Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 1 The only blond man on the set looked across the swimming pool to where Ranma was surrounded by autograph-seekers. He frowned, and motioned to a security guard. "Atsushi, that guy in the red T-shirt is manuevering to shove Ranma into the pool." The guard gave a brief, "Hai, Matthew-san," and hurried around the pool to head the would-be pusher off. Matthew watched for a moment, then shook his head and started off the set. "Okay, set dressed, otaku problems under control, now I have to meet that Disney guy. I hope this goes smoothly, it'd be a nice change of pace." He walked up to a trailer and opened the door. Waiting in the office inside was a medium-sized Caucasian man in a brown suit. Matthew held out his hand. "You must be Rob Hyger. Please, take off your coat if you want, Tokyo's even hotter than L.A." Rob shook the proffered hand. "I wanted to make a good first impression." "Likewise. Did you have any trouble getting here?" "No, the directions you left in your office were just fine. What is this, by the way?" "The trailer? Portable office. I use it when I need refernces handy on a set. Now, what can I do for you?" Both men sat down. Rob opened his briefcase. "Well, the producer I work for sent me to find out what you can do for us. I want to interview you about what you've been doing over here the past 9 years." He took out a notebook, and several press kits from projects Matthew had worked on. Matthew took the kits. "Mmmm... looks like you've got just about everything here... what exactly did you want to know?" "Well first, what exactly do you do?" "Um. Officially, I'm a set designer and building foreman, but I'm such a jack-of-all-trades I tend to spill over into other jobs like directing assistance or contract advice. I've also become something of a spokesman for animate rights." Rob gave him an odd look. "Animate?" "Well, "toon" and "doodle" sound condescending. The Japanese word pretty much translates as "doodle" too, so... They're animated, so they're animates." Pause. "You're not going to accuse me of being PC are you?" "No, never mind. You got started in the late 80's, correct?" "Right, my first real job was redressing the sets from the Akira movie so they could be used in the Bubblegum Crisis series. I was maybe one step up from a grunt at that point, but it was a toehold, and I made the most of it." "How did you get this far from there?" "I sometimes wonder that myself. Mostly it was having a talent for seeing what needed to be done and how to do it. Also, Japanese people tend to be conservative, so I was more willing to try unusual techniques then most and that panned out often enough..." "What do-" Rob broke off as the door opened. A conservatively dressed girl with brown pony-tails came in. She smiled. "Records and prospects?" Matthew grinned and stood up. "Right on the money. This is Rob Hyger from Disney. He wants to discover my secret so he can bottle it and make a mint." Rob stared, then burst out laughing. "Now... That's not..." Matthew chuckled. "Anyway, meet my..." Pause "*executive assistant.* (Grin) Miyu, Rob; Rob... This is Miyu." Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 2 The rest of the day was spent going over the records of Matthew's past projects, giving Rob an idea of what working on them had been like, why each had been more or less a success, and what problems had come with each. Periodically, one of the movie staff would come to the trailer with a question or point for disscussion, but those never took long to resolve. At the end of the day- "So the only real sci-fi show you've done was Gundam 0080?" "Well, the story for that one took place almost entirely on a space colony so big you almost couldn't tell you weren't on Earth. There were some mobilesuit-combat scenes and space battles but not many, and I just worried about building the sets for the "normal life" scenes. I prefer doing that kind of work, although I have set up some very strange "alien world" sets." Matthew stretched. "Well, why don't we call it a day, and tomorrow we can start talking about the prospects I've got lined up to work on next." "Sounds good, except-" Rob hesitated. "My hotel turned out to be overbooked, so I'm somewhat at loose ends. Do you know any..." he trailed off. Matthew looked at him a moment, then glanced over at Miyu. "Does that sound like what I think it sounds like, or am I jumping the gun?" Miyu pursed her lips. "I think he's too polite to come out and ask if he can stay with us." Rob blinked and sat up. "*Us?*" Matthew exchanged a glance with Miyu. "Uh, yeah,us. We, um, live under the same roof." "Not in the same room, though." Matthew glared at her. Rob coughed and gave him a sidelong look. "Um, if I'd be intruding..." "Not at all," Matthew interrupted, "We'll be glad to put you up." And that was that. Next day, at Matthew and Miyu's place. Rob, in boxers and T-shirt, was stretching next to the couch where he'd spent the night. Matthew walked into the room. "Hey, Rob. C'mere, I want you to look at something." "Sure." Rob followed him along the hall. "Say, can I ask you something? If it's so hot in Tokyo, why do you wear that double-bandanna thing?" Matthew touched the cloth around his neck. "This? Keeps the sun off my neck." "Then why are you wearing it now?" "Forgot to take it off last night. Anyway, welcome to my room." Rob glanced around. "Mmm... Pretty much Japanese-style, isn't it." "I've gotten used to rolling up my bed when I need more space. Anyway, take a look at this." He handed Rob a photo alblum. "Umm... records of past projects?" "Yep. Here, those first two are me and the Knight Sabers, and me and the crew I dressed the sets with." "Cute." Rob flipped pages. "What's this?" "The boarding house from *Maison Ikkoku*. My first big job, the first