Chapter 18: Freedom

Time seemed to stand still as I sat there grieving for my lost love. Somehow I just couldn't seem to accept that Amber was truly gone. Everything we had been through, all for this? It just couldn't end this way…

As I held her against my chest I froze as I heard a soft sound. With tears still flowing I pulled back and brushed the hair out of her face, knowing it was too good to be true and that I was only imagining things. But then my mouth fell open in shock as I looked down at Amber, whose brown eyes slowly flickered open. Smiling, she reached up and softly cupped a hand to my cheek.

"I love you too," she whispered. Her voice, that sweet voice that I never thought I would hear again, caused chills to run down my spine. I could have sworn she was dead just moments before, but now she was touching me, smiling back at me!

Amber laughed quietly. "Basil, say something…"

"Marry me." She blinked twice in surprise.

"What?" she breathed, blushing deeply.

Looking deep into those beautiful dark eyes, my heart nearly stopped. Being the coward I was I had prolonged the question for too long. I had been too afraid about scaring her away to tell her my true feelings. She had nearly died without even knowing.

"Marry me. Please," I repeated quietly, still staring into those eyes. The eyes of the one I loved with all my heart. Caressing her face, I never wanted to leave her side again. "I love you," I confessed and felt my heart leap at the small smile on her face. "So before anything else happens... will you marry me?"

"Yes," she answered with a laugh, tears falling from her face. "Yes, of course I will!" I couldn't contain my joy as we both met in another kiss.

"Amazing…" Dawson gasped behind me.

"I know!" I laughed, feeling giddy with relief. "Two minutes ago there was no pulse or heartbeat—"

"No, I mean that you, Basil of Baker Street, the highest functioning sociopath in all of Mousedom, are now engaged," Dawson replied in mock unbelief.

"Whatever," Amber replied with a smirk.

"I believe that's my line," I retorted, causing her to chuckle. Just to hear her laugh again was music to my ears.

"Congratulations to you both—" Janssen began, but he trailed off at a sound nearby and tensed as he looked toward the entrance of the crypt, his hand straying to the crossbow on his back. We had been so caught up in the moment that we hadn't noticed as Fane stalked into the room until he gasped at the sight of the destroyed necklace on the floor. Sinking to his knees, Fane gathered up the broken pieces of the gemstone and stared in shock, tears coming to his eyes as he clutched the pieces to his chest. The four of us watched silently as he grieved his loss.

"What have you done?" he suddenly hissed, seeming to remember our presence and glaring with an expression of hatred like I've never seen before. Amber clung to me tightly as his expression twisted into a feral snarl. "What have you DONE?!" he screamed, lunging at us with claws outstretched. Janssen loosed an arrow from his bow at the same time I fired a round of silver bullets. The arrow ripped through Fane's cape barely missing him but a bullet struck him in the shoulder. Being a vampire it was far from fatal, but it was enough to halt his charge, causing him to stumble against the coffin with a cry of pain.

"Go! Run!" Janssen yelled, motioning us to the door as he and Dawson covered us. Taking advantage of Fane's injury I hastily stood Amber up from the floor and pulled her along with me as we fled outside.

I risked a glance over my shoulder, my heart pounding as Fane sprang from the crypt with a growl but we pressed on, ducking and leaping over tombstones as he pursued us. I heard a yowl of pain from Fane as one of Janssen's arrows found its mark, but every injury only seemed to fuel his rage. Amber's hand tightened in mine as we ran through the trees as fast as our legs could carry us.

I heard shouts and cries come from Dawson and Janssen behind us, but before I could turn around I felt something crash into me. There was a brief feeling of weightlessness before my body crashed against one of the headstones, and I crumbled to the ground with a groan. For a moment my vision went dark, and wincing I put my hand to my head and felt the wetness of blood on my fingertips. Amber's scream brought me back to my senses, but by the time my vision cleared Fane was fleeing with her in his grasp.

"No!" I yelled, pulling myself shakily up on my feet only to stagger a few steps before falling back to the ground. Shaken and disoriented I crawled, reaching out a hand weakly as their shadow grew further away. "No…"

"Come on, chap!" I heard Dawson's voice say, feeling his strong hands pulling me up to my feet steadily. I leaned against him tiredly for support, feeling myself crumbling inside again. I had just gotten Amber back, only for him to take her away again so easily!

"H-He's getting away…" I said weakly.

"Not this time!" Janssen hissed, pointing up at the castle. "See, there he goes!" Following his finger I looked up at castle walls. I thought my eyes must have been deceiving me because it looked like Fane was climbing upward with Amber holding onto his back, clinging to the sheer walls like a bat…! I took aim with my gun, but hesitated to fire for fear that I would hit Amber.

"The coward," Janssen said through gritted teeth, retrieving another arrow from his quiver. "He's weakened, or else he wouldn't flee. He knows he can't win a direct fight in this state. This is our only chance to stop him; we mustn't let him escape!"

