Castlevania: A Promise under the Silver Moon
One-shot: Love through Death and Rebirth
Cover Image: Soma Cruz and a teary eyed Artina standing back to back in the Throne Room.
Soma had been travelling with Valvatorez, Fenrich, Fuka Kazamatsuri, Desco, Emizel and Artina for quite some time, and despite the initial shock of being sucked into the Netherworld, he considered them his irreplaceable friends. When his true identity as the reincarnation of Dracula was revealed, it was shocking, even for a group of demons, but the Hades Party still accepted him with open arms, but for Artina, the news of Soma's past life was a very emotional event, the Thief Angel placed her hands on her chest, her eyes now filled with tears.
"Artina?" Soma, a pale young man with chin-length white hair and grey eyes, dressed in a black shirt and blue pants with a white, fur-collared trench coat noticed the Thief Angel's apparently distraught expression, concerned for his friend, the Reborn Dracula then approached her. "What's wrong?"
"Do you know how long I've waited for you?" Artina, an angelic woman with long pink hair tied in a braid and blue eyes dressed in a white, pink and blue dress, stared at Soma, though she was still crying, there was a smile present on her lips, the Thief Angel's voice filled with love. "Vlad…"
"Wh-What's up with you?" Soma stepped back in shock, not knowing why Artina was looking at him with that expression.
"Vlad…" Artina rushed over to Soma and hugged him tightly, as if he was going to disappear at any moment.
"Umm…" Soma stood still as Artina hugged him, still confused by the Thief Angel's sudden display of affection. "I wasn't gone that long…" The Reborn Dracula patted the pink haired girl's back gently. "And who the heck is Vlad?"
Fuka, a teenaged girl with long brown hair tied in twin-tails and brown eyes with dressed in a blue and white school uniform with a yellow bow and a penguin themed hat and Desco were watching Soma and Artina from a distance, both sisters wearing jealous expressions upon seeing their object affection being hugged by the Thief Angel.
"I don't like this! It's my dream and he's totally cheating on me!" Fuka balled up her fists as she watched Artina express her love for Soma, feeling that the Reborn Dracula was being taken away from her. "You should be mad too, Valzy!" The UnPrinny turned her attention to Valvatorez.
"That's right! Mister Soma shouldn't be flirting with Miss Artina when he has Desco!" The Supposed Final Boss was just as jealous as Fuka was, having fallen in love with the Reborn Dracula over the course of their long journey. "Mister Valzy, Artina is cheating on you!"
"How many times must I repeat myself?" Valvatorez sighed, growing tired of Fuka's constant attempts to prove that he was in a relationship with the Thief Angel. "Artina was an engaged woman when we met, she was engaged to my best friend and mentor, Count Dracula!"
"WHAT?!" Both Fuka and Desco exclaimed, both shocked and angry by what Valvatorez had said, feeling that Soma was cheating on them
"Whoa, I didn't see that coming…" Emizel, a young boy with blonde hair and red eyes, dressed in a hooded green jacket with skull patterns was surprised to hear that someone like Artina was involved with Dracula himself, and even more surprised at the nature of their relationship. "I always thought the Prince of Darkness didn't have the ability to love."
"Dracula did have a peculiar taste in women." Fenrich, a feral looking man with tan skin, long messy silver hair, and golden eyes, dressed in a red open jacket and black pants commented on the Dark Lord's romantic history, finding it odd for such a powerful being to display human traits. "His first wife was also a human doctor."
"It all started over 400 years ago, after the legendary Simon Belmont defeated Dracula for the first time." Valvatorez had begun narrating the story of the Thief Angel and the Prince of Darkness, hoping to shed light on their current situation. "Heavily injured from that fierce battle, Dracula was near death. That's when Artina found him…"
15th century Romania, after the long battle against the forces of darkness, good has triumphed over evil and Simon Belmont has defeated Dracula and the Demon Castle was destroyed. But the Prince of Darkness still lived, though in order to escape death, the Vampire Lord used a majority of his dark magic to resist the pull of the underworld and to create a younger construct body to house his soul, but even then, his new form was still battered and broken and he was unable to access a lion's share of his demonic powers.
"Damn you… Belmont… damn you!" In the middle of the forest where the Demon Castle once stood, Dracula cursed at Simon and clawed on the ground with his bloodied claws, though a powerful and ancient figure, his construct body had the appearance of a young man in his mid-twenties with pale skin, red eyes and shoulder length silver hair, wearing a noble black and red long coat over an elegant white dress shirt, black pants and a crimson jewel on his neck, the Prince of Darkness bearing a striking resemblance to Soma, but with a darker, more sinister visage. "I swear on night… I will have my vengeance!" The Dark Lord vowed before passing out from blood loss. "Let my rage curse your flesh and send you to an early grave… Simon Belmont!" The Prince of Darkness used what little magic he had to place a curse on the Vampire Hunter.
