The Vampire Diaries

Chapter 10: Overcount II: Lucifer's Choice

The drops of rain they fall all over
This awkward silence makes me crazy
The glow inside burns light upon her
I'll try to kiss you if you let me
(this can't be the end)

How dumb of us are we to assume the unknown. For some reason that thought trailed its way into my empty head as I watched the Arch Bishop dress after attending morning's mass. He had not known of my presence or else he wouldn't have been dressing in front of me.

Like there's any reason to be modest; too old to even think of attraction without gagging. Before the old man began taking off things which I might regret seeing, I decided to appear from the shadows. I was surprised to not see him flinch when he saw me emerge on my feet from behind him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it time for the combined mass?" He said nothing as if still believing he was the only one in the room. "It would be considered rude to his Holiness if you were late."

"It matters not." He began. "Soon this city will meet its demise." For some reason I sensed a hint of sadness in his voice. Didn't he want this city to fall? I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised when he joined the Order to help with the fall of the Vatican. Only just a few years ago he was our next target but now he sided along with us; supplying all the connections and information the Holy Empire was conducting.

"Everything's been arranged according to plan." I said to reassure his curiosity which I began sensing the moment I presented myself to him.

"Preparing the decoy seems to be a good play after all." He replied, implying the Belfry Bell.

"And because of that the greatest threat to your Grace's plan has been dealt with. Time's almost upon us. May the grudge that has consumed you for the past five years be unleashed on them like the wrath of God."

"I'm glad to see how loyal my collaborator is." He smiled.

"Well, since your plan benefits mine there's no reason why I shouldn't excel to all of your Grace's wishes."

"There is another wish which I pray you will comply." I turned around, waiting for his next command. He ruffled the cuffs of his uniform and faced me as well with little concern. "My niece is under house arrest for her actions."

"Lady Caterina." I echoed. How I loved that name, the way it rolls off my tongue with a deep purr in the back of my throat.

"She's too powerful a piece to dispose of which the rest of the pawns. I'll make arrangements to relocate her further away from the explosion so that she will be spared the impact."

"Why save your niece but not your two dear nephews?" I knew the questions would only tickle his past demons but watching his anger surface was a pastime that I relished. I turned on my heel to admire the Baroque style moral painting above my head.

"Those to bastards are not worth sharing the pure blood of our family. Corruptible and powerless they all are so they will drown in their own blood. But Caterina possess a power much like her Father and Grandfather. She's a true leader and can influence to public to sway at our demands…Convince her to join the Order."

"And if she won't…" I looked at him from over my shoulder. He stared at the red carpet with a grave look. "…than I'll kill her." The Arch Bishop shot eyes of horror at me. "That's how it is. I am not going to let another threat harm our chances for your moral sympathy. You humans bound yourselves too tight to family."

It was soon evident how feeble the Arch Bishop really was. If he wasn't my benefactor I would have killed him on the spot. Of course everyone has a weakness but to see that his was over a niece was disappointing. I'm not one to sit around and bend backwards for something that probably will just cause more complications. His hope of 'convincing' her to join the Order was a fool's hope. It'll only cause him more heartbreak to see me licking her blood off my fingers when I come back. Yet it's his choice, I can only follow at every turn no matter what.

The evening was coming and my chance of speaking with Lady Caterina was closing slowly. This room eventually bored me so I began walking out slowly towards the shadows.

"I'll reply on you, my Grace, to finish the last act for this tragedy of a city."

Your vows of silence fall all over
The look in your eyes makes me crazy
I feel the darkness break upon her
I'll take you over if you let me
(You did this)

I had arrived in the mausoleum at the precise moment when the sun barely touched the horizon. Its light was now harmless to my fragile skin and the worry of whether I would be burned by its holy light vanished. No one stopped me as I sauntered towards the building which housed the Lady Cardinal. Probably because all personal were gathering in the great hall for the combining mass.

Upon entering the mausoleum, I had to make sure to transform my body to a somewhat familiar shape for the Cardinal. I could feel my bones grow stiff, my back hunch and my face fall from gravity. When I looked down I saw red robes drape over my much larger frame.

"Arch Bishop!" I looked up, seeing one of the few guards posted at the entrance way announce me.

"Leave us." I waved, ordering them to go afar and abandon their post for the Holiness. Without a second glance they left me, believing I actually was the old crypt of a man.

Thank God I died young!

She was standing in the center of the circular room. A beautiful creature dressed in overpowering red. If you only looked at the surface she was a stately queen, powerful and fierce with a lion's heart. But, when I undressed her with my eyes she was only just a delicate maiden who only knew how to put on a mask every day. I hid my smile from her when I entered.

