Equestria's Dark Shadow

by InTheStands

A Different Kind of Surprise

Chapter 13: A Different Kind of Surprise

My name is Barnabas Collins. If I've learned anything from my stay so far, it is that these ponies are abnormally forgiving. Thanks to a rather clumsy mail...mare?...I have discovered that this village's mayor had given an order to leave me be unless I harm any of their kind. With the protective clothing Rarity has fitted me with, and with Rainbow Dash and the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' at my side, I have decided to make the most of my situation and find the one called Twilight Sparkle to inquire on any progress made in sending me back home...

Barnabas had often worn protective clothing for daytime outings, his safety assured. But that was back in Collinsport. Here, he felt in just as much danger as he would be in while exposed to sunlight.

Derpy's explanation did little to calm him down. A handful of ponies watched as he traveled across town with Rainbow Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The vampire's paranoia was beginning to reach unmanageable levels as he saw more and more equines looking at him. His breathing grew shallow as his eyes darted from pony to pony.

"Hey, uh...are you alright?"

"Huh?" He snapped back to the cyan, rainbow-maned pegasus. "Yes. Yes, of course I am."

"Uh huh," Rainbow Dash didn't buy it. "Look. Anypony tries anything funny, they'll have to get through me to get to you. And nopony gets past the Element of Loyalty."

Barnabas looked back down at the pony, his sunglasses now framed with furrowed brows. "Loyalty? To me?"

"Of course to you!" Scootaloo announced. "Rainbow'd do anything to protect somepony. Even if that somepony isn't a pony to begin with!"

"Even...somepony...who threw her against a tree?"

"...You WHAT?!" The orange filly stopped dead in her tracks, running up in front of the vampire and taking a threatening stance. Or as threatening a stance as a young filly can take. "Why would you do that?!"

He was about to answer the young Crusader, until he heard Rainbow Dash speak first:

"Because we scared him. We wanted to help but he thought we were coming to...get rid of him." She walked to Scootaloo, putting a hoof on the filly's shoulder and calming her down. "It's like what happened a couple of times before, Scoots. Everypony misunderstood. Understand?"

Scootaloo glared up at the vampire before looking back up at her idol. "Yeah...I guess so."

"Listen, squirt," Dash smirked as she let go, "If I don't hate him for the tree thing, neither should you. Okay?"

The orange pegasus filly nodded, moving out of Barnabas' way. The vampire simply stood in thought, absorbing Rainbow's words despite them not being for him. How is it these creatures now view him as a guest, and not a monster?

"...Barnabas? Hello?" Dash waved a hoof in front of him. "You wanna go back inside or something?! Is the heat getting to you?"

"No. No," Barnabas waved away her hoof. "Just me and my thoughts on the situation. How soon will we be reaching Twilight Sparkle's residence?"

"Just up ahead," Apple Bloom pointed in front of them.

"...Little one, that's a tree."

"Yeah, we know," The yellow earth filly looked up at him. "Her house IS the tree!"

Barnabas instantly thought back to his first night in Equestria. The glowing tree he landed near. The small dragon that stepped out of it.

Now, in broad daylight, he saw the entire structure in its glory in the distance. The tree was incredibly tall and enormously wide, more than enough to house an entire building inside of it. He could see several balconies, several windows, and a wooden sign in front of it depicting an open book.

As they marched closer to the tree, the three fillies began to converse among themselves. Barnabas largely ignored the discussion until one sentence reached his ears. Looking down in surprise, he asked, "Who said that?"

The Crusaders glanced up at him, Sweetie Belle giving a hesitant, "Me?"

The vampire knelt down near her level, making sure no stray beam of sunlight reached his skin. "What did you say?"

"That I was dressed up as a vampire one Night Mare Night...?"

"...Oh." Barnabas felt his expectations drop.

"What did you think I said?" Sweetie grew curious.

"Nothing," He waved it off as he stood up, changing the subject. "What is this 'Night Mare Night'?"

"It's a holiday 'bout Princess Luna," Apple Bloom answered as they continued their journey. "Everypony dresses up, plays games, and go door-to-door for candy!"

"Do they have Night Mare Night where you're from?" Scootaloo asked.

"I believe so. Not in name," Barnabas thought aloud. "In my world, such a holiday is known as 'Halloween' or 'All Hallows Eve'."

Rainbow Dash gave off a confused look at the vampire. "What the hay is a hallow?"

"Maybe Twilight knows," Sweetie Belle offered. "We're here!"

The group of five walked up to the now-towering tree, coming up to a red door with a lit candle painted on its front. Rainbow Dash stepped forward, raised a hoof, and gave several sharp knocks on the door.

"Hold on!" Came a voice from within. Suddenly, the lower half of the door - which held two black handles - swung open in two quarters, revealing not only the dark interior, but a small, purple, scaled being.

"Sorry, the library's closed for - DWAH! YOU!" The reptilian child pointed accusingly at the vampire. "Why are...you're not...it's too soon!"

"Spike, calm down!" Came another voice, feminine in nature. "Who is it?"

Spike stammered several more times before turning back inside and shouting, "The Vampire!"

A dead silence followed before the sound of rapidly running hooves grew louder. Spike cautiously stepped aside before the rest of the door flew open, revealing a familiar purple unicorn.

"Barnabas?!" Twilight exclaimed. "Oh, thank goodness! You got here okay!" She stepped aside. "Please, come in. All of you."

"Actually," Apple Bloom kicked at the ground with one hoof, "We got crusading to do."

"Now that everypony knows about Barnabas..." Scootaloo shrugged, not having to finish her sentence.

"You don't want to stay?" Twilight asked. "I found something that might help Barnabas - and it sounds like something you might find incredibly interesting."

"You said the same thing about that book on tree moss," Dash flatly pointed out.

