Black Eclipse by Aura

Black Eclipse

Chapter One: 

 The wind was light as it drifted through the large graveyard on the early winter evening. Sweeping up some snow gathered thickly on the rooftops and letting it disperse itself over the cemetery, lightly blanketing the recently cleared paths with a new thin lair of white. There was a serene quiet to the place. No birds sang, having weeks before flown south for the colder months. The slight chimes waving and singing in the breeze helped to cover the irregular passing of vehicals in the distance. It allowed the various gatherings of shrines a level of piece rarely enjoyed by even the outer prefectures of Kyoto.

The ideal of calmness continued into the very appearance of the place. Leafless trees now held icicles in replacement of foliage. Sitting like a tired mother of kittens as her young played and hung over her with nothing more then the occasional sigh of shifting branches to show her calm repose. Snow gathered wherever it could that wasn't on a main path or family cared for shrine, resting itself after the storm of the night before, content to just sit and melt so it could return on another day. Squirrels and other creatures slumbered in their warm burrows, prepared to sleep away the months to come and not wake again until the birds returned and the lazy snow melted into spring.

The small building at the top of the hill the land covered had a tranquil ambience to it. Stain glass windows showed deceiving scenes of open roses and summer gardens, a hint of the loveliness that would come when Spring approached. The main window having a hypnotic, relaxing, lotus petal pattern to it. The angels on the corners of the building lounged on carved clouds, holding a pitcher off of any edge of the cloud, another icicle hanging from the places where water would pour. A few more angels played, one of the mischievous cherubs resembling cupid holding an arrow down toward the yard, waiting to unleash love on the unwary of his antics.

This sort of architecture would normally be strange but the land had been owned previously by a christian parish before it was bought by locals and converted to a more traditional Shinto graveyard. The gates around the yard were a little less welcoming. The high iron wrought fences having sharp tips at every point. Snarling gargoyle faces warded off children and many didn’t come here unless it was to visit their ancestors. A haven of heaven protected by the images of demons.

The wicked appearance of the walls didn't deter a young woman from opening them and slipping inside, her footsteps softly crunching on the snow and frozen leaves underfoot as her breath showed lightly from under the hood of her thick cloak.

The long cloak seemed a bit too large for her as it drug just a little on the ground behind her, not to mention a strange choice of style. The end of the deep green cloth was nearly black from being wet after being drug over the ground. She wore a Grey, White, and Black dress that was a beautiful combination of colors. The wide skirt was the black, while the upper half of the dress slowly changed from black to shades of gray until it became white around the collar and sleeves. It was of an exceptional quality but seemed to have a bit of wear and tear to it, proof os such a lack of brightness it must have once possessed. However well it was kept, time changes everything, and it's age was shown in the way the black had started to turn to a deep gray and the white had begun to turn a pale tan. In further contrast she wore new ladies gloves, a furry black satin that came up to her elbows.

She walked slowly though the graveyard, not worried of seeing anyone else here in this place, not knowing she had disturbed another of the visitors. Blissfully unaware of the frightful creature that stalked her from the growing shadows of the evening. She sat at a bench that surrounded a small and currently unused fountain of the goddess Amaterasu. Her divine being sat on a cloud smiling as she poured a wine glass from the heavens, reclining joyfully on her perch. The young woman sat at the fountain, a soft smile creasing her features for just a moment as she lowered her hood carefully with both hands.

Her face was japanese but held slight differences that showed a possible variety of heritage further in her background. She allowed long silky black hair to flow out of the hood where it had been held, it was a bit dull, as though it hadn’t been washed in a couple of days. She had a well proportioned face, thin but very red lips that were in a slight frown, as though trapped there after holding the expression for too long a period. Her eyes are what truly gave away her sadness though. A brilliant midnight blue that held some vast anguish, a waking body with a dieing soul.

