• Published 16th Nov 2017
  • 862 Views, 39 Comments

Dracula (Not exactly) - Cyndaquil



Macintosh Appleton the Large goes to a mysterious castle for a land deal with the eccentric master of the property.

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9 Nightmare Moon

Six Years, Six Months, and Six Days Ago

“Why are you making me miss a class?” Starlight demanded.

Calm down Pumpkin. I have something important to tell you.

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.

“Pumpkin, it’s about your friend, Patricia.”

Starlights father was searching for the correct way to explain. Patricia was Starlights dear friend, probably the only friend she ever made since what happened with Sunburst. Maybe that’s why Firelight ignored the signs.

“Patricia Lulamoon has been found guilty of witchcraft.”

“Witchcraft?”

“Yes, Dr. Van Neighsayer found evidence that she was planning to summon a chaos spirit into this world. According to her own journals she was going to approach you about joining the conspiracy.”

“I see. Can I see the journals?”

“You can’t see the journals,” her father told her.

“Can I meet with Patricia?”

“No, you can’t.”

Firelight Glimmer wondered what was going on in his daughters mind right now. She’d yet to show any outward emotion, which had been her way ever since the incident. He knew she must be hurting terribly.

Starlight Glimmer seemed lost in thought for a moment. Her father was prepared to be a shoulder to cry on. Though this came about in an awful manner, perhaps his little girl would finally open up to him.

“Do you need someone to perform the lethal injection.”

“Excuse me.”

“The punishment for witchcraft is death. Sometimes witches are tested first, but you said you had journals as proof. If you need someone to perform the lethal injection, I am qualified.”

“Patricia is to be hanged.”

“I see.”

“Daddy!”

“Yes Pumpkin, ask anything.”

“Please give me her brain.”



For much of her life, Rarity had believed, though she had not quite accepted, that she would never leave the small town from whence she came. Back home there was so much coal dust that every mane was two tones greyer than it rightly ought to have been. She really believed she would spend her days rearing foals under the same dreary skies with whatever Stallion her well meaning parents chose for her to wed. Now here she was, and she wondered how the others could possibly fail to see the grand majesty of what was before them.

The windows of the room they were in, overlooked the entire Crystal Empire.

Everywhere she looked evoked a sense of splendour. The homes were made of crystal, and streets, when viewed from above formed a gleaming star, there were trees everywhere. This was so far north. She thought for sure it would be barren, just like her temperate, but polluted home. Instead, she had never seen so many trees.

“So what is Princess Cadence like?” Rarity asked.

“She’s different,” Midnight answered. “When you see her, please don’t stare. She’s aware of how she looks, and drawing attention to it won’t be good for any-pony.”

Pinkie imagined what Midnight might have meant by that. Perhaps she should coach the others. One of her hobbies used to be putting on clown and magic acts at a foal hospital burn ward.

Dot and Applejewel gulped. Dot was just worried she might say the wrong thing, while Applejewel was just scared in general.

At that moment, the chamber doors opened. In walked a creature.

At least two ponies swallowed a gasp. They didn’t know for certain if the one who entered the room was actually a pony or not. She must have been the princess, otherwise she wouldn’t have been wearing a crown. Her horn was gnarled, like a misshappened tree branch. Her stringy hair was a sickly blue / green colour. She didn’t have a mane, rather her exterior resembled the chitin of an insect, and there were holes, yes holes in her legs.

Not wanting to appear rude, and without missing a beat, Rarity bowed before her, presenting the nape of her neck to this creature.

When the creature spoke, it sounded like her voice was echoing from somewhere else. “You honour us well by following our customs. I can’t take your blood, for I am not the Mistress of this Castle.”

“You’re not.”

“This is Queen Chrysalis.” Midnight cut in. “She is Cadence’s wife.”

“Wife?”

“Yes,” Chrysalis replied, “I am her wife.”

“Though how my odd sister princess managed to attract so fetching a mate alludes me.” Midnight smiled in her slightly sinister way.

