Beryl and the Shining Vampire

NOTE: This story uses created pronouns for a gender-neutral character.  This includes, but may not be limited to xe, xer, xis, and xiself.

By: D. R. Nyan-chan
Based off an RP with


Sami had yet another sleepless night.  Her tormentor had agreed to leave her alone, but xe had still left quite an impression.  The post-dream message burning brightly like magnesium didn’t give Samusagi much pause, but the strange glyph on her hand itched a bit; it had disappeared by morning, but the banshee somehow knew it was still there.  As she took a quick walk around the halls to push any lingering concerns out of her mind, another development occurred.

“SAMI!” Beryl gleefully called out.  Samusagi grumbled and sighed as she stopped, knowing full well that Beryl had insane levels of persistence and would chase her endlessly if she didn’t.

“I see nyor sadnyess has gone down,” Beryl giggled.  “How about we go for a walkie together-nya?”

“Um…actually,” Sami stuttered while trying to think up an excuse, “would you mind pretending that I was never here?  I have to get back to studying, Miss Nyuphoran.”

“That’s what nyu always do,” Beryl giggled.  “I can’t simply ignyore my friends and I need to talk to nyu about some things.  Also, please call me ‘Beryl’ like nyu nyused to.  If nyu have a pet nyame, that works, too.”

“I may be cold, but I know what respect means,” Samusagi replied.  “By calling you ‘Miss Nyuphoran,’ I have that distance between teacher and student that I’d like to maintain.”

“But nyor teacher is asking nyu to,” Beryl pointed out. 

After a few seconds, Sami sighed and relented, “If it’s really that important, I guess I don’t have much choice.  Um, why the leash again?” she wondered as Beryl offered her the item in question.

 “Well,” Beryl replied with a smile, “where I come from, nyor supposed to treat someone wearing a collar like a pet-nya.”

“Wait, as in like slavery?” Sami asked with both perplexity and disgust.  “Sorry, but I’m not going to treat you like that, especially since you’re a teacher, Miss.  Can’t we just take a normal walk like other people do?”

“That is a nyormal walk,” Beryl giggled.  “Those like me who wear collars choose to do so because we want to be pets.  Nyo one’s forcing us.  Besides, I nyused to take some of my own teachers for walkies all the time at glyph school.  They were still my teachers and that’s how they liked it-nya.”

Obviously displeased and a little uncomfortable, Sami gave in and took the leash, making Beryl very happy in the process.  As the School Pet gleefully skipped around, Heart of Chaos emerged from her shoulder and hissed at something around the corner.  The next thing Samusagi knew, Beryl had glomped her without warning as a salvo of paint balls whizzed above her, right where her head used to be.  With lightning-fast movements, Beryl then crafted a summoning glyph that released a powerful gust of wind, flinging the projectiles back at the offenders.

Nyice try, but nyat good enyough,” Beryl called out to the splattered students.  As Heart of Chaos glared at them, Beryl turned to Sami and asked, “Are nyu okay.  Any messies?”

“I’ve been worse,” Sami grumbled, somewhat grateful that she didn’t end up with a new paint job.  “Could you please get off me now?”

After Beryl helped the banshee up, the two eventually made it outside and into the forest.  Despite being on a leash, Beryl had taken the lead and had brought Sami to the scarred clearing that the School Pet had used for training many times in the past.  “So,” Sami asked as she looked around, ”what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Nyor happinyess,” Beryl said with a smile.  “I can feel it.  I don’t knyow where or how nyu did it, but I’m so happy that nyu finyally reached the point to where I don’t have to constantly give nyu warm fuzzy transplants.”

“Oh, yay!” Sami sarcastically replied.  “I’d like to return to my studies, now.”

“There’s more and this is important-nya,” Beryl emphasized as she jumped in front of Sami.  “First, I recently had a run-in with one-nyof nyor nyightmares.  I had a little talk with Wrench, the one nyu knyow as Wispy-Wuffles.”

Sami’s eyes widened for a moment.  She had never told anyone about the twit of a metamorph who had dropped the hint about the Sirenic Sonata in her dreams.  Quickly regaining composure, Sami answered, “Lovely, but I really don’t care.  Do you have anything to say that won’t waste my time.”

