Brotherhood, Love and Battle

by VampyDfan86

VHD/Castlevania Cross. My first. Let me know what you think. Sorry about the closeness of the text. Summary: Alucard hates his brother D, but will need him to get through the hardest times of his life.

*** I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS. D AND RELATED CHARACTERS ARE OWNED BY HIDEUKI KIKUCHI. ALUCARD AND RELATED CHARACTERS ARE OWNED BY KONAMI INC. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS STORY ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION FIRST!!***

Prologue This story takes place in the distant future. The year is 12095 A.D. Many years have gone by since Alucard put Dracula back into his tomb. He has made his love, Maria, into a Dunpeal, a half vampire, half human, so that she would live forever. Alucard is also a Dunpeal. His father is Count Dracula and his mother was a human. Alucard began to settle down with Maria after giving up his life as a hunter. He thought his life would be peaceful, but he was wrong."

Chapter 1 Part 1: The Great Fear

Alucard here. Many years have gone by since I last defeated my father. He usually rises every one hundred years, but after I put him back into his sleep, he has only risen four more times. After that, he wasn't heard from again. That was good news for me. When I was a lad, I used to love my father. I wanted to be just like him in every way when I grew up, except for one thing. I wanted to be greater than him. That part of my life changed after my mother was murdered. My child mind matured after that one incident. Villagers burned my mother at the stake, fearing that she was a witch. She was innocent. I knew that back then, and I know that now. She was only trying to prepare medicine for an ill person. My father was powerless to stop it. You would think that Dracula is powerful and could do almost anything. For days after my mother's death, I asked myself how he could just let her die. He loved her so much. Why didn't he help her? As the years went by, I slowly saw his true colors. He had no reverence for mortals, even though he was once one himself. His heritage was in their blood, yet he killed them without mercy. I confronted him, but what could my words have done? So, I ran away. I tried hard to fit in among mortals, but it wasn't possible. They know what I was as soon as they looked at me. Despite being half-human, I am also half-vampire. My skin is so white, that people even mistake me for a vampire. I was soon at war with myself. I hated who I was and hated vampires. I wanted them dead, but most of all, I wanted Dracula dead. I eventually teamed up with Trevor Belmont. The Belmonts are the legendary family of vampire hunters. Trevor put Dracula back into his grave. Then, when he rose again, I took him on myself. I had help from Maria and Richter Belmont. After Castlevania, Dracula's castle, was destroyed, I settled down with Maria in a little house on the outskirts of a small town. She told me of her feelings and wanted me to give her some of the blood that coursed through my veins. Richter didn't want that. Even though we were friends, he didn't want her to be a part of what he had killed all of his life. Later, Richter was killed by werewolves while hunting a group of vampires. Also, I yearned for blood, but wouldn't let my vampire half take control. Maria asked again if I could give her the blood since Richter was gone, and I agreed. We spent years together, happy and alone. I would have rather spent those years with her than to be totally alone. I hated myself and she hated herself. For awhile, we hunted vampires together, until we decided to settle down. You may be wondering how we could live for eternity if we aren't one hundred percent vampire. Since we are half-vampire, we never age or die. There is a setback though, and it has to do with being part human. We can die, but only if we are killed. So here I am, sitting in my living room, penning this tale. The account that I am going to tell you has already taken place. As I look back on these events I tell you this story truthfully. I have to say that my life has changed after these events. I really don't know where to begin, but I can guess that I should begin a few nights before the action started. Maria and I lived in Transylvania, a region in Romania. This is the home of my father, and perhaps the birthplace of the vampire race. I was sitting down reading a book when Maria, who was at the window, called me. "Alucard! Look at the sky." Normally, the sky would have been a pink and purple mixture. Those were the usual colors of twilight. This sky was different. It was a dark, dark red with smoke lingering around in the air. Maria looked into my eyes with an expression of fear printed inside of them. I knew what she would say before the words even formed on her lips. "You don't think that this means that." I cut her off. "No! This hasn't happened in hundreds of years, and it won't happen now." "How can you be so sure? Perhaps this shall be the worst one yet." "Don't think like that, Maria. It can't happen. The Belmont's made sure of that. Anyway, my job is done. I shall do no more." With that said, I just sat down and began reading. I was too afraid to admit then and there that she was right. Something was wrong that night. The sky foretold the coming of evil. "You have been sitting there all day with that book. You didn't even help me with the chores. Now, let's go clean the outside of the house." I quietly obeyed her. I didn't feel like protesting. There was too much going through my mind. I kept on telling myself that I would have felt this evil coming. Yet, I had doubts. I told myself this just to ease my mind. It was almost completely dark before we began our chores. For twenty minutes, none of us said anything. We just worked. Then, Maria screamed. I was by her side in a second. "What happened, Maria?" "Alucard, it's and omen. An evil omen is before us!" She first pointed to a black cat making itself at home on our porch. Then, her finger moved to the window where she was cleaning a moment before she screamed. It seemed that out of no where, a bat was engraved into the glass. "Let's get inside." I picked her up and quickly brought her inside. I laid her upon the sofa and then locked every door and window of our home. I began to sense that she seen my fear, so I tried to cover it up by sitting in the opposite chair to the sofa, and reading my book again. I merely pretended to read, turning pages every so often. My mind was on the bat and the possible meaning for what just happened. "What do you think that meant, Alucard?" Maria asked. I didn't really want to answer her. To tell you the truth, I didn't even know what it meant myself. However, what I feared, I would not tell her. "I am not sure, Maria. I just can't say. It could just be our imagination. We fear something that we aren't even sure about. Let's just settle down and let time tell us our answer." She sat up quickly and an angry expression came across her face. "You think that this was just our imagination, Alucard? How could both of us have imagined the same thing? There are dark omens and powers at work here, and you know it. Why don't you just tell me what you are thinking?" She got me. She seemed to have read my mind. "I wish that I could tell you what is on my mind. I wish I knew what to make of all of this myself. Maria, let's not waste out time worrying about this." "You are asking me to sit back and just watch what happens when both of our lives could be in danger? If that is what you ask, then I just can't." She was so loyal and loving. She had a devotion to duty and I knew that if the danger came to us, she would fight. We dropped the subject then and there because I just didn't respond. I prayed that I was right not to worry. Maria and I went to sleep easily that night, most likely because we were exhausted. Not even sleep could prepare us for what was to come.

