Haunted Past

Disclaimer... do not known trinity blood or characters... you know the rest.


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The Duchess sat quietly as the Cardinal paced Nora’s room in anticipation of her waking. She could sense her unrest but the duchess felt nothing but calm. The evening’s activities had been unexpected, and Nora’s awakening had been anything but ordinary, yet Nora was completely healthy. Her only concern now was if Nora would accept her new position and come back with her to the Empire where she belonged.

Caterina could hardly believe the evening’s events. Her sister was a Methuselah, her father had killed Nora’s mother, and now the Duchess of the Empire was here to take her sister away. What would Hugue say? How interesting… at a time like this her first thought was of what Nora’s forbidden lover would say of her leaving the Vatican to live in the Empire. That would be another problem for her to deal with. Of course she had no idea how Hugue was reacting to this ordeal. Abel had taken him to his room due to exhaustion. Perhaps he didn’t know and she still had time to sort out the whole ordeal. If Hugue was all right with the situation, he may want to leave and go with Nora. Although, in all honesty, Caterina was not sure that was even an option.

Slowly the Cardinal’s pacing stopped and her soft eyes came to rest on her little sister. Tears came to her eyes, and slowly they streamed down her face as she realized her only sister would be leaving and they had just started to at last build a relationship. She could sense the Duchess gazing at her and slowly she turned to regard her. A knowing smile was on her face and a comfort washed over Caterina with a single nod from the quiet Methuselah. Perhaps a relationship was still a reality after all.

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There was a calm all around Nora, but underlying everything there was a strong sense of discomfort. She could feel the energy of the Duchess and her sister near her, but the atmosphere of the Vatican felt tense and worried. Her body was slowly waking, and she desperately wished it wouldn’t. She felt so at ease and so peaceful for once in her very short life. Waking would only break that peace and she would be forced to face the tension and unease that awaited her. That she knew she had caused

Soon she would face the reality of the past evening’s events as she opened her deep blue eyes and sat up to find her sister and the Duchess watching her patiently. Reality came to her all too soon.

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“Good morning my dear.” The Duchess said to her, standing effortlessly and moving to sit beside Nora. She could feel her gaze on her face and she knew in an instant why the woman felt so familiar.

Turning quietly to face the Duchess Nora’s eyes filled with tears and for the first time in so long, without words, questions were at last answered. Those deep blue eyes held the answers and revealed the events of the past evening. A soft hand came to Nora’s cool cheek and wiped away the tears that fell. The dream flooded back to Nora’s consciousness and all of her hate and anger rushed back at her. As soon as it came though, it disappeared and all that was left was a sense of emptiness. The feeling wasn’t bad, but instead a welcome relief from her past pain and suffering.

“You feel like my mother…” Nora whispered, wiping her tears from her face. The Duchess merely smiled and let her hand glide through Nora’s hair.

“That is because your mother was my daughter.”

She realized she should have been shocked, but the statement her grandmother just made only made perfect sense. The Duchess was her grandmother, and for the first time in a long time, Nora felt close to her mother once more. Happiness washed through her at the realization that Nora was once again connected to the woman she had adored more than anything.

However, that feeling of happiness was pushed away as quickly as it came as she realized what everything meant. Her grandmother was a Duchess of the Empire… she was a Methuselah. Which meant her mother was a Methuselah…

Which meant Nora was also… a Methuselah.

Fear replaced her calm and startling her grandmother Nora rushed out of her bed and flew past her sister to her bathroom. She could hear her sister call for her and her grandmother’s presence was right behind her as she flipped on the bathroom light and came face to face with her own reflection.

She looked like she had always looked, nothing was out of the ordinary. Her eyes were the same deep blue and her skin was the same soft color it had always been. Her eyes moved to her soft lips, which still maintained the soft pink she was used to seeing when she looked at herself. The outward appearance she saw everyday had not changed in the least, yet she knew something was different, she could feel it. Moving her tongue slowly to the front of her mouth, she let it trace over her teeth. Soon she came to the only clear distinction she was changed as she felt the sharpness of a canine knick her tongue and blood dripped down.

Tears once more began to fall as Nora slowly pulled her lips back to reveal shiny white teeth, two imparticular stood out. Caterina and her grandmother moved to stand beside her and wrapped her in a hug as sobbing took over her body at what she just saw. There was no turning back anymore…this was something she could not hide, no matter how hard she tried. She was changed, and once again she felt her home taken from her as she realized a Methuselah would not be welcome in the Vatican. Just like when she was a child and her mother was taken from her, her new life was dead and she would be forced to take on a new future.

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Hugue woke up from his deep sleep but kept his green eyes closed from the world. He could feel the warmth of the sun coming in his window and pouring over his revealed scarred skin which provided the illusion of a nice day. Unfortunately he knew it would not be one of those days. The presence of the Crusnik was also evident which was the reason his eyes remained closed. The evening had been eventful enough, speech from the odd silver haired priest would not be of any use to him right now.

