Castlevania: Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
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"How... how is that possible?" Juste asked as his mind went digging through all his old spell books he could recall. Including the training he had from the Belnades when he was alive. "Familiars are attuned to their master's magical signature. How can anyone block a magical signature, or even 'know' to block it?"
"Who sits there and ponders, 'does this Dhampire happen to have a servant of non human origins, that may in fact be able to transverse space to either assist him. Or give warning that he is in danger? I think I need to make a ward to protect against that'," Christopher ad libed so incredibly on the nose with it that Juste simply stuck his paw out to point to Christopher.
"Apparently a well oiled machine," Trevor replied with his ears dipping down, as his source of magical knowledge was busy nodding in agreement with Juste and Christopher.
"We're going to need to get the rest of the clans on this aren't we?" Richter asked, his voice carrying a concern that he wasn't willing to elaborate in its tone.
"Oh hell no, we're not getting anyone involved. Sophia's floating her ghost ass right back into the afterlife and getting the rest of the clans here." Simon retorted, earning a choked reaction out of Kazu and stunned ones out of the rest of the Bearmonts.
"Rest of the clan?" Kazu repeated, causing Yoko to look over at him waiting for details. "Ah... apparently Ghost can't find Alucard?" He began earning a face palm from Trevor as the name was used, pointing out that 'someone' was slipping up. "And Simon says to get the rest of the Clan from the Afterlife...?" Somehow having a host of dead souls from his extended family seemed irrationally overkill. Why not let the 'living' members of the clan do it where was the problem with that?
Yoko dropped to the couch like she lost most of the bones in her body, leaving just enough bones in her arms and back to let her sink her head into her hands. "He's right... we... oh my God I can't believe how far and how fast this is going bad..."
"Umm But why not ask the living?" Kazu hazarded looking at his sister then to the others.
"So... The clans are rather extensive, there are six different clans that exist, five stay close to their home bases, one is spread across the world." Yoko began as the weight of what happened was beginning to bring tears to her eyes. Causing her to struggle to swallow as she continued, "for the sake of speed that a situation like this would cause? I would need to go to the clan elders and have them dispatch their clans. Its logical, but... how do I explain to them that Alucard is missing? The plant is not in a high enough position. She may just not 'know' where Alucard would be, what I'd be implying would need back up. It looks irrational like I'm being overly emotional about the whole thing." She let her right hand go and wave limply as Kazu grabbed it to hold as a type of comfort for his sister.
"Julius won't be a problem, he is the clan elder of the Belmonts, but Charlotte died recently and the Aulin clan elder is close to Angela," Sophia began hesitantly.
"Its fucked that's what it is, just say it. The guy has to know what's going on," Simon grumbled in annoyance at the tip toeing going on around him. "Your grandmother Angela is the head of the Clan, she's so hard ass you'd think she had a broom rammed up it and it stuck. The second she knows Valencia went behind her back to keep you? Angela is going to have Valencia cast out of the clan in heart beat and she won't be swayed. The next in line would be Yoko, but Angela likes her facts and figures like pre Ghost Scrooge. She's going to find out about us and you can expect Yoko to be cast out as well."
All of Simons' hallway brooding began spilling out, "the only way to override her intentions would be to call for 'all' the heads to come together and override her decision at the same time as making the request. Thing is, we don't have time to waste doing that. Say Yoko goes to all the other clan heads and alerts them, eventually it 'will' get back to Angela and she 'will' call Valencia and Yoko back. Sure the two don't have to listen, I know you'd probably suggest just do whatever what's the most that Angela can do. Well that's the rub..." Simon paw waved up to the ghost who had floated down so she was emulating sitting on the ground. "Sophia."
"There is a spell... when Trevor met that Devil Forgemaster, Hector. I went to meet the man on my own and between the two of us we worked a spell type curse that can be used only by the clan head. If someone betrays the clan, the Clan Elder can strip that witch of her magic... Angela would be in her right to cast that the instant she heard about this. She doesn't even have to physically 'be' with the girls to cast it. Its also can not be reversed or broken, so the offense 'has' to be serious. So if Yoko or Valencia tried to just circumvent her... see, going directly to her means that she has to honor the other clan leaders and wait their opinions. Go behind her back and she can just argue that she 'assumed' they went traitor."
"That..." Christopher looked at Juste then Sophia wondering if that was possible, but with the way Sophia looked away from all of them gave him a sinking feeling. "So just ask us? We'll tell them..."
"Tell them 'what' Christopher?" Simon snapped. "That a five year old tore me out of the afterlife and stuffed me in this body for over two decades? Tell them that she did that with 'all' of us and it's just so happens she has an ability that would make her useful to Dracula? Angela damn well might want to put Yoko to the stake! I recall how Sophia was described when she was alive, and Angela is very, VERY much like that. Hell she was fine with starving Kazu in her own home!"
