Disclaimer: This applies for this entire story, so no suing me in later chapters. Now: Obviously, I don't own the Darren Shan Saga/Cirque Du Freak. Duh.

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"Once upon a time, there was a tiny little half-vampire brat who never let her wonderfully merciful and caring mentor get any sleep… He slept less and less every day, thanks to the constant whining and endless energy of the brat. This lack of slumber whittled away at his soft kindness, taking more of it away during each night that passed. The brat was naïve and stubborn, however, and chose to ignore this fact…until her mentor snapped and chucked her in a river. The end."

"…I don't like that story."

Ronin Takoda leaned back a bit on his makeshift bed, yawning. "No? I thought it deserved some award."

"I don't think so."

"It even had a moral."

"What's that?"

"Little girls should let their mentors sleep."

"Stupid moral."

Giving up for the moment, he rolled his eyes. Oh dear, she seemed like a puppy now more than ever. At this point, she was at that dreaded "tearing apart the furniture" stage…addled with separation anxiety and energy that she didn't know what to do with. What joy.

Fortunately, some of that energy could be focused into her swordsmanship training. Some of it.

However, most of this surplus energy came out during the day. Ronin would try very hard to ignore her, and would fail, miserably. Then he would scream at her, and she would just smile cheerfully back, apparently enjoying herself very much. Occasionally, she would ask for a story, leading him to believe that if she got one, she would instantly pass out on Mister Konosuke, her plushie puppy, which she tended to use as a pillow. But no, she would get her story, and then she would continue bouncing around like a firecracker.

Because of this very fact, Ronin had stopped in more towns and cities than he would have preferred, giving Toklata the chance to go out and frolic with other children her age. But she still stuck to him like glue, actually clinging to his leg while they passed a group of children playing basketball on one account, further driving him to madness.

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He would never admit it out loud, but her company was a bit refreshing. She was sweet, dedicated, loyal, and just damn cute, when she wasn't bouncing off the walls. In fact, the few times he caught her asleep, he felt like he could just watch for hours, as her chest moved slowly up and down, and how she blew a few of her bangs upward when she breathed out.

What a shame it would be to see her white hands stained crimson someday.

Ronin had repeatedly pounded one fact into her head—Swords are used to kill, and for nothing else. She would nod, and repeat it when asked, but he was never quite sure that she really understood. She still practiced with a wooden sword, and when they sparred, he would use the dull side of his katana, so how could she possibly grasp it…?

In all truth, he couldn't see it either. This little girl, who picked flowers for him during the daytime hours, a killer?

"Master, tell me a better story!" she yelped, pulling him out of his deep thoughts.

He cuffed her hard across the back of her head. "Go to bed!"

--

Toklata was humming some ancient country song, probably from before she was born, while doing her daily (nightly) sword strokes, bringing her wooden sword high above her head, and then bringing it down in a fierce arc, when her mentor suddenly declared something about a mountain.

"What?" she asked, head tilted.

"Vampire Mountain, my dear Wistful Eyes," Ronin explained unhappily from his spot under a huge oak tree. "Center of the government, et cetera, et cetera. I'm sure I've mentioned it…"

"Well…yes, but…you said you hated it there."

"I do!" he snapped immediately, childishly crossing his arms over his chest. "And I can guarantee that you won't be adored by everyone there, either. Really, it'll just be a burden… But Sakura is there, and we should go see her. You remember Sakura, right?"

"Yeah!" she chirruped happily. "She's the one who made the doll of me…the dead one… Does that mean she doesn't like me?"

"Of course not! In fact, she adores you. This is why we can't visit her too often! She spoils you rotten!"
Toklata didn't really think that getting a new set of raggedy clothes could really be considered being spoiled, but kept this to herself, instead asking, "So…we're going to Vampire Mountain… Is it fun there?"

Ronin turned serious eyes on her, frowning. "When we get there, you will stay by either my or Sakura's side at all times."

He made sure to make it an order, not a request. Despite her tender age, no passing vampire would just lovingly pat her on the head, when the chance to send her away crying was so clear. He was no softy either, and her training was absolutely intense, but a few good practices didn't make a champion.

Not to mention Toklata's trusting attitude. The only vampires she had ever met were himself and Sakura, and Konosuke, if he were to be counted, all of which were very much loved by her. So, if she were to run into some cruel general, the result would not be pretty.

"Oh, sure, sure!" She grinned sloppily.

"Err…yes. My side or Sakura's, remember."

"I'd rather stay with you."

"Great. The trip won't be fun, so you should get a full day's rest once the sun comes up," he pointed out hopefully.

"I think I'll be too excited to sleep!"

"Lovely. Do two hundred more sword strokes before then. Then we'll see how you feel about the matter."

"Maaaster!"

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And thus, the pair set off the next night, one horridly sleepy and irritable, the other with sore arms, begging for a piggyback ride.

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A/N—Erm…I don't know how long you're supposed to wait before writing a sequel, but I'm doing mine now... I started school last week, and my study halls seem to be never-ending, so I seriously need something to concentrate on in there. Plus, I got my hands on the last (T.T) saga novel yesterday, and I'm sure it would only inspire me once I finished it, so why not get a head start? This chapter is sort of a prologue, without really being called a prologue…err…yes. It's not too long, and really serves as an intro. It could be better…but I have school and practice tomorrow, and thus, wanted to get it done. Forgive my extreme laziness, but I have to go read Sons of Destiny now.