Author's Note: In response to my two guest reviewers:

Lord Destroyer, you've gotta remember who's behind the wheels of this story, and Mariabella's motor functions. You can trust me when I say I know the difference between predecessor and successor. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were looking for trouble with your 'holier than thou' criticism. Feel free to do it, just make sure you're right, or you'll be up a creek.

As for Jim, are you at all familiar with this site? I had posted the previous chapter quite recently when you reviewed. People don't come out with new chapters every day. The only people who do that are either mediocre, or really good. Usually the former.

Anyway, here is the final chapter! I may write an epilogue some time, but it's unlikely. It would probably just be a side-story.

Chapter XXV
Departure

"That was unnecessary," Charlotte grumbled half-heartedly, "I mean you could have at least warned me before you yanked me off my feet."

"I'm sorry, but you were asking for it when you tried to make me kill you. That was not fair in any way, shape or form."

"Fine, I was hard on you, but that's not an excuse to grab a lady without her permission!"

"There are so many things wrong with that statement beyond the fact that you actually did ask me to pick you up."

"I don't follow," Charlotte trailed off, "Oh! Gross! Is that what you're thinking!?

"Can you two just cut it out and get in the car!" Oliver urged them, "The sisters need medical attention really badly!"

"Well, we could, but Maria hasn't come back yet."

There was an ear splitting crash nearby as two of the towers began collapsing in on themselves.

"If she isn't back in five minutes, she's not coming back at all," Oliver groaned nervously.

"Seriously though, where is she?" Charlotte asked.

"Alucard! I know you're here! You can't hide or ignore me forever!" Maria hollered into the tomb just off the castle grounds.

She stood at the entrance tapping her foot impatiently.

"I'll knock this thing down if you don't come out now!" she threatened.

Still no response.

"I said it, and I mean it!" she roared, summoning her dragon, which began shooting fireballs at the elegant structure.

"What do you want of me?" Alucard hissed, materializing in front of her

"What do you think? I want you to come home with us!" Maria shouted.

"The home you refer to belongs to another," Alucard growled angrily.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you stole it!"

"What are you talking about!?" Maria shouted stubbornly.

"You know full well what I'm referring to, Maria Renard!" Alucard roared, showing his fangs.

Maria gasped, tears filling her eyes. She had expected that if he'd been given enough time, he would have figured it out, but she was sure it wouldn't have been so soon. And she never expected how much it would hurt to see the disgust in his eyes as he looked at her. She'd seen it before when he destroyed demons and other monsters. Having it directed at her stung like venom.

"When did you realize?"

"You gave me many opportunities. You used a spell that Mariabella could never have cast properly. You also called me Adrian again. Even more obvious was when you destroyed that undead creature. Miss Fox wouldn't have even been able to stand the sight of it."

'I knew he could tell right from the start…' Mariabella muttered internally.

"I never thought you would use the spell for this. Was this your plan all along? To steal a body that you were reincarnated into! You made a promise!"

"I know I made a promise you dummy! I wouldn't have broken it if I had a choice!"

"Spare me your excuses."

"I got her permission! She was going to die if I didn't take over right when I did! Did you even see the thing that was romping around the front gates?! Oliver can even confirm it!

"You could easily have told her how to defeat it."

"Could I have given her my reflexes? My magical know-how? The control I have over my summons? Ask yourself those questions, Tepes!" Maria demanded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"That's Farenheits Tepes!"

"I know goddamn well what your name is!"

Alucard didn't respond and Maria just stood silently, choking back tears even as she grit her teeth in irritation. Alucard was livid and she didn't know how to calm him down.

"I didn't want—"

"Not good enough!"

"I know I made a promise—"

"Well you should have kept it!"

'This is ridiculous,' Mariabella groaned. "She swore on her soul that she'd teach me the spell!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, the words projecting themselves through her occupied vocal chords. Then everything went black.

She collapsed right in front of him.

"Maria!"

