The Royal Pony Sisters were assembled in a private room of Canterlot Castle, a table in front of them. On the table, there were reports from Shining Armor and his squad of guards, letters from the six Bearers of the Elements, as well as detailed drawings made from descriptions and sketches that were done in the aftermath of the sudden appearance of Nicholas. There were four drawings in total: the strange sword, Nicholas from the front, side, and flying away into the sky. Princess Luna was examining the drawings with great interest, even if none of them showed anything that could be instantly recognized.
Silently, Celestia stood by her side, examining the reports, paying attention to each and every written word, trying to understand just what the ponies had encountered or whom, for that matter. Luna was especially fixated on the drawing of Nicholas, feeling that it was something that would help her in one way or another. A certain glimmer was present in her eyes, making them shine brighter. A light breeze of the wind entered the room, making the light from the torches flicker, casting peculiar moving shadows on the walls. Luna's ears perked up as a whisper entered her mind. She concentrated, furrowing her brows as she tried to understand what the words meant, what they conveyed, and what importance they had for her.
"It's unmistakable that vampires are involved," Celestia spoke, breaking the silence. "I think I remember something but I cannot grasp it..." she turned to Luna. "Any thoughts, sister?"
"Hmm..." she sounded, tapping her chin, the whisper disappearing. "Yes, there is something very familiar about all of this. It seems that the only possible explanation is that it happened while we were still very young," Luna put the drawings back on the table. "We don't have much to go on now," she looked at the drawing of Nicholas. "A tall equine figure, membrane wings, red eyes... it is something but it's not enough," she turned to the drawing of the sword. "The sword doesn't tell us much either. The shape of the handle is unusual but that's about it, not counting the inscriptions on the blade itself."
"I've searched the Royal Archives," Celestia added. "Nothing to be found there either. I believe that the information might've been erased but... I'm not sure," she frowned, a thought appearing in her head. "However... perhaps, there is a solution," she paused for a moment before speaking again. "Sister, I believe we might be able to find something in our old castle."
Luna froze in place, her eyes opening wide. Memories of Nightmare Moon flooded her mind, reminding her of what was done a thousand years ago. The shadows blocked the sun, taking over the mind of the alicorn, forcing her to fight her own sister. Enraged in blind hatred, Luna destroyed the castle, leaving it in ruins, leaving a dark presence inside it until the end of times. A thousand years had passed since then and yet Luna couldn't forget what was done, what she did, almost bringing the Eternal Night. Now she realized that the consequences of casting the world into darkness could be catastrophic, and everyone would be subjected to it: ponies, griffons, yaks, and many other nations throughout the world.
"Are you alright, Luna?" Celestia asked worriedly, breaking Luna out of her thoughts. "Maybe you need to lie down?"
"N-no, I'm fine," the nightly princess shook her head. "But you know what that castle means to both of us," she looked at her sister. "We have to go there, I understand it quite clearly, but I think you know how I feel about it."
"That makes the two of us, sister," Celestia nodded. "Remember, I have forgiven you. Sooner or later, we would have to confront that place, and... Perhaps, now it's the time," she looked away for a moment. "We shall travel alone. No need to bring anyone else into this just yet," she paused as she thought. "Do you remember our disguises?"
Luna nodded, igniting her horn. A few moments later, her figure shrunk to the normal size of a pony, her horn disappeared, her mane lost its ethereal touch, adopting a plain light-blue instead. Dark-blue freckles appeared on her face, and her mark changed to the full moon and four stars around it.
Celestia lit her horn as well, turning into a mare of normal size, her alabaster fur turning slightly pink, her mane becoming a simple pink one, and her wings disappeared. Her mark changed little, reversing the flames of the sun and turning them darker.
Nodding at each other, the rulers disappeared in a flash of bright white light.
Following the return of the sword, it was obvious that ponies would be on their guard, searching for Nicholas, and possibly even realizing that vampires still lived. It put the vampires in a dangerous situation, and everything would depend on their actions. If they attacked, they would be discovered and fought back by the ponies. If they did nothing, it would give ponies plenty of time to find them, for the entrance was not too far away from the mining settlement. It was not easy to discover, this much was true, but all secrets are unveiled once the time comes.
