Disclaimer: I do not own the Cirque Du Freak/Darren Shan Saga. I don't own the characters, and I am not making any money off of this. This is merely a fanfiction.

Chapter One: The Rapids

As he was swept through the mountain, Darren thought that this was rather like a water slide he'd been to at an amusment park when he was younger. The water rushing around him, darkness enclosing him...the only difference was that here, each twist of turn could bring death.

Did he want to die? Not especially, he supposed. Twenty years was, in his opinion not long enough. But it was a full life. Romance, adventure, tragedy. They all came, in abundance. He lived, loved, cried. But was he ready to let go? He had already said goodbye to his parents, and to Annie. To Steve, to Evra, to Truska, to Harkat. To Gavener... And Mr. Crepsely. His mentor, his creator, his friend, his betrayer.

The last words of what he said still rang in his head. "You have failed me...If the prince deem it fit to punish you, then so be it. I will not let any apprentice of mine be a coward such as you." He had said, after Darren had failed to complete his last trial. The Blooded Boars. Honestly, vampires were good at thinking up ways to die. If they were driven to extinction by the Vampaneze, it would be because their own fault, partially.

Death. That's what it all comes down to, he thought. Sooner or later we all die...There's no point in avoiding it. These thoughts made knowing his demise easier. There's no stopping it.. And so with that thought he flew through the belly of the mountain he called home. he was in a state of shock. The saw only darkness, he felt it as a physical presence, but he wasn't scared. Faces flashed in front of him. Faces of everyone he knew. Humans, Vampire, Vampaneze... He sensed jagged pieces of rock fly by him, knowing that sooner or later, he would meet his end on one of them. It was cold too, but Darren didn't care.

It would all be over soon, it would all be over soon, it would all be over- Light. Well, that was unexpected. There wasn't supposed to be any light in an underground stream in a hidden vampire hideout. He felt his body slowing and heard not the insistant crashing of the waves, but the gentler rushing of the river. Why? Shapes and colours blurred in front of him, forming-what was that? Trees? Rock? A beaver?

Was this the afterlife? The mysterious vampire haven that Crespley had talked about? If so, it was suprisingly like earth. Then the sounds came. There was the water, yes but also something else. Sounds of the forest, of animals clanking, howling, chiping, buzzing... This is too normal...Could it be that, I'm alive? He thought.

Darren probed that thought, turning it gently over in his mind. Alive! Thats not dead...I can walk (hopefully), I can talk, I can think, I can feel-to do what? The question struck him. Now what? Would he go back to vampire mountain, right after escaping from it, from death? He knew that it would be expected of him. I should warn them, of the inpending attack...The vampaneze, Kurda, Gavner... Yet something was planted in him the moment Crepsley disowned him. The result of betrayal.

The Vampire clan, Darren mused, had named him an out cast. They would murder him the moment they saw him, they did not deserve his loyalty...Besides, he was half human too. He did not really consider himself a full vampire, and he didn't even believe in their views. Loyalty-the kind that kills, courage-the foolhardy type, and honour-and yet they were willing to murder a child for failing to finish an adult's task. Very honerable, they were. And yet, they were his family. Arra, Vanez, Gavner, Seba and even, to an extent, Kurda. He held the key to their salvation and their doom.

So what know?

First thing's first. Darren could already feel the coldness of the stream seeping into his bones. Getting warm and a place to stay for the night. Groaning, he climbed out of the stream, and stumbled onto the bank, water streaming down his body. He had lost both his sandals in the rushing water, and the badages around his arms had come loose. Gritting his teeth, he pulled them of and hopped out of his clothes. He was now standing in his underwear in the middle of a thick forest approaching nightfall.

Nightfall- when all the deadly creatures come out. They would follow his scent and once they found him, he would fall prey to the sharp claws and wicked teeth. No, I can do this, he reminded himself. I'm Darren Shan, half vampire extordinaire. I've survived this long... Quickly, he scrambled thought the trees. A clearing, to build a fire, and dry out his clothes and maybe some food-what was that noise?

A gentle rustling permiated his senses. The sound of someone, something stalking throught the bushes, slowly, carefully. Darren whipped around. Nothing. But there, again! It was that sound. Coming closer he saw it was coming from the bushes. What if it was a vampire? Or worse, a vampaneze? He had nothing to defend himself with against any creatures of the night. He was weak, and a halfling. Perhapes he should run-a nose poked through the foliage.

"Streak!' The wolf jumped at the mention of his name. Another nose poked through the foliage, this time, it belonged to a smaller wolf, a cub, with ginger fur. "Rudi!'' Darren cried, and the wolf cub jumped into his arms. "How did you- ahhh, never mind. Come on, lets find somplace to rest" Stridinng forward, he led the wolves through the trees. After several minutes of blundering, the Darren and the wolves approached a small clearing surrounded by thorny bushes. Away from prying eyes, and hopefully, predators, vampires, or other wise.

