Chapter 21. Count Matthew.
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Twilight rushed through her library as she combed through her books.
"Do ya think we can change Matt and Fluttershy back ta normal?" Applejack asked.
"I know how to change Fluttershy back but with Matt using his elements to protect her, I don't know what to do!" Twilight was in panic mode.
Spike burped up a scroll "Um, Twilight." Spike said holding the scroll in his claws.
Twilight took the scroll from Spike and unrolled it.
"Dear Twilight Sparkle.
We have captured two very strange creature's, One of them says he is Matthew, As for the other one, She keep's hissing at us, Can you please come and confirm that they are indeed friends you know.
Signed Princess Celestia."
"I think I know where Matt went." Twilight said looking over at Applejack and the other girls.
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Luna slowly raised her head as she looked around the dark room.
"W-Where am I?" She said out loud as she tried to see through the darkness.
"You're in the dungeon." A male's voice said.
"W-Who's there?"
The figure moved out of shadows and smiled "Hello Princess, you remember me right?"
"M-Matt? What are you doing?" She asked as she went to move and notice her hoofs were chained "Why am I chained up?"
"I can't have you ruining my plan's Luna, if I'm going to remain in this form I'm going to need the night to last forever." He said with a toothy smile "And you Luna will soon join me just like you're sister."
Celestia came walking into the room; her eyes weren't their normal shade of dark pink but instead pure red. "What have you done to her!?"
"Do not worry, she's just under my spell, once my apple has return to me, I shall turn everypony in this land into vampire ponies and we shall rule the night forever!" He said laughing.
"You are not a monster Matthew! You will do great things! Please stop!" Luna shouted trying to get to the real Matthew.
Matt chuckled "The Matt you knew is long gone, meet the new and better Matt." He walked up towards her "Do not worry my dear Luna, once Applejack has become one of us, I shall turn you into my Princess of the night." He said leaving "Come Celestia, I'll need your help."
"As you wish, Master." She said following her.
"This isn't the Matthew I once knew." Luna looked around as she tried and figure out how to escape and stop Matt from turning the world into eternal night.
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Twilight and her friends walked through the halls of the poorly lite halls of the castle.
"Does anypony else feel like we just walked into a trap?" Rarity said.
The doors behind them closed shut as the candles lite up as Matt stood with Celestia by his side "Hello girls, so glad you could make it."
"Celestia! What have you done to her!?" Twilight yelled her horn glowing.
"She is under my control." He said chuckling "Soon you all will be as well."
"Knock this off now Matt! Ya had yer fun but this isn't funny anymore!" Applejack yelled slamming her hoof down.
Within seconds Matt stood in front of her as her eyes went wide as his eyes were pure red "Who said I'm joking around Applejack."
Twilight went to blast Matt when Celestia used her magic to trap her within a bubble "You will not lay one hoof on my Master."
Each one of them were trapped within their own bubbles as Applejack remained untouched as Matt still stood in front of her "Once I've turned you, You will become my bride and together we shall rule our knew kingdom."
"Ya will do no such thing! You will release my friends right now!" She glared at him as he chuckled.
"Once you see through my eyes, you'll love this new world." He went to bite her neck when he was sent flying towards the wall as he was knocked out cold, Celestia looked to see who attacked but was blinded as she too was sent flying towards the wall knocking her out.
Celestia's spell was stopped and the ponies were dropped back to their hoofs.
"Quickly, do the spell!" Luna yelled to Twilight.
Twilight quickly used her magic to reverse the spell that was cast onto Matt.
Flutter-Bat went to stop them when she was caught in the spell.
Fluttershy landed down to the ground as she shook her head "W-What happened? And why are we in Canterlot?" She asked confused.
"We'll tell ya later." Applejack said as the spell that was being cast on Matt was stopped.
"You really think you can just turn me back?" Twilight slowly stood back as she couldn't believe that didn't work.
"H-How?"
