Ch. 6: Memory and Truth

Crystal carefully approached the newborn, "Alex? Can we talk?"

He didn't answer. She knelt down and embraced him.

"I'm not sure what happened. But, it hurts, doesn't it?"

Still no answer. Instead, he faced her as his clear, watery tears blended with the snow. She hugged Alex fiercely, as he sobbed relentlessly.

(When a vampire cries, it's blood that comes forth. He still can cry clear, salty tears. How?)

Heaven yelled from a distance, "Crystal! Even though it's a blizzard, the day still comes. We have ten minutes to reach the mansion."

In urgency, she coaxed Alex to come back to the mansion. The vampires, along with Alex, fled, nearly making it to the mansion.

Crystal sat next to Alex on the sofa, consoling him as he wept.

"So this is the newborn. What's special about him?"

Heaven shook his head. Mars took a seat on Alex's other side, pulling him away from Crystal.

"Mars."

The vampire looked at Alex's face.

"Hey."

Crystal knew he would ask about Alex's tears.

"He's pretty cute. Nice taste you got there, Vladimir."

Vladimir quickly walked over to the sofa, pulling Alex away, "You lied to me. You said you would stay here. Because of your selfishness, you exacted your revenge, killing your fiancé in the process!"

Alex's eyes widened in shock. Crystal rose to her feet, slapping Vladimir's face, "That was cruel. Throwing it back in his face! Know your damn limits, Vladimir."

She helped Alex to his feet, taking him to his room. Heaven sighed, "As much as I detest him, and not listening to you was wrong on his part. That was too far. Excuse me."

Vladimir looked at his hands, and then grabbed his head in frustration. Mars chuckled quietly at Vladimir.

(A new expression. That newborn is something else. In more ways than one.)

Crystal and Alex entered his room and he collapsed to his knees, hugging himself. His voice leaks out, "Aah…AAH!" The volume and pitch rise to deafening heights. "AAAAAH!"

Pain flowed through the scream. Alex started clawing at his arms, drawing blood. Crystal grabbed his hands. "Don't. That's not the way to go about it."

He jerked his hands away, and walked over to the window, breaking the wooden pane, and aiming it at his heart.

"Alex, no! Heaven, get in here!"

Heaven ran through the door and seeing the situation, he tackled Alex, throwing the large wooden chunk out the window. Anger flared through the blonde vampire, "I understand you're in pain. But, think what she would've wanted. Don't do what my brother did!"

The thrashing, the screaming, everything stopped.

"You loved her. You still do. But, killing yourself won't bring her back. And vampires have no place to go when they die."

Bloody droplets slowly leaked down Heaven's face.

Alex sat on the stairs, bowing his head.

(I really screwed up, haven't I?)

The image of Heaven crying flashed in his mind, disturbing him.

"Don't do what my brother did!"

(He was angry and hurt. The memory of his brother made him cry.)

Alex stayed that way for quite a while longer.

"Think about what she would've wanted."

Then, something that Monica once told Alex crept into his mind, "If, someday, I were to die, you have to keep living. Just don't forget me." Alex started breaking down, and hot, salty tears streaked his face once more. "Monica."

In the living room, Crystal and Heaven said their goodbyes. They left to return to their home, where Starlight was waiting. Mars and the rest stayed, silently listening to Alex's cries.

"I've never heard someone cry so much."

Mars loomed over the pink-haired female, "You need to shut your trap before I break your jaw."

The woman immediately closed her mouth.

"Time to sleep. Your 'beds' are down below with Vladimir's."

Mars left, with the intention of seeing Alex first.

The black and pink haired vampire somehow snuck behind Alex and blew against his ear.

"What- YAAH!"

Despite being in a mourning and regretful state, Alex reacted, falling down the stairs. Mars busted out laughing.

"Oh god! Sorry…Ha ha! Didn't mean to make you fall down the stairs."

Mars tried containing his laughter, but it came back ten-fold. Alex was getting annoyed, and then he stood up, hitting Mars, "You dumbass! Shut up already!"

Mars covered his face, laughing harder.

"Ooh, you stupid snake!"

Alex kept hitting Mars until Mars got up and pinned him to a wall. Alex struggled, "What're you-Mnm!"

Mars, pinning Alex's hands, forced a kiss on his lips.

"Nn! Mm!"

Alex was kicking Mars in the leg, his scream muffled. Mars released the redhead and smiled triumphantly.

"Y-Y-You!"