“Sparkle, can’t you compliment me without insulting my mate in the same breath.”

“I only called her odd. You can’t deny she’s an odd one.”

“Is that so?” a singsong voice came from the corridor.

In walked a pony unlike any of Twilight’s assembled five had ever seen before.

That’s not to say she was odd, mind you. Odd, is a term to describe that which is different, and stands out, yet radiant beauty is rarely depicted as being odd.

A pink mare with a mane of warmer pink, violet, and pale gold. She could only be described as the single most beautiful mare any of the assembled five had ever seen.

Rarity looked upon her visage, this time a bit uncertain.

“I am Cadence, queen of these lands.”

Rarity was stunned for a moment. Realizing she had forgotten her manners, she repeated her bow and again exposed the nape of her neck.

Cadence gave a warm smile. “I appreciate how much respect you’re showing for local customs. I know this behaviour is not normal where you come from. Honestly, I myself become a little light headed from the sight of blood. I suppose I am odd for a Northern Pony. We really don’t need to do this if you don’t want to.”

Though it was right in their territory, the Crystal Empire’s unique history made it so that the ponies remained culturally distinct from other northern ponies. Those differences were slowly fading.

“Midnight rolled her eyes.”

Rarity was a little unsure. She really didn’t want to lose favour with either princess. “From you princess, following this custom would be a great honour.”

Only one pony was expected to present herself, and Rarity had volunteered. Chrysalis presented herself to Twilight. Once both parties completed the formalities, they moved on towards the dinner table.

Cadence had the chefs prepare a variety of dishes. She didn’t know if they would be interested in trying local cuisine, or prefer sticking to the vegetarian diets they practiced back home. Midnight and Chrysalis were the only ones who had steak, though Midnight insisted that Rarity eat some meat to replenish herself. Midnight was so adamant that she actually tried to feed Rarity some of her steak. Rarity ate fillet of sole, just so her friend would stop worrying.

“So Cadence,” Applejewel asked, “you and Chrysalis seem very… different. How did the two of you get together?”

“The Crystal Empire, the kingdom we are in right now, was missing for centuries. When the Crystal empire reappeared, I came to investigate. I discovered an item called the Crystal Heart, which looked just like my own cutie mark. I realized that this kingdom was my destiny, and the ponies here made me their princess.”

They were all riveted by the story.

“An evil former king named Sombra, locked me in a tower, with an iron mask covering my face. Sombra didn’t have the power to take on Nightmare Moon directly, so he found Chrysalis to impersonate me. They were going to have a fake wedding, and make Sombra king again. It was Nightmare Moon he needed to fool. He planned to assassinate her at the wedding.”

“Wait,” Applejewel interrupted. “Chrysalis was going to impersonate you?”

Chrysalis transformed into the spitting image of Cadence before their eyes. They did not know she could do that. Cadence went on with her story.

“Chrysalis kept coming to my tower she kept making excuses like learning how to impersonate me better, or torturing me to locate were I hid the crystal heart. What can I say, we fell in love.”

“That’s nice,” Fluttershy was trying to be polite.

“So what happened to this Sombra pony.” Dot asked.

At that moment Midnight burped. She wasn’t trying to answer the question with her expulsion, but she basically did.

“Excuse me! By the way Cadence, I saw something interesting in that mirror universe I visited.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Your doppelgänger was married to my brother.”

“Don’t tease me Midnight.”

“It’s true, they even had a foal together.”

“You know,” Chrysalis spoke, “we have been looking for an ideal donor, in order to have children.”

“Please not you too Chrysalis.”

“You can’t deny her whole family has excellent genetics.”

Midnight reached for another steak from the platter.

“Tell me, what was the foal like.”

“Flurry Heart, amazing as it may sound, she was an Alicorn right from birth. She’s an odd child though, much in the same way Cadence is.”

Cadence seemed to think on that. “Please stop, both of you. Oh Midnight you know I’m terrified of your brother.