Chapter 2

We awoke early in the morning, and Maria made breakfast. After eating, I didn't want to leave Maria alone, but I had to. I wanted to get the local newspaper. Since half-breeds weren't allowed into town, I just dressed up in a cloak with a hood, and wore gloves. No one questioned me whenever I wore this. Maria agreed to let me go only if I would be back quickly. I promised, and left her quickly. The sun's rays hurt my eyes and warmed my skin fast. All half-breeds suffer from heat syndrome. If we were in the sun too long, we would die. If we began to feel symptoms while outside, then we would have to bury ourselves to stay alive. I crossed the town border and went to a little stand owned by an old man. I quickly picked up a paper and placed a few coins on the counter. I left to return to Maria. No one ever realized what I was. What I was to them was a monster. If they had seen me, it would have been chaos. Maria was glad to have me back. I found her curled up on the sofa with her eyes tightly shut. She was afraid. She ran to me and squeezed me tightly. She would not let go until we got into the kitchen. We sat down at the table as I began to unfold the paper. The headline startled us:

10 FOUND DEAD IN TOWN ALLEY Story on page 47 I looked at Maria and she poked my arm. It was a silent way of telling me to turn to the story. So, I did. We both read the article silently: "Ten people were found dead in Dragon Alley late last night. Town police do not have a suspect or a motive for these brutal murders. The town is shaken by the rumors surrounding these killings. Police captain James Doe released a statement describing how the victims were killed. "All ten victims were found almost fully drained of blood, and each had two small puncture wholes on their necks." No more information concerning the victims was released except that nine were females and one was a male. Townspeople fear that vampires are moving back into the town and that yesterday's blood red sky foreshadowed their coming. If more information is released, we shall bring it to you in the later edition.."

Maria looked up at me in shock. "Alucard, perhaps they were just a few passing vampires? It had to be more than one. One vampire could not have taken the blood of all ten people, unless that vampire was." "Stop it, Maria! That isn't the case. You were probably right. They were just a group of passing vampires." She didn't talk for another twenty minutes. Then she said, " I shall never be satisfied unless I know the truth. We have to go to Dragon Alley today and look for clues. I shall only be satisfied if I know that they truly were just a passing group."

I didn't want this to happen. The vampire we fear usually left his mark where he did his dirty work. I had no choice though. She kept on insisting even though I told her that it wasn't a good idea. I wasn't just telling her that to protect her; it wasn't a good idea. If someone found us looking around there, they would get suspicious. Even worse, they could find out that we were Dunpeals. People hated us so much, that they even have laws that banned our kind from being among humans. If they caught us there, the police may think that we killed the ten, and then we would be as good as dead ourselves. Even though we are half-human, we still can have fangs when we yearn for blood. That yearning can lead to killing an innocent person and drinking their blood. However, after that one taste, you become a bloody thirsty monster. You might as well be called a vampire then. Maria and I made sure that our identity was hidden, and we took the back path to enter the town. We seemed to slip into Dragon Alley unnoticed. I was thankful, but it wasn't time to celebrate just yet. We weren't home safe and sound. "Look over there!" Maria exclaimed. She ran and picked up a cloak that was behind a garbage can. The outside was black and the inside was blood red. "Alucard, this looks like his cape, doesn't it?" "Any vampire can have a cloak. It doesn't have to be his. You and I both know that." Maria got up and tripped on the lid of the can. It made a loud clanking noise. We looked at each other with wide open eyes and stood still. We hid in the shadows as a few people gathered in the alley. One of their eyes fell upon me. "Stranger, what are you doing in this alley? A crime occurred here just last night. You shouldn't be in here. State your name now." I gulped, and decided that if my name could have been anything but Alucard, I would have liked Thomas. "My name is Thomas." I said. "Well, Thomas, do take off that cloak of yours. Why do you wish to hide your face?" Another voice came into the air. "He has a girl with him." said a woman. Maria jumped at the woman's words. She landed next to me and her arms went around my waist. She always seemed to be comforted by hugging me. The cry of the words "Monsters!" and "Murderers!" filled the air as my worst fear came true. I grabbed Maria's hand, and we both ran for our lives. We ran quicker than any human, and that helped our chances of escaping. Soon, we were back in our home and no one seen us enter it. "That was too close", Maria said. "I definitely agree with you. I told you that it was a bad idea. I didn't say that just because I didn't want to go with you. I won't be able to go into town again. They shall be looking for us now." "We need that paper tomorrow, no matter what." she said, with a fiery determination in her eyes. Dusk came quicker than I would have thought. I couldn't believe that all of that time elapsed. Even Maria found it strange. Sooner than ever, it was time to go to bed. As we lied on the bed together, Maria looked into my eyes and stroked my hair. "Do you think that the danger has passed, my love?" she asked. "I hope so, but I can't promise you anything at all." Dawn soon came, and our morning ritual was repeated. Maria made breakfast and after it was done, she begged me not to leave her alone for long. I had to get that paper and see the follow up story. I dressed in a different cloak and made my way to the town. I decided to use my speed to swipe a paper, and leave money on the counter, and making sure that no one seen me do it. Waiting for the pivotal moment was harder than I thought, and it took more time than I imagined. When the moment came, I performed flawlessly. I returned to Maria, who again had her arms around my waist all the way to the kitchen where we sat down. The headline today was even more shocking than yesterdays ANOTHER 10 DEAD IN DRAGON ALLEY. IS THERE A CONNECTION OR A COPYCAT HERE? Story on page 2 I turned the page and read this article to a shocked Maria: "As the sun set, a group of screams filled the air of Dragon Alley. When police arrived at the scene, ten victims lay dead. Townspeople are now staying indoors, fearing this to be the work of vampires. When asked if this was the work of the same killer, police captain James Doe stated, "It isn't likely that a copycat performed these murders. This time around, the victims weren't fully drained of blood, but all ten had the same puncture wounds on the neck. All were females." Even more shocking was what police found at the scene. A huge "D" was engraved in the concrete, with a huge drawing of a bat around it. Apparently, the killer has left his mark. Police Commander Johnson commented, "This man had the nerve to commit these murders in the same place, and even leave his mark. Yet, the PD has no clue as to who he might be or what his motive is."

We were left speechless. He had the nerve to leave his mark there. How terrible was this killer? "Is there a drawing of the marker?" she asked. "Hold on. I'm not done with the article just yet." "Yesterday, two half-vampires were spotted in Dragon Alley looking at the first murder scene. Police do not think that they could be involved, but want to find them anyway. The male gave his name, which was Thomas. However, these two got away, and no one seen where they headed after they left the town boundaries. We will keep you posted in tomorrow's edition." "Yes, Maria. Here are the pictures." I handed her the paper. "OH NO! Look at that bat around the "D"! It was just like the one around our window." Maria yelled. She was almost crying as I took the paper from her to have a look. She was right. "This can't be. I am afraid to say this. This can only mean that he is back. Dracula's back and wants revenge!"