When she turned around at the sound of my footsteps she believed it was her Uncle standing before her. In order to continue on this charade I have to make sure to not stray from the character.

"The previous Pope, your father, was a great and brilliant man." I began with a deep and thundering accent.

"Uncle," She bowed. "I apologize. My actions last night were disrespectful."

"I understand. You had a duty; you did what you had to. I'm sorry to have summoned you to this place during your house arrest but there are some important matters concerning your future." I saw her eyes shot up at me with worry.

"My future?!" She repeated.

"Cardinal Francesco is using the opportunity to overthrow you and remove your title. However; it won't matter, soon everything around you will be destroyed."

"What?!" She gasped. I guess I'm rushing things too much to keep my identity subtle…no matter.

"When that time comes, who will the people turn to for guidance? Lady Caterina. It would be a shame for someone with your wit and intelligence go to waste."

"What do you mean 'destroyed'? Wait a minuet—''

"I will be the one leading the people into a new era. The enemy of the world is truly the enemy of the Vatican. The Contra Mundi are the only ones who can sympathize with my feelings." Her wrists were clenched and that one calm and placid face twisted in anger and disappointment.

"What exactly are you saying Uncle?!" She declared.

"What is so glorious of this city for someone like you to give up their life for? I summoned you here to for protection."

"I'm afraid you made a mistake Uncle." She said in a low voice similar to a lion's growl. "And if I make it out of this alive I will continue to fight all of you to my last breath." So there really is no point in asking her to join the Order. Her mind is set and stubborn where it stays.

"I thought you would say something foolish like that." I raised my hand, summoning the shadows and dust of this stone ruin to collect into forms and bodies that mold my demons. They surrounded her on all sides, trapping her in the cage I set. Her end was coming and she could sense it. The pace of her heart sped up like a little bird twittering in its cage. What predators we vampires are when we feel giddy at the sound of a racing heart. All was falling into place until I began hearing footsteps approach the entrance way.

Damn those guards! I'll kill before they even see into the building.

But to my dismay another annoyance huffed and puffed his way into the game. I turned my head and only than did Caterina cry out his name.

"Abel!"

That son of a bitch! What is he thinking that he can take me for a second time and still hope to not cry through it like the little weakling he is?! As I cursed the existence of this feeble priest he slowly evolved to the form I had last seen him in. His silver hair got loose from its tie and flew in the air upwards. His skin, drained of color, turned to a luminous white making his acute lips pucker even more in their crimson color. When he opened his eyes all I saw was pure rage as I peered into those scarlet pupils.

I forgot how pretty he was to look at when he shed his mortal skin. Seeing him only ticks this fever of breaking him all the more. Like a piece of crystal.

Those same demons, who forever move under my control, flew at him with their claws out and their teeth bare. Yet just like before, he destroyed them all in one motion of his arm with that sinister looking scythe. Those eyes, like pools of blood, looked at me as he grinned in triumph but I chuckled under my breath as he came running after me. With his weapon poised for my head he jumped on top of me, bringing the blade down with him. He was close in taking out my head but I countered the attack with my shield. The priest didn't get an inch close to my face before he was pushed back by force.

"Show me what you really are!?" He yelled.

"I am just a messenger for the Arch Bishop, Father."

I had forgotten that I still wore the Arch Bishop's aging body. By now it seems my secret was up and that I need no longer play this game of charade.

The transformation was like lifting a thick and heavy blanket off my skin. My clothes turned black and my fine, long hair fell gently in one lapsing motion. I could feel my skin tighten up where it should be. The fangs regained their canine cut and it seemed I was lighter than ever. It's good to be young.

"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Lady Caterina." I bowed at the frightened woman in red. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Isaac Fernando von Kampfer. The Order of Rosen Krotz. Court Rank: Magus. My title, Panzer Megil. I'm here as an honorable servant to the Arch Bishop, D'Este." It seemed I could have said anything and the woman wouldn't believe me. A face of pure shock and terror was not obvious in her stern face but I could hear her heart dance rapidly.

"These were my instructions concerning you Cardinal Sforza. I'm trying to convince you to join our cause if that cannot be done, than I am to kill you." So that was it. The last and final truth that made her frozen mask fall and twist in a way which I have seen all humans make before death.

I sucked in the energy around me, draining the room and growing light headed from all the power which flowed through my porous skin. I raised my hand, molding this energy to collect and recollect while chanting the ancient incantation to awaken the ancient strain on the power.

"I summon thee

Come to me

From the depths of the crimson-tinted darkness

Give me your flames

Come, Arrow of Belial."