A young woman with long pink hair and blue eyes dressed in traditional nun's clothing, minus the habit, was picking Moonglow Flowers so that she could make a certain type of medicine, when she noticed Dracula on the ground in a pool of his own blood.
"You poor thing…" The pink haired woman rushed the injured Dracula's side; as a nun the sight of such grave injuries saddened her, despite the dark nature of the unfortunate being. "I can't leave you like this…"
Dracula slowly regained consciousness and as the light returned to his eyes, the first thing he saw was the pink haired girl's beautiful face, as a vampire, the Prince of Darkness knew that drinking her blood would give him the strength he needed, the injured Dark Lord struggled to get up, baring his fangs, but something about the nun's innocent expression and kind demeanour quelled his bloodlust.
"I won't let you die out here!" The pink haired woman placed Dracula's arm over her shoulders and walked him to her house, being the kind person that she was, she couldn't bear the thought of leaving someone to die, even if that someone was a creature of the night.
"What is wrong with me…?" Dracula was extremely confused at his hesitation, as of now, it couldn't have been easier to take the nun's blood, with his face dangerously close to her neck, but the Dark Lord felt no urge, as if his bloodlust was sealed.
The next morning, Dracula woke up on a bed in the nun's house, his wounds having been treated. The Prince of Darkness found that his wounds have been treated and that the pink haired woman was asleep on a chair in the room.
"What a strange human…" Dracula concluded that it was the nun who had brought him to her home and dressed his wounds, despite him being a complete stranger and a vampire no less.
"You're awake, I see." The nun woke up and saw that Dracula was up as well, relieved that he didn't succumb to his injuries over the night.
"Why did you save me?" Dracula stared at the nun, not knowing why she extended her kindness to someone that could be considered mankind's enemy. "You humans usually cower and run when faced with my kind…"
"Give us humans a little more credit." The nun giggled at Dracula's comment, thinking that it was funny that the Prince of Darkness spoke in such a way in his current condition. "As a human, I couldn't just let you die out there…" The pink haired woman held her hands and her expression changed from a playful one to a more serious one.
"Letting a creature of the night into your home is foolish." Dracula smirked at the nun, amused by her naiveté and innocent nature. "I could very well drain you of your blood while you sleep, and raze this entire village in one night." The Prince of Darkness tried to sound dark and threatening, only for the nun to giggle once more.
"You're really weird, you know that?" The nun smiled at Dracula innocently and sincerely, the nun was glad that her new patient's condition improved to the point that he was active enough make threats. "And if you wanted my blood, why not take it now?"
Dracula was at a loss for words, despite who he was and his dark nature, the nun showed no signs of fear whatsoever, but what shocked the Prince of Darkness the most is that he had absolutely no urge to take the pink haired woman's blood.
"See? You're all talk." The nun closed her eyes and smiled playfully at Dracula, seeing that he hasn't bitten her yet, the pink haired woman deemed the Prince of Darkness as harmless. "That's right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sister Artina, what's your name?"
"It's… Vlad…" Dracula gave his first name, seeing that it was a common Romanian name; the Prince of Darkness saw no harm in telling it to Artina, given her kind and docile personality.
"Well then, Mister Vlad, do you have a place to stay?" Artina asked Dracula, seeing that he was seemingly left for dead in the middle of the forest, the nun thought that the Dark Lord couldn't return to where he came from.
"I did, but…" Dracula thought about the destruction of the Demon Castle, knowing that he did not have the magic necessary to restore it, right now he had no other option but to accept Artina's care.
"Then it's decided!" Artina clapped her hands excitedly, knowing that Dracula had no choice but to stay at her home. "Mister Vlad, you'll be living with me from now on!"
"Why?" Dracula was dumbfounded, for the longest time, he hated humans, seeing them as brutal, selfish and incapable of anything unless they mobbed together, but Artina, a human, was showing great kindness towards him. "Why burden yourself for a complete stranger… a vampire no less?!"
"I already told you, Vlad." Artina placed her hand on Dracula's to reassure him of her kind intentions, her beautiful face adorned with a sincere smile. "It's because I'm human and as a human, I cannot let you die alone out there." The nun then left the room once she was sure that the Prince of Darkness.
After getting dressed, Dracula stepped out of the room and saw many injured people, both soldiers and civilians being treated by Artina, but what stood out was the armour worn by some of the knights were radically different, confirming that they fought on opposite sides.
"Mister Vlad! You shouldn't be up!" Artina rushed over to Dracula, concerned that any movement could open up his wounds.
"Do not underestimate me; I'm not as frail as you humans…" Dracula smirked at Artina, knowing that his wounds would heal despite his weakened state, but much later than usual. "These soldiers… you do know that they're from opposing sides, right?"
