The end of the adventure

Well this is the third and most dramatic part of my story. I hope you enjoy it because I've enjoyed writing it, peace out. I do not own any of the mentioned characters in this story, now onto the fic.

Carrie awoke with Malus' Coat still draped over her like a blanket. She looked around the cave, but did not find the said owner of the coat. She looked again and saw him putting a mound of dirt on the fire. Carrie crawled over to him and fell against Malus' back, the coat still draped over her shoulders.

            "Did you get a good night's sleep?" the now smiling young boy asked the once highly introverted girl at his back. "The best in years" Carrie said, almost as if she wasn't fully awake.

            Malus turned around and pressed against Carrie's ankle. Seeing no flinching, nor did he hear Carrie cry out, he sighed in relief. "Your ankle must be fully healed by now," Malus said looking up at Carrie.

            Testing his theory, Carrie got up and walked around the cave, and sure enough, her ankle had returned to its uninjured state. Malus walked over to her, his coat now on his shoulders.

            "What now?" Malus asked Carrie.  "I'm not sure, I don't really have a place to stay, when I left the village to come here, I vowed never to return to the people that took my parents from me" Carrie stated.

            "Then we'll just have to keep going till we find a place to call home," Malus said while placing a hand on Carrie's shoulder.

            "We?" Carrie asked, puzzled with Malus' choice of words. "No one would accept us here, with your magic, and my supposed ties to the count, this entire section of Transylvania would do nothing but persecute us" Malus said.

            Carrie didn't like where this was going, but it was true, she didn't have anyone, and she wasn't one of the most liked in her village, and after her adventure, it was almost assured that Malus would be treated no different.

            "Come with me Carrie, we could start a new life together, free of our persecutions, free of our history, free with only each other." Malus said, almost pleading to Carrie.

            'Start anew' Carrie thought, 'away from the adults, away from the pain and hatred. With no one but Malus' "This is all so sudden Malus, I'm not so sure" Carrie said. She was silenced by Malus' gloved finger moving to her lips.

            "Take all the time you need" Malus said calmly as he embraced Carrie again, thankful that she returned the gesture.

            Carrie remained this way for a while until she spoke: "we should probably get going, Reinhardt's probably out looking for both of us"     

            "Don't you mean 'You' Malus said softly. "? You may be surprised, he may actually be just as forgiving as I was" Carrie said with a faint smile creeping up on her lips.

            " How much further old man?" Reinhardt questioned with a slight, hint of anger in his voice. "Not much further lad, it looks like their tracks are still fresh" Vincent replied to the driven descendant of the Belmont's.

"I warn you old man, if those two are anywhere near death I won't be as forgiving as I once was, after I've dragged you back to town, and have you tried for murder"

Vincent merely scoffed at his threat. "Once they are told of what I have truly done, then they will have me as a saint". Vincent replied with chilling confidence in his voice.

"You delusional fool, they'd never look at you with anything but contempt for what you did to those children" Reinhardt said coldly.

"Why would they? You know their history. The girl was related to the legendary witch Selpha Belnades, who knows what sort of dark magic she is willing to put our poor country, hell even the world through should she become powerful enough.

The boy was/is Dracula, the devil Incarnate, There's no way in hell that the village would look at me in the way of a sinner."

Calmly, Reinhardt responded to Vincent's insane rant.

"The boy may be a different story altogether, but my ancestor, Trevor Belmont fought alongside that very "Witch", and from what his notes said, she was one of his most trusted companions" Reinhardt finished.

"What are you getting at boy?" Vincent said. "What I'm getting at is that I trust my family's words, and if they say that Selpha was a trusted ally, than so could her ancestors be as well" Reinhardt finished, somewhat proudly.

"If I remember correctly, your ancestors were almost banished from their village in Wallachia as well Boy, for their power. How do I know that you're not just helping the girl for the sake of your own history with the inhabitants of this country?"

