Vampire Slayer Lulamoon

by Agaris

Rating: teen
Tags: Gilda, Adventure, Flim and Flam, Tragedy, Big Macintosh, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sad, Princess Luna, Trixie
Length: 2435

Blood-sucking fiends rule the night, drawn by the power of Nightmare Moon and a sinister spell. With the help of several unexpected allies, one unicorn sets out to avenge her family and right the wrongs that have been unleashed on the world.

A unicorn showpony searching late into the night for answers. A pair of twins powering a machine belching smoke and steam. A griffin exiled from her native land huddled in a cave. A sleeping farmer clutching a prized possession. As the secrets the night reveals begin to destroy the lives they knew, these unexpected allies must band together to protect their home from a new threat.

They have been around for millennium, waiting, hunting, killing. The beasts lurk in the dark - but not for much longer.

Story inspired by The Illusionist by Nastylady on deviantART. Also, it's the cover art.

Published 2013-04-15 05:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-15 05:00:02 UTC

Prologue

The Journal of Trixie Lulamoon

30/10/1024 A.R.C. 11:50 P.M.

I shake with excitement even as I write this. My research on the different kinds of magic existing in Equestria, which, admittedly has been slowed to a near halt in the past few months, has finally come to a breakthrough! I believe that I may have found something - a piece of magic - that breaks all the rules of magic as we know them. It is written in an archaic tongue reminiscent of the Middle Ages, and nopony living today has memories of those times save for the princesses themselves; it fills me with glee to know that I may have found the first trace of the magic those times held. The spell was hidden away in... admittedly, a strange sort of ruins. It would appear to be the remains of somepony's mansion. There are many pictures of whom I assume to be the former proprietor of the place. He is rather strange; a pale unicorn, but not white, which is a fairly normal color, and his mane is as black as I've ever seen. His red eyes shine with a dark light that I cannot quite explain, but it feels like I am being watched.

However, there is nothing that will prevent me from finding the truth about this spell. The wording is cryptic, and I fear that the only way to truly discern the purpose of said spell is to cast it. More preparation is required, however, and I will continue this entry with my findings.

Trixie tossed the journal and watched as it skidded across the stone floor to come to a stop next to her saddlebags. Even her aching horn couldn't keep the excitement from her face as she turned back to the dusty tome that lay on an equally dusty table next to her. "Ye spell giveth rebirth to Night's servants, that they may drink from the font of life again..." Trixie glanced out the cracked glass window. At best, this sounded like... Well, almost like a spell to reanimate the dead. In all practicality, it would have been idiotic to cast it, but... "I have been finding myself more inclined to sleeping during the day lately, anyway," Trixie quipped. She had to know the truth, or she would drive her own self insane! She widened her stance and braced herself, preparing to cast the spell. The iron buckles on her sleeves clinked at the sudden movement, and the gem that served as her cloak's clasp hummed and crackled in anticipation. The sense that someone or something was hidden and watching was amplified, but Trixie paid no attention to it. Forcing the remains of her magic into her horn (and drawing upon the amulet's store), she cast the spell. Almost immediately, something went wrong. The spell was taking much more energy than it should have been, and Trixie could feel her life slipping away. She tried to shut the spell down, but something stopped her, keeping her in wracking pain.

Amidst the agony, Trixie faintly heard hoofsteps on the cold slate floor. An even colder voice came from behind her. "The beacon of the night has been lit. Congratulations, Miss Lulamoon; you have ushered in a new era. The queen will be most pleased." The mysterious force released Trixie, and she was whirled around to face her savior - a savior who was very familiar to Trixie, being prominently displayed all across the ruined mansion.

"You... You're..." Trixie panted.

"Oh, my dear, let me save you the trouble. I am indeed the owner of this lovely house you seem to have made yourself at home in. And of course, you'll be wondering how I'm still alive, if this mansion is clearly so old. Well the answer to that is really quite simple: I am an immortal." The lightness with which he spoke was incongruous with the subject matter, and with the malevolence that he radiated.

"But... how..." the unicorn continued trying to speak.

