Disclaimer: Trinity Blood is owned by Sunao Yoshida.

Author's Note: Hey, another au story!

Also, I have had this story started for a very long time now (only the first chapter mind you) but I decided I really wanted to post the story with my AU Cain again. There is another story up with him in it written by myself and Bluewing. However, there are going to be some changes with Cain's backstory.

So, a little on why I chose some of the characters I chose in the dimension the "good" Cain is from. These characters are the ones who have died in Abel's reality. The only one I wanted to ever meet the other self of was Cain. Thus, Vaclav Havel, Noelle Bar, and Lilith are the main characters alongside Cain from the alt dimension.

For those of you who had only seen the anime and never read the manga or the original light novels by Yoshida, Havel isn't entirely the same character in the series as he appears in the anime. They did get his personality right: his best friend is William and he does generally stick beside Caterina despite being the most powerful of the AX agents (yes, he is more powerful than Abel is some instances).

Havel actually joins the Neue Vatican, betraying Caterina when he kidnaps the pope. However, he does end up regaining his faith and returning to "good" giving himself to save Alessandro in the end. Thus, in Abel's reality Havel is dead.

Noelle dies the same way no matter which version we look at.

I hope you all enjoy this story. Despite having this chapter done for some time, it took a while to write because I am going off of the manga for the start of it.

Darkness.

The world was engulfed in an eternal night. Ash filtered down like snow, covering the barren ground in a thick blanket. Earth – Cain closed his eye. Earth had fallen to the unyielding rage of his brother. Cain bowed his head. The beads rimming the half mask he wore tapped against his chin at the movement.

The air pulled at his lungs. Cain breathed in the rancid, foul scent. A shiver raced through him. He could only breath up here because of the crusnik nano-machine within him. The world was lost. Without access to the lost technologies of Cain's youth there was no hope in restoring the planet. Perhaps, if the empire still stood, there would have been a chance.

"Cain?" a gentle voice asked behind him.

Cain turned. His gaze fell over another who had appeared from the tunnels. Golden-yellow eyes looked at him from under a hood. Strands of red hair fell from under the hood and over the scarf protecting her nose and mouth.

"You should rejoin us below. Even our kind shouldn't try to last up here."

Cain bowed his head. Pain shattered his heart. The world really was lost. After so many centuries spent fighting to preserve the world, it was gone just like that. He took a small breath, the rancid air drawing in over his tongue. The taste fouler than even the scent of decay.

"We should have been able to stop this," he muttered.

"Cain." The weight of her hand against his shoulder, just under the armor guard, felt as if the entire world was pressing down upon him. There was no comfort in the touch.

"We should have been able to save him." Cain's hand balled into his fist. He could feel his nails biting his palm even through his thick, white gloves.

"There was nothing any of us could have done. 02 destroyed him long ago."

Cain shook his head. "I," he trailed off, eye half closed. She was right of course. He nodded and turned. "Let's go."

He followed her down into the dark tunnels. The darkness swallowed him. Then, light appeared. The two of them exited the passage into a small cavern. The remnants of both humanity and the Methuselah were there, far too small considering the size of both groups before this mess had broken out.

"We found something of interest," one of the priests told Cain as he and the woman approached him.

"Will it help protect the people, Havel?" Cain asked, looking at his fellow priest.

Father Vaclav Havel stood about Cain's height, his posture straight, and brown gaze locked on Cain. Flecks of gray could be seen in his thin bread. Outside of this, Vaclav could almost pass as a man in his early thirties instead of early forties.

"I don't know, old friend." Pain passed over Vaclav's eyes. He was no doubt thinking on William, one of their closest friends who had passed in the early waves of attacks from the Orden. "It's this way." Havel turned, his long cape bellowed out behind him. The thick material covered in a light armor at his back and down the sides of his arms. Vaclav had been the ranked one AX agent, Caterina's second.

Sorrow lanced through Cain at the thought of Caterina.

Cain forced himself to focus on following his oldest remaining friend. The light sound of footsteps told him the woman was following after them. He supposed a member of the imperial family wouldn't hurt to have a long either.

Their group exited in a smaller space. Most of the room was taken up by an ancient power source. Rust covered the metal; yet, Cain could still hear a soft hum of power from the old hardware.

What drew his eye, wasn't this, but a mirror. The mirror dominated the entire wall across from Cain. It had tarnished as well. This wasn't the oddest matter about the mirror. While it did reflect the room, it showed nothing of their image even as Cain and the woman approached behind Vaclav.

"This technology," the woman whispered. She moved over to the power source, removing her hood as she went. Her long, red hair fell behind her as a cape. "Cain, it's from the UN." Her gloved fingers traced a faded marking on the side of the device.

