Chapters The Crystal Empire is a dangerous place to wander at night; there are reports of ponies going missing. Of course, nopony knows why or how. They just know that somepony is responsible for the disappearances. But who? Nopony dares speak of the strange happenings in fear of it getting them as well. They keep quiet and try to live normal lives. But living life isn’t as easy as it seems with the looming Castle Sombra in the distance.
And Count Sombra himself.
Shining Armor looks at Castle Sombra through his carriage window. It towers above him and makes him feel small. Why does he get the feeling something is...off about this place? He needn’t stay here long; he’s just here on business. He’ll be here for a couple of days and then it’s off to Canterlot to reunite with his fiancee, Cadence. Still, the appearance of Castle Sombra makes him uneasy, like he shouldn’t be here. The carriage stops and he gets out, his horn casting an eerie glow across the darkened courtyard as his luggage levitates beside him. Shining turns to thank the driver but stops. The driver is gone. Chills run down his spine as he walks up the cracked stone steps to the giant entrance. Just as he’s about to knock, however, the door opens. A unicorn stands before Shining, his red eyes glinting with something Shining can’t describe, but the look fades quickly.
“Welcome, my friend. You must be Shining Armor. I’ve heard a great deal about you.” He speaks rather slowly, which Shining notes as odd. “Please, come in. I’ll take care of you myself; my employees aren’t available right now.”
“Thank you. You are Count Sombra, correct?” Shining follows him into the dining room.
“Indeed I am. You must be hungry after your journey, are you not? Please forgive me if I do not join you this evening. I already ate.”
Shining sits at the table and almost immediately begins to eat. “I brought the documents for your new home in Canterlot. I assure you it is quite wonderful.”
“We will get to them tomorrow. I hope your journey wasn’t too tiring for you.”
“No, but thank you for your concern. Although...the ponies I spoke to tried to stop me from coming here. It’s quite peculiar, don’t you think?”
Something flashes in Sombra’s eyes, but it’s gone too quickly for Shining to notice. “Yes, that is odd. But now is not the time to dwell on that. You must be tired. Come, I will show you to your room.”
Shining follows Count Sombra upstairs to the bedrooms. Upon entering the room, he sees that his luggage sits on the foot of the bed, open. “I thought you said your employees were unavailable tonight.” He turns to Count Sombra, but it appears that he’s not listening. Instead, he levitates a picture and looks at it with curiosity.
“And who might this be?”
“My fiancee, Cadence. She is very sweet,” says Shining. He gently uses his horn to place the photo back in his suitcase.
“I see that fate has been proper to you.” Count Sombra smiles. “I will leave you to unpack. Feel free to sleep in as late as you want to. Pleasant dreams, my friend.”
Shining watches him leave and sighs. It’s going to be quite a long week. He takes the picture of Cadence gently in his hooves and looks at it. He misses her already and feels that he shouldn’t have left her alone. How he wishes she were here right now. It would make things a lot simpler.
Shining winces as the razor slips in his magic grasp and grazes his chin. He hisses in pain, a tiny droplet of blood beading at the cut.
“It appears you have cut yourself.” Count Sombra emerges from the shadows.
Shining laughs lightly. “Yes, well...it is quite hard to shave with no mirrors.”
“You should know that there are no mirrors in this castle. They are useless to me.”
Shining finds this comment to be odd, but keeps it to himself. He takes off the towel that is wrapped around his neck and flinches as Count Sombra growls.
“What is that horrendous thing you are wearing?!” Count Sombra turns away.
“What, this?” Shining glances down at his necklace. “It’s a crucifix. The pony at the inn gave it to me.”
The Count growls once again and heads to the door. Shining points to his bag with a hoof. “What about the documents for your house?”
“One more thing! Do not leave your room. Ever. You are to go there and only there if you are tired. Do not sleep anywhere else.” With that said, he leaves Shining alone. The door locks with a faint click.
Shining quickly races to the door and uses his magic to try and open it. It doesn’t budge. He’s beginning to feel like a prisoner. It has been a few days since he got to this place and he’s grown wary. If only there was a way out — he would certainly take it. He tries the other door and finds it to be unlocked. Quietly, he wanders the halls and doesn’t remember where his room is. The Count’s words of warning echo in his mind. He decides to at least try and find his room. But this castle is huge; there’s no way he’s going to find his room. It is going to be impossible. Shining finally opens a random door. Tired, he flops onto the bed that is in the room and drifts off.
