Trinity Blood: #2: Future Seen in Golden Eyes
Chapter 1: Lost Sons

Aran shifted. His back pressed against the cold steel of a wall while his shoulders were against boxes. The room smelled strongly of must even though the boxes were stacked in an organized fashion. The rumble from the engines was almost deafening as the airship he and Azul had stowed away on moved through the air. It had been sheer luck there had been aVaticanairship around. It would make finding their father so much easier. Well it might not have been luck seeing as—

The door banged open and – and one of the priests Aran had meet in his own time stormed in. "Why the hell did she have to go and punish me for this?" growled the unmistakable figure of Leon. His hair like a lion's mane, was wiped back by the speed with which he entered the room. "I don't deserve to spend the night the cargo hold!" he growled, talking to the lanky figure who stumbled in after him.

"Hey, hey, she sent me down here too, you know?" the figure pouted, dragging a blanket behind him. The lanky figure pushed up thick glasses, his tones light and rather annoying which vividly reminded Aran of Cain except for there was kindness in this man's voice. His long silver hair was pulled back by a black ribbon, some of his hair brushed against his narrow almost sculpted features. He looked to be twenty, too young for the shabby priest robes he wore. There was something off about the robes though. There was armor covering both his shoulders, his left side more than his right. The armor ran down the length of his left arm on both the cape he wore and the sleeve just visible under it. The right side of the cape split allowing for freer use of his right arm. Aran could just make out the start of a long cross attached to the silver armor over the priest's lower neck and upper chest.

"Na, you don't count, Four-eyes,"Leongrinned over his shoulder at the lanky priest. Four-eyes, hadn'tLeonbeen calling Abel that? Aran stared at the lanky priest, his mind working through this new information at a sluggish pace.

The lanky priest pouted, "Mean!" a loud crush sounded just the priest vanished, having tripped over a box. Several more crashed on top of him. Not seeming affected by this, the priest got back to his feet, pushing up his thick specs as he did so. "You were the one who got us in trouble with Caterina in the first place," the lanky priest whined. What was going on here? There was no way in hell this klutz was him. Sure there was a resemblance, but still…

"Yeah, but who can turn down Red?"Leonwalked over to clear space and placed the blanket he had in his arms on the ground.

"Esther did not ask you to do that!" the lanky priest shouted, wagging his finger atLeon. "That was all your doing, so don't go blaming Esther." He nodded then shouted, throwing up his arms, "Then you have to go pin it all on me. It was rude!"

"Just shut up and sleep!"Leonthrew a pillow at the lanky priest. It stuck him in the face, causing him to stumble back into several boxes.

"Watch it," the priest moved the pillow from his lain down by now, his back no doubt turned to the priest. There was a deep scowl which pulled at the priest's face despite his light tones. Aran looked more closely at him, shifting his position to get a better view. At once the priest's winter blue gaze flickered to Aran's hiding place. "You could have broken my glasses and Caterina said if I break another pare before I get paid I have to stumble around blind," despite the fact he kept speaking toLeon, the priest was edging towards the shadows Aran had hidden himself in. There was no denying it now, this man was Abel. For some odd reason he was acting like a complete idiot.

"Pfft," Abel stopped moving atLeon's laughing response, "with the way you stumble around no one would notice a difference." Aran stared eyes wide at his father. Now the realization had sunken in, he could see the mask his father was wearing as just that, a mask. This was all an act to him. His eyes didn't reflect the emotions which appeared on his features in easy, fluid switches. There was a familiar deep sorrow in his eyes now accompanied by a fatigue which couldn't be just because he was tired, and a pain which seemed to cut deep into him. The glasses helped dull these emotions and the knowledge which was also in his eyes. If Aran hadn't known who he was looking at he would have missed all of this. "Yo, Four-eyes, shut off the damn light and go to sleep! We'll be arriving inCarthagetomorrow and I want to see as many chicks as I can before returning to prison."

"You're a priest!" Abel exclaimed as a look of horror appeared on his features. "That is completely inappropriate behavior,Leon!"

"You're not one to judge there. Now go to sleep,"Leonsnarled at Abel.

