Disclaimer: I don't own Cirque Du Freak!

A.N.

A question: If I do bring Steve back, would you want him to be redeemed or stay evil? Honestly I have a really good idea of what would happen if he came back and was redeemed, (He would not be alive to see the end of the fic, but would play a huge part in the demise of the Lord of the Shadows) but if you all would rather have him evil I can work out something else.

will zona: This story begins two months after Darren was stabbed by Steve. Everything after that point in the book never happened.

Two days later the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed around the clearing as Evanna and I grappled for dominance. She spun in a neat half circle her hand slicing towards my upper arm. I brought up an arm and blocked the shattering blow with my forearm. A new bruise blossomed, joining multitudes of others. I fell back and gathered myself, circling Evanna who stood calmly, watching me out of the corner of her eye. In the background Harkat sat on a fallen log watching the proceedings with a critical eye. I leapt again, feinting towards Evannas upper body, but changed direction mid flight and dove toward her legs. I crashed into her, but was neatly flipped upside down. I dangled over Evannas shoulder, glaring at the ropes wrapped around her midsection. For hours this had been the tune; I attack Evanna over and over, and each time fail miserably. Several times I had managed to land a blow or two, but nothing serious.

"Every second in battle counts," Evanna said, not bothering to set me down. "Watch and learn your opponent, gauge their strengths and weaknesses and strike when there is an opening, not wildly as you have been." She flung me into the air and I landed in a heap, dirt flying into a cloud around me. Her eyes glinted. "You are a vampire Prince. Fight like one!"

I scrambled upright and stared at the witch. There was no way I could beat her one on one. I glanced around the clearing, noting the tall, gently swaying trees and the patch of tall grass next to Harkat. The Little Person was sipping a cup of blistering hot coffee, looking highly amused at my failure. I bounded forward and Evanna raised her hand to snatch me out of the air. I rolled sideways and ran behind her, beginning a complex series of flailing movements to evade her. By the time five minutes passed I was panting and sweat rolled down my face. I hadn't had time to land even one blow. Finally my body faltered and Evanna brushed me aside like a fly. I slammed into a tree trunk and slid to the ground groaning. I stumbled upright and ducked into the trees, hugging bruised ribs and snuck toward Harkat. Evanna tracked me, following inside the clearing. When I was directly behind the Little Person and Evanna was no more then a few feet away I did one last, desperate thing. I jumped over Harkat and snatched the coffee out of his hands, ignoring his startled yelp. I lashed out with the cup, sending a wave of boiling hot liquid into Evannas face.

She ducked and in the next instant I slammed into her. We went down in a tangle of arms and legs. Knowing I couldn't win a face to face wrestle I wrapped my arms around her body and latched on as she got to her feet and tried to pull me off. Her hands grasped the back of my shirt and ripped it off. I stubbornly clung on.

"Clinging to me like a leech does not mean earn you a win," Evanna chuckled. Her face turned toward mine and I caught a glimpse of her bright, amused gaze. "But seeing as this is the best you've done all day I will concede for now."

I didn't let go. "Oh really?" I said doubtfully. The last time Evanna had said sparring was over she hit me twenty feet into a muddy stream and pronounced me gullible.

Evanna smirked. "Good. You are learning."

Our conversation was cut short by a sudden loud noise that echoed through the clearing. The sound was nothing I'd ever heard before but Evanna obviously recognized it for she stiffened and said abruptly. "Let go. We need to get back to camp right now."

I listened to the urgency in her voice and dropped to the ground. We took off at a brisk pace with Harkat, who picked up his fallen cup. Along the way Evanna put a heavy hand on my shoulder and whispered a few words. Renewed energy filled my body and I felt the pain from sparring melt away. A sense of dreadful anticipation filled me, knowing Evanna would only heal the injuries from sparring if something bad was about to happen.

We crossed through the wards which were flashing on and off. Evra met us half way through the trailers and through my sword and gun at me. "Strap up," he barked in a very un Evra like voice. "It's time.

I buckled the sheath to my waist, tucked two more knives into my belt and slid the gun away. I kept one hand on my sword and raced through camp, joined by many of the others.

