Twilight Walkersby CrimsonWalkerChaptersCrimson TwilightEscapePrologueCrimson Twilight p2Crimson TwilightAll throughout the Sisters' 'house', everything was scurrying, except for the the mouse. Pegasi were flying from wing to wing, delivering messages and reports. Guards patrolled in squads of four or five, and were comprised of all three pony races, each armed with spears. Part of a battalion was practicing in the fields of the Castle. Around six in the morning Shining Armor arrived on the the Crystal Empire's Crystal Express, he quickly made his way to the throne room. Worry over the state of the moon caused him to move with a purpose, tonight it had shone crimson red. The vigilant guards had informed him that Celestia was currently under the weather so Shining began his walk towards her living quarters. Outside Celesta’s chambers two guards stood watchful across the door. He approached them and with one look sized them up. His years spent as Captain of the guard instantly allowed him to size up the lead guard. One ‘Sunny Days.’ He frowned at their lack of discipline, it wasn’t anything major, however their stance and gear just spoke of unprofessionalism. It was the sort of thing only one that trained in seeing it would notice. Shining shook it off, he was a prince now, not their commander. “Is Princess Celestia awake?” “No prince,” came Sunny Days instant replay. The stallion was a bright orange, his red mane and tail had a light golden yellow stripe through it. “Very well, let me in.” To his amazement, two spears came down, blocking his path. “Sorry prince, our orders are that no one disturbs the princess.” Shining Armor actually found himself impressed. Maybe they don’t lack for discipline after all? It took a lot of gumption to tell a prince — who used to be the Captain of the royal guard — no. Around eleven, Shining Armor was fed up with the statuesque guards guarding Celestia. It no longer mattered that they were just doing their job, he had waited long enough and would not be denied. He marched over to them and looked Sunny Days straight in the eyes, “You’ve both done a great job, however if you don't get out of my way now, I’ll move you.” It wasn’t what he said or the look, as much as the tone in his voice that caused the two guards to step aside. He spoke with all the experience of a commander that led troops in battle. It was the sort of command you simply obey without question. Before he could open the doors, a brown stallion walked out of Celestia’s room with a white lab coat on. His green mane looked disheveled from being too long awake. “Prince Shining Armor I presume?” “Doc, how is she?” “Under the weather. It’s been years since Celestia has last been sick. I’ll tell you more about it but we must keep our voices down, she needs her rest.” With a flash of his horn the doctor enacted a small privacy barrier around them. Ever since Celestia fell asleep, she had been tossing and turning from the same chilling nightmare. The nightmare was of a dark lavender alicorn with the wings of a thestral, one with blaring crimson eyes and pearly white fangs. This pony was attacking others she held dear. Among this sea of darkness and killing, one thing remained constant. Celestia watched this pony fly over and shoot spells at everypony she knew, everypony that is except Twilight Sparkle. For some unknown reason, that worried her more than anything else. Luna had been aware of her sister’s nightmare when the moon reached its zenith. This was a first, Celestia never had nightmares when she was around. Luna immediately went to her sister’s side as soon as she realized that it wasn’t a nightmare at all, it was a premonition. She personally let the docs know that her sister was ‘sick’ and stayed by her side. She only let one in, one that could keep a secret. Eventually the early hour became too much for the princess of the night and she curled up asleep right beside her sister. Despite the doctor’s best efforts with the sound barrier, Celestia found herself awakened by the shouting Shining Armor was doing. She slowly blinked sleep from her eyes and looked around. It did not surprise her to find her sister right by her side, not with the dreams she had that night. Celestia ran a hoof through her sister’s ethereal mane. “Thank you, dear sister.” She knew that her only relief from those dreams had come from her sister. As the shouting increased, Celestia had no choice but to get up. Something she did not relish as the pain shot through her head. “Ugh, will you too keep it down, you’ll wake the dead.” Shining Armor and the doctor both turned around and looked at her. “I thought you put up a sound barrier!” he yelled at the doctor even louder. “My specialty is medicine, not barriers!” “Then why didn’t you let me put up the barrier!” Shining Armor screamed at the top of his lungs. They both turned as the sun princess cleared her throat to get their attention. "Celestia, you're awake. What happened last night? Cadance felt something wrong, something fundamentally flawed, and then the moon..." Shining asked with no small amount of concern in his voice. "Prince Shining Armor, your wife is correct. Something did happen last night, but my mind is still foggy," Celestia paused to give herself some time to clear her mind. With a less clouded mind, she noticed that Twilight was missing, and asked, "What time is it and where is your sister?" “It’s close to noon, your majesty,” the doctor replied. "I don't know. I haven’t seen her,” Shining Armor’s voice suddenly turned to worry when Celestia asked about Twilight. “What happened?” "I thought so. Please alert the guard. What happened is a question that I only know part of the answer to. Something happened, something I dreamed about.” Celestia paused as she tried to remember the details. A thought suddenly occurred to her, “Who rose the sun?" "Honestly, I don’t know. I imagine that if you didn’t do it, Luna raised the sun. The stars came out when they normally would have. What is the part you do not know? And what about my sister!?" "Yes, you’re right. If I was unable, my sister would have. And if I knew the other part, it would be part of what I do know.” Celestia said matter-of-factly. Shining wanted to bag his head against the floor, this was the one part he did not miss, Celestia’s mindgames. He shook it off, "Did you see what the color of the moon was, because it was far from white." Shining Armor asked. "No, I didn't. What color was it?“ "It was crimson wasn't it, Prince Shining Armor?" Luna asked through the blanket, and sought to bury herself deeper into the large white pillow she was laying her head on. She had felt it last night, but she couldn’t bring herself to look. "Yes, it was. Is there something special about that?" Celestia gave Armor a blank, unreadable face, trying to decide whether to tell him or not. "...Yes, that is a problem. The crimson moon is only used in certain situations. None of them are pleasant. It's power is used by necromancers to raise armies of the dead. If the vampire ponies were still around, they could use that moon to kill alicorns." "Like my sister. Did someone hurt Twilight?! Is she okay?! Where is she?!” Shining started panicking as his mind went to the worst case scenarios. “Is that why you were asking about my sister?!” Celestia did her best to try and calm her former captain, “Prince Shining Armor, I have no reason to believe that Twilight is in mortal danger, although I do what to find her. The moon..." she trailed off, unsure if she should reveal these details with Shining in his current mindset. “Celestia, tell me!” Shining growled the words. His years of guard training forgotten at the thought that Celestia was holding something back, something that might be putting his little sister in danger. The discipline of the royal guard vanished in the face of that threat. “Celestia, he deserves to know the truth.” Luna raised her head from the covers. “Very well Luna. Shining Armor, you know we are tired to the heavenly bodies that we symbolize correct?” "Yes, I do, you are tied to the sun, and Luna to the moon. Just like Cadance is with the heart of others.” Celestia just nodded at that, “Indeed.” “Alight, did they talk to you two?” “Well, no. The sun and moon were both silent last night. It seems to me that they were not helping nor hindering us. I think that they knew something we didn’t." “This still doesn’t tell me what happened to Twilight!” Just then two guards walked into the room, each of them with worried expressions on their faces. Celestia looked over, “What now?” “Princess,” they sharply saluted. The pegasus continued, “There is a problem. Canterlot is in an uproar.” “And I have a letter for you as well,” the unicorn softly spoke, knowing the uproar was more important. Celestia's mind started working a mile a minute. Thinking quickly, she gave out orders to the pegasus. “Keep everypony calm. Do not let the panic spread. They’ll be worried about the moon last night.” “Let me lead the search team for Twilight.” Shining Armor said. “Shining, I know that you want to search for your sister, and we’ll get to that, but there is more going on than you realize.” She turned to the other guard, “I’m sorry for my former captain’s outspoken personality for his sister. You mentioned a letter?” “Don’t be. Any family member would be quite worried for their family. Shining Armor especially. Yes, I did. It came through dragon flames, and was addressed to multiple rulers. I don’t know who sent it but I believe that this one is a summons.” He passed her the letter and got out of there as quickly as he could, just in case it was more bad news. Outside, the two guards were standing wearily. They had heard some of the conversations and were worried for their princess, who they swore to protect from foreign and domestic effects. Stress had its own effects and the guards knew this. Here was Shining Armor stressed over his sister, Celestia, who looked to be shakened up by something, probably the city in chaos. Celestia let go of a sigh she had been holding in. She got up from the bed, removing Luna's pillow, walking to the window with a slight fault in her step, passing by a huge pile of letters she got from a VERY worried dragon last night. She peered out, looking at the chaos of her city was in. "Why is Canterlot in such chaos?" "Princess?" asked the guards in the room, who did not catch her question. “Nothing, it was rhetorical.” “I’ll start looking for Twilight in Ponyville. Her friends should know something.” Shining was done asking for permission. He took it upon himself to find his sister. "They are not in Ponyville and no one seems to know where they have gone," Luna responded. This was the wrong thing to say to Shining Armor at this time. “How do you know?” Celestia and Shining Armor asked at the same time. “I may have read a couple of the letters last night." Luna paused, receiving a raised eyebrow from her sister and a glare fro Shining Armor. "What? Don’t look at me like that, I was bored.” Luna replied as Celestia began to shift through the letters. As Celestia shifted through the letters, from oldest to newest, the last letter received stood out. It said that the other elements were missing as well. They hadn't arrived back in town. "Alright, then do rumor and damage control, making sure to assure the other towns and cities that we are fine. Also, find my student and the other elements!" In Shining’s current state, Celestia knew that reasoning with him was no longer a possibility. It was best to simply give him what he wanted. Shining Armor left to assemble his team to look for Twilight. The other two guards were patiently waiting. Each of their pair of wings was fidgeting a bit. Celestia waited a moment before speaking, “Are you two just going to be content to just stand there?” “We were unsure of what you wanted us to do, now that you are mostly better,” Sunny Days said. “For now, allow us to talk in private. We would like no other disturbance. I seem to have a ton of letters to at least read and respond to. My sister’s court will start late, since she will need to rest.” “Yes ma’am.” The guards resumed their statuesque vigilance, guarding the two princesses from those that wish to disturb them. “So, Luna, who has called for a meeting?” Celestia asked while spying her sister reading the letter in her magic. “Someone we have not heard from in a while, but I don’t know if he has spoken to you during my banishment.” “Mind if I read the letter?” Luna passed the letter to her sister since she had finished it. The letter read: Dear Rulers of the lands of Equis, We summon at least two representatives of each land to meet and discuss an issue that has arisen from Equestria, which threatens the balance. In the past year, the number of murders has risen in most of the other lands except in the Crystal Empire and Equestia. It is believed that Celestia didn’t destroy all of the knowledge pertaining to the spell of total resurrection and that someone is trying to learn those spells associated with it to attack. We will not stand to wait for the attack, but we must find whoever this necromancer is, especially since the crimson moon was seen last night. I call for the meeting to take place in one moon’s time, in the Crystal Empire. Until then, Drako, Prince of the Dragons “Sunny Days?” “Yes Princess?” “Have another guard find Shining Armor and don’t allow him to leave right away. We need to speak to him.” “Yes.” Sunny Days spotted Dim Eyes, a friend of Shining Armor and a thestral, one that he didn’t recognize approaching. “Hault.” The two guards stopped and looked towards Sunny Days. “Yes?” Dim Eyes asked. He was a gray unicorn with a faded white mane and tail. He had an aura about him, one that spoke of a life that had seen too much. “The Princesses wish not to be disturbed and I need a guard or two to find Prince Shining Armor.” “Alright. Come on Dim, let’s head back to the barracks and find Shining Armor.” He laughed, “It was a pipe dream anyway. With everything going on, there is no way we could go on that camping trip in the Everfree Forest.” Sunny Days blinked twice. “Did you say Everfree Forest, where Princess Celestia and Luna’s castle was located? What were you planning to do there?” “Training exercises. Seems like a good place to put our skills to the test.” “Then you might be in luck. Shining Armor is organizing a search team to look through the Everfree. Princess Twilight and the other elements seem to be missing.” “Really? Maybe we can get in on that.” The two guards smiled and took off to the Barracks. * * * * * Shining Armor approached the barracks. There, most of the guards were just finishing their lunch while a few staggered in late, their training drills caused them to miss the afternoon meal. He smiled as he saw that those troops sitting had saved their comrades something to eat. Good to see they’re still looking out for each other, Shining thought with a smile. It was always such a hard lesson to teach. As a member of the guard, you're a team, you live and die based on the actions of the others around you. So many tried to shine on their own. He always washed those out as soon as possible. Such attitudes will get you and everyone around you killed. Those ponies had no place in his guard. Shining almost laughed as he realized he still considered it to be his guard. He must have laughed out loud without meaning to as every set of eyes turned to the former captain. A wave of silence spread out from him. The idle chatter of the guards died as they all looked at them. Some nodded, some looked fearful as memories of his drills came back fresh to their mind. “Prince, what brings you here?” The nearest guard jumped to his hooves and sharply saluted. While technically Shining Armor was a prince of the Crystal Empire, their training would not permit them from responding any other way. “My sister is missing,” when Shining said the words there was an audible gasp from every pony in the barracks. There was one golden rule from his time in the guard, one that everyone past, present, and future knew. You do not BUCK with Shining’s sister. Nopony knew if it was true, but there is a legend that gets passed around the barracks, as all such legends are. It goes to say that one time, one foolish pony dared make one passing comment about Shining Armor’s sister. Depending on who tells the story you will get a different ending. The most popular one now is that Shining flayed him alive thirteen times, each time he would magically reattach the pony’s skin, just so he could do it again. It is said that Celestia even helped. As with all such legends, they were built on some truth. Although Shining would never say just how much. “I’m trying to gather a team to aid me in a search. Do I have any volunteers?” Most of the guards stood up, willing to help their former Captain. Shining armor was surprised that so many were willing to help, but that was too large of a group. He had to fight back his liquid pride. it would not do him any favors to show that here. “Wow, all of you would help?” “I’ll take the best of the best. If you want to help join me in the training field.” He turned around, not looking to see how many would follow. There was no need, he knew that every one of them that stood up would follow, they’d follow him to the gates of Tartarus if he asked. Shining led them to the practice field. He was looking for a group of seven between all the pegasi, the scattered thestrals, unicorns, and earth ponies. As they entered the field, they formed ranks. There had to be at least fifty there. Behind him, Shining heard an out of breathe unicorn and the flap of a pair of wings. The unicorn must have been trying to keep up with the pegasus. As he turned around , he was surprised to see a thestral and his friend, Dim Eyes. “Dim Eyes, it is good to see you. I thought you’d be retired by now.” “Even though I did, that doesn’t mean I stay inactive. This is Silver Eyes. Sunny Days recruited us to find you. The Princesses would like to speak with you.” “That can wait,” there was a serious expression on his face when he said that. He did not want to speak to Celestia right now, he wanted to find his sister. “Will you be able to help me with a search?” “We’re both looking forward to it. I also believe that two other thestrals will be joining us.” “And I know two young guards that will be happy to as well.” “Are they any good?” “I vouch for them personally.” That impressed Shining, anyone that had Dim Eye’s approval had to be good. “Thank you. Can you inform them that we will be leaving tonight and won’t return for a minimum of three days?” “They’re already ready. We were planning to ask the Princesses for some time off to train in the Everfree. With everything going on, we figured what’s better training than the real thing? How many are you trying to recruit?” “I want a crack team, small but efficient. No more than seven in total.” “Before we agree, I have two questions. Where will we be searching and for what do we hunt?” “The Everfree Forest.” Hearing that name caused a lot of the ponies present to become visibly shaken. The legends of the Everfree permeated in their minds, ESPECIALLY after a crimson moon. “All of you were listening, that surprises me.” He was saving that reveal for later. Those he took needed to have no fear. He figured this would get rid of a large amount. Dim Eyes noticed their reaction and laughed. “That’s maybe the Lunar guard’s fault. Some of them were banished with Princess Luna and they returned with her. They have stories about the crimson moon, and have shared them. They now only share them on Nightmare’s Night, since it has scared many.” “Will some of the lunar guard be joining us, besides the ones you volunteered?” “Afraid not, prince. Very few of us do go out after a crimson moon. Only those Luna personally needs will be out. A few of the royal guard will fill in the holes.” “Then it’s just us?” “It seems so. Why don’t you get ready and we’ll make sure our troops are ready.” “Alright, alright. So we good on the plan?” “Before you all go off, may we help?” asked two relatively new recruits from the formation. Dim Eyes eyed them. They weren’t the most disciplined, probably new recruits. If that is true then they will have no training with being in the Everfree so that makes them a liability, he wanted Shining Armor to make the call though.. “Shining, what’s your judgement on these two?” Shining Armor sized them up in three seconds. “They’re two new recruits that are glory seekers and don’t belong on this mission. You two aren't going, you’re a major liability. We’ll be going into the Everfree. There are many poisonous plants that will kill you before you take three breaths. There are animals that will eat you whole. There is no way I’m letting two glory seekers jeopardize this mission.” The two pegasi ruffled their wings, wanting to challenge Shining Armor. He didn’t have the authority to lead this mission nor decide. “You don’t have the authority to lead this mission. You also have a civilian with you.” All those present gasped at that. Shining reared back. Standing at his full height he managed to look down at both of them. “What did you say?” His voice was monotone. There was an old saying in the guard: Watch what you walk into, your commanders will give you just enough rope to hang yourself with. “I said, with all due respect. You don't have the authority to lead this mission.” The pegasus meant his gaze muzzle to muzzle. “Do you know who I am?” Shining asked. That one question carried more weight with it then the entire city of Canterlot. “Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire. Married to princess Mi Amore Cadenza, otherwise known as Princess Cadance.” Somehow the pegasus kept his nerve. “Do you know what I did before that?” “You were Captain of the Royal Guard.” His voice betrayed none of the fear his knees were starting to show. His partner looked ready to faint. “Do you know who we’re going after?” “Your sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” “And it is your judgment, that I, Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire, former Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard. Big brother of Princess Twilight Sparkle. That I am somehow not qualified to lead a rescue mission into the Everfree Forest to find her? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” All four of the pegasus's legs were shaking, he was visibly sweating, yet somehow he managed to keep all that from his voice. “Yes prince, you fall outside our chain of command, therefore you cannot lead such a mission.” “Is that so.” Shining stared him down, looking directly into his eyes, through the iris, into his very soul, as if to spot every single imperfection and call him out on it. “Dim Eyes!” Shining yelled out. “Yes.” the unicorn was smiling now. “Think we got room for two more recruits? We need somepony to serve as bait incase the forest gets hungry.” It would technically give them eight, but it was better to have more than less. “I think we can manage.” Dim Eyes smiled. “Good, anypony else want to come?!” Shining shouted at the group assembled. No one volunteered, not after that display. “The rest of you are dismissed.” They all left for the barracks after that. Shining turned and walked to his old friend. “Alright, lets recap, we got: Silver Eyes, a high ranking thestral guard for Princess Luna, two unnamed thestrals that both Dim Eyes and Silver Eyes approve of, two other unicorn guards that Dim Eyes vouches for, and two glory seeking pegasi, whose names were….” “Redwing,” spoke the first. She was larger for a pegasus mare. Her coat was tan and she had a light orange mane and tale. She had an odd cutie mark for a guard, a red t-shirt, and her wings were a darker shade of red. “Winter Arc.” Winter was a sky blue pegasus. Her mane and tail were snow white and had a lighter blue streak through them. Her cutie mark was of lightning arcing between two cumulus clouds. Winter eyed the thestral that Dim Eyes seemed to trust. He was fairly large, but not bulky in any way. His broad wings covered his cutie mark, which unnerved her. Those same broad wings looked thin, like he could turn as sharp as a cyan blue mare she had heard about. “You haven’t said much, shouldn’t you at least tell us your name, and rank.” “Only the foolish speak when they have nothing to say, Winter Arc.” The look of dejection on her face made him pause. He sighted, “My name is Silver Eyes. I was the second in command of the fifth division of Princess Luna’s troops, before she was corrupted. My General called himself ‘Walker,’ but I personally knew him by his actual name, and he has longed passed by now. I’m certain.” “Silver, who was he, because I’ve never seen his name in any of the history books, even those that Princess Celestia has the only copies of.” Dim Eyes looked towards the thestral. “He actually didn’t talk much and mostly was awake when the moon could clearly be seen. He was a tactical mastermind, like with experience of hundreds of different battles, he could disappear better than a unicorn that could teleport.” “When did he join, because I’ve never seen him,” Shining Armor asked. “He actually didn’t directly join. He was more of an adviser I would say. He keeps to the night, only coming out when Luna herself commands it. Luna had him train a group of thestrals, myself included. “Let us not dwell on the past, since we have a very important mission to do,” Silver Eyes spoke. “Yes, you are right.” Shining agreed, but before he could say more, Dim Eyes commented about something that bothered him with the mission: “I wish you’d let me handle this one Shining. You’re too close to this and you know it.” Rage started building up in Shining’s chest. “I’d go to the gates of Tartarus for my sister. There is no way I am NOT leading this mission.” “Prince Shining Armor!” A voice called out from above. Shining Armor looked up and saw the form of Princess Luna flying down from above. “Princess Luna, there is nothing more to discuss.” Shining’s temper returned in a big way. “I’m afraid there is, Prince. We just received some news.” “I don't really give a buck right now.” “Shining Armor.” He stopped and turned to face the princess. As an alicorn, Luna was an imposing figure, taller than him, and far, far more powerful. Shining did not care about any of that right now, the only thing on his mind was to save his sister. The rage he felt after finding out about some of Celestia’s ‘tasks’ back in the day came back ten-fold. “What part of I don’t give a buck right now do you not understand?” Everyone in the courtyard took several steps back, no pony talked to Luna that way, not even her sister. “Prince Shining Armor, you and your WIFE have been summoned to a meeting of all the rulers of the land, at the request of Drako, PRINCE OF DRAGONS.” “You’re making that up.” It was too unreal to be true. “We got the request in the palace. Apparently he wants to have the meeting in the Crystal Empire. So are you going to let your wife and your kingdom down or are you going to do your royal duty? Your pick, prince.” Shining started steaming, he wanted to rage against this. He wanted to go anyway, buck the dragon prince. He… he… he… he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t leave his wife alone, not at a time like this. Dim Eyes saw the change in him, he knew what would happen without Shining having to say anything. “Hey, I’ll find her. I swear it on my life.” Shining placed a hoof on his shoulder. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t need to. That one gesture said more than words ever could. I’m trusting you to bring my sister home safely. The tension in the courtyard was a lot less once Shining Armor departed. Using what free time they could, the troops that were going took this opportunity to get to know each other. It’s always useful to know the pony who has your life in their hooves after all. In the backdrop of a waxing gibbous moon barely above the sky, four unicorns, three thestrals, two pegasi, and two alicorns stood the gates out of Canterlot. Their packs were packed, space was maximized, and what wasn’t needed was left. They didn’t need to be carrying dead weight. “So, Shining Armor, this is the team that you trust with the return of your sister?” asked the Lunar Princess. “It is, your majesty. Dim Eyes I’ve know for some time. Silver Eyes is a friend of Dim and has his approval. The thestrals of your guard, I know are just as had working as Celestia’s guard, and they don’t look like they just joined. The two unicorns, Dim Eyes also vouches for, but I only recognize . The two pegasi are new, Silver will be keeping an eye on them.” “Silver Eyes, once my second most trusted leader in my army, but was always out ranked by the four generals, now the Captain of my guard.” Luna nodded in approval, Shining chose well. “Break a wing.” “Princess Luna, why would you say that. We’re all sure to make it back in one piece,” replied the pegasi. “Luna, that saying has changed. It worked for your thestral guard, but here, there are unicorns and earth ponies. The saying is now is break a hoof,” Celestia informed her sister. “Shining Armor, are you sure in taking two fresh recruits out on such a dangerous mission?” “If he had the choice, they would not be joining us. Without them, we have only six trying to search quite a wide area. When we do arrive, Silver and I will be working together searching, but also keeping an eye on them. We will remain in viewing distance of each other. They can provide a lot and are completely willing to take the risks. They also know that we are not responsible for stupidity,” Dim Eyes responded. “Then be careful, my little ponies. There are creatures and plants in that forest that will be glad to have a live meal. Please, let all of you return. As my sister said, break a wing.” Luna and Shining Armor moved to the side to talk in private and to allow Celestia to say her farewells. “Before you go, take these.” In Celestia’s golden magic was a set of communicators and another item. “Some unicorn inventors were working on the communicators. They are from the middle stages of testing and need a field test. Princess Twilight had figured out a design for these instant messengers, since letters take valuable time to send, and to send by dragon fire, you need a very young drake, or a phoenix feather, which only works once and is one way. They are based off a technology she had seen and a book I gave to another student of mine. “The second item is a flare gun. The guard of Ponyville will recognize it and it’s citizens are quick to respond when its over the Everfree Forest.” Dim Eyes and Silver both thanked Princess Celestia it was risky to put their trust in untested items, but for where they were going they would need all the help they could get.. When they were all about to take flight, a golden aura surrounded them. In a flash they were gone, standing at the entrance to the Everfree. Such a spell took a lot out of the alicorn, but it when every second mattered, it was worth it. * * * * * * Deep within the castle in the everfree, a bright lavender flash had scattered the creatures nearby. From the bright flash, five mares landed on the ground. The cyan colored one landed in the middle of the pile of four, luckily on her chest. Unfortunately, a strong, earth pony mare landed on her injured wing. The pain that shot through her caused her back hooves to instinctively buck at the weight on her wing. They succeeded, but also hit an ivory white unicorn in the horn, knocking her into some glowing blue bushes. This was far from the pleasant landing they were expecting. “Let’s do that again,” chanted the pink earth pony, who had landed on her hooves to the left the pile. “No way!” groaned the injured pegasus as she got off her shy friend. “Rain...Rainbow. Please don’t move your wing. It needs to be braced.” “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that much,” Rainbow lied. She moved her wing and almost screamed at the pain that shot though, but held it it. “Rainbow, stop lying to yerself and Fluttershy about yer wing. You know it’s broken. We don’t have the medical supplies, but we can brace your wing. So sit yer tail down and allow Fluttershy to brace it.” Rainbow looked towards her. She wanted to deny she was right, but the wing really was hurt. She succumbed and allowed Fluttershy to brace her wing. As Fluttershy finished, Applejack asked, “What happened with Rare’s?” “I knocked her into the debris behind us when you landed on me.” An irated white unicorn ruffled the rocks as she rejoined her friends. Across her, there were very minor cuts from the sharp ends. “Yes, and when you did, you hit me in the horn and knocked me head first into a bolder! That hurt like crazy. Fluttershy, do you have anything for the terrible migraine I am getting?” “Um… yes, I do. Here.” Fluttershy reached into the medical kit she had brought for their mission and passed Rarity a pill for her migraine. The pill, unfortunately, had a reaction. It put her to sleep. “Fluttershy, was that supposed to happen?” “Um..it was a mentioned side effect for unicorns, but where are we? And where is Twilight?” “Ah have no clue to the second one. Ah do believe we’re in the ruins of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters.” Fluttershy was shaking at Applejack’s answer; Rainbow Dash held a brave facade, but her wings were twitching, and Pinkie Pie was bouncing. “But Ah do know this, we’re vulnerable. Lets find shelter and a place to rest. We’re going to need it, because we have to find out what happened to Twilight.. The problem is only two of us can look for her as one of us need to stay behind to look over Rares and RD. I know that she’s important, but we have injuries. Plus Spike would’ve sent a stack of letters a mile high when Twilight doesn’t come home.” “But we shouldn’t be sitting here doing nothing. Twilight is still in danger.” Rainbow groaned. She didn’t like to be still when her friends were endanger. It was bad enough with that cloud, but twice. If her wing didn’t hurt so much, she would be out there looking, alone with Pinkie Pie and Applejack, but then Fluttershy would be alone. “RD, Ah know what you’d rather be doing, but why don’t we get the facts straight. Your wing is most likely sprained, you usin’ it will make it worse, and Rarity is out cold. Twilight is strong. She’ll walk to Tartarus and back for us. That manicore has no chance. The only thing Ah wish Ah knew was why Flutters had Twilight transport us and why she’s not here.” “Um...speaking of facts, there was a reason. The larger manicore wasn’t attacking the smaller in the sense we would. It was a fight for dominance, and um they….” Fluttershy trailed off, trying to hide herself and her rosy blush in her mane. She partially succeeded, her blush went unnoticed. “Fluttershy, that didn’t look like a fight for dominance. It looked like the larger was trying to kill the smaller one. How bad is RD’s wing?” Applejack said. “It could have been worse. She’ll be fine if she doesn’t fly and gets to a doctor,” replied Fluttershy “No way I’m letting some doctor poke and prod me at the hospital.” “Then allow them to take an x-ray. RD. We don’t fully know the extent. You also don’t want to hurt yerself more,” Applejack “True.” Rainbow patiently waited for Fluttershy to finish bandaging her wings. Applejack is right. I definenty don’t want to ruin my chances for the Wonderbolts. For Rainbow the thought of having done serious damage to her wings and ruining her future was conflicting with her desire to save her friend.. Twilight could be anywhere and in who knows how much danger as well. Rainbow had fidgeted her wing a couple of times, which annoyed Fluttershy. Once Fluttershy was done, she offered Rainbow the same kind of pill Rarity had received. At first, she refused, but the more she moved the worse the pain felt. Rainbow eventually swallowed her pride and the pill. It did to the restless mare what it did to Rarity. She was out like a light.. A cave overlooking the everfree noon In the darkness of the cave, a vampire contemplated whether he had made the right choice. A lesson from his past came back to the forefront of his mind. Long years before, a unicorn had searched for him. It was back when both Celestia were a bit older, but still relatively young. There was no Equestria yet, the tribes had quarrels with each other still, and Discord was just starting his reign. It was a different time, a time as foreign to modern ponies as the thought of living without Celestia’s guiding hoof. Everything from the clothes they wore to their contrasting accents The forest and the caves were his home from home for now. One night, among the trees, he had spotted a unicorn wandering through his home. He looked tasty and the vampire almost drank from him, but something about him peaked his interest. The unicorn seemed to be looking for something. Curious, the vampire decided to let him live, for now. He simply watched the unicorn as he came unbidden into his home day after day. After the sixth day, the vampire decided to give the unicorn the courtesy of meeting his devorer. To the vampire, he was greedy and self-centered, but it seemed the unicorn had a reason for wandering into his home each afternoon, never once staying past the setting sun. The day the vampire decided to satisfy his thirst, the unicorn didn’t show up until late that evening. He stood on the edge, waiting it seemed. The vampire let him wait, for such a creature, time was an eternal ally. When the moon reached its zenith, the unicorn took his last step into the vampire’s home. He landed right in front of him, scaring him as white as a ghost. With a sinister grin, the vampire asked, “What brings thee so close to my home?” “I… I come looking for thy, good sir,” the unicorn was terrified, yet he did not run. It was then the vampire noticed what had enticed him into action that night, the smell of death was upon the unicorn, for he was carrying his dying wife. “Do you know who I am?” “Not really. A dirt walker said that somepony lived here that could give the blessing of eternal life.” Unicorns were by their nature tenacious, a holier-than-thou attitude bread into them from birth. Even with his fear, it was still present. “This ‘dirt walker’, as thee call her has a name. Why don’t you describe her, or thee would be with thy wife again.” “I could be with my wife again?!?” For a brief moment, his mind thought of what the figure in front of him had said. ‘He’ could be with his wife. “Yes, you can, in the afterlife.” The unicorn was quick to block the vampire’s strike, but the vampire wasn’t aiming for him. When the dust settled, the unicorn was still breathing, but his wife was pinned, her neck directly below his chins. “Next time, listen to her warnings. The only thing eternal is death. Why should I take her away from that?” The unicorn thought for a minute. The mare, who he must know, had also warned him that he held the cards. He can wait for you, but you cannot wait for him. “Please, please save her, I’ve never known someone so kind, so caring in all my life. The world would be a poorer place without her in it. I… I don’t care what happens to me, take my life to feed your thirst, just, save her, please.” “Thy speak sooth, but thy are not worthy of the death I could give you. Will thy still ask me of this?” “Aye. I don’t care what happens, just save her.” The words gave the vampire pause, he did not know why, but they seemed to becoming from the past as well as the present. As if they mirrored a conversation he had long since buried. It was less the words, and more the conviction in his voice, the desperation, the sensarty of someone that was willing to give everything for the one they loved, even their life. “Then I rede thee one final warning. Vampirism will change her. She may no longer be the mare thy loved. Consider my warning carefully before you ask this of me, again. ” “Anything to restore my beloved to me.” “Thy know not what you ask, doing so brings with it more heartache than thy can imagine, and risks to myself. Why should I take those risks to save thine beloved wife?” “Prithee! Thou art my last hope. Nigh everypony I have gone to refused.” As the unicorn gave his final response, the vampire made his own choice. Even after my warnings, he did not falter, nor did he hesitate. He was determined and would not be dissuaded from this course of action. Based on the smell of death looming over the mare, the vampire knew she did not have long. Reluctantly, the vampire gave into the side of him that still felt empathy. Against his better judgment, knowing it was a mistake, he granted the unicorn’s request. And he was right. A couple nights had past when the vampire met the mare he saved again. It was with true sorrow in his heart that he took her head from her shoulders and then burned her in the noon sun. That night, he travelled to the village and saw all the destruction. It seemed that despite his insistence, the unicorn stallion hadn’t heeded the most important warning: “Do not let her feed from you.” “This time shall be different. I won’t make the same mistakes again.” Gaius said the words, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. * * * * * * After a bright flash outside Ponyville, the eight guards all looked on at the infamous Everfree Forest. Four of the guards were shaking in their armor. The Everfree was dark and uninviting, winding plants wrapped around towering trees. “So this is the Everfree Forest?” asked one of the thestral guards. “Yes it is.” “Have you been here before?” “This will be the second time I’ve had to travel the forest,” Silver Eyes answered. “Before we venture into this Forest, why don’t we each introduce ourselves? We are going to trust each other with our lives.” “Good point, Winter Arc. I’ll lead. For those that do not know me, I’m Dim Eyes. I’ve worked in the guard for about thirty years now and known Shining Armor for fifteen. I did recently retire, but only because my values have changed. These two are Bronze Sword and Armored Spear.” Bronze Sword was a bronze unicorn with a silver mane and tail. Armored Spear had a light grey coat and a white mane and tail. Silver Eyes was the next to speak. Before he did, he gave all present a pleasant, inviting smile, if his fangs were not showing. They weren’t too long, but could grip a pony, if he had to. “Silver Eyes. I’m currently Luna’s private guard captain. I’ve been serving Luna for about twenty years now. I don’t plan to retire anytime soon, though.” “These two are Ruby Eyes and Night Wind.” “Call me Night.” The grey stallion thestral with a black mane and tail lifted his hoof to shake the others. “I’m Ruby.” Ruby was a mare. Her eyes shone like jewels. She too was grey with a black mane and tail. “Are you two brother and sister?” “No, most thestrals have a grey coat with black mane and tail. Its a genetic trait. Our eyes on the other hand are a different story, but that’s a story for later. The pegasi?” “Redwing” “Winter Arc, but I prefer Winter.” “It’s good to meet all of you. Maybe when we’re done, I could show you some places to go in Canterlot,” Night offered. “Keep your wings on your back, Night. So Dim and Silver, what are our groups?” “We’ll be going in three groups. Winter, Ruby, and Bronze Sword, you will compose the first group. Redwing, Night, and Armored Spear, you’re the second group. Silver and I will be the third, but will be watching out. We’re going to do a grid search. One in the air, two on the ground. Redwing and Night, since you both have the strength, you’ll be on the ground. If you meet trouble, fly out. Ruby and Winter, watch from above, but remain in visual range of each other.” “We’re going to check to the Castle of the Two Pony Sister’s first,” Silver informed. “Shouldn’t we check with the guard?” “They still haven’t seen them,” said a young voice from behind them. The group turned their heads towards a young purple dragon that was walking towards them. “Spike, I presume?” Dim Eyes asked. “What are you doing coming all this way?” “I’m going with you. I’ve been with Twilight only a few less years than Shining Armor and I am not going to let the Everfree Forest have her. I am coming with you.” “No you are not, Spike. You’re too young. Plus we actually have job for you. Three foals who have a knack for destruction? They need to be watched along with all the pets. We don’t know how long they will be missing. Do you think you could accomplish this task?” Dim Eyes looked towards Spike. Shining Armor had warned him that the young dragon might try and tag along and left him with just what to say if that were to happen. “You're just saying that so I don’t go with you. I’m going and that is final. There is nothing you can say to stop me.” “We may not, but the princess can.” Very carefully, Dim Eyes used his magic to activate the communicator and called for Princess Celestia. At first all they heard was static and when Dim Eyes provided more magic, the connection established. Spike was surprised when he heard Princess Celestia say, “Dim Eyes and Silver Eyes. I was not expecting to hear from you so soon. Do you bring news?” “No, princess. We’re about to begin when Spike ran into us. He knew exactly what we were doing and demanded that we allow him to tag along.” “What’s the problem in that?” Celestia asked and Dim Eyes groaned under his breathe. “That I will not willingly endanger the dragon of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Also, what about Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle and all their pets?” “Spike, how would Rarity, or Sweetie Belle feel that you left them alone and didn’t take care of them in their big sisters’ absence?. How would Twilight feel if you neglected your library duties, that you neglected the pets of her friends?” “I… I… they would all feel sad, but what about doing nothing to help them?” “Spike, you are not doing nothing. You had contacted me. You are taking care of their pets while they’re away. You’re making sure that the crusaders don’t severely injure themselves.” “Everypony, or in this case, drake, has a purpose. When you send out a search team, there is a base camp, and someone manning that camp.” “Alright princess, I’ll stay.” Spike began his trek towards Fluttershy’s house, wary of the states of the animals that live there. “Now Dim Eyes, I need to speak to Silver Eyes, privately, while I can. “ Dim Eyes passed the communicator to Silver and led the others away. “Are they out?” “Yes, princess, but I ask why the secrecy?” “Because there are members of my guard that I do not trust. When Luna fell, her army didn’t. They fought on. The only reason that they didn’t take control, nor survive, is for two reasons. The first was sending your captain away on a secret mission. The second was a letter he sent home. “I sent my army ahead of me, while I evacuated the castle. They made it to the tale end of the battle. During the evacuation, the Everfree sprung up, fueled by chaos magic. The source was the chaos the battle caused. We had to retreat. “At the battle site, my guard met a gruesome scene they weren’t prepared for. They assumed that they were the enemy and completely ignored the insigna identifying them as allies. After that, the general used an old power, that has now been removed, to attack your captain’s homeland. He stole a weapon I only intended to use if your captain’s guard did not defeat Nightmare Moon’s army.” “After that battle, those generals launched a major campaign and they committed genocide. Both have been buried, but three pegasi did survive. Two stallions and a mare. The descendants of those three still live today. Of them, there is a trait I do not want spreading. If that trait falls into the wrong hoof, then the world of Equis is lost.” “How?” “Your captain knows. Now, go to the Castle of the Two Sisters. I believe that they are there. Silver Eyes, lead your friends and look for Twilight if she is not with the others. Don't let my guards join you." "Why?" "I fear for their safety." "What could possibly harm a group of eight prestigious guards?" "Many things can. The one I'm worried about is from your true time, Crimson Eyes" "How do you know that name?" he hissed. "Cutie marks don't change, no matter how powerful and/or complex the spells are or woven together." "So true, but most don't know, so please call me Silver. I want to forget that deadly past," he said looking towards the ground. Silver Eyes walked up to the opening to the Everfree Forest, where five guards clad in golden armor and two others clad in a light silver stood. Each was carrying a backpack with supplies and a medical kit. Each of them held a weapon of some sort. One of the lunar guards was carrying Silver’s: A silver spear. Redwing hesitantly asked, "Are we sure we want to do this?" "Come on, what you afraid of?" jested Armored Spear and Night Wind, who did care for nor believed in Silver Eyes’ stories of the fifth division and the generals of the other four. He didn’t believe in his story of vampire ponies. "There are plenty of things to be afraid of. There are large, carnivorous, pony eating plants. Not to mention all of the other carnivorous animals," responded the timid guard. "Oh. What's worse than those?” "What's worse you ask? A vampire pony." "No, that's not the worst thing. The worst thing would be two hungry vampire ponies, one of which was a recently turned who just woke up," Ruby Eyes responded. Legends of old came back to mind, but they were just legends, right? "Yeah, that would be bad, but they are just legends. There's absolutely no way we would run into those." Armored Spear and Night Wind heartily laughed at her uncertain face, who was looking to leave very soon before she embarrassed herself. The other guards half-heartedly joined as well, while the oldest guard, Silver Eyes, shaked his head knowing that it was possible and likely. * * * * * * Night of the manticore's attack In the starless sky, a Waxing Gibbous was visible. I laid her down near me so she would not get too cold during this late December day and so that I could awake before her. Before I turned in, I casted a tremendous illusionary spell to prevent anyone from seeing us. During his sleep, Twilight’s savior contemplated his actions. He had just destroyed the normal life of Princess Twilight Sparkle. He went against his own boundaries. ‘If I’m not loyal to myself, then who am I loyal to? Should I have done what I did? She was scared, but I believe she knew what was going on. I hope she forgives me. Not many would like the cursed blessing, but at least she lives, in a sense.’ "Hello, my Crimson Pellegrino. I see that you have gone against yourself." "Ah, hello, you seem to have caught me awake. What is the pleasure I owe for your visit, Silver Selene? Also, haven't I told you not to call me that." "You have, but it's my name for you. I always give a name to them. You ate one of my roses. They do not grow often and always have a price." "In the past I have always paid your price, what makes today any different?" "Because it is not you who is paying as well. It is the sleeping Twilight who has to pay." Silver Selene left, evaporating into mist. Once she was gone, I put the final touches on the illusionary spell. Only Princess Luna directly looking might be able to see past the illusion. Any of the guard would just the blank face of a rock and walk right past where we were staying. For three days, during the night, I would wonder, during the day I would sleep. During the first night after the transformation, I caught the conversation of eight guards who were going to be searching. I had laughed a little, catching the lunar guard's response. I think I even recognized him as Crimson Eyes. On the third night, I awoke early, catching the full moon rising. It had just barely gone above the horizon, while the sun had already set. From my bag, I grabbed a large bowl of a carpenter. Setting the bowl deeper in the cave, in front of a running river, I filled it with a clear liquid, not allowing it to react with the atmosphere. I made my way back to the sleeping princess just in time to see as the twilight shown against her purple fur as it filtered in from the moon. * * * * * * Deep in the Everfree, near the guard’s camp The guards had a tiring two days of searching. On the first day, they had found the a female manticore, which they quickly got away from as fast as they could. On the second day, they had found the hoof marks of five different ponies leading to a river, it was a dead end end. Looking to either side, the hoof marks could either go upstream towards a cave or downstream. Silver and Dim Eyes contemplated what they would do. On one hoof, they all could go one direction. On the other hoof they could split up. Redwing and Winter had proven their worth. They weren’t the glory seekers they were supposed to be. But Silver also couldn’t just go with the thestrals. It would be too unbalanced. “Winter and Night, will you two fly down stream and report back?” “You got it captain.” The thestral and pegasus pair took off. They had gone about three hundred feet before they dived to the ground. Before them were five mares. Two pegasi, two earth ponies, one who was stirring, and a unicorn. The earth pony was pink, had a straight mane and tail. Her cutie mark was of three balloons. After asking the less than happy pink mare, the guards turned around, knowing where they would be and not making the connection of her being Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie who was an overjoyous bouncing mare who could brighten the darkest day. Before the guards lept into the air, Pinkie Pie placed two slips of paper in their manes so that they wouldn’t fall out. Once the pair returned, Dim Eyes asked, “Anything to report?” “Not really. We found a camp of five mares who seem to be doing just fine and we can check on them in the morning.” Night reported “Can you describe these mares?” Silver asked, doubting this was nothing. “Yes. There were two pegasi, one was looking the other way, annoyed, in a blue and gold sleeping bag, while the other had animals surrounding her. A unicorn was sleeping on three mats in a sleeping bag that had a pattern of groups of three diamonds. The earth pony mare had a straight mane and tail and a cutie mark of three balloons. The final mare was another earth pony. Her bag had groups of three apples and looked worn, but durable.” The two gave curious looks towards the others. If the others were Discord, their eyes would have rolled all the way back to Canterlot blinking at Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor. If they were Pinkie Pie’s, their jaws would have jumped off and landed in the deepest depth of Tartarus. “Silver Eyes, do you mind punching me with your full strength?” Silver responded with a “Eeyup” to rival Big Macintosh’s. Dim Eyes decided to bang his head on one of the trees, while the others faced-hoofed. Ruby was the one to notice the slips of paper in their manes. “Hey Silver, what are those slips of paper doing in their manes?” Ruby grabbed hold of the pink pieces of paper and passed them to Silver “With the luck they are having, Pinkie Pie placed them there. They read:” Winter Arc is blinder than a bat who couldn’t hear when it comes to connecting details. The thestral was so unobservant that if she walked into a colony of poisonous vipers, she would be dead. Or so blind that she could walk into the waiting mouth of a carnivorous, hungry, vampire pony. The last adjective was unread and Silver had torn it up. “You mean to tell us that the pink pony with the straightest mane I have ever seen was Pinkie Pie, the mare whose curls take a steamroller to straighten?” “Eeyup.” “Well that’s only one,” she said trying to defend. “Blue and Gold, wonderbolts: Rainbow Dash; pegasus with animals: Fluttershy; dependable earth pony mare and three apples: Applejack; unicorn who can’t stand almost any dirt and three diamonds: Rarity.” “Then that just means Twilight right?” “Yes, you said that they were safe?” “Yes.” “Dim Eyes, you know a few healing spells for minor injuries?” “No, I don’t, but surprisingly, Armored Spear does.” “Armored Spear, Bronze Sword, and Winter Arc, go to the elements and lead them out of the forest.” “Yes sir.” They left, while the others looked upstream to the darkening storm clouds above the rock formation. The clouds arced with lightning while thunder boomed overhead. Howling winds poured from them. Rain began to pelt the rock formation. The guards set off to a brisk pace and soon came upon the cave’s entrance. They slowly entered the cave ready for anything and drenched to the bone. The entrance was a bit small, but the stallions managed to fit through. They followed the river deeper into the cavern, one that was getting smaller. Just as the cavern became too small for the largest stallion not to stand, it opened up. In the middle, they spotted a bowl. A bowl of a carpenter from its wooden nature. * * * * * * Twilight's eyes had fluttered open and looked around for any sign of her friends or where she was. For the moment, she ignored her growling stomach and the dry feeling in her throat. Around her, all she could see was the plain rocks of a cave, there was no sign of the Everfree Forest nor the town of Ponyville. Twilight quickly put the pieces together, So then he did save me. But what will the cost be? The dry feeling in her throat quickly prioritized itself. Her eyes traveled deeper into the cave where she saw the sparkle of a lake. It took some time for her to get there since her nose was trying to lead her the other way. As she approached the lake another she noticed another odd sound. The sound was a thump thump, thump thump. She reached the pond and greedily drank some of the water. The water only had a minimal effect on her thirst, no matter how much she drunk. The thump thump drummed in her ears, almost hypnotically. It was coming from the same direction her nose was trying to lead her. Sticking to the shadows of cave she approached the location of the noise. Now where in Tartarus is that thestral alicorn I saw. I have word or two to say to him. But I first should probably find some nourishment. The lavender alicorn approached silently. From her point in the opening, she found where the noises were coming from. There were five royal guards sitting around an oddly smelling bowl. They found me! They’ll make a great fresh snack. Twilight paused at that. Snack? No, they’re strong well toned seasoned guards. With fresh blood running through their veins… This line of thought caused her tongue to roll across her mouth as her hunger returned tenfold. The sight of a fresh meal, having just awoken from the transformation, was as alluring as catnip was to a cat. She looked towards each of them. The red-winged one had drawn her attention, but also the grey unicorn. Her eyes also found the bowl. The contents of bowl definitely had her attention, but the prospect of a fresh kill was far, far more alluring. As she moved into position, something caught her eyes. On the ledge across from her, there was the thestral. His eyes were darting between her and the group below. Twilight could just barely make out his fangs though the illusion around him. Despite her hunger, Twilight’s inquisitive nature took over, she waited to see what he would do. * * * * * * The wings of the pegasus and thestrals all ruffled in unease. “Silver and Dim Eyes? Do you feel two pairs of eyes on us?” Ruby asked timidly. “I’m not sure, but I have a bad feeling that we’ve stumbled upon an ambush waiting to happen. What about you, Silver?” “I’d rather not say, but… that bowl is worrisome.” Redwing walked up to the bowl. She could not explain why but something really bothered her about it. When she took a sniff she quickly realized the reason. It was full of blood. Disgusted, she kicked the bowl off into the corner. unfortunately some of it splashed on Dim Eyes, who looked ready to tear her a new one for that. “Silver Eyes, the bowl had blood in it. Is that a major problem?” “That may be an understatement.” Silver flew over to them, spotting something out of place, a tail. Ashe got there he spotted something worse, sitting on the ledge. “Could this day get any worse?” “Why’d you have to say that? It can always get worse.” With the blood spilt on the pony, the choice was made for the watching lavender alicorn. She could no more resist the draw of the blood than resist the urge to breathe. Concentrating, she casted two spells simultaneously. The first a glamor spell that not even Princess Luna could see past, the second spell was on the guards below. She hopped down from her ledge and slowly approached. The vampire on the ledge watched her carefully. The trap Silver had triggered would cause this entrance to the cave to collapse, the river being the only way out. The guards all saw the movement in the shadows and unsheathed their weapons. “Hault! Who goes there?! We’re members of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia’s Royal Guards. We’re prepared to fight.” Twilight smirked. The illusions were working. The guards had their necks exposed looking the opposite way. “Night Wind and Ruby Eyes, retreat. Now!” Silver Eyes shouted. The problem was, Ruby’s eyes had been caught by the vampire’s gaze. As the vampire moved his muzzle left to right, Ruby followed. Dim Eyes realized that Ruby was no longer in control of her actions. Using his magic, he launched a bolt at her. The bolt hit Ruby and knocked her away before she could turn on them. "Silver Eyes, what in Tartarus is going on?!" Dim Eyes bellowed. "Your guess is as good as mine, but I would wager, I think we came upon a vampire’s nest." Silver Eyes replied. "Silver, on the ledge!" Dim Eyes shouted, spotting somepony looking down. "Oh? Him, yeah, he’s a vampire,” Silver confirmed. His eyes went wide as his brain caught up to what his mouth just said. “NIGHT WIND! Take Ruby NOW!!" Dim Eyes ordered. “And leave you alone with two combatants. I rather vacation in Tartarus than leave you now.” “Then prepare for those words to be reality, Night Wind.” Silver spoke with a deathly serious tone. If it was just that tone, and response, Night Wind would have stayed. Two things changed that. The first was the pony on the ledge. He just jumped down. His eyes were as dark as the midnight sky on a starless night during the new moon. But then they changed. They changed into a deep blood red. A fire of magic rolled across him. Before him stood a hungry vampire, looking at his next meal in delight. A sadistic grin on his muzzle that said, “I’m so going to enjoy you,” and “you so have no hope of escaping death.” The thestral grabbed the other and flew like a batpony out of Tartarus. “He caught on quick.” With a flap of his wing, the vampire landed back on his perch. Silver Eyes watched and very carefully mouthed ‘thank you.’ In the brief time that the vampire scared the other two thestrals away, she thought about what she was going to do. They hadn't seen her yet, so she could just let them be. Or, she could…. NO. I’m letting them be. The immediate threat of feeding was gone, her brain took control again and was shocked at what her body almost had her do. Gaius knocked the remaining guards unconscious with a quick blast of his magic. He jumped by Twilight and walked deeper into the cave. Twilight followed with a confused expression on her face. “Where are you taking me?” “Nowhere, Twilight. You’re the one following me to my home.” “Then what was that place where I woke up?” “A test.” Twilight stopped at that. A test!? Her eye began twitching in nervousness. She was used to knowing when she was being tested. Her teacher would tell her. That test, she was completely unprepared for, and to top it all off, she had no clue as to what she was supposed to do. “Don’t worry, you passed the all the parts I’m counting. Thirsty?” “Very, but that is not my main concern. Where are my friends and are they ok?” “Last time I checked they were fine. The pink one, the one with the curly hair, seemed to have everything they needed, like sleeping bags.” “That’s good. How about Rainbow’s wing?” “It’s braced, but I don’t know the full extent of her injuries. I do think they’re taking her to a doctor, though, just to make sure.” “She probably should, but most likely won’t.” Twilight knew her brash friend all too well, including her hatred of hospital stays. “I disagree. She wants to be a Wonderbolt.” “How do you know that?” She looked at him inquisitively “The sleeping bag she was in, it had their emblem on it. An untreated wing injury could potentially cause her not to make it. What’s your opinion of her flying ability?” “She’s the best I’ve ever seen, if not better than that. The first time I saw her skills, I…” Twilight trailed off, memories of Rainbow Dash’s skill, determination, bravery, and unwavering loyalty came back unbidden in her mind. That and something else, something she felt but could not name. “She’s that good huh? Hmm…” Gaius trailed off, lost in thought. When they reached their destination, he looked back at Twilight. “Here’s the drink I promised earlier.” Twilight grasped the drink and began to slowly sip down the refreshing liquid. That slow drink turned into gulps as she tasted the drink. She licked her lips and the glass, going for every last drop of the red liquid in the glass. The drink had revitalizing effects on her and woke her up even more. She blinked twice before leaping on her companion, tackling him to the ground. “Where are we!?” “My home. I wasn’t going to leave you in the Everfree. There are some things that will gladly enjoy an alicorn meal.” “Then why did you bring me here?” “You followed me here after I placed the three guards you were about to kill under a sleep spell.” Somehow, even with an alicorn breathing down his neck, he never lost his cool. “I would never do that. Whose guards and what were they doing here?” He grinned a toothy grin at her, one that showed his fang. “I forgot how naive we can be when we first turn, you forgot already didn’t you? No, you didn’t forget, you just wrote it off as a bad dream. The drink made you come back to your senses. As for the guards, well, one was from Luna’s; the others were most likely of Celestia’s. If you are thinking about going with them, I suggest you understand the nature of what you now are first. Remember Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, you were in fact stabbed by the venomous tail of a manticore. I’ll answer any questions you might have, just do get off me first.” Twilight was taken aback by that. However, much she wanted answers, she had to prioritize what was the most important first. However, she did not get off him. “Then let’s start out with my friends. Where are they and how injured are they?” “Rainbow... has a temporary brace and needs a doctor most likely. The others seemed fine, but worry for you, I’m sure,” the vampire assured her. This seemed to relax the panicking mare. She let him up and he quickly made his way to a locked case. The vampire grabbed two bags of the same red liquid from locked refrigerator and heated them with his magic to thirty seven and seven tenths degrees C. He then made his way to a sitting area, where he laid on one of two normal looking furniture. Twilight was hesitant at first, but lying down seemed better than standing on her hooves most of the day. She took the other, while eyeing the liquid in the bag. “So…” Twilight started, but was unsure of how to continue. There were a thousand one questions running through her mind, but the most important was how she survived. “What did you do to save me?” He sighed with the look of someone that broke the most important promise they ever made to themselves. “A magic that I promised myself that I would never use again.” “Why?” “Because of the result. Last time I used did it, it destroyed her in the end, but it will not do the same to you. I was still young when I did that.” “Alright, but that still doesn’t answer the original question. What did you do to save me?” “The answer will raise more questions. Are you still thirsty?” “Yes, but not as much as I was when I woke up.” Twilight grasped the bag in her magic and proceeded to bring it towards her. As she looked at the bag, there was no opening. She looked towards her host with a questioning raise of an eyebrow. “Just bite it.” Twilight did just that. She bit into the bag and bliss greeted her. Unlike what was in the cup, this had a more metallic flavor. It had a been of an irony taste. It wasn’t a bad taste, and, to her dismay, she prefered this one. This one easily left her satisfied and not wanting more, but she didn’t feel completely full just yet. “There’s something different about this one’s taste than what was in the cup you gave me earlier. I could taste a bit of a metallic flavor. It tasted very similar to blood, but was much better.” “Oh? Which did you prefer, the liquid in the cup or the bag?” “Bag.” Twilight had a little bit more, trying to isolate its taste, and compared it to the time she tasted blood after a bad cut on her upper lip. Once she removed her personal opinion, the tastes were too similar to not be the same. She let the bag go, drained of its contains, and looked towards her host with a look of horror on her face. “Yes, you’re correct in assuming the liquid in the bag is blood. The cup had blood as well, but it was different. The cup had animal blood. After you had that, did you notice anything change?” “...Yes, I did, slightly. I had a more primal craving for what was in the cup and I gulped that down. This I had control. Is that supposed to happen?” “It will if you have animal blood. Don’t worry, this blood was donated. If someone offers you blood in a bag or cup, don’t accept it unless you can verify where it came from. If you look at the bag, there is a serial number on it and the hospital can look it up.” “So don’t have animal blood. Are there other changes present? Like weakness to sunlight and I can’t cross running water.” “Both of those are present, but the first can be minimized by your diet. I don’t know what affect Princess Celestia’s presence will have on you. You’ll be able to see in total darkness. Your audio senses will be able to pick up most heart problems and if you concentrate, you can see pathways of blood and magic. Another active ability is that you can see and detect thermal signatures. This can differentiate between species and sources. Sense of smell is heightened.” Twilight sat in silence contemplating all the information she had been given. Her tail anxiously went back and forth. While she contemplated, she made a mental list. My friends are reasonably safe, but still in the Everfree. I’m a vampony, 99.9% sure. Since I am a vampony, I need to drink blood. Effect if I don’t: Unknown. I don’t know if I can completely trust him yet. How much blood I need: Unknown. Preferred species: Unknown, but very important. Animal: Avoid. Other dietary changes: Unknown. Questions left: Who is he!? How is he an alicorn?! What’s his relationship to Celestia and Luna? What is he not telling me? Are there physical changes? Will there be physical changes? Mentally, going over the list, there were a few unknowns, two of them stood out. “Excuse me, Gaius...?” “Correct.” “What happens if I don’t feed?” “I was wondering when you would ask that. Different things depending on the vampire, which you should not confuse with a vampony. Some will become ‘clingy’,’ others will lust after the nearest source of nourishment. Myself, and most likely you, are a lot more dangerous. We wouldn’t directly attack, but use our magic to capture a myriad of prey, or, use our magic to directly draw blood from the surroundings. Both of those are bad, but it's nothing compared to a blood rage. That can slaughter an entire city if we lose complete control.