Fic: Dragon Saga 03 - Dragon's Heart 01/04, Jrock RPS, NC17/18, Gackt/Hyde/Megumi
Title: Dragon's Heart 01/04
Series: Dragon Saga 03
Link: To the rest of the Dragon Saga
Fandom: Jrock
Pairing: Gackt/Hyde/Megumi (various combinations)
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: Hyde and Gackt and any other people you may recognise are real, this isn't and I definitely don't own them or have any copyright to any part of any of them. I do not believe any of this happened it is simply a story created around known facts about those involved.
Warnings: mentions of past non-con, threesome, vampires
Summary: Megumi has an announcement that means Gackt finally takes her and Hyde to Kyoto to meet the elders of the clan. Hyde finds out that his vampire status is not so much an accident as it is destiny and the relationship between the three changes significantly because of it.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Soph for the beta. This took me a lot longer to write than I expected, but it is finally done. You have to have read the rest of the Dragon Saga to understand this one.
Word count: 5,191
Chapter 1 Kyoto Bound
Hyde walked through the front door and threw his keys onto the hall table before walking into the main living area with an eye on falling onto the couch and not moving for a good few minutes. It had been a very long, hard day doing interviews at the end of a long hard week doing other promotional things and he was more than glad that for once he had the weekend off. Life had been so hectic lately that he'd almost felt normal, but he was looking forward to a short break anyway. Sometimes things still caught him off guard, but he was sure he was on his way to putting the events of the previous year behind him. He was certainly writing well so maybe there was truth in the whole tortured soul bit.
What he hadn't expected to find as he walked in was Megumi sitting on the edge of the couch looking very worried.
"Is everything all right?" he asked, immediately anxious at his wife's pale face.
He walked over and reached out to her and she took his hand.
"I'm not sure," she replied, eyes lifting off the floor and looking at him, clearly unsettled.
"What is it?" he said, wondering what could have upset Megumi so much.
There was silence for a while and Megumi was watching her hands when she finally spoke.
"Gatchan said vampires cannot have children," she said quietly and Hyde felt his heart begin to beat faster.
They had had this conversation once, but it had been short and at the time he had been in no state to really discus it properly. He knew Megumi had wanted children, so had he and they had talked about having a family before Taiwan and it made him go cold to realise that his wife seemed so upset now; he had ruined yet another aspect of their lives.
"Yes," he said quietly, but trying not to sound as worried as he felt.
Vampires were a hybrid race, part human and part demon, passed on in the blood, Gackt had explained it all, and like all hybrids they were infertile.
"So we stopped worrying about prevention," Megumi's voice was small and would have been difficult for him to make out had his hearing not been so acute now.
That had not been what he expected to hear next, but he squeezed Megumi's hand anyway in an effort to reassure her.
"Yes," he confirmed since it seemed his wife needed him to.
"Then how can you explain this?" Megumi asked and reached down beside her and produced what at first looked like a white stick.
It took him a moment to realise that there was a small window in the stick and inside it was a blue stripe, and then it hit him what he was looking at. Megumi was holding a home pregnancy test and it was positive.
"You ... how ... that's not possible," he really didn't know what to say.
It had been one of those facts Gackt had been very clear on, along with decapitation being the only way to be sure of killing a vampire and sunbathing would be a really bad idea unless he wanted to look like a tomato after about ten minutes. Vampires could not father or conceive children; the only way for them to increase in number was to turn a mortal.
"I know," Megumi said, looking up at him with afraid eyes, "but I just knew so I checked."
It was beginning to dawn on him what this meant and slowly he felt his face break into a smile.
"We're going to have a baby," he said as he felt a bubble of joy burst into warmth inside him.
Without thinking about it, he gathered his wife into a heartfelt embrace and kissed her. When he pulled back she was looking at him with a rather shocked expression on her face.
"Sorry," he apologised and tried to get the excited giggly feeling in his chest under control. "Don’t worry, I'll call Gatchan; it's probably that it's just rare or something and we're the odd couple out. Everything will be fine."
Megumi's eyes looked suspiciously wet and he wrapped her in another embrace about a second before she started crying. He knew that pregnant women were supposed to be hormonal and emotional so he just did his best to be supportive as Megumi released whatever pent up feelings she needed to. They were having a baby; it really was the most amazing thought.
====
The first thing Gackt did after Hyde rang him was cancel all his appointments for the evening and then he climbed in the car and headed over to his friend's house. The next thing he did was send Hyde out on an errand to buy something completely irrelevant, but that sounded important when it came to pregnant women. That left him alone with Megumi, which was exactly what he needed. Hyde might have been oblivious to his manipulations, but it was clear, once her husband was gone, that Megumi knew exactly what was going on.
"I am sorry, Mei-chan," Gackt said, politely but firmly, "but I have to ask; is it his?"
He was surprised when Megumi laughed and it was an almost hysterical sound.
"It never even occurred to him to ask," she replied, sounding on the verge of some sort of breakdown. "I was terrified he'd think I'd been unfaithful, but he didn't so much as think it. Yes, Gatchan," Megumi told him, looking him straight in the eye, "the baby is his; I have been with no other man."
It would have made the situation so much easier if she had just confessed to straying, but Gackt knew Megumi was telling him the truth. He was very skilled at reading people, especially mortals and the woman in front of him believed every word she had said. That meant that Hyde and Megumi had managed the impossible and, even though he was over half a millennium old, Gackt had no idea what was going on.
"We're going to Kyoto," he decided firmly; "there are people there who might be able to explain this."
Megumi just nodded and Gackt opened his cell phone to reserve them all tickets on the next shinkansen to Kyoto. It was going to be a much more interesting weekend than he had thought.
====
Hyde had been a little surprised to find that they were all booked on the train to Kyoto when he returned to the house, but when Gackt was in a mood like his friend had been he was well aware that there was no arguing. That was why he found himself pulling up in a Taxi outside an ornate set of buildings which just screamed history at him. Kyoto was full of historical architecture, but he was happy to admit that the one he was looking at impressed him.
