> The Tale of Midnight Moon
>  by Wendy A Crescent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keep running, don’t look back. Don’t stop or you…. Oh sweet Luna help me!

Everything hurt but she repeated the mantra over and over in her mind. Looking back meant death, stopping meant death. Not that she needed to stop to know that the Pack of Timberwolves was right behind her. She could practically feel their foul breath rolling over her full moon cutie mark, an exact replica of Equestria’s moon complete with the profile of a mare's face that appeared after Luna’s banishment. It was a great reminded that of just how much shit she was in right now. 

Tears of panicked desperation and fear rolled over her cheeks blurring her vision.Her hooves hurt, she was certain that they had cracked at some point. Then again her whole body ached with blinding pain, each branch slapping against her sides reminded her of her bruised ribs from when the wolves at first pounced her. Her horn throbbed, sending white hot lances of pain through her entire form; teleporting in a panic would do that, burning out her magic and leaving her entirely helpless unable to do anything but keep running and not looking back. The vision in her right eye was gone, seeing depth had become nigh impossible now with blood from the gash in her forehead running down the right side of her face, stinging her eye. 

With each harsh stinging whip of the twigs and branches she was reminded of the cuts and bruises littering her normally well cared for light blue coat. Bursting through a particularly dense thorn bush was almost too much for the small unicorn filly to handle. The pain seared through her body causing her to black out for a moment. It took a while before the fact something was wrong registered with her, the sensation of rapid downward motion … or rather the terrifying sensation of being in free fall off the edge of a harshly placed cliff. She could barely see, both eyes caked shut with blood from the fresh cuts, the frustrated howling of the wolves that were hot on her heels filled her senses along with the rushing of air.

The fall was long. She had come to terms with death a while ago, she knew that she likely wouldn’t make it through the night… falling to your death was at least better than being eaten alive by timber wolves. She smiled a little, she couldn’t help it, if anything was going to come from this it's that she would be joining Luna among the stars. A thought that she welcomed with open arms. 

Impact with the ground was harsh, brutal even. Bones shattered with gut wrenching and sickening crunches. She gasped, screaming was impossible, breathing was hard and slowly becoming harder as the edges of her blood caked vision started to blur and then, before she knew it the darkness was quickly overtaking it. Pain was a simple background noise, a slowly fading memory as the tiny blue unicorn choked out a simple phrase “Luna Keep me…” and then everything went dark, for the tiny mare.




*** 2 years earlier *** 


The day had started off lovely for Midnight Moon.

She had been enjoying her day intensely. It was actually the perfect day for the midsummer festival in Equestria. The sun was shining, showering the merry ponies with its life giving rays and the festivities were in full swing. Midnight found herself sitting on the edge of the fountain levitating an icecream cone in her azure aura. Staring into the crystal clear waters she took in her own reflection, that of a sky blue unicorn filly with a messy violet and purple mane. Mares and stallions were dancing, chatting and some were even partaking in the sampling of a local apple cider. It was the longest day of the year, it was a day to honour Princess Celestia and her magnificent sun. The music was jovial and the ponies of the capital were having the time of their lives.

But there were ponies who shunned the festivities, some who saw the festivities and the midsummer festival as a whole as a gross insult to the Princess of the Night. Many among them where the Thestral’s that were forced to live in the less nice parts of the capital,shunned by wider society as monsters or ne'er do wells. It wasn’t just the Thestrals who shunned the festival though, even unicorns like Midnight’s parents shunned it. There were many ponies who adored the Lunar Princess, these families these ponies living a mostly nocturnal lifestyle. They were the ones who ruled- no, owned the night. 

Midnight had been raised to have a nocturnal rhythm by her parents. She even attended a special school meant for Thestral’s. Normally she would have long been in bed but her parents had relented to her eagerness to partake in the festival. Her reasoning had always been that it was silly to shun a party. Especially because they served free treats for young fillies like her!

As the festival reached its zenith and the clock struck noon nopony seemed to noticed how it was becoming darker at first. The murmurs around Midnight blamed the slacking weather pegasi, they all went on with their merriment ignoring what they dismissed as a wayward cloud. But as it got darker and darker ponies around her started to take notice that it wasn’t a cloud. 

The very sun they were celebrating was being blocked out by the moon. It was an unsettling sight for most and even the small filly could see that ponies were getting antsy, it had always been unsettling for day ponies even when the Solar Eclipse happened... but this time it didn’t just pass. The moon remained firmly in it’s place in front of the sun. Ponies became increasingly fidgety, nervous even. Many of them slowly slinked away to returned to their families, none wanted to remain alone in the unsettling sight that dragged on. Early seconds turned to minutes which turned into tens of minutes of the sun being blotted out by the moon. 

None but a select few, ponies that couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful sight of the moon dominating the sun, even Midnight smiled a little admiring the sight of the moon surrounded by a halo of sunlight. A different kind of party erupted, it wasn’t a wild one but ponies toasted to the start of a new era, they were the select few privy to knowledge their peers had not even the faintest idea of. Thestral’s for the most part but also some of the other races basked in the moon’s radiant glory, the sun making a halo behind the moon a beautiful symbol of divinity. Midnight closed her eyes and basked in the moon’s rays, they felt cooler, and more natural than the sun’s domineering, oppressive heat. It was a welcome change for the small filly.

Opening her emerald eyes she was the first to notice, and the first to cry out “Princess Luna!” Pointing to the two figures in the air locked in aerial combat. The tell tale blasts of magical energy being reflected and absorbed by shields was a spectacular light show. The figures got closer and closer. If it wasn’t for a nearby unicorn mare the tiny filly would have been crushed as the two large goddesses landed on top of the fountain, reducing it to rubble.

Both halves of the Equestrian Diarchy stood, and started to circle each other silently. Celestia’s normal aurora mane was replaced with one of flowing fire. Her eyes were like pools of molten gold as she glared down her younger sister. The other mare was looking similar, her mane was like watching the flowing abyssal shadows with stars only barely visible, her eyes were as dark as the blackest night. Neither spoke, but it almost appeared as though they were locked in telepathic conversation.

The aura of magic around the two was heavy. Midnight Moon was filled with awe, she was in the presence of two goddesses, and before she noticed a cheer passed her muzzle, cheering on Luna over her elder sister. Her cheeks coloured a faint tinge of red at the realisation that she was the one who cheered; her cheers were echoed by the ponies around her. The two alicorns launched themselves into the air once more. 

Their battle was a dance of pure aerial prowess, the two beautiful mares’ battle devolved into bucks and wild blasts of magic, or rather it was Celestia trying to avoid bucks and blasts her sister sent her way while the younger mare frantically, hatefully tried to strike her elder sister down. It was awe inspiring and a sad sight to observe for the small filly.

She could barely make out Celestia’s mouth moving as she wheeled around and formed a shield spell around her, eyes full of hurt as they swept over the sights and sounds around her, regarding her sister and her cheering subjects… subject cheering for her younger sister, not her. Midnight stood there staring dumbly at the sight hovering above her. Five beams of light were coalescing in front of Celestia and as she watched she could have sworn she saw the elder mare crying as a beam of rainbow light shot out. It entirely enveloped the younger alicorn, the energies surrounding her, forming a bubble and with a bright blinding flash Luna was gone. The Matriarch of the Night was gone. And behind Celestia the portrait of a mare’s face appeared upon the moon… a moon that started to steadily move away from the sun.

It was in that moment that all hell broke loose and the filly was dragged back to reality. Midnight Moon was vaguely aware of a magical tingle on her flank but she had no time to focus on it as she watched ponies rushing to the square, with improvised weapons. A flock of Luna’s Night guard flew by overhead, and for a moment the small filly had hope that they would disperse the chaos. They didn’t, instead they took a sharp turn and sent themselves over the wall, away from the city.

The mass of ponies clashed with the ones in the city. The tiny filly fled from the violence, she swiftly made her way to her parental home, She kept her eyes on the ground, attempting to block out the din of battle; the screams of pain, the panic. She needed to get home, she needed to get to safety! She would be safe at home, her mommy and daddy would keep the bad ponies away. They always kept the bad things away from her, they were good ponies.

Rounding the corner at her schoolhouse, her schoolhouse that cast odd flickering shadows as the flames consumed it, she galloped into the street and directly towards her parental home. The death and other horrors around her not even registering in the filly’s mind. All she focused on was her home and getting there. As it came into view though her eyes went wide, as four rough looking ponies dragged her parents out into the street. Her father looked like he had put up a hefty fight, as did her crying mother. They were met with shouts of ‘traitor’ and words after that hardly registered to the fearful filly.

She opened her muzzle to cry out for her parents but the stallion, the one that looked to be in charge took that moment to twist her father’s neck with an audible, sickening snap that echoed through the street. “Daddy!” She cried out and rushed forwards with a cry of anger. How dared they!? How dared they harm good ponies like her parents!

“Midnight run!” Her mother cried out in alarm, the mare managing a sharp buck to one of the stallion’s more delicate areas. For her effort she was rewarded with a sharp buck to the side, throwing her off into the fence in front of the house.

“Get the filly!” The earth pony stallion shouted and all three of his cronies set themselves upon her. She was frozen for a moment, her eyes flicked from left to right, eyes falling on the only road where she saw no pony, the road leading to the river. She didn’t ponder it. She simply bolted as if her life depended on it. Over head she could see many Thestral’s in their own flight while being pursued by Pegasi. A stallion rounded the corner, cries of ‘stop her!’ rang out from behind.

The stallion was quite overwhelmed though as she slipped between his hooves, giving him a sharp buck in the privates, much like her mother had demonstrated before. He crumpled to the ground and one of her pursuers tripped over him with a cry of alarm.

The road was a dead end, she knew she had nowhere to go, Midnight Moon’s only hope was that she would make the leap over the river. Pouring all of herself into the charge she leapt over the low fence and bucked hard against the metal, propelling herself forwards with enough force to take her over to the other side…

Were it not for somepony grabbing her by the tail. She slipped free but the damage had been done. Her momentum was gone and she plummeted to the torrential waters below. She shrieked out in terror, cursing the stallion internally. He had ruined something she had practiced so well and worst of all this time, there was no safety net below the fall. As she was swept away downstream she tried swimming to the other edge but it was a futile effort for a filly of her size.

