Chapter Four:

The Sacrifice

Finally, they had reached their destination, the Ice Caves. Despite the Ice Dust everywhere and the walls being a shinny blue because of it, there wasn't really anything…icy. And it wasn't that cold. Well, it was sort of cold since they were so high up and in a stone mountain. Here, everyone felt a lot safer. Surrounded by stone walls and Ice Dust no one felt to be in much danger. How wrong they were…

"I saw them go in there," Link said to Richter. They had stopped about one hundred yards from the cave they saw the vampires go into. "They'll be defenseless, as they won't be expecting us so soon. We should attack now! Please Uncle Richter, and then we can go home." Link pleaded. He wanted to go home. Although he wanted to be a successful vampire hunter, the age of fifteen was probably pushing his limit.

Richter sighed, "Link, let me tell you about vampires. They expect the unexpected. They are usually always on guard, and we don't know if there are more in the cave or what. So we wait." He settled down and waited. Link however was in fury. He stomped over to their other companion, Cid. Cid was really cool, plus he had this really huge wooden cross he carried on his back. He said that there were vampirism supplies in there. Once when Link was younger he saw Cid take the cross off his back in front of a vampire. The cross, being SO big, had a powerful aura, and put the vampire into a burning shock. Cid then put his cross down, opened it up, and pulled out a wooden, blood covered spear, which he used to destroy the vampire. While he was doing that however, Link sneaked over and looked into the cross. He saw some guns, packets of silver bullets, some more stakes, cross necklaces, and a survival packet.

Anyway, Link went over to talk to Cid. Cid was sitting a ways down, keeping look-out. Link sat down next to him. Cid looked at him, sighed, and stood up. Link looked up at him, even more furious, now that he was leaving. Cid sighed again, and said "Stay here," then walked off toward Richter. Link sat there for five minutes, when he saw Richter come towards him.

"I have been convinced that they are alone in the cave. We move in now while it is dark." And he walked before Link could open his mouth. Link hopped up, and started up towards the others.

They were all still awake, though they tried to get some sleep. But then, Ame with her amazing senses, heard noises outside. She sat up when their mother lunged of the ground. Ace started to get up, and drew his sword. Both Ame and Garnet grabbed a handful of Ice Dust. But only Garnet went into action. She threw her Ice Dust toward the cave entrance, and whispered us trectop. The Ice Dust she threw blazed white and a solid ice wall formed in front of them. Ame stored this knowledge. They now heard a thump on the other side. Knowing that hunters were on the other side, Ace and Ame tried to peer through the ice. What they saw was quite frightening. Fire blazed against the ice, slowly melting it. When they told her, Garnet told them not to bother her, and she moved to the back of the cave.

And Ame and Ace sat, and waited in meditation.

"What is this!?!" roared Richter, when he almost ran head first into an ice wall. "Cid, vampires do not control such abilities! Do they?" Richter was confused. After all, he banishes vampires, not hurdles appearing ice walls.

Cid walked around the ice wall, examining it. After about three seconds he turned to Richter. "Your right, Richter. No average vampire controls this much power. It is either an outside source, or a fully trained member of a pure blood family. We are going to have to go in by force."

"Right," Richter replied, moving toward the ice. Link, eager to see more, moved closer. "Stand back, Link." Link moved back by Cid. Richter reached into his cloak to pull out TNT, dynamite, and…..salt!?!

Garnet was in the back of the cave. She knew what was going to happen, and what her role was in it. But she just had to act quickly, before battle started or before Ace and Ame checked on her.

Ace paced silently around Ame, who was meditating on the floor. She could neither concentrate nor tell her brother to stop. She knew something bad was going to happen.

Ace could neither talk nor stop, due to his eagerness for battle and dread of the outcome. Finally, after thirty seconds of this, which seemed like thirty years, Ace sat down next to Ame. Talking mind-to-mind was simpler than aloud, and neither wanted to move any more muscles than necessary.

"Ame," Ace said, "I have a bad feeling about this." Ame then mind replied, "I do too, Ace. But it's strange; I feel powerful magic brewing. But my feeling is coming from the back of the cave, not outside it." Then they both mind thought at the same time, "MOM!!!"

At that moment, two things happened. The life force they knew was their mother's ebbed away, blood spilling from the back of the cave. And at the same time, the ice wall exploded.

Link jumped through the remains of the wall the moment he could, weapon already out. But what he saw chilled his heart. An angry vampire, sword unsheathed, staring at the wall with hateful tears in his eyes. But it was behind that he saw the danger. A dead women lying in a pool of blood, a sacrificial dagger in her heart, with a young girl kneeling beside, clutching her body. This, Link thought, is not good. Two angry children out for revenge is a deadly foe, especially if one is a vampire.

Ace stood glaring at the hunters. If looks could kill, they would be undead and his immortal slaves. His blood boiled (not literally) and his mind screamed. She is dead, he thought, and I will get my revenge. Slowly it seemed, he teleported behind the hunters, not going for unconscious, but death. He knew they would probably be stunned, and he knew that Ame would not help him kill. Nevertheless he went on. He was behind them. He slashed, and teleported again, and again. By now he knew exactly how and how far to teleport. When he teleported back to Ame, he saw not one had a scratch that he inflicted.

