Miracle for the Cursed

The ancient being was haunted. Dark images of miserable failures and prophecies gone awry swirled around endlessly in the rest of the infinite spanning void. The first recognizable scene showed him rescuing the chosen hero of the Ancient's race, the wielder of the sacred blade known as "The Reaver", the "key" to the Pillars that kept the land safe for eons, before those ignorant humans stormed his mountain-side keep. Another scene showed him having his chest cleaved open and his heart ripped out savagely. An act done by those same humans that intruded on his keep. They stared in amazement and fear of his still living, beating heart, before they stole the Reaver and fled from the now crumbling abode. Another scene, which took place after he was recently resurrected by the same heart that was so viciously taken from him, by that same chosen wielder he saved long ago. He recalled a terrible revelation that made him question the very prophecy he believed for thousands of years...

"No more..." the being said sadly, squirming in the darkness, helpless to the mental onslaught.

But the visions continued. The scene before him took place at the ancient citadel that he, and nine other guardians used to reside in, before the time of the binding, and the subsequent curse. He stood, discussing plans of action with the chosen wielder, where they were interrupted by a seismic shock. There, they witnessed the destruction of the Pillars in the distance, once majestic edifices instantly turned to ruin... and a painful, blinding flash of energy that coursed through him, taking possession of his body as he was powerless and entrapped within. He would fight against the dark, disembodied stranglehold. But he ultimately failed as the Hylden spirit now in control forced him to destroy the very reason why he waited for nearly ten thousand years, and the very reason why he was resurrected. The agony of such a moment weighed heavy on his soul, and only hoped that it was not the end for the fabled hero of his race.

The visions continued. He saw himself being dragged to a terrible device only known as "The Mass", which fed off his essence, torturing and starving him for nearly two hundred years, allowing them to use the energy it produced to build their devices and continue their plans... only to finally be freed of his torment when a young, white skinned nobleman turned vampire named Kain released him from his misery along his quest to take revenge against the 'Sarafan' Lord.

The figure pleaded once again, "Enough... Visions, do not torture me any further!" He felt like he collapsed to his knees, but he couldn't be sure from the way the void consumed most of everything. All he wanted now was an end. An end to the visions. An end to the suffering. An end to-

-v-v-v-v-v-

His eyes shot open as he nearly jumped out of a large and rather comfortable bed (which seemed large enough to fit an entire family). He breathed heavily in the shock of his memory driven nightmare for a moment before letting out a relaxed sigh of relief. He quickly realized that not only was he no longer subjugated to those visions, but was seemingly in a peaceful and quiet setting. Hastily surveying his surroundings, his eyes fixated on a massive window that framed a nearly full moon in the sky. Judging from it's position, he believed it to be roughly 15 minutes passed the 11th hour at night.

"Night," he said to himself with such reassurance. Being what he is, he was once afflicted by the rays of the sun, but evolution through several millenniums allowed him almost perfect tolerance of any sunlight. However, regardless of his strengths against that morning star, he always felt true comfort under the moon... even before the damned curse.

Pulling his eyes away from the almost revitalizing glow of the moon, he took a good look at the room he resided in, and realized something. Everything, though dimmed out through the shadows of the night, was mostly in pastel colors. Deep purple drapes, Pink and purple pillars that lined the walls. The walls themselves were a very light cool purple, with stars and other celestial patterns etched masterfully in between each pillar. Below the bed, a pure white polished floor had contrasting red rugs, with one of them running from said bed to the large dual door frame. A large symbol of the sun with the a crescent moon overlapping it was divided between the two doors. Small details all around the room, such as handles, drape and curtain trimming, etchings on the bed frame, even the lush blue and purple blanket he was under, had been in gold.

"This..." he started, "must be a dream. The world is not this colorful." He shuffled out of the safety of the bed, blurry eyed and numb from comfort, and tried to stand on the floor. As he attempted to stand on his own volition, he immediately tipped forward and smacked his face against the floor. His abrupt contact made him conclude that said floor was made of marble. Whimpering in pain, he rejected his early assessment of this being a dream as he rubbed his face... before realizing something was wrong.

He looked at his hand... but instead of the two fingers and thumb of his claws, he saw... a light blue-ish grey hoof. His hoof. In shock, he tried to scramble to his feet, but fell backwards, right into a small cupboard that stood beside the bed. He rubbed the back of his head in reaction, and looked down past his waist. He still had his pants on, but noticed that the shape of his legs drastically changed. They were hind legs now... designed specifically for quadrupeds. He began putting the pieces together. The "Gate" he was sent through... this place that is far from being the Demon Realm, or any kind of "Hell" for that matter... his apparent transformation.

Kain must have used the Nexus Stone on the Gate before I arrived, he thought, but instead of destroying it, the stone must have changed the portals properties... and destination. He rolled over, and got back up, on all fours this time. While he was a little bit shaky at first, he was able to stand properly. And transformed me as I was thrown through it, he concluded.

