Post by mina on Mar 9, 2020 7:31:59 GMT
This is my new version of the story
I'm making quite a leap in time from the year 2018 to the year 2025, which doesn't mean that I don't have ideas for the interim period. But as I am trying to put my story in a historical context (as far as this is possible) I would like to leave this time out for the moment. Since it describes the Transylvanian/Romanian (in general the East-European) view of things of our time and is somewhat different from our Western world. I assume that this different view will soon no longer cause offence. When that time comes, I will also describe that time.
The Last Count Duckula
The last few years had been strange, not only for the Duckula brothers, but for the whole world. They had gone through all the ups and downs. Igor found the whole thing mostly amusing, he was old enough, had experienced enough to be able to classify everything in his own way. Emma hardly noticed anything, except that her Duckyboos was quite depressed for a while and threatened to lose some of his verve.
Vladimir... well, resentment had risen in Vladimir, he was a bit of a rebel and she had shown it in time.
Now it was 2025 and everything had changed. The world had become a different one, a better one - even if it was only at the beginning.
On this day, the two families, the Duckula brothers and the Cionbanu family, had arranged to meet at the lake to go swimming and have a picnic together. The children were now young, and yet they enjoyed being with everyone. Such experiences had always been formative in their lives, even for them.
Vladimir and Fridolin (as they always called the Count) were always there for them to talk to and had so many stories to tell. Fridolin and was usually quite lively and had (usually) a lot of joie de vivre. Vladimir gave them courage, he had taught them not to let it get them down, even if it became strange for some. Both had taught them a lot in life, for which their parents were also grateful. The Duckula brothers had helped raise their children to become friendly but also courageous and self-confident adults.
But they were not really yet, they were teenagers still living with their parents, not yet knowing exactly what they wanted to become, where their path would lead them. Life was open to them and the new era would offer them completely new opportunities.
But now they went to the lake, where Vladimir and Count Duckula were already waiting on the shore.
It was a wonderful, exuberant day, which was to end with a barbecue in the evening. As those present were vegetarians, there was no meat, but the variety of grilled food did not diminish.
Everyone enjoyed it very much - except for one person who just stood and watched, Vladimir.
Vladimir just stood there, watching the merry goings-on of the others and smelling the food. There was actually everything available in the way of herbs and spices, except for garlic, which was left out out of consideration for the Duckula brothers. Probably more because of him. Vladimir didn't know what his brother's situation was, he probably didn't even know himself, because he always vacillated between rejecting what he had as a vampire and devotion as a vegetarian. It must be nice to be able to enjoy all this food. Vladimir knew that he knew all this - but not in these lives.
A light breeze hit him, ran through his hair and distracted him. Vladimir turned around and looked at the lake. It was again as if the wind was talking to him, but he didn't quite understand it, or was there something inside him? It was...
Vladimir's gaze was drawn to his brother, thoughtfully he watched him as he sat among the others and laughed, then he looked at the lake again, closed his eyes and listened to the wind.
He had to interpret what it was whispering to him…
Finally Vladimir nodded as if he understood. At the same moment, the now teenage children approached him.
"Vladimir..." began Nicolea. "... We wanted to apologise."
Vladimir smirked. "For what?"
"We mean, it must be awful to have to watch while we eat all the time." Florina added.
"You must feel like an outcast." Felicia finished the thought.
"Oh children, it's just the way it is... I have to live with it. Besides... I think I've eaten all this before."
Nicoles frowned. "Where from? I mean... you were born a vampire - I mean a half-breed."
"Right. I don't mean my current life either. I meant the one before that." Vladimir considered, white on a fallen tree trunk on shore and white her to sit there.
"I want you to listen to me now, listen very carefully." There was something in his voice, a seriousness and almost solemnity that they did not know from him in this form. There was no other way, they simply had to listen.
For a moment Vladimir stood indecisively, searching for a beginning for his words.
"Your future lies ahead of you, it is like an open, empty book that you must first describe. And honestly, I think this book has never been so open and empty. It has been prescribed for generations.
You can go a completely new way, and thus pave a new way for all of us.
The three frowned. "What do you mean, Vladimir? I mean you, Fridolin and you, you are vampires, you will still outlive us. You can still tell our grandchildren about us." All three nodded.
"Maybe... maybe not." Vladimir looked up at the sky, watching the sun set. Antanasia, Dorin and his brother were still gathering wood for a campfire and would soon call them to join them.
