Vampire Hunting is magic.

To be prideful is to be bashful

To lose is to die

To win is to live

if honor is lost

well than they say good-bye.

Friendship isn't easy

Sometimes it makes us forget

That the one we fear most

is that the dangerous one of all

is the one we don't get.

X's eyes open. A little bit of light is filtering in through a nearby window. The room is white and there are three other beds in this room. Xron blinks the spots out of his eyes and turns his head around on his pillow. He looks up at the ceiling and wonders for a moment if he's finally home or simply imagining a place of comfort.
.

Oh god I’ve got such a headache…

Xron tries to roll over and winces because of the effort. He lies back on his back and sighs. At least he finds some comfort in still being alive.

Damn… I really screwed up huh? Sorry guys...

X hears a door open in front of him. He manages to look forward to see the magenta pony he's gotten to know only a bit of.

“You okay?” She asks placing a hoof on his stomach.

“Can't say I am... Yo-You are Twilight right?” Xron asks closing his eyes as the brightness fo the room starts to burn his eye and increase his headache.

“Yea it’s me.” Twilight says, “I came by to check on you. Applejack and Rainbowdash managed to bring you here while Celestia dealt with the other injured civilians. So far we've all be on rotation looking out for whatever that person was and checking on everypony's health. ”

“Do we know where he is?"

“N-No… He got away.” Twilight says looking away, "Princess Celestia couldn't track him either."

“Shit!” Xron says clutching the bed he lays on his claws unsheathing, “If only my team were here! If only I was stronger...”

“It’s okay X. I’m sure with us knowing about the impending threat, we should be able to help you deal with it! We'll be your new team! Me and my friends!” Twilight says trying to soothe him down while undoing several bandages running across his body.

Xron sighs and looks back at the ceiling, “I shouldn’t be alive right now you know. He played me and he'll continue to play me. You and your friends don't deserve whatever is coming.”

“How could you say that! Better yet, don’t say that!” Twilight says stomping a hoof as she turns her body to gather up new bandages, “Everyone has a right to live! No matter how strong or weak!”

"That's very true for a lot of creatures. But in my line of work, and being part of my race... If the chief was to find out about this. Haha...” X says knowing that every wolf fights till they die in battle or until they defeat their enemy.

To lose and to live is something very unheard of by his people. Sure there are rare cases, but those rare cases are the ones where you hear about one of his kind going insane, being banished, or going rogue. None of them have happy stories, but they don't need to know that.

"Are your people not the same? Every life should be valued." Twilight states proudly.

"Yeah. We believe every life should be valued. Until otherwise to say. There are various ways one may forfeit their right to live." X says thinking of all the rules and ways creatures turn evil or go, rogue, "There are many rules that govern my world, but I guess they don't apply here do they?"

"Exactly! Also, you've never answered about making a team with us." Twilight asks turning back and applying a green salve along his wounds.

X winces and squirms a bit, "Sorry but no go. There is a whole ritual and rules that apply to that. Plus he's dangerous. I don't want anybody-

"Pony."

"Pony near him," X says rolling his eyes at her correcting him.

He'd laugh if it wasn't such a dire situation. If he was on his home plane his life would be forfeited. He'd be given a choice of living until someone kills him or being killed on the spot with some type of honor. He'd happily take the second option, but he knows that the ponies around him would probably not kill him outright if he asked for it. Death would allude him and insanity may claim him.

He can't help but consider the cruelty of life even during the most pleasant of moments.

"But we can help! If this is about being a wolf, I'm sure we can form our own guild of Hunters."

"It's... it's more than that. I wish I could better explain it, but I'm really tired. Lost a lot of blood ya know?" X says hoping his lie would throw her off.

"R-Right. Sorry." She says her ears flopping back, "I'll let you get some more rest."

"Thank you. All of you."

With that Twilight soon exits the room taking the dirtied bandages with her.

*Everfree*

“Shit!” Cladmore says falling forward on his face as his left arm to the elbow is burned off, “It’s like she shot the sun itself at me!”

Blood begins to slowly wrap itself starting to become longer from his missing shoulder.

“Damn…” Cladmore says just lying there on the ground, “Hehe… At least some good came from last night at least.”

A rustle is heard from behind him. Cladmore rolls over and sits up staring in the general direction of the sound.

“Who’s there!” Cladmore yells scooting back while gathering power into his right hand, “Don’t test my patience!”

‘Don’t worry my friend we both want the same thing don’t we?’ A voice in a dark raspy hiss says through Cladmore’s mind making him shiver.

“Who… What are you?” Cladmore asks to the darkness that he now sees moving around him.

He can't feel anything alive around him, so some sort of entity has found him.

‘We are many and we are one’ The darkness replies chuckling, 'and we are stronger than you'

Cladmore manages to stand up by using a nearby tree to prop up on. He allows the blood to absorb back into him not taking a chance in showing hostility to an entity he might not be able to fight as well.

“Alright. What are we both after than buddy?”

‘Domination.’ Now many voices say in unison.

“I like the way you think but how will you help me?” Cladmore asks curiously as well as wanting to keep alive.

‘We have many working for us because we are many from all over. We are like you.’ The shadow says in a now more youthful voice, ‘Follow us and you will see and learn. You will also grow to yearn for more but don’t be greed will be your downfall. If you let it consume you like others have before you.’