Cain frowned and glanced at her before returning his gaze back on the "mirror," if one could really call it that. "What is it reflecting?" he muttered to himself. He moved up to it. He reached for the surface of the mirror. He expected his gloved fingers to be greeted by cold, hard glass. The surface rippled under his touch.

Cain moved forward a little. His hand passed through the mirror.

"Careful," Vaclav warned.

Cain frowned. "I'm going to see where this leads."

"Father Havel did just tell you to be careful," the woman scolded.

"I'm not a child, Lilith," Cain muttered to himself. Louder he continued, "If this leads to safety, it's worth the risk."

"And if it doesn't, we lose the one person who can stop him," Lilith reminded Cain.

"You're a far better fighter than I am." Cain glanced at Lilith. "I'm going." He stepped forward. The surface pulled at his skin and clothes. It felt as if he were passing through goo.

Then he was free of the mirror. Cain stood back in the room he had just left. Darkness pressed down on him instead of the light which had been in the other room. He turned. The mirror stood before him once more.

Instead, of his reflection, it showed Vaclav and Lilith both watching him. Vaclav's lips moved to show he was speaking, but no sound came to Cain. Cain read his lips instead, "Are you all right?"

Cain nodded and then pointed to the passage behind him to tell them he was going to explore a little.

Lilith folded her arms across her chest, gaze disapproving.

Havel nodded. "We'll stay here. Come back quickly," his lips moved to say once more.

Cain nodded to show he understood. He turned and moved up the passage. The cavern was the same as the one the remnants of the people were sheltering in. Only this cavern was empty.

What was this place?

Cain quickened his pace. His armor clicked with the movement as he raced up the passage. The cold night slammed into him. The air fresh and untainted. It smelled almost sweet, mixing with the normal sea air blown in from the coast. Cain closed his eyes and drank in the fresh air.

This wasn't the Earth he had just left. He opened his eyes. Sure enough, in the distance, he could just make out the lights of Londinium.

Relief spread through him. This Earth had food, water, and breathable air. This Earth could save the few of them which remained on his Earth.

Cain raced back to the mirror and passed through it. Excitement raced through him. Their people were saved.

"Gather the people," he instructed Vaclav as he exited the mirror.

Vaclav frowned. "What did you find?"

"Salvation, old friend." Cain felt himself grinning as he placed his hand on Vaclav's shoulder. "Salvation."

Lilith frowned. "Explain."

"That mirror leads to another dimension," Cain explained to them. "Another Earth. One which hasn't been destroyed. They have food, water, and breathable air there. It's a mirror world."

Worry flashed in Lilith's eyes. "We shouldn't just rush to another Earth. Just saying it sounds insane, Cain."

"There's nothing left for us here but death." Cain looked at Vaclav.

The priest frowned then nodded. "We have to take this chance," his voice was calm, smooth, and steady. He moved back through the passage to the main cavern, leaving Cain alone with Lilith.

"It's the only way to protect those who remain, Lilith." Cain moved over to her. He didn't make a move to touch her. Centuries and bad blood between them had destroyed whatever kinship there had once been. All which remained was the memory of their time as children and promise Cain had made to his nieces. "Gather your people, Lilith. If for no other reasons, then for the future of your daughters."

Lilith looked him the eye. Her jaw tightened a little before she turned and left him standing alone in the room with the dimensional mirror. Cain followed after her.

The next few hours passed in a haze of activity. Cain helped gather what little their people had. Vaclav went through the mirror first to show the people it was safe. Cain stayed on the side of their dimension, checking to make certain they had everyone. He then set a few charges at the power supply of the mirror before he passed through.

"To make certain no one follows us," he told Vaclav and Lilith once he had joined them.

Lilith glared at him and opened her mouth to protest. In the same moment, Vaclav nodded. This was all Cain needed. The charges went off. The mirror in the new Earth flickered before going dark.

"A few of us should head to Londinium," Cain started as he turned to look Vaclav. "We might be able to barter for enough food for tomorrow."

The priest nodded. "Agreed," his voice was sullen.

"Lilith," Cain stated with a small sigh, "stay here with your people. I'll speak with Noelle and leave her in charge of those from human territories who remain. Vaclav and I can gather the supplies."

Lilith moved off without another word to him.

Cain let out a low breath. Women. He rubbed his eye, feeling the familiar metal over his left eye instead of flesh. "Shall we?" he asked his oldest friend.

"It would be for the best."

x – Abel – x

Abel kept up the quick pace set by the cloaked figure he was following. His mind raced with thoughts of doubt over who Esther believed this man to be. After all, Captain Spencer hadn't been worried about him when she had spoken with the man.

A soft nose made the man pause.

Abel stopped and hid himself around a building from the man. Though, he suspected the man already knew Abel was following. The way he moved had pointed to the fact he was a Methuselah. Also, it had become clear this was a man Abel was following. The person who had attacked he could have sworn had been a woman.

