Walking down the dusty path through the Everfree forest, a canary yellow Earth Pony mare wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, a hip length blood red leather jacket and black boots, stops in the middle of the path to let down her rectangle silver coloured metal case, which has a black arm strap attached to either end. Taking several breaths, she wipes the burnt orange mane with black streaks out of her face as she drinks from a metal canteen which was attached to her hip.

"Because building an academy deep within a dangerous forest with a dirt path leading straight there was a good idea... Who does that?" She asks herself as she aims to catch her breath.

"Watch out!" The mare perks up at hearing a random voice yell from behind.

Turning around, the mare is just barely able to avoid a speeding pedal bike as it races past her, seemingly in slow motion. Atop the bike is a slightly cloudy white Earth Pony mare who has an elegant bubblegum blue mane and tail with the same cloudy white highlights. She wears a black skirt and blazer both with bright red trim, a white shirt, black stockings and black shoes. The mare's aquamarine eyes met the others emerald eyes for a brief moment before she continued in regular motion.

"Don't just stand in the middle of the path!" She heckles back as she vanishes further up the path towards the first mare's destination.

"Good job Amore, day one and you've already made a new friend by nearly getting run over... This should be fun." Sighing deeply, Amore shoulders her metal case before carrying on up the path where the other mare had gone just moments ago.

Speeding through an open pair of gothic styled gates the mare on the bike sways past several students wearing two different versions of her uniform. One is forest green with white trim while the other is aqua blue with white trim. Barely clipping a Unicorn mare's messenger bag she glances back to shout an apology.

"Slow down Sugar Fizz, the day is still early!" She yells after the mare on the bike, but she is already turning past the academy.

The facility itself appears to be a larger than normal square U shape school building which is more gothic and strange, especially as in the sky sits a blood red moon which wasn't noticeable before. Behind the academy is the track field, shower block and equipment shed, to the right is a set aside area which is home to a widespread greenhouse, to the left of the academy is seemingly just forest with a crypt entrance. Drifting her bike, Sugar Fizz quickly continues towards a holding area which is set up on the left side of the academy for students who have bikes. Hopping off it and locking it with a bike lock, Sugar Fizz adjusts her uniform and hair before taking a brisk walking pace inside and all the way up to the third floor where she follows a couple of corridors, eventually stopping in front of an engraved double door with a plaque which reads, 'Principal's Office'. Calming herself down with a deep breath she is about to knock before a voice speaks surprising her.

"You may enter, Miss Fizz." A gentle, yet regal voice states through the wood.

Nodding to herself, Sugar Fizz opens the door to enter the office, it being of fairly normal decoration, a coffee table with two midnight blue leather sofas near to the mahogany engraved desk where the Princess of the Night sat in a leather swivel chair. On the left side of the room were several display cases to show off the academies achievements while the right held two large bookcases with a pedestal to separate them, holding a bust of the princess herself upon it.

"Pardon the intrusion. You wanted to see me, Principal Luna?" Sugar Fizz asks as she walks over to the desk.

Also standing next to the desk is a pale silver-blue Earth Pony mare with a well-brushed midnight blue mane that has silver highlights. Her amethyst eyes are focused and confident as she stands with her arms crossed. The uniform she wears is the same colour scheme as the one Sugar Fizz has on.

"We have a new one coming today it seems. Her record suggests she makes trouble." The mare states catching Sugar Fizz's attention.

"Good Morning, Student Council President Symphony." Sugar Fizz smiles and bows slightly.

"Likewise, Vice President." Symphony replies, but remains in her current composure.

Princess Luna clears her throat before leaning back in her chair.

"Like Symphony just said, we have a new potential student coming in today. If she's anything like I imagine, you'll have your hands full. Though, from what I understand in her record that the Crystal Academy sent over, she normally needs to be provoked before-" Princess Luna is interrupted mid-sentence by a loud rumble which originates from the academy front gates.

"W-what was that?!" Sugar Fizz asks looking around before going to the window behind Princess Luna.

