Castlevania: Aria of the Ascending Soul
Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
A/N: … I tried to not discuss it cuz I didn't want to worry anyone reading this fic. But well, Over Christmas I had a stroke, and I just recently had a seizure... Like literally day one of me writing this chapter was the day I got out of the ER. My brain is trying, its a struggle to keep things focused. If I fuck things up let me know in the reviews and I'll try to fix it. I'm still waist deep in recovery, sorry gang.
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Beyond the obelisk, amid all the other buildings that guided the faithful to the Vatican, was the statue of Saint Peter, While not directly in the path, he was still visible as he began rising to a stand up, his rosary cross still firmly clutched in his hand. It wasn't silence, the sound of the stones breaking apart to permit him to stand was audible even from a distance. St. Peter's steps began slow a statue unprepared for the liberation of motion. A single step for every five or six Alucard took in his brisk dhampire pace, yet as he approached the dhampire he began to quicken his steps to that of a normal man. Albeit a man who towered over all. The stone flowed as though fabric or muscle, while the ghosts seeped past to check on the Vatican. Leaving Alucard to face a statue not controlled by the depths of hell, but rather the vaults of Heaven itself.
"You think its going to be like a light saber duel with that cross he's holding?" Nose asked as he floated before Alucard keeping an eye out for anyone else who wanted to join the party.
A breeze drifted through the square before fleeing away, while the sound of the fountain behind him continued unfazed by the goings on around it. The pixie reunited with them from her jaunt with the strays while the deep booming sound of the statues steps marched ever towards them. While from the side the statues that had once looked down upon the masses had arrived. Pale white, dusty with pollen the statues stood at first in attendance of the area.
As Peter walked forward divine light beamed forth out of his cross encouraging several of the familiars to groan at Nose Demon's accurate prediction. It illuminated the square in a soft blue glow that didn't fit the approaching battle. Yet in the corner of his eye, Alucard could see the other statues were starting to concave their paths. The further they walked the more further in towards the giant statue they moved. A possibility that they were going to help Alucard?
Which raised the possibility that the heavens themselves had a say over the situation.
"Shouldn't Yoko be here? I mean she 'is' the official Nun." Fairy asked, glancing over at Pixie.
"Nah, her family is having that powwow at the Belmont place right? Even if she wants to be here, or needs to be here her family isn't going to let that happen." Nose pointed out.
"Indeed, she maybe scatter brained but she is dedicated and loyal to the master. The fall out was worse than we had hoped." Sword added while the other popes could now clearly be seen forming a dome with Alucard as the apex. For its age and wear the state of St. Peter was holding up well as it continued walking, with every step becoming a human step. While the holy power that emanated from the sword was starting to be felt even from their distance!
But then a stone hand blocked Alucards' away.
St. Petronilla was one of the rare women Popes in the Vatican. And it was her statue that approached Alucard. Her expression was fairly neutral given how fair her statue was from the masses. Yet she had stepped down from the roof with the other Popes and approached Alucard. An act that was enough to cause him to pause. A life time spent in the Castle where anything could move and have a pourpose was enough to make him pause in his approach. Waiting to see what she had in mind.
Of all of them, she moved to stand before Alucard, but the other statues continued walking forward their hands raised in gentle supplication. Wordlessly Alucard and his familiars watched as the St. Peter statue began to lower his sword as the popes approached him. Hands raised in supplication, perhaps they all spoke the same 'language'. Regardless as moments passed between when St. Peter lowered his cross blade and moments more passed when the light disappeared.
Though nothing was heard 'spoken' St. Peter turned around and began walking back towards his throne with the popes that had stepped down turning in place. They faced Alucard in silence, their eyes unmoving as Alucard resumed his walk towards the Vatican.
"Even if Brauer has some control over the Vatican he doesn't have all of it," Nose noted with a brief nod of his head. A sentiment that was shared by all the other familiars as they approached.
"I don't want to think about it. The idea that a vampire got into the Vatican is distressing enough." Lydia remarked as she watched the statues, they return to their posts unlike Saint Peters' statue. The Square was clean with only those statues standing. It felt weird, her time in the castle made her think of medusa and how everyone who looked upon her turned to stone.
Soleil guarded the rear though the row of stone Popes brought to mind the castle as well. No matter how 'normal' those statues looked at the moment, the fact that they were down in the Square and not on the the top of the roof where they had been placed made his undead skin crawl. Statues just moving was something he associated with the castle. For it to happen here felt wrong, for him, the castle was the 'only' place this should happen. For it to happen here, for the Vatican itself to fall to darkness...
