Disclaimer: Check for it in chapter 1.
Castlevania: Sonnet of Legends
Chapter 9
The trap
Kim's house
Rachael had just rushed over to her best friends' house as quickly as she could. Although demons and vampires didn't try to stop her, they occasionally glanced at her, already knowing who she was and how she contributed to their success. She had tried to open the door, but noticed that it was locked. She then yelled for her, hoping that she was still alive to respond. Seconds later, Kim opened the door, grabbed Rachael by the collar, pulled her inside, and quickly shut the door, being sure to lock it up again.
Rachael looked around the place. There were no signs of break-in, but everything had been boarded up, and Kim was now putting the furniture in front of the door. She had a look of terror in her face. It seemed quite pale, almost vampiric. Then she saw the glazed look in her eyes, and noticed that she's been in a panic recently. And who could blame her, what with demons and vampires running about.
When she had finished moving the furniture in front of the door, she slowly approached Rachael, wanting to say something.
"Kim?" Rachael decided to be the first to speak. "Are you alright? Where are your parents?"
Kim shook her head, at a loss for words. Finally, she spoke. "My parents......killed.....vampires......" She looked like she had trouble just uttering 'those' words. After giving her a moment of silence to collect herself, she spoke again her head downcast. "I wasn't prepared for this. Even though everything was boarded up, the vampires still managed to enter. I killed them, but it was too late."
Rachael then noticed that the revolver she received from Renon was in her hand. Her finger was still on the trigger. Then Kim continued to speak.
"I held them off, but I couldn't. I want to cry, but I can't." Then she dropped the gun, and dropped to her knees.
Rachael quickly knelt down next to her, and hugged her. She had been through so much in so little time.
"It's okay, Kim." She said. "Everything is going to be alright. Go ahead and let it all out."
"Thank you, Rachael. You're a great friend." She then started to cry, while Rachael continued to hold her.
Unbeknownst to the Belmont descendant, her best friends' tears were composed of small trickles of blood. Her face then turned a bit sour as she felt the items on Rachael's belt start to sting. Without letting go of her, she spoke.
"Um, Rachael? No offense, but those things on your belt are grinding uncomfortably against my stomach. Could you please remove it?"
"Sorry about that." She answered as she was about to get up, but was pulled back, which surprised her. "Kim?"
"I'll do it." She answered. "I feel too scared right now. I don't want to be let go. Not yet, at least."
"Um, okay." Rachael answered. She was a little surprised, and something in the back of her mind was waving red flags. She used her peripheral vision to examine her friends' neck. There were no signs of bite marks, so that lowered her guard.
Kim removed the belt, and tossed it to the side. She then began to cry a little louder. Rachael continued to comfort her, still unknowing of the small trail of bloody tears that were now present on her friends face. Kim looked at her friends' neck, and could practically hear the calm beating of her pulse. She then grinned, and fangs displayed themselves when she slightly opened her mouth. Finally, without warning, she used her fangs to pierce her friends' neck. Rachael screamed in pain, and tried to jump away, but Kim's grip was vice-like now. She then proceeded to drink some of the fresh blood.
However, seconds later, she was pushed back by a punch in her stomach, causing her to spew the blood she already had in her mouth. Rachael then kicked her friend away, and backed up, holding her neck, staring in shock.
Quickly recovering, Kim stood up, and looked at the newfound fear in her best friends' eyes. She wiped the blood from her eyes and mouth, and smiled. It wasn't her normal friendly smile, but a sinister one that shown her enjoyment to the taste of blood.
"What's the matter?" She asked mockingly. "I thought you wanted to become a vampire. Isn't that why you chose to let the master win?" she then looked at the confusion in her eyes. "Well I suppose I 'did' put up a pretty good performance. I tell you; it's not easy to pretend to be unconscious when you're being dragged all over the place."
She examined Rachael's face. She could see the realization finally dawning on her. Smiling, she continued.