Vancha was at my back, his eyes boring into the back of my head. I heard his belt of throwing stars clinking around his waist and chest. Harkat joined up, his huge war axe clenched tightly in one gray fist. I saw Truska next, her long hair tied back in a pony tail. Two guns were strapped to her belt, along with a bow and quiver on her back. Evra was geared in light leather armor, his snake dangling around his body. In his hands he clutched two wicked knives. Then their faces blurred and weapons flashed by, their owners indistinguishable from the crowd: flamethrowers, belts of grenades, handmade clubs and swords.

Mr. Tiny was at the back of the group. His eyes, hair, hands and watch shone an unearthly red and when the wards glowed with renewed light I knew he hadn't had time to disguise himself before strengthening the wards. His eyes flicked over me and Evanna and he nodded shortly to his daughter.

"Listen!" Evanna roared at the milling crowd. "The ward crews are as follows: Darren, Harkat, Debbie and Mr. Tiny. Vancha, Truska, Evra and I. Everyone else prepare yourselves. This could get ugly, very, very quickly!"

I unsheathed my sword and ran forward. Mr. Tiny had taken the lead, followed by me, Harkat and Debbie in a line. While we ran Harkat unwrapped a long thin package and handed me another sword. Its hilt was steel, shining in the sunlight. A dragon was engraved into the hilt, its jaws holding the long, wickedly sharp blade in place. The blade itself was ridged, looking eerily like dragon scales. I ran a gentle finger along the length of the blade and whistled. "Where did you get this?" I asked in admiration, trying to hand the sword back.

Harkat pushed it back toward me. "It's yours," he said. "Evanna told me to give this to you when the shadows came. It has its own magic welded deep into it, and will protect you. She told me if you weld this against a shadow in battle you are declaring your allegiance to the Cirque and in extent Mr. Tiny and her."

I fingered the blade, squinting as the dragon seemed to stretch lazily, wrapping its tail more firmly around the handle. The steel scales flowed like water over the blade in a northeasterly direction. When I blinked the sword returned to normal. "Did she make it?" I asked in disbelief.

"With Mr. Tiny's help, yes," Harkat said. "She said the Lord of the Shadows will be trying to turn you over to him and if you use this sword against him, your decision will be clear." He clapped me on the back. "You are a member of their family and no matter how much you dislike your father I think this is their way of saying you are firmly under their protection. Both Evanna and Mr. Tiny have their own. So did Mr. Tall when he was alive. If you wield this sword in battle, he will become even stronger which could mean the difference between life and death for the wards and camp."

I strapped the sword to my waist and stared. The weapon had changed completely; it now looked like a rusty ill kept weapon. But when I brushed my hand over the hilt, it flickered back to its previous state. "I will not swear my allegiance to Mr. Tiny," I stated.

"When the time comes, you may have no choice," Harkat replied. "The sword will not work completely until you do."

I nodded in the direction of Mr. Tiny. "Does he know I have this now?

Harkat shrugged. "I doubt it. Evanna and him were planning to give it to you together, under a less dangerous situation but that didn't work out as planned. I think he thought you would refuse it anyway." He stared reverently at the blade. "You belong to the most powerful family on earth," he said. "Fight like you do and nothing can stand in your way."

I let my hand fall back to my side and grimaced. "I have no magic."

"So?" Harkat said. "Has that stopped you before?"

I flexed my hands and shook my head. "No it hasn't." I snarled. "I don't need magic anyway." But as the outside of the wards came into sight, along with a terrifying sight I mentally exclaimed 'But at times like these it could be helpful.' The wards were being bombarded with shadows of varying sizes. All of them stopped briefly when they saw us and we halted a few feet from the wards. A huge creature leaned against the wards, its head cocked at me. I carefully kept my hand well away from the other sword at my belt and stared back with a blank face.

Debbie, Harkat and I fanned out in front of Mr. Tiny, eyeing the monsters with wariness. While the wards held there was nothing the creatures could do, but I knew they had fallen before. The only thing I wondered was how anything could overcome Mr. Tiny's magic. I reached deep inside myself and called to Imoo, falling much deeper into the bond then I had ever before. 'I'm sorry,' I whispered pleadingly. 'I did not take the time to know you as I should have. I need you now more then ever. They are here and the wards will fall sooner, rather then later.' The exchange left me exhausted and I swayed on the spot. Then a reply came and I nearly collapsed with relief.

