Disclaimer: Trinity Blood is owned by Sunao Yoshida. I fell in love with the story.
Request: If you have not read Trinity Blood: Book 1: Divergent Path and Trinity Blood: Book 2: The Winter Rose or read the manga or watched the anime then please do so. This story takes place right after the end of the anime, pulls points from the anime, manga, and novels by Sunao from it as well as information from my pervious novels.
Note to readers: Welcome to the third and final book in the trilogy I have been working on: Vehemens Veritas meaning Violent Truth in Latin. I hope this story lives up to the expectations book 1 and 2 have built up and wraps up the trilogy nicely.

I would like to thank all of those who have beard with me through the last two books and still come back for more. I take my hat off to you (now where did I put that blasted hat, it was here just a second ago).
Thank you,
Flame

Please do note this is more than likely not the path being taken by the manga, I doing a lot of guess work as well as changing a few things around. The notes left by Yoshida were extremely vague.

Trinity Blood: Book 3: Vehemens Veritas
Prologue: Longest Night

A soft sound floated to Abel through the blackness which pressed on him. It was soft, familiar, and haunting. What was it? In the darkness he floated, his mind heavy and sluggish, nothing made sense. The only the sound was – was crying? Someone was crying. The sound drifted through the darkness towards him. Who – why? Abel couldn't wrap his mind around this. Tears for a monster like him, but why? It didn't make sense.

Slowly whispered words brushed against Abel's ears. A familiar voice sobbed, "You weren't meant to die like this, not in this place." Die? But he wasn't dead. No he hung in a place between death and life as the crusnik repaired the damage done to his heart. He couldn't die, not from wounds like this. Who was crying over him and why did they believe him dead? "I never – I never had the chance to repay you for all those times you saved my life and now – now I never will."

Why, why cry? It didn't make sense; Abel couldn't make sense of it. Why cry? The sound drifted into the background, his mind and body numbing as he fell through the shadows. Only the question remained: why? Why cry? Why cry for a monster like him? The sound came back. The sobs pulsed in his ears, but he could no longer hear the voice. Why? Why cry?

Abel knew not how long he lay there only that sobs soon stopped. He could hear someone walking towards him. The sound of heavy, familiar footsteps was muffled by shadows around Abel. A dull emotionless voice trickled down to him through the darkness, "Gunslinger now executing the Duchess of Milan's top order." Tres? "Missioncommencing," what was Tres doing here… wherever here was?

Abel didn't have long to ponder this as he felt a strange liquid enveloping his body. This was – but she had promised, Caterina had promised! Sheer, blinding agony tore into him as the liquid moved. It poured into the whole in his chest, entering his veins and moving through him. Abel wanted to shriek, to cry out, but his lips wouldn't move. Liar! The word was shrieked in his mind as his eyes flew open to endless, black waves. No, no, no! Abel's arms thrashed in the thick liquid as he desperately tried to stay a float. "Liar," tears slid down his face as he tried desperately to fight the crusnik which was trying to fuse with him and tear away what little of his sanity remained.

How could Caterina? Why would she? Why? They couldn't take Abel; he couldn't let them take him. If he became like Cain, if allowed this to happen – fear shot through him and he cried out. The liquid filled his mouth. He was losing, he was being dragged down. It engulfed his jaw; his hair swam around him, stained black by the liquid. No! His hand shot from the liquid, the nails elongated and skin black. A strange blue marking shown through the sleeve of his cassock, Abel momentarily froze, his eyes locked on his skin and arm. What was this? The pause in his struggles was more than enough for the crusnik. The liquid covered his head forcing him downwards. Tears appeared in the liquid, the only real water in this whole mess. Bobbles exploded from his mouth, he couldn't, he couldn't… Slowly Abel reached up, his hand stretched for the distant surface of the liquid. He couldn't end up like his twin. He couldn't stop fighting this. Abel squeezed his eyes shut, despair filling him.

"Abel," a voice which vividly reminded him of the sun striking a winter lake whispered to him, "I am here, my love." A warm hand touched his hand before taking it. The liquid rushed past him. He exploded from the liquid and felt solid ground beneath him. Shaking, he knelt on ground, eyes wide as he stared at blackened skin of his hand. Slowly the black receded, his hand turning human once more.

Looking up, Abel's eyes meet a beautiful face and kind features of – of Lilith. Her golden eyes were worried despite the kind smile she wore. Long, red hair framed her face. "L-Lilith?" Abel's voice shook as if he were a frightened child. Not thinking he hugged her, his body still shaking with fear over what was happening to him and mind numb to everything but that fear.

Abel felt Lilith return the embrace; one hand stroked his hair lovingly. "It's all right; everything will be all right," Abel could barely think, but the fear knotting in him was beginning to loosen. "Come on, we should move a little ways from here." Abel allowed Lilith to help him stand. Her warm hand still in his she led the way over to nook just out of view of the black liquid.

Finally Abel's mind woke and he stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Lilith. "How-how is this possible?" he couldn't believe this, he wanted nothing more than to believe it but it was impossible. Was he dead? No, there was no afterlife, not for a monster like him.

Lilith turned to him, placing on a hand on his cheek. "You're not dead and certainly are not a monster," she tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear. "When the nano-machines were torn from me a piece of me went with them. I'm not alive in the sense of word, but a part of me is within the nano-machines, like a piece of alien who had them before us is still within them. Their minds maybe silent now but they are still here if your listen hard enough." Abel shivered, not really liking this idea. Lilith chuckled, "Don't worry I think they gave up long ago and won't appear to you or bug you."

