Four Dragon Brothers

by Princess OtakuGeek

inFAMOUS Dragons part two

It had started out as pain so intense that I passed out. When I woke up, I found myself falling through a dark tunnel. Cue screaming and flailing as I attempted to halt my descent. Yet no matter where I reached, I couldn't find anything to grab. Panic began to seep in as it looked like I was going to be falling forever.

Suddenly a light shone from below me which could only mean one thing. I was nearing the end of this tunnel. I braced myself for landing and found myself dropped onto a bed. It was a very soft bed, quite luxurious actually and I took a moment to just lay there and gather myself, trying to put together the pieces and figure out what happened.

Eventually, I decided to lift my head and froze at my audience. Of the three beings before me, only one was human. The other two however were horses. The tallest was white with a long flowing rainbow colored mane but even more shocking was the presence of wings and a horn like some sort of winged unicorn.

The other had wings and a horn as well but she was dark blue with a flowing mane that resembled the night sky. I'm not sure how long I sat there frozen, but the third person, a human with blue eyes and messy blonde hair, bouncing forward snapped me out of my stupor. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked a lot like Zeno from Akatsuki no Yona.

“Hey there!” He greeted cheerfully. “I'm Zeno!”

............cue fainting.

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Delsin’s POV)

Ponies stared at us as we made our way down the street. Some took one look at us then turned their noses up. Those must've been the nobles or something like that. Of course we ignored them all and continued on our way.

“I feel like those nobles are gonna be trouble later,” I say out of randomness.

“Just ignore them.” Twilight said. “I've lived here my entire life and they always act like that. Especially to foreign creatures.”

“Doesn’t mean that they won’t be trouble,” I countered. I did a brief radar pulse to check the area and I sensed… “Dusk, when will you learn to not hide?”

The cybernetic alicorn stepped out of an alley in our path. “When I learn to hide my bioelectric signature,” she answered.

Twilight eyes bulged and her jaw dropped. She'd only needed one second to recognize the alicorn.

“Is that me?” She whispered.

“I heard that!” Dusk snapped, her robotic wings opening and her horn and griffin-clawed forelegs sparked with electricity. “And no, I’m not you, I’m me!”

Twilight flinched back. “I um...” She stuttered.

“You’re lucky I’m just checking up on Delsin, otherwise you would have gotten to know the taste of a few thousand volts of electricity.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, there's no need to get testy.” Jea-ha jumped in, placing himself between the two individuals. “She didn't mean any harm in it so there's no reason to attack her.”

“Though if you did, I will stop you.” Kija added, holding out his dragon claw. “I don't know Twilight very well yet, but I won't have you attacking her.”

“I’m just trying to get it through her &%$#@#&...” I stopped her ranting with a smoke shot to her face. I then rushed forward and disconnected her cybernetic arms from their bases and absorbed the electricity from them.

“Will you just GET OVER IT!?” I shouted at her. I then spoke more quietly, “Tell Tia that you need to ingest some soap. Okay?” She nodded and static teleported herself and her disembodied limbs to the end of the alley, where she opened a portal and vanished.

Rarity blinked. “Well that was certainly random.” She said. “I thought for sure she was going to stick around until you left.”

“I barely see her anyway unless either her or I need to. I look too much like…” I paused, not wanting to remind the group of the deaths of most of the Mane Six in an alternate universe.

“I have a question,” Kija spoke up in the ensuing silence. “What about your Twilight? We get that that's the Twilight from Nisled's version of Equestria, but what about your’s?”

“Just like Twilight here,” I said, gesturing to her. “Just take away the wings, and a few years, then add electricity.”

A look of relief followed by curiosity crossed the alicorn's face. “Interesting.” She murmured to herself. Rarity rolled her eyes then nudged her friend.

“Yes yes, I'm sure it's all very interesting but don’t we have somewhere to be?” The unicorn prompted.

“Ah yes, Ouryuu right?” Twilight gasped and glanced at Kija to make sure she got it right. The Hakuryu nodded.

“Yes, though technically Ouryuu is his title not his name.”

“It's not, then what is his name?” Rarity asked.

“His name is Zeno.” Jea-ha answered.

✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Kija POV)

From a distance, the castle was amazing. Up close it was awe inspiring and I couldn't help but gape at the grandeur of it all.

“If you keep you're mouth open like that, you're going to catch flies.” Jea-ha teased. I snapped my jaw shut and shuddered. Another trait Kija and I shared, our intense dislike of bugs and other insects.

“That’d be a sight to see,” Delsin joked.

“No it would not!” I burst out. “Bugs are slimy, creepy and disgusting.” I shuddered again at the thought of flies in my mouth.

“Oh no, there's a bug on your back!” Jea-ha said as a sensation of something small traveled up my back. Needless to say, I flipped out trying to get the insect off of me. When I heard laughter behind me, I put two and two together and frowned.

“That wasn't funny.” I grumbled.

“Wait until you meet a friend’s Screwball,” Delsin said. “She has a Bug-type Pokemon, a Burmy if I recall correctly.”

I paled and let out a small whimper at the thought. Sure I was okay-ish with bug Pokémon, in a game. But in real life, the thought of it almost made me faint. I don't know how long I stood there unresponsive before a snap from Jea-ha brought me back to reality.

“I think you hate bugs more than me.”

I shuddered once again. “I've never really like bugs to begin with.” I sighed. “Matter of fact, it was more along the lines of a phobia though not exactly. Now I think it maybe worse, I don't usually shudder when... invertebrates are mentioned.”

“Maybe that's because you're Kija now.” Jea-ha mused. “Remember he had a strong dislike for bugs too so maybe your fears have been doubled. Hey Delsin, is it possible for a Displaced to pick up personality traits of the character they dressed as?”