"Fine, fine, but if Caterina catches you—" a loud thump fill the room as Abel vanished from sight, shouting in shock. "T-that wasn't nice," he grumbled, picking himself off the ground and shutting off the lights. He moved far away fromLeon and curled up on the floor. Boxes hid his body from sight. Aran sucked in his breath, listening hard to sound of Leon's snores. There was a lighter sound from Abel of mumbling punctuated by even breathing. Aran knew Abel was awake otherwise he wouldn't just be mumbling in his sleep, he would either be out cold or having a nightmare…

Once certainLeonwas asleep and wouldn't wake unless the boxes around him fell on him, Aran uncoiled from his hiding place. On light feet he moved across the small space, squeezing between the boxes until his father came into view. The mumbling stopped and Aran froze, he could see the cape over Abel move as his father no doubt reached for a weapon. Oh hell! Aran picked up his pace. He had to get to Abel before he tried to shot Aran.

xxx

There it was, Abel's eyes narrowed as the soft tapping of shoes against the metal floor pulsed through his ears. His glasses and ribbon lay by his left hand as his right moved towards his revolver. There was a Methuselah here judging by movement of the person and how careful they had been to hide in dark shadows.

"Aran, don't," a familiar voice hissed through the silence. The words had been uttered so low only the crusniks and Methuselah in the room would have heard them. Aran? Abel's heart skipped a beat – was it possible?

Caught off guard by the whispered words Abel hadn't heard the Methuselah stop behind him. A hand closed around over his mouth. "Hmm-umm!" Abel's shout of surprise died in the hand. The strong scent of sulfur and ash filled his nostrils. Abel trashed. The cape he'd been using as a blanket slid off of him.

"Dad," a voice hissed in Abel's ear, "be quiet." At once he stopped struggling. Abel's eyes locked onto two blue ones before the pale, familiar features of Aran came into focus through the darkness. It felt as if Abel had just fallen into a dream. For once it was a dream which seemed good, unless Aran pulled out knife and started to threaten little kids. That would be a bad dream and nothing like the son he remembered. "It is you, right?" Aran asked with uncertainty quavering in his whispered words.

With his son's hand still over his mouth Abel nodded, eyes wide as he stared at Aran. He was caught between a dream and reality as his sleep clouded mind tried to processes what his eyes were seeing. Aran removed his hand from Abel's mouth, "Aran?" he breathed his son's name, not daring to believe what he was seeing.

A soft smile appeared on Aran's features, upside-down thanks to Abel's position. "Who else would it be?" Sitting up, Abel turned and looked at Aran. He blinked several times just make certain Aran wasn't a dream.

Abel felt a laugh catch is his throat as it closed with emotion. Lifting his gloved hand, he touched Aran's face. It was him. Abel pulled his son into an embrace. "I thought I would never see you again," he whispered, holding his son.

"I forget it had only been a day for me but it's been centuries for you," Aran managed a small laugh. There was a short pause before Aran broke the silence, "Azul's here as well," Abel released his younger son at the sound of Azul's name. Aran stood and held out his hand, "Come on, we need your help, Dad." Abel took his son's hand and let Aran pull him from the ground. Without another word, Abel followed his son into the jumble of boxes Kate had organized in a perfect fashion.

"Aran," a figure shifted in the shadows, "what are you – Father?" Azul appeared from the shadows. "You found him then?" he glanced at Aran. If Abel had been a stranger he would have taken his sons as being twins. They looked nearly identical in the darkness. Both had awakened at the same age, making them both twenty-three for the rest of their lives. Aran's hair was pitch black and tied back in a loose ponytail which was in a similar fashion to how Abel wore his hair now. If it had been light in the cargo hold right now Azul's neat hair would appear as an extremely dark blue instead of the black it appeared to be now.

"I never thought I would be thankful Caterina sent me down here," Abel smiled at Azul before drawing his eldest into an embrace.

When Abel released Azul his son was smiling. "I think we're both thankful she sent you down here as well," Azul stated, glancing at Aran. "What do you remember from seven centuries ago?" he asked, skipping straight to the point.

"I remember the two of vanishing in white light then reappearing seconds later without Valdemar. You brought the news he'd been placed intoVaticanprison in the future… I knew I might have a run in with you two eventually just didn't think it would be so soon after the others," he nodded to whereLeonmumbled something in his sleep, turning over and making as if embrace someone, "returned. Though you could have keptLeon," he joked, smiling at them.

Both Aran and Azul stared him, mouths gaping. Aran was the first regain his voice, "You seem… happier than before," he commented. Shaking his head, he returned to the matter at hand, "So we do manage to get back, that's heartening." There was smile on his face despite the unease in his blue eyes at the way Abel had just acted.

Taking a deep breath, Abel forced himself to drop the act he had grown accustomed to over the past thirteen years. "Yes," he confirmed his voice serious once more. At this he saw both his sons shoulders loosen and the unease draining from them. "I don't know what happens between now and the time you return to the past all I know is you do manage to capture Valdemar withVaticanaid. More than likely it is Caterina and the AX that helped you because I seriously doubt any of the other cardinals are as excepting of Methuselah as she is." He paused, leaning against some of the boxes as he thought on this matter. "We are heading forCarthageat this moment," he informed his sons, "there is a high chance Valdemar will have followed us. The two of you will have to leave this ship and search for him. I'm afraid it will take being attacked by his group for Caterina to believe us on this matter."