permanent sets I was hired to build." "EH!? What's that supposed... Oh I get it, it's the *Star Wars* promotional poster." "Combination of that and a classic "dragon-slayer" pose, with the mobilesuit being the dragon. The cast loved the idea, but I had a heck of a time finding the right kind of dress for Christina." "That's from the Gundam show, right? Wait a sec..." "What?" Flip, flip. "There's a lot of pictures of you and the cast, and some of you and the crew, but no pictures of you, the cast, *and* the crew. What..." Matthew looked embarrassed. "Well, animates aren't thought of as completely human, so most people don't usually socialize with them... I'm kind of an exception." "That's why you've got one as your secretary, right? I didn't notice yesterday, she looks so normal, but a couple things added up overnight and-" "Hey, she *earns* her salary. After her series ended she really went on a slide. When I ran into her, she was working as a waitress in a dive." "Okay, take it easy, I didn't mean anything nasty." Rob peered at a bookshelf. "Are these all comic books?" "Mostly. A lot of them were used as bases for pro- jects I worked on, so I-" he broke off as Rob reached for a volume. Matthew closed his eyes and thought, "Hey!" Rob was staring at the cover. "That's her, isn't it? The hairstyle's different but that's the same kimono I saw her wearing before I went to sleep..." He opened the book and flipped through it. Matthew waited. "Wha-!! Hey?! She- that's..." Rob stared at the page, then up at Matthew. "Is she-" Matthew grinned unpleasantly. "The title of the manga is "Vampire Princess Miyu." That's also the title of the anime. Any questions?" Rob stared at that grin, then down at the bandannas around Matthew's neck. "Could I ask-" "No." He grinned even wider. "You just stand here and worry. I'm going to go make breakfast- for all three of us." Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 3 The trouble started towards the end of breakfast. Up to that point things were relatively calm, although Rob kept looking at Miyu out of the corner of his eye, and Matthew was bracing himself for her to say something like, "If you're free tonight Rob, why don't we go out for a bite?" Nonetheless, it was a quiet breakfast. Miyu looked up. "Matt, are you washing any of my night- kimonos?" "No, why?" "There are only two in my closet." "Mmm... I'll check the wash, but I don't think it's in there. Make a note and I'll look for it tonight." He glanced at Rob, catching a sidelong look, put his fingers to his temples and said, "I'm reading your mind- You're thinking something like, " Rob looked annoyed and opened his mouth- -and the doorbell rang. Matthew got up. "We don't usually have visitors this early. Anybody scheduled, Miyu?" She looked puzzled. "Not that I remember..." Matthew reached the door, looked through the peephole- and went very still. He opened the door. "Can I help you, Officer?" One of the two policemen outside looked at a paper he was holding. "Is this the house where an Animate named Miyu lives?" "Uh... yes, she's here now. Please, come in." They entered, and Matthew led them back to the table. Rob and Miyu stood up, surprised. The officer with the paper looked at her. "Are you Onigami Miyu, Animate?" Miyu blinked. "Yes, that's me." "I have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of one Saruwata Seiboku. Please come with us." Everyone gaped. Matthew stepped forward. "May I see the warrant?" The policeman handed him a page. "Are you her guardian?" "Uh, yes." He scanned the warrant. "We'll need to take a statement from you later." "Um." Matthew handed the warrant back and looked at Miyu, obviously upset. "It looks in order, you're going to have to go with them." Looking at the officers, "At least let her change first." Pause. "All right, but hurry." Matthew and Miyu went up the hall into her room. The police- men looked at Rob. "Sir? Could you tell us who you are?" "Uh? I'm, uh, sorry, I don't speak Japanese..." "Hoo aaa yuu?" "Oh, I'm, uh, Rob Hyger, I'm in Japan for a business meeting with Mr. Bradt." "Aaa. Sankyuu. Wee mei neeed staytmant layter." "Right... (Frown) What's keeping them?" Rob walked down to Miyu's room and listened. He looked puzzled, and quietly slid the door aside a crack. He peered inside- -and froze. As he slowly backed away from the door, it opened, and Miyu, now dressed in her business suit, came out. She glanced at Rob, then walked over to the officers. "I'm ready." They escorted her outside, and closed the door. Rob walked into Miyu's room, and stared down at Matthew, who was lying on the bed. He had removed the bandannas, and was holding a folded cloth to the side of his neck. On the other side, the flesh of his throat was bruised and discolored. Rob cleared his throat. "They're gone." "Um." Matthew opened an eye. "How are you holding up?" "Well... I work in Hollywood, so I've seen some pretty strange things in the past, but still..." Matthew looked at him coolly. "The animator who created her decided he valued realism over humanity, and created a genuine vampire. That's one reason she couldn't find decent work after the series ended. Remember I told you she was working in a gutter bar?" Rob nodded. "Well, it wasn't *just* a bar. She was "working" for the customers and taking blood in place of "tips." Not that she was starving that way, there are enough people with that kind of perversion to keep her fed but still... When I met her I could see in her eyes how degraded she felt." Rob looked at his shoes. "And now she works for you, and takes blood in place of a salary." Matthew glared weakly. "She gets a regular salary like any other OL. The blood is just a... diet supplement." "You said she's been working for you a year and a half?" "Yeah, just about." "And how often has she been drinking from