//------------------------------//
// Awakening 
// Story: Vampire the Masquerade: Equestria 
// by Rysthcrg 
//------------------------------//

				My name is... Well, I would tell, but it seems no one is interested in knowing my name. I am called neonate, childe, kid, cammy and some other things. Even VV, Velvet Velour, the woman who said that I stole her heart, didn't bother with my name, so I will spare you from the trouble. Just call me whatever you like. I am a member of Clan Toreador. I was Camarilla until tonight. I was taking orders from Prince LaCroix. I was his champion, then I got too powerful and he chose to put a bloodhunt on my head. I carried his every order, I did every job he gave to me, I didn't ask any questions, I didn't break any rules, I would never betray him, but he betrayed me. Tonight I came to the Venture Tower in the name of Ming Xiao. I will put an end to LaCroix's rule and remove the bloodhunt. Kuei-Jin will rule Los Angeles and I will be free to do as I wish. But first... I took a one last look at the Sheriff's grotesque gargoyle body, before he turned to ashes. There was no more obstacle in my way. I went inside the building and open the doors of LaCroix's throne room. He was pacing beside the sarcophagus. He stopped, seeing me walking towards him.

"You traitor! Do you know what you have done?" LaCroix shouted in defeat. "Siding with those devils over your own kind!" Says the man who puts a bloodhunt on my head. I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. He knew he couldn't best me in a combat. He knew there was no one to protect him from me or Ming Xiao. He was desperate. Once mighthy prince of Camarilla, now whining like a child. I allowed him to continue. "They are going to kill us all! Do you understand? You've sealed our FATE! They will never let you live! We have to open the sarcophagus!" Yes, genius and how are you going to do that without the key? It didn't matter though as I saw Ming Xiao entering the room with her men. LaCroix was still talking. "It's the only way to- Oh..." Until he noticed Kuei-Jin that is. His face was priceless. I could see him losing every last piece of hope. This is what happens to betrayers LaCroix. "It's too late." He fell on his knees.

Ming Xiao walked towards him as I step back to give her some room. Her men surrounded us and sarcophagus. "My complements, Sebastian. You couldn't have picked a more capable and ambitious operative. You should have done a better job of keeping someone who so vital to your success on you side." She crouched down and put her arm around LaCroix's shoulders. "I was... Greatful that they came to see me tonight." She looked at me for a second before continuing with LaCroix. She gripped his chin lightly and turned his face to herself. "What's the matter, you are very quiet, it's so unlike you." She said mocking with him. "Did you have a speech prepared for me, Sebastian, for when you and your soldiers would walk into my temple and put me to death? What words awaited me in that cavalier braggadocio of yours? Hmm, sweet prince?" He said nothing. Xiao let LaCroix's head and straightened up. "I always imagined you would beg for your life. Attempt some final bargain to save that handsome head of yours." LaCroix looked at her for a second, then lowered his head again. "I am refreshed and humbled by your silence. My apologies, Sebastian." She stood up. "Unfortunutely, this is all I had to say. Farewell." 

She turned to me and put her arm around my shoulders. I started walking away from Sebastian LaCroix as she did too. "You were splendid tonight. With LaCroix gone, the Camarilla will fall. Without Nines Rodriguez or the Camarilla to lead them, the rest of the kindred will be flushed from their havens and driven out like rats from the flood." I heard the sound of a blade beheading LaCroix. Ming Xiao and I both turned our heads just in time to see him burst into flames and turn into ashes. "What did he think he would accomplish with this?" She was looking at the sarcophagus. "Hmm. No matter. I can think of a perfectly good use for it. There is still one very dangerous kindred in this city who could stand in the way of my goal." She put her hand on my shoulder as her men pointed their weapons towards me. "Did you really think I could let you exist in our society? But I do appreciate your service to me, and for that, I will spare your life. Farewell kindred." I was dumbfounded. I should have seen this coming. "Take him, tie him up to the sarcophagus." How could I be this stupid. After all these plots I have been a part of, my judgement was clouded by my own desperation of getting rid of the bloodhunt. I could trust no one, I was seeing this now, but it was too late.

