Feral

by ChainReaction

Rating: mature
Tags: Rarity, Adventure, Sex, Main 6, Gore, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Human, Sweetie Belle, Sad, Other, Romance, Princess Luna
Length: 109091

Darkness. It's a trait that every being in the universe shares to some extent. Dark thoughts, dark

Darkness. It is a trait that every being in the universe shares to some extent. Dark thoughts, dark actions, even dark intentions. After an ancient creature is awoken within the ruins of the old Canterlot castle, Rarity and the rest of the ponies will discover that sometimes, the dark, is not to be feared. (Edit: This is a lengthy epic, telling a tale of anger, revenge, pain, love, and redemption. An extra special thanks to Drunk Ragdoll for the wonderful cover art.)

Published 2012-08-12 04:34:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-10 00:40:11 UTC

Act I: Undeath

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?"

Act I: Monster

Author's Note: Thank you all for the support on this story! I am honestly quite surprised my first fic was so well received with only two chapters. Brohoof for everypony!!! I said I would give an author's note to warn about rather graphic material, so be warned: The first scene in this chapter contains VERY graphic and bloody depictions of battle, and the second to last scene is relatively bloody as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

15,023 years ago...

The heat was unbearable. It was midday. Anyone could tell by the position of the sun. Everything in the dry plains of Alon' Dar was being scorched by the heat. The brown shrubbery, the cold-blooded fauna that slithered along the cracked dirt, and the thousands of soldiers laying waste to each other was no exception. One could hear their battle for miles. The clashing of steel against steel was deafening. It was clearly not a siege, for there were no castles or forts in sight. This was an all-out blood bath between two factions. One faction was glistening in the sun as its rays shone upon their fine vestments of chainmail with steel plate helmets, boots, and shields. Also discernible were the white tunics which they wore. The symbol on the front of their tunics and shields was a large red mountain with an enormous eagle perched on top. Easily discernible as the symbol for Galia, the patron God of earth and sky. They were clearly knights. The other faction wore tunics and leg plates of layered leather. On their apparel was the symbol of a golden scorpion with it's pincers' wrapped around the sun. The symbol recognizable for Shi'vara, the patron god of sun and time. In the middle of this chaotic battle there were two knights who stood out above all the others. One was huge and wielded a large steel greatsword that looked at first glance like it could cleave a mountain in half. He also wore no helmet, had short brown hair and had the skin of a tiger draped over his shoulders. The other was shorter, had dirty blonde hair that came down to his back, and he wore no helmet as well. He chose to wield two shortswords with no hilts. One steel and one bronze. Akin to his eyes. One of which was brown, while the other a pale blue. The two warriors sat back to back as the battle raged around them, weapons at the ready. The shorter one finally spoke to his comrade in arms.

"The one who kills the least men buys the drinks at our next tavern stop. Deal?" The shorter one asked.

The larger one turned his head back slightly and gave a chilling smile.

"Deal."

With that, they rushed into battle. The shorter of them was quickly getting to work with his dual blades, speedily cutting through the Shi'vara worshiping warriors. Steel met steel as he parried each blow from one, while he quickly sliced the limbs off of another. Leather, flesh, and bone all gave way as the knight sliced through them like a hot knife through butter. Arms and legs. Heads and hands. All were cut away. Sometimes from two warriors at a time. The smaller knight was indeed a torrent of death, but as he had free time to look over to his friend, he knew he could not keep up with the body count.

The larger knight could have been thought of as a one man army. With every swing of his greatsword, three or four men were cleaved through. When one got too close, the large knight would just pick them up with one hand and throw them head first into the ground, right before crushing their skulls into a fine pulp under his boots. When one would try to run after engaging him, he would run after them and skewer them through the chest, yanking his mammoth blade upwards and splitting them in two as if he was using their spine as a straight edge.

Nothing could stop these seasoned killers. The opposing army didn't even stand a chance.

The battle raged on for two days and two nights before finally concluding. The Knights of Galia were victorious with at least eighty percent of their forces still intact. The remaining then continued traveling south until they found a city. The city of Undreal. It happened to be under the control of one of their churches, so the army got their fill of women and debauchery that evening. All except for two. They sat across from each other at a small wooden table. They were the only customers in the tavern they went to. The Brine Pit they called it. Not a very clever name for a city in which the export good was brine shrimp. Both knights had their signature weapons of war sheathed on their back. Crossed swords on one and a greatsword on the other. They got their drinks and sat down in silence for awhile until the short one once again spoke first.

"I am still angry that I have to buy these drinks." He said with a menacing scowl.

The larger one chuckled.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't make bets that you cannot win." He stated with a smile.

They both sat in silence once more. They occasionally took long drinks from their tankards. Nothing to fancy. Cheap mead. It was all they could afford really.

The short knight scoffed.

"Look at us. The Church of Galia's most highly skilled fighters, more so than our entire army, and here we are drinking cheap mead and wallowing in our sorrows. Why do you think that is friend?" he asked.

"Hey, if'n ya don't like it then git your arses outta m'tavern." the bartender who overheard the conversation told them.

The short knight waved his hand in apology.

"Most likely we're contemplating on our lives back home in Alawen. Our families. Our hopes and dreams. All the lives we've taken, both innocent and guilty." the large one named off.

"This I know, but why do you think we contemplate these things. Do you suppose we're sick of war?" the short knight asked with a hint of mischief.

"What are you getting at?" was the reply he received.

"How long have we been friends?"

"Since we were children. Why?"

The blonde knight looked into the eyes of the man he considered to be his brother.

"Let's abandon this pilgrimage."

The larger knight was shocked.

"You know the cost of leaving the war. We will be hunted and executed. What's worse is that our families would face the punishment meant for us if we are not found. You have your sister. I have my wife and two beautiful daughters. Think about what you're saying. Would you have them hanged?" the large one said with earnest concern.

The short blonde man slammed his mug down onto the table and shouted his response.

"Do you hear what you're saying brother?! You fear that the very church that we are fighting to uphold the ideals of would kill your family! Is that not reason enough to leave this gods forsaken war? We could take our families with us. No one in Alon' Dar itself is as skilled as we in the art of killing. They wouldn't dare cross us."

The knight noticed he was being eyed by the bartender with disdain. He calmly composed himself and spoke quietly,

"I'm sick of killing people the church deems worthy of death. The men we killed several morns ago did deserve their death, but they've had us kill women. Children even. All claiming it was necessary because they were heretics and we need to send Galia's message of peace throughout the land, and if we didn't do what they said we were just as dead as the ones at the ends of our blades. Does that seem like justice to you brother?" The fair-haired man looked into his eyes and pleaded with his own that the man he looked up to would answer something that helped put his mind at ease.

Said man let out a long sigh.

"We don't know how far the ripples of our actions carry in this life. What is convenient to some may make hardships for others. We have not even hit the age of thirty and I feel like I have witnessed enough bloodshed to last me several lifetimes. I know that despite all of the people we have killed, we are still good people ourselves, as is the message of our church. It is just blinded by its own presence to this message of peace, as is the King of Alawen. I know, deep in my heart brother that there is good in the message we have been spreading, even with the way we spread it. I know it with every fiber of my being." The large man said while staring at the ground. "If this is what you want brother, I will join you, but we will do this within the rules of the church and of the King. After this quest, we will ask for leave to return to Alawen. They are governed by law and honor to hear us in our plea for early retirement. I trust that once we do this, we and our families can live happily together until our last days. Peacefully." He gave a smile to his short friend as he sat there taking it all in. "Do you agree with me Lyre?"

Lyre sat there looking into his childhood friend's eyes. He finally gave a smirk.

"Damn you Marius, you always know what to say to make me feel better."

The two gave a ruckus laughter before finishing their drinks and departing from the tavern.

Just like any other early Saturday afternoon, Rarity was lying in her bed sleeping soundly. Her face mask firmly in place and a smile on her face as she dreamed peacefully. Rarity also happened to talk in her sleep. A lot.

"Ahh the aroma of...sweet honey and ginger. What a lovely fragrance Princess." she said lazily.

"Hnhnhn, why of course I'd love to design all your dresses from now on. All the jewels I want in Equestria? No, really, you're too kind. Hnhnhn." she laughed giddily in her sleep.

Her door then proceeded to be kicked open and a sweet little voice cracked while screaming her name,

"Rarity!" the little filly screamed to her sister but with no response. The fashionista was a heavy sleeper. The little filly jumped onto her bed and proceeded to shake her sister with her hooves.

"Rarity you have to wake up!" her little sister screamed frantically. That awoke her with a start, and she yanked her sleeping mask off.

"Habbuzawahwhozzat?" she said before cracking open her eyes. "Sweetie Belle. What in Equestria is wrong with you?" Rarity asked groggily.

Sweetie Belle looked at her sister with terrified eyes.

"There's a COFFIN in our kitchen!"

Rarity blinked.

All the memories of yesterday came back at once. Being taken by the dogs, the large coffin exploding, the dogs being swiftly killed, the girls showing up. After that she remembered waking in the hospital and talking to her new servant about the blood agreement that he had to follow to serve her. She put her hoof to her head and groaned.

"Don't worry Sweetie Belle, just come with me. There is someone I'd like you to meet." She said with a smile.

The filly was still frantic. "Do you even HEAR what I'm saying?! There is a COFFIN. In. Our. Kitchen!" She once again said while coming closer to her sister's face with each word.

"I heard you. Just come with me Sweetie." she said while rolling off of her bed and over to her mirror to quickly brush her mane. She also checked her clock. One-thirty p.m. Sweetie Belle jumped off the bed and stayed firmly behind her sister while she led the way downstairs. When she reached downstairs she round the corner, and sure enough, there was a brown pony sized coffin with silver handles laying on her kitchen floor. She let out a quick breath before walking over to it, her sister watching nervously from the kitchen entryway, biting her lip. As Rarity approached the coffin, she tapped her hoof on the varnish twice, before talking to it.

"Are you in there?"

Sweetie Belle nearly hit the ceiling when a voice came from inside.

"Please do not tell me I have to get up at this ungodsly hour every day." stated the voice.

"You know, I offered to make you a bed. Did you steal this from the funeral home?" Rarity asked, appalled.

"Borrowed. I plan on returning it. The whole purpose is for the dead to use them anyway. Do I not get the privilege?" he asked.

"How did you even fit in there dear? It's less than half your size."

"One word: bats."

"Bats?"

"Yes...bats."

"Uh-huh." she deadpanned.

Rarity looked back to see her sister cowering on the wall, eyes wide as saucers. She trotted over to Sweetie and stroked her mane with her hoof as she smiled and comforted her.

"It's okay Sweetie. Don't be afraid. This is a friend of mine who is going to be staying with me for quite awhile. He's very nice and I'm sure you'll like him once you get the chance to know him darling." Her sister no longer looked scared out of her wits. More so she just looked puzzled now. Rarity turned to look at the coffin.

"Could you come out now please? I'd love to introduce you to my little sister," she said while still stroking her mane.

In that instant, she understood what he meant by bats.

The lid of the coffin burst open and a huge swarm of black bats with red eyes engulfed the kitchen. Between her sister's terrified shrieks and her own frustration, she could notice that even though they were frantically flying about, not a one ever knocked anything out of place or made a mess. The swarm of bats hit the kitchen ground in the center and started to meld together. Slowly but surely the black bats formed a body from the ground up until a yawning Marius stood in front of the two ponies.

"Why are you mortals so obsessed with waking when the sun is out? I find it exhausting, plus the night is so much more exquisitely beautiful."

"Monster!!!" Sweetie Belle latched onto her sister's leg for dear life. "Run Rarity, I'll protect you!"

She strained to pull her sister off.

"Just how do you plan to do that if you're holding onto my leg? I told you he is a friend and he won't hurt you!"

After several minutes of pulling the little filly trying to get her off, she finally got her to calm down. Rarity looked at Marius and was shocked, not because of the display of bats, but more so by the fact he was fully clothed.

Marius wore a long black coat with sleeves that came to his wrists, and the back came down to his calves. It was embroidered with silver and red thread along the edges and what looked like an odd symbol displayed all over the coat. It was an ankh that was a deep red and it had a luster coming off of the silver outline of the embroidery. The coat itself was made out of what looked like polyester and was open in the front which displayed his uncovered pale white chest. Other than the coat he wore a pair of pants that were booted on the end that were made out of the same material and was also embroidered with the same silver and red thread. Rarity recognized it instantly and realized that all of this material he used had been in the boutique's back closet, since she couldn't find a use for it. The ensemble was gaunt yet sturdy. Sleek yet stylish. She concluded that it was absolutely fabulous.

"Where...how did you find the time...what happened to me making you an outfit?" she managed out.

"Master, there will be no need for you to burden yourself for me. I can thoroughly take care of myself." he replied.

Rarity found herself abit jealous considering that the coat and pants ensemble would have taken her several evenings, yet it must have took him hours.

"Alright then, but you're lucky this material wasn't being used for anything Marius, and stop calling me master! Now, apologize to my sister immediately for scaring her. Such a boorish act in this household is not to go unpunished," she gave a ladylike *hmph* before turning her head from him. The entire time he could just smile.

When he looked at the now baffled little filly, she snapped out of her stupor and became scared again, trying to back away. He got down on one knee so to not tower over her and he looked into her eyes. She was put off by the fact that his eyes were a glowing blood red. Her gave her a stern look before speaking.

"I am sorry Sweetie Belle, for I truly did not mean to frighten you. My name is Marius and it is in my nature to be frightening for I am a vampire, so I am indeed a monster. Do not be scared by this, child. As a vampire I also have an undeniably strong sense of loyalty. As such, since your sister's blood was the first I tasted during my sleep, I am bound to serve as her protector and servant. I also have become somewhat fond of her and the ponies she is friends with, as I am sure that I will grow fond of you. I would never hurt or kill any of them or you, and I would never let anything harm you." He told her before putting his hand on her head and patting it lightly.

"You're a Vampony?" she asked him curiously.

"Vampire. That is what I am called, although from what I'm told the minor concepts are somewhat similar," he told her.

"That is so...cool!" Her voice cracked as she said with a huge smile before bombarding him with questions.

"Do you really drink blood? Do you poof into dust when you're in sunlight? Do you eat garlic? Do you even have to ask before entering somepony's house?" she asked.

"Now Sweetie. Stop pestering him." her sister told her.

"Awww, but I was just curious," she said before pouting.

The vampire gave a small smirk before he answered her.

"Yes, no, yes, and no," he replied

"Wow..." she said bewildered with a smile.

"I can't wait to tell Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. They won't believe that we have a vampo...er, vampire for a servant," she said enthusiastically.

"That reminds me Sweetie, why don't I cook lunch and you can go find them and have some fun today?" Rarity asked.

"Sure! Can I stay the night at Apple Bloom's too?"

Rarity pondered before answering, "I don't see why not. Mother and father aren't going to be back for a few days from their trip to Las Pegasus so...sure. Just make sure you stay out of trouble or Applejack will tell me. Understood Sweetie Belle?"

"Of course Rarity! You know that we would NEVER get into any trouble," she said with a huge smile.

Marius instantly recognized the mischievous tactic. Rarity just shrugged it off.

"Very well. You can stay with Apple Bloom tonight." she said. "Now let me make us lunch." Her guardian put his large arm in front of her to stop her.

"No. I insist that I be the one who makes you both lunch. I am your servant and it is my place to please you. I am also what you would call an incredible cook."

The cocky vampire got an annoyed look in return from his master.

"Fine, but DO NOT dirty my kitchen." She warned.

"Understood." The vampire said to his master.

'I'm guessing that they don't eat meat and enjoy eating flowers and other forms of flora. This should be fun. She can be a bit prude at times but she definitely means well. She knows the concept of respect, yet remains modest about her work. I'm liking her more by the minute. I would go find more of those dogs and tear them apart out of gratitude if she would relinquish her request for me not to kill. Then again, she said that they normally do not act this way. Maybe there is more to their actions than simple revenge. What could have drove them to be violent?' the vampire thought as he started cooking.

The meal he decided to cook, to Rarity's surprise was absolutely delicious. He made them each a diced daisy and watercress omelette with just a hint of rosemary. The vampire was shocked that they carried eggs, but then remembered that when he was a human and ate them, they were never fertilized. He also took three fresh oranges and with precision used his claws (which were thankfully clean) to slice the peals away and the oranges into pulp, which he poured from a bowl into the blender on the counter and made fresh squeezed orange juice. After their lunch, Sweetie Belle gave her farewells to her older sister and Marius before trotting out of the boutique and into the town square. When she left Marius met Opalescence. She promptly hissed at Marius.

She didn't expect him to hiss back much louder than her, bearing his fangs. She immediately tried to jump out of the window but found it closed and went face first into glass, sliding down the wall. After a little bit of consoling Opalescence was no longer trying to claw her way through the ground to get away from the creature. A little while after, Rarity noticed something as she was helping Marius wash the dishes that he dirtied cooking lunch.

"Marius, where did your wings go?" She asked while drying a plate.

"They're inside me."

She chuckled.

"You know darling I'm sure that if surprising ponies were a sport, you would no doubt be the best athlete ever to have lived." she joked.

The vampire gave a low chuckle as well. "Indeed you are right. Maybe I'll explain abit further. Since I don't need my internal organs, they can be damaged to any extent yet still heal, therefore it's a simple matter to take my wings and collapse them inside my body. Does that make sense?"

Rarity looked like she was going to be sick.

"Yes, that is rather interesting, but don't you feel any pain?"

Fully expecting an answer, all she got was a smile in return.

She shook her head and sighed.

"Well then, we should finish this up and go outside so I can give you the grand tour of Ponyville." She stated, and after they finished the dishes and tidied up, she packed a saddlebag and they went out to greet the late afternoon.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I wanted to share with you that last night, my friends and I had a bit of an escapade. We're not quite sure why, but it seems that my friend and the Element of Generosity Rarity was taken by Diamond Dogs and she was taken to Old Canterlot Castle. They were acting quite different than they normally do, for it seems they had the full intention of violating her and then taking her life. I'm not sure why but could there have been something clouding and/or corrupting their judgment? If so, you have my utmost support in investigating further. Also, during the process of the dogs (and I say this with great pain) torturing her, her blood woke something up inside of an old stone relic that they had found in the castle, This creature promptly took the life of her attackers just before we arrived. After rushing Rarity to the hospital, the creature told us that he called himself Marius and claimed that he used to be something called a human but he underwent a ritual that took his life and he now claims to be a 'Nosferatu or Vampire' as funny as that sounds. He said that since Rarity's blood was the first he tasted since he went to sleep he has to serve her and claims she is his master. He also says that he can do magic. The creature promised that he wouldn't hurt us and he actually has been quite friendly, but also very horrifying as well. By that, I mean that the things he talks of and claims that he has seen are horrible. He stayed with Rarity last night and we plan on having a surprise party hosted by Pinkie tonight at nine p.m. for him. I know it's a lot to ask with you being so busy with Royal duties and all, but could you possibly come and talk to him? The thing that makes me the most curious is that he claims to be over fifteen thousand years old, which by my calculations based on what you've told me and Equestrian history, is claiming that he is older than you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

"Ok Spike, go ahead and send it." Twilight told her number one assistant.

Spike then picked up the letter she wrote to the princess and whisked it away in a small gout of green fire.

"Do you think she's gunna freak out?" he asked.

"Spike! She is the Princess and ruler of Equestria. If anypony can stay rational in this situation it's her. Trust me." She firmly spoke. "I can't wait to ask Marius about Vampiric magic at the party tonight though. It sounds so interesting and mysterious. I would love to do a report on it!" She announced with a bright smile.

"Yeah. Whatever." he said in annoyance.

Twilight looked at him with a frown.

"Spike. What's wrong?"

He ground his teeth together in frustration.

"I wasn't able to save Rarity." He said plainly.

There was a long silence in the Ponyville library.

As Twilight was about to comfort him, he continued to speak

"Could you think of how hurt she would have been if Marius didn't wake up. She could have...she could have died Twilight. She could have died and I never would have been able to help her with work in the boutique or go gem hunting with her again or..."

He closed his eyes and bit his lip, then continued to speak with hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Now that thing Marius is with her and he was the one who saved her. I could have helped Twilight. I could have done something. I could..."

Spike found himself wrapped in a tight hug from the mare who he considered to be his older sister. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to feel other than jealousy and sorrow. He just decided to return the embrace and he wept.

He wept like he never had before.

After awhile he finally stopped the sobs escaping his body and managed to speak through sniffles.

"I...*sniff*... guess we better go and get stuff ready for the party...*sniff*."

Twilight put her hoof under his chin, raised his head, and gave him a warm smile.

"I know you care a lot for Rarity. Who knows, maybe one day you can grow up big and strong, then you can help Marius protect her. Maybe she could even return the feelings you have for her. You can't beat yourself up over something that could have happened when you need to be strong for her and show her you will be there for her no matter what trials she faces, Spike. If you really care about her, comfort her and be there for her in her times of need."

He stood there in silence, wiping his tears away.

"I suppose you're right Twi," he returned her smile. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she spoke softly. "Now let's go to Sugarcube Corner and help Pinkie with the party arrangements."

They both left the Library and headed toward downtown Ponyville, smiling the whole way.

The streets of the town square were lined with carts. Ponies hustling and bustling about as if they were frantic to get the next items on their grocery list. All that instantly stopped though, when they spotted the owner of Carousel Boutique calmly walking beside the giant Vampire with glowing red eyes that they had heard so many rumors about. Alot of them didn't believe the rumors at first, yet here he was in the flesh. As they walked, every single conversation stopped and all eyes in the town square were on them.

At first it was so quite you could hear a pin drop, then the whispering started.

"Look at him. He's huge." One mare whispered to another.

"Can you believe that Rarity is letting him stay with her?" a colt behind a stand asked his customer.

Rarity had to try her best to keep her composure. After all, screaming at them would be very unladylike. Marius just continued to walk, hands in his coat pockets and eyes closed.

"I heard that he threatened to eat her if she didn't let him stay there." said a mare with a carrot on her flank.

"Do you think he could eat one of us?" somepony asked her.

"I think that we should think about the safety of our children. We shouldn't let a real live Vampony or Vampire or whatever he is live here!"

"I heard that he stole a coffin from Mr. Waddle's Funeral Home." The whispering continued even as they bought their groceries at the stalls. Of course nopony would dare speak with the Creature of the Night that close to them. They waited for them to leave their stall before they continued speaking.

'After thousands of years, it's nice to know that the commoner's inane prattle about things they don't understand hasn't changed.' Marius thought.

Some eventually switched the topics of their speech, but Marius didn't notice as he was ambushed by a mint-green unicorn with a matching white and green mane that jumped right in front of him and his master. She looked up with sparkling eyes at him. Even standing on two legs, she would have only came up above his waistline slightly.

"Wow..." she said dreamily. "A real, live human! Well, kinda human anyway." She said with a large smile. His eyes narrowed at her.

"How do you even know about the human race?" he asked her.

"I studied all the old stuff about them in the Canterlot Library! They weren't even available until five years ago they were added from the Princess' private collections. They didn't have much, because everypony thought they were a made up species, but now I know they're real!" She jumped up and down clapping her hooves together.

"Lyra, I really don't think this is the right time to ask my friend about anything, what with all the people speaking bad things about him." Rarity tried to coax her but to no avail as she was being completely ignored.

"Can I see your hands?" She asked with a huge smile looking up at him with what would have been called puppy eyes.

He sighed in defeat.

"Very well." He pulled his hands from his coat and put them down in front of her. She noticed that they looked just like the drawings, only they were much more detailed and his nails were rather long and sharp. She extended her hoof to try and touch his hands, but first she looked up to him and asked if it was ok. He nodded.

To her surprise, they weren't warm, but in fact they were cold as ice. She didn't withdraw her hoof though, as she turned the hand and marveled at its glories.

"Are you quite finished?" Rarity asked her with a scowl. "I promise you can ask him whatever you want later, but we need to be going to Sugarcube Corner." She told her.

Lyra let the hand go, and sighed.

"Ok, but you'll promise to answer my questions about humans right?" She asked.

'I wonder, should I tell her the truth or spin a web of falsities that way I don't end up crushing her spirit?' he thought.

"Very well, but I cannot promise you will like everything you hear child." he told her.

"Ok. Thanks a bunch!" She said happily before trotting off to join a cream colored mare with three candies on her flank. Marius and Rarity then continued on down to Sugarcube Corner.

"I assume you do not need me to tell you the location of everything in Ponyville because you saw everything this morning while getting that coffin, correct?" Rarity asked.

He gave a small scoff.

"You are indeed very sharp witted Rarity. It is true that when I went to get the coffin I used this morning, after you fell asleep, I flew into the air and surveyed everything here in this town. It also helped that I read every single mind at the square who were whispering their rumors, and managed to get quite a good description of everything in town." He said with a smirk.

She was shocked enough to stop walking. He turned his head back to her, still smirking and hands shoved back into his coat.

"I thought I told you to refrain from mind reading!"

"Actually master Rarity, you told me to refrain from reading your mind or your friend's minds. You said nothing about other ponies."

"But that is... I meant...you..." Rarity was stammering for words, until she finally stopped and continued walking with another ladylike *hmph*.

"Very well. Let's just get to Sugarcube corner. I enjoy your company Marius as I am startring to consider you my friend, and I also am coming to terms with you being my servant, but it seems that you can give me larger headaches than Sweetie Belle does," she told him and laughed.

"I haven't seen the girls out, but considering you are new in town, they're probably at Sugarcube Corner working on a party for you," she said as she thought aloud.

She winced.

"A party that was probably a surprise," she said regretting that she told him about it.

The only response Marius could give was a small laugh.

As they finally reached the door to Sugarcube Corner, Marius stopped dead in his tracks.

He smelled something far off in the distance.

'I can smell blood. Fresh blood and it's similar to my master's, yet different. Similar, yet different?'

His eyes widened.

"Sweetie Belle..." he whispered.

"Did you say something Marius?" asked Rarity as she opened the door.

There was a loud messy sound that could have been interpreted as a melon exploding, followed by two perfectly diagonal trails of dark blood behind Marius as his huge black wings extended from underneath his coat to their full glory. The Vampire looked into Rarity's eyes with a deathly serious expression as she still stood in the doorway.

"Stay here."

With that, he rocketed hundreds of miles into the sky.

"Get back!" Scootaloo screamed while trying to intimidate the five snarling timberwolves. They circled the three fillies as if they were about to have a feeding frenzy.

"Stay awake Sweetie Belle! Ya have to stay awake." Apple Bloom said while frantically trying to use her untied bow to stop the bleeding from Sweetie's wound. The crusaders got together in the afternoon. They all decided it was time to go on a brave crusade through the Everfree Forest to try and get their potion making cutie mark from helping Zecora. They were on their way to her hut when out of the brush came five timberwolves, only instead of just chasing them like they normally would, they actually attacked them. As they circled the panicking fillies, one of them lunged and took a sizable chunk out of Sweetie's leg right below her left flank.

"Somepony please help!" Apple Bloom screamed as loud as she could muster. Scootaloo was still trying to seem intimidating to the wolves, and it was working for the time being since they weren't trying to snap at them anymore.

"Apple Bloom..." Sweetie squeaked out through her tears. "It hurts, but you need to run. Leave me before they get you too." She was almost on the verge of passing out from the pain.

"No Sweetie, we are not leaving you!" Scootaloo said firmly while her own tears were sliding down her face.

"Ah aint gunna leave ya neither." Apple Bloom told Sweetie as she lay in her front legs and lap. The bow out of her mane had proven useful to provide pressure on large chunk of missing flesh.

Sweetie Belle smiled at Apple Bloom.

"Aint isn't a word." she whispered.

Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo smiled.

"What are you a dictionary?" Scootaloo said through her tears as she turned and looked into the worried eyes of her friends.

They knew they weren't going make it.

SLAM!

Something hit the ground with enough force kick up dust everywhere and simultaneously shake the whole forest. The girls were all dazed and closed their eyes on instinct. After a few seconds the dust settled and when they opened their eyes they all gasped as one.

There was a massive tree laying on the ground in front of them, size easily dwarfing any normal house in Ponyville. It crushed three timberwolves, which were now mostly scattered tree bark. On top of it was a large Vampire sitting down with his legs dangling midair and wide grin on his face. He looked at the girls, mouths agape and speechless. He noticed Sweetie Belle's leg.

"I really hope you and your sister aren't intentionally putting yourselves in harms way to give me something to do. It is a tad bit of an annoyance." he said while keeping that same chilling grin.

He jumped off of the tree he threw from the air and landed on his feet in front of the three fillies in awe. Sweetie Belle then snapped out of her stupor as she noticed something.

"Marius, behind you!" she screamed but it was too late. The remaining two wolves had been knocked away and hid behind the thick brush, as they did to get the drop on the crusaders. The girls watched in horror as one wolf jumped in the air and clamped down on Marius' neck, while the other sunk its teeth into the back of his knee. The wolves tore and chomped down on ice cold flesh They feared the worst, but were baffled when he didn't flinch or move a muscle. In fact, he was still grinning.

'Pests,' he thought.

The air suddenly became much colder.

Marius hardened his blood and then decided to try out animal acupuncture. His blood shot out of his body in several hundred spikes, skewering every inch of the wolves' bodies. As they hovered in the air, Marius retracted his blood back into his body, and what was once two timberwolves dropped to the ground with a *thud*.

The Vampire looked down at the three fillies. If he had a heart that wasn't cold and black, what he saw would have broke it. The one he guessed was Scootaloo from what he heard stood valiantly in front of her friends, despite the several cuts and bruises she had received from trying to keep the wolves at bay. The one who must have been Apple Bloom was sitting down, holding Sweetie Belle's upper body while she had one hoof on top of a cloth over the huge gash in Sweetie's leg. From how much blood she had lost, the vampire guessed that the wolf who attacked her tore out part of a major artery.

"You're Marius? That vampire or whatever that Sweetie was talking about?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes." he replied simply as he walked over to where Sweetie was laying. He motioned for Apple Bloom to take her bow off. She did, and immediately all the girls winced. Sweetie out of pain and the other two out of sympathy for their friend.

"Marius, can...can you help me?" asked the little injured filly through the frantic pants she was giving.

"Indeed I can child. Brace yourself."

The vampire kneeled down and took one hand out of his coat pocket and placed it gently on top of her leg. Once again the air became very cool, but not freezing. A dark red light coursed through her leg and into her wound, and the girls watched in awe as her flesh began to stitch back together. Sinew and muscle stretching and rejoining all under the ominous glow of red light, until eventually her wound was closed and her silky white coat once again covered the spot that was bitten. Sweetie Belle kept her eyes closed, but opened them in shock to find she didn't feel any more pain.

"That...was...AMAZING!!" Scootaloo yelled.

"That was magic, wasn't it? I thought only unicorns could do magic." Apple Bloom said happily, since she no longer had to fear for her friend.

"From what I've observed, unicorns use their horn to perform magic. What many of them don't realize is that with proper skill, you can use any part of your body as a conduit for magic, since all living and dead things in existence give off their own natural magical energy. What you witnessed was Vampiric magic. Are you okay Sweetie Belle?" He looked at her with concern.

To his shock she was crying. Her lower lip quivered, before she jumped at the kneeling Vampire and wrapped her hooves tightly around his neck. Marius had to put his hand on her back to keep from loosing her grip and falling back onto the dirt.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't showed up. We'd probably be...be..." She buried her face into Marius' coat and let it all out.

The vampire had a shocked look on, until it changed into a genuine smile as he tapped her on the back.

"It will be alright, let it out." he said in a soft comforting voice.

After about a half hour of tear shedding, Sweetie Belle finally got down off of the kneeling vampire and wiped her snot away with a hoof. She jumped a little when she felt his fingers wipe the tears away from her eyes.

"See, I told you I'd never let anything hurt you." he whispered. "Not bad for a monster, huh?" He gave her a cocky smile.

She giggled as she sniffed and let him wipe her tears away.

"See, I told you he was cool." She told her Scootaloo and Apple Bloom who were sitting behind them, giggling.

Marius then led the crusaders out of the forest and back to Ponyville, the three of them telling him all about their adventures while he listened intently and happily as the sun sunk lower into the horizon.

It was a little after seven o'clock and Princess Celestia had just lowered the sun and was back in her chambers. After concluding the meeting with her nephew Blueblood discussing the severity of punishment for graffiti on historical monuments, she was finally able to sit down with a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake levitating beside her and relax while reading her mail.

"Ahh, a letter from my faithful student. I wonder if this is a friendship report." She said smiling.

She unfolded the scroll and started to read. The further down the letter she got, the wider her eyes and mouth became. She finally finished it and dropped the cake, the cup of tea, and the scroll on the ground and the cup shattered on the smooth granite floor. She then did something she hadn't done in a long time. She ran down the castle hallways and into her sister's room. She then flung the door open, pushing the two Lunar guards out of the way. Luna had her glasses on and was so startled that her magic flung the abacus she had across her bedroom. She then noticed Celestia's look of worry.

"Sister?! What is so important that you could not have bothered knocking?" She asked.

Celestia looked her younger sister dead in the eyes with a very serious expression.

"We need to get to Ponyville. Immediately."

Act I: Conflict

Author's Note: Thanks to all the people who helped collaborate with me on this so far and thanks to everyone who liked and favorited! This chapter will contain a decent amount of blood and violence, so you have been warned! I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Make sure you read my first comment after you read this chapter!!

"The Bird of the Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame..."
-George Ripley's "The Ripley Scrowle" 1468 A.D.

Night had already fallen as the Vampire and the crusaders were finally reaching the outskirts of Ponyville. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were arguing on Marius' left while Sweetie Belle walked silently on his right. He had decided to walk them back to Sugarcube Corner and from there, each of the Crusaders' could walk themselves home since they were once again within the safety of the peaceful town.

"Ah don't see why ya think that Ms. Cheerilee and that Time Turner guy would make a good couple. That don't even make sense!" Applebloom argued.

"He's supposed to be rich or something, duh! After all, everyone else says he's a doctor," Scootaloo argued in return.

'How is it possible for them to argue all the way back from that forest?' thought the Vampire.

Sweetie Belle was quiet the entire way back to Ponyville, occasionally glancing up at Marius. She hadn't realized it before but in the presence of the night with moonlight shining ever so lightly on him, he was absolutely terrifying. His red eyes gave off the softest menacing glow and his large muscular form seemed to blend into the dark like a shadow. If anypony saw him from a distance and could only make out his figure, they would most certainly turn and run as fast as they could for fear of their life.

'He's so scary, but he's really nice to me and Rarity and even other ponies he's not supposed to protect,' she thought as she gave a small smile. 'I like him. I wonder though, how did he become a Vampire?'

He looked at her and gave his signature fanged smirk. Panicking, she quickly looked away and at the ground nervously.

'It's like he can hear what I'm thinking. Weird.'

As they walked through Ponyville and back to Sugarcube Corner, it was eerily quiet. That was until they were walking to the front door of Ponyville's prime confectionery seller.

'There are quite a few heartbeats inside. Probably sixty or so and they seem to beat faster as we get closer to the door.'

He put his hand around the doorknob and smiled.

'Ahh, I see. A party then, is it?'

As Marius and the girls stepped into the dark confines of the building, the light came on and what seemed like the whole town popped out of the surrounding tables and decorations.

"Surprise!!" the crowd boomed and Marius tried his best to seem startled as his eyes shifted around the large group of ponies, the table they had full of food, the cozy arrangement of decorations such as streamers and party hats around the shop, and the large red and white 'Welcome to Ponyville Mari!' banner that hung overhead.

"A surprise party for me? How generous!" the Vampire yelled while trying to sound honestly surprised.

"Girls! Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?!" a scornful Rarity asked while walking over to the girls with Applejack by her side.

"But Rarity, we-"

"Hi Mari!" The pink party organizer popped up in front of Marius while Sweetie Belle was explaining to her sister what had happened within the Everfree.

"So do you like the party? I really hope you do, I mean I don't know if you can eat cupcakes or cakes or anything but I really hope you can. Can you? I would feel sosososo bad if you couldn't enjoy the wonderful most fantabulous cake that me and the cakes made for your party because it doesn't have blood in it but I do hope you have fun after all you saved Rarity and you saved all the girls in the last chapter so I know you deserve the most super duper party ever!" she beamed happily.

For the first time in over 15,000 years, Marius was at a loss for words.

'Last chapter?'

He returned her beaming smile with a small one of his own.

"I must say, it is quite the accomplishment. To answer your second question, I can eat other foods for taste, but not for sustenance. Any food is dissolved completely within my body. I must ask though, it seems that almost all the ponies here aside from you and the rest of Rarity's friends are the ones who were spreading rumors about me this afternoon. They were scared that I would eat them and their children if I recall, so how did you manage to get them to come to my welcome party?" he asked quizzically. Everypony else had gone back to meandering through the party. Some were having conversations with others while some just stuffed their face with the delicious treats that Pinkie and the cakes had made.

Pinkie Pie tried to scoff, but it came out as a snort while she rolled her eyes.

"Silly Mari, your Auntie Pinkie Pie can be very persuasive," she winked at him.

The vampire threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"I guess that's as good an answer as any."

Suddenly, Pinkie's entire body shook for several seconds.

"Whoa, what a doozie. I haven't had a doozie in so long. I wonder what it could mean?..." she asked

Before he could reply, the Element of Laughter bolted away and Marius watched in the distance as she shoved her head into a full punch bowl Zecora was standing by and emerged with an alligator clamped on her snout.

'Haha. An odd one indeed,' he thought while turning his head and noticed Applejack and Rarity walk up to him with the girls in tow. All of them looked very sympathetic.

"I guess I know now why you told me to stay here," Rarity told him sheepishly.

"Marius, Ah know you're supposed to watch over Rarity and everything but ya saved my sister too and...Ah don't know how to thank ya enough. Is there anything the Apple family can do for ya?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

He looked down into her eyes and spoke with a tone of seriousness, "There will be no need. It was my pleasure as you and your family are friends of my master, therefore it is my duty to keep watch over you all. Such is the way of honor and the pact of the Blood Seal that put me to sleep, although I must ask the forgiveness of my master," he spoke.

Rarity was taken aback as he kneeled down so he was only about a foot above her eye level and everypony in Sugarcube Corner that had noticed stopped their conversations and looked at them.

"Rarity my master, I have gone against your specific orders and killed five of the creatures known as timberwolves that were attacking Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo in order to save their life. You ask that I only kill if it is necessary, and I believe it was. Regardless, my actions went against your request. Can you forgive me, my master?" he asked.

Everyone was shocked, and the bad impressions that they had of the Vampire instantly changed.

It was quiet for awhile before Rarity finally spoke,

"Marius...you think that I would be angry with you for doing what you needed to do in order to save my sister? Of course I forgive you, and don't you ever think you need to ask for forgiveness like that again. You are the most noble creature I have ever had the honor of calling my friend, and I am truly grateful I met you." she said while smiling, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Yeah. She is totally right. You did what had to do to save them, which is totally awesome," spoke a raspy voice.

"I can't believe you actually used magic to heal Sweetie's leg. That's incredible. I can't even do a spell powerful enough to heal an injury that bad," the Element of Magic said.

"I would love for you to help me heal some of the animals sometime...Um...If that's okay with you," a shy voice said just above a whisper.

He looked up and saw that Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Twilight, Fluttershy, the girls, and even Spike were sitting there beside Rarity . Everyone was there smiling at him. The vampire suspected it at first when he saw them interact, but he would have never thought it possible for them to feel that way about him. He was a monster. A being who solely existed to slaughter, but it was true. He had found someone besides his brethren who he cared about and cared about him in return. After only a day awake from his slumber, he had found friends. He gave a fanged smirk.

"Thank you master."

He quickly scooped them all up into a group hug with his large arms.

The party had continued for about an hour. About half the ponies that had been there had left. Somehow Marius was coaxed into playing pin the tail on the pony with Pinkie and all the colts and fillies at the party. Incredibly, somehow when it was Pinkie's turn, her tail ended up on the pinup while the pinup's tail replaced hers. The Vampire was beginning to think she was a practitioner of witchcraft, but couldn't read her mind against his master's wishes to confirm his assumption. Rainbow and Twilight were having a conversation by the stairway about the natural magic Pegasi have that they use in order to be able to shift clouds and control weather while Fluttershy was listening to them silently. Other ponies were chatting away talking about the Vampire and his heroic efforts while others talked about miscellaneous things going on in their lives. Rarity and Applejack were sitting beside each other, each enjoying a slice of the delicious chocolate sheet cake that had once said "Ponyville loves Vampires" on the top, courtesy of Pinkie.

"Can ya believe what all Marius has done. He saved you and he saved yours and mah sis along with Scootaloo in the same day. Truly something aint he?" She said blissfully.

"Yes, he is," spoke the fashionista.

"I'll be honest. At first, when I saw him after he had erupted from that coffin, he was the most horrifying thing I had ever laid eyes on. I can't believe that the monster I saw would be so gentle underneath. He has told me he still has the desire for violence though, but I have am sure he would never act on it unless absolutely necessary." she thought aloud, and then slowly frowned.

'Why did you do it Marius?...Why did you become they way you are?' she thought to herself.

They just watched the Vampire fumble around and play with the children, laughing happily as they all tried to climb him like he was a large playground attraction. Fortunately he had retracted his wings so they didn't hurt any of the children.

"Um...Rarity?" came a voice from beside Rarity. She turned her head and noticed a purple drake that was awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, Spike! How are you darling? I'm ever so sorry that I haven't got to talk to you much lately," she told him.

"I'm fine I guess. Um...Rarity...I was wondering..."

Silence.

"Yes Spike, what's wrong?" the fashionista asked while looking down at him with large glistening blue eyes, casually flipping her beautifully styled mane out of her eyes.

"Um...I...I was wondering..." he stammered.

'Ok Spike, this is it. It's now or never. You're a lot more grown up now, so you have to be strong and...just..ask...

She gave him an odd look before he took a deep breath.

"RarityIwaswonderingwouldyougooutwithmenextFriday?" the little Drake quickly covered his mouth with his claws.

She blinked while Applejack just chuckled.

"Um, Spike? Ya might have to ask that a little slower," the cowpony told him.

"Um...Rarity, I was wondering, would you go out with me next Friday?" he asked with a sheepish smile plastered on his face.

Rarity was stunned.

'My little Spikey-Wikey, he actually overcame his fear and asked me on a date? Of course, there is a bit of an age difference but only by about six years, but he's not a baby any more. He is roughly fourteen now. It wouldn't hurt and I'm sure it would be absolutely innocent, plus I am a single mare after all. He has always been quite the gentlecolt and the crush he has had on me throughout the years has been absolutely adorable, but I suppose it's finally time,' she started laughing under her breath.

He sighed dejectedly before speaking, "That's ok, I'm sorry I asked."

Tears were working their way out as he turned to walk back to Twilight when a hoof was laid on top of his left shoulder.

"Nonono darling, you misunderstood me. I was laughing because I was so happy you finally overcame your fear and acted on the crush you have had on me for so long," she told him.

His eyes became as wide as saucers and the scales on his cheeks almost instantly turned permanently red.

"Who told you?! Was it Twilight?"

There was a distinctive sound that came from the background that sounded like 'FOR-E-VER'.

She chuckled lightly before responding, "No Spike, she never told me. I hate to tell you this dear, but you're not exactly what a pony would call um...subtle?"

"Oh, uh...so is that a yes?" he asked once again sheepishly

She beamed, "Of course it's a yes my little Spikey-Wikey! But you have to remember that this is still just an outing between friends. We shall see if anything stems from this, alright?"

His smile was massive.

"YES...I mean, great! I can't wait. What time will I come over to get you?" he had to try and cap the massive amount of excitement pouring out of him.

"How about six in the evening?" she asked while smiling at him.

"Great! Um...I'm just gunna go tell Twilight." he sprinted back to Twilight.

"She said yes!"

Applejack and Rarity laughed out loud before continuing to talk to each other. Little did they know that there was a certain Vampire with razor sharp hearing who had heard their whole conversation.

'A date next Friday?' Marius picked up a giggling five year old colt off of the top of his head before smirking.

'Sounds interesting...'

The party was going absolutely wonderfully. Then there were three loud knocks at the door...

"Don't worry Cup, I'll get it." Carrot Cake happily told his wife as he opened the door.

"Can I help y-" his eyes shot open at the speed of a lightning bolt when he saw the Princess of the Day and Ruler of Equestria on his front doorstep, accompanied by her sister and two Royal guards. He shook nervously before speaking,

"P..P...Princess C..Celestia?"

"Good evening Mr. Cake, it is wonderful to see you again. I heard from my faithful student that there was a party being hosted here this evening and would love to join in the festivities," she told him with a kind, motherly tone.

"Umm...uh.. sure," he spoke as beads of sweat started to pour down his face and muzzle.

"Honey, we have more guests."

Everypony's ears perked and they looked at the door as the new guests began to walk in. They all promptly gasped.

"Princess!" Twilight said happily and ran over to her mentor.

"Hello Twilight, how are you my faithful...," she trailed off as her eyes finally came upon the creature she so desperately wanted to see for herself. He was huge. As he stood upright, he dwarfed her in size by at least twenty inches. She started to panic as she saw the glowing red eyes of the creature, his large fangs as he smirked wickedly, and the fact that he was immersed in a pile of children did nothing to help either. Her protective instincts took over and she did something she hadn't done in a long time.

She used the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Unhand those children at once, foul beast!" her voice roared in the room like thunder.

Immediately, all of said children grabbed onto the Vampire's legs for protection while everyone else, including the Elements of Harmony, covered their heads and dropped to the floor. Celestia was instantly regretful of her actions, but was still eyeing the creature she thought was a danger to her subjects with a fierce scowl. While everyone else was cowering except Princess Luna, who was about to intervene, no one could have expected what happened next.

The vampire crossed his arms, threw his head back, and roared in laughter.

"Tell me child, didn't anyone ever teach you not to scream while you are inside another's home? It's very impolite," he told her calmly.

The Princess was shocked that the creature would dare speak to her so complacently, and call her a child! Even though the creature seemed friendly from what her student described, she remembered what she had read about Vampires so many years ago in her ancient tomes. They were masters of deceit and she would not let the creature get the better of her. She gave him a look that could melt butter while he stood there smiling at her the entire time. She charged a spell that would make the creature answer every question she asked in truth, and then released it towards him. He did nothing in an attempt to block it, until it got inches from him. He finally wore a look of shock on his face as he recognized the power behind her magic, because it was a power that made him feel a sensation he had not felt in a long time.

Pain.

It was Solar magic.

He shoved the children away and over to the side of the wall and everyone in the room watched in horror as the spell that was supposed to be nothing more than a tickle touched his shoulder, and his entire arm (coat sleeve and all) exploded in a giant spectacle of gore.

"Raaaaaaaaarrr!" Marius opened his mouth and gave an animalistic roar that would have scared a dragon to death. No blood had managed to get on anypony, but everyone including the Elements, the Cakes, the guests that had stayed, the children, the guards and both of the Princesses wore a look of horror upon their face as they looked upon the still smoldering stub of where the Marius' arm used to be.

Princess Celestia finally spoke,

"Vampire, I-" she was cut off as Marius moved at a speed that would have been impossible for mortal eyes to see. He wrapped his clawed hand around her throat and in one fluid motion, threw her towards the wall so hard it offered no resistance as her body shattered the drywall and wood into splinters and propelled outward landing in the streets of Ponyville.

"Sister!" Luna shrieked and flew with the two Royal guards out through the hole that was made in the wall to check on her beloved sister. Twilight, Rainbow, and several of the others joined her. She was still conscious lying in the streets of Ponyville, scratches all over and blood running down from a large gash below her horn. Marius began to walk outside when his master screamed at him,

"Marius, you will stop this instant!" she spoke like she was scolding a child.

He turned to his master and looked her dead in the eyes.

"I shall not hurt her further Rarity, I shall merely check on her condition," he calmly replied. Just as he took another step, a beam of light hit his head and it exploded in a fountain of brain matter. His body dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

The Princess of the Day flew back into Sugarcube Corner through the large hole her body made and stood over Marius' body panting heavily. She ached everywhere and there were cuts and gashes all over her body decorated with small splinters. She finally sighed, content that the fighting was over. All the children were crying including the Crusaders and Rarity looked absolutely mortified as her coat was covered in blood. Everyone had gotten back into Sugarcube Corner and they were hovering over the body of the vampire.

Rarity turned to the princess and screamed to her,

"What in Equestria were you thinking?! He isn't going to harm any of us!"

Celestia looked down at Rarity and returned her disdainful look while still panting,

"I'm sure you think so, but I assure you an evil creature like that has no place in Ponyville OR Equestria," she told Rarity.

"How do you know? He was playing with these children which you both terrified, not hurting them!"

Celestia was shocked.

'I realize that the creature had acted rather kindly with them, but that's what Vampires do according to all the things I've read. They acted like they cared for someone, and then betrayed them and killed them, turning them into their fellow Undead. That's what they do, isn't it?' she thought to herself. 'Did I just take the life of someone who was trying to protect my subjects, because I feared he was going to harm them?' she began to feel nauseous, but was shaken out of her thoughts as the Element of Generosity started to yell at the headless body on the floor.

"You, I am absolutely FURIOUS with you! I'm sure the Princess didn't mean to hurt your arm like that, so you had no reason to react so violently! Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?" she asked the corpse.

Everyone looked at her like she had gone mad, until the entire room became cold and an ambient voice came from the walls.

"Judging by the look on her face when my arm was destroyed, she didn't know her Solar magic was harmful to me, but I still overreacted. For this, I apologize," the eerie voice echoed like a drum throughout Ponyville's tiny bakery.

"Well, I certainly hope so, now quit lying on the ground and get up Marius. It's absolutely horrid and you're getting blood all over the floor!" the elegant designer said with her signature *hmph* afterwards.

As if on cue, the headless body shot up to stand on all fours.

"Zombie!" yelled Spike as he tried to run away, but tripped over his own tail.

In seconds, bone, muscle, nerve endings, skin, hair, and even polyester stitched itself back together as Marius' right arm (along with his sleeve) and his head fully regenerated while the Vampire had a wide smile on his face. It was as if the short but bloody battle never even ensued to him. He opened his glowing eyes to everyone in the room. Every jaw, Royal and non-royal might as well have been on the floor except for his master's.

"This shouldn't come as a shock to some of you. Remember when I regenerated my arm after it exploded from Twilight's little spell?"

"Uggh, just look at all this blood. Eeeheewww. How am I EVER going to get it out of my coat and mane? This is the. Worst. Possible. Thing!"

Marius sighed and rolled his eyes as his master continued to whine about the blood spattered on her coat. Everypony else was too shocked to speak, except Fluttershy, who was trying to calm the small amount of foals and tiny colts. The guards were visibly shaking from the reanimated terror in front of them and Celestia and Luna were dumbstruck. Marius then walked over to the children and Fluttershy. As he neared them, some shied away from fear.

"Do not be afraid little ones. The Princess and I were just having a...dispute...over...who could eat the most of Pinkie's cupcakes! Clearly, she tried to cheat since I cannot eat without a head or mouth," he told them while giving them a warm smile.

There was silence in the room for awhile, until all the ponies in the room including Luna burst out into laughter at the joke. All except Celestia, who stared at the Vampire curiously.

'He seems so gentle with them, but I don't know if his intentions are truly pure,' she thought.

She narrowed her eyes.

'I have no choice. It's not a spell, so I can use it. I'll have to use telepathy.'

She began to peer into Marius' mind. She focused entirely on the mental pathway of the Vampire's thoughts while her sister walked over to join the rest of Elements and ponies from around town in trying to calm the Cakes down. Luckily, Pound and Pumpkin were staying over at their Uncle Fruit Cake's house for the night. Luna was assuring them that they would pay for the clean up and all the damages to the shop. Marius looked back to Celestia who was focused on him still. He walked over to her until he was close enough to feel the heat from her breath as she continued to wince and lightly pant. He looked down into her eyes with his own.

'Why are you trying to read my mind when you should be tending to your injuries Princess? Would you like me to heal them for you instead? Also, I can assure you that my intentions are pure.' he spoke to her without moving his lips.

Celestia gasped loudly enough to be heard throughout the room.

'You can use telepathy?' she thought.

'I would venture to say that there is a lot about me you do not know. Where did you obtain this source of information about Vampires?' he asked her with his thoughts.

'From my personal collection of tomes passed down to us through generations of the unicorn royals, up until the birth of the Alicorn race. Why? she responded.

'They were wrote by whom?' he asked.

'Humans I suppose. Why are you asking me these questions?

'Tell me Princess Celestia, can you determine from your readings who the number one enemy of the Vampire race was, because they considered us abominations and we considered them cattle?'

'The...humans?' it came out like a question.

'Think child. Use your age old intuition,'

She thought about it, then gasped as realization donned.

'They slandered the Vampires that way future generations-'

'would assume that we were all horrid, evil beings who needed to be exterminated. A last precaution for a dying race bent on scorning their enemy if you will,' he finished for her.

She looked at the ground and tears started to flow from her eyes.

"How could I have been so foolish? The wars I read about...the horrible things that happened. I was just truly scared for my subjects, since a monster had been introduced to our peaceful way of life. My sister and I have watched over this land for generations, and the thought of anything harming it gives me unspeakable sadness and rage."

Luna walked up to her side and spoke softly, "Never fear sister, for you had good intentions. We are most sure you were only doing what you thought right for our Equestria."

"Princess..." whispered Twilight under her breath, trying to hold back her own tears. Everyone watched the spectacle curious, for that was the first thing either Marius or Celestia had said in minutes. To their shock, Marius got closer to the Princess of the Day and wrapped his arm around her shoulders bringing her into a half embrace, being careful as not to touch any cuts. She looked up at him sorrowfully and spoke, " I am truly sorry, Vampire Marius."

He scoffed.

