Fangs for Your Friendship

      "Come on, Mhadyx," Dorithae beckoned to her younger sister. "Let's check this place out!"

      Mhadyx raced ahead of her sister, looking into windows, and peeking around every corner. She showed no fear of the dreariness surrounding them. That's when the trouble started. A door suddenly opened, almost hitting Mhadyx except the baby Gelert was quick on her feet and veered around it, only to slam right into the Darigan Wocky exiting.

     "Hey, watch it!" the Wocky snapped.

     "You're the one who almost hit me with the door!" Mhadyx popped to her feet and stuck her tongue out at the Wocky.

     "Mhadyx!" Dorithae hissed in warning, hurrying to her sister's side. She looked at the Darigan Wocky, now flanked by a wraith Wocky and a Cybunny. "Sorry about my sister. She's very young and we're new to DC so we're still getting our bearings."

     The Darigan Wocky glared at Dorithae. "That's not my problem, now is it?" With a short jerk of his head, he beckoned his friends as they strolled away.

     "So rude!" Mhadyx huffed and Dorithae was quick to clamp her hoof over her sister's muzzle. Her sister really needed to learn how to shut it!

      As they watched the trio walk away, Dorithae's gaze was drawn to the Cybunny. There was something…off about his appearance. At first glance, she had mistaken him for a Halloween Cybunny, but he just didn't look like the Halloween Cybunnies she had seen before. Not to mention, he hardly had a menacing air about him. Dorithae hummed thoughtfully, knowing she had found something worth looking into.

     * * *

     The next day, Dorithae and Mhadyx bumped into a red Cybunny.

     "Whoops, sorry 'bout that!" Dorithae apologized on her sister's behalf.

     The red Cybunny smiled uncertainly at her. "It's not a problem."

     Dorithae took a second look at him. "Have we met before?"

     The Cybunny raised his eyebrows. "Uh, no?"

     "Are you sure? You look so familiar…" Dorithae trailed off. "Do you have a twin?"

     "No." The Cybunny shook his head.

     "What's your name?"

     "Chad Warren."

     "I'm Dorithae and this is my sister, Mhadyx. We," Dorithae suddenly realized that Mhadyx had bored of the conversation and was trying to wander off. "Gotta go but maybe we'll see you around sometime?"

      Dorithae left the bewildered Cybunny behind to catch up with her sister before she got herself lost. Though, her mind wouldn't leave her new acquaintance alone, like a puzzle piece that should fit but didn't.

     * * *

     The day after that, they found themselves in a popular hangout spot for kids and Dorithae recognized the Cybunny they had met before.

     "Hey, Chad!" Dorithae called, waving at him as he turned to look. She was startled by the contrast in appearance. This was the Cybunny from their first day in DC with red eyes and fangs, dressed in a black suit. Not the Cybunny from yesterday with pink eyes and casual clothes. Or was it?

     "It is Chad," Dorithae suddenly exclaimed. She hurried over with Mhadyx in tow. "It’s nice to see you again!"

     "You have me mistaken for someone else," the Cybunny said stiffly.

     "Um, no, I don't. We met yesterday, remember? You remember, right, Mhads?" Dorithae looked down at her sister.

     Mhadyx nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yep!"

     "So, what's the deal? Why are you dressed like that?" Dorithae asked, with a quick sweep of her eyes over his vampire costume.

     Chad nervously looked around, as if seeking some escape but at last returned his attention to them. "It's Vlad, not Chad. It difficult to explain but it's what I need to-".

     "What's going on, Vlad?" the wraith Wocky from before suddenly appeared. Her suspicious gaze took in Dorithae and Mhadyx.

      Vlad swallowed nervously, gaze briefly pleading with Dorithae before assuming an indifferent mask. "Like I said, you've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Vlad Kovac, and I am a vampire, in case you couldn't tell," he said with a flash of fang to emphasize his point.

     "Right," Dorithae said slowly. She didn't understand the need for the act, but she was going to let it slide, for now. He was clearly hiding from something or perhaps someone and she wasn't about to reveal his disguise without all the facts. "I'm sorry. I really thought I recognized you for a sec." She smiled at Chad and the Wocky before tugging on Mhadyx's paw. "Let's go, Mhads.".

     "But what about-" Mhadyx looked questioningly back at Chad.

     "Not now," Dorithae hissed. "Don't worry, we're not letting this go but we won't get anything useful with her around.".

