Ok, so to start off there are four things I'd like to say here, first and foremost is this:

Over the last week or two I have read hideous amounts of YD fanfiction. So much so that I think there are literally only 4 or 5 fics that I didn't read in the entire YD collection here. (I avoided the Chloe/Vlad and Count D./Elizabeth B. ones, and admittedly gave up on one that made my eyes bleed.) This idea formed somewhat out of my own head and, without doubt, somewhat influenced by what I'd read. So there will doubtlessly be certain details that appear to be borrowed from other fics hereabouts. I promise that I'm doing my best to be as original as possible (considering a fan fiction by nature is somewhat unoriginal), but if you spot something borrowed, please don't be offended, but consider it an honour. I would only borrow from stories that I thought had amazing ideas that went unfulfilled, or from stories that I thought were beautifully well written.

The second thing is this:

At the end Vlad only wipes the Branagh's memories of the fact they are Vampires, and in no way affects their actual ability to remember the Dracula family as people. Secondly, when taking the crown Vlad does not gain his full powers immediately.

The third thing is this:

I have no idea how long this story will eventually be, I have no idea how it will end. It may go the way of other fics I've written and become basically dead due to me having a life which seems to become ridiculously busy the very moment I have the motivation to write. (Some of my fics have had several months, or even a year between one update and the next at times.) However, it will eventually get finished, so I hope you'll bear with me, add it to your story alert, and review. =D

And finally:

This story is written in the third person perspective style, but will follow Vlad exclusively, unless otherwise stated. I will always state very clearly when it is not effectively Vlad's POV. It will follow his thoughts and actions like a first person POV, but I dislike writing in the first person, and in complex scenes a strictly first person view can be quite restrictive. So, I suppose you could consider this a second person POV maybe? You'll see what I mean when you read it anyway.

Disclaimer: I do not own Young Dracula, any copyrighted plot lines, or show specific constructions. I think the characters are lost though, as I'd look after them much better than the original writers. XD

Not a World of a Lie

A throbbing pain in his head was the first thing Vlad noticed, gradually becoming aware of sound a moment later. With a groggy feeling he pressed a hand to his eyes, feeling oddly restricted by his clothing.

Confused he simply lay there for a moment with one hand pressed against his eyes, listening as the sound of quiet shuffling and deep voices drew closer. What had happened? He remembered the ceremony; he'd stopped his dad from taking the crown to his grave. Then there'd been a fight, people had died. The image of Ingrid, utterly furious, and simultaneously heart-broken, pushed into his mind, his sister's hands gripping fistfuls of a pile of ash.

Will, it was Will. He remembered now.

The sound of voices and shuffling got louder and he vaguely wondered what they were. Who would be in the castle making those noises? It sounded almost like… leaves?

His eyes flew open as he realised something was wrong. Above his head a starry sky was partially blotted out by the shadowy shape of huge trees. The ground beneath him was not stone, but soil. Stumbling to his feet he put a hand to his head again as the world swirled like a technicolour cape in the wind. He couldn't imagine where he was for a second, leaning on his knees as he recovered from the spell of dizziness. It was then that he realised something rough was scratching his throat and he looked at himself properly. He wasn't wearing his cape and formals anymore. Somehow he'd ended up dressed in a leather jacket and pants.

A thought was half formed in his head when a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

"Vlad."

Spinning in fright he cried out, eyes struggling to focus on the figure now in front of him with the dim lighting.

"They are coming Vlad."

It was Robin… this was the Dreamworld.

Groaning he pressed a hand to his eyes again, rubbing them as he sought better balance on his wobbly legs.

"You must run Vlad. They are coming."

He could hear the words, and he knew they were right. He didn't want to run right now though, it felt as if his legs were jelly and he'd throw up at any sudden movement.

"Why Robin, why am I here? Why are they still after me?"

His last words rose almost to a shout, closer now he heard the shuffling become distinct footfalls, the swish of cloaks over leaves. They were very close now, he could even smell them with the vampiric senses that he had in the Dreamworld.

"They will always be after you. You must run, this time you cannot fight them, you are not prepared."

For a second more he hesitated, he wanted to ask more, to know what was going on. His hesitation was rewarded with a shout of triumph as one of his hunters got close enough to spot him, immediately the sound became no longer that of shuffling and walking, but that of running. Now he had no choice. One last glance at the Robin of this place and he was off, sprinting away deeper into the forest as the sound of his pursuers became more coordinated, homing in on his direction of travel.

It seemed that he ran for a long time, his chest strangely never burning from the exertion. Always ahead of him the shadowy figure of Robin appeared, flickering ahead along his path as the slayers pursued relentlessly. At length he was forced to stop though when he came upon a precipice, illuminated brightly in the moonlight. Soon after the slayers arrived too, clustering together, just far enough back that he could not lure them to the edge, and yet close enough that he could not evade them and escape.

Robin was beside him again, still dressed in his black, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Jump. You will not die."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but the other Robin moved his hand form his shoulder to take hold of his wrist instead.

"Jump, it is the only way."

Inside he could feel panic rising, threatening to subvert his ability to reason. The slayers continued to shuffle around, wary of their prey. One of them fumbled around, putting away their stake and drawing a crossbow which they began to wind.

"Jump now Vlad."

Again he hesitated. The cool grip on his wrist tugged and he felt himself pulled sideways as the slayer lifted his crossbow. Startled he opened his mouth but the other Robin spoke first.

"I will jump with you."

The pull on his wrist became enough to pull him off balance as the figure of his friend suddenly tugged backwards with great force, pulling him along as Robin simply stepped out into the air and fell. He fell with him, dragged by the cool but vicelike grip on is wrist. The cliff face blurred past and darkness rushed up at him from below.

He shut his eyes.

And woke up.