"Wow," was Megumi's comment as they all climbed out of their transportation.
Hyde would have given his own response as well, but he was distracted by the two people who appeared out of the gates of the residence before them and after bowing quickly to Gackt moved to pick up the bags from the trunk of the cab. Both the man and the woman were vampires, he knew it instinctively and something in him said 'kin'. Gackt was the only other member of the Dragon clan he had met so far since most of the vampires in Tokyo were from the local Lion clan and it felt strange to almost recognise people he had never met before.
He took his lead from Gackt, however, and did not interrupt the pair as they retrieved the things from the taxi. There were guards on the gate dressed in smart black suits, but they opened up without a word as Gackt approached. It was definitely an efficient organisation if nothing else. Inside was a small courtyard before what had to be the main house and waiting for them as they entered were two people. The first was a woman dressed in a sharp business suit and the first thing that Hyde noticed about her was that she was not Japanese; her features were Western and her hair was dark blond. Behind the woman was a man wearing a robe and hood that completely hid any identifying features, but Gackt did not seem to find this odd at all so Hyde took it in his stride.
"Dragon-sama," the woman said, bowing low, "it is an honour to welcome you home."
"Tanaka-san," Gackt replied formally, "it makes my heart glad to be welcomed."
Something in the atmosphere of the courtyard changed at that moment and Hyde could not suppress the shiver it sent up his spine. It was not a bad shiver at all, in fact quite the opposite and he felt as if he had come home as well.
"It's good to see you, Sarah-kun," Gackt greeted in an entirely different tone, "I have been remiss in not coming home more often."
Gackt then walked up to her and embraced her warmly. It appeared that things were only formal on the surface, which made Hyde very glad: he had had no wish to make a fool of himself because he didn't know the protocol.
"We miss you when you leave us, but we enjoy reading about your exploits in the magazines," Tanaka replied, seemingly just as pleased to see Gackt as he was to see her. "You have been very busy lately."
"The mortal world is very frenetic," Gackt replied before turning slightly. "Let me introduce you to our guests, Sarah-kun may I present Hyde and his lovely wife Megumi, Hyde-kun, Mei-chan, this is Sarah Tanaka the head of the law givers of the Dragon clan."
"How do you do," Hyde said politely and gave a small bow as Megumi followed suit.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hyde-san, Megumi-san," Tanaka said warmly, "I have heard much about both of you from Dragon-sama. Welcome to Kyoto. A meal is being prepared for you all, but please, forgive me for a moment, I must speak to Dragon-sama about a small matter before I take you through."
Hyde smiled and nodded as the woman drew Gackt away. It was then that he found himself looking at the other figure in the courtyard and he realised that, while he had been occupied, the male vampire had pushed his hood back.
Staring was rude, but Hyde couldn't help it as he studied the young looking vampire with pure white hair and white eyes. As Gackt talked quietly with Tanaka, Hyde found his whole attention taken by the only person in the courtyard who was not wearing modern clothes. The white-haired vampire had a small smile on his face and seemed to be waiting patiently for Gackt to finish whatever business was going on. The sense of familiarity Hyde had felt with the other vampires seemed to be doubled with the pale eyed man and when the individual actually looked at him it was like a jolt ran though him.
He had known that there would be some interest in him since he was Gackt's vampire child, but he wasn't expecting the bright smile that the white haired stranger gave him as soon as their eyes met.
"Kado-kun," Gackt's voice broke through the momentary connection and the other vampire looked away to his leader, "I am very glad you are here."
"I would not have missed this, Dragon-sama," the white haired vampire said with a small bow.
As Hyde tried to drag his attention away from the strange vampire, Gackt turned back to him and Megumi and Hyde was surprised to see a cheerful smile on his usually stoic friend's face.
"Hyde-kun, Mei-chan," Gackt introduced quickly, "this is Kado, Kado-kun, Hyde and Megumi."
"Very pleased to meet you," Kado said, walking forward and giving a formal bow.
Hyde found himself bowing back without thinking as politeness kicked in, but he found himself unnerved to find that those pale eyes were looking at him when he straightened back up. There was something about the colourless gaze that made him feel as if the other vampire could see straight into his head and he shifted awkwardly under the scrutiny.
"Kado has that effect on everybody," Gackt whispered in his ear as Hyde found himself looking away from the white-haired vampire.
"I heard that," Kado said with a good natured laugh that did a lot to dispel the unease Hyde was feeling, "and it is part of my job description. It takes a great deal of effort to be enigmatic and otherworldly."
Hyde found himself laughing along as Gackt chuckled at that.
"Kado-kun is our Guardian Seer," Gackt said with clear fondness in his voice, "and he seems to feel he must maintain the image of eccentric mystic when meeting new people."
"And whenever else he feels like it," Tanaka said from where she was standing off to one side.
"Age has its privileges," Kado replied in kind, "but enough about me, we have such exciting guests."
Hyde wanted to ask what being a Guardian Seer actually meant, but he couldn't really do so now without being rude. He didn't think that he or Megumi could really be 'exciting' on a vampire scale of things, but it was an interesting expression. Kado walked straight up to Megumi and looked down at her midriff with a small smile.
"Quite astonishing," the white haired vampire said, "may I?"
When Kado held out his hand Megumi looked rather surprised, but nodded anyway and Hyde found himself looking at Gackt for an explanation. He hadn't been aware that his friend had sent on word ahead about exactly why they were coming; he'd heard Gackt on the phone letting his people know they were on their way, but there had been no mention of why.
"I didn't tell him," Gackt said simply, which made Hyde want to ask a whole lot more questions even as he looked back at Kado who had his hand on Megumi's stomach and looked as if he was listening to something no one else could hear.
"Delightful," Kado said after a moment and pulled back, "thank you for allowing me to meet your child; such strength already."
Megumi just bobbed her head in response, obviously not sure how to take the rather strange individual.
