A/N: So ya, heya, taking a different approach to this nowadays. Been off this site for far too long and decided to come back, the summary may not be a brilliant one right now but it will change.
Story rated M for language, scenes of a sexual nature, violence and for scenes of drugs and alcohol.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with the Saga of Darren Shan nor any of Darren's books. The storyline is mine alone and three of the future characters will be the only thing I own in this fanfiction.
There is a possibility of future ships, though that will come down to popular demand.
Without any delay, on with the story.
Prologue: A New Beginning.
The audience were entertained at the production, all around the small theatre rounds of applauds were heard. As the next scene drew to a close, a young blonde swung her sword down in a vicious arc as metal clashed with metal with the opposing raven haired older male. The blonde was clearly athletic, her already widespread fans knowing to expect the best from any performance she was the lead role in.
She stood out to one individual; his hair stained an unnatural lime green, his clothing clearly not store bought. Those closest to the strange man only glanced him once before ignoring him completely, some even moving seats to be away from the stranger. His smirk shone through as he watched on, showing interest in only one thing.
He admired the young actress like he'd admired no other before. She captivated him since the very first time he glanced her practicing with a sword on the street some months back. Why a girl of fifteen would be practicing with a sword confused him initially. It was why he decided to learn more about the blonde haired, pale skinned, crimson eyed, short girl.
The blonde propelled herself forward, using the blade she held to fly forward through the air, landing behind her opponent and wasted no time in thrusting her sword straight backwards into his unprotected back.
The audience cheered the performance as another actor came forward and checked if the raven haired boy was alive or dead. The new voice echoed through the theatre with the fate of the fallen boy.
Dead.
"Who's next?" The blonde commanded, her voice multiplying in volume due to the microphone that sat near her mouth, hanging from a clip which sat in her ear. The choreographed routine had knocked the clip slightly and as she wiped sweat off her brow those with keen eyes saw the clip readjusted.
More were on the stage, all holding various weapons, but none challenged the girl playing the hero of the production. The applauding crowd gave the performance a round of cheering, a feat not gone unnoticed by those on stage who were already soaking up the attention from the crowd.
The show continued, every scene showing more of the abilities that the young wannabe actors. Mistakes were minimal and the performance was once again a success. Each on the stage dreaming of more than just the theatre career.
She was the star of the show though and she knew it all too well. The blonde youth had already successfully shown her talent from an extremely early age and had perfected everything for a future career as a movie star. A big movie star was the dreams of many, but unlike many she would make it. Confidence drove her, belief in herself and working in theatre until she had passed school.
"You did well tonight Kiara."
Turning, the blonde took off black and silver circlet that sat on her head and wiped her face with a wet cloth which had being handed over.
"I know," her tone came out smug and almost arrogant. Her hand ran through the bangs which fell into her eyes upon the older male who'd spoken ruffled the top.
"How about I take you for dinner then?" he flashed a perfect smile, resting an arm around her shoulders.
"I have plans," she responded, brushing his arm off her and joining the younger crowd of girls which were waiting for her.
A scream of pure terror erupted from the theatre, stopping all joyful conversations. More screams joined the chorus.
Choreographers were first on the scene, followed by those actors who were closest to the drawn curtain whom looked through the curtain curiously at what was happening.
"Call an ambulance!" the shout was given from a strict toned man.
Curiousity grabbed Kiara and she soon exited the stage onto the theatre floor where the crowd parted for her to allow the young star through to view the damage.
A young boy, he couldn't have being no more than seven lay un-breathing on the floor, a pool of blood on the floor and seat where he had fallen from the balcony above.
"KEITH!" the traumatic scream came from a red haired woman who knelt in the pile of blood beside the fallen youngster.
Paramedics arrived on the scene, along with the police who ushered everyone out of the building. Only few remained inside as the paramedics set to work trying to save the boy's life. Those whom did remain were those to be questioned about the incident.
"It will have to be shut down, the building is unstable, have you seen these records? He hasn't done a thing about it?"
Kiara listened from a spot she'd hidden in after getting lost in the crowd. Unlike many others who were questioning the incident, it was her who found her way past the police lines and returned to the inside of the building to find out just what would happen.
"It's a shock this hasn't happened sooner!"
"The roof is already beyond repair. That greedy bastard hasn't even thought about the lives of others!"
"Let some of the production team inside to clear out. We'll arrest John May-"
The voices became too distant for the teen to hear anymore and only then did she move from her hiding spot into the now empty theatre.
"Shutting down…" her voice was soft as she spoke in shock. Her eyes glanced down at the clothes she wore from that nights production.