you?" Matthew took the cloth away and felt the freshly healed punctures. "Once or twice a week, *but*, she usually takes less than half what she did just now. That was so she wouldn't get a craving while she's... in prison... Uh, it should last her about two weeks." "Even so, having your blood drunk every week for over a year, having a permanently sore throat and always feeling weak..." Matthew waved his hands and fumfuh'd, "You're in love with her aren't you." That stopped him cold. "What?" "Well? You take her out of a horrible situation, give her a good job, give *of yourself* repeatedly... That's more than compassion, you're really carrying a torch." Matthew rolled his eyes and reached up. "Give me a hand out to the table, it'll help if I eat some more. Then... while Miyu is getting... *processed* we'll finish up our business, then I'll visit her and the police, find out what's going on." Rob sighed, and slipped an arm over his shoulders. "I suppose... Do you have any real reason to get involved?" Matthew grinned and waved his other hand southwest. "Any animate living outside Dessin-Machi has to have a human roommate-cum- guardian that takes responsibility for them. In other words, if she's convicted, I'm in trouble too." "Huh. Dessin-Machi?" "Toontown, by any other name... " He sat down and started eating. "Going to have to get my strength back... I'll need it..." Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 4 The next day. A room divided in half by plexiglass. A girl in drab grey on one side, a young man in black and red on the other, all under the cold eyes of the Tokyo Police. Miyu gave him a rather weak smile. "Well, I don't think I'm going to be assaulted; everyone else seems pretty scared of me." "Vampires are a horror embedded deep in the Japanese consciousness." Her smile strengthend somewhat. "You're thinking of possesion." She leaned forward. "Here's what they told me:Two days ago, the body of this Saruwata fellow was found in an alley between his home and his favorite bar. The body was completely drained of blood, and there were fang marks on the neck. Since I'm the only known vampire in Tokyo, I was the logical suspect, but what made them *sure* was a scrap of white cotton he'd torn from a garment as he died." Matthew looked up, eyes wide. "Your night-kimonos... You said there was one missing..." "Yes, they're assuming I hid it somewhere after I killed him, but they were so intent on getting the arrest warrant they forgot a search warrant." "They got it this morning and went through the house top to bottom. The only kimonos they found were whole, so they can't be sure... Have they set the hearing date yet?" Miyu nodded. "Thirteen days." "Mmf. Cutting it close... Did-" He broke off and twisted around. Looming behind him was a tall figure wrapped in a hooded black cloak, under which a white face-mask could be seen. The guards were gaping at it in shock, not being used to visitors arriving by teleportation. Miyu almost jumped through the plexiglass. "Larva!" Matthew scooted his chair aside to make room. "Hey big guy, come to lend moral support?" Larva glanced from Miyu to Matthew, who sat up straight. "Say what!? Why did you-" Matthew and Miyu exchanged glances "Do the security people know *why* you're taking vacation?" Larva looked back at Miyu, who smiled again. "Of course, having an employee who solved a grisly vampire murder won't hurt them at all." "And," Matthew interjected, "it won't hurt you to promote good relations between humans and monster-type animates-" He broke off under what felt like a glare. Larva stepped back. "Right." Matthew stood up. "Miyu, we've got two weeks. I'm going to find out what really happened if I have to turn Tokyo upside down." She smiled sadly. "Don't lose your job in the process." Matthew glared. "If I do, I can get a new job; if I blow this, I *can't* get you a new *life*! Larva, let's roll." Larva wrapped a cloak-fold around him- "Hey! Waita-" -and they vanished. How not to make a good impression on the police: Appear out of nowhere in the middle of the station, accompanied by a figure in cloak, hood, and mask, fall to your knees and begin throwing up in a wastebasket. Matthew got up wiping his mouth. A very upset lieutenant came up to them. "What is the meaning of this!?" "Apologies for the unexpected entrance, sir. I am here in connection with the arrest of Onigami Miyu; Larva here is representing the interests of Fukimagure Security." The lieutenant considered this, nodded, and glanced down. "Are you all right?" "I'm fine." He glared at Larva. "I always throw up when someone teleports me." The three of them went into the lieutenant's office. "The fact is, we have no other suspects beside your ward. The scrap of cotton found on the scene matches the material in her kimonos, although we have not found the one it was torn from." He handed a clipboard across the desk. "This is a comparison of the dried saliva on the wound to a sample from Miyu." Matthew and Larva examined it. "Mmm... Several nonhuman proteins found in both... including a hypercoagulant. But the human factors are competely different, how can you claim she did it?" "Because, as I said, we have no other suspects. The match in nonhuman factors means it *was* a vampire, and since there are no other known vampires in Tokyo..." Matthew tossed the clipboard on the desk. "How about an *unknown* vampire, or one from outside Tokyo? And anybody can get a kimono made from white cotton, it could be an attempt to frame her, or even coin- cidence." The lieutenant stared down. "You may be right. However, there is a great clamor for a quick end to this case. Unless convincing evidence comes to us, the most likely outcome is that the hearing will lead to a trial, where she will be convicted, and..." "And erased for a crime she didn't commit." Matthew