The side of his neck throbbed with a dull ache and without meaning to a soft sigh escaped him. This alerted the priest in his room and his name was whispered in an attempt to bring Hugue to the reality of the day.

He wasn’t really certain he wanted to come back to the reality of the day. Suddenly, without him having to concentrate on the past evening, the scenes of what had happened began to replay in his mind. He could see and almost still feel his strong Nora cold and lifeless. He remembered how fragile and small she looked laying on the bed not moving, and then suddenly life surged through her as her body animated and attached itself to him. Slowly, not wanting to feel what he knew would be on his neck, he let his fingertips drag over the bite marks she left on him.

His eyes began to fill with tears at the realization of what his beloved Nora was now… or always had been. Sadness, fear and most of all anger began to flood his body. Finally he had been granted happiness and once more some force stronger than him was taking it away! First his family… and now the only love he had ever really known.

Hugue could feel, rather than see the silver haired priest move toward him. Abel’s hand was not even able to touch Hugue before the soft spoken man addressed him.

“Get out…” the words were growled from Hugue rather than spoken.

The other man was determined to stand his ground and say to Hugue what he needed to hear. “Hugue… I think you need to talk about this.”

Angry green eyes were Abel’s only response. Those eyes burned with an immense anger that could only be built up by pain and hurt.

“Hugue…” Abel began but was cut off.

“DON’T START!” The blond man yelled, jumping from his bed and stalking toward the priest. He was still uneasy but he had had enough. All this time everyone knew about Nora and him and someone trying to rationalize what had just happened was too much for Hugue.

“She is being taken away just like everything else in my life. Do not presume to think you can understand or try to talk about me with this Abel.” Hugue shouted.

Calmly Abel regarded Hugue, “ She isn’t being taken away from you Hugue, she is just a little different now. She will always be with you…”

“DIFFERENT… just DIFFERENT!” Hugue screamed, stalking toward Abel once more. “She is a METHUSELAH ABEL.”

Abel was calm for the longest time. Hugue was standing in front of him, seething with his anger. He knew he was frustrating the blond man. Hugue wanted a fight, he was not used to this emotion he was feeling and anger and fighting someone was easier than crying. He let Hugue grab him in that next instant when he still wouldn’t respond. He even let Hugue slam him into the wall and it was only then that he spoke to the other priest.

“She is still Nora Hugue. She will always love you. No matter what parts of her change… that part wont.”

In that instant all of that hurt came rising above all of the other emotion. He let Abel go and he could feel the tears coming.

“She is the Duchess’s grand daughter Hugue. The Duchess will be wanting to take Nora back with her to the Empire. I thought you should know.”
With that said Abel turned to leave the broken man alone with his pain. He knew Hugue needed time to think, and all Abel could do was pray he wouldn’t let the woman he loved go over this.
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The Duchess sat alone in her quarters listening to the silence of the Vatican. While the halls were quiet the emotions of the inhabitants weren’t. Her grand daughter had accepted her invitation to return with her to the empire. She could feel her pain and knew she felt as though that was the only place left for her. It pained her to leave her young granddaughter alone, but he knew she needed the time to herself. She had been crying most of the day.

The feelings from Hugue had been changing all day, but finally as the sun was setting she could feel the blond haired man settle. His mind was at ease and he seemed to find peace… a smile came to her face as she sensed him leave his room and move toward Nora’s. Perhaps, the Duchess thought, things would end just the way she hoped they would.

But… she had been wrong before.

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Hugue stood at his window and watched as the sun set. The serenity of the painted sky continued to further calm his rattled nerves. As his eyes scanned the blood red sky he let his mind center on Nora and felt his heart warm at his final decision.

He had replayed the evening over and over in his mind. As the day had worn on and he watched the Vatican grounds he went through being angry, to being hurt, to being confused and finally he was calm.

The Crusnik’s words continued to replay in his head and while his initial insticts were to be mad and hate what Nora had become… he could not look past his love for her. She had given him the will to continue living in this lonely and desolate world. Her smile warned his heart and the thought of her touch quenched his anger. As the day had worn on his anger had dissipated no matter how hard he tried to stay angry, he couldn’t. Yes, she was a Methuselah but that was only a part of her. His hatred for Methuselah were because of the loss of his family. Nora did not take his family and he knew that. The part of him that hated Methuselah warred with the part of him that loved Nora. For most of his long day he wondered which part would win out… and then it came to him.

He could go on hating Nora and watch the only person he loved walk out of his life. Or he could continue to love her past what she was and accept her for the woman he knew her to be. His sadness or happiness was his decision alone and he could only blame himself if he allowed her to walk away from him.

Without another thought Hugue walked away from his window as the last rays of the sun were setting and the blood red of the sky turned to a deep blue as night at last arrived. The day was over and Hugue made his decision…

Opening his door he walked out and closed it behind him and silently moved down the hallway to Nora’s room. He had a lot to say…

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THERE!!! all righty I know it's been a while and I hope to be getting the rest out soon! I hope you guys enjoy.