Trials of Vladamir

Chapters

I am Vlad.
Who he is: Confused, Monster, Hero
Even the Best Laid Disguises...
Can Still Be Shattered.
What Was Best Left Unsaid
Into the Fire
The Last of the Blood Lords
Sequels
Aftermath

I am Vlad.

"Kneel before Vlad." The dry voice called out. Unable to fight the exhaustion, the coal colored gangster collapsed to the ground, unable to fight this coated monster. He felt an icy hoof set down on his side. "I like you. Type AB. You will make a good missionary." The gangster looked at the Pale pony, dressed in his blood colored jacket. His irises, which were vibrant red, began emitting with an eerie glow. The blood of the other gangsters, which splattered the floor, began to move closer to the coal pony, who began to struggle under the attacker's weight.

"Now, now. Sit still, don't want to end up like your unfortunate companions." He said viciously. "Now, I am going to make you just strong enough to take my message to your leaders. Tell them this: I, Vladamir, am coming for them. They should turn themselves in, lest I come for them. Tell them that." He said, before sinking into the pool of blood. The Gangster stood up, and watched in horror as the blood of his friends crawled up his legs and into his own wounds. He felt the strength seep into his veins as if he hadn't just been beaten by a strange newcomer.

Grimacing, he trotted out of the warehouse, heading to deliver the message of this terrifying newcomer.

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"And just like that, he sinks away into the pool of blood, like some sort a ghost. But I swear! He is real! He told me to tell you that we should just turn ourselves in, 'lest I come after them." The gangster was terrified. The other members thought he was seriously drunk, or hallucinating, and they were all going to die, because he couldn't do anything.

"Sure he will, Blinky. Next thing we know he's just gonna pop out and drink our blood, like some sorta creep vampire." The black pegasus gangster stated mockingly.

"Nah, I'm serious. He's coming, and I think we should seriously... Urk!" The coal pony stopped mid sentence, clutching at his heart.

"Yo, Blinky? Somtin up?" The black pegasus asked, half interestedly. The rest of the gang watched with bemused gazes, watching as Blinky gasped for breath.

"My heart..." He groaned, before exploding. The surrounding gangsters screamed, if only for a moment, out of sheer surprise at being covered in the blood and bits of flesh of their own member. The group watched in absolute horror as the drops of blood started to pool on the table, flinging themselves from the gangsters in order to reconnect with the other drops. A sizable pool formed in the center of the table, and from it rose the form of a pale white pony. The remaining blood lept into the form of a brutal red cloak, adorned with a silver trim.

"My warning was fair. Now, are you ready to submit? Or does your desire to die outweigh the need to live?" The gangsters gathered their wits, and jumped from their seats, brandishing their weapons. Vladamir only smirked. "So you wish to die then." He stated simply, as if it was written in stone. To this, the gangsters charged, brandishing weapons of all varieties. They were within striking distance when Vladamir sunk into the pool of blood, and the crowd slammed together at the center, accidentally beating and stabbing each other.

When they separated, Vladamir smiled wickedly. "You're bleeding." He said, pointing to one of the bleeding gangsters. "Let me fix that for you." He rapidly pulled his hoof backwards, and the poor gangster began bleeding profusely, at a rate that left him bloodless in seconds. Vladamir pulled the newly formed sphere of blood towards him. "Ooh." He laughed. "O negative. The hospital will be happy tonight." He pulled the sphere into his cloak, and laughed again.

"In fact, You're all bleeding." He said, before jumping into the fray.

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"Signed, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Celestia read aloud. She often found herself reading her student's friendship reports out loud. She smiled contently. Good for her, donating blood to help out the community, She thought.

Unfortunately, her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a pounding at her door. "Princes Celestia. We have someone who demands to see you." The guard called out.

"Send them in." she sighed. The door opened, and a battered pony in a suit stumbled in. "Yes?" She asked.

"Princess Celestia," he coughed. "An honor. I am Miller Junior, Godfather of the Ponyville Pofia." He bowed, and she narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I am a criminal. But I am too weak to do anything aggressive. Instead, I come to you for my own protection."

She raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? And what caused the sudden desire to turn yourself in?"

He frowned. "A vigilante attacked my fellows earlier today. He killed each and every one of them that didn't agree to his terms." He laughed. "And you won't believe them. His terms were not to swear fealty to him, nor to pay him. No, he demanded that we turn ourselves in. I watched old friends die in my hooves, princess. I could handle that. But not like the way he did it."

She frowned again. "And how exactly did he kill them?"

A single tear slid down his cheek. "He was an earth pony, pale white with blood red eyes. His cloak, the same color, trimmed in silver."

"This doesn't answer my question." She interrupted.

"No, but it is important." he retorted. "An earth pony, he was. He killed them by having them bleed to death. But not slowly. No, quickly, and violently. Somepony would get cut in the melee, be lightly bleeding. His eyes would glow, an unholy red glow, and he would cause them to bleed to death as if the blood in their veins was pressurized. The blood would spurt from their wounds, and he manipulated blood like a unicorn manipulates everything. His eyes would begin glowing, and the blood could do anything. He fought with floating swords made of it. His wounds would heal at the touch of it. He would sink into a pool of it, and step out of another pool. His cloak could be torn, yet he would mend it with a spurt of the stuff."

"Miller," She interrupted. "You are safe now. The guards will take you to prison, but at least there, you will be safe."

"Thank you, princess." He said with a bow. "I hope you take care of this monster." He turned to leave, opened the door, and walked out, escorted by a guard. Celestia turned away with a frown. Reaching out, she grasped a quill and parchment, and set down to write.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is important. Gather the girls, they need to hear this to. In your midst is a haemeomage, a pony who uses horrid dark magic. One has come to your town of ponyville, and I am asking you to all to keep an eye out for any new pony. These sorcerers are often dark, twisted, and bloodthirsty. I know it will be a long time, but I hope to have someone sketch him to help you all find him..."

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"Sincerely, Princess Celestia." Twilight finished. She lowered the scroll to examine each of her friend's faces, finding mixed looks of fear and confusion on the majority of their faces. "Well girls, you heard the princess. Keep an eye out for anypony suspicious."

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Vlad was enjoying his stroll in the ponyville park, listening to the birds singing and watching the clouds, when he ran into somepony, knocking him down. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said, reaching a helping hoof his way. He examined this new specimen, a beautiful mare with a white coat and a perfectly styled purple mane. "I was rushing past, fretting over the new sense of fashion, when I accidentally ran you down. Is there anything that I can do to help you?"

He stood up. "Please, Miss, calm down. I was just enjoying the scenery. Not many birds in the mountains." He looked down at her. "I'm sorry, mam, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Rarity, darling. And yours?"

