The Princesses escorted Cole to a balcony, explaining Equestria on the way. “So wait, the whole planet is filled with mythical creatures… I’ve got to be dreaming. Ah!” he held his head as it throbbed again, practically telling him he’s awake. “And you’ve been trapped on the moon for a thousand years? How old do ponies here live?” Cole wondered.
Celestia laughed, “Ponies don’t live as long as Alicorns do.” She said. Cole rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, “A thousand years on the moon…” he chuckled, “I would’ve gone insane with boredom.” He turned to the dark Alicorn, “So what did you do the entire time?”
Luna blinked before answering, “I was one with the moon, but I wasn’t on it.” Cole gave her a bewildered look but shook it off, “Right… Magic.” He answered his own question before he spoke it. I still can’t get over that he thought as they looked over the land. Cole’s eyes zoned in on the forest, “Is that it?” he asked Celestia, pointing at the forest.
“Yes that is the Everfree forest.” She answered before she looked at the West horizon, “You must hurry. I must raise the sun soon.” She added. Cole sighed in irritation, “Of course.” he sighed, “I’ll be right back.” He jumped off the balcony and used his powers to glide across the sky, his arms held out to his sides a red glow emitting from his hands. He slowly floated down to the edge of the city, a few guards confronted him. He stood there, forcing himself to not drain them. He held his arms out after their third try to arrest him and smirked before he flew down to the edge of the forest; the hunger took over at that point.
All the bright colors were swallowed by his Vampire sense activating, the forest being covered in a blue glow, he could see all movement around him, from the smallest leaf moving to the the bushes shivering from something passing them. He also saw one more thing; circulatory systems of everything. They seemed to glow against the darker surroundings. Cole smiled evilly before charging into the forest, his arms making red flashes in the dark from his lightning streaking across, preparing to stun anything before he took its life essence.
Meanwhile a strange creature with the head of a chicken on a dragon-like body was clucking as it hopped about as most chickens tended to do. The bushes to its left rustled, it turned to stare down whatever was there before a bipedal creature ran through them, its arms covered in what looked like red snakes. The Cockatrice was shocked to see this thing but snapped out of it when he remembered the thing was charging at him. It activated its power, staring at the charging monster with crimson irises. Cole didn’t falter as he held out an arm and shot the Cockatrice, it fell to the floor, twitching as lightning streaked through it. He picked it up and bit into the jugular, past the feathers and rough lizard skin. It squawked in pain and struggled in Cole’s grasp, its struggles grew weaker and weaker until it stopped altogether. Cole threw the body off to the side, its blood still on his jaw, “I need more!” he said as the hunger controlled him into chasing after something with more blood.
A few hours later Cole had killed three Cockatri, a Manticore, and nearly killed a Hydra-that’s what it gets when it throws Cole into its pool. The hunger was satisfied as the vivid colors returned and Cole was in control of himself again. “Great, now I just have to get back.” he stated as he threw the last Cockatrice he drank into the bushes and wiped the drying blood off his chin. He heard a noise to his left and turned to see a pair of yellow eyes in the dark. He raised his right arm to threaten the creature. It seemed to glare daggers at Cole before dispersing into the darkness of the forest. He smirked and turned around, “Okay, the hunger will be gone for now but... Where am I?” he wondered as he looked around. The forest was similar in every direction, trees, bushes, brambles, and blue flowers. “Only one thing to do.” he said, looking for the highest tree. It didn’t take very long to find one, there was only one problem; the sun was rising and the tree was in the center of a clearing.
Cole stood in the shadows as the sunlight stretched across the clearing. This is going to hurt. The vampire thought as he ran to the large tree and climbed up, he was climbing on the shaded side of the tree to stop himself from burning. It didn’t take long to find the castle on the mountain. Cole hid in the shade of the tree again as the sunlight reached the top. He hopped off the limb he was on and landed hard, leaving a divot in the ground. He looked up at the beautiful blue sky and saw a figure behind a cloud in the distance. The cloud was moving, “Huh, so the pegasus do control the weather here. That’s interesting.” he commented and looked around again. “No use in staying here.” he said in his usual gruff tone. He braced himself and ran through the sunlight and into the shade of the forest, his body was smoking and he was wincing from the pain.
