The Anniversary
A/N: Hello everybody!
I have written this one shot in honour of being on fanfiction for a whole year!
Yep, this is the 1st anniversary of being me here on fanfiction as a member, which in the scheme of things doesn't sound too impressive but, wow, I'm just surprised I've stuck at this so long. I've written more than I thought I would, and though most needs altering... a lot. I loved writing it and love writing still, a year later!
This is to everyone who has supported me through this 1st year! I hope it continues.
Anyway, this is a one shot about Vlad, but is a conversation between the Count and Ivan. They are discussing this day after Vlad's seventeenth birthday, and are talking how Vlad's first year as a vampire has been and what they think will happen to Vlad.
This may link to my old first YD fic "A Day from Hell", which is ironic.
This will contain spoilers for all seasons of YD, be aware of that!
Enjoy! Thank you for a great year on the Young Dracula Fanfiction page!
I don't own Young Dracula.
RING, RING, BUZZ, the old phone in the corner of the throne room rang.
"RENFIELD! ANSWER THE FLAPPING PHONE!" The Count yelled from behind his newspaper, reading intently his copy of the Vampire Times and chuckling at how the editor had recently been dusted by a disgruntled vampire for calling him a 'poxy wannabe who has about as much brains as lice'.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Renfield burst in, he was neat and orderly, the mind wipe Vlad had put on him still firmly in place.
"It's about time!" The Count peered over the paper glowering at his manservant. "Where's Vladdy?"
"I'm not sure sire," Renfield bumbled grabbing the phone and answering.
"Hm," the Count thought, and listened around the school intently to hear that Vlad was still in his coffin, sleeping. Vlad had been up all night, his birthday for him had been rather enjoyable for Vlad which was a rare thing, so Vlad decided to stay up and make the most of it. The Count chuckled; Vlad was sleeping during the day, just like he should.
Vlad sure had changed the past year... the Count thought fondly of his son, one that had only been a vampire one year and was beyond what the count expected, even knowing that he was the Chosen One.
"Mr Count, it's for you," Renfield told the Count carefully pulling the Count out of his stupor. "The man on the other end says he's your brother. I didn't know you had a brother."
"Just give me the phone," the Count demanded impatiently tossing his paper aside, landing on the wooden floor with a thud disturbing Vlad, with his sensitive hearing, in his sleep briefly, but then settled to a calm sleep again.
"Hello Ivan," the Count greeted his brother on the phone, not comfortable with technology so he put his feet up on one of the armrests trying to be more casual about it. "What so I owe that unpleasant honour of a phone call? I thought you preferred the more tradition communication of writing."
"I do, but Olga is driving me batty," Ivan grumbled on the other end making the Count chuckle, unsurprised by his little niece's behaviour. "So, it's was your son's birthday yesterday..."
The Count tensed visibly and watched Renfield leave the room having cleaned around the fire and come awful close to his hidden fridge of blood. The Count was worried about his brother's reaction to Vlad, after all he didn't come to see Vlad transform as they had planned; the Count assumed it was because of the accident that Boris went through, but when the Count thought about it Ivan wouldn't be bothered by Boris's death, after all he hadn't been bothered on Boris's birthday when he had thought he was dead.
"Yes, Vladdy turned seventeen," the Count faked a sigh. "The cunning little fox managed to actually twist the day into something he could enjoy for once."
The Count heard Ivan laugh on the other end. "His first year of vampirism has been challenging for you both then bro?"
"You could say that," the Count muttered. "He's only a year in and he's plotting world domination already!"
"Aren't you of him proud of that?" Ivan asked surprised at the lack of enthusiasm in his voice.
"Yes," the Count admitted twisted his fingers in his long hair looking at it without interest. "He's the Chosen One, I know, but he's not eighteen yet. He can't do this, I'm his regent, I'm the one in control and yet he's..."
"Rebellious," Ivan finished knowingly. "We were all the same when we were his age. I mean... Arta," the Count flinched at the sound of his dead brother's name, a wave of guilt washing over him, pressing down on him like a building being put on his shoulders. "He drove Dad mental with his changes in routine, and then you stealing all the pretty girls Dad wanted to bite and me, I would just drain whole villages and get us booted out for the fun of it. Vladimir is no different; he's just rebelling differently like every Dracula does."
The Count rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Nevertheless his first year has been awkward for us all. We've been living here three years now, and still it just isn't the same anymore. I assumed Vladdy and I would become closer, in fact our relationship has got worse. Vladdy doesn't rely on me the way he used to, and he doesn't even bother to stop me biting, it's like he's given up or..."
"Or?" Ivan inquired on the other end, curious and fascinated, wanting to know what the Chosen One had in mind for their species.