Eventually night fell upon them. This was significant, because it was their first night in the Northern Territory, even if it was just the Crystal Empire. The ‘enlightened’ parts of Equestria have certain protection, to ensure that Ponies dreams were safe from the invasions of Nightmare Moon. No such protections existed here.


Applejewel was in her classroom back home. It was after hours, and the only other pony in class was a student she asked to stay late.

She approached the pony with an authoritative demeanour.

“Do you know why you’ve been asked to stay after class?” Applejewel asked.

“No ma’am.”

“You’ve been asking questions. Your questions tell me that you doubt what I’m teaching you. Is that true?”

“No ma’am, of course not.”

She reached into a hidden compartment of her desk and pulled out a small box. “Well then, prepare to have your mind blown.”

Inside the box was all the materials she had gathered over the years. There wasn’t much. It was proof of their countries true history, the history that actually happened as opposed to the propaganda she taught in her curriculum.

Applejewel loved doing this. It was the one time she felt like a real teacher. She had to be careful though, she had to get to know her students, make sure they hungered for real truth, and yet could keep a secret.


Inside was proof that, at least in olden times, the princesses were not an evil oligarchy. There was hard information about how the pillars of the enlightenment had truly come into power, evidence that technology had actually been set back by the enlightenment, information about great mares, who held careers it was commonly believed females lacked the constitution for, essays on why Unicorns were really kept from learning any magic more potent then basic levitation.

After taking only the briefest look, the student turned his head up to the grinning Applejewel.

“You’re a heretic!” The student cried.

“No wait!”

“I have to tell everyone that you’re a heretic.”

“Please don’t.”

“You know what they do to heretics.”

“I do. Please listen, it’s all true.”

Now the student seemed larger than the teacher. Applejewel even felt small. She quivered beneath him. She wept. The student bellowed in a deeper voice. “Burn everything in this box, quit teaching, otherwise I’ll expose your secrets to everyone.

Applejewel looked at her cutie mark. It was apples, apple for the teacher. How could she do this? Why did Midnight ever think, even for a moment that she could be the element of honesty? She was a teacher who taught lies. Sure she gave the truth to whatever student she thought could handle it. Now she got caught. She had one chance to get out, she could even lie. She looked up towards the student.


Rarity was falling. Dot leapt after her. It was quite heroic, She caught her, she saved her, then it was happening again. Rarity was falling. Her body passed through a cloud, and Dot had to descend through the same cloud and chase her.

Doctor Glimmers words echoed in her ear. “Your wing is still healing. If you overstrain it, then it might not heal properly.”

He saved her again. This time the wing was tired and a tiny bit sore.

She remembered how proud her old self was, how boastful. There were loyals fans chanting Dash, Dash. then the accident happened. No pony screamed her name anymore. When they even spoke her name it was proceeded with ‘Whatever happened to…”

She caught Rarity again.

The next time, she had her greyish hair. She had her thick glasses, her wing was this ugly misshapen thing. It shouldn’t have been able to fly. Flying caused her so much pain.

Would she catch Rarity this time?


Fluttershy was in darkness. Some light appeared. The light came through cracks in the seems of a stone door. She didn’t know this, the light only appeared for a few moments every day, when the sun faced west.

In the corner of the room was another pony. She was in a wretched state. This pony had been here longer then Fluttershy. You see, the pony had been accused of witchcraft, and as a test she was locked in this mausoleum. If she survived thirty days, they’d no she was a witch and burn her. If she died, then all she could look forward to was being buried on hallowed ground. The funny part is, she wasn’t a witch, ’yet.’

“The horror-the horror.” She stuttered.

Fluttershy stepped forward to comfort her, only to get a better look at this pony.

This was Lily Valley. This was the actual witch that did something horrid to her mate. She had turned Machintosh Appleton, her husband, into a slave with no free will.

When he was set free, he recounted everything he had seen, all that she made him do.

Fluttershy had promised not to tell anyone. She managed to get a position of power over the witch for a few moments, and hide her own terror long enough to get the cure.

