Immortal Love

Chapters

The Blood is the Life
Welcome to my Home
Three Suitors for Fluttershy
Children of the Night
Massacre on the Solar Flare

The Blood is the Life

Trotsylvania

In the midst of the Alicorn-Changeling War

The army waited outside the castle for their Princess. The Changeling's were advancing, and they needed to block their final assault. Inside the castle cathedral, the Princess knelt at the idol of the World Goddess, praying for a swift and final victory.

"I wish you didn't have to go," the Princess' love said.

"You know I have to," the Princess said, finally standing up from the idol and approaching her beloved.

"I'm afraid, my love. I fear something will happen to you, and we will never be together again," she said. The Princess smiled, kissing her beloved's hoof.

"Nothing will happen. I will come back to you, this I swear. No force on this world or in the next could keep me from you," she said, but deep down, even SHE didn't believe it. She knew that one lucky sword blow, one mistake on her part, and she could be parted from her love forever. As if they hadn't already been tested in their relationship, what with the trials they had to go to to have an official union, and the talks they'd had about having a filly of their own. But, the Princess was a gifted warrior, and the Changelings knew this. It was more likely that the day would end with Changeling corpses littering the hills and the Princess ending the day thoroughly bedding her wife.

"Surely Cadance or Luna can take charge of the army. I can't bear thinking of you in danger," the Princess' wife said.

"Candance and Luna are skilled strategists, but their armies aren't as skilled as mine against the Changelings, and they know this. I HAVE to go out there," the Princess said.

"I know. It's your duty, and I love you for that, but promise me one thing, beloved. Promise me you'll come back," the Princess' wife said. With a small smile, the Princess kissed her wife softly and tenderly, wrapping her own hoof in her wife's.

"I promise you. I will come back, and if I cannot, I will find you. Wherever you are," the Princess said, pulling away from her wife and levitating her sword to her side. Taking a deep breath, the Princess opened the large doors and exited the castle, taking her place at the front of the army.

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Her sword had split one of the Changelings skulls. Who would have thought that these heartless beings actually had bodily fluids to expel? The Princess smirked, as she saw Princess Cadance and Princess Luna hacking apart another group of Changelings. Two more angry, buzzing Changelings charged the Princess, who intercepted them with her magic and then swiftly decapitated them with an axe, their green blood spraying on the Princess. She was undeterred, however, grabbing a pike and skewering another Changeling on it, sticking it in the ground, with an almost sadistic grin. Her army had decimated the Changelings, she truly turned the tide when she entered the battlefield. She had no idea how long they'd been fighting, how many days had gone by since she'd left the castle. Whirling around, her wings flared out, the Princess levitated her bloody sword in front of her, itching for more Changelings. Her armor and mane and muzzle was covered in the green blood of the Changelings, and her eyes burned with fury. She genuinely hated the creatures, and vowed on the World Goddess that she would wipe them all out. But, no more came. The Princess looked at her surroundings with wide eyes. Changelings were littered around the battlefield, bloody and dismembered, almost half of the army. The rest of it had retreated.

"You know, somepony will start calling you 'The Impaler' if you keep leaving the bodies like that!" Cadance said, approaching the Princess.

"It's an intimidating title, I'll admit," the Princess said.

"It could also give your name a horrible conation. Ponies still call me Nightmare Moon after all this time," Luna said. The Princess nodded, her purple eyes narrowing. Something felt wrong, and she didn't know why. She'd defeated the Changelings, the battle was won. So why did she feel a sense of dread run over her? It was probably nothing, she decided, as she readjusted her armor and sheathed her sword. Her beloved had waited for her long enough.

"Can you two handle the clean up?" the Princess asked, receiving a nod from the other two Alicorns. Unfurling her wings, the Princess took off back into the air, but still that feeling of dread permeated, and it almost seemed to grow the closer she got to the Castle. Landing outside the gate, she was astonished to see her servants seemed surprised to see her. "What is it?! Why're you all looking as if you've seen a ghost?" the Princess asked.

"Truthfully, w-we're surprised you're still alive, Your Majesty," one of the servant mares said.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?!" the Princess barked.

"Days ago, an arrow with a message was shot into the door of the castle. It said..you'd been slain in battle," the mare said. The Princess gasped, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She looked at all the gathered ponies but noticed the pink hue of her wife was missing in the crowd.

"Where is my beloved?! TELL ME NOW!" the Princess roared, her fury becoming unchained and her horn flaring up. The servants pointed to the cathedral with trembling hooves, cowering from the fury of their Mistress. The Princess paid them no mind, trotting to the cathedral and pulling open the doors. What she saw made her blood run cold. Her beloved wife, her soulmate, lay sprawled on the stone steps of the idol. Her beautiful blue dress was stained with her blood, which enveloped under her. The Princess was frozen. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, she even felt like she couldn't breathe. Her eyes simply bored in on the horrifying scene. Finally, with effort, the Princess stumbled to the floor and crawled to her wife's body, cradling it in her forelegs. Her eyes were drenched with tears, as she brushed her wife's magenta mane away from her face. Where once the beautiful mane was bouncy and full of life, almost resembling a confectionary, now it was matted and straight and soaked in blood. There was a trickle of blood coming from the side of her beloved's muzzle which the Princess wiped off, when one of the residents of the cathedral approached, with a parchment in their hoof.

"Your wife...wrote this before she..flung herself from the castle wall," the orange mare said, with a grim expression on her face. The Princess glared, carefully adjusting the body of her wife on the stone steps, and then grabbed the parchment with her magic. Unfurling it, she saw the elegant scrawl her beloved used as well as some marks staining the page. Her heart ached. Her beloved had been crying as she'd written it. Taking a deep breath, the Princess willed herself to read the words on the page.

My Beloved is dead. There is nothing left for me in this life without her. I pray that the World Goddess will reunite us in the next life.

The Princess was devastated. Her wife was gone. She was too late.

"She's taken her own life. Her soul cannot be saved. She is damned to Tartarus," the orange mare said. The Princess gasped, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. This mare dared to imply that her beloved wife's soul was damned to Tartarus? After everything she'd given to the World Goddess, all the devotion, all the blood she'd spilled, this fool told her it is all for nothing as her beloved was DAMNED?! The fury in her eyes unmatched, the Princess stared down the orange mare, speaking in a voice that was teetering on the edge of madness.

