Carrie and Ciel make their way through the busy streets of Salem, Massachusetts. The streets have become modernized since Carrie's last visit, though she can still recall the cities layout and a few of the old buildings now considered historical structures. It's noisy and early in the morning.

"You are aware that the witch trials happened in the late seventeenth century?" Ciel said.

"Isaac said something about that. It's one of the few towns in America that has had a long history of magic. Fortunately, the dark forest seems to have been chopped down." Carrie said, remembering a marble statue shrouded by fog and trees. The figure depicted a wolfish humanoid beast and had once tempted Carrie to release the black magic held inside. She was wiser than that, but one of the villagers was not.

"Hello, are you folks new around here?" spoke strange man holding a handful of fliers.

"No but..." Carrie began to say when Ciel cut her off, "We are! We're here to see the witch museum. How did you know?" Ciel spoke with an unusual amount of enthusiasm.

"Lots of people travel here to see the witches. There's dozens of stories about magic in this town though I can assure you most are made up" said the man, holding out one of his fliers. "Thank you" Ciel said, taking one of them. The flier was advertising some kind of magic show being held just outside of town.

"You're very welcome miss" the man winked. "Have a nice day now"

Ciel smiled and tugged Carrie away from the man. They continued walking down the street another block before she casually threw the flier in the trash. "I know it may seem unusual to you Carrie, but most people around here aren't going to buy the whole time travel thing." Ciel scolded.

"Yes, but I don't want to lie" Carrie said, crossing her arms. She notices a Blue Jay soaring low to the ground. It chases off a group of birds and perches on a road sign,

Salem Witch Museum = .5 Miles

"We didn't come here for any of this nonsense. Is anything looking familiar?" Ciel said.

"Lots" Carrie responded. "I know there's something important here but I'm not sure what"

"Then let's start with anything left standing since last century" Ciel said. "Though I'd rather skip the Witch Museum if you don't mind."

Ciel and Carrie make their way through the streets looking for the familiar green historical signs signifying an old or restored building. There were plenty of old buildings in the area but none of them seemed to peak Carrie's interest. Then, Ciel notices something interesting. "Carrie" she says, "you were here on a mission trip right?"

"Obviously" Carrie responded. "You saw the records yourself."

"Then did you ever go there?" Ciel said, pointing to a large sign directing tourists towards a church.

"Yeah we did" Carrie said. Ciel beamed with satisfaction as Carrie said it. The church was a bit of a walk as it was far separated from the town's center. A large graveyard scattered about its perimeter with a massive forest stretching beyond its gate. It was one of the few areas that seemed untouched by the impact of modernization and Carries face grew brighter the closer they came to chapel's entrance. There were a lot of tourists around the area, a few of which ran about the exterior with noisy cameras around their necks.

They enter the church through the open doors. It's a small building with standard pews lining the floor up towards the altar. Boring white paint was sprayed on the walls which were lacking in the elaborate paintings and sculptures normally displayed within a house of worship. Compared to the monastery they had visited merely a day before, the building was rather drab. Ceil was about to express her sense of disappointment when she looked over her shoulder to see Carrie's pale expression. She looked as though she had seen a ghost. Her eyes were widened and glowing red. Ciel grabbed her shoulders and realized she wasn't breathing. "Carrie!" she yelled.


Carrie was surprised to find herself suddenly standing at the front of the church. All the Exit signs and electric lighting had vanished and the pews were full of people. Standing in front of everyone was a teenage girl garbed in white with long blonde hair. "I'm telling you, I saw her in the forest. She was dancing around that statue!" cried the girl.

"That's insane" said Isaac. "She has been in my company ever since we arrived. We all saw the statue. Carrie had nothing to do with it."

"Lies!" the girl cried. She wrapped her arms around her head and fell down to the floor. "Liars, the whole lot of you. Why can't you leave us alone?"

"We cannot take such accusations lightly Isaac" said a man at the front behind the pew. "I know we have a history, but demons are undeniably at work in our town."

"That's why we are here!" said Isaac.

Carrie recognized many of the faces in the crowd. She had been living here for several months and had gotten to know a lot of them more personally than those she knew back home. One of the boys in the front room she had once saved from a crocodile demon at the river. He looked worried, but kept receiving angry glances from his mother.

"It's the girl that is under trial here not you and your men. Why did she come here?" said the judge.

"Carrie has been instrumental in finding the creatures. She's the reason we've come this far." Isaac pleaded.

"And why is that?" said the judge. "How does she know them so well? She's not a nun. This is highly irregular."

