Spike found that the portal returned him to the library where Suri first arrived. "Twilight!" he exclaimed, searching around the place. It was empty. "Twilight?!" he looked around. Where was she? Where were his other friends?
For a brief moment, he was afraid Suri had played a cruel, horrible trick on him and somehow trapped his other friends, forcing him to be alone. The young dragon nervously rubbed at his neck, trying to figure out what he should do. He shook his head and became determined. He could handle this situation. He found a scroll and ink, then thought about what he should say.
He eventually settled on asking Celestia if she knew what had happened earlier in the day at the library and if she knew where Twilight and his other friends were.
A moment later and poof! A midnight blue alicorn stood before him, quickly meeting his eyes.
"Princess Luna?" Spike realized.
Luna grabbed him without a word and teleported him back to Canterlot.
"Give me a little warning would ya?" he said wearily once the teleport was over.
"My apologies, Spike, but we wanted to be as swift as possible, knowing the threat that this Suri Polomare can be with Rainbow Dash's help," Luna informed him.
She stepped aside to show his other pony friends, one unfamiliar mare, and Celestia sitting in a circle. The entire group was in Celestia's study. While the white alicorn often had a large cushion for herself, it had been replaced with several smaller cushions for the smaller ponies. The fireplace was surprisingly empty. Celestia often had one going from the number of times Spike had been in this room with Twilight Sparkle before.
Taking in the entire scene, the young dragon relaxed his shoulders. "Oh, so you know..."
"Spike!" Twilight rushed up to him immediately and hugged him. "Oh, you're okay! We were so worried. You're not hurt, are you?"
"Not really," Spike admitted as he rubbed at his neck, "b-but there was a little mind control involved," he admitted.
"Tell us what happened, Spike," Celestia implored him.
Spike sighed. He sat down to join the group and told them everything he could remember. Luna took a brief leave of the room to raise the moon and returned. Spike told them that Rainbow Dash was mostly under Suri's control with only the vaguest hints of herself, such as volunteering his name or her easy admittance that she would never turn him into a vampire or kill him.
"That's...something," Pinkie Pie tried to offer.
"Coco?" Twilight turned to the unfamiliar mare
"Coco? You're Coco?" Spike asked nervously.
"Yes," Coco shyly admitted. "I'm not here to hurt anyone," she told him with a reassuring voice and sincere light cyan eyes. "Your friends sought me out, and I only wish to help Rainbow Dash too. If I can help her break free of Suri's control, I will."
He relaxed at that response. "Oh, okay...so uh...what do you think of the things I said?"
"You are a child and a friend to Rainbow Dash. I am sure those two things are why Rainbow immediately denied she would make you a vampire or kill you," she informed him.
"Oh," Spike uttered. "Well, friendship..." He rubbed his neck.
"A-and the lightning bolt symbol...is that akin to the flashes you would have before you escaped yourself?" Rarity inquired.
Coco nodded. "It sounds like Rainbow Dash is fully aware of her situation, but the spell Suri has under can still force her to obey."
"How dreadful," Rarity muttered.
"Seems to me we need to get the Elements of Harmony," Applejack suggested to the group. "Rainbow will break out eventually, like Coco did, but I bet we could speed it along with their help—which would then be mighty helpful in stopping Suri from making some creepy vampire army too."
They all looked at Twilight Sparkle and Celestia, who were already nodding at each other.
Luna nodded from where she sat too.
Celestia addressed the entire group. "I think that is most wise."
"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go get those Elements!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"And then what, pray tell?" Rarity inquired.
The pink mare blinked. "What do you mean?
"I mean, we can't easily get to Manehattan ourselves to find them—assuming that is where this lab is or is she coming straight for Celestia here in Canterlot? If so, when?"
"Tonight," Spike suddenly answered her. He knew. "Suri will be back tonight." He nervously rubbed at his neck. "I'm not sure what all she did to me—some of it is a blur—but...I-I know that much...somehow.."
Coco nodded. "I would expect the same with what I know of how Suri operates, especially if she's afraid of Rainbow Dash breaking free of her soon."
"Well then...I'm with Pinkie Pie...we should get our Elements now," Fluttershy quietly suggested.
"That does sound like a proper plan after all then. Let's be off," Rarity agreed. "Best be prepared for their arrival."
"Follow me," Celestia offered. The entire group left the study and made for Canterlot Tower.
