How long had Twilight wished for this moment to occur? How many times did she dream of finding one of her best friends in the world alive and in front of her? For months, Twilight had to deal with the hole in her heart since Fluttershy’s funeral that she would never see the kind pegasus again. Yet now all she could do was wish she never once made that wish in her mind. Before her stood the body of her best friend, but just one look into those evil red eyes and she could tell that this wasn’t the real Fluttershy. Not when she looked something that crawled out of the deepest parts of Tartarus. Her bat like wings. Bat like cutie marks. Her sharp glittering fangs. Her voice. Her terrible, darkening voice that made Twilight’s spine shiver in fear.

This was no innocent friend. This was a demon.

“Surprised?” the monster said, slowly turning over the branch and hanging on it like a possum. Yet only her hooves were holding her back from falling to the floor. “Does the sight of me scare you that much? Are you still processing the fact that I am alive? Or are you going mad? Maybe you’ve cracked?”

“F-Fluttershy?” Dash whispered, slowly turning white.

“This one before us is not your friend. It is a spirit of evil whose body is his to bend,” Zecora warned, huffing at the creature while lowering herself in preparation.

“A zebra shaman. How wonderful. I’ve never had the pleasure of facing one, but it seems little has changed of your kind even after a thousand years,” The possessed pegasus stated before flipping off the tree an onto the ground. It gazed at the spot of where Rarity’s ashes remain and smirked. “I had hoped my little pet could have killed at least more of you, but killing the Element of Laughter is enough. With two Elements dead and the one currently in my possession, I don’t need to fear the Elements of Harmony anymore.”

“W-w-who are you?!” Twilight demanded, slowly getting up.

The grin it sported with Fluttershy’s face nearly made Twilight wet herself. It was wrong seeing such a bloodthirsty and insane look upon the face of one who was once so sweet and gentle. “I am the one who makes the blood of mortals chill into ice. I am the lord of the darkest corners of the earth, where light never materializes. I am he who has outlasted death’s cold grip. I am the last of the vampires, Nosferatu. Soon to be your ruler, master, and ender of all that you hold dear, my little ponies.”

In the blink of an eye, it was gone and Twilight watched as Zecora was knocked aside, crashing into a nearby tree. Twilight felt her muscles cramp up when in the zebra’s place was Fluttershy who didn’t even look winded by the burst of speed. The smiling demon before her made Twilight want to run, but she couldn’t move. Something was keeping her in place and preventing her from even moving an inch. Rainbow Dash yelled at her to run, but she couldn’t. Whatever force was holding her slowly lifted her up from the ground by her neck. Twilight tried gasping for air, but it was like a noose hung around her neck, crushing her throat inch by inch. She couldn’t resist, her body had all but surrendered to the force as her mind realize that it was dying without oxygen.

“I must thank you, Twilight Sparkle. It is because of you and your friend Applejack that I was able to return to life,” Nosferatu said as Twilight felt her lungs burn for air. “Although you shall pass away knowing that your home, friends, and family will suffer unending torment by my hoof. I will grant you a quick death into Faust’s embrace. Consider it a reward for your services.”

Darkness began to cloud Twilight’s sight as she realized she was going to die here and now. Visions of her life flashed before her eyes from her first word to this very moment. A life she loved, and lived, all shown in such a blink of an eye. Soon she began to not feel anything anymore as her vision all but dark as the last of her life began to fade away.

Then a bright light.

At first she thought it was the light that was said to appear before those who died. Faust’s angels taking you to the gates of her holy kingdom where eternity awaited. But this was not the light of the heavens, but the light of the sun.

A bright burst of energy erupted and tore away the darkness. The force holding her had let go and, in an instant, air flooded her lungs like a gust of wind. Gasping, Twilight fell to her stomach, hacking and coughing up fluid before slowly calming down. There was warmth in the area. No longer was it dead and cold, but warm like like...

The sun... thought Twilight as she slowly looked up. “P-P-Princess?”

“Twilight, forgive me, I nearly did not make it in time,” Celestia apologizes as she stood protectively over her with her armor. Her giant wings spread out like a cloak while the biggest spear that Twilight ever saw was pointing right at Nosferatu who was now flying in the air. “Do not worry. I’ll handle this.”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my old friend Princess Celestia. How have the centuries been for you?” Nosferatu asked, smiling in comfort.

Glaring at the flying figure with hatred that nopony had ever seen from her, Celestia shouted, “Nosferatu!” Her energy began to make the spear glow as the very earth around her began to crack from the intensity of the energy. “I have no idea how you survived, but I will send you back to the depths of oblivion!”

