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Loving a monster

Chapter 15: Fifteen || Final Farewell

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-The clock chimes once-

The night rumbled with the growling voice of thunder, its fingers of electricity combing through the clouds, enticing tears from within them that beat down on the stone of the castle below. Each tear fell silently upon a form, a figure slowly dragging themselves along a broken stone bridge. She stumbled and fell, slipping on the clouds tears as her strength slowly began to fade from her, her whole being seeming to flicker in and out of existence. The wind tugged at her clothes, whispering messages in her ear, telling her that the moon was calling her home and that it was time to go. But she knew her task was not yet complete, she was not ready to leave this plane of existence behind just yet, not without seeing the man she loved for the last time. Shade pulled collapsed once again, letting out a small sob of pain, droplets falling upon her face, mixing with the tears that were beginning to run down her cheeks. She stared at her hand, her vision starting to go hazy.

-Twice-

Panting heavily, Carl struggled up the steps of the castle, hearing the noises of Van Helsings' battle with Dracula. He tripped on a step and fell forwards, catching himself while ensuring he didn't drop the syringe that held the cure. His eyes and head were downcast, fear gripping at his heart. He didn't know whether he was ready to face the man he had come to see as his greatest friend, especially if the cure didn't work. But Carl steeled himself and continued forward, climbing the rest of the stair until he came to another bridge, one that led to the laboratory. He stepped out onto the bridge, only to jump backwards as it crumbled and broke apart, leaving him stranded save for a small ledge that he would be able to cross with patience and carefulness. Looking around, he saw the broken window of the tower he had come from, using his voice in hopes his friends could hear him.

-Three-

Anna, thrown towards the open window heard a call for help over the rumble of the storm and looked down, seeing Carl stranded on the bridge. She looked at Aleera who lunged at her, only to be grabbed by Frankensteins' monster and thrown to the other side of the room, giving Anna a chance to escape. She stared at him for a moment, remember the first time they had met and how deeply wrong she had been about him.

"Thank you." Anna spoke up, watching his face light up with the recognition that he was seen as more than what he was.

While he fought Aleera, Anna used the wire he had used to swing herself down to the other side of the bridge, calling to Carl to throw the cure to her so she could get it to Van Helsing. Carl, focused, counting to three before tossing the syringe, his heart stopping as he watched it sail through the air, a part of him fearing Anna would miss. Yet as she swung through the air, she reached her hand out as far as possible, wrapping her fingers around the syringe and calming the Friars heart.

-Four-

Frankenstein lost his grip on Aleera, the vampire mistress flying out of the window after Anna, the princess had made up onto a ledge along the castle wall. The vampire shrieked with glee as she landed next to Anna, making the princess move backwards on the precarious perch as Aleeracloses in.

-Five-

"Your blood shall make me even morebeautiful. What do you think ofthat?" Aleera cackles as she moves in for the kill, baring her fangs.

-Six-

Suddenly, a silver stake impales her through the chest, causing Aleera to shriek in agony while looking at the silver object producing from her chest. Anna looks over at the bridge, to where Carl hascrawled down between the girders, then looks back atAleera, who is staring at her in horror as her body starts to slowly crumble and rot.

-Seven-

"I think if you're going to killsomebody, kill them, don't standaround talking about it." Anna hisses angrily at the rotting vampire.

Aleera bursts into rot, the silver stake is erupting from her body and flying into a beamright next to Carl's head.

-Eight-

Van Helsing is struggling with control, time drawing closer to his demise as he battles with Dracula. The moon shows herself once again to his gaze, turning him back into the black sleek beast that he had become. The werewolf snarled and lunged at Dracula as the vampire took on his own beast form, long claws digging and tearing into the thin flesh of the vampires wings. He roared, using his grip to pull himself up onto the vampires back, using his weight to keep Dracula from flying away. The two fell from the air, crashing into equipment in the lab and colliding with the stone floors of the castle. Fire had erupted around them, Draculas minions running around, screaming as the fire leapt onto them, eating away at their flesh as they run in an attempt to get away from the it. The clock chimed again, the moon falling from view, allowing Van Helsing to turn back into a man for a moment, the hunter staggering away from the fire as Dracula slowly emerged from the flames.

-Nine-

Anna climbed her way up to an open window, pulling herself through and onto more stone steps. She could hear the fighting more easier now, knowing she was close to her destination. As she got to her feet, she noticed a trail of blood leading up the steps. Slowly and quietly, she crept upwards, ready for whatever might be waiting for her once she had reached the top. But the sight that greeted her brought tears to her eyes and ripped a gasp from her lips. Shade laid in a pool of her own blood, the red liquid darker than usual and seeping from many orifices on the female hunters body. Anna ran to her, taking the other into her arms, placing the cure securely by her side. The colour of Shades skin had faded into a pale complexion, making Anna think the worse, her heart sinking.

"Anna...."

Her name was a pained murmur on the tongue of the woman in her arms, more blood seeping from Shade's mouth and eyes as she struggled to open her eyes. Dim blue orbs looking up at the princess holding her.