"You needn't worry about it. I have learned about this land from my master and I see why you would want to protect it with all of your power, which is great indeed. If it had been any other Vampire besides me and another who I used to know, they wouldn't have gotten back up from the last blow you delivered. My name is only Marius, by the way," he leaned down slightly to get inches away from her ear. "and I happen to love a woman that can handle herself in a fight," she could feel his ice cold breath on her ear and run down her neck

The Princess blushed before looking back up at him and giving a sultry look, deciding to go along with his little game,

"Is that so, Marius?" she lifted her left eyebrow slightly.

*THUD*

"Oh my...um...somepony help? Twilight fainted."

Celestia decided to heal herself of her cuts and gashes rather than have Marius do it for her. All the ponies that had come out to the party had left, leaving the Cakes, the Princesses and her guard, the Elements, and Marius. Everypony (mainly Applejack and Pinkie) was currently trying to scrub the blood out of Rarity's mane and clean up Sugarcube Corner at the same time. Fed up, Marius just decided to clean her off himself. He placed his hand on his master's head and in a large crack of red electricity that rang throughout the night, he had dissolved the blood and stains that she had received. She was marveling at the new found use of her servant, when they was approached by both Princesses.

"Marius may we have a word with you?"

He looked to his master and gave a look that asked her if she it was ok if he could talk with them briefly.

"Of course dear, you don't have to ask me!" she said in sing-song.

He chuckled, "Of course, Rarity," he gave a small bow to his master before turning around and listening to Princess Celestia.

"Since we now know our view of your race was corrupted greatly, we would like you to answer some questions before we leave for the castle. I'm sure everypony in this room would like to know more about you and the rest of the Vampires."

The Vampire thought about it before answering, "Very well, but you will grant me a favor in return."

The Princesses gave him an odd look before Luna answered, "What is it you ask of us?"

Marius gave that signature fanged smirk he was so good at using.

"Your blood of course."

Everypony gasped.

"You see, I have a special ability that I can choose to use which allows me to view the memories of those I drink the blood of. I would be very interested in attaining the memories of the rulers of this land since I have much to learn about it," he explained to them.

One Princess looked to the other before both turned back to him and smiled.

"You have a deal."

Marius gave a huge fanged grin.

"Alright, what would you like to know?"

Act I: Explanations

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the support with this story! I have taken the questions posted in the comments of the last chapter and had them asked in this chapter accordingly. This chapter also has some dark material in it, and due to the answers I had to add a Sad tag. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading!

“I am a forest and a night of dark trees, but he who is not afraid of my darkness will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche

The cool embrace of the night air could be felt in Sugarcube Corner. It was past midnight but due to the rather unusual circumstances at hand and the fact that there was a massive hole in the wall, everypony had decided to stay up and clean before having the Vampire discuss with them the answers they wanted to hear. The exception being the Cakes, who went upstairs to rest after a nerve wracking day of party hosting and the brief battle that destroyed most of their bakery downstairs. Marius and the ponies who had stayed decided to clean up the mess they had made. Twilight and the rest of the Elements thought it was very odd to watch the Princesses help clean up the mess with them, since they had never seen them do cleaning of any sort before. All the unicorns and both Princesses decided to sweep up the broken wood and debris, since levitation would make it very simple to clean up quickly. Only Sweetie Belle didn't help sweep, as she helped the others pick up and put away the party invitations.

Before they did any of that though, Marius had been tasked by his master to clean up the blood and brain matter that littered the floor and walls. He happily accepted the order, took his index finger on his right hand, and used his claw to cut a large slit in his palm. Everypony was very puzzled by this until he positioned it towards the floor. Every bit of delicious red nectar that had left both Celestia's body and his, flew from the place it had pooled and into the cut in his palm. The cut then sealed itself. Afterwards, everypony could start their cleaning.

It was close to the hour of midnight when they had finished. The only thing left was the hole and the Princesses had promised to send a crew to fix it tomorrow. Everypony got comfortable and seated themselves on the floor. Due to the lack of a large amount of blankets, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cuddled up next to their sisters while Scootaloo decided to try and cuddle up to Rainbow Dash. At first, the Rainbow maned pegasus had thought it a bit awkward, but after looking down at her pleading look, she warmly smiled with a caring look in her eyes while she unfurled her left wing and wrapped it around the young filly. Obviously, nopony was used to the cold air of a Fall night except Luna, as she let her older sister cuddle up to her as well.

"Now then," Marius said after waiting for all of them to become comfortable. "Since I have decided to answer any questions that you all may have for me, who shall start first?" the Vampire asked while slowly unfurling his wings to stretch them along with his arms, careful to not knock anything over.

They all looked around at each other to see who would ask the first question.

"How did your coffin end up beneath our castle?" Luna spoke. Every bit of attention was fixated on her and then shifted to Marius, who was now laying down across the glass counter with his hands behind his head, and his wings hanging over on his sides.

He scoffed loudly.

"I think the more correct question would be, how did your castle end up on top of my coffin." Pinkie, who was sitting next to Fluttershy, snort-giggled at his change of the question.

"Silly Mari'. He means that his coffin was there the whole time, and you built the castle on top of it. Your builders just happened to find it and put it in the basement when they were done. You thought that some smarty warty pants archaeologist left it in the lower levels of the castle as a gift to add to your relic collection, so you didn't think about it any further." the Pink pony pointed out.

Marius was impressed and everypony else was dumbfounded.

"Pinkie, that was a very astute observation," Twilight praised her.

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, duh! I grew up on a rock farm remember? We found odd stuff in the ground all the time! Ohhh, there was even this one time where-"

"Umm....Pinkie...I'm soooo sorry...but um...I think everypony else wants to ask their questions...or not...I'm sorry. Are you mad at me? Please don't be mad at me!" the timid yellow pegasus told her.

"How do you plan on feeding?" Celestia asked.

Everypony's attention was once again on Marius. He closed his eyes while letting out a long breath.

"Every three weeks or so, I will have to see if I can borrow blood from the hospital. I could feed off of the local wildlife," there was a gasp of horror from across the room made by a pink maned pegasus.

"I choose not to though, as it would seem animal life is indeed very valuable here. I will take only as much as I need to quench my thirst, but that is all."

Everypony breathed a sigh of relief.

"How does blood taste, and what's the bestest blood you've ever tasted? Also, Chimicherry or cherrychanga?" asked the now widely smiling party pony.

Without missing a beat, Marius responded,

"Cherrychanga. Now, you ask how blood tastes. Let me think of a way I can explain it to you," he brought his hand to his chin and rubbed it slightly with his fingers.

"The taste of blood itself would depend solely on how the owner lived their life. If they chose to be wicked and did evil deeds, their blood would be delectable as it has been exposed to the ever sweet taste of corruption. Kind and generous owners, however, are exactly the opposite, offering a somewhat bitter salty taste. Who you drink from depends entirely upon what you feel like tasting, much like any normal food. As for the sensation of feeding," the Vampire told them while they listened closely, "Imagine being starved for two full weeks of food and drink, then feasting on a meal fit for Royalty while simultaneously having every sexual desire in your body fulfilled at once," the Vampire explained.

Several ponies in the room blushed wildly at the mention of sex, mainly the Crusaders. Only a year ago were they given the talk about where foals came from by Miss Cheerilee. The mares in the room along with Spike only blushed slightly, while some coughed having an awkward smile on their faces. At this reaction, the Vampire could only chuckle.

"Okay, what about sunlight then?" Celestia asked.

"What about it?" he shifted his lazy gaze to look at her as she cuddled her sister.

"My magic evidently hurt you because it had harnessed solar energies. So, how do you walk out in my sun?" she asked pondering the question herself.

"It's simple," the vampire smirked. "Direct exposure to the sun would kill almost any other of my kind within minutes, but I am very old. Ancient in fact. Such a long time spent with Vampirism has the ability to make one highly resistant to the rays of sunlight due to increased regenerative properties, systematic strengthening of dead cells, and increasing the power of Vampiric magic. Direct exposure, however, is much more effective. Such as solar magic induced spells."

"What about a magnifying glass?"

Marius gave an unamused look to Spike, who asked the question and was now trying to hide chuckling.

"The fact that I fully regenerated my head, arm, and even my coat sleeve should give you that answer."

"*Pfft* I got one for ya," Rainbow said with a smile while still cradling Scootaloo from the cold. "Tacos with mild sauce or burritos with extra cheese?" the cyan mare let loose a gale of laughter. Spike, Pinkie, and Scootaloo quickly followed in her footsteps.

"Hahaha *snort* hahaha *snort*! Good one Rainbow Dash!" the party pony praised her.

"Yeah. That was, like, so funny. He probably has never even heard of them!" Spike said. Everypony else in the room just face-hoofed.

The Vampire looked at them all with a dead serious expression, stifling their laughter before speaking,

"Whole grain taco shells with melted cheddar and tender Angus beef with a light touch of tomato and basil sauce along with a dash of crushed (not diced) red pepper, which would be just enough to bring out the natural tang of Angus beef while blending in well with the basil."

Everypony was shocked.

"What? I told Pinkie I ate for taste, not sustenance," Marius spoke.

"B...b..beef? That's like, uh...," the rainbow colored mare was a little shaken.

"Yes, beef is what they call the meat from a cow," Marius told them.

"What about your wings? I noticed you were really good with them. Can you fly fast and use them to grip stuff like pegasus ponies do?" asked enthusiastic little Scootaloo.

"Well, I don't really have a need to grip anything with them, since I take on the form of a human and have hands. As for flying fast, yes. I can fly incredibly fast. I would venture to say I can fly faster than anything you've ever seen," he told them.

Instantly, Rainbow's ego took a defensive stance.

"Oh yeah?! How about me and you have a race? What do ya say?" she tried to coax the Vampire.

He smirked that signature smirk he had where one side of his fangs were partially exposed. Usually a sign he was intrigued.

"Very well. We shall have a race, but we shall have it later this week before this coming Friday. Deal?"

She smiled with the utmost assurance she'd win since she had mastered the Sonic Rainboom since the wedding and could now perform it as easy as a morning exercise.

"Deal! Hope you like losing! Hehehe," her voice cracked at Marius while Scootaloo nuzzled her wing trying to get comfortable.

"Ooooh, ooooh, I have one!" Pinkie yelled while raising her hand in the air as if she were in a classroom.

'Lets see here. What did the writer want me to ask again? Umm...'

She sat there and contemplated the answer while-

'Hey, you're interrupting me while I'm thinking. Stop it!'

You stop it. I'm just writing the story. Have you remembered what you're supposed to ask yet?

'Kinda. Does it have something to do with Narwhals?'

Yeah. The question is, "Does the Narwhal bacon at midnight?"

'Oh yeah! Thanks mister writer guy!'

Don't mention it.

"Does the Narwhal bacon at midnight?" the pink party pony asked.

Everyone in the room looked at her with a confused expression while Marius put his hand on his forehead.

'You know, this would be the first time I have had a headache since I was alive,' he thought.

Not able to think of anything else to say, he simply spoke,

"Yes."

Pinkie just sat there smiling at him for a brief moment before speaking,

"Okie dokie lokie!"

The Royal guards were still guarding the door whilst watching over the Princesses. The tension after Pinkie spoke remained and could have been cut with a knife. It had been a minute or two of silence since Pinkie asked her odd question. Finally, Sweetie softly spoke,

"I have one."

She started to become nervous as everyone's gaze fell upon her. Rarity wrapped her left arm and hoof around her sister and pulled her in closer before speaking,

"It's alright Sweetie. Ask," she smiled down at her sister.

"I was wondering," Sweetie Belle turned her eyes to look into his.

"You can use magic, but how strong is your magic? Is it as strong as the Princesses'?"

No one was expecting the little filly to actually question the raw magic ability of the princesses, but she did.

"*Pffft* Oh Sweetie, Marius seems to have quite a bit of knowledge with magic, but I'm sure he has nowhere near as much magical ability as Princess Celestia and Luna...right?" she looked at her mentor with pleading eyes. Celestia looked back with a motherly warmth and a faint smile.

"Actually Twilight, if our senses served us correct when my sister linked with him earlier, he has just as much (if not more) magical ability as us," Luna told her matter-of-factly.

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. Everypony in Equestria...no...everyone on the planet thought of the rulers of Equestria as Godesses. They raised the sun and the moon everyday, keeping the entire planet alive. Since their miraculous birth over four thousand years ago, no one came even close to comparing with their ability except for Discord, until this mysterious member of the Undead showed up who called himself Marius. It was all too much. She felt herself start to shake when a large white wing was slowly draped over her side pulling her in close.

"My dear Twilight, I will always be the ruler of this land so long as I live, and I am becoming convinced Marius is going to make a wonderful citizen of Equestria. Isn't that right, Marius?"

The Vampire merely held up his hand as one of the leftover cupcakes from the party was enveloped in a dark red glow and was levitated above his mouth. He sunk his large fangs into it savoring the sweet taste of the homemade icing.

"Absolutely," he said, his mouth full of cupcake.

"Do you like muffins?" a voice came from outside the large hole.

"Derpy, what are you doing here?!" everypony asked.

"I dunno!" she replied happily while her wall eyes glistened in the light. "I liked the party and I thought I'd come back and see if anypony had any muffins left." The vampire levitated a banana nut muffin from under the glass counter he was laying on and lightly tossed it out at her. She caught it in her hooves, squee'd with delight, and flew off clumsily into the clouds.

'I think out of all the pastel equines I've met today, she is by far one of my favorites. She reminds me of... Juel,' the Vampire thought with a sad smile.

"I have another question Marius. Well, actually I have a plethora," the lavender unicorn laughed at her corny joke,"but they can wait 'till you come by the library. My first question is how can you seem to back up everything you say with scientific evidence?"

"Haha, Twilight, have you already forgotten what I am? My organs are dead, but they still function. Example: my brain is completely dead but has five times the activity yours would ever have and ten times the activity of a human. Vampirism is like a permanent form of adrenaline to the dead, causing their bodies to be so highly active it's like everything slows down around you and seems simpler, while everything inside of you still remains decayed. The only thing is our decay doesn't give off a scent, oddly enough. Also, in my long years of life, I have spent two thousand of them studying the art of Alchemy and Arcane Sciences."

The Element of Magic, along with the rest of the unicorns in the room were more than a little impressed at the explanation of vast knowledge that Marius gave.

"Ok then, my next question is that you said you were taking the 'form' of a human. Do you have more then one form?" Twilight asked. He turned his head to look at her, waiting for an answer. She got an icy, narrow eyed response in return.

"Yes and no," was all he said.

Twilight stood there for a moment contemplating what he said, before speaking,

"Yes and no? What the hay kinda question is that? You can't expect me to just-"

"Trust me, forget that question," he told her.

She seemed to have steam coming off her coat like she was about ready to burst into flames. She trotted over to the counter that Marius lay upon and she screamed,

"No, I won't! You've answered everypony else here and it's not fair that I should not get mine answered. It's not fair at all. You should understand my curiosity and need to know more about Vampires. I am Rarity's friend and you swore to protect us and help us, so help me understand why you won't tell me!"

"Twilight Sparkle!", her mentor yelled her name. Instantly, she hung her head low and her ears drooped. "You will quit having a tantrum this instant! If Marius does not think you should know what you ask, you will oblige him in his request to stop asking further. Understood?" she asked her with a disappointed look on her face. Twilight looked up at her mentor and with half-frustration and half-pouting. "But princess, we-"

"Twilight...," Marius called to her and she slowly turned to look at him, finding his eyes fixated on hers.

"Who do you pray to?" he asked the young mare.

"Well, that's a silly question. We pray to Princess Celestia because she's-"

She was cut off by a voice that escaped his mouth that sounded like one hundred voices at once, all speaking with a deathly cold tone that seemed to physically vibrate the air like an unholy growl, yet it was whispered at the same time.

"Then pray to her that you never find out the truth about me..."

The most vile demon inside of the deepest, darkest pits of hell would have been terrified at the voice that had just escaped Marius' lips. It struck terror into Twilight so deep, it felt as if she was going to be killed right there. She fell back on her plot and started bawling like a newborn foal. Everyone else was visibly shaking after hearing him speak using his true voice while most of them got up to go comfort Twilight, who was still scared to death.

Marius, quickly realizing what he had just done, rolled off of the counter with haste, dropped down to the floor, and held Twilight within his arms before anyone could reach her. She buried her face into a small section of his ice cold chest and sobbed uncontrollably. Marius just stroked her mane and spoke softly to her,

"Shhh..shhh...It will be alright child. I'm sorry I had to show you that, but I felt it was necessary. There are some things in this existence that mortals aren't meant to know, and should be happy for it."

"Bu...*sniff*...but I was just curious. Why did I *sniff*...why did I feel so scared?" she managed to mutter with a quivering lip through her sniffles.

He looked down at her with a sympathetic expression.

"It's because that, my dear, is the voice of a true monster."

It had been several minutes and everyone including the Princesses and Marius' master were still shaky from the nightmarish voice he used. The Vampire had finally got Twilight to calm down and stop crying and he was now cleaning off the snot that dribbled out of her nose and onto her fur (much to the bookworm's embarrassment). Thankfully, the sleeves on his coat were washable, because the ends were now drenched in unicorn mucus. He wondered if it would have just been easier to just cut his arms off and regenerate them again with the sleeves clean, but then realized that was extremely lazy. Seeing how tense it had become, the Element of Honesty decided to take action.

"Uh..ah know some oh' them old tales about vamponies say that they're weak against water. Are yall weak against water Marius?" the orange cowpony across the room asked.

"Well, considering blood itself is made up of eighty-two percent water, I highly doubt it," he said calmly.

"Right...uh, Ah reckon," she chuckled to herself before asking,

"So, did you ever have a Vampire...uh..girlfriend or wife?" she smiled so sheepishly it would have made Twilight impressed. Marius had finished cleaning Twilight and was now standing in front of them shaking his drenched sleeves.

"No, I never had a Vampire mate, although I did have several intimate encounters with other members of my species. Being dead unfortunately does not take away sexual desire. Constraint was most certainly not an issue with my desires, though," he said simply.

"Um...what about your parents and your childhood? That is...if you don't mind me asking that is," Fluttershy asked ever so quietly while still laying next to Pinkie. Marius was actually abit taken back at this question. Nevertheless, he felt he needed to give them an honest answer.

"Not at all Fluttershy," he spoke warmly, twirling a golden bit he had found on the floor through his fingers.

"Roughly eight months after I was conceived, a large group of bandits torched and killed everyone in the village where my parents lived. One of the bandits thought it would be rather amusing to cut me out of my mother's womb with his sword before she died. The bandits left me, a newly born baby, on the cold dirt to wither and die. That's when a group of knights came along and found me, the only survivor of my village. These knights were similar to your Royal guard Celestia, but they were indeed very corrupt. They took me to their city by the name of Alawen. There I was raised in an orphanage where I met my best friend by the name of Lyre at the age of ten, although he was actually nine years old at the time. He was much shorter than me, had blonde hair, and he had a rare condition where his eyes were two different colors. Hehehe, all of the other children used to make fun of him for it," he chuckled at the memory.

"Actually that's how we first met. One day, I was out in the grassy backyard of the orphanage and the kids who made fun of his condition were ganging up on him. They decided to beat him within an inch of his life and I didn't think it was proper of them to treat him so horribly. As the largest out of the group swung his fist at Lyre's bloody and bruised face, I caught it in the air and used my open palm to snap his arm backward at the elbow. He may have been large and a few years older, but he wasn't even close to my height and strength. They ran off in fright while I helped Lyre up. He introduced me to his twin sister and all three of us were friends since. While we were alive that is," Marius told them all.

Everypony was absolutely horrified at the description of the Vampire's childhood. The Princesses felt absolutely sick at the description.

"How could anypony be so horrible to a child? That's just awful." Fluttershy said while tears welled up in her large kind eyes. Everyone was snapped out of their thoughts again when the Vampire roared in laughter.

"Hahahaha. You think that was a horrible childhood? Compared to the other children of our time, we had a wonderful childhood. At least we continued to live when we were children. Other orphans weren't so lucky," he told them between bouts of laughter.

Everypony was silent for a minute. The feeling of awkwardness soon lessened at the next question asked by the Element of Loyalty.

"Can you turn ponies into Vampires or...Vamponies?" Rainbow asked him.

"I suppose I could, but I would only do so if absolutely necessary, in which having Unlife would prove to be better than dying, which is almost all of the time not the case. Well, except for a few certain individuals. But this is very rare," Marius explained to them.

The Princess of the Day thought to herself and decided she could try and have a little fun to help lighten the mood.

"So, Marius?" she narrowed her eyes and smiled in a mischievous fashion the way a mother would who was about to play a joke on her kid. "Do you like bananas?"

"Tia, thou should not try and upset him or else he will use you to put another hole in the wall," Luna smirked evilly before condescendingly nuzzling her sister.

"Yes Luna, he might try to kill me again."

The Princesses laughed along with Marius while everyone else looked extremely put off that they would joke about Marius taking Princess Celestia's life. Marius slowed down his laughing and spoke with them,

"I figured you would know that I didn't try to kill you," the Vampire said while smirking at her.

Princess Celestia gave a kindly chuckle before asking, "Oh, so you're saying you didn't intend to kill me by throwing me through a wall Marius?"

"Of course not," he chuckled "If I wanted to kill you Princess, I would have torn into your neck with my claws and yanked out your carotid artery with my fingers instead of just throwing you through the bakery's wall. Hahaha," they all laughed once more only it was very noticeable that Celestia and Luna seemed to have favored nervous laughter after Marius told them he could have killed them anytime he wanted.

'Wonderful Marius. As if my guards needed another reason to be more on edge,' Celestia thought to herself. Both of said guards seemed to be shaking hard enough for their armor to actually rattle.

Rarity was aghast.

"Marius quit being so boorish. I will not have you talk of harming the Princesses. In fact, considering they are making you an actual citizen of Equestria, you will protect them and show them as much respect as you do me and everypony else here. Do I make myself clear?" Rarity scolded her Vampiric servant while he quickly formed a frown on his face.

"Yes Rarity, I understand," he said before looking at the Princesses. "Even though I was a citizen in the previous land that resided here, there is no question that I would much rather be a citizen in Equestria under both of your ruling. For this, you have my eternal gratitude. Forgive me for using my true voice as well. I apologize for this, but I felt it was necessary to deter Twilight from asking any more questions on the matter of what I am. Regardless, I shall show you the utmost respect and gratitude, my Princesses," he said before he bowed to Royalty for the first time in over fifteen thousand years. They had earned his praise as leaders.

Celestia and Luna looked awe struck at the show of respect. Then they bent their head's down and touched his shoulders with their horns. He looked up them and smiled warmly before speaking,

"I have a certain amount of affection for everything that is innocent and kind hearted in this world, such as children. You all as well. You all have not even been exposed to the horrible things that I have seen in my dark lifetime, yet I'm sure that even if you were, you would remain as vigilant about staying pure and true to yourselves. It has been very long since I have seen anything without corruption, yet here sits an entire land dedicated upon such an ideal. For, ironically, keeping this ideal of harmony and peace is the main reason why I chose to turn myself into a monster. I even..." Marius couldn't believe what he was about to say.

"I even think I'm beginning to see you as my friends," he spoke.

"D'awwwww," everypony seemed to say at the same time.

He sighed while giving an annoyed look.

'I feel so secure in my masculinity right now, it is incredible.' the Vampire chuckled.

Then she asked it.

"Umm...Marius darling, I have another question."

He looked at Rarity with his smirk.

"Go ahead, Rarity. Ask."

She remained quiet for a minute, until she asked,

"What did the humans do that made you hate them so much?" the fashionista asked.

His expression turned into a deathly serious one.

It was one of two questions he didn't want to answer. This answer would be difficult to tell, but he had to obey his master. He looked around Sugarcube Corner to see everypony looking at him. The Crusaders, Luna and Celestia, Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy, Rainbow and Applejack, and even the guards looked at him waiting for an answer.

"You're all certain you want to hear this?"

Everyone looked at one another before nodding out of sync. He gave out a large sigh.

"Very well. Prepare yourself," he told them. He sat down on the floor with his legs crossed and curled his huge wings into coils before retracting them into his back, underneath the long cape of his coat. "I am about to tell a grisly tale...and it does not have a happy ending."

Everyone had gotten closer to Marius while he sat in the middle of the floor. Rarity and Sweetie Belle decided to sit next to Marius, while everypony else sat close to him in a circle, except for the two Royal guard members. Celestia had become fed up with them guarding the door for the past hour.

"Day Stride and Morning Star," the guards attention was caught when they heard their Princess call their names.

"Y..yes Princes Celestia?" asked the shorter out of the two gold armor-clad guards.

"There is no reason to guard us so adamantly as of now, so please take off your helmets and come join us," she told them while giving a small smile. The guards were aghast at the informal nature of the request they were given by their Princess. Nevertheless, they were sworn by oath to comply. Both the slightly smaller white pegasus and then the larger gray one reluctantly took off their helmets, revealing their clean cut blonde manes. The stallions placed their helmets on the ground and walked up to their princesses before folding their legs and sitting down. All the while, the Vampire watched with a large amount of amusement. Once they were settled, Marius looked around to see every waiting eye in the room on him. Every heartbeat in the room was steady and patient, while his lie silent. He could hear and smell the blood running through everypony's veins.

The anticipation was palpable.

He closed his glowing red eyes and let out another long sigh before starting,

"I told you that my best friend Lyre, his twin sister Elle, and I grew up in that orphanage together. Well, when I came upon the age of thirteen years old and Lyre the age of twelve, we were all three thrown out of the orphanage by the caretakers with no way to support ourselves. No one would offer us a job such as tending their fields or hunting animals for food or anything else even remotely requiring labor, so we had to resort to stealing our food from merchants and living in the streets like rats for quite awhile. That was until one faithful day...," Marius reminisced while everypony else was listening to him hanging on his every word.

"You see, there were five Gods that ruled over everything in the known planet in my time, and Alawen happened to worship the god by the name of Galia, patron god of earth and sky. The Church of Galia," he spat the name with disgust, "claimed to spread the message of peace and prosperity through only Galia's rule. Well, on this day Elle decided to try and steal the coin purse from a Priest of Galia who was giving a sermon in the city's lower market district. She was caught by the Priest. Lyre and I watched as she was merely seconds away from having the Priest use a large dagger to chop off her right hand (as was his right according to Alawen law). Lyre immediately saw this conspire and charged in to save his sister. One thing that was most memorable about Lyre was how fast he was. Even though he was completely unarmed and wore cheap rags on his body like the rest of us, he managed to knock out ten of the fully-armed guards that were guarding the Priest in a mere four seconds. He was tripped by a mace and then pinned to the ground by an unnoticed guard. That was the first day I killed a man," he spoke. "I grabbed and tossed the last guard who pinned Lyre off like he was a doll. I then walked up to the Priest who had a dagger to the throat of my best friend's sister, and punched him as hard as I could in the nose. I'm guessing that I shattered the cartilage in his nose and sent shards of it into his cranial cavity, of course I didn't know that then. I was just confused as to why he slumped to the ground, dead and bleeding from where his nose had been," he thought out loud while everypony sat and watched him recall his past.

"For the death of a Priest, we were sentenced to be hanged. Although Endramus, the King of Alawen himself had heard how we bested eleven of his elite knights. He came to visit us in our cells as all three of us lie there rotting in our cell and offered us something that we couldn't refuse...," everypony was waiting for him to continue with anticipation.

"He said that he would pardon us of our crimes and give us truly generous pay, only if Lyre and I agreed to join the Knights of Galia, the city's military enforcers. Without even questioning whether it was a good idea or not, we agreed. From then on we discovered what our natural talent was: Killing. Soon after with our first pay we bought a house for Elle to stay in, while Lyre and I were sent off to battle with everyone in Alon' Dar, which is what the land of Equestria was called in my time. In thirteen short years, I met my wife Ysold and fathered two absolutely beautiful daughters. Taren and Juel. They meant the absolute world to me. They were the sole reason I continued to have hope in Galia's message of peace, for I knew that under such peace we could all live together...happily, and as a true loving family," the Vampire softly spoke while he held a sad smile on his face, seemingly gazing at the ground. Rarity and the others started to become concerned about him, until he shook his head and continued,

"But I digress. Lyre could never keep a woman long enough to have children, so he only had his sister to watch over. Outside of the walls of Alawen, Lyre an I cut a bloody path through everyone who opposed the message of Galia. No others were as good as us, and eventually they gave us our own variation of uniform and weaponry. We fought everyone who opposed the teachings of the church and worshipped the other gods. Other countries in Alon' Dar, other lands and continents besides Alon' Dar that rested alongside us on this planet, and even homesteads knew our wrath. Soon the names' Marius the Titan of Alawen and Lyre the Quickblade struck fear into the hearts of everyone alive, as they claimed us to be the best warriors to ever walk the face of this earth. We killed hundreds of thousands of people alongside our fellow knights...," the Vampire stopped.

"Which is what led to our deaths," he continued.

"Lyre and I, at the age of twenty-eight and twenty-nine were sick of the killing. We agreed that the message of Galia was noble, but we had both had enough of killing. The other Knights didn't even view us as members of the army anymore, so they just ignored us for the most part. They just saw two young men who killed everything they came across. Little did they know, we just wanted to live our lives in peace. So, after a discussion with each other inside a tavern in the city of Undreal, I convinced Lyre out of leaving the war with our families and fleeing and instead try to discuss early retirement with King Endramus. We both agreed that would be the best course of action. When we got back to Alawen after six months of routine battle, we requested to have an evening meeting with the King. I believe it was on a Tuesday," contemplated the Vampire. "When we told him we wanted to leave his army, he instantly became furious. The thought of losing the best fighters in Alon' Dar made a deep impact to the King's finances and military plans. He told us that we were not allowed to leave and if we tried to, he would make sure our families suffered the same fate we would have the day he found us in that cell."

No one could believe what they were hearing.

"How could someone be so mean to somepony who wanted to be nice and not hurt others Mari'?" Pinkie asked him as her mane deflated and her eyes became watery. "I just don't understand."

"It's because he was greedy Pinkie, and if we left the service of the army that was dependent on us, his plan of controlling all of Alon' Dar would have crumbled before him," he explained to the Element of Laughter, who just sat and looked at the ground not feeling very cheerful.

"Enraged by the thought of his sister and my wife and daughters being hurt, Lyre snapped and put his blades against the kings neck, and that's when it happened..."

There was silence in Sugarcube Corner while Marius held his eyes shut. Finally, after the long awkward silence, Luna asked,

"What does thou...mean?...What happened Marius?

He slowly opened his eyes and looked dead into hers.

"His personal guard panicked and shot Lyre and I in the legs with crossbows, which caused him to fall forward and put weight on his swords against King Endramus' throat, which sliced off his head in front of his entire court, his wife Queen Angeal, and his three adolescent sons."

Everypony gasped in shock.

"Naturally, we would have been killed on the spot, but the Queen stopped the guards before they could stab us while we were immobilized on the ground. She didn't care about how good we were in battle. All she wanted do do was watch us suffer and make an example out of us. So, she had Lyre and I, Elle, my wife, my thirteen year old daughter, and my eight year old daughter taken and kept us imprisoned for four months, feeding us once every two weeks. We were mildly tortured, but not enough to kill us, that way we could watch as the beginning of every month, they brought in one of our family members," the Vampire was struggling to find the right words to say.

"They made us watch as they were...raped and brutally tortured in front of us. First they did it to Elle, then my beautiful and loving wife Ysold, my thirteen year old girl Taren, and my eight year old little angel Juel...," he spoke. "Juel and Taren didn't cry, oddly enough. Even after the group of Knights I had once dared to call my brothers were finished taking turns violating my little angels and they proceeded to saw through their little arms and legs, all they could do was ask their daddy to save them, as I, their loving father, watched helplessly as they were cut into pieces," the Vampire said with a chilling voice that had no emotion in it whatsoever.

He looked up after a minute to see that every single pony in the room, the Princesses being no exception, now had streams of tears coming out of them. Some sat looking at the ground with horrified expressions, while others gave him a look of pity and incredible sorrow. Even the Royal guard were doing the same. The crusaders were horrified too, but they were still curious about one thing.

"Uh...what...does raped mean sis?" Apple Bloom reluctantly asked her big sister.

Before Applejack could choke out an answer through her tears of sympathy and anger, Princess Celestia answered for her.

"My little pony, you should be too young to know of such things, but I suppose you should not be left in the dark," she gave her a sympathetic smile. "It means to commit a sexual act against somepony against their will."

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo's eyes widened and lips started to quiver when they realized what Marius had meant by taking turns. His expression never changed. Still blank.

"I had no life left in me, and neither did my best friend, but still the day after I watched my youngest daughter killed they had felt it necessary to hang me. Queen Angeal gave a short speech as I was led to the gallows, stripped naked, and lashed by whips. She claimed "I was a traitor to this country and deserved only death". So, I was led to the gallows while my neighbors and other people who had claimed to be all of our friends spat in my face and yelled obscenities at me such as, "It's your own fault you had your family killed!" or "I hope those little whores of yours got what they deserved!" or even "I bet your wife was ashamed at what a pitiful husband and father you were." All of which I said nothing back to, because I had naught strength or will to live any longer," he explained to them all. "That was when they wrapped the noose around my neck, gave me my last rights and words to speak, and hung me in the city's gardening district, taking my life."

The ponies felt ill. Not even Celestia, in her four thousand year rule, had heard something so sickening.

"Marius, I-" but she was cut off, as the Vampire wasn't finished speaking.

"When I died, I went to a realm of misery and sorrow. It was the complete opposite of where my family's souls were. I was given a vision of every single man and woman in the world. I had realized how corrupt this world was before I died and when I died and viewed this, it confirmed my suspicions that the humans of my time were beyond saving and would eventually tear themselves apart, along with everything good on this planet. In this realm I was sent to, I met with a...being...of common interests as mine. He told me he would make a deal with me and give me his life and power, in exchange for something I already wanted...I agreed," he spoke ever so softly. "I experienced a pain unrivaled by any other in existence as my soul was consumed by the black and burning hatred of this individual, until I fell unconscious," every eye in the room was trained on the Undead being.

"When I awoke, I was nude and lying on top of hundreds of bodies covered in lime. A mass grave just outside of my home. I somehow knew it hadn't been a full day since I was killed. I felt an odd tingling sensation as I glanced at my back and saw it explode outward. I panicked at first, but then my dark blood formed a structure out of my back and slowly solidified into two extremely large wings, while the rest of my skin stitched itself back together. I also realized my eyes were glowing red by the faint glow off of the rest of the bodies in the mass grave. I flew out surprisingly easy and continued to walk a few miles into Alawen, as the first Vampire. A walking corpse with unbelievable power. I tried to use restraint that way I didn't destroy any buildings, but I killed every single citizen of the city that night, save for the few innocent people such as a few farmers and their children, a few kids from the orphanage who weren't corrupted by the lies and twisted views of the Church of Galia, and a few more. All in all, I killed almost the entire population with my new found power that night. Twelve-thousand people, if I remember correctly. I walked into the castle afterwards, slaughtered the guards who tried to stop me, and made my way to the dungeon where I found the man I considered my younger brother still shackled up inside our cell. I explained to him what had happened and what I planned to do, which was essentially rebuild this world with the few humans we found worthy, starting a new era where no war was permitted and everyone lived in kindness and harmony. This wasn't out of revenge for my family, for what happened to us was happening everywhere. No, it wasn't out of some misguided vendetta or revenge for our families. It was to start a new age. An age where you wouldn't be killed for what Gods you decided to worship, real or not. An age that would be actually considered a civilization, due to the fact that everyone, Vampire and human alike, would be civil. A genocide to heal a dying world," the Vampire finished and everypony just stood there in shock, lost in their own thoughts. He scoffed.

"Lyre agreed and I took his life and then gave him my blood to become the first Lesser Vampire and my right hand throughout our journey. Before we began it though, we found where Queen Angeal was hiding in her castle."

He gave a chilling smirk.

"We let her sons go, but Lyre and I made sure to give her back what she had given to our family, only ten fold. After that, we adopted Alawen and renamed it Walpurgis, the city of the Undead and home of the Vampires. From there we started the three-thousand year war on what was left of humanity."

He looked into his master Rarity's large beautiful eyes, which were awe struck before speaking,

"So in conclusion, I don't hate the human race. I actually intended to rebuild it. I hate what they were, which was foul, corruptible in body, mind, and soul, and vindictive against everything and everyone who didn't believe in what they did," the Vampire finished.

There was several moments of silence before Princess Celestia finally spoke up,

"That was the most horrifying story I've ever heard," she spoke while starring at the ground.

He laughed in return,

"I have told my life story to very few. The only reason I do so now was because my master asked herself," he turned to his master, who still couldn't believe what she heard. "Has my answer been satisfactory, master?"

She looked him in the eyes as if her heart was broken in two by the horrific tale. "Yes, Marius. I now understand how you felt, and I cannot express how sorry I am for what happened to you. I want you to know that gwahhhh!!" she started to cry and was jolted out of her tears as Marius picked her up by her sides and lifted her to his eye level. He smiled at her warmly and spoke, "We cannot change the past, but we can take it into account as we try and mold ourselves into the character we are meant to be," he told her.

She returned his smile.

"Hm....thank you...Marius. Now put me down this instant!" she yelled while flailing her legs in the air. He did so, after everyone was done cackling with laughter. He then walked over to where the Princess of the Day who was now standing and stretching her wings. He lowered his eyes lazily to look down at hers and got his nose inches away from her muzzle. The guards and Luna tensed up.

"Now, I believe you owe me something?" he asked her.

"Y...yes, I believe I...uh...do?" Celestia smiled sheepishly and watched as he looked into her eyes. Slowly but surely, she felt herself being transfixed by his gaze. With every passing second, his glowing red eyes lulled her into a sense of safety and comfort, as if she were nuzzling a pillow while she lay in her bed after a long day of Royal court. Everypony's eyes slowly got wider and wider...and wider, as Marius began inching his open lips closer to their Princesses' mouth.

"I'll.....give you.......whatever...you....want....," she told him dreamily before slowly closing her eyes as they leaned forward together, mouths only inches apart. Everypony, especially Day Stride and Morning Star, sat watching helplessly while looking appalled. Rarity would have stopped her servant, but she too was speechless at the scandalous act that was about to happen.

Marius only had a sinister smile plastered on his face as their hypnotized Princess leaned close enough to him so she could feel his icy breath on her own. Just as their lips were about to make contact, Marius' mouth shot open and his head moved quicker than lightning as he shortened his fangs and sank them into Celestia's warm neck. She let out a yelp and then a slow gentle moan as she could feel his fangs prick her skin and the Vampire's lips pressed against her coat as he slowly drew out a small, steady stream of her blood. She tasted very salty and bitter. Almost like straight garlic. It was a sign that she was very pure of heart. All she could do was melt in the Vampire's arms as he activated his Blood Memories ability. Instantly, all the emotions and things she had experienced in her lifetime came flooding into the Vampire, which was why he didn't like using this ability. He felt the excitement of having Starswirl the Bearded be your mentor, the pain of having to banish a sister to moon, the anger of having you're kingdom disturbed by Discord, the pride one feels when your mentor and her friends use the Elements of Harmony to save the kingdom, and even the embarrassment of having the Changeling Queen defeat you in battle. He felt them all at once. In this plethora of memories, one stuck like a tack.

'Far North...past Frozen Hearth...Griffin capital...coffin...' he thought.

Finally he took his lips off of the moaning Princesses' neck as she slumped to the floor on her side, heat radiating from everywhere on her flushed body as sweat drenched her white fur. She panted heavily while a small amount of blood trickled from the tiny punctures in her neck. She looked up to find everyone looking away, and quickly remembered why as she became incredibly embarrassed. She looked up at Marius, cheeks blazing red and a scowl on her face, who had a small trail of blood leading from his fanged smirk.

"Vampiric Seduction. A very useful ability that requires no magic use," he spoke.

She got up and got inches away from his face.

"You could have just asked!" she said, cheeks still red.

Fluttershy was the first one to speak after the spectacle.

"Oh.....my....."

It was around two in the morning that everypony decided to head back to their homes. Everyone bid the Princesses goodnight and Celestia assured them a crew would be out tomorrow to fix the damages to the wall. She also assured her student she would look into this matter of strange activity in the animals and Diamond Dogs. She told her she would put her best investigators on the job. Luna slowly walked up to Marius just after he had finished saying goodbye to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. The tiny orange pegasus thought she was going faint when Rainbow Dash actually told her she could stay the night with her. The Princess of the Night slowly walked up to the Vampire and lifted her eyes upwards to look into his.

"Marius...uh....our sister tells us that you were referred to as a Creature of the Night in your time. What dost this mean? Is it due to being weakened by sunlight?" she asked him nervously.

"Partially. We also see better at night than in daylight and have a deep appreciation for the utter beauty of the moon and stars. We are dark creatures, therefore we love the darkness that the night offers," he looked into the sky and gazed into the crescent moon before looking back at her.

"I also must say that your night is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. In the time of the war on humanity, I often found the stars to be dull and the moon to be almost sickly in color, but yours...," Marius searched for the right words. "Your night is absolutely breathtaking in its utter elegance. You truly bring out the exquisiteness in the stars and moon as well."

Luna found herself blushing wildly and put her hoof behind her head.

"We suppose it is quite the sight, isn't it?" she winced and wanted to hit herself square in the face for the awkward way she handled the Vampire's wonderful compliments.

'Wonderful, Luna. Now he's never going to agree.'

He just laughed under his breath and gave her an amused smile.

The azure Princess sighed in defeat. She turned to walk back to her sister with her head down towards the ground when Marius called out to her,

"Some night this week, would you like to get together and maybe have a bit of dinner?" the Vampire asked. "I'll gladly cook, and we can discuss your night a little further. If you don't mind that is, Luna."

The Princess instantly perked up and answered Marius excitedly, accidentally using the Royal Canterlot Voice in the process.

"We would love nothing more than..." everypony including her sister was now staring at her. She spoke in a whisper towards Marius,

"I mean...I would love nothing more than to join thou in dinner...Marius," she smiled bashfully at the smirking Vampire.

Luna giddily walked over to her sister's chariot with a goofy smile on her face. The princesses then flew their way back home with their guards in tow. The Crusaders, Spike, and all the girls gave their goodbye's to each other and Marius, during which Rarity walked up to Spike, leaned down and gave him a soft peck on his purple, scaly cheek. He didn't think it was possible for him to feel any more warmth than he already did inside his scales, but when she kissed him it quite literally made the fire in his heart swell into a full blaze. A blaze that was only meant for her.

"Whoa..." he said with a goofy smile plastered on his face.

"I look forward to our get together on Friday, Spikey-Wikey. Don't be laaate." she sing songed while turning back getting her sister. After everypony and Marius had said their goodbye's, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Marius walked back to the boutique, whilst the rest of the Elements walked back to their respective homes.

They got back to the boutique and opened the door, to find a very angry Opal at the door, though the cat practically back flipped all the way upstairs when she saw her arch enemy standing there towering above Rarity and Sweetie. After a long night, they decided it was time to quickly get to bed as soon as possible. Rarity told Sweetie, "Go ahead and get into bed, dear," and Marius heard "Annoy me with with a ton of noise and playing, dear." Marius picked Sweetie up and put her on top off his head and put his arms out to his sides while he zoomed up to her room and threw her onto her bed with his face. The little filly happily giggled the whole way, giving the occasional snort of laughter. Especially when she threw her covers over his head.

"Hrrrrp, Irrm trrrped," he muffled from under them. She pulled them off his head and asked, "Hahahaha*snort*haha. What was that?" laughing squeakily the whole time.

"I said help, I'm trapped!" he yelled before retracting his claws and using his fingers to tickle the filly's sides. She let loose massive gales of laughter, before they both got scolded,

"Didn't I tell you to get to bed Sweetie B*umph*" she was cut off as a pillow hit her in the face from the doorway. She glared at them both while Marius just pointed a finger at Sweetie and she pointed her hoof at Marius. Both with a look of fear they'd get into trouble.

Rarity narrowed her eyes before speaking, "Oh. It. Is. ON!" She picked up the pillow and swung at the massive Vampire and her sister like the Warriors of Olde'. They both screamed in fright, surprisingly equal in tone. After about a five minute pillow fight in which they all laughed and played happily, Rarity finally spoke,

"Hmhmhm. Alright, Marius. That's enough. It really is rather late darling and I need to get to bed."

Marius got off and Rarity remade Sweetie's bed before tucking her in and gave her a light kiss on her forehead before nuzzling her cheek.

"Goodnight Sweetie Belle."

"Goodnight Rarity," she returned.

Rarity smiled and left through her doorway. Marius was following behind her and was about to duck underneath the door when the little filly called out for him,

"Marius?"

"Hmm?" he said as she got his attention and came over to the side of her bed.

"Could you come here?" she asked in a sweet and tender little voice. He leaned down by her side and put his head by her.

"What's wro-" he was cut off as she threw her covers off and wrapped his neck in a tight hug. His eyes widened at the act of kindness. She started to sniff and and sob very softly. He simply smiled and wrapped his arm around her back, holding her gently to him.

" I'm so sorry..." she managed out through her sobs.

"It's alright," he whispered.

After a few seconds the Vampire tucked the sniffling filly back into bed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"What is it with you ponies and crying? That's easily the third or fourth time I've had to do this today." he said while smirking.

She gave a small laugh as she wiped her face with her hooves. Marius then had an idea.

"I have something to tell you, Sweetie."

Her ears perked up at the massive Vampire who lay his head beside her. To her surprise, he opened his lips and softly started to sing in a velvety soft voice that sounded almost angelic in nature,

Sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings,

little blue pigeon with velvet eyes;

Sleep to the singing of Father Bird swinging.

Swinging the nest where his little one lies.

Away out yonder I see a star,

silvery star with a twinkling song;

to the soft dew falling I hear it calling,

calling and twinkling the night along.

In through the window a moonbeam comes,

little gold moonbeam with misty wings;

All silently creeping, it asks, "Is she sleeping

Sleeping and dreaming while father sings?"

Up from the sea there floats the sob

of the waves that are breaking upon the shore,

as though they were groaning in anguish, and moaning.

Bemoaning the ship that shall come no more.

But sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings,

Little blue pigeon with mournful eyes;

Am I not singing? See, I am swinging.

Swinging the nest where my darling lies.

Once he had finished singing, he noticed Sweetie was fast asleep, lulled by the beautiful song that the Vampire sang to her. He laughed under his breath before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Sweetie Belle."

Marius stood up and walked over to the door before having to duck under it. He found his master standing in the hallway with tears streaming down her cheeks and a smile on her face. She also smelled of lilac and had a bathrobe on with a towel wrapped around her mane.

"That was beautiful," she whispered.

He let out a sigh.

"I used to sing that to Taren and Juel when I was home from war every night before they would go to bed," he said with a sorrowful look in his eye. "I guess it makes me happy to hear that someone can still enjoy it."

He led his master to bed and tucked her in as well. She was unamused at this.

"You know, I can tuck myself into bed," she said while wiping her damp mane out of her eyes.

"I know, but you're just so adorable when you're angry Rarity," he pestered her.

"That may be true, but you still shouldn't try to get me angry. I might make you clean the whole shop!" she told him wickedly.

"Hahaha, whatever you say Rarity," he told her.

He was about to head downstairs after he had gotten her comfortable when his master stopped him.

"Marius?"

He sighed.

"Yes...Sweetie Belle?"

Rarity glared at him while he just smirked.

She slowly turned her glare into a sad frown.

"I'm so terribly sorry about what happened to your family."

He looked back at her.

"Don't be, master."

She was silent for awhile.

"I was wondering Marius, what are you going to do after I.....um..." she found it hard to speak out.

He looked at her, puzzled.

"What is it Rarity?"

The fashionista finally stomached out,

"What will you do after I um...die?" she asked sadly.

He appeared inches from the side of her face, which caused her to recoil back to the side of her bed.

"Well, then I guess I'd have to find somepony else to continually whine at me," he told her.

"*hmph* I am not whining. I. am. complaining. Thiiiis is whi-"

"Goodnight master!" Rarity heard her door close lightly.

She smiled.

'I am glad he's opening up to us. He is truly one of a kind, and I'm glad to call him my friend,' she thought before drifting off to sleep.

Marius had flown out of the window and now lay on the boutique's roof with his hands behind his head and his wings stretched out. He looked up into the night sky, basking in the beauty of the pale moonlight and the faint twinkle of the stars. He thought back to how sympathetic they looked at him, and how they comforted him. He thought about singing Sweetie Belle to sleep as he used to sing to his daughters.

Something felt odd on his cheek, so he lifted his hand and wiped it. He drew his hand back to find out that a trail of dead blood was leaking out of the side of his eye.

'I'm crying?' he thought.

He put his hand back behind his head and stared at the moon.

'I've only been awake a day.....This place is truly incredible,' he thought happily.

He continued to watch the moon and traced his thought back to the memory he found in Princess Celestia's blood.

'I'll give it a week or so more, then I'll head North toward the land of the Griffin's. I promise brother, I'll see you soon,' he thought.

'I can't wait to introduce you to the land of Equestria...Lyre.'

Act I: Ego (A Race With Loyalty)

Author's note: I've decided to put the Act number in the title of each chapter at least a day after this one is published, that way the story is easier to navigate as it becomes larger. This one contains parts that are not for the squeamish! As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it for you all.

"One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star."
-Gilbert K. Chesterton

13,647 years ago, during the 'Age of Steam'...

"Shhh, Zarel. It's alright brother. We will be out of here soon," the boy whispered comfortingly to his seven year old companion, who was currently sobbing into his brother's cheap cloth tunic.

"I...I don't want..." he was choking on the words that he so desperately didn't want to speak.

"I don't want to die, Tikara!" he bawled in his older brother's arms. Both of them found it very difficult to hide their fear as they heard footsteps from around the halls.

The two brothers were Zarel and Tikara, two of only five children left from the Shi'vara worshiping city of Alokir after it was raided and destroyed by a wave of Vampire soldiers. The rest of the children were forced to take up arms against the hell-bringing monsters of the night and were slaughtered like lambs in the process. Alokir taken under Vampiric control and their mother on her deathbed made them both want revenge. The two brothers didn't speak a word of their plan to either their mother or father and snuck out of Alokir with what little money they had saved from working on the local leek and potato farm. The journey they embarked on took three days and three nights by steam locomotive. They got off at the last stop in Undreal and made their way to the heart of the forgotten land, Walpurgis. The city of the dead and home to the Vampire race. Tikara and Zarel had only one goal in mind: Kill the dreaded 'King of the Vampires' while he was still sleeping inside his coffin. When the two brothers had arrived midday at the borders of Walpurgis, they found the city to be very large

Nay, they found it massive compared to their own. Every single structure was made from a deep black-red stone. There were tales from the human Elders about how the Vampires would kidnap children and bring them to Walpurgis, where they would gut them and paint every house and building with their blood just to add a bit of color to the city. Its walls held strong at a good forty feet high and looming over the city's individual houses and districts was Castle Walpurgis, which was the most jagged and horrific looking castle the brothers had ever laid their eyes upon. It was made from the same dark red stone and it's twisted towers seemed to pierce the clouds like the tip of a spear.

The gates to Walpurgis were open and the city itself had no signs of movement whatsoever. It seemed like the entire town had been deserted, except for the large amount of coffins that the city had scattered in its buildings. Tikara was not foolish. He knew that they were all sleeping but ignored them for they were not his goal. With only five hours until sundown, his determination knew no bounds as the brothers made their way to the Castle. When they arrived at the castle arch, the gate was closed. Fortunately, many years of wear led to large sections of missing rock on the edge of the large black archway. They were both able to squeeze through and enter, only there was a factor that they didn't take into question: The sheer vastness of the Castle. The brothers had spent so much time traversing the dark corridors and hallways searching for any signs of the monsters, the sun had already fallen over the horizon.

It was time for the Vampires to wake up.

Cursing himself, Tikara took his little brother and hid behind a small bookshelf just large enough to cover both of their bodies, and they were now scared for their lives as they heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. Each one seemed to echo like thunder.

"Shhhh. You have to be quiet Zarel. If the dead do not find us, we can get out of here," he tried to comfort his younger sibling. At least he was attempting to do so, but it was hard to hide the shakiness in his voice. In hindsight, Tikara realized that this was not a very good plan to begin with.

The steps were becoming louder.

Eventually leading from hushed whispers to full shouts, the brothers could make out a conversation coming from the dark and ancient halls.

"Then, I tore its head off and decided to keep it as a trophy!" a large burly voice spoke.

"HA! Those foolish humans. Always using their damn dogs and such to guard their houses," a scratchy voice replied.

"You're telling me, comrade. Even after I drained every last drop of blood from their oldest son, they still seemed to be most put off by the fact I hollowed out the head of the beast and used it as a hat!"

"At least you have a good sense of fashion!" another scratchy yet slightly lighter voice remarked.

The three vampires were guffawing beside each other as they got closer and closer to the bookshelf.

"I love seeing the looks on their faces when you bite into them! It's..." the booming voice stopped along with the footsteps right in front of the two brothers hiding spots. It was followed by a long sniff.

Tikara sat there with his hand over his brother's mouth, trying to hush his sobs. The young boy prayed to Shi'vara that they would not be caught. They still had so much left to do. He never even got to tell his mother goodbye. As that last thought entered his head, a large arm came around the corner of their hiding spot and wrapped around his younger brother.

"Tikara! Help me!" the seven year old boy cried, but it was to late. His older brother was dragged out to the middle of the hallway and held up in midair as he refused to let go of him. He held on for life and for pure fear of Zarel's fate.

"Well now, what did I just find?" the booming voice asked before dropping both brothers on the ground like a sack of potatoes. Tikara quickly recovered and stood protectively in front of his younger sibling.

He looked up to see a pale, grotesque looking bald Vampire who was tattooed all over his body. The hulking individual easily stood nine feet tall, and at his side were two shorter Vampires with darker gray skin than the behemoth in front and they had matted coils for hair. There were also scars all over the face of the left one. The three of them were wearing the signature dark Mithril vestments adorned with the bones of their enemies that made elite Vampire soldiers stand out among the weak. It was clear that they were no stranger to battle and were to be considered ruthless. The large one roared,

"I know what I found. A snack! Hahahaha!" they all joined him in laughter and the hallway boomed.