stood up. "May I have your support in looking for that 'convincing evidence?'" "I can't help you much more than I already have. The authority of your friend's employers will open most doors." "Thank you for your time, in any case." He looked up at Larva. "We'll take a taxi." "Oh, lord, I should have expected this." There was a horde of people with camera's and notebooks outside Matthew's house. He handed the cabbie a 1000-yen bill. "Keep the change, Larva and I will make a run for it." "Thanks." The rear doors opened and Matthew and Larva dashed out. Matthew had time to be annoyed that Larva was floating seven feet off the ground before he was mobbed by people taking pictures, waving notebooks, and shouting so many questions he couldn't make any of them out. He tried to push through the crowd but everyone was trying to get to him, forming a noose with him in the center. A hand grabbed his bandanna, and in pulling away he fell. He was shoved along the ground, with more hands grabbing at his neck. he thought, fighting a wild urge to tear off the bandannas and the hell with consequences. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash from the edge of the crowd, and people began screaming and pushing over Matthew in an attempt to get away. Over the screams, he could hear a high-pitched snarling. In moments, the crowd had cleared, leaving Matthew face-to face with- A three-eyed girl with glowing hands, carrying a briefcase under one arm. She looked down at him. "Y'aright?" "Haaaah... Yeah... thanks." The oddly-matched pair entered the house. Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 5 Rob was waiting inside, with a rather peculiar expression on his face. "You do know the most interesting people." Matthew grinned. "Rob, this is Pai, one of the best lawyers to come out of Dessin-Machi in years." Rob just shook his head. "I must be getting used to this. The only thing I'm thinking is 'I'd hate to be cross-examined by someone with three eyes.'" Pai smiled as she sat down. "That won't be a factor here, unfortunately, since all I can do is try to convince the judge that this circumstancial evidence is insufficient for a conviction. Unfortunately, given the pressure being put on the system, a conviction is the most likely outcome." Matthew nodded. "That's what the police said too... Waitasec. Are you actually defending Miyu? Not just advising or something?" Pai looked him in the eyes. (She had the advantage that way.) "If she's convicted, animates are going to be cracked down on like hell. I think what the Lieutenant told me you said was right: Someone's framing her and if we can get the bastard, we'll push back the attitude that people like her and me aren't really people." Matthew looked up at Larva. "I'm getting all this help, and it's not doing me any good-" He looked back down at Pai. "-because the other side of what you said is, if we *don't* find the murderer, you won't be able to do a thing." Pai got up. "If you don't let me down, I won't let you-or her- down." She vanished. Matthew sat down heavily. "Great." Rob sat opposite him. "What is it with you and these... these..." He struggled for a word. "Bishoujo youkai?" Matthew suggested. "What?" "Cute-girl monsters, sort of." "Yeah, what is it with you, anyway?" "Never mind. You have to get back to America, and I have to start looking for a murderer. How long do you think you'll be?" "Less than two weeks. Much less if I can convince my boss this Miyu business won't affect your ability to do good work." "Well, I'm going to have to cut back on work... Do just enough to stay employed. If Miyu gets erased, I *won't* be able to do good work." Rob looked puzzled. "Erased?" Matthew glared at the floor. "Yeah. They stick her in front of a big arclamp with a special filter over it and blaze away until she's... gone... (deep breath) It's a lot more efficient than Dip. If she's convicted there's no way she'll get a lighter sentence." He looked up. "All packed?" "Uh... yeah." Matthew nodded at Larva. "Take him to the airport bathroom, would you? Don't want him strangled by that mob outside." "Why the bathroo-" Matthew was alone. A minute later, Larva reappeared. Matthew looked up, then jumped to his feet. "Whaddayoumean he didn't throw up!?" He shook his head. "Never mind. Let's get going." He peeked out a window at the mob of reporters. "Just fly me over their heads, okay." THIRTEEN DAYS GO BY MUCH TOO FAST. Matthew in the house, with the lights off, staring at the floor. Answers a doorbell and Rob enters. "You look terrible." "Thirteen days of pounding pavement, worrying, and not getting much sleep will do that. Did you come back just to say that?" "No, I brought you a contract, too." "This isn't a very good..." "I also came to lend moral support. The hearing's today?" "Yeah, in an hour or so. Let me get cleaned up." He went into the bathroom and ran some water. Rob frowned. "Umm... I was thinking... Are you sure you should be trying this hard?" "What?" "Is there any chance she, um, did it?" "What are you- Oh. (Pause) Yes, I'm sure. The police report said all the blood was drained from the body. If Miyu had done it, she wouldn't have drunk from me the way she did when she was arrested." "Could she have faked it to fool you?" "After eighteen months of her drinking my blood, I can tell when she needs it, and when she's just drinking because I'll be unavailable later. She *needed* it that day, and she wouldn't have if she'd gorged herself a few days earlier." He came out, looking halfway decent. "And if she can fake that, she can fake anything and I might as well give up." Rob nodded. "But you haven't had any luck?" Matthew made a face as he pulled on his coat. "Thirteen days of bugging people, searching for clues, and tramping all over Tokyo, down the tubes." Rob looked at him as he locked the door behind them. "So this is it, huh?" Matthew looked back bleakly. "Yep. This is it." He glanced at the street. "Taxi!" Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 6 Matthew and Rob were walking through a twisty criss-cross of narrow streets. In the background, they heard a low rumble of overlapping voices. Rob looked skeptical. "Are you sure this is the way?" Matthew still looked tired. "If we have to, we'll go through a building or over a wall, but if we keep heading towards the noise, we'll get there." "I guess... It must be a demonstration over the hearing." "Well, the cabbie said the streets around the courthouse were jammed-" "So you pulled out your map and tried a back way-" "-I guess they're really eager for her blood." "Now don't start getting depressed again... Where's Larva?" "We gave up around 2:00 this morning, and he went to give Miyu a shoulder to lean on. I just went home... Oh, and don't worry about getting lost in Tokyo: everybody does." "Oh *that* makes me feel good... Hey, is-" "Yah! I told you we'd get there." Matthew sped up for a moment. "Of course when we do get there, we'll have to listen to-" He turned the corner-and stopped dead. "Holy blazing saxophone!" They'd come around a shop onto a plaza in front of the courthouse. Facing each other across a police line were two groups of people. On one side, holding signs bearing a brush and ink with a red diagonal over them (the 'not' symbol) was a mixed group of Japanese. On the other were literally hundreds of animates, some of which were obviously crowd-scene or bit-part players, but dozens more Matthew knew by sight. "I- don't believe it! This is like a who's who... I haven't seen all four Knight Sabers together since Crash ended... My god, *everybody* from Miyu's series is here... And all the Miyazaki girls, and the Takahashi gangs and..." He gaped as Kiki and Lum floated by overhead, each carrying one end of a banner saying, "FREE THE INNOCENT VAMPIRE" He felt a tug on his elbow and saw Pai motioning them inside. "Did *you* set that up!?" She smiled as the door closed behind them. "Not really. I just called a couple friends, who called a couple friends, who... You know how it goes. Well, ready to see your "koibito" cleared?" "She's not my... What do you mean, cleared? Has something happened?" Pai raised a finger to her lips. "Shh... It's a secret." Matthew smiled tentatively. "Himitsu kudasai?" Pai made a face. "Not likely." She led them down the corridor. "Did you see who was in the anti-anime group?" Matthew frowned. "I didn't notice anybody I recognized, who do you mean?" "Miyu's creator." Matthew stopped in his tracks. "What!? I knew he'd gotten really anti, but still, to come to something like this..." Rob leaned forward. "Was his wife killed by an animate or something?" Matthew gave him a disgusted look. "You're close, but fortunately it was a bit more subtle than that. She was the writer of Miyu's comic, and they had a car accident on the way to negotiations for a new series for Miyu. He lived. She... didn't. Pretty Freudian, huh?" "And that's why she got dumped out of the industry?" Matthew blinked. "You mean, like a blacklist? I don't think so, it's just that she had so little time to find a new job, plus her being..." Pai called back to them. "Well don't worry, she's got a good job and in a few hours she be free again." Matthew looked at her. "You *must* have something up your sleeve, I haven't seen you this confident since the suit over the Ayukawa concert." She winked and opened a courtroom door. "In here." The door closed behind them. Rob leaned close to Matthew's ear. "I hope what she's got is good, what I've heard so far is pretty damning." "Well..." Matthew glanced over to where Pai was conferring with a pair of policemen. "I'd guess those cops are the next witnesses she's going to-" He broke off as Pai approached the front of the court. "Your honor, I call Officer Kanamori as my next witness." As Kanamori was sworn in, Matthew leaned back. "This must be a friendly witness, she's only got two eyes open." "Officer Kanamori, please describe the events in Shinjuku last night." Kanamori cleared his throat. "At approximately 2:10 this morning, one Kagayaki Saitou was seen leaving the bar where he had been drinking. At approximately 2:30, his body was found in a nearby alley. I was sent to the scene and began investigation." "In the opinion of the police coroner, was this murder comitted by the same person as the murder of which Onigami-san is accused?" "That is the opinion of the coroner." He handed her a sheaf of papers which she took to the judge. "Your honor, I ask that this coroner's report be placed in the record." The judge nodded. "Very well." He examined it briefly. Pai turned back to the policeman. "How accurate are the times you gave to the court?" "The times I gave were the outer limits of the period in which the murder took place." "In other words, Kagayaki-san was killed no earlier than 2:10 a.m. and no later than 2:30 a.m.?" "Correct." "Thank you. That will be all." As Kanamori stepped down, Rob leaned forward. "That's it, isn't it? If it was the same person, and she was in prison..." "Not yet... Miyu can teleport, so it's got to be airtight..." He broke off as another policeman took the stand. "Officer Mehito, what was your duty last night?" "I was on duty in the cells from midnight to eight a.m." "Please describe what went on between 2:00 and quarter to three." "A little after two, I heard something from her cell. I was kind of scared, what with her reputation, so I called for backup and went slowly down the hall. When I got there, I saw she was hugging that big fellow in the cloak. I told him to leave, but they just ignored me. My backup came, and we all argued till, like you said, about 2:45, when he finally gave up and left." "So