Hi guys! I know I'm supposed to be working on Endgame right now but I wrote this at the prompting of DisasterSiblingsAu on Tumblr (go check out that blog it's chaotic good at it's absolute finest, trust me) and I couldn't resist dropping everything to finish it all today! (Thank you giant iced coffee for making my brain go fast).

I've been re-reading the Saga of Larten Crepsley for the first time in years and blogging my (largely incoherent) thoughts as I go along and this was the fallout of that. The prompt was basically, "what if Mika told Darren the story of the time Larten thought he could win Arra's hand by combat challenge?" They also gave me their blessing to go as angsty as I wanted so here we are.

Also I realized I have NEVER written Darren in a serious capacity. It's been strictly TVF crackverse for the poor kid so I'm not sure if I got his characterization exactly but I tried my best.

Enjoy this small moment in Vampire Mountain!

Mika Ver Leth and Larten Crepsley had always gotten along fairly well. They'd never been best friends, but they'd been running in the same circles for more than half their lives. In the past, Mika had thought Larten was indecisive, overdramatic, and prone to impulsive behaviour. Whereas Larten thought Mika was a conceited, compulsive overachiever with pathological need to be better than everyone else. But nevertheless they had no shortage of respect for each other, despite the very different paths their respective lives had taken.

Mika was still baffled as to why Larten had felt compelled to blood the young Darren Shan on that fateful night years ago. But Mika also plenty of his own shit going on, and only so much mental bandwidth to cover all of it so admittedly he never paid more attention to Larten or Darren that he absolutely had to. Mika hadn't expected to lose his title of "Youngest Prince In History" in his lifetime but he brooded about it in secret. He knew how petty it was, especially during wartimes.

But that particular night, Larten was being a bit of a prick if Mika did say so himself. Two months had elapsed since that absolute shitshow that started with Kurda's botched investiture, and cumulated into the grand finale that ended with what looked like a twelve-year-old kid sitting on the throne next to Mika's. And Larten Crepsley hovering behind aforementioned kid. Mika didn't set foot into the human world often enough to have heard the phrase "helicopter parent" but if he had, he surely would have applied it to this situation. Normally Larten wasn't so overbearing. And normally Darren obeyed him earnestly. They had a good dynamic.

Normally.

They had a map laid out on a table in front of them and a handful of little pawns in various colours that represented the known locations of vampires and vampaneze. To summarize it, Darren wanted to place their troops "here". Larten felt they should place their troops "there". Mika thought both ideas were equally reasonable and he couldn't figure out why either of them had chosen that particular hill to die on. But the more seasoned Prince sat back quietly and watched the pair go at it for almost ten minutes. At first Mika enjoyed the bit of free entertainment but that didn't last long. Eventually they moved well past discussing the location of the pawns and devolved into simply yelling at each other as loud as they possibly could. Larten's face was the same shade of red as his cloak, and Darren was on the brink of a total meltdown. They seemed to have forgotten Mika was even there.

As we know, it certainly wasn't normal behaviour for that pair. It also wasn't normal behaviour for Mika to feel a strong twinge of sympathy as he heard Darren's voice start to break. He was trying to stand up for himself but Larten wouldn't give him an inch. Mika decided to put a stop to it. No one else was going to. Besides, he was getting a headache.

"Larten, get out." Said Mika abruptly, raising his hand to call for silence. Larten looked ready to claw Mika's eyes out but he didn't care. Darren didn't look at either adult. He just stared down into his lap and Mika could see he was blinking rapidly.

"Excuse me?!" Larten thundered, turning his laser-focused rage upon Mika.

Go ahead. Come at me, Mika thought to himself.

"You mean, excuse me Sire." Mika retorted coolly. He didn't raise his voice or even put any real venom into it. He didn't have to. He raised one eyebrow at Larten and the orange-haired vampire went even redder but his fiery gaze immediately cooled as he realized who he was talking to.

"My apologies, Sire." Larten muttered. He was visibly flustered now. Although he didn't quail under Mika's gaze the way most vampires did. We all know Larten wasn't most vampires.

"No hard feelings. But still, get out." Mika repeated calmly. "It's becoming increasingly obvious that you need to take a break. Sire Shan and I are more than capable of continuing this discussion on our own, although we've appreciated your input so far."

Darren slowly looked up at Mika with an expression of disbelief. And maybe, just maybe a shred of gratitude?

"Darren, do you agree with this?" Said Larten, suddenly sounding concerned as he addressed his student. "I do not have to leave if you order me to stay."

Mika rolled his eyes.

"I think... I'll be okay for now. Thanks for your help. I'll see you later." Darren replied in a small but steady voice as he determinedly met his mentor's eyes. Larten's scowled at Darren for a moment, then he turned and shot Mika a dirty look. Mika maintained an impassive expression and shrugged. Larten's posture relaxed as he wordlessly admitted defeat.

"Best of luck, Sires." Said the ex-General. He gave them each a curt nod before turning on his heel and striding swiftly out of the room.