-Ten-

"Do you have the cure?"

"Yes i have the cure Shade, we can get it to Van Helsing together." Anna replied, tears beginning to stream down her face.

Shade managed to give Anna a small smile, mustering as much strength as she could to try and stand. Anna helped the werewolf to her feet, picking up the cure before securing a arm around Shade's waist to keep her upright. Together, the two limped down the long hall leading to the laboratory, their steps heavy and filled with determination.

"What ever I had....I used it all Anna....I don't know if I'll make it." Shade wheezed, finding it harder to breathe.

"You have to, we need you."

-Eleven-

Carl had managed to find his way across the bridge, hurrying along the path to the laboratory to try and catch up with his friends. He crashed into two double doors, pushing them open and letting them clang heavily against the stone of the castle. What greeted him made him falter in his steps, eyes widening in shock and awe. Before him, stood a transparent figure, like a ghost. It was shaped like a wolf, staring at him with glowing eyes, as if it was staring into his soul. It tilted its head to the right, drawing his attention to a chest that was in a small crevice of the castle walls. It was adorned with the symbol of many wolves made of gold, calling to the Friar. When he looked back to the apparition, he was met with nothing, just him in the room with the chest. Slowly, he made his way over to it, shivering hands reaching out to trace over its lock. It clicked and opened suddenly under his touch, the lid springing open to reveal its content to his eyes. Nestled inside was something wrapped in red silk, something that was continuing to call to him. He reached inside, picking up the object and slowly peeling the silk away, finding a small bottle of blue liquid, accompanied by a note.

-Twelve-

Anna and Shade burst into the laboratory, seeing the shape of a werewolf through the flames that had spread through the room. It slowly stood, straightening its back, which was facing them. With the last chime of the clock, they knew there was no time to waste, it was now or never. Shade took the syringe from Anna, leaving the princess in shock as the female hunter limped forward. Van Helsing turned towards her, able to hear her footfalls, able to smell the blood coming from her body. For a faint second, his eyes twinkled with recognition as Shade came closer, a fleeting pang of happiness filling him. It was quick to leave, the iris of his eyes becoming pinpricks as the wolf took over his mind, swallowing any humanity that may have remained in him. He lunged at her with a snarl, tackling her and throwing her onto a red couch that lay near the window, his teeth sinking into her throat and stealing the life from her body. Behind him, Anna let out a scream of pain and horror, just as Carl came running into the room. Anna collapsed to her knees before him, her line of sight drawing his attention to what was before them. The werewolfs back was to them, but what lay beneath the beast made Carl freeze for a moment, his best friend, lay motionless, her blue hair fanned out underneath her and blood adorning her pale skin. Devastated, angered and scares, Carl thumbles for the silver stake in his robes and holds it tightly in his hands, taking a deep breath before running at the werewolf, ready to plunge it through Van Helsings heart.

"God forgive me." He prays, swinging the stake at the werewolf.

At the last second, Van Helsing spins around, catching Carl's wrist in a clawed grip before the friars act can be completed. Carl trembles as he stares at the werewolf, both locked in each others gazes until Van Helsing tilts his muzzle downwards, looking at the syringe sticking out of his chest. Carl looks down at the syringe, noticing it was empty and stumbles away from Van Helsing, letting out a whimpering sob. He watches as Van Helsing rips out the syringe and throws it away, watching as his other friend turns to look at the body of the girl they had come to care for. The friar felt a hand on his shoulder, turning his head to look at Anna as another sob fell from his trembling lips.

"S....she's dead."

Van Helsing pads over to the couch, his large eyes glossy with sadness as he looked down at the woman he loved. Her ones bright eyes were empty, her skin pale, her hair slowly fading from blue to a dark brown, the life finally leaving her. The moon shone brightly through the window, framing the beast and his love as he scooped her into his arms, holding her as he threw back his head, letting out a low, mourning howl. The fur fell away from his body, his features falling back on themselves until he was himself again. He cries out in pain as he sobbed, falling to his knees, pulling Shade closer and resting his forehead on hers. His body trembled with his sobs, his heart shattering inside him, he had killed her. He hadn't been strong enough to fight the monster inside of him, murdering the woman he had planned to spend the rest of his life with, to shower with love and raise children with.

"I'm so sorry, please....come back to me." He begged, holding her tighter.

Carl and Anna watched, saddened by the scene in front of them, Van Helsing had lost more than them tonight. They had lost a friend, a comrade but he had lost his heart, his entire being. The room suddenly filled with a blinding light, drawing their attention to the a figure appearing before them, once again, the wolf appeared before them. They stared at it, transfixed for a moment before Van Helsing sniffled and called out to it.

"Can you save her?"

The wolf regarded him with a brief glance before it moved forward with grace, coming to stop next to Carl. It stared him in the eye before lowering its head, snout pointing towards one of his pockets. The friar recalled the bottle of blue liquid he had found when the wolf had visited him before. He pulled it from his pocket, turning it over in his hand before looking back to the spirit. It nodded its head at him before walking into the light of the moon and fading into nothingness.