Nicholas sat in his room, wondering why Lună Roșie made him return the sword in such a hurry. Did it contain something more than he knew? In any case, it was done, and now ponies were aware of his presence, and if they were smart, they would figure out more than just him. Unfortunately, it was yet unknown.
And that mare... Nicholas couldn't get her out of his head. She claimed she had seen him in her dreams. Dreams belong to the night, which meant that Lună Roșie might've influenced that dream in which Nicholas appeared. He wondered just what was She planning for him, especially considering Her latest message. Danger was coming, and yet he knew nothing about it. Ponies were dangerous in their own right, but was there anything more to it? He felt there was, and yet he couldn't find anything solid to support his suspicion.
Someone knocked on the door to his room, to which he almost jumped. Deep in thought, he didn't hear anyone approaching.
"Intră," he said confidently, hiding the fact that he was startled by the sudden knocking. And so, the door opened, and a unicorn dressed in red robes entered, bowing to his king.
"Majestatea voastră, Daring Do este trează," the vampire reported. "Ți-ea cerut prezența."
"Foarte bine, Arkal," Nicholas replied with a slight smile, relieved by the news. "Ai facut bine."
"Mulțumesc, regele meu," Arkal bowed in gratitude, exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
The Vampire King decided to put off thinking for latter and go to Daring Do. Perhaps, it would give him something more, a different perspective or information he did not yet know. In any case, he had to keep an eye on her, for she knew much more than ponies did and should. It would be a good idea to protect such knowledge from outside influence. And perhaps, he would be able to plant doubts in her mind, making her rethink all that she knew before. Having an ally would be beneficial for both Nicholas and his kingdom, no matter how small such an ally seemed in the greater scheme of the world.
Everything grows from smaller things, after all.
***
Weakened, Daring Do lay on the soft bed, blinking slowly, unable to fall into sleep but not strong enough to stand up just yet. However, she was calm, and all the aches in her body were gone, replaced with a pleasant and warm feeling. She could even hear her own heart beating louder and louder, only to realize that it synchronized with the steps of Nicholas, who soon appeared in her field of vision.
"How art thou, adventurer?" he asked with genuine worry in his voice, his crimson eyes looking deep into hers.
"I feel... strange," she replied quietly. "Weak but... it doesn't hurt," she swallowed, finding it difficult to form sentences. "Will it go on for... long?"
"It shouldn't," Nicholas assured her.
"Am I turning... into a vampire?" Daring Do asked with curiosity and wariness.
"If that were the case, thou wouldst feel a certain craving I would not need to explain," the vampire shook his head. "Besides, the process of turning is very different from what thou art experiencing at this moment."
"W-what is that... process?" she asked with interest, silently cursing at the fact that she didn't have anything to write it down on now.
"Perhaps, I can explain it to thee since thou art so interested," Nicholas nodded. "But first... tell me, what dost thou expect to hear?"
"I..." she began warily, not knowing what to expect from the vampire. "Well, legends say... a vampire must bite the neck to turn a pony into, uh, another vampire."
"It is correct," the Vampire King nodded. "But there is more to it than thou knowest. Perhaps, such information is better to be discovered by thee personally," he paused for a moment. "I can say one thing, however... One cannot be turned into a vampire against their wishes," he furrowed his brows. "If such a thing is attempted... dire consequences for both of the participants shall follow, and the turned will be not a vampire but something else... We call it 'Fiara de Sânge'. The beast of blood... a truly terrifying thing, I must tell you," he suppressed a shudder as he finished.
"So... someone who is forcefully turned goes... mad?" Daring Do asked with hesitation.
"In simpler terms, yes, but there is more to it than that," Nicholas nodded. "Let's leave it at that, adventurer. It is not the matter I wish to discuss right now."
Nodding, the pegasus relaxed on her bed, letting out a long sigh. For a moment, she closed her eyes, only to reopen them and look at Nicholas.
