Aria of the Ascending Soul

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Some things had to be adjusted given the changed ending of the last chapter. That typed plot is still holding solid. Here's to hoping the new method I'm using to express text messages shows up. Always annoys me to come back and find my efforts have failed.

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"Shouldn't the disappearance of Dracula make the cults numbers go down not up?"

"Faith is blind, they do not need to see Dracula or even acknowledge him to do his bidding. His absence would only make their determination all the stronger I can image."

"So now we have two splintered cults one of Jones and one from Fortner that are forging an alliance. How could they possibly be willing to do this? I thought they were standing for two different reasons."

"Not really, Jones was going on about how 'he' was Dracula, while the core of Fortner's cult was supposedly a balance. She was preaching about needing Dracula as a force for evil to ensure God's goodness. But in actuality she didn't want to lose her natural born talent for demon summoning. Something that apparently is fading back into its natural pattern now that Dracula has been defeated."

"But he is not gone, merely sleeping."

The conversation stopped at that point, Alucard stood there staring down at Tokyo from his office window. A full moon shown its light down upon him, tossing his shadow onto the ground. If Soma had been there he may have inquired about that shadow. As the man's shadow did not match how he physically appeared, or how the faint ghost of a reflection on the window showed a blond in old aristocratic clothes. But Soma was not there, he was in Alucard's Sanctuary doing who knew what while he had the free time.

But the silence was meant for him, so that Alucard could speak on the topic of the night's discussion. A slight shift of his gaze and he studied the trio in his office, Belmont, LeCarde and Yoko. Everyone felt that Julius was becoming too old to be involved, and he deserved more to be at home with his family. His heirs were of the right age, but his time with amnesia meant that Julius never trained his sons, thus they were ill prepared. Without his memories Julius had not returned back to his clan or home, his children were too small to understand their legacy. With Vampire Killer sealed in the Castle there had been a concern that the pair may try to break into the Castle to reclaim the whip in an effort to find their father.

There was no desire to put the young men into a life or death situation, since there was also the possibility that the Whip wouldn't choose them anyways. But when had that ever stopped some young hot headed men?

Instead Alexander had arrived from Britain, leaving his twin to her mission, and the current Morris and offshoot witch were in America. So while Alucard exceeded all their ages by centuries, his body was eternally young. Even if his soul felt bored and tired, he had to continue this fight.

He walked from the window towards his office desk, before sitting down to formally view those around him. He knew what was being asked of him. If Soma could retain his own identity against Dracula's. If a young boy with a young boy's awareness and limitations could restrain ages of rage and hate. He looked at each pair of eyes staring at him expectantly, how long had he lived with such expectancy forced upon him?

His desk was stern, there were no pictures of family, nothing to indicate that he even existed. The whole office was so untampered that upon his death or disappearance, the room could be cleaned up with light dusting, the removal of several folders and be done. But if the threat was gone, he should have left as well. Only he couldn't, he had failed the world in the biggest gamble he could make and now the clock was ticking until history replayed itself.

"Soma is on a razors edge of retaining his humanity, far too pressed in the last battle he is bordering returning to the throne. Despite his youth, and while susceptible to the manipulations of others, he's shown signs. He survives without a heart beat, and without putting effort his powers flow more naturally out of him." He leaned back in his seat, waiting for the rest to think on his words before continuing. "He behavior is increasingly becoming more reminiscent of Draculas' during my childhood. His recent actions have also received the scrutiny of the Holy Church."

"Yes, but we can't say we feel bad about that guy losing his hand." Alexander vocalized what he and his sister both felt. "As for Dracula, Lord Alucard you don't need to worry about him, we'll deal with him."

"You shouldn't call him 'Lord Alucard' all the time you know. Soma doesn't know that name and if you ever need to talk to Al you may have to go through Soma," Yoko pointed out. Using what had somehow manifested as a nickname for Alucard created by the Nose Demon.

"We need to keep an eye on you as well," Julius replied, causing Alucard to shift his gaze towards the aged hunter. "It's a parent's instinct Alucard, Soma may be a restart of an old life, but he's not shaking off the chains of his past. You said so yourself, perhaps he may not want a war again, but that doesn't mean we can relax our guard.." The man settled a bit more, looking for comfort in the stiff chair he sat in. "As ancient as you are, I can tell you one thing from my experience, a parent guards their children as fiercely as we have defended humanity."

Alucards' silence was his answer, after all he had sided with humanity; any warmth or closeness between himself and his father was long since lost. There was no point in wasting his life with 'what could have beens' or should have beens. He made his choices, he'd live with them and would see them through to the end at least that's what he told himself. But that was neither here nor there, this meeting was about the cults and their status. Instead he turned his attention back to the folder filled with paperwork regarding information on said cults.

"What about this, has there been no progress since the last check?"

"With both leaders gone the question was raised on who would take their places, or would one unite them both. There are signs that a leader or several have taken the mantle left by their founders. But right now they are resettling themselves into positions, trying to figure out what what direction to take given what has transpired." Alexander shifted in his seat as he looked across at the group. "The Dark Children are growing restless, they sensed the moment's when Soma's rage started peaking. Some were terrified, others raged along with him."