She squealed and screamed loudly for help as the edge became visible and the current took her over the edge of the waterfall. Her own panicked shrieking and the hard splash was the last thing to reach her ear before everything went black. The pain did not even registering in her mind.


****** 


She coughed and gasped for breath at the same time, her eyes shot open wide as she emptied a good amount of water onto the muddy bank of the river. Breathing was hard, it hurt even as the tiny filly struggled so hard for air her throat burned with the effort. She had survived the fall from the capital city down into the river, a glance revealed to her just how far the fall was. She was only able to make out the outerwall of the city, it was a small miracle that she had survived falling without breaking something … or drowning for that matter.

Standing on shaky hooves she looked around, or rather tried to as it was rather dark. Midnight didn’t know how long she had been out, it had been high noon when everything went to tartarus. By the look of the moon night had only just fallen. Midnight let out a choked sob, the adrenaline had long since left her system. Falling into the mud she had the chance to reflect on what had happened back in the capital city, how the ponies had turned on each other, how they had chased her. She hardly even understood why, because she liked Luna? Because she was in tune with her moon and her night? Because her parents followed their Princess faithfully? She could not help the urge to lay there and simply cry into her hooves, paralyzed by her young grieff.

Midnight wasn’t sure how much time she spent crying, she had little way to tell the time. She didn’t care, she didn’t have a home. She’d watched her parents be dragged out of their home by the mob of angry ponies. She’d watched them. She didn’t even know what happened to her mother…

She rapidly shook her head. Don’t think about it. she chastised herself shivering heavily in the chilly air, she knew her older sister Starlight Mist was in a country she didn't remember the name of. “Okay… like surviving with… daddy, except alone. Shelter...“ She nodded to herself, talking to no pony in particular. The loud grumble startled her though. That is until she realised it was her own stomach. “Lets add food to the list. My big sister is probably doing better than me.” She mumbled in a downtrodden tone. Sighing deeply she set out towards the woods, using one of the few spells that she knew, the tip of her horn flared out in a brilliant azure aura that lit up the immediate area around her as she started her quest in search of food.

The search for food lasted longer than she was happy with. She had been wandering for an hour, Midnight knew what she was looking for but she couldn’t seem to find it. All the mushrooms she crossed where either poisonous or hallucinogenic in nature. The berries had not been much better. In actuality the forest seemed almost like it was designed to be a death trap. Eventually though she had finally managed to get her hooves on a meager assortment of berries that were safe for consumption along with a helping of nuts.

Idly munching on the nuts and berries that made up her dinner and now that she thought about it her lunch too, she kept wandering keeping an eye out for anything that would make for a decent shelter for the night. There wasn’t much that could be considered proper shelter though. That is until she noticed the cave off in the distance at the end her trail, set into the massive cliff face that led back up to the city she had fled.

With a resigned sigh she stepped into the cave, two more steps but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she froze. Her pacing went to reverse quite quickly as she noticed the massive bear snoozing in the cave’s centre, its cubs snuggled against it for warmth. The dejected, down right repressed filly simply ran away from the scene, a flame of jealousy burning in her chest; the cubs still had their mommy. 

During her flight away from the cave Midnight tripped and rather spectacularly face planted straight into the dirt, her hoof having caught a stray root. Starting out dead eyed in front of herself for a moment, she simply curled up. Shivering with cold and hunger still welling up inside of herself she simply let sleep take her, having just stopped caring at that point. She simply stared ahead and tried to let the darkness take her away from the hunger pain and the cold. The comforting embrace of oblivion refused to take her, as if it was spitting at her. The refusal for it to take her angered her and in the flare of anger she let loose a burst of magic she didn’t intend to, sending it crashing into a tree stump; the piece of wood instantly lit up with an inviting fire. Approaching it she smiled just a little, the warmth seeping into her chilled body, filling her with a new well of confidence. She could do this. She could survive.


*** Back in the present *** 


Surely she couldn’t survive this. Pain assaulted her as reality came crashing down upon her like a tidal wave of pure unadulterated agony. It overwhelmed all her senses, but pain was at least a good thing. Pain meant she was alive. Midnight gave a rueful laugh at the insanity of it. The pain was radiating from her forehead, a burning kind of pain like a white hot lance was skewered through her brain. The tiny mare let out a primal scream of agony as the throbbing intensified and her eyes shot open, half her vision coated in a thick red. The coppery sickening stench of blood assaulting her sense of smell. 

Her right eye stung painfully, having opened it and let blood seep into it. Taking a once over of herself she noticed her blue coat was covered in dirt, her side was raked open where a large gash was spilling her precious life fluid on the dirt. A short distance away she could see a blue stone that was conical shaped- no not a stone she realised after a moment. The thing she had assumed was an oddly shaped stone was in fact the severed top half of her horn.

Pushing herself forward caused pain to assault Midnight’s every sense, dragging herself along the rough, gravelly soil. Every inch of her body ached. She could feel the sharp bite of dirt and tiny stones rubbing up against the cuts in her side, or making new cuts on her marred blue coat. Have … to reach horn... she thought. Midnight didn’t know why she was trying, she couldn’t reattach the broken shard but she felt compelled to regardless. Reaching the severed appendage she reached out her hoof to touch it, keenly aware of the awkward angle her hoof was bent in. Instinctively she reached out with her magic to the upper half of her horn. The pain was intense but her azure magical aura managed to wrap around the broken off horn. It was a comfort that enough of the appendage remained that she could at least use her magic, albeit weakly.

However, as she attempted to touch it darkness once more overtook her world...


****** 


Midnight shot up with a loud, sharp gasp of pain! Her eyes wide and on her hooves in a matter of seconds. She didn’t regret the action like she thought she would a moment after her instincts had kicked in. Blinking in confusion she looked herself over. She wasn’t caked in dirt … she wasn’t coated in her own precious life fluids. Her hoof shot to her horn, to her relief, and more confusion, she found that it was unscathed.

A sigh of relief passed her lips, had it all been a dream? She idly pondered the possibility of it all having been such. Rather a horrible nightmare she thought bitterly. As she grew more aware of her surroundings though, she took in the astounding sight of the abyssal sky and the looming castle of shadows before her with its gothic spires and leering stone gargoyles that stood an eternal stoic vigil over the abandoned castle. Appearing to be hewn from what looked to be a material she had learned to be adamantium, the strongest material known to ponykind with metal spikes that gleamed with an unnatural light. 

There was no surrounding area. It was all a black void save for the earth she stood on and the imposing, almost evil looking castle. Castles can’t be evil … right? She thought to herself, feeling a shiver run up her spine as the temperature plummeted as if she were back telling ghost stories with her friends in the dark during sleepovers. 

She had no more time to ponder as a cloaked figure swooped down from the highest spire of the dread citadel. She was large, even at a distance Midnight could tell she was taller than the tallest pony she knew, save for two. Her eyes widened with the realisation that her goddess was descending towards her. She knelt, without thinking she dropped herself prostrate, not looking up above the azure hoof guards that struck the floor with a heady thud. Before her stood a mare. A mare black as the abyss that surrounded them, her wings flared out with azure mane and tail billowing in an ethereal wind, a shake of her head threw off the hood from her head, revealing the nightmare Princess Luna had become.

“P-Princess Luna! I’m not worthy!” Midnight whimpered softly, she didn’t dare look up at the mare, that is until she heard her regal maternal voice. It was powerful, leaving no room for disrespect and commanding the fullest attention.

“My sweet filly, as the last of our loyal followers we wish to bestow upon thee a gift. We shall embody you with the powers of our night. Thy shalt be one of our loyal subjects to herald our return.” The tall black coated and azure maned alicorn crowed in her regal voice. Her reptilian eyes regarding the tiny filly before her with dark maternal affection, slightly obscured by the stoic look on her face. “Doust thou accept our offer? Wilst thou serve your Queen loyally till the end of thine days?”

Midnight stood there, stunned. Overwhelmed even at seeing the mare of her adoration, the object of her worship and devotion, she whom her entire family had served loyally for years. Tears of joy and awe streamed down her cheeks upon beholding the alicorn mare’s regal beauty. She answered with the first words that came to her mind, she knew what to say, it was like they were meant to be spoken. It felt like embracing her destiny as she said, with the fullest of vigor “Yes of course! I would happily do anything for you, my Queen!”

She gazed on in awe as the dark mare allowed her magic to coalesce in her horn, the teal aura crackling with deep purple lightning as a second layer of overglow enveloped her horn followed by a third and a fourth. Whatever spell the mare was casting it was complex, the energy radiating from it becoming oppressive. Midnight felt like she was almost literally being crushed by the power of her Princess’ magic.

“Then receive our blessing, our Champion.” She cooed softly, her voice like honey, filled with pride. Unleashing the spell she allowed it to blast into Midnight, relentlessly pouring her power into the ten year old filly. Midnight Moon screamed. The power was overwhelming her, she felt stronger, she felt like she was being changed; reshaped, moulded to her Queen’s desire. As she was lowered to the ground once more she collapsed, panting heavily the assault of new power entering her body was the most overwhelming thing ever. Yet Midnight felt like she could take the world on.

"Arise, loyal subject." Was the last thing Midnight heard as everything faded to black.


****** 


The lack of pain was the first thing Midnight noticed. It was quickly followed by disorientation as she tried to remember what was reality and what was merely a dream or in fact her memory. Everything was a haze, everything blurring together. Midnight tried to separate out everything, though as things started to settle inside of her mind a vicious snarl pulled her back to reality.

Her eyes snapped open. She was met with the sickly, toxic green eyes of a timberwolf. The shuffling of paws made her acutely aware that they had found her, and the ones that had been chasing her had clearly been joined by the entire pack.

