Real-definition: having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary

Reality-definition: 1. the quality possessed by something that is real 2. the state of being actual or real 3. the state of the world as it really is rather than as you might want it to be 4. all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

~*~*~ Avira's POV Seeing Past Illusions

I woke up in my apartment, dark blue sheets wrapped around my lithe form as I lay, looking up at my ceiling. My head was filled with wonder of the events that had happened last night. Real? Well depended on you definition of real.

If its something you can see, smell, touch hear etc. then yes it was real. But whether or not it was actually there to see hear etc. to begin with puzzled me. I laughed at my foolishness. Reality was a question that plagued everyone.

How do we know if our whole world is not artificial, that we are artificial? That has yet to be proved, although I seriously doubted it ever would be. Everything could be illusion, I mused. Which brought me back to my thoughts of my powers and if a mailbox really was there.

But, as always, I lost interest after the question came up again of my true form. I decided to get off my lazy ass and go down to Shadow, another vampire town, whose main focus was gambling and clubs. New Mayhem (A/N is that how u spell it?) was the place were vampires lived, Shadow was were they all partied. The town got its name after the vampire Shadow, (imagine that!) Shadow was now run by his fledgling Kalias.

Kalias liked games as much as Shadow.go figure he should " inherit" the town. When I finally got to town, it seemed crowded, more so than usual. I walked into the club Aloria, were I knew I could find Kalias.

I stepped into a madhouse, it seemed that Aloria was the place to be on a Friday night. Pushing my way to the bar I found Kalias talking to some waitress. Probably boasting about his little witchlet Laria or whatever her name was, I thought irritably.

When Kalias noticed my presence he turned with a wide grin. " Avira, haven't been here in a while."

" Yes well I'm busy person." He and I both know that I didn't do shit which made him laugh.

" I heard some news of a girl who turned to flame in Las Noches and scared the living death out of Risika."

" Yeah well, cats bug me." I said shortly. " Hey have you heard anything about a guy about 6 ft, black hair and the weirdest eyes." Well of course lots of vampires fit that description but as soon as the words had left my mouth Kalias' expression grew cold to expressionless, a vampire specialty.

" Yeah I know who your talking about. Teran Shadow, or so he claims." I raised an eyebrow at him, as far as I knew Shadow had made no other fledgling but Kalias, not that Kalias noticed me or anything, he was to busy gazing into space. " His aura seems to be that of Shadow but its really hard to tell, his aura is kind of mixed up.well its hard to explain. And its not like I can ask Shadow, who knows were he is. For all anyone knows he could be playing bridge with Siet." I had to hold back a laugh at the picture of Siet and Shadow playing bridge together.

" Anyway," Kalias continued as his attention was brought back from space " He comes here and says that he'll give me whatever sum of money I want for the town." He paused to study my reaction, I kept my face emotionless, although I really wanted to know if he did or not I wouldn't let him see my anticipation.

" Well did you?" I said finally.

" Like hell would I give my town to some asshole who just waltz's into town saying he's my blood brother!" He said furiously. I could see this were this was going. Kalias liked being the center of attention, and he took pride in his town.

" And what did he say to your objection?" I said trying to get as much information out of him while he was still sane. I didn't feel like seeing him unleash his wrath on everyone.

" We split the town." I heard a silky voice from behind me. Turning around I saw him, although not quit as dream-like as I saw him earlier in the woods. His aura washed over mine, strong, but unless he was holding back mine was stronger. " Teran Shadow," he said with a slight nod. I could feel Kalias' aura seething, although his face showed only the slightest irritation.

' How much did he buy it for?' I asked Kalias telepathically.

' 50 million.'

' For a chunk of land?!'

" So what are you going to call your half of Shadow? Teranvill?" I said deciding to play hard to get and not give him my name. he never asked for it anyway.

' I don't know, if he's crazy enough to pay me 50 million for half a town hey, its fine by me.'

" No," he said without any sign of annoyance. " I might change it later but for now it's just Old Shadow and New Shadow." He said non-shalontly (A/N I dunno how to spell that so just ignore that word)

' Ok so he pays 50 million for a piece of land and the best thing he can come up with is Old and New Shadow?!' I said disbelievingly to Kalias.

" Oh yah, very creative." I reassured Teran..

" And what would you call it?" he said raising an eyebrow at me (A/N yes I know in this story too many ppl raise their eyebrows)

" I don't really give a fuck what you call it. Now if you guys will excuse me I have stuff to do." I said saying a silent good bye to Kalias in my mind as I pushed my way through the crowd of dancing bodies to the door.

Outside I was thankful to have fresh air and decided to walk through the woods back to the city. As I walked past trees and bushes I noticed that I wasn't the only one enjoying the fresh air, although I doubt he needed air whether in a stuffy bar or outside.

" I do believe Teran Shadow, that you are stocking me." I said as I turned around to face him. He stood ten feet away from me leaning on a tree smirking innocently.

" You forgot to give me your name." He said in a matter-of-factly way.

" I never intended to give it." I said as I began to walk again. Instantly he appeared by my side.

" Harsh. I could always get it from your friend back there."

" A) I don't believe Kalias would give you any help even if he is your supposed blood brother and B) He is not my friend, an acquaintance maybe but not a friend, I don't have friends."

" Why not?" He said. Jesus did he want my whole life story.well life (s) anyway. Not a lot of people bothered asking questions from me

" Because I don't like the idea of trusting people. And people don't like the idea of trusting me." I said simply as we moved through the woods.

" Curiouser and curiouser." He said, mimicking Alice In Wonderland. After a few minutes of walking in silence he added, "You don't believe that I'm Shadow's other fledgling." He said more as a statement then a question.

" If I don't trust you then why should I believe you?" I said looking at him for the first time since we had started walking.

" What do you believe in then?" I stopped to look at him straight in the eye. He looked beautiful, standing there, bathed in moonlight, his ivory skin shown softly and his eyes sparked blackness and mischief (A/N I know that doesn't really make sense but o well)

" I believe in illusion. That not everyone is what they seem." I said seriously, my mind wondering back to the night when I had first seen him.

" Why am I not surprised to hear that coming from an.illusionist or whatever you call yourself?"

" How did you know that?"

" Because I can see past illusions." Could he possibly know my true form? Not even I knew that. he could be my answer.

" And what exactly are you?"

" If I were an illusion, would you believe in me?" He said ignoring my question and taking a step forward so that he was close to me. Too close for my liking.

" You never answered my question Teran. What ar." I stopped in mid sentence as he started to fade. " What the.."

" Boo." He said from behind me causing instinct to come in. I swung around and threw a fist at him, which to my anger, he caught easily. Not that I had been trying that hard. From my knowledge vampires could not fade, disappear yes, but not fade.

" Who are you and what are you?!" I said, trying not to let my amazement into my voice. I mean sure, I could do that.but a vampire?

" What's your name?" He said smirking.

" Avira," I said quickly, when he did not respond I finished my name, " Avira Amarisque Novelensk."

" Well Avira Amerisque Novelensk, I will leave it up to you to decide who and what I am." And then he disappeared leaving me in the silence of the night.

A/N thank you all reviewers!

suicidalblackgoth- thank you! Thank god for true boredom lol

Krikoris- s'ok I don't expect reviewers to set the record for Fastest Reviewer Ever.deep down inside we are all pretty weird.

ShadowBlaze- you flatter me so! Yes Taren is VERY VERY hot + zesty

Moonlitdemon- I feel so loved. CAFEINE!! Like I said up ^^^^ there he has mucho mucho hotness!

Arden Kaylien- the best stories are odd, that's whats interesting about them.