Disclaimer: I do not own Trinity Blood or any of the characters.
The Beginning of the End
"How are they Father Nightroad?" Caterina asked as Abel entered the meeting room. All the other members of AX were sitting down the sides of a long table. Looking to the head of the table where Caterina sat, Abel smiled sadly taking his seat.
"They are getting some rest… Any news from the Terrans?" Abel asked, looking around to everyone else and their somber expressions. Caterina closed her eyes and nodded her head.
"Apparently we did not decide quickly enough for them, and they have murdered Mirka… We contacted the empress immediately after hearing this, and word has already gotten around to some of the higher ups in the empire." Abel sighed; all signs of the feather brained priest everyone loved had gone.
"Do we know who commands the head of the Terrorist group?" Abel asked. Clearly everyone else had witnessed this while he had gone to check on his young charges.
"It is Radu Barvon…" Caterina said sternly.
"That's preposterous!" Abel spoke out quickly. If this Terrorist group was so against the Methuselah empire; then why in the name of all that is holy would they allow their leader to be of the same race they supposedly despised? His concern immediately went to Ion and Esther.
As if Ion had not been through enough already, now a supposed close friend of his was behind the murder of not only that last of his but Esther's remaining family. Ah sister you have much on your hands now… Abel thought wondering about Seth and the ways he could break this information to the two young Methuselah.
Oh, what Able wouldn't give to be able to spare them this, and keep them out of the hassle that was to come.
"There is already outrage and the empress is doing her best to keep it within reason. The terrorists have certainly attained their goal, now we must find a way to get to Radu and bring them down for good…" Caterina said, looking around to those gathered around the table. "The floor is open for suggestions…"
Meanwhile a ray of sunlight crept through the glass doors to the balcony, slowly crawling it's way up to make it just to the edge of the bed.
Ion blearily opened his eyes, his arms stiff from being used as pillows all night. With a light yawn, he shifted slightly only to feel a slight weight at his side. Looking down, he saw that Esther had tucked herself comfortably against him at sometime during the night.
The events of the previous evening came rushing back to Ion, they had not really gone away, but more or less just dwelled in the back of his mind. With another small yawn, he just couldn't bring himself to move and wake up Esther. He thought briefly about how it wouldn't be bad at all to just sleep like this, with her beside him.
Enough of that, we have bigger things to deal with. Ion thought, reprimanding himself for such thoughts at a time like this. There would be plenty of time for him to sort through his feelings for Esther after they made it through this.
Stirring slightly, Esther opened her eyes halfway, not seeming to realize the position she was currently in. Ion smiled lazily at Esther as she looked up to him, a light blush on her cheeks as reality slapped her awake.
"Good morning…" Ion said, sitting up as Esther got off of him.
"Morning…" Esther said with a smile, still a bit embarrassed, but seemingly happy none the less. "I hope you slept well…" She said, moving to sit to the edge of the bed.
"I did…" Ion replied still smiling, trying to keep the mood light to make things easier for her. "How do you feel?"
"I'm alright…" Esther said still smiling, but it faded as she looked up to Ion as he stood just inside the shade near the glass doors. "Ion… what do we do now?" Looking down at her, Ion tried to smile, but he really didn't know what they would do now. Nothing could ever go back to the way it had been before all of this happened.
"I don't know Esther; we will have to ask Father Nightroad what he thinks we should do…" Ion spoke slowly, as if still thinking through his answer as he gave it to her. "Don't worry Esther, everything will work out the way it should…" With that Esther smiled and nodded.
It was no more than a few seconds later that a knock sounded at their door.
"Come in…" Esther said, standing up and moving over to Ion as none other than Abel walked through the door. Ion frowned, reading the Father's expression, and putting his arm around Esther to lead her over to him.
Ion knew the next few words out of Abel's mouth would be anything but pleasant, and tried to brace himself for whatever was to come so that he would be able to offer his support to Esther.
"Ion… We have heard from the Terrans themselves that they have killed your Grandmother…" Abel said in a somber voice. Ion had thought this is what would have happened, and tightened his hold around Esther as a strangled sob escaped her lips. Ion had been very fond of Esther's grandmother, and he could only imagine that Esther cared a good deal for his grandmother as well.