"Boy or a girl," Gackt asked in a teasing tone, "or is that too easy a question for the Guardian Seer?"
"It hasn't decided yet," Kado replied with a smile like the cat with the cream.
It took a moment for Hyde to catch up since he was having trouble assimilating everything that was going on.
"I'm pretty sure biology doesn't work that way," he said as he thought about it.
It occurred to him that it might have been the wrong thing to say to someone of Kado's obvious importance and age, but the older vampire just grinned at him. Hyde was not sure what atmosphere he had expected, but everything seemed to be much less formal than he would have thought.
"I have not had much requirement to find out," Kado said cheerfully, "but never the less I stand by my statement. Certain pieces are not in place on the Shogi board yet for your little one to decide which way its destiny lies."
The way Kado's eyes flicked over to Gackt as he spoke made Hyde wonder what the white eyed vampire was thinking about his friend, but he thought he'd been rude enough. Kado could be as eccentric as he liked and Hyde decided to just accept it. Hyde had never been a big believer in the supernatural until it had been thrown in his face as being very real, so he wasn't too sure what he believed was and was not possible anymore and he was going through life with an open mind. Kado might be insane or might actually know what he was talking about and, until he was given a definitive as to which, Hyde decided to keep his mouth shut.
"And you, my dear child," Kado said and normally Hyde would have balked at being called a child, but it was as if he could see the age within the young looking body when he looked in Kado's eyes, "it is wonderful to finally meet you. Welcome to the Dragon clan."
"Thank you," he replied, feeling as if he had just passed a significant hurdle.
Kado held his gaze again for what seemed like a long time and Hyde almost felt as if the vampire's power was reaching into his mind, but it was so subtle that he could not be sure.
"Let's get everyone settled in," Gackt said and broke his train of thought.
====
Gackt was rather enjoying Hyde's wide eyed stare as his friend came across new thing after new thing and it was no different when Hyde was shown into his suite after he had sent Hyde and Megumi to freshen up before dinner. He knew Hyde had a curious streak a mile wide and he was sure his friend would have been into everything given the chance.
He had had a traditional low dining table in his rooms up until very recently, but he had opted for the high western design when he had last had the rooms redone, so the beginnings of dinner were set out on it. Talking with Sarah he had sorted out some of the small details he had needed to deal with now he was back and she had gently reminded him it was about time Hyde was presented to the ancestors. Gackt would have come round to the idea eventually, but Sarah had a way of pointing out when he was avoiding things.
"This place is incredible," Hyde said as Gackt made sure his guests were sitting comfortably; "I never imagined anything like this. You said it was old, but it's amazing."
"This was one of the first structures in the area," Gackt explained, serving the drinks as he spoke. "It has been extended many times since, but it was here before Kyoto was more than a village. The Dragons came here a very long time ago, although our origins are further south."
"So much history in one place," Megumi said with awe in her voice.
"You have no idea how hard it is to make some of our clan leave the past behind," he said, choosing to lighten the atmosphere. "I think it is one of the reasons Kado-kun all but kicked me out into the world the first time I expressed an interest in something other than the clan. If you let us, vampires can become very stuck in our ways."
Megumi laughed at that which had been his attention.
"Is Kado-san very old?" Hyde asked and Gackt wasn't surprised.
Kado had an effect on everyone who met him and Gackt had not missed how fascinating his friend had found the white haired vampire.
"Yes," he replied, "although I am not sure exactly how old. It is in the records, but Kado likes to be mysterious and we allow it by not looking. He is well over two thousand years old, that much I do know."
"How did he know about the baby?" Megumi asked almost immediately.
Gackt indicated that they should start eating before he decided to answer that question.
"I assume he foresaw it," he explained as he handed round one of the plates, "Kado's title is not ceremonial, he can see the future."
The slightly stunned look on Hyde's face made him smile, but he did notice that where once Hyde would have scoffed at such a thing his friend believed him without question this time.
"Is that common in vampires?" Hyde asked when the smaller man recovered from his shock.
"Highly unusual," Gackt replied, choosing some of the wonderful looking food for himself; "our clan is blessed in that respect."
"And Tanaka-san," Hyde seemed to be brimming over with questions, "has she been with the clan long?"
It was becoming obvious that he was not going to have much chance to eat anything until all the questions had been answered so Gackt put his chopsticks down to concentrate on the more important things.
"Not relatively speaking, no," he explained fondly, "Sarah-kun was made a vampire a little over three hundred years ago. She was the slave of a visitor to our city, the result of a shipwreck, I believe, although she does not speak of that time much, and she escaped onto our lands. The High Dragon appreciated her spirit and offered her the option of joining our clan, which she accepted. She became a law giver after only fifty years and the chief law giver when our last one was killed one hundred and twenty years ago in an unfortunate skirmish with some renegades. She is a very capable woman."
"It surprises me that a woman would hold such a role so long ago," was Megumi's comment on that.
He nodded; it was not an unusual thought for a mortal.
"Many vampire clans discovered equality of the sexes long before mortals," he told both his companions who seemed far more interested in what he had to say than the food. "Female vampires are little different from male since we do not have children and strength is more a matter of the mind than physical size. Age brings certain advantages, but it depends on the individual what those advantages are. Some maintained the traditional divide between male and female, but it is far more practical to utilise all your resources rather than excluding half for no reason."
Megumi appeared to find that very interesting and by the looks of things Hyde was assimilating the information ravenously.
"We have many traditions that might seem a little unusual," Gackt decided it was time to broach the subject of the ancestors.
"Like what?" Hyde asked, walking straight into the opening he had made.
"We have a shrine to the ancestors," he replied and saw the confusion on his companions' faces since this was not all that unusual, "where we can actually commune with those who have passed on, or at least some of us can."
That had Hyde's attention.
"Ghosts?" the smaller man asked.
"Spirits," Gackt explained with a small smile, "and most simply feel that the ancestors are there. It is traditional to present new vampires when they first visit the clan home."
Hyde didn't miss that and put the chopsticks, which the smaller singer had so far failed to use, down.
