Castlevania: Aria of the Ascending Soul

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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Leon turned to look up at Mathias, before shaking his head slowly, 'How this is frustrating, the fate of the world could very well be resting on Lady Elizabetha and I. Yet I am barely able to speak, almost ironic that Lady Mina's efforts, which should make my efforts easier... isn't.'

"Portals... Castle..."

Soma looked about, not really surprised before nodding slightly, "I suspected that the Castle was had become linked to this area beyond just sealing it. I couldn't tell how, but I can feel its presence, though its fainter than shortly after Fortners' stunt."

His lips twisted into a half bitter smile, "but I doubt you can tell me what's going on. I know Yoko means well, and she's been fabulous at keeping her mouth shut.. but her silence is just as telling as her slip ups."

Elizabetha frowned as she looked through the portal, there seemed no way for her to help her husband. Well, directly, "Sir Leon? Could you inquire why he is worried? It was my understanding that he has been kept in the dark about a great deal."

"Something wrong?" Leon asked on her behalf, his ears flicking a bit as he stood there.

Soma knelt down, his expression thoughtful for a moment, "just dreams, nothing bad just... You know how it feels when something feels off? Its like that and its been like that for months."

"Dreams?" Leon asked, 'this is worrisome, given what some of the souls he has can do.' Leon thought as he stood there looking at Mathias before looking over at Elizabetha before back again. "Explain." Maybe Elizabetha could ask some of the souls in the Castle?

"I don't recall all of it, just Arikado is always sleeping in them, and I can't shake the feeling that its wrong. Like I should know how he sleeps and I can't help but wonder more why there's this connection to him. It doesn't make rational sense why any lone Dark Child would be this involved in what the Belmonts do. Or how he knows as much as he does to be given this level of government clearance and personal access. Yet he's a secret agent and I know Yoko doesn't talk about them, but I've been keeping up with a series of ritualistic murders going on around the world. Something is happening Leon, someone is trying to call me back and no one is telling me anything."

'This is worse than I had been lead to believe,' Leon thought as he looked up at Mathias in mounting concern. He knew nothing of these murders, only that Death wanted someone to look after Mathias. But if there was a... global attempt at reverting Mathias back unto his dark paths? What could they do? The clans clearly had some awareness even if Yoko wasn't explaining it to Soma. The clan was pretty extensive at this point in time, there were branches through out the world. But for all that they couldn't find this group themselves and stop them?

How was that possible?

"Feel pull?" Leon asked as Soma pulled a bag out from under his coat and opened it.

"No, I don't feel anything pulling me away, but there are some repeated patterns I've seen in the murder cases that I've found online," Soma explained as he held the back open. "Slide yourself on in, I need to get you out of here before Mina comes home."

"Bag?" Leon asked, feeling a bit insulted at the bag, Mina carried him proudly in her arms, "Lady?" he asked looking up at Elizabetha wondering if she was going to be ok with them just leaving her behind.

"Lady? What la... oh there's a lady ghost here?" Soma asked connecting Leon's interest in being here along with his constant looking away to a single spot, with a possible spirit. "Honestly I'd let you hang out longer, but... no. In the bag Leon."

Leon looked up at Elizabetha, fully aware that his form would not provide him with the proper emotions he felt. Only to see her give a warm smile and a small nod, giving him her leave to go into the blasted... With the sound of static that replaced the sound of his sighs, Leon walked over to the bag and began sliding in.

"Do... do you make static sounds when you sigh?" Soma asked in amusement as he picked the bag up and gave Leon some time to wiggle himself into something comfortable. The quick flash of sunlight that pierced through the thick foliage of the trees glimmered off that ring he was stuck wearing. 'Maybe I need to ask the Pope what I would have to do to get this stupid thing off. I could do a 'lot' more if I had my powers back.'

Once Leon stopped wiggling about he closed the bag and hung it off his shoulder, a glance about the lawn showed there was no one else to see them. Giving him a freee pass to walk out into the front of the shrine and hopefully Leon's little walk hadn't give Mina the time to reach the shrine. With the slight weight hanging off his back, far less than when he carried his books for class, Soma was set. Allowing him to pursue the thought of how to get the ring off while traveling down the stairs to the street below.

Alchemy could only go so far, it was a practice based on the transformation of material or spiritual matters. It was proving useless in scrying matters and the only alternatives, all which involved using his powers, generally involved the phrase 'And then I summoned this...' He didn't have the ability to roll minds, so he couldn't break into the Diet Building and find Arikado's business office. The numbers of dead made him wary of asking Hammer for help. Not just because Hammer enjoyed Yoko's company... and really no he couldn't put Yoko in that position again.

