Nosferatu: A Blood Pact

A low rumbling sound sent a flock of crows soaring into the air departing from the branches they rested upon. The rubble around the casket began to shake violently before bursting in all directions away from the corpse that rested on its wooden bed. A chilling wind condensed the water vapors surrounding the dead pony freezing almost instantly upon contact with its flesh and wooden tomb. Its deep sunken eyes slowly cracked open revealing open sockets with no eyes and just a low pulsating glow of red light.

An ear-piercing shriek of deep anger and pain erupted from its dusty and decayed mouth that would send any banshee scurrying away in trepidation. Its old bones creaked with each joint it began to articulate releasing the centuries of atrophy from being buried. The corpse rose slowly from its tomb noticing quickly that the treasure it was buried with was taken. Its brows furrowed with frustration as it looked around seeing that its outburst had attracted timber wolves that surrounded it.

The menacing looking wolves crouched low to the ground sending their glares of malicious intent straight towards the living corpse. A devilish grin grew upon the dead pony's face as with sheer though a blackness formed around its horn and shot up dispersing into sever arcs that hit each of the wolves turning them into dust instantaneously.

A growling voice echoed through the forest as the corpse spoke in venom dripping in its words, "Starswirl! Celestia! I have awoken from my slumber and now I come for thee!" As that was said the unicorn levitated into the air and with a black aura that filled the tip of its horn the pony was gone with the sound of a pop.

..........

The sun alicorn awoke from her slumber with a chilling presence that sent a shiver down her whole body causing the benevolent creature to jolt upwards. She looked around her room searching for whatever could have caused the chill fruitlessly. No windows were open and her door was shut tightly. Not a single sound could be heard. It was quite enough for the mare to hear her own heart beat inside her chest.

She arose from her bed placing her pure white hooves upon the ground making little noise. She held up a foreleg to her mouth as she yawned deeply. A hairbrush levitated to her and began its purpose sliding down the silky pastel colored mane of the princess. Her hair flowed effortlessly in the same lingering magical aura that encompassed each strand from when she had to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon sending her to the moon and changing her once soft fuchsia pink mane and tail into what it is now.

She sighed realizing today like most days was another one filled with the unpleasantness of the nobles and their overall sense of superiority just because of a title and inherited wealth from previous generations. How she longed for her subjects in Canterlot to act more like those in Ponyville who were humble and kind to all. She stretched her limbs and looked out the window. The moon had began to sink below the horizon leaving all but her work now to be done.

She left her room passing by the two guards that stood by ever watchful of any intruders or dangers. They never moved or talked only when addressed or relieved from duty did they ever move. The princess walked down the long corridor leading to an open courtyard where her sister stood. The maiden of the night was all but finished lowering the moon and preparing to sleep the day away. She was content with this not wanting to deal with the posh, stuck-up nobles that she detested.

The sun goddess raised the sun effortlessly into the sky. The bright glowing orb cast shadows behind the objects it bathed in its warm light. It send a calming sensation through Celestia as she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly only to be caught before she could daydream into wonderland by her sister.

"'Tia," she said, "good to see you this morning." With a smile upon her face.

The princess smiled, "it's good to see you too Luna. Would you care to join me for breakfast?"

"I'd love to." Said the maiden of the moon.

The two began their journey towards the royal kitchen to procure themselves some food before Celestia started her day and Luna started to drift off into dream land. They spoke very little on the long walk to the kitchen except for small chat asking how the weather was and if there were any events coming to the palace.

The hallways echoed each step they made as the sounds bounced off the walls and stained glass portraits of the heroes of Equestria. Royal guards stood still like petrified stone in front of the various doorways and entrances to parts of the castle only accessible by the princesses themselves.

The two princess took seats in front of each other at he massive table. Within moments of their rumps touching the marble and golden trimmed seats a waiter arrived bearing the cutie mark of a martini glass and his head held up high. His hair was slicked backwards and his goatee was perfectly black and trimmed. He wore a black vest and a white undershirt and levitated a tray with two glasses of water.

Luna watched as the water floated in front of her taking in a small amount of distaste for the overly extravagance of a simple meal such as breakfast.

"Your highnesses," he said addresses them both in a matter of respect, "what shall I bring you today?"

The white alicorn thought for a moment before speaking, "one daisy sandwich, mustard, and a glass of of your finest orange juice, please.

"Yes, ma'am!" Said the waiter before turning his head towards Luna, "and for you princess?"

"Cold gazpacho, and make it spicy, oh, and I'll have orange juice as well." Said Luna.

