Warmth.... a deep kind warmth not felt for years, though years felt so short a time frame to go by. Mathias had felt this before once, or twice, but what confused him more was the lack of a burning sensation. Lately when he felt this warmth it would soon become a burning holy flame consuming him. Now however, the old vampire opens his eyes... and found himself gazing at the sunrise. He could not honestly remember the last time he had watched such a sight, shifting his exhausted bones on a half broken throne room. But there it was.... sky a brilliant orange red, like a large flame leading the simple ball of fire into the sky.
"My lord.. you have awoken."
The voice drew his attention away from the sight, as a strange dose of reality struck him. A cloaked figure, rob flowing below where legs could have been, albeit out of view at the moment. The Grim reaper, Death Glided over, flanked by his two loyal minions. Gaibon and Slogra, one a strange sort of dinosaur holding a spear, the other a blue dragon like demon flapping wings that looked far too large for his body.
"Strange is it not.. for us to gaze at the sun. I had forgotten its warmth." Mathias... no... Dracula... that was his name now. "Are we truly perished? Has some twist in fate landed us in paradise?"
Death laughs, the sound of his rattling bones echoing in the mostly empty throne room. "No... we still exist my lord, as for why we are unaffected by the sun. No answer has been found yet. Though countless members of our staff are studying the phenomenon."
Dracula nods as he slowly forces himself up from his throne. "The last thing I remember... was the belmont.. Julius if I remember right, defeating me, in an attempt to seal away my castle. I remember a feeling of separation... and then darkness." the vampire rubs his fore head. "And now.. here.. I am in my home and the sun does not burn me." Crimson eyes blink as the sun's light took its tole on his gaze, forcing the nocturnal man to step away. "What has happened?"
"While our forces have been predominately focused on the repairs to your castle Master. A few scouts have come to report that well... this place is not exactly our home. Peeping eyes and some of our flying scouts report that the near by town lacks humanity entirely, instead populated by equines. This forest is also populated with a great many beasts, some of whom match our own denizens but others which are different all together."
The pair of immortals turn away from the throne room, and began the walk down Steps many heroes had ran up. Even though they lead to his room the sight of his walk way made the Vampire nostalgic for older days. An unbidden memory of his son Alucard tripping on the steps came to his mind only to then be replaced by the expression of that same being only older and coming to fight. "the touch of the sun seems to have affected my mind. Memories I had not thought of in ages now come to me. Take my mind away from them old friend, and tell me of the beings of the forest."
Death gave a skeletal smile as he waved his assistants away. "Slogra, Gaibon, bring teams to repair the throne room. I shall call you when I need you." The pair nod and run back up the stairs barking orders. The Doors at the bottom of the steps open as the two watch countless skeletons and other creatures run about. "Cockatrice and manticores are two of the beings we have run across. Scouts have hear rumors of a hydra as well as a sea serpent. We have also found two beings that are most unusual. One being a sort of bipedal canine that feeds off rocks and gems, the other being a sort of wolf only made out of trees."
"You say they heard of rumors, this means the equine beings are capable of speech? Is it possible that the sun we see today is not the sun we saw in the past? Tell me Death, are we on another planet?" A smirk runs across his face before the elder vampire laughs. "The fact I even ask a question as strange as that boggles my mind old friend."
"That is the common theory to be honest mi-lord." The grim reaper replies with a nod. "Scientists have a strange theory that, perhaps when the heroes went to seal us in the moon... part of us well.. missed the target and we struck another place. Another theory is that while we landed on the moon, we were sent to another plane of existence, with its own similar moon, and arrived here as we normally would."
"Dimensional travel sounds the more likely. The forest and land is alien yet feels familiar at the same time. How much of this world has been explored?"
Death shrugs and shakes his head. "Some scouts have never returned... as for if they perished or are simply exploring, we simply don't know. This forest seems to be named Everfree and is considered a great danger by most of the villagers that we have heard from. The primary concern as I said before.. was the repair of our home."
"I concur Reaper, that is the primary concern for our forces. I shall leave you now to your work, I am going to over see the rest of my castle." Dracula folds his arms, hearing the sound of Death bowing and teleporting away. Suits of living armor stepped aside as the vampire explored his home, waiting for answers about their new domain.
-Canterlot-
"To think such a thing as time magic was even possible." Celestia rose her head as she watched the princess of the moon stalk around the main hall. "And that a mere unicorn would have the power to cast such a thing. How did Starswirl keep such a thing secret from you?"
Celestia shakes her head in response, but as it went unnoticed by the pacing sister of the night, the solar princess let out a sigh. "I do not know Luna. I heard he was working on something but to think he succeeded. The many futures Twilight spoke of are far more concern to me. To think those things still possible even if her friends had never bonded with her."
"The many futures to bring questions to mind.. such as how I was defeated by them, or how I was redeemed without the elements of harmony." Luna taps her hoof to her chin and shakes her head again. "Still I find myself wondering if Starswirl did not perish, but rather, went some place else. Perhaps maybe 'is' being someone else."
"The possibilities are endless Luna, though we cannot afford the time or luxury to consider all of them. Speaking of things to consider, did you ever find out what that glow in your moon had been from a few weeks ago?" Celestia asks, walking off of her throne to rest a hoof on her stressing sisters back. The resulting sigh spoke volumes to the sun goddess. With Twilight and her friends exploring the world to solve problems, and with things like time spells and vanishing wizards, the pair of alicorns had plenty to worry about. Celestia could not help but miss the reports from her student. If for nothing else than to at least hear she was alright.
"No.. I found nothing wrong with my moon... nor could I find out what cause any of that strange light. I can sense some sort of darkness growing some place... but I am not sure if its in my imagination, or if it was real at all." The moon princess let out another sigh as she and her sister sat together looking at the sun as it rose higher in the sky. "Something nags at me about it though... and I doubt ill get a good sleep until I figure it out."
"You should try and rest anyway dear sister. I will look into my records again to see if there is any mention of something that I missed." Luna looked up at her and nods her head, a yawn capitalizes the moment as the princess of the night slowly left the main room. A contingent of Night Guards, who looked about ready to fall over, lazily joined their princess as the group rounds the corner and out of sight.
The Solar princess stood still for a moment before going to the balcony. A sigh escapes her lips, as she gazed out towards Ponyville, the home of her student and those who had once bore the elements of harmony. Princess Twilight Sparkle, the name still brought joy to the sun princesses face, but she could not deny the longing for older days that still had an echo in her heart. A squeak brings her back to reality as she watches a bat flap away from above. Celestia tilts her head, confused for a moment at the strange sight of a nocturnal being flying towards the sun... towards Ponyville in fact. A spark of paranoid fear threatened to overtake the solar princess, but was quashed in rationality. "Haha chasing a bat... she would certainly not believe such a silly thing."