Chapter 3 Part 2: The Return

"Alucard, he is back. He must be coming to kill us." "I don't think he knows that we are here. I have never known my.Dracula to come back just to kill two people." "Alucard, you don't have to call him by his name. No matter if you hated him or not, he is your father, and you loved him deeply once." Those words stung my heart. I recalled when I was a child. He used to be my idol. I didn't comment. Something inside of me clicked. Dracula wasn't shy. He would have engraved his full name, not an initial. As I looked at the picture of the engraving in the paper, I thought of him. From that moment, I believed to myself that Dracula wasn't to blame here. However, I felt that the one who I thought was to blame couldn't have killed twenty people. It wasn't like him. By his reputation, he would have killed twenty vampires instead of twenty humans. As these thoughts ran through my head, Maria kept on talking. I wasn't really listening, but it had something to do with what we could do to make sure that Dracula never found us. "You aren't paying the slightest attention to a word I'm saying are you?" she asked. "I've been thinking, that's all." "Well, we can think together, Alucard." "I am sorry, Maria, but I don't think that Dracula is the one to blame here." She looked at me as if I had gone mad. "How can you say that? All the signs point to this truth." She didn't end the conversation, and just continued. "Whenever Dracula arises, Castlevania appears out of no where. It is usually on a hill, in a remote area. To be sure, we must go looking for the castle through the forest. Are you with me?" "Do I have any choice? This is ALL madness." She looked at me. Her gaze pierced my eyes and seemed to go through my very soul, if in fact I had a soul. "What ever happened to that strong and determined man that I met so many years ago when I went in search of Richter? When did that man die, and who now sits in front of me in his form?" She was right. I wasn't who I used to be. The hunter in me died when I realized that there were much better things in life to do, even if I was considered a monster by humans. "Maria, after you told me that you loved me, something happened to me. I was a hunter who never knew what love was, or what it felt like to be in love. The only thing I knew was the life of a hunter. While leading that life, I was alone, and I learned to accept that. I saw it as the only possible life for me. That changed the day you said, "I love you." There was much more to live for. I didn't want to die alone anymore, and if I continued the life of a hunter, that is where I would end up." She dropped the subject of me, but continued to talk about Castlevania. "You must help me find it. If it is here, then we know that he has awakened." "So, if we find the castle, what would that do?" She thought for a moment. "That means that with or without your help, I shall put Dracula back in his grave." For some reason, I just knew that she was going to say that. She was crazy, and I told her that. "I have Belmont blood in my veins, and with that blood comes the skill and determination of a hunter. I will not rest if I know that he is alive. I will go with or without your help, but without it would make my job harder." Looking at her at that moment, I knew that she was serious. She would go and kill Dracula, even if it meant dying herself. I knew that I had to go with her to find the castle. Oh, this wasn't going to be easy! We left just before sundown. We covered our faces, and dressed in green so that we would blend in well with the forest. I made sure that we were side by side. She kept her arm around my waist the whole time. I knew that if Dracula had indeed risen, he would have his minions here to keep Castlevania safe from intruders. We were quiet until she spoke, "He picked the perfect time to arise. There are no more Belmonts around. Don't you see? We have to put him in his grave." I didn't understand why she said that there were no more Belmonts around when she was one. What did she mean? I didn't decide to question her. By the time we reached a clearing, the moon had rose high above us. We picked the wrong night. There was a full moon out, and just as I noticed it, a wolf howled out. The sound pierced the calmness of the night air, and Maria jumped a bit. "There may be werewolves out tonight. Stick close; it's a good thing that I brought my sword." "Alucard, you haven't used a sword in so many years that I can't even count them! Do you know what you are doing?" "It's the only weapon that we have." "You're wrong." She looked at the side of her hips and pulled her cloak away to reveal the legendary whip wielded by members of the Belmont clan. "Richter gave me one before he left for his mission and never came back. It was almost as if he gave it to me because he knew that he was going to die." I smiled, and we stepped forward, but I stopped suddenly. The wind was not blowing, yet there was some rustling in the bushes. I pulled out my sword, and told Maria to stand behind the nearest tree. Everything became quiet. Even the insects made no noise. I turned to go toward Maria when a huge werewolf jumped at me from behind the bushes. I turned and swung my sword. It sharply grazed the beast's shoulder and it yelped in agony. This infuriated it. He swung his giant paw at me. I tried to block it, but I wasn't quick enough. The sharp claws ripped through my clothes and my skin. In a few seconds, blood stained the earth as I fell down. The werewolf was ready to kill me when Maria threw forward the whip. It seemed to electrocute the beast. As it was regaining its strength, I could hear hoof beats coming closer and closer. Suddenly, a black horse with a rider dressed all in black came forward, stabbed the werewolf in the head, and vanished into the trees as quickly as he had come. He looked like the one I knew. Then, my vision was clouded, and I blacked out.

Chapter 4

I woke up again him my bed, and Maria was at my side. She bandaged my wounds and was watching me sleep all the while. She kissed me and said, "You know that you had me worried there, Alucard. You seemed to have lost your fighting touch." I didn't argue. Even though I wasn't a day older from when I met Maria, I hadn't fought since then. Then, I remembered the man. "Maria, who was that man who saved us last night? I didn't see who he was." "Apparently he was just some good Samaritan. He didn't stop. All I know is that he was dressed in tight black leather and a black hat. He had the most magnificent sword! Everything seemed to happen in a flash. We are in debt to him though." I kept on telling myself, "It can't be him. It just can't." A few days past, and my wounds healed very well. Maria was an excellent nurse, with love as her medicine. She changed my bandages daily and wouldn't let me get out of bed for a second. "Maria, I have a plan. I haven't changed into mist for a very long time, and I don't know if I can. You don't have these powers, but I can go and search for the castle. I can go unharmed." "Very well, I can stay here. I will just lock all the doors and windows." I left quickly and found it easy to change my form. At least that skill didn't leave me. I ascended over the forest and moved quickly about. Soon, I was passed the distance that we traveled a few nights ago. In the distance, I saw a huge hill that would be a terrible ordeal for a human to climb. I quickly glided over and found another huge clearing surrounded by the hills on all sides. In this clearing stood Castlevania. Dracula was back, and this time, he meant business. I surveyed the land around the castle and found various torture devices all around the grounds. Hopefully, we weren't his targets. Then, something caught my eye. On top of the hill was the rider that saved Maria and I. As I was about to move in to get a better look, his horse flew with lightning speed down the hill. It was amazing how the horse didn't trip. It seemed like he knew that I was approaching him. I decided to return to Maria. I found out what I needed to know anyway. I materialized once I was through the window. "Did you find anything?" she asked me. "I found it; I found Castlevania." "OH NO!" She sat down and put both hands on her forehead. I sat down to console her. "We can't go and fight him Alucard. We couldn't even defeat a werewolf. If we were as we were years ago, we could have gotten rid of that monster in less than a minute. We can't fight him alone, nor can we train. We didn't expect this!" "It's alright my love. Everything is going to turn out okay." I was just trying to comfort her. Everything was not okay, and it wasn't going to be okay. Something flew through the window Maria opened before. It was a rock, with a note. I turned on the light and unwrapped the paper from the rock. I read it out loud: "Dear Alucard, Greetings, my son. I have arisen, and I am sure that you even know where Castlevania stands. I assure you that I am not the same bloodthirsty vampire that you remember me to be. I merely kill to feed and survive. Those twenty I killed in Dragon Alley were only because I had just arisen and hadn't had blood for hundreds of years. I don't hold a grudge against you or the woman. I want to give us a chance to become father and son again. Please, bring the woman with you and don't be afraid. Come home to me so that we can talk. There is so much that I wish to tell you, my boy." ~D~