"How could two human children sneak into the Castle of Walpurgis and not be noticed, Kizar?" the smaller one on the right asked.

"My guess is that they must have snuck in during the day and got lost. How tragic. Wouldn't you agree Rizan?" his twin said with a sinister smile plastered on his face.

"Who cares!? It's time for my lunch. Who knows, I may just rip the skin off of their little backs and fashion a nice belt for myself," he leaned down inches away from Tikara's face. The boy kept the look of pure hatred on his face, but found it difficult to hold back his tears of anguish, for he knew that even with the weapon he took from his father's belongings, there was no way that he and his brother were getting out of this alive. All Zarel could do was curl up and cry on the floor and try to rub comfort into his small shin, which broke when he collided with the hallway's ground.

Tikara spit in the Vampire's face.

"Do what you will to me demon, but know that one day, my revenge will be sought out by another in my family!" the twelve year old boy screamed into monster's face. The behemoth quickly developed a scowl on his face after wiping the young boys saliva out of his eyes.

"Prepare yourself...boy. When Ulgrog the Great is done with you, you'll be nothing but pulp."

He took the large axe off of his back and grasped it in both hands. The two Vampire soldiers with dreadlocks watched in anticipation as their smiles grew larger.

"You will rue the day you came into my Castle. Now DIE!" screamed the Vampire. Tikara could only watch in horror as the behemoth brought his axe down to cleave through him. Only it never did...

"Your Castle? How interesting..."

The heavy steel axe stopped a mere finger length away from Tikara's nose as he fell on the ground from the sheer wind that came off of the downstroke. The voice that came from behind them sounded much cleaner and much more chilling. Almost with a certain hint of regality. It didn't seem to be that jarring, but as Tikara looked up from the ground, he found that the behemoth that came close to killing him was now visibly shaking. What's more, he had a look of pure horror in his pale blue eyes, the same as the two Vampires behind him. They all turned slowly but surely, until they came upon the sight they feared. Tikara got a good look at who stood behind them when they turned.

There stood a Vampire with pale skin and short brown hair. He wore a circlet of dark steel around his forehead with a blood red ruby inside of it. He was very large and muscular, but not as large as Ulgrog. He wore what could only be described as a black leather robe with long sleeves and a cape that seemed to have an unending length. All over the outfit were symbols of a blood red ankh with a silver outlining. It was the infamous "Masquerade Ankh". A symbol on every flag carried by every Vampire army in the world. At first it seemed to Tikara that he would have been no match for the grotesque creature that was about to kill him and his brother. Then Tikara gasped as the Vampire opened his eyes. They were not a pale, lifeless blue like most Vampires. Instead, they were a deep blood red that seemed to visibly burn with hatred and sorrow, yet seemed to remain emotionless at the same time.

"Forgive me...I was under the impression that this Castle was mine. Was I wrong?" asked the regal Vampire.

"S...sire, forgive us," Ulgrog nervously spoke.

All three of the Vampire soldiers got down on their knees and bowed in front of him.

"We found these human children and immediately thought to bring them to you. Isn't that right?" Kizar spoke.

"O..of course. We would never think of harming anyone inside the Castle without your permission," his twin Rizan said.

"So I heard," the intimidating Vampire said as he looked Tikara dead in the eye, then cast a glance to his injured brother who was still on the ground holding his leg. Tikara now stood in front of his brother trying to intimidate the leather clad Vampire, but to Tikara's shock, the Vampire merely smiled at him in return.

"Ulgrog, is it?" he asked the behemoth.

Ulgrog's eyes shot open in turn as he looked towards the Vampire he was bowing in front of.

"Yes, your majestAHHHHH!"

He screamed as in one fluid motion, the regal Vampire whipped his claws upward, cutting through the rock hard Mithril like paper and severing Ulgrog's arm off at the elbow in a fountain of dark blood. The air seemed to drop to a freezing temperature. The now one-armed behemoth Vampire fell back on the ground screaming in pain as the stump where his left arm had been began to rot upwards. Slowly, his flesh began to decay and fall off in grayish black clumps as he screamed in fear.

"Please, your majesty, I beg of you, please stop!!" Ulgrog screamed as what was left attached to his shoulder withered away. The spreading decay stopped at his shoulder, and the twins Kizar and Rizan had watched the entire spectacle in horror as their comrade had his arm eaten away by nothingness and now it lay on the red carpet of the hallway in a pile of gray rotting gore. All eyes were on the Vampire who stood above them all. His glowing red eyes were narrowed in rage.

"Let this be a lesson to you Ulgrog. Your arm would normally regenrate after a couple of days considering how young you are still, but now it will not regrow. Let the rotting stump where your arm used to be serve as a reminder never to threaten or harm an innocent child again under my rule. Human or otherwise," he leaned down inches from Ulgrog's face.

"Next time it will be your legs, and I'll let the rotting spell course through your entire body taking away your Unlife in the process. Do you understand?" he asked with a smirk.

"Y...yes, King Marius! Please forgive me!" Ulgrog cowered in front of the intimidating ruler. Tikara's eyes shot open.

It was him. Marius...the King of the Vampire race.

"You two! Drag him out of my Castle. No doubt the pain in his entire body must be crippling."

"As you wish, your majesty," Rizan spoke. As the twins grabbed Ulgrog's body and drug him down the hall, both of them made a mental note never to cross their King again.

Tikara watched the King like a hawk, expecting him to kill them right there, when instead he got down on his knees and lightly pushed Tikara out of the way to get to his brother. Tikara tried to fight him off, but it was futile as the Vampire just scooped him up and put him on his shoulders. From the King's shoulders, he watched as the Undead placed his hands on his still sobbing brother's leg and enveloped it in a soft red glow. Tikara watched in amazement as he could see the air around his wound become cold and foggy, before his brother stopped sobbing and started breathing heavily. Zarel's broken bone was no longer pushing against the top layer of skin on his leg, and was making light cracking noises as it shifted back into place. When the glow from the Vampire's hands stopped, he took Tikara off of his shoulder and placed him on the ground before standing up. He now had a good long look at the two boys.

'Relatively dark brown skin and short, curly black hair? They are also wearing green and blue tunics made from cloth. They must be from the Shi'vara worshiping cities. What are they doing all the way out here?' he thought while giving the boys a look of curiosity. He was jolted out of his thoughts when the eldest boy screamed while holding his little brother, who was now back on his feet.

"King of Beasts and Prince of Darkness! Your Vampire warriors destroyed our home and are responsible for our own mother being near death because she was struck by one of your solder's arrows!" he yelled before pulling a contraption out of his sack cloth. It was a dull black metal device of some sort with a cylindrical tube stretching from what appeared to be a housing mechanism.

Tikara cocked the hammer back on his father's new gas-powered revolver and pressed it close to the Vampire King's chest.

"Now die and leave us to live in peace!" Tikara closed his eyes and winced as he pulled the trigger six times. It let out an extremely loud bang with each pull and expended each round into the Vampire's heart, while another trigger pull would force the hammer back and rotate the housing chamber to ready a new round. After six shots, all Tikara heard was 'click..click..click..click', signifying the revolver was now empty. He opened his eyes and stared in horror as there was a gaping hole in Marius' chest that he could see through. The boy could see the black heart of the creature sitting lifelessly in his body before the large hole stitched muscle and vein back together and the wound was healed in mere seconds. A wound that would have proven fatal to any other Vampire. The boy wore a look of terror as his head slowly craned up to look at the King. He just looked down at the boy with a sympathetic smile.

"So, that's why you infiltrated my Castle. To seek revenge for the wrong doing that has befallen your family," he sighed and Tikara recoiled back as Marius placed his hand on the boy's head.

"Believe me...I understand," he told him comfortingly before standing up and looking at the ceiling.

"What I don't understand is why YOU let them in here, when you knew they would be in danger!"

Tikara and Zarel stood in utter curiosity, looking at the Vampire screaming towards the ceiling. Then a cloaked figure fell from the shadowed area just above them and landed crouching right behind the brothers, not making a sound in the process. He slowly stood up and took his hood off and it revealed a short, dirty blonde haired Vampire who had one pale blue eye and one glowing orange eye. He was dressed in the black leather and cloth garb of an assassin and wore two crossed Vampiric short swords on his back. He gave a fanged smile to the King.

"Come on brother, you have to admit that you would have done the exact same thing in my shoes! I mean, just look at them! This twelve and seven year old boy just infiltrated your Castle to murder you, knowing full well that there were thousands of our kind in the city and that most of the Vampires here would have ripped them to shreds! That takes quite an amount of testicular fortitude to even think of attempting such a bold act," Lyre told his older brother, who wore an unamused expression.

"Maybe, but I can't figure out why you didn't save them, since you did follow them all the way from the city gates," he told Lyre.

Tikara was shocked at the manner of disrespect that Lyre showed the King when he put his hand in front of the King's face and raised his middle finger.

"Fuck you, that is why. Tell me brother, would you pass up the opportunity to miss such a great show? I almost cried out for an encore when you severed that idiot's arm! Bahaha!" Lyre wailed in a high pitch laughter. Marius merely raised an eyebrow.

"Fuck? So, I take it you picked up other bad habits when you were out scouting the human forces in the west?" Marius asked the Vampire assassin.

"Haha. Well, I have to do something to occupy myself."

He gave a sinister grin before speaking, "Sitting around here minding the palace like someone does all day would only make me weaker!"

Right on cue, the Vampire King unsheathed the giant, unseen sword from underneath his cape and swung its massive solid black blade quicker than lightning. In a split second, the broad tip was less than an inch away from Lyre's right eye, and the assassin didn't flinch as his smile only got wider.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked his younger brother with a chilling smirk.

Lyre drew his swords so fast, they seemed to teleport. The brothers didn't even see him move as one moment they were on his back and the next they were in his hands and at Marius' neck.

"You tell me."

Tikara and Zarel only watched in morbid fascination as they thought they were about to witness a bloodbath. Then both Vampires threw their head back and laughed.

"Not bad, brother," Lyre said as he twirled his swords like batons around his thumbs before he sheathed them on his back holsters once more. Marius did the same with his greatsword.

"So, what do we do with them?" Lyre asked.

"Well, we obviously can't let them walk through Walpurgis at night. They would no doubt become a hungry fledgling's food. So, we put them up in a room in the Castle for the night and send them on their way tomorrow afternoon."

Lyre shrugged.

"Fair enough."

Marius helped them to their feet and beckoned them to follow him and Lyre down the hall. Once they were far enough, the bookshelf they hid behind exploded into chunks of firewood, due to hundreds of sword slashes from the inhumanly fast fight that Tikara and Zarel didn't even notice the Vampiric brothers have.

The King and the assassin continued to chat as the boys followed them reluctantly down the hallway. They spoke of the progress in technology that humans had made and new so-called firearms they were adapting into combat, as well as the possibility of adapting them into Vampire warfare. They also spoke of the experiments they had been performing on human blood and how they melded well with the genotype of wolves' blood cells. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, they reached the door to the room that the boys were to be staying in.

"I'll show them their rooms. You wait for me by the throne," Marius told Lyre.

"Very well. Goodnight, brave children!" Lyre smiled.

"Goodnight Mr. Lyre!" little Zarel spoke. His brother shot him a glare not to speak to the foul thing, and Zarel mouthed the word 'sorry' to his older brother.

Marius opened the door to their rooms and the brothers were amazed at what was inside. The room itself was huge. It had everything a person of noble birth would want. Books, a huge fireplace, a massive bed with what looked to be silk sheets, paintings everywhere on the wall, and even a star gazing balcony. It only made the eldest brother angrier.

"Why are you doing this for us?" Tikara hissed under his teeth.

"Is it because you pity us? Pity what your Vampire military has taken?" he asked while looking the King in his dark red eyes.

"No child. It's because...believe it or not...I know exactly how it feels to lose family."

The brothers were not expecting this answer and contemplated it as they stared at the ground.

"I bid you goodnight, Tikara and Zarel," he spoke softly and closed the doors, leaving the brothers in their room by themselves.

They both looked each other in the eyes.

"How did he know our names?..." Zarel asked.

Tikara did not have an answer.

They slept soundly and enjoyed the posh conditions of the room. They were from a very poor family, so they were not used to such comfortable beds and the other fine living arrangements. They were awoke by the King at two in the afternoon. At first, they were shocked that the Vampire was able to lead them out into sunlight where the steed they had weighted down with bags of gold was waiting, but then they remembered that King Marius wasn't like any other Vampire. Once they were settled on the horse, Marius took Tikara's hand and placed a blood red coin in it. On both sides of the coin was an embedded Masquerade Ankh.

"Keep this. Never again will a Vampire bother you or your family so long as they know you have this mark, lest they face my wrath," he told the boy.

He couldn't believe it. Never be bothered by another Vampire? Could it be true? Tikara could only stare at the King in baffled gratitude. No Vampire ever dared to harm any of his family again. He came there looking to kill the King of Vampires, and he sent them away with permanent protection and ten thousand gold coins, which happened to be enough to fund their mother's recovery and cover their family's expenses for three generations. Eighty years from that moment, when Tikara lay on his death bed surrounded by his loving family, including Zarel, his last thoughts were of the King and that faithful night.

The night his life and his family's lives were saved by the King of Monsters.

"Hmm hmm hmmm. Dadum hmm hmm bumm-bumm," Rose happily hummed The Heart Carol from behind her flower stand as she picked up a water can and lightly drizzled water onto her Calla Lilies. She turned around to put it back and was a tad bit startled to see a very large Vampire leaning over the counter on her stand, smirking at her.

"Oh! Hehe, Marius," she jumped and waved a hoof at the Vampire.

"You startled me."

She leaned over her stand's counter, mimicking the Vampire while looking up into his eyes.

"How's your afternoon been?" she asked.

"Decent," drawled the lazy Marius. "Rarity woke me up an hour early to help her finish the last dress for that musician. Sapphire..."

"Shores!" Rose's hoof shot up in the air.

"The Pony of Pop. I absolutely adore her. She's one of the best musicians in Equestria!" piped the starstruck Rose.

Marius just *hmphed*. She gave the Vampire a sly smile.

"Oh come on, Marius. Are you telling me you don't like music?" the flower salesman asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"No, quite the opposite actually. This pop music which you ponies listen to just doesn't peak my interest."

She gasped.

"I'll have you know mister, that there is more to music than posh orchestral nonsense. Music also has to have soul! I should have you listen to a track by her. I bet you would love the new tracks she released for her 'Zigfilly Follies Revived' tour!"

Marius just scoffed.

"I'm sure. Now, could you be so kind as to fetch me twelve Daises and five of your special Calla Lilies?" the Vampire asked.

She beamed at him in return.

"Of course hun! Let me just gather them up in a bouquet for you."

In a few seconds she had all fifteen white pedaled flowers with yellow stigma wrapped neatly in a fine arrangment, which she carried with her mouth over to the counter and placed down.

Marius picked up the bouquet in his hands and gave it a thorough examination before smiling widely.

"Simply exquisite."

"Thank you," Rose told him with pride. "I try to grow them the best I can."

Marius lowered the bouquet and slowly narrowed his eyes in a lazy fashion to look at the mare that was at least four feet shorter than him.

"I wasn't talking about the flowers," the Vampire spoke softly with his velvety low voice.

Rose smiled and blushed before slapping his right hand which was still on the counter with her hoof and squealing,

"Eeeee! You're so bad Marius." she chuckled afterwords.

Marius gave her a look of shock.

"What? Me bad?! I can't believe you would insinuate this just because I treat a lady with the proper charm that she deserves." He gave her a sly smile.

She giggled at his interesting way of defending his charm.

"Whatever you say Mr. Flirt. Still, I suppose it is better than some random stallion calling me 'Hot Flank'. Now, that'll be ten bits," she told him.

The Vampire dug into his pocket and fished out ten of the golden coins with Celestia's cutie mark on one side and Luna's on the other and forked them over to Rose.

"Thanks. Tell everypony I said hi!" she yelled to the waving Vampire as he once again started to walk down the square.

"I will indeed...Hot Flank!" he yelled at her with his signature fanged smirk. She turned a delightful shade of pink as everypony was now staring at her, since the Vampire made sure everypony in the square heard him call her the embarrassing nickname. All Marius could do was cackle with laughter as he continued his trek to Sweet Apple Acres.

It had been three full days since his awakening and it was now Wednesday. The days actually seemed very peaceful and everypony in Ponyville now showed Marius the utmost respect. Everyone he saw on Monday had stopped him and apologized for their rude behavior. The Vampire's charm and generosity when it came to helping others was slowly turning him into an idol for the tiny town. Everyone had grown to love him including stall runners such as Rose, Golden Harvest, and Applejack (which was already a given) all the way to shop owners such as Time Turner, Colgate, and even Mayor Mare introduced herself and had taken a liking to the Undead. He cooked Rarity and Sweetie dinner every night and tucked them both into bed every night as well. Sweetie had taken a liking to having the Vampire sing her the Father Bird lullaby every night and Rarity was absolutely thrilled she had someone to cook and clean around the shop instead of herself. He got to spend some time with several ponies besides Rarity and Sweetie also. Sunday evening he helped Derpy deliver the mail for a few hours, although somehow she got stuck inside of Lyra and Bon Bon's mailbox. Marius knew they didn't have time to try and get her out since they were already late, so he yanked it out of the ground and flung it over his shoulder with Derpy still inside. Lyra and Bon Bon seemed a little more than upset, but he told them he would come by Thursday evening to answer any questions Lyra had about humans. Lyra seemed ecstatic, but Bon Bon didn't really seem that thrilled. That was, until the charming Vampire offered to cook dinner. Both of them didn't even think about their mailbox anymore and said yes to the dinner appointment. Other than that brief little fiasco, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday went very pleasant. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and he even had the pleasure of joining the Elements at a picnic Tuesday afternoon. It was there that Applejack had offered him some work out on the farm if he'd be willing to accept it. He gladly accepted since it would give him some spare bits to do with what he pleased and was on his way to the farm now.

He unfurled his wings from inside his back and stretched them to the air while yawning very loudly, when he came upon the fence to the Apple Orchard. The sun was agonizingly bright and he made a mental note to take revenge against his master in some way for waking him so early. In that instant, he side stepped casually to the left and watched a rainbow blur shoot through the place where he was standing, bank upwards, and then land hard in the leaves of a nearby Apple tree.

Marius only chuckled as he saw Rainbow Dash pop her head out of the Apple tree. Her eyes wobbled in a comical fashion before she spit out some leaves and spoke with a crack in her voice,

"No fair! I was gunna tackle you to the ground! How could you see me coming?" she asked him while pouting.

"Haha. You may be fast, but you are indeed louder than a thunderstorm," he told her.

She rolled her eyes at him before flying out of the tree and landing beside his feet.

"Yeah, whatever. AJ told me to come here today and help out on the farm whenever I got the chance, and I'm finally free so I guess that means you're my partner today," she flew up to his face causing him to stop walking.

"Try not to slow me down."

She said that last part looking into his eyes with what seemed to be an expression that said 'Or Else'.

He smirked before shooting into the sky like a cannon ball. The force of the takeoff caused the mid-air Dash to be taken away in Marius' slipstream and clumsily carried upwards several hundred feet.

She flapped both her wings and used the current to gently glide herself into a fluid updraft and with a heave from her wings she shot upwards also. She made it to where Marius hovered several hundred feet above the ground with his arms crossed. She stopped and scowled at him.

"What the hay was that?! You could have warned me you know!" she huffed.

He merely patted her on the head while she gave an annoyed look.

"I just wanted to get a good view of the orchard," he said looking down.

Sure enough he could see five ponies out in the field past the farmhouse. One was orange and had a brown Stetson on her head and the pony next to her was a rather large red stallion with a yoke on his back. The other three ponies, or fillies rather, Marius recognized as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. All three were working with Applejack and the stallion he recognized as Big Macintosh shaking each tree to try and get the apples from each tree down. Marius then realized he had been patting Dash's head the entire time he surveyed the area. She came close to having steam rise out of her nostrils.

"Do you mind?" she asked under her breath.

He took his hand away and smiled at the fuming Cyan mare before speaking,

"Not at all. Let's go tell them we have arrived," he told her. She nodded and flew down at a fast pace while the Vampire watched her. She stopped above Applejack to tell her she had arrived and Scootaloo galloped as fast as she could while screaming "Rainbow Dash!" and jumped into the mare's arms. Dash merely chuckled and hugged the little filly.

"Hehehe. Heya squirt. How's it goin'?" she asked.

Marius watched them all converse as he took his huge bat wings and rolled them in the air until he heard a loud 'pop' from the spiked carpal joint. With that small amount of comfort performed he curled them into his back and started to fall.

Applejack was scolding Rainbow about how she should come over more often and the Crusaders went back to trying to shake the trees and get at least one bucket full of apples, when what sounded like a falling tree collided with the ground. Every pony looked back and saw said tree get up off his knees and speak,

"Hello. I've come to work on the orchard today."

"Marius!" all three Crusaders yelled and ran over to the Vampire who scooped all three of them up and gave them a bear hug.

"How are my three favorite fillies? Causing Applejack as much trouble as possible, I hope?" he asked.

All three crusaders giggled simultaneously while Applejack gave a glare to the Vampire.

"Ah reckon we aren't now. We got in big trouble when we tried that glue in her hat thing that ya-"

"*Cough* *cough* So, have fun girls, I'll talk to you later," he cut Apple Bloom off and sat all three girls down. They walked off towards their assigned tree for the second time. Marius looked over to the Cowpony who gave him a glare that could melt steel.

"Ah hope yer ready to do some work, since it is harvest season and all...and get me a new hat," she deadpanned while Rainbow giggled to herself. Marius hadn't noticed until then the cuts and missing sections on the brim of her Stetson. He had to bite his bottom lip with his fangs to keep himself from laughing so hard that the Princesses themselves would hear him all the way from Canterlot.

"I indeed am." he managed to squeak out through muffled laughter.

Applejack and Rainbow took him over to the tree Big Mac was about to buck.

"Marius, this is mah brother Big Macintosh. Big Mac, this is that feller I was tellin' ya about that saved Apple Bloom and the other girls. The one who works for Rarity," she explained to her brother. "Now Ah'm gunna leave him here to work with you while RD helps me buck some o' them stubborn trees in the West field.

He looked at his sister and simply replied,

"Eeyup."

Rainbow flew while AJ galloped quickly behind her heading West.

Big Mac looked up into the intimidating eyes of the Vampire. He was quite a bit larger, but it seemed like Big Mac was still more muscular.

"Thank ya kindly Mr. Marius for saving my sister. The Apple family commends bravery and honesty. Them's the rules we live by, so if ya need anything from our family, don't yall hesitate ta ask, ya hear?" he asked the Vampire who looked at him with a serious expression taking him very seriously. Big Mac was slightly confused at how Marius bowed and put his right arm over his chest.

"You have my word Bic Macintosh. I take my vows very seriously and I would never break my vow of watching over and protecting my Master's friends and family. I shall keep watch vigilantly over all of you until you all take your last breath and your bodies wither away in the ground. Even then your children and your children's children will know me as their guardian," he explained with pride to the stallion, who was shocked at his morbid way of describing protection.

He knew he was a Vampire as his sister explained to him Marius and Rarity's situation, but he didn't expect him to be so dignified and dark in his speech.

"Errr...I reckon," he said as his eyes darted around in his head trying to remember what he was supposed to do with Marius, that way he could change the topic of the conversation.

"Apples! Errr...um..Ah need ta teach ya Apple buckin'," he told the Vampire awkwardly as he moved into position behind the tree they were conversing by. Marius stood up and looked down at Big Mac who positioned his backside in front of the tree.

"Now the best way ta learn is by experience so Ah'm gunna show ya how it's done, then you'll try," he explained to Marius.

Big Mac took a deep breath and raised his hind quarters up while reeling his back legs in. He held the breath in and then let it out as he quickly forced his legs outward and straightened them. His hooves struck the tree with enough force to shake every single apple loose from its branches and into the buckets that were scattered underneath the leaves. His back legs landed on the soft grass as he straightened himself out again. Marius was stroking his chin with his fingers analyzing the strong backward kick that the stallion used.

"Ya think yall can do that?" he asked the Vampire who had one eyebrow raised still calculating the momentum used to buck the tree.

He smirked at Big Mac before replying,

"I shouldn't have too much trouble."

They both walked over to a new tree and positioned about five buckets underneath each branch. Big Mac stood and quietly observed. Marius turned his large back to the tree, closed his eyes, and took a breath. He put his hands on the ground and heaved his waist into the air while curling his legs. A perfect clone of Big Macintosh. Marius straightened his legs and heaved his black polyester and rubber shoes into the bark.

The midsection of the tree exploded into thousands of tiny splinters from the several tons of force applied all at once. The top of the tree arced several hundred feet into the air until it landed on the ground, making a small crater in the process.

Big Mac's jaw hung open and his eyes seemed like they were wide enough to fall out of their sockets. Marius stood back up and looked around at the huge amount of wood chunks and random pieces of bark that lay in the grass. He sheepishly scratched the back of his head and smiled.

"Um...I apologize for the tree. Would you like to try again?"

After several hours, Big Mac gave the Vampire the rest of the evening off. After destroying ten more trees, Marius had gotten the hang of how much force he needed to apply to get all the apples out of each tree safely. Coupled with his incredible speed, he had managed to clear the amount that would normally take Big Macintosh a full day in just a few hours. Figuring he'd done more than enough work for the day, the hard-working stallion gave Marius his pay for the day. Plus, Macintosh wasn't too keen on the idea of someone making him look bad on his own farm. He had his pride also, after all. Bag of bits in hand, he flew off to find Applejack and Rainbow in the West field. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were no longer by the small group of trees they had worked on the whole day, which Marius guessed was a sign that they were finished with their chores. He flew low for several minutes until he saw them.

Applejack and the Crusaders came into his sight as they were sitting by several apple trees looking into the sky, but Rainbow was nowhere to be found. For some reason they looked horrified and were screaming into the air towards him. Then Marius found out why.

"Look out!" was all that was said as Rainbow came barreling towards him at incredible speed.

Eyes narrowing, he quickly banked left in a hard roll and dodged her as she flew directly towards the ground. Marius was concerned but then realized she had complete control. The Element of Honesty and all three Crusaders breathed a sigh of relief when Marius dodged her. He was about to yell and ask what was going on, and then it happened.

Marius hadn't noticed the cone of wind seeming to form around Rainbow Dash as she barreled towards the ground. The cone of excess wind and inertia seemed to tear just as she was about to hit the ground, and with a deafening BOOM she pivoted upwards, changing directions leaving a giant rainbow colored shockwave near the ground that seemed to singe the grass. As she rose into the sky leaving a Rainbow trail she could hear everypony on the ground cheering her name.

One voice stuck out among them all.

"YEAH!! Go Rainbow Dash! I told you guys she was the best flier ever!" she yelled to her friends who had never really seen the mare perform the Sonic Rainboom before. They were awestruck, yet cheering at the same time. But even more awestruck than them, was the Vampire who was still in the air watching the Pegasus. He was utterly at a loss for words, then he looked down at Scootaloo on the ground cheering the mare she had so much respect and admiration for and he smiled.

'I've never seen any ability like that before. I wonder...'

Marius began to develop a plan.

Rainbow rose higher and higher into the sky. Then she felt something near her wing and turned to her right. She was shocked at what she found.

There, flying right beside her at equal speeds after she performed a Sonic Rainboom, was a large Vampire dressed in black with huge bat wings. He simply smiled and waved at her as they both rocketed into the sky. Then she heard his voice in her head.

'So, is this a good time to have that race?' he asked her.

Not only was she in disbelief that he could fly as fast as her, but she was even more put off by the fact that he was having a conversation with her through her mind. Still, at the mention of the word race her eyes narrowed and she licked her lips shaping them into a devilish smile. She pointed her hoof upwards towards the blue sky and a lone cloud that was very high in the air.

'You're on. First one to make it to that cloud up there and back to the others on the ground is the winner. 123go!' she thought and shot upward even faster, turning her mane into a pure rainbow streak and leaving the Vampire to eat her dust (so to speak).

He smirked at the place where she was just a moment ago.

'Excellent'

He heaved his giant black wings and cut through the sky like a hot knife through butter. Instantly he was side by side with her. They flew into the sky, unstoppable. The wind pushed Marius' short brown hair back with extreme force. Rainbow's mane seemed to be unaffected by the wind as it was still a clear rainbow streak slicing through whatever remained behind her. The two occasionally busted through a cloud on their way up and swayed, keeping their momentum. The Crusaders and AJ watched, mouths agape, as they flew so high and fast that they were merely dots in the clear blue mural that was the early evening sky.

Dash looked over to her racing partner and laughed as loud as she could when she saw the last cloud she had busted through had flown pieces of cumulus into Marius face. Since she touched them right before, they remained solidified and stuck to the mouth and eye of the Vampire. She peeled in laughter as they soared skyward. Marius noticed this, took a chunk of the cloud off, and threw it to his left. It found its way into Rainbow Dash's gaping mouth. She coughed it back out and threw it at the Vampire with a scowl. Both of them developed a grin on their face and within moments, tufts of cloud were flying back and forth between the two while Dash giggled like a school filly and Marius kept a smirk on his face. Their cloud fight continued for a few seconds, before they both noticed that the highest cloud in the sky was drawing near.

They both became determined to reach it first.

Dash forced herself to move faster by pivoting her wings to the side, and using her momentum, threw herself upward. Marius noticed this and did the same. Unfortunately for the Cyan pegasus, his wings were much larger, causing a larger updraft and throwing him farther in the process. Her smile slowly turned into a sad frown as she saw the Vampire steal her opportunity and rocket through the cloud first. He stopped himself right above where the cloud once was and she quickly came to a halt in front of him. They both sat several hundred meters up in the sky. The Vampire noticed the sun had become extremely hotter the closer they got to the planet's atmosphere and it seemed like they were both very close to breaching said atmosphere and drifting off into space. Not a problem for the Undead, but a huge one for Rainbow. She was used to the thin air, though.

"That's not really fair, you know. I totally would have reached it first if I didn't still have cloud in my eyes," she said while crossing her hooves behind her back and kicking the air. Marius put his hands under his arms and gave her a skeptical look.

"Oh really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah really!" her voice cracked and she looked away while pouting.

"Didn't you forget something?" Marius asked her.

Her eyes widened in realizaion.

"That's riiiight...the race isn't over, is it?" he asked.

She turned downward and took off at the fastest speed she possibly could, leaving the Vampire behind once again.

"That's what I thought," Marius spoke before tucking his wings in and letting himself fall downward.

Once again they were playing keep up as Marius dove downward. Rainbow was desperately trying to gain momentum by giving her wings the occasional flap, but the weight and strength of the Vampire's wings was almost impossible to match. They both flew toward the ground at breakneck speeds. Going downward was an entirely different matter than going upward for a being with flying capabilities. You only had to let gravity and your body do the work for you, giving the occasional bit of assistance from your wings when you needed to sway a certain direction or needed a gust of speed.

The rush itself was exhilarating. Rainbow always loved racing, since fast flying was what she lived for. Ever since she was a filly and got her cutie mark, she knew her special talent was flying and winning. She was baffled that the Vampire had been able to keep up with her, though. Even after she performed a Sonic Rainboom and was carrying herself on its current, Marius was still able to fly as fast as her. She only had one question on her mind: How? How could the fastest flier in all of Equestria, except for a few of the Wonderbolts, be beaten by someone who wasn't even a pony?

After a few minutes Applejack and the Crusaders became slightly visible and Marius was once again next to the mare, only she watched with disbelief as he slowly passed her.

He was going to win.

They were a few miles from ground now and he was going to win.

Marius looked back into the eyes of the egotistical mare with hope.

'Do it.' he told her mentally.

She scrunched her face up in determination, choking away the tears that the wind was forcing out.

'No. He. Bucking. ISN'T!' she mentally screamed.

With that she forced her wings out and back as hard as she could when she felt the familiar cone of wind build up around her as she peeled through the air. After a few seconds it tore, and with another mighty BOOM she performed a second Sonic Rainboom. She flew past the Vampire who smiled at her, contently.

"It took her long enough," he said.

She looked back at him over her left side as he appeared to be the size of an ant. A beaming smile slowly found it's way to her face.

"I did it. I won..." she said in disbelief.

"I actually beat Mari-"

BOOM!

Silence...

"Rainbow Dash! Please wake up!" screamed the little orange filly with her head pressed to her idol's chest.

"Hang in there RD...Ah know ya can pull through this." lightly whispered Applejack.

Rainbow Dash slowly came back into consciousness. She felt the wet grass and mud with chunks of wood in it bellow her back. She slowly tried to open one of her eyes.

She couldn't. Only searing pain was there.

She tried the other. Fortunately, that one she was able to look through. She saw everypony at her side with tears streaming down their faces while she lay in the grass. She then realized why she couldn't open her other eye.

There was a tree branch through it.

She was going so fast from her Sonic Rainboom, that she never noticed how close she was to the ground. She hit a tree first and the shockwave from her body shattered most of it, but in the process, it fractured three of her ribs, broke her right forearm and sent a shard of its bone upward which was protruding out of her skin, a large hunk of bark shoved itself through her gut and pierced itself through her stomach and out of her back, and she had her left eye impaled by a stray tree branch. She then collided with the ground and skidded along the grass all the way to the middle of the West field. The proud Cyan pegasus was now a bloody pile of broken bones and gashes.

It was a miracle she wasn't dead.

She began to cry inside from fear. She wasn't supposed to be scared of anything. The incredibly bold and daring Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, was now terrified that she might die. Terrified that she might never see the little filly who looked up to her more than anyone else. Terrified she might never get to see her friends again. Terrified that she would never get to smell that sweet aroma of apples and garden soil coming off of Applejack or get to feel her soft fur as she held her in a hug. Terrified that she might never get to tell her how she truly felt towards her.

She was just plain terrified.

She slowly took her hoof and put it against Scootaloo's blood covered mane and started stroking downward, holding her head closer to her body.

"Hehe..*ughh*...you think that..*ssss*..that something as tiny as this will keep me down? C'mon Scoots, you know me better than...than that," she spoke slowly through heavy pants and winces. She feigned a smile towards the little filly but all she could do was release more tears and quiver her lip.

"N..*sniff*..no, I suppose not," Scootaloo said while returning her weak smile.

Rainbow Dash then noticed that Marius stood above them watching them the whole time.

He gave her a sympathetic smile before speaking,

"You won."

She threw her head back and laughed as hard as she could, feeling the sharp tree branch jiggle in her eye socket as it gushed a murky yellow and red fluid down the side of her face. She winced and immediately regretted laughing.

"Marius, can't you use your healing magic?" Sweetie Belle asked him wiping her nose. She had funny habit of having a runny nose when she cried.

Scootaloo's head shot up from Rainbow's chest.

"Yeah, you can heal anypony who's hurt! You healed Sweetie's leg and she would have bled to death if you didn't!" the little orange pegasus said with hope in her voice.

"It's true..I can heal her," he said.

Everypony looked up at him through their tearful gazes.

"In order to do so, we need to get all of these tree pieces out of her," he told them.

Everypony winced at the picture of agony they had in their head. They all looked up at Rainbow Dash who smiled up at her potential savior.

"Do it, big guy..." she said weakly.

The Vampire didn't need to hear anymore.

His large hand wrapped around the tree branch embedded in her eye socket.

"Brace yourself," he told her.

She stiffened her body up, but she couldn't prepare for the pain.

Marius yanked the tree branch out of her head, bringing along with it what was left of her large magenta eye and yanking out a long strand of her optic nerve which the Vampire severed with his claws fast enough to not even be seen by the other ponies. A massive gush of blood that was being blocked off pushed itself out of her ocular cavity and sprayed the Vampire in the face when he pulled the branch out.

"AAAAHHH!" the Cyan mare screamed in agony while Applejack hid the girls' faces and sobbed for her friend's pain.

After screaming, Dash felt the relief of not having the branch in her socket anymore.

Marius then wrapped one hand around the chunk of wood impaled in her gut and one hand around her mouth.

"This is in your stomach, so this is going to hurt worse I'm afraid. Just be strong, alright? The bold mare that beat me in that race fairly would be strong, wouldn't she?" he asked her giving her a sympathetic smile.

She smiled underneath his palm and slowly nodded her head.

"Brace yourself once more," Marius spoke.

He ripped the huge chunk of wood out of her body leaving a visible gaping hole in her belly that one could see all the way through.

"MMMMMmmmmmmphhhh!!!" she screamed into his hand as blood streamed out of one side of her face and tears streamed down the other.

She slumped down after she screamed and Marius removed his hand, placed it on the side of her small face, and lifted it so she could look at him.

He gave her a warm comforting smile before speaking,

"The hard part is over child. Rest."

With a cold surge of magic through his fingers, she was unconscious for the second time that day.

She opened her eyes to a dark room.

She felt soft blankets over her body and wings. She rolled over in the comfortable bed to see the moonlight shining through the window...with both eyes. Dash blinked both separately to make sure they worked, then recognized the room as one of Sweet Apple Acres' spare rooms. Rainbow slowly sat up to turn the lamp on that was sitting on the nightstand. She turned it on and noticed that there was a little orange filly curled up at the hoof of her bed.

Rainbow Dash smiled softly at Scootaloo.

She slowly got up out of the bed to examine her body and couldn't believe what she saw. Not a single bandage was put on her body, because there was nothing to bandage. Everything from the top of her head to her hooves and even her flank didn't have a single scratch on it. Her wings looked perfect as well.

"Ah reckon ya like Marius' hoofwork?" said a mare with a soft voice that Dash instantly recognized.

Applejack sat in the doorway watching Rainbow admire herself with a dumbfounded look.

"How-"

"That fancy magic o' his, sugarcube," she cut Dash off.

"Ah don't know how it works, but Ah reckon it's the most amazin' thing I ever did see. Ya just got wrapped in this red glow as the air all around us got really cold, then we all watched as yer wounds started patchin' themselves up. It was like they were sewin' themselves back together with your skin and muscle and such. He saved yer life, is what he did."

Applejack looked over at the sleeping filly on the bed with a small smile.

"Scoots never did leave yer side either. Ah've never seen a filly who was so determined to make sure somepony was better. Even after we brought ya back here to rest in this bed, since ya were plum tuckered out and all, she absolutely refused to leave yer side," she said while walking up to the sleeping filly. Dash slowly joined her and nudged Scootaloo with her left wing.

"Scooootaloooo...wake uuuuup.." lightly cooed Rainbow Dash.

The little fillies eyes slowly opened.

"R..Rainbow Dash?"

They shot open.

"Rainbow Dash!!" she wrapped her hooves around the once injured pegasus' neck.

"Are you ok? I was soooo worried. Hehe *snort*," she accidentally let out a tiny snort at the end of her chuckle as if to solidify her statement by being cute.

"Hehehe. Yeah, squirt. I'm fine now, thanks to the big ol' lug Marius. I'll tell you what though, how about you go sleep in Apple Bloom's room tonight since we're both staying over?" she asked the little filly.

She beamed a smile at her and started to cry tears of joy. Joy of knowing that the Pony she looked up to and loved the most in this world wouldn't die.

"Ok Rainbow Dash. I'll see you in the morning!" she announced happily as she trotted off.

Both mares watched her go.

"She loves ya a whole lot, ya know," whispered Applejack.

"Yeah...without sounding all sappy or anything, I love her alot too. She doesn't see much of her family because they live in Cloudsdale. Since she can't fly, they couldn't care less about her. So, she stays in Ponyville with her aunt and me when I have the time. She looks up to me like an idol...but honestly, being rejected by your own family, yet devoting yourself to being happy with the one person you look up to most in this world and accept her as your big sister?" it came out like a question.

"As far as I'm concerned...she's sorta...my idol. Hehehe," she told Applejack who gave her a look of pure D'awww.

She huffed in response.

"Darn it...ya got me acting all sappy."

Dash wiped a single tear from her face with her hoof.

"So, where did Marius go?" the pegasus asked.

"Where do ya think R.D.? He took Sweetie Belle home. It is going on midnight," she said.

"Yeah..." Rainbow said quietly.

'I owe him. He saved me from my own ego.' she thought. The mare then jolted when she heard the voice of said Vampire inside her head.

'The ego is a tool, child. When used properly it can make you stronger and strengthen your bonds of loyalty with your friends. What you need to remember though, is that same tool can be used to destroy and impede you, keeping you from letting yourself have what makes you most happy in this world. The key to using your ego is finding the proper balance of self-destruction and self-preservation for your life. Remember this...' the voice spoke in her head.

She smiled at his words of wisdom.

"Finding balance, huh..." she whispered to herself.

Dash turned around to sheepishly look at Applejack, who currently had a puzzled look on her face.

"So...AJ...I was wondering, you know...maybe if you really didn't have anything better to do and your bed maybe isn't that comfortable or...something...I don't know, maybe you would wanna-"

She was cut off as she felt the Cowpony's warm lips gently kiss her cheek. Seconds seemed like minutes as she slowly removed her lips and nuzzled Dash's cheek with her own. Applejack pulled her head back to look warmly in the eyes of the now wildly blushing pegasus.

'Finally...' Applejack thought.

"Ah'd love to...Sugarcube."

They smiled, contently, into each others eyes before cuddling all night next to each other in the warm bed, under the covers.

A pair of glowing red eyes watched over them happily the entire night.

Act I: Youth

"The child's naive dream of life is the only dream worth having."
-Marty Rubin

Celestia sat in the large throne room looking at the photos that her scout had brought her. She held a slightly stern expression while sifting through the photos with her magic. The warm rays of her sun in the morning could be felt through the stained glass windows depicting various events and images representing Equestrian history. Normally, it would be a nice and pleasant Thursday morning where different ponies would come to her bearing their political concerns and talk about minor issues that concerned them. More funding for a certain charity. Designing a new banner for the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant in a few months. Even an occasional request for Celestia to speak at the opening of a new business that was beneficial to Canterlot, but never did she expect to do what she was doing now. Not in her entire four thousand year rule.

The Princess sat on her large maroon and gold-trimmed throne looking through the photos that the grey unicorn had brought her.

"How many in all?" Celestia asked in a low voice.

"Thirty-seven, your highness," the grey unicorn with the solid, dark green mane replied.

Celestia's eyes widened.

'Thirty seven? Thirty seven of my little ponies have had their lives taken by animals that, according to their very nature, should be docile.' she thought. The Princess developed a scowl as she once again looked through the pictures. 'How could this have happened for weeks without me knowing?'

Each photo depicted ponies from across several cities which including Las Pegasus, Neighvada, and even Appleloosa. Every single pony had been torn to shreds and eaten. One was a white pegasus stallion with two foals and one colt at home. No doubt Celestia would have to make personally sure that the little ones would be in safe hands. Another one of the victims was a member of her own personal court. It was a tan unicorn mare with a dark brown mane and tail. She was one of the judges at the entrance exam of her lavender coated protégée. So many of the ponies she cared about and even some she personally knew. There were tooth and claw marks that matched Timber Wolves, Diamond Dogs, Manticores, and even some larger creatures such as the Ursa families and Hydras. All the creatures of Equestria were acting primal, except for most of the ones around Ponyville. Celestia chocked this up to the contribution and watchful eyes of the Element of Kindness...and the new Undead citizen that Ponyville had acquired five days ago.

After looking through each of the photos, she closed her eyes and gave a tired sigh before sliding them into the paper envelope and levitating them back to the grey unicorn.

"Our other investigators also claim there were tracks in blood and dirt that were from an unidentifiable animal," he told her.

She raised her eyebrow before opening her eyes and speaking,

"Really? What were the features of these tracks that were left at the scene of each crime?" she asked him.

"Well...uhh..." he stammered before looking at the waiting Princess nervously.

"They seemed to be comprised of the density and structure of a hoof at first...but the same tracks eventually...umm...changed in shape until they resembled an animal's," he spoke.

The throne room was dead quiet.

"Silver Mist?" the Princess called out to the grey unicorn scout gently.

"Yes Princess Celestia?" the stallion asked.

"I want you to continue to investigate these matters and bring me your findings. The general public is not to know about the deaths yet because it would put the masses of each city in an uproar of panic. We must know what is causing these creatures to act this way before we do something so brash," she told him before turning her head to the sharply dressed white unicorn by her throne's side. He wore a set of gold plated armor adorned with blue hair on the top crest of his helmet.

"Shining Armor?" she asked the white unicorn.

He saluted her before awaiting her orders.

"Yes, your majesty?" he asked his Princess.

"As head of the Royal guard, you will enforce a forty percent increase in the number of guards stationed in each city, as well as constant rotational shifts to make sure at least ten guards are stationed at every square block keeping patrol. This is to take place within every city of Equestrian rule, to ensure the safety of my subjects and all citizens of Equestria. Do both of you understand?" she asked with absolute seriousness in her voice. The Princess of the Day was not going to let this continue as it had been.

Shining Armor and Silver mist both bowed regally.

"Yes Princess Celestia," both evenly replied.

"Good. You are both dismissed," she told them before giving them a slight head nod. Such was the complimentary farewell gesture for her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia. She had given that nod to more ponies in her elongated life than she would have ever thought possible.

With that, they trotted down the plush red carpet leading out of the throne room to perform the duties they were given. When they were gone and the throne room was empty save the Princess, she slumped down from her formal posture and let out a long sorrowful sigh. She blinked her sad eyes and surveyed her throne room while thinking to herself,

'What is happening to my nation? There have been incidents where some of my subjects were killed by an animal or two, but nothing as horrible as this. What would even make somewhat civilized creatures such as Diamond Dogs want to kill ponies, and by Creation itself, what pony or animal could have left those odd tracks at the killings?'

She raised her head and looked out the large stained glass window to her left. It depicted Luna and herself wrapped around their joining celestial trademarks, the sun and the moon. It was recognized as the flag of Equestria across the entire planet of Equeas.

'Is this my fault?' she thought to herself with a sad gaze at the image on the window. 'Is it my fault that this happened under my watch? Am I not vigilant enough as a ruler? All those years ago when Discord ruled Equestria in utter chaos and disharmony, Luna and I found the Elements of Harmony and used them to end his tyranny. From that day on, I vowed to rule over this land and keep my subjects safe, and now on this day, thirty seven of my little ponies lie dead and were eaten alive.'

She cast her gaze upward and looked at the ceiling. Her eyes began to water.

"Have I failed everyone?" she asked the empty room.

"I dunno!" a voice replied bubbly.

The Princess nearly jumped out of her throne when she heard her question's answer come from out of nowhere. She quickly cast her gaze down and found herself looking at a wall-eyed pegasus with a blonde mane. She seemed to have a satchel draped across her grey coated chest.

"Mail call!" she yelled before speedily flying up inches from the Princess' face and held out a letter in front of her. Celestia had to give herself pause for a few seconds before she gripped the letter gently in a golden aura and levitated it down to her side. At that moment two day guards burst through the doorway panting heavily.

"Princess!...*pant*...We're...*pant*...sorry. We couldn't seem to stop her from getting through all the guards in the castle. We told her that you wanted to be alone, but she insisted," the white coated royal guard told her.

Princess Celestia was bewildered at the fact that the grey mare was able to evade her entire castle's defense. She gave a curious look to the mail mare who was hovering in front of her with a happy grin on her face.

"That's quite all right. Return to your posts," she told the two guards in the doorway. The golden armored guards looked at each other before saluting their Princess and doing what they were told. Celestia then turned her eyes to the mail mare.

"Derpy, is it?" she asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep!" the pegasus told her with a smile.

"Derpy Hooves is my name! Or Ditzy, or Derpy Doo, or Ditzy Doo Hooves, or anything really! Everypony always calls me by different names but they all know me mainly as Derpy, the most dependable, muffin loving, mail mare in Equestria!" she announced proudly with an adorable full-toothed smile. Celestia gave a light chuckle.

"Oh my, to what does a little old Princess like me owe the honor of having a wonderful mail mare such as yourself deliver me this letter?" Celestia asked her with a smile, her ethereal multicolored mane covering one of her eyes.

Derpy's wall eyes became as starry as a night sky at the compliment and her smile grew even wider.

"Oh believe me, it's MY pleasure to deliver a letter to the Princess! After all, at Derpy Mail, we...well, mostly me that is...strive to bring any package whatsoever with almost perfect precision to its destination! About eighty percent of everything we deliver has no damages whatsoever, so if you start using Derpy Mail today, we guarantee that you'll almost NEVER lose a package! Ever again!" Derpy announced to the Princess as if she were pitching a commercial.

"I see...well, who hired Derpy Mail to bring me this fine letter?" Celestia asked her.

Derpy's face shifted to one of attempted sternness.

"Oh, I can't tell you that Princess. You see, my client asked me not to tell anyone about the letter he wanted delivered to Canterlot and I promised on my honor as a mail mare that I wouldn't tell, and we at Derpy Mail never, ever, EVER break our promises. You see, Ponyville's post office workers would normally handle a trip to deliver mail to Canterlot, but I was paid a bunch more than the normal rate so I specifically could come here and deliver that letter to the Castle, and I figured who better to deliver to in the Castle than you!" she told her, before she turned her stern expression into one of mild nervousness.

"You're...you're not mad at me, are you?" she asked the Princess while sticking her bottom lip out.

The Princess gave a sympathetic smile towards Derpy.

"Of course not. What ever would give you that impression?" she asked her.

"Well, I flew past all your guards to give you this letter when you didn't want to be bothered, and now I can't even tell you who wanted it delivered," she told her while looking at the long carpet underneath her in shame. The Princess leaned down from her throne to the now standing Derpy and lifted her chin gently with her elegant horn.

"My little pony, there is no need to feel shame in sticking to your morals. Believe me, and thank you very much for delivering this to me," she told her warmly.

Derpy instantly perked up and returned to her previous wide smile.

"You're welcome Princess Celestia!" she told her happily before looking at the watch on her hoof. She gasped.

"Oh wow, look at the time! I better get going. I only have a few hours to get back to Ponyville before Dinky gets out of school," the wall-eyed mare told her before flying through the large doorway of the throne room with haste. With that, Celestia was once again by herself in the large throne room. She looked at the doorway still smiling.

'Enough blaming myself. It's my sole duty to watch over my subjects, and I would give my everlasting life to make sure that they were safe and no more lives were taken. This isn't abut me, this is about the nation Luna and I rule. I will have time to mourn for my mistakes when I know Equestria is safe. Until then, I will remain focused on stopping the killings that have gone unbeknownst to me until now.' she thought to herself.

She turned her gaze from the doorway and turned it to the letter that Derpy had brought her, still laying by her side. Celestia levitated it up from the plush cushion of her throne and looked at the front of the letter.

The paper was the color of eggshell and smoothly textured. It was also heavily scented in what smelled like high class perfume. On the front of the letter in bold elegant writing was her sister's name: Luna. This regal piece of mail was clearly for the Princess of the Night. Celestia looked to her left. She then turned her eyes to the right. She was still alone in the throne room.

The Princess of the Day got a sly grin on her face. Ever so gently she used her magic to turn the envelope over and lifted the seal, being very careful not to crack it in the process that way her sister wouldn't know she had read her mail. After a few seconds of careful pulling on the blue seal, she developed a small scowl.

"I wonder why these letters are so popular. They are more of an annoyance than anything, what with the sealing and folding. Scrolls are much so much easier to use. Just roll them up and send them away," she softly spoke to herself before she finally opened the seal without breaking it. Her face lit up when she managed to remove it.

"There we go," she said with satisfaction in her voice.

She unfolded the light blue note on the inside and started to read.

Dear Luna,

I am writing to you to remind you that I have not forgotten about the arrangement we made. I still have the full intention of seeing you this week. Expect me to be in Canterlot this Saturday night after I put my Master and Sweetie Belle to bed. Do not worry about meeting me. I shall find you, wherever you are at that time. I indeed look forward to sharing the night in the company of such a grace as yourself. Each night I bask in your glorious moon makes me all the more impatient to see you. I look forward to the night after the 'morrow.

Yours,

Marius

Postscript: When you are done reading this letter Celestia, please give it to your sister. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Celestia's eyes widened in shock as she read the last part of the short letter. They quickly narrowed in annoyance.

"How in Tartarus does he do that?" she asked herself.

The Vampire King.

That's what they once called him. He had come back as a walking incarnation of death itself and was responsible for bringing destruction to an entire race. Marius had fought entire armies by himself and crushed them like they were nothing but a group of insects.

But this...

This would prove to be the hardest challenge he has ever faced in his entire life.

"Ok everypony, settle down! We have a wonderful guest here today, so I want you to all make him feel welcome!" Cheerilee announced to her class.

Marius stood out in the hall waiting to be lead in by Sweetie Belle.

"How in the Deep Realm did I get roped into this?" Marius asked himself.

When Marius had healed Rainbow Dash after her crash yesterday, he took her and everyone else to the Apple family house where Applejack offered a bed to lay the unconscious Dash down on. She could get some rest after her hectic ordeal in one of the guest rooms while under the care of Applejack. By that time it was late in the evening and it was time for Sweetie Belle to be taken home. Going back outside and picking up the bouquet he almost forgot about, which still lay by the fence of the orchard, he picked up Sweetie Belle and flew back to the Boutique. Sweetie Belle loved being flown by her and her sister's Vampiric guardian. She loved the rush of wind through her mane and just the feeling of flight in general, which was not being limited to the confines of the ground.