“Nyor nyat wasting time, Sami,” Beryl objected in a more concerned tone.  “Wrench told me about what nyor nyight-nyight time is like.  If nyu were have nyasty nyightmares, nyu could’ve come to me for comfort.  Right nyow, nyor happinyess is weak, but it’s searching for the strength to stand on it’s own.  I can help nyu, Sami.  I’ve already convinced Wrench to back off and leave nyu alone in-nyexchange for being more direct with nyu.”

Yet again, Sami knew that what Beryl was saying aligned with her recent dreams, but since she didn’t really put much stock in such things, Sami simply crossed her arms and argued, “I seriously doubt that you can help me.  All you do is invade my space and give out weird assignments, both of which I literally hate.  So please, end this fast so that I can get back to more useful things, like studying.”

“But studying will only get nyu so far, Sami,” Beryl pointed out.  “There’s a reason I don’t nyuse regular homework and tests in my classes.  Also, I could feel nyor happinyess plummeting before nyu hurt nyorself really badly and I didn’t want what happened before to happen-nyagain.  Since nyu wouldn’t tell me anything, emergency kitty huggies were the best I could do.  I care about nyu, Sami.  I don’t want nyu to get hurt.”

Heart of Chaos glared at Sami and telepathically whispered, “…Listen…Mistress…”

“Well, I don’t want any help!” Sami snapped.  “Why should you care if I choose to leave my heart broken?”

“I’m nyat the only one,” Beryl answered.  “Vogen’s worried about nyu, too.  Someone that fluffy shouldn’t be so sad-nya.”

Beryl’s words struck a chord with Sami and she sadly sighed, “I…I know he’s worried.  If he wasn’t, things would be a lot easier.”

As Heart of Chaos supportively nuzzled Samusagi, Beryl placed an arm around her shoulder and told her with a gentle smile, “The very fact that nyu knyow that means that nyu can find happinyess.  Have nyu told Vogen how nyu feel?  I’ve seen the warm fuzzies that form between nyu when nyor together.”

“What are you talking about,” Samusagi scoffed.  “I tell him everything.  He’s my best friend.”

“Did he knyow about nyor nyightmares?” Beryl asked as Heart of Chaos glanced at her, ready to tell if she was lying.

“I haven’t slept well ever since Arisa died,” Sami confessed.  “They’re not all nightmares, though.  Some are memories, ones that I’d rather forget.”

Heart of Chaos looked at Beryl and nodded.  Beryl then mused, “Perhaps they’re really opportunyaties to face nyor innyer sadnyess.  Darknyess needs light and light needs darknyess.  I’ve had to face my own-nyas well.”

“Well what if I don’t want to face it?” Samusagi snapped.  “What if I actually want the sadness to remain at all costs?”  She then solemnly looked down and mumbled, "You can't break something that's already broken nor hurt something that's already been hurt.  Besides, I'm just a weapon.  I can't fight my nature without it leading to an endless loop of hatred."

Much to Samusagi’s chagrin, Beryl embraced her once again as she countered, “Being broken isn’t the same as being destroyed-nya.  Something that’s broken can be fixed.  Someone that’s hurt can have his or her boo-boos healed.  I knyow for a fact that nyor nyat just a weapon.  If nyu were, nyu wouldn’t have a heart to break.  Nyu can stop such an-nyawful cycle.  I knyow nyu can.  Even if nyu can’t do it alone, Vogen, myself, and all nyor other friends can help nyu.  If nyu don’t want to be a weapon, then nyu don’t have to be one.”

“No one can do anything,” Sami sadly replied.  “In the end, I’m not like the rest of you.  I was created to be a weapon.  What sense is there in denying that?  It’s like telling the birds to stop flying.”

“Sami, a lot of us aren’t like the others, including myself,” Beryl pointed out as she let go.  “Can nyu please lie down on nyor tummy for me?  I have a gift to give nyu, a Second Chance.  I also knyow a true story that will make nyu feel better about nyorself.”

With a skeptical raise of her eyebrow, Sami wondered, “Another one of your pretty bows or dresses?”