"Ughh…she just pushed herself out through our subconscious. I'm—I'm alright, just mentally exhausted."

"I don't believe you…I've had enough excuses."

"I actually did. I'm going to be spending all my free time teaching it to her," she said sleepily, "I'll need to learn how to imitate her perfectly in the meantime. She's telling me that if I'm going to be in her body, I need to remember how to act in front of her friends and family. So far, all I can remember is that she likes going out for something called 'ice-cream sodas.' I don't even know what those are!"

Alucard hesitated.

"What else has she told you to?"

"I can't remember off the back of my hand…" she mumbled, going silent for a few minutes, "I go out with some friends every Saturday to see something called a 'movie.' I don't know what those are either."

"Moving pictures. They're very…unrealistic."

"Please. I'm going to need help adapting until she can take her body back. I'm begging you to come with me, if for no other reason just for the feeling of familiarity."

He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Letting out a heavy sigh. There was no way of getting around this. Maria was stubborn to the very end. And evidently beyond that as well.

"Just think about it, Adrian," she said gently, "What wouldn't we both give to spend a little extra time together?"

Alucard exhaled, "It's not that simple, and that was the wrong thing to say."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Maria whined, which prompted much to her chagrin, a laugh from Alucard. Only a chuckle, but even so he was still laughing at her. "Stop it! Stop laughing at me!"

Alucard stood there, one eyebrow raised, having complied with her demand moments before she expressed her desire. "You never did truly grow up."

"Whaddya mean by that?"

"I mean that even as your skin folded and your hair turned white, your mind never aged a day."

"Hmph!" she huffed.

"You coped with old age quite well," Alucard said gently, his face softening, "I'll be lucky if I can do as well."

"Hmph. How old are you gonna be when you get your fist wrinkle, huh? Nine hundred?!" the girl retorted haughtily, before rolling her eyes and cheerfully pushing the notion aside. "Do you want to know what the last thing I felt was back then?" Maria asked, circling around her centuries old companion, one finger pressed to her lower lip.

"Would you tell me whether I acquiesced or not?"

Maria grinned, "Yes I would, so I'll just come out and say it," she said jovially, "I remember looking at you, and feeling as though I were still a seventeen year old girl traipsing around a monster-infested castle."

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you feel better than that back then," he apologized sincerely.

"I was eighty-seven years old!" she chided, "How bad could it be to feel sixty-five years younger for a few moments? Whatever, I don't need to know your opinion on that. It's probably weird anyway. We've gotta get back to Oliver's moving metal box anyway."

Alucard tensed.

"Forgive me, but I'd prefer to walk."

"Eh?"

"Worry not. I can keep up."

Maria felt a tug the edge of her consciousness upon Alucard's refusal.

"Mariabella wants to know if this has something to do with the sudden stop on the ride here."

"I say we go and look for her," Charlotte said, tapping her foot impatiently.

It seemed like a fairly simple issue considering that there was a limited area in which she could be found. Then again, without Dracula's power actively fueling the Castlevania's presence, that area could easily blink out of existence without even a moment's notice. The castle itself was coming apart already as it was.

"Couldn't we just drive around a bit and see if we find them?" Jonathan asked.

"If we're in a car, we'll miss her for sure!" Charlotte argued, "We need to search on foot."

"I'd like to take this moment just to remind you that you can barely stand up, much less comb a whole forest for one person," Jonathan drawled slyly. His comment earned him an electrically charged smack in the jaw.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" she hissed, bristling like a startled cat. To prove her point, she took several steps in the direction of the forest. And promptly fell over. "I hate you so much right now," she muttered, trying to look up at her partner but finding that the grass was getting in the way.

"Hey! 'Scuse me! Might I get a ride?" came a voice just beyond the treeline.

"Well, problem solved," Jonathan declared, "Great work everybody!"

Charlotte couldn't tell whether he was serious or being sarcastic, but what was most pressing on her mind at the moment was the fact that she was still on the ground. And every second she had to wait there was another second of lost dignity that she would be using to concoct diabolically harsh consequences.