"Vladamir. Please, call me Vlad." He said with a smile.

Who he is: Confused, Monster, Hero

It has been said that the Haemomagics have existed ever since the founding of Equestria. There were a few earth ponies, disillusioned by the alliance, who broke off and began praying to any spirit who would listen. Finally, the spirit of vengeance, Ultio, came to them with promises of power. Eager to show their others that the Earth ponies were trully better than the others, they quickly agreed.

Ulti is also known for his crimes against ponykind, and being banished to tartarus by the twin princess sisters. Now, seeking followers to increase his strength, he gave them magic. Now, being the spirit of vengeance, his magic was focused on providing his followers the thing they sought: Using the life of their foes as weapons. He built the foundations of one of the triad of dark magics (See chapter 43 for the other two), blood magic.

He gave them the tools for immortality, at the price of the lives of others. By killing, they could kill more. They sat and brooded, feeding themselves on animals and wandering travelers. Finally, decades after the original pact was made, the first transfusion was completed. It was on a young colt, who was a mass murdurer. He had exiled himself instead of being executed. He met the evil gazes with vigor, and was accepted. However, at this time, Ulti had been banished to Tartarus, and was unable to impart the blessing.

So, sitting on their decades of knowledge, the eldest, Victor, designed the transfusion. The pony sliced his own arteries, nearly bleeding to death. Victor sank into the pool, and using his magic, pushed the blood back into the arteries. Once inside, he sealed the entry wounds, and allowed himself to settle in the blood. over time, the two stopped being seperate entities, and after a month, the others checked him and found no more traces of Victor. The newcomer, Markus, had absorbed him completely.

When asked to demonstrate that he had absorbed Victor, Markus recalled a private memory from Victor's perspective, and displayed Victor's capability in blood magic. Thus, the blood ritual was born.

And it even had a failsafe. During one of the processes, the reciever was actually an undercover agent from Nightmare Moon's DMD (Dark Magic Division). When the soldier absorbed the old magician, he exploded after a few hours. From the bloody remains stepped the old mage, who had read the agents mind during the process. He explained to his fellows that the agent had planned to give the power to one of the princesses; one of those who had helped banish their lord. So he destroyed the body, instead of allowing that to pass.

After the banishment of Nightmare Moon, the Haemomages stepped forth, generations of accumulated knowledge gathered into thirty warriors of death. They launched a crusade into northern Equestria, to reclaim ancestral Earth Pony lands. They left a a bloody swath in their wake, killing all who didn't bow to the invaders.

Due to nopony leaving the lands they conquered, the news of their invasion spread slowly. The only reason an investigation was launched was because no goods were sent out. By this point, the Blood Lords (This was their new title) had settled down, having reclaimed a serious portion of old earth pony lands, including the old capital.

At this time, the Blood Lords had set up formidable defenses, mainly traps designed to maul and maim. That way, they could easily finish off any injured soldiers who came by. What they didn't count on was the sheer might of the solar princess. She came in with a resolute fury, and utilized the power of the sun to burn the poor mages to a crisp (Possible origin to vampony myths: See chapter 62).

Under the withering assault of the sun godess, the empire they had carved out withered away, and the imprisoned were freed. To this day, rumors of one or two surviving blood lords still persist, but most are unfounded. The burned husks that remained were too destroyed to be counted, but we are certain that none remained.

Knock, knock, knock.

Twilight lowered her copy of Denizens of Equis and looked up. Knock, knock, knock. There it is again, she thought. "Coming," She called, as she began to descend the stairs. She opened the door to see Rainbow Dash in a state of alarm. "What is it, Rainbow Dash?"

"Twilight! I was practicing my newest trick when I saw Rarity chattin it up with some stranger." At this, Twilight raised an eyebrow. This only panicked Rainbow further. "No, when I mean stranger, I mean STRANGE. He was all pale, with this really creepy old-fashioned red cloak."

The more Rainbow described this character, the farther Twilight's expression fell. Finally, she said. "Lets go. I don't like the sound of this pony."

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Rarity smiled at him. "Really. I must do something! After all, it's the least I could do. Maybe a new cloak? I hate to say it darling, but red is an autumn color."

Vladimir raised an eyebrow. "And?" He asked blankly.

Rarity motioned around. "It's spring."

"So I noticed." He deadpanned.

She sighed. "Well, I see there's no talking you out of that cloak. Well, I haven't seen you around. Are you new?" He nodded his head. "Well, do have a place to stay?" He shook his head no. "I guess it wouldn't be too much of a burden to take you in, Vladamir."

He smiled, and bowed. "You have my immense gratitude, Miss Rarity."

She beckoned for him to follow, and the two fell into step together. After a few minutes of a slow pace, Rarity turned to him. "So, Vlad, tell me about yourself."

Vlad leaned his head back and tapped his hoof to his chin. I've got a good thing going. Let's try to not screw this up. he thought to himself. "Well, I'm nothing big. I am a scientist... a doctor actually." He smiled contentedly. "A first responder. I like to know I'm helping ponies. Although sometimes, I feel like it would be fun to be a hero... you know? Fighting the forces of evil and all."

Rarity smiled. "You have no idea..." She mumbled to herself.

He did a light hoof-pump. Good job, you hit a note that rings pretty clearly with her, He thought. "So, what do you do, Rarity?"

"That," She pointed to the building before her, "Is what I do." The boutique standing before them was certainly impressive, standing at least two stories tall and decorated in bright, cheery colors. Rarity turned and looked at her guest, who was clearly bemused by its appearance. She smiled knowingly. After all, that was the reason she bought this building in the first place.

He tore his gaze from the building to see her smiling at his face, and so he smiled back. This broke her daydream, and she turned back to the door. "This is my boutique. I must admit, I do think it is a little imposing, but it helps set the feel. After all," She said, flipping her hair back, "I do make some of the best dresses in Equestria."

Vlad smiled. "I believe I may have seen some of your work. Very impressive."

Rarity smiled as she pushed the door open, to reveal a similarly colored filly standing there. "Hi Rarity. I was wondering if I could go out and... Who's this?" It was if her brain failed halfway through the thought, distracted by Vlad. He smiled at her, and she shivered. Fillies... Why does it have to be them who can tell who I am? Vlad smiled the thought away, hoping she would be as distracted by her sister.

Rarities grin never faltered as she adressed her sister. "Sweetie Bell, this is Vladamir. He is a doctor, and will be staying with us until he finds a home of his own. And yes, you can go out with the crusaders." Vladamir cocked an eyebrow, and Rarity waved it away dismissively.

