Feral

Author's Note: Here we are, kiddies! The new act is upon us, and hopefully you enjoy the ride as much as I have enjoyed planning it out. This particular chapter took longer than I wanted it to. I guess that's the way things work while having a horrible stomach flu along with exams to study for, but I'm feeling better than a pound of bacon now, so enjoy the new chapter!

"Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
-Lao Tzu

"Alright, does everypony have their tickets?" Twilight asked her friends as she turned around to double check.

All of the Elements along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded their head in recognition and looked to Rarity. The fashionista had alabaster saddlebags draped across her sides which bore a group of three blue diamonds, matching her cutie mark perfectly. Rarity took her hoof out of the purple drake's claw and lifted the flap on her left saddlebag. She then lifted eight tickets out of her saddlebags.

"I wouldn't have forgotten the tickets, Twilight. Do give me some credit, dear?" she spoke to the lavender mare who had her own purple saddlebags draped across her side.

"Hehe. Well, I just want to make sure nopony forgot," the lavender unicorn spoke with a chuckle.

Twilight levitated her own saddlebag's flap and brought out her own two tickets which she bought for Spike and herself.

"This trip is going to be absolutely fabulous! I wonder what kind of fashion griffons have. Do you think they like warm or cool colors? Perhaps winter ensembles?" Rarity spoke happily before putting all of the tickets back in the bags at her side.

"Where do y'all reckon we could put our luggage for the time bein'?" Applejack asked her friends. Currently Apple Bloom was wearing her Stetson and sat quietly next to her sister and the other three Crusaders. Applejack was shocked that they had stayed quiet so long, but then again it was very early in the morning. The horizon had barely even cracked its eye open and was only pouring a tiny bit of light onto Ponyville's morning-dew covered train station. Sitting beside everypony were their individual bags of luggage. Rarity had the most, of course. The fashionista had felt the need to bring along three bags a piece for Sweetie and herself, not including the carrier in which Opal sat.

"Well, I did have Marius plan on watching it before we left, but that was before we were told he would meet us here. So..." Rarity put her hoof under her chin and let out a long-drawn out yawn before shaking it off.

"Excuse me," she spoke softly while trying to keep her demure. "So, I imagine that we will just have to keep it here on the platform. Would that be alright with everypony?"

Everypony looked to each other and nodded in silence, except for an extremely exhausted Rainbow Dash who was drooling onto the ground.

Applejack looked at her marefriend with shock before leaning close to her.

"Did you fall asleep standin' up?" she asked.

Rainbow's eyes shot open and she sucked her spittle into her mouth before wiping it with a hoof.

"No way! I was just, uh...resting my eyes."

Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Ah bet."

The train station was practically void of activity besides the Elements, Spike, the Crusaders, Big Mac, and a few other friends who came to say goodbye. Rarity leaned in to nuzzle Spike, who was beginning to droop his eyelids. Spike smiled goofily and returned her nuzzle with his own cheek before they pulled away from each other.

Twilight looked at them happily.

"Well, I guess it's good to see both of you getting so close. What has it been, a week since your first date?" Twilight asked.

"Actually, it's going on nine days and eleven hours," piped up the sleepy, purple drake beside Rarity, who now had a grip on her hoof with his claw.

Twilight giggled along with Rarity, prompting Spike to look at them both curiously.

"What?" he asked the white mare he was standing beside.

Pinkie giggled as she watched them.

"Silly Spike. It's just like you to count the exact amount of time from your first date with Rarity," the pink mare told him.

Spike's cheeks flushed.

"Well, wouldn't you? After all," Spike spoke before looking at Rarity and smiling.

"M'lady deserves nothing less."

Rarity brought her hoof to her chest and looked to Spike with a meaningful gaze.

"Oh Spike," she spoke softly before leaning down ever so slightly to plant a soft kiss on his warm lips. Everypony smiled at the scene, except the Crusaders. Scootaloo put her hoof to her mouth and silently gagged. There was a deep feminine voice that chuckled behind them and everypony turned to greet the source of said voice.

"Such an adoring couple I see. I would expect no less from an Element of Harmony," Zecora spoke to Spike and Rarity. "Normally, time would tell if a relationship would hold, but in both of your eyes, I see a love that is very bold."

"Thank you Zecora." spoke Rarity.

Applejack and Rainbow watched the sight and leaned into each other to share an affectionate nuzzle of their own. Twilight noticed this and turned to them with a sly smile.

"It's about time that you two stopped dragging your hooves and actually were together," the lavender mare spoke to them. Applejack chuckled and nudged her head towards Rainbow.

"Well, you know how stubborn some ponies can be Twi', 'specially Rainbow," she spoke while snickering with the Element of Magic. Rainbow developed a scowl.

"I am not stubborn! I'm just...uhh," Rainbow stammered as she looked into Applejack's eyes, gazing into her beautiful green irises. The farm pony smiled at her, awaiting a response.

"Okay...maybe I am just a little," Rainbow spoke sheepishly before wrapping her wing over Applejack's side, drawing her in closer. A little ways away, Fluttershy had walked over to where her friend stood. She was a cream colored earth pony with a braided brown mane and tail that were both tipped with a red bow on the end. Her cutie mark was a tree that was uprooted from the ground and had only half of its leaves.