"At once!" Said the waiter making a beeline for the back kitchen to alert the chefs.

The pair of princesses sat quietly until their orange juices arrived. They both sipped on their fruit beverages before Luna spoke up.

"Honestly sister, how do you put up with the nobles? I know I've asked this question before, but I can't understand how you deal with their snobbish attitudes and disdain for anyone who isn't walking around with Bit purse bigger than their own ego. It truly perplexes me as to why you even allow them to keep titles such as 'Nobles'. There is nothing truly 'Noble' about them. If I had my way I'd send them to the rock farms-" Celestia interrupted her mid speech

"Now, now, Luna, there is no need to be so harsh upon them. You have a point, yes, they are very difficult to deal with if you don't have a lot of Bits. But there is still hope for them. They Nobles at one point were 'Noble' as they represented the factions with their interests true at heart. Now they are no longer necessary to speak for them and that is why I stripped away their powers long ago. Each pony can voice their own opinion. It no longer has to be a speaker for each species. I cannot, however, strip them of their lack of empathy or compassion for those who don't hold the same clout or ego as them. That will take time. Plus, if I just stripped them of their wealth and power and threw them into a rock farm I truly doubt they would change their attitudes. In fact, I imagine they would blame the less wealthy ponies for their predicament instead of blaming me. The rock farms are only meant for those who truly wish to farm them and our prisons for some ponies who just won't abide by our societal rules and must be punished for their wrongdoings."

"Like Blueblood." Lune blurted out.

Celestia signed and put her glass down before she could take another sip, "Blueblood, may be my nephew, but that does not excuse him from assaulting other ponies and using his personal guard detail to extort Bits from shopkeepers to fuel his addiction to opium. I certainly couldn't go easy on him just because he is family and he is a Noble. Justice must be served equally to anypony and everypony."

Luna smiled, "and that's what I love about you the most 'Tia, you try to be as fair as possible."

Celestia looked up into the air staring blankly at the ceiling that towered over their heads, "at least... I try to be fair."

The waiter blitz out of what seemed thin air delivering fresh glasses of orange juice and placing the meals in front of each princess. A perfectly plated daisy sandwich with just enough mustard to drip ever so little from the sides just as Celestia liked it and a large bowl of cold and spicy gazpacho topped with freshly cut fruits for Luna.

"Your breakfast, Princesses." Said the waiter keeping his head up high almost in permanent fixation, "can I get your highnesses anything else?" asked the unicorn.

"No that will be all thank you." Said Celestia. And with that said he zipped away from sight leaving the pair of princesses to enjoy their meal.

......

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late said the lavender unicorn insider her head rushing through ponyville as fast as she could. I hope they haven't started without me. She slowed down reaching the center of ponyville seeing her four of her five friends in a crowd waiting for her. Pinkie Pie was jumping up and down trying to spot the alicorn and to her luck she most certainly did.

"There she is!" Blurted the pink earth pony galloping over to the alicorn and embracing her in a tight hug.

"It's good to see you too Pinkie," giggled Twilight as the rest of her friends gathered around.

"How'ya been, hun? Haven't seen ya' in a bit, wonderin' if you were going 'ta come on out of that library sometime this century." Said the cowpony

"The gangs all here now!" Shouted a cyan pegasi with a rainbow streaked mane and tail.

"Darling! You look absolutely dreadful!" exclaimed rarity, "just look at you! Your eyes look more sunken in than a corpse and your hooves!" She picked up a foreleg of the alicorn, "haven't you been to a spa yet! They look like Applejack's all wore own and crack and... not pretty."

"Hey, quit talkin' 'bout my feet, ok!" retorted the orange mare.

"Hey where's Fluttershy?" Asked Twilight looking around.

"Oh she can't make it today Angel has the flu and she won't leave his side for even a second." Said the cyan pegasi landing somewhat gracefully on dirt road.

"Ok then. So what do you girls want to do today?" Asked the alicorn.

"Eat cupcakes!" Shouted Pinkie Pie.

"Go to the Spa!" Yelled Rarity.

"A leisurely stroll through Ponyville's park." Said Applejack

"I don't know." Said Rainbow Dash shrugging her shoulders.

"Ok, well, I suppose we can start off with eating some cupcakes because I haven't even had breakfast yet, then we can go to the Spa and finish off with a stroll through the park." Twilight said.

They all nodded their heads in agreement.

"Alright, let's get started then! My first day off in a month!" Exclaimed the alicorn as they headed in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.