Dawson and I followed as Janssen charged back into the castle in hot pursuit of Fane. A few of his vampire followers still remained, but if they challenged us they were easily dispatched by a silver bullet or arrow; though it seemed as if most had already fled, leaving behind only a few servants who only stared at us or hid, watching with frightened eyes as we passed by. Heaven only knows what horrors they had been through at the hands of their Master, but the thought that Fane's defeat would make them free again combined with the determination to get Amber back helped fuel our resolve and we were determined to let nothing stand in our way…

Until suddenly something—actually someone— was thrown through a door and crashed into me, knocking me into Dawson, who bumped into Janssen, sending us all sprawling and crashing into a heap. Hearing a moan I looked over to see Damien trying to rise back up to his feet, his clothes torn from a recent fight and blood flowing from a wound in his shoulder.

"L-Look out!" Damien shouted, pointing at the door he'd just been thrown through where Ratigan sprang out with a snarl, crouching down on all fours as he approached.

"I thought you said you could handle him!" I said, reloading my weapon quickly.

Damien growled, wincing as he held a hand over the wound to stanch the bleeding. "Yeah well, I may have miscalculated…"

"You think?!"

With a roar Ratigan sprang through the air, his claws leaving scratches in the wall just above where my head was a moment earlier. We all fled, avoiding the mad rat's attacks. We came to another door at the end of a hallway and sprinted through it, slamming it shut behind us. The four of us put our weight against the door, but even still were barely able to hold it as Ratigan's body thudded against it on the other side, causing the timbers to shake.

"Got any… better ideas… Mr. Great Detective?" Damien grunted in between the sound of wood splintering.

"W-Working on it…"

"You can't run from me, Basil!" Ratigan's voice came from the other side, though it was distorted by an animalistic snarl. My heart raced as I could hear his claws scraping the wood on the other side of the door, and a shiver ran down my spine. I'd felt though claws before and I didn't want to again.

"Ratigan!" I shouted, my arms beginning to shake from the strain of holding the door shut. "Remember who the real enemy is! Fane has poisoned your mind, don't let him control you—!"

"I am my own Master!" Ratigan roared from the other side as he kept throwing himself against the door. "And I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU, BASIL!"

"That went over well," Damien remarked sarcastically. "I think you really got through to him!"

"Have you got any better ideas?!"

"Damien has a point though, it's no use trying to appeal to him," Janssen interrupted, straining as Ratigan pounded the door again. "Until Fane is defeated his mind is no longer his own."

"Then how do we stop him?" I asked frustratingly. "He's only distracting us, and Fane's getting further away with Amber and—"

"Wait!" Dawson suddenly interrupted. "Do you hear that?"

We all listened, our ears against the door as everything suddenly grew deathly quiet. "Could be a trap," I suggested.

"No, I would still be able to hear him…. He's gone!" Damien said, opening the door. Sure enough, Ratigan was nowhere to be seen.

"What on earth?" Dawson said curiously.

"Fane must have called him," Janssen replied. "We have to get to them before he does…"

"I'll track him, just in case," Damien said, stepping through the door. "You keep going; I'll catch up later."

"Wait," Janssen said, grabbing Damien's arm. Damien turned and looked at him with a crooked smile.

"I'll be fine," Damien said, gesturing at his injured shoulder. "See, it's already healing."

"I know but… just be careful," Janssen replied earnestly.

"You too," Damien answered quietly. Looking to me he said, "And good luck." A moment later our vampire comrade was gone.

And so we continued on doggedly, passing through hallway after hallway and ascending numerous staircases, climbing ever higher. What we would find at the top… I almost dreaded to find out.

…..

I tried to hold in my screams of terror as Fane began to climb up the sheer castle walls, using his claws to find purchase in the cracks of the stone. I was forced to cling tightly to his back or else I would fall. Looking down I saw Basil and the others growing smaller the higher we went, but I had to close my eyes because of the dizziness from the height and how fast Fane was ascending.

Once we reached the top Fane leapt over one of the battlements. I was glad when he placed me down and my feet were planted firmly on the floor again, but he kept a tight hold on my wrist and began to drag me along with him.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, struggling vainly, but he ignored me and his grip only grew tighter. "Let go! I won't let you do this—Ah!" I cried out painfully as Fane cruelly jerked me toward him, slightly twisting my arm.

"I'm done being nice," he hissed in my face. "You can be silent and do as I say, or you can keep struggling til your arm breaks. Either way, I will drag you to the ends of the earth if I have to! The spell may have been broken but you are still the key, and I will not let those fools interfere with my plans again!"

Despite his warnings I still struggled, though it seemed pointless as he dragged me through the labyrinth of hallways and corridors through his castle. I had no idea where he would take me, but we seemed to be climbing higher and higher in one of the towers. Near the top we went through a door that led us outside onto one of the battlements high above the ground, when suddenly Fane grasped his side. Sinking down on one knee, he hissed as he touched the wound in his side, then stared with wide eyes as he withdrew his hand, the fingertips coated with blood.

"No… no, no, no, no, this can't be happening!" Fane said almost to himself. "I should be healing by now…!" For the first time there was a slight hint of panic in his voice, though I didn't know why. Vampires couldn't run out of energy, could they? As if to answer my question Fane continued, "Ugh, I've used too much Power; I need blood…" My heart skipped a beat as he looked at me, but Fane shook his head and waved his hand away. "No, I still need you; you're my only link to Adrianna and I need you alive… Sclav!" Fane shouted suddenly, as if calling for someone. I winced as he caught my arm again and pushed onward, still calling out that single word.

