Spy Guy: Alright...hello...new Fandom here. I'm pretty new. This is Darren Shan stuff...I don't know if I'll continue it, but I'd like to. I want your feedback, alright?

Ok

Disclaimer: I don't own Dan--no wait...hehe force of habit.

I don't own Darren Shan or any characters associated with it.

Enjoy


My uncle always kept a diary. After I learned he was gone, I took my time reading it, absorbing everything I could about him. He was a man I barely knew, and had always despised. But after learning that my dad had lied to me…Darren seemed more like a father than anyone. He had blooded me, prevented me from having to kill to survive. For a few fleeting moments, I fancied that I could be his apprentice, and he could teach me all I needed to know about his kind…

But then that had all fallen apart.


I never could have imagined how hard the news would be for me. I didn't even know him, and his loss hit me harder than the death of my father. Darren was gone…I was alone.


A few days after the incident, my mother and I were allowed to return home to gather some more of our things, and decide what to do. My uncle's friends, Vancha, Alice, Harkat, and Debbie came back with us, for protection in case some of the Vampaneze tried to attack a 'Shan' in retaliation.

I was still weak from the change in my blood, and literally clung to Vancha for support and comfort (despite his smell). He knew what I was going through, as he had done it himself. Before he was a great Vampire prince, Vancha March was Vancha Harst, a half-vampaneze ashamed of what he had become.

Vancha told my mother that he thought taking me to vampire mountain—the home of our kind—was the best way for me to recover. He said that I would be safe there and well protected. I could get the rest I needed to survive.

He then continued to speak of a apprenticeship for me. He said that I needed a teacher to help me learn all of the vampire customs and beliefs. If I didn't, he said that I would most likely disobey a law, and be hunted. I didn't want that…

My mother didn't want to leave me. She was completely distraught after my uncle died. It had to be hard for her to lose him twice. I felt a twinge of anger toward him, but let it pass. It wasn't his fault…

It was Steve's.

"I want him to stay with me." My mother sniffed, wiping her nose. My uncle's old girlfriend, Debbie, was sitting my her side, handing her tissues to dry her eyes.

"He can't." Vancha continued softly, pulling me closer. "You read Darren's diaries to me. He told what happened to him after he was blooded. You read the part where he almost bit you. Darius' powers will spike tenfold when he recovers, and there's always a chance that he could kill you even after the transfusion."

At these words, my mother broke down sobbing.

"You could be a little more tactful." Debbie hissed, crying as well.

"It's the truth." Vancha spat. "If you don't trust me, then trust Darren. That's why he left home in the first place. Because he was afraid he'd hurt someone. No one is safe around a rouge vampire."

"I know." My mother whimpered. "But…I don't want him to die."

"He'll be out of the fighting." The vampire prince promised. I knew enough about vampires at the time to know that they took pride in their loyalty. Breaking a promise was considered traitorous, and they would be punished by death. Vancha was telling the truth.

"I was a vampire…too once." The Little Person, Harkat, said from where he stood, his grating voice cutting into my sensitive ears. "I think that…Vancha is right. Vampire Mountain…is where he belongs. With his people."

There was silence as the creature snapped his air mask back over his face, breathing deeply. I knew that he and my uncle had been great friends. According to Darren's diaries, Harkat Mulds was the spirit of a traitorous vampire named Kurda Smahlt (the two names are even anagrams of each other).

Kurda had attempted to force a union between the vampires and the vampaneze by taking over the mountain, and hunting down all who refused to submit to vampaneze ways. He had truly believed what he was doing was the right thing. Now as Harkat, he saw the error of his ways, and was determined to make up for it. He had done that by protecting my uncle.

"I didn't see Darren for over eighteen years." My mother sobbed. "Will I be able to see Darius? He'll come to see me, right?"

"Of course." Vancha said. "Once he's a little older, he can visit, or you can even visit him. But he'll age much differently than everyone else. He's going to look like that for years."

"Just like Darren…" She whispered softly.

I was beginning to get sleepy again. When sleep came to me, I embraced it. There had been too many sleepless nights after the final confrontation. I was tired.

"Can I go up to my room?" I asked. The tone in my voice was final. I was ready. "For the last time?"

I could hear my mother bawling as realization dawned. I was ready for this. I was ready to leave home, and become a destined creature of the night. I would follow in my uncle's footsteps, being a young blooded child. I would strive to be like him in every aspect.

I think he would have been proud of me.


My mother and I had always lived in my grandparents home. I remember them being there for my early childhood, taking care of me when my mother couldn't. Sitting on the bed now, I found it ironic that I had always had Darren's room. I had never thought about it before. Heck, I didn't even know Darren was a Shan until a few days ago. Steve never told me…if he had, I might not have been so foolish.

There were many notebooks that made up my uncle's collection of diaries. I had them lain out across my bed in various piles. One was open on my comforter, half finished. It was my uncle's earliest volume, and I had just gotten to the part where he had faked his death. I found myself glancing around the room, finding it suddenly so unfamiliar. I could pick out where my dad had been sitting when he was bitten by the spider, and the closet where Mr. Crepsly had hidden before he came to break Darren's neck. There was no window in my room…only a wall. It was a rough job, and the creases were evident beneath the paint. My grandparents must have taken it out, unable to take a risk like that again. I could understand. It must have been hard.

Pushing the books aside, I nestled up beneath my covers, shivering slightly. My stomach felt like it was twisted up in knots. I wanted to vomit all over the floor, but managed to hold it in. My throat was raw from previous incidences, and wasn't looking forward to another. Clamping my eyes shut, I focused on sleep, trying to think of happy things…

Only of happy things…


I felt like I was someplace familiar…someplace nice…

Looking around, I found myself lying in a hammock, my legs hanging over the side. Could sense that I wasn't alone. There was someone else here with me.

