When the Mane Six accidentally get trapped in the Castle of the Two Sisters with a wickedly evil spirit, crazy things begin to happen. Will any of them be able to make it out in one piece? Story idea by Darkness Rising.
Stumped on the mystery of the locked box, Twilight begins to get frustrated. When Princess Celestia suggests to Twilight to visit her old castle, she jumps at the opportunity to make any type of progress. Little did she know she would get a lot more than she bargained for...
Basically this story is a mix between Castle Mane-ia and Bats!, but with a dark and interesting twist. Join Twilight and her friends as they brave the thousand-year-old castle and unearth its ancient mysteries while escaping a sinister, unknown threat. Will the ponies be able to escape the clutches of darkness? Or will they be morphed into a shadow of their former selves?
Deep within the depths of Everfree Forest, the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters stood proud. The once beautiful capital, rusted by the sands of time, was a grand sight to behold. Several species of moss had taken root along its many crumbling walls, coating the surface with varying shades of viridian. Its spires were still erect, defying the tests time had given them, shooting high up into the foggy sky. Large and jagged masses of dull grey brick littered the ground around the gaping entrance, fortifying the structure with an ominous sense of foreboding, almost to signal visitors were not welcome.
On this fateful day, the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle and her faithful assistant Spike had business in the old castle. In light of returning the elements, the young alicorn was hoping to reveal the secrets of the locked chest the Tree of Harmony had given her. She casually walked through the opening, too caught up with excitement to realize that she was not wanted.
Her assistant however, did. “T-T-Twilight, I don’t have a good feeling about this.” said the baby dragon with a shaky voice, stopping to stare at the room they found the Elements of Harmony.
Slightly annoyed, the alicorn turned around and responded, “Don’t worry, Spike. There's nothing to be afraid of here. Unless dust bunnies terrify you." She smirked, and continued, "Besides, think of the books! Something in here is bound to help us open that mysterious locked box.” Receiving low mumbles as her answer, she took that as a sign to continue their march into the decrepit building. She entered the cavernous arch with the purple dragon close behind, slowly fading from view of the outside.
Soon the large opening quickly drew very close together, almost as if trapping the duo in the old castle. Then, almost magically, the narrow hallway they were walking through quickly expanded into a large entrance hall. The Sun filled the room through the broken ceiling with its plentiful rays, highlighting the ruin of the castle. Nearly all the walls were cracked, as if they cried in pain from countless years of weight on their shoulders. Ancient sconces hung on to their positions by a thread. Pillars were barely able to stay in place, becoming tipsy with even the slightest of breezes. On the ground lay debris of differing sizes, washed in a field of small, blooming yellow flowers. The air smelled very strange; a mixture of the sweet smelling flowers and malodorous mildew and mold, with a flair of something even fouler. Every few moments, they could hear a groan from the straining structure. Other than that, the castle was dead silent. Six arches broke the agonizing brick, opening into the unknown. Deeper in was a small staircase that would lead to more mystery on the second floor.
Above all of this hung two large tapestries, gazing down on the battle scars littering the room. One was a mustard yellow color, and the other a dusty blue. Both were ragged, torn, and even chewed in some places. Twilight recognized the faded insignia of the old capital on them, lamenting briefly on the collapse of sisterhood and state a thousand years prior before continuing to press on. With no idea where the royal library was, Twilight went down the first path to the left, with a very scared dragon trailing close behind.
As fate would have it, they ended up searching nearly all the paths. Many stretched deep throughout the castle, filled with numerous branching paths and rooms with an assortment of oddities. It wasn't long into their venture when they sprung their first booby trap. In her letter, the Princess did mention that the old ruins were filled with many devices to ensure nopony would steal from the old capital. It only took a fall into a spontaneously opened pitfall for Twilight to remember to cast the disarming ward on Spike and herself. With that done, they pressed on with no event. Sooner or later they ran into a dead end and went back to the main hall and down another path. They had found a number of notable rooms along the way, including the old barracks, kitchen, private chambers, many small sitting rooms, an organ room, a cider cellar, and even the destroyed throne room, but no library. By now it was late into the afternoon, and the two worried they would not find it before nightfall and would have to return the following day. However, just when they were about to turn away, their path opened into an ancient room filled with an abundance of information.
Upon entering the library, the pair were hit with the pungent scent of old paper mixed with various animal feces blended with the overwhelmingly strong presence of dust. The vile mix of these made both Spike and Twilight to cough and sneeze as their bodies adjusted to their new environment. When the shock cleared, the alicorn and her dragon analyzed the dilapidated room. Innumerable old tomes abounded countless shelves that lined all the walls. They were organized into several towering aisles that reached up to the ceiling of the tall room creating a number of sections. Each section had a faded label, containing more and more knowledge from the bygone society, eagerly awaiting somepony to absorb them. Grand tables with chairs were placed like islands for refuge in the large ocean of wisdom. And in the back, a few small windows let in the ever-dimming sunlight that soaked the room in gold.
In Twilight’s eyes, it was like she died and went to a wonderland filled with unimaginably ancient, magical info. She gasped at the amazing sight with awe etched on her face. Her eyes lit up as they scanned the room, taking in the splendor of the scene. Then delight swept over her face as she happily flew forward into the academic’s paradise, moving from shelf to shelf exclaiming “WOW! Look at all these ancient books! It’s a veritable goldmine of information! I can’t believe it! Woohoo!!”
Now to Spike, a different scene was shown, one that was rather daunting. The decrepit expanse of books, tables, and shelves told him that this endeavor was going to be impossible. With his keen dragon eyes, he was able to get a much more accurate display of the numerous residents that had taken lodging in the abandoned study. Deadly star spiders, rodents and—the most dreaded of all—vampire bats glared at him menacingly with shining eyes from their various hiding spaces. It took all he had not to bolt out of this spooky castle and go back to the library in Ponyville where it was safe. But he knew Twilight needed him, and by his dragon code and his friend code, he would help her——even if it killed him...
So, with his trepidation evident, he began to step tentatively into the room, making his way ever so gently to the purple alicorn. Upon his arrival, (after a disapproving look from Twilight) they went to work immediately, going through the endless supply of books in search of anything that would tell them about the box, and in Spike’s words: get them out of this creepy castle.
Every so often, Spike would feel a very strange presence, but when he turned around to find nothing, he just assumed it was his fear getting the better of him. This thought ceased when he saw something move in the corner of his eye while he was looking through a book. Even though it was just a glimpse, he could have sworn it was a pony, but it was washed in shadows. The apparition surprised the baby dragon so much that he jumped back and fell straight on his head. Seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes to find he was face to face with a menacing, stone alicorn statue crawling with blood-thirsty star spiders. With a yelp of fear, he jumped back and ran to hide behind an absorbed Twilight. Done with this place, he quivered behind her and shakily asked “S-so T-twilight, are y-you r-r-ready to g-g-go home n-now?”
Twilight blinked, having lost her train of thought for a moment. “I’m sorry Spike, but we need to go through some of these books.” She explained as she walked to a nearby table, with her faithful assistant sticking to her side at all times. “If there’s anything that can aid us in opening that box, it has to be here.” She finished before using her magic to levitate several books off their shelves. “Now then, let’s continue. We could be here all night.”
Spike’s eye twitched as his pupils shrunk. “A-a-all night?!”
Meanwhile, outside the castle, two more ponies just arrived. One, a stark white unicorn with a dazzling, light indigo mane. Her milky coat made her almost invisible as she walked across the misty rope bridge. The other one was a buttery yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane, who cowered at the edge of the cliff as the other walked towards the looming structure.
"Um, Rarity? Don't you think it's a little late in the day to be walking through the forest? It is the season of the vampire fruit bats, after all. A-and they can be very territorial… though, I-I'm sure you have a very good reason." Fluttershy stuttered as she trekked over the precarious bridge, the shy pony nervously looking down, half expecting something to jump out from the dark chasm beneath her.
“Oh I’ll have you know that it is simply the most important reason I've ever had in my entire life!” Rarity proclaimed dramatically, walking closer to the entrance.
The shy pegasus gave her friend a small smile. “O-Oh, well in that case I'm happy to help. W-What is it?” She asked.
“Well, I've heard rumors that the Castle of the Two Sisters is filled with the most gorgeous of ancient tapestries in all of pony history! It pains me to think of those magnificent creations rotting away in those old ruins, totally unappreciated.” She said, putting her hoof over her head dramatically. “So I’ve decided to...um...borrow one or two of them so that I may restore them to their former glory!” She proclaimed with confidence before turning to the shy mare. "Plus it also helps to have some company." She added while giving her a reassuring smile and then entered the wide open gate.
Fluttershy smiled back warmly. "Oh, I see... well that does sound very important... I'll be happy to help." Fluttershy sighed as she followed her friend towards the entrance hall through the narrow passage. Personally, she would have paid any amount of bits just to be back at home with Angel Bunny, but she kept the thought to herself. 'After all, all she needs is some old cloths...' She thought to herself. 'I can just help her get them and get out of this spooky castle...'
Within moments of walking through the narrow opening, it opened abruptly into a large room, and they were hit with the strong scent of the time-tested building. As their sensitive noses adapted to the new aroma, the two looked around at the deplorable state of the thousand-year-old structure.