Sweetie's gaze lingered on Vlad for a while longer, before tearing it away to look her sister in the eyes. "Okay... Thanks!" Once her eyes were off Vlad, her demeanor bloomed. She trotted past the two elders with a smile on her face, and walked off into town. Rarity, meanwhile, was motioning for him to come inside, to which he obliged.

"Now, darling, where were we?" She scratched her chin for a moment, before a light came to her eyes. "Ah yes, you were going to tell me about yourself. Lets start from the beginning, shall we?"

"If you say so," Vlad said with a shrug. He laid down on the couch before beginning his tale. "I come from the far north of Equestria, along the Spire mountains. It was a time when the days were colder than the nights, and weather was always snowing. I was in paradise. I felt more at home outside than I did in, and being wrapped by so many layers was like an eternal reassuring hug."

He sighed. "But technology moved on, and so did the town. During my time there, I watched my home transform from a quaint little snow-bound town into a completely united building. They built a building conjoining all of the others, and so then you never had to leave the indoors. Everypony else loved it. For me, it was a living nightmare."

As he spoke, Rarity listened raptly. Maybe he's not the monster, Rarity silently hoped. Just a sad pony with a lonely life. Maybe some comfort is all he need. Rarity spoke up at his momentary pause. "Well, how did you cope?"

"Simple, dear. I broke the rules." She inhaled sharply, but quietly, causing Vlad to chuckle. "No, nothing serious. I went outside during the days. We weren't supposed to leave, unless we were leaving to go somewhere else. After a few weeks of paying attention to the door times, one day I forgot. I came late, and they had locked the doors. I was trapped in the cold, hungry and alone."

"For some reason, I was drawn to wander, which took me to a serene temple. I was chilled to the bone when I got there, and the lone monk inside took me in. For some reason, I never thought to return home. I spent numerous years training with the monk, becoming resistant to the icy wastes. I was happy, spending time with this monk. He was one of my few true friends." His expression fell, and Rarities' expression moved to sympathetic. Good, she bought it, Vlad thought before continuing.

"He died after I completed my training. I am the last monk of his temple. Without purpose, I decided to wander the lands. I beame a first responder, so I could save ponies in danger. My journey has led me here," he motions about the room. "And soon beyond," He ended, with a smile.

Rarity motioned wiping a tear from her eye. "That was... Quite a story, Mister Vladamir." She said, after a few moments of silence. She stood, asking "Would you like some tea?"

Vladamir only nodded, quite deep in thought. Whew. I didn't technically lie, I just witheld some truth. Well done, Vladamir. Well done. He thought with a smile. This may actually work out in the end, after all. Rarity left for the kitchen, and a few minutes later a knocking at the door. "I'll get it." He called out, broken from his thoughts. He stood, and walked quietly towards the door. He opened the door, to find a Cyan Pegasus and a Lavender Unicorn, both with worried faces. "Can I help you ladies?" They looked at each other, then back to him.

The Lavender one spoke first. "Is Rarity here?" She asked curtly.

Rarities voice called from the back. "I'm in the back, darling. Would you like some tea as well?"

The Cyan pegasus spoke up this time. "Make that two more."

Vlad motioned for them to come in, which they did, albiet keeping themselves as far away from him as possible and giving him a suspicious glare the whole time. He could only sigh. These two are going to give me trouble, arent they? Vlad thought, sadly.

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AN: This is my first time really attempting to capture the thoughts of characters. so how do you think I did? Well? Poorly?

Even the Best Laid Disguises...

Rarity looked at her two worriied friends with confusion. "Darlings, you know you don't need to worry about me. But trivialities aside, what is
wrong."

Rainbow Dash spoke in a really hushed tone. "Him," she said, pointing a hoof accusatively. "He is wrong."

Twilight nodded, causing Rarity to speak up. "He is a tad suspicious, yes. But he really is just a lonely pony. I listened as he told his life tale,
and it seemed that we may just be misguessing him. He's been alone for so many years. Why not give him a chance?"

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight who was seriously considering letting Rarity handle it. She shook her head, decision made. "A truth spell."

Rarity shook her head. "What was that, darling?"

A faint smile crossed Twilight's face. "A truth spell. I can hear his story, and then know if he is lying."

The voice from behind them spooked them all. "Wouldn't that be a bit prying?" Vlad inquired. "Truth spells are used on those untrustworthy, such as
liars or cheats. I'm not in any trouble, so what have I done wrong?"

Twilight eyed him suspiciously. "I'm on an assignment from the Princess herself. Secret, I'm afraid. But I can tell you that, using the old term,
'The innocent..."

Vlad finished the thought for her. "Have nothing to fear. I've heard it before. Yet I have been at the wrong end of a spear before, and I have had my
mind lanced before. So I apologize, but I feel that the spell is a little too prying? After all, some ponies use lies and myth to hide from themselves. So
using a truth spell strips away their only defense against themselves."

The three mares raised their eyebrows unanimously. "And you have something you need to hide from, Vlad? Did you lie to me?" Rarity finally asked.

Vlad looked crestfallen. While he was looking down, Twilight lighted her horn. "Once." He said quietly. Rarity watched Twilight, who nodded. "I
wasn't locked out of my town. I had to leave. But my reasons are my own." He looked up, with a frown on his face. "Everything else was true."

Twilight nodded again, and them motioned with her hoof. "Go ahead and tell the rest. It may help protect you in the long run."

Vlad sighed, and laid down. "Go ahead and find a seat. It's a long story."

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"Well, Vladamir," Twilight began. "I have one question. What was it that you studied in your temple?"

Vlad's expression grew serious. "Must I answer? It is a secret sworn to secrecy."

Twilight's suspicion grew. "Yes. You must, only because this 'Temple in the North' is actually a key piece of the puzzle. Unless I know exactly what you studied, then You will remain a suspect."

Vlad let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine!" He cried. "I studied," He was interrupted by a shriek from outside. Vlad bolted for the door, before any of the mares had even recognized the sound. The three soon took off after him, Twilight and Rainbow in suspicion, Rarity in worry.

What they found before them was a horrifying sight. The sign had fallen off of a local gardening shop and slammed into a poor mares back, slamming her to the ground. She had obviously broken bones, and was bleeding pretty hard. The reason she hadn't crawled away was because the sign had pinned her to the ground. Vlad cursed quietly under his breath. "Everypony stand back! I'm a doctor!" He called out, and all the ponies created a nice path for him.

He kneeled beside the mare, who was barely concious. "Ma'am, I'm here to help. What is your name?"

"Rose Tailor." She croaked out.