"Thank you ever so much for agreeing to watch Angel and the rest of the animals, Forsythia. I appreciate it very, very much. I do hope they don't give you any trouble," Fluttershy softly spoke to her friend. The sleepy earth pony gave a smile to Fluttershy.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, Fluttershy. You know they all love me. After all, we do share a very similar talent." Fluttershy gave a giggle and leaned in to hug Forsythia. The exhausted earth pony was happy to return the hug.

"I'm really sorry that you had to get up this early, so thank you for that also. I can't believe how nice you have been to me and the critters in these few weeks that you've been living in Ponyville," Fluttershy told her friend. Forsythia merely waved her hoof in dismissal while she cocked an eyebrow.

"No worries, 'Shy. Did I ever tell you how many animals I had to look after when I still lived in Austreighlia? I had hundreds to watch every day, on top of tending my garden and my trees. The only thing I would be worried about is Angel," Forsythia told Fluttershy. "What exactly does he prefer to eat?" she asked Fluttershy with a curious expression.

Fluttershy looked sheepishly at the ground.

"Umm, well...he usually likes carrots and salads, but he can be a Mr. Fussy Pants quite often. It's sometimes quite hard to get him to be nice and he occasionally tries to slap you or throws his food away, but you just have to know how to talk to him and occasionally he'll decide to listen. Just remember to be assertive, but not too assertive,"

Forsythia raised an eyebrow.

"It sounds like he's quite a little handful," Forsythia spoke.

"Well," Fluttershy began. "I know he is quite mean sometimes and gets fussy on quite the occasion, but he's my little Angel bunny. He doesn't mean any harm; he's just a bit grouchy. He has been that way ever since he was a baby. Several winters ago, during Winter Wrap Up, I came across a rabbit hole that was completely abandoned. Well, I thought it was at least," Fluttershy spoke with a sad smile. "I looked inside the hole and found several bunnies that had been chewed and eaten by some timber wolves. It was just so awful. I was trying to hold back my tears while searching inside, only to see a tiny baby bunny that was still breathing, even though he was bit on the side and lost some blood. He..." Fluttershy spoke softly.

"The poor bunny used his parent's bodies to keep himself warm during the winter, and had eaten the food that they had decided to store in the rabbit hole before they were attacked. I brought him back home and nursed him back to health. He was a very strong bunny. I decided to call him Angel, and ever since then, he has always followed me and been very precious to me. He may act mean sometimes, but that's just because he's misunderstood. I love my little Angel, and he loves me back. He may not show it, but I know he does."

Forsythia looked at Fluttershy sadly, who still cast her gaze to the ground, hiding half of her face behind her light pink mane. The earth pony laid a hoof on top of Fluttershy, causing Fluttershy to look up from the ground and at Forsythia.

"Don't worry," Forsythia spoke softly to her good friend with a sad smile. "I'll look after Angel while you're gone with just as much love as you would show him normally, along with the rest of the animals."

Fluttershy returned her friend's sad smile.

"Thank you so, so much Forsythia."

The earth pony looked to her right with her blueish green eyes, which could almost be described as the color of a low tide on a beach in the morning sun. She raised her left eyebrow and gave a sly smile.

"Speaking of animals," Forsythia spoke teasingly. Fluttershy looked curiously at where her friend was motioning towards, and looked a bit surprised upon seeing the large red stallion slowly trot over to them from where he was sitting beside his sister. The large pony walked over to them and smiled kindly at Forsythia.

"Morning Big Mac! Came to see Applejack and Apple Bloom off?" Forsythia asked happily in her thick Austreighlian accent with her eyes closed.

Big Mac gave a small smile.

"Eeyup," he spoke before looking down at Fluttershy, his expression changing into nervousness very quickly. "Among others,"

Fluttershy grinned as her cheeks blushed.

"Hi Big Mac," she spoke in a barely audible tone.

"Howdy Miss Fluttershy. How are y'all doin' this mornin'?" he asked the timid mare.

"Ohh, um...I'm fine. Just a little cold is all," Fluttershy said. She then lifted the side of her own saddlebags with her wing and stretched her head to the side. The mare grabbed her pink and yellow scarf with her teeth and wrapped it around her neck with a flicking motion of her head. Doing so caused her mane to drop in front of her face. She moved her bottom lip out and blew upward, making the stray strand of hair hover in the air temporarily before falling back to the front of her face. She looked up at Big Mac, who watched her fiddle with her hair in curiosity. Fluttershy smiled bashfully.

"Hehehe," Big Mac chuckled.

Fluttershy lifted her hoof and flipped her mane back in its normal spot, on her soft, yellow cheek.

"Sorry about that," Fluttershy apologized to him.

"Oh it's alright," he spoke while smiling down at her. "Ah really like yer mane."

Fluttershy's eyes went wide along with Mac's once they realized what he just insinuated.

"Uh...well, I mean...Ah like it, but Ah don't like like it. Err," Big Mac stammered while developing a soft blush underneath his red fur. "Ah love yer mane, and Ah think yer a really cute mare and all, but um...that's not to say I would mind bein' with a fine mare such as yerself, but..." Once again, Big Mac's eyes widened as he just realized he called Fluttershy a fine mare.