That energy grew into a thick ball of fire, coated in my zealous hate and fears. The impact which Belial's fire had on the atmosphere made the room blow in a harsh wind unknown to any direction. Its weight was a mixture of being incredibly heavy and light. I couldn't help but feel frivolous while holding such a power in my hands and control.

"Now it's time for you to die, Lady Caterina Sforza." I turned my dark eyes toward her and she trembled under their weight.

"NO STOP!" The priest race to her side but I had already sent the arrows to their destination. It was like standing under a geyser of shooting stars. They flew past me, almost nicking a part of my face with its penetrable force. However; that graceful creature was quick enough to beat the flight of arrows and covered her body with his as they pelted his back a thousand times over. I heard him muffle his cries as he endured the pain.

How adorable…in a sick way of course. He would go to that extant to suffer the fires of hell only to uphold a meager promise he made years ago. Again, this only reminded me that he, although beautiful, was just a weakling. He could be great and majestic but smoothers his true power under the guise of a stupid promise. Makes me want to kill him even more.

He rose to his feet, yelling in pain as the fire of Belial soaked under his skin and singed the inside of his body.

"Abel!" Caterina cried in horror as she could only watch him writher in misery. "Abel!" That was all she could do. The sight was hilarious if you had a vampire humor like mine. I couldn't hold in the laughter.

"Well done." I clapped for the creature who was still amazingly alive after that episode.

"I will…" He began to lift himself up. "…protect…the humans."

"Abel, no stop!" Caterina dropped down at his side. "You've done enough! You've done enough for me!"

"Careful, I wouldn't move him if I were you, my Lady." I warned. "He was stuck by the Arrow of Belial, an electromagnetic accelerated canon. I'm surprised to see he's able to sustain his current form." I mused. He got up again.

"Get out of here!" He said in a throaty voice. "Run Caterina!" Oh Christ!

"Oh give it a rest will you! You can't protect anyone, you've already proven that. You stood by while countless numbers of people were slaughtered in Barcelona, including that Sister who was one of our closest comrades. You failed time and time again to protect the ones important to you. And this time won't be any different."

Harsh, yes. But the truth hurts. It's always the same with those hopeless heroes you see in stories time and time again. 'Run—save yourself' and then when everyone else is safe, they die. Whether by sacrificing themselves during the story or getting killed long after the story teller is telling the story, they all die! Nothing that good and pure existence, at least not for long. The cruel thing about fairy tales is that there's always an ending but in real life we all know…there is no ending, especially a happy ending.

Seeing him crawl on the floor, blood pouring down his face and still thinking he can take me is insulting! This creature had lost its beauty. It's dead in my book now. Just looking at it revolts me, existing to uphold all the things I hate.

I began molding that same energy, chanting the witches' incantation as Belial's fire was revolving above me, crushing me under its strength. But as I concentrated on summoning the power, the priest was also regaining in strength as well.

When I heard him grip his scythe, I had no choice but to break the summoning spell and protect myself. I gasped when he came after me with such force. This fresh amount of power behind his aura was almost frightening. I tried my best to withstand this rage, this hate but his weapon broke through my shield and it threw me against the far end of the room through the concrete wall. My mind went blank for a split second until I opened my eyes. A surging head ache pained the back of my head and than spread all over my body.

Slowly I began to sit up, my hands fumbling on the concrete rubble but he was standing and ready for me. It was as if my last blow did nothing to him. Not only that, but two wings stretched out behind him, exposing its sharp black feathers. I fell in love with his beauty all over again.

Ignoring the pain which was still racking my body, I stood up pretending it didn't hurt at all.

"What a surprise, I'm impressed. It appears you've been holding back on me." My eyes caught the stray bolts of electricity which laced between his black wings. "So this is it, the true form of mighty and powerful Crusnik."

"What are you looking at?" He snarled, carrying a new demonic voice after the new transformation.

"I'm honored to make your acquaintance. The true face of a Crusnik. At last we finally meet." He glared at me ignoring the blood dripping down in to his eyes. I would have wished if he'd allow me to lap it off that marble skin, but from the way things were I guess he's cut me in two before I took one step. The thought made me chuckle. Plus Dietrich would be jealous.

"A megavolt level generator powered by your own body." I noted from the extensive electricity his wings were picking up. "Impressive. However; even in this form you are still no match for me." My confidence angered him.

"KAMPFER!" He roared while rearing back as if he was going to throw something at me. All I felt before the blow as a gush of wind and following after a blinding light. I had only picked up my shield in time but it wasn't enough.

Tidal waves they rip right through me
Tears from eyes worn cold and sad
Pick me up now, I need you so bad.

