[fic] Just Desserts (Trinity Blood, Ion Fortuna, Alpha #5)
Title: Just Desserts
Author:moony810
Theme: Alpha #5, Justice
Pairing: IonxEsther and hinted past-tense IonxRadu
Rating:
Disclaimer: If I owned Trinity Blood, I wouldn't have to write fanfiction about it.
Summary: In which Dietrich von Loehngrin gets his just desserts...
Just Desserts
It was dim in the cell, but he saw well enough in the dark to note when the Puppetmaster woke up, though the man continued to feign unconsciousness. “Stop pretending, Puppetmaster. I know you're awake.” He saw the man jerk and smiled sweetly, though the Terran couldn't see it. “I see you remember me. I'm flattered.” He walked toward his captive with slow, sinuous steps, and was pleased, when he reached the man, to see that he was tensed, angry...and yet utterly helpless. Revenge, Ion reflected, was sweet indeed.
He bent down to smile into the Puppetmaster's face. “I don't think I've ever seen such a pretty face on a grown man. A devil masquerading as an angel of light, indeed.”
“What do you want, vampire?” The Puppetmaster spat and raised his chin. Proudly. Defiantly. “Surely you don't have me chained here just to make small talk-” He cut himself off with a ragged gasp as Ion wrapped a hand around his throat and squeezed, just enough to make it hard to breathe.
“Very astute of you. You're absolutely right, Puppetmaster. You're here for retribution.” Ion released his grip and trailed his claws along Dietrich's neck, almost but not quite breaking the skin. Despite that, Dietrich laughed.
“Hah! How ironic- a vampire with no soul is going to make me pay for my sins against humanity.” He continued to chuckle darkly until Ion spoke again., looking to the floor in thought.
“I really can't say I care much about the majority of the humans you've wronged, because I don't. The only one I really care at all about is Esther.” His tone was quiet and thoughtful. Musing. Then he looked up at Dietrich again, and a sweet smile lit those innocent features. “No, Pupppetmaster. You misunderstand. The sins I'm talking about are the ones you've committed against my two most precious people.” Dietrich smirked up at him.
“So you're going to torture me into apologizing for what I did to Esther and your friend Radu? How incredibly beastly.”
“Who said anything about torture?” Ion asked, the epitome of innocence as he gazed down at Dietrich. “No, I'm a firm believer in a little something called 'poetic justice.' You're an intelligent man, surely you've heard of it?”
Dietrich had. It was a belief in making the condemned suffer whatever crime they'd forced onto others. And as he stared up at his captor, for the first time, he was afraid. Afraid of this delicate, angelic looking being who was going to take every bit of suffering Dietrich had inflicted onto him and return it tenfold. And who knew what kind of punishments the little monster could think up...Ion canted his head, looking thoughtful.
“A monster?” He asked, looking thoughtful. “Yes, I suppose I am. Now.” He smiled bitterly at Dietrich, a fallen angel now. “But it's you who molded me into this. For what you did to Radu, tried to do to Esther and me, I became obsessed with revenge. I may be no better than you anymore, for all the blood on my hands.”
A sneer curled Dietrich's lips and he opened his mouth to make a smart remark despite the fear. But Ion's expression darkened, and Dietrich remembered that he wasn't looking at the lovely little earl from behind anyone's face but his own. And his body was all too frail and human.
“Here it is, Puppetmaster. Your poetic justice.” Ion smirked, and there was sadistic joy in his blood red eyes. “Do you remember, five years ago, when you slit my jugular and left me locked in a cell with Esther, giving us the ultimatum that we had to kill each other?” Dietrich did, and Ion's smirk widened at the look of comprehension in his eyes. “This is that very cell, Puppetmaster. Now, what do you think is going to happen to you?” At that moment, there was a rustling sound from outside the cell, and Esther appeared, lovely except for the ugly red line of blood on the side of her neck, and the blood dried on her gown. Her deep blue eyes were glassy with innocence and hunger. Dietrich was shocked.
“Ion...” She whispered. “I'm so hungry...” The earl turned and swept her into his arms, kissing her chastely on the lips.
“Patience, my love. Just a bit longer.”
“Do you promise?” She pouted, and as he looked at them together, Dietrich realized that Esther's skin was the same shade of pale as the little earl's.
“Of course.” Ion turned his attention back to Dietrich, and in a quiet voice, devoid of all emotions, he explained, “You cut her jugular, yes. And she nearly bled to death. It's a miracle her majesty could control the Diwan long enough for her to receive the necessary transfusion.”