"Her soul is damned? DAMNED?! IS THIS MY REWARD FOR DEFENDING THE WORLD GODDESS'S TEMPLES?! IS THIS MY REWARD FOR ALL THE BODIES I HAVE SACRIFICED IN HER NAME?! I DEVOTED MYSELF FULLY TO HER AND MY REWARD IS FOR MY LOVE'S SOUL TO BE DAMNED?!!" the Princess roared, her magic swelling and creating an aura around her and her wife's corpse. The orange mare glared, flanked by a white unicorn mare and a blue pegasus mare with a multicolored mane.

"This is sacrilege!" the orange mare yelled, flaring her nostrils in anger.

"IS THIS MY REWARD FOR SACRIFICING THE LIVES OF MY SOLDIERS AND RISKING MY OWN, ONLY FOR HER TO SUFFER?!" the Princess bellowed.

"It is the Goddess's Law!" the white unicorn exclaimed.

"THEN I WILL SERVE HER NO MORE!"

"Blasphemy! You would dare risk your own damnation?!" the orange mare yelled.

"I DEMAND THAT SHE COME BEFORE ME AND TELL ME WHY I HAD TO LOSE HER! I DEMAND THAT SHE TELL ME WHY MY LOVE SHOULD SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY WHEN SHE WAS AN INNOCENT!"

"She committed a grave sin!" the blue pegasus yelled over the gale winds that the Princess had conjured!

"HER ONLY SIN WAS LOVING ME!!!!!!!" the furious Alicorn raged. The three ponies were in shock at this display of power and fury.

"It is not our place to question the word of the World Goddess!" the orange mare yelled.

"I WOULD RATHER BE DAMNED THAN TO EVER SERVE HER IF THIS IS MY REWARD FOR DEFENDING HER HOUSE! AND I BANISH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU THAT WOULD FEED FROM HER!"

"REPENT! Repent your ways!" the unicorn yelled.

"I SAID BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT! BE GONE OR I SHALL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU DIE IN THE SAME MANNER AS MY OTHER ENEMIES! LEAVE.ME.ALONE!!!!!!" the Princess screamed, as she drew her sword with her magic and stuck it into the effigy of the World Goddess. Right between her eyes. The three mares gasped, exiting the cathedral while blessing themselves, not wanting the Goddess's wrath that the Princess had brought upon herself. With the cathedral now empty, the Princess collapsed to her fetlocks and cradled the limp body of her wife in her forelegs as she cried out in agony and grief. The pain and emptiness that filled her seemed limitless as she cried out in anguish. There was nothing left for her anymore. Absolutely nothing.

As she clung to her wife's body, the Princess failed to hear the hoof steps of somepony entering the sacred cathedral. Slowly approaching the Princess, the stranger observed the scene before her. She couldn't help but feel a slight bit of remorse and pity for the Princess as she stepped closer.

"It's a horrible feeling, isn't it? The loneliness. The hopelessness." the mare said to her.

"I thought told you to get out of my sight," the Princess said.

"I'm not one of those self-serving sycophants, My Lady," the mare said with a dark chuckle, causing the Princess to turn and look at the mare wearing a strange robe.

"Who are you?" the Princess asked.

"Merely an observer. I've been watching you for sometime now."

"Why? Why me?" the Princess asked.

"Why not you? You are a unique one, Your Majesty. So much has been taken from you, and you've had to suffer for it. So many other ponies in YOUR position would have given up by now. But not you, Princess. No, not you. Instead, you choose to fight back against those that would oppress you," the cloaked mare said.

"I believe in justice! An eye for an eye!" the Princess barked. The mare cackled in reply.

"Except that belief simply leaves you blind. What if..I had something to offer you?" The Princess glared, her horn flaring up again.

"If you're the Dark Lord of Tartarus come to trick me, I'm not interested."

"No, Princess. I'm not the Dark Lord. But, I will admit that I have lived for a very, very long time. I have seen many things and reached many conclusions. You see, I don't believe in death," the mare said to the Princess.

"You speak in riddles, stranger."

"Many things in life ARE a riddle, Your Majesty. For one, I believe your beloved is not lost to you."

"She's dead."

"So? I believe that we don't ascend to a kingdom in the sky when we die. Instead, I believe that we are reborn into a new life. A chance to live this life again and learn from the mistakes of our past lives, if you will. Of course, it may take several years, though. But, I believe that this is the case with your....pet. That she is not lost to you," the mare said and saw that her words were making the Princess think. "I can offer you a way to wait for her return. A way to beat the time ravishing you until you're dead. A way to cheat the Reaper of Souls."

The Princess turned her gaze back on the mysterious cloaked mare. "What are you?" she asked. Clearly the creature in front of her had only taken the form of a pony. The Princess could tell that in reality, it was not.

"I am simply a mare of wealth and taste," the mare replied with a smile, revealing a set of fangs that extended and grew over her normal canines. The Princess gasped, brandishing her sword with her magic and holding it at the cloaked mare.

"Nosferatu!" she said, and saw as the mare's charming smile turned sour quickly.

"A simple and barbaric name for my kind, Majesty. Well, why do you hesitate? Strike me down, if you wish."

The Princess wanted to. She should. She had heard many legends of these creatures of the night. So, why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she will herself to strike the blow?

"Y-You look like a normal pony," the Princess said, her tone barely hiding a tremble.

"It's part of our way, Princess. We can still feel, still taste, still enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. But, we are predators, and we must feed," the vampire said, as it took a few steps closer to the Princess.

That should have been all the proof that the Alicorn needed, so why did she hesitate? Why did she not strike this monster down? Who was she trying to fool? She knew exactly why.

"C-Can I - can I really wait for her? Is what you say really possible?"

"Of course it's possible, Your Majesty. But, if you want to search the oceans of time for her, you must surrender this mortal coil. You must forsake this life and embrace a life beyond that of mortal understanding," the vampire said as she started to smile again ever so slightly.

The Princess closed her eyes for a moment before she looked up again. Her features hardened and became unreadable, but she dropped the sword and loosened her chest plate, letting it fall to the floor with a clang before ripping open the thin white shirt she wore to expose her neck.

"Make it quick," the Princess said.