"I bet you're wondering why it was that you didn't see any bite marks on my neck, or why I had such a healthy complexion. Well, a little make up took care of the complexion, and as far as the bite mark goes......" She then raised up her shirt and turned to her side so that Rachael could see that bite mark that was on her side. "Let's just say that Dracula doesn't always bite his victims on the neck."
Enjoying her look of horror, she continued to poke at her. "Isn't it ironic that you gave up your power to save me and that human of yours, only to find out that you were once again too late? Like back in the catacombs? Does that sound familiar?"
Shaking off the shock, Rachael finally spoke. "H-how could you?!" It was a bit difficult to speak when pain shot from her neck whenever she did so. "How could you trick me like that?!"
"It was quite easy, really. You see, after you abandoned me in the catacombs, Dracula, my new master, saved me from being crushed."
"I tried to save you, but—"
"Try-try-try. That's all you humans ever do. But don't worry, honey. I'm not mad at you."
Rachael looked at her quizzically. "What?"
"I mean, how could I? You're my friend. Besides, the Count showed me that survival of the fittest is the only way to survive in this world. You were only doing what comes natural. Sure, I was angry when he said that you left me behind, but not after that night. He turned me into a vampire, promising that you will see the error of your ways, as well as every other human on the planet. So in a way, you have yourself to thank for my abandoning humanity."
Rachael shook her head. "No, Kim! I wanted to save you, I really did! I panicked, and brought my brother and me to safety. I'm sorry. I thought I didn't have enough time."
"And you are absolutely right, which is why I'm not mad at you. Besides, now that I'm a vampire, those petty qualms about loyalty and betrayal are now gone."
Rachael glared at Kim. "So why did you do this? If not for revenge, then why?"
Kim shrugged. "I don't remember why my human side felt so angry, but my new vampire side has a very good reason."
"And that is?"
Kim smiled again. However, it was a smile that made Rachael feel very uncomfortable. She then tried to lunge for her belt, but Kim noticed this and kicked it away, which landed in the next room. She tried to go after it, but was pinned down on her back by the vampire. She tried to struggle, but without her power to hunt the night, her strength was no match for Kim's vampiric strength.
"Maybe 'now' you'll listen!" she exclaimed. "Originally, my master told me to kill you when you weren't looking, which would've been easy, given your gullibility and innocence. However, the bit of humanity in me must've remained, and blended in with my new self. So instead of feeling hate or remorse for you, I began to feel a certain attraction towards you, and a good body would've been a terrible thing to waste."
Upon hearing this, she began to struggle even more. Kim just laughed.
"What's the matter, honey? Afraid of trying new things? It should be expected of a human, though, especially one that tries to play the role of a goody two shoes. You should feel honored that your friend asked the master to spare you."
"You're no longer a friend." Rachael muttered. "You were no longer the person I knew the minute you turned."
Hearing this, Kim frowned. "Oh? So just because I'm now a vampire, that gives you the right to act like you're better than me? Look around you! Darkness has won! You yourself have helped with that!"
However, Rachael continued to glare. Kim looked into her hate filled eyes, and grinned.
"Ah, I see. So you 'do' have eyes set for that Nate fellow. As a vampire, you can have him, you know. Just know that you're mine, first."
Then, without warning, she kissed her deeply. Rachael kept her mouth tightly shut the entire time, wanting to gag in process. When it was over, she spat in the vampires face. Angered and embarrassed, Kim picked up Rachael, and threw her against the wall. When she hit the wall, she quickly pushed her down on the floor again.
"Don't ever do that!" she shouted as she wiped the spit from her face. "Humanity lost, so just give up whatever hope you have! I was kind enough to grant you acceptance into my master's new world, and you had better start acting grateful!"
Rachael slowly stood up, and got into a fighting stance. She knew that she was going to have to reach for the other room, no matter what. Kim looked at the fiery determination in her eyes, and laughed.
"So no matter what happened, you still have a bit of faith. Well then. Perhaps it's time to put some more realization in you."