Mika closed his eyes for a moment and appreciated the sudden silence. He really didn't get as much of it as he wanted in the average day. But his attention was pulled sharply to the left as he heard a soft sniffling noise coming from the throne next to him, accompanied by some sharp and rapid intakes of breath which weren't quite hyperventilation, but it's a slippery slope into a full-blown panic attack.

Oh boy, thought Mika. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, but he knew exactly how fun that was. But years of experience had hardened him, given him the well-honed ability to put on a mask and carry on with his day so no one would be any the wiser about whatever inner turmoil he was working through. That was how he liked it. But Darren was just a child trying to make sense of whatever the hell was going on in this fucked-up world. The clan collectively tended to ignore that fact when it was convenient to them and Mika was no exception. Mika had no time for emotional outbursts, especially from those who had the privilege of sitting upon these thrones.

But Darren just looked so damn miserable.

Mika prides himself on always knowing exactly what to say. When you play the political game as long as he has, there's just certain things you get good at. Unfortunately for this particular situation he was coming up short. But the kid next to him was on the verge of a total panic attack and he knew he had to do something.

"I've never seen you and Larten go off on each other. That was different." Mika spoke up. His tone was casual but undercut with intent.

"We never fight." Darren mumbled weakly. "Not really. Maybe when I was first blooded, but not since then. We argue sometimes but not like that."

"Well, I hope you're not offended that I dismissed him. You know you could have ordered him to stay if you wanted."

"I know." Said Darren quietly.

"Good. Never be afraid to speak up." Said Mika. His tone was gruff but gentle.

"Thanks for asking him to leave, Sire Ver Leth." Darren replied in an even quieter voice. "I don't think I could've done that myself."

"Darren, you can just call me Mika... we've been over this."

Darren nodded apologetically. He was still breathing quickly but seemed to be calming down slightly.

"I have a great deal of respect for Larten." Mika continued purposefully. "He is an excellent vampire, one of the best I've ever known. You're very fortunate to have such a high-quality mentor. Never forget that."

Darren nodded again, but his face was reddening and his lips were pressed together in a way that suggested his emotional state was destabilizing once again.

Oh for fuck's sake, thought Mika.

"Despite Larten's many great qualities, it is my opinion that he was being unfair to you. That's not a judgement I pass lightly." Mika added steadily. "And I have neither the time nor patience to tolerate unnecessary fighting. So I put a stop to it. I don't know you very well yet, but I know Larten. And the argument I witnessed was most unlike him."

"He hasn't been the same since... you know. That whole Kurda thing." Said Darren reluctantly.

Hah. "That whole Kurda thing" was certainly one way to refer to it.

"I don't think any of us have." Said Mika in a low voice. "Would I be correct to assume he's taking the loss of Arra Sails pretty hard?"

There were several seconds of poignant silence between the two Princes.

"I hear him crying at night all the time." Darren admitted at last. The boy's voice had a raw, defeated edge to it. "He's struggling. And he won't talk about it. I know he didn't mean to take it out on me... I think he's just having a bad day."

Mika maintained his silence for a little longer, carefully deciding what to say next.

"I get that, Darren." Said Mika. "More than you could possibly know. I'd be the last person to judge Larten for how he's feeling or how he's dealing with it. I just thought you could use a break, that's all."

"You were right. I hate fighting with Mr. Crepsley." Said Darren with a sad note to his voice. "I feel bad that we sent him away, though."

"That conversation wasn't going anywhere productive. He'll be fine. Later you can sit with him and talk about whatever you need to talk about." Mika replied firmly. "Larten's always had a temper. Although he's softened considerably in the years since I'd seen him last, some things never change."

"This is him soft?!" Darren practically yelped in alarm. Mika stifled a snort of laughter.

Kid, you have no idea.

Mika was pretty familiar with a good amount of Larten's life story. Darren certainly didn't need to know all of it and it wasn't Mika's to share anyway. But that didn't mean he couldn't cherry-pick an anecdote or two.

"Arra used to be my apprentice, did you know that?" Mika began conversationally.

"No!"

"Yeah. I've known her for almost half my life. I thought the world of her."

Darren's face fell.

"I didn't realize you were close... you lost her too. I'm sorry."

"Thank you. I miss her every day. Larten is not the only one who's had a difficult time in the wake of... the whole Kurda thing, as you call it." Mika replied as lightly as he could, allowing himself to be honest in the presence of the impressionable young half-vampire.

"So you blooded her and everything? If you don't mind me asking, that is." Said Darren cautiously.

"Actually, no. She was blooded by a much older vampire. He's been dead for a couple of decades now. She was his apprentice for a few years but they weren't a good fit. She was so motivated and energetic, wanted to learn everything she could. She was ambitious from the start. But he was a lazy fool and he couldn't care less about her goals or education. He just wanted someone to take care of him, keep him company, and look pretty."

Mika snorted with disdain and Darren frowned at the thought of his deceased friend living that way.

"Yeah. I didn't know her very well but I can't picture her being anyone's butler." Said Darren decisively.

"Not a chance." Mika affirmed with a dry smile. "I was a new General back then and I ran into them in my travels. We set up camp together and she kept asking him to go run through some sword work drills with her. But he just wanted to find the nearest town and sit at the bar all night. So I offered to spar with her. I'd been travelling alone and missed having someone to practice with. The rest is history."

"Let me guess, she decided she liked you better." Darren interjected, starting to smile.

"Exactly." Mika chuckled sadly. "We were inseparable for the next few decades. She was one of my best friends. When we went into battle together she was my other half. I taught her everything I could but I never felt like I was in charge of her. I was her mentor but we didn't have the same dynamic you have with Larten. Not that it was better or worse, just different. Arra Sails answered to nobody. That was my favourite thing about her. Sometimes I think I learned more from her than she did from me."

"I wish I got to spend more time with her." Said Darren, his smile fading. He looked in danger of crying again. "I really admired her, and she worked so hard trying to help me pass my trials. She deserved a longer life and a better death."

"You know she found me at the Festival and just about ripped me a new one for even subjecting you to the trials." Said Mika with a faint and rueful smile.

"She DID?!"

"Absolutely. She was very adamant about it. She was also quite drunk but I firmly believe the conversation would've gone the same way even if she'd been sober. That's just who she was. We lost a truly great vampire when she fell."

"I think Mr. Crepsley wanted to be mates with her again." Said Darren woefully. "That's why he's having such a hard time. He loved her."

"Yes, he did." Mika agreed gently. "They were quite a pair."

"I bet they were."

"Did he ever tell you that almost a century ago, there was a time when both Larten and I hoped to win Arra's full attention?" Said Mika with a wry grin.

"No!" Said Darren incredulously. "Are you serious?!"

"Serious as an axe wound, young Shan."

"I can't believe he competed for her against you! Surely he couldn't have won her over by his looks."

Mika could have very easily laughed himself off his throne at that comment, but with great difficulty he kept his composure. Although the corners of his mouth did twitch.

"Looks didn't matter to Arra, but I'll take the compliment. She'd actually met Larten by chance years before she and I ever crossed paths. They just had a connection I couldn't compete with."

"Were you disappointed when she mated with him?"

"Of course. At that point, it was one of the few things in my life that didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. But a relationship isn't meant to be treated like a conquest. A person isn't a prize to be won. So I was happy for her. For them."

"That makes sense." Said Darren thoughtfully.

"I figured that out before Larten did, though, I'll give myself that much credit." Mika added with a smirk. "Larten figured out I had feelings for her. He and I crossed paths at the Festival of the Undead quite a few decades ago and he seemed to think he could win her over by putting me in my place."

Darren's eyes just about bugged out of his head and Mika couldn't help but chuckle again.

"He challenged you?!"

"He sure did."

"And he beat you?!"

Mika laughed sharply.

"Absolutely not. He spent hours at the Festival trying to track me down and when he finally found me, I'd just finished an axe duel with someone else. Which I won, by the way. But it was a little rough so I was sitting down to pull myself together before getting back to the party. Anyway, he was very obviously expecting Arra to be nearby so he could humiliate me in front of her. Then of course she'd have no choice but to swoon straight into his arms. A foolproof plan." Mika smirked sarcastically.

"No way!" Darren gasped, starting to wheeze with laughter. "He thought that would work?!"

"He was completely confident it would work. Honestly, I was embarrassed for him." Mika replied frankly, and Darren laughed even harder. "Arra wasn't even with me. She had plenty of her own friends so we didn't need to be joined at the hip all night."

"Then what happened?" Darren giggled eagerly.

"He challenged me to a fight. It was the Festival, so I couldn't straight-up refuse him. But I knew what his intentions were. Had he challenged me for any other reason I would've gladly accepted without hesitation."

"So did you fight him?"

"Didn't have to." Mika smirked. "He was the one who walked away with his tail between his legs and I didn't even have to get up off my bench."

"How?!"

"I called him on his bullshit, of course. I asked him to tell me why he really wanted to fight me, even though I already knew. I told him, "Arra has no time for vain preeners". He should've already known that, but that's neither here nor there."

"And what did he say?!" Darren gasped, looking slightly awestruck.

"Nothing. He turned redder than that damn cloak he loves so much." Mika replied with a distinctly self-satisfied expression. "However, he immediately realized he was in the wrong and he took it very well."

"He hates being wrong!" Darren smirked.

"I'm aware of that. But he's also smart. We shook hands and agreed to fight another night, as friends. It was a badly executed plan on his part, but I didn't tell you this story with the intention to lower your opinion of your mentor. I have no doubt he learned from that night and there's great honour in that." Mika explained evenly.

Darren chuckled to himself for another few moments, then looked up at Mika more seriously.

"So then why did you tell me?"

Mika shrugged.

"I just thought you'd enjoy it."

The boy smiled brightly once more. He finally looked like his regular self.

"I did. Thanks, Sire - I mean, thanks Mika."

"Anytime. Now let's get back to work."