He chuckled "My elements, I used them to cast a spell over me to keep me from turning back to my... Pony-self as my old self would say." His elements began to glow around him as they were no longer white but blood red "I shall turn this land into my kingdom! And Applejack will become my bride!"
Matt was sent flying by another magical blast which made him groan as he got back to his hoofs to see Luna standing there "I shall not allow you to become this! You are kindhearted and could never hurt anypony!"
"That was the old me! This is the new me Luna!" He slammed his hoofs to the ground "I WILL RULE!" Matt's elements were glowing blood red as a magical beam was fired towards Luna as she went to fire her magic back but failed as she was sent flying towards the wall "You are no match for me Luna! For I have the elements and you just have your magic."
Applejack stood in front Luna as she fought back the tears "You stand down now Matt! Or I will hurt you!"
Matt chuckled "No, It is I who will hurt you Applejack." Within seconds Matt flew towards her as her eyes went wide as she felt his fangs dig deep into her neck as she felt a sting of pain go through her body.
Luna used her magic to pull Matt away from Applejack before he could finish turning her as she fell to the ground and Matt roared as his body was being held by Luna.
Twilight closed her eyes as she used her magic to trapped Matt within her magic as both Luna and Twilight tried to reverse the spell.
He let out a powerful yell as his wings slowly began to turn back to their normal self and his eyes started to turn back to their normal color and his fangs disappearing.
There was a bright light and Matt fell to the ground "D-Did it work?" Rarity asked looking at the unconscious stallion.
Twilight stepped towards him as she notices his wings were back to normal "I think so."
Celestia shook her head as the rest of the guard ponies did as well "Why do I feel I have done something wrong?" Celestia said looking at the group in front of her "And why are you all here?"
"I shall explain later Tia, Right now these two needs some medical attention." Luna said as she looked at Applejack as she laid asleep on the floor.
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Matt just sat there next to Applejack's bed as he took in the information Twilight had told him. He felt guilty. He had lost control of himself and he hurt the one he loved, that hurt more than anything in the world.
A tear ran down his cheek as he saw the bandage around her neck as he could see two light red dots on her neck "I hurt her... This wouldn't have happened if I just kept my head down and just let them do their things. Now, I've hurt you Applejack." He wiped the tear away from his eyes as he looked back at his love. He knew if he stayed he would only hurt her more. He placed an envelope next to her night stand as he closed his eyes and used his elements to teleport out of the castle and somewhere far away.
Just as the light faded a shadow stood watching "You're an idiot." The shadow moved into the room and looked at the sleeping mare "I better go find him before he goes and does something stupid." The shadows horn began to glow blue and the shadow was gone.
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Matt stood in front of the tree of Harmony.
He made his way away from the tree and towards the exit.
"You're an idiot!" Matt turned his head to look at the voice only to feel something hit his cheek knocking him back.
Matt rubbed his cheek as he looked back at the pony who hit him, it was none other than Luna herself standing there with anger in her eyes "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" He yelled at her as he made sure his jaw wasn't broken.
"You're leaving Applejack in the hospital!? Are you an idiot!?" She said slamming her hoof down onto the ground as her eyes changed from their normal moderate cerulean eyes changed to that of red as her mane became engulfed in darkness "Do you have any idea how she would take it knowing you left her alone in that hospital!?"
"I did it so I wouldn't hurt her!" He said.
Luna sent him flying to the side of the cliff "SO WHAT!? YOU LOVE HER AND SHE LOVES YOU! SHE WOULD FORGIVE YOU!"
Matt summoned his elements and changed into his human self as he stood with his keyblade in his hand "I hurt her! You don't know how that feels!" Matt raised his keyblade towards her "And if you dare hit me again, I'll use my elements on you!" He said threatening her.
"You wouldn't lay a hand on me Matthew, for you could not harm anyone that you care for." She said, her eyes turning back to normal and her mane turning back to normal as well "You know as much as I do, you weren't you, you were something else."