"AH MEAN!...Uhh..." Big Mac's eyes darted everywhere, looking at the train, the railway, the ticket vendor behind the wooden booth. He was looking everywhere to avoid the face of the timid pegasus. Fluttershy herself stared at the ground, her cheeks blazing. Forsythia herself had her hoof in front of her mouth, trying to contain her laughter at the awkward conversation between Fluttershy and Big Mac. Applejack herself was looking back at them periodically during the conversations she was having with her friends, chuckling at her goofy older brother.

"Um...oh horse apples," Big Mac cursed at himself. "Ah knew Ah should have just listened to mah instincts and held off on talking to ya until ya got back," he told Fluttershy. "Anyways, Ah was thinking when ya get back from yer trip, maybe we could go to uh," Big Mac smiled sheepishly down at Fluttershy. "Maybe we could go to Sugarcube Corner to get some sundaes or somethin'?"

Fluttershy then smiled at Big Mac, finally understanding what he was attempting to do.

"Oh my...are you um...asking me out on a...date?" she asked.

Big Mac sat his haunches down on the floor of the station and brought his hooves up.

"Only if y'all are ok with that, Miss Fluttershy! Ah've already asked mah sister if Ah could ask ya, considerin' yer her friend and all," he told her before bringing his right hoof up behind his head to scratch at his golden yellow mane.

Fluttershy's blush had never left, but now her lips were curled up into a nervous smile at the chivalry the rough and tumble farm pony was showing.

"Hmhm," she laughed softly through her closed lips. "I'd be more than happy to, um...if that's ok with you, Big Mac," she told the equally bashful stallion who asked her for an outing. Big Mac smiled goofily at her response.

"Really?!" he asked. The stallion got up off of his haunches and stood once more, before using his right hoof to straighten the yoke on his shoulders.

"Ah mean, you'd be fine with that?" he asked her.

"Of course," she spoke happily. "I haven't been on an actual date in such a long time, but if I were to go on one with any stallion, I know that you would be real gentlecolt while we were out. I couldn't think of anyone I would be happier going on a date with, really," she spoke quietly to the handsome stallion, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.

"Wow, thank ya kindly Miss Fluttershy," Big Mac gratefully thanked the Element of Kindness for agreeing to go out with him.

"Oh please, just Fluttershy...if you um, don't mind that is," she told him as the light morning breeze blew her pink and yellow scarf in the wind.

"Alright, Fluttershy," Macintosh spoke to her warmly.

They continued to stare at each other happily for a few seconds, before Big Mac realized that they were standing there for quite a while, unmoving. He cleared his throat, that was feeling clenched by the cool, fall air.

"Well, Ah guess Ah better get back to mah sisters. See if she needs anythin' before Ah take off back to the farm."

To his shock, Fluttershy took her hooves and wrapped them around Big Mac's neck in a hug. Big Mac's eyes went as wide as saucers. Fluttershy didn't know how long she would be gone and she wanted to make sure that she wouldn't leave Macintosh without an act of utter kindness.

"Alright. I'll see you soon, Big Mac," she spoke kindly to him while giving him a warm hug, her scarf tickling his neck.

"Um, sure thing Mi-er...Fluttershy," he told her. After a few seconds, she let go of him and he began to walk back to his sisters to bid them farewell. Big Mac gave one last smile to Fluttershy, who returned it happily with a giggle. He got back to his sister and began to explain what happened, and Applejack wailed in laughter. Fluttershy looked back to Forsythia with a sly grin.

"What?" she asked her friend.

Forsythia scoffed.

"As if you don't know Missy. Somepony's got a crush on Biiiig Maaaaac," she teased Fluttershy.

Fluttershy giggled at her friend's accusation.

"Well, he is handsome...and I suppose I have thought so for a while. I'm just reeeally glad that he asked me and I didn't have to ask him," she told Forsythia, who whipped her braided mane over her side.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I can only imagine how long it would have taken you to ask him out," Forsythia spoke through her laughter. "After all, you aren't the most brave when it comes to approaching others. That's one thing I have come to know very well since I met a few weeks ago. If you didn't stop me when I accidentally cut you in line, we would have never even became friends."

Fluttershy laughed along with Forsythia for a brief period.

"Well, I better get to your cottage so I can start feeding the animals. You should be back in a few days, right?" Forsythia asked.

"Oh yes, I imagine I won't be gone longer than four or five at the most."

Forsythia wrapped her hooves around her friend in a tight embrace.

"Alright. You take care of yourself. Wouldn't want none of them griffon's giving you a hard time. I'd have to lay a beatdown on them for treating my friend with a dodgy attitude." the earth pony spoke to her friend while fake punching the air behind Fluttershy. The pegasus smiled at her protective friend before releasing their hug.

"I will. I promise. Besides, we're going to have Princess Luna and Marius with us, so I'm not really worried," Fluttershy told Forsythia, who laughed at the Vampire's name.

"I gotta say, that one has made quite the impression hasn't he?" Forsythia asked.

"Well yes. He has watched over all of us and helped us out so much and it's only been two weeks since we found him. I still don't know why the Princess's and Marius want to take this trip, but I'm sure they have good reasons," Fluttershy answered her. Forsythia nodded her head.

"If it has to do with the griffons, I'm sure it's important." the cream colored mare spoke seriously as she began to head toward the staircase which led back into east Ponyville. "Well, I'll see you soon love. Have fun!"

Fluttershy waved at the earth pony.