“Oh how marvelous!” exclaimed Rarity as she spotted the two tattered banners blowing slightly from a stray breeze. “But these simply will not do. Surely there is a larger, more magnificent fabric elsewhere in this grand castle. Come Fluttershy, let the search for the perfect tapestry begin! We will not rest until we find the most suitable fabric and save it from this dirty place!” With that, she walked over to a path and began going down it.
‘Oh dear!’ thought Fluttershy as she saw Rarity disappear behind the veil of darkness in the pathway. The archway holding the hallway in place was cracked severely in several places and seemed very unstable. ‘Who knows what kind of scary things could lurk inside?’ Fluttershy quivered as she thought of all the scary things that could dwell in the passageway. But once again she was reminded that her friend needed her help, and she would help her.
With those thoughts in mind, she hesitantly followed her friend inside...
“Whelp, here we are!” Applejack said as Rainbow Dash and her stepped inside the wide hall. It had been a tiresome day of challenges for the title of The Most Daring Pony, and after all the weird things she did today, the orange mare didn’t even notice the horrid smell.
“Ehh, what’s so daring about this place? This is where we got the Elements of Harmony.” Rainbow asked coolly as she walked around to examine crumbling ruins scattered across the floor. After a challenging day against her rival she too failed to notice the smell due to her fatigue. The rainbow pegasus was determined to make the numerous trials worth it by adding the title of The Most Daring Pony to her already long list of titles.
"Just shut it, I'm getting to that." AJ snapped. After a second of composure and a roll of the eyes from Rainbow Dash, she started her story. “When I was just a filly,” began Applejack speaking slowly and ominously, “Granny Smith told me of an ancient legend.” At this point she climbed the stairs and continued “When Nightmare Moon was banished, not every last bit of her dark magic went with her. Granny used to say, when night falls on the castle, that magic takes the form of——The Pony of Shadows.” She waved her hooves in a menacing motion to heighten the frightening tale.
“You mean like a ghost?” interrupted Rainbow Dash. She was skeptical about the whole thing, but whatever this challenge would bring, she was ready for it.
“Nopony knows.” Responded Applejack ominously. “But some say, it takes the form of a rabid bat pony, using its sharp fangs to suck the life out of any pony that dares enter its domain.” She said, trying her hardest to make the words sound spooky.
“Ugh” was her only response as Dash walked over to a random path on the right side. “Let’s get this challenge over with. The sooner you get scared off, the sooner I get my title. I’ll take this side, you take the other side. We meet back here at sunrise. Last pony standing earns the title. I’ll see you back in Ponyville after I win.” And with that, she simply walked off, her multicolored mane swallowed by the rising shadows.
“Sometimes I can’t believe the arrogance of that pony.” Applejack muttered, shaking her head. “But no matter, if any pony’ll win, it’ll be me.” And with those words, she slowly proceeded down the last path on the left side, just as the final rays of light were stifled on the horizon, bathing the land in total blackness.
As the Sun sank on the horizon, the once beautiful library descended into a deep and utter darkness. The rich yellow waves that painted the scene as a wondrous sight were replaced by black waves that sucked it into the veil of the night. It seemed when Nightmare Moon attacked the castle, the library was one of the only places to receive little damage from her vengeful ire. For this reason, even the stars were of little help to the newly crowned alicorn princess and her faithful assistant, for the dusty ceiling up above had no holes in it to let in their shining light.
Spike, who was barely able to keep himself from bolting before, had an even stronger urge to run away from the lack of lighting. If it wasn't for his keen dragon vision, which allowed him to peek through night’s blindfold, he probably would have ran home as fast as his little legs would carry him. He timidly looked around the room to see the various nocturnal creatures become more active, as they greeted the new evening like an old friend and accomplice. Glowing eyes stared at him and Twilight hungrily, and he could even swear he saw some of them salivating. It looked as if each animal was getting ready to pounce on the two from the perches surrounding them. Just as it seemed to Spike all hope was lost, a piercing light shone from behind him, discouraging all the foul creatures from entering its holy radiance. He turned to see a magical white orb floating above a nearby table; Twilight magically holding it in place.
The new princess was rather peeved at the situation. Here she was, in a treasure-trove of ancient knowledge, only to be interrupted by a lack of light. With a bit more pressure on her horn, she finally stabilized the large ball and floated it up to the ceiling to place it there. Brightness washed over the room once again, though it did not paint the chamber with the same golden glow. The mystic tomes, books, and scrolls once again became visible; rejoicing in the exile of the darkness. The room was in silence—as if taking refuge from the cruel blackness around it—except for the chatter of the nocturnal beasts and the sound of a distant groan elsewhere in the ancient structure. This was soon broken when Twilight asked, “Spike, can you run down to that organ room we saw on the way up here and grab some of the candles there?”
Terrified of the thought of wandering this spooky castle alone, he quickly responded, “Why can’t we just use the light you created and continue our search? That sounds like a much better idea to me. So it’s settled then. Now let me get back to wo—“As he tried to walk away at the last sentence, the alicorn promptly levitated him right in front of her.
“Spike,” Twilight started “what’s the matter with you today? There is nothing to be scared of in this castle, and you will see that when you go get the candles for me. You know keeping this amount of magic out for a long time drains me. And besides, someone has to continue the search. Now Spike, this is for your own good.” At that point, she lifted him up and placed him in front of the ajar door.
“Wait Twilight,” begged Spike “please don’t make me go alone. There’s something strange about this castle. Before I fell, I saw this thing in—“He was once again cut off, but this time it was from the slamming and locking of the old door. Once again, he was surrounded on all sides by the darkness.
A muffled sound soon followed him through the door. It took him a second, but soon he was finally able to decipher what Twilight was trying to tell him: “Don’t worry Spike. As long as you are calm and collected, this task will be a breeze. This will make you into a tougher dragon. Hurry back!” And with that came true silence, for not even the building or any of the creatures made a sound. Now Spike was truly all alone.
‘Come on Spike, you can do this. It’s just a few candles. Just stay cool, calm, and collected and everything will be fine.’ He thought as he started walking down the long and lonely hall back towards the main entrance. With each step he took, his claws echoed down the empty passage. After a moment, he found himself at the top of the small staircase in the large room. Here, the great openings in the roof allowed the millions of twinkling stars to shine their light into the decrepit castle. Mesmerized by the beautiful sight, Spike looked through the hole and all his worries melted away. As he gazed at the heaven, he noticed one thing was missing. He glanced around, but he could not find the heavenly body. ‘Must be a new Moon then.’
After what seemed like hours, he tore himself away from the enchanting sight. Twilight was counting on him, and he would not let her down. The pipe organ, if his memory was correct, was located in the second path to the right. And so, he was off. He walked down the desolate hallway with a new sense of reassurance and a new-found confidence.
He was halfway to his to the organ room when he noticed it. The temperature was beginning to drop. It seemed that this side of the building had a chilling draft. The deeper he went down to his destination, the colder it got. Still reassured, Spike marched on, but he was beginning to feel different. Uneasiness slowly rose up through his body, like a bubbling cauldron of panic. As nervousness began to take him, he wildly looked around for what was causing his distress, and what he saw made him regret ever leaving the library this morning.
Several feet behind him floated a mass of shifting darkness. Shadows flowed all around this… entity. They circulated in every direction, pulling in the blackness that surrounded it like a black hole. Spike was paralyzed with intense fear. He was horrified, yet strangely intrigued. Within seconds, this absorbing process was done. Now the condensed orb began to shape itself. It expanded wide first, and then upward. Soon, this inky blob was twice the size of the baby dragon, and it began to take the shape of a large pony. Features started to take form all over it. Long legs sprouted from its base, followed by wings on the back of it, a horn, and a great mane of shadows on its head. Last, a pair sinister of yellow eyes and a wide, evil grin appeared on its face, showing off razor sharp fangs. With that, the Pony of Shadows was now complete.
The petrified Spike stood in shock. He didn't even quiver with fear, for the terror was too much for him. However, as the shadow pony spread its wings and began to walk towards him, his feet began to move on their own. He ran down the passage like his life depended on it, taking random paths and going through doors trying to shake the shade of his trail. But after a few minutes of doing this, he looked around to find the dusky alicorn was actually getting closer to him. Ahead, a dead end loomed ever closer with each passing second, a symbol of his impending doom. He slid to a stop as he reached the cruel wall, each ancient brick laughing at the trembling dragon. Spike pounded at the wall with all his might, but his efforts were no good. He was trapped, and there was no one going to save him. In one final attempt, he cried out “Twilight! HELP!!!” But his words were in vain, for she was too far away. Now the racing ghost was close to getting him. ‘It’s all over!’ thought Spike, closing his eyes in horror waiting for death to take him.
Suddenly a loud click sounded behind him, as the barrier turned and gobbled him up. He hit his head hard against the dusty floor, landing in an unknown place. His vision was fading, but the last thing he heard was a loud “Eeeeepp!” and then a bang.
“Fluttershy darling, are you alright?” Rarity asked, staring back to gaze at the distressed pegasus. The two had been walking for a little while now, but they had yet to see any worthy tapestry. They had kept to the main path, and peeked inside the various rooms, searching for anything worth restoring.
