THAT EPISODE ON MONDAY THOUGH *dies*
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT AND THE OCs!
"Master! Master! Master!" Renfield cried, running into the building and collapsing in the doorway. In an instance, Ingrid, Olga and the Count were standing over him. They didn't help him up, but they did watch him and scowl.
"Master!" Renfield gasped, pushing himself into a sitting position.
"What is it, you whimpering swamp creature?" The Count demanded, "Renfield, Renfield! What?"
"Elisabetta. Sent a message." Renfield managed to say, "She's got them."
"Elisabetta?" Olga looked confused, but the others were horrified. It looked like The Count was about to pass out on Ingrid.
"Malik's mother, my wife." The Count said, "The shapeshifter." He didn't mention Emarni, even when Ingrid prompted him.
"She's got Master Vlad!" Renfield said, "And Miss Emarni!"
"Wait, she's holding her own child hostage?" Olga still sounded very confused, "Why would she do that?"
"Ingrid, go and find your older brother." The Count said, "I imagine he'll want to come with me." Without moving an inch, Ingrid looked at him in defiance.
"What?" Olga cried, "You're leaving us here?" There was a pause, where The Count looked at the faces of his niece and his daughter, both of them looking at him with crestfallen expressions. Then, he handed Ingrid a small jar, with a squirming worm inside. She frowned.
"It's an African glowworm." Olga drawled, "But what is it for, Uncle Count?"
"When a Shadow Warrior is near, the glow changes to red." The Count told them, "I want you to destroy the shadows." Ingrid looked down at the jar and tried not to grin; her father had never trusted with an important task before. Both the girls ran off in the direction of the weapons closet.
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When the two girls brushed past him on the stairs, Malik was confused. They looked like they were in a hurry.
"Ingrid?" he grabbed her by the arm, "What's up? Where is everyone?"
"Oh, yeah." Ingrid remembered, "Dad wants you. Your crazy mother has kidnapped you crazy sister. Your family is messed up, if you don't mind me saying." Malik rolled his eyes.
"Ingrid." He warned, his fangs lowering dramatically. She smirked at him, placing her hand on his shoulder. Playfully, she shoved him backwards and the pair of them tumbled back down the stairs. They fell head over heels, Ingrid landing on top when they reached the bottom.
"You're more fun when you've got an agenda." Malik said, as Ingrid pinned his arms to the ground.
"You're more fun when you're angry." Ingrid replied, "You might want to go and get your sister." She stood up, brushing herself down smoothly. For a second, Malik lay still and thought about Ingrid. They were engaged, after all, so it was alright for him to think about her, right? He wasn't so sure. What he did know was that Ingrid was by far the most-
"Stop lazing about, Malik!" The Count certainly had an interesting way of pronouncing Malik's name. He grabbed Malik by the arm and yanked him to her feet, pulling Malik down the corridor after him. They had precious hours left until sunrise, precious time left to defeat Elisabetta.
"What happened?" Malik asked, "Why's Mum taken Emarni?"
"I don't know." The Count said, "You know your mother isn't right..." He tapped his temple, "In here..."
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"I think I'm gonna be sick." Vlad said, as he swung back and forth with a rope tied tightly around his middle. His sister was sitting nearby, her legs neatly crossed and her hands folded in her lap. Elisabetta hadn't tied her up because, in the same way that Vlad was The Count's favourite, Emarni was Elisabetta's favourite. The shapeshifter herself was standing over her daughter protectively, glaring at Vlad.
"Please let Vladimir down, Mother." Emarni looked up at her mum. Shaking her head, Elisabetta rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Emarni, my sweet. You can't let hostages go. Surely, you must know that." Emarni looked uncomfortable. She received a slap on the arm, from her mother. Vlad couldn't help thinking- the blood was rushing to his head, after all- that while The Count was horrible, he had never hit Vlad or Ingrid. Malik, maybe.
"Smile, Emarni." Elisabetta scolded, "You look so unhappy."
"What does it matter if I am happy or not?" Emarni sighed, looking down at her feet.
"It matters. Because if you won't marry Malik willingly-" Both Vlad and Emarni cringed, "I'll have to force you. And you will be happy about it. So, will you please smile?" Elisabetta's kind tone had a sharp edge to it, and her daughter immediately smiled half heartedly. First, she tries to get Malik on the the throne, then she tries to force an engagement between her son and daughter? Vlad scowled at the upside down world.
"What are you getting out of this?" Vlad demanded, "If Malik rules the world and Emarni marries him? What will you get Elisabetta?" The shapeshifter looked surprised to be directly challenged. She glared at Vlad, like he had ruined her plans again.
"I get the power." Elisabetta crossed the room to peer at Vlad, "I can influence my children and use them like puppets. I will be the goddess of this world. People will worship me."
"That's sick." Vlad hissed.
"I know." Elisabetta smirked, looking pleased with herself.
The sun was on the verge of rising, when The Count burst through the door, Malik at his side. Malik studied the situation quickly and let out a small sigh of relief. It looked like Elisabetta had gone easy on them, maybe she wasn't even intending to harm anyone. If she was, she would've hurt someone by now.
"Dad!" Vlad groaned, who was tied up and hanging from the ceiling, like a butterfly in a cocoon. Malik couldn't help laughing.
"Malik." Elisabetta held out a hand to him, "Rejoin the family." Emarni was siting beside her, looking really awkward but still managing to fake a smile. Slowly, Malik walked towards them.