"Something dark! I hurt ponies and Applejack." His keyblade faded but he remained human just in case Luna attacked again "And if something like this is inside me, then I shall leave Equestria and find myself a place I cannot harm anyone or anything." He said as she notices a tear run down his cheek "I will not allow myself to harm anyone else."
"You won't Matt, for I know more than you do." She said take a step closer towards him making him step back "If you are a danger to us, then you should know you saved my life many centuries ago, you became my only friend in the darkness. And you showed me the light even if you didn't know at the time." She said as the memories came flooding into her mind "You are not a monster or evil, you are human as you once put it, it can't be helped but you had us to stop you from taking over. I know Applejack will want you by her side when she awakes." At this point she was right in front of Matthew as he was looking at the ground taking in everything Luna has told him "You are not a monster, you are Matthew."
She saw a tear run down his cheek as he chuckled "I am an idiot."
"You are." Luna said chuckling as well "Let's get you back to Applejack."
He nodded as he changed back to his pony form "Thank you Luna, but I still hate myself for what I've done."
"You'll get over that in time Matt; you had no control over what happened, just remember you have friends here to help you." Her horn began to glow and the two were gone.
A shadow moved along the walls "So your hero has darkness within him, how sad." The voice said.
"Be gone Dark, you have no power here." Night Fire said coming out of the tree as she stood in front of it.
"Oh I do have power here my dear, but I am not here to attack, I'm here to talk." He said as he appeared in front of her as the figure was that of an alicorn "I believe Matt is unworthy of his elements now since he has fallen to darkness." He said grinning.
Night Fire chuckled "You had a part in that Dark, don't think I didn't notices the shadow's moving along the tree lines." She said "And he has returned back to his normal self, There for he is still worthy of the elements."
"And you allow him to keep his elements? You are desperate then."
The tree began to glow bright blinded dark "Matthew has been chosen by me to protect this land from you Dark, he may have tasted the darkness but did not want it to return." Night Fire said "He even chose to leave to not harm anypony else and leave the one he loves. That makes him worthy still Dark."
"So be it, but know this! Matt will turn and will join me in due time!" Dark faded away laughing.
"He will not, he has ponies here to keep the light burning within him." Night Fire looked at the tree of light as she sighed "His heart may have darkness within in, but the light keep's him pure."
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Celestia's sun was high in the sky as Matt sat inside Applejack's room as he watched her sleep.
The letter he wrote was ripped and tossed in the trash as he still felt guilty for what he had done to her and the others.
He placed a hoof onto her hoof as he knew he needed to be here for her, he would regret leaving her and he was an idiot to think she would hate him for what he had done.
"H-Hey." He heard her say as she had her eyes half open "Are you... You?"
"Yes, they changed me back to normal." He brought out his wing "See, no bat wings."
"No fangs?" She asked. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to show her he had no fangs.
"Any other tests you want me to take?" He asked chuckling.
"No, Ya back ta normal." She said. She sat up and hissed as she rubbed her neck "Ya really dug in ta my neck." She notices his smile fade and he had his eyes now on the floor.
"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to hurt you." He said keeping his eyes off her.
He felt her hoof push his chin up making him look at her as she had a smile on her face "Ya weren't ya self." Matt saw her smiled fade "I-It was mah fault ya turned into a vampire."
"No, It's not your fault, you didn't make me looked at Fluttershy."
"But Ah made Fluttershy do something she didn't want ta do... So ya turnin' into a vampire was all my fault." That's when he notices a tear.
He placed a hoof onto her cheek "It's both our faults, but now we can look pass this and move on." He wiped away the rogue tear from her eye as he kissed her cheek "I about left."
Her eyes went wide as she looked at him in shock "Before you freak out on me, I had a reason and it was a stupid reason, Luna made me come to my senses and brought me back here, by making me come to my senses she punched me in the face then used her magic to slam me into a wall."
She just blinked "And if you wish to hurt me, I'll understand." He said as he closed his eyes and turned his head to allow her to punch him in the cheek.
What came next surprised him as he felt a pair of lips touch his "If Luna has already knocked ya around, Ah might as well treat ya with kindness." She said as he looked at her "So, Am Ah gonna turn into a vampire pony?"