"That would include me?" Hyde said, but it wasn't really a question.
Gackt nodded.
"Normally there is little ceremony about it," he admitted, "but because you are my vampire child we will have to be a little more formal about it if you are willing."
There was a dubious expression on Hyde's face, but his friend nodded anyway.
"Formal how?"
"I will have to present you and there are traditional costumes for us both to wear," he said, hoping that Hyde would not mind. "Sarah-kun was kind enough to remind me when we arrived and if you are agreeable I would suggest we present you once we have finished dinner. It should not take long and it will please the clan."
It was not as if they were not used to costumes in their line of work and Hyde just nodded.
"I would be honoured to be presented to the ancestors," the smaller singer said.
Gackt smiled; that had been easier than he had thought.
"Thank you, Hyde-kun," he said, pleased, "the ceremonial costume will be in your room after dinner. For now I suggest we eat, Mei-chan needs to maintain her strength after all."
That earned him a smile from the young woman and finally they focused on the meal. Once the formalities were over they would have to broach the subject which had brought them here, but he had been put far more at ease when he had seen Kado's reaction to the baby. So far he was very glad he had brought Hyde and Megumi to Kyoto.
====
Gackt ran his eyes over Hyde and did his best not to be too obvious. There was something inordinately sexy about the smaller man and always had been, and the fact that his friend was standing beside him in nothing more than a pair of white cotton pants, looking bewildered, did nothing to counter this innate effect Hyde always had on him. He'd given up trying to ignore it and so these days he just enjoyed it and tried to conceal what Hyde did to him from his friend.
The way Hyde's breathing had sped up when he had walked out of the shadows dressed in his ceremonial regalia confirmed to Gackt that he had a similar effect on Hyde as well and the smaller man was also doing his best to screen it. Sometimes it made Gackt wish he'd met Hyde before his young friend had fallen in love with Megumi, but then he watched them together and he could never in a million years wish to have deprived Hyde of that.
"I feel ridiculous," Hyde whispered as they stood shoulder to shoulder, or rather shoulder to ear since Hyde was significantly shorter than Gackt, waiting for the shrine doors to be opened.
"It is just tradition," Gackt replied, keeping his face towards the doors, but watching Hyde out of the corner of his vision. "Whether you like it or not the fact that I made you gives you certain rank in the clan and so you have to be presented to the ancestors. Just bow when I do and it'll be over before you know it."
The noise Hyde made in response was noncommittal.
"When you told me about this you didn't mention that the ceremonial clothes consisted of one garment," the smaller man replied. "I am freezing."
"It's all in your mind," Gackt replied smiling slightly, because if Hyde was complaining then his friend wasn't that worried; "vampires can't get frostbite."
The weather was not the best for standing outside in nothing but a pair of pants even though the courtyard had under floor heating, but Gackt could not help enjoying the view. His own robes were more substantial than Hyde's simple pants, but the over robe was still open all the way down the front to display his rank symbol. This was the only place he could be himself and he was not going to let a little cold worry him; at least it wasn't raining or snowing.
The doors finally began to swing open and Gackt put all other thoughts out of his mind. The High Dragon and the ancestors had a unique relationship in that they deigned to speak to him and unless he concentrated the shrine could be a little overwhelming. Gackt was aware of spirits all the time; it was one of the reasons he had been chosen for his role, but the ancestors were far more insistent than most ghosts. He nodded to Kado as he took his first step forward and then he focused only on the dimly lit shrine.
There was always an amazing air of peace within the doors of the Dragon Clan's most special place and Gackt stopped just inside and let himself soak it in. He could feel Hyde close by his side and he remembered how disorientating the atmosphere could be to someone who had never felt it before, so he gave his friend time to adjust as the doors behind them closed again. Once inside the circle of candles and incense he knew he would start to hear the ancestors clearly and he wanted to make sure Hyde was settled before he was distracted.
Bowing to the heart of the shrine, he pulled around him the mental attitude of the High Dragon completely and then he began to walk forward. The moment he crossed into the circle he heard the whispering, as the lines between this world and the next thinned, and those beyond noticed him, but it was as Hyde stepped into the sacred space behind him that he heard the murmurs go up a level, becoming excited.
He heard Hyde gasp and momentarily wondered how much of the ancestors his friend was experiencing, but he kept his eyes on the shrine and just waited. It was not usually long before his predecessors would make themselves known, pass on any words of wisdom they felt necessary and then let him leave, but leaving before he was dismissed would be unforgivably rude. It was not that his clan worshiped the ancestors so much as they knew they were there and had experience and knowledge to offer their descendents, so they were honoured. It was all perfectly logical really, but the dead tended to become very eccentric with age, especially considering that many of them had been at hundreds of years old when they died to begin with, and so they were treated with the greatest respect.
The voices were becoming louder and more excited as he waited, but he could not make anything specific out, so he remained still, head slightly bowed. It was almost as if he was listening to a conversation that was not directed at him, since the ancestors were quite capable of making themselves only understood to one individual at a time if they so chose, but he could not think of why they would be excluding him.
It was not until fingers tugged rather erratically at the sleeve of his robe that he realised anything unusual was going on. He looked round sharply to find that Hyde was white as a sheet and swaying gently and, even as Gackt reacted, his friend's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and Hyde began to fall forward. Gackt caught Hyde without thinking about it and scooped him into his arms so that he was standing in the middle of the shrine with Hyde cradled to his chest.
"We approve," were the only words that came out of the whispering clearly and it took him a few moments to realise that the sounds were dying away.
He had been dismissed and he had very little idea of what had just happened. Being a vampire, he was used to strange and supernatural things, but for the life of him he could not explain what had just happened. He had expected a little excitement on the presentation of a vampire child of his making, but nothing like this. Holding Hyde close he turned fully and walked back towards the doors which opened at his approach.
Kado was waiting for him outside and the smile on the man's face was beaming and Gackt realised that at least one person in the clan had expected this outcome. Once he had put Hyde safely to bed, he and Kado were going to have a talk.