Rolling to her side she narrowly avoided one particularly large timberwolf snap at her throat, she flinched at the small nick he managed to make; had she been a second later he would have ripped out a good chunk of flesh.

Springing to her hooves she narrowly avoided the foul beast’s follow-up strike. She backed away, again and again. Hardly realising she was being driven back towards the cliff face. As three of them leapt at her she closed her eyes with a terrified shriek. The pain of being torn apart never came, instead she was greeted with a loud ‘thunk’ much like a pony who had run head first into a glass window.

Opening her eyes she saw the mint green shield surrounding her. She felt magical power flowing through her. The power was intoxicating, but simultaneously the power felt like it was fleeting, like it was only a temporary burst of energy. A cocky grin appeared on her muzzle as that same sense of being able to take on the world filled her again. Without thinking she channeled her magic potential into her shield.

A moment of pause grabbed her as she noticed her reflection in the shield spell. She didn’t recognise the filly that she was seeing. She was an inch taller at least it looked that way, her coat was an ashen grey bordering on black. A pair of leathery draconic wings adorned her back, dropping low in an aggressive stance. She recognised it as a Thestral’s hunting crouch, she had watched Luna’s guards training often enough to recognise it. Her horn wasn’t shattered, though it was different. It wasn’t conical, instead it was crystalline in structure, curved backwards subtly but by far the most shocking feature to her new body was the large set of fangs. Catching a glimpse of her cutie mark she noted that it was surrounded by four crimson bat like shapes.


The only way she even recognised herself were those emerald eyes that stared back at her, those emerald eyes and the violet and purple mane crowning her head. She didn’t think about what she was doing, she simply unleashed the spell with an audible roar of effort.

It shattered her shield, sending a shockwave of deep purple magic with a distinct green tinge of over glow, sparks of abyssal black crackling through it. The magic surged forwards scorching the ground, burning everything in its path including the timberwolves that didn’t have the sense to recognise a superior predator when they saw one. The Alpha being the only one who seemingly had sense it seemed as he was well on his way in the direction of ‘away from that thing’.

Midnight dropped to her knees panting heavily as the power slipped away from her, continuing to fade no matter how much she did her best to try and hold on to it. She whined lightly she felt herself shrinking back to her old form. Her eyes dropped to her red hooves as a deep seated hunger began burning inside of her. Instinct told her that she needed to feed, the craving that coursed through her, making her shudder with disgust. Her instincts were screaming that she needed blood. And she needed it soon.

From the corner of her eye she saw a creature in the bushes. Licking her fangs she gave chase to the cocatrice. Only a single though coursed through her mind as she ran it down tackling it to the ground, a hoof placed over its eyes. Feed. All logic, all sense of reason was gone as a feral instinct overtook her, sinking her fangs into the creature's neck she started to savagely feed off the still living creature. A sick sense of euphoria filling the small mare, her first meal. What she had thought moments ago would be disgusting was in fact delicious beyond compare.

As her mind cleared of the feeding haze, she stared in shock at the creature. The creature she had killed. The creature she had fed off. Whose life fluids she had so callously, savagely taken from. She could still taste the intoxicating crimson liquid on her tongue. She ran. She needed to get away, she needed to hide herself. If other ponies ever found her they would think her a monster. So she could not hurt any other creature! The animals would be fine, she had already been forced to hunt and eat meat but if she didn’t learn to control the hunter that had overtaken her, others might not be safe around her. So she ran.


<<< The End >>> 

> Chapter 2: Lost in Another World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: Lost in Another World


