Creature of the Night: Episode One-The Night Guardian

Chapters

The Figure
A Chilling Tale.
Of Zebras and Monsters
The Monster's Lair
Princess vs. Monster
The Night Guardian
Monster No More

The Figure

Ponyville gleamed below as the stars in the night sky shone brightly down upon the peaceful little town. Everypony was sleeping peacefully as they dreamed oflegends, battling evil, saving the world, winning a contest, living their dreams in reality. However, there was one pony who wasn't so fortunate. One pony who tossed and turned in her bed, stuck deep in a nightmare from which only Princess Luna could free her – if she was even aware it existed. One pony whose fear filled the air as she suddenly shot bolt-upright in bed in a cold sweat wiping her forehead with her hooves. Now, nightmares happen, everypony knows that.However, to this pony, it happened every first of the month. This pony did have a name, of course: she was the newest Princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight first held her face with her hooves then got out of bed and started to wander thinking about her dreams.

"That same nightmare again," Twilight said to herself, whispering so she wouldn't wake up Spike who was only a few rooms down from her. She kept walking as she looked around the vast, empty halls "Maybe I need more decorations in the castle," she murmured, unsure, "maybe that's it..." She paused as – just in the corner of her eye – she noticed something outside the castle window. Something... unsettling.

Her dream still fresh in her mind, Fear overwhelmed her senses as she rushed to the window and looked out, seeing a shadowy figure standing on the roof of Sugarcube Corner. She paused, taking in the large bat-like wings On the creature's back. Twilight instantly recognized the species: it was a thestral, a creature of which she had often read. Slowly, it turned to look at her. Twilight froze. The creature had locked eyes with her. There was silence as the two stared down at each other, Twilight's beautiful dark purple eyes staring deep into the figure's bright-red sinister ones. She watched, powerless, as the figure leapt off the top of Sugar Cube Corner spreading its wings and taking flight. Twilight just knew this creature was up to something, and she was sure it could be nothing good. She had to stop it, no matter what. She launched herself off the windowsill, her wings spreading as she dived after the figure. To her amazement, it seemed capable of incredible turns of speed. Before she knew what was happening, it had twisted off its course, so that it was flying behind her. She turned to face it, locking eyes with it again; she could barely make out a few facial features and a sort of dark green color to the pony, as well as a face-mask.

Twilight paused, using her wings to hover in mid-air, as the stranger landed on a rooftop, all the while holding Twilight's gaze. The pony was now illuminated in the moonlight, revealing him to be a stallion who was, oddly, wearing a hoodie with slits that allowed his ears to pop out, and a white face-mask, that she has only seen on the various doctors in the Ponyville Hospital. The stallion spoke, his voice an average male one, with a definite slight hoarse quality to it. "You've seen nothing, Princess Twilight," He said, his red eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight, "Go back to bed."

Twilight hesitated as she felt a bizzare twinge in her head almost telling her to obey this stranger, to go back to bed and forget that she ever saw this strange pony looking at him. Almost as though she were waking up from a bad dream. She felt her body about to listen to this stallion's words, but she shook her head and glared back at him, causing him to look at her with slight surprise. "Who are you?" she demanded of the figure. "What do you want with Ponyville?"

The figure's piercing red eyes were still glowing hypnotically. Twilight could almost feel them burning into her skull, urging her to obey. "I'm no threat, you've seen nothing here, this will all feel like just another bad dream to you," he said in a commanding tone. The strange feeling in Twilight's head seemed to twist and grow the more he stared at her.

Being smart, Twilight squeezed her eyes tight shut. To her relief, the feeling stopped, the nagging feeling subsiding. She demanded again "Talk, who are you?" Silence. Opening one eye to peek, she found him gone. She cursed her idocy. He taken off while her eyes were closed. She could see him flying away; fortunately, he hadn't gotten far.

Twilight backed up and chased after him, trying to catch this mysterious stallion. Sensing that he was being followed, he turned to look at her. Twilight closed her eyes and dashed forward as she felt an unearthly force pushing her down,giving her no choice but to plummet towards the ground at an unimaginable speed. Panic-stricken, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, but to no avail. The force only seemed to get stronger.Her eyes widened as she approached the ground and prepared for the worst. Suddenly, she felt an awful yank as something seized her mane from above. She flinched as something sharp jabbed into her neck, and she tensed up, freezing in place. She opened her eyes and found herself on the ground, the stranger floating above her, his wings flapping. "Sorry," The figure said to her quietly, "I only meant to push you out of my way, not to the ground"

Twilight, who had not been expecting an apology,noticed the figure had his head down as he adjusted his face mask then looked up at her. He turned, and then paused as he felt Twilight holding him in place with her magic. He turned his head, an almost symapthetic expression on his face. Twilight was taken aback. "H...How..." she stammered, " that spell is supposed to hold you in place. You shouldn't be able to move at all." Despite Twilight's attempts to tighten her magical grip on him, the stallion landed, and began to walk towards her, albeit slowly, fighting her restraint. Her spell wasn't working! In despair, she grabbed some nearby rocks and prepared to throw them at the figure to defend herself, when suddenly he had reached her.

The Figure gripped her horn with a forehoof, interrupting her magic. She felt him looking her in the eyes again, and closed them on instinct as he suddenly moved her head to look at her neck. He whispered "That can't be good." He moved his hoof off her horn and backed away from her.

"I have made a terrible mistake, ma'am," he said apologetically. "I'm taking you to Zecora, she knows about me, and she also knows how to fix the error I made." The figure sighed. "I am not an enemy, Miss Sparkle, I promise. Zecora will help you, and then afterwards, you must pretend you never saw me." Suddenly his voice echoed like a legion as Twilight realized that she was looking him in the eye, but this time it was too late. "Now...sleep." Unconsciousness overwhelmed Twilight, her mind becoming a perfect blank as she collapsed before the stallion's gaze. He slung her tired body across his back and turned around, heading into the Everfree forest.

Twilight wanted so badly to go on sleeping. She felt so tired, so very tired, and was sure that she would like nothing better than a little more sleep. A dull ache in her neck had other ideas, nagging at her to get up. What in Equestria had she been doing last night?

Twilight yawned, blinked, stretched, and finally (and reluctantly) sat up. "Spike!" she called automatically. But then she looked about her, her eyes adjusting to the gloom. Gloom? That was odd in itself. She had been expecting the morning sun shining through her bedroom window, not this strange darkness. Her eyes took in the shelves, filled with old manuscripts and weird-looking potions; the ancient artifacts of another civilization that lined the walls. Realization dawned, she was in Zecora's hut. But why? Suddenly, the events of the night before came flooding back to her. She shuddered.

She was startled by Zecora's voice from behind her. "Good morning to you, my little one. The new day has already begun.

"M- morning..." Twilight mumbled, struggling to recall details. She remembered that the strange pony had stopped her from falling, apparently grabbing her mane in his teeth, but what then?

