The night was cool, but not too cool, and the breeze easily carried the lovely music coming from the nearby stage. The audience was an odd one, some were preteens; screaming and gyrating madly to each song, some were obviously middle-aged; content to stay seated and just enjoy the music.
On the stage a tall blond lad was working hard to feed an audience that seemed music-starved, alternating from keyboard and guitar like he couldn't make up his mind which he wanted to play more. In front of everyone else, an energetic black-haired young man let song pour from his lips like a river, swollen with rain.
Darren Hayes smiled as he sang, tomorrow was his birthday and his friends were throwing a party for him. The singer bent down and picked up some of the things people had thrown onto the stage; some roses, a teddybear, some candy. As he straightened up, something caught Darren's eye. There was a rose caught on his mike stand, an odd dark rose. Darren tried to grab it too, but it seemed to be really stuck. As he looked closer, Darren realized that the rose wasn't caught, it was growing on the stand, twining round it.
Puzzled, Darren turned around and pretended to ignore the rose, thinking as he continued singing. He tried to catch Daniel's eye, but the guitarist had his eyes closed, leaving Darren to ponder the weird rose by himself. It was strange how it had grown on the stand, Darren didn't know roses could do that.
Something even stranger happened a moment later. As Darren turned back around, he could see the moon coming over the horizon. Soon, moonlight was covering them all and when it touched the rose, it bloomed rapidly, revealing its deep magenta center.
It's a rose like the one Lyruna gave me! Darren realized, startled. He quickly scanned the crowd for the lady, but she was nowhere to be seen. In fact, it had been quite some time since Darren had seen the Elven lady. Ever since Darren had met Lyruna in New York, she had lurked in the background, unseen by everyone but Darren, it seemed. But these past two weeks she hadn't appeared once, leaving Darren curious and confused.
If it wasn't her, then who? Darren wondered. The song ended and Daniel opened his eyes again, checking up on Darren. The singer pointed to the dark rose and looked at Daniel questioningly. Daniel saw rose and grinned at Darren, uncomprehending of its significance. Darren sighed, regretting his decision to not tell Daniel what had happened, and not for the first time.
But he'd never believe me, even if I told him Darren reflected bitterly, a wry smile crossing his face for a moment. Still, he felt bad for keeping a secret from his best friend.
But I didn't tell anybody Darren consoled himself, also not for the first time. Even though Lyruna hadn't told him to keep their meeting a secret, Darren had felt reluctant to let anyone know. When Daniel had asked what happened to his lady stalker, his 'vampiress', Darren had just shrugged. Keeping his voice neutral, he had suggested that maybe she had given up or lost them. Daniel had merely raised an eyebrow at Darren's sudden indifference and let it go.
Darren turned his attention back to the present as the band started playing the show's last song. He put the whole rose matter behind him and let himself enjoy the evening, resolving to think about it later. But, as Darren watched the full moon travel across the sky, he felt a twinge of unease.

Chapter 2 - The Color inside your Head

Darren opened the door to his hotel room with Daniel stumbling behind him. The singer flopped down on his bed and chuckled as Daniel tried to do the same and almost missed.
"Jonesy, don't go falling out the window now, you piss-drunk bastard!" Darren called, still laughing. Daniel turned his head towards Darren and gave him a crooked smile.
"'m fine. Great party, eh mate?" he slurred. Darren's smirk softened and he nodded.
The whole band had jumped him in the hotel lobby , dragging him off to a meeting room. It had been filled with friends, food and a huge cake. A Star Wars cake. His parents had called to wish him a happy birthday and Colby had called , and his siblings had called. It was the best possible party he could ever want without being able to go home.
After a moment, Darren sat up and reached for the remote to the TV. He idly flipped through the channels, trying to see if 'Friends' was on, perhaps.
Suddenly, a shriek shattered the evening quiet. Darren and Daniel looked at each other, then scrambled up and out of their room. In the hallway, they found Nicole and Anna slamming the door to their room while still screaming.
"What's the matter?!?" Daniel shouted. The two girls whirled around, suddenly realizing they had an audience. They both stopped screaming and flushed with embarrassment.
"Um, there seem to be some big, black birds in our room. On our bed." Nicole mumbled after a moment. Daniel and Darren exchanged another look and then Darren started forward.
Big, black birds? Darren thought, feeling slightly worried. The last big, black bird Darren had seen had stared at him with its strange blue eyes, then left him an odd rose. A rose like the one that had grown on the mic stand last night.
The singer slowly eased the door open and carefully peered in, reluctant to see if they were the same sort of bird. For some reason, the thought made Darren nervous. Then he heaved a sigh of relief as he saw it was a flock of crows sitting on the bed. Crows with normal, black, beady eyes. Nothing strange about them at all. Darren felt a slight breeze coming from the direction off the window.
"No wonder you have birds in your room, ladies," Darren called over shoulder "you left the window open!" The dark-haired one ran towards the birds, waving his arms to scare them away. That elicited a chorus of grating caws from the birds, who merely flapped their wings half-heartedly before settling again.
"Good job Darren. You sure showed 'em." Daniel said teasingly, grinning at the singer. Darren rolled his eyes and gestured towards the surly flock.
"You try then, if you think you're so clever." he shot back, but in a friendly voice. Daniel thought for a second, then reached out and grabbed Anna's umbrella with a fairly steady hand. He crept forward slowly, then he suddenly ran towards the bed and opened the umbrella with a foosh! This time the crows half took-off while cawing protests, giving Darren a chance to see something else on the bed.
"Looks like they're eating something off the bed." he remarked as the crows settled again.
"My sticky bun!!" Nicole wailed. Daniel and Darren turned and laughed, with Daniel shaking his head. Nicole pretended to pout.
"I was saving that!" she whined.
"On your bed?" Daniel inquired innocently, grinning. Nicole ignored him. Everyone turned their attention back to the bird problem.
"There's got to be some way we can make them leave." Darren muttered, then raised is voice "Hey you crows! Shoo! Go away!" he half-heartedly waved his arms again. But, to his surprise, the crows stopped and looked at him. Then they took off out the window, without making a sound, leaving only a few floating feathers behind.
There was complete silence for a moment, then everyone broke into laughter. Daniel came over and clapped Darren on the shoulder.
"Well done mate!" he congratulated. Darren smiled weakly, trying to ignore an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Aw, it wasn't that hard. Look, they were done eating the sticky bun." Darren replied.
"Yes, and look at the mess they made! Sticky bun everywhere!" Nicole yelled. Darren and Daniel chuckled and started to leave, now that the crisis was over.
"And look at these footprints! What were these crows standing in?? What sort of bird leaves violet footprints?!?" Nicole ranted.
Darren paused for a moment, feeling an icy shiver run down his spine.
What sort of bird leaves violet footprints?

