1830 - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

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Ten years had passed since Morris Baldwin and his companions placed a seal upon the Dark Lord, and thus far it had remained unchallenged.

Both Hugh and Nathan had grown into strong warriors, very nearly equal in their skills, with Hugh the superior of the two by a small margin. However, despite his demonstrated ability to outdo Nathan, Morris had favored Nathan, and had chosen him to inherit the Vampire Killer whip over his own son. This embittered Hugh, who then came to view Nathan purely as a rival and no longer as a friend or comrade.

This was the state of affairs when the evil, fiendish Camilla, herself only recently resurrected from the dead, discovered the nature of Morris's seal and set about breaking it in an old castle in Austria. Morris, Hugh, and Nathan sensed a disturbance in nature and rushed the great distance to Austria to stop the pending resuscitation. However, they arrived just moments too late.

Camilla had broken the seal, and Dracula, though weakened by his ten year confinement, was alive and well once again. Dracula knew he would need his full power swiftly though, and he decided that it would be suitably ironic to use the power of his former captor in order to retrieve it. Casting Hugh and Nathan into a deep pit that lead to the lowest catacomb of the castle, Dracula took the startled Morris prisoner and awaited only the full moon to finish the ritual.

Meanwhile, Hugh and Nathan recovered from their fall to find themselves lost in the depths of the castle, which the spirit of Castlevania had now settled over. Hugh, full of his own ego and of disdain for Nathan, told his counterpart to leave the castle as he would "only be in the way," and to leave the rescue of his father to him. Nathan let Hugh go ahead, but he had no intentions of leaving. With the Vampire Killer whip in hand, he set forth on his adventure.

Nathan encountered Hugh more than once, and each time his former comrade seemed less and less himself, and more and more of a bitter, jealous enemy. When Nathan was nearing the end of his quest and found himself in battle with Camilla, the demoness told him in no uncertain terms that his friend had given himself over to darkness. Nathan did not want to believe this, but he knew that it fit with Hugh's recent irrational attitude perfectly.

Once Nathan reached the highest room of the castle's observatory, he learned the truth for himself. Hugh stood before him ready to battle, proclaiming that Dracula had given him new power to defeat Nathan. The two former training partners now faced each other as enemies in a deadly battle. Hugh, though he fought with a sword, was an even match for Nathan physically. However, his blind rage and the darkness he had let into his heart proved to be his weaknesses, and Nathan drove him beyond his limit. Once Hugh finally conceded, the power of Dracula passed from him and he was left to see the folly of his own actions. Humiliated, he begged Nathan to forgive him and to save his father. Nathan was understanding and did not want to see Hugh like this, but Hugh simply asked him to allow him self-pity for the time being.

Nathan seized the Last Key which would allow him to enter the Ceremonial Room and rushed there quickly. He was just in time, as Dracula was preparing the final acts of the ritual to restore his power. He engaged the Prince of Darkness in battle just as all those who had come before him. Easily defeating Dracula in his human form, the demon fled to the Chaotic Realm, proclaiming his obvious need for more power. Hugh seized the opportunity to dash in and help Nathan release Morris. Hugh told Nathan to destroy Dracula, and that he would take Morris outside. Nathan agreed and stepped into the beam of unholy light into which Dracula had vanished. A collosal battle then began between Nathan and Dracula in demonic form. Nathan used his whip and his magic cards expertly, and dealt the dark Prince his end.

Outside the castle, Nathan found Hugh with Morris, who was recovering from his injuries. Hugh, now having admitted his emotional weakness and having understood why Nathan had been chosen over him, was respectful and friendly, and was excited to rebegin his training with Nathan's help. Nathan was glad to have his old friend back.

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All original content copyright © 2005 James Haley. Permission is granted to distribute and create derivative works from this story in any format under the condition that this notice remains intact.