The creature smirked, laughing for a few seconds before turning away. “As much as I would like to have a rematch for the loss you and your sister gave me I intended not to fight yet. I still have a few things I must do before I reclaim my reign. Until we meet again, old friend.”

With that said, Nosferatu disappeared in a flash of dark light. Something no pegasus should have been able to do. Twilight, unable to take anymore, closed her eyes and allowed sleep to finally take her.

***

When the Royal Princesses arrived, Luna found herself swarmed with ponies begging them to fix their cursed town or do something to stop the onslaught of suffering they had been under for months. Her Night Guard restored order as quickly as they could and ordered that Ponyville was to be evacuated by the morning when it was safest to move the innocent. If there was a vampire in these parts, just as they feared, there was no telling who else had been thralled or raised as a ghoul. Many were shocked to learn they were leaving their homes for Canterlot, but none complained. Everypony was just too eager to leave their cursed town; some were even saying they refused to come back.

If only I took my sister’s worries more seriously. Perhaps we could have stopped this before it became so bad, Princess Luna thought as she watched the guards pile the bodies of the dead from Rarity’s attack into a burning funeral pyre. The families were angry and confused why they couldn’t properly mourn or bury them, but Luna silenced them stating it was a royal order. In truth, they could not risk anypony being resurrected as ghoul. Thankfully, none were thralls, evidenced by the lack of fang piercings, but ghouls were just as bad.

“Princess Luna?” One of her guards arrived and saluted her. “Princess Celestia as returned with the... survivors...”

Hiding her grim look, Luna asked, “Who didn’t survive?”

“Four guards. They said a fifth one fled, but they haven’t found him yet.” Luna doubted they would find a body. “Rarity has been killed but... Pinkie Pie has been lost.”

This time Luna couldn’t hide her sorrow and shed a single tear in grief. She had failed two of those who had saved her from her darkness. Rarity was doomed the moment she was bitten, there was no cure for her except freedom in death. Yet the loss of Pinkie Pie would break the moral of the entire town. She had seen the joy Pinkie had given every pony with her smiles, laughter, and parties both in person and in the dreams of the restful. When the town learned that their shining light was gone it would all but break them into a sorrow that may never recover.

“What is my sister intending to do with the body?” Luna whispered, unable to keep her regal voice steady.
“It’s already being sent to Canterlot. A letter will be sent to the Pies for their loss. For now, Princess Celestia wants everything to remain quiet until the situation is over,” the guard replied. “The other Elements are being treated at the local hospital. The princess will meet up with you soon.”

“I understand. Make sure the body is treated with the utmost care. Use the secret entrance in the mountains to avoid the public eye,” Luna ordered, dismissing the guard before summoning another. “I want round the clock patrols. Nopony is to get in or out, use lethal force if required, even if they are as young as a foal.”

“A f-foal, your majesty?” the guard asked, surprised.

“We are dealing with a monster that can turn even the most harmless of ponies into a psychotic soulless killer,” Luna answered, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t care if they are the Elements of Harmony or my Sister’s nephew. None are to enter or leave this town until tomorrow morning. Understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” The guard saluted and left to report to the various companies.

“I fear that even such discipline will not be enough, Sister,” Princess Celestia replied, landing from the air next to Luna. The look on Celestia’s face made Luna’s eyebrows raise up as it looked like her sister had seen both a ghost and a hated foe at the same time. “The worst we feared has happened. Fluttershy has become a vampire.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “No, it is more accurate to say she has become possessed by one instead.”

“Possessed?” Luna asked, tilting her head.

Sighing, Celestia growled and opened her eyes. A fury that Luna hadn’t seen in a thousand years shinned inside her pupils like the fires of her sun. “Luna... it’s Nosferatu.”

Luna gasped. Memories of the hardest battle she had ever fought in her life echoed in her mind. The amount of life lost during the war against the last vampire of Equestria was something that haunted even her during her time as Nightmare Moon. “H-how! Impossible! He died! We killed him!”

“And yet I heard his voice. I felt his evil, Luna,” Celestia said. “It is something you do not forget. Not after a thousand years.

“...If this is indeed true then the situation is worse than we thought,” Luna muttered, shaking her head as her wings flared. “We must declare a state of emergency. Warn the public. Ready the army. If he even comes into half his strength I fear that what is happening in Ponyville will pale compared to whatever sinister plan he has set up.”

“Chances are he’s hiding in the Everfree Forest,” Celestia muttered, turning to the direction of that accursed forest that stood untouched by ponies since time immortal. “I’m tempted to just burn it to the ground, but I fear he’ll escape and hide for as long as he needs too.”