"Can that bring her back?" Anna asked, looking over at Carls shoulder to look at the bottle.

"Yes, but it comes with a price." Carl replied, voice lowering to an almost whisper.

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back Carl, just tell me what to do." Van Helsing voice was almost pleading as he looked at his friend, filled with a newfound hope.

"The note I found with the bottle explained that we would have to give Shade some of the bottles content." Carl began, looking between Anna and Van Helsing. "But someone else would have to drink the rest....and give their life force to bring her back."

They all let the information sink in, let Carls words linger in the air for a moment. To bring her back, one would have to take her place, the price was a life for a life. Van Helsing opened his mouth to volunteer, but was beaten to the offer.

"I'll do it." Anna announced.

"But....but you can't, we were sent here to ensure you lived." Carl spluttered.

"And you did, you broke my family curse and opened the gates for my ancestors. Now I can be with them." Anna reassured him.

She took the bottle from him, making her way over to Van Helsing and Shade. She and the female hunter may have never seen eye to eye but Anna had come to respect Shade for her courage, will and determination to protect those that couldn't protect themselves. The princess dropped to her knees, leaning forward to press a caring kiss to the cold cheek of her companion.

"Thank you, Shade."

Carl and Van Helsing watched as Anna took the cork out of the bottle, bringing it to her lips. She tilted her head back, draining half the blue liquid into her mouth before swallowing. There was no turning back now, the decision had been made without the input of men in the room, Anna was ready to be with her family and ensure the world was in the safe hands of the hunters who had freed her bloodline. Van Helsing took the bottle from Anna as she laid on the stone floor, pouring the rest of the liquid into Shades mouth. He laid her down next to Anna, the princess taking the other females hand into hers. A warmth had spread through her, filling her with a feeling she had never felt before. The warmth travelled along her arm, down into her fingertips and into the cold body next to her. She let out a sigh, closing her eyes, a sense of peace settling over her.

The two men watched with baited breath, unable to see any changes, slightly scared that they had been too late in saving Shade. Carl moved closer, noticing the colour fading from Anna and crawling into Shade's face. As Anna slowly began to leave them, Shade began to come back from the darkness that had taken her. The wounds on Shade's body began to slowly heal, skin stitching together as if no damage had ever been done. They watched as Anna took her last breath, her chest rising once more before slowly falling to a standstill. Van Helsing leaned over Shade, running his fingers through her dark hair, searching for a sign of life, any sign that showed she was back with him. After a moment, her eyes slowly fluttered open, staring up at him.

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Bonus Content

Three figures stood upon a cliff, standing beside a pyre, the body of their friend laying upon it. Carl read a verse from the bible while Shade stood next to Van Helsing, his arm securely wrapped around her waist. The two hunters stared down at Anna, she looked so at peace, dressed in a beautiful gown and flowers braided into her hair. Shade moved away from Van Helsing to come to Anna's side, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead, a final farewell, a final act of kindness towards the woman she had come to call friend.

"Thank you."

She stepped away, turning to look at Van Helsing as he came to her side. He took her hand, holding a burning torch in his other. They shared a sad smile before he brought the torch down to the base of the pyre, setting is ablaze. As the flames engulfed Anna, the two hunters retreated to the cliff side to look over the sea, a beautiful place to lay their friend to rest, Anna had always wanted to visit the sea.

Upon the horizon, a dark figure paddled further into the sun set on a makeshift raft. For a moment, they stopped to look back at the cliff, watching the flames dance for a moment before taking their hat off in respect. Frankenstein sighed softly, putting his hat back on, catching a glimpse of a figure on the cliff waving at him. He smiled to himself, waving back before going back to paddling, setting out to sea to find his own path.

The hunters watch him fade away, smoke suddenly curling around them and dancing upwards into the sky. They watched it rise, both smiling as it took on the form of Anna, among the clouds. Many faces appeared to greet her, smiling and hugging her, welcoming her, finally their family was together again. Shade waved up at the sky, saying one last goodbye to Anna before she faded into the heavens with her family. Van Helsing lightly tugged her hand, drawing her attention away. He smiled softly at her, bringing her hand to his lips to press a small kiss on her knuckles, then the ring that she wore on her ring finger. They shared a loving embrace, basking in the presence of one another, never wanting to let go. But they had places to be, monsters to hunt, people to protect and a life to lead. Carl called them over to their horses, the hunters slowly making their way over, sparing one last glance at the burning pyre.

Van Helsing helped Shade up onto his horse before climbing up behind her. Now that she was no longer a werewolf, she could no longer run alongside them, no longer hear or smell as well as she had before. For the first time in forever, she finally felt normal and she could finally start a life with the man she loved without worrying about the curse that once plagued her. They had both been curse, but together, with the help of friends, they had managed to find a cure to what ailed them.

And together, with their favourite Friar, they rode into the sunset. For now, their ending was happy, one chapter closing to give way to another. Together, they would face what ever was thrown their way.

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The End