      "Oh!" Mhadyx finally got it and followed willingly at her sister's side.

      They certainly would get to the bottom of this or Dorithae wasn't worth the title of teen detective.

     * * *

     But who's under the mask?

      A small crowd had formed around Dorithae, Mhadyx, and the hulking figure of a Darigan Meepit entangled in a glittering net. Mhadyx grinned ear to ear holding the net firmly so the creature couldn't flee.

      "Don't you recognize her, Officer?" Dorithae smiled sweetly before yanking the Meepit's head off, revealing a very sour-faced Bruce. The crowd gasped, Dorithae loved it when onlookers were surprised. It made her feel super smart.

      The local law enforcement's jaw hit the floor and he pointed vigorously at the Bruce. "Valmis Tenebrae, but why!? How!?"

      "It's simple really! Valmis wanted the newly found gemstones all to herself, but she needed a way to keep eyes off them while she spirited them away… " Dorithae was on point for this mystery. Every twist and turn of the plot enthralled her crowd, and the officer nodded along as if he understood everything she said. Wrapping up her explanation with a resounding declaration of frustration and revenge from the perp, Valmis was taken to Darigan Citadel's prison and the crowd began to disperse.

      Fully intent on returning to the RV, Dorithae turned to leave as well, when Mhadyx tugged at her sweater sleeve.

     "It's that Cybunny. Chad…or Vlad. Uhhh Chlad?" Mhadyx snickered.

     Dorithae pursed her lips, ignoring her sister's quip, and stared at the dispersing crowd. Sure enough, Chad or Vlad was standing towards the back of the dispersing crowd. He was with the two Wockies from before, which didn't offer any chance to approach him. Dorithae decided to observe for now.

     Dorithae decided she would stick with calling him Chad. Vlad was spookier and more to her tastes, but Chad was nicer and therefore, in Dorithae's mind, the Cybunny's true name! To the untrained eye, Chad was a vampire Cybunny. He had the eyes, the hair, the clothes, even the demeanor of one, but something was off. Maybe it was the twitch in his ears or the look he gave his friends, but Chad definitely wasn't a vampire. So, why pretend to be one?

      Looking at Chad and his Wocky friends, it didn't take much of her teen detective experience to figure that one out. As the trio turned to leave, she watched as the Darigan Wocky left first, followed closely by the Wraith Wocky. Chad lingered until a snap from the Darigan Wocky brought him back to the present and he rushed after them. Dorithae clicked her tongue. That wasn't how friends acted! Chad needed some better friends.

     Mhadyx tugged once more at Dorithae's sleeve, this time with more vigor. "Dori, you're doing that thinking out loud thing again."

     Dori blushed furiously. She tended to say her thought process aloud when she was deep in investigative mode. She was going to make an excuse but deviated movement from the trio caught her eye. Chad was going a different way than the two Wockies! Now was her chance! Without wasting words, Dorithae bee-lined for the receding visage of the Cybunny.

     Mhadyx hurried after her. "Hey! Slow down! I've got little legs!"

      Dorithae trailed Chad for a bit, careful to not give away that she was following him, which, the more the thought about the more she realized how creepy she was being.

      He'll thank me when we're friends and he opens his own branch of teen detectives in DC! she thought to herself, already losing herself to delusions of grandeur.

      Eventually, Chad stopped at the pathway leading up to what Dorithae assumed was his house. Before heading for the door, he paused. Shifting on his feet, he quickly spun around, causing Dorithae to duck behind a trash can. Mhadyx looked at her in confusion before being dragged behind it as well. Peering above the rusted lid, she watched as Chad's shoulders relaxed and began a kind of transformation. He started by unzipping a bag. He took off his cravat and suit jacket, neatly folding them, and placed them in the bag. His cane was next, followed by his top hat.

     Dorithae was squirming with excitement. She was right! Chad and Vlad were the same person!

     From a side pocket on the bag, Chad took out two small containers. He carefully reached for his fangs and clipped them off, placing them in the first container. He used the second container to house his bright red contacts.

      Without all his accoutrements, Chad did not look like a standard citizen of Darigan Citadel, he looked like a kid you might see roaming Neopia Central or maybe Faerieland. Dorithae frowned. Her hypothesis had been correct, but she wasn't happy about it. Chad was making friends the wrong way, and that was leading to bad friends.

     "Mhadyx, we're going to be friends with Chad."