End of Chapter 1
On to next Chapter
Series: Dragon Saga 03
Link: To the rest of the Dragon Saga
Fandom: Jrock
Pairing: Gackt/Hyde/Megumi (various combinations)
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: Hyde and Gackt and any other people you may recognise are real, this isn't and I definitely don't own them or have any copyright to any part of any of them. I do not believe any of this happened it is simply a story created around known facts about those involved.
Warnings: mentions of past non-con, threesome, vampires
Summary: Megumi has an announcement that means Gackt finally takes her and Hyde to Kyoto to meet the elders of the clan. Hyde finds out that his vampire status is not so much an accident as it is destiny and the relationship between the three changes significantly because of it.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Soph for the beta. This took me a lot longer to write than I expected, but it is finally done. You have to have read the rest of the Dragon Saga to understand this one.
Word count: 5,191
Chapter 1 Kyoto Bound
Hyde walked through the front door and threw his keys onto the hall table before walking into the main living area with an eye on falling onto the couch and not moving for a good few minutes. It had been a very long, hard day doing interviews at the end of a long hard week doing other promotional things and he was more than glad that for once he had the weekend off. Life had been so hectic lately that he'd almost felt normal, but he was looking forward to a short break anyway. Sometimes things still caught him off guard, but he was sure he was on his way to putting the events of the previous year behind him. He was certainly writing well so maybe there was truth in the whole tortured soul bit.
What he hadn't expected to find as he walked in was Megumi sitting on the edge of the couch looking very worried.
"Is everything all right?" he asked, immediately anxious at his wife's pale face.
He walked over and reached out to her and she took his hand.
"I'm not sure," she replied, eyes lifting off the floor and looking at him, clearly unsettled.
"What is it?" he said, wondering what could have upset Megumi so much.
There was silence for a while and Megumi was watching her hands when she finally spoke.
"Gatchan said vampires cannot have children," she said quietly and Hyde felt his heart begin to beat faster.
They had had this conversation once, but it had been short and at the time he had been in no state to really discus it properly. He knew Megumi had wanted children, so had he and they had talked about having a family before Taiwan and it made him go cold to realise that his wife seemed so upset now; he had ruined yet another aspect of their lives.
"Yes," he said quietly, but trying not to sound as worried as he felt.
Vampires were a hybrid race, part human and part demon, passed on in the blood, Gackt had explained it all, and like all hybrids they were infertile.
"So we stopped worrying about prevention," Megumi's voice was small and would have been difficult for him to make out had his hearing not been so acute now.
That had not been what he expected to hear next, but he squeezed Megumi's hand anyway in an effort to reassure her.
"Yes," he confirmed since it seemed his wife needed him to.
"Then how can you explain this?" Megumi asked and reached down beside her and produced what at first looked like a white stick.
It took him a moment to realise that there was a small window in the stick and inside it was a blue stripe, and then it hit him what he was looking at. Megumi was holding a home pregnancy test and it was positive.
"You ... how ... that's not possible," he really didn't know what to say.
It had been one of those facts Gackt had been very clear on, along with decapitation being the only way to be sure of killing a vampire and sunbathing would be a really bad idea unless he wanted to look like a tomato after about ten minutes. Vampires could not father or conceive children; the only way for them to increase in number was to turn a mortal.
"I know," Megumi said, looking up at him with afraid eyes, "but I just knew so I checked."
It was beginning to dawn on him what this meant and slowly he felt his face break into a smile.
"We're going to have a baby," he said as he felt a bubble of joy burst into warmth inside him.
Without thinking about it, he gathered his wife into a heartfelt embrace and kissed her. When he pulled back she was looking at him with a rather shocked expression on her face.
"Sorry," he apologised and tried to get the excited giggly feeling in his chest under control. "Don’t worry, I'll call Gatchan; it's probably that it's just rare or something and we're the odd couple out. Everything will be fine."
Megumi's eyes looked suspiciously wet and he wrapped her in another embrace about a second before she started crying. He knew that pregnant women were supposed to be hormonal and emotional so he just did his best to be supportive as Megumi released whatever pent up feelings she needed to. They were having a baby; it really was the most amazing thought.
====
The first thing Gackt did after Hyde rang him was cancel all his appointments for the evening and then he climbed in the car and headed over to his friend's house. The next thing he did was send Hyde out on an errand to buy something completely irrelevant, but that sounded important when it came to pregnant women. That left him alone with Megumi, which was exactly what he needed. Hyde might have been oblivious to his manipulations, but it was clear, once her husband was gone, that Megumi knew exactly what was going on.
"I am sorry, Mei-chan," Gackt said, politely but firmly, "but I have to ask; is it his?"
He was surprised when Megumi laughed and it was an almost hysterical sound.
"It never even occurred to him to ask," she replied, sounding on the verge of some sort of breakdown. "I was terrified he'd think I'd been unfaithful, but he didn't so much as think it. Yes, Gatchan," Megumi told him, looking him straight in the eye, "the baby is his; I have been with no other man."
It would have made the situation so much easier if she had just confessed to straying, but Gackt knew Megumi was telling him the truth. He was very skilled at reading people, especially mortals and the woman in front of him believed every word she had said. That meant that Hyde and Megumi had managed the impossible and, even though he was over half a millennium old, Gackt had no idea what was going on.
"We're going to Kyoto," he decided firmly; "there are people there who might be able to explain this."
Megumi just nodded and Gackt opened his cell phone to reserve them all tickets on the next shinkansen to Kyoto. It was going to be a much more interesting weekend than he had thought.
====
Hyde had been a little surprised to find that they were all booked on the train to Kyoto when he returned to the house, but when Gackt was in a mood like his friend had been he was well aware that there was no arguing. That was why he found himself pulling up in a Taxi outside an ornate set of buildings which just screamed history at him. Kyoto was full of historical architecture, but he was happy to admit that the one he was looking at impressed him.