"Well I can't just tell you my secret, that would take all the fun out of it. I'll give you a hint, though, and a warning. Firstly, I am a true ally of the night. As for the warning, you will be seeing me again. And our next meeting won't be so... amiable. For now, though, I take my leave, and leave with you a very special gift." His horn glowed a dark, ominous red, and a beam of magic rocketed into Trixie's forehead right underneath her horn, scorching the coat black. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, unmoving, to the frigid tiles below.

The pale unicorn strode to the window and, lashing out with his front hooves, sent shards plummeting to the ground far below. He climbed onto the windowsill, taking a moment to look back at the prone form of the unconscious unicorn mare. A bell in the town below the fortress began to ring the midnight hour. " Nightmare Night. How appropriate," he murmured. Then he spoke to the shadow-filled country of Equestria, his crimson cloak flapping in the wind. "The signal is lit, your world is done, the Age of Darkness IS NOW BEGUN!" With that, a shroud of black fog began to boil at his hooves, and his body dissolved into a multitude of shapes. A cloud of bats covered the moon, then flew off into the night.

The screeching of bats woke the griffin from her slumber. "What the Tartarus?" she mumbled as she groggily stumbled to the mouth of her cavernous shelter. The only problem was, it didn't seem to be there anymore. The familiar shape of the full moon was blotted out entirely by flapping wings and squealing, biting mouths. And then, for only a split second, the griffin noticed something else. In just one brief, distinct, terrifying moment, the swarm had parted in two places, revealing the moon as a pair of baleful eyes, glaring down on the darkened world and daring those brave enough to oppose them. The griffin flinched and instinctively shrank back into the cave's welcoming darkness. It had felt as if those eyes... those eyes that weren't eyes at all... had been staring into her soul.

The lonely frontier trail was silent save for the strange chugging sound emanating from a stranger machine being driven by two even stranger brothers. The brothers were identical down to almost the last detail: they both wore the same flamboyant outfit and looked roughly the same, save for the marks emblazoned on their flanks and the styles of their manes. "Flim," the mustachioed brother asked the other as a chill ran down his spine, "did you feel that?"

"Indeed I did, brother," replied Flim, as a shiver ran up his, "And Flam, I have to say, I'm worried about what this means."

"You know what it means as well as I do. It will start again soon, just like last time. Only..." Flam hesitated.

"This time it may not have such a happy ending." his brother finished.

"Exactly."

The strange machine and the stranger brothers chugged their way down a lonely country road, bathed in the cold moonlight.

She was laughing with that adorably dorky laugh, looking at him and blushing. He covered her hoof with his own, and she turned to look up at him. He could see himself reflected in her beautiful violet eyes, and she drew nearer, and nearer -

The dream shattered. The farmpony's eyes shot open and he nearly rolled off the bed. His breathing was erratic, sweat poured from his body, and his behavior was akin to a cornered wild animal. Slowly, he turned to the window, just in time to see a pair of malicious eyes stare at him from where the moon ought to be. His skin crawled. "Ah don't think Ah'll be gettin' any more sleep tonight," he muttered, muscles rigid in fear. He was right.

Trixie hung motionless in a void of darkness. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she became aware of a sharp, burning pain in the center of her forehead. She tried to speak, but her voice was muffled by the all-encompassing shadows. Then, off in the distance, a flash of color. It came closer, and when Trixie saw what it was, her mouth fell open in shock. The color was a unicorn filly with a blue coat and a lighter blue mane. She sat on a rug that seemed suspended in space. As suddenly as the filly had appeared, so did a floor. Then walls, pictures, a table, and lastly, a door appeared and formed a room. A room that was so familiar to Trixie, and at the same time so alien.

The door swung open, slamming against the far wall. A stallion stormed in, navy mane tousled, a frightened expression on his face. "Star," he called out. "Take Trixie and get out of here. He's coming."

A violet mare materialized, a worried look on her face. "But you paid the fee! Why is he-"

A splintering sound cut her off in the middle of the sentence. Showers of dust and wood rained down from the newly appeared hole in the ceiling, through which a horribly recognizable unicorn jumped, cape billowing behind him. Present-day Trixie gasped at the same time as the ponies she now realized were her parents.