"Thanks, newborn. I'll take that as my reward for sticking up for you. Te amo, ma flamme," the black-haired vamp left, chuckling and waving his hand. "Now, I know you'll be fine. Acting like that."

Alex climbed the stairs to his room, making sure Mars was nowhere in sight. Confirming the attacker was not in sight, he ran to his room, slamming the door. He sighed in relief, then reality set back in, "I killed her. I killed her."

Alex had already cried so much and so often, he had no more tears to spare. Instead, he was left with a cold, un-beating heart, which was shattering into billions of tiny shards.

Vladimir and the others woke up. They all went above ground, stretching their muscles.

"Is it me, or are our coffins not cutting it anymore?"

Vladimir stopped at the staircase, looking up towards Alex's room. Mars stopped as well.

(What a sad face.)

"Vladimir. You're throwing your emotions into the air so much, I'm literally breathing them."

"Ah. I apologize."

Mars raised his hand, "Hold up. You're saying that to the wrong person. You need to talk to the newborn."

Vladimir jerked, "But…"

Mars started pushing Vladimir up the stairs.

"What are you doing?"

Mars smiled, "I'm giving you a push in the right direction."

Vladimir didn't resist, "I do not have a choice, do I?"

"Nope. Get in there!" Mars pushed Vladimir with such strength, he went flying towards the door.

"Oh no."

Alex had moved to his bed, and was lying on his side. He jolted up when something slammed into his door.

"Oh, god! It's that guy with the pink highlights!"

Alex immediately grabbed a nearby chair, "Go away."

"Alex?"

The frazzled redhead froze stiff.

(Vladimir?)

"May I enter?"

Vladimir stood on the other side of the door, placing his hands against it gently as if it would break.

"Please?"

The door slightly opened, and Vladimir could see Alex's eyes, "…Sure."

Vladimir walked in, eyeing the misplaced chair, "Why is the chair over here?"

"I was going to beat the living shit out of you with it."

Alex fell down on his bed.

"What do you want? It's too late to undo what's been done." Vladimir sat in the chair, leaning forward.

"I do not expect you to." Alex boiled with anger, "You bas-"

"I am sorry."

Alex stopped before he could say anything more.

"I apologize for earlier. I should not have said such an unforgiving thing."

The redhead sat up and centered his gaze on Vladimir.

"I know what is like to lose a loved one. To be their murderer."

Alex was absorbed in the conversation, "What do you mean by that?"

Vladimir rose to his feet, "Follow me. It is time you have seen this."

Vladimir dragged Alex down the hall, and came to a bookcase. The blonde vampire pulled on one of the books, causing the bookcase to move to the side. A hallway appeared behind it.

"This way."

Alex followed until he entered a white room. Pictures of men with red hair hung on the walls. One, in particular, caught his attention. There was one of him.

"Vladimir. Who are all these people?"

He answered without hesitation, "They are my descendants."

Alex walked over to a painting of a redhead with braids.

"This one. I look just like him." Alex ran his hand over the man's face.

"That is your father."

Alex's eyes widened, "But, how? You said all of these men were descended from you. So, if my dad is a descendant, that makes me-"

"My seventh great-grandson. And a prince to Frances' throne."

Alex tripped over a nearby lamp, falling to the floor in shock.

"I'm what?"

Vladimir helped Alex up, "You are royalty."

Alex went limp, Vladimir catching him quickly.

"Alex!" Vladimir lightly shook Alex, who sat up.

"I'm fine. It's just," he wrapped Vladimir into a hug, continuing, "I thought I was the last one left. The last Winwright."

Vladimir returned the hug, "You were not. During the time, your father raised you, I went into your room at night and held you when you were a baby. As you grew, I could only watch from afar."

Alex quickly broke from the embrace and ran over to a painting, "This was you and your wife. Right?"

"Yes. But, she died after birthing our son."

Alex felt sorry and walked to the next one, "Is this him? Your son?"

He looked over at Vladimir and watched as Vladimir's hands turned into fists. Vladimir stood in menacing silence, "…Yes. My son, Lancelin … whom I murdered without hesitation."

Alex jumped from quivering anger in Vladimir's voice.

(He murdered … his son?)

A thought came to Alex's mind, "I know what it is like to lose a loved one. To be their murderer."

Vladimir's words from minutes ago seemed to have escaped Alex's mind, echoing on the walls of the white room. He lowered his head, unable to look at Vladimir.

(What've I done?)