The pale mans shout was cut short as a crossbow bolt pierced his throat, causing volatile gurgles and blood spurts. The glowing red eyes of the culprit never once looking at his victim, he kept his eyes directed forward.
The corpses littering the halls didn't belong to him, at least not all of them. He strode past them, the sound of his leather boots echoing off the walls of the Transylvanian castle. A small gust of wind snuck through the window, teasing his ears.
Yet he kept on moving forward.
Yet more of the pale men stepped in to sight, some of them appearing in puffs of smoke. Others, these looked more like crude ghouls, having lost almost all resemblance of humanity.
"The hunter is here, kill him in the name of the count." One of them screamed as he charged forward.
The hunter, as he was apparently known, dragged out a small bottle from within his heavy trench coat, it had a glowing red liquid in it that seemed to radiate warmth. He hurled it towards the charging ghouls, the bottle immediately shattered, melting the flesh of the horrid creatures, their screams of agony apparently having no effect on their murderer.
The robed ones looked terrified, they shook their head, as if wanting to chase the fear away. Small glowing balls of darkness started forming in their hands. They thrust their palms toward the hunter, who promptly jumped into the air, drawing out a crossbow and a knife as he did.
He fired a bolt at one of the mages, shattering his skull with its blunt tip. Afterwards he turned towards the second, hurling the small knife which promptly imbedded itself in his chest, causing a small ripple to go through his body before he fell over.
The knife detached itself from the dead mans chest, flying directly back towards its owners hand who grabbed it just as he landed.
"Is that all you can do dear count?" He asked, his first words within the castle being those of mockery, "I expected better from you!"
His answer was a rippling gust of wind that tore at his jacket, revealing weapons and bottles strapped to his torso and hip.
"Shit!" He loudly exclaimed, running towards the end of the hall.
A pair of huge double doors, his hand reaching in under his jacket, pulling out a pistol with an incredibly wide gun barrel. He fired it directly at the door, attaching what looked to be a metal spider onto the handle.
Which after a few seconds and about an inch worth of fuse, exploded. Shattering the door and exposing what would've been the dance hall.
In stead, it was a sacrificial chamber.
Hundreds of bodies littered the floor, all of them either horribly mangled or unrecognizable. All of them had a small transparent rope attached to their stomachs. Said rope lead directly into one man sitting on a throne.
"Ahh helsing," he said, looking up at the hunter, "so it's you who've been killing my servants," his look was one of annoyance, not anger, just annoyance. The kind of look you would give a bug walking on your sandwich.
"Count," Helsing said in a neutral tone, he had no interest in conversing with his target.
Especially not when he ached to kill him so badly.
"Oh drop the formalities will you?" The count said, waving a hand at Helsing, "just call me by name in stead of title. You don't find me calling you hunter, now do you?"
The eyes of Helsing narrowed ever so slightly, his goggles concealing most of his barely contained range, he could feel the transformation begging him to be let loose, but he knew that meant his death.
"Fine, Count Dracula."
Dracula clapped slowly, his smile ever mocking the leather clad vampire hunter, "very good, the errand boy has manners I see. So who sent you this time? Is the Belmont family too lazy to do their own work nowadays?"
"No payment," he said, his bandana muffling his voice, forcing him to speak louder than he would've liked, "but you have something that belongs to me."
The Count looked utterly taken aback, he wasn't one for stealing, he had all the things he could ever need. Loyal servants, any woman he could wish for, his castle, almost unlimited power.
"What are you speaking of? I'll see if I can spare it." Dracula said, leaning back in his chair.
"You have her," Helsing said, pointing down at the corpse of a blonde woman.
"Oh no I can't have you take her, she far too important to me." The count said, smiling deviously.
"Well then I'll take her," He said, pulling out a revolver and aiming it straight at the Vampire lord.
"Doesn't matter, I'm al ready finished."
The rope that before had bound all of the corpses now retreated into the Count, a small crystal apparently holding all of them there.
"You see Helsing, I've grown tired of this place, I'm going off on new exciting adventures, new necks to feast upon, new lands to terrorize, the basics." Dracula said grinning cockily.
"Give me that crystal now!" Helsing shouted loudly, raising the revolver so it aimed straight for the Counts head.
"But that wouldn't be any fun, now would it Helsing," the crystal began glowing, a small line forming in front of it. It started tearing the air in front of Dracula, twisting and bending the empty space, until a glowing white shred had formed in the middle of nothing.
"Bye bye Helsing." The count said as he dove into the rift, his cape flapping wildly behind him.
The Vampire hunter charged forward, intent on getting the count before he escaped.
Celestia. Great ruler of equestria, looked upon by many as a goddess, the more calm only saw her as kind and benevolent ruler. But like so many others who appeared perfect, she has a guilty pleasure.
Pastries.
For some reason she could not get enough of the creamy treats, be it doughnuts, with their delicious frosting and sweet taste. Or be it the cakes, with the soft whipped cream and the tasty fruit, freshly picked from the royal garden.
Too bad she couldn't eat any in public.
For some reason a lot of the nobles, and unfortunately her sister, looked upon her desire as childish and embarrassing. While she would have had no problem spending an afternoon at "donut Joe's," she cared for her sister. Not so much for the unicorn nobles, but she had make sure they remained true to her.
So that was why, that every third day of the week Celestia would go on a sneaky trip to the kitchen. If she was lucky then she was able to get herself quite a few pretzels, maybe even an eclair or two.
She was halfway to her room when she had a weird overpowering sensation, not of the physical kind, rather one of magical origin. But this was no enjoyable sensation, it was something she had never hoped to feel again.
An overpowering sensation of dark magic.
She dropped her precious loot as she hurried towards the royal bed chambers. Of which there was now three after a certain aspect of chaos had moved in. She checked his room first, seeing Discord sleep like a baby with no trace of his magic anywhere. She checked Luna's room next, finding her sleeping quietly as well. But rather than relaxing, Celestia was even more worried, this was nothing she had dealt with before, it was a whole new evil that had risen.
And if she was right, then the origin was located near ponyville.
The everfree forest.
Luckily, she had someone there she trusted more than anyone in the royal guard.
Twilight was looking up at the big cuckoo clock, wondering whether or not she should actually go to bed. As the clock hit 12'o clock she put the book down and wrapped the duvet tightly around her.
Only to feel a slight buzzing in her head.
She immediately sat up, the buzzing becoming a lot more painful. Once she sat up, the buzzing moved to her horn, and eventually it moved to the very tip.
The buzzing ceased as her trademark lavender beam shot out of her horn.
Showing a picture of a very worried Celestia.
"Twilight, I'm sorry to wake you at such a late hour," the princess said as fast as she could without sounding incoherent, "but this is a matter of the utmost importance."
Twilight yawned slightly, "it's alright princess, I had only just gone to bed."
Celestia frowned slightly, "you really ought to take better care of yourself twilight, I thought we talked about this."
Twilight rolled her eyes exasperatedly, "princess, urgent matter?"
Celestia blinked twice before going, "yes, yes of course," she cleared her throat quickly before breathing in to speak.
"A mere minute ago I registered a large amount of evil magic in the everfree forest, in the exact same spot where you first found the elements of harmony."
Twilights eyes widened slightly, before she turned to a look of confusion, "maybe it's just discord?"
Celestia shook her head slowly, "no twilight, I checked up on him once I detected it, he is not the source."
Twilight bit her lower lip slightly, fearing the answer to her next question, "is it nightmare moon or sombra?"
"I do not know whether or not sombra is involved, but luna is still here in the castle."
"What would you like us to do?" She knew that if sombra for some reason really was in the everfree forest, then she would need all of her friends and their respective elements.
"Just go and investigate," the princess said quickly, "if you deem it necessary to intervene with whomever is there, then you have permission to use the elements."
Twilight jumped from her bed, doing her best not to wake up spike. The purple dragon was snoring loudly and creating small puffs of smoke. She landed on the floor with an almost silent thud.
She grabbed her saddlebags off of the coat hanger. Levitated the elements out of their case, and she was off.
"Now would y'all kindly explain why were walking around in the everfree forest after midnight?"
Applejack, like the rest, was incredibly tired. But she hadn't wasted a second when twilight and the rest of her friends had come knocking on her door, they said it was urgent, so she complied.
But she still wanted to know why they were even there.
"I told you already Applejack, Celestia detected powerful dark magic inside the forest, so she wanted us to go and check it out."
"Pardon me sugar cube, but you didn't actually say that?" Aj said, smiling morosely.
Twilight looked down at the ground, her normally well organized facade having suffered a small crack just then.
"Oh don't worry darling, everyone makes mistakes."
Twilight smiled weakly at her friends, if she was going to find some new and unknown evil, then she'd rather do it with them than by herself.