“In some cases, yes, but there are exceptions,” he explained. “I met two Displaced that were dressed as Sora and Vanitas, but their personalities are WAY different than the real deal. Sora can get extremely enraged while Vanitas isn’t a bad guy.”

“Huh interesting. So I guess that's a yes.” Jea-ha said cheerfully and I shot a glare at him.

“I'm not sure how you can see that this is a good thing.” I grumbled. It's not fun to have a phobia. Especially when it's a phobia of something common.

“Oh cheer up Kija, maybe it'll get better.” Jea-ha said as he patted me on the shoulder. “Maybe not go away, but it could decrease in intensity. And remember Kija's fear of insects wasn't his only personality trait.”

“What traits are those?” Delsin asked.

“Kija has a very headstrong, straightforward and polite personality.” Jea-ha said. “There is some naivety because of how he was raised and he has pride in his role as Hakuryu. He can also be competitive because he works very hard to impress and can become flustered and a little jealous when others outshine him but never to an unhealthy degree from what I've seen and because of his want to be helpful, he's very loyal and willing to fight and take orders without hesitation. He also likes being praised and can become shy and withdrawn when he is. You know, blushing and all that.”

“That sounds...complicated.”

Jea-ha shrugged. “Maybe a little, but I think it makes him cute.” Jea-ha said.

“And what about your own character?” I huffed in annoyance.

“I'll admit I'm a little curious about that as well.” Rarity chipped in.

“Me too.” Twilight piped up. “Think it would be very useful for us to know what to expect from you.”

“I am the beautiful Ryokuryu, capable of soaring through the air and capturing your hearts.” Jea-ha answered, somehow making himself look anime sparkly. I rolled my eyes.

“Jea-ha is a vain, confident, persistent, observant man who takes pride in his looks and enjoys the beautiful things in life. He often chases after something he believes to be beautiful and outwardly display his masochistic nature.” I stated bluntly, causing him to freeze. “He places a lot of value on freedom and as a lover of beauty, tends to pursue women. He's got a playboy attitude and has a tendency to flirt with every single female he interacts. In such relationships, he dislikes being chased, preferring to be the chaser but it has been said that his ideal type of woman is a strong-headed woman who is not scared of anything. And he often uses his observations to tease the other members of the group.”

The two mares were silent. “I...see.” Twilight said slowly then turned to Delsin. “And what about you?”

“Delsin...not me, but the original...has two differing personalities,” he told them. “He can either be a selfless, merciful person with a bit of a rebellious streak, or a selfish, reckless person that just doesn’t care.”

Jea-ha hummed in thought. “Is that why Nisled's name is basically your name spelled backwards?”

“Yep, that’s why.”

Twilight jotted down a few notes. Then turned back to Delsin. “And how well does your personality line up with the Delsin Rowe character?”

Before Delsin could answer however, Rarity jumped in. “Um Twilight darling, not to say that this isn't a fascinating subject, don't you think it would be better to have this conversation somewhere else besides the princesses doorstep?”

Twilight blinked, looked around then blushed. “Oh, right. Should probably shelve this for later.” She said as she trotted up to the door. The guards gave her a once over then turned their gaze up to the others then nodded.

“We've been expecting you.” He said and Twilight looked at him in confusion.

“Expecting us? How? I wasn't able to send a letter ahead of time, how could she have known we were coming?” She exclaimed which was true, when we figured out that we had to come to Canterlot, the next train was leaving in a few minutes and Spike was still at the castle. Basically, we had to run to purchase our tickets and catch the train.

“All I know is what we were told, that we would be getting some strange visitors that looked like that,” at this point, he pointed to Delsin, Jea-ha and myself, “and that we were to let them in.”

Everyone blinked silently. Then Delsin decided to break the silence. “I’m going to hazard a guess that Zeno is behind the fact that we were expected.”

Jea-ha and I nodded. “I think that's a safe bet myself.” I said.

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Zeno POV)

I was practically bouncing on the heels of my feet as the presences of Hakuryu and Ryokuryu drew closer and closer. I was a little sad when Seiryuu’s presence stayed in Ponyville, but he must've had a reason for staying. While it meant that our reunion wouldn't be complete, I decided that I wasn't going to let it get me down. It had been far too long since I'd seen the other dragons and I wasn't going to let it ruin our reunion.

Besides, Yoon was here too! The young boy was still passed out in Tia's bedroom, but still we had Yoon! I'd briefly wondered if Yona or Hak would show up, but I decided against it. Didn't really make sense given their roles in the anime and manga. But moving on, Hakuryu and Ryokuryu had arrived and the moment the door had been opened, I rushed forward and threw myself at the first presence I could. Which turned out to be Hakuryu.

“Hakuryu!” I cried as I threw myself into his arms. Kija stumbled at the sudden jump, but kept his footing.

“Zeno!” He gasped out in surprise. I looked up at him with a grin.

“Zeno missed you all! Where have you been?” I asked.

“Um, I'm not sure.” Kija answered. At this point, a strong hand dropped onto my head and I looked up towards the owner of the hand, Ryokuryu who playfully tousled my hair.

“Nice to see you too you little scamp. Where'd you run off to?” He asked.

“Here there and everywhere.” I answered with a grin. At this point, I'd taken in the rest of group and paused in curiosity at the sight of yet another human.

“Another human, where'd you come from and what's your name?” I asked.

“Add Vampiric blood and that's me. My name is Delsin Rowe, the Equestrian Eagle. I was summoned here by Kija,” He said to me.

“Summoned?” Lulu asked as she and Tia came up. “How? And from where?”