"Alright! Bye Forsythia," she spoke to the kind Austreighlian mare, who waved back. She then headed down the staircase and trotted towards downtown Ponyville to head towards Fluttershy's cottage, and Fluttershy walked over to join her friends and the sleepy Crusaders who were all sitting by a bench that was underneath a light post. Zecora had evidently left and didn't want to interrupt Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's conversation; otherwise she would have given Fluttershy some form of farewell.

"Where is he? We've been waiting for half an hour!" Rainbow complained.

Rarity looked to her friend who was flying in the air next to a standing Applejack.

"Now, now darling. If there is one thing that I know, is that Marius always shows up where and when he is needed. He just enjoys being fashionably late, is all," the white unicorn assured Rainbow before moving in towards Spike to get closer, that way his legs could warm hers. She had put on her beautiful lace scarf, but her fur alone just wasn't a match for the cool air. It had to be close to sixty degrees at the train station.

Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"No wonder he's your servant."

Applejack chuckled under her breath while Rarity looked shocked at Rainbow's accusation. She shrugged it off with a ladylike Hmmph.

"I have also learned from living with him, to expect anything. I do not get surprised so easily anymore because of him," the fashionista spoke. She then looked at the sky and her eyes shot open in surprise. The rest of her friends noticed this and looked in the air, their jaws dropping one by one.

"Aaaand that's how ya lie," Applejack spoke towards Rarity who didn't seem to notice.

Two alicorns softly landed on the ground and folded their wings in front of the girls, who were still dumbstruck.

"Whoooaaa," Scootaloo drew out at the sight. Everypony was speechless, for they recognized one of the alicorns instantly as Princess Luna with her black vestments, but the other was utterly massive. Even bigger than Princess Celestia, standing at almost eight feet tall. Said alicorn also had a pair of equally huge leathery wings which resembled a bat's, an ethereal, blood red mane, solid black fur, a sharp horn, and two glowing red eyes with black irises. His cutie mark was a very familiar red Ankh. He also had fangs. Very sharp fangs.

"Hello master, and everypony else! Ahh, even my three favorite fillies are here to join us. How delightful!" spoke the huge alicorn in a deep voice which was instantly recognizable to everyone. Princess Luna smiled at everypony who was waiting for them.

"I do apologize we took so long. We were in the middle of a very important game," Luna told them with a smile.

The black alicorn scowled at Princess Luna.

"Yes...very important. What you call...teabagging my character after a match of Forge for fifteen minutes is SO important," the Vampiric alicorn spoke in annoyance. Luna looked at him defensively.

"I was trying to show you how to crouch, I swear!" the Princess shot back.

Marius lifted his pony eyebrow.

"For fifteen minutes?" he asked her.

Luna's eyes darted back and forth.

"Uhh..." she spoke, before looking bemused towards him and then stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Thou art utterly wretched, anyway," she teased Marius.

"Is that a formal way of telling me that I suck?" he asked.

She raised her head in pride.

"Yes. Yes it is."

"Ma...Marius?" Rarity asked as she looked up at the huge black alicorn. He returned her question with a curious look.

"Yes master?"

"You..." Rarity spoke.

Marius face hoofed.

"I left the tea pot on when I left last night, didn't I? I'll bet your morning tea was stale. I'm so sorry master."

"You are..." she spoke once more.

"Yes I am very sorry. Did you and Sweetie make your bed before you left? If not, we have a bit of time. I will gladly-"

"You're an ALICORN!" Sweetie screamed and jumped up in the air to wrap herself around the top part of his leg, followed quickly by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo who were now wide awake. Marius laughed as he scooped them up in his arms and put them on his large back. He turned his head backward to look at the three giggling fillies on his back. He smiled at them, bearing his large and intimidating fangs.

"What do you girls think? Is it me? Or do I need a cape of some sort?" he asked them.

"No way! Ah've never seen an alicorn so cool lookin'! Does this mean you're a Princess?" Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo lightly tapped her arm with her hoof.

"He wouldn't be a Princess you Dodo! He'd be a Prince," the tiny orange pegasus spoke.

Marius brought his hoof to his snout in fake concentration.

"Well, I think I could pull of a dress quite well, plus I'd love to wear a matching tiara," he told them in his deep masculine voice. "I'd be a wonderful Princess!" he told the Crusaders before laughing, prompting them to burst out in laughter at the thought of the huge Vampire in a dress. So much so that they were rolling on his large back in laughter,

"I'd pay a million bits to see that," spoke Luna with a sly grin on her face.

The Elements were still in utter shock, along with Spike.

"Did the Princesses do this?" Twilight asked as she looked the new alicorn up and down.

"No, not at all. Just one of my many useful traits," he answered her.

"You mean you used magic to do this?!" yelled the Element of Magic. "You used magic to turn yourself into an alicorn?!"

Marius shook his head, causing his blood red mane to shimmer in the morning light.

"I didn't say that. I said it was one of my traits. Have I still not explained to you how my magic works Twilight?" he asked the mare.

"Not really," spoke Twilight with a hint of sadness. "You've been too busy and you never came to the library like you said you would last week."

Marius' eyes widened.

'Did I really forget to come over to her library? I have never forgotten any promise I have made. How strange...' the Vampire spoke, before looking at Twilight with sympathy.

"I am so sorry Twilight. I am an utter fool for not keeping my promise. How about I give you some lessons on the trip?" Marius asked the lavender mare. She perked up at the word.