“Oh, what an excellent creature. But alas, he is not ours. The master said so,” says a soft voice.
“He is the master’s,” says a second.
“That is true, but he can be ours for now,” a third remarks. The three ponies smile wickedly at each other and look upon the snoring Shining Armor.
“We do need to save some for the master. It is the only way to regain his strength,” says the orange one.
“We will only take a little bit. We are so hungry,” says the blue one.
“We haven’t had anything in two days,” says the purple one, baring her fangs.
“The master knows that. I am sure he will give us something more tomorrow.”
The three ponies arrange themselves so that they are all next to Shining. What an unfortunate time for him to wake up. He’s clearly still half asleep, but they don’t care. They take off his tank top and are about to bite when they see his necklace. They hiss and cover their faces with their hooves. Shining looks at them and takes off the necklace, throwing it in a far corner of the room. The three ponies are all about to feed when a voice startles them.
“You have disobeyed me! This stallion belongs to me! You should know!” Count Sombra appears, his eyes blazing with rage.
“We are so hungry. The time is now,” they say in unison.
“I have brought you something. It is in the basement. Leave me.”
The ponies race out of the room, leaving Shining and Sombra alone. Sombra leans down and whispers in his ear. “You and Cadence shall live forever.”
“Do not dare speak of her — she is my life.” Shining says in a tired voice.
“When I go to Canterlot, I will bring terror alongside me. I will have you and Cadence by my side. And when you are gone from this world, I will remain, for I shall never die.”
“How awful it is to think about those poor sailors,” says Luna quietly, looking at the paper.
Cadence nods in agreement as she puts the finishing touches on Luna’s dress, looking away for a moment to grab more thread. “They say the only one left on board was a unicorn. She was shaking so badly, the poor dear. Eyewitnesses say that there was only a cloud of black smoke that disappeared as quickly as it arrived.” Cadence turns just in time to catch her friend as she nearly faints. “Luna, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing...I just felt a shiver...”
“I’m worried about you, Luna...you’ve began to sleepwalk again.” Cadence looks at the other with sympathy.
“No wonder — can you still believe it? Three suitors in one day!” Luna laughs. “If one proposal isn’t enough.”
Cadence grins. “Which brings us back to our main focus. I want to hear all about them. In detail.”
“Well, the first one is actually from here in Ponyville — his name is Applejack. He wears a large hat.”
“You don’t sound too keen on him.”
“He’s...a strange pony. The next one is a Doctor. Twilight Sparkle. Runs the hospital.”
Cadence fights back a giggle. “Oh, he’ll be torn between you and the madmares.”
Luna playfully smacks her friend on the head. “Finally, we have Trixie. We were neighbors when I was just a little filly. We always went to the same parties, but...he didn’t seem to care much for me until now.”
“What about you? Do you like him?” Cadence tilts her head.
“I am not certain. But the worst thing — they’re all coming over for tea and they want an answer!”
“Who will it be, then? One is dashing, one is a genius, and one is shy.”
Luna shakes her head. “I don’t know. Applejack is a show off, Twilight is smarter than me, and Trixie.... Well, Trixie never talks for long.”
“Even if you do choose today, where will you go? A ranch, a madhouse, or just in the neighborhood? Oh, what about your heart? What does it want? Will it be happy when you choose or will it suffer?”
“Those are the questions I ask myself. Applejack does nothing but show me his skills. And Twilight seems to barely have time for me. But then again, Trixie only plays with dogs.” Luna frowns and Cadence gently lays a hoof on her shoulder.
“Do what you want, Luna. Don’t let other ponies pressure you into choosing the wrong stallion. Do what will make you happy.”
Luna manages a tiny smile. “Thank you, Cadence. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s no trouble. Oh, I think they’re here!” Cadence stands and goes to the door. Twilight, Applejack, and Trixie enter, pleasant smiles on their faces.
“Good afternoon, Luna. We hope you can tell us who you’ve decided upon,” says Twilight with a wink.
Luna thinks for a moment as her eyes land on Trixie. Ever since they were little, Luna has always liked him. He’s the only stallion she’s ever loved. She smiles and clears her throat. “Applejack, it is not you. I’m sorry, but all you do is brag about your so called ‘skills’ with a lasso. Twilight, I’m sorry, but it is not you either. You barely have any time for me as it is. So, I am going to marry Trixie. He’s been my love for as long as I can remember.”
Trixie smiles in triumph while the others grumble and moan. Luna goes over to him and kisses him on the cheek. Maybe this new life isn’t going to be so bad.