"Dammit, where is that slave?" Fane muttered, still glancing over his shoulder. "Ferka!" After some time Fane growled irritably as he still hadn't received a response. "Ferka, mișcă-ți fundul aici, acum!"Fane shouted again, and a few moments later a brown-furred mouse with dark brown hair rounded the corner, nearly running into Fane. I recognized him as being one of Fane's slaves, the one who had held the box with Adrianna's necklace inside right before the ritual. The mouse instantly dropped down to his hands and knees, panting as if he'd run a great distance to heed his master's call.

"Îmi pare rău, Maestru; m-ai chemat?" the mouse stammered as he bowed at Fane's feet, shivering in fear knowing that he hadn't come as quickly as Fane had wished. But he was cut off as Fane grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him back up. Then, to my horror, Fane sank his fangs into the slave's neck. It wasn't a clean bite either; Fane bit into the flesh savagely, tearing skin as he urgently drank the blood from the wound. It was the first time I'd witnessed another mouse being fed on, and while it wasn't the same as being drained myself, I still could only watch frozen in terror. But the sound of the slave groaning and the look of agony on his face brought me back to reality. I knew I was probably putting my own safety at risk, but I couldn't watch him torture the poor mouse anymore and I tugged on Fane's arm.

"Stop it!" I shouted, trying to pry his hands away from the slave. "Leave him alone—!" I stumbled back as Fane shoved me away with a snarl, but in the process he released the slave, causing him to fall to the ground with a cry of pain. Weak and filled with bloodlust, Fane turned his attention to me, and I stared up at the flashing red eyes and the blood staining his mouth. But a moment later the sound of gunshots sounded nearby and Fane's eyes seemed to refocus. He let out a frustrated growl as he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Going back to the slave Fane jerked him up by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up to his feet.

"Merge!" Fane snarled as he shoved the mouse forward, and grabbing my wrist again he tugged me along with them as we continued fleeing through the castle. I tried to slow him down so that Basil and the others could catch up with us, thrashing and struggling in his grip, but the more I struggled the tighter his grip got and the more I felt like the bones in my wrist would break. The slave also stumbled along, clutching a hand to his neck to stanch the bleeding from where Fane had bitten him, but Fane would give him a kick or slap if his pace slackened.

"There they are!" a voice sounded nearby. Looking down over the wall I could see Basil and the others a story below us. They didn't shoot for fear of hitting me, but hearing Basil's voice filled me with hope and I renewed my attempts at trying to slow Fane down so that they could get a better view of him, but he still continued on determinedly. I saw one of Janssen's arrows fly over the battlement walls toward Fane and watched with baited breath. There was no way that arrow could miss him. However, at the very last second Fane grabbed the slave and held him in front of him, causing the arrow to bury itself in the slave's chest instead. He only managed to let out a strangled gasp before going limp in Fane's grasp. I felt my stomach lurch at the sight, tears springing to my eyes as I choked back a sob. He had used his own slave as a live shield…

"You coward!" I shouted, banging my fists on Fane's back, but he only tossed the slave's lifeless body aside callously and pulled me along, once again continuing to flee from Basil and the others. The more he dragged me against the dirt, the more innocent blood that was shed by his own hand… the more my brain began to tell me to kill.

Kill to survive. Kill to live. Forget being a kind girl, for once stab him in the back! Fane's grip tightened, like a snake attempting to break the bones of its prey, and I felt my bones would collapse any second. Basil cried out in the distance as Fane got farther. I noticed the echoes coming from a faraway cliff. The wind howled from below as a banshee. I may not have been as strong as the others but Fane was weakened, this may be my only chance…

Kill him!

You know you have to kill him!

"Stop squealing!" Fane snapped, blood dripping from his lips. The vague rose color almost flagging me. I expected myself to die before those wedding bells even rang. My knees buckled, I found myself sliding with the dirt invading my shoes and I grabbed a branch and yanked it from the roots. It was sharp, sharp enough to..."Get up! Get up!" He shouted, nearly blaring in the dank and humid clearing with the fog building up. I could no longer hear Basil's footsteps. It was the devil and me.

Will you marry me?

My eyes widened and I subconsciously stabbed Fane, pushing the branch deep into his stomach and I heard the gushing of blood, the squelching of the organs merging onto the wood. My dress was dirtied by the vague rose color of his blood and my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"You..."

No.

"You little wench..."

He's not dead yet! He's not dead yet! He's not dead yet…!

He shoved his hand to my mouth to stifle my screams and I pushed him aside, ending up vomiting onto the floor as Fane pulled himself out from the branch and looked at the hole in his torso, clutching it in pain. We reeked of death, we reeked of blood. We reeked of the echoes that forever haunt us.