Looking down, she can see a group of three stallions who she knows tend to cause trouble. In front of them is Amore, the mare she passed on her bike.

"That, Miss Fizz, is Amore. Apparently, she was highly praised for her combat capability by the Crystal Academy sports team captain. You should be able to diffuse this situation by yourself, right?" Princess Luna looks at Sugar Fizz while now standing beside her.

"Y-yeah, sure, no pressure. How difficult can one mare be after all?" Sugar Fizz sighs internally as she takes her leave, exiting the office.

"Principal Luna, who exactly is that mare?" Symphony asks moving to stand in Sugar Fizz's spot.

"The daughter of a close friend..." Princess Luna sighs lightly before smiling a little.

Sugar Fizz rushes out of the academy main doors heading over to where the commotion is a short distance away.

"Stop making a mess of the place!" She demands, coming to a halt just shy of the action.

Taking a moment to stop trying to hit the three stallions, who are wearing forest green uniforms, she looks at Sugar Fizz.

"Oh, hey, you're the reckless mare on the bike. Sup?" Amore asks as she leans on her silver case.

Rolling her eyes, Sugar Fizz sighs deeply before looking at Amore sternly.

"Yes, hello, that's me. Now, can you please stop wrecking the place on account of these three?" Sugar Fizz requests before turning towards the three stallions.

"Screw you, Sugar Fizz! This freak gave us a funny look so we're teaching her a lesson!" The middle stallion states brashly.

Groaning and rubbing her muzzle, Sugar Fizz sighs. Taking her eyes off them for a second, they decide to charge Amore before being smacked hard by her silver case which forces the stallions to recoil as they hiss at her. Looking confused, Amore notices a little bit of steam rising off them where her silver case impacted.

"That doesn't normally happen..." Amore ponders as she looks at her silver case.

Looking confused, Sugar Fizz makes an assumption in her mind before hastily trying to shoo away the three stallions.

"I suggest you three leave before you cause enough trouble for the president to get involved." Sugar Fizz threatens which makes them look at each other before reluctantly leaving.

As she goes to leave, she stops upon hearing Amore's voice.

"Hey, looking around I can tell it's something significant. So, what exactly does your uniform mean?" She asks, leaning on her case.

"It's the uniform of the academy student council." Sugar Fizz states glancing back before she is stopped again by a rock thrown at the ground in front of her.

Turning around she frowns as the offender is clearly Amore who tosses a second rock into the air several times.

"I'm sorry, but if you're on the student council... I, Amore, would like to challenge you, Sugar Fizz, to a duel." Amore states with a serious expression.

"Are you kidding me? You fight with three students upon barely getting here and now you're challenging a member of the student council?!" Sugar Fizz recounts the flow of incidents leading up to this point.

"I think that sounds like an interesting idea." Symphony comments nearby as she stands a short distance between them, but more towards the academy.

"President..? You realise how stupid this is right? She didn't even declare a house and has no idea of the proper ethics at Armonia." Sugar Fizz groans as she folds her arms and rubs her eyes.

Chuckling in amusement, the student council president throws Sugar Fizz a midnight blue scabbard which holds a sheathed rapier.

"Then why don't you educate her, vice president, Sugar Fizz Von Heartstrings. House or not, she did challenge you with the proper duel formality that is to be expected." Symphony folds her arms again as she awaits Sugar Fizz's reply.

Sugar Fizz sighs before attaching the scabbard to her hip, clearing her throat and standing properly.

“I, Sugar Fizz Von Heartstrings, accept the challenge set forth by Amore.” Sugar Fizz draws her rapier and gives it a few test flicks.

Amore sets down her silver case and opens it up to reveal a snuggly fit blood metal longsword in the base section while in the top is a black electric guitar fit into the same material as the longsword. Amore takes out a pair of blood red headphones which were fitted next to the guitar with a black Mp3 player, which she attaches to her hip before putting the headphones around her neck. Amore then picks up the longsword and closes the case, so she can kick it aside for the moment.