_________________
Cadence always loves to walk around Ponyville when the moon is high and everypony is asleep. She likes the quiet and peacefulness of night. Her eyes wander around the homes and shops when they catch something peculiar. Luna appears to be sleepwalking. Curious on where she’s headed, Cadence follows her friend. She suddenly stops as a voice pierces her mind.
‘So you must come as well.’ The voice is deep yet sultry, almost hypnotizing. It takes Cadence a moment to respond with her own thoughts.
‘I do not understand...is this your voice in my thoughts?’ She takes a step forward and freezes as she sees Luna in the grasp of a stallion. The stallion’s eyes lock with hers and seem to stare into her very being. It makes her shiver.
‘You know the answer, my dear.’
‘Why...why is Luna here?’
The stallion’s voice is now strained, almost as if he’s upset and disappointed with her. ‘My message was unquestionably for you. But little Luna here answered, and now she is in your place.’
‘Please, let her go.’ Cadence can’t bear to see her best friend like this, with another stallion who seems to want to harm her.
‘I shall let her go forever if you answer my proposal.’ He loosens his grip on Luna.
Cadence takes a step back and speaks aloud. “No...!”
His eyes lock with hers once more, burning with anger. “Why must you make me wait?”
Cadence blinks and sees him gone. “I....” She rushes over to Luna, wraps her in a blanket, and quickly takes her home. Once inside, she lays her friend on the couch.
“What happened?” Luna asks in a small voice.
Cadence gently puts a hoof on her cheek, not sure how to explain their encounter. Her voice is soft and reassuring. “You had...you were just sleepwalking.”
Luna looks puzzled, as if her words pass right through her. “...really? It felt like a strange dream...”
Cadence starts to get up. “You can tell me about it in the morning.”
“No!” Luna exclaims suddenly. “I...I wish to talk about it now. If we wait until morning, I will surely forget.”
Cadence sits back down and nods. “Alright. Tell me what the dream was about.”
“...my soul felt as if it were floating in the sea at night. Though I was drowning, it felt so real. His eyes were burning right through me, the eyes of a hypnotist. I followed him into the mist of the night. Then, he started speaking to me. I wish I could recall what he said...he mostly spoke about you...”
Cadence, surprised, moves away from Luna. “Of me...?”
“Yes, of you. He spoke about you as if he knew you well. He smiled and whispered your name like a spell...” Luna’s expression turns to one of wistfulness. “Oh, how I wish I could stay with him...”
“Oh, but Luna! We must return to Canterlot. Shining is there and he is very ill!”
“Then you must go to him.”
“I know. I have already booked the train.”
Luna stands and looks at her friend. “Who would have thought, dearest Cadence, that we were both about to marry?” She heads upstairs, leaving Cadence alone.
_________________
The train station is crowded with ponies trying to greet loved ones or simply on their way home. Cadence is amongst them. She looks for Shining and grins once she spots him. She runs over to him and laughs as he twirls her in the air.
“Oh, how I’ve missed you, my love!” Shining says, putting her down.
“I’ve missed you! With you I can overcome all!” Cadence smiles as he puts her down. “I’m just glad you are back.”
Shining nuzzles her cheek. “I’m glad to be back. And I’m glad that you are going to be my wife in a matter of days.”
“As am I.” Cadence smiles sweetly. She walks with her fiancé out of the train station, not knowing that a pair of red eyes watch them from the shadows.
It’s been weeks since Shining and Cadence have been married, and Cadence hasn’t heard from Luna at all. She’s worried for her friend. A horrible thought comes to her mind. What if that stallion got to her just because Cadence refused his offer? She paces around in worry as her husband comes in.
“Is everything alright, Cadence?” he asks in genuine concern.
“No, nothing is right. I’m worried about Luna. I have not heard from her ever since she got married. I do hope she is okay.” Cadence sighs quietly.
Shining gives her a reassuring smile. “Hey. I’m sure she’s fine. She probably just needs time with Trixie. They did get married the same time we did, after all.”
“You may be right. I just...can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.” Cadence bites her lip. Maybe a visit to Ponyville would be best. She could check up on Luna, see how she’s doing.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. A letter came from Ponyville about five minutes ago. It must be from Luna.”
Cadence takes the letter from Shining’s hoof and opens it quickly. She scans it and she turns pale. No...no, it can’t be...
“What is it, dear?” Shining asks as he sees the letter float to the ground.
She looks at him and her eyes are filled with tears. “Luna is dead.”