"Okay, in you go Maria. I didn't know that this guy was coming with us too, though."

"We had a very…frank…exchange of opinions," Alucard said, leaving the matter hanging so that the younger man would have the opportunity to pace the floor over it later.

"Uh, pardon me, but I can't help but notice that I'm still on the ground!" Charlotte barked, her impatience finally getting the better of her.

"Ack! Sorry!" Jonathan yelped sincerely, hurriedly picking her up and carrying her to the car, where she dusted herself off and placed herself in a much more dignified position.

"Okay, do we have everyone?" Oliver asked. Not waiting for an answer, he started the car and began backing out, nearly dragging Jonathan off of his feet.

It had been an hour, and still, barely anything had been said since the group got into the car.

All things considered, it was getting a bit crowded. Loretta was sleeping on her back, taking up all of the back seat. Stella was sitting upright with her sister's head in her lap, but upon closer examination, they all found that she too was barely any more conscious than her sister. Maria was just pressed uncomfortably against the door. She had complained a bit at first, but the awkward silence quickly overcame her anyway.

"I'm still mad at you." Charlotte mumbled, even as she rested her head on Jonathan's shoulder.

"Not as mad as I am at our driver," grumbled Jonathan, who was nursing a bruise on his shin where it had slammed into the fender.

Oliver huffed indignantly. "I have a severely wounded girl in the back seat, and you guys kept me waiting anyway! I'm supposed to be patient, but letting those girls get hurt was grating on me. This is not how Mother Shanoa would have wanted me to conduct myself, but you forced me!" He grumbled. His grandmother was definitely frowning at him from heaven right now, he just knew it!

"I think you're just overly emotional," Jonathan replied snarkily.

"Bah!"

"Oh! I just spotted Alucard again!" Maria announced gleefully. No response.

"Just…thought I'd point it out…" she said, more subdued this time. Suddenly another part of the landscape refocused her attention. "Hey look! Dairy cows!"

"Can you please stop talking," Stella mumbled sleepily.

She quieted down more permanently this time.

The sun was finally starting to rise when Jonathan started crying. He didn't actually make so much as a peep, but Charlotte noticed the shaking. When she tapped him on the shoulder to ask him what was wrong, he wrapped her up in a hug so tight that she had to wriggle up his body like a snake in order to breath again.

"Could you let go a bit," she asked, "Need air."

Jonathan loosened his grip, but didn't actually release her.

"One might think that you're afraid that I'd disappear if you let go. And just in case that's actually the problem, I'm not."

"That's—not why I'm crying. I'm crying because I'm so glad you're still here, even though I was sure that I'd end up going home by myself."

"You don't have to worry about that," she cooed gently, noticing that her shoulder was starting to fell a bit wet. He really was crying. "I'll always be right here to support you, no matter what, and I can make you a guarantee that nothing like this'll ever happen again."

"Promise?" he breathed shakily.

"Cross my heart."

She smiled. Everything had worked itself out. That was when she remembered Loretta.

Stella's sister didn't wake up even once over the course of the ride home.

It was mid-afternoon when they arrived back in Ithaca. There weren't a lot of people out, most of the students being at their classes at that time of day. Oliver immediately asked for directions to the hospital, which Jonathan game him without delay. Charlotte, eager to stretch her legs which she was happy to find working for her again, ran inside ahead of the rest of the group, demanding a stretcher, which a nurse promptly brought out.

"You did a good job with the bandages," the nurse said approvingly upon seeing the sisters, "but how long did you wait to bring them here?"

"A few hours. We're so sorry, but there wasn't anything we could do!" she forced tears to well up in her eyes.

"What happened, exactly?"