“Yes… I’m fine. Thank you for your concern though, Rarity.” replied Fluttershy softly. But the truth was that she was not fine. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was racing a mile a minute. She glanced around nervously at every sound, and moved at a rather sedate pace in comparison to the white unicorn. Her coat was beginning to get matted from the cold sweat dripping off her.
“If you say so dear…” said Rarity as she continue her progression through the dilapidated hall. Debris littered the path all around them. Were it not for the numerous holes in this wing of the building, seeing ahead of them would be impossible. Still, without the moonlight, they could barely see in front of them, even with the little bit of light coming from her horn. “My designer’s intuition says we’re close to something extraordinary. Just a few more steps and—“that was the last thing she said before the duo plummeted down a dark hole activated by a pressure switch.
“Rarity, are you OK?” Fluttershy asked, her mothering instincts taking over. “You’re not hurt, are you?” It was a short fall. In total, they probably fell down about a story. But in reality, only Rarity fell, for Fluttershy used her wings to gently dive down.
“Yes, I suppose I am alright. But can you believe the nerve of this ungrateful castle? Here we are trying to restore ancient art, and it rewards us by dropping us nearly to our deaths!” She took a second to examine their new environment. Down here, the air was even more rancid than up above. It was nearly pitch black, so she quickly lit up her horn. The light sprouting from it showed they were in a small room, roughly about eight by eight feet. She moved around, inspecting the walls for any indication of an opening. She came up with nothing and gave in after going around the room twice. “Well then… it appears we are trapped.”
“Trapped?!” Fluttershy asked frantically, “How can we be trapped?! There has to be a way out, there just has to be!” Now the pegasus was hyperventilating. She trotted nervously in a circle, frantically searching for any sign of a door. “Who will feed my sweet Angel Bunny and all my other animal friends if I’m down here? Imagine them all, stuck with no food or water for Celestia knows how long. What if he hurts himself? What if he—”
“Wait,” Rarity interrupted “do you feel that?’ She was referring to the diminishing heat of the room.
“Y-y-yes.” Replied Fluttershy shaking, not from fear, but from the chill in the air. The air was getting colder and colder, and soon they both huddled for warmth against the wall of their stony prison.
Then, out of nowhere, a series of dull bangs erupted through the room. They were coming from the opposite wall from the ponies. But, as quickly as it came, it faded into the darkness.
“W-w-what d-do you think th-that w-w-was?” asked Rarity, beginning to feel scared herself. Subsequently, a cry was heard echoing throughout the tiny room, originating from the same wall as before.
Following that was something truly unexpected. Fluttershy rose from the dank and dark floor. She stood proudly in the ocean of blackness, quietly challenging it as she defied its terrifying ambiance. She slowly and sternly made her way toward the wailing wall, which now had gone silent. Rarity, shocked at this display of bravado, just shuddered and watched as the pegasus prepared herself. She stopped and looked down, focusing all her concentration on her eyes. When her preparation was complete, she took a mighty step forward and released her steely gaze at the barricade with maximum power.
All her efforts paid off as the barrier started to shift. Too bad she closed her eyes to regain her normal vision as the wall came down and pushed her to the other side, into the unknown. During this process, all her bravery melted away. All she had time to do was scream, before she was pushed into the re-solidified divider with a bang and passed out…
The Pony of Shadows was intrigued at this new turn of events. It circled around the unconscious mare with a wide grin planted on its face, as vultures to a fresh carcass. The impact had wounded the small yellow pegasus, and a trickle of crimson blood dripped down, staining her beautiful pink mane. The shadow pony moved down slowly and carefully toward the sleeping pony. Inches away from the angelic pony, it stopped. An ebony tongue shot out of the widening smile, moving slowly up and down Fluttershy’s hair to remove the all crimson elixir.
‘Shall I kill her now, or later?’ it pondered. Over a thousand years had passed since the dark vampony tasted the sweetness of pure life energy. The essence filled the specter with a feeling of fullness, making it seem like it was a whole again. It knew, that if enough blood was absorbed, it could once again regain its original form. But one pony would not be enough. The ritual would require several ponies at least, combined with the energy of a truly powerful creature. If only it had caught the dragon instead of this weak yellow one! ‘Still… this one may have some use yet. If I could take each pony one by one under my influence, then the little dragon would be easy to capture. Yes… I shall make this one my minion, and when the time is right, I shall overcome another. Mark this night, my little ponies, because before the Sun rises, you shall all be sacrificed!!!’
It had been a few minutes by the time Spike woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw the most beautiful pony looking down upon him. Her coat was as pale as snow. She was blushing as she noticed him wake up, making her cheeks cherry red, the same color as her luscious lips. As she backed away, he could see she had the most beautiful mane he had ever seen. It shone brighter than the brightest stars in the sky. It flowed seamlessly down, like a cascading waterfall of sapphires. She grabbed his sides with her soft embrace, and gently pulled him in for a kiss. But before their lips could meet, she moved to the side and whispered softly in his ear with her silky smooth voice: “WAKE UP!!!”
Spike was jolted awake instantly. This time, he woke to Rarity violently and yelling at him to get up. He noticed her usually pristine mane was covered with mud, debris, and twigs. Dust soiled her milky coat in various places. Her hooves were cold to the touch. She even had a few scratches on her face. Her horn was lighting up the tiny dungeon they were currently in. It looked like she was crying, but it was hard to tell as he was being shaken. “Alright Rarity, I’m up, I’m up.” Spike insisted.
At the sound of his voice, she stopped her rocking. He was right about the crying, as tears and mascara streamed freely down her face. She opened her eyes and instantly her distressed look vanished. “Oh my Spikey-Wikey, I was soooo scared you wouldn’t wake up!!” she wailed pulling him into a cool hug. Spike blushed at this, but didn’t pull away. The two sat locked in the embrace for a few moments as Rarity released all her tears. He was all too grateful to hold someone, especially after the night he had so far. It was broken when she pulled away, her tear ducts bereft of any liquid. “Now Spike,” she asked “what in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you doing in a ghastly place like this?”
“Twilight and I came here to search the library for information about the locked box from the Tree of Harmony. Why are you here Rarity?”
“Well you see, I had a very important reason I needed to come here. I needed some authentic ancient tapestries so I could restore them and get inspired for a new line. So Fluttershy and I… FLUTTERSHY!!!” She screamed the last part out and ran to the flip door, banging on it saying “Fluttershy! Fluttershy are you alright? Can you hear me?”
In response, the door turned, but this time only halfway, so the captives could exit the cramped prison. Rarity lifted Spike up with her magic and ran towards freedom. Waiting on the other side was a smiling Fluttershy, though… something seemed different about her. Her coat and mane looked a couple shades darker than what Spike remembered. And she looked strangely at ease, almost as one would be in their home. Immediately, Rarity went right up and hugged her saying “That was so brave of you to take charge and lead us out of that filthy room. However did you figure out how to open it?”
“There was nothing to it… Rarity. I always find a way to help out a friend in need.” Even her voice sounded funny. Each word came out of her mouth slowly, as if she was calculating it. Everything she said felt fake. Her voice sounded a little deeper than before too.
“Anyway, how are you feeling? I heard a loud bang just as you made it to the other side.”
“I am fine. That must have been the wall snapping back to a close. But now I feel tired. I must find a place where I can retire for a bit.”
Now Spike spoke up. “You can join Twilight in the library if you need to rest. I’m sure she could use the company. Especially after…” at that moment he remembered why he was in this wing in the first place. “Fluttershy, when we switched places, did you see anything… out of the ordinary?”
“No Spike, I do not know what you mean. Maybe your imagination got the better of you. I just arrived into a quiet, empty hall. “
’Was Fluttershy right?’ he thought. ‘Could it all have just been in his head? No… it couldn’t have. That doesn’t explain the frigidness in the air. How else could’ve Rarity been that cold too if he was making it all up?’ “Alright then.” He said slowly. “Do you need me to walk you to the library then?”
“Thank you, but no. I think I can manage. Besides, who will help Rarity find her tapestries?”
"She’s right Spike” Rarity interjected. “I will not have this horrid misadventure be in vain. As soon as we find the right one, I can go back home and take a nice bath to purge this vile dirt off me. Now if you’re sure Fluttershy, we’ll be on our way.”
“I am quite sure.” At that, Rarity resumed her quest for the perfect old fabric, this time with Spike as her new assistant. “Happy hunting!” She waved until they disappeared into the shadows. ‘Now, on to more pressing matters. The only real threat to me according to this fool is the alicorn. If I can get her, the rest will be too easy.’ She started her walk back to the main room, masterfully avoiding the hidden traps like an old pro. It took her about a minute to get back by taking the secret shortcut through the walls. She climbed the small stairs and waited at the top, looking out towards the glowing library. As she was about to go to it, two loud screams echoed through the halls. ‘Hmm… maybe a quick snack wouldn’t hurt.’ she thought as she descended the stairs in the direction of the shrieks, licking her lips hungrily.