"Wow," was Megumi's comment as they all climbed out of their transportation.
Hyde would have given his own response as well, but he was distracted by the two people who appeared out of the gates of the residence before them and after bowing quickly to Gackt moved to pick up the bags from the trunk of the cab. Both the man and the woman were vampires, he knew it instinctively and something in him said 'kin'. Gackt was the only other member of the Dragon clan he had met so far since most of the vampires in Tokyo were from the local Lion clan and it felt strange to almost recognise people he had never met before.
He took his lead from Gackt, however, and did not interrupt the pair as they retrieved the things from the taxi. There were guards on the gate dressed in smart black suits, but they opened up without a word as Gackt approached. It was definitely an efficient organisation if nothing else. Inside was a small courtyard before what had to be the main house and waiting for them as they entered were two people. The first was a woman dressed in a sharp business suit and the first thing that Hyde noticed about her was that she was not Japanese; her features were Western and her hair was dark blond. Behind the woman was a man wearing a robe and hood that completely hid any identifying features, but Gackt did not seem to find this odd at all so Hyde took it in his stride.
"Dragon-sama," the woman said, bowing low, "it is an honour to welcome you home."
"Tanaka-san," Gackt replied formally, "it makes my heart glad to be welcomed."
Something in the atmosphere of the courtyard changed at that moment and Hyde could not suppress the shiver it sent up his spine. It was not a bad shiver at all, in fact quite the opposite and he felt as if he had come home as well.
"It's good to see you, Sarah-kun," Gackt greeted in an entirely different tone, "I have been remiss in not coming home more often."
Gackt then walked up to her and embraced her warmly. It appeared that things were only formal on the surface, which made Hyde very glad: he had had no wish to make a fool of himself because he didn't know the protocol.
"We miss you when you leave us, but we enjoy reading about your exploits in the magazines," Tanaka replied, seemingly just as pleased to see Gackt as he was to see her. "You have been very busy lately."
"The mortal world is very frenetic," Gackt replied before turning slightly. "Let me introduce you to our guests, Sarah-kun may I present Hyde and his lovely wife Megumi, Hyde-kun, Mei-chan, this is Sarah Tanaka the head of the law givers of the Dragon clan."
"How do you do," Hyde said politely and gave a small bow as Megumi followed suit.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Hyde-san, Megumi-san," Tanaka said warmly, "I have heard much about both of you from Dragon-sama. Welcome to Kyoto. A meal is being prepared for you all, but please, forgive me for a moment, I must speak to Dragon-sama about a small matter before I take you through."
Hyde smiled and nodded as the woman drew Gackt away. It was then that he found himself looking at the other figure in the courtyard and he realised that, while he had been occupied, the male vampire had pushed his hood back.
Staring was rude, but Hyde couldn't help it as he studied the young looking vampire with pure white hair and white eyes. As Gackt talked quietly with Tanaka, Hyde found his whole attention taken by the only person in the courtyard who was not wearing modern clothes. The white-haired vampire had a small smile on his face and seemed to be waiting patiently for Gackt to finish whatever business was going on. The sense of familiarity Hyde had felt with the other vampires seemed to be doubled with the pale eyed man and when the individual actually looked at him it was like a jolt ran though him.
He had known that there would be some interest in him since he was Gackt's vampire child, but he wasn't expecting the bright smile that the white haired stranger gave him as soon as their eyes met.
"Kado-kun," Gackt's voice broke through the momentary connection and the other vampire looked away to his leader, "I am very glad you are here."
"I would not have missed this, Dragon-sama," the white haired vampire said with a small bow.
As Hyde tried to drag his attention away from the strange vampire, Gackt turned back to him and Megumi and Hyde was surprised to see a cheerful smile on his usually stoic friend's face.
"Hyde-kun, Mei-chan," Gackt introduced quickly, "this is Kado, Kado-kun, Hyde and Megumi."
"Very pleased to meet you," Kado said, walking forward and giving a formal bow.
Hyde found himself bowing back without thinking as politeness kicked in, but he found himself unnerved to find that those pale eyes were looking at him when he straightened back up. There was something about the colourless gaze that made him feel as if the other vampire could see straight into his head and he shifted awkwardly under the scrutiny.
"Kado has that effect on everybody," Gackt whispered in his ear as Hyde found himself looking away from the white-haired vampire.
"I heard that," Kado said with a good natured laugh that did a lot to dispel the unease Hyde was feeling, "and it is part of my job description. It takes a great deal of effort to be enigmatic and otherworldly."
Hyde found himself laughing along as Gackt chuckled at that.
"Kado-kun is our Guardian Seer," Gackt said with clear fondness in his voice, "and he seems to feel he must maintain the image of eccentric mystic when meeting new people."
"And whenever else he feels like it," Tanaka said from where she was standing off to one side.
"Age has its privileges," Kado replied in kind, "but enough about me, we have such exciting guests."
Hyde wanted to ask what being a Guardian Seer actually meant, but he couldn't really do so now without being rude. He didn't think that he or Megumi could really be 'exciting' on a vampire scale of things, but it was an interesting expression. Kado walked straight up to Megumi and looked down at her midriff with a small smile.
"Quite astonishing," the white haired vampire said, "may I?"
When Kado held out his hand Megumi looked rather surprised, but nodded anyway and Hyde found himself looking at Gackt for an explanation. He hadn't been aware that his friend had sent on word ahead about exactly why they were coming; he'd heard Gackt on the phone letting his people know they were on their way, but there had been no mention of why.
"I didn't tell him," Gackt said simply, which made Hyde want to ask a whole lot more questions even as he looked back at Kado who had his hand on Megumi's stomach and looked as if he was listening to something no one else could hear.
"Delightful," Kado said after a moment and pulled back, "thank you for allowing me to meet your child; such strength already."
Megumi just bobbed her head in response, obviously not sure how to take the rather strange individual.
"Boy or a girl," Gackt asked in a teasing tone, "or is that too easy a question for the Guardian Seer?"