When they got back to Carousel Boutique Sweetie had told her sister, who was busy thinking of a few designs for her new winter compilation, about the day they had and they way Marius saved Rainbow Dash. At hearing the news one of her best friends being spared from death by her servant, she was touched. Rarity had thanked Marius and shown her appreciation in a huge group hug with her Vampire and her little sister. The evening concluded as normal as any other in the past week. Marius cooked a late snack for them both and put Sweetie to bed since she had school tomorrow, and that's when she asked it. As she was being tucked into her cozy white and purple blankets, she proceeded to tell Marius that their Show and Tell at school was tomorrow and she asked Cheerilee a day in advance if she could bring Marius to show him to her class, which she had agreed to. The Vampire was a little skeptical to speak to a class full of children who he had never really spoken to and he would probably terrify them, not to mention it would require getting up at the absolutely dreadful hour of eleven a.m. Then he was reassured by his master who overheard the conversation. She told him that they would love him if he went to Show and Tell with Sweetie. After all, they were like the children at his welcome party, just a tiny bit older. Reluctantly, the Vampire agreed to speak to her class. The rest of the night had gone by peacefully. Marius flew back to Sweet Apple Acres that night to check on Rainbow Dash and was quite pleased to see that she had taken comfort in having Applejack stay by her side. They seemed to share a deep form of affection for each other beyond the realms of normal friendship. Marius was pleased by this, for he knew that the honest Cowpony's personality would meld particularly well with the egotistical yet loyal athlete's. Marius watched them cuddle next to each other for the whole night with a smile on his face. They snuggled up inside the covers. Applejack wrapped her hooves around Rainbow and pulled her in close so that Rainbow's cheek would rest on her chest, while she would rest her chin on top of Rainbows still somewhat dirty mane. Rainbow would sometimes shudder a little in her sleep, which would cause AJ to lightly mumble and wake up before planting the most gentle of kisses on the top of her head and pull Rainbow into a firm yet comforting embrace. It simply caused Rainbow to smile in her sleep and they would soon both be lightly snoring together again.

They were so easy to read, Marius didn't even have to use telepathy.

After that night, Marius decided to turn in early at five a.m. to get a couple hours of sleep before he had to walk to Sweetie Belle's school. Not that he needed it. Unknown to even his master, Marius could actually go years without sleep and it wouldn't effect him whatsoever. It just happened to be a luxury that he didn't like to let go to waste.

He now stood beside the door to the classroom as Sweetie Belle walked up to the front of the class. Some of the little fillies and colts were chattering lightly while most of them did as their teacher told them and waited patiently. They had all presented what they brought for class. Apple Bloom brought her papa's old hammer, while Diamond Tiara brought a giant bag of bits in a wagon that her father gave her for her allowance, and Twist brought a tiny Steller machine which was a device used to produce sticks from liquid candy and wrap them into caned mint treats. Everypony in class had presented their certain object and they were now down to the last filly who had to present her object, or Vampire rather. Sweetie Belle got to the front of the class beside her teacher, who nodded in her direction signaling it was ok to speak. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Ahem, ahem...hello everypony. Today for Show and Tell I have something very interesting," Sweetie said with a tiny squeak in her voice.

Diamond Tiara, who was seated in front of the classroom next to Silver Spoon, let out a large scoff before speaking,

"What's it supposed to be? A drawing of your cutie mark? Oh wait..." Tiara paused before grinning slyly.

"You don't have one!"

Tiara and Spoon along with several other children threw their head back in laughter.

Sweetie Belle felt stung with embarrassment and developed a defensive glare on her face.

"It is not!" she squeakily yelled at the still laughing children.

Marius overheard this outside the doorway and raised an eyebrow at Diamond Tiara's little insult. Cheerilee became quite cross with the children who were laughing.

"Now you listen here, little missy. You were actually quiet while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were presenting, so you will show Sweetie Belle the same amount of respect while she shows for this Show and Tell also. Is that understood?" the cherry coated mare told her tiara wearing student with a scolding look on her face. All of the students quickly shut their mouths and the laughter died down.

"Good. Now, continue Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee told the purple and pink maned filly. Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out at the glaring Tiara before continuing.

"What I have for Show and Tell today is somepony who's not really a pony. You've probably seen him walking around town. He works for my older sister and he's really nice. Plus, he's actually saved me from being hurt really really bad," the white filly spoke before turning to the doorway.

"You can come in now," she spoke.

The children turned their head to the doorway and their eyes got wider and wider as they slowly saw a large figure bend over to fit himself through doorway. He tried to stand up fully but found it was difficult as the top of his head made contact with the ceiling just as he straightened his body. Normally, all the children would have giggled at the creature hitting his head on the ceiling, but they were too awestruck to do anything but keep their mouths open. Marius had to resort to bending his knees slightly to avoiding hitting his head again, The fillies and colts had to crane their necks to look up at the very muscular and intimidating Vampire with short, disheveled brown hair and glowing red eyes. His black coat and cape that stretched down to his calves seemed to absorb every bit of light in the room that was hitting him.

"Everypony, this is Marius, and he's a Vampire," the little filly explained to all her classmates. There were only a few eyes eye in the room that didn't have fear in them. These were the eyes of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. None of the other ponies in Cheerilee's class had any experience with the Vampire other than they knew he liked to play with the smaller children who are in the younger classes such as Pip and Dinky, and many of them had seen the Vampire Marius speaking to the adult ponies around town. Even Cheerilee looked overwhelmed as she gaped up at the Vampire now standing in the classroom, and she had even attended his party. Luckily she saw how naturally good he was with children before the tiny scuffle with him and the Princess (which was the moment she decided to leave the party early).

"Umm...hello Marius, I don't believe we've been introduced properly. My name is Cheerilee and I'm the teacher for grades four, five, and six in Ponyville. Allow me to say that it's a pleasure to have you in our class!" she announced in a cheery tone with just a touch of nervousness. She told Sweetie if she was going to present Marius to the class, she had to make sure nothing bad would happen, like how his arm was blown to pieces by the Princess.

She was a little unnerved when the huge Vampire merely turned his head slightly and gave her a fanged smirk before speaking,

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine."

"Hi Mari!" Apple Bloom yelled from a seat in the middle of the class. He looked down and saw the little filly with a red bow in her mane smiling happily at him right next to a grinning orange pegasus who was waving her hoof.

"Hello girls!" he told them with a smile. "How are you on this absolutely disgustingly bright and sunny day?" he asked them. All three Crusaders giggled while the rest of the children weren't sure what to make of the Vampire talking about the sun with such disdain.

"Ah reckon we're pretty good. We actually just thought of the idea of gettin' our cutie marks in somethin' a bit different than we normally try! We might involve ya too!" Apple Bloom announced happily.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo yelled after her. "It's going to be totally awesome and it'll get us our cutie marks for sure!" she said with complete confidence.

Marius watched the little pale pink filly with a Tiara on her head roll her eyes and dismiss Scootaloo's confidence.

"*Pffft* As if. You little blank flanks couldn't come up with anything clever for getting a cutie mark even if it bit you on the nose," she told them before widening her eyes in realization.

"I got it! You must already HAVE your cutie mark!" she quickly developed a snide grin. "It must be blank too! That would explain why you all fail at everything you do," she said while looking at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. She threw her head back in laughter again and several of the ponies in the class joined her, including Silver Spoon. Both fillies were visibly hurt by her insult. Apple Bloom merely looked at the ground in shame and Scootaloo glared at Tiara while biting her bottom lip to force her eyes to remain dry. Sweetie Belle's anger only rose to higher depths as she also fought back tears. Twist quickly leaned over her desk and sympathetically patted Apple Bloom's back.

"Thath not thunny! You could theriously hurt thompony by thaying mean thuff like that Tiara! You thould be athamed!" Twist scolded Tiara. Filthy Rich's little princess along with several other fillies and colts were laughing at the cruelty towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who should have had their cutie marks a full year ago.

"Hey Twist, you better watch that lisp. You might flood the whole THcool with all that drool! Hahahaha!" Spoon cackled with Tiara. Twist herself looked hurt by the spiteful words of the obnoxious fillies.

Cheerilee was fuming and was about to give Tiara and Spoon along with everypony else who was laughing a piece of her mind. Fortunately she didn't have to.

"HahahahaAAAH-" Tiara's laughter quickly changed into a squeal as she was grabbed and lifted out of her little school desk and into the air. She quickly found her voice gone and not able to scream when she saw how she got into the air. Marius had gotten down on his knees and used his hand to hoist the rude little filly up to meet his gaze. She was now being held inches away from his face while looking into his large, blood red eyes that were staring at the filly with curiosity.

"I...I uh....uhh..." Tiara found herself stammering and mouth agape as she searched for the right words to say to the terrifying Vampire to make him put her down.

"Why do you enjoy the misery of other ponies?" he asked her with his deep and smooth voice as gently as he possibly could. Tiara didn't expect to be asked this question and found her eyes darting around the room as she was held several of her body lengths off of the ground.

"P...please don't hurt me," she begged the Vampire using a volume that was barely a whimper.

Marius scoffed loudly.

"I did not say I was going harm you in any way, but you didn't answer my question. Why do you enjoy the misery of other ponies?" he asked her once more.

Once Marius assured Tiara that she wasn't going to be harmed, it actually made her aware of the question he asked, as well as all the other ponies in the classroom gawking at the spectacle.

"Marius, um...I'm not sure you should be doing-" Cheerilee spoke but was cut off as Marius turned his head to her and narrowed his eyes, jarring her into losing her train of thought. Cheerilee decide to let the Vampire do whatever he was planning because he probably had a good reason for doing it.

"Well, why don't you go ahead and answer Marius, Diamond Tiara?" Cheerilee comfortingly told her student who was still being held in the air. Tiara looked back into her interrogator's eyes and gulped

"I don't know. I mean, they don't have their cutie marks and it's been a year and a half since they made their dumb Crusader club. I think that they shouldn't even be in our class because they don't have them. It's embarrassing to other students like us," she snobbishly told the Vampire holding her up.

"Interesting," he said.

"So you're saying that they don't deserve respect like the rest of you simply because of their appearance?" Marius asked her.

Diamond Tiara seemed to get a little more flustered at each passing moment.

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds bad!" she yelled at Marius.

"That's because it is bad, little one," Marius told her.

"Trying to hurt someone due to their appearance or lack of a certain mark or quality that others possess is absolutely horrid, and it's one of the things that causes much conflict in this life," he explained to her.

"From what Sweetie Belle has told me, you speak spiteful words making fun of others as well. Not just the Crusaders because they do not have their cutie marks, but you also make fun of Twist because of her speech impediment, and the little one called Chowder because of his somewhat excessive weight," he named off to the little filly. By now Tiara was glaring at Marius.

"What's your point?! I don't see why I should care," she told him angrily.

Marius narrowed his other worldly eyes and returned a glare of his own, only his was intimidating enough to strike fear into Tiara and paralyze her along with several other students.

"My point is that you may be young and retain quite a bit of innocence now, but you are on a dangerous path. One that not only harms others, but you as well. If you continue to spew hate to those in your life just because you can, you will damn yourself to an unhappy life of bitter loneliness and eventually you will be on your death bed many years from now, regretting every moment of pain that you have caused. These thoughts will consume you until you will die with regret in your heart wishing you could go back and make it up to those you have hurt, but you will never be able to," he explained in a harsh tone that was just louder than a whisper.

Diamond Tiara was not use to such harsh words being spoken to her. The terrifying nature of the creature speaking them didn't help either. It was by this account that she realized something. She shifted her eyes down to stare at the ground that was a ways below her. Had she really been harming herself this entire time? Was she really going to die alone with no one that cared about her? The filly's eyes were filled with sorrow. All of the mean things she has said to other ponies never weighed more on her than they did in that moment.

"I'm so sorry..." she whispered to the Vampire who was still holding her while she continued to stare at the ground.

"Don't tell me," Marius said warmly. Tiara lifted her head and found that he was now smiling at her.

"Instead, try and make up for the bad things you have done and replace them with good things, such as treating those you have made fun of with kindness. You will find that this is what will make you truly happy," he spoke with comfort to her. "Remember that you are still so very young Diamond Tiara, and you have plenty of time to change your ways while there is still hope for doing so."

Tiara gave a sad smile to the Vampire.

"You're right...I'll try, Mr. Marius," the filly gently told him.

The Vampire winced.

"It's Marius, or, if you prefer, the pet name of Mari. It seems that other ponies have grown accustomed to calling me this name, therefore you can too, but NEVER call me Mr. Marius again," he told her. All of the children including Tiara giggled. Cheerilee watched the whole spectacle from over by the edge of her desk with a warmth growing in her heart. Diamond Tiara had learned a valuable lesson while speaking to the Vampire, even if it was very harsh. He seemed so wise...so old. Cheerilee began to develop an admiration and respect for the wisdom and intelligence the Vampire seemed to possess.

"Can you put me down now...umm...please?" Diamond Tiara asked Marius.

He smirked before replying,

"Nope."

The Vampire got up off his knees and stretched his arms forward, placing the tiny purple and white maned filly on top of the wobbly ceiling fan. He then proceeded to turn the fan on.

'Seemed to possess.' thought Cheerilee with annoyance.

"This isn't funny! Get me down from heeeeerrreeee!" Tiara screamed as she held on to the blade of the ceiling fan as it rotated faster and faster, whipping her around in circles. Everypony in the room excluding Cheerilee seemed to be letting loose gales upon gales of laughter.

"Could you please get her down?" Cheerilee asked the now chuckling Vampire. Marius noticed the look of irritation on the teacher before giving a sheepish grin, his fangs just barely noticeable.

"Hehehe. Of course."

Marius had managed to get Tiara down off of the ceiling fan and back into her desk. After a few minutes of mane ruffling and attempted grabbing of the flailing filly, he just decided to turn the fan off, causing Tiara to be shot at the ground and caught by the Vampire before her head made contact with her desk. Currently, she was none too pleased with the Vampire and had to work at straightening her mane up so her tiara wouldn't fall off. Marius had gotten back up to the front of the class after putting Tiara back in her seat and was now beside Sweetie Belle once more. He looked down at the little filly and gave that same kind smile she always saw him give her.

"I'm sorry that took so long," he told her.

Sweetie Belle let out a tiny giggle before speaking to him,

"It's ok. You may have stopped her from teasing us from now on actually."

Marius gave a small nod before asking,

"Are we ready to proceed?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head up and down excitedly.

"Yep! We sure are!" she happily announced before turning her head back to the class.

"Attention everypony! Your attention here please!" she yelled to her classmates. The small amount of chatter that had began among them quickly died down and now every eye was up towards the front of the classroom staring at Sweetie Belle.

"Marius and I decided that it would be best if we answered any questions that you might have about him now, since he is still my Show and Tell presentation," Sweetie Belle let out a snort at her little joke. "Are there any questions that you have about him that you want him us to answer? she asked her class.

It seemed like every hoof in the room went up at once. Marius stuck his index finger out and pointed to a grey blue unicorn colt in the back.

"You," Marius said plainly. Snips put his hoof down and began to talk.

"I was wondering, can you do magic? A lot of ponies that I've been hearing talk about you say that you can do magic, so I was curious if ya could!" he announced in a tiny harsh voice that sounded almost urban.

"Of course he can do magic!" Sweetie answered for him. "He healed my leg and saved Rainbow Dash yesterday by healing her. He even may have as much magic as the Princesses!" Sweetie's voice cracked as she announced.

Every eye in the room was now wide.

"Whoooooaaa..." the entire class said simultaneously.

"Can you...uh...show us your magic, eh?" asked a pale orange unicorn that sat by Snips and had a snail as his cutie mark. This caused everyone to lock their eyes on him, waiting for an answer.

Seeing no reason to not satisfy, Marius held out his hand like he was holding something in his palm and everyone including Cheerilee watched as a light red glow began to envelop his hand. The room's temperature became a bit chillier and the light in the room seemed to darken. Everypony gasped as a bright red current of electricity appeared from the Vampire's palm and arched its way through and around his fingers as he flexed them back and forth. Raising his hand slightly in the air, he shot the current of red electricity at the ceiling with a loud *crack* which made everypony jump. The raw magical current didn't connect with the ceiling and disperse, but instead it veered off before making contact. It ricocheted back and forth between the walls and floors, wrapping around the students desks. The light from the windows had continued to dissipate until it was very dark in the classroom and the only light was from the energetic red current. After ricocheting on every surface several times, it was headed right for the Vampire's face.

The crackling energy stopped inches from the Marius' face and the current wrapped around itself and winded immensely fast and a few seconds later it had condensed itself into a single glowing red ball of pure, radiant energy. The faint glow acted as a candle in the dark classroom which illuminated all the awestruck students and their teacher. Marius raised both of his hands and wrapped his palms around the field of non-visible force enveloping the ball. It offered little resistance to his hands as it allowed him to hold the orb.

"This is the essence of Vampiric magic, Plasmic Energy. All of the natural Plasmic Energy in your body remains for a time when you die, and becoming a Vampire merely makes it much stronger. This is due to the fact that after you are introduced to death, you strengthen your inner aura when you are re-introduced to your body and you reach the precipice of the bond between your mind and its connection to your inner energy. Couple that with gaining a better understanding of its pure atomic structure and nucleic makeup, it is very easy to understand how to ionize it and bend it to your will," the Vampire explained to the students. He noticed they looked at him with utter confusion. Even Cheerilee wasn't quite sure what he was talking about.

He sighed.

"Its like a unicorn gaining complete control over their magical font, including increasing and decreasing the amount of magic they can use before magical exhaustion starts to set in," he told them. A look of realization was put on the faintly lit faces of the many fillies and colts, while some of them (mainly those who weren't unicorns) still had the same look of confusion. After looking at all of them, Marius let the highly conductive ball of energy in his hands destabilize with a sizzle, and the sunlight slowly started to fade back into the class room.

"That...was..." Snips found himself searching for the right word.

"AWESOME!" he finished with a huge grin, his overbite goofily showing through his enthusiastic expression.

"That wath tho amathing!" Twist screamed.

"You might even be as good with magic as The Great and Powerful Trixie!" Snips spoke once more. Marius cocked an eyebrow.

"Who?" he asked.

"Ohh, she's one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria eh, but we haven't seen her since we brought the Ursa Minor to town and it wrecked her cart," Snails explained dully.

"Ahhh...I see," spoke the Vampire. He sifted through Celestia's memories to find the image of this Ursa Minor, until he settled on the image of a very large, ethereal, bear like creature. The Vampire made a mental note to ask his master how the town rid themselves of such a creature.

"Does anypony else have anymore questions?" Sweetie asked her class.

"Ohhh, ohhh, I do, I do!" yelled a skinny pegasus who was waving his hoof wildly in the air.

"Yes Featherweight?" Sweetie Belle asked the skinny pegasus. He put his hoof down and asked,

"I was wondering, you drink blood like the stories about Vamponies say right?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Marius replied.

"Well...um...how do you uhh...go to the coltsroom?" he asked.

Marius found himself very curious at what the child was asking, while the rest of the class seemed to be giggling under their breath.

"I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. Coltsro-?" it dawned on him what he was asking. Coltsroom must have been a play on the term boysroom, which meant he was asking how the Vampire used the bathroom. At realizing this, the Vampire howled in laughter.

"Hahaha, I haven't had anypony ask me that in the entire five days I have been here!" the Vampire said while letting his laughter slowly die down.

"I don't use the restroom. Anything I consume, including blood or normal food such as sweets or apples is completely devoured by my body, therefore there is nothing left to be forced out," he explained.

Deciding to change the rather gross subject, Twist quickly asked,

"How thtrong are you?" she asked through her lisp.

The Vampire opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Sweetie Belle

"He's super strong Twist! When we were about to be attacked by those Timber Wolves, he threw a tree that was as big as a HOUSE on top of them!" she told her fellow classmate.

"No way! That's amazing," blurted out plump little Chowder when Sweetie answered his nerdy fillyfriend's question.

"Whoa, tho that meanth you're even thtronger than Apple Bloom'th older brother!" she announced in amazment.

"Now how do yall reckon he's stronger than mah brother? Ah mean, Ah know he's pretty strong and Ah'm really grateful that he saved us and all, but Big Mac has drug a whole house across halfa' the town before!" she presented her argument.

"Yeah, but if we hadn't given him that Love poison, he probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off. He was under the influction of the brew that we made," Scootaloo announced. Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes at Scootaloo's attempt to look intelligent.

"Influction...isn't a word," she announced to her orange coated friend with aggravation. Scootaloo rolled her eyes before speaking,

"*Pffft* You would know, Miss Dictionary," she told Sweetie who's left eye seemed to twitch at the mention of the word.

"What was that Scootaloo? I don't speak Chickenese," she gave a wicked smile towards the little pegasus, who was aghast at her friend.

"You did not just say that..." she told Sweetie while giving her a blood chilling glare.

All three Crusaders rolled around on the ground in a ball of hoof punches and tail biting for several minutes. Marius crossed his arms as he and Cheerilee both closed their eyes and shook their heads.

"Kids..." they both said together.

The rest of the afternoon at school continued and Marius was asked several more questions by the class. Such as how old he was, what the embroidered ankhs on his coat were, and if he knew how to bake (asked by Silver Spoon, oddly enough). He even decided to get down on his knees and slightly expand his wings, careful as not to scratch the walls. They all gawked at the large wings and even got a chance to come up to the front of the class and feel the black leathery skin that made up the dactylopatagium in between each wing finger. While he was showing them his wings, Sweetie Belle who was running her hooves along his right wing developed wicked grin as she thought of an idea.

"Marius?" she said while pulling on part of his right wing that wasn't being eyed and examined by the class. Marius cast his glance down and looked curiously at his master's sister.

"Yes Sweetie Belle?" he asked her.

"Can I show them how you heal?" she asked with as innocent a smile as she could muster.

He gave her a deadpanned look before sighing.

"Very well," he told her.

She grinned from ear to ear.

"Yay!" she grinned before taking a pencil from Miss Cheerilee's desk in both hooves, jumped slightly to gain more altitude, and jabbed the pencil into the inner ring of right his eye.

"Ahhhhh!" all of the children except for Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo screamed and backed away from his wings as they watched a stream of blood pour down his face out of the stab wound. Cheerilee jumped out from behind her desk and ran to Marius' side.

"Are you alright?!" she asked Marius, but was soon answered. She and all the children who were now backed away from him watched as he grabbed the pencil and yanked it from the stab wound in his eye with a smile, followed by a small gush of blood that hit the ground.

All three of the Crusaders rolled on the ground in laughter at the shock Sweetie got from stabbing Marius, who unbeknownst to the rest of the class, couldn't feel pain at all.

Marius just smirked as the small hole in his right eye healed and closed. Cheerilee, finally out of her shocked state, glared at the three fillies still cackling and rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Let's see if all three of you girls are laughing when you're the one who has to clean that blood off of the floor!" she sternly told them.

The girls quickly developed frowns before Sweetie Belle spoke,

"Oh, come on!"

In truth, Marius could have helped them clean the dark blood from his eye off of the ground, as he could have just returned it to his body, but he watched them scrub and clean the ground with a small sense of satisfaction since Sweetie only stabbed him to get a shock from her fellow students. The Vampire couldn't have thought of a more fitting punishment.

Marius stayed until school was over at about three o'clock in the afternoon. He actually proved to be a great help to Cheerilee, who had just started teaching Algebraic Theory to her students. After school was out, Marius waded through the crowd of very young ponies who were running out of the schoolhouse. Marius and Sweetie bid farewell to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom before they were on their way to Sweetie's parent's house. The Vampire had met and introduced himself to his master's parents Tuesday after the picnic. He had taken a liking to them, mainly because of how utterly embarrassed they made his master, Rarity. After a short walk through the West side of town, they arrived at a common, two floored house with a straw roof. It resembled every other house design in Ponyville and it just so happened to be where the parents of Rarity and Sweetie Belle lived. A quick knock on the door from the Vampire caused it to be swung open by Rarity's father, Yard Runner. The light brown coated unicorn was adorned with three hoofballs on his flank and wore an awfully designed floral shirt.

"Oh hiya there Marius! Thanks for walkin' our little angel home," he said as Sweetie jumped in the air and hugged her father.

"Daddy!" the little white filly yelled as she embraced him.

"Hi there pumpkin! How was school today?" he asked her as he rubbed her mane with his hoof.

"It was really fun. I took Marius to Show and Tell and he explained how he could do magic and stuff. It was so cool!" she squeaked.

"Ahh, that's nice dear. Have ya eaten lunch yet today?" her mother Garden Wishes spoke as she trotted up behind her husband. As if on cue, Sweetie's stomach gave a loud and audible grumble as if it had a bear inside it. Marius cocked an eyebrow as she smiled sheepishly.

"Umm...no, I guess I forgot," she told them.

"Well, I just made some fresh hay fries with that fancy new hay slicer that we bought from Las Pegasus, how about I make ya a plate pumpkin?" her mother asked brightly.

"I'd love some!" Sweetie replied a bit louder than she needed to.

She quickly jumped down out of her father's arms, and waved her hooves up in the air at Marius in anticipation for a hug. Smirking, Marius leaned down and scooped the little filly he had grown to care about immensely in the past five days into his arms. He held her gently against the top of his chest and neck so she could wrap her arms around the large Vampire and nuzzle his cold cheek with her own.

"Thanks for coming with me today Mari," she told him just above a whisper.

"It was my pleasure Sweetie Belle," he replied gently before placing a tiny kiss on the top of her mane and sitting her back down on the ground. Yard Runner and Garden Wishes both had their hearts warmed at the sight of the large, intimidating Vampire they had once slightly feared being so warm and gentle with their daughter, as if she was his own. They had no idea he cared about her so much.

"Thank you so much for watching her Marius, and for watching Rarity also," Yard told the Vampire as Sweetie Belle walked into their house. The Vampire merely smiled and got down on one knee to bow towards them as he put his arm in front of his chest.

"It is my sole duty...and I wouldn't have it any other way," he told them before standing, turning and walking off towards the upper part of town. Both unicorns watched him go with a sympathetic smile. They had heard from their daughter about what happened in his past, and they wondered how someone who has lost so much could seem so content. It was soon to be four o'clock and the Vampire had somewhere to be soon.

After all, Marius was not one to break dinner plans.

The soothing sounds of Ponyville and minor hustle and bustle was very relaxing to the Vampire. He saw ponies always seem so busy, yet in no rush to be anywhere. Such was life in Ponyville. It was beautiful how content one could be in the utter peace of the town. Knowing you didn't have to quite rush to be anywhere, for even if you were late you would reach your destination.

'I am curious if all towns in Equestria are as peaceful as this.' the Vampire thought to himself as he walked by the market stalls in the town square. He waved his hand to Rose.

"I've missed you Hot Flank!" he yelled to her. She quickly lived up to her name by having her cheeks turn the same color. She ducked down into her stall to avoid the embarrassment of being looked at by everypony, leaving the brown stallion with an hourglass as a cutie mark she was selling a bouquet to looking around to see where she had gone. He smirked at the actions of the embarrassed pale yellow florist. Marius waved once more, this time at Golden Harvest (although she preferred to be called Carrot Top), Applejack's prime competitor in the food market. She and Applejack had been warring for the past several years over the question that has been asked since the dawn of time: Which is better? Fruits or Vegetables?

'Honestly...I prefer meat, myself.' he thought to himself with a slight chuckle.

After taking some time walking through the downtown square, Marius finally arrived at his destination with the crudely repaired mailbox out front and no Derpy wedged inside of it. Marius walked up to the door and gave three loud knocks.

"Coming!..." an unfamiliar voice called out toward the door. For about thirty seconds there was no response, then It slowly opened to a slightly dripping Bon Bon with a towel wrapped around her mane. She brought her hoof to her mouth

"Marius! You're here early. You couldn't wait to cook us dinner, huh?" she asked with a sly look.

"Well, come in. You can make yourself at home. Lyra's still finishing up in the bath," she told Marius whilst ushering him inside their home, which he had to bend down to fit into the doorway just like most structures around Ponyville

Marius in turn looked at her curiously once inside the small living room.

'They were taking a bath together, therefore I am curious as to what she meant by finishing up...' he thought with a wicked smirk.

"Was that you who spoke to me through the door?" Marius asked her as she closed said door.

."Yes. Why do you ask?" Bon Bon spoke.

"Well, the voice that spoke to me sounded unfamiliar," he told her as they both started to walk past the staircase and into the living room. It was adorned with pictures of Lyra and Bon Bon together all over and a single red, plush couch in the middle of the room, sitting in front of the fire place.

Bon Bon gave a small chuckle before explaining,

"Yeah, people tend to say my voice seems to change from time to time. Weird huh?" she asked him. The Vampire raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed. So, I take it you were bathing with Lyra?" he asked her deviously. Bon Bon's eyes shot open as she was drying her mane with the towel.

"Well...uh...yeah, I mean, she is my roommate and all, so isn't it normal for us to bathe together?" she spoke sheepishly.

"Of course," he spoke to her with a smile. "I was just curious if you were romantically involved."

Bon Bon laughed nervously.

"Well, I mean, of course not! Why would we be romantically involved? We're just really good friends," she explained to him, content with her answer. Almost as if pre-planned, a loud and shrill voice came roaring down the stairs and into the living room where they sat, dripping with the arousal and satisfaction of a sexual release.

"Auuuuuugghh!" cried the loud voice that sounded very similar to the voice of said mint-green unicorn. The voice then started to pant as it calmed in volume and tone.

"*pant*...*pant*...Bon Bon...*pant*...Who was at the door?" asked the voice.

The cream colored mare in front of Marius could have fried and egg on her cheeks from the pure heat coming off of them as she looked between Marius' eyes and the ground with a mortified expression.

Marius merely smirked that signature fanged smirk that he had.

"Finishing up, indeed."

After Lyra came down stairs and was told about their guest arriving early, she apologized multiple times to both Bon Bon and Marius for the embarrassing scream which had echoed through the house during her orgasm. She insisted that she thought Bon Bon and her were alone. The Vampire told her to think nothing of it. He wasn't uncomfortable at all with the thought of anything or anyone being involved in sexual activity, for he in truth was a monster and continued to enjoy it himself. He told them,

"Physical intimacy with another is a by-product of love and lust. When it is done through love, it should be valued, accepted, and enjoyed. It is the only thing in existence, besides raw magic on occasion, which allows life to flourish in this world. Lust, on the other hand, is the primal desire of carnal need. Without lust, the need to truly love wouldn't exist. The body lusts and the mind loves, therefore like every existing element in the world, one has to find a proper balance of both to maintain a happy life."

The young mares were shocked at the near guru-sense of wisdom which the young looking Vampire held. They hadn't known how old he was and asked him.

The answer they received caused their jaws to drop more than the children at school this afternoon.

When all was said and done on that issue, the Vampire made his way into their kitchen and started to cook them dinner. He gathered up some fresh tomato sauce with minced oregano, fresh carrots and mushrooms, spinach leaves, zucchini, and three types of cheeses being ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan out of the absolutely loaded fridge. He had to make the noodles from scratch out of a few eggs and flower, but otherwise he had all the ingredients needed to bake a delectable vegetarian lasagna. While cooking for several hours, Lyra asked him all she could about the human race. She asked him: How many were there? How did they live? Were they civilized? How did their hands work? Did they own pets? and many, many more.

Marius answered each question as truthfully as possible while he continued to cook, without giving her too much of the details about the horrible things that they were known for, such as killing their own race for disagreements, chastising and destroying innocence, and he left out what had happened with his family. He didn't want to have to go into those grizzly details.

He told her how they had advanced in technology by using scientific method and he gave her brief descriptions of the Ages of Steel, Steam, and Electricity. Fortunately, she seemed most interested in their anatomy as she watched him wash and use his hands to cook with amazement. Every time he would take a knife and use it instead of his claws, he would twirl it in his fingers like a baton to give her a little show. It caused Lyra to giggle and squeal like a filly with her hooves over her smiling mouth. Bon Bon just shook her head and face hoofed. Eventually when the conversation lead off of the topic of humans, everyone started talking about Lyra and Bon Bon's relationship. They had been living together for five years to avoid paying the costly fees of living alone. Over time, they had casually grown to become best friends and soon, marefriends. They have kept it secret for a year and a half due to not knowing how their family would react. Marius told them that if their family truly cared about them, then it didn't matter who they were with. Their family would accept them for who they are and who they choose to be with. This seemed to give hope and courage to the mares who leaned into each other and nuzzled while Marius was almost done cooking. He scooted them out of the kitchen and told them he'd be done in five minutes.

A short time later, he had come out and set their dining room table up for three, sitting the white ceramic plates down on the laminated oak, before bringing a divine smelling pan out to the table and sitting it down in front of the two waiting ponies. Somehow, in that short five minutes they were out of the kitchen, Marius found the time to put on a black apron. He scooped them out a large slab of the beautifully crafted dish he had made with a spatula and fork, and served them first before sitting down and scooping himself out a plate. Lyra levitated her fork and Bon Bon held it in her hoof as they both dug into the lasagna.

From the expressions they made, Marius thought they were both about to have an orgasm, instead of just Lyra this time.

"Oh...my....Celestia. This is quite possibly the best thing I have ever tasted," drearily announced Bon Bon through a small mouthful of the gourmet dish.

"Ditto..." was all Lyra spoke.

After all three of them finished the incredible dinner that the Vampire had made for them, the two happy and now stuffed mares bid him goodnight with a soft hug from each of them, careful not to cause them to spew like a bottle of soda. He was then on his way back to Carousel Boutique a few minutes after seven thirty p.m.

He closed in on the door to his new home and opened the door slowly before ducking under the doorway (again) and walking inside.

"Marius darling!" his beautiful master greeted him with a whip of her luscious indigo mane before trotting over to where he stood.

"How was your day?" she asked her servant.

"Interesting to say the least. Too many questions," he replied to her in minor irritation. "How was yours Rarity?"

She gave an overdramatic sigh before looking at her marshmallow like hooves and checking them for smudges.

"Well, to say my day has been dull would be the most true statement ever announced by anypony, but a lady would never refer to her day as dull. She would only see it as an opportunity to make tomorrow a day of fabulousness and productivity!" she announced with determination as she stamped her hoof she was inspecting lightly back into the ground.

"No new ideas for the Winter line I take it master?" he asked her simply.

Her determined face sank and looked at the ground.

"Not a one, Marius. How will I ever come up with something new and wonderful if I have been drawing nothing but blanks from my mind this entire week?" she asked him sadly while pouting out her bottom lip.

"Give it time, Rarity. If you believe that you will come up with something great, than you will. You just can't expect it right away," he comforted her.

"I suppose you're right," she said while looking to her left at the blank mannequins on the wall. She then furrowed her brow as she thought of something.

"Sweetie Belle and the girls have been quiet for an awfully long time. I wonder what they're up too," she announced with suspicion.

"I thought Sweetie was staying with your parents tonight," Marius said.

"Well she was originally, but then she begged if she and the girls could all stay here. It had something to do with a Cutie Mark Crusading idea that they came up with," she told him as she tapped her chin in thought.

They were quickly answered as a silver knife sailed across the air and stuck its blade into Marius throat. This caught him as a shock and he quickly yanked out the knife from his carotid artery in a large gush of blood. Rarity and Marius cast their gaze towards the stairs and their eyes quickly widened at three wickedly grinning fillies with silverware strapped to their chest like bandoleers and bloodlust in their eyes. They all unanimously screamed,

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER VAMPIRE HUNTERS, YAY!"

Act I: Together

"Treasure your relationships, not your possessions."
-Anthony J. D'Angelo

14,239 years ago, during the 'Age of Steel'...

"Keep the beast under control!" screamed the high ranking officer from atop his steed.

Behind him was the massive army comprised of faithful Zealum worshipers, sent from the capital of Sylvanis Mera. The God of War and Peace's capital was vast and even once dwarfed the size of Alawen, which was now lost to mankind and claimed by the Vampire race. The war with the Nosferatu had been going on for almost eight hundred years now, since the first time the dreaded Vampire King walked among the world of the living. Many a human had fallen in this time, but fortunately for them, they multiply very quickly. Whenever it seemed like one man had fallen, another child would be born to take his place in future battles.

One such battle was going to happen soon, in the now baron swamps of Undreal. Behind high ranking officer Lokir Rudayn, a General of Sylvanis Mera, there stood an army of over ten-thousand men clad in full steel plate. Each plate armor was adorned with the symbol of a large sword pierced through a heart. In the middle of the army, there was a huge beast with brown and black scales. This breed of creature was extremely dangerous and new to the realm of creation. A mindless beast that was supposed to be unrivaled in strength and ferocity.

"RAAAAAAAWWWWHH!" the huge lizard roared, shooting a gout of fire out of its gaping maw and dragging several men across the ground who held onto the chains around its entire body.

"Dammit! I said keep that dragon under control!" General Rudayn screamed to the hundred men that held onto the chains. Occasionally the dragon would thrash and flex its wings that were bound underneath the warded chains. A normal action for a dragon being held captive and used for war. After scolding the warriors holding down the dragon, General Rudayn cast his glance back towards the hill across the baron wasteland, clouded in darkness from the night sky. Every other member of the ten-thousand strong army held a torch, which somewhat illuminated their empty and lifeless surroundings.

A single scout dressed in orange dyed leather armor was sent over the empty hill several hours ago to check on the distance of the Vampire's forces that they planned on meeting and ambushing in the bleak, dead swamps. He had not returned, so the General assumed that the Scout was almost certainly captured and killed. So the massive army of men sat with their dragon, waiting and praying to Zealum that they would be victorious in their battle.

They wouldn't be.

Over the horizon, the General began to see something on the large hill. Expecting to see an entire army of Vampire warriors, he was clearly on edge. As his vision settled on what the small blemish was, his eyes widened.

Rudayn then laughed loudly into the foggy night sky before turning his glance back to the huge army that so blindly followed him out here. He pointed his finger towards the hill and spoke,

"Do you see!? We plan for months and the city of Sylvanis Mera sends out its finest warriors, and the Vampires don't even take us seriously! We assemble an army of ten-thousand strong and bring one of Zealum's greatest gifts to our cause, and they send only two warriors!" the General yelled to his to his men.

He cast his glance back to the hill and sure enough, only two Vampires stood on the hill, shrouded in night. One of them was very large and wore a black coat with Masquerade Ankhs decorating it and the other was short and wore a black leather and cloth outfit with a hood over his head.

It seemed like they were having a conversation on the hill, but no one could hear them.

"I still do not see why you dragged me all the way out here just to deal with them, Lyre," the large Vampire spoke to his brother. Lyre gave him a smirk.

"Oh, don't give me that Marius. You are cooped up inside the castle every day and night, toiling away in the lab. It would do you good to get out once in while," he advised. "Kill some humans, have sex with a few of the many Vampire women of Walpurgis, do something interesting for once!"

Marius turned his head and raised his eyebrow, giving Lyre a curious look.

"Ok, fine. If you insist, I will try to have more fun in the future. I can't promise anything though, as we seem to enjoy somewhat different pastimes. For instance: I enjoy writing tomes, reading scrolls, and Alchemical research. You on the other hand, enjoy orgies and being a fool," Marius smirked while speaking to his brother.

"Hahahaha! I love you too, Marius. While this is true, at least we both enjoy dealing death to these humans!" Lyre told his brother while letting lose a high pitched cackling laughter.

Marius gave a small chuckle before turning his head forward to look at the huge army. Lyre let out a small whistle before speaking,

"So, what's your guess? Around eight or nine thousand?" he asked.

"I would say closer to ten, plus the dragon," Marius answered.

Lyre started to laugh again.

"Not a very fair fight, is it?" he asked. Marius merely scoffed as he looked out at the small sea of steel plate wearing warriors.

"Not really. They should have brought twice as many," Marius answered with a smirk.

General Rudayn had sat for several minutes and watched the inaudible conversation between the two Vampires who stood upon the hill. They had stopped a while ago and had stood and watched the army, one with orange and pale blue eyes and one with glowing red eyes. The General had enough of their staring.

"You three!" he screamed while pointing to three of his elite guard.

"Go capture them so we can interoga-"

SHING....

Rudayn never spoke the rest of those words as two shortswords sliced through his helmet and the top of his head like butter. The top of his head and upper jaw flew in the air along with a fountain of blood, while his tongue flailed wildly, lapping at the air. Rudayn's men watched in horror as the short Vampire assassin who was crouched on the General's steed reached his hand forward and gripped the late General's tongue with his thumb and index finger. He then proceeded to take one of his short, slightly curved blades and slowly saw the tongue out of the gaping neck and lower jaw. Once it was severed, he tossed it in the air and caught it again like a softball before putting it in his pocket. He then gave a smile to the elite men who still stood parylized in horror after watching Lyre kill their military leader in the blink of an eye.

In an instant, he was a mile away standing beside his brother once more and they both watched General Rudayn's steed explode from hundreds of unseen slashes and Rudayn's mangled body fall to the ground with a *thud*. Both of which covered the surrounding men in blood. The men who couldn't see up front and were all the way in the back of the massive army merely threw questions from one to the other asking what happened, while even the Dragon just sat and stared at the brothers in horror, no longer thrashing in the chains that had it bound to the ground.

"Why did you keep his tongue?" Marius asked his brother.

"Well, I'm starting a collection. I think with all the high ranking people I assassinate, if I keep their teeth, tongues, and even eyes, I could have them mounted and collect them like one would collect trophies!" Lyre told him.

"Ahh, I see," was the only response he received from Marius. The large Vampire simply inhaled and let out a long sigh.

"Well...let's get this over with," he spoke as he started walking towards the army. This seemed to cause many a men to snap out of their stupor, including Rudayn's second-in command.

"RELEASE THE DRAGON! RELEASE IT NOW!" the plate clad warrior screamed. At the request, each man in the army dropped the chains they had ahold of that held the dragon and ran for their life.

Immediately, the beast flung the chains off with its huge wings, turned its head to the right, and grabbed one of the human soldiers in its mouth. It then took off into the air and sped towards the Vampires while chewing on its newly acquired snack.

"The rest of you men, line up in rank and prepare for battle!" they were ordered by the newly appointed General. "With the Dragon and all ten-thousand of our best men against them, the unholy creatures do not stand a chance against us! Even with their incredible speed, our numbers will overwhelm them eventually!" he raged. Every man unsheathed his sword from his side and held it high in the air as they all gave a war cry loud enough to be heard from their home in Sylvanis Mera. All the while, the dragon closed in on Marius and Lyre.

In one fluid movement, Marius grabbed his much shorter brother by the back of his hooded coat and flung him into the air with one heave. While in the air, four narrow bat wings burst from Lyre's back. The bottom wings were half as short as the wings near his shoulders, and they both worked in unison to help Lyre glide into the air. While Lyre was headed towards the dragon's mouth, Marius started casually walking down the hill and towards the army that was readying themselves for battle.

"This should be fun!" Lyre screamed while sailing towards the roaring dragon, all the while having a wicked smile plastered on his face. The short, blonde haired Vampire unsheathed his swords from his back and twirled them in his hands. He extended both arms into a V formation with his blades resting on the sides of his arms while his thumbs rested on the flat pommels. Lyre was several hundred meters from making contact with the dragon, before the large beast inhaled a deep breath.

"GRAAAAWW!" it roared while having a long gout of fire spew from its scaly mouth. Lyre barrel rolled to his right, narrowly avoiding the flames that scorched the air, dodging them just in time to bring his arms up and cross his swords. With a loud tear, the Vampire assassin shredded through the scales and soft tissue of the dragon's left wing. Just as he neared the end of the wing joint, Lyre forced his arms forward in an arc. This sliced the dragon's wing and rear leg off and in a loud cry, the dragon thrashed in the air and began plummeting toward the ground. Lyre snapped his body around and flattened his arms and legs to his side, falling headfirst towards the crippled creature. At the sight of the gallons of blood gushing from where its wings and leg once were, Lyre laughed uncontrollably while falling.

"You may as well call me father," he spoke. "Because you just got GROUNDED!"

Lyre continued to laugh while swan diving thousands of feet in the air when the dragon slammed into the ground right next to the strolling Marius. It was hard enough to put a crater in the ground and kick up a huge amount of mud. The humans watched the dragon make contact with the ground in horrified awe, as the Vampire King continued to walk at the same pace towards them, unfazed. The dragon shook itself off after the crash. In a fit of pain and rage it lunged toward Marius, opening its maw to swallow him whole. As the mythical beast brought its teeth down, it was stopped short as Marius grabbed the top and bottom jaw of the dragon.

Marius jumped into the air and spun while still holding onto the beast's jaws.

With an earshattering *SNAP*, Marius broke its neck, only he didn't stop when the beast was dead. He continued to spin until the dragon's head was completely twisted off, before throwing the huge severed head towards the human army. It landed on top of their elite ranks and crushed all two-hundred of their best warriors.

"Retreat!" the newly-appointed and terrified general screamed. "They're not ordinary Vampires, they're monsters!" he ordered the men as he turned around to begin running.

Marius made contact with the ground once more with one knee, before standing up. Blood had begun to rain on the battleground from the dragon that was dismembered in the air. The human military had begun to turn and retreat as Marius put his hand up. The Vampire's clawed hand emitted a dark red glow and the air around the battlefield seemed to freeze as an arcane barrier wrapped around the battlefield, turning into a large red bubble that prevented anyone from escaping. Lyre was inside the barrier as it closed and he slammed into the ground next to his brother. Lyre slowly got up off of one knee as the humans at the rear of the army attempted to claw, bash, and dig their way through the barrier.

"It won't break!" one screamed as he attempted to bash through it with his shield.

The now standing and completely relaxed Vampires watched the men try and prevent the inevitable. After a few minutes of attempted breaking through, the majority of Zealum worshipers turned before many of their expressions sunk, for they realized that their imminent death was soon at hand.

"Well, this is going to be a slaughter," Lyre spoke with a chuckle.

Marius took his right hand out of his pocket and held it out to his side. A stream of dark blood poured from his palm and formed into a massive sword, the hilt of which resembled a skull with three pairs of spikes curled down towards the bottom of the wide blade that seemed to be wrapped in shadow. The skulls eyes were identical to the Vampire King's and the pommel seemed to be a huge ruby. Marius turned his wrist to the side and readied the blade with a smirk. The blade gave a low, demonic growl in response.

"As it should be..." Marius replied.

One swing was all it took to cleave through thousands of huddled human warriors. Marius' blade morphed and extended endlessly before it glided through their midsections with ease. The many screams of agony reverberated through the air, making it seem like there was a thunderstorm in the huge red bubble that kept them trapped. Some were trying to put their top half and bottom half back together, sifting through their intestinal tracts while in shock. Some just sat on the ground, crying for their mother as if they were a child while they vomited the majority of their blood onto the now moist soil of the swamp land.

One sword swing had killed half of their army.

Lyre began to speed through what was left of them, carving through them with ease. He moved so fast it was as if there were five of him throughout the crowd of men. Pieces of arms, legs, and heads all flew through the air like a gruesome confetti from the incredible speed of the Vampire assassin. After halving what was left of their army, Marius was now killing one human at a time. They attempted to block him or fight him back. He impaled one warrior through his shield and flung him down on the ground like he was a sack of meat, while turning his sword around and caving one's skull in with the ruby pommel. Occasionally, a sword or dagger would pierce through the Vampire's coat and flesh. He treated it as one would a mosquito bite before lifting up the warrior who attacked him, sinking his teeth through their so-called 'armor' and into their neck before yanking their head off with a violent jerk, fangs still sunk into each neck as he held their decapitated head in his mouth.

The army of Sylvanis Mera was whittled down to only a hundred men in a mere half an hour. Marius and Lyre were drenched in blood while smiling. Their monstrous nature enjoyed every minute of the slaughter. Marius finally stopped after cleaving the last man who stood fighting up his middle like one would a loaf of bread. Marius' blood-soaked sword then liquefied and was sucked into the open wound in his palm. Said wound closed the instant the sword was sheathed into his arm. Marius looked over to his brother who was also covered in gore. Lyre slowly brought his right sword up to his mouth and ran his tongue along the blade, savoring every last drop of deliciously sweet life's nectar before twirling them both in his thumbs and sheathing them on his back.

The two Vampires that were the source of the army's demise looked around them. Inside the pulsating red barrier a sea of gore. Thousands and thousands of men lay on the ground dead, while the hundred men that remained lay on the ground in the fetal position, whispering to themselves as if they were mad. Lyre and Marius looked to one another.

"Men of the Army of Zealum!" Marius called out to them in a commanding voice. It snapped them out of their horror and drew every eye to him.

"I am the monster that you tell your children about and the one you infinitely despise for abhorring your foolish and self-destructive ways. My name is Marius, the Vampire King!" he yelled into the air so every man could hear him.

"If you are still alive, it is because I wanted you alive! All of you that are left are good men and have families whom you care deeply for. As such, you do not deserve death. I offer you three available actions you can take: One, you can be turned and join the ranks of Walpurgis, bringing your family along to be cared for in one of our human safehavens that I have established. Two, you can choose not to be turned and live with your family in one of our human safehavens under Vampiric protection, or three, you can return to Sylvanis Mera, unprotected and unsafe, until we eventually bring it toppling down. We have nearly crushed and destroyed your entire military, so it would be wise if you left with us today," he explained to them.

Slowly, each man left alive stood up. They looked to each other across the gruesome battlefield, while staring at their fallen brethren. The men remaining men just stood baffled at the Vampire King in all of his blood spattered glory.

They had to make a decision between abandoning the Gods and everything they were taught from birth or being destroyed in the future by legions of Nosferatu. One of the warriors swallowed his pride and walked over to Marius. He slowly took his helmet off and looked up into Marius' glowing red eyes. The red haired warrior in plate mail didn't realize how tall the Vampire was until then.

He then bowed before his new leader and spoke,

"I, Sir Tylera Vindicus, do swear to serve you Vampire King, for my family and nothing else. Even though my hate still burns deeply for your kind..." the warrior trailed off while looking down at the dead body rested at his knees. He gave a defeated sigh before continuing,

"I shall join you."

After Tylera bowed, the other men soon followed, kneeling one at a time before their despised enemy. They knew after seeing what the Vampires had done to their army, this war's victor was already decided. Even with the God's gifts such as Zealum's dragons and Shi'vara's solar magic, it wouldn't stop them. Tylera was shocked when Marius rested his hand upon his pauldron. The stunned soldier looked up and saw that the Vampire King was smiling at him.

"Do not be afraid," he spoke softly to the warrior. "In time, this land will no longer be plagued by war. I realize you loathe me and my kind, but know this: I will reshape this world. No more war, no more death and destruction. One day, all of this carnage will be a prelude to a place we can all live in, Vampire and Mortal alike. In peace..." he told the warrior. Every single warrior heard him and they were all shocked that the Vampire King had such pure intentions, but couldn't believe the brutal methods he used to reach them. They had no clue what to think of Marius and his brother Lyre anymore.

Lyre smiled before running his blood soaked fingers through his dirty blonde hair.

"Well brother, how do we plan on getting their families?" Lyre asked.

Marius gave his brother a wicked smirk before replying,

"Well, that's where you come in Lyre. I happen to have a special assignment for you..."

*Knock, knock, knock...*

"Coooomiiiiing!" Rarity sing-songed towards the door. She then turned her head toward the stairs.

"Marius darling, would it be too much trouble for you to get that?" she asked towards the second floor.

"Not at all," her servant spoke as he strode down the stairs and towards the boutique's door.

"Thank you, Marius. It is a rather large bother to get the door while I'm busy finishing these designs," Rarity said.

Sure enough, the alabaster unicorn was almost burning quills while writing elegant designs. Since last night, the fashionista had a burst of genius. When the Cutie Mark Crusaders had decided to play Vampire Hunter, they were quite enthusiastic. Marius, being the large undead man-child that he was, loved the idea and decided to play along with them. There was blood everywhere in the aftermath of their playing and every single piece of silverware in the boutique was plunged into the Vampire's body. All the while, Marius and the murderous fillies laughed and laughed while they repeatedly stabbed him and turned the Vampire into a fleshy pin cushion. Rarity nearly lost her voice from the sheer amount of screaming she did while her servant enjoyed spilling his blood on every piece of furniture in her house.

After scolding the Crusaders and making Marius clean up every drop of spilled blood, they all settled down and went to bed. Marius tucked them all into bed like every other night that week. The only difference was that there were three fillies to sing a lullaby to, not just one. They absolutely adored the Father Bird lullaby. That night, out of her frustration, Rarity had a spark of inspiration during her sleep. Several elegant designs and bold patterns dancing through her head were still fresh and they had continued to stay that way until the current time, six in the evening on Friday.

Marius wrapped his hand around the door and turned the knob. He had a smirk on his face because he knew exactly who it was, and he knew his master would be very regretful and a lot of apologizing would be done in that moment.

Sure enough, once Marius opened the door, the next words he spoke caused Rarity to drop her quill and widen her eyes as far as they could go.

"Hello Spike," Marius spoke to the tiny dragon at the door. "You are looking very nice this evening."

"Spike!" Rarity yelled and shot towards the door, leaving her quill hovering in midair. When she got to the door she gasped and her eyes began to shimmer with tears.

There Spike stood in the doorway wearing the red bow tie adorned with many chunks of different colored gemstones she had made him the night of the centennial meteor shower several months ago. He also wore a suave tuxedo jacket with gold cuff links that accented his light purple scales perfectly. He had grown a bit taller since she made him that bow tie and now he seemed to be only a few inches shorter than Rarity. He also had a dozen roses in his claws.

The young, adolescent dragon looked absolutely adorable.

"Umm.....Hi Rarity," he spoke with a slight blush.

"Spike..." she said breathlessly. "You look absolutely dashing, but I have something to confess," she spoke before looking down.

"I completely forgot about the plans we had scheduled tonight. I am so terribly sorry, my Spikey-Wikey. Here I am, completely lost in my work and not preparing myself for our dinner date. You must think me absolutely horrid," she spoke sadly while staring at the tile floor of her boutique, the curl of her mane draping itself down in front of her right eye.

"No Rarity! It's alright, really!" he said while handing her the roses, trying to cheer her up. Marius now stood behind the door listening to them converse.

"So...you aren't upset with me that I completely forgot?" she asked while looking his deep green eyes, trying to remain hopeful.

"Of course not Rarity! I could...umm," he crossed his hands behind his back awkwardly.

"I could never be upset with you," he said softly, his blush only deepening.

"So, do you still want to go out with me tonight?" he asked with his claws crossed behind his back. Rarity cradled the roses with her right hoof and gave a sad smile to Spike.