“Nyat this time,” Beryl giggled.  “This isn’t one-nyof the glyphs I created; it’s nyactually one that I learned in glyph school before becoming the School Pet.  This glyph is very hard to do, but it’s also very special and is designed to only work when the time is right-nya.”

“I can’t say that I’m fond of this idea,” Samusagi stated as she lay down.  “But then again, maybe it’ll reward me with a fast death.  Make it quick, though.”

“It won’t do anything like that, nyu silly,” Beryl chuckled.  “This glyph is meant to protect nyu and can even restore a shattered heart.”

Beryl pulled Sami’s top back, unhooked her bra, and started to craft the notoriously complex glyph as she began to narrate, “This story is about a close friend of my daddy's. He was a vampire who was born in-nya test tube to be nyused as a weapon.”

“Just hurry,” Sami grumbled as she clenched her teeth in anticipation of pain that never came.  “I don’t like people messing with my body.”

“I’m nyat messing with nyu.  This is to help protect nyu,” Beryl said with one of her trademark smiles.  “Once upon-nya time, there was this vampire born in-nya test tube.  He didn’t have a mommy, but he did have a daddy.  This vampire’s daddy was also a vampire and in many ways was nyactually similarto Demogorgon, right down to his crankinyess and the fact that he didn’t get enyough huggies while growing up.  The daddy vampire wanted to be in charge of as many places as he could and in-nyorder to do so, he gave his son-nya special gift.  When he was born, the son received nyat a pretty dress, but the ability to nyuse light magic, something that the demons living in that area couldn’t do.  However, nyat once did the daddy ever give his son any huggies.”

“Fascinating,” Samusagi commented with a cold tone.  “Now hurry up and finish.  I have assignments to complete.”

“This is a very complex glyph-nya,” Beryl explained.  “I nyormally can’t apply it during a play fight.  In fact, only my Shadow Buddy glyph is harder to do.”  She then resumed, “The Shining Vampire, as the son was called, made his daddy very happy.  Any demon that opposed the daddy couldn’t stand up to the son’s light nyagic; even whole armies were quickly defeated.  However, nyo nyatter how well the son did, his daddy wanted to be in charge of more and more places.  To make nyatters worse, nyone-nyof the otherdemons wanted to be the Shining Vampire’s friends.  They shunned him, they bullied him, and they weren’t very nyice at all-nya.  One day, the son had had enyough and asked his daddy for help.  However, his daddy just slapped him, instead.”

Although it still sounded cute, Beryl tried her best to imitate a deep, menacing voice for the father vampire as she continued, “’Nyor just a weapon designed for me to nyuse as I see fit,’ the daddy said.  ‘Nyor duty is to do as I tell nyu until nyu break.  Nyu have nyo need for friends.’  He then tossed his poor son into jail while he t-tried to think of a way t-to take the Shining Vampire’s happinyess away forever-nyaaa.”

“S-sorry,” Beryl sniffed.  “That part’s always just so sad-nyaaa.  Anyway,” she resumed, “the son was really mad at his daddy, nyat that anyone could blame him.  In-nya fit of crankinyess, the Shining Vampire broke out of jail and went to see his meany daddy.  The demons that bullied him got in the way and called him weak because he sparkled, but were easily killed by his light nyagic.  When the son finyally confronted his daddy, he was so cranky and sad that he killed him.  However, in doing so, the son only felt emptier and sadder than before.  He decided to leave his home behind for good and wander the multiverse in the hopes that he would find the answers and closure that he was seeking.”

“I’m going to be honest, here,” Sami interjected.  “I really don’t care.  It’s just a story, merely lies and empty words.  I don’t need them and I don’t need you or anyone else trying to help me out of pity.  It’s all completely pointless.  You will never understand me and I can never betray my own nature.  This place is not where I belong.”

“I don’t pity nyu.  I love nyu,” Beryl corrected.  “Besides, this story isn’t a lie; it nyactually happened.  The Peppermint Foundation has records of it.”  She then inquired, “Are nyu really sure that nyu knyow nyorself as well as nyu think nyu do?  Sami, nyu have more friends than nyu realize.  As long as I’m around, I will do whatever I can to ensure that nyu have a place here.”