Abel let out a low breath.

The nose came again. Abel straightened and glanced around. It was the sound of metal clashing.

"Run!" a voice sounded from the next alleyway over.

There was something almost hauntingly familiar about the voice. Abel shifted. He could move from here and see who was speaking or remain hidden. To blow cover or not to blow cover? That was the question.

Abel took a deep breath. He moved around the corner. There was nothing there, not even the man he had been following. Abel moved over to the alleyway he had heard the noise coming from. Two figures in priest robes vanished down the other end. He could just hear them arguing, but the words were drowned by distance. Their voices; however, felt familiar.

Abel raced after them. He paused as he caught a familiar scent. It was impossible. He had died three years ago during the rise and fall of the Neue Vatican. Horror chilled Abel to the spot.

"Know Faith," he whispered the familiar codename, "Father Vaclav Havel." This wasn't good.

Abel stared at the street ahead of him.

The scent could only mean one thing. Somehow his body had been recovered or someone was running with something of his. "Or he's actually alive!" Abel hammered his fist into his palm. He had voiced this aloud more to stir himself from his own shock. He laughed. "Na, that's impossible."

Yes, it was impossible. Abel took a deep breath. The scent still lingered in the cool, Albion night. It was just in his mind. Havel was dead, killed in defense of Brno even if he had aided the uprising beforehand as well as kidnapped his Holiness. He had redeemed himself to Abel at the very least, even if Caterina and William had to erase everything which related Vaclav back to the AX. Vaclav had given his final breath for the people.

Abel closed his eyes. He shook head. "Havel died," he repeated. He had watched as Havel's life support systems had failed, as his Holiness had held the dying priest. "He's dead."

Yet, as he drew in another breath, the scent lingered in the air. Abel opened his eyes. He had to make certain he was just imagining things. If he followed the scent trail it would lead to answers, right?

Abel took a step forward to do just that. He paused.

Esther. She had asked him to follow a cloaked figure, a figure Abel had now lost. If he told her he had been following a dead man she would think him insane. It was insane. Havel was dead. He was three years dead.

Abel shook head. "Well, I lost the cloaked man anyways. Time to give up and go back to the palace." He nodded to himself.

Tomorrow the pope was arriving as it was. And, right then, William was away from the palace. It was for the best Abel returned to protect the saint as it was. He let out a small breath.

"What a pain," he muttered to himself, "now I have to come up with an excuse which doesn't involve dead men walking to cover why I lost that cloaked man."

Abel set off towards the palace. He had time to think on what to tell her at least. In all likelihood, Esther would be asleep. So he had until tomorrow.

x – Cain – x

"We shouldn't have done that," Cain snapped. He landed on the roof of a nearby building. He glared at Vaclav as the man gracefully floated down to join him. He had dropped the attacker off with a cloaked figure who worked for the Albion military.

Vaclav smoothed his robes. He gave Cain an even look.

Cain shook his head.

"Oh, hell!" A sudden familiar voice exclaimed below. "That's right the professor stuck me with all the paperwork!"

Cain moved to the edge of the building and looked down. He was in time to see a familiar figure race down the alley they'd just left. His long, silver hair whipped out behind and he stumbled.

"C-Caterina is so going to kill me!" the priest vanished down the next street. His path was taking him towards the palace.

"Caterina?" Cain frowned. "But she was killed when the Vatican was hit." He looked at Vaclav.

Know Faith's gaze was glazed with pain. "As was William," there was something almost hallow in his voice. Granted he and Professor Wordsworth had been good friends for as long as Cain had known them.

Cain looked back towards where the priest had vanished. Perhaps his eye and ears weren't playing tricks on him after all. Perhaps that had been Abel, the Abel of this dimension. Pain and joy washed through him.

"It would explain why this world is such a better state," he whispered to himself.

Vaclav straightened. "Then that was him?"

"I would assume so, but this matter will require further investigation." Cain turned to Vaclav. "Return to the others with the supplies. I'll remain here and see what I can ascertain about this dimension."

Vaclav nodded. He lifted the bags they had left on the roof before going to help the woman. His form flickered for a moment then vanished. It would be faster for him to fly there unnoticed.

Cain returned his gaze on the alley. "All right, Abel, let's see where you were heading." He leapt down. The scent of his brother hung in the air. It was him after all. A priest of all things. Cain bowed his head. "How odd."

Abel had never been religious. If anything, he had hated religion for out casting them for existing. Granted, he had hated most things when they'd been children.

This would be interesting. Cain straightened.

(Author's Note: Some of this chapter was taken from manga 48. However, Abel's reality and the story changes from there on out because of the appearance of Cain from the alt world. Let's just call him alt-Cain. Also Cain never goes insane or losses the fight with 01 in the alt world.)