Feral

1,068 years ago...

Princess Luna looked off into the starry night sky. Her moon was full. It was indeed a beautiful glistening silver orb in the sky cascading its pale light down on the surface of Equestria. 'As always, no one seems to enjoy it.'

She sighed...

"Lulu, are you there?" a voice asked from the doorway

"We are on the balcony Tia," the night Princess replied.

The Princess of the Day stepped inside her sister's bedroom. It was dark. She could only barely make out the moonlight glistening off of the dark blue drapes that were attached to her sister's bedposts. It was quiet. So much so that every step, even without her golden hoof vestments, echoed through the room like thunder. Slowly but surely, she made her way to the window attached to the balcony up in the old castle's tower. She finally sat down by her sister. Both of them sat in silence until Luna finally broke it.

"You should be resting. 'Tis late sister and thou should be preparing for the large day that one has when dealing with the Royal Court," Luna spoke.

"Civil negotiations with the Griffons about the new land they want to create in the Frozen North. That's what I have to deal with and I can handle it under any amount of rest. What I cannot handle is my little sister being distraught for reasons unknown to me," Celestia said as she turned her head to her to look at her sister.

The Princess of the Night turned her head to the right to look sorrowfully in her sister's eyes.

"Tell me sister, thou dost think our night is beautiful, correct?" Luna asked.

Celestia was taken aback by this question.

"Of course your night is beautiful Luna, what reason do you have to think otherwise?" she asked her sister.

Luna narrowed her eyes.

"We do not think otherwise, it is everyone else who seems to think otherwise," she hissed under her breath.

Celestia was a little put off by her sister's sudden change of mood.

"Luna, all of our ponies love your night. It's beautiful and truly one of the only-"

"No sister," Luna cut her off, "It is your day that they love. It is your day that they frolic and laugh in. It is your day that everything takes place in, and our night, our precious night, is and always will be a close second. No one will ever understand its true beauty!" The dark blue alicorn closed her eyes and shed a single tear that was taken away from her coat by the wind and struck her flowing azure mane. She was startled as her sister wrapped her legs and large white wings around her in a soft embrace.

"Luna, I'm sorry that you think this, but I assure you that many of our subjects love your night as an equal to my day. You must understand my sister, our ponies need rest as well to carry out their daily activities. It's just the same as you saying that I need rest for the activities and duties presented to me as one of two rulers of Equestria. Would you deny our subjects of this right?" Celestia asked her younger sibling as gently as possible.

Luna was pulled back from her older sibling's embrace as her hooves stroked her shimmering mane, and the princess looked sorrowfully at the ground. She let out a long sigh.

"We suppose you are right sister," Luna replied as she looked up and smiled at Celestia. Celestia let out a small 'hmm' of amusement.

"Though, do try to work on using the Royal 'We' less. I wouldn't doubt that in another thousand years, it will be even more out of date than it is now," she spoke. Both sisters laughed blissfully into the night.

"Well, I had better go back to my chambers," the Princess of the Day concluded and started to walk out. It was then Luna remembered something.

"Tia, before you go, has there been any more word on the relic we uncovered beneath the castle?" she asked. Celestia furrowed her brow before replying,

"Well, our most gifted unicorns cannot seem to open it," Celestia said with minor annoyance. "I have even tried myself, but it seems that not even the power of my magic can open the infernal object."

Luna's eyes widened.

"What could be inside that was so important to protect?" Luna asked in disbelief.

"I haven't the slightest idea, but from the markings, it's clear that it was even before my time. Possibly left by the race it speaks of and portrays in our ancient texts. The ones who were responsible for their own destruction. I believe they were called, the humans?" Celestia pondered. "Regardless, we have determined that the symbol on the front is what's called an Ankh, only it's different from others that I've seen. It's sharpened at the bottom tip and its' sides are pointed toward the bottom, like the hilt on a weapon of war. The most chilling part about this is what we discovered the ancient wording says underneath the Ankh."

"What does it say?" Luna asked quizzically

Celestia looked at her sister from her bedroom doorway.

"It says, "Life's nectar is the key. Nosferatu will reign the Darkness.".

Both sisters looked at each other.

"I wonder what it means." Luna thought aloud.

"I don't know," Celestia spoke. "but whatever it does mean, we should surely make sure our subjects are safe from this kind of knowledge."

Luna nodded in agreement.

With that, Celestia started down the hallway back to her chambers.