At Suri's lab, the wicked sorceress busied herself at her table while a magic screen played out everything that Rainbow's friends were discussing and that they were well on their way to retrieve those Elements of Harmony.
Rainbow Dash kept careful watch of the screen. She had heard it all. "They plan to help me escape you," she noted quietly. She turned to look at her maker. "With Coco's help," she added.
Suri nodded quietly without looking up from her work. She was not observing the scene as closely as Rainbow, but she caught enough from overhearing the discussion.
"You don't seem worried about that," her pet noticed.
"Of course I'm worried," Suri replied, still keeping busy though she did not sound all that worried as she spoke. "I have Spike there to help me after all. Right now, I'm working on a little something to strengthen my hold on you. I wish I could keep you forever, my sweet, but nothing is ever truly guaranteed in this life or my power. Still, it will help.
"Those Elements won't break you out as easily as those girls think. I mainly need you and Spike to give me the right opening. Then I can have Daybreaker, my true desire. After that, how about we make you fireproof permanently?"
Rainbow couldn't help smiling at that. "Really?" she asked with hopeful red eyes and fangs.
Suri nodded. "Alright...so...we've already got you temporarily fireproof, getting ready for a siren call. You sing, yes?"
Rainbow nodded.
"Good. Let's see here..." Suri glanced at her bottles.
"Alright, siren call, re-enforced obedience, vampire spread...yes, let's talk about that for a moment...."
Rainbow blinked at her. "You're using me to make more vampires, right?"
"Yes, but they won't be quite like you or Coco," Suri noted.
"Oh?"
"They are mere soldiers. Their transformation will be shorter. They won't actually need blood to be fully transformed. Their bloodlust will be triggered by you or myself if we find it useful in fighting your friends."
Rainbow's bat wings lightly fluttered in place, and she couldn't help licking her lips. "You're going to make me fight them again?" She didn't want that necessarily, but she did remember how good it tasted. Would she have a chance to drink blood in whatever happened? She wouldn't be doing that to make the other vampires after all.
"Most likely," Suri conceded, focused on adjusting some potion. "I don't need to test your obedience, but I do need them out of the way."
"Unconscious?" the vampire wondered, slightly apprehensive though Suri also sensed a slight longing too.
Suri smirked. "Do you want that?"
"More no than yes," Rainbow admitted.
"Lucky for you then, I actually want them to see Daybreaker when she is ready, so...I won't command that of you again. Okay?"
"That means that we'll defeat you," Rainbow warned her, sounding more concerned for her maker's plan than making an arrogant threat.
Suri smiled at her with a small wicked pleasure in her amber eyes. "You might. You might not. I will take that chance."
The vampire stood still for a moment before replying simply, "So be it, Suri."
"Back to the other vampires. They won't die as you did before your transformation. They won't be as strong as you either, but I mainly want to use their number to overwhelm our challengers. You're my pet super vampire."
Rainbow blushed and bashfully stroked her mane, not saying anything.
A moment passed while Suri continued readying her items.
"Hey, Suri..."
"Yes, Rainbow Dash?"
"What are you going to do about Coco?"
At that, Suri glanced her way, slightly intrigued by the question. "I am not going after her directly. She is safe enough, my pet. My taking you is her punishment. As for our upcoming... hmm... confrontation... well, see to it you defend yourself and keep her out of the way when it comes to the plan. I won't command you to hurt her besides that.
"I actually do love her still despite what she did to me. She is my precious first vampire after all—and she gave me you."
"Oh, okay," Rainbow replied to that, somewhat satisfied and relieved. "I love her too," she happily added with an innocent smile.
Suri looked at the vampire for a moment, then smiled softly in turn. She had no further response so then turned back to her magic preparation. "Time to mix, and we'll be off. I do have a few instructions before we go. For starters, don't touch your Element of Harmony. Okay?"
"Aye aye Captain...err, Boss....hey just what is your title with me? Maker? I know you said I could call you 'Suri' and all, but still...just wondering."
"'Suri' is still fine, but 'Boss' is cute enough coming from you," Suri noted. She started to spray Rainbow Dash with some kind of magical mist.
"Heh heh, right then, Boss," Rainbow replied. "What's this do?"
"For the vampire spread," Suri informed her.
The sorceress went on, getting everything she could ready for their upcoming work together.