Link was going to move forward to slay the vampire, but he felt searing wind behind him. He fell to his knees, and heard Cid and Uncle do the same? He looked up to the girl, seeing the boy next to her already. The boy looked utterly surprised, and Link knew why. He remembered in London the boy did the same thing, though he was not trying to kill that time. It knocked out Cid easily, and he didn't know why he wasn't dead. Hopefully someone else did.

Ame could care less that three people just barged into the cave, or that Ace just tried to kill them. All she could do was hug her mother and cry. She knew now what happened. She had figured it out the moment she saw the body. The premonition a week before was of her death. Of this stupid scheme. She killed herself either to protect them, or go the easy way out. And she knew which one it was. So Ame cried her tears of sorrow and fury.

Now you know what happened. But you still don't know everything.

It was still chaotic. No one knew what was going on, except Ame. And she wasn't capable of telling what happened, yet. So Ace waited. The hunters we're talking among themselves. He didn't really care, but he listened in anyway.

"We should ask them what's going on!" one of the hunters said in a whisper. "They must know what happened. And if they do, but won't tell we'll……" he said trailing off. And Ace knew what he had in mind. And he knew it was foolish. He would kill them all, charmed or not. He saw Ame slowly get up. She started to walk past all the hunters, and out into the night air. But she was stopped, by the hunter with the huge cross on his back.

"What's going on, little girl? Why can't we kill you?!"

Ame slowly turned to him, the tears in her eyes gone, replaced by cold fury. She replied to the hunter, "A spell prevents damage to us and you."

The hunter, who had not expected a response, dropped his kind act. "Undo the spell then, girlie!! And while your at it, tell me, why is she dead!? Pointing at Garnet.

Ame turned back to the man, her calm moment gone. "It can't be undone, you monster of a mortal!" She shrieked at the hunter, the air around her sparkling. The hunter backed away, very scared by the magicks that flowed around her.

Ame turned to face Ace and the hunters. "We need not fear you anymore. Ace and I are bound by a blood sacrifice to be protected, and to protect. We protect ourselves first, and those who attack must fear our wrath." And it looked like they took her words wisely, points for them.

Ame then proceeded to leave the cave. Ace, who was still there, turned to the hunters. All the hunters except the kid looked shocked. Ace smiled his charming smile at them, and said "Well, I guess we won't be seeing you around." Then he also walked out the cave.

Ame was already walking down the mountain. Ace turned into a wolf, to feel the wind and leave his grief behind, and he ran to catch up with his furious sister.

It was a week after that night. The twins were living in their old home. Both were dealing with their grief. They didn't even talk to each other. Both worked harder on their studies, knowing they wouldn't have time later. Ace successfully turned into mist and stayed like that for a second or two, before passing out. He needed the relic to do it without a moment of concentration. But even without the relic he was doing considerably well.

However, Ace and Ame needed to talk about their future. They both sat in the kitchen, on the floor, since Garnet destroyed all the furniture that could track them.

"So….. Ace, how are you doing?" Ame asked that one morning. Ace then muttered, "Fine, Ame. I'm doing fine." Yeah right, Ame thought. In cause you're wondering I'm doing fine too. Of course, Ace heard her mind speak.

"Ame, what are we going to do now? We can't stay here; I need to find the other two relics and discover my powers. And you need to train your Iris powers and fill your book of shadows, while learning to create potions, craft spells, or even transform. So how are we going to do that, and still live a healthy life?"

"I think I can answer that," said a man suddenly appearing in the kitchen doorway. The twins, who did not sense him, jumped up alarmed. "No, no, sit back down." The man was quite old, and had a long white beard with matching white hair and crescent moon glasses. He came in, and sat down on the floor. Ace and Ame remained standing.

"Well, this is most uncomfortable," he muttered. He reached into his midnight blue robes and brought out a wand. He waved it around and cushions appeared on the floor. "Will you sit down now?" Ace and Ame both sat on a cushion. The man then started to speak. "I'm sorry about Garnet….. She was a good friend, and I received this letter from her yesterday. It reads:

Dear Albums,

I regret to tell you that I'm dead. I need you to take care of the twins until they enroll into your school. Recently you said you think you know where Dracula is. If you do know where he is, send them to him, as Ace needs to learn more. If you don't, you must follow your role as their new godfather. Please make sure they know what I did, I did to protect them, and I still love them, wherever I am. Sincerely,

Gar net

"Now before you both start bombarding me with questions, let me explain." Albums said before the twins could speak.

"Now, my name is Albums Dumbledore, and I am headmaster to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I knew your mother from when we went to school together. And I think I know where your father is. Now you may bombard me with questions. One at a time, please."

Ace and Ame still shocked at the man, and didn't speak right away. They just stared strangely at him.

"Well, uh, what is Hogwarts?" Ame asked after she recovered.

"Ah, a question," Dumbledore replied. "Hogwarts is one of the three schools of magic throughout Europe. I am headmaster there, and with a staff of certified wizard and witches, we attempt to teach young children, like you, in the art of magic. I have your letters of acceptance here," he handed them both letters, "and inside is your list of supplies. Any other questions?"

Ace looked up at him and said, "Who are you again?" With a sigh, Dumbledore stood up and began his long, long speech.