Finally, Vladimir turned back to his offspring.
"No matter what happens, I want you three to take care of your parents. That you implement everything we have taught you and learn something new." He smirked. "I know exactly how exciting this world is and what it can teach you. Take up what you think is right and throw away what is wrong. Even if we have said something wrong. Just remember, it is not all wrong what your ancestors and forefathers taught you."
"But how... how are we to distinguish one from the other?" Nicolea frowned. "I mean like we were all lied to?"
"I know!" Florina jumped up. "We just have to listen to our gut! Right Vladimir?"
Vladimir had to grin. "No. Not really, that is not quite. You have to use your mind too."
"My mind?" Florina shook her head. "But it can deceive you like that!"
"Yes, if you use it wrongly." Vladimir white on her belly.
"The gut feeling is good. But this too can deceive you. If you take everything you desire at the moment. Look... if I had always acted on my gut feeling. If it had always advised me to drink blood when it just desired. Then the mind must say - NO!" Now he pointed to her heart.
"You must listen to your heart. What this says."
"And what if it's wrong too? I mean, it can happen, can't it?"
"Not if you learn it right. If you learn from which place the advice comes."
"From what place?" Felicia was visibly confused.
"There are two transmitters of thought. Learning to distinguish between them is very important for you... and not only for you, but for everyone in the future. I can only point out one thing to you, the voice of the heart, is usually very quiet.""
Felicia clenched her beak "But how can you learn this?"
"I cannot teach you everything. I can only tell you that you must find your way to figure this out. This is a life's work."
Nicolea shook herself. "Vladimir, you talk so strangely, what is wrong with you?"
Vladimir didn't really know himself. He was searching for words, about to answer, when he heard his brother's voice.
"Come on, you lazy bones! Help me find wood for the campfire!"
That night Count Duckula immediately fell asleep peacefully in his bed. Vladimir, on the other hand, could hardly rest, he got up, went to his brother's room and looked at the sleeping Count. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed.
Vladimir smiled, turned around and went up to the top of the tower, opened the window and looked out.
He drew in the air, closed his eyes and listened to his heart....
What he heard was only one sentence, repeated over and over again:
"... it is time... it is time... it is time..." the voice breathed into his soul.
At some point, tiredness overcame Vladimir and he lay down on the floor and curled up there to sleep.
In sleep itself, he felt as if someone was stroking his head. Someone he had never met and yet had known for ages.
The next morning it was Count Duckula who woke up first, he yawned loudly, stretched, got up and got dressed.
It was unusually early for him, the sun was just about to rise. In a good mood he went downstairs.
"Duckyboos, do you want something to eat right away? I'll fix you something to eat!"
"Thanks Emma, but wait a moment. I want to go into the garden and pick some herbs... because I've heard they're best picked in theEarly morning."
Cheerfully he went out. It was such a wonderful morning, and a seductive smell rose from his lovingly arranged garden.
Count Duckula greeted his tomatoes, his broccoli and spoke to them. For he had also learned that one should talk to plants so that they grew better. "Good morning, I hope you slept well. Well, I slept well. Did you use the time to grow? You look really good!"
He was about to turn to his herb garden when he heard a strange noise. Count Duckula looked up and had to concentrate to make out more. Far up in the distance was something that... he couldn't really interpret.
Was it a drone? But what...
A feeling of danger rose in him. Slowly he took a few steps backwards. This thing was coming closer.
He wanted to turn around and run back into the castle.
The next moment he felt a terrible pain in his chest. He wanted to scream, but couldn't really anymore.
He felt blood running down his chest, he staggered to the door, opened it and collapsed...
Igor was standing in front of him and heard his voice as if in the distance. "MILORD!"
The next moment he felt no more pain, everything was fine.
Vladimir was startled out of his sleep, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water over his head. He heard Igor's scream, jumped up and ran downstairs as fast as he could.
What he saw made his heart stop for a moment.
His brother was lying on the floor, his fins and dust slowly dissolving. Igor stood by, holding him in his arms.
"Milord, they will return..."
Emma howled like a siren.
Vladimir ran over to his brother and knelt down in front of him, Igor handed him to Count Duckula.
Carefully Vladimir stroked his brother's hair, gave him a kiss on the forehead and closed his eyes.
He couldn't speak, he just couldn't, his throat tightened as his brother slowly crumbled into dust.