“Of baccilli.” Dietrich whispered numbly.
“Of baccilli.” Ion confirmed. “Mine. She is my fledgling now, and she is completely healed from your attempt on her life. But, as you yourself once said, the worst part is now.” Esther let out a keening whine as she stared at Dietrich, and Ion half-turned, taking a moment to soothe her. Once she was quieted, he turned back to Dietrich. “My child hungers, Puppetmaster. And such hunger is terrible for any Methuselah. But for a newborn fledgling it is agony- if I left her unfed, they would be able to hear her cries all the way in Londinium.” Dietrich gasped, and Ion smiled again, content now. “You understand it, don't you Puppetmaster? What your punishment will be?”
“But that's not possible!” Dietrich cried out, wide-eyed. “You wouldn't gamble with Esther's life like that! You care too much!” Ion looked extremely satisfied at that.
“Oh, it won't be any risk to Esther at all. Because you see, Puppetmaster, there's one key difference between my scenario and the one you set up that day. Your arms are bound, so you have no chance to fend her off with a silver sword.” With that said, and ignoring Dietrich's sudden shouts and curses and other vocalizations, he turned to Esther, and stroked his thumb down her cheek. “Go and drink, my love.” Esther broke away from him and kneeled to embrace Dietrich. She was cold. Cold and dead. She tore his high-necked shirt away, and ran her fingers down his neck.
“Esther, please,” She was the one person Dietrich was not above pleading with, because he was sure that, with her kind nature, she would spare him, and Ion's vengeance would be undone, “Please, spare me. I love you, and I know you used to love me at one point. In memory of that love, please...” Esther looked up at him, but there was no mercy in her eyes.
“You always had such a way with words, Dietrich.” Her tone was as merciless as her eyes. “But your pretty words can't fool me anymore. If you loved me, you wouldn't have slit my throat and left me to die.” Even in this situation, he was impressed that she could master the hunger enough to speak clearly.
“Esther-” She smiled, sudden and sweet, eyes empty as glass once again.
“Goodbye, Dietrich.” She lowered her head and bit into his neck, and quite soon, Dietrich's world went black.
~
Esther sat back and let Dietrich's corpse slide from her grasp. Her eyes were wide with shock, and she raised a trembling hand to her lips. Ion was immediately embracing her from behind, pressing soft, comforting kisses to her cheek, her temple, her hair. “Oh, God...” She whispered. There was such despair in the words it almost made Ion's heart break.
“Esther, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-”
“No, it's alright.” She turned and smiled at him, the smile of an angel despite the tears in her eyes. “It's not as if I didn't have blood on my hands already, after all.”
“No!” Ion almost screamed the word, burying his face in Esther's neck and hugging her as close as he could. “No, Esther! His blood is on my hands! I took advantage of your need for blood to use it for my own stupid revenge!” Despite himself, he felt tears starting in his own eyes. “I didn't want you to have another stain on your soul...I wanted it to be mine to bear...but it all went wrong, didn't it?”
“Ion...” He looked up at her when she spoke his name.
“All I wanted...all I wanted was to make him pay for hurting you and Radu. Is that so wrong?”
“The desire isn't wrong.” She was infinitely comforting, infinitely gentle, as she stroked his hair and wiped away the tears he hadn't even known had fallen. “But vengeance only begets more vengeance. It doesn't fulfill anyone, in the end.”
“I know...I know. But I...” He took his face between his hands and pulled her close, so close they were almost kissing. “I love you, Esther. But...” He let her go and laughed, bitter and self-loathing. “But I'm a monster, maybe no better than him. Tainted. And I taint you by loving you...every moment we're together.” He kissed her, chastely and gently, and rose to leave, but Esther ran after, and hugged him to her, his back to her chest.
“No, Ion. I don't want you to leave. I was already tainted and bloodstained before we met. That has nothing to do with you. And you're not a monster. A monster wouldn't have saved my life today. A monster wouldn't be willing to die for my sake, like you were here in this room five years ago. So don't cry anymore.” She kissed him, and he clung to her, relieved and soothed.. 'And besides...if it stops your thirst for vengeance, I don't mind being tainted a little bit more by your love...'
Please don't go, I want you to stay
I'm begging you please, please don't leave here
I don't want you to hate for all the hurt that you feel
The world is just illusion trying to change you