He pulled out a red and blue feather and continued. “This feather was the summoning medium and I'm from an alternate version of this world.”

I looked at the feather with curiosity and amazement. “Tell me more.” I asked.

“Let's talk in a more private setting,” he said, drinking something from a small canteen.

✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Delsin POV)

After we were led to the gardens and the guards and servants were dismissed, I began to explain about how I was there and the concept of the Multiverse. It was after my second or third drink from my canteen that Zeno questioned me about it.

“So what's that?” He asked as he pointed to my canteen. “Is it good? Could I try?”

“Are you a vampire?” I countered.

“Nope!” He said cheerfully.

“Then I don't recommend drinking this. It's a mixture of apple juice and manticore blood.”

Twilight and Rarity looked a little uneasy when I explained my drink, but Celestia and Luna remained strong to my curiosity.

“So why are you drinking it?” Zeno asked.

“Because I'm a vampire and I would rather not get in trouble for sinking my fangs into somepony’s neck,” I said rather bluntly.

Zeno looked at me sagely and nodded. “I suppose that means that vampires where you come from are different from the vampires here.”

“That, and I'm different from those vampires.”

“Wait, there are vampires here in this dimension?!” Twilight demanded.

“Of course there are!” Zeno burst out while Celestia and Luna nodded.

“Indeed. We ourselves have had many interactions with them.” Luna confirmed.

Twilight took that in and with a flash of her horn, a scroll and quill hovered in her magic. “What are they like.”

Zeno shrugged. “Like any normal pony but with some differences.” He answered.

“Is one of those differences a dislike for being in direct sunlight?” I asked.

“Yeah, kinda. But they don't burn to ash in sunlight.” Zeno explained casually as he crossed his legs. “It just weakens them and if they're out in the sun for extended periods of time, they start to feel ill. Like how you would feel if you had a bad cold.”

“Much like how I feel when in the sun...except, it feels too warm, too bright, and I get itchy.”

Twilight was writing her notes down furiously then turned to Zeno. “Can they turn ponies with a bite as well?” She asked.

“Yes, but they don't do it very often. They have other ways of maintaining their population.” Zeno replied.

“What other ways?” Twilight asked on the edge of her seat.

“Do I really need to explain the birds and the bees?” Zeno responded.

Twilight blushed a bright red at that.

“I guess that vampires here are just a pony subspecies, like the Crystal ponies,” I said.

“I suppose so, but they still prefer to stay hidden.” Zeno said in a somewhat serious tone.

“Why, for whatever reason darling?” Rarity asked. “They sound like perfectly civil ponies, I don't exactly see the problem.”

“Rarity, if you didn't know what you know now, what would your first thought be if you heard the word vampire?” Zeno countered. The unicorn paused to give the matter some thought before giving her answer.

“If I had heard the word vampire, I would likely think of a terrifying monster that would feast upon my blood.” She said honestly though her ears dropped as she saw the problem.

“Exactly.” Zeno said with a nod. “This thought and image is something that has been ingrained in ponies, but through no fault of their own. Furthermore, ponies in general tend to be xenophobic which makes it doubly hard. Some ponies even make it their mission in life to destroy monsters like vampires and they've even taken it to cult levels of insanity. All too often, vampires have been killed by such ponies. That's why they prefer to keep to the shadows.”

“That bad?” Zeno nodded to my question. “Huh, I just hope they are as disorganized as mobs and not like the Dawnguard in Skyrim.”

“One can hope.” Was all Zeno had to say on the matter. Twilight then cleared her throat so she could get Zeno's attention.

“So um, what do vampires....eat?” She asked hesitantly, the question clearly making her uncomfortable.

“Primarily meat.” Was the answer. “They can eat fruits and vegetables, but that's only to blend in amongst ponies. They get all their nutrients from meat and blood.”

Twilight looked like she was going to gag and Rarity seemed to be holding down her lunch.

“Don’t get so gaggy about it,” I told them. “It's part of their biology, and no amount of gagging can change it.”

“But it's meat.” Twilight protested. “You're basically eating the flesh of another living being. Doesn't that bother you?”

“Nope!” Zeno said.

I facepalmed at Zeno's answer. “Adding to what he said, if it is sapient, it's not on the menu. To be honest, I prefer fish to any other meat.”

“Which is a shame because I miss roast beef and hamburgers.” Zeno moaned. “But at least bacon and pork are still okay to eat.”

Twilight and Rarity looked at him in confusion. “Hamburger and roast beef, what's that mean?” The alicorn asked.

“Back on Earth, cows aren't sapient and hamburgers and roast beef are two different ways to serve it,” I explained.

Twilight and Rarity once again looked ill and it was at this point that Jea-ha stepped into the conversation.

“Perhaps a change of subject would be appreciated.” He said and the two ponies only nodded. “I'm actually rather curious as to how vampires in this world gained their reputation.”

“In my world, their reputation came from a vampire named Bloody Marey. I had a brief tangle with her that made me a vampire.” I sighed in relief. “Good thing she's dead now.”

“Here in this world, it's a bit different.” Zeno said as he leaned back. “So get comfortable kiddies cause it's story time. See vampires aren't a 'naturally’ created species. They were engineered to be the perfect soldier by this guy named Grogar. See this guy was pretty power hungry and so using a combination of black magic and necromancy he created the first vampires. They were fast, strong, pretty much invulnerable and even if they got hurt, they could heal themselves even regenerating lost limbs. And they could maintain themselves with the blood and flesh of their enemies and make more with a bite.”

“That sounds stronger than my Vampirism. What else?”