That didn't mean it wasn't creepy, but still. Abel looked at Lilith and lifted his hand. He hesitated before lightly touching her cheek. She leaned into the touch and he stroked her cheek with his thumb. The paleness of his skin stood out against her gold tinted skin, her beautiful skin. The feeling of her warm hand over his was comforting. Her eyes filled with warmth and loved looked into his face.

"You've gone through so much pain in the past eight centuries," Lilith's eyes softened, "and done so much I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you." Her hand dropped to the golden cross Abel wore, her cross. "You left your people and Seth for peace to come and now that forced peace is fracturing because of Cain," Abel stiffened at the mention of his brother.

Abel began, "Lilith, I—" a sharp pain to his chest made him gasp. His knees buckled and he fell to the white floor. At once he clawed at the rip in the cassock until he could see the wound. It was closing at an alarming rate. His entire body shock from the pain the speed of the regeneration was causing. In eighty percent activation he wouldn't have felt the pain; he would have been numb to it. "What-what is this?" Abel gasped. The world swam before his eyes.

"Abel," Lilith was kneeling before him, her hand on his shoulder, "don't them control you, fight it, my love, fight it!" the world buckled around him and he bitched forward.

"You are ours!" their voice, the voice of the crusnik hissed to him. The next moment Abel felt his body lifting from where he'd been resting as the crusnik healed him. The world was foggy and unclear it was as if he was only watching as this unfolded before him. It hit him suddenly he was only watching, he wasn't in control at all, they were. They were! As they moved his body Abel saw two people before him. Esther staring at him with wide eyes stained red from her tears. Her red hair whipped at her face from some unknown wind. Then he was there, he stood watching Abel and grinning broadly as if this was somehow amusing. The horror Abel felt at not being in control was drowning out all his hatred of Cain. If he wasn't in control, how could he be the one to hate Cain?

Abel felt as his wings spread wide, tearing at his already ruined cassock. Less than a heartbeat later the crusnik launched towards the sky. Stained glass shattered around him. Abel's mind blocked out what he was seeing and he fell back into the darkness, closing off his mind to the voice of the crusnik.

"You can't ignore this forever," Abel blinked open his eyes and winced at the blinding light of the white room. His head rested in Lilith's lap. The light feeling of her thumb brushing his forehead was soothing. Kind golden eyes looked at him lovingly and filled with worry. "If you do, you know what will happen. 02 will feed off of your hatred for Cain and hunt him down after this," she nodded to the far wall, "and the crusnik won't care who gets in their path."

Slowly Abel followed her gaze. The wall showed the world as he had been seeing only moments ago. The crusnik was in complete control and was battling Cain. From where he and Lilith were they couldn't hear anything but they could see and Abel could still feel the heat of Cain's attacks as they just missed striking his body.

Slowly Abel sat up. Lilith was right. What would he do if Esther, Caterina, or one of his other friends tried to stop him? "Even if I'm not strong enough to stop them this time, I have to try," he whispered more to himself than to Lilith as he stood. Abel's eyes were locked on the scene before him. Cain had vanished through the clouds but seconds later he came into view. Abel saw a strike hit Cain's wing and seconds later – pain exploded through Abel's leg. Crying out at the unexpected feeling Abel collapsed only to be caught by Lilith.

"You don't have to face this alone," Abel looked at her with wide eyes. "As long as the crusnik is one hundred percent active I will be there with you, fighting at your side." Her lips brushed his in a brief but warming kiss. "Together?" her smile was warm as she held out her hand. Abel took it, returning the smile. Before he could say anything Lilith had pulled him off the ground and was helping him over to the screen.

"Together," they lifted their free hands and touched the screen. All at once sight, sound, and feeling exploded through Abel as well as the crusnik's grasp on him. He tried to cry out in shock but couldn't. They were still in control, but not for long. They would not take him! Abel fought back the crusnik's mind. As he did so, he could feel Lilith fighting with him. Together! As Abel plummeted towards the ground he saw the black skin slowly return to normal and felt feathers return to his wings.

Abel moved his hand, it obeyed. The crusnik was hissing at him, snarling to let them back in control. As the crusnik's grasp on Abel slipped, Lilith's words fade from his mind. Several words echoed through him though, "The fight for your sanity isn't over yet, my love, please remember no matter what they promise it is a lie." What-what did that mean? Abel blinked, still dazed at being in control again. As he spun, he saw the ground flash before his eyes. The city of Londinium was closing fast!

(Author's Note: So the debate is over. I have decided to go with 100% fusion for this story. Also, now we see why Chapter 19: Old Sorrows from The Winter Rose was so important.

Two more matters I would like to clear up. I thought it would make sense if part of the previous hoist lived on within the crusnik nano-machine, it also helps to explain part of the reason Abel remains sane, because Lilith is there with him. Secondly, I have Abel wearing clothes because the anime only had him naked to show the designs on his body. Last I checked no one is buried naked…

(A side note for those who read all my stories: There seems to be a bit of confusion on the author's note I posted for part 1 of A Brighter Night. I was sending a note to a friend, that is all. =D I haven't had depression since seventh grade and that was years ago.)

A request: if you read this story, please, please leave a review or a comment even if you don't have an account of . Comments and reviews help me get motivated to write when I am not in the mood do so.

I really appreciate all the comments I have been getting. Even if I don't respond to them do know I read them and will reread them over and over. Reading reviews and comments make my day.)