"Now is not the time to brood," insisted the zebra. "See, I have brought you a little food." She set down a small tray next to the mattress in the middle of the floor on which Twilight had woken up. On it was a large bowl of what looked like soup. Twilight gratefully gulped it down.

Again, she felt the twinge in her neck. On instinct she went to touch it, only to feel something she didn't want to feel, something that made her skin turn as white as the zebra who lived in the Everfree. Zecora looked at her friend and said "Blood is not usually a common sight, but one I find often when I talk to the Creature of the Night"

"The Creature of the Night?" Twilight asked her, "is that the name of the Figure I saw walking around Ponyville last night? Who is he? That can't be his real name... can it?"

"Those are secrets he had me swear to keep, though keeping it from my friend makes my heart weep" Zecora commented. "All you truly need to know is that that Creature is friend, not foe"

Twilight was skeptical about that as she looked at the blood on her hooves "If he's so friendly, why is my neck bleeding?"

"He came to me telling about an accident he had a part to create, had me spare you from a horrible fate" Was the only response that Zecora would give. "What fate he spared you from I cannot say, for his secrets are his and I will keep it that way"

With Zecora's help, Twilight slowly got to her hooves. "Thanks...I guess. I better head back, Zecora." As she walked back she started to think about this mysterious Creature of the Night. What kind of accident could have only been cured by Zecora's remedy? What kind of a pony could just resist her grip like that? How did he put her to sleep without a horn? However, all those questions were at the back of her mind as one stuck out from the rest: Just who or what was the Creature of the Night?"

Author's Note

Don't worry I'm still thinking of ideas for Origin of a Creature...truth be told I have the origin already written out, it's just a matter of adding the details.

I just think this will be more fun.

* Special thanks to my new editing partner The Minister of Scones

A Chilling Tale.

Twilight was sitting with her friends in her map room, enjoying (or trying to enjoy) a special brunch that Pinkie had made. However, she was oddly quiet. As she focused on some waffles she seemed to see.. his face... in the syrup. Those piercing red eyes looking right at her, with a magic powerful enough to put an alicorn princess to sleep? Not only that, Twilight had studied magic for years, she should have known every counter-spell known to pony kind, and yet... he had overpowered her. That and Zecora had said he had such a big secret, one that she wouldn't even tell her friends about. Zecora spoke in riddles and rhymes but she always told the truth. What was so bad about this pony that she couldn't know about him? Sure, everypony has a little secret but, what if... what if this secret could put Equestria in danger? Maybe she should write to the other Princesses about him. No, they were probably too busy, this was something she would have to do on her own, it seemed. .

However, the more she thought about what this guy did, the more it terrified her. This stallion, he had overpowered her defenses, and not only that, he had managed to outsmart her. He had tricked her into looking into his eyes. That was another thing she started to think about while her mind began to race, filling up with a sense of dread the more she thought about the mysterious 'Creature of the Night' - as Zecora had so elegantly put it. He had controlled her mind just by looking at her. It had been like no magic she had ever seen: there had been no magical glow, no wispy waves of luminescent light. the stallion didn't even look like he even had a horn! What kind of pony could do such things? It wasn't possible... was it?

Twilight's demeanor didn't go unnoticed. It took her a while to realize that all her friends were staring at her worriedly, Applejack cocking her head to one side, and Rainbow staring right at her, one eyebrow raised. Twilight gazed right back at them, feighning ignorance and putting on her very best 'what's the matter' face.

"You all right, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she looked at the increasingly nervous princess. "You're acting like you've seen a ghost."

""Yeah, you haven't even touched your super stack of amazing Pinkie Pancakes," Pinkie added, her usual enthusiasm marred slightly by a hint of concern.

Rainbow Dash, obviously bored with the deliberation, asked the million dollar question everypony was thinking: "Did something happen last night?"

Twilight fell silent as her friends all looked at her, anxiously. Would they believe her? How could they believe her, when she still didn't quite believe it herself? She was starting to consider evading. She was just about ready to put an end to it and claim that nothing was wrong, but then a thought occured to her. A glimmer of hope filled her mind as she started to think that maybe - just maybe - she wasn't the only pony who had seen this mysterious "Creature". After all, from what she'd gathered, he was probably out quite often - and she couldn't be the only one to have noticed him - could she? She looked at her friends, hoping, praying to Celestia, that she was right. "I don't want to concern anypony but... last night I woke up from a nightmare I was having and I couldn't get back to sleep. I thought I saw something outside, so I looked and I saw a thestral, or at least I think he was a thestral, staring right back at me. Something about him didn't feel right."

"What's all the fuss about?" Rainbow interrupted. "You've dealt with plenty stronger than some random creepy guy spying on you.""That may be true, but what if he was going to do something terrible to any other pony in town"

"That may be true, but what if he had been going to do something terrible to any other pony in town?" Twilight reminded her. "I came out to see who this pony was, and his eyes looked right back into mine. I felt this... twinge in the back of my head... I can't expain it, but it felt like it was commanding me to go back to sleep."

The assembled ponies stared. Magic was Twilight's field of expertise, and all her friends knew that she had several layers of magical defenses in her mind to protect herself from magical attacks (Twilight had often bored them with explanations of the various safeguards she employed), and yet some random thestral had apparently managed to get in without any difficulty. However, Rainbow brought up something that unnerved even Twilight "I thought you said he was just a thestral, like one of Princess Luna's guards?"

"That's what I thought, too," Twilight said, the worry visible in her eyes, gripping the map table like she had before. If they weren't already alarmed enough, this was a sure sign that something was wrong, for Twilight was not the type of pony who scares easily. An unsettling chill filled the room as she continued. "Anyway, I closed my eyes and the twinge stopped. I think he had to maintain eye contact with me. He kept talking, saying that he was nothing to be concerned about and that I should go back to bed. I ignored him, because he was clearly some kind of threat. He fled towards the Everfree Forest and I gave chase to stop him, when... I can't explain it, but it was like some incredible force was pushing me downwards, and I was sent spiraling down to the ground." She paused as she started to think about it "Then he... for some reason caught me. I started to think I was wrong about him until...I felt this sharp pain poking my neck"

Rarity looked at her nervously, but had to ask "What kind of pain?"

"It was like being poked with a needle, horribly sharp, but quick' Twilight said, automatically reaching a hoof up to feel her neck. The bleeding had stopped since last night of course, but there was a scar there, thankfully hidden by her mane; nothing too bad but still there. "Then...he started to tell me I needed to see Zecora right away, that he had made a terrible mistake."

They looked on, spellbound, as Twilight finished her tale by saying "Then, I realized mine. His eyes and mine were locked for a long time, and then suddenly... I heard his voice echoing in my head, commanding me to sleep." She started shivering "And I did..."