     Mhadyx rolled her eyes and huffed. "You say that about everyone we meet. You tried to befriend half the monsters we've run into!"

      Dorithae scrunched her face into a pout, "Well this time it's going to happen!" With that she snuck away, dragging a skeptical Mhadyx behind her.

     * * *

     It was finally the weekend. It had been a long week and Chad always felt drained after spending any time as his alter ego. He had begged off hanging out with Kylleon and Val during the weekend. He desperately needed a break. It wasn't really an excuse because his parents were able to spend time with him for once.

     So, Chad was just Chad.

     He had almost forgotten what it felt like to just be himself. It was nice not having to pretend. No uncomfortable costume, no masking his emotions, no forcing himself to behave like a lean, mean vampire. For the next two days, he was free.

     Darigan Citadel was not the most welcoming place in Neopia. Not surprising given that it was nothing more than a desolate floating rock. Even if Chad hadn't struggled to fit in with his new peers, his opinion wouldn't have changed. He couldn't understand how anyone could like living here. For someone who had been born and raised in Faerieland, the contrast from its natural beauty to the citadel's grim façade was especially striking.

      The sorts of fun and entertaining activities that had been common back in Faerieland were sorely lacking in DC. As a result, the Warrens usually opted to spend quality time in the relative comfort of their own home. They had to get really creative if they wanted to spend quality time outside. Thankfully, the Warrens were a creative family and an active one at that. They were known to make the best of any situation and were eager to find new ways to spend their precious free time as a family.

      So it was that they found themselves walking along the cramped cobblestone streets. Chad walked behind his parents, uncertain where they were going. Not that he much cared; it was enough for him that he got to spend time with them. Warren Wednesdays were great and all, but it was completely different being out in public with them. Not even the overcast sky and grim buildings could ruin his good mood.

     Well, almost nothing.

      Their walk was all too short, but Chad came to an abrupt halt as he realized where they were headed. "The castle?" He looked at his parents in disbelief. They weren't exactly a prominent family. They certainly had no reason to be at the castle. "What are we doing here?".

      "We're taking a tour of the castle," Chad's dad explained.

     "A tour?" Chad echoed.

      "They do the same thing back in Faerieland, you know," Chad's mom said.

     "Shame we never got to do that before we left," Chad's dad said.

     "So, we wanted to be sure to do that here."

     "We figured it would be a good place to start to learn more about our new home."

     Their explanation finished just as their tour guide-a Darigan Lupe-arrived. "Welcome to the Citadel," their tour guide said in Darigani.

     Chad was surprised he understood the Lupe. I've been hanging with Kylleon too long, he thought with an almost exasperated shake of his head.

     Thankfully, their tour guide switched to Common as he continued. "My name is Wardell, and I will be your guide through the Citadel. It has a long history full of betrayal, greed, and war. It all started…".

      Wardell began to lead them through the castle, explaining the history of the Citadel in great (sometimes too much) detail. A few times, Chad's mom felt the need to clap her hands over her son's ears which was embarrassing to no end. Yeah, he was a kid but it's not like he was completely ignorant. Living in DC for even the short time they'd been there had made him grow up quite a lot. He wasn't the same kid that had left Faerieland at the end of Hiding. Of course, his parents didn't have a clue about that.

     Their tour guide arched a brow. "Neopia is a big, wide world filled with both good and bad. It's a part of growing up that children need to learn about both and how to handle it. Otherwise, we'd just continue to repeat past mistakes."

      Chad's parents exchanged a glance. Chad's mom looked doubtful, but Chad's dad shrugged his shoulders in a "he has a point" gesture. She gave Chad an almost pained look before finally nodding.

     The tour continued without incident. Paintings, statues, and other historical artifacts were labeled in both Darigani and Common. Wardell also dropped the occasional Darigani word or phrase into his explanations. Chad was surprised by how much he understood before their tour guide gave the Common translation. Even so, Chad learned a lot and he made sure to pay attention so that he could use the info for future interactions with his Darigani friends.

      At last, their tour came to an end, and they stepped out of the castle, quietly absorbing everything they'd learned in the last hour or so.

     "Is anybody else hungry or is that just me?" Chad's dad asked.

      "Definitely not just you," Chad said quickly, slapping an arm over his now rumbling belly.

     "Well, you're in luck cause lunch is on me.".

     Chad laughed. "Dad, lunch is always on you."

