I do not own My little Pony, or Castlevania
They belong to Hasbro and Konami

The Foraging Path

She sleeps now, yet in her restless slumber she knows that memories and dreams will haunt her. Memories of days she cherishes, and the days that put an end to her happiness. The long road ahead of her is daunting to say the least. Yet now she sleeps.

The rain had now mercifully let up for a while. The unicorn now sat against a tree, a small fire a few feet away from her. She knew the risk of the fire, that creatures of darkness might be drawn to it's light in hopes for a meal, yet the warmth comforted her somewhat. Comfort…. a feeling she has not felt in a few days now. She started to sleep after being woken for what felt like the hundredth time. As soon as she fell asleep another ghostly image of a unicorn stallion floated before here. He was white in color when he was alive, with blue hair. She knew she was dreaming, just the faint image of him was evidence enough. He could not possibly be alive. He smiled warmly at her.

What would possess a pony to face certain death, and suffering? The answer is love. Many ponies before her time have given their very lives for love. No matter what perils they remain steadfast and will even travel the very depths of Tartarus to save the ones that they love.

The unicorn twitched and felt a tear slide down her cheek at the sight of the stallion. Then came another vision. She was in a beautiful city, known as Canterlot. In front of a large house that belonged to the stallion in her dream. She sighed then knocked on the door three times. The door soon opened and there he stood. He smiled the same loving, warm smile she has known for years "Twily?! What's up little sis?! I'am so glad you could make it!" The unicorn mare known as Twilight Sparkle smiled back at her brother and then nuzzled him affectionately. "You think I would miss my sister in laws baby shower?" Twilight looked back at her brother with a smile. "Besides! I want to be involved in my first nieces or nephews life!" Twilight walked inside the large house that Shining Armor lived in. She then looked around for a few seconds. Noticing his sisters curious glances around the place, he knew exactly what she wanted. "Cadence is upstairs right now in the study." Twilight blushed and smiled back at her brother. "Thanks Shining!" Then with a happy trot she went upstairs and opened the door to find her sister in law lying there on a large pillow. Cadence noticed Twilight's presence looked up and smiled.

That vision soon passed and then another appeared before her. This time she was in bed in a darkened room. She did not know what woke her, but she felt like something was terribly wrong. She tried to shake the feeling away, and go back to sleep. Yet no matter how hard she tried she could not. Deciding to give up, she got out of bed and started to walk towards the study. 'Maybe a book will help me pass the time. I'm not getting any sleep anyways.' She opened the door to the study and what she saw before her stole her breath completely. There her brother was lying on the floor in a large pool of blood. A sword sticking out where his heart was. What struck Twilight the most was, on his face he held a peaceful sort of smile. Twilight felt her knees buckle. She then tried to scream. Yet nothing came. Tears started to flow then in one large burst of energy. She let out a heartbreaking scream, followed by a wrenching sob. She then heard hoof steps as Cadence ran towards all the commotion. When she spotted Twilight on the ground, she gasped and went to her side. "Twilight? What is wrong what happened." She then looked up and she too felt the same feeling of being out of breath. Cadence then fell to her knees. "No….no..no." She mumbled. Then she let out a wail that would wrench the heart of even Nightmare Moon.

That vision was again changed to another. A cloudy rainy day in Canterlot. Ponies from all around stood by a closed casket being lowered into the ground. Sobs and cries were heard among the crowd. Her parents, and Cadence could be heard the most. Twilight had no more tears to shed. She just stood there, with a sad expression on her face. Her friends stood next to her as well as the rest of her family. She said nothing, not since the funeral started. Her friends tried to comfort her the best they could, yet their words had no impact in reaching Twilight. Only one word kept going through Twilights head. 'Why?'

The vision shifted once again to two days after the funeral. Twilight had been summoned by Celestia to the castle. Most likely another attempt to comfort her. Twilight slept very little the last two days, and it showed. The same infuriating question ringing through her head. 'Why?' She could not figure out who in Equestria other then the Changelings would want Shining dead. Yet no noise, no indications of any break in or struggle. He would never commit suicide. Twilight walked through the halls a blank expression on her face. All emotion in her seemed to have died the day her brother did.

She entered the Princess throne room. Yet she did not see her on her throne. She looked around and spotted Celestia and Luna standing on the balcony. Twilight walked towards the princesses and then made her presence known by clearing her throat. The princesses looked towards her. Celestia had a sad, small smile on her face. She then walked up to Twilight and nuzzled her in an affectionate hug. She then broke the hug when all Twilight did was stand there. Celestia sighed and then spoke, "My student. No. My friend, Twilight Sparkle. I'am deeply sorry for your loss." Luna then spoke. "As are we Twilight Sparkle. Shining Armor was a great leader, and pony all around." Twilight wanted to get to the point. She had enough pity and apologies. "What is that you summoned me for Princess Celestia?" Celestia looked at her with a sorrowful glance, then sighed once again. "To give you our condolences for the most part Twilight. Yet I also wanted to give you some information as well." Twilight looked at Celestia with a conffused look. Celestia then turned around. "Darkness that has been gathering in Equestria has finally reached us here. I was hoping it would stop, or we would have more time, yet……you feel as well don't you? Twilight?" Twilight nodded slowly. "Ever since the day my brother died. The world just seems……wrong. More dark. A heaviness on not only my heart. But it seems like every other pony." Celestia nodded. "It seems a curse has been laid upon our lands Twilight. Evil now walks our world unchecked. It also seems we have been disconnected by the grace of Divinity herself. The heavens are closed. Mine and Luna's power has weakened substantially from the cause of this. So much so that even raising the sun and the moon has become a great struggle, where before it was not so much." Twilight looked at Celestia in a bewildered state of shock. Luna then started to speak. "Whether it is a curse from Divinity herself I doubt it. I believe it is a curse from another powerful being. The question is who would be so powerful to cause such a curse?" Twilight stood there listening to the princesses with great interest. "You see Twilight with the heavens cut off from us. Souls of the dead cannot make it into heaven. I'am afraid these souls may become angry in time, and start to plague the living." Luna spoke with a sad expression on her face. Twilight gasped. "So Shining Armor…..cannot find peace?" The princesses sad expressions on there faces was answer enough. "What is that must be done. The Element Bearers and I can try to stop this curse." Celestia shook her head. "The Elements I am afraid have also been weakened substantially. The dark aura is suffocating their power. This however needs a different approach. A task that can only be accomplished by you Twilight Sparkle." Twilight looked confused once again. "Me? What good can I do?" Celestia looked at her student with a determined look on her face. "Your brothers death seems to be connected very strongly to the darkness that has risen. I think you could find the answer, to not only why your brother was killed, but why this curse has come to be."