Count Duckula, on the other hand, did not know what was going on. From one moment to the next he no longer felt any pain. It was as if he had stood up. "Igor, calm down, I'm all right!" He said. "It's all right. It was nothing, probably just the fright... I..."
He spun around and saw himself lying on the floor. "Oh no! What happened? I'm fine!"
He tried to reassure Emma, but she didn't hear him.
Then as Vladimir came, and his body began to slowly dissolve, he could see a bright string of light, between his body and him, growing thinner and thinner - until it snapped.
Count Duckula watched Vladimir caress him. And returned his gesture. "Hey Vladimir, there's nothing wrong with me."
He watched him crumble to dust. "Oh Vladimir, I'm so sorry..."
Vladimir stood up, picked up the silver arrow that had hit his brother. He went out, raised his head and shouted, roared his despair, his rage. So loud that it echoed off the mountains.
"Vladimir, Vladimir, don't despair...I am still with you! You just have to hear me! I'm here...I..."
Count Duckula's mind spun around. He saw Igor fetch a hand brush, a dustpan and put his ashes into an urn.
"I will see to it that they return, Milord. As I have done so many times before. But this time I will be more careful!"
The ghost shook his head. "No! No! Vladimir! Help me!"
Vladimir felt something, he stood up, walked back, and watched Igor as he filled the ashes into the urn and spoke.
Vladimir's gaze darkened at Igor's words. But the vulture did not see that.
This was what he had promised his brother, he had to stop Igor's plan and break the curse.
He was born to free Count Duckula.
The ghost of Count Duckula heard Vladimir's thoughts as clearly as if he were speaking to him.
"Yes Vladimir! Help me! I don't want to! I don't want to become a vampire anymore! Prevent it!"
Vladimir took a deep breath, his chest ached, it didn't help, he had to keep his thoughts together.
Should he follow Igor? he needed to know where... "Igor, where... do you want... to take the urn?" Speaking was harder than he would have thought.
"To safety." The vulture only replied.
Vladimir wanted to go after it, but a huge one grabbed him. "Duckybooosss!“ Emma cried, hugging Vladimir to her. "My poor little Duckyboos!“
The huge chicken trembled all the while, tears closing unchecked down her face. "Oh my poor little flea!
Oh my flea!!!" Vladimir had the feeling of following his brother immediately if Emma did not let him go."Emma no! Let go of Vladimir! You'll kill him!" The ghost of Count Duckula tried to kick Emma, to free Vladimir from her grasp. To no avail, she didn't even perceive him. "EMMA!"
"Emma, read Vladimir loose at once. Otherwise we will experience the loss of both masters today!" Shouted Igor at her, still holding the urn in his hands. "EMMA! I'm serious! Let Vladimir go!" Emma had never heard Mister Igor so angry,
Startled, she dropped Vladimir. Vladimir lay on the floor gasping for air like a fish out of water.
"Look what you have done Emma? Your little Duckyboos is no more, and it will stay that way! I will provide a new Count... until then Vladimir will be our new Count!"
Vladimir gasped, but didn't get to say anything yet.
„I Emma," Igor said in a low voice, "will now take our old man's ashes to a safe place.
At these words Vladimir tried with difficulty to stand up, but again a strong hand held him.
"No, flea! Please stay with me..." Whimpered Emma.
Igor sighed, "All right, you take care of Vladimir. I'll hide the urn now."
Count Duckla, or rather his ghost, looked back and forth. He would like to stay with Vladimir and Emma to comfort them, but right now he needed to know where Igor was taking his ashes.
So he followed him. It was just as well that Igor could not perceive him.
The butler took the ashes to one of the many secret chambers of the castle, opened a cupboard and inside a secret compartment to hide the urn.
"Don't worry, Milord," he said to her, "I will keep them hidden here until the time comes to awaken them again. And then they will be the same old cruel vampire they always were and once again spread their reign of terror across the land! Oh what anticipation!"
"Igor, you traitor!" Count Duckula stamped a fin without really making a sound.
Vladimir was sitting on Emma's lap by now, it was hard to tell who was comforting whom. Even if Vladimir's grief was more silent. Finally Igor entered, holding a cape of the count in one hand, and wanted to put it on Vladimir.
Vladimir watched him suspiciously as he did so.