Vlad smiled reassuringly. "Nice to meet you, Rose. I am Vladamir. Now, I need you to take deep, slow breaths." She silently complied, and Vlad laid a hoof on her chest, feeling her heart begin to slow down. Let's hope I do this without anypony noticing, Best stop the bleeding first, then get to dealing with sign. He thought, before reaching out to the blood that pooled around him.

He felt its cool temperature, and began pulling the upper layers back inside her, hoping it wasn't too visible. As he felt the pool line recede, he stopped, and started clotting the blood on the surface. He leaned back, trying to hide the unholy glow around his eyes from everypony. Rose, however noticed. "Whats wrong with your eyes?" she asked.

"Nothing, dear. You have lost a lot of blood, so hallucinations might appear." He reassured her, blinking his powers away the moment the scab had formed. "See?" He said with a smile. He stood up and tried to push the sign over, but found even he was too weak. He looked out to the crowd, and called "Might Somepony help me move this?"

An orange earth pony wearing a stenson stepped forward. "Ah think ah can help." she said with a strong southern accent. She stepped up, and turned around at the sign. "On three? One, two... three!" She kicked the sign as hard as she could, dislodging it, and causing it to begin falling backwards. Vlad rapidly pulled Rose out from beneath it.

Vlad nodded his head towards the orange pony. "Thank you." He said, before turning around to stare in the face of a white mare. "Ah, you must be the local doctor! Good, good. She has a few broken ribs, and her left hindleg is shattered. But other than that, I was able to stop the bleeding and slow her heart rate." She gave him a perplexed look, so he sighed. "I'm a first responder."

The light clicked on behind her eyes, and she smiled. "Thank you. We'll take it from here." she responded curtly.

Vlad sighed as Rose was taken off of his back, and a strange brown pony walked up. "Is Rose alright?" He asked nervously. Vlad eyed him a little bit, and laughed.

"She is in capable hands. I did what I could, but a few months of recovery will do her wonders." he replied.

"Oh, good." The pony said, clopping his forehooves together, before turning to walk away. Vlad curiously looked down at the ponie's cutie mark, which was an hourglass.

"Strange..." Vlad muttered as he turned around. When he realized he was looking straight into the eyes of Twilight.

"So... Gonna tell me what you studied?" She asked inquisitively, lighting her horn.

Vlad sighed, before turning to walk back towards the boutique. Almost caught twice in one day. This town is going to be my deathtrap, isn't it? Vlad asked himself, before sighing and opening the door.

Can Still Be Shattered.

Over the weeks, Rarity had actually warmed up to Vlad, and she felt he had warmed up to her too. He was a nice enough guy, but he tried to stay detatched from everything, aside from his cape. During his waking hours, he was always wearing it, and when he slept, it acted as a blanket. She had tried her hardest to re-create it, yet every time, something escaped her.

The color, the slick shine, the metal, nothing seemed to match. Whenever she had asked him about it, he always said it was a "Temple Secret," with a wink. Oh, why does he have to be so secretive about his "Temple?" wouldn't it be easier just to tell Twilight about it and get her off his back? she thought frustratedly.

She pushed her current order through the sewing machine again, and smiled as she watched the thread floated up and down in the soothingly rythmic patern that only a sewing machine could make. She heard a knock from downstairs, and smiled slightly. "Just a moment!" She called out, as she stepped downstairs.

When she pulled the door open, her smile quickly faded. Standing on the other side was a masked mare, covered by a large black robe. The mask depicted somepony crying, and held in the mare's hoof was a letter. The mare forced her way inside, shut the door behind her, and then passed the note to Rarity, who, with trembling hooves, opened the note.

"Dear miss Diamonds, It has come to my attention that you haven't made your monthly payments for the past year now. This leaves me with two options: You can pay in full, to our associate here, or she can take the payment in blood. Which will you choose?"

Rarity lowered the note, and looked at the intruder. "Now now, dear. I'm sure we can work things out..." Rarity said, slowly backing up towards the stairs. The mare kept pace, never allowing Rarity out of her sight. Rarity turned tail and ran, slamming her bedroom door behind her. The mare wailing against the door. That won't keep her out forever, Rarity thought grimly.

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Vlad whistled a happy tune as he walked back towards the boutique. Today, he had saved several lives, and he didn't even need to use his powers. bouncing on his back were the three food containers he used whenever he did the shopping. He turned the corner onto the road, and stopped for a moment to enjoy the view.

After a few seconds, he started walking again, until he heard a screetch come from the boutique. Snapping his eyes up, he saw a red and white shape slam into the upstairs window, break through, and begin falling. As it fell, a flick of purple told Vlad all he needed to know. "NO!" he cried out, racing forward, his eyes flaring with their unholy energies. His cape vaporized, the red particles flying in a fine mist towards the falling pony.

His cape materialized beneath her, catching her in its soft folds. It slowly lowered to the ground, before vaporizing and returning to his back. He kneeled down beside his fallen friend, searching her over for any injuries. A few bruises and scrapes from the scuffle, but the biggest problems were the cuts that still had glass from the window inside.

Vlad got her stabilized, before looking up to the smashed window. He saw a masked mare from within, and screamed a brutal roar. He charged the door, causing it to buck under the pressure. He slammed into it again, and again, until the dor finally broke. His eyes were still roaring with power, and Vlad could feel the ache of continuous use starting to seep in.

You aren't a blood lord yet, Vladamir. This continuous use can and will kill you, should you keep it up. A voice within his head said. Vladamir smiled. I had wondered where you went, master. Vlad commented.

Vlad shook his head, and began to ascend the stairs. When he reached the top, He bucked the door, adrenaline coursing through his imbued blood. The door cracked, and splintered when he kicked it again. The mare was tearing apart the room, looking for a weapon, and Vlad growled. "Nopony hurts those who treat me well." He said, his eyes burning brighter than before.

The mare cowered, recalling the times when other members spoke of the pale pony. He was just as she imagined, his cape billowing, his eyes alight.

Vlad smiled maliciously, and charged her. She dodged, and Vlad turned around for another swipe. But the mare was gone, running down the stairs. Vlad roared, and turned to the window. He waited for her to come blundering out, and when she did, he jumped. He curled up, melding with his jacket, becoming a singular ball of blood, slamming into her back.

She screamed in confusion, before recognizing this from the tale. The droplets that had splattered about were rolling to a point before her, and she stood to her spot, riveted in terror, as a pool formed, allowing him to step out. He grinned evilly, raising an eyebrow. "Now, any last words, murderer?"

The mare cowered, putting her hooves above her head. "P-p-please don't k-k-kill me..." she stammered out.