"Why?" Isaac asked. All eyes then turned to look at Carrie.

"Answer the question miss" said the judge. Carrie had grown nervous. She had been keeping her powers a secret from the church ever since she started. Technically, she had been sent to America by Dracula to track down a group of defectors but she couldn't reveal any of that to them. She would need to come up with a story, and fast. "I've known about it since I was a child. I don't know how." Carrie responded. Curses, she was terrible at lying.

"Since she was a child?" cried the teenager. "I told you. I told you so."

"Tell us more about these abilities of yours Carrie. Where were you baptized?" the judge asked.

"Baptized?" Carrie said. She hadn't thought that far ahead.

"I hope you understand the gravity of this issue Isaac" the judge said. "Regardless of your intentions, this is not advancing your quest as you wish it so."

The crowd was moving about in their seats, whispering in each other's ear. Carrie could not hear what they were saying though she assumed it wasn't good. There was a dark aura wandering about the air. She could feel the energy pulsing through her body. Shimmering in the morning light were small particles of golden dust. She had been seeing them for a while now, though she wasn't sure what they signified. Carrie focused towards the group of church man in the front pew as they talked amongst each another. Isaac's face was scrunched and the rest of the men looked worrisome.

But what were they saying.

Then, Carrie notices the teenage girl laying at the front. A twisted smile had grown across her face and she was staring directly at her. Her mouth was moving like she was saying something, though no sound would escape her lips. The golden strands were moving quickly around her like dozens of mini tornadoes. Then in the light, Carrie could see a shimmer of something else. A strand of violet string moving between the spaces. They were everywhere. Choking the necks of dozens of audience members. The chatter grew louder, and the people were growing restless.

Carrie wanted it to stop. These people were paranoid and her friends were beginning to doubt her. The crowd was growing louder and louder. None of them seemed to notice the tiny strands of indigo around their necks. Carrie glanced around and noticed small hairs tangling around everywhere in the room. One of them right in front of her face. She reaches out with her hands past all the golden specks. She could feel it. The purple strands were tangible, however complex. She felt the strings tingling between her fingers as though shaking hands with a stingray.

"I have no choice, but to confine her to solitude until we learn more about these abilities of hers" spoke the judge. Carrie glanced over to him. Was he blind? Couldn't he see that all these people were choking? She clasped her right hand around the silky strings.

"NOOOO" screamed the teenager. "ITS TOO SOON!"

Carrie tugged the string.

Half the crowd exploded, their bodies fell to the floors and shuttered in an uncontrollable spasm. Anyone left standing screamed and started jumping onto the pews. Their cries drowned by a terrible crunching noise emanating from under them. The teenager was laughing hysterically. "Can't stop it now!" she cried and stood up. A wave of golden dust raged around her as she glared towards the Missionaries. *BLAM* a rush of green light slams into her stomach.

"Carrie!" cried Isaac. Looking towards Carrie's outstretched palm.

"I'm sorry Isaac" Carrie said. "But we are on the same side. You need to get out of here."

The creatures on the ground spat black juices up towards the crowd. They were gaining mass and scattering about the floor. The civilians tried to run towards the back but the church doors slammed shut.

The crowd, and the creatures grew silent.

"You will all die here" said the teenager. "You will fail, and the rest of the world will know nothing of your struggles."

"Death is overrated" Carrie said, her hands glowing a bright green. She unhooked her twin rings from her side.

"No Carrie!" shouted Isaac. "This has gone on far enough." He walked towards the pew and unsheathed his sword. The teenager laughed hysterically.

"I can't fight you Isaac! I'm not the one you're after" Carrie pleaded.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Isaac said, a tear in his eye. He lifted his sword.

Carrie held up her rings in defense, but the man toppled to the ground. His back split wide open with an array of black worms crawling through his flesh. She looked up at the girl in white who was watching her as closely as before. "Don't worry, he's not dead" she spoke. "Just transformed"

Carrie throws down the pedestal in front of her and throws an emerald orb towards the witch. She leaps over it and hovers several feet above the ground. Carrie sends another orb flying which the witch tosses aside as if it were a beach ball. The crowd shrieks in terror and many of the missionaries have since pulled out crosses and holy relics to try and exorcise the girl. Had they been facing a typical European demon their foe would have been immobilized, yet the teen snapped their crosses in half one by one like toys. Carrie runs towards them, until a giant inky pool forms between her and the rest of the crew. She knew not what the black pool contained, but assumed it wasn't a good idea to step inside.

