He ran back as fast as he could, dread gathering in the pit of his stomach at what he would find.
Was it wolves? Some stray demons? Some vampires? Or...Celia...?
Alucard felt sick the more he thought about it. At one point he thought he would faint. Soon after he began to wish he had. For at camp he saw Trevor, the trusty Belmont, pinned to the ground with his short sword piercing his shoulder. By the looks of his other arm, it was popped out of its socket.
Sypha had a nasty gash on her arm, but was attacking the flurry with her fire. Sweat dripped from her brow, but before she could catch her breath, she was knocked back by a strong hand. There she had laid against a tree while Alucard, who was just standing there at this time, got a good look at the flurry attacking his comrades, his friends.
It was Celia.
In some ways, Alucard knew. But he didn't want to know. Just like everything else, he wanted to believe that everything was okay. If he didn't, there was nothing to keep him from breaking down. So when he saw Celia there, he didn't know what to say that wasn't flat out denial. Thankfully for him, Celia knew what to say. Unfortunately for him, they were not the words he wanted to hear. Far from it.
"Oh. It's you. I was planning on killing you with your little friends here, but since you were so kind to me, I'll let you live." Her lips were curved in a psychotic, yet almost gentle grin. It sent shudders up Alucard's spine as his mouth became to dry to speak.
A lump was stuck in his throat and he swallowed it down, saying with a surprisingly level voice, "Why are you doing this?"
Celia giggled. "You can't be that dense. I killed this village. It's empty because of me." Alucard felt sick.
She started to pace, and the dhampir could feel Trevor's eyes boring into him, trying to make him explain why he knew this vampire that was trying to kill them.
"You see, I do not follow your father. Dracula is not my lord. I have my own sire."
Alucard had thought so. No one of Dracula's court would ever dare raise a hand against their lord's kin. Their young master. But that didn't answer the question of who. There were very few other vampire lords in the area, most were already either in alliance with Dracula, or were too scared of him to revolt or wage war.
Alucard figured he wouldn't get an answer, but he asked anyway.
"Who?"
A quick glance at Trevor showed that after this was done and over with, he'd kill him. And for once, the Belmont was serious.
"I doubt that you would know him," Celia said with a flourish of her hand. "For he has long since been forgotten by history. Dracula doesn't even remember his existence. And if he doesn't remember, than there was nobody to tell you. So I find it rather useless for me to tell you his name." Celia gave a blood-chilling smile.
"It will make a nice challenge for you, princeling."
Alucard was done being patient. If he wasn't going to get answers, than he would at least make up for all this by killing her.
"I'm done playing nice if you refuse to give me answers." A twitch of the dhampir's finger sent his blade flying from his sheath that lay a few feet away and into his waiting hand. "Let us fight."
A look of surprise mixed with amusement colored her face. "Oh? And after I was so nicely going to let you live, you went and drew your blade."
Her face started distorting, starting with the jaw widening, then her teeth sharpening, her eyes sinking into her skull. Her limbs began to elongating, stretching the skin almost transperant over the bones. Her skin turned a sickly grey, with boils appearing on her back. Her eyes were totally black, no pupil in sight and the whites turning into the polar opposite color.
It was terrifying.
Alucard had to focus to keep a straight face, even though he felt his fear well up inside him. Why he was so scared, he could not say. Maybe it was because of the fact that this form just made him look worse in the eyes of his friends. Or...friend, considering one was barely conscious. That didn't make him feel any better.
"If you still won't run, then as you said, let's fight."
The monster who disguised herself as Celia wasted no time in rushing at the dhampir. Her claws were her weapon, drawing sparks as they clashed against Alucard's sword.
Her strength was showed as she pushed him back a few inches. Alucard knew that if he stubbornly refused to back down from this stalemate, he would eventually be pushed over, and most likely, have his throat slit immediatly.
With a push of his feet, Alucard jumped back, away from the claws that could cut his head off.
Celia was expecting that, however, and she appeared behind him just as he landed, taking a swipe at his head. He ducked just in time, breathing heavily, as the clawed hand flew overhead.
Even her voice was distorted as she said, "You're fast, I'll give you that. But you are young, fangling. If you were a normal vampire, you would still be too young to go to war. You'd be stuck in the training rooms or the royal tutor's studies. I have experience. And that is why you're going to die!"
Alucard forced himself to loosen his posture, and take a deep breath, bracing himself for the hits to come.
"Stupid little dhampir!" A claw snatched the front of his tunic, tearing through a small line of flesh, making a red line amongst pale skin.
Here. Her second of vunerabilty.
After Celia struck, she needed to regain her balance, leaving behind one or two crucial seconds that you could strike. And Alucard knew that to make the most of this time slot, he would need to get hit, at least a little. He may be young but...
"You forgot..." A leap atop the enemy's head, wrapping his legs around the creature's neck. "That I..." A twist of slender fingers and strong hands, snapping a neck into peices. As the grusome beast fell to the ground, the dhampir switched his position to that on it's chest. "Am the son of Dracula." The gleeming, silver sword was plunged into what was once Celia's breast, piercing her heart.
A small wince of pain showed on Alucard's face as Celia let out a screech that shattered his bones as she turned to ash.
And while this was happening, he could sense that Sypha had joined Trevor and was helping him get his sword out of his shoulder.
But as soon as the threat was gone, Alucard felt the weight of a new threat settle in his stomach. The threat of his comrades. Of the inevitable scolding and telling off that he would recieve. Dread was the only emotion he knew at that time. Dread and guilt.
As soon as Trevor was freed, he lept to his feet with clearly shown rage. But he held it back, just in case this was a misunderstanding.