"He's planning something... or he's going to start biting." The Count murmured the last line to himself wondering, as he tapped on his other armrest, would Vlad ever actually bite a breather.
"He hasn't laid on his first bite still!?" Ivan said disbelief colouring his tone. "How does he do it!? I don't understand how I did it!"
"No," the Count admitted disappointed. "Vladdy seems to be saving it, flapping bats know why! He doesn't even shape shift either as far as I'm aware; I think he's turned into a wolf" the Count shuddered "but never a bat, bats are so much more natural but Vladdy insists it isn't normal, I mean THAT isn't normal. He's a vampire for garlic's sake, not a simple minded breather. He really needs to get it through his head that breathers are for biting, not copying."
"You've got one chip of the old fang there bro," Ivan told him thoughtfully. "How are his powers developing otherwise?"
"Perfectly," the Count stated proudly. "More than perfect in fact, he develops so fast. If I were staked now say – devil forbid – Vlad would be in perfect shape to take the throne, he just needs to sink his fangs and go evil rather than this goody goody nonsense."
"Didn't his evil reflection taint him to becoming evil? Surely it would have, no vampire has thrown off their reflection entirely," Ivan reasoned.
"That's the thing, I see that side of him sometimes and I try to encourage it, but Vladdy realises and then suppresses it. I haven't a clue what happened when he went to the Blood Mirror, he refuses to tell me what happened! I cannot help him if he won't let me," the Count finished gritting his fangs; he didn't like his own son and heir keeping secrets from him.
"So he may not have merged," Ivan suggested reluctantly, not believing it himself.
"No, that wouldn't have happened to Vladdy," the Count said immediately, feeling protective. "He must have merged, but I have the feeling there was more to it than the normal merging."
"Of course it wasn't a normal merging," Ivan said amused. "He's a Dracula. We are NOT normal, even for vampires, and what's more Vladimir is the Chosen One, there is no denying that. The whole world knows that. That means he's definitely not normal for a vampire, he's special, like all Dracula's, the merging probably differed because the power it will have harboured, it may have been more evil."
"If that's true, then Vladdy is bound to come round eventually," the Count muttered. "Still I think part of him remains in that blasted mirror. If only I could get inside..."
"You can't do that bro, we both know that," Ivan chimed logically. "The inside of Blood Mirrors is dangerous, it's forbidden, and you know that. It is for good reason, look at my son, he fiddles with the mirror and he went flapping mad and is dust for it. Don't do it bro, Vlad still needs you, the vampire world still needs you. We cannot afford to lose you too, even if it is for Vlad."
The Count couldn't outplay his brother's logic, not this time. He was right; fiddling with the Blood Mirror was a bad idea, it may kill him and he didn't want that for himself, or for his son. "Nevertheless, part of my Vladdy might be in that mirror... I can just hope they become one, one day; even if I have to wait a century, I'll wait and see."
"Let me know when they do," Ivan joked. "Vlad will be fine, he may be a devious little rebel, but that can only be a bad thing."
The Count nodded, reassured. "Thanks for talking to me,"
"No problem, any more problems and just contact me," Ivan told him.
"I will,"
"Bye bro," they both hung up.
Vlad sped in, his hair messy and hoodie creased.
"Have you been on the phone?" Vlad gasped his voice laced with sarcasm. "The mighty Count Dracula on the phone; I think I'm going to die again, from shock!"
"Vladimir," the Count warned tossing the phone aside and Vlad laughed.
"Just kidding Dad, so who was that?" Vlad asked calmly sitting down casually.
"Ivan," the Count admitted dismissively.
"Wow, we haven't heard from him in a while... how is he?" Vlad asked curiously leaning forward onto the mahogany table.
"I didn't ask, I'm sure his wings are in shape, unlike yours." The Count glared at him.
"Don't start," Vlad shook his head. "I'm in a good mood and I don't want it spoiling."
The Count rolled his eyes shaking his head. "So sleepyhead, are you going to school today?"
Vlad gasped. "School! I have school," Vlad checked his watch seeing it was one in the afternoon. "Miss McCauley is going to murder me!"
The Count chuckled. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Vladdy, sleeping through the day. I told Miss McCauley that you fell ill overnight, so you have the day off."
Vlad breathed a fake sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." The Count glared at him again, disapproving. "What?... Anyway, thank you Dad."
The Count rolled his eyes. "No problem."
Vlad smiled to himself and shook his head. Things were just as normal.
The Count looked up from beneath his lashes at his son, wondering, would his son ever be the evil vampire he wanted him to be?
That seems to address a lot of things in the series'.
I hope you enjoyed reading that; I enjoyed writing it that's for sure, even though it took a while to write!
I'll be back with outtakes ASAP but I'm back at college on Tuesday so I don't know nhow often updates will be.
Thank you for reading!
C
xx