Written for an icon meme challenge for Mortenuvoa. Spoilers for the end of Lament of Innocence.


"No! You must use more wrist! If you continue in this manner, you will never master it!"

Leon crossed his arms and frowned at his son.

"I am exhausted father. Can we not stop for the day?"

"I will not be around forever, Julius. Someone will have to take up the Vampire Killer and fight against the darkness."

Julius grumbled and turned back to practice with the whip.

"What did you say?" Leon snapped.

Julius didn't answer and continued to practice with the whip.

Leon marched up and grabbed Julius' arm. "Tell me, son."

Julius looked up at his father. "I was only wondering why your children must suffer for your feud with Matthias!" Julius shouted. He struggled out of his father's grasp and continued at his practice.

For several minutes there was only the crack of Julius' whip.

"Julius, stop. We will take a break."

Leon sat down and patted the ground beside him. Julius slowly sat down beside his father. Leon reached into his bag and pulled out a fresh, rosy apple. He began to cut it up with his knife, alternatively handing a slice to Julius and eating a slice himself.

"Tell me, Julius, do you sleep well at night?"

"Well, yes I do."

"Have you ever worried about, say, a vampire choosing you to be her next victim? Or a werewolf rampaging through the town and tearing you to shreds?"

"Well...no."

"And why not?"

Julius swallowed the apple slice and looked up at his father. "Because you would take care of it. It's what you do."

"It is indeed. And tell me, do any of your friends have trouble sleeping at night? Do they fear the creatures of the darkness?"

"No. No one is afraid of them now. You can defeat them for us."

"Exactly. Nobody has trouble sleeping here. I stand against the darkness for them," Leon said. He leaned forward. "Now, imagine if all the children of the world could sleep well at night, knowing that there are no monsters out in the darkness to frighten them. Imagine that every father and mother can rest at ease, confident that nothing will happen to their children while they are sleeping. In fact, they do not worry because they do not believe that there are monsters are out there. Merely a story told to keep mischievouschildren in line."

"...That's quite a dream father."

Leon sighed. "Very true. But would not that be wonderful? The world has too many monsters to be frightened of in the daylight. And we will never be rid of them. If people could at least sleep easy at night, safe from the monsters they do not believe in..."

Julius took the last bite of his apple slice. He stood up slowly and picked up the whip.

"More wrist, you said father?"

Leon nodded and pulled another apple from his bag. "More wrist, son."