Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Frazzled Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: pant, pant, pant, another chapter done
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"By any chance, have you seen your son as of late?" Sophia asked, hoping that maybe she wouldn't have to search all of Japan just to find the Dhampire. If nothing else right now the state of the seal and the shrine itself felt like a bigger and more important topic than where Alucard was.
"No," it was a terse answer with no elaboration and given with an undercurrent of displeasure. The kind of answer that would make anyone feel like their presence or line of question was completely unwelcomed and they could just leave. Which was exactly what Sophia picked up on and didn't appreciate it.
"Is something the matter?" she asked, hoping to glean some idea of what had seemingly offended Alucards' mother.
"You're one of 'them'."
Well that illuminated a 'lot' for Sophia, 'them' was rather ambiguous, whether it was by being a hunter or a witch, she couldn't tell. "I'm sorry, 'them' who? You mean a Vampire Hunter?"
"Them. As in the group that convinced my poor son to commit patricide," Lisa replied with the same cold, unwelcoming voice.
It left Sophia with little to say to that, arguing would be a bit pointless, since well, Trevor 'did' convince Alucard into joining with them. But regardless, "are you not aware of what your husband was doing?"
"I'm very much aware of it, but you did not need to bring my son into your battles." Lisa answered sharply, "Perhaps you are fine with birthing hunters who only live for the hunt. However; I wanted more for my son than this life of everlasting solitude and hunts. At least the current witch has the moral decency to not treat my son like a tool on a shelf."
Sophia had been ready to argue her point when the last barb came and she found herself silenced. Indeed when Sophia was alive she would have had a serious disdain for Yoko and her seemingly flippant attitude. But being dead had forced Sophia to see more of what went on in a persons' life. Being dead had forced her to expand her awareness of the world, the strictness that had slacken with age was gone by this one.
"That was back then," Sophia replied, disgruntled and displeased that she was being forced to face a side of herself that she wasn't very fond of.
"And how exactly does that help the situation 'now'?" Lisa asked coldly, which was impressive given how neither women were among the living anymore.
Yet at the same time Sophia felt no reason to validate her actions to the lady, granted this was the mother of someone Sophia had fought along side ages ago. But she was also the 'wife' of the very monster that Sophia fought against. "My husband asked me to find your son, just to make sure he's ok. As it would seem that your husband is showing signs of concern due to the long absence."
Might as well inform the woman of the situation, if she was stuck only able to go to the Castle or here where the 'portal' was. It wasn't as though someone was telling her anything and by all accounts she probably would be happy to know what was going on. Better to know and worry rather than not know anything and just let 'all' the possibilities consume her thoughts.
But if Lisa heard or not was anyones' guess as Sophia didn't hear anything further from whereever this supposed 'portal' was. Not to mention the night was getting shorter and she needed to find Alucard's private refuge. And of course he would use magics similar to the Castle to hide his home, like father like son as they said. But once the sun came up she would be useless until nightfall again. It was probably the biggest eye opening experience she ever had upon dying, the exact nature of 'why' everything always seemed to 'come out at night'. Well at least with spirits, what with the overwhelming energy of the sun making the energy of a spirit seem pitiful in comparison.
With no answer forthcoming from the wife of Dracula, Sophia found herself with the task of trying to find Alucards' private residence. This was going to be a fun hunt, she knew that Dracula now lived with his son, so it would afford her a chance to actually get to spy on him. Plus side there, while hoping that the Ghost was somewhere and could see her. However, she didn't really know 'how' to find Alucards' home, since it wasn't grounded in the physical world, and it wasn't the Castle. Not that she could 'go' to the Castle, but she knew where it was at all times.
Even if it was no longer in the physical world, she could still find its old residence as a type of void in the world where nothing existed. As though it was just cut out of existence all together and transplanted into space. With that in mind, the fact that Alucards' mother was apparently 'in' the Castle had a whole new level of concern. Draculas' whole reason for his war was because his wife was dead, however; if she was a ghost in the Castle. Shouldn't her state mean that she wouldn't ever leave him and make him 'happy'? Why did he always talk of her as though he never saw her, how could he be blind to her presence?
Or Alucard? Why had no one seen the woman if she was in the Castle?!
Sophia drifted off again into the city as she tried to think of a way to find Alucards' home, unsure of what she would need to look for. The only magics she was really 'good' at was the elemental magics that utilized the elements of the natural world. Alucards' dark arts, arts taught to him by both his father and Death, utilized... well...
