//------------------------------//
// The Monster's Lair 
// Story: Creature of the Night: Episode One-The Night Guardian 
// by CreatureofTheNight 
//------------------------------//

Creature sighed with relief as he landed at the main entrance to his castle. He leaned back, saying to himself quietly "That was way too close, Pure." He glanced down at the castle entrance. Set in the cold earth of the castle's courtyard were two graves next to each other. One gravestone was covered in moss and a bit cracked up, but it was marked "Shadow Star".  Creature's top lip furled under his nose in his distaste. He turned his attention to the other stone, which was actually in fairly good condition. Creature smiled at the sight of the fresh roses planted next to it, almost like a barricade preventing the other grave from touching it. The stone simply said "Purity Heart - Even brilliant lights will fail to burn".

Creature gave one last look around, and then dropped down next to the stone and slowly smiled. "Pure, hey. I was talking with Zecora again." The grave, of course, made no reply, but Creature groaned. "Will you relax?" he chuckled, "You know you're the only special somepony I will ever have." He laughed and said "I've been thinking about you a lot, there's a pony out there that reminds me of you. I like to think that you are guiding this one, helping her accomplish her dreams, becoming a Princess... which was your dream." On the grave there was a slight gleam as the sunlight reflected briefly off a diamond encrusted horn ring that had been carefully balanced on the curved top of the stone. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you fulfill that dream. I know technically I wasn't royalty anymore but I was a prince... just of a clan of killers." He turned and glared at the Shadow Star grave. "I have you to thank for that."

He shook his head and addressed Pure's headstone once more. "I'm doing okay Pure. I really am. Zecora keeps telling me that I should start being more public, you know? That I should see ponies again. I heard that Celestia and Luna are still alive, heck, Luna's looking stronger everyday. Wonder if 'Tia's still got that flowing pink mane from back in the day. I heard it's all rainbow now, but that's something I need to see some time. I should visit Canterlot one day." 

He paused, his ears twitching slightly as he heard a sudden roar, apparently coming from the forest. "Hmm... odd" He turned, looking Eastwards, and said quietly "That Hydra shouldn't be in the Everfree this late, it should be in Froggy Bottom Bog for its resting period. That could be a problem, Pure, I should go deal with it, shouldn't I?" 

He turned but had to stop when he heard another voice in the shadows. "I think I see him!" He heard a voice say. He knew that voice, it was the pegasus with the rainbow mane he had seen at Zecora's. Immediately he turned and leaped away from the six shadows approaching him. From his hiding place in the gatehouse parapets, he saw the six approaching the graves. The castle had been further away than it looked, and it was already dusk by the time they arrived. One of them, a white unicorn with a purple mane, approached Purity Heart's stone. Creature struggled to remember her name from his talks with Zecora. Rarity? Something like that.

"Purity Heart, Even Brilliant Lights Will Fail to Burn" Rarity read aloud, then gasped, seeing the ring. "My goodness! I've never seen a ring this gorgeous before." She levitated it towards her to get a closer look. Creature gripped the wall of the parapets he was on and looked down, anxiously. "Hold on, there's some writing in it..." Rarity paused and said "I can't head or tail of it, I'm afraid. Twilight, darling, do you think could you give me a hand?" 

Twilight took the ring from Rarity and peered at the inscription. She was amazed to find that it was ancient Equestrian writing - a form which had not been used since Celestia and Luna were little. "To my beloved Purity, I know I am not much, but I will always love you - Dueling." Twilight looked puzzled. "Dueling?" she mused, passing the ring back to Rarity. 

"Dueling?" scoffed Rarity, "What kind of pony has a dreadful name like that?" and then shrugged, putting the ring down near the grave - but not back in its proper place. 

Creature flinched at those words. Twilight looked around and said "All right, split and search for him. I'm tired of this pony hiding from us." A hint of fanaticism began to creep into her voice. "I need answers from him, and he keeps refusing to talk." Her friends looked on, perturbed, as she started to grit her teeth and her eyes began to widen frighteningly. Applejack tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Calm down, sugar-cube. We're gonna find the guy, we promise," The country girl smiled, turning and looking around. "This place ain't very big, so it shouldn't take us long to search." 

Twilight realized that she had been starting to lose control. She shook her head to clear it, then breathed deeply, stretching each breath out as long as possible. Once she felt calmer, she said quietly to her friends "Okay, we can cover this castle in no time if we split up, but if anypony spots him, get him into the courtyard so every one of us can be here to catch him. Believe me, it won't be easy."

Creature clung onto one of the castle's crumbling gargoyles watching the ponies cross the central courtyard of the castle, then split up to cover more ground. Twilight, he noticed, remained in the courtyard to search for him. 

Twilight looked up and down, scanning the castle's dark interior walls. It was night, now - the moon had was just poking over the castle parapets, casting at least some light over the ivy-covered interior walls. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her. Glancing up at the smooth wall, though, she saw nothing but a hideous old gargoyle leering down at her from above... unless... two thin red slits could be glimpsed in the shadows above it. The Creature was watching her. Panicking, she illuminated her horn, ready to cast every defensive spell in her arsenal. Creature ignored her and slowly, almost lazily, spread his wings and glided down, moving no muscle unless he had to, keeping his torso as rigid as a statue. He bent his head down and undid his face mask, causing Twilight to gasp in horror instinctively raise a hoof to protect her neck, flinching at the very sight of what was in Creature's mouth. He picked up the ring and placed it back on the tombstone whispering something that Twilight didn't hear: partly due to his quietness, partly because she was scared stiff by what she saw. An eerie wind blew as Creature turned to her, replacing his face mask so it covered his mouth, though even he knew it was pointless due to Twilight's now increasingly fearful reaction. Twilight shouted "Girls! Girls! Hurry! He's been with us the whole time! Hurry! Don't leave me alone with him!" The fear in her voice was obvious; her expression was like a frightened rabbit's.

Creature's ears twitched as the sounds of hooves and wings filled the area. He looked about and then slowly walked towards Twilight, who once again lit up her horn to defend herself. Creature however, walked past her and then looked out at the Hydra in the distance that was getting increasingly close to the castle, attracted by all the noise that was going on in the dark lair. Creature turned his head and said to Twilight "You and your friends need to leave, you are in a place you don't belong and there is a monster on its way." 

Twilight glared at Creature and snarled arrogantly "It's already here." She closed her eyes as she realized that Creature had fixed her in one of his gazes, not wanting to fall under his mental spell again. However, she opened them quickly when she heard the voices of her friends. A warm glow filled her body as she opened them, each of the others arriving one at a time. "I know what you are. I didn't want to believe it, but from your powers, the creepy castle, the fluffy ears, the red eyes and..." Her eyes narrowed; "Those fangs under your face mask."

She uttered the one word that made her friends' blood run cold, for they knew one thing. Twilight was not the kind of pony who tells a lie, especially not about anything so important. One word, that made their heads spin. One word that made the night air blow with a stinging bitter cold that wrapped around all of their bodies. One word, that explained everything, yet left questions unanswered. One word outweighing all others at this very moment.

"Vampire"