"This is a learning curve though, never in all our families histories have we faced a situation like this. We literally get to start from scratch and try to stop Dracula from re-emerging in the world," Yoko pointed out thoughtfully. "Also even if he's regained his powers, Soma seems more Soma to me than anything else. I think he deserves a chance."

"It would be better to kill him before he has that chance," Alexander countered, without preamble.

"No one in this room or possibly on this planet can decide that Yoko. No one here was alive in the time before he became a vampire. We don't know what the original triggers were that turned him either. Without knowing killing him out right may have no point, he may just be reincarnated over and over until he's lived out a full human life," Julius pointed out, his tone and voice thoughtful as he spoke his thoughts. "More than that though, 'can' he grow old?"

Alucard turned his full attention towards the aged hunter, struck curious by the question. "Of course he can, how can he not when he has grown up to this age." The thought of Soma's hot headed, imperious borderline Vampire Lord nature lasting for eternity was enough to give him mental shivers of horror. He wasn't sure how he felt about being trapped with Soma living forever and always ghosting over the fact that they were related.

"Yes, but that could have stopped upon him awakening to his power. After all he's gained the power over time, even if released from lack of use, it may still have some trace within himself."

"Father and Son, together forever, without trying to kill each other," Yoko interjected, with a teasing smile and a glint in her eyes.

"Are you trying to give me nightmares?" Alucard asked finally glancing at Yoko with a cold stare that had some gold hinted in his eyes.

"Don't be silly. If I wanted to do that I would tell you about Mina's future plans for Soma," this was said with a wicked grin, that would do an evil witch proud. And stated with such confidence that Al was going to connect the dots on his own. Which he did, the look on his face grew colder and the grin on her face got bigger.

Alexander gave a polite cough aiming to break the teasing Yoko was inflicting upon the esteemed prince.

"Will there be trouble from the European Children, Alexander?" Julius asked finally lifting his head up from his thoughtful posture. "Or the America's, will they join these cults?"

"We do not believe so. For once Father and Son," with this Alexander lowered his head respectfully towards Alucard. "Lord and Prince are unified in their opinions and feelings. The Dark Children will not move against humanity when it is clear that their King and Prince oppose another war." But there was a silent threat in the subtext, since everyone in that room knew that if the King declared war...

"King, it's kinda funny, I can see Soma as a king when he's in the mood. But I just can't see him as a king..." Yoko shook her head at the thought of Soma sitting on that cruel throne as a Vampire Lord and unable to see him be that ruthless. Even after having seen him snap recently, it wasn't something that settled into her mind easily.

"That is because you have never seen 'him'." Alucard replied from his seat behind his desk. The statement was calm as it cut through the teasing tone Yoko had. Yoko had not been in the Master Chambers when Soma's awareness came into full. The strength or imperiousness that could only belong to Dracula himself. With the powers of darkness flowing about him invisible to the naked eye, clear as day to one such as himself. But more than that, there had been resignation and fatigue in that proud stature. Regardless of how he had awoken, Dracula had been tired, uninterested in resuming this war as well. Why have you awaken me? I was happy the way I was! Dracula was happy living a human life, freed from those who sought a war.

"Soma, no matter what way we try to discuss it, is far more dangerous than any of his previous incarnations. He's in his youth, growing in strength and I am woefully in decline, and my sons unprepared for such a battle," Julius stated firmly, returning the subject to it's source.

"Which means we need to make sure no one uses him in such a way as to cause a relapse," Alexander agreed.

"That may or may not be possible. Life is random, there is no way to ensure that the loss of a loved one, or an accident will or will not occur," Alex pointed out, but Yoko shook her head.

"This isn't the middle ages or before even, if someone died in just an accident, or illness Soma would handle that fine. It's when people die because Soma, himself, is their target that he loses control. Life doesn't en mass take all a person's loved ones away in a single swoop all that often, if it's just flukes, or accidents..." Yoko counter argued then shrugged.

"He'll be fine," Alucard nodded in agreement.

"You openly agree with me? Who are you and what have you done with our Al?" Yoko beamed her gaze straight ahead. Because if she looked at Alucard the teasing would carry on. "Which brings us back to our original reason for this meeting. The group may be going underground, but even so we need to know what to expect. These guys could go back after Soma, which would bring us back to the situation of him going evil."

With that Yoko went back to the file that had been left on the desk for them to exam. "How safe is your sister in this mission Alex? Seeing that she's the plant," after all who better to survive what this group could concoct, than someone who had been there and done that?

"Your concern is touching, but it is an honor to serve him and protect this world," Alex replied giving a polite nod towards Alucard.

"I am a Vampire Prince, not a human one, you need not pledge your allegiance to me over and over through out the centuries," Alucard pointed out. Reaching into his coat to remove his cellphone, flipping it to find a message waiting for him. Meanwhile Yoko continued elaborating on what Alexis was able to discover.

/Pizza? Y/N/

He was going to have to talk to his familiars about giving Soma his number.

/No./

He was in the process of sliding his phone back into his coat when another message arrive.

/D(/

/Grow up Soma./

/Fine./

And then...

/Goblet of Fresh Blood? Y/N/

/Fine, what kind of Pizza./