_________________
The journey to Ponyville is a quiet one. Shining and Cadence are the only two on the train and they just sit and hold each other, occasionally whispering words of comfort. Cadence is the most devastated; she lost her best friend in the world. The letter didn’t explain how she died, it just told them that she was found by Professor Celestia van Helsing and that the memorial service would take place in a few days. But Candence can’t help but wonder if the stallion had any role to play in her death. She certainly hopes not. Once they arrive in Ponyville, Shining and Cadence go to the cemetery for the memorial service. Cadence doesn’t even hear the priest’s words; she’s too caught up in grief. Her and Luna have known each other since they were foals. They were practically inseparable...
“You must be Madame Cadence,” a voice says, “who was such a good friend to Miss Lucy.”
She looks up and sees a stallion with a green mane. “Yes.”
The stallion extends a hoof. “Celestia van Helsing. I assume this fine stallion is your husband?”
“Yes, he is.” She shakes his hoof. “His name is Shining Armor.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Shining smiles politely.
“You have just returned from the Crystal Empire, have you not? Tell me; were you bitten?”
“Just once.”
Celestia nods. “Then in a few months you shall return to your former self.” He turns to Twilight, Trixie, and Applejack. “Now, we must meet back here in two weeks time.”
“Here? Why here?” Twilight asks, a bit of irritation in his voice.
“I am sure Celestia knows what he is doing. Let’s not be so quick to judge,” Trixie states, his voice scratchy and quiet.
Celestia doesn’t seem to hear the grieving stallion. “If the vampire only took her blood, then all is good and well. We need not continue further. But if they shared blood — him to her and her to him — I fear we have a bigger case on our hooves....”
“Now you have gone too far, Professor!” Applejack storms over and the others block his way. “What nonsense is this you speak of? Surely you do not think Luna will become one of the undead! This is madness!”
“Please! I know how difficult this must be for all of you!” Shining pushes his way through the blockade of stallions. “But before you tell him no, you must understand. I will tell you my story of my time in the Crystal Empire. Allow me to share my experiences. If the Professor is right, we need to be prepared.”
The tension in the air is so thick that it could be cut with a knife and not be broken. All is still for a moment before Applejack finally speaks, his voice strained as he grits his teeth. “Very well.”
Shining leads the way to his home and the group follows. The cemetery seems to be quiet except for the sound of hoofsteps. Count Sombra emerges from the shadows, a smirk on his face. They have no idea that this funeral is not much of a funeral after all; no, this is a birth. The birth of his new dynasty. He looks over and sees Luna, her cainines now long and sharp.
“In no time,” he says softly, “you will become a goddess of Equestria. Go, my dear. Show the world your dark potential!”
Luna smiles. Her wings spread and she takes off into the night in search of prey. Sombra, however, comes up with a plan.
He will make sure Cadence is his, whether she likes it or not.
It’s been exactly two weeks since Luna’s memorial. Cadence, Shining, and the others are in the cemetery like Celestia asked them to be. It’s dark and quiet, and every noise makes the ponies jump with fright. The mist is so thick that they have trouble seeing what’s around them. Applejack is the first to talk and breaks the silence.
“Does the professor really think that these foals who have vanished in the last two weeks are the victims of—”
“Of Luna, yes.” Shining answers quietly.
“A remarkable theory if I do say so myself.” Applejack rolls his eyes.
Celestia emerges from the shadows, his eyes cold. He opens his bag, just to be prepared. “The grave is open.”
“Perhaps it was just robbers...?” Trixie asks hopefully.
“No no, my friend. It is something more.”
As soon as Celestia finishes his words, a soft melody echoes through the area. Everypony looks at one another, a bit wary. The melody gets closer until Luna appears, holding a filly’s hoof. The pair don’t even seem to notice the group of ponies beside them. Luna has the filly kneel down and gives her a small toy. The filly is too distracted to see that Luna’s fangs are coming within inches of her neck.
“Luna, stop!” Trixie yells. Twilight and Applejack hold him in place. Luna growls and grabs the filly tightly.
Celestia brandishes a cruxifix toward Luna, who flinches. “We command you to release the filly! Release her now!”
The others hold their own crosses to Luna and repeat what Celestia said. Cadence stands on the sidelines and takes in a shaky breath. ‘Oh, Luna,’ she thinks solemnly, ‘what has become of you? Why must he do this...?’
Luna growls once more and relinquishes her grip on the filly. The filly rushes toward safety. Luna disappears into the mist and Celestia runs after her, a stake in his magical grip.