Chapter 3 - Ultra-violet is a Wicked Spell

Darren reclined in his chair and watched Daniel fidget. Planes didn't make Daniel nervous but trusting his precious guitars to the cargo compartment did.
"Come on, come on, " he was muttering "what's the hold-up? Was the trip supposed to be this long? They must be going slowly on purpose!" Darren chuckled before pulling out his discman and slipping in some Sarah Mclachlan. He put on the earphones and pressed 'play', trying to drown Daniel out.
They were headed back to New York; Darren's favourite city. But this time, Darren was having a hard time mustering any enthusiasm.
I never thought I'd ever get bored with New York the singer wryly thought, gazing out the plane window. But the thought of the huge buildings and bright lights didn't bring feelings of excitement, Darren merely felt reluctant. He yawned and decided to take a nap, maybe he would feel more cheerful after it. Soon he was dozing quietly...

..Darren and Daniel were enjoying themselves at this party. The dark-haired lad was idly sipping a glass of champagne, watching Daniel gulp down a beer as he continued an intense discussion with a fellow musician. Something about guitars, Darren heard with amusement. Then something caught his eye and Darren found himself staring at the full moon glaring through a nearby window. He looked at it for a moment, puzzled by its sudden brightness, then he felt a fierce pain rip through him. Darren cried out in confusion and fear as another and another tormenting spasm wracked his body. He doubled over and fell to the plush, cream-colored carpet. Soon Darren was filled with agony, his anguished screams causing the guests to mill about uncertainly.
A concerned Daniel ran over to Darren, whose muscles felt like they were melting. The moonlight was like a surgical laser, cutting and reshaping his body without mercy. Darren opened his eyes and looked, in horror, at his hands which were now twisted into something paw-like and were covered with thick, black fur. When he flexed his 'hands', he could see that his nails had been replaced by wicked-looking claws. As he raised his head, the guests gave a collective gasp and began backing away. Darren was confused until he caught sight of his shadow, he could tell his face was more lupine than human. He could see the fear in Daniel's eyes, but the guitarist bravely stood his ground.
"Darren?" he said tentatively "Are you alright?" Darren was so grateful that his friend hadn't deserted him. But the cruel moon wasn't done yet, he could feel the beams searing his mind, crushing his thoughts and leaving only mindless anger in it's wake. An intense hatred that wiped out the humanity in Darren's still-human eyes. He uttered a blood-curdling growl, his lips curling into a snarl that revealed rows of dagger-sharp teeth. People screamed and bolted for every exit while Daniel vainly tried to back away. Darren crouched then sprung, knocking Daniel down and pinning the guitarist's shoulder to the floor with iron-strong claws that cruelly pierced the shirt and skin.
"D-Darren?? Stop, please!" Daniel stammered, his voice shaking with fright. But the moonlight's torment made Darren oblivious and he merely paused long enough to snarl horribly down at Daniel before he sank his teeth into the soft flesh of Daniel's throat. Blood began bubbling down the guitarist's neck, Daniel screamed in pure agony and terror, trying to break free. And, somewhere in the depths of his own mind, Darren was screaming along with him...

Darren awoke with a start, his heart pounding and his face slick with sweat. He became aware that Daniel had his hands on Darren's shoulders and had been shaking him and calling his name up until a moment ago. Reassured that Darren was now awake, Daniel let go and sat back in his chair.
"Bad dream?" he asked gently. Darren nodded slowly, still caught up in the images that had seemed so real. The sensations had been so vivid, Darren could almost still taste the blood in his mouth.
"What was it about?" Daniel asked. Darren was silent for a moment, then relented and began telling what had happened in short, almost cryptic, sentences. Daniel seemed to sense there was more to it than Darren had let on, but he wisely kept quiet.
Soon the pilot's voice came on over the intercom and Darren welcomed the distraction.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said the tinny-sounding voice "we will be landing shortly in beautiful New York City. All of us here at American Airlines hope you had a pleasant flight have a good time in the city that never sleeps."
"I'm saved." Darren muttered. Sleep was the last thing he wanted.

Chapter 4 - Make a Run for it

When Savage Garden stayed in New York, Darren's unease got even worse. The city seemed to be smothering him, the concrete hurt his feet, the lights were harsh to his eyes. One time the nervousness blossomed into full-fledged panic as Darren found himself feeling trapped amongst the many bustling people and smelly, noisy cars. Daniel, who had been walking along the sidewalk with him, noticed Darren's disappearance from his side after a few moments. He turned around and saw Darren frozen in place, his painfully stiff posture reflecting the overwhelming terror that had him in its thrall. The strength of the panic bewildered Darren, he tried to find a reason behind it.
"Darren, are you alright?" Daniel asked, puzzled.
The words hit Darren like a slap to the face, for they were the exact ones Daniel had used in that awful dream Darren had dreamed not too long ago. They broke the trance Darren had been in and he found he could move again.
"I'm not sure," Darren replied weakly "I just...all the people...cars were so loud......" he trailed off, not able to find a rational explanation behind his behavior. Daniel patted Darren's shoulder sympathetically.
"It's alright. We have been working really hard lately, you probably just need a break from all this madness." Daniel said in a reassuring tone. "We should all take a little vacation. How about we disappear for a little and go visit home?" Darren's eyes lit up, the idea had enormous appeal. New York was still beautiful but in an artificial, almost cold way. Darren longed for the simple beauty of his home.
That must be it. I'm just homesick.
"Yeah, let's escape!" Darren said excitedly. Daniel grinned but shook an admonishing finger at the exuberant singer.
"Remember though, we have to come back in a week to do a show here." he said with mock-sterness. But his words fell on deaf ears as Daniel had to chase after Darren, who had spun around and began pelting down the street, in the direction of their hotel.