"Rarity. Rarity! Please wake up Rarity..." Spike shook his long time crush's shoulders, but to no avail. She wouldn't wake up. Fluttershy had joined the ground once more as she and Zecora were all trying to help Rarity back into consciousness. Spike and Pinkie were keeping watch over her while she lay there.

"Just who they hay are ya?" Applejack spoke in a firm tone while staying in front and protecting her friends from the one who called himself Marius. He had continued to watch over them while kneeling, eyes narrowed while smiling that same chilling smile. Rainbow and Twilight had decided to stand firm by Applejack to protect their friends. Regardless of what he spoke, they were far from trusting him. All three had to do their best to look away from the gore that had carpeted the stone they were walking on.

He stood up slowly.

He had seen some odd things, but never in all his years would he have imagined his master to be a four foot white equine, let alone the other equines that claimed they were her friend. They could also speak his language. To say he was surprised was a bit of an understatement.

As he looked down he chuckled mildly.

He was naked. His clothes must have deteriorated with time.

The creature turned around and walked to where his coffin had been. Even though some of them had blushes on their cheeks quite sizable, the three equines in front kept a scowl on their face while holding their ground. He walked his way over to where Rockjaw's former body lay. He grabbed the red vest on the former Diamond Dog turned powder and yanked it from the ashes. He then proceeded to fold the vest and wrap it around his waist, hiding his lower extremities. This was much to the girls' relief as the situation became somewhat less tense.

As he made his way back over to them, this time Twilight spoke toward him, "You heard my friend. Who are you?"

The creature stood and looked down at her.

"I already told you my name. Is this not sufficient?" The creature asked.

"Were you the one who made those dogs kidnap Rarity? If so, you're gonna be sorry!" spoke Rainbow Dash while flaring her wings to make her seem more aggressive.

The all jumped a little at the bellowing laughter that came from him. It died down quickly, though.

"My young one, would you still be alive if I was the one behind the idea of kidnapping your friend and you just interrupted whatever intentions I had?" He asked.

The girls' expressions changed very quickly to one of fear, but all three still stood their ground while everyone else tried to help Rarity.

'Interesting. They seem very put off by the concept of being killed. Most mortals are too foolish to acknowledge this until it's far too late for them and their life is taken, yet they still protect this Rarity. These young ones even seem to value their friends' lives over their own. How commendable.' thought Marius.

"She has lost much blood from her wounds. It would be wise of us to take her to a place of healing." he spoke.

All the ponies, the zebra, and the baby dragon in the old throne room looked at each other. Twilight answered,

"He's right. We need to think about Rarity here. We need to get her to the hospital."

"Very well. We shall go then." Marius replied.

"Now wait just a apple-buckin' minute here. You are NOT comin' with us! Ah may not be as much of a genius as Twi or nuthin', but it's plain as hayseed to me that yer the one responsible for all this horrible stuff that happened to these here dogs," Applejack stated matter-of-factly.

"Indeed, and if I hadn't eradicated them, then my master would have been raped and most likely cut to pieces." the monster replied casually.

Applejack was floored by how blunt the creature was.

"Um...everyone... I'm reeeally sorry for interrupting, but um...I'm sure if he promises not to hurt any of us, we don't have anything to worry about.," Fluttershy spoke just loudly enough to hear.

Everyone stared at her.

"Um...that is...if nopony else minds...*eep*" She hid behind her mane while holding Rarity's arm in her hoof, checking her heart rate.

'Unbelievable. She is the most innocent little creature I have ever seen. She just assumes that because I promise not to hurt them, that I won't lay a hand on them? No human would ever be that trusting.' The monster thought with an expression of bewilderment before it slowly turned into a smirk.

'I like her.'

"Indeed she is right. I swear on my honor that I shall not harm a single one of you and I shall answer any questions that you have once we get to this hospital," He swore to everyone in the room. The ponies all looked at each other. Then an explosion of pink hair occurred in front of him that actually made him jump.

"Ok mister, but you have to Pinkie Promise us! Say it with me! I cross my heart and hope fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" He found himself speechless while the Element of Laughter went through the very odd motions in front of him.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," the creature deadpanned.

"Heeheehee." Squeaked Pinkie in such an adorable way, that could give anyone a heart-attack. "Remember, nopony, and I mean NOPONY breaks a Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie assured him. She gasped largely, "Oh I almost forgot this is Spike and Twilight and Rainbow Dash and Applejack and Zecora and Fluttershy and I'm Pinkie Pie and I love meeting new ponies or new anything really and I love birthday cake and parties and I also throw lots of them and" *GASP* "Oh my gosh since you're coming with us to Ponyville I will totally have to throw you a welcome party and mph-" Applejack's hoof found its way into Pinkie's mouth.