"So where exactly did this evil magic mumbo jumbo happen?" Dash said, soaring down quickly to ask her question.
"Well, Celestia said that she had detected it exactly at the old castle." Twilight said, indicating a hoof towards the old ruin.
"Where we found the elements?" Fluttershy carefully asked.
Twilight nodded at the yellow pegasus, Fluttershy shivering slightly as she remembered the old ruined castle. That was were they first became friends, but other than that the ruins held no great meaning to anyone.
And it wasn't exactly the place you'd like to go on a holiday.
The place was the old castle of nightmare moons birth, no exactly a pleasant memory. But even then the ruin itself had some sort of ominous aura surrounding it, as if radiated fear and hopelessness.
"Girls, we've arrived," Pinkie said enthusiastically, pointing a hoof up at the giant archway where the doors had once been.
"Okay everyone, look around for anything that may seem out of place. Dash and Rarity, you go down to the library. Pinkie and Applejack, you'll be heading towards the kitchen. Me and fluttershy will investigate the throne room."
The groups headed off in their respective directions. Some of them small talking, others remaining completely silent out of concentration purposes.
As Fluttershy and Twilight entered the throne room they split up, desperately looking for anything that would indicate dark magic. Of course this went slightly better for twilight, with her being a unicorn and all.
But it was Fluttershy who made the first discovery, followed by an eardrum piercing scream.
"What's wrong Fluttershy?!" Twilight yelled. Running towards her friend watching her shaking in fear and pointing down at some rubble.
It most certainly wasn't a pony, the creature, be it a he or she, was incredibly large, probably rivaling Celestia in height. His features remained completely hidden under a trench coat, heavy leather boots, a scarf, a pair of goggles, and a wide and pretty torn hat. In his, twilight guessed it was like spikes claw, was a small knife with a cross for a handle.
"I don't know Fluttershy, but I think he might've been the one responsible for the dark magic." Twilight said, looking down at the creature with a searching eye.
And then it moved.
Fluttershy jumped backwards, letting go of yet another scream, almost instantly waking the weird being. It tried sitting up, but apparently he was either too tired, or damaged, twilight wasn't sure.
"What's wrong?" Applejack yelled as she and the rest of the six came running towards Fluttershy and Twilight.
"And what is that?" Rainbow said, pointing a hoof at the leather clad stranger with a disgusted face.
"Where is he?"
The creature had spoken, it was only three words, but the six mares still grew wide eyes as he said it. He looked over each of them searchingly, apparently not as shocked to see them as they were to see him.
"Where is he?" It repeated, now pushing itself up into a sitting position. Sort of, it's elbows were keeping it elevated slightly off the ground.
"W-what are you?" Twilight finally asked, stuttering heavily.
You could almost see the cold smile forming beneath the red bandana as she asked, "I have no time for questions, only answers. So I ask you again, where is he?"
"Who're you talking about?" Pinkie pie asked, "because I know lots of ponies. Is it caramel? Uuh uh, I got its, it's big Macintosh right? Or is it whooves?"
The things eyes now turning from a smile to thinly concealed rage, "I have no interest to know anything about your acquaintances. I need to find my prey, and if you aren't going to tell me where he is," he said, his hand slipping in under his trench coat, "then I'll take the information I need from your corpses." He pointed his revolver at them, loaded with silver bullets, it could take down just about anything.
"W-who are you looking for?" Rarity asked.
"Who do you think cretin?!" He bellowed angrily, "your master, where is he?"
This made Twilight frown slightly, "Celestia isn't a he, shes a princess."
"I have no interest in this Celestia," he said, spitting something onto the ground, "I'm here for Dracula."
"Who's that?" Rainbow asked, turning to her friends for answers.
"Wait," the thing said, "if you don't know Dracula, then you can't be his creations." His hand went up to his face, tearing away the bandana, "you aren't monsters. You're talking horses," his breathing now becoming heavy and quick.
"Hey," Pinkie said, "just because I'm friendly doesn't mean I like to be insulted."
"I have to find him," he said, pushing himself to his knees the best he could, although he failed and ended up back where he started.
"Look," twilight said, "I have no idea who this Dracula guy is, but you're in no condition to walk. We can get you to ponyville, by force or by your own will."
The creature sighed slightly, "I've never been one to decline a kind offer. What do you expect in return?"
Twilight smiled at him, her worry now slightly diminished, "we need to know your name, and what you are."
The thing nodded, "I'm a human."
Twilight nodded, "you do look similar to them."
The human obviously stiffened slightly as she said this, but it would appear as if the others hadn't noticed.
"And what's yer name?" Applejack asked.
"I'm," he started before pausing, "I'm Abraham, Abraham Van Helsing."
okay, I'm definitely not lying in the rubble anymore
Helsing vaguely remembered passing out, he remembered a sharp pain in his side, and for some reason he remembered different colored ponies.
That could talk.
okay Abraham, relax, you need to orientate yourself.
He could hear a faint beeping noise as well as some muttering to his left. His eyes were close but they was still a shimmer of light, so there was en extremely strong lamp right above him. He moved his upper lip slightly, still feeling the damp cloth of his bandana wrapped tightly around his face. He bent is leg next, not feeling any of his usual leather attire, so he was possibly sitting in his pants.
"I think he's awake."
Helsing jumped inside himself as he heard the voice. It was the one he remembered hearing just before he passed out. High pitched, overly happy, and for some reason it reminded him of cotton candy.
"He is?" He heard a not so familiar voice say, it sounded royal, or at least very close to royal.
Then another unknown voice said, "what does this do?"
He jumped from his bed, hearing a familiar click and yelling at the top of his lungs, "don't press the trigger!
Too late.
A cyan hoof pressed down the small lever, causing a spinning blade attached to a metal chain to soar out directly towards the hunter. He ducked down, the blade attaching itself in the wall and spinning wildly and spreading dust everywhere.
"Press it again!" He yelled through the thick wall of noise.
Rainbow dash complied, carefully pressing the lever again. The chain started pulling in the spin saw, the blade now sitting nice and comfortably in the rectangular barrel.
"S-sorry," rainbow said with quivering voice, "I was just curious."
"Then ask next time,"he said, pulling the gun out of her hooves, looking it over to see if any damage was dealt, "you could have killed everyone i the room."
Rainbow dash regained some of her pride, "I don't think it could've hit everyone, it's just one blade."
At her words the hunter aimed at a nearby coat hanger, the blade shooting out again and hitting just to the right of the metallic pole. He dragged the gun hastily to the left, the chain of the gun quickly slashing its way through the solid steel pole. He clicked the trigger again, dragging back the saw and looking at rainbow with a raised eyebrow.
"Umm, I arrest my case?" She said, shrugging slightly, but her wide eyes showed exactly how she felt.
She was excited beyond belief.
"Ah, good you're awake."
This voice Helsing could remember, it belonged to that purple horse he had seen before passing out. did he tell them his name?
"Yes, I am awake." He said, confirming what Twilight already knew.
Twilight nodded at him, still smiling, "well we didn't have proper time to introduce ourselves before you passed out. So I think that should be the first order of business, I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"Im Applejack, but some ponies call me Aj"
"I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie, but I like just being called Pinkie Pie, or Pinke."
"My name is Rarity, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Rainbow Dash, best flier in all of Equestria."
"I'm......fluttershy"
Helsing nodded at them all as they introduced themselves, "I'm Abraham Van Helsing," he said putting a hand on his chest, "I hail from eastern Germany, I'm a vampire hunter, and a chemist."
"Germany?"
"Vampire?"
"Chemist?"
The three questions were not unexpected, he knew this had to be some sort of alternate world. Not too much unlike hell or the chaos realm. But the fact that it was completely different to his own world was weird. In all the dimensions he had seen the inhabitants had always been humans, or at least creatures with some semblance to humans. And all of the worlds had similar geography to earth, so maybe this would not be so different.
"Well, the stereotypical accent iz zomething like siz." He said, doing his best to imitate the racist version of his language.
"Ohh," Rarity said, "like Germaneia!"
"I guess, I wouldn't know since I'm not from here."
"Well then what's a vampire?" Dash asked, now looking down from her elevated position just below the hospital ceiling.
"Fangs, suck blood, turns people into mindless slaves." He said, listing off the important things vampires did.
"Vamponies?" Twilight asked curiously, "but they're just an old mares tale."
A smile formed beneath Helsing's bandana, "I can assure you miss sparkle, that vampires are very real. In fact you have one roaming your world even as we speak."
"So you hunt them?" Fluttershy asked, "w-why do you hunt them?"
"Because a vampire killed my family."
The six of them looked at him in stunned silence. Some trying to talk but clamping their mouthes shut almost immediately after they opened them.