“Vampires here can exude an aura that makes others ignore them somewhat like a perception filter, but only at night and on the other end of the spectrum they can invoke terror and if you look them in the eye when they do that, you're paralyzed.” Zeno answered. “Also, during Grogar's time he commanded his army through a psychic link that still lingers somewhat to this day. If they aren't focusing, vampires within range can read their surface thoughts. They also have excellent hearing and smell like dogs but much more powerful. Now brace yourselves because I'm about to get technical in order for you to understand what happened.”

“Historic moments?” I questioned.

“More or less. Now when I say necromancy, you have to understand that there are two types of necromancers.” Zeno lifted two finger. “True necromancers and false necromancers. True necromancers are necromancers who don't just cast spells to raise and summon the dead, they have permission from Death him\herself to perform these spells. False necromancers don't. And Death doesn't give permission to just anypony. Only the more responsible and respectful ponies get such permission. Generally speaking, false necromancers use the spells for selfish purposes. And as a result, necromancers tend to get a bad reputation.”

“You speak as if you've met some.”

“I have.” Zeno confirmed with a nod. “They're actually nice and pretty cool. Anyways, the reason why Death's permission is important is because it makes the spells easier. In particular, soul summoning. When a true necromancer summons a soul, it comes pretty easily. When a false necromancer summons a soul, things don't go as smoothly. It would be like dragging a cookie through a tube with nails pointing in the opposite direction. The cookie is going to get torn and scratched and you're going to lose bits and pieces or even the whole cookie.”

“So, I'm guessing that this Grogar is...was...a false necromancer and his creations turned against him,” I commented. “If he was a true necromancer, then such super soldiers would have been able to have been created.”

“Pretty much. They're called zombies.” Zeno answered.

I was a little confused. “Wait, zombies and vampires are the same here?”

“Zombies made by a true necromancer are no different from a normal pony with the exception of how they can't be killed. You could chop them to pieces and they'll still be able to carry on a conversation.” Zeno explained. “Zombies made by false necromancers however look more like the traditional image. You know, rotting flesh, limited intelligence and communication, easily killed, ecetera. With the exception of transferring with a bite. The reason for this is the soul. When the soul is undamaged and whole, then the body can be maintained and they can communicate like usual. When it's torn, damaged and missing pieces however, the body thinks it's still dead and begins rotting.”

“Anyway, back on the topic of vampires.”

“Grogar found a loophole.” Zeno said plainly. “He somehow tapped into the Aether, basically the magic of the world, and used that to summon souls. And with a little modification from black magic, he created his perfect army. It wasn't until a few vampires broke from his control that he was overthrown. Now the way necromancy works is that when the necromancer dies, the souls under his command return to the afterlife however that wasn't the case. Turns out that the magic he used in the creation of his soldiers was creation magic.”

“So, he created vampires and because of their creator, they are shunned?” I asked.

“I'd say feared, but yeah. More or less.” Zeno nodded. “Creation magic is pretty potent stuff you know. Anyways, I wouldn't talk about that amongst vampires here it's a kinda touchy subject. Because of their extended life spans, some of the original vampires are around and that particular time period is traumatic.”

“Yikes, and I thought I had it bad,” I said, taking another drink of my canteen.

“Yep!” And like that, cheerful Zeno was back. “So, who's hungry? I know I am!”

“I'll go with a salad,” I answered. I then looked at Twilight and Rarity. “Unless they want to experience being a vampire first hand,” I said jokingly.

Rarity and Twilight inched away from me and Zeno burst out laughing.

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Jea-ha POV)

A short while later, we were enjoying lunch out in the gardens. Surprising or not surprisingly enough, meat was provided by the Royal Sisters. At first Twilight and Rarity were uncomfortable, but eventually they relaxed and began to enjoy their meal as well. Soon enough I decided to break the comfortable silence to ask the question that had been nagging at me.

“So Zeno, how exactly do you know Celestia and Luna?” I asked casually.

“Actually, I have a theory,” Delsin said. “Since Zeno is immortal, he was Displaced closer to the beginning of time on this world, where he waited for who-knows how long for you guys.”

Zeno hummed. “Pretty close. As for my relationship with these two, I pretty much raised Tia and Lulu.”

Twilight spit out her drink. “What!?”

Zeno grinned and slung one arm around Celestia and the other around Luna. “Yep! Found these two when they were fillies and took them in. And they were both so darned adorable!” He said with delight as he ruffled their manes.

“Zeno!” Luna protested in a tone almost like a whine while Celestia just straightened her mane. Everyone at the table just stared until the silence was broken once again. This time by Kija.

“Tia and Lulu?” He asked curiously and the ponies looked at him in horror like he'd just said something incredibly rude. Zeno just shrugged.

“That's what I call them. Their full names are too much of a mouthful.” The blonde said casually and the ponies looked like they might faint.

Delsin chuckled. “I think you broke their concept of reality.”

Celestia smiled while Zeno and Luna giggled at their expense and even I snorted. The only one who didn't join in the laughter was Kija, who was wearing an expression of confusion.

“Celestia and Luna don't seem like very long names.” He finally said. “I don't see how they could be a mouthful.”

“That's because Celestia and Luna aren't our full names.” The Solar Diarch said. “Rather they are shortenings of the names our parents gave us. My full name is Sol Savita Sunnivita Celestiamaiden.”

“And my full name is Moonbeam Breeze Kynthia Lulamoon.” Luna added. “Back then it was a thing to have a long name. Mostly amongst the unicorn and pegasus tribes. Earthponies chose shorter names and eventually the tradition was adopted by the other two tribes. Our parents called us Celestia and Luna for short and Zeno called us Tia and Lulu later.”

“And I still do.” Zeno said proudly.

