Disclaimer: I'm getting quite sick of this. But yeah, I own nothing.

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I awoke a few hours later, not knowing where I was. I sat up, my head pounding.

"He's dead," Steve said, from somewhere in the shadows.

"What?" I asked, confused. My confusion worsened the headache. I felt as though I would black out again any minute.

"Mr Tiny," Steve said, studying my head. "Wow, man, if you don't know that, you really did hit your head hard."

Hit my head? Mr Tiny? Dead? Who?

Suddenly, it all came rushing back to me. Mr Tiny was our father whom Steve had killed the night before. I can't believe we actually did it, we had freed ourselves from our so called "destiny." But what would we do now? Would we still have to fight this war? Things were fine between me and Steve now, couldn't we just call off the war?

He could gather all the vampaneze, tell them the war's over. I could gather all the vampires, tell them the same. We could all go our separate ways, back to the way things had been. Perhaps I would even be able to see Annie and Darius again. I sighed. I knew none of that was possible. But what was wrong with a little hope?

"Darren," Steve said. "I know what you're thinking. Why can't we just call off the war? Go back to how things were. That's just not possible. We've all been changed, and not for the better. Me, you, your parents, Annie, Darius, Debbie, Alice, everyone. You think we can just...set things straight and go back to our normal lives? Don't deny it, I know that's what you think. But you're wrong, Darren Shan. Dead wrong. Nothing will ever be the same. You're a vampire prince now. I'm Lord of the Vampaneze. Do you really think we can ever be normal again?"

I stood up. "I never said I thought we could be normal again," I said. "I just...Isn't anyone allowed to hope anymore? I thought we were did this to save ourselves. I never said I wanted to go back to my old life. I-"

"But you know you want to," Steve said angrily. "It's one thing to lie to someone else, Darren, but it's another thing entirely to lie to yourself. Do you really think you'll be able to happily live out your life knowing that although you're here, and your family is here? But you can't be there with them? That you'll never get to be a part of your nephew's life? Face it Darren, you can't live in both worlds. Get over it."

Steve's words stung me. I felt tears in the back of my eyes. I turned away, not wanting Steve to see what he had done to me. I then felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Darren, I'm sorry. I didn't mean all that the way I said it," Steve said. "It's just...I know how you're feeling right now, really, I do. Don't forget, I'm going through the same thing."

I shrugged his hand off my shoulder. "I thought you were only doing all this to kill me and Mr. Crepsley. Looks like you've only done half the job."

"Darren..." Steve looked as though he didn't know what to say. "That was before I knew the truth of what was going on. The whole truth, that is. I'm so sorry about Mr. Crepsley. I never...I never really meant for it to end like this." Steve was silent for a few minutes. "Why don't I get you something to drink?"

Before waiting for a response from me, Steve disappeared. He came back a few minutes later with a glass of water.

I took the water, thanking Steve. I drank it all at one time. "So what do we do now?" I asked Steve.

"I guess we just wait and see," Steve said as I began having difficulty breathing. That's when I realized...the water.

"You...you did something...to the water..." I gasped.

"You catch on quickly now, don't you, Darren?" Steve asked. I could see something glisten in his hand. A knife.

"Steve...please, no. I...I trusted you. You...I...Don't do...this," I said.

But I knew there was no changing Steve's mind now. He had waited too long for this. Perhaps it was better this way. Perhaps we hadn't been freed from our destiny. Perhaps Steve would become Lord of the Shadows now anyway. And that, is something I wouldn't want to be around for. I looked up at Steve, lowering the knife.

"Good bye, Darren," Steve said. He stabbed me, and watched me bleed to death. And I know that he was laughing as my soul floated on to Paradise.

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Author's Note: Well guys, that's it. Steve lives. I'm happy. And if you don't like it...that's too bad for you. :Hugs Steve: Mine! I mean um... I hope you enjoyed it, and you should read my other stories, because they're cool.

-Krissy