"Lessons? You mean you could show me how to do magic at the level of an Alicorn?" she asked excitedly. Marius chuckled.

"I didn't say that. I said I would give you lessons on how my magic works. But in all honestly, I didn't even take coming by the library into consideration. For this, I ask that you forgive me," he spoke before bowing regally at the unicorn. "Will you forgive me, Element of Magic?" he asked.

Twilight chuckled to herself.

"Hehehe. Well, I mean it's no big deal Marius. I just have an incredible thirst for knowledge," she spoke, before looking to the ground with a sad smile. "I'd never be able to match the power of the Princesses, though. I'm nowhere near that skilled, no matter how much I study."

Marius brought her chin up with his hoof, so she could look at him.

"Nonsense," he spoke to her. "You seem to forget that power means nothing if it's not held by one who is modest and tenacious in their journey to gain more. Your desire to explore the inner depths of your power is an admirable trait, child. Indeed, with time, you will unlock something from within you that is truly incredible. I guarantee it." the Vampiric alicorn told Twilight while he had the Crusaders on his back, playing with and examining the base of his wings.

"Marius is right, Twilight Sparkle. Your pursuit of knowledge and more magical ability is not in vain. W-er, I," Luna corrected herself for the tenth time this week. She was making progress. "I believe that your pursuits will lead to a discovery of an incredible magical ability. You are already very skilled, and are close to dwarfing any other unicorn's knowledge on magic. You forget that you are still somewhat young, and given time, you will learn wondrous things about the study of magic. My sister chose you as her student for a reason, you know."

Twilight looked to her friends, who were no longer staring at Marius in shock but gathering around her for a group hug. They all embraced her, once more reminding Twilight of how truly beautiful friendship could be.

"Yay! Group hugs! I love group hugs!" Pinkie squealed as she wrapped her hooves around her friends. They all let go after a few seconds and looked back up to Marius.

"So Mari', can I throw you a, 'You turned into a pony' party? That would be really funny. Hahaha," Pinkie asked happily while bouncing all the way next to the Vampiric alicorn.

"When we get back? Definitely! I always look forward to any party you throw Pinkie, and love having an excuse to throw one," Marius told her. She bounced higher into the air, flailing her arms outward.

"Ohmygosh it's going to be so fun!" she said before latching onto the Vampire's neck with her hooves like he was an obstacle course. "I'll invite everypony we know, and I can make those hot sauce cupcakes that you love so much!"

Rainbow's ears perked up.

"I heard her say hot sauce cupcakes. I'm totally in," Rainbow responded. Pinkie swung off of Marius and landed on the ground near Rainbow with a bounce, giggling afterword's.

"You only like them because I use Cloudsdale rainbow in the batter, Dashie!" Applejack laughed along with Pinkie.

"Ya know, ya are what ya eat, Rainbow. I think my whole family is proof of that," Applejack told her.

Everypony laughed at the teasing of the Element of Loyalty. The blue pegasus blushed while lightly chuckling herself. After some of the laughing died down, Rarity looked at her Vampiric servant with a smile.

"So Marius, you used your shape-shifting to make yourself an alicorn, yes?" his master asked.

"Very astute Rarity," Marius spoke while holding back a chuckle.

"Well, you continue to amaze me in every way Marius," Rarity told her Vampiric servant.

Marius smacked his lips and looked back at Luna.

"See!" he told her. "At least she appreciates me."

Luna looked unamused.

"Oh really?" the Princess of the Night asked Marius. He looked down to see Rarity giving the exact same expression. Marius quickly realized something. He looked back at Luna with an expression she had never seen on him before; Fear.

"I'm so sorry. Please don't let Rarity hurt me," he begged.

Luna cracked a smile, finding it hard to keep her frown.

"My love, you have dug your own grave," she told the Vampire sinisterly. Quickly, Marius took the Crusaders off of his back and braced himself to run. Rarity quickly jumped on her servants back and attempted to wrap her hoof around his neck.

"That is no way to treat a Princess, Marius! Even if you are in a relationship with her!" she spoke to him from atop of him. The Crusaders, Luna, and the rest of the girls laughed very loudly as Rarity attempted to strangle her undead servant.

Marius' eyes were full of panic.

"This...is very...unlady...like," the huge black alicorn choked out.

Rarity laughed as she continued to try and cut off Marius' oxygen.

"Why, I don't know what on earth you're talking about darling," she spoke playfully while choking the Vampire.

Eventually he fell on the ground unmoving and not breathing. Rarity climbed off of his body and looked down at him. Everypony watched his body for a second, until his right eye popped open and his wings twitched.

"You know, that wasn't very funny. You could have killed me," he spoke with a playful smile to his master.

Everypony laughed at the undead alicorn. Marius quickly found his way upward and stood towering over the girls once more.

"Besides, technically, my name isn't Marius anymore. At least not officially," he told them. Rarity along with everyone besides Luna looked at him, wondering what he could possibly mean.

"He is right," Luna spoke. "You are speaking to Lord Crimson Rain, Official Ambassador of Equestria and Prime Minister of Griffon and Dragon Communications." At the announcement of his new title, everypony's eyes were wide. Marius gave a fanged smirk and draped his left wing in front of his body. He bowed in a regal manner.