"Vladimir Duckula..." Igor began, "...now you are the count in this castle. You are now his heir - until he returns." Angrily stripping off the cape, Vladimir replied in a rumbling voice. "No Igor! I am not the Count. Otherwise I would have been before."
Igor picked up the cape, wanting to gently put it on Vladimir again. "You were too young then, Vladimir."
"No!" Vladidmir jumped up and hissed at Igor. "I will never be a Count Duckula! Now..."
He brushed at his eyes as if tired. "Now leave me alone, I want to be alone for now!"
The ghost of Count Duckula looked after him. "That's right Vladimir, don't let them force you to do anything..."
His gaze wandered from the door Vladimir had gone through to the grieving Emma.
went up to her and hugged her as best he could. "Emma... Emma... don't be sad. Your Duckyboos is here! I'm here! And I'm fine!"
So he tried to comfort the chicken. At some point, Emma actually looked up. "Duckyboos? You're with me?"
Count Duckula's ghost smiled. "Yes Emma... I am here... oh Emma. My dear old Emma..."
She smiled too. "Duckyboos, my little Duckyboos."
The Count stayed with Emma for quite a while, until she calmed down a bit.
Finally he let go of her. "Vladimir needs me Emma."
He had barely finished the thought before he was in his room.
"This is even faster than teleporting!" He remarked in amazement.
Vladimir was sitting at his desk, completely engrossed in the document, when he felt something. He looked up.
"Fridolin, are you here?"
"That's right Vladimir. I'm here, right next to you! What have you written there?"
But before Count Duckula had finished the question, he already knew the answer. He frowned.
"I don't understand Vladimir. What do you mean?"
It was unclear at first whether Vladimir had heard him, he merely folded the paper, put it in an envelope and wrote "For Igor and Emma" on it, then put the letter back in his desk.
The ghost of Count Duckula now stood directly in front of Vladimir and shouted at him. "What are you trying to say?!!!"
Vladimir hesitated, had he heard him now? "Exactly what I wrote. And now I have some preparations to make." With that he passed through the Count's mind. Vladimir shuddered for a moment, stopped and went on
First Vladimir went into the count's room, devoutly taking his teddy and stroking it.
Then he went to the cupboard and took out the count's violin case.
"What are you going to do with it Vladimir?"
"I think it is also in your best interests that these things should have an heir." Replied Vladimir. "And willingly see to it."
Vladimir looked for a box in the junk room, put the teddy and the violin case in it and went back to his room with it. He took his teddy bear and put it in with it - and his violin.
He hesitated for a moment with this one, took it again and played it one last time, a melancholic melody. Tears welled up in him. Then he gave her a kiss. "Take care old friend. Perhaps one day we will meet again..."
When everything was in the box, he sat back down at his desk and wrote another letter.
It took him hours to get it all done.
"Vladimir, you don't want to commit suicide, do you?" Count Duckula shouted at him.
"What nonsense! Of course not." this time it was clear to Count Duckula, his brother could at least hear him.
"Vladimir, I have a question why am I still here?"
Vladimir hesitated. "Probably because you haven't finished everything yet. Because something is still keeping you here?"
"Possibly..." Count Duckula considered. "...But I don't want to become an earthbound spirit!"
"Haven't you seen the light yet? A bright tunnel or something?" Vladimir asked him.
"No. Nothing like that."
Vladimir thought about that. "It could be, of course, because... because Igor still has your ashes. He can call you back, he's a necromancer."
"But I don't want that, Vladimir. NO!"
Vladimir nodded. "I know... I will take care of that. But first I must take your... our inheritance, to Antanasia."
"Antanasia..." whispered the ghost. "...She will be very sad."
"Yes. No one can save her from that."
Vladimir picked up the box and looked in the direction he thought his brother was. "Are you coming?"
"Yes..." but before he had even said it, Count Duckula had already disappeared.
The next moment he was standing next to his girlfriend. She was sitting at the table, nervously turning a cup in her hands and drinking tea. While her whole family sat there. "That scream earlier, that was Vladimir... something terrible must have happened...!"
They all started at her. They felt the same. Dorin, held her hand, the three siblings were very close together.
Antanasia closed her eyes. "My dearest Count..." she whispered.
Count Duckula stroked her hair and touched her cheek. "I am here darling. I love you..."
Antanasia shuddered, but it was a comforting feeling.
One by one, Count Duckula's spirit touched each of the children. "Mummy..." whispered Felicia "...he is here..."
