ducked, and two guards behind them started screaming and holding their smoking necks. Pony efficiently beheaded them, ending their insufferable screams.
Morgan walked up to Pony and John. “We got the ones out front and some in here. A few already ran. Just a heads up, the guards inside the castle are vampires, so use pure silver to get an edge on them.”
Just as they entered what appeared to be a large banquet hall, Yoshi came floating down from the ceiling.
“Thank you all for saving me the time to find you,” Yoshi said in perfect English. He looked at John and snarled. “I see you’re one of them now. Too bad your life as a vampire will be short-lived.” Yoshi waved his hands at John’s swords and gun, and they shot out of his grasp and across the room. Pony felt her weapons being pulled away so she shot off several rounds of pure silver, the shards pelting Yoshi.
Yoshi started smoking in several areas but didn’t seem to be affected. “These are but scratches!” Yoshi smiled. “They are splinters to me.”
Lasandro dove in and around Yoshi, stabbing him in the side with the dagger. Yoshi kicked Lasandro and sent him hurling into a stone staircase as Morgan threw six stars that embedded in Yoshi’s head and neck.
Yoshi dashed toward Morgan, grabbed her and bounced her off the floor, then kicked her in the chest, sending her sliding into Lasandro.
“Fuck!” Lasandro yelled.
John raced toward his weapons and grabbed the gun, emptying the pure silver into Yoshi’s chest while Pony leaped off the wall and onto Yoshi’s back. She crossed two swords around his neck like scissors and pulled them inwards, both swords cutting into the sides of his neck.
Yoshi reached back and grabbed Pony by her neck, her feet dangling.
“Pony!” John yelled.
Yoshi looked at John and smiled before viciously biting into Pony’s neck, tearing a huge chunk out of it. Pony’s feet stopped dangling, and Yoshi dropped her limp body to the ground. “Ah. You have good taste, boy. She was delicious.”
John grabbed a dagger and prepared to charge Yoshi when a hand jerked him back and pushed him into a wall. He stared at the vampire that now stood in front of him. “Who are you?”
“My name is Mita, and you will stay here,” Mita said. “Do not move.”
“But Pony is—”
“She will be all right,” Mita interrupted. “She is one of my children. As are you.”
“No way,” John snarled.
Mita stared intently into John’s eyes. “Stay … here.”
“No.”
Mita smiled. “You cannot be controlled? Akane cannot control you?”
“No one controls me,” John hissed.
Mita smiled more broadly. “We will talk. But trust me. I will bring Akane back to you.”
Mita strode into the center of the banquet hall and stared up at Yoshi. “My name is—”
“I know who you are,” Yoshi interrupted. “This is not your fight.”
“Oh, but it is,” Mita said. “These are my children. I was trying to enjoy a vacation, but you see, I can’t do that if I’m in fucking pain all the time! Every time you hurt one of them, I hurt. You understand, don’t you?”
Mita hunched down and growled. His spinal chord pulsated, growing larger as his muscles became like steel, cracking noisily, rippling through his body. Ten inch claws protruded from his fingertips and toes, his ears lengthened, his eyes bulged, and his lips disappeared and were replaced with large, razor sharp fangs. His skin unwrapped from his body like the wrapper for a piece of hard candy.
Mita stayed hunched in silence before straightening up to reveal his black, hairy frame that now stood over seven feet tall. A set of black, bony wings flared out.
“That fucking hurts!” Mita shouted while moving his head from right to left, making loud popping sounds.
Yoshi wasn’t impressed. “I’ve taken down plenty of your kind. You don’t scare me!”
“You should be scared,” Mita said. “You’ve fucked with the wrong Maker.”
Yoshi charged Mita with record speed, pushing him backward.
Yoshi unleashed a blurry barrage of punches, hitting Mita in his chest, head, and abdomen.
Mita countered by slashing Yoshi’s arm, shoulder, chest and back, shredding them with his razor sharp talons.
Yoshi fell back, almost losing his footing. He sprinted for John’s sword, picked it up, and flew to Mita, driving it through Mita’s side.
Mita slapped Yoshi and pulled out the sword out. The wound started to close.
Yoshi waved his hands and sent some pure silver stars flying into Mita’s back. Mita pulled them out, his hand smoking as he did so.
“You want to fight dirty,” Mita said. “I can fight dirty, too.”
Like a puppet master, Mita motioned to Lasandro to shoot pure silver shells at Yoshi. He motioned for Morgan to throw daggers and whatever other silver stars were left. The barrage of silver weapons hit Yoshi in all the right places.
Yoshi spit blood and fell to one knee, his hand covering wounds in his abdomen which were slowly healing. Mita flashed across the banquet hall and bit into Yoshi’s neck, draining him of his blood in less than a minute.
When Mita was finished, he tossed Yoshi’s corpse to the ground and stomped on his head, squashing it like a g
rape. He walked over to Pony, bit his wrist, and dropped blood into the gaping neck wound. It healed immediately and Pony opened her eyes to see a huge, black figure leaning over her. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, thinking her eyes were tricking her.
John raced over to Pony and kneeled next to her. “I thought I had lost you,” John said. He looked at Mita. “Thank you, Mita.”
Pony looked at John and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey.” John said before sweeping her up into his arms.
Mita approached Morgan and Lasandro, his eyes fixed on Morgan. “I see why Marcus had to have you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lasandro asked.
“Such loyalty,” Mita said. “Such family loyalty. One day I will call all of my children to me, and you, among others, will come.” He rose through the roof of the castle sending bricks and wood crashing to the floor.
“Talk about dramatic,” Lasandro said.
“That’s Mita for you.” Pony picked up her sword and sheathed it.
“Mita!” Morgan shook her head.
“Well, that explains why he called us his children.” Lasandro said.
“I met him for the first time at the Vampire Café,” Pony said. “I forgot to tell you guys.”
“Pony, that’s something we would have liked to know right away.” Morgan said.
“Well, I figured he was just here because of what I did to Marcus.” Pony shrugged. “He seemed upset about Marcus but he let it slide.”
Lasandro scratched his head. “He’s showed up after all this time and I doubt he just came to say ‘Bad Pony’ and ‘I have to save my children.’ There has to be another reason, and judging by what he just said, we owe him.”
“Great,” Morgan said.
John held Pony in his arms. “So that was my … great-grandfather?”
Morgan nodded. “And he’s our grandfather.”
Lasandro looked at all of them. “Are we just gonna stand here and act like he didn’t just turn into a big ass bat?”
“That was kind of cool.” John said.
“You think everything’s cool, nerd.” Lasandro said.
“I’ve heard of shape-shifting vampires. They are rare, but the only ones that have shapeshifing abilities are ancient.” Morgan said. “Mita is old, but he’s not ancient. Still, we could not have beat Yoshi without him.”