But he was growing concerned that if he tried to contact the man that either Hammer or one of his sources could end up dead. In fact he needed to be back home in 45 minutes for another of his check ins to make sure everyone he knew was still alive and in one piece. Granted he didn't need to look after the Belmonts or any of the Hunters, but now he had Mina, her family confirmed ok, Hammer, and now Momoe and Ai to look after.

At least the familiars didn't mind spying on people for him, a task most suited to the Nose Demon since he enjoyed his mask. Even if someone saw the mask they just assumed it was a costume and he was social enough not to really grab attention. It was a pity that they lived in a city, or else he could just send the Bat out, but she was large, rather obvious and unnatural for the local flora and fauna.

Ghost was just a little 'too' spacey for Soma's tastes in terms of retcon, the others far too formal for the task one being a pretty elaborate 'sword' of all things. For which the Fae folk pair couldn't be counted on, not for lack of talent or use... They just, glowed, everywhere and it was very hard to hide from someone trying to find you if you glowed the whole time.

As he took the steps down to the sidewalk, he found himself pondering if there was anything suitable for Leon to sleep on. Clearly the poor former Knight was used to a bed, and realistically speaking Soma didn't have half the set up that Mina had for the man. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, there was still some time before the next bus on this line. But he could walk to the other stop, their bus would be here sooner and he didn't really need to ride it all the way to the next stop.

Just get himself comfortable and once the bus reached the proper speed he could just will the Estate to take him to its grounds. Something he wouldn't need to do if he had his Panther soul with him... Pope.

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They reached the interior of the Estate gates, practice from previous trips had taught Soma to prepare for the sudden loss of his seat. He gripped the bag so it didn't just drop unceremoniously to the ground. Kneeling down to open it revealed Leon's eternally patient, plush harmless face staring straight ahead. But he 'did' look up as the top of the bag was pulled back, albeit silently, as Soma went about picking him up respectfully. Or as respectfully as one could pick up a soul sealed stuffed toy.

The usual static that came when Leon tried to emit a sigh was replaced by a low actual sigh. The sound caught them both by surprise as Soma placed him on the ground so he faced the estate before him.

"Well this is home sweet prison, what do you think?" Soma inquired as he straightened up before straightening out the bag so he could refold it down.

Leon looked about the estate, its barren field of grass, the pitiful assortment of flowers that, while added color, looked like they were losing the battle against the emptiness of the land. There was an austere type of white that was used to paint the exterior, the roof a rich shade of brown. Yet while Leon observed the grounds Mathias left his side and began to walk to the estate, leaving the Lion behind. Left with the realization that Mathias wasn't going to, thankfully, baby him, Leon immediately took to walking after him.

The road they stood on split as they walked it, extending outwards while the grass was kept thick, but not towering. Well at least for a human, Leon still felt as though he was wading through just ankle deep water. However; Mathias kept to a slow pace, giving Leon ample time to keep up with him while observing their location.

"Don't worry Leon, I won't treat you like a baby, and I'll keep you..." Soma began when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of its pocket and checked to see the name on the screen, the corner of his mouth tugged upward by the sight of Mina's name.

"Hi Mina, how are you this fine day?" He asked with an overly saccharine voice.

"I know you have him. I want him back." Mina's tone was so flat and unamused that a person could rest their drinks on it if it had been a table.

Leon paused in his walk and looked up at Mathias, the young man was looking at him with this almost feral glee. Which given the very nature of the situation made some semblance of sense. Sure it was a sense that seemed pretty on par with the living this day and age. Though 'sense' was going to be a word that Leon thought of loosely given the topic regardless.

While Mathias kept talking to Lady Mina, Leon began to observe the grounds on his own again, with no reason to ease drop. He moved along through the grass wondering what his kin were up to, what with him being stationed at the Hakuba shrine, the estate didn't match anything he had seen in this country. Indeed, Lady Mina had often shown him images of Japan and other shrines so he could see more of this new country he found himself in. While Ladies Momoe and Ai both showered both he and Lady Mina with images of 'Victorian England'.

He didn't really object to all this sudden worldly education being placed upon him, the images shown him were beautiful honestly. Hence being restricted to Lady Mina's home and in bags was disappointing. Strange though that Alucard would live in a place that gave him absolute freedom in design and so far as it looked stoic and empty. Lady Elizabetha had made it sound as though Alucard was the height of social and excitable natures. This, did not reflect that at all and it left him wondering if the interior was just as sterile as the external.