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide at that, “Is that all?” “That’s best case scenario, worst case is that we may attack someone important and use them as bait. The most dangerous vampires are the ones talented at magic. Vampires are the most deceptive species, including the changelings.” “How?” “Most can tell when a changeling, besides their queen, is hypnotizing you. All I, or you, have to do is to look them in both eyes. That mare back there just glanced at me, and I caught her.” “Ok, how do I know you’re not hypnotizing me?” “The ability won’t work on other vampires and powerful magic users, like the princesses.” “Then prove it.” “Ok, mind looking into my eyes?” Twilight looked fully into his eyes. They were hypnotic, but she could resist it. “Alright, you’ve proved your point. I can resist your influence, but I’d appreciate you stopping that.” “Sorry, it just makes things go quicker and I can show you the answers with my magic instead of simply telling you. I get the feeling you know what that’s like.” “Speaking of your ability to do magic, mind explaining that one? Were you an alicorn like me before you turned? If so how come I’ve never heard of you?” “The circumstances of my birth are unique. My mother was a unicorn that fell in love with a vampire. During my birth there were complications, the only way my father could save her was to change her right then and there. When I was born, I was so with both wings and a horn. While I’m not as powerful as an alicorn magicly, I can more than hold my own.” “Why were you testing me then? Also, I could beat you then?” “To know if I could trust you. Many have abused these powers, including members of our home. The War of Eternal Night is an Equestrian example. ” He laughed as he answered the second part of the question, “You of all ponies should know, Twilight, there is more to who can beat who than pure magical strength.” “Wait, Luna was a vampire pony?” “No, she wasn’t, but Nightmare Moon was. The true tale of why Luna fall to Nightmare Moon is one of tragedy and betrayal of the worst sort. She had five generals total, one that isn’t talked about, and four of them took advantage of that trust. They paid for that mistake, neither them nor their armies walk today. They’ve been completely killed.” “You say that like there is a difference between completely killed and killed.” “There is. The only permanent way to kill a vampire is to destroy their souls. Hard and completely forbidden magic. Roasting in the noon sun will do quite a lot, but there is a way to bring vampires back. Celestia does have one of the few weapons that can destroy the souls of a vampire.” “How do you know that?” “I saw her soldiers using it to attack my homeland. However, I got my revenge, the ship and cargo was sunk to the bottom of the ocean, only three pegasi survived. One of them did manage to escape with a book stolen from my home.” His tone went dark at that memory; Twilight could not help but feel uncomfortable. When he noticed, he did his best to calm her nerves, “Those were times in the past, let us not dwell on them and move to the present. You have more questions.” “Yes. Is there a preferred species?” “Yes, most prefer the blood of Equestrian ponies, but any sentient species will work. Most do prefer one gender over the other, but it won’t really matter.” “Equestrian ponies?” “The pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. Thestrals and crystal ponies are different, at least to me.” “Ok… will this affect my ability to fly or use magic?” “Ah, that. You won’t lose your magic, but some spells will be harder to cast than others, and some you will have to cast differently. Within the vampires, there are two types. The first are normal vampires. They retain the magic they have. That magic can be molded into special spells. The other class, the alicorn equivalent class, are the vampire lords. I am a part of that group. You are too, or at least you will be.” “Will be? Am I not a vampire yet?” “You are a vampire, of that there is no doubt. However, to truly access your new power, well, that comes with time, and certain things you will have to accept.” “What do I have to do for that?” “The cena totius equi vivi grandis.” Gaius said with a smile, but to Twilight, it was more of a grin. Twilight moved with a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash and hit with a strength that would have put Big Mac’s to shame. That hoof aimed for his face would have even knocked Celestia a few feet back after injuring her, or shattered diamond. Her armor would have had a very large dent as well. “There’s no bucking way I’d ever do that!” Twilight snarled as Gaius picked himself up off the floor. Gaius rubbed a now cracked jaw with a hoof, How easily you forgot that you almost did, he thought before replying.“We’ll see, we’ll see. It does have an effect on dietary habits.” “So then protein like cows and chickens are on the menu?” Twilight glared at him, while there was no way she’d feed directly from another pony, she knew she did have to eat. As much as she’d rather not drink blood, this was part of who she was, only bad thing could come from denying that, bad like the ‘blood rage’ he mentioned earlier. “Unfortunately yes, with some other stuff. Some larger, others smaller, but you’ll enjoy what I cook.” “No, the vampire me will..” “You say that like there is another you.” “There is.” “No, this is who you now are, the sooner you come to accept it, the easier your new life will be.” As if to put the exclamation point on that comment, Gaius got up and left her to attend to other matters. Twilight laid her head down to get what little rest she could. While not physically tried, her brain was processing all this new information. Including that last tidbit. Needless to say, she had a lot to think about. Gaius went about with other tasks that needed to get done, like taking care of the three ponies that were knocked unconscious by a sleep spell in his home. Or the preparation of beds for the guests. He didn’t want any of them uncomfortable or nervous. What prevented him from these tasks was the response to having to eat meat. She seemed oddly open to the idea, even if she did not want to feed off another pony. “You’re fine with eating meat?” Gaius asked. “Ah...well, it depends on what. I had a few experiences with forms of protein. Don’t tell anypony this, but I actually had cow before I went to this other world. I wanted to puke when I found out what it was, but I couldn’t describe the taste as bad, per se.” “Was this before you became an alicorn or after?” “After.” “That explains it. Centuries ago, pegasi use to challenge other races to honor duels. As griffins were their number one foe, they would often face each other in many different contests. Including eating contests. Since that time they’ve carried a taste for fish that the other races did not share. Their love for meat must have transformed to you when you became an alicorn. Although, they will only partake nowadays at special occasions.” “How special?” “Sometimes at Heart’s Warming, but mostly on anniversaries of decades, or at a Cutie-ceañera” “Ah, okay. Do you have a place I can be alone, I’ve got a lot to think about?” “Sure, fourth door on the right.” Twilight hopped off her seat and made her way towards the desired door. She opened it with her magic and shut it hard. She also placed a silencing barrier around her as well. She had a lot to consider. In the meantime, Gaius had some tasks to do. He too was distracted by curiosity. He set about his tasks, carefully lifting his guests to a bunk room. He divided the room and set the two stallions on one side and the mare on the other. Silver Eyes was not as a heavy sleeper as the other two and stirred. “Hey, where are we?” Silver Eyes asked sleepily. He shook his head to clear the effects of the spell, but it didn’t help. “As to where you are, you are in a bed in my home, Silver Eyes. Good night, don’t let the vampires bite.” Gaius joked as he casted a less powerful sleep spell and Silver slumped down into the bed. Gaius silently left and made his way to the kitchen. He did have to prepare a dinner for Twilight, and maybe for the three sleeping ponies. As he thought about the what would be best, he considered that a thestral, pegasus and unicorn would be joining them. Taking that into consideration, he had an idea for dinner. As he waited for his guests to wake, he browsed his library looking for a few extremely old tomes and some more recent ones as well. There were a few spell books, a couple of combat books, some flight training books and an anatomy book, volume three. EscapeTwilight and Gaius arrived in a flash. It was a bit disorientating for Twilight, but she was okay. Gaius summoned a few enemies of various strengths. Each one was different and there were nineteen in total. "What are those for?" Twilight asked as Gaius seemed to be grouping them together. "They're the enemies you'll be fighting. The first six rounds will test a different aspect of fighting in order to test your overall skill. Each one will have different rules to them, and you'll need to follow every one of them to succeed in the round. Once you beat a round, you can either advance or do it again to refine your skills. To advance to the next round, you need a score of thirty." "And the max is?" "Fifty." Gaius lied. "You're lying." "Fine, it's one hundred, but I don't expect you to be able to reach that yet. If the round seems way too easy, just say ‘recalibrate.’" "Where are you going?" Twilight asked as Gaius lit his horn. She could hear a very high pitched sound, but couldn't make out what it was. Nor could she understand it. To her, it sounded fearful. "I was planning to watch you, but I think something is wrong. I'm going to check the outer perimeter." With that, Gaius slipped a pendant around Twilight’s neck and left. Twilight started on round one. For her, it looked far too easy. Its rules were simple, no wings or magic. All she had to do was get to the blue flag fifty paces away. About twenty paces out, there was a large hole covering twenty paces. She would need forty paces before jumping before now. Looking around, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she wouldn't use her magical sight. So thirdy should be plenty. Twilight gave herself some room before breaking out into a jog. A pendulum trap clipped her flank, causing her to be turned around. When on its return path, Twilight was looking straight at it. It slammed into her muzzle because her first response was to teleport backwards. Twilight was not pleased. Her jaw hurt as though Applejack had bucked her instead of the tree she was next to. Now wiser, when she tried again, she ducked under the pendulum, but the next trap swept her hooves from under her. Her jaw hit the floor. As she slowly progressed through the round, the number of bruises she received increased. The last trap before she had to jump was a combo trap. There were three parts and the trap managed to hit her eight times before she got through. Reaching the blue flag, her score was 29, causing her to reset to the beginning. She continued to play through round one, improving each time. However, her top score was only thirty-eight. After the tenth time, and a few hard hits, she took a rest before moving on to the next stage. Gaius stayed just long enough out of view to watch Twilight's first attempt. Like her, he fell to the same trap. Although, each part was moving at triple the speed and had double the weight. When he did leave, he stalked through the cave, his eyes glowing red as he tried to resist the temptation of a meal, even though his stomach was growling at him. "Sweet Luna..." * * * * * "Silver Eyes, you know we can't go back to that cave," Dim Eyes spoke. "It might be the only option, if things go horrible," Silver said. Thirteen of them was way too much to guard in the Everfree forest. “Do you want us to fly out of here?” "Not yet, that will sap our energy, but it might be the lesser of two evils." Silver looked at the others. He could easily carry two, so could Night. Redwing, Ruby, and Fluttershy, nopony. Rainbow could carry at least one. Winter Arc could carry one or two, depending on the distance. "Let's do this. Redwing, Ruby, Fluttershy, you go ahead and get in the air and try to slow down the mists with your magic. Rainbow, Winter Arc, get a partner or two you can carry for when we decide to evacuate out of here. We may need to fly out. Night, grab two; I'll get the other two." The group of ponies and thestrals divided themselves up. Rainbow went to Dim Eyes; Night went to Armored Spear and Bronze Shield; Silver went to Applejack and Pinkie Pie; Winter went to Rarity. Fluttershy stayed on the ground, while Redwing and Ruby hovered just in front and above them, bending their magic to create gusts of wind. The mist wasn't even slowing down. “Redwing, Ruby, go higher. We’re going to evacuate now.” Redwing nodded and flew ahead of Ruby, nearly avoiding the moving branch that was close to hitting her. A third branch, however, clipped her side. The first one that missed didn’t the second time. It knocked her into the mist, and severely fractured her wing. Ruby stopped, out of the reach of the branches. “What the… “ Ruby gaped as a red blur passed by her. She could barely make out Redwing, but it gave her time to dodge below the branch that swung at her. Ruby heard the hard impact and saw a pony sized hole in the mist. As she turned to recover Redwing, Silver called out to her. “Ruby, don’t.” Silver could see Redwing clearly. His eyes were glowing, but they weren’t looking in anypony’s eyes. They were focused on Redwing. “Everyone, into the cave.” “Are you mad? Silver Eyes, you just finished telling us about the pair living in there.” “I know, but this is worse —” Silver stopped as he saw movement in the mist. Darting forward, something crashed into his side, something that wasn’t expecting him. He was knocked back and his attacker was stunned for the moment. Silver, coughing from the mist, made his way to Redwing, seeing what hit him. It was an overgrown venus fly trap. Once he got to Redwing, he found her coughing. Her eyes were drooping, and she was struggling to stand. Silver hooked one of her hooves around his torso. Redwing was still coughing, but it wasn’t as bad as when he got there. “Redwing, come on, we need to go.” Redwing looked at him. She could understand him, but she was falling unconscious. She barely registered the stabbing pain that burned up her back hoof. Silver saw the look and saw the retreating snake. His wing moved faster, slicing its head off. Due the reach, Redwing stumbled down onto something soft, wet and squishy. Silver Eyes pulled her away, just as the trap sprang. Looking directly at it, Silver’s eyes widened. They weren’t overgrown venus fly traps, but mature venus pegasus traps. Silver draped Redwing on him and ran. It was then that he realized the death trap they were in. Thankfully, only a few of the traps were awake and the mist was dissipating slowly. Breaking into the clearing, Silver saw that everypony was still out in the open,and the mist was still encroaching on them. Opening his mouth, he shouted, “Go into the cave.” The mist muffled his voice as it started to affect him. He started coughing, but he could control it. What he didn’t realize was that a plant was following him and that Redwing was slipping off. The plant timed its strike just right. Firstly, it slipped close to Silver and barely grabbed the pegasus of its desire. It dragged her off Silver and then whipped up. Silver was sent sprawling head over tail forward, while the pegasus was flipped upwards. The venus trap formed a slide for the pegasus into its mouth. It snapped shut once the pegasus was in. Going fully vertical, it tried to finish its dinner. Unfortunately, it had no such luck. For everybody else, it seemed as though it was happening in slow motion. Silver being knocked away. Redwing flipping through the air. The plant snapping up the pegasus. The bulge, Redwing they assumed, sliding down towards the stem. The “mouth” of the plant falling, which they missed as more of the plants tried to grab their own meal from the ground. The fireball that shortly started around them all also distracted them. Seeing that Silver was at the heart of where the fireball was starting, Rainbow bent the air, forming a pocket for herself and Silver. Breathing in the clean air, Silver was able to recover some of his strength and draped a wing on Rainbow. They felt a weight being placed onto their backs. A simple magic charm convinced them to ignore it. Rainbow and Silver were both coughing violently now. She had received a heavy dose of the mist; they had to get to safety as quickly as possible. They headed for the cave before the fire could consume them. Once inside, all of them slumped down. The effects of the mist, though the others only had a small dose, knocked them all out. He just watched as the carnivorous plants continued to rapidly approach their target. After a few seconds of watching the Everfree's other top hunter, his eyes looked to where they were headed. One plant was already working on capturing Redwing. He was slow. The plant snapped up the pegasus. He moved, slicing into the plant's stem. In it's leaves, you had to be still, or its enzymes would release and break you down. In its stem, you were liquefied within ten minutes. With them being asleep, he wasn't worried about that, but it allowed the plants to swallow you faster. That was the trade off. Silver was still struggling to stand, the mist having severely weakened him. Rainbow was heading for Silver. This would be his chance. More flowers opened up, and Silver began coughing. Gaius now had to work fast before the mist killed them. Lighting his horn, a flame was conjured at the top. It easily ignited the mist, burning it in a bright flash. The fire then scorched the plants around them, and some of their flesh. Grabbing everypony in his straining magic, he got them into the cave and sealed it. Those flowers were very dangerous when paired with the venus pegasus traps, especially the snapping ones he saw. Gaius breathed a sigh of relief. He was able to force the plants back and recover Redwing. It was best that Silver and Rainbow took her in while he cleaned up the mess. He could always recover the pegasus later. All of them would be out for around four to six hours. The plants, on the other hoof, were troubling. They were organized and efficient. First the plants produced a mist of the strongest sleeping powder and relaxant. Then, they corralled the ponies. Finally, the ‘hunters’ tried to capture all the prey. He counted seven of the pegasi trappers. Each one only needed one pony to be satisfied. The other eight should feed the other plants. Only a few things he knew could control the plants that attacked. The good thing was that all of the plants would be asleep again in three days. Nothing but divine magic could force them out of that. Once in the cave, his first task was to free Redwing. It didn't take long, since his magic had severely weakened the plant. Pulling Redwing out, there was minimal damage to her fur, but there were slices in it. It seemed the trap had misjudged the distance. Closer inspection revealed that there was enzyme damage, but he couldn't tell without a blood sample. Something he was unwilling to retrieve at the moment. His stomach was growling loudly at him and his nature was still staring at the pegasus. Silver must have seen Redwing get captured, it supplied. You'd be able to blame her there. The other thing he saw in his inspection was a bite mark on her back hoof. Two holes, but no swelling. Any other time, he would brush that off as a non-venomous bite, but not this time. Reaching into his bag, he pulled a syringe out. Stabbing it into one of the fang marks he took a sample and some blood. The wound didn’t heal when he licked it, which was what he was expecting. Adding the marker to the contents of the syringe, he shook it up. It stayed the same, which meant no venoms. “This is looking great,” his mind spoke to him. Gaius resisted the temptation. He went over the others, most having light burns and Silver having some charred fur. They were all still out cold and he would have to wait to see about them. In the meantime, he got them comfortable, planning to play it off as a bad dream. After they were all comfortable, Gaius retreated away from them, intent on silently watching Twilight train. * * * * * In a flash, Gaius landed in the training area. Twilight was breathing hard with a myriad of bruises and minor cuts. Looking around, he made sure the runes were all correct before activating a few. He then landed near Twilight, causing her to look as he walked over to a locked trunk. After unlocking it, he grabbed a sword in a black sheath and a couple other weapons. "Which weapon would you like?" "Why am I choosing a weapon?" Twilight asked. "We’re going to spar first so I can gauge the best course of training for you, besides what you’re doing now." Twilight looked at the spread of weapons. There was a quarterstaff, partisan, long sword, great sword, rapier, battle axe, scythe, and an executioner’s sword. The great sword and executioner’s sword were longer than the long sword. She picked up both the quarterstaff and partisan. Even though the quarterstaff was lighter, she went with the partisan. Once she chose, the other weapons were returned to the trunk. Once the weapons were away, Gaius flapped away, landing twenty paces from Twilight. “Twilight, this test is simple. All you have to do is land a blow on me. I want to see how adept you are at combat. Nod when you are ready, Twilight. Be prepared.” With the hilt of the sword held in his magic, Gaius waited for Twilight’s nod. Twilight held the staff in her magic. She would have the advantage of reach over her opponent. With a nod, Twilight barely blocked Gaius’s first attack. She felt the power behind his strike and staggered back. He moved to attack, but this time, she was ready for his speed and parried the attack. That’s odd, the sheath is still on his sword, Twilight thought as she failed to block the next attack. The broadside hit her in the flank. “Why are you fighting with your sword in the sheath?” Twilight shouted over the clang of the weapons. “Don’t be distracted,” Gaius said as he hit her for a second time, “...questioning my motives leaves holes in your defenses. Read my attacks and block.” To a guard, like Shining Armor, Gaius’ attacks were an open book. To the stallion’s amazement, it was the first book Twilight seemed unable to read. He broke off from hitting her, putting distance between the two. Twilight felt the pain of each of his strikes that she had failed to either block or avoid. Each one was a sting to her pride, each a failure to his test. No! I’ve never failed a test before and I won’t start now! Seeing that the hits weren’t having any effect on Twilight, he unsheathed his sword. It had a double edged blade made of pure argentum. He launched his attack, avoiding Twilight’s attempts at blocking, and cut her lightly across the side. Her retaliation strike, which Gaius had to block, loudly cracked against his weapon and pushed him backwards. Twilight screamed from the pain and launched another attack, which Gaius dodged. “What is that blade made of? That really stings.” “Then avoid my attacks, parry them, stop them with a shield. Land a strike on me, make me bleed.” Twilight tightened her grip and launched a flurry of attacks. Gaius expertly dodged, redirected or parried each attack. As he did so, he found an opening and cut her again then he sank into the shadows to avoid the next attack. Twilight saw herself slipping, drifting into the same state she had been in when Dim Eyes had been cut. I am not going to become her again! she resolved. Gaius reappeared a bit away. “Nice try, Twilight. You almost had me there.” Gaius then looked towards Twilight, trying to assess the fight. Twilight was breathing hard, but that was expected. He had cut her twice with his blade. Twilight tried to focus on the fight, but an appetizing scent was distracting her. Twice she had been cut by that sword and she still hadn’t managed to hit him a single time. When she attacked this time, she noticed that she was slower, but, more importantly, she was thirsty. If she didn’t end the fight soon, she might fall to…that again. With renewed resolve, Twilight pressed her attack. She was careful not to leave openings. He matched her blow for blow. Blocking and attacking, he tried to make an opening for himself, but there were none on the ground. Maybe not on the ground, he mused, but both of us can fly. Gaius blocked Twilight’s next blow and created a smoke screen with the shadows. In the air, he hovered as Twilight tried to find him. He saw the opening and took it. They clashed. Landing across from each other, they both had landed a hit on the other. “Good job, Twilight —” Gaius was cut off as another strike came. He blocked, but the blow moved faster than before. Looking towards Twilight, he saw why. Seems that I may have pushed my luck with her. Thinking quickly, Gaius was able to knock away Twilight’s weapons and put both out of reach. He then pinned Twilight and summoned a glass of a clear liquid. “Drink,” he said. Twilight complied and allowed the rush to die down, but her eyes remained the same crimson color. While she enjoyed her glass, Gaius prepared the next test. He created a pony-like golem and added a surprise inside. The golem wasn’t typical and had veins and arteries within it. This one was a unicorn mare. Next, he created a replica of Canterlot Castle with fake day-guards patrolling. Once all that was done, he set the rules and watched. His stomach still growled and gnawed at him. He would need a meal soon. Turning an alicorn, taking a barrier made of light magic and a ray of sunlight were taxing to him. Watching Twilight take her first drink of blood only reminded him of his need. And the cherry was: Twilight didn't kill him, so he couldn't cook and enjoy the meat of the unicorn. He vanished and Twilight's next round of training began. Before he could, though, Twilight asked a simple question. “What was the delicious smell?” Gaius tilted his head in confusion. The scents he smelled were the same as before, the only one changing was the injured pegasus’. He wasn’t worried about that. “What do you mean?” “There was a smell distracting me and now, I can tell the general direction it’s coming from.” “Describe the smell.” “It seems cold, but warm at the same time, kinda like the mountains.” “Ah… Okay, I understand now. Your new senses will come with time, so you’re not overloaded and immediately kill when they sense something knew. It’ll also distract you less as you begin to master yourself. As for what you smell, the traits you described are that of a pegasus close to death.” “Okay…” Twilight looked towards where the smell was coming. She started to lick her lips at the thought of a meal so close, but stopped quickly. “Twilight… Be very careful. Don’t let your instincts cloud your judgement and your sense of what is right and wrong. Stay away from the dying, unless you have a good reason to approach them.” Twilight looked at his stance. His weight seemed shifted backwards, and his muscles were tensed. Twilight charged her horn, trying to teleport near the pegasus she smelled. Gaius stood there, smirking as he relaxed. “You’re getting better at reading others. This is a good thing, but don’t you dare teleport. If you do, you’re a step closer to me killing you. I don’t play around with vampires that attack for sport.” Twilight nodded, understanding his words. That pegasus was a hook, and if you bit, you would get caught. Pegasus, her mind repeated. She darted towards what was a bathroom in the illusion. She shouldn’t be thinking like that. After a couple hours of watching and giving pointers to Twilight, Gaius left her on her own. Grabbing one of his medical kits, and some smelling sticks, he checked on the ponies he had saved. The good thing was, none of them were worse for wear. Silver had a slight fever, but that was to be expected of him. Redwing, on the other hoof, was not looking so well. Something he missed was affecting her now. He went over to her and listened. Her heartbeat was slower than normal. Poking at her, her muscles seemed tender to the touch. Her smell was very appetizing too. Giving a lick across some of the cuts on her, he was able to taste her. His horn was aglow with magic as it circled around him, his fangs growing to their full length as he contemplated where to start. He never did. A resounding crash from Twilight derailed his train of thought. He decided the best course of action, besides taking care of the red-winged pegasus under his nose, was to view Twilight’s progress. That way, he could decide whether he was needed or not. Twilight was currently taking the challenge he knew would give her a hard time. The actual trick to it was to allow the first one to hit you to your advantage. It was easier said than done. Turning back to the pegasus, he used his magic to give him a more in depth view of the condition of the pegasus. Once that was done, he just stared at her. His magic revealed that she would be a very fine meal. It also revealed that if he did nothing, Redwing would painfully die and there was nothing short of a restoration spell that would help her. Celestia could pull it off, but it was a very draining spell and this was for a guard. A guard that got chomped up. Or… His grin returned as a plan formed. He could just plainly eat her and his magic should work on Silver to make him remember that he wasn’t able to save Redwing. But that would be directly breaking his own rule and Twilight would be really angry at him. Plus, he wouldn’t be able to fool her if she learned that he had eaten a pony. Channeling a spell, he touched his horn to the center of Redwing’s head. Like sand in the wind, he disappeared. His medical bag and supplies remained where they were. Blinking the weariness from his eyes, he found himself where he wanted to be. Taking wing, he searched for the pegasus. He found her, and she saw him. Wind blew him into the ground. Vines tried to tie him, but he remembered that part. Looking out, he saw the pegasus advance and tied himself up, mimicking her plans. “What in tartarus are you doing here!?” Redwing shouted. “Looking for you, actually.” “How did you get here? I thought only Luna could dreamwalk, and she needs permission to do so. You invaded my dream, and my privacy!.” “You think Luna could just dreamwalk? No. Someone taught her how do it once she got her mark. I also learned how to do it, too, but unlike Luna, it’s a very draining spell for me.” “Are you distracting me while you kill me?” “Nope. Won’t do that. How do you feel?” “Why the Tartarus do you care? You’ll just have me no matter what.” “Redwing... If I was just going to kill you, why would I cast a very draining dreamwalking spell?” “Because your bite would wake me up.” “I could fire a cannon right next to your ear and you wouldn’t wake up. The plants you ran into have some of the most powerful sleeping powder. In most alchemically-inclined cultures, using that powder is illegal because of its strength.” “How do I know you are saying the truth?” “Well… what would you like me to do to prove that I’m neutral, that you can trust me?” “I don’t know.” “Then have faith. Like I’ve said before, you somehow taste better if you’re willing.” “Can you tell me what the plant that grabbed me was?” “Venus pegasus snapping trap. Would you mind removing the bindings from my wings? I hate them there, more so than most pegasi.” Redwing looked at him. She could, but wouldn’t he just fly away? “I promise not to fly away.” Redwing glared at him. How would he know to say that? “Why should I?” “It’ll show our trust towards each other. I’m trusting you not to tighten and to remove the vines binding my wings. You’re trusting me to stay, to not return to the waking world and kill you. Then and there.” Redwing glared at him. That was more reason to bind him. Maybe if she could keep him here, he wouldn’t do that. “I’m going to regret this aren’t I?” “No, you won’t, and thank you very much.” Gaius spoke with gratitude. He seriously didn’t like his wings being bounded. It pulled up memories he wanted to forget. And the last one that bound his wings... He spit-roasted the gryphon after painfully tearing their wings out. “So then, in all honesty, do you want to eat me?” Gaius answered in a snap. “Yes.” After that, he looked away from the pegasus, viewing her dream. She was enjoying a picnic it seemed. Looking over, Gaius tried to find who she was sharing the picnic with. “Why? What reason do you have for killing me?” “Besides ‘you taste good’? I don’t know. All I know is how powerful I am, and what happens when I lose control. When I don’t eat. I’d rather it not happen when I’m so close to a good-sized town.” “How long will a meal last for you?” “Depending on what I do, from six weeks to six months. But I very much try not to have equines, like yourself.” “What happens if you don’t have a meal and lose control?” “It depends on the other vampire here, and her choices. If she can beat me and realizes that I’m gone, then less than twenty die. If she can’t beat me and I beat her, I could kill Ponyville’s entire population. If she can’t beat me and I can’t beat her, I either kill enough to satisfy myself, or someone hits me hard enough that I can gain control back.” “Wait, if the vampire had killed Dim Eyes, wou… would… you… ?” “Be satisfied with him? Very much for the time being. I would be fine until she had to kill and eat a whole equine. Then, I would join her.” “What will happen to my family?” “If I have you with your complete permission, I will give your family a hefty reward. I still keep my bank full. Maybe a couple of very rare and priceless artifacts or spells.” “Can you do something for me?” “Depends on what you want me to do.” “I want to be able to visit someone I’ve lost.” “Okay… that’s a bit of a harder request than most. Who do you want to see?” “A gryphon that I wanted to be with. Forever. I found out from his friend he was killed in a fight, and no one dared to pursue the perpetrator.” “Do you know the perpetrator? I could always find him or her.” “No one does. All they remember is the situation before and its aftermath.” “Then form a memory of the gryphon.” Redwing concentrated on the gryphon. She remembered him for his personality, his playfulness and the times they enjoyed. The races they had. Anything from him, including the worst times. Gaius watched as the gryphon formed, surprised as he recognized who was forming. He had met the gryphon about a year and a half ago. He was mostly good, but had a habit of touching his wings. The first time, he got a warning. A swipe of his wing, which cut the gryphon. The second time, it was his hoof into the gryphon’s hide. The third time… Well, outside the wall, there was a cart full of sharp spears and one was sticking out too much. “So, this is who you would like to talk to before going on?” “Yes. I want to speak to him one last time before I find out what's on the other side.” “And for doing this, I can have you completely?” “Yes, but no tricks. You will allow me to go to the afterlife.” “If it exists.” “No tricks.” “Understood. But one final question for you. If you had the chance to spend eternity with him, would you?” Redwing thought for a few minutes. In her mind, it was a very hard choice. Yes, she did very much like or love him, but spend eternity with him? That, she might not be able to. “As long as I have a place to escape to.” “Very well,” Gaius spoke in a mannered tone. On the inside, he had a very large grin. Larger than a foal’s grin after finding the holiday presents’ stash. “Redwing, this last thing is a formality, but still is important. Here is a binding document that outlines what you and I will do for each other. If you find the terms agreeable, then you can sign it. I’ll sign it after that.” Redwing looked at the contract. Giving it a quick read, she found that it was in legal jargon, but the main points were directly from what had been said. There were two comments in the document. The first one was pertaining to the definition of completely, which she skipped, and the second one explained the lack of monetary compensation. All in all, it was all agreeable to her. Taking the golden quill, Redwing dipped it in the ink and placed it on the paper, before removing it. Before she could sign it, the gryphon spoke up. “How do you know that she’s dying? And how does she know that you’re telling the truth. You’re a vampire and a very good fox.” “Thank you for your charming compliment, but I don’t swing that way. But to answer your question, I know the plant that tried to eat you is very deadly.” “What proves that I’m dying?” “I can’t directly give proof that you are or aren’t, but the contract is always open to you. Thank you for your time.” Gaius hung his head down. He knew that she was dying, but what could he truly say to prove that she was dying? It was better to leave it open and allow her to make the choice. He closed his eyes and disappeared. Once he was back in the waking world, Gaius looked at the clock. Thirty minutes. He decided it would be best to wake either Dim Eyes or Silver up. Since Dim Eyes is the one that knows the most, he made his was to him. Pulling out a smelling salt and cracking it over Dim Eyes’ head, it got the result he was going for. Dim Eyes bolted up, while Gaius asked, “How you feeling?" “Well, the vampire’s back. You’re the one that saved us.” “Yup. Rather not have to explain seven dead guards and five element bearers. Aren’t I nice?” “You save your own tail. How injured is everypony?” “Not very injured.” “What about Redwing, did you save her?” Gaius carefully thought and looked away. Yes, he did, but he was planning to have her. “Oh… Then she’s dead or you killed her after saving her.” Dim Eyes looked away from the vampire. He could tell that the vampire ate from his larger form, his elongated fangs and the emotions of his eyes. There was satisfaction in them. “No, she’s not dead yet, nor have I don’t anything to her, but she’ll die. Painfully and agonizingly. I don’t know when though.” “Can’t you do anything to help her?” “Of course I can, but that’s not the answer you want.” “Then why —” Dim Eyes started to shout. “You can’t save her.” “Depends on what I’m saving her from, but everyone can only delay death.” “You’re a twister of words.” “I know. Can you scan Redwing for me? And will you talk to her?” “Why?” “Because she won’t listen to me, and I don’t know how long the vampire can resist her smell.” “Why does that matter?” “Because I think she’ll just tear right into Redwing. Or have her in a way that causes inconceivable pain for her.” Dim Eyes glowered at him. The vampire was going to use him to convince his meal to agree. “Why am I going throught this?” “You know the risks.” It was a short walk for the unicorn and vampire to reach Redwing. Dim Eyes could tell that he keeps to his word due to the bedding under Redwing. Her muzzle was serene. “She’s asleep,” Dim Eyes commented as he scanned Redwing. His magic easily picked up the disturbances in Redwing. It wasn’t looking good for her. She had maybe a day or three. “Thanks captain, the vampire couldn’t tell,” Gaius remarked as he gathered his magic. Touching his horn to Dim Eyes, then Redwing, Dim Eyes slumped to the floor, and Gaius disappeared. The spell took longer this time, but they were fine. Redwing was looking over a cliff, the sun setting over the ocean. A once in a lifetime view. “Redwing…” Dim Eyes spoke. Redwing turned herself around, wings flared. Once she saw Dim Eyes, her wings closed. “Dim Eyes, what are you doing here?” “He’s here to tell you your diagnostics. And here is my word that I am in no form affecting his results.” A piece of paper floated to Redwing. She could feel the power of it. “How are you feeling, Redwing?” "Well, it feels like someone put me under a meat tenderizer combined with a candy puller. It was not pleasant at all. My insides feel like they're burning up and my head feels light, as though I took a dive in Luna’s dragon moonshine." “Will you please try to move your hoof?” Gaius asked. She grimaced, but obeyed. She couldn’t do it. Her forehoof was leathery and it barely moved. Gaius watched carefully. He pulled out a syringe and inserted it into Redwing. Withdrawing a little bit, he found what he was looking for. “So, Redwing, I’ve figured out what’s happened to you,” he said, sadly. “That whatever caught me injected an incurable venom?” “Well that, and there’s traces of a foreign enzyme in you. You must have swallowed some of the plant’s enzymes trying to break free. Thankfully, the conditions of your body were hazardous to its function, so it didn’t outright kill you.” “So then, I’ll live?” “Not completely. I don’t think I can slow it down, but he might be able to, once he knows how to counter it.” “Then give me that,” Redwing interrupted. Gaius looked at her. Yes, he realised that he could counter the venom, but that would include injecting his own. The problem was, what would happen after. Would he inject a paralyzer and her that way or just give her a venom version of a ‘want it, need it spell.’ “You don’t have to kill me?” “Redwing, you have to understand what this will cost. My venom can and will make you come to me. And when you do, I can and will eat you, however I please. The venom will also fight the poison in you and I think it will win.” “So then I’d be a servant to you?” Redwing spat. “Not really. You’re a reservation. The problem with what you were injected with is that I don’t know if an antidote can be made. I will give six weeks to try to prepare an antidote. After that, you’ll come here. If you’ve gotten worse from when you leave here, you’ll be my meal. Do you understand these are the rules of the contract?” “This is a contract? What good does that do me? How do I know that you won’t kill me as soon as I agree?” “Because I’m just as bound as you are. I’ve given you six weeks from when you leave to help yourself. If you want, I can have no hoof in directly affecting your life.” “Can we use plain terms?” “Sure. I can not do anything that will actively sabotage our agreement in my favor.” “And if I can cure myself?” “Five years, but at anytime, if both of us are masters of our own minds, we can discuss the points of the deal further.” “What happens if you break the deal?” “I have to give twenty years.” “And if I do nothing?” “Nothing will kill you in the day or two, I think.” Dim Eyes nodded his agreement to this statement. “How can I craft the antidote?” “You can take a sample from the plant that caught you. I’ve taken a few samples as well.” “May I consider this?” “Yes, but while you consider, I can have you if death has come for you.” “I will agree to that.” “Thank you.” “Is there a reason we’re all still here?” “Yes. You’re all here since those plants are too dangerous. They’ll be here for about a couple more hours while they feed.” “Dim Eyes, you believe I’m going to die. Painfully. And there’s nothing you can do about it? If that is so, I have a request. What is your opinion of him?” “My opinion of him is that he’s implicatively deceptive when he wants to be. He’s eluded all hunters set after him. He’s one of Princess Celestia’s reserved hunter, and has tricked her well enough about who he is.” Dim Eyes paused, when he realized what he had said. He knew that, even though he could be very deceptive, he always had a purpose. With the vampire he was hiding, she needed to remain anonymous to remain safe. Redwing was about to voice her opinion about why in Tartarus he was allowing a deceptive, manipulative vampire live. Not to mention the killer vampire who loves ponies for meals. Why would he ever leave somepony like that alive. “But on the other hoof, he is very loyal…” She could understand that. “...kind...” That’s a blatant lie and a red flag that the vampire is controlling you. “... honest and truthful. Before you think the last three are false, think about him. He was open with use about being a vampire. Though he deceived you, he didn’t lie about myself, and if you knew he was a vampire, would you have done it?” Redwing looked away from Dim Eyes. He was right. If the vampire had been open, she and Silver would have been very suspicious of the vampire. They would have denied him the blood he wanted. Dim Eyes saw Redwing look away, and began to speak again. “He told you exactly what he’d do, too. Not to mention that since he’s hungry for a full course, you have to consider how long he has been hungry for.” “Oh that’s easy. Since I turned the vampire. She was very strong and resistant, and I got caught in a ray of sunlight, too.” “Then I have a question. When we first came in, if the other vampire wasn’t here, would you have fed from one of us?” “The reason I need to feed now is that I’ve exhausted my reserves. If I hadn’t done that, between three and four weeks would pass. Even then, I wouldn’t have to kill you. I’d take as much as I had.” “When would you have to kill?” “Couple months, and I don’t go for Equestrians,” Gaius answered casually. “Do you enjoy killing?” “I don’t get much enjoyment out of it. I’m just surviving. It’s what I’ve always done.” “What if the princess asked for help locating a prisoner wanted dead or alive. What would you do then?” “Capture and restrain, if I’m not hungry for it. Otherwise, kill the fugitive and send Celestia its skeleton for her to identify.” “If it was alive only?” “Still capture. You do remember that I’m one of Celestia’s few hunters, even though she almost never contacts me.” “Dim Eyes, did everypony, besides Silver, saw me get eaten?” Silently and unnoticed by Dim Eyes, Redwing tried to get the vampire’s attention. It took him a moment, but he pointed to her and then his mouth. Redwing nodded. He smiled and was gone without a flash of magic. “I think no one besides me saw that you’re ok. Silver and Rainbow Dash, I think, may know that you had a chance.” Dim Eyes hoped she wasn’t about to kill herself. Yes, the venom digesting her from the inside would be a very painful way to go, but a hospital could help her. “Rest. For now. You should too.” “Not when you’re injured. I don’t want you leaving us yet.” Dim Eyes plopped down where he stood. He was wary of the vampire and Redwing. It wasn’t right for her to admit death so easily. It was the ultimate fate and she was young. Stepping out from the mind of Redwing and to the shadows near Twilight, Gaius looked over the progress of Twilight’s training. She was progressing well, but there were some very bad scores on some of her runs. On her current one, she was doing below average. In the previous runs of this task, they weren’t even close. Looking at Twilight, he could see her problem. Something about this she wasn’t liking. With a simple flap of his wings, he pinned Twilight to the ground, using the same technique of her training. “Gaius. What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, unhappy that he had her pinned. “Reviewing your learning of the skills. Seems like you're scraping by on some of them, and on others, you’re failing miserably. Like on this one.” “This one has no purpose for me. It’s training me to hunt! To hunt sentient creatures, including zebras, pegasi, gryphons, unicorns, and earth ponies. I even think I saw a young drake.” “Well, what about now? Can you actually free yourself?” Gaius challenged. “Easily.” Twilight lit up her horn and before she could finish casting, Gaius licked it. Twilight lost the spell completely. The reason being was that hitting the horn forcibly disrupts the magic, causing pain from the feedback that was created. Licking, on the other hof, disrupts the concentration and doesn’t create feedback. Also, he could gather and taste her magic, staving off his own hunger. It tasted very good, just as when he had originally tasted her. “Did you really have to do that?” “Would you rather that I hit your horn instead?” Twilight shrank back at that. That was something you don’t do very often, especially during spell casting. She’d seen some of the guards when they were training that got hit on the horn. They looked like someone apple-bucked you in the head. “No… no… I’d rather not have that, but please find some other way… That was…” How could she describe it? The first thing that came was completely unexpected, and rude. You just didn’t do that either. It was gross. Who knew, besides him, where that tongue had been. It was… how could she describe a mix of ‘weird’ and ‘pleasurable’? That was what it was. Next, she tried to move to hit him in a vulnerable spot. However, he had her pinned too well. Even her wings could only just barely move. “Fine, I can’t get out.” “You could, you just don’t want to use the way you can get out with.” Gaius got off her and offered her a hoof. “Back to the reason for this training. It has a dual purpose. One is teaching combat maneuvers… “ “And hunting. You’re trying to teach me how to kill our prey. How to find it.” “Well, if you want to take it that way, that’s partially true. But if I’m teaching you how to kill, can’t you disable just as easily? If you know how to track, then you can find missing ponies or escaped convicts. “Like in magic, it’s your decision on how you use the skills I’m teaching you. Never forget that. Also, sometimes in battle, you may not have a choice. If you or somepony is in immediate danger, please do your best, but don’t let somepony die from your reluctance about killing. That’s what I ask.” Twilight wanted to dispute him, to tell him that killing was wrong, that she would never use it, but his argument was sound. He knew exactly when it should be used. When another life was in immediate danger. “You saw more than you said.” “You won’t get the answer from me today. Please, continue, learn, and practice until the skills are close to second nature to you. You’ll then be able to get out of what I did to you.” Gaius smiled at her, encouraging her to succeed. “Gaius, how often do you have to kill a pony?” Twilight asked. “Won’t answer that yet. You still have a lot to learn about what we are, and about our history.”As Gaius was walking away, she noticed a slight bounce in his steps. He seemed happy about something. “What has you all jittery?” With an amused smile, he responded, “You. Your magic tastes of the finest delicacies. I wish I could get more, but that’ll weaken you and may speed up the time before you have to feed again. Could go for a bite too.” The last part he was grinning at the stammering, blushing Twilight. His elongated fangs could be seen, glistening with saliva and venom. Unlike before, Twilight noticed that he seemed to tower over her, while before, he was only a head taller. His shoulders were wider and his neck thicker. “Gaius, why do you look different from when we ate the dinner?” “Oh, that. That’s simple. I don’t like to look like I’m towering over everypony. Last time I could compare Celestia and I, I was a head and a half taller than her.” “Will I get as tall as you, once… you know…” Twilight couldn’t admit it yet. She was still trying to decide what it all meant and how far she would go. “Ah… no. I think you might end up being taller than Celestia, but that’s a good hundred years down the road. I do know, however, that you’ll be taller than Luna within the year.” Gaius nodded to her and began to trot away. He knew Twilight would continue to improve, she just had to adjust to herself. Just as she had to adjust to being an alicorn. Before she knew it, her teacher was out of sight. Twilight took a moment and looked back on the training. She had concentrated on just getting through, when it was teaching her skills. She got the concepts and application of each one. Although, looking at it now, she saw some of her own mistakes. The skills built on each other, that’s why it was only thirty. She would have to go back to get the higher scores he wanted when she understood. Sighing, she started at the beginning, concentrating on the hidden skills it needed and honed. After a good few hours of training, Twilight reached the final stretch of the agility course. She made it past the first three obstacles with little problems. The fourth one barely clipped her, and the fifth one tripped her up. On the sixth one, it collided hard. It smashed against her muzzle, sending her spinning into the air. Two more hit her, one of them on her wing, flipping her into an uncontrolled barrel roll. By the end, she had multiple bruises, an injured wing and back, and was unconscious on the floor of the cave. Gaius made his way to the group of ponies that was still sleeping. All of them, except Redwing and Dim Eyes. Dim Eyes was watching Redwing. “Seems like he doesn’t trust her. Oh well. I guess I could just knock the memory out of him.” Gaius thought to himself. Gaius grinned and took flight. As he approached the ceiling of the cave, he flipped himself over and carefully fed magic into his hooves, allowing him to hang upside down from the ceiling. Walking above to his target, he dropped as soon as he took a second look. The coast was clear. With a good round house kick, Dim Eyes dropped, stars above him, memory fading, and out. Redwing watched as the stallion fell. “Won’t that leave a mark?” “One that I can heal easily. So then, are you completely sure that you want to do this?” he asked, as he contemplated doing it himself, and healed Dim Eyes bruise. There were advantages and disadvantages. His body definitely wanted him to go with having her, and his mind was still on the fence, but leaning towards having her. He didn’t know how much longer he could push himself or whether he would have to fight. If he had to fight, he knew that whatever was attacking him would be eaten. Maybe eaten alive as he tore the foe apart. Redwing hesitated in her answer. He towered over her. “I… I… “ Gaius shook his head and spread his wings. Before he left her, he watched. He watched as her eyes shifted away from him. He watched as her heart rate increased, sweat forming on her brow. She was petrified. He turn around and set himself to fly away. Just as he started his downward power stroke, a mare’s hoof brushed his wing. That power stroke became a power strike as he jutted the wing into her. He did a ninety degree turn and pushed off with his hooves. His shoulder knocked all the air out as it hit. He hoof pinned her to the ground. The sheer pressure was starting to compress the bones of her ribcage before they broke. His red eyes bore into her. She could feel his fangs and teeth as they grazed her ear. Her eyes never left him. They never wavered. “I’m sorry.” She finally spoke. Her voice though weak, was strong. “So then, you won’t sway from your path. You will see it ‘til the end.” “No, I won’t.” Leaning down, he spoke, “You’ll endure.” “I will.” Her eyes met his, challenging him. He laughed. He laughed at her as his tongue licked her. It licked her ears, her neck, her chin, and finally her muzzle. His eyes were no longer held the laughter he’d distracted her with. The mild irritation she now felt. He’d done something to her. Her mind screamed at her to run. Run! Run like the WIND! She couldn’t. He had her. He would decide her fate. Whether it be a simple snap of the neck, the piercing pain as his fangs tore into her or the slow drain of all her energy. Maybe even the burning venom that could melt her from within, turning her into those melting truffles. She could not change it now. Moving a bit away from the mare, Gaius parted his lips, pressing them to Redwing’s muzzle. It was tender, like a mare to her foal, and she opened it in surprise. His tongue darted in, controlling her own. It explored her mouth. Feeling her. Tasting her. It was even long enough to reach the back of her muzzle. And above all, it felt good. Redwing’s body relaxed. This vampire was a good thing. “Ready to be the main?” Gaius asked in sly tone as he pulled away. Then his horn lit. A flash. Something comfortable, relaxing, and therapeutic beneath them. They were now secluded away from everypony. Redwing just nodded, but there was a question on her mind. He could see it it, plain as night. Taking a few moments, he tried to remember if there was anything that outlined when he had a meal in his home. As a minute ticked by, Redwing finally spoke. “How are we going to explain the death to my friends and what if you get caught?” Caught… caught… Then it hit him. There was a form he had to fill out. It was frivolous, but, if needed, very important. “You’re right… there is a form for you.” Lighting his magic, he dusted off the box that had the forms in. The dust coating it showed that he, in fact, hadn’t had a pony in a while, or at least hadn’t documented having pony. He pulled out the contract and turned it so that Redwing could read it. He only had one change. She could influence how she died instead of directly choosing. The other parts indicated and checked that she had the free will to decide. Even the paper had spells drawn in special ink to still work. If he tampered with them, the bottom seal would disappear, nulling the contract, and voiding his life. Redwing signed it and asked how she could decide on her death. “That’s easy.” There was a bright flash, completely blinding to her. She felt as though she lived her life in a snap. The fantastic, good, bad, horrible, and horrific times past. When it all stopped, she was in her dream. She could see her dream-self as a massive, pony-swallowing creature was chasing her. "You ready?" spoke a voice beside her. "Yeah…” “Is that how you want to die? Being swallowed whole." "Never thought I'd have to answer this, but... no. I would rather not want to feel anything as acid liquefies my still living, breathing body. That would be too painful." "What if you never felt the pain of the acid?" The pegasus gave it some thought as the dream changed again. It wasn't much different. Just what was chasing her. This time, it was a dragon. "I think that I wouldn't enjoy it. I would say snap my neck, or just drain me, if you were going to do it." "Okay then. Are you completely sure that you want to do this? And can you confirm that I have had no influence whatsoever over you?" "Yes, and yes. I can also attest that I'm doing this of my own free will." Redwing handed him a piece of paper. On it was a simple 3 digit number. "For whom?" "Winter Arc. It was nice meeting you." "It'll be nice enjoying you, too." Gaius simply faded and Redwing watched as the scene changed again. It was peaceful. A setting sun below the cliff-line, reflecting off the sea, its light painting a beautiful scene. One you’d only see once in a lifetime. Gaius returned to the waking world, while Redwing remained in the half dreamlike state. He opened his muzzle, just barely enclosing Redwing’s neck as his horn glowed again. Her eyes looked up at his and he winked. Opening her own muzzle, she let her tongue snake out and taste him. He tasted good, though she couldn’t tell what he tasted like. What surprised her, however, was that she couldn’t feel any fangs or pointed teeth for tearing. His tongue was just barely flicking her ear, annoying it. She swallowed some of his saliva by mistake, but it seemed to have no effects. Gaius leaned down, his fangs barely touching the pegasus's neck. With a snap, he bit down, but didn't draw a single droplet of blood. He had something better planned. As he found what he was looking for, he pulled on it. It sat just barely above her head. Taking a larger bite, he pushed more of her muzzle into his. It collided with the back of his closed throat. He had retracted his fangs so that when he applied pressure, they wouldn’t pierce and kill his meal just yet. Redwing felt a head-splitting migraine. It wasn’t pleasant and was unrelenting. She could feel her teeth as they were ground together. Her jaw started to hurt as though there was a giant clamp on her. Then she heard cracking noises. The pain she felt tripled in that instant. She tried to jerk backwards, but instead moved forward. In another instant, some of the pain subsided. Now, her muzzle was pushed against something weird. It would collapse, but was ridged and pushed against her in a downward motion. To her, it felt like it was kneading her like dough. Once Gaius had crushed the skull enough to his liking, he swallowed just as she jerked forward. Redwing’s muzzle slipped into his throat. He knew that it wouldn’t take much. The reason for crushing the skull was to start to break it down. Slowly, but surely, he pulled on Redwing as he moved down Redwing’s neck, he stretched the forehooves out, but close in a super mare way. That was when Redwing squirmed. She realized what was happening and Gaius just let her. It would do nothing for her. Only push her further along the line. With the tip of her hoof barely in his neck, and the shoulders mostly in his muzzle, he rotated his muzzle. Then he bit down harder. Bones splintered from the compression. He reveled in the sensation as they cracked. With a good bit now in, Gaius used his strength and lifted Redwing into the air. Now parallel with his neck and muzzle, Redwing truly began to slip in. Lighting his magic, he sped up the process. He allowed the chest to slip in. His tongue, ever curious, explored. There were two spots that he continued to play as Redwing moved herself downward. He bit again, breaking and compressing the chest cavity. Redwing practically screamed at that and her movements pushed her further down. Now her muzzle was curling under as a solid wall blocked movement. As he swallowed more of her, the pressure began to build. Soon, it would break her neck, truly killing her. Gaius was almost reaching the end of his pegasus, her flower coming into view. Now it was the time for her injustice to be reaped. His tongue cupped the delicate flower, teasing it with its rigid structure. Then it struck, barely entering before retreating. Redwing’s body shuddered at the touch. Her mind was awash with pleasure she felt for the briefest of instants. Her lower half moistened as it tried to push forward. She only pushed herself downward, her neck straining not to be broken. Gaius tasted the moisture on his tongue. He felt her body as it strained not to be broken by his pulsating muscles. He could feel her mane at the bottom of his throat. Then he felt her slip a little more. Then Redwing felt the pain. She felt the pressure reach the critical point. The point where her neck would break, silencing her forever. The pressure faded as something was opening and Redwing craned her neck out straight, trying to alleviate the pain she felt. She felt some resistance, but it parted for her muzzle. Below her, she could feel the acidic air she could breathe. It didn’t quite burn her as she expected, but it wasn’t pleasant either. Gaius felt his neck with a hoof. He was pleased to find that the pegasus had stretched out. With a devilish grin, if you could grin with a muzzle stuffed with a pony, he licked the flower again. Then plunged in. His tongue moved within it, tasting the new flavor to grace it. His meal found the musing of his tongue to be very enjoyable. He didn’t really have to “push” her downwards, for her own movements did that. It reached as far as it could, meeting a barrier he wouldn’t breech. Flicking his tongue about for a minute or two longer, he felt the pegasus arch her back, something that compressed and broke her ribs further. Redwing was in heaven. His tongue a master of playing with her. She shuddered as the ridges and bumps ground in her. She didn’t care that her muzzle was getting ever so closer, that her arching back began to break. She just wanted to finish. Her hips moved forward, wanting him to finish her off. But it seemed he was messing with her, pushing her to the edge, only for the appendage to retreat. Gaius retreated his tongue out of her and stood up. He needed all the room he could get. Her tail was sticking out, and he left it. Bending his tongue into a spring, he lined up. And struck home in the mare as his muzzle tilted back. Redwing felt the mind-blowing shudder as it racked her body. She screamed from the feeling and pleasure that exploded in her. As the pleasure blocked her mind, she did not feel what was happening. Her open muzzle plunged into the vampire’s stomach as the rest of her body started slipping in. The acid of his stomach filled into her mouth, her esophagus and stomach. It burned. Gaius was grinning like a foal as the pegasus landed in his stomach. If he timed it right, her body had filled with his stomach acid, increasing the pain she felt as it destroyed her. It also sped up his digestion of her. An after fact in his opinion. He enjoyed as Redwing pushed and twisted to get herself out of the acidic bath she found herself in. She kicked. And nothing would work. She’d die as either her brain turned to mush or his breathing spell wore off. It didn’t matter to him which fate the pegasus succumbed to, she was in his belly. Gaius laid down on his side and started to nap, giving the pegasus time to be digested. It would take a good day or two, given the strength it took to break her down, and that he didn’t inject her with predigestion venoms that would catalyse the digestion. It took about ten minutes of agonizing pain, frivolous fighting, screaming, and pounding before she let go. Her soul wasn’t nearly as lucky. It was trapped. She didn’t mark that he couldn’t have it too. That would take the longest to digest and would give a very appetizing and filling meal. It would replenish most of his magic and sate his hunger of them for weeks to come. He smiled, feeling the radiating heat he was using as a pillow, and began to rest. By the time Silver woke from the ordeal, it was an hour or two before sunrise. He looked around, seeing the familiar cave structure they had left. Getting up, he wanted to check to see if everypony was alright. As he did, he found nine more. Dim Eyes and Redwing were missing, but Redwing got eaten. Listening closely, Silver heard a weak heart beat. It was separate from all the rest. Making his way over, Dim Eyes was slumped on the ground. As he tried to wake him up, Dim Eyes didn’t budge. Well, at least we’re accounted for. They didn't decide to eat any of them. Before he left, he draped Dim Eyes on his back, and took him near the others. It wasn't good to be alone. Going over the supply situation, they still had three days rations for eight. Silver, seeing nothing wrong, went to see if the vampire was awake. He could be good conversation. As he took wing, he remembered who the pony he hadn’t seen was. Redwing. Silver paused. Redwing had been caught by one of the plants. One he believed had the poisonous enzymes. If swallowed, you’d die, but on the outside, it made a terrific greaser. Once she was out from lack of air, it would swallow and digest her. The problem was, she had been saved? And if she, where was she? The vampire must have known something was wrong and checked on them. Once he saw the plants, he acted, killing them, and maybe rescued Redwing. So the question was, did the vampire just plainly take her, hoping to make him forget? Or was Redwing injured badly that she willingly gave her life to the vampire? Or was she just eaten by the plant that caught her? In any case, he had to find the vampire. Going towards the ledge, he landed and slowly approached. As he walked towards the vampires' home, he got himself lost. The passage way was completely different than before. Not wanting to be lost forever, he backtracked out. * * * * * As the morning arrived, the others started to awake. All of them found it odd to have blankets, but knowing Pinkie Pie, she may have been the one to give them the blankets. Silver was laying on Dim Eyes. Both looked very comfortable, and needed to be awake. Applejack gave Silver a good shake against his wing. His back hoof kicked out at the pony pushing against his wing. It hit her forehoof, right where it bends and she hit her muzzle on the ground. Having one hoof in the air and another kicked from out of her made it difficult to stand. Dim Eyes was awaked when the apple mare cursed in his ear. Gently, he woke Silver up. Silver looked to the mare. His mind was barely awake, and his eyes were drooping. Looking around, Silver decided to go back to sleep. Dim Eyes would explain why the apple mare was it pain. Once Applejack recovered, Dim Eyes blocked her from waking the stallion again. It wasn’t a good idea to wake him right now, he explained. Applejack huffed at his reasons, but definitely didn’t want to get hit again. She moved over to Fluttershy, to see how she was doing. “Is everypony here and in good condition?” Dim Eyes asked. He couldn’t see everypony, but he knew that they would check on each other. “Redwing isn’t here, and there’s no trace of her if she did in fact make it,” Armored Spear spoke. When they heard that Redwing was gone, Silver Eyes was promptly opened his eyes, but fell asleep soon after. Dim Eyes convinced everypony that Silver was okay and that they should let him rest. They divided into squads, scouring the caves for Redwing, while Rainbow and Dim Eyes remained to watch over Silver Eyes. The others continued until noon, when they had to stop for food. Silver was still asleep and Rainbow was very tired, and fell asleep near each other. Both were left in peace, for they'd been affected the most and needed to recover. "This ain't good. How did Redwing or something slip by you?" Applejack asked. “I don’t know. When I first awoke, it was a stallion to wake me. He wanted me to check on Redwing and tell her the condition she was in. Since he suggested it was a bad idea to wake her, I think he used a dream-walking spell. The three of us talked and I don’t remember what happened after that.” "So then something put you to sleep." "I guess so. I didn't hear anything." "It could have been the vampire lord stallion that put you to sleep, talked and got her willing approval, and devoured her. That would explain why she's gone without a trace," Pinkie said. "Pinkie Pie. There ain't a way that's true. One, ponies bleed, they scream, they kick, they survive. No pony dying or healthy would willingly give their life up. Especially not to a no-good, life-stealing, pony murdering, leaches of the vamponies. I have no respect to those that do. Two, it's rumored that all the vampire pony lords were slaughtered during the first solar war. None survived," Applejack retorted. Dim Eyes was glad that Silver wasn't awake, or Applejack would be on the ground, bleeding. He was able to hide the fact that the words stung him. "I think it's time we leave and contact the sisters. We're getting low on supplies, and we shouldn't spend the night here. We've already lost one to the forest." They were hesitant to agree. The upper level of the cave hadn’t been explored. Winter Arc and Night Wind refused to go any where near where a vampire might reside. “Well, we shouldn’t give up hope yet. Redwing could have made it, since Ah know that Rainbow wouldn’t give up, no matter what.” “Applejack, Redwing didn’t make it. A venus pegasus trap ate her. She’s dead.” Everypony was surprised when they heard the thestral stallion speak. They all thought he’d be out for a little longer, not when it was close to noon. “What you talkin’ about, Silver Eyes?” Applejack asked. “I said that Redwing has been devoured by a predator of the forest. There’s nothing advanced in that. I couldn’t and didn’t save her. Rainbow had to help me instead. As for what we should do, we need to remain. We’re safe here.” “How are we safe in the den of a pony killing predator?” Applejack questioned. “Because we know that he’s here. The venus pegasus traps wait. They are calculative. And excellent at hiding. Do you want to end up like Redwing?” All the others agreed. Ending up dead was not an option, but staying where a predator lived wasn’t a good option either. The best option would be to contact the princesses. “Dim Eyes, Silver Eyes, would it be best if a small group tried to use the communicators to contact the princesses?” Bronze Shield asked. "Yes, that would be good, but very risky. We have a bit of supplies here, and our host might be willing to part with some of his. Dim Eyes, if it is safe, go with Bronze Shield and try to establish communications. Night Wind, stay here with Armored Spear and make camp. Rainbow, you’re coming with me. The others help with camp or preparing a meal.” The guards didn't like the idea of saying, but the forest was very dangerous. They definitely didn’t want to run into more of the plants that could have very easily killed them. They will just have to live with being stuck in a cave where a two predators resided, one who could easily steal them in the middle of the night. Rarity was especially infuriated at staying here. The two thestrals were a bit happy. They could get for some more rest. After taking stock of all supplies, they didn't have much. It would take two days to return to Ponyville, and they barely had enough rations for two days. When Dim Eyes and Bronze Shield found the exit, they spotted three of the plants. They high tailed it back. PrologueThe calm singing of the birds couldn't penetrate the veil of sleep Twilight was under. The movies she enjoyed with Rainbow last night had interested her and she wanted to know what books they were based on. Her reading had lasted into the morning. As falling asleep while reading was nothing new for Twilight, Spike had graciously allowed her to sleep in, but he forgot that she was meeting her friends at noon and that he had a letter for her. He had set it on the desk since only Twilight could open it. He had prepared the picnic basket and brushed off his wariness of a few items that were on Twilight’s list. Close to noon, Twilight finally woke up and blinked away her sleepiness and annoyance at having overslept. She called out, "Spike, do you have everything packed for the picnic?" "Yeah, I even tripled checked the checklist like you would want. There is a picnic blanket, food, the preferred drink for each of you, a bag of blood, bottled liquid love, some fresh fruit and not just apples, daisies, and a large first aid kit. Anything else?" "No, but a question, why the blood and love?" Twilight was just as confused about those two items as Spike was. "It was on your list.” Spike said matter-of-factly. “I asked each time we checked the list yesterday, but you kept brushing it off.” Twilight’s mind tried to understand why in all of Equestria she would put a bag of blood and bottled liquid love on her checklist, but more importantly, it wondered why she forgot about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by Spike. “Uhh… Twilight, it’s 11:45.” Twilight dismissed the thoughts as she realized that she was about to be late. "You said the basket was packed?" "Yeah…." "Then don't worry about the extra stuff. I'm leaving now, bye. See you around six tonight." Twilight picked up the basket and left for the park. Exiting