-Blink 182

"No!" I gasped under the power and before I knew it I was spinning uncontrollably in mid air. The suddenly fall on the floor brought agony on my body once more but not only that I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down and a red gash near on my breast was staining my clothes in blood.

"What—what was that?! How were you able to penetrate my shield?" And than it hit me. "Ah yes, there is one way. Let me guess, that was a spark attack wasn't it? You continue to amaze me. The true form of a Crusnik, such a powerful being." As I allowed my mind to ramble the song of bells interrupted our gaze. He heard them too making his eyes drown in worry.

"The bells have begun to ring." I said, enjoying their hellish song. "You've got to kill me now Crusnik or the city of Rome will be destroyed." He raised his weapon, aiming it for my heart without hesitation. "That's it. Now strike me down and kill me. Take revenge for that Sister."

I had thought facing death would frighten me. Many times I had dreamed of my end before, call it a vampire's favorite past time. But surprisingly I wasn't. I had imagined cowering under Death's soft touch as he seduced me into an eternal hell. But I wouldn't bend at his will no matter what lies he promised me of heaven, something still pulled me here to this material world.

Was it the primitive strength which all living animals share? That can't be right, I'm dead and drained of life. Could it be some unfinished business and that's where my mind sighs.

I can't leave those eyes, not now that is—not when they only crave for me as I crave for them. The last thing I would want to do is make them cry. Seeing him claw at the walls, wailing for my return would make me crumble bear the pain of hell even more. Remembering that lingering feeling of affection I have for that damn mortal, I would fight the maker of my death and sliver away from his cold hands which he so wanted to have on me.

But now, with the blade poised above me; ready to strike, I fear not. I do not cower, I do not crumble, and I do not remember that torturing sight of imagining Dietrich crying. It was this realization that I knew this wasn't my end. He wasn't going to kill me not that he didn't have the power, but that he didn't have the heart.

"In the past, I promised." He began. "I promised that I would never kill."

"Promise? A promise you say?!"

"Yes, I promised long ago that I would never kill people or let people die. I promised to atone for my sins. I won't kill anybody anymore. So tell me!" He roared in frustration. "How do I stop this thing!!!?" All he needed to do was get on his knees, for that's what beggars do. This immaculate creature was begging a wounded fallen angel to help him save those that I had condemned to death. "Please…"

God, I hate that word. I has this weird affect on me.

I bowed my head and smiled. It seems even I have a mortal weakness still lingering in my blood.

"Very well…I shall tell you. The only way to stop the Silent Noise System is to stop its control chip." I touched my heart which was beating frantically in my chest and protected in a cage of ribs. "Here…The chip is inside me. Indeed the chip inside me constantly checks to see if I'm alive. In other words, you can protect everything by killing me. It's that simple." His eyes widen in terror.

To save everything will he give up his promise, the same one which he blessed the moment it was conceived?

"Can you hear the screams of the city beyond the bell's echoes? What will you do Abel?"

"I will…" He tried to connect the words but even verbally he can't do it. "I will!" With a slow hand he again tried to lift up his weapon, it seemed for him that it had grown a ton to lift it.

All I felt was the wind which sounded my parting death. I laughed at him, growing from a soft chuckling to a bellowing roll. There was nothing to fear from this Crusnik, no matter how many times he gets me on my knees, he was still below me. I stood up as he had stayed kneeling down. The blade had missed me by a long shot as it was stuck deep in the marble floor.

"So you couldn't, huh? You were so caught up in that promise; you were so hesitant to dirty your hands, that this happened." I than noticed the new silence which has occurred. "The bells stopped ringing! So it seems that the Arch Bishop was caught as well. Unfortunately it seems I've failed. Now that the one who hired me is gone, there's no point to continue. I will be going."

He stared at me with enraged eyes and his mouth agape in shock that I had given up on this elaborate project so quickly.

"Goodbye, Abel. Until we meet again." And just like last time those same shadows snaked their arms around me, pulling me into their parallel world and away from this place.

Upon leaving the Vatican territory I sensed a pair of soft eyes from afar. Even though his form was far that not even my eyes could see him I knew who it was. Perched atop the large cross of the city, the highest beacon to heaven, he stood with the wind passing through him unharmed. He had seen everything and understood my early departure so I needn't worry of punishment.

I continued on through the rushing world of color, loosing track of that familiar face and kept in the direction I knew would lead me home. The cold autumn air christened my skin and all the pains which wretched my body before had now been relived.

Review!!

Sorry it took so long to update. For some reason my computer wouldn't upload the documents. (what a meanie) But my next upload will be coming up shortly so please REVIEW and watch out for the next chapter.