In the year 1801 Alucard, son of the prince of darkness Vlad Tepes Dracula witnessed something horrible. The death of his wife, Maria Renenard. He and Maria had met five years earlier in the depths of his father's castle known for centuries only as CastleVania. Her brother-in-law, Richter Belmont had disappeared a year earlier, under the spell of the dark priest, Shaft, one of Dracula's most powerful followers. Alucard had been able to break the spell and thanks to Maria both she and Richter had gotten out of the abominable castle alive. Alucard had vanquished his father for what he thought was the last time. He had been preparing to reenter into his eternal slumber after the destruction of CastleVania. After all, with Richter once again in control of his own mind and powers the balance between good and evil was restored. What reason did he have to stay awake? Maria had come after him and somehow persuaded him to stay with her. He hadn't wanted to admit it but he knew that he loved her. They had gone away together, lived happily and never really had many problems until that day. One of the Villages in the town they lived in realized what Alucard was and while he was away, had raised rumors of his wife being a witch. Alucard returned to find his wife's body, burnt, almost beyond recognition. This was too much for him to take. His mother, a human named Lisa, had somehow found the goodness in his father's soul and married him. For whatever reason Vlad never brought her across to the side of the undead. She was a good soul, always doing whatever she could to help out humanity. It was this that became her unfortunate downfall. When found preparing medicine for the sick, using methods never seen before, she was burnt at the stake for being a witch. Alucard was overcome with a grief he hadn't felt since that day. When he was spotted by the villages he ran. He traveled to the home of his friend, Richter to tell him of what had happened. Alucard had to take a moment to regain his composure. He realized he was crying.

Richter was worried, that much was obvious. "Alucard, what will you do now my friend? Those villages will find you and kill you." Richter said.

Alucard was less then frightened. "Let them come." He said, his voice cold and iron. Richter was taken by surprise.
"You don't mean to kill them, do you?"
"If I did that my mother would surely turn in her grave. No, I plan on letting them kill me." Alucard stated bluntly.
"What?" Richter shouted. "I wont allow it. I just found out that I lost a sister-in-law, I wont lose a friend, too!"
"What would you have me do? Maria was my reason for living. With her gone, I have nothing!"
Richter's face twisted in anger. "You fool! You are one of the most powerful warriors alive. You are the only on of your kind and one of the very few people in this world with the strength, skill and power to go up against your father and have a chance of victory. Without you, right now I would still be under the control of Shaft, and Dracula would have an early return to this plane. Not only that, but had you wanted to, you could have simply come after me, before Maria gave you the holy glasses. You could have just fought and milled me and the whole ordeal would have been over. No, you took the time to explore every inch of that castle in order to avoid that and thanks to you the Belmont line will not end with me. so the next time Dracula comes, and he will, my descendant will be ready to fight him. Does all this sound like the work of an individual that has no purpose? If I cannot persuade you to sat at least do me his one favor."
"That would be what, Richter?"
"Don't get yourself killed, instead, simply put yourself back into the eternal slumber from which you arose to save us. Who knows one day the world will very likely have need of you again."
"All right, my friend, I will. Good-bye Richter. May my father never again know moonlight."
With that Alucard set off to his tomb, with the hope that he would never again awaken.

******

2000, Sunnydale California

Giles sat quietly in his study, reading the latest VC Andrews novel, a cup of tea in one hand, when his new, and very unwelcome, room mate came bursting though the door.
"Watcher, we have got lots of trouble, a whole bloody hell of a lot."
Giles calmly looked up at Spike. his black T-shirt was torn and he had a long bloody gash across the left side of his face. "And, what, pray tell, Spike, is this 'trouble' you are speaking of?" Giles look skeptically at the vampire.
"Well, I was walking home after patrol, with Slutty and Farm Boy, when I spotted a face that I haven't seen in about one hundred years, and believe me I wasn't..."
"Who was it Spike?" Giles asked slightly impassantly, wanting to get back to his book.
"Vlad Tepes."
Giles' tea cup hit the floor with a loud crash, sending tea and China shards across the room.
"Call Buffy."