the library ,she spread her wings to get some flying practice in on her way to see her friends. After the picnic she would be working with Rainbow, setting up the rest of the snowstorm that was planned for tonight. She mused, why not fly? * * * * * * Twilight had done well during her flight, but landing was a different task in and of itself. She had slowed her pace and was nearing the ground, but lost balance and ended up landing face first in the ground. Why can't I get landing down? Small foals get it down almost immediately! Rainbow had finished breaking up the normal clouds she was working on and caught sight of Twilight's failed landing attempt. If she had not saved a cloud to sleep on, Rainbow would have hit the ground, laughing. The sight of Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle’s rump sticking up in the air was too much for the cyan mare. Thankfully to Rainbow Dash, the cloud hid her laughter, and awkwardly, her blush at seeing her friend’s flank presented like that. As soon as Rainbow was done giggling, she thought, We’re definitely going to be working on wing positions when we land during tonight’s setting the storm up. Twilight heard her friends asking something, but with her face in the dirt she couldn’t make out what they said. Righting herself and closing her wings, she calmly asked, “Sorry girls, what did you say?” Each of them replied with their own greeting and asked if she was okay after that epic crash landing that would have been worthy of Rainbow Dash. Twilight calmed their fears over her safety and began to unpack her basket. She had noticed that Fluttershy was trying to hide behind her mane with her wings slightly above her back. Raising a questioning eyebrow, Fluttershy quickly responded to the unasked question. "Twilight, your… your position was a bit... revealing. Also, I think I saw Rainbow on the clouds above us." Fluttershy gestured up with a hoof. Twilight's wings shifted back at that comment, they covered her flank which she hoped not too many ponies got a good look at. The others looked to the sky, the only thing they saw was a stray cloud drifting in the wind. Rainbow walked up from behind them and greeted each of her friends with a, "So, what's up? Are we going to get this picnic started soon? Me and Twi got a snowstorm to build up tonight!” Despite her cool demeanor, there was still a slight red tint in her cheeks, luckily for Rainbow none of her friends seemed to notice. "Not you most of the time," replied the pink mare of chaos. Pinkie Pie fell over in laughter at her own joke, but quickly recovered. Fluttershy was calm but a light giggle did manage to slip out. Applejack made a mental note to add that remark to her responses to Dash and laughed a little at Pinkie’s joke. Twilight didn't visibly laugh but went over and gave Rainbow what little comfort she could with a hoof gently set on her back. Rarity tried her best, but even she eventually gave in to the well placed joke, even if it did come at the expense of her friend. She did feel bad about it though, after all it is very unlady like to laugh at another’s expense. "Ah reckon that's a plan. We don't want Twilight and Rainbow late, now do we?" Applejack replied to Rainbow’s comment in a vain attempt to spare some of her brash friend’s pride. Rarity began to unpack Applejack's cart, while Twilight unpacked her basket. Some of the food Applejack had made for them included apple fritters, apple pie, apple juice, while Spike made them daisy and sunflower sandwiches. She frowned as she saw the other items. She quickly hid them in her basket under some napkins. "So Twilight, have you read any good books recently," Rarity asked already knowing the answer. Asking Twilight anything about books was the quickest way to involve her in a conversation. “A few, but most had to deal with being a princess. One of my more recent reads were on the myths and legends from the time before Nightmare Moon." Plus Mood Wings, she added silently. Twilight noticed something moving in the sky as she looked at Rarity, something that distracted her from her thoughts. Which in and of itself was no small achievement. "Hey Rainbow, what's with that weird looking grey cloud?" Twilight asked as she gestured a hoof at its location. Rainbow glanced up in the direction Twilight was ponting. She had just finished clearing all of the clouds and did not remember leaving a grey one around. He mouth dropped as she saw the offending cloud. That was definitely not there earlier. "I'm not entirely sure.” It looked familiar, but she could not place a hoof on where she had seen a cloud like that before. Rainbow was about to go take care of it when she remembered Twilight’s epic landing. She smiled as she realized this was as good a time as any for the princess to get in some more practice. “Want to help me?" "Sure, but I’d like to study it first before you break it apart." With a few flaps of her wings, Twilight joined Rainbow in the air. When they reached the cloud, Twilight probed it with her magic. To her amazement her spells did nothing to the cloud. Ever the scientist, Twilight lightly touched the cloud with a hoof. It responded by grabbing onto her hoof and dragging her down into itself. Twilight started panicking, she tried several spells and even flying away. Nothing she did would release her from the cloud, not even teleporting worked. “I gotcha!” Rainbow yelled as she flew over to save her friend. “No, stay back!” Something in that voice, something in that command caused Rainbow to pause. Normally she would have just ignored it and plowed right in, but the desperation and fear in Twilight's voice stopped her cold. Her body wanted to act anyway but her mind knew for a fact that plowing into that cloud would be a bad thing Rainbow’s eyes went wide as she suddenly remembered where she had seen a cloud like this before. It was during her weather training, she only remembered it because during the class the teacher had slammed a book on her desk to wake her up. The teacher went on to stress the different weather Rainbow might encounter while working so close to the Everfree Forest. She heavily emphasized the dangers of non-natural clouds, including the most dangerous of all: Nightshade clouds. They were clouds that nullified any magic used against them. In all her time working with the weather team, Rainbow had never actually seen one before. “Twilight.” Not even Rainbow could hide the fear in her voice as she saw the cloud fully engulf the alicorn princess. During her weather training, she went to learn about the weather of the black forest in Germania. There, she was taught about recognizing non-natural clouds. Nightmist clouds don't happen since Nightshade doesn't grow in Germania. It happens to grow in the Everfree, though. * * * * * * Once the cloud had Twilight below its surface, Twilight was free to move within the cloud. “What in Equestria is with this cloud? This can’t be a natural cloud.” “You’re partly right. The cloud is as rare as the plant it’s made from,” came a deep voice from everywhere and nowhere. "Who's there?" "Nemo," responded the ominous voice. "Show yourself!" Twilight shouted, doing her best to hide the fear in her voice. "I would if I could. Relax your wings, you have nothing to fear, but fear itself." "What about my brash friend, you know she'll come after me." "She's rational. She would skim the clouds first." Twilight gulped at that, Rainbow was anything but rational. * * * * * * Outside the cloud, Rainbow remembered a few more of her old lessons. Using the wind currents generated by her flying, she skimmed off some of the cloud. The memory hit her like a ton of bricks after that. She knew what she had to do: nothing. * * * * * * "By skimming the cloud, she'll recognize what's it's made of. The weather teams that work the dark forests are all trained on the dangers of Nightshade clouds." "After she recognizes the cloud, what will she do? How did you create the cloud in the first place?" "Nothing and I didn't, although I could." "If you could create it, then you can mold and control it. Who else? Can Rainbow destroy it?" "Very few can control it. Those that could were killed by the Sun tyrant’s army a long time ago. One survived, though. The pegasus should know how to destroy it, but maybe her grandmother never gave her the book I entrusted her ancestors. These clouds are called nightmist clouds-” "Which are formed from the oils of nightshade mixed with water and cooled to form a cloud. Can't they kill you? How long do we have?" Twilight interrupted. She just remembered reading about these clouds in her book of old myths the other day. Sadly, they did not have pictures so she did not recognize it before she touched it. "Yes, they can. In this concentration, ten minutes, give or take five." "How long have we been talking?" "Twelve minutes." "So we are both dead and that means only dead can walk on these clouds," Twilight rationalized. "You’re very much alive, Ruby Sparkle Twilight. We are very much alive, like the cloud. Only the dead, alicorns, and a species that legend forgot can coexist for any length of time." "Which are you? How are we not dead?" Twilight chose to ignore the odd name, of the list of things she wanted answers for, that near the bottom. "The third. The cloud is as alive as you and I. Not enough time has passed to kill alicorns. That takes twenty minutes. "So, can you teach me how to make it?” her analytical mind was already running a mile a minute at the possibility of learning such age old magic and what it could mean for the future. Laughing, the voice replied, "A worthy question, but I cannot teach a live student, nor who refuses to acknowledge or learn the history of the magic. I am willing, but this magic's knowledge is a blessing to some and a curse to others. The students of past have all been hunted, killed or exiled. This is your choice, but Fate will play it’s hoof." Twilight was taken aback by that, there was no history of magic she was not willing to learn. Except… her mind suddenly understood. "So the magic you will be teaching me is black, forbidden, or dark magic, and it could cause my death?" “Easily, if you are not extremely careful. Don’t worry about the cloud, it will let you go before it kills you. All you have to do is wait. While you wait, ponder this: What do the following spells have in common: resurrection, reanimation, and reincarnation?" "Nothing. Reincarnation and resurrection are spells of light, while reanimation is black magic. " "How native you are. Resurrection, reanimation, and reincarnation are all fragments of a single spell. Total resurrection." Twilight asked, "What’s the difference between total resurrection and resurrection?" "The difference is that resurrection brings back the mind. Reincarnation brings the soul. Reanimation brings the body. Reanimation and resurrection together have always been considered necromancy." "But isn't necromancy black magic?" "Ha! Do those five old ruling alicorns still teach that? Total resurrection and necromancy both fall into the magic of life and death. Necromancy is a separate branch, which means it can be used in other ways. Total resurrection is a single spell. The truth about magic is that there is no light, dark, or black magic. They are one in the same.” Nemo paused to let this sink in. He signed as she did not seem to be getting it. “Allow me to explain. In the world, there are five trees of magic: Chaos, harmony, dissonance, life and death. Of these, dissonance is the most confused. Chaos is the middle magic, neither harmony or dissonance. Those are opposites. What defines those categories are how the magic is used and the emotions used to fuel the magic. The problem is that to cast total resurrection, you need to have intimate knowledge of both the life and death sides. With that knowledge Twilight, you could kill almost anything, including the five alicorns.” “Wait! There are only four alicorns, including myself.” Nemo seemed taken aback by that, almost as if it were something he was not expecting. Laughter filled the cloud as he considered this news. “Who are they, excluding yourself?" "Celestia, princess of the sun, Luna, princess of the moon, and Mi Amore Cadenza otherwise known as Cadance, princess of love. And why in all of Equestria would I want to kill them?!” Twilight balked at the very thought. “Celestia and Luna? Those two are young and always fighting. The older was always jealous of the younger’s paintings. They were both jealous of their half brother, who was quite the trickster. They now rule? For how long?” “Well… Celestia has ruled for the past thousand years at least, longer most likely. Luna has been ruling alongside Celestia, after she was cleaned of her darkness. Wait… what half brother?!” “Careful of what you call ‘darkness’. The sun is more blinding than the blackest night.” Nemo’s voice suddenly changed as he remembered the half brother, it grew almost remorseful. “He was such a trickster.” There was a hint of a smile in Nemo’s voice at that memory. “Always such a playful child. He so enjoyed cotton candy and chocolate milk of glass, but that was back when he was innocent. His power was tricky to control, but it had a reason, a purpose. I remember a time when he seriously got in trouble with his father, Chronos. Haven’t seen him since.” Twilight’s ear flicked to the sound of a distant voice, but she couldn’t make out what the voice saying, “Twilight!?! Where are YOU?! It’s been nineteen minutes since you disappeared! You gotta come out!” “Did you hear a voice? Also, what did this unicorn look like?” “Unicorn? No, he was an alicorn. Dozen of years older than Celestia. He had a mahogany coat and scraggly white beard.” “TWILIGHT!?! You gotta get out now! Twenty minutes have past!” This time the voice came clear as day. “How close is Rainbow Dash?” “Why?” “Time is tricky here. To us, no time has past, but out there, hours can go by. I always lose track of time here.” “WHAT?! How much time has past? Rainbow was within grabbing distance.” “She was?” “Yes, is there a problem?” “Yes, but you don’t need to worry.” “HOW much time?” “Two hundred minutes, by the sun. Which is ten times the amount to kill you, but it needs something to activate the poison. It’s mostly found in the atmosphere outside.” “Then I’m leaving now. Good-bye!” Twilight had a hundred more questions, but she was out of time. She knew that her friends would be worried sick about her and had she known, she never would have stayed in here for this long. “Wait, before you go. The magic of life and death is what I can teach you, but like all magic it has a cost. Are you willing to learn? While you consider that question I’ll leave you with one more: what is the true name of Chaos magic?” “I will ponder your words and ask more questions, but I would like to be back on the ground now, if I make it there alive." "You will. One note about those five magics, they keep each other in balance, and the harmony of Equestria is tipping the scale too much. Be careful, the two sisters know what happens when somepony seeks knowledge in these magics and spells. They will filter what you learn, but what they haven't realized that imbalance is the killer, not the magic." "Before I go, who has dealt with this magic?" "Sombra, Luna, and Chrysalis. Celestia has tried, but she can't learn it." "Who can?" "Those of the Chosen Twilight." * * * * * * Rainbow waited above the clouds, looking for signs that her friend was alive. I really should have paid attention to you, grandmother. 'Yes, you should have.' Rainbow knew that voice, it was impossible but it could be no other. "Grandmother?" "Yes, although my time is short and infinite at the same time. Mere minutes turn to hours quickly. Twilight is fine. Once she's done talking, the cloud will disappear and you must catch her. My journal should arrive today. Don't share it, unless they open it with what most would call black magic. Currently two besides you can open it. Rainbow Dash, I need you to pinkie promise me that you will never allow Princess Celestia or Princess Luna get hold of that journal. Some of the spells locked in it have turned tides of war. They’ve only gotten it twice. There is a spell that will burn it and return the journal to the one I trust most. The incarnation is from book's life, I cast you to the fires for all. In the ashes, return to the walker of crimson. Farewell, my granddaughter." "You too, I think. Wait, no be safe or be careful?" she didn’t know which one applied to a ghost. "Have you ever seen those in our dictionary?" Rainbow smiled at that, it truly was her grandmother. Only she ever made that joke. * * * * * * With a shimmer of light, the dark cloud scattered. Rainbow Dash spotted her friend plummeting towards the ground and she dived. Twilight felt the upwards wind on her wings. She instinctively opened them and a rainbow streak shot straight to her. When Rainbow cleared the spots of her vision, she bear-hugged Twilight, accidentally pinning her wings against her cyran chest. “Twilight, I'm so glad you’re alright. I knew what the cloud was. You could have died you know." Twilight hacked at the force of Rainbow’s deadly hug. She choked out,“Rain….bow Da...sh, you're crushing me, let me go. Thank you for being rash. I’m glad too.” Rainbow quickly shifted her position so that Twilight could open her wings. Once Twilight was stable, she asked in a deathly calm voice, "May we talk privately on a normal white cloud?" Rainbow, blushing after realizing how closely she was holding Twilight, quickly found a cloud and led Twilight towards it. Twilight landed better this time, but it wasn't completely smooth. As Dash landed, she got a muzzle full of her friend’s tail. "Twi, I'm very sorry.” Rainbow said as she spit her friend's tail out of her mouth. Once she got the taste out of her mouth, Rainbow asked, “So… what do you want to talk about?” “It can wait. What were you doing while I was trapped in the cloud?" In truth so much had been said that Twilight knew she could spend months considering everything she had just learned. She wanted to know what everyone else had been doing before getting into that. "Complaining that I didn't pay attention to my grandmother. She also talked to me by the way. Are you sure? What were you doing?" Twilight jaw hit the bottom of the cloud at that. “The your dead grandmother?!!?” Rainbow just nodded her head at that question. “I… I… I….” Twilight found herself at a loss for words at that. Suddenly her mind started to put a few pieces together. What had Nemo said? Resurrection, reincarnation, reanimation? She shook it off and just added it to the long, long, LONG list of strange things that she had learned today. Rainbow just gave her friend her cocky smiled. “Trust me Twi, if somepony could pull something like that off, it would be her. Now what were you doing in that cloud anyway?” "Talking about magic. There was someone in there, someone that had created the cloud actually. I don’t know if he was physically there or not, but I could hear his voice. He gave me some words to ponder and some warnings too. We talked about...." Twilight had trailed off as two scrolls floated down from the sky caught her attention. The first was sealed with a black ribbon with a crimson stripe running down the center. On its front was a star surrounded by five other smaller stars, each a different color. The other had blue and gold ribbons sealing the scroll, bound in matching blue and gold with what looked like a tricolor lightning bolt leaving a white cloud. Rainbow could spot that coloration any day and made a grab for it. Twilight caught both letters in her magic and placed them in her bag for safe keeping. What was said, what was learned, it should not be read in public. She knew far too little to risk showing anyone. Rainbow just huffed at having her letter denied to her. “Relax, we’ll read them together back at the castle. I just want to make sure no one eavesdrops.” She doubted a lot of what Nemo said, but if there was the smallest chance he was telling the truth, that he was not trying to mislead her, she wanted to know. “Why not now? The clouds are clear and we are in the middle of nowhere over the Everfree Forest.” “That’s just it. Did you know what kind of cloud that was?” “Yeah, an unnatural cloud, might have been a Night-something Cloud, but my weather trainer said that they are a super rare occurrence and are the works of myths and legend.” “Rainbow, that was a Nightmist cloud,” Twilight spoke with a hint of fear in her voice. “Wait! Nightmist as in clouds of nightshade?” “The same, I’m afraid.” “Well, I guess you being an alicorn helped. You were immune to the poison’s effects. Hey Twi, wasn’t it close to noon?” In the horizon, Rainbow noticed that Celestia was lowering the sun. “Yes, it was. Our friends!” Twilight’s eyes went wide at that realization. “They must be so worried about us! They probably sent a letter to Celestia and she is organizing an Equestria wide pony hunt involving all the ponies in every city all over the nation!” Rainbow rolled her eyes at her friends eccentricities. With someone like Twilight, they would always jump to worst case scenario. “I somehow doubt it, Twi. Pinkie’s pinkie sense would have told her if we were in any real trouble.” Twilight’s eye twitch returned at the mention of ‘that’. She shook it off, "Alright. First, where are we?" "Good question."Rainbow looked around and something she recognised. "Hey Twilight, isn't that the southern edge of the Everfree? Yep, there’s ghastly gorge!" “Wow, we’re really all the way out here?” Twilight seemed shocked about that. "I believe so, but shouldn't... Oh Celestia, I've been flying here before. We're on the outer edge. That means you're in for a treat. It's an hour-long flight to Ponyville, if you can manage twelve wingpower for that time that is!” "Rainbow, do I have cotton in my ears?" "I don't believe so." "Ok, then explain to me how I’m going to manage twelve wingpower for an hour?!" "I have faith in you. You've gone faster." Rainbow’s confidence in her abilities sparked something in Twilight. She could not explain what, but knowing that Rainbow believed in her somehow caused Twilight to believe that she could do it. "Thanks, Rainbow. Let's head home." * * * * * * The pair took off and made best speed for home. About forty minutes into their flight, they caught sight of a pink blur hopping through the forest. Taking a closer look, they saw a white unicorn, a butterscotch pegasus, and an orange earth pony wearing a stetson. They changed course to intercept them. “Shouldn’t you four have gotten back by now?!” Rainbow was surprised they had not made it back home yet. When they landed, Pinkie wasted no time in wrapping them both up in a huge a bear hug, the action caught a seriously out of breath Twilight completely by surprise, meanwhile Rainbow was just annoyed by the sudden physical contact. It cause them both to miss that their wings were brushing up against each other’s. “Where have you two been?” Rarity asked. "Oh, oh, oh. You were investigating a cloud the trapped both of you within. Rainbow Dash talked to her dead grandmother while Twilight talked to an ominous voice about magic and what is good and evil." "We weren’t both trapped, Pinkie." Twilight had long ago grown accustomed to Pinkie knowing about things she shouldn’t. However, she would still jump at any chance to prove her wrong. "Then what's the time?" Pinkie asked with a smile. Twilight looked up at the sun’s position and rubbed a hoof to her chin. "The sun could be seen in the sky, just under the tops of the trees. It’s about four forty five.” "Yes, it is. You’ve both been missing since one. I wasn’t worried though, my pinkie sense told me you two were fine as you were together! Fluttershy here waited in the park for you two to return. At about three, a couple of the other pegasi wanted to know if 'Shy had seen either of you. Cloudsdale had a malfunction and couldn't deliver the clouds on time. They made the decision to postpone the storm. Around four, Angel bunny had asked for Fluttershy to investigate something in the Everfree Forest. She was a bit hesitant, but we all volunteered to help out. We've been at this for about half an hour. Speaking of which, Fluttershy how close are we? I got a party to plan!" "About ten minutes out of the location Angel told me." “What party, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “A Twilight made a new friend party, duh!” Pinkie responded hyperactively. "Ahh, you said something about a malfunction?" Rainbow cut in while trying desperately to get the pinkie mare’s attention off Twilight before she had a brain aneurysm. "They said that a large amount of condensed water escaped over the Everfree earlier in the morning," Fluttershy responded. "That explains that Nightmist cloud," Rainbow tried to whisper so that only Twilight could hear. She didn’t know if her friend had ever heard of them, but if they had she did not want to needlessly worry them. Unfortunately, Fluttershy did hear it. Her many years talking and spending time with animals had sharpened her ears to pick up on the smallest of sounds. "Um, if you don't mind me asking Dash, what are Nightmist clouds?" “They're a type of clouds that mix with Nightshade. Deadly too." No further question could be asked, as at that moment a loud roar was heard the the background. The group of six friends instantly recognized the angry roar of a manticore in the direction they were traveling in. "Oh no!" Fluttershy shouted, “Some poor creature is being attacked by a manticore, we gotta go save it!” She flew off, not allowing any of the others time to disagree. They could only chase after their friend. It was always the same with Fluttershy, she would barely lift a hoof to defend herself. Yet, threaten some innocent creature and she’d rush off at the drop of a hat. With Fluttershy’s resolve to protect the creatures, they all forged ahead. Through the blushes was a scene they were not prepared for. On the other side was a manticore fighting one of his own kind. Based on size alone, it was very one sided. Manticores are large lions with bat wings and scorpion tails. Very fierce and very territorial. That two were in the same spot was a sure sign that one had invaded the other’s territory. This could only end one way if they did not do something about it. Rainbow jumped into action and pushed the larger one away. The other, a smaller manticore, roared. She was trying to warn them to stop. Only Fluttershy heard and understood the warning. Twilight had an idea, but the others tried to get the manticore away. The manticore would not stand for the actions of the blue one or the others. It struck out with lighting speed, seeking to sting Rainbow with its deadly venomous tail. They don’t call her Dash for nothing, Rainbow was able to avoid the stinger but that action caused her to go off course, Her wing clipped on a tree, dislodging the wing. She slammed into the ground with a loud thud and a scream from the pain of the dislocated wing. Twilight rushed to Rainbow’s side, catching a glance of the other manticore, she saw that the smaller manticore was in fact, female. “Everyone run and don’t look back. We need to leave or we’ll be lunch!” “Why are we leavin’ this manticore defenceless against the other? She’s injured and needs help.” Applejack questioned, with Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodding agreement. “Rainbow is already severely injured and the manticore is not actually in any danger, they’re mating not fighting.” Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement, manticore mating habits were very fascinating. Twilight picked up her friend with her magic, leaving a small puddle of the cyan mare’s blood behind. They all took off running at full gallop. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were getting ready to disagree as that couldn’t have possibly been a mating ritual, but they caught Fluttershy’s eyes. Without breaking contact, Fluttershy spoke in a deathly calm voice, she had noticed something the others did not, “Twilight, can you teleport all of us to the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters? Like right now, no questions asked.” It was closer than Twilight's and they needed to be somewhere else right this second. “Yes, I believe I can, but the landing may be hard. Hold onto Rainbow.” She passed the cyan mare to Rarity with her magic. Rainbow just groaned as she was moved between them. Based on that Twilight had a suspicion that she might have more than a dislocated wing. Twilight’s horn was already charged; she moved Rainbow to the others and teleported them all to the old castle. As she was, Rainbow said “Twilight, Thank you. I have to tell you that I…” In an instant they were gone and Twilight’s magic was mostly spent. Twilight was shocked. the others were gone but for some reason she had not left. Must be an after effect of the clo— She never got to finish that thought. What Fluttershy had tried to save them from, the thing she had not come out and said, the male manticore had given chase. Her thought was cut off as it’s deadly stinger pierced the alicorn’s side. She felt the venom course through her veins, causing the alicorn princess unimaginable pain and suffering at that moment. The impact sent her careening into a nearby tree. Her left wing took a pretty good hit on crashing. the wound from the injection was bleeding out heavily. Thinking quickly, Twilight cast a quick healing spell. it would not do anything for the venom but it would stop her from bleeding to death. She could only look up in horror as the manticore approached, seeking to finish it’s kill. * * * * * * In the distance, an old stallion was sleeping. He knew what the manticores were doing, so he slept in a non-threatening range of the manticore. It was a male and female, but very few knew what they did during mating or birth. If you attacked either one it was the equivalent of threatening them both, and the male will usually attack to kill. The sounds of a hard impact and the smell of blood had awoken him. “Well, I guess I should see what all this noise is about and maybe steal myself some lunch.” He began to gallop in the direction of the crash. * * * * * * He walked out to where he first heard the noise. there was a pool of blood next to a tree. Sipping that down he suddenly heard another noise in the distance. “Oh cool, there’s more! That was the best drink I’ve had in years, I’m not letting the manticore have it all to himself.” After the quick drink, the large silver coated stallion with a brown mane and tail took off in the direction Twilight had ran. He smiled with his large pearly white fangs showing and folded his bat wings to his side. As soon as the manticore came into view, he doubled his average speed and changed direction to an intercept path with the creature and its victim. With long strides and a quick beat of his wings, he closed the distance before the the manticore’s tail could strike again. He slammed the manticore into a patch of wild garlic. Unfortunately he could not stop himself from going right along with it. The manticore became slightly dazed; Twilight looked up to see what had happened; and saw what looked like blisters forming all of her rescuer's body. She quickly teleported him out of the garlic patch. ‘Why did it have to be garlic?’ the stallion kicked himself over such a stupid mistake. The stallion looked at his meal/rescuer with surprise in his eyes. He had been expecting a lot: Some stupid colt on a dare from his friends, some travelers lost in the woods, some foolish pegasus that crashed landed. An alicorn princess as beautiful as her? That was definitely not on the list. Instantly he recognize her from pictures he had caught in passing. “Twilight Sparkle?” “Uhh, do I know you?” Twilight tried to say more, but the poison was starting to become debilitating. “No, I don’t suspect you do.” he paused as he realized what the problem was. “I know it hurts, but you need to get running. Manticore venom is not like normal venom. It works faster if you stay still. Running will increase the time it’ll take to kill you.” ”Don’t worry about me.” The stallion shouted to Twilight when she took off. She only looked back once, but that once was all that she needed to know that he would be alright. The manticore took wing and landed just to the side of him. The manticore swung its claw right into him, only to be avoided by a last second leap into the air. The high ground gave him a chance to get into a better counter attack position. The stallion paused to make sure that Twilight was ok, that break was a mistake as the manticore flew into the air and slammed a paw into him. He was sent careening directly into Twilight. “Are you alright?” “Mostly….” They asked and answered each other in sync. “Will be and duck!” She ducked in time, unfortunately his reflexes were slowed by that last hit. The manticore’s tail knocked him away from Twilight and into a patch of midnight rose. The manticore ponced onto Twilight and went for her neck. “Midnight rose. Please forgive me.” The stallion ate some of the flowers. The effect was instantaneous. the glamour spell he had been using shattered. revealing a long horn at the top of his head. Gathering his magic, he unleashed a powerful spell at the manticore. The bolt spell knocked the manticore away, before it could bite down. He flew up to Twilight but the situation was dire. The manticore's venom was taking hold. Thinking quickly he cast a quick paralysis spell over her body. “The manticore's venom is very powerful. I've temporarily halted its movement, along with other nutrients besides oxygen. We gotta get you someplace safe." Twilight’s eyes went wide as dinner plates as she saw the horn at the top of his head. She could barely speak but she did have one question her mind demanded the answer too. Her voice was as weak as a newborn’s. “I recognize your voice. You were the one I was talking to in the cloud. You said life and death magic has a cost. What was the cost?” “The cost was that you would have to eat a more omnivorous diet." She closed her eyes as the last effects of the spell made itself known. "I will save you Twilight, but there will be a price. I just hope you don’t hate me afterwards.” He encased the wounded princess in his own magic and spread his wings. Taking flight, he made best speed to the only safe place he knew. “And to think, I was actually going to eat you.” Despite himself, Gaius started laughing at the absurdity of that thought, until the sunlight, even though fading, pierced the canopy. Due to his laughter, he missed the ray of sunlight and flew into its path. As the ray burned him, he lost control and crashed, stopping where no trees were. As he tried to pull her away, magic exploded around her, knocking him into the shade, while leaving her in the sunlight. Even though he could walk into the sunlight, he had taken quite a bit of damage and those roses only last so long. The magic swirled into two things, a shield around Twilight and another pony, similar to himself. As he gazed at the magic, he spat out, "What are you doing here?" "Giving her moonlight. It takes time for the light of the moon to reach here. Also, you are too exhausted to do anything." "You have that right. What will be her cost?" "Just hungrier than usual. I bit more aggressive. Nothing much compared to what I'm doing." The magic sunk into Twilight, opening her eyes. They were no longer her normal shade, but a deep Crimson. Twilight’s eyes were only that for a minute before she fell into a sleep. “Thank you. When you’re done, do you mind moving us back to my home?” the stallion asked before he too fell unconscious. “Tis’ no problem and I will be glad, my Crimson Walker.” Crimson Twilight p2Through the unrelenting Everfree Forest, a pegasus and her comrades followed the stream. They left with a purpose and the pegasus always kept her distance in front of the two unicorns. She would scout the area ahead and the unicorns would be able to do ranged spells. “Come on. The Elements are in danger,” Winter Arc spoke in an annoyed tone. “Winter, you’re flying. We’ve never been able to catch up when you fly,” Armored Spear shouted to the pegasus flying above. “Spear and Winter, we’re here,” Bronze spoke. As Winter landed and the other two caught up with her, a pink earth pony kindly waited in front of them. The pink pony then loudly greeted each of them by name and introduced them to other Elements of Harmony, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, the latter of which was trying to make herself as small as possible behind Rainbow. “It is a pleasure to meet you Bronze Sword, Winter Arc, and Armored Spear. My name is Rarity.” Rarity politely introduced the other Elements for Pinkie, whose mile-a-minute talking took some time to get used to. “Thank you, Rarity, but please, call me Winter. We were sent into the Everfree to find you when Princess Celestia received a mile-high stack of letters. I see that Princess Twilight Sparkle is not with you. Where is she? Is she endanger?” “We actually don’t know. Our friend, Pinkie Pie, believes that she is safe, although something has happened to her,” Rarity spoke. “My pinkie sense caused my right leg to shake three times and then a I fainted like a goat!” Pinkie said excitedly, “I don’t know what that last one was though, it was almost like a doozy but a little more of a doozy.” “Come again?” “It’s better if you just don’t ask,” Rarity said as she rolled her eyes. The look on the guards’ faces were all of horror. Here are five of the Elements of Harmony. Two looked to be injured or have been, and one is missing and might be dead for all they know. Armored Spear used his magic to inspect Rainbow Dash’s wing. Some of the muscles were severely torn and she had a couple of fractures. Most pegasi injured like this wouldn’t be standing, those that did were just idiots in his mind. But the demeanor of Rainbow spoke of someone with more pressing concerns on her mind. “Well, you won’t be flying anytime soon,” Armored Spear stated. “I know that Sherlock Hooves. Fluttershy told me that as she bandaged it. How about telling me something useful, like how bad the injury actually is,” Rainbow snarked, although she really did not want to know the answer. “It could be worse, you’ll still be able to fly, but… in my experience, I’ve never seen someone fully recover. Those that do only cope.” “Will this hurt my chances to get into the Wonderbolts?” “I wouldn’t have any idea. Winter may be able to tell you. For now, let get you all out of this forest.” Armored Spear began his work on Rainbow’s wing. Fluttershy obviously had experience treating injuries like this before. “What about the other guards that came with you three?” Pinkie Pie asked sensing the approach of two new ponies. Armored Spear was about to reply that they separated in order to escort them to safely, but his comment was cut off by Night Wind toppling over him. It was obvious Night was running from something and not paying attention to where he was going. “Night Wind, why are you running like a thestral out of Tartarus?” Armored Spear asked as he got back to his hooves, “and where are the others?” Night Wind responded so quickly that the words blurred together worse that Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. As such, only Pinkie was actually able to understand it.. “I think he said ‘Large...scared...out... them? That’s what I caught, at least.” Ruby extended her wing over Night and calmed him down, running the tip across his back. The action couldn’t help but calm the thestral down, although he was disappointed that the contact did not last. “Thanks Ruby Eyes, that really helped. Think you could continue?” Night asked with a hint of glee. “Keep wishing buster,” Ruby replied with a playful tone in her voice, “Now do you mind saying what you said earlier in a calm, slow, and understandable voice?” “I don’t. A large thestral stallion scared the living Tartarus out of us and the other three guards… Who we left with two combatants deep within a cave that could have more traps. Silver was surprised by one. Luna’s going to have my hide for leaving them. If she doesn’t, then Shining Armor definitely will. I… we... we left so fast that I barely caught the pattern of his sister’s cutie mark.” “You left them?” Bronze Sword replied with venom on his voice. “We were ordered too. There were two attackers that ambushed us.” “So let me get this straight, with five of you, you ran from two attackers?!” Bronze Sword was getting pissed. “Shut up, you have no idea what we were up against! They were strong, like stupidly strong. And that cave had traps. Silver Eyes even triggered one.” “I’d never have ran. I’d never leave a comrade behind against an unknown foe,” Bronze said. Ruby stepped up. “Hey, we’re soldiers; we follow orders! Dim Eyes told us to run so we ran!” “Like cowards.” Ruby slapped him for that. “Only a fool stays to fight a losing battle. We ran to get help, with you three we can go back and rescue them.” “No.” Armored Spear spoke with an authority of one that lead ponies into battle. “Darling, you mentioned that you might have seen somepony else in the cave?” asked Rarity. “Yeah… was either a pegasus or thestral,” Ruby said. “Silly filly, Twilight’s an alicorn, not a pegasus or thestral,” Pinkie interjected. “Just don’t. No one knows how or why,” Rainbow interjected before Armored Spear could ask how or why Pinkie could know that. “Spear, what do we do if Twilight is in the cave?” Winter asked. “Y’all are gonna rescue her with us,” Applejack replied. “No way in Tartarus I’m going back into that cave,” Night stated. Night started to shake at the memories of that thestral. “Um, I’d rather return to Ponyville, but...Twilight is our friend. She’d easily sacrifice everything for us, even all the magic in Equestria. I say return the favor. It’s twice she’s done that.” “You tell’em, Flutters.” “No. Rainbow’s hurt and needs a doctor. The rest of you should return as well. You all have families. My mission is to return all of you safety first.” “Armored Spear, darling, I know that you’re a soldier following orders, but there is no way we’re not going to investigate that cave. Fluttershy even said she’s willing. If the scared thestral wants to stay in Tartarus, then he can. We’ll be passing it on the way.” “And Spear, you don’t know me.” Rainbow gave her wings a few tentative flaps, slightly wincing at the pain, before becoming airborne. “See I can fly. And I will never leave a friend hanging, especially Twilight.” “Ruby Eyes. You haven’t said much.” “I know.” “What’s your opinion?” “Go back,” Ruby dejectedly said. “Ruby, what’s wrong?” Winter asked as she set a wing on her. “I was only in the way. Night had to carry me, and Dim Eyes had to attack me to prevent me from attacking them. I was powerless, forced to obey the vampire’s wishes. I am not someone’s puppet; I want revenge; I want to save our comrades!” “Hold up. What’s this hoo-ha about vampires?” Applejack questioned. “Oh, yeah. Silver spotted a vampire on a ledge,” Night said. “Another reason I’m not going, and who scared the living starlights out of me.” Fluttershy almost shrieked and disappeared behind Rainbow. “If it’s okay with all of you, I’ll remain outside the cave.” “What do you mean by a vampire?” Spear asked. “They’re an ancient Equis species that feed off of the equines and other sentient species. Lived with the alicorns, dragons, draconequi, and a few lesser races in all their eyes, equines included.” “You don’t think….” Fluttershy started, before hiding herself even more than before. “Fluttershy, you can stay with me outside that filthy trap and dust infiltrated cave. I’m sure our friends won’t mind.” Rarity walked over to Fluttershy and offered her a generous hoof. “We know how shy you can be and will never force you to do something you are not comfortable with. Again...” “Thanks, Rarity.” Fluttershy took the hoof and came into better view. Her wings were still twitching from agitation, but that was to be expected given the circumstances. “It doesn’t matter if we are facing alicorns or vamponies, —” “Or alicorn vampire ponies,” Pinkie Pie interjected. “— you shouldn’t have left them. You should have at least fought. Come on, I’m not going to leave my Captain and the Elements wouldn’t leave Twilight either, even if it is just a chance.” “Yer right. We wouldn’t.” “Come on. Let’s head out.” “Um, shouldn’t Armored Spear make that call, unless you know where you're going,” Fluttershy whispered. “She’s right, we don’t know where we’re going, but Ruby does.” “Kinda, but Night knows better,” Ruby responded. “Hey! We’re not allowing any of you to endanger yourselves —” Armored Spear started. “You couldn’t stop us from trying,” Rainbow shouted. “ — without us accompanying you. Night Wind, mind leading the way?” “Yes, but I don’t have a choice, do I?” Night responded. All at once, Bronze Sword, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Armored Spear said, “No, you don’t.” “Fine. I’ll stay out there in case somepony comes running out. You all can go and tempt fate.” The elements began to pack up their sleeping bags. As Rainbow rolled up hers, a letter fell out. The odd thing about the letter was it was the letter Twilight had denied her to read. Night Wind noticed the letter’s coloration and an oddity. He decided that it wasn’t his business about asking about it and Rainbow had already picked it up. Once they were packed their saddle bags, Night Wind began the track towards the cave. They took their time for those injured and allowed them to set the pace. The moon could be seen reaching some of the tops of trees by the time the got to the cave. Problem was, there was no cave. The three unicorns looked at the stone wall. If somepony was hiding, what better way than use nature to your advantage. The guards lit their horns and found a visual illusion. They quickly dispelled it and stared at the narrow mouth of the cave. “So, Night, can you give us any more information on these combatants?” “Nothing I haven’t already said. I’m staying out here, though.” “Coward,” Bronze Sword said venomously. Rainbow jabbed him for that. They all had something to lose, whether it was a comrade, a loved one, a foal, a friend, or themselves. That was the nature of life and the guard. “Um, Bronze Sword. You have no right to attack another because of their fear. In Ponyville, the same thing happened to Zecora and she’s extremely nice, once you meet her. So if you could, don’t,” Fluttershy asked politely. “She’s right Bronze,” Armored Spear said, “But before we go further, what’s the plan? We don’t know how large this cave is. Also, Fluttershy will you be joining us?” “That’s easy, silly. We search it. There are six of us willing. We could form two groups of three,” Pinkie replied. “Um, no, I won’t,” Fluttershy quietly responded to Armored Spear’s question. “Who with whom?” Ruby Eyes asked. “Pinkie Pie, myself and Ruby Eyes, we’re team one. Winter Arc, Rainbow Dash, Bronze Sword and Applejack, you’re team two,” Armored Spear stated. “Each has a flyer and mage. You sure you want to go this route, Armored Spear?” Bronze Sword asked. Armored Spear thought for a moment. It seemed good. Ruby Eyes was still shaking from her experience but she was eager to prove herself. “Yeah I’m sure, let's move out.” “Armored Spear, and Bronze Sword, which one of you is good with shields? The passageway narrows to single pony, before opening to a wide area. That was where we were ambushed.” “Spear is,” Bronze replied. “Looks like you have point.” “Alright everyone, let’s break a leg.” “Silly filly, we don’t want to break a leg.” Pinkie said happily. “Pinkie, it’s an expression for good luck,” Applejack replied. “Oh... then why not just say that?” Pinkie asked. “It’s bad luck to,” Winter replied. Armored Spear entered first with Bronze Sword taking up the rear. Everypony else was in between. “This is where we left Dim Eyes, Silver Eyes, and Redwing. They must have taken them farther into the cave.” Ruby said. The assembled group began a search of the area. The two unicorns used their magic to get a feel for the area. They identified three paths that could be taken. The first, only the pegasi and thestral could reach. The second and third started the same but split to who knows where. “Rainbow and Winter, you take the ledge. It's easiest for you and the only other that could reach it is Ruby, but I still want to make sure she’s alright. Take this.” Armored Spear handed them a small, circular disk. “What’s this?” Rainbow asked. “It’s used for short distance communication. We didn’t use them earlier since the Everfree Forest disrupts the signal too much. In an enclosed space like this, they should work better,” Armored Spear articulated. “Then let’s head out.” With an outline of a basic plan, the groups set out to do their tasks. * * * * * Meanwhile, deeper in the cave, a lavender alicorn was sprawled on the bed. She had been thinking of what Gaius had said. From his speech, he didn’t seem to trust Princess Celestia, but given his situation that was understandable. She was the embodiment of the sun, a killer of vampires. Vampire. Eternal life was something she wondered about when she ascended, but never asked. The princesses had informed her that over time, her body will continue to grow and adjust. She wouldn’t be a full grown alicorn most likely until all of her friends had passed. Princess Celestia had also sent some vitamins for her to take to help her grow, but she didn’t see the importance of them. She always ate three balanced and filling meals. There were no reasons for her to take them. Her stomach growled at her and her thirst returned. Deciding she still had a few more questions, Twilight rolled off her bed and landed on the floor. After opening the door, she quietly made her way to the kitchen, noting with some disdain that the vampire was resting on the couch. She searched for the cabinet that had the bags of blood, but wasn’t having much luck, and the cabinet that Gaius got their earlier supply from was bone dry. One of the cabinets had the same vitamins Celestia had given her, but she dismissed that off, for now that she was a vampire there was really no reason for it. Her nose found another cabinet for her, she figured it must be a side effect of her new powers. However, it was sealed tight. Her magic had little effect on the lock. And before she would resort to just shattering the cabinet, an idea rose. There are three fresh bodies in the other room, the thought came unbidden and unwanted to her mind, however, once she thought it, she couldn’t stop thinking it. She weighed the options in front of her, putting them on a mental checklist of pros and cons. Option 1: Wake up Gaius. Pros: She wouldn’t have to feed directly from a pony. Cons: Waking him up meant disrupting him. He could be angry or sympathetic. He didn’t seem like the type, however, she did not know him all that well. This could be a bad idea. Option 2: Wait Pros: Would not risk angering an unknown variable. Con: How long would she have to wait? The thirst could become all-consuming. Option 3: Feed directly Pros: The thirst would be quenched. Cons : I’D BE FEEDING FROM A BUCKING PONY!!! Three was obviously not a bucking option. In the back of her mind, she registered a door opening and closing and the clip clop of hooves on a stone floor. A little bit towards the front, a voice was vainly trying to convince her to go with option three, but she immediately squashed that idea. As she debated with herself, she made her way to Gaius to wake him up. One her way, a meal literally flopped down in a seat at the table. Twilight's new senses could see the veins in his neck and the sweet, sweet blood running through it. Her mouth watered at the prospect, the thought of a fresh meal, of the taste of new blood running down her throat, it became something else in her mind. Option three was quickly winning. Am I really about to do this? Twilight asked herself as she found her hooves moving of their own volition towards the unicorn. Her stomach growled louder and her thirst tripled in intensity. It was all consuming, the thought of a meal being so close made itself known, it wanted this, it needed this. She needed this. Every step brought her closer and closer. The unicorn at the table did not look up, he did not notice her approach. She could hear his heartbeat. The steady bump-bump, bump-bump, pounding in her ears. The drive, it became all-consuming to her. It was primal need she had to sate, it had to happen. She could think of nothing else, every thought was gone save for this one, save for the all-consuming desire to feed, to drain this unicorn dry of every scrap of blood in his body. ‘Twilight!’ it was like five voices shouting in her mind. Her mind, her mind as the Princess of Friendship, her mind as Celestia’s star student. It squished this desire like a bug. The realization, the horror of what she almost did caused her to want to throw up. She wasn’t a mindless beast, she wasn’t a killer and she never would be. “Twilight Sparkle!” the unicorn in the chair shouted as he noticed her for the first time “You’re up!” “After a fashion,” Gaius replied from the other side of the room. Twilight turned and glared at him, in that one second, they had an unspoken conversation. ‘You were going to let me drink from him, weren't you?!’ ‘Yes, yes I was.’ She glared at him with a look of hatred, for that. “Gaius, I see you’re up.” The unicorn spoke. “Indeed Dim Eyes. Have you come to join us for breakfast?” “Dim Eyes, wait, you’re my brother’s friend!” Dim Eyes smiled at the alicorn. “Yes, Shining was forbidden to come, a meeting has been called to gather together all the rulers of the nation. He sent me to find you and keep you safe.” “How do you two know each other?!” Twilight questioned. Gaius laughed, “We've met before, although this is the first time I talked directly to him and that he remembers.” “He told me you were stung by manticore venom and he had to change you, I didn't think it actually worked on alicorns, though.” “Only if they’re willing.” Gaius smiled at that. A deep rumble echoed across the room, gathering everyone's attention. Twilight blushed as she realized it came from the most unlikely source, her stomach. “Hungry again, Twilight?” Gaius asked with a smile. Her blush seemed to get deeper at that, and what she almost did. “Yes.” “There is a fresh supply of blood in the other room, why don’t you grab some to take the edge off?” Twilight almost skipped out of the room at that news, she wanted, no, she need something to drink and the thought of getting it guilt free was one she could not deny. The two watched her go with a smile. One that faded when she was out of earshot. “This is bad.” Dim Eyes said. “I know,” Gaius confirmed. “If she doesn’t feed from a fresh body soon, she’ll become a true monster. Based on her power, she’ll destroy all of the world in her madness.” “I was hoping she’d take the bait,” Dim Eyes said. It had been his idea. He did not fully trust the vampire, not until he explained the situation and how screwed they were. Twilight was indeed the second alicorn vampire ever created. However what was really scary was that she was already on the level of a fully fledged vampire lord and she hadn’t even fed directly yet. With such power, came a matching thirst. She’d need to feed, and soon. Especially after just turning. Dim Eyes knew more than the average pony about vampire lore, his time with Princess Luna had taught him much. “I have to admit, I was surprised that you suggested this.” Gaius said, “It’s rare for one to offer themselves up as a meal.” Dim Eyes looked down at the table. “I promised Shining I’d find her and bring her back. While this is outside of the letter of the promise, this is what has to be done. If she doesn’t feed soon, Twilight Sparkle will be gone and a monster will be born into this world. One that will bring it to it’s knees.” “Even though she will kill you?” Gaius asked. “Hey, my oath is to protect the Princesses, I swore to give my life to that end. So if I must, then I must. I’m actually amazed that she stopped herself like that.” “It’s a sign of her pure heart, and the influence her friends have over her,” Gaius placed a hoof on his shoulder. “You are truly a noble soul.” “Do what must be done,” Dim Eyes leaned his head away from the vampire. With a swipe of his power, Gaius cut him just enough to draw blood. “Twilight,” He called out, “I forgot the blood is in here.” Twilight came bounding back in the room, “I was wondering, I cou-” She stopped talking. The sight of fresh blood spilt, the smell of it in the air, it won in her mind. At that moment, Twilight Sparkle, the nerdy bookworm that became a princess was gone, at least temporarily. In it’s spot was a creature that only wanted one thing, that lived for one thing and one thing alone. A creature that had to have, that must have blood. She moved of her own volition, her teeth grew fangs as it sought to quench her thirst. Her tongue licked the front of her fangs, her eyes never left the bright red spot on Dim Eyes’ neck. She wanted this. She needed this. She had to have this. She reared up onto the back of him, and opened her mouth wide to take her first drink from a living being. Dim Eyes turned his neck slightly to one side, opening up more access to it. With a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash, she bit down into his neck with both fangs. The taste was exhilarating. The natural flavor of fresh blood flowed down her taste-buds and into her stomach. It was both the most soothing nectar and fine aged wine at the same exact time. She did not stop, she wanted more, she needed more, she had to have more. Dim Eye’s struggled as his life essence was pulled out of his body from two holes in his neck. He felt himself growing weaker and as the pain increased ten, a hundred, a thousand fold from the bite. He tried fighting against it, his natural instinct would not simply sit by and do nothing as his body died from this creature. Regardless of what training he had or how noble his sacrifice was. Twilight would not let him. Without even thinking it, her magic easily overpowered his own and paralyzed her unfortunate victim as she attempted to drain him of every last drop of blood. Gaius looked on in approval at this development. ‘Your sacrifice is for the greater good.’ He knew Dim Eyes was as good as dead. Twilight would not stop until the stallion was fully drained. She’d be scared forever, but this needed to happen, this had to happen. In a way this was both a birth and a death. Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle was dead, Vampire Twilight Sparkle was born. “Get off him you monster!” A shout came from the other end of the room as two pegasi burst through the door. That voice, that’s… that’s Rainbow Dash. Rainbow’s here...’ Twilight internally shouted with glee. Then it dawned on her. Rainbow Dash called me a monster. The window shattered. Her meal crumpled to the ground as she let go. Her long, bloodied fangs and teeth were agape as she stared at the two pegasi. The sky blue pegasus was crouched low and fearfully towards the ground. That pegasus looked more fearful than when she had met Fluttershy. And she was the source of that fear. The light cerulean pegasus had a disgusted look on her face at what she was seeing. Her wings were flared out slightly, but close to her body. Before they could act, the ‘monster’ teleported away. However, Twilight's retreat from her friend’s disgusted look did not stop the bolt of magic that came from the other pony sitting in the room. Seeing his spell connect, he went to pick them up and noticed with surprise that Dim Eyes was still alive. So Faust was merrible on your soul. As he looked at him, his own stomach growled, but he ignored it and went to the cabinet he stored his own personal supply. From the cabinet, Gaius grabbed a few supplies and from his reserves marked A+ blood, his nose easily determined the blood type of Twilight's victim without needing to be told. Finding the proper vein, a simple task for any vampire, Gaius poked a needle into Dim Eyes. The blood from the bags started to flow into him. It wasn’t the healthiest blood for a transfusion, but would be enough to save the unicorn’s life. Gaius, seeing that the transfusion was starting to work, picked up the two pegasi and carried them to a different room than where Redwing and Silver Eyes were. He dropped them off and ignored the call of Silver Eyes. He had a very powerful alicorn vampire that required his immediate attention, he had to get to her before she did something rash. He slowly approached the door for the room Twilight Sparkle should have landed in and opened the door. The door revealed no pony on the bed. Concentrating on his powers, he easily found the signature of Twilight above the door, waiting for him. Gaius decided to amuse her, walking through the door. As he expected, Twilight slammed her forehooves into him and pinned him to the ground. “Why in bloody Tartarus did you do that to him?!” Twilight shouted with venom in her voice. “He chose that fate himself, and all I did was cut him. I wasn't the vampire to latch onto his neck and almost drain him dry.” “No guard in Equestria would ever do that. You made him!” “I did not. He willfully chose his fate knowing that you may kill him. The only thing that I made happen was to draw you in. I knew you had to feed. I also knew that you might be unwilling. There were only two ways that I could have gotten you to feed from him. You showed true heart by not going for him originally.” The smirk on Gaius’s face only served to royally piss off the alicorn. “The other option was to use an illusion, to deceive you— Dim Eyes’ neck being the bag of blood. It’s a hard decision for any vampire to make. That’s why only the lords are taught how to create such an illusion. We do it sparingly. That does not stop others from trying though.” “But why? Why would you try and trick me like that!?” Her hoof began pressing harder on Gaius neck, her vampire nature was taking over. Gaius was one part impressed at her strength, and the other scared about what might have happened if she hadn’t fed. “Because, time was running out, Dim Eyes was the best choice. He was awake and knew what could happen. Luna has pictures of the destruction the vampire monsters have done,” Gaius said. He continued as the pressure relaxed on his neck, “Admittedly, I didn’t expect you to be as hungry as you were. Most transformed vampires require a week before they have to go for a fresh meal or snack. I was expecting three to five full days, not a day and a half or less!” “What would you have done then? Either way I was going to have a fresh pony wasn’t I?” “Yes, you were. That is an unavoidable truth. It is the nature of what you now are. You had to have a fresh kill. I would have guided you to a jail of scum and let you have your pick. Not a prestigious guard like Dim Eyes.” “Why him? Why couldn’t you warn me of doing this?” “Because I was able to speak with him. I didn’t know that he was a dear friend of your brother. You may be mad about my choice princess, but answer me this: How would you feel if it had been Rainbow Dash or any of the other bearers of harmony were the ones that had cut themselves. If you had killed one you're best friends because you couldn't control your instincts?” Twilight's mind went black at that, she could not comprehend living with herself if she had done something like that to Rainbow or any of the others. However, she was not going to let him off that easy, “I...I...That’s not the point nor relevant. You had me kill Dim Eyes.” “He knew the risks, all of them. And do you know what he said? HE said: ‘Hey, my oath is to protect the Princesses, I swore to give my life to that end. So if I must, then I must. I’m actually amazed that she stopped herself like that.’ He fully accepted the risk that he may die.” “It doesn’t matter. I KILLED him, a retired guard of Equestria. I’m a monster that needs to be put down before… Oh Celestia, what have I done?!” Gaius cringed at the mention of that name, he shrugged it off though. “Look again. Faust was merciful upon him. And because you didn’t, I’ll make sure he will live.” Twilight was visibly relieved at that news. “He’s not dead?” She asked, hopeful. “No, you have yet to kill anyone.” “Yet?” “This point is the critical point for every vampire, it’s the test you just took. If they do not feed, they are killed before madness takes over. The same would happen to you, Twilight Sparkle. If you do not feed, you will fall to madness, you will become a monster that will destroy the world. You cannot deny this portion of yourself.”