"Cassandra." Yuusuke repeated. "It's the new student. Her names is Cassandra, and she's gorgous!" He pointed at the brunette walking through the class room door. "She was in my last class. Seiji already made a play for her and she brushed him off!"
Kurama blinked his eyes in surprise. "Why?"
The boy leaned closer to whisper, "That boy with her, all dressed in black, is her boyfriend. He's also the guy Koenma told us to keep an eye out for."
The green eye widdened, "Damion? The missing reformed vampire?"
Yuusuke nodded, "That's him. Can you spread the word to Hiei and Touma?"
"I will," Kurama glanced at the couple. Damion still looked the same as he remambered, light brown hair that fell over his deep blue eyes.
"I can't let the others know I knew him once," He thought to himself. "Has he really changed? NO! I can't believe it. Not after what he did to me. Not after he broke my kitsune heart."
Cassandra skipped merrily down the forest path. She paused and glanced back at her friend.
"Hurry up, Damion. I want to get home."
"Cassandra," he started, "I have something I have to do."
"Do you think you'll find him this time?"
"The Reikai Tantei? He's here. I can feel his essence close by."
"Good. Now go, find him."
Damion swept her into his arms and kissed her. She pushed him away, giggling. As he waved, he vanished, a small bat in his place.
Cassandra waved as it flew off into the sky. She stiffened as a shadow fell over her. She turned to find a man dressed in flashy colors watching her and smiling.
"Who are you?" she ordered.
"I am a collector of rare things. I am called Vellan." He spoke slowly, quietly. "I believe I have something of yours. Do you recognize it?" From his out-stretched hand he held a small golden rose pendent attached to a thin gold chain.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, entranced by the shining necklace.
"I will give you all your lost memories and powers from your previous life back if you promise to serve me." He opened his hand dropping the pendent into her hands. As it fell, it grew and changed into a golden rose in full bloom. At the same Cassandra was changing, her brunette hair darkened to a deep jade, almost black.
"Will you serve me, Kira?"
She held the rose tightly against her as she looked up at him with startling different eyes, yellow serpent eyes. "Yes," she hissed. "For my past life returned to me, I will."
"Good, my little chameleon demon." He kissed her hand as he spoke. "I will come for you with I need you. Till then, enjoy yourself, Kira." He stepped back a disappeared into the shadows.
Kira glanced around, searched for the strange man, then shrugged it off.
She was alive again! She ran for the pure joy of running. She vaulted over a fallen tree trunk and changed in mid-leap into a deer.
"My powers!" she sang out, "I have my powers back, too." She changed again, this time into a small bird, wheeling and dodging through the trees, feeling giddy with joy.
She changed back to her true form when she reached the forest's edge. Grabbing hold of an overhead branched she flipped herself up, over, and onto it.
Kira looked at the strange buildings in awe. "Where am I? This doesn't look like the Makai or the Reikai."
"It's not." The deep voice surprised her so much she fell from the tree branch, landing nimbly on her feet.
She glared up at the black-haired boy, one jagged white stripe marring the front.
"What's an innocent little girl like you doing climbing trees?" Hiei's eyes flickered in amusement.
"You shouldn't insult your superiors, little boy." She crossed her arms, challenging him.
His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Little boy?" He pulled his sword out of it's sheath. "You won't be so quick to mock me once I cut you down to size."
Kira laughed as she held out her golden rose. "Don't mess with the Chameleon Demon." In a flash of light, the rose became a sword and she sprang for the fire demon on his perch.
They fought sword to sword on the tree branch until CRASH! it broke. The two fighters hit the ground hard.
Hiei was the first to recover. He stood over Kira, the point of his sword at her throat.
"Do you surrender?" he growled.
"Do I ever?" With a yell, she hooked her legs around his feet, pulling them out from under him. His sword flew from his hand as he fell back.
Damion knocked on the door sheepishly. He smiled as he felt the Reikai Tantei's ki grow stronger and nearer.
"No one's home," a voice stated behind him. Yuusuke stood glaring. "You are the vampire Damion. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, you know who I am. That proves you are who I am looking for. Reikai Tantei, am I right?"
"How did you know?"
"That is my secret, but I do need your help."
Yuusuke opened his front door and stepped inside.
Damion followed. "Vellan has escaped," he said quietly.
"Vellan?"
"More commonly known as The Collector."
Yuusuke rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. He collects things."
Damion's voice turned urgent, "Not just things, but people and places, too. He will begin a new collection starting with the strongest, rarest being he can find."
Yuusuke narrowed his eyes. "How do you know all of this?"
"I use to be part of his collection nine-hundred years ago, before he was locked up for trying to 'collect' Emperor Enma's palace." Damion sighed and looked at the boy with sorrowful eyes. "I have to stop him before he finds his first new servant."
"You know who it is, don't you."
The vampire nodded. "He is searching for a demon with a tattoo of a lizard on it's arm. It marks the demon as a Chameleon, a rare shape-shifting demon born to a different race family of demons."
"So we find this Chameleon and kill him," Yuusuke blurted out.
"No!" Damion grabbed him forcefully by the shoulders. "Don't you understand? I can't let her die! I love her!" Tears came to his eyes, tears so many years overdue. Damion collapsed into a chair, sobbing into his hands. "I thought I lost her sixteen years ago. She died in my arms. I gave up crime, life, everything. Nothing mattered anymore. Then I found out last year that her spirit had been reborn in a ningen body. I believed I could have my love back, but when I found her, to my horror, she didn't remember her former life... she doesn't remember our love. If Vellan finds her, he'll give her back her memories, but she will be his tool. I can't let that happen, even if it means she will remain a ningen forever."
Yuusuke handed him a tissue. "Don't worry. My friends and I will stop Vellan. I may even know someone who can help your friend."
Damion wiped his tears away. "Who?"
"His name is Shuuichi. He is a reborn demon, too."
In his excitement, Damion jumped up and hugged the startled boy. "Thank you! Thank you! I'll go find Shuuichi now." He stepped back, suddenly embarrassed.
Yuusuke's eyes landed on the tissue in Damion's hands, now stained a bright red. His mouth dropped open as he stumbled for something to say.
Damion hid his hands behind his back. "Vampires cry tears of blood," he explained. "I must go. Cassandra will be waiting for me. We will meet again, Reikai Tantei." He bowed low. Then, changing into a bat, flew out the window.
End Part 1
Next part coming soon. Please e-mail me to tell me what you think. Thank you!
