Ode of the End

Alexander had never in his pampered life of luxury run more then a half a city block. But now in his unlife he raced the streets of Tokyo-3 with a rage and fervor that was rare among the kindred. He raced the streets followed by the Harbingers of Moonrise to save Shinji. The old Tremere had never tried to go against the edicts and laws of the Masquerade but today, for Shinji, he would break every one of them save one. They reached the Geofront a little before sunrise. He was well aware that both a battle raged inside between the kindred and kine, he took a first tense step. When courage had found and molested him, he drew upon a deeper power for strength his love for people and the kine to push his feet onward. They continued.

The entrance reeked of gun smoke and blood. Oddly it was the blood of both kine and kindred as well as the Lilithspawn. He turned toward the Harbingers.

"My comrades of five hundred years of unlife. I ask you one more favor before I release you of the blood pact that you are bound by. I want you to kill anyone or anything. Kindred and kine alike if they hinder Shinji's escape to Unit 01. He must reach Unit 01 at all cost." he commanded with a sadness that could only be the parting of friends never to see each other again. All of them nodded as mysteriously as they would appear when he called them they vanished.

"Goodbye my harbingers," he muttered tears slowly making their way down his pale cheeks. He sniffed the air. The scents of the kine litter this place. The smells of death were more pungent but he broke through. He was looking for one in particular. There! His nose lead him to a doorway. Claw marks and sword slashes riddle the corridor walls. He raced downward. Bodies upon bodies laid there, small particles of ash once being mighty brethren filtered through his lungs and exhaled from his mouth. He tasted their last thoughts. Kill the kine. Evolve the Kindred. For the father Caine. Alexander need no more reason to continue he had one.

Alexander jerked a bit an explosion had rocked the building. Not only that the sounds of battle on the outside raged on. He saw this in his visions. Asuka's time was not long. Nor was the time long of dark embrace. Errors meant the end of all the things he planned for. He raced until he came over a catwalk leading to the adjacent block. The race seemed won until a figure stood barring his way.

"Your presence here violations the sacred laws of our kind. Leave and I will be lenient," the figure advised hold the hilt of the sword on his back, "Press on I will kill you." Alexander had enough of the Camarilla and there damn laws. He was older then the Camarilla itself and yet he obeyed like a fledgling. He knew what the prince was doing here. That too was seen in a vision. He wasn't about to let them change the course of evolution though it be a manufactured one; it was the one he believed in.

"I am going to ensure the future. I have no intentions of turning back!" he screamed continued onward.

"I the prince see that you are foolhardy enough to continued. I shall break you! Then I will make you watch as the kine's rule of the world comes to an end and the kindred embrace the future with fangs!" he screamed back swing his sword at where he was going to be. The Tremere employed the protection the cape on his back.

"So that is why a weakling like you could survive the ages. You mastered the steel cloth. I will enjoy killing you now."

"Shut you, you whelp! I have more important conflicts to attend to." Alexander slashed at him with the cloak and the prince dodged releasing a shockwave from his blade as he jumped back. Alexander sought shelter within his cape. The prince's blade came down on top of it several times before he could escape and launch an attack of his own. The sight and sound was the same as if they were standing a forge instead of a highly sophisticated construct.

The prince pounded religiously on the cape hoping to crack it somehow. But before it could hit him it was too late. He frenzied at the thought of crushing one of the highly beloved leaders of the most rebellious clan in the Camarilla. He was into that he ignored all his other sense and gave priority to his vision so he may enjoy the sight of killing him. Unnoticed by the deafened senses of the prince…blood had become to flow toward them. Pooling underneath the cloak and focused around his feet, Alexander used a secret spell. A fist made of blood had knocked him off the catwalk. Alexander emerge from his shell long enough to see the prince disappear down the darkness. He stumbled as before when he performed the Thaumaturgy, he mastered the deeper arts before mastering the basics. Something as complicated as blood packs wouldn't wind him. But conforming blood a fist drained him as if he were a fledglings.

"Ikari!" he heard the Lilithspawn exclaim in his mind.

"The time was drawing near," he thought continuing once he regained control of his legs. He sniffed the smell of Passion No. 34 was weak by comparison to the aroma of copper and smoke but his memory knew that a particular bridge bunny wear that very same perfume all the time. "Even in the middle of a crisis she is able to aid me," he laughed to himself, "Good job Maya. I will make everything right."

He followed the scent of the Lt. Ibuki's perfume to the Bridge. He made it just in time to see…the fusion of the Lilithspawn and Lilith's body into Mother grow to epic sizes. He gazed along the room most of the bridge's occupants were corspes of fallen employs of the two warring factions Nerv and Seele, the remotely living one were too busy praying to god or some deity for this to be a dream. He wanted it to be as well but he was to firmly rooted in reality. He turned to the monitor and let out a gasp as he saw what Shinji, or rather Shinji in Unit 01, now had in his hand. The Lance of Longinus was now in the hands of a kindred. With this he could perform the dark embrace, igniting the black Sabbath and the condemning the kine with a order of kindred so powerful and strong that they will be nothing more than cattle. Damning the world with the legendary age of eternal night. Or he could follow the plan of third impact and make a future for everyone at once.