"Well....I don't know dear. You look so dashing and I haven't prepared a dress or any appropriate garment for a date this evening, plus I would need time to freshen up, and many other things. I suppose we'll have to postpone," she said sadly. "You do understand, don't you?"

She was answered by the dragon as he slouched his arms to his side and let out a large sigh.

"That's alright, I understand," he spoke in sad and defeated tone, before turning his back and walking away from the door. Rarity immediately felt herself begin to tear up and she brought her well groomed hoof to her mouth to stifle her whimper. She was about to call out to him, but was stopped by a voice inside of her head.

'Rarity...if you do not go out with him tonight like you promised to, I plan on locking you out of the boutique for a week.' her servant told her telepathically, not bothering to mask his annoyance.

"Spike, wait!" she called out to the drake while throwing her hoof towards the air in desperation.

"I could throw something together and we could go and have a nice dinner, if you don't mind waiting that is," she told him. Spike perked up so much, it was almost like he jumped off the ground before speeding towards the boutique's door

"Of course! I don't mind waiting," he told her happily. She led the well dressed dragon back into the boutique and Marius closed the door behind them. Rarity trotted up the stairs, absolutely beaming that her night was still salvageable.

"Give me a little while and I should be ready," she spoke to them as she trotted up towards her bedroom while levitating her roses. Spike walked into the kitchen and pulled an elegantly carved chair out from the table to sit on its plush red cushion.

Thankfully, Sweetie decided to stay the night at her parent's house, while the rest of the Crusaders stayed with their respective guardians; Apple Bloom at her house and Scootaloo with Rainbow Dash. What was odd to the fillies though, was the fact that ever since the night of Rainbow's near fatal race with Marius, she and Scootaloo had been staying at the Apple Farm every night since. It was only two days, but it still seemed odd to the Crusaders. Spike continued to sit in the kitchen chair while Marius stood by the stairway with his arms crossed. Making sure Rarity was out of earshot, her Vampire servant asked,

"So...you really love her, don't you?"

Spike began to stammer at the question.

"Well, ya see...I...er...that is, uhh," the little drake tried to counter the Vampire but couldn't find the right words.

Marius found Spike's stammering to be quite amusing.

"Hmhmhm," he gave a soft chuckle through his lips. "You can tell me Spike. Even though she is my master, I am not bound to tell her anything as long as you ask that it stay between us," Marius reassured him.

Spike cast his glance down and twiddled his claws while talking softly,

"Well, I mean...of course I love her. She knew that I had a crush on her evidently, but we've known each other for two years. Now, it's more than just a crush. It's like every day I spend with her, the more my feelings grow, you know?" Spike asked him, hoping Marius would understand.

"Indeed, I know child. I can tell what you harbour for her is something much deeper than just a simple...damn it all. What was it you called it? A crush?" Marius asked the handsome little dragon.

"Yeah, that's what it's called," Spike deadpanned, not believing that the old fashioned Vampire didn't know what a crush was for a second. Marius smirked while walking over to the Spike, still sitting in the kitchen chair.

"Well, a crush is supposed to be a small form of flattery, and you do not just have this. I can tell you have something much stronger. Continuing your pursuits may eventually reward you," he spoke to Spike as he placed his hands on the purple drake's shoulders.

"But if you plan on protecting my master and being with her in her future endeavors, I will be by your side as well. Is this understood?" he asked.

Spike thought about it for a moment.

"Can you see into the future?" Spike asked him.

"Not at all," the Vampire replied. "But I happen to make well calculated decisions based on certain actions and patterns of emotion laid out by those around me. It makes things quite predictable," he finished.

Suddenly, Marius' demeanor completely changed and he became dead serious before speaking,

"Spike...All things aside, I'm going to speak to you as an adult now. Is this understood?" he asked.

Spike, who was shaken by the change in tone from the Vampire narrowed his eyes in certainty.

"Understood," he spoke.

Marius, hands still on the dragon's shoulders, leaned down very far and got right next to the Spike's left ear.

"If your relationship blooms with Rarity, you will have to remember one thing: You are a dragon. You and I will both continue to live as we watch her and everyone around us grow old and die," Marius spoke softly to him.

Spike's heart sank as the realization hit him.

'Am I...really going to watch everypony around me die? Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and even...Rarity?' he thought as a single steamy tear rolled down his cheek.

"It's alright. The death of loved ones is something we have to accept. On that day, when they do pass away, we will celebrate their lives and continue to watch over their families and their loved ones. That even includes the family that you and Rarity may have one day," Marius spoke with a smile on his face.

"What I ask you next, Spike the Dragon, is important. I ask that as you grow older, you help me. Help me watch over them, and their children, and their children's children as a fellow guardian. Do you accept this offer I extend to you?" he asked Spike with a hint of warmth in his voice.

Spike had never thought about it before, but due to his draconic nature he would outlive all of his friends. He would even see the love of his life take her last breath.

"I'll do it...for everypony. I will protect them, and I will watch over them alongside you for as long as I live," Spike said sternly. The little dragon had never been more determined to do anything in his life when he spoke those words. Something inside him seemed to roar like a fire and burn with more intensity than the sun.

Marius stood back up and put his hands in his pockets.

"Good," Marius said simply. His deep and soothing voice always seemed to add finality to whatever he spoke.

'After all, you're going to need all the help you can get watching over your children.' Marius thought to himself with a smirk.

"I'm ready!" came a sweet voice that cascaded down the stairs.

Spike got out of the chair and recomposed himself after the conversation with Marius. When the drake saw Rarity, his jaw nearly hit the ground.

The fashionista had decided to curl her mane in a perfectly symmetrical and dainty bun, with one single curled lock draping lightly over the right side of her face. The dress she decided to rewear had a long, blue flounce which faded from a darker blue to a more cyan color before ending in a gold sheen. On the back of the flounce, where it covered her flank, lay a single gold bow. With the dress, she wore an indigo jacket adorned with baby blue sapphires and a circular golden choker that matched her eyes perfectly. They also happened to be Spike's favourite gems that he ever had the pleasure of eating. All of this was topped with beautiful golden hoof slippers. Even Marius was visibly shocked at how utterly gorgeous the mare looked.

They both stood there for a few minutes, gawking at her. Rarity noticed and started to develop a frown.

"Whatever is wrong boys? Do you...not like it?" she asked with a small pout.

It took Spike and Rarity a little while to get a table. Since they had left the boutique about six forty-five, it took about fifteen minutes to walk across town to Rarity's favorite restaurant in Ponyville, 'The Gilded Lily'. It was a small, yet elegant place that happened to have the best chopped Lily salads in town. While walking toward their destination, Spike decided to become a little bold. He would normally not act on his desire to show affection, for he would be too shy. Fortunately, his little chat with Marius about the future boldened him in a way he could not explain.

"Rarity, would it be alright if I, like...held your hoof?" he asked the absolutely beautiful mare beside him. This time, it was Rarity who had a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Well...um, rather...I don't see why not?" it came out like a question as they continued to walk towards the restaurant. Containing himself and not cartwheeling in joy, he slowly took his left arm and wrapped his scaled hand gently around her soft hoof as she brought it up to be level with his side. The sensation of her soft and delicate fur in his palm caused him to shudder in delight. They both looked into each others eyes, and Rarity batted her eyelashes while they both gave a content smile to one another. It was a truly touching moment between them.

"Spike, I am not sure how this will progress, so let's take this slow, alright? As close friends...for now," she told him a barely above a whisper.

"As you wish...m'lady," he told her shyly. She giggled to herself at the cute response from the little drake.

Eventually, they finally reached their destination. 'The Gilded Lily' was one of the few buildings in Ponyville that was made from stone. It had several stained glass windows and a beautiful interior adorned with plush red carpet. There were booths with red, velvety cushions scattered around the large interior. They were laid out in a circle in front of a large stage that had a unicorn playing a piano on top.

The melody he played was beautiful.

"Right this way, sir and mad'am," their waiter told them as he led them to the single booth that lay closest to the stage. On top of the booth's table lay a vase with a single red rose in it. Spike helped Rarity into her side of the booth.

"Can I get you both something to drink?" asked the waiter when they were both nestled inside of the comfortable booth. The cushion itself wrapped all the way around the circular table, that way they could both sit next to each other.

"A glass of your finest sparkling cider," replied Spike happily as he was settled inside the booth and next to Rarity.

"I'll have the same, please," she told the grey coated unicorn that waited on them. Said unicorn with the wine glass cutie mark bowed his head to both of them.

"Very well, I will be back with your drinks shortly," he spoke before walking back towards the large double doors that led to the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Rarity moved herself over until she was sitting right next to Spike, with her back legs nestled inside the seat like most ponies sit, excluding the mint-green unicorn considered a tad bit odd by the rest of Ponyville.

Spike slowly took her hoof in his claw once more and let it rest gently inside of his palm on the seat. She turned her head towards him after the affectionate action, and to his surprise, moved over more until her soft, fur covered thigh was pressed next to his own scaly thigh. She then rested it gently on top of table and turned to ask him,

"Spike, what made you ask me out tonight?" she asked in a soft tone. Her voice barely stood out over the dulcet tones that emanated from the pianist on stage.

"Well, I mean...It was mainly a talk I had with Twilight. I was jealous," he looked away from her large, shimmering eyes.

"I was jealous that you were saved by Marius and that I wasn't able to help you whatsoever. So, like a big baby, I cried about it. I cried my eyes out to Twilight, and she told me to not be sad. She told me to remain persistent and to be there for you in your times of need...and she was right," he said he cast his glance down towards the ground. "Because no matter how I feel, my ultimate goal is to protect you."

He looked up into Rarity's eyes, which began to well up with tears. He wrapped his other claw around her hoof so that he was cradling the white appendage with both claws while it rested on top of their table.

"They say that a dragon has a deep-seeded desire to hoard what he holds dear. His gems and the other stuff he owns is what he's supposed to treasure, but Rarity," he tried to hold back the sobs that were threatening to escape him.

"I don't treasure what I own, or even what is given to me. Ever since my last birthday when you transformed me back, I realized that it's my relationship with the mare of my dreams that I truly treasure. I don't like sounding corny or anything like that," he smiled sadly.

"But you are the only gem I'll ever need, Rarity," he told her in a loving tone.

To his surprise, Rarity pulled her hoof from his claws and wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace while nuzzling her cheek to his.

"Oh Spike..." she whispered next to his ear.

He only gave a faint smile through the tears that he shed and returned her hug, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her gently against his chest. They stood there for several minutes, not speaking a word and enjoying the feeling of being held in one another's arms.

"Ahem..." the grey unicorn spoke to them.

They quickly let go and recomposed themselves while giving embarrassed coughs, Rarity flattening her dress out once more as she sat and Spike straightening his bow tie with his claws.

"The house special," he told them. "A fine Apple Family sparkling cider with a hint of ginger root for a little...extra kick."

He levitated a silver platter with two wine glasses full of sparkling cider down to the table before flipping a white towel over his shoulders. Spike quickly took ahold of one glass and began drinking as Rarity took the other and brought it to her lips.

"I trust everything is to your liking?" he asked them with a sly smile.

The dragon and pony couple both laughed sheepishly at the waiter.

"Very," was all that Rarity spoke.

"Wonderful," the grey waiter happily spoke before levitating a notepad with a pencil out of his tuxedo pocket.

"Now, are you both ready to place your order?" he asked.

"Very smooth Spike. It was clever, speaking what you held within your heart," said the Vampire who was hanging upside down from Sugarcube Corner's roof.

"Hey Mari', do you want another cupcake?!" came a bubbly voice from inside the window located behind his head.

"No thank you, Pinkie. One hot sauce cupcake is plenty," he deadpanned back to the voice inside the window.

'Who makes hot sauce cupcakes to begin with? I wouldn't have thought a confectionery master would love spicy foods so much.' he thought to himself while continuing to gaze forward.

Marius was several miles away, but could easily see into the window of 'The Gilded Lily' from the roof of Sugarcube Corner with his incredible vision. He had watched their whole date transpire up to the point of where they both had their Lily salads delivered to them. Evidently, the reason why the restaurant was named 'The Gilded Lily' was because they knew over five hundred different main courses that involved cooking with Lilies.

"Are you sure, Mari?!" she popped in front of his face wearing a huge smile, also hanging upside down from the edge of the roof. Marius grabbed her and lightly tossed her back in the window to her room, not bothering to question how she got on the roof to begin with.

"I'm sure Pinkie, but thank you for asking," he told her.

"You're welcome, Mari'!" she practically yelled before shooting down the stairs, to attend to three tiered cake that she started baking in the oven earlier.

Marius let out a small laugh at the party pony's antics before returning to the task at hand.

"Well, their date is going well so far. They're one of only three couples in the restaurant, so there is a good chance they won't be disturbed."

Marius changed his vision to something a little more useful, and looked through the stone walls of the building as if they were ethereal. He saw one couple in the far back of the room. It seemed to be a white unicorn with an electric blue mane with sunglasses on whispering sweet nothings into a grey earth pony's ear, causing her to slightly giggle. Both were mares and Marius could see a treble clef cutie mark on the flank of the earth pony. He was wrong about three couples, though. Near the edge of the dining area where Rarity and Spike were, there was a certain lavender pony that seemed vaguely familiar, but it seemed like she tried to mask all the parts of her body with a black catsuit.

"Waiter!" the mare whispered loudly to the waiter serving Rarity and Spike as he passed by her table. The waiter looked to the couple several feet away to make sure they were no longer looking towards him. He trotted over to the location of the lavender unicorn, who hid in the seat, trying to remain inconspicuous.

"Yes Ms. Sparkle?" the waiter asked her in a harsh whisper of his own. The poorly disguised Twilight looked over to Spike and Rarity. Both had a smile on their face and were chatting back and forth. Something Spike said caused Rarity to gale her head back in laughter , which he quickly did himself. The entire time that they had been talking on their date, they were hoof-in-claw, occasionally giving loving looks to each other and Rarity would slowly lean close and nuzzle Spike's cheek. Twilight looked at the waiter with a determined scowl.

"What are they talking about now?" she asked trying to remain quiet for the sake of being discovered.

"Well...they seemed to be talking about all the odd things that have been happening with her servant. What was his name again...Mathias?" pondered the waiter.

"It's Marius!" she scolded the waiter quietly. "What kinds of odd things?" she asked him.

"Oh, something about him getting in a race with that one mare, Rainbow Dash, the one responsible for handling the majority of Ponyville's weather. Evidently she got in a huge crash, and he saved her life."

Twilight's eyes widened.

'Rainbow was hurt in a race? I'll have to go check on her tomorrow. I hope she's alright.' she thought to herself.

Twilight unfortunately remained very busy this entire week, studying the strange behavior and characteristics of the animals in the Everfree and other places, trying to help her mentor with her investigation on the attacks that had been happening all over Equestria. Twilight still remained oblivious to the killings that Celestia knew about.

"What else?" she asked him.

"The other day he went with her sister for Show and Tell and she seemed to speak very angrily about having to deal with them trying to be Vampire Hunters last night, whatever that means," the stallion told Twilight. "Other than the ideas she had last night about some new designs for her Winter fashion lineup, that's pretty much the sum of what they have talked about so far."

Twilight shook her head up and down as she levitated two bits out of her pockets, which was interesting because the catsuit didn't even seem to have pockets. She lightly put them on the table and pushed them towards the stallion.

"Alright. Please continue to report to me anything and everything they talk about," Twilight told the waiter. The stallion in question just rolled his eyes and levitated the two bits into his tuxedo pockets.

"Whatever you say, Ms. Sparkle."

While walking away, Twilight ducked back into the edge of the booth's cushion, that way she was just out of view if Spike and Rarity decided to look behind them. Twilight thought she heard the waiter mumble something along the lines of "Crazy bucking mare" as the waiter walked away, but she concluded it was just her imagination.

Marius started to develop a smile as he continued to hang from the roof of Ponyville's number one bakery.

"Shame on you Twilight. Spying on your brother during his very first date. It is understandable that you worry about him, but this is just in bad taste," Marius concluded as he started to give a deep laugh.

"Hahaha. Well, I'm sorry to do this to you, but..." he lifted his hand and pointed a finger towards the building. "They need to be alone tonight," he spoke.

With a red glow enveloping his hand, Marius did something very rude.

Miles away, inside of the elegant restaurant, Twilight Sparkle felt and odd sensation build up inside of her. Then it hit her like a brick. Eyes widening and panicking, she charged towards the back of the restaurant and into the kitchen where several mares and stallions stood looking at the panicking mare.

"Where's your restroom?!" she screamed.

Every hoof pointed towards the little fillie's room at the edge of the large industrial sink and Twilight seemed to launch herself through the door and into the stall.

One stallion looked to a mare that was chopping a stock of celery and started to giggle under his breath.

"Well, when you gotta go, you gotta go."

"Thank you so much for a wonderful evening, Spike. I enjoyed your company and what you spoke earlier was truly one of the kindest and sweetest things that has ever been said to me," she told him.

Their meal and date had been lovely as they had talked about Marius, her future designs, the crush that Spike harboured for the longest time for her, and even past and current circumstances and innocent gossip about their friends. After paying for their delicious, freshly cut Lily salads and their apple cider, they bid farewell to the pianist and were on their way back to Carousel Boutique. As they walked out and towards the door, Rarity saw Octavia and Vinyl Scratch over in the dimly lit booths on the side of the wall. She figured it was best not to disturb them with her simple hello when she saw that they were getting quite intimate underneath the soft candlelight of the fixture that was mounted above them. With that, Spike and Rarity headed out the door and took the fifteen minute stroll back to the boutique, hoof-in-claw the whole way.

They were now back at the front entrance of the boutique and were saying their goodbyes to each other.

"Aww shucks, Rarity..." the dragon crossed his arms behind his back once more as he lightly kicked the ground with his right foot.

"You know I meant it, right?" he asked while looking into the eyes that made his heart flutter.

"Of course I know. That's what makes it even more special, dear," she spoke as she closed in on the dragon to embrace him.

Their hug lasted for a little while before they broke their embrace. They stood staring into each other's eyes for a minute. Spike found himself looking into the entrancing blue pools that made up Rarity's iris. He seemed to be lost in them, being pulled toward them like they were a low, glistening tide, pulling him out to sea. Rarity was also transfixed by his, almost as if she saw a passionate green fire within them that burned into her very soul. Both of them seemed to slowly move forward closer and closer, their eyelids drifting down as one. The heat from Spike's breath could be felt on her muzzle for what seemed like forever.

"Remember....I said we..." she began to say.

"should..." she continued to speak lazily as they moved closer.

"take it-" she was cut off as the soft caress of his lips were felt on hers and both of their eyes finally closed shut.

Time halted.

Nay, it didn't exist, as their lips moved and the warmth between them could be felt throughout both of their entire bodies. The soft and delicate kiss between them slowly deepened as Rarity wrapped her hooves around Spike, who's head was mere inches from being level with hers, and brought him closer until his chest was touching her's. Spike moved his arms upward, wrapped them around Rarity's midsection, and cradled her into his body as they began to move their mouths in sync. Their lips pressed just a little harder into the other's and parted slightly. Spike began to inch his tongue through her lips, slowly at first to make sure that the beautiful mare would allow it. She allowed it without hesitation.

The tips of their tongues met and began to slowly massage each other. His slightly forked tongue pressed into the center of her's and they began to take their time as they swirled around each other, exploring and playing with the inner-most parts of each other's mouths. He savored the way she tasted, which was a faint medley of honey and lilac, while she absolutely adored how his lightly rough and scaly lips had a certain warmth deep inside them, while his tongue gave her the aftertaste of pine and the radiant heat of his own flame. Rarity let out a small, ladylike moan into Spike's mouth which vibrated him to his core and made him deepen the kiss, as his tongue continued to dance an intimate dance with her's that made the most valiant of attempts to display his true feelings.

Her knees became weak after a few seconds of the passionate kissing with the drake and she gave a small stumble down while she continued to kiss him. He caught her before their mouths could pull away and he brought her back up to his level, never breaking their kiss.

They continued for what seemed like hours. They finally pulled away (reluctantly) from each other's lips and opened their eyes. They looked at each other for a while, both of them with a content smile on their faces.

"slow," Spike said with a dreamy smile, finishing her previous statement. Rarity let out a small chuckle underneath her breath before leaning forward and planting one final kiss on his lips. She pulled away from him and hugged him once more, putting her mouth right next to his ear.

"I look forward to doing this again, my Spikey-Wikey...and that does mean soon," she whispered sensually into his ear, sending shivers up his spine in the process. She nuzzled his cheek while hugging him and then set off towards the door, purposefully swaying her hips and looking back at him with a sultry look the entire time before lightly closing her front door behind her.

"Wow...." spoke the dragon dreamily.

"She likes me too."

His eyes widened at the realization.

"SHE LIKES ME TOO!" Spike screamed as loud as he could as he ran back to the Ponyville library, jumping and smiling the entire way.

Rarity slumped her back up against her door and slowly slid down, giggling like a schoolfilly the whole way.

"I take it the date went well?" asked a deep and soothing voice from the entrance to the kitchen. She turned her head towards her servant and gave him a lazy smile.

"Marius, do you know how ponies say that it is controversial for Spike to be so interested in me, since he is a little over fourteen years old?" she asked.

"I can recall," Marius spoke.

'Of course many of them do not know how quickly dragons mature in their life cycles.' Marius thought. Rarity giggled before speaking,

"Yes...well...they can go buck themselves."

The hall was damp and filthy.

The tan unicorn with a dirty blonde mane found himself disgusted at the condition that they kept the dark, stone hallways of his family's sanctuary. He strode down the hall, occasionally glancing over to the makeshift homes that he passed. They were made from Everfree lumber and very sturdy. After a long while of walking he came upon what he searched for. Three huge pegasi that had a brown coat. The much smaller tan unicorn walked up behind the largest of them, jumped into the air, and grabbed the right wing of the huge pesasus with his mouth before snaping it backwards.

The violent action caused the wing to dislocate and the large pegasus fell down on the ground before the tan unicorn that was only half his size. While the pegasus lay on the ground, the unicorn picked him up by the chin with his hoof and slammed him into the stone wall with an otherworldly strength, making a small crater and cracking a large section of laid stone in the process. After the now nearly dead pony fell to the ground, blood leaking from the side of his mouth, the furious tan unicorn looked towards the other two stunned pegasus warriors.

"Who told you to kill the Canterlot dignitary?" he asked sternly towards them in a smooth yet murderous voice.

"No one told us to kill her, sire. We just figured-"

The pegasus on the right was cut off as he looked into the glaring blue eyes of the short unicorn before them.

"You just figured, what?!" he screamed.

"You just figured that you could draw unwanted attention from the Princess and her guard, is that it? Just to prove the fact that you could easily kill and eat one weak and defenseless mare?!" he screamed throughout the halls.

This was the first time they had seen him so furious. He was usually very gentle and kind with them, but they knew that what they did to the Canterlot pony would bring much sorrow and difficulty to their tribe. The lumbering pegasus warriors kneeled before the short unicorn.

"We are so sorry Prince Phoenix. Please forgive us," they begged.

They stood there for a minute or two, unsure of their own fate before Phoenix let out a large, irritated sigh.

"I suppose I'll forgive you, but remember this..." a blue spark ignited from his horn and wrapped down his right hoof, circling and forming a long blade composed of an intensely hot blue flame.

"I will do whatever is necessary to keep the rest of the tribe safe, and that includes killing those who bring unwanted danger to it."

The unicorn let the blade of blue flame dissipate and cast his glance over to the broken and injured pegasi that he used like a ragdoll.

"Take him to the shamans. He can regenerate his wounds there," he spoke.

He then turned his back on them and walked down the hall, heading back to his father's throne room.

Act I: Intruder

"An ideal form of government is Democracy, tempered with assassination."
-Voltaire

14,238 years ago, during the 'Age of Steel'...

He looked up from under his hood to the giant estate that was decorated in white and gold trimmings. The entire mansion seemed to stand out as the most regal home in the city. It was far from varying in color, as most of the entire home was crafted from limestone, including the large row of white pillars that stretched all the way up to the third and last floor. The hooded figure continued to survey the large building for a good while.

"What do you think you are doing, peasant?"

The hooded man looked down from his fixed gaze to the large leather and bronze clad guard who asked spoke to him so rudely. They were in front of a bronze gateway that led to the home. It stood on the street of several homes and along with casting a shadow over vagrants who lived by the alleyways; all with light brown skin and dressed in warm colored tunics. Beggars and children without a home who would make fires to keep from freezing to death while the owner of the illustrious estate enjoyed their riches to the fullest. The hooded figure cracked a wide smile with his pale lips, the darkness hiding his eyes.

"How admirable," he spoke sarcastically.

"What was that?" the guard who originally questioned him asked. The warrior guard threw down his shield, lightly tapping it on his bronze chestpiece before it hit the ground making the black leather strips that were made for handle bracing flail from the impact. The large warrior stomped from his position and made his way over to the eyeing figure before grabbing him by the collar of his leather harness. The guard brought his face inches from the smiling man's, almost in a headbutt with the guard's bronze helmet.

"What are you doing eyeing this home, peasant?! Do you not know who lives here?! This is the home of the great King Tiuras, the King of Alokir and ruler of all the worshipers of the great Shi'vara, Patron God of Sun and Time!" screamed the dark skinned guard, spitting into the hood of the small man he had in his grasp with each word. He was rather pudgy and had a thick amount of black facial hair. The musk of his sweat could be smelt by the most dullest of noses. The guard turned angry warrior seethed at the hooded figure.

"I suggest you take your leering someplace else, before we cut off a part of you that you will beg to have back!" he screamed with finality.

The hooded figure's smile only widened as his head leaned backward from where the guard had a grip on his collar.

"Tell me...do you say that to all the girls you attempt to swoon?" asked the pale and short man whose smile got wider and wider, revealing a pair of sharp fangs. The guard's eyes got wider as well as the man's smile seemed to become so huge, it was about to crack his head in half while the rest of his face was hidden by the hood.

"Because I am not some cheap whore. I assure you, I know the direct way to a man's..." he trailed off before shoving a clawed hand through the chest of the guard, piercing his armor like tissue paper before he even had time to realize what killed him.

"...heart," finished the sadistic Vampire, who now had the dead guard's heart in his clawed hand. With a clean yank, he ripped his arm out of the guard's chest cavity and brought the heart up to his lips, before lowering his hood. The Vampire had short and scraggy blonde hair, along with one orange eye and one that was pale blue.

"That was almost too funny...but it would have worked better if I was actually attracted to men," Lyre told himself, a little disappointed at his poor joke. His large smile quickly returned.

"Ah well!" he announced, before burying his fangs into the deep crimson heart, tearing into muscle as blood gushed into his mouth. His tongue lashed at the sweet nectar before he greedily gulped it down. While chewing the guard's heart, he looked over at the other terrified guard who was on the floor looking at him with a mixture of horror and disgust.

Lyre smiled happily with a mouthful of muscle and blood and closed his eyes, before extending the heart towards the other guard.

"Want some?" he asked cheerfully.

"Aaaaaagghhh!" the guard screamed as he stood up and ran down the street as if he was a mad man.

Lyre looked offended at the display as he watched the other guard run as fast as he could down the street. Lyre raised his left eyebrow in curiosity.

"You could have just said no," he spoke before shaking his head. He dropped the heart down on the ground after having his fill and brought out a red kerchief from his left harness pocket to wipe his face.

"Now then, where was I?"

The Vampire took a look around and surveyed the street that he was on. Luckily, the cloak of a cloudy night sky made it easy to remain inconspicuous. Lyre didn't see anyone as he surveyed the dark area, lightly illuminated by candlelight. He smiled to himself, as it seemed no human was around to witness him murdering the guard. It would make his job much easier.

He caught the scent of another human.

Lyre quickly developed a frown, turned to confront the human who witnessed his crime, and was shocked by what he found.

The Vampire was staring down at a small, dark skinned girl dressed in green rags. She had long curly black hair and was clearly homeless, as she had no shoes and reeked of filth. The poor child looked up at the Vampire, who was only five to six inches shorter than him. The child had a look of shock on her face at the blonde Vampire who stood and stared at her in turn.

"You're short," she told him.

Lyre scowled at the child, who evidently still could muster up enough courage to insult the Vampire.

"Yeah, well you're food!" Lyre returned with an annoyed yell.

The little girl quickly developed a scowl on her face as well, lightly lit by the soft glow of light radiating off of the mansion behind them.

"Aren't you scared? I just tore that big, mean warrior's heart out in front of you. Shouldn't you be running away like that other human?" Lyre questioned the child, before he brought his blood caked claws up to his mouth and drew his tongue across them, savoring the aftertaste of delicious blood. The child was clearly scared of the Vampire in front of her, but she still stood firm and held her cool, despite shaking quite a bit from a combination of shock and chilly night air. She seemed to find herself at a loss for words, as she was scared, but she didn't know what to reply to the black leather-clad assassin. The girl stared dumbly up at Lyre, gazing into his mismatched eyes.

"Are you really telling me you can insult my height, which I happen to be very sensitive about by the way, and expect me to let you live? You better run back to your parents girl, while you're still able," Lyre told her, not bothering to mask his irritation.

"My parents are dead, sir," the tiny Alokir native spoke, seemingly all emotion swept from her voice. The little girl still wore a frown of sadness.

"I was caught stealing from one of the market stalls, not but several fortnights ago. My parents and I were living on the street and we were very hungry. I was caught by several of the men who patrolled the market and they decided they would make sure I was never able to steal again," the girl said quietly as she cast her glance down to the ground. It was then that Lyre's eyebrow rose upward once more, as he noticed what was attached to one of the girl's arms. Or rather, what wasn't attached.

"They decided to chop my hands off and give them to the man I stole from, as is the law in Alokir. Once they cut off the right, my father and mother attacked the men, who still happened to have their swords."

She spoke in such a soft and almost pathetic voice, Lyre could barely make out her thick Alokirean accent.

"The last words my mother spoke to me were, Don't stop running." she whispered while staring sadly at the ground, trying to fight back the tears that were building up.

Lyre scoffed loudly at the little beggar girl as she looked down at the ground and the stump on her right arm.

"Wonderful. So, not only are you stupid...you're also useless? That's fantastic. Think of it this way, at least you could get a job at a traveling sideshow," Lyre announced rudely to the poor little girl. "I hear many have openings for deformed children. Other humans can laugh and gawk at you, plus you will be paid! Win-win, right?" the Vampire asked her.

She didn't react to any of the Lyre's insults or rude musings. She just continued to stare at the ground.

Lyre dropped his wide smile and let out long sigh.

Suddenly, the girl felt a presence in front of her, and jolted her head upward. The short Vampire who had been standing a good ten feet away from her now stood mere inches in front of her. He looked down at her with minor annoyance before reaching out to grab her arm. The girl tried to pull it away, for fear that he was going to kill her, but surprisingly he just hoisted it up. Then to further her shock, he placed a large sack-cloth bag in her arms that was full of gold.

"Listen girl, what's your name?" he asked the little girl.

After a few seconds of initial shock, she answered,

"Urietta. My name's Urietta," she spoke softly.

"Well listen, Urietta. I, the Great and ever Powerful Lyre, Vampire and assassin extraordinaire, have happened to accumulate quite the amount of gold pieces during my stay in Sylvanis Mera," he spoke.

At the mention of the city, Urietta remembered hearing from the guards how several months ago; an unknown assassin killed the King and Queen of Sylvanis Mera, brutally butchering every guard they had stationed in their castle.

"Now, I will give you this entire bag of gold, but you can't tell anyone you saw me here. It would spoil my fun if humans knew what I was before I killed them. Do you have any idea how enticing that look of fear is that they get in their eyes? It's incredible, let me tell ya'. Anyway, I give you this bag and you leave here, never speak of me again, and everything will be perfect. Alright?" Lyre asked her, in his somewhat-high pitched voice, almost sounding youthful.

"Alright..." the girl replied softly.

At Urietta's answer, the Vampire got inches away from her face and smiled, frightening her.

"Good! You know if you told, I'd have to punch you...in the face...to death!" he announced to the girl in a happy tone, almost as if he was trying to sell her ice cream.

Urietta backed away slowly from the rude and sadistic Vampire, once more assessing his kind act. In a few seconds, she ran back down the alleyway with the bag of gold, generously given to her.

"Thank you so much, sir," she told him as she turned back to face Lyre and smiled, before disappearing around the corner. The short Vampire smiled with satisfaction, stood up, and stretched his arms. The sound of several joints popping echoed throughout the empty street.

"Now!" Lyre yelled to himself, before straightening his posture.

"Let's get started!"

Lyre bolted at inhuman speed towards the gate behind him. He grabbed the bars on the bronze gate and vaulted himself into the air, over the wall which kept others from entering. He extended his four wings from his back that he used for gliding so he could gain a higher altitude. Sailing into the air he looked down at the large yard of the mansion. It had a finely groomed lawn. It also had a single gold fountain that stood in the middle of a limestone walkway along with several other highly valuable gold statues placed throughout. There were two guards stationed at each of the east and west wings and two guards stationed at the front doorway. Lyre frowned.

"That's just pathetic," he said, a tiny bit upset at the fact the man who called himself King Tiuras had such a small amount of protection. He shifted in the air and started to fall directly towards the front entrance before speaking,

"There better be more inside."

The guard on the left lifted his head up and looked out over the yard, staring nervously at the several acres of grass that were barely noticeable in the night. He turned to his fellow door watcher.

"Did you hear something?" he asked.

The other guard rolled his eyes in dismissal.

"It's probably just your imagi-"

CRUNCH!

Something that fell from high in the sky landed on the nervous individual, crushing him into the ground and crumpling his bronze armor with the impact like it was tin. The five foot four inch assailant back flipped off of the ground and into a standing position. The other guard now stood with his mouth wide, staring at where his friend was.

"Exactly." Lyre spoke before unsheathing his right-armed sword from his back and shoving the tip into the agape mouth other guard, but not far enough to kill him. Lyre looked up and smiled at the man, whose terrified shaking caused his front teeth to lightly rattle on the blade of the Vampire's shortsword.

"Just his imagination," Lyre spoke, before flicking his wrist upward, making his blade vertical. It caused the helmet on the man to fly off and land on the ground, while his head slowly pulled apart into two symmetrical pieces, and flop to the side of his neck. His lifeless body dropped to the ground and made a hard impact with the limestone walkway, as Lyre put his arms down to his sides and fished out a black coin.

He held the black metal coin with a red Masquerade Ankh in front of him and drew his sword along one side.

"Now," he spoke. "Shall we do this quietly, or loudly?" Lyre asked himself before flipping the coin into the air with a thumb. The Vampire caught it with one hand and slapped it onto the back of his hand that held his shortsword.

Lyre smiled at the coin's side. It had a single slit in it, made by his blade.

"Loudly it is, then," he spoke before putting the coin back in his left pocket.

Lyre put his hands up to his mouth and screamed,

"SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP! IT'S A MONSTER! HE'S KILLING US! SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE US FROM THIS INCREDIBLY HANDSOME ASSASSIN!"

Miles away, there was a certain Vampire King who put his hand to his head out of pure annoyance.

He put his hands down to his sides and waited for a few minutes. Sure enough, four fully armored guards came round the sides and swarmed around the Vampire, who stood over their friend's corpses.

"He killed them! Slay the assassin!" one of the more bold warriors spoke. Another charged at him screaming, sword at the ready. Just as he neared the assassin, he was decapitated in the blink of an eye and his head went sailing into the air. His body still swung the sword violently in the air towards Lyre, who sidestepped out of the way of each slash until his body finally dropped.

The other guards had a look of horror on their face, because when he was decapitated, they didn't even see the Vampire unsheathe his swords. It's as if they just appeared in his hands.

The sound of the bronze helmet hitting the floor, human head still inside, was music to Lyre's ears. In a flash, he flipped his slightly curved shortswords around and rushed forward.

Time seemed to be halted for Lyre, just as the first man on the right raised his axe, Lyre's blade sliced through his legs and he started to fall. Afterwards, Lyre used his momentum to twist his body and cut through the neck of another man who began to unsheathe his sword that was attached to his hip. Still twisting in air, he landed on his knees and guided his swords through the remaining guard, halving them across his midsection. All in unison, their bodies fell and their armor clanged on the limestone. Blood ran from them and out into the grass.

Lyre had killed all four highly trained men in the blink of an eye. The Vampire got up off of his knees and smiled to himself.

"Well...that was...," Lyre let out a long yawn through his smile. "Pitiful," he finished.

The Vampire then jumped into the air and ricocheted off of a pillar, crashing through a large window on the third floor. The glass shattered and shards flew everywhere in the large room while the Vampire landed on the ground, arms outstretched to the side. A feminine voice screamed loudly at the shattering of the window, causing her to jump off the bed and the man that she was on top of.

"What was that?!" screamed the nude man as he stood and threw the young woman out of his way and onto the floor. He then grabbed the long white robe that was hanging on the dark oaken bed posts before putting it on.

"If one of those peasant kids threw a rock at my window, I swear I-" he didn't finish his sentence as he saw the hooded figure crouched down on his floor. The Vampire looked up at the plump man who stopped in the middle of tying his robe and stared at him. He had dark skin and was covered in black hair, just like the rest of his Kingdom's people.

"King Tiuras, I presume?" Lyre asked sinisterly. Then Lyre noticed how the King didn't have a look of shock on his face. Instead it was twisted up into a smile.

"We have you now," snickered Tiuras.

Lyre then noticed the burning sensation throughout his muscles, preventing him from moving.

'Solar Magic?' Lyre thought to himself.

'....damn.' was what the Vampire thought before his entire body caught fire.

"Hahaha, you fool!" screamed the King of Alokir. "After hearing what happened at Sylvanis, do you really think we wouldn't be prepared for something like this? Those men you killed were decoys!" screamed the King, before a hulking man came through the arching doorway with a huge battleaxe. The behemoth was clad in a suit of bronze armor, bearing the traditional 'scorpion embracing the sun' symbol that was recognizable from every Shi'varan flag on his breastplate.

Lyre dropped to the ground, gritting his teeth in pain and anger as the flames continued to lick his body. They burnt through his black leather outfit but he wouldn't let go of his swords.

"Ever since these killings have been happening across the Capitals, we knew to expect you. The Great Shi'vara gave us a small piece of understanding the sun and time itself, Solar Magic. We have used it for years to combat you creatures, and now we know it also serves us well as security measures for pathetic little Vampires such as yourself," explained the King as he sauntered across the carpeted floor, enjoying and boasting about his cleverness.

The young woman had wrapped herself in a white sheet and joined the King, standing by his side. Everyone watched as the glowing pentagram underneath Lyre kept him immobilized and was incinerating him slowly with ethereal flame. The King merely snickered under his breath as the huge behemoth closed in on the Vampire.

"Now, thanks to the work of some of our most skilled Solar Mages," the King spoke loudly over the roaring flames. The armored behemoth raised his axe so it was just above Lyre's head and ready to be brought down with full force.

"We can watch you die like the rest of your kin, you filthy abomination!" screamed King Tiuras as loudly as he could.

At the final word, the huge, brass armor wearing bodyguard brought down his axe.

Suddenly, the burning Vampire swung his hand up and caught the axe blade before it reached him.

"Nice try," scratchily spoke the short Vampire, due to his vocal chords and most of his neck being charred.

"Too bad for you...I'm not like the rest of my kin," seethed the Vampire before smiling sickly through his blackened lips.

Lyre then took his searing hot blade and cut his own arm off. The arm still held on to the blade of the axe and Lyre jumped in the air and wrapped his legs around the head of the Behemoth, who desperately tried to shake him off. The large armored man flailed while Lyre held on, being thrown about like he was riding a bull. The King and the young harlot watched in horror as the Vampire that they nearly incinerated into ash was somehow holding on to him, after breaking the spell it took them days to craft.

"You're strong, but...." Lyre spoke before letting out a loud grunt while twisting his hips as hard as he could, wrenching the behemoth's head all the way around with his thighs in one movement, making a sickening a snap echoe throughout the room..

"Hahahaha! My brother is much stronger than you," Lyre spoke through a sick cackle.

The large warrior dropped to the ground as Lyre rolled off of his shoulders and in front of the King, picking up the battleaxe in his hand as he rolled.

The Vampire now stood mere inches away from King Tiuras who was on the verge of shaking. Lyre slowly looked at the King with a sadistic smile spread across his incinerated face, as his flesh began to slowly regenerate, smoothing out and returning into its normal state over a short time.

Thinking quickly, the King unsheathed the knife he had within his robe and put it to the throat of the girl he was physically with not even fifteen minutes ago. The young girl yelped when she felt the knife touch her throat and the white sheet she was using to cover herself dropped to the floor. Lyre's expression didn't change. He still smiled that same psychotic smile that he always had when he was about to take his victim's life.

"How did you get out of that spell?! We spent days prepping th-"

"You humans are fools. You do not understand the true concept of Alchemy or magic," Lyre explained hoarsely, as his throat and missing arm were still slowly stitching themselves together and retexturing, the char flaking off in the process.

"You used salt to make that pentagram, right? It's otherwise known as Sodium Chloride, one of the chief minerals in many, many recipes and potions. The thing that your mages forgot, was that the prime ingredient in blood is Iron Oxide, which neutralizes any form of Sodium induced spell due to counter balancing their chemical properties in the spell itself," Lyre explained.

The King looked dumbfounded, to which Lyre merely scoffed.

"My older brother happens to be very intelligent and I occasionally pay attention when he talks," Lyre spoke.

The King's building rage was noticeable to the Vampire.

"How did you get blood that would have worked for that?!" Tiuras screamed, to which Lyre lifted his sword in the air and waved it, which was still coated in the blood of his earlier victims.

"Why do you think I didn't sheath them?" Lyre asked.

The King was now furious and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I CARE IF YOU OUTSMARTED US?! I STILL HAVE THIS GIRL AND I-"

Lyre swung the battleaxe with precision and connected with the hostage's shoulder, splitting her diagonally across into two pieces. She opened her mouth to scream, but it wouldn't come out due to her lungs being sliced in two, along with the rest of her body. Her lower half fell to the ground while the King held her top half in shock. Lyre's smile only grew wider.

"You actually thought that using some whore as a bargaining chip would work? I don't think you understand who you're dealing with," he spoke softly before dropping the battleaxe on the floor.

The King whimpered in fear as he dropped the other half of his whore's body and turned around to run, only to find that Lyre was already cutting him off, and the King didn't even see him move. Tiuras panicked and turned to flee towards the window, only to find that Lyre now stood in his way once more. He dropped to his knees and began to beg.

"Please! Please...don't kill me. Do you want money?" the pudgy King begged and perked up at offering Lyre a bribe.

"I can give you all of it. All of my gold and all of my women. They're yours!" the King screamed, trying to remain hopeful. Lyre leaned forward and got inches from the King's face who now stood inches from him, fully regenerated.

"Almost all of you humans are the same. Wallowing in your greed and treating this planet as if it were your possession. Gold doesn't matter to me, your highness," Lyre spat out. "Because the only thing that we care about is killing people like you, who are a proverbial shit stain on this world."

Lyre sheathed his blades on his back with both arms once more, before shoving his fingers into the King's mouth and grabbed his tongue with two claws.

"Haha. Now, you join my little collection," Lyre said with a laugh.

King Tiuras' eyes widened, before he had his tongue ripped out of his mouth by the Vampire assassin. As it flailed in Lyre's hand, he smiled, before taking his fangs and shoving them into the Kings neck, tearing into his soft flesh and spraying blood all over Lyre's face.

Lyre stood there for several minutes draining the former King's twitching body of every ounce of blood it had and making him age many years, before letting the now decrepit body fall to the ground and disperse into complete ash.

Lyre looked from the pile of decay that was King Tiuras and cast his glance up at the ceiling. He let out a long and satisfied sigh, before taking out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Luckily, it was too thick inside of Lyre's coat to be harmed by the ethereal flame.

"Now....who's next on my wish list?" he asked himself with pure joy.

Lyre thought for a bit, and frowned.

"Damn. I should have asked him about the women, first. I mean, it's been...three days maybe? Four days?..."

"What in Equestria were you thinking?!" Celestia screamed at her younger sister, who still lay on her bed panting.

"What wast thou thinking, sister, when thine own rudeness happened allow one to march into our room uninvited, when we CLEARLY had a guest?! Such a folly is not excusable under any circumstances. It is most certainly an invasion of our privacy. Dost thou think that mayhap one should learn their proper and Royal manners?! Prithee sister, answer us!" Luna screamed using her Royal Canterlot Voice.

"I should learn more proper and Royal manners? Who was using the Royal Canterlot voice, screaming to the high heavens that hover our land while they were having personal relations with someone they barely even knew for a week?!" Celestia returned in the same volume.

Luna looked aghast.

"You think that-"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!" a certain Vampire suddenly screamed and imitated their volume perfectly with an annoyed look on his face. Both sisters looked at him. Marius smiled.

"That's better..." he spoke with his soft and smooth voice, while letting out a long sigh after diffusing the situation.

"Marius, leave. Now!" Celestia hissed through her teeth.

Luna became furious.

"You will not leave Marius! You will stay right there," she spoke to him.

Celestia turned to her sister and glared.

"This is a matter between us. This is me, scolding you for a mistake that you made," Celestia started to lecture her sister.

"What was the mistake that you so blatantly say that I made?" Luna asked.

Celestia pointed a hoof at the Vampire in the room, who now covered his nude body with his wings.

"By being with him! Marius is not even a member of our species, Luna! Why would you choose to offer yourself to him, after knowing him for only a week?!" Celestia asked her sister loudly.

Luna cast her gaze downward towards her tangled sheets.

"We may have known each other for a week, but I feel like I've known him my entire three thousand year life. We share a connection, 'Tia. A very strong connection, and I..." Luna trailed off as her sister looked at her, still glaring.

"I feel love for him, sister. A love I have never known. Are you saying that what I feel is wrong?" Luna softly asked her sister.

Celestia looked to the huge and masculine Vampire, who was now leaning against the wall, twiddling his thumbs. He would glance up at them on occasion with his deep red eyes and look at them both, before going back to eyeing his hands.

Celestia looked to her sister.

"But he's not even a pony," Celestia spoke.

"What is your point, sister?" Luna asked softly.

"We ourselves are alicorns. There have been very few that were born like us in Equestria's history, but even still, species or race does not matter. What I feel for him is pure, and that's why I choose to share myself with him, and he with me. Love does not know such trivial words as species, race, or bloodline. He could be a buffalo and I would still care for him the same. Such is how I feel," Luna spoke to her sister with sorrow, hopeful that she would understand.

Celestia looked down to the ground, as did her sister and Marius for a good five minutes. Celestia then looked toward Marius, who had still wrapped his body in his huge bat wings. She looked at him with annoyance.

"How do you feel about her?" Celestia asked in almost a whisper to the Vampire.

Marius looked sadly to the ground.

"I just came for the doughnuts..."

A dark blue pillow enveloped in a similar colored aura was flung across the room and hit Marius in the face.

"Will you be serious Marius?" asked a slightly annoyed, yet still playful Luna. Marius chuckled a bit after levitating the pillow with his dark red aura and turned to Celestia, who was quite bemused.

"I want to know, Marius. How do you feel about my sister?" she asked in a melancholy tone, almost as if she was regretful for some reason.

"Well," Marius spoke. "I have not felt comfort for another being in a very, very.....very long time. At least, not the comfort I feel with your sister. Luna and I have a bond, and we seem to have developed it without even knowing."

Marius pointed his finger towards the balcony, which was fully open and allowed Luna's bedroom to be bathed in pale moonlight, making the surface of every object lightly shimmer.

"It's the night," Marius said softly, while looking into Celestia's eyes with true kindness, which was a look she had not yet received from the Vampire until now.

"The Princess of the Night, raising the moon and shining its beauty across your land. I have waited for the night sky to be this radiant for eons, and finally she has made it so," Marius told her. The Vampire cast his kind and heartfelt glance over to Luna, who smiled sadly as she looked into her new found love's eyes.

"As for love, I..." the Vampire trailed off, letting the silence fill the air, nothing but the sound of rushing wind inside of the room.

"I don't remember what it feels like to love, honestly. True yearning, and wanting to be with Luna is what I do feel. That inner peace. I haven't felt that since...Ysold," Marius uttered his late wife's name before looking at Celestia.

"I feel the warmth and comfort I had for Ysold...with Luna. I believe this is what love feels like, and I am certain that she feels this same way. Naivety about me and my past is not even a concern to her. There is much she does not know, and I can only hope that it would never change the way she sees me, but...I feel I am beginning to love another, once again."

Marius looked into the eyes of the Princess of the Day.

"I'm sorry if it upsets you, but I do in fact believe I am learning to love once more, and that Luna is the object of my utter affection and adoration," Marius finished.

Luna began to form tears on the edge of her eyes, while smiling lovingly towards the Vampire. She lifted her hooves and wiped her eyes.

Celestia continued to look sadly at the Vampire, before looking over to her little sister she cared so much about, watching her wipe away the tears that were beginning to form on the edges of her eyes. Celestia let out a heavy and lengthy sigh before speaking,

"I had no idea that you two could have developed such a strong bond without even knowing each other. It is truly touching... but Marius," Celestia turned her attention towards the Vampire.

"She is my little sister. I imprisoned her away in the moon for a full millennia, and I just got her back. So..." Celestia's eyes began to water, themselves. She closed them hard and pointed her head toward the ground. She tried to fight it, but the painful memories of being alone for all this time, just having her sister back, and the stress of the recent killings just added up. Now she couldn't hold it in anymore. She had to let it all out.

Celestia, Princess of the Day and four thousand year ruler of Equestria, began to sob like a foal.

"Please...don't take her away from me..." Celestia begged through her sobs. Her tears cascaded like an ethereal waterfall while tey dripped off of her snout and down onto the floor. The Princess was startled as she felt fur covered arms wrap around her and pull her into a tight embrace.

"I'm not going anywhere, 'Tia," Luna whispered into her sister's ear. The Princess of the Night was crying herself, as well. Celestia's tears matted and stained both of their coats while she sobbed, as Marius smiled at the touching moment between two sisters who truly cared for each other. He grabbed the dark blue sheets from Luna's bed while Celestia still had her eyes closed and wrapped them around himself, covering his lower extremities. Marius bolted for the sisters his huge arms embraced them in a hug before lifted them into the air, shocking them both into submission while he smiled as wide as possible.

"This is so beautiful! You have my word that I would never take your sister away Celestia. I do indeed care for her, and will protect her. This is truly wonderful. I care for all of you ponies so much, including my master, her friends, Sweetie Belle, everpony in Ponyville, your sister whom I have come to feel a love for, and now I even show affection for you! I cannot thank you enough for accepting us Celestia. You have made me truly happy," Marius spoke loudly while gushing with happiness.

Even the Stalwart and Stonewing, who were watching from the doorway, found themselves gagging at how much of a hopeless romantic the Vampire could be. Marius then noticed Celestia's expression and frowned in curiosity. He then looked at his love, who was biting her lip trying to contain her laughter while they both hovered in the air, being hoisted in an embraced by the Vampire. He had Celestia in one arm and Luna in the other hugging them both.

"What's wrong?" Marius asked Luna.

Celestia's eyes were wide as saucers and her cheeks were blazing red.

"My love, the...err, sheets fell..." Luna spoke through her chuckles.

Marius' own eyes widened as he realized he had been stark naked the entire time he was hugging them.

"Huh," Luna spoke. "I wasn't aware that Vampires could blush, Marius."

After apologizing for an hour after manhandling Celestia, while she assured him it was okay, Marius managed to make Luna laugh so hard that she snorted again, which made Celestia and Marius both snicker to themselves. Marius decided it would be better for him to keep his wings sheathed, and securely wrap Luna's sheet around his lower body this time in a knot. Pulling the last doughnut off and wiping her horn clean with a napkin; Celestia looked out from her sister's balcony. The moon was beginning to dip.

"It's nearly five in the morning," Celestia spoke. "I need to raise the sun soon."

Marius found himself intrigued.

"When you say raise the sun, do you mean actually lead it into rotation?" Marius asked Celestia, while Luna was over by her bed, remaking her sheets.

"Yes," Celestia spoke happily. "My sister and I have an innate ability to control their rotation with our magic. This comes from being born in the Platinum bloodline. We start a spell every day and night that allows the rotation to continue its, forgive the pun, celestial cycle and bring upon day and night across the entire planet after we raise them into their position," Celestia explained.

Marius smirked while staring out the balcony, bearing his fangs.

'If I wasn't sure where the Equines came from, I sure know now.' he thought to himself.

"Sister, if you please, I wish to sleep now. We are...*yawn*...rather exhausted," Luna told her sister through her yawns and dreary eyes.

Celestia gave a wicked smirk.

"I can't imagine why," Celestia spoke playfully to her sister.

Luna fund herself blushing wildly.

"Yes! Thank you! Good 'morrow sister! Be off now!" Luna yelled while Marius merely laughed at her odd display.

Celestia chuckled and headed out the door.

"Farewell. Do try and sleep peacefully, sister. I love you Lulu," Celestia told her sister lovingly from the doorway.

"I love you too 'Tia," Luna spoke to her sister. Then in a flash of ethereal mane, Celestia trotted out of the doorway and down the hall.

Stalwart and Stonewing were tired as well. They were looking forward to when the other Night Guards would come and relieve them of duty.

"Marius," Luna spoke to the Vampire, who turned to her and asked,

"Yes?"

"What time do you have to be back at Rarity's home?" Luna asked him.

"Well," Marius began as he put his finger up to his chin. "It is a Sunday morning, so I imagine she won't wake up until eleven or later. Why do you ask?"

Luna brought her hooves up and tapped them together several times lightly.

"Well, I was wondering if you-"

Luna felt the Vampire's cool and soft lips against hers, lightly pressing forward. They enveloped her lips in a gentle and tender kiss. He pulled away slowly and looked into her large, crystal blue eyes with his red gaze that somehow managed to be comforting.

"I'd love to stay and sleep with you for a little while," Marius told her softly.