Marius had to stifle a loud chuckle that almost escaped him.

"Surely with this creature we should not fight. I am sure that he will keep his word with all his might," Zecora spoke up.

Twilight looked into Marius' black pupils inside his glowing red eyes. "All right fine, but you answer whatever questions that we have for you, got it?" Twilight pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in an attempt to look intimidating.

Marius smiled, bearing his large fangs.

"Got it."

It took Twilight three full teleports with so many ponies. Her magical font didn't even come close to exhaustion though. One of the many advantages of being the most powerful unicorn in Equestria. It was about three in the morning when they got there with Rarity on Applejack's back, her coat getting stained from dirt and traces of dried blood. Marius said he would meet them there. Sure enough, seconds after they arrived at the hospital they heard something flapping in the sky, The next thing they knew, in the front yard of Ponyville Hospital, he fell from the sky and landed on the cobblestone with a resounding *CRACK* on the concrete walkway. He folded his wings, got up off his knee, and walked toward the front door with everypony following quickly behind him.

It took roughly fifteen minutes before the white mare Marius assumed was a healer got Rarity her own hospital room and started working on bandaging her cuts and digging out her medical records to find out what type of blood to give her for a transfusion. All her friends crowded and sat by her bed (Marius being the only exception, because he was leaning against a wall) in silence. The only thing making any noise was heart monitor.

*Beep*.......*beep*.......*beep*.......*beep*.......

Finally, Twilight spoke what was on everyone's mind.

Twilight turned her head toward the tall being leaning on the wall and asked, "So...what are you?"

He scoffed in reply.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes at him.

"You Pinkie Promised Mari," she warned.

'Mari?...'

The creature sighed in defeat. "Fine. In order to answer that question, I have to ask you one in turn, Twilight," he looked at her with the most emotionless expression she had ever seen.

"Do you fear death?"

The Element of Magic was truly shocked at this.

"Well, I mean of course. Nopony wants to...uh...die..do they?" she stammered nervously.

He continued to stare narrow eyed and completely void of emotion.

"Let me rephrase. I can tell you what I'm not: Alive," he replied.

Everyone in the room was confused by this statement.

Rainbow flew up by him. "What do ya mean? Of course you're alive. That's, like, a given. Duh." Rainbow Dash said with a roll of her eyes.

"Rainbow!" Applejack said a little to loudly for the quiet hospital room. "Quit being s'darn rude. Ah'm afraid she's right though sugarcube. Ya'll have to be alive in order to be standin' right in front of us."

They waited for him to reply.

He finally closed his mystic eyes and spoke.

"I shall illuminate. A long time ago, there was a race of sentient beings. Their very existence was a blight on this universe. The majority of the entire species lived without morals and only committed actions that filled their hearts with the greed and lust that they so deeply sought after. This was none more true than in the so called Kings who led this race into a torrent of chaos and mass murder. They were so utterly bored with their pitiful existence that they gathered armies to fight and kill one another, yet these Kings still treated those who blindly followed them like slaves. Peasants that were meant to worship the ground that they walked on. Their intolerance literally knew no bounds. I know this all to well, because I used to be a member of this race."

Marius opened his eyes to look at all those so intent on listening to him as if he were telling some bedtime story. Rainbow joined Zecora, Spike and the rest of the girls on the ground by Rarity's bed. To his surprise (though he did not show it) and unbeknownst to the others, Rarity was wide awake in the bed and listening to him as intently as the rest. He continued speaking.

"Until I died. Only I did not die a normal death. I did indeed die an agonizingly painful death through a forbidden ritual that was only talked about in legend. I had to sacrifice my soul and have it torn out of me. I was then given the gift and curse of being a walking incarnation of the kind of darkness children saw in their nightmares. I was given immortality, so I could forever walk this world as a monster. A walking corpse, heart unable to beat and torn apart by my own inner demons. The race I once belonged to called me Nosferatu. Eventually they just mashed together a nickname from all of their different forms of language."

He smiled, bearing his fangs.

"Vampire, was the name they eventually chose."

The girls' eyes widened in realization.

"V..v..vampire?" Rainbow asked as she backed away from Zecora, who was nervously shaking.

"Th...th..that means you drink...*gulp* blood...right?" Fluttershy squeaked out.