between 2:10 and 2:30 she was in her cell continuously?" "She was there, not a second she wasn't." "Thank you. That is all." Matthew was gaping. "I don't believe this! Did Larva know some- thing was going to happen? Why did it happen right before the hearing?" Rob smiled. "Maybe it was just luck?" "Yeah... Maybe..." Miyu and Matthew charged along the narrow streets he and Rob had taken to get to the courthouse. Miyu pulled up. "Whoa! Whoa, big fella! I think they're gone." Mathew bent over, panting. "You know, I can understand the anti people being angry, and the animates being happy, but when they mob us simultaneously, I lose all sympathy. I mean, at one point I had Ranka hugging me, Souichiro-san barking at me, Leon pounding me on the back, and Akane fighting miscellaneous antis! That's not even funny, when you're in the middle of it." Miyu smiled. "Well *I'm* glad to see anyone besides policemen and other prisoners. I thought that statement you gave the reporters was really good, about sympathizing with the victims' families and friends... how you'd prefer none of this had happened." Mathew leaned against the wall and stared down. "Yeah, well if there had to be a second murder, I'm glad it happened when it did. I'd... really hate to lose you." "Matthew..." She came over and hugged him hard. A voice from above! "Aha! I knew it!" Matthew and Miyu looked up to see Larva floating above them, carrying Rob by his arms. Matthew looked around frantically. "I- Hey! this- You- I-" He shook himself. "Have been hanging around Ranma too much. Anyway, I never said I didn't *care* about her." Larva set Rob down. "Yeah, well I still think-" "Oh, hush! This is no time to get smarmy, we've got some serious partying to do!" And they did. Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 7 The next morning, Rob was sitting in the kitchen unenthus- iastically eating some toast. Matthew came in, bleary-eyed. "Partying like that is a great memory refresher. (Pause while Rob declines to rise to the bait.) It made me remember why I don't do it often." Rob snorted. "Eat something, it's doing wonders for me." "Mmm." Mathew took out some cereal and milk. "The last thing I remember was getting clobbered after I told you Miyu couldn't be a mother-figure, a mother's supposed to give milk, not take blood." "Sorry, I don't remember *that* at all. What I do remember is you pounding Larva for no apparent reason, with a hammer that appeared out of nowhere." "Oh,God, don't tell me I did that again." Munch, Munch. "I've been hanging around with animates too much, that's the only explanation." "What'd you do it for, anyway?" "Something he'd said earlier convinced me it *wasn't* a coincindence he was causing a fuss at the prison while the second murder was happening. He was being cute about telling me what it was." Rob looked puzzled. "I don't remember him saying a word." "Well, he doesn't usually talk out loud, but I got Miyu to teach me how to... um... she called it 'listening with your heart.'" Rob looked at him. "Well, it works." Rob shrugged. "So, what was it?" "He... *sensed* a vampire passing by, but didn't realize what it was for a few minutes. He had to decide between trying to prevent the murder or giving Miyu an alibi." Rob stared at his cereal. "Ah." Matthew stared at him. "You disapprove?" "No, it's not that, I just... I'm not sure I believe..." Matthew blinked. "You think *he* did it?" "No..." He looked up. "You remember last night I was trying to get the sheets for the couch out of the closet?" "Yeah, and you spilled my bedroll on the floor, so?" "Well... *this* was inside the bedroll." He handed Matthew something that had been resting on his lap. Matthew stared at what he was holding:a white cotton kimono with a red obi tied around it. A brief search found a torn place on the neckline, where a man being attacked by the wearer might grab. "What the *hell*..." He looked up. "This wasn't there when I rolled it up last night..." "Maybe you just didn't remember it being there." Blank stare. "What?" Rob took a deep breath. "Matthew, you've been bitten every week for eighteen months by a vampire. In the stories, what happens to someone bitten by a vampire?" "They... become one..." He stared at Rob. "Okay, lemme get this straight: You think I go through some kind of personality switch, dress up in one of Miyu's kimonos, and go out to find someone to bite?!" His voice was rising. "What the hell do you base that on besides a piece of cloth *anybody* could have planted, even you!" He paused and stared at Rob. "Waitasec. Both murders happened right before you showed up, you didn't get sick when Larva teleported you to the airport, and you reached right for Miyu's manga that first day!" "That was just coincidence!" "Yeah, I thought so too, but it'd be a pretty clever way to cover up the fact you *already knew about her*!" "You know what I'm hearing? *Denial*. You don't want to face even the possibility that you might be a vampire so you start attacking the-" "What I'm attacking is the idea that I don't know what's going on in my own head! You implied-" "I don't-" "I can't-" WHOOOOOM! A huge burst of red flame erupted between them, throwing them both to the floor. Matthew shook his head and looked towards the hall, at- "Miyu, what the Hell are you doing?" She glared. "Cooling off your heads." The two men glared at each other. Rob held up the kimono. "He-" Matthew jabbed a finger at him. "You-" Miyu overrode them. "It was PLANTED last night." They both stared. "Planted?" "Yes. Larva sensed a presence in Matthew's room, and was trying to lock onto it when *somebody* hammered him." Matthew looked at his toes and mumbled, "That's the other reason I don't like to get drunk, I do stupid things." He looked up. "So, can Larva track him now?" She cocked her head- "Maybe, if-" And