Inside Canterlot Tower, the Elements of Harmony were already worn by Rainbow's friends that could bear them. The red lightning bolt necklace was the last in the chest.
"What do we do with it?" Spike asked. "We know I can't use it."
"Nor can I or Luna," Celestia agreed.
Everyone turned to look at Coco Pommel.
"What?" Coco asked them in uncertainty.
"You're her master, so maybe..." Applejack began.
Suddenly, they heard music. Somepony was singing.
Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh
Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh
"Is that...?" Fluttershy began to say.
The entire group rushed out of the tower hall and eventually found their way to a nearby balcony. They scanned the night air best they could.
They couldn't see her yet, but as they arrived...they knew. They could feel it in their veins.
Ah, ah-ah, ah-ahh
"That's Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy said at the collective realization.
"Why is she singing? That wasn't part of the plan Spike told us," Applejack noted.
Rainbow's friends were not the only ones who heard the call so much like that of the legendary sirens. More ponies than usual stood outside below on the castle grounds and around Canterlot in general. Some of them did, in fact, see the flying creature that wanted their attention. She was gliding and circling around the city. So enchanted were they, the bat wings did not startle or frighten them. They were curious, and some—even hopeful of the spell's promise.
Listen well ponies, heed my call
Bringing a power to share and enthrall
Watch the skies before we join together
When I'm through, you'll be something better
Her sinister laugh could not be heard as clearly as her song could when she began her ascent—still not yet seen by her friends. The vampire flew up, up, and up, ever so high in the sky. At last, the group saw her, but they were still processing what was happening, partly stuck by enchantment and partly stuck by fear.
Taking in the tiny specks of her possible new fledglings, Rainbow Dash started to chuckle in wicked delight. "Now, my loves...brace yourselves...." She began her dive with both forelimbs outstretched in front of her.
Twilight Sparkle at last gasped at the sudden realization. "Get back inside!" she exclaimed, but her words had only just left her mouth when—
BOOM!
Rainbow Dash had successfully done it. Her friends heard the Sonic Rainboom, and they helplessly sought its colors in the sky.
A red hue surrounded it, and it was larger than the last one seen in Cloudsdale—or even what Coco had seen in Ghastly Gorge, but even so...there it was right in front of them.
The red hue descended down from the circles of the rainboom, spreading out magical tendrils towards some of the intrigued and enchanted ponies.
Fluttershy cowered down to the balcony floor, pressing her hooves against her temples. She shivered. "Oh no, we're all going to turn into vampires now."
The other mares stood still and waited for the worst.
Seconds passed.
The red hue was gone and seemingly skipped Canterlot Tower entirely.
"We're...not?" Rarity realized.
Pinkie Pie clapped and gestured emphatically to the night air. "Yes, take that Suri! In your evil face!"
Applejack let out a relieved sigh.
"So, it didn't work?" Spike asked the others.
"Perhaps not on us, but I can't say the same for the rest of her audience," Coco informed them.
Dread filled them in place of their relief at these words.
"You mean to say it did work?" Luna inquired.
Coco sighed. "I mean to say everyone here is possibly immune. If you wish to know the answer, simply watch the other ponies below. It took an hour for Rainbow's to start, but Suri may have sped up the spell. I suspect these vampires will be of a different caliber than Rainbow Dash herself."
The group nervously peered over the balcony and saw some alarming signs. Hints of red glow on some eyes, ponies rubbing at their mouths, and some pegasi had collapsed with their wings blinking between feathered and bat-like. Not every single body was transforming, but it was still enough to be a concerning problem. Those who were not transforming were definitely apprehensive and confused. One even screamed though no vampire had struck or bitten them yet.
"Oh no..." Fluttershy uttered.
"How come we're alright then?" Applejack asked the others.
"Because Rainbow's still connected to her Element," Spike said happily. It was a guess but a good one. He was sure as he could be on the matter.
"That explains those of us with Elements, certainly, but what of you, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna?" Rarity asked. "I can understand Coco since she already is a vampire." The white unicorn blinked. "Unless...would magic like that put you under Suri's control again?"
Coco became thoughtful. "Theoretically, it could, but I do not sense any such change in me. Remember, her taking Rainbow is my punishment. As for Spike, he is a child. He is definitely immune. The princesses might be immune by virtue of being alicorns or such a transformation may take longer."