Before Sami could interrupt again, Beryl mused, “Nyow where was I?  Oh nya!  For countless eons, the Shining Vampire wandered the many nyunyaverses.  Along the way, he worked wherever he could as a mercenyary for hire.  He made many friends and many enyamies during his struggles, but nyo nyatter how often he wandered and searched, his questions remained unyanswered and the one thing he wished for eluded him.  Eventually, the vampire started to tire from his wanderings.  He was soon ready to stop for good, but there was a group of meanies after him; I nyever really understood why, but it had something to do with the fact that they thought that anyone who didn’t knyow that their dead hero was alive needed to be punyished forever, but that doesn’t really make any sense-nya.  These meanies had a symbol that looked a little like a plus sign-nyor a small ‘t’ and stopped at nyathing when they chased him; they even burned down entire villages he had stayed to rest at and tortured anyone who was innyocent.  Nyat wanting any others to be hurt, the Vampire ran-nyas fast and as far as he could before wandering into a certain world and collapsing into a long sleepy time.”

“Great,” Samusagi said with a cold, disinterested sigh.  “Just hurry up and finish, already.”

As she put a few more touches on the complex glyph, Beryl narrated, “ When the vampire woke up, he was resting in-nya really comfy bed.  Tending to his ouchies was the most beautiful kitty he had ever seen-nya.  He had somehow landed on my world and had many questions.  The girl kitty that found him was only too happy to tell him what he wanted to knyow and when he was well enyough, she showed him around her village.  All of the kitties were friendly and welcoming; they didn’t even care if he was a vampire with light nyagic or nyat.  However, there was something else that he loved about the village, though I keep forgetting what-nya.  I think it was something to do with the fact that they didn’t kneel down-nyor hold their hands together to talk to old heroes?”

Beryl had finished with the Second Chance glyph, but didn’t tell Samusagi.  Instead, she massaged the banshee’s shoulders and resumed, “The more the vampire saw, the more the vampire liked our world.  In-nyaddition, he found that he had fallen in love with the kitty that saved him-nyaaa.  Unfortunyately, those meanies were still after him and he knyu that it was only a nyatter of time until they found him.  When they did, he knyu exactly what they would do to all the kitties.  Later that nyight, the vampire left without even saying ‘bye-bye.’  However, he didn’t get very far before he was confronted by the very kitty he loved.”

“That’s just bad luck,” Sami impatiently grumbled amidst the therapeutic crackling sounds from her upper back.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Beryl countered with a smile and a wink.  “It turned out that she had fallen in love with him as well and could tell that something was bothering the poor vampire.  She sadly asked, ‘Why do nyu have to go?’”

In her best impression of the story’s main character, Beryl said, “’I don’t want to endanger nyu.’  He then looked to the ground and sighed, ‘Besides, I’m just a weapon that others wish to either collect or dispose of.  I don’t want to endanger nyu or nyor home.’”

With a sudden shout that made Samusagi jump in surprise, Beryl portrayed, “’NYO!’ she yelled as she shed happy tears.  ‘Please don’t go.  I love nyu!’”

Sami merely rolled her eyes as Beryl continued, “The vampire looked at the kitty, sighed, and said, ‘If they come here, they won’t think twice about destroying this village-nya.  They’ll try to kill nyu, too.’”
 
Once again imitating the kitty girl, Beryl mewed, “’We have friends who have saved us once before and can help us again if needed.  If that’s nyat enyough, then please take me with nyu.’  The vampire realized that he couldn’t win-nyan agreed to meet the friends she was talking about.  After a sleepless nyight, the vampire was completely surprised regarding whom the kitty was really talking about.  He had heard rumors about the Peppermint Foundation, but had nyever sought them out, before-nya.  There were only too happy to give him a nyu leash on life and turned him into a kitty just like the one he loved.  However, instead of removing his vampire powers, they opted to seal them away in case he ever needed them.  When he returned to his love, she almost didn’t recognyize him.  Eventually, they got married and even had a couple kittens of their own.  The former vampire who was told that he was just a weapon had finyally found what he was searching for.  His nyu family had become his greatest treasure-nyaaa.”