"How long will I have to stay here?" she asked weakly.
"No more than another day at most, I believe," the Vampire King replied. "Thou art not the first to undergo the procedure and possibly not the last, Daring Do."
"What about... others?" she raised slightly, interested in what the vampire said. "What happened to them?"
Nicholas was silent for a few moments, his emotions well-hidden behind a calm mask. He turned away for a second, glancing at one of the windows. Unbeknownst to the adventurer, that window had a certain scratch in the corner. It was more than just damage to the glass, however. It was a mark only the Vampire King could recognize even after so many years. A smile touched his lips for just a moment, remembering the occasion, and then it quickly faded.
"History is not kind. By now, none of them are alive," he said quietly. "I held those ponies in high regard, they were truly one of us on the inside. But now... they are gone and they shall not return," he let out a silent sigh at the memory that appeared in his head. "Ponies do not live very long, I'm afraid. The Blood giveth them life, extending their time, and yet death taketh them all one day."
An uneasy silence fell upon the two as Daring Do found nothing to say in response, and Nicholas went deep into his thoughts and memories, his mask failing for just a moment, showing great fatigue as his figure slightly slouched, his ears drooping. However, he regained his composure shortly, straightening himself.
"Believe it or not, Daring Do, but we do not hate thy kind," Nicholas admitted, speaking more to himself than to the mare. "We have... certain history, and ponies were not kind to us in the days of our glory, and yet we must recognize that without each other, we cannot live," he looked into the eyes of the pegasus. "Vampires cannot live in the sun, and yet both flora and fauna require it. Ponies move the sun and let the rains come, preventing the plants from withering away," he paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. "There is always a balance. It is not absolute, it is not eternal, but it must be upheld or else the whole world will suffer terrible consequences."
Once again, Daring Do had nothing to say, but her ears were perked up, ready to listen to anything else the Vampire King had to say. Doubts entered the mind of the adventurer, and perhaps they would make her think about vampires more, for they were not simple bloodthirsty beasts legends portrayed. Just like Nicholas said, ponies and vampires had a history, and it was one filled to the brim with what Daring Do assumed was misunderstanding, maybe even hatred. Whatever it was, she might just be able to find out about it before something unfortunate happened. Perhaps, it would be wise to give them the benefit of the doubt after all.
"Talking with thee was very enlightening in its own right, adventurer," Nicholas finally said, breaking the silence. "However, I believe I must depart to fulfill my duties as the king. I hope thou shalt get well soon."
Disembarking the train in Ponyville, the disguised princesses looked around. No one paid them any mind, passing them and going onto the train. The sisters proceeded to go through the village to reach the entrance to the Everfree Forest, one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. However, they came prepared, each bearing saddlebags full of food, water, as well as some potions that might be needed in their journey. Celestia also had a longsword strapped to her, and Luna had a bow and a quill of arrows, not to mention an arming sword on the other saddlebag. Despite being armed, they didn't draw much if any attention as they made their way through Ponyville.
To Celestia, it seemed empty without the six Bearers of the Elements. Rainbow Dash wasn't sleeping on the clouds, Pinkie Pie wasn't happily serving customers at the Sugarcube corner, the apple fields were left all to Big Mac and Apple Bloom, the Carousel Boutique was closed for the time being, Spike the dragon was dusting off the books at the Oak Tree Library all by himself, and animals were roaming around without Fluttershy keeping an eye on them. Despite having many other ponies, it seemed like the life in the village stagnated, having nothing exciting happening, be it shenanigans of the six or something more. But hopefully, they would return soon.
Soon, the princesses came to the entrance. The forest was dark and deep, many dangers were hidden within, waiting for lone travelers and unsuspecting ponies to come near. Fortunately for the denizens of Ponyville, the creatures of the Everfree never left the forest for an unknown reason. They were particular beasts, something was keeping them inside, and they would grow weak if they dared to go too far away from the Everfree. However, the princesses were not safe from the dangers, for they were going into the very heart of the forest, to the abandoned ancient castle. The darkness of the nightmare spread, warping the forest and turning it from beauty and grace to gloom and wickedness.