“And we will lose track of him,” Luna cursed. “This is not like the old days, Sister. The Hunter Guilds are all gone. Our army is nothing like the legions we once had. The entire population is unprepared for a return to the dark ages.”

“Yes,” Celestia said, lowering her head. “It seems our efforts to rid Equestria of its darkest and bloodiest days worked too well. I cannot help but kick myself for thinking they were all gone for good.”

“... what do we tell the Elements?” Luna asked.

“... The truth, Luna. We have no choice, but to tell the truth.”

***

Rarity was dead.

Pinkie Pie was dead.

Spike had lost more of his family.

He was starting to wonder if Twilight was right about there being no goddess because no kind and loving deity would do this to him. He had a been a good dragon all his life and this is what he was rewarded with. His crush turned to ashes. The most happy-go-lucky pony in the world a cold corpse. And the kindest pony he had ever met was possessed by a blood sucking abomination.

It was not fair. He wanted to burn something. Claw something to pieces. Just scream until the night fell. The only thing holding him back were the tears in his eyes, and the pain in his heart. He was just grateful that his other friends were still alive, especially Twilight. If he lost her... if he lost his mother...

He had never said that word out loud. Not to Twilight or anyone. Some said Twilight was like a guardian or a sister for Spike, but he saw it one step further. She was his mother. The one that hatched him. The one that loved and cared for him all his life. He was loyal to her and her alone in this world. If all of Equestria was to go to war against his mother he would gladly become a monster just to protect her and burn everything to the ground. Just to keep Twilight safe.

Yet he was powerless now to protect her. There was something in Twilight’s eyes when she woke up in her hospital bed. Something inside that broke and wasn’t coming back. It was even more evident when she demanded something from Spike when he asked if he could get her anything.

Alcohol.

Lost of alcohol.

She never asked nor drank the stuff before. Dulled the mind. Wasted the brain cells. Made ponies act stupid if they took to much.

He came back with cases and she took to drinking like a camel in a desert while ordering him to leave her alone. That had been forty minutes ago and, as far as Spike knew, she was still drinking and sobbing to herself. He wanted to hug her. Talk to her. Tell her everything was going to be alright, but he was too afraid to enter. He was afraid of what would happen. He knew Twilight, knew her like the back of his claw. She was going to burst and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Spike?” He raised his teary eyes from his seat and saw both Princesses, in armor, looking at him with sympathy. Luna stepped forward and asked, “Is Twilight Sparkle inside her room?”

“Yeah... she’s... drinking...” Spike muttered, wiping his tears.

Princess Celestia winced and sighed. “I’ll talk to her. We might... be awhile.”

“Are you sure, sister?” Luna asked.

“It’s my fault for not warning her... or informing her. She’s my student so I will bare her rage,” Celestia answered as she slowly made her way towards the door and opened it before closing it behind her.

Spike and Luna held their breath as they heard Celestia through the soft walls. “Twilight? It’s me. I-”

The sound of a bottle smashing echoed from inside, making the outside occupiers wince.

“Buck you...” Twilight said before her voice turn to that one Luna would have been proud of. “BUCK YOU!”

Spike couldn’t help but drop his jaw upon hearing his mother figure curse at Princess Celestia. It was something that never even once entered the young dragon’s mind as a possibility. Insulting Princess Celestia, even on a joking level, was something Twilight didn’t take lightly. To her, Princess Celestia was the perfect representation on how a pony should be. The close thing that Twilight actually worshiped spiritually. And now Twilight was cursing her like a renounced priest to their uncaring god.

“YOU LIED TO ME!” Twilight shouted in the Royal Canterlot voice. “YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE NO SUCH THING AS VAMPIRES! YOU BUCKING LIED! I SAW ONE! I BUCKING SAW ONE STARING RIGHT AT MY SOUL WITH THE EYES OF ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS! WHAT THE BUCK IS NEXT? WEREWOLVES?! ZOMBIES?! I MIGHT AS WELL JUST BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HAY IS REAL ANYMORE! NO THANKS TO YOU, YOU FAUSTDAMNED CUNT BITCH OF DECEPTION!”

Another broken bottle sound made Spike immediately make for the door knob, but Luna stopped him with her magic. He glared at her, but she shook her head as they continued to listen.

