Castlevania: Let the Symphony Last for Eternity
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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"My, my, my... what a naughty girl you are Camilla."
Shaft's chanting stilled as he drifted back a bit from the pair before him, in recognition of the tonal change in Soma's voice. Gone was the questioning, curious tone of his Lords' meager human soul as it observed and learned the world around him. Now was the tone of confidence and commanding strength, though the voice didn't deepen due to the age of the body. It was no less intimidating and formidable. Lord Dracula no longer floated under the power of Shafts' spells and instead under his own dark might.
"And naughty girls get punished." Dracula purred as his hand shoved its way through her body, sharpen claws tipped in the newly ingested blood.
Swift and sudden.
Camilla didn't even have time to stagger back from the sudden strike. She merely poured onto the ground, an eroding figure made of sand that had fallen to waves of the eternal ocean. Blown away by the mere presence of the Castle's Lord, the ground swept clean of the dirty ashes that fell from her careless demise.
Shaft backed away, passively bowing to the presence of his Lord and Master, his hands held out in supplication. The stillness of the air began to stir about, setting the fabric of Shafts' robes to tremble. Facing the fire red tiles of the floor he watched as the shadows of his Lord rose up, until Dracula's silhouette fell across his form. "Welcome back my Lord."
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Vampire Killer slid against the long blade of the claymore that Soma had bequeathed unto Alucard. The weapon wouldn't be the best to deal with the Hunter, even with the other active hunters closing in to try and subdue Richter. Not only because of the weapon, but his own vampire nature left him vulnerable to the Hunters' holy attacks.
As it would for Shanoa and possibly the witches in the room, though Alucard couldn't be positive on that angle.
"Don't stop here!" Shanoa ordered even as the door behind her opened up revealing the rest of the hunters.
So many with holy powers it would be impossible for them to 'all' die if he left, right? His father was waiting, already he could feel the summons of his father's power calling him back. The large skeletal hands that had extended out of the pillars were staring to retract. Eyes were starting to close from the shadows, save that one large Peeping Eye staring out at him from the large windows on the far end of the hallway.
"He's waking up clearly, even 'I' can feel the change taking over the Castle, so just go and see if you can keep him on this side of the angels," Eric instructed as he moved in to join Shanoa forcing Richter back.
Jonathan watched as the Dhampire turned and ran off further down the hallway towards where they suspected Soma to have been taken. While on the other end of the hallway the hunters could be seen making their way into the room.
"We got them back!" Charlotte could be heard shouting proudly.
"You ok?" Jonathan asked Maxim, turning to look down at the knelling hunter in concern. As with the LeCarde sisters Maxim had merely sank to the ground.
"That is a matter of opinion," Maxim answered with a sigh. 'Twice. TWICE I have been turned due to my own blind, oblivious nature...'
"Leon?!"
Simon, cursing his inability to keep up with his more fleet footed family members, balked as Leon began fading from sight. He could see the pillars and light of flames through the blond haired hunter, though Leon could still hear 'him' apparently as he turned to look back at Simon. "You're... fading away?"
The other hunters around the pair stopped and took notice, with Trevor, Grant and Hector being the most expressive in their concern. Which was reasonable as they were the next in the timeline after Leon.
"Be careful..." Leon's voice was distant, as though from a great distance growing fainter with every moment. Instead of within throwing distance, depending on the various person given the current occupants of the corridor.
"Sophia!" Trevor and Grant turned towards their wife and team mate rushing to make sure Sophia was ok.
"What's the matter?" Charlotte asked, as Trevor and Grant raced towards her.
"Leon disappeared, we may be too late," Grant explained as he rushed through. His words setting off the sisters who flew after him. Or rather towards their father to be exact.
"Father!" Stella glided to their father, placing herself between her father and Richter as Loretta joined her. Yet it didn't seem necessary, Richter, either aware or following a magical order, began to retreat. With it now four on one, even if not a one was a fellow Belmont, Richter stepped back into the darkness of a pillar. Disappearing among the monstrous eyes that had been staring at them, now also closing in response to Dracula's return.
'It won't be as bad for us, Alucard comes from a time in our past so we have a little more time than the others... still..' Loretta thought to herself, even as she looked out for Sophia.