A loud thud from the backstage area caught her attention quickly. From the words of the police, apparently the whole building could collapse at any moment. Was it wise for them to say they'd let the production team back inside?
Biting the inside of her lip she rushed backstage to see who else was in the building, intent on getting them out before anything else close to death happened.
"Get out!" she shouted as she slid to a stop, her hands instantly going to her mouth as she let an ear piercing scream out at the sight.
A flash of green caught her eye before her scream was silenced and she found her breath knocked out of her when she was pinned to the closest wall by her neck, staring at a stranger she'd seen hanging around the theatre before.
Homeless person?
"Kiara Darcy," the man mused, a grin plastered across his face. "Well, not the way I wanted you to meet me, but a meeting all the same!"
His hand loosed from her neck, but he did not bother to step away from the young blonde. She didn't hesitate once, unlike some idiots who may be helpless in a situation such as this, in her opinion she was well prepared. Her performance sword was drawn instantly and bought up to his chest level – her eye level.
"What did you do to him?" she demanded, her tone bitter towards to man who'd knocked out the one who'd earlier asked her for dinner. Even from the briefest of glimpses at the sight, she could see the blood oozing from a small cut on the top of the mans arm.
"Your blade is blunt," the man spoke matter-of-factly, laughing instantly and knocking the blade away. "I only took a drink to keep me going love."
"A drink? Are you fucking insane? What do you think you are some kind of vampire or something?" Kiara showed no fear in front of the man. Her eyes showed slight pity in fact, she wondered if he'd escaped from a nuthouse or something similar.
"Think? I know I'm some kind of vampire."
"You're mental," she stated, her sword returning to its previous position. "A sword that is blunt may still cause damage, though the damage is more painful. Leave now or I will alert the police which surround this building."
"Little girls shouldn't underestimate my kind," the man warned, his breath having the smell of blood and filth mixed together.
Not a second had passed after her nose turned up at the stench of the man and her breath was knocked from her lungs, her position changing to the wall at the opposite end of the stage. Her sword lay lifeless at her previous position. Logic as her mind was, she found no explanation to just how she had moved so fast. Her most logical explanation was that he'd knocked her out and then she'd awoken at this point.
"W-what are you really?" her words faltered, and her crimson eyes met his dull green orbs, a much darker shade than that of his hair. She cursed how her words had come out, that slight faltered at the start showing weakness to the man. Her breathlessness at the change in position was what she blamed. Fear would not driver her, she would survive this.
"Vancha March," the man identified himself, misinterpreting her question possibly. "Vampire Prince."
A smirk lit up the younger girls face, her thoughts straying to mental illnesses regarding the man. For one, any prince would never dress as he did, not would he smell as Vancha did. "You do not look like a prince."
"Well I'm one of the more traditional princes," Vancha winked, his voice rather loud and was without echo in the empty theatre. "There are four of us at current, me, Mika, Arrow and Paris. Naturally I beat them all on looks." Again a wink accompanied the end of his words.
Coughing in embarrassment, Kiara's eyes ran over the one claiming to be some vampire of royal standings. In her eye he was scruffy, dirty and smelly. Those three things alone hid any possibly good looks of the man, he must have being at least ten years her senior. She was not one to judge though.
"How old are you then?" Kiara questioned, her voice laced with curiosity about the mysterious Vancha. "And when will you be king?" she added, not wanting to sound too curious about him.
"I'm about 200 Vamparic years, fi you work it out in human years probably about 27. Why? Thinking of dating?" the wink he added only irked the younger girl. His opinion of himself was a high one, possibly even as high of how she thought of herself.
"No," her response was a lot colder as she tore her eyes away from Vancha. "What did you do to Wayne? If you hurt him so help me I'll-"
"You'll what?" he interrupted her, his own tone matching her own, completely different from the conversational tone he'd used earlier. A star was drawn from a sash he wore diagonally across his torso and showed a menacing smirk. "Believe when I say you couldn't do anything."
The effect should have drawn some fear out of the blonde beauty, however not even a flinch came. Vancha upped the anti as he demonstrated just how sharp the shuriken he held was. Placing the cold metal to her cheek he lightly drew the star across her cheek. Instantly blood oozed from the not-so-deep scratch but still no fear lay within her eyes.
Vancha had never come across a human who showed no fear of his actions when he wanted to draw some fear from them. Her attitude was greater than he'd first predicted from her, even so he expected she was fearful but hid it rather well. A cocky smirk lit up his face to which he got the response of narrowed eyes.