They tied me up to the sacophagus and loaded it to a truck. I couldn't see where we were heading but I knew that Ming Xiao wouldn't be satisfied with banishing me from the city. She said she could think of a good use for sarcophagus. Was she going to put me inside and bury me? No, she was afraid of the contents of the sarcophagus as much as every kindred in this city, she wouldn't dare to open it. Then what? What are you going to do to me Xiao? The truck stopped, it was time for me to get my answers. As they unload the sarcophagus I saw that we were at a port and they were taking the sarcophagus towards a boat. They are going to throw me into the ocean! I was about to start an attemp to bargain with them but I realized that it was useless. They were planning this even before coming to Venture Tower. LaCroix's words came to my mind. You have sealed our FATE! They will never let you live! I smiled wryly. He got the half of it right. I did seal our fates. Atleast I was not going to die like him, I hope. I knew it is going to be painful, though. The pressure was going to crush my body. Fortunutely I didn't need air, but God knows how long I will stay deep in the ocean. I heard that Antediluvians survived the great flood by slumbering under the water. Perhaps I could sleep like them. I am likely to get hungry so I pity on those who will find me. Though, probably my bindings will decay before that and allow me to escape. They put the sarcophagus on the boat and started the engine.

Being a Toreador, I always had craved for my life as a human more than others. I did good things to remain as a human, atleast on a characteristic level. I killed, of course, but always in self defence. It's not my stile to kill for fun or just because I can. I prefer talking about our problems. I helped people, even that hunter Yuki. I was as human as a kindred could be and it made me slip in this world of monsters. One wrong step and now I will end up thrown in to the ocean. Never again. I will never pretend like something I am not. I should have killed everyone. I should have end both Kuei-Jin and Camarilla. I laughed to myself. Xiao and her men looked at me. Yeah, like there will be another chance for me. When the time I could free myself from these binding Kuei-Jin will be in charge of the whole Los Angeles. I was wondering... "Tell me Xiao, do you think I am a gullible fool?"

She came closer to me. "Don't say that, my sweet kindred." She said, caressing my cheek. "I would never insult you like that." She started walking towards my feet. "You have done the only thing you could, afterall. It's not like you could go anyone but me. Besides, after all that chaos and strife, you are walking out alive. I would be... content, if I were you."

"Would you, really?" What a bullshit. "You would be content for being thrown into the ocean? It seems I am indeed a gullible fool to you." She smirked. It was the only answer I was going to get.

The rest of our short journey was in silence only broken by the sounds of waves and boat's engine which suddenly came to an end. It was time to get rid of me and sarcophagus. There was no talking, everyone knew their job. The man standing at my feet threw his cigarette while turning around to push the sarcophagus into the ocean. I slowly slid overboard with Xiao walking beside me. With a loud splash I started to sink. They were looking at the water as I sank deeper and deeper. I lost them from my sight. I was sinking so fast, water had already began to crush me. My eardrums popped, I clenched my jaws as tears start to form in my eyes. I could feel the pressure around my throat. My larynx crushed. The pain was unbearable. I opened my mouth to scream, water filled my lungs. I was coughing under water with my crushed larynx, the agony... A sound in the back of my head was speaking weakly, telling me not to panic, reminding me that I didn't need air, telling that water in my lungs and my crushed larynx didn't matter at all. But I was in no condition to listen to it while pressure started to crush my eyes. I screamed with water coming out of my mouth. My lungs crushed. I couldn't take the pain anymore, everything went dark.





I don't know for how long I was passed out but I could feel the hunger, hunger for blood. I could feel my beast waking up, infesting my thoughts. It wants blood, it always wants blood. Why did I woke up? Oh, right. Someone is talking. Blood, I need blood. My beast's desire was getting stronger. I opened my eyes, it's dark. Am I blind? Doesn't matter, I need blood. I knew someone was talking but hunger was keeping me from listening the words. I tried to stand up. My binding weren't there. Good. I pounced to the source of the sound and buried my fangs deep into his... Well, I have no idea. I could hear some people screaming, I wasn't in a situation to care. Blood, I need more. I kept sucking. My vision slowly came back. I could feel the man drying up. I was about to kill him, I had to stop. No, I am still hungry! The beast was in charge now, I wasn't going to be able to hold back. He was dying and I was going to lose my humanity. Something shot me in the head and sent me flying across the room. I would have been dead if it wasn't for the blood I drank. Atleast now I'm in control.  I stood up as my head healing the damage. It was healing at a very slow rate, whatever that weapon is, it was supernatural. I took a look at my opponents. There were seven of them, including the one I fed on who is now passed out on the floor. Quadruped creatures wearing black robes. What? I wasn't shocked for long. They could be another supernatural spicies for all I care, but that weapon, I couldn't take another direct hit from that. I had to disarm them, but there was no weapon in sight. This must be their own power, this is bad. I can't fight them, they are too many. Or can I?