Guest Written by: Wacovean











Galloping through the heavily wooded Everfree Forest, Midnight Moon comes to a halt at a nearby riverbank breathing heavily, her breath is somewhat visible in the cool night air. Looking down at her reflection in the river the former unicorn filly takes note of her appearance; once a soft sky blue, now an ashen-grey, nearly black color washed over her coat. Her mane and tail of purple remain from her original self, but are left tangled and messy from her galloping. Her emerald eyes stare back at her from the water’s surface, also a piece of her former self still clinging to her form. 'To be honest much of myself hasn't changed since that day, and yet...' She glances back at her cutie mark. It had remained the full moon she had always had, but since her change four crimson bats now circle it, signifying her life has truly changed from her original path. Midnight closes her eyes, thinking of her old life, eventually leading into her new one and the possibility hurting other ponies just to survive. It sends shivers down her spine. She knows quite well she could never go through with it, but the lust for the sweet smell of life fluids filling her nostrils is too much to bear at times; it eats at her until she can no longer hold back.
      	 Midnight sighs and takes a moment to drink from the river. Once she has finished she continues on through the forest. 'I may be more resilient now, but this night is still cold.' She awkwardly wraps her leathery wings around her, trying to retain as much heat as she can. 'If there was a town nearby perhaps I could spirit away a coat or at least a scarf... Winter will be along before I know it. I must find shelter if I am to survive.' Midnight continues walking, unknowingly beginning to follow a familiar path. 'Not to mention Celestia's sun. I must avoid it as well. Becoming a creature of the night appears to have its drawbacks.' She chuckles. 'Although I did not have much of a choice. It was either this so I could forever serve my beloved Princess, or be left to those horrendous timber wolves all those years ago.'
      	As Midnight reminisces she finds herself walking on what appears to be an old cobblestone road. She looks up at her surroundings and finds she has wandered back into her home village. The shops and homes surround her as her memories come flooding back in full view. She gallops through the streets with her friends playing a game of tag running past the pastry shop, the clothing shop, and various stands of traveling sales ponies. No stands are present now; no pony would stop in a place such as this now.
      	Midnight's memory continues as she recalls one of the sales ponies managing to get her attention, but only for a moment as she is tagged "it" and proceeds to chase after her friends. Ponies mill through the streets, some becoming agitated as the fillies and colts run past, but cause no fuss beyond that. As their game ends the young ponies head home to enjoy dinner with their families and Midnight can smell her mother's delicious cooking before she enters her home.
      	She pushes open the door and she is greeted with warm smiles from her parents. Her mother, a beautiful white unicorn with the same purple mane and tail as Midnight, finishes setting the table for herself, Midnight, and Midnight's father. He is a dark blue, perhaps somewhat purple, thestral with a royal blue mane and tail. His tufted ears twitch at the creaking door and leathery wings open slightly to welcome home his youngest daughter. "Welcome home sweetheart..."
       	Tears roll down Midnight's face. Those words echo in her mind as she stands outside what remains of her home. It is little more than worn away posts after so much time has passed and nothing of the inside remains; nothing of her home is left. Midnight drops to the ground, memories of the final day of her old life flash through her mind. Every terrible event of that day replay for the first time in decades, sending her wailing in the nearly overgrown cobblestone road in front of what was once her home.
      	Finally, after what feels like the decades she's spent away from this place, Midnight's wails cease, her voice nearly shredded to pieces. She lies there in what remains of her village, tears still pouring out. 'My Queen...why did this have to happen...why did my family have to pay...for what...I do not understand...' Her prayers are somewhat scattered, but Midnight manages to pick herself up and turn from what little is left of her home. 'I cannot stay here, as much as I wish I could. And I refuse to take refuge in the town of murderers.' Midnight continues through the town, trying to leave her past life behind once more. 'If this is what remains of my village after this long, I wonder how the castle fairs.' It seemed to loom over the village when she lived here, but now Midnight can just make out one peak protruding above the tree line.
      	Once she exits the village Midnight can just make out the path leading to where the castle once stood, though it has become quite overgrown over the years. She follows it to a rope bridge, across which sits what remains of the castle. It seems to have taken a beating from the battle of the Princesses, but doesn't appear as decrepit as the village below. 'Perhaps Celestia cast a spell of protection on it as a memorial. That was courteous of her. But perhaps a rope bridge was not the best decision as the only way onto the castle grounds. I suppose much has changed in 50 years, but couldn't the mason ponies have made a stone bridge,' she whines to nopony. Reluctantly she tests the bridge, stepping with one hoof on a plank and adding pressure. "Seems sturdy," she notes aloud. Carefully Midnight picks her way across the bridge. 'If only I knew how to fly with these stupid things,' she remarks, flitting her wings out for emphasis.
      	After a few moments of slowly making her way across the narrow bridge Midnight finds herself on the other side, thankful for solid earth under her hooves once again. "Thank Luna," the grateful mare
exclaims. "I will never leave solid ground again!" Hearing her own echo, Midnight regains her composure and makes her way to the castle.
      	For the most part it is still in one piece. Pushing through the large doors and stepping inside, Midnight sees the entrance hall before her. Some plants have made their way in and there are clear signs of destruction and decay, but Midnight is still taken aback by its grandeur. Walking through she sees all of the large hallways branching off to different areas of the castle, moonlight streaming through gaps in the walls and ceiling. 'I never had the opportunity to see the inside of the castle while it was in use, but I see it must have been magnificent.'
      	Midnight reaches the bottom of the stairs leading up to a pair of thrones, and lets out a long sigh. They both show signs of aging, but it is easy for Midnight to tell who the thrones belonged to once upon a time. One has suns carved throughout its woodworking and was varnished in a light golden color, and what is left of the upholstery is laced with a golden fabric, most likely silk from what Midnight can gather from her lacking knowledge of seamstressy, on a deep magenta background. 'Definitely the throne once belonging to Princess Celestia.' Midnight came to a quick conclusion on the subject of "Whose seat is who's," and cast a solemn gaze upon the second throne standing before her.
      	It was similar to its sister, but quite different as well, just as those who the set was meant for. This throne was carved with crescent moons and stars littering its woodworking, varnished just the same as the other, but in a darker shade to complement the dark upholstery lining the back and seat. A dark royal blue, perhaps navy soft looking fabric covered the cushion and was decorated with points of white scattered across its entirety. 'Just as Her glorious night sky...' Midnight knew just who this throne had belonged to before this castle's end. She had made her way up the stairs as she took in the beauty of the pair of thrones, but only one had truly caught her attention.
      	She raises a hoof to run it over the arm of the Princess of the Night's former throne, feeling the bumps of the designs and thinking of how it must have felt to have seen her beloved Princess stand before her in this great hall. 'Now I may never get the chance...' She lets out a somewhat dejected sigh, but quickly picks herself up. "Well, I need a shelter, and I have not seen any better than this. And perhaps I can pay homage to my dear Princess." She dips her head in a bow to the empty throne."I will make your former castle my new home and protect it from harm."
      	'Is this an arrangement you agree with, my beloved Princess?' There is no answer, as always, but Midnight feels as though she can feel her Princess' will at times, and she feels as though Princess Luna would agree with her most loyal subject tending to her castle while she is away. She lifts her head and gives a small smile to the throne. Casting her gaze out to the hall, Midnight takes a step forward. "Now to see what this old place has to offer."
      	She leaves the thrones to explore what is left of the old castle and what hazards she should avoid or repair in the future. She didn't want to fully explore the entire castle on her first trip around it, merely poking her head into many of the rooms that seemed to have held up against time. She did take note of the library still filled with books. 'Excellent, I will at least have something to keep me occupied, besides when I must feed next.' The roof seems to have a few holes, but nothing major Midnight needed to worry about, so she moved on.
      	Many paintings and tapestries still decorated the walls Midnight passed. She didn't stop to look at them, but she did appreciate that they were still there. 'Perhaps Celestia wanted to keep this place as close to how it was on that day as possible, as a testament to the last time she was with her sister. How kind of her...' Midnight presses on, coming to a winding staircase that leads so far down she can just make out the bottom with her enhanced vision. 'I had better make sure there is nothing else making its home here before I settle myself in.' She begins making her way down, the stone steps very sturdy beneath her small form. At the bottom it is quite dark, but Midnight can see well enough. She makes her way into a hallway, only to be startled by several ponies' legs reaching out from the walls. She let out a scream, but quickly snuffed it as she realized just what they were. Statues of pony legs protruded from the walls to hold torches to light one's way. Kicking herself at being frightened by nothing, Midnight carries on down the hall.
      	Making note of damages and rooms as she roams Midnight has nearly seen the whole of the bottom floors of the castle. She comes to the end of the last hall she had seen to find yet another staircase leading even further down. 'How deep does this castle go? This had better be the last staircase, I will need to find a place to rest before Celestia raises the sun.' Her prayers are answered as she seems to have entered what could be considered the basement of the castle. Lighting her horn for light, Midnight sees a vast room before her. It is fairly empty, a few old items are set against the walls, but there appears to be no focal point of this room. 'Even royalty has a place for old junk in their homes.' Her assumption about the items seems to be proven true; they are all covered in a thick layer of dust and much of them show serious signs of decay. The most prominent item, only because it is reflecting the light of Midnight's horn, is a large mirror. It stands against the far wall, not ornate like some of the other items in the room, but Midnight's curiosity could not allow her to let it be. She steps closer to see her reflection, but it isn't her she sees once she is close enough to the mirror. She sees a little filly staring back at her, the same shocked expression on her face as Midnight, but this filly has a sky blue coat, mane and tail of purple, emerald eyes, and her cutie mark is that of the full moon baring the Mare in the Moon, as ponies have come to call it. But that is the only mark; there are no crimson bats circling this cutie mark. Midnight know exactly what is looking back at her; an image of her former self. She is taken aback by it, to say the least, but soon finds joy in seeing herself like this again. 'It is true, I haven't changed. Not my true self anyway. I am still the filly from then, and I always will be. I will forever be true to myself, and my Princess.'
      	Smiling Midnight raises a hoof to the mirror to touch her former self, feeling close to her old life once again. She finds that when Princesses have a room dedicated to holding seemingly random items, she shouldn't touch them. As her guard is lowered Midnight isn't expecting the surface of the mirror to shimmer and allow her hoof to go straight through, pulling the rest of her with it.
      	She comes tumbling out of a pool and lands on her stomach with a thud. Forcing the air that was just forced from her lungs back into her body, Midnight feels a strange presence in this place; as if something is staring at her from afar. It is far too dark, as if the moon has nearly disappeared from the night sky. Sighing, Midnight gets up from the ground shaking the dirt from her body in the process.
      	“Where am I,” she asks herself aloud, looking around the forest of large trees and strange looking plants surrounding her. 'They look as though they could come to life at any moment.' Without warning the trees seem to do just that as they bend to reveal an enormous, hideous beast. It appears to be a creature somehow created by mixing a bear and a lizard with horns, razor sharp claws and teeth, and glowing red eyes. It stares down at the little pony before it ominously. Midnight is obviously frightened by this gargantuan beast; her eyes widening and ears lying down flat. It appears as though she is ready to flee the second she gets the chance.
      	‘What is that thing?!’ No time for her to analyze the creature before her as it charges her, leaving Midnight little chance to move from its path. She manages to throw herself just out of the way, but cannot manage to avoid being scathed by the enormous beast’s razor sharp claws. She lands on the ground with a loud thud and hisses from the pain. Glaring up at the beast her fangs bare themselves in hatred.
      	“You damned beast, I’ll show you pain!” She stands, covering a flinch from the open wound dripping blood down her form.
      	'My, my, what have we here?' Unbeknownst to the sparing pair, they have attracted an audience with the racket they're creating.
      	The beast chuckles, an action Midnight finds startling coming from a creature such as this. It makes her rage burn. "Confident are we? Well, let me show you what Tartarus looks like!" She flares out her wings in rage and charges the beast with full force. Unfortunately Midnight did not anticipate the speed of this creature's reflexes. Before she knows it the creature swats at her and she finds herself sliding across the ground. She winces, and looks down to find another gash down her side.
      	‘That damn beast, I will kill it!’ Lifting herself up Midnight narrows her eyes and bares her fangs with ferocious anger. 'This creature is going to be tough from the looks of it,' she says to herself. She licks her fangs with a grin. ‘But I am tougher!’ Her horn glows as Midnight begins to cast a spell.
      	The creature sees this and attacks. 'Perfect.'  Midnight seizes the opportunity to shoot a beam of magic into the creature’s eye. A beam of light that quickly exploded outwards creating a large crater around the two of them. It howls in pain and falls back, giving Midnight a second opportunity to attack. She rushes the creature once more and, ignoring the pain shooting through her own body, opens her mouth aiming her sharp fangs at the creature’s jugular. Clamping down on the beast's throat, Midnight sinks her fangs in, piercing the vein. The creature writhes for a moment, trying to shake her off, but Midnight’s bite paralyzes her prey as she works gulping down the blood it has to offer her. Savoring the taste as it runs down her throat it isn’t long before Midnight hears the fast paced beating of the now fearful creature’s heart, then silence.
       	Midnight removes her fangs from the creature’s neck and licks her lips clean of her most recent feast. Suddenly her eyes widen as she wretches the blood she took from the creature onto the ground, and sees it’s black as tar. ‘What in the...?’ Wiping the tar-like blood from her lips. ‘That was dreadful,’ she thinks as she looks over at the enormous dead creature. ‘But at least this monstrosity will not hurt anypony else, that is certain,’ she adds, spitting the last of its awful blood out.
      	Midnight’s ears twitch at the sound of the brush moving behind her. She swiftly turns and shouts “Who goes there?!” She bears her fangs with a growl. A mysterious pony figure emerges from the shadows to reveal them self.
      	He is a tall, muscular, unicorn stallion. This mysterious stallion has a blue coat with a dark blue mane and tail and icy blue eyes. Midnight’s eyes narrow as she takes in this new pony. "There's something about this stallion. He's not...right." Midnight has never seen such a large unicorn. She knows it is possible for stallions to get quite large, regardless of race, but he seems even larger than she thought any stallion could become.
      	“Who are you,” she demands, anxiety present in her voice.
      	The mysterious unicorn stallion snorts. “It’s rude to ask one's name without introducing yourself, child,” he answers back, no emotion in his voice.
      	Midnight swallows as she backs up a bit, still barring her fangs. “Why should I?"  The stallion shrugs his shoulders and walks away, confusing Midnight. “HEY! Where do you think you’re going?!”
      	“What does it look like, child? I’m leaving,” he points out.
      	Midnight is once again confused by the stallion's statement. ‘He…he isn’t here to attack me, or hurt me,’ she realizes, arching her right eyebrow. ‘So why is he...?’ The stallion is nearly out of view in the shadows. “Hey, wait a minute,” she shouts going after him.
      	The mysterious unicorn stallion halts in place and sighs, “What do you want now, child?” he asks without looking back.
      	Midnight slows her pacing until she finally catches up to him. Not knowing what to do, she folds her ears back and says “My name is Midnight; Midnight Moon. So...what is your name?”
      	The unicorn stallion turns his head enough to look back at Midnight. “It’s Drake; Drake Nightfield.”
      	Midnight blinks, ‘Drake is it?’ She clears her voice, “What are you Drake, because to me, you don't look like the average stallion. And where is this place? And-”
      	“Is this all you are going to do; ask questions?” Midnight is shocked by his interruption and narrows her eyes at him.
      	Drake grins, making Midnight angrier, “Are you trying to mock me, Drake?” She spits the name.
      	“Perhaps,” Drake says, turning around to meet Midnight’s emerald eyes. “I want to see how far I can push you.”
      	Midnight feels her jaw loosen with shock, but she soon recovers and snarls, showing her fangs. “Don’t tempt me to hurt you, because I will. I don’t want to, but if push comes to shove I’ll-” a hoof suddenly presses on her lips, keeping her from continuing.
      	“Alright already, you don’t have to prattle on,” Drake interrupts. Midnight mutters something from under Drake’s hoof, so he removes it to hear her out. “What was that again?”
      	“I said,” she begins with a high voice but seeing Drake’s eyebrow raise up, she backs down. She clears her voice and continues. “Could you tell me what you are and where I am?”
Drake blinks as he turns around and begins to walk away, “Hey! You can’t simply walk away without answering my ques-” Midnight smacks into Drake’s hind leg. She backs up rubbing her nose, “Why the sudden halt,” she complains as her eyes begin to glisten with the pain in her snout.
      	Drake sighs. “You did say you want to know where you are, correct?”