"Hey, Darren, wake up sleepy."

I started at the voice, searching desperately for the owner. I gasped slightly when I saw a boy lazing in another hammock opposite mine…covered in green scales. My blood ran cold as his face turned to mine, smiling without a care in the world.

It looked so much like…the snake boy my dad killed. The one from the show. I had seen him around the grounds when I was spying on the cirque. He was named Shancus…after my uncle.

My dad had murdered that boy, and sacrificed me to the vampires. My dad had left me in the hands of my uncle, who was blinded by rage. Darren would have killed me if he hadn't learned the truth about who I was. I tried not to think of Darren from that time…as I tried not to think of myself. We had both been stupid and wrong. Those times were over…I had moved on…

"Come on Darren, let's go feed the Little people."

Darren? Why was he calling me Darren? I didn't look much like Darren at all. I didn't have any time to dwell on it though. Cold hands suddenly seized me my the shoulders, holding on tight. I could feel thick nails digging into my flesh, cutting it.

Suddenly, I could hear screaming. Loud frenzied screaming that echoed though the room. I forced myself to look upon the face of my attacker. I gasped when I saw that it was two separate people, standing before me…both all too familiar.

It was Darren and my father, both their faces wild and frightening. They were wounded and bleeding. A dagger protruded from my dad's heart, oozing blood. Darren had numerous stab wounds in his gut, and I could see bits of fleshy intestines through his ragged clothes.

"All will fall to The Lord of the Shadows." They hissed in unison, their eyes glinting maliciously. "Who will it be Darius? Who will you bring back?"

"Let go of me!" I shrieked, lashing out. I had seen that look on my father's face before, but not on Darren's. I had seen him angry, but not demented. This was insane.

Then…my uncle faltered, his hand drawing from my body.


"You can't take much, kid." Vancha murmured. "The Princes look down on having a lot of material possessions."

"Alright," I replied softly, trying to get my stomach under check. I wanted it stop moving, but knew my wishes would be in vain. I took my backpack from beneath my bed, and starting piling in Darren's diaries. Then I took a clean notebook for my own, fully intending to copy my uncle's tactics, and write everything down. Vancha gruffly told me that it was enough. He said that I didn't need any clothes. They would be provided for me. I relented to his wishes only after I had slipped a few pictures of my mother inside of the pack.

I was ready.

"I want to get the kid there as soon as possible." The vampire prince said as we descended the stairs. The ex-police chief, Alice Burgess, was trailing behind us, listening intently to his words.

"We'll follow behind on foot." She explained calmly in her icy voice. "Debbie and I wish to tell the Princes of our next plans."

"What about Harkat?" Vancha asked.

"He'll be coming as well." Alice replied. "He wants to stay at Vampire mountain now. Permanently."

"The little guy'll be welcomed." The prince smiled cheerily. "For a lying two faced traitor, he's a pretty nice guy."

We had walked into the living room right as Vancha said that. Harkat was standing a little ways away, his mask pulled down, showing his gray pasty lips drawn into a scowl.

"Charna's guts." The Little Person hissed. "I have a vampire's hearing…don't you remember?"

Vancha laughed heartily, patting the creature roughly on the back. Harkat didn't even flinch.

"I'm just joking, Mulds." He chortled. "Trying to lighten the mood a bit."

I smiled slightly, amazed at how fast the vampire got over death. I knew that Darren had been close to him…but he had moved on. I hadn't really known my uncle very long, but it seemed too soon to move on…

That was especially true for my mom.

She was sitting on the couch, once more next to Debbie. The two were talking, sharing stories and tissues, sobbing almost uncontrollably. I felt a rush of guilt then. I was all my mother had. This house had always moaned and groaned old painful memories for her. I was only making things worse.

"Mom?" I asked, padding over to her side, trying to look strong. "I'll be back. I promise."

She looked at me with watery eyes, wrapping her arms delicately around my body. I didn't pull away as she embraced me. I moved into the hug, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"A vampire always keeps his word." Vancha murmured softly, suddenly grave. "We will hopefully all return someday, either in body or spirit."

"I won't be here." My mother whispered, pulling away. "I can't stay here anymore, Darius. It's…It's too much for me. I'm going to go live with my parents. You know where they are, right?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Good." The woman murmured. "Please be careful, Darius. Don't be stupid, and get yourself killed."

"I won't." I replied, feeling suddenly dizzy. Vancha placed his hand on my shoulder, holding me steady.

"It's night." He said, his voice loud and coarse. "I'll take the kid, and flit to the mountain. We'll get there in good time. I'll make sure Darius is well taken after and apprenticed to someone I think is worthy. You have a good kid, Ms. Shan. May the luck of the vampires be with you always."

I gave my mother one last wave and allowed myself to be escorted from the only home I had ever known. It was a house of pain and loss. This was the place where everything began. It was in those walls that Steve Leopard was bitten and Darren flung from a window. It was in those walls where I had been conceived…It was in those walls that I had been raised my whole life, oblivious to the dark shroud that surrounded it. A small part of me was happy to see it disappear as I allowed Vancha to carry me in his arms. The vampire wasted no time in flitting. He had explained the process a few nights ago. It seemed like we were running at a normal pace, but buildings flew past us, blurring even more as we gained speed. My stomach was churning, but my some miracle, I managed to keep it down. I was glad for Vancha's strength then. But still, even with his unyielding power, our journey to Vampire mountain would be harder than we could ever imagine…