Beginning's End

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." – Semisonic

Part 13

DameNight – You are a smart smart person you are! You were paying attention to the way Allen's power worked in Drowning in Darkness. You get cookies!

PhilG – Have I told you that I love you? I always look for your reviews after each chapter and it almost seems wrong to post before I get them. And no, I can't make anything simple or clear, it's a genetic problem that I have. You are wonderful, thanks so much!

Elbereth – Yay! Thanks so much for you reviews, you've been so loyal and great and spiffy cool! I'm such a happy author!

Well guys, it's been fun but I think this will be the last chapter. Then I'll work on something new, maybe I'll do a different series. I think I've exhausted Hellsing. Thanks for everything, you've all been wonderful. Now, onward to the end.

Seras stared with something akin to horror down the length of her body. She was a bat, a BAT.

"Master!" she tried to cry but all that came out was a high pitched squeek.

-Master! – she tried and this time his eyes snapped up to meet her own.

"Well, this is interesting." he replied easily.

-Interesting? You think this is interesting? I'm a bat for crying out loud and all you can say is 'that's interesting?!' Master! HELP! -

"Relax police-girl. This is just a dream after all."

-Oh and that makes me feel sooo much better. Just change me back! –

"I can't."

-Why the hell not?! –

"It's not my dream. It's yours, you change back." He said, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at her.

-I don't…understand what's happening! Why? Why is this happening? – she all but cried, mentally thrashing at the darkness that surrounded her.

Arucard frowned, tasting the energy coming from his child's psyche. It was Seras' power but also…also…Isabella's. The sword. It was the sword's doing. He used the blade to absorb the life energy from Isabella, then Shadow transferred that captive power to Seras. Seras had all of Isabella's power now, including her familiar the bat. The dream was a manifestation of her new abilities. He had to get her to acknowledge them, to take control of them as he had when he'd first gained his hellhounds. He had to walk her through the process as his master had with him.

"Concentrate police-girl. Will yourself back into your natural form, don't fight the bat, command it. You are not the bat, the bat belongs to you. The bat is your servant, but you must earn it's respect. You must prove that your will is greater and that you will surrender to no one." He told her, repeating the words his own master gave him.

Seras stopped struggling with her inner self, she felt the panic melt away as her master's voice filled her ears. As long as she could hear him, it would be alright, she had the faith that only love could give. She focused, trying to separate the bat's mind from hers. She concentrated on her own human body, visualizing the way her hair spiked and the little scar on her neck from Anderson's blessed blades.

She envisioned her new clothes, the ones Arucard had picked out for her. She could smell the shampoo she used and the feel the material of her gloves on her hands. She opened her eyes and gazed up at her Master's face, smiling down at her.

"Well done police-girl."

Arucard was half draped over her body, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. She lay on her back, her head turned to the side so that her face tipped up to meet his. She felt mentally along her body and was greeted by pain. Her wounds throbbed and her muscles ached, but she was Seras again.

"I'm me. I did it." She whispered happily.

"You did." Agreed Arucard. "Drink this and get some sleep police-girl."

He lifted a goblet of warm werewolf blood to her lips and patiently held it for her while she drank slowly. When she was finished he brushed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead, watching as her eyes drifted shut and she slept.

When he was sure she was asleep, he slid off the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, just the way he knew she liked it, and sat down at his desk. His master's book lay open on the ledger, the page with the prophecy of the Blade staring up at him. He'd almost lost her that time.

He glared at the book, nothing would take her from him now, she belonged to him even if she only half realized it. He glanced up from the book and gazed across the room at her where she slept in his bed. That was where she belonged. He'd keep her there, always.

With a smirk he pulled an extra pair of his trakemark yellow glasses from the desk drawer and slipped them on as he paged through the book until he found an empty page. He picked up his pen and began to write.

Galina lay on the floor of her old room, her platinum blonde hair spread out around her face. Her bloodstained clothes were gone, replaced with her usual silk and lace gowns, her body freshly bathed and her wounds bandaged. They'd be gone by morning, but she didn't want to stain her sheets.

Ahmiyn lay beside her, thumping her black scorpion tail against the carpet like the cat she was. She pawed at the rug and rubbed her head against her master's side.

"Can you believe it Ahmiyn? Only five of us survived that. Isabella was a traitor, Katrina was eaten and Hallow is dead. It's you, Ranja, Arucard, Sears and me now." She told the manticor.

Ahmiyn whined and moved so that the hand that stroked her side continuously rested on her belly. Galina frowned when the fur under her hands kicked. Fur was not supposed to kick.

"Ahmiyn." She said before smiling and putting an ear to the beast's stomach.

"You're pregnant!"

"Master? What's this?" Asked Seras, eyeing a plain white box on her bed. Well, it was Arucard's bed, but that wasn't the point.

"A gift." Said her Master, barely containing his excitement. "Go on, open it!" he said, watching her with lamp like eyes.

She smiled at him ruefully, pulling the lid of the box off to reveal an indistinguishable mass of silk and gold. Her brows drawn in confusion, she lifted the material out of the box, having to pull yards of it out at a time.

"Master, it's lovely, but what is it?" she asked, eyeing the mass of cloth that spilled out of her hands and all the way to the floor.

"It's a kimono. You looked so beautiful in the first one that I couldn't resist." He explained, lifting the silk from her fingers and draping it across her shoulders from behind.

"Thank you master." She said, leaning against him as he wrapped one arm around her waist and brought her hand to his lips.

"I'll show you how to wear it later." He whispered.

"Mmm." She agreed, carefully removing the kimono and trying her best to fold it back up. Arucard eventually took it from her and showed her how to do it properly. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him before wandering into his spacious, if ancient, bathroom.

It was hard to believe that a mere three days had passed, but they had. Seras brushed her growing hair out of her face and let her lover lead her through the now pristine halls of his castle. The blood was gone, the carpets replaced, the walls washed and repainted. The vampires that were left were all clean, healthy and dressed to the nines.

The huge double doors of the ballroom opened up, the vampires inside bowing low to their rulers. Jonas, Olivia on his arm, smiled in greeting and gave Seras a kiss to her hand.

A huge marble dais had been moved into the center of the room, two ornate thrones placed side by side at the top. Arucard seated his queen first and then fell gracefully into his rightful throne. He propped one elbow on the arm, leaned his face against his knuckles and gave the room his trademark maniac smile.

The End.