The vampire grinned as she came closer to the Princess and smelled the anticipation in her. She could hear the Alicorn's heart quicken and her blood gain speed through her veins. She had to control herself from drooling and almost felt an orgasm overcome her as she brushed the dark blue mane away and felt the heat from the Princess's body. The Alicorn flinched ever so slightly, as she felt the vampire's hoof on her collarbone, shoulder and neck. It was warm, but barely, like a strange mixture of heat and cold at the same time. The Princess could feel the vampire's breath on her neck as she came closer, but tried her best to prepare herself for the pain she knew would come. The vampire's smile grew, as her indigo eyes turned red and she bit down.

The Princess gasped, clutching at the vampire's cloak. The pain was intense, but only at first. Now that she could feel the vampire feeding from her, the sensations that followed were so much different. It was pleasurable as the vampire fed. She could feel herself growing weaker, but she also felt a rush of ecstasy and lust take over her as her hind legs became weak. It was almost the first time she'd made love to her wife all over again.

The vampire rose and gasped for air, almost like she'd been underwater for hours. She hadn't tasted blood so rich and full of life in so long. She needed to relish the taste and feeling as it spread through her system like a warm cider. She held the Princess in her forelegs, keeping her head raised as the vampire wiped away the trickle of blood that dribbled down her muzzle. The Princess was having trouble staying awake, it felt like she'd just slipped into a bath that had gone cold and she felt weaker than she could remember. The vampire bit the cloth that covered her foreleg and ripped it open with her teeth. The Princess's eyes went wide as she saw the vampire bite into the flesh of her foreleg and watched as the bright red blood dribbled down her foreleg like a small river.

"I've drained you to the point of death. You have a choice now that I never had. If you wish, you can embrace death. But, if you truly want to be like me and search for your lost wife, then take back the blood I've stolen from you," the vampire said, lowering her bleeding foreleg to the Princess' mouth.

She hesitated at first, questioning her motives. But, when she saw her beloved lying on the floor, cold, and there was a chance she could find her again, to feel her warmth and her love again, then she had to take it. She clutched the foreleg and pressed it to her lips, drinking the blood from the open wound. It was bitter with a large taste of copper, not appealing to her at all. As she drank more blood, however, the taste began to change. It tasted sweeter somehow. Rich and flavorful. It reminded the Princess of the sweets she'd snuck out of the kitchens with her brother so many years ago when she was a filly. As she drank more of the blood, the Princess felt her strength return as well as the erotic feelings that were flowing through her mind. She wanted more. So much more. She was ready to rip the vampire's foreleg off to drink more before she felt a stabbing sensation in her chest. She pushed the foreleg away as she cried out in pain and clutched her chest tightly. As the pain grew, she curled into a fetal position as it became unbearable burning that seemed to spread throughout her entire body. What had she done to herself? If she had watched her beloved's body as she curled up, she would have seen a single tear form from her closed eyes and fall down her cheek to the ground below.

"It will pass in a moment. The infection is taking hold inside of you; changing your body," the vampire said, as she flexed her foreleg and watched the wound she'd inflicted on herself heal. "The things you will be able to do and see is beyond imagination, and I will teach you everything you need to know," she said, as she crawled over to the Princess and leered at her prone and aching form. "The history books will record the things we accomplish together. No kingdom has ever seen what we will become. An undying queen of untold beauty, and with me by your side, you will forget about that pathetic...."

The vampire never finished her sentence as the Princess's hoof shot upward and clutched the vampire's throat tightly, beginning to cut off her air supply. Her body was in such torment that she doubted even the Changelings had suffered agony like this. But as she glared at the vampire in front of her, she pushed through the pain and forced herself to act. Pure will and determination were driving her as she stood on her hind legs and felt her breathing become ragged with rage.

"I should have known," she growled at the struggling vampire. "Pony or Nosferatu, all of you are the same. You think I can love somepony like you, when I held true love in my hooves?!" she demanded from the vampire as she pushed her back to the alter. "You saw yourself as a queen in MY kingdom? How dare you!" she said.

"This-this is impossible!" the vampire trembled, seeing the rage and hatred grow in the Princess's eyes. She could see that the alicorn was still in pain, but she'd never seen a pony endure torment like this pony was now. What kind of pony was she?

"HOW DARE YOU!" the Princess roared, using her magic to tighten her grip on the vampire's throat, beginning to crush her windpipe.

"W-What are you doing?" the vampire asked as the Princess drew closer, then watched in fear and horror as her eyes changed from their deep purple to blood red.

"I am Twilight Dracula! The blood is the life," she whispered to the vampire. "And it shall be mine!" she growled, before tearing into the vampires neck and letting her agonized screams of pain echo through the cathedral.

Author's Note

This is a bit out of my comfort zone. I've been watching FFC's Dracula movie on Netflix, and I couldn't get Twinkie allegory's out of my head. Originally, Pinkie was going to be Dracula, but after thinking about it, Twilight worked better for the Vlad from Coppola's movie. Now, if you're familiar with the movie, then you know that there is NO vampire that turns Vlad in the movie. The vampire I thought would work a lot better because it makes the sacrifice a bit more romantic than selfish like it was portrayed in the movie. Next chapter is going to be our first meeting with our Jonathon Harker. How many guesses for who I'm using as Harker? One thing I can say, whoever I choose will be better than Keanu in this movie. Also, since this is the first and last time they'll appear, the vampire that turned Twilight is supposed to be based off of Starlight. Stay tuned guys.

Welcome to my Home

On the train to Trotsylvania

The Journal of Cheese Sandwich

I left the station in Lunapest early this morning. The impression I got was we were leaving the west and then entering the east. The region I'm heading into is in the far east of the country in between three states in the Canterthian Mountains.

Cheese Sandwich pulled back his quill, reaching into his bag, and pulling out the letter from his mysterious client.

My friend,
Welcome to the Canterthians. I am eagerly expecting you. At the Morgo Pass, my carriage will come by to bring you to me. I trust your journey from Canterlot has been a happy one, and that you'll enjoy your stay in my beautiful land.
-Your friend, D

This wasn't the first time he'd read the letter from the mysterious Countess Dracula, but as he approached the station that would lead him to the Morgo Pass, the words brought new thoughts to his head. What did the Countess look like? He hadn't the faintest idea, he'd never met the mare. His predecessor, Moondancer, had gone to Trotsylvania the first time to meet the Countess, but when she returned to Canterlot, they found her to be nothing but a gibbering lunatic. She was currently holed up in Everfree Asylum. Cheese hoped that this assignment would give him enough of the money he needed to finally marry his fiancee, Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie. All he needed was the Countess's signature and hoof print to make the documents official and everything would be finished. The Countess would be the owner of the Everfree Abbey, as well as some other locations in Canterlot, and Cheese would be paid enough to finally marry Pinkie. As the train came to a stop, Cheese gathered up his belongings and headed for the station to call for a carriage.