"Did you try to save that monster?" Venom was barely hidden beneath a thin mask of calmness.
Alucard ducked his head. Shame and fear paling his features.
"Yes..."
"Why?" Alucard could hear the strain in his voice, and a small glance up showed that even Sypha was glaring at him.
"I didn't think that she was dangerous-"
"Bullshit!" The dhampir flinched at the loudness in his voice.
"You were trying to kill us, weren't you?!"
"No...I-"
"Shut the hell up, Alucard! Why else would you help that monster if not to kill us?"
"I-I was just..."
Alucard's eyes were stinging. Tears blurring the corners of his vision. His voice was wobbling but neither Trevor nor Sypha seemed to notice, and if they did, they didn't care.
"I'm disappointed in you, Alucard," Sypha spoke, soft in contrast to Trevor's yelling. But her voice was firm and cold. She was angry, too.
"What were you trying to do, Alucard? You couldn't have not realized that that thing was a monster when you saw it. Just what were you planning?"
"I w-wasn't planning anything..."
He couldn't breathe. His chest was too tight, his heart was pounding. Alucard took in a shuddering breath in an attempt to remain conscious and to keep his tears from escaping. He would not cry.
"You bastard! I knew I never should have trust you. All your kind do is lie and seduce and trap. We never should have taken you with us."
Alucard's fist gripped the fabric of his dirty coat, feeling more tears gather as his heart ached.
It burned. He hated it. This feeling. Why must he feel it? His skull was throbbing, and it felt like paper was jammed down his throat. Even Sypha was mad at him.
You're such a disappointment, the little voice in his head said, smuggness ever present. Even your 'friends' don't want you anymore? Gonna run home to Daddy? Oh, that's right. He doesn't want you either. The only one who loved you was your mother. And she's dead. So...What are you gonna do? Young Master Disappointment?
No. Shut up. I-I'm still their friend. And Father does love me, he's just not sane right now. So shut up. You don't know anything.
"Trevor," Alucard was brought back to reality with Sypha's warning tone. "You're going a bit far."
Trevor barked out a humuorless laugh. "Ha! You should tell that to him! He tried to kill us! And he couldn't even do it himself."
Alucard's nails ripped through his coat, drawing blood from his palms. Yet it didn't calm him down. The pain was just fuel for the fire of meloncholy in his gut.
"Belm-" Alucard started.
"Shut up, vampire! You don't get the right to talk!"
With that one word, all hope that he could be forgiven was lost.
Alucard couldn't understand why, but he felt as though he lost all the trust he had earned.
It reminded him as a child, being bullied by the village kids. But back then, he always had his mother and father to confort him. Now, he was being yelled at by his best friends-only friends-as they hunted down his insane father who was trying to avenge his dead wife. His life was absolute Hell.
Of course. I was wondering when that word would appear. Trevor must hate me now. Sypha said that he went a bit far, yet she still takes his side. Must be that she'd rather be with him than a monster.
Yes. You are a monster. Now, why don't you kill them? Show them what the monster can do? Make them regret ever making you sad.
No. I will not.
Oh, boo.
The voice went silent. But all that accomplished was sending the guilt into every corner of his mind.
Alucard's voice was a whisper as he spoke, "I'm sorry..."
"Tsk." Trevor's face was disgusted. "Get out of my sight, vampire. And never let me see your face around us again."
"Trev-"
"Okay." Alucard couldn't stop the tears now, and they flowed freely down his face, eyes hidden behind his hair.
A solemn smile filled with regret pulled at his tear-soaked lips.
"Then, I hope you have fun without me, and luck be with you on your journey..."
Alucard took less than graceful steps backwards, going back into the forest he came from, when his regret started.
He was just about to turn around when Sypha spoke. "Alucard, wait...!"
"Let him go, Sypha. He's no use for us anymore."
With that sentence, the dhampir ran into the forest, letting his smile fall and soft sobs escape him.
Why can't I do anything right?
Because you're a monster.
Alucard eventually stopped running, having got to a stream. Running water.
Should I drown myself? Kill myself from the running water?
He contemplated it.
No. Too painful. Too long to wait. I just want to be dead.
Why don't you stake yourself? That would be a quick death. Only painful for a second. Then you'll be out of everyone's hair. Not a burden anymore. Doesn't that sound nice?
"Yes..."
With already dead eyes locked onto the stream, a shaky hand gripped a small dagger that was hidden in his coat's inner pocket. It was a gift from Trevor, in case he lost his sword somewhere. At the time, the thought of ever loosing his sword was idiotic. Yet at this moment, Alucard was thankful to kill himself with something of meaning. It had become his treasure. To show he was wanted. But at this point, he couldn't say he was wanted anymore.
So it would be better just to rid the world of him once and for all. Maybe death would want him.
Trembling hands gripped the dagger and aligned it to his heart. The voice in his head whispering sweet coaxes. Encouraging him to die.
He finally shut his eyes, fireworks bursting behind his eyelids at the pressure as the point of the blade poked his chest.
As he drew his arms and the dagger back, he couldn't help but say his final words. Call him cliche' but he didn't want his last words being that fight.
His arms snapped forwards.
"Goodbye, my friends..."
Hi! Long time no update. I was working especially hard on this chapter, making it as long as I could in a short time span of my brother, grandma, and mom wanting to know what I'm doing 24/7. Hope you enjoy. Sorry for the cliff hanger, yet I'm not sorry. And for those of you who might be confused, in Symphony of the Night and in the Netflix anime, vampires are effected by running water. As Carmilla puts it in the anime, it's like poison, you don't feel like it'll kill you, but it will. So running water is lethal to vampires. Just a little fun fact. See you next time!
Majesty