“You should have seen Twilight after I revealed that I’m engaged to my world's Tia,” Delsin said, chuckling as he took another drink from his canteen.

“Really?” Celestia said with a raised brow. “Well I certainly hope you treat her right.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at Delsin. “Indeed.” She said cooly. “Because if you aren't, there is nothing that can stop me from exacting vengeance upon you. Your Celestia may not technically be 'my sister’, but I shall still bring harm to you if thou breaks her heart.”

“I'm actually more worried about what she would do if I did do that. My face is still sore from the number of times she introduced her hoof to my face and dragging me home after every time I'm done in another world.”

Luna only smirked and nodded before digging into her food. The next person to ask a question was once again Kija.

“So what happened to your parents?” He asked. “I'm sorry if that is a touchy subject and I'm sorry. Just asking out of curiosity.”

Celestia smiled at Kija in a very motherly way. “Don't worry, you didn't offend me. It's not that sensitive of a topic. Fact is, Luna and I lost our parents at a young age.”

Luna nodded. “Indeed. I can't even remember our parents very clearly.”

“One thing that you must understand is that we were born during a not very stable time.” Celestia picked up the story from there. “The three tribes had been united for roughly a hundred years, but that doesn't mean everything was instantly peaceful between them. Things were better than they had been before, but there were still schisms between the three tribes.”

“Our mother was a unicorn and our father was a pegasus.” Luna informed. “And back in those times, such a union was frowned upon and even seen as disgusting.”

“Some in my world still have that mentality...in five different ways,” Delsin said.

Celestia nodded. “In addition to this, there was much political upheaval. After all, once the three tribes united they couldn't just raise one pony amongst themselves to be a ruler. That would come with a whole host of other problems. That's why the leaders created The Council of the Three Tribes.”

“Which if you ask me was about as effective as a patch job on a shredded tire.” Zeno quipped.

“Yes well to make a long story short, our parents ended up being killed by a mob when we were very young leaving Luna and I to fend for ourselves.” Celestia said.

“At around that time, Zeno found us.” Luna continued, her eyes took on a faraway look as though remembering something. “I remember it like it was yesterday. A pair of drunken stallions thought they'd 'have fun’ with us but before they could do anything, Zeno swooped in and saved us.”

I honestly had nothing to say to that. Kija however had a few things to say. “How horrible!” He gasped in horror. “Weren't there any places like an orphanage or foster home where you could live back then?”

The two sisters shook their head simultaneously. “Not really, or at least none that would keep us together.” Celestia said. “I was born a unicorn and Luna was a pegasus. It was either be separated by different orphanages or live together on the streets.”

“I'm sure you can figure out which we chose.” Luna said. “Anyways, after he saved us Zeno took us in and he's been like a father to us ever since.”

I glanced at the 'young’ man in question. “An incredibly childish father if you ask me.” I added.

“Acting like an adult for so long will bring that out, as I have learned being stuck in stone,” Delsin nonchalantly said.

“I feel that when you've lived over a thousand years, one earns the right to not act their age.” Luna said. “It helps keep one sane.”

“Indeed.” Celestia said with a smirk as she took a sip of her drink. It was at that moment that the scream of a young male echoed across the garden.

“Sounds like Yoon's up.” Zeno hummed casually, catching the attention of both myself and Kija. “We should go see him before he ends up having a heart attack.”

Delsin slammed his head on the table. “You just had to mention something related to blood when my canteen ran out, didn't you?” He asked in irritation.

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Yoon POV)

When I first woke, I was hoping against hope that it was all a dream. That I was in a bed at the convention center or hospital after I collapsed and whatever I saw was just a bad dream. When I opened my eyes however, that hope went out the window and it got worse once I noticed myself. My costume was now real, I had been reverse aged and essentially was now Yoon. What else do you do in such a situation but scream.

Once I finished freaking out, I moved on to denial followed by trying to find a logical explanation for what was going on.

“Hallucinogens.” I burst out. “I'm probably on some sort of drug and experiencing hallucinations. But I don't recall having anything stronger than an aspirin and to my knowledge those don't have any hallucinogenic properties. Maybe I was drugged? After all, there's no way I'm in some strange land as Yoon.”

“If I could, I would bite you to prove such, but I can't,” I heard a voice say.

I whirled around to find the doorway crowded with people. Three of which I recognized from before I fainted and two I knew as Hakuryu and Ryokuryu. The other two ponies and one human however I didn't recognize.

“Who are you?” I blurted out.

“My name’s Delsin Rowe, the Equestrian Eagle,” the human said.

“Equestrian Eagle?” I asked I confusion. “Is that where I am?”

“Equestria is where you are, that is my title where I'm…” He paused, his face contorting in frustration. “Dang It!!! Will somepony get me a glass of pig’s blood! I'm getting thirsty looking at this young man!”

I stepped away from from Delsin in alarm. As I did so, one of the unknown ponies, a purple winged unicorn, stepped forward.

“Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle.” She greeted and introduced herself. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“I um, nice to meet you too.” I stuttered numbly as I felt all control over reality slip. The next pony to introduce herself was the white unicorn with the purple mane.

“I am Rarity Belle, but you can call me Rarity.” She said in a cultured tone. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Uh-huh.” Was all I could get out.

“And this is Celestia and Luna!” Zeno said enthusiastically as he gestured to the white and blue winged unicorns respectively. He then continued on to the other two humans in the group. “And I believe you know Kija and Jea-ha.”

“Aunty!” I heard from just outside of the door. In entered a white unicorn with blonde mane and tail. “Did I just hear a vampire’s com…” He paused when he saw Rarity. Both her and Delsin turned their attention on him with glares. The unicorn muttered a barely audible “...eep…” and the two tackled him, kicking up dust and starting a brawl.