Her friends had all stood up and approached her at this point, placing their hooves on her back to calm her down. Her fear began to subside. "The next thing I knew, I woke up in Zecora's hut. She said she couldn't tell be much, but she said that this pony's name was 'The Creature of the Night'" She looked hopefully at her friends. "Do any of you know anypony who goes by that name? I haven't gotten this "Creature" out of my head all morning. I woke up with blood coming out of my neck that Zecora was patching up. Something happened last night, and I need to know...if I'm not worried over nothing"

The other five looked at her a little sheepishly. "I've never heard anything about a 'Creature of the Night' before," Rarity began, "but I have seen a frightful-looking pony jumping from rooftop to rooftop," She admitted.

"Sometimes when I look out my window I see a thestral flying across the Ponyville sky," Rainbow confessed.

"I umm, sometimes see this pony walking out pulling up a hood before I go to sleep," Fluttershy said quietly, "But I always thought it was just my imagination."

"Well, you aren't the only one going crazy Sugarcube, I've seen a pony standing on the top of the barn at night once in a while. I go to check, but suddenly he's gone." Applejack said, her turn to confess.

"Sometimes," Pinkie added, "when I'm out at one of the late night parties I sometimes host in Ponyville, I see this thestral in the corner in a black hood. I don't say anything though - I mean, there are lots of ponies who are shy like that."

Twilight paused and was about to ask why they never told her, then sighed. "I guess it would be pretty hard to believe. Everypony would just assume you were seeing things, but the fact that we all saw the same pony means that we're not crazy." She got up, looking more than a little relieved. "Now here's my question: Who or what is this Creature of the Night?"

Rainbow paused and then smirked "I don't know, but I know we're not gonna find out by simply sitting here. Come on everypony, let's go hunt us down a creep!"

Twilight smiled as her friends nodded in agreement. "I love you girls," she said, as without another word they headed out the door, and set off for the Everfree forest.

Author's Note

Once again, thank Minister of Scones for this edit.

Of Zebras and Monsters

Zecora was busily working on a new potion - something new for her to experiment with - when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something flash into the back of her hut. She paused, standing over her jet-black cauldron, and smiled. "I suppose, you are trying to creep me out, you forget I know what you are all about," Zecora said with her trademark rhyme, She smiled again, peering into the shadows. "Though I must admit I am rather annoyed," she went on, narrowing her eyes, "lying to my friend was not something I enjoyed."

"Well, thank you for hiding what you know about me." Creature's voice echoed as he detached himself from the shadows. "The Princess is okay, right? I didn't mean to bite her," he added, actually looking pretty concerned about Twilight's safety.

The Creature's tone did not fall on deaf ears. With as reassuring a smile as she could muster, she said "Twilight is fine and still a pony. However, again for keeping your secret you owe me. She and her friends got me into Ponyville, when rest of the town still thought I was evil"

"All right, I'm sorry!" Creature protested, annoyed, "You know very well why I'm not just walking out there and saying 'Hey! I'm this weird thing that every story you have ever read labels as a wretched monster that wants to have you for dinner, literally,'" Creature mocked, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and misery. "Please, I'd rather not be chased out of Equestria with torches and pitchforks."

"Equestria has changed since long ago. You'd probably be surprised at the kindness they can show," Zecora replied, remembering her own experience. Sure, she didn't like that the ponies had originally labeled her as an evil wicked enchantress, but at the same time the love and care she'd had since was amazing and honestly the biggest apology that she would ever need.

"Equestria has changed," admitted Creature reluctantly. "It's gotten more advanced, more friendly, and honestly I don't have that many big things to fight anymore since those six have showed up... But still, I don't think I'll have your experience, Zecora. I mean, everything they thought about you was wrong. As for me...most of the things they are probably thinking are true." He looked in a mirror but saw only two red eyes staring right back at him. "I'm a monster. I may do good things and help ponies out in their daily lives, but at the end of the day it doesn't change the fact that I am a monster"

Zecora groaned - she'd heard all this from him before. "A monster you are not, a monster is something that leaves its victims to rock to rot." She sighed "A monster is evil and takes joy in causing pain, even though it may do so for no personal gain. You tried to save Twilight, a monster would have wanted her to keep her plight. You are no monster my friend, so stop beating yourself up to no end."

Creature simply sighed, reluctantly starting to agree with Zecora, though they both knew this wasn't going to last. He smiled and said to his zebra buddy "Maybe you're right, thanks for dealing with me, I know this happens a lot."

Zecora nodded. "Almost every week you come to me with feelings about being evil or meek," she groaned. "It drives me crazy."

"Wow, no rhyme," Creature said with a teasing smirk. Zecora playfully nudged him. He paused though as he heard voices from outside the hut. In the blinking of an eye, he leaped onto the ceiling, clinging there like an insect. Zecora rolled her eyes at her friend's jumpiness, but walked over to her door and opened it. Outside were Twilight and the rest of her friends. Zecora smiled welcomingly. "I am glad to see you again, Twilight. I trust you are fully recovered from last night?"

Twilight nodded. "Can we come in?" she asked, smiling.

Zecora hesitated at that question, but nodded with a devilish smirk, knowing that Creature was hiding in the shadows watching. That pony needed to loosen up and trust others even if she had to force the issue. Meanwhile, Creature was cursing Zecora for her blunt behavior. Zecora smiled, and began to speak. "So..."

Rainbow quickly, and predictably, interrupted her. "Zecora, don't lie to us. We know you know everything about this Creature guy." She glared at Zecora. "We want awnsers!"

"Rainbow," groaned Twilight, embarrased at her friend's outburst. She sighed "She's right, we have to know about him." Twilight looked at her, feeling very awkward about talking to a mare she counted as a friend in this way. "Zecora, everypony here has seen him. I know you say he's a good guy, but the way he acts, I'm not so sure, and what he did to me..."

Zecora noticed that Twilight had started shaking. "I've never had anypony overwhelm my mental defenses," continued the princess. "Zecora, do you know what it's like to have someone seize control of your mind?"

Zecora glared up into the corner where she knew Creature was hiding in the shadows, seeing the effects of his actions on Twilight. She and the rest of the ponies there went to her to comfort the distressed mare. Twilight, realizing what they were doing, shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

Zecora continued to glower. "It is not fine, it is a terrible crime. Creature's secrets should not make you suffer." Zecora was about to say something to expose Creature (and, doubtless, complete the rhyme), when suddenly the strange pony darted out from the rafters and across the room, leaping out of an open window at blinding speed. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at Zecora, who simply shrugged.

Coming rapidly to a decision, she backed up and dived out after Creature, who was flying surprisingly fast, shouting "Hey, stop right there, you creep!"

Creature turned and his eyes locked onto Rainbow's, and immediately Rainbow started to feel herself slowly descending, almost as if her body were under a spell. Twilight and the others arrived just as Rainbow's flailing hooves touched the ground. Twilight covered Rainbow's eyes with her hooves, breaking the Creature's hold. "Wait!" she shouted after the quickly-vanishing thestral. Creature, either not hearing or ignoring her, dived into the forest trees. Twilight looked at Applejack who nodded and tore after the mysterious stallion. Twilight looked back to Rainbow. "You okay?"