"Well…" Charlotte thought fast, "We were in an old house outside of town, you see. We like exploring spooky old places like that. It's why we're all dressed up in these weird outfits. The armor actually tends to be useful in the case of collapsing floors and such. A-Anyway, we were going through a living room of some sort when this heavy bronze-looking chandelier broke off of its supports. And it fell—it fell on Stella and Loretta! We couldn't get it off for hours!" she burst into tears, collapsing on the ground. The nurses brought out another stretcher for the other sister, and they were both carted off to the ER while one nurse stayed behind with the clearly vulnerable young woman.

Charlotte was relieved when Jonathan told the nurse that he'd take care of his girlfriend, a word that she was positively thrilled to hear him use in reference to her.

As soon as the nurse was out of sight, Charlotte perked up.

"How was I?"

"I was almost convinced. Actually no I wasn't, not nearly. But that was only because the real story had a pretty big impact. I'm sure that they get people acting like you were all the time here though. Still, the overall performance was a solid eighty-five percent."

She sighed heavily, "I'll take what I can get. That was a touch-and-go performance."

A doctor walked out of the emergency room and headed over to them. Charlotte immediately turned her tears back on and asked if the sisters were okay.

"The girl with the damaged leg is in the operating room now. Her sister is awaiting surgery as well, but her injuries don't seem as bad as the young lady currently having work done."

"She won't be able to keep her leg…will she?" Charlotte asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"It's very unlikely," the doctor said. "As it stands, the most effective method of preventing severe infection is the removal of her leg just below her knee."

"Yeah, I thought so," she mumbled sadly.

-52 hours later-

"Ungh…my head…" she said as she woke up. Not recognizing her surroundings, she sat up quickly, looking around wildly before her gaze settled upon someone familiar.

"Loretta! You're awake! My baby sister's going to be okay!" Stella squealed happily, tripping over to her sister's bedside, using her left arm to support herself.

"Are we in a hospital? How are we already back?"

"Well, actually, you were out for two days. I've been eating and sleeping in this room this whole time though. I wanted to be here for you when you woke up."

"So the job's over?" Loretta asked with an exhausted smile.

"The job's over," Stella confirmed.

"We beat Walter?"

"We kicked his ass."

"Thank God. That was rough. My shoulder aches like crazy and I can't feel my legs…what'd they do to me?"

Stella hesitated. This was the part that she was afraid of. She was hoping that Loretta would bring the subject up later on, but thinking rationally, she knew that she would bemoan her injuries fairly soon after feeling them. It was simple human nature.

Loretta's eyes slowly widened, "Wait, it's only one leg I don't feel…" she looked at Stella who's fixed downwards gaze indicated that she must have found something incredibly interesting in the folds of her blanket.

"Oh no," she gasped, tears coming to her eyes. The sound of her heart beating frantically against her ribs filled her ears. "No, no, no, no, no, please let me be wrong," she whispered shakily.

Before she could give herself the chance to think twice, she ripped off the blankets covering her.

"No!" she sobbed, "No! How could– I don't–" she stammered as her brain tried to register the information that part of her left leg was simply no longer there. She collapsed back on the bed, flipping herself over and sobbing into her hospital pillow.

"I'm so sorry, Loretta! I—" Stella tried to continue, but she too found herself in tears. "I'm an awful big sister! This is my fault. It was my plan that got us up on that chandelier and I wasn't even able to get help you when it fell! I'm so useless!"

"S-Stella…?" Loretta asked shakily, turning over again, to face her sister.

Loretta's big sister crumpled to the floor, with her head next to Loretta's pillow.

"Oh Loretta, I'm so, so sorry!" she wailed.

"I think I'll just…leave this by the door," Jonathan whispered to Charlotte. Careful not to make any noise, he lowered a giant basket of flowers to the floor.

"That was surprisingly tactful of you," she responded quietly, kissing him softly on the cheek.

He grinned, "I'm not so stupid that I can't tell when someone's having a moment.

"Well, that's good to know. That wasn't true only a few years ago."