      "Oh, that's right," his dad said with a smile.

     "So, where are you taking us?" Chad's mom asked.

     "It's called the Trough. Apparently, it's the only place in DC with a decent menu."

     Chad swallowed nervously. He'd heard of the Trough. It was where anyone and everyone went in DC for a bite to eat. Kylleon and Val had taken him there that first weekend after befriending Vlad. So, what were the chances that he'd run into them there?

     Beginning to panic, he considered getting out of it. Could he fake being sick? Or maybe an injury? His parents trusted him, and he felt a minor twinge about lying to them but what was he gonna do? Tell the truth?

      Hey, mom and dad, I've been having a really bad time at school but by dressing up as a vampire I've finally found acceptance with the very 'pets that made me miserable in the first place? Chad snorted to himself. Yeah, that would go over well. Not.

     He looked up at his parents, another lie on the tip of his tongue. Then, he swallowed it. Their faces were so happy. Family time was precious to them because they barely saw each other during the week with him at school and them at work. How could he possibly ruin that?

     Instead, Chad dragged his heels after his parents. It wasn't that long a walk to the Trough. They entered the building with the beat-up metal sign and were immediately immersed in its industrial interior. Groups of 'pets huddled around metal tables with plates of food, their voices creating an almost unsettling murmur. The Warrens settled at the nearest available table.

      "Alright, how do we get service around here?" Chad's dad asked, looking around for the nearest wait staff.

     "It's a help-yourself kind of place," Chad put in.

     "Is it?" Chad's mom asked.

     "How do you know that, son?" Chad's dad gave him a curious look.

     "Kids from school talked about the Trough," Chad explained easily.

     "Alright, then. Let's get our plates."

     They joined the line at the buffet counters.

     Being a Cybunny, he was also a vegetarian, but options were sadly lacking in Darigan Citadel. Chad started with salad. The salad was wilted, and the Cheery Tomatoes were not so cheerful, but DC wasn't known for its fresh produce; there were detractions to living on a giant floating rock and one of those was that everything had to be imported. There was some sort of lumpy corn mush and he added some to his helping of salad. He snagged a dry bread roll to finish off his plate.

     Some lunch this is, he thought, mouth twitching into a wry grimace. It looked neither appetizing nor filling but the only other option was to skip lunch altogether. His stomach rumbled in protest at that thought. Unfortunately, his focus was on his plate and not his surroundings. So, he was completely blindsided when a harsh voice caught his attention.

     "Well, well, well, look who we have here."

     Oh no! A cold chill seeped down Chad's spine and his heart sped up. He wished he could disappear or run away but he couldn't do either. His eyes trailed slowly up familiar black jeans and a leather jacket to see the smirking face of Kylleon. His cousin Val was standing next to him, her expression unreadable.

      His vampire alter ego had been hanging out with them for weeks now but that was as Vlad.

      Right now, he was Chad, and he was terrified of the bullies that had made his life a nightmare for the first three months he'd been in DC. Without the protection of his vampire costume, he was at their mercy.

     "Funny seeing you here, Chad," Val said, her blank eyes narrowed in a menacing glare. Kylleon was the leader between the two, but Val was the one that suspected Vlad was not what he pretended to be. She was constantly testing him in an effort to trip him up. Chad had to stay on his toes in order to allay her suspicions and had succeeded thus far.

      "What's a soft little bunny like you doing in a place like this?" Kylleon asked.

     "Getting lu-lunch," Chad managed to stutter out, voice tight with fear.

     Kylleon exchanged a look with Val.

     "Your lu-lunch doesn't look too good to me," Kylleon said.

     "Yeah, you're not gonna eat that," Val said.

     "You know what would help?" Kylleon asked Val.

     The wraith Wocky grinned, her smile sharp enough to cut.

      "If he were wearing it!" With that, Kylleon tipped Chad's full plate, upending it all over the front of his shirt.

     Chad stumbled back, the plate falling to the ground with a clatter. His salad slid wetly down his shirt, the corn mush slopped over his shoes and the bread roll disappeared to parts unknown. His ears drooped and he felt his eyes burn with tears.

     Kylleon and Val laughed smugly, clearly finding his distress funny.

      Chad had been free for a little while and had even begun to enjoy his day out, but he should have known it wouldn't last. Freedom always came with a cost but was it really worth the heavy price he had to pay?

To be continued…