Luna stopped for a moment, feeling an itch at the edge of her mind. The dark magic she left was calling to her, waiting to be reclaimed and used again. She managed to suppress it, for now, knowing that she could not allow it to control her. Such magic must either be subdued or destroyed, for it results in nothing but suffering for everyone.
Celestia sighed without saying a word, noticing the tension in her sister. However, they must go forward and find what they needed before it's too late, even if there was no guarantee that anything at all would be there in the castle. Perhaps, their journey would end up in vain with nothing to be found that would help them uncover the mystery of the unknown figure.
Slowly and cautiously, they walked through the forest, looking around often, ready to jump into action if the need arose. Fortunately for the two, the forest was calm and mostly silent, the beasts lurking within not daring to attack the princesses, staying far away and watching them instead. The forest still remembered them from its old days, bearing some form of respect after a millennium of being twisted and warped by the dark magic. Or maybe it was fear that they felt towards the two, knowing how much power they had and how destructive such power could be once unleashed. After all, the Everfree had been suffering the consequences for centuries and it didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon.
The sisters soon came to a river, which they crossed effortlessly with their wings and magic. The creatures of the Everfree didn't disturb them, allowing them to pass without a conflict. Even territorial timberwolves were at bay, only growling slightly when the princesses passed them. The mighty manticore didn't appear either, only hiding in the dark and watching the two silently.
After quite some time, Celestia and Luna finally came to the gorge that separated most of the Everfree from the castle.
"The Summer Palace, I remember it..." the solar alicorn said, letting out a soft sigh. "It used to be glorious. And now, it lies in ruins," she turned to her sister. "Are you ready?"
Silently, Luna nodded and flew over to the other side of the gorge. She could feel something in the back of her mind, something dark, perhaps even sinister. However, she managed to suppress it, concentrating on the task. She remembered that they were supposed to find something about the vampires or at the very least the figure that suddenly appeared, returning the legend to reality. It was not to be ignored, and both sisters felt that it was a warning for something bigger. After all, nothing returns from the void of time without a reason or a purpose, however vague that reason might be or however uncertain the purpose was. No matter what it was, why it was there, it was important, it was not to be overlooked and brushed aside.
The castle stood abandoned, winds easily blowing through the broken windows and holes in the walls. Empty and silent, it stood, its majesty lying in ruins. With time, the castle would turn into nothing but a pile of rocks, no longer similar to what stood there once before. Rains eroded the stone, winds bit into it, tearing chunks out of it like an angry wolf. The forest was doing everything possible to bring down the once royal castle, the center of all of Equestria. Kings and queens, princes and princesses came to it to meet the alicorn rulers. Now, however, it was nothing but a page of history, a distant memory in the minds of only a few.
Finally, the princesses entered the castle, making the massive oak doors creak under their weight, their hinges not oiled in what seemed like forever. The hall was dark, the torches unlit, the only light was coming from the broken roof above.
"Mind the traps, some of them might still work," Celestia warned as she looked at one of the torches. Luna nodded, her mind gathering the memories of the castle. With the memories of the layout, the memory of the battle followed, entering her mind.
She remembered how she tried to destroy her sister, madness overtaking her mind and taking all the control. Enraged, Luna became Nightmare Moon, and she was unrelenting, her magic breaking the stone, shattering what was there. The holes in the roof and the walls reminded Luna of it quite well.
She shook her head, trying to get the memories out of her head. It was not the time for such dark thoughts, she had to find answers to the vampires, she needed knowledge, information. She couldn't afford to dwell on a millennium-old memory for now.
"It's a dangerous place," Celestia said, looking around, a frown on her face. "Not how we remember it. Probably will never be that way again," she sighed deeply. "We better find what we need quickly. We must stay together, sister."
"We should," Luna nodded, and the two ventured deeper into the castle.