'I am coming.'

'Thank you,' I replied.

'Come closer,' was the unusual reply.

I leaned into the bond, no longer aware of my body and caught a glimpse of where Imoo was. He was racing through a forest far outside of camp and I came to the horrible realization he had been running away. 'What?' I asked.

'Take some of my power to use,' Imoo hissed. 'Use it well.' Something surged through the bond and I felt someone far away hit the ground with a loud thump. I blocked it for a long moment, teetering on the edge and then welcomed it through. A rush sent my body into convulsions and my eyes rolled up. 'The Lord of the Shadows is coming. I can feel him like a sickness on the edge of my mind." Imoo added. 'He comes for you.'

I opened my eyes with a start and sat up, nearly colliding with Debbie's skull. "He is coming!" I hissed and then coughed when Debbie only looked confused and startled. "He is coming," I said in English. Mr. Tiny was leaning over the proceedings, his face a mask.

"What?" Harkat asked in dismay. He pulled me upright and I felt another store of power inside me now, not yet in use but ready to be called upon if needed.

"Yes!" I said. "Imoo told me."

Debbie swallowed hard. "Do you know why?"

I bowed my head. "He is coming for me."

Silence met my words. Mr. Tiny was still carefully blank, but Debbie and Harkat were not so. Their faces went through a mixture of surprise, fear and then anger. I paced to the wards and pressed my nose against them, feeling the magic trying to engulf me again. I pushed it away, not wanting to be trapped like before. The shadows snarled and paced back and forth, but where I stood they did not lunge. I watched them coldly. A wave of paralyzing fear swept through me and I longed to touch the sword, but held back. What Mr. Tiny did not know wouldn't hurt him. And it wasn't time. I had to be face to face with the Lord of the Shadows.

'He comes.'

"Call the others!" I roared. "He is coming right now!" I whirled around and Harkat pulled a war horn out of his bag, brought it to his lips and blew. The melancholy sound echoed through the hills and seconds later an answering horn blew. Then a roar came up from the camp behind us. The sound of war.

'He means to turn you. With you by his side the world will fall in fire and death.'

I stiffened. 'If he thinks I will desert the Cirque Du Freak he has no concept of loyalty and love.'

'Precisely.'

The rest of the Cirque Du Freak came pounding up the hill and I turned to meet them. They stood back several feet and for a long minute the scene was quiet before Evanna and the others came barreling towards us. Then Mr. Tiny, Evanna and I stood side by side close to the wards. Debbie, Harkat and the rest of the ward crew stood directly behind us. And beyond them the force of the Cirque Du Freak waited, breaths billowing in the cool air. The first sign of the end was the shadows vanishing. One by one they whipped away and left the wards.

Evanna glanced at the two swords belted to my waist and her eyes shone. Beside her Vancha sent me a dark look. Out of a bush Imoo ran and climbed up my waist. He perched on my shoulder, his glowing eyes peering around my neck. He looked more like the animal I'd run into in Kurt's bedroom then ever before. His claws were unsheathed, but lifted carefully off my neck. He said nothing to me, but there was nothing more to be said.

Then, striding out of the forest came a man. His face and body were wreathed in black robes, and he walked fluidly, his feet making no sound on the snow. Behind him his footprints melted away even as he made them. The closer he got the darker the world became until it seemed to be dusk instead of mid afternoon. Even though his face was covered I could feel eyes boring into my own. I looked back at the mass of blackness solidly and did not waver. When he reached the wards his head tilted and a barking noise escaped his clothed lips. Shadows streamed from his robes and lined up beside him; the same ones that had been hitting the wards. When he lowered his hood, even knowing what he looked like did not prepare me completely. It was me, truly and completely looking back with disdain. But the eyes were cold and dead and a black streak ran through his hair.