"What do you think, Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked. "Do you feel any different?"
Celestia blinked thoughtfully. "No," she finally answered.
"Nor I," Luna added.
"I'm afraid that will have to do for now," Celestia decided.
"Good thing we've got our Elements ready then," Pinkie Pie remarked with a determined nod.
The other friends nodded too.
"But what do we do now?" Fluttershy asked them. "Do we look for Rainbow Dash and Suri or do we umm....do something about the ponies turning into vampires? Can we do something about that? It looks like they're at least not attacking other ponies right now."
"No time like the present to find out," Twilight said with a determined tone. "Come on girls, let's do it!"
"Um, Twilight," Spike said, tapping at her forelimb.
She blinked and followed where he pointed.
A familiar figure could be seen, silhouetted by the moonlight before she dove at the group
Everyone cleared out of the way, trying to avoid her possibly striking them.
They succeeded and watched as she rushed into the tower hall, not looking at them or addressing them at all.
"Rainbow Dash!" Coco exclaimed. Her fledgling companion had not even met her eyes or stopped for her at all.
"After her!" Luna commanded the group.
They all followed.
Their vampire friend stood near the end of the aisle where the Elements themselves had been retrieved. She waited with her bat wings flared up and ready.
The chest with her Loyalty necklace still in it was not far from her. Rainbow Dash herself sensed it but let it be. Instead, she merely kept staring at her friends.
Those who had felt the brunt of her attack earlier that day stood for a moment in frozen terror at the sight of those powerful red eyes once more.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight finally brought herself to say.
"Rainbow, my love, I'm so sorry!" Coco immediately said after as she ran close to the fledgling. "I didn't know Suri—"
"Stop right there!" Rainbow commanded her.
Coco stopped and swallowed, keeping careful watch of the creature. Rainbow Dash looked the same as her standard vampire form, but Coco knew in her heart that her fledgling belonged to Suri now.
"I know," she replied plainly. " Apology accepted, but I have work to do. We must wait for Suri and some of my new fledglings," she explained.
"We will do no such thing," Luna sternly replied to that. "My little ponies, the time to act is now!"
"Coco, get her Element!" Twilight yelled.
Coco blinked and ran for it, but Rainbow Dash suddenly stood in her way. The younger vampire gave a firm flap of her bat wings, shoving Coco further back through a strong gust of wind.
With a determined frown, Celestia used her magic to grab the necklace herself and guided it to Coco Pommel.
Rainbow Dash made no further move against the group. She remembered full well Suri had forbidden her from attempting to try and touch the necklace on her own, as an extra precaution.
The older vampire took it and put it on her neck.
"Now what?" she quickly asked.
The other ponies wearing the Elements of Harmony readied themselves, and she watched them to figure out what to do. The magic on each gem of each other necklace and lone crown began to charge, but Loyalty remained dormant despite Coco's best efforts. The group did not have long to dwell on this fact as Rainbow Dash smirked, then shot forth straight at Luna. Celestia saw her trajectory and stepped in front, to act as a shield.
The agile vampire shot up above her, then back down in arc before swiping Luna's crown from her head. She looked back at the night princess with a mischievous smile. "Heh heh, gonna have to catch me first!" she taunted and flew out of the tower hall to the dismay of the others.
Luna furrowed her brow and immediately chased after the vampire.
The other ponies and lone young dragon followed them both.
The sky blue vampire led them on. With her bat wings aiding her, she veered right, then left, then right again, all the way into the hedge maze.
Celestia tried to use her magic to catch the creature in a magical grip but received a tiny shock for her efforts. Luna tried as well and received the same. Rarity knew better than to bother. Twilight attempted a grip too. While she did not receive an electric shock for her effort, the aura quickly dissipated as Rainbow Dash flew right through it with ease.
Her friends thought they would lose her trail, but her rainbow blur followed her wherever she went. She was so close yet always just out of reach, as if on purpose.
To their surprise, she led them through numerous zigzags only to come out of the hedge maze once more.
"This is ridiculous!" Rarity said between panting breaths as they sprinted after her.
"I'm starting to think she's playing with us," Pinkie Pie added.
Twilight Sparkle skidded to a stop, and the others skidded too after after they realized she had stopped.