      	Midnight sniffs. “Yeah, it is something I would like to know.”
      	“Then get up here or I’ll drag you up here,” Drake says lighting his horn with a serious expression.
      	Midnight stiffens and calls out “Alright, alright, I’m coming, you big brute.” She steps up to the where Drake is standing. He blinks using his magic to push away the branches of the surrounding trees to see the view before them. Midnight’s eyes widen. “Wow! What is this place?” Seeing a landscape of different colors as far as her eyes will allow. Straight ahead is orange and yellow, to the right is red, and to the left is blue and purple.
      	Midnight realizes what she is looking at and turns to look at Drake for answers. “What is it, Midnight?”
      	She blinks, “Why is the land different colors? Where I'm from the grass is all green, the dirt and stone brown, and the water is all blue.”
      	“It has been this way for as long as I’ve been alive, child,” he closes the branches back up. “But unlike where you are from, this land isn’t ruled by two princesses,” he adds, walking back to the clearing to wait for more of Midnight's questions.
      	His statement grabs Midnight’s attention. “What do you mean by 'this land isn’t ruled by two princesses?' The royal sisters rule all of Equestria, even the stranger areas like this one,” she calls, following him down to the clearing.
      	Drake sighs, knowing he is faced with answering this question. “Alright Midnight I’ll tell you, but you have to answer my questions also.”
      	She narrows her eyes and takes a defensive stance. “What if I don’t want to?”
      	Drake shrugs. “Well I guess I’ll just leave you here to figure out this place on your own then,” he says taking a step.
      	Midnight freezes, realizing she'll have quite a difficult time making her way in this strange new place alone. She rushes in front of Drake to stop him. “Okay, okay, you win,” she says looking up at Drake, who has plastered a smirk on his face. She grits her teeth, hating that she must accept the help of this strange unicorn in this strange place. "I just want to go home..."
      	“Don't worry, I like this situation just as much as you do,” he says with sarcasm.
      	Midnight groans. This isn’t getting her anywhere and she needs to know where she is so she can find her way out and back home. And what kind of pony is this Drake? He isn’t ordinary, that she is certain of. So, sighing her pride away, she fakes a smile and asks “Could you tell me…please?” She strains to be polite to somepony she doesn’t even know, but right now she doesn’t have much of a choice.
      	Drake blinks and sits down on his haunches seeing how determined Midnight is with that fake smile, but he lets it slide and says “This land is called Estaria.”
       	"Estaria." Midnight has never heard of such a place. “What?”
      	Getting up on his hooves once again, Drake says “I know what you are thinking, and you are right; this isn’t Equestria. This land isn’t ruled by the princesses but by six rulers of their respective lands, including the high ruler of all Estaria. So, does that answer your first question, Midnight?”
      	Midnight’s brain was going in circles, ‘Estaria…six rulers…not ruled by the two princesses. Ehh, I’m okay, never better,’ she thinks. “I…I think you lost me on the ruling part of this world Drake.”
      	Drake sighs, “That’s okay, and you are not the only one who gets confused when they accidentally come here."
      	“Like who?” asked Midnight.
      	“I don’t know, it isn’t my business to get involved in other ponies' lives.”
      	Midnight lowers her head, “Oh, I see.” She lifts her head up again. “So what about-”
 	“Your other question I take it,” Drake interrupts Midnight’s sentence. Midnight nods her head. Drake backs up a few feet. He closes his eyes as he exhales, then inhales slowly. His eyes fly open, revealing them as icy blue with slitted pupils. In the same instance, two massive dragon wings come forth from his back and two white horns grow from his head, curling back and coming to extremely sharp points behind his ears. His coat turns to scales of the same dark blue, his hooves turn to claws, and a long serpent tail is in place of the pony tail he had just a moment before.
      	Midnight, with wide eyes, falls backward from the sudden transformation, but it didn’t quell her curiosity of this strange creature she's met. “How? What are you?”
      	Drake closes his eyes as his dragon wings fold at his sides. He turns his head to the side and slowly opens his eyes “I’m a vampiric dragon shifter.”
      	Midnight arches her eyebrows with curiosity, “A  vampiric dragon shifter, what is that?”
      	“One that can shift into a dragon and other creatures at will, like griffons, hydras, and many more dangerous creatures.”
      	Midnight’s cheeks took on a light red hue. “That’s intriguing.”
      	Drake turns his attention to Midnight with his icy blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight, making Midnight shrink back. She bears her fangs, however it doesn’t concern Drake one bit as he approaches her. “You know what’s more intriguing?” He stops in front of Midnight and lowers his head.
      	Midnight watches Drake approaching with that gleam in his eyes. ‘What, is going on? And why is he looking at me with that expression on his face like he’s-’ her words were lost to her when Drake is right in front of her. And before she could react, Drake lowers his head. She closes her eyes for what is to come.
      	But nothing happened. She slowly opens her eyes to stare into Drake's up close. It was now, with the icy pools mere inches from her own emeralds that she could see a hint of sadness in them.
      	Midnight opens to her mouth when Drake interrupts. “You and your abilities.”
She is a bit dumbfounded as to what Drake just said to her, “Come again?
      	Drake lifts his head up and sighs. “I found what’s truly intriguing is you and your abilities. But I have to say they were everywhere; no control and they lacked discipline. They could very well lead to hurting yourself, and others, if you're not careful.”
      	“What are you saying; I had everything under control!”
      	“Oh, then please, enlighten me; how were you still injured by that beast if you were so in control? Or why there is now a massive crater there?”
      	“I am-” Midnight begins to say when she is reminded of the sting just below her cutie mark. The cut was inflicted by the beast. She folds her ears down on her head to look back up at Drake. “Fine, I suppose I need...a little help.”
      	“A little?” He snorts, "You need more than 'a little' help to get you where you need to be, and from the looks of it I have my work cut out for me.”
      	“What do you mean by that?”
      	“Look around Midnight,” Drake begins as Midnight does what she is told. “Do you see anypony coming to help?” Midnight shakes her head, “You see, no one cares, but I’m willing to assist you in reaching new heights. If you can control your abilities you could even get a new form that attracts less attention.”
      	Midnight blinks. “What do you mean?”
      	Drake arches his right eyebrow, “For one, that crystalline horn of yours is a bright bull’s eye saying ‘Here I am, come attack me.’”
      	Midnight considers what this shifter has just told her. “Then teach me how to take control,” she says, standing up with determination. “I need to be stronger so I can face any challenge in my way.”
      	Drake just stands there blinking. “Uh-huh...and how will you do that with your fangs protruding from your mouth ready to sink into something?” Blinking, Midnight put her hoof up to her mouth, and she began to shiver. “I take it from all the adrenaline that was going through your body, and spitting out that creature’s toxic blood, you just now felt the urge to feed.”
      	“Sh-Shut up,” Midnight demanded lowering her head. ‘I can’t go on like this. What did that fowl creature’s blood do to me? But, in any case, I have to feed; though, it’s such a bother to do it. I just wish there was a simpler way to not feed every few days.’ She shuts her eyes at the thought of drinking blood.
      	Drake just stands there staring down at the shivering Midnight and sighs, ‘Well it looks like it can’t be helped.’ He looks around as his ears pick up the slightest sound. Then he looks in front of him with a fanged grin, ‘Perfect,’ he thinks as he lights his horn.
      	Drake casts his magic around Midnight who stiffens up, and looks up and around her to see that she’s in airborne, “HEY! What’s the big idea Drake?!”
      	“Shh, will you keep it down, Midnight?”
      	She stops struggling. “What’s wrong,” she asks in a whispered tone.
      	“Nothing’s wrong,” he begins to say as he walks forward through the thicket surrounding them.
         	“Then why did you use your magic on me,” she asks, still whispering.
      	Drake slightly looks over his shoulder with a grin. “To make sure you don’t run away.”   Midnight stiffens; she doesn’t like the sound of that. She narrows her eyes. “And why would I do that?” she asks.
      	Still grinning, “Well, when it comes to feeding, I get the feeling you don’t like doing it,” Drake answers back.
      	Midnight’s eyes widen with fright. “Y-You are mistaken!” She averts her eyes from the stallion.
      	Drake turns his attention back in front of him. ‘Sure, just play like the helpless lamb you are. You have no choice since your body is the one calling the shots, and you will just end up a bloodlust creature if you can’t get it under control,’ he thinks, slightly looking back to the pouting Midnight. ‘And I would hate to see a very talented vampony, such as yourself, be reduced to a mindless monster,’ he adds, bringing his attention back to what's ahead as he continues to walk in the forest.
      	It wasn’t long after when Drake came to a halt. Midnight asks “What now,” agitation clear in her voice. She doesn't care for being foal-sat in such a manner.
      	“We are here.”
      	Midnight looks around the forest scenery. “Uh-huh, and where exactly is 'here?'" Drake lowers Midnight down to the ground and walks over to the tree branches in front of him. He lights his horn to push the branches aside slowly and motions Midnight over with a tilt of his head. Midnight groans. ‘This better be worth it, or so help me I’ll-’ her words fell short as she sees a deer in front of her, grazing.
      	Midnight swallows, her eyes begin to glow and fangs protrude from her upper lips. Without hesitation she steps forward but is stopped by Drake. With a strong claw he steps on Midnight's tail to keep her in place. Midnight swiftly turns to glare at him with a burning rage, her eyes saying ‘LET. ME. GO!’
      	Drake, however, isn’t affected by Midnight’s threat as he pulls her back. “What the hell Drake! I could have taken care of that deer in a matter of seconds if you hadn’t intervened!” she whispers, venom dripping from her words.
      	“True, but I wanted you to see, not act right away.”
      	Midnight arches an eyebrow. “What? What are you going on about?”
      	“Simple, it’s called strategy. You think you and I are the only ones after this deer, think again,” Drake points out.
      	“But,” is all Midnight could say getting pushed by Drake back over to the tree branches. Midnight sighs with annoyance and did what she was asked to do. So, peaking through the tree branches, she doesn’t see anything right away, except for the deer, when she notices something at the corner of her eye. Midnight’s eyes widen to see a dozen pairs of big glowing red eyes. Swallowing again she retreats back to look over at Drake. “What where those things?”
      	Drake blinks, “Those are shadow wolves. Pack-hunters and one of many threats to the lives of any blood drinker.”
      	“Did you say one of many?”
      	“Yes, and trying to pass through them is asking for a death sentence. But if you use strategy you could win your prize. So, are you willing to give it a try or go for easier prey?”
      	Midnight blinks as a pulsing sensation runs throughout her body, making it hard for her to concentrate. “Let’s get this over with because I want that deer, and nothing will stand in my way,” she snarls, fangs glinting in the moonlight.
      	Drake grins, “Alright, let’s get to work then,” he says spreading his dragon wings and taking off into the air without a sound.
      	“Right,” Midnight said looking back through the tree branches at the dozen pairs of red glowing eyes.
         	That very moment, one by one the pairs of red glowing eyes disappear within the shadows of the forest, the deer undisturbed. Strange, as Midnight can hear the wolves scuffling about. She squints her eyes to see a soundproof spell had been cast around the deer. ‘So that’s what Drake had in mind, but still I-’ Midnight’s words came to a halt when she hears shuffling in a nearby bush to her left.
      	She bears her fangs to attack, when Drake comes out with blood covering his face and muzzle. Midnight is shocked and irritated at him. “What’s with the blood, huh?”
      	Drake replies calmly, “You don’t have to be rude, you know? I did take care of the shadow wolves for you. I'd say you should show a bit of gratitude,” he points out.
      	Midnight turns angry as she steps right up to Drake and opens her mouth when Drake interrupts. “Do you want the deer or not,” he asks coldly.
      	Midnight backs off as she’s no match for somepony like him. Averting her gaze, she mutters “Yes,” in a pout.
      	Drake sighs, ‘Kids.' He then says, “Well then, go get it.”
      	Midnight blinks. She’s very angry at Drake, but he did help her. So she should at least show a bit of gratitude toward the only pony that is going to help her in the long run. So sucking up her pride for a moment, she says “Thank you for what you have done. Bye!” She disappears through the thicket in a hurry. Drake sighs as he sits down. He picks up the sound of a struggle. He uses his magic to move the branches enough to peak through and what he sees is Midnight with her full weight on the deer. Midnight has her mouth latched onto the deer’s neck, two light streams of blood run down its neck to pool slightly on the ground.