Darren reclined in his favourite chair, idly rubbing his ear as he watched Colby bustle about the house, humming happily. He and Daniel had completely surprised her yesterday after jumping on the next plane home.
“Darren? DARREN??” Colby had shrieked in delight, hugging the singer and grinning her thanks to Daniel. Darren held her close, gods he had missed her.
“You smell delicious.” he murmured, burying his face into her hair.
“Liar,” she laughed “I’ve been outside gardening all day. I smell like plants and dirt.”
“Savage Gardening?” Daniel piped in. They all laughed and Colby pretended to wince.
“Oh Dan, that was a horrible pun. Come inside and let me poison you with some lemonade.”
Darren smiled in remembrance, shirting his position and rubbing his other ear. He was glad to be home but, like a leviathan lurking in dark water, Darren felt a twinge of unease again
No, I’m happy here! he told himself fiercely. Darren tried to pinpoint why exactly he was uneasy.
It’s not Colby. he mused, the thought of her just filled him with love. His home wouldn’t be home without her. But when Darren thought of the house, he had to repress a shudder.
It’s the house. The house makes me nervous. Almost...almost like it feels like a ...a cage. Now that Darren had pinpointed his fear, he felt more confused than relieved.
Why do buildings make me nervy? I’ve never been much of a naturalist beyond being a vegetarian...
A cold nose at Darren’s hand startled him out of his reverie. Darren glanced down and saw his dog Obi looking up at him with a leash in his mouth. Darren chuckled at the pleading look in Obi’s puppy eyes.
“Alright boy, we can go for a walk,” the singer said affectionately “hey Colbs! Wanna take a walk with us?”
Colby’s head appeared in the kitchen doorway and she smiled at her husband.
“Yup! Let’s go!”



Darren and Colby strolled quietly through the darkened park, letting Obi wander and investigate the interesting smells that must be around.
Darren unobtrusively took hold of Colby’s hand, she smiled at him again and momentarily lay her head on his shoulder. Obi came bounding up to them, his tongue lolling and his tail wagging. Colby giggled for a moment, then Darren heard her sigh.
“It’s a shame your visit home has to be so short. Obi has really missed you.” a pause “And so have I.” Darren did say anything, he just put his arms around Colby and pulled her close. They savored the privacy that the twilight gave them, then reluctantly let go and continued walking.
Obi cam running towards them again, full-throttle, with a stick in his mouth. Darren grinned and grabbed one end of the stick, starting a little tug of war. Their dog play-growled and shook his head before letting go.
“Wanna play ‘fetch’, boy? Hmm?” Darren asked, shaking the stick. Obi pranced on the spot and barked excitedly.
“OK Obi, fetch!” The singer shouted, tossing the stick a good ways away. Then, while Obi tore after the stick, Darren pretended to hide behind a nearby tree, pulling a giggling Colby long with him. When Darren saw that Obi had found the stick and was coming back their way, he ducked and crept to a freshly trimmed tree, grabbing hold of a manicured limb.
But when his hand come into contact with the branch, Darren felt a pain shoot through his arm. It was not, thankfully, a pain like the one in his werewolf dream. It was a slow agony, a feeling of loss, like someone had cut off his arm. Darren’s sight swam and he had this disconcerting vision of someone advancing on him (who couldn’t seem to move) and carefully cutting off his fingers one by one with hedge clippers, while whistling a cheerful tune.
Whaat? What was that? Darren tried to organize his thoughts, realizing he had fallen to his knees. He felt Colby’s hand on his arm and almost winced, then also realized his arm didn’t hurt anymore.
“Are you alright, dear?” she asked, a worried look on her face. Somehow it reminded Darren of a dream he had had a night ago. It was a nightmare like the one with Daniel, but this time Darren was a ravenous vampire who had cruelly stalked Colby in a game of cat-and-mouse, finally catching her and draining her blood from puncture wounds in her neck, holding her in a crushing embrace, while she whimpered and weakly beat against Darren’s chest. The only thing that had been the same with the two dreams was the fact that Darren seemed to be trapped in his own body, with only a part of his mind free, just enough to be aware of what he was doing and despair. The other part was the moon, it’s beams acting as a catalyst, for it had been the moonlight that had triggered the horrible hunger in Darren’s dream.
Darren repressed a shiver and managed to smile reassuringly up at Colby, shaking off her attempts to help him up.
“It’s OK Colbs, I just tripped on a tree root.” Darren lied glibly, patting a whining Obi, who licked his hand. Colby looked doubtful for a moment, then gave Darren a small smile, apparently reassured.
Darren got up and lead Colby back to the park path, with Obi trailing behind them, relieved that Colby had accepted his excuse.
Colby was relieved as well, that was a much more plausible answer than the one her eyes had given her. For a moment, when Darren had grabbed the tree branch, Colby could have sworn that Darren had disappeared. He eyes must have blurred or Darren must have fallen into the shadows. After all, people don’t just shimmer out of existence.
Do they?

Chapter 5 - Let the Sun get Closer to the Ground

Evening had fallen on the valley, but pretty melodies were still floating between the ancient trees. Among a huge oak tree’s branches, a gathering of strange and beautiful creatures were swaying to the music as well as adding to it. They surrounded a lithe form reclining in the shadows, sitting so still that only her hooded eyes, glowing faintly blue, betrayed her presence.
A large crow landed on a nearby branch and cawed quietly, like someone clearing their throat politely. After a moment, Lyruna shook herself out of the half-Dream she had been enjoying.
“What is it, Whispers?” the Elven one asked, blinking slowly.
~Lady, have you seen the moon lately?~ came the respectful inquiry, while the bird shook it’s feathers. Lyruna became alert, glancing sharply at her familiar, then turning her gaze to the newly-full moon crossing the sky. It had a faint magenta tinge (almost red) that Lyruna hadn’t noticed before.
She cursed silently, Lyruna hadn’t realized how much time had passed. She had only meant to stay for a few days, just long enough to enjoy the Phoenix Moon Festival.
“Careless winds will break young trees.” Lyruna muttered, quoting an old Elven saying, as she got up in one fluid motion.
~Luna, Luna, Luna, stay a little longer. Come join our Dreaming~
Lyruna turned and smiled at the swaying creatures while shaking her head.
“I can’t, my Children, I fear I have stayed too long as it is.” Lyruna turned her gaze again to the hazy moon, slightly worried at what it heralded. But she wasn’t afraid, there was still time.
Lyruna’s form shimmered and was replaced by a huge black bird, with silver-blue eyes. As she took off and silently soared out of the sacred grove, the Elven lady wasted no time flying to her destination, increasing her speed with every wing-stroke.
There was still time, but would it be enough?