Vlad threw his head back and laughed wickedly. "Maybe you should have given her that option." He said, pointing a hoof at Rarity. He stepped forward, and laid a hoof on the mare's back. He felt about, and found a thin scrape along her knee. "Now hold still, my dear. Or this will hurt a lot worse than it has to." He said, as he took a shard of glass and ran along the scrape, producing a howl of pain from the mare.

Vlad focused on the wound, and began to focus on the blood in her body. Before her nerves could realize what had happened, Vlad pulled all the blood out of her body, causing her to die quickly and painlessly.

He coughed, holding the ball of blood in his magic. He walked up to Rarity, and double checked that she was okay. He slid the ball around her, saturating her with the substance. He thought back through all of the incarnations, until he found the spell he was searching for. He focused the blood, seeping it into the few cuts on her back, and began healing her, burning through the blood, using it to power his healing of her. He was directing all the white blood cells to help in fighting off an infection, as he began plucking shards from her back and sealing them up.

Vlad felt his vision blurring, but he had to be sure she would be fine. He focused a little harder, and got the last shards off of her. Knowing that she would be fine, he pulled the blood off of her, and began to absorb it.

The next thing Vlad knew, he was being thrown to the ground. "Get off of her, you monster!" Came the familiar voice of a certain stubborn pegasus. Vladamir, if you keep your spell up much longer, your blood will be completely gone! End the spell, Vlad. Neither of us want to die. The voice came again.

Vladamir stood, and blinked his powers away. He swayed where he stood, and collapsed to his side, with a little punch from the cyan pegasus. Vlad put on the mask of confusion and gasped. "What's wrong with you, Rainbow? I just finish stabilizing our friend, and you throw me to the ground? not a particularly warm thank you."

Snagging on her moment of confusion, Vladamir stood up and began to limp away. he got a few feet, before feeling that his legs wouldn't move. He looked down, and saw the faint purple aura of unicorn magic upon them. "Now I know what you studied, Vladamir." Came the acid-laced voice of Twilight Sparkle. "And now I know that you really are a monster. Cannibalizing those who called you friend? That's downright evil."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "You don't even know what I did, so how can you say I canibalized her?" Vlad was about to add some spiteful pun, but suddenly found his vision fading. "Twilight, would you mind taking me to a hospital? I'm low on blood..." he said before falling into her grip, unconcious.

What Was Best Left Unsaid

White. That was the first thing Vladamir saw. He blinked a couple times, clearing his vision. Tile. Ceiling tile. That's what is above him. So i'm not dead yet. He thought with a smile. He stretched his neck, and looked down at his legs. They were bound in a faint blue aura, powered by aan exhausted looking unicorn doctor.

The doctor looked up, and, upon seeing Vlad awake, called out for help. Vlad frowned. "Why do you call for help? Are you tired, doctor?" Vlad leaned up, and looked sternly at the doctor. "Doctor, please. Release me. I know what I am, but I will also say this: When I give my word, I intend to keep it. So I will say this now. Release me doctor. No harm shall come to you."

The doctor shook his head no, and then called again for help. Vlad sighed, and laid his head down. He looked back, and noticed that his cloak had been removed, standing him bare against the blankets. "Doctor, can I make a request? It doesn't have to do with freeing me, or me escaping. Can you at least cover my mark? I don't like having it show, that's why I kept my cape with me. And seeing that my only worldly belonging has now been taken from me, can I at least have some comfort?"

The doctor grunted, and pushed the blanket over Vlad, with much effort. Vlad sighed, and just decided to wait it out. Little did he know that the wait would be shorter than he expected.

Not five minutes later, Twilight stepped in. "Thank you, Doctor Band-aid." she said, taking Vlad in her magical grip. The doctor took a sigh of relief, and trudged out of the room. Twilight turned to Vlad, who wore a cocky smile.

"Finally, somepony who I can reason with!" Vlad said with a laugh. "Now, May I have my cape, miss Sparkle?" She only stared him down, causing him to sigh. "I take it that's a no, then. Fine, be like that. At least I saved a life today. And thanks for giving me some blood. But AB? Really? It's so... sludgy compared to O."

Twilight met his banter with silence, causing him to smile. "Silent treatment, huh? Fine, two can play at that game."

A light knocking came from the door. "Twilly? you sent for me?" called a stalion from beyond.

Twilight smiled widely, and called out, "Come in." Through the door stepped a tall white stallion in royal guard armor stepped in. "Hi Shining. This pony here," She guestured with her hoof, "is known as Vladamir. He just so happens to be the Haemomage you have been looking for."

Vlad struggled a bit. "I'm sorry, but this is not the Haemomage you are looking for." He said, flashing a smile.

Twilight's glare could melt steel. Her expression softened as she turned back to Shining. "I wanted you so that you can take him to the princess. She told me to be on the lookout for him, and so I was."

Shining raised an eyebrow. "And how did you catch him? Supposedly, they are really hard to catch."

Vlad spoke up, interrupting Twilight. "Saving my friend, actually. And, by coincidence, you might know her. Her name is Rarity? Wonderful mare, works at the Carousel Boutique?"

Shining turned to Twilight. "How did she get in a situation where she would need his help."

"An assassin, sent by the pofia. She hadn't paid the fee for a few months now, and so they finally came to collect, in money or in blood. They probably only meant to seriously injure, but the way she was falling would have killed her." Vlad interrupted again.

Shining turned back to Vlad. "And where is this assassin?" he inquired, his voice layered with anger.

"Dead... I... Let my bloodlust get the best of me." Vlad said, his voice withering away.

Shining sighed, then turned to Twilight. "And what condition is Rarity in?"

Twilight perked up at this. "Actually, she is being released today. She seemed to be in perfect health, aside from the trauma of falling two stories. Nothing broken, as if something caught her..." She turned and eyed Vlad suspiciously.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Oh, is it really that hard to believe? Yes, let me put it in your terms: The villain saved the damsel in distress." Vlad shook his shoulders, since he couldn't move his feet.

The door creaked open. "Miss Sparkle? Somepony is requesting to see Vladamir. Should I let them through?" Twilight cocked her head, but nodded. Shortly after, the door opened farther, and a pale white unicorn walked in.

Vladamir smiled. "Rarity, dear! How have you been? Recovering well?" He looked about her frame, checking to see if there were any lingering wounds, but he felt his eyes drawn to her saddlebags.

"Fine, fine. I have a cut that won't stop bleeding, but other than that, I'm fine. Had you not gotten there in time, I might have died!" She gasped. "But look at you! I hate to say it, but your cape does make you look better." Vlad looked down, obviously still hurting over the loss of his cape. "Which is why I brought you something to cheer you up."

Twilight stepped towards Rarity, who was opening her saddlebag. "Rarity don't!" She called out, but it was too late. From her saddlebag, she drew his cape, causing him to gasp with joy. She floated it over to him, and he smiled.