Although seething with anger on the inside, Reinhardt calmly looked at Vincent with a mild glare, and replied to the wizened hunter of the undead.

"You don't old man, and that is hardly any of your concern, for your real concern is finding those children, and watching your tongue while you still have it in your mouth." Reinhardt warned darkly as he edged his short sword closer and closer to Vincent's throat.

Nervously, Vincent began to fidget, until he landed the palm of his hand on the same dagger that he had stabbed Carrie with earlier.

 "Quite, well, we've gotten this far, let's see how much further your legs can carry you" Vincent said with an oddly jovial tone to his voice, which replaced his previously nervous one.

Wary, Reinhardt watched as Vincent trotted on ahead of him with a confident smirk on his face. Reinhardt refused to take his eyes off of his eyes off of the pudgy hunter, even while sheathing his dagger.

Reinhardt continued on for a few short steps until he heard a rumbling noise, he was very familiar with the noise, but found himself whirling around like a snake to its prey.

Staring back at Reinhardt were four skeletons seated atop of the familiar mechanical contraptions that moved on their own, they had given Reinhardt some trouble before, but they were only a mere annoyance to him, now that he had experience with them.

"You gents again? Well might as well get this over with nice and quick" Reinhardt said as he deftly slipped his whip from off of his hip holster and let it fall and coil over to his side like a leather snake.

Unhindered, and not the least bit intimidated, the skeletons flicked their bony wrists mounted on the handlebars of their mechanical steeds, and listened to the growls that erupted from the wheeled beasts beneath the bony riders.

Reinhardt stood firm and watched as all four of them charged him. His only response: A war cry.

~*~

As Malus and Carrie trudged on, Carrie began to hear many thoughts going on in her head at once, some good, some bad, some debating over running away with Malus, some undecided. Finally deciding to silence the thoughts, Carrie chose what she should say.

"Malus, I've decided, I'll go with you" Carrie said to the boy who was now standing ridged and firm, but was slowly developing a smile, a large smile. "Did I hear correctly, you want to run away with me?" Malus said, hoping that his ears weren't lying to him.

"Yes, after all, I have nowhere else to go" Carrie said with some somberness to her voice.

This was not lost on Malus however; as he walked over to Carrie and put his hands on the sides of her arms, and held her close.

"I'd never put you through anything you wouldn't want to go through Carrie, you know that as well as I do"

"I know, it's just that, I'd be leaving my mother behind, as well as Reinhardt" Carrie said silently.

"You could always visit them," Malus said to her hopefully. "No, we couldn't we must disappear from here, we can't come back unless we want to risk getting killed"

"I'd never let that happen to you, I'd protect you from anything" Malus said with firmness and finality in his voice as he held Carrie a little closer.

"Thank you Malus, but I know what must be done when I see Reinhardt next," Carrie said still looking down at Malus' chest.

"I'll ask Reinhardt to tell everyone that he slew the count just as his ancestors did before him, and that I died trying to avenge my mother"

Carrie finished with tears running down her cheeks. She didn't want to run away from her problems like this, but she really had no choice. Even if she did return to the village, they would attack her, and Malus. The outcome could end in two different albeit very similar scenarios.

She could return, and watched as the other villagers would attack her and burn her at the stake, just as her parents were. All of this would infuriate Malus, causing him to release his full fury on the village and the world.

The other scenario would be just as vile. They would both return, but the villagers would attack and kill Malus, again taking someone close from Carrie, and yet again causing the same outcome from her. She would kill Malus' murderers just as if they were the same demons that took her adoptive mother from her, Unable to stand the possibility of either situation coming true. Carrie had decided that what she was doing was the best course to take in order to stay alive. Not just for her, but for Malus as well.

Light tears fell from Carrie's eyes thus reflecting the inner conflict that she felt inside of her. Malus saw this and whipped the crystalline droplets from her face. Carrie looked up to see Malus with an almost misty eyed look as well. Slowly, Carrie brought her hand to his cheek and began to caress it. She then began to stand up on the tips of her toes and bring her lips to Malus' lips. They were almost there, when an explosion went off.