There were just a few possible places to find the needed information. The first one was the easiest to get to, the library. The second was the personal chambers of the sisters, which was the least likely place to find what the princesses needed. The third would be an ancient archive, on which the castle was originally built. Bearing knowledge from before the time of Equestria, the vault-like storage of knowledge was protected by powerful spells, and it was unknown if it was still intact after years of disrepair and ruin. It was rarely used, and so the memories of the entrance and of the vault overall were vague and mostly faded from the memory.
The clop of hooves echoed through the ancient halls, breaking the silence that reigned in the castle between the Nightmares and after the last significant event, which was the freeing of Luna. It was broken once again, and without the elements of harmony inside to suppress the darkness, it was given free reign over the castle. It was not noticeable with the naked eye but it made the sisters shiver, feeling the invisible pressure trying to squash them, subdue them, and control them. However, there was something else, something foreign, something that didn't belong even to Nightmare Moon.
Luna's ears twitched suddenly as she sensed something calling her. She turned her head and saw a door. Closed shut a moment ago, there was a crack between it and the wall as it opened slightly. The nightly alicorn stopped, listening closely. Without noticing what was happening, Celestia moved forward. The door opened wider, its hinges silent, and yet there was a whisper coming from behind, calling Luna.
Heeding the mysterious call, the princess stepped in the direction of the door, her curious gaze fixated on the opening. Her sister continued walking forward without turning back, seemingly distracted. A moment by moment, the distance between them grew, and the distance between Luna and the door became shorter and shorter as she made more steps towards it. Opening wider like a hungry maw, the door creaked, alerting Celestia. She turned around and saw how Luna was entering the unknown.
"Luna!" the solar alicorn exclaimed in fear, dashing towards her sister. And yet, the distance didn't shorten until Luna disappeared behind the door entirely, and it shut behind her. "Luna!" Celestia cried out, finally able to run up to the door. She bucked it with her hooves, tears streaming down her face. "Sister!" she bucked, and yet the door didn't budge. "Please, sister!" she took a few steps away from the door, igniting her horn, and sending a powerful ball of magic on the door. It exploded violently, scorching the wood and stone, and yet the door remained closed. "Lu-lu!" Celestia slouched and sat down, uncontrollably shaking and crying in despair, looking at the door. "P-please... Don't leave me... Not ag-gain, Lu-lu..." she hung her head in shame and let out a wailing, wordless cry.
***
Not hearing the pleading of her sister, Luna finally realized what happened. She looked back and saw nothing but a blank wall. Her eyes widened, a shocked expression rapidly appearing on her face. With nowhere else to go, she opened and closed her maw, not believing her eyes.
"Hello, dear," a painfully familiar voice spoke to the side of her. Luna swiftly turned around and then almost let out a scream. A figure larger than Celestia herself, black as night, Nightmare Moon stared at Luna with her slitted aqua eyes. "Missed me?"
Backpedalling, Luna soon hit a wall with her backside. Cornered, she cowered in fear of her dark alter-ego, a painful reminder of what happened so long ago. In flesh and blood, the true nightmare stood before the princess, grinning triumphantly.
"Well, well, well..." she said, lowering her head predatorily. "It seemeth the influence of the solar tyrant hath influenced thee, dear Luna," she snorted. "Thou hast forgotten the night, its true beauty, allowing it to be outshined by the damned sun!" she paused. "But dost not thou worry..." she chuckled. "The moon shall rise, and all who stand in its way shall either accept the night or perish like their sun," she opened her maw to continue speaking but something crackled to her side, diverting her attention. Luna looked in that direction as well and saw a sphere surrounded by red fire and sparks of light. Regaining her composure, Nightmare Moon said: "What is this thing?"
Without a warning, a lightning struck the mare, making her recoil in disorientation, stunned. The sphere began to fly away, and it didn't take Luna long to figure out that she had to follow it and quickly, for Nightmare Moon was not easily stopped.
"Thou shalt not run!" the Queen of the Night bellowed as Luna galloped down the hall, following the strange sphere. It was her only chance at getting out of there alive, and she could already hear the powerful sound of hooves hitting the floor behind her. Without a doubt, Nightmare Moon was not to be trifled with, and the only option right now was running away as quickly as possible.
