Pirates Versus Privates : Versus Vampires,4

"He just had to come in the middle of it, didn't he? What a spoilsport."

"I did warn you about the dangers of a runaway piece."

"You certainly more than made up for it. I hope you keep it up."

~*~

The sun was beginning to rise on the graveyard, but the Count made no effort to find solace in the shadows. Overwhelmed by everything that had happened, he sat among the mounds of dust that were once bodies, once more lost in his sorrows. The Captain was upset, but instead chose to pace around, hoping that making blood run through his body would stimulate new ideas on how to handle all of the strange problems they encountered. They did not speak to each other, but eventually, the Count cleared his throat, feeling he should at least try to make amends. "I am… starting to think that was not my Mina."

"Ye think?" The Captain cast an annoyed glare to his double. "Kinda hoped ye'd figure it out when she told ye that wasn't her name." 'Stupid', he didn't say, but was clearly meant.

The Count's lips twitched as he suppressed a snarl. "She looks exactly like her! She has the same voice! How much blame do I really deserve?"

"Plenty, seein' as she was scared ta death of ye." The Captain turned on his heel, and the two men angrily met eyes. "Ye should be grateful I ain't knockin' those choppers outta yer mouth fer makin' her cry."

"Stop calling them choppers! They're fangs!" Indignant, the Count stood, ready to fight all over again. "And I never meant to make her cry, or to cause her fear! I love her – I mean, Mina! I love Mina  with all my heart!"

Where the Count argued with emotion, the Captain took a more childish method. "Well, I love Minnie more. We're gettin' married and everything."

"So are we!" Though the Count could have taken a more mature route, this other him so irritated him deeply that he too fell into silly fighting. He jabbed his finger repeatedly into the pirate's chest with every word. "In fact, now that I've had time to think it over, I can't see why I thought your woman could have possibly been my Mina. Mina is far more beautiful!"

The Captain and the Count wound up in the world's dumbest shoving match now, as their pride and reckless affections waged war. "That's a lie! My Minnie is the prettiest girl in all the seven seas! Ye take that back!"

"At least my woman doesn't shamelessly show off her legs in public!"

"That's her uniform! And whaddya doin' lookin' at her legs?!"

The pointless bickering continued back and forth, going through such tirades as more colorful eyes and best hips to bear children with, and it could have continued long enough to have the sun fully rise and cook the Count into a crisp. Fortunately for everyone involved, the sound of a horse's whinny was enough to distract the two from delving any further. Hands at each other's throats, the men looked towards where the equine noise had come from, and realized that in their petty squabbles, they hadn't noticed the large, black hearse enter the graveyard and ride towards them. The single rider atop the hearse was also cloaked in black, and it was impossible to see his face. Yet it was because of this that the Count recognized him at once, and unceremoniously dropped his double flat on his back. "My hearse!"

The Captain grumbled, sitting up. "What, yer gunna run away just when I was winnin'?"

That could have just as easily started another argument, but the door to the hearse opened wide, and a familiar voice snapped at them. "Will you two idiots get in here before he disintegrates?"

"Oswald!" said the Count, and "Obie!" said the Captain. The vampire made it to the hearse first, climbing in, and the Captain quickly followed soon after, shutting the door behind him. The Count sat down, relaxing in the darkness, but the Captain stood, even as the hearse began to ride off again. He was stunned silent for the moment by, first, the sight of Oswald. Instead of being the dapper snob he somewhat recalled, this Oswald looked to be a fighter, with worn out clothes, traces of muscle, and most importantly, an entire arm replaced by metal. Then came the matter of the rabbit holding a green orb with a woman's head in it. Then the pirate started realizing all the other strangeness of his identical twin – such  as the change from weak to strong when he left the church, the fact that his wounds had started to heal on his own, and, perhaps most importantly, how he made a giant sword out of nowhere.

He blinked once. "… I've got some questions." Which was putting it mildly.

"Sit down." Oswald tried to balance Leota on his lap correctly. "And hopefully she's got the answers."

"I think a round of introductions is in order first." She replied calmly, slowly looking from one Mickey to the other. "That may ease the confusion some, before I'm ready to begin. My name is Madame Leota."

The mice shared a distrusting look with each other, but the vampire decided to go first. "I am Count Mickey Dragul."

"Oh, ye couldn't just stop with stealin' me girl, had ta go steal me name too?" The pirate huffed, crossing his arms. "… Captain Mickey."

"And I am Oswald VanHellsing… not Obie." The rabbit had a distinct feeling he was going to have twice the amount of headaches he usually did when dealing with Dragul. "You got that?"

"Aye, Olympus."