He looked to the distance and spotted a mirror, and gazed at his reflection. His features were a mix between what he used to be (pointed ears, yellow eyes, slightly sunken in and shadowed sockets, and fangs) and a smaller, more streamlined horse design, that small children would find "cute". His hair, or mane it would now be called, was short and black with small silver streaks, all slicked back in a dignified fashion. Pulling his eyes away from the reflection, he looked to his back, and saw that his wings were still there. Still black, feathers still tipped in a silver color, still physically large enough to carry him easily and effortlessly. At least something remained constant, he thought in shallow satisfaction.

With his natural acute sense of hearing, possibly exemplified by the species he was transformed into now, he picked up the sound of two conversing individuals approaching the door. One male, in the young adult phase of his life, and the other female. As young as the female sounded, the weight of her voice carried wisdom and authority of a being that would normally be much older in reality, combined with a motherly compassion. A tone of voice he hasn't heard since his own mother so many years ago.

The door slowly creaked open, and in stepped two equine figures. A seemingly average sized light gray stallion with a light amber mane stood beside a much taller mare. She had an ethereal multi-colored mane, a pure white coat, and was decorated in gold. The gold of elegant shoes, a chest piece studded with a purple gem, and an elegant crown which sat atop her head behind her lengthy horn. Her wings were unfurled, which would no doubt cause the average soul to gaze in awe at her monumental and imposing figure. The blue ancient, however, did not waver.

"Good evening," said the mare, in her warm and patient tone, "How well was your sleep?"

The ancient looked to the moon once more. "It has been a while since I have had a decent rest."

The mare nodded passively, before turning to the stallion she came in with. "You didn't tell me he had a Trottsylvanian accent, my dear nephew."

"Didn't I mention he was unconscious when we found him?" the 'nephew' said in defense, "Does it matter, though, Auntie?"

"No, I suppose not," she said flatly.

The blue vampire-equine hybrid interjected their side conversation, "Pardon my intrusion, but can you tell me where I am, exactly?"

"In time, my little pony," she replied, "but first, introductions... and perhaps some late night tea, while we talk."

"Of course, where are my manners." The ancient took a bow, "My name is Janos Audron."

The mare repeated his peculiar name, sounding out the syllables. "Ya-nose Aw-dren? A very exotic name to say the least. Well Janos, it is a pleasure to meet you." She took a bow as well. "My name is Celestia, ruler of Equestria."

"A Queen?" Janos said quizzically,

"No. Princess. My sister and I haven't managed to find a viable candidate to take up royal responsibilities." she said with a hint of loneliness. "Enough of my affairs, though."

She turned towards the door, "Come. We'll have our talk in the dining room," she said, motioning for Janos to follow her, All three proceeded to the doors that exit to the halls, when Celestia turned to her young relative and asked, "Oh, and Blueblood, my dearest nephew. Would you be a delight and prepare the tea for myself and our humble guest?"

Prince Blueblood stood agape at what his aunt just told him to do as the two other ponies moved down the hall. Serve tea? To a commoner pony? Unable to ever deny a request from the highest authority in the land, he begrudgingly set off for the kitchen, while the alicorn and the strange pegasus made their way to the dining room.

-v-v-v-v-v-

The dining room was, naturally, rather extravagant and grand in it's size and design. Though still as colorful as the room he awoke in, this room had a warmer theme with white walls, pillars, and floor, lined with pink trim along the edges. Splashes of red were produced by the drapes and the double doors (which were twice as tall as the bedroom's), with small trims of gold, again on the handles and small details on the curtains.

The table the two sat at was rather large... or, to be more accurate, was rather long. It seemed to easily seat fifty two individuals, twenty five on the right and left sides, with one seat on either end. The seats were polished wood with trims of gold and red velvet cushions. While fifty of the seats were far more standard in size and appearance, the two on either end seemed more custom built for individuals that held a higher importance. One with the sun symbol at the top, the other with a crescent moon, Which made the current seating of the two seem odd. Celestia was upon the last seat on the left hand side (seat number forty nine) while Janos was on the custom seat obviously built for the other royal individual that governed this land, as the crescent moon symbol that hung over his head served as a reminder.

She calmly sipped her tea which was recently brought in for them by a very disgruntled Prince. With a casual personal atmosphere, she watched her new guest as he continued to stare at his cup.

"Is the tea not to your liking?" she asked the ancient, "I could have my dear nephew bring you something else, if you prefer... He needs the exercise in manners, after all."

The ancient looked up at the royal, and smiled in a reply, "That will not be necessary... it's just been a very long time since I've had this."

He looked back down at his cup, and sighed gently. Vampires have a natural weakness to water. To most living creatures it was a source of life and vitality, but to his vampiric kind, it burned to the instant touch as if it were acid. He wasn't entirely complacent to that part of the curse, as it kept him from ever taking and enjoying a bath. However, Janos had over the years carefully tried to strengthen a sort of immunity against the effects of water on his body, internal or external. While that immunity was not complete, it did keep any and all sources of water that touched him from being fatal.