"Y-You," Fane repeated again, panting in exhaustion. "I should kill you right now—"

I shrieked as a gunshot rang out and blood erupted from Fane's right shoulder, spilling in a torrent and staining his expensive clothing. My ears rang as he screeched in pain. As he let go of me I stumbled and fell backward with a grunt. Forgetting about me Fane shrank back, looking around wildly as the others surrounded him. A moment later Basil was by my side, helping me to sit up.

"Are you alright?" he asked concernedly. I only nodded, still shaking as my eyes were locked on Fane. He looked like a wild animal corned against the wall, his red eyes flashing as Janssen and Dawson aimed their weapons at him. Chills ran down my spine as he began to chuckle darkly.

"So, you would all pit your brains against me," he sneered, standing to his full height despite the many wounds to his body and looking around at each one of us as the wind and a fog seemed to manifest, gathering itself around him. "Me… Count Fane cel Rau… who fought armies and conquered lands centuries before you were even born! Well you will all know soon what it is to dare to stand in my way!"

The last word was emphasized with a scream of rage as a gust of wind shot from Fane, knocking us all to the ground. Janssen was the first to recover, rolling up on his feet and instantly shooting at the vampire, who dodged the bullets easily. Dawson and Basil were about to join in the fight until a loud bang came from behind us, along with a loud roar. A ghost of a smile hovered on Fane's lips as the noises grew louder, until finally a monstrous figure crashed through a stained glass window, hurling through the air.

"Oh no," Basil breathed, and I felt my own heart quiver with fear when I realized that the monster that came to Fane's aid was Ratigan.

Sensing that his master was in danger, Ratigan knocked Janssen and Dawson to the ground, sweeping them aside as if they were nothing but ragdolls. He whirled around at the sound of Basil cocking his gun. Ratigan's eyes dilated as he glared at Basil, all the hatred for his most formidable opponent poisoning his heart.

And then he charged.

Basil shot twice, both bullets thudding into Ratigan's torso, but amazingly it seemed to have no effect on him. Deciding to save his bullets, Basil reached for a stake looped through his belt and clutched it tightly in his fist. He put one across me protectively, though I felt him tense up, bracing himself for the impact of Ratigan's body crashing into his.

Time seemed to stand still in that one brief moment. An image from my nightmares flashed through my mind, the one where I held Basil's bloody and mangled body as the life slowly seeped out of him. Now my own worst nightmare was about to become a reality unless I could do something, anything… Without barely even thinking I pushed my way around Basil and threw myself between them, holding out my arms as if to shield Basil. I knew in the back of my mind that it would do no good, that I was nothing against such powerful creatures as this; but I reacted out of instinct to protect the one I loved.

The act seemed to halt Ratigan in his tracks for a brief moment, but much like I predicted, the rat merely swept me aside roughly and pounced on Basil, pinning him to the ground with claws ripping through fabric and fur. Unable to react fast enough to retrieve the stake from his belt, Basil tried to at least punch him in the face to stun him, but Ratigan dealt him a blow to the stomach that left him breathless. After dealing a few more blows to Basil's unprotected body, the mad rat loomed over his prey, saliva dripping onto Basil's face as he hissed, baring his fangs just above Basil's throat.

"Stop!" I screamed, feeling tears threaten to spill as I threw myself at Ratigan, beating my fists against his broad back. "Please don't hurt him—!" I was cut off as Ratigan turned his attention to me, removing himself from Basil and picking me up off the ground and slamming me into the castle wall, causing my breath to whoosh out of my body. I let out a gasping sob as I tried to regain my breath, shuddering when Ratigan bared his fangs in a savage growl.

"Ratigan!" I begged, tears squeezing out of my eyes as I felt his claws digging into my skin. "Ratigan, please!" I winced as he hissed in my face, his fangs poised just above my throat. "R-Ratigan," I tried again, my voice barely a whisper. He paused as I reached up and touched his face gently. I stared up into those yellow eyes, once so full of knowledge and power, now foggy and tinged red with bloodlust, hoping I could appeal to the Professor that I once knew. "Padraic… please… y-you don't have to… listen to him," I said, struggling to keep my voice from shaking with fear. "Fane's power over you is strong but I know you can defeat him! You have to fight it...!"

"No one controls me, but me!" he barked, his face twisting in a snarl.

"Then look around you, Padraic," I replied softly, and he did, his eyes shifting as he glanced over his shoulder at the fight taking place behind him as Fane continued to attack the others. "All this chaos and bloodshed… you may be the world's greatest criminal mind, but this isn't you. You're not a monster."

Ratigan grew quiet at that, a strange look coming over his face as if he were conflicted. I continued, desperately grasping at that glimmer of hope and reasoning with him. "Fane gave you your power so that he could control you with it. You're nothing more to him than another pawn in his game." Although wincing at the pain, I pulled myself up to give him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to freeze on the spot. "I know that if anyone can defeat him, it's you," I whispered. "Fane has to be stopped; but we can't fight him alone. We need your help… I need you, Padraic…"

He blinked, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. When they opened again he stared in shock, almost seeming as if something snapped in his memory. Then he suddenly released me, recoiling in horror and staring down at his trembling hands. With a groan he sank down to his knees, hunched over as he clutched his head in his hands, panting with effort. "Get… out of… m-my… head…!" he said through gritted teeth, his brow furrowed with stress and concentration as he fought to overcome Fane's hold on his mind. I watched with baited breath, wanting to help him in some way but afraid to make a sound or even move for fear that it would break the spell. This was a battle he had to conquer on his own. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ratigan let out a growl which morphed into an agonized yowl.