"Rarity dear, you have no idea how happy you have made me." He said, closing his eyes. Twilight reached for the cape with her telekinesis, but watched in horror as Vladamir opened his eyes. "Nopony takes my cape without my permission." He said, eyes flaring with their red glow. His cape vaporized, the red cloud flying out to Twilight, pushing her away. Before anypony could react, the cloud engulfed Twilight. "Now. Release me." He commanded.

Rarity could only watch in horror as the cloud densed around Twilight, who was refusing to free him. Vlad frowned, and pulled the cloud off of her. "what am I doing? Yesterday, I would have counted her among my friends..." A wicked smile came across his face. "Fine then. All it will take is a simple tap." He said, balling up the blood, and slamming it into the side of Twilight's head.

She hit the floor with a sickening crack, completely knocked out. The aura faded from her horn, and Vlad was dropped back onto the bed. The cloud re-formed into a cape, and vlad was about to jump the coop when he noticed Twilight was bleeding. "Buck," he cursed under his breath. Shining armor charged him when he noticed Vlad moving in on his sister, so Vlad put up his cape as a fine blood mist shield.

Vlad kneeled down beside Twilight and rolled her over. Thankfully, it was just a small cut in her eyebrow, something that would heal up quickly, if given a helping push. Vlad focused, and watched the pooled blood begin to clot quickly, creating the protective barrier of a scab. His ears perked up as he heard the door slam open, Shining running out into the hall, calling for re-inforcements, which made Vlad smile. Good, I need the practice, he thought to himself.

"You're... you... but..." Rarity stammered, finally shaking out of her stupor.

Vlad winced. The revelation was always the hardest part. "Yes, I am the Haemomage. Yes, I saved you, yes, I nocked out our friend, and yes, now I have to go." He breathed in, hoping that went better than he thought it had. Rarity only stood there, looking at him, for a few minutes. He walked up, and kissed her brow. "Goodbye, my friend." he said, before slinking out of the room.

He turned to walk out, when he saw the group of guards. "Element of magic can't even contain me. What do you think you can do? Use the elements of force?" He cackled, and pawed the ground. "Go ahead then. Contain me." he taunted.

The guards roared in frustration, and they charged him. He smiled, and waited for them to just be there, before sinking into the ground. The guards stopped, and looked around in confusion, not noticing the thin stream of blood flowing beneath their hooves.

Into the Fire

Vladamir smiled as he ran down the halls, the guards not knowing where he just disappeared to. He saw the front doors, and made a beeline for them. Right as he was about to slam through them, they instead opened in, and he ran into a largem fluffy creature.

"Oh, excuse me." The motherly voice said. It was the last voice he wanted to hear.

He bowed deeply. "The fault is mine, princess." He said. "I was rushing blindly ahead, I should have paid more attention to my surroundings."

She laughed, but stopped abruptly. "Say, I don't recognize you. What is your name?" She asked, leaning in and raising an eyebrow.

"Vladamir. It's vladamir." He said, starting to squeeze by.

She smiled, and stepped aside. "Well, it will be nice to get to know you, Vladamir. How does tea on tuesday sound?"

He put up the biggest smile he could muster. "It would be a pleasure." He said, as he sidled by. "You can meet me at the carousel boutique." he added as he ran off.

From down the hall, they could hear "Stop that Colt!" Vlad could see the gears churning in her mind, as she fit the pieces together. Running out of a hospital, strange colt living with Rarity, the unique cloak. Vladamir is the pony Twilight talked about in the letter. Strange she didn't write his name, She thought as she turned.

Vladamir, however, was having the run of his life. Flying down streets, cruising around corners, Vlad was trying to escape with all of his might. Why run? She knows who you are. End the game, finish her. It is your destiny. Spoke a voice in his mind. It wasn't the comforting voice of his mentor, no. It was a voice heavy with evil.

Master, what is this? Vlad called out, hoping to find the trace of his old friend.

He was weak, and so he died. Only room for two, in your mind. So it is you and me. The voice laughed.

And who are you? Vlad asked, making a left on dougherty street.

I am you, at your full pontential. Let me in, Vladamir. Let us merge, and let the streets run red. The voice cackled more, and Vladamir realized what it really was he was speaking to. He was speaking to the Blood Lord inside of him.

I walk a different path. You hold no power over me. Vlad confindentally boasted, taking a right down memory lane. And why is it they have such ironic names for their streets?

Vlad made another right, and came face to face with a royal guard. "Over here! I found him!' The poor fellow called out, before Vladamir kicked him in the face. Using the guard as a springboard, he leaped to the rooftop, and began running along those.

A light blue bolt came out of nowhere and slammed into his side. He looked in confusion as he fell, realizing that he had just been tackled by Rainbow Dash. "Dash, please let me go. I'm leaving town, and going home." She laughed, and only held on tighter. Vlad sighed. "Dash, you saw what happenned to the mare who attacked Rarity. Don't make me end you the same way."

Dash gasped, and let go of him for a second. "You wouldn't..." She began.

Vladamir shook his head. "I don't like threatening my friends, but if you don't let me go, they are going to kill me in one of the most horrible ways you can imagine." Rainbow Dash shook her head, and Vlad sighed again. "Please, Dash. Let me go."

Dash pondered it for a minute, before nodding her head and letting go. "Thank you, my friend." Vladamir said. "Goodbye, Rainbow Dash." Vlad turned and started running.

-+-+-+-+-+-

"Fan out, and find him. We can't let him escape!" Shining called out to the assembled royal guard. All of them saluted, and ran about, searching the streets methodically. Shining turned to his sister and the princess. "Don't worry, we'll catch him."

The trio sat around, listening intently. Finally, after a few minutes, they all heard the faint sound. "Over here! I found him!" the faraway guard called.

Twilight looked in his direction, and thought hard. "That came from around sugarcube corner. Give me a second." She told them, focusing her magic into her horn. "Here we go." She breathed, releasing her magic in a bright enveloping bubble.

-+-+-+-+-+-

Vladamir heard a pop and a fizzle from behind him, and turned back for just a second. Just beyond Rainbow Dash was Twilight, Shining, and Buck Celestia. The three narrowed their eyes, and Twilight called out to Dash. "Rainbow! Grab him."

Loyalty is a funny thing, Vlad thought as she turned to face Twilight. "I can't do that." She stated. Twilight'sm face contorted in confusion, and so Rainbow continued. "I can't bring that fate on him. I can't let you do that."