As Sophia floated she realized she didn't really 'understand' the Dark Arts, what made them 'exactly' dark? This was probably the worst time to try and have a deep philosophical introspection on the nature of the arcane. Figuring out what 'exactly' made one evil and all, since she was supposed to be looking for Alucard. But it was one that maybe, was time to be thought of, as she was taught 'anything' that involved the shaping of flesh was evil. Hence there 'were' no healing arts or shape shifting, and Alucards' ability to turn into a bat was considered demonic. That in the schools of magic that she had been taught, such actions could 'only' be done by selling ones' soul.
But Charlotte actively shape shifted and used spells of healing that never existed in Sophias' time. Saying Charlotte was 'evil' for using those arts would in this age be considered insane, though Sophia had no clue where the woman learned such spells.
"I'm actively thinking of trying to reach Alucard and have a 'casual chat' about magic. If I wasn't already dead I'd be ready to die." Sophia spoke into the air while wondering who would know exactly 'how' to find Alucard's place. When it hit her so hard it might as well been a wall, who else 'but' Simon.
Even if he knew nothing of magic, he was born with a sense that was strong enough to sense the supernatural beyond what normal humans could. In fact he was probably the closest to Kazu in terms of abilities, only Kazu was no warrior what so ever. He also traveled to and from the place, now if only Sophia had used her brain enough to think of 'asking' the man while she was still there.
Though why ask him? She could do this! Since when did she turn into this totally codependent hapless woman?! She squared her shoulders, thought hard on where Alucard 'would' opt to live and deciding it would be on the edge of the city so he could have some peace. After all he 'was' a Dhampire and had superior senses over the rest of mortals. Undoubtedly he would aim for a place that provided him peace and quiet even if it wasn't in the physical realm.
She charged forward to start her hunt when she felt like she tumbled through large, thick, velvet curtains and was confronted by an expansive mansion. Sophia was still a ghost, she knew that much, yet as she took in the surroundings she could only be amazed at how powerful Alucard was. 'Like Father Like Son' indeed. The biggest thing that struck her was how out of time it felt, the sun was setting in what she assumed to be the west.
There was this strange duality where time felt like it was frozen in the building she looked at, yet she wanted to say that the sun 'was' moving. But it was late night going into early morning and only here was the sun. If it was in motion still it would have meant that... Well, perhaps the grounds weren't 'in' Japan, just the portal? Which was something she would have to ask Alucard if she ever got to speak to the Dhampire again. As she was thinking she drifted towards the estate, admiring the white washed walls and the well manicured lawn, all taken care of by unseen hands undoubtedly. She couldn't see Alucard doing commoners' work after all.
Now all she had to do was find the Ghost familiar that Richter spoke of and hopefully get a direction locked on for Alucard. She floated along past multiple windows trying to think of where she would find the ghost. No night sounds of nature filtered through the supposed woods that surrounded the estate. No night birds or insects, the whole place was in complete absence of sound and as she moved about she found a single light glowing out of the window.
When she approached she found a young adult laying back in what appeared to be a very comfortable leather chair. He wore jeans that belled out at the ankles and a button on white shirt with a book resting open against his stomach. His eyes were shut and looked to be peacefully sleeping with his pale face framed with white hair. In fact outside of his unnatural hair color, the gentle glow from the desk lamp almost made the stranger look angelic. Given the fact it wasn't Alucard and this person was on the grounds, lead Sophia to figure this had to be Dracula.
He lacked what she expected, his face was smooth of the lines of experience and knowledge, the body slender like a fencing rapier rather than a claymore. Yet it was 'this' person who ruled the night, the one who could call forth the hounds of hell at a whim. The office he was resting in was severe, and Sophia could only figure this would be where Alucard worked. Which, given that he was absent, gave a possible explanation as to why Dracula was in here.
It was a sign of his subtle worry for the Dhampire, staying up in the one place where one would expect Alucard to return to. On his finger was a large, gaudy, ring that was clearly enchanted by some source and for some purpose. For which she figured was to seal his powers away, for she saw none of the dark energy he was in command of. In fact, as she hovered there and thought about it, he looked perfectly human with no sign of demonic power.
Despite being, you know, 'Dracula'.
"Great Master?" the blue gowned Fairy flew into the room, with the green dressed one following up close behind. "Great Master!"