Rainbow shivered. "What was that?"

"The spell?"

"Uh-huh."

Twilight sighed. "I don't know, we'd better hurry and find him. Something isn't right about that pony, we'll find him though. Come on, we'd better all go to Applejack"

Applejack, meanwhile, was nearby, still perusing her quarry, though she was beginning to lose sight of him. Catching sight of a flickering movement in the canopy above, she ground to a halt, looking about. She started, as what looked like a vampire fruit bat flew past her head, then perched up on a branch and extended its tongue to the dangling fruit of a nearby tree. "I didn't even know the Everfree had fruit trees," she said under her breath. She looked around and muttered "I lost him...dang it." She turned back to the tree, but the bat had moved on. She shrugged and went back to rendezvous with the others.

Twilight gave the returning Applejack a hopeful look, but she just sighed and shook her head. That was all the answer Twilight needed. She glared at the ground, muttering "What is he? How did he get away?" She paused, a look of worry crossing her face. "Oh no, AJ, he didn't try that mental trick on you did he?!?"

Applejack shook her head "No, sugar cube, but he got away. Ah got distracted, Ah... Ah'm sorry."

Rainbow stomped her hooves in frustration, crying "Oh come on! Are you serious?! He's not exactly small - how did you lose him?!" Rarity gave Rainbow a piercing look, which caused Rainbow to bite her lip. "Sorry AJ, I didn't mean to..."

Applejack simply said "No big deal." She stood for a moment, thoughtfully pawing at the ground with a hoof. "Maybe we should go an' ask Zecora again."

In the meantime, Fluttershy took to the air, hovering above the treetops and looking out. What she saw was not familiar. Cautiously, she whispered "Umm girls. How deep have we gone into this forest?"

"What do you mean, sugar cube?" asked Applejack. Fluttershy simply motioned to Rainbow Dash who darted up to join her friend. "What's the big deal?" she huffed, but then broke off. She stared over the trees in stunned silence.

Rainbow said quietly "Umm, Twilight... you should see this, levitate AJ And Rarity too."

Twilight did so and her jaw dropped, as did AJ's and Rarity's. "No way," started an astonished Twilight.
"Way," Rainbow responded from next to her."
"That can't be..." said Twilight quietly to herself. "We'd have seen it before..." But there was no doubt about it, and they were certainly seeing it now. All six of them were seeing something truly amazing. There was a castle in the middle of the mountain. Not the biggest castle they had ever seen, but definitely not a small one; and visibly very old, although none of them had seen it before that day. A shadowy figure - presumably the creature - zoomed across the forest "That must be where he's going," Twilight deduced.

Rainbow smirked and narrowed her eyes at the flitting form of the thestral. "Then let's get him!"

Author's Note

You know I'm starting to think Zecora is very hard to write for, there is no way for some of these rhymes not to sound forced

Once again thank you The Minister of Scones for the Edit

The Monster's Lair

Creature sighed with relief as he landed at the main entrance to his castle. He leaned back, saying to himself quietly "That was way too close, Pure." He glanced down at the castle entrance. Set in the cold earth of the castle's courtyard were two graves next to each other. One gravestone was covered in moss and a bit cracked up, but it was marked "Shadow Star". Creature's top lip furled under his nose in his distaste. He turned his attention to the other stone, which was actually in fairly good condition. Creature smiled at the sight of the fresh roses planted next to it, almost like a barricade preventing the other grave from touching it. The stone simply said "Purity Heart - Even brilliant lights will fail to burn".

Creature gave one last look around, and then dropped down next to the stone and slowly smiled. "Pure, hey. I was talking with Zecora again." The grave, of course, made no reply, but Creature groaned. "Will you relax?" he chuckled, "You know you're the only special somepony I will ever have." He laughed and said "I've been thinking about you a lot, there's a pony out there that reminds me of you. I like to think that you are guiding this one, helping her accomplish her dreams, becoming a Princess... which was your dream." On the grave there was a slight gleam as the sunlight reflected briefly off a diamond encrusted horn ring that had been carefully balanced on the curved top of the stone. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you fulfill that dream. I know technically I wasn't royalty anymore but I was a prince... just of a clan of killers." He turned and glared at the Shadow Star grave. "I have you to thank for that."

He shook his head and addressed Pure's headstone once more. "I'm doing okay Pure. I really am. Zecora keeps telling me that I should start being more public, you know? That I should see ponies again. I heard that Celestia and Luna are still alive, heck, Luna's looking stronger everyday. Wonder if 'Tia's still got that flowing pink mane from back in the day. I heard it's all rainbow now, but that's something I need to see some time. I should visit Canterlot one day."

He paused, his ears twitching slightly as he heard a sudden roar, apparently coming from the forest. "Hmm... odd" He turned, looking Eastwards, and said quietly "That Hydra shouldn't be in the Everfree this late, it should be in Froggy Bottom Bog for its resting period. That could be a problem, Pure, I should go deal with it, shouldn't I?"

He turned but had to stop when he heard another voice in the shadows. "I think I see him!" He heard a voice say. He knew that voice, it was the pegasus with the rainbow mane he had seen at Zecora's. Immediately he turned and leaped away from the six shadows approaching him. From his hiding place in the gatehouse parapets, he saw the six approaching the graves. The castle had been further away than it looked, and it was already dusk by the time they arrived. One of them, a white unicorn with a purple mane, approached Purity Heart's stone. Creature struggled to remember her name from his talks with Zecora. Rarity? Something like that.

"Purity Heart, Even Brilliant Lights Will Fail to Burn" Rarity read aloud, then gasped, seeing the ring. "My goodness! I've never seen a ring this gorgeous before." She levitated it towards her to get a closer look. Creature gripped the wall of the parapets he was on and looked down, anxiously. "Hold on, there's some writing in it..." Rarity paused and said "I can't head or tail of it, I'm afraid. Twilight, darling, do you think could you give me a hand?"

Twilight took the ring from Rarity and peered at the inscription. She was amazed to find that it was ancient Equestrian writing - a form which had not been used since Celestia and Luna were little. "To my beloved Purity, I know I am not much, but I will always love you - Dueling." Twilight looked puzzled. "Dueling?" she mused, passing the ring back to Rarity.

"Dueling?" scoffed Rarity, "What kind of pony has a dreadful name like that?" and then shrugged, putting the ring down near the grave - but not back in its proper place.

Creature flinched at those words. Twilight looked around and said "All right, split and search for him. I'm tired of this pony hiding from us." A hint of fanaticism began to creep into her voice. "I need answers from him, and he keeps refusing to talk." Her friends looked on, perturbed, as she started to grit her teeth and her eyes began to widen frighteningly. Applejack tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Calm down, sugar-cube. We're gonna find the guy, we promise," The country girl smiled, turning and looking around. "This place ain't very big, so it shouldn't take us long to search."