"Damn" Carrie spoke aloud. She had been practicing her teleportation but couldn't narrow down an exact endpoint yet. If she landed in any of the dark puddles she was done for. Instead, Carrie threw more of her green orbs towards the witch. None reached their target.

"My you are an annoying one" said the witch. Her left hand began glowing bright orange with spirals of color and fire dancing around inside. "Simple magic will get you nowhere." The energy ball spiraled towards Carrie. She flooded her rings with magic and sliced the attack vertically in half, yet energy from inside came spilling out of the cone, engulfing her sides. "Argh" Carrie cried in pain.

"Now die little girl" said the witch, as she threw a similar attack. Carrie sent a beam of magic towards the orbs center, but it cracked like an egg spilling a cluster of small missiles into her stomach. She is thrown backwards.

Small clusters of golden dust circle all around the teenager. Carrie had never seen the phenomenon react to magic so heavily before. Whatever spells this girl was casting, they were unlike anything she had ever seen before. Carrie redirects her focus towards a stream flowing down to the church doors and floods energy into it. The church doors fly open and the people race out from the building.

"What!" says a surprised witch. She turns around to face the crowd during which time Carrie smashes a window and leaps outside, racing towards the tree line.


"Seriously, it's no big deal. This happens all the time" Ciel nervously laughs. Carrie opens her eyes to find herself laying on the ground with a small crowd of people peering down at her.

"You see! She's fine." Ciel says. Carrie jumps up and takes off running away from the building. "And in good enough health to race out of the building, across the graveyard, and into the trees".

"Is she autistic or something?" one of the tourists asks.

"Glad she's okay, I nearly had a heart attack myself" said another.

"Yeah sure, she's a special one" Ciel says, and turns around. "I'm gunna go after her now, thanks for your help everyone"

Ciel begins marching down the church steps but stops in her tracks when she notices a tall man in a brown trench coat standing in her path.

"That's far enough Ciel" Julius says.

"Ugh, dammit Belmont." Ciel said.

"What were you thinking? Kidnapping? Attacking a magus in their own bloody home?"

"Don't pretend you were happy with what they did to Carrie" Ciel said. "I know you hated it as much as I did"

"There is no shame in being cautious. Now are you going to return peacefully or what?"

"We can't go back yet" Ciel sighed. "Carrie's memories are coming back. We'll accomplish more here than we ever could back at Clock Tower. Trust me, I wasn't thrilled about coming her either."

"I'm not here on my own Ciel. Olga sent me."

"Well duh. You think I care what that witch thinks?"

"She's a bit harsh sometimes but she means well. Me and the Belnades clan go way back, we're friends." Julius said.

"Friends? That's an interesting way to put it"

"She didn't think Carrie was human. It's nothing personal it's just a job."

"Well it's a job I know far too well" Ciel pouted.

"Ciel…. Don't make this harder than it has to be" Julius said.

"You can tell Carrie that yourself"

"Where is she?"

"Don't know" Ciel crossed her arms. "I was about to run after her when someone got in my way"

"She's gone!?"

"You mean you didn't see a strange girl with blue hair race off just now?" Ciel said. "Alright come on, she went this way"


"Jay! Jay!" a blue bird cries from the branches above. Carrie races through the forest as though guided by an unseen force. The golden specks were hovering everywhere, but concentrated along a single jagged line. Carrie knew not what the dust signified, though she seemed to be the only one able to see it. The forest was familiar, exceedingly familiar.

The deer trail she was racing on came to an end along a small clearing in the woods, towards its center grew a gigantic tree with half a dozen limbs sprouting out of a thick center. A large hole was carved along the side and much of the tree appeared hollow. Carrie's breathing quieted as she walked towards the hollow center and peered inside.

"While Dracula exists" a mysterious voice speaks.

"Children live in terror" Carrie responds.

"I cannot desert them" Carrie and the voice collectively respond. The Blue Jay flies down and perches on a low branch next to her. "Welcome home Carrie" it speaks.

"Elof!" Carrie says, tears flooding her eyes. "I… I'm sorry. I can't remember"

"That's expected" Elof spoke. "When you left me here, you warned you may not be the same person who returned and that I was to guide one with the spirit to destroy Dracula back to this place."

"But why!" Carrie said. "What did I do here?"

Carrie senses a magical force raging from the bird and into the tree. A chunk of the trunk burns brightly then vanishes in a bright light.

"This was your home for a long time." Elof says. "Dracula tricked your soul into a contract and sent you here to destroy the traitors who left him. You found a loophole to escape that agreement and remained here for many years before your return."