Darren whistled cheerfully to himself as he walked to the nearby stage. Sound checks were often amusing, sometimes getting downright hilarious as Darren and the girls sang in silly ways.
They were back in New York, after an invigorating rest back home, and Darren’s fear of the city was gone. So were those horrible, monster-filled dreams. Perhaps that was because Darren had found out they were completely untrue; the full moon had been out for two nights now and the singer had not sprouted horns, wings or fur. And, with only one more full moon to go, Darren was certain that his nervousness must have been just a figment of his over-stimulated imagination.
Nicole and Anna were already on the stage, practicing the back-up vocals for some of the songs.
“Anna, your A is a little flat, dear.” Darren called out kindly, ambling up the stage steps. Anna flushed a little but managed to alter her A to a nice, pure tone. Darren smiled encouragingly at her and the back-up singer managed a weak smile in return.
All three of them ran through the song parts the gave them trouble, as well as checking volume levels and other tech things. There were less screw-ups than usual, which Darren took as a good omen.
“Darren, are you ok?” Nicole asked out of the blue, startling the singer.
“Uh, I feel alright, why do you ask?” he replied, slightly puzzled.
“Then why do you keep scratching your ears?” came the answer. Darren froze, realizing that he was indeed scratching his left ear, without even being aware he was doing so. The singer tried to put the guilty hand down, but as soon as he did, his ears started to feel funny, filled with a weird tingling that was almost an itch. It had come about so slowly these past few days that Darren hadn’t noticed it until he kept catching himself scratching his ears, just like Nicole had done.
“My ears just itch a little,” Darren temporized “do they have a rash or something?”
Nicole walked over to get a closer look and peered at Darren’s ears. Her eyes narrowed then went wide and she looked at his other ear, her eyes going wider and wider.
“What’s wrong?” Darren asked nervously. Nicole shook herself a little and then pointed towards the dressing room.
“Go look. Now.” she ordered in a flat voice. Confused and a little frightened, Darren resisted the urge to scurry off and just walked as calmly as he could to the dressing room. Once he had closed the door, Darren rushed over to a large mirror ringed by many lights.
When he looked at his reflection, a gasp escaped him and he sat down heavily, stunned by what he saw. At first Darren thought that Nicole had been worried about how red his ears were, but that was just from scratching. No, what was so alarming was that whatever had caused the tingling had somehow distorted Darren’s ears. It looked like someone had made his ears stretch back a little, like pulling taffy, then pinched really hard. Now his ears looked rather strange.
Almost pointed.
Like an Elf.

Chapter 6 - Push the Shift to Overdrive

Darren was beside himself with indecision. He didn’t want to go on-stage but he also didn’t want to let their fans down.
Maybe they won’t notice my ears. But what if they do? I can just see the Internet headlines now: DARREN HAYES IS A FAERIE?? Darren mentally sighed as he continued pacing the backstage area where he and Daniel had been watching the opening band. Daniel was now watching him with an amused little smile on his face.
“Anything the matter Darren? You look as nervy as ten cats.” Daniel asked, chuckling a little. Darren paused for a moment in his pacing and stared at Daniel, then just shook his head.
“No, nothing is the matter, I’m just anxious to do a good show. Everything is fine.”
But everything isn’t fine. I’ve got ears like an Elf, my only Elven relative is nowhere to be found and I am going out of my mind from scary dreams and the bloody weird things that have been going on lately!
“Are you sure? Looks like you have more on your mind than our performance.” Daniel persisted, a note of concern appearing in his voice. Darren turned away from the guitarist and bit his lip, steeling himself against that concern.
No, I shouldn’t him drag into this, I don’t even know what’s going on. Darren could feel Daniel’s eyes on his back, waiting for an answer.
I should say everything is ok. Darren told himself sternly. Even so, he closed his eyes and felt his throat close up, for a moment, with unshed tears of frustration and despair.
But I don’t know who else to turn to.
“Daniel, I-” Darren started as he turned around, but he was interrupted as the concert opener (whose name Darren couldn’t recall) came walking by, signaling that it was time for Savage Garden to go on. Daniel grinned, got up and slapped Darren on the back.
“Don’t worry about it, mate. You can tell me after the show.” Darren gave Daniel a weak smile and nodded, leading the way onto the stage. Of course, there would be plenty of time after their performance.
The show would be over in no time.