Surprisingly it was Fluttershy who spoke up, "I'm sorry to hear that."
Helsing scoffed slightly, "you aren't the only one."
"Is that the guy you were so desperate to chase after?" Twilight asked.
"No, I killed my family's murderer years ago."
Applejack looked as if she was ready to shout at him, "then why are you chasin' this guy?"
"Because he's The Lord of vampires," Helsing said, he sat up a little straighter suddenly, "someone is moving in on us."
"Of course silly," Pinkie said in her usual high pitched tone, "there's nurses all over the hospital."
"No," he said, grabbing his revolver and placing a single glimmering bullet in the chamber, "the person closing in is a vampire."
"Vampony," twilight corrected, but she was still looking afraid.
"You're safe as long as you stay close to the wall," he jumped off his bed, "no vampire is gonna survive a silver bullet to the head."
Rarity looked slightly appalled, "is that really necessary?"
"Not if you'd like to be a mindless ghoulish slave then it isn't."
Rarity quickly walked over to the wall pointing a hoof at the door, "commence."
The doorknob turned, Helsing cocked the gun, his hand not wavering an inch. The door was slowly pushed open.
Letting Celestia and Luna head in.
"Princess Luna, Princess Celestia," twilight said, a smile growing as she saw her mentor and her friend, "they're okay Helsing, these are our princesses."
Helsing didn't lower the pistol at any point, in stead he aimed directly at Luna, "why do I sense vampire magic within you?"
Luna cocked an eyebrow, a frown growing in the meantime, "I really have no idea mr. Helsing."
He turned to the sister of the sun. For the time ignoring the darker one and focusing intently on her. In her soul there was no darkness, unlike her sister. Her soul was pure of essence, almost as holy as one of the Holiran line.
Or the Belmonts.
He turned his attention back towards Luna, who still looked at him with skeptical eyes.
"Stand still," he said, dragging his hand down towards the most important of his tools.
His golden cross.
He grasped the holy object in his hand, feeling his limbs grow with renewed strength. He thrust the artifact towards the princess of the night....
And absolutely nothing happened.
The normal behavior of a vampire in her situation would be to cover in fear and beg for her life, but she was just eyeing the holy object while trying to keep a straight face.
"Alright then," Helsing said, putting the cross back onto the table alongside the rest of his artillery, "I'm sorry for the rudeness, but in my profession you have to be careful."
"Charmed," luna said, reaching a hoof out which Helsing proceeded to grasp and shake calmly. In truth they were a lot like each other. She was outshone by her holy counterpart, she was younger and inexperienced, and she carried a darkness deep within her soul.
Like Abraham to Simon.
"We were told you were found deep within the everfree forest by my student and her friends, is this correct?" Celestia asked, breaking down the cold wall that was forming between Luna and Abraham.
"This is true," Helsing said nodding at the monarch and encouraging her to go on.
Celestia nodded, "I knew this already, I was the one who sent them there."
Helsing great wide eyed, noticing for the first time that his goggles were missing. How could she have known he had appeared right there?
"I'm guessing that at the time of your arrival, I detected a large outburst of evil magic in the Everfree forest. So I sent my student and her friends in to investigate."
Helsing tensed at the words dark magic, because that meant that his biggest nightmare and his greatest wish had been granted all at the same time.
Dracula was here.
"I can assure you princess, this is none of my doing."
Celestia walked over to his left examining the table and his equipment in the process, "I would love to believe you Sir Helsing, but we have no proof. If you can present me something that backs up your claim, then I will listen."
Helsing shot a quick glance at the six who had saved them, Twilight in particular looked worried. But there was nothing to fear, every hunter had both a badge of office, and something slightly more convincing.
He leaned over the table, grabbing a small skin knapsack. He snapped it open, revealing several different miscellaneous items. But there was one specific thing that he was looking for.
He dragged a large book out, the title reading at the top: "Vampires and their hunters."
"Page 107, chapter 6, you'll find all you need to know there." He said, handing the book to Celestia who promptly enveloped it in her golden aura.
Her eyes scanned the page, growing wider and wider with each passing line. Finally she slammed the book close, looking at the hunter with a look made of steel.
"You will tell me everything Van Helsing, and you will do so now!"
Mortals fear Legion, for he is at once what they are and what they will become. His inner works are unknown, but this hulking behemoth of dead bodies has been known to rise again and again after his defeat. Many, alongside the Belmont family, believe that he is not the same Legion, but rather that he is recreated by Dracula every time his castle rises once again.
Fear Legion, for we are one, and he is many, in malice he relishes, on love he leaches.
"Oh but Mr. Helsing, I simply must show you around town."
Abraham had been training, curiously enough. He had never dabbled in the close range combat that so many other hunters held so very dear, mostly because he believed it to be the reason he had so few colleagues, but when you had spent what amounted to 400 silver coins in bits to have a sword crafted for you, then you'd want to make something out of it.
"Miss rarity, I don't know if you've realized yet, but I am not the most social person, for reasons too obvious to explain." He sheathed the sword in the scabbard carried on his back. His hat was lying next to the training dummy he had fashioned for his training, mostly because he didn't need to sweat more than he already did.
"Oh but there are so many ponies in town that I'm sure would be delighted to meet you."
Helsing had to do his best not to snort at that. Most of the ponies who had seen him on his way back from the hospital, that basically being half the town, had thrown him looks that ranged from scared to terrified. But that was to be expected, his look was made to intimidate and to protect. Not to attract unwanted attention, in truth that was exactly the opposite a hunter should do.
"But I was actually planning on going to the forest, miss Fluttershy offered to help me find some plants to help in my chemical research," he said, trying his best to find an excuse that didn't seem like an insult.
"Oh I'm sure that can wait mister Helsing. Because there's a special somepony I'd like you to meet." Rarity said, trying her best to sound innocent.
Helsing huffed slightly, wiping his eyebrows free of sweat, "it seems like I have no excuse, please lead the way to this special someone."
Rarity smile reached from ear to ear. She waved a hoof at Abraham who promptly picked up his hat and jumped over the small wooden fence that marked the Library's back garden. In truth he spent most of his time here. Either reading, training, or doing necessities like eating or sleeping, it all happened at the library.
So he hadn't gotten a good look at ponyville except the small portion he had seen from his trip back from the hospital.
Which had already given him a pretty good look of what the town had to offer.
As of yet he had seen the spa, which if rarity was to be believed was a wonderful place that Abraham definitely should visit at some point.
Even the concept of a spa scared Helsing more than he liked.
But there was one place he paid close attention to, he looked to be a forge, seeing as the stallion there was working an anvil. He was a light caramel like colour with a much darker brown mane. His cutie mark as Helsing had been told they were called was three horseshoes seemingly floating in midair. His hammer hit the metal block repeatedly creating melodic smacks.
"Who's that?" Helsing asked pointing towards the smith.
"Oh that's caramel," Rarity said, only now looking towards the brown stallion who turned at them, waving at Rarity. Helsing presumed that he had nothing to do with the smiths greetings.
"Come Mr. Helsing, let's go and say hello."
Abraham really had no choice but to follow. He had of course complied to go with Rarity on this leisure stroll. But this time he actually had business with the stallion here, at least he hoped he did.
"Hey there Rarity," Caramel said as he put the hammer down. Surprisingly he didn't look at all like a smith, he was rather skinny and nimble. But Helsing was living proof that strength wasn't as important as skill.
"Hello Caramel, I don't believe you've met mr. Helsing?" Rarity inclined her head back towards the hunter who literally towered over both of the ponies.
Caramel looked at the human skeptically before going into a kind smile, "if Rarity says good for you then you're welcome. Why don't you come inside?" He said, stepping to the side and inviting them in.
"Oh Caramel we'd love to, but were a bit...."
She didn't have any time to answer before Helsing stepped into the shop.
"..busy?" She said, looking towards the hunter.
Helsing sat down at the nearby table, hanging his hat on the chair which he was sitting in. He started pulling something off his back. That something was apparently his sword, he placed the sheathed weapon on the table, inclining for the smith to sit down opposite of him. Caramel complied with interest gleaming in his light blue eyes.
"What do you wish for?" Caramel asked in his best business like tones.
Helsing dug into his pouch, pulling out a plethora of silver coins. Caramel looked curiously at them, as if they were completely alien to him.
"What is this?" He asked, biting down on one of the coins and immediately pulling back as he realised how hard it was.
"This is silver," he said, holding one of the coins up, "a special metal from my world, incredibly expensive."
"What do you want for it?" Caramel said, his business tone suffering a slight crack because of his now damaged tooth.
"I want you to use half of it to line the edge of my sword," he said, pulling the steel blade out of its scabbard. The metal glowing slightly because of the light from the forge, "and I want you to take the other half as payment."