Twilight realized that she had been starting to lose control. She shook her head to clear it, then breathed deeply, stretching each breath out as long as possible. Once she felt calmer, she said quietly to her friends "Okay, we can cover this castle in no time if we split up, but if anypony spots him, get him into the courtyard so every one of us can be here to catch him. Believe me, it won't be easy."

Creature clung onto one of the castle's crumbling gargoyles watching the ponies cross the central courtyard of the castle, then split up to cover more ground. Twilight, he noticed, remained in the courtyard to search for him.

Twilight looked up and down, scanning the castle's dark interior walls. It was night, now - the moon had was just poking over the castle parapets, casting at least some light over the ivy-covered interior walls. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her. Glancing up at the smooth wall, though, she saw nothing but a hideous old gargoyle leering down at her from above... unless... two thin red slits could be glimpsed in the shadows above it. The Creature was watching her. Panicking, she illuminated her horn, ready to cast every defensive spell in her arsenal. Creature ignored her and slowly, almost lazily, spread his wings and glided down, moving no muscle unless he had to, keeping his torso as rigid as a statue. He bent his head down and undid his face mask, causing Twilight to gasp in horror instinctively raise a hoof to protect her neck, flinching at the very sight of what was in Creature's mouth. He picked up the ring and placed it back on the tombstone whispering something that Twilight didn't hear: partly due to his quietness, partly because she was scared stiff by what she saw. An eerie wind blew as Creature turned to her, replacing his face mask so it covered his mouth, though even he knew it was pointless due to Twilight's now increasingly fearful reaction. Twilight shouted "Girls! Girls! Hurry! He's been with us the whole time! Hurry! Don't leave me alone with him!" The fear in her voice was obvious; her expression was like a frightened rabbit's.

Creature's ears twitched as the sounds of hooves and wings filled the area. He looked about and then slowly walked towards Twilight, who once again lit up her horn to defend herself. Creature however, walked past her and then looked out at the Hydra in the distance that was getting increasingly close to the castle, attracted by all the noise that was going on in the dark lair. Creature turned his head and said to Twilight "You and your friends need to leave, you are in a place you don't belong and there is a monster on its way."

Twilight glared at Creature and snarled arrogantly "It's already here." She closed her eyes as she realized that Creature had fixed her in one of his gazes, not wanting to fall under his mental spell again. However, she opened them quickly when she heard the voices of her friends. A warm glow filled her body as she opened them, each of the others arriving one at a time. "I know what you are. I didn't want to believe it, but from your powers, the creepy castle, the fluffy ears, the red eyes and..." Her eyes narrowed; "Those fangs under your face mask."

She uttered the one word that made her friends' blood run cold, for they knew one thing. Twilight was not the kind of pony who tells a lie, especially not about anything so important. One word, that made their heads spin. One word that made the night air blow with a stinging bitter cold that wrapped around all of their bodies. One word, that explained everything, yet left questions unanswered. One word outweighing all others at this very moment.

"Vampire"

Author's Note

Edit done by Minister of Scones and I'd be insane not to include this:

The 'Evil Lair of Darkness' playset is now available in most major toy stores priced $39.99, suitable for ages 3 and above.

Princess vs. Monster

Creature looked at them as that word filled the air. The word that he hated, the word that he despised more than any other. He hated that word. He wish he could change who he was. He hated the weight that word had. That word...the accursed...vampire.

Rainbow rather bluntly put it like this: "You mean like an actual blood sucking monster that would look at us like we were dinner!?" The adventurous mare said as she smirked ready for a rumble. This was, after all, her vs. an actual monster from ancient folklore.

Fluttershy paused and asked "Wait, what if he's like I was?" All eyes turned to her. Immediately, she began to cower behind a stray lock of hair. "I... I just mean... when I was a vampire bat, I didn't mean any harm, or anything..." Her voice had become little more than a frightened squeak. Twilight used her magic to lift up her mane and revealed the small scar she got from Creature the other night. "Never mind," Fluttershy conceded, turning with a glare towards the 'monster'. The rest of Twilight's friends followed suit.

"A vampire, a blood-sucking monster from myths and legends. I don't want to believe it..." Twilight said as Creature began to back away from what was increasingly resembling an angry mob. "But... I can't deny the evidence of my own eyes..."

With the secret out, Creature didn't really care about using his supernatural powers to evade them. With a brief flash of red from his eyes, he turned into that "vampire fruit bat" that Applejack had seen when Creature had escaped her in the forest. Twilight spread her wings and chased after him as the bat-vampire pony dived through an upstairs window, hoping to lose them in the castle. The castle wasn't very big, but it was still a castle, whose layout only he knew. He found a place to hide and returned to normal. Creature landed in a darkened chamber and peered out through the arrow-slit window to the castle's exterior. The Hydra was getting closer and closer, hearing Twilight and the others searching for him. That thing had to be stopped or else...

His mind was put into fight or flight mode as he instinctively dodged a magical blast heading for him. It seared past his right ear, smashing into the elegant stonework of a long-disused fireplace. He spun round to find Twlight looking right back at him. She had found him first, and she wasn't happy. "You almost turned me into one of you..." She said with disgust. "Not only that, you used your dark powers to mess with my head! Do you know what that's like?! To have studied magic for years and yet this...monster," she said bitterly, "shows up and is immune to everything you know."

"Princess Twilight," Creature began as Twilight blasted at him again, and Creature had to dodge again. This blast shattered a cobweb-covered vase into dozens of tiny fragments. Creature could tell it had been meant to maim, at least.

"Don't you Princess me!" Twilight barked. "I'm not going to let you terrorize Ponyville, I'm not going to let you hurt Equestria anymore. I don't know what damage you have done, and quite frankly...I don't want to know."

"All the damage I did was over a thousand years ago," Creature admitted. "When I was young and stupid, and hadn't learned to care." He then looked outside, worried. "Listen, this is not the time..." Once again, Twilight blasted at him. This time, the magic found its mark, hurling Creature back and pinning him against the wall behind him. Creature fought against the restraint spell, using his natural magical abilities to negate its effects and slowly drag his reluctant body off the wall. Dodging yet another blast, he glanced out of the window to check on the Hydra's progress. It was nearly there, nearly at the castle. He could clearly see its heads towering above the outer wall. He had a choice to make at this point, either dive out and let the Hydra attack them all, or...

He closed his eyes as he took off his hooded cloak and his face mask. "Monster..." Creature said revealing his now glowing red eyes under the moonlight, like burning rubies. "Do you know how sick to death I am of that word?!" Creature barked as Twilight noticed an uncomfortable pressure filling the room. "You have no idea what it's like. To have to hide from the ponies you only want to get to know, to have to act like a creepy stalker in order to protect them from the things that go bump in the dark, only knowing that you yourself will be hated and hunted for what you are. I am no monster..."

