Chapter I
Four years later, on a clear autumn night...
"Whew! Kevin said to Krystal as they walked out of an arcade on the boardwalk in Corneria City, with a large stuffed bear he won for Krystal. "What a night!"
"What a wonderful night!" Krystal added. "But it's getting late. Hopefully no rogue vampires running around."
"Hey, guys." Fox said as he and his now-wife Fara walked up to them from a local pizza parlor on the boardwalk. "See any rogue vampires running around?"
"We didn't see any in the arcade, guys." Kevin replied as he gave Krystal the stuff bear. "Any luck in the pizza parlor?"
"No. Nothing." Fox said, "Fara and I are going back home. We'll see you guys later."
"All right, guys." Kevin said, "Goodnight."
Krystal, Fox, and Fara exchanged 'goodnights' with them, then watched them leave. Both of them began to head back to their apartment. Despite destroying Recon years ago, the whole group had been busy hunting rogue vampires all over the Lylat system, thanks to a new ship they bought and owned, with Fox, Wolf, and Krystal piloting. While Krystal and Fox maintained their friendship, she became friends with Fara. Kevin also became friends with Fox and Fara. He took them under his wing and trained them to become vampire hunters. Best of all, Kevin and Krystal were married a year later. That same year, Fox and Fara were married as well.
They had just started the walk back to their apartment, when Krystal's enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of a little child crying underneath the boardwalk. She turned to Kevin. Her long, blue hair flew freedly down her back, and she had blue makeup on, including blue lipgloss.
"I heard it too." Kevin told her, "Come on."
Both of them jumped over the railing and onto the beach, then walked under the boardwalk. It was dark underneath, but they were able to see due to their night vision ability. After searching for a few minutes, they found the source of the sound: A small, pale wolf dhampir was sitting under a wooden boardwalk pillar, crying.
"Hey!" Krystal said as she knelt down in front of him, "Are you all right?"
"No." The dhampir said, "I want my mommy and daddy."
"Where are your parents, bud?" Kevin asked
"I don't have any parents." The dhampir asked, "They're dead, and I'm hiding under here."
"Why?" Krystal asked
The little dhampir stopped crying and looked up at them.
"People will be afraid of me because of what I am." He replied. "They even call me 'monster', which is what I think I am. They don't want me."
The little dhampir showed them what he was by revealing vampire fangs and crimson red eyes, giving them a scary face. Kevin sighed hard and hung his head. The little one's face reverted back to normal, and he turned away from them with tears in his eyes again. Kevin knew the pain this child was going through.
Krystal turned him around and faced him.
"What's your name?" She said to him.
"Micheal." The dhampir replied, "Micheal Jones. Why where you guys not scared of me?"
"Because you're not a monster, little bud." Kevin told him. "I'm Kevin, and this is my wife, Krystal."
"Hi." Micheal asked, "What am I then?"
Kevin looked around, especially up to the people walking on the boardwalk.
"I think we better get indoors first." He said to the two of them. "We'll fill you in."
"I agree." Krystal said, before turning her attention back to Micheal, "And as for you."
She lifted him and held him in her arms.
"You're coming home with us, sweetheart." Krystal said. "Kids like you need a family."
"Really?" Micheal asked
With a smile, Krystal nodded.
"All right!" Micheal said happily as he threw his arms around her neck, while Kevin patted him on the back.
The three of them resumed their walk back to the apartment building.
End of chapter I