******

Once the call was out, the Scooby Gang core assembled quickly in Giles living room. Xander at once went through the kitchen and had come up with a few donuts and a can of coke and was happily munching will sitting on the couch. Willow read carefully though the book Giles had handed her as Spike read over her shoulder from his perch on the arm of her chair. Buffy sat quietly on the counter in the living room, widdleing stakes, letting the shards drop, harmlessly into the kitchen sink.
"All right, now that we're all here and acclimated," Giles glared pointedly at Xander who didn't seem to knowticed. "We may began." He nodded to Spike.
"Well, Vlad Tepes, or Dracula, as you may know him, is the master, or the master of vampires. He rises about every hundred years, he is were the myth of vampires turning into bats comes from, only this bugger actually turns into a bleeding bat. Also, he goes into a sleep for a hundred years, and goes to Hell, he resides in Hell for about one hundred earth years, and then he rises again." Spike paused, not quite sure how to go on.
Buffy looked up from the stake that had slowly gotten smaller during Spike's speech. "So what your saying is this guy is really strong."
"Yeah, so strong that even the Watcher's Councle can't keep tabs on him anymore." Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them.
"So, how do I defeat him?" Buffy dropped the toothpick sized stake into the sink and hopped off the counter.
"You don't, Slayer. We find the next Belmont decedent. The last one that was known was named Schneider."
Xander, not really listening, perked up at the name. "Wills, wasn't it your Grandfather Schneider who read to us about Dracula when we were little. Yeah, Grandpa Schneider was pretty cool."
Everyone turned to Willow in shock. "Well, Watcher, looks like we found her."

******

Willow woke up in a cold sweat. She had been fighting this vampire, stronger then any she had ever fought. The man fighting beside her took a sword to the heart, slowly falling to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Willow looked around searching for help, but Buffy's bed was unslept in and the room was empty.

******

While patrolling Buffy was suddenly surrounded by lots of skeletons. All she could hope was that Spike would catch up to her soon. They attacked all at once, sending her flying over benches and tables, and they didn't seem to die. A boy suddenly stepped out of the trees, Buffy's spider senses going wild. While distracted, one of the skeletons was able to hit her with a large tree branch, knocking her unconscious.
Spike seeing this from across the park came running, barreling thought the pack surrounding the unconscious blonde. The boy in the trees finally jumped in after spotting the vampire, taking out skeletons left and right. Finally ending with Spike up against a tree, stake to his heart.
"Buffy, please get up and get this git off me!" Spike pleaded. "Slayer!" he wined, "Come on!"
Buffy slowly came to, seeing Spike up against the tree, she sprang to her feet, then wobbled and stumbled as dizziness came over her. Spike's attacker, hearing the Slayer get up, spun around and was promptly attacked by Spike and tackled to the ground.
"What the bloody hell did you attack me for, you're a vampire, or at least kind of, go after the Slayer, not me, mate." Buffy glared at him, to receive only a shrug in response. Spike straddled the boy's back and pressed his stake to the boy's heart.
"I'm only half vampire, if you would let me up I would explain."
"Not likely, mate."
"Spike, let him up. We'll never get an explanation out of him unless you do."
Spike slowly rose off of his attacker, still pointing the stake at him, ready for any sudden movements.
"My name is Andrian Farienhieghts Tepes."
"Slayer! He's Drac's son, can I kill the git now!?!"
"I'm here, sir, to help put my father back in his sleep. Now if you don't mind, Slayer, I was wondering why you are working with a vampire?"
"He's kinda been neutered, he has this chip in his head, it wont let him hurt anything that's living."
"Yeah, mate, I can't hurt people, not even bunnies, but your not people."
Buffy glared at him once again. "Might I, introduce myself. The name is William, as in the Bloody, I'm better known as Spike. Can I kill him now, Slayer?" The vampire asked impatiently.
"No, we're taking him back to Giles' house, I want to confirm this. If he's telling the truth it will be a big help."
"Ok, lets get this straight, you're the Slayer, correct?" Buffy nodded. "And your teamed up with William the Bloody, the Slayers' Slayer?" Buffy nodded again.
"Yeah, you should have been here when she was dating Angelus." Alucard looked at him, "Yeah, mate, Mister Scorage of Europe himself, the Angelic One."
"My God, things have changed since my day." They walked back to Giles' house, Spike behind Alucard, stake pointed at his back.