Twilight sneered "A likely story..." She was ready to go for a battle.

Creature sneered back showing his monstrous aura "Fine, if I have to protect you. I will give you your monster!" Suddenly Twilight felt herself being bucked backwards by Creature's left hoof, sending her flying through the air. He let out a venom filled hiss as he looked at her, a crumpled heap on the stone floor. Twilight picked herself up with unsteady hooves and spat out part of a broken tooth as the two glared at each other.

Twilight realized quickly from that punch that a straight out fight was not going to end well for her, so she started to blast at the crumbling ruins of the castle. She let loose great torrents of magic at the room's roof, forcing Creature to side step left and right to avoid the falling debris. Suddenly he felt himself being lifted and thrown by an unknown force, using his supernatural speed he stopped himself just before he was slammed into the wall, which cracked behind him from the pressure at the speed he was being tossed. He bolted forward and swung for Twilight again, only for the Princess to hurl a rock at him.

It was a big rock*, one of the large black stones of which the castle was built, and Creature had to leap up and soar over it. Then he felt the rock coming at him as he flew, Twilight guiding the thing with her magic. He knew that she was going to[Time and a place...] have to drop it soon, as Creature's abilities weren't like Twilight's magic. They were natural as to him as his flying. Creature jumped on the rock and kicked it into the wall cracking it more, as Twilight's stamina started to run out. Creature knew that this was the prime opportunity and went to knock her out, when suddenly Twilight smirked, revealing she had suckered him in. She revealed had learnt something from Applejack, swiveling round on her hind legs and bucking Creature in the face incredibly hard, causing blood to come out of his nose as he landed.

Twilight then used her magic to start to throw more rocks at him, the rocks slamming and smacking into Creature left and right. Creature was already in excruciating pain from the blow to his face, and could only dodge a few when suddenly...

BAM! One hit him in the face so hard he crashed into the wall, leaving an imprint as he slowly fell down face first. Twilight smirked as she walked towards the now groggy vampire and restrained him with her magic. Unlike last time, it was very effective because Creature himself was weaker. Twilight sighed with relief as her friends arrived, summoned by the din. Rainbow looked scornfully down at the crippled Creature. "Hah! Not so tough now, are you?"

Suddenly... there was silence... as an ominous sound echoed from the outside of the castle.

Thump!

It was so loud that it shook the whole castle to its foundations. The girls dashed over to the window hearing the noise. In her shock, Twilight lost her grip, allowing Creature to slip away and put his disguise back on.

Thump!

The girls looked again as the walls shook from the size of the beast walking forward.

Thump!

As Creature got his gear on he looked at where the girls were standing, and paused remembering how Twilight had almost murdered him with rocks. Eventually he sighed, and resigned himself to what he had to do.

Suddenly the thumping stopped. The girls scattered, seeing a huge shadow approaching the wall.

The wall burst into smithereens to reveal... the Hydra.

Author's Note

*Point for whoever gets that reference

Edit and comment once again by Minister of Scones, this is just to good not to use:

And The Creature of the Night will next month be appearing at the Sydney Opera House in the new production of The Pirates of Penzance.

The Night Guardian

Creature looked on, a cold glint in his blood-red eyes, as the Hydra roared, thrashing its three heads with pride and hunger, saliva dripping from its gaping maw. The girls got into formation almost through instinct as the six of them realized they would have to fight the vile thing off, otherwise it would certainly eat them. Creature, on the other hoof, just stood there, a fierce debate raging in his mind. He had tried repeatedly to warn them about the Hydra, well, Twilight anyway, but nopony had listened to him. Instead they'd attacked him, tried to drive him away from the ponies he'd loved to protect. Why should he help them?

The Hydra roared and smacked Applejack into a wall with one of its heads. The others rushed to her, but the thing's breath generated such force that it launched them against the wall. Twilight stood and tried blasting the thing with magic, but to her horror, the thing ate her blasts, literally swallowing great bursts of energy, seeming to grow larger and stronger and angrier with every blast. It smirked, jutting its central head towards Twilight, leaning into the room in which the helpless ponies cowered, when suddenly the thing felt a hoof under its jaw, violently smashing its skull into the ceiling.

Rainbow smirked and said "Got your back, Twilight! Don't worry, I know how to deal with this monster!" Twilight cast Rainbow a doubtful glance, but the pegasus dashed recklessly towards the beast, kicking the dazed head that had, until recently, been menacing her friend at mach one.

She quickly turned pale, though, for she had kicked the thing so hard that the head was simply crushed, its face shattering from the impact. As she watched, horror-stricken, the head - and the entire neck attached to it - began to wither and blacken, shrivelling up to almost nothing, and eventually dropping off altogether, shattering on the stone ground like charred wood. Rainbow started to apologize profusely for that because that was not what she had intended, but the Hydra only smirked.

Fluttershy had to remind her about the biology[It's a myth to us, but ponies are probably a lot more used to Hydras.] of the Hydra. "Rainbow, don't worry, Hydra's are okay if they lose their heads." Rainbow paused and smiled with relief "Because when one head goes away..." Suddenly two heads burst from the Hydra's stump - "Two more take its place."

Rainbow paled once more as the Hydra, now four-headed, stared right at her with all eight of its eyes. She decided to go into dodge mode as the thing nipped and bit at her, trying to crush the rainbow maned pegasus with its powerful jaws. She dived down underneath it, but that turned out to be exactly what it wanted. It used its tail to smack Rainbow away, sending her spinning wildly out of control. Applejack, having gotten up, lassoed Rainbow towards her. Dash sighed with relief. "Thanks"

"Don't thank me yet," replied Applejack, narrowing her eyes at the beast. The Hydra looked at the two, allowing Twilight to blast the thing in its back, trying not to hit its head, but the Hydra was more clever than it let on, swinging down its other two heads to take the blast. When it hit them, the two simply disolved into a thin purple vapour. True to the legend the Hydra now was armed with six dangerous heads, all six of them coming towards Twilight with the clear intention of eating her. Sprining into action, Fluttershy of all ponies hurled herself towards Twilight, pushing her out of its path.

The six looked up at the creature, which was now grinning evilly. All six of the heads went in six different directions, each one headed for one of them. Fluttershy dived behind some rocks as the thing clamped down trying to have her for dinner, getting nothing but a mouthful of stone for its trouble. However it just smirked, crushing the stone in its massive jaws and spitting the rocks out, bombarding the helpless Fluttershy. The head was just going in for the kill, when suddenly Fluttershy, who had been reduced to a cowering wreck, seemingly vanished into thin air.

Applejack and Rainbow, meanwhile, were trying to team up with each other trying to take two heads at once. Applejack had been trying the brilliant idea of tying their necks together which did work, till the Hydra used its mass to break the rope, and then went for Applejack and Rainbow, its gaping maws closing in from either side, but like Fluttershy they vanished.