"What was that?" Carrie said as she turned away from Malus, a little to soon for his liking.

Running out to the source of the explosion, Carrie saw what looked like two of the exploded skeletons and their mechanical steeds. Reinhardt was currently busy with the remaining two skeletons.

The creatures circled Reinhardt. Each taking turns to swing at him with their bone clubs. Reinhardt countered with his short sword in a sort of mock swordplay. One skeleton growing tired of the current game charged at Reinhardt and was prepared to use its momentum to smash in Reinhardt's brains.

Reinhardt watched as the skeleton charged in at him and ducked as the hard club swooped over him. Regaining hi previous height, Reinhardt swung his whip out at the Skeleton and wrapped the end of it around the bony being's neck, giving the undead creature a very serious case of whiplash.

Reinhardt watched as the creature flew from the steed, in the opposite direction, while the mechanical beast it rode upon skidded to the ground, and turned over onto its side once its rider and sense of direction was lost.

The skeleton Reinhardt had liberated from the motorcycle smashed to pieces onto the ground with the sudden impact. Once Reinhardt had collected himself, he turned his attention to the remaining Skeleton.

Steeling himself, Reinhardt watched as the Skeleton flicked its bony wrist on the handlebars of the beast it rode upon, eliciting a series of deep growls from it. The skeleton charged at Reinhardt, with its bone club out to the side, ready to be swung at Reinhardt with deadly precision.

Reinhardt leaped over to the side, as the creature suddenly leaped over the hill that was in front of them, giving Reinhardt a chance to throw a knife straight at the underbelly of the mechanical steed, hoping that would stop it.

Reinhardt was only half right as the knife lodged itself right into the main part of the steed's stomach, which soon started to bleed a clear, foul smelling fluid upon landing.

Seeing that the skeleton was still intact, Reinhardt readied his final weapon, a vial of holy water, hoping that it would engulf the creature in flames. "What else am I going to use it for?" Reinhardt said as he prepared to throw the vial straight at the mounted creature, when he was interrupted by a burst of light that soon engulfed the skeleton in flames.

Reinhardt looked back after shielding his eyes to see Carrie lowering her hands back to their regular position. "Carrie" Reinhardt shouted ecstatically as he ran, and embraced the young girl. "Thank god you're alive," Reinhardt said as he found himself swinging the young girl around.

"It's good to see you to Reinhardt" Carrie said as she was lowered to the ground. "How did you do that?" Reinhardt asked the empowered youth. "Malus told me that the liquid coming out of the skeleton's mount was flammable, so I shot out a small blast and finished your job for you, yet again"

Reinhardt let that last comment slip this time as he slowly walked over to Malus, who had his head lowered, refusing to look up at the Belmont descendant.

"Why did you help me? A Belmont?" Reinhardt asked the purple clad youth.

"I didn't, I was helping Carrie" Malus stated to Reinhardt, still not raising his eyes to Reinhardt's level. "You could've just let me die and not have told her anything about that liquid" Reinhardt said in matter of fact tone of voice.

"True, but Carrie would've been upset if she had lost another one close to her, I never want to see her unhappy again" Malus said as he clenched his hand in a fist.

Seeing this Reinhardt began to put the pieces together. "You truly care about her don't you," He said to the determined youth.

"Enough to run away with her" Carrie said as she stepped between the two. "What are talking about?" Reinhardt said, making sure his ears didn't deceive him.

"Reinhardt, in this adventure I feel like I was forced to grow up in a mere matter of days, like each event was something that made me see just how cruel reality can be to the eyes of a child. But, as of late, Malus has stood by me and helped me be natural again and helped me see things from my own perspective, and age again" Carrie said.

"Because of this, I've decided to stay by his side, even if it means leaving the village where I was raised. The villagers would only cause the both of us pain anyways." Carrie said gloomily. This was rectified however by Malus' gloved hand embracing her own, giving it a gentle squeeze, and giving her a reassuring smile.