Jonathan rolled his eyes as they left the hospital. Morale was low, but they had hope for the future. They'd gotten rid of a megalomaniacal vampire, did the world a great service, and made a quick buck from it. Now all that was left was to catch up with their courses. He'd be needing a copious amount of help from Charlotte, or he'd be going back to Texas with a failing grade next Christmas.

But first…

"So," Jonathan began, "I told you that I wasn't dropping the subject, so as much as it pains me to do this, I'm putting you back on the spot: You were trying to make me stare at your tits for over half the time we were in that godforsaken castle!"

"No!" Charlotte screamed, tugging at her flowing brown locks.

There was no getting out of it this time.

The End

Extra Content:

Jonathan: Or is it?

Charlotte: Well, since this isn't Lords of Shadow, thank God, yes it is. If it were, you'd have been written as an unlikable troll, and the readers would have to pay extra to see the ending, which would turn out to be a travesty of storytelling. As it is, the writer is currently a better storyteller than the guys working at Konami. Until further notice at least.

Jonathan: Hey, you don't get to talk until you explain your actions.

Charlotte: Okay, you're going to drop this or you won't even be getting to second base tonight.

Jonathan: So…you're bribing me with a consensual action that is heavily related to showing them off…

Charlotte: Whatever! It's not like I told you we could go all the way.

Jonathan: You know what, I'm just going to cave.

Charlotte: Man proves once again that I can manipulate him by offering to let him touch me. I'll take something off if you never mention it again and buy me a box of gourmet chocolates.

Jonathan: Well, if you hadn't just siphoned a measurable portion of my ego, that would have worked.

Charlotte:It was worth a shot. Anyway, here's the Last Word Disclaimer: Draconic does not own any part of this story.

Scarlet: Except for me, one of the dead guys, and a couple of xenophobic mermen who want you to get off their lawn.

Charlotte and Jonathan: Waugh!

Charlotte: Where the hell did you come from?!

Scarlet: Oh, I've been stalking you for days Char.

Charlotte: Uh, okay…eww.

Jonathan: Why are you twirling your hair around your finger like that while giving her puppydog eyes?

Scarlet: I'll just be straight about it. I'm crushing hard on you Charlotte. I can't stop thinking about you. I'm wet. All the time.

Jonathan: How is that straight?! Seriously, that is not straight. And Tee Emm I!

Charlotte: Oh God, the succubus wants me. I always knew I was too attractive for my own good.

Jonathan: I like you just the way you are. Get lost succubus, she's my girlfriend.

Scarlet: Back off. You have the mental capacity of a fried banana.

Jonathan: Hey, I resent that!

Charlotte: No you back off Scarlet; I don't like you or your nymphomaniacal tendencies.

Scarlet: Okay, fine, but I'll be back for round three some day. Or round threesome day.

Jonathan: Okay, this is getting too weird. There's been more innuendo and sexual content in this end blurb than in the entire story.

Scarlet: But that's a good thing! Don't make it end!

Charlotte: Too late. The End. So long everybody! Have a nice afternoon! And stay in school.

Jonathan: …Seriously, Char?

Charlotte: What? I mean it.

Fin

Author's Note: This has been a long ride. Longer for you guys than for me, oddly enough. Thanks for reading everyone, and if you all enjoyed reading this half as much as I enjoyed writing it…then I will have enjoyed it twice as much as you. Tomorrow, a bright sun rises over Ithaca; so to all, a good night.

I have one last message before I vanish from this realm of the late Castlevanian 1940s: Now that there has been a great adventure featuring the cast of Portrait of Ruin, a greater adventure featuring the characters of the two Sorrow games, I think its time that someone wrote an adventure for the characters of the Dracula X Chronicles and Symphony of the Night.

Or something featuring Trevor, Sypha, Alucard, Hector and Julia. I've wanted to see that team for a while. A guess Grant should join them as well. I've proven (for the second time in this fandom to my knowledge) that a villain doesn't have to be one of the games' cast to be interesting as long as they have some sort of plot, so to anyone who wants to accept either of these two challenges, I recommend that you start writing now.

So long everybody!