Luna struggled to keep up with the sphere, and so she ran, a silent voice in her head telling where to go. She rounded a corner, coming to another long, seemingly infinite hall. She didn't dare stop, she didn't dare look back, for the Nightmare was waiting to grab her and drag her into the deepest darkness where she would be swallowed and then reemerge, but not like before. Never like before. Luna was the Princess of the Night, but not the Ruler of Darkness, for there was much more to the dark than just the night.
"Thou shalt not stop the darkness, Luna!" Nightmare Moon yelled from behind. "Thou shalt succumb to it, and it shall rule thee just like it should!"
Saving her breath, the princess galloped, panting heavily. The sphere kept ahead of her, guiding the way, and a helpful voice was inside her head, nudging her to a direction, showing her where to go. The halls were endless, the doorways led into more halls and corridors, and it seemed like there would be no destination, no goal. Luna began panicking, knowing that she wouldn't be able to outrun herself. Sooner or later, Nightmare Moon would catch her and then... She would rather not think about it.
Breaking through a door, Luna appeared in a large hall unlike those before. This one was so big it had to be supported by twice the amount of columns, holding the ceiling from collapsing into the inside. The sphere was hanging in the middle of it, illuminating it. On the farther end of the hall, a tall figure stood, clad in a cloak, only a pair of red eyes shining from below the hood, and a pair of big membrane wings on the sides. Luna stopped in her tracks, staring at the figure with cautious curiosity.
"Who are you?" she asked slowly and carefully, keeping her eyes on the stallion. Silently, he raised his pale foreleg and gestured at the sphere. Luna shifted her gaze and noticed that there was a small pedestal underneath the guiding light. Once she returned to where she had seen the figure last, she found it missing, nothing telling of its existence as if it wasn't there before.
Warily, Luna approached the pedestal. On it, a dusty book lay. Blowing off the layer of dust, the alicorn was finally able to make out the title. However, before she could read it, a voice appeared from behind.
"Thou thought thou couldst run away?" it said angrily, making Luna spin around and face Nightmare Moon, who was standing at the entrance to the hall. "Thou art mine!!" she proclaimed, slowly stepping towards the scared princess. However, something unexpected happened — the sphere pulsated, sending a wave of light at the Nightmare, making her take a step back and wince. "Argh!" she exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the intense light as another wave was sent her way.
Not taking any chances, Luna put the book in her saddlebags and ran to the exit. The doors opened without her touching them, letting her into a hall. In the middle of it, Celestia was sitting, tears rolling down her face and dropping on the floor, creating a small puddle.
"Tia?" Luna called quietly, but it was enough to get the attention of her sister. Her ears perked up and she turned her head to the nightly alicorn.
"L-lu-lu?" she sniffed, not believing her eyes. "S-sister?" she jumped on her hooves and rushed to her, almost crashing into her as she gave her a big hug. "You are here..." the tears of sadness were replaced by the tears of joy as Celestia hugged her sister tightly, afraid to let go.
"I don't know what it was, I'm so sorry..." the younger sister apologized, hugging back.
"No n-need to say sorry... Your presence is enough," Celestia assured her.
"And... you won't believe, but... it seems I found what we need," Luna said, pulling away from the hug, opening her saddlebag and pulling out the book she found. "Something happened, and I got this."
With the ability to look at the cover without worrying about danger, the sisters read the title together.
Beasts
It was quite a simple title, which was followed by a picture below. It showed a variety of creatures, including timberwolves, manticores, and finally and most importantly, equines with fangs — vampires.
"Alright, then," Celestia wiped her tears, standing up. "Let's study it back in Canterlot."
"Agreed," Luna nodded without hesitation, and the two finally headed towards the exit, both of them glad that they didn't have to spend any more time in the cursed castle.
Noticing something in the corner of her eyes, the nightly alicorn turned her head to the right, looking into another empty hall. At its end, the same cloaked figure stood, its red eyes glowing under the hood. Luna blinked, and it vanished into thin air. Deciding not to speak of it just yet, the princess quickened her pace, wishing nothing more than to get away from the old castle and never return.