The noise was enough to cause the fight to cease temporarily. Dawson was nearly knocked unconscious by an earlier blow and Basil was still recovering from Ratigan's attack on him, so with a grunt Janssen picked himself off the ground and made an attempt to rush at Fane. But the Count merely picked him up and tossed him aside into the nearest wall, causing him to fall to the ground with a painful moan. With a dangerous glint in his eye Fane approached Ratigan, who was still bent over on the ground clutching his head.

"Don't think I didn't notice that little stunt of rebellion just then," Fane reprimanded as he shook his head disapprovingly, stopping a few paces away. "You should know better than to disobey me; at least I hope." Fane held out his hand and gestured for Ratigan to come forward. "Now bring the girl to me."

I gasped, causing Ratigan's head to whip up, and he looked back at me with a pained expression. I heard Basil grunt as he desperately tried to pick himself up off the ground only to collapse painfully on his side. I pressed myself further against the wall, knowing I was trapped and entirely at the mercy of the rat in front of me. Once more I silently pled with him with begging eyes, yet when he rose to his feet and approached me I knew from the cold look in his eye that all hope was gone. I could attempt to fight again but what good had that done me so far? So I simply shut my eyes, willing myself to accept the fact that Fane had won.

I flinched when I felt Ratigan pull me away from the wall, but when I opened my eyes again I was shocked to see him place himself between me and Fane, wrapping his arm around me protectively. He glared at Fane with even more hatred than he had with Basil.

"What you waiting for?" Fane barked impatiently. "Bring her to me!"

"No."

Fane blinked in disbelief. "What… did you say?"

"I said, no," Ratigan replied coldly. "You won't touch her."

My heart leapt. He had done it; he somehow overcame Fane's control of his mind! But my joy was short lived when Fane clutched his fists together by his side. "Perhaps I'm not making myself clear," Fane said, his voice dangerously low. "I am your Master. Your sole purpose is to serve me and I order you to obey!"

"You are no longer my Master!" Ratigan roared, causing a wind similar to Fane's to burst forth which pushed Fane backward several feet. Fane stared again in shock. He had planned to use Ratigan just like any other, but now that he no longer controlled him, he was just as powerful as Fane himself.

"How…?" Fane breathed, glancing back and forth from us in confusion. "How can you not be compelled…?"

"You've been controlling my every move from the beginning, ever since you changed me," Ratigan continued, his voice growing stronger every moment. "I let my greed and hatred and thirst for revenge blind me to your trickery. But not anymore. Today, your reign over my mind ends!"

"You dare defy me?!" Fane spat.

"I will destroy you!" Ratigan roared as he leapt at Fane, claws outstretched. With Fane distracted I picked myself up painfully and ran over to Basil, helping him to sit up. We could do little but watch the fight unfolding in front of us. It was a breathtaking sight, the two powerful vampires locked in battle, bits of fur and blood flying everywhere. Though it was difficult to see at times just exactly what was happening as the two moved too quickly for the eye to follow. But now that Ratigan had been able to conquer his own inner battle over his mind, it seemed at first that he was pretty equally matched with the more experienced vampire.

However, even though he was much larger than the Count, Ratigan's own brute strength wasn't enough. He growled in aggravation as Fane dodged his attacks, always remaining just out of reach with that same smirk on his face. Ratigan panted tiredly, and I realized that that must be Fane's plan, to let Ratigan wear himself down so that he could attack.

That was when Fane decided to strike. He struck out at Ratigan relentlessly, causing him to stagger back as he tried to defend himself, but he was just too drained of strength. I could barely stand to watch as Fane's claws ripped into him, leaving jagged cuts across his body. Ratigan yowled in pain as Fane jumped on his back and sank his fangs deep into his shoulder, causing more blood to spill. Ratigan sank down to his hands and knees, then fell down completely once Fane removed himself from him.

"Looks like you've outlived your usefulness," Fane remarked, his shadow looming over Ratigan's fallen form. "Pity; we were great allies, you and I."

"Y-You brainwashed me," Ratigan said through gritted teeth. "H-How was that a… a team?" Ratigan cried out as Fane rolled him over and ground his foot into his injured shoulder, bending down slightly so he could see the agony on his face.

"I'm not looking to be a team, for you see I work alone. You were only a tool. You will always be a tool, a mere pawn! Relish your worth, Professor."

Ratigan's ears flattened against his head as he turned his face away from Fane. Never had I seen the great Napoleon of Crime look so defeated. It made my blood boil. So while Fane was distracted I rose to my feet. "Amber, no!" Basil hissed beside me, keeping his voice low so that Fane wouldn't hear. "What do you think you're doing?!" But I ignored him, seeming to move unconsciously toward Fane. I picked up the branch I had tried to stab him with earlier, intending to use it again. I gripped it in my hand like a baseball bat as I tiptoed toward Fane. Then I swung at his head with all my might, putting as much force behind the swing as I possibly could.