Carefully, with his hooves on either side of the delicate piece of china, he brought the delightfully smelling liquid to his lips and took a cautious sip. The water scorched his lips and mouth, though it wasn't due to the heat. He held strong though, and ignored the pain. I do not wish to be rude, after all, Janos thought. He felt the toxic effects of the water tear down his throat before safely landing into his stomach, becoming neutralized. He gave a sigh of relief he dressed as a sigh of satisfaction. He never fully understood how his body still functioned with various forms of fluids since the moment of his curse, such as his stomach acids, when something as simple as water could harm him. While the idea kept his mind of the lingering pain, he shook his head lightly and ended the train of thought, deciding to come back to that topic another day and return his attention to his host.

Celestia perked an eyebrow, obviously cluing in to the very subtle and well hidden signs of pain, but let it go. It would be awfully rude to question my guest about the nature of that display, she thought, especially since he tried so hard to hide his pain.

Janos set the cup gently back down on it's saucer. "So, my child, can you indulge me on where we are currently?"

The Princess looked to him with a passive expression on her face, even though her thoughts were quizzical on what he referred to her as. Very few ever called her 'child', and those few who did have been long gone for the better part of a few thousand years.

She was composed though, and replied accurately, if briefly, "We are currently in Canterlot, capitol of the land Equestria." Janos gave her a puzzled look. "By the expression of your face, I can tell that information doesn't help you that much. You must be from a land far more... unique and secluded to not know of us."

Janos sighed, "Yes... it was a truly unique land that I hailed from."

"Can you tell me why you are here, and why we found you clinging to life in an alleyway?"

Clinging to life may not be the most accurate phrase, Janos thought. "Shall I indulge you in the uncomfortable truth," he asked, before offering another option, "or should I tell you a fantastic lie?"

She beamed, and said, "Surprise me,"

The blue vampire sighed. "Very well. I shall part with you the truth of the matter. Your presence deserves no falsehoods." He began, "I came from a land called Nosgoth. A land I and my long since deceased and buried kind have been fighting to purify for thousands of years against our foul enemies. The zenith of our holy war ended at a Gate they constructed which threatened to cause genocide to the current inhabitants. I attempted to turn the tides in our favor, but my decision was fatalistic, for the leader of our enemies cast me into the portal, hoping to send me to a fate worse than hell itself. It seems as though circumstance and God had mercy on me, as I ended up here instead."

The princess just stared at him for a moment, eyes shimmering with curiosity and awe of such an exposition. Silence lingered on for a moment, before she finally said, "I thought you weren't going to tell me a fantastic lie."

"I suppose what I told you would seem rather farfetched under normal affairs." Janos replied,

"It would," the princess agreed. "So tell me. What is Nosgoth like?"

Janos sighed sadly, "It is... heartbreaking to recall the state of the land now. Long ago, she was once vibrant with an abundance of life and vitality. A beautiful sight to behold. The land I was forced to leave though was not so. That land was decaying and poisonous. Dark creatures crawled the earth and preyed on the ignorant, those of which that blindly governed what they simply could not fully comprehend. The reformation of... my race, through my adopted son Vorador, attempted to reclaim the land, in hopes to restore it to it's rightful beauty. I fear, however, for the worst..."

The princess could sense the sincerity in the ancient's voice, and felt rather contrite to his lingering feelings for his home.

His tone shifted slightly, "However, I have been wrong before in what I believed to be true. Perhaps there is still hope, even without my presence."

Celestia nodded, glad to hear that the poor stallion was looking to the positive, despite what may have befallen him previously. She took another healthy sip of her tea before returning to the conversation, starting a new topic, "Just a question. You keep referring to your 'race'. What exactly do you mean by that? Were you not an equine before hand?"

Janos shifted, "No, my child, I was not an equine before I came here. As for what I was exactly... it would be best if I did not explain. While I do believe you to be a very benevolent individual as far as I have known you, I fear that if I were to reveal what I am, you would not fully understand. Those will fear what they do not understand, and despise what they fear."

The princess bit her lip. She wasn't the biggest fan of secrets being purposely held from her as if she were some foal, especially ones that attached to such a cryptic phrase. Which was another thing that started to get to her. "Why do you keep calling me 'my child'. I highly doubt that you are older than me." She took another sip of her tea.

The ancient chuckled slightly, "It is an old habit, Princess... but your doubts are mistaken none the less. Unless you are over eleven thousand years old, I am, indeed, older than you."

Celestia nearly spit out her tea, and took a hard choking gulp to the revelation that was casually explained to her. Janos, realizing what he just said, began shrinking in his seat from fear, regret, and embarrassment of letting his lips become so loose. "I... have said too much,"

Coughing slightly, Princess Celestia composed herself, and let out the only word that was appropriate for this situation. "Impossible..." Janos looked up at her, and into her brilliant eyes. She in turn looked into his own eyes, those yellow predatory eyes, and caught something in their expression. It was fear and honesty. Despite her doubts about what he just said, there was no denying that he said something he truly believed, and that he was afraid it was wrong to mention.

She softened in her expression, which slightly confused Janos, before she spoke again, "You don't look a day over nine thousand."