I just sat there shocked and Celestia looked at the brawl in irritation. A bright yellow glow surrounded her horn and the next thing I knew, Delsin and Rarity were floating in an identical glow......It was at this point that I just gave up on reality.

“Miss Rarity and Mister Delsin you are guests in my home and I expect you two to act like it.” She scolded sternly before turning to the white unicorn who was picking himself up and dusting himself off.

“Blueblood, are you okay?” She asked with concern as the unicorn fussed over his coat.

“Perfectly fine auntie.” He replied. “Just a mussed coat, nothing else.”

“Good.” She signed before turning to her prisoners. “Now, do either of you care to explain why you just attacked my nephew?”

“I was just making sure he will never forget what he did to me at the Gala,” Rarity stated.

“And I was making sure he wouldn't hurt Rarity in the process,” Delsin said.

“I'm not sure what you expected me to do, but I was just coming to help the vampire that was in trouble.” Blueblood said as he glanced around the hallway. His eyes then locked on a certain point in the hallway and his ears flopped down.

“Oh.” He said as he sagged in disappointment. Everyone's gaze followed his and locked onto a shattered glass and the bright red liquid that was vanishing between the stones of the floor. Everyone paused for a beat to take in the situation.

Delsin facepalmed. “Of all the mistakes I had to make, it was forgetting that different dimensions have different versions of individuals and I assumed that this Blueblood here was a prissy, princely prick.”

“That's just a persona, an act.” Blueblood said with a wave of his hoof. “I don't completely blame you for your actions. I just wish that this wasn't the result. The only alternative I have is my own blood and I'm not sure how that would affect you.”

Rarity looked confused. “Affect him? Why on earth would you think that?” She asked.

Blueblood paused and glanced at Celestia who nodded. The unicorn stallion nodded back then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering.

“Because I'm not sure what effects another vampire’s blood can have on him.” He said and like an illusion dropping, his teeth changed, going from flat herbivorous teeth to wicked sharp points with prominent fangs that stuck out. Rarity instantly backpedaled from Blueblood at the sight and the rest stiffened in surprise with the exception of Celestia, Luna and Zeno.

“Huh, that was...unexpected,” Delsin said quietly.

“I imagine so.” Blueblood said as he reached up. “And since I'm in good company, I hope you don't mind if it take out my colored contacts. They aren't the most comfortable so I like to find time to remove them in private.”

“I don't mind,” Delsin said as his eyes briefly glowed yellow then red and then bright blue. “I have my eye issues as well.”

Blueblood looked at me curiously as he held a contact in one hoof, revealing the bright red eye beneath. “Interesting. I only wear my contacts for cosmetic reasons. Part of my disguise. My usual contacts were damaged a few weeks ago so I've been wearing replacements until they are fixed. Unfortunately, these barely fit so they haven't felt all that comfortable.”

As he spoke, he finished removing his contacts and set them on Celestia's desk. “Now, down to business. You mentioned separate dimensions, so is it safe to assume that you aren't from here?”

“Yes, and my dimension’s version of you is a criminal,” Delsin bluntly said.

“Fascinating. Well I doubt that anything I say will convince you that I'm not like my counterpart but can I assume that vampirism in your world is transferred through bite?”

“And through a rare disease, Sanguinare Vampiris.” Delsin rubbed a spot on his neck. “I got mine through a bite.”

“Hm, and you mentioned that you needed some blood before you bite someone so I'm guessing that in your world, vampirism is different than here.” Blueblood continued with a nod then smirked playfully. “And if you're wondering how I heard, I'm a vampire. We have excellent hearing. Plus you were shouting. I would've been able to hear you if I was on the other side of the castle.”

“Yes it is, but at the same time, I'm different from those vampires...and I don't want to sound rude, but I don't want to explain the differences.”

“Fair enough.” Blueblood said with a shrug. “Just tell me how badly you need blood.”

“I'm trying not to look directly at anyone's neck...if that answers your question.”

Blueblood nodded. “Well then, there's nothing else for it. You may drink my blood.”

Delsin wasted no time and immediately stuck his fangs in Blueblood’s neck and sucked up some blood before pulling off. After smacking his lips and pulling out a handkerchief to clean his face, he said, “Your blood tastes stale.”

Blueblood chuckled in amusement as the holes sealed themselves. Celestia looked at him in concern, but Blueblood just waved his hoof.

“Don't worry about me, it's not like a vampire’s bite can make me more of a vampire then I currently am.” He assured her. “And even if he did transfer something, my immune system will make short work of it before it has a chance to take root. I'm a bit more concerned about him and his side effects.”

“Not so loud please,” Delsin said, holding his ears.

Blueblood sighed. “Like that.” He said. “Vampires here are the result of necromancy and creation magic which lingers in our DNA to a certain degree. Clearly enough that you now have at least one new vampire ability. I highly doubt our limited psychic link transferred over, but perhaps the others have.”

He hummed in thought. “Try taking in a breath. What do you smell?”

Delsin took a breath and his face cringed. “Rarity, don't use so much hair gel. No offense, but it smells like rotten fruit mingled with air freshener.”

Blueblood chortled. “I feel your pain. You should have smelled it when she was at the Gala.” He said and Rarity's cheeks puffed up.

“Well excuse me for having style.” She said with a snort as she turned her nose up.

Blueblood let out a snort of his own, but didn't continue. “Alright now, that's two abilities down. Tell me, how well do vampires in your world handle sunlight?”

“They can die in sunlight,” he told Blueblood. “Myself, however, I just get a bit weaker.”