They all waited to see what the vampire would do. Rainbow immediately swished their way. "Here you go," she said as she placed Luna's crown back on the alicorn's head. "Thanks for that. How about the other princess?" A quick swipe just above Celestia's head, and she was off again with the white alicorn's crown.
Celestia held out her forelimb to stop the others from giving chase this time.
They watched as the sky blue vampire flew away.
As she was almost out of view, Spike ran after her.
"Spike!" Twilight called out to him.
"We can't let her out of our sight!" he paused to turn around and point at her before he kept going.
"I'm with the dragon!" Coco exclaimed and ran to catch up to him.
Rarity sighed, and Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes.
"We best not leave those two on their own," Applejack said. "Not with Suri out here somewhere."
She and the rest reluctantly resumed their chase. They were near the castle lobby when Rainbow Dash promptly returned the crown, smirked at them, and flew inside the castle itself.
"Be ready for anything," Twilight warned the group as they followed the vampire's path to the already open doors.
There, they finally saw Suri herself, standing and waiting across the lobby at the bottom steps. She looked at them with a wicked and pleased smile. "At long last..." she said to them. Rainbow Dash stood in her standard vampire form to Suri's right with a neutral expression.
"Twilight," Fluttershy whispered timidly.
Twilight looked over to her pegasus friend and followed a pointing forehoof to see that a fair number of other ponies lined either side of the lobby. Their red eyes and occasional bat wings made it obvious who they were.
Luna pressed a hoof to her forehead and sighed in annoyance with herself. "She was amassing her forces during our chase."
"Suri Polomare, as ruler of Equestria, I must ask you to stand down," Celestia noted with careful warning in her voice.
Suri thoughtfully glanced at the floor for a moment, then up at the white alicorn once more with a smirk and wicked amber eyes. "Your request is denied. I want you, and I will have you. You will be fierce and beautiful and frightening, and I will love you for it."
Celestia gulped, finding herself eerily attracted to the wicked promise. She even found the other mare herself to be those things. Even so... "Then you leave me no choice."
She started to charge magic in her horn, and it lit to bright golden glow...then....powered down. "What?" Her mouth hung open in shock, as did her companions.
"Allow me," Luna offered. Like her sister, her magic charged, lit brightly...then...powered down as well.
"Tch tch tch, my my," Suri said. "What ever could have caused that?"
"What did you do?" Celestia asked sternly.
"I did so, so much," Suri told her with a sly smile. A quick stroke of her mane, and Spike was suddenly pulled toward her like a magnet, seemingly by his neck. "Or rather, he did."
The magic plopped him down right beside her, and the others widened their eyes at suddenly being able to see the collar on his neck.
"You see, these spikes have different functions. Okay? Combined with a special potion, one of them makes the collar invisible and intangible and well...for him, forgettable. Another prevents anyone taking it off. Another is a tracking device and spy window, you might say. I could know where he was at all times while activating magic on my end to watch all of you. Another one disables his fire against one of my vampires. One has been working to turn him into my servant. It should be ready right about now," Suri noted.
Spike gulped but nodded solemnly.
"Not like Rainbow Dash here mind you. He is a child, so my options were limited. He is more of a spy and assistant. He won't be setting any of you on fire in my name.
"And this one...this last one has been lowering your defenses, weakening your magic, making you more susceptible to my magic. Like a slow, slow poison you could not possibly notice. It helped draw him to you as well."
Celestia gulped nervously and in silent horror.
"You're an alicorn after all...which is why Luna has been affected in the same way."
"No," Celestia uttered.
"So that's why your magic doesn't work. I dare say both the unicorns in your group can't use theirs either," Suri noted.
Twilight Sparkle and Rarity instantly tried it only to realize in horror that Suri was right.
"I suppose I should also mention that there was a purpose to Rainbow Dash stealing your crowns too," Suri added. A wicked gleam in her eye made the alicorns that much more nervous. "I couldn't very well have you notice your weakened state just yet." The sorceress looked over to Rainbow and gave a little nod in the direction of the others.
In a flash, Rainbow Dash took off, shoved Celestia to the floor, and bucked Luna in the opposite direction. "Now!" the sky blue vampire shouted.
Immediately, a number of other vampire ponies piled onto the night alicorn. "Celestia!" Luna called out. She felt physically weak now too. She could push back on the other vampires a little but not much—definitely not enough to reach her sister anytime soon.
"Now you're ready for me..." Suri announced with an evil smile.