Daniel watched a tense Darren walk out onto the stage, clasping his hands tightly behind his back. He had this apprehensive look on his face as he scanned the cheering crowd, like he was expecting the audience to suddenly turn on him. When nothing out of the ordinary happened, Darren seemed to smile in relief and picked up a mic. Daniel mentally shrugged, sometimes Darren got weird ideas, perhaps it was related to whatever Darren had been about to tell him in the stage wings. Daniel hoped it had nothing to do with Colby, even though she had been so happy to see them a week ago.
Daniel put the whole matter behind him as the colored lights came on and the band started the first song on their set list. Darren was in top form tonight, his voice was so strong it was almost like he didn’t need a microphone. The sunset over the hill was spectacular, almost brighter than the stage lights. It bathed them all in golden light for a short time and Daniel was sad to see it end so soon.
Oh well. The moon will be out soon, won’t that look cool? Daniel nodded his head in time with the music, watching a vibrant Darren croon out the love song ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ to a nervous and excited fan. After the song had ended and Darren had given her a hug and sent her on her way, the singer turned around and beamed a grin at Daniel. The guitarist grinned back and gave Darren a small thumbs-up.
Darren turned back as the band started into their new single ‘The Animal Song’. Daniel enjoyed playing this song, the drums were so great, sounding like something out of the deep jungles. Darren seemed to be really into it tonight, he sang the lines with such conviction. Daniel could almost feel greenery surrounding them, it felt so close you just had to make a run for it and you’d be there...
When the song had ended, Daniel was brought back to reality in a sudden, almost painful, wrench. Disoriented for a minute, Daniel exchanged an awed look with an equally stunned Darren.
What was that? I’ve never been that caught up in a song before, it was almost like being under a spell... It was then that Daniel noticed Darren’s ears. The guitarist’s eyes narrowed a trifle as he made some almost unbelievable connections and theories. But before Daniel could send even one questioning glance in Darren’s direction, the singer turned away and got into place for the next song: “Mine.”
This time the music was even better, it flowed out of them with such exquisiteness, such perfection. Daniel tried to fight the feeling; it was almost too much bliss, like getting laid 6 times or eating a whole box of Time-Out bars. But the moon was now appearing over the horizon, making everything look like it was gilded in silver. It was so breathtakingly beautiful that Daniel felt his hold on reality slip and surrendered to the song.
The guitarist continued floating in a haze of musical ecstasy until they reached somewhere near the end of the song, where the girls took up the job of singing the chorus while Darren sang as high as he could in long, bird-like calls. But tonight there was something different about it, a note that woke Daniel out of his trance. It wasn’t a note of pain or agony, not quite, more like a note of despair, something almost unearthly that gave Daniel goosebumps.
Daniel turned his head towards Darren and stared in disbelief at what happened next. He had looked just in time to see the singer fall to his knees. Daniel looked about him frantically but he seemed to be the only one who noticed, everyone else was still caught up in the song.
Something is wrong! Very wrong! Daniel blinked as he watched Darren’s mic fall out of his hands and yet the sonorous call still came, louder and louder. Daniel’s stomach flip-flopped as something began happening to Darren; he seemed less distinct, seemed to be shimmering, wavering in and out of sight. Daniel ran towards the singer, dropping his precious guitar with a second thought, and saw Darren turn towards him, saw him reach out with a beseeching and bewildered look on his face. Just as Daniel had almost reached Darren, his hand mere inches away from the singer’s hand, the stage was flooded in darkness. Daniel was utterly confused for a second, then he remembered that was the light cue for the end of the song: kill all the lights.
Muttering curses, the guitarist waited impatiently for the lights to be turned on by the tech guy (who obviously hadn’t noticed that anything was wrong, like everyone else) while he felt blindly around for the felled singer. Just as his hands reached the spot where Darren should be, the lights came back on, illuminating the stage with merciless detail. Daniel felt his jaw drop with dismay as looked at the spot where Darren had laid not one minute earlier.
It was empty.
Darren was gone.

Chapter 7 - You’re Never Safe ‘til You See the Dawn

Noise.
Too much noise.
Too many people, shouting, screaming, making loud sounds with their hands. (‘Applauding’ came a weakened whisper in its mind)
The confused creature stumbled awkwardly from the ground in front of the platform thing where it had fallen.
Something about this place was familiar, the creature felt a faint stirring of memory, of past happiness. But then these huge, blinding lights came on and the creature uttered an undignified squawk of pure fear.
So much light!
Fear. Confusion. Fear.
The creature shivered and slunk quickly away from the lights, keeping to the shadows. When it reached a tall fence, it stopped, suddenly unsure of what to do next. Then a bit of darkened forest caught its eye, a welcome haven against all the light and sound.
(‘Central Park’ said the whispering voice)
Bits of memories flitted by like frightened ghosts, gone before the creature could grasp them.

...Frost-sparkled trees...

...Strange lady in a tree...

...Music like birdsong...

The creature shook its head and clambered over the fence, pausing for a moment on the top before jumping off; flapping ungracefully and leaving black feathers floating all around.


“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY CAN’T FIND HIM???”
Everyone winced as the poor messenger cowered in the face of Daniel’s anger, then scuttled out of the room. His job was done and wasn’t sticking around for a tip, oh no.
Nicole braced herself and walked up to Daniel.
“Dan, calm down, he was just doing his job. Everyone is doing the best they can.”
The guitarist swung around and turned his glare in her direction. Nicole took an involuntary step back; Daniel didn’t get angry often but when he did, his anger was formidable indeed.
But Daniel froze in surprise when he saw the fearful look that had flitted across Nicole’s face. He looked around and saw similar looks on everyone else’s face, ranging from worry to despondency.
His anger drained out off him like wine from a shattered glass, leaving only a feeling of hopelessness. The guitarist sighed and sat down on the hotel couch, rubbing his face with his hands in a tired manner.
“I know, I know,” Daniel said quietly, slightly muffled by his hands “I’m just worried about Darren.”
Nicole’s heart went out to the guitarist, who looked so forlorn. She went over and sat down beside Daniel, putting her arms around him as her way of comforting him.
Quiet descended over them for a while, with no one willing or able to break the saddened silence.
Daniel twitched slightly as an odd noise reached his ear, a sound so quiet that it should have been inaudible. But it reacted with something inside the guitarist, resonating like he was a tuning fork.
The sound came again, causing Daniel to raise his head and gently disengage himself from Nicole’s embrace. She watched with puzzlement as he drifted over to the nearby, open window.
Daniel stood perfectly still, straining to hear the mournful cry that was gradually getting stronger. It was a sound so full of fear, sorrow and loneliness that Daniel felt tears spring to his eyes. And he knew, knew who was calling out into the night.
“Darren.” he breathed. The blond one turned quickly, startling everyone, and grabbed his jacket. He tried to get out the door only to find his way blocked by Anna.
“Dan, where do you think you are going?” she demanded, moving to prevent the guitarist from leaving.
“I’m going to get Darren.” Daniel replied distractedly, trying to get around the back-up singer. Anna grabbed him by the arm to stop him again.
“ ‘Get Darren’? What the hell do you mean? Daniel, no one knows where he is! You just can’t go wandering around New York!”
Daniel tried to shrug off her hold on his arm.
“Anna let go,” he replied heatedly “I know where he is! Can’t you hear him?” Anna, who still kept a firm grip on the guitarist, looked him blankly.
“Hear what? What does hearing Darren have to do with where he is? Daniel, you are losing your mind, you are not leaving this room!” she said flatly.
Everyone stood transfixed as they watched Daniel continue to struggle with Anna, his frustration growing.
“LET GO OF ME, DAMN YOU! MOVE OUT OF MY WAY!” he finally roared, startling Anna into letting go of his arm. Daniel bolted out of the room before Anna could recover, leaving her staring after him in shock and surprise.