"Harboring deserters are you?" He asked in a low purr. Though his words were low, they easily carried through the air and wards. His hard eyes were upon Imoo who shrank close to me. When none of us replied he smiled and addressed me. "Darren Shan. What a conundrum."

I didn't reply, but glared instead.

"Two of us cannot exist," The Lord of the Shadows snapped. "Unless they are on the same side."

I regarded that faulted logic with derision and once again remained silent. Mr. Tiny and Evanna were looking between us tensely. By the looks on their faces I could guess the Lord hadn't bothered to speak to them before.

The Lord of the Shadows took one more step and raised his hand to the wards. With one hand he delicately slipped off his glove and slapped his bare palm down. The wards shuddered. Mr. Tiny clutched his watch and began to chant in a foreign tongue, more roar then speech.

"You are weak Darren Shan!" The Lord of the Shadows shouted. "You hover between two worlds, choosing neither and shunning both!" He grinned, showing teeth filed to points. "Choose the darkness and serve me or a man who ruined your entire life!"

The wards buckled and twisted, flashing dangerously. Mr. Tiny was nearly screaming now.

"Your father is weak. He deserves nothing from you except hate," The Lord purred. He stretched out his free hand, fingers brushing the wards gently. "Come to me and I will help you end him. We will take our revenge together."

The wards fell in shattering, twisting pieces of light. The Lord of the Shadows last words snapped me out of the daze and I said automatically. "Mr. Crepsley told me not to devote my life to revenge!" I screamed. "If you were really me you would remember that!" For a long time the world hung in startled clarity, the Lord's face, my face twisting in absolute rage. He leaned forward in slow motion, unsheathing a sword. His foot crossed the place where the wards had been. Then everything sped up and the two opposing sides met in clashing of weapons and screams.

Crimson liquid sprayed the ground in showering arcs. I was immediately swept away from Mr. Tiny and Evanna and fought back to back with Harkat. I unsheathed my regular weapon, knowing that the power held in the other sword would only be at its most powerful as a last resort. I fired into the mass of shadows and rolled underneath a dog-creature, slicing my sword through its underside and firing a bullet into its brain. I reloaded in the instant it took to get to my feet and fired again, bringing down a small creature. I feared for Imoo who would easily be mistaken for another creature in the melee. But I shouldn't have worried. The monster bounded from battle to battle, his glowing streak illuminating the darkness. Evanna whirled out of nowhere, her hands glowing bright green. A bright light flashed behind me and a monster howled as he was ripped in two. Black liquid soaked my shirt and I grinned at her before jumping over her head and landing squarely on the back of a gigantic creature. The thing whipped around wildly and I slashed at its side, drawing long lines of black blood.

An axe sank into its head and I rolled off before being crushed underneath the dead thing. Harkat wrenched the weapon free and I didn't even have time to thank him before he was gone. Back and forth we fought, one side gaining the advantage and then the other would push back viciously. I fought towards the Lord of the Shadows who wasn't fighting anymore; just leaning against a tree on the outskirts of the battle smirking maliciously. A bright red light suddenly flashed from the middle of a huge mass of shadows and I was blasted backwards, rolling over and over with dead shadows flying by. Mr. Tiny appeared out of the light, a snarl twisting his face. His hands were on fire, the deadly flames lashing out at the monsters that got too close. He caught sight of me and invisible hands pulled me upright, dragging my dazed self well away from the main fighting. I lay in a cooling pool of blood before I gained my breath back and rejoined the fight. But it was clear we were going to loose. For every Cirque member there were five shadows. One by one they fell.

Evanna and Mr. Tiny were rallying the Cirque Du Freak in a tight circle around them. I was separated from them by a thick wall of shadows that were gradually encircling the survivors. I fired wildly, clearing a small path that I dove into, dodging claws and teeth. A claw wrenched into my shoulder and I howled in pain. I tugged off the hoodie which was hanging in loose tatters and threw it back in a shadows face, launching myself in a leap thirty feet forward into the midst of the Cirque Du Freak. Harkat pulled me upright. Blood trickled down his face from a nasty gash but otherwise he seemed to be all right. The Cirque Du Freak bunched together, forming a tight circle around the injured, facing outward towards the monsters that were circling like sharks. The brief bloody battle was over faster then it had begun and already we had lost.