As soon as Rainbow Dash stepped into the abandoned hall, blackened by the recentness of nightfall, she wanted to call this whole competition off and quickly fly home to chill in her floating cloud palace. ‘Stupid castle! Why do you have to be so dark anyway?’ thought the multicolored mare, slowly advancing into through night’s veil. After a couple of seconds pondering, she shouted “I got it! I’ll just wait out the whole night on top of the castle! That way, I won’t have to deal with this smelly place! Rainbow Dash, you are such a genius!” Eyeing an ideal hole in the roof, she spread her wings and flew out into the coolness of the night, leaving a fading rainbow trail in her wake.
Before landing to wait out the night in the spire, RD took a few moments to exercise her wings in the fresh air. “Man… that castle must’ve smelled really bad if being outside feels this good.” But scanning the sky above her, she spotted something strange. Moving around the castle on all sides were huge storm clouds, tarping the land underneath them with utter darkness. But the worst news was yet to come. As she tore her sight away from the ebony masses, it was snagged once again by an ominous purple mist advancing from the ground.
“Where the heck did this weather come from? I never ordered this!” she exclaimed. As the top weather pony in all of Ponyville, she controlled all weather in a fifty mile radius of the quaint town. “Someone’s gonna get it tomorrow, and I think I know just the pony capable of this. Who would even let Derpy near the cloud factory anyway, especially after last time?”
Putting her frustration behind her, Rainbow Dash went to work right away trying to get rid of those clouds. She soared up to the clouds, hoof raised to smash through the fluffy layers. But before she even came close, a crack of lighting tore through the sky, zapping the rainbow pony with a powerful shock. Searing pain erupted all throughout the pegasus, as the heavenly bolt went its course. Then, in a second, it was gone, almost like magic. The mare tumbled down to the earth, charred smoke streaming off her unconscious body. She landed hard in the dirt, right in front of the entrance as mist and cloud surged ever closer; thunder laughing at her overhead.
When RD awoke after ten minutes, she felt surprising OK for someone who was jolted by the wrong end of a lightning bolt. Still, it took her awhile to get to her feet. The worst damage done was to her wings, which were now completely useless. She didn’t worry, for this was normal for a pegasus that was injured. Apparently, pegasi have a natural ability to heal faster than anypony else, but as a result, it takes away their power of flight during the healing process, or something like that. Twilight had tried to explain it to her before, but her egghead words made Rainbow’s head hurt. Either way, she wouldn’t be flying until at least the next day, which made her very angry. “Stupid weird clouds, with their stupid lightning…” she muttered, reentering the grand hall and taking the path she thought Applejack went down. With all the unusual weather on the way, the competition would have to be postponed until another day. Who knows what other surprises it might have on its way? She knew they needed to get out of this castle fast, before they were trapped here.
Now dashing at top speed, the multicolored mare ran quickly through the musky hall, avoiding the various debris around her. It was pitch black now, for this area seemed to have little gaps in the roof to let in the twinkling light of the stars. That made it even easier for her to accidently press the trigger to activate a moving panel, causing her to fall face first down a slide at her top speed. Round and round she spiraled down into the dark catacombs to an unknown destination, fear etched on her face. She did not scream, for she was too proud to show the terror overtaking her. Then suddenly, the slide stopped, shooting RD like a bullet into the black abyss. She landed face first at a brick wall, shattering it from the sheer force of the crash, busting through to the other side.
Barely awake, she tried to inspect her injuries. This time she was bleeding from her forehead, and two of her legs were in intense pain. But she didn’t scream, for the great Rainbow Dash was determined to never utter a cry! She almost kept her record to, until she saw somepony coming towards her through the dust, galloping at a high speed. Trying to stand, she felt pain explode all throughout her body. It was on this day that the mighty pegasus howled in pain as a halo of darkness surrounded her vision. The on comer also yelled to the heavens while continuing its approach. In a split second, the two had one unison shriek that vibrated the very foundations of the old castle, until the bleeding mare passed out from pain; her last sight a pair of white hoofs rushing forward to end her…
Now Applejack was not at all happy to be stuck all night in an ancient fortress destroyed by the evil Nightmare Moon. She was plum tuckered of getting dragged into stupid contests and dares with that arrogant colorful mare. She took her time walking around the abandoned halls, tentatively taking each step and trying to avoid anything she could. To adapt to the mask night had forced on her, she kept her left hoof on the left wall at all taking all the turns too. This way, she could never get lost and easily find her way back.
But life was cruel to all the Mane Six that night, and AJ was no exception. When you think you outsmart the castle, it comes right back and confuses you beyond recovery, which in this case was the infinite maze trap she activated when pressing against the left wall. Since she could not see anything ahead of her, she was blind to the walls constantly turning to always make her turn left.
As clever as she was, it took Applejack nearly seven minutes to solve the mystery of why she was going nowhere. “Darn it!” she exclaimed, very pissed off by the cheap trick. She was tired, hungry, cranky, and now down right mad. “Why can’t this just be as easy as sleepin’ the night! All I wanted to do was find a nice place to get some half decent shut eye! Well castle, the joke’s on you, ‘cause I’m sleepin’ right here, and there ain’t nothing you can do to stop me!” And nothing did stop her, as she fell asleep the moment she collapsed on the floor. Those precious seconds felt like a warm bath after a hard day of Applebucking, washing away fatigue and irritability with its rejuvenating aura.
She could have slept there too, if the thousand year old structure wasn’t so cruel to have a switch right on the spot AJ retired. She awoke to free falling down to the basement floor, malodorous stenches hitting her as she descended. Startled by her situation, she quickly spread out her hooves to grip the sides of the small shoot she was plummeting from. They heated quickly from the friction, making her almost remove them, but she knew if she did, there would be negative consequences. Finally, as the agonizing flames almost consumed her, Applejack halted right above a wide room. Seeing as it was now safe, she relieved her aching hooves and dropped down safely, her hat lazily following her.
Looking around with what very little light was in this dungeon, the orange earth pony could see long shelves lining from one end of the room, to the other. Taking a second to rest, for she knew sleep was out of the picture, she inhaled and knew exactly what was the cause of the new odor wafting through her nostrils—bat droppings. Slowly, looking above her, she could see thousands of the filthy vermin by their glowing eyes, hanging nearly everywhere but the small square AJ came in from. As the heat subsided, she gingerly rose from the ground, put her hat back on, and softly stepped forward.
Currently, she saw on the other side of the room and a bit to the right laid the exit. ‘If I can just make my way over there without creating a ruckus, I won’t have to deal with these here bats.’ she thought, taking another step. And so, the earth pony tip toed carefully over to the other side. While she was moving, she saw that on the shelves were bottles of bottles of cider from the bygone society. ‘This must be a cider cellar then.’ She was almost tempted to drink one, but restricted herself for fear of being attacked by the vampire bats.
Now she was just steps away from freedom. With filled anticipation, Applejack began to run to the door. Too bad she never saw the huge stretch of bat guano straight ahead of her. She slipped and started sliding in the direction of the wall, passing her sweet escape and coating herself with the sticky white goo. She was able to use her aching hooves to stop herself right before impact, but the true damage was already done. As she crashed with a loud ‘BANG!’ all the bats simultaneously were beginning to stir. Using echolocation, each of the creatures found their target: the orange and white earth pony, trying her best to regain her footing. When they all turned to her, she only had one thing to say “Aw buck.” before taking flight to take care of the intruder.
Finally being able to stand up straight, AJ jumped and used the bats own byproduct against them, skating across the expanse like ice. Arriving at her destination, she ran like a bat out of Tartarus to anywhere but there, the vamps hot on her tail. The only luck that she had was that the white gunk on her hooves dried fast, which didn’t inhibit her as much as if it were wet. Hastily, she hurried ran through the blinding darkness, taking turn after turn to lose her pursuers. But they could not be shaken, and now were gaining on her. The flapping mass would overtake her any second.
Suddenly as she turned the corner, a distant wall burst open, spreading dust and brick pieces everywhere. Squinting, the earth pony could see something reviving amidst the rubble. With the poor lighting and the cloud of dust plus the sweat running down her face, the figure appeared to her as a giant mother bat, staring directly at her with its fangs bared. It blared a might screech, as if trying to intimidate her. But Applejack could not turn back, so instead she let out a mighty war cry of her own. They both howled together, a battle as she saw it, until only she was the winner and the bat disappeared. Glancing behind her, the combined frequencies must have driven the lesser beasts away, leaving AJ safe for the first time in the last few minutes. She slowed down a little and eventually stopped to see someone she never would have expecting bleeding out on the cold dusty floor: her rival Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow, are you alright?” she asked, immediately rushing to the fallen mare. Upon no response, she followed up with “Rainbow Dash, stop joking around. Get up.” Her only answer was silence. Mad, she grabbed the pegasus and shook her violently exclaiming “Why won’t you wake up? Why!?!” When the reality hit her that her friend really might be hurt, Applejack stopped her shaking and instead looked for something to stop the bleeding.
The truth was that AJ had never been comfortable around blood. It made her very anxious and want to vomit. It never really was much of a problem, with her being a farmer and all, but now it was. She felt great distress as she hurriedly looked for a cloth of some kind, knowing her friend’s vitality was growing fainter with each second. Then she saw something suitable; an old tapestry hanging on the wall. Wasting no time, she ripped off a piece and ran back to her friend. Shakily, she pressed the old wad of fabric down against the gash on Rainbow Dash’s head, sucking up the crimson liquid like a sponge.