Leota thankfully knew when to cut in before a whole new fight started. "I summoned Oswald to the castle in order to bring me to the both of you. But I cannot the situation at hand with only words… I have the ability for us to link our minds together, so I can share all of this information at once. Now, join hands." There was quiet for a moment, as none of the men in the hearse wanted do it. "… Join hands!" Grumbling, the men reluctantly agree to it, forming an odd little triangle. "Now, close your eyes, and wait." With their eyes closed, they didn't see Leota's green glow turn harsh, nearly blinding, and encompassing the entire inside of the hearse. The men could feel their nerves tingle, and a soft haze came into their minds. It was almost like falling asleep underwater. One minute passed…

"Now, open your eyes."

The first immediate change they noticed was that they were no longer in the hearse. Instead, they stood in an endless sky of changing blue, with small crystals dangling from nothing all around. The Captain recognized the space from when he had traveled through the mirror, but then other changes became more apparent. They released each others hands, startled at their own bodies. The Count's monstrous features were more noticeable now… his fingers had become sharpened claws, the very tips highlighted with fresh blood. All of his teeth had fang shapes to them, and his ankles were chained together, his healing wounds now opened. For Oswald, it was no longer his arm that was just mechanical – now half of his entire body was machine! The remaining humanity of him had one fang in his mouth, and he too had fresh blood on the tips of his hands. For the Captain, he…

…  Well, he was just two inches taller than the other men, and that seemed to be the only noticeable change.

"This is your mind's eye at work." Leota explained, but she was no longer a head in glass. She was a fully formed human woman, dressed in gypsy garbs and almost painfully beautiful in every manner. She smiled with faint amusement to see the surprise on the faces of the men. "I was alive too, at one point. These forms are how we see ourselves… I still think of myself as I was when I was alive. Oswald, you worry that you become less mortal with each kill you deliver, and fear you may become what you hunt. Dragul, you see yourself as a monster, and unable to escape your family's fate. Captain…" She paused briefly. "… You appear to be quite at ease with yourself."

The pirate relished his taller superiority for a few quick seconds before getting back to the important matter. "So, yer sayin' we're in our heads? Then what's with the light display all 'round us?"

Leota gently took one of the small jewels into her palms, and held it out for all of them to see closer. "What we see around is an illusion of a real place. The Captain and his companion have experienced it firsthand. It has no true name, but for the sake of simplicity, we shall call it… the All Gateway." She waved her hand over the jewel, and in a blink, there were two of the same jewel. "I speak of other worlds."

Oswald interrupted, thinking he had the answer. "You mean like Mars, Venus…?"

Leota shook her head, and allowed the jewels to float a few inches above her hand. "I did not say planets… worlds. Other lifetimes exist outside of our own. For every decision we do and do not make, another world is formed. We exist in every world, but our story is always different." She gestured to one jewel. "In this world, a young man named Mickey was born into the vampire line of Dragul, and lived a life of ghostly solitude in his castle until a mortal woman changed him." Then she gestured to the other jewel. "In this world, a young man named Mickey was also born, but into a life of poverty and theft, eventually dedicating his ambitions to winning the affections of his every opposite." The Captain raised an eyebrow to that knowledge, and Leota spread out her hands. "In this mind link, I can see all of your memories. Concentrate hard enough, and you should do the same."

The vampire crossed his arms, unsettled by the education he was receiving. "And just how do you know all of this, Leota?"

Leota threw the jewels into the air, and they hung perfectly in place with its brethren. "There are many secrets in the Dragul line you don't know about, my lord. Your father was a dangerous man, and he craved power. He sought out all information available to him, no matter how insane the concept seemed. This was just one of many theories he sought out… it just happened to be a correct one. The knowledge has changed hands many times in safety, because so little believed it could be true. Unfortunately, someone has done the impossible. Access to the All Gateway has not only been made, but violated, trespassing into other worlds."

The Captain tapped his chin in thought as he recalled his sweetheart's words. "That has ta be that weird lookin' doll, and that man that took me Minnie… I think she called him Gracey."

"I heard it too, but I still have trouble believing it." The Count frowned, eyes fixated on the jewels above. "The last of the Graceys have been dead for years. The ghosts of his brides reside in my castle."

"You shouldn't say that like it's a really normal thing." Oswald muttered under his breath, but the Captain was willing to accept any craziness at this point.

"You forgot so easily what I have said, Count." Leota waved her hands back and forth, mimicking a conductor waving his baton, and all of the jewels around them began to drift around. "This could very well be a Gracey from another world. He has breached into forbidden magic, from what I can see in your memories…  for what purpose he has taken Mina and Minnie, I do not know. But I do know if that he continues violating the All Gateway, we will all be in danger." She clenched her fists, and the jewels began to shake violently. One by one, they began to shatter. "It cannot handle these abrupt changes, and it will affect the other worlds. I fear that if he continues, the distortion caused by his presence and kidnappings will cause the other worlds to cease existing all together."