Vladamir smiled giddily, and started running faster than ever. Rainbow can hold them up for a short while longer, Vlad thought. He kept running, and was nearing the Everfree forest when his limbs locked up. He looked down in horror to see his limbs engulfed in a violet glow again. No no no no no, Vlad silently cried.

You could let me in. I could free us, and let us live! Came the dark voice again.

I won't give in to you. I'm stronger than that. Vlad spoke back. "Twilight, let me go. I'm not a bad pony, you know me." He pleaded.

Twilight shook her head. "You killed somepony. I cant let that happen again." She told him.

"Holding me down will kill yet another." He smiled wickedly. "Do you want that? Do you want to be the reason another pony dies?"

Twilight shook her head, and looked down. "No. But if killing you saves everypony else, then it would be better for everypony if you died." She looked up and back, and was about to call out when Vlad tried one last stab.

"And what if you had caught me before you did? Rarity would have died. The mare under the sign would have bled to death before the doctors would have arrived. I have denied death, so he will be eager to take another. Who are you willing to lose?" Vlad closed his eyes, and began praying to anything that could hear him to let her release him.

I can hear you. Came the voice again.

Shut up. Vlad stated plainly.

Twilight, bless her heart, was horridy confused over the dilema displayed before her. But she knew that he wouldn't be stopped. He would move to another town, and start killing ponies there. "Princess Celestia! I have him!" She called out, causing Vlad to hang his head in defeat. A flash of golden light later, Celestia stood before the two, surrounded by the royal guard.

"Surround the area. We don't want him to escape again." Shining barked, the guards jumping to his command.

Celestia, however, looked intently at Vladamir. His semblance of defeat, the way he accepted his fate, something wasn't right. "Vladamir, what motivates you to accept defeat?" He looked up at her, and she got a good look into his eyes. She was a little shocked when she saw the white in his eyes stained with flecks of black.

"I'm doing all I can to control him. I don't have the strength to fight two anymore, so I decided to fight him instead." He replied calmly. The black flecks began to fade white again, but a shudder coursed through his body, and the flecks returned. He looked up at his situation, sighing contently. "Well, at least I knew it would take a lot of you to contain me." He said with a chuckle, which was cut off by another shudder.

Vlad looked up at the sun, and smiled. "Will this be the last time I see the sun?" He wondered aloud. He looked about, enjoying his last few moments of existance, before something caught his eye. Rarity was standing around the corner of one of the buildings, and she was with Rainbow. "Goodbye, my friends." He called out to them, as he shuddered again. "Now please go. I don't want either of you two to have to see this." He pleaded, shuddering more violently.

Vlad turned back to Celestia, the white in his eyes almost completely gone. "Finish it. Do it now. Please." He commanded, before one final shudder wracked his body, and the white in his eyes disappeared.

Celestia charged her horn, before something thick and heavy hit her in the side of the head. "Finally." Came a deep, rumbling voice. "I didn't think I could take any more of this sappy crap for another minute. Now, fear the true power of Vladamir, last of the Blood Lords."

The Last of the Blood Lords

Author's Note: I envision the blood lord speaking like Christopher Lee, the guy who voiced Saruman from the Lord of the Rings, Count Dooku from Star Wars, and the preacher from the Corpse Bride.

A fine red mist surrounded Vladamir, who was laughing coldly. "Now, witness my power!" He said, his black eyes burining with raw power. The mist formed an array of thin, needle-like spines. He laughed as the shards flew into the guards, puncturing the skin and seriously injuring them, before pulling out. The guards began bleeding out of all the new holes in their bodies, and Vlad cocked his head. He lifted his snout, and the blood of some 13 guards was ripped from their bodies, to form a large sphere over his head. He looked down at them as the blood sphere engulfed him, and Twilight began to feel her focus draining. Her horn sputtered a few sparks, and then stopped working.

Vladamir laughed from within the sphere, and said sphere began shrinking down. It compressed around him, becoming form-fitting, creating a tight guard. It began to sculpt itself, taking on muscle structure as the main design. Layer upon layer of thin strips appeared, creating a skinless appearance. Spikes began to grow on his shoulders, and a thin stream crawled up his head and became a crown of thorns. The whole shape darkened, becoming nearly black. "Bloodsteel, the strongest metal known to Equestria." Vlad stated simply.

He floated down, and looked at those who had survived the initial onslaught. Five guard, Shining, Twilight, and the accursed Sun Goddess. He laughed brutally, causing Twilight to wither beneath him. "Now, swear fealty to me, an you shall be spared. Any takers?" He looked about, and, seeing no volunteers, he roared. He pointed a hoof at another guardspony, and a spike rapidly extended from his hoof, impaling the poor guard. "Lets try this again, shall we?" He said, withdrawing the spike and draining the guard's blood. "Who doesn't want to die?"

One pegasus guard fell to his knees, and crawled to Vladamir. "I don't want to die." He whimpered pathetically.

Vlad smiled. "Good! Good. Anypony else brave enough to learn from past mistakes?" He stood and watched the remaining few. "My patience is waning, any more takers?" When nopony else moved, he sighed. "So be it." He said, shrugging his shoulders. He pointed his hoof in their general direction, and three spikes came out, killing all three.

At the last, he turned back to see the three who have been a pain in his side since the beginning. He smiled viciously, raised a hoof, and was blinded by a flash of light. When he looked back, the three were gone. "You can run, but you can't hide!" He turned to the pegasus guard. "Go to Canterlot. Find out if they are within." The guard nodded, bowed, and took off to the skies.

"Soon..." Vlad whispered under his breath.

-+-+-+-+-+-

A burst of light suprised all the ponies in shugarcube corner, and the sudden appearance of a now-unconcious princess didn't do anything to help the now panicking ponies. Nurse Redheart sighed. "If only we had that new first responder, Vlad, here. He could have helped."

Twilight gave her a sad look. "Vlad caused this. Now, what is the fastest way to revive her?" The nurse ran off to the kitchen, coming back out with a large dish of icewater. Redheart looked at Twilight, and gave her the dish.

"I simply can't do this to the princess. If you want to do it, go ahead." she finally said. Twilight let out an exasperated sigh, and dumped it over her mentor's head.

Celestia awoke with a start, sputtering and flailing about comically. "Wha, huh, bu...?" She asked, before regaining her composure and standing majestically. "You all did not see anything." She finally told the stunned crowd, who all absentmindedly nodded. "Twilight, can you manage one long range teleport?" Celestia asked.

Twilight nodded, and Celestia smiled. "Good. I need you to take us to Canterlot. With Luna, We can stop him." Twilight shut her eyes, and focused hard. A blink of purple light later, the three of them were gone.

