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Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. Long ago there were only eight reindeer. But as the population of earth grew, and the number of children needing gifts on Christmas night rose in numbers, the sleigh became too heavy for just eight reindeer, and so Santa told his deer to fly out in every direction and search for deer willing to become sleighing deer. As soon as the sun set, each of the deer flew to a different compass point: North, north-east, east... and so on, spreading the news to the different deer herds. Dasher was the Northern messenger, but he found when he approached the animals, they feared him. They feared this strange animal and the unnatural way he glided through the air. Finally they spoke to him when he landed. He told them about the adventure and glory of pulling Santa's sleigh, but they wanted nothing to do with him or Christmas. He was about to count the northern herds a loss when a young reindeer named Rudolph approached him. His entire herd, save his parents avoided him. They ridiculed him for his different appearance. Those that didn't avoided him and his strange, red nose. It was almost hard to see the difference from afar, but up close, it was easy to tell he was different. Still Dasher didn't shy away or even note his difference. "I'll go." The young buck said.

He was a little small for sleigh pulling, but he'd grow, thought Dasher. The top of Rudolph's head only came to the elder deer's chin. "Very well. But be aware once you leave, you may never come back. Once a sleigh deer, always a sleigh deer."

Rudolph looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowed in disgust with his herd. Dasher seemed to accept him. "I'm ready."

The travel home was long and hard on foot, but the deer braced themselves against the weather. "You will be going through worse than this, if Santa chooses you to pull the sleigh." Dasher said, lowering his head against the fierce northern winds.

The North Pole was nothing spectacular; only a single candy cane striped pole stood alone at the top of the world. There was a rickety old sign hung from it that read, "Welcome to the North Pole!"

A dusting of snow clung to the top of it. "Is this.. uh.. all?" The newcomer asked, trying not to be rude, but at the same time disappointed that they had come all this way to look at a sign post.

Dasher chuckled, "It's underground."

The sleigh deer pushed his hoof into an indent in the base of the pole, and ground beneath them dropped, dumping them, and the layer of fresh snow into a hole in the earth. Rudolph cried out in surprise has he landed in a heap at the bottom. He couldn't help noticing, much to his dismay, Dasher landed perfectly on his four hooves. His heart was still beating faster than normal as they stepped off the landing pad and into the light of the cozy town below. Everywhere small humans were bustling about, carrying packages and trinkets. The jolly beings waved if they had an open arm, welcoming them to their home. "Elves." Dasher explained, showing him around. They came to small warm looking log house, covered in lights and fake snow. In fact the whole place looked like a busy town in the middle of Christmas, except with half of the scale. This particular house was taller, with a full, human-sized door. The door swung open for Dasher, and he gave Rudolph a push inside with the blunt of his antlers. Inside it was just as elaborately decorated, and another deer about his same age sat beside another sleigh deer. "Rudolph, meet Flash and Comet." Dasher said, motioning to the two animals. Rudolph was nervous about having competition, but was still confident that he belonged; after all, he certainly did not belong with those he had left.

There was a warm human laugh, and a voice. "So, what's your name, little one?" Santa Claus asked entering from the soft glow of the fireplace in the den. The room that he had come from, wafted the scent of cinnamon and ginger. Rudolph registered the tone as kind, but did not understand the words. Dasher bumped him with a fore leg. "Father Christmas asked you what your name is, son," Dasher translated. "R - Rudolph, Sir." Came the hesitant reply. Dasher spoke with Santa in the same unrecognizable, human language. A glance at Flash let Rudolph know that he didn't understand the words that passed between Human and deer either. "Rudolph and Flash, welcome to the North Pole!" said Santa, with a glimmer in his eyes. Rudolph understood his name, but the rest had to be translated by Santa's deer. After some more conversation between Dasher, Comet, and Santa, the two new reindeer were lead outside of the cottage to a stable. The stable had one door that lead to the inside of the underground, and the other, covered in snow when not in use, let out to the outside world. All eight reindeer were there, once Dasher and Comet rejoined them. They all introduced themselves to the pair, and announced that they would be tested to see if they were sleigh pulling material.