broke off as Larva appeared. Everyone paused a moment, then Matthew jumped to his feet. "Just now!? Can you track it?" Larva nodded. "Gimmee a sec to get dressed-" He dashed into his room. Rob gaped after him. "What the-" He swung towards Miyu. "The whatever from last night- Larva-" "Yes, but," she turned towards the hall, "it's FADING FAST!!" Matthew charged out. "I'm here let's go go go!" Rob grabbed his shoes. "I'm coming too!" They piled out the door, Matthew yelling at Rob, "What? We're going to fight a vampire! You're just a human!" Rob raised an eyebrow. "So are you, supposedly..." Matthew paused. "Er, well..." Miyu called back to them, "Hurry, Hurry!" She looked forward. "Larva, don't do that to the taxi driver, he's just trying to do his job." A moment later, two humans and two animates roared down the street in a "borrowed" taxi, in pusuit of something more dangerous than any of them realized. Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 8 The taxi slid to a halt in front of a warehouse in the commercial district. The four passengers got out and looked around. Matthew frowned at Larva. "This is it?" Larva nodded. "Well, no point in standing around." He headed for the side door. The others fell in behind him. The door opened, sticking only slightly. Inside was a huge storage space, now empty. The warehouse smelled of years of neglect. Matthew scowled. "If this place is as abandoned as it smells, why would the door-" "Because it's not completely abandoned." Everybody whirled to face the new voice. Standing in the door to an office was- Miyu gasped. "Sensei!" Matthew shook his head. "No. I can't believe, even with- You *couldn't* have-" He staggered and grabbed Larva for support as the man's eyes began glowing a hateful red. "Oh, yes I could." He stepped forward, locking eyes with Miyu. "Do you know what it did to me, knowing my Naru-chan was rotting in the ground while this *thing* she'd created was going to be forever young? Do you know how I felt, knowing that because I brought you into this world, she *left it forever*!?" His voice was rising to a shriek. Miyu stepped back, then rallied. "I didn't ask to be brought to life, but I'm alive and I like being that way! I mourned your wife along with all her creations while *you* were treating us like we'd killed her ourselves! Turning yourself into a monster and setting me up to die won't change what happened to her, our heal any of that pain you're bragging about." The red-eyed thing flinched; then sneered at Rob and Larva before turning to Matthew. "You. I suppose you think you're the hero of all this. "Rescuing" her from a life she hated, "Kindly" giving her a job, "Selflessly" giving her your blood... Tell me, how long before you tear off those bandannas and tell the world, 'Look at what a wonderful person I am, giving my blood to this thing all these months!'" Matthew gaped. "I never want anybody to know! If people found out what Miyu's been doing to me, they'll ostracize both of us! I'm not helping her because I want admiration, I-" "You want to beat your breast in the privacy of your home and say 'Nobody knows what a wonderful person I am, If they only knew how generously I give!'" The thing had him backed against a wall. "You want a dirty secret that tells you, in your heart of hearts, you *must* be better than other people, because otherwise you wouldn't be doing this! Maybe you don't even know it yourself, but-" Matthew straightened. "All right, listen up. I pulled her out of that dive because I *cared* about what happened to her, how she felt. Because I cared, *she's* happier, she has a good job and a good life; *I'm* happier, yes I take pride in doing a good deed; she's helped me do much better work:the people who hire me are happier. Seems an awful lot of good has come out of this 'breast-beating act' of mine!" The thing had stepped back a couple paces, with a snarl on its face. Now it straightened. "Well, I hope you've enjoyed 'caring for her.' Because it's over." And it fell to the floor. And a streak of silver lunged for Matthew's face. Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? Part 9 Frozen time:Miyu and Rob gaping, Matthew throwing up his hands uselessly, a serpentine shape lunging upward from a man's crumpled body- And darkness flashed before Matthew's eyes; he felt a tremendous force that harmed him not a bit; and opened his eyes to find himself wrapped protectively in Larva's cloak, on the far side of the room from where Miyu was engaging a crested snake- monster in fiery combat. "Haahh... Thanks..." Larva streaked back to add actinic slashes to Miyu's attack. Rob dashed over. "*Now* what do we do!?" Matthew gave him a gallows grin, "You wanted to come along, what are you going to do?", took the carrycase off his back, and unsnapped it. "*I* don't have any... What is that, a rifle?" "Nope." "Bow and arrow?" "Nope." He pulled out a wooden sword. "Just a bokken." Rob stared. "Oh, *that's* going to help a lot." "You never know... Anyway, they're not having much luck on their own." He started across the room. Red fire and blue-white arcs flared. The snake-thing fell back, shrieking, but more in rage than pain. Matthew set himself, thrust with perfect form- And was hurled across the room by the thing's lashing, barely breaking his fall in time. Rob hurried over to him. "Are you hurt? I mean- How bad is it?" "...Saber Senshi, or maybe the Knight Sailors..." "What?" Matthew shook his head to clear it. "I was just thinking how easy it would have been to send Miyu to Dessin-Machi for some help... There are loads of supernatural-combat types who'd love this... or maybe D..." He snorted. "Or even the A-ko crowd or, say, Kyousuke and Maron-chan would be nice about now. But *Noooo*, I couldn't call for help, that would be *intelligent*. I just didn't expect him to-" He