"Yes...he ...is dead." Said Florina.
They began to cry. Tears rolled down Dorin too, he just nodded in reply.
They sat like that for a while. Until there was a knock at the door.
Startled, Dorin jumped up and found himself face to face with Vladimir, who was holding a package in his hands.
They didn't need words to communicate. They just looked at each other.
"This... is for you..." said Vladimir, handing him the package. "Please don't open it until tomorrow. Not for another
24 hours. And guard its contents."
Dorin nodded. Antanasia pushed past him, she pressed herself against Vladimir and cried.
"It's...coming...all in place Mama." He whispered in her ear.
One by one the children came too, all wanting to hold Vladimir in their arms.
"Uncle Fridolin isn't dead?" Nicolea asked.
"No, he's gone home." Whispered Felicia.
Vladimir shook his head. "No, he hasn't gone home yet. But I'll see to it that he can finally go home."
"But he's at home here!" Florina exclaimed.
Vladimir had to smile. "We mean his real home. Where we all come from. Where he hasn't been for centuries."
As he said goodbye, he turned to Allen once more.
"Take good care of your family Dorin. I will go now...take care. And children don't forget what I told you.
It is important for all of us."
With that he turned away.
"Vladimir, where are you going?" Nicolea shouted after him.
"To get a fix on everything."
"Will... will we meet again?"
"One day... for sure."
The ghost of Count Duckula turned to look at the family once more, then followed Vladimir.
"What are you going to do now? Are you going to free me?"
"Yes, tonight it will happen. Tonight I will end your curse and release your soul."
Replied Vladimir in a firm voice. "This is my destiny."
When Vladimir returned home, Igor welcomed him. "Do you wish something, young master?"
"I wish that you would just leave me alone." Replied Vladimir, walking past him, stopping and sighing.
"Please excuse my rudeness, I didn't mean to hurt you just now."
"It's alright young Vladimir, we are all carrying heavily the loss and feel exhausted."
Igor went to stand beside Vladimir and grasped his hand. "You have been through all this before Vladimir, when you were a small child."
"It's not like that time Igor." Vladimir shook his head. "It's..." he sighed, "... I don't know how to explain it. I just want to go to my room now and be alone."
"Shall I get you something to drink sir?"
Again Vladimir shook his head. "No thank you, I have lost my appetite, I am neither hungry nor thirsty."
"I can understand that. Perhaps when they have had rest they will reconsider - with the counts title."
"No Igor, I am not the Count Duckula and never will be."
"Think it over in peace, sir."
Vladimir just went on, into his room, closed the door behind him and sat down on his bed.
He drew his legs close to his body and stared ahead.
A while later he felt his brother beside him again. "Vladimir, what are you up to?"
Vladimir sighed. "First we will wait for the night, then I will look for your urn."
"You don't need to look for it, I know where it is."
"Good. Then I will take the urn and scatter your ashes on top of the battlements, into the wind. Then you will be redeemed, because Igor can no longer awaken you as a vampire."
Count Duckula pondered. "And what will become of you then?"
"I... I will seek out your killer."
"You... you want revenge?"
"Not really. But I want it to look like I do." Vladimir whispered softly.
"But... but why should it look like that?"
"Because then he'll do what he's supposed to do."
"Vladimir! You don't mean?"
Vladimir heard his brother's bewilderment in his voice.
Vladimir didn't answer, but just looked out of the window and waited for the day to pass and the darkness, the night, to come.
A few hours later, it was Emma who came in again and asked about him.
Vladimir moved very close to her. "Emma, have I ever told you how much I love you?"
"Oh flea, my little flea!" She stroked him. "It's so quiet without Duckyboos."
"That's true. But Emma, I think you and Igor have been alone without masters before. You'll be fine..."
She didn't really understand, but in the last few hours her brain had been strained to no end.
Later, when it was already dark, Igor came in again and asked if he didn't want something to drink.
Vladimir just shook his head.
"I have already given the sad news to her relatives," said Igor. Igor said, "They said they would like to visit you if you want them to, Vladimir."
Vladimir closed his eyes. "Please let me sleep now Igor."
"As you wish young sir." With that he closed the door.
Vladimir lay down for a while and fell asleep. He felt he needed some rest. It was going to be a tiring and long night.
Finally, he woke up in the middle of the night when he felt someone touch him on the cheek.
