A/N: Okay, after much thinking, I have decided I'm going to go BLAH! to remaking the series in allowance for Defiance, and just continue it. I put too much work into it, and too many of you like it to just destroy it like that, so I'll see it through to the end.

            Many thanks go to Blood Angel X for your quite long review, and I'm glad you liked the stories as much as you did. I was always afraid I pushed the Kain/Rose pairing too fast, and when I do rewrite it (which I will one day in the far future), I'll slow that down.

            And everyone, thank you for your patience with my bitching and moaning. There will be a great decrease in that. My last update was written in my 'I don't like what they did to this' mood, and I really should have held off before writing that. So, now I turn your attention from my complaining (which will stop now ^^; ) and away from the girls and their demon-worshiper problems, to a quaint little mountain in Transylvania…

            Lara stretched slowly as she walked down the hill, hearing Raziel heading through the trees far to her right. She stopped suddenly, her fingers looping loosely around her pistols, eyes quickly taking in the forest. Raziel had been interested in the legends of vampires on Earth, and there had recently been a few rumors of "Dracula" returning. They were both quickly moving through a forest in Transylvania, heading toward the heart of the rumors. As always, it was at as large mountain with a ruined castle. Lara had to admit that it was a better site than some of her adventures. The main part of the jaunt she wasn't looking forward to was the one she was faced with right now: getting up the mountain.

            "Loosing your taste for the venture?" Raziel inquired behind her, a grin in his voice.

            "Of course not. This is the part that keeps me in shape."

            "That and the rather extensive gym in the back of the mansion," he chuckled as he stepped up next to her. Both looked up for a long moment, then in unspoken agreement, they started climbing.

            The mountainside was nicely riveted and sloped, so Lara didn't find herself having too much trouble on the climb up. She didn't even have to retrieve the climbing gear and its pins to scale the side.

            After a few hours, she pulled herself up over the side. Raziel slid down a rock from nearby, haven gone a slightly longer way to get a look at the castle and its structure. At her look, he shook his head simply.

            "It's in near-complete ruin. The basic configuration is still in existence, but most of the outer walls and hallways have fallen apart."

            "Essentially, the perfect place for a vampire," Lara teased. Raziel eyed her with a raised eyebrow.

            "Not for any vampire I know… They all adore their comforts far too much to give them up for a place out of the way like this."

            Lara nodded silently in agreement before turning to look at the fortress. The stonework had turned a strange mixture of brown and green as ivy and brown moss had grown up the sides and over the archways. The large entrance had once housed a pair of wooden double doors, but the doors had long fallen away and rotted. Lara exchanged a look with Raziel and he shrugged and indicated inward. Both paced quietly in.

            Wind whistled through the hallways, creating a barren effect. Once there had been parties and grandiose dinners in the main hall. Now, everything was broken and forgotten, covered in leaves and dust. Rats raced away from the two intruders, squeaking in annoyance, but other than that, the castle was dead silent.

            Suddenly, Raziel's head perked up, a pointed ear aimed down a hall. Trusting in his senses, Lara followed him as he began walking noiselessly down the passage. The Reaver spiraled down around his claws as he stepped into a large antechamber, one whose walls were actually still mostly intact. Standing at the other end of the room was a figure both of them recognized.

            "Vorador?" both Tomb Raider and Soul Reaver questioned in amazement. The vampire turned to glance at them, an eye ridge raised, then smiled broadly as he moved toward them fully.

            "Lara, Raziel."

            "What are you doing here?" Raziel inquired.

            "I decided it would be wise to discover as much as I could about this world, seeing as they will be connected for quite a while. A few of my children had brought back rumors of an old legendary vampire here, and I was inspecting his old haunt to see if I could surmise whether there was any truth to the myths or not."

            Lara chuckled dryly.

            "Why does this sound so familiar?" She shook her head and took a seat in one of the chairs Vorador must have had brought up. Both Nosgothic men also sat down.

            "Does Kain know you're here?" Lara asked curiously. Vorador sighed irritably.

            "Oh yes, I seem to have forgotten to check up with Uncle Kain on whether or not my time here was welcome or wanted."

            Lara raised a hand. "Terribly sorry, I hadn't intended to offend."

            Vorador chuckled dryly. "No offense is taken, Lara. It just seems to be that sometimes people forget I am nearly twice Kain's age, and because he stylizes himself the Emperor of Nosgoth does not mean all vampires answer to him."

            Raziel nodded. "It also helps the annoyance that you had to give him advice when he was but a fledgling, doesn't it?" The elder vampire nodded with a genuine smile.

            "Speaking of him, where is Kain?" Vorador questioned.

            "He is currently in America keeping an eye over our daughter," Raziel answered. Vorador blinked at them in shock.

            "You left him watching over Rose?"

            "I'm sure they're fine," Lara assured them. Vorador and Raziel exchanged a look.

            "Would you like me to send someone to keep an eye on both of them?" Vorador offered Raziel. The Soul Reaver nodded.

            "Yes."