//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Red Moon // Story: Vampires // by Elu //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash was sprawled out in bed, asleep, breathing calmly as her chest rhythmically rose and fell. Her face didn't bear an expression and was smooth, calm, relaxed. It seemed like another dreamless night, though the night swiftly changed when her ear twitched; much like how it did while she was still awake. Rainbow Dash rolled over and  squirmed in place, attempting to get even further comfort from the bed. Her ears drooped Her lax expression crept into a twisted frown. A strange dream came to her. Appearing in the middle of nowhere, she looked around. A pure white snow blanket spread infinitely in all directions. From one horizon to another, the soft blanket of snow lay undisturbed by anything, even the soft wind left the snow for itself. She thought her sight betrayed her when she saw nothing but snow. She tried scanning the horizons, but her attempt was all for naught … not finding even a sliver of life. The sky was a dark-blue with neither the moon nor the sun being present. What she did see was a myriad amount of stars across the dark-blue canvas. Though they were light-years away, they shone with their cold distant light. Silence reigned as the pegasus stood in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. The moon began to rise, trying to peek over the horizon, casting its soft pale light onto the ground. The snow gained a reddish tint as the moon turned crimson, rising higher and higher in the sky. It was like a gaping wound in the sky, leaking blood. The red accumulated in small pools on the ground, melting the snow and releasing a pink mist that started to fill the surroundings, thickening and expanding in all directions. Since Rainbow Dash was one of the  bravest, her posture didn’t change in the slightest. She did however fall into a more defensive position with her wings opening; he felt the unknown danger and prepared for the inevitable. Her head lowered with her eyes narrowing at the coming mist. Forming from the waterfall of red, it closed in on her by taking more and more of the land with every passing moment, letting only the crimson moon to shine through. Rainbow's ears swiveled to the direction of the mist; she heard something, but she couldn’t make it out. Whispers came from the mist soon enough, barely audible. They were faint, incomprehensible, vague, and they were telling her something that she couldn't quite understand. For a moment, she wanted to reach out and touch the mist but she held herself from doing it ... She felt something else. For a brief moment, everything went completely silent. Rainbow Dash could see how the moon grew bigger, the stars dimmed, and dark clouds appeared in the sky. The mist parted, allowing her to see what lay beyond. A choir sang into her ears, drawing her closer ever so slightly, making her look deeper. The sound filled her ears, and a glow filled her vision, gently nudging her even closer. Inside the mist, a figure stood. A pony it seemed at first, and yet it wasn't one. Tall and slim, it stood proudly, nightly wings unfolded, two red eyes glowing majestically. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but step closer, touching the mist of red. A ripple went through the dream, a low vibration resonating with it. The figure turned to her, its crimson eyes staring directly into hers, captivating them with ease. Hypnotised, Rainbow Dash took another step forward, half of her body disappearing into the mist as it drew her in. Suddenly, the vision changed. A cavern deep within the ground. A bustling underground city. Fangs, many fangs, and eyes, looking at her, staring, glaring. In the midst of it all, the figure stood, its eyes locked with hers. The choir sang, its foreign words captivating the ears of the pegasus, enthralling her with the ethereal song. The view changed again. A snowy plain, empty and lifeless. A lone flag stood in the center of it, flapping as the wind blew. A lone armored figure sat under it, breathing labored breaths.It noticed the pegasus by glancing upwards and then swiftly stood up, grabbing a sword in its magical grasp. It jumped at Rainbow Dash with ferocity, swinging its mighty sword. Ducking and jumping back, she pulled out her own sword, and the duel began. Specks of snow raised from under their hooves as the two danced with blades in their holds as they attempted to strike at each other endeavoring for the victory in the deathly duel. Their blades clashed in sparks of white as the crimson moon shone above them; being equally skilled, they refused to give ground to each other. Fire seemed to rain from the sky which melted the snow away, revealing rivers of red that flowed freely across the plain, painting it the color of the moon. Rainbow Dash had managed to break the sword of her opponent and force it to fly out of the magical grasp of her opponent. Raising her sword for the last, finishing strike, she saw how a gem in the figure's helmet begun to glow, the light intensifying more and more until it filled her vision with red. Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot open with sweat rolling down her forehead. She inhaled sharply and looked around. The room provided to her was dim and empty, the only light came from the moon that shone through the window. Standing up from her bed, the pegasus sighed deeply and shook her head, getting rid of the blur that encompassed her vision after the dream ended. She let out another sigh, a smaller and quieter one, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Finally, she relaxed, releasing a soft yawn as her eyelids grew heavier. Realizing that she needed more sleep, the pegasus got back into bed and closed her eyes, soon drifting off to a much more peaceful sleep. In the morning, the six mares assembled outside, ready to tackle their task. First and foremost, they needed a plan, at the very least a beginning, a starting point of their investigation into the matter. Unfortunately for them, the information was minimal and they had only one fact to work with — the moon was red. The reasons and causes for it were yet to be found. "So, I think we should begin with asking ponies around," Twilight Sparkle told everyone. "If they know something about the red moon, we'll find out." "But Twilight, most of 'em are working in the mines right now," Applejack pointed out. "And we can't go there." "Alright," the unicorn nodded. "Still, there are some ponies in the houses... Maybe they know something." Agreeing, everyone spread out, going from house to house, seeking ponies that would help them solve the mystery. Much to their dismay, there was nothing to be found — everyone was either sleeping or working late at the time and were too tired to notice the moon or dismissed it outright. Those few that did notice, had no idea what it meant or what it could be. Some blamed it on the weather, others connected it to the mystery of the Frozen North, but there was no definitive answer to be found. Instead, it caused even greater confusion and lack of understanding. Twilight Sparkle realized that perhaps the regular ponies weren't the ones to ask about ancient tales and mysterious signs. Instead, answers could be found at other places that didn't rely on folklore, superstitions, or anything else of that sort. For example, a place devoted to preserving the past and its stories through facts and logic. "Twilight, a museum?" Rainbow Dash groaned as she and the lavender unicorn entered a rather small building. "I mean, yeah, if you think about it that could probably work, but it's a mining museum. Nothing about the moon here… unless they mined the moon." "You never know what you may find in any museum," Twilight Sparkle replied wisely, "They often have an assortment of different items that might be connected only through historical events and through ponies that used them." A unicorn mare came to them, smiling in a welcoming way, her blue eyes looking at the two with interest. "Good morning, ponies!" she greeted them with a polite nod. "Welcome to the Frozen Gem Mining Museum! I am Sky, how may I help you?" "Ah, hello," Twilight said, turning her attention to the mare. "Frankly, we're not here for the mining. We're searching for some clues ..." "About the red moon?" Sky asked with her head tilting to the left in curiosity. "It interested me quite a bit as well, and ... I might have something for you, although it's just a legend," she gestured for them to follow and turned around. "Well, we don't really have anything but a legend to follow," Twilight admitted. "We can use anything we can get our hooves on." "Alright, then let me show you something interesting," the mare nodded, leading the two into a remote corner of the museum, passing various showcases of mining equipment, different gems and ores, and drawings that depicted the hard work of the miners. "From time to time, we find something different in the rocks," she said, finally stopping at a covered case. Lifting the cloth off of it, she presented the two ponies with an interesting artifact. Inside the glass case, a sword lay. Roughly two meters long, it was close to the length of the spear than a normal sword that the Royal Guard of Equestria used. The blade of the sword was chipped in multiple areas and the tip was broken off entirely, lying next to the sword. An inscription could be seen closer to the hilt. "Sange bezna onoare?" Twilight muttered as she read it. "I ... don't even know what language that is. Seems like a branch of Old Equish, but ..." she squinted her eyes and looked closer. "I can't say what it is," she turned to Sky. "Do you know anything about