Yet instead of feeling the impact of breaking his skull, I felt a jolting pain shoot down my arms as I was stopped mid-swing as Fane whirled around and grabbed the branch I was holding. Panicked that I had been caught in the act, I suddenly let go of the stick and fell, landing on my back hard. I jumped at the sound of a sharp snap as Fane broke the thick branch in two with his bare hands, then tossed both pieces over the wall casually.

"Fool me once…" Fane said with a devious grin, wagging a finger as if he was scolding me like a child. "Shame on you." I backed away in horror when he stalked toward me. "Fool me twice—"

"Shut up and fight, you slimy cur!"

I looked up to see Janssen run at Fane, shooting another arrow at him. Fane twisted to get out of the way, but he let out a yowl of pain as the arrow pierced his side. Janssen took the opportunity to leap at Fane, aiming directly at his heart with the gun, but Fane grabbed him in midair.

"You hunters just never give up, do you?" Fane sneered, holding Janssen by the neck as he lifted him off the ground. Janssen dropped the gun, clutching at Fane's hands to try to pry them off of his throat, but the vampire's vicelike grip was impossible to escape. As he gazed at his prey, Fane's eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

"You… I knew those scars looked familiar," Fane smirked. Janssen turned his head away in disgust as Fane ran a claw along one of the jagged scars running from his temple down his cheek. "You're the little mad doctor whose bride I stole. Too bad I didn't finish you off the first time. I'll be sure not to make that mistake again."

"What did you do with Maria, you bloodsucking bastard?!" Janssen yelled, thrashing in Fane's grasp.

"Aw, you needn't worry about your little fiancé," Fane cooed mockingly, tilting Janssen's face up back up. "I see why you were so attracted to her… those brilliant blue eyes, the smell of her soft creamy fur, the feel of those silky auburn locks… But you know what my favorite part about her was?" Janssen trembled, tears coming to his eyes as Fane leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Her taste…"

Janssen's eyes grew wide and he let out a yell as he finally slipped out of Fane's grip. "You'll pay for what you did to her!" Janssen cried as he swiped out with a wooden stake, though Fane always remained just out of his reach, toying with him. Growing tired with his game Fane dealt several rapid blows to Janssen, causing him to fall to the ground.

Off to the side Basil finally found the strength to stagger up to his feet, quietly picking up his fallen gun from nearby. Barely daring to even breathe, Basil carefully took aim at Fane as he loomed over Janssen's unconscious body. He locked his finger around the trigger and stared down the barrel with a firm resolve in his eye.

Yet before he could even pull the trigger Fane moved so quickly that Basil's mortal eyes couldn't even follow, and the gun flew out of his hand. A moment later he hit Basil across the face. Still disoriented from the scuffle with Ratigan, Basil could do little but try to block the blows as best he could as Fane attacked him relentlessly. Then Dawson came rushing forward to come to his aid. "Dawson, don't—!" Basil cried out, but his warning came too late as Fane backhanded Dawson, sending him flying backward and knocking him out cold.

Basil slowly looked around at the sight of his beaten comrades scattered around the scene. His eyes finally came to rest on me, and I reached out to him weakly, desperately wishing I could do something to help him. Gathering the last of his draining strength Basil made one last attempt to stab Fane with the stake, but Fane caught his hand in mid-strike and then twisted it sharply, causing Basil to scream in agony as the bones in his wrist were crushed as he applied more pressure.

"Heh, 'Great Mouse Detective' indeed," Fane chuckled mockingly as Basil fell to his knees, completely at Fane's mercy. "Even Mousedom's finest hero is nothing against me. You thought you could defeat me, but I can assure you you've done nothing but fuel my rage. You will all taste of my revenge, every last one of you! I will destroy you and your loved ones utterly and desolately!"

"Think again, Count."

Fane whirled around at the voice, surprised to see Janssen was back on his feet, aiming his crossbow directly at his heart. Fane grunted as something hit him, then stared in confusion at the arrow protruding from his chest. His eyes shot open wide and he dropped Basil to clutch at the wound, desperately trying to stanch the dark red blood that poured forth. With a choked sound he backed away from us in horror, not realizing how close he was to the edge until it was too late. Tripping backwards Fane toppled over the battlement walls and was hurled down the cliffs below. I had to put my hands over my ears to block the sounds of his screams echoing all around us, screams that I knew would haunt me for weeks to come. But at last the real nightmare was finally over.

Fane cel Rau was gone.

Yet even though the victory was ours, I still felt a cold shiver run through me. I jumped as someone touched my arm, but once I saw it was only Basil I clutched him tightly to me, burying my face in his shoulder as the tears finally came.

"It's alright darling," he whispered, kissing my head softly and stroking my hair. "It's all over."

I blushed as I wiped my eyes, slightly embarrassed to lose control of my emotions so easily. "You're hurt," I remarked, looking at the various cuts and bruises on his body and how his left arm hung useless by his side.

