† Well, at long last, here it is. The final chapter of the story, and I have to admit that I was a bit sad after finishing this. Sorry that it took me so long to finish the whole thing, and an enormous thanks to ALL of my reviewers and all the people who've read this story! You are the ones that kept this story going. I hope that all of you enjoy this final chapter, and please let me know what you think of this and of the entire story as a whole. If you really like it, please tell people to come and read it! And I suppose that there could be a sequil some day...but that depends on what Mr. Sommers decides to do with the Van Helsing sequil, if there is one. Well, read, and I hope you enjoy it! †
Landing silently on the soft ground of the Transylvanian forest, I remained in the shadows of the great trees around me. Above me a large full moon lighted the country, covering the land with a cool silver glow. I moved as silently and easily as a shadow, still watching the creature that I been following for some time. The forest around me grew a bit darker, and looking up to the night sky I saw that a large cloud had drifted across the moon, covering it completely from view. At that moment a shrieking howl filled the forest, enough to turn any mortal's blood to ice. It grew more and more human, until it was only the wailing of a man.
I moved closer to the sound, until the man was directly in front of me. Lying on the ground at my feet gasping for breath was Prince Velkan, the small amount of clothing that he wore in shreds. He looked up at me slowly, at first with fear and dread, but then with a bit of curiosity.
"Did Dracula send you to make sure that I was doing as I was told?" he asked coldly, his breathing still rough.
For a moment I stared at him silently. "No. I have nothing to do with Dracula, you should know that."
We watched each other in silence until I spoke. "I have followed you tonight for a reason, and it is not because of Dracula's orders. I have come to tell you how he may be destroyed." He watched me with confusion as I continued.
"There is one way that it must be done, and it will not be easy. Dracula can be destroyed by those that he has so long controlled."
I watched as Velkan's expression changed from confusion to understanding.
"Werewolves. He can only be destroyed by a werewolf," he whispered to himself, and then looked back up at me. "But I am not strong enough to resist him, if I was he would already be dead."
I looked directly into his eyes. "But you know someone who is strong enough, do you not?"
With this I turned to leave him, the moon above about to come into view again. "You may yet save your family, Prince. May God be with you."
As I passed back into shadows, I heard him transform behind me with a shattering cry.
After my meeting with Velkan in the forest, I knew that there was little more that I could do but wait to see what happened. I was not sure in the following days ifhe had succeeded in his task. It was likely that Dracula had found out about our meeting in the forest, as he had spies everywhere.
I had spies of my own, however. I learned that Van Helsing and Anna Valerious had found Frankenstein's monster, the key to Dracula's plan. They were on their way to take the creature to Rome when they were attacked. Anna Valerious had been taken back to Dracula, and a trade had been arranged to take place at Dracula's All Hallow's Eve Ball. I knew both men, however, and knew that neither one would ever make a trade. Exactly what Dracula had planned, I wasn't sure. I would be there to find out, though.
The night of the masked ball I arrived a bit later than the other guests and mixed with the crowd as quickly as possible. I did not want attention drawn to myself, and I knew that it would be a challenge to keep from running into Dracula that night. I had dressed appropriately for the ball and wore a deep blue and silver gown, very well made but not too extravagant to draw unnecessary attention. I should have known better, however. From the time I arrived I noticed that many of the well dressed gentlemen seemed interested in me.
Keeping my silver mask over my face I mixed with the crowd of wealthy guests, mostly undeads. As the orchestra began to play another eerie song, one that I recognized from a masked ball years before, I saw Dracula. He was dancing with Anna, spinning her and dipping her around the enormous ballroom. I could not stop the memories of the past from coming to me, memories of dancing with him like she was.
But as I watched I realized that Anna was completely under his spell and had no idea what was happening. I smiled to myself. Still having to put women under your spell to keep them, Vladislaus?
Making sure that I could not be seen by him, I continued to watch the dance. Suddenly my senses picked up on a new presence in the room, and I had no doubt who it was. Van Helsing was here. Looking around, I spotted him high above the dance floor on one of the balconies. He wore an elaborate costume which helped to disguise him somewhat, and next to him stood Carl. I could tell that they were forming some sort of plan, and I only hoped that it was a good one. I noticed that Van Helsing was watching Dracula and Anna dance closely, and suddenly I knew what he was about to do.
I made my way through the crowd of guests, still staying back out of Dracula's view. Looking back up, I saw Van Helsing swing across the large ballroom, heading straight for Dracula and Anna. I realized that he was not a moment too soon. Dracula was just before creating himself another bride when several things occurred that stopped him.