The witch blinked and hitched up her robes as she swiftly made her way forward. Yet she didn't head towards her husband or friend. Instead she looked towards a similar blond that was standing almost alone. Of course that she bypassed her husband and friend meant that they stopped, she didn't. Causing them to stumble forward before turning to see where 'she' was heading off to.
"Charlotte! I'm proud of you, that was excellent work!"
The Aulin witch blinked taken aback that the first bit of praise she received was from 'Sophia' of all people. The sisters were already with their father the moment Grant had raised the alarm. But hearing that 'Sophia' was proud of 'her'?
"I've never even thought that such a spell that could save a soul from the vampires' kiss was possible. You do your bloodline and traditions proud this day," Sophia praised. Hearing her husband and Grant's fumbling steps approach from behind while Charlotte began to blush.
"Ah well... thank you!" 'I impressed Sophia!' Charlotte thought as she stood there soaking in the only praise that really mattered to an Aulin. The type that never happened because who would run into 'Sophia' herself centuries after the womans' death?
"So it would be safe to say, that we're all going home?" Shanoa inquired as she looked at the twins then further into the room.
"We really shouldn't, the threat still stands..." Eric noted a frown on his lips as he scanned the room for Leon.
"But if they've gotten to Soma..." Loretta noted as she and her sister rested their heads on their father's shoulders.
"Shouldn't Trevor and those of his time already be leaving if that were the case?" Shanoa asked, before moving lightly herding their group closer.
"Well, there's still Isaac, he came from before Hector's time so... he's probably gone and Maria confused," Stella suggested. Her eyes followed Jonathan as he walked over to Juste, unhooking Vampire Killer from under his coat. Maxim was following him closely, but she could see how pale and drained he was under his darker skin. Having also shared in his experience of being turned against her will, she recognized his own exhaustion. He walked unaided out of pride, yet stayed close in case...
"Here, I believe this is yours."
Juste glanced up to see Vampire Killer, looped and held before his eyes, its well remembered leather straps recognizable. Even among a veritable sea of future and past versions of the same exact weapon he recognized 'his' whips' aura. He glanced up at the blond hunter, one eye hidden behind the veil of his bangs and a self depreciating smile on his face.
"Though perhaps the better question would be, will it 'let' me hold it again?" Juste inquired, more to himself than to Jonathan as he pushed himself to his feet before reclaiming the whip. Waiting for the harsh rejection as his own gloved fingers curled over and around the handle and looped cord. The whip was silent though, no different in sensation than it was the day he defeated Dracula's Wraith. Fully lifting the whip from the strangers' hand did not give him the painful reprimanding that he expected for failing the whip.
"It might be the plus side to being brought here 'after' you finished your hunt," the blond offered with a faint shrug.
"Juste, this is Jonathan Morris, he was the one to retrieve your whip," Maxim introduced with a faint tone of fatigue in his voice.
"Ah, you have my gratitude," Juste began, putting the whip back to hang from his hip. "Your lover is quite the tal..." He paused and wondered why he got 'that' look when.
"She's 'not' my girlfriend! Eww she's like a bratty baby sister!" Jonathan retorted on a type of autopilot response screaming that this was a normal misunderstanding that he was expected to rectify.
"I... I see, my apologies for the error," Juste fumbled over the words. Weary as he was, he was still aware enough to see the rather exasperation on the man's face.
"Though I confess I'm rather jealous that you had so much time with such highly esteemed hunters." Maxim pointed out turning to look out at the congregating hunters when he noticed that he could see the darkness and pillars of the beyond the trio. "Juste if you want to meet anyone, you might want to get up now... It looks like Trevors' time here is ending..."
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Alucard ran through out the rest of the corridor, hearing the voices of the humans behind him. His focus only on the doors approaching him from the distance, already he could sense his father's power awaken. Unrestrained by Somas' guardians in the future, his father must have reawoken in response to whatever stress they had put him on. Recalling them to him, instead of unleashing the Dark Children already under his command. It was a positive sign for his father, perhaps Soma was holding on to the power and not giving in to his ancient mentality.
But it was a hard hope to hold, for the hold that Soma now passively demonstrated over the Castle exceeded what he showed before. Alucard threw open the door to the next part of the castle, thankful that the Castle was no longer warping people to different parts of the castle. Walls and floor of bright red tiles spilled forwards, yet Alucard could sense that his father was near by.