it?" "Unfortunately, not much," the mare shook her head. "We found it around ..." she tapped her chin. "Two years ago, though we haven’t figured out its origins and age yet. The material seems to be an alloy of steel and some unidentified metal; we haven’t yet found what it is. Unfortunately, we forgot this sword for a long time, and so no more examination was done." "It seems ... really familiar for some reason," Rainbow Dash said all of sudden. "As if ..." her eyes widened as a realization dawned on her. "I saw it in a dream!" "A dream?" Twilight Sparkle swiftly turned to the pegasus. "Dreams can mean a lot, Rainbow. Do you remember anything else?" "I ... I think so ..." she said with uncertainty. "Well, there was the red moon, and it was really red ... Then I saw ... someone," she shook her head slightly, recollecting her memories. "We fought, and then there was a flash, and then I woke up. This sword is what I saw him fighting me in the dream," she turned to the sword. "I broke the sword. Just like this ... yeah." "Dreams do have meaning," Sky nodded. "In many historical texts, it is said that dreams can either be prophetic or show the past to those who need it. In this case, it might be the latter," she looked at the sword. "This sword is said to be found at one of the battlefields. The First Equestrian War, the one that almost destroyed all of the pony kind..." she paused, thinking. "One of the battles is said to have ended with a mountain slide that buried most of the warriors. This sword was found under a pile of rocks, which might allude to the legend." "Can we see the site?" Twilight asked with interest sparking in her eyes. "Alas, it's almost impossible to reach now," Sky shook her head slightly. "Mountain slides and even avalanches might happen at any moment. It's too dangerous, I'm afraid." "That's the only clue we have so far," the unicorn frowned, her ears drooping slightly. "Is there any way for us to go there?" "Not that I'm aware of," Sky shook her head again. "I think you should ask the miners. They know more about the mountains than I do, that's for certain." "Alright, thanks for the help," Twilight smiled and nodded politely. "Tell me if you find anything more," Sky smiled back, "Good luck, ponies!" Soon, Twilight and Rainbow Dash exited the museum and headed towards the meeting point. The unicorn had a certain bounce in her steps, glad that she managed to find out the lead. Rainbow Dash was not as enthusiastic, however — a frown was present on her face as she walked alongside the unicorn. Having noticed it, Twilight looked at her friend with worry. "Is something wrong?" "It's just... that weird dream really had something to tell me," the pegasus wondered, speaking with a quiet voice, "I kinda forgot it already, so..." she groaned. "It's just giving me a headache." "Don't worry, we'll find something about it," Twilight stopped to give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Every mystery can be solved and we'll find the answers sooner or later. All we have to do is believe in ourselves." "I sure hope so ..." Rainbow Dash nodded with some uncertainty still left in her voice. Unbeknownst to them, a pony was watching them from around the corner. Her eyes were bearing a reddish tint and a bandage was wrapped around her foreleg. After the two ponies disappeared behind the nearest buildings, the mare crept into the museum. Looking around, she slowly went through the building, closing in on the display with the broken sword. Once she reached it, her eyes started glowing red as they widened, taking in what was in the glass case. "May I help you?" Sky said from behind the mare, almost making her jump. The glow in her eyes subsided as she turned around, a relaxed expression on her face. "Oh, you scared me..." she let out a chuckle, her gaze distant. "No, no, I'm fine. I've just overheard someone talking about an interesting artifact in the museum, and so I decided to visit." "Ah, then feel free to look at it!" Sky smiled welcomingly. "This mysterious sword does look pretty, after all." "It certainly does," the mare nodded, returning to the exhibit. "This writing..." she gestured at the middle of the sword. "What does it mean?" "I don't know, sadly," Sky replied while turning to the sword. "We might call in an archeology expert from Canterlot, but it'll definitely take time." "Alright ..." the mare said with a slight frown appearing on her face. "Do you know anything about it, though?" "No, not really, just that it might be from a battle of The First Equestrian War," Sky explained, repeating what she had said to the two ponies before. "I wish I knew more about it, it just seems so interesting," the mare said and then turned towards the exit. "Oh well, I suppose I'll come back later, maybe you'll find something by then." "I sure hope so!" Sky smiled at the mare once again. "Um … is your leg alright?" "Just a cooking accident, knife slipped out," the mare waved dismissively. "I'll be fine, really. At any rate, I need to go now." "Okay, then … Take care!" Sky said waving her hoof in goodbye as she watched the mare exit the museum. Sky felt something off about her but decided not to overthink it and instead, went to do something else. She released a sigh as she went to make earl gray tea for herself so she may relax with; she had hope that the mystery of the red moon would not bring much trouble to her and others. However, she did sense it would bring much, much more than that, and that was something she was afraid to think of. Perhaps, the tea would help her relax. The Vampire King Nicholas was in his private office working on some paperwork. The quill was squeaking against the paper as he issued orders and signed requests. This was usual work for the king, and something that needed to be done in a timely fashion for the kingdom to remain stable and develop at an acceptable pace. The recent few days were quite hectic with the return of the vampires. Many things needed to be done properly as to reinstate the kingdom of Vallaer as it was before its fall. He couldn't finish his work before a knock came from the entrance. Nicholas allowed the guest to enter as he put down the quill to turn towards the entrance. The guest was the same vampire that reported to him before, and this time the news would seem to be even more interesting. Nicholas frowned as he received the information about the sword; he understood how it could help the ponies, and he needed to do something about it soon or suffer the consequences later. It wasn't a simple decision. To steal the sword would mean to alert everyone in the settlement about the possible presence of vampires, and it would mean that the six bearers of the Elements and the present squad of the Royal Guard would not leave anytime soon. Nicholas was attempting to figure out a plan, but what would it be? “Perhaps…” he spoke quietly to himself, tapping his chin in thought, “Something could be done with the ponies themselves to drive them away or to make it harder for them to follow the clue ...” An unfortunate accident might seal the deal, Nicholas realized. Something that would prove to the ponies that searching for the unknown was not worth it. It would certainly make them leave him and his kingdom in peace, at least for a considerable amount of time. Daring Do appeared in his mind while he was think though the course of action. If he went along with this plan and she found out about it ... she might become less cooperative. However, the risk was worth it, and perhaps, the adventurer could be convinced so. At any rate, Nicholas didn't have much of a choice. He would do anything and everything to protect his nation. The six bearers of the Elements were on their way to the spot where the mysterious sword had been found. They were accompanied by a squad of guards and Shining Armor himself and a guide who was one of the local miners. The group moved along the base of a mountain which was not very far away from the settlement. The sun was high in the sky, making the snow spark under its rays in a blinding show of dancing light; the ponies, having the appropriate eye protection, were able to prevent the light from blinding them. However, it didn't make it much easier to navigate the snowy surroundings. Everything looked mostly the same but,the guide knew the area well enough to lead them to where the sword was found. The group reached what looked like a big pile of rocks and boulders, scattered around what could have been a field back in the day. However, now it was a terrain that was hard to pass due to many obstacles in the way. Even if there was something before, it was most likely smashed by the rocks into dust. "Be quiet," the guide whispered an advice. "We don't need to cause an avalanche or worse." There were tons of ice and snow present on the mountain, dangerously sitting there on the steep sides which made it seem like the smallest gust of wind could cause a disaster. They heeded the warning of the guide; this made almost everyone completely silent. They exchanged short sentences very quietly; they kept glancing at the mountain as if their voices could wake a spirit of the mountain chain and enrage it, resulting in an avalanche. Being cautious was probably the best course of action for the ponies as of now. "Those rocks look... weird," Pinkie Pie commented all of sudden, stepping closer to the pile. She glanced at the mountain and then back at the pile. "My sister told me a bit about this, and..." a frown appeared on her face, making other ponies look at her with worry. "Something's wrong?" Applejack asked, taking a step towards the pink mare. Without a warning, a rumble went through the ground, shaking it and making ponies exclaim in