         	The sound of the deer’s heart beat is racing in Midnight’s ears as she drains the life blood from the animal. It seems as though the blood will never end, but Midnight soon finds she is gulping down less and less, so she releases her fangs from the deer’s neck. Her cheeks take on a deep red hue of satisfaction. The blood from this kill brings life to the once exhausted pony. Her ears pick up the sound of hoof-steps and she looks over to see Drake standing before her. “Feeling better?”
      	Midnight grins. “Much.” She happily chirps, unaware of the life she just took. Unfortunately, Midnight often blacks out when she feeds; she hates inflicting pain on any creature, yet it's the only way for her to live.
      	“Then let’s go. The smell of the carcass will attract other creatures here, and I really don’t want to be around when they come.” Turning around and heading back through the tree branches, Drake expects Midnight to follow.
      	“Right,” is all Midnight says, casually following Drake back on the other side of the tree branches.
 
      	Back where Midnight took the life of the deer, whose carcass is still lying on the ground, Midnight has as a scowl on her face.
      	“What’s with the look, Midnight?” asks Drake.
      	No response. Instead Midnight narrows her eyes at Drake. He sighs, ‘Why is Midnight angry? Surely it wasn’t my doing, was it?’ he asked himself. He thinks back to the night before and grins. ‘Oh, I get it now.’ Midnight still holds a scowl on her face and looks away.     	“It’s okay Midnight,” said Drake.
      	Midnight screams back at him. “That’s easy for you to say! You didn’t drink toxic blood that would make you act strange, followed by a deer’s blood!” Her eyes are now open, rage burning in the emerald pools.
      	“Well that wasn’t my fault, now was it?”
      	Midnight opens her mouth to make a retort, but closes it as she averts her eyes, knowing he's right. “I was just chasing a bunny, when I happen to enter this world. And now I don’t know how to get back home, if there is a way to get back that is,” she says, hating to rely on somepony that could betray her.
      	“Oh, there’s a way,” says Drake.
      	Midnight looks back over to Drake. “Really? Then-”
      	“I’m sorry Midnight, but what you are going to ask is impossible.” Drake interrupted.    “Why?” Midnight asks, needing the answer. She needs to know if there is any way back to Equestria; back to the land she knows.
      	“Because there are only two ways to leave this world. One is to achieve something within this world. The other is to go to the capital, which is in the center of all Estaria, but I doubt you’ll make it past the forest.”
      	Midnight blinks as she thought of what she wants to do. 'I could make it through the forest on my own...I think. But to achieve something? What does that even mean?'
      	"What do you mean 'achieve something?'" Midnight looks to Drake for answers, her eyes as sharp as daggers. She needs these answers.
      	Drake sees her determination. 'Excellent.'
      	"Well, what is it you most desire?"
      	"What I most desire?" Midnight thinks about it for a short few seconds. She wishes more than anything to make it back to Equestria, a land she knows, filled with creatures she knows how to deal with. As she searches for an answer to the shifter's question, her gaze drifts to the deer she drained of life. The puncture wounds on its neck drew her attention, and she looks to Drake, certainty evident in her entire being. “I want to be more in control of myself so I won’t have to drink blood as often as I do now.”
         	Drake smiles. “Impressive Midnight, simply impressive.”
      	Midnight blinks as she arches her right eyebrow, “How do you mean?” she asks, her drive unwavering.
      	Drake stops beside the corpse that had its life blood taken by Midnight and grins but doesn’t turn around. “I have decided to help you,” he calls back to her, ignoring her question.
      	She shakes her head with confusion. “What did you say? You are going to help me? How?” Questions pour from her mouth, seemingly never-ending.
      	Drake tilts his head and begins to chuckle. “Yes, I will help you learn to control this immense power you are bottling up inside of you,” he begins as he turns around to face Midnight.
      	“WHAT! That’s crazy; I tried to control this new power, but it never worked because-” “Because you lack the proper training and focus.” Drake states.
      	Midnight blinks. “Yeah, so what?” She barks it back defensively.
      	“Look, I’m not here to argue with you. I’m offering to help you.”
“Why?!” Midnight bears her fangs.

         	“Like I said before, I find you and your abilities quite interesting, so I’ll do what I can to help you achieve your goal.”
      	Midnight’s eyes widen with her ears folded down. She can’t believe it; somepony is willing to help her, even after years of running from hunters that only see her as a monster. But this stallion will risk everything to help her. With watery eyes she says, “Please, help me. I want to become stronger and gain a new form that will protect me.”
      	Drake nods. “Of course.”
      	Midnight’s cheeks take on a slight red hue and she smiles, when Drake says, “Just to let you know, training will be intense.”
      	Rubbing away the salty tears with new confidence, she says, “Of course, just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.”
      	Drake nods his head. “Alright, what you have to do is to control your surroundings, strengthen your body and mind, and finally harness your power to achieve a new form.”
      	Midnight blinks. “I see. And how long will this take?”
      	“That depends. These training sessions can last days, weeks, months, or even years. It also comes down to how much effort you put into each one as well.”
      	Midnight is shocked to hear the word 'years.' It mortifies her. She will not be trapped in this place for years. She shakes her head and stares at Drake with determination. “I’ll do what I must to learn to control myself,” she says, acting as tough as she can.
      	Drake isn’t convinced and Midnight averts her gaze. He walks over to her and gets into her personal space. “You don’t seem too confident like you were a moment ago, why is that?”
      	Midnight closes her eyes, “It’s just, will it really take years to get where I want to be? By then the Princess of the Night will be here before I know it,” she answers back with frustration.
      	‘So that’s all she's worried about. I was worried about nothing then,’ Drake sighs. But he has an idea, “Midnight, look at me.”
      	Midnight slowly opens her eyes to look in front of her and freezes in place. Drake is to close for comfort. “What-”
      	“Look, I know you are scared and you try to play tough because of it, but you have to get over the fact that you are not in Equestria anymore. You are now in a world that isn’t full of that harmony stuff. It's do or die. Not only that, you have learn to live in this hostile world because it’s just not going to be nice to you, that much I can tell you right now.” Midnight blinks as Drake continues, “But that is why I’m here; to help you train in this harsh world of mine. It will take a while for you to build up your strength to achieve the goal that you are setting. And if you are determined like you said you were moments ago then we are ready.” Drake looks into Midnight’s eyes.
      	Midnight’s face takes on a red hue before she averts her eyes once again and closes them. “Fine, if it means that I’ll become stronger then I will do anything, even if it takes years to do so,” she looks back at Drake with a serious expression this time around.
      	Drake takes her new tone as a sign to withdraw from Midnight’s personal space and takes a few steps away from her, putting a small distance between them in the clearing. Looking back at the deer carcass his instincts begin kicking in, however he slightly looks back at Midnight to come up with a way to train a vampony, unlike him.
      	Then an idea comes to his mind. He takes a better look at Midnight Moon, circling around her, irritating her greatly. “What are you doing,” she asks.
      	“Looking at what I have to work with,” Drake answers back.
      	“And what’s that supposed to mean? I don’t see how circling me like a piece of meat is going to help me achieve this new form.” Midnight never lets the stallion out of her sight.
      	Drake halts in place in front of Midnight and sighs, “So many questions. Fine, what I’m doing is seeing how I need to start your training, but if you want to stall for time, be my guest. The only reason I’m even here in the first place is because I find your abilities interesting." Midnight turns away from him and he sighs. ‘Kids; what good comes from them, especially this one? But for some reason she puts up a front and I don’t know why that is.'
      	Midnight, with her eyes looking elsewhere, ‘Stupid Drake, he doesn’t even know me! So why is he risking exposure to other predators in order to help me? I just don’t get him at all! But he's all I have to rely on in this unknown world... Okay, he shows me what I need to do and I’ll do it my way. It's the only way I'll make it home.’ Clearing her throat and looking back to see Drake in front of her she says, “You can train me, but it will be on my terms, got it?”
      	Drake cocks an eyebrow as if Midnight has completely lost her mind and lights up his horn. “HEY,” Midnight shouts as she is engulfed in the stallion's icy blue magical aura.
      	“Don’t 'hey' me, and don’t you give me that ‘my terms' shit, because if it was up to you, you wouldn’t last a day.”
      	“Oh yeah, then try me?” Midnight barks out as she struggles to free herself.
      	Drake snorts. “I don’t have to; I saw plenty when you fought that beast of a creature when you arrived here. So I’m not as stupid as you make me out to be, Midnight Moon,” he says looking up, his eyes gleaming.
      	A chill went throughout Midnight’s body. ‘What the hell was that?’ Looking down at Drake who’s walking back beyond the tree branches to the other side. Midnight then folds her forelegs across her chest. “Fine, but I don’t have to like that you are in charge of this training, however willing you are to help me,” she said with annoyance.
      	Drake blinks. “Lucky me,” he whispers.
  	“What!”
      	“Nothing, nothing at all,” Drake answers back continuing onward.
 