Maxim reappeared swiftly gliding his way towards them, his expression one of confusion. "I don't know what to tell you, the inside appears normal. Most of the priests are turning in for the night, a few night owls and guards. I'm assuming the guards are an addition after the attack."
"Yes, they are not permanent but they will be overseeing the Vatican at night." Alucard explained as they walked past the statue of St. Peter as he finished settling back into his throne.
The group looked over at him then turned their attention back to the elaborate palace of the Pope. Knowing that Dracula had lashed out a priest hurting Alucard, and now Alucard was entering the Vatican not attempting to disguise himself and armed. The passage forward with its pillars and lights would have been beautiful if they weren't dealing with a vampire.
"Maxim," Annette whispered floating over to the hunter. "The boys? Did you see any of the kids in the Vatican?" She asked worry lacing her voice. It was stupid sure, Alucards' hearing was keen enough to hear them, yet she couldn't help but whisper.
Maxim glanced at her and the expression he wore was a weight on her heart. "Not just boys, girls as well, the kids are here in general."
When he nodded she could only shake her head in disbelief. "But why? Why are they still here?"
"Its the Vatican, maybe they felt safe leaving their kids here while the parents get their stuff sorted?" Lydia suggested in concern.
"Yes but it was the Vatican that had Thralls running amok," Maxim pointed out as they continued floating.
"I can see how it could happen," Soleli spoke up. "how long has the vampire been here? How long could he have been manipulating everyone? They turned priests into Thralls what else could they do to the locals?"
"Great way to find the 'balance in the universe'," Annette sighed before shaking her head. "I may not know where my husband is but I hope he's having a better time than we are. But given the whole issue with the thralls, there has to be some form of manipulation to cause the parents to be willing to give over their children. I mean the Vatican was the central location and yet its 'here' that their children are left?"
Maria glanced over at Annette before scooting closer. "He's in the form of a small toy dog. He isn't having a better time no matter what he's doing."
"If he were still human," Annette began only for Maxim to shake his head in answer.
"He would be like us, dead and unable to do anything to help Alucard regardless. That's what bothers me, we're here, we see what's going on. But we can't do anything about it just watch. I hate feeling so useless." Maxim remarked as he gestured widely towards the pillars around them.
"Well Simon was here by accident, I mean all the men are here by accident," Maria pointed out with a slight shrug. "Yoko didn't know what she was doing, she just wanted a friend, and then a friend with magic powers to help her brother Kazu. I mean she was just a kid, she didn't know Dracula was going to reincarnate in this life time as a nice guy."
"A nice guy while a priest has been turning innocent lower rank priests into Thralls." Soleli added with a frown. "How did he know Dracula was going to reincarnate like this?"
"We died and the world flipped," Annette shook her head bemused at the strangeness of it all. "And he didn't. But I worry about what his original plan was, unless he just expected the sealing that the living used was going to fail." She glanced about the pillars on either side of them as her memories brought her back to the castle. "I think I should get my husband and the others to come back. The children would need them, even if they're trapped as toys."
"They are at the Belmont manor, the Belnades have discovered Kazuaki's existence." Alucard 'explained' giving no further details and merely focused on the Vatican before him. The holy presence was stifling to his vision, the Vatican wasn't one to explode in holy light or presence. Yet to react like this while a vampire was hidden within? If he could get them out of the Vatican, in the open air, perhaps it would be easier to find the vampire. But inside the Vatican?
That the vampire was able to put a spell through the Vatican that could conceal this degree of manipulation. That Brauer was able to do this much and hide himself despite being such a young vampire. There was a bubbling sensation of amusement, a simmering sense of hunter stalking prey that roused the vampire part of his soul. It was a clever ploy, now that Alucard could focus on it.
Rolling peoples minds to forget how long he was there, wouldn't work on Alucard and he had to have kept his head down in the Dhampires' presence. Yet whatever position he was, he had to be high enough to manipulate the Pope as he had. After all, it now made sense why the Holy See no longer made trips and instead only stayed inside the Vatican. Doing so kept the Church weak regarding global situations.
'Whoever he is disguising himself as, has to be high enough rank to influence the Pope, but not in a position that would require me to interact with him...' It was almost a pity that his father was in his current state. It was also likely the reason 'why' Soma was in his state, as it would be a simple matter to convince his father to order the vampire before him. As Prince, were it anywhere else, Alucard could have stood in his fathers' place. Yet in the Vatican? No. the Pope's status would permit Brauer to avoid him.