"This isn't scientifically possible. I mean we've all heard old mares' tales about Vamponies and other things like that, but even then they weren't dead. It's physically impossible for something dead to be able to move, let alone be immortal. According to Starswirl's book 'The Effects of Amniomorphic Magic On the Living Mind', it clearly states..." Twilight continued her rant.

"Ya mean, there is such a thing as the living dead?" Applejack sweat nervously.

"If a Vampire is truly what you are, was it a mistake to let you follow us this far?" Zecora asked with a hint of shakiness in her voice.

"But people who aren't alive don't smile, but I saw you actually smile earlier. Not a scary wary berry smile, but a nice real smiley smile. Surely your not that bad...right?" asked Pinkie as her mane deflated a little.

Bit by bit, they started to get frightened of the Vampire once more. Marius finally spoke firmly but softly,

"Enough," he spoke with a firm and slightly raised voice.

Everypony stopped speaking at the firm, masculine voice of the Vampire and stared at him.

"I made a promise not to harm you and I intend to keep it. I also will NEVER harm my master," he told them. Everypony still stared at him plainly.

"*sigh*...Pinkie Promise," Marius had to force out his lips.

Pinkie's mane instantly poofed back up and she smiled ear to ear. She made a bee-line for the Vampire and wrapped her legs around his ice cold neck and chest. He jolted off of the wall he was leaning on.

"Yay Mari!! I knew you were nice. You know what this calls for? A PARTY!!!!" The mare screamed loud enough to wake up all of Ponyville.

'Again, with the Mari?' he thought.

"Pinkie darling, do you have to be so loud?"

Everyone looked back the now awake mare laying on the hospital bed.

Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, and Spike all jumped up to nuzzle her while she lay there, dirty or not.

"Rarity!" They all yelled in unison.

"We were so worried about you..." Fluttershy spoke.

"You really should have taken me with you...m'lady" Spike said with a goofy smile. It was clear to Marius that this one showed an odd form of affection towards his master.

They all praised and reveled in the joy of having their friend back. Even Zecora came up to them to join in the group hug.

As Marius looked at the group with a curious expression, he thought to himself,

'Why is it these ponies act this way? I have never seen this much affection exhibited towards another being, short of a child showing affection towards a parent. Unbelievable. Even this feeling I'm getting inside me. It is not indigestion, for obvious reasons. It almost feels like...warmth. If a human ever did anything like that Pinkie just did, I would gut them like a fish, yet I smiled. I smiled...Could my long cold and dead heart actually be feeling the friendship that they have with one another? Do they possibly even feel this way with me?'

Marius scoffed before giving a fanged grin.

'Ah well, I was never much of a poet.' he thought.

"I trust that you are feeling better master?" Marius asked her.

They all finally stopped conversing and looked at the grinning vampire.

"I am indeed. After hearing your story though Marius, I have to ask, how is it that I'm your master?" Rarity asked with concern in her eyes.

"After three thousand years of walking among the humans, which is the name of the race I was referring to before, I became more disgusted with them. Even after taking the ones I actually thought were worthy of respect and honor, and turning them into Lesser Vampires, I was just tired. So very tired. I decided to do another ritual. One which put me into a deep sleep. My brethren, who so valiantly decided to take up the cause that I started, helped me in this ritual and I was sealed away by Vampiric magic in my concrete coffin, left with only my thoughts. Doing so, I was bound to serve the person whose blood I tasted of first and those they cared about until the last breath they took on this world. I figured it would just be another thousand or so years before I actually had to serve some pathetic human. I had no clue that I would be asleep for twelve thousand years and my new master would be a white unicorn. I could not have seen that situation coming even if it was shot at my face like an arrow," Marius said with a chuckle.

The girls and Spike just sat there with Rarity on the bed, taking it all in.

'Twelve thousand years? If my calculations are correct, he's been asleep for three times the length of Princess Celestia's lifespan...and what was that he said about Vampire magic?' Twilight gulped and felt faint.

"So you're saying that you're bound by blood to be my protector?" Rarity asked, still abit shocked.

"Indeed I am, master," Marius said softly to her.

"Well," she took a good long look at the now fully regenerated vampire.

'He's tall. Probably the tallest thing I've seen that wasn't a Manticore or Ursa or some other beast. Thanks to my skill as a fashionista and the fact I'm no longer terrified of being eaten (which would have been the. Worst. Possible. Thing.) I can see him at being at least ninety to ninety-two inches tall. He has an odd hairstyle. Just a simple short cut with light brown hair. Rather muscular, but not quite as muscular as Big Macintosh. Speaking of which I wonder what he's doing next weekend. Perhaps I could try to invite him over to dinner. Oh but, when would I have the time to...NOT NOW Rarity. Focus. I'm sure he would be a great bit of help for the shop.'