"Sunfall," her father growled through gritted teeth. "What happened to 'ten minutes'?"

"Mӧbius Twist, one of Equestria's brightest minds and leading mathematicians, can't even tell when he's being lied to." Sunfall spoke with a harsh, condescending tone. "I'm sorry that I have to do this, old friend, but you know the rules. No one leaves the Queen's service, although I do appreciate the generous donation." With that, he lunged forward, clamping his jaw on Mӧbius's throat. Mӧbius struggled for a moment, but then the energy fled his body. He went limp, only supported by Sunfall's deadly embrace. Sunfall withdrew his head, letting Mӧbius fall to the ground with a heavy thud. From his gums now protruded several very noticeable, very sharp, and very bloody fangs. He turned to Trixie's mother, who was backed up in a corner, hoof thrown out as if to protect Filly Trixie.

"Ah! Evening Star! It's been so long, hasn't it? How have you been, how's the family?" The corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile.

"Please, Sunfall, take me, but don't hurt Trixie," Star pleaded. Her eyes filled with tears. "Please, I beg of you... don't hurt her..."

The half-smile remained on his face. "Well, if that's all you want, I'll be happy to oblige." Swiftly, he latched his fangs onto her throat, then retracted them. Evening Star swooned, then fell to the ground. "When you wake up, my dear, you will be mine to control. Now, as for your daughter..." He turned to face Filly Trixie. "My, my, my... you DO have potential, don't you?" His insidious half-smile stretched into a broad grin. "You will be able to cast the spell, I'm sure. And what better choice than the daughter of a traitor to reignite the Beacon? Yes, you'll do just fine." His horn glowed crimson, and a bolt of magic struck Filly Trixie directly beneath her budding horn. Present Trixie flinched as a surge of pain shot through the same spot on her head.

The spot glowed red, then darkened in the shape of a full moon covering the sun. "There. That will give you the drive to find the spell. It will make sure that you'll be able to cast it as well." He chuckled to himself. "But until we meet again, best to hide it... don't want ponies getting the wrong idea, now do we?" His horn glowed again and Filly Trixie's coat slowly regained its regular blue hue. "Of course, you won't remember any of this until the Beacon is lit, I've made sure of that." He whipped his head around and seemed to stare right at Present Trixie. "And because I know you'll be seeing this sometime in the years to come, I have a message for you: no doubt this scene will make you want to avenge your parents, take up arms against our kind - which I'm sure you've guessed by this point - et cetera, et cetera. Allow me to dissuade you from this course of action. Your father and mother were both some of the most magically proficient unicorns I've ever known, and I could defeat them in an instant. To add insult to injury, I am not nearly the most powerful of my clan, only one of the more influential. There are dozens of ponies who are stronger than me, and even if you manage to defeat them, you'd still have to deal with our queen. And let me tell you, if you hadn't died before that, you would then. Remember this warning, Trixie Lulamoon. Do not fight us; accept our rule, and we will let you live. Disobey us, and you shall die in a manner the brutality of which you could never in your life imagine. Goodbye now." The vision began to fade as Sunfall dissolved into a cloud of shrieking rodents.

When Trixie awoke, sunlight streamed through the remains of the window, highlighting motes of dust drifting through the air. Unlike most mornings, she woke with no grogginess whatsoever, only a sense of fear and revulsion. She tiptoed through the glass to a fairly solid pane. In her reflection, she could see the malignant symbol burned into her coat. In that moment, she realized that everything was real. All the details slammed into place now. Why she had never known her parents. Why she had felt watching eyes her entire life. Why she even began the research into Equestria's ancient magics.

Trixie spoke, the hatred in her voice surprising even her. "Sunfall deprived me of everything I should have had. He killed my father and captured my mother and ruined my life. If he thinks that that memory would prevent me from seeking vengeance, he has another thing coming."

And thus began the legacy of Vampire Slayer Lulamoon.

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Post in the comments below or E-mail me at Agaris01@gmail.com with the subject "VSL"

Author's Note

This began as the result of a picture posted on Facebook, an off-handed remark, and a shockingly enthusiastic response. However, I am really looking forward to doing this; I like the idea and I have several notions of what to do with it.