Twilight was unfazed. "This is something far beyond moss this time. Try an entire chapter of lost Equestrian history. How about it, girls?"

Their curiosity piqued, the three fillies quickly decided to stay for a while longer. Twilight looked back up to the vampire.

"I got a message from Princess Celestia this morning telling me to expect you," Twilight explained. "That and...she's waiting for you to get back to Canterlot as soon as you met with me."

"I've received a similar letter through your friend, Rarity," the vampire admitted. "I can tell she's...less than happy about my sudden departure."

"Can we come inside, Twilight?" Dash looked around. "I don't care what the Mayor says, it's not safe leaving him out in the open like this."

"Of course," Twilight stepped aside, showing the nearly pitch-black inside of the building. "I've closed all the blinds for you so daylight doesn't have to be an issue. Come on in."

Rainbow Dash and the Crusaders went in first, followed by Barnabas. The vampire was quick to glance down at Spike, who folded his arms in mild defiance of his entering the tree.

Once inside, Twilight suddenly closed the door, leaving all seven of them in inky darkness. They were all completely blind.

"Twilight Sparkle?" Barnabas called out, hearing a faint echo. "I thank you for your consideration, but it seems to be a bit TOO dark for us."

"You may be right," was his answer. "Just let me get the lights..."

They expected a gradual glow as several light sources became of use. Instead, the room became awash with light, giving no time for their eyes to adjust. It made for quite the surprise.

If not for how abrupt it was, then certainly for the chorus of voices suddenly screaming out "SURPRISE!!"

Barnabas shouted out in shock, backing up against the front door with a thud as Rainbow Dash jumped in front of him, ready to defend him. She calmed down, however, when she saw what she was up against.

Streamers hung from the ceiling. Balloons and confetti littering the floor. All loose books and papers tucked away, making room for several familiar ponies and a large table offering drinks and snacks, along with a large, dark blue cake.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Barnabas finally shouted back at the numerous ponies in the library with the group. He was ready to lash out at them until Rainbow Dash turned to him.

"Wait a minute," Dash pressed a hoof on his chest. "Calm down. It's...a surprise party."

The vampire let his mouth hang open in confusion, revealing his fangs. "Surprise...party? What...? Who...?"

"SURPRISE!" A new voice rang out, followed by the sudden movement of something fuzzy and pink, shooting up in the air before landing in front of them.

Barnabas instantly recognized the pink, overly-excited mare as another one of the six Elements.

Rainbow Dash shook her head in the manner of a mildly amused adult. "Pinkie...I should've known."

"But then you would've known about the surprise party!" Pinkie Pie reasoned. "And then it wouldn't be as big of a surprise! As soon as Twilight told me about the letter I HAD to throw a party!"

"You...had to?" Barnabas asked.

"Of course!" The pink earth pony hopped up in the air as she walked back to the crowd of ponies. "You like it? It's a 'Sorry for Treating You So Badly' party! For you!"

Barnabas said nothing, simply standing in silent awe at the scene around him, coupled with the scenes replaying in his mind. The princesses offering shelter. Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle all forgiving and forgetting his treatment of them. The Mayor ordering all citizens to leave him be.

And now...an entire party focused on apologizing to him?

"...Oh, jeez," Dash put a hoof to her face. "This is like the third time he's zoned out like this. I think we made it too hot outside or something."

"Hello?" Pinkie grew worried. She trotted up to him, jumping up and down to meet his face. "Please don't be angry. Also please don't be in a coma. You didn't even get to eat your 'We're Sorry' cake!"

Barnabas still said nothing, looking back to the eager party guests. To the streamers, the balloons, and the cake. The only other beings to do such a thing for him was his family.People who knew he was a vampire.

And STILL accepted him.

"Barnabas?" Finding himself back in reality, he looked down at Pinkie, her cottony mane now starting to deflate like a balloon as she grew even more worried, and her lower lip starting to tremble.

He knelt down to Pinkie's level, removing his hat and sunglasses now that the danger of sunlight was temporarily averted. Barnabas remained silent, staring intently at the pony with tears welling in her eyes.

Finally, after a moment of everypony looking on, he spoke to her. "Why must you look so sad, pony?" He muttered aloud. "This is a party, after all."

Gasping, Pinkie's mane rebounded into its fluffed-up self, and every tear in her eye vanished. Her frown curved into the biggest smile as she suddenly began to bounce around the vampire, cheerfully spouting unintelligible exclamations of joy.

"...Best of friends!" She announced as she finished her bouncing, landing in front of him again.

"Now Pinkie," A new voice rang out, a feminine Western accent. Out stepped an orange mare with a yellow mane and a small Western hat. "Why don't we get better acquainted? Make sure he's comfortable with us and all this."

Barnabas stood back up. "Believe me when I say that - now - I am more than comfortable, Ms..."

"Applejack. That little yellow filly ya got with you's my sister."

"Applejack?" Barnabas questioned. "I distinctly recall a drink by that name. Quite refreshing, if memory serves."

"Most apple products are," The cowpony retorted. "Matter of fact, I got Big Mac to bring some samples for ya. Ya wanna follow me?"

The vampire turned to the other ponies he was conversing with. Twilight spoke up. "Go on. The more you get to know us, the easier this'll be for all of us. What I need to show you needs concentration anyway and Celestia knows that's not happening during a party. Spike?"

The dragon walked up to the vampire, looking up at him with a mixture of hesitation and accusation before holding out his hands. Barnabas instantly got the message and handed Spike his sunglasses and hat before removing his gloves, placing them in his coat pockets, and removing the coat before folding it and letting it drape over the dragon. Spike then proceeded to place them neatly on a nearby, bare small table.

Giving a small bow to his guests and companions, Barnabas turned to the crowd of socializing ponies before stepping forward.