As Van Helsing swung down and grabbed Anna, Carl pushed one of the fire-breathers into Dracula, setting the count's long cape on fire. The room broke out into chaos for a few moments as the fire-breather went flying across the room, a result of Dracula's anger.
The count's attention then focused on Van Helsing, who had swung to the opposite balcony and stood with Anna. The entire ballroom was silent except for Dracula's voice calling to Van Helsing. I could feel the tension in the room, and knew that around me were undeads who were just waiting for Dracula's command to attack. At that moment I heard loud shouts and looked around to see a group of Dracula's servants, and with them Frankenstein. I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them, willing this to be nothing more than an illusion. But I knew that it was not, and that somehow Dracula had managed to find the creature.
I could tell that Van Helsing was shaken by this as well. The room echoed with the shouts of Frankenstein, but they were all in vain. He was bound so tightly that there was no hope of him getting free, even with the amount of strength that he had.
Dracula's attention then returned to Van Helsing, and his guests turned around as well. "Now that everything is as it should be," Dracula began, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you...VAN HELSING!"
The room erupted into roars and snarls as the guests showed their true selves, teeth elongating and eyes becoming inhuman. Charging after Van Helsing and Anna, they left the room empty after only a moment or two. Empty except for Dracula and myself.
I knew that he would sense me now with no one else around, but I kept my place behind a large ornate statue. Dracula gave a heavy sigh and turned toward where I stood.
"I could sense your presence from the moment you arrived, my dear. There is no use in hiding from me."
Walking from behind the statue, I came to stand a few feet from him in the middle of the empty ballroom. He watched me closely as he always did, as if he were studying my every movement. I saw something again, deep in his eyes, that I had seen that night in Castle Frankenstein. I did not know what it was, but it almost seemed to be sadness, with perhaps a bit of longing.
"Hello, Vladislaus. I thought that I should attend your grand masquerade once again, it seems to be the party of the year in Budapest."
Dracula laughed. "Budapest? No, all of Eastern Europe, my dear." He stepped closer to me, until we were barely a foot apart. I stood where I was, continuing to return his gaze.
"But we both know that there is another reason for your presence here, hmm?" He said with a softness that surprised me.
Still looking up at him, I shook my head. "I told you, Vladislaus...I am not here because of him. He doesn't remember anything, not even you or I. If I had truly wanted Van Helsing, I would have gone with him after your death." I paused, the tears from so long ago finally coming to my eyes.
"Will you never realize how much I loved you?"
Somewhere deep in his cold eyes I saw something familiar; something that I had not seen in him in so long. It seemed to be a mixture of emotions that I had thought he could no longer feel: sorrow, joy, pain...love? Yes, if it was not love, then what else could it be? I had never seen so many different emotions in a man's eyes, mortal or not.
As he continued to look at me, I knew that he was fighting to feel. He finally yearned for the one thing that had been denied to him in his centuries-long existence: the ability to feel anything. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"I once had the greatest thing any man could have...your love. And I did not deserve it. I took it for granted, believed that it was my right to have it and you. I was given an angel and turned her into a demon."
Tears fell down my face silently as I listened to him, nothing else in the world existing now but him and me. Taking my hands in his he continued.
"If the past could be rewritten, I would take a mortal life with you beside me rather than an immortal life without you. Forgive me for being what I am and for all the pain I've caused you. The only true happiness that I have ever had was knowing that I once had your love."
With this he kissed my hands, slowly and gently, a single tear rolling down his face as he shut his eyes.
I too had tears on my face still, watching the man that I had loved so much begin to return to me before my eyes. As he looked back into my eyes, I realized that I had never truly stopped loving him and that I never could. Finally I spoke.
"You have my forgiveness, Vladislaus. You always have. To truly love someone you must love all of them, and forgive them for what they do. I love you now just as I did the day that we married four centuries ago."
I took a deep breath and continued. "But I need to know one thing...did you ever truly love me, as I loved you?"
I watched nervously as a flood of emotions came into his eyes again. His answer could crush me forever if he chose for it to. Perhaps all of this had just been a game that he was playing with me, and as he took my face in his hands my heart shuttered.
"Yes, Katrina...I loved you from the moment I first saw you, no more than an innocent girl. And I have loved you for every second of every day since."
"You love me still, after all this time? I thought that you could feel nothing."
He pulled my face to his, his lips barely touching mine. "Death cannot stop love," he whispered.
Our lips met in a kiss that was different than anything I remembered from before. It was so full of love and longing, unlike anything that we had shared in four hundred years. It felt wonderful to be held by him again, and for a moment I imagined that nothing had ever changed, we were still young and mortal and enjoying all the time that we had together. As our kiss finally ended I opened my eyes once again to reality. For a moment Vladislaus held me and gently stroked my hair. After a short time he spoke.