Rarity in the meantime was holding her own quite well, not directly fighting it, but playing a very good game of cat and mouse, ducking and weaving so that every attempt the thing made to get her failed, or even ended with a nasty collision with some stonework. With the other heads free, they all turned and dived towards Rarity, leaving her nowhere to turn. With a hefty swing, one of the heads knocked her into the air. Rarity succumbed to blind panic when she reached the zenith of her inadvertent flight, but this became far worse as she began to fall back towards the waiting monster.

To her surprise, instead of being gobbled up on the spot, she was knocked into the air by another head, then another. Whenever she began to fall, she would be thrown back up. The grim realisation dawned on her that the creature was taking its revenge by playing its own game with her. After a while though, it seemed to tire of this. All too soon Rarity, bruised and battered, found herself plummetting towards an open mouth. Then suddenly a blur snatched Rarity out of the air, vanishing from sight.

Pinkie in the meantime was bouncing around really more annoying the Hydra than anything, but what finally got her was the fact that it had five heads free now, and they all dived at Pinkie who was laughing as they came towards her. Suddenly, like the others, she vanished.

She found herself in familiar territory, surrounded by her already-vanished friends, but it took her a second to realise where they were. "Hey look, the gravestones."

Rarity looked concerned. "But who could have...?"

Suddenly Rainbow pointed her hoof back towards the castle interior. "Look!"

Twilight was busy firing at the thing trying to make it back down, but the thing just kept eating her magic. Suddenly she realized she was surrounded by all six heads and that she was therefore outnumbered. She charged up her horn to teleport out of there and regain the advantage, but the Hydra struck too quickly, smacking her up and down. The heads mercilessly launched her into the air, all six of them wanting to bite Twilight; to eat her, piece by piece, when suddenly -

BAM!

The Hydra's heads all recoiled in pain, causing Twilight to fall to the ground, stunned. Suddenly she was at the gravestones too, and she looked up seeing the pony who saved them. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was Creature looking right back at the Hydra, whose faces were contorted into masks of rage. He said to Twilight "Next time I say listen to me, stop and listen to me," teasing the princess - only the tiniest trace of reproach in his voice. He seemed to be enjoying this a little more than she'd thought. Twilight sheepishly nodded.

The Hydra wasn't happy at having its meal interrupted. All six pairs of eyes looked down at Creature. They all lunged at him in blind rage, but he dived in the air flying out of the way, dodging left and right, trying to look one of the heads in the eyes; but it was difficult with all six of them determined to take a chunk out of him. There was a slight concern because, even though he was invulnerable to most dangers, being eaten probably would kill him. Eventually. Suddenly the Hydra started to gain the upper hoof, Creature had to dive bomb down trying to smack it in the gut again to stop it from lunging at him. However, the Hydra had prepared for that. It smacked Creature away with a mighty swing of its massive tail. Creature spread his wings mid-flight so he wouldn't be launched too far, ready for more as well as he dived towards the creature.

"He can't do this alone, girls," cried Twilight, "come on! Let's give him a hoof!" They all nodded, running with one accord downstairs towards the area to make sure that Creature had the back up he needed.

Creature started smacking heads down trying to beat the Hydra into submission but all it was doing was making the thing angry. Creature got smacked by a head hitting him from a blind spot when suddenly he felt magic grabbing him in mid-air. A quick glance confirmed that Twilight was holding him in place. Gratefully, Creature flapped his wings, recovering from the relentless pummelling he'd just recieved.

"Girls, now!" shouted Twilight at the top of her voice. Instantly, Pinkie jumped up and curled into a ball, Rarity boosting her up a little with her magic, Applejack sending her flying in the air, Fluttershy punting Pinkie to Twilight who put an electricity spell on her causing Pinkie to spark like lightning, then Rainbow booted Pinkie downwards, sending her crashing into the Hydra's back forcing the thing down to the ground, stunning it.

Creature, seeing an opportunity, dived down and looked the monster in the eyes. In the canyons of the Hydra's mind his voiced echoed, summonning all of his super-natural powers, as he had done before to Twilight and Applejack. "Now sleep!" He ordered. Obediently, the thing slipped into oblivion, each head yawning, stretching, and lying down on the cold flagstones of the courtyard. Creature held his head in his forehooves. Everypony else approached his sombre form, a little tentatively, but with a great deal more trust and respect. "Thank you," Creture said, simply.

Twilight slowly smiled back and said "You're welcome... and... sorry"

Creature walked forward and extended a hoof. "It's cool," as the two connected with each other with a friendly smack.

Author's Note

As Always the Edit was provided by "The Minister of Scones"

Monster No More

The seven ponies were heading back to Zecora's hut, since, unlike Creature, Twilight and her friends couldn't just magically heal their injuries. The moon shone down on them casting an eerie glow over the Everfree Forest. Creature was silent. This was the longest he'd been with other ponies in centuries, he honestly had no idea what to say or even do. Luckily for him, Twilight opened up by saying "Thank you again for saving our lives with the Hydra. I really don't know what we'd have done if you hadn't turned up."

"No problem," Creature responded awkwardly, "Thank you for... well I don't know if you were saving my life, I've never been eaten before, but I'm sure it would have hurt like all Tartarus," he joked. The others kind of laughed at that, but the big elephant in the room was there, lacing the conversation with a strong sense of unease. They had all still tried to kill him, and Creature was still a vampire pony.

Pinkie Pie, trying for some levity, asked "So, Creature, do you like parties?"

"I haven't been to one since..." Creature said quietly, but then actually had to stop and pause, thinking back; it had been centuries ago. It was a birthday party if he remembered correctly. "Since I was a little colt, and there was this sweet little deep-blue filly who was having a big celebration. My friend Pure was there, so I snuck in to say hello to her, but she made me stay the whole night."

"Pure?" Rarity asked as she paused "As in Purity Heart?"

That name caused Creature to grow silent simply nodding in response. "She was my best friend in all of, not just Equestria, but the world." He sighed a content sigh. "It's the one name I refuse to allow myself to forget no matter how many centuries pass. Pure, was my everything..."

Rainbow noticed his reaction going into more of a depressing state, so she decided to change the subject. "So," She asked, genuinely curious, "Have you ever... drunk any blood from a pony before?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded, aghast at her friend's lack of tact, "I don't think that's a question he'll want to answer."

"It's okay," Creature said quietly. He sighed "I have..." That plunged the forest into a ghastly quiet, but whether Creature noticed or not, he went on. "At the time, I thought of that sort of thing as normal, that the weak die and the strong survive. That I was just the ultimate predator and ponies were my prey." He growled as he hissed quietly "It was stupid of me... especially since there is a simple way for me to survive and grow in power without anypony having to die or lose their blood to me as a meal." Creature shook his head. "Sorry, I don't want to get all mopey."