"What makes you think this is worth anything to me?" Caramel asked. Helsing knew he was faking, Caramel knew exactly what this metal was worth, so much that he might even try to cheat the hunter out of a few more coins.
Yet Helsing remained calm, he leaned back and closed his eyes, "you'd have the only shop in the entirety of Equestria that sells silver, you'd also be known as the first silversmith. Imagine going from being a small town blacksmith to being the sole exporter of Equestrias most priced metal."
Caramel was now looking greedily at the gleaming coins, he planted a hoof on Abrahams sword, extending the other towards the hunter. Helsing grasped it firmly, smiling beneath the bandana.
"Consider it done."
Rarity and Helsing greeted Caramel farewell, The blacksmith had been quite fascinated about the idea of working with the new metal, so he had gone to work as quickly as he could.
"Now then, shall we get going?" Rarity asked in a diplomatic voice. She had been slightly annoyed by Helsing's delaying of the trip.
"Of course miss Rarity, lead the way."
She giggled slightly, "just Rarity dear, no need for such addressing between friends."
"I have been called many things Rarity, friend is not one people normally use."
"Well what do they normally call you then?" She asked, her voice oblivious to the malice that had been in his.
"Murderer, beast, cannibal, freak, fiend, blemish upon gods earth are just a few I can remember off the top of my head.
Rarity looked shocked. Of course she would be, unlike humans, the ponies of Equestria seemed much more civil, maybe he just hadn't visited the right areas.
He had only really seen ponyville as far as culture goes.
"I-it would seem were here." Rarity stammered as they came to an abrupt halt.
Outside of the school.
Now Helsing, as he had mentioned before, had been called many things, and he was known as even more things. But he was never known as a person who's good with children. Or in this case fillies and colts.
"Ahh, Rarity, there you are, and I see you brought company."
A darkish purple mare was skipping towards them, and skipping really was the right word. It seemed as if her hooves only had contact with the earth one fourth of the time they should have.
"Good day miss Cheerilee, yes this is Van Helsing, the po- man you requested to meet." Rarity was quick to change the noun before it got to an uncomfortable discussion.
"Ahh yes, twilight told me about you last time she was here." The mare said as she turned towards Abraham, who was standing still as usual.
"Pleased," he said dryly, he really had no idea why he was here. So until he got an explanation then he was going to do his best to seem like a jackass. Not really a hard illusion to use when you are one.
Cheerilee just kept on smiling, oblivious to his displease.
"Why exactly am I here?" He asked, having gotten enough of his lack of knowledge.
"Well, I asked twilight if you'd like to visit the school so the students could get an insight into a job they've never heard of. But she just growled at me for interrupting her reading a new book. Something about a guy named Dracula, and you."
This was something Helsing knew all too well. As the newest inhabitant of the library, he knew how caught up twilight could get in her job. But according to her assistant spike, whom Helsing found to be fascinating, this was something entirely new. She apparently neglected all the other jobs of the house other than reading the book Helsing had brought with him. So normal day to day activities like cleaning and cooking were left to the males of the group.
"So you'd like for me to present my job for the class?" He asked. Raising a skeptical eyebrow that made his goggles move slightly. After that he moved them up to his forehead. They were mostly used in combat to make up for his poor vision, but in day to day life they were useless. In stead he replaced them with his normal round glasses, making him look slightly less menacing, slightly.
"Well, yes, I think it would be good for the children to learn of something unfamiliar." She said, at the same time eyeing over his attire. As usual it was with a slightly worried look.
Helsing shrugged slightly, "Fine, ill entertain the children with stories of horrid monstrosities, gruesome deaths and locals chasing me out of their town without paying me, until I force them to."
Cheerilee took a small step back, "maybe we should rethi-"
"Or I'll show them some more academic parts of my work, like what I make my weapons out of, how they work, and what plants I use to make different chemical cocktails."
Cheerilee's scared demeanor now turned to the smile Helsing had seen before, "that sounds like a much better idea. why don't you follow me so I can introduce you to the students?"
The teacher didn't wait for an answer, in stead turning around, this time walking back towards the entrance to the school. Rarity nodded at Helsing as he took his departure. He nodded back in the same fashion, not exactly the most kind farewell. But he had never believed in kind farewells, he liked to show people that they weren't just acquaintances, or in this case friends.
They were equals.
But as he stepped into the school and looked down to where Cheerilee was standing, a small classroom with the letters 3.c written on a board, he couldn't help buy whisper to himself.
Cheerilee was standing stock still just to the left of the door. Helsing suddenly found himself remembering a specific night when he had been forced to fight vampiric children and a teacher.
Hadn't exactly been fun.
Cheerilee pushed the door open, letting a large amount of noise rumble through the hallway. Yet it curiously stopped when the teacher actually entered.
"Good morning class," Helsing heard her say.
"Good morning miss Cheerilee," he heard what he counted to be 15 or 20 different voices.
He was still standing outside waiting for his cue, which Cheerilee was happy to give him, "now class, I have a special guest with me that's going to tell you all about his work, which is quite the enticing profession. Now, he's a little bit shy, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't stare too much." Helsing couldn't help but snort loudly, they would stare, he knew they would.
Cheerilee waved him closer, so he coughed slightly to get the attention of the class.
And then they stared.
He would guess that none of them had seen a human before. At the very least the prospect that they had was very slim. So their slack jawed gazes that remained uninterrupted even after he sat down at the teachers desk weren't unjustified.
"This, is Mr. Abraham Van Helsing, he's a human from Germany, I'd like you all to welcome him."
It took the class ten seconds to figure out what their teacher had just said, but once they shook themselves out of their self induced coma they welcomed him, "Hello Mr. Helsing," came the voices, this time not sounding so trained. As if what they were trying to say was hard on their throats.
"Greetings," he said, grabbing his hat and nodding towards the children sitting at the desks.
"Now class," Cheerilee said, not really catching the attention of the class but she continued nevertheless, "I'd like for you to ask Van Helsing as many questions you'd like, but remember not to step over any boundaries."
Immediately about twenty different colored hooves shot into the air, with different levels of excitement.
"Do I choose, or is it you?" Helsing asked Cheerilee, waving his air out at the students.
Cheerilee decided for him, pointing directly at a small orange filly whose wings were buzzing like those of a fly, "Scootaloo."
"Thank you Miss Cheerilee," her voice was grating and confident, a lot like Rainbows. She turned to Helsing, suddenly looking a little more melancholy, "what is your job actually?"
Helsing looked at Cheerilee, seeking advice on what to say. Cheerilee smiled, but then closed her left eye.
Half the truth.
"I'm a hunter." He said matter of factly.
"Well then what do you hunt?" Applebloom asked.
"Applebloom," came the voice of Cheerilee, "raise you hoof first."
The small filly looked down at her table in shame, "sorry miss."
"Snips," Cheerilee said to a rather dumb looking colt who was busily eating his own boogers.
"Umm, I'd like to know what you hunt with." He said, his voice sounded like he had recently suffered a severe concussion.
Again Helsing looked towards the teacher, who promptly nodded at him. He nodded back and stepped off of the chair, grabbing each side of his trench coat and sliding them apart.
Revealing the armory that was inside.
There was his trademark crossbow, driven by steam so it fired the bolts automatically. His trusty smith and Wesson 1898 was hanging right beside it. Gleaming with the golden markings that covered the barrel. Of course there was his spinfusor, the rotating blade arrangement that rainbow had succeeded in setting off.
On his right side was a myriad of bottles, filled with liquids of all colors. Some of then were marked with hearts, others with skulls, and some were even marked with a knife, as in weapon enhancers and such.
"Wow." He heard a small gray filly say from the background, but she was immediately silenced by her pink friend who jabbed her on the shoulder.
He pulled his trench coat back together and sat back down at the table. Feeling much more confident that he had their uninterrupted interest.
"Diamond tiara," Cheerilee said, pointing at the pink filly who had moments ago decked her fellow classmate square on the shoulder.
"Thank you miss Cheerilee," she said, flashing the most fake smile Helsing had ever seen. Sure enough, once he turned to him her look turned to that of disgust and fright.
"Why do you go around dressed in that?" She asked, the disgust from her stare carrying over into her vocal insult.
"Because it's nice and comfy to wear." Helsing said, his voice dripping with sarcasm to the point where he could fill a bucket.
The small filly snorted, turning her head away from the angry glare of the tired hunter.
Cheerilee, noticing that things were getting out of hand, hastily said, "Applebloom, what's your question?"
"Thank ya miss Cheerilee," she smiled as well, but this smile carried genuine warmth and care. If Helsing's heart hadn't been made of steel it would've melted right there.
