Chapter 21

Seras stopped crying when she heard the banter of her Master. She gaped between the two of them, noting her Master's sudden change in attitude, and the Major's daring for Alucard to say anything. "...Holy Being...?" she questioned, mostly to herself. "...What's a...?"

"Nothing of concern right now," the Major cut in quickly, his eyes narrowing at Alucard. The elder vampire stood up, his hand still over his wounded physical essence.

"The Hell it isnt," he said in a wavery voice that didnt sound like him at all. "...A Holy Being, Seras...one of Heaven's True Chosen...the complete opposite of a profane 'vampire'..."

"Enough!"

"...An immortal chosen at death..." Alucard stepped up, ignoring the Major. "...What is something like that residing in your actual being...?"

Seras's gaze was shooting between her Master and the Major, now thouroughly confused. "...What...what are you talking about...?" she demanded, sitting up. "...Are you talking about the Major...? What is a 'Holy Being'...?" She clenched her fists. "What is going on!?"

She heard the Major let out something between a growl and a sigh. "You vonce asked vhat I vas, Seras," he began slowly, his eyes still pinned to Alucard. "...Und that ist vhat I am. I told you zat at the time of my death, the Holy und the Profane stood at my body und offered me a choice. Quite the opposite to vhat Alucard chose..." He broke off for a moment. "...I became Holy...instead of Profane..."

Seras began to feel a slight dawning realization. "...What does that mean...?" she asked timidly. The Major clenched his fists again.

"It means...that I am, indeed, Holy. Profane beings cannot touch my skin...my powers und barriers repel unholy und neutral attacks alike...only the power of another Holy, or the use of a holy weapon can defeat me...directly..."

Seras thought back to Sir Integra's sword. The barrier had penitrated it...but directly... "...Sir Integra's sword...it was blessed...!" she concluded. "That's the only reason why it killed you!"

The Major nodded, still not looking at her.

"...But..." Another realization dawned on her. "...How was I able to touch you then...?"

Complete silence. Then...

"You vere never meant to be a wampire, Seras," the Major finally said, turning to look at her with almost sad eyes. "You vere meant to haf the same choice as Alucard und I."

Alucard made a pissed-off sound deep in his throat. "Now, wait just a--!"

"Nein!" the Major snapped, turning back to Alucard. "Do not deny the facts! You saw vhat vas in her soul! She vas hand-chosen by The Between itself to make the Choice!" His hands were now rhythmically clenching and unclenching.

"Und you took zat choice from her."

"Someone tell me what the hell is going on!" Seras screamed, standing up now and feeling like throwing a tantrum. "What is The Between!? What is the Choice!? What are you two talking about!?"

A heavy silence once again fell upon the three of them. Finally, Alucard spoke up.

"For your information," he said gravely, "I did not know about her soul. All I saw was something strong...much stronger than average, or even super-average humans. I saw potential."

The Major shook his head slowly. "If you vould have just let her be," he said barely above a whisper, "she vould haf made the same choice I vould haf." He turned to Seras. "That ist vhy you could touch me, Seras. Because your soul still had the purity. Because you vere destined to become a Holy Being."

Seras was deathly silent before walking past him and up to her Master. "We need to talk alone," she said softly, though a razor-sharp edge cut through his ears. She turned to the Major. "If you can, would you please try to block off the exchange?"

"You went through the exchange--!?" Alucard began, but with a shove, he dissappeared from Seras's mind.

"I'll talk to you when I'm done with him," she told the Major in the same razor-like voice. The Major merely nodded, and Seras pushed herself out of her mind.

Back in the physical world, Seras pulled herself to her feet and turned to her Master. "What was that?" she demanded, her voice wavering violently. "What the fuck was that!?" She barely waited for her Master to respond before boldly shoving him with both hands. "Tell me!" she screamed. She made a move to shove him again, then Alucard grabbed her wrists and held them tight.