“Hmm, in that case I'm not sure if our sun immunity has had much of an affect on you.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Strength, speed, durability and healing can be tested at a later date and are relatively easy to control provided you're careful with your strength and speed. Big question is if you have our perception filter and\or can invoke terror and paralysis.”

Delsin adjusted his hood and his face became completely hidden, except for his eyes, which glowed yellow.

“Impressive. You managed to toggle you're perception filter to shroud just your face.” Blueblood murmured in approval. “Usually it takes training to focus the filter on just one space on your body. But I suppose that's not a surprise, it only works at full power at night. Especially under moonlight. Now try evoking terror.”

Smoke started pouring out of his hood and his eyes turned red as he looked directly at me. I then heard a voice say, “What do you hope to accomplish?...Do not deny your fear...The Final Darkness is nigh!”

A chill ran through my body as terror gripped my heart and when I glanced around, I saw that I wasn't the only one affected. Twilight and Rarity had backed up to the farthest corner of the room while Kija and Jea-ha stood battle ready but even they inched away slowly. The only one who didn't seem affected were Celestia, Luna, Zeno and Blueblood. But even then I could see minute trembling in Celestia and Luna's legs.

Turning back to Delsin, I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Instantly, my body felt numb and I lost strength in my legs. As I tumbled towards the floor, Kija caught me and the heavy oppressive feeling left the room. It was at this point that I finally spoke.

“Well this has been fun and all, but could somebody please tell me what the hell is going on!” I demanded.

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Kija POV)

After setting Yoon back on the bed, we started bringing him up to speed n events. Mid way through however, Zeno broke in.

“So when is Seiryuu going to join us?” He asked after Twilight gave an account of what happened with Fluttershy and the timberwolves. “I've been wondering why he wasn't here. So, why and when?”

“Shortly after I met Kija, my doppelganger attacked Seiryuu,” Delsin said.

“He was badly injured and had to stay in the hospital.” Twilight continued. Zeno frowned in concern.

“How badly injured?” He asked.

“As far as I can guess, he's lucky his internal organs are still inside of him,” Delsin spat. “I am starting to get annoyed at his constant attempts to spread bloody chaos.”

Zeno’s concerned frown deepened. “He'll be okay, right?” He asked and I nodded.

“He will. Delsin was able to semi heal him and the doctors at the Ponyville hospital say he'll make a full recovery if he just rests.” I informed him.

Zeno sighed in relief and turned to Delsin in curiosity. “You can heal?” He asked.

“It's connected to my conduit powers.” His arms lit up with smoke. “But it can't heal completely.”

“Cool!” Zeno said with a twinkle in his eye.

“I think we're getting a little off topic here.” Yoon called out from his spot on the bed.

“Sorry.” I apologized as I looked Yoon over in concern. “How are you feeling?”

“Still a little numb, but I am getting some feeling back to my toes though I can tell it's going to be a while before I can move.” Yoon said. Blueblood nodded.

“That is normal.” He said. “Don't worry though, you'll be mobile once more shortly.”

“I didn't mean to do that,” Delsin said.

“It's okay.” Yoon said. “I shouldn't have looked into your eyes. I'll be fine. Continue.”

And so we continued filling him in including our new knowledge of vampires leading up to this point.

“Alright then, now what?” Rarity asked. “We've now found all four plus one so now what do we do?”

I placed a hand on my chin and hummed in thought. Then I remembered one thing that Delsin told us about Displaced.

“Delsin, could you teach us how to make a Token before you leave?” I asked.

“Okay.” Delsin looked at us. “What do you have that can represent the group?”

I paused trying to think when Rarity raised a hoof. “I think I may have something. But it's back the boutique.”

Jea-ha shrugged. “That's alright, we need to go back to Ponyville anyways. Can't leave Shin-ah out of this.”

“Then let's get our rears in gear!” Delsin called out. “The Multiverse is waiting!”

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

Unfortunately we weren't able to leave right away. Celestia had to have a chariot prepared and then there was the matter of Yoon. But the Royal Guard is nothing if not quick and I volunteered to carry Yoon until he could carry himself. As we landed in front of Rarity's boutique, Yoon regained feeling in his body and was walking around experimentally when Rarity returned with something in her magical grasp.

When Twilight got a good look at it, she gasped. “Rarity, is that Steven’s scale?” She asked.

“Why of course darling.” She said as she waved the shiny purple scale. “It's such a lovely scale it would have been criminal to just leave it mouldering in the forest. So I kept it around as a souvenir of our first adventure together. Of course I asked permission first and Steven was kind enough to say yes.”

“Is that what you were doing when you lagged behind on the way out of the forest?” Twilight asked.

“Indeed it was.” Rarity answered. I looked at her in confusion.

“Steven?” I asked in confusion.

“Steven Magnet, a good friend of ours. I'll tell you more about it later.” Rarity said casually then continued on towards the hospital with Twilight, Celestia, Luna and Zeno in tow. I nodded then both Jea-ha and I turned to Delsin, the unasked question in our eyes.

“Give me a moment to think,” he said. “I'm trying to think of how it can be useful to other Displaced.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“One moment.” He reached into his pocket, muttering something about Screwball. He then pulled out a sword from said pocket and gave it a light flick, causing the blade to separate into segments and go limp like a rope. “This whip-blade is another Displaced’s token. It serves the usual summoning purpose, but it can be used to fight as well.”

“Do all tokens have to have a practical use?” Jea-ha asked.

“Not necessarily, but with something that size-” He pointed at the scale. “-It would work best as a weapon or...hold on.”

“Since this is all based on a show, and I'm assuming this scale made an appearance in the show, what was this scale’s role in the show?” Jea-ha asked.