It was true. She 'did' regain some of her faith. She knew that, although she might've made a past mistake, she knew that in some small way, that she can put her friend to rest. So that the vampire that invaded her body will be destroyed, and Kim's soul could be saved.
She waited for Kim to make a move. When she did, she quickly tackled her, so that both of them could fall on the nearby table, breaking it into pieces. She then grabbed one of the legs, which was now broken into a point, and tried to drive it through Kim's heart. Kim dodged, grabbed the arm that was holding it, and twisted her arm until she let it go. Then she kicked the table leg to the corner. She waved a finger of disapproval, and then punched Rachael in the chest, almost knocking the wind out of her.
Rachael fell to the ground, clutching her stomach, coughing and crying out in pain. Kim walked behind her, rolled her on her stomach, and sat on her.
"So what now, honey? Do you have enough faith in your God to save you from me? Face reality! If He was ever listening to you, you wouldn't be in the position you are now. Sure, you were a nice tool for Him, but it looks like you must've outlived your usefulness. If only you still had your power, huh."
She looked over her shoulder for an answer, but none was given.
"What? No witty remark? No silly after school message? Now that I'm finally getting somewhere with you, let me help it along. God is 'not' going to save you. You realize that, right?"
Rachael just glared at her. Kim laughed.
"You mean that even 'now', after all you've been through, that some miracle will magically happen to save you? Do I have to prove it to you?" She thought about that question for a minute, and then spoke again with a seductive grin. "I'll tell you what. If God is still with you, then that means that He'll find some way to kill me in order to keep you from becoming a vampire, since that's now the only way to keep you from turning."
As expected, Rachael still glared. Kim then got up, kicked Rachael in the spine to keep her from trying to fight back, rolled her on her back, and sat back down on her.
"And to get rid of any further hope you still have, let's make things more interesting. If God really 'is' going to save you, then He'll also keep me from having my way with you. So, you ready?"
Terrified, Rachael started to pray. Kim frowned, and slapped her.
"None of that, you hear! I'll not have my ears in pain, unless it's from your screaming."
However, there was a pounding on the door. Kim quickly looked up. She assumed it was just demons trying to get in.
"Go away, I'm busy!" She shouted.
However, the door continued to pound. She sighed in frustration.
"And here I thought that I was going to have you all to myself. Oh well. They'll just have to accept the fact that I'll go first. Wait here."
She then grabbed the revolver that was nearby, and hit Rachael on the head with it, rendering her unconscious. Sighing, she walked up to the door, and removed the furniture from the door. She looked in the peek hole to see what exactly it was. To her surprise it was a little Familiar. A Fairy Familiar, to be exact. So she opened the door, grabbed the familiar, pulled her in, and tried to close the door.
However, an unknown force pushed the door open, and a bright flash of light filled the room. It stung her eyes so much, that she was screaming in pain. She quickly rushed away from the door. When the light cleared, she was horrified at what she saw. It was Nate, and he was carrying something that looked like a grenade launcher.
"Like it?" Nate said. "This little Fairy came to me while I was planning a way to fight these demons, and told us about how she found out about your master's little trap. So we got here as quick as we could. However, when we reached Rachael's house, it was too late. So we interrogated a demon until he told us where Rachael might've been."
"But how did Alucard's Familiar get here?!"
"Good question. One that I'll find out later." He looked around, and saw Rachael. Pointing the launcher at Kim, he slowly made his way to the fallen Belmont. However, when he lowered down to check if she was alright, Kim snatched the launcher from him, and destroyed it. Nate shook his head. "You know, they're right when they say that people who become vampires eventually lose whatever humanity they had. You look like one of those."
Kim hissed at him, and prepared for a battle stance. Nate, however, grinned as he pulled out two Uzi's from his coat.
"Not so fast, girl."
Kim laughed at the pathetic weapons, and lunged at him. Nate shot several of them into her. She screamed in pain as the bullets were deteriorating her.