Chapter 8 - Begin to Doubt My State of Mind

The despairing and heartsick creature ended another mournful cry as it went to go look into the pond again, vaguely hoping it would look different this time. But the face that peered back at it was no different then how it had looked the last dozen times it had checked.
The creature studied its face, noting the black feathers, the longish beak and the blue-grey eyes. But it was its eyes that told it that something was wrong with its appearance. This was not how it was supposed to look! It had looked different before...
But it couldn’t quite remember!
Shaking its feathers in frustration, the creature turned away from its own tormenting image. It feebly tried to make some sense of the few memory shards it could find, sorting through them slowly.

...”And the ARIA goes to-”....

...shouldn’t stay up so late, but it’s Interview with the Vampire!....

...”The next song we’re gonna play is-”....

...mmm Toblerone....

...a women with a tender look on her face “I love you, Darren.”....

The creature blinked.
Darren. That was its name! His name. The creature kept a tight hold on this bit of identity like it was a life preserver in a sea of dark ignorance, hoping for more enlightenment.
But nothing else surfaced. Nothing.
He didn’t even have a face to go with his own name.
The creature closed his eyes and cried his sorrow to the uncaring stars.


Daniel was all the way at Central Park when the call was replaced by silence.
For the love of God, don’t let Darren stop now!
At least he thought it was Darren. The sudden quiet made it easy to doubt the conviction he’d had a moment ago. Why would Darren be at Central Park? And how could it be Darren? Human beings don’t make sounds like that.
But Darren had; right before he disappeared. Daniel sighed, feeling out of his depth. Humans may not make noises like that but Darren’s humanness was coming into question more and more. Daniel, after all, had noticed Darren’s pointed ears, even if he wasn’t sure what they meant. And his newly-discovered fear of this very city.
And this whole concert incident. Daniel had kept silent when asked about what happened, for he felt responsible for not knowing what had really happened. He should have let Darren speak up before the concert, should have been keeping watch of him. So Daniel hadn’t told anyone about Darren’s shimmering, let alone that as the lights went out he seemed to be shimmering into something else.
Daniel suddenly felt a little uneasy, vaguely remembering the werewolf dream Darren had told him about.
But this call doesn’t sound wolf-like at all. It’s not a howl, it’s like the crying of a bird, no a person, oh I just don’t know...
Daniel also hadn’t told anyone what he had found when he’d searched the amphitheater perimeter fence, hoping he would discover Darren. The guitarist remembered vividly the shiny black feathers he had found, feathers that looked much to big to have come from any bird he knew of.
Daniel hesitantly stood at the edge of Central Park, uncertain where to go next. Suddenly the noise came again, causing the guitarist to jump in startlement. His resolve strengthened as he heard the sadness in it that went straight to his heart. Even if it wasn’t Darren, whoever, whatever was calling out needed to be found.
No one deserved to bear such despair alone.
Daniel sighed again and began walking into the shadowed park.

Chapter 9 - Reaching Out for Human Faith

Daniel somewhat quietly made his way through the trees, trying not to trip over roots nearly hidden in the dimly lit park. The cry was getting louder, drawing Daniel closer like a beacon in darkness.
As the blond one skirted around a clump of trees, a clearing by a pond came into view and Daniel froze, staring at he saw curled up by the water’s edge.
It was the strangest creature he had ever seen. It was man-sized and covered with huge black feathers, ones exactly like the feathers Daniel had found earlier. Daniel could see a thin, black beak but the creature seemed to have its eyes closed. It had its head thrown back as it cried out, rocking back and forth. Daniel realized that it was trying to sit in a human fashion, even though its body was bird-like. The guitarist watched it awkwardly try to wrap black-feathered arm/wings around a pair of knees that seemed to bend strangely.
Daniel took an unconscious step forward, wanting somehow to help this obviously miserable creature. That step brought his foot down on a twig, snapping with a sound that seemed tiny compared to the sound the creature was making.
Yet Daniel saw the creature flinch and it closed its beak with an audible snap, abruptly shutting off the liquid call. Daniel winced as the creature opened its eyes and turned its head to stare directly at him. Then Daniel felt his jaw drop for the second time that night, as he looked into the creature’s all-too-human blue eyes. They were eyes that he knew very well.
Darren’s eyes.
Oh. My. God.
And if he wasn’t mistaken, he also saw a glimmer of recognition in the bird creature’s eyes too. Hardly knowing what he was doing, Daniel cleared his throat self-consciously, trying not to startle a creature that already seemed wary of him.
“Darren?” he called out tentatively. The creature blinked and moved forward a little, cocking its head to the side questioningly, the gleam of recognition getting brighter.
“Darren?” the blond one tried again “Darren, it’s me, Daniel.”
The creature pulled back a little like it had been struck, the name had obviously hit a nerve. And Daniel saw Darren’s identity slowly flood back into his blue-gray gaze, saw the relief that Daniel had found him and the obvious joy of seeing his best friend. The creature/Darren flapped his wings in agitation and tried to reply.
But only a garbled squawk came out.
The look of dismay on Darren’s face would have been hilarious if the situation hadn’t been so serious. Daniel waited patiently, watching Darren open and close his beak as he struggled to speak, the guitarist sensed he shouldn’t interrupt.
“ ‘annnyyulll?....” Darren finally managed, his voice almost lost among whistling and squawks. Daniel held his breath as the bird-man laboriously continued.
“ ....‘annnyyulll...... ‘elllpp?” Darren whispered, his eyes filled with pleading.
Daniel’s throat closed up and he blindly reached out for Darren, who stumbled over to the blond one and tripped halfway, falling at Daniel’s feet.
The guitarist knelt down and gently wrapped his arms around Darren’s shaking form. The singer-turned-creature huddled against Daniel, every feather trembling, each breath torn from his throat in harsh, unmusical gasps. Even though they weren’t as pretty as the loud cries earlier, the gasps conveyed Darren’s sadness even more.
He can’t cry! Daniel realized. Birds don’t have tears. Poor Darren...
What cruel thing to do, to deny Darren the most basic of human responses, the very release he needed the most.
..He can’t even cry...
Darren may not be able to cry, but Daniel could. So the blond one cried for Darren, letting his tears spill freely down his face, as he held his friend-turned-bird close to his chest.
...Oh Darren....I’m so sorry....this is all my fault....
A sudden, unearthly chuckle startled the both of them, a laugh that was more felt than heard. It seemed to go through your skin, right to the bone, shaking your soul.
~So bent on taking the blame, are we Daniel?~