The next night at dusk Comet took the two new reindeer out to assess them. The deer had to pull a large sled in the cold, dark night air. They had to balance on the roofs of buildings, and land on their feet when jumping. After several tests it was clear that the reindeer were closely matched. Rudolph was better at balance and jumping, but Flash was stronger. Comet soon returned the tired reindeer to the stables. After they had fallen asleep, he went to report to Santa.

"I think either one of them would make fine sleighing deer." Said Comet.

"Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Flash and Rudolph. We don't really need ten deer to pull the sleigh. Flash's name matches with the other names better. By tomorrow night we will have our new team addition. And as promised, there will be no going home for either of them. Santa said. "Why don't we show them.." he took a vial of powder from the shelves. Comet nodded eagerly. "The earlier the better... Speaking of early.." Comet gestured to a nearby clock, it was almost dawn.

On the following day, as the sun began to sink, Santa went to the deer's quarters. He found both of the two, new deer and blew a pinch of dark, glittering powder into each of their faces. Rudolph continued to sleep, until he was awoken by a scream. His eyes fluttered open drowsily. Several other deer stood around the new recruits, and as he lifted his head he noticed, that the deer were drastically different than they were previously. In the musky twilight, he could see that each of them had a pair of large, black bat-like wings that folded and clasped in front with a pair of hooked claws. In fact the deer themselves were a dark ebony color, the only part of them that wasn't, was their piercing red, glowing eyes. Their horns were like sharpened stakes, rather than the blunt rack that they were supposed to have. Fangs could be seen poking down from their lithe muzzles. The scream had come from Flash, who was now quivering in the corner. Rudolph took an untrusting step back from the other... "deer" and eyed them wearily.

"Relax, you two. We aren't going to hurt you." Blitzen said. Flash whimpered, his eyes wide with fear.

"Wh - What are you guys?" Rudolph managed to ask with a mixture of fear and amazement at the powerful creatures in front of him.

"Vampires, of course." Comet answered, in a tone of voice that said "duh". Flash squealed again, and Rudolph was tempted to cuff him with a hoof to stop the noise.

"This is what being a reindeer means," Santa said, emerging from the shadows. His eyes smoldered red as well, peering out from pale skin and wispy hair. Complimenting his suit in color. Rudolph looked disappointed. Christmas... was not what he thought it was, anymore. " How could you device everyone this way?" the naïve deer asked.

"How else could I live forever? How else could reindeer fly? And how else could the elves stay young forever? Magic?" Santa laughed again, the sound emanating from deep in his gut. "This is how we truly are, This is Christmas. And it cannot be changed." Santa's face looked haunted, transformed into some nightmarish creature. "So the question is, Rudolph, will you be joining us?"

"What about Flash?" The red-nosed deer asked. He glanced back, finding the deer still shivering in the corner. Santa had with him a single leather harness, and Rudolph realized then, that only one of them would be joining the team.

There would be no coming back.. The words echoed in his ears. Flash seemed to hear it too; His eyes flicked upwards as he struggled to retain consciousness from the shock of what was happening.

"I will join you. There's no way to unlearn what I now know." Not a second later, after the last word left his mouth, did the eight black demons fall upon him, biting him everywhere. Pain from the bites spread quickly dissolving into pure power. Black wings burst from his back, making a sickening tearing sound as they exploded from him. He flexed the still wet, newly grown appendages. His pelt darkened to match his wings, and his hooves curved down slightly, forming cloven, claw like hooves. Santa fixed the harness onto Rudolph's back. It fit perfectly.

"Now, Rudolph, truly become one of us. Hunt for the first time!" Dancer shouted, kicking open the outside facing stable doors. The snow flew out of the way in a burst of powder, only to have the wind sweep it away. Flash bolted out of the new opening. The eight original reindeer followed casually, taking their place on either side, forming a runway four deer long on each side of the barn doors. Their heads were bowed, recognizing their new brother as Rudolph galloped out of the stables illuminating the pale snow in a blood red glow. He bared his fangs, inhaling the enticing fear-scent of the running deer, as well as the salt-and-rust scent of his new family. Rudolph pushed off of the ground, and spread his new wings for the first time.