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The carriage ponies were nervous, there was no doubt. Cheese had asked them if they could take him to the Morgo Pass. They obliged, but were hesitant. He would have simply written it off as superstitious nonsense, but being a foreigner in this strange land, he held his tongue. As the carriage wove and twisted through the roads to the Morgo Pass, Cheese started to hear the atmosphere of the land. The howling of Timberwolves followed him in the carriage, the bumpy path not helping his nervousness. Soon, the carriage slowed to a stop, and the door opened.

"Driver, I think we're early. There's nopony here," Cheese said, pulling his luggage out of the carriage.

"They will arrive, Sir," the Driver replied, as his daughter handed him a necklace with the image of the World Goddess on it.

"To ward off the evil of the land," she said, then the carriage drove off, leaving Cheese alone on the Morgo Pass. The night was dark, save for the light of the full moon, and the Timberwolves were close. The mist made it hard to see anything for miles, then suddenly a large black carriage drove out from the mist. It stopped next to Cheese and the door opened of it's own accord. The stallion gulped, but stepped inside, as the door closed and the carriage drove on. Cheese looked out the window as he rode in the carriage, seeing that the wheels were dangerously close to the edge of the cliff face, and the TImberwolves picked up their howling. That's when he saw it. Castle Dracula. It was a spectacle to behold in both the sheer size and the mountain it seemed situated upon. A bolt of lightning shocked Cheese out of his thoughts as the carriage pulled closer to the gate of the castle. There was a series of strange blue rings close to the gate that seemed to burn with elemental fire. The stallion simply chalked it up as another strange happening in this strange, strange land. When the carriage stopped, and the door opened, Cheese got out with his luggage and headed for the front door. The wrought iron bars pulled back to reveal the interior of the castle and that's when he saw her. Dressed in a long red robe, and white nightgown, stood Countess Dracula. Her horn glowed with magenta magic, holding up a lantern, but it was her outward appearance that was most frightening. The stallion could see she was purple, but a pale, pale purple. Her mane, which he thought must have once been vibrant and colorful, was now grey and white, save for a small sliver of pink that showed on her bangs. Her eyes were the most striking feature. They were deep dark purple, yet Cheese could see a hint of red in them, though that could have been a trick of the light. She smiled very small and spoke in a tired, raspy tone.

"Welcome to my home. Enter freely of your own will, and leave behind some of the happiness you bring," she said.

"Countess Dracula?" Cheese asked. He was pretty certain that's who this mare was, but he needed to be sure.

"I..am..Dracula. And I welcome you, Mr. Sandwich, to my house. Please, come in," she said, her smile becoming bigger as she motioned for Cheese to enter. With a deep breath, the stallion stepped inside onto the hard stone floor of Castle Dracula. His mysterious host led him to a well laid out dining table, where three mares waited. One of them was a turquoise unicorn with a sea green mane, another was an ocean blue mare with a silver mane, and the third was a yellow mare with a pink and blue mane. All of them smiled at the approach of their Mistress, and pulled away. The Countess pulled out a chair for Cheese and motioned for him to sit. He did so, as a plate of fruit was put in front of him the by turquoise unicorn. "That will be all, Lyra," the Countess said. The unicorn bowed as she and the two others exited. The Countess smiled at Cheese as she poured him a glass of wine, placing a few slices of tomato and some of the freshly chopped lettuce in front of the stallion. "You'll forgive me if I don't join you, my friend. I've already dined, and I don't drink...wine," she said, with a smirk. Cheese smiled in return, turning his head to see a portrait on the wall. The mare in the picture looked very much like the Countess. Same mane, same eyes, but much brighter purple and her mane was a dark blue with purple and pink highlights in her bangs.

"Is she an ancestor? I can see a resemblance," Chesse said, taking a bite of the tomato. The Countess turned and smiled at the picture.

"The Order of the Dracul. The Dragon, you see. An ancient society pledging my ancestors to defend their cathedrals against the enemies of the World Goddess. But, that relationship wasn't so...successful," the Countess said with a dry chuckle. Cheese nodded, chuckling as well, prompting a growl from the Countess and leading to a sword pointed at his throat. "IT'S NO LAUGHING MATTER! We Draculs have a right to be proud! What power is so great as the warriors and kings whose blood flows through these veins?" the Countess roared, her voice echoing off the walls of the castle. Cheese's eyes widened in shock, as he pulled back, away from the sword. Taking a few deep breaths, the Countess lowered the sword. "Blood is too precious a thing in these times, Mr. Sandwich. The times of war are over. The great deeds of my family are simply tales to tell, now. I'm the last of my kind. Forgive me if I startled you," she said, with a slight bow. Cheese took a deep breath himself and stood up from the table.

"Please. I've offended you with MY ignorance, Countess. Forgive me," Cheese said, with his own bow. The Countess smiled, sitting back down.

"Come. You must eat, my friend. We have much to accomplish tonight," she said, as Cheese went back to eating.

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With a signature and a hoof print, the documents were primed. Finishing with a wax seal, Cheese smiled, straightening the papers. Only a few more words to sign off that he witnessed the purchase and they'd be done.

"I can't wait to go through the crowded streets of your Canterlot, and to see the rush and bustle of ponykind. To share in it's life, it's changes and it's death," the Countess said. Cheese smiled, standing up from the table in the Countess's study.

"There you are. You, Countess, are now the proud owner of Everfree Abbey. Congratulations," he said, hoofing the papers to the Countess.

"Your firm speaks highly of your talents, Mr. Sandwich. They say you're a stallion of good...taste. And, you're an excellent substitute to your predecessor, Ms. Moondancer," the Countess said with a smile, turning around and then freezing.

"You can rely on me, Countess, I assure you. Please, forgive my curiosity, but why ten houses in these precise locations around Canterlot?" The Countess didn't respond to the question.