Maria was firm. "I will not go as long as there is breath in my body, and I most certainly will not see you go there. I will die before I let that happen!" "Don't worry. I am not going to go. At least not until I know that he is for real." "Alucard, he is a master of manipulation! Of course he is faking. You can't possibly think for one minute that he doesn't have a hidden motive for all this?" "No, I don't think that he does." She stopped arguing with me, and went up to bed. I came up to join her a half an hour later. She was already asleep. I couldn't sleep. I lay on my back and looked up at the ceiling. I had flashbacks of my childhood. A tapping against the window took me out of my daydream. When I turned to look at the window, I saw a bat there, looking into my eyes. A voice inside my head spoke to me. "Remember what you are boy. You are a half-breed, but you are the son of the Vampire King. You are more vampire than you know, and so is that woman next to you, since she shares your blood. Come back to me, my son." He flew away. Maria turned and screamed. I sat up quickly as she clung to me tightly, her nails digging into my skin. Had she seen him by the window? I highly doubted that, since he left before she even stirred. "I had a terrible dream, Alucard. You and I. we. we went to Dracula's castle. You believed that he was changed. He killed you first, and he let me watch. Then he didn't kill me, but he threw me in a cell." "Its okay, Maria." I stroked her hair and kissed her to calm her down. She seemed happy to know that I was so close to her. "I'm here, Maria. No one is going to hurt you." She pulled me back so that she could look into my eyes. "Alucard, promise me that you aren't going to even think about taking his offer." Her eyes had fear and desperation in them all at once. What else could I have done? I promised her. I held her close to me while she tried to fall asleep again so that she wasn't afraid. When she was fast asleep, I quietly got out of bed and pulled the curtains over the windows. Before I did that, I locked the windows and the door to our room. I climbed into bed next to her, and fell asleep.