The earth pony flinched as the blood soaked through to her hoof. Her body was telling her to pull it away, but her mind told her to hold it down. The cognitive dissonance added even more distress to strained body. However, by the power of friendship, she would prevail. All the memories of her time together with the rainbow pegasus flashed before her eyes, as she remembered all the good times they shared together. Filled with new resolve, Applejack held strong. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of you.” she whispered, determined to save her friend’s life.
Later, after what seemed like an eternity in Tartarus, the wound finally stopped bleeding. By this time, AJ’s hooves and coat were stained with a mix of red and white. She was exhausted beyond belief. Earning a second to breathe easy, she slumped down on the rocky floor and let out a sigh of relief. There the two ponies lay on the floor of the pitch black passage. ‘It’s just like Rainbow to sleep while someone else does all the hard work.’ she thought, darkly chuckling to herself.
In that moment, it was as if time had frozen while the two rested on the cold floor. The respite was just the thing Applejack needed to purge her body of fatigue and exhaustion. Then, like she was told by some unseen force to get going, she stood and walked over to the snoozing Rainbow Dash. With some recovered strength, she lifted the mare over her shoulders and began treading the hidden terrain. The process was slow, since the added weight of an adult pony was no light weight. She took it one step at a time, moving her load inch by inch. They only made it to the next passage before she spotted something unbelievable up ahead: Fluttershy sprawled about the floor.
'What the heck is wrong with this place? Why does it keep sending me my friends passed out on the floor?' were the earth pony’s first thoughts before she asked “Is that you Fluttershy?”
After a few light coughs, she answered “Yes my dear friend… Applejack, it is me. I was attacked... by an evil bat. It flew past me into the next corner. Can you go check if it is gone now?” During her little recount, she got to her feet and walked over to the red, white and orange pony.
“Uh... sure, I can do that for you. Let me just put down Rainbow Dash here first.” slowly responded AJ. ‘Something is not right about the situation.' she thought. ‘Here Fluttershy was, nestled against the ground, practically waiting for us to arrive here. Something’s fishy about the here situation, and I don’t like it.' Besides, that wasn’t the only thing wrong with this picture. It could’ve been deficiency of lighting, but to her, the usually bright mare yellow mare wasn’t her normal color. Her voice and speech patterns were slightly different too. Placing her passenger resting against the wall, she followed up with another question, “How did you even get here in the first place?”
“Well, I helping some animals that wandered inside here and… uh, fell down a hole and landed near here. Now, about that bat?” the pegasus asked, with a strange smile on her face.
It was the smile that gave her one fatal clue away to Applejack. On the edges of the sinister grimace, two tiny fangs poked out, which was all she needed to prove the thing in front of her was not her pal from Ponyville. “Just who are you, and how do you know so much about my friend Fluttershy anyway?” she snapped, taking a defensive position in front of her real companion.
“What do you mean? I am your friend Fluttershy. Don’t you recognize me?” the unknown being responded, its smirk growing wider and taking a step closer towards the two.
“Stay away from us ya freak! My real friend doesn’t have fangs and would never wander into this place alone!” shouted the trepidatious earth pony, backing further up against the wall.
Then, the copycat quickly clapped for her little detective. “Well done. I believed my rouse would be decent enough to at least trick half of you ponies before having to get physical. You caught me Applejack, I’m not your timid friend Fluttershy… I’m your worst nightmare!” At that, its whole body erupted with pure darkness, forcing AJ to fly across the hall. Soon, where the impersonator once stood was a giant ball of blackness. A moment later, the orb cracked, shooting white hot steam throughout the hallway.
But, the steam was only a preview of what horror was to come though. Shattering out of the its case, sending long ebony tendrils everywhere, stood a new creature. It had broad leathery wings, spanning almost six feet across. Big, wide ears were on its head, along with a set of sharp, slender fangs. It had deep red eyes, scanning the horizon with hunger in them. Its mane was a matted mess, twist and knots everywhere. The color of the beast matched the imposter Fluttershy had, but turned even a bit darker than before.
With the transformation complete, and the mist cleared, Applejack could finally see what she was up against. A creature that was more horrific than anything she could ever imagine. A creature with the power to end her and her friend in an instant. A creature that matched the description Granny Smith told her in a story when she was a little filly, a dreaded——vampony!
And right now, it was sinking its white fangs into Rainbow Dash’s supple neck, lapping greedily at the free flowing blood…
The response was instantaneous. Applejack didn’t think as she galloped toward the beast at full speed, charging forward shouting “GET OFF MA FRIEND YA FILTHY VERMIN!!!” But the vampiric creature was undeterred as it continued to suck the crimson liquid down its throat, oblivious to the dashing earth pony. In a split second, right before she collided with her target, she quickly turned around and bucked the beast right in its neck with the force of a powerful locomotive. The thing screeched in pain as it hurdled into a far wall, sending even more dust and debris throughout the passage with an explosive crash. With a new sense of power, she gazed steely at the cloud that formed from blast, panting with sweat dripping down her face, waiting cautiously for any impending attack.
Suddenly, a loud voice erupted from the haze, “You have won my respect, pony. Your power is very… intriguing. I will allow you to have this small victory and escape from this place—but know this—I will come again…, and next time…, I will not be as merciful.” At the last remark the disembodied presence faded into nothingness. With that, the dust cleared, revealing nothing but a wide impression on the wall. Then, with a click, a nearby panel sunk into the floor, revealing a room with a huge staircase spiraling up into the darkness.
With the immediate threat seemingly gone, AJ then turned her attention to her unconscious friend. Rushing over and glancing at the body, she was amazed at what she saw. Below her, the rainbow mare’s once gaping wound was shrinking by the second. In a moment, it was sealed, and even blue fuzz was beginning to poke out from the new skin; only two circular scars remained. But it was not just the bite that was remedied, for the dried blood on her forehead was slowly going away as the gash healed. In a matter of seconds, Rainbow Dash seemed to be completely mended.
As the initial shock faded, Applejack finally was able to think clearly, “What in tarnation is goin’ on here!?” she yelled, slightly echoing throughout the silent passage. “Between Rainbow magically healing, a vampony appearing outta nowhere, and tons of traps on every turn, something strange is happening, and I don’t like it one bit.” With her fatigue lessened, she came to the conclusion it was best to forget about the silly contest and get the buck out the crazy castle.
With one motion, she effortlessly picked up her friend, but stopped soon after. The rainbow mare was ice cold; chilling the earth pony to the bone right as their coats touched. Icy waves bombarded their way into her. It was like carrying a heavy bundle of snow during in a blizzard. Had it not been for the faint breaths her friend was blowing on her, she would have thought the worst…
Now worried, AJ decided to endure the frozen onslaught and work double time to leave the thousand-year-old death trap in the dust. Hastily she galloped up into the darkness with unwavering determination. Finally after several torturous minutes of climbing, she saw a glorious sight in the distance; an aureole of light coming from a distant door. With her spirits rekindled, she burst towards the ambient ray, smashing the ancient door into dust as she emerged victorious from the crypt.
Panting, the earth pony looked around her new locale. It seemed like the two were now back to the first floor, but in a different wing. Looking up, she was amazed to find millions of twinkling stars overhead, bathing the area in a pale silver. To either side of the two was a long stretch of doors, identical with no indication on any of them. The air here was much sweeter than down below. Creaks and groans echoed faintly in the distance, accompanied by a steady dripping noise. Then suddenly the serenity of the hall was shattered by the angry roar of lightning from the heavens. Taking a second look, she could see huge storm clouds all around the horizon, slowly surrounding the castle. Dreading the thought of being caught in a thunderstorm and lost in the darkness of the Everfree, the exhausted pony rose to her aching hooves and once again began her search for escape…
Twilight Sparkle was getting rather annoyed at her “most faithful assistant”. It had been nearly half an hour since he left for the candles, and there was still no sign of him. By that time, she was feeling rather drained. With each passing second, the large ball of light shrunk smaller and smaller. Now darkness was beginning to rise once again in the library, greedily consuming the diminishing brightness. Before, she found innumerable amounts of ancient spells and memorized the most useful ones, but now she moved into lore and mythology, which was practically useless to her. ‘Where could he be?’ she thought, pondering while continuing another feckless effort to find any useful information.
That’s when she realized what she had done. She sent a scared, baby dragon out into the darkness of a crumbling castle and rudely locked him out. With newfound worry, her motherly instincts began kick in. ‘If only I wasn’t caught up in all those books, then I would’ve never sent him out alone! I can’t believe how foolish I was!’ Quickly she slammed the tome closed and rushed towards the door, using her magic to compact the shining orb and floating it above her head. This way, it would act on the remaining energy it had to light the way and not drain her magic. Using her shaky hooves, she pulled it open and galloped down to the first floor.
But she did not get far before she was stopped. It was a huge crash of thunder that made the regal alicorn trip and tumble down the stairs rather erratically. She landed face first on the worn ground of the entrance hall. Angrily she looked up at the growling heavens, shooting them a death stare, and then picked herself up from the ground. Paths surrounded her on either side, but she concentrated and remembered the path to where she told Spike to go. With the destination set, she rushed off.