"I allied with him" Carrie nods, and reaches out to grab a chest revealed inside the tree. "I joined him and I lead his forces against everything I once treasured."

"In a way" Elof responded. Carrie opened the chest and unfolded her old blue dress. It was the one she wore when she initially traveled to Dracula's castle. It was much too small for her to wear now. Alongside it was her green outfit, which she had worn through much of her travels outside the castle. It was a bit larger than the first, but still too small to wear. "I've grown" Carrie thought to herself.

"You knew that Dracula's spirit was bound to an everlasting cycle of rebirth and that he had rushed to power in the 1850's through the borrowed soul of a werewolf and the body of a child." Elof said.

"Malus!" Carrie exclaimed. "I remember"

"Likewise, you were bound to that boy in a demonic script. You could never oppose your fiancé so long as the contract remained, but the same did not go for the Dark Lord." Elof said.

Carrie next grabbed another familiar object from the box. Her twin Hikari rings. They were a family heirloom given to her by her real parents and a symbol of the Fernandez clan. Near useless on their own, they could easily be filled magical energy and transformed even the minutest levels into a lethal attack. Her adoptive father had been hiding a letter accompanying them though he never permitted her to read it.

Elof continued, "So you returned to the Count and helped him rise to power. For only then would you be able to separate the souls. But of course, you yourself could never commit such acts of evil."

Carrie grabbed the dark summoning stone she had used to keep in contact with Dracula and shoved it in her pocket. "I saved Malus" she thought. "What a relief"

"Aye" Elof squawked.

"But I couldn't do more unless…" Carrie's eyes laid down upon a small wooden branch. Its outside was decorated with a variety of magical symbols. A pale blue leather handle wrapped around the base and a crystal clear gem was mounted at the top. "My wand" Carrie thought. It was a powerful tool used to inscribe complex spells into a network for quick access. She had written into it a variety of magical attacks as well as a more complex orb which allowed her to defeat the witch in Salem. But there was another monster here as well that demanded more attention.

Next Carrie grabbed a leather belt out from the bottom of the chest. It was full of rings and pouches, many of which still contained small vials of holy water. "Useful" Carrie thought. Her hands brushed over the last item in the chest, a book.

She grabbed the book and as soon as she opened it, a wave of magical energy exploded outward and into her body. "AAAAAAAHHHH!" Carrie screamed.


Julius and Ciel were rummaging blindly into the woods when a loud cry sounded to the right. "This way!" said Julius, and the two of them raced towards the direction of the noise. They quickly arrived at a clearing and saw Carrie kneeling at the base of a tree with sparkles of light exploding all around her. Ciel tosses one of her black keys towards the center but it bounced off without any effect.

Carrie stood and looked over at them. The flashes stopped.

"Will someone explain what in God's name is going on!" yelled Julius. Carrie held a finger to her lips in silence. "This used to be my home" she said quietly.

"Really?!" Julius asked, his curiosity peaked. "Wait, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It was undoubtedly the happiest time of my life" Carrie responded. Her eyes suddenly darted to the side and she raced off into the forest. A Blue Jay soaring not far behind her.

"Wait, Carrie!" Ciel yelled, but she was already gone.

"Damn that girl" Julius cursed. "What is this a game of hide n' seek?"

"If she's running it's probably for a reason." Ciel walked forward towards the base of the tree. "It's small but I could see someone building a hut out of this thing. Especially a child."

"She is a child Ciel" Julius said.

"Not anymore, you shouldn't treat her like that. Why do you think she keeps running away?" Ciel said. She eyes the empty chest and picks it up.

"What's that?" Julius asks.

"Only she could tell us that" Ciel responds, tossing it on the ground. "Come one let's find her."


"Wait, Carrie!" Ciel's voice echoed behind her. Carrie wasn't running very fast, but she was quick to widen the distance from her comrades. Her companion dashed from tree to tree in the canopy above, guiding her way across the familiar yet unfamiliar path. Much of the forest had changed. The woods were thick, confusing, and difficult to navigate. The trees from her old home had grown gigantic and a new thicket of saplings was emerging underneath. Carrie was overjoyed that her home was still here though she felt saddened as she walked between the trees. They would never return to the way they were before, and she would never see them again.

She was sure that her friends could close in on her had they truly needed to, but a temporary separation was necessary in light of her follower. "Are we clear yet Elof?" Carrie said. "Aye" squawked an avian response.

"You can show yourself now. Stalking is quite rude, even for you" Carrie said.

"It's not stalking if your follower knows you're there" came the voice of a young girl. A child garbed in black was suddenly walking next to Carrie, her dark hair tied back into two pigtails.