Chapter 5

Dawn came quicker than I had hoped for. I wished that last night would never end and that everything that happened before was a dream. However, everything was horridly real. The promise that I made to Maria re- played in my mind. I saw her in my arms, frightened and afraid. I remembered the look in her eyes as she asked me to promise her. I looked over at her. She was still asleep. I quietly got up, dressed, and went downstairs into the living room. I picked up the letter from my father that I had thrown on the sofa as I sat down. I read it again. The words seemed to pierce my heart. It was hard to believe that he was sincere, after all that he had done. I tried to have an open mind and heart. Could I break the promise that I made to Maria? I love her too much to do that, but I have to find out about his sincerity. As I put the note in my pocket, the thought of the rider in black came to my mind. Perhaps that fiend has gone bad and is giving my father a bad name? No, Dracula clearly stated that he killed those people after hundreds of years without blood. Noise on the stairs startled me. Maria stepped into the living room. She yawned and stretched for a few minutes. "Why are you up so early, dear? I turned over only to find that you were not next to me." "I was just thinking about the rider that saved us. I wonder who he is, and why he didn't stick around to be thanked." "He must have been a Dunpeal hunter. All of them are said to keep to themselves." "That's what I don't understand, Maria. We are half-breeds too. Why didn't he talk to us?" "I don't know. It's no use worrying. He is gone now, and we thank him in our hearts." She made breakfast, and for the first time, we ate it in silence. Not once did we mention Dracula or the "unknown hunter." I didn't wish to tell her who he might be. I didn't want her to know my father's secret, even though I hated him. A promise is a promise, no matter if it is your enemy's promise that you have to keep. Before I eventually found out myself, my father didn't even want me to know it. The pain of finding out what I did still burned through my veins. I couldn't re-live it by telling her. As Maria cleaned up, she asked, "I think that we should practice fighting again. We could practice with each other. We will eventually get good again." "No, we could hurt each other, even though we wouldn't mean it. I couldn't risk hurting you." "But we must be able to defend ourselves just in case he does mean to hurt us. We need to be ready to take whatever he may throw our way. It's better to be safe than to be sorry." She was right in a way. Suddenly, a knock at the door sounded throughout the kitchen. Maria and I looked to each other. We both knew that no one usually ever came to our home. "It can't be HIM. You can open the door, it's daytime. He couldn't be here." Once she did, I heard her gasp. When I looked at who was at the door from the table, I seen a tall man in a hat and black cape. He was dressed in all black to be precise. He covered his face in the cloak. "You are the man that saved our lives a few nights ago." said Maria. He didn't say a word, but nodded slightly. Maria offered him a seat at the table and he took it without saying anything. I began to feel nervous. I could see that he had to be a Dunpeal. He was pale, but not as pale as I was. My father told me that night at the window that I was more vampire than I thought. Perhaps that meant that I was paler than other Dunpeals. "Sir, may I ask you your name?" asked Maria. He didn't answer for a few seconds, and when he did, he only said, "D." My eyes widened instantly, and my mouth may have fallen open. He was who I was hoping all along not to run into. This was D, a famous Dunpeal Vampire hunter. He is the son of Dracula and my half-brother. Our mothers are not the same. I hated him when I found out that he existed. I was a young Dunpeal, and couldn't believe that I was not an only child. From what my father said, D didn't like him from the beginning. He never fell in love because he hated who he was. He was totally devoted to what he did. "Why have you come back?" I yelled as I stood up. "Alucard, do you know him?" Maria asked. "Answer me D!" I yelled. He looked up, and said, "To teach you how to fight so that you can help me put Dracula back in his grave." A voice that didn't belong to any of us in the room suddenly spoke. "You want more than that!" "Silence!" yelled D. It was the parasite that was a part of D's left hand. He showed it to Maria, and she jumped back, a little scared. "Alucard, you didn't answer me before. Do you know D?" "Maria, I didn't want to tell you. It would have been too hard to live through the pain once again. D is Dracula's son, and my half-brother." Her eyes seemed to pop out of her head. She finally said, "You both hate Dracula, so why don't you like each other? You are brothers, and brothers are supposed to love each other!" I looked at D. "The trauma of finding out at a young age that I was lied to by a father that I adored still troubles me." I turned to D. "You said that your reason for being here was to teach me to fight so that I can help you destroy our father? You don't need to teach me to fight, I already know!" He didn't answer, and I knew that he wouldn't. D had a reputation for only saying important things when they needed to be said. He was quiet, had a magical appearance, and was beautiful in his own way. He was much more graceful than I was when I was a hunter, or am now. Finally, I said, "We won't need to hurt Dracula; he comes in peace. Look at this." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the letter and handed it to D. He took it, read it, and didn't say anything. "He isn't sincere is he D?" asked Maria. "WELL TELL THEM ALREADY!" yelled the parasite. D squeezed his left hand to smother the parasite's words. "I visited Dracula. I knew that he never stayed quiet for long. He offered to have a new life with me. I never accepted, but was kind to him. I found one of his notebooks during my stay. It was dated September 28. That was about a week ago. He wrote down that he wanted you and I dead, Alucard. And as for you, my lady, he wants you to be his Vampire Queen." "My dream, Alucard! My dream was true. He killed you, and threw me in a cell. Was I seeing the future?" "Not likely." D said. "His intentions are still unknown to me. I don't believe a word you say, D." I said. D's hand spoke to me, but D did not stop him unless he was out-of-line. "D has told me a lot about you and your heroic deed of saving the famous Richter Belmont. You hated your father and wished you could have found a way to get rid of him forever. Now, you don't want to help D stop him. Don't you see how he has you? He wants you to believe that he has changed. Then, he will get you. He will torture you and chop your." D put a glove on his left hand, and there was silence. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the parasite was right. He could kill me. I am weaker than I was the last time I came face to face with him. He probably wants to get rid of someone weak who could pose a problem to him later. "I need to get you back in the habit of sword fighting. You almost got killed fighting that werewolf. It was a good thing that I was around." said D. "D, can you teach me to use the magical whip the right way?" Maria asked. "I suppose. Let's go out right away." "We need to find a shady area first though." I reminded them. We couldn't afford to get heat syndrome now. That would not be good at all. D volunteered to find a spot out back. I stayed, getting things prepared with Maria. "He is such a beautiful man. Why doesn't he fall in love with a woman?" Maria asked me. "How should I know. I guess that he doesn't want to put another human on this earth with vampire blood in their veins. I know about him. He has loved, but never shown it. He loved a girl that he saved from the famous Count Magnus Lee. I believe that her name was Doris. I also heard stories that he was hired to save the famous Elbourne's daughter, Charlotte, from Meir Link. Turns out that Charlotte loved Meir, and even died during the fight. She showed the world that even vampires could love. Whether D fell in love with Leila, one of the Marcus Brothers, is still a mystery. She was the only survivor of the famous Brothers." We went out to join D. He found a nice spot under a huge oak tree. He drew his long and magnificent battle sword. I drew mine in turn. "Let's start with slow swipes." D said. Even though I wasn't again great with the sword, a child could have stayed alive if their opponent fought like this. Little by little, D quickened the pace. As we fought, I asked him, "D, you have such a great reputation. Why do you need me to fight Dracula with you?" We stopped. "Because he is my father, and yours. If I give in, you can kill him, or the other way around." "What do you mean by giving in? Giving in to what?" "A few days before, I have been scanning around the castle grounds." The parasite interrupted him. "I detected a spell that was cast to take affect around the grounds and all through the castle. Any Dunpeal that walks where the spell takes affect, shall thirst for blood and satisfy that thirst. Once one of you Dunpeals gets the taste of blood, you may become even harder to stop than a vampire." D continued, "That's right. If I fall to the spell, you must be able to take Dracula on. If you fall to the spell, then I must. Only one of us can be taken in by the spell. We must promise each other that if one of us falls to the spell, that we must kill the other." "I give you my word." "What about me?" asked Maria. "What if the spell affects me?" "Dracula has his eyes set on you. He would not make you fall. You could become a threat even to him if that happened, and I don't even mean a direct threat." said D. We continued to fight, and D was picking us the pace. I had forgotten some valuable survival tips. Never expose your back to the enemy. I did this several times, and D tapped me with his sword. "If this were a real fight, you would be as good as dead right now." He didn't need to remind me of that. I also lost my footing a lot, but never fell. We must have fought for a half-an hour straight. My hands were numb, and so was my entire body. I sank to the floor, breathing heavily. "That's enough for today." said D. He called his horse, and said that he would be back tomorrow. "D, please stay with us. We are in this together and should stay together." said Maria. "I don't usually stick around, but I shall. Only just in case Dracula tries to get you. Lock all your windows and pull the drapes in front of them. Never look at the windows while it's night, even if you can't see through them. Dracula can still draw you into his trance. His powers have grown over the centuries. When night came, Maria made dinner, and we all ate. "D, I know that I don't know you well at all. Maybe I shouldn't even ask you this." I knew where Maria was headed. "Did you ever love someone, D?" His head sank down. He was most likely remembering something painful. His hand stepped in. "Lady, do you know how many times this guy could have scored? He is such a." D put on his glove. He didn't answer, and it seemed like he wasn't going to. Five minutes passed in silence, and then he said, "I have had feelings for a woman before. You may have heard about Doris. I saved her from the famous Count Lee. She loved me as well, but I couldn't return it, even though I felt the same way. My life as a hunter comes first. We are Dunpeals. We don't get to have a normal life as others get to have, although you two seemed to have beaten this fact. Maria and I looked at each other, and then we joined hands. "I sense that she is not a Dunpeal by birth. Did you give her some of your blood, Alucard? You know that that was not wise, but both of you are happy and that is what matters." "Yes, I gave her the blood." "Do you plan on having children?" "We haven't even thought about those things yet." I said. "When I am ready, Alucard will know." Maria added. "You couldn't even be the uncle of our child. You can't settle down." My remark hurt him, and I was kind of sorry for saying it. He asked, "You would want me to be part of the family?" "Like it or not, we are brothers, and you would be the uncle of my child." I couldn't admit that I was growing fond of him. We finished dinner and spent the rest of the night talking about the past, present, and future. Then, it was time to go to bed. D was shown to the spare room that we had. As I left him, he said, "Maybe we can learn to be brothers, and even to love each other like brothers do." Maria and I climbed into bed. "Don't look at the window, dear." I told her. "I won't." " I was thinking about children ever since D mentioned it. Perhaps if we all live through this, we can start to have a real family." "I guess we can." She fell asleep quickly. Have children? I was a hunter at heart. I knew this. What if something called me back into action? When I settled down the first time, I thought that I wouldn't have to go back to my old lifestyle, but I was wrong. I couldn't risk getting killed and having my children never see me again! How would Maria be able to care for them on her own? I decided to concentrate on sleeping. There was no use in thinking about this now. The time was not right. I needed a good amount of sleep anyway. D was going to give us a lesson very early in the morning when the suns rays were not that intense.