The winding passage blurred past Twilight as she quickly went searched from room to room. Each met her with a similar response: nothingness. Now she was beginning to get really worried. ‘Surely there isn’t anything in the old place that could hurt a dragon, right?’ she thought while racing around from room to room. Then she began to call his name, “Spike, Spike, where are you? Spike? Are you here!?” She was answered in silence. Her light was getting dimmer and dimmer with each second until it was consumed by the voracious void. Too tired to cast another spell, she pressed on through the blinding veil. Finally, she reached the end of the hallway, but she noticed something different that wasn’t there before. A door had appeared from what once was a dead end. Intrigued by this, she hesitantly opened the door and called, “Spike, are you in here?”
This time however, she did get a response. “Twilight? Is that really you?” spoke a familiar voice with a southern drawl. Adjusted to the darker lighting in the room, she was now able to see her friend Applejack standing at the far end of the room, with something behind her.
“Applejack? What are you doing here?” she responded, trying to take a step closer before she was interrupted by AJ.
“Stop! Not a step closer. How do I know you’re the real Twilight and not some evil bat in disguise?”
“Applejack, what are you taking about? Of course I’m me. And what’s this about an evil bat?” said the alicorn puzzled.
“If y’all are the real Twilight, I’m sorry for this, but with the night I’ve had, better safe than sorry. Now, if you’re the real Princess Twilight Sparkle, answer me this: What did you get me for ma birthday last year?”
“AJ, you know I hate it when you using my full title. We’re friends, so there’s no need to be so formal. And to answer your question, I got you a new grammar textbook that I picked up at Canterlot, but it seems like you haven’t been studying it all that well.”
Before she could comprehend what happened, the orange, white, and red earth pony pulled her into a tight hug. “You have no idea what I've been through so far sugar cube.” she whispered, pulling Twilight in closer.
Recovering, she wrapped her wings around her friend, gently caressing the rugged coat, and tried to soothe her friend. Though she was shocked, she couldn’t help but notice the smell of her friend, which at that time was very repulsive, but she just ignored it.
After a moment, Applejack reluctantly pulled away when she remembered the condition her other friend was in. “I’m sorry, but we don’t really have time to catch up. The short story is me and Rainbow Dash—“
“You mean, Rainbow Dash and I.” corrected Twilight. “And if Rainbow Dash was with you, where is she now?”
“I’m getting to that.” AJ said with a slight edge. “Anyway, Rainbow Dash and I came to settle a contest, we separated and bad things happened. I found her lyin’ unconscious and tried to carry her up here… but then we were attacked.”
“Attacked by what?!” the alicorn interjected, shocked at the possibility of a malicious creature lurking in wait to attack ponies. Her mind wandered to scared baby Spike, hiding from an evil monster in fear.
“WILL YA LET ME FINISH!” yelled the earth pony, too tired to deal with any shenanigans. At her friend’s silence, she continued. “We were attacked by… Fluttershy.” Before Twilight could interrupt again, she quickly followed up with, “But it’s not what you think. It was some kinda fake Fluttershy that turned into a vampony—”
Now Twilight couldn’t help it at that point. The story was way too absurd to real. Attacked by a fake Fluttershy? And even more so, one that turned into a character from an old mare’s tale? It was just too funny to contain. She erupted into laughter at her friend’s perceived joke. But the look staring back at her was anything but humorous.
“Don’t believe me, do ya? Well why don’t you look at what it did to Rainbow?” she said, pointing with her white hoof at the bulge in the corner.
Walking further in, Twilight was now able to see what AJ had been talking about. In the far end of the room was the sprawled out body of her friend Rainbow Dash. Immediately she wiped the smile off her face and rushed towards the lifeless form. When she went to touch her, it was like her whole body was consumed in winter snowstorm, and she instantly pulled back shivering. “How did this happen?” she asked astonishingly.
“I told ya already, but y’all didn’t believe me. Just look here.” she said, moving over to her. When she got there, she slowly put her hoof down against the light blue mass, cringing, but she didn’t pull away. “Take… a look… here.”
At first Twilight didn’t see anything, but soon she saw exactly what AJ was referring to: two small, round marks in the rainbow mare’s neck. That took her aback a good bit. “Then… there really is a… vampony in the castle!” she exclaimed after she recovered. Pacing, she continued “This is bad, this is really bad. I sent Spike alone to get some candles and he still hasn’t returned! I need to find him! I need to make sure he’s safe! What if—“
“Focus Twilight” Applejack interrupted, “one thing at time. I’m pretty sure Rainbow here needs you more than Spike right now. And besides, he’s a tough little guy, so I’m sure he can take care of himself. And hurry, before I turn into an icicle!”
“You’re right.” she said, moving back over to the problem at hand. “Hold on just a second more, I think remember a spell that might work.” Focusing, she tried to recall the incantation out of the thousands she learned today. Then, in a moment of clarity, her epiphany came. Concentrating her magic in her horn, she started the intricate process. A purple aura washed over her subject as she floated up.
Soon the dark room lit up with a bright light as Rainbow Dash was slowly being healed. After a moment the light dimmed as darkness took its dominant presence again. The mare was gently placed on the ground, and silence took over.
It seemed like time stopped then. The world stopped to hold its breath, waiting to see if the mare would make it through the night…
After what seemed like decades, the world finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Ever so slowly, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to find two ponies tightly hugging her as they cried happily. “Thank Celestia and Luna!” said one of them, sounding strangely familiar.
Despite the warm welcome, the pegasus felt anything but. Her body felt as if it was wrapped in a coat of frost. She shuttered slightly upon realizing this. Besides the frostbite, she only felt a dull pain in her wings, legs, and hooves. Other than that, she was perfectly okay… or so she thought…
As her mind recovered and she was finally able to think straight, Rainbow wondered how in the world she got where she was. Glancing around, her new location was completely different from the one she last remembered. The details came gradually as her vision cleared. In front of her stretched a wide hall filled with numerous doors; one in the far corner was ajar and another looked as if it was smashed open from the other side. Looking up, she saw a mass array of silver stars surrounded by enormous storm clouds. ‘Storm clouds…’ she thought, ‘Where have I seen them before…’ Lastly, she saw that the two ponies that had been hugging her were Applejack and Twilight.
“Twilight? Applejack? What are you doing here?” the vibrantly colored mare asked sluggishly, her voice sounding like gravel.
At the sound of their friend’s question, both the alicorn and the earth pony embraced her even harder. “Oh Rainbow Dash” shakily started Applejack, “I’ve been so worried. I was beginning think y’all wouldn’t recover. Don’t you ever scare me like that again, ya hear?”
Rainbow was rather surprised to hear such sappy words come from her rival, but she felt it was better not to comment. Instead, she asked, “So how did I even get here in the first place? The last thing I remember was… crashing through a wall and passing out. I don’t remember anything before that.” She did, in fact, remember screaming in agony at the mysterious on-comer as she passed out, but she wasn’t about to tell her friends that.
“Hmm, it appears Dash is suffering from some sort of short-term amnesia.” said Twilight. “Perhaps you could shed some light on that AJ.”
“Oh, uh, it’s kinda a long story. We were having this silly competition for the title of ‘the most daring pony’, and the final decider was who could spend the night in this here castle. We split up a while ago, but after running into some traps, I found you passed out and bleeding on the floor. I patched ya up, and started to bring you up here. On the way there we encountered some… minor difficulties, but that doesn’t matter ‘cause you’re here now and you’re safe!” That last past was added very quickly.
“Minor difficulties like what?” asked Rainbow Dash suspiciously. Usually she wouldn’t worry amount the boring details, but she had the feeling Applejack was leaving something very important out.
Then the earth pony let out a great sigh as she and Twilight released their friend from their clutches. “Alright, alright. I didn’t want to mention this until we were really safe, but if you really want to know, I’ll tell ya. I’ll be blunt: We were attacked by a vampony… and you sort of were bitten by it.” And before Dash could say anything, she added “But I stopped it before it could do anything else. Besides, you look fine so I think we should think nothing of it.” She flashed an apologetic smile while waiting for a response.
“Ha ha, very funny Applejack.” said the pegasus sarcastically. “Seriously though, what really happened?”
At this point, Twilight chimed in saying, “I know it does seem a little farfetched, but I believe AJ is telling the truth. When has she ever lied to us before? Besides, there is some pretty convincing proof.” With that, using her horn, she summoned a mirror out of thin air and held it in front of Rainbow Dash. “Take a look at this.” she said, pointing at the fang marks on the mare’s neck.
That’s when the reality of the situation hit her. “So I was… really bitten by a… vampony?!”
Both friends nodded grimly in response. Then silence drove a sharp wedge in the conversation, except for the faint, disembodied dripping. Until finally a response was given:
“THAT’S SO AWESOME!” cried the vibrantly colored pegasus, enthusiastically looking at the small mark at the base of her neck. “Only the most awesome, most amazing, most coolest pony ever could survive a bite for a vampony! I’m gonna be a legend! Picture it: the only pony tough enough to take on the dreaded vampony and live to tell the tale, the incredibly awesome—Rainbow Dash! This will get me into the Wonderbolts for sure! Omygosh omygosh omygosh omygosh…!”
Needless to say, both mares were shocked. As Rainbow continued to repeat the phrase, the princess whispered to AJ, “I’m really starting to worry that maybe the bite did do some serious damage to her.”