      	Arriving in a large clearing surround by trees, Drake scans the area for danger. He feels as though everything is fine, so he lowers Midnight to the ground and dispels the magic surrounding her. She lands on her stomach with a thud. Midnight groans as she forces her eyes to open; she had fallen asleep being carried so long. “Awake are we,” asked Drake.
      	Midnight groans again, “Have we arrived yet?”
  	“Yes, and it’s time to wake up, sunshine.”
      	Midnight gets to her hooves. On her unsteady, tired hooves Midnight replies "Don’t call me sunshine.”
      	“Alright, 'Rookie' then,” Drake says with a grin.
      	She groans once again, an eye twitching with irritation. “Don’t call me that either!” 	“Well it's what you are,” Drake points out.
      	Midnight snorts and looks around the area. “Where are we exactly?”
      	Drake walks forward. “Safe. You'll be able to train to your heart’s content.”
      	Midnight sits down on her haunches. “Doesn’t seem like a promising place to me.”
      	Drake begins to snarl in irritation at this child’s mouth, but he keeps his composure. He clears his throat. “Anyway, we need to start you off with the basics for now.”
      	Midnight arches an eyebrow. “Like what? It better not be stupid,” she mutters the last of her statement to herself. Drake walks back over to Midnight, who blinks at the sudden close proximity of this other pony. “What?”
      	‘Shit, he didn’t hear what I just said did he,’ she hopes.
      	“From what I know about you, you don’t know how to use those wings at your side.”
      	Midnight blinks as she looks to her folded bat wings. She flaps them a bit, and then looks back to Drake, “What of it?”
      	Drake grins, making Midnight prickle on edge. “It’s quite simple; your first training session is flying,” Drake says matter-of-factly.
      	Midnight blinks with confusion. “Come again?”
      	“Flying is the first thing I will train you in.”
      	Midnight shakes her head. “That isn’t training, it’s-”
      	Drake got in her face, pressing his snout into hers. “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but you were a pegasus when you were turned, despite the horn on your head, correct?”
      	Midnight takes a few steps back as she waves a hoof in front of her. “No, I was born a unicorn.”
      	Drake strokes his chin in thought. “I see. So how long have you been like this?” Midnight blinks as no pony has ever asked her that question before. Looking up at Drake with an uncertain gaze, Midnight comes to a realization; she has no idea how long it's been since she had to leave her old life behind.  The look on her face gave away her thoughts and Drake had his answer. Taking a step back from Midnight, Drake says “I can help with that, but it won’t be easy.”
      	Midnight realizes she had been lost in thought for a moment and is about to question what Drake meant by what he said, but she is cut off before she even begins. Drake has his muzzle buried into her neck. Her cheeks take on a bright red huea burning heat welled up inside of her chesr. She tries to shove Drake away from her. “D-Drake, stop this! Get away from me!”
      	Drake doesn’t listen, as usual, and he opens his mouth. Midnight's eyes widen in terror and tears begin to form.  She kicks him in a desperate attempt to keep from being bitten by this shifter's fangs, but to no avail; his scales protect him like an armor. Midnight closes her eyes, bracing for the pain of dragon fangs piercing her pony flesh.
      	Midnight felt a sharp pain, but it's in her hoof instead of her neck. She opens her eyes slowly and she can't believe what she's seeing. Drake has her hoof in his mouth and a few droplets of blood fall to the ground. Still shocked when Drake removes his mouth from her hoof, she slaps him across the face. “YOU BASTARD!”
      	Drake chuckles as he places his hoof to his cheek. "I suppose I deserve that one," he says to himself looking over Midnight. She's panting from the fear and holding her hoof in a defensive pose, her face twisted into a rage filled snarl.
      	Drake smiles, only pissing Midnight off more. “You idiot! What did you do THAT for, huh?!”
      	“Sorry if I surprised you, Midnight-”
    	“You think!” Midnight yells out, interrupting him.
      	Drake removes his hoof from his cheek, the pain now completely dissipated, and continues. “I only did it so could figure something out. Nothing more.”
      	Midnight snorts and turns away from him. “You could have fooled me,” she says angrily. Drake gives her a moment to relax knowing he won't get anywhere with her until she calms down. He sits down himself. 'I guess I could use a little break after that long walk. I'll just wait till she's ready to acknowledge me again.'
       	When she finally relaxes to her normal amount of unease around Drake, she asks “What exactly did you figure out?”
      	'She's still not looking at me, but it's a start.' Drake stands once again and takes a couple steps toward the confused black pony. “You were turned by magic, not by a vampire’s bite.”
 	“So? What’s the difference? I'm a vampony either way,” Midnight points out.
      	Drake sits back down behind her as he explains. “That's true, but the methods and results vary greatly. For starters, a pony that's been bitten by a vampony is called a 'new born.' Have you been called that before?”
      	“Not that I’m aware of,” she answers.
      	“I see. Those who are bitten, the 'new borns,' are immune to many things, one being the sun. With a simple spell they can walk into the day light like any other pony. They still have an attachment to when they were normal ponies, until they're older. They begin to weaken at a certain age. That’s what I've heard at least. As for the ones that were turned by magic, they're on a different level.”
      	“How so,” Midnight asks. 'How does he know so much about vamponies?'
      	“Those that are turned by magic take a form that suits the caster for servitude. Not only that, they burn in the rays of the sun, but you know that well by now, don't you,” Drake asks rhetorically.
      	Midnight’s eyes widen. ‘P-Princess Luna, but that’s impossible,’ she said in her mind.   “I take it the one that cast the spell on you was quite fond of the night. But I won’t mention any names. Anyway, from transforming by magic, you gain what new borns can’t have.”
      	“And that would be,” Midnight pushes, her curiosity peaked.
    	“A second form,” said Drake.
      	“A second form…wait a minute, you mentioned that before. Isn't that form the whole reason we're here?”
      	Drake nods. “And I take it that you are in some sort of a released form, which is quite older than the one that you once had before you were transformed.”
      	“What do you mean by that?”
      	Drake smiles. “The blood I sampled tastes like that of a full grown mare, possibly just past the peak of her life. Though clearly you look like a mare who has passed fillyhood, but it wasn't long ago. It’s nice to know that your body doesn’t age as quickly as your blood.”
      	Midnight blushes madly and whips around to face Drake. “What does my age have to do with anything from what you are talking about?!”
      	“It’s quite simple; you were turned as a filly, but after whatever happened you got stuck in your released form and now you wish to gain a sealed form, am I right?”
      	Midnight blinks as she lowers her head. “I will do anything to achieve it, but I now know that I’m not strong enough to do on my own,” she begins, speaking to the grass below her hooves. “So please, whatever I have to do, even if it means taking baby steps like flying, I’ll do it, at any cost.” Midnight has raised her head, showing Drake the fires of determination burning in her eyes.

         	Drake smiles. “Well I guess we better get started before the sun rises. Don’t want you burning to a crisp now do we,” he winks.
      	Midnight’s jaw tightens and her face turns red. “That’s the last time you get a taste of my blood.”
         	Drake snickers, “Fine by me Midnight, unless you offer it, of course.”
 	“Like hell I will, lizard!” she hisses.
      	Drake slithers his tongue out. “I can be one if you want,” he says as his pupils elongating into slits.
 	Midnight stomps her hoof on the ground. “NO! Absolutely not,” she rages.
      	Drake chuckles. “Alright let’s begin with your first flying lesson.”
“Right,” Midnight says, standing straight, ready to master her training and attain her sealed form.
 