"What else?" Ion asked, sounding unlike himself, knowing that Abel had more to say than just that, otherwise he would be instructing them on what to do next.
"The leader of the terrorist group is Radu…" Abel watched as all the color drained from Ion's face, and the same confusion he felt upon hearing the information appear on the young Methuselah's face.
Ion almost let go of the crying Esther, to storm off, or go into a fit of rage. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to make a scene. He stopped thinking of himself, and knew that if he reacted badly to this information, it would only make things harder on Esther and those who were trying to help.
"So what do we do…?" Ion asked, his voice strangely calm. By now Esther had calmed a little, and watched as Abel looked at Ion a bit curiously.
"We take him out…" Abel said finally.
"I want to be the one to do it…" Ion stated firmly, if nothing else, he would have his way this time. Esther looked back and forth between the two trying to figure out where she would fit in with all of this.
"Very well…" Abel said, surprising Ion by giving in so easily. "…but we shall do this my way. You must go under the training that all AX members undertake, otherwise there is no way you can accompany us into danger." Ion nodded calmly, while Esther was mentally freaking out thinking the worst.
"It will be a few months before we can arrive at a plan that will be acceptable to both the Terrans and the Methuselah Empire… In that time you will train with me…" Abel explained.
"I want to be trained as well…" Esther spoke out of no where surprising both Abel and Ion.
"Esther I don't think…" Ion began only to be cut off, Esther seeming to take on an older appearance as she stepped away from Ion with her head held up high.
"I have just as much right to exact my revenge as you do!" Esther spoke quickly, and forcefully.
"If that is what you really want…" Abel said, earning a death glare from Ion.
"It is…" Esther replied, her tone final, leaving no room for argument from Ion.
With that Abel took them to get something to eat, and the rest of the day consisted of showing them around the premises, and the places they would need to know. Esther and Ion had gotten a lot of information thrust at them, such as the rules they would need to follow and the schedule that they would begin with tomorrow.
With most of the day spent, Abel led the two Methuselah back to their room having sent Marietta, the maid, to retrieve them some toiletries and clothes to change into for the next few days.
Once they were finally alone again and had washed up and were ready for bed Ion confronted Esther about her earlier decision.
"I know… That you want to get back at them… but I'm just…" Ion trailed off not sure how to explain what he was feeling.
"I know you're just trying to protect me Ion…" Esther said, smiling at him sweetly. "…but I also know that you and Father Nightroad can't protect me all the time, and so I decided it would be easier for everyone if I knew how to defend myself…" She finished, still smiling.
"Just… be careful…" Ion said running his fingers through her hair lightly.
"I will be, but try not to worry about me too much…" Esther said with a playful grin. Ion smiled and rolled his eyes. As if that were possible… He thought.
"Goodnight Esther…" Ion said lying down in his bed.
"Sleep well Ion…" Esther said turning out the lights and crawling in her own bed.
Esther couldn't seem to sleep, she found herself tossing and turning for at least an hour. The dark clouds from earlier that afternoon had been storm clouds, and the pounding of the rain on the windows wasn't helping her situation.
Finally she just sat up and looked over to where Ion slept, biting her lip a minute, she called out to him.
"Ion? Are you awake?" Esther asked in a quiet voice. She didn't receive an answer and sighed, jerking as a loud crash of thunder rattled the windows. Swallowing her nerves, Esther got up and silently crawled into Ion's bed. This is terribly improper… She thought worriedly, but at another crash of thunder, she found she didn't care anymore.
Who cared, Esther didn't mean it to look bad, so why stress herself out over this. It would be a bad habit to be sleeping with him all the time. Just one more night couldn't hurt just until I feel more comfortable in this place… Esther thought curling up to his side, much like she did last night and found that sleep wasn't so hard to catch now. Within a few minutes she was out, not worrying about dealing with Ion's questioning looks in the morning, for now, everything was perfect.
Author's Note:
Longest chapter yet, but then again I am currently in a 7 hour long car ride to a dog show, so I figured why not. I don't know how much longer this story will run chapter wise depending on how much of it I keep putting into separate chapters. By that I mean how many more chapters I spit out that are this long. Either way, hope you enjoy. As always thank you to all who review especially Lithiumxflower and Radiantbeam for all of your support. It's really appreciated. Also, I apologize for any errors that slip my eye.