Luna smiled and leaned upward to wrap her hooves around Marius' neck, press her lips into his, and kiss him passionately, sliding her tongue into his mouth and exploring it intimately. She pulled away slowly from the passionate kiss and looked over to see her door was still open.

"Good 'morrow, Stalwart and Stonewing. I apologize you had to witness such boorish behaviors on all our parts," Luna spoke to her guards sincerely.

Stalwart looked to his Princess and smiled.

"It is quite alright, Princess. Thou hast proven time and time again that you care for us and we shall guard thy love with just as much vigilance as we always have shown our most beloved Ruler of the Night," Stalwart spoke happily.

Luna smiled.

"Thank you, Stalwart Hide."

Stalwart turned to Stonewing before speaking softly so nopony could hear him.

"We should get earplugs for our next shift..."

With that, she enveloped the doors in a light blue aura and closed them softly, before wrapping the aura around the sheet on Marius, yanking it off revealing him completely.

"I need this to put on the bed," Luna said playfully. "Plus..." she started to say and trotted over to where Marius stood, motioning him to bend down. He did as he was asked and Luna leaned in so her cheek was touching his.

"There is no need to wear anything while sleeping with me, my love. Trust me," she purred seductively into the ear of the Vampire.

Marius smirked.

"My kind of girl indeed," he spoke.

The sun was barely below the horizon and the moon was descending slowly as well. A small amount of light shone in from pre-daybreak and illuminated Luna's room. The Princess of the Night lay in her bed, snuggling with the huge Vampire that she had come to find love for. Her pillows were very comfortable as they seemed to be made from satin and filled with tufts of night clouds. Luna had her head resting comfortably on Marius' chest, sleeping soundly. Marius himself had his right arm wrapped around Luna, pulling her in close while she lay beside him. Her right leg was lifted and rested gently on top Marius' legs and waistline.

The Princess of the Night had never been more comfortable while sleeping. She showed it with a large smile splayed on her face. Marius was at peace as well, comfortable and enjoying a nice rest after a long and fulfilling night.

He didn't want to be anywhere else but in that dark blue bed; resting with the mare he was growing to love more than anything else.

He finally drifted off to sleep.

SFFFT!

Marius caught an arrow with his middle and index fingers, inches away from piercing Luna's right eye.

Luna shifted lightly, lifting her head and placing it down onto Marius' chest, a comfortable smile still displayed on her lips.

Marius opened his eyes and scowled, before snapping the metal arrow in half with his fingers like it was made from ginger root.

He gently leaned his head down and kissed Luna on the cheek.

"Luna," he whispered lightly.

She didn't wake.

"Luna," he said a little louder.

Luna shifted in her sleep and woke, wetting her lips and smacking them together. She let out a long sigh.

"Yes, my love?" she asked sweetly.

"I hate to be a bother Luna, but someone just tried to kill you," Marius said kindly.

Luna's eyes shot open.

"What?!"

Marius then smelled something familiar.

He jumped out of bed before shoving his claws into his neck, yanking hard and tearing open a large hole that gushed blood all over his body. Quickly gathering all over his body, the blood began to take form as his long, black coat with his signature Masquerade Ankhs.

Luna and Marius ran down the hall, with both Stalwart and Stonewing following closely behind. Luna and her guards had to take to the air with her wings so she could keep up with Marius' fast pace.

"I can't believe a citizen of Equestria would try and end my life. We haven't even had anypony attempt to kill another in thousands of years," Luna spoke with disbelief as she flew beside Marius.

"Maybe, but they could be related to the small outbreak of killings that have been happening recently across this land," Marius spoke.

Luna was shocked.

"You knew about them? How?! My sister and I agreed not to tell any-"

"You didn't need to tell me, Luna. I could tell by the increase of security in Ponyville along with everyone being on edge here as well. I didn't even have to use telepathy to see there were ponies being killed," Marius told Luna while he was practically jogging down the hallway. "Besides, I can smell it. The scent of wrongful killing is thick, and I can sense it for miles upon miles. It's intoxicating."

Luna was a bit put off along with her guards at Marius' description of the deaths. She looked at the stern expression that her lover had displayed on his face.

'He's seems so predatory. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. Marius is a Vampire, after all. He drinks blood for sustenance.' Luna thought to herself as she flew beside her lover headed down the hallway. Luna then noticed her sister flying in up ahead.

"'Tia!" Luna yelled towards her sister, before she flew faster to catch up with her. Marius quickened his pace and was soon by them both.

"Sister, someone attempted to harm me just now! I believe they intended to take my life in the process," Luna told her sister.

Celestia gave a look of determination to her sister.

"I know, sister. The fools just did the same with me, only they botched their attempts. They sent a mere pegasus to try and kill the ruler of all Equestria," Celestia told her sister. "He managed to get away after trying to kill me with a curved knife of some sort. I levitated him and threw him against the wall. I was about to cast a spell that would incapacitate him, but he flew out of my balcony before I could."

Luna looked horrified. She gulped before asking,

"Who in Equestria would attempt to end our lives, sister?"

"I don't know Lulu," Celestia answered. "Whoever they are, we will make sure they leave here without harming our subjects. This I am sure of." Celestia turned to Marius, who was beside her as she flew down the hall.

"You sent me a telepathic message to warn me, didn't you?" Celestia asked. Marius nodded his head.

"Indeed I did. I made us head this way..." Marius spoke to her before turning his gaze forward, eyes widening as they came across what they were searching for.

"Because I smelt fresh blood," the Vampire finished. Celestia brought a hoof up to her mouth as she looked down the hallway at the sight, horrified of what she found. Luna and her guards quickly widened their eyes and looked mortified themselves.

"Shining!" shrieked a pink alicorn with a blade held against her throat.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" screamed a white unicorn with a blue mane and tail. He winced from moving his leg.

On the floor lay the body of one Sun Flower, the guard that had argued with Stalwart and Stonewing from the night before. He had stab wounds all over his body, including his neck and chest. His crimson blood had pooled along the floor and collected at Shining Armor's hooves. Encircling Shining were three large earth ponies, their coats a dull brown and their Cutie Marks blotted out by what looked like ink, just like the unicorn holding Cadance hostage. They all had daggers placed firmly in their mouths and had ganged up on Shining, stabbing and slashing at his legs and sides which were very vulnerable without armor. He levitated his spear up valiantly and scowled at the magenta coated unicorn that had a sword pressed up against his wife's throat, ready and begging to be drawn against flesh and stain her soft pink fur with innocent blood.

"What? You don't want us to kill your pretty wife? Well, since we didn't really succeed in what we came here to do, which was spill the blood of those Royal whores that you call Princesses, I think we'll have to settle with taking this one as a hostage," spoke the sinister magenta unicorn. "Now, since both of your majesties are here, I can tell you up close that I'm taking this precious thing with me."

The unicorn pressed his blade up against Cadance's throat harder, causing her to whimper and a thin stream of blood to drip down her neck. Shining's eyes widened and he raised his spear at the unicorn, only to be stabbed in the back of the leg by one of the encircling earth ponies. Shining let out a cry of agony as the blade carved through his flesh.

Marius' eyes narrowed at the unicorn.

"How dare you!" screamed Celestia.

"You come into my castle, try and make an attempt on our lives, and then say you're going to take a Princess as hostage? Nopony in Equestria has ever even attempted to kill another pony, not even Discord tried to take the life of another. Who do you think you are?!" the Princess of the Day fumed.

"Now, now Princess," the magenta unicorn spoke with his high pitched voice. "No spoiling the big surprise just yet."

"You..." hissed Luna through her teeth, before a clawed hand rested upon her shoulder and lightly patted it. She looked back at the Vampire, who merely smiled happily at her.

'Trust me.' Marius spoke inside her head. She stared at him blankly for a few seconds before nodding. He moved his hand off her shoulder.

"If you let her go, you can have me! I swear I'm just as valuable to you! Please, don't take her!" Shining Armor screamed and began to feel faint from loss of blood.

"HA!" yelled the magenta unicorn, while the other ponies around Shining began to chuckle. "You actually compare yourself to a Princess? How pathetic," the unicorn mocked him.

There were several moments of silence in the hallway, where the crowd stood in front of Shining and Cadance's open bedroom. Cadance continued to struggle in the grasp of the horrendous unicorn who seemed to talk and act like no other pony in Equestria.

"Excuse me," lightly spoke Marius, making everypony in the hallway fixate their attention on him. "I'm going to ask this once, nicely; Let Princess Cadance go, and I will let you walk away," spoke the huge and intimidating Vampire with a voice that could have been interpreted as kindness.

The unicorn holding Cadance threw his head back in laughter.

"I gotta say, I haven't seen anything like you before. Nice eyes ya got there. Do you do that so they see in the dark?" he asked, toying with the Vampire. The villainous unicorn looked at the ponies encircling Shining, and twisted his head towards the Princess's. Obliging, they charged at Luna and Celestia with their blades ready. The Night Guards jumped in front of their Princess's and were ready to defend them just as Luna and Celestia flared their wings while readying a spell. Suddenly, Marius no longer stood behind them. He was now in front of both Princess's and had all three ponies jump in the air and plunge their daggers into his chest, which he welcomed quite literally with open arms.

All three ponies dropped down to the ground and looked up in shock, as the Vampire pulled the daggers out of his chest, dropping each on the floor. Marius stood and looked down at the earth ponies while scowling, before casting his glance at the crazed unicorn that was inches away from slitting Cadance's throat out of desperation.

"I told you to let her go but you didn't listen, you made an attempt on the life of the only one I have truly come to care for in many ages and her sister, and you killed one of their most trusted and well respected guards." Marius told them, devoid of any emotion. "You will regret this decision..."

Marius stretched his left arm out to the side and opened his hand.

"...Reaver....come."

After the Vampire had stretched his arm out, everypony stood silent for a moment.

"Reaver?" spoke Celestia.

Boom...Boom...Boom...

"Wait....what is that?" the unicorn asked the Vampire, who still held his hand out to the side.

He didn't answer, and impacts became louder and louder with each passing moment.

"Tell me what that is now or I'll kill this Princess!" screamed the unicorn.

Boom...Boom...Boom...

Marius smirked, bearing his fangs.

BOOM!

Smashing through the stone wall like it was plastic and sailing through the air, a massive black sword spun in a circle before landing perfectly in Marius' hand.

Everypony, including the assailants, were shocked by the sudden appearance of the blade.

The sword itself had a wide, black blade that seemed to emit a crackling, red surge of energy that looked similar to an electrical current or a lightning bolt. The grip was a smooth steel, while the guard was a huge skull with glowing red eyes that matched Marius' perfectly. The skull had three spikes coming from each side and curved down towards the blade, while the pommel was a single, large ruby.

All in all, the sword stood about six and a half feet tall and looked absolutely terrifying.

Marius twirled the sword in his hands as if it was as light as a feather before bringing the blade to his face.

"Did you miss me, old friend?" asked the Vampire.

The sword emitted a low, demonic growl in response.

The three earth ponies stood and stared up at the Vampire.

With a thought, the blade shot out an arc of pure Vampiric energy, electrocuting the pony assailants.

The Princess's and their guards, including Shining Armor, watched as the earth ponies all screamed in agony before dropping to the ground, their fur charred but still alive.

The Vampire stepped forward and neared in on the last pony, who still held a knife up to Cadance's throat.

The unicorn was about to speak, but was cut off as Marius suddenly appeared beside him and wrapped his hand around the pony's neck. As Marius hoisted the sinister pony up into the air, Cadance ran away from them as fast as she could and collapsed into her husband's arms, weeping. In one motion, Marius took the blade called Reaver and shoved it through the chest of the pony, impaling him completely and sticking him to the wall.

"Marius!" screamed Luna at the utter act of brutality, until she saw the pure energy emanating from the blade. Luna watched, along with her sister, the guards, Shining, and Cadance as the red aura enveloped the unicorn's wound and healed around the blade while he was still impaled. Marius looked at the pony, who had blood gushing out of his mouth after having his chest and several organs skewered.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Marius asked. "The Vampiric magic is healing you while I already pierced several of your vital organs, turning you into a wall ornament. I can't allow any of you to die, though. You see," Marius spoke before looking into the eyes of the magenta pony. "I made a promise to my master that I wouldn't kill anypony. It's a promise I intend to keep. Now...why are you here?"

The magenta pony winced in pain before coughing up more blood. He gave a sinister look to the Vampire.

"Nadu Alal Mul'ri Ma Na'na," spoke the unicorn through his spitting and gurgling.

Everypony became curious at the foreign language, yet Marius had a completely different reaction. Marius' eyes widened as far as possible at the language that he thought dead.

Up until now, there was one thing that remained a constant in the Vampire's mind. That was the past was long buried, and there was nothing left of the human race, or his race for that matter. Nothing would ever come back to haunt him and cause harm to Equestria in any way.

He was wrong.

Marius yanked the blade out of the pony's chest, prompting the unicorn to scream in pain before he shoved his hand against the throat of the unicorn pulsating energy into his body so the huge hole in his chest stitched itself back together.

"Please stop," said Cadance, who even though held hostage and nearly was killed by the pony, didn't think he deserved more pain.

"Marius, she is right....please..." Luna started to say but didn't finish. She looked into her lover's eyes. No longer was he the kind and compassionate, yet silly and playful Vampire she knew. She recognized that horrible look in his eyes, and it seemed to paralyze everypony in the room. Luna remembered it as the look he wore when she asked him about the Deep Realm.

It was a look of pure hatred, forged from ages of pain and agony. His soft glowing eyes now blazed with pure rage and the intent to murder. His expression even seemed to make the pony he was interrogating shake from fear while being held in the air by the throat

"I want you to listen to me..." seethed the Vampire through an evil scowl.

"I don't know how you learned that tongue, nor do I know who sent you here and why you act with murderous intention, which is the opposite of how every single pony I have seen so far...what I do know is this;" Marius spoke as his face was mere inches away from the pony's face.

Celestia, Luna, and everypony around them merely watched and didn't utter a single word, for they now feared even speaking to the Vampire. They also were concerned about the well-being of the unicorn that Marius now held by the throat. Marius held out his sword and pointed it in the direction of Luna and the others. The blood that was on the blade seemed to be dissipating, as if the blade was greedily drinking every drop.

"If any more of your clan touches one hair one any of their heads, nay even attempts to come within fifty miles of this castle again....everyone you know. If you have cared about them at some point or are in association with them...I will kill them. There will be no rock that you could hide under, because I will find you. You tried to assassinate the first one I have loved for thousands of years and those dear to her. If you try this again, I will slaughter you all without hesitation," hissed the furious Vampire to the now trembling unicorn. The other ponies watched as Marius struck fear into the heart of the would-be leader of the assassins.

"I have told you the consequences and I want you to learn this name well: Marius, the Vampire King. It will be the name that will lead to all of your deaths if you attempt to hurt those I care about. Tell this to your superiors," Marius hissed. His eyes seemed to burn with that deep and sinister red glow, but for a brief moment, his black iris and pupils seemed to morph and expand ever so slightly, signifying something inside him was trying to get out.

Something very dark.

Marius twitched slightly and he opened his mouth, his fangs extending into extreme length. He used his true voice to speak to the pony next without moving his mouth, which brought the unicorn on the precipice of wetting himself.

"You will all. Know. My. Wrath."

Everypony in that hallway had chills running up their spine, Luna no exception. They remembered him using his true voice at the party, but still, when he spoke with the voice of thousands, all dripping with pain and anguish as he didn't even speak with his mouth, it was monstrous. He just continued to bear his long and sharp fangs in a deadly look towards the unicorn.

"Now BEGONE!" Marius screamed with his normal voice once more, as he enveloped the speechless pony in a dark red glow. In a brilliant flash of magic, the three earth ponies and the unicorn were gone.

Everypony stood and looked at the Vampire who still seethed with rage, before the huge sword he called Reaver completely liquefied into a dark red. The liquid snaked into the edges of Marius' fingernails, returning to its sheath. Marius turned to look at them with his scornful gaze, causing everypony to flinch.

Marius' demeanor instantly changed into one of kindness and gentility.

"I trust that you are alright, Princess Cadance?" he asked the pink alicorn with happiness.

She didn't answer. All she could do was nod her head dumbly towards the Vampire who terrified her to her core, yet seemed as gentle as a kitten. He smiled at her happily.

"Good. Now, let's heal your husband."

It had been an hour since the Vampire had healed Shining, and all mourned for the loss of Sun Flower. They had his body taken away properly and planned on having a glorious funeral, honoring his bravery and valor. Cadance was still recovering and calming down, so Shining took her back to their room and comforted her. Stalwart Hide and Stonewing had decided it was a long night, and finally headed to the castle barracks for some rest. Luna, Celestia, and Marius all now stood gathered in Celestia's chambers.

"Do you think whoever sent them here to harm us is who is behind the murders, and the sudden change in characteristics of the creatures?" Luna asked to her sister, who seemed to be contemplating to herself, still deeply in pain from the loss of her guard, Sun Flower.

"There is no question," Marius spoke, gaining the attention of the two Princess'. "I didn't need to view his memories to see that their sudden appearance and behavior was just too odd to be coincidental. There is no question that they were involved, somehow."

Luna walked over to her lover and threw her arms around him, prompting him to embrace her comfortingly.

"You scared me...you know that?" she said softly with a small chuckle.

"I know. I'm sorry, Luna. I didn't mean to intentionally, but such is the way I am. I would kill them before they harmed you or your sister, my master, my master's friends. Anypony for that matter. I am so sorry you had to witness my anger. Forgive me?" Marius asked softly into her ear while they embraced.

Luna pulled away and gave him a gentle peck on his lips before smiling.

"No need to ask, my love," she whispered.

"Where did you take them, Marius?" Celestia asked the Vampire curiously.

"Well, I teleported them to the middle of the forest. Why do you ask?"

Celestia narrowed her eyes.

"I want to know who did this," she hissed. "I want to know who tried to harm us...and killed one of my most trusted guards."

Marius and Luna walked over to Celestia. The Vampire gently rested his hand on Celestia's shoulder. She looked up at him sadly.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Celestia. I can't say for sure who they are, but I do know this: That language he spoke was by a race long dead, or so I thought. They were somewhat human in my time. They had the ability to morph their body into a large, wolf like creature. If this bestial race is still alive," Marius let out a long sigh before finishing,

"Prepare for a war..."

Celestia and Luna both looked to each other with shock. They had never had a war where mass killing could be a possibility. The worse they ever had was their battle between the divided sections of Equestria. One for eternal night, and one for the light of day. They both looked to Marius, hopeful.

"What should we do to prepare, if they do still exist?" Luna asked.

Marius took his hand off Celestia's shoulder and crossed his arms.

"Well...Celestia should gather up every other leader she knows. Griffin, Dragon, Minotaur, and every other civilized race in Equestria. Plan your defense and lay low until then Princess, for if they are indeed alive, the ponies that were here to protect you are not even close to their savagery and skill, yet these ponies were normal and not different in the slightest. The assassins were not beasts whatsoever. Your guards need to be trained more properly. Teach them not only the art of defense, but also help teach them to kill when necessary. I will help you do this in every way I can to prepare, plus I imagine my threat and name will keep them at bay for quite a while. First thing's first, though," Marius explained to them before looking out Celestia's balcony at the sun that she had just rose not even an hour ago.

"I have to find my little brother."

This was how it all began. The tale of a man who long ago traded his soul for vengeance, before being brought into a world of utter happiness and peace. Before you put yourself in his position, ask yourself this: What would you do if the ghosts of your past threatened to destroy those which you had come to love? For the Vampire King...it was a simple answer.
Protect them at all costs.

End of Feral: Act 1

Intermission: A Moment With Marius

"The most difficult character in comedy is that of the fool, and he must be no simpleton that plays that part."
-Miguel de Cervantes

The warm fire from inside the furnace crackled, giving the dimly lit room a very lazy yet comfortable atmosphere. The red carpeting and light oaken furniture was elegantly displayed throughout the large room. Paintings lined the walls, depicting some the finest Equestrian artwork, both abstract and highly detailed. In the middle comfortable room there was a large, plush chair that matched the Victorian style of the rest of the room perfectly. In said chair sat a large, pale Vampire wearing a long black overcoat that hung open in the front, leaving his chest somewhat exposed. The Vampire held a wine glass in his right hand filled with blood and draped his right arm over the arm rest.

The large Vampire smirked as he lightly sloshed the crimson liquid in his wine glass.

"Greetings, humans," he spoke to you, as you sit reading these very words.

"It is my understanding that you have enjoyed this little tale so far. If that is the case, then I am here to speak to you about several things: One, I would like to thank you for-"

"Mari'!" came the whining scream of a filly, cutting the Vampire off. Said filly quickly trotted next to the chair he sat in and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Marius let out a sigh.

"Yes Sweetie?"

Joined soon by two other fillies, they all looked up at the Vampire with quivering lips and eyes that imitated a new-born puppy's.

"You said that you would take us out for ice cream," Scootaloo spoke.

"Yeah, ya said ya would take us down to Prancin' Treats and get us all ice cream before we go to the park," Apple Bloom piped up.

Marius looked down at all three fillies with a smile before bringing the wine glass to his lips, taking a small sip from the lukewarm blood that he had emptied out of a blood bag and into the glass. It was very pungent and also had small amount of tart to it, like a vintage wine ironically.

"I'll take you in a bit, girls. I never break my promises, but you have to wait until I'm done alright?" Marius asked them.

They looked to each other sadly, before looking back up at the Vampire.

"But we want to go nowwww!" the Crusaders screamed in unison, causing Marius to almost drop his glass on the floor. After catching it before it could spill, Marius looked down at the fillies crossly. They still stared up at him, putting on their best guilt trip faces while their eyes began to water.

Marius raised an eyebrow and put on a smug smirk.

"Fine, I guess we could but," Marius spoke and sat half full glass down on the short oak table right by the chair.

"If we go now, I just won't make that peanut brittle later that I had planned on making," he spoke sinisterly.

The three filly's expressions changed to shock. He was actually blackmailing them into waiting longer with peanut buttery deliciousness. They looked at each other curiously, silently assessing whether the wait was worth the brittle. Reluctantly, they all nodded in agreement and looked up at the incredibly wicked Vampire who had the nerve to threaten them one of their favorite confectioneries. They all sighed.

"We can wait," Sweetie spoke softly.

Marius put on a large grin which bored his long fangs.

"Good. I'm glad my three favorite fillies can listen to reason. Now, don't you have Cutie Marks to be getting? Standing here isn't going to do you any good," he spoke to them. All three girls broke out in a huge smile.

"Yeah! Scoots had this really cool idea with a hoof glider!" Apple Bloom squealed.

Marius put his hand to his mouth in fake surprise.

"Well why aren't you on such an amazing Crusade, then?!" he asked.

Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were all hit with the realization that they had been wasting time up until now, before rushing out the wooden double doors leading out of the room, leaving it nice and quiet once more.

Marius smiled to himself.

"I love those girls," Marius spoke.

"I guarantee that they'll be back in half an hour, though."

Recomposing himself, Marius leaned back in the comfortable chair once more, before recomposing himself. He cleared his throat before speaking,

"Now, as I as saying; I would like to-"

"You passed go! Collect two hundred bits," spoke Twilight in a happy voice. Marius' left eye twitched out of frustration and he looked to his right. Sitting on the floor around a game board were all of the Elements of Harmony, Spike who sat very close to Rarity and held her hoof in his left claw, and a cloaked figure who sat cross legged on the ground in between Fluttershy and Pinkie.

"How wonderful!" announced Marius' master while she grabbed her fake bit salary with a blue aura and shuffled it neatly in the air. "Where on earth did you get this marvelous game, Twilight? I simply must get one for the shop."

Twilight turned to her friend before speaking.

"It's called Monopony! I just recently found out about it, but I figured we could all get together and play. Isn't it fun?" asked Twilight giddily. The cyan pegasus across from her rolled her eyes.

"Pfffft, you just like this game because it involves you doing math all the time! No wonder you wanted to be the banker," spoke Rainbow. The farmpony beside her gave a smug look from under her Stetson before speaking,

"And Ah suppose yall like it because ya don't have to break into a hospital ta' read it. Am I right, Rainbow?" Applejack spoke to her marefriend. Rainbow began to break out into a sweat and her cheeks became a light red at being embarrassed in front of everypony. She looked at her loving marefriend before speaking nervously,

"Sh....shut up!"

Pinkie broke out into a fit of snorting giggles.

"Heeheehee*snort*hahaha*snort*haha. Woooow Dashie, I didn't think you could blush that much!" Pinkie pointed out. Everypony around them giggled under their breath.

Applejack leaned in and gave a sultry look to Rainbow, who stood mere inches away from her.

"Are y'all gunna make me...sugarcube?" Applejack asked seductively.

Rainbow's wings shot up like she was about to take flight.

"Uhhh...s...sure I will!" was all that Rainbow could reply as she gave a sheepish smile to AJ.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment and gazed, basking in the other's presence. This prompted Rarity and Spike to smile and look into each other's eyes dreamily before moving in to lightly caress their lips together in a kiss. Applejack and Rainbow soon followed, only theirs was much more aggressive and passionate. Twilight and Fluttershy merely stared at the ground with a blush on their cheeks while Pinkie was leaning down and trying to discern how her game piece looked exactly like her. She had her tongue sticking out of her mouth, and no one noticed that when she touched her identical game piece with her hoof, it sprang to life before cartwheeling off of the game board.

"Not that this isn't absolutely cute, but how about we get on with this damn game. Sound like a plan? Great. Now, who's turn is it?" sarcastically spoke the hooded figure with a relatively disdainful voice. This caused the loving couples to slowly stop their kissing and turn their attention back to the game while laughing to themselves.

"Umm...I think it's my turn. If you don't mind, that is..." spoke the timid yellow pegasus next to the man who was being so rude.

Marius looked curiously at the bunch who sat huddled around the game, but mainly on the hooded figure in a black leather outfit who sat on the floor and played Monopony with them.

"Lyre?" spoke Marius with disbelief.

Lyre dropped his black leather hood, revealing his mismatched blue and orange eyes and his short, ruffled blonde hair.

Marius sat and looked dumbfounded.

"How did you get here?! You aren't even awake, yet!" Marius yelled at his brother.

"Marius, relax!" Lyre spoke with a wide smile on his face, bearing his fangs. "This isn't canon," Lyre spoke. Marius could only blink before asking,

"How in th-"

"Cannons! I love cannons! I have a party cannon and I use it to decorate parties and *GASP* OH MY GOSH WE HAVE TO THROW LYRE A WELCOME TO PONYVILLE PARTY!" Pinkie yelled cheerfully.

"No Pinkie," Twilight corrected her. "Canon is the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe's fanbase. In this case, the fans of the story," she lectured. Twilight's eyes then widened. "Wait...does that mean I'm not real? Am I just a fictional character made up by someone else and put into their story? Or...maybe I am real, because enough people believe in me in said story, so I could actually exist out of the realm of space and time itself!" Twilight shook nervously. "Maybe that means I never even graduated from Magic Kindergarten! Do you know what that means?! I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO MAGIC KINDERGARTEN!" screamed the lavender mare in desperation as she began to hyperventilate. All her friends watched her with concern before Pinkie leaned forward and patted Twilight on the back,

"Silly Twilight, that's only what the writer wanted you to say. Besides, fans don't have cannons!" the party pony spoke comfortingly while giggling. "They don't even have thumbs to use them!" Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Ah thought we didn't either..."

Twilight slowly began to calm her breathing down and return it to normal.

"So...is it the yellow one's turn, or not?" asked an annoyed Lyre.

"Umm, yes it is Mr. Lyre," softly spoke the pegasus who had half her face hidden by her mane.

Lyre winced.

"Do not, I repeat; Do. Not. Call me Mr. Lyre again. It's Lyre, and anything other than that bugs the living shit out of me. Understand?" Lyre asked rudely to the timid pegasus. To his shock, she only giggled softly under her breath and didn't back away from his blatant rudeness.

"Alright Lyre, I understand. Whatever you want to be called is fine. You know...I don't know why, but you remind me a lot of my Angel bunny," she spoke with a sweet and kind voice to him.

Lyre raised an eyebrow.

"Take...Your...Damn...Turn..." he spoke angrily.

Fluttershy giggled again before leaning forward and moving a card off of the top stack with her hoof.

Marius watched the entire scene unfold between them with disbelief. He shook his head slowly.

"This is just getting odd."

Two ponies trotted through the double doors of the elegant room.

"Hey everypony!" spoke a beige-furred unicorn with a blonde mane and an orange phoenix for a cutie mark. He was joined by a mare that was an earth pony who had a tree with half of its leaves as her cutie mark. She perked up as she saw what her friend Fluttershy and the rest of the Elements were playing.

"Oh, Monopony! Can we join?" she asked in a cheerful tone as she stood beside the unicorn. Pinkie happily greeted them,

"Hiya Phoenix! Hi Forsythia!"

Phoenix's eye twitched.

"It's Prince...Phoenix. Could you at least try to address me like everypony else, Pinkie?" he asked.

"Ohh!" Fluttershy spoke, happy that her friend made it. "I'm sure nopony minds if you join, right girls?" she asked her friends. The girls all shook their heads and spoke comforting words welcoming Phoenix and Forsythia.

Lyre sat and watched them curiously.

"I thought that," Lyre looked into the unicorn's eyes and smiled. "Prince...Phoenix was a villain in this story. Why is he here? Also, Forsythia hasn't even been announced yet. Why the hell is she here also?" the short Vampire asked.

Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Lyre, darling, you did say that this was not canon, yes?" his brother's master asked. Lyre threw his head back in laughter.

"I guess I just didn't expect it to be quite as ridiculous and moronic as this! Hahaha!" the Vampire cackled.

Applejack frowned.

"So, wait...does that mean that none o' this really matters to the story? It's just some big joke?" she asked.

Rarity smiled at her while she leaned down and nuzzled Spike's cheek affectionately.

"Not necessarily. This could have had ulterior motives, such as Marius speaking to the audience," Rarity explained to Applejack, who seemed to be slowly understanding.

'Which I am trying to do, master. None of you will silence yourselves for five minutes, though.' Marius told every single pony and Vampire in the room telepathically.

Everyone all of a sudden fell silent and looked at the large Vampire, who sat in the chair with an utterly unamused expression on his face. They all quietly went back to their game. The Element of Kindness picked up the dice with both hooves and rolled them quietly on the board. One displayed a single black dot, while the other diplayed two.

"Umm...it says I get to move three spaces," Fluttershy softly spoke before moving her game piece and looking at her card.

Phoenix and Forsythia walked over towards everyone sitting on the red carpet by the fireplace, joining them for a game of Monopony. Marius now had his palm firmly pressed to his face, thankful that he couldn't die from a brain aneurysm.

"Anyway," Marius continued his earlier statement. "I would like to thank you for joining us in this journey so far. That, was one. Two; I understand that many of you have questions about my heritage, abilities, and umm..." Marius laughed under his breath. "Weaknesses. I promise that these will be answered in due time. Patience is a virtue for every living creature, my young friends. Keep that in mind. Third; what has happened so far...hehe."

Marius moved his arm to pick up the wine glass he had sat down earlier and brought it to his lips.

"It is nothing compared to what is to come," he spoke before taking a lengthy drink of the blood in the glass, slowly emptying it as he savored the delicious and bitter aftertaste. After finishing the glass, he smacked his lips together and sat the now empty glass down on the table once more.

"So make sure you stay tuned and enjoy. Who knows? You might find these surprises," Marius gave a fanged smirk, his seething red eyes pulsated and they were completely covered by a foreboding darkness merely for a second before returning to their glowing red state.

"...to die for," he spoke with utter finality before letting out a low chuckle with his deep, ominous voice.

"Well Lyre," Twilight spoke. "It looks like you're out of bits and you don't have any more Fillydelphia properties left to sell. It looks like you're out of the game," Twilight spoke.

Lyre narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly, the Vampire grabbed the game board and flung it in the air, scattering the fake bits, cards, and properties everywhere in the room.

"This fucking game is rigged!" Lyre screamed in furry before storming over to the double doors and kicking them open, or shattering them into splinters, rather. He then walked down the hall whispering profanities to himself. Everyone except Marius had a look of shock on their face for a while. Pinkie was the first to break the silence.

"Well, somepony needs a party AND a hug!"

I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you have read the story so far and are enjoying it. Expect the next Act to be up soon. All of my love!
-Chain

Act II: Departure

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?"

Act II: Curiosity

Author's Note: Well, this chapter is much shorter this time around, due to the fact of me kind of being in a rut since the funeral. I decided to scrap all dialogue with Marius and everypony else that way it would increase the content of the next chapter, maybe making it its normal 8-9k. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy what I did manage to come up with.

"Worry is interest paid on trouble before it becomes due."
-William Ralph Inge

SLAM!

The sound of the pony hitting carpeted stone with his head was cringe-inducing. He slowly brought his head up and shook himself from the daze received, right before letting a long strand of his own blood and drool slide off his lip and onto the floor.

"It's not our fault!" the magenta unicorn screamed in a shrill voice. "We didn't know their defenses would be so strong! We scouted that castle for months and we never ran into any trouble before!" he screamed to the two earth ponies who had so brutally beaten him before dragging him in his injured state. In the huge, underground room was a long silver rug that led to very intricate bronze throne. Sitting in the throne was an old, dark grey unicorn with his hoof on his chin. Underneath the bangs of his short and lustrous silver mane, his olive green eyes were narrowed and he gave the pathetic magenta unicorn a death glare.

"We asked you to do one simple task," drawled out the old pony sitting on his very plain throne, decorated in dozens of timberwolf skulls. He cleared his throat lightly before continuing.

"We appoint you, our most trusted minion..." he trailed off, before tapping his hoof to the side of his head in curiosity.

"What was your name again?" the old pony asked the beaten and broken stallion that lie on the floor.

"It's...It's Night Shade..." the magenta unicorn spoke, slightly whistling through his broken teeth.

"Riiiight..." the unicorn spoke. The old pony then looked one of the earth ponies who drug Night Shade in his throne room in their eye, before nodding silently. At the old pony's signal, the huge Lycan earth pony slammed his hoof into Night Shade's mouth, causing him to make contact with the floor and cough up a large spurt of blood as he lightly chipped the tip of his horn on the stone floor.

"Ugghh...I'm so sorry sire," Night Shade spoke weakly.

"Silence, you miserable fool. We appoint you, our most trusted minion to go and finally dispatch of the false rulers. Those twin whores from the stars who take their place in control of this land. Their defenses are weak, and compared to our raw strength and viciousness, they...are weak. We have hidden from them in fear of their strong magic for all these years, and killed silently without them realizing, yet you...you," seethed the old pony under his breath. "...alerted them of our presence, after all of our ancestors went unnoticed, and hid in broad daylight!" yelled the furious grey unicorn, who now sat tensing his hooves in anger.

"What do you have to say for yourself?!" he screamed, accenting his sentence with three slams of his hoof into the bronze hoof rest of his throne, bending it slightly with each slam. In the corridor, a tan unicorn stood watching his father become furious, waiting to see what he was going to have done to the failed assassin.

"I just wanted the Lycan blood, I swear! I wanted to be strong!" screamed Night Shade.

The old unicorn raised his eyebrow at Night Shade's statement.

"I understand this, but fools like you do not belong in the master race of the Lycans. You are not as proud and noble as we. You are conniving and pathetic, and nothing but mere food," the old unicorn spoke coldly.

Night Shade began to cry, and sob softly, for he knew then his fate.

"Father," a smooth voice came from the hallway. The old unicorn looked back to see his son, standing in the doorway of the throne room and softly trotting inside.

"Perhaps, even if you do plan on killing him, we should learn about the threat they faced, yes? After all, I have scouted the false ruler's Castle many times, yet I saw no impending threat that would have stopped them. We already killed the other three ponies we sent, so what could it hurt to hear him before you deal out his punishment?" Phoenix asked his father.

The old, grey unicorn thought it over for a minute.

"You are correct, boy," the King spoke. "We are the first tribe to attempt to kill the false rulers, so we should hear our first assassin out."

Phoenix scoffed.

'My father, King Canis...an incredible leader, but far too hot headed and old-fashioned.' The tan unicorn thought to himself, as his lips curled up into a slow smile.

The grey pony who easily looked the age of sixty, but was more buff and stout than any Royal Guard member, looked down at the eyes of the broken and bloody Night Shade. He had now stopped his sobbing and sat quietly, ready to accept his fate.

"Now, who was it that stopped you from completing your mission?"

Night Shade looked across the large room to the throne of King Canis, who hovered above him ominously.

"I don't know what he was, but..." the unsuccessful assassin spoke. "He was really big."

The King quirked an eyebrow.

"You didn't recognize his species?" Prince Phoenix asked.

Night Shade shook his head, eliciting a low moan in the process brought on by the sharp pains he had in his skull, most likely due to his lightly chipped horn.

"No, I've never seen anything like him. He offered us a chance to leave, but we didn't take it."

"Wait a minute, he offered to let you leave?" the King asked, skeptical to believe that anyone in the Castle would just let his pawns go, and return to him.

"Yes," the profusely bleeding pony spoke. "He said that if we let the crystal Princess go, he would let us leave."

King Canis glared.

"You incompetent fool. Your orders were to take the life of the false rulers, not to take another Princess hostage."

"But the others failed!" yelled Night Shade in his defense. "I thought that-"

"Exactly," the sound of Phoenix's voice cut him off, as Night Shade glanced over to him. "You thought. By taking the one known as Cadance hostage and bringing her back to our palace here, far beneath the oldest caves of the Everfree, you would have compromised as all. They have never once known about our kind, because we've stayed hidden. We've stayed secretive and clever, carrying out our goals with patience. If you would have brought Princess Cadance back as your hostage, they would have discovered us, and that would have elicited a fight unlike any these underground walls have seen before. So, in the future, if my father does plan on letting you live, never think again," Phoenix explained to the unicorn he found to be utterly foolish in every sense of the word.

"I could not have said it better myself," King Canis spoke to his son with a smile, before turning a scornful gaze back onto the broken pony that lay on the ground.

"What else?" Canis asked in a menacing tone towards Night Shade.

Night Shade wracked his brain, trying to find the memories of what happened a week ago.

"We tried to kill it, or him, whatever he was. All three of the ones you sent with me, they jumped at him and shoved their daggers into his chest."

Phoenix looked confused at Night Shade.

"Are you saying you killed it?" the Prince asked.

Night Shade shook his head.

"No, he...he pulled every blade out of his chest like it didn't faze him whatsoever. We watched them pierce into his flesh, yet he treated them as if they were common mosquito bites."

Phoenix looked to his father, who shared his look of curiosity.

"Another Lycan?" Phoenix asked.

Canis shook his head.

"No, Phoenix. If it was a Lycan, I guarantee that we would know about him. Also, you know for yourself that we don't heal so easily. It takes weeks for us to even heal a lost limb," Canis spoke. He looked down at Night Shade, still being hovered over by two of his best warriors.

"What happened next?"

Night Shade attempted to blink his swollen eyes before speaking,

"He said two words, 'Reaver, come'. We thought he was just speaking to himself, until we heard something approaching."

"What was it?" Phoenix asked.

Night Shade shook his head.

"We thought that it was safe, but we were so wrong." Night Shade said softly before looking into Phoenix's stoic and cold eyes. "He was calling his weapon."

"A weapon that came to him?" the King spoke while he looked to his son with a raised eyebrow. "Was it enchanted?" King Canis asked.

"I'm not sure," the pony being interrogated responded to him. "I do know that we heard several loud booms, that kept getting louder and louder as we waited, until eventually, this...this...massive sword smashed through the stone walls of the false ruler's castle, like they were made of plastic. He lifted the blade up to his face and started speaking to it, and I swear..." he trailed off as a lower form of denial started to weave itself in his mind. "I swear we all heard it growling, as if it was a beast that was ready to eat a fresh supper."

"Wait, wait...his sword was growling? As in it was actually growling?" Phoenix asked, almost unwilling to believe something that sounded so far-fetched. Night Shade nodded his head slowly.

"Why didn't he kill you?" Canis asked, almost unwilling to believe such nonsense as well.

"He tried to! Well, kind of..." Night Shade told him as everypony listened intently. "He did some type of odd magic and electrocuted the others, and he shoved his sword through my stomach and hung me on a wall. Then-"

"I've had enough of your lies!" yelled the King, who didn't believe for a minute that he stabbed the pony and nodded in the direction of one of his subordinates, who was standing by Night Shade.

With that, the brown earth pony's eyes flashed a lustrous silver and his front teeth elongated into large canines. In seconds, the sickening sound of the pony's bones breaking and reforming into a new structure was echoing throughout the throne room, followed by a low growl as his snout became longer and longer. His hooves seemed to shifting violently and began to take a sharper, more pointed shape. His hooves now resembled something of what a paw would look like, and five curled toes began to stretch themselves out of the pony's skin. His irises grew completely silver and fur enveloped more of his body as his back snapped outward and became rigid and more muscular. Quicker than a flash and through the sounds of pure agony and pleasure as his primal form was released, the pony now stood as a Lycanthrope, keeping his pony shape but becoming something much more terrifying and monstrous. His now black and wet nose sniffed towards the pony on the ground once before he raised his huge paw up to tear open Night Shade like he did with the rest of his prey.

"No wait! Please stop! He asked me to relay a message!" Night Shade screamed

"Wait!" King Canis yelled as the Lycan was bring his paw down to viciously kill Night Shade. AT his word, the Lycan stopped his paw and cradled it once more, trotting back a few paces while remaining low to the ground, like a wolf preparing for the inevitable while keeping his eyes locked upon his prey. The other Lycan who had beaten Night Shade still remained by the pitiful pony's side, choosing to remain in his pony form, cutie mark still blotted out by inked fur.

"What message did he want you to send?" the King asked the pony who was trying to stall for his life.

Night shade stared back with pure fear in his eyes, as his body made failed attempts to escape from the Lycan about to kill him.

"After he told me he couldn't kill any of us because of a promise to his master, he told...told me to tell you that, if we invaded the castle and attempted to take the life of the false rulers, he would find us and kill us, along with everyone we've ever cared about, He spoke of slaughtering us all without hesitation."

King Canis' eyes narrowed before levitating a wine glass up to his lips, faintly sipping the vintage wine that was inside his favorite glass that they had their scouts collect from the surface.

"He speaks of slaughtering an entire tribe of Lycans?" Phoenix spoke with a smile.

The Prince held his hoof up to his mouth to try and hold his laughter, but to no avail. He busted out into a roaring laughter that nearly resembled the primal roar of his transformed state. The King cracked a smile at his son's cockiness and lightly shook his head.

'Ahh...to be a young pup again.' he thought, recalling his days as a fierce warrior like his son had grown to be.

"So, does this foolish creature have a name?" Phoenix asked through his snickering.

Night Shade let out a nervous laughter, thinking to himself that he was foolish to think that this monster would ever pose a threat to the Lycan race.

"Hehe. He said, if I recall correctly, his name was Marius the Vampire King. He said," he spoke as his nervous laughter began to develop into a hard to chuckle. "He said that it will be the name that will lead to all of our deaths if we attempt to hurt those he cares care about!" Night Shade spoke, now laughing hardily along with the Prince and both Lycan warriors.

"Hahaha!" Prince Phoenix roared at the silliness of them being frightened at first when only one of their squads had been threatened, when they weren't of Lycan blood yet. "Father, how funny do you find it that-"

Pssshhhh

The sound of the King's wine glass hitting the floor and shattering broke them of their laughter. Phoenix now looked at his father, and quickly his expression changed to one of utter shock, as did everypony else in the room.

Prince Phoenix had seen his father ride through the roughest conditions and face the most fearsome creature's in Equestria and in all of Equis period, with nothing but a smug smirk plastered upon his face. He could not be shaken. He was one of the ten tribe Kings of the Lycan race, and the most high ranking and well respected among them. He was utterly fearless, so when Phoenix looked into the eyes of his father and saw his eyes wide and his whole body shaking from pure terror...

It was a bit off-putting to the Prince.

"Father, what's-"

"Say...that name...again," King Canis spoke near inaudibly. His shaky voice the matched the last leaf upon a dying tree. Frail, and scared of things to come.

"M-Marius the Vampire King," Night Shade spoke once more, only much softer.

King Canis put his head in between his front hooves as he sat, looking down at the ground with his bug-eyed expression not wanting to believe the horrifying reality of what he just discovered.

"No..." Canis said quietly. "No, no, no....It's just a legend. It can't be true, can it?" the King began talking to himself. He started to slowly shake his head between his hooves.

"No. Not like this...," Canis said, throwing his son into all-out worry for his father. "It can't be true. No, it can't be...him."

"Father, do you recognize that name?" Phoenix asked, reluctant of what the answer might be.

King Canis didn't answer his son. Instead he jumped out of his throne and screamed,

"Are you lying, you useless worm?!" the immensely loud voice of the old unicorn roared throughout the throne room.

"NO! I swear to you my King, I'm telling the truth! Please believe me!" screamed the unicorn; now being pinned to the ground by the already transformed Lycan who was making sure he didn't run away.

Phoenix's father stared at the ground blankly.

"So it is true then. All the legends that were told to me as a pup...all those horrible things that monster did," the King spoke to himself, before looking up and burning a hole into Night Shade with the pure furry of his glare. "And you made him aware of our existence." seethed the King. Phoenix watch as his father showed more anger than he though would have ever been possible, directly towards the botched assassin.

"Kill him!" screamed the King. "I want you to tear him apart and make him suffer for the foolish act he has committed!"

Night Shade's eyes widened.

"No, I'm begging you sire! PLEA-"

Pop went the unicorn's throat in mid-sentence, as the large Lycan's jaws clamped down on it, obeying the wishes of their King. The other Earth pony quickly transformed in several seconds, each sickening crack of bone louder than the last, and joined in tearing Night Shade apart limb from limb, drenching their dark brown fur in the blood of the pony and lapping at each oversized wound with their tongues like rabid beasts.

Phoenix watched as they slowly began to devour the unicorn, even after all life had faded from his eyes and he was just a fresh corpse.

"Phoenix, I want you to come with me to my personal archives," his father spoke seriously to him while walking towards the doorway of the large, stone throne room.

"Father...who is this Marius?" Phoenix asked, wondering what he should be scared of if it terrified his father so much. King Canis only returned his son's question with a scowl.

"I said, follow. Now." the King spoke in his deep, elderly tone that was borderline scolding as he walked out the doorway. Phoenix stared for a second at his father, confused, before quickly following him out the door

The King reached the large library that was adjacent to his room, after walking down the long and empty stone corridors that led to his personal chambers. Walking inside the library, the King spoke to his son,

"Go sit by the table."

Phoenix slowly walked toward the large and fanciful oaken table, before sitting softly and placing his hooves on the tabletop. His father seemed to disappear behind one of the rather tall, five-layer bookshelves, leaving Phoenix to contemplate to himself.

'What in the name of our Ancestors is father so scared of?!' the Prince thought, a small patch of anger rising from inside of his body. He looked to the ruffled fur on his hoof, before lightly slamming it into the table with contained anger and a subtle hint of his own fear.

'This enemy surely does not pose a threat to us. We are proud Lycans, and the worst enemy we have ever faced in keeping our secrecy from those two self-proclaimed Princesses is the nefarious Plot Twist.' Phoenix thought to himself. The Prince's lips curled up into a sinister smile.

Plot Twist. The name alone sounded foolish, but the stallion himself was twisted beyond all recognition. He fancied himself a monster hunter and was raised as such, swearing an unending Vengeance upon every Lycan he ever met. Phoenix had met the individual a few times himself, but never before had he been able to best him in battle. Between the Prince's superior strength and cunning, yet Plot Twist's skill and brutality towards the Lycans was unmatched. They called him Plot Twist because of his cutie mark, which resembled two white theater masks, one of sorrow and one of despair.

Phoenix scoffed.

'Luckily, he always leaves us his little trademark to help us locate him the next time.' he thought.

Indeed it was true. Plot Twist would take a silver fillet knife and carve the faces off of the strongest Lycans he fought, before tanning and stretching them out. He then nailed them onto a tree with the face in either a smile or a frown. If he considered it a challenge, it was a smile. If it was an unpleasant and unsatisfying kill, he would have carved a frown into the face instead, that way they knew. It was his grotesque calling card.

'One day...one day I'm going to kill that insane pony, and as my claws through his flesh,' the Lycan Prince thought to himself as his teeth slowly extended and his eyes flashed from green to a brilliant silver for a few seconds. 'I'll wear the largest smile I have ever worn in my life.'

Thud

The sound of the book hitting the table jarred the Prince from his thoughts and he looked up to see his father, glaring down at him.

"Phoenix...now is not the time to daydream, you incompetent fool! If you're going to act like your brothers, then I might as well reserve my throne for them!" yelled the old and angry unicorn to his son. "Now, runt of my litter; if you are done daydreaming, perhaps you would like to take a look at that book and know what kind of impending doom that we face?!"

Phoenix could tell his father was shaken up, but even still, the comment about giving the throne to one of his older brothers, Ashen and Helios. The three brothers had been at war with each other for years over their father's throne, and the underground society of the Lycans did not do their brotherly relationship any favors, as well. They all loathed each other. Phoenix looked away from his father and down to the book at the table.

He gasped.

"What is this?" Phoenix asked his father.

"That, is an ancient book said to be over twelve thousand years old. It was handed down in every Generation of our family, and out of all of the tribes of our human ancestors, we were the ones entrusted with it; The Etlu Ina', considered to be the most powerful Lycan tribe of their time," the King answered his son.

The book itself was very large and seemed to be incredibly sturdy, as it was made of a thick, leather like substance that had a light tan color to it.

"What is it?" Phoenix asked while picking the huge book up in his hooves to begin examining it.

"It is called, The Grimoire of Walpurgis. It was passed to my protection whenever I came about ruling upon the throne." King Canis answered.

"I see," spoke Phoenix. He looked at the binding on the back and it seemed to have a large diagonal stitching pattern that snaked through the book's material. The material itself actually felt...squishy? "What, in the name of Gods, did they make this book from?" Phoenix asked.

His father closed his eyes before responding.

"It is bound in human flesh and inked in human blood."

Phoenix through back on the table in disgust, appalled that such a book could exist. The King levitated the book back to his soon and propped it in front of him. Phoenix finally turned his gaze upon the dark red lettering on the front, made elegantly by long dead blood, etched permanently into human skin. The words on the front stuck out to Phoenix like a sore thumb.

A cold chill run up Phoenix's spine, as he sat in the dimly lit library with his father.

"Read," his father spoke sternly to him. Phoenix cleared his throat and recomposed himself, before gently opening the thick, abomination of a book. His view fell upon the first fleshy page.

His eyes fell widely upon an image that he would not have expected to see. Drawn on the flesh was a painting of sorts, displaying a man with a long black coat on a massive, jagged throne. He looked relaxed, almost to the point of utter boredom as he sat and leaned back in his throne with two fingers and a thumb lightly gracing his face. His expression was one without emotion. Complete and total nothingness, only it seemed that his eyes were entirely shaded in. Phoenix guessed it must have meant that his eyes were glowing at the time. His other hand held a massive sword that was pierced into the ground before him, matching the description that the others gave of this, Reaver perfectly. What was most disturbing was what Phoenix saw in front of the throne.

He gulped.

Bodies. A massive, unending pile of mutilated bodies stood at his throne. He turned the page, and began to read the elegant blood-text that had been etched into skin.

Let all who know this name cower in despair; Marius. It is the name of the worst disaster to ever befall mankind. Marius was the first, of the race known as the Nosferatu. The Vampire race. We, the Vampires, are cold and dead. Our heart is unmoving and we sustain ourselves with the blood of living creatures. We are abominations...but we can die. We are given the good grace of final death, and even with our souls gone and no afterlife, we can still be at peace. The father of Vampirism, however, cannot.

Phoenix quirked an eyebrow as he read those words, mouth wide open.

"How odd. No souls?" he asked himself as his father didn't respond. The King merely sat next to his son at the table and nodded his head, motioning for him to continue reading. Phoenix did as his father wished, and drew his eyes back to the page.

Marius, our creator and the man considered to be the father of Unlife, is not fortunate enough to know the finality of death. He is not kill-able, along with utterly and completely indestructible. The humans have their little nicknames for him, such as 'Eater of Gods and Ender of Worlds' or 'The One Who Walks Beyond the Veil'. Even as my old and feeble hands use this quill to etch these words, our master has been the walking this world for generations. The darkness in his heart is unlike any others, yet he remains kind to those who deserve kindness. The one fact remains, Marius, our King is the most monstrous being that has ever been birthed into this existence. Our Lord may put on a facade to disguise himself with no emotion, but these ears have listened for many a century. I can hear the cries of our King. He is in agony, wanting the comforting grip of death to finally embrace him. That is the constant. Whereas others, we, the Lesser Vampires will fade with time, along with the humans; he will remain, unending. Such is the cruel nature of the pact that our leader has made to obtain Unlife. I have never asked who, or what gave our King his power, and I imagine I would never want to know the answer to my own curiosity. This book, shall be his grimoire, sating the curiosity of all who wish to know the history of us, of him, and our City of the Dead, Walpurgis.

The words ended there. Phoenix stood, staring in shock at the sudden knowledge of Vampires. He turned the page with his magic, only to find a table of contents for the huge book and a massive timeline with thousands of ancient historical events listed on it.

"Father," Phoenix whispered. "Is this true? Does this...Vampire, really exist?"

King Canis opened his eyes finally and stared at his son.

"I did not want to believe it, but it is true. The words of that fool Night Shade are too similar to just be dismissed. One of the many, many things in that book it describes is how he was the one who created the Lycan gene," Canis explained to Phoenix. Phoenix's eyes widened.

"So, that would make him our creator as well?" he asked.

The King responded with a nod of his head. Phoenix narrowed his eyes.

"Let me kill him, father. This book i-"

SMACK

The King's right hoof slammed across the face of his son, tearing a large gash in his cheek and knocking him to the floor. The King bellowed at the Prince furiously,

"ARE YOU REALLY THAT FOOLISH, YOU STUPID, VAIN CHILD?! YOU THINK THAT WE CAN KILL HIM WITH SUCH SIMPLE TACTICS?!"

