"Are you sure about this?"

The idea had always been there, floating about in the most obvious form presentable. It was something that no one brought up verbally, and no one thought about it as well. But when word got around that the idea was actually being considered, there was talk. A lot of it.

"I am absolutely sure. Though, my sweetheart, we don't have to-"

"I think I want to."

Dracula smiled, his gaze connecting with the person he spent the last five years with. They both knew that this time had to come eventually. Because, eventually, humans lost their youth, and they would not be the same like they used to be.

And they waited for the right moment. One that wouldn't be rushed.

Now that he was so close to her, so close to her skin…he could feel the urge rising up within him, crawling up like a serpent ready to strike. He hadn't felt it in so long, in centuries, even.

The most feared creature in all of the lands. A part of him, he knew, was returning to the surface. A side of him that he put away because it was not needed anymore. But now, here he was, preparing to do what the both of them agreed on doing.

Dracula looked down to his beloved, offering yet another smile for comfort. She returned the gesture, reaching up and draping her hands over his neck to bring him in closer.

She was ready.

"I won't hurt you, I promise," Dracula said, feeling his body twitch slightly from his Vampire instincts. Oh, how it had been so long… Now that he let it overtake his body, he craved it.

"I know you won't," Ericka whispered, a small smile on her face. "You said that like, twenty times," she giggled.

Dracula couldn't help but smile, adoring her response. How he loved her so much. Everything about her was just so perfect.

The Vampire lowered himself closer to her, the side of his face brushing lightly against her cheek. His mouth was inches away from her neck, the smooth, tender skin right below his mouth.

No doubts. It'd all be fine.

And then he did it.

Eyes set on her, mouth opening. His two upper fangs were revealed, glinting in the moonlight that shone through their window. It grazed upon her skin, the tips resting for a split moment.

Then, his fangs punctured through her delicate skin, small holes in their wake as the process began. He could feel Ericka wince underneath him, and he gripped her a bit tighter to ensure all was fine. Dracula's pupils thinned to slits as the smell of blood hit his senses, and the rest of him battled his blood-sucking instincts away as to not hurt her. Blood trickled out from the edges of his teeth, trailing down Ericka's neck and seeping into the pillow underneath them.

His part was done. Now to let time take care of the rest.

"Okay, okay…" Dracula said, eagerness written all over his face as he made another check for unwanted monsters. He looked to his wife, Ericka, who had a similar look on her face as well.

The two of them had done something just about a day ago that no one knew about just yet. When they were ready, they'll surely tell the news.

"Now that you're a Vampire, there's many things you must know!" Dracula said, bouncing in his spot. He was so excited to tell her about all the things a Vampire could do, and how much cooler it would be living her life as one.

But before they got too confident, they had to check to see if it actually worked or not. Of course, deep inside, they both knew it did. Just in case, they had said without question.

And what better place was there to test her new powers than one of the Hotel's balconies?

"Well, are you ready to try out your new powers, honey?" Dracula asked eagerly, his gaze set on her face to see her reaction.

Ericka leaned over the railing, swallowing as she took note of how high they were.

"Hah, well... - I, I mean, yes! Yes, I am!" she sputtered with a grin, looking back to Dracula, clasping her hands together. She had always wanted to know what it was like, despite what her father thought of it, but now that it was actually happening, her current feelings seemed to differ.

The first power they were going to try was her shapeshifting abilities. There was no other Vampire better to teach it to her than the great Count Dracula himself. And she was going to see if she would be able to turn into what will be her secondary form: a bat.

Somehow, they agreed having her jump off the balcony for her first time was a great idea. Dracula had reassured her it was no big deal, bringing up how his first time was being thrown off a tall ladder at Camp Winnepacaca. If he survived that, then surely she'll survive this. Especially with his keen supervision.

Though, Ericka still couldn't wash off the slight concern that was at the back of her mind. So many things could go wrong, if they weren't careful enough.

What if she failed to activate the power and hit the water?