"Let me get this straight." Oswald held out a hand, trying to catch a falling jewel, but missed. "If we don't save the girls, we're all going to die?"

"No. We shall just simply… stop being." She snapped her fingers, and the jewels froze in mid-dissolve. "There will be nothing there. No past, present, or future, for any of us. It shall be as if we never existed." She began to look exhausted, and slowly sat down on her knees. It was obvious that sustaining this link for so long was beginning to take its toll on her, but she refused their gestures for aid, needing to finish. "… We will return to the castle, for there is a book that speaks of how to reach the All Gateway. However, only I can open it, and not all of you can enter. I do not even know how long I can keep it open. But you must find where Gracey has hidden himself, get your women back, and return to your respective worlds, before it is too late."

Again, the men all exchanged looks with each other. This time, however, the Captain burst into a grin, giving an enthusiastic thumb up. "I didn't understand much a' that, but as long as I get ta save me turtledove, count me in. Ye know what they say about rescue romances!"

The Count snorted derisively, but he was also smiling. "I'm willing to work with anyone as long as Mina is returned home safely. I suppose this makes us allies."

Oswald whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Ortensia's never going to believe this one… but I guess if it gets rid of the second pain, I'm in. What do you need us to do, Leota?"

Leota raised her head, looking seriously at the trio. "When we reach the castle… we'll have to get prepared."

~*~

"This is not how you treat a lady, especially one in the NAVY!" Minnie had yelled when she got her rump haplessly tossed into the dark and damp cell block. Who knows why she thought this would earn her freedom, when her constant yelling during her entire kidnapping hadn't done a thing. Gracey and E had ignored her every word since they traveled through the All Gateway, and before Minnie could even grasp what had happened, they were standing in front of a crumbling dungeon. Minnie's remaining sword had been stolen, and she had been tossed inside while her kidnappers walked away without a care. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing the iron bars and trying one last time to call out to her captors. "Just wait! Captain Amelia will have your heads for this, if my friends don't find you first! And don't blame me if that stupid pirate comes too!"

"I'm afraid threats won't do us any good here." Her own voice softly chided. "Are you hurt?"

Minnie stopped, and turned around. Though she had been given plenty of surprises in the last twenty-four hours, she still had the ability to be shocked, which is how she felt when she saw her own face staring back at her. This other Minnie sat in the cell with her wrists and ankles chained together, severely limiting her movement. Her lovely clothes by now had been ripped in desperate struggles, and her elongated hair was matted with sweat and knots. She also carried the same blood red eyes of the lunatic in the graveyard. While this other woman was openly astonished by these similarities, Minnie was able to come to a conclusion. "…You must be Mina."

"Why… yes. How did you know?" Mina had a million questions for her counterpart, but she'd just have to pick and choose for now.

"I met your boyfriend." Minnie rubbed her neck as she irritably remembered how close his teeth had gotten to her skin, and her cheeks pinked. "I don't suppose you have any idea why we're here?"

Mina slowly shook her head no. "I was taken from my home by those people, and I've been trapped here so long… I don't even know how long."

Minnie looked her over again, having her own questions to guess at. "Why did they chain you up and not me?" She knelt down to her double, taking a closer look at the bonds that held her. A faint smell reached her, and she saw with horror that the cuffs on her had burnt Mina's flesh. "Oh my goodness! You're hurt!" How, she didn't understand, but she frantically looked around, trying to think of a way to help her.

Mina smiled weakly, appreciating the sympathy. "It's all right… I've gotten numb to the pain. They didn't want to risk me being able to use my powers…" She sighed pitifully oblivious to the stare Minnie was giving her. "Which is just as well, as I really haven't been able to understand how to use of them."

"… Powers." Minnie repeated flatly. She waited for the punch line of this obvious joke.

Mina nodded. "Well, yes. My vampire powers." Wasn't that obvious?

A long, unhealthy pause grew between them, as Mina innocently wondered why Minnie's expressions became at first, incredulous, then believable, and then terrified. In a rather humiliating display of fear, Minnie sprung to her feet, clutching her head. "Aaaah! All of grandfather's stories were true! First those things in the graveyard, and now vampires! That means ghosts are real too! And sailor eating mermaids!  And the boogeyman! And-" She screeched as her own thoughts interrupted her. "That creep with Mickey's face! He was a vampire! And he was going to suck my blood! Ewww!"