"Vladimir, wake up, Emma and Igor are sleeping now. It's time."
Vladimir opened his eyes, and looked at his brother, yes, now he really saw him sitting by his bed as a translucent ghost. Vladimir slipped out of his bed and changed his clothes.
Count Duckula's ghost was waiting for him. "Kam, I'll show you the way..."
So Vladimir followed his ghost through the corridors until they reached a hidden chamber.
Count Duckula led him to the cupboard in which Urne was hidden, and explained the mechanics of the hiding place to Vladimir.
"I wanted to do it on my own, but I can't even grasp the key yet..."
Count Duckula looked down at his hands.
"You're a ghost now brother dear, so you can't grab items so easily."
Vladimir explained.
"I know... I know... but it's one thing to read about it, or to experience it for yourself."
Vladimir took out the urn, pressed it to his chest. "Okay brother dear, the big moment is about to come for you, are you ready?"
Together they strode up to the battlements. At the top, Vladimir stood very close to the battlements.
He turned once more to look at his brother. "It's almost time... how do you feel?"
"Don't know? How do you feel Vladimir?"
Vladimir had to grin. "I don't know."
He spun around, drew in the air deeply, and opened the lid of the urn.
"Count Duckula, may the wind carry your ashes to all points of the compass and may your soul be redeemed."
Indeed, that moment a light wind chimneyed up, catching the ashes and carrying them away.
"May you be set free after so many centuries..."
Vladimir looked after the ashes.
Behind him he heard his brother's voice. "I see it! Vladimir! I see it, the light! It's... beautiful! I've never... seen anything like it!"
"Then go."
"But what will become of you then?"
"Just go. I... I'll go too brother dear..."
Count Duckula turned once more to Vladimir, looked at him and finally walked into the bright light.
Brighter than the sun and yet not blinding, more beautiful than any play of colours he had ever seen.
Free... he was indeed free!
Vladimir remained standing at the battlement for a moment. Finally, he screwed the urn back together and put it in its place.
Quietly, he slipped into the kitchen and deposited the letter.
Then he went out of the castle, closing the gate as quietly as possible behind him. Walked on. Looked back at the castle again. "Thank you Castle Duckula you old walls, you have been a home to our family for a long time."
With a quick decision, he turned around and walked further down, his destination the house of Dr. Von Goosewing.
When someone knocked resolutely on his door in the middle of the night, Dr Von Goosewing startled.
"WHO???"
The knocking became more determined.
"WHAT?" Dr Von Goosewing jumped to his feet.
Now there was no more knocking, instead he could see someone resolutely breaking down his door.
Dr. Von Gänseklein began to tremble and grabbed a gun. He flicked the light switch - and found himself face to face with Vladimir. "THEY... they killed my brother!"
The face of Dr. Von Goosewing, nam took on a strangeness. "Count Duckula? He's dead?"
"Don't ask such stupid questions? You killed him yourself!" Vladimir hissed at him.
"No... no I didn't." And it sounded honest. Dr. Von Goosewing sat down on his bed.
"I'm so sorry... but you have to understand... I got old. I just couldn't protect her like that anymore!-I just couldn't do it!"
"Protect?" Vladimir was completely confused. "How do you mean?"
Dr. Von Goosewing offered him a seat next to him. "Don't you see... all these last years. I had to pretend to hunt her down... I had to keep up this act. So that... so that he wouldn't hunt her."
Vladimir thought. He thought. It was true, lately they had seen Dr. Von Goosewing less and less often, he had also only targeted uncles and aunts in 2018 - but not her. "Who is HE?"
"Eagleclaw. Remember Vladimir, he's the one who captured you and locked you in that earth cave back in the day."
"How could I ever forget..."
"Back then, we had a fight. That Arthur Eagleclaw and me. I told him to get lost! That hunting the Duckula brothers was all my business. But I didn't want to kill them anymore. Not after what had happened. I explained it to Antanasia and her husband. I had to keep pretending to hunt them - or Eagleclaw would... and now... I've grown too old for that." He sighed.
Vladimir glared at him. Indeed, Von Goosewing looked old, his feathers shaggy, his expression worn.
"I am sorry for your brother Vladimir...I have failed...one day there will be another bloodthirsty Count."
"No, there won't." Vladimir replied firmly.
Dr. Von Goosewing looked at him in surprise.
"I have seen to that myself. I scattered my brother's ashes to the wind. Igor will never be able to create another Count Duckula."