"A male Belnades has a few years to show magical aptitude before they are sent to the Belmonts or simply cast out." Juste explained his voice low and after a glance behind him got up to rest next to Yoko who was shaking. "What Kazu can do is 'not' good enough, unless there is 'another' medium in any of the clans strong enough to do what Kazu can do? There's no reason to believe anything he says, and what's stopping Yoko from ordering us to lie?"
"We could go back to our other names, give you three new names to go by and pretend that Yoko just brought souls into these bodies and that we're not family," Trevor suggested. "Its not as though Julius or Alucard have ever recognized Simon or I for who we are, so why would the rest of the clan?"
"Just have Kazu be a 'spirit medium' that she ran across, because what are the odds that there are 'two' people living in Japan. Both with Japanese fathers and Spanish mothers, one of whom is 'Dracula' the other who shares some semblance with Yoko?" Richter suggested, his brain working on all the angles. "Tell... Report the situation like normal, but say that she met a 'strong spirit medium', don't give him a name. Ghost can turn invisible at will. There's no reason for the clans to believe that Ghost 'didn't' just decide on its own to follow Soma. He's the father of its Master after all, and Soma has visited and does have ties to the shrine. So, this Spirit Medium just happened to have Soma walk by, saw the Ghost and chatted up Ghost." Richter rubbed the side of his head a bit as he continued thinking aloud.
"Tell them that Ghost followed Soma because it couldn't sense its own Master anymore, and the Medium, noticing that Soma visits Mina just... well she 'is' a priestess in training right? What's wrong with him talking to a young woman who is supposed to be well versed in spirits? Ghost may not be super intelligent, but its smart enough for this. The Spirit Medium just dropped by to say 'Hey theres' this ghost I saw following this guy who comes here often. Just thought I'd tell you what the Ghost told me..."
Everyone looked at Richter, sans Yoko, with complete and total flabbergasted admiration, their minds immediately attacking his suggestion in an effort to find a flaw. Chewing through the possible routes that could happen, figure out how it could be used against them or not. When each mind unable to come up with anything solid, they found themselves with an actual spark of hope forming within. As each Belmont failed to find a flaw, another tail or pair of ears started wagging and wiggling.
"That... might work..." Juste spoke aloud first.
"Even if everything got revealed later on, given that Kazu has shown himself to be an asset would give weight to Valencias' decision," Trevor agreed.
"Those witch trials really didn't help this situation out any. There is a possible snag, but I'm not sure how to put it into words," Christopher noted, the tip of one foot beginning to tap the ground.
"Go ahead," Sophia offered. "Just describe what's going on in your head, Juste and I can correct or elaborate anything you need to know."
"Well... Its about the areas that you can't reach. I mean, Ghost can't zero in on Alucard, so something is blocking it, what if its something like what's blocking you from the Vatican?"
Juste opened his plush mouth only to shut it again as he was caught unprepared for the question and found himself having to actually ponder. Turning his own gaze towards Sophia who looked just as surprised and introspective as he felt.
"Richter seemed to have come up with an idea, sis. Maybe you and mom won't get in trouble after all," Kazu offered softly.
She looked up at him, her eyes red catching Simon's attention and getting the Bear to start eyeing the nearest way out of the room. "The story is that Ghost is following Soma because its lost its contact with Alucard. That I, and keep me nameless, just happen to be a Medium who noticed it and struck up a conversation with it. Leading me to Mina's shrine and through her to you that something happened. Even if someone wants to meet me later on, you should be validated in your search by then," he explained watching his sisters' eyes lighten up with hope.
"But those are two different things though, isn't it? I've just assumed its because of your bodies being used to block out the supernatural from entering the Vatican." Sophia brought her hands together fingers to fingers as she pondered.
"And the cults have been performing Black Masses," Juste added. "Those are two different things."
"Why?" Christopher asked, "These cults are trying to 'reach' someone on this plane, not something in Hell. Sure they're killing people to get the spell started, but its still just a spell right? What's the difference?"
Juste blinked, feeling surprise smacked for the question and found himself unable to think of a ready response. That he, someone trained in magic, didn't have a ready answer for a question coming from someone 'not' magically trained? For that matter, why didn't he or Sophia ever ask or ponder this question themselves?
"I... I'm going to go grab Charlotte, be right back," Sophia finally announced and floated upwards.
"That... is a bad sign isn't it?" Simon asked as the blond witch disappeared through the wall.
"Very bad," Trevor agreed.
"Soo, who's 'Charlotte'?" Kazu asked, throwing the question out into the open while feeling partially forgotten due to his lack of awareness involving hunting. The atmosphere in the apartment kept fluctuating between despair, hope and confusion. Something he wasn't use to when in his own apartment.