“Rarity used it as a blade to cut off her tail to repair Steven’s mustache,” Delsin deadpanned. “And Rarity forgot that she could have trimmed the longer side and restyle the messed up side.”

“It's the thought that counts, anyways sounds like it pretty sharp, at least enough to cut hair so...Razor?” Jea-ha said and I nodded.

“By the way, you never told us who or what this 'Steven Magnet’ is.” I said.

“He's a sea serpent that, ironically, lives in a river in the Everfree,” he explained.

“Uh-huh.” Was all I had to say.

“Hey, are you coming?” Zeno called out and we turned to see the others were waiting for us further down the road. Zeno was standing on Celestia's back (much to the horror of Rarity, Twilight and and passing ponies) and waving to us as he called out.

“Coming!” Jea-ha called back before turning to us. “Perhaps we should pick this up another time, we wouldn't want to get left behind would we?”

“Nope!” Delsin said, before taking a swig from his freshly refilled canteen.

I just nodded and followed to catch up with the group.

✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

(Shin-ah POV)

After I replaced my blindfold, I decided to take a nap. I was in a lot of pain, but the medicine the doctors had me on was some pretty powerful stuff because it knocked me out pretty quickly. I was awoken suddenly by a bang and a shout that had me jumping in surprise, much to the chagrin of my sore body.

“SEIRYUU!!” Came the youthful shout as a blonde boy ran in. “Zeno heard that you were hurt! Are you alright? How are you feeling?”

“Zeno.” I said softly as he hurled himself forward before stopping short of hugging me. “I'm okay.”

Zeno smiled and pat my head. “That's good.” He said. “And don't you worry, Zeno will do whatever he can to help.”

“Thank you.” I said softly. By then, the other two had gathered by my bedside, Kija holding a strange scale the size of a wok pan. It was long and shaped like an elongated teardrop with a deep purple hue.

“What's that?” I asked.

“A dragon's scale, though it might be more accurate to call it a sea serpent scale since that's where it came from.” Kija said. “We're going to use it to make our token.”

“Oh.” Was all I said. Jea-ha then turned to Delsin.

“So how does this work?” He asked. “What are we supposed to do?”

“Think of some sort of introduction and I'll make sure that Screwball will do the rest,” he told us.

“Okay then.” Kija held up the scale. “Everyone grab onto the scale and let's start.”

I lifted my hand and grabbed my closest corner while Zeno and Jea-ha did the same. As we held on, I noticed new colors seeping into the scale where our hands touched. Blue for me, green for Jea-ha, white for Kija and yellow for Zeno. We looked a little curious, but pressed forward. And as we spoke, the colors grew and spread.

“Ahem, hello fellow Displaced, I am Kija the Hakuryu,” Kija began in a formal tone.

“And I am Jea-ha, the Ryokuryu,” Jea-ha continued in a deep almost flirtatious voice.

“I am Zeno the Ouryuu, pleased to meet you!” Zeno cried out cheerfully then nudged me.

“And I am the Seiryuu, Shin-ah.” I concluded introductions then Kija picked it up from there.

“We are the four dragon warriors and if you should require our aid in battle-” At this point Jea-ha cut him off.

“Or wish to have fun-” he said in a definitely flirtatious voice before he was cut off by a shout of “Jea-ha!” From a blushing Kija. Zeno picked it up from there.

“Or just want to hang out-” he got out before ceding to Kija.

“Then you can call upon us and we will answer your call.” He finished. By this point the new colors and replaced the old purple hue, resulting in a harmonious mix of green, blue, white and yellow. Kija lifted the scale and turned back to Delsin.

“Now what?” He asked.

Delsin took the scale and held it above his head. The scale was enveloped in a yellow light and a void portal opened. He then took the scale and tossed it through. We all linked and watched as the void sealed shut leaving no evidence that it was there.

“So now what?” Jea-ha asked Delsin. “We've now gathered together and you've helped us send our token out. What are you going to do now?”

“I need to head home,” he answered. “I just need your help.”

“How may we help?” Kija asked.

“Just say, ‘Delsin, our contract is complete.’”

Kija nodded. “Okay. Delsin, our-” the Hakuryu was suddenly cut off by a scream of “WAIT!” as Pinkie burst in the room and handed Delsin a cake box.

“Here you go, I baked it especially from you.” She said with a smile. “I added pigs blood in the frosting so only you and other vampires can eat it. You take care you scamp and thanks for all your help!”

“...Okay...Thanks?” He said.

We all smiled. “She is right. It was a pleasure to meet you and thank you very much for you're invaluable assistance. I hope we can meet once again.” Kija said with a bow. I couldn't bow, but I could at least give him a nod of thanks.

“Thank you for saving my life.” I said in a quiet voice.

“Your welcome,” Delsin said. “Now, the phrase?”

“Of course.” Jea-ha answered. “Remember, don't be a stranger, feel free to stop by and Delsin, our contract is complete.”

Another void portal opened. Delsin handed the cake box to Kija and walked to the portal...only for a golden clad hoof to punch him and send him to the floor. He then motioned for Kija to hand back the cake, which he did, just as another Celestia grabbed his pants leg and pulled him through. The void closed, leaving the hospital room in a silence that was broken by Fluttershy.

“So, how was your trip to Canterlot?” She asked.

Author's Note:

And that wraps up my first crossover. Woo-hoo! I hope you all enjoyed it and I think I'm going to take a small break from this story to focus on other stories. BTW the vampire stuff is something I didn't expect, it just came out of the blue but I decided to roll with it. It helped that this is all stuff I had planned for another story of mine, Beneath the Blood Moon. So apologies if all those things were spoilers.

Comments

[Flame Heart]

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Glad to see that Delsin keeps Alex's Token on hand!