Twilight asked "So, why do you go around at night basically spying on other ponies?"

"A promise," Creature said in somber silence. "A promise I made to Pure. She inspired me to help other ponies and use my gifts to protect others, and I'll do it."

Fluttershy asked "Then why don't you come out during the day?"

"One, vampires are weaker in sunlight, and more mortal. Two, I really don't think I'd be welcomed." The others almost winced, remembering that their immediate reaction to Creature being a vampire was to beat him up and nearly stake the poor stallion. "It's fine though, I'm okay with being a silent protector. Better to be a hero of the shadows than labeled a monster in the light."

Twilight asked "And Zecora?"

"I met her a few months back... she had... pretty much the same reaction you did," Creature laughed ",But we got along after a long chase and me dodging acid."

Twilight said to him, "Creature," She said "I'm sorry that we attacked you." It was a relief to get the burden of guilt of her shoulders. "Zecora was right, and I should have just taken her word for it. You're not evil, and you definitely are not a monster."

Before Creature could say anything, Rainbow interjected "Yeah, a monster would have let that Hydra eat us."

"Thanks, but-" Creature started to say.

"No arguing," interrupted Twilight, a little smirk playing across her lips. "You're a wonderful pony, Creature. Zecora sees it, we see it, why can't you?"

Creature was silent as he looked back at the tombstones fading in the distance. All around, trees reached up like mummified claws, covetously grasping at the sky. As was perfectly normal for this part of the forest, each tree seemed to be adorned with a hideous, twisted face that seemed to cry "Mine! Mine! Mine!" There was silence for a good long while, nothing but hoofsteps echoing in the dark.

In Creature's head the only thing he heard was a sweet voice that sounded like harps playing softly next to him, "Dueling," the voice said, "You won't move on from what happened to you if you hide away in the dark. You are not a monster, Dueling. You're a wonderful pony who I love very much, I wish you could see what I see. Behind those horrific red eyes, those large ivory fangs, that chipped ear, and those leathery bat wins, is a pony whose soul is full of light. At one point, you were a monster, but you aren't one, not now... not ever."

Creature's spirits lifted up, but he stopped in his tracks with a gasp. Before him stood a pink unicorn with a long horn, a white mane with red swirls in them, and a heart shaped cutie mark with a golden circle that surrounded it. The unicorn was smiling at him, as she nodded then vanished into thin air in wispy fashion. Twilight asked, because Creature had suddenly halted, "Creature?"

"I'm afraid," Creature said quietly. Twilight saw that those words caused a noticeable look of panic on his face. Creature said "No, not of that." He looked in the direction of the now unseen tombstones and sighed "I'm afraid that... if I let her go... I'll forget about her."

The others looked confused but Twilight walked forward and patted Creature on the back. "Pure?" she asked, softly. Creature paused and looked, at her surprised by her intelligence and perception. She smiled at him, as Creature nodded. "You won't," she said, earnestly.

"But how can you be sure?" Creature said quietly "I'm eternal, and there aren't exactly a lot of things that can kill me, I'll live for a very long long time and..." Suddenly Creature felt Twilight's hoof move to an embrace.

There was silence for a bit as no one, not even Twilight and Creature, were thinking of anything other than Twilight holding Creature. The night wind blew cold, across their faces, chilling them to the bone, but also embracing them, begging them to stay. Creature's eyes started to water, and Twilight felt Creature embrace her back. Tears filled the air, echoing among the trees as Creature's shoulders moved and shuddered, while his breath hitched. Twilight waited for a long while as Creature slowly moved away from her and wiped his eyes and nose.

"I don't know how close this Pure was to you, nor will I ever know who she is," Twilight admitted. "But you will never forget her, nopony cries that hard over something they'll just get over." With those words Twilight offered a hoof and said "We all know what you really are, Creature: not a monster but a friend."

Creature looked at Twilight and the others as he whispered "Pure, keep guiding this one... she... is gonna be a wise pony some day." Creature leaned back and said to the others "Thank you..." He tried to regain his composure as the others smiled at him.

Creature walked out of the forest, albeit after they made a stop to Zecora who walked with them the rest of the way, the zebra giving her vampire friend an "I told you so" in rhyme. Creature looked in surprise at the other ponies who had surrounded the forest, not thinking that they were gone very long. Apparently, the other people of the town were ready to charge into the Everfree, find whatever was hurting the Element Bearers], and than beat it like a drum. Creature smiled as everypony described him as a kind-hearted pony; the word vampire was never spoken. True to what Zecora told him, they accepted him rather quickly.

Creature still lived in the forest though, it was his home after all, but every now and again he wasn't afraid to walk outside it, to see his newfound friends - how fast they warmed to him.

Meanwhile, however, Twilight was doing something she hadn't done in a long, long time, writing a letter to Princess Celestia.

"Dear Princess Celestia:

It's been a long time since I've written one of these to you, but I think you should know about this. A few days ago, my friends and I discovered something extraordinary. A pony by the name of Creature of the Night who is, and brace yourself for this, a vampire pony. I know that sounds a little far fetched but I swear it's the honest to you truth. Don't worry, he's not some kind of monster, I swear. He's a perfectly nice pony, that even saved my and my friends' lives. I'm writing to you because, I want to know... are there more like him out there?

Your faithful student/peer:

Princess Twilight Sparkle"

Celestia took a careful purse-lipped sip of her tea. With the population expanding ever-more rapidly, chances to relax were few and far between, these days. Idly, she extended a forehoof to the silver platter in front of her, on which was arranged a selection of extremely expensive-looking cakes and pastries - all gifts from her loving subjects. She let her hoof play over the various treats, then selected a fondant fancy, which she popped into her mouth. Exquisite!

Celestia leaned back on the plush chaise-loungue - also a gift, of course - and stared dreamily over at Luna, who was fast asleep on a similar item of furniture. Life was good.

At that point, life decided to take a turn for the worse.

A ball of green flame materialized just above Celestia's head, and, with a faint pop and a whiff of sulfur, turned into a scroll of parchment, which she only just caught in a hastily-generated magical aura before it fell right on her face.

Tutting to herself, the princess sat upright and unfurled the parchment, taking another sip of her now-cold camomile tea. She got halfway through the letter, and then spat the tea out all over the paper, her eyes wide with shock.

Narrowing her eyes, she stood up. "Luna, wake up," she said quietly. It is a ringing endorsement of the strange phsycic link that the sisters shared that Luna sprang instantly from her chair, alert as ever.

"You called, sister?"

"Luna, I"m going to Ponyville for a few days, you're in charge."

It was Luna's turn to be shocked. "What's wrong?"

"Something I never thought I'd hear about again is happening" Celestia said quietly. "It's best you don't worry about it." She then sighed. "But I'll tell you anyway." She took a deep breath, looked her little sister in the eyes and said calmly "the vampire ponies are back."