Chapter 6

We all woke up early and went to the spot D found. We were shaded from the light and the heat. We drew our swords and started the battle. D didn't start off slowly this time, but at a medium speed. He then went faster and faster. I noticed that I was keeping up with ease. Maria cheered me as she looked on. "The hunter in you is coming back!" Instead of D fighting faster, I started to quicken the pace. I knocked his sword out of his hand, and he fell to the ground. I placed my sword to his neck to seal my victory. If he was my real enemy, that sword would have sliced his throat. I extended my hand to help him to his feet. "You have the essence of the hunter." said D. "I think that I still need to train. Perhaps you just stumbled and your guard was knocked off." "No, Alucard. Don't deny the hunter that is in you." D said. He was right. I remembered that day when I stood with Maria and Richter looking on at Castlevania as it fell. I loved her, and I just decided that the life of the hunter was not one for me. I never even worked for money! D just kills because it is how he makes his living. However, I don't doubt that he doesn't want to see vampires dead. "Maria, I believe that the whip you yield is the heirloom of the Belmont clan. The Belmonts were as well known as the Marcus Brothers. Richter was especially famous." "I can't use the whip on you to practice. I know the basics of how to use it. It could kill Dracula, right?" she asked. "Of course it would, if you use it right." "Alucard, Maria? We can't wait much longer. We must start our mission." D said. "D, is it possible that none of us will be affected by the spell?" asked Maria. "Of course it's possible. If the will is strong, then you can avoid the effect of any spell. That is why Alucard must believe in himself and in his ability. If he doesn't, then the spell will take hold of him. Then, I will have no other choice than to destroy him." "No, D! There must be another way." "I'm sorry, Maria. I didn't want to tell either of you, but you had to know. Alucard, tell me the truth; do you feel confident in your ability and in our mission?" I was just going to tell him the truth. "Well, my confidence in myself has increased, but even you know that a hunter can never be sure of the outcome of his mission." "Wise words, Alucard. I believe that you may be able to resist the spell." "When do we go, D?" asked Maria. "We start off toward the castle tomorrow, after Alucard's final lesson. I am going to be back in time for bed tonight. I need to get some supplies for our journey." We said good-bye to him and went inside to rest. "Alucard, you weren't faking out there, were you? Do you really feel that you can do this?" "Of course, Maria. I even have the famous Dunpeal hunter with me. How can we go wrong? Dracula is as good as dead. He won't have you. Don't worry, my love." She turned to the window and dried a tear that came to her eye in the hopes that I wouldn't see it, but I did. "Maria, you have to be strong as well. You must believe in yourself and in us. D and I shall not let you down." Then, I saw her tears flow. She did not try to hide them. Anyway, she couldn't hide them. She sank into the chair by the window. As I write now and look back to that moment, I wished that I had consoled her. I didn't. I just told her that she needed more faith in me. Time passed quickly and D came back quicker than it seemed. "I bought both of you horses so that we can move quickly." D said. "D, do you know how to change form?" I asked him. "What do you mean?" he asked in turn. "Do you have the ability to turn into mist, a bat, or a wolf?" Before his very eyes, I turned into all three and then back to myself. "I'm afraid that I don't know how to do that. I am just a hunter, not a shape shifter." "D, we aren't just ordinary hunters. We are the sons of Dracula, the Vampire King. We must use that to our advantage. Even though you don't have these abilities, your strength surpasses all." He didn't respond, but I could see that he agreed with me. We went to sleep early that night so that we would have a fresh and early start tomorrow. My life was going to change tomorrow, one way or another.