Celestia then telepathically lifted two objects. An amulet that had two ram horns standing side by side, and a cross that one side showed a picture of a sun, the other a crescent moon. "You must go to the lands far to the west of us. Two weeks travel on foot at least. There you will find a forest. In this forest will be the guardian of the Lake of Oblivion. He is the old god Pan. He will guide you to the answer you seek. You must show him this amulet for so he may deem you worthy.' Celestia then levitated the amulet around Twilights neck. She then looked at the cross. "This battle cross has been a sacred treasure throughout time. It will help you when facing the evil that now roams our lands." Celestia then swung the cross, which sent a golden whip to lash out from it. She then lifted a belt with a holster for the object. She then proceeded to wrap Twilight up in the belt. Luna then stepped forward. She then telepathically lifted up a set of ten daggers. "These daggers are made of pure lunar silver, and blessed. They will pierce the hearts of evil easily" She then set the daggers on Twilights belt. Celestia then gave Twilight another sad look. "Do you understand the quest we have given you Twilight Sparkle? I am afraid you and only you can accomplish this. Your friends, I want them not to know of this. Is that understood?" Twilight nodded her head again. "I understand…..Princess."

The vision faded when Twilight was disturbed in her sleep by a loud howl, followed by what sounded like a large chorus of more howls. She woke with a frown and looked towards the path. She breathed, ready to run as fast as her legs could carry her. Just as was about to run. A blue portal opened up out of no where and out stepped a glowing white and blue dragon, with no wings. His eyes glowed white. Twilight then heard it speak. Yet it's mouth did not move. "You seek the guardian of the lake. I can take you to him. But we must be quick. Climb onto my back! Hurry!"

Twilight jumped on the dragon's back. As soon as she did he started to sprint at full speed. Much faster than what her legs could carry her. Not long after she heard the sounds of footsteps, and growls closed behind her. She looked back and saw two lycans, each one riding a warg. They then picked up speed and were next to Twilight and the dragon side by side. One jumped off of it's warg and landed just behind Twilight on the dragon it soon tried to bite at her neck. Twilight levitated a dagger into it's throat and bucked it off with one of her back legs. The warg it was riding then slammed into the side of the dragon.Twilight nearly fell off from the force. She then righted herself, and in the nick of time saw the other lycan leap of his warg. Twilight swung her whip and it latched around the lycans body, she then swung it again, sending the lycan to fly into a tree with a sickening crunch.

Twilight then leapt from the dragon and landed on one of the wargs. It snarled and snapped at her in attempt to knock her off. She then levitated a dagger and stabbed the warg forcefully into the back of it's skull. This sent the warg tumbling, Twilight with it. The dragon soon disappeared. The other warg stopped and turned around to confront Twilight. It roared a rage filled roar. Then charged at her. Twilight threw two of her daggers at the beast, One piercing it's left eye. It yelped in pain. Twilight took this opportunity to jump on top of he beast and wrap her whip around it's neck. She pulled back with her forelegs on the back of it's neck. Then with another dagger, she launched it through it's other eye, into it's brain.

With the beast down, she looked back and saw the ghostly dragon had reappeared and was running towards her. She started to run also, when another lycan jumped in her way. She launched a dagger that buried itself in it's skull. The lycan's tongue went limp and hung out of it's mouth. Twilight leapt and used it's head as a stepping stool to land on top of the dragon.

They ran for another few minutes, the snarls and barks of lycans and wargs on their heels. Twilight looked ahead and spotted three more wargs, and an end to the path that looked ilke a decently wide canyon. The dragon spoke once again. "I…..cannot take you any further." He then broke through the three wargs knocking them off the cliff, the other wargs leapt and tried to grab the dragon and unicorn in midair. Time seemed to slow for Twilight. She then looked back and saw the foul beast plummeting to their deaths. The dragon then started to fade until it disappeared entirely. Twilight held her legs out at an angle waiting to land on the other side. SHe landed with a tumble, then got back on her hooves. She looked back for a brief second then started to walk towards her objective. The same unemotional face she carried the whole time since this started.

Chapter 2!! Finally. Internet sucks here. Can't wait to go back to great U.S.A to my awesome internet. Till then later!