“Great, a happy ending,” Samusagi sarcastically grumbled.  “Nothing but an artificial escape.  Life isn’t such a clean-cut fairytale that I’ll change the views that still allow me to walk among the living.  Are you finished with that glyph?  I have things to do.”

“I was nyactually finyished with it a while back,” Beryl giggled as she redid Sami’s bra.  “However, nyor shoulders were really, really stiff-nya.  Besides, I already told nyu that the story’s true.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Samusagi skeptically scoffed.

“By the way,” Beryl added.  “I nyoticed a mission that seemed perfect for nyu.  It’s a C rank and they’re asking for a singer with battle skills to participate in-nya festival.”

“You’re aware that my voice brings death, right?” Sami inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s nyat a problem,” Beryl assured her.  When I was little, I saw Sirens and the like singing with special filters to avoid hurting their audience.  If nyu let them knyow ahead of time, they should be able to set something up for nyu.  If nyat, I have some friends who could help.  Besides, nyor voice is really pretty.”

“Yeah, because a singing banshee is exactly what people like to see at a celebration,” Samusagi sighed.

“There was something else as well,” Beryl mentioned.  “Nyu haven’t turned in nyor homework.  How have nyu been coming along with that?”

“That homework is completely pointless, Miss Nyuphora-Beryl,” Sami bluntly stated.  “I don’t have time to waste on such things as hugging and cuddling.  Besides, that worksheet is downright impossible, so I tossed it aside.  Now excuse me, I have to study.”

As the banshee got up and walked away, Beryl followed closely behind and explained, “Sami, there’s a reason behind my techniques and why I do things the way I do-nya.  For example, when Dorothy kept saying mean things in class, I turned her into a succubus for a few days.  Do nyu knyow why?”

“For your own twisted amusement?” Sami snapped.  “Oh wait, that was supposed to be a punishment, wasn’t it?  Either way, I just don’t care.  I wasn’t designed to give and receive affection.”

“And yet the fact that nyor innyer happinyess has started to grow on its own says otherwise,” Beryl pointed out.  “Any teacher can simply send a student to the detention room, but I changed her in-nyorder to help her.  I wanted her to see the world through the eyes of those she was being mean to-nya.  Nyow she has more friends, gets along better with her sister, and even has a girlfriend-nya.”
 
“What’s your point?” Sami coldly demanded.

“Sami,” Beryl said as she nuzzled up to her, “I don’t expect nyu to like everything I introduce, but I want all of my students to at least give honyest tries whenyever something nyu comes up.  Can nyu at least promise me that?”

“I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” Samusagi flatly stated.  “I’ll be leaving soon enough, anyway.”

“Nya?” Beryl exclaimed. Why would nyu leave? Where will nyu go? What about Vogen?”

“H-he’ll be better off without me,” the banshee sadly sighed as she glanced at the ground.  “I only seem to bother him with my own problems.  Besides, I don’t belong here.”

Before Samusagi could take another step, Beryl leaped in front of her and asserted, “If that was true, he would’ve left nyu a long time ago.  Besides, as long as I’m around, nyu have a place here.  I don’t care whether or nyat nyu were originyally a weapon.  Nyor my friend, Sami, scars and all-nya.”

“B-but,” Sami stuttered as tears trickled down her face, “I tricked him, I betrayed him, and he still hasn’t left my side.  P-please, leave me be.”

Beryl pulled a pink, fluffy kitty blanket out or her right thigh and draped it around the weeping banshee before embracing her alongside Heart of Chaos and purring, “Let it out-nya.  He cares about nyu and those tears probably mean that nyu still care about him.”

“I’m not allowed to feel emotions,” Sami wept.  “They just get in the way.  I-I want to be alone for now.”

After handing her student a box of tissues and a stuffed kitty to cuddle, Beryl told her,” As nyor friend and pet, I wish nyu wouldn’t be so hard on nyorself and as nyor teacher, I say that nyor allowed to show emotions. What nyu see as weaknyess may save nyu one day.”

Sami tried to push Beryl away, but the School Pet was already gone, having stealthily climbed up a nearby tree.  After a few minutes, Samusagi figured that she had wasted enough time and began her trek back to the academy.  Meanwhile, Beryl silently followed from the treetops to ensure her safety.