"Please keep in mind you're stalking into the Vatican with a drawn sword..." Maria pointed out worriedly. "Alucard, this may be 'business as usual' for you, but still its the Vatican. There are children in there who have endured enough."
"Should I go to the manor and see about getting the Belmonts to come here?" Lydia asked giving the others a concerned look.
"Sure they're toys now but the kids know them, even as toys their presence would be comforting if battle starts up." Annette agreed as she glanced around the whole of the path.
Alucard had picked up the pace to 'his' normal perception of walking speed.
"Simon will be livid that there is combat and he's not able to engage," Soleli lamented quietly as he tried to imagine how that proud warrior would react.
"He's livid by just existing. I don't know how the heavens continued with him there until Yoko fused him into that bear." Annette recounted as she checked the windows to see if there was anyone watching Alucard.
"I'll be back." Lydia floated up a bit before waving to the group. "I'll let them know then come back here," she called out before soaring off into the night.
"All that's left is the Morris and LeCardes..." Maria noted her gaze arcing from Lydia over towards where Texas was. The Morris clan being condemned to die if they wielded the Vampire Killer. Jonathan was still recovering and the spirits could only search out the Vatican if they came.
"Leave them be, The Morris is recovering and they need to deal with that hunter group once the Morris heals." Alucard ordered. He could hear the snap of the banners and flags in the distance, but there wasn't anyone alive close to him.
/
All the while the rest of the witches coven meeting had slowed to a stop. Yoko, her mother and brother were finally out of the lower room, Trevor secure in Kazu's arms. Her mothers' wrists were healed. While sitting on the table was a single undead owl possessed by Sophia, the woman was busy learning to walk without knees and was getting far too comfortable with the ability to turn her head a complete 180 degrees.
"You can tell them I'm ready to talk, they just are going to have to accept that its through you," Sophia pointed out, glancing up at Kazu midwing flap. "They'll listen."
"You say that..." Kazu began, looking down at the owl only to see the other women glance between the two. "She says that she's ready to speak, well granted I have to tell you what she's saying." Kazu explained to the others.
"It's not as though the owl can't affirm or deny what he says..." a younger witch, Yoko's cousin, raven hair with a purple streak and all of 27 years old noted.
"I still can't believe I'm being forced..." Sandra growled, causing Sophia to hop in place to face her.
"You are not." Leon answered where he sat at the side where the head of the table should have been sitting. "But it would. Be foolish to ignore."
Julius just shook his head, "I don't know why we're bothering, Kazu is alive and he has no dealing with our clans business. I understand where you're coming from I grew up with the same lessons. But we literally have the founder of my clan, every Belmont who faced Dracula, and most importantly your founding member all in here saying the same thing." Julius began shaking his head as he saw the deep breath being taken. "I'm not trivializing what your mother put you through, but she went through hell, and she made her hell into yours. But this is your life. Sophia is literally here to tell you how it 'used' to be."
As Julius argued Lydia stuck her head through the ceiling and upon seeing everyone lowered herself fully. "Juste? Everyone! You need to come back to the Vatican now, Alucard is making to go Castle on the Vatican!" She announced causing every plush to turn and look up at her in alarm, along with Sophia, Leon, and Kazu who had the ability to make facial expressions. Which were of surprise as the Belmonts began broke to move about the room.
"Ahh, Lydia is here... and while I don't know what 'Alucard is making to go castle' she's summoning the Belmonts to return to the Vatican." Kazu explained as Richter went to get the holy water.
"The Vatican? The Pope is in danger?!" Yoko asked in alarm only for her mother to grab her arm.
"We can't Yoko, this first." Valencia pointed out as Julius nodded.
"I'm not on trial I can go," he announced as the other Belmonts began to gather with him.
"Sophia should stay." Leon advised, "Perhaps discussions will. Be easier without us."
"There is no discussion," Simon grumbled. "They need to get over what happened to Sandra's mom. Sophia just needs to beat it into their head what she wants and make sure no one starts problems. Like tormenting Sandra. I can only imagine how much of her life she lost to these restrictions."
"They're discussing who is going and staying," Kazu explained at a few raised eyebrows raised in his direction. "Beyond that I can try to answer what questions you might have about well..." he shrugged as women slowly nodded.
"Its impressive that Valencia managed to hide you for as long as she did... But what about the male that was given to the rapists? I've heard a few murmurs about a new group of hunters."
"Actually, yeah they exist. But they seem to be set up like a casual British hunting club," Yoko confessed with a sigh. "They have abilities, and they're trying to hunt the Children of the Night the same way most hunt deer."