Since then, Fluttershy questioned her kindness. Could she be an element of kindness while harbouring such hate for this creature? It was true, she hated her. Perhaps forgiving her would even be a betrayal to her husband. There was a voice in her mind telling her to kick Lily while she was in this wretched state.

What would she do?


Pinkie chased the stage coach. They were taking her sister away. Her nursing career was gone, and now they were taking her sister, all because she told a joke that someone didn’t think was funny.

How could she ever tell a joke again?


Rarity was falling again, and again.

As she approached the ground, a thought occurred to her. She wondered what had ever been generous about her. She grew up in an upper class household, but there was poverty right outside her door. She never gave anything, instead her parents spoiled her. What did her parents get in return? Rarity knew the answer to that. They got to see her run away on some half cocked dream to be a dress maker.

Now Rainbow Dash, sorry Dot was wrecking her beautiful wing again, just to save her. The one good thing she did, her justification for all of this, was the deal to fix Dots wing.

She asked herself, how was she ever generous?


Applejewel told the student, “Go ahead, expose me. I’m just glad I’ll never have to tell a lie again.”


No matter how much her wing hurt, Dot kept rescuing Rarity over and over again.


Fluttershy hugged Lily like a sister. She told her that it wouldn’t always be like this.


Pinkie jumped on a chariot that was going where they had taken Maudie. A scary bat pony sneered at her. She just made a funny face.


Rarity had no way to prove her generosity at that moment. What was she going to do, tell Dot to let her fall? Dot would never do that. She decided to just wake up and make every-pony breakfast. That was generous, wasn’t it?”


After a hardy breakfast, they left for their mission. Midnight hated the sun, however this was the time that they were most likely to succeed. Past generations called this day the summer sun festival.

They met Chrysalis on the way out.

“You Southern ponies sure play some dangerous games.”

Rarity asked what she was talking about.

“Do you sleep walk or something? Last night you jumped out the castle window. You’re lucky Dot was there to catch you.”

They looked at each other, then kept going.

They made there way to an alter, that was used the last time the summer sun festival was celebrated.

Applejewel and Pinkie put down the case they were carrying. Inside were the elements of harmony, the ones native to this universe, which Midnight had retrieved from the castle of the two sisters.

Each put on their respective necklace or crown, and they all held hooves. Even Cadence and Chrysalis joined in.

‘The stars would aid in her escape,’ or so the legend went. Midnight took that to mean her own six star cutie mark.

A moment later a portal appeared, then a pony stepped out.

Her coat was pure white, her cutie mark a golden sun, her hair flowed like the milky way. Midnight grinned. It seemed she really was the princess of friendship now, though she hoped she didn’t do all of this for another Cadence.

Freed from her long imprisonment on the moon, Princess Celestia smiled a warm smile.


Elsewhere, Glimmer stood over a gurney.

This would have been so much easier if Midnight had not borrowed her nurse for the week.

She looked down at the creature before her. She was quite pleased with the form, for the first time ever she had her pick of spare parts to work with. It was the spitting image of her, as best as she remembered anyway. The skin had some stitches, though she was certain those wouldn’t even leave scars, she was also sure at least one of the two eyes was the right colour, and though this pony never had bat wings before, who wouldn’t appreciate a pair of those.

Still this would all be a failure if the creature before her did not live.

It opened it’s eyes.

“Good morning,” Starlight decided to try some of that bedside manner stuff Pinkie loved so much. “Could you please tell me your name. Do you remember.”

“Gre…”

This pony was unused to her own throat.

“Gre…”

“Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Starlight was pleased. She even rolled the R, just like she used to.


Again elsewhere, Lily sat upon her throne.

It might interest you to know that the ponies who fanned her and fed her grapes, and soaked her hooves were once known as the pillars of the enlightenment. They were just slaves now. She now knew that her slaves were aware, though completely incapable of defying her.

Daisy and Roseluck worried. Maybe they had bitten off more then they could chew again.

Comments ( 2 )

And then all the dung levitated into the air circulation blades!
True enough, they're the Elements of Harmony. What harmony that means however. Well...
Keep going! ;)

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