Summary: In the second part of the 'Allies, Enemies, Or -' trilogy - Alasdair and Jean-Luis learn the truth behind why the vampires and Viper's hated one another. And then - just look up random things in the book.

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Episode 49 – Allies, Enemies, Or - Part 2: The Beginning of Hatred

As Jean-Luis flipped through the book, Alasdair wondered just what he'd gotten himself in for. He could die tomorrow or in thousands of years but having the Doctor's memories - he had actually liked the idea of a human life! It was so short compared to that of a Time Lord but oh so much more fulfilling! But now, he was stuck! He could actually end up outliving the Doctor! Why had he said to Anastasia what Julian had said to him? Why had he bitten her? Why had he fed on her? Why had he killed her? Why hadn't he just let himself die? And, why had he wanted Jean-Luis to promise him something that he knew Jean-Luis wouldn't be able to do?

Jean-Luis said, 'Found it'! Alasdair asked curiously, 'Found what'? Jean-Luis said, 'What I was looking for'. Alasdair asked curiously - and slightly annoyed, 'And, what were you looking for'? Jean-Luis said, 'About what started the hatred between the Viper's and the vampires. I knew it was in this book but I hadn't bothered to read it. I didn't really care too - most of what I know on the matter I learnt from Renee and he learnt from Mercier - due to the rarity of seeing a vampire in this day and age though - it's really not important to know how it started'. Alasdair looked at it and couldn't help but wondering - since Jean-Luis knew Latin as well as well as Alasdair did - why was Alasdair having to read it?

Alasdair started to read, 'Many freaks that find origin in lore or myth have enemies. One of the most common is what are referred to as werewolves or lycanthropes and vampires. It is common in lore and myth for them to be enemies but the truth is that the vampires are unique in having no allies but an untold amount of enemies. Werewolves have many allies with the other were-creatures. Vampires are believed to have originated with a sole vampire Alec, the Eternal and he is responsible for the race by turning powerless humans and freaks into vampires. But, the truth is something entirely different. While it is true that the vampires originated with Alec, it is untrue that their most notorious enemy is the werewolf. The vampire's most notorious enemy is the Viper Clan. Why'?

Alasdair turned the page and continued reading, 'It all goes back to what - or more accurately who - the Viper Clan consider the matriarch. The Viper Clan has always been primarily led by men but that is not always the case. In fact, the Viper Clan was originally brought together by a female by the name of Natasha Dragomirov'. Alasdair looked at Jean-Luis who just shrugged - by the look on his face - he hadn't known that - and Alasdair hadn't known, either.

Alasdair continued reading, 'While the Viper Clan would fight with the vampires on numerous occasions, it would all take an unexpected turn when Natasha would come face-to-face with Alec. Natasha and Alec would fall in love and for a time, the vampires and the Viper Clan would be united. For more information about Natasha read the Matriarch of the Viper Clan'. Alasdair looked Jean-Luis who said, 'I can tell you almost every book in these libraries and I've never even heard of that one'!

Alasdair continued reading, 'The union would be shattered though with an unexpected atrocity. A vampire that Alec claimed as his brother, Jeremiah would take the life of Natasha sending the Viper Clan back into battle with the vampires. Jeremiah would be killed, not by a member of the Viper Clan but by Alec. That was also the beginning of the disappearance of the vampires'. Alasdair looked at Jean-Luis and asked curiously - and irritated, 'That's it'? Jean-Luis said, 'Unfortunately, due to when some of these things were written - the full versions have been lost. This book contains edited versions of a lot of things but there are a lot of these that - their full version has been lost'. Alasdair asked curiously, 'So, let me see if I understand this - this whole - whatever the hell it was - got started because Alec's brother killed the founder of the Viper Clan'? Jean-Luis said cautiously, 'By the sound of it'. Alasdair said curiously, 'Alec kills his brother and - it stops nothing! The union is broken and he's condemned for millennia - for something he did not do! And, if I had to take a guess - the sudden disappearance was probably his doing, as well. At least at that point - he was trying to do the right thing'! Jean-Luis said again cautiously, 'By the sound of it'. Alasdair shook his head and then said irritated, 'Yeah, do the right thing - be condemned for it - and then have to live for millennia watching the continued aftermath unfold - I can see how he lost his damn mind'! Jean-Luis said, 'So can I'.