She watched the fountain silently, eyes looking over the extreme detail the probably now dead and forgotten artist had painstakingly put into it. There were small notches made for the breaks in skin on the knuckles of her hands, exact cuts for the curves within the ears, a complicated pattern of heaven and earth on her extravagant kimono. Still, for all the effort, not even a name had been left on the monument.

She glanced a little to one side, then took a deep breath and returned her efforts to the finer work of the statue. Her father’s grave, it was the first time she’d been able to visit in a year, the anniversary of his death. At least as far as she knew, he’d died when she was only five, still too young to remember much more than the pain of his disappearance. Over the years many of the memories had faded, now all she could remember where a few precious events. The most clear of which was the first grade play, where she was acting as a young lady from the victorian era in a line up of men and women from different ages and heritages around the world. He’d liked her little dress so much that he’d bought her more like it, it was fun then, those days when he spoiled her so.

“My pretty little lady Kagome.” He’d say whenever she wore any of the lovely gowns.

After his death she stopped wearing them unless it was to visit his grave, it was difficult to want to have them around when they reminded her of him the most. At least at first, now it was more in tribute, he loved them so much the least she could do for his spirit was offer it the chance to see her in the dresses he’d loved so much. Next year she’d have to get a different one, this one she’d had for four years and barely fit her even after adjustments her mother had given. It’s why she wanted to take the over-large cloak she’d bought at a salvation army retailer.

The accident was quick, at least thats what they told her mother, he didn’t suffer at all. She didn’t know much about it and didn’t want to know much more. It’d been eleven years and mother didn’t join her when she came anymore. Too much pain, thats what Kagome figured it was, Souta only had come with her once last year but he was uncomfortable and didn’t want to stay. Father had died while mother was still pregnant with him so he’d never gotten to know him at all. It became harder each year to have much to say. She loved him still, always would, but he knew that.

“I miss you." She whispered with a frown. She was saddened but she didn’t cry anymore, she hadn’t for a few years now. He was such a little part of her life that she didn’t have much time, the one thing she would always do was visit at least once a year. Sometimes they came on holidays as well but with Souta not wanting to come and Mom hesitating more and more this was the only time this year she’d managed to come over.

It wasn’t even that it was far, she’d been so busy studying for high school exams and with helping her family with the shrine that she couldn’t be spared any other time before this. As it was she couldn’t even get away until it was late. With the sun starting to set on the horizon, casting a spectrum across the sky as if retreating from the coming darkness, she didn’t have much time.

She stopped procrastinating and moved toward the shrine, pulling a lighter and incense from a bag she had brought with her she lit it and placed it in the bowl atop her father’s shrine, glancing at the small collection of his things still in place, if a bit wet from being dusted with snow.

“Well, things are the usual around here." She said softly, rubbing her hair awkwardly. “I guess I should apologize for not coming more often. I’ve been busy, my grades are good and I’m hoping to hear about high schools that want to accept me soon. The shrine is busy but is doing well, grandpa’s still always trying to tell me stories about legends and gods and other creatures or giving me lame gifts. Souta and Mom are both okay, busy too, they’re sorry they couldn’t make it."

The man watching her kept easily to the lengthening shadows of the yard, daring to get closer then even the most masterful spies would attempt. He knew he wouldn't be seen, it was a matter of ability, vampires blended naturally into the shadows. There was no question in his mind of his ability to remain unseen by this girls eyes. Stalking around to watch her sad face as she spoke with her ancestor, appreciating her notice of his old work on the fountain statue."I've had less productive beauty…made forever to live trapped…"

If he had thought it was one of those women, he might not have hesitated to make a meal of her. But she had such a delicate and curious shyness to her that even if she hadn't been wearing the foreigners old noble clothing he knew it wasn't the case with this one.

Another breeze picked up and a sweet scent traveled beneath the complex and pleasing odor of the agarwood incense.