"D-Do you believe in destiny, Mr. Sandwich? That even the powers of time can be changed to suit a single purpose?" she asked, her hoof shaking as she reached for the picture on the table. It couldn't be real. Throughout her long life alone as this..creature that she was, the Princess thought that the vampire had tricked her. Her beloved was simply dead and there was no rebirth. Now, however, as she gazed at the mare in the picture, she saw it was real. This mare WAS her beloved. The vampire had spoken true. She had the same eyes, same muzzle, even the same mane. A pity the picture couldn't talk. She longed to hear the melodic voice of her love. "The luckiest pony who exists in this world is the one who finds..true love," she said, for the first time in a while actually feeling tears come to her eyes. Not the bloody imposters she'd dealt with previously. Actual, salty tears.

"Oh, you found Pinkie. I thought I'd lost her on the trip here. We're getting married as soon as I return," he said. The Countess was silent, but inside, she raged. This young upstart. How dare he assume that her love was HIS to take. That he could make her beloved his FIANCEE! She had every mind to rip the stallion apart right there, but no. No. She would continue to play the part of the dutiful host until the preparations were finished. Now, she had REAL purpose to go to Canterlot aside from spreading her influence. She had waited long enough to be reunited with her beloved again. "Are you married, Countess?" the upstart asked, shaking the Countess out of her stupor.

"I was married once," the Countess said through her tears. "Ages ago, it seems now. She died."

"Oh. I'm very sorry," Cheese said. The Countess didn't need his pity.

"She was the fortunate one. My life, at its best, is a misery, Mr. Sandwich. She will make a devoted wife, and you a faithful husband," the Countess said, the words ripping apart her heart as she hoofed the picture back to Cheese. "Come. Write, my friend, to your firm and to any loved ones saying that it shall please you to stay with me until..a month from now," she said with a smirk.

"A month? Really? You want me to stay that long?" Cheese asked in astonishment. The Countess leaned forward, into his space, and answered him, for the first time, with a growl.

"I won't accept a refusal, Mr. Sandwich." With a curt nod, Cheese began to write, as the Countess disappeared into the emptiness of the castle. Things had now been set in motion.

Author's Note

Cheese Sandwich as Mr. Jonathon Harker. As much as I dislike the Cheese/Pinkie ship, I'm enduring it for this story. It's still a TwiPie story at heart. The next chapter will be the first time we meet Pinkie in the story, and our Lucy allegory, along with her three suitors. Hope you enjoyed, everypony. It only gets darker from here.

Three Suitors for Fluttershy

Canterlot

The Journal of Pinkamena Diane Pie

Cheese doesn't want me to stay with Fluttershy while he's away, I know that. He thinks that if I stay too long in the wealthy house of the Shy family that I won't be content with him as a law firm clerk. But, Fluttershy and I have been friends since we were fillies and she never minded that I'm only a baker.

Pinkie sighed, pulling her hooves away from the typewriter. It's been days since Cheese had left for Trotsylvania, promising that they'd marry as soon as he returned. Even though Pinkie understood, it was frustrating. She would have been fine marrying Cheese with the money he already had. He made enough at the firm, she didn't need a large wedding. But, Cheese was a stubborn stallion, and insisted that this would generate a magnificent pay for him. He was aiding a Countess after all. That brought Pinkie to other thoughts. Who was this mysterious Countess Dracula? Clearly she was a pony of high standing, being a Countess after all. That was another peculiarity. Pinkie had never MET a Countess. She'd met many Dukes, and Lords and even a Magistrate or two, but never a Countess. It made her wonder WHERE on the totem that left her. Was she higher than a Duke or lower than a Lord? She wasn't sure. Glancing at the book next to her, she slowly opened it to a HIGHLY explicit sexual act. The stallion was shafted deep inside of the mare on the page, and the mare's face definitely conveyed she was enjoying it. Pinkie shuddered.

"Doesn't look like she'd enjoy it," she said to herself.

"PINKIE!" Fluttershy called through the house. Slapping the book closed, Pinkie went back to the typewriter. Hovering to her friend, Fluttershy smiled. "Are you really still working? Ugh, Pinkie, you need to take a break. Is Cheese making you work overtime? Why? He SHOULD be seeing how far you can bend on the living room floor on top of him," she said cheekily and with a giggle. Pinkie rolled her eyes.

"Flutters, come on. You know Cheese isn't that type of stallion," she said.

"Have you tried ASKING him?" Fluttershy asked, sitting down next to her friend's chair.

"Well, no. But, even if I did, I know he would have refused. There's more to marriage than just sex, you know," Pinkie said, when her foreleg knocked the book off of the desk and fell open to a particularly explicit page. Fluttershy grinned.

"Oh. Somepony's curious," she chuckled, grabbing the book with her wings and taking a look at the pictures. Pinkie blushed, as the two mare's flipped through it.

"Can you make any sense of it, Flutters? Because I can't. How are mares and stallions supposed to BEND like this?" she asked, holding the book vertically and squinting her eyes.

"I did. Last night," Fluttershy said teasingly.

"FIBBER! You didn't!" Pinkie Pie gasped.

"I did. In my dreams," Fluttershy giggled. Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, I can tell there's something wrong. I'm your friend, you can tell me. Does it have to do with Cheese?" Fluttershy asked, placing a comforting hoof on Pinkie's.

"It's just..he thinks he's too poor to marry me. I'd be fine with what money he has. And, no offense, but it's not really helping being here with you, my rich friend," she said.

"Yet, I haven't even gotten ONE marriage proposal. It's irritating," Fluttershy said with a pout.

"Oh yeah, Flutters. You're practically a hag, now," Pinkie giggled and getting a playful slap from Fluttershy, who giggled in turn.

"Are you excited for the party tonight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Of course. You know I LOVE a party, Flutters. It'll be fun," Pinkie said.

"Yup, and who knows, maybe I'll get lucky tonight," Fluttershy giggled.

"FLUTTERS!" Pinkie gasped, slapping her playfully.

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The party was in full swing that night. Pinkie always said her friend threw the best parties. Of course, she helped in the preparations, but most of it was Fluttershy's doing. Fluttershy, in her red dress, and Pinkie Pie, in her green one, watched as the guests arrived.

"Ms. Derpy Hooves!" the butler called, as a grey pegasus mare came into the room. Fluttershy gasped.