Chapter 7 Part 3: The Great Battle

We got up early again. D and I were now both experts at the sword. I attacked him with deadly and acute precision. We relaxed, and then got our horses ready for our adventure. Maria had a beautiful dress on. She mounted her snow white horse, and she looked so beautiful. D and I both admired her, although D didn't say a word. He mounted his usual jet black horse and took off his glove. "I thought that you would never take that darn thing off. I couldn't breathe at all!" said the parasite. "I am going to need you soon." said D. I mounted my chestnut horse and tugged on the reins. We were off. At that time, I didn't know where we were headed, whether it was towards life of death, I didn't care. I was going to fight. I was going to fight with all my might. Soon enough, we got to the clearing where I was attacked by the werewolf. D stopped, and so did we. "I know a short cut that can give us the element of surprise. He knows that we are coming, and he believes that we are going to use the straight path. This road is going to be rocky, but the horses can manage. We rode on, but this time at a slower pace. The forest seemed to become thicker. Trees and bugs were everywhere. Maria became nervous, and I pulled my horse beside hers, so that we were side by side. D led the way, since he knew where he was going. I felt bad that Maria had to endure this, but what choice did we all have? We came to another clearing, and a feeling that I couldn't describe was overpowering me. Maria felt something too. D told us what we needed to know. "Feel strong and confident about yourselves. Before we go on, cleanse your minds of any doubts that you may be having. We are entering the boundaries of the spell and are nearing the castle. It won't be more than ten minutes now. We are going to be lucky enough to get there before sundown. That will give us some time to look around." Maria couldn't help the doubts, but I could see that she cleared them from her mind. Her eyes told her story. They told you what and how she was thinking. We seemed never to be going uphill, and I asked D why. "You know of the usual way. The short cut takes us straight to the door of Castlevania." Suddenly, the noises of the forest ceased to fill the air. Birds stopped singing, and insects made no noise. Even the air seemed to stand still. D dismounted, and we followed. "Alucard, take as many weapons as you can without being uncomfortable. Maria, you do the same." "The air around this castle is nothing compared to inside. Please D, turn around! I don't want to have to be on my own. I can't die. I am too young to die!" said the parasite. "We must go, and you know that as well as I do." D drew his sword and I copied. Maria had her hand on the whip at her side just in case she needed to use it quickly. We walked close together, and listened around us for the slightest sound. "I am going to run for the door. When I run, you two run with me. Stay as close to me as you can." said D. We both nodded. He stopped, and then darted for the door. We followed. As he swung it open we entered. It seemed as soon as the door was opened, it was closed again. The castle was well lit. Light danced off the walls. Castlevania was different each time that Dracula came back. It changes with the times, and with its master. D said that we needed to find Dracula's resting chamber before sundown. If we didn't, Dracula would send his horrible creatures of death after us. "We still have the element of surprise. Let's not lose that. We have two hours to find his chamber." "I'm afraid that we are going to have to split up. Alucard, take Maria and explore the west part of the castle. I'll take the east. Meet back here in an hour and a half to report your findings." We parted with well wishes. D then reminded us that if we found Dracula's resting place, that we were not to do anything without him. We went through a few doors. I made a mark on each door with my sword. That way, I could easily find my way back to the meeting area. We soon entered the library, and I detected another life form here. The being was seated in a chair behind a desk. He turned in the chair as he felt our presence. "Master Alucard! You have returned!" he said. It was the Master Librarian. He was Dracula's loyal friend, but helped me for a price in my previous quest to destroy him. "Hello, Master. It has been a long time." "A long time indeed. Wait a minute. This young woman looks so very familiar. Ah, Maria Belmont! You are a Dunpeal now I see. You were a mortal when I last saw you. So, you gave her the blood Alucard. I thought that my Master was joking when he said that he wanted to have Maria as his Queen." "Master, I need your help just like old times. I shall pay you to answer my questions. Will you answer them truthfully?" "If the price is good, I shall answer anything and as many questions as you wish. One million dollars." I put down his price. "Fire away then master Alucard." "Where is Dracula's resting chamber? Time run's out and I need to know this." "On the fifth floor. You can access it by using the elevator behind me. It will be the door to the left." "Does anybody guard him while he sleeps?" "Of course. Who do you think that might be? It's his one true friend in the whole world, or shall I say, the whole world of the undead!" "Please don't tell me that it is Death?" "Ah, I'm sorry Alucard. But Death it is." "Dracula sent word to me that he wanted to be a father to me again. Was that just to lure me here and grab Maria?" "Yes. You know that once someone turns on Dracula, he shall look to destroy them until he does. That goes for anyone, even his own flesh and blood." "Why does he want Maria?" "To be his Queen. He is jealous that she is all yours. She makes you happy and he hates that. He wants more children in the hopes that one of them might be as evil as him. I told him that if he hopes for that that he might get a child worse than himself! I just think that he is very unhappy and wants the happiness that only a woman can bring into a man's life." "How can I destroy him for good, master?" "This is something that Maria must do. She can lure him out into the sun. I can't say how you can do it. I don't know. You can think though, dear." "Thank you very much. That is all that I will need to know. I turned to Maria. "Let's get D." We ran quickly. By luck, D had traveled into the west wing of the castle by accident and met us. We told him all that the librarian told me. "Let's go now! There isn't a minute to loose!" We ran swiftly, hoping to race against time. When we arrived back at the master's chamber, he had the elevator ready for us. Before I got in, I handed him three thousand more dollars. "That is just for all of your help. Castlevania is going to go down again, one way or another. Flee to safety my friend." "Wait!" he said. "You!" he said, pointing to D. "You are the King's other son. You are Vampire Hunter D. I thought that you died after that battle with Carmilla, the Bloody Countess. Dracula was not pleased to know that she had arisen after he put her down." "How did you know about that?" "I know everything, dear boy." I reminded them that time was ticking. I said farewell to the master before the doors closed. D pressed the number 5, and the elevator ascended. When the doors opened, I pointed to the two huge doors on the left. We ran to them. Out of no where, Death appeared, with his skeleton minions. I turned to grab Maria, but she wasn't there. "D, she is gone!" We turned to see, and Death's friends had her. Before I could get to them, they disappeared. Death's laugh pierced the room. "So, you thought that you were going to win? The Master has you where he wants you. My job is to kill both of you so that you cannot interfere! You will be in Hell in just a few minutes. Don't fight me, and you shall have a swift and painless death." He attacked, and D and I sprang to opposite sides. I slashed my sword at him so that D could take him from behind. He was too quick for the both of us. He slashed me across my arm, but when I checked, the slash didn't cut my skin. Only my garments suffered his blow. D had his left hand stretched out, and I could see the parasite clearly. It was like a face within the palm of his hand. "Suck up the evil." D told it. Its mouth opened, and it seemed to suck the very air out of the room. "This isn't the end, hunter! Dracula shall have to take care of you now, and he shall kill you! He has just given his bride the blood of a true vampire." Then de disappeared into the mouth of the parasite. "Maria!" I yelled. "Alucard, if what he said is true, then she is changed. If she thirsts for blood and evil is in her heart, then you know what I must do." "Why did she take the blood D, why?" "There is no time for this! We must move quickly!" D swung open the door to the chamber. There on a platform, stood Dracula and my Maria. She was paler than ever before. Her eyes seemed to be the color of fire. "My sons!" said Dracula. "I never thought that I would see the two of you together. Never mind that though. Join me, and together we can rule over humans." "I shall never join you. You took Maria away from me!" I yelled. "You used to love me so. Why the change of heart?" Dracula asked. "You have taken what was dearest to me. Do you actually think that I can forgive you for that?" "I don't expect you to, but I was in love with Maria ever since I laid eyes on her. She had such a determination to save Richter. I like determination in mortal women." That statement made my anger only rise. "Maria, come down here, please." I yelled desperately. "I am happy where I am. This is where I have always belonged. I wanted power, and only Dracula can give me what I crave the most." She jumped down, and I thought that she was going to attack, but she only gave us a wink, and looked toward the window. I could have seen that the sun's rays still ran across the sky. She was on our side, but she was a vampire. There was no doubt about that. She was not my Maria anymore. As she walked back to Dracula, D reminded me of what had to be done. "Darling, before we kill them, can you please give me a minute alone with them?" "Sure, my Queen." He vanished from sight. "Alucard, I love you." she said. "Why did you take that blood?" asked D. "I couldn't get him to follow me outside without being what he is. He would never trust me otherwise. Get ready to pull me inside when I signal you. Then, we can pull the door and close the lock. Dracula will be locked out, and he shall be at the mercy of the sun. I will be burned a bit, but I shall not die." She called, and Dracula came back. "My love, they are locked in here. Perhaps it would be nice to watch them suffocate from outside by looking through the window on the balcony. Maybe after we watch them die, we can even concentrate on having the child that you so desperately want." His smile widened. She caressed him all the way to the door. She actually managed to get his mind off where he was going. He was walking straight into death's open arms. "D, he has to know something. This is just too easy. He is much smarter than this." "Alucard, she is sacrificing herself for us." "What do you mean by that? She wants us to pull her back into the shade." He didn't respond to that directly. He only said, "Get that cloak over there so that we can cover her when the time is right." "Come my love and close your eyes. I have a surprise for you that you will love." Maria said as she led him. When she pushed him into the light, we were going to run to the door, grab Maria, and bolt the door shut, leaving Dracula to his fate....