"It hasn't decided yet," Kado replied with a smile like the cat with the cream.
It took a moment for Hyde to catch up since he was having trouble assimilating everything that was going on.
"I'm pretty sure biology doesn't work that way," he said as he thought about it.
It occurred to him that it might have been the wrong thing to say to someone of Kado's obvious importance and age, but the older vampire just grinned at him. Hyde was not sure what atmosphere he had expected, but everything seemed to be much less formal than he would have thought.
"I have not had much requirement to find out," Kado said cheerfully, "but never the less I stand by my statement. Certain pieces are not in place on the Shogi board yet for your little one to decide which way its destiny lies."
The way Kado's eyes flicked over to Gackt as he spoke made Hyde wonder what the white eyed vampire was thinking about his friend, but he thought he'd been rude enough. Kado could be as eccentric as he liked and Hyde decided to just accept it. Hyde had never been a big believer in the supernatural until it had been thrown in his face as being very real, so he wasn't too sure what he believed was and was not possible anymore and he was going through life with an open mind. Kado might be insane or might actually know what he was talking about and, until he was given a definitive as to which, Hyde decided to keep his mouth shut.
"And you, my dear child," Kado said and normally Hyde would have balked at being called a child, but it was as if he could see the age within the young looking body when he looked in Kado's eyes, "it is wonderful to finally meet you. Welcome to the Dragon clan."
"Thank you," he replied, feeling as if he had just passed a significant hurdle.
Kado held his gaze again for what seemed like a long time and Hyde almost felt as if the vampire's power was reaching into his mind, but it was so subtle that he could not be sure.
"Let's get everyone settled in," Gackt said and broke his train of thought.
====
Gackt was rather enjoying Hyde's wide eyed stare as his friend came across new thing after new thing and it was no different when Hyde was shown into his suite after he had sent Hyde and Megumi to freshen up before dinner. He knew Hyde had a curious streak a mile wide and he was sure his friend would have been into everything given the chance.
He had had a traditional low dining table in his rooms up until very recently, but he had opted for the high western design when he had last had the rooms redone, so the beginnings of dinner were set out on it. Talking with Sarah he had sorted out some of the small details he had needed to deal with now he was back and she had gently reminded him it was about time Hyde was presented to the ancestors. Gackt would have come round to the idea eventually, but Sarah had a way of pointing out when he was avoiding things.
"This place is incredible," Hyde said as Gackt made sure his guests were sitting comfortably; "I never imagined anything like this. You said it was old, but it's amazing."
"This was one of the first structures in the area," Gackt explained, serving the drinks as he spoke. "It has been extended many times since, but it was here before Kyoto was more than a village. The Dragons came here a very long time ago, although our origins are further south."
"So much history in one place," Megumi said with awe in her voice.
"You have no idea how hard it is to make some of our clan leave the past behind," he said, choosing to lighten the atmosphere. "I think it is one of the reasons Kado-kun all but kicked me out into the world the first time I expressed an interest in something other than the clan. If you let us, vampires can become very stuck in our ways."
Megumi laughed at that which had been his attention.
"Is Kado-san very old?" Hyde asked and Gackt wasn't surprised.
Kado had an effect on everyone who met him and Gackt had not missed how fascinating his friend had found the white haired vampire.
"Yes," he replied, "although I am not sure exactly how old. It is in the records, but Kado likes to be mysterious and we allow it by not looking. He is well over two thousand years old, that much I do know."
"How did he know about the baby?" Megumi asked almost immediately.
Gackt indicated that they should start eating before he decided to answer that question.
"I assume he foresaw it," he explained as he handed round one of the plates, "Kado's title is not ceremonial, he can see the future."
The slightly stunned look on Hyde's face made him smile, but he did notice that where once Hyde would have scoffed at such a thing his friend believed him without question this time.
"Is that common in vampires?" Hyde asked when the smaller man recovered from his shock.
"Highly unusual," Gackt replied, choosing some of the wonderful looking food for himself; "our clan is blessed in that respect."
"And Tanaka-san," Hyde seemed to be brimming over with questions, "has she been with the clan long?"
It was becoming obvious that he was not going to have much chance to eat anything until all the questions had been answered so Gackt put his chopsticks down to concentrate on the more important things.
"Not relatively speaking, no," he explained fondly, "Sarah-kun was made a vampire a little over three hundred years ago. She was the slave of a visitor to our city, the result of a shipwreck, I believe, although she does not speak of that time much, and she escaped onto our lands. The High Dragon appreciated her spirit and offered her the option of joining our clan, which she accepted. She became a law giver after only fifty years and the chief law giver when our last one was killed one hundred and twenty years ago in an unfortunate skirmish with some renegades. She is a very capable woman."
"It surprises me that a woman would hold such a role so long ago," was Megumi's comment on that.
He nodded; it was not an unusual thought for a mortal.
"Many vampire clans discovered equality of the sexes long before mortals," he told both his companions who seemed far more interested in what he had to say than the food. "Female vampires are little different from male since we do not have children and strength is more a matter of the mind than physical size. Age brings certain advantages, but it depends on the individual what those advantages are. Some maintained the traditional divide between male and female, but it is far more practical to utilise all your resources rather than excluding half for no reason."
Megumi appeared to find that very interesting and by the looks of things Hyde was assimilating the information ravenously.
"We have many traditions that might seem a little unusual," Gackt decided it was time to broach the subject of the ancestors.
"Like what?" Hyde asked, walking straight into the opening he had made.
"We have a shrine to the ancestors," he replied and saw the confusion on his companions' faces since this was not all that unusual, "where we can actually commune with those who have passed on, or at least some of us can."
That had Hyde's attention.
"Ghosts?" the smaller man asked.
"Spirits," Gackt explained with a small smile, "and most simply feel that the ancestors are there. It is traditional to present new vampires when they first visit the clan home."
Hyde didn't miss that and put the chopsticks, which the smaller singer had so far failed to use, down.
"That would include me?" Hyde said, but it wasn't really a question.