“IF YOU HAD TOLD ME! JUST TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE SUCH THINGS AS VAMPIRES I WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT! BUT NO! YOU LIED! LIED! NOW I HAVE A BUNCH OF DEAD PONIES, INCLUDING TWO OF MY BEST FRIENDS, THAT I COULD HAVE SAVED IF YOU BUCKING TOLD ME THE TRUTH! I HAVE ONE OF MY FRIENDS MIND RAPED OR SOULS RAPED OR WHATEVER THE CRAP SHE’S BECOME BY SOMETHING MORE EVIL THEN EVEN BUCKING NIGHTMARE MOON! BUT NO, I KNEW NOTHING! EVEN WHEN I BECAME A PRINCESS YOU STILL DIDN’T TRUST ME WITH THE TRUTH! WELL, YOU CAN TAKE CROWN AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR FAT FLANK, CELESTIA!”

A few bursts of purple magic blew past the walls as well as the windows before Twilight continued her rampage. “I COULD HAVE DIED! RAINBOW DASH AND AJ COULD HAVE DIED! I SAW PONIES GET EATEN! TORN APART! DECAPITATED! AND MORE! I HAD TO BURY FOALS WHO WILL NEVER GET TO LIVE THEIR LIVES! I’VE HAD TO SEE FAMILIES RUINED BECAUSE OF THE TRAGEDIES IN THEIR LIFE! I’VE BEEN TO MORE FUNERALS THAN I EVER WANTED TO! I SAW PINKIE PIE GET HER! NECK! TWISTED! LIKE! A! PRETZEL! AND RARITY?! THERE IS NOTHING BUCKING LEFT OF HER BUT ASHES SCATTERED IN THE WIND AFTER SHE MELTED IN FRONT OF ME LIKE SHE WAS POURED INTO LAVA!”

“Oh Faust,” Spike whispered, wrapping his arms around Luna as she gently hugged him.

“SO WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT TO SAY I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT! TAKE IT TO THE SUN AND BURN FOR ALL I CARE! I’M DONE! I WANT OUT! I’M DONE SAVING THE BUCKING WORLD FOR YOU! FIND SOME OTHER HERO OR LACKY OR SLAVE TO DO YOUR WORK THAT CAN TAKE WHATEVER LIE YOU GIVE THEM BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE! I HATE YOU! I! HATE! YOU!”

There was a long silence. Not just from the room, but everywhere in the hospital. It was as if everypony was holding their breath to hear what would happen next.

Then, to Spike’s surprise, there came a sob. Followed by tears and wailing. Pushing off Luna, Spike opened the door and saw a scene that he didn’t expect. Twilight, who had just cursed Celestia off in a way nopony had ever done, was sobbing into her mentors shoulder with no resistance.

Celestia, slowly shedding tears of her own, held Twilight like a newborn, gently rubbing her back and nuzzling her. There was no anger in Celestia’s expression, only regret and sympathy as she held her broken child. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I am so sorry.”

Spike just stared at the duo as Twilight let out months of frustration out with her walls finally broken and turned to rubble.

***

It was only a matter of time before Celestia and Luna arrived. Nosferatu wasn’t an idiot. He had already achieved his first goal of getting strong enough to completely control this body, but he also managed to neutralize the use of the Elements of Harmony. What he needed to do next was prepare to regain his power. He didn’t have any of his castles, minions, monsters, or armies. Yet this was a world that had all but forgotten the old ways. Wherecreatures such as he were nothing more then myths. Myths!

It would be easy to manipulate things to his favor. Slowly corrupt cities and towns that were far more ignorant than before. Celestia and Luna’s attempts to erase the past would be their undoing.

However, I have to cause a distraction to get away safely, Thought Nosferatu as he calmly walked through the gravestones of Ponyville’s largest graveyard. The guards easily taken care of and joining the dead below. I believe I am strong enough to do this. I wonder, how will the residents of the town react when their beloved dead ones come to devour them all!

His eyes began to glow a dark bloody red as his hooves began to glow a mixture of red and black. Lifting his front legs, he slammed them down upon the ground as an energy ring of dark energy spread across the graveyard, followed by small red rootlike energy lines that began to dig into the graves themselves.

For a moment, all was silent as normal for the cemetery.

Then the piles of dirt began to shift. Slowly, decaying and boney hooves pushed through the dirt and roots. Figures, long deceased of various ages, some with skin, some without, exited their once earthly bed and began to moan and hiss. Their bodies no longer controlled by the souls that once occupied them, but by the will of the being who raised them, a wicked smirk strewn across his face. He gave them one simple command. A command that would cause the chaos he wanted.

“Feed.”

Author's Note

Short update but an emotional one. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter around the start of Summer.

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Image drawn by: https://www.deviantart.com/jamescorck/art/Fanart-MLP-Sanguine-Kindess-Illustration-18-795843330