"What do you hunt?" Applebloom asked, looking up with eyes that at the same time shone with excitement, awe, and curiosity.
Once again Helsing turned towards the children's mentor. She carefully nodded, but her eyes made one thing clear.
Don't go into detail.
"Well," Helsing said, adjusting himself in his seat, now feeling slightly uncomfortable, "to answer that question little filly, I'm going to have to tell you all a little story."
The entirety of the class bent forward over their tables, even the pink one who had seemed disinterested now listened carefully.
"Now, this tale, which happened back in my world, began when I was a kid about your age."
"ALEX," a voice yelled from within the house, "come in here."
The young van Helsing, nowadays showing bright and happy features. He was nimble to the point of being skinny. He had bright blue eyes and blonde hair that ended just above his eyebrows. He was taller than most, easily towering over his two year older brother, much to said brothers displease.
He let go of the axe he had been chopping with. The winter was on their doorstep, so preparation was of the utmost importance.
"Dad?" Helsing yelled, "what is it?" He stepped through the door, finding his dad sitting at the table. Looking down at the beer mug in his hand. His normally proud and noble features had grown more withery as of late, his hair had begun to gray in certain areas, his skin was becoming paler by the day, and his muscles which previously rippled under his skin had disappeared almost completely.
"I'm going on a business trip." The dad said, now looking at his son with eyes that portrayed incredible fear and tiredness.
"Again?" Abraham asked in disbelief, "that's the third this month. What do you expect mom and Alex to do?"
"You are well aware that Alex is your name, your brother is named Abraham." The dad said, now throwing into a fit of coughing.
"I don't like that name," Helsing said, looking down at the ground in disobedience.
The father said nothing to this, merely walking up and grabbing his cape that was hanging on the doorknob.
"Please father, can't I go in stead? You have to stay with mom and Alex, they can't survive without yo-"
Abraham was cut short when a palm connected with his right cheek, he felt his head careen to the left. His neck bending and stinging from the hit.
"I AM JONATHAN VAN HELSING, YOU ARE MY SON, AND YOU WILL DO AS I TELL YOU! IS THIS UNDERSTOOD, ALEX VAN HELSING? his father bellowed, his breath creating vapors in the cool air.
Alex stepped up and rubbed his cheek. He could feel the blood gathering in the side of his mouth and running down to his lips.
"Of course father."
The father nodded, turning around and walking out into the now slowly starting rainstorm. Alex watched it with his eyes slowly tearing up.
There was a thunderclap and a flash.
And at that moment, Alex Van Helsing knew, that this was the last time he would ever see his real father.
Six months later, Helsing was enjoying the still twilight breeze of the spring. The forests always seemed so oddly calm at night, as if these noble oak giants sleep could never be disturbed. And in truth, disturbing them was difficult.
Alex pulled his axe free of the birch tree he had been busily chopping down to size. He had done remarkably well today, not only today, but these last few months had strengthened his mind as well as his body.
He carefully rested the axe on his shoulder an began walking back towards his house. He carefully swung the axe in the air, imitating the knights he had read off in books, or heard about in his fathers stories.
Soon his house came into sight, it wasn't exactly impressive. It was a small wooden cottage with tiny windows and a small garden out the front. But something was different today.
There was a carriage out the front.
But no sound came from the house. No silhouettes in front of the windows.
And the door was standing wide open.
Pales' space increased rapidly until he was running towards the cottage with the speed of a prey fleeing from a predator.
He ran straight into the house, he found his brother sitting bent over the table. He blew a burst of air out, he walked over to his brother, lightly patting him on back.
"Come on Abraham, where's dad?"
The brother fell forward, revealing his neck that had been mangled to the point of i recognition. His eyes were wide open in fear and disbelief. Alex backed slowly away from his brothers corpse.
"No, n-no, this isn't happening," he was biting down on his lower lip, drawing blood and revealing that this was no dream.
This was real.
He heard a small noise from upstairs, he grabbed the axe before moving up, fully prepared to fight whoever had mutilated his brother.
He heard grizzled noises coming from his bedroom. He opened the door slightly, causing a small creak. Fortunately, whoever was in there appeared not to have heard him.
Or rather what was in there.
A man in rags was bent over Alex's mothers corpse, busily gnawing on her exposed throat. She occasionally spasmed when the man hit a nerve.
Alex paid it not mind.
He charged in, shouting at the top of his lungs and bringing the axe down directly down at the mans back. The bones snapped and split with satisfying cracks. He pulled the axe free and brought it down onto the mans back head.
The man fell backward, the axe falling out once the handle hit the floor.
And Jonathan Van Helsing's dead eyes stared up at his son.
Alex dropped down onto the floor, his head buried in his hands, sobbing and crying uncontrollably. But then he felt an odd sensation filling his body. As if something else had entered his body. Sitting alongside his soul, not dominant but merely present.
He looked up, his eyes suddenly dry. Showing no sign of his previous tearing up. But that wasn't the weirdest part.
His eyes were a blazing red.
He went downwards, grabbing his fathers coins and his crossbow, he weighed the heavy wooden weapon in his hands. Finding it to be satisfying he grabbed a small box of matches lying on the table.
He found some dried leaves outside, he brought them in and lit them on fire, creating a small bonfire that soon spread to the rest of the cottage.
And as the memories if Abraham Van Helsing, Jonathan Van Helsing, Maria Van Helsing, and Alex Van Helsing went up in flames...
...... Abraham Alexandria Van Helsing the Vampire hunter was born from their ashes.
The class was dead silent, you could've dropped a clothing pin and it would've sounded like an earthquake. Cheerilee herself was standing stock still and looking with wide eyes at the leather clad man with a fake name, her breath escaping her lips in gasps.
Her students had either hurried their heads in their hooves, some others were whispering to their side mates.
"If that was all, I'll take my leave."
Cheerilee finally shook herself out of her trance, she was shaking and her face portrayed complete and utter terror, but she still managed to speak up.
"Yes, of course, c-class dismissed."
But there was now four fillies, who still had things to say to the Human.
And they'd be damned if they didn't get to say it.
Helsing found the walk home, much like the walk there, to be uncomfortable. Albeit this time for different reasons. These were the first other than Cruz to hear his story.
Undoubtedly, this would lead to unfortunate situations.
He had before been chased out of villages. Sometimes because they didn't feel like paying, other times they were scared, and sometimes they believed him to be a vampire himself.
Unfortunately, they weren't far off.
But his dark thoughts were cut off short by the voice of someone he wished he'd shot.
"You're a faker!"
The voice of Diamond Tiara cleaved the air in two and almost made him want to shoot right there. His hand went to his smith and wessons, he could feel how his finger went and touched the trigger before he let go of the impressive weapon.
"What do you want you little pest?" He asked, turning to the filly who was accompanied by a tall but slim stallion, his cutie mark was a bag of money, perfectly fitting the expensive looking suit he was wearing. Presumably this was her dad.
"Mr Helsing, I'd appreciate it if you did not talk to my daughter like that." The stallion said, he looked absolutely terrified, as if what he was doing was threatening his life.
Again, it was not far off.
"I," Helsing said before pausing to point at the filly, "would appreciate it if your brat would talk to me with some respect."
"O-of course mr Helsing, Tiara dear, don't offend the nice man." He said hastily, turning to his child whom scoffed at him.
"I'm not going to respect some faker who tries to scare everyone." She said, pointing an accusing hoof at the hunter.
Helsing's brow once again hit the top of his goggles before they clamped down and again. He could feel every ounce in his bod wanting to slit the filly's throat. But he stayed his calm.
"Now what would make you say that?" He asked, pretty much already knowing the answer.
"Because daddy says that Vamponies don't exist, and neither does vampires, you've been lying to the entire class," her face lit up in a mocking smile, "just wait till I tell miss Cheerilee that."
Helsing could feel it, that feeling that tore at his nerves to let it go. But letting it free would mean the death of everyone in the entire town.
Much less important, it would end diamond tiaras.
But Helsing, as little as he cared for anyone in the village, still had unfinished business with a certain blacksmith, so he wasn't going to waste his time speaking with this little brat.
"I'm sure you'll be fine once they come for you then," Helsing said, turning on his heel and walking towards Caramels shop.
Diamond Tiara had been baffled that he hadn't reacted by throwing a fit, she had brought her dad hoping for that very reaction. So it would seem she had to go a little further.
"I bet it wasn't even your dad who killed your family, it was probably just you!"
Helsing stopped dead in his tracks. Everyone who had been going around their business now stood completely still and looked at the two verbal combatants.
"Now sweetie, I don't think its a good idea to anger miss Helsing any further," her dad was busily trying to shoo her away, but she would have none of it, she shoved his hooves away and continued the assaults.