“Don’t look,” says Shining as he embraces his wife. Cadence flinches as she hears her friend’s wails of pain. Tears come to her eyes and she sobs, heartbroken. She tears herself away from Shining’s arms and flies home.
_________________
‘Why must you make me wait?’ Count Sombra’s voice echoes in Cadence’s mind as she enters her home.
“How can you ask me that?!” she yells out loud as tears stream down her face.
‘I am not accustomed to having to wait for so long. I am impatient.’ His tone takes on anger and irritation as it breaks through her thoughts.
“You had Luna killed!”
‘No I did not, my dear. It was Celestia who carried out that deed. No, no. On the contrary...I would have granted her eternal life. It was all of you who made her life end so quickly.’
Candence wipes her eyes angrily. “That is not the Luna I knew. The Luna I knew was sweet and kind and generous. That Luna was nothing but a horrid distortion.”
He laughs darkly. ‘You are right, my dear. But I cannot persuade you of my previous statement until you long for me. And until you let me in.’ His voice fades away.
Cadence sits in an armchair and wipes her eyes once more. Her heart is torn. Torn between longing and loyalty, torn between joy and pain. Even though he is gone from her mind, she knows that he can still hear her. ‘Please...do not make me long for you. I do not need you in my life. If you truly love me...do not make me want you until you love me, until I feel the same way you do...’
No response. Cadence sighs and puts her head in her hooves.
“I know this must be difficult for you.” Celestia enters the room and startles Cadence. “Yet we cannot stop now. We have gathered new information about various ways to find and destroy the vampire once and for all. One from your husband, who found the coffins the vampire sleeps in. They are filled with dirt from the Crystal Empire. He and the others are on their way right now to douse the coffins in holy water. To add onto this, we have learned from Doctor Twilight that a method of communication exists between the Count and Twilight’s patient, Pinkamena Diane Pie. We need not delay this visit further.” Celestia beckons for the other to follow.
_________________
Twilight enters the cell of Pinkamena, who is huddled in the corner. “Good evening, Pinkamena. I have brought some visitors who wish to speak with you.” He opens the door wider to allow the two ponies in.
Pinkamena lifts his head and gasps when he sees Cadence. “You...!”
“You know me...?” Cadence tilts her head, wary.
“Oh, yes. You are the one my master wants. How do I know this, you ask? For five years he has always been inside my head. I always know what he’s thinking. He wants you, my dear. You alone.”
Slowly, Cadence kneels next to him. “Why do you trouble yourself on his behalf?”
“He provides me with what I need,” he says simply with a shrug of his shoulders. “He has promised me freedom as well as Equestria.”
Cadence places a hoof on his shoulder. “Is the world worth more than your soul?”
“You must leave this place immediately. Go somewhere far away. Do not talk to anypony, do not sleep. Just go. I am a dead stallion for telling you this, but you need to leave.”
Celestia puts a hoof on Cadence and leads her out of the room. The cell door slams and Pinkamena is alone.
Not entirely alone, that is.
“Oh, Pinkamena. You were such a faithful pony.” Sombra appears from the darkness and tuts. “But now? Now you have disappointed me!” His horn flares up with a black aura, tinged with green and purple. He directs the beam toward Pinkamena. In a flash of light, the cell is empty.
_________________
“I know where he’s hiding!” Shining exclaims as he enters his own house. Celestia has been watching over Cadence and asked her husband to leave them for a few hours. It’s only been thirty minutes.
“He’s hiding at an abandoned farm not far from mine,” says Applejack.
“We must go at once.” Shining starts to head out.
“You would be better off staying here with Madame Cadence.”
Shining laughs lightly. “Is that really necessary, Professor?”
“Yes, if you want to keep her from falling into the Count’s hooves.” Celestia looks the stallion in the eyes. “Any precaution cannot be too great if it ensures the welfare of...Madame Cadence?” He just happens to glance at the stairs and sees Cadence, who has been there the whole time.
“Of course. You are right.” Shining sighs and goes over to his wife.
“Let me go with you. I do not need protection. I am not helpless, you know.” Cadence looks to Shining and Celestia.
“I think not, young lady. This is not a task for a mare like you.” Twilight speaks up.
“I must agree with your friends. You are to stay here with Shining. End of discussion.” Celestia puts on his coat and grabs his bag. “Now, let us be off.”
“I will show you out.” Shining smiles at the stallions and leads them outside.
Cadence is alone.