. He paused before continuing, “You are the second alicorn vampire. The first was Nightmare Moon, but she never made it to her first feeding. Her sister stopped her before it was too late. Even though Luna has lingering effects from the vampirism, she is not one.” Gaius continued. “What would happen to the world if you became the nightmare? Does Cadance, Shining Armor, Luna, and Celestia have the will or the strength to stand against you much less kill you if you fall to madness?” Gaius left to allow his questions sink into her soul. Too many times before, he had seen the madness take control. He could not fail , not with this one. She was strong, too strong for him to allow that to happen. When a normal vampire succumbed, it had horrible results. Bustling towns larger than Ponyville were no more, but those vampires were mosquitoes compared to Twilight. Also, back then, there was a dedicated guard to protect the civilians and to hunt them. Nowadays, they are sparse and their knowledge is all but forgotten. Twilight glared at Gaius for the harshness of his words. They were like a silver knife plunged into her heart. The thing was, he was completely right. As soon as she smelled the fresh blood of a the living pony, she lost control and practically killed the pony. Would I have stopped if Rainbow Dash hadn’t interrupted? She knew the answer to that question. The real question was, what if it had been Rainbow that was bleeding at the table? Rainbow Dash. Loyalty. She saw me and I ran. I ran with no explanation and Dim Eyes crumbled to the ground, almost dead. How am I going to face her? Does she even know he’s not dead? How am I going to face my friends? Either Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash is going to be the hardest. Fluttershy’s kindness would never kill, much less a being of her own species, but, do they have to know?, the back part of her mind questioned. No. I have to be honest with them, and I can’t omit details. If I do that, then I’m deceiving them, and lying by omission is still lying to Applejack. But, Gaius did say that the vampires were more deceptive than any other species including Changelings. Changelings who kidnap ponies and take their lives from them, tricking friends, family, and coworkers. They feed off the love we have for one another. But, I’m worst than that. When they feed, they rarely kill. When I feed, I’m likely to kill or severely injure whoever I’m feeding from. Twilight shook that comparison free from her head. She needed to concentrate and decide what to do next. Twilight thought about how she could repair her relationship with Rainbow Dash and what details she should tell her friends. A yawn stopped her train of thought. Before she accepted the will of the yawn, she left to find a place to wash up, her nightly ritual checklist still fresh in her mind. Finding the bathroom, she refreshed up and made her way back to the bed. She wrapped her tail around her and got comfortable on her front hooves. She wasn't cold so she left the blanket at the hoof of the bed. As Gaius walked away, he contemplated his own meal. The vampire was hungry as well and observing Twilight’s first feeding didn't help. There are the three fresh pegasi bodies, or he could go hunting in the Everfree Forest. Naw, pegasi taste better and I know where they are. Now who? There's the light cerulean pegasus, but I think that she is Twilight's friend. Also, Twilight would be vexed with me if I fed from her. That thought made him cringe, she was growing in strength every day. There's the red wing pegasus. She'll be able to give consent, unlike the third pegasus. If I try the pegasus, the thestral would interfere. That doesn't mean I have to get permission, but it tends to make things so much easier. Gaius made his way into the bedroom where most of his guests were after weaving an illusion for himself. Undoing the lock, two ponies stood impatient on the other side of the door. He could tell that their guard training was kicking in. They both stood in pincer formation ready to attack anyone they deemed hostile. “Who are you!” Redwing shouted at the top of her lungs as a very unfamiliar pony burst through the door. “Oh, thank Celestia, there is someone back here!” The new pony shouted, out of breath. “You haven’t answered her question!” Silver Eyes shouted. “My names Nemo, please you have to help. The vampire he’s… he’s…” “He’s what?” Redwing shut the door behind the new stallion, not wanting to risk the vampire being right behind him. “He had us captured, he was draining our blood. My family, oh Celestia my family. He… he…” Silver’s demeanor changed, “What you can tell us, we’re royal guard.” “He killed them, drained their blood right in front of me. This unicorn saved me, one by the name of Dim Eyes, but the vampire got to him, he drained his blood right in front of me. I… I…” “DIM EYES!!! Is he dead!?!?!?” They both shouted at once at the unicorn’s statement. “No, but he lost so much blood. I did when I can but without more O+ there’s nothing more I can do.” The unicorn looked devastated having to give this news. “This cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane chased the vampire off, but she did not arrive until it was almost too late.” “How did you know Dim Eye’s blood type?” Redwing asked. The unicorn merely gestured to his cutie mark. it was a red cross on both sides of his flanks. “I bought my supplies but I don’t have any blood to donate I’m AB-.” Redwing stepped forward. “I’m O+” “Oh thank Celestia!” the unicorn shouted. “Redwing, no. We’re in enemy territory and we can’t have our of our party weakened.” “He’d do it for me,” Redwing stated. “We don’t even know this unicorn is telling the truth.” “My names Nemo. If you want I can show you,” without waiting for a reply, Nemo cast a x-ray spell at the wall that bordered the kitchen with their room. The two ponies gasped as they saw the body of Dim Eyes lying on the floor. “Do it!” Redwing shouted. Nemo went into his bag and magically pulled out an IV. Finding a quick vein, he stuck Redwing and began draining the pegasus's blood. The process was hasted with a quick application of his magic. Silver did not like this one bit, but he bit his tongue at first. After the third bag he could no longer stay silent. “That’s enough!” “It’s really not.” Nemo smiled, “But I guess I am pushing it.” Before either pony could reply, Nemo disconnected the IV and bite down on the bag, drinking heavily of the life-sustaining liquid. “I knew that you were hornswoggling us!” Silver shouted. Redwing just looked on. She tried to do something, but the loss of so much blood left her too weak. Gaius dropped his glamour spell, causing both ponies to look on in horror. “Don’t feel too bad little ponies, you really did save Dim Eye’s life with this.” “What did you do to him?!” Gaius laughed at that, “Me, nothing. However, I did save his life, but it used up the last of my blood reserves. I would have finished him off instead, but I knew the camaraderie between soldiers would ensure that I could get a fresher supply.” “You stole my blood.” Redwing’s voice was weak. “Oh no, you gave me your blood. I don’t know why, but it makes it all the sweater too.” He bit down on the second bag, before looking up, neither pony actually looked convinced. “Don’t believe me? Why don’t you go ask him yourself.” They each looked at the other, unsure of what to do. Finally it was Redwing that started moving. Silver Eyes saw that Redwing needed help and made her lean on him. The truth was that they were outclassed in every way, shape, and form. If this vampire wanted them dead, they’d be dead. Silver would not let her go alone, he followed but kept one eye on their ‘host’. When Redwing turned the corner adrenaline surged into her veins at the sight of the unicorn on the floor. “DIM EYES!” She shouted as she ran towards him, her own weakness forgotten. Silver followed and watched her skid to a halt. She paid close attention to the bite wounds on his neck, however, what caught both their eyes was the IV bag connected to his veins. Redwing examined the bag, “You already had O+. Why didn’t you just drink this and ask one of us to save his life?” Gaius smiled. “Two reasons, first is that I did not know one of you was O+ until I smelled for it. The second is that freshness does make it taste better.” “We’ll kill you for this monster.” Silver glared at him. “No…” The voice was weak and came from the most unexpected source. Dim Eyes placed his hoof on Silver’s. “He wasn’t the one that did this.” “Dim, he’s got you in his thrall or something, you got two bite marks on your neck.” “He’s telling the truth.” Gaius said. “Shut up.” Redwing glared at him. “There’s another vampire.” Dim stated, “I gave myself to her willingly. You… you don’t understand.” “Dim, shh, you need to save your strength.” “Consider this an order, listen to him. Yes, he’s a vampire, but there are bigger things you do not understand.” Dim said right before his eyes shut, he quickly fell asleep as exhaustion overtook him. “Told you,” Gaius said with a grin. “Orders given by a commander under someone's control are not to be followed.” Silver stated. “Oh sweet Faust, what do I have to do to get through your head? Wait… I know, why don’t you two wake up your other friends?” “You have more of us hostage?!” “Yeah, hostages that are free to leave as they want and I tricked into giving me blood. Wake the buck up already.” Gaius rolled his eyes. “You know, I could point out that if I really wanted to hurt you, you’d all be dead by now.” The glare in his eyes told Silver to shut up. Redwing slowly got back to her hooves. “Fine, I’ll follow his orders. Now where are the others?” “Down the hall.” Gaius gestured with a hoof. “Just don’t go into the room after the one you two were staying in.” Redwing limped down the hall and to the room he pointed to, while eyeing the door he warned them about subconsciously. When she entered the room the strangest thing happened. Rainbow Dash knocked her to the ground and pressed a hoof against her throat. “WHERE IS SHE!” She shouted at the mare pinned to the ground. Gaius grinned. So she did know who that was, this is going to be interesting. * * * * * In the room that Twilight was laying in, two things woke her up. The first was the smell of fresh blood, which only stirred her. The second was the shout of Rainbow Dash. I can’t face her yet, Twilight thought. She also couldn’t fall back asleep either. Her stomach had been gnawing at her all night. Oh for Celestia’s sake! What do you want now?! I just practically killed a guard. Twilight tapped her hoof on the bed, knowing that eventually, she would have to face them, but not yet. Instead, she decided to distract herself and explore. Not wanting any chance of prematurely seeing her friends, Twilight teleported to explore the woods. Unlike the last two times she had tried teleportation, when they ended her up in this room, she was overlooking the Everfree Forest on the top of the rocks. Using her advanced magical knowledge, she was able to get past the runes that were causing her to end up back in that room. Runes. Should have guessed. He doesn’t use his magic often. On its top, she encarved an anchor rune. Looking around, Twilight spotted three ponies in the darkness. The first was Fluttershy, the second, Rarity, and the third was a thestral stallion. The shadows of Luna’s night had hidden her presence, she thought. Behind her, a silhouette rose. Its mission was to follow her wherever she went. Twilight looked over the vast Everfree Forest. Out in the distance there seemed to be something off. Concentrating on herself, Twilight opened her sight to her vampire senses.. It easily spotted all the different animals of the Everfree, including two manticores, just barely. Where she thought she saw something, she did. There’s a pony that way. Wow, this can really come in handy. The distance I can see is great. Twilight took off, without even flying she easily reached her full speed during the running of the leaves at the end. The difference was, it wasn’t leaving her winded. Slowing down after reaching a dense wooded area, Twilight took time to notice her surroundings and the pack of timberwolves. Crouching down from her instincts as her eyes gained a red tint, the timber wolves did something unexpected. They stopped. Twilight waited. She was curious what they would do with her around. She had no doubt that she could easily take on the whole pack as is. However, part of her was hoping that they’d lose interest in her. Another part wanted to see how much damage she could do. She squished that part of her. They didn’t. They growled threateningly and Twilight reflexively returned their hostilities with a hiss. Two pounced from behind and were met with one of her hooves. There was a resounding crack as the two timberwolves hit the trees behind her. Twilight stared blankly at the power of her strength. There was no magic involved and she knew her alicorn magic shouldn’t have augmented her physical strength like that. I wonder how strong this vampire magic is. Twilight decided that she would test her own skills and only use magic in cornering situations. The two stood back up on shaky legs and their leader howled an attack. Twilight braced herself. They were fast but she was faster. It became a game of numbers and seven on one was not good odds. The timberwolves were effective in their strikes, but she was just playing with them, while they were trying to corner their prey. As two attacked with a downward strike, two more flanked her with side strikes. She dodged the downward strikes and a shield blocked the side strikes, but she allowed it to shatter... at the worst possible time for her. She hadn’t noticed a fifth one in the back. That fifth one went for her neck. She ducked to the side causing her attacker to crash into another. The dance continued, Twilight dodging strike after strike, and the timberwolves leading her into a trap. Even though none of the timberwolves landed a strike, their blows were accomplishing their goal: tiring out their prey. Twilight realized this as the claws of the leader of the pack dug into her chest and another hit her horn. The strike knocked her back and blood began to drip. The pain from her horn left her disoriented. Well, guess I should start fighting back. The cut wasn’t as deep, but proved that she was not skilled in combat or hunting, and that she needed to be taught. That distraction allowed for one of the timberwolves to strike her. Its claws raked across her right wing and side. If she had been an inch or three closer, the strike would mortal. Her purple eyes changed to blood red. The wound began to heal itself and her muscles tensed. The wound was too deep to completely heal, but deep enough so that she could not use the wing to fly. Only another meal would finish healing that. The timberwolves had made a mistake, the smell of fresh blood in the air caused a change in their prey. Twilight growled very threateningly at the timberwolves. The timberwolves, seeing their prey injured and weak, went for the kill. Twilight jumped and slammed onto the backs of wolves, disabling two of them. Another saw an opening, but it was anything other than what it appeared. It went badly. Both of Twilight’s back hooves connected with the offending wolf and he was knocked into another one. They crashed into a thick tree, dazing the second. Her goal of not using magic was forgotten and with a quick blast from her horn, she took care of two more. Their leader got lucky and scored a hit on her while she was making mincemeat of his pack. This hit was deeper and landed on her injured wing. The final wolf was low to the ground, circling its prey. It wasn’t going to let some weak prey escape. The timberwolf made one mistake in its attack. Vampires have very sharp fangs and that they had tremendous grip strength. The wolf pounced and landed a blow on Twilight's flank. As the wolf’s claw dug into Twilight, Twilight gripped its neck in her jaw. With a flick of her head, aiming to toss the timberwolf, she instead snapped its neck. With no more prey and no promise of fresh blood, her vampire instincts left her. Twilight looked around at the devastation she had wrought on the pack of wolves. She panicked and ran. Her injuries were too much to return to the home of Gaius, but she was near the edge of the forest. As she galloped to the edge, the smell of apples greeted her and she stopped, knowing where she was going. The trees of Sweet Apple Acres had come into view and among them, a lone red earth stallion was working late at night. The sight of red brought back a very familiar hunger to the mare. Twilight’s tongue rolled across her extended fangs as her mind thought of the delicious, red, big macintosh apple and the sheer amount of blood that must be in such a large pony. Also, he would have some tender meat too. Her instincts were guiding her towards the delicious apple dinner, but she stopped that and turned back to the woods. In the back of her mind, she heard, “You need to feed. You’ve taken too much, and you’re young. The apple is close, and you don’t want to lose yourself.” Twilight was about to make a counter argument, but stopped when the voice spoke again. “Your friends are there.” Her mind was right. She knew it was right, but if she fed, then she’ll kill him. The brother of her friend and of Appleboom. Applejack couldn’t run the farm by herself and it may bankrupt her if she had to hire help. Twilight shouted aloud, “NO! I’m not going to do that.” “I didn’t think you would,” spoke a voice from the shadows. “Gaius?” Twilight hesitated. She didn’t think that anypony was following her. “Only a shadow. This is just a spell I’ve learned,” said the shadow as it stepped into her vision. “Why were you following me? How long were you following me?” “In order of question asked: To keep you safe and since you left.” Twilight glared at the shadow, annoyed that she couldn’t spend time alone, without him watching. Before she could protest, the shadow asked, “What would you have done?” “...” Twilight remained silent. She could still hear that nagging voice, that primal, all-consuming need that was ever present. She could feel it growing in strength with every passing moment. It was trying to get to go for the big macintosh apple, but she wouldn’t listen. The gnawing feeling of her stomach had returned ten fold when she had gripped the timber wolf’s neck, but she didn’t have a drop. Timberwolves had no blood to drain. That had been the worst part, the promise of blood was denied to her. “Your silence tells me that you are deep within thought, trying to figure out the best solution. The problem is, you don’t know all the solutions. You know that if you go into Ponyville or return to the cave, you are likely to kill whoever you feed on and this time they will not be willing donors but victims. Am I wrong?” “No, you’re not.” Twilight looked down at that. It was the truth, she felt like she was losing the battle for her own body. “It always happens. I know you’d probably prefer your privacy, but consider if that’s the wisest course of action right now. You’re new to all of this, Twilight, and while you may hate me for what happened to Dim Eyes, consider what your best course of action is under these circumstances and if I should leave you alone. Whatever you decide, I can’t stop you, but this alerts me. I’d rather we not kill, but it happens. That was the reason I couldn’t help you with those timberwolves.” “Is there something I can do to help myself?” “Oh. Yeah, there is, but you may hate it. Go to the dead timberwolf and trust yourself, but don’t close yourself off. That only leads to madness and regret.” With those final words, the shadow began to disappear, the spell was breaking down. “Wait! But timberwolves don’t have blood.” “I know, but blood is not the only source of nourishment we have. It’s your choice, but observe.” The spell broke down completely and the shadow was gone. Twilight stood there at the fork. One path led to Ponyville. The other, the timberwolf. * * * * * “Rainbow Dash! What gives you the right to attack an injured guard of Princess Celestia!” Silver shouted harshly. The guard currently held down by Rainbow was breathing quick and shallow breaths as the wind was knocked out of her by Dash. Rainbow could not give two bucks about what Silver said. She increased pressure on the pegasus’s neck. “I’ll ask one more time, where is she?” This time, there was more to the she Rainbow was referring to. “Rainbow Dash, who in the world is "She?" Silver Eyes was confused. Who could have Rainbow Dash so riled up that she would attack and threaten a guard of Equestria? "It’s just you, Redwing, myself and the vampire. Calm down.” “I won’t without answers.” Rainbow noticed the erratic breaths of the pegasus and while she did not want to let her go, she did not want to kill her either. Reluctantly, Rainbow took her hoof off Redwing’s neck. Redwing took some time to recover and Gaius approached, but kept some distance. Redwing beckoned Gaius over since he was closest and hadn’t pinned her the ground. Gaius guided the red winged pegasus to a long chair so that she could relax. Redwing got herself comfortable. “Just ask. We’re all civilized,” Gaius responded. “YOU, VAMPONY!” Rainbow shouted after noticing the vampire in the room with them. Gaius looked annoyedly at her. He too offence to being calling a simple vampony. “Where has the vampire that killed that unicorn gone?” “To answer your questions in no particular order, the unicorn’s name is Dim Eyes and he is as loyal to the safety of Equestria as you are to your friends. Also, he’s not dead. Secondly, we’re not vamponies. They are a completely different class than us. We’re vampire lords. Lastly, I don’t completely know where she is.” Gaius was careful with his words. He wanted Twilight to make the choice herself. “So Dim Eyes was telling the truth. Another vampire did this to him?” “Yes, he’s a very lucky, Silver Eyes. Rainbow came in at the right moment for Dim Eyes. Otherwise, he would have been dead.” “Why are you protecting that foul creature of the night? It almost stole the life of a prestigious celestial guard,” Redwing said to Rainbow. She would have shouted, but she was still recovering. “What do you guards do when you find evidence of a vampire almost killing somepony?” “Celestia sends guards to investigate,” Silver responded, “But in the end, no matter who, the vampire is killed. Whoever did that to Dim Eyes is a monster.” “That’s why, Silver. Celestia has never been one to bend the rules. She has a strict policy about vampires that kill or just barely kill. Silver Eyes, do you think that the vampire that did this to Dim Eyes is old or young?” Rainbow responded first with her guess, “Young, recently turned.” “Old. Didn’t care if he died or not and too precise. Dim Eyes would never be able to get the vampire off.” “Actually, Silver, Rainbow’s right, but I wish she hadn’t answered. This was this vampire’s first feeding.” “Rainbow Dash! You know the identity of vampire?” “Yeah. I could never forget her face,” Rainbow responded. Her wings tensed as she said those words. Silver growled, “Then why haven’t you told the guard. It needs to be killed before it can kill somepony else. Dim Eyes was lucky, but the next one won’t be. If he couldn’t fight it off, then the princesses need to be informed immediately.” “She’s not an ‘it.’ The vampire has a name!” Rainbow glared at Silver Eyes. Even though she had called her a monster, she didn’t know all the facts. With Silver Eyes and Redwing being here, the other vampire wouldn’t answer any of her questions. “Rainbow!,” Silver venomously said, “Stop being brash. That vampire, it nearly killed a retired member of the Royal Guard. Why would you defend it instead of the citizens of your nation?” “Rainbow. Don’t answer. Silver, what makes her different from me?” Gaius asked with a grin on his face. Rainbow heaved his warning. If she didn’t bite her tongue, she may have told him the identity. The question he proposed stuck on her mind. Why indeed? Silver growled at him, “The only difference between you two is that, not counting that little stunt to get our blood, you haven’t attacked anypony… that we know of. This vampire did.” Gaius quickly summoned some of his magic of shadows and revealed a chest behind them. “Then open the chest behind you.” Silver was cautious to open the chest. He wasn’t trusting of the vampire, but what could happen? His mind supplied the answer that he was definitely was trying to avoid. You could be the vampire’s next meal. When Silver opened the chest, he was very surprised when a pure silver blade wrapped in runes laid in the chest. It was a long sword, but the runes on it could have different effects. “Why do you have a silver sword?” “Because, Silver Eyes, I am responsible for my own actions. I’d rather not have a stronger vampire than me lose themselves to madness. If I have to, I am prepared to kill her as a last resort. I didn’t have to.” Gaius looked to Rainbow who seemed to have a question on the tip of her tongue. Thinking it over, Gaius offered, “Would you like to talk to me privately?” Silver stared blankly at that with his jaw hanging before moving to block Rainbow’s view of Gaius, sword carefully in hoof. “There’s no way I’m letting you talk with her alone. You’ve already tricked Redwing into giving you blood. I’m not just going to allow you to ‘meet' with her privately!” “I actually would.” Rainbow said, “Silver doesn’t seem to trust you and I don’t trust him, either. Although, Silver does have a point. How am I going to know that you won’t do to me what the other vampire did to Dim Eyes.” “I’m not hungry. I won’t feed at all from you unless you explicitly give me permission. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a steak in my eye?” “How’d you know that?” Rainbow’s question was only answered by a smirk from the vampire, she wrote it off, “Whatever, let’s just go.” “It’s not fine with me. How can you trust him so much?” Silver shouted. “Because, I think he is the only one who can tell me what happened,” Rainbow answered and turned away, effectively cutting off any further conversation. She headed to one of the rooms. She chose one at random and Gaius joined her. Gaius closed and locked the door before Silver could even think about entering. “What do you think of the room?” “Starry.” Gaius laughed at that. The room had many stars to it and each twinkled providing the perfect amount of light for vampires. Rainbow then hit the switch and Gaius blinked his eyes. The bed look to be in disarray and Rainbow noticed. “What’s with the bed here?” “Oh, this is the room the other vampire is sleeping in. If I remember correctly, she’s exploring the Everfree Forest and testing her new powers, even if they are weak now.” “You’ve said she. It’s Twilight isn’t it.” “...Yes. She was very upset with herself, but she had to feed. It’s something that we all have to do.” “Did it have to be a living pony?” “Of course it had to be,” he laughed at such naivety, “The dead are very bitter and provide little substance of the substance she needed then. Rainbow, don’t get the wrong idea. Dim Eyes truly knew that he would be killed. I warned him, but he is loyal to the protection of Equestria’s citizens. Including its newest princess.” “Not so much to Celestia, though?” “Not entirely. Dim Eyes actually had me enchant a letter for him. It would have gone to Silver Eyes. Contained within were our identities and, a way to track her. Once Celestia found, she’d hunt us down, personally. “Celestia loathes us, for the actions of the corrupted ones. Their armies were loyal to their commanders. None died without a Tartarus of a fight. There’s a second reason, though and you know it. The choice will always be yours, hunter.” “How did you know?” “Your range to the cloud and your grandmother. You have a harder choice than she does and if that fact gets out, your choice will be near impossible to make.” “Will she know?” “I believe she may, but after she tells you, promise that you will tell her.” “I will. Do I remind you of someone?” Rainbow asked. “You do, but that is a personal question. Do you have more questions?” “Yeah, how can you do magic?” “Personal.” “Fair. How often will she have to feed?” “Depends on habits. If she studies her magics, then it will be often. If she refuses to eat, it will be more often.” “Wait, why does eating have to do with feeding?” “Because, Rainbow Dash, our diet is more omnivorous. You rarely have fish and other sea food. I have it two to four times a week." Gaius paused, and remembered that he had some cooking to do. “That’s what I’m cooking Twilight, along with a few other samples. Don’t worry, I know exactly where each thing I cook comes from.” “Where does the fish come from?” Rainbow’s tongue reflectively licked her lips at the thought of diving into a fresh fish dinner. “A farm I run. I keep operations small as to not flood the market. I also don’t share how. I’d rather not have others trying to swindle the good citizens. Before you ask, I’m only telling Twilight of what is on her plate. It will be her decision to make alone. I won’t allow anyone to sway her, in either direction. Want dinner now?” “Sure. What kind of fish? Also, when will Twilight be back?” “Red fish. Don’t know.” Seeing that most of Rainbow’s questions were done, Gaius made his way to the door. “Have any more questions?” “Nope.” “Good. I don’t trust them either.” With that, Gaius opened the door. Silver Eyes had been banging on it like a mad pony. Seeing the vampire, Silver’s gaze hardened. Looking past Gaius, Silver saw Rainbow unscaved, but that could just be a hoax. Powerful vampires, especially Lords, were known to be able to heal wounds. “Dim Eyes is not well.” Silver said. “I know, I need to give him some fresh blood.” Gaius calmly walked to the kitchen and retrieved the third bag from Redwing. He then hooked it up to Dim Eyes and made his way back to the kitchen. Rainbow followed him out and took a seat across from Redwing. “Rainbow Dash, did he do anything to you?” “Not a thing. He only answered my questions. No, he did not use any magic.” “Rainbow, are you completely sure? Lords such as him are masters of illusions. But he also doesn’t have to use magic, his eyes can hypnotize you just as easily.” “Why would he do that?” “Because hypnotizing you is a way for him to get a bite.” “What’s he doing now?” “Cooking dinner,” shouted Gaius from the kitchen. His voice rang with disdain, a clear indication that he did not enjoy being talked about like he was not there. “Why would we eat whatever you are preparing? How would we know that you haven’t poisoned the food?” Silver asked. Just as he finished asking a grumbling sound from his stomach graced their ears. They were all hungry. “When I can kill you all before your next heartbeat, why would I waste perfectly good poison? Besides. it’s as you said. I could easily hypnotize you if I wanted to feed from you alive.” “He has a point, Silver Eyes. What would he gain by killing us? In reality, it’s better for them if we’re alive. If we’re alive then they could drink from us. Dead, we are just husks of meat, taking up space.” Redwing’s wings shuffled in unease. Rainbow's comment was right, but she didn’t want to believe it. Gaius continued his task of making dinner. The fish were grilled and placed on the plate. Each covered dish was for a different pony. As he was finishing, a sound from the top of the roof alerted him that somepony was back. He made sure the hot dishes stay hot; the cold, cold, before disappearing to the top. His guests did take notice, though. * * * * * Twilight stood on top of the cave watching the Everfree Forest. Her eyes were dull over what she had done and the memory of it pained her greatly. As she looked to the sky, the moon shown. It was getting close to sunrise. What would happen, she wondered. “Nothing good. You’d be dead. How did it go?” “I made my choice. I still wish there was another way, though.” “Don’t we all, but that’s what separates true vampires from the novels.” Gaius paused before continuing, “You will never fully forgive yourself for those lives you do take,” he looked down at that. The memories of all those he had killed came back fresh, “However, to kill yourself is the coward's way out. In time you will learn to live with it. You will do what must be done, simply to advert the greater disaster of what would happen if you didn’t.” “Here.” Gaius’s magic summoned a simple leather bound black book. “This book is special. Write down the names of those you drink from.” Twilight took the book in her grasp. Opening one of her wings, she pulled out a dying feather. The tip was as sharp as a quill. In the paper of the book, she titled the chapter heading, “phoenix.” Below, she wrote Dim Eyes and saw the magic of the paper. The paper formed a replica of Dim Eyes and his cutie mark. It knew his birthday, the date he received his cutie mark, and that he was alive. “How does it know all of this?” Twilight bewilderedly asked. “Our magic is quite powerful, young one. We can see the souls of others. The paper is just an extension of that. Are there any other names you would like to add?” Twilight shut the book and embedded a locking spell in addition to a few others. She calmly turned her back on Gaius and teleported into the cave. “I didn’t care either way, but would like to know, so that I would know what to teach you,” Gaius mumbled to himself, before returning to the kitchen, and after he looked in the direction of the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. * * * * * “We can’t stay here,” Silver Eyes spoke. “I agree, but we need information. Also, what about the others?” Redwing asked. “I don’t know, but he said we were free to leave. That he’s not keeping us prisoner,” Rainbow spoke. “Rainbow, Armored Spear wouldn’t just split up unless he had a way of communicating. Did he give you anything?” “He didn’t give anything to me, but I’m staying.” “Don’t Rainbow Dash. You’re too tempting as a snack. If you had arrived a few minutes before, you’d be dead.” “Where were you?” Silver questioned Gaius when he saw him back in the kitchen. “Finishing dinner. Now excuse me, I have two guests to wake up. The dining room is that way.” Gaius pointed the way and began to walk towards the bunk rooms. The first one had a pegasus sleeping in it. Lightly tapping the shoulder of the sky blue pegasus, she swatted his hoof away before waking up. “What time is it?” “Exactly? I don’t keep track, but I’ve cooked some dinner for you and my other guests.” “Why should I trust you? You were the one sitting idly while a guard of the Royal Army was killed.” “Well, is it a consolation that he wasn’t killed? Or that I saved him?” “Not a chance. You shouldn’t have been just sitting there.” “I can only do so much, please accept my dinner offer. There are a few that may be able to wane your nerves of me, miss…” “Winter. Who could do that and how do I know you weren't hypnotising them?” “Be observant, monitor for their true nature. That’s how you know if somepony is hypnotized or not, but I digress, it’s always your choice in the end. After all, you have to live with the consequences.” Winter was silent as the stallion left her alone and took the opportunity to invite his final guest. What does that vampiric stallion mean? Winter thought. Then it dawned on her. Hours had passed, and he hadn’t snacked from her in the least. If he wanted any of us dead, we’d be dead. Still, he’s hiding something. Of that she had no doubt. Winter decided that she wasn’t going to get any information lying in bed, and dinner did sound tempting, to the point that her stomach began growling. Dinner it is, wonder what’s on the menu. Her mind decided to answer the rhetorical question. “Hopefully, not us.” A shiver ruffled her wings as she tried to get that thought out of her head. As she walked out, her mind could not help but imagine seeing a pony being carved up on the table for them all to enjoy. The disturbing thought caused her to take the wrong turn to the right and overheard a conversation. “...light —,” “Not here, not right now, there's a pegasus, I think.” "You're right, but I need a name to call you by. Please join me for dinner.” “Why? Are you trying to tempt me like before?” “It’s nothing like that. It will always be your choice.” “Maybe, but it's never a free choice. You’ve manipulated all of my choices.” “I’ve only done that once. He’s survived the choice I made you take, and is getting better, but I’m at the end of what I can do for him. They don’t trust me.” “I know why. How are they going to trust me?” “They’re guards. It’s their duty. Plus, if you don’t want them to know, then deceive them.” “I can’t deceive the royal guards!” “Yes you can.” Gaius said matter-of-factly. “I can but I’m not going to, it’s wrong!” “Why’s that?” “It’s lying to them all, I’m not going to do something like that! Besides, Rainbow’s out there, I can’t… I can’t lie to her.” “Then come out, face your friends, admit the truth of who you are and what you did.” “But… but… —” “There’s no but. You either have to deceive them, or admit that you were going to kill him. And don’t try and lie about the whole truth or omit details. It never works.” “...I wasn’t in control!” “You can lie to many ponies, but not me. We both know you wanted it. Your actions left him close to death. If I didn’t have any of his blood type, do you know what would have happened to him?” “Yes. You would have finished him.” “No, I wouldn’t have. I would have preserved him for your next feeding.” “What are you talking about? I would never do something like that!” “Says the vampire that almost did today.” “Fine!” she yelled, defeated, “But I’ll be the one to tell her.” “Fine with me. You were going to face her eventually. I’ll leave it up to you of when you actually tell them.” “What do they know?” “All they know is that there is at least one other vampire, and some guests. They know that I’m one. You can be whoever you want and we’ll deceive them with partial truths. You are here as a donor to myself and may have just arrived.” “Will they buy it?” “They should, I keep documents of all those that have donated blood, for me. But we seem to have a “Winter” fly in the hall. She didn’t hear the first part of your name.” Gaius’s magic was quick to grab hold of the pegasus and keep her from hearing anything else. “Now then, a persona, unless you want to just tell them all?” “Not yet, but I do have an idea.” Twilight concentrated as she gathered the magic necessary for casting an illusion on herself. Instead of a lavender coat, she had a light blue coat. Her mane and tail were white, accented by dark grey stripes. Her horn disappeared, her wings were the same color as her coat and covered her cutie mark. “Not too bad. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen that mare. May you please move your wing so that I can ensure you got the cutie mark right.” “You know her?” Twilight’s surprise did move her wings, and she folded them back into place. “You know that a pegasus doesn’t do that just for anypony.” “I know, but it was your surprise. You even got her cutie mark right, but it will falter. Not bad, and it’s baseline, Snow. Great mare, wish I had known her better.” “Ok, then, Snow it is. What about that pegasus?” Twilight didn't even glance at the pegasus listening in. “We’ll let her decide.” Gaius undid the two way silencing spell. “Sorry, I must have taken the wrong turn. It’s to the left to find the dining room?” “How much did you hear?” Twilight asked. “Most of it, starting with light. Why do you trust that vampire?” “Who said anything about me trusting him. He’s a double-dealing, grafting charlatan.” “I am not. My business is legit and I have not over promised anything I could not provide. I promised you a great night. Winter, would you like to walk to the dinner table or be carried?” “Walk.” “Then don’t say a word about what you heard,” warned the vampire, showing his fangs. “Fine. What are you serving?” Winter Arc asked with malice in her voice. She didn’t like the idea of another pegasus being here. That pegasus knew nothing of the danger she was in. “A pegasus and thestral favorite. Grilled fish.” Soon, the light from the bedroom disappeared as the light in the dining room appeared. Before them were two pegasi and a thestral. The thestral was sandwiched between them. Winter Arc decided to sit across from Redwing, Snow sat across from Rainbow Dash and Gaius across from Silver Eyes. “The host is back. What honor do allow for your presence?” Silver Eyes spoke with a venomous undertone. “A diner. The light blue pegasus goes by Snow, and will be joining us. How is your unicorn friend, and how are you faring, Redwing?” “I’m still kinda drained, but the meal and rest should help,” Redwing responded. “He’s not well. May need a hospital.” “Then take him, if he does. Like I’ve said before, you are free to leave whenever you wish,” replied the vampire. “If they can do that, then how does a battalion of guards not find you?” Rainbow asked. “Good question, Rainbow Dash. The reason is simple. There are wards and runes that hide these caves. It’s the same reason the other guards haven’t found anything. Now, let’s eat.” “Am I having the same thing?” ‘Snow’ asked, in a whisper. “Yes, you are. Please give it a try. Rainbow will have a smaller portion than you,” replied Gaius in a whisper. “How do we know that the food is safe?” “The same reason you are standing here. Relax, I won’t harm any of you. Now, is this dinner going to enjoy itself?” Most of the gathered ponies glared at him. They weren’t very trusting of the deceitful vampire host. And he said that ‘he’ wouldn’t harm any of them. He is singular and doesn’t include the young vampire that practically killed Dim Eyes. Though, he had a valid point. Dinner is a great idea and with hesitation, they opened their dishes. Rainbow and Redwing were the first ones to open their dishes. Staring back at them were some delicious looking five inch trouts. Winter Arc was next. Under her dish was a salad. Rainbow laughed at that. “A simple salad. Looks like you got the short pole,” Rainbow said sarcastically. “Rainbow, don’t be deceived,” Gaius warned “For your information, Rainbow Dash, I have no desire for fish. I would much prefer a salad,” Winter confessed, “Especially with night winter lilies…” “Wait, what are night winter lilies?” Rainbow asked. “There a flower that only blooms in winter. They also only grow in certain climates and are extremely rare in Equestria,” Snow replied. “That’s all true, but there’s one more thing. Winter lilies are poisonous except for a specific time after they’ve bloomed. That time is roughly an hour long,” Winter added. “Then how do you know it’s not poisonous?” Silver asked. He wouldn’t put the vampire past him to serve those, and had seen them before. They had another effect. They sweetened the taste of blood and paralyzed you for about five minutes before you were dead. But before they paralyzed their consumer, it was extremely painful, almost unbearable pain. Vampires used this pain to get their victims to give consent and enjoyed them fully. Winter responded, “The pedals. When they’re safe, they have a distinct pattern in them. These do.” “How do you know that those lines aren’t an illusion?” “No magic can touch them.” The thestral was next and two smaller fishes stared at him. The red looking fish was salmon; the blue fish was bluefish. Only two dishes had not been opened yet. Four agape mouths stared at the dinner prepared for them. If they were at a restaurant, the same four meals would cost three-thousand bits on the low end. “So are you all going to stare at your dinner like the fish are doing to you or eat up? Please be careful, and don’t eat too much. I don’t want you all sick from stomach pains,” asked the host. Rainbow was the first to dive at her fish. With as much care to not ruin the meat of the fish, Rainbow expertly deboned her fish. The other pegasus was having a lot harder time. “You must have never had whole fish before. Let me help,” Rainbow offered help to Redwing. “Thanks, it’s Redwing. You’re Rainbow Dash?” “The one and only,” Rainbow responded with a cocky grin. As they each in turn turned to their dinner, the two vampires opened their own dishes. The stallion had a grilled salmon with spinach covered in a cream sauce. The mare’s dish had more to it. Her piece of salmon was half the size and there was what Sunset would call a ‘slider’ and another smaller piece of meat that was unknown to her. If the guests knew, they didn’t say a word, but may have been curious. Twilight on the other hoof was curious about what it was. Taking a snippet of the unknown piece of what she assumed was meat, Twilight tasted light hickory taste. To her dismay, it tasted good, but familiar at the same time. She would eat it if it was the only thing available, but there was a slider and filet of salmon. It had a light cream sauce with spinach, one of her favorites. The salmon wasn’t as tasty as the piece of meat she tried, but she enjoyed it more than the slider. As they each enjoyed their respective meals, Rainbow noticed the portions of the dishes. They were huge comparatively speaking. She looked at the others, and most had eaten about half of their serving. “You all know that overindulging will cause more harm than good?” Each of them lifted their heads up. They took pause, knowing that she was right. This food is too good. And their host was grinning, satisfiedly. “Thank you, everypony for your comments on my cooking. Don’t let the value keep you from enjoying it, but please keep that in mind. Now,—” Before he could continue, ‘Snow’ jabbed him in the left side. “May I talk to you privately?” “Sure, excuse us.” “What do you think they are going to talk about?” Redwing asked. “Hopefully not about us. Maybe the food?” Silver replied. “I don’t think so. She seemed to have more to her plate than us.” Winter said, thinking back that ‘Snow’ hadn’t gone for her fish immediately. Maybe something about the side? “Then was there an illusion?” Redwing questioned. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He can do that,” Silver informed. “Well, we won’t know unless she tells us. Also, we should save our dinners. Don’t want to get sick.” Yawning, Redwing agreed and asked Silver to guide her back to the bunk room. Her yawn was contagious and they finally passed a clock. Past midnight. The mares decided to turn in, while Silver Eyes checked on Dim Eyes. He was stable and didn’t need to be moved yet, but it was still early. Instead of a bed, Silver pulled one of the oddly shaped pieces of furniture and laid down near Dim Eyes, in between awakeness and sleeping. The camping had completely joggled his sleeping pattern. “What was the piece of meat that wasn’t hamburger?” Twilight asked, still licking her muzzle clean. “They were all samples of some of the dinners I can prepare. How would you rank them in how they tasted to you?” Within Twilight, a battle raged. She could either tell him the truth or not. That first piece was either the worst or the best. The other three she knew which she liked best. As tried to decide whether it was the worst or the best, Gaius interrupted her thoughts. “Excluding the first thing you tried at dinner, what is the order?” “The salmon is first, the hamburger is last.” “Alright, and the first thing you tried is either first or last?” “How did you know?” “It’s a habit among certain vampires. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you what it is...” Twilight’s eyes brightened at that. She kinda had an idea, but was blocking it. She didn’t want to admit to anyone what she thought it was. “... In five days.” “Why not now?” Twilight asked in a commanding voice. “Because I want you to think about it. There’s a reason I like the Everfree Forest. Also, that day will be best, as we’re going on a trip.” “To where?” “My lips are sealed. Was your dinner satisfying?” “Yes, it was. Thanks for making it.” Twilight was still curious about what she had first, but... she was also unsure if she wanted the answer. It could have been anything, including pony. She hoped it wasn't that. “No problem. Would you like anymore of it?” “No, I’m good.” “Alright, let me check something. Stay here, please.” Gaius walked out to find an empty table and a thestral in a very uncomfortable position. Walking over to the thestral, he gathered the half eaten dishes and plate covers with his magic and levitated them to the kitchen. “Silver Eyes, would you like me to help you get comfortable?” Gaius asked in a soft voice. The thestral stallion gave the vampire a laugh as he launched himself into the air. After landing, Silver gave the vampire a stern look. “As long as you don’t feed on me. What’s with this chair?” “It’s the way it’s designed, not you. I have pillows that make it a normal chair. Would you like one?” “Yes. How is the other vampire?” “Not hungry. Why do you ask?” Gaius walked over to the closet and retrieved the pillows for Silver Eyes. “Also, here are those pillows.” “I’m just concerned. There’s five healthy snacks just now going to sleep and vampires are more active in these hours.” “I know, I am one, or have you forgotten?” “I haven’t. What are you up to now?” “Training. Good night, Crimson Eyes.” Before he could offer a retort for the use of his outdated name, the vampire was gone. Silver checked the kitchen and saw that there was no one there. He hasn’t changed. Still as slippery as ever. I wonder if Princess Celestia ever caught him with one of her cakes. Now then. Who are you hiding, who is the other vampire? With the darkness gone, Twilight and Gaius landed in a large, circular room. Twilight took some time reorienting herself. It was like no other teleport she had done. Once that was done, she took in the room around her. The lighting was low; the room itself was large, circular, and had runes inscribed all around.To her eyes, it seemed like a training area. Some of the runes that she recognized were for magical suppression and others were for healing. Twilight noticed Gaius on the far side of the room. He was currently was laying down. She called out to him, “Gaius, what’s with this room.” Gaius’s ear twitched, showing her that he had indeed heard her, but he gave no verbal reply. She did get a reply in her mind, though. “It’s a training room. Your first task is to reach me. Teleportation won’t work though. Good luck.” Twilight looked at him curiously. The task was so simple, all she had to do was reach him. What was so hard about that? As Twilight walked towards him, she spotted why the task was harder than it sounded. There was a barrier in between them. At first, Twilight tried to dispel the barrier, but her spell had no effect. Next she tried to shatter the barrier with a spell. Unlike last time, this did had an effect…. Her spell was reflected right back at her with twice the strength. She quickly jumped to the left to avoid it. Not trying that again, she thought. As she looked around the room at the abundance of shadows, she remembered a spell that Nightmare Moon could do. It had allowed her to travel in and out of the shadows. Luna couldn’t cast it anymore, but she had shared it with her on one of her visits. Concentrating, Twilight weaved the spell, her horn glowing as small portal that was tinted crimson grew. With the spell done, she stepped into the portal to the shadow world, and fell. Her wings were of no use since there was no air, just a void of shadows. She considered for a moment about teleporting back, but thought better of it. Even as a vampire, Twilight would never cheat on a test. As what would she took to be the ‘ground’ approached faster, she saw and reached for a hoof that just appeared. “Not bad for your first attempt. Would you like to try again on a much more stable shadow plane than the shadow plane of Equis?” Gaius asked, grinning at the hyperventilating lavender alicorn. “No, maybe another time. Do you have something else you could teach me?” “I do, but you’re not going to like it.” “It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t want to experiencing that again anytime soon.” “Are you sure? I’m going to be teaching you skills that may seem archaic in this time, but they are still very effective.” “What skills?” “Hunting skills, skills very useful for capturing our main prey.” “Ah,” Twilight’s eyes went wide at that, if she had three guesses, she would have only needed one to know what ‘main prey’ was, “I’ll avoid the hunting lesson, for now.” She added the last part without even knowing she said it, “So, how do we start?” To answer her question, a door formed. Gaius opened it and beckoned her to follow. She did and was surprised what was on the other side. Before her was a replica of Canterlot Castle. “How did you do this?” she gasped in shock. “I didn’t. I tricked a trickster into creating both of these rooms. This one is random in its generation, but it works. He’s still sore about me tricking him, but I believe he has forgotten about this room. Or maybe not, either way.” “Whose was it?” “Don't want to tell you, since it takes away at figuring the puzzle out. So, let’s begin. From watching you, you know how enter, but not travel and navigate. The key is that you have to use your vampire eyes and power. Alicorn magic will work, but you must have complete control and perseverance. Luna may still have trouble traveling over long distances, while your vampiric nature will make it easier and greatly increase your range of travel. Teleportation is still the fastest way, if you have the range though.” “Yes, it is. How do I use my vampiric sight?” “Ah, that’s right, you’re not a fully fledged vampire yet. Well, until that happens, we will be working on the mechanics and skills before applying your magic to them. Don’t worry, I will stay by your side through it all.” “So then, what kind of vampire am I? Also, how do I complete the transformation.” “You’re in between a class three fledgeling and class three vampire. Once you’re fully fledged, you’ll be either “L” class or a veteran class.” He said the words, but Twilight could see that he did not believe himself. Her instincts were right, in truth he had no clue what she would become. He had never seen her like before, her power was already well above what it should have been, as well as her hunger. It scared him a little to think of what she’d be like when fully awake. He pushed that to the side, for now. “For your second question, it is something that I wish you could avoid, but I know that you must eventually complete. I will tell you once I figure some, logistical problems.” “Why is it such a logistical problem?” Twilight had never meant a logistical problem she did not like. “Because of what I have to find. I will tell you, but not today. We’re going to work on other skills now. For these, we’re doing a simple pegasus game. All you have to do is follow my path. Are you ready to test your wings?” Twilight gulped and gave a tentative flap of her wings, she smiled when she saw that yes, she was ready. They both crouched down before launching into the air. Gaius started out slow and easy as a warm-up, watching her carefully for her strengths and weaknesses. As she got the hang of the flying, he then began increasing the speed and difficulty of the maneuvers. It took a few dozen tries before Twilight was actually able to match it. The speed on the other hoof was a completely different story. Twilight was lagging behind, and Gaius wasn’t even pushing her a quarter of the speed she should have been capable of. Every time he would take her through the maneuver she would lag even further on her next attempt. “Twilight, how much did you fly with Rainbow Dash? It seems that you are trying to learn how to fly all over again.” “Hey, I can fly just fine. It’s just that...that...I don’t know. My wings don’t feel natural to me. Do you know what could cause it?” “A few things, I would have to take a look at your wings, though.” Twilight continued to hover. Her wings were causing her troubles, but if she wanted it fixed, she would have to allow the stallion to a close look. A blush started to show on her face as she tried vainly to hide it with a hoof. “Could Rainbow take a look?” “She could, but she might not be able to tell. I will only look if you have explicitly given your permission. No matter if you are thestral, vampire, or pegasus, we don’t like others looking at them, unless you have a very specific reason. Of the three, the vampires are the ones most likely to kick you into next week,” he laughed at his own joke, Twilight did not. Reluctantly, Twilight agreed to open her wings. Before she opened them too far, Gaius spotted the problem, and she folded them back into place. Her vampire traits hadn’t truly manifested yet. And only one thing would be able to change that. She needed a full meal, and within the next week or so. “So then, you saw the problem?” “Yes, I did. How much do you know about manticore venom?” “That it’s a fast killing venom and there is no cure. When mixed with other plants from the Everfree Forest, you could make a venom that kills an alicorn," Twilight replied uneasily. She wasn’t completely sure, but Celestia had warned her about certain afflictions of alicorns. “Yes, they can. It’s mainly the young ones, but there is a way to kill Celestia, Luna or Discord with the venom,” said Gaius. “Like me,” Twilight gulped. “Yes, exactly like you. I didn’t lie when I offered you a choice, but I also didn’t know how young of an alicorn you were. The only way that you won’t succumb to the manticore’s venom is for you to be a fully fledged vampire alicorn, very similar to myself, but much more powerful.” “So then, back to the original question. What must I do?” “The answer comes with a thousand years of weight behind it. And I already know that you will not like it one bite. Because I had underestimated your age, I actually used the wrong spell. The mistake can be corrected, but you are... going to have to have a sacrifice. What I will have to do within the next week is find a unicorn for you. After that, it’s an earth pony, and then a thestral. If you want to keep your alicorn wings, then you’ll need a pegasus too. That will need to happen over a few months though, instead of a week. After that, you will be a class L alicorn vampire, and a very powerful one.” She gasped at that, he just told her she’d have to feed, possibly kill three to four ponies to save her own life. However, for some reason, it did not weigh as heavily on her shoulders as it should have. A thought quickly occurred to her, “So why didn’t Dim Eyes work for the unicorn?” “He wasn’t healthy enough. You need a fit and healthy meal from whom you have not fed.” “Meal? Didn’t we just have a meal?” “No, that was just a dinner.” Twilight thought of what Gaius had said and connected the dots. Her expression changed from displeasure to an angry scowl as she forced her own thoughts under control. Whatever happened, taking four lives was NOT an option. She flared her magic and launched a very powerful blast at her vampire host. He wasn’t able to dodge quick enough due to its size and the secondary spell she weaved in. The blast forced him hard into the wall and she was gone. After coughing a bit, Gaius traveled back to the foyer and picked up Silver Eyes in his magic before returning to his master room. “HEY!” protested the thestral. “I was almost asleep.” “And you can still sleep. I just need the answer to a single question.” “And how do you know I know the answer to your question.” “You’re asking a vampire how they know something? I haven’t lost my shadow abilities over the years. Seems you all have forgotten that they even exist.” “Call me Silver. I want to forget what happened all those years ago.” “And you don’t even know the full story. So then, do you know where King Sombra is?” “Yes, Canterlot Dungeons. Why are you looking for him? He was tried and sentenced to death unless Twilight and her friends could reform him.” “That will make things hard…” he trailed off, “How long?” “Why do you care?” “Thank you. Enjoy your night.” Gaius quickly knocked the thestral out with a spell and erased his memory as well. He too decided to sleep. Before that, his magic deactivated the runes that gave the cave its lights. No one would need them while they slept. With the food as rich and heavy, it was midday by the time anypony was awake. Winter and Redwing were the first to awake. They made their way to the kitchen to make brunch. “Redwing, Winter Arc? Is that you?” Both of the pegasi were surprised to hear that voice and thought it was just their imagination, before he spoke again. “Redwing, Winter Arc?” Winter and Redwing walked over to the unicorn stallion on the couch. Redwing was the first to speak, “So, how do you feel?” “Drained and like a caerleon speedster pegasus crashed into me. What are you two doing here?” “Ouch, that would hurt. Looking for you, Silver, Redwing, and Twilight. All that’s left is Twilight.” Winter replied. “Why and who else is here, besides Rainbow Dash?” “Armored Spear, Bronze Sword, Ruby, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Night are outside.” Winter saw that Redwing would be just as helpful as her in this situation and decided that she would make brunch for everypony instead. Redwing stayed to be there for him, and to talk with him. “Why are they here!?” He got up with a bit of start, causing him to bit his tongue in pain. “They’re concerned for Twilight and Night might have said that he saw Twilight.” Redwing looked at her captain. She noticed he was in pain. "Dim Eyes, where does hurt?" “Okay, I’m guessing Armored Spear was forced into at least looking." Dim Eyes sat up slower and carefully stretched his legs out. Being crunched up was not a good thing. "It's my neck mainly and I jerked it up. You know that we need to get out of here right?” “We know. The host and another vampire, who we haven’t seen, are present. The host took a sample from me.” “Probably not as much as me. It felt like that vampire took it all from me, and I’ve probably only recovered two pints.” He laughed at the joke, “How much did he take from you?” “One. Still it left me a bit weak.” “Don’t complain, that's only a little bit more than what you donate. The vampires are able to take twice as much without damage to you. He could have taken as much as three, if he used his magic. Plus, you had a fish dinner. Thank you, though.” “No problem. I would just like to know why you’re not dead though.” Dim paused before answering, he could not tell them the whole truth. “He had his reasons but he did not have to let me live. Always remember that. Now, will you go wake up the rest? I would like to leave now.” “Sure,” Redwing replied. She walked off, checking each room. Rainbow was the easiest to find. She had slept in the room two doors down. Waking up Rainbow Dash was a challenge. She didn’t want to wake up yet and was a powerful, stubborn pegasus. Rainbow batted the hoof that tried to disturb her. She wasn’t ready to get up, since it was still too early in the morning. Usually, she got up around one in the afternoon, unless her weather duties required her to get up earlier. “Go away, I still need to rest. I couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares of Twilight being a vampire,” Rainbow absently said as she rolled so that her wings were facing the pegasus. “Fine, I’ll leave you be.” Redwing walked out and tried another room. This one had two occupants. One was resting on the bed, the other, the floor. Redwing walked up to the thestral on the floor and lightly tapped him. The thestral didn’t stir from the tap. He was too tired and wanted to get back his sleep schedule. Redwing pushed a little harder on the thestral. This time the thestral did stir. “Redwing, leave us be and don’t go looking for Snow,” he said and then got himself comfortable and a snore was heard. “Ok. Winter is making a brunch,” Redwing sighed before walking out. It seemed everypony was going to be difficult today. She made her way back to the foyer. Dim Eyes was in a sitting position and Winter had just finished making the eggs and toast. Carefully, Winter carried a tray with the food. “Is anypony else coming?” “I don’t believe so. Silver is still sleeping, Rainbow had a bad night, and I wasn’t going to wake up our host. So, Dim Eyes, how are you feeling?” “I’m feeling better. I think I have the strength to get out of here once Rainbow and Silver are awake,” Dim Eyes answered. “That’s good. What about Snow?” Winter questioned. “I hadn’t found her yet. And Silver told me not to look for her.” “Where is Silver?” Winter asked. “I think the same room as our host. I could make out somepony on the bed, but that was it.” “Alright, do we have a way to communicate with the others?” Dim questioned. “Yes, Dim Eyes. Armored Spear gave this to me.” Out of her saddle bag, Winter fished out the communication stone and passed it to Dim Eyes. Dim Eyes then activated it. “Bronze Sword and Armored Spear, this is Dim Eyes. I’m ordering a retreat for now. Escort your party out, and we’ll meet at the mouth of the cave. It’s been quite awhile and the princesses need an update. We’re going to call them first then go back to Ponyville and wait for further instructions.” “Dim Eyes, it’s good to hear you, but how do we know you’re not being controlled by whoever captured you?” Armored Spear asked. “Or that you aren’t a changeling?” “I don’t know, but you can trust me. No pony is controlling me.” “Then have Silver Eyes confirm.” “He can’t, he’s asleep.” Armored Spear opened a private channel to the one Bronze had. “Bronze, if we can’t confirm, them we will have to capture them and have them checked. We still don’t know what dwells here.” “Ten for,” Bronze responded. “Dim Eyes, if that’s the case then we’ll have to take you in, we can’t risk it,” Armored Spear replied. “I know. I’m fine with that. What about the others, Silver Eyes, Redwing, Winter, and Rainbow Dash?” “It’s the same.” “One hour then.” “No, now.” “Alright.” With that agreed, Dim de-activated the communicator. “Winter, Redwing, get Rainbow Dash. I’ll get Silver Eyes.” They each went to where their comrade was. Rainbow Dash was tricky. Before, she wasn't completely asleep. Now, she was as unmoving as a mountain. Even splashing her with water didn't help. They tried what they could, since neither one wanted to pull a feather. It wasn't going well for them. Dim Eyes had a harder time since he had to find what room they were in. After three doors, he thought found an empty room, painted like Luna’s night sky as it sparkled in the twilight. “Wow.” “I said that the first time too,” said a voice from above. “You’re looking for Silver Eyes?” If he wasn't still weak from the vampire, he would have jumped out of his coat. "Um... Hello?” “Look up.” Dim Eyes looked up, but all he could see was the paintings of the ceilings. Twilight noticed that he could not see him and teleported in front of him. Dim Eyes jumped backwards, surprised by the vampire mare in front of him, heading his head and receiving a slight cut. Twilight easily smelled the cut, and carefully approached him. She didn't want to scare him anymore. “Allow me to heal that for you. And then I’ll lead you to Silver Eyes. I have to talk to our lovely host.” Dim Eyes stared as the mare that wasn’t there land in front. She still looked like her, just a few shades darker, and had some very pointy teeth. They were out, and her tongue flicked across her muzzle occasionally. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to ease the pain he felt. Putting his hoof down, he spied blood on it. Eyes darted to the vampire. She was approaching. His heart rate quickened as she got closer. With baited breathe, Dim Eyes spoke, "Please don't kill me." Twilight looked at him. His heart was beating faster, his breathing was labored, and his eyes darted to the sides. As for her own reactions, she could feel the saliva pooling, her extended fangs, and her dry throat. Taking a moment, she banished those thoughts. Dim Eyes is not for dinner. She relaxed herself and let her wings hang, showing she was no threat. Dim Eyes had also calmed down, but he couldn't relax as much as her. There was still a vampire approaching him. Twilight stopped a hoof length from Dim Eyes. Tentatively and eyes locked on the mare's muzzle, he approached. Leaning his head slightly, Dim allowed the vampire to lick him. She lapped at the blood, closing the wound and dulling the pain. When she would unconsciously or accidentally flick his ear, he felt it. Twilight hooked one of his hooves around herself and wrapped a wing around him. Together they made their way to where Gaius and Silver were sleeping it seemed. Dim Eyes only had one question before they opened the door. Even Dim Eyes could hear the snore. Even after the question was asked, Twilight still gave it more thought. “It’s something that I will never enjoy doing, but the taste is heavenly, if I’m truthful to myself." Opening the door with her magic, Twilight and Dim Eyes found an alert Gaius. The lights were dimmed on. Silver was currently curled up, snoring a storm. Giving Silver a hard hit on the wing did nothing to wake him up. With a bit of a sigh, the three ponies, if you considered vampire ponies to still be ponies, talked. "What do you know about us?” Twilight questioned “Not much, only what Silver has revealed to me. He’s trying to suppress it, but he still needs to feed, but old works for him.” “It won’t for me, and I’m not a full one yet,” Twilight said, begrudgingly. “Why do you need to talk to him?” Dim asked glaring at the vampire that hasn't said his name. He just looked back indignant of the glare “Clarification on something he said before we went to sleep.” Twilight looked at Gaius curiously. He had shifted himself just barely and was currently using her as a pillow. “I can assume you’re leaving?” Gaius asked. “Yes, we are,” Dim answered. “When am I going to return to Ponyville?” “Not yet at least. You aren’t ready, nor do you have control of your instincts. When you do, it will be a very tricky task. Does anyone know what happened to you?” “We don’t believe so. All we’ve found is two very injured manticores and dried blood on one of the tails. It can’t be identified. What did happen?” Dim asked. “The manticore had stung me." Turning her gaze, Twilight countered, "What do you mean? I can control them just fine.” “How did you two meet?” Dim Eyes asked. “I was nearby and heard the manticore going for a kill. I thought I could steal its kill and recognized her as an alicorn. I then tried to save her, but that manticore was a bit... relentless.” “He did it with reservations and I accepted what would happen.” “How reactant is she to the sun?” Dim asked “Unknown. I haven’t chanced it. She's not a full one yet. That will come in time, if she chooses.” “What do you by if I choose? You've already made the choice for me.” “Wait... Choice? You're not a thestral vampire?" Dim Eyes was confused. When he questioned Luna about vampires, she had said that long a ago there were two main kinds, and the dark magics made a third and forth kind. Of the two kinds, vampire thestrals were very common, being common trait. Now a days, they're quite rare. The third dark magic vamponies were very similar to the traits he saw in Twilight and their host. It was more of blessing that had a price. The fourth variety was dangerous. They were created to kill. To track and hunt. "That I am not. I'm the oldest kind, and by extension so is Twilight. I am also a royal pure, even though I hide those identifiers." "Why do you hide who you are?" Twilight watched as Gaius moved from the bed to Silver Eyes. "Gaius, you said 'choice.' What do you mean by that?" "The dark magic ones. Their based off his kind, but are more relentless. Ferocious. They kill whoever gets in their way. There's standing orders to kill any of those anywhere and there's a very high tag on them." Dim Eyes answered the first question for him. Gaius looked up from whatever he was planning to do to Silver. He had a bit of a pouted face. "Twilight. He's right, and we do have a choice. The catch is that we avoid all pony species. By doing this, we weaken our defenses versus us losing to our vampiric nature. We would devolve to worse than the dark magic vamponies that kill for shear sport. We would leave a pony dying, with its insides hanging out. Its not a path you want to take. We would still need blood, but you would lose a good portion of your magical ability." "And if I want to become a full one?" Gaius was looking at Silver. It wasn't a good look, mind you, but it also wasn't that he was going to bite your neck. With a bit of saliva spread across Silver agitated ear, Gaius bit down on it. Silver was awake now, too. "You have to feed from the blood and magic of at least three healthy ponies, a unicorn within the next four nights, an earth pony within a month, and a thestral a month after that. If you want to keep her pegasus wings, a pegasus too, same time frame. After that, you’ll be a full class L vampire alicorn. You will need a meal every six or eight weeks by my estimation. Two pints of blood or more weekly.” “Oh...That's why you asked about King Sombra. You wanted him for her,” Silver said, yawning during it. He was very annoyed that somepony used that trick to wake him up. “I did, that way, it wouldn’t have to be a random pony, or one from the prisons. The first meal is always the most painful.” “Why him? How is this any different from draining their blood, like I did with Dim Eyes?” Twilight asked. “Hey, you didn’t kill me. I’m still alive.” “I don’t care who actually. If you think you know a unicorn more deserving of pain greater than being burned in Tartarus, be my guest. Capture and feed from him completely. Let nothing be wasted. For your second question, you don’t just take a part of the force of their life, you will take all of it. Our magic can destroy the souls of our meals. That’s why we are such a hated species. The changelings only take a small piece of the heart, or soul. But those aren’t our final boundaries. We can destroy the mind as well.” “Thanks, I just wanted to know how powerful our magic is,” Twilight sarcastically emphasized. “Everything has a cost to it. For our magic, it’s life force. For changelings, it's love. Alicorns are no different. Now, back to the question at hoof: How do you return without causing suspicion.” “We could say that we found her here,” Dim responded. “Explain missing for six days, and her darker coat. Celestia and Luna would see through your lies. And her illusions most likely won’t hold up right now.” “You hadn’t finished training her, have you?” Silver asked. “No, I haven’t, I need about a night and a half more of time. Why don’t you all leave tomorrow morning.” “Silver, go without me. The others will be fine. I will bring Twilight back with me. Does Rainbow know?” “She does, I believe. If anypony else does, then they’ll forget when they past that barrier.” “Why shouldn’t I tell them my nature as soon as I return? Won’t it put them in danger if they don’t know how easily I could drain them dry?” “Yes, that would be a problem, but you are stronger than that. You would never do anything to harm your friends and citizens. Also, there’s this.” Gaius used his magic to draw two very worn and old looking scrolls. On both were Princess Celestia’s seal. The first scroll was an executive order. It read: Executive Order ten - twenty-two All vampires are to escorted out of the Equestrian borders or killed as enemies of the state. Any vampire that doesn’t comply must be killed. Those that harbor a known vampire or are found to be harboring a vampire are to be arrested, and charged with harboring an enemy of the state. If the accused actively tries to prevent the vampire’s arrest, lethal force may be used. Anypony with knowledge that a vampire was being harbored is an accessory and will stand trial. Anypony that willingly feeds the vampire is an accessory as well and will be locked up for twenty years without trial. No pardon may be given to anypony of these crimes. The effect of this order is infinite until another order voids it. The second was permit and it had both of the Princesses’ seals. The permit read: The sole receiver of this permit cannot be arrested as a vampire nor can he be charged with harboring a vampire. Any vampire in his possession must follow his rules and neither he nor the vampire in his possession can have a meal of an Equestrian within Equestrian borders. If he in fact needs one, one of two courses of action shall be required. If in Hallow Shades, or a protected thestral area, he may have it if it is willing given live to him. If his companion kills, then the leader of the area must give him permission or the vampire must be executed. If he or his companion find the restricted prison, harboring the most heinous of criminals, then he and his companion may steal a total of two prisoners. If both get away with they're respected meal, then they may keep it. If the vampire is found to be of class two or higher, he must report it to obtain a permit for the vampire, signed by both Princesses. “How do we know that you are the on to receive this permit?” Silver asked “There’s a third seal on it.” Gaius ran his hoof across one of his fore hooves and dripped some of the blood onto the scroll. The seal within the scroll reacted, producing a verification seal that any unicorn guard could authenticate. “Then how are your going to get the other permit, since she’s above class two?” DIm Eyes asked “Already have one. So then you won’t tell your friends?” Twilight sighed, the seal, sealed it, she had to keep the truth from them, for their sake. “Yes. When do I get to return?” Twilight questioned. “When you're ready to see them. I will be delivering you a couple of books and a pendent and I would Silver to give this to Rainbow Dash. If she excepts, you'll training with her.” “What about my meal?” Twilight knew that Sombra would qualify, but could they really steal him from custody? “He should come to you, but I think it would be best if I intercepted the transport. That way, I can get him.” “So then, shall we get to training?” “Sure.” Gaius lit his magic and the two vampires were gone. Dim and Silver Eyes blinked their eyes, trying to recover from the bright light. “Silver, I’ve spoken to Armored Spear, we need to meet him since I ordered the retreat. This cave is too dangerous for us.” “OKay, I’m right behind you.” Silver and Dim Eyes left, completely forgetting what was said during the conversation and the identity of the two vampires. Reaching the foyer, the two spotted the rest. “We’re leaving now. We don’t have the strength to fight the two vampires that were here and I have yet to fully recover.” “What about the pony we met at dinner?” Rainbow questioned. “It's a risk we shouldn't take with two vampires, one of which I believe is starving. Also, I didn’t find any sign of her,” Dim Eyes responded. “Neither did we. Only that pegasus, Snow, but we can’t risk our lives for only one. You’re more important,” Silver said. “Then you would let her die!” “Yes, we’re severely outclassed here. L-class vampires should never be confronted if you can get away and we can, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow looked like she agreed, but they all saw through her use, her wings were stretched out low, her muscles tensed like a spring. Before she could take off, his magic bounder her wings to her side. She fought, but they were just too powerful, “Let me go!” she shouted, kicking and bucking against her restraints. “Our mission was to find and escort you all back. I won’t risk any of us dying when we aren’t sure that Twilight is here and we know that there is a class L vampire here. Even the weakest class 3 can decimate squads of thirty trained guards and one paladin. We would stand no chance against an L-class .” “What’s the difference between class three and class L?” Rainbow asked. “A lot. L-classes are the supreme vampires. They are known to easily go half your top speed, in partial sunlight. They have strength that rivals the alicorns and their own magic to vex any unicorns or escape an alicorns. Most can’t match the magical power of alicorns, but they can still injure them.” Before they left, a shadowed hoof had tucked a letter into Silver's saddle bag. Redwing grabbed hold of Rainbow and began to fly away. Silver grabbed Dim Eyes and Winter took up the rear. They flew out of of the cave, only slowed down at the cave's entrance. The entrance had a hidden barrier, that no one detected and was great at sealing memories. They landed on the ground, where the rest of the party was waiting. “What took you all so long? Secondly, why is Rainbow Dash’s wings restrained? Princess Celestia gave strict orders of not restraining the elements.” Armored Spear asked. “Sorry, Rainbow wanted to try and save another pegasus that we saw. I restrained her to prevent that.” “Then let’s get out of here.” They made their way out the same way they came in. Outside, Night Wind was actually wake in a tree and Fluttershy and Rarity were on blankets. Fluttershy was the one that noticed them first. She lightly tapped Rarity, and the two looked towards the group with happy smiles, until noticing Pinkie Pie’s lack of a smile. Twilight was not among them. “So Twilight is still missing. Oh I hope she’s alright.” “So then. We should contact the Princesses?” Redwing supplied. She looked towards the sky to see some type of reference to time of day, but there were none. "Yes, we should," Armored Spear replied, "Although, we should escort the elements out first." "Agreed, but we need the time. We rather not be out here in the Everfree at night. Eight was ok, but 13? That's too many." As they looked out into the Everfree, something was wrong. Very wrong. All their nerves warned it, and their eyes, even though they were wide away a second ago were drooping. Around them, plants started to explode, releasing a fine mist into the air. The wind had picked up, blowing the mist towards them. The guards drew weapons while the pegasi and thestrals spread their wings. Magic rolled around as they channeled it through their wings.