"Apple perfume?" he thought a moment curiously, before taking a deeper breath of the expensive scent she’d brought to the shrine. It was of the highest quality agarwood, which meant a single stick like the one she used would probably go for a few hundred yen (2-3 dollars). “Expensive, that and the lack of comment of a father makes me think he must be the one receiving the prayer.”

"So very sad…" his thoughts continued as he watched her, only half listening to her talk about some test to get into high school. “I imagine she is one of the more tolerable females. The few that exist."

He backed away from her then, his attention moving to the door of the building nearby. He watched one of the monks exit and approach slowly, coming to stand not far from where the woman was, she’d ceased to talk to the spirit and turned to greet him. The monks had only begun to stay this late recently, a result of the attacks that had become common. A sign he’d have to keep a closer eye himself to catch the vampire hunting here so frequently. Though he hadn’t seen the men leave the building even after they’d started to come. One fell asleep only a few nights before which allowed him his most recent feeding. An amused smile passed his lips, so much for the holiness in the men of the world.

This one was older, probably in his seventy's. He was bent over slightly, age trapping him in the position that would slowly make him descend steadily more forward. His face was friendly a smile on it, the wrinkles there proof that he was quite comfortable in wearing it. He had kind brown eyes under white bushy eyebrows. His hair was the same white as the powder on the ground. He wore the simple brown robes of his station. Casual but clean, a smile came to his old and wrinkled features and he finished his walk to the girl slowly.

"Kagome," he whispered after a moment, a soft almost reverent tone of voice, "you shouldn't be out here this late. The cold aside, it's getting late and things here have been dangerous lately. I know it's been a while since you've visited your father but staying much longer wouldn’t be wise."

"But it's so nice out here," she said after another moment. Her voice an entrancing soft musical thing. So sad in it's tone that it could have pulled tears from the most stout of men. It certainly drew the man in the shadows further toward her again, eavesdropping as he haunted the shadows around them. “I just want to enjoy things a few more minutes."

"Are you all right?" There was a knowing concern on his expression. “You seem disturbed."

“It's just talking to father after so long." She said with a shake of her head. “I still had some things I wanted to stay. I'll be quick I promise."

“Please do. I'll check in a little while, if you need anything just call, I'll be inside." He smiled lightly at her, patting her shoulder. “These old bones need the break from the chill."

She nodded again, and grew quiet for a full minute after the older man left and the door had closed. She was very still, staring at the ground in front of her father's shrine silently.

“Dad...things...well...some of them are really difficult right now. I wasn't completely honest I guess." She stated sadly. “I...you remember me telling you about Inuyasha. The boy I was dating last year? He left me, for another girl who looks a lot like me...and I dunno...it's just so much. We were fine, happy even, but then..."

Inuyasha? The man frowned a little, that was always a name he didn't want to hear, this girl had gone out with the worthless half-breed for a while? Her taste in men apparently failed where her taste in clothing did not. What father was thinking breeding with a human and making that worthless flea he wasn't certain.

Half-vampires, never capable of being a full part of either society, he'd only done so well because father's blood was so strong it made him capable of controlling his hunger. Sating it when needed with the filthy blood of pigs or other vermin. He was more controlled than most but still exceptionally foolish and easy to give into the anger that came with sharing the blood of the night.

“I need a reason dad." She wiped at tears. “Some sort of help or sign. It hurts so much but I can't tell anyone or they'll worry too much. I'm not worth worrying over like that. I just...I need a reason to keep going. I don't want too anymore."

Her comments caught him by surprise, drawn to her even as she confessed her suicidal thoughts to her father's spirit. There was a long pause then, she’d began to cry, the scent of salt joining the other aromas and the slight shaking of her shoulders were the only signs. He glared at the building, the old monk was likely to hold to his word of keeping an eye on her which didn’t allow him to step forward. Then a deeper frown as he held down a growl at the desire to do so. She was just a human, if she wanted to kill herself his only concern was the waste of blood in it.