'They truly care about one another' Reinhardt thought as he looked on at the couple with a slight smile. "What should I tell the villagers?" Reinhardt asked

"Tell them I died defending my mothers name, and that I found meaning, and light in my life, in that castle of gloom and darkness" She finished trying to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her eyes at any moment.

Seeing this, Reinhardt embraced Carrie, letting her know that she would never be forgotten. Turning his attention from Carrie, he looked Malus straight in the eye, and spoke:

 "A few hours ago I fought you as Dracula, and few minutes after that you protected this girl, and she protected you. Now you have shown that you truly do have a conscience. But right now, I don't care who you are; just promise me that you'll protect this girl with your life, and that you don't make the same mistake that I did"

Malus had remained silent for a long time, but now he spoke upon hearing of Reinhardt's folly. "I take it you mean the flower girl. I feel for your losses, but if it's any consolation, I had nothing to do with her transformation, that was solely the fault of a headstrong follower among the castle halls." Malus said to Reinhardt.

"That helps a little, but you still haven't promised me anything" Reinhardt said.

Seeing that the Belmont meant good on his request, Malus stared him straight in the eye and replied: "I promise to stand by her and to protect her," Malus said. He couldn't help but mentally laugh at the way it sounded like a wedding vow. 'I always was

To melodramatic' he thought to himself

"Don't worry, I'll tell your story to all who ask" Reinhardt said.

"Then allow me, to give you a going away gift!!" Vincent said stepping out of the shadows, with a vial of holy water held above his head.

Reinhardt had leaped at the old man, but was stopped when Vincent stabbed him right in his lower left leg.

Reinhardt felt his old injury from his fight with Death come back to haunt him when the knife was stuck into his leg, forcibly immobilizing him for the time being.

Carrie knew what Vincent was here for, and she'd be damned if he was going to take Malus away from her, she'd already lost too many in her life.

Carrie readied herself to blast forth an orb at Vincent but was the unfortunate recipient of a hard shot to her jaw, causing her to tumble to the ground. As her world began to go black, her final thoughts were 'Malus, please forgive me'

Watching Carrie fall to the ground, Malus then lost control and leaped at the old man, hell bent on ending his life, only to be caught in a vice like grip.

"Say good bye, true prince of darkness" Vincent said as he threw Malus to the ground and the vial of holy water with him.

Unimaginable Pain surged through Malus' body. Holy fire burned his outsides and his insides now. He looked at Carrie as she regained consciousness, only to wake up and see Malus burning to ashes.

"Malus!!" Carrie said as she crawled over to his burning, now disintegrating form, and held him close.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you, I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm so sorry!" she said as tears fell down her face.

Carrie felt the flames, but paid them no heed, as she held her dying love's body close to her. She soon felt an ashen hand lightly grasp her cheek.

"It's alright sweetheart, at least you are able to live, and at leas I was able to spend a little bit of time with you" Malus said as more and more of his body began to crumble away like so much dust.

"My only regret was that we weren't able to kiss each other," Malus said sadly.

Not missing a single word, Carrie leaned in and pressed her lips to Malus' as more and more of his face began to burn, and disintegrate away to nothingness.

To most people, it would have been a thing of disgust, to others, a thing of oddness. But to these two unlikely lovers, it was something that would be remembered as their last moments together, loving each other even after death had taken one of them.

"You still shed your tears for him child? You foolish little girl" Vincent said uncaringly. "But, while you will remain a fool, I will be immortal, as the Man who beat the Belmont's, the one who no longer lived in their shadow, the one who after years of endless work, and exhausting hunting, I've finally done it. I have killed Dracula, the King of the Vampires"

Vincent said as if he was walking on cloud nine, like he had been drunk on a hallucinogen.

Carrie did not listen to Vincent, for his words fell on deaf ears to her, his words however were not completely ignored.