******

Master's Layer

Sitting on his throne deep beneath Sunnydale, Vlad Tepes Dracula wondered how the Master had allowed himself to be defeated. He had found out from some of the local vampires about the battle between the Master and the Slayer. He had killed many slayers in his time, Vlad knew, so what stopped him from killing this latest one?
He would find this young warrior and have her killed. The vampires with whom he had spoken had warned him about this Slayer, even the more experienced vampires he had questioned had spoken of this 'Buffy' with genuine fear. Vlad was far beyond any Slayer's power.
Something had been bothering him though. A feeling he had almost immediately after awakening.
He couldn't put his finger on it's source. That made him worry. Typically anything that worried him, he killed. Then one of his skeletons came to him.
"well, how did the first attack go? Did you find an isolated victim?" Vlad asked.
The skeleton spoke in a frightened voice, "We found a girl and she fought us and we would have destroyed her except..."
"Except what?" Dracula demanded.
"She had a friend with her, a vampire, and someone else. He was young, a boy, but not in the same sense."
"Tell me of what garments did this boy wear?"
"Old garments, Master, very old."
"Find the Slayer, and her allies, and when you do, kill them all." The skeleton bowed and left the layer, leaving Dracula to think.

******

Willow, Giles and Xander were sitting around when, Spike, Buffy and Alucard came in. Xander was again sorting though Giles' kitchen, while Willow and Giles continued to research Dracula and the Belmont Family, whom Willow seemed to be related.
"Ah, Buffy, good your back. I trust patrolling went well?" Giles didn't look up from his book, but continued to research.
"Yeah, ran into some weird skeleton things, but all's cool." Buffy heard Spike snort. "Oh yeah, and we ran into this guy, says his name is Adrian Farrie-something Tepes."
"Ah, yes. Dracula's son. I was informed that he put himself to sleep, he must have awakened to fight his father, must check up on that."
"Or you could just ask him, mate." Giles' head shot up and his book clattered to the floor.
"Um, well, yes. Hello, I'm Rupert Giles, it's an honor to meet you. Your father and you warranted an entire class at the Academy, I myself didn't take it, but I was informed it was a powerful corse."
"Yes, well, I'm suprised. Your Slayer is very good, Mr. Giles, but might I ask when the Councle relaxed its rules about working with civilians, and I'm just completely baffled that they let her work with a vampire, especially one as revered as William the Bloody. I also heard something of Angelus."
"Well, we don't work for the Councle anymore." Giles took off his glasses and started cleaning them with avengence.
"That explains it then." Alucard took a seat in the wing chair in Giles' Living Room.
"So, he's a good guy then, Giles?" Buffy moved to where her Watcher was standing. Giles nodded his head, then returned to his reading.
"So I guess that means I can't kill him then." Willow glared at Spike as he went to sit on the arm of her chair. Ever since Oz's disappearance, Willow had been growing closer to the vampire. He seemed to understand her loss, being that he also lost his love.
"Well, then folks I'm going home, Xander, Willow, you coming?" Buffy asked moving to the door of the apartment.
"Sure, Buff." Xander stood, "You coming Wills?"
"Nope, I'll leave in a bit, I have some stuff to finish up." Willow opened the large tomb by her, on the table, and began to read.
"Ok, see you at home." Buffy and Xander left, talking adamantly about some movie they had both just seen.
"Giles?"
"Yes, Willow."
"This book talks about Me and Adrian, it also mentions the Tree of Red and an evil she will tame, but it says nothing about the Slayer."
Giles looked up from his book confused. "What exactly does it say?"
"It says; 'The son of Dracula will stand together with a daughter of Belmont, the Tree of Red, and an evil she will tame, in order to defeat Dracula.'"
"Well, its safe to say that Buffy is not the red tree, is there anything else?"
"Only a footnote saying that the Tree of Red is also known as Witch, and she will capture the evil with her heart not her hand."