"I know… but letting any of them die is too sad…" Artina's face showed a gentle yet sorrowful expression as she thought of the soldiers bleeding to death on the battlefield. "So I have to do this."
Dracula sighed before picking up some bandages and herbs in order to lend Artina a helping hand, an act that the Prince of Darkness would never do ordinarily, given his utter contempt for humanity.
"Mister Vlad?" Artina was surprised to see Dracula, who at first glance seemed cold an arrogant, helping her heal the wounded soldiers.
"Don't misunderstand my intentions." Dracula spoke coldly; avoiding eye contact with Artina as he begrudgingly dressed the wounds of one soldier. "I'm merely repaying you… being indebted to a human is far too humiliating…"
"Whatever you say, Mister Vlad…" Artina smiled at Dracula, despite hearing his verbal contempt for his actions, the nun was touched by the Prince of Darkness' decision to help her. "My grumpy vampire."
After a long day of dressing wounds and tending to the sick and injured with Artina, Dracula was exhausted and disgruntled, feeling that he had wasted his day on mere humans. As the Prince of Darkness slept, he found himself dreaming of the Castle Gardens and standing there was the image of a beautiful woman with long, pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes dressed in a black dress.
"Lisa!" Dracula called out to the woman, as if she were a long lost loved one, speaking in a tone that carried an impossible emotion for the Prince of Darkness, love.
"Vlad…" Lisa turned around and looked back at Dracula, with a warm and loving smile on her face, but as soon as her eyes met his, her visage changed into that of Artina, still wearing that loving smile.
Artina, who had heard a Dracula shout from his room, immediately headed to him to see if he was alright, worried that his injuries may have worsened.
"Lisa… Lisa...! Artina…" Dracula murmured in his sleep, still dreaming of his lost love and how the nun overlapped her features, feeling that his vision was trying to tell him something, but then, the Prince of Darkness woke up to a familiar face.
"You were having a nightmare… I was worried…" Artina gave Dracula a concerned look, wondering what kind of dream would terrify such a proud and arrogant vampire. "Vlad, who's Lisa?" The nun remembered the name uttered by the Prince of Darkness.
"She was my wife… who was killed by humans a very long time ago." Dracula decided to open up to Artina, seeing no point in keeping that secret now that he's been seen in his current state. "Even though she was a human as well…"
"That's so sad…" Artina glanced at Dracula with a very sad look on her face, extending her sympathy to the Prince of Darkness as she placed her hand over his. "I'm sure she's with God now…"
"God let this happen to her… he let a kind woman die!" Dracula seethed with rage upon hearing The Lord's name, thinking about all that he's lost and how he's always suffered for his sake. "He took everything from me… even the one I loved most…"
"But God led me to you…" Artina still wore her sorrowful expression, thinking that Dracula's suffering must have been so great that it made him turn his back on The Lord. "Vlad… you said my name in your sleep, why?"
"Because you remind me of Lisa…" Dracula spoke with an unusual sadness and a gentle tone, remembering when Artina's face appeared in his dream. "Your kindness… your gentleness and the way you look at me… I can't help but see Lisa."
"Then forgive God… if it weren't for him… I would never have met you." Artina held Dracula's hand, though she had only known him for less than two days, the nun was falling for the Prince of Darkness, seeing him help her with the injured, despite his strong hatred for The Lord and Mankind, he set it all aside on that moment for her.
"Artina…" Dracula was touched by the nun's request and sincere words, at that moment, feeling that the heart that died with Lisa was slowly coming back to life.
A few weeks had passed and Dracula had started living with Artina and he continued to aid her, even changing his eye colour from red to grey to blend in, and for the first time in over 300 hundred years, the Prince of Darkness felt truly alive and more than that, slowly but surely, he was letting go of all the hate that plagued his existence, but from time to time, that hatred would come back to haunt him.
Dracula was experiencing another nightmare and this time, he was standing alone at the ruins of the Demon Castle and several demonic voices were echoing in his head.
"The Prince of Darkness has no place under God's Light… you can never escape your fate." The first demonic voice reminded Dracula that he had forsaken The Lord, thinking that it was foolish of the Dark Lord to live with a woman of God.
"Remember what the humans did to you… to your wife." The second demonic voice reminded Dracula of his hatred for humanity and the heavy loss he had suffered at their hand.
"Hatred, regret and sorrow" The third demonic voice spoke of the constant emotions that dominated Dracula's being for centuries. "That is all that the Prince of Darkness is permitted to feel."
The voices ceased and the image of Lisa burning at the stake appeared before Dracula, he tried to approach her, but the ground turned into a bloody abyss and several ghostly hands pulled him down and as he sunk, the Prince of Darkness was forced to watch his wife burn before his eyes.
"LISA!" Dracula yelled and sat up with his hand out as he awoke from his nightmare, feeling that all the demonic voices and his late wife's death were all too real.