“Naw, that’s just RD being RD. Anyways, don’t you have other more important matters to attend to?”
“That’s right!” she exclaimed. “We need to find Spike and get out of this castle. We should start moving now. Rainbow, can you fly?”
Over admiring her awesome new scar, the pegasus rose to her feet and said, “I think I can manage.” Then she jumped up and spread her wings only to be rewarded with a face full of brick.
Worried once more, Twilight used her magic to heal Rainbow Dash and levitated her to her feet. The pegasus shakily stood, blushing from the embarrassment of her downfall. “Maybe the bite had more effects on you than I thought. We won’t be able to know for sure what exactly it did to you until I can study you more thoroughly. For right now though, I believe the best course of action is for you two to return to the library with me and rest there while I go out and find Spike.”
“Hold on there, sugar cube. If you think I’m gonna let another one of my friends wander through this castle alone, you’ve got another thing coming. I’m coming with ya, no ifs or buts about it.” With that she stamped her hoof down.
“I really wish you could come with me Applejack, but it’s way too dangerous. As much as I hate to think of myself like this, I am an alicorn now. With that comes immense amounts of power. Already I’ve done things tonight that I’ve only dreamed of doing before. And now that I’ve rested a bit, I’m sure I’m feeling more replenished than Rainbow or you. And speaking of her, who’ll watch her if we both were to go? She’s weak and needs somepony to defend her in case this… vampony attacks again.”
“Hey, I could take care of myself! I survived once, I could do it again, no problem!” said Dash, though she was ignored.
Twilight did have a point here, and Applejack knew she was right. “I don’t like it one bit, but I suppose it is the best plan. You’ll at least take us back to the library won’t you?”
“Of course I will. Now let’s get moving. If this thing is in the castle, we can’t be safe here for much longer. Oh, and here.” Using her regained magic, she recast the trap ward on all three of them. Then she once again summoned an orb of light to guide the way through night’s veil. “That will stop us from running into any unwanted delays.”
On that note, the three friends set off for the library. The journey was taken in silence, for they feared any noise would attract the vampiric beast to them. It took a few minutes going at a sedate pace, but eventually they reached the ancient haven.
Once inside, the alicorn started the necessary preparations immediately. First she set up the lights, driving the creatures back into their dank abode. Next, she set up a number of powerful wards to prevent any unwanted guests from dropping in unannounced. Lastly, she set up a small inner sanctum in the far corner of the library. This would be used “if all else fails”. After that, she tiredly sank into a chair and focused on regaining all her lost mana.
During this time, AJ and Rainbow Dash explored the dilapidated house of knowledge. Soon, the pegasus became bored of finding nothing but books, so she decided to rest and try to regain her lost memories. On the other hand, the earth pony was rather intrigued by a particular book she found. In a pile of volumes that had recently been moved there, she picked up an old mythology textbook and scanned through the pages. Finally, she found exactly what she was looking for: a whole section dedicated to vamponies. As she read, she became more and more worried for her friend. Thinking it was best to get a second opinion, she quietly picked up the book and brought it over to the resting princess.
“What’s this?” Twilight asked, focused on recovering her energy as soon as possible to go and save Spike.
“It’s one of the books from that table over there. It talks about vamponies in here, and goes into detail about what happens when a pony gets bitten by one. You REALLY need to read this.” Both flashed a quick look at the napping mare before continuing.
The alicorn took the book from her friend and quickly read through the worn tome:
“VAMPONIES. Very little is known about these creatures of the night. They are primarily nocturnal, and remain hidden during the day. Their diet is exclusive to the blood of other magical beings. They have several powers, including night vision, hypnotism, extreme strength, mind control, and transformation. Depending on the breed, any one beast could have one or more of these powers. Additionally, powers can be gained or lost depending on the type of blood one consumes. Generally, the more powerful the creature the blood comes from, the stronger the vampony becomes.
Also, these creatures have a hierarchical pattern within their community. On the lowest level are fledglings, vamponies under the control of other vamponies. Above these are regular vamponies, which are considered to be driven solely off animalistic instincts. Above these exist master vamponies; powerful beings capable of immense destruction. Despite their lowly relatives, these few vamponies are actually considered sapient. The only way for a regular vampony to attain this status is to drain the blood of an powerful magical creature after enough energy has accrued within them.
Furthermore, unlike bat ponies, vamponies are considered feral, and cannot be reasoned with... (It went on to explain the various differences between bat ponies and vamponies and their anatomy).
CAUTION! Avoid a bite from these creatures at all costs! When they bite, their fangs excrete a magical venom that transforms the victim into a vampony. This begins stage one of the transformation process. During this stage, the fledgling’s fangs and night vision begin to form (Note: Usually, the victim’s eyes will change color to match the eyes of the original vampony that infected them.). In stage two, the fangs grow larger as the wings and body turn leathery (Note: If you victim is a pegasus, this will happen very quickly. If the victim is an earth pony/unicorn, this stage takes longer, for the wings need time to grow.). Finally in stage three, the fledgling becomes a full vampony. However, be warned that the victim’s mind will be under the control of the original vampony. This will last until it releases the fledgling from its control; thus, making it a regular vampony.
If somepony you know is still in the transformation process, there is still hope. The process can reversed as long as the antivenom is administered before the sun rises into the next day. The ingredients for the antivenom are as follows: an extraction of the original venom from the vampony that infected the individual, the ground root of two celestial mushrooms, a pinch of pollen from an ancient willow tree,…” The rest was too faded to read.
Applejack watched in silence, observing her friend’s face change from fatigue to extreme worry and thought. When she was finished, the two locked their eyes with a look of sheer determination. Through this nonverbal cue, a message was mutually understood: They had to help their friend.
Then the thin silence was broken as Rainbow Dash awoke from her slumber. “So what’d I miss?” she groggily said, rubbing her eyes. With her only response looks of shock, she went on saying, “What is it? Is there something on my face? Hello? HELLOOOOO?!” Here she waved her arms. “Geez, it’s like you guys just saw a ghost.”
“Nope, but you’re close. We saw a vampony.”
“What, where?” she replied, looking around and gulping in fear.
“Right there.” replied the princess grimly, pointing at Rainbow Dash. “You’re the vampony.” Once again she retrieved a mirror and held it up for the sacred mare to see.
The image that was shown was truly horrifying. The thing looking back at Rainbow Dash was not her. The technicolored monster staring back at her was like a living representation of something from her most wildest nightmare. Its eyes were a deep glowing crimson; feral and voracious, searching for its next prey. Small fangs hung from its mouth; razor sharp and deadly, ready to penetrate any supple pony flesh they came across. Its coat a sinister blue, allowing it to easily disguise itself as it sailed through the dead of night. A raggedy vivid mane hung from the beast’s head; a warning to all prey of their impending doom.
That was all the young vampony caught of her new image before she was put into a magical slumber. Twilight’s final words echoed through her mind as she was lulled to sleep: “Don’t worry Dash, I’m going to fix this. You’ll be okay, I promise.”
With those words fresh in her mind, she drifted into the dream world once again.
“Where are all the beautiful tapestries hiding in this dust-infested dungeon!?” Rarity asked, frustrated and fed up with the bare walls that had surrounded them for nearly an hour. She and Spike had been searching for the perfect ancient fabric to repair, but it seemed as if the castle was not willing to comply. So far, they searched down six long corridors and they had yet to witness even a thread of the classic equine artworks. Her horn began to ache from the constant use of light she provided. Her hooves were already sore from all the walking she had done.
“I, uh, wouldn’t know Rarity. Maybe they were destroyed. That’s probably what happened. Now this has been real fun, but now I think we should call it a day and head back to get Twilight and Fluttershy and—.“ There, Spike’s quick rant ceased as the majestic unicorn magically quieted him.
“Hush Spike!” she turned and scolded him sharply. “I’ll have no talk of giving up until I have what I came to this dreadful place for. All our suffering will be worth it I can restore at least one amazing artwork back to its former glory.” After pausing for a few seconds of longing in the distance, she recomposed herself and asked another question in a much more calming voice. “What’s gotten into you anyway?” She promptly removed her magical mute on him to receive her answer.
This question took the dragon aback. As much as he wanted to tell her about everything that he noticed so far, he knew how crazy it sounded. If it was anypony else, he’d tell them in a second, but since it was Rarity… he just couldn’t bring himself to say it. “I’m… worried, that’s all. Worried for Twilight that is. You know how she can get sometimes without me there to help her out.”
“Awwww.” she responded endearingly, turning this time to give him a hug. “That’s so sweet of you Spikey-Wikey.”
Feeling her warmth against his cool scales, he was instantly relieved of all his worries. The sweet smell of her mane and coat permeated around him, sweeping away all thoughts of abandoning this ‘mission’.
After a few longing moments, she released her touch and turned forward to resume the search. “Hmmm...” she hummed in thought, examining the area around her. “There must be some place all the tapestries are hiding…” So far they only searched the first floor. Just down the hall, she eyed a set of conveniently placed stairs. Suddenly, a moment of ‘brilliance’ dawned on Rarity. “Perhaps they were moved into the basement for safe storage! I am certain if we head down there we are sure to find something amazing!”