Her eyes were more obviously devoid of happiness now, any slight happiness or joy just wasn’t there. A large beautiful marionette, mechanically moving to the sounds of each day...her words held no form of untruth he could detect as if she’d lost all faith.

He moved closer to her, the darkness allowed him to get within a range where he could have reached out and touched her but she still didn’t see him. He ignored the strange urge to reach out and stroke her cheek, it was probably just a hunger pang, he’d not fed in a month and had been more active than usual trying to find the errant creature causing the whole of them trouble. Getting involved here, at this time, would only mean trouble, for this he had to watch completely from the sidelines.

“I’m sorry father. I know it’s bad to think like this...but it’s so difficult to want to keep going when I feel so much pain.” She sniffed and wiped at her face in an attempt to compose herself before the monk noticed. “Mom kept telling me at first I just have to keep going...and I’ve tried, it’s been two months...but I don’t know...it still hurts as badly now as it did then. I can still see him kissing her.”

No surprise, a bastard child the son of a cheating bastard. Inuyasha was only his half-brother, his father had strayed from the embrace of his honorable mother’s fangs for a irritable mortal with no background. He was perhaps just born with poor taste in women, his last girlfriend had cursed him to never again drink human blood, an irritable priestess with some measure of power that had hunted many of their kind.

This girl though was familiar, she did look like the other one, Kikyo he believed it was. They could have easily been sisters or cousins by blood. That wasn’t it however, she seemed familiar for another reason. He had to consider for a while, standing near as she continued to watch the incense she’d lit burn slowly.

The daughter of the shrine with the old tree, the one he’d offered donations too on occasion for tax write-offs. It’d been three years but he remembered her in a similar form of dress with her grandfather. It had to be the same girl that seemed so bored then, she’d continued to pester him at the time that she didn’t want to be there for business. She’d grown much and the dress had reason to show it’s age, it had been new at that time.

She eventually looked back at the fountain, mumbling to herself. “I want so much more than this...”

The whisper hadn’t been loud but he had keen hearing, even if he hadn’t he was close enough he’d be able to hear it anyway. It was curiosity that kept him, with the monk actively checking the window periodically the attacker wouldn’t come out even if he was lingering. They’d been carefully avoiding any witnesses, which made the only thing keeping him here the sad girl standing nearby.

The sun would be fully down soon, she picked up her bag but left the incense, walking slowly toward the exit again and watching her feet. She certainly didn’t appear as if she was doing well and it was still late enough that she’d have a while to walk. He began to ghost, watching the sad girl as she trudged steadily toward her home.

"Why do I even care?" he asked himself, vaguely annoyed but reasoning things away easily enough. "Bait. If she was a possible target the creature might still be nearby, if I let her continue to walk alone and distracted like this she will probably draw an attack."

“I want so much more then this!" She exclaimed so suddenly he took a few steps back in a unconscious concern he’d been seen. “Trapped forever in this same life, stuck taking care of the shrine like my mom, my grandpa, the rest of my ancestors. Might as well marry me off for children so I can continue the torment to the next generation."

Her strength seemed to fail her though as she fell to her knees continuing to cry. This gave him another foreign urge to step in but it would give away his position. He chided himself for the moment of weakness and instead pulled his gaze to other shadows to search for others like himself taking shelter in the shadows of the rising moon. This woman was growing both more curious and exasperating, it was the first time in many years he’d shown an interest in a possible kill, not sense the mistake of Rin.

That train of thought he halted immediately, eyes catching instead on a slight movement that wasn’t a human or animal in an area close to where she sat under one of the street lamps, getting steadily more wet and cold in the snow. Perhaps as bait humans had found a new talent for him. Claws raked from the shadows where he’d noticed the disturbance only a split second prior. They were fast, almost fast enough to catch her before he grabbed them and slammed them into he wall nearby with a smirk on his face. The issue now would be keeping his fangs from showing before the girl ran away from the scene.