They spoke in hushed tones, wishing to wake Dracula up, while not doing it in a way that could clearly get them killed. They avoided touching Dracula, instead hovering just out of range and calling warily for Draculas' attention. Which they were rewarded by the Dark Lord opening his eyes and looking about in sleepy confusion. His feet were pulled in and he straightened up his posture as the book tilted forward and open on his lap.
"Hmm?" His vivid blue eyes focused on one than the other fairy as they got closer.
"Oh Lord, we have prepared the master bedroom for you, would it not be a better place to retire to?" The green one asked attempting to not sound nervous, while Dracula looked about for a bit.
"I fell asleep huh? Yeah sure I'm going, I'm going," Dracula closed the book on his lap and stood up while the Ghost floated through wreathed in bright blue light with fiendish pricks of flame like red to serve as its 'eyes'.
Wait... 'Ghost'?
"You're the Ghost Familiar!" She called out causing said Ghost to still in its floating and the skull rotated around to look at her. Then turned right back around and flew off! "Wait!" She called out as she gave chase. The Ghost flew through the estate with a surprising amount of speed while leaving Sophia amazed that her unlife was reduced to this. She was 'actually' chasing a ghost through an estate just to find a Dhampire.
Whatever happened to dying and living in Heaven? Why was she chasing around a ghost in an effort to find the Dhampire to keep his homicidal father on good behavior? Only to shake her head as she made a sharp left turn in what looked to be a reading room. Since it was for the very reason of keeping the homicidal father from going on a rampage. "Oh how the mighty are falling," she bemoaned as she dove into the floor after the Ghost. She was beginning to seriously empathize with Simon as the nobility of the cause she lived her life devoted to was now this. With her husband a plush service dog, his direct line of hunters all plush toys and Dracula on the loose.
"I just want to ask you a question, why are you running?!" She demanded as they flew through a room full of gaming equipment. Annoyed at how the status as a Familiar allowed the others to see that Ghost, but no one saw her. She had flown past the napping bat, the two demons playing poker and the Sword. Did anyone notice her? No! Of all the places she could think of off hand, somehow the place run by a Dhampire with a Dark Lord as its current resident seemed like the 'best' place for everyone to see her. But no.
However, her irritated question was answered by the ghost stopping its mad rush attempt to escape her and floated around to look at her. It even tilted to the side like a living persons' inquisitive head tilt, which Sophia would take in a heart beat, since the blasted ghost actually stopped trying to get away.
"Your master, where is Alucard?" She asked as the lights in the ghosts' eyes disappeared and reappeared rapidly, giving Sophia the impression it was blinking.
A part of her wondered if the Ghost could talk, before it merely... floated off again. But in this case, it wasn't floating like it was trying to escape the police. It moved more slowly, in a leisurely rate that made her feel like it 'was' answering her, just... without words. With no other idea of what to do, she followed the Ghost as it floated out of the estate, and into the darkened landscape of the yard.
The sun had set more fully now giving only a small portion of the sky the red hue of a newly extinguished candle wick. But for her, the glow that came off the Ghosts' skull was enough for her to follow it.
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"And what did you find?" Trevor asked as he began doling out the required cups to make coffee for Kazu. While Sophia hovered in the kitchens' center and watched him work, ever curious about modern convenience. Which Trevor could understand as his first experience of Valencia making breakfast had made him declare her actions were witchcraft. Machines that made toast, coffee, the little machine that heated milk for Kazu, the box that kept food cold. Witchcraft. ALL OF IT!
He had been dead certain that his wife's clan had somehow over extended their abilities and crossed into Gods' work. And then remind himself that 'technically' he 'married' a witch and should full and well know what witchcraft was and look like. But he wasn't going to bring up his ignorance filled early days of being a plushy person.
And now years later, he was sitting on a counter making coffee as good as those baristas in shops! At least that was what Kazu and his friends told Trevor, since he couldn't actually drink what he made.
"Just Alucard in a hotel room sleeping the sleep of the dead. You know, the whole laid out like he was in his own coffin. I wish he would sleep like a normal human, but I guess there's just too much vampire in him at this point. What with how long he has been alive," Sophia answered with a sigh. "He didn't even change clothes, he was still in a black suit and tie affair."
Trevor looked up at her, the scoop clenched in his mouth out of the side giving him a look like he was smoking a plastic pipe. Before he stuck the measuring scoop back into the can, "well perhaps he's just 'that' busy. I guess this group is even more a threat than we realized, which means we need to do something with Soma. Just to help him stay settled down and keep himself sane until this assignment is done."