Rarity's mouth twitched upward into a creepy smile.

"Are you telling me..." she started to say. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Oh boy, here we go!" the pegasus spoke.

"I have...Royalty...working for me?" Rarity spoke. She slowly began to laugh under her breath.

"HmhmhmWHAHAHAHAH!" her soft laughter turned into an all-out high pitched squeal of happiness. "My own personal servant is considered Royalty! Not only that, but he also has a relationship with Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria. It's all so scandalous, so magnifique, so..." she swayed back and forth with her hoof to her forehead before Twilight summoned a couch with her magic, which the fashionista fell into, causing her luscious purple mane to bounce on the cushion. Spike rushed to her side and waved a newspaper that he found towards her in an attempt to cool her down, even though it was still quite cool outside.

"So wonderful," she spoke softly. Her friends laughed at the fashionista's silliness along with Luna.

"Oh Rarity," her younger sister spoke while shaking her head. Rarity noticed Spike waving her with the newspaper and lifted her hoof up to stop him. She planted a kiss on his scaly lips with a smile. She then looked to her servant who had a smirk on his face. She slowly got up off of the couch and began to speak to her servant.

"I'm so proud of you Marius," Rarity spoke to him sincerely. "In two weeks, you have become an Ambassador of Equestria itself. It makes my heart burst at the seams with joy. Not only that, you also managed to help me understand my feelings for Spike, and this all started when you saved my life in that old Castle. You..." Rarity began to tear up. "I'm so happy I met you..."

Rarity's eyes had tears flowing from them fully, streaming down her pure white cheeks, wetting her soft and perfectly groomed fur. She felt cold fingers touch her fur and wipe her tears away and a purple claw grasp her hoof. She looked up and saw the huge alicorn looking down at her with an agitated smile, continuing to wipe her tears away and Spike was beside her as well.

"Confound you ponies. Do you try and make a habit out of crying every single day? Here I am, a monster, and yet you have made me cry twice. It's like crying is a sport with you all, and what's worse," he drew his pale, clawed hand away before it entirely liquefied into blood and re-solidified as a black hoof. "I actually find it kind of fulfilling," the newly appointed Crimson Rain spoke to his master comfortingly, while she smiled up at him through her little sniffles. Spike brought his hand up and turned Rarity's head to look into her eyes. They gazed into the windows of each other's souls for a few moments before moving in close for a gentle kiss. Marius and Luna watched them happily, as Luna leaned her head against Marius' side.

"You enjoy crying because it's a display of how much you care," Luna spoke to Marius while they continued to watch the loving Spike and Rarity in front of them. "Aren't they a cute couple?" she asked the Vampire. Marius scoffed before looking down into Luna's eyes. He smirked.

"I've seen cuter," he spoke with his deep voice before leaning in to kiss his Princess, matching gentility with passion.

"Aww," everypony swooned while they watched the scene unfold. The three fillies however were looking at each other with unsure looks.

"This is almost as bad as that one Hearts and Hooves day," Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened.

"No! We agreed, remember? We can't ever speak of that again. I still have shmoopy doopy baby waby nightmares..." the little white unicorn spoke while shuddering.

"It was pretty bad. I don't think romance is how we're gunna get our cutie marks," Apple Bloom added.

"Umm, excuse me Princess?" Twilight asked, causing Luna to break her kiss with the Vampire and look at Twilight.

"Yes Twilight Sparkle?"

"Well, what exactly are we going to the griffon kingdom for?"

Marius smirked.

"We're going to find an old friend. Plain and simple," he answered Twilight. This only confused the Element of Magic more than what she already was.

"Indeed. If we are to actually travel without causing a whole mess of unwanted attention, we believed it best for Marius to disguise himself and we could search for him that way. Although it seems some of the information he gathered from my sister's blood was incorrect, oddly enough," Luna explained.

"Really? I thought that blood memory thingy always worked," Twilight spoke.

Marius and Luna looked to each other, before looking back at Twilight.

"It does. Something altered my field of vision when I read her memories to make me think that the Griffon Kingdom was North, not East. Something powerful," Marius spoke while developing a scowl.

'Something that no mortal should be dabbling with, griffon OR pony.' he thought to himself.

"It wanted to keep me away as long as possible from the east, and not only do I want to find my brother, but I also want to find out why this power source wanted me to stay away," he explained. Everypony was shocked.

"Wait a minute...it actually altered your magic from overseas?" Twilight asked.

"And we're going to find your brother Lyre?!" yelled the excitable pink mare beside Twilight.

"Yes and yes," Marius answered them.

Twilight looked to the ground while Pinkie cartwheeled away, happy that she could throw another Welcome to Ponyville party with Lyre.

"Wow, that's...it actually tampered with your magical ability from thousands of miles away?" she asked while shaking her head. "It must be very powerful."

Marius smirked.

"Or very foolish," the Vampire added.

The train station was now very lively. It was now a bright, sunny day as Celestia had cast her daily spell to raise the sun into its rotation. The hustle and bustle of ponies was quite the sight, as several others came to see the Elements off, including Lyra and Bon Bon, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia, and several other ponies from residential Ponyville came to the train station to bid their goodbyes to everypony. They also gawked at the Princess being there, along with Marius' new form. Many of them already knew the Vampire quite well and they were amazed he could turn into an alicorn with such ease. As expected, Lyra told him she liked his other form better, as a man. Luna was happy somepony agreed with her. Now everypony was waiting on the conductor to announce they could board.

