Scene 18

D walked with an untroubled gait through the metal as it tore apart all around him. It was something out of a dream as not a single scrap dared to mar his dark beauty. His sword trailed lazily behind him as the dhampire continued ascending a set of steps.

The City of Night was not to see another dawn.

Like a blazing comet the Distant Star careened in his field of vision on a panel yet the vampire hunter paid it no attention at all as he pushed open the door to the throneroom. Inside was a hell made of shattered stone, machinery and glass. The throne itself remained intact and upon it the dhampire sat one hand lightly grasping his sword, point-down still, while the other braced his chin.

It was a poise that his father had held not so long ago.

"D! Are you asleep?" Leftie's voice tinged of desperation. "We gotta ditch this joint."

"Why?" That was it. Nothing further.

"Why? Are you insane? We'll die if we stay here!"

"Your point being?" Again that sliver of ice.

"Listen, D, I know you must feel like you've got no purpose anymore but..."

D shifted slightly. "What? I still have a purpose?"

"I don't know but being becoming a piece of beef jerky has not been a life-long ambition of mine." There was a snicker to the voice but also a tremor of fear. "Get me the hell out of here!"

In a uncharacteristic gesture the beautiful hunter sighed, irritated. The symbiont was right; he felt his life ended with that of his father's. The moment the Distant Star impacted the space-station his life's mission would be complete...what was beyond that?

The child.

D shook his head. No, as far as he was concerned the baby that Charlotte would birth was Meier's. There was no way he would become like his father, infecting the child's life with his bloodline's curse. But while the dhampire wanted no involvement in its life, there was something D could do to be a...be something to it. The only thing he knew how to do.

Decisively the vampire hunter stood and in a moment of sheer ironic incredulousness a huge piece of metal crashed down. The throne was instantly destroyed. As if he never noticed D disappeared out the door, once again ascending. But where was he to go? This was the question that his left hand put to him.

"...We don't exactly have an escape pod since you so generously let Leila take off with the Charlotte. Who knows what Meier used to get himself and his pretty little doll off the spacestation..if they even escaped at all."

"They did."

"You seem very sure of yourself," snapped the symbiont. Having finally reached the top now they stood upon the parapets of the Sacred Ancestor's castle, the wind spinning the dhampire's gorgeous dark hair about him.

In answer the dhampire lifted his left hand to the stars. Flying towards them was the Charlotte, worse for wear but still never a brighter sight for the symbiont.

"I don't believe it...They came back for you, didn't they?"

D wasn't sure if he was grateful or not.

It was the most beautiful and terrible thing to witness.

The destruction of the City of Night.

Standing on the deck, long hair and cloak trailing behind him almost indistinguishable from the blackness of space, D didn't move a muscle, even in his cheek, as the Distant Star engulfed the space-station. Not as possibly millions of humans and vampires vanished the instant it collided, not as it was literally wiped clean from the universe, his father along with it.

Well, one part of his body did move, albeit against his wishes.

"So he's really gone..." the symbiont was saying but as usual his comments came to an abrupt end as the dhampire made a fist of his hand. In a move unlke him, D did respond but not to the symbiont. Rather the vampire hunter spoke to the person he felt approach, "You will take care of them." A question and yet not so, that undercurrent of a threat ever present.

"Of course," came Meier's smooth voice.

"And Leila?"

"She is aboard, but was injuried while helping the citizens escape."

There was an expectant silence. "Is she awake?"

"No. She is not expected to awake for a few hours yet but the medic said she is due to make a full recovery."

Without a further word, the dhampire left his position at the railing to walk past the vampire on his way into the ship's hold. As he passed Meier the silver-haired vampire spoke his usually quiet voice hushed even moreso. "D, I had no part in what He had planned. It pains as it pains you, maybe more."

D halted but did not turn around. "You didn't agree to trade me for Charlotte?"

There was a choked sound from Meier and the dhampire realized it was not just from his softly spoken question. As if summoned there stood Charlotte upon the deck, her hands held together as if she fought to keep herself together. One could easily see the bump on her belly seemingly growing even as the half-blood and full-blood stared at her.

"I told Meier to go back for you. I didn't want you to die." Charlotte's voice was small, trembling. "You are..."

"Leaving," the dhampire cut in. "I will visit Leila and then I'll get off the ship once we reach the nearest space-port." So saying D kept on walking and only stopped when he heard the young woman's next few words.

"Don't you want to-"

"No."

"But..."

To this D did turn around. Charlotte had huddled into Meier's arms. The vampire looked distinctly uncomfortable and likely it was his young lover's line of questioning that had his face twisted. But the vampire lord didn't stop her.

Suddenly the dhampire felt so very tired like he was going through the motions. A strain teetered his voice off its natural smooth timber. "No, Charlotte I don't want to know anything. I don't want anything...Just anything." His voice cracked and any who could hear it would be astonished to see the always stoic dhampire breaking. "The only thing I can do now is to rid the world of vampires so that it can be raised in safe envirnoment."

"More killing?" Charlotte cried out but it was not clear if it was in sorrow or anger.

D didn't answer as disappeared down into the ship's hold.

Lying in bed, blonde hair draped around her, Leila appeared much younger, much softer than she did when awake. Maybe that was because the lines around her face eased now that she didn't peer at life full of fury. The mouth was relaxed, not carrying an almost perpetual frown of mistrust. Her whole body languished on the bed, murmuring in what seemed a pleasant dream.

"Why do you always do this to yourself? Denying the affections of some pretty woman just beause you fear you'll become like your-" Here Leftie stopped as if expecting D to shut him up yet the dhampire didn't bother, leaving his hand at his side. His gaze was full upon the young woman, an unreadable expression etched on his marble face.

"Your father."

Still no response.

"D? You listening?"

For a moment the dhampire felt a coldness sieze his heart like the feeling of the loss of summer's breeze to winter's night. The symbiont spoke truthfully, as it often did. Even with his father gone D could feel his presence choking his spirit, keeping him from joining the world of humans. From the joy of fatherhood, the love of a woman or even just the comfort of a friend.

But maybe he could steal a sweet little moment to savour for years to come.

D bent forward and stroked a few golden strands off Leila's forehead and there his lips rested briefly.

"You're such a softie, D."

Those words floated behind the dhampire as he slipped out of the room.

The Port of Nubarol awaited.