Hi all, I've decided to start a series of one shots concentrating on the characters in my story, Gift from the Gods, previously called What If? Please review, and I hope you enjoy!
May 6th, 1987
A cloaked figure crept up the stairs of the old orphanage. The shadow took care in not being seen, not being heard. There were two bundles tucked inside the fabric of the cloak. One blue, one pink. Both with nearly identical letters folded carefully into the blankets. The only difference being the names of the sleeping children. The figure placed the two bundles on the step with care, placing a light kiss on the top of each child's head, and turned to vanish into the night, until...
The figure came face to face with another small cloaked figure. "Who are you?" The first figure demanded with a female voice.
"My...name...Darren." The little person stammered,"I..am..child...on...step." The hooded person flipped back his hood, revealing an ugly grey stitched together face with two glowing green orbs for eyes.
"No, that's impossible." The woman said stepping back.
"It is...not." The little person replied, "Came...to..stop...you...you can...help...me avoid...this...fate." The little person lifted his mask back over his mouth, gasping as if he was desperate for air, "Take...children...to Cirque du...Freak. Find...Larten...raise...them...as good...vampires."
"I can't! I've never wanted children, I'm not fit to be their mother, they're better off here."
The little person shook his head vehemently, "Not...true...you are...a wonderful...mother...this...is...what will...happen...to your...son...if you do not...listen." He gestured to his face, stitched together.
"Are you really Darren?" the woman asked.
The little person nodded. "I died...in the War...of Scars...you and father did...too. Mr. Tiny...turned me into a Little...Person...when I died...I cannot...go to...Paradise...until I...make things...right."
The woman sighed dejectedly, "Your sister?"
"Alive." Darren assured, "Making...things...right between...the clans. With...Evanna...and Vancha...and...Arrow. Can't...say...more."
"Okay." She whispered staring at the little person, "If what you say is the truth, then perhaps I was wrong about what was right. I'll take the children to Larten, if he will have me."
"He will." The little person promised. The woman picked up the bundles again, preparing to flee, "Wait!" The little person called. The woman turned. The grey monster threw its small arms around her tightly. "I love...you...Mom."
The little person released her and watched the woman disappear in a blur, far faster than any human could. "You will see your mother again, in Paradise." Another voice sounded. A small fat man stood beside the little person, holding a heart shaped watch. The fat man sighed in annoyance, "You have put things right, and ruined my wondrous meddling!"
"Father, it is time you put the boy right again. He deserves to join his family in Paradise. He has lived a worthy life." A short ugly woman dressed in ropes said, standing besides the fat man.
"I suppose you're right." The fat man said disappointedly. He waved his hand and the little persons body began falling apart at the seams, quite literally in fact. The grey skin molted away, green orbs melting into goo. A bluish light emerged from the quickly melting goo, floating its way into the sky, to a land beyond the stars, to...Paradise.
The blue light formed into a shape, becoming more and more solid as it reached its destination. The blue shape eventually turned into a the shape of a twenty-year old man. Heavily scarred, broad shouldered, with dark hair, and dark grey eyes.
"Darren!" A gleeful voice sang out.
The man turned at the sound of the familiar name. A tall, orange haired vampire was running towards him, flanked by a dark-haired vampiress, and several other vampires. The orange-haired vampire in front flung his arms around the newcomer. The dark haired man returned the embrace, tears in his eyes, "It's good to see you, old man."
"What took you so long?" Larten asked.
"Mr. Tiny's meddling." Darren replied gravely. "I was a Little Person, like Harkat! Harkat was Kurda Smahlt all along by the way, he sent me back in time, I stopped mom from giving us up-in a different timeline of course."
"Harkat was...Kurda?" The woman gasped.
"Yes." Darren said, and released his father to embrace his mother. "I missed you too mum."
Arra Sails laughed, and wrapped her arms around her boy, and said, nearly sobbing, "I thought you would already be here when I arrived, I saw Steve stab you before I was killed. When your father told me you weren't here... We thought you were lost to us forever."
"I nearly was." Darren said softly, and then smiled, "But I'm here now."
"That's enough sap!" A gravelly voice sounded. "The boy's just died and became a Little Person to boot! Give him some ale!"
Darren turned at the sound of the voice, "Gavner!" He hooted gleefully. He wrapped his arms around the burly vampire's neck.
Gavner ruffled the boy's dark hair, "I heard they made you're scrawny but a vampire prince!"
"Indeed we did!" An older voice said. Paris Skyle approached the two vampires, "We felt it preferable to executing him."
"Paris!"
"Greetings, Darren." Paris nodded.
"If only they felt the same about sending me to the stakes."
Darren turned once again, face to face with a blond haired vampire. "Kurda!?"
"I made my peace with the vampire gods as Harkat Mulds, thanks to you Darren."
Darren laughed again, overjoyed at being able to see all his dearly departed friends again. "I think it's time for a round of ale." The vampires cheered and clapped him on the back. They spent the evening telling tales, each one filling in the others about things they might have missed.
Eventually all of the vampires departed, leaving Arra and Larten alone with their son. "So you stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life." Arra said, nudging her son's shoulder.
"I think Lena and I still had a pretty good life," Darren said, "Her more so than me."
"Yes." Arra said, "I think your sister is perfectly happy. Still, I'm glad another version of me has the chance to raise you two properly."
"I am as well." Larten agreed.
"Can you guys see her? From Paradise I mean?"
Larten and Arra smiled at Darren, "Of course we can. I watched over all of you before you three ended up here with me." Larten said. "Would you like to see her?"
Darren nodded eagerly, letting his father show him to a pool of water. "Just ask for who you wish to see on earth."
Darren leaned over the pool, gazing into the clear water, "I want to see Elena Crepsley." He said, "Please." He added as an afterthought. The water rippled, and an image slowly started to appear. The scene revealed a familiar orange-haired vampiress, though she looked slightly older than he remembered, in her thirties if he had to guess. She was in vampire mountain, perched on her mother's beloved bars, rapidly twirling a staff. Opposite her was a burly bald vampire with tattoos running up and down his arms and down the middle of his bald head.
"You're going down, Princess." Arrow growled in the image.
Elena laughed, "In your dreams, sire."
A few vampires were gathered below, some of them quite small. "Kick his arse mom!" One of the younger vampires called.
Elena glared down at the voice below, "If I hear you use that kind of language again, it will be your arse I kick!" She called.
Larten groaned beside Darren, "I knew I should have stopped them from dancing at the Festival."
"She could do a lot worse than Arrow." Arra noted.
The three vampires turned their attention back to the pool, the fight on the bars was not very long. Elena had taken over her mother's title as champion of the bars, taking Arrow out swiftly with a quick swipe to his shins. "Those muscles won't get you very far in this sort of contest." Elena teased, as three young vampires converged on the fallen prince, crawling over him.
"So it would seem." Arrow grinned at her, hoisting the children up so that they could swing on his biceps.
The image in the pool faded. Darren looked at the pool sadly, "You will see her again." Larten said, "It is not fair to wish for her to join us here, she deserves to live a good life."
"I know." Darren said sadly, "I just miss her."
Arra brushed Darren's hair from his forehead. "I know." She said, "We all do. But we will see her again. For now you're stuck with us."
"Come," Larten said, "Let us join the others." He wrapped his arm around Darren's shoulder, Arra taking the opposite shoulder, and they marched their son towards their friends, who were drinking heavily and singing rather badly, basking in the sun's rays. For vampires had no fear of the sun anymore, not when they had reached Paradise.