As the Element of Generosity sat and scanned him head to toe, she noticed that he had finally covered up his male area. She also recognized it as the washed out red vest Rockjaw had been wearing and it still had dust on it.

"Alright, but on one condition." She spoke crossly. "You will not, I repeat, will not, take the life of anyone or anything else, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. How long can you go without...um...feeding...dear?"

"Since I am rather old, I can go at least three weeks without feeling hunger. It is the same way with sunlight. The more I am actually immersed in it, the more tired and nauseated I become. Newlings usually incinerate after only thirty seconds of exposure to sunlight. I assure you, I will not be a burden master," replied Marius.

"Well then," the unicorn warmly smiled, "you are welcome to stay with me, and I will make you something dashing to wear out in public this afternoon and we can have dinner and I can show you around Ponyville tomorrow evening. You will also not call me master anymore. You will refer to me by my name. Deal?" Rarity asked.

Marius bowed and wrapped his right wing around the front of his body.

"Deal," he said

"HmmhmhmhmhmhAHAHAH!!" she jumped up and down like a schoolfilly on the bed while shouting what could only be described as high pitched squeals of delight. Fortunately for her, Marius managed to quickly take the I.V. the blood was running through out of her arm before she started jumping. Nopony even noticed.

'I finally have an assistant who can help with Sweetie Bell and help me around the boutique! This is going to be so much fun.' She thought giddily. Until she finally looked at her friends worried expressions and glanced down at her blood and dirt caked coat.

'Bath. Immediately...'

They continued to chat with the vampire and talk about several of the things they like to do in Ponyville, Equestrian laws, and the Princesses. He had to admit he was very interested to meet them. He had an idea of why they control the sun and moon, although he wasn't sure. It eventually became five-thirty in the morning when Rarity had taken a bath at the hospital, they patched her up lightly one more time, and talked with Nurse Redheart to discharge her. After they said their goodbyes, they went their separate ways for the morning.

Twilight and Spike were exhausted by the time they got back to the library. So exhausted in fact, they didn't even bother to write a letter to the Princess to tell her about the odd actions of the Diamond Dogs or their new undead friend that they had met.

"Spike..." Twilight called out from her bed.

"Yeah Twi?" He lazily replied from his bed on the floor

"Remind me to write to the Princess tomorrow," she said.

"Got it."

They both passed out.

As they were walking back to the boutique, Marius was taking in the environment around him.

"Now we have to try and be quiet when we get back. My little sister, Sweetie Bell is probably still asleep. Oh thank Celestia it's a Saturday. So, we'll have to be quiet and I'll make you a bed on the floor or something." Rarity told her new Vampiric guardian.

"Ok," Marius simply replied.

'I wonder, how busy Ponyville will be tomorrow? For that matter, how will everypony take to seeing a monster in town?' Rarity thought to herself.

"Probably not to well, but I can try to be as inconspicuous as possible. If I do not want to be seen, I won't be seen." he told her.

"Yes, well..." Rarity blinked. "I didn't say that out loud, did I?"

"No," he replied.

"You read my mind?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, I did," he answered.

She nearly blacked out again.

"You mean you've been reading our minds this entire time and still let us just continue thinking you're clueless as to what goes on around here?!" Rarity fumed.

He gave a nervous smile in return, "Hehe. You found me out then? Oh wow, uhh...ma..er, Rarity. You know grinding your teeth like that is really bad for them right?"

She took a deep breath and calmly replied with starry eyes, "I'm not mad. Just...try and refrain from reading my thoughts and my friends thoughts without permission, ok darling?" She asked comfortingly.

"Very well, Rarity," he told told her as he returned her smile.

They finally arrived at the boutique.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!" She spoke proudly before she opened the door leading to the elegant gallery slash living room that lied in the entrance way. Marius had to bend down abit to actually fit through the door.

To the Vampire's surprise, everything inside wasn't diamond encrusted. It actually felt somewhat cozy.

"Now, we can make your bed," The fashionista said quietly, so as not to wake Sweetie.

'Bed..' he thought.

A metaphorical light-bulb lit above the Marius' head.

"Tell me Rarity, where is the location of Ponyville's funeral home?"