"No, Luna and Twilight managed to keep me from turning you and they doubled check and made sure you wouldn't turn." He said.
"Ah love you."
"And I love you, My Apple." He said pulling her into a kiss
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Matt finished placing the last board into place as he looked at the fence.
"Alright, all done." He said as he looked at his handy work "Well, the fence is done and the bats have a new home." He yawned as he notices the sun going down "Let's get these things back to the barn, and get a nice warm shower." He sighed as he knew he would be sleeping on the couch tonight.
After everything that had happened he had to spend the night on the couch and not next to Applejack.
Well, at least he wasn't trying to suck any ponies' blood so he took it as a good sign.
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Big Mac was glad to be back home after his long trip as he placed the bags onto the ground.
"Big Mac, We need ta talk." Applejack said coming out of the kitchen.
Big Mac notices the bandage around her neck "What happened while we were gone?" He asked walking over towards his sister.
One Long Story later.
Big Mac blinked "And ya sure ya not one?" He asked.
"Twilight say's I'll be fine." She said as she tried to make her brother feel better "But Ah want ta talk about Matthew."
"Ya tired of him livn' here?" He said hoping for this to be true but it was crushed as she glared at him "Then what do ya need ta talk about him?"
"Ah want him ta sleep in my room from now on." She said standing her ground as she knew she just release the anger within her brother.
"Funny, he'll remain on this couch." He said standing.
"We've shared the same bed when Ah was in his world, and when ya'll are asleep Ah sneeks down here just to be with him." She said knowing she's angering him more "Matt is a good guy, He would never try anythin' with me, he's never once made me do somethin' Ah didn't want ta do."
"Where is he?" He said calmly.
"He's out right now, he'll be back soon." She said "And ya gonna calm down before he returns."
"Ya will stay in ya room and he'll remain on the couch." He said "And Ah'll make sure of that."
He turned away as he made his way towards the stairs "He told me about how he read ta ya when you were just a colt and how he helped ya fight the nightmares."
Big Mac turned and looked at her as he was surprised she knew about that "He also told me about the play, and how they made ya the tree. He respects ya more then you know it, When Ah asked him ta come sleep in my room he told me he didn't wish to make you angry, but Ah made him." She said "Ah know he's brought a war with him but at least he's keepin' us alive, he's fightin' for all of us and he doesn't have too, all Ah ask is for him to stay in my room, that's all Ah ask for."
He let her words sink in as he thought long and hard "Fine, but Ah want ya door unlocked at all times."
Applejack smiled "Ya have a deal."
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Matt eyes were heavy as he walked down the path just as the moon was beginning to rise into the sky.
"Why I had to go and get milk when we have two cows on the farm is a mystery." He thought as he notices Big Mac standing outside as his face was emotionless "H-He found out I slept in Applejack's room while they were gone." He gulped "Well, guess I'll be seeing Yellow and Blossom again."
Big Mac stood as he meet Matt "Ah need ta talk with you."
"Yup, he knows... Well, Mom Dad, Hope you have room up there for me." He gulped "W-What about?" He hoped he would be able to get out of this.
"Ah know about ya and Applejack sharing a bed, and ya will follow my rules." He said making Matt thank the heavens for spearing his life "Ya will leave the door unlocked, and ya will keep dirty thoughts out of that head of yours."
"Trust me; they have been locked in the vault since I met her." He said tapping at his head "Is that it?"
"And ya will keep those stories about what we did between me and you from now on, got it."
"G-Got it."
"Good, now, Applejack is inside waitin' for ya." He said moving out of Matt's way.
"Thanks Big Mac." He said walking pass him.
"Ah'll ease up on him... After all, he's done so much for us, and for me." He turned back to look down the path as he had a faint smile on his face.
Matt had his wings wrapped around Applejack as she slept in his hoofs.
He was glad he was able to be in the same bed as Applejack. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep as his dreams were filled with love.
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To Be Continued.