He didn’t want to go through the sun or to waste his control by flying there so he began walking, remembering which way he had to go to reach the castle. He noticed, as he walked, that all the animals-predator or otherwise-were avoiding him. He’d make eye contact with one and it would avert its eyes and run away. “What is here that makes the animals run in fear?” a voice said far from Cole, he turned to the sound and ignored it as he walked on. If they want to be in this dangerous forest that’s their own choice.he thought as he kept walking.
Meanwhile a zebra was watching a manticore and a Cockatrice run past her and deeper into the forest. “What is here that makes the animals run in fear?” she wondered aloud. She watched the bushes stop rustling before she returned to picking her herbs. Her ear twitched towards the sound of a twig snapping and crunching leaves. “Must I beware who goes there?” she asked herself and approached the noise. Cole heard the approaching noise and used his vampire sense to see the pony. He continued walking, not wanting to get lost in the dark. The zebra pushed through the foliage to see the human conduit walking away. She followed it to see where it was going.
Cole knew he was being followed but he soldiered on. He used his vampire sense to see the pony behind him and he noticed another skeleton that had no veins and it was crouched, ready to pounce. He turned on his heel and held out his right arm, the sudden movement shocking the pony-which he noticed was a zebra. He stood there with his arm outstretched, the lightning streaking through was menacing. He saw the wooden wolf hesitate before charging, “Move!” Cole shouted at the striped pony.
She did as he said, the wolf jumped behind her and Cole brought his hands next to his hips and sent them forward, releasing a red wall that sent the Timber wolf flying with a yelp. It hit a tree, a loud crack was heard before the wooden wolf ran away with its tail between its legs. Cole turned to the zebra sporting gold jewelry, “You should be more careful, these woods are dangerous.” he told her, she stared at him and the tree the Timber wolf hit in shock. Cole waved her away and turned around to leave; he didn’t stop when she began speaking, “Thank you for saving me but who might you be?” she rhymed.
“Don’t mention it. I’m Cole MacGrath.” he answered, still walking. She trotted to catch up to him and noticed his neck, “Is that a snake bite I see? I can help, just come with me.” she said, still rhyming, Cole stopped and looked over his shoulder, “It’s not a snake bite. Don’t worry about it... Why are you rhyming?” he asked her. She was still staring at his neck bite and the veins that were showing, “I am Zecora.” She introduced herself, Cole started walking again, “Look, I have to find a way up to Camelot before I fry, alright?” he said.
Zecora cocked an eyebrow and pressed Cole, “What do you mean fry? Is it because of the sky?” she asked as she continued to stare at the two holes on his neck. He didn’t answer but kept walking. She pressed him for answers but he kept up his monk-like silence. After a short while Zecora looked around, they had walked very far but hadn’t been attacked, “So it is you the animals fear, what are you doing here?” She asked, Cole sighed and stopped, “I don’t know how I got here now please leave me alone before SHIT!” Cole screamed, he had walked into a clearing as he was watching Zecora and was in direct sunlight.
He quickly dove back into the shade of the forest and sat down by a tree as his skin slowly stopped smoking. He turned to the stunned Zebra, she hesitantly approached, “Do my eyes decieve me? You are a Vampony!” she said. Cole turned away and rested against the tree, “I’m a Vampire, I tried fixing it and I killed Bloody Mary but it didn’t work. I’m still a fucking vampire!” he slammed his fist into a root, it cracked. Zecora flinched from the sound but approached Cole nonetheless, “You ended a life, that is sure to cause you strife.” she said sagely. Cole scoffed, “She deserved it for turning me into this.” he looked off to his left as he scowled. She put a hoof on his shoulder and he faced her, making her back away. He looked at her then smirked, “Zeke’s not going to believe this.” he shook his head and laughed. He explained who Zeke was to Zecora when she gave him a curious look.
She laughed when he described him as ‘a fat man who could get the job done.’ Cole stood up and stretched, “Well I’m not going to be able to go back with the sun out.” he commented. Zecora nodded, “While the sun is high, you cannot-even if you could fly.” she said. He chuckled and glared at a pair of eyes in the brush; it disappeared when his eyes streaked with lightning. “We should get out of here. Would it be okay if I stayed at your home until sundown?” Cole asked Zecora. She smiled and nodded, “It would be my pleasure Cole Macgrath. My home is just down this path.” she said as she led the way.