Crimson TwilightAll throughout the Sisters' 'house', everything was scurrying, except for the the mouse. Pegasi were flying from wing to wing, delivering messages and reports. Guards patrolled in squads of four or five, and were comprised of all three pony races, each armed with spears. Part of a battalion was practicing in the fields of the Castle. Around six in the morning Shining Armor arrived on the the Crystal Empire's Crystal Express, he quickly made his way to the throne room. Worry over the state of the moon caused him to move with a purpose, tonight it had shone crimson red. The vigilant guards had informed him that Celestia was currently under the weather so Shining began his walk towards her living quarters. Outside Celesta’s chambers two guards stood watchful across the door. He approached them and with one look sized them up. His years spent as Captain of the guard instantly allowed him to size up the lead guard. One ‘Sunny Days.’ He frowned at their lack of discipline, it wasn’t anything major, however their stance and gear just spoke of unprofessionalism. It was the sort of thing only one that trained in seeing it would notice. Shining shook it off, he was a prince now, not their commander. “Is Princess Celestia awake?” “No prince,” came Sunny Days instant replay. The stallion was a bright orange, his red mane and tail had a light golden yellow stripe through it. “Very well, let me in.” To his amazement, two spears came down, blocking his path. “Sorry prince, our orders are that no one disturbs the princess.” Shining Armor actually found himself impressed. Maybe they don’t lack for discipline after all? It took a lot of gumption to tell a prince — who used to be the Captain of the royal guard — no. Around eleven, Shining Armor was fed up with the statuesque guards guarding Celestia. It no longer mattered that they were just doing their job, he had waited long enough and would not be denied. He marched over to them and looked Sunny Days straight in the eyes, “You’ve both done a great job, however if you don't get out of my way now, I’ll move you.” It wasn’t what he said or the look, as much as the tone in his voice that caused the two guards to step aside. He spoke with all the experience of a commander that led troops in battle. It was the sort of command you simply obey without question. Before he could open the doors, a brown stallion walked out of Celestia’s room with a white lab coat on. His green mane looked disheveled from being too long awake. “Prince Shining Armor I presume?” “Doc, how is she?” “Under the weather. It’s been years since Celestia has last been sick. I’ll tell you more about it but we must keep our voices down, she needs her rest.” With a flash of his horn the doctor enacted a small privacy barrier around them. Ever since Celestia fell asleep, she had been tossing and turning from the same chilling nightmare. The nightmare was of a dark lavender alicorn with the wings of a thestral, one with blaring crimson eyes and pearly white fangs. This pony was attacking others she held dear. Among this sea of darkness and killing, one thing remained constant. Celestia watched this pony fly over and shoot spells at everypony she knew, everypony that is except Twilight Sparkle. For some unknown reason, that worried her more than anything else. Luna had been aware of her sister’s nightmare when the moon reached its zenith. This was a first, Celestia never had nightmares when she was around. Luna immediately went to her sister’s side as soon as she realized that it wasn’t a nightmare at all, it was a premonition. She personally let the docs know that her sister was ‘sick’ and stayed by her side. She only let one in, one that could keep a secret. Eventually the early hour became too much for the princess of the night and she curled up asleep right beside her sister. Despite the doctor’s best efforts with the sound barrier, Celestia found herself awakened by the shouting Shining Armor was doing. She slowly blinked sleep from her eyes and looked around. It did not surprise her to find her sister right by her side, not with the dreams she had that night. Celestia ran a hoof through her sister’s ethereal mane. “Thank you, dear sister.” She knew that her only relief from those dreams had come from her sister. As the shouting increased, Celestia had no choice but to get up. Something she did not relish as the pain shot through her head. “Ugh, will you too keep it down, you’ll wake the dead.” Shining Armor and the doctor both turned around and looked at her. “I thought you put up a sound barrier!” he yelled at the doctor even louder. “My specialty is medicine, not barriers!” “Then why didn’t you let me put up the barrier!” Shining Armor screamed at the top of his lungs. They both turned as the sun princess cleared her throat to get their attention. "Celestia, you're awake. What happened last night? Cadance felt something wrong, something fundamentally flawed, and then the moon..." Shining asked with no small amount of concern in his voice. "Prince Shining Armor, your wife is correct. Something did happen last night, but my mind is still foggy," Celestia paused to give herself some time to clear her mind. With a less clouded mind, she noticed that Twilight was missing, and asked, "What time is it and where is your sister?" “It’s close to noon, your majesty,” the doctor replied. "I don't know. I haven’t seen her,” Shining Armor’s voice suddenly turned to worry when Celestia asked about Twilight. “What happened?” "I thought so. Please alert the guard. What happened is a question that I only know part of the answer to. Something happened, something I dreamed about.” Celestia paused as she tried to remember the details. A thought suddenly occurred to her, “Who rose the sun?" "Honestly, I don’t know. I imagine that if you didn’t do it, Luna raised the sun. The stars came out when they normally would have. What is the part you do not know? And what about my sister!?" "Yes, you’re right. If I was unable, my sister would have. And if I knew the other part, it would be part of what I do know.” Celestia said matter-of-factly. Shining wanted to bag his head against the floor, this was the one part he did not miss, Celestia’s mindgames. He shook it off, "Did you see what the color of the moon was, because it was far from white." Shining Armor asked. "No, I didn't. What color was it?“ "It was crimson wasn't it, Prince Shining Armor?" Luna asked through the blanket, and sought to bury herself deeper into the large white pillow she was laying her head on. She had felt it last night, but she couldn’t bring herself to look. "Yes, it was. Is there something special about that?" Celestia gave Armor a blank, unreadable face, trying to decide whether to tell him or not. "...Yes, that is a problem. The crimson moon is only used in certain situations. None of them are pleasant. It's power is used by necromancers to raise armies of the dead. If the vampire ponies were still around, they could use that moon to kill alicorns." "Like my sister. Did someone hurt Twilight?! Is she okay?! Where is she?!” Shining started panicking as his mind went to the worst case scenarios. “Is that why you were asking about my sister?!” Celestia did her best to try and calm her former captain, “Prince Shining Armor, I have no reason to believe that Twilight is in mortal danger, although I do what to find her. The moon..." she trailed off, unsure if she should reveal these details with Shining in his current mindset. “Celestia, tell me!” Shining growled the words. His years of guard training forgotten at the thought that Celestia was holding something back, something that might be putting his little sister in danger. The discipline of the royal guard vanished in the face of that threat. “Celestia, he deserves to know the truth.” Luna raised her head from the covers. “Very well Luna. Shining Armor, you know we are tired to the heavenly bodies that we symbolize correct?” "Yes, I do, you are tied to the sun, and Luna to the moon. Just like Cadance is with the heart of others.” Celestia just nodded at that, “Indeed.” “Alight, did they talk to you two?” “Well, no. The sun and moon were both silent last night. It seems to me that they were not helping nor hindering us. I think that they knew something we didn’t." “This still doesn’t tell me what happened to Twilight!” Just then two guards walked into the room, each of them with worried expressions on their faces. Celestia looked over, “What now?” “Princess,” they sharply saluted. The pegasus continued, “There is a problem. Canterlot is in an uproar.” “And I have a letter for you as well,” the unicorn softly spoke, knowing the uproar was more important. Celestia's mind started working a mile a minute. Thinking quickly, she gave out orders to the pegasus. “Keep everypony calm. Do not let the panic spread. They’ll be worried about the moon last night.” “Let me lead the search team for Twilight.” Shining Armor said. “Shining, I know that you want to search for your sister, and we’ll get to that, but there is more going on than you realize.” She turned to the other guard, “I’m sorry for my former captain’s outspoken personality for his sister. You mentioned a letter?” “Don’t be. Any family member would be quite worried for their family. Shining Armor especially. Yes, I did. It came through dragon flames, and was addressed to multiple rulers. I don’t know who sent it but I believe that this one is a summons.” He passed her the letter and got out of there as quickly as he could, just in case it was more bad news. Outside, the two guards were standing wearily. They had heard some of the conversations and were worried for their princess, who they swore to protect from foreign and domestic effects. Stress had its own effects and the guards knew this. Here was Shining Armor stressed over his sister, Celestia, who looked to be shakened up by something, probably the city in chaos. Celestia let go of a sigh she had been holding in. She got up from the bed, removing Luna's pillow, walking to the window with a slight fault in her step, passing by a huge pile of letters she got from a VERY worried dragon last night. She peered out, looking at the chaos of her city was in. "Why is Canterlot in such chaos?" "Princess?" asked the guards in the room, who did not catch her question. “Nothing, it was rhetorical.” “I’ll start looking for Twilight in Ponyville. Her friends should know something.” Shining was done asking for permission. He took it upon himself to find his sister. "They are not in Ponyville and no one seems to know where they have gone," Luna responded. This was the wrong thing to say to Shining Armor at this time. “How do you know?” Celestia and Shining Armor asked at the same time. “I may have read a couple of the letters last night." Luna paused, receiving a raised eyebrow from her sister and a glare fro Shining Armor. "What? Don’t look at me like that, I was bored.” Luna replied as Celestia began to shift through the letters. As Celestia shifted through the letters, from oldest to newest, the last letter received stood out. It said that the other elements were missing as well. They hadn't arrived back in town. "Alright, then do rumor and damage control, making sure to assure the other towns and cities that we are fine. Also, find my student and the other elements!" In Shining’s current state, Celestia knew that reasoning with him was no longer a possibility. It was best to simply give him what he wanted. Shining Armor left to assemble his team to look for Twilight. The other two guards were patiently waiting. Each of their pair of wings was fidgeting a bit. Celestia waited a moment before speaking, “Are you two just going to be content to just stand there?” “We were unsure of what you wanted us to do, now that you are mostly better,” Sunny Days said. “For now, allow us to talk in private. We would like no other disturbance. I seem to have a ton of letters to at least read and respond to. My sister’s court will start late, since she will need to rest.” “Yes ma’am.” The guards resumed their statuesque vigilance, guarding the two princesses from those that wish to disturb them. “So, Luna, who has called for a meeting?” Celestia asked while spying her sister reading the letter in her magic. “Someone we have not heard from in a while, but I don’t know if he has spoken to you during my banishment.” “Mind if I read the letter?” Luna passed the letter to her sister since she had finished it. The letter read: Dear Rulers of the lands of Equis, We summon at least two representatives of each land to meet and discuss an issue that has arisen from Equestria, which threatens the balance. In the past year, the number of murders has risen in most of the other lands except in the Crystal Empire and Equestia. It is believed that Celestia didn’t destroy all of the knowledge pertaining to the spell of total resurrection and that someone is trying to learn those spells associated with it to attack. We will not stand to wait for the attack, but we must find whoever this necromancer is, especially since the crimson moon was seen last night. I call for the meeting to take place in one moon’s time, in the Crystal Empire. Until then, Drako, Prince of the Dragons “Sunny Days?” “Yes Princess?” “Have another guard find Shining Armor and don’t allow him to leave right away. We need to speak to him.” “Yes.” Sunny Days spotted Dim Eyes, a friend of Shining Armor and a thestral, one that he didn’t recognize approaching. “Hault.” The two guards stopped and looked towards Sunny Days. “Yes?” Dim Eyes asked. He was a gray unicorn with a faded white mane and tail. He had an aura about him, one that spoke of a life that had seen too much. “The Princesses wish not to be disturbed and I need a guard or two to find Prince Shining Armor.” “Alright. Come on Dim, let’s head back to the barracks and find Shining Armor.” He laughed, “It was a pipe dream anyway. With everything going on, there is no way we could go on that camping trip in the Everfree Forest.” Sunny Days blinked twice. “Did you say Everfree Forest, where Princess Celestia and Luna’s castle was located? What were you planning to do there?” “Training exercises. Seems like a good place to put our skills to the test.” “Then you might be in luck. Shining Armor is organizing a search team to look through the Everfree. Princess Twilight and the other elements seem to be missing.” “Really? Maybe we can get in on that.” The two guards smiled and took off to the Barracks. * * * * * Shining Armor approached the barracks. There, most of the guards were just finishing their lunch while a few staggered in late, their training drills caused them to miss the afternoon meal. He smiled as he saw that those troops sitting had saved their comrades something to eat. Good to see they’re still looking out for each other, Shining thought with a smile. It was always such a hard lesson to teach. As a member of the guard, you're a team, you live and die based on the actions of the others around you. So many tried to shine on their own. He always washed those out as soon as possible. Such attitudes will get you and everyone around you killed. Those ponies had no place in his guard. Shining almost laughed as he realized he still considered it to be his guard. He must have laughed out loud without meaning to as every set of eyes turned to the former captain. A wave of silence spread out from him. The idle chatter of the guards died as they all looked at them. Some nodded, some looked fearful as memories of his drills came back fresh to their mind. “Prince, what brings you here?” The nearest guard jumped to his hooves and sharply saluted. While technically Shining Armor was a prince of the Crystal Empire, their training would not permit them from responding any other way. “My sister is missing,” when Shining said the words there was an audible gasp from every pony in the barracks. There was one golden rule from his time in the guard, one that everyone past, present, and future knew. You do not BUCK with Shining’s sister. Nopony knew if it was true, but there is a legend that gets passed around the barracks, as all such legends are. It goes to say that one time, one foolish pony dared make one passing comment about Shining Armor’s sister. Depending on who tells the story you will get a different ending. The most popular one now is that Shining flayed him alive thirteen times, each time he would magically reattach the pony’s skin, just so he could do it again. It is said that Celestia even helped. As with all such legends, they were built on some truth. Although Shining would never say just how much. “I’m trying to gather a team to aid me in a search. Do I have any volunteers?” Most of the guards stood up, willing to help their former Captain. Shining armor was surprised that so many were willing to help, but that was too large of a group. He had to fight back his liquid pride. it would not do him any favors to show that here. “Wow, all of you would help?” “I’ll take the best of the best. If you want to help join me in the training field.” He turned around, not looking to see how many would follow. There was no need, he knew that every one of them that stood up would follow, they’d follow him to the gates of Tartarus if he asked. Shining led them to the practice field. He was looking for a group of seven between all the pegasi, the scattered thestrals, unicorns, and earth ponies. As they entered the field, they formed ranks. There had to be at least fifty there. Behind him, Shining heard an out of breathe unicorn and the flap of a pair of wings. The unicorn must have been trying to keep up with the pegasus. As he turned around , he was surprised to see a thestral and his friend, Dim Eyes. “Dim Eyes, it is good to see you. I thought you’d be retired by now.” “Even though I did, that doesn’t mean I stay inactive. This is Silver Eyes. Sunny Days recruited us to find you. The Princesses would like to speak with you.” “That can wait,” there was a serious expression on his face when he said that. He did not want to speak to Celestia right now, he wanted to find his sister. “Will you be able to help me with a search?” “We’re both looking forward to it. I also believe that two other thestrals will be joining us.” “And I know two young guards that will be happy to as well.” “Are they any good?” “I vouch for them personally.” That impressed Shining, anyone that had Dim Eye’s approval had to be good. “Thank you. Can you inform them that we will be leaving tonight and won’t return for a minimum of three days?” “They’re already ready. We were planning to ask the Princesses for some time off to train in the Everfree. With everything going on, we figured what’s better training than the real thing? How many are you trying to recruit?” “I want a crack team, small but efficient. No more than seven in total.” “Before we agree, I have two questions. Where will we be searching and for what do we hunt?” “The Everfree Forest.” Hearing that name caused a lot of the ponies present to become visibly shaken. The legends of the Everfree permeated in their minds, ESPECIALLY after a crimson moon. “All of you were listening, that surprises me.” He was saving that reveal for later. Those he took needed to have no fear. He figured this would get rid of a large amount. Dim Eyes noticed their reaction and laughed. “That’s maybe the Lunar guard’s fault. Some of them were banished with Princess Luna and they returned with her. They have stories about the crimson moon, and have shared them. They now only share them on Nightmare’s Night, since it has scared many.” “Will some of the lunar guard be joining us, besides the ones you volunteered?” “Afraid not, prince. Very few of us do go out after a crimson moon. Only those Luna personally needs will be out. A few of the royal guard will fill in the holes.” “Then it’s just us?” “It seems so. Why don’t you get ready and we’ll make sure our troops are ready.” “Alright, alright. So we good on the plan?” “Before you all go off, may we help?” asked two relatively new recruits from the formation. Dim Eyes eyed them. They weren’t the most disciplined, probably new recruits. If that is true then they will have no training with being in the Everfree so that makes them a liability, he wanted Shining Armor to make the call though.. “Shining, what’s your judgement on these two?” Shining Armor sized them up in three seconds. “They’re two new recruits that are glory seekers and don’t belong on this mission. You two aren't going, you’re a major liability. We’ll be going into the Everfree. There are many poisonous plants that will kill you before you take three breaths. There are animals that will eat you whole. There is no way I’m letting two glory seekers jeopardize this mission.” The two pegasi ruffled their wings, wanting to challenge Shining Armor. He didn’t have the authority to lead this mission nor decide. “You don’t have the authority to lead this mission. You also have a civilian with you.” All those present gasped at that. Shining reared back. Standing at his full height he managed to look down at both of them. “What did you say?” His voice was monotone. There was an old saying in the guard: Watch what you walk into, your commanders will give you just enough rope to hang yourself with. “I said, with all due respect. You don't have the authority to lead this mission.” The pegasus meant his gaze muzzle to muzzle. “Do you know who I am?” Shining asked. That one question carried more weight with it then the entire city of Canterlot. “Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire. Married to princess Mi Amore Cadenza, otherwise known as Princess Cadance.” Somehow the pegasus kept his nerve. “Do you know what I did before that?” “You were Captain of the Royal Guard.” His voice betrayed none of the fear his knees were starting to show. His partner looked ready to faint. “Do you know who we’re going after?” “Your sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” “And it is your judgment, that I, Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire, former Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard. Big brother of Princess Twilight Sparkle. That I am somehow not qualified to lead a rescue mission into the Everfree Forest to find her? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” All four of the pegasus's legs were shaking, he was visibly sweating, yet somehow he managed to keep all that from his voice. “Yes prince, you fall outside our chain of command, therefore you cannot lead such a mission.” “Is that so.” Shining stared him down, looking directly into his eyes, through the iris, into his very soul, as if to spot every single imperfection and call him out on it. “Dim Eyes!” Shining yelled out. “Yes.” the unicorn was smiling now. “Think we got room for two more recruits? We need somepony to serve as bait incase the forest gets hungry.” It would technically give them eight, but it was better to have more than less. “I think we can manage.” Dim Eyes smiled. “Good, anypony else want to come?!” Shining shouted at the group assembled. No one volunteered, not after that display. “The rest of you are dismissed.” They all left for the barracks after that. Shining turned and walked to his old friend. “Alright, lets recap, we got: Silver Eyes, a high ranking thestral guard for Princess Luna, two unnamed thestrals that both Dim Eyes and Silver Eyes approve of, two other unicorn guards that Dim Eyes vouches for, and two glory seeking pegasi, whose names were….” “Redwing,” spoke the first. She was larger for a pegasus mare. Her coat was tan and she had a light orange mane and tale. She had an odd cutie mark for a guard, a red t-shirt, and her wings were a darker shade of red. “Winter Arc.” Winter was a sky blue pegasus. Her mane and tail were snow white and had a lighter blue streak through them. Her cutie mark was of lightning arcing between two cumulus clouds. Winter eyed the thestral that Dim Eyes seemed to trust. He was fairly large, but not bulky in any way. His broad wings covered his cutie mark, which unnerved her. Those same broad wings looked thin, like he could turn as sharp as a cyan blue mare she had heard about. “You haven’t said much, shouldn’t you at least tell us your name, and rank.” “Only the foolish speak when they have nothing to say, Winter Arc.” The look of dejection on her face made him pause. He sighted, “My name is Silver Eyes. I was the second in command of the fifth division of Princess Luna’s troops, before she was corrupted. My General called himself ‘Walker,’ but I personally knew him by his actual name, and he has longed passed by now. I’m certain.” “Silver, who was he, because I’ve never seen his name in any of the history books, even those that Princess Celestia has the only copies of.” Dim Eyes looked towards the thestral. “He actually didn’t talk much and mostly was awake when the moon could clearly be seen. He was a tactical mastermind, like with experience of hundreds of different battles, he could disappear better than a unicorn that could teleport.” “When did he join, because I’ve never seen him,” Shining Armor asked. “He actually didn’t directly join. He was more of an adviser I would say. He keeps to the night, only coming out when Luna herself commands it. Luna had him train a group of thestrals, myself included. “Let us not dwell on the past, since we have a very important mission to do,” Silver Eyes spoke. “Yes, you are right.” Shining agreed, but before he could say more, Dim Eyes commented about something that bothered him with the mission: “I wish you’d let me handle this one Shining. You’re too close to this and you know it.” Rage started building up in Shining’s chest. “I’d go to the gates of Tartarus for my sister. There is no way I am NOT leading this mission.” “Prince Shining Armor!” A voice called out from above. Shining Armor looked up and saw the form of Princess Luna flying down from above. “Princess Luna, there is nothing more to discuss.” Shining’s temper returned in a big way. “I’m afraid there is, Prince. We just received some news.” “I don't really give a buck right now.” “Shining Armor.” He stopped and turned to face the princess. As an alicorn, Luna was an imposing figure, taller than him, and far, far more powerful. Shining did not care about any of that right now, the only thing on his mind was to save his sister. The rage he felt after finding out about some of Celestia’s ‘tasks’ back in the day came back ten-fold. “What part of I don’t give a buck right now do you not understand?” Everyone in the courtyard took several steps back, no pony talked to Luna that way, not even her sister. “Prince Shining Armor, you and your WIFE have been summoned to a meeting of all the rulers of the land, at the request of Drako, PRINCE OF DRAGONS.” “You’re making that up.” It was too unreal to be true. “We got the request in the palace. Apparently he wants to have the meeting in the Crystal Empire. So are you going to let your wife and your kingdom down or are you going to do your royal duty? Your pick, prince.” Shining started steaming, he wanted to rage against this. He wanted to go anyway, buck the dragon prince. He… he… he… he didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t leave his wife alone, not at a time like this. Dim Eyes saw the change in him, he knew what would happen without Shining having to say anything. “Hey, I’ll find her. I swear it on my life.” Shining placed a hoof on his shoulder. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t need to. That one gesture said more than words ever could. I’m trusting you to bring my sister home safely. The tension in the courtyard was a lot less once Shining Armor departed. Using what free time they could, the troops that were going took this opportunity to get to know each other. It’s always useful to know the pony who has your life in their hooves after all. In the backdrop of a waxing gibbous moon barely above the sky, four unicorns, three thestrals, two pegasi, and two alicorns stood the gates out of Canterlot. Their packs were packed, space was maximized, and what wasn’t needed was left. They didn’t need to be carrying dead weight. “So, Shining Armor, this is the team that you trust with the return of your sister?” asked the Lunar Princess. “It is, your majesty. Dim Eyes I’ve know for some time. Silver Eyes is a friend of Dim and has his approval. The thestrals of your guard, I know are just as had working as Celestia’s guard, and they don’t look like they just joined. The two unicorns, Dim Eyes also vouches for, but I only recognize . The two pegasi are new, Silver will be keeping an eye on them.” “Silver Eyes, once my second most trusted leader in my army, but was always out ranked by the four generals, now the Captain of my guard.” Luna nodded in approval, Shining chose well. “Break a wing.” “Princess Luna, why would you say that. We’re all sure to make it back in one piece,” replied the pegasi. “Luna, that saying has changed. It worked for your thestral guard, but here, there are unicorns and earth ponies. The saying is now is break a hoof,” Celestia informed her sister. “Shining Armor, are you sure in taking two fresh recruits out on such a dangerous mission?” “If he had the choice, they would not be joining us. Without them, we have only six trying to search quite a wide area. When we do arrive, Silver and I will be working together searching, but also keeping an eye on them. We will remain in viewing distance of each other. They can provide a lot and are completely willing to take the risks. They also know that we are not responsible for stupidity,” Dim Eyes responded. “Then be careful, my little ponies. There are creatures and plants in that forest that will be glad to have a live meal. Please, let all of you return. As my sister said, break a wing.” Luna and Shining Armor moved to the side to talk in private and to allow Celestia to say her farewells. “Before you go, take these.” In Celestia’s golden magic was a set of communicators and another item. “Some unicorn inventors were working on the communicators. They are from the middle stages of testing and need a field test. Princess Twilight had figured out a design for these instant messengers, since letters take valuable time to send, and to send by dragon fire, you need a very young drake, or a phoenix feather, which only works once and is one way. They are based off a technology she had seen and a book I gave to another student of mine. “The second item is a flare gun. The guard of Ponyville will recognize it and it’s citizens are quick to respond when its over the Everfree Forest.” Dim Eyes and Silver both thanked Princess Celestia it was risky to put their trust in untested items, but for where they were going they would need all the help they could get.. When they were all about to take flight, a golden aura surrounded them. In a flash they were gone, standing at the entrance to the Everfree. Such a spell took a lot out of the alicorn, but it when every second mattered, it was worth it. * * * * * * Deep within the castle in the everfree, a bright lavender flash had scattered the creatures nearby. From the bright flash, five mares landed on the ground. The cyan colored one landed in the middle of the pile of four, luckily on her chest. Unfortunately, a strong, earth pony mare landed on her injured wing. The pain that shot through her caused her back hooves to instinctively buck at the weight on her wing. They succeeded, but also hit an ivory white unicorn in the horn, knocking her into some glowing blue bushes. This was far from the pleasant landing they were expecting. “Let’s do that again,” chanted the pink earth pony, who had landed on her hooves to the left the pile. “No way!” groaned the injured pegasus as she got off her shy friend. “Rain...Rainbow. Please don’t move your wing. It needs to be braced.” “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that much,” Rainbow lied. She moved her wing and almost screamed at the pain that shot though, but held it it. “Rainbow, stop lying to yerself and Fluttershy about yer wing. You know it’s broken. We don’t have the medical supplies, but we can brace your wing. So sit yer tail down and allow Fluttershy to brace it.” Rainbow looked towards her. She wanted to deny she was right, but the wing really was hurt. She succumbed and allowed Fluttershy to brace her wing. As Fluttershy finished, Applejack asked, “What happened with Rare’s?” “I knocked her into the debris behind us when you landed on me.” An irated white unicorn ruffled the rocks as she rejoined her friends. Across her, there were very minor cuts from the sharp ends. “Yes, and when you did, you hit me in the horn and knocked me head first into a bolder! That hurt like crazy. Fluttershy, do you have anything for the terrible migraine I am getting?” “Um… yes, I do. Here.” Fluttershy reached into the medical kit she had brought for their mission and passed Rarity a pill for her migraine. The pill, unfortunately, had a reaction. It put her to sleep. “Fluttershy, was that supposed to happen?” “Um..it was a mentioned side effect for unicorns, but where are we? And where is Twilight?” “Ah have no clue to the second one. Ah do believe we’re in the ruins of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters.” Fluttershy was shaking at Applejack’s answer; Rainbow Dash held a brave facade, but her wings were twitching, and Pinkie Pie was bouncing. “But Ah do know this, we’re vulnerable. Lets find shelter and a place to rest. We’re going to need it, because we have to find out what happened to Twilight.. The problem is only two of us can look for her as one of us need to stay behind to look over Rares and RD. I know that she’s important, but we have injuries. Plus Spike would’ve sent a stack of letters a mile high when Twilight doesn’t come home.” “But we shouldn’t be sitting here doing nothing. Twilight is still in danger.” Rainbow groaned. She didn’t like to be still when her friends were endanger. It was bad enough with that cloud, but twice. If her wing didn’t hurt so much, she would be out there looking, alone with Pinkie Pie and Applejack, but then Fluttershy would be alone. “RD, Ah know what you’d rather be doing, but why don’t we get the facts straight. Your wing is most likely sprained, you usin’ it will make it worse, and Rarity is out cold. Twilight is strong. She’ll walk to Tartarus and back for us. That manicore has no chance. The only thing Ah wish Ah knew was why Flutters had Twilight transport us and why she’s not here.” “Um...speaking of facts, there was a reason. The larger manicore wasn’t attacking the smaller in the sense we would. It was a fight for dominance, and um they….” Fluttershy trailed off, trying to hide herself and her rosy blush in her mane. She partially succeeded, her blush went unnoticed. “Fluttershy, that didn’t look like a fight for dominance. It looked like the larger was trying to kill the smaller one. How bad is RD’s wing?” Applejack said. “It could have been worse. She’ll be fine if she doesn’t fly and gets to a doctor,” replied Fluttershy “No way I’m letting some doctor poke and prod me at the hospital.” “Then allow them to take an x-ray. RD. We don’t fully know the extent. You also don’t want to hurt yerself more,” Applejack “True.” Rainbow patiently waited for Fluttershy to finish bandaging her wings. Applejack is right. I definenty don’t want to ruin my chances for the Wonderbolts. For Rainbow the thought of having done serious damage to her wings and ruining her future was conflicting with her desire to save her friend.. Twilight could be anywhere and in who knows how much danger as well. Rainbow had fidgeted her wing a couple of times, which annoyed Fluttershy. Once Fluttershy was done, she offered Rainbow the same kind of pill Rarity had received. At first, she refused, but the more she moved the worse the pain felt. Rainbow eventually swallowed her pride and the pill. It did to the restless mare what it did to Rarity. She was out like a light.. A cave overlooking the everfree noon In the darkness of the cave, a vampire contemplated whether he had made the right choice. A lesson from his past came back to the forefront of his mind. Long years before, a unicorn had searched for him. It was back when both Celestia were a bit older, but still relatively young. There was no Equestria yet, the tribes had quarrels with each other still, and Discord was just starting his reign. It was a different time, a time as foreign to modern ponies as the thought of living without Celestia’s guiding hoof. Everything from the clothes they wore to their contrasting accents The forest and the caves were his home from home for now. One night, among the trees, he had spotted a unicorn wandering through his home. He looked tasty and the vampire almost drank from him, but something about him peaked his interest. The unicorn seemed to be looking for something. Curious, the vampire decided to let him live, for now. He simply watched the unicorn as he came unbidden into his home day after day. After the sixth day, the vampire decided to give the unicorn the courtesy of meeting his devorer. To the vampire, he was greedy and self-centered, but it seemed the unicorn had a reason for wandering into his home each afternoon, never once staying past the setting sun. The day the vampire decided to satisfy his thirst, the unicorn didn’t show up until late that evening. He stood on the edge, waiting it seemed. The vampire let him wait, for such a creature, time was an eternal ally. When the moon reached its zenith, the unicorn took his last step into the vampire’s home. He landed right in front of him, scaring him as white as a ghost. With a sinister grin, the vampire asked, “What brings thee so close to my home?” “I… I come looking for thy, good sir,” the unicorn was terrified, yet he did not run. It was then the vampire noticed what had enticed him into action that night, the smell of death was upon the unicorn, for he was carrying his dying wife. “Do you know who I am?” “Not really. A dirt walker said that somepony lived here that could give the blessing of eternal life.” Unicorns were by their nature tenacious, a holier-than-thou attitude bread into them from birth. Even with his fear, it was still present. “This ‘dirt walker’, as thee call her has a name. Why don’t you describe her, or thee would be with thy wife again.” “I could be with my wife again?!?” For a brief moment, his mind thought of what the figure in front of him had said. ‘He’ could be with his wife. “Yes, you can, in the afterlife.” The unicorn was quick to block the vampire’s strike, but the vampire wasn’t aiming for him. When the dust settled, the unicorn was still breathing, but his wife was pinned, her neck directly below his chins. “Next time, listen to her warnings. The only thing eternal is death. Why should I take her away from that?” The unicorn thought for a minute. The mare, who he must know, had also warned him that he held the cards. He can wait for you, but you cannot wait for him. “Please, please save her, I’ve never known someone so kind, so caring in all my life. The world would be a poorer place without her in it. I… I don’t care what happens to me, take my life to feed your thirst, just, save her, please.” “Thy speak sooth, but thy are not worthy of the death I could give you. Will thy still ask me of this?” “Aye. I don’t care what happens, just save her.” The words gave the vampire pause, he did not know why, but they seemed to becoming from the past as well as the present. As if they mirrored a conversation he had long since buried. It was less the words, and more the conviction in his voice, the desperation, the sensarty of someone that was willing to give everything for the one they loved, even their life. “Then I rede thee one final warning. Vampirism will change her. She may no longer be the mare thy loved. Consider my warning carefully before you ask this of me, again. ” “Anything to restore my beloved to me.” “Thy know not what you ask, doing so brings with it more heartache than thy can imagine, and risks to myself. Why should I take those risks to save thine beloved wife?” “Prithee! Thou art my last hope. Nigh everypony I have gone to refused.” As the unicorn gave his final response, the vampire made his own choice. Even after my warnings, he did not falter, nor did he hesitate. He was determined and would not be dissuaded from this course of action. Based on the smell of death looming over the mare, the vampire knew she did not have long. Reluctantly, the vampire gave into the side of him that still felt empathy. Against his better judgment, knowing it was a mistake, he granted the unicorn’s request. And he was right. A couple nights had past when the vampire met the mare he saved again. It was with true sorrow in his heart that he took her head from her shoulders and then burned her in the noon sun. That night, he travelled to the village and saw all the destruction. It seemed that despite his insistence, the unicorn stallion hadn’t heeded the most important warning: “Do not let her feed from you.” “This time shall be different. I won’t make the same mistakes again.” Gaius said the words, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. * * * * * * After a bright flash outside Ponyville, the eight guards all looked on at the infamous Everfree Forest. Four of the guards were shaking in their armor. The Everfree was dark and uninviting, winding plants wrapped around towering trees. “So this is the Everfree Forest?” asked one of the thestral guards. “Yes it is.” “Have you been here before?” “This will be the second time I’ve had to travel the forest,” Silver Eyes answered. “Before we venture into this Forest, why don’t we each introduce ourselves? We are going to trust each other with our lives.” “Good point, Winter Arc. I’ll lead. For those that do not know me, I’m Dim Eyes. I’ve worked in the guard for about thirty years now and known Shining Armor for fifteen. I did recently retire, but only because my values have changed. These two are Bronze Sword and Armored Spear.” Bronze Sword was a bronze unicorn with a silver mane and tail. Armored Spear had a light grey coat and a white mane and tail. Silver Eyes was the next to speak. Before he did, he gave all present a pleasant, inviting smile, if his fangs were not showing. They weren’t too long, but could grip a pony, if he had to. “Silver Eyes. I’m currently Luna’s private guard captain. I’ve been serving Luna for about twenty years now. I don’t plan to retire anytime soon, though.” “These two are Ruby Eyes and Night Wind.” “Call me Night.” The grey stallion thestral with a black mane and tail lifted his hoof to shake the others. “I’m Ruby.” Ruby was a mare. Her eyes shone like jewels. She too was grey with a black mane and tail. “Are you two brother and sister?” “No, most thestrals have a grey coat with black mane and tail. Its a genetic trait. Our eyes on the other hand are a different story, but that’s a story for later. The pegasi?” “Redwing” “Winter Arc, but I prefer Winter.” “It’s good to meet all of you. Maybe when we’re done, I could show you some places to go in Canterlot,” Night offered. “Keep your wings on your back, Night. So Dim and Silver, what are our groups?” “We’ll be going in three groups. Winter, Ruby, and Bronze Sword, you will compose the first group. Redwing, Night, and Armored Spear, you’re the second group. Silver and I will be the third, but will be watching out. We’re going to do a grid search. One in the air, two on the ground. Redwing and Night, since you both have the strength, you’ll be on the ground. If you meet trouble, fly out. Ruby and Winter, watch from above, but remain in visual range of each other.” “We’re going to check to the Castle of the Two Pony Sister’s first,” Silver informed. “Shouldn’t we check with the guard?” “They still haven’t seen them,” said a young voice from behind them. The group turned their heads towards a young purple dragon that was walking towards them. “Spike, I presume?” Dim Eyes asked. “What are you doing coming all this way?” “I’m going with you. I’ve been with Twilight only a few less years than Shining Armor and I am not going to let the Everfree Forest have her. I am coming with you.” “No you are not, Spike. You’re too young. Plus we actually have job for you. Three foals who have a knack for destruction? They need to be watched along with all the pets. We don’t know how long they will be missing. Do you think you could accomplish this task?” Dim Eyes looked towards Spike. Shining Armor had warned him that the young dragon might try and tag along and left him with just what to say if that were to happen. “You're just saying that so I don’t go with you. I’m going and that is final. There is nothing you can say to stop me.” “We may not, but the princess can.” Very carefully, Dim Eyes used his magic to activate the communicator and called for Princess Celestia. At first all they heard was static and when Dim Eyes provided more magic, the connection established. Spike was surprised when he heard Princess Celestia say, “Dim Eyes and Silver Eyes. I was not expecting to hear from you so soon. Do you bring news?” “No, princess. We’re about to begin when Spike ran into us. He knew exactly what we were doing and demanded that we allow him to tag along.” “What’s the problem in that?” Celestia asked and Dim Eyes groaned under his breathe. “That I will not willingly endanger the dragon of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Also, what about Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle and all their pets?” “Spike, how would Rarity, or Sweetie Belle feel that you left them alone and didn’t take care of them in their big sisters’ absence?. How would Twilight feel if you neglected your library duties, that you neglected the pets of her friends?” “I… I… they would all feel sad, but what about doing nothing to help them?” “Spike, you are not doing nothing. You had contacted me. You are taking care of their pets while they’re away. You’re making sure that the crusaders don’t severely injure themselves.” “Everypony, or in this case, drake, has a purpose. When you send out a search team, there is a base camp, and someone manning that camp.” “Alright princess, I’ll stay.” Spike began his trek towards Fluttershy’s house, wary of the states of the animals that live there. “Now Dim Eyes, I need to speak to Silver Eyes, privately, while I can. “ Dim Eyes passed the communicator to Silver and led the others away. “Are they out?” “Yes, princess, but I ask why the secrecy?” “Because there are members of my guard that I do not trust. When Luna fell, her army didn’t. They fought on. The only reason that they didn’t take control, nor survive, is for two reasons. The first was sending your captain away on a secret mission. The second was a letter he sent home. “I sent my army ahead of me, while I evacuated the castle. They made it to the tale end of the battle. During the evacuation, the Everfree sprung up, fueled by chaos magic. The source was the chaos the battle caused. We had to retreat. “At the battle site, my guard met a gruesome scene they weren’t prepared for. They assumed that they were the enemy and completely ignored the insigna identifying them as allies. After that, the general used an old power, that has now been removed, to attack your captain’s homeland. He stole a weapon I only intended to use if your captain’s guard did not defeat Nightmare Moon’s army.” “After that battle, those generals launched a major campaign and they committed genocide. Both have been buried, but three pegasi did survive. Two stallions and a mare. The descendants of those three still live today. Of them, there is a trait I do not want spreading. If that trait falls into the wrong hoof, then the world of Equis is lost.” “How?” “Your captain knows. Now, go to the Castle of the Two Sisters. I believe that they are there. Silver Eyes, lead your friends and look for Twilight if she is not with the others. Don't let my guards join you." "Why?" "I fear for their safety." "What could possibly harm a group of eight prestigious guards?" "Many things can. The one I'm worried about is from your true time, Crimson Eyes" "How do you know that name?" he hissed. "Cutie marks don't change, no matter how powerful and/or complex the spells are or woven together." "So true, but most don't know, so please call me Silver. I want to forget that deadly past," he said looking towards the ground. Silver Eyes walked up to the opening to the Everfree Forest, where five guards clad in golden armor and two others clad in a light silver stood. Each was carrying a backpack with supplies and a medical kit. Each of them held a weapon of some sort. One of the lunar guards was carrying Silver’s: A silver spear. Redwing hesitantly asked, "Are we sure we want to do this?" "Come on, what you afraid of?" jested Armored Spear and Night Wind, who did care for nor believed in Silver Eyes’ stories of the fifth division and the generals of the other four. He didn’t believe in his story of vampire ponies. "There are plenty of things to be afraid of. There are large, carnivorous, pony eating plants. Not to mention all of the other carnivorous animals," responded the timid guard. "Oh. What's worse than those?” "What's worse you ask? A vampire pony." "No, that's not the worst thing. The worst thing would be two hungry vampire ponies, one of which was a recently turned who just woke up," Ruby Eyes responded. Legends of old came back to mind, but they were just legends, right? "Yeah, that would be bad, but they are just legends. There's absolutely no way we would run into those." Armored Spear and Night Wind heartily laughed at her uncertain face, who was looking to leave very soon before she embarrassed herself. The other guards half-heartedly joined as well, while the oldest guard, Silver Eyes, shaked his head knowing that it was possible and likely. * * * * * * Night of the manticore's attack In the starless sky, a Waxing Gibbous was visible. I laid her down near me so she would not get too cold during this late December day and so that I could awake before her. Before I turned in, I casted a tremendous illusionary spell to prevent anyone from seeing us. During his sleep, Twilight’s savior contemplated his actions. He had just destroyed the normal life of Princess Twilight Sparkle. He went against his own boundaries. ‘If I’m not loyal to myself, then who am I loyal to? Should I have done what I did? She was scared, but I believe she knew what was going on. I hope she forgives me. Not many would like the cursed blessing, but at least she lives, in a sense.’ "Hello, my Crimson Pellegrino. I see that you have gone against yourself." "Ah, hello, you seem to have caught me awake. What is the pleasure I owe for your visit, Silver Selene? Also, haven't I told you not to call me that." "You have, but it's my name for you. I always give a name to them. You ate one of my roses. They do not grow often and always have a price." "In the past I have always paid your price, what makes today any different?" "Because it is not you who is paying as well. It is the sleeping Twilight who has to pay." Silver Selene left, evaporating into mist. Once she was gone, I put the final touches on the illusionary spell. Only Princess Luna directly looking might be able to see past the illusion. Any of the guard would just the blank face of a rock and walk right past where we were staying. For three days, during the night, I would wonder, during the day I would sleep. During the first night after the transformation, I caught the conversation of eight guards who were going to be searching. I had laughed a little, catching the lunar guard's response. I think I even recognized him as Crimson Eyes. On the third night, I awoke early, catching the full moon rising. It had just barely gone above the horizon, while the sun had already set. From my bag, I grabbed a large bowl of a carpenter. Setting the bowl deeper in the cave, in front of a running river, I filled it with a clear liquid, not allowing it to react with the atmosphere. I made my way back to the sleeping princess just in time to see as the twilight shown against her purple fur as it filtered in from the moon. * * * * * * Deep in the Everfree, near the guard’s camp The guards had a tiring two days of searching. On the first day, they had found the a female manticore, which they quickly got away from as fast as they could. On the second day, they had found the hoof marks of five different ponies leading to a river, it was a dead end end. Looking to either side, the hoof marks could either go upstream towards a cave or downstream. Silver and Dim Eyes contemplated what they would do. On one hoof, they all could go one direction. On the other hoof they could split up. Redwing and Winter had proven their worth. They weren’t the glory seekers they were supposed to be. But Silver also couldn’t just go with the thestrals. It would be too unbalanced. “Winter and Night, will you two fly down stream and report back?” “You got it captain.” The thestral and pegasus pair took off. They had gone about three hundred feet before they dived to the ground. Before them were five mares. Two pegasi, two earth ponies, one who was stirring, and a unicorn. The earth pony was pink, had a straight mane and tail. Her cutie mark was of three balloons. After asking the less than happy pink mare, the guards turned around, knowing where they would be and not making the connection of her being Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie who was an overjoyous bouncing mare who could brighten the darkest day. Before the guards lept into the air, Pinkie Pie placed two slips of paper in their manes so that they wouldn’t fall out. Once the pair returned, Dim Eyes asked, “Anything to report?” “Not really. We found a camp of five mares who seem to be doing just fine and we can check on them in the morning.” Night reported “Can you describe these mares?” Silver asked, doubting this was nothing. “Yes. There were two pegasi, one was looking the other way, annoyed, in a blue and gold sleeping bag, while the other had animals surrounding her. A unicorn was sleeping on three mats in a sleeping bag that had a pattern of groups of three diamonds. The earth pony mare had a straight mane and tail and a cutie mark of three balloons. The final mare was another earth pony. Her bag had groups of three apples and looked worn, but durable.” The two gave curious looks towards the others. If the others were Discord, their eyes would have rolled all the way back to Canterlot blinking at Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor. If they were Pinkie Pie’s, their jaws would have jumped off and landed in the deepest depth of Tartarus. “Silver Eyes, do you mind punching me with your full strength?” Silver responded with a “Eeyup” to rival Big Macintosh’s. Dim Eyes decided to bang his head on one of the trees, while the others faced-hoofed. Ruby was the one to notice the slips of paper in their manes. “Hey Silver, what are those slips of paper doing in their manes?” Ruby grabbed hold of the pink pieces of paper and passed them to Silver “With the luck they are having, Pinkie Pie placed them there. They read:” Winter Arc is blinder than a bat who couldn’t hear when it comes to connecting details. The thestral was so unobservant that if she walked into a colony of poisonous vipers, she would be dead. Or so blind that she could walk into the waiting mouth of a carnivorous, hungry, vampire pony. The last adjective was unread and Silver had torn it up. “You mean to tell us that the pink pony with the straightest mane I have ever seen was Pinkie Pie, the mare whose curls take a steamroller to straighten?” “Eeyup.” “Well that’s only one,” she said trying to defend. “Blue and Gold, wonderbolts: Rainbow Dash; pegasus with animals: Fluttershy; dependable earth pony mare and three apples: Applejack; unicorn who can’t stand almost any dirt and three diamonds: Rarity.” “Then that just means Twilight right?” “Yes, you said that they were safe?” “Yes.” “Dim Eyes, you know a few healing spells for minor injuries?” “No, I don’t, but surprisingly, Armored Spear does.” “Armored Spear, Bronze Sword, and Winter Arc, go to the elements and lead them out of the forest.” “Yes sir.” They left, while the others looked upstream to the darkening storm clouds above the rock formation. The clouds arced with lightning while thunder boomed overhead. Howling winds poured from them. Rain began to pelt the rock formation. The guards set off to a brisk pace and soon came upon the cave’s entrance. They slowly entered the cave ready for anything and drenched to the bone. The entrance was a bit small, but the stallions managed to fit through. They followed the river deeper into the cavern, one that was getting smaller. Just as the cavern became too small for the largest stallion not to stand, it opened up. In the middle, they spotted a bowl. A bowl of a carpenter from its wooden nature. * * * * * * Twilight's eyes had fluttered open and looked around for any sign of her friends or where she was. For the moment, she ignored her growling stomach and the dry feeling in her throat. Around her, all she could see was the plain rocks of a cave, there was no sign of the Everfree Forest nor the town of Ponyville. Twilight quickly put the pieces together, So then he did save me. But what will the cost be? The dry feeling in her throat quickly prioritized itself. Her eyes traveled deeper into the cave where she saw the sparkle of a lake. It took some time for her to get there since her nose was trying to lead her the other way. As she approached the lake another she noticed another odd sound. The sound was a thump thump, thump thump. She reached the pond and greedily drank some of the water. The water only had a minimal effect on her thirst, no matter how much she drunk. The thump thump drummed in her ears, almost hypnotically. It was coming from the same direction her nose was trying to lead her. Sticking to the shadows of cave she approached the location of the noise. Now where in Tartarus is that thestral alicorn I saw. I have word or two to say to him. But I first should probably find some nourishment. The lavender alicorn approached silently. From her point in the opening, she found where the noises were coming from. There were five royal guards sitting around an oddly smelling bowl. They found me! They’ll make a great fresh snack. Twilight paused at that. Snack? No, they’re strong well toned seasoned guards. With fresh blood running through their veins… This line of thought caused her tongue to roll across her mouth as her hunger returned tenfold. The sight of a fresh meal, having just awoken from the transformation, was as alluring as catnip was to a cat. She looked towards each of them. The red-winged one had drawn her attention, but also the grey unicorn. Her eyes also found the bowl. The contents of bowl definitely had her attention, but the prospect of a fresh kill was far, far more alluring. As she moved into position, something caught her eyes. On the ledge across from her, there was the thestral. His eyes were darting between her and the group below. Twilight could just barely make out his fangs though the illusion around him. Despite her hunger, Twilight’s inquisitive nature took over, she waited to see what he would do. * * * * * * The wings of the pegasus and thestrals all ruffled in unease. “Silver and Dim Eyes? Do you feel two pairs of eyes on us?” Ruby asked timidly. “I’m not sure, but I have a bad feeling that we’ve stumbled upon an ambush waiting to happen. What about you, Silver?” “I’d rather not say, but… that bowl is worrisome.” Redwing walked up to the bowl. She could not explain why but something really bothered her about it. When she took a sniff she quickly realized the reason. It was full of blood. Disgusted, she kicked the bowl off into the corner. unfortunately some of it splashed on Dim Eyes, who looked ready to tear her a new one for that. “Silver Eyes, the bowl had blood in it. Is that a major problem?” “That may be an understatement.” Silver flew over to them, spotting something out of place, a tail. Ashe got there he spotted something worse, sitting on the ledge. “Could this day get any worse?” “Why’d you have to say that? It can always get worse.” With the blood spilt on the pony, the choice was made for the watching lavender alicorn. She could no more resist the draw of the blood than resist the urge to breathe. Concentrating, she casted two spells simultaneously. The first a glamor spell that not even Princess Luna could see past, the second spell was on the guards below. She hopped down from her ledge and slowly approached. The vampire on the ledge watched her carefully. The trap Silver had triggered would cause this entrance to the cave to collapse, the river being the only way out. The guards all saw the movement in the shadows and unsheathed their weapons. “Hault! Who goes there?! We’re members of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia’s Royal Guards. We’re prepared to fight.” Twilight smirked. The illusions were working. The guards had their necks exposed looking the opposite way. “Night Wind and Ruby Eyes, retreat. Now!” Silver Eyes shouted. The problem was, Ruby’s eyes had been caught by the vampire’s gaze. As the vampire moved his muzzle left to right, Ruby followed. Dim Eyes realized that Ruby was no longer in control of her actions. Using his magic, he launched a bolt at her. The bolt hit Ruby and knocked her away before she could turn on them. "Silver Eyes, what in Tartarus is going on?!" Dim Eyes bellowed. "Your guess is as good as mine, but I would wager, I think we came upon a vampire’s nest." Silver Eyes replied. "Silver, on the ledge!" Dim Eyes shouted, spotting somepony looking down. "Oh? Him, yeah, he’s a vampire,” Silver confirmed. His eyes went wide as his brain caught up to what his mouth just said. “NIGHT WIND! Take Ruby NOW!!" Dim Eyes ordered. “And leave you alone with two combatants. I rather vacation in Tartarus than leave you now.” “Then prepare for those words to be reality, Night Wind.” Silver spoke with a deathly serious tone. If it was just that tone, and response, Night Wind would have stayed. Two things changed that. The first was the pony on the ledge. He just jumped down. His eyes were as dark as the midnight sky on a starless night during the new moon. But then they changed. They changed into a deep blood red. A fire of magic rolled across him. Before him stood a hungry vampire, looking at his next meal in delight. A sadistic grin on his muzzle that said, “I’m so going to enjoy you,” and “you so have no hope of escaping death.” The thestral grabbed the other and flew like a batpony out of Tartarus. “He caught on quick.” With a flap of his wing, the vampire landed back on his perch. Silver Eyes watched and very carefully mouthed ‘thank you.’ In the brief time that the vampire scared the other two thestrals away, she thought about what she was going to do. They hadn't seen her yet, so she could just let them be. Or, she could…. NO. I’m letting them be. The immediate threat of feeding was gone, her brain took control again and was shocked at what her body almost had her do. Gaius knocked the remaining guards unconscious with a quick blast of his magic. He jumped by Twilight and walked deeper into the cave. Twilight followed with a confused expression on her face. “Where are you taking me?” “Nowhere, Twilight. You’re the one following me to my home.” “Then what was that place where I woke up?” “A test.” Twilight stopped at that. A test!? Her eye began twitching in nervousness. She was used to knowing when she was being tested. Her teacher would tell her. That test, she was completely unprepared for, and to top it all off, she had no clue as to what she was supposed to do. “Don’t worry, you passed the all the parts I’m counting. Thirsty?” “Very, but that is not my main concern. Where are my friends and are they ok?” “Last time I checked they were fine. The pink one, the one with the curly hair, seemed to have everything they needed, like sleeping bags.” “That’s good. How about Rainbow’s wing?” “It’s braced, but I don’t know the full extent of her injuries. I do think they’re taking her to a doctor, though, just to make sure.” “She probably should, but most likely won’t.” Twilight knew her brash friend all too well, including her hatred of hospital stays. “I disagree. She wants to be a Wonderbolt.” “How do you know that?” She looked at him inquisitively “The sleeping bag she was in, it had their emblem on it. An untreated wing injury could potentially cause her not to make it. What’s your opinion of her flying ability?” “She’s the best I’ve ever seen, if not better than that. The first time I saw her skills, I…” Twilight trailed off, memories of Rainbow Dash’s skill, determination, bravery, and unwavering loyalty came back unbidden in her mind. That and something else, something she felt but could not name. “She’s that good huh? Hmm…” Gaius trailed off, lost in thought. When they reached their destination, he looked back at Twilight. “Here’s the drink I promised earlier.” Twilight grasped the drink and began to slowly sip down the refreshing liquid. That slow drink turned into gulps as she tasted the drink. She licked her lips and the glass, going for every last drop of the red liquid in the glass. The drink had revitalizing effects on her and woke her up even more. She blinked twice before leaping on her companion, tackling him to the ground. “Where are we!?” “My home. I wasn’t going to leave you in the Everfree. There are some things that will gladly enjoy an alicorn meal.” “Then why did you bring me here?” “You followed me here after I placed the three guards you were about to kill under a sleep spell.” Somehow, even with an alicorn breathing down his neck, he never lost his cool. “I would never do that. Whose guards and what were they doing here?” He grinned a toothy grin at her, one that showed his fang. “I forgot how naive we can be when we first turn, you forgot already didn’t you? No, you didn’t forget, you just wrote it off as a bad dream. The drink made you come back to your senses. As for the guards, well, one was from Luna’s; the others were most likely of Celestia’s. If you are thinking about going with them, I suggest you understand the nature of what you now are first. Remember Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, you were in fact stabbed by the venomous tail of a manticore. I’ll answer any questions you might have, just do get off me first.” Twilight was taken aback by that. However, much she wanted answers, she had to prioritize what was the most important first. However, she did not get off him. “Then let’s start out with my friends. Where are they and how injured are they?” “Rainbow... has a temporary brace and needs a doctor most likely. The others seemed fine, but worry for you, I’m sure,” the vampire assured her. This seemed to relax the panicking mare. She let him up and he quickly made his way to a locked case. The vampire grabbed two bags of the same red liquid from locked refrigerator and heated them with his magic to thirty seven and seven tenths degrees C. He then made his way to a sitting area, where he laid on one of two normal looking furniture. Twilight was hesitant at first, but lying down seemed better than standing on her hooves most of the day. She took the other, while eyeing the liquid in the bag. “So…” Twilight started, but was unsure of how to continue. There were a thousand one questions running through her mind, but the most important was how she survived. “What did you do to save me?” He sighed with the look of someone that broke the most important promise they ever made to themselves. “A magic that I promised myself that I would never use again.” “Why?” “Because of the result. Last time I used did it, it destroyed her in the end, but it will not do the same to you. I was still young when I did that.” “Alright, but that still doesn’t answer the original question. What did you do to save me?” “The answer will raise more questions. Are you still thirsty?” “Yes, but not as much as I was when I woke up.” Twilight grasped the bag in her magic and proceeded to bring it towards her. As she looked at the bag, there was no opening. She looked towards her host with a questioning raise of an eyebrow. “Just bite it.” Twilight did just that. She bit into the bag and bliss greeted her. Unlike what was in the cup, this had a more metallic flavor. It had a been of an irony taste. It wasn’t a bad taste, and, to her dismay, she prefered this one. This one easily left her satisfied and not wanting more, but she didn’t feel completely full just yet. “There’s something different about this one’s taste than what was in the cup you gave me earlier. I could taste a bit of a metallic flavor. It tasted very similar to blood, but was much better.” “Oh? Which did you prefer, the liquid in the cup or the bag?” “Bag.” Twilight had a little bit more, trying to isolate its taste, and compared it to the time she tasted blood after a bad cut on her upper lip. Once she removed her personal opinion, the tastes were too similar to not be the same. She let the bag go, drained of its contains, and looked towards her host with a look of horror on her face. “Yes, you’re correct in assuming the liquid in the bag is blood. The cup had blood as well, but it was different. The cup had animal blood. After you had that, did you notice anything change?” “...Yes, I did, slightly. I had a more primal craving for what was in the cup and I gulped that down. This I had control. Is that supposed to happen?” “It will if you have animal blood. Don’t worry, this blood was donated. If someone offers you blood in a bag or cup, don’t accept it unless you can verify where it came from. If you look at the bag, there is a serial number on it and the hospital can look it up.” “So don’t have animal blood. Are there other changes present? Like weakness to sunlight and I can’t cross running water.” “Both of those are present, but the first can be minimized by your diet. I don’t know what affect Princess Celestia’s presence will have on you. You’ll be able to see in total darkness. Your audio senses will be able to pick up most heart problems and if you concentrate, you can see pathways of blood and magic. Another active ability is that you can see and detect thermal signatures. This can differentiate between species and sources. Sense of smell is heightened.” Twilight sat in silence contemplating all the information she had been given. Her tail anxiously went back and forth. While she contemplated, she made a mental list. My friends are reasonably safe, but still in the Everfree. I’m a vampony, 99.9% sure. Since I am a vampony, I need to drink blood. Effect if I don’t: Unknown. I don’t know if I can completely trust him yet. How much blood I need: Unknown. Preferred species: Unknown, but very important. Animal: Avoid. Other dietary changes: Unknown. Questions left: Who is he!? How is he an alicorn?! What’s his relationship to Celestia and Luna? What is he not telling me? Are there physical changes? Will there be physical changes? Mentally, going over the list, there were a few unknowns, two of them stood out. “Excuse me, Gaius...?” “Correct.” “What happens if I don’t feed?” “I was wondering when you would ask that. Different things depending on the vampire, which you should not confuse with a vampony. Some will become ‘clingy’,’ others will lust after the nearest source of nourishment. Myself, and most likely you, are a lot more dangerous. We wouldn’t directly attack, but use our magic to capture a myriad of prey, or, use our magic to directly draw blood from the surroundings. Both of those are bad, but it's nothing compared to a blood rage. That can slaughter an entire city if we lose complete control.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide at that, “Is that all?” “That’s best case scenario, worst case is that we may attack someone important and use them as bait. The most dangerous vampires are the ones talented at magic. Vampires are the most deceptive species, including the changelings.” “How?” “Most can tell when a changeling, besides their queen, is hypnotizing you. All I, or you, have to do is to look them in both eyes. That mare back there just glanced at me, and I caught her.” “Ok, how do I know you’re not hypnotizing me?” “The ability won’t work on other vampires and powerful magic users, like the princesses.” “Then prove it.” “Ok, mind looking into my eyes?” Twilight looked fully into his eyes. They were hypnotic, but she could resist it. “Alright, you’ve proved your point. I can resist your influence, but I’d appreciate you stopping that.” “Sorry, it just makes things go quicker and I can show you the answers with my magic instead of simply telling you. I get the feeling you know what that’s like.” “Speaking of your ability to do magic, mind explaining that one? Were you an alicorn like me before you turned? If so how come I’ve never heard of you?” “The circumstances of my birth are unique. My mother was a unicorn that fell in love with a vampire. During my birth there were complications, the only way my father could save her was to change her right then and there. When I was born, I was so with both wings and a horn. While I’m not as powerful as an alicorn magicly, I can more than hold my own.” “Why were you testing me then? Also, I could beat you then?” “To know if I could trust you. Many have abused these powers, including members of our home. The War of Eternal Night is an Equestrian example. ” He laughed as he answered the second part of the question, “You of all ponies should know, Twilight, there is more to who can beat who than pure magical strength.” “Wait, Luna was a vampire pony?” “No, she wasn’t, but Nightmare Moon was. The true tale of why Luna fall to Nightmare Moon is one of tragedy and betrayal of the worst sort. She had five generals total, one that isn’t talked about, and four of them took advantage of that trust. They paid for that mistake, neither them nor their armies walk today. They’ve been completely killed.” “You say that like there is a difference between completely killed and killed.” “There is. The only permanent way to kill a vampire is to destroy their souls. Hard and completely forbidden magic. Roasting in the noon sun will do quite a lot, but there is a way to bring vampires back. Celestia does have one of the few weapons that can destroy the souls of a vampire.” “How do you know that?” “I saw her soldiers using it to attack my homeland. However, I got my revenge, the ship and cargo was sunk to the bottom of the ocean, only three pegasi survived. One of them did manage to escape with a book stolen from my home.” His tone went dark at that memory; Twilight could not help but feel uncomfortable. When he noticed, he did his best to calm her nerves, “Those were times in the past, let us not dwell on them and move to the present. You have more questions.” “Yes. Is there a preferred species?” “Yes, most prefer the blood of Equestrian ponies, but any sentient species will work. Most do prefer one gender over the other, but it won’t really matter.” “Equestrian ponies?” “The pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. Thestrals and crystal ponies are different, at least to me.” “Ok… will this affect my ability to fly or use magic?” “Ah, that. You won’t lose your magic, but some spells will be harder to cast than others, and some you will have to cast differently. Within the vampires, there are two types. The first are normal vampires. They retain the magic they have. That magic can be molded into special spells. The other class, the alicorn equivalent class, are the vampire lords. I am a part of that group. You are too, or at least you will be.” “Will be? Am I not a vampire yet?” “You are a vampire, of that there is no doubt. However, to truly access your new power, well, that comes with time, and certain things you will have to accept.” “What do I have to do for that?” “The cena totius equi vivi grandis.” Gaius said with a smile, but to Twilight, it was more of a grin. Twilight moved with a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash and hit with a strength that would have put Big Mac’s to shame. That hoof aimed for his face would have even knocked Celestia a few feet back after injuring her, or shattered diamond. Her armor would have had a very large dent as well. “There’s no bucking way I’d ever do that!” Twilight snarled as Gaius picked himself up off the floor. Gaius rubbed a now cracked jaw with a hoof, How easily you forgot that you almost did, he thought before replying.“We’ll see, we’ll see. It does have an effect on dietary habits.” “So then protein like cows and chickens are on the menu?” Twilight glared at him, while there was no way she’d feed directly from another pony, she knew she did have to eat. As much as she’d rather not drink blood, this was part of who she was, only bad thing could come from denying that, bad like the ‘blood rage’ he mentioned earlier. “Unfortunately yes, with some other stuff. Some larger, others smaller, but you’ll enjoy what I cook.” “No, the vampire me will..” “You say that like there is another you.” “There is.” “No, this is who you now are, the sooner you come to accept it, the easier your new life will be.” As if to put the exclamation point on that comment, Gaius got up and left her to attend to other matters. Twilight laid her head down to get what little rest she could. While not physically tried, her brain was processing all this new information. Including that last tidbit. Needless to say, she had a lot to think about. Gaius went about with other tasks that needed to get done, like taking care of the three ponies that were knocked unconscious by a sleep spell in his home. Or the preparation of beds for the guests. He didn’t want any of them uncomfortable or nervous. What prevented him from these tasks was the response to having to eat meat. She seemed oddly open to the idea, even if she did not want to feed off another pony. “You’re fine with eating meat?” Gaius asked. “Ah...well, it depends on what. I had a few experiences with forms of protein. Don’t tell anypony this, but I actually had cow before I went to this other world. I wanted to puke when I found out what it was, but I couldn’t describe the taste as bad, per se.” “Was this before you became an alicorn or after?” “After.” “That explains it. Centuries ago, pegasi use to challenge other races to honor duels. As griffins were their number one foe, they would often face each other in many different contests. Including eating contests. Since that time they’ve carried a taste for fish that the other races did not share. Their love for meat must have transformed to you when you became an alicorn. Although, they will only partake nowadays at special occasions.” “How special?” “Sometimes at Heart’s Warming, but mostly on anniversaries of decades, or at a Cutie-ceañera” “Ah, okay. Do you have a place I can be alone, I’ve got a lot to think about?” “Sure, fourth door on the right.” Twilight hopped off her seat and made her way towards the desired door. She opened it with her magic and shut it hard. She also placed a silencing barrier around her as well. She had a lot to consider. In the meantime, Gaius had some tasks to do. He too was distracted by curiosity. He set about his tasks, carefully lifting his guests to a bunk room. He divided the room and set the two stallions on one side and the mare on the other. Silver Eyes was not as a heavy sleeper as the other two and stirred. “Hey, where are we?” Silver Eyes asked sleepily. He shook his head to clear the effects of the spell, but it didn’t help. “As to where you are, you are in a bed in my home, Silver Eyes. Good night, don’t let the vampires bite.” Gaius joked as he casted a less powerful sleep spell and Silver slumped down into the bed. Gaius silently left and made his way to the kitchen. He did have to prepare a dinner for Twilight, and maybe for the three sleeping ponies. As he thought about the what would be best, he considered that a thestral, pegasus and unicorn would be joining them. Taking that into consideration, he had an idea for dinner. As he waited for his guests to wake, he browsed his library looking for a few extremely old tomes and some more recent ones as well. There were a few spell books, a couple of combat books, some flight training books and an anatomy book, volume three.