"Malik! What are you doing? Help me get Vladdy down!" The Count yelled at him. Malik hesitated, where he was.
"Malik! Come to your mother!" Elisabetta beckoned. She was smiling at him, in her usual unnerving way. Turn the other way, and Malik could see The Count looking at him desperately. Which way did he go?
"Malik!" Vlad yelled.
"Mal." Emarni whispered, just loud enough to be heard. Weirdly, Malik's arm began to itch, his skin flaring up suddenly. Maybe he was allergic to family, the same way he was allergic to Concealing Potions.
"Mal, are you okay?" Emarni got to her feet, ignoring the look her mother gave her.
"Sit down." Elisabetta shoved Emarni back down in her seat. The girl looked at Malik with wide eyes, clearly pitying him. That was when The Count managed to unravel the ropes holding Vlad in place and Vlad fell to the ground. Malik's younger brother walked over to him and rested his hand on Malik's shoulder.
"Malik. For once, why don't you do the right thing?" Vlad said quietly. At any other time, Malik would've laughed and kicked Vlad into the dust. But now, he nodded seriously.
"Mum, I'm not coming with you. Emarni can if she wants, but I'm certainly not. You lied to me about who I am, what I am." Malik said, "I don't think I can be a part of your perfect family anymore." Elisabetta stiffened, her smile turning sour and her fingernails digging into Emarni's shoulder.
"If Malik gets his independence, so should-" Emarni tried to get up again and Elisabetta tossed her aside, like she was a rag doll; Emarni leapt up instantly, "Maybe not."
"Malik, I need you to rule the world. And Emarni shall reign at your side, as your Queen." Elisabetta reminded her son.
"She wants us to get married." Emarni said, "I tried to tell her about you and Ingrid."
"Look, just leave the children alone, Elisabetta." The Count said, "Malik is not marrying... The blonde one, whatever her name is. They're brother and sister and I will not allow incest in my household." He glanced at Ingrid and then at Malik, "Maybe some exceptions."
"Emarni." Elisabetta growled, "Her name is Emarni and she's your daughter. She's absolutely Perfect."
"She keeps saying that?" Vlad muttered helpfully, "Any idea what she means?"
"No." The Count said, in horror, "No!"
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"The Absolutus-Mortuus are a species from long ago. They are vampire children, which are taken away by witches as babies." The Count told them, "They were rare. Literally, one in a million. No, in a billion."
"But what do the witches do to them?" Vlad asked.
"They genetically alter them. Every single person in this world has a different genetic code, different brain cells, that makes them good and bad at things." The Count explained, "The witches change the child's genes, using potions and injections. They make the child a Perfect copy, make them good at everything. They make them intelligent, beautiful, kind, brave and honest."
"I gave Emarni to Amalia Mistletoe, within minutes of Emarni's birth. She spent four years with the witches and they altered her to perfection. She is the last of the Absolutus-Mortuus." Elisabetta was smirking, standing casually and waiting for the discussion to visit, "I did explain to you, Vladimir."
"I do not want to be an Absolutus-Mortuus!" Emarni shrieked suddenly, "I want to be a vampire!"
"You did say that you thought you were more than a vampire." Vlad reminded her. Thinking back, Emarni realised she had said that and something else too.
"If the Shadow Warriors are yours..." Emarni turned to her mother, "That means you attacked Grandfather and Grandmother too." Elisabetta shrugged in an off hand way.
"I only wished to test the Shadow Warriors abilities, before using them for my own purposes. My meddling parents were the perfect lab rats." she said.
"Was getting trapped in the mirror part of your plan?" Malik asked, regaining his power of speech. He had both his arms behind his back, to hide the irritated skin on his wrist that he was scratching- vampires didn't get rashes and he wasn't ready for The Count to know his secret yet.
"Of course." Elisabetta said, smugly, "I knew Vlad would overpower us. Emarni knew of your existence by then, Malik; she had checked our family tree. I planted the idea in her head that she had a long lost sibling and she went to look it up. While we were trying to destroy Countie, Emarni was searching for Malik. I was zoned and weeks later Emarni found her older brother in France. It was all perfectly timed so that Emarni would bring me the locket and I could come back, in time for Vlad's eighteenth birthday." There was a long pause, where everyone looked around at each other in realisation. Malik swore loudly.
"I'll be back, Vladimir. This is just your warning." Elisabetta warned, grabbing Emarni by the arm and lifting her to her feet. The girl whimpered quietly, but otherwise made no protest.
"She's not coming with you." Malik snarled, grabbing his sister's other arm. Then, he was exactly where Elisabetta wanted him.
"Malik-" Vlad tried. But it was too late. Elisabetta had both of her children in tow, as she fled from the Draculas.
"We could've handled that better." Vlad said, thoughtfully.
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The school was dark, when Erin got there. She pushed open the front door hesitantly.
"Vlad? Malik?" She called, walking forwards, "Ingrid? Wolfie?" It was silent. Maybe they weren't in, maybe they had moved on. Or maybe not.
"Get it!" Ingrid screamed and two female vampires leapt on top of Erin, waving torches and lanterns aggressively. Awkward.
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READ AND REVIEW- let me know what you want to see more of!
(Maybe Wolfie turning up, or the Magister Malificorum making an appearance or whatever?)