"Marius?" Rarity asked her servant while checking on Opal in her crate.

Marius scowled at the demon cat before answering,

"Yes Rarity?"

Rarity opened her saddlebags and levitated three bits out of the left side.

"Could you please go and get me some tea at the concession stand, dear? After all, you weren't fibbing earlier. You did leave the tea pot on last night and I wasn't able to drink any this morning."

Spike chuckled before speaking,

"I did that to Twi once. Let's just say I'm thankful that your temper isn't as bad as hers," Spike told his marefriend as she levitated the three bits towards Marius. With a deep red aura, they were levitated by the huge black alicorn as he began walking towards the concession stand while Luna waited for him by Rarity and the others. He arrived at the stand and laid the bits on the counter.

"I'll have one hot herbal tea with a drop of honey, please," the Vampire spoke.

"Yeah sure, one seco-Oh my Celestia!" the yellow unicorn vendor yelled upon seeing the huge and evil looking black alicorn that asked for the herbal tea. The vendor blinked and began to stammer. "Umm uh...a drop of honey would be one extra bit, sir." he managed to muster out.

Marius clicked his cheeks against his teeth and developed a look of disappointment.

"Really? I don't have any bits on me right now," Marius spoke.

"Here," came a voice next to him. A bit was tossed in the air and the alicorn grabbed it in his aura before looking at the source of the bit.

A dark blue earth pony sat on the stool with a cup of cider in his hooves. He had a purple mane with green tips and a matching tail, both of which were disheveled and barely covered a scar on his right eye. His cutie mark was a very odd one. It depicted a glass heart with what looked to be molten gold and silver encased in ice. Behind the heart were interlocking bronze gears. The pony looked to be young, despite his scars.

Marius placed the bit on the counter for the vendor.

"Thank you very much, Mr..." the Vampire trailed off so the pony could tell him his name.

"Forged Frost," he answered with a slight southern accent before bringing the mug he had up to his lips for another long drink. Marius smiled at the pony.

"Indeed," the alicorn spoke. "So, what brings you to Ponyville?" Marius asked the pony. Frost merely chuckled.

"What made you think I was new here?" the blue earth pony asked the large alicorn.

"Well, it's simple. If you lived here, I would know you," Marius responded with a short laughter.

"Pretty knowledgeable ya are then. I haven't seen many alicorns besides the Princess's. Are ya Royalty?" the blue pony asked. Marius smiled and brought his hoof to the front of his face to look at it.

"I guess you could say that," Marius spoke. "You can call me Lord Crimson Rain, or Marius if you would prefer."

Frost laughed hard enough to shake the half full mug of cider, like a true optimist.

"Mighty prestigious title ya got there. Can't think of why a pony would be called Marius, though. Is it pronounced Marry us, or Mah-ryus?" Frost asked him. Marius felt a tinge of annoyance in his head.

"Mah-ree-us. That is how it's pronounced. Think of it as traditional Equestrian."

"Ahh, I got ya," the earth pony answered. Several awkward moments of silence passed between them before Marius spoke again,

"You never really answered my question. What brings you to Ponyville?"

Frost looked sheepishly towards the intimidating alicorn, giving Marius a full view of the large scar on his right eye that led from the top to the bottom of his face.

"Oh yeah, sorry I didn't answer. I blanked," Forged Frost told the Vampire. "I do that a lot. Anyways, what brings me to Ponyvlle?" he repeated the question while he sat his mug down on the small bar. "I'm on my way to see somepony."

Marius quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Would this somepony happen to be a cute mare?" Marius asked slyly. Frost laughed at the alicorn who was questioning him.

"No, not really. Well, kinda?" Frost spoke. "I mean she's cute, but I have considered her my sister since the day we met. Last I heard she stopped by here a few months ago. She came to Ponyville a few years before that and had her cart crushed after being humiliated in front of the whole town. Now, I'm looking for her so I can see her one last time before I go and do something really stupid," Forged Frost explained to the large black alicorn.

"You sound regretful about what you plan to do. Why is this?" Marius asked him.

Frost shook his head as he looked down to his hooves.

"I made a promise. I have to keep that promise, even if it puts my life in danger," the earth pony softly answered.

The vendor returned and placed the hot styrofoam cup on the counter.

"Here's your tea, sir," the vendor spoke to Marius.

"Thank you very much," the large Vampire graciously thanked the unicorn. It caught the vendor pony off-guard to see the alicorn so kind, to say the least. After all, his glowing red eyes were quite terrifying to anyone who didn't know him well enough.

The Vampire then looked back to Frost to see that he had a gold locket in his hooves and it was open. He smiled down at the picture of the azure mare inside. She seemed to have a smug look on her face and wore a pointed, purple hat that had several astrological symbols on it. Marius smiled at Frost, who continued to stare at his sister's picture. He seemed to know hardship. The scar on his eye told that, but no matter how much he was put through he would continue to sacrifice his own safety if it meant keeping the promise he made to his showboating sister.

"I have a gift for you," the alicorn spoke to Frost. The blue pony looked up from his locket and closed it. The alicorn was now next to him and towering over him in the process. Frost gulped, because as daunting as this Marius pony was, he was even more so when he was staring down at you. He levitated something small up to Frost.