The Lord of the Shadows strolled out and tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. He addressed me again, ignoring the others. "Is this what you want to be aligned with Darren?" He asked lazily. "Weaklings and children? Family that cannot even keep your friends safe?"

I looked deep into his eyes and found fear. He was afraid of what I would do. "You are afraid?" I said equally lazily. "Of what I might do, aren't you?" I didn't yet know why I was so important to the Lord of the Shadows, but vowed to find out why.

The Lord sneered. "No little boy, I am not afraid. I will kill you if I must, but that would be a sad loss of power."

I pointed triumphantly at the Lord and spoke to everyone listening. "He is afraid! He brought an entire army to deal with a "little boy"!" I fingered the leather sheath of the dragon sword and sneered, speaking only to the Lord of the Shadows once again. "I will never join you and your twisted army!"

The Lord of the Shadows laughed. "So be it. You will remain side less and die." He unsheathed his sword again and I raised a finger, coughing loudly.

"Ah…you forget there is more then your side to this war," I said as if talking to an unruly child. I had made up my mind. I was not giving my heart to Mr. Tiny, merely my power.

The Lord of the Shadows looked startled for a moment and then his face cleared. I took the moment and attacked. I flew towards the Lord, unsheathing the dragon sword as I went. I brought out the weapon and whipped it through the air halfway toward the man. The weapon blazed with red light and I drew on Imoo's power. My hands curled and changed, the nails changing to claws. My eyes narrowed and I brought down the weapon. The wards came up so fast I didn't have time to stop the blow. The sword hit the wards with a clang and I hit next, and would have bounced off had I not sank my hands into the wards, reaching toward the Lord of the Shadows. My hand closed around his wrist and I pulled him slowly but surely into the light. Our faces were twisted in horrible grimaces. The dragon sword lay on the ground at my feet, still blazing. I reached toward it, my fingertips brushing the dragons head. Then the tail of the dragon released the hilt and wrapped around my hand, pulling the weapon into my grasp. I was unable to pull back the sword very far, but I drove it into the wards with all my strength. The blade sank into them like butter and the weapon sliced into the Lord of the Shadows robes, as he was unable to flee because of the iron grip I had on his wrist. Our eyes locked and I smiled triumphantly.

"Did you really think it would be that easy Darren Shan?" The Lord whispered. His face was contorted in pain and with a snarl he bent my wrist back until I let go with a cry. "You may have aligned yourself with Desmond Tiny, but I will destroy you." I held onto the wards for a moment longer, then the blade gave way and I slid to the ground, the light from the weapon dying away.

The Lord of the Shadows stepped back and brushed off his robes. I got to my feet, wobbling unsteadily. My back burned with pain and I could barely lift the sword.

"I cannot be killed!" The Lord of the Shadows screamed hysterically. His shadows had been driven back behind the wards the moment they came up and they milled around him uneasily. It was obvious they had never seen their Lord in such an unbalanced state.

I had been walking away at this point. At those words however I whirled around and lashed out. The dragon sword lit up, flames running along its blade and slammed into the wards with back breaking force, yet the sword did not break. The Lord of the Shadows flinched. I cut a long slice into my palm with the sword and blood ran down its blade, muting the flames that did not hurt me. "I swear on this that I will end you even if it causes my death."

The Lord stared hatefully, his eyes burning with feverish light.

"Now run," I said softly.

The Lord of the Shadows melted away; I turned, dragging the point of the blade along the ground. The sight that greeted me was heart wrenching. Blood dripped from leaves, and ran in rivers along the ground. Bodies lay everywhere, some still twitching.
'What do we do now?' Imoo asked and his battered body wound up my own. His tail curled around my injured shoulder gently.

'We heal the wounded and grieve for the dead.' I repliedas a wail rose up from a man crouched over a fallen fighter. 'And prepare for a new day.'

A.N. R&R Please!

Not too much Mr. Tiny, Darren interaction this chapter but that will become a bigger part as the Lord of the Shadow falls back. ;)

*cough* yes there is now a 90% chance Steve will come back. More like 99.9%