From the interior of the estate a pair of Fae folk came flying out, the glow of their essence stood out even in the daylight. The pair of them noticed that Mathias was distracted and slowed until the one with the green gown noticed Leon. The pair swooped down to him, hovering on the flutter of their wings as they looked down at him.

"Oh, he's like Yoko's Snuggy isn't it?" The green Fae asked the blue clad Fae as they fluttered about him.

"He is looking at us..." The blue gowned Fae agreed as it drifted to the left and the right watching as Leon turned to acknowledge it, her, movements.

"I think he needs some sprucing up," The green announced as she landed on the ground and began walking towards Leon, her petite hands reaching for him.

"How do you know its a 'he'?" Blue asked as she followed green's example, all be it with a bit of hesitance. The pair both had bright blond hair that spilled down their backs, probably broken only by their wings in the way.

"That's a man's kimono, and remember Snuggy wore men's kimono's, too," Green pointed out.

"Oh well when you put it that way, here I'll hold this, let's get to work!" Blue agreed, confidently walking forward to help fix up Leon's attire.

Letting him feel as the haori was tugged off his shoulders. But if they knew how to handle a kimono who was he to stop them from helping him? He felt tugging and wiggling going on around him, the Green Fairy walked around him as she tugged his kimono along with the Blue following with the Haori in her arms.

"Those hands are too big for a job like this too, poor guy's going to have a paw full when trying to take care of his clothes," Blue noted before she stopped in front of Leon. She pushed the haori over her shoulder and reached up to mess with Leon's mane. "Hmm let get this back into a proper mane..."

She began brushing the mane out of his face causing Leon the turn his head against it, "Please keep... this style..."

His words startled the pair, the Green one took to the air the Blue fell on her butt as the haori kept her from flying. "He spoke!" Blue exclaimed as Green flew down to assist Blue to her feet.

"My apologies..." He began, but felt like there was no point to even feeling a hint of remorse for the situation. The pair looked at him with their eyes growing big, before their activities seemed to intensify. The pair now both worked even more intensely, the Green one was tugging the last bit of the kimono into place. Taking the haori from the Blue one while said Blue was busy with his mane, brushing it back over his eye as he wanted. He couldn't see the top of his head, but he could feel his ears being brushed about.

"Since when did the Stuffy's start talking?" Green asked, while Blue worked to brush his fluffy mane without any brush. They couldn't use the brush they used on the Great Masters' coat here, not with his rich amber brown mane possibly marring the pure white of the Great Master's fluff.

"Voice box," Leon explained to the best of his ability.

"Well at the moment, Arikado's Faeries are helping him with his kimono and mane. I would also appreciate it if you didn't make it sound like I was inflicting some unholy torture on him by kidnapping him like this.. In fact here," Soma spoke into the phone before walking the few steps to catch up to Leon. He leaned down and held the phone out to Leon giving it a small swing to encourage the toy to take the phone.

For his part, Leon looked up at Mathias before lowering his gaze back to the 'phone'. He never held it before, Mina always holding it up for him to look at. "Lady... Mina?" He inquired as he walked to the phone and spoke at it.

"Don't worry Leon! I'll rescue you!" Mina blurted out, her voice filled with worry making Leon feel bad that he didn't leave a note or something for the poor girl.

"From..." Leon turned to look to his left, "what?" Then turned to look towards his right, unable to find a threat that he needed to be 'rescued' from.

"Garden gnome?" Blue suggested with a shrug.

"The Young Master won't let us get one." Green agreed with a nod, the internet was a wonderful thing now that the Great Master was here. He let them look at stuff, so long as he was monitoring them, but that was more than when the Young Master used it strictly for work.

Soma snorted, shaking his head as his gaze went to the Faeries, "I 'have' been considering filling the yard with Pink Flamingo's as punishment for his continued absence."

Leon suddenly felt like he needed to be protected, as he took in the gaze from the pair on either side of him. Those eyes were getting large at the thought of decorating opportunities, something he had grown accustomed to seeing on the faces of Lady Mina and her friends. Every time she heard the phrase 'new design'.

"He... sounds... Leon you sound better over there," Mina's voice came over the phone carrying her disappointment, bringing more guilt upon Leon.

"I think its just because of the location," Soma theorized as he took the phone back, hearing Mina's distress. "The shrine is tethered to the Castle and Yoko's magic isn't exactly supposed to go hand in hand with the Castle."

"You think?" Mina questioned.

"He can sigh like a person now, and not just white noise it." Soma pointed out smartly, though it did make him stare at the little Lion all the more now. Was it the shrine? Was it Japan? Leons' voice was a little more clear and steady than before...