EscapeTwilight and Gaius arrived in a flash. It was a bit disorientating for Twilight, but she was okay. Gaius summoned a few enemies of various strengths. Each one was different and there were nineteen in total. "What are those for?" Twilight asked as Gaius seemed to be grouping them together. "They're the enemies you'll be fighting. The first six rounds will test a different aspect of fighting in order to test your overall skill. Each one will have different rules to them, and you'll need to follow every one of them to succeed in the round. Once you beat a round, you can either advance or do it again to refine your skills. To advance to the next round, you need a score of thirty." "And the max is?" "Fifty." Gaius lied. "You're lying." "Fine, it's one hundred, but I don't expect you to be able to reach that yet. If the round seems way too easy, just say ‘recalibrate.’" "Where are you going?" Twilight asked as Gaius lit his horn. She could hear a very high pitched sound, but couldn't make out what it was. Nor could she understand it. To her, it sounded fearful. "I was planning to watch you, but I think something is wrong. I'm going to check the outer perimeter." With that, Gaius slipped a pendant around Twilight’s neck and left. Twilight started on round one. For her, it looked far too easy. Its rules were simple, no wings or magic. All she had to do was get to the blue flag fifty paces away. About twenty paces out, there was a large hole covering twenty paces. She would need forty paces before jumping before now. Looking around, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she wouldn't use her magical sight. So thirdy should be plenty. Twilight gave herself some room before breaking out into a jog. A pendulum trap clipped her flank, causing her to be turned around. When on its return path, Twilight was looking straight at it. It slammed into her muzzle because her first response was to teleport backwards. Twilight was not pleased. Her jaw hurt as though Applejack had bucked her instead of the tree she was next to. Now wiser, when she tried again, she ducked under the pendulum, but the next trap swept her hooves from under her. Her jaw hit the floor. As she slowly progressed through the round, the number of bruises she received increased. The last trap before she had to jump was a combo trap. There were three parts and the trap managed to hit her eight times before she got through. Reaching the blue flag, her score was 29, causing her to reset to the beginning. She continued to play through round one, improving each time. However, her top score was only thirty-eight. After the tenth time, and a few hard hits, she took a rest before moving on to the next stage. Gaius stayed just long enough out of view to watch Twilight's first attempt. Like her, he fell to the same trap. Although, each part was moving at triple the speed and had double the weight. When he did leave, he stalked through the cave, his eyes glowing red as he tried to resist the temptation of a meal, even though his stomach was growling at him. "Sweet Luna..." * * * * * "Silver Eyes, you know we can't go back to that cave," Dim Eyes spoke. "It might be the only option, if things go horrible," Silver said. Thirteen of them was way too much to guard in the Everfree forest. “Do you want us to fly out of here?” "Not yet, that will sap our energy, but it might be the lesser of two evils." Silver looked at the others. He could easily carry two, so could Night. Redwing, Ruby, and Fluttershy, nopony. Rainbow could carry at least one. Winter Arc could carry one or two, depending on the distance. "Let's do this. Redwing, Ruby, Fluttershy, you go ahead and get in the air and try to slow down the mists with your magic. Rainbow, Winter Arc, get a partner or two you can carry for when we decide to evacuate out of here. We may need to fly out. Night, grab two; I'll get the other two." The group of ponies and thestrals divided themselves up. Rainbow went to Dim Eyes; Night went to Armored Spear and Bronze Shield; Silver went to Applejack and Pinkie Pie; Winter went to Rarity. Fluttershy stayed on the ground, while Redwing and Ruby hovered just in front and above them, bending their magic to create gusts of wind. The mist wasn't even slowing down. “Redwing, Ruby, go higher. We’re going to evacuate now.” Redwing nodded and flew ahead of Ruby, nearly avoiding the moving branch that was close to hitting her. A third branch, however, clipped her side. The first one that missed didn’t the second time. It knocked her into the mist, and severely fractured her wing. Ruby stopped, out of the reach of the branches. “What the… “ Ruby gaped as a red blur passed by her. She could barely make out Redwing, but it gave her time to dodge below the branch that swung at her. Ruby heard the hard impact and saw a pony sized hole in the mist. As she turned to recover Redwing, Silver called out to her. “Ruby, don’t.” Silver could see Redwing clearly. His eyes were glowing, but they weren’t looking in anypony’s eyes. They were focused on Redwing. “Everyone, into the cave.” “Are you mad? Silver Eyes, you just finished telling us about the pair living in there.” “I know, but this is worse —” Silver stopped as he saw movement in the mist. Darting forward, something crashed into his side, something that wasn’t expecting him. He was knocked back and his attacker was stunned for the moment. Silver, coughing from the mist, made his way to Redwing, seeing what hit him. It was an overgrown venus fly trap. Once he got to Redwing, he found her coughing. Her eyes were drooping, and she was struggling to stand. Silver hooked one of her hooves around his torso. Redwing was still coughing, but it wasn’t as bad as when he got there. “Redwing, come on, we need to go.” Redwing looked at him. She could understand him, but she was falling unconscious. She barely registered the stabbing pain that burned up her back hoof. Silver saw the look and saw the retreating snake. His wing moved faster, slicing its head off. Due the reach, Redwing stumbled down onto something soft, wet and squishy. Silver Eyes pulled her away, just as the trap sprang. Looking directly at it, Silver’s eyes widened. They weren’t overgrown venus fly traps, but mature venus pegasus traps. Silver draped Redwing on him and ran. It was then that he realized the death trap they were in. Thankfully, only a few of the traps were awake and the mist was dissipating slowly. Breaking into the clearing, Silver saw that everypony was still out in the open,and the mist was still encroaching on them. Opening his mouth, he shouted, “Go into the cave.” The mist muffled his voice as it started to affect him. He started coughing, but he could control it. What he didn’t realize was that a plant was following him and that Redwing was slipping off. The plant timed its strike just right. Firstly, it slipped close to Silver and barely grabbed the pegasus of its desire. It dragged her off Silver and then whipped up. Silver was sent sprawling head over tail forward, while the pegasus was flipped upwards. The venus trap formed a slide for the pegasus into its mouth. It snapped shut once the pegasus was in. Going fully vertical, it tried to finish its dinner. Unfortunately, it had no such luck. For everybody else, it seemed as though it was happening in slow motion. Silver being knocked away. Redwing flipping through the air. The plant snapping up the pegasus. The bulge, Redwing they assumed, sliding down towards the stem. The “mouth” of the plant falling, which they missed as more of the plants tried to grab their own meal from the ground. The fireball that shortly started around them all also distracted them. Seeing that Silver was at the heart of where the fireball was starting, Rainbow bent the air, forming a pocket for herself and Silver. Breathing in the clean air, Silver was able to recover some of his strength and draped a wing on Rainbow. They felt a weight being placed onto their backs. A simple magic charm convinced them to ignore it. Rainbow and Silver were both coughing violently now. She had received a heavy dose of the mist; they had to get to safety as quickly as possible. They headed for the cave before the fire could consume them. Once inside, all of them slumped down. The effects of the mist, though the others only had a small dose, knocked them all out. He just watched as the carnivorous plants continued to rapidly approach their target. After a few seconds of watching the Everfree's other top hunter, his eyes looked to where they were headed. One plant was already working on capturing Redwing. He was slow. The plant snapped up the pegasus. He moved, slicing into the plant's stem. In it's leaves, you had to be still, or its enzymes would release and break you down. In its stem, you were liquefied within ten minutes. With them being asleep, he wasn't worried about that, but it allowed the plants to swallow you faster. That was the trade off. Silver was still struggling to stand, the mist having severely weakened him. Rainbow was heading for Silver. This would be his chance. More flowers opened up, and Silver began coughing. Gaius now had to work fast before the mist killed them. Lighting his horn, a flame was conjured at the top. It easily ignited the mist, burning it in a bright flash. The fire then scorched the plants around them, and some of their flesh. Grabbing everypony in his straining magic, he got them into the cave and sealed it. Those flowers were very dangerous when paired with the venus pegasus traps, especially the snapping ones he saw. Gaius breathed a sigh of relief. He was able to force the plants back and recover Redwing. It was best that Silver and Rainbow took her in while he cleaned up the mess. He could always recover the pegasus later. All of them would be out for around four to six hours. The plants, on the other hoof, were troubling. They were organized and efficient. First the plants produced a mist of the strongest sleeping powder and relaxant. Then, they corralled the ponies. Finally, the ‘hunters’ tried to capture all the prey. He counted seven of the pegasi trappers. Each one only needed one pony to be satisfied. The other eight should feed the other plants. Only a few things he knew could control the plants that attacked. The good thing was that all of the plants would be asleep again in three days. Nothing but divine magic could force them out of that. Once in the cave, his first task was to free Redwing. It didn't take long, since his magic had severely weakened the plant. Pulling Redwing out, there was minimal damage to her fur, but there were slices in it. It seemed the trap had misjudged the distance. Closer inspection revealed that there was enzyme damage, but he couldn't tell without a blood sample. Something he was unwilling to retrieve at the moment. His stomach was growling loudly at him and his nature was still staring at the pegasus. Silver must have seen Redwing get captured, it supplied. You'd be able to blame her there. The other thing he saw in his inspection was a bite mark on her back hoof. Two holes, but no swelling. Any other time, he would brush that off as a non-venomous bite, but not this time. Reaching into his bag, he pulled a syringe out. Stabbing it into one of the fang marks he took a sample and some blood. The wound didn’t heal when he licked it, which was what he was expecting. Adding the marker to the contents of the syringe, he shook it up. It stayed the same, which meant no venoms. “This is looking great,” his mind spoke to him. Gaius resisted the temptation. He went over the others, most having light burns and Silver having some charred fur. They were all still out cold and he would have to wait to see about them. In the meantime, he got them comfortable, planning to play it off as a bad dream. After they were all comfortable, Gaius retreated away from them, intent on silently watching Twilight train. * * * * * In a flash, Gaius landed in the training area. Twilight was breathing hard with a myriad of bruises and minor cuts. Looking around, he made sure the runes were all correct before activating a few. He then landed near Twilight, causing her to look as he walked over to a locked trunk. After unlocking it, he grabbed a sword in a black sheath and a couple other weapons. "Which weapon would you like?" "Why am I choosing a weapon?" Twilight asked. "We’re going to spar first so I can gauge the best course of training for you, besides what you’re doing now." Twilight looked at the spread of weapons. There was a quarterstaff, partisan, long sword, great sword, rapier, battle axe, scythe, and an executioner’s sword. The great sword and executioner’s sword were longer than the long sword. She picked up both the quarterstaff and partisan. Even though the quarterstaff was lighter, she went with the partisan. Once she chose, the other weapons were returned to the trunk. Once the weapons were away, Gaius flapped away, landing twenty paces from Twilight. “Twilight, this test is simple. All you have to do is land a blow on me. I want to see how adept you are at combat. Nod when you are ready, Twilight. Be prepared.” With the hilt of the sword held in his magic, Gaius waited for Twilight’s nod. Twilight held the staff in her magic. She would have the advantage of reach over her opponent. With a nod, Twilight barely blocked Gaius’s first attack. She felt the power behind his strike and staggered back. He moved to attack, but this time, she was ready for his speed and parried the attack. That’s odd, the sheath is still on his sword, Twilight thought as she failed to block the next attack. The broadside hit her in the flank. “Why are you fighting with your sword in the sheath?” Twilight shouted over the clang of the weapons. “Don’t be distracted,” Gaius said as he hit her for a second time, “...questioning my motives leaves holes in your defenses. Read my attacks and block.” To a guard, like Shining Armor, Gaius’ attacks were an open book. To the stallion’s amazement, it was the first book Twilight seemed unable to read. He broke off from hitting her, putting distance between the two. Twilight felt the pain of each of his strikes that she had failed to either block or avoid. Each one was a sting to her pride, each a failure to his test. No! I’ve never failed a test before and I won’t start now! Seeing that the hits weren’t having any effect on Twilight, he unsheathed his sword. It had a double edged blade made of pure argentum. He launched his attack, avoiding Twilight’s attempts at blocking, and cut her lightly across the side. Her retaliation strike, which Gaius had to block, loudly cracked against his weapon and pushed him backwards. Twilight screamed from the pain and launched another attack, which Gaius dodged. “What is that blade made of? That really stings.” “Then avoid my attacks, parry them, stop them with a shield. Land a strike on me, make me bleed.” Twilight tightened her grip and launched a flurry of attacks. Gaius expertly dodged, redirected or parried each attack. As he did so, he found an opening and cut her again then he sank into the shadows to avoid the next attack. Twilight saw herself slipping, drifting into the same state she had been in when Dim Eyes had been cut. I am not going to become her again! she resolved. Gaius reappeared a bit away. “Nice try, Twilight. You almost had me there.” Gaius then looked towards Twilight, trying to assess the fight. Twilight was breathing hard, but that was expected. He had cut her twice with his blade. Twilight tried to focus on the fight, but an appetizing scent was distracting her. Twice she had been cut by that sword and she still hadn’t managed to hit him a single time. When she attacked this time, she noticed that she was slower, but, more importantly, she was thirsty. If she didn’t end the fight soon, she might fall to…that again. With renewed resolve, Twilight pressed her attack. She was careful not to leave openings. He matched her blow for blow. Blocking and attacking, he tried to make an opening for himself, but there were none on the ground. Maybe not on the ground, he mused, but both of us can fly. Gaius blocked Twilight’s next blow and created a smoke screen with the shadows. In the air, he hovered as Twilight tried to find him. He saw the opening and took it. They clashed. Landing across from each other, they both had landed a hit on the other. “Good job, Twilight —” Gaius was cut off as another strike came. He blocked, but the blow moved faster than before. Looking towards Twilight, he saw why. Seems that I may have pushed my luck with her. Thinking quickly, Gaius was able to knock away Twilight’s weapons and put both out of reach. He then pinned Twilight and summoned a glass of a clear liquid. “Drink,” he said. Twilight complied and allowed the rush to die down, but her eyes remained the same crimson color. While she enjoyed her glass, Gaius prepared the next test. He created a pony-like golem and added a surprise inside. The golem wasn’t typical and had veins and arteries within it. This one was a unicorn mare. Next, he created a replica of Canterlot Castle with fake day-guards patrolling. Once all that was done, he set the rules and watched. His stomach still growled and gnawed at him. He would need a meal soon. Turning an alicorn, taking a barrier made of light magic and a ray of sunlight were taxing to him. Watching Twilight take her first drink of blood only reminded him of his need. And the cherry was: Twilight didn't kill him, so he couldn't cook and enjoy the meat of the unicorn. He vanished and Twilight's next round of training began. Before he could, though, Twilight asked a simple question. “What was the delicious smell?” Gaius tilted his head in confusion. The scents he smelled were the same as before, the only one changing was the injured pegasus’. He wasn’t worried about that. “What do you mean?” “There was a smell distracting me and now, I can tell the general direction it’s coming from.” “Describe the smell.” “It seems cold, but warm at the same time, kinda like the mountains.” “Ah… Okay, I understand now. Your new senses will come with time, so you’re not overloaded and immediately kill when they sense something knew. It’ll also distract you less as you begin to master yourself. As for what you smell, the traits you described are that of a pegasus close to death.” “Okay…” Twilight looked towards where the smell was coming. She started to lick her lips at the thought of a meal so close, but stopped quickly. “Twilight… Be very careful. Don’t let your instincts cloud your judgement and your sense of what is right and wrong. Stay away from the dying, unless you have a good reason to approach them.” Twilight looked at his stance. His weight seemed shifted backwards, and his muscles were tensed. Twilight charged her horn, trying to teleport near the pegasus she smelled. Gaius stood there, smirking as he relaxed. “You’re getting better at reading others. This is a good thing, but don’t you dare teleport. If you do, you’re a step closer to me killing you. I don’t play around with vampires that attack for sport.” Twilight nodded, understanding his words. That pegasus was a hook, and if you bit, you would get caught. Pegasus, her mind repeated. She darted towards what was a bathroom in the illusion. She shouldn’t be thinking like that. After a couple hours of watching and giving pointers to Twilight, Gaius left her on her own. Grabbing one of his medical kits, and some smelling sticks, he checked on the ponies he had saved. The good thing was, none of them were worse for wear. Silver had a slight fever, but that was to be expected of him. Redwing, on the other hoof, was not looking so well. Something he missed was affecting her now. He went over to her and listened. Her heartbeat was slower than normal. Poking at her, her muscles seemed tender to the touch. Her smell was very appetizing too. Giving a lick across some of the cuts on her, he was able to taste her. His horn was aglow with magic as it circled around him, his fangs growing to their full length as he contemplated where to start. He never did. A resounding crash from Twilight derailed his train of thought. He decided the best course of action, besides taking care of the red-winged pegasus under his nose, was to view Twilight’s progress. That way, he could decide whether he was needed or not. Twilight was currently taking the challenge he knew would give her a hard time. The actual trick to it was to allow the first one to hit you to your advantage. It was easier said than done. Turning back to the pegasus, he used his magic to give him a more in depth view of the condition of the pegasus. Once that was done, he just stared at her. His magic revealed that she would be a very fine meal. It also revealed that if he did nothing, Redwing would painfully die and there was nothing short of a restoration spell that would help her. Celestia could pull it off, but it was a very draining spell and this was for a guard. A guard that got chomped up. Or… His grin returned as a plan formed. He could just plainly eat her and his magic should work on Silver to make him remember that he wasn’t able to save Redwing. But that would be directly breaking his own rule and Twilight would be really angry at him. Plus, he wouldn’t be able to fool her if she learned that he had eaten a pony. Channeling a spell, he touched his horn to the center of Redwing’s head. Like sand in the wind, he disappeared. His medical bag and supplies remained where they were. Blinking the weariness from his eyes, he found himself where he wanted to be. Taking wing, he searched for the pegasus. He found her, and she saw him. Wind blew him into the ground. Vines tried to tie him, but he remembered that part. Looking out, he saw the pegasus advance and tied himself up, mimicking her plans. “What in tartarus are you doing here!?” Redwing shouted. “Looking for you, actually.” “How did you get here? I thought only Luna could dreamwalk, and she needs permission to do so. You invaded my dream, and my privacy!.” “You think Luna could just dreamwalk? No. Someone taught her how do it once she got her mark. I also learned how to do it, too, but unlike Luna, it’s a very draining spell for me.” “Are you distracting me while you kill me?” “Nope. Won’t do that. How do you feel?” “Why the Tartarus do you care? You’ll just have me no matter what.” “Redwing... If I was just going to kill you, why would I cast a very draining dreamwalking spell?” “Because your bite would wake me up.” “I could fire a cannon right next to your ear and you wouldn’t wake up. The plants you ran into have some of the most powerful sleeping powder. In most alchemically-inclined cultures, using that powder is illegal because of its strength.” “How do I know you are saying the truth?” “Well… what would you like me to do to prove that I’m neutral, that you can trust me?” “I don’t know.” “Then have faith. Like I’ve said before, you somehow taste better if you’re willing.” “Can you tell me what the plant that grabbed me was?” “Venus pegasus snapping trap. Would you mind removing the bindings from my wings? I hate them there, more so than most pegasi.” Redwing looked at him. She could, but wouldn’t he just fly away? “I promise not to fly away.” Redwing glared at him. How would he know to say that? “Why should I?” “It’ll show our trust towards each other. I’m trusting you not to tighten and to remove the vines binding my wings. You’re trusting me to stay, to not return to the waking world and kill you. Then and there.” Redwing glared at him. That was more reason to bind him. Maybe if she could keep him here, he wouldn’t do that. “I’m going to regret this aren’t I?” “No, you won’t, and thank you very much.” Gaius spoke with gratitude. He seriously didn’t like his wings being bounded. It pulled up memories he wanted to forget. And the last one that bound his wings... He spit-roasted the gryphon after painfully tearing their wings out. “So then, in all honesty, do you want to eat me?” Gaius answered in a snap. “Yes.” After that, he looked away from the pegasus, viewing her dream. She was enjoying a picnic it seemed. Looking over, Gaius tried to find who she was sharing the picnic with. “Why? What reason do you have for killing me?” “Besides ‘you taste good’? I don’t know. All I know is how powerful I am, and what happens when I lose control. When I don’t eat. I’d rather it not happen when I’m so close to a good-sized town.” “How long will a meal last for you?” “Depending on what I do, from six weeks to six months. But I very much try not to have equines, like yourself.” “What happens if you don’t have a meal and lose control?” “It depends on the other vampire here, and her choices. If she can beat me and realizes that I’m gone, then less than twenty die. If she can’t beat me and I beat her, I could kill Ponyville’s entire population. If she can’t beat me and I can’t beat her, I either kill enough to satisfy myself, or someone hits me hard enough that I can gain control back.” “Wait, if the vampire had killed Dim Eyes, wou… would… you… ?” “Be satisfied with him? Very much for the time being. I would be fine until she had to kill and eat a whole equine. Then, I would join her.” “What will happen to my family?” “If I have you with your complete permission, I will give your family a hefty reward. I still keep my bank full. Maybe a couple of very rare and priceless artifacts or spells.” “Can you do something for me?” “Depends on what you want me to do.” “I want to be able to visit someone I’ve lost.” “Okay… that’s a bit of a harder request than most. Who do you want to see?” “A gryphon that I wanted to be with. Forever. I found out from his friend he was killed in a fight, and no one dared to pursue the perpetrator.” “Do you know the perpetrator? I could always find him or her.” “No one does. All they remember is the situation before and its aftermath.” “Then form a memory of the gryphon.” Redwing concentrated on the gryphon. She remembered him for his personality, his playfulness and the times they enjoyed. The races they had. Anything from him, including the worst times. Gaius watched as the gryphon formed, surprised as he recognized who was forming. He had met the gryphon about a year and a half ago. He was mostly good, but had a habit of touching his wings. The first time, he got a warning. A swipe of his wing, which cut the gryphon. The second time, it was his hoof into the gryphon’s hide. The third time… Well, outside the wall, there was a cart full of sharp spears and one was sticking out too much. “So, this is who you would like to talk to before going on?” “Yes. I want to speak to him one last time before I find out what's on the other side.” “And for doing this, I can have you completely?” “Yes, but no tricks. You will allow me to go to the afterlife.” “If it exists.” “No tricks.” “Understood. But one final question for you. If you had the chance to spend eternity with him, would you?” Redwing thought for a few minutes. In her mind, it was a very hard choice. Yes, she did very much like or love him, but spend eternity with him? That, she might not be able to. “As long as I have a place to escape to.” “Very well,” Gaius spoke in a mannered tone. On the inside, he had a very large grin. Larger than a foal’s grin after finding the holiday presents’ stash. “Redwing, this last thing is a formality, but still is important. Here is a binding document that outlines what you and I will do for each other. If you find the terms agreeable, then you can sign it. I’ll sign it after that.” Redwing looked at the contract. Giving it a quick read, she found that it was in legal jargon, but the main points were directly from what had been said. There were two comments in the document. The first one was pertaining to the definition of completely, which she skipped, and the second one explained the lack of monetary compensation. All in all, it was all agreeable to her. Taking the golden quill, Redwing dipped it in the ink and placed it on the paper, before removing it. Before she could sign it, the gryphon spoke up. “How do you know that she’s dying? And how does she know that you’re telling the truth. You’re a vampire and a very good fox.” “Thank you for your charming compliment, but I don’t swing that way. But to answer your question, I know the plant that tried to eat you is very deadly.” “What proves that I’m dying?” “I can’t directly give proof that you are or aren’t, but the contract is always open to you. Thank you for your time.” Gaius hung his head down. He knew that she was dying, but what could he truly say to prove that she was dying? It was better to leave it open and allow her to make the choice. He closed his eyes and disappeared. Once he was back in the waking world, Gaius looked at the clock. Thirty minutes. He decided it would be best to wake either Dim Eyes or Silver up. Since Dim Eyes is the one that knows the most, he made his was to him. Pulling out a smelling salt and cracking it over Dim Eyes’ head, it got the result he was going for. Dim Eyes bolted up, while Gaius asked, “How you feeling?" “Well, the vampire’s back. You’re the one that saved us.” “Yup. Rather not have to explain seven dead guards and five element bearers. Aren’t I nice?” “You save your own tail. How injured is everypony?” “Not very injured.” “What about Redwing, did you save her?” Gaius carefully thought and looked away. Yes, he did, but he was planning to have her. “Oh… Then she’s dead or you killed her after saving her.” Dim Eyes looked away from the vampire. He could tell that the vampire ate from his larger form, his elongated fangs and the emotions of his eyes. There was satisfaction in them. “No, she’s not dead yet, nor have I don’t anything to her, but she’ll die. Painfully and agonizingly. I don’t know when though.” “Can’t you do anything to help her?” “Of course I can, but that’s not the answer you want.” “Then why —” Dim Eyes started to shout. “You can’t save her.” “Depends on what I’m saving her from, but everyone can only delay death.” “You’re a twister of words.” “I know. Can you scan Redwing for me? And will you talk to her?” “Why?” “Because she won’t listen to me, and I don’t know how long the vampire can resist her smell.” “Why does that matter?” “Because I think she’ll just tear right into Redwing. Or have her in a way that causes inconceivable pain for her.” Dim Eyes glowered at him. The vampire was going to use him to convince his meal to agree. “Why am I going throught this?” “You know the risks.” It was a short walk for the unicorn and vampire to reach Redwing. Dim Eyes could tell that he keeps to his word due to the bedding under Redwing. Her muzzle was serene. “She’s asleep,” Dim Eyes commented as he scanned Redwing. His magic easily picked up the disturbances in Redwing. It wasn’t looking good for her. She had maybe a day or three. “Thanks captain, the vampire couldn’t tell,” Gaius remarked as he gathered his magic. Touching his horn to Dim Eyes, then Redwing, Dim Eyes slumped to the floor, and Gaius disappeared. The spell took longer this time, but they were fine. Redwing was looking over a cliff, the sun setting over the ocean. A once in a lifetime view. “Redwing…” Dim Eyes spoke. Redwing turned herself around, wings flared. Once she saw Dim Eyes, her wings closed. “Dim Eyes, what are you doing here?” “He’s here to tell you your diagnostics. And here is my word that I am in no form affecting his results.” A piece of paper floated to Redwing. She could feel the power of it. “How are you feeling, Redwing?” "Well, it feels like someone put me under a meat tenderizer combined with a candy puller. It was not pleasant at all. My insides feel like they're burning up and my head feels light, as though I took a dive in Luna’s dragon moonshine." “Will you please try to move your hoof?” Gaius asked. She grimaced, but obeyed. She couldn’t do it. Her forehoof was leathery and it barely moved. Gaius watched carefully. He pulled out a syringe and inserted it into Redwing. Withdrawing a little bit, he found what he was looking for. “So, Redwing, I’ve figured out what’s happened to you,” he said, sadly. “That whatever caught me injected an incurable venom?” “Well that, and there’s traces of a foreign enzyme in you. You must have swallowed some of the plant’s enzymes trying to break free. Thankfully, the conditions of your body were hazardous to its function, so it didn’t outright kill you.” “So then, I’ll live?” “Not completely. I don’t think I can slow it down, but he might be able to, once he knows how to counter it.” “Then give me that,” Redwing interrupted. Gaius looked at her. Yes, he realised that he could counter the venom, but that would include injecting his own. The problem was, what would happen after. Would he inject a paralyzer and her that way or just give her a venom version of a ‘want it, need it spell.’ “You don’t have to kill me?” “Redwing, you have to understand what this will cost. My venom can and will make you come to me. And when you do, I can and will eat you, however I please. The venom will also fight the poison in you and I think it will win.” “So then I’d be a servant to you?” Redwing spat. “Not really. You’re a reservation. The problem with what you were injected with is that I don’t know if an antidote can be made. I will give six weeks to try to prepare an antidote. After that, you’ll come here. If you’ve gotten worse from when you leave here, you’ll be my meal. Do you understand these are the rules of the contract?” “This is a contract? What good does that do me? How do I know that you won’t kill me as soon as I agree?” “Because I’m just as bound as you are. I’ve given you six weeks from when you leave to help yourself. If you want, I can have no hoof in directly affecting your life.” “Can we use plain terms?” “Sure. I can not do anything that will actively sabotage our agreement in my favor.” “And if I can cure myself?” “Five years, but at anytime, if both of us are masters of our own minds, we can discuss the points of the deal further.” “What happens if you break the deal?” “I have to give twenty years.” “And if I do nothing?” “Nothing will kill you in the day or two, I think.” Dim Eyes nodded his agreement to this statement. “How can I craft the antidote?” “You can take a sample from the plant that caught you. I’ve taken a few samples as well.” “May I consider this?” “Yes, but while you consider, I can have you if death has come for you.” “I will agree to that.” “Thank you.” “Is there a reason we’re all still here?” “Yes. You’re all here since those plants are too dangerous. They’ll be here for about a couple more hours while they feed.” “Dim Eyes, you believe I’m going to die. Painfully. And there’s nothing you can do about it? If that is so, I have a request. What is your opinion of him?” “My opinion of him is that he’s implicatively deceptive when he wants to be. He’s eluded all hunters set after him. He’s one of Princess Celestia’s reserved hunter, and has tricked her well enough about who he is.” Dim Eyes paused, when he realized what he had said. He knew that, even though he could be very deceptive, he always had a purpose. With the vampire he was hiding, she needed to remain anonymous to remain safe. Redwing was about to voice her opinion about why in Tartarus he was allowing a deceptive, manipulative vampire live. Not to mention the killer vampire who loves ponies for meals. Why would he ever leave somepony like that alive. “But on the other hoof, he is very loyal…” She could understand that. “...kind...” That’s a blatant lie and a red flag that the vampire is controlling you. “... honest and truthful. Before you think the last three are false, think about him. He was open with use about being a vampire. Though he deceived you, he didn’t lie about myself, and if you knew he was a vampire, would you have done it?” Redwing looked away from Dim Eyes. He was right. If the vampire had been open, she and Silver would have been very suspicious of the vampire. They would have denied him the blood he wanted. Dim Eyes saw Redwing look away, and began to speak again. “He told you exactly what he’d do, too. Not to mention that since he’s hungry for a full course, you have to consider how long he has been hungry for.” “Oh that’s easy. Since I turned the vampire. She was very strong and resistant, and I got caught in a ray of sunlight, too.” “Then I have a question. When we first came in, if the other vampire wasn’t here, would you have fed from one of us?” “The reason I need to feed now is that I’ve exhausted my reserves. If I hadn’t done that, between three and four weeks would pass. Even then, I wouldn’t have to kill you. I’d take as much as I had.” “When would you have to kill?” “Couple months, and I don’t go for Equestrians,” Gaius answered casually. “Do you enjoy killing?” “I don’t get much enjoyment out of it. I’m just surviving. It’s what I’ve always done.” “What if the princess asked for help locating a prisoner wanted dead or alive. What would you do then?” “Capture and restrain, if I’m not hungry for it. Otherwise, kill the fugitive and send Celestia its skeleton for her to identify.” “If it was alive only?” “Still capture. You do remember that I’m one of Celestia’s few hunters, even though she almost never contacts me.” “Dim Eyes, did everypony, besides Silver, saw me get eaten?” Silently and unnoticed by Dim Eyes, Redwing tried to get the vampire’s attention. It took him a moment, but he pointed to her and then his mouth. Redwing nodded. He smiled and was gone without a flash of magic. “I think no one besides me saw that you’re ok. Silver and Rainbow Dash, I think, may know that you had a chance.” Dim Eyes hoped she wasn’t about to kill herself. Yes, the venom digesting her from the inside would be a very painful way to go, but a hospital could help her. “Rest. For now. You should too.” “Not when you’re injured. I don’t want you leaving us yet.” Dim Eyes plopped down where he stood. He was wary of the vampire and Redwing. It wasn’t right for her to admit death so easily. It was the ultimate fate and she was young. Stepping out from the mind of Redwing and to the shadows near Twilight, Gaius looked over the progress of Twilight’s training. She was progressing well, but there were some very bad scores on some of her runs. On her current one, she was doing below average. In the previous runs of this task, they weren’t even close. Looking at Twilight, he could see her problem. Something about this she wasn’t liking. With a simple flap of his wings, he pinned Twilight to the ground, using the same technique of her training. “Gaius. What are you doing here?” Twilight asked, unhappy that he had her pinned. “Reviewing your learning of the skills. Seems like you're scraping by on some of them, and on others, you’re failing miserably. Like on this one.” “This one has no purpose for me. It’s training me to hunt! To hunt sentient creatures, including zebras, pegasi, gryphons, unicorns, and earth ponies. I even think I saw a young drake.” “Well, what about now? Can you actually free yourself?” Gaius challenged. “Easily.” Twilight lit up her horn and before she could finish casting, Gaius licked it. Twilight lost the spell completely. The reason being was that hitting the horn forcibly disrupts the magic, causing pain from the feedback that was created. Licking, on the other hof, disrupts the concentration and doesn’t create feedback. Also, he could gather and taste her magic, staving off his own hunger. It tasted very good, just as when he had originally tasted her. “Did you really have to do that?” “Would you rather that I hit your horn instead?” Twilight shrank back at that. That was something you don’t do very often, especially during spell casting. She’d seen some of the guards when they were training that got hit on the horn. They looked like someone apple-bucked you in the head. “No… no… I’d rather not have that, but please find some other way… That was…” How could she describe it? The first thing that came was completely unexpected, and rude. You just didn’t do that either. It was gross. Who knew, besides him, where that tongue had been. It was… how could she describe a mix of ‘weird’ and ‘pleasurable’? That was what it was. Next, she tried to move to hit him in a vulnerable spot. However, he had her pinned too well. Even her wings could only just barely move. “Fine, I can’t get out.” “You could, you just don’t want to use the way you can get out with.” Gaius got off her and offered her a hoof. “Back to the reason for this training. It has a dual purpose. One is teaching combat maneuvers… “ “And hunting. You’re trying to teach me how to kill our prey. How to find it.” “Well, if you want to take it that way, that’s partially true. But if I’m teaching you how to kill, can’t you disable just as easily? If you know how to track, then you can find missing ponies or escaped convicts. “Like in magic, it’s your decision on how you use the skills I’m teaching you. Never forget that. Also, sometimes in battle, you may not have a choice. If you or somepony is in immediate danger, please do your best, but don’t let somepony die from your reluctance about killing. That’s what I ask.” Twilight wanted to dispute him, to tell him that killing was wrong, that she would never use it, but his argument was sound. He knew exactly when it should be used. When another life was in immediate danger. “You saw more than you said.” “You won’t get the answer from me today. Please, continue, learn, and practice until the skills are close to second nature to you. You’ll then be able to get out of what I did to you.” Gaius smiled at her, encouraging her to succeed. “Gaius, how often do you have to kill a pony?” Twilight asked. “Won’t answer that yet. You still have a lot to learn about what we are, and about our history.”As Gaius was walking away, she noticed a slight bounce in his steps. He seemed happy about something. “What has you all jittery?” With an amused smile, he responded, “You. Your magic tastes of the finest delicacies. I wish I could get more, but that’ll weaken you and may speed up the time before you have to feed again. Could go for a bite too.” The last part he was grinning at the stammering, blushing Twilight. His elongated fangs could be seen, glistening with saliva and venom. Unlike before, Twilight noticed that he seemed to tower over her, while before, he was only a head taller. His shoulders were wider and his neck thicker. “Gaius, why do you look different from when we ate the dinner?” “Oh, that. That’s simple. I don’t like to look like I’m towering over everypony. Last time I could compare Celestia and I, I was a head and a half taller than her.” “Will I get as tall as you, once… you know…” Twilight couldn’t admit it yet. She was still trying to decide what it all meant and how far she would go. “Ah… no. I think you might end up being taller than Celestia, but that’s a good hundred years down the road. I do know, however, that you’ll be taller than Luna within the year.” Gaius nodded to her and began to trot away. He knew Twilight would continue to improve, she just had to adjust to herself. Just as she had to adjust to being an alicorn. Before she knew it, her teacher was out of sight. Twilight took a moment and looked back on the training. She had concentrated on just getting through, when it was teaching her skills. She got the concepts and application of each one. Although, looking at it now, she saw some of her own mistakes. The skills built on each other, that’s why it was only thirty. She would have to go back to get the higher scores he wanted when she understood. Sighing, she started at the beginning, concentrating on the hidden skills it needed and honed. After a good few hours of training, Twilight reached the final stretch of the agility course. She made it past the first three obstacles with little problems. The fourth one barely clipped her, and the fifth one tripped her up. On the sixth one, it collided hard. It smashed against her muzzle, sending her spinning into the air. Two more hit her, one of them on her wing, flipping her into an uncontrolled barrel roll. By the end, she had multiple bruises, an injured wing and back, and was unconscious on the floor of the cave. Gaius made his way to the group of ponies that was still sleeping. All of them, except Redwing and Dim Eyes. Dim Eyes was watching Redwing. “Seems like he doesn’t trust her. Oh well. I guess I could just knock the memory out of him.” Gaius thought to himself. Gaius grinned and took flight. As he approached the ceiling of the cave, he flipped himself over and carefully fed magic into his hooves, allowing him to hang upside down from the ceiling. Walking above to his target, he dropped as soon as he took a second look. The coast was clear. With a good round house kick, Dim Eyes dropped, stars above him, memory fading, and out. Redwing watched as the stallion fell. “Won’t that leave a mark?” “One that I can heal easily. So then, are you completely sure that you want to do this?” he asked, as he contemplated doing it himself, and healed Dim Eyes bruise. There were advantages and disadvantages. His body definitely wanted him to go with having her, and his mind was still on the fence, but leaning towards having her. He didn’t know how much longer he could push himself or whether he would have to fight. If he had to fight, he knew that whatever was attacking him would be eaten. Maybe eaten alive as he tore the foe apart. Redwing hesitated in her answer. He towered over her. “I… I… “ Gaius shook his head and spread his wings. Before he left her, he watched. He watched as her eyes shifted away from him. He watched as her heart rate increased, sweat forming on her brow. She was petrified. He turn around and set himself to fly away. Just as he started his downward power stroke, a mare’s hoof brushed his wing. That power stroke became a power strike as he jutted the wing into her. He did a ninety degree turn and pushed off with his hooves. His shoulder knocked all the air out as it hit. He hoof pinned her to the ground. The sheer pressure was starting to compress the bones of her ribcage before they broke. His red eyes bore into her. She could feel his fangs and teeth as they grazed her ear. Her eyes never left him. They never wavered. “I’m sorry.” She finally spoke. Her voice though weak, was strong. “So then, you won’t sway from your path. You will see it ‘til the end.” “No, I won’t.” Leaning down, he spoke, “You’ll endure.” “I will.” Her eyes met his, challenging him. He laughed. He laughed at her as his tongue licked her. It licked her ears, her neck, her chin, and finally her muzzle. His eyes were no longer held the laughter he’d distracted her with. The mild irritation she now felt. He’d done something to her. Her mind screamed at her to run. Run! Run like the WIND! She couldn’t. He had her. He would decide her fate. Whether it be a simple snap of the neck, the piercing pain as his fangs tore into her or the slow drain of all her energy. Maybe even the burning venom that could melt her from within, turning her into those melting truffles. She could not change it now. Moving a bit away from the mare, Gaius parted his lips, pressing them to Redwing’s muzzle. It was tender, like a mare to her foal, and she opened it in surprise. His tongue darted in, controlling her own. It explored her mouth. Feeling her. Tasting her. It was even long enough to reach the back of her muzzle. And above all, it felt good. Redwing’s body relaxed. This vampire was a good thing. “Ready to be the main?” Gaius asked in sly tone as he pulled away. Then his horn lit. A flash. Something comfortable, relaxing, and therapeutic beneath them. They were now secluded away from everypony. Redwing just nodded, but there was a question on her mind. He could see it it, plain as night. Taking a few moments, he tried to remember if there was anything that outlined when he had a meal in his home. As a minute ticked by, Redwing finally spoke. “How are we going to explain the death to my friends and what if you get caught?” Caught… caught… Then it hit him. There was a form he had to fill out. It was frivolous, but, if needed, very important. “You’re right… there is a form for you.” Lighting his magic, he dusted off the box that had the forms in. The dust coating it showed that he, in fact, hadn’t had a pony in a while, or at least hadn’t documented having pony. He pulled out the contract and turned it so that Redwing could read it. He only had one change. She could influence how she died instead of directly choosing. The other parts indicated and checked that she had the free will to decide. Even the paper had spells drawn in special ink to still work. If he tampered with them, the bottom seal would disappear, nulling the contract, and voiding his life. Redwing signed it and asked how she could decide on her death. “That’s easy.” There was a bright flash, completely blinding to her. She felt as though she lived her life in a snap. The fantastic, good, bad, horrible, and horrific times past. When it all stopped, she was in her dream. She could see her dream-self as a massive, pony-swallowing creature was chasing her. "You ready?" spoke a voice beside her. "Yeah…” “Is that how you want to die? Being swallowed whole." "Never thought I'd have to answer this, but... no. I would rather not want to feel anything as acid liquefies my still living, breathing body. That would be too painful." "What if you never felt the pain of the acid?" The pegasus gave it some thought as the dream changed again. It wasn't much different. Just what was chasing her. This time, it was a dragon. "I think that I wouldn't enjoy it. I would say snap my neck, or just drain me, if you were going to do it." "Okay then. Are you completely sure that you want to do this? And can you confirm that I have had no influence whatsoever over you?" "Yes, and yes. I can also attest that I'm doing this of my own free will." Redwing handed him a piece of paper. On it was a simple 3 digit number. "For whom?" "Winter Arc. It was nice meeting you." "It'll be nice enjoying you, too." Gaius simply faded and Redwing watched as the scene changed again. It was peaceful. A setting sun below the cliff-line, reflecting off the sea, its light painting a beautiful scene. One you’d only see once in a lifetime. Gaius returned to the waking world, while Redwing remained in the half dreamlike state. He opened his muzzle, just barely enclosing Redwing’s neck as his horn glowed again. Her eyes looked up at his and he winked. Opening her own muzzle, she let her tongue snake out and taste him. He tasted good, though she couldn’t tell what he tasted like. What surprised her, however, was that she couldn’t feel any fangs or pointed teeth for tearing. His tongue was just barely flicking her ear, annoying it. She swallowed some of his saliva by mistake, but it seemed to have no effects. Gaius leaned down, his fangs barely touching the pegasus's neck. With a snap, he bit down, but didn't draw a single droplet of blood. He had something better planned. As he found what he was looking for, he pulled on it. It sat just barely above her head. Taking a larger bite, he pushed more of her muzzle into his. It collided with the back of his closed throat. He had retracted his fangs so that when he applied pressure, they wouldn’t pierce and kill his meal just yet. Redwing felt a head-splitting migraine. It wasn’t pleasant and was unrelenting. She could feel her teeth as they were ground together. Her jaw started to hurt as though there was a giant clamp on her. Then she heard cracking noises. The pain she felt tripled in that instant. She tried to jerk backwards, but instead moved forward. In another instant, some of the pain subsided. Now, her muzzle was pushed against something weird. It would collapse, but was ridged and pushed against her in a downward motion. To her, it felt like it was kneading her like dough. Once Gaius had crushed the skull enough to his liking, he swallowed just as she jerked forward. Redwing’s muzzle slipped into his throat. He knew that it wouldn’t take much. The reason for crushing the skull was to start to break it down. Slowly, but surely, he pulled on Redwing as he moved down Redwing’s neck, he stretched the forehooves out, but close in a super mare way. That was when Redwing squirmed. She realized what was happening and Gaius just let her. It would do nothing for her. Only push her further along the line. With the tip of her hoof barely in his neck, and the shoulders mostly in his muzzle, he rotated his muzzle. Then he bit down harder. Bones splintered from the compression. He reveled in the sensation as they cracked. With a good bit now in, Gaius used his strength and lifted Redwing into the air. Now parallel with his neck and muzzle, Redwing truly began to slip in. Lighting his magic, he sped up the process. He allowed the chest to slip in. His tongue, ever curious, explored. There were two spots that he continued to play as Redwing moved herself downward. He bit again, breaking and compressing the chest cavity. Redwing practically screamed at that and her movements pushed her further down. Now her muzzle was curling under as a solid wall blocked movement. As he swallowed more of her, the pressure began to build. Soon, it would break her neck, truly killing her. Gaius was almost reaching the end of his pegasus, her flower coming into view. Now it was the time for her injustice to be reaped. His tongue cupped the delicate flower, teasing it with its rigid structure. Then it struck, barely entering before retreating. Redwing’s body shuddered at the touch. Her mind was awash with pleasure she felt for the briefest of instants. Her lower half moistened as it tried to push forward. She only pushed herself downward, her neck straining not to be broken. Gaius tasted the moisture on his tongue. He felt her body as it strained not to be broken by his pulsating muscles. He could feel her mane at the bottom of his throat. Then he felt her slip a little more. Then Redwing felt the pain. She felt the pressure reach the critical point. The point where her neck would break, silencing her forever. The pressure faded as something was opening and Redwing craned her neck out straight, trying to alleviate the pain she felt. She felt some resistance, but it parted for her muzzle. Below her, she could feel the acidic air she could breathe. It didn’t quite burn her as she expected, but it wasn’t pleasant either. Gaius felt his neck with a hoof. He was pleased to find that the pegasus had stretched out. With a devilish grin, if you could grin with a muzzle stuffed with a pony, he licked the flower again. Then plunged in. His tongue moved within it, tasting the new flavor to grace it. His meal found the musing of his tongue to be very enjoyable. He didn’t really have to “push” her downwards, for her own movements did that. It reached as far as it could, meeting a barrier he wouldn’t breech. Flicking his tongue about for a minute or two longer, he felt the pegasus arch her back, something that compressed and broke her ribs further. Redwing was in heaven. His tongue a master of playing with her. She shuddered as the ridges and bumps ground in her. She didn’t care that her muzzle was getting ever so closer, that her arching back began to break. She just wanted to finish. Her hips moved forward, wanting him to finish her off. But it seemed he was messing with her, pushing her to the edge, only for the appendage to retreat. Gaius retreated his tongue out of her and stood up. He needed all the room he could get. Her tail was sticking out, and he left it. Bending his tongue into a spring, he lined up. And struck home in the mare as his muzzle tilted back. Redwing felt the mind-blowing shudder as it racked her body. She screamed from the feeling and pleasure that exploded in her. As the pleasure blocked her mind, she did not feel what was happening. Her open muzzle plunged into the vampire’s stomach as the rest of her body started slipping in. The acid of his stomach filled into her mouth, her esophagus and stomach. It burned. Gaius was grinning like a foal as the pegasus landed in his stomach. If he timed it right, her body had filled with his stomach acid, increasing the pain she felt as it destroyed her. It also sped up his digestion of her. An after fact in his opinion. He enjoyed as Redwing pushed and twisted to get herself out of the acidic bath she found herself in. She kicked. And nothing would work. She’d die as either her brain turned to mush or his breathing spell wore off. It didn’t matter to him which fate the pegasus succumbed to, she was in his belly. Gaius laid down on his side and started to nap, giving the pegasus time to be digested. It would take a good day or two, given the strength it took to break her down, and that he didn’t inject her with predigestion venoms that would catalyse the digestion. It took about ten minutes of agonizing pain, frivolous fighting, screaming, and pounding before she let go. Her soul wasn’t nearly as lucky. It was trapped. She didn’t mark that he couldn’t have it too. That would take the longest to digest and would give a very appetizing and filling meal. It would replenish most of his magic and sate his hunger of them for weeks to come. He smiled, feeling the radiating heat he was using as a pillow, and began to rest. By the time Silver woke from the ordeal, it was an hour or two before sunrise. He looked around, seeing the familiar cave structure they had left. Getting up, he wanted to check to see if everypony was alright. As he did, he found nine more. Dim Eyes and Redwing were missing, but Redwing got eaten. Listening closely, Silver heard a weak heart beat. It was separate from all the rest. Making his way over, Dim Eyes was slumped on the ground. As he tried to wake him up, Dim Eyes didn’t budge. Well, at least we’re accounted for. They didn't decide to eat any of them. Before he left, he draped Dim Eyes on his back, and took him near the others. It wasn't good to be alone. Going over the supply situation, they still had three days rations for eight. Silver, seeing nothing wrong, went to see if the vampire was awake. He could be good conversation. As he took wing, he remembered who the pony he hadn’t seen was. Redwing. Silver paused. Redwing had been caught by one of the plants. One he believed had the poisonous enzymes. If swallowed, you’d die, but on the outside, it made a terrific greaser. Once she was out from lack of air, it would swallow and digest her. The problem was, she had been saved? And if she, where was she? The vampire must have known something was wrong and checked on them. Once he saw the plants, he acted, killing them, and maybe rescued Redwing. So the question was, did the vampire just plainly take her, hoping to make him forget? Or was Redwing injured badly that she willingly gave her life to the vampire? Or was she just eaten by the plant that caught her? In any case, he had to find the vampire. Going towards the ledge, he landed and slowly approached. As he walked towards the vampires' home, he got himself lost. The passage way was completely different than before. Not wanting to be lost forever, he backtracked out. * * * * * As the morning arrived, the others started to awake. All of them found it odd to have blankets, but knowing Pinkie Pie, she may have been the one to give them the blankets. Silver was laying on Dim Eyes. Both looked very comfortable, and needed to be awake. Applejack gave Silver a good shake against his wing. His back hoof kicked out at the pony pushing against his wing. It hit her forehoof, right where it bends and she hit her muzzle on the ground. Having one hoof in the air and another kicked from out of her made it difficult to stand. Dim Eyes was awaked when the apple mare cursed in his ear. Gently, he woke Silver up. Silver looked to the mare. His mind was barely awake, and his eyes were drooping. Looking around, Silver decided to go back to sleep. Dim Eyes would explain why the apple mare was it pain. Once Applejack recovered, Dim Eyes blocked her from waking the stallion again. It wasn’t a good idea to wake him right now, he explained. Applejack huffed at his reasons, but definitely didn’t want to get hit again. She moved over to Fluttershy, to see how she was doing. “Is everypony here and in good condition?” Dim Eyes asked. He couldn’t see everypony, but he knew that they would check on each other. “Redwing isn’t here, and there’s no trace of her if she did in fact make it,” Armored Spear spoke. When they heard that Redwing was gone, Silver Eyes was promptly opened his eyes, but fell asleep soon after. Dim Eyes convinced everypony that Silver was okay and that they should let him rest. They divided into squads, scouring the caves for Redwing, while Rainbow and Dim Eyes remained to watch over Silver Eyes. The others continued until noon, when they had to stop for food. Silver was still asleep and Rainbow was very tired, and fell asleep near each other. Both were left in peace, for they'd been affected the most and needed to recover. "This ain't good. How did Redwing or something slip by you?" Applejack asked. “I don’t know. When I first awoke, it was a stallion to wake me. He wanted me to check on Redwing and tell her the condition she was in. Since he suggested it was a bad idea to wake her, I think he used a dream-walking spell. The three of us talked and I don’t remember what happened after that.” "So then something put you to sleep." "I guess so. I didn't hear anything." "It could have been the vampire lord stallion that put you to sleep, talked and got her willing approval, and devoured her. That would explain why she's gone without a trace," Pinkie said. "Pinkie Pie. There ain't a way that's true. One, ponies bleed, they scream, they kick, they survive. No pony dying or healthy would willingly give their life up. Especially not to a no-good, life-stealing, pony murdering, leaches of the vamponies. I have no respect to those that do. Two, it's rumored that all the vampire pony lords were slaughtered during the first solar war. None survived," Applejack retorted. Dim Eyes was glad that Silver wasn't awake, or Applejack would be on the ground, bleeding. He was able to hide the fact that the words stung him. "I think it's time we leave and contact the sisters. We're getting low on supplies, and we shouldn't spend the night here. We've already lost one to the forest." They were hesitant to agree. The upper level of the cave hadn’t been explored. Winter Arc and Night Wind refused to go any where near where a vampire might reside. “Well, we shouldn’t give up hope yet. Redwing could have made it, since Ah know that Rainbow wouldn’t give up, no matter what.” “Applejack, Redwing didn’t make it. A venus pegasus trap ate her. She’s dead.” Everypony was surprised when they heard the thestral stallion speak. They all thought he’d be out for a little longer, not when it was close to noon. “What you talkin’ about, Silver Eyes?” Applejack asked. “I said that Redwing has been devoured by a predator of the forest. There’s nothing advanced in that. I couldn’t and didn’t save her. Rainbow had to help me instead. As for what we should do, we need to remain. We’re safe here.” “How are we safe in the den of a pony killing predator?” Applejack questioned. “Because we know that he’s here. The venus pegasus traps wait. They are calculative. And excellent at hiding. Do you want to end up like Redwing?” All the others agreed. Ending up dead was not an option, but staying where a predator lived wasn’t a good option either. The best option would be to contact the princesses. “Dim Eyes, Silver Eyes, would it be best if a small group tried to use the communicators to contact the princesses?” Bronze Shield asked. "Yes, that would be good, but very risky. We have a bit of supplies here, and our host might be willing to part with some of his. Dim Eyes, if it is safe, go with Bronze Shield and try to establish communications. Night Wind, stay here with Armored Spear and make camp. Rainbow, you’re coming with me. The others help with camp or preparing a meal.” The guards didn't like the idea of saying, but the forest was very dangerous. They definitely didn’t want to run into more of the plants that could have very easily killed them. They will just have to live with being stuck in a cave where a two predators resided, one who could easily steal them in the middle of the night. Rarity was especially infuriated at staying here. The two thestrals were a bit happy. They could get for some more rest. After taking stock of all supplies, they didn't have much. It would take two days to return to Ponyville, and they barely had enough rations for two days. When Dim Eyes and Bronze Shield found the exit, they spotted three of the plants. They high tailed it back.