"Derpy! Oh, I didn't think she'd come!" she said with a smile, heading over to the grey pegasus.

"DERPY!" she called.

"Hi Fluttershy! You look beautiful!" Derpy said, giving a small nuzzle to the yellow pegasus.

"I can't believe you came," Fluttershy said.

"Well, I wasn't about to miss one of your famous parties," Derpy said, as Pinkie approached.

"Oh, Derpy. This is my best friend, Pinkie Pie. Pinkie, this is Derpy Hooves," Fluttershy said.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss. Pie," Derpy said with a smile.

"Likewise, Derpy. Um, I hope you don't mind me saying so, but your eyes are..unique," Pinkie said. Fluttershy gasped.

"PINKIE!" Derpy smiled shaking her head.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. I'm not offended. I like how my eyes are different. It gives me a sense of identity," she said with a genuine smile.

"Ms. Rarity Belle!" the butler announced, as a white unicorn with a purple mane entered the party.

"RARITY?! Oh, please excuse me, girls. RARITY!" Fluttershy said, hovering over to the unicorn.

"Fluttershy, darling! How good to see you," she said, giving air kisses to the pegasus. Fluttershy smiled, bringing Rarity over to where the other two ponies were.

"Rarity, this is my best friend Pinkie Pie and Derpy Hooves from Ponyville. Girls, this is Rarity, a clothes designer here in Canterlot," Fluttershy said. Pinkie smiled at the unicorn and Derpy nodded.

"A pleasure, darlings. Doesn't my dear Fluttershy throw the most magnificent parties?" she asked, eliciting a giggle from the yellow pegasus.

"Ms. Rainbow Dash!" the butler announced, as a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane entered. Fluttershy's eyes widened, as her heart picked up.

"Dashie? She came? I can't believe it," she said, slowly standing up to greet the blue pegasus.

"I like your dress," Derpy said to Rarity, a bit miffed that Fluttershy seemed to have two other mares vying for her.

"Likewise, darling. Your suit matches your eyes," Rarity replied, equally put off at Fluttershy's other suitors. Pinkie looked from the two of them to Rainbow Dash. Also in a suit, Rainbow Dash seemed to be the most...desired by Fluttershy, with how the pegasus seemed to cling on every word. The pink pony decided to leave them to their devices and went to go get some punch for herself, as Fluttershy approached the two other mares with Rainbow Dash following. Whichever of those three ponies ended up with Fluttershy was still to be decided.

Author's Note

A lot of you probably guessed that Fluttershy was going to be Lucy. The whole Flutterbat thing was too much to pass up on. I know Derpy may seem a bit odd for a romantic pairing with Fluttershy, but Applejack is playing a different part in this story. Next chapter is back to the Castle. If you're wondering, Derpy is the Quincey Morris, Rarity is Jack Seward (so yes, you'll see her again at Everfree Asylum. I haven't forgotten Moondancer and her flies), and Rainbow Dash is Arthur Holmwood. Stay tuned guys.

Children of the Night

Trotsylvania

Journal of Cheese Sandwich

I can't stop seeing it. The way the Countess looked at Pinkie's picture scared me, like I have a part to play in a story I don't know.

Inside his room in the castle, Cheese was shaving in the mirror. His stay in Castle Dracula had been uneventful for the most part. Aside from the aloofness of his host, and the howling of the Timberwolves, and the fact that he seemed to be confined to his room, the stay had been uneventful. He hardly would see any sign of his host or the three ponies who he'd met the first night, Lyra, Trixie and Bon Bon. Every day at different times, he'd receive a tray of food and then nothing. Sometimes he'd be loaned a book, or something else to help him pass the time, but it was never given to him. He always would receive it outside of the door of his room. The door to his room opened silently, revealing the Countess. Cheese had his back to the door, and so didn't see her, yet he thought he could FEEL her presence, like her hoof was touching his back. It startled him, and caused him to cut himself with the razor. He turned around to find the Countess entering the room, levitating some of his clothes and placing them on the bed.

"I didn't hear you come in," he said.

"Be careful cutting yourself. It's more dangerous than you would think," the Countess said, almost gliding over to Cheese. As the stallion turned back to the mirror, he almost saw the lack of an image of the Countess. With a growl, she ducked out of view and the mirror cracked. Cheese gasped, as the Countess chuckled, straightening herself up. "A vile trinket of a pony's vanity. Maybe you should consider growing a beard, my friend," she said, taking the razor from the stallion, who stood still. Out of his view, the Countess raised the bloody razor to her muzzle and licked it off, having to stifle her moan of bliss. It had been too long since she'd tasted fresh blood. "Did you write the letters I asked for?" she asked.

"Yes. Here they are," Cheese said, hoofing them to the Countess. With a smile, the Countess grabbed them with her magic and took a quick look at the addressees. Satisfied, the Countess levitated the razor and went to the side of Cheese, slowly dragging the razor up his neck.

"Should you leave these rooms, you won't go to sleep in any other part of the castle, I trust? It's old and has many bad memories. I don't want you getting hurt, Mr. Sandwich. Be warned," she said.

"I understand, Countess," Cheese said, trying not to betray the uneasiness the pony made him feel. As she drew the razor up again, she caught the reflection of the World Goddess necklace Cheese wore. With a roar, the Countess sprang back, launching Cheese over to the window. The howling of the Timberwolves increased.

"Don't place you faith in trinkets of lies like that. We're in Trotsylvania, Mr. Sandwich. Trotsylvania isn't Canterlot. Our ways aren't your ways. You'll see many strange things," she said.

"I've seen strange things already! Timberwolves chasing me through a blue inferno!" Cheese snapped, opening the window. The howling became clearer, making the Countess laugh!

"Listen to them. The children of the night. Ah, what sweet music they make," she said.

"Music? That's what you call it?" Cheese asked, finding the Countess out of the room. He frowned. There was more to his host than met the eye, and he was going to find out what. Suddenly, out the open window, Cheese saw something that froze his heart in fear. It was the Countess herself, SCALING the outside wall of the castle and growling like some kind of otherworldly beast. The howling Timberwolves seemed to pick up, as he saw her scale the wall down and around to the back of the castle. Nothing more needed to be seen. He was going to find out what was in the deep bowels of the castle. What did Dracula not want him to see?