"Are you finished?" came a very refined, British accent. Vincent turned around to see a man clad in a dapper green suit, bowler hat and oddest of all, pointy tail flicking from side to side.

"Who the devil are you? How dare you interrupt me?" Vincent said starting up another insane rant.

Calmly, the suited man, reached into his briefcase, and pulled out a scroll of some kind. Once this was done, he spoke: "You may not remember me, But, I have no doubt in my mind that you'll remember this as he held up the scroll adorned at the bottom with Vincent's name"

Remembering now, Vincent spoke up, this time in an annoyed tone of voice. "Oh it's you, what do you want? To sell me something?" Vincent said as he started to get impatient.

"No, you've already purchased far too much already" The suit clad man now said.

"What're you getting at Mr." Vincent said, at an apparent loss of words.

             "Renon, my name is Renon" the suit clad man said. "I'm here to remind you about the dangers of spending to much of your money" Renon said.

            "What do you mean?" Vincent said, starting to grow a little frightened of where this conversation was going.

            Smiling, Renon spoke one of his favorite lines to his victims: "Didn't you read the fine print? If you purchase to many items from me, or another like me, then you must suffer the consequences" Renon said smiling the entire way.

            Having remembered what he had researched on these types of devils beforehand, Vincent began to sweat. He had only wanted to be prepared. So he found himself purchasing almost more than he could carry, and to that end, he had inadvertently sealed his fate.

            "What are you going to do to me?" Vincent said as sweat was now running off of his face, and into his silvery beard.

            "Let's just say that there'll be hell to pay" Renon said as he smiled and a gust of wind and light picked up, in a flash of light. Renon had changed himself to what could only be described as a floating suit of armor without the lower body, and a goat's head on top. It had a pair of large bat wings, and a three pronged trident in its right hand.

            Vincent had never been so frightened in his entire life, he had now literally gotten all of hell angered, and after him. What happened? Was this hell's answer to him for killing off the king of the vampires? He would never know.

Renon grabbed Vincent from the top of his head and squeezed so that he would maintain a good grip on his prey. He looked over to the side and saw a glowing red portal open up on the ground. Casually floating over to it, he looked down to see a mass of arms, faces, hands, and screams all in eternal agony for their own misdeeds.

With one final gesture, the creature that was once Renon looked at Vincent and spoke, but all the while not moving his lips.

"There'll be hell to pay" Renon said to Vincent before a large red hand shot up from the abyss below, an grabbed Vincent like he were nothing more than a ragdoll, and brought him down screaming all the way.

Finally regaining consciousness, Reinhardt gripped the small dagger and pulled with all his might and was soon freed from the dagger's foul bite. He looked over after disposing of the dagger, only to see Carrie holding what looked like a pile of ashes, and Renon standing there adjusting his tie and hat.

"Renon, What're you doing here? Where's Vincent?" Reinhardt said as he limped over to the evil salesman.

Smiling, the salesman adjusted his sunglasses and spoke: "You might say he, dropped off of the face of the earth" Renon said casually.

Reinhardt was about to comment when he heard a crumbling noise. He looked over to see Castlevania start to burn and crumble away.

"You'd best start going, the castle is falling apart. Renon said he gestured to the mechanical steed of one of the skeletons and made it come over to where Reinhardt stood.

"This will take you away from here, but only away from the castle, after that you're on you own" Renon said as he slowly walked away. "What about you?" Reinhardt asked.

"Don't worry about me, just save your own hides" Renon said as he walked away in the mist shrouded area which Carrie had come from earlier.

Not Hesitating Reinhardt climbed on and called out "Carrie come on, we have to go" Reinhardt said frantically.

Carrie looked down as she watched the final ashes fly away. 'Goodbye my love' she thought as she jogged over to Reinhardt and mounted the mechanical steed, which then carried them away from the castle.

Well that's that, I hope to get some good reviews, and don't worry, I've got another part coming soon.