"See, wiping their memories wasn't that good of an idea after all," Aran teased but it was choked teasing voice. "Azul and I will search the city and find you the moment we have something," Aran said, "but, Dad, be careful. If Valdemar learns you're still alive and this old he might try to kill you to get revenge on you. He will more than likely think your age makes you vulnerable." Abel frowned, he could see Aran's point but wasn't certain if his age really had anything to do with him being vulnerable or not. If anything it was his refusal to drink Methuselah blood which did. "I'm not saying you are or anything," Aran blurted out a bead of sweat visible on his forehead.

"I didn't take it that way," Abel smiled, "I know I'm old, just don't around spreading word I am in my late nine hundreds. People would take you as being crazy."

At this Aran laughed and Azul grinned. "I don't think you have to worry about that," Azul said. His smile vanished, "Is Aunt Seth still alive?" he asked his gaze flickering to whereLeonwas mumbling in his sleep.

"Yes and she is doing fine," Abel smiled at his sons, grateful he had been able to see Seth before all of this happened. "I spoke with her around two weeks ago. She tried to get me to return to the empire," he managed to smile, but the memory was tainted by what Seth had told him right after this.

"You refused by the looks of it," Azul sounded disappointed by this. Abel nodded. "You should really return home, father," Azul pleaded with him. "Once this mess with Valdemar is over with, you should go home to your sister and your people."

Abel shook his head. "My work here is far from done, Azul," it was a half lie. The truth was peace was coming all that was left was for the "saint" who had made it possible to become public as well as the treaty being signed by both sides. Even then Abel didn't deserve to go home. Besides all that was left from back home was his sister. "When we land," Abel returned to the now, "you two should sneak off. Make certain you are covered, I don't want either of you risking your lives in the sun." Both Aran and Azul nodded.

An awkward silence fell between them, punctuated byLeon's deep snores. At last Aran broke the silence, "Can you tell us some of what will happen after we passed away? I'm not asking for information about my family, just history and what you have been doing for the past seven centuries."

Abel smiled at this and gestured to the floor. "It's no short tale," he said, "you might as well sit down." Both boys obeyed and Abel joined them on the ground. He hesitated, gathering his thoughts before he began to tell them recent events and what had happened after parting ways with both of them. Abel was careful to leave out both their deaths and what would happen to all but Aran's oldest daughter. Aran was frowning through most of this, seeming to notice the seven century gape.

"A peace treaty? Well that certainly explains why you were in the empire," Azul nodded. "It's wonderful news, I'm only sad it took so long."

Abel chuckled, "Caterina is one of a kind that is for certain." He nodded, keeping an eye on Aran who was still frowning.

"Dad, there is something which doesn't add up, can you take off your glove?" Aran asked. This earned him a weird look from Azul and made Abel shift. He did remember Aran telling him what would happen if he went off of Methuselah blood and knew it had happened. Was there way out of this? No, eventually he would have to humor his son. Sighing, Abel pulled off his glove and held out his hand to Aran. Aran took his hand and scowled. "I thought so," he looked at Abel a mixture of concern and anger in his blue eyes, "you entered a state of hibernation, didn't you? For what, around seven centuries?"

"Aran," Abel started with patients.

"I told you what would happen, didn't I?" Aran looked at Abel concern etched on his features.

Before Abel could speak, his radio went off. Looking at his sons, he moved hand away from Aran and touched link. "Abel, I'm glad you're awake. I need a word before we arrive inCarthage," Caterina's clear voice came over the radio.

"I'm on my way," Abel lowered his hand as the radio went silent. Looking mournfully at his sons, he moved his gaze from one to the next. "I will speak with you two later?" it was half a question and half not. His long hair draped around his face as he stood.

"We'll find you inCarthageif we discover anything. If we don't we'll be stowing away here again," Azul gave Abel a small smile which didn't quite diminish the unease in his eyes.

Nodding to his sons, Abel gave them both a sad smile before he turned and slipped between the boxes. Picking up his cape, he slung it over his shoulder before tying back his hair, and pushing his glasses into place. The world blurred around him, but he took no notice as he glanced one last time at the place his boys hid. Feeling more his age than before, Abel left the room.


(Author's Note: Okay do not get used to the double updates. I don't know why, but these chapters are coming faster than usual.

Great way to start out a book: an argument between Leon and Abel XD Now what Leon did, I will just leave up to your imaginations.

It is strange but over the past several months (since I first started watch/ reading/ writing Trinity Blood) I have moved from being an Abel x Esther fan to being an Abel x Lilith fan.

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