“I hope your flank isn’t the only fine thing about you.” Amore comments as she prepares herself.

“I’ll make you eat that remark…” Sugar Fizz frowns as she limbers up.

“As a member of the Von Melody family, I shall be witness to this duel and vow to uphold the results regardless of personal attachments.” Symphony states before signalling the start of the duel.

Wanting to finish the duel as quickly as possible Sugar Fizz opts for charging at Amore, while the mare in question puts her headphones on, properly slotting the jack into the Mp3 player. Narrowly deflecting the precise rapier lunge, Amore jumps back slightly to gain a bit of distance.

"Running away already?" Sugar Fizz comments in an attempt to taunt Amore.

Detaching her Mp3 briefly she flicks through a few songs before settling on one she likes and preparing herself.

"Nah, just wanted to set up my music first." Amore smiles before flexing her sword arm a little.

Continuing the fight, Amore steps off her position to charge Sugar Fizz who blocks a slash from her longsword. Utilizing the rebound, Amore takes advantage of the momentum to strike again and again making Sugar Fizz slowly step backwards. Seeing an opening, Sugar Fizz strikes forward with a lunge to break Amore's assault, making the mare in question dodge slightly to the right to avoid it. Pressing the break, Sugar Fizz strikes hard and fast making Amore block or dodge her flurry of precise, lightning fast attacks. Dropping down into a very low squat, Amore spins around to sweep kick Sugar Fizz off of her feet before facing forwards again to slam her handle and free hand into her stomach, sending her flying across the floor. Once she stops rolling, Sugar Fizz coughs before getting up and wiping her mouth.

"Interesting..." Symphony strokes her chin as she continues to watch the fight.

"W-what kind of fighting style is that? Is that even allowed?" Sugar Fizz complains before Amore catches up to her.

Springing a barely manageable defence at the sudden lunge, Sugar Fizz's rapier slides along Amore's longsword before meeting at the hilt. Growing frustrated, Sugar Fizz kicks Amore in the stomach with a single straight kick. Stumbling backwards a little, Amore chuckles as she cracks her neck. Speeding towards Sugar Fizz, Amore jumps up to perform a two-step kick, the first blow landing in her stomach, the second carrying momentum to slam against her face, again sending her flying to roll across the floor. Coughing more this time and clenching her teeth, Sugar Fizz stands back up before taking a deep breath.

"I've had about enough of this embarrassment... I thought it might be prudent to hold off a bit as I wasn't sure if you knew about the true nature of this academy. You were surprised at the effect of silver on those students, which lead me to believe you are oblivious at this point, I'll relish putting you down..." Sugar Fizz states before spreading a pair of medium sized bat-like wings from her back and the mare's eyes turning blood red.

Charging yet again at Amore, Sugar Fizz attempts to finish the fight with a flurry of fast, precise attacks which are surprisingly deflected with Amore's own flurry of matched strikes. The speed difference is apparent as wounds begin appearing on Amore, including cuts in her outfit. Pushing herself forward, Amore continues to strike harder and faster, slowly catching up to Sugar Fizz's supernatural speed. Deep cuts and gashes appear on the ground around the pair as their duel continues to escalate. Breaking away a fair distance from each other, both mares are panting with an equal amount of wounds each. Sensing the same moment, both mare's ready their weapons before launching one final charge at each other to release their attacks at the opportune moment as they quickly pass each other. Sugar Fizz sheathes her rapier before straightening her uniform.

"Requiem of Lightning." Sugar Fizz states casually before Amore's outfit is cut brutally.

Amore drops her longsword as she falls to her knees, then starts to fall backwards. Her headphones cut in several places. Smirking widely, Amore whispers something before hitting the ground which makes Sugar Fizz stop walking suddenly and touch her stomach.

"Oh, that's a bother..." Sugar Fizz states looking at the blood on her hand before falling onto her front unconscious.

"Sure, I'll just clean up your mess... What is a student council president for anyway?" Symphony mumbles as she looks unamused.