"You killed your own family, you murderer!"
Helsing could feel it twitching, like a small ball of energy rotating within his stomach, it was so very close to surfacing. He had to get his feelings under control, otherwise they'd be dead.
"Shut up," Helsing yelled, before quickly adding, "or I can't guarantee for your safety!"
Tiara let out a big fake laugh, "hah, what are you gonna do? Kill me like you did your father?"
At that moment Helsing snapped, he could feel it envelop his entire body, he could feel how the shadows the houses around his cast were awaiting his command, he could feel his blood run faster.
He felt his fangs grow longer as they awaited blood.
"No," he said, almost so low it couldn't be heard, "but it will."
Shadows began forming underneath him slithering towards the shadows that were created by the houses. Once they connected, the shadows seemed to grow, moving closer and closer to Tiara who was now staring as Helsing seemed to radiate death.
"D-daddy, make him stop."
Filthy rich was just standing stock still, he was shaking and sweating as he saw the dark appendages move closer and closer, not only towards his daughter, but towards him.
"Daddy, make him stop!" Her voice was now quivering with fear, she obviously understood the danger she had put herself in.
"DADDY MAKE HIM STOP!" Her voice was now as high as it would get. The shadows had now surrounded her and was forming walls around the filly, until she was entirely trapped within the box.
"DADDY, GET ME OUT!" She shrieked and beat her hooves against the wall.
"He can't hear you."
Helsing's voice sounded much unlike his usual self, he didn't sound angry or bloodthirsty. In stead his voice sounded even more cold and uncaring than usual.
The filly turned frantically around, trying to locate the voice she was hearing. But where ever she turned she saw only darkness.
"W-where are you? W-what are you going to do to me?" Her voice now riddled with terror.
The voice rang again, this time accompanied by what looked to be Helsing standing in the dark distance, "me? I'm doing nothing. You brought this upon yourself by angering it." He said as he moved closer.
"W-where are we? What are you going to do to me?" Her face was now wet with tears of both psychic exhaustion and fright. Her legs were trembling and pee was running down her leg.
Helsing was now standing right in front of her, his hat dragged down so far that it hid his face, from where his bandana had been removed.
"This place has many names," he took a hand up and grabbed the edge of his hat, "it's been called the shadow realm, it been called the world of fear. But there is always one name that people stick to." His hand pulled the hat down, causing a momentary torrent of colors to sweep past the filly's eyes.
"Hell."
The hat was pulled down, revealing a terrifying grayling face with slit pupils, huge fangs, an almost snakelike nose, and a skull that seemed to be more jagged than round.
The tear stream of the filly had stopped, along with her breathing, she looked up at the gargantuan demon like entity. The leather clothes of Van Helsing was disappearing and was replaced by a slender dis proportioned body that sported a pair of symmetrical and holed wings. The skin looked like it was wrapped around the bones of the monster.
"As for what I'm going to do to you?" He said, his voice now much deeper and sounded like liquid metal hitting stone, "I can promise you only one that." He said, his index finger placed horizontally in front of the filly's face.
"Mr. Helsing, by the royal power given to me at the dawn of Equestrian society, I hereby declare you a free man, removed of all charges as soon as the offer has been cured of her ailment
Helsing absent mindedly rubbed his cheek, he could feel the energy humming through his teeth, he had to control it.
"If that's all your honor, then I'll go and get it done."
The hunter took his hat and placed it carefully on his head, his black hair only slightly obstructed by the large leather ornament.
"Once you have completed your task, you shall be free of all punishments placed upon them beforehand."
"Thank you your honor."
"Please," the judge said dryly, her voice sounding much more calm than before than beforehand, "call me Luna."
"Excuse me miss Twilight," Applebloom said as she and her two friends were awkwardly stuffed into the doorframe, "is Mr. Helsing here?"
Twilight was looking at the fillies with wide eyes, first of all because they defied all laws of mass by being crammed into the tiny doorway. She quickly shook her head however, determined not to seem rude.
"Yes, he's in the guest room," she turned around to give them some directions when she noticed spike reading one of his magazines, "I'm sure spike can show you the way."
The dragon peeked curiously over the tip of his comic, his look however turned from interest to frustration once he figured out they wanted him to actually do something. He carefully placed the newest issue on the closest shelf before waving a claw vaguely in their direction, indicating for them to follow.
The crusaders finally wiggled themselves free with loud grunts and yelps of slight pain. They followed the dragon down the nearby hallway, noticing that the tree was more withered further down the way.
"It's here," spike said, bringing himself and the fillies to an abrupt halt. Scootaloo's hoof went right for the doorknob, but was almost immediately after smacked down by spikes claw.
"Let me knock," he said, while smacking the door three times in perfect rhythm.
"Who is it?" Came the unmistakable voice of the hunter, who seemed to be completely unaffected by last weeks events.
"It's spike and company," the dragon said.
"Come in."
Spike carefully opened the door, peeking in and waving at the three fillies to follow.
The room, like all the others, had walls composed entirely of natural wood. But unlike the rest which looked healthy and crisp, this part looked old and gnarly, like the tree was growing older in this section.
Other than that it seemed homely, for the hunters standard at least. There was a large chemistry set on the far end table, his coat and hat was hanging on a nearby chair, and Helsing himself was bent over another table, scribbling something down on a large piece of paper.
"What is it spike? I'm rather busy."
To anyone who hadn't met Helsing, that would seem rude as all tartarus. Those who had met him knew that the equivalent of what he'd said was a deep loving kiss.
Furthermore spike seemed to be the only one to get that kind of treatment.
"The Cmc wants to talk with you." Spike said, pointing a thumb at the fillies who had once again managed the incredible feat of getting stuck in the doorway.
Helsing placed his pen down and looked at the ceiling before sighing loudly. For some reason that helped a lot of humans to relax, both in stressed situations and when they needed to stay calm.
Eventually he pulled the chair back and stood up, but much unlike his day to day routines he wasn't wearing any of his standard gear. The leather coat and trousers had been replaced with a pair of linen breeches with a matching shirt. His mask had been removed, revealing a long scar going from his right cheek down to his chin. What made up for a beard was some slight scruff that was a slightly lighter color than his hair. His hat was gone, of course lying next to his coat and trousers.
"Yes?" He asked, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in thinly concealed irritation.
"Well, were supposed to write about a person for a school project," Sweetie belle started.
"And we thought that we could write about you!" Scootaloo continued while nodding enthusiastically, first at sweetie, then at Helsing.
"Cause we thought that writin' bout Equestrias only Vampo- Vampire hunter could be a cool project." Applebloom finished, simultaneously wiggling herself free of the door, "so whaddya say?"
Helsing tapped his chin thoughtfully, he actually did have some important things to do today. The fillies could just tag along and they wouldn't create too much hassle.
"Alright then, but only ask questions that you deem absolutely necessary, and only when I'm not talking with someone! Understood?" Helsing asked, looking at each of them successively.
The three fillies saluted with a serious look, "sir yes sir," they said in faulty unison.
"Great, then come, I have some things I need to take care of around town, you can tag along." He turned around to the table he had been sitting at to find spike bent over the paper he had been scribbling on a minute earlier. He tapped the dragon on the shoulder, making spike jump back and collide with the bed. He rolled his drawing together, put on his coat, his hat and his trousers.
"Let's go."
As spike saw the quartet leave the treehouse there was two things buzzing inside him. First was his back that hurt from the collision.
And second was the drawing Helsing had made.
He went to find twilight. Seeing her hunched over the vampire book that Helsing had lent her.
"Twilight, can I ask you a question?" He asked, rubbing his back absent mindedly to try and make the pain go away.
"Sure spike," twilight said, looking up from the book and smiling at the dragon, "ask away."
"What's a Minigun?"
"What's yer special talent?"
Spike looked rather dumbly at Applebloom. So far the peaceful walk through ponyville had gone by without questions, which had suited him perfectly well. But of course the wonders were not to last.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." He said, shaking his head while trying not to sound like an idiot.
"Yer cutie mark, what is it?"
Helsing finally understood, but he had to grin beneath the blood red bandana. This was going to be an interesting conversation.
"Humans don't have cutie marks."
That made all the crusaders raise curious and slightly distressed eyebrows. Before they all turned their heads back towards Helsing.
"Well how do you know what your special talent is?" Scootaloo asked, sounding unconvinced.
Helsing thought about it for a while. Because in truth there really was no way for a human to know exactly what his or hers special talent was. But eventually he settled on an answer he found to be simultaneously true and not too confusing.
"When I have one thing I do that I love, and if I'm really good at it, then that's my special talent."
This made Applebloom cringe slightly, "no squat Mr Helsing, but how do'ya show what yer special talent is?"