"Just a few scratches," Basil smiled wanly, shrugging it off as usual. "Nothing Dawson can't fix."

"Dawson…" I looked up suddenly, turning to where the others had fallen. Thankfully Dawson seemed to have recovered, holding a handkerchief over a small gash on the side of his head from where he had fallen, and Janssen rested against a wall nearby nursing his own wounds. But my heart skipped a beat as my eyes fell on Ratigan, who still lay motionless on the ground. I rushed over to him and knelt down as Basil followed and motioned for Dawson to come over. I cradled Ratigan's head in my hands as the doctor examined him, trying to see if he was breathing. Did vampires even have to breathe?

But moments later I was able to let out a sigh of relief as Ratigan came to, groaning faintly. He winced as he sat up, looking around searchingly.

"Where's Fane?" he asked. "Is he…?" Basil confirmed it with a nod. "Good riddance," Ratigan grunted, closing his eyes as he panted tiredly. "Though I wish I could have been the one to send him where he belongs."

I watched fascinated as a cut on his arm seemed to shrink slowly, healing itself. Ratigan opened his eyes again and chuckled when he saw my expression. "Regeneration; one good thing about being a vampire."

"The rest of us aren't so lucky," Basil retorted, wincing slightly in pain.

"Come on," Dawson instructed, helping Basil to his feet. "Let's go inside out of the cold so we can evaluate all the injuries."

Despite his pride, I put Basil's arm around my shoulders and helped support him as we retreated inside the castle, while Dawson helped Janssen. Ratigan followed behind, limping slightly but seeming to recover more on his own as time passed. We found sitting room with couches and chairs to rest. Janssen sank down on a sofa in exhaustion while I steered Basil to a chair and forced him to sit. He was always so stubborn about being fussed over when it came to his health but I insisted.

While Dawson was dressing their wounds, Damien returned. His eyes widened when he saw the state we were in, covered in dirt and blood.

"Aw, I missed all the action," Damien pouted with a frown, crossing his arms. His eyes widened as something seemed to dawn on him. "What about Fane?"

"He's dead," Ratigan stated plainly.

"Are you sure?" Damien asked again. I looked up, confused by the urgent tone in his voice.

"Jansen shot him in the heart with a silver tipped arrow and he fell down a cliff…" Dawson answered in confusion.

"Even if he was a vampire, he couldn't possibly have survived that," Janssen nodded in agreement.

"Oh." Damien grew quiet and looked down at the floor as if to hide his expression, but I managed to catch a glimpse and was surprised to see what almost looked like sorrow on his face. But the next moment it was gone as Basil spoke.

"So what were you doing all this time?"

"Come see for yourself," Damien replied with a sly smile, back to his usual self, and we followed him out of the room through several corridors and stairways. Once we reached the first level of the castle, we stopped and looked around in surprise at all the mice gathered around.

"Who are all these people?" I asked.

"Fane's prisoners," Damien said, a sad expression on his face as he explained. "Some have been trapped here for so long that they were terrified of me, but I managed to convince some of the servants that we were on their side, that we would defeat Fane and free them. Once they realized that I was a good guy, they took me to the dungeons where the rest of the prisoners were kept. All of his victims, mostly kidnappings and disappearances from neighboring villages, were locked in cells to be fed on and used as blood slaves to Fane and his vampire minions."

I looked around at the faces all around me: young, old; male, female… their clothes and fur dirty and half starving from lack of proper food. My heart ached to think of what horrors they had suffered at Fane's hands.

"But they're free now," Damien stated with a warm smile, while we all shared his joy at setting these mice free. All but Janssen, who stood off to the side and gazed out a window with a forlorn expression. Then I remembered the mouse who helped me earlier, who took care of me before Fane took me away to perform his spell. I approached him carefully, not wishing to disturb him but filled with a sense of urgency to tell him the truth.

"Mr. Janssen," I began, touching his arm softly. "About Maria…"

"It's alright, Miss Amber," Janssen said with a sad smile. "For five years I've searched for peace. Now that the devil has been destroyed, I can move on." He let out a shaky sigh, and I could see the shine of tears in his eyes as he fought to keep them at bay. "At least now her soul can rest—"

"Alexander!"

Janssen's whirled around at the sound of his name being called. I smiled when I recognized the auburn haired female mouse that was running toward him, tears of joy spilling down her face.

"M-Maria?" Janssen breathed, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Maria!" He took a step toward her and soon broke out into a run. When they met Maria ran into his outstretched arms, meeting each other with a passionate kiss. Janssen held her close and stroked her hair tenderly while she caressed his scarred face; both mice alternately sobbing and laughing with joy as they were finally reunited after five years of separation, neither knowing if the other was even still alive.

Basil and I instinctively reached for each other's hands and smiled at each other lovingly. Tears sprang to my eyes as I looked around at the other faces of the mice around us, some shedding joyful tears and embracing each other with beaming faces. It was even better once we led the group down the mountain back to the village where loved ones were reunited, some after years of being apart. It was truly an amazing and touching scene. It was moments like this that made my heart soar. If we hadn't accomplished anything else today, this made the battle entirely worth it.