PrologueThe calm singing of the birds couldn't penetrate the veil of sleep Twilight was under. The movies she enjoyed with Rainbow last night had interested her and she wanted to know what books they were based on. Her reading had lasted into the morning. As falling asleep while reading was nothing new for Twilight, Spike had graciously allowed her to sleep in, but he forgot that she was meeting her friends at noon and that he had a letter for her. He had set it on the desk since only Twilight could open it. He had prepared the picnic basket and brushed off his wariness of a few items that were on Twilight’s list. Close to noon, Twilight finally woke up and blinked away her sleepiness and annoyance at having overslept. She called out, "Spike, do you have everything packed for the picnic?" "Yeah, I even tripled checked the checklist like you would want. There is a picnic blanket, food, the preferred drink for each of you, a bag of blood, bottled liquid love, some fresh fruit and not just apples, daisies, and a large first aid kit. Anything else?" "No, but a question, why the blood and love?" Twilight was just as confused about those two items as Spike was. "It was on your list.” Spike said matter-of-factly. “I asked each time we checked the list yesterday, but you kept brushing it off.” Twilight’s mind tried to understand why in all of Equestria she would put a bag of blood and bottled liquid love on her checklist, but more importantly, it wondered why she forgot about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by Spike. “Uhh… Twilight, it’s 11:45.” Twilight dismissed the thoughts as she realized that she was about to be late. "You said the basket was packed?" "Yeah…." "Then don't worry about the extra stuff. I'm leaving now, bye. See you around six tonight." Twilight picked up the basket and left for the park. Exiting the library ,she spread her wings to get some flying practice in on her way to see her friends. After the picnic she would be working with Rainbow, setting up the rest of the snowstorm that was planned for tonight. She mused, why not fly? * * * * * * Twilight had done well during her flight, but landing was a different task in and of itself. She had slowed her pace and was nearing the ground, but lost balance and ended up landing face first in the ground. Why can't I get landing down? Small foals get it down almost immediately! Rainbow had finished breaking up the normal clouds she was working on and caught sight of Twilight's failed landing attempt. If she had not saved a cloud to sleep on, Rainbow would have hit the ground, laughing. The sight of Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle’s rump sticking up in the air was too much for the cyan mare. Thankfully to Rainbow Dash, the cloud hid her laughter, and awkwardly, her blush at seeing her friend’s flank presented like that. As soon as Rainbow was done giggling, she thought, We’re definitely going to be working on wing positions when we land during tonight’s setting the storm up. Twilight heard her friends asking something, but with her face in the dirt she couldn’t make out what they said. Righting herself and closing her wings, she calmly asked, “Sorry girls, what did you say?” Each of them replied with their own greeting and asked if she was okay after that epic crash landing that would have been worthy of Rainbow Dash. Twilight calmed their fears over her safety and began to unpack her basket. She had noticed that Fluttershy was trying to hide behind her mane with her wings slightly above her back. Raising a questioning eyebrow, Fluttershy quickly responded to the unasked question. "Twilight, your… your position was a bit... revealing. Also, I think I saw Rainbow on the clouds above us." Fluttershy gestured up with a hoof. Twilight's wings shifted back at that comment, they covered her flank which she hoped not too many ponies got a good look at. The others looked to the sky, the only thing they saw was a stray cloud drifting in the wind. Rainbow walked up from behind them and greeted each of her friends with a, "So, what's up? Are we going to get this picnic started soon? Me and Twi got a snowstorm to build up tonight!” Despite her cool demeanor, there was still a slight red tint in her cheeks, luckily for Rainbow none of her friends seemed to notice. "Not you most of the time," replied the pink mare of chaos. Pinkie Pie fell over in laughter at her own joke, but quickly recovered. Fluttershy was calm but a light giggle did manage to slip out. Applejack made a mental note to add that remark to her responses to Dash and laughed a little at Pinkie’s joke. Twilight didn't visibly laugh but went over and gave Rainbow what little comfort she could with a hoof gently set on her back. Rarity tried her best, but even she eventually gave in to the well placed joke, even if it did come at the expense of her friend. She did feel bad about it though, after all it is very unlady like to laugh at another’s expense. "Ah reckon that's a plan. We don't want Twilight and Rainbow late, now do we?" Applejack replied to Rainbow’s comment in a vain attempt to spare some of her brash friend’s pride. Rarity began to unpack Applejack's cart, while Twilight unpacked her basket. Some of the food Applejack had made for them included apple fritters, apple pie, apple juice, while Spike made them daisy and sunflower sandwiches. She frowned as she saw the other items. She quickly hid them in her basket under some napkins. "So Twilight, have you read any good books recently," Rarity asked already knowing the answer. Asking Twilight anything about books was the quickest way to involve her in a conversation. “A few, but most had to deal with being a princess. One of my more recent reads were on the myths and legends from the time before Nightmare Moon." Plus Mood Wings, she added silently. Twilight noticed something moving in the sky as she looked at Rarity, something that distracted her from her thoughts. Which in and of itself was no small achievement. "Hey Rainbow, what's with that weird looking grey cloud?" Twilight asked as she gestured a hoof at its location. Rainbow glanced up in the direction Twilight was ponting. She had just finished clearing all of the clouds and did not remember leaving a grey one around. He mouth dropped as she saw the offending cloud. That was definitely not there earlier. "I'm not entirely sure.” It looked familiar, but she could not place a hoof on where she had seen a cloud like that before. Rainbow was about to go take care of it when she remembered Twilight’s epic landing. She smiled as she realized this was as good a time as any for the princess to get in some more practice. “Want to help me?" "Sure, but I’d like to study it first before you break it apart." With a few flaps of her wings, Twilight joined Rainbow in the air. When they reached the cloud, Twilight probed it with her magic. To her amazement her spells did nothing to the cloud. Ever the scientist, Twilight lightly touched the cloud with a hoof. It responded by grabbing onto her hoof and dragging her down into itself. Twilight started panicking, she tried several spells and even flying away. Nothing she did would release her from the cloud, not even teleporting worked. “I gotcha!” Rainbow yelled as she flew over to save her friend. “No, stay back!” Something in that voice, something in that command caused Rainbow to pause. Normally she would have just ignored it and plowed right in, but the desperation and fear in Twilight's voice stopped her cold. Her body wanted to act anyway but her mind knew for a fact that plowing into that cloud would be a bad thing Rainbow’s eyes went wide as she suddenly remembered where she had seen a cloud like this before. It was during her weather training, she only remembered it because during the class the teacher had slammed a book on her desk to wake her up. The teacher went on to stress the different weather Rainbow might encounter while working so close to the Everfree Forest. She heavily emphasized the dangers of non-natural clouds, including the most dangerous of all: Nightshade clouds. They were clouds that nullified any magic used against them. In all her time working with the weather team, Rainbow had never actually seen one before. “Twilight.” Not even Rainbow could hide the fear in her voice as she saw the cloud fully engulf the alicorn princess. During her weather training, she went to learn about the weather of the black forest in Germania. There, she was taught about recognizing non-natural clouds. Nightmist clouds don't happen since Nightshade doesn't grow in Germania. It happens to grow in the Everfree, though. * * * * * * Once the cloud had Twilight below its surface, Twilight was free to move within the cloud. “What in Equestria is with this cloud? This can’t be a natural cloud.” “You’re partly right. The cloud is as rare as the plant it’s made from,” came a deep voice from everywhere and nowhere. "Who's there?" "Nemo," responded the ominous voice. "Show yourself!" Twilight shouted, doing her best to hide the fear in her voice. "I would if I could. Relax your wings, you have nothing to fear, but fear itself." "What about my brash friend, you know she'll come after me." "She's rational. She would skim the clouds first." Twilight gulped at that, Rainbow was anything but rational. * * * * * * Outside the cloud, Rainbow remembered a few more of her old lessons. Using the wind currents generated by her flying, she skimmed off some of the cloud. The memory hit her like a ton of bricks after that. She knew what she had to do: nothing. * * * * * * "By skimming the cloud, she'll recognize what's it's made of. The weather teams that work the dark forests are all trained on the dangers of Nightshade clouds." "After she recognizes the cloud, what will she do? How did you create the cloud in the first place?" "Nothing and I didn't, although I could." "If you could create it, then you can mold and control it. Who else? Can Rainbow destroy it?" "Very few can control it. Those that could were killed by the Sun tyrant’s army a long time ago. One survived, though. The pegasus should know how to destroy it, but maybe her grandmother never gave her the book I entrusted her ancestors. These clouds are called nightmist clouds-” "Which are formed from the oils of nightshade mixed with water and cooled to form a cloud. Can't they kill you? How long do we have?" Twilight interrupted. She just remembered reading about these clouds in her book of old myths the other day. Sadly, they did not have pictures so she did not recognize it before she touched it. "Yes, they can. In this concentration, ten minutes, give or take five." "How long have we been talking?" "Twelve minutes." "So we are both dead and that means only dead can walk on these clouds," Twilight rationalized. "You’re very much alive, Ruby Sparkle Twilight. We are very much alive, like the cloud. Only the dead, alicorns, and a species that legend forgot can coexist for any length of time." "Which are you? How are we not dead?" Twilight chose to ignore the odd name, of the list of things she wanted answers for, that near the bottom. "The third. The cloud is as alive as you and I. Not enough time has passed to kill alicorns. That takes twenty minutes. "So, can you teach me how to make it?” her analytical mind was already running a mile a minute at the possibility of learning such age old magic and what it could mean for the future. Laughing, the voice replied, "A worthy question, but I cannot teach a live student, nor who refuses to acknowledge or learn the history of the magic. I am willing, but this magic's knowledge is a blessing to some and a curse to others. The students of past have all been hunted, killed or exiled. This is your choice, but Fate will play it’s hoof." Twilight was taken aback by that, there was no history of magic she was not willing to learn. Except… her mind suddenly understood. "So the magic you will be teaching me is black, forbidden, or dark magic, and it could cause my death?" “Easily, if you are not extremely careful. Don’t worry about the cloud, it will let you go before it kills you. All you have to do is wait. While you wait, ponder this: What do the following spells have in common: resurrection, reanimation, and reincarnation?" "Nothing. Reincarnation and resurrection are spells of light, while reanimation is black magic. " "How native you are. Resurrection, reanimation, and reincarnation are all fragments of a single spell. Total resurrection." Twilight asked, "What’s the difference between total resurrection and resurrection?" "The difference is that resurrection brings back the mind. Reincarnation brings the soul. Reanimation brings the body. Reanimation and resurrection together have always been considered necromancy." "But isn't necromancy black magic?" "Ha! Do those five old ruling alicorns still teach that? Total resurrection and necromancy both fall into the magic of life and death. Necromancy is a separate branch, which means it can be used in other ways. Total resurrection is a single spell. The truth about magic is that there is no light, dark, or black magic. They are one in the same.” Nemo paused to let this sink in. He signed as she did not seem to be getting it. “Allow me to explain. In the world, there are five trees of magic: Chaos, harmony, dissonance, life and death. Of these, dissonance is the most confused. Chaos is the middle magic, neither harmony or dissonance. Those are opposites. What defines those categories are how the magic is used and the emotions used to fuel the magic. The problem is that to cast total resurrection, you need to have intimate knowledge of both the life and death sides. With that knowledge Twilight, you could kill almost anything, including the five alicorns.” “Wait! There are only four alicorns, including myself.” Nemo seemed taken aback by that, almost as if it were something he was not expecting. Laughter filled the cloud as he considered this news. “Who are they, excluding yourself?" "Celestia, princess of the sun, Luna, princess of the moon, and Mi Amore Cadenza otherwise known as Cadance, princess of love. And why in all of Equestria would I want to kill them?!” Twilight balked at the very thought. “Celestia and Luna? Those two are young and always fighting. The older was always jealous of the younger’s paintings. They were both jealous of their half brother, who was quite the trickster. They now rule? For how long?” “Well… Celestia has ruled for the past thousand years at least, longer most likely. Luna has been ruling alongside Celestia, after she was cleaned of her darkness. Wait… what half brother?!” “Careful of what you call ‘darkness’. The sun is more blinding than the blackest night.” Nemo’s voice suddenly changed as he remembered the half brother, it grew almost remorseful. “He was such a trickster.” There was a hint of a smile in Nemo’s voice at that memory. “Always such a playful child. He so enjoyed cotton candy and chocolate milk of glass, but that was back when he was innocent. His power was tricky to control, but it had a reason, a purpose. I remember a time when he seriously got in trouble with his father, Chronos. Haven’t seen him since.” Twilight’s ear flicked to the sound of a distant voice, but she couldn’t make out what the voice saying, “Twilight!?! Where are YOU?! It’s been nineteen minutes since you disappeared! You gotta come out!” “Did you hear a voice? Also, what did this unicorn look like?” “Unicorn? No, he was an alicorn. Dozen of years older than Celestia. He had a mahogany coat and scraggly white beard.” “TWILIGHT!?! You gotta get out now! Twenty minutes have past!” This time the voice came clear as day. “How close is Rainbow Dash?” “Why?” “Time is tricky here. To us, no time has past, but out there, hours can go by. I always lose track of time here.” “WHAT?! How much time has past? Rainbow was within grabbing distance.” “She was?” “Yes, is there a problem?” “Yes, but you don’t need to worry.” “HOW much time?” “Two hundred minutes, by the sun. Which is ten times the amount to kill you, but it needs something to activate the poison. It’s mostly found in the atmosphere outside.” “Then I’m leaving now. Good-bye!” Twilight had a hundred more questions, but she was out of time. She knew that her friends would be worried sick about her and had she known, she never would have stayed in here for this long. “Wait, before you go. The magic of life and death is what I can teach you, but like all magic it has a cost. Are you willing to learn? While you consider that question I’ll leave you with one more: what is the true name of Chaos magic?” “I will ponder your words and ask more questions, but I would like to be back on the ground now, if I make it there alive." "You will. One note about those five magics, they keep each other in balance, and the harmony of Equestria is tipping the scale too much. Be careful, the two sisters know what happens when somepony seeks knowledge in these magics and spells. They will filter what you learn, but what they haven't realized that imbalance is the killer, not the magic." "Before I go, who has dealt with this magic?" "Sombra, Luna, and Chrysalis. Celestia has tried, but she can't learn it." "Who can?" "Those of the Chosen Twilight." * * * * * * Rainbow waited above the clouds, looking for signs that her friend was alive. I really should have paid attention to you, grandmother. 'Yes, you should have.' Rainbow knew that voice, it was impossible but it could be no other. "Grandmother?" "Yes, although my time is short and infinite at the same time. Mere minutes turn to hours quickly. Twilight is fine. Once she's done talking, the cloud will disappear and you must catch her. My journal should arrive today. Don't share it, unless they open it with what most would call black magic. Currently two besides you can open it. Rainbow Dash, I need you to pinkie promise me that you will never allow Princess Celestia or Princess Luna get hold of that journal. Some of the spells locked in it have turned tides of war. They’ve only gotten it twice. There is a spell that will burn it and return the journal to the one I trust most. The incarnation is from book's life, I cast you to the fires for all. In the ashes, return to the walker of crimson. Farewell, my granddaughter." "You too, I think. Wait, no be safe or be careful?" she didn’t know which one applied to a ghost. "Have you ever seen those in our dictionary?" Rainbow smiled at that, it truly was her grandmother. Only she ever made that joke. * * * * * * With a shimmer of light, the dark cloud scattered. Rainbow Dash spotted her friend plummeting towards the ground and she dived. Twilight felt the upwards wind on her wings. She instinctively opened them and a rainbow streak shot straight to her. When Rainbow cleared the spots of her vision, she bear-hugged Twilight, accidentally pinning her wings against her cyran chest. “Twilight, I'm so glad you’re alright. I knew what the cloud was. You could have died you know." Twilight hacked at the force of Rainbow’s deadly hug. She choked out,“Rain….bow Da...sh, you're crushing me, let me go. Thank you for being rash. I’m glad too.” Rainbow quickly shifted her position so that Twilight could open her wings. Once Twilight was stable, she asked in a deathly calm voice, "May we talk privately on a normal white cloud?" Rainbow, blushing after realizing how closely she was holding Twilight, quickly found a cloud and led Twilight towards it. Twilight landed better this time, but it wasn't completely smooth. As Dash landed, she got a muzzle full of her friend’s tail. "Twi, I'm very sorry.” Rainbow said as she spit her friend's tail out of her mouth. Once she got the taste out of her mouth, Rainbow asked, “So… what do you want to talk about?” “It can wait. What were you doing while I was trapped in the cloud?" In truth so much had been said that Twilight knew she could spend months considering everything she had just learned. She wanted to know what everyone else had been doing before getting into that. "Complaining that I didn't pay attention to my grandmother. She also talked to me by the way. Are you sure? What were you doing?" Twilight jaw hit the bottom of the cloud at that. “The your dead grandmother?!!?” Rainbow just nodded her head at that question. “I… I… I….” Twilight found herself at a loss for words at that. Suddenly her mind started to put a few pieces together. What had Nemo said? Resurrection, reincarnation, reanimation? She shook it off and just added it to the long, long, LONG list of strange things that she had learned today. Rainbow just gave her friend her cocky smiled. “Trust me Twi, if somepony could pull something like that off, it would be her. Now what were you doing in that cloud anyway?” "Talking about magic. There was someone in there, someone that had created the cloud actually. I don’t know if he was physically there or not, but I could hear his voice. He gave me some words to ponder and some warnings too. We talked about...." Twilight had trailed off as two scrolls floated down from the sky caught her attention. The first was sealed with a black ribbon with a crimson stripe running down the center. On its front was a star surrounded by five other smaller stars, each a different color. The other had blue and gold ribbons sealing the scroll, bound in matching blue and gold with what looked like a tricolor lightning bolt leaving a white cloud. Rainbow could spot that coloration any day and made a grab for it. Twilight caught both letters in her magic and placed them in her bag for safe keeping. What was said, what was learned, it should not be read in public. She knew far too little to risk showing anyone. Rainbow just huffed at having her letter denied to her. “Relax, we’ll read them together back at the castle. I just want to make sure no one eavesdrops.” She doubted a lot of what Nemo said, but if there was the smallest chance he was telling the truth, that he was not trying to mislead her, she wanted to know. “Why not now? The clouds are clear and we are in the middle of nowhere over the Everfree Forest.” “That’s just it. Did you know what kind of cloud that was?” “Yeah, an unnatural cloud, might have been a Night-something Cloud, but my weather trainer said that they are a super rare occurrence and are the works of myths and legend.” “Rainbow, that was a Nightmist cloud,” Twilight spoke with a hint of fear in her voice. “Wait! Nightmist as in clouds of nightshade?” “The same, I’m afraid.” “Well, I guess you being an alicorn helped. You were immune to the poison’s effects. Hey Twi, wasn’t it close to noon?” In the horizon, Rainbow noticed that Celestia was lowering the sun. “Yes, it was. Our friends!” Twilight’s eyes went wide at that realization. “They must be so worried about us! They probably sent a letter to Celestia and she is organizing an Equestria wide pony hunt involving all the ponies in every city all over the nation!” Rainbow rolled her eyes at her friends eccentricities. With someone like Twilight, they would always jump to worst case scenario. “I somehow doubt it, Twi. Pinkie’s pinkie sense would have told her if we were in any real trouble.” Twilight’s eye twitch returned at the mention of ‘that’. She shook it off, "Alright. First, where are we?" "Good question."Rainbow looked around and something she recognised. "Hey Twilight, isn't that the southern edge of the Everfree? Yep, there’s ghastly gorge!" “Wow, we’re really all the way out here?” Twilight seemed shocked about that. "I believe so, but shouldn't... Oh Celestia, I've been flying here before. We're on the outer edge. That means you're in for a treat. It's an hour-long flight to Ponyville, if you can manage twelve wingpower for that time that is!” "Rainbow, do I have cotton in my ears?" "I don't believe so." "Ok, then explain to me how I’m going to manage twelve wingpower for an hour?!" "I have faith in you. You've gone faster." Rainbow’s confidence in her abilities sparked something in Twilight. She could not explain what, but knowing that Rainbow believed in her somehow caused Twilight to believe that she could do it. "Thanks, Rainbow. Let's head home." * * * * * * The pair took off and made best speed for home. About forty minutes into their flight, they caught sight of a pink blur hopping through the forest. Taking a closer look, they saw a white unicorn, a butterscotch pegasus, and an orange earth pony wearing a stetson. They changed course to intercept them. “Shouldn’t you four have gotten back by now?!” Rainbow was surprised they had not made it back home yet. When they landed, Pinkie wasted no time in wrapping them both up in a huge a bear hug, the action caught a seriously out of breath Twilight completely by surprise, meanwhile Rainbow was just annoyed by the sudden physical contact. It cause them both to miss that their wings were brushing up against each other’s. “Where have you two been?” Rarity asked. "Oh, oh, oh. You were investigating a cloud the trapped both of you within. Rainbow Dash talked to her dead grandmother while Twilight talked to an ominous voice about magic and what is good and evil." "We weren’t both trapped, Pinkie." Twilight had long ago grown accustomed to Pinkie knowing about things she shouldn’t. However, she would still jump at any chance to prove her wrong. "Then what's the time?" Pinkie asked with a smile. Twilight looked up at the sun’s position and rubbed a hoof to her chin. "The sun could be seen in the sky, just under the tops of the trees. It’s about four forty five.” "Yes, it is. You’ve both been missing since one. I wasn’t worried though, my pinkie sense told me you two were fine as you were together! Fluttershy here waited in the park for you two to return. At about three, a couple of the other pegasi wanted to know if 'Shy had seen either of you. Cloudsdale had a malfunction and couldn't deliver the clouds on time. They made the decision to postpone the storm. Around four, Angel bunny had asked for Fluttershy to investigate something in the Everfree Forest. She was a bit hesitant, but we all volunteered to help out. We've been at this for about half an hour. Speaking of which, Fluttershy how close are we? I got a party to plan!" "About ten minutes out of the location Angel told me." “What party, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “A Twilight made a new friend party, duh!” Pinkie responded hyperactively. "Ahh, you said something about a malfunction?" Rainbow cut in while trying desperately to get the pinkie mare’s attention off Twilight before she had a brain aneurysm. "They said that a large amount of condensed water escaped over the Everfree earlier in the morning," Fluttershy responded. "That explains that Nightmist cloud," Rainbow tried to whisper so that only Twilight could hear. She didn’t know if her friend had ever heard of them, but if they had she did not want to needlessly worry them. Unfortunately, Fluttershy did hear it. Her many years talking and spending time with animals had sharpened her ears to pick up on the smallest of sounds. "Um, if you don't mind me asking Dash, what are Nightmist clouds?" “They're a type of clouds that mix with Nightshade. Deadly too." No further question could be asked, as at that moment a loud roar was heard the the background. The group of six friends instantly recognized the angry roar of a manticore in the direction they were traveling in. "Oh no!" Fluttershy shouted, “Some poor creature is being attacked by a manticore, we gotta go save it!” She flew off, not allowing any of the others time to disagree. They could only chase after their friend. It was always the same with Fluttershy, she would barely lift a hoof to defend herself. Yet, threaten some innocent creature and she’d rush off at the drop of a hat. With Fluttershy’s resolve to protect the creatures, they all forged ahead. Through the blushes was a scene they were not prepared for. On the other side was a manticore fighting one of his own kind. Based on size alone, it was very one sided. Manticores are large lions with bat wings and scorpion tails. Very fierce and very territorial. That two were in the same spot was a sure sign that one had invaded the other’s territory. This could only end one way if they did not do something about it. Rainbow jumped into action and pushed the larger one away. The other, a smaller manticore, roared. She was trying to warn them to stop. Only Fluttershy heard and understood the warning. Twilight had an idea, but the others tried to get the manticore away. The manticore would not stand for the actions of the blue one or the others. It struck out with lighting speed, seeking to sting Rainbow with its deadly venomous tail. They don’t call her Dash for nothing, Rainbow was able to avoid the stinger but that action caused her to go off course, Her wing clipped on a tree, dislodging the wing. She slammed into the ground with a loud thud and a scream from the pain of the dislocated wing. Twilight rushed to Rainbow’s side, catching a glance of the other manticore, she saw that the smaller manticore was in fact, female. “Everyone run and don’t look back. We need to leave or we’ll be lunch!” “Why are we leavin’ this manticore defenceless against the other? She’s injured and needs help.” Applejack questioned, with Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodding agreement. “Rainbow is already severely injured and the manticore is not actually in any danger, they’re mating not fighting.” Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement, manticore mating habits were very fascinating. Twilight picked up her friend with her magic, leaving a small puddle of the cyan mare’s blood behind. They all took off running at full gallop. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were getting ready to disagree as that couldn’t have possibly been a mating ritual, but they caught Fluttershy’s eyes. Without breaking contact, Fluttershy spoke in a deathly calm voice, she had noticed something the others did not, “Twilight, can you teleport all of us to the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters? Like right now, no questions asked.” It was closer than Twilight's and they needed to be somewhere else right this second. “Yes, I believe I can, but the landing may be hard. Hold onto Rainbow.” She passed the cyan mare to Rarity with her magic. Rainbow just groaned as she was moved between them. Based on that Twilight had a suspicion that she might have more than a dislocated wing. Twilight’s horn was already charged; she moved Rainbow to the others and teleported them all to the old castle. As she was, Rainbow said “Twilight, Thank you. I have to tell you that I…” In an instant they were gone and Twilight’s magic was mostly spent. Twilight was shocked. the others were gone but for some reason she had not left. Must be an after effect of the clo— She never got to finish that thought. What Fluttershy had tried to save them from, the thing she had not come out and said, the male manticore had given chase. Her thought was cut off as it’s deadly stinger pierced the alicorn’s side. She felt the venom course through her veins, causing the alicorn princess unimaginable pain and suffering at that moment. The impact sent her careening into a nearby tree. Her left wing took a pretty good hit on crashing. the wound from the injection was bleeding out heavily. Thinking quickly, Twilight cast a quick healing spell. it would not do anything for the venom but it would stop her from bleeding to death. She could only look up in horror as the manticore approached, seeking to finish it’s kill. * * * * * * In the distance, an old stallion was sleeping. He knew what the manticores were doing, so he slept in a non-threatening range of the manticore. It was a male and female, but very few knew what they did during mating or birth. If you attacked either one it was the equivalent of threatening them both, and the male will usually attack to kill. The sounds of a hard impact and the smell of blood had awoken him. “Well, I guess I should see what all this noise is about and maybe steal myself some lunch.” He began to gallop in the direction of the crash. * * * * * * He walked out to where he first heard the noise. there was a pool of blood next to a tree. Sipping that down he suddenly heard another noise in the distance. “Oh cool, there’s more! That was the best drink I’ve had in years, I’m not letting the manticore have it all to himself.” After the quick drink, the large silver coated stallion with a brown mane and tail took off in the direction Twilight had ran. He smiled with his large pearly white fangs showing and folded his bat wings to his side. As soon as the manticore came into view, he doubled his average speed and changed direction to an intercept path with the creature and its victim. With long strides and a quick beat of his wings, he closed the distance before the the manticore’s tail could strike again. He slammed the manticore into a patch of wild garlic. Unfortunately he could not stop himself from going right along with it. The manticore became slightly dazed; Twilight looked up to see what had happened; and saw what looked like blisters forming all of her rescuer's body. She quickly teleported him out of the garlic patch. ‘Why did it have to be garlic?’ the stallion kicked himself over such a stupid mistake. The stallion looked at his meal/rescuer with surprise in his eyes. He had been expecting a lot: Some stupid colt on a dare from his friends, some travelers lost in the woods, some foolish pegasus that crashed landed. An alicorn princess as beautiful as her? That was definitely not on the list. Instantly he recognize her from pictures he had caught in passing. “Twilight Sparkle?” “Uhh, do I know you?” Twilight tried to say more, but the poison was starting to become debilitating. “No, I don’t suspect you do.” he paused as he realized what the problem was. “I know it hurts, but you need to get running. Manticore venom is not like normal venom. It works faster if you stay still. Running will increase the time it’ll take to kill you.” ”Don’t worry about me.” The stallion shouted to Twilight when she took off. She only looked back once, but that once was all that she needed to know that he would be alright. The manticore took wing and landed just to the side of him. The manticore swung its claw right into him, only to be avoided by a last second leap into the air. The high ground gave him a chance to get into a better counter attack position. The stallion paused to make sure that Twilight was ok, that break was a mistake as the manticore flew into the air and slammed a paw into him. He was sent careening directly into Twilight. “Are you alright?” “Mostly….” They asked and answered each other in sync. “Will be and duck!” She ducked in time, unfortunately his reflexes were slowed by that last hit. The manticore’s tail knocked him away from Twilight and into a patch of midnight rose. The manticore ponced onto Twilight and went for her neck. “Midnight rose. Please forgive me.” The stallion ate some of the flowers. The effect was instantaneous. the glamour spell he had been using shattered. revealing a long horn at the top of his head. Gathering his magic, he unleashed a powerful spell at the manticore. The bolt spell knocked the manticore away, before it could bite down. He flew up to Twilight but the situation was dire. The manticore's venom was taking hold. Thinking quickly he cast a quick paralysis spell over her body. “The manticore's venom is very powerful. I've temporarily halted its movement, along with other nutrients besides oxygen. We gotta get you someplace safe." Twilight’s eyes went wide as dinner plates as she saw the horn at the top of his head. She could barely speak but she did have one question her mind demanded the answer too. Her voice was as weak as a newborn’s. “I recognize your voice. You were the one I was talking to in the cloud. You said life and death magic has a cost. What was the cost?” “The cost was that you would have to eat a more omnivorous diet." She closed her eyes as the last effects of the spell made itself known. "I will save you Twilight, but there will be a price. I just hope you don’t hate me afterwards.” He encased the wounded princess in his own magic and spread his wings. Taking flight, he made best speed to the only safe place he knew. “And to think, I was actually going to eat you.” Despite himself, Gaius started laughing at the absurdity of that thought, until the sunlight, even though fading, pierced the canopy. Due to his laughter, he missed the ray of sunlight and flew into its path. As the ray burned him, he lost control and crashed, stopping where no trees were. As he tried to pull her away, magic exploded around her, knocking him into the shade, while leaving her in the sunlight. Even though he could walk into the sunlight, he had taken quite a bit of damage and those roses only last so long. The magic swirled into two things, a shield around Twilight and another pony, similar to himself. As he gazed at the magic, he spat out, "What are you doing here?" "Giving her moonlight. It takes time for the light of the moon to reach here. Also, you are too exhausted to do anything." "You have that right. What will be her cost?" "Just hungrier than usual. I bit more aggressive. Nothing much compared to what I'm doing." The magic sunk into Twilight, opening her eyes. They were no longer her normal shade, but a deep Crimson. Twilight’s eyes were only that for a minute before she fell into a sleep. “Thank you. When you’re done, do you mind moving us back to my home?” the stallion asked before he too fell unconscious. “Tis’ no problem and I will be glad, my Crimson Walker.”
Crimson Twilight p2Through the unrelenting Everfree Forest, a pegasus and her comrades followed the stream. They left with a purpose and the pegasus always kept her distance in front of the two unicorns. She would scout the area ahead and the unicorns would be able to do ranged spells. “Come on. The Elements are in danger,” Winter Arc spoke in an annoyed tone. “Winter, you’re flying. We’ve never been able to catch up when you fly,” Armored Spear shouted to the pegasus flying above. “Spear and Winter, we’re here,” Bronze spoke. As Winter landed and the other two caught up with her, a pink earth pony kindly waited in front of them. The pink pony then loudly greeted each of them by name and introduced them to other Elements of Harmony, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, the latter of which was trying to make herself as small as possible behind Rainbow. “It is a pleasure to meet you Bronze Sword, Winter Arc, and Armored Spear. My name is Rarity.” Rarity politely introduced the other Elements for Pinkie, whose mile-a-minute talking took some time to get used to. “Thank you, Rarity, but please, call me Winter. We were sent into the Everfree to find you when Princess Celestia received a mile-high stack of letters. I see that Princess Twilight Sparkle is not with you. Where is she? Is she endanger?” “We actually don’t know. Our friend, Pinkie Pie, believes that she is safe, although something has happened to her,” Rarity spoke. “My pinkie sense caused my right leg to shake three times and then a I fainted like a goat!” Pinkie said excitedly, “I don’t know what that last one was though, it was almost like a doozy but a little more of a doozy.” “Come again?” “It’s better if you just don’t ask,” Rarity said as she rolled her eyes. The look on the guards’ faces were all of horror. Here are five of the Elements of Harmony. Two looked to be injured or have been, and one is missing and might be dead for all they know. Armored Spear used his magic to inspect Rainbow Dash’s wing. Some of the muscles were severely torn and she had a couple of fractures. Most pegasi injured like this wouldn’t be standing, those that did were just idiots in his mind. But the demeanor of Rainbow spoke of someone with more pressing concerns on her mind. “Well, you won’t be flying anytime soon,” Armored Spear stated. “I know that Sherlock Hooves. Fluttershy told me that as she bandaged it. How about telling me something useful, like how bad the injury actually is,” Rainbow snarked, although she really did not want to know the answer. “It could be worse, you’ll still be able to fly, but… in my experience, I’ve never seen someone fully recover. Those that do only cope.” “Will this hurt my chances to get into the Wonderbolts?” “I wouldn’t have any idea. Winter may be able to tell you. For now, let get you all out of this forest.” Armored Spear began his work on Rainbow’s wing. Fluttershy obviously had experience treating injuries like this before. “What about the other guards that came with you three?” Pinkie Pie asked sensing the approach of two new ponies. Armored Spear was about to reply that they separated in order to escort them to safely, but his comment was cut off by Night Wind toppling over him. It was obvious Night was running from something and not paying attention to where he was going. “Night Wind, why are you running like a thestral out of Tartarus?” Armored Spear asked as he got back to his hooves, “and where are the others?” Night Wind responded so quickly that the words blurred together worse that Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. As such, only Pinkie was actually able to understand it.. “I think he said ‘Large...scared...out... them? That’s what I caught, at least.” Ruby extended her wing over Night and calmed him down, running the tip across his back. The action couldn’t help but calm the thestral down, although he was disappointed that the contact did not last. “Thanks Ruby Eyes, that really helped. Think you could continue?” Night asked with a hint of glee. “Keep wishing buster,” Ruby replied with a playful tone in her voice, “Now do you mind saying what you said earlier in a calm, slow, and understandable voice?” “I don’t. A large thestral stallion scared the living Tartarus out of us and the other three guards… Who we left with two combatants deep within a cave that could have more traps. Silver was surprised by one. Luna’s going to have my hide for leaving them. If she doesn’t, then Shining Armor definitely will. I… we... we left so fast that I barely caught the pattern of his sister’s cutie mark.” “You left them?” Bronze Sword replied with venom on his voice. “We were ordered too. There were two attackers that ambushed us.” “So let me get this straight, with five of you, you ran from two attackers?!” Bronze Sword was getting pissed. “Shut up, you have no idea what we were up against! They were strong, like stupidly strong. And that cave had traps. Silver Eyes even triggered one.” “I’d never have ran. I’d never leave a comrade behind against an unknown foe,” Bronze said. Ruby stepped up. “Hey, we’re soldiers; we follow orders! Dim Eyes told us to run so we ran!” “Like cowards.” Ruby slapped him for that. “Only a fool stays to fight a losing battle. We ran to get help, with you three we can go back and rescue them.” “No.” Armored Spear spoke with an authority of one that lead ponies into battle. “Darling, you mentioned that you might have seen somepony else in the cave?” asked Rarity. “Yeah… was either a pegasus or thestral,” Ruby said. “Silly filly, Twilight’s an alicorn, not a pegasus or thestral,” Pinkie interjected. “Just don’t. No one knows how or why,” Rainbow interjected before Armored Spear could ask how or why Pinkie could know that. “Spear, what do we do if Twilight is in the cave?” Winter asked. “Y’all are gonna rescue her with us,” Applejack replied. “No way in Tartarus I’m going back into that cave,” Night stated. Night started to shake at the memories of that thestral. “Um, I’d rather return to Ponyville, but...Twilight is our friend. She’d easily sacrifice everything for us, even all the magic in Equestria. I say return the favor. It’s twice she’s done that.” “You tell’em, Flutters.” “No. Rainbow’s hurt and needs a doctor. The rest of you should return as well. You all have families. My mission is to return all of you safety first.” “Armored Spear, darling, I know that you’re a soldier following orders, but there is no way we’re not going to investigate that cave. Fluttershy even said she’s willing. If the scared thestral wants to stay in Tartarus, then he can. We’ll be passing it on the way.” “And Spear, you don’t know me.” Rainbow gave her wings a few tentative flaps, slightly wincing at the pain, before becoming airborne. “See I can fly. And I will never leave a friend hanging, especially Twilight.” “Ruby Eyes. You haven’t said much.” “I know.” “What’s your opinion?” “Go back,” Ruby dejectedly said. “Ruby, what’s wrong?” Winter asked as she set a wing on her. “I was only in the way. Night had to carry me, and Dim Eyes had to attack me to prevent me from attacking them. I was powerless, forced to obey the vampire’s wishes. I am not someone’s puppet; I want revenge; I want to save our comrades!” “Hold up. What’s this hoo-ha about vampires?” Applejack questioned. “Oh, yeah. Silver spotted a vampire on a ledge,” Night said. “Another reason I’m not going, and who scared the living starlights out of me.” Fluttershy almost shrieked and disappeared behind Rainbow. “If it’s okay with all of you, I’ll remain outside the cave.” “What do you mean by a vampire?” Spear asked. “They’re an ancient Equis species that feed off of the equines and other sentient species. Lived with the alicorns, dragons, draconequi, and a few lesser races in all their eyes, equines included.” “You don’t think….” Fluttershy started, before hiding herself even more than before. “Fluttershy, you can stay with me outside that filthy trap and dust infiltrated cave. I’m sure our friends won’t mind.” Rarity walked over to Fluttershy and offered her a generous hoof. “We know how shy you can be and will never force you to do something you are not comfortable with. Again...” “Thanks, Rarity.” Fluttershy took the hoof and came into better view. Her wings were still twitching from agitation, but that was to be expected given the circumstances. “It doesn’t matter if we are facing alicorns or vamponies, —” “Or alicorn vampire ponies,” Pinkie Pie interjected. “— you shouldn’t have left them. You should have at least fought. Come on, I’m not going to leave my Captain and the Elements wouldn’t leave Twilight either, even if it is just a chance.” “Yer right. We wouldn’t.” “Come on. Let’s head out.” “Um, shouldn’t Armored Spear make that call, unless you know where you're going,” Fluttershy whispered. “She’s right, we don’t know where we’re going, but Ruby does.” “Kinda, but Night knows better,” Ruby responded. “Hey! We’re not allowing any of you to endanger yourselves —” Armored Spear started. “You couldn’t stop us from trying,” Rainbow shouted. “ — without us accompanying you. Night Wind, mind leading the way?” “Yes, but I don’t have a choice, do I?” Night responded. All at once, Bronze Sword, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Armored Spear said, “No, you don’t.” “Fine. I’ll stay out there in case somepony comes running out. You all can go and tempt fate.” The elements began to pack up their sleeping bags. As Rainbow rolled up hers, a letter fell out. The odd thing about the letter was it was the letter Twilight had denied her to read. Night Wind noticed the letter’s coloration and an oddity. He decided that it wasn’t his business about asking about it and Rainbow had already picked it up. Once they were packed their saddle bags, Night Wind began the track towards the cave. They took their time for those injured and allowed them to set the pace. The moon could be seen reaching some of the tops of trees by the time the got to the cave. Problem was, there was no cave. The three unicorns looked at the stone wall. If somepony was hiding, what better way than use nature to your advantage. The guards lit their horns and found a visual illusion. They quickly dispelled it and stared at the narrow mouth of the cave. “So, Night, can you give us any more information on these combatants?” “Nothing I haven’t already said. I’m staying out here, though.” “Coward,” Bronze Sword said venomously. Rainbow jabbed him for that. They all had something to lose, whether it was a comrade, a loved one, a foal, a friend, or themselves. That was the nature of life and the guard. “Um, Bronze Sword. You have no right to attack another because of their fear. In Ponyville, the same thing happened to Zecora and she’s extremely nice, once you meet her. So if you could, don’t,” Fluttershy asked politely. “She’s right Bronze,” Armored Spear said, “But before we go further, what’s the plan? We don’t know how large this cave is. Also, Fluttershy will you be joining us?” “That’s easy, silly. We search it. There are six of us willing. We could form two groups of three,” Pinkie replied. “Um, no, I won’t,” Fluttershy quietly responded to Armored Spear’s question. “Who with whom?” Ruby Eyes asked. “Pinkie Pie, myself and Ruby Eyes, we’re team one. Winter Arc, Rainbow Dash, Bronze Sword and Applejack, you’re team two,” Armored Spear stated. “Each has a flyer and mage. You sure you want to go this route, Armored Spear?” Bronze Sword asked. Armored Spear thought for a moment. It seemed good. Ruby Eyes was still shaking from her experience but she was eager to prove herself. “Yeah I’m sure, let's move out.” “Armored Spear, and Bronze Sword, which one of you is good with shields? The passageway narrows to single pony, before opening to a wide area. That was where we were ambushed.” “Spear is,” Bronze replied. “Looks like you have point.” “Alright everyone, let’s break a leg.” “Silly filly, we don’t want to break a leg.” Pinkie said happily. “Pinkie, it’s an expression for good luck,” Applejack replied. “Oh... then why not just say that?” Pinkie asked. “It’s bad luck to,” Winter replied. Armored Spear entered first with Bronze Sword taking up the rear. Everypony else was in between. “This is where we left Dim Eyes, Silver Eyes, and Redwing. They must have taken them farther into the cave.” Ruby said. The assembled group began a search of the area. The two unicorns used their magic to get a feel for the area. They identified three paths that could be taken. The first, only the pegasi and thestral could reach. The second and third started the same but split to who knows where. “Rainbow and Winter, you take the ledge. It's easiest for you and the only other that could reach it is Ruby, but I still want to make sure she’s alright. Take this.” Armored Spear handed them a small, circular disk. “What’s this?” Rainbow asked. “It’s used for short distance communication. We didn’t use them earlier since the Everfree Forest disrupts the signal too much. In an enclosed space like this, they should work better,” Armored Spear articulated. “Then let’s head out.” With an outline of a basic plan, the groups set out to do their tasks. * * * * * Meanwhile, deeper in the cave, a lavender alicorn was sprawled on the bed. She had been thinking of what Gaius had said. From his speech, he didn’t seem to trust Princess Celestia, but given his situation that was understandable. She was the embodiment of the sun, a killer of vampires. Vampire. Eternal life was something she wondered about when she ascended, but never asked. The princesses had informed her that over time, her body will continue to grow and adjust. She wouldn’t be a full grown alicorn most likely until all of her friends had passed. Princess Celestia had also sent some vitamins for her to take to help her grow, but she didn’t see the importance of them. She always ate three balanced and filling meals. There were no reasons for her to take them. Her stomach growled at her and her thirst returned. Deciding she still had a few more questions, Twilight rolled off her bed and landed on the floor. After opening the door, she quietly made her way to the kitchen, noting with some disdain that the vampire was resting on the couch. She searched for the cabinet that had the bags of blood, but wasn’t having much luck, and the cabinet that Gaius got their earlier supply from was bone dry. One of the cabinets had the same vitamins Celestia had given her, but she dismissed that off, for now that she was a vampire there was really no reason for it. Her nose found another cabinet for her, she figured it must be a side effect of her new powers. However, it was sealed tight. Her magic had little effect on the lock. And before she would resort to just shattering the cabinet, an idea rose. There are three fresh bodies in the other room, the thought came unbidden and unwanted to her mind, however, once she thought it, she couldn’t stop thinking it. She weighed the options in front of her, putting them on a mental checklist of pros and cons. Option 1: Wake up Gaius. Pros: She wouldn’t have to feed directly from a pony. Cons: Waking him up meant disrupting him. He could be angry or sympathetic. He didn’t seem like the type, however, she did not know him all that well. This could be a bad idea. Option 2: Wait Pros: Would not risk angering an unknown variable. Con: How long would she have to wait? The thirst could become all-consuming. Option 3: Feed directly Pros: The thirst would be quenched. Cons : I’D BE FEEDING FROM A BUCKING PONY!!! Three was obviously not a bucking option. In the back of her mind, she registered a door opening and closing and the clip clop of hooves on a stone floor. A little bit towards the front, a voice was vainly trying to convince her to go with option three, but she immediately squashed that idea. As she debated with herself, she made her way to Gaius to wake him up. One her way, a meal literally flopped down in a seat at the table. Twilight's new senses could see the veins in his neck and the sweet, sweet blood running through it. Her mouth watered at the prospect, the thought of a fresh meal, of the taste of new blood running down her throat, it became something else in her mind. Option three was quickly winning. Am I really about to do this? Twilight asked herself as she found her hooves moving of their own volition towards the unicorn. Her stomach growled louder and her thirst tripled in intensity. It was all consuming, the thought of a meal being so close made itself known, it wanted this, it needed this. She needed this. Every step brought her closer and closer. The unicorn at the table did not look up, he did not notice her approach. She could hear his heartbeat. The steady bump-bump, bump-bump, pounding in her ears. The drive, it became all-consuming to her. It was primal need she had to sate, it had to happen. She could think of nothing else, every thought was gone save for this one, save for the all-consuming desire to feed, to drain this unicorn dry of every scrap of blood in his body. ‘Twilight!’ it was like five voices shouting in her mind. Her mind, her mind as the Princess of Friendship, her mind as Celestia’s star student. It squished this desire like a bug. The realization, the horror of what she almost did caused her to want to throw up. She wasn’t a mindless beast, she wasn’t a killer and she never would be. “Twilight Sparkle!” the unicorn in the chair shouted as he noticed her for the first time “You’re up!” “After a fashion,” Gaius replied from the other side of the room. Twilight turned and glared at him, in that one second, they had an unspoken conversation. ‘You were going to let me drink from him, weren't you?!’ ‘Yes, yes I was.’ She glared at him with a look of hatred, for that. “Gaius, I see you’re up.” The unicorn spoke. “Indeed Dim Eyes. Have you come to join us for breakfast?” “Dim Eyes, wait, you’re my brother’s friend!” Dim Eyes smiled at the alicorn. “Yes, Shining was forbidden to come, a meeting has been called to gather together all the rulers of the nation. He sent me to find you and keep you safe.” “How do you two know each other?!” Twilight questioned. Gaius laughed, “We've met before, although this is the first time I talked directly to him and that he remembers.” “He told me you were stung by manticore venom and he had to change you, I didn't think it actually worked on alicorns, though.” “Only if they’re willing.” Gaius smiled at that. A deep rumble echoed across the room, gathering everyone's attention. Twilight blushed as she realized it came from the most unlikely source, her stomach. “Hungry again, Twilight?” Gaius asked with a smile. Her blush seemed to get deeper at that, and what she almost did. “Yes.” “There is a fresh supply of blood in the other room, why don’t you grab some to take the edge off?” Twilight almost skipped out of the room at that news, she wanted, no, she need something to drink and the thought of getting it guilt free was one she could not deny. The two watched her go with a smile. One that faded when she was out of earshot. “This is bad.” Dim Eyes said. “I know,” Gaius confirmed. “If she doesn’t feed from a fresh body soon, she’ll become a true monster. Based on her power, she’ll destroy all of the world in her madness.” “I was hoping she’d take the bait,” Dim Eyes said. It had been his idea. He did not fully trust the vampire, not until he explained the situation and how screwed they were. Twilight was indeed the second alicorn vampire ever created. However what was really scary was that she was already on the level of a fully fledged vampire lord and she hadn’t even fed directly yet. With such power, came a matching thirst. She’d need to feed, and soon. Especially after just turning. Dim Eyes knew more than the average pony about vampire lore, his time with Princess Luna had taught him much. “I have to admit, I was surprised that you suggested this.” Gaius said, “It’s rare for one to offer themselves up as a meal.” Dim Eyes looked down at the table. “I promised Shining I’d find her and bring her back. While this is outside of the letter of the promise, this is what has to be done. If she doesn’t feed soon, Twilight Sparkle will be gone and a monster will be born into this world. One that will bring it to it’s knees.” “Even though she will kill you?” Gaius asked. “Hey, my oath is to protect the Princesses, I swore to give my life to that end. So if I must, then I must. I’m actually amazed that she stopped herself like that.” “It’s a sign of her pure heart, and the influence her friends have over her,” Gaius placed a hoof on his shoulder. “You are truly a noble soul.” “Do what must be done,” Dim Eyes leaned his head away from the vampire. With a swipe of his power, Gaius cut him just enough to draw blood. “Twilight,” He called out, “I forgot the blood is in here.” Twilight came bounding back in the room, “I was wondering, I cou-” She stopped talking. The sight of fresh blood spilt, the smell of it in the air, it won in her mind. At that moment, Twilight Sparkle, the nerdy bookworm that became a princess was gone, at least temporarily. In it’s spot was a creature that only wanted one thing, that lived for one thing and one thing alone. A creature that had to have, that must have blood. She moved of her own volition, her teeth grew fangs as it sought to quench her thirst. Her tongue licked the front of her fangs, her eyes never left the bright red spot on Dim Eyes’ neck. She wanted this. She needed this. She had to have this. She reared up onto the back of him, and opened her mouth wide to take her first drink from a living being. Dim Eyes turned his neck slightly to one side, opening up more access to it. With a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash, she bit down into his neck with both fangs. The taste was exhilarating. The natural flavor of fresh blood flowed down her taste-buds and into her stomach. It was both the most soothing nectar and fine aged wine at the same exact time. She did not stop, she wanted more, she needed more, she had to have more. Dim Eye’s struggled as his life essence was pulled out of his body from two holes in his neck. He felt himself growing weaker and as the pain increased ten, a hundred, a thousand fold from the bite. He tried fighting against it, his natural instinct would not simply sit by and do nothing as his body died from this creature. Regardless of what training he had or how noble his sacrifice was. Twilight would not let him. Without even thinking it, her magic easily overpowered his own and paralyzed her unfortunate victim as she attempted to drain him of every last drop of blood. Gaius looked on in approval at this development. ‘Your sacrifice is for the greater good.’ He knew Dim Eyes was as good as dead. Twilight would not stop until the stallion was fully drained. She’d be scared forever, but this needed to happen, this had to happen. In a way this was both a birth and a death. Alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle was dead, Vampire Twilight Sparkle was born. “Get off him you monster!” A shout came from the other end of the room as two pegasi burst through the door. That voice, that’s… that’s Rainbow Dash. Rainbow’s here...’ Twilight internally shouted with glee. Then it dawned on her. Rainbow Dash called me a monster. The window shattered. Her meal crumpled to the ground as she let go. Her long, bloodied fangs and teeth were agape as she stared at the two pegasi. The sky blue pegasus was crouched low and fearfully towards the ground. That pegasus looked more fearful than when she had met Fluttershy. And she was the source of that fear. The light cerulean pegasus had a disgusted look on her face at what she was seeing. Her wings were flared out slightly, but close to her body. Before they could act, the ‘monster’ teleported away. However, Twilight's retreat from her friend’s disgusted look did not stop the bolt of magic that came from the other pony sitting in the room. Seeing his spell connect, he went to pick them up and noticed with surprise that Dim Eyes was still alive. So Faust was merrible on your soul. As he looked at him, his own stomach growled, but he ignored it and went to the cabinet he stored his own personal supply. From the cabinet, Gaius grabbed a few supplies and from his reserves marked A+ blood, his nose easily determined the blood type of Twilight's victim without needing to be told. Finding the proper vein, a simple task for any vampire, Gaius poked a needle into Dim Eyes. The blood from the bags started to flow into him. It wasn’t the healthiest blood for a transfusion, but would be enough to save the unicorn’s life. Gaius, seeing that the transfusion was starting to work, picked up the two pegasi and carried them to a different room than where Redwing and Silver Eyes were. He dropped them off and ignored the call of Silver Eyes. He had a very powerful alicorn vampire that required his immediate attention, he had to get to her before she did something rash. He slowly approached the door for the room Twilight Sparkle should have landed in and opened the door. The door revealed no pony on the bed. Concentrating on his powers, he easily found the signature of Twilight above the door, waiting for him. Gaius decided to amuse her, walking through the door. As he expected, Twilight slammed her forehooves into him and pinned him to the ground. “Why in bloody Tartarus did you do that to him?!” Twilight shouted with venom in her voice. “He chose that fate himself, and all I did was cut him. I wasn't the vampire to latch onto his neck and almost drain him dry.” “No guard in Equestria would ever do that. You made him!” “I did not. He willfully chose his fate knowing that you may kill him. The only thing that I made happen was to draw you in. I knew you had to feed. I also knew that you might be unwilling. There were only two ways that I could have gotten you to feed from him. You showed true heart by not going for him originally.” The smirk on Gaius’s face only served to royally piss off the alicorn. “The other option was to use an illusion, to deceive you— Dim Eyes’ neck being the bag of blood. It’s a hard decision for any vampire to make. That’s why only the lords are taught how to create such an illusion. We do it sparingly. That does not stop others from trying though.” “But why? Why would you try and trick me like that!?” Her hoof began pressing harder on Gaius neck, her vampire nature was taking over. Gaius was one part impressed at her strength, and the other scared about what might have happened if she hadn’t fed. “Because, time was running out, Dim Eyes was the best choice. He was awake and knew what could happen. Luna has pictures of the destruction the vampire monsters have done,” Gaius said. He continued as the pressure relaxed on his neck, “Admittedly, I didn’t expect you to be as hungry as you were. Most transformed vampires require a week before they have to go for a fresh meal or snack. I was expecting three to five full days, not a day and a half or less!” “What would you have done then? Either way I was going to have a fresh pony wasn’t I?” “Yes, you were. That is an unavoidable truth. It is the nature of what you now are. You had to have a fresh kill. I would have guided you to a jail of scum and let you have your pick. Not a prestigious guard like Dim Eyes.” “Why him? Why couldn’t you warn me of doing this?” “Because I was able to speak with him. I didn’t know that he was a dear friend of your brother. You may be mad about my choice princess, but answer me this: How would you feel if it had been Rainbow Dash or any of the other bearers of harmony were the ones that had cut themselves. If you had killed one you're best friends because you couldn't control your instincts?” Twilight's mind went black at that, she could not comprehend living with herself if she had done something like that to Rainbow or any of the others. However, she was not going to let him off that easy, “I...I...That’s not the point nor relevant. You had me kill Dim Eyes.” “He knew the risks, all of them. And do you know what he said? HE said: ‘Hey, my oath is to protect the Princesses, I swore to give my life to that end. So if I must, then I must. I’m actually amazed that she stopped herself like that.’ He fully accepted the risk that he may die.” “It doesn’t matter. I KILLED him, a retired guard of Equestria. I’m a monster that needs to be put down before… Oh Celestia, what have I done?!” Gaius cringed at the mention of that name, he shrugged it off though. “Look again. Faust was merciful upon him. And because you didn’t, I’ll make sure he will live.” Twilight was visibly relieved at that news. “He’s not dead?” She asked, hopeful. “No, you have yet to kill anyone.” “Yet?” “This point is the critical point for every vampire, it’s the test you just took. If they do not feed, they are killed before madness takes over. The same would happen to you, Twilight Sparkle. If you do not feed, you will fall to madness, you will become a monster that will destroy the world. You cannot deny this portion of yourself.”