******

After Willow and Spike had finally left, Alucard decided it was time to get serious. This watcher knew more about him then he chose to let on to Buffy and her friends, but Alucard knew what Giles was hiding and it was time to talk.
"Now, Mr. Giles, I need to talk to you." Alucard said.
"About what Mr. Tepes?" Giles asked in a serious voice.
"There is something I neglected to mention to you in front of the Slayer."
Alucard said. "I can sense sources of power, weather or not it's good energy or dark. I sensed your Slayer and another energy, a Belmont, its Willow isn't it."
"Yes, that would be correct." Giles replied.
"She needs to be trained as soon as possible. If possible I need you to find a whip that her family has used now for over 500 years. Its one of the few weapons that can do a lot of damage to my father. Its called the Mystic Whip." Alucard told Giles. "Also I felt the energy of something else here."
Giles stared into his eyes, and while he may have chosen the guise of a teenager, even changed his eye color, those eyes looked older then anything with such consent pain and inner torment. Those eyes reminded him of Angel. 'There are times I actually pity him' Giles thought. He thought he knew what Alucard was getting at, but held his tongue just to make sure.
"Mr. Tepes, just tell me what you need from me." Giles said flatly.
"I need a weapon." Alucard said.
"Is that all? Lord knows I have enough of those lying around here considering the rather unsavory crowd Buffy sometimes attracts." Giles replied.
"I meant a specific weapon, Mr. Giles, an antique sword, a sword with a gold hilt with rubies adorning each side of the guard. I know you came into possession of it because I felt its power the moment I walked into your house." Alucard told him.
"I know the one you mean."
"Before you show it to me I need to tell you something. I think I've been able to figure out what my father wants with Sunnydale. I have every reason to believe that somewhere in this area lies the Book of the Dead."
"The Necronominan." Giles said, not showing the worry that he suddenly felt.
"My father once used the powers of that book to turn himself into the creature that spawned me, but it was lost to him long ago. He never told me what happened. If he comes into possession of it again with all the power he now possesses I'm afraid that nothing would be able to stop him. Somewhere in California there is another relic that could be a danger to our safety. The black sword of Morgeil, this sword has energies around it that are very dark and very powerful.  At one time I almost invoked the powers of this blade to stop my father, thankfully another option revealed itself and I was spared having to use it. If my father finds the sword it could also be exceptionally bad." Alucard warned.
"I'll tell Buffy to be careful and soon we'll go after the sword. Speaking of which, you need yours." Giles went to the room where his weapons were stored and after a minute came back with a glittering sword in a black sheath. Alucard drew it and could feel its powers coursing through him almost instantly. For an instant the blade took on an eerie blue hue before returning to its normal color.
"Thank you Mr. Giles. I've missed this thing. It'll be very useful. I have to go now, the Slayer and I need to talk then I have to leave." Alucard said after shaking Giles' hand.
"Leave, why?"
"There are other pieces of my armor in California and I sense they are in the possession of a mutual ally." Alucard calmly explained. With that he left.

******

Willow and Spike walked from Giles' house in comfortable silence. As they left the complex they casually grasped hands and walked roughly in the direction of the UC Sunnydale campus. About a block from their destination, Spike got a tingling sensation in the back of his head. Pulling Willow to him, her back firmly against his chest, "There are about six vampires coming in this direction, look frightened." He whispered in her ear.
As the vampires cam into sight she began to struggle. "Spike, man, and we thought you had gone soft." One of the party said, fully in game face.
"Yeah, well how else was I going to get the Slayer to trust me?" He raped his hand around Willow's neck, lossly, but so it looked like her was controlling her.
"She's my newest recruit, if you idiot would get the hell out of here." Spike leaned in close to Willow's neck, placing feather kisses, before vamping out, barley nicking her skin with his fangs.
"We were just leaving, Master Spike, nice to see you back in the game, we'll spread the word." As they turned to leave, Spike dropped two stakes into Willow's hands and released her.
The first two vamps were dust in seconds. Willow took a second on and quickly dispatched of him with a round house to his chest and then a quick stake to his heart.
Spike was holding his own, with the other three, but Willow come behind one, doused his head with holy water and as he turned, staked him. Spike dusted the other two quickly and offered Willow his hand. She took it and they continued to the dorm.
"Sorry about your neck, luv." Spike tentatively brushed some of the blood of her neck.
"Its ok, made 'um easier to kill. Didn't hurt." Willow smiled to reassure him, then she touched her brow and wrinkled her nose. Spike gave her a confused look. "Your still all vampy, Spike, unless the other vampires aren't gone, you might want to unvamp?"
Spike gave her a sheepish grin, a feet of sorts, with fangs, and slipped out of his game face.
"Thanks, pet, I forget sometimes." He stuck his fingers, still coated with her blood in his mouth and smiled, "just like candy." Willow blushed and pulled him the rest of the way up the stairs to the room she and Buffy shared.
"Thanks for the walk home," Willow looked at her feet.
"Anytime, pet." Spike put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head to him. Placing a soft kiss on her lips, he turned to leave. "See you at sunset, at Giles'?"
"Night, Spike." Willow stepped into her room and leaned against the newly closed door, her fingers brushing her still tingling lips.
 

END PART 1
 

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