surprise, their eyes opening wide, their ears folding against their skulls as they frantically looked around. The rumble intensified, coming from the mountain. Everyone looked up and saw large boulders plummeting down to them, tumbling down the side of the mountain, coming closer and closer to them. Frozen in place, they stared at the boulders in horror as they continued on their way down. Shining Armor lit his horn preparing to light a spell since he was unaffected by the stupor and stood firmly. His horn flared and a large dome materialized over the group in an instant. A couple of moments passed, which felt like forever, until the boulders collided with the magical barrier. Electric sound resonated inside the dome, deafeningly loud, which made the mares cover their ears with their hooves. The rocks continued to hit the shield for what seemed like a small eternity.Shining Armor's legs shook as he struggled to keep up the magical shield. "R-run!" he growled out, sweat rolling down his face. Without hesitation, everyone ran in the opposite direction of the sudden rockfall ... save for Twilight Sparkle. Her brother glared at her but snapped his focus back on stopping the rocks until the ponies were a safe distance away from the danger. Twilight’s her horn flared, and the two siblings disappeared in a bright flash of light. Then the rocks fell on their place after the dome dissolved into the air. Seconds after, Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle appeared near the rest of the group. The stallion huffed as he sat down, his sister taking a place near him, concern evident in her eyes. "I'm fine ..." Shining Armor tried to breathe deeply to control his racing heart but couldn’t quite catch his breath, his knees still shaking from adrenaline, his heart pumping at a rapid rate, threatening to jump out of his chest. "T-thanks, Twilight." "Anything for my brother," Twilight replied with a big smile, glad that her big brother didn't get hurt. "Now ..." she let out a sigh and waited a few seconds which calmed her down and allowed her thoughts to get back together. Then, she turned to Pinkie Pie. "What were you thinking about before this happened?" "Natural rockfalls shouldn't really occur here," the pink mare replied. "I guess I was wrong ..." "You think that this ... could be sabotage?" Shining Armor's ears perked up as he turned to Pinkie Pie with a curious look on his face. "Maybe .... I could be wrong, my sister knows more about the rocks than I do," Pinkie Pie answered with uncertainty. "This is actually the first rockfall in some time, I definitely haven't heard of one occurring in ... well ...a hundred years at the very least but maybe more," The guide said while tapping his chin. "If it was indeed sabotage ... Who would want to do something like this?" "Someone with a wish to hide something," Rainbow Dash said, snorting with an angry frown on her face. "No matter who they are, I will get to them." Not too far away from the group, a couple of vampires were hiding among the rocks on the side of the mountain. Cursing silently, they waited until the group disappeared and then flew around the mountain. The vampires’ direction was back towards Vallaer to report to their king about the failure of their plan, but now they knew more about the group of ponies near the vampire city. With that knowledge, they would come up with a plan to drive ponies away for good. Daring Do was sitting at the table in her room, fidgeting slightly as she tried to come up with a good way to describe the recent events. A frown was present on her face as the quill shifted in her mouth, her hoof tapping against the wooden surface of the table. Unfortunately for her, it seemed she had hit a writer's block despite having quite a lot of things to write down. Her thoughts were elsewhere, more focused on the fact that all her research on vampires could be destroyed by the very subject of the said research. If the research was to be destroyed, then the only source of knowledge about the vampires would be her and her alone. She remembered that her camera also had proof. However, she was sure that the vampires would figure things out sooner or later. Without the possibility of leaving Vallaer unsupervised, she couldn't hide the camera anywhere or escape altogether. Was it evening? Morning? Afternoon? It was hard to tell since the lighting was dim regardless of the time of day, brightening significantly only during the noon. It didn't last long, and Daring Do was left with a confusing feeling, her inner clock defunct which caused her to stay up past what was her original  scheduled sleeping time. Despite having a clock in her room, it didn't give much clarity. It used a twelve-hour system of Old Equish numerals; they weren't new to Daring Do but she would often question how much she actually slept, though it felt like it