At last the time came for us to return to our own homes. As we prepared to board the train, Damien hesitated on the platform.

"Come on Damien, we're going to be late!" I called. When Damien didn't respond Janssen turned to him with concern.

"What's wrong, my friend?" he asked. "Aren't you coming?"

"Later," Damien said quietly. "I have some… unresolved business with an old friend." Damien's ears lowered as he turned to Janssen. "I've always avoided talking about my past; there's just too many things I regret. I'm sorry for not telling you before; but this was once my home. It's been literally centuries since I've been here but…" he trailed off weakly, blushing slightly as if unsure what to say. Janssen responded by putting a hand on his shoulder gently.

"I understand," Janssen replied, slipping his hand around Maria's waist as she appeared beside him. "Just so long as you're back in time for the wedding," he added with a smile. Damien chuckled, looking up with that familiar devious grin of his.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

And so after saying our goodbyes to Damien, at last we made the journey home from Romania to London. Ratigan disappeared almost as soon as we reached the city, but on the trip home he had vowed to let his own prisoners that Fane had forced him to kidnap go free. Mousedom was abuzz with curiosity since the absence of their greatest detective. Inspector Thomas Grayson practically met us at the door of Baker Street and bombarded us with questions. Because of the delicate nature of the situation, we decided that our story would be that Basil's investigation of the London kidnappings had led us to Romania, and that Janssen was a client who had come to Basil for help in finding his missing fiancé Maria. Grayson looked skeptical, but the public praised Basil once again for solving the mystery. Although it was impossible for us to save all the victims as some had been killed, but at least we were able to reunite the ones who had survived with their loved ones, just like Maria and Janssen.

We received a letter from the couple some weeks afterward, detailing us with the news of Maria's joyful reunion with her family and the impending wedding to come, to which we were enthusiastically invited.

Another letter soon followed, unmarked and unaddressed. Though once opened I instantly recognized the scrawling yet delicate penmanship of the Professor. He thanked us again for helping liberate him from Fane's grasp. Though he instructed (for Basil's sake) that it would be pointless to try to find him again. I couldn't help a smile forming on my face as I read that he had given his boys a long vacation and was currently taking a holiday himself with Miss Kathryn (aka Miss Kitty). But he assured us that he would be around, and should we ever require his assistance that we could contact him through his old informants at the Rat Trap.

When Basil laid eyes on the note he instantly snatched it out of my hand and began studying it with meticulous care, trying his best to gain any clue as to Ratigan's whereabouts. After a while I managed to get it back from him and informed him that he better not go gallivanting off trying to locate Ratigan. With a childlike pout he finally agreed, though since they had been mortal enemies for so many years I doubt he ever let the matter go entirely. But Ratigan had moved on and was finally able to make a new start, and so would we.

Speaking of which, I now have my own wedding to plan. Soon after we returned home to Baker Street, Basil got a ring and proposed again, "properly this time," he said. It will be a summer wedding of next year, and Mrs. Judson is already helping me work out the details of a guest list and decorations and a dress.

Two years ago I stepped off a train alone, a foreigner starting a new life in a new country. Now I was soon to be the wife of the Great Mouse Detective. It was all happening so fast I could hardly believe it. Yet here I am. I had come to England with the hope of finding my place, somewhere where I belonged. And as I sit here with Basil, wrapped in his strong and comforting embrace and surrounded by the love of friends new and old, I know that I'm finally home.

The End

Author's Notes:
And at last, it's finally finished. I can finally cross one fic off of my list XD

OMG FIGHT SCENES O.O This chapter took so long to get just right, I really hope it turned out ok because this is my favorite part and I really wanted it to be perfect. I'm personally not entirely happy with the ending, but I hope I wrapped up everything ok. There's still a few loose ends to tie up, but they'll be taken care of in the epilogue.

Just a few notes I feel like I need to point out:
Fane's dialogue in some places (the two short monologues he has right before the real fight and when he's holding Basil) are inspired by lines from the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker. I drew a lot of inspiration from the original Dracula for Fane's character so it seemed fitting ^^
Maria actually made an appearance in Chapter 15, and the slave (his name is also Damien, but Fane calls him Ferka to make fun of him) that Fane used as a live shield made an appearance in Chapter 16.
Pay VERY close attention to Damien Talbot (not the slave, the smug sarcastic guy) in this chapter... he's been a minor character so far but he'll play a much bigger role later... and that's all I'm gonna say because SPOILERS

I also owe a lot of thanks to:
Mimmime for keeping me "motivated" and for helping me write the first scene when Amber wakes up
CherlnIDA for the scene where Amber stabs Fane with the stick (my sweet little OC needs to get her hands dirty :D
NightMagican for reading all my WIPs because I was so excited about sharing this and couldn't wait to get it finished XD
And thanks to all 3 of you for beta reading it for me and helping fix spelling/grammar errors or confusing points ^^

Basil, Dawson, Ratigan, and Miss Kitty (c)Eve Titus and Disney
Amber Mus, Fane cel Rau, Adrianna, Alexander Janssen, Maria, and Damien Talbot (c)Me
Damien Ferka Sorena (Fane's slave) (c)mimmime