"Then... then he was the last?"
Vladimir nodded. With a quick decision, he grabbed the vampire hunter's gun. "And now kill me!"
Horrified, Dr Von Goosewing’s face contorted. "But... but I can't!"
Vladimir growled menacingly. "You bet you can!"
DR Von Goosewing hands shook, he aimed at Vladimir... and lowered the gun.
"I... I can't! I'm a bad vampire hunter!"
Vladimir growled even more menacingly. Finally, he gave up. "And I'm a bad vampire - I can't attack them."
Bitterly, he laughed.
Dr. Von Goosewing looked at him sadly. "Go home Vladimir."
"I can't go back Dr. Von Goosewing. I prevented Igor from creating another vampire, do you really think I can ever show my face there again? Besides, Igor was going to make me the new count. I can't go back... I have nowhere left to go. Even if I went wandering again, Igor would do everything to find me and take revenge on me."
Dr. Von Goosewing felt compassion. "But what do you want to do now, Vladimir?"
"I want to follow my brother. A work here on earth is finished. I have fulfilled my destiny, it is time after this now to go."
Vladimir pondered. "Lead me to this Eagleclaw, let him finish his work what has begun!"
Dr. Von Goosewing nodded. "I will take you to him Vladimir."
"But first, give me something to write with."
"What for?"
"I will write a letter to Igor. He may come to see you, Dr. Von Goosewing, then hand him the letter."
"Igor!" Vladimir heard the fear in Dr. Von Goosewing’s voice.
"Will you give me something to write now?"
Vladimir wrote the message to Igor, explaining that Dr. Von Goosewing had not been the murderer of Count Duckula, but that Arthur Eagleclaw was the culprit. He handed this letter to the doctor.
"And now lead me to this Eagleclaw."
Dr. Von Goosewing nodded.
On the way, they talked for quite a while. Dr. Von Goosewing talked about himself and his family, whom he saw so rarely. When they finally came to Eagleclaw's hiding place, it was almost daybreak. Vladimir stopped.
"When it's all over, Doctor Von Goosewing. Go home to your family, your work is also finished..."
They looked at each other. "Bitterly make sure that my ashes are also destroyed."
"I will Vladimir."
"Thank you."
Determined, Vladimir walked towards the eagle's lair, with a furious roar he attacked the eagle.
The eagle had already sensed his coming, held his gun ready to fire and pulled the trigger....
... Vladimir, like his brother before him, felt a brief pain. He collapsed. And the pain was over.
He still watched Eagleclaw look triumphantly at the ashes. "So you're turning to dust too..."
Then Vladimir paid no more attention to him. Instead, he heard his brother's voice behind him.
"Vladimir... come Vladimir... over here! I'm here!"
Vladimir's mind spun around and looked into the light from which he heard his brother's voice....
... he turned to him and followed the voice.
Shortly afterwards he was in another world. His brother Count Duckula stood in front of him and laughed at him.
"Vladimir! Look at you... you have no more scars and no more canines!"
They were in each other's arms.
"Look Vladimir, we still have something like a body! And look around you, isn't it beautiful here!!!"
Vladimir looked around. Beautiful was an understatement, he thought.
It was simply indescribable... a world full of colours, a meadow full of flowers, a forest that showed itself from afar.
A security that touched you.
Vladimir looked down at himself and then at his brother. They were still wearing clothes, they seemed to be the last ones they had on.
"What do you mean Vladimir? This world here - I think we can have many new adventures here?"
"There is much to discover here. But it's better not to just run into it."
The voice that answered was not Vladimir's voice, Count Duckula did not know it, but Vladimir did.
He spun around and jumped into his foster father's arms.
Then he let his foster mother carry him.
Count Duckula stood by, confused.
"Fridolin, these are my foster parents." Vladimir finally explained. Then turning to them. "Mum, Dad, may I introduce you? This is Fridolin Duckula my brother - and my father."
They greeted the count. "I am pleased to see you here. So you have fulfilled your mission then."
"Yes. And that I have done it, I have you to thank as well." Vladimir snuggled up to them.
"Now Count... Fridolin. We would like to invite you to stay with us, you are new here and there is much to learn, it is better if you are introduced to this world. We have been given the task of helping you."
Vladimir looked at his brother.
Count Duckula bowed. "It is an honour to meet you. I will gladly accept your offer..."