lasted way longer than she thought. She had only spent around two or three days in Vallaer but without anyone to confirm or deny her thoughts, the pegasus lost her sense of time. Daring Do felt that this day was special since she could hear faint music coming from outside of the castle walls, from down below in the city itself, carrying across the cavern well due to its acoustics. She could barely see anything from her room, so she was left guessing what the occasion was, a national holiday, perhaps? Could it be something else? It was left unknown, but not for long. A few knocks came from her door as Daring Do managed to squeeze a few more words into her work. The pegasus put down the quill, closed the inkwell, and stood up from the table. As expected, the door soon opened. "Hello, Daring Do," the Vampire King Nicholas said, entering the room. "I thought that perhaps this is a good occasion for thee to study our culture," he paused, letting the information sink in. Daring Do's eyes were already glistening with interest, and so Nicholas continued, "Tonight’s celebration is hosted in the city, and if thou wantest, thou may accompany me as a special guest." "I'd love to!" the adventurer said, failing to hide her enthusiasm. She cursed inside her head, suspecting that it was just what Nicholas wanted to see and hear. "Very well, then," the king nodded and stepped aside to let Daring Do pass through the door, "Follow me. Thou shalt be safe as long as thou stayest by my side and not attempt any ... questionable actions." Nodding in understanding, Daring Do did as asked, soon walking through the halls of the castle with Nicholas leading the way. She noticed that a small smile was present on his face, and there was a certain bounce in his steps. It was the opposite of what she had seen before, he no longer seemed like someone who would interrogate others or do even worse things. He seemed to be genuinely happy for this cultural celebration that was being held at this time. The fact that she would soon see a new cultural celebration made Daring Do slightly giddy on the inside. She would finally  witness an ancient celebrations firsthand and not to mention that a king was escorting her there personally. It seemed so unreal almost a dream, it was far beyond what she expected when she first found the vampire city; and yet, she had some thoughts and fears about the celebration being another sacrificial ritual or the like but she was somewhat certain that it wasn't the case. Either way, she would find out soon, and so she decided to restrain herself from thinking about it just yet. Hopefully, it would be nothing more than a simple holiday not unlike Hearth's Warming and similar Equestrian celebrations. She and Nicholas came to a balcony. Without saying a word, the Vampire King unfolded his wings and took off, sending powerful gusts of wind that nearly blew away the pegasus. She then unfolded her own wings and followed Nicholas. They descended from the castle into the city streets; Nicholas glided down with very little effort, and Daring Do could finally see the giant span of his membrane wings. She wasn't sure if they were smaller than those of the two Equestrian princesses or bigger. but she guessed it was the latter. As the adventurer came down closer and closer, she was able to see more of the celebration held in Vallaer. Banners with many shades of red, and even some dark shades of blue could be seen. Serene music was playing in the streets, slow and soft tunes flowing through the city, and the image of the Red Moon was present nearly everywhere. Nicholas and Daring Do landed on the outskirts of the city and then headed toward the center. Curious gazes followed the pegasus but no one dared to approach her because of there Vampire King’s presence. He walked calmly and with pride in his steps, his wings unfolded royally. The gems in his crown shone brightly, which coated the top of Nicholas' head slightly red. His eyes were aimed forward, but he sometimes glanced over his shoulder at the adventurer; he didn’t speak it but he did have his eyes on her just incase she did something. Occasionally, Nicholas greeted different vampires with polite nods and a smile. Meanwhile, Daring Do was looking around with interest, taking note of the architecture that the city used, which was gothic; the vampires themselves and how they looked, dressed, what they were doing, how they were doing it. She soaked up all the information like a sponge, all the cues to how the life in Vallaer was. She didn't bring the camera with her and neither would she dare to, so she couldn't capture anything on film. She was in one of the kind situations and being so unprepared made her want to snort in displeasure. However, she didn't want to give Nicholas the wrong idea, so she stayed silent though this trip through the city. "The Festival of the