He resolved that he need to speak to Shinji and fast. But he remember that the kine turned off the audio speakers from his vision. Only Maya knew how to work them now that Ritsuko is dead. He turned to Maya who was cowered in the corner weeping. He rushed to her side.

"Maya listen to me. Maya I need to you tell me how to talk to Shinji. How do I turn the audio speaker on after lockdown?" he asked pleadingly, he was trying to not use his powers if he didn't have to.

"It is over. Our world is over. The nightmares will come back," she cried into her hands, "I helped them. I helped you. I helped you make the monsters stronger. I am going to hell. I am going to hell for my sins."

"Listen to me Maya. I am not here to give the kindred the future…I will make a future where kine and kindred no…where everyone can be happy. But I need to know how to instruct Shinji. How can I reach him?" he begged, he silently prayed that she sensed his moods as she always had.

Maya sniffed and slid the portable terminal closer to her. She typed in the mobile access code. Alexander nodded and stood. Shinji's snarling and growling filled the area. Maya covered her ears and tried to remain from weeping; everyone else simply stared. Shinji didn't look human at this moment…nor did he look anything akin to any kindred tribe. He was in the purest form ever…he was Caine…he became liken to god with the only weapon that could kill a god in his hands.

Alexander took the comm and with his most sincere voice and pleading tone he begged, "Shinji it is me. Listen I know everything. I knew everything. I knew it from moment I embraced you. I am sorry I lied but I couldn't I just couldn't. You must make sure that the kine…no….that humanity has a future that is the only way. If the kindred take the future in their hands we will kill ourselves and our change for salvation." Shinji's eyes then his face made slow movements towards the screen.

"Bro…th,,,er," he spoke, Shinji's voice was tense. His ordeal had taken its toll and now.

"Yes Shinji. I need you to continue with it. For everyone's sake. For everyone happiness and salvation I ask you endure. Endure it just a little longer." On the screen, he watched Shinji raise the Lance and prepare to impale himself.

"that is it," he muttered inaudibly, "just a little longer….." Alexander felt a sharp object pierce his heart. He looked and before he went limp, the prince's blade exited the wound. Shinji screamed stopped his course and forced Unit 01 into Mother's arms with it's mouth gaped; fangs blazing. All sound faded as death came toward him like a torrent. The last thing he saw before the prince's blade cut him down was Shinji's embracing Mother. A single tear dropped as his head rolled and everything reduced to dust.

Kindred now held the future by the hand and was leading it to destruction.

Alexander looked up from his chair. He had another vision. But the meaning of this one was unclear. Just like the other ones he had been having of late. Skeith held a goblet of blood for his master to drink. As the coppery smell filled his lungs he bade him away. He didn't require. He, a soothsayer for the Camarilla, required a soothsayer to explain his visions. He tugged the cloth bookmark of the book he was read then napping on to his page. He looked at the grandfather clock on his right. Simply seven at night. The sun was setting and moonrise was going to be something to behold tonight. Alexander couldn't take his mind off the vision. He didn't like this. Both Camarilla and Anarch scholars have been saying that things have been pointing to Gehenna, the end of nights. But how did it involved the kine…or rather a kine young. He snapped his finger and Magus appeared with a crystal-clear basin of water. He nodded as the phantom sat it in front of him and took the book away.

He looked deep into the water. "I order you, Innis, to show me my clansman Ludo." The water swirled before the image of another appeared in it.

"Ah…Master Alexander…how are this fine evening?" Ludo asked ever-cheerful.

"I am well. My visions have…I wish to speak with you in person," he said flatly.

"I see. Yes there are something that can't be said over the water mirrors. Your eyes are like rubies tonight…I take it that your visions are…troubling of late. You needn't answer. To be honest I was about to beckon for right before you did. I wonder…if what I have to say and what you have say…relate. No matter my friend now I will make arrangements…there is a public festival…many of the kine will be around so finding it will be not be difficult for you."

"Yes…I understand," he smiled weakly, "Ludo…I would believe you Toreador had I been there at your embracing."

"Ha…your insight seem a might suspect if you ask me," Ludo quipped before the mirror's image fade, "Be there within the hour."

A/N

I thought I start this one off in the end with a vision and work my way up to it. I figure I alter the Tremere as well as the Camarilla a bit. Tremere are famous for bind spirits and servants for different reasons. But they will have at least one servant that conducts their water mirror. While other clans use the whisper and waste their strength doing so. Tremere mingle with other clans but only share magical secret to clan members. Also they take on some of the traits of other clans. You will see some cases of it. The clan elders may embrace at anytime without permission from the Prince. Everyone else must ask. Clan leaders for each clan is decided differently. But the only ones you will see is the Tremere obliviously, Toreador, and the Gangrel. I plan to have all the Masquerade clans in this either helping or hindering Gehenna.