broke off and looked around. "Where'd his body go?" They both looked around. Rob asked, "Does it matt-" "Hey!" Matthew spotted two red eyes in the office where they'd first seen the vampire animator. Suddenly he felt the peculiar sensation of his worldview rotating 90 degrees, and charged across the floor. Rob yelled "Look out!" and he sensed the snake-thing bearing down on him, threw himself into a desperate roll, felt the monster's crest slash his back- and hurtled through the office door. He got up, and snarled in a voice thick with rage, "You *son-of-a-bitch*, this is another setup! Like planting Miyu's kimono in my bedroll to confuse Rob and me! That thing out there isn't your *possessor*, it's your *creation*, you animated it to make you a vampire and then destroy- Aaggh!" Sudden cramps twisted his muscles. The thing across from him grinned, finally showing its fangs. "If you got hit by those poison spines, I think that's the last insight you'll ever have." Matthew gasped and fell to his knees, feeling his body being ruined and *changed*. "One... question... Why... the second... murder... if you wanted... Miyu..." The grin twisted into a snarl. "I didn't realize how much the need for blood would take me over. If I could have held out a few days longer... Well, it doesn't matter now." On a level far below the conscious, Matthew realized how far beyond the snake-monster's poison the change he was going through went. He looked up. "That's twice you've made the same mistake... underestimating what you were dealing with..." Rage and pain and supernatural venom roiled inside him, nurturing something that looked at the world through a shark's eyes... "What are you talking-" "The first was your creation out there-" Matthew jerked himself into a coiled crouch- "The second was ME!" and lunged across the room. Outside, the snake-thing, froze, then hurled itself towards the office- {Grotesquely intimate sliding of mind against mind} Crashed through the window- {Dark thread trailing off into the distance, trace it to where it roots in his soul, find the link between them} Streaked for Matthew's back, jaws gaping- {BITE!!} And crashed to the floor, disintigrating to silver ash. Rob and Miyu stood in the doorway, gaping at the scene within. Matthew sat on the floor, the murderer stretched across his lap with a bleeding wound in its throat, its blood dripping from Matthew's fangs. Rob turned to run, and found Larva blocking his way. He turned back, to find Matthew approaching, a sad look on his face. Rob cowered back, his mouth working soundlessly. Matthew paused. "I didn't kill those people, Rob. You were only half-right. This is the first time I even realized..." He paused. "It doesn't matter, does it?" He smiled. "Well, don't panic. I only want... some of your... memories." Rob looked up in surprise - and felt his mind drain away into a cool amber gaze. Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu? EPILOGUE Matthew smiled at Rob. "All packed?" Rob cocked his head. "Yah... Are you sure you want to do this?" Matthew shrugged sadly. "I've had a good setup here, but this business of Miyu being accused has tainted my reputation. I think she and I will have a lot more luck finding work in Hollywood than we would here." Rob carried his last bag out to the taxi. Matthew followed him. As they shook hands, Rob said, "I'll be waiting to see you. My boss told me he's really anxious to get his hands on you." "Yeah, well maybe *he'll* figure out how to bottle me." Rob laughed as he got into the taxi. "Give my love to Miyu." Matthew waggled his eyebrows. "Whatever you say..." Rob's laughter trailed off into the night as the taxi drove away. Matthew turned back towards the house to find Miyu next to him. She peered at him closely. "Are you alright?" He rubbed his mouth. "I think so, but... (Sigh) I still feel like I stepped over a line by changing his memory, even without drinking his blood..." "Even that little bit?" She looked puzzled. "Just so he thinks I killed Sensei, not you?" "Even so..." She took his arm and led him back towards the house. "Come on. You've got a lot you have to learn..." The door closed behind them, leaving behind the sounds of the night. O W A R I --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course in Tokyo, it's more like the cacophony of the night, but we won't tell them that. In any case, thank you for coming this far with me, I hope you enjoyed it. This Author's Note is to take care of a little business. First, this is my first fan-fiction so comments, flames, compliments, dissection, and criticism are very welcome at: chrismg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu. Second, a Disclaimer:Any resemblance to persons real or imaginary is not intended as insult, marriage proposal, death wish, or other disrespectful comment. Finally, Dedications. To the UT Anime Club, for getting me thoroughly addicted. To its Vice-President, Walter Amos, who told me about rec.arts.anime. To Gryphon and ReRob, for Undocumented Features; And especially to Megazone, both for helping me out on a rough spot here and for co-writing the story that introduced me to r.a.a. fanfic. (Inside joke: I found out about "Big Bang" and "Lord Robin" because they were among the datafiles Gryphon's clucomp(TM) used to create the Pair!) To Linda Chui, a fellow Miyu fan, for pointing out some things I'd missed in my own story. To the people behind "Roger Rabbit," for creating an idea with near-limitless possibilities. And, of course, to Toshihiro Hirano and Narumi Kakinouchi, for creating the most chillingly charming vampire girl on a page or in a video anywhere -- C h r i s t i a n G a d e k e n Yakumo: "But I really did destroy a monster in Hong Kong!" Saru : "Ahem, ahem" Yakumo: "Saru, do you believe me?" Saru : "Where's my Hong Kong souvenir?"