Phoenix rubbed his nearly broken jaw with his hoof as his father roared at him.

"Then what do you wish us to do?! Continue to hide underground like filthy dogs?! We are above that! There must be a way he can die. There has to be!" screamed the Prince in return.

"There isn't one that we know of! That's the point!" yelled the King who left his son writhing in pain on the floor, blood running down his face and onto the floor. King Canis thought to himself as he walked down the long stone hallway,

'I don't know why you are here, but I promise you demon, I won't let you stop my progress of taking this land for my own. I will use my fear as a conduit to spawn hatred. Hatred which I will combat you with, and eventually kill you with...somehow.'

Little did the King know, just what horrors were still to come for him and his people.

Act II: Rules

"What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature."
-Voltaire

12,343 years ago, during the Age of Technology...

Ding.

The sound the phone made in her ear was a clear indication that someone had called in while she was on the line. She reached her finger over to the numeric pad on her desk and punched in the pound key, before pressing the number one. She spoke into the phone,

"You've reached the office of Mr. Giovanni, please hold," she told the person on the other end of the line as her finger still hovered over the pound key. She quickly clicked it once again and continued the conversation she was previously having on the other line.

"I understand that your time is very valuable sir, and I wouldn't want to waste any more of it, but Mr. Giovanni is a very busy man as well. He's wanted to schedule a meeting for weeks to discuss the proper use of your Graphite in..." she trailed off as the other voice on the line began speaking.

A young girl dressed in a denim mini-skirt and a cut-off leather jacket looked up over her cell phone and to the receptionist talking on the phone.

"Mom," the girl spoke, trying to get the attention of her mother who was attempting to schedule a meeting for Mr. Giovanni. The older woman lifted her finger to hush her daughter as she spoke on the phone. After sitting for at least a full minute while listening to the business man on the other end of line chat, she gave a defeated sigh.

"Yes, Mr. Newman. I understand," she spoke "I'll tell him that we will just have to plan around your schedule."

She then put the phone back on the receiver before turning and talking to her daughter, whose fingers were flying on her cell phone. She was no doubt texting her "friends" that her mother had deemed horrible influences on her.

"Yes, Summer? What did you want?" the platinum blonde woman asked her oldest child, who was nearly her spitting image.

Summer rolled her eyes before crossing her legs and making her back more lax in the waiting chair she sat in.

"When are we gunna get to leave?" the teenage girl asked with annoyance. "If I miss Sasha's birthday party tonight, I am going to be so pissed."

"Watch your language," Vicky spoke crossly to her child. "And we won't miss it." She picked up a stack of stapled papers on her desk and began to tap them on the surface of said desk, before shuffling them back into a beige folder marked with the name; Mr. Gregory W. Newman. "We'll probably just be a little late is all. I don't get off for another hour, and Mr. Giovanni is still in his board meeting."

Her beautiful yet naive daughter wrinkled her nose and blew a single strand of blonde hair out of her eyes, before staring back at her miniature keyboard.

"I don't even know why you try, Mom. You've been here for how many years, serving that guy his coffee, getting his dry cleaning, and doing whatever he wants you to do? But he still hasn't given you a single raise. He's a greedy jerk, mom."

Vicky was wearing black heels to accent her white blouse and business skirt, which made it a bit awkward to actually have to slide the rolling desk chair she sat in. Nonetheless, she slid her chair back to where it was in front of her computer.

"Summer, you know we struggle as it is with money," Vicky explained. She then craned her neck and glanced towards the door behind her desk. She assessed whether anyone could hear her before whispering across the desk to her daughter, "Look sweetie, I know it's not the best job, but with your father not working and your graduation coming up in a few years, it's the best I can do. Now please, be quiet or he and your voice will carry and Mr. Giovanni will hear you along with his colleagues."

The young blonde merely gave an aggravated sigh and slumped in her chair. Her thumbs once again went to the screen of her cell phone. Vicky moved the mouse on her desk for her computer, which brought back the log in screen as clear as day. Her password was one she could always remember and very close to her heart. She quickly typed in her daughter's birthday, sliding her fingers across the black ergonomic keyboard. The blank blue background of her desktop popped up. She brought up a spreadsheet that she had been working on for all the scheduled meetings for her boss, and began typing the information from a large notepad of appointments into the spreadsheet.

As Vicky worked, Summer sat in silence over by the wall adjacent from her mother. The receptionist glanced over to the seat which contained her daughter, and she quickly gave an embarrassed cough.

The door to her left and out of her field of vision opened quietly, without Vicky noticing. She whispered to her daughter,

"Summer, pull down your skirt."

Summer rolled her eyes like any typical annoyed teenage girl.

"Why, mom? Isn't it just me and you in here?"

Vicky opened her mouth and was about to inform her daughter that the bottom thread of her underwear was showing barely from underneath her skirt, but a deep male voice cut her off.

"Even if it were just you and your mother, it is very unladylike to sit in a manner such as that," the smooth voice rang throughout the near deathly-quiet waiting room. Vicky and Summer both jumped at the voice and now stood looking at a large man who now stood in front of Vicky's desk, ready to be waited on.

Actually, the word large didn't do the man justice.

He was massive. Roughly eight feet tall and wearing a black suit with a dark red undershirt and tie. His hair was a dark brown; nearly black. He gave a smirk down at them as they gawked.

"I do not mean any offense, of course. Just making a gentlemanly observation."

Vicky shook her head and recomposed herself while Summer pulled down the bottom of her skirt some, that way she wouldn't be as embarrassed if someone else just happened to walk through those elevator doors across the room.

"Um..." Vicky spoke, trying to collect her thoughts. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked the large man, looking into his deep blue eyes.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Appointment?" he asked.

Vicky reached to her left and grabbed the stack of papers she was using as a guideline for her spreadsheet.

"Yes. I'm afraid the Mr. Giovanni does not like having visitors without them making an appointment first. Did you call and schedule one with him?" she asked while staking the papers and looking up at the mystery man.

He merely smiled down at her.

"I'm afraid I did not," he spoke.

"Oh, well..." Vicky told him as she searched her desk for something to write with. She glanced at her daughter quickly to find her looking up at the huge man from over her phone, just in time for her to knock over her cup of coffee all over her appointment sheet.

"Ahh!" she exclaimed softly as she jumped up out of her chair. She frantically grabbed the notebook which held the papers and waved it in the air. Summer chuckled under her breath at the display of her mother's clumsiness, unknowing of what would happen to her because of one mistake.

'Dammit! If Mr. Giovanni finds out I ruined this week's appointments, he's going to...' Vicky thought and winced as she wafted the papers in the air. 'Hit me again.'

"Are you alright miss?" the large, handsome man asked the receptionist.

"Oh, I'm just wonderful. Peachy," she spoke sarcastically. "Aside from burning myself and just ruining every appointment my boss had this week, I'm doing just fine."

The man frowned.

"How interesting..." he spoke.

Vicky brought the notebook up to her face and noticed that all the work she had put into writing every single meeting down was washed away, and the majority of the pages were now soggy. She threw the notebook in the trash.

"Great," she spoke with a tone of disappointment. She looked up at the man.

"Well, Mr. Giovanni is convening with his board sir, and since you didn't make an appointment I can't do much for you other than tell you to just come back another day, but make sure you schedule first," she explained as she slumped back down into her chair and ran her fingers through her long, platinum blonde hair.

"Hmm," the man let an intrigued sound escape his lips. He looked over to her daughter.

The man stared at the young girl, his curious yet unlustful gaze running down her short denim skirt, her black skate shoes, and her wild yet shimmering blonde hair. She reeked of hairspray and cheap perfume, yet she had an innocent look about her. It was almost as if she put on the mask of a hotheaded teenager for a facade, to impress her friends.

The man smiled gently.

"Umm...Was there anything else you needed help with?" Vicky asked while looking at the relatively young man who was gawking at her teenage daughter. He didn't answer her question, and instead said something entirely unrelated.

"You love your child, do you not?"

The middle-aged woman began to grow worried. The huge man looked back to her to see the look of concern she had for the threatening tone he just used. He quickly realized what she thought.

"Oh no, I didn't mean anything harmful. I swear," he spoke while waving his hands in his defense at Vicky's confused stare. "It's just that I see that you really care for your daughter, and I admire that immensely."

Vicky cocked her eyebrow at the strange behavior of the huge man.

"Of course. Isn't that what being a mother is all about? Loving your family and friends is part of being human."

The man stared at the ground and chuckled through his lips.

"Hmhm. You would think so, wouldn't you?" he spoke. "Unfortunately, the majority of your kind seems to think otherwise. They mask their true intentions with a facade of false caring, only to further their agendas in the short amount of time they have left in this world. It's like an art form to most of them, using the ones who care about them to their advantage. One of the many flaws I loathe about the majority of your race."

The room was dead quiet for a while, an awkward silence building in the waiting room that was palpable enough to be cut like a gourmet butter. All the while, both Vicky and Summer stared at the man looking at the ground.

"I'm...sorry sir, but what was your name again?" Vicky asked.

The man brought his head up and looked into the woman's eyes with a deathly serious expression. It was almost as if his radiant blue eyes were staring into her very soul.

"My name is of no importance, Victoria," he told her. At the sound of his voice, the light coming from all the fixtures that adorned the white walls dimmed slightly, giving the entire room an orange glow. "What is important is that you and your daughter get out of this building immediately."

Both Victoria and Summer glanced at each other with worried expressions. Summer slowly put her phone back in her purse while Victoria reached down slowly. She pressed the security alarm very slowly and carefully, making sure the man didn't notice.

"Sir, I work here in this office why would I-"

"Want to get out of this building?" he cut her off. "Because in a few minutes your employer will be dead, just like the security that you attempted to contact with that silent alarm."

Vicky felt her stomach drop, and a cold chill ran down her spine.

"Wh...What?" was all she could muster out.

In a flash, the huge man appeared behind her desk. She turned quickly and looked up at the man with terror.

"Mom!" Summer screamed, and her mother turned around just in time to see the intimidating man inches away from her face. The way he instantly appeared behind her, it was almost as if he decided to teleport behind her.

"Mom!" Summer shouted in worry, and Vicky twisted behind her desk and grabbed a sharp pen. She swung her arm in an attempt to jam the pen inside her apparent assailant.

He caught her by the wrist before she could bring the pen down.

'Why are you being frantic? There is no need for this.' the man's smooth voice could be heard in her mind.

Vicky gasped.

"Wha....Did...you do that?" she asked. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, before speaking into the deepest reaches of her thoughts once more,

'Listen to me; I'm not going to hurt you or your daughter in any way. You have my word. Although, if you do not leave this building immediately, I will not be able to guarantee your safety. I understand this man has been violent with you and if you left, he would be furious, but I promise you that you will never have to worry about him harming you again. There will be a short man downstairs just outside the door. He will be wearing an odd looking leather outfit and hood. He will also have two swords strapped to his back. I want you to tell him that I sent you down. He will give you the money you need to live happily and healthy while supporting your family, even without employment. Now, leave at once Victoria.' the voice echoed throughout her head.

Vicky looked down to the ground.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The man smirked.

"Just an upstanding citizen."

Vicky ran over to her daughter who watched the whole spectacle with terrified curiosity.

"Mom, what-" Summer began to ask, but the jostle of being led to the elevator by her mother jarred her out of the question.

They quickly rushed to the elevator hand in hand, Vicky more nervous than ever about the sudden life threatening situation. As she got in the elevator with Summer and frantically pressed the one button over and over again, Summer realized she forgot something.

"Mom, my purse! It has my phone and everything in it!" the girl spoke. As soon as those words escaped her mouth, the man appeared before them with an outstretched hand, holding her purse. Summer grabbed the purse from him as he offered it back to her and began to thank him. She didn't get a chance to before he spoke,

"Remember, always cherish each other."

The elevator doors closed as they caught their last glimpse of the man...and he was smiling.

Across the waiting room and through the door leading to the conference room, Mr. Giovanni was concluding a meeting with several of his associates. A rather plump man in the middle of the long table began to yell,

"I don't see why we should have to entrust them with the valuable resources this company was built on! This is a firearms company, so why should we give weapons to people who aren't even human?!" An older colored gentleman across from him answered crossly,

"We supply them so they don't kill us! Why else would we? We have to think of the future of Giovanni Munitions, not be more agreeable with our pride. Are you that foolish?"

"Everyone calm down." Mr. Giovanni spoke with his raspy voice. He was not old, but was in his mid to late thirties. Mainly, it was all the constant nicotine use that caused his voice to be so raspy. "We have held a contract with Walpurgis for years, and no one even knows it exists. I assure you, our standing with the Vampires is very firm in trust. We warrant them modern weaponry, and in turn we gain profit and immunity. As for what is right or whether dealing with them is right or wrong, let's be honest here. We are business men, correct? " the sly man asked his associates. They all looked to one another and nodded their head in agreement.

He smiled a smile more crooked then one could possibly imagine.

"Then we have to think about what pays, not ethics. Our budget comes first, everyone. Every other human life they extinguish does not."

"How admirable of you." a terrifying voice came from the walls of the conference room, frightening everyone inside.

The doors to the conference room swung open, revealing the large man who let Mr. Giovanni's receptionist and her daughter escape with their lives intact.

Every single man and woman in the room looked dumbstruck as they looked up at the intimidating man.

"Who are you?" Mr. Giovanni asked, hair standing on edge.

The large man looked across the room with a smile.

"I come to kill every one of you on behalf of the Vampire race."

The room became extremely cold.

"I...Is th...this how the Vampire King does things? He sends a minion to handle his business for him?" Mr. Giovanni spoke, trying to seem intimidating, but did a horrible job of masking his terror.

"Actually, no. He prefers to handle his business himself," the man spoke. Everyone's eyes widened at what he spoke. Before them, the black suit that Marius wore melted into a long black overcoat. His blue eyes began to change back into a solid, blood red glow and his fangs extended once more. In seconds, the massive Vampire King stood before them, and he brought with him their imminent death.

He gave them a fanged smirk, before lifting his hand into the air.

"As he has always done."

Marius' hand exploded, and from the stump of his wrist, hundreds of long strands of dead blood flew through the air. The strands solidified and impaled every single man and woman in the conference room. A woman ran for the door, only to have her eyes punctured and explode from being impaled, along with having several strands puncture through her chest, legs, and throat. She fell lifeless to the ground after becoming a human pincushion and her freshly spilled blood seeped out onto the ground. Others were punctured, stabbed, and some even had their bellies and chest split open, their innards falling onto the ground and coating the former white carpet in a purple viscera.

All the while, the Vampire King never moved an inch. Twelve men and woman now lay dead on the ground, and Marius retracted his blood back into the stump of where his right hand was, before quickly regrowing it. Mr. Giovanni was still alive and fumbling through his colleague's mangled corpses in fear.

"Please spare me! Why are you doing this?!" the corporate mogul screamed at the top of his lungs.

Marius sauntered across the room as he reached down and grabbed the man violently by his throat, before lifting him up to eye level.

"Because you deserve it, you greedy disgusting creature," Marius spoke before letting a red current of plasmic energy course through Mr. Giovanni's body, electrocuting him and causing him intense pain.

"Aaaaaagggghhh!" the human screamed through having his throat squeezed by the hand of the Vampire. Marius looked into the eyes of the man.

"I will manage your company after you are dead. You need not worry," Marius told him. "I had planned on killing you quickly with the others and not making you suffer. But after learning how violent you were with an innocent woman who just wanted to support her family..." he trailed off.

Snap

"AAAAAGGGHHH!"

In a quick motion, Marius struck Mr. Giovanni's back and snapped all the vertebrate in his spine. Marius then wrapped his huge hands around the human's face, and looked into his eyes. Marius was so close; the human could smell blood on his icy cold breath. The pooled blood around the room began to move towards the Vampire's feet and meld with the black boots of his outfit, becoming one with him and helping appease his thirst.

"Now, stare into my eyes, and know the meaning of true agony," the Vampire whispered. Mr. Giovanni was shaking, sweat streaming down his face. The human looked into the eyes of the Vampire and saw his black pupils expand and darkness cover the deep red glow of his eyes. Marius' mouth began to stretch and expand as his fangs grew incredibly long.

"M-Monster..." were the last words Mr. Giovanni, before he viewed things that were not meant to be viewed by mortal eyes. His vision went black and his organs liquefied before oozing out every of every bodily orifice.

At this point, death would have been a blessing for the human...

"Peeka-boo!" the black alicorn yelled goofily as he brought his hooves out of his face.

"Hehehe!" the little foal inside the cradle giggled.

Luna and the girls all smiled at Marius' silliness while he played with the child. They had been traveling for hours since the train left in the morning, and had been talking with the passengers all the way up to the evening hours. The crusaders were currently taking a nap after getting into mischief this afternoon, and ruining half of Rarity's outfits she brought on the trip with a chocolate milkshake. Rarity was appalled but everyone else guffawed at her overreacting for a few silly outfits being ruined. Marius was laughing along with Luna, until his master ordered him to wash the dresses that were ruined. The Vampire wasn't too happy about that.

Now, in the evening, everyone had calmed down and sat discussing small talk. Rarity and Spike were cuddling in their seat, as were Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Twilight was chatting with Rarity while Spike was listening to them converse, and Fluttershy was reading a book she borrowed from the library for the trip. Pinkie was chatting with Luna about the things that the castle chefs cooked for royalty, and Marius was playing with the foal of one of the passengers.

"Bllllpph bwah bwah bwaaaah. You're so adorable; I could just eat you up!" Marius spoke to the little foal. The little cream colored unicorn foal looked up at the Vampire with her large green eyes and continued giggling. The foal's mother looked up at the huge alicorn nervously. Marius returned a sheepish smile.

"Of course, that's a figure of speech. I would never eat your foal, I swear."

The young mare returned his odd statement with laughter.

"My, you really like children don't you?" the mare asked.

"Indeed he does," a soft voice spoke, approaching the Marius and the mare.

The mare became even more nervous than before.

"I'll have to agree with my companion on this. Your child is quite adorable, isn't she?" the Princess of the Night spoke as she smiled happily and outstretched her hoof to the foal. The little unicorn baby opened her mouth and began gumming Princess Luna's silver slipper.

"T-Thank you P-Princess..." she spoke.

Marius and Luna both cocked an eyebrow.

"Does us being here intimidate you?" Marius asked. The mare scratched the back of her mane.

"Well, I mean...Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria and you, no doubt you're royalty. It's enough to make a normal pony like me and the rest of the passengers on the train be nervous. I don't know whether I'm supposed to relax or bow. Hehehe," the cream-colored mare spoke. Marius and Luna looked to each other and smiled.

"Trust us, you can relax. We just enjoy taking vacations now and again, don't we dear?" Marius said and winked at Luna, before smacking her flank with his hoof.

Luna's eyes became wide and her cheeks blushed red. She looked back at Marius angrily.

"You...I'm going to hurt you." she told the Vampiric alicorn threateningly. Marius merely extended his tongue out at her and smiled.

"You do, and I'll tell everyone you use the Royal Canterlot voice when you climax," he threatened her in return. Luna's jaw dropped, appalled that he would repeat that in front of a total stranger.

"Umm...I think I'll just leave you two alone now," the embarrassed mare spoke before rolling her child's cradle back to her assigned car. Luna still sat in the middle of the car, shocked, before smacking Marius across the face with her hoof.

"You are awful, Marius!" she told him, playful yet extremely embarrassed. The girl's, who witnessed the whole spectacle, just giggled. Marius rubbed his cheek.

"I know, dear." he spoke. Marius leaned forward to share a light kiss with Luna, softly caressing her lips with his. Luna still sulked about being embarrassed in front of everyone, but she could not stay angry at her Vampiric lover for long. The way he kissed her, it made her realize that no matter what he did, she would always see him as her goofy, yet foreboding love.

Little did she know just how wrong she was.

"Well, I think I shall get a few hours of sleep before night falls." Marius told everyone.

"What time will you be getting up, dear?" Rarity asked, careful not to be too loud and wake the sleeping Sweetie Belle asleep on her left side in the seat.

"Most likely after you decide to go to sleep yourself," Marius told them. "Tomorrow, I shall search for...sustenance. I've been feeling particularly thirsty these past few days."

The girls gave odd glances to each other. Marius rolled his eyes.

"No, I won't be asking to feed on any of you. I'll probably take some from an animal, but not enough to render death."

Sighs of relief came from every one of them in unison.

Marius turned and headed back towards the room he and Luna were assigned by the conductor to get some rest.

"Goodnight everypony!" Marius spoke.

"Goodnight!" they all returned.

Marius smirked and shook his head.

'Oh brother, I wonder how you will react to these ponies and their kindness. For that matter, how will you adapt?' the Vampire thought to himself.

Elsewhere, miles across the sea and deep within the heart of the large, bronze castle of the Griffon Capitol, a concrete coffin sat in waiting.

And its occupant, was very hungry.

Act I: Awake

"Each of us bears his or her own hell."
-Virgil

‘It’s been so long. So long…since I have bathed in the moonlight, or felt the chilling embrace of the wind. So long since I’ve started this sleep...’ he thought to himself. ‘I wonder what has happened to that plague of a race. I wonder if after this long they’ve finally become civil. This is highly doubtful, but at the same time probable. The humans...sickening and disgusting. Their entire existence is bent upon the destruction of themselves as well as everything around them. It is as if their creation was deemed to be a gigantic cosmic joke.’ If the creature could spit, he would have. He then remembered something that made his black heart swell with pride. A river of blood being soaked up by summer soil, screams of terror howling through the night sky, and even grown men and women offering their children’s lives just for a chance to keep theirs. Beings that deserved to be slaughtered. 'At least they have one good use.' he thought.

‘Prey.’

That’s all they were to him. All they ever were. Cattle, food for him to play with just before he got his fill. Some of them tasted better than others but that all really depended on what kind of person they were in their life. He had lived among them. They shunned him and called him a monster.

‘A monster that only deserved death.’

Ironic then, that it was death that he gave to them...

It was the hour of midnight. Luna’s moon held high above the night sky. Through the dense trees of the Everfree could be heard signs of struggle. The leaves were rustling as the sick laugh of the creatures holding an innocent captive echoed all the way through to the edge of the forest.

“Please, let me go. I’ll find you all the gems you want. Please just let me see my friends!” begged an alabaster unicorn covered from head to hooves in dirt and leaves. “If you do, I can even give you the rest of the gems in my shop and you can come with me when I look for more and AGH!” The disheveled unicorn found a clawed hand smacking her in the side of the face and quickly lifting her off the ground and onto her side with a yelp. Blood started to trickle down her face and stain her coat from where the crude claws made contact.

"Shaddup stupid pony! Diamond Dogs don't need help looking for gems. This is what pony gets for taking brothers' gems and humiliating them!" the gray and disgustingly skinny Diamond Dog announced with disdain.

She sniffled and had to try her hardest to hold back her tears. She was a proud and fabulous fashionista, and they would not get the better of her and see her cry. Even if she wanted to just sit down and let the tears flow freely and have her friends just hold her and tell her it was going to be alright. Why didn't she listen to her instincts? She knew that it was unsafe to be jewel hunting in the middle of the night, yet she went out regardless, by herself no less. What was supposed to be some last minute searching for baby blue sapphire's (which she needed to finish another project for Sapphire Shores by tomorrow) turned into a living nightmare as she was assaulted and beaten by six Diamond dogs, had her legs tied in a length of rope, had a horn inhibitor placed on her, and was now being drug across the horridly filthy ground of the Everfree Forest.

'This is not the proper way to treat a lady you...you..Ruffians!' was what she thought and dared not say aloud.

Her current situation came snapping back as the slack on the rope tightened, dragging her by the forelegs on the ground once more, leaving a small trail of blood on the ground from her scratch. She continued screaming for help as she had been.

"Someone please help me! If anyone can hear me please help me!..." she checked the side of her face with her shoulder, only to find something that horrified her.

She gasped.

"They're getting dirt in my MANE! HELP ME PLEEEAAASSEE!" She thought at first this would be a horrible idea since it could attract the attention of a manticore or something equally dangerous, but decided it would be best just try and get away while the Diamond Dogs contended with the beast.

"Pony never stops whining!! Shut up stupid pony! Grendel, are we getting close to castle yet?!" the skinny, gray-coated Diamond Dog with a red vest asked. One of the larger and more buff Diamond Dogs answered,

"Yes Rockjaw, castle is right past that clearing, so we can get rid of pony soon," he answered matter-of-factly. Rockjaw looked back and gave the pony a half smirk, bearing his canines and letting out a menacing chuckle.

"Hehehe, good. I'm sick of dragging pony around by myself."

Rarity felt her stomach tighten as she saw where they were taking her.

"Old Canterlot Castle?" she whispered. 'That's where we defeated Nightmare Moon. Why in Equestria would they be taking me there?' Whatever the answer was, Rarity was sure she wasn't going to like it.

Twilight had decided to stay up after midnight for a night of late reading, seeing as how Rainbow asked her if she could stay at the library for the night and they could read the new novel she received yesterday, Daring Doo and the Eternal Scroll. It was another great book for the Daring Doo section, and the story of this particular one they agreed was very cool. It was loosely based on a Neighponese legend about a scroll that could give the user incredible power. They say it could give you a magical font the size of an Alicorn!! As they closed the back of the book, the giddy pegasus almost shot through the ceiling and into the second floor.

"That was SO AWESOME! Can you believe how good that was Twilight? That had to be like the BEST in the series SO FAR!" she squee'd with delight.

"I completely agree Rainbow!! That was very good interpretation of Neighponese folklore, especially the highly detailed descriptions of the ruins they went to in order to track down the scroll," Twilight added happily.

Rainbow gave her a deadpan look.

"I meant the awesome action and cool stunts. *Pfft*...Twilight, you're such an egghead."

Twilight shot her a look of non-amusement.

She gulped.

"Hehehe. But the good kind of egghead," she spoke while smiling nervously.

As if on cue, there were three loud knocks that could have almost been interpreted as slams against the Library's front door. They jumped from where they were siting.

"Just a minute!" Twilight said with a tone of minor annoyance.

She scrambled to the front of the door, guiding her hooves through the mess of books that lay on the floor of the Library. 'I'll have to ask Spike to sort these new books among the shelves tomorrow. She finally got to the doorknob and with a faint glow from her horn, turned the handle and opened the door.

"Zecora!" Twilight said as she ushered the panting Zebra mare inside. "You look like you ran from your house all the way to Ponyville. What's going on?" Twilight asked with nervousness in her voice.

Taking a minute to catch her breath, Zecora finally spoke,

"Twilight...*huff*...I come...*huff*...with news of a dire emergency. I was asleep in my hut when I heard the screams of Ms. Rarity. I instantly awoke with a fright, and busted through my door and into the night. What I saw next made me mistrust my eyes, but surely they were not telling lies. I saw beyond leaves and trees, to what I cannot describe with ease. I saw Ms. Rarity bound, beaten, and being dragged, by a group of creatures that would make anypony surely gag. They were large deformed dogs that had collars of diamonds pure, and they were heading south through the trees of this I am sure."

Twilight and Rainbow sat there shocked. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. One of their own friends had been kidnapped and they didn't even know about it until now.

"Rainbow, gather the rest of the girls! Go tell them all to meet at Fluttershy's cottage! From there I'll cast a tracking spell and we'll go into the forest to get Rarity back. Any questions?" the lavender unicorn asked.

"Uh yeah, Twilight, isn't it kinda dangerous to go into the Everfree Forest at night? Not that I'm scared or anything, cuz I'm TOTALLY not, but like, isn't-"

"I know it's dangerous," Twilight cut her off, "but it's a chance we'll have to take because we have to get Rarity back...safe."

Rainbow stared at her.

"Ok Twilight, I'll meet you at Fluttershy's cottage," she told her. With that she flew out the window and into the night. Twilight turned to Zecora.

"Thank you so much Zecora. We need to get going if we're going to find her in time though."

Zecora nodded before replying,

"Indeed Twilight. You will have my help to keep your friend safe this night."

Twilight was glad her Zebra friend was willing to help. She smiled at her and replied,

"Let me just go get Spike and we'll be on our way."

Twilight knew that she couldn't leave Spike, knowing that he would want to make sure his Lady Rarity was ok. She went at practically a full gallop upstairs. She lightly shook Spike in his bed to wake him up.

"Uggghh, I don't want to wake up yet...huh? Twilight? What's wrong?" Spike asked as he cracked open his eyes. It was clear by the look she had on her face she was freaking out. Spike recognized that bug eyed expression instantly.

"Rarity's been kidnapped by Diamond Dogs. They were headed south in the Everfree Forest."

Twilight didn't have to say anymore, because an instant later, Spike shot down the stairs. Twilight following right behind him and Zecora right next to Twilight. She quickly scooped up the baby dragon and threw him onto her back as she and Zecora ran side by side out the door. The lavender unicorn didn't even bother to turn the lights off as they left.

'When I get my hooves on those Diamond Dogs, they're going to be sorry for tying Rarity up and hurting her like that. They'll get arrested or...or...SOMETHING! I don't know. But I'm going to make sure they get punished for hurting one of my best friends!' she thought as they ran into the night.

Little did Twilight know that there was not going to be a chance to punish them, because by the time she would get there, it would be far too late...

Rarity awoke with a start.

She realized she was laying down, legs splayed and tied down with leather straps. She felt cold stone against her back.They had her tied to a stone tablet. She began to panic when she realized she couldn't move. It was after that she started to hyperventilate. As she took each breath in faster and faster, her large teary blue eyes getting wider and wider, she tried to compose herself.

'Rarity, this is not the way a proper lady react. Correct yourself now. Handle yourself with grace and poise.

As she closed her eyes, her breath started to slow, as well as her her heart rate. She finally opened her eyes. She turned her head to the left, only to wince in pain as the bruises and cuts from the Diamond Dogs on her neck ached. She saw stone, old grey decrepit stone everywhere and noticed the pillars of stone and the slab she was sitting on and the thrones and...

For the second time that night, she gasped very audibly.

'I'm in Old Canterlot Castle. We're in the throne room. Yes I remember, they said they were taking me here...but why?'

She remembered how she had got beaten and clawed by Rockjaw, who she assumed was the grey Diamond Dog with the red shirt.

'For that matter, why are they being so violent? Not even Dragons are this violent. Why, in the name of Celestia, would they hurt me this much? I didn't do anything to deserve this...' she thought sorrowfully.

Then the tears started to flow freely.

'I miss the girls, and I miss my darling little sister, and my cute little Spikey-Wikey. I hope I get to see him again. The darling acts so cute and generous with that little crush he has on me. It's so adorable, and Fluttershy. My dear Fluttershy, I want to go to the spa and clean this disgusting dirt out of my mane and coat, and...'

She began realize that she could no longer feel a horn inhibitor strapped to her head.

'I can use my magic!' a ray of hope shined through as she told herself.

Carefully, without drawing to much attention she began to ever so lightly dip into her magical font and use the most inconspicuous amount of magic she could muster. Slowly but surely the leather strap around her left foreleg came loose.

'Almost there'...

She felt something sharp against her neck.

"Does pony think she's going somewhere?"

She starred in horror as she noticed the jagged knife Rockjaw had at her throat.

"I told you we were going to make you pay, and now pony, you pay."

Twilight looked at the building in disbelief.

"Um...Twilight...why would they take her to the Princesses' old castle, that is um...if you don't mind me asking?" Fluttershy asked just slightly louder than a whisper.

"I'm not quite sure Fluttershy, but whatever they're doing, it's bad. That much I'm sure of," Twilight said as she led them with her tracking spell into the drawbridge of the old castle.

"Hey girls, we'll have have to throw Rarity a super-duper totally funtabulous 'We're Glad You're Safe and Sound Party' when we get her back. What do you say girls? Do ya like that idea? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?" Pinkie quickly found a hoof shoved onto her mouth.

"Ah reckon we can Pinkie, but that means we gotta stay quiet and be real sneaky like, that way we can get the drop on them varmints that done kidnapped her, deal?" said the ever sharp Element of Honesty.

"Opphhku Dpphhku Lpphhku!" Applejack swiftly removed her hoof, which now had accumulated Pinkie drool.

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" she said in rather loud whisper.

"This is true Pinkie Pie. Being absolutely quiet we must try," the Zebra explained to her.

"They better not have done anything to Rarity," said the purple dragon riding on Twilight's back

Rainbow flew just over the head of her best friends.

"Just wait 'till I get ahold of them," the cyan pegasus added with determination.

They all slowly walked into the dark hallways of the castle.

All six of the dogs were gathered around her, laughing and poking her small body with their claws. After retying the leather strap around her foreleg, Rockjaw had already started to cut lightly into her legs and sides. Just enough to have her bleed lightly. She was a mess. Her coat was stained everywhere with blood and dirt. He looked to his other dogs. They all silently nodded. It was time to get nasty.

As he was getting ready to make the fifth cut along her belly, she shuddered. At this point, Rarity was absolutely horrified, because she knew if she tried to use her magic, they would have just killed her, or worse, tried to break her horn. She felt the blade of the knife across her belly. Then, it pierced an inch into her skin.

"AAAAAAGGH!"

She screamed as loudly as her lungs would let her at the sensation of the knife driving itself ever so slowly through her soft white coated skin and into her belly. The dogs simply laughed at the pain she was receiving.

"P...*sniff*...please, I know your not violent creatures! W..*sniff*...what would make you do this?!" she asked between sobs. Rockjaw withdrew the tip of the blade that came ever so close to piercing her stomach lining as they taunted her.

"Pony screams very loudly and we like that. It helps pay back for the trouble of moving that stupid stone to tie you onto. It almost looks like it was made to hold pony!" Grendel spoke.

Rockjaw laughed darkly.

"Good thing we found this place. None even come around castle anymore, so castle make for perfect den. Pony should never have took brother's gems." He moved his muzzle inches from her face and narrowed his eyes."Also, just so pony knows, all dogs are going to have a little fun with pony before we kill her."

Rarity's eyes opened wider than they ever have.

'Th...they're going to violate me...and they're going to kill me....I'm never going to see my friends, Sweetie, or my parents again.'

She couldn't hold back anymore. She sobbed uncontrollably. The beautiful and ever caring Element of Generosity was going to die at the hands of some horribly sick Diamond Dogs, and all she could do was cry for the memories she was going to loose. She finally opened her eyes to their loud laughing. All of them were so busy laughing, no one noticed the blood that had slid down the Element of Generosity's body was being sucked through the cracks in the long and thick stone tablet they had laid her on...

"Are ya sure we're going the right way Twilight?" Rainbow asked unsure

"I'm positive the tracking spell has never fa-"

"AAAAAAGGH!"

They all froze in their tracks as they heard Rarity's scream echo through the halls.

"EVERYPONY FOLLOW ME!" Twilight screamed as she bolted down the hallway while Spike tried his hardest to stay on.

'One thing I really hate about this sleep is the boredom. Utter.....total...and complete.......boredom. Ugghh, this is horrible,' the creature thought to himself. Suddenly a peculiar sensation hit him. One that brought warmth to his long cold body, accompanied with a bitter taste in his mouth that he had not tasted in a long time. His mind snapped to attention, his body flinched, and at the realization of what this delicious nectar running along his tongue was, his eyes shot open open.

"Blood."

"P-p-lease stop. I'm begging you." Rarity pleaded. Rockjaw only scoffed as he prepared to straddle the sobbing little unicorn. He got on top of her and was merely seconds away from forcing himself inside of her.

"Now Poni, you become Rockjaw's property and-"

At this moment all of them became silent, including Rarity's sobbing, when they noticed the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped at least fifty degrees. Then, the moonlight shining through the stained glass window slowly faded away, leaving the room much darker. They could see their breath as it instantly frosted when it left their mouth

"What-", was all that Rockjaw got in before the coffin they had strapped Rarity to, exploded.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Rarity found herself screaming for her life while she traveled through the air, when it felt like something cradled her and she instantly found herself back on the ground, sitting with her side against a hard surface. After coughing the stray dust out of her throat and mouth for a couple of minutes, she looked around the room since the dust had settled. The white unicorn saw the disoriented Diamond Dogs begin to stand. She tried to get up but after the beating and cuts she had received, Rarity found she had no energy left. She knew she was done for. One by one, the dogs got up, and one by one they stared horrifically at her, until all six of them looked absolutely terrified.

'Wait they aren't looking at me. They're looking above me, what could...'

She found her question quickly answered as she felt the surface her side was laying on begin to shift. She slowly turned her head and looked up, and her jaw dropped. She sat there unmoving for several minutes, as time seemed to slow down when the fashionista stared at the most horrible thing that had ever seen in her life.

The creature stood not quite as tall as a Manticore, but it was standing straight on two legs. It was slender yet quite buff. The horrible thing about this creature was the plain as day reason that laid bare for anyone who saw it: It was dead. The creature's skin was dark gray and had several spots of what looked to be rot and fungus developing on it. It had a gaping hole in its chest, which you could see into and tell nothing was inside said chest. At the end of its higher appendages, which connected to what Rarity could only guess was its shoulders, were five longer rounded claws with what looked like bone protruding from them. It also had wings. The wings of what looked like a bat. As Rarity scanned the creature's face, she saw its incredibly elongated sharp teeth, and blood red eyes that seemed like they seethed with pure hatred, which could have been be due to the fact that half of its head was gone.

They all stood there mouth agape at the creature for a while. Rarity would have let out the most blood curdling scream she had ever used in her entire life if she wasn't in shock. Then it opened its hideous mouth.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It's roar was loud enough to shatter the stained glass windows, which promptly did shatter into several hundred pieces.

"ALL DOGS RUN! GET OU-GCHK!" Was all that escaped Grendel's mouth as the creature instantly appeared in front of him, took its right clawed appendage and drove it through the large dog's mouth and out the back of his head with a thick *pop*.

Panic ensued between the dogs. They all rushed for the the exit. A giant swarm of bats came in from the busted window and enveloped the doorway, blocking the dogs from exiting. Rarity saw all of this, including what happened to Grendel.

"No escape..." the creature spoke in a harsh and chilling tone.

What happened next was a blur. From what Rarity could make out of it the creature withdrew its claw and its arm from the now dead Grendel as the dog's body dropped to the ground with a *thud*. It then unfolded its large wings and from what looked like ten to twelve ponystrides, sliced cleanly through the necks of all four dogs except Rockjaw, who was now in the fetal position. The four dogs' heads casually rolled off and dropped onto the ground, followed by a fountain of blood from each body before they too fell. Casually striding, the creature folded it's wings and walked over to the fetal dog, grabbed him by his head, and started dragging him over to Rarity. Rarity realized this but couldn't move or even think out of pure horrific shock and fear.

"Pleeease! Please let me go! I don't want to die! Kill pony instead!" Rockjaw pleaded.

The creature stopped in front of Rarity, who was sitting on the stone floor with her mouth agape. The bats then decided to dissipate from the exit as the creature brought Rockjaw's face to Rarity's, with his claws remained clutched around the top of the Diamond Dog's head.

"As you said to her, now...dog, you become MY property." he spoke to Rockjaw with utter finality in his words.

"NO PLEEAA-" but it was too late.

The creature took Rockjaw's head, tilted it to the side, and as if the Element of Generosity couldn't be more shocked, plunged its long fangs into her kidnapper's neck. She could visibly see the blood being drained through his veins, out of his wound, and into the creature's mouth. It didn't spill a drop. It seemed like an hour but was more along the lines of 10 seconds until Rockjaw's body was nothing more than a lifeless husk and crumbled into dust.

As it stood there, it turned its eyes to Rarity's. Its skin started to change color, gradually going from greyish black to a pale whitish pink. Its wounds quickly healed as the rotten organs in its chest started to grow back as well. The creature's wings also turned from grey into a think shade of black. It also started to grow the right half of its head back, and with that, a short length of brown hair on top of it. As its body healed itself, one thing remained the same: its glowing, blood red eyes. Rarity sat, scared out of her mind as she looked at the large, intimidating (and as she glanced down at her eye level she noticed; male) fully healed monster before her. She returned her gaze upward and they just stared into each others eyes. Rarity thought she was going to die, but it was then that she realized the temperature of the room had returned to normal.

"RARITY?!?!"

'Is that Twilight's voice?' she thought to herself.

"RARITY?!" ARE YOU IN HERE?!" Twilight shouted.

None of them could have expected to find what they found. Rounding the corner, they stood there not believing what they saw. In the large empty throne room, there was more blood than any of them have ever seen in their lives. There were also chunks of gore and concrete lying on the floor along with some severed heads, and on the steps what looked to be the thousand year old body of a Diamond Dog, crumbled into dust. What they saw by the far edge of the room shocked them the most. There was their best friend, covered in bruises and cuts, fur and mane caked with blood and dirt. She sat in front of a huge creature that had no hair except a short disheveled amount on the top of its head, stood upright, and had bat wings.

"GIRLS!" Rarity screamed and ran around the creature, crying the whole way until she finally reached the warm embrace of her friends. All of them promptly squeezed her and it felt like they would never let go.

'My friends came for me...and they actually found me.' She closed her eyes and wept like a newborn foal as did many of her friends.They didn't say anything because nothing needed to be said. Zecora's eyes were still trained on the creature. Not for long though, because faster than she could blink her eyes, the creature was right in front of them. They all jumped back.

"STAY BACK!" Twilight screamed and charged a spell with all her might, releasing it promptly after.

It caught the destructive spell in its claws like a softball, squeezed it, and it exploded leaving a large cloud of dust behind.

"Pheww, I'm glad that...worked?" It came out like a question as her and the rest of her friends watched in disbelief as the creature stood there, with part of its arm missing. It grew back instantly. The being then started walking to the huddled crowd of ponies. All of them tried to get away but found they couldn't as they stared into its eyes, almost as if they were paralyzed. Except for one.

The yellow pegasus promptly flew up to his face.

"I don't know who or what you are, but let's get something straight mister, YOU DO NOT! I REPEAT! YOU DO NOT HURT MY FRIENDS!" Fluttershy was actually taken aback that the being's face didn't even flinch. She still continued to glare. It slowly raised its claw and pressed it lightly to her lips, which she and her friends were completely shocked by. It was as cold as an icicle. Then it spoke,

"Shhhhh...child, you have nothing to fear. I wish not to harm you or your friends," he spoke warmly and smiled at her. Eight jaws simultaneously hit the floor, along with red cheeks as all of them could see his 'male assets' clear as day since he was standing up and had no fur. He then removed his claw and walked over to the rest of the ponies and kneeled down only inches from the whole group and looked into the eyes of the once hostage unicorn.

"Name?" he asked.

She sat there for awhile in all her friends' embrace until she answered him.

"R...Rarity," she spoke softly.

He smiled largely, which bore his fangs.

"Well Rarity, my name is Marius," he crossed his right arm over his chest and bowed. "Now...how may I serve you, my Master?"

She instantly fainted.

Act I: Comfort (Most Wonderful of Nights)

Author's Note: It's finally up! Holy mother of Celestia Marie Dawnstar! So yeah, it took me a while to get this done due to the past two weeks being a living hell. Still, I apologize sincerely for taking so long. This chapter is basically all Marius/Luna, and there will be a VERY steamy scene in which they do become physically intimate. I included a big warning at the beginning of the scene, but I still recommend reading it if you can, for it is a very close moment between them. This is not to be considered wank material, but I really can't help it if someone cranks one out to the story. A massive thanks to my proofreader for this chapter, Drunk Ragdoll. That's about it. I hope you guys really enjoy chapter nine, and as always, remember to favourite, thumbs up, and all that other jazz.-Chain

"What love we've given, we'll have forever. What love we fail to give, will be lost for all eternity."
-Leo Buscaglia

The Lunar Guard slowly creaked open the right side of the large and elegant double doors. They were a deep blue stone that was embossed with the image of a crescent moon surrounded by a small section of the starry night sky. The Lunar pegasus clad in dark blue armor slowly poked his head into the dark room, scanning the darkness with his yellow, cat-like eyes for signs of movement.

"Princess?..." the guard spoke cautiously.

No answer.

Luckily, one of the advantages of being Princess Luna's personal guard was having the ability to see very well in the dark, almost as if a small amount of light were fused with shadow that brought out the edge of every shape and every formation in a dark area. This was thanks to the Illusion spell that was placed on their helmet which allowed them to have their feline eyes.

The night guard used them to look into the Princess's chambers.

The room was different from Celestia's, whereas some aspects were very similar. They both had long marble floors and were attached to a balcony that hung out the towers of Canterlot Castle. The Lunar pegasus scanned the room, looking at the Princess's large and beautifully designed bed with large silver bedposts and draping navy blue curtains decorated in depictions of the many constellations in the night sky. He continued to roll his glance over the plush blue carpets and the glistening silver tables and assorted furniture. The Princess of the Night did not require a fireplace like her sister, because she rather enjoyed the cold. It seemed she was nowhere to be seen.

The lunar stallion received a hard tap on the shoulder, which prompted him to cast his glance away from the room and look backward. There he found one of his daytime superiors glaring at him.

"Didn't the Princess tell you not to disturb her, Stalwart?" the burly royal guard asked.the night pegasus.

Stalwart turned out of the doorway and lightly closed the double doors before scoffing in the direction of the golden armor clad unicorn.

"One such as you has no right to remark on our jobs as our Mistress of the Night's bodyguards," he said crossly to the white unicorn. Stalwart quickly developed a smirk.

"Now leave us in peace, while thou still can."

The day guard was shocked at the manner of disrespect that Luna's personal guard showed him, as well as the other Lunar pegasus watching them and standing over by the other door leading to the Princess's room. The large burly Unicorn leaned down and got inches from Stalwart's face.

"How dare you speak to me in such a way! I am Sun Flower! One of Princess Celestia's select Royal Guards chosen to walk the castle at night and watch for intruders and the like! I am also your superior!" screamed the Royal Guard into Stalwart's face.

Both Lunar Guards looked at each other for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"Doesn't thou think Sun Flower is a bit..er...feminine for a guards name?" asked Stalwart sarcastically to the furious higher-ranking guard now holding Stalwart by the collar of his armor.

Sun Flowers eye twitched.

"You insolent-"

"Doest thou have business here, guard?" came a soft spoken voice from the doorway.

Immediately recognizing the voice, Sun Flower let go of Stalwart's collar, and the guard quickly composed himself before slightly bowing and speaking towards Princess Luna, who was now standing in her doorway.

"Your Highness, I was just making sure that your guards followed their orders. After all, you said at evening court that you did not want to be disturbed-"

"By anyone other than my personal guard. Thank you for your concern on the matter. You may leave now Sun Flower," she told him kindly.

Sun Flower ground his teeth together when he heard light snickering coming from both of Luna's guards at the mention of his name once more.

"Of course...your Majesty," he hissed slighlty before standing up fully, turning, and stomping down the rest of the hallway.

When he was out of sight, both Stalwart and Stonewing, the other Lunar Guard, erupted in laughter. Princess Luna lightly chuckled before turning her head towards the slightly smaller Lunar pegasus on the left.

"Please do not antagonize the Royal Guard further Stalwart Steel. We do not wish to hear yelling outside our chambers," she spoke.

"Understood Princess Luna," Stalwart spoke formally. The Lunar pegasi had a very strong bond with their Princess, as there were only four of them in all, and they were all assigned to guard and befriend her. She was also the one who enchanted their armor for them which gave them their small fangs, yellow feline eyes, and bat wings.

"Now, what did thou want of us, Stalwart?" Luna asked her faithful bodyguard.

Stalwart Steel gave a sheepish grin to Luna.

"Well Princess, we assumed that thou were feeling...out of sorts or how one would would say down in the dumps this evening at court, so we wanted to make sure that you weren't upset in any way," responded Stalwart.

Luna gave a smile to her guard.

"Thank you for your concern, but we are quite alright. We are actually expecting a visitor later tonight, so if it seemed we were...out of it, it was because I was minorly nervous about our...err," she spoke but trailed off.

'What would be another word for date?' she thought quickly.

"...meeting. Hehe," she explained to her guards with a slightly nervous chuckle.

"Now, we wish to be left alone briefly, for we must get ready for our guest. There is much to be cleaned before he arrives," she announced with slight worry before trotting back into her room. A blue aura enveloped the doors and slowly closed them shut. Her guards slightly bowed at her before she walked back into the dark room and slowly closed the large double doors.

Stalwart looked over to Stonewing.

"A guest...and it's a he?" Stonewing spoke curiously. Stalwart narrowed his eyes before speaking softly,

"The Princess has never had a guest of any sort this late at night. Who could it be?" he asked noone in particular.

"We shall make sure he treats our Princess with respect. We shall interrogate him when we have a moment. Agreed?" Stalwart Steel asked his fellow guard.

Normally, Stonewing would never consider meddling in the Princess's affairs, but seeing how she acted one could assume this meeting might be very important to her, and they were dedicated to their Princess of the Night's happiness.

Stonewing turned to his fellow partner and grinned.

"Very well, but we have to be very careful about this..." the Lunar guards turned their glance back down the dark hallway.

"We might be too intimidating to him," Stonewing spoke while laughing along with Stalwart.

Three hours

It had been three hours since she last talked to her guard, and Luna was now sitting on her balcony, looking out over the dark city of Canterlot. There were several lights shining through windows of the city, but it was mostly quiet and peaceful due to everypony being asleep. The princess watched the faint twinkle of every star as it danced in her night sky. It seemed to reflect her mood. They seemed to be sitting and waiting as well. She looked up at them sadly for a good while before closing her eyes and sighing.

"Its midnight, and he's still not here," she said quietly to herself.

She cast her glance over to her dark room and looked inside just to make sure he didn't open the door and come in without her knowing, but the room was still empty. Her face slowly turned into a small scowl.

"He stood us up," she told herself, anger slowly building.

"Who stood you up?" came a voice from directly behind the Princess.

She jumped and nearly tripped over herself before snapping her head around to find the large Vampire crouching on the edge of her balcony with a concerned look on his face.

"Did you mean me? I would never...um...stand you up, was it? I just had to make sure my Master was asleep first. I do apologize for being late, though," he spoke to her as he folded his huge, outstretched wings into his back. The very motion they made when folding seemed to send gusts of cold wind across the balcony and into the Princess's room. Luna dropped her scowl but remained slightly annoyed nonetheless.

"Must you insist on sneaking up on ponies?" she asked him, not bothering to mask her tiny amount of annoyance.

Marius rubbed his chin in thought.

"No, I suppose I don't have to. But it is rather fun, don't you think?" he asked Luna is a playful tone, yet his voice was still as deep and dark as it ever was.

"Fun?" Luna asked herself.

"I am new to this fun, but we believe thou are referring to pranking, are you not?" Luna asked Marius, who was still crouched on the balcony's edge.

"I think that's what it is referred to, yes."

The Princess of the Night brought her hooves up to her mouth to contain her smile.

"Oh how wonderful! We love fun, and we have always wanted to try pranking," she announced giddily.

Marius merely smiled at her and slid off of the balcony's edge and onto the smooth stone floor.

Suddenly, a realization hit Luna.

Her date was here, and this was the first actual gathering that she had with someone in over a few thousand years. She asked him, but she didn't really think Marius would agree, yet here he was with her and she hadn't planned anything for them to do or to keep them entertained. She was brought out of her worrisome thoughts by a light tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to the right and lifted it up to look at the lumbering Marius, who had slowly walked over to her and now stood at Luna's side.

"Is something wrong?" he asked while looking down at her worried expression. The Princess once more found herself stammering while talking to Marius. She drank in the masculine and handsome features of the Vampire who stood so tall and broad at nearly eight feet tall. His somewhat short, yet disheveled brown hair seemed to dance along with the wind accompanied by his stout jaw leading to his smooth and pale face, no hair on it whatsoever besides his perfectly groomed brow. His smile could not hide his expression that could be described as almost lackadaisical, yet it had mystery and a faint hint of pride. The Vampire's deep red eyes were shimmering in the light of the pale moon, as they seemed to be peering into the Princess's soul.

"Well...umm, it's just that we, I...uhh..." she spoke while her inner conscience screamed at her awkward reaction and her eyes began to stare stare at the ground.

"Dost thou have an Abacus?" she asked sheepishly to the Vampire she found so attractive.

She wanted to bury herself in her blankets and hide for years after that question escaped her lips.

To here surprise, he let out a small laugh.

"I used to have several. Very useful for lab work," he said while giving her a gentle smile.

"Hehehe...we do too," she replied quietly while staring at the ground, wishing that she wasn't so socially awkward around others.

It was dead quiet besides the occasional howling of the wind for several minutes while both Luna and Marius stood on her balcony.

"I would very much love a tour of the Castle, if you don't mind that is...dear Luna," he kindly spoke to her, breaking the several minutes of awkward silence.

"A tour?" Luna asked herself as if she wasn't sure what Marius was requesting.

"A tour!" she yelled rather loudly and shot her glance up from the stone floor and smiled at Marius.

"We would love to show you the Castle! Nothing would please us more than to give you the grand tour of-"

"Excuse me, Princess?" Marius cut her off. She blinked.

"You do not have to keep using the Royal 'we'. I myself am very formal, but even I find its continued use to be a bit, umm..." Marius tried to be as sensitive as he could while talking with her.

"Silly," he said while being very careful not to hurt Luna's feelings.

"Hehehe," Luna chuckled, embarrassed.

"I am sorry. It's just that I am not used to being so informal. There is a brief bit of bad history between my sister and I, and it caused me foolishly to try and overthrow her. I assume you already know this from viewing my sister's memories, correct?" Luna asked.

"Yes, and I understand. Being confined to a location for several, or even just one millennia, can tend to affect social skills quite a great deal. I was asleep with nothing but my own thoughts for twelve of them, remember?" Marius reminded her. "So, believe me when I say that I can relate to you more than you realize, Luna," he told her with a kind smile.

The Princess of the Night was a bit surprised to find that someone understood her situation so well. She just stood and stared at the Vampire with a curious look.