. He paused before continuing, “You are the second alicorn vampire. The first was Nightmare Moon, but she never made it to her first feeding. Her sister stopped her before it was too late. Even though Luna has lingering effects from the vampirism, she is not one.” Gaius continued. “What would happen to the world if you became the nightmare? Does Cadance, Shining Armor, Luna, and Celestia have the will or the strength to stand against you much less kill you if you fall to madness?” Gaius left to allow his questions sink into her soul. Too many times before, he had seen the madness take control. He could not fail , not with this one. She was strong, too strong for him to allow that to happen. When a normal vampire succumbed, it had horrible results. Bustling towns larger than Ponyville were no more, but those vampires were mosquitoes compared to Twilight. Also, back then, there was a dedicated guard to protect the civilians and to hunt them. Nowadays, they are sparse and their knowledge is all but forgotten. Twilight glared at Gaius for the harshness of his words. They were like a silver knife plunged into her heart. The thing was, he was completely right. As soon as she smelled the fresh blood of a the living pony, she lost control and practically killed the pony. Would I have stopped if Rainbow Dash hadn’t interrupted? She knew the answer to that question. The real question was, what if it had been Rainbow that was bleeding at the table? Rainbow Dash. Loyalty. She saw me and I ran. I ran with no explanation and Dim Eyes crumbled to the ground, almost dead. How am I going to face her? Does she even know he’s not dead? How am I going to face my friends? Either Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash is going to be the hardest. Fluttershy’s kindness would never kill, much less a being of her own species, but, do they have to know?, the back part of her mind questioned. No. I have to be honest with them, and I can’t omit details. If I do that, then I’m deceiving them, and lying by omission is still lying to Applejack. But, Gaius did say that the vampires were more deceptive than any other species including Changelings. Changelings who kidnap ponies and take their lives from them, tricking friends, family, and coworkers. They feed off the love we have for one another. But, I’m worst than that. When they feed, they rarely kill. When I feed, I’m likely to kill or severely injure whoever I’m feeding from. Twilight shook that comparison free from her head. She needed to concentrate and decide what to do next. Twilight thought about how she could repair her relationship with Rainbow Dash and what details she should tell her friends. A yawn stopped her train of thought. Before she accepted the will of the yawn, she left to find a place to wash up, her nightly ritual checklist still fresh in her mind. Finding the bathroom, she refreshed up and made her way back to the bed. She wrapped her tail around her and got comfortable on her front hooves. She wasn't cold so she left the blanket at the hoof of the bed. As Gaius walked away, he contemplated his own meal. The vampire was hungry as well and observing Twilight’s first feeding didn't help. There are the three fresh pegasi bodies, or he could go hunting in the Everfree Forest. Naw, pegasi taste better and I know where they are. Now who? There's the light cerulean pegasus, but I think that she is Twilight's friend. Also, Twilight would be vexed with me if I fed from her. That thought made him cringe, she was growing in strength every day. There's the red wing pegasus. She'll be able to give consent, unlike the third pegasus. If I try the pegasus, the thestral would interfere. That doesn't mean I have to get permission, but it tends to make things so much easier. Gaius made his way into the bedroom where most of his guests were after weaving an illusion for himself. Undoing the lock, two ponies stood impatient on the other side of the door. He could tell that their guard training was kicking in. They both stood in pincer formation ready to attack anyone they deemed hostile. “Who are you!” Redwing shouted at the top of her lungs as a very unfamiliar pony burst through the door. “Oh, thank Celestia, there is someone back here!” The new pony shouted, out of breath. “You haven’t answered her question!” Silver Eyes shouted. “My names Nemo, please you have to help. The vampire he’s… he’s…” “He’s what?” Redwing shut the door behind the new stallion, not wanting to risk the vampire being right behind him. “He had us captured, he was draining our blood. My family, oh Celestia my family. He… he…” Silver’s demeanor changed, “What you can tell us, we’re royal guard.” “He killed them, drained their blood right in front of me. This unicorn saved me, one by the name of Dim Eyes, but the vampire got to him, he drained his blood right in front of me. I… I…” “DIM EYES!!! Is he dead!?!?!?” They both shouted at once at the unicorn’s statement. “No, but he lost so much blood. I did when I can but without more O+ there’s nothing more I can do.” The unicorn looked devastated having to give this news. “This cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane chased the vampire off, but she did not arrive until it was almost too late.” “How did you know Dim Eye’s blood type?” Redwing asked. The unicorn merely gestured to his cutie mark. it was a red cross on both sides of his flanks. “I bought my supplies but I don’t have any blood to donate I’m AB-.” Redwing stepped forward. “I’m O+” “Oh thank Celestia!” the unicorn shouted. “Redwing, no. We’re in enemy territory and we can’t have our of our party weakened.” “He’d do it for me,” Redwing stated. “We don’t even know this unicorn is telling the truth.” “My names Nemo. If you want I can show you,” without waiting for a reply, Nemo cast a x-ray spell at the wall that bordered the kitchen with their room. The two ponies gasped as they saw the body of Dim Eyes lying on the floor. “Do it!” Redwing shouted. Nemo went into his bag and magically pulled out an IV. Finding a quick vein, he stuck Redwing and began draining the pegasus's blood. The process was hasted with a quick application of his magic. Silver did not like this one bit, but he bit his tongue at first. After the third bag he could no longer stay silent. “That’s enough!” “It’s really not.” Nemo smiled, “But I guess I am pushing it.” Before either pony could reply, Nemo disconnected the IV and bite down on the bag, drinking heavily of the life-sustaining liquid. “I knew that you were hornswoggling us!” Silver shouted. Redwing just looked on. She tried to do something, but the loss of so much blood left her too weak. Gaius dropped his glamour spell, causing both ponies to look on in horror. “Don’t feel too bad little ponies, you really did save Dim Eye’s life with this.” “What did you do to him?!” Gaius laughed at that, “Me, nothing. However, I did save his life, but it used up the last of my blood reserves. I would have finished him off instead, but I knew the camaraderie between soldiers would ensure that I could get a fresher supply.” “You stole my blood.” Redwing’s voice was weak. “Oh no, you gave me your blood. I don’t know why, but it makes it all the sweater too.” He bit down on the second bag, before looking up, neither pony actually looked convinced. “Don’t believe me? Why don’t you go ask him yourself.” They each looked at the other, unsure of what to do. Finally it was Redwing that started moving. Silver Eyes saw that Redwing needed help and made her lean on him. The truth was that they were outclassed in every way, shape, and form. If this vampire wanted them dead, they’d be dead. Silver would not let her go alone, he followed but kept one eye on their ‘host’. When Redwing turned the corner adrenaline surged into her veins at the sight of the unicorn on the floor. “DIM EYES!” She shouted as she ran towards him, her own weakness forgotten. Silver followed and watched her skid to a halt. She paid close attention to the bite wounds on his neck, however, what caught both their eyes was the IV bag connected to his veins. Redwing examined the bag, “You already had O+. Why didn’t you just drink this and ask one of us to save his life?” Gaius smiled. “Two reasons, first is that I did not know one of you was O+ until I smelled for it. The second is that freshness does make it taste better.” “We’ll kill you for this monster.” Silver glared at him. “No…” The voice was weak and came from the most unexpected source. Dim Eyes placed his hoof on Silver’s. “He wasn’t the one that did this.” “Dim, he’s got you in his thrall or something, you got two bite marks on your neck.” “He’s telling the truth.” Gaius said. “Shut up.” Redwing glared at him. “There’s another vampire.” Dim stated, “I gave myself to her willingly. You… you don’t understand.” “Dim, shh, you need to save your strength.” “Consider this an order, listen to him. Yes, he’s a vampire, but there are bigger things you do not understand.” Dim said right before his eyes shut, he quickly fell asleep as exhaustion overtook him. “Told you,” Gaius said with a grin. “Orders given by a commander under someone's control are not to be followed.” Silver stated. “Oh sweet Faust, what do I have to do to get through your head? Wait… I know, why don’t you two wake up your other friends?” “You have more of us hostage?!” “Yeah, hostages that are free to leave as they want and I tricked into giving me blood. Wake the buck up already.” Gaius rolled his eyes. “You know, I could point out that if I really wanted to hurt you, you’d all be dead by now.” The glare in his eyes told Silver to shut up. Redwing slowly got back to her hooves. “Fine, I’ll follow his orders. Now where are the others?” “Down the hall.” Gaius gestured with a hoof. “Just don’t go into the room after the one you two were staying in.” Redwing limped down the hall and to the room he pointed to, while eyeing the door he warned them about subconsciously. When she entered the room the strangest thing happened. Rainbow Dash knocked her to the ground and pressed a hoof against her throat. “WHERE IS SHE!” She shouted at the mare pinned to the ground. Gaius grinned. So she did know who that was, this is going to be interesting. * * * * * In the room that Twilight was laying in, two things woke her up. The first was the smell of fresh blood, which only stirred her. The second was the shout of Rainbow Dash. I can’t face her yet, Twilight thought. She also couldn’t fall back asleep either. Her stomach had been gnawing at her all night. Oh for Celestia’s sake! What do you want now?! I just practically killed a guard. Twilight tapped her hoof on the bed, knowing that eventually, she would have to face them, but not yet. Instead, she decided to distract herself and explore. Not wanting any chance of prematurely seeing her friends, Twilight teleported to explore the woods. Unlike the last two times she had tried teleportation, when they ended her up in this room, she was overlooking the Everfree Forest on the top of the rocks. Using her advanced magical knowledge, she was able to get past the runes that were causing her to end up back in that room. Runes. Should have guessed. He doesn’t use his magic often. On its top, she encarved an anchor rune. Looking around, Twilight spotted three ponies in the darkness. The first was Fluttershy, the second, Rarity, and the third was a thestral stallion. The shadows of Luna’s night had hidden her presence, she thought. Behind her, a silhouette rose. Its mission was to follow her wherever she went. Twilight looked over the vast Everfree Forest. Out in the distance there seemed to be something off. Concentrating on herself, Twilight opened her sight to her vampire senses.. It easily spotted all the different animals of the Everfree, including two manticores, just barely. Where she thought she saw something, she did. There’s a pony that way. Wow, this can really come in handy. The distance I can see is great. Twilight took off, without even flying she easily reached her full speed during the running of the leaves at the end. The difference was, it wasn’t leaving her winded. Slowing down after reaching a dense wooded area, Twilight took time to notice her surroundings and the pack of timberwolves. Crouching down from her instincts as her eyes gained a red tint, the timber wolves did something unexpected. They stopped. Twilight waited. She was curious what they would do with her around. She had no doubt that she could easily take on the whole pack as is. However, part of her was hoping that they’d lose interest in her. Another part wanted to see how much damage she could do. She squished that part of her. They didn’t. They growled threateningly and Twilight reflexively returned their hostilities with a hiss. Two pounced from behind and were met with one of her hooves. There was a resounding crack as the two timberwolves hit the trees behind her. Twilight stared blankly at the power of her strength. There was no magic involved and she knew her alicorn magic shouldn’t have augmented her physical strength like that. I wonder how strong this vampire magic is. Twilight decided that she would test her own skills and only use magic in cornering situations. The two stood back up on shaky legs and their leader howled an attack. Twilight braced herself. They were fast but she was faster. It became a game of numbers and seven on one was not good odds. The timberwolves were effective in their strikes, but she was just playing with them, while they were trying to corner their prey. As two attacked with a downward strike, two more flanked her with side strikes. She dodged the downward strikes and a shield blocked the side strikes, but she allowed it to shatter... at the worst possible time for her. She hadn’t noticed a fifth one in the back. That fifth one went for her neck. She ducked to the side causing her attacker to crash into another. The dance continued, Twilight dodging strike after strike, and the timberwolves leading her into a trap. Even though none of the timberwolves landed a strike, their blows were accomplishing their goal: tiring out their prey. Twilight realized this as the claws of the leader of the pack dug into her chest and another hit her horn. The strike knocked her back and blood began to drip. The pain from her horn left her disoriented. Well, guess I should start fighting back. The cut wasn’t as deep, but proved that she was not skilled in combat or hunting, and that she needed to be taught. That distraction allowed for one of the timberwolves to strike her. Its claws raked across her right wing and side. If she had been an inch or three closer, the strike would mortal. Her purple eyes changed to blood red. The wound began to heal itself and her muscles tensed. The wound was too deep to completely heal, but deep enough so that she could not use the wing to fly. Only another meal would finish healing that. The timberwolves had made a mistake, the smell of fresh blood in the air caused a change in their prey. Twilight growled very threateningly at the timberwolves. The timberwolves, seeing their prey injured and weak, went for the kill. Twilight jumped and slammed onto the backs of wolves, disabling two of them. Another saw an opening, but it was anything other than what it appeared. It went badly. Both of Twilight’s back hooves connected with the offending wolf and he was knocked into another one. They crashed into a thick tree, dazing the second. Her goal of not using magic was forgotten and with a quick blast from her horn, she took care of two more. Their leader got lucky and scored a hit on her while she was making mincemeat of his pack. This hit was deeper and landed on her injured wing. The final wolf was low to the ground, circling its prey. It wasn’t going to let some weak prey escape. The timberwolf made one mistake in its attack. Vampires have very sharp fangs and that they had tremendous grip strength. The wolf pounced and landed a blow on Twilight's flank. As the wolf’s claw dug into Twilight, Twilight gripped its neck in her jaw. With a flick of her head, aiming to toss the timberwolf, she instead snapped its neck. With no more prey and no promise of fresh blood, her vampire instincts left her. Twilight looked around at the devastation she had wrought on the pack of wolves. She panicked and ran. Her injuries were too much to return to the home of Gaius, but she was near the edge of the forest. As she galloped to the edge, the smell of apples greeted her and she stopped, knowing where she was going. The trees of Sweet Apple Acres had come into view and among them, a lone red earth stallion was working late at night. The sight of red brought back a very familiar hunger to the mare. Twilight’s tongue rolled across her extended fangs as her mind thought of the delicious, red, big macintosh apple and the sheer amount of blood that must be in such a large pony. Also, he would have some tender meat too. Her instincts were guiding her towards the delicious apple dinner, but she stopped that and turned back to the woods. In the back of her mind, she heard, “You need to feed. You’ve taken too much, and you’re young. The apple is close, and you don’t want to lose yourself.” Twilight was about to make a counter argument, but stopped when the voice spoke again. “Your friends are there.” Her mind was right. She knew it was right, but if she fed, then she’ll kill him. The brother of her friend and of Appleboom. Applejack couldn’t run the farm by herself and it may bankrupt her if she had to hire help. Twilight shouted aloud, “NO! I’m not going to do that.” “I didn’t think you would,” spoke a voice from the shadows. “Gaius?” Twilight hesitated. She didn’t think that anypony was following her. “Only a shadow. This is just a spell I’ve learned,” said the shadow as it stepped into her vision. “Why were you following me? How long were you following me?” “In order of question asked: To keep you safe and since you left.” Twilight glared at the shadow, annoyed that she couldn’t spend time alone, without him watching. Before she could protest, the shadow asked, “What would you have done?” “...” Twilight remained silent. She could still hear that nagging voice, that primal, all-consuming need that was ever present. She could feel it growing in strength with every passing moment. It was trying to get to go for the big macintosh apple, but she wouldn’t listen. The gnawing feeling of her stomach had returned ten fold when she had gripped the timber wolf’s neck, but she didn’t have a drop. Timberwolves had no blood to drain. That had been the worst part, the promise of blood was denied to her. “Your silence tells me that you are deep within thought, trying to figure out the best solution. The problem is, you don’t know all the solutions. You know that if you go into Ponyville or return to the cave, you are likely to kill whoever you feed on and this time they will not be willing donors but victims. Am I wrong?” “No, you’re not.” Twilight looked down at that. It was the truth, she felt like she was losing the battle for her own body. “It always happens. I know you’d probably prefer your privacy, but consider if that’s the wisest course of action right now. You’re new to all of this, Twilight, and while you may hate me for what happened to Dim Eyes, consider what your best course of action is under these circumstances and if I should leave you alone. Whatever you decide, I can’t stop you, but this alerts me. I’d rather we not kill, but it happens. That was the reason I couldn’t help you with those timberwolves.” “Is there something I can do to help myself?” “Oh. Yeah, there is, but you may hate it. Go to the dead timberwolf and trust yourself, but don’t close yourself off. That only leads to madness and regret.” With those final words, the shadow began to disappear, the spell was breaking down. “Wait! But timberwolves don’t have blood.” “I know, but blood is not the only source of nourishment we have. It’s your choice, but observe.” The spell broke down completely and the shadow was gone. Twilight stood there at the fork. One path led to Ponyville. The other, the timberwolf. * * * * * “Rainbow Dash! What gives you the right to attack an injured guard of Princess Celestia!” Silver shouted harshly. The guard currently held down by Rainbow was breathing quick and shallow breaths as the wind was knocked out of her by Dash. Rainbow could not give two bucks about what Silver said. She increased pressure on the pegasus’s neck. “I’ll ask one more time, where is she?” This time, there was more to the she Rainbow was referring to. “Rainbow Dash, who in the world is "She?" Silver Eyes was confused. Who could have Rainbow Dash so riled up that she would attack and threaten a guard of Equestria? "It’s just you, Redwing, myself and the vampire. Calm down.” “I won’t without answers.” Rainbow noticed the erratic breaths of the pegasus and while she did not want to let her go, she did not want to kill her either. Reluctantly, Rainbow took her hoof off Redwing’s neck. Redwing took some time to recover and Gaius approached, but kept some distance. Redwing beckoned Gaius over since he was closest and hadn’t pinned her the ground. Gaius guided the red winged pegasus to a long chair so that she could relax. Redwing got herself comfortable. “Just ask. We’re all civilized,” Gaius responded. “YOU, VAMPONY!” Rainbow shouted after noticing the vampire in the room with them. Gaius looked annoyedly at her. He too offence to being calling a simple vampony. “Where has the vampire that killed that unicorn gone?” “To answer your questions in no particular order, the unicorn’s name is Dim Eyes and he is as loyal to the safety of Equestria as you are to your friends. Also, he’s not dead. Secondly, we’re not vamponies. They are a completely different class than us. We’re vampire lords. Lastly, I don’t completely know where she is.” Gaius was careful with his words. He wanted Twilight to make the choice herself. “So Dim Eyes was telling the truth. Another vampire did this to him?” “Yes, he’s a very lucky, Silver Eyes. Rainbow came in at the right moment for Dim Eyes. Otherwise, he would have been dead.” “Why are you protecting that foul creature of the night? It almost stole the life of a prestigious celestial guard,” Redwing said to Rainbow. She would have shouted, but she was still recovering. “What do you guards do when you find evidence of a vampire almost killing somepony?” “Celestia sends guards to investigate,” Silver responded, “But in the end, no matter who, the vampire is killed. Whoever did that to Dim Eyes is a monster.” “That’s why, Silver. Celestia has never been one to bend the rules. She has a strict policy about vampires that kill or just barely kill. Silver Eyes, do you think that the vampire that did this to Dim Eyes is old or young?” Rainbow responded first with her guess, “Young, recently turned.” “Old. Didn’t care if he died or not and too precise. Dim Eyes would never be able to get the vampire off.” “Actually, Silver, Rainbow’s right, but I wish she hadn’t answered. This was this vampire’s first feeding.” “Rainbow Dash! You know the identity of vampire?” “Yeah. I could never forget her face,” Rainbow responded. Her wings tensed as she said those words. Silver growled, “Then why haven’t you told the guard. It needs to be killed before it can kill somepony else. Dim Eyes was lucky, but the next one won’t be. If he couldn’t fight it off, then the princesses need to be informed immediately.” “She’s not an ‘it.’ The vampire has a name!” Rainbow glared at Silver Eyes. Even though she had called her a monster, she didn’t know all the facts. With Silver Eyes and Redwing being here, the other vampire wouldn’t answer any of her questions. “Rainbow!,” Silver venomously said, “Stop being brash. That vampire, it nearly killed a retired member of the Royal Guard. Why would you defend it instead of the citizens of your nation?” “Rainbow. Don’t answer. Silver, what makes her different from me?” Gaius asked with a grin on his face. Rainbow heaved his warning. If she didn’t bite her tongue, she may have told him the identity. The question he proposed stuck on her mind. Why indeed? Silver growled at him, “The only difference between you two is that, not counting that little stunt to get our blood, you haven’t attacked anypony… that we know of. This vampire did.” Gaius quickly summoned some of his magic of shadows and revealed a chest behind them. “Then open the chest behind you.” Silver was cautious to open the chest. He wasn’t trusting of the vampire, but what could happen? His mind supplied the answer that he was definitely was trying to avoid. You could be the vampire’s next meal. When Silver opened the chest, he was very surprised when a pure silver blade wrapped in runes laid in the chest. It was a long sword, but the runes on it could have different effects. “Why do you have a silver sword?” “Because, Silver Eyes, I am responsible for my own actions. I’d rather not have a stronger vampire than me lose themselves to madness. If I have to, I am prepared to kill her as a last resort. I didn’t have to.” Gaius looked to Rainbow who seemed to have a question on the tip of her tongue. Thinking it over, Gaius offered, “Would you like to talk to me privately?” Silver stared blankly at that with his jaw hanging before moving to block Rainbow’s view of Gaius, sword carefully in hoof. “There’s no way I’m letting you talk with her alone. You’ve already tricked Redwing into giving you blood. I’m not just going to allow you to ‘meet' with her privately!” “I actually would.” Rainbow said, “Silver doesn’t seem to trust you and I don’t trust him, either. Although, Silver does have a point. How am I going to know that you won’t do to me what the other vampire did to Dim Eyes.” “I’m not hungry. I won’t feed at all from you unless you explicitly give me permission. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a steak in my eye?” “How’d you know that?” Rainbow’s question was only answered by a smirk from the vampire, she wrote it off, “Whatever, let’s just go.” “It’s not fine with me. How can you trust him so much?” Silver shouted. “Because, I think he is the only one who can tell me what happened,” Rainbow answered and turned away, effectively cutting off any further conversation. She headed to one of the rooms. She chose one at random and Gaius joined her. Gaius closed and locked the door before Silver could even think about entering. “What do you think of the room?” “Starry.” Gaius laughed at that. The room had many stars to it and each twinkled providing the perfect amount of light for vampires. Rainbow then hit the switch and Gaius blinked his eyes. The bed look to be in disarray and Rainbow noticed. “What’s with the bed here?” “Oh, this is the room the other vampire is sleeping in. If I remember correctly, she’s exploring the Everfree Forest and testing her new powers, even if they are weak now.” “You’ve said she. It’s Twilight isn’t it.” “...Yes. She was very upset with herself, but she had to feed. It’s something that we all have to do.” “Did it have to be a living pony?” “Of course it had to be,” he laughed at such naivety, “The dead are very bitter and provide little substance of the substance she needed then. Rainbow, don’t get the wrong idea. Dim Eyes truly knew that he would be killed. I warned him, but he is loyal to the protection of Equestria’s citizens. Including its newest princess.” “Not so much to Celestia, though?” “Not entirely. Dim Eyes actually had me enchant a letter for him. It would have gone to Silver Eyes. Contained within were our identities and, a way to track her. Once Celestia found, she’d hunt us down, personally. “Celestia loathes us, for the actions of the corrupted ones. Their armies were loyal to their commanders. None died without a Tartarus of a fight. There’s a second reason, though and you know it. The choice will always be yours, hunter.” “How did you know?” “Your range to the cloud and your grandmother. You have a harder choice than she does and if that fact gets out, your choice will be near impossible to make.” “Will she know?” “I believe she may, but after she tells you, promise that you will tell her.” “I will. Do I remind you of someone?” Rainbow asked. “You do, but that is a personal question. Do you have more questions?” “Yeah, how can you do magic?” “Personal.” “Fair. How often will she have to feed?” “Depends on habits. If she studies her magics, then it will be often. If she refuses to eat, it will be more often.” “Wait, why does eating have to do with feeding?” “Because, Rainbow Dash, our diet is more omnivorous. You rarely have fish and other sea food. I have it two to four times a week." Gaius paused, and remembered that he had some cooking to do. “That’s what I’m cooking Twilight, along with a few other samples. Don’t worry, I know exactly where each thing I cook comes from.” “Where does the fish come from?” Rainbow’s tongue reflectively licked her lips at the thought of diving into a fresh fish dinner. “A farm I run. I keep operations small as to not flood the market. I also don’t share how. I’d rather not have others trying to swindle the good citizens. Before you ask, I’m only telling Twilight of what is on her plate. It will be her decision to make alone. I won’t allow anyone to sway her, in either direction. Want dinner now?” “Sure. What kind of fish? Also, when will Twilight be back?” “Red fish. Don’t know.” Seeing that most of Rainbow’s questions were done, Gaius made his way to the door. “Have any more questions?” “Nope.” “Good. I don’t trust them either.” With that, Gaius opened the door. Silver Eyes had been banging on it like a mad pony. Seeing the vampire, Silver’s gaze hardened. Looking past Gaius, Silver saw Rainbow unscaved, but that could just be a hoax. Powerful vampires, especially Lords, were known to be able to heal wounds. “Dim Eyes is not well.” Silver said. “I know, I need to give him some fresh blood.” Gaius calmly walked to the kitchen and retrieved the third bag from Redwing. He then hooked it up to Dim Eyes and made his way back to the kitchen. Rainbow followed him out and took a seat across from Redwing. “Rainbow Dash, did he do anything to you?” “Not a thing. He only answered my questions. No, he did not use any magic.” “Rainbow, are you completely sure? Lords such as him are masters of illusions. But he also doesn’t have to use magic, his eyes can hypnotize you just as easily.” “Why would he do that?” “Because hypnotizing you is a way for him to get a bite.” “What’s he doing now?” “Cooking dinner,” shouted Gaius from the kitchen. His voice rang with disdain, a clear indication that he did not enjoy being talked about like he was not there. “Why would we eat whatever you are preparing? How would we know that you haven’t poisoned the food?” Silver asked. Just as he finished asking a grumbling sound from his stomach graced their ears. They were all hungry. “When I can kill you all before your next heartbeat, why would I waste perfectly good poison? Besides. it’s as you said. I could easily hypnotize you if I wanted to feed from you alive.” “He has a point, Silver Eyes. What would he gain by killing us? In reality, it’s better for them if we’re alive. If we’re alive then they could drink from us. Dead, we are just husks of meat, taking up space.” Redwing’s wings shuffled in unease. Rainbow's comment was right, but she didn’t want to believe it. Gaius continued his task of making dinner. The fish were grilled and placed on the plate. Each covered dish was for a different pony. As he was finishing, a sound from the top of the roof alerted him that somepony was back. He made sure the hot dishes stay hot; the cold, cold, before disappearing to the top. His guests did take notice, though. * * * * * Twilight stood on top of the cave watching the Everfree Forest. Her eyes were dull over what she had done and the memory of it pained her greatly. As she looked to the sky, the moon shown. It was getting close to sunrise. What would happen, she wondered. “Nothing good. You’d be dead. How did it go?” “I made my choice. I still wish there was another way, though.” “Don’t we all, but that’s what separates true vampires from the novels.” Gaius paused before continuing, “You will never fully forgive yourself for those lives you do take,” he looked down at that. The memories of all those he had killed came back fresh, “However, to kill yourself is the coward's way out. In time you will learn to live with it. You will do what must be done, simply to advert the greater disaster of what would happen if you didn’t.” “Here.” Gaius’s magic summoned a simple leather bound black book. “This book is special. Write down the names of those you drink from.” Twilight took the book in her grasp. Opening one of her wings, she pulled out a dying feather. The tip was as sharp as a quill. In the paper of the book, she titled the chapter heading, “phoenix.” Below, she wrote Dim Eyes and saw the magic of the paper. The paper formed a replica of Dim Eyes and his cutie mark. It knew his birthday, the date he received his cutie mark, and that he was alive. “How does it know all of this?” Twilight bewilderedly asked. “Our magic is quite powerful, young one. We can see the souls of others. The paper is just an extension of that. Are there any other names you would like to add?” Twilight shut the book and embedded a locking spell in addition to a few others. She calmly turned her back on Gaius and teleported into the cave. “I didn’t care either way, but would like to know, so that I would know what to teach you,” Gaius mumbled to himself, before returning to the kitchen, and after he looked in the direction of the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. * * * * * “We can’t stay here,” Silver Eyes spoke. “I agree, but we need information. Also, what about the others?” Redwing asked. “I don’t know, but he said we were free to leave. That he’s not keeping us prisoner,” Rainbow spoke. “Rainbow, Armored Spear wouldn’t just split up unless he had a way of communicating. Did he give you anything?” “He didn’t give anything to me, but I’m staying.” “Don’t Rainbow Dash. You’re too tempting as a snack. If you had arrived a few minutes before, you’d be dead.” “Where were you?” Silver questioned Gaius when he saw him back in the kitchen. “Finishing dinner. Now excuse me, I have two guests to wake up. The dining room is that way.” Gaius pointed the way and began to walk towards the bunk rooms. The first one had a pegasus sleeping in it. Lightly tapping the shoulder of the sky blue pegasus, she swatted his hoof away before waking up. “What time is it?” “Exactly? I don’t keep track, but I’ve cooked some dinner for you and my other guests.” “Why should I trust you? You were the one sitting idly while a guard of the Royal Army was killed.” “Well, is it a consolation that he wasn’t killed? Or that I saved him?” “Not a chance. You shouldn’t have been just sitting there.” “I can only do so much, please accept my dinner offer. There are a few that may be able to wane your nerves of me, miss…” “Winter. Who could do that and how do I know you weren't hypnotising them?” “Be observant, monitor for their true nature. That’s how you know if somepony is hypnotized or not, but I digress, it’s always your choice in the end. After all, you have to live with the consequences.” Winter was silent as the stallion left her alone and took the opportunity to invite his final guest. What does that vampiric stallion mean? Winter thought. Then it dawned on her. Hours had passed, and he hadn’t snacked from her in the least. If he wanted any of us dead, we’d be dead. Still, he’s hiding something. Of that she had no doubt. Winter decided that she wasn’t going to get any information lying in bed, and dinner did sound tempting, to the point that her stomach began growling. Dinner it is, wonder what’s on the menu. Her mind decided to answer the rhetorical question. “Hopefully, not us.” A shiver ruffled her wings as she tried to get that thought out of her head. As she walked out, her mind could not help but imagine seeing a pony being carved up on the table for them all to enjoy. The disturbing thought caused her to take the wrong turn to the right and overheard a conversation. “...light —,” “Not here, not right now, there's a pegasus, I think.” "You're right, but I need a name to call you by. Please join me for dinner.” “Why? Are you trying to tempt me like before?” “It’s nothing like that. It will always be your choice.” “Maybe, but it's never a free choice. You’ve manipulated all of my choices.” “I’ve only done that once. He’s survived the choice I made you take, and is getting better, but I’m at the end of what I can do for him. They don’t trust me.” “I know why. How are they going to trust me?” “They’re guards. It’s their duty. Plus, if you don’t want them to know, then deceive them.” “I can’t deceive the royal guards!” “Yes you can.” Gaius said matter-of-factly. “I can but I’m not going to, it’s wrong!” “Why’s that?” “It’s lying to them all, I’m not going to do something like that! Besides, Rainbow’s out there, I can’t… I can’t lie to her.” “Then come out, face your friends, admit the truth of who you are and what you did.” “But… but… —” “There’s no but. You either have to deceive them, or admit that you were going to kill him. And don’t try and lie about the whole truth or omit details. It never works.” “...I wasn’t in control!” “You can lie to many ponies, but not me. We both know you wanted it. Your actions left him close to death. If I didn’t have any of his blood type, do you know what would have happened to him?” “Yes. You would have finished him.” “No, I wouldn’t have. I would have preserved him for your next feeding.” “What are you talking about? I would never do something like that!” “Says the vampire that almost did today.” “Fine!” she yelled, defeated, “But I’ll be the one to tell her.” “Fine with me. You were going to face her eventually. I’ll leave it up to you of when you actually tell them.” “What do they know?” “All they know is that there is at least one other vampire, and some guests. They know that I’m one. You can be whoever you want and we’ll deceive them with partial truths. You are here as a donor to myself and may have just arrived.” “Will they buy it?” “They should, I keep documents of all those that have donated blood, for me. But we seem to have a “Winter” fly in the hall. She didn’t hear the first part of your name.” Gaius’s magic was quick to grab hold of the pegasus and keep her from hearing anything else. “Now then, a persona, unless you want to just tell them all?” “Not yet, but I do have an idea.” Twilight concentrated as she gathered the magic necessary for casting an illusion on herself. Instead of a lavender coat, she had a light blue coat. Her mane and tail were white, accented by dark grey stripes. Her horn disappeared, her wings were the same color as her coat and covered her cutie mark. “Not too bad. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen that mare. May you please move your wing so that I can ensure you got the cutie mark right.” “You know her?” Twilight’s surprise did move her wings, and she folded them back into place. “You know that a pegasus doesn’t do that just for anypony.” “I know, but it was your surprise. You even got her cutie mark right, but it will falter. Not bad, and it’s baseline, Snow. Great mare, wish I had known her better.” “Ok, then, Snow it is. What about that pegasus?” Twilight didn't even glance at the pegasus listening in. “We’ll let her decide.” Gaius undid the two way silencing spell. “Sorry, I must have taken the wrong turn. It’s to the left to find the dining room?” “How much did you hear?” Twilight asked. “Most of it, starting with light. Why do you trust that vampire?” “Who said anything about me trusting him. He’s a double-dealing, grafting charlatan.” “I am not. My business is legit and I have not over promised anything I could not provide. I promised you a great night. Winter, would you like to walk to the dinner table or be carried?” “Walk.” “Then don’t say a word about what you heard,” warned the vampire, showing his fangs. “Fine. What are you serving?” Winter Arc asked with malice in her voice. She didn’t like the idea of another pegasus being here. That pegasus knew nothing of the danger she was in. “A pegasus and thestral favorite. Grilled fish.” Soon, the light from the bedroom disappeared as the light in the dining room appeared. Before them were two pegasi and a thestral. The thestral was sandwiched between them. Winter Arc decided to sit across from Redwing, Snow sat across from Rainbow Dash and Gaius across from Silver Eyes. “The host is back. What honor do allow for your presence?” Silver Eyes spoke with a venomous undertone. “A diner. The light blue pegasus goes by Snow, and will be joining us. How is your unicorn friend, and how are you faring, Redwing?” “I’m still kinda drained, but the meal and rest should help,” Redwing responded. “He’s not well. May need a hospital.” “Then take him, if he does. Like I’ve said before, you are free to leave whenever you wish,” replied the vampire. “If they can do that, then how does a battalion of guards not find you?” Rainbow asked. “Good question, Rainbow Dash. The reason is simple. There are wards and runes that hide these caves. It’s the same reason the other guards haven’t found anything. Now, let’s eat.” “Am I having the same thing?” ‘Snow’ asked, in a whisper. “Yes, you are. Please give it a try. Rainbow will have a smaller portion than you,” replied Gaius in a whisper. “How do we know that the food is safe?” “The same reason you are standing here. Relax, I won’t harm any of you. Now, is this dinner going to enjoy itself?” Most of the gathered ponies glared at him. They weren’t very trusting of the deceitful vampire host. And he said that ‘he’ wouldn’t harm any of them. He is singular and doesn’t include the young vampire that practically killed Dim Eyes. Though, he had a valid point. Dinner is a great idea and with hesitation, they opened their dishes. Rainbow and Redwing were the first ones to open their dishes. Staring back at them were some delicious looking five inch trouts. Winter Arc was next. Under her dish was a salad. Rainbow laughed at that. “A simple salad. Looks like you got the short pole,” Rainbow said sarcastically. “Rainbow, don’t be deceived,” Gaius warned “For your information, Rainbow Dash, I have no desire for fish. I would much prefer a salad,” Winter confessed, “Especially with night winter lilies…” “Wait, what are night winter lilies?” Rainbow asked. “There a flower that only blooms in winter. They also only grow in certain climates and are extremely rare in Equestria,” Snow replied. “That’s all true, but there’s one more thing. Winter lilies are poisonous except for a specific time after they’ve bloomed. That time is roughly an hour long,” Winter added. “Then how do you know it’s not poisonous?” Silver asked. He wouldn’t put the vampire past him to serve those, and had seen them before. They had another effect. They sweetened the taste of blood and paralyzed you for about five minutes before you were dead. But before they paralyzed their consumer, it was extremely painful, almost unbearable pain. Vampires used this pain to get their victims to give consent and enjoyed them fully. Winter responded, “The pedals. When they’re safe, they have a distinct pattern in them. These do.” “How do you know that those lines aren’t an illusion?” “No magic can touch them.” The thestral was next and two smaller fishes stared at him. The red looking fish was salmon; the blue fish was bluefish. Only two dishes had not been opened yet. Four agape mouths stared at the dinner prepared for them. If they were at a restaurant, the same four meals would cost three-thousand bits on the low end. “So are you all going to stare at your dinner like the fish are doing to you or eat up? Please be careful, and don’t eat too much. I don’t want you all sick from stomach pains,” asked the host. Rainbow was the first to dive at her fish. With as much care to not ruin the meat of the fish, Rainbow expertly deboned her fish. The other pegasus was having a lot harder time. “You must have never had whole fish before. Let me help,” Rainbow offered help to Redwing. “Thanks, it’s Redwing. You’re Rainbow Dash?” “The one and only,” Rainbow responded with a cocky grin. As they each in turn turned to their dinner, the two vampires opened their own dishes. The stallion had a grilled salmon with spinach covered in a cream sauce. The mare’s dish had more to it. Her piece of salmon was half the size and there was what Sunset would call a ‘slider’ and another smaller piece of meat that was unknown to her. If the guests knew, they didn’t say a word, but may have been curious. Twilight on the other hoof was curious about what it was. Taking a snippet of the unknown piece of what she assumed was meat, Twilight tasted light hickory taste. To her dismay, it tasted good, but familiar at the same time. She would eat it if it was the only thing available, but there was a slider and filet of salmon. It had a light cream sauce with spinach, one of her favorites. The salmon wasn’t as tasty as the piece of meat she tried, but she enjoyed it more than the slider. As they each enjoyed their respective meals, Rainbow noticed the portions of the dishes. They were huge comparatively speaking. She looked at the others, and most had eaten about half of their serving. “You all know that overindulging will cause more harm than good?” Each of them lifted their heads up. They took pause, knowing that she was right. This food is too good. And their host was grinning, satisfiedly. “Thank you, everypony for your comments on my cooking. Don’t let the value keep you from enjoying it, but please keep that in mind. Now,—” Before he could continue, ‘Snow’ jabbed him in the left side. “May I talk to you privately?” “Sure, excuse us.” “What do you think they are going to talk about?” Redwing asked. “Hopefully not about us. Maybe the food?” Silver replied. “I don’t think so. She seemed to have more to her plate than us.” Winter said, thinking back that ‘Snow’ hadn’t gone for her fish immediately. Maybe something about the side? “Then was there an illusion?” Redwing questioned. “I wouldn’t put it past him. He can do that,” Silver informed. “Well, we won’t know unless she tells us. Also, we should save our dinners. Don’t want to get sick.” Yawning, Redwing agreed and asked Silver to guide her back to the bunk room. Her yawn was contagious and they finally passed a clock. Past midnight. The mares decided to turn in, while Silver Eyes checked on Dim Eyes. He was stable and didn’t need to be moved yet, but it was still early. Instead of a bed, Silver pulled one of the oddly shaped pieces of furniture and laid down near Dim Eyes, in between awakeness and sleeping. The camping had completely joggled his sleeping pattern. “What was the piece of meat that wasn’t hamburger?” Twilight asked, still licking her muzzle clean. “They were all samples of some of the dinners I can prepare. How would you rank them in how they tasted to you?” Within Twilight, a battle raged. She could either tell him the truth or not. That first piece was either the worst or the best. The other three she knew which she liked best. As tried to decide whether it was the worst or the best, Gaius interrupted her thoughts. “Excluding the first thing you tried at dinner, what is the order?” “The salmon is first, the hamburger is last.” “Alright, and the first thing you tried is either first or last?” “How did you know?” “It’s a habit among certain vampires. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you what it is...” Twilight’s eyes brightened at that. She kinda had an idea, but was blocking it. She didn’t want to admit to anyone what she thought it was. “... In five days.” “Why not now?” Twilight asked in a commanding voice. “Because I want you to think about it. There’s a reason I like the Everfree Forest. Also, that day will be best, as we’re going on a trip.” “To where?” “My lips are sealed. Was your dinner satisfying?” “Yes, it was. Thanks for making it.” Twilight was still curious about what she had first, but... she was also unsure if she wanted the answer. It could have been anything, including pony. She hoped it wasn't that. “No problem. Would you like anymore of it?” “No, I’m good.” “Alright, let me check something. Stay here, please.” Gaius walked out to find an empty table and a thestral in a very uncomfortable position. Walking over to the thestral, he gathered the half eaten dishes and plate covers with his magic and levitated them to the kitchen. “Silver Eyes, would you like me to help you get comfortable?” Gaius asked in a soft voice. The thestral stallion gave the vampire a laugh as he launched himself into the air. After landing, Silver gave the vampire a stern look. “As long as you don’t feed on me. What’s with this chair?” “It’s the way it’s designed, not you. I have pillows that make it a normal chair. Would you like one?” “Yes. How is the other vampire?” “Not hungry. Why do you ask?” Gaius walked over to the closet and retrieved the pillows for Silver Eyes. “Also, here are those pillows.” “I’m just concerned. There’s five healthy snacks just now going to sleep and vampires are more active in these hours.” “I know, I am one, or have you forgotten?” “I haven’t. What are you up to now?” “Training. Good night, Crimson Eyes.” Before he could offer a retort for the use of his outdated name, the vampire was gone. Silver checked the kitchen and saw that there was no one there. He hasn’t changed. Still as slippery as ever. I wonder if Princess Celestia ever caught him with one of her cakes. Now then. Who are you hiding, who is the other vampire? With the darkness gone, Twilight and Gaius landed in a large, circular room. Twilight took some time reorienting herself. It was like no other teleport she had done. Once that was done, she took in the room around her. The lighting was low; the room itself was large, circular, and had runes inscribed all around.To her eyes, it seemed like a training area. Some of the runes that she recognized were for magical suppression and others were for healing. Twilight noticed Gaius on the far side of the room. He was currently was laying down. She called out to him, “Gaius, what’s with this room.” Gaius’s ear twitched, showing her that he had indeed heard her, but he gave no verbal reply. She did get a reply in her mind, though. “It’s a training room. Your first task is to reach me. Teleportation won’t work though. Good luck.” Twilight looked at him curiously. The task was so simple, all she had to do was reach him. What was so hard about that? As Twilight walked towards him, she spotted why the task was harder than it sounded. There was a barrier in between them. At first, Twilight tried to dispel the barrier, but her spell had no effect. Next she tried to shatter the barrier with a spell. Unlike last time, this did had an effect…. Her spell was reflected right back at her with twice the strength. She quickly jumped to the left to avoid it. Not trying that again, she thought. As she looked around the room at the abundance of shadows, she remembered a spell that Nightmare Moon could do. It had allowed her to travel in and out of the shadows. Luna couldn’t cast it anymore, but she had shared it with her on one of her visits. Concentrating, Twilight weaved the spell, her horn glowing as small portal that was tinted crimson grew. With the spell done, she stepped into the portal to the shadow world, and fell. Her wings were of no use since there was no air, just a void of shadows. She considered for a moment about teleporting back, but thought better of it. Even as a vampire, Twilight would never cheat on a test. As what would she took to be the ‘ground’ approached faster, she saw and reached for a hoof that just appeared. “Not bad for your first attempt. Would you like to try again on a much more stable shadow plane than the shadow plane of Equis?” Gaius asked, grinning at the hyperventilating lavender alicorn. “No, maybe another time. Do you have something else you could teach me?” “I do, but you’re not going to like it.” “It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t want to experiencing that again anytime soon.” “Are you sure? I’m going to be teaching you skills that may seem archaic in this time, but they are still very effective.” “What skills?” “Hunting skills, skills very useful for capturing our main prey.” “Ah,” Twilight’s eyes went wide at that, if she had three guesses, she would have only needed one to know what ‘main prey’ was, “I’ll avoid the hunting lesson, for now.” She added the last part without even knowing she said it, “So, how do we start?” To answer her question, a door formed. Gaius opened it and beckoned her to follow. She did and was surprised what was on the other side. Before her was a replica of Canterlot Castle. “How did you do this?” she gasped in shock. “I didn’t. I tricked a trickster into creating both of these rooms. This one is random in its generation, but it works. He’s still sore about me tricking him, but I believe he has forgotten about this room. Or maybe not, either way.” “Whose was it?” “Don't want to tell you, since it takes away at figuring the puzzle out. So, let’s begin. From watching you, you know how enter, but not travel and navigate. The key is that you have to use your vampire eyes and power. Alicorn magic will work, but you must have complete control and perseverance. Luna may still have trouble traveling over long distances, while your vampiric nature will make it easier and greatly increase your range of travel. Teleportation is still the fastest way, if you have the range though.” “Yes, it is. How do I use my vampiric sight?” “Ah, that’s right, you’re not a fully fledged vampire yet. Well, until that happens, we will be working on the mechanics and skills before applying your magic to them. Don’t worry, I will stay by your side through it all.” “So then, what kind of vampire am I? Also, how do I complete the transformation.” “You’re in between a class three fledgeling and class three vampire. Once you’re fully fledged, you’ll be either “L” class or a veteran class.” He said the words, but Twilight could see that he did not believe himself. Her instincts were right, in truth he had no clue what she would become. He had never seen her like before, her power was already well above what it should have been, as well as her hunger. It scared him a little to think of what she’d be like when fully awake. He pushed that to the side, for now. “For your second question, it is something that I wish you could avoid, but I know that you must eventually complete. I will tell you once I figure some, logistical problems.” “Why is it such a logistical problem?” Twilight had never meant a logistical problem she did not like. “Because of what I have to find. I will tell you, but not today. We’re going to work on other skills now. For these, we’re doing a simple pegasus game. All you have to do is follow my path. Are you ready to test your wings?” Twilight gulped and gave a tentative flap of her wings, she smiled when she saw that yes, she was ready. They both crouched down before launching into the air. Gaius started out slow and easy as a warm-up, watching her carefully for her strengths and weaknesses. As she got the hang of the flying, he then began increasing the speed and difficulty of the maneuvers. It took a few dozen tries before Twilight was actually able to match it. The speed on the other hoof was a completely different story. Twilight was lagging behind, and Gaius wasn’t even pushing her a quarter of the speed she should have been capable of. Every time he would take her through the maneuver she would lag even further on her next attempt. “Twilight, how much did you fly with Rainbow Dash? It seems that you are trying to learn how to fly all over again.” “Hey, I can fly just fine. It’s just that...that...I don’t know. My wings don’t feel natural to me. Do you know what could cause it?” “A few things, I would have to take a look at your wings, though.” Twilight continued to hover. Her wings were causing her troubles, but if she wanted it fixed, she would have to allow the stallion to a close look. A blush started to show on her face as she tried vainly to hide it with a hoof. “Could Rainbow take a look?” “She could, but she might not be able to tell. I will only look if you have explicitly given your permission. No matter if you are thestral, vampire, or pegasus, we don’t like others looking at them, unless you have a very specific reason. Of the three, the vampires are the ones most likely to kick you into next week,” he laughed at his own joke, Twilight did not. Reluctantly, Twilight agreed to open her wings. Before she opened them too far, Gaius spotted the problem, and she folded them back into place. Her vampire traits hadn’t truly manifested yet. And only one thing would be able to change that. She needed a full meal, and within the next week or so. “So then, you saw the problem?” “Yes, I did. How much do you know about manticore venom?” “That it’s a fast killing venom and there is no cure. When mixed with other plants from the Everfree Forest, you could make a venom that kills an alicorn," Twilight replied uneasily. She wasn’t completely sure, but Celestia had warned her about certain afflictions of alicorns. “Yes, they can. It’s mainly the young ones, but there is a way to kill Celestia, Luna or Discord with the venom,” said Gaius. “Like me,” Twilight gulped. “Yes, exactly like you. I didn’t lie when I offered you a choice, but I also didn’t know how young of an alicorn you were. The only way that you won’t succumb to the manticore’s venom is for you to be a fully fledged vampire alicorn, very similar to myself, but much more powerful.” “So then, back to the original question. What must I do?” “The answer comes with a thousand years of weight behind it. And I already know that you will not like it one bite. Because I had underestimated your age, I actually used the wrong spell. The mistake can be corrected, but you are... going to have to have a sacrifice. What I will have to do within the next week is find a unicorn for you. After that, it’s an earth pony, and then a thestral. If you want to keep your alicorn wings, then you’ll need a pegasus too. That will need to happen over a few months though, instead of a week. After that, you will be a class L alicorn vampire, and a very powerful one.” She gasped at that, he just told her she’d have to feed, possibly kill three to four ponies to save her own life. However, for some reason, it did not weigh as heavily on her shoulders as it should have. A thought quickly occurred to her, “So why didn’t Dim Eyes work for the unicorn?” “He wasn’t healthy enough. You need a fit and healthy meal from whom you have not fed.” “Meal? Didn’t we just have a meal?” “No, that was just a dinner.” Twilight thought of what Gaius had said and connected the dots. Her expression changed from displeasure to an angry scowl as she forced her own thoughts under control. Whatever happened, taking four lives was NOT an option. She flared her magic and launched a very powerful blast at her vampire host. He wasn’t able to dodge quick enough due to its size and the secondary spell she weaved in. The blast forced him hard into the wall and she was gone. After coughing a bit, Gaius traveled back to the foyer and picked up Silver Eyes in his magic before returning to his master room. “HEY!” protested the thestral. “I was almost asleep.” “And you can still sleep. I just need the answer to a single question.” “And how do you know I know the answer to your question.” “You’re asking a vampire how they know something? I haven’t lost my shadow abilities over the years. Seems you all have forgotten that they even exist.” “Call me Silver. I want to forget what happened all those years ago.” “And you don’t even know the full story. So then, do you know where King Sombra is?” “Yes, Canterlot Dungeons. Why are you looking for him? He was tried and sentenced to death unless Twilight and her friends could reform him.” “That will make things hard…” he trailed off, “How long?” “Why do you care?” “Thank you. Enjoy your night.” Gaius quickly knocked the thestral out with a spell and erased his memory as well. He too decided to sleep. Before that, his magic deactivated the runes that gave the cave its lights. No one would need them while they slept. With the food as rich and heavy, it was midday by the time anypony was awake. Winter and Redwing were the first to awake. They made their way to the kitchen to make brunch. “Redwing, Winter Arc? Is that you?” Both of the pegasi were surprised to hear that voice and thought it was just their imagination, before he spoke again. “Redwing, Winter Arc?” Winter and Redwing walked over to the unicorn stallion on the couch. Redwing was the first to speak, “So, how do you feel?” “Drained and like a caerleon speedster pegasus crashed into me. What are you two doing here?” “Ouch, that would hurt. Looking for you, Silver, Redwing, and Twilight. All that’s left is Twilight.” Winter replied. “Why and who else is here, besides Rainbow Dash?” “Armored Spear, Bronze Sword, Ruby, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Night are outside.” Winter saw that Redwing would be just as helpful as her in this situation and decided that she would make brunch for everypony instead. Redwing stayed to be there for him, and to talk with him. “Why are they here!?” He got up with a bit of start, causing him to bit his tongue in pain. “They’re concerned for Twilight and Night might have said that he saw Twilight.” Redwing looked at her captain. She noticed he was in pain. "Dim Eyes, where does hurt?" “Okay, I’m guessing Armored Spear was forced into at least looking." Dim Eyes sat up slower and carefully stretched his legs out. Being crunched up was not a good thing. "It's my neck mainly and I jerked it up. You know that we need to get out of here right?” “We know. The host and another vampire, who we haven’t seen, are present. The host took a sample from me.” “Probably not as much as me. It felt like that vampire took it all from me, and I’ve probably only recovered two pints.” He laughed at the joke, “How much did he take from you?” “One. Still it left me a bit weak.” “Don’t complain, that's only a little bit more than what you donate. The vampires are able to take twice as much without damage to you. He could have taken as much as three, if he used his magic. Plus, you had a fish dinner. Thank you, though.” “No problem. I would just like to know why you’re not dead though.” Dim paused before answering, he could not tell them the whole truth. “He had his reasons but he did not have to let me live. Always remember that. Now, will you go wake up the rest? I would like to leave now.” “Sure,” Redwing replied. She walked off, checking each room. Rainbow was the easiest to find. She had slept in the room two doors down. Waking up Rainbow Dash was a challenge. She didn’t want to wake up yet and was a powerful, stubborn pegasus. Rainbow batted the hoof that tried to disturb her. She wasn’t ready to get up, since it was still too early in the morning. Usually, she got up around one in the afternoon, unless her weather duties required her to get up earlier. “Go away, I still need to rest. I couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares of Twilight being a vampire,” Rainbow absently said as she rolled so that her wings were facing the pegasus. “Fine, I’ll leave you be.” Redwing walked out and tried another room. This one had two occupants. One was resting on the bed, the other, the floor. Redwing walked up to the thestral on the floor and lightly tapped him. The thestral didn’t stir from the tap. He was too tired and wanted to get back his sleep schedule. Redwing pushed a little harder on the thestral. This time the thestral did stir. “Redwing, leave us be and don’t go looking for Snow,” he said and then got himself comfortable and a snore was heard. “Ok. Winter is making a brunch,” Redwing sighed before walking out. It seemed everypony was going to be difficult today. She made her way back to the foyer. Dim Eyes was in a sitting position and Winter had just finished making the eggs and toast. Carefully, Winter carried a tray with the food. “Is anypony else coming?” “I don’t believe so. Silver is still sleeping, Rainbow had a bad night, and I wasn’t going to wake up our host. So, Dim Eyes, how are you feeling?” “I’m feeling better. I think I have the strength to get out of here once Rainbow and Silver are awake,” Dim Eyes answered. “That’s good. What about Snow?” Winter questioned. “I hadn’t found her yet. And Silver told me not to look for her.” “Where is Silver?” Winter asked. “I think the same room as our host. I could make out somepony on the bed, but that was it.” “Alright, do we have a way to communicate with the others?” Dim questioned. “Yes, Dim Eyes. Armored Spear gave this to me.” Out of her saddle bag, Winter fished out the communication stone and passed it to Dim Eyes. Dim Eyes then activated it. “Bronze Sword and Armored Spear, this is Dim Eyes. I’m ordering a retreat for now. Escort your party out, and we’ll meet at the mouth of the cave. It’s been quite awhile and the princesses need an update. We’re going to call them first then go back to Ponyville and wait for further instructions.” “Dim Eyes, it’s good to hear you, but how do we know you’re not being controlled by whoever captured you?” Armored Spear asked. “Or that you aren’t a changeling?” “I don’t know, but you can trust me. No pony is controlling me.” “Then have Silver Eyes confirm.” “He can’t, he’s asleep.” Armored Spear opened a private channel to the one Bronze had. “Bronze, if we can’t confirm, them we will have to capture them and have them checked. We still don’t know what dwells here.” “Ten for,” Bronze responded. “Dim Eyes, if that’s the case then we’ll have to take you in, we can’t risk it,” Armored Spear replied. “I know. I’m fine with that. What about the others, Silver Eyes, Redwing, Winter, and Rainbow Dash?” “It’s the same.” “One hour then.” “No, now.” “Alright.” With that agreed, Dim de-activated the communicator. “Winter, Redwing, get Rainbow Dash. I’ll get Silver Eyes.” They each went to where their comrade was. Rainbow Dash was tricky. Before, she wasn't completely asleep. Now, she was as unmoving as a mountain. Even splashing her with water didn't help. They tried what they could, since neither one wanted to pull a feather. It wasn't going well for them. Dim Eyes had a harder time since he had to find what room they were in. After three doors, he thought found an empty room, painted like Luna’s night sky as it sparkled in the twilight. “Wow.” “I said that the first time too,” said a voice from above. “You’re looking for Silver Eyes?” If he wasn't still weak from the vampire, he would have jumped out of his coat. "Um... Hello?” “Look up.” Dim Eyes looked up, but all he could see was the paintings of the ceilings. Twilight noticed that he could not see him and teleported in front of him. Dim Eyes jumped backwards, surprised by the vampire mare in front of him, heading his head and receiving a slight cut. Twilight easily smelled the cut, and carefully approached him. She didn't want to scare him anymore. “Allow me to heal that for you. And then I’ll lead you to Silver Eyes. I have to talk to our lovely host.” Dim Eyes stared as the mare that wasn’t there land in front. She still looked like her, just a few shades darker, and had some very pointy teeth. They were out, and her tongue flicked across her muzzle occasionally. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to ease the pain he felt. Putting his hoof down, he spied blood on it. Eyes darted to the vampire. She was approaching. His heart rate quickened as she got closer. With baited breathe, Dim Eyes spoke, "Please don't kill me." Twilight looked at him. His heart was beating faster, his breathing was labored, and his eyes darted to the sides. As for her own reactions, she could feel the saliva pooling, her extended fangs, and her dry throat. Taking a moment, she banished those thoughts. Dim Eyes is not for dinner. She relaxed herself and let her wings hang, showing she was no threat. Dim Eyes had also calmed down, but he couldn't relax as much as her. There was still a vampire approaching him. Twilight stopped a hoof length from Dim Eyes. Tentatively and eyes locked on the mare's muzzle, he approached. Leaning his head slightly, Dim allowed the vampire to lick him. She lapped at the blood, closing the wound and dulling the pain. When she would unconsciously or accidentally flick his ear, he felt it. Twilight hooked one of his hooves around herself and wrapped a wing around him. Together they made their way to where Gaius and Silver were sleeping it seemed. Dim Eyes only had one question before they opened the door. Even Dim Eyes could hear the snore. Even after the question was asked, Twilight still gave it more thought. “It’s something that I will never enjoy doing, but the taste is heavenly, if I’m truthful to myself." Opening the door with her magic, Twilight and Dim Eyes found an alert Gaius. The lights were dimmed on. Silver was currently curled up, snoring a storm. Giving Silver a hard hit on the wing did nothing to wake him up. With a bit of a sigh, the three ponies, if you considered vampire ponies to still be ponies, talked. "What do you know about us?” Twilight questioned “Not much, only what Silver has revealed to me. He’s trying to suppress it, but he still needs to feed, but old works for him.” “It won’t for me, and I’m not a full one yet,” Twilight said, begrudgingly. “Why do you need to talk to him?” Dim asked glaring at the vampire that hasn't said his name. He just looked back indignant of the glare “Clarification on something he said before we went to sleep.” Twilight looked at Gaius curiously. He had shifted himself just barely and was currently using her as a pillow. “I can assume you’re leaving?” Gaius asked. “Yes, we are,” Dim answered. “When am I going to return to Ponyville?” “Not yet at least. You aren’t ready, nor do you have control of your instincts. When you do, it will be a very tricky task. Does anyone know what happened to you?” “We don’t believe so. All we’ve found is two very injured manticores and dried blood on one of the tails. It can’t be identified. What did happen?” Dim asked. “The manticore had stung me." Turning her gaze, Twilight countered, "What do you mean? I can control them just fine.” “How did you two meet?” Dim Eyes asked. “I was nearby and heard the manticore going for a kill. I thought I could steal its kill and recognized her as an alicorn. I then tried to save her, but that manticore was a bit... relentless.” “He did it with reservations and I accepted what would happen.” “How reactant is she to the sun?” Dim asked “Unknown. I haven’t chanced it. She's not a full one yet. That will come in time, if she chooses.” “What do you by if I choose? You've already made the choice for me.” “Wait... Choice? You're not a thestral vampire?" Dim Eyes was confused. When he questioned Luna about vampires, she had said that long a ago there were two main kinds, and the dark magics made a third and forth kind. Of the two kinds, vampire thestrals were very common, being common trait. Now a days, they're quite rare. The third dark magic vamponies were very similar to the traits he saw in Twilight and their host. It was more of blessing that had a price. The fourth variety was dangerous. They were created to kill. To track and hunt. "That I am not. I'm the oldest kind, and by extension so is Twilight. I am also a royal pure, even though I hide those identifiers." "Why do you hide who you are?" Twilight watched as Gaius moved from the bed to Silver Eyes. "Gaius, you said 'choice.' What do you mean by that?" "The dark magic ones. Their based off his kind, but are more relentless. Ferocious. They kill whoever gets in their way. There's standing orders to kill any of those anywhere and there's a very high tag on them." Dim Eyes answered the first question for him. Gaius looked up from whatever he was planning to do to Silver. He had a bit of a pouted face. "Twilight. He's right, and we do have a choice. The catch is that we avoid all pony species. By doing this, we weaken our defenses versus us losing to our vampiric nature. We would devolve to worse than the dark magic vamponies that kill for shear sport. We would leave a pony dying, with its insides hanging out. Its not a path you want to take. We would still need blood, but you would lose a good portion of your magical ability." "And if I want to become a full one?" Gaius was looking at Silver. It wasn't a good look, mind you, but it also wasn't that he was going to bite your neck. With a bit of saliva spread across Silver agitated ear, Gaius bit down on it. Silver was awake now, too. "You have to feed from the blood and magic of at least three healthy ponies, a unicorn within the next four nights, an earth pony within a month, and a thestral a month after that. If you want to keep her pegasus wings, a pegasus too, same time frame. After that, you’ll be a full class L vampire alicorn. You will need a meal every six or eight weeks by my estimation. Two pints of blood or more weekly.” “Oh...That's why you asked about King Sombra. You wanted him for her,” Silver said, yawning during it. He was very annoyed that somepony used that trick to wake him up. “I did, that way, it wouldn’t have to be a random pony, or one from the prisons. The first meal is always the most painful.” “Why him? How is this any different from draining their blood, like I did with Dim Eyes?” Twilight asked. “Hey, you didn’t kill me. I’m still alive.” “I don’t care who actually. If you think you know a unicorn more deserving of pain greater than being burned in Tartarus, be my guest. Capture and feed from him completely. Let nothing be wasted. For your second question, you don’t just take a part of the force of their life, you will take all of it. Our magic can destroy the souls of our meals. That’s why we are such a hated species. The changelings only take a small piece of the heart, or soul. But those aren’t our final boundaries. We can destroy the mind as well.” “Thanks, I just wanted to know how powerful our magic is,” Twilight sarcastically emphasized. “Everything has a cost to it. For our magic, it’s life force. For changelings, it's love. Alicorns are no different. Now, back to the question at hoof: How do you return without causing suspicion.” “We could say that we found her here,” Dim responded. “Explain missing for six days, and her darker coat. Celestia and Luna would see through your lies. And her illusions most likely won’t hold up right now.” “You hadn’t finished training her, have you?” Silver asked. “No, I haven’t, I need about a night and a half more of time. Why don’t you all leave tomorrow morning.” “Silver, go without me. The others will be fine. I will bring Twilight back with me. Does Rainbow know?” “She does, I believe. If anypony else does, then they’ll forget when they past that barrier.” “Why shouldn’t I tell them my nature as soon as I return? Won’t it put them in danger if they don’t know how easily I could drain them dry?” “Yes, that would be a problem, but you are stronger than that. You would never do anything to harm your friends and citizens. Also, there’s this.” Gaius used his magic to draw two very worn and old looking scrolls. On both were Princess Celestia’s seal. The first scroll was an executive order. It read: Executive Order ten - twenty-two All vampires are to escorted out of the Equestrian borders or killed as enemies of the state. Any vampire that doesn’t comply must be killed. Those that harbor a known vampire or are found to be harboring a vampire are to be arrested, and charged with harboring an enemy of the state. If the accused actively tries to prevent the vampire’s arrest, lethal force may be used. Anypony with knowledge that a vampire was being harbored is an accessory and will stand trial. Anypony that willingly feeds the vampire is an accessory as well and will be locked up for twenty years without trial. No pardon may be given to anypony of these crimes. The effect of this order is infinite until another order voids it. The second was permit and it had both of the Princesses’ seals. The permit read: The sole receiver of this permit cannot be arrested as a vampire nor can he be charged with harboring a vampire. Any vampire in his possession must follow his rules and neither he nor the vampire in his possession can have a meal of an Equestrian within Equestrian borders. If he in fact needs one, one of two courses of action shall be required. If in Hallow Shades, or a protected thestral area, he may have it if it is willing given live to him. If his companion kills, then the leader of the area must give him permission or the vampire must be executed. If he or his companion find the restricted prison, harboring the most heinous of criminals, then he and his companion may steal a total of two prisoners. If both get away with they're respected meal, then they may keep it. If the vampire is found to be of class two or higher, he must report it to obtain a permit for the vampire, signed by both Princesses. “How do we know that you are the on to receive this permit?” Silver asked “There’s a third seal on it.” Gaius ran his hoof across one of his fore hooves and dripped some of the blood onto the scroll. The seal within the scroll reacted, producing a verification seal that any unicorn guard could authenticate. “Then how are your going to get the other permit, since she’s above class two?” DIm Eyes asked “Already have one. So then you won’t tell your friends?” Twilight sighed, the seal, sealed it, she had to keep the truth from them, for their sake. “Yes. When do I get to return?” Twilight questioned. “When you're ready to see them. I will be delivering you a couple of books and a pendent and I would Silver to give this to Rainbow Dash. If she excepts, you'll training with her.” “What about my meal?” Twilight knew that Sombra would qualify, but could they really steal him from custody? “He should come to you, but I think it would be best if I intercepted the transport. That way, I can get him.” “So then, shall we get to training?” “Sure.” Gaius lit his magic and the two vampires were gone. Dim and Silver Eyes blinked their eyes, trying to recover from the bright light. “Silver, I’ve spoken to Armored Spear, we need to meet him since I ordered the retreat. This cave is too dangerous for us.” “OKay, I’m right behind you.” Silver and Dim Eyes left, completely forgetting what was said during the conversation and the identity of the two vampires. Reaching the foyer, the two spotted the rest. “We’re leaving now. We don’t have the strength to fight the two vampires that were here and I have yet to fully recover.” “What about the pony we met at dinner?” Rainbow questioned. “It's a risk we shouldn't take with two vampires, one of which I believe is starving. Also, I didn’t find any sign of her,” Dim Eyes responded. “Neither did we. Only that pegasus, Snow, but we can’t risk our lives for only one. You’re more important,” Silver said. “Then you would let her die!” “Yes, we’re severely outclassed here. L-class vampires should never be confronted if you can get away and we can, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow looked like she agreed, but they all saw through her use, her wings were stretched out low, her muscles tensed like a spring. Before she could take off, his magic bounder her wings to her side. She fought, but they were just too powerful, “Let me go!” she shouted, kicking and bucking against her restraints. “Our mission was to find and escort you all back. I won’t risk any of us dying when we aren’t sure that Twilight is here and we know that there is a class L vampire here. Even the weakest class 3 can decimate squads of thirty trained guards and one paladin. We would stand no chance against an L-class .” “What’s the difference between class three and class L?” Rainbow asked. “A lot. L-classes are the supreme vampires. They are known to easily go half your top speed, in partial sunlight. They have strength that rivals the alicorns and their own magic to vex any unicorns or escape an alicorns. Most can’t match the magical power of alicorns, but they can still injure them.” Before they left, a shadowed hoof had tucked a letter into Silver's saddle bag. Redwing grabbed hold of Rainbow and began to fly away. Silver grabbed Dim Eyes and Winter took up the rear. They flew out of of the cave, only slowed down at the cave's entrance. The entrance had a hidden barrier, that no one detected and was great at sealing memories. They landed on the ground, where the rest of the party was waiting. “What took you all so long? Secondly, why is Rainbow Dash’s wings restrained? Princess Celestia gave strict orders of not restraining the elements.” Armored Spear asked. “Sorry, Rainbow wanted to try and save another pegasus that we saw. I restrained her to prevent that.” “Then let’s get out of here.” They made their way out the same way they came in. Outside, Night Wind was actually wake in a tree and Fluttershy and Rarity were on blankets. Fluttershy was the one that noticed them first. She lightly tapped Rarity, and the two looked towards the group with happy smiles, until noticing Pinkie Pie’s lack of a smile. Twilight was not among them. “So Twilight is still missing. Oh I hope she’s alright.” “So then. We should contact the Princesses?” Redwing supplied. She looked towards the sky to see some type of reference to time of day, but there were none. "Yes, we should," Armored Spear replied, "Although, we should escort the elements out first." "Agreed, but we need the time. We rather not be out here in the Everfree at night. Eight was ok, but 13? That's too many." As they looked out into the Everfree, something was wrong. Very wrong. All their nerves warned it, and their eyes, even though they were wide away a second ago were drooping. Around them, plants started to explode, releasing a fine mist into the air. The wind had picked up, blowing the mist towards them. The guards drew weapons while the pegasi and thestrals spread their wings. Magic rolled around as they channeled it through their wings.