I reached for the blood I just drank and used some of it to activate one of my clan diciplines, celerity. World slowed down in a heartbeat. I could see their every little move, their horns started glowing with different colors. It must have been the thing that hit me before. I had to act quick I didn't have much time and the blood I just drank wasn't much. I ran towards the two on the left, I grabbed them in the head and collided them with a sickening crack before any of them could react. I twisted right hand, slammed another one's head to the stone floor, knocking it unconscious. The other three were turning to me with the glowing in their horn seemingly reached its peak. I dashed towards the closest one, landing an uppercut and sending it flying to other two. They fired their blasts and shot their friend throwing it right back at me. I dodged it with a side flip. They were running for the door. I couldn't let them warn anyone. I pounced to the closest one. Landing on its back, I wrapped my arms around its head and snapped its neck with a quick twirl. I catched up with the other before it could reach the exit. I grabbed its tail and pulled it away from the door. It was about to scream for help. I reached for its mouth and closed it with my hand while wrapping my other arm around its neck to hold it still. 

"Easy there, easy." I spoke to its ear. "Keep struggling and I will kill you." It stopped moving, tears coming down from its eyes. "Good. Now, I will release your mouth. If you scream, it'll be the last thing that you do. Do you understand?" It tried to nod. I released her mouth. It started to sob uncontrollably. Such weaklings, no better then men.

"Please, don't *sob* kill me. I will do any- *sob* anything you *sob* want, just please do- *sob* don't kill me." So it was a woman. I watched her cry, it was heartbreaking. I suddenly realized how beautiful their form was. A true work of art indeed, God's creation at its finest. And I killed them. I looked at their broken bodies. Grief infested my heart, tears started to form in my eyes. What have I done? I wasn't sure if I said it out loud. It was too much, seeing these wonderful works of art scattered all over the place, knowing that I will never be able to truly admire their beauty. Snap out of it, you have to SNAP OUT OF IT! I recovered from my state of awe. Fortunately, I was still holding the creature thightly in my grasp. She had a hair formed of two different tones of yellow, one bright and shiny, other more pale and shady. Her coat was a very light tone of blue, almost white. Her eyes were grey. She was shaking in my grasp. She is so beautiful. My hand started to move to her hair. I wanted to feel its touch on my skin. What do you think it will be like? Soft like silk, maybe... Or perhaps- NO! Stop it!  I cursed my Toreador blood.

"Now, I will let you go and you will walk towards the wall acroos the door, not to the exit. You know I am faster." She nodded again and I let her go. She walked across the room and sat beside the wall. I had questions but first I needed to feed. The drink I had before was very little, these creatures didn't have much blood. They looked like animals but their blood was not distasteful like an animal's. I walked towards the two that I cracked their skull. I buried my fangs in one's neck. A small whine came from my hostage.  I could feel the blood lifting me up. Creature was probably going to die anyway but I couldn't bring myself to drain it. I let it go and I took a bite from the next one and from the one I slammed to the ground. I wiped my mouth and stood up to take a look at the room I'm in.

It was a circular room, walls made out of sand colored bricks. There were twelve brownish columns sticked to the circular walls, each of them had a torch on it for better lighting. I was glad that they were far enough from me. There were no windows. The room was empty but us. Ceiling was about six meters high. The only exit was a large wooden gate, which is now behind me as I walk towards my prisoner. I crouched down before her. She was still shaking and crying. She started breathing heavily as she recognized me near herself. "Here are my questions, creature. Who are you? What are you? Where am I, and my favorite, why am I here?"