'I was alone for one thousand years, and it nearly drove me mad. I couldn't even imagine...twelve,' she thought to herself before asking,

"So....do you wish me to give the tour now?"

"That would be lovely," he told Luna in a gentle tone.

She gave him a kind smile of her own before walking back into her room, Marius following right behind.

As they walked through Luna's chambers, every step they made seemed to echo in the large room. Marius drunk in the elegant designs of silver and blue carpets, along with the matching drapes over her large bed. Marius also looked around at the several paintings on the wall which were very mellow, depicting water color renditions of starry night skies and lakes with moonlight reflected off of its surface. Something odd caught Marius' eye at the edge against Luna's wall. It was a large black square object that had a mirror-like surface facing outward, and in front of the object were two plush, blue chairs designed for Pony comfortability.

"Luna?" Marius asked with baffled curiosity.

"Hmm? Yes Marius?" she asked the Vampire, who took his left hand out of his coat's pocket and pointed a finger towards the mysterious rectangle.

"What is that odd object?"

Luna stretched a smile from ear to ear.

"That is a device that our-er...my sister gave me recently since I arrived back from banishment to help pass the time and boredom here in the Castle. It's called a television," she told him happily.

Marius' eyes widened.

"I remember these! The humans invented these in the last era. It was their time for technological advances that were unheard of...but," he turned to Luna who was closing in on the large double doors that led to her hallway.

"How did you, let alone all of pony kind learn to make these?" he asked with utter disbelief, a trait that was very rare to him.

Luna lightly chuckled.

"Well, you surely know that your coffin wasn't the only thing we found buried, correct? After all, how do you think we found tomes depicting what you were? We have unearthed blueprints, cookbooks, and even some weaponry that was very weathered, but still able to examine," Luna explained. "Did you even look at all of my sister's memories when you tasted her blood?" she asked while still chuckling.

Marius became somewhat sheepish himself, and purposefully put on the worst poker face he could muster.

"Well...I admit I may have skimmed over other details, such as television blueprints, but I found what I was looking for."

Luna raised an eyebrow.

"You were searching for something? What was it you were looking for?" she asked him, puzzled.

Marius closed his eyes.

"Hmmm...Well you could just say he's an old friend of mine. I'll elaborate more on that later. Don't you have a tour you're supposed to be giving me?" he asked as if the Princess had forgotten.

"Aren't you the one who stopped and gawked at my television?" she shot right back with a grin.

Marius laughed quietly.

“I suppose you're right.”

They continued walking in the quiet and hollow bedroom until they reached the double doors. With a faint blue aura she opened the doors slightly and poked her head outside to speak to her guards. Both were still waiting patiently for the guest that she said would arrive tonight.

"Stalwart? Stonewing? I have someone I'd like you to meet," she told them. Both guards had stern looks on their faces and pivoted to look at their Princess directly.

"Yes your Majest...Maje...Maaaajesty?" Stalwart was rambling, for he did not expect what came out of his Princess's bedroom. He was at a loss for words as the Princess opened the double doors slowly and the massive Vampire took several steps out of the shadows. He bent down and looked the Lunar guard right in his eyes with blazing red orbs that Stalwart assumed were the creature's own eyes. He had on a smirk which bore a single fang that was much larger and sharper than their Illusionary fangs which were created by their helmet. He was smiling mere inches away from Stalwart's face when his clawed hand wrapped around Stalwart's hoof and began shaking it.

"Stalwart Steel and Stonewing, this is Marius," spoke the Princess who couldn't contain her light giggles at the scared expressions of her guards.

Marius smile only widened.

"Charmed!" he thundered in his deep voice, causing Stalwart's helmet to vibrate until it was leaning on the right side of his head. Stalwart slowly brought his other hoof up and pushed it back into place, mouth still agape.

"We shall be taking a tour of the Castle. Both my guest and I will arrive back shortly," she told them.

"Yes your Majesty," softly spoke Stonewing who also stood and watched the Vampire with wide eyes.

Marius stopped shaking Stalwart Steel's hoof and put both his hands back in his coat pockets. He looked over at Luna and nodded, who smiled and nodded in return. They were then off down the dark hallway, Luna's bodyguards watching them the whole way. Both slowly turned to face one another and look at each other's expressions. Stonewing gulped before they both turned their heads back to notice that Luna and Marius were nearly out of sight.

"Have fun interrogating him Stalwart," spoke Stonewing in a shaky voice.

The other guard snapped his head in the direction of his comrade.

"Why me?!"

"...and this is the window that depicts when my sister and I overthrew Discord and began our reign over Equestria, bringing harmony to the land and uniting others, creating other colonies across the seas," Luna explained in a proud tone. Marius took it all in, learning from their mysterious and miraculous birth from the nobles of the Unicorn tribe and Discord's reign, along with his unknown origins.

"So this Discord was the embodiment of Chaos...yet he never killed a single pony?" the Vampire asked Luna. She seemed aghast at his question.

"Of course not! Why would he kill anypony?!" Luna asked, not sure of why the Vampire would ask such a ghastly thing.

The Vampire cocked his head to the side while looking at the large stained glass window that depicted Discord being turned into stone by the Celestia and Luna, both harnessing the Elements.

"Well, it seems to me that he never actually intended to hurt anyone or cause direct misery and agony, therefore he wasn't really evil per-say, he was just..." Marius stopped speaking and thought to himself,

'Insult...insult...Lyre was good with insulting, so what would he say?'

"....an asshole," Marius chuckled. He didn't actually curse often, so it was a strange thing to hear it escape his lips. He glanced over at Luna and she looked mildly irritated.

"What do you mean just an asshole? He was a tyrant. He made all of our houses and Castles float upside down, made us all argue with each other, and even made it rain chocolate milk in our sacred land for years!" the Princess raised her voice a little more than needed.

Marius' eyes clenched shut and he threw his head back.

"Bahahahahaha!" Marius held his stomach while laughing for a good while, during which Luna stood next to him in the stained glass covered hallway with a deadpan look.

"Are you finished?" she asked in a monotone voice, loud enough so the Vampire could hear her through his laughter. He held up a finger as he continued to strain out a few more chuckles.

"Oh my, I can't believe you all got bent out of shape over something as small as that. Hahaha," he spoke.

"Honestly, I don't see what's so funny," Luna said under her breath, looking away with a small pout. Marius saw and began to feel the tiniest tinge of guilt.

"I'm sorry Luna. I shouldn't have laughed over something so serious to you. I just...let's just say we've had to deal with VERY different types of enemies," he told her with a smile. He took a couple steps over to where she was standing beside the wall of the hallway, next to a potted plant and table, and no longer pouting.

"Forgive me?" he asked kindly and sincerely to the Princess.

She gave a sheepish chuckle at the Vampire's sincerity.

"Marius, don't be silly. I wouldn't get so angry with you for something as trivial as laughing. Not even my temper is that ill-mannered," she told him.

Marius shocked the Princess a little by reaching down and grabbing her hoof.

"Thank you...my dear Luna," he spoke softly looking into the Princess's light blue eyes. She watched as he slowly closed his own, and brought her sleek and elegant left hoof up to his face, closer and closer to his lips. The Princess slowly widened her eyes like she was having an epiphany.

'He's kissing my hoof. Oh my gosh...ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh...He's going to kiss my hoof! He's actually going to kiss my hoof! That's so ROMANTIC!' her mind screamed, yet her body didn't seem to agree with her. As soon as the Vampire's lips lightly touched the soft fur of her upper hoof, Luna's social awkwardness screamed at her as well.

'You're going to ruin this date...NOW!' it spoke, and once the Vampire's soft and caring lips made contact, her leg twitched upward and her silver slipper collided with his nose.

'NOOOOOOOOOO! CREATION DAMMIT!' Luna's mind screamed at her.

Marius slightly recoiled backwards and giggled after being accidentally kicked in the face by Luna, who immediately pressed her teeth together in a worried manner and outstretched her hooves to try and comfort Marius' face.

"We-I mean I, are so sorry! Are you alright?!" she yelled.

"Do you need medical attention?! I can get medical atte-"

"Luna..." he spoke and twisted his nose back into place with a sickening crack.

"I am fine. I can regenerate my entire body, and all you did was dislocate my nose. I won't need to be put in a hospital or anything of the sort," he assured her. Luna breathed a large sigh of relief.

"I'm so sorry, Marius. I just don't know why I did that," she said sadly, feeling horrible about kicking her date,

"It's alright Luna...really," he told before stretching out his hands and straightening Luna's crown which got jostled to the right side of her mane while she was trying to check Marius' face for hemorrhaging or other types of serious injuries that would never have occurred.

"It is very funny to me, though, how you have such a strong kick for being so small. Hahaha," he laughed as Luna felt his fingers caress her ethereal, azure colored mane, moving the crown back into it's original position. His light touch felt wonderful even on her scalp.

'Why am I acting like this? I know I'm not the most social of ponies, but I'm acting like a nervous schoolfilly or something, she told herself while he was speaking, frustrated beyond belief while letting Marius readjust her crown for her. Once he was done he stood up straight and walked over to the next large stained glass window.

"Now, what does this one depict? That looks like my master and her friends, only they are wearing the jewelry that you and your sister were using in the previous window," he said with interest in the beautiful window.

Luna began to feel that same tinge of regret that she always felt when discussing this subject.

"That is me that they are using the Elements on. Each of the six ponies is a bearer of an Element of Harmony, and they harnessed them when purging me off the greed and selfishness that overtook me when I wanted to rule Equestria," she spoke sadly.

"I see..." was all the Vampire said for a brief period while studying the window.

"So, this was when you were referred to as Nightmare Moon, and you wanted everlasting night, correct?" he asked her.

Luna let out a long, sorrowful sigh and looked at the lush red carpet on the ground that led down the whole hallway.

"Yes..." she spoke.

"Well, I guess some just don't appreciate the beauty and tranquility of your night as much as we do, Luna," Marius told her.

Luna's eyes shot open, not believing what she just heard. She lifted her head and stared at the Vampire several feet away who now had his eyes closed and arms crossed.

"You...you actually mean that?" she asked with her voice a tad shaky.

Marius gave her a warm and kind smile from where he was standing.

"Of course I do. Did you think I would lie or something similar?"

The Princess of the Night's eyes began to glisten, as if she was on the verge of tears. After hearing her story of selfishness in wanting to overthrow her sister and seeing how much sorrow it caused in the blood memories of Celestia herself, he still accepted her. He accepted the night and he understood its true beauty, whereas others would shun it and disregard it. Here, standing in this very hall, was finally a creature who understood what she went through and connected with her.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Marius who noticed the Princess's sad expression.

"No...far from wrong, actually. Thank you for the compliment...Marius." she said quietly, giving a sad smile to the Vampire.

"I only speak the truth, Princess," he returned her smile while watching her wipe her beautiful light blue eyes with her arm, just to find that she didn't have any tears on her face.

"So, because I am somewhat lazy and do not feel like sifting through all these blood memories, which Element did my master bear?" the Vampire asked.

"Rarity represents the Element of Generosity," she answered.

Marius did a double take.

"How in the Deep Realm is she generous? I didn't know it was generous to give whining as a gift!" the Vampire spoke, but his ears cringed at the term whining. He was learning not to use that word around the boutique anymore.

Luna chuckled slightly.

"I'm sure she is not that bad. I have spoken to Rarity, and happen to think she is just a bit of what they refer to now as a diva," Luna remarked.

"I love her voice as well. It sounds very familiar to me, though I do not know why. Hehehe" she sheepishly laughed while Marius brought his hand up to mouth and held back a chuckle.

'This is wonderful. The date is going really well, and he's so much fun to talk to. Best of all, he doesn't resent me for sucker-hoofing his face.' she thought happily. Luna then became curious while they were laughing together.

"So, what's the Deep Realm?"

Marius was no longer laughing.

She watched his expression instantly change to one that terrified her.

His eyes became narrow and seemed to turn into a duller red than they were before. His black iris' twisted at the mention of the place, and he developed an expression that could only be described as pure, seething, hatred, and the intent to kill and torture. No longer did his eyes seem to reflect sadness and pride, but instead they became the eyes of a monster, while they looked directly at the wall in front of him.

Luna became frightened at the instant change of demeanor.

"Ma...Marius?" she tried to get his attention, but it did't seem to work.

"I'm sorry..." she spoke in the tiniest voice she had ever used, while on the verge of tears once more and looking up at the large Vampire.

Marius expression changed back to normal in seconds. He closed his eyes.

"...*sigh*...Don't be, Luna. It was my fault that I foolishly mentioned it. It was only natural you'd get curious," he told her. "As much as you may be curious, I'll have to ask you to refrain from asking me that. Understood?" he told her sternly.

Luna looked very concerned, but knew that whatever he didn't want known, there was a good reason for it.

"I understand," she said softly.

Marius looked down at her sadly.

"Thank you."

It was quiet in the hallway for a little while, before Luna decided to continue walking down the hallway with Marius following her once more at an equal pace.

"Just so you know...the Nightmare armor is the tackiest ensemble for a villain I have ever seen," Marius told her with a smirk.

Luna gasped as if he insulted her directly and turned to punch him in the gut with her hoof.

"I'll have you know that it happened to be very intimidating to our subjects, and continues to be!" she said with a playful grin.

"Pfffft, if your subjects are puppies and baby kittens," he spoke smugly.

"Yes, because dressing in a black overcoat is soooo terrifying, isn't it Marius? Honestly, do you have to be so drab?" she asked.

"Well, I guess someone isn't that shy around me anymore, are they?" Marius asked smugly.

Luna rubbed the back of her head with her hoof, ruffling some of her mane in the process.

"Hehehe. I guess not," she spoke.

The hallway suddenly came to a split at two large double doors that were identical to Luna's, only they were white and embossed with the image of an orange sun.

Marius developed a sly grin.

"Are these your sister's chambers?" he asked Luna.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Marius' grin only got more wicked and sinister, before he turned to Luna and asked,

"Do you feel like having a little bit of fun?"

"Just....one...more..." spoke Luna as quietly as possible.

"Hnnnnnnoooonngghhkk...shewwwwwww" snored Celestia loud enough to wake up a family of bears.

"You're so close Luna! You can do it," Marius whispered encouragingly.

Ever so gently, she moved the last object into place with a faint blue glow of her aura. She had to be very careful, or she might wake her sister.

'This is very hard to do without waking her. I don't think it will fit.' she thought to herself, worrying that their plan would fail. Even though Celestia was a heavy sleeper, the hard part was the actual penetration, for they had done several by now but this one had very little room left, plus everything around them was beginning to get sticky.

Slowly but surely, the last remaining sticky object had become one with the Princess of the Day and Luna released the faint glow aura. She smiled and snickered under her breath while Marius did the same. Both of them were on Celestia's bed, hovering over her. Luna reached out her hoof for Marius to fist bump, which he did before both of them unanimously shouted under their breath, "Yes!"

"Hnnnnnnoooonngghhkk...shewwwwwwwww" Celestia still snored loudly, completely unaware of the atrocity that her sister and Marius had just committed. Both hoodlums in question leaned back a bit on the bed to admire their handiwork.

"Wow, I can't believe she could fit that many," Marius spoke quietly.

"Well, she does have plenty of room. I should know," Luna said while chuckling to herself.

Both had a content smile on their face as they looked at the nine glazed doughnuts that they had stacked on Celestia's horn.

"Why does she even keep all of this food in her room?" Marius asked himself

Luna sighed and lightly flopped down on her sister's bed, and Marius soon followed her, laying down as well while letting his legs hang off the side of the bed. He turned to Luna to find that Celestia's bottom hooves were in his way, so he lightly took them in his hands and folded them upwards so that her legs were now folded as well and out of Marius' way. He looked at Luna, who turned her head and looked into his eyes while biting her lip. Both soon found themselves snickering under their breath and trying to contain their laughter. Their snickering finally died down in the large, dark room after several minutes. Rather than actually talk, Marius figured it would be easier to telepathically communicate.

'Will she be angry with you for doing this?' Marius asked Luna, who was a little surprised that he would form a telepathic link rather than actually whisper.

'Most likely, but she can't stay too angry for longer than an hour. Our dear sister has never been one to hold a grudge.' she told Marius before looking up at her sister's face from the bottom of the bed. Celestia still snored and a single glob of sugar glaze dropped down from the top doughnut and landed on her sister's cheek, causing Celestia to slightly falter in her snoring and smack her lips together.

"Not even when we deserve it," she thought while letting out a slight "Hmm," from her smiling lips.

Both were silent for a moment while they both stared and watched the Ruler of Equestria snore loudly.

'You have a lot of love for her, don't you?' he asked Luna through the tele-link.

'Yes...I do. I betrayed her and she banished me for my own good. When I came back, I was resentful so I once more tried to overpower her. Then Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Elements of Harmony saved me from my own greed and desire. Yet even after all this, she welcomed me openly and never stopped loving me for a second. Not in our entire lives has she once stopped loving me, no matter how difficult I make things for her.' she explained to him.

'Huh...sounds like me with a certain other individual.' he spoke in her head.

Luna turned to look at him with a sadness and pity.

'Its your brother...isn't it? The one called Lyre?"

This time, it was Marius who let out a faint "Hmm." from his lips.

'Yes. Throughout our childhood, I would always protect him and Elle. He would always pick fights he couldn't finish, and I would have to end up finishing them for him. He was fast, but in our youth he had no idea how to properly utilize his speed to his advantage. Then on that horrible day, the day when our reason for existing was taken from us and tortured before our eyes, he blamed himself. For five hundred years after we turned, he would apologize to me every day, because he knew that if he had never drawn his blades and put them against King Endramus' throat, our family would have still been alive, and we wouldn't be monsters.' he thought to the Princess, who was listening intently to the Vampire, word for word. Marius closed his eyes and smiled, as if he was reminiscing a time when he was happy.

'I told him it didn't matter. He was still my brother. We were brothers when we were mortals, and we still were brothers in immortality. Lyre and I may have had our differences and fought quite often, because I was the Ruler of Walpurgis and he was a psychotic and murderous assassin who fornicated with everything that had a female build...but I still told him that I loved him every single day and would watch over and protect him like I always have...and always will.' he thought.

It was quiet in the room for a while.

'That's what you searched my sister's memories for, isn't it?' Luna asked. 'Lyre was sealed away like you and you want to find him, correct?'

'Yes. I want to find him and show him this land. This is what we've fought for after all. A land with utter peace and no more unnecessary killing.' he told her.

Luna lifted her hooves down towards the center of the bed where Marius' right hand lay, and she grabbed his clawed hand in both hooves. Slowly she brought his hand up to were her face was, and placed the cold hand on her warm cheek, hand-in-hooves still. She could feel his soft and cool skin through her dark blue fur, lightly pressing it down and matting it just the tiniest bit. The light and caring touch of the Princess was also lovely for the Vampire, who wasn't used to such a warm display of affection. As the Princess held Marius' hand to her cheek, she gave a heartfelt smile to the Vampire as he took his thumb and let his claw lightly brush over the left side of her warm and tender face in a gentle half circle.

"We shall help you then. Both my sister and I will," she spoke before boldly bringing the Vampire's hand up to her lips and giving it the softest of kisses, and cradled it into her warm chest, arms and hooves holding it close.

Marius smiled warmly and lowered his eyes.

"Definitely not nervous anymore," he spoke, at a volume that would have made Fluttershy strain to listen.

"Be silent, Marius. If you would prefer, I could take you to the ballroom and leave you there," she grinned playfully while still cradling the Vampire's right arm and hand.

Marius raised an eyebrow.

"Ballroom, you say?" he asked.

Luna rolled her eyes while grinning.

"I guess we now know where you want to go next,"

The ballroom was indeed very large, and the grey and white tiles that made up the floor matched the stone walls perfectly, as well as the many stone pillars on each side of the elongated ballroom right next to several large golden Alicorn statues. On one end were two huge blue doors that led outside to the garden courtyard, where the many garden parties were held each year. Marius scanned upwards and the long red carpet in the middle of the room led up to a golden chair with plush red seats, embellished with Celestia's cutie mark. All of this was just barely illuminated by the moonlight cascading in from the windows.

Marius smirked at the Day Princess's ballroom throne. Then he finally found what he was looking for.

His eyes trailed to the left and found a large stage with several chairs and stands, but what he was looking for wasn't the many assorted objects around the stage.

On top of the stage was a large, black, eighty-eight keyed wonder that called out to him. Marius turned his head to the right and looked at Luna, who was watching him survey the scenery with a smile.

"Do you like the ballroom? I always personally thought it was a bit flashy, but 'Tia has always said that a more dignified appearance represents Equestria's true spirit. I didn't know what that meant when I was younger, but now I-" the Princess stopped speaking abruptly as she felt Marius lean down and grab her arm at the shoulder. He lightly lifted her arm into the air until his hand slid elegantly all the way to her hoof and he led her hoof-in-hand towards the ballroom's stage.

"I want you to hear something. It's not very often I get to do this, so I want you to be with me when I do," he told her. The consideration he showed and the gentlecoltly, or gentlemanly rather, way he treated her as he held her hoof the whole way was enough to make her cheeks lightly blush. He led her to the steps leading to the stage and bowed lightly before ushering her up the stairs.

"After you, ma'dam. I hear pray-tell that beauty always goes before the beast," he spoke to her. She blushed only a little further at the compliment and daintily stepped up each of the five steps leading to the stage. Marius quickly followed right behind her as he had done the whole night, until he reached the beautifully crafted black piano he had spotted. He noticed that it had a bench so he lightly pulled the bench out and went around to sit down. Marius used both hands to fling back his coat so that the long, black tail draped over the bench. Luna watched him curiously for a moment. He adjusted his body so that it was straight and in proper posture before popping every joint in his hands by snapping both of them all the way open, as if he were counting to five. Then he relaxed his clawed fingers and flexed them in his palm. The Vampire then looked Luna dead in the eye and spoke,

"I know that we are very similar, and I also know that you wish to know more about me and connect with me emotionally, even more so than you have so far. Therefore, you need to hear this song, for it is me..." he spoke sternly before placing his hands over the keys, readying them to play.

He didn't move for a time, and the anticipation Luna found herself having could almost be cut with a knife, for it was very palpable.

Then he started to play.

It was a slow and somber melody. Luna was a skilled musician and a beautiful singer, but she was not prepared for the emotion that flowed from the Vampire's song. It was somber, yet tranquil. Peaceful, yet filled with sorrow and regret. The actual technique that Marius used was unknown to the Princess, but it seemed that he was playing in C# minor from what she could tell. He was playing a steady flow of triplets in a 4/4 rhythm. Four beats in a measure and a triplet for each beat, accompanying each new measure with a lower Octave that matched the varying chord structures.

All put together, it was a slow sonata that seemed to reflect the soul of night itself, which struck Luna down into her core. She felt the song within her as the Vampire continued to play the soft and slow moving melody. Luna lightly began to walk behind Marius as he was playing. She lifted her body upward and stretched out her wings slightly, before resting her harness covered body gently on Marius' back, and crossing her arms over his chest so as not to interfere with his playing in the process. She leaned her head down a few inches to match the sitting Vampire's height with her own, and she nestled her soft, fur-covered cheek into his. Luna didn't realize it but there was a steady stream of tears that she had flowing out of her, and while Marius played he returned her gesture and rubbed against her face with the side of his, lightly building up heat between his cold and dead skin and the beautiful Princess of the Night's warm fur and slightly elongated muzzle.

The moonlight seemed to wrap around them like a blanket and the flowing ethereal mane of the Princess glimmered in its beauty. The tenderness that they felt with each other seemed to last for hours, even though it was a mere six minutes. After Marius trailed the last of the triplets off, he slowly took his hands off the wonderfully polished black and white keys and put them on his thighs.

"I understand now, " she whispered softly, her face still cradled to Marius' and her tears still flowing forth, wetting her fur and dripping down the Vampire's face.

"The loneliness...all this time, it's been...it's been horrible, hasn't it?" she asked.

"The agony of not seeing them again. That's what you ultimately paid for being the way you are. You said you gave up your soul, but the thing that tears you apart more than anything is...never being able to see your wife and daughters again," Luna spoke.

There was silence in the room for a long while until Luna bit her bottom lip and clenched her eyes shut.

"How have you lived like this all of these years?" she spoke shakily.

"Painfully...wishing that one day the impossible would happen, and I would be allowed a permanent death. You see, it's a shame really. It's not until you have lived as long as I and seen as much as I have that you begin to see permanent death as a gift," he explained to her.

"A gift that I will never receive, no matter how much I want it," he spoke softly.

Luna could hold back anymore. She let go of his back and threw herself into his arms, burying her face into his chest and sobbing.

Marius wrapped his arms around the Princess and patted her mane.

"Shhh...let's no longer speak of such sorrowful things. We're going to ruin our night if we continue like this," he spoke to Luna. He lifted her head from his chest and wiped her tears out from under her eyes.

"I am in the presence of a lovely lady tonight, and I refuse to let her cry over my past when we could be doing something fun instead," he announced to her happily as he was wiping her tears away. She merely smiled and gave a few sniffles.

Both of them laughed in agreement.

"How about we head back to my room, then? I think I might have an idea for some more fun we could have," she spoke with a playful tone.

"You do? Does it involve your guards, who have been shadowing us this whole night?" Marius spoke quietly as not to let the one hiding behind the doorway hear him.

"Haha. It might..."

"That ingrate! I do not care how large the creature is! Nopony makes our Mistress of the Night shed tears! Dost thou hear me?!" screamed Stalwart.

Stonewing began to get furious.

"Wilst thou silence themselves?!" Stonewing screamed. "We barely made it back from the ballroom without being noticed. Besides, whose to say the creature was the one who made our Princess shed tears to begin with?" Stonewing asked his fellow guard with irritation at his childlike anger.

Stalwart Steel looked horrified.

"Thou...art a traitor. We both saw what we saw. The creature reached the piano he was searching for, pretended to play for a while, probably for a few sad attempts at laughter, and then afterwards Princess Luna bursts into tears. How can it be any different than him making her cry, because it seems like that is what happened to me!" Stalwart explained to his friend.

Stonewing looked down at the floor, curiously, before tapping his hoof to his chin.

"Isn't it funny how he was actually pressing down on the keys, yet no sound was coming out? I remember that there was a gathering in that ballroom not even a week ago, and that piano was used. Could the strings have been removed or cut in such a brief amount of time?" Stonewing asked out loud.

Stalwart looked at the ground in concentration.

"Now that thou mentions this, I did notice that he was pressing down on the keys of the piano and it almost seemed like our Princess could hear a melody...so....why weren't we able to hear it?"

"It was not meant for you to hear," boomed an unexpected voice from the shadows that made Stalwart nearly trip and Stonewing readied himself for a confrontation, while putting on his best fearsome scowl.

Suddenly, Stonewing and Stalwart were enveloped in a deep red aura and hoisted in the air. They struggled to break free from the magical grip, but to no avail. They couldn't move any part of their bodies except for their facial features and mouths. The shadows around them darted to the center of the hallway like snakes moving in for the kill, and wrapped around each other to form a large silhouette. The shadow from the silhouette slowly faded to reveal a wickedly smirking Marius, who was making his eyes glow a deeper and more burning red than normal. Both guards watched, unable to move as he reshaped himself in front of them. They still struggled against the intense pull of magic that prevented their dark blue armor from budging an inch.

"What hast thou done with the Princess, you creature?!" screamed Stonewing from up in the air, who happened to begin to be very worried.

"You shouldn't have eavesdropped on us," the Vampire said with a wicked grin on.

"Answer him!" screamed Stalwart, who was still trying to fight the strong restraint of the magic, but to no avail. The deep red aura surrounding them and preventing them from moving only intensified under their struggle.

"Very well. If your must know she's right here with me," he spoke with a sinister tone that matched his deep and smooth voice perfectly.

"and she was delicious!" he yelled with a terrifying grin on his face.

Both guard's eyes widened at what they realized he meant.

"You...ate her?" Stonewing hissed under his breath.

"You ate...our loving Princess of the Night?!" Stalwart screamed. "GIVE HER BACK TO US NOW, YOU MONSTER!"

Marius only developed a more sadistic grin than before as his eyes became wider and wider. He started letting out a sick and twisted giggle from underneath his breath. The Vampire could really play the part of a heartless villain well from his many years of experience in war and death.

"Oh don't worry...." his grinning Vampire's eyes were now as wide as they could get, staring at the two terrified guards who remained brave and strong nonetheless. Their bodies began to tremble at the thought of being eaten alive.

"...you will see her soon enough," whispered a feminine voice right behind the ears of Stalwart.

"AAAAAAAEEEEEHHH!" screamed a shocked Stalwart Steel, who nearly wet himself at the sudden voice inches away from his ear. Marius guffawed in laughter just as the source of the voice behind Stalwart and Stonewing put her hoof to her mouth and laughed as well.

"Hahahaha. I hope we didn't frighten you too badly," said the Princess of the Night to her levitated guards.

"Princess!" Stonewing announced relieved that the Princess was okay, while Stalwart continued to hyperventilate.

"Thou...*pant*...nearly...*pant...*pant...put me in an early grave Princess," Stalwart said while trying to catch his breath.

Luna quickly had a look of disappointment on her face.

"Well, we did not expect our own guards to eavesdrop on us either, but your Princess thinks that a bit of frightening is a just punishment. Wouldn't you agree, Marius?" she asked the Vampire as he slowly brought her two guards back down to the floor of the hallway. They recomposed themselves and bowed before their Princess.

"We are very sorry Princess," Stonewing spoke like he was just scolded.

"We should not have followed, when thou wished to be alone with your guest Marius. Forgive us Princess Luna," spoke Stalwart sadly.

Both guards drooped their heads to the ground as if they had failed in their duty to protect her, and immediately, Luna felt a horrible tinge of guilt for scaring her close personal guard when they were merely concerned for her well-being.

She let out a long sigh.

"No, it is I who should be sorry. I had Marius scare you senseless for worrying about me. I am the one who is sorry," she told both guards, who were shocked that the Princess actually humbled them and apologized even though they went against their orders.

"I apologize as well. I shouldn't have let her talk me into it," Marius spoke to the Lunar Guards who turned their heads backwards. Marius gave a playful grin to Luna.

"She's a horrible influence, you know..."

Luna pursed her lips in anger and gave a scowl to her Vampiric date.

"I'll show you bad influence..."

Marius merely smiled at her as if he had done nothing wrong whatsoever.

"Hehehe. Temper temper," he told her cautiously.

"Suddenly, Luna put on a sly smirk that made Marius blush.

"What do you say we settle this in a fight?"

Marius was visibly shocked to hear her suggest that they actually do battle.

"K.O.!" roared the speakers of the television.

Marius ground his teeth and fangs together in frustration while he sat in the comfortable chair.

'Sixteen to zero?...HOW MUCH DOES SHE PLAY THIS DAMNED GAME?!' Marius' mind screamed.

Luna threw the controller down and started dancing around the room. She had taken her crown, armor, and slippers off and now wore no vestments whatsoever to get as comfortable as possible before humiliating her date while playing Pony Fighter: IV on her Xbuck 360. They had played sixteen matches in a row, two rounds each and Luna beat him each time, growing happier and happier as she beat her date. By the last match, Luna got up out of the plush, blue chair she was sitting in, and starting dancing around her room singing to herself,

"Huzzah! I wooon, you loooost! I'm the best Princess eveeeer! Hahahaha-haaahaaa!" Luna sang loudly while bouncing and dancing around the middle of her room, Marius' anger growing by the second.

"I hope you know that my controller's batteries died, so a lot of those were just flukes!" he yelled at her while she continued to giggle and dance. The Vampire watched her with a scowl as she jumped on her large bed and waved her plot in the air, messing up her soft blue sheets and blankets.

"You can kiss it Marius, because we changed those batteries...yesterdaaaaay!" she announced smugly to the Vampire while she continued to shake her posterior at him for a few seconds. Marius couldn't hold back his scowl anymore, and it soon broke into a wide smile as he threw his head back in laughter. Luna smiled widely and soon jumped down from her bed and flared her wings outward while falling on the ground laughing, not believing she just did that when someone else was around.

"Bahahahaha*snort*-" Luna gave a very loud snort in her cute little laughter which caused Marius to stop momentarily and look at her. Her cheeks became red hot as she gave a sheepish smile from where she lay on the floor, wings outstretched and mane sprawled out all over the carpet.

"Please don't make me banish you by telling everypony that I snort when I laugh really hard," she told him through her sheepish smile. Marius blinked and was soon laughing along with Luna once more.

"Haha*snort*...hahahaha*snort*," the blue Princess turned temporary piglet continued to snort through her gales of laughter. They stopped eventually, and Luna took her hooves and lightly wiped her eyes from where she started crying from laughing so hard.

"Ohhh my...that was so much fun," Luna said as she worked her way up from her floor and back to standing.

"I agree," Marius spoke happily. He really couldn't remember when he enjoyed being with another individual this much.

"Even though I couldn't win once. I honestly think you cheated," Marius spoke with mild irritation. The Princess slowly walked over to where the Vampire was stretching his arms and legs upwards after getting up from her chair on the right side of the fifty-two inch television that was still on the "Rematch?" screen.

"Don't give me that Marius. You lost because you're too predictable. Even 'Tia can play better than that, and she's horrid!" Luna said while chuckling into her right hoof. "Try doing something unexpected next time, Marius."

Marius raised an eyebrow.

"Unexpected...you say?" he asked with a devilish grin.

"Yes, somethi-" she was cut off.

'Unexpected...' Luna thought.

She couldn't speak, for in a fluid motion, Marius closed his eyes, placed his hand under the Princess's soft jaw, moved it slightly so she was looking upwards, and placed his lips gently against hers.

His soft yet cold lips seemed to send chills down to the very core of her being.

'He's kissing me...he's actually-'

'Are you going to kiss me back, or not?' asked the Vampire as he cracked open his left eye in annoyance.

The Princess snapped back into reality as she slowly closed her eyelids, and began to move her lips. She slightly opened and closed them along with the Vampire's lips as they ever so slightly began to build the smallest warmth between their mouths, repeatedly connecting one tender kiss after another. Luna matched Marius in every motion and every breath that he took. She slowly stretched her arms upwards and wrapped her hooves around his neck and brought him in close, pressing his lips harder into hers.

They were illuminated by the dim light of a single lamp by the Princess's bed that matched her dark blue sheets. It seemed to reflect its rays onto the pair, perfectly accenting the light hue of Luna's fur and the smooth facial features of the Vampire who the Princess found so attractive.

As she wrapped her hooves around his neck and brought him in close while he leaned down, she deepened the kiss further. She lightly nudged the Vampire's lips open, which prompted Marius to begin gently sliding his tongue into Luna's mouth and lightly massage hers, before wrapping his arms around her midsection. Luna lifted her tongue and softly swirled around the Vampire's tongue with her own, letting them flick together with heated and passionate satisfaction. Occasionally her tongue, while dancing along with Marius' would gently caress one of his sharp fangs, not quite hurting her but catching her off guard and sending shivers through her body. The Princess didn't know where she was at this moment. All she knew as she intensified her hold on Marius' neck and let their lips and tongues display everything that they had to say to one another, was that she felt utterly at bliss and didn't want to be anywhere else but in the Vampire's arms.

After several minutes, their lips slowly pulled apart in one last gentle kiss.

They slowly opened their eyes and looked at one another with content smiles.

"That was...it was so..." Luna spoke barely above a whisper, trying to describe the utter bliss she felt when passionately kissing Marius.

"Unexpected?" he said with a smug look.

Luna closed her eyes and brought her hoof up to her mouth, giving a slight chuckle.

"Also, two things:" she spoke to him while chuckling.

"Hmm?" Marius mumbled under his lips, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"One, your lips taste like icing. You ate some of my sister's treats when we were in her room, didn't you?" she accused with a grin.

Marius gasped and looked offended at the Princess's accusation, who still had her hooves wrapped around his neck and was not even inches from his face.

"Why, I'm insulted you would even suggest that I leave such fine treats there, when they were begging me to enjoy them," he spoke in fake offense. "Didn't you hear them say, 'Eat us! Save us from Princess Doughnut Head!' I mean, they practically begged me to eat them!" Marius swore and Luna peeled her head back in laughter. She stopped and placed a gentle peck on Marius' lips before speaking,

"Alright, two, and this is more for just me in particular. It is very odd kissing someone without a muzzle," she spoke. She closed her eyes and sheepishly smiled before opening them to see the Vampire with a look of curiosity on his face.

"Would you prefer me to give myself one?" Marius asked.

This time it was Luna's turn to look curious.

"What do you mean, Marius?" she asked while raising her right eyebrow eyebrow.

Marius smiled in return and lightly pulled her arms off of his shoulders and neck, letting the Princess stand back on all four hooves before he himself stood all the way up. He took five slow steps back, and looked at Luna with a smile.

Luna gasped.

'Why is there blood coming out of his eyes?' she thought to herself.

In seconds, a gush of dark blood escaped from the edge of Marius' eyes and wrapped around his entire body, then his bodily structure compacted into a dark ball hovering above the floor. At first the Princess was terrified until it stretched back outwards and once again took form. Soon, all the blood dissipated and was sucked back into Marius' eye sockets.

Luna's jaw dropped and her eyes were as wide as saucers.

There...standing where Marius stood, was a huge black-furred Alicorn with massive bat wings and a long, sharp horn. The black Alicorn was just a tad taller than Celestia and his mane was a shimmering ethereal like her sister's and her's, but it was compiled of seven different shades of blood-esque red, which matched his glowing red eyes and fanged smirk. On the black Alicorn's flanks were adorned two Ankhs that were also blood red which Luna recognized as the symbols on Marius' coat, the Masquerade Ankh. She looked into the eyes of the Alicorn, mouth agape.

"So, what do you think? Is it me?" the Alicorn asked in the voice of her date.

"H...how?" was all Luna could muster.

The large black Alicorn merely rolled its red eyes at her before speaking,

"Pfffft, easy. One of my strongest abilities is complete control over my body and blood. I can shapeshift into anything I wish. A dragon, a wolf, an Alicorn, or even a household toaster," Marius explained to her while rolling his new black hoof in the air until it popped.

"That's so incredible. Not even our magic can turn a pony, let alone something else entirely into an Alicorn like my 'Tia, Cadance , and I!" she told Marius, baffled at his new form.

Her curiosity was quickly cut off however, as Marius wrapped his large wingspan around her and pulled her in close with a faint red aura emitting from his horn. He brought his hooves up to her cheek and lightly caressed it before puling her into a passionate kiss.

Once more their lips parted and they deeply kissed each other, letting their tongues explore each other's mouth once more as well.

'This is almost identical. He really did turn himself into a pony,' she thought to herself through closed eyes and passionate kissing, letting him gently massage her mouth and take her into blissful peace once more.

'and yet...' Luna pulled away and broke their kiss gently, while still being held by the Vampire turned Alicorn.

"Did you change forms just to please me?" she asked Marius.

"Well yes," he answered happily. "After all, you did say it was weird kissing someone without a muzzle, did you not?"

"I did...but," she spoke and looked to the ground with slight sorrow.

"Would it be aright if you changed back, Marius?" she asked barely above a whisper.

"You do not like this form?" he asked her with concern.

"I love it....it's just," she spoke but stopped as she saw a stream of blood pouring out of the Vampire's eye and wrapping around him in a cocoon. In seconds, the cocoon disappeared. Now Marius stood a full foot taller and back on two legs.

"It's just what, Luna?" he walked over and grabbed her hoof in both hands before lifting it to his lips and kissing it softly.

"You can tell me," he told her in a comforting tone.

Luna looked at him with a sad smile.

"It's just that I want you for you...Marius, the reason why I find myself caring for you is because of who you are. I don't want you to change for me. You understand who I am...and what I feel. The connection I feel is solely for the large, cloak wearing Vampire who stands before me. I want you, Marius....not an imitation, but the real you..." she spoke while looking into his eyes.

The Vampire stared at her in disbelief for a while, until a trickle of blood came running out of his right eye and down the side of his cheek. Luna became worried as she saw the Vampire start to chuckle and wipe his eyes dry.

"Are you alright, Marius?" she asked him.

The Vampire always seemed to have a sense of smugness, even in his genuine smiles, but the smile that he gave her at that moment had every emotion other than happiness stripped away.

"That's the first time I haven't felt like an actual monster in over fifteen thousand years," he quietly told her, as he began to see her eyes glisten with utter joy.

"Thank you...Luna," he spoke softly before wrapping his arms around her in a caring embrace.

He leaned down and pressed his cold lips once again to Luna's and wrapped his arms around her midsection. He then hoisted her into the air in both arms. The Princess emitted a small "Mmm," at the sudden lifting, and let the Vampire carry her to her bed with no objections whatsoever.

Marius gently placed her down on the still wrecked sheets and continued passionately kissing the mare who he was slowly feeling something for that he hadn't felt since before he died.

Love.

Warning: If you are too sensitive to read the details of physical intimacy between Marius and Luna, skip to the end of this scene.

The Princess found herself kissing her Vampiric counterpart for nearly an hour on her bed, all the while laying down next to him and enjoying his comforting embrace. Eventually the Vampire decided to get a bit playful, and kiss her cheek, eliciting the smallest of giggles from the Princess of the Night, while the Vampire King moved further and further down her cheek, then her jawline, and then eventually was lightly kissing her soft neck.

"Mmmm, Marius...what are you doiEEH..." she yelped as the Vampire ran along her neck with his fangs and gently pierced the top layer of her flesh, letting the smallest droplets of blood possible come out as he lapped them up with his tongue, matting Luna's fur and massaging the side of her neck in the process.

'Her blood tastes relatively bitter, while retaining a fair amount of sweetness... oddly enough, it tastes very similar to nougat.' Marius thought to himself.

"Ohhhh...myyyy...gosshhh. That feels...wonderful," dreamily spoke the Princess of the Night, who could not contain her utter satisfaction of letting the Vampire do what he wanted with her.

'It's better if I let him take the lead on this. He seems to know what he's doing.' the Princess assured herself.

After several minutes of the Vampire enjoying the tiniest drops of her blood while they were splayed out on her large and comfortable bed, Marius slowly rolled over on top of the Princess to get a better angle at her neck. She now lay under him with her wings open and splayed out across the bed. Marius pulled away from the spot were he was kissing and looked down into Luna's eyes. They were closed halfway and her mouth was in an "Oh" shape while she was lightly panting. He noticed that Luna began to rub his inner thigh with her hoof. Immediately, Luna began to blush and she looked slightly mortified.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know-"

"Shhh," he spoke softly to her, while placing his clawed finger against her lips.

"Before we go any further, I have to know...are you fine with making love to a member of a different species?" Marius asked.

Luna thought for a moment.

"I didn't really consider that. Are you fine with it Marius?" she asked him as he lay gently on top of her body, their faces inches away.

Marius let out a small chuckle.

"I'm dead, remember. Technically, I can't be upset by being with a member of a different species, when it's already considered Necrophilia," he told her.

Luna raised her eyebrow.

"What's Necrophilia?" she asked. Marius gave her a deadpan look in return.

"Are you fine with it, or not?" he asked in a monotone voice.

She gave a happy laugh under her breath.

"If it's with you, which it will be, I would be more than happy to say yes," she told him.

Marius gave her a smile.

"Very well," he spoke softly.

Marius pressed his lips to Luna's once more and let his clawed hand slowly rise up her leg to where her thigh was, Luna letting out a pleasurable moan in return as he lightly scratched back and forth on her thigh's fur. She moved her hoof as she was deeply kissing Marius to his inner thigh once more. At first, she shied away, but then Marius used his other hand to grab her hoof and lightly place it onto where his inner thighs met.

'It's alright.' he told her telepathically to quell her nervousness, all the while they never disconnected their lips.

She began to rub her hoof once more along his inner thigh, feeling him through his matching pants.

The Vampire returned the favor and took his fingers that were scratching Luna's thighs and move them upward towards where her thighs themselves connected, letting his claws lightly drag across her fur the whole way.

"Mmmm," Luna let out a petite moan into the Vampire's lips as his clawed fingers eventually reached their destination, and brushed her fur aside to start lightly rubbing the outside of her marehood. Her hoof intensified its movements before finding its way inside Marius' waistband. She began cupping her hoof and slowly started rubbing Marius' shaft to the rhythm of his fingers outside of her now wet and intensely hot sex. He rubbed his claws gently on her while he circled around her nub with the tips of his fingers. Slowly, they parted her outer lips.

"Mmmph," she let out a muffled squeak and temporarily stopped gyrating her hoof on Marius' now erect shaft when she felt the Vampire retract his claw into a normal nail before penetrating her with his middle finger. They finally broke their kiss when Luna pushed the back of her head into her pillow.

"Ugghnn..." Luna moaned out loud as she felt the Vampire's large finger inside her marehood, as she soon started bucking her hips forward involuntarily into the Vampire's palm. They continued wallowing in the heat of the moment for a while. Luna still continued to massage Marius' down below with her hoof, as he merely smiled a content smile at her while letting her dry hump his hand and moving his middle finger along the wet inside of her sex, back and forth. Luna panted heavily.

"Eager are we?" he spoke to her with a smile.

"....*pant*...shut...up...*pant*...Marius," was all she could speak through her heavy panting and continued moaning.

Marius removed his finger from her which caused her to stop bucking his hand. She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"What did you do thaAEEIIGH!" she screamed, as she didn't expect him to move his mouth down to her marehood and place a gentle kiss on her outer lips at an almost impossible to follow movement speed.

"I...am going...to kill you...after this is over," she told him. He lightly flicked her nub with his tongue which caused her to moan loudly and slam her hooves into her dark blue sheets. Her entire body was heated to the core with passion, and it screamed to be released. Marius circled the inside of her with his tongue, occasionally prodding and flicking her entrance. Eventually, after warming her up and her breathing intensified even more than it already was, Marius penetrated her with his lightly pinkish tongue.

"Nggghhh!" she moaned through her teeth as he pierced her insides with his tongue, sifting around and exploring her inner walls. She tasted very sweet, like a mixture of berries. It was nowhere near the musk of what a woman would have tasted like. Luna tasted near heavenly, and her sweet fragrance of lilac perfume helped to accentuate every little detail of her beauty. Luna ran her hooves through the hair of the Vampire who was going down on her.

"OhohohohOH...Marius...I'm going to..I'm...augh...augh...AUGGGHHH!" the Princess screamed as she climaxed while the Vampire continued to savor every ounce of her release.

He retracted his tongue and wiped his mouth and fangs off before crawling back up to Luna, who had her eyes closed and was panting even heavier than before. She lay, with wings still splayed and arms on top of them.

"That was so incredible..." she spoke through her pants.

Marius lovingly kissed her forehead just under the base of her horn, which made the Princess give a smile through her open-mouthed panting.

"I didn't think we were done yet," Marius spoke with a smile.

Luna turned to him and gave a sinister smile of her own.

Marius then climbed back on top of the mare he stood a full two and a half feet taller than. He snapped his fingers, and instantly his clothes evaporated into black mist, leaving him completely nude and lying on top of Luna, looking deeply into her beautiful light blue eyes, not wanting to be anywhere else, just as she did with him.

"That is a useful trick. Perhaps you would teach me to do that with my Royal vestments?" she asked sheepishly.

"Hehe. I shall think about it," Marius replied before moving his waist right above hers. To his annoyance, he was still too tall to even bend down and kiss her while they were making love.

"I have a better idea," Marius spoke.

He gently lifted the still wallowing and goofily smiling Luna and put her to the side, so he could lay down where she was.

"Now you can get on top. It will be much easier this way, that way you don't have me lumbering over you," he explained to her.

She looked into his eyes with mild concern.

"Marius...*pant*....I do need you to know something. We have never really...well," Luna looked down at the foot of her bed while she lay on her side.

Marius was baffled.

"Wait...You're over four thousand years old, and you are telling me that you are still a pure Virgin?" he asked in disbelief.

Luna looked offended as she lay on her side. She folded her arm upward and put her jaw on her hoof so she could speak to the Vampire with her head held up, while she laid her other arm across his deathly-pale and hairless chest.

"W...I have done things such as what we have done today, thank you very much! I do have some experience. It's just...I have never had actual intercourse," she spoke softly, embarrassed. Marius looked at her sad expression and found himself quickly annoyed.

"Stop being ashamed of it. Not having been with anyone sexually is not a horrid crime, by any means. In fact, it shows that you are very strong willed. If you do indeed wish to make love, however, I can assure you that you will find no gentler a touch than mine," he assured her. She looked into his deep red eyes as she traced circles on his chest with her hoof.

"Do you mean that?" she asked.

"I would never lie about things such as this Luna," he told her sincerely. She smiled before hoisting herself on top of the Vampire's uncovered chest and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"And I know you would never hurt me as well," she spoke before shimmying her waist downward, using her tail to scoot the sheets slowly out of the way. Her still damp marehood finally grazed the long surface of the Vampire's stiffness, which sent shivers up her spine. She lifted her plot up and hoisted herself over that way she could see it before she actually did anything with it.

"You didn't change your anatomy or anything of the sort...did you?" she asked with a gulp.

"Of course not," he spoke while putting his hands on her thighs as Luna was now sitting down just below him "Size is very irrelevant to me. I would never alter my manhood to make it look larger. Do you think you'll be fine?" he asked.

"Oh yes, I will. It's not monstrous in its size, but I guess I should have known it would still be pretty big considering how large you are," she told him.

"So you'll be fine, then?" he asked.

She smiled at his genuine concern, before lifting her waist up in the air and hovering over the Vampire. With a faint blue glow, she used a bit of magic to part the outside lips of her marehood and slowly began engulfing the head of Marius' stout and firm erection.

"Nnngghhh," she clenched through her breath as she slowly slid down further, inch by inch until she had engulfed his whole inside of her.

"See...*pant*...it's fine Marius. In...Mmmmnn...in fact it's more than...*pant*...fine. It's...*pant*...absolutely incredible," she spoke while rocking her hips slowly back and forth, letting her wings droop down to her sides. Marius' hands were wrapped gently around her waist line, using it to guide himself into her with each slow and tender thrust.

"Uuunnngghhhhh, please don't stop," she spoke to Marius who had been thrusting himself inside her ever so slowly, matching the rocking movements of her hips for a good twenty minutes.

She couldn't believe it. Here she was, with an individual she connected with unlike any other. He was inside of her, thrusting himself into her most intimate of places, gently and with care, as not to hurt her too much considering he was her first. They increased their speed together, getting faster and faster, bucking as one, joined in the most sacred of ways.

"I'm...I'm close again...don't stop," Luna spoke through her light yelps. Marius was also panting lightly this time around.

"I am as well," he told her through his own light panting, before quickening the pace at which he was thrusting himself into her.

"Marius...Ma...Ma....MaaAAUGGHH!" she screamed loudly as she released all over the Vampire's shaft, flaring her wings into the air as if she was raising the moon.

"Aaaahhh!" Marius yelled along with her as he himself was brought to climax, and found himself giving his very essence to the insides of the Princess, pumping his no-life carrying seed into Luna's marehood.

Luna started to pant and found that she had sweat all over the fur on her face, and several strands of her glistening Azure mane were stuck on her cheeks and nose. She pulled herself off of Marius' semi-erect shaft (reluctantly) and slumped next to the panting Vampire. She was in utter, blissful exhaustion and had the widest smile possible. She snuggled over next to the Vampire who wrapped his right arm around her and held her close under the sheets.

"Marius, I feel like I've known you my whole life," she spoke to him. He looked down at her as she shifted her head to look upward to look at him.

"I feel like you have been watching my night for centuries, even while I was in the moon, waiting...wanting to enjoy its beauty. You were all the while watching me with a content smile," she spoke.

He looked her dead in the eye.

"I was, Luna. The reason why you understand my sorrow and the reason why you connect with me so well, is that we ARE meant to be close to each other," he told her before leaning down and giving her a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Thank you for your wonderful night, Luna. I would never have made it through the many harsh centuries of my past without your moon and stars...waiting for someone to make them beautiful again," he spoke to her.

She smiled and plopped her head back down on his chest.

"I think I am in love with you," spoke the Princess of the Night.

There was silence in the room for a bit.

"I don't think you are alone in that, Luna," Marius answered just above a whisper, which prompted her to smile and let out a blissful sigh, the air of which rolled down the Vampire's chest.

Marius smirked down at her.

"So, are you ready for some more?" he asked.

Luna's eyes shot open.

"YES MARIUS! YES! PLEASE DON'T STOP!"

"AIIIEGHH!" Celestia screamed and flung her head up, launching several doughnuts off the top of her head in an ark.

The Princess of the Day collected her thoughts as quickly as possible, not noticing the four pastries left on her horn.

'That was Luna!' her mind yelled at her.

Instantly, she shot out of bed, blasted the door open with telekinesis, and galloped down the hallway. Eventually she reached the source of the continued screaming, which was Luna's door.

The heavily blushing guards saw the Princess of the Day and their eyes went wide with horror.

Stalwart turned to Stonewing.

"I hear getting fired isn't too bad. We can work as horseshoe polishers," he told his friend

*SLAM!* Celestia bucked Luna's double doors open and she became more mortified than she had in her entire life.

"YES, MY LOVE! HARDER! BITE ME! HARDER!" screamed her sister in the Royal Canterlot Voice, who was being pressed up against her ceiling and being rather forcefully given what makes most mares blush.

Celestia couldn't say anything due to her mouth being wide from from shock. Marius however, instantly noticed the extra heartbeat in the room, and disconnected with the Princess of the Night, letting her fall gently back into her bed, wondering why he stopped. Then she turned her head to the right and saw her sister standing in her doorway with a look of pure horror and four doughnuts still on her horn.

"Sister! Didst thou forget how to knock?!" Luna screamed, furious at her sister barging in, while the still very naked Marius landed on his feet and quickly folded his large bat wings. Celestia turned her head to look at Marius, mouth still agape and pupils shrunken to pinpricks.

"Okay...I can explain everything," Marius spoke to Celestia cautiously while holding out his hands to indicate for her to stay calm. He then pointed a finger at Luna, who was still panting on the bed, furious that she was interrupted.

"She seduced me."