Helsing sighed, thinking of one particular heirloom, that might serve his purpose. His hand went into his jacket, grasping onto something cold and hard.
When he dragged it back out it became evident to the fillies why he thought of this as a cutie mark. It was a delicate silver emblem with gold lines drawn in careful patterns. In the middle there was three different weapons crossing each other. A revolver, a sword, and a whip. But the weirdest part was the back of the emblem, there was a small paper strip that read the words.
"Vincent alucard drakuul, son of Dracula and founder of the order of ethereal slayers."
"Who's this Vincent guy?" Scootaloo asked, eyes still firmly clasped on the silver emblem.
"An old friend, and one of my best colleagues." He said, memories flooding his mind.
"What happened to him?" Sweetie belle asked, not as easily impressed by the medal. Her sisters work encompassed working with much more delicate jewelry. So a medal was not the best piece she had ever seen.
"He died."
"You seem to have a tendency of people dying around you dear Helsing."
Helsing's ears perked, he whipped around at the sound of a familiar voice. A man, much larger in build than Helsing, and as Helsing knew, that size came not from fat, but from pure muscle. The man was wearing a large black wool coat with a large wool hat to top off the look. His big bushy beard made his row of completely white teeth look out of place. But the most unsettling part of him was to be found slightly higher up his face.
In stead of his right eye, there was an empty glowing hollow.
"Mein gott." Helsing said in a hushed voice, he didn't even have the words to express his shock. He stood face to face with a legend.
"Balor," he paused to gasp, his breathing now being quick and unhealthy in stead of his usual calm and collective in and exhale. It was almost perfectly in touch with his voice.
"Master guard of Lord Draculas castle," Balor said, his black beard split by the white grin shot towards the hunter, "and you must be Helsing."
Helsing finally regained his composure, breathing in a large portion of air and carefully breathing out afterwards, "what are you doing here?"
Balor coughed, still with that big toothy grin on his face. But once his coughing fit receded, the smile had turned from amusement to smugness.
"Why I'm preparing dear Helsing, what else would I be doing?" He said, chuckling with that eerie smile still on his face as if it was nailed on.
"Preparing for what exactly?" Helsing asked, his nervousness long gone replaced by pure primal rage.
The large man smiled, before drawing out a most peculiar artifact, it looked to be a small scythe, almost like a sickle. But there was a few interesting things about the sickle in question.
It was made of bone, and was glowing.
"No," Helsing said, his hushed voice returning and draping his vocal cords like an uncomfortable duvet, "NO!" He shouted as he charged forward, knife held to stab Balor square in the stomach.
But the large man just pushed him out the way.
Helsing collided with the wall of a nearby house, sliding down and landed In a heap. The crusaders came running for him, encouraging him to get back up, checking in the mean time if he was hurt.
"The plan is in motion Helsing," Balor said, scythe receding back into his wool jacket, "you know what the master needs." He turned around on his heel, walked away, his body blurred for a few seconds.
And then he was gone
Back in the treehouse, twilight and spike was busily rearranging books when Helsing came running full sipped through the door.
"Death!" He said to twilight in particular who just raised a curious eyebrow, "he's going to summon Death."
This however got twilights attention.
"I'll send a letter!" She said, jumping down from the ladder where she was currently located. She charged for a quill and paper and went to her desk.
"How did I not predict this!" Helsing said, burying his head in his hands.
Spike squirmed uncomfortably in place, "whats all the hustle about?"
Helsing looked up from his self pitying position to stare at the dragon with urgent eyes.
"Helsing, why have you summoned us at such a late hour?"
Helsing was sitting in the opposite side of the room. Or more, accurately, lying. His fight with Balor had caused five broken ribs, even more of them bent, and a severe concussion to the head. How he had even made it back was a mystery. Either through magic, or sheer willpower. He had made it.
"It'll be easier to explain if you'll come closer," he said, his hand reaching for a book lying on the bedside shelf. It was the same book Twilight had been reading for a week now.
Vampires and their hunters.
The princesses walked closer while Helsing shifted through the pages. They still weren't the most trusting of the human, and the incident with Diamond Tiara hadn't done anything to remedy that.
"Here," he said, having reached the designated page he handed the book to them. Celestia recognized the chapter immediately, it was about Dracula and his lietnaunts.
"Was bedtime stories a crucial matter Mr Helsing?" Celestia asked in a mocking voice
Suddenly Helsing's wounds didn't seem to matter, his hands darted up to Celestias mane, yanking her down directly to his face, no longer concealed by the bandana, his fangs were fully exposed.
"The crucial matter of interest Princess," he hissed, "is that somehow Dracula has recreated Deaths scythe." His hands let go of her mane and she tumbled back looking bewildered and scared.
"And what exactly does that have to do with us?" She asked, straightening her mane absent mindedly.
"Perhaps I can explain," Twilight said, butting in to try and avoid the conflict she heard brewing. Her horn lit up, and the book was levitated towards her, she opened it on the same page as Helsing had. Revealing the crucial chapter.
vampires and their hunters: Dracula: Lietnaunts: death
death is not as much a lietnaunts as he is a friend of Dracula. The friendship first started when Dracula actually saved Deaths life by creating the scythe of the crescent moon, or as it is known in laymen's terms, the bone scythe.
After this, Death swore to serve Dracula in all means. He is undoubtedly the most powerful of all Draculas allies, but he has one weakness. While the bone scythe gives him eternal life, he has to be recreated every time he dies. This can only be done by supplying the bone scythe with souls. More specifically, a soul of pure light, and one of pure darkness.
As Twilight finished reading the chapter everyone's eyes had grown at least a thumbs length in width. Eventually Celestia turned towards the hunter once again, "and you believe he will use me and my sisters souls for this ritual?" She asked.
Helsing nodded, or nodded as much as he could while his head was lying on a pillow, "you are the only two possible candidates." He said, once again looking towards the ceiling.
"We will look into the matter immediately then," Celestia said, turning around and gesturing for her sister to follow.
"Where is the real Princess?"
For everyone concerned, this was easily the weirdest question Helsing had yet to ask. But for some reason it made Celestia stop dead in her tracks.
"How did you find out?" Celestia asked, but her voice was suddenly lower and more masculine. An obvious contrast to her normally feminine and light voice,
"I could sense you from the moment you stepped in," Helsing answered, now pointing a gun at the princess of the sun, "now unveil yourself, Legion."
Twilight's head whipped to face Celestia, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. And before their eyes, Celestia started changing. She became smaller, her horn became jagged and sharp, her wings became less feathery, and eventually turned into those of an insect. Her pale white coat turned obsidian like black, and her eyes turned completely green.
A changeling.
"CHANGELING!" Everyone shouted in unison, they took a step back, waiting for him to try and escape, and he would've. If it wasn't for Helsing pointing a loaded revolver towards him.
"Who are you?" Helsing asked, gun still pointed towards the now shaking changeling.
"O-obsidian flitterer," the changeling said, voice shaking with fear. Small beads of sweat started to form on his skeleton like forehead.
"Where is Princess Celestia?" Helsing asked, getting straight to the point. He didn't want to spend time with interrogating a changeling when he had more important things to take care of.
"I-I don't know, I was just told to impersonate the princes." Obsidian said.
"By who?"
"Some large guy with a glowing red eye."
Helsing sighed and lowered the gun, "get out of here, if you return to your employer, I will kill you."
The changeling still looked frightened at Helsing. He shifted uncomfortably in place before looking at Luna. After a little time Luna nodded aswell. Obsidian sighed and smiled to the six friends, unsurprisingly none of them smiled back. He flew out the open door to the sound of shocked screams outside.
"It looks like they've already taken the next step." Helsing said, lying back down onto the bed.
"We need to find her," Rarity almost screamed, "who knows what they'll do to her!"
"Kill her," Helsing said matter of factly.
.......
"Well then we have to find her quickly!" Fluttershy whispered.
Helsing's eyes shifted onto the large map of Equestria, his eyes darting around the map, until he caught onto a small mountain range close to the town called Applelosa.
His hand shifted shifted towards the south, and yes, he could definitely sense something there. Something big was being worked on, dark magic. It had been going for a while.
"I think I know where they are."
The train was just arriving, the wheels churning and coming to a halt as it arrived on Ponyville. There was a total of seven ponies and one human heading to Applelosa.
Helsing was wearing his usual attire today. Red bandana, leather hat and coat, and of course, inside the coat he had his usual armament. But he was waiting for another one to arrive.
And that pony was arriving right now.
Caramel was carrying a particularly large package on his back. Some holes allowing the light to catch the metal inside. He was smiling confidently, actually that wasn't the only change, he was wearing a particularly expensive looking suit, alongside with a top hat with a gem embedded in the middle.