And just like that, Spike was instantly worried again, except this time his woes were nearly doubled. He quickly tried to convince his love that this was the worst idea he had ever heard, “R-rarity, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. This place is over a thousand years old, and… it could collapse at any minute. I think the first floor is safe enough. Let’s just—“
“Nonsense!” Rarity interrupted him yet again. “I doubt this ungrateful castle would crumble that easily. Now come along,” and she beckoned him to follow her down the stairs.
The small dragon sighed in defeat. His concerns fell on deaf ears. ‘Why must she be so stubborn?’ he thought. With his reservations aside, he descended downward into the pitch-black bowls of the building, closely following the luminescent light blue glow.
“How’s it coming, Twi?” asked Applejack for the third time while nervously pacing back in forth. It was bad enough that she failed to protect her friend from the first attack, and now she was feeling even lower. It was her fault that Rainbow Dash had become this… this monster. If only she’d have been quicker. If only she had never brought them to this place for that stupid contest. If only…
“Still nothing.” the alicorn frustratingly responded, frantically flipping through the ancient tomes like a madpony. Even with her speed-reading spell, she could only take in so much novel information. Despite her short respite, her magic had not yet fully recovered. Her horn was beginning to create a sizzling pain that shot into her already aching skull.
Finally, with agonizing scream, Twilight released all the spells she was casting and fell back into her chair. Her magic was almost burnt out completely, and she knew it would take a long time to recover if that happened: time they wouldn’t have.
Noticing this, the earth pony hastily rushed over to her. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just… too weary to continue looking. I need to save my magic. I still need to find Spike and—“
“But what about Rainbow?” asked AJ, with an insulted tone. “She’s our friend too, and she needs help right now!” She was annoyed that Twilight would even think about anypony else besides their injured friend.
“I know that Applejack, it’s just… it’s just that this search is useless.” She saw her friend face twist even angrier, and quickly amended her statement. “I mean I already looked through all the other mythology books this library has, and nothing else mentioned a single word about vamponies or the cure. None of the spelIs I read help with this either. The medical books don’t say anything too! Look, I know you’re tired, and angry, and irritated, but there’s nothing more I can do. She’s stable right now, and with the magical binds on her, even if she does turn feral, she won’t be able to hurt anypony. Besides, I have a plan. After I recover a bit, I’ll head out and find Spike. Once I do, I’ll bring him back here, then he’ll be able to send a letter to Celestia for help. If anypony knows what to do, it’ll be her. Trust me, Rainbow Dash will be fine.”
Her words seemed to soften the earth pony. “It’s just… I hate not bein’ able to do anything. Everything about this situation don’t make a lick of sense. I wanna help, but I can’t… All I can do is sit here and watch ma pal transform into a monster.”
“You’ve already done enough AJ.” said Twilight, putting her hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t worry yourself anymore because it will only make you feel worse. Right now, what you can do to help is watch over and protect her.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
With that, silence dominated the room once again as the two drifted off into their respective thoughts.
By now, the Pony of Shadows could feel the energy revitalize its weary soul, even through the flesh it wore. With every step, more strength flowed back into it. The sweet taste of blood still tantalized it, as it licked its fangs for the twentieth time, trying and failing to find a drop of life elixir left on them.
Nevertheless, it was still too weak to regain any substantial power. No, this was just a taunt; a mere taste of what was to come. After all, it was the life force of one pony, and only half the force was siphoned at that. Ponies alone could not sate its ancient thirst for its lost strength. If anything, this encounter only fueled its voracious desire. It need more, and more and…
It shook its fleshy head, snapping it out of the near feeding frenzy. ‘I must have patience. I have waited this long, so a few more hours is nothing.’ Staring at its ample host’s hooves, admiring their sickeningly yellow complexion, it calmed itself down.
After what had seemed like a century, the Pony of Shadows was back to its normal state of ire-filled apathy. Its mind drifted to the grand scheme, which was finally coming into perspective. With the last of the preparations taken care of, there was nothing that could get in its way now. It could not help but feel satisfaction as a smile slashed across its face. ‘I really must thank you again my dear; your body is most useful for my plan.’
It was referring to poor Fluttershy, who had just recently woken up. She was in some sort of dark grey room, with a single wall replaced with the moving picture of a body in motion. However, this was not just any body… it was her body, but different somehow. In the corner opposite from her was what looked like the shape of a large pony, but with a see-through body? She looked down and she too was translucent as well, except for a chain that was wrapped around her neck, holding her trapped to the wall.
Then, as if her mind suddenly roared to life, she heard a voice. It was soft yet scathing. Calming and yet alarming. A sinister mix of smooth and deadly. It seemed to mention her as it spoke, but the words were too fuzzy to make out.
Then she noticed it. The pony in the distance had turned around, revealing not exactly a pony, but a shifting mass of shadows with a razor sharp grin and sinister yellow eyes. The captured pegasus squealed in horror, feebly trying to retreat deeper into her corner.
This caused a chilling laugh to echo throughout her mind. Finally, she was able to make out the words: ‘Poor, dear Fluttershy, you have nothing to fear… not for a while that it. I won’t hurt you until all your other friends fall first. There is nothing you can do to stop me from them. So you might as well sit back and enjoy the front row seat of the carnage.’ it ended, cackling.
At the mention of her friends, the yellow pony surged with newfound power. ‘You better not lay a single hoof on my friends.’ she responded in a protective and motherly voice, staring daggers at the illusory pony-shaped mist. ‘I don’t know who you are, or what you are, or where we are, but I do know my friends will save me and stop you.’
However, this only added to the laughter as it rose in volume.
‘They… they will. ’ she said, her confidence beginning to waver.
‘ENOUGH!’ roared the Pony of Shadows, instantly teleporting in front of her. ‘No one is coming to save you, and you and your friends will meet they demise on this night! I have already taken down one of you friends, and now you will watch me fell the rest!’
‘W-who did you h-hurt?’ asked Fluttershy, her concern briefly overcoming her trepidation.
‘You will see soon enough my little pony.’
Suddenly, its head jerked towards the large screen. Its mouth curled even bigger as if it had felt some unseen pleasure. ‘It appears your friends have arrived sooner than expected. You may have something to worry about after all my dear.’ Turning, it continued, ‘I will be back once I deal with these fools. I do hope you witness my plan unfold, for I have spent quite a while perfecting it. Farewell… for now.’
And just like that, the mysterious pony was gone, leaving the quivering mare to herself.
“See Spike, aren’t they simply the most impressive pieces of ancient threadwork you’ve ever seen? Such complex weaving, such interesting palette choices, such amazing designs! This is it, Spike! I will restore one of these fabrics back to its former glory. Now which one…”
Next to the exuberant Rarity was a large and rather ornate wall ornamented with luxurious tapestries. They had found it precisely at the dead end of a narrow hall. It was exactly like she said: these were the most beautiful woven works both of them had ever seen. She walked along the base of it, examining and critiquing each unique embroidery individually.
Even Spike was surprised how easy it had been to find these hidden gems. After nearly an hour of searching and not spotting a single one, a plethora had been revealed right under their feet. Even the path reaching them was relatively easily, except for the hall of disembodied pony limb scones, or as Rarity called them “tasteless design choices”. Other than that, it was nearly a few minutes walk from the stairs they descended from.
But something seemed off. ‘This is too easy.’ he thought, looking at the wall closely. His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed the distinct lack dust on nearly all of them. Then he realized it. ‘Somepony moved these recently.’
“Rarity”, he began “something is very wr—“
“Shush Spike, I’m trying to work here. I’m sure whatever it is can wait a moment.”
“But—“
“No buts about it. I’m onto something big here! Just wait a moment dear.”
In that moment, a slow chill crept into room, freezing the baby dragon down to the bone. His mind went back to earlier in the night, when he had a similar experience. It was right before he was attacked by… that thing. With a new sense of urgency, he tried once more to save himself and his friend. “Rarity, we need to leave now!”
“Nonsense.” was her only response as she mindlessly glanced over the equine art, unaware of the eminent danger.
Then, out of nowhere, it appeared. A creature barely visible in the utter darkness of the narrow hall. It slowly lurched forward with large, flared wings, covering wall to wall, leaving no room for escape. It had a sinister smile etched on its face that revealed its impressive pearly teeth, razor sharp. Its glowing red eyes shone with a dangerous brilliance.
Overall, Spike was petrified. He was so overwhelmed by his fear that he could not warn his love. He tried to find the words, but could not. He stood in deadly silence watching his impending doom reach him one step at a time.
Finally it seemed his mouth decided to move. “RARITY!!!” he cried, dropping his guise of fearlessness.
But it was too late. She turned around to scold him just as the creature was in mid-pounce. ‘We’re doomed!’ they both thought, trembling.
Suddenly the wall behind them turned upward, sucking the two into the dark unknown, saving them from the immediate danger. The creature hit the wall with a sickening thud just as they landed hard on the ancient stone floor. In the excitement, Rarity’s horn had gone out, leaving them consumed by the darkness. She relit it to reveal their hidden saviour: a mare with a puffy pink mane offering an outstretched hoof to the two, a deadly serious expression etched on her face.
“Come on” she said in an uncharacteristically serious tone, “we need to move. Now.”
