Chapter 1
Nightfall

1894
Geneva

The heavens had apparently sprung a leak, because it had been pouring rain for days. Dark storm clouds had settled over much of Europe, perhaps in recognition of the injustice that had occurred just 72 hours ago. It had been a difficult journey, carrying a small child that was just a few weeks old, stopping only to feed or change her. It had not been the only burden the once proud vampire had been carrying all this way. His wife's dying cry still echoed in his mind, his tear ducts were empty. His spirit broken but his resolve was stronger then ever.
He stood in the doorway of the small wooden shack, a steel scimitar hanging from his side and a steel chest plate fastened securely to his torso.

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle her old friend, she's very spirited." Dracula asked, emoting for the first time in days.

"Don't worry pal, I'll take good care of her. Just go do whatever it is you need to do." The hulking blue giant replied as he began to rock the infant that was cradled in his arms.

"Thank you Frank. Listen,if something happens...make sure you keep her safe from them." The Vampire instructed.

"I will."

Dracula walked over to his friend who put an encouraging hand on his shoulder, who then turned Mavis towards her father.

"Good bye sweetheart, Daddy loves you."

The infant cooed affectionately in response.

The Vampire then turned away and steeled himself for the coming confrontation.

Then in a flash he turned into a bat and flew into the night.

"Good hunting Drac." Frank murmured under his breath before closing his door.

Despite his best efforts, the Vampire was unable to locate his target's home before day break. He was forced to sleep in a damp cave for the day, at dusk he resumed his search.

He didn't have to go much farther.

He found his foe hiding out in an abandoned castle, a place that humans had neglected and time had ravaged. Using the veil darkness caused moonless night sky to his advantage, he approached the castle stealthily by flying low. He then perched himself on the top of a partially collapsed wall.

He saw a group of humans standing around a bonfire. Two of them were guarding a dark wood coffin while their leader drew runes in the dirt that surrounded the fire.

Martha was in that coffin, and her murderer was even conspiring to deny Dracula that opportunity to give his wife a proper goodbye. Rage surged through his veins as he reverted to his true form, drawing his scimitar he revealed his presence to the humans.

"Abraham Van Helsing!" He snarled.

The lead human, a man with a average build clothed in simple tan colored trousers, and a black fur coat with an armored chest plate underneath, alert blue eyes, thick red hair that was just long enough to touch the top of his ears turned to face him.

"Well, look who's come back to us. Tell me Dracula, where is your wretched child?" The man hissed.

"That is none of your concern." The Vampire replied.

"Have you come here tonight so that she may be made an orphan?" One of the other humans jeered.

"No, I have come to bring the real monsters to justice." "No court will hear the plea of a demon!" The other human hissed.

"There will be no court,I will be your judge, jury and executioner!"

The human drew thier weapons, Van Helsing and one of his followers drew their swords, magical runes blazed near their hilts. The third human readied his crossbow, the bolts of the weapon had been changed from iron to wood.

The human with the crossbow fired, but Drac dodged the shot and jumped down from the wall and landed on him and knocking him out cold. He then turned to see Van Helsing and his companion charging towards him, the Vampire raised his hand and froze the other human in place before raising his sword to defend against Helsing's attack.

Their blades met in a shower of sparks.
...

Present Day

Hotel Transylvania

Mavis awoke with a gasp, another strange dream.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and turned to see that her boyfriend, Jonathan, wasn't crashed out on the chair in the corner like he normally was.

Ever since he had arrived at the Hotel two months ago, he had become sort of a night owl. At first, he had issues sleeping during the day and being out and about at night, but he learned to 'roll with it' sticking to his motto.

Then she remembered, he was heading back to America to finish his schooling. That's why he had been extra sweet the previous night. She felt a pang of loneliness hit her as she realized it would be quite awhile before she could see him again.

Sure she could always go visit him, but it would be a long trip and she didn't even know how to get to America, but if any of that was to be planned she would have to gain her father's approval.

Sure he had learned to be a little less protective of her, but it would be quite awhile before he would completely let her off the hook. Whenever she wanted to leave, she'd have to give him a full travel plan. When she would leave, where she was going, who/what she was going to go see, what she was bringing, and when she would be back.

She knew he was just trying to keep her safe, but that knowledge didn't make it any less aggravating.

Her thoughts turned to the previous night.

She and Johnny had stayed up as long as possible, just before they fell asleep he sang her an amazing song:

Here I am waiting, I'll have to leave soon

Why am I, holding on?

We knew this day would come, we knew it all along How did it, come so fast? This is our last night but it's late

And I'm trying not to sleep

Cause I know, when I wake, I will have to slip away

They spent the night dancing, chatting with hotel guests and of course playing a few practical jokes on Quasimodo and his rat Esmerelda.

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh-woah Oh-woah, oh-woah, oh-woah

They had spent the last segment of their night cuddling on her bed, staying up well into the wee hours of the morning.

It had been an incredible night, because even though he was on the other side of the world, she was still his.
...

Here I am staring at your perfection

In my arms, so beautiful The sky is getting back the stars are burning out

Somebody slow it down

This is way too hard, cause I know

When the sun comes up, I will leave

This is my last glance that will soon be memory

Johnny sighed, trying to refocus his attention on his studies. Every time he tried get back into reading, his mind would drift back to the memories of Transylvania.

All of the good times he had shared with Drac, Steve the Blob, Frank and of course his girlfriend Mavis.

He was glad that he had used his summer vacation to backpack across Europe, otherwise he might of never met the monsters he now considered a second family.

His thoughts were disrupted by the sinster sounding 'Imperial March'.

He checked the caller ID on his phone: Dad.

"Just what I need." He murmured grumpily.

The Librarian shushed him from across the room. He declined the call and decided to call it a night. He stood up and began to put his books back on the shelf, one at a time when one of the novels caught his eye. It was hanging precariously from the top shelf.

He reached up to put it back in place, but couldn't reach it. Then he got up on his toes and pushed the book back into the shelf, only to have it pop out the opposite side of the shelf and fall onto a student's head with a loud THWACK.

"Sorry dude!" He whispered.

The injured student walked over and shoved the book back into his hand's before storming out of the library while the other students, who were scattered throughout the library began to Librarian shushed them and they went back to their studies.

Johnny turned his gaze from the aggravated student to the book now in his hands.

The book was old and dusty with a leather covering, Johnny's curiosity peaked and he opened the book to find the novel's title printed in simple bolded text.

A Hex Hunter's Guide to...European Mythology

Johnny chuckled, this book was probably incredibly inaccurate. Despite this, he walked to the liberians desk and checked out the book unaware that he was being observed.

As he walked down the halls back to his dorm room, he skimmed through the pages and to find a section of the book called ' The Book of Lazarus'. The pages following this page were blank, aside from a few funky looking drawings, maps and a series of names that appeared to be in German.

Johnny decided that tomorrow, while in class he would ask his teacher to translate the names. Who knows, maybe it might reveal something interesting.

...

A.N- Well I hope you enjoyed this opening chapter, I just saw the film yesterday and I've been itching to get these ideas on the site. This story will build upon the events that occurred during four year gap between 1894 and 1898 (the year the Hotel was considered 'human free' which i assume means it was completed that year). Well that's all I have to say for now, thanks for reading!

Wolf out!