"Here you go," Caramel said, pushing the package off his back and into the hand of Helsing. It was incredibly, much too heavy for what Helsing had ordered. He removed the cloth, revealing a carefully crafted steel sword with a sharp silver edge, not only that, but gold lines had been drawn all over the sword.
"A well paying customer deserves the best," Caramel said with a smile.
"Thank you," Helsing said, sheathing the sword in the scabbard placed on his back. Afterwards his hands darted in under his coat, pulling out a large scroll, which he handed to Caramel.
"I need this to be built for when I return," Helsing said, while Caramels eyes grew wide as his eyes scanned the drawing. His hand went back under his coat, bringing out a particularly large bag of silver, "this is your payment."
Caramel nodded, still looking at the drawing, "am I right when I assume this is to be made out of brass?"
"Yes, you are." Helsing answered, nodding with his arms now folded.
Caramel nodded before rolling the scroll back together and placing it in his mouth, he extended his right hoof, where Helsing un ceremonially placed the wallet.
"Pwessure oing bsness wit hyou." Caramel said, his voice obstructed by teeth and paper.
Helsing nodded before turning around to face his fellow team. All of Twilights friends along with Luna were going to join him here, despite his pleas for them not to.
"Are you sure we should be headed there?" Twilight asked, for about the 14th time since they left the library.
"Yes," Helsing said, nodding grimly, "The ritual is happening in the Badlands."
This place, as far as Helsing understood, was basically Equestrias version of Siberia. Cold and hot, all at the same time, desolate, and to top it all off, the place was unexplored.
Perfect place for the ritual.
Helsing could taste the dark energies in the air as they got closer. The train thumping across the tracks. Every time they hit a bump he rattled a little, only fitting for a walking arsenal.
"Helsing?"
Abraham turned his head towards the source of the voice, finding Twilight entering his single person coup.
"Yes?" He asked disinterestedly as he continued to clean his newly acquired sword. It continued to amaze him how well Caramel had actually made it. The leather on the handle had been smoothed out but had small bumps, allowing easier grip. And somehow the sword felt twice as light as it should. It was like swinging a stick around, except this stick was made for killing.
"I-I had something I've been wanting to ask." She said and took a seat opposite of him. A myriad of ponies had looked into this coup, seen him and then walked on by. So the coup, except for him, was completely empty.
"Ask away," he said, continuing to clean the blade and guard with a yellow rag.
"The day you...... Petrified Diamond tiara," she said, pausing slightly as Helsing's eyes went from the sword to lock directly on her. His full interest now caught onto her.
"How did you do that?"
Helsing sighed and put the sword down on the table separating the room. "Twilight," he said, and she nodded to register she were listening, "in that book I lent you. Did you ever find something about Dhampirs?"
"Those half human half vampires?" She asked, her brows knotting in disbelief and slight confusion, "but they are only created when a vampire mates.... With a mortal woman...." She finished, now looking at him in bewilderment, "your father was a vampire before he met your mother?"
"Unfortunately yes," Helsing said, in stead of the sword he was now fiddling with his revolver, "his name, his real name that is, was Valfrados. He was, as vampires would call him, a lord. An incredibly powerful nightmare being with immense power, like Dracula."
He placed the revolver next to the sword, drawing in breath as he did, "but he made one fatal mistake." He lifted a finger towards Twilight who nodded, as if already knowing the mistake.
"He loved my mother."
Twilight nodded meekly again, she had expected this.
"She knew he was a vampire, and even then she stayed with him. She birthed me and my brother, both of us carrying vampire and human blood. But then came the mistake within the mistake." Helsing said, for the first time Twilight saw sorrow in Helsing's eyes.
"He neglected his vampiric nature."
Twilights eyes widened, from the books she had found out the diet of vampires, the same as Vamponies. Blood.
"He stopped feeding. Eventually that broke him down, turning him into what vampires call 'the unclean.' A sort of violent and brutal version of my kind, they don't think, they just feed."
"Well, then what does Dracula have to do with all this?" Twilight asked, now sitting on the edge of her seat.
"He created every single vampire that lives today."
Twilight just remained silent for the longest time before walking out the coup, she grabbed the door and twisted it open.
"This is a battle we can win, right?"
Helsing cocked and un-cocked the revolver a while before he just became limp. He leaned his head back and just looked at the ceiling with completely empty eyes.
"I have no idea Twilight."
"Welcome to Aaaappleloosa!"
The train had arrived not a mere minute ago. So it seemed Braeburn was psychic. They had sent no letter, no message of any form. Yet he had still jumped straight in front of the train cart, making everyone but Fluttershy and Helsing jump in shock. Fluttershy because she had just been petrified, Helsing because he was now aiming his by now incredibly well polished revolver straight at the farmer.
"Goshdarnit Braeburn, do y'all have to do that every time we come to visit?" Applejack yelled as she put a hoof to her chest, "you scared the livin Tarnation outta me."
"It's good to see you too cousin," Braeburn said, extending a hoof.
Applejack just smiled before she shook her head in mock disappointment, "right back at'cha you big foal," she extended a hoof to meet his hoof bump.
"So, why are y'all here visiting?" Braeburn asked looking over the eight of them and eventually getting a better look at Helsing, and as was usual, he backed up a few steps.
"Well, were kinda heading towards the badlands" Applejack faintly whispered the last word, fearing the reaction of a family member that knew the place.
"Sorry cus, didn't quite catch that last part," he said, placing a hoof next to his ears
"The badlands," Helsing said matter of factly.
At first Braeburn just stood there, looking at the hunter with stunned silence. Eventually he broke into an awkward laugh, "heh, your friend sure does know how to joke now doesn't he cousin?"
Applejack just stared at the wooden flooring.
Braeburn's expression turned from one of fake amusement to one of shock and anger, "you're heading into the badlands? Are y'all insane or sum thing?"
"No, I like to think that I'm perfectly functional both mentally and physically," Helsing said, now sounding slightly annoyed by the farmhand.
"You ain't goin into that place, no way no how, I ain't letting innocents into the badlands," Braeburn shifted his stance so he looked more offensive.
Helsing took a few steps forwards and bent down so he looked directly into Braeburn's eyes. "Then I guess you can just let me to through."
Braeburn was visibly uncomfortable, even scared. He took a few steps back from the hunter before sighing, "I guess I can't stop none of ya, but I assure you mister tall and lanky, if my sister doesn't come back without a scratch then I'm gonna do everything in my power to kill ya."
Helsing nodded before asking the crucial question, "do you know someone who could lead us to the badlands?"
"Well, you've got one right in front of ya," He said, happy and cheerful demeanor returning unabated. "I'll even throw in a discount, with you being a friend of the family and all."
"Braeburn," Applejack scolded.
"Just kidding cousin, just kidding." He said, waving his hooves in front of him apologetically. "But before we do that, let me offer y'all a glass 'a cider, it's common decency."
"I have no time for such meaningless squander." Helsing snarled, baring his teeth behind the red bandana, "if you are going to entertain your 'cousin' and her friends then be my guest. But I have an unfeasibly dangerous Vampire Lord to kill." He stepped forward quickly, shouldering past Braeburn with ease before heading straight into Applelosa. The farmhand was knocked over, not hard enough to be damaging but still enough to hurt
Applejack got to Braeburn and tried her best to help him off the ground. But it seemed as if her cousin was fearing that the sky was gonna fall on his head any minute. He was staring wide eyed towards where Helsing had left, and he was shaking slightly even as he got up.
"Cousin," Braeburn said as he got control of himself and finally stopped shaking, "what's yer friend carryin' in that trench coat of his?"
Applejack looked questioningly at Twilight and Luna, both of them standing slightly to her left. Both princesses shook their heads, with Twilights coming only slightly after she'd seen Luna's answer.
"It's umm...." She paused while trying to find a suitable explanation, "just some huntin' gear. Yeah, huntin."
"And what exactly is this huntin gear?" Braeburn asked raising an eyebrow at Applejack.
Pinkie decided to answer this, as she popped up in between both Braeburn and Applejack, causing both to take a few steps back. "There's all sorts of things." She squealed excitedly. "There's this big heavy gun thing, and this huge sword that at first was all like, booooriiing, but then he took it to Caramel and now it's all shiny and golden, and there's this big frisbee on the end of a chain that dash accidentally fired off and destroyed a wall with, and there are a load of bottles that look like soda but isn't really soda, or maybe it is soda." She turned towards Fluttershy. "Do you think it's soda Fluttershy?"
Braeburn's eyes had already shrunk about ten sizes at the first mention of a gun, and he quickly hurried the rest of the group along. "Quickly, we have to find him."
Dash flew up beside him with a quizzical expression. "Why?"