"Just like Camping". Darren declared. Except, with out the back up of technology. It reminded him of the days he, Crepsley, Gavner and Harkat spent trekking up to vampire mountain to attend the council. And look at how disastorus it turned out...We should of just stayed at the cirque. It felt good to whine, and loose himself in the predicament of now. Just now, no memories of the past, or dread for the future. Yep, life was good. The stars are out, i'm surrounded by plesant company, good food. Arrgh1! Who am I kidding? I'm doomed. The vampires the vampaneze- they're both after me..now thats just unfair..

Grumbling, Darren got up and collected wood, while the wolves sat patiently in the clearing, guarding his clothes, which he had laid down to dry. Returning with the wood, he gathered a pile, and rubbed his fingers together quickly. A spark! The pile caught on fire, and slowly, Darren felt his senses return, his body calm down, as he slowly fell into unconciousness. His last thoughts before he passed out was, what am I going to ddo now?

Morning came, along with the pain of yesterday. Physically and emotionally. Darren knew he was unstable. First, tears had come to his eyes as he remembered what had happened to Gavner, and then rage, at the thought of Kurda's betrayal. He felt despair, for losing his ffirnds, his mentor, his home, and now that he knew that it would be destroyed...

"Why me?" It was a desperate shout, one that he did not expect to be answered- "Are you all done, Master Shan"? Darren froze. He'd recognize that voice any where. Turning, he came face to face with one Mr. Desmond Tiny. Wieder of Fate, Keeper of Destiny, yada yada yada... Despite the man's pudgy appearane, Darren knew that he was a force to be reckoned with. "Tut, tut, my boy, what a predicament you're in,' Mr. Tiny's smirk was condesending and knowing. "Whatever shall you do now?" Several moments passed, before Darren realized that he was waiting for an answer before he replied, "Something that preferably doesn't involve me dying, I suppose. You're welcome to help, you know, instead of just watching." Mr. Tiny smirked.

"Ahh, Darren. I am here to help. But you know that I can't play favourites. So just a few tips to send you on you're merry way. By now, you ust have realized that you're wanted by bothe the vampires and the vampaneze." He paused, as if to let the knowledge sink in. "Brilliant. Thanks for reminding me of how low my chances of survival arre..." Tiny grinned, showing immaculate, white teeth. "Like I said, I have some tips, too. As of now, the Vampaneze down in the mountain are perparing to ambush the vampires. If they are successful, then vampirekind as we know it will dissapear.

'"Now, you are the only thing that stands between their destruction. Will you warn them, even if it means you'll get killed for your trouble?" Darren gulped. " Yeah, well, I know one thing for sure, and that's the fact that I will not die. No matter what. I've cheated Death too many times to fall prey to it again. But I don't want my friends to suffer on my account. So...will you warn them, as a favour to me?" He didn't expect Tiny to do anything. Afterall, how can you expect a monster to show kindness? Yet, as he looked into Mr. Tiny's eyes, he saw them soften impossibly. "A favour? I don't do favors. Perhapes in exchange with something?"

"What do you want from me? I have nothing..." It was true, Darren had only the clothes on his back, or rather, the clothes lying meaar a blackened fire in the clearing. "Blood. I want some of your blood." Darren gulped. But it was the only way. If he was going to abandon the vampires, the least he could do was provide some blood. 'Fine. Some of my blood, and then you warn the vampires, and I go away." Tiny studied him for a moment, and then nodding he said, "Very well, Master Shan." Quick as ever, he darted forward and plunged his shiny, sharp insicors into the skin of Darren's neck.

He screamed. It was a long scream, conveying his horror and pain. In the cornor of his eye, he saw Streak and Rudi jump up and begin a chorus of howling, adding on to his scream. He felt as Tiny sucked his blood, felt dizzy and cold, and scared. What was going on? After a minute, Tiny withdrew and wiped his bloody mouth on his sleeve and grinned. "What was that all about?" Darren demanded, facing the man.

"Master Shan, I merely took some of your blood...which caused you to awake your inner power." Darren was confused. Inner power? Very cheesy. "Umm, which means..." Tiny now had a smirk going on full blast. "As the son of Destiny, you are now able to control and manipulate the world around you. Look inside yourself. Do you see how we are bound, as father, and son? This is your fate, my boy, to work with me. together, what a world we'll have. But for now, I'll do as we agreed. The vampires will be safe, and you will travel to Lady Evanna. Fare well, my son."

And he was gone, leaving behind two agitated wolves, and a boy stunned, and wondering how the directions to a certain Evanna was suddenly imprinted in his mind...