-+-+-+-+-+-

The deep, resounding laughter echoed through the desolate streets. "Hello?" He called out mockingly. "Any reckless sun godesses?" He called down an abandoned street. This game he had been playing with himself for the past few minutes, but his patience was quickly wearing thin. He stomped his hoof in frustration, growling angrilly. He kicked the next door open, to find two mares who looked vaguely familiar. "Any frightened sun godesses here?" He barked.

The pale unicorn stepped forth, and something stirred in his mind again. "No, but there are two scared friends."

At this, the cyan pegasus flew forth. "I'm not scared. I'm just... Comforting you!" she boasted.

Vladamir rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. All I have is a score to settle. Now, if Celestia is not here, I will be on my way." He said, turning around.

A hoof touched his shoulder, and the ball of blood slammed into the purpetrator. He turned to see the white unicorn laying on her side, gasping in confusion. An evil smile crossed his face. "So you're the pathetic example of an equine which Vlad fell for. And a unicorn, no less. Pathetic." He said, voice laced with disgust. He was about to kick her in the stomach, when a voice rang up in the back of his head. Leave her. She's only distracting you from finding the Princess. Vladamir nodded, and turned away to keep walking. "The Vladamir you knew is dead. Best remember that." He said, walking farther away.

Vladamir knocked down the next door, to find nothing. "WHERE ARE YOU?" He roared to the open sky.

"Right here." Said a defiant voice behind him. He turned with a wicked smile to the now numerous group behind him. His quick head count told him that there were now ten, nine mares and Shining Armor.

Vlad laughed. "Quite the stud now, arent we, Shining? Nine mares crammed tight around one stallion?" Shining ducked into the group, his cheeks burning furiously. Vlad's expression grew dead serious. "Now, let's see who we have. We have Twilight, the prodigal unicorn, we have her brother, Shining armor, here to protect the princesses here. We have the Lunar godess and the sun godess, along with the demigodess of love. After that, we have five friends of different subspecies. Now, my only question is this: What hope do you have?"

"We have these!" Twilight said, floating up five necklaces and a single tiara. Vladamir laughed.

"Oh No! They are going redecorate me!" He said melodramatically, cackling wickedly. His expression stoned, and he said flatly "I will never submit. I will never be taken down. And today, you have all walked to your doom." His jacket flared out, transforming into tentacles of liquid life. The tentacles bulged, then flowed rapidly to the group, aiming to impale them. Shining, being him, flared out a shield spell, protecting the group with a shield just like the one used over Canterlot. But the tendrils were unrelenting, smashing into the shield repeatedly.

"Girls, hury. I can't hold up this shield for very long under this kind of attack." He said, rubbing his forehead. They nodded, snapped out of shock, and quickly began putting on the elements.

Vladamir, outside, was chanting something. "Ulti, my lord, my god. Cast down from the seat of power, hear my cry. Use me as a vessel, so as to enact your will." The tendrils slammed into the shield, a fine crack appearing. "Ulti, my lord, my god..." He kept repeating, at the end slamming the tentacles. After several repetitions, the shield crumbled. Vladamir opened his eyes to see them all in slight shock, over the fact that the shield fell so fast. The tentacles pulled back, and then raced forward.

The princesses activated their horns, but found the job done before they started. The tentacles had stopped of their own accord, mere inches from the group. Vladamir stood twitching, his head shaking from side to side, eyes closed. "This is my body! I destroyed you!" The deep voice boomed. "You can't have it back. His eyes burst open, flecked with white.

"Take the chance, we don't have much time to loose." Celestia whispered to Twilight, who nodded. She closed her eyes, tapping into the elements, but found that the element of generosity resisted her command. She turned to face Rarity, who had a stubborn look on her face.

"He's still in there Twilight. I can't do this to him." She said, turning her nose upwards.

Twilight sighed, realizing that all of them had to be consenting in order to use them. Then, a little thought took hold. Let's hope her element influences her on this little bit of logic. she thought with a smile. "But Rarity, he wouldn't want this. We should do this, not because we have to, but to end his suffering. Look at him," She said, waving her hoof in the direction of Vlad. "None of us want him to suffer. We should end it. We HAVE to end it."

Rarity looked a little hurt, but another look at the convulsing friend solidified her decision. She sighed. "Alright. Lets do this." She added, in a whisper, "for him." Twilight smiled, and closed her eyes again, tapping into the elements once more. This time, she felt the element of generosity pushing, and she harnessed it like she would a strong sled dog. When all of the elements sat huddled in her control, she opened her eyes, feeling the raw magic streaming from them.

Vlad looked up, his eyes full black again, just it time to see the "jewelrey" lighting up with arcane powers. "No, this can't be!" He cried out when he saw the light streaming from Twilight's eyes. "It just cannot be! I am the last of the Blood Lords! I am the one to carry the legacy, to bring the world back into the old order. I cannot be defeated, I am..." The rest of his rant was droned out as the sound made by pure magic roared into his body, lifting him upwards and engulfing him entirely in its blinding light.

Sequels

So... I finally got it up.
Here you all go! Enjoy!

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/67181/Rise-of-Zyra

Aftermath

Twilight lowered to the ground, feeling quite exhausted. Using the elements always took it out of her. She shook her head to clear her vision, and then looked around. Not a trace of the haemomage remained, and she saw Rarity kneeling by an insignificant pile of ashes. As if exposed to the unbridled might of the sun, rolled around in Twilight's head.

She walked up to Rarity, who was shedding a few tears. "I only knew him for a few weeks, but he was such a good young colt." She said to Twilight, turning her head up to face Twi. "We could have saved him. I could have helped him. He wasn't a bad colt." She said, looking down at the pile of ashes.

"Rarity, it had to be done. He was, on his very fundamental levels, evil. Even if we tried, nothing could have changed that." Twilight said, sitting beside her friend, trying to comfort her.

Rarity only stood up, gathered his ashes in her magic, turned, and walked home. Twilight moved to follow her, but an orange hoof on her shoulder stopped her. "Let her go, Twi. She's a big girl, she can handle her problems." Applejack told her.

Twilight smiled at her friend. "I guess you're right. Come on, let's go talk with the others." She said, walking back towards the group.

Time flew for the next few months. Minor repairs were done, celebrations over the final end of the Blood Lords, et cetera et cetera. At the end of the year, everything was back to the way it was before. Rarity held a private party in rememberance of Vlad, but other than that, nothing big happened.

And sitting in her back roon, growing out of a jar filled with ashes, was a blood red lotus flower.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the story. It was definately a fun distraction from "The Artificer," which was my primary story. I'm sorry about the short ending, I was expecting to make it longer. But once I had written this, I felt it was all that was needed. Thanks to all of you readers, and I wish you all safe travels. Rennoc215, signing off.