Chapter 7 Part 4: The Loss

We were set to attack. She flung open the door, and pushed Dracula and herself into the deadly rays of the sun. Dracula kicked the door and bolted it from outside before we could get out. He knew of her plans! He didn't go away when Maria asked for a moment alone with us. I knew that this had been too easy. "No, Maria!" I yelled. "He knew all along." said D. "To the window!" said the parasite. Using our Dunpeal ability, we jumped high up and grabbed onto the windowsill. Outside, Maria and Dracula were still alive, but the rays of the sun were burning them to death. "D, the fall from here is too great, and to hurry back the way we came is going to be too late for her." I said. Dracula turned to look up at us. He said, "Do you think that I would kill myself with her? I was prepared for such an event. I knew that the girl came too freely into my arms. I took a potion before that will allow me to live even after the suns rays turn me to ashes. It will be another hundred years, but I shall return! I just feel bad for her, because she shall die." D became angry and broke the window. He grabbed my hand, and we both jumped. I had the quilt in my hand. We kicked the now weak Dracula aside and covered Maria. We ran with speed back inside the castle and bolted the door behind us. D jumped to the window again and announced that Dracula was nothing more than a pile of ashes. "If we were any later, then that would have been my love as well." I said. We slowly took the quilt off of her. She was badly burned and was breathing heavily. D pulled me aside and said, "Her wounds are very bad. She isn't going to survive this unless she gets blood, and enough of it." "So, let's give her some of ours." "No, Alucard. If we give her our blood, she shall have the taste of evil, and then we shall become vampires as well. We don't want that." said D. "So you're saying that we should just let her die? I can't watch this!" "I am only saying that if she doesn't die now, she will only have to be killed sooner or later. She shall become evil. You know this." said D. "Why D!" I said this in desperation. "Alucard, she shall thirst for your blood and give in eventually, even if she doesn't mean to hurt you. She has to skulk in darkness for the rest of eternity, and if she bites you, you shall become what you hate most." "HELP ME!" Maria cried. "Please help me, Alucard." I ran to her side. D had his sword ready if she tried anything. "I'm sorry, my love. We could have had so many children. I thought that doing this would save you. I didn't think that he knew of my plan. Don't let me die! We can still be together. I would never hurt you, Alucard!" She was obviously in a lot of pain. Her eyes told of it. They seemed tight and dark. She looked into my eye. "I can read your mind. You don't want to save me. You don't want to live with a creature that you spent your life killing. You think that I will take you and that you would have to become this creature. Tell me that this isn't true?" "Maria, I love you." "Then save me. Slit you skin, and let the blood drip into my mouth. I don't have to bite you. You will never have to become what I am, and I shall live to be together with you." I looked to D, and who shook his head. He knew that the future would not hold anything good. She would give into her temptation. "Let's end this" said D. "Isn't there a." "There is not other way!" D yelled. I knew that this was it. I held her in my arms, and looked into her eyes. I think that she knew what we were going to do. "Maria, I love you." "I love you too, Alucard. Do not mourn for me. Tonight, I shall be at peace knowing that you are safe." I kissed her forehead. I held her hand, and we both looked into each others eyes as D's sword came down. He stabbed her in the chest. She screamed, and then her body went limp. Before my very eyes, my love turned to dust. Even though I was strong, this was a great loss to me. I couldn't help it; I cried. "You know man, you're very brave. I couldn't have done something like that. You let her go because it was best for her." said the parasite. D bent down so that we were at eye level to each other. He put his right hand on my shoulder. "I have to agree with him. You were brave" "What will I do without her? I shall be all alone. I love her so much." My head fell down as I sobbed like a child. I didn't care if D thought that I was weak. He didn't though, even I knew that. A huge trembling started. It felt like an earthquake. "Castlevania is falling, just like its master has. We must go Alucard!" He got up to run, but I wouldn't move. By this time, pieces of the ceiling were coming down. He turned back, grabbed my hand, and said, "Let's go Alucard. Maria would not have wanted you to die here." We jumped up to the window and landed outside on the grass with force. We weren't safe yet. We needed to get a greater distance from the crumbling castle in order to make it out alive. D whistled and the three horses came running to our side. Just then, I realized that Maria wouldn't be riding her horse. "D, we can't leave this beautiful horse to die." "Very well. Ride your chestnut, and I shall ride them both." "How are you going to do that?" I asked, as I jumped onto my horse. He gave me a look as if to say, "Watch me." He grabbed the reins of the white horse as he jumped on his black stallion. Then, he picked himself up, and stood on the black horse. He brought the white horse even with his and put one foot on the saddle of the white horse. It was amazing. We flew like the wind as the castle fell behind us. When D felt that we were far enough from danger, he turned around to look. So did I. All that was left of Castlevania was a huge dust cloud. Dracula's ashes must have been there too. D started to ride off, only at a slower pace. Before I told my horse to go on, I whispered into the air, "Goodbye Maria. I hope you are at peace." When we entered the forest, it was pitch black out. The only light was what the stars gave off. Not too many where shinning on this night. D slowed up the pace even more so that it seemed like we were just walking. We hadn't talked since the incident with the horses. "D, Dracula's won." "What makes you say that? He's gone for another hundred years. We did plan to have him gone for good, but I would say that a hundred years is good enough." "No, D. He did win. He got Maria. If he couldn't have her, then he made sure that I wouldn't either. He did win, in that respect. He didn't die forever, and he made sure that I lost the greatest part of my life. She was the reason that I didn't go insane and the reason why I didn't end my own life. She came into my life when I was at war with myself. She sacrificed her humanity just to be with me. I knew what love was for the first time, and now it's all gone as if it never was." He stopped his horse. "How can you say that? You did love, and that love shall stay with you all the days of your life. Love is something you won't forget." He moved on. At that moment, I knew that he was capable of loving and that he did love another. He lost Doris, but he would never forget that love he felt. I was going to ask him why he just didn't find Doris and tell her that he loved her still, but I didn't bother to question him. He had his reasons for not going back, I was sure of that. I can still hear his words at that moment till this very day.

Chapter 8

We arrived home before dawn. We were both grateful that the sofa felt so welcoming. All around me were reminders of Maria. I seen the pictures of her, and the dishes that she had left in the sink from breakfast. "D, I can't stay here. She lives here even though she is dead. I feel her, as if she was right next to me. I can't bear this." "Brother, I must leave you tomorrow. I have to get moving. I can't live off the money I have for another week. Let's go to sleep. We have had a long day." I got up earlier. I couldn't sleep. I just must have had three hours of sleep. Here I am, penning this tale. This story draws close to its end. D is still asleep, but should be up soon. I am cooking breakfast as I write. I prepared eggs just like Maria would have. If things had been different, she would have slept next to me just before and would have been making these eggs. If only I could turn back time. Why think about turning back the clock if that could never happen? It was only a waste of time. We ate breakfast together quietly. Then I thought of something. I was thinking too much about Maria before that I didn't even realize what D called me before we went to bed. He had called me his brother. It touched my heart. He spoke, breaking the eerie silence, "I wouldn't usually do this. I have always traveled alone and do my hunting. How would you like to be my "employee" for a while, just until you get back on you feet? You can help me kill vampires, and I can pay you fifty percent of the profit." "I accept, D." He was my family even though I once hated him. "I hope that Maria is at peace." said D. I can't wait to join her when my time is up. As for Dracula, I would be ready one hundred years from now when he arises again. I shall avenge Maria's death. He was not going to get away with this. Since I was coming along, D waited till nightfall so that I could get things packed. I made dinner and then we got the horses ready. "What are we going to do with the lovely white?" D asked, regarding the horse. "In honor of Maria, I am going to set the chestnut free, and use the white." D smiled. We got the horses ready and I attached my few belongings onto the saddle. Before we left, I remembered something. "How could I leave that behind?" I asked myself. I went to the attic and opened a chest all the way in the back of the storage room section. From the chest, I lifted the sword that my mother had given me. There was an "A" carved into the handle. It was a very fine battle sword. As I looked down at it, I realized who I truly was, and what I was meant to be. I was Alucard, the vampire hunter. Whether I liked it or not, I was the son of Dracula. That fact alone made me proud, because it meant that I was a great and capable hunter. I smiled as I put the sword in its case at my side. "Alucard! We must be on our way!" yelled D from outside. I walked down the stairs, and took one last look at the house. I quickly went into every room, remembering Maria being there. Next to our bed was a picture frame. In the picture, Maria and I were together. I put the small frame into my pocket, and walked outside to join D. As I mounted my horse I said a final goodbye. The sun was not in the sky as we left. Suddenly, I saw something in the corner of my eye. Something or someone moved in the forest behind us. D didn't notice it at all. I saw the chestnut that I had just set free, and its rider looked so very familiar. I could swear that it was Maria. Then, they disappeared. I decided not to say anything to D. Maria would be with me every step of the journey. I couldn't tell what kind of adventures awaited me, but I was ready to take them on.

~THE END~