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The Countess navigated through the vast expanse of the castle after scaling the wall, to where the three ponies waited in the main foyer.

"Is everything being prepared?" she asked. Lyra nodded.

"Yes Mistress. The mares are all on schedule."

"Good. Should you find our guest in need, bring him whatever he wishes in the castle. We must keep up appearances to make him unsuspecting. This one is different. He's headstrong and suspicious. This won't be as easy as it was with Moondancer," the Countess said.

"We'll make sure that he stays in the dark, Mistress." Trixie said.

"Good," the Countess said, stroking the faces of her brides, before heading deep into the bowels of the castle.

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I did as Dracula asked. I wrote three letters. To the firm, my family and my dear Pinkie. I told them nothing of what I'm afraid of because I know she will read them. I know what I am now. I'm a prisoner.

With nothing but a lit candle, Cheese left his room and headed down to the bowels of the castle. He was going to find something, anything that would explain the strange tendencies of the Countess. Cobwebs adorned the walls, as the squeaking and scurrying of rats made for a truly chilling atmosphere. Were it not for the candle, Cheese would have been trapped in darkness. Even with her out of sight, Cheese could almost feel the Countess's presence the deeper he went. He found that he had found a separate parlor, with ancient tapestries and draperies. Finally, he came to a large wooden door. It didn't look like he'd be able to open the thing without making noise, so taking a deep breath, he clutched the handle and pushed his full weight on the door, opening it. The room he was in was huge. There were goblets and chalices and other objects of gold and silver lining the walls. A large wooden chest was situated on the wall to his right, and there was a set of curtains that were drawn. Placing the candle on one of the pillars above him, Cheese opened the chest, finding what looked like perfume bottles and brooches and other more feminine things. He was puzzled. Yes, the Countess was a mare, but he couldn't see his captor WEARING things like this. Perhaps these belonged to the Countess's deceased wife. Picking up one of the bottles, he opened it and watched as the liquid inside dripped UP. Like it had a mind of it's own, the perfume dripped up to the ceiling. He shook his head. For as long as he'd live, he'd never understand magic.

Cheese.

He started. Who'd said that?

Cheese, come to me.

The voice oddly sounded like Pinkie. Closing the bottle and placing it back in the chest, Cheese approached the drawn curtains in the room. As he reached to pull them back, they did so of their own accord, revealing a large square bed. Realization dawned on him. This must've been the Countess's bedroom. But, there was no sign of the mare.

Lay down, Cheese. Lay down.

Every fiber of his being was warning him not to. But, the voice made him curious, along with the fact that the bed looked VERY inviting. Carefully laying down, Cheese felt SOMETHING shift in the bed. Before he could move, the sheets lifted to the reveal Trixie. The stallion's eyes widened. He hadn't seen the unicorn since his first night in the castle, and the look she was giving him now could only be described as hungry. She grinned, sliding up his body, then hissed at the sight of the World Goddess necklace he wore. Melting it with her magic, the unicorn dragged the tip of her tongue up Cheese's neck, and then back down his chest. Cheese gasped, throwing his head back in ecstasy. Dragging her tongue from his chest to his right foreleg, Trixie grinned as Lyra and Bon Bon entered the bed too. The two other mares licked down Cheese's neck to his chest on either side, their eyes red. The stallion opened his eyes, and gasped. Above the bed was a large mirror, and where he thought he would see the images of the three mares, all he saw was his own scared expression. That's when Trixie grinned a fanged grin, biting down on his arm. Cheese yelled in pain as the other two held him down, leaving bites down his chest. His blood started running down his chest and his arm, and he was helpless to do anything. The mares were too strong. Crawling back up to his face, the three mares placed wet kisses on the side of it. All four ponies were lost in ecstasy, when a huge explosion sounded. Flying in the room, her bat wings flapping furiously and her red eyes shining with rage, was the Countess. She roared at the three mares, who leapt off of Cheese in fear of their Mistress's wrath. Trixie leapt up onto the ceiling and crawled into the darkness, and Lyra and Bon Bon slinked away intertwined with each other.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HIM! HE BELONGS TO ME!" the Countess roared. Trixie hissed.

"You've never loved! What do you know of it?!"

"BE SILENT! You know nothing! I have loved harder and stronger than you could ever imagine," the Countess said, landing onto the stone floor. Cheese sat up in the bed, his eyes wide. "And I shall love again." With a sinister grin, the Countess stroked the manes and faces of her brides as they lay at her hooves, moaning and mewling.

"Are we not going to have anything tonight? We've been starving," Bon Bon said. The Countess smiled.

"Of course not. I am always going to look after my brides," she said, flaring up her horn and levitating a linen bundle into the room. Cheese gasped, hearing the coos of a baby. The Countess lowered the infant down to his brides, who immediately took the child into the corner and, punctuated by the screams of the infant, ripped into it's body, draining it of it's blood. Cheese was horrified, shaking his head. The Countess finally made eye contact with him, staring him down in defiance. It was a clear message. A message that he would NEVER be leaving the castle. Cheese screamed, throwing himself back on the bed. The Countess smiled, eliciting a laugh so evil, it would have made the beasts of Tartarus come to heel.

Author's Note

Whew! That was intense, huh. Okay. The next chapter is going to be the Countess's ship ride to England which means the massacre of the crew of the Demeter. Be warned. It's gonna get bloody. Like, really bloody. This story doesn't have a gore warning for nothing. This next chapter and subsequent chapters will be QUITE bloody.

Massacre on the Solar Flare

The Solar Flare

On the Equestrian Sea

Captains Log: The Solar Flare. We picked up 50 boxes of experimental dirt bound for Canterlot. We set sail into a storm that seemed to come out of nowhere and carried us out to sea.

Nothing good could come of this. Lightning Dust was an experienced enough sailor to know that a random storm yielded bad results. It was a bad omen. Things had been fine when they'd picked up their cargo of dirt in Trotsylvania, but as soon as they began on their journey, a freak storm appeared. Now, they were blown out to sea off course and trying to regain their route.

"Tighten the mainsails! We'll use the winds to our advantage! Batten down the hatches and fully unfurl the sheets!" Lightning Dust ordered to the ponies on the deck of the Solar Flare. With effort, the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies did as ordered and the Solar Flare rolled with the waves, the winds pushing it further. Lightning Dust ran to the helm and grabbed the wheel, steadying the Flare as a lightning bolt flashed on the water.