Red Moon," the Vampire King finally said as they neared the main street, where the crowd was louder and more vampires could be seen going around the city enjoying themselves. "It is the most important celebration we have, Daring Do." She nodded, still looking around. The vampires were happily engaging in different activities ranging from quietly sitting with their friends and family and playing different games to some other fun activities; the more private ones that were away from prying eyes, even though they left a particular sort of noise, making Daring Do's cheeks slightly pink. Despite that, everything seemed like it was a parody of Summer Sun Celebration and other such events. However, there was an absence of something Daring Do couldn't grasp just yet. That absence was replaced by something else, an unknown presence, something that seemed so out of place and yet so right, she wouldn't be able to describe it with words if she tried to. "Today, we praise Lună Roșie for what it hath given us," Nicholas continued, slightly turning to the pegasus. "She hath given us shelter, food, she hath given us life. And for that, we shall be eternally grateful to Her, hailing Her, praising Her like our mother, for She is the one who gave birth to our kind," he paused for a moment, his gaze distant. "Thou might not understand it, adventurer, for thou hast not seen what She can do ... We know not to anger her, for She knoweth what is best for Her children." The music grew louder as the two came closer and closer to the center of the city, to its main square that hosted the obelisk. It could already be seen, standing above all buildings; symbols that were etched in it were glowing red like blood, the light captivating Daring Do, which made her look at them. She wanted to walk closer for a better view, a more full one. "It seemeth thou art not rejected by Lună Roșie," the Vampire King commented with interest, noticing her stare. "She hath not pushed thee away ... Perhaps it meaneth something. We shall see." In less than a minute, the two came to the main square. Vampires were singing and dancing, laughter was in the air. A cheerful atmosphere reigned, even making Daring Do raise the corners of her lips as her eyes brightened. The whole area seemed to be packed full of vampires and yet Nicholas and the adventurer moved through the crowd effortlessly until they came to the very center, to the obelisk itself. At its base, there was a pool filled to the brim with a red liquid. Most of the vampires had goblets that they would fill with the liquid and then drink it. Once they had filled their goblets once, other vampires took their place and filled theirs up, and it seemed that the source of the liquid was perpetual, almost as if it was refilled instantly as something was taken from it. The adventurer stopped, her eyes widening as she realized what the liquid was. "Thou canst see it..." Nicholas said, looking at her. "Lună Roșie hath given us blood tonight. She is feeding Her children, adventurer, and thou art here to witness it," a goblet appeared near the Vampire King, floating in the air. He lowered it and filled it up with blood. He put it under his nostrils and took a deep whiff of the smell. "Aah ... It is indeed the blood, sânge..." his voice trailed off at the end as he closed his eyes and drank from the goblet. Once it was emptied, he opened his eyes and looked at Daring Do. The red hue in his eyes was more apparent than ever, almost making it look like the sclera was filled with crimson as well. "Sânge ... it can tell thee many things, Daring Do. Lună Roșie is kind tonight, thou might find something She hath to tell thee ... Look into the blood." Alarms were going off inside the head of the adventurer, but she did as asked. She took a step closer to the obelisk while looking into the red liquid at its base. She could already feel something but it was distant and she couldn't quite understand it just yet. "Perhaps, thou shalt see thy own future ... Or maybe, the past of thine ancestors," Nicholas whispered into her ear, his glowing eyes looking at the blood. "For blood ties it all together. The binds of crimson cannot be broken. Using them, thou canst see more than with thine own eyes..." His voice began to fade as the red took the vision of Daring Do, filling it with a crimson void. The sounds silenced completely, and soon there was nothing but the pounding inside her chest. Her heart was pumping the blood through her body, her breath increased in frequency as she felt something ethereal. A pull of sorts. It wasn't forceful but it was guiding her towards something she would have never experienced if not for the liquid... Sânge. A powerful choir entered her ears, singing loudly. Was it anger, was it anguish, was it something else? Daring Do could do nothing but try to cover her ears and close her eyes, but it