"I made a mistake by turning you into what I am. You were never meant to be like this." I lifted my head to look up at him, uncertain of his meaning.
"You were a rare flower that bloomed, Katrina. I longed to keep you that way forever. But it was my greatest mistake." He caressed the side of my face softly, still holding me.
"If such a flower is kept in bloom, we forget just how rare and beautiful it is. We must enjoy it while it lasts, and then let it go forever." He looked deeply into my eyes, and a strange feeling began to come over me.
"I release you, Katrina."
Before I could say anything I felt something inside me change, spreading throughout all my limbs. I shut my eyes tightly as the feeling increased, brief but powerful. When I opened them, the world appeared differently to me, as it had long ago when I was mortal. My senses were no longer heightened as they had been. My body felt like it was changing at a rapid speed, suddenly becoming warmer and full of life.
I felt my heart beating, fresh blood pumping through my veins again. After only a few seconds I could physically feel again, and realized that I was freezing in the gown that I wore. I looked down at my arms and hands, no longer pale as death, but warm and with a pinkish glow. I looked back up at Vladislaus in confusion, but he smiled sadly.
"You are free, my love. The dark spell that held you is gone forever."
"Then I am mortal?" I asked.
He nodded, caressing my face with his fingers. "Yes, you are mortal. Time can touch you now...as can pain and death."
I watched his face, his eyes showing his sorrow. I smiled at him, willing him to feel happiness again.
"I'm not afraid of pain or of death, Vladislaus. Death comes to us all." I took his hands in mine, feeling how cold his skin was for the first time in centuries.
"But we can still enjoy what time we have together. If it is possible for you to make me mortal again, then surely you..."
"I can never be free, Katrina. That was part of the pact that I made. I will exist forever in darkness, a demon feared and hated by all."
"All but one," I corrected him. He looked back into my eyes and gave me another sad smile.
"Enjoy your life without me, my love. Live out your years in happiness as you should have so long ago."
I looked at him with hot tears in my eyes, but this time I did not let them fall.
"Know that I will love you until the ending of the world, and beyond that. Nothing will ever stop my love for you."
With this he kissed me, one last, long kiss. I wished that that kiss could last forever, but too soon it was over, the man that I loved still holding me. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from my face, letting his fingers trail lovingly across my skin.
"Goodbye, my beautiful Katrina," he said at last, stepping back from me.
I did not want this to be goodbye, but somehow I knew that it had to be. I looked at him one last time before a blinding light filled the room, a light like that of the sun. I shut my eyes tightly to keep from harming them, a brief moment of fear passing through me. Then I remembered that the light of the sun could no longer harm me.
Feeling the light fade, I opened my eyes again to find that I was completely alone in the huge ballroom. Vladislaus had gone to attend to Van Helsing I was sure, and I wondered what fate held for the two of them this time.
I left Budapest the next day, making my way back towards Transylvania and my old home of Vorkovus Manor. The deed to the land was not hard for me to acquire, and in a very short time I was once again living there comfortably.
Only a few days after the masked ball I received word that Van Helsing had succeeded in destroying Count Dracula, much to the delight of the people of Transylvania. I was perhaps the only person who mourned him, though I knew that it was something that had to be done. It was hard to believe that he was dead and completely gone, and for the second time I shed tears over his death. However, deep inside I felt that he was not really gone, and that he might rise again as he did before.
I knew that these were useless thoughts; Van Helsing had no doubt finished this once and for all. But still I could not help but wonder...
A week or so after I returned to Vorkovus Manor I took a ride into the countryside, taking the old paths that I had once taken so long ago. When I returned to my chamber that evening I was surprised by what I found.
There on my bed was a silver cross, just like the one that my mother had left me...the one that Vladislaus had taken. I picked it up slowly and studied it, wondering if it was possible. There was one way to know. Turning the small cross over, I saw what I was looking for: the engraved initials, E.V., which were my mother's.
I held it in my hands for a long time, thinking about many things. Then I hooked the chain around my neck and walked over to the large mirror. I smiled as I studied my reflection. How strange it was that after all these centuries I was still at the beginning of my life. I had my entire life to live, in the exact place that I had left off.
The saddest reality was that the people that I loved were no longer with me. They had died long ago, as they should have...all but one. Perhaps he existed still, somewhere in the wild land that is called Transylvania.
I thought about what he told me, and I smiled to myself. He would always love me, for even death could not stop our love. I knew that this was true, and that I would love him eternally as well.
We were one, he and I, our love could not be broken, and after four hundred years I finally understood this.
Our tragic lives are forever bound together, and even in death our love goes on.
† THE END †