Love Cures All Ills

The vampire hunters went out again after getting Yami settled into his new home. Yami had mentioned how he hadn’t fed the night he took Yugi, and it was agreed that Yugi and Ootachi stay with him as he went the hunt any large animals other than humans that would satiate the vampire. Yugi was going to keep Yami under control, of course, but Ootachi was assigned to go for other reasons. Should Yami give into his bloodlust, Ootachi was ordered to shoot to kill, but if Yami should stay under control and be attacked by a hunter, Ootachi was to act as a bodyguard with Yugi being back-up.
The three new allies quickly reached the forest where Yami began his hunt. He smelled the scent of other vampires and humans as well, but ignored them, searching for the more subtle scents of bears, deer, and other large mammals. He soon found the scent of an ill cougar and decided to take that animal down, not only to feed his hunger, but also to put the poor creature out of its misery. Before taking Yugi the night before, that thought would never have crossed his mind, but now it seemed so natural.
Yami stalked up to the sick animal and, in one swift motion, had snapped its neck and began to drink its blood. Yugi turned away, feeling squeamish, but knowing that Yami had tried to make the wild cat’s end painless. The young hunter had also noted that Yami’s choice had been so ill already, death was probably a welcome relief for the poor thing. Ootachi had also seen this and determined that Jou had made the right choice in sparing this unusual vampire.
Once Yami was done, he set the dead cougar in the bushes so animals could still make use of its meat, but humans wouldn’t need to see it. He walked back over to Yugi and Ootachi, smiling with satisfaction.
“I take it your hunger’s gone?” Ootachi asked. Yami nodded. “Good, then let’s hurry back. I sense other vampires about in this forest, and I don’t want to stick around longer than we have to.”
Yugi led the trio out of the forest, Yami in the middle, and Ootachi covering their backs. They made it back to the base without a hitch. Jou and the others had returned as well, looking grim. Ootachi noticed one member missing.
“Who was it?” the black-haired hunter asked, causing Yugi to gasp in horror. Their newest recruit, an experienced hunter named Suguruko wasn’t there.
“It wasn’t a vampire that did him in. The old man’s time just came,” Jou said sadly. “You all know he was teaching all he could to the various hunting groups in the area because he felt his time was near. Well, looks like he was right...”
Tears welled up in Yugi’s eyes. Suguruko had raised him after he was orphaned by vampires. He knew the same had happened to Mai, but because of Yami, Yugi’s knew vampires were all individual people like humans and that there were some good ones too. Suguruko had been pleased to meet Yami, saying that his life was complete now that he had met a good vampire.
Yugi gasped, causing the others to look at him in worry. The tears flowed freely now as he realized what had happened. “Jii-san... Jii-san said his life was complete because he had met a vampire like Yami. He- he had been holding on past his time in hopes of meeting someone like Yami.”
Jou smiled gently at Yugi. “If that’s true, little buddy, then you know he died because he had found peace. He wasn’ the type to become a restless spirit from unfinished business, so he finished it by making himself continue to live.”
Yugi nodded, but the tears wouldn’t stop. Yami pulled Yugi close and the little hunter bawled into his vampire lover’s chest.