"Vlad!" Artina ran to Dracula's room and opened the door to find him awake with a terrified expression on his face, this worried the nun greatly. "Are you alright?!"
"Who I am... these voices that haunt my soul..." The Prince of Darkness trembled as he remembered the demonic voices and the image of Lisa's death within his nightmare. " Artina… I am Dracula… the darkness that has terrorized this land for years…" The Dark Lord looked away from the nun, thinking that by now, she hated him for who he truly was. "I am… something to be despised… someone that has taken countless lives."
"Vlad… I don't care who you are…!" Though shocked to hear the truth about his identity, Artina did not hate Dracula like he insisted but instead; she pulled him into a tight embrace. "Can't you hear my voice?" The nun's face was now stained with tears. "Since I met you… I've smiled many times… I don't know your pain, your past… but now… it's not important… I can't pretend they never happened, but don't be imprisoned by them!"
"Artina… I…" Dracula didn't know what to say, seeing Artina's sincere declaration and her tears melted the Dark Lord's heart. "I am the Prince of Darkness…"
"Vlad… don't hate yourself." Artina looked deeply into Dracula's eyes before holding his hands. "Know that I… love you." The nun blushed as she held the Dark Lord close to her. "Please… never forget that… my Prince of Darkness." The pink haired woman kissed the silver haired vampire lovingly, showing her true feelings for him.
"I'm no longer alone…" Dracula thought as he returned Artina's kiss, knowing now that he had truly fallen in love with the nun, not because she was like Lisa, but because she was who she was. "I will be reborn… into a life where my hatred towards God and Mankind… doesn't exist."
Back to the present Valvatorez concluded his narration of how Dracula met and had fallen in love with Artina, hoping that the explanation would satisfy Fuka and Desco.
"See now, Lasses." Valvatorez nodded as he finished his explanation to Fuka and Desco. "Dracula and Artina were in love, and that love was strong enough for him to renounce that hatred of his."
"So, what happens next? Don't get me wrong… I'm still taking Soma for myself!" Though Fuka still staked her claim on the white haired youth, she was genuinely interested in what had happened between Dracula and Artina, having a profound fixation on love stories. "But this is so touching!"
"Desco wants to now more too!" Desco waited eagerly for Valvatorez to continue his story, though like Fuka, she had no intention to give Soma up to Artina, the Supposed Final Boss wanted to know how the story ended.
"Where are you in all this, Valvatorez? Didn't you tell us about your history with Artina?" Emizel asked, confused as to why the Tyrant was suspiciously absent from his own story.
"Even the Dark Lord himself is weak to that woman… she is formidable in that sense…" Fenrich sighed as he thought of how both Dracula and Valvatorez were heavily affected by Artina's presence in their lives.
"In time, I will explain my presence, rascal." Valvatorez smiled at Emizel before turning his attention to Fuka and Desco, intent on telling them about Dracula and Artina's story. "But, lasses, it's sad to say that their love didn't last forever, and Dracula's burning hatred for God and Mankind would return with a vengeance" The Tyrant yawned, exhausted from the tiring day. "But, it's getting late; I'll tell you the rest of the story tomorrow."
"Dammit! Just when the story was getting good..!" Fuka crossed her arms and pouted, wanting to hear the rest of Dracula and Artina's tragic love story.
"Desco really wants to know what happens next…" Desco sighed, feeling like she was left hanging when the story reached the start of the romance between Dracula and Artina.
"Hey!" Soma yelled from the distance, having heard some bits and pieces of Valvatorez's story. "Are you explaining all this?! Dammit I missed it! I want to know just what the hell is going on!" The white haired youth struggled against Artina's grip, but to no avail, but then, he saw the Thief Angel's love filled eyes and he calmed down. "Artina…"
"Vlad… I love you so much." Artina held Soma close to her, feeling that she was reunited with the love she had lost for centuries and this time, she had no intention to let go of him again.
Author's note: The first half of my two chapter one-shot is done! This is an experimental story that will serve as the prototype of my newest story idea, Castlevania: Promise of Sorrow, which will star Soma and the main cast of Disgaea 4! I feel a story like this had to be written since the backstory of Valvatorez, Nemo and Artina was a giant love letter to Castlevania, Symphony of the Night! Another draft of this story had Alucard and Artina as a pairing and another story idea of mine, Castlevania: Sinful Reincarnation stars Soma and Rozalin as the lead characters, with Dracula and Zenon's relationship dictating theirs! Depending on how this story is received, this will become a full story! And stay tuned for new chapters of The Traitor's Bloodline coming soon especially Dante Arc D2! For this story, I used Hector and Rosaly's relationship in the Castlevania Curse of Darkness manga for inspiration. This human interpretation of Dracula is an idea I got from playing Aria of Sorrow and Symphony of the Night.