"I don't think you understand the situation you're in girl. I could kill you in seconds if I wanted to," again his tone was serious as he matched her narrowed eyes.
"Curious you are, but I know if you wanted to kill me you'd have done so already. Even serial killers such as Jack the Ripper did not speak with his victims, only raped and murdered them. You will do neither," her words were spoken with a lot of faith in what she believed. She was right though, and Vancha knew it. "Prove it."
"Prove it?" Vancha echoed her words.
"Well if you are a 'vampire' then you can turn into a bat ri-"
Before her words were finished Vancha broke down laughing as if she'd told the funniest joke on the planet. "Fucking idiot!" he roared with laughter, only causing her brows to furrow at the response she got. "How the hell can something as big as me turn into something so small?"
A tint of red hit the girls face. She shifted uncomfortably whilst Vancha stopped his fit of laughter.
"What can you do then?" she challenged.
Vancha's expression changed and it was Kiara's belief that he was waiting for her to challenge his words of his vampirism. He didn't waste much time in showing off his speed, opening the heavy theatre curtains in the blink of an eye, their weight no more than moving a feather he made it seem. Kiara quickly lost where he was, until a laugh echoed around the theatre and she looked up to where he clung to the ceiling.
Vancha dropped down and the natural reaction to run forward to try and help made Vancha chuckle when he landed with a loud thud on the floor of the theatre before returning to her with the same unique speed he'd used when she'd opened the challenge. The breeze of him stopping in front of her caused her hair to blow lightly behind her.
He'd not finished there though and he ripped up a few chairs and threw them to the balcony up top. A feat no mere man could accomplish. Through all his efforts he didn't even break a sweat.
"Not convinced," her words showed a clear lack of being impressed and she began walking away.
Vancha stopped her, appearing before her eyes with the same speed.
"Do you honestly think…do you honestly believe you're going to walk out of here with the truth of knowing humans are not top dogs of the food chain?"
"Yes."
"Wrong," again she lost sight of Vancha, but the loud bangs from around the theatre drew her eyes to what was happening. All around chairs were ripped up and stacked at the doors, preventing any exit but a few. Those few left open, the first were the balcony exits. No chance of getting to them. The last Vancha now blocked the exit to with a smirk on his confident face.
"What do you want!" finally, the crack Vancha was waiting for, her composure lost and some fear appeared in her voice.
"I know exactly what I want," Vancha's grin was frightful this time. "I want someone who doesn't need instruction of fighting or taking care of themselves. I want who knows exactly how to fight and survive. I want what I never thought I would want. I want an assistant, a pretty, likeable assistant. I want an assistant that all others will want as their own. I want you." Only now did his grin vanish and turn into a smirk, his finger pointing directly at Kiara.
"You're mental!" she accused again, hesitantly taking a step away from the vampire.
"I'm Vancha," he corrected with a wave of his finger. "What have you got left after this event? This place is closing down and you'll be just a normal teenager with a normal life, dreams starting to become shattered."
"Friends! Family! A future!"
"I could give you a new future. I know what you seek Kiara Darcy. I've watched you for a very long time now and I can give you what you seek," his words again were full of confidence.
"Watching me?"
"Well you know, it gets bloody lonely travelling and going about business alone. I want a companion. I've been looking for quite a long time by vampire standards for the right guy. Then you caught my eye. A bit young sure, and a girl but something drew me to you," he paused in thought for a little bit. "Wanna join me?"
"You're insane," Kiara accused again instantly, though now her tone was filled with doubt at her own words. Everything he said he backed up with evidence, to the point of which she believed what he was saying.
"Well I'll make the options clear to you. Either come with me or I'll just kill you now, don't normally kill humans but can't have you running about knowing names and such can I?"
"Vampires don't exist."
Vancha's smirk was back at her own doubt. Upon first meeting she was so sure of herself, so sure of everything that surrounded her. The tables had turned completely now and she seemed a different person in her spoke words, Even her expression and how she now held herself showed her doubt, but also the spark of wanting to know more. The spark which Vancha knew would swing her to joining him.
"You should start believing me love."
"Look I use to believe things like this existed. I was younger and much easy to succumb to myths and legends. That's all they are, that's all they have to be."
"In books yes, I am the real deal. Join me and you'll learn all the truths," his hand was held out in the offer. He would say no more and allow her own mind to make the choice.
He knew the answer she'd give before she even knew it herself. Vancha wouldn't have given his identity to her without knowing already that she'd be joining him. For who could really resist the charming vampire prince? In his opinion, nobody. Nobody at all.