That Night

Part 1

Vlad opened his eyes with a start, his head crashing into solid metal. "AHH! For the love of gore! When am I ever going to get used to this bloody thing?!" With a click of his fingers, the locks on the coffin's lid slid open.
That's right. Vlad slept in a coffin now, no more soft beds for him, and certainly no more sunlight.
He grimaced as he looked around the dark room. Vlad rubbed his eyes and cracked his back, banishing the last vestiges of sleep.
In a blur, he stood in front of his wardrobe, newly lit candles doing their best to chase away the gloom.

"Rise and shine mate, we have stuff to do" he slicked back a tuft of wayward hair, glancing over at a coffin adjacent to his own.
"Oi!" he called; in an instant he was over the dark wooden box, using a single finger to flip the lid with the ease of lifting a tissue. "Get up you lazy sod!"
The figure lay on its side, a thick leather cloak draped loosely over it. "Robin" he nudged the boy. "Robin?...ROBIN?!" Vlad shook him; if his heart still beat, it would be racing right now. Vlad turned the boy over, his limp body moving without resistance. "Robin?" Vlad touched the goth's pale, cold hand. Fear flooded Vlad's mind "Ro-" "Mmf" Vlad stared at the motionless body.
"Alriiight! Man, yer worse than me mam! You know that?" The pale boy was looking up at him with a sleepy expression.
He grabbed the goth "Robin! Don't do that to me! I - I thought you...you were..." Robin pushed Vlad away, which proved a little difficult due to the death-grip the boy seemed to have on him. "But I am, technically anyway...It's been five months already bat-brain!"
Vlad laughed, relief washing over him.
It was true, Robin Branagh was a vampire now, his fondest wish come true.

..

It had happened during the gathering for the crowning ceremony five months back. That night, Vlad hated the memory of that night. Vampires of the highest and most noble of clans had arrived to crown the new Grand High Vampire, and the slayers had come to stop it. During the fight, Vlad had tried to get Robin to safety, leading him through a secret passage out of the castle.
As Vlad had turned to retrieve the rest of the Branagh family, he heard the roar of an engine.
"He's in league with the vampers-scum!" Someone shouted the order; "Don't let him get away! NO survivors!"
Tires screeched.
Vlad ran as fast as he could.
But he was too late...
With a sickening crunch, Robin was launched through the air. His head hit the back of the van's roof with a wet crack.
Vlad screamed his throat raw, running through tear blurred vision, his dress-suit soaking up blood as he held his best friend in his arms.
No slayers had stopped him, none approached him as he clung to the fallen boy, his pale skin stained red as blood welled from his mess of a body.
He could hear screams in the distance, feel the light prickles of heat as fireballs skimmed past him. It all seemed miles away now.
Vlad rubbed his best friend's cheek, wiping away a glob of mud, paint and blood with the sleeve of his dress-coat.
The boy made a strange gurgling sound, Vlad held him close "Shh, it's ok...I can help you...I...I can..." He rolled up his sleeve, examining his pale pink flesh; nothing in comparison to the grey, clammy tinge Robin's had taken on.
This was going to be difficult, and hurt like hell, since his fangs had yet to grow.
But none of that mattered right now, Robin was all that mattered.
With a sharp intake of breath, he tore into his own flesh, ripping and tearing with his blunt human teeth.

..

"I said, how's this look? Earth control to Major Tom?" Robin waved a hand in his face. Vlad blinked, returning from his thoughts. "You know, this lack of reflection thing is a right pain in the fang!" Robin adjusted his sleeves. Vlad smiled, Robin had picked up the vampire slang pretty quickly.
Vlad took in the boy's appearance. He was so pale now, his skin almost had a glow to it, his dark hair and eyes now even darker against his white skin. Vlad helped him adjust the collar of the leather jacket. He really looked the part, who knew vampirism would suit him so well? a sarcastic voice asked in Vlad's mind.
Vlad had mixed feelings about the situation. He had always vowed never to bite anyone, and certainly never to Sire anyone either!
But then again, he couldn't bear to lose his best and only friend.
He was surprised it had worked actually, since Vlad had yet to face the Blood Mirror and become a full vampire. Must be one of the perks of being the 'Chosen One'.

..

But all had changed now. Vlad sighed as he approached the doors to the main hall of the castle.
Things had taken a turn for the worse when he finally re-entered the castle that night, after safely hiding Robin behind a statue in one on of the passageways.
The slayers lined one side of the room, firing weapons and dodging fireballs from the vampires across the room.
Bodies and dust piles littered the castle.
Vlad remembered a scene like this in a history book on World War II, it was almost exactly the same, men fighting on either side as bodies lay rotting in No-man's land.
Vlad just wanted it to stop! He knew what he had to do, he had to wear the Crown of Power.
He ducked and dodged attacks flying from both sides, scooping up the wretched crown as he went.