"Mickey is not a creep!" Mina would have let Minnie hyperventilate onward, but she would never let her darling be insulted in such a way. "It must have been a misunderstanding! He doesn't want to bite and hurt people!"

Minnie, with her hands on her neck as if to prevent further biting, cast a haughty look at her double. "He seemed very eager about it when he thought I was you."

It was Mina's turn to blush as she understood what had happened. "… That's different. It's… kind of a romantic thing, between vampires. He honestly didn't mean you any ill will, if he thought you were me. He's really very kind and sweet… and you really can calm down, I'm not going to bite you. These are silver chains."

Minnie hesitated, but as the seconds passed, she understood that no further harm was going to come to her. Resigning herself to her current fate, she sat down next to her double. "All right… here's what I know. A man named Mister Gracey and his doll took us, and he prepared in advance to keep us here. He's so confident that no one will come after him that he didn't bother to harm… the Mickeys." It felt silly to call them that, so she rushed forward with her words. "There's no way all of us looking alike can be a coincidence. He wants the both of us alive, but doesn't care if we get hurt."

"I can't imagine what he could want with me… us." Mina hung her head, ashamed of how useless she had been when she was captured. "Like I said, I barely know how to use my powers… and only Mickey would care enough to come after me. And if he does come after me… I fear he'll be put in terrible danger." She whimpered a little, frightened for the fate of her beloved."If only I could have put up a fight…"

Minnie felt it was very odd to see her reflection ready to cry. Awkwardly, she moved closer, and began petting Mina's hair. "Yes, well, if your Mickey is anything like mine, he'll come charging in no matter what dangers there are. They're stupid like that." She put her fingers to work, deciding if she could keep herself busy, she wouldn't be as scared as Mina was, and thus tried to smoothen out Mina's hair. "He'll ignore all the logic in his way, and do anything and everything in his power to get to you. Not even getting hurt is going to stop him. He'll try to be like Prince Charming, a knight on a white horse, breaking out his fair princess. He won't rest until you know you're safe again."

Mina sniffled, smiling friendly at her companion. "Oh, my… you love your Mickey very much too, don't you?"

Minnie's entire face became redder than Mina's eyes in an instant. "W-what?! No! Of course not!" She looked away, morbidly embarrassed by what she had slip out. "I was…  was talking only about yours, of course! I hate my Mickey!  … N-not that I think of him as my Mickey! He's his own Mickey! He's a filthy, rotten pirate, and as a member of the NAVY, it's my job to arrest him and bring him to justice!"

Mina tilted her head over the unfamiliar terminology. "NAVY? What's that?"

"You don't know what the NAVY is?" Minnie was flabbergasted by such lack of knowledge. "Why in the world do you think I'm wearing such a short skirt?"

"I was going to ask about that next…"

Thus the two began exchanging information about each other's lives, for lack of anything better to do. Minnie regaled tales of thievery and treachery, interlaced with Mickey's romantic stupidity. Mina spoke of the difficult life under her uncle, and the newfound joy and experiences she had upon meeting Count Dragul. They laughed at the foolishness of men, and were sympathetic to the plights of loss. Had the circumstances not been what they were, they could have been friends very easily. However, every so often, Mina would wince from the pain of silver, or Minnie would shiver from the cold of the cell, and they would be reminded of the terrible situation they were in. For now, they had no choice but to endure it.

~*~

Captain Mickey hummed at the impressive sight that was the Dragul castle. His jokes about how it would be a fun place to rob didn't quite entertain the others, and he grumbled about their lack of funny bones as they went inside, the vampire just barely avoiding the sunlit rays of a new day. When the heavy doors closed behind the small group, there were ghostly calls of relief, as the spirits of the manor were glad to see their master returned.

"We have no time for greetings now." Leota warned, managing to recover now that she was back in the castle. "Take me to my tower, and we can get the preparations started."

"Follow me." The Count instructed, but he had not taken three steps before one of the ghosts accidentally blocked their path.

Emily had been so glad to see the Count back that she could not contain herself, and floated up from the floor to greet them. "Count, thank goodness you're home!"

As usual, Oswald shrieked humorously in fright, almost dropping Leota. He groaned after he realized what had happened, and took a huge breath to calm himself. "Emily! You really need to stop doing that, or soon I'll be a ghost too!" On the plus side, maybe he'd get to have some fun watching the pirate in fear. Both he and the Count looked back to see how the Captain was handling himself.

Yes, the Captain was afraid – but this was a different kind of fear. His face had gone pale, and he had started to step back, trembling in his boots. This wasn't fear of the unknown and unnatural – this was fear of something he had seen once and should never have seen again. There were even hints of tears at the edges of his eyes, and his voice, while shaky, could be heard by all in the room. "… Mama?"

End of Chapter Four.