Inspired by Damokles and his/her fiction Falling Free. The Prince LaCroix ending was definitely not satisfying, but here is another version that would also fit LaCroix in my opinion (and the fans of him).

Leap of faith-crêpe dedicated to Charlotte and The Vampire Apple.

I just own my character, the rest is White Wolf's property, etc.

Corrected and revised by Vivienne S. Thank you very much!

If you stop reading the story at some point, I would really appreciate if you let me know the reasons so that I can improve my writing.


'Was this the last and final lesson in Jyhad for beginners, Jack?' I asked myself as the sarcophagus' heavy lid slowly opened and revealed to us what was inside. I heard him scream.

"No! It can't be! Nooooo!"

What now my Prince? I hear the beeping, our last seconds, or not? No! We struggled so hard. I struggled so hard. There is time. I remember what you've told me, my ivory Prince. Often a foe was certain to have dealt the finishing blow to a Ventrue, only to realise his own Final Death as the Ventrue smiled like you smile now. I look into your eyes. 'Yes, I understand.' I follow you, using vitae to gain more celerity as we both dash to the windows, our leap of hope and the explosion pressing into my back. Hopefully there is no batshit crazy Malkavian at the bottom who thinks we are some sort of crêpe. Only seconds and I can feel the burning heat biting into my back. Gnawing into my dead flesh. "Fortitude is important," you said to me once, and I followed your advice but a sarcophagus full of C4 is more than a bullet.

Sound of cracking bones and the smell of blood. I feel nothing but pain everywhere in every fiber of my dead flesh, then darkness. Where are you, my Prince? Are we still alive? "Don't open it!" they said. Bastards! They knew it. They knew it all and yet they weren't specific. They used me...us.

My eyelids flicker and as I'm able to see again it was Gehenna. Burning debris falling from the sky. Ahh...I remember. Not Gehenna but it burned. The Venture Tower, an empire. Still, my body was burning and as I move my arm it makes an unhealthy cracking sound. Of course. It's broken. Broken like every damn bone in this corpse seems to be shattered into pieces. As the blood heals my wounds I turn my head to the left. There lies the struggling Prince. Why do I pity him? He's staked by a metal bar, his left arm partially burned and his legs lying at a normally impossible angle. He doesn't move and a sudden fear runs down my broken spine, but why? You were bossy to me, my mad Prince. You called a blood hunt upon me as if I was no more than a mere toy which can be tossed away. Maybe you were happy without me and I will surely never hear from you, "I'm sorry." Blame it on my humanity. I clung after it. I still do, and you?

We're lying on a lower roof of the Venture Tower, the smell of fire and burned flesh around us as I can move again and crawl to you, my fallen Prince. It feels like I'm crawling through an endless road as I finally reach you and lay my head on your upper body. You don't laugh, just stare into the burning red sky with your dead grey eyes. Those dead, cold, arrogant eyes as my hand reaches for the metal bar staked in your chest. Why am I doing this? Why don't I just let you die?

The bloody metal bar makes a loud, clear sound as I let it fall. 'You look like shit.' But still, my dearest Prince, you're proud and even now the black burned skin on your face doesn't let this dignity fade away. Gently I brush a streak of your blond, sandy hair away, now leaning over you.

"This is your Waterloo..." I whisper, my arms cradling him like a mother would cradle her child. The Beast wants his blood but I don't. Why do I still live? Because you let me, because I'm your protégé. They tried to separate us. The Anarchs, the Kuei-Jin. Where is the evidence that you are responsible for Grout's death? Where is the evidence that you allied with the Kuei-Jin? Yes, you're right. They lied. They lied! But we will smile at the end, right my step-sire? My benefactor. We will rule this city together, they will see.

My lips touch his ear. The love you never gave me, I'll give you now. "Here's a lullaby to close your eyes...goodbye..." I whisper, seeing fear in his grey eyes. My silly Prince, no need to be afraid. We will stay together forever and I kiss his pale, still intact lips.

"Goodbye..."

I lift his head a bit, taking my lips away and exposing my bare throat to his mouth and pushing it forcefully against his fangs. 'Drink,' I plead. My last present, my payback. I was as good as dead anyway but I won't fade away silently. Not without payback for those damn Anarchs. 'Show them. That their plan failed, my Prince.' This will be my retribution, and LaCroix begins to drain me of my last vitae. The essence of life fading from me into him, feeling how he takes more and more as my blood heals his wounds. Cold, so cold but I know he will carry on my last will. My ivory Prince, we share the same blood.

"I have shown you great clemency..." My words nothing more than a silent whisper in the wind.

"...prove it was more than a wasted gesture." The last image I see is my proud Prince, smiling down upon me. No burn marks on his face, just pale white skin in the light of the fire above us like the image of an avenging devil.

Goodbye.

Then everything was silent. My body was floating, nothing more than darkness.

Goodbye.