Gackt nodded.
"Normally there is little ceremony about it," he admitted, "but because you are my vampire child we will have to be a little more formal about it if you are willing."
There was a dubious expression on Hyde's face, but his friend nodded anyway.
"Formal how?"
"I will have to present you and there are traditional costumes for us both to wear," he said, hoping that Hyde would not mind. "Sarah-kun was kind enough to remind me when we arrived and if you are agreeable I would suggest we present you once we have finished dinner. It should not take long and it will please the clan."
It was not as if they were not used to costumes in their line of work and Hyde just nodded.
"I would be honoured to be presented to the ancestors," the smaller singer said.
Gackt smiled; that had been easier than he had thought.
"Thank you, Hyde-kun," he said, pleased, "the ceremonial costume will be in your room after dinner. For now I suggest we eat, Mei-chan needs to maintain her strength after all."
That earned him a smile from the young woman and finally they focused on the meal. Once the formalities were over they would have to broach the subject which had brought them here, but he had been put far more at ease when he had seen Kado's reaction to the baby. So far he was very glad he had brought Hyde and Megumi to Kyoto.
====
Gackt ran his eyes over Hyde and did his best not to be too obvious. There was something inordinately sexy about the smaller man and always had been, and the fact that his friend was standing beside him in nothing more than a pair of white cotton pants, looking bewildered, did nothing to counter this innate effect Hyde always had on him. He'd given up trying to ignore it and so these days he just enjoyed it and tried to conceal what Hyde did to him from his friend.
The way Hyde's breathing had sped up when he had walked out of the shadows dressed in his ceremonial regalia confirmed to Gackt that he had a similar effect on Hyde as well and the smaller man was also doing his best to screen it. Sometimes it made Gackt wish he'd met Hyde before his young friend had fallen in love with Megumi, but then he watched them together and he could never in a million years wish to have deprived Hyde of that.
"I feel ridiculous," Hyde whispered as they stood shoulder to shoulder, or rather shoulder to ear since Hyde was significantly shorter than Gackt, waiting for the shrine doors to be opened.
"It is just tradition," Gackt replied, keeping his face towards the doors, but watching Hyde out of the corner of his vision. "Whether you like it or not the fact that I made you gives you certain rank in the clan and so you have to be presented to the ancestors. Just bow when I do and it'll be over before you know it."
The noise Hyde made in response was noncommittal.
"When you told me about this you didn't mention that the ceremonial clothes consisted of one garment," the smaller man replied. "I am freezing."
"It's all in your mind," Gackt replied smiling slightly, because if Hyde was complaining then his friend wasn't that worried; "vampires can't get frostbite."
The weather was not the best for standing outside in nothing but a pair of pants even though the courtyard had under floor heating, but Gackt could not help enjoying the view. His own robes were more substantial than Hyde's simple pants, but the over robe was still open all the way down the front to display his rank symbol. This was the only place he could be himself and he was not going to let a little cold worry him; at least it wasn't raining or snowing.
The doors finally began to swing open and Gackt put all other thoughts out of his mind. The High Dragon and the ancestors had a unique relationship in that they deigned to speak to him and unless he concentrated the shrine could be a little overwhelming. Gackt was aware of spirits all the time; it was one of the reasons he had been chosen for his role, but the ancestors were far more insistent than most ghosts. He nodded to Kado as he took his first step forward and then he focused only on the dimly lit shrine.
There was always an amazing air of peace within the doors of the Dragon Clan's most special place and Gackt stopped just inside and let himself soak it in. He could feel Hyde close by his side and he remembered how disorientating the atmosphere could be to someone who had never felt it before, so he gave his friend time to adjust as the doors behind them closed again. Once inside the circle of candles and incense he knew he would start to hear the ancestors clearly and he wanted to make sure Hyde was settled before he was distracted.
Bowing to the heart of the shrine, he pulled around him the mental attitude of the High Dragon completely and then he began to walk forward. The moment he crossed into the circle he heard the whispering, as the lines between this world and the next thinned, and those beyond noticed him, but it was as Hyde stepped into the sacred space behind him that he heard the murmurs go up a level, becoming excited.
He heard Hyde gasp and momentarily wondered how much of the ancestors his friend was experiencing, but he kept his eyes on the shrine and just waited. It was not usually long before his predecessors would make themselves known, pass on any words of wisdom they felt necessary and then let him leave, but leaving before he was dismissed would be unforgivably rude. It was not that his clan worshiped the ancestors so much as they knew they were there and had experience and knowledge to offer their descendents, so they were honoured. It was all perfectly logical really, but the dead tended to become very eccentric with age, especially considering that many of them had been at hundreds of years old when they died to begin with, and so they were treated with the greatest respect.
The voices were becoming louder and more excited as he waited, but he could not make anything specific out, so he remained still, head slightly bowed. It was almost as if he was listening to a conversation that was not directed at him, since the ancestors were quite capable of making themselves only understood to one individual at a time if they so chose, but he could not think of why they would be excluding him.
It was not until fingers tugged rather erratically at the sleeve of his robe that he realised anything unusual was going on. He looked round sharply to find that Hyde was white as a sheet and swaying gently and, even as Gackt reacted, his friend's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and Hyde began to fall forward. Gackt caught Hyde without thinking about it and scooped him into his arms so that he was standing in the middle of the shrine with Hyde cradled to his chest.
"We approve," were the only words that came out of the whispering clearly and it took him a few moments to realise that the sounds were dying away.
He had been dismissed and he had very little idea of what had just happened. Being a vampire, he was used to strange and supernatural things, but for the life of him he could not explain what had just happened. He had expected a little excitement on the presentation of a vampire child of his making, but nothing like this. Holding Hyde close he turned fully and walked back towards the doors which opened at his approach.
Kado was waiting for him outside and the smile on the man's face was beaming and Gackt realised that at least one person in the clan had expected this outcome. Once he had put Hyde safely to bed, he and Kado were going to have a talk.
End of Chapter 1
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