"CAPTAIN! The brig's become waterlogged, Ma'am!" a pink pegasus with a blue mane yelled. Lightning Dust glared.

"Get a few ponies down there and have them bail, then patch up the hole!" she yelled over the winds and rain. The pegasus saluted, as another pegasus, a white one with a curly mane and a blue earth pony ran down to the brig. Setting her brow, Lightning Dust spun the wheel, trying to sail them into the calmer part of the storm. She wasn't sure how long this was going to go, she just hoped it'd clear up before they reached Canterlot.

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Three days out on the journey and the rain hadn't let up. Second mate Night Glider was below decks in the cargo hold taking stock.

"Okay. 50 boxes of..dirt from Trotsylvania, one box of fine clothes from Trotsylvania, one box of random valuables from Trotsylvania. Seriously? I mean, we've hauled some weird things before but DIRT? Really?" she said to herself, shaking her head and checking off the items on the checklist. Suddenly, a thud made her head snap up. "What the? Who's there?" she asked, walking toward the sound. Grabbing a lantern that was hanging from one of the pillars, Night Glider carried it to follow the sound, finding a pile of dead rats gutted on the floor. "What in the name of the World Goddess?" she asked, when a growl came from above her. Too late, the form of a pony was revealed in the light of the lantern, but it was a twisted, unnatural form. Shining red eyes, covered in fur, and muzzle curled up revealing sharp white teeth. Before she could scream, the form leapt from the ceiling, and bit into her neck, spraying her blood all over the walls. Gasping and clutching at the air, the lantern falling out of her grip and breaking, Night Glider fell in the darkness. The last thing she felt were the hooves of the form clutching the sides of her head and then, in one move, ripped it off her body. Her blood spilling around the floor, the form began to drain the remains of Night Glider. She'd dispose of the body later.

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Captain's Log: The Solar Flare

Second mate has gone missing. Storm continues. Crew uneasy. Feel as if somepony or someTHING is here onboard the ship with us.

It'd been days since Night Glider had gone missing. Nopony had found ANY trace of her. Normally, Lightning Dust wouldn't encourage the crew's superstitions, but even she'd started feeling SOMETHING was on the ship besides them. What it could be, she didn't know, but she felt it had something to do with that dirt they picked up.

"FIREFLY!" she called to her first mate. The pink pegasus flew up, issuing a salute. "Go down to the cargo hold. I want you to inspect the boxes, and tell me if you notice anything unusual!" she ordered over the sound of the rain. Firefly nodded, heading down to the hold. "MISS SURPRISE!" Lightning Dust yelled. The yellow pegasus with the curly mane flew up and saluted her captain. "You have the helm. Find us a way out of this Goddess-damned storm," she said, flying down to her cabin. Surprise nodded, grabbing the wheel and steering as hard as she could. This wasn't a natural storm. Surprise had spent enough time on a ship to recognize a natural storm. This was the most unnatural storm that Surprise had ever experienced in all her years as a sailor. This trip had been cursed since they'd set out for Trotsylvania, she gathered that now. First this storm that wouldn't end, then Night Glider going missing, and now an eerie feeling that they weren't alone on the ship. Something inside of her was telling Surprise that this would be the final voyage for the crew of the Solar Flare.

Night Glider had sustained her more than she'd thought. The pegasus had quite filling blood, but she needed more. She couldn't arrive at Canterlot without enough blood in her body. So, climbing out of the cargo hold from one of the port holes, avoiding Firefly, she climbed up to the main deck and surveyed her prey. Normally, she would rip all of them apart without any thought, but she needed to go about this carefully. She still had need of these ponies to get her and her earth boxes to Canterlot. There were a few ponies up on the deck tightening the ropes, and a few more were below the helm, trying to keep the deck from getting too waterlogged. There was one, however, that was all alone, and coincidentally, they were leaning over the side of the ship. She grinned. This would be too easy. Just a quick snap of the neck and then she could take them back to the cargo hold.

"DOUBLE DIAMOND! Come away from the edge! The other's need your help with the mainsail!" Surprise yelled. The pony saluted and left the side of the ship. The Countess scowled. She'd have to deal with that pegasus first.

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A few more days passed, as the Solar Flare neared it's destination. It was clear to Lightning Dust now that there was SOMETHING on the ship with them. Almost all the crew was missing and probably dead, with only her first and second mates still alright, but she knew that wouldn't last.

"Firefly! Surprise! On deck!" Lightning Dust said, her eyes grimly set. The two pegasi flew up to the helm, saluting with their wings.

"Orders, Captain?" they asked.

"At ease, mates. I'm sure you both are aware that there's SOMETHING on the ship with us, and that we haven't FOUND it. We're nearing Canterlot, and as Captain, I must stay on the ship, no matter the cost. But, you two are the last of the crew, and I will not hold it against you if you decide to abandon ship. I know that you two are together, and so if you want to stay together and jump ship, then all I can say is, it's been an honor," Lightning Dust said. Firefly and Surprise looked at each other and set their gaze on their captain.

"With all do respect, Captain, we're not going anywhere. If that thing wants to kill us, then it'll kill us together. But, we won't abandon you," Firefly said. Lightning Dust smiled.

"Then back to your posts, ladies," she said. The two pegasi nodded, as they flew to the lower decks, leaving Lightning Dust alone at the helm. With a sigh, the captain lashed herself to the wheel, her eyes coming upon the sight of Canterlot in the distance. If this creature wanted to kill her, it'd have to pry her dead body from the wheel.

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The wreck of the Solar Flare was found run aground on the shore of Canterlot by a few police ponies. In the lower decks the crew was found in pieces, body parts strewn everywhere, the most fresh bodies in an embrace. They found the captain dead, lashed to the wheel. Her cause of death, however, was exhaustion and starvation. The cargo below deck was still in tact, however. Being careful with them, the police ponies levitated the boxes out of the ship and at the shore for the delivery ponies. Had she looked back at that point, they would have seen a dark, hairy shape leap off of the ship and disappear deep into the city.

Author's Note

This chapter really shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but a lot of things got in the way. The next chapter is gonna be the first meeting of Pinkie and Twilight! FINALLY! I promise that one will come out quicker.