was to no avail. The song seemed to penetrate her very soul, traveling through it effortlessly like blood through the blood vessels. The voices were everywhere, singing their song, making Daring Do shake. The voices calmed down, prompting the adventurer to open her eyes and release her ears. The dark tunnel of red and blue stood before the adventurer, stretching infinitely in both directions. No end, no beginning, it was just a continuous cavern-like tunnel, a pipe of stone perhaps, and the adventurer was just another wanderer, judging by many hoof marks on the ground. She stood up, a goal clear in her head, and so, she started walking forward. Or was it backward? It was impossible to tell one from another. No matter how, where, or when she would go, nothing would change the outcome, she felt it. However, one thing was clear — there was no other way but to move. She could not stop and she must not stop no matter whether she wanted it or not. Her path was not lit but she could see it without a single problem as if someone was guiding her way, clearing her vision and making her see everything down to small details. The clop of her hooves echoed, seemingly coming from behind her, making her look back frequently. The choir continued to sing, it was the only thing that was present in the tunnel aside from Daring Do herself. There were no words, only a continuous wail and the sound of the pipe organ. The vibrations coursed through the body of the mare and through the ground below her, stretching across the whole tunnel, infinite and unending as the tunnel itself was. Her vision became pitch with red as she traveled forward, her each step made with uncertainty, fear, and a sense of wonder, one she had not experienced before since a very long time ago. It was a sense of childish curiosity, akin to a moth that flies into the flame, and this flame was of knowledge. On the tidal waves of wonder, into the ocean of the unknown. There was no stopping, there was no turning back. And then she saw it. Among the stars, constellations, nebulas, the moon was floating. Surrounded by a glow of crimson, it looked deep inside the mare, knowing all her secrets, desires, intentions, past, present, future. Lună Roșie indeed knew all there was, there is, and there will be. Daring Do was just another pony to Her, another mortal among many, many more that came before Her, asking Her for protection, justice, gifts, and punishments. She held the pegasus in place, seemingly examining her, asking silent questions and getting answers without the pegasus uttering as much as a single, most quiet sound. Eyeless, and yet She could see. Mouthless, and yet She could speak. Earless, and yet She could listen. Lifeless, and yet She could give life... or take it if She so desired. Leaking blood, the moon began to form a pool under itself. It was quickly growing as the thick sanguine liquid filled the cosmic void, and Daring Do was thrown right into the middle of it, tossed like a toy, and yet it was made sure that she would not be harmed. Swirling, churning, the blood swallowed her effortlessly into its eternal stream. However, she didn't suffocate, for the blood can give life and preserve it. The blood carried her through whispers and screams, through cries and laughs, and into the unknown, the void of the future, what would come true someday. Opening up her eyes, the blood made the pegasus look, it made her see. On top of the mountain, under the glow of the Red Moon, Nicholas stood proudly, a sword in his grasp. Below him, ponies were trying to climb to him, wielding light. And yet the Vampire King stood unmoving, standing firmly and fearlessly. There was no going back, nothing to return to, nothing to retreat to. There was something on his back, what seemed like a sack made of cloth, but what was it? Daring Do squinted her eyes and yet she could not see, no matter how much she concentrated and focused. The sword was broken in half and then shattered completely, its pieces raining down the mountain. The ponies were on top, surrounding Nicholas. He sat down, took the sack in his hooves, and wrapped himself around it in a protective embrace, closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable. The red filled Daring Do's vision again. Once it went away, she could see the obelisk again as she lay under it, one of her hooves touching the pool of blood. She blinked slowly, coming back to her senses, a taste of iron in her mouth and a sticky sensation around her lips. "Thou hast seen something ..." Nicholas said quietly, looking at her with eyes wide open. "Lună Roșie is indeed kind tonight ... She made thee see what thou needest to see," he paused, looking up at the mysterious symbols of the arcane, "It is Her decision and I am not the one to question it," he returned to the pegasus. "Perhaps, thou shalt find the meaning behind it..."