Alasdair had no interest in turning anyone to start a whole new line of vampires but he no longer saw the point in condemning all vampires because of what Julian had become. Maybe he would have - if Julian had always been 'evil' but he obviously hadn't been! Remembering that in the grand scheme of things that vampires were really just some unique freaks, he had to remind himself that they were in fact - human! Not all humans could be tossed into the same pile of 'good' or 'evil'. And some - despite what some might think - belonged in neither pile - falling somewhere in-between.

As Alasdair flipped through the book - it didn't actually surprise him that there were werewolves in the universe he was in - the Doctor and Rose had run into a werewolf in the parallel universe - so it really wasn't surprising. The possibility that Queen Victoria's bloodline could have been infected by that very werewolf - was beside the point. The little drawing of a were-cat - it reminded him of the anthropomorphic cats that the Doctor had run into during a prior regeneration - the Master had been infected by the 'disease' that would have eventually turned him into one of the 'cat creatures'. Something akin to witches wasn't really a surprise, either - the Doctor, Martha, William Shakespeare - Love's Labour's Won - and a trio of bi-witches - yeah, witches not bitches but both would be fitting! The bit on the first five-point star had been a surprise but what was the most surprising had been the fact that the first hadn't just been 'the five-point star' but a member of the Viper Clan! Alasdair looked at Jean-Luis and asked, 'Did you know'? Jean-Luis shook his head and then said, 'No. Not at all. I didn't even know it was possible for Viper's to have any abilities that weren't directly linked to our Clan'. Alasdair whispered - as if it had just dawned on him - which it had, 'Half-breeds'! Jean-Luis asked confused, 'What'?

Alasdair flipped back to the H's and then flipped to what he was looking for - glad it was there and not just a thought of his! Alasdair read, 'Half-breeds are an unexplained phenomenon that occur when a freak whose origin in found in lore or myth also has the ability or abilities of a freak that is not based in lore or myth. The best example is the five-point star that had five unique abilities plus was part of the Viper Clan. There are also known half-breeds that are a combination of two lore or myth-based creatures. The most notable was the skinwalker/vampire that fought with the Native American's against the invading British armies'. Alasdair looked at Jean-Luis and asked curiously, 'What's a skinwalker'? Jean-Luis said, 'Some people consider the term interchangeable with werewolf or lycanthrope but a skinwalker is one who changes into the animal whose skin they wear. I think they're most notable in Native American lore'. Alasdair asked curiously, 'Do they still exist'? Jean-Luis said, 'Oh yes! I've even met a few but due to the stigma against authentic animal fur - they tend to stay more hidden then were-creatures'.

Alasdair skipped ahead a bit and read, 'The only ability that does not seem to be capable of occurring for a half-breed or the person even being capable of having a second ability is the energy ability. It has never been observed or even heard of for the energy ability being one of two or more abilities or occurring for a half-breed'.

Jean-Luis flipped to the T's and Alasdair asked curiously, 'What're you looking for'? Jean-Luis said, 'Time Lord's'. Alasdair knew it wouldn't be there but he couldn't help but laugh - that would be a hell of a thing to find in that book! Jean-Luis said, 'Nope, okay'. Turning a few pages back he continued, 'No Time Lady's, either. Huh'? Flipping back to the G's, he said, 'Well, I'll be -' Alasdair blinked a few times and then read what amounted to three sentences, 'Little is known of Gallifrey beyond the fact that it's the planet of origin of Time Lord's and Time Lady's. They are known to be a race of time travelers that travel in a ship called a Tardis, Time and Relative Dimension in Space - it is bigger on the inside. They are also known to be capable of a process known as regeneration but nothing is known about this process'. That led Alasdair to one particular conclusion, the Moment had not done what it was supposed to do - not even close!

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Author's Note 1: I actually thought this Episode would be longer but then it ended up being shorter then the last one!

Author's Note 2: This is the second of the three Episodes that are being posted together. If you haven't read Episode 48 then you're missing both the first part of this trilogy and the first Episode that was posted today.

Reviews/Comments/Critiques welcome!

Written on April 19th, 2019