"Silver bullets." Nate added. "And with a touch of garlic, just in case. This isn't the first time I've gunned down a vampire before."
As she was dying, she spoke. However, her voice was that of a calm and relieved one. "Thank....you......and tell......Rachael..........sorry." And that was it. Her body was no more.
Nate nodded. She was a nice girl, and was a bit saddened to see her go like that, but at least she left in a peaceful state. She checked to see if Rachael was okay. Fortunately, she was just unconscious. He put his guns away, picked her up, and took her home. The Fairy also took hold of the belt that was in the next room. She might've missed it if she wasn't trying to back away from Kim at the time.
Rachael's house
The demons gave him some trouble, but he finally brought her home. The Fairy Familiar healed all of Rachael's wounds. About an hour or so later, she awoke. She was surprised to see that she was back home. She saw Nate, and tears welled up in her eyes. He smiled back, and she hugged him tightly. She was glad that her prayers were answered.
Nate told her all what happened when she left, and what Kim's dying words were. After crying for a long time, she went to her room. Everyone thought it was best to leave her alone for a while. While they were waiting, Nate turned to the Fairy.
"So what brought you here, anyways? I heard that you're always hanging out with that Dhampire."
"Yes, I do." She said. "However, his father is trying to drain him of his human side through deception and machinery. I was able to escape unnoticed, so I hitched a ride from one of your treasure carrying vessels. I used my magic to speed up its delivery as well. When I saw you arrive, I flew out of my hiding place to warn you. However, you seemed a little too scared of me to notice, so I told you about the trick my master's father set for your friend. I figured that you'll listen afterwards."
"Well, it worked." He finally said. "And I'll be glad to help. However, I'm not sure about the whole fighting Dracula, though. It just seems like I can't do it, no matter how powerful my technology."
Suddenly, Rachael's bedroom door could be heard opening and closing. Everyone turned to the direction of the sound. It definitely was Rachael, but she was now wearing the outfit that she had received from Renon. She also had the belt equipped, and backpack on. She walked up to them, a new glint of hope in her eyes.
"I'll go." She said. "It's the least I can do to make up for the damage I've caused, as well as get that bastard back for what he did to Kim!"
Smiling, her grandfather extended the Vampire Killer to her.
"Then you'll be needing this." He said. "Use it well."
She was about to grab it, but then he pulled away.
"But you have to have a clear head and a high amount of faith before you do. Otherwise, you might not win."
"Yeah, I know." Said Rachael as she took the whip. However, she wasn't really listening. Her anger and hate towards Dracula was overwhelming. She could feel the power of the Vampire Killer rushing back into her. Apparently, her anger and determination was enough to allow her to use the whip again, as well as her inherited power. She hoped that it would be enough to slay the Count once and for all, and put an end to the suffering he has caused her. She equipped the Vampire Killer on her belt, and almost bolted out the door. However, Nate grabbed her arm.
"Hold on." He said. "You don't just plan on walking there, are you?"
"Then do you plan on taking me? I can't teleport there. Renon must've only let me 'borrow' that transporter thing. It wasn't in my backpack when I searched for it!"
Nate nodded. "Indeed I do. I'll also support you in any way I can while you're there."
Rachael smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Nate. But if you want to help, please stay away from Dracula. I've suffered enough pain because of him!"
"Okay, I will, just as long as you promise to come back alive."
She smiled at this. "I'll do my best. And thank you, Nate."
Blushing for a second, she walked closer to him, and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, Nate, for everything." Then she quickly walked out the door, slaying surprised demons along the way. Nate and the Fairy Familiar quickly caught up to her, and they both went to Nate's headquarters in order to take a plane to Romania.
End of chapter 9.
Well, that's another chapter. Sorry about not showing Alucard in this chapter. To make up for that, I'm going to dedicate the entire chapter 10 on him.
Once again, thank you for sending your feedback. I look forward to hearing more of it, and I hope everyone had a great Halloween (if you celebrate it :P).