"Question. Are you the one who brought me here?” Cladmore says watching as the shadows begin to consolidate into one figure much like his own.

‘We have influenced it but we did not summon’ The shadow says not truly answering but giving Cladmore some idea of how he got here.

“Right. So how are we doing this?"

'The time will come when motions will be set again. Many are waiting and judging both you and him. As well as the ones who have been here for longer than you both' the now pitch black figure says walking towards Cladmore, 'now close your eyes and breath deep.'

"Do I get a second option?"

"The only other option is to be forced."

Cladmore breathes deeply and does as told closing his eyes as the hand of the figure covers his face.

*Library*

Spike is reordering some books on the floor when he says, "How is he, Twilight?”

Twilight glances over her shoulders to the stairs she descended. She sighs and looks back to Spike.

“Really awful Spike. He’s really down about the whole thing. He’s really beating himself up about it.” Twilight says looking through some books, “I figured I would find something about wolves or something close to wolves and see what I can do to help him.”

“That’s really nice of you Twilight but wouldn't it just be easier to get Pinkie Pie to do something like that,” Spike says placing a book known as unicorn anatomy 101.

Twilight would've asked Pinkie if she could but Mr. and Mrs. Cake said that Pinkie locked herself in her room for some unknown reason. Twilight had tried to investigate more into this but every time she did Pinkie would always reply “go away…” or “leave me alone…” In a really depressed tone. Pinkie is on her list of things she and her friends have to do.

“That’s not really an option right now Spike…” Twilight says to spike as she finds a book on timber wolves, “Now let’s see… Timberwolves are known to hunt in packs, howl at the full moon, and feed on trees. It’s said that all Timberwolves communicate with each other whether looking over the hurt or coming up with signals for an ambush on prey.”

Spike walks over trying to look over the book with her.

“I really don’t see what… Oh wait right here it says that Timberwolves also seem to have a sense of honor. They tend to always hunt together and follow the rules of the back. There seems to be a hierarchy the dictates who eats first, who gets the first kill, cleaning, gather, and just about everything else. Not much is know, but…”

Spike looks look at Twilight, "What is it”

"It says that if a wolf is to fail its mission or is soon too weak to carry out orders, it seems the alpha usually chases it out or kills it. Do to the unknown means of communication of timberwolves, it says they may have some form of telecommunication for if a wolf fails tragically it is said to lose all will to live and decays to nothing after a various amount of time."

"You don't think he.."

“I really hope not Spike. Though I’ll check on him anyway to make sure of it.” Twilight says closing the book and making her way to the door, "But I want to get some help from Fluttershy as well."

Twilight begins to walk through the catatonic town. Usually, there would be lots of ponies moving about happy as the day is long, but with the latest events from the Everfree... The town seems very dead. There are a few ponies out and mourning, but almost all the shops are closed and the ponies she would normally see around the market area are no longer there. Either mourning or simply gone from the world.

She swallows slowly remembering seeing Celestia in all of her glory. The usually stoic face painted in rage as she flew off into the Everfree. What she went to do she still has no idea. No pony has reported her flying back over the Everfree yet, but Celestia is stronger than anything she has ever seen. So she should be fine.

Twilight stops and mourns with a few of the ponies she knows and makes it to the shack the sun a quarter of the way up into the sky. She takes note of all the animals sticking close to the shack and further away from the forest. A bad omen if anything.

Her hoof raps against the door and moments later it opens to reveal a flustered Fluttershy.

"Twilight! Oh its so good to see you!"

"Its good to see you too Fluttershy, but is everything alright? I could come back later if something is wrong. Or help you if I can."

"Oh no, everything is alright! It's just... the animals have been coming to me in bunches lately. They said that something is wrong with the Everfree. Something is disturbing every creature."

"Really? Perhaps it has something to do with what Celestia went off to do... Well, I'm sure things will get better Fluttershy." Twilight says nuzzling Fluttershy to bring her some comfort.

"Thanks, Twilight. Things have been very trying for all of us. I-I just.." Tears begin to form in her eyes and Twilight is quick to help comfort and soother her.

"It's alright. You know me and all your other friends are here for you. Even your animals are here to comfort you and love you!" Twilight says trying to reassure her.

"R-Right. I have to be strong for them and everybody else."

"And you don't have to be alone to do it either. Just, don't forget to take a break and rest okay?"

"Okay. I will. Oh, I'm sorry, you probably came here for a reason right?"

"Y-Yea. It's that. I don't really know what to do about X. I read up some information and I'm afraid for his well being and was hoping you could help me with him. But I see you have your hands full so."

"X isn't feeling well? Well, I'll certainly help him since it is my special talent to help animals whether in need or not." Fluttershy states proudly, "I'll be happy to help you. I was just getting ready to come to your place and ask when you needed one of us to watch him next."

"Thanks. I just don't feel like I'm a good pony to have this conversation with him."

"Just let me know what you need me to do, Twilight," Fluttershy says her smile beaming.

"Well..."

A creature stirs chains rattling as ancient bones pop from a long time of no use. The creature snort steam pouring forth from its great nostrils.

“The wheels are starting to spin again. I wonder if they can still hear the song. Or have they all grown deaf to it." The creature lets out a weak laugh that only those who knew what to listen for would make out.