"I want you to take this. Consider it a token of my gratitude," Marius spoke before dropping it in the outstretched hoof of Forged Frost. The earth pony looked at it curiously.

It was a coin. A solid black coin that had a dark red Ankh on both sides. It felt very heavy in the hoof of Frost, but he decided to shrug it off, considering that it most likely had a magical property to it.

"A coin for a coin, huh?" Frost asked, but looked up to find the black alicorn walking back to Princess Luna and the hot tea levitating beside Marius with a dark red glow. He scoffed. "Funny, I thought he didn't have any bits on him."

Forged Frost then tossed the bit with his hoof into his shoulder bag, and wrapped it over his back once more. As Forged Frost threw several bits on the bar to pay for his cider, Marius turned back and smiled at the strange pony he just met.

"Marius?" Luna called out to the Vampire. His attention averted back to the Princess.

"Yes Luna?"

Luna looked sheepishly at the Vampire she had come to love.

"Could you get me some tea as well?"

Marius' eye twitched.

"Alright. Give this tea to Rarity. Do you have any bits on you?" he asked. Luna pulled three bits from her small, two compartment bag that she brought with her. It contained her accessories used for hygiene and places to store her armor, tiara, and slippers.

"I'll need four," the Vampire told her.

"Ohh!" the Princess replied before fishing out on more bit from the outer compartment of the bag. Marius then drug his hooves back to the concession stand. He looked to where Frost had been and smiled.

'You will be the first.'

"All aboard!" the conductor yelled while he stretch out of the train car. Everypony realized that was meant for them and began to gather their things and head into the train.

"This is gunna be so fun! Do you think they'll have éclairs in the Griffon Kingdom? OHMYGOSH! Maybe we'll get to see Gustave again and he'll make some for us!" Pinkie spoke happily through the handle of the pink luggage in her mouth.

"Honestly, I don't know Pinkie. We can only hope," Rarity spoke to her friend while she gathered up her things. "They were absolutely divine after all."

All of her friends, the Crusaders, who were arguing about a hoofgliding cutie mark for some odd reason, and Luna all boarded the train. Rarity looked over to where Marius was standing and looking down at the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

"Marius?" she tried to get his attention. He looked back at his master.

"Yes Rarity?"

"Could you help me load the luggage into the car, please?" she asked her servant. He smiled towards her.

"Of course."

Marius began to move when he felt a soft tug at his leg. He looked down curiously to the source of the tug and found a little white filly with a messy blonde mane looking up at him sadly.

"Mister, could you get my ball?" she pointed a hoof down at the railway tracks. "It slid under there and mommy says I can't go get it!" she spoke sadly. Marius gave a sincere smile.

"Sure thing little Missy. One second," he spoke before walking over to the edge of the tracks. He reached down to grab the bright red ball that was barely visible from the edge of the train car. His huge arm managed to scoop up the ball with ease and he wiggle his way out from in between the car and the tracks. He walked a few steps back over to the now ecstatic filly. He levitated the ball down to her with his magic and she grabbed in both hooves.

"Thank you so much mister alicorn!"

Marius laughed happily at the cute little filly. He just made her day by recovering her ball.

'Children are so easily happy, yet it's because of the smallest things. Truly incredible.' he thought.

"It's no problem at all, child. I'm glad I could help," he told the still smiling filly before turning around.

He took one step, and the Vampire King heard something which chilled him to the bone.

"Daddy?" the voice of his ten year old daughter, Juel, came from behind him. Marius' eyes went wide in horror, before he slowly turned around.

Standing where the filly once was, now stood the bloody, eviscerated body of his little girl. She wore the same dress he got her for her ninth birthday. It was pink and had patterns of blue butterflies on it, but now it was soaked with blood and torn on every square inch of the fabric. The tears revealed hundreds of deep gashes in her soft skin which one could see all the way inside of, revealing bone and torn muscle fiber. The body had torn flesh everywhere around its stump of a neck which the saw had made when they slowly decapitated her. She lifted her hands up towards the alicorn's face, and in them was her severed head. She no longer had eyes. Instead, there were only two black and hollow eye sockets. Blacker than the deepest abyss that one could imagine.

"Why did you let them hurt me, daddy?"

His daughter's severed head exploded in a gore-ridden mess, decorating his face in maggots and chunks of brain matter.

Marius blinked.

He looked down to where his daughter was, only to find a white filly with a red ball looking up at him with concern.

"Are you alright, Mister?"

Marius began to pant, trying to catch his breath.

"I'm...I'm fine, child. Run along to your parents now," he told her.

Shrugging, the little filly merely walked over back towards her parents.

Marius brought his hoof up to his face, only to find that it had begun to shift into a long, slender blade that resembled a dagger. Nopony around them seemed to notice as they were too busy to notice such a small detail.

His mouth gaped at the realization.

"I was...I almost..." he didn't dare utter what came next. Re-solidifying his hoof, he placed it on the ground and began shaking with fury. Fury at himself.

"I almost killed an innocent child..."

"Marius, are you going to help me with these or not?" called out a mildly aggravated Rarity as she watched the Vampire stare down at the ground for a bit.

"I'll be right there!" he assured her. The Vampire's eyes narrowed and he glared downwards, gritting his fangs together.

"What is going on?"