Chapter 10 - A Resolution Hard to See

Daniel tensed, peering into the surrounding darkness, trying to locate where their hidden observer was. But it was impossible, the voice had seemed to come from every direction. Or like he had only heard it in his mind.
Another peal of musical laughter enveloped them, almost as if in response to Daniel’s train of thought. A scary idea, Daniel didn’t want anyone knowing what he was thinking, let alone a stranger he couldn’t see.
Daniel continued scanning the scenery, then realized he had missed something. There was a woman looking right at him, smiling faintly and leaning against a large tree.
Daniel stared in confusion. She hadn’t been there a second ago! He watched her warily, sensing she was somehow related to all this craziness. The woman was very pretty in a strange, almost inhuman way. She was wearing an odd green dress that should have looked medieval but somehow managed to look ageless. The woman was also very pale, her skin even whiter than Darren’s had been, with raven black hair that went at least past her shoulders.
The blond one was slightly worried about her appearance, hadn’t Darren mentioned something about a strange lady stalking him, some time ago? Said she was a vampire? This woman could certainly pass for one, without even trying.
Daniel started to tense again as he heard yet another chuckle, but then he realized it was being done out-loud and not that pervading, slightly nerve-wracking manner in which he had heard the other ones.
“What is it with you humans and your obsession with vampires?” the lady called out in a friendly tone.
Daniel relaxed a tiny amount as that velvety voice washed over him, ignoring the words that meant nothing to him. The woman had a voice even smoother than Darren’s singing voice. But then the strange lady began walking towards them and Daniel became wary again. There was something odd about the way she moved; like she wasn’t dangerous now, but she could be. Very easily.
Daniel stood up quickly and moved in front of Darren, ready to protect his confused friend.
“Ah, you are more perceptive than I thought, Daniel. Perhaps that is why you are always so quiet.” The pale one said in an amused voice, stopping about 15 feet from the unsure pair. Daniel decided he definitely did not like the sensation that she could hear his thoughts as easily as he read a billboard. It made him feel too exposed, the guitarist wanted to get away from here, from all this strangeness.
“ ‘unnna?” Darren said out of the blue, peering around Daniel’s legs. He seemed to know who the lady was, confirming Daniel’s belief that this was indeed Darren’s ‘stalker.’
What has Darren been keeping from me? the guitarist wondered, feeling an irrational stab of jealousy and a little hurt that his best friend had kept something from him.
But if he had told me, I probably would have laughed at him. And Darren knows it. Now Daniel felt guilty for getting so mad at Darren, even if it was only for a second. Also, Daniel knew how hard it was for the dark-haired one to keep a secret. It must have been killing Darren to keep such a frightening one.
Daniel felt like sighing as he watched the strange lady nod slightly.
Stop doing that! the guitarist thought with exasperation, knowing she could hear him Stay out of my thoughts, lady. Daniel began thinking a wall at her, a large one made out of black bricks, surrounding and protecting his thoughts.
He was rewarded by the faint look of surprise that flitted across the woman’s face for a moment.
“Well, will wonders never cease?” she murmured, almost to herself, before turning her attention to Darren.