"Oh now son, do hurry up I haven't got all night."
Soma's voice... it wasn't how he knew it from the Master Chambers. Recognition, the slight hint of teasing that Soma normally used when addressing Alucard was gone. Soma had understood the relationship between himself and Alucard, masking whatever unease or confusion with his tone. Now that teasing was gone, it was his father's commanding tone spoken through Soma's more youthful form.
But that Soma spoke also meant that he was safe from Shaft and Camilla, and that was a weight off Alucards' shoulders. "If you're in a hurry you come down here," he retorted.
"Heh, my ever naughty yet sweet prince. Had you put your toy lizard away this wouldn't have even happened. If I remember my history correctly," Soma easily replied with mirth in his voice.
It was a comment that caused Alucard to pause in concern as he realized his father was talking to him out of ear shot. Using an ability associated with vampires...
"Father? Are you well?"
"Fine save the bite that silly, foolish girl gave me. Why do you ask?"
There was no words for the horror that filled Alucard as he processed what he had just heard. Camilla had 'bitten' Soma which explained the sudden seismic shift of the Castle.
"Ah I'm up here..."
Alucard stopped short sending his hair dancing before him as he paused, turning to look behind him. Above there was an opening that included a series of stairs ascending higher giving Alucard a new direction to go towards. "Are you injured?"
"Well, I don't want to move from here. I've ordered the Castle to return us all to our own times and I'm the epicenter of that. If I move, the others will be parted from their good byes all the sooner."
"Why?" Alucard demanded in a tone more childlike than he intended as he got to the platform via double jumping. The instant he felt solid ground under him he resumed his pursuit. "We're here for a purpose! Can't you be patient?" He added in an effort to sound as an adult with a serious task.
Soma's laughter was the first thing that caught him off guard while before him a glowing door rested partially open. But the laughter came from beyond there. "I wanted to wait, honest. But its pretty clear that I can't. So to you, I leave you your prey."
Alucard pushed the door fully open where he found his father sitting upon the petals of a large Alura Une. Its roots were wrapped around his legs, but its stem was coiled out to the ground then upwards so that Soma could have a seat. The woman was behind Soma, her arms resting around him possessively. Her nude form becoming more apparent as large stems of rose topped appendages lashed out at Alucard. She rose up, her expression threatening while Soma sat there oblivious with his eyes shut.
"There, there my pet, my son means me no harm," Soma barely shifted in his posture save to lift up one hand and gently stroke the Une's face. His eyes opened revealing Vampire gold that lazily shifted their focus from the wall he was facing down towards his son. The protective stems of his rose distrustfully retracted allowing Alucard to approach him. For all the stoicism Alucard could show, there was still this ghost of a child looking out of Alucards' eyes.
"Father? What do you mean you can't wait?" Alucard demanded, only to be answered by Soma pulling down the collar of his shirt to expose the bite.
"You and the others are exhausted, the bite pushed them over the edge. Now all, even you, don't have the strength to suppress my darker impulses. I have to do this alone, but well," Soma began, his tone apologetic.
"Teach me what I need to do to assume my future self's duties! The Belmonts, can assume the roles of their future kin..." Alucard began earning a gentle, fatherly smile on Soma's face.
"Son, its done. You can play with the Priest who forced my hand, and do put your toy up before he does something stupid. But its over..." Soma gently replied then with finality he added. "I have to go."
"No! I'm not ready yet! Father don't leave!"
The tone was childish, desperate and earned Alucard a startled, taken aback expression from his father.
"Oh what is this? After so many centuries you 'want' me to stay?" Soma teased and reached out to Alucard. Gently resting his hand against Alucards' cheek, allowing for some form of physical comfort. But it was more just for appearance, Alucard raised his hand to touch his fathers' hand only to feel nothing against his hand. "I suppose this means you'll be returned to where ever you were outside the Castle before this began."
"Father... I don't want to leave you... Mother is here! You're here! Why are we constantly being separated?!" Alucard demanded as his world crumbled around him as his vision of his father grew darker still.
"Because the time isn't right yet. Do not worry. One day you will meet me again and we can spend time together. I know I'm running really late, but I 'am' coming home. So be patient Adrian. And know that I am very proud of you. Even when we face off against each other, I am ever proud of you. I..."