"Oh, she was clan head of the Aulin branch. When the Witch hunts began in Europe a male Belnades who had been cast out, outed the whole line. So there was this point where they switched their names to Aulin. It went back to Belnades when things settled down, but they left the Aulin name for non combat witches," Christopher explained.
"Witch hunts?" Trevor started in surprise while the rest of the Hunters nodded.
"Never paid much attention since it dealt with the Belnades and Aulin branches and not ours..." Richter noted aloud. "But yes, that was a thing, which is another reason you occasionally get women who really double down against men in the clan. I guess the witch in question didn't drop her rejected kid far enough away."
"..." Kazu turned to look at Yoko before completely serious yet deadpan in tone spoke, "I love you and mom. I love Alucard, too, for all the things you guys clearly have done to keep me and protect me in your lives."
"Maybe... Richter should stay here and talk about what life was like to Kazu, we're all limited by what we experienced in our own lifetimes. Short of Julius he's the youngest-" Juste began when he got cut off.
"I'm HERE!" A surprisingly perky, happy voice rang out from the wall while a golden honey blond came soaring into the room on a broom stick.
"'No, no the only witches who ride broom sticks are the evil one's who work with Dracula'," Simon snarked flipping the new comer off in an Italian style since all he needed was his paw and chin.
"Wow you really ARE a teddy bear! I remember when Yoko came to visit when she was just old enough to hug you!" Charlotte cooed dropping from the broom stick and making straight for Simon.
"I wasn't here back then!" Simon snarled his paws waving in his effort to punch the ghost.
Kazu turned to look at Yoko then back again a little stunned at the newcomer before asking, in as casual a voice as he could, "Where's your broom stick sis?"
Charlotte blinked as she heard the question and gave an embarrassed and partly panicked look about the room. Until her eyes fell on Kazu looking directly at her, "Oh... that no. Oh no I didn't use a broom. I've just always been curious about what all the fuss was about, you know.. I could only get a little extra omph in my jumps. When I wanted to fly I turned myself into an owllllooo Oh! You must be Kazuaki!" Her eager and active disposition suddenly shifted and her tone turned more professional. "Hello, my name is Charlotte Aulin, and I'm the newly retired head of the Aulin clan of witches! Its a pleasure to meet you, Kazuaki!"
"He... hello..." Kazuaki stammered slowly as he tried to handle what he was looking at. Out of all the spirits he had seen from his family, as it were. She was clearly taking the cake in energy and enthusiasm, almost like Yoko really.
"Aye a sure spitfire that one, matey." Another, this time male voice commented casually from the wall.
"Grant! What are you doing here?" Trevor reacted in surprise his tail going off as he turned to face the direction of his pirate friend. Unlike Charlotte who chose the age around when she and Jonathan faced Dracula. Grant apparently opted for a bit of an later time as he more casually walked through the wall. Particularly after he had married and settled down, a little more filled out while still retaining that wall climbing toned build.
"You all are leaving aren't you? Just me, Maxim, that pretty lass Maria and then some. Place is getting so empty out like tossing a hand full of pebbles in a rum casket. Started thinking we might wants to come here and see what all the fuss has been going on about!" Grant replied, dropping to the ground as though he still lived. Resting his elbow on his knee as he looked at the assortment of toys before him before he started chuckling. "I'll admit though, when Sophia told us what happened to you men, I didn't honestly believe it."
All the Belmonts slowly slid to the ground, covering their faces and making soft sounds of embarrassment and shame at the situation.
"Hey Kazu? Ask Yoko if she wants a new monkey, I know they have a shell for that and Grant here looks positively passionate about joining us." Simon wasn't happy.
"Soo... we have pirate?" Kazu began while Yoko face palmed, "and Simon suggested a monkey for him?"
"Grant is a Pirate, he's also the founder of the DaNasty clan, mom mentioned his clan regarding you actually... and noooo I don't make anymore Plushy's."
"So that be the current witch? She has some nice legs, pretty thing really," Grant commented amicably.
"Don't talk about my sister like that! She's not just a pair of legs!" Kazu began before remembering his manners. Though not before Grant blinked at being recognized and burst out laughing. "So you're the Kazu that Valencia's been asking about!" Grant's good nature laugh was startling more for the reason for it.
"Sophia already talked to you about him?" Juste asked, while Christopher looked about as though waiting for anyone else to show up... possibly son related.
"Nah, I dropped in on some family one night, kinda like Kazu here, but she only be smelling things. So I kinda be doing what Sophia's been doing for you guys. Only its for her. Can't say her name, weird Asian thing so I just calls her 'Jade'."