"I think that I am the one that deserves some explaination, Police Girl!" her Master spat bitterly. "But before we come to that, let's review on your absolute stupidity first!" He threw her arms back to her, causing her to stumble back and almost fall. "How can you lay there in your head like that, treating the goddamned Major, of all beings, like a welcome friend in your home!?" His hand shook as though he wanted to hit her badly.

"He..." Seras began shakily, then regained her boldness. "He's been decent to me! He's been helping me with some helpful powers! Powers I now understand that you cant have, or even hope to have!"

Alucard burned fire into her eyes with his glare. "...And do you even know why he has been helping you with his generosity?" he asked darkly. Seras blinked back tears.

"He...he said that it was because I never asked for them...he offered to give them to me! And...!" She wiped her eyes. "...He even offered to make the exchange gradual...to help me learn them..." She was cut off by her Master's maniac laughter.

"Oh, you stupid creature!" he roared, shaking his head in a pitying way. "You incredibly stupid, stupid creature...!" He looked at her again. "You dont see what he's doing, do you?"

"He's not doing anything!" Seras shot back. She was cut off from the rest of her defense by Alucard's laughter again.

"Think about it, childe of mine," he said in a condescending tone. "The Major is, perhaps, the most powerful being we have ever encountered...perhaps, ever will encounter! He is physically immortal, has power over midians, has holy powers, and if given another fifty years, could destroy this Earth!" He shook his head again, chuckling to himself. "Why, in the name of all things holy he is, would he deign to reside, for the rest of his existance, in your underdeveloped little mind?"

It was like an icy, hard slap to the face. Seras took an unconscious step back, shaking her head. "...No..."

"You see now, Seras?" Alucard asked in a more gentle tone, as though condoling her for her idiocy. "...He's using you. Getting you ready for his powers..."

"...No...!"

"...Until the day he can inhabit your very essence..."

"Stop it!"

"...And control, or even become you."

"SHUT UP!!"

Seras took off into the sky on two wings, tearing ass towards London to get away from either the cold truth or the harsh lies. Alucard watched her go, actually feeling sorry for her. He shook his head, then headed back toward the Manor. The sun was rising now on the horizon; he thought, if she were lucky, the sun would take her before the Major did.

Seras was blinded by her tears, but not blinded enough to know that the uncomfortable rays of the sun were beginning to hit her, making flying more difficult. She looked around wildly for shelter, and her gaze landed on the still-intact Hindenburg II. With barely a thought, she flew down and through it before the trauma and the fatigue hit her, and she collapsed in the main viewing room, where the surrounding remains of the buildings shadowed the windows enough for some comfort. She blindly stumbled forward until she half-collapsed in the seat of the chair, and began sobbing into her arms.

What if it were true, what her Master said? Hell, what was she fucking thinking!? It had to be true! The Major had no real valid reason for staying in her mind for that long without some sort of string attached...and that string was her. She choked on her tears, but didnt really care. She felt so...hurt. Not by her Master's words, or by the implications. She was hurting because all the trust she felt she had for him was now shattered into a million pieces.

Did he even have siblings? Was the Doktor even his friend, or just a mindless drone? Did he really like her eyes? Did he even really care?

Or were they all lies? Was he just using her for the moment he would erase her existance, and replace it with his own? And that the only reason why he chose her to inhabit was because she was a...Holy Being...or whatever, like him? A compatable soul to overcome and then live through her?

Her thoughts were interrupted with her vampiric instincts telling her that it was getting too light for a proper savehaven. She stumbled up and walked shakily through the airship until she found what looked like a lab. It was bloody and filthy, but it was also dark and had zero sunlight once she closed the door behind her. She tiredly staggered to the cleanest empty gurney and crawled on it, flunking exaustedly on it and closing her eyes, willing the headache she had to disappear...

...Willing herself to disappear...

I made myself cry writing this and listening to "What Have You Done" by Within Temptation.

Chapter 22 Preview

The Major gives his explaination, and it isnt what Seras expected.