Chapter 11 - Exploding like a Supernova

“Darren, I’m sorry this had to happen,” the lady said sadly “this isn’t your fault, or Daniel’s.” she shot an amused look in the guitarist’s direction.
“I was supposed to be watching you in case something like this occurred. Unfortunately, I was delayed by certain...matters.” The pale one got a strange, far-away look in her eyes for a moment, then she shook her head slightly. This revealed her delicately pointed ears which had been hidden behind her long hair.
Ye Gods, she’s an elf. This is getting weirder than snake shoes. Daniel thought, making sure to still concentrate on his brick wall.
“So now we have you stuck halfway while changing into a hyrrokah,” the still-nameless lady continued “and neither of you have a clue what is going on.”
She sighed; a quiet, soft sound.
“Fine mess I’ve made of things. Time to put them right.” She beckoned for Darren to come closer with a little wave of her hand.
Darren cast an uncertain glance in Daniel’s direction, then began creeping towards the pale lady. The guitarist kept a hold on Darren’s wing-hand and followed along behind.
“No Daniel, stay where you are and let go of Darren.” the lady said with gentle admonishment. Daniel resisted her request for a moment, then reluctantly stopped, letting Darren continue on. But the blond one kept a hold of Darren as long as he could, suddenly frightened of letting him go. Daniel apprehensively watched the Darren creature make his way to stand awkwardly in front of the pale woman.
I really don’t like this. Something strange is going to happen. Daniel muttered mentally, unconsciously moving forward.
This time the lady shot him a sharp glance.
“Daniel, I am telling you this for your own good: Move Back.” She said sternly, staring him down. For a long moment she and Daniel engaged in a battle of wills; the guitarist’s gaze heavy with resentment and rebellion. But it was Daniel who looked away first and moved back about ten feet, momentarily cowed.
Reassured of Daniel’s cooperation, the pale lady turned and took Darren’s beaked head in her hands. The singer froze as the woman stared deep into his eyes.
Daniel eyed them with uncertainty, fidgeting where he stood. He was itching to move forward again but somehow restrained himself.
Abruptly, the lady let go of Darren, who was still frozen in place, and held her hands out in front of her. Daniel watched with fascination as her hands began to glow faintly with an eerie blue light, like foxfire. This light grew brighter and brighter, some of it began dancing around Darren’s head. The guitarist noticed there was a tension slowly building, a feeling of anticipation, like a too-full bubble about to burst.
Man, feels like when you are just about to go on-stage and you know everyone is just waiting.... The strange blue mist was now swirling and Daniel could hear an oddly familiar melody drifting in and out of hearing-
LIGHT!
The mist around the odd pair had suddenly become incandescent and Daniel was knocked off his feet by a soundless explosion.
After a few moments, the light dimmed slowly to an almost bearable level but Daniel lay stunned on the ground for a little longer. Then the guitarist could her Darren keening again, a call so filled with agony it transcended species, and Daniel quickly scrambled to his feet.
The blond one could see Darren’s form shaking horribly in the center of a glowing sphere, galvanizing Daniel into action. He bolted full-throttle towards Darren, only to crash hard into some invisible barrier, getting knocked off his feet again. Dazed and confused for a moment, Daniel watched the glowing sphere grow a little larger. It now encompassed Darren so that all Daniel could see was the singer’s blurry black silhouette. The guitarist stared with alarm as Darren seemed to collapse onto the ground in a boneless manner.
She’s gonna kill him! Daniel thought, quite frightened, as he pulled himself up again and threw himself at the barrier. He scrabbled frantically at the invisible wall as he watched Darren thrashing on the grass.
The singer suddenly cried out.
“...aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyuuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllllllll..........”
Daniel’s eyes widened and he began pounding fiercely on the barrier.
“DARREN!” the blond one screamed, feeling like he was going to lose his mind if this madness did not stop!
Daniel’s world was suddenly plunged in darkness, like his wish had turned off a switch. The invisible wall abruptly disappeared, leaving Daniel flailing for balance and hitting the ground with a startled oof!
The guitarist soon began moving forward blindly, unable to wait for his eyes to adjust, driven on by the sound of Darren sobbing. But, after a minute, Daniel paused, realizing that the singer’s crying was different now. It wasn’t the unearthy, bird-like keening, it was perfectly normal crying. Human.
Excited and hopefull, the blond one crawled onward until Darren’s voice seemed right in front of him. Daniel reached out tentatively and felt faint with relief when no feathers met his hands. Darren seemed to be curled up in a ball, fairly oblivious to everything. With his vision slowly returning, Daniel carefully reached out and touched Darren’s face, fingers trembling slightly. Gone were the shorter feathers and thin beak, only Darren’s soft skin could be felt, wet with tears.
After a succession of blinking, the guitarist could pretty much see again.. He saw that Darren was indeed curled up into a fetal position, shaking like a leaf.
Daniel also noticed the pale lady was still standing nearby, looking a little drained and even paler, if it was possible.
The blond one knew he should be thankful to the woman for changing Darren back, and a part of him was. But most of Daniel was just bewildered, frightened and still slightly suspicious. Who was this lady that she could control such amazing power, such obvious magick?
The guitarist began shivering in delayed reaction to keeping his thoughts all bottled up.
...I wanna leave, make it stop, this isn’t real, this CANNOT be real, don’t wanna think, no more, go away!....
The pale lady offered Daniel a pitying look but the blond one was oblivious, his mind babbling its frantic litany.
The Elven woman sighed again.
“Tennyl karn Lunnya, sarym Abranym lurr.” she whispered, a departing prayer. Loosely translated: “May the Moon light your path and the Trees keep you.”
Then she began to shimmer, like Darren had but in a more controlled way somehow. In a matter of seconds, the wavering air had settled and the pale lady was gone, replaced by a large, black bird with unnerving blue eyes.
It took off in a flurry of feathers and wingbeats, rapidly gaining altitude.
Daniel turned his gaze upward and watched her flight numbly, for a moment.
..So that’s what Darren had been trying to change into.. he thought faintly, unable to stop his shaking. Daniel pulled himself next to the still-sobbing singer and collapsed at his side.
The guitarist put his head beside Darren’s and mumbled words of comfort, his arm slung protectively over Darren’s back.
And there they lay, unwilling and unable to move, waiting for dawn’s first light.

Epilogue

Darren lounged comfortably on the hotel room balcony and watched the antics below him. The rest of the band had taken over the hotel pool and seemed to be enjoying it fully. Darren smiled slightly as he watched Ben chase a screaming Anna and toss her into the aquamarine water.
Daniel, who was momentarily resting at the pool’s edge, noticed Darren watching them and waved cheerfully. The singer grinned and waved back, chuckling quietly. The group had begged Darren to join them but tonight there was a full moon and he wanted some quiet time, to think.
The dark-haired one absently played with the silver necklace hanging around his neck, remembering where he had gotten it from:
Darren had been sitting on a bench in a nearby park (not Central Park), soaking up some sun and trying to sort out his thoughts. He was piecing together all the bits of information he had, trying to understand what had happened just a few days ago.
Then a sudden movement beside Darren had startled him out of his contemplation. He looked up quickly and found that there was a large, black bird sitting beside him. Same as the last one he’d seen, blue eyes and all.
“Um, hello.” The singer said nervously, wondering what this bird was doing here. A faint lightbulb went off in his head.
“Lyruna?” he said hesitantly “is that you?” The bird didn’t say anything but Darren could have sworn he saw an amused twinkle in its eye. It hopped closer to him and shook its head slightly. The singer noticed that it had something glittering in its beak. Darren pondered for a moment, then slowly put his hand out. The bird lowered its dark head and dropped something into his palm. It almost slid out again and Darren had to scramble to grab it. The bird made a noise suspiciously like a chuckle and took off, dropping a piece of black paper into his lap as it glided away.
Darren opened his hand and studied what lay inside. It was a beautiful silver necklace, made out of a metal that seemed to shimmer and gleam. It had a small pendant on the chain that looked incredibly delicate, almost as fine as a single wire. Darren pulled experimentally at the links, they were much stronger than they looked. The singer lifted up the necklace to get a better look at the swinging pendant it held; it was a exquisite silver crescent moon, twinkling as it moved.
Darren slowly put it around his neck and did up the clasp, jerking his head back in surprise as a sudden noise (like a bell) sounded into the park air. The dark-haired one felt the chain to see what happened and realized that clasp had disappeared, the links were now seamless, unending. Darren sat still for a moment, the shrugged mentally. The singer looked at the slip of black paper he had been given. Written on it was a message in the same ornate, silver writing as the last note he had gotten.
It read: