Author's Note: This is intended to follow the episode "The Chosen One", hence the title. I have tried to keep the characters reasonably accurate and to create an acceptable ending to the cliff-hanger (Because I hate it when shows get cancelled on a cliffhanger). I have taken a few creative liberties, but I don't think they're anything too extreme. Right now the whole story is split into about ten chapters, and I'll add a new chapter every few days or so. Divider lines separate different "scenes" and the like. I think that's about all I need to say. I hope you enjoy the story.
----------------------------------------------------
Ingrid looked down at Vlad as he lay crumpled on the stone floor. "Is he – is he dead?" the Count asked her.
"I don't know," she replied. "And I don't care."
"He is your brother! You must help him!"
"I'll decide what I must do. Because I'm in charge now."
"Traitor! You will pay for this betrayal Ingrid!"
"Silence! From now on you will address me as Countess Dracula. Watch me as I avenge Will's death and make the streets of Stokely run red with blood."
After her declaration of war against the mortals of Stokely, Ingrid carelessly put aside the scepter and skull and surveyed the damage of the battle with the slayers. Broken furniture was strewn across the room, much of it bearing scorch marks from the fireballs thrown by the vampires. "It was very helpful of Vlad to erase the slayers' memories so they won't come back to cause more trouble. Fewer pesky breathers to stand in the way of my domination of the vampire world," she said.
The Count had been struck speechless by Ingrid's announcement of war against Stokely, but then suddenly collected himself and raged at her from his prison, "Enough of this! I command you to release me!"
"You command me?" Ingrid flew over to the Count's cage to look him in the eye. "You're hardly in a position to give orders."
"This cage won't hold me forever. When I get out of here you will wish you had never been born!"
Ingrid casually picked up a crossbow that had been dropped on the floor when the slayers left. She held it loosely, pointing it in the Count's direction to remind him that she was in control of the situation. "I don't need it to hold you forever. You'd be a pile of dust already if those slayers hadn't shown up when they did. But I think this will work just as well as the crown would have."
Some of the Count's rage gave way to dread as he watched Ingrid warily. "You would kill your own father?"
"Ha!" Ingrid gave a scornful laugh. "As if you ever acted like one! You never cared about me. 'Vladimir is my son and heir! Ingrid will never be as good as Vlad! Ingrid can't do anything because she's a girl!'" Turning her back to the Count, Ingrid leaned over her brother. "He always was your favorite, and you made sure everyone knew it. But the Chosen One… that was a surprise, wasn't it? I wish I could have seen his face when he found out."
Ingrid's eyes fell upon the crown made of bones that she had kicked away from Vlad earlier. She set down the crossbow to pick up the crown. "The Crown of Power." Ingrid studied the crown closely, turning it over in her hands. "It should have been mine. I've always been more of a vampire than anyone in this family. But the breather-lover gets 'chosen' instead." She scowled and threw the crown away, sending it across the floor. As it bounced off the stones she drew her arm back and hurled a fireball at it. The yellow flames engulfed the crown for a moment but then went out with a puff of smoke, leaving no discernible damage to the crown itself. A second fireball had the same result as the first, and Ingrid's temper boiled.
"The Crown of Power cannot be destroyed," the Count told Ingrid, enjoying her aggravation.
"Shut up!" Ingrid snapped at him. "If I can't wear it and I can't destroy it, I will make sure that no one else ever finds it." In an instant Ingrid had grabbed the crown from where it landed and with super speed disappeared out the door of the castle.
----------------------
Vlad opened his eyes to total darkness. He blinked a few times and tried to sit up, but his forehead collided with a satin wall. The memory of his father trying to get him to sleep in a coffin flashed through his mind. Carefully placing his hands against the top of the coffin, Vlad pushed the lid open and sat up. Squinting against the bright light, he found himself in a sunny meadow filled with colorful wildflowers and the sound of birds singing. He had no idea how he had gotten there, or even how he had ended up in the coffin to begin with. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was still wearing the same clothes he had on for the coronation ceremony. When he looked up again, he was startled to see the ghost of the previous Grand High Vampire appear at the foot of the coffin. "Am I… dead?" he asked the ghost.
The former Grand High Vampire shook his head. "No. You are in the dream world."
"Oh, great," said Vlad, sounding less than enthusiastic. "What am I doing here?"
"You have worn the Crown of Power, have you not?"
Unsure of what the ghost was getting at, he replied truthfully. "Yes, I have."
"You may remember the last time you entered the dream world it was revealed to you that you are the Chosen One."
"Yeah, and I was nearly killed by my best friend's family and my dad tried to make me choose between slaying my sister or biting my friend… that's not something I forget easily." Vlad glanced up at the midday sun overhead. "And last time, the sunlight burned me. Why isn't that happening now?"
"There are many dimensions to the dream world," the ghost answered simply. "What is important is that you fulfill your destiny as the Chosen One and lead the vampire clans into a new era. Now that you have worn the Crown, you are ready to go through your transformation and become the next Grand High Vampire."
"About this Chosen One thing… can't you choose someone else? I don't even want to be a vampire, and I really don't want to be the Grand High Chosen One."
The ghost frowned at Vlad. "There is no one else. It is your destiny to fulfill the prophecy."
"And what? Lead a bunch of evil vampires? Well you're going to have to find someone else, because I'm not going to do it," Vlad said as he climbed out of the coffin and brushed himself off. "Thanks but no thanks." With that, Vlad turned to walk away, but as soon as he did the scenery around him changed.
Suddenly, Vlad and the ghost were standing in the great hall of the castle. "What…?" Vlad's question trailed off when he took in his surroundings.
The room was filled with the leaders of the vampire clans, every one of them dressed in their finest attire. They all held crystal glasses of blood which they raised up in a toast. "To Vladimir Dracula, the Grand High Vampire!" they chorused. Vlad followed their gazes to his father's throne where he saw himself seated, looking slightly older, dressed all in black with a cape and wearing the Crown of Power. Renfield was filling the vampires' glasses and the Count stood respectfully near the throne, but Ingrid was nowhere to be seen.
"What's going on?" Vlad asked, staring at his other self.
"Watch."
As soon as the ghost spoke, the older Vlad stood and addressed the crowd, "My fellow vampires, I would like to thank you all for gathering here to celebrate the tenth anniversary of my reign. It was one short decade ago that I took the title of Grand High Vampire and defeated the traitor Ingrid Dracula. As you are already aware, the local vampire community has since hunted down almost every known slayer in Britain. One individual, however, eluded our efforts, killing many of our kind in the process. I am very pleased to announce that he is also a guest here tonight." As Vlad spoke, two vampires dragged a chained and struggling prisoner to the front of the crowd and shoved him to the floor at the foot of Vlad's throne. "May I introduce… the vampire slayer Jonathan Van Helsing."
Vlad watched speechlessly as Jonathan pushed himself to his feet and stood defiantly before the vampires, staring at the older Vlad with an expression of pure hatred. He had grown from the boy the young Vlad knew. He was tall and athletic, wearing his father's old coat and a worn hat. "It is so nice you could join us, Jonathan," Vlad said to him.
"Go take a walk in the sunlight," Jonathan spat.
"Is that any way to greet an old schoolmate?" Vlad asked, looking hurt by Jonathan's words. "I had hoped we could still be friends."
Jonathan held out his manacled hands. "So this how you treat your friends?" he asked sarcastically.
Vlad snapped his fingers and the chains fell away from Jonathan's wrists and ankles. "I'm very sorry about that. Please, make yourself at home. Would you like a drink? Something to eat? You must be hungry." He smiled, showing a hint of his sharp teeth.
"Oh drop the act. You lot are just going to torture me to death like you did with all the other slayers."
"How could you suggest a thing like that?" Vlad asked, stepping down from his throne to stand in front of Jonathan. "I would never torture anyone." With barely a pause Vlad then grabbed hold of Jonathan, pinning his arms to his sides and with a flash of his fangs, Vlad violently bit into the slayer's neck. He drank quickly and when he was finished he let Jonathan's limp body slip to the floor. "I'm not that evil," he added, laughing coldly.