Tales of the vampire hunter

The Badlands.

This place, as far as Helsing understood, was basically Equestrias version of Siberia. Cold and hot, all at the same time, desolate, and to top it all off, the place was unexplored.

Perfect place for the ritual.

Helsing could taste the dark energies in the air as they got closer. The train thumping across the tracks. Every time they hit a bump he rattled a little, only fitting for a walking arsenal.

"Helsing?"

Abraham turned his head towards the source of the voice, finding Twilight entering his single person coup.

"Yes?" He asked disinterestedly as he continued to clean his newly acquired sword. It continued to amaze him how well Caramel had actually made it. The leather on the handle had been smoothed out but had small bumps, allowing easier grip. And somehow the sword felt twice as light as it should. It was like swinging a stick around, except this stick was made for killing.

"I-I had something I've been wanting to ask." She said and took a seat opposite of him. A myriad of ponies had looked into this coup, seen him and then walked on by. So the coup, except for him, was completely empty.

"Ask away," he said, continuing to clean the blade and guard with a yellow rag.

"The day you...... Petrified Diamond tiara," she said, pausing slightly as Helsing's eyes went from the sword to lock directly on her. His full interest now caught onto her.

"How did you do that?"

Helsing sighed and put the sword down on the table separating the room. "Twilight," he said, and she nodded to register she were listening, "in that book I lent you. Did you ever find something about Dhampirs?"

"Those half human half vampires?" She asked, her brows knotting in disbelief and slight confusion, "but they are only created when a vampire mates.... With a mortal woman...." She finished, now looking at him in bewilderment, "your father was a vampire before he met your mother?"

"Unfortunately yes," Helsing said, in stead of the sword he was now fiddling with his revolver, "his name, his real name that is, was Valfrados. He was, as vampires would call him, a lord. An incredibly powerful nightmare being with immense power, like Dracula."

He placed the revolver next to the sword, drawing in breath as he did, "but he made one fatal mistake." He lifted a finger towards Twilight who nodded, as if already knowing the mistake.

"He loved my mother."

Twilight nodded meekly again, she had expected this.

"She knew he was a vampire, and even then she stayed with him. She birthed me and my brother, both of us carrying vampire and human blood. But then came the mistake within the mistake." Helsing said, for the first time Twilight saw sorrow in Helsing's eyes.

"He neglected his vampiric nature."

Twilights eyes widened, from the books she had found out the diet of vampires, the same as Vamponies. Blood.

"He stopped feeding. Eventually that broke him down, turning him into what vampires call 'the unclean.' A sort of violent and brutal version of my kind, they don't think, they just feed."

"Well, then what does Dracula have to do with all this?" Twilight asked, now sitting on the edge of her seat.

"He created every single vampire that lives today."

Twilight just remained silent for the longest time before walking out the coup, she grabbed the door and twisted it open.

"This is a battle we can win, right?"

Helsing cocked and un-cocked the revolver a while before he just became limp. He leaned his head back and just looked at the ceiling with completely empty eyes.

"I have no idea Twilight."

"Welcome to Aaaappleloosa!"

The train had arrived not a mere minute ago. So it seemed Braeburn was psychic. They had sent no letter, no message of any form. Yet he had still jumped straight in front of the train cart, making everyone but Fluttershy and Helsing jump in shock. Fluttershy because she had just been petrified, Helsing because he was now aiming his by now incredibly well polished revolver straight at the farmer.

"Goshdarnit Braeburn, do y'all have to do that every time we come to visit?" Applejack yelled as she put a hoof to her chest, "you scared the livin Tarnation outta me."

"It's good to see you too cousin," Braeburn said, extending a hoof.

Applejack just smiled before she shook her head in mock disappointment, "right back at'cha you big foal," she extended a hoof to meet his hoof bump.

"So, why are y'all here visiting?" Braeburn asked looking over the eight of them and eventually getting a better look at Helsing, and as was usual, he backed up a few steps.

"Well, were kinda heading towards the badlands" Applejack faintly whispered the last word, fearing the reaction of a family member that knew the place.

"Sorry cus, didn't quite catch that last part," he said, placing a hoof next to his ears

"The badlands," Helsing said matter of factly.

At first Braeburn just stood there, looking at the hunter with stunned silence. Eventually he broke into an awkward laugh, "heh, your friend sure does know how to joke now doesn't he cousin?"

Applejack just stared at the wooden flooring.

Braeburn's expression turned from one of fake amusement to one of shock and anger, "you're heading into the badlands? Are y'all insane or sum thing?"

"No, I like to think that I'm perfectly functional both mentally and physically," Helsing said, now sounding slightly annoyed by the farmhand.

"You ain't goin into that place, no way no how, I ain't letting innocents into the badlands," Braeburn shifted his stance so he looked more offensive.

Helsing took a few steps forwards and bent down so he looked directly into Braeburn's eyes. "Then I guess you can just let me to through."

Braeburn was visibly uncomfortable, even scared. He took a few steps back from the hunter before sighing, "I guess I can't stop none of ya, but I assure you mister tall and lanky, if my sister doesn't come back without a scratch then I'm gonna do everything in my power to kill ya."

Helsing nodded before asking the crucial question, "do you know someone who could lead us to the badlands?"

"Well, you've got one right in front of ya," He said, happy and cheerful demeanor returning unabated. "I'll even throw in a discount, with you being a friend of the family and all."

"Braeburn," Applejack scolded.

"Just kidding cousin, just kidding." He said, waving his hooves in front of him apologetically. "But before we do that, let me offer y'all a glass 'a cider, it's common decency."

"I have no time for such meaningless squander." Helsing snarled, baring his teeth behind the red bandana, "if you are going to entertain your 'cousin' and her friends then be my guest. But I have an unfeasibly dangerous Vampire Lord to kill." He stepped forward quickly, shouldering past Braeburn with ease before heading straight into Applelosa. The farmhand was knocked over, not hard enough to be damaging but still enough to hurt

Applejack got to Braeburn and tried her best to help him off the ground. But it seemed as if her cousin was fearing that the sky was gonna fall on his head any minute. He was staring wide eyed towards where Helsing had left, and he was shaking slightly even as he got up.

"Cousin," Braeburn said as he got control of himself and finally stopped shaking, "what's yer friend carryin' in that trench coat of his?"

Applejack looked questioningly at Twilight and Luna, both of them standing slightly to her left. Both princesses shook their heads, with Twilights coming only slightly after she'd seen Luna's answer.

"It's umm...." She paused while trying to find a suitable explanation, "just some huntin' gear. Yeah, huntin."

"And what exactly is this huntin gear?" Braeburn asked raising an eyebrow at Applejack.

Pinkie decided to answer this, as she popped up in between both Braeburn and Applejack, causing both to take a few steps back. "There's all sorts of things." She squealed excitedly. "There's this big heavy gun thing, and this huge sword that at first was all like, booooriiing, but then he took it to Caramel and now it's all shiny and golden, and there's this big frisbee on the end of a chain that dash accidentally fired off and destroyed a wall with, and there are a load of bottles that look like soda but isn't really soda, or maybe it is soda." She turned towards Fluttershy. "Do you think it's soda Fluttershy?"

Braeburn's eyes had already shrunk about ten sizes at the first mention of a gun, and he quickly hurried the rest of the group along. "Quickly, we have to find him."

Dash flew up beside him with a quizzical expression. "Why?"

"Because your friend is about to be arrested."