Dracula must've caught the shift in her expression, because he took her hands into his own.

"Don't worry, I'll be there if you need me," he said softly, offering her a warm smile.

Ericka blinked, her worried expression lifting, and she smiled back as a fluttering feeling in her chest came from his words. She could see how much he cared about her. It was beyond any love she thought possible.

"Okay, okay… I think I'm ready," she breathed, turning to face the railing, as well as her husband.

"Great!" Dracula said, and within an instant, purple smoke washed over his body, shrinking until he transformed into his bat form. Hovering in his spot, he had a huge grin on his face as he went right besides her.

This was it.

It was now or never.

Cautiously climbing up onto the railing, she balanced herself so she would be crouched on top with her knees bent and one hand gripping it, and the other hand held out to steady herself. Gulping, she exhaled and stood up, remembering how she balanced herself many times on the cruise ship all those five years ago. It had been that long, she realized.

Ericka took in a deep breath, peering down to the water below. The edge of the hotel, where it connected to the water, could be seen alongside the rippling water. The sudden rush of doubtful thoughts suddenly hit her like a wave, and she suddenly felt wobbly. Why was she afraid in the first place? Maybe...maybe she wasn't afraid of the height. Perhaps it was because of what'll happen before hitting the water, if it did not go as planned. But, there was always a first for everything.

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in another deep breath and letting it go with all her worries. She could do this. And if anything went wrong, she will always feel safe with Dracula at her side. A small chuckle escaped her lips as the memory of that dance she had with her husband crossed her mind. He had saved her so many times with no effort. Just thinking about it made her heart skip a beat. This situation would be no different.

Ericka finally opened her eyes, taking a last look down.

She gave a strong push, jumping forward and into the air before falling head first towards the water.

Two figures darted across the night sky, one behind the other in incredible speed. The moon shone bright, its light reflecting off the water surrounding the hotel in a beautiful scenery.

"Haha, wait up!" Dracula called out, the one who was being left behind. He beat his wings faster, aiming towards the clouds, as that was where his wife had disappeared to. Once he was higher, he did a full spin, losing sight of her.

Where did she-

Dracula jumped back as something flew right in front of him from above, almost throwing him off balance, but he soon realized in relief that it was who he had been looking for.

"Oh my gosh, this is SO fun!" Ericka exclaimed, her eyes lit up with happiness. She hovered, still wavering a little. Gotta work on being still!

She glanced to the other bat, ears perked up in excitement. "This is so amazing! I never knew this is what it would feel like!"

"Aha, yes!" Dracula agreed, his smile only growing. "And, and you know, there's countless other species you're able to shapeshift into. With enough practice, of course!"

"Wow…" she breathed, looking down at her stomach and legs in awe. She was already excited about shapeshifting, when there was obviously more that came with her new state. They haven't even mentioned the types of powers she could try out! "This is certainly, hah, quite the experience!"

Dracula glanced her over, his smile widening. He was still just as shocked as she was, though - they hadn't been expecting her fur color to be white. It was definitely something he had never seen before. For a moment, he was worried that the transformation didn't completely work, but Ericka had reassured him that maybe she was meant to be white. In support of that, she had mentioned there was only one species of regular bats that were white.

"When do you think we should tell everyone else?" Ericka asked, nodding with her head in gesture towards the hotel in the distance.

"Eeeh...I'm not sure. I was thinking tomorrow?"

"Alright, tomorrow then!"

Before any of them could say anything else, an aching feeling began to crawl up the lengths of Ericka's wings, and she let out a hard sigh. "Ouch, ouch... I think I'm getting tired from all this flying. Still new to this and all that, haha."

"Of course, my dear, let's go rest," Dracula quickly replied, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable in any way. "We can fly again later after you rest."

Ericka couldn't help but smile at him. She couldn't wait to do it again. And she got to spend all her time with Dracula, the person she loved the most with all her heart.

And at that same moment, Dracula thought the same about her.