Stirring from her rest, Amore blinks a few times as she looks up at a white ceiling. Taking a few glances around, she can see the room she is in appears to be the Academy infirmary. A sigh catches her attention, making Amore look towards the window to the right, where Symphony stands admiring the sunset in the distance.

"First day back of the new academic year and I already have to deal with this? You're already quite the handful aren't you, Amore." Symphony turns to glance at Amore who simply stares at her.

"Where am I?" Amore states, trying to sit up, but flinches in pain.

Turning around to face the mare properly, Symphony folds her arms.

"You're in the Armonia Academy infirmary, against my better judgement. Your duel this morning ended in a tie as you both hit the ground at the same time. I know this'll frustrate Sugar Fizz when she wakes up." Symphony chuckles slightly before taking a seat beside Amore's bed.

"Why not just take me to the Ponyville general hospital, then?" Amore asks confused.

Symphony shakes her head before smiling a little.

"Sugar Fizz was right, you are oblivious. I guess I shall have to educate you in her stead," Symphony clears her throat before looking seriously at Amore. "This is Armonia Academy, one of three academies dedicated to the coexistence between normal entities and supernaturals. The others include Crystal Academy and the Manehattan Institute for Advanced Learning. By your record, it states you attended both prior to coming here and only for a year each. Given this information, I'm surprised you haven't encountered our world before now. To make this transition simple, Sugar Fizz, as you saw previously, is a Vampire. I, too, am also of the Vampire race. Those three stallions you had an altercation with, were Lycans, an evolved Werewolf. Also residing here are a number of other supernatural races and half races. No doubt your arrival with a silver case stirred up a few of them." Symphony explains as she leans back in her chair.

"Wow, that's pretty cool. Didn't really expect it, but I'm not surprised." Amore states, making Symphony tilt her head slightly.

"Interesting... How do-" Symphony stands up suddenly, making Amore follow her line of sight.

Walking over to them is Princess Luna wearing a midnight blue dress with black trim that is slightly modified in places to be better for everyday use.

"Be still Symphony, I wanted to check on these two before starting my nightly duties. How are you feeling Amore?" Princess Luna asks with a calming smile.

"I'm okay... Sorry about the commotion I caused earlier. Those three started it, so I was just defending myself. Sugar Fizz, however... I have this thing where at a new place I have to challenge the strongest, if not one the strongest, students there in order to establish what I'm capable of. I've done it at the past two academies I attended." Amore explains as she sighs slightly.

"I understand. It was explained to me after I gave Principal Nike a call upon reading your record. It was an official duel established by the proper etiquette and witnessed by an established Vampire family representative. Also, an old friend vouched for you, too. Seems he knew you'd make your way here eventually." Luna states as she holds up a letter bearing a crimson bat holding a gemstone seal.

"When did master send you a letter?!" Amore sits up suddenly, but soon hisses in pain.

"A few years ago, but I was instructed not to open it unless you showed up. Seems you meant a lot to that old stallion. You're welcome to stay at our establishment, considering you're a registered student and such. I'll be seeing you around, Miss Amore. Maybe." Princess Luna puts the letter away before exiting the infirmary.

Standing up, Symphony stretches before walking in front of Amore's bed.

"When Sugar Fizz wakes up, give her this and she'll sort everything else out. I hope you enjoy your stay at Armonia Academy." Symphony passes Amore a note and bows before also leaving the infirmary.

Amore takes the note and watches her leave, slowly laying back down. Sighing, she suddenly looks at her clothing to find she is wearing a pair of white shorts and a shirt with her regular red underwear.

"Aww shit... I totally ruined my damn clothes... Ugh!" Amore slams back down into the bed now frustrated.

Author's Note

The first chapter is done and up, starting our new direction with DMM and I'm hoping with how much work I've tried to put into this, it'll be better than the original and the story will flow better without moments and things not lining up like in the original. Least that's what I thought about certain things and aspects which didn't really add up for me and I've taken previous feedback into account when trying to rewrite it. I hope you all enjoy this new version.