"You should be more careful. My friends are professionals, they'll kill you if they find you" Carrie said.

"We haven't survived as long as we have by mere luck. I can look after myself, girl" she giggled.

"You aren't fighters Eleanor. These people aren't like the ones that came before." Carrie said.

"Perhaps not, but I've been at this a lot longer than you have" Eleanor said. She skipped ahead of Carrie to look her straight in the face. Her piercing ruby eyes cast such mysteriousness it was intoxicating. They were the eyes of a friend from another lifetime, as well as a requiem for peace. Though they were technically vampires, the Sh'ek rarely killed their victims and aimed towards a discrete relationship with the human race. Descendants from a long line of true ancestors, they survived through camouflage not war. She hated to admit it, but Carrie held a deep envy for them.

"I take it you haven't reconsidered our offer?" Eleanor said.

"Of course not" Carrie said.

"Tis a shame. It would've been so lovely to see you grow, find a partner perhaps. You were quite lonely her by yourself if I do recall"

"That's a lie" Carrie laughed. "I've always had Elof remember?"

"Hmph" Eleanor spat, glancing up at the bird. "A crippling immortality that one chose."

"Besides, I've never been interested in that sort of thing" Carrie said. "I've had the same goal for as long as I can remember. I could never rest knowing it was never accomplished."

"That's not necessarily true. Eternity is a long time my dear. You believe your friends would fail without you?"

"Julius is young but he's stronger than he knows. He's already surpassed Reinhardt."

"Then why stay?" Eleanor said.

"The Belmont's can only attack the man, not the spirit. Dracula will resurrect the same as he always has. Unless…"

"He will resurrect regardless sweetie." Eleanor laughed. "You will merely pass the spirit from one man to another. Nothing will change."

"I don't believe that's true. Though the power to rule will always remain, a new soul will one day conquer the dark."

"You hope" Eleanor said.

"I know"

Eleanor laughed. "The same as you knew you'd never commit the very sins you sought to destroy"

"That wasn't me" Carrie replied with a stern voice. Though it was true. She killed, raped, maimed, tortured, and stole thousands of innocent lives. It was done under the guise of another, under the soul of another, but it was her nonetheless.

"Your body. Your regrets. Your memories" Eleanor hissed.

"Now you're just being cruel" Carrie responded. She reached out and hugged the ancient vampire. Close to her ear she whispered, "I know what you're trying to do. But I can't, you know I can't"

"Let go Carrie. The fighting never stops. No matter the victories, no matter the sacrifices. It never stops" Eleanor pleaded.

"I know, but it's what I have to do" Carrie said, fighting back her tears. "The worst is behind me now, I can't complain."

"And as I said before you never had to go through any of it." Eleanor said. "You're still so young"

"But you still helped me" Carrie said. Reminiscing it all that once was, Carrie had once made a deal with the Sh'ek. She removed the demons of Salem in exchange for information regarding Dracula. After her friends with the church were killed, it was they who took her in and eventually helped her create the pseudo-personality Coller2 which rejoined Dracula's forces in her stead.

"Of course" Eleanor responded. She took a step back and began walking out into the forest. Hundreds of red eyes suddenly appearing around her. "May you find what you're searching for"

"Thank you" Carrie said, and as mysteriously as she appeared, Eleanor vanished.

"Carrie, where have you been?" came Julius's voice from behind her. Carrie could hear rustling in the thickets as him and Ciel closed in on her position.

"I needed a moment to say goodbye. It's okay, I'm ready to go now" Carrie said with her back turned.

"Go where?" Ciel asked. "You're acting strange, what's happened?"

"You are full of questions today aren't you Ciel" Carrie said, turning around to face her new friends with a smile. "I remember everything now, and I mean everything. I'm sure you have plenty of questions Julius"

"That I do" Julius responded. "But I'd rather wait, we'll have plenty to discuss on the plane ride, and this forest gives me the creeps."

Without another word, the three hunters depart the forest. A swarm of eyes following them until the very edge.


Thus concludes Arc 1.

It's been such a pleasure writing this story so far. Little by little I can see I'm starting to improve, though each chapter still takes too dang long!

This story is set to take place in 3 story arcs. Arc 2 will take place entirely in Japan and I think it's obvious to any Castlevania fans what will transpire in Arc 3.

There's going to be more a lot more of Tsukihime once I finally make it to Japan, though I am considering migrating this project to a Fate/Castlevania crossover. Thoughts?

And here's a quick shout out to the Carrie Fernandez Appreciation Society. (Which still exists in spirit)