      	Midnight's wings are getting stronger by the hour, but not without a cost. Drake has put her through the most rigorous trials she's ever tried to accomplish, and many times she has lost consciousness from the effort. Drake has allowed her a short resting period. She has fanned out her wings to cool herself, and her ears perk up as hoof-steps approach her. Peering in the direction of the sound from her half opened eyelids she sees Drake walking toward her. She clears her throat and asks “What is it?” She straightens herself up as her new teacher approaches.
      	Drake looks around the area then back at the tired Midnight. “Are you giving up,” he answers back with a question of his own.
      	Midnight narrows her eyes, and hisses back “What gave you that idea?”
      	“You're lying on your rump for one,” he begins, lowering his head down. “There’s no rest for the weary, Midnight. Taking five is fine in my book, but taking an hour rest won’t help you achieve your goal.”
      	Midnight snarls “Are you trying to kill me? You're doing marvelous job at it, really you are,” she says, sarcasm evident in her voice.
      	Drake raises his head, now looming over Midnight. “Look Midnight, I’m not here to baby you. I’m here to help you to successfully achieve that new form you want so badly, but if you think this first training session is hard, think again. It's only getting harder from here, but I promise you it’s worth it in the end. You don't want to feed as often, correct?” He sees Midnight narrow her eyes.
      	“I do want to stop feeding as often, but I’m just a beginner at this flying business; I was born a unicorn. And besides that, it just feels weird. The idea of moving through the air without my hooves planted firmly on the ground is unnatural to me,” she says, feeling her wings opening on their own, only emphasizing her lack of control over them. “Being a unicorn I can understand how to use magic, even if I only know how to use a little bit, but flying is a whole new thing to me. What did you expect of me?”
      	Drakes sighs heavily, “This is not only a test of seeing if you can fly, it’s also a test to see if you can challenge yourself and beat the odds of getting off the ground. You were born a Unicorn, your body is different from that of a pegasus, heavier, you have a different bone structure. You weren’t born with the natural instincts.”
      	Midnight blinks as she hadn’t thought about it that way. Folding her wings to her side and looking to Drake, Midnight nods her head. “I'm sorry. I just want to do it my way is all.”
      	“There’s nothing wrong with that, but you need to do it right or you’ll hurt yourself if you're not careful. Flying is fun, but there’s a certain way of doing it. The sky has its own set of rules with wind currents, downdrafts, and the weather that you need to be cautious of,” Drake says. “Now that that little speech is over go and continue with your training session. You don't want to end up wasting both of our time, do you,” he adds.
      	Midnight groans as her legs protest getting up to her hooves. She flares out her wings and continues with her training.

 
      	Midnight looks down, her eyes wide. She's stunned by how high she's standing. She swallows as she looks over to Drake. “Is this really necessary?” she asks warily.
      	“Of course," he calls to her. "From your success getting off the ground as much as you did, what better way is there to crank it up a notch?”
      	Midnight looks down at the height she's achieved. “A slope is a step up, not a tree! Thirty feet in the air? It's pretty sudden,” she shouts out. “Are you seriously trying to kill me?”
      	Drake waves his hoof in front of him. “Nonsense, I’ll be right beside you. You just have to take the first leap. And remember to use your wings. Don't need you to go breaking all your bones.”
      	Midnight’s confidence was thin, and Drake's "witty" comments aren't helping. But, closing her eyes and thinking about all that she has done in the past months, she steels herself. She has done quite a bit and is pleased with all of her progress. Midnight slowly opens her eyes, eases up to the end of the tree branch, and, taking a steady breath, flares out her wings and jumps off of the branch without a second thought.
      	Unfortunately when Midnight jumps and begins flapping her wings to stay afloat in the air, gravity has other plans. She is pulled down full force. “Aaahh!” Midnight screams, sure she will hit the unforgiving earth below.
      	“Midnight!” Drake yells out as dives out of the tree after her. He lights his horn to surround her as she falls. Midnight had shut her eyes in fear, but as she hears her name and feels the air around her slow she opens them once again. She isn’t on the ground, but instead hovering in the air. She looks around to see Drake, his horn lit with magic, and nodding his head with a confident smile, as if he's saying ‘You got this!’
      	Midnight nods and begins to flap her wings again. Drake releases his magic and just as he expects Midnight uses the wind with one big flap of her wings to shoot into the air. She flies above the trees to see the entire world of Estaria before her. It's far more beautiful than seeing it from the ground. Midnight smiles. ‘This world; there’s something about it that makes my worries leave me. I don’t know what it is. Maybe in time this world will reveal its secrets. Maybe,’ she thinks gazing at the colorful landscape. As she begins to tire, Midnight glides down to meet Drake back on the ground.
      	Midnight sighs with relief as her hooves are planted back on sweet, sweet solid ground. ‘That was terrifying, but with Drake’s help I was able to see beyond those tree tops to see this vast world. It's quite large in fact. Maybe in the distant future I could come back to this world, when I become stronger of course, and only for a short visit,’ she says, getting her heart beat back to a normal speed.
      	It isn’t long before Midnight notices Drake beside her. She looks up to see a smile across his face. “What,” she asks.
      	Drake shakes his head, his smile fading only slightly. “Nothing, but I do have to say, that was one heck of a free fall, Midnight.”
      	Midnight’s cheeks flush before she turns her gaze forward again. “Right...sorry about that.”
         	“There’s nothing to apologize for; you did the impossible! You flew from such heights, and then you looked like you could have taken the world from up there!”
      	Midnight doesn’t know what to say, but her arrogance stood in the way of saying anything except. “Thanks,” as she wobbles away.
      	Drake's smile revives itself once more. ‘There’s more to come than a simple flight above the treetops. But for now, you deserve a nice rest.' He then walks forward behind Midnight. “You passed this session with a seven out of ten, and that’s pretty good in my book.”
      	Midnight sighs with relief, then asks “So what’s next, seeing as I passed flying?”
“Stealth and concentration, and using your magic,” Drake answers back.
      	“But I already know magic.”
  	“Really?” Drake asked.
      	Midnight halts. “Of course. I was taught by my Mama and Papa, and my teachers from night school.”
 	“When you were little, am I right,” Drake inquires. Midnight nods and Drake continues. “I see. Let me teach you something that teachers cannot. What do you say?”
      	Midnight blinks. “I’m listening.”
      	Drake walks forward again. “Alright, controlling and channeling your magical potential is what I can help you with.”

      	Over the course of three days Drake shows Midnight the fundamentals of using her magic to not only protect herself, but to use it to deliver heavy blows to enemies. It took Midnight two months of training to use her magic on some of dummies Drake crafted for her to practice on. She was able to use a new magic spell called ‘Dark Pulse;’ it eradicated anything five feet around her. Drake is pleased. "Excellent, but I must warn you; do not use that spell unless there is absolutely no choice in the matter."
      	Midnight is confused. "Why not?"
      	"Midnight, I can see the strain this spell puts on you. If you were to use this spell willy-nilly in a fight you would only end up doing the enemy's work for them."
      	After a moment of thought, Midnight agrees. She knows he's right; this spell isn't even perfected yet and she is already exhausted after only a few blasts. She must perfect the spell. When the time comes she will show the Princess of the Night the achievements of her hard work.
 
      	Midnight was put through the ringer learning stealth and concentration. She doesn’t know how many bruises she has and it takes so much energy to stay in one place for so long, she doesn't know how much longer she can stay standing. Especially since she gets a small dose of lightning from Drake if she gets out of line. After three hits she took the hint of staying and waiting for the opportunity to strike her prey where it hurts.
      	It pays off in the end; she tackles Drake, her "prey," to the ground, where she snarls, her fangs protruding from her upper lip along with her horn started to emit a dark aura. “HA! Now what are you going to do now, huh?” She barks out. Drake grins, “What’s with the-” Midnight cuts her sentence off as she feels cold steel on the side of her neck. She growls, “You bastard, that’s a cheeky move!”
      	“Not really. Since I can use magic like a unicorn, it’s a good lesson to teach; best not to go after those that can use magic. It could save your life one day.”
      	Midnight snorts. “I still hate you.” Dispelling her magic, she gets off of Drake.
      	Drake just shrugs his shoulders as he lies there on the cool ground. “Love you, too, Midnight.”
Midnight swiftly turns her head, daggers shooting from her eyes at Drake. “Don’t say things like that, it creeps me out!”
         	Drake chuckles. “Okay, but in all seriousness, you have come a long way in just seven months, and I couldn’t be prouder,” he says.
      	“Thanks,” says Midnight, turning her head back in front of her.
      	That's when Drake gets up off the ground, shakes his body from the dirt, and says “So how about a test, what do you say Midnight?”
      	“What?” Midnight says looking back at Drake like he's crazy or something. “Didn’t I just go through a lot? I’m still trying to get my-” her sentence is cut short due to the pulsing sensation inside of her. “A-actually, I think I’ll go with that test now,” she says, her emerald eyes glowing.
      	Drake nods. He knows this is the day she must feed, and he knows Midnight hates it with a passion. Midnight held her hoof to her chest, feeling the pounding of her heart inside her. ‘Dammit, why now of all times? I wish I didn’t have to feed...but right now it would help to get rid of this pain,’ Midnight thinks.
      	Drake looks around and grins. “I’ll make this quick Midnight; use this area to concentrate. That will bring your prey to you.”
      	Midnight squints. “I…will do anything…to get rid of…this pain...for a while,” she says, trying to keep her composure.
      	Drake nods, spreading his wings and taking off into the air. He lands in one of the trees, leaving Midnight behind to do her first test ever. 'If she is capable of standing up against her prey, she's well on her way to standing up against any obstacle. If she can do this, she can do anything,' He holds his hopes high for Midnight's first test,
       	 ‘Here I go, all alone in this vast clearing. Let’s hope whatever is out there comes soon; I don’t know how long I can last.’ She readies herself for her task in the clearing of this forest. Midnight Moon stands with her eyes closed and her ears twitching, alerting her to every sound around her.
      	She hears Drake's coaching coming from the treetops. “Remember Midnight, focus is the key. Once you pinpoint your target, let them have it."
      	‘Right,’ Midnight thinks, not wanting to lose focus. Not long after she hears the rustling of a creature in the nearby bushes. Seemingly out of nowhere a black blur comes shooting out directly toward her. It's a lone shadow wolf, and it bears its fangs at its prey. Unfortunately for the wolf Midnight is faster. Her horn takes on a dark glow, creating a barrier around her that shocks the shadow wolf as it comes into contact with it. It to flies backward in the air and crashes hard on the ground with a loud thud.
      	“Now Midnight, this is your chance!” Drake calls out.
      	Midnight’s eyes fly open and she dashes off toward the downed shadow wolf bearing her fangs. She bites down on its neck, all the way down into the artery. The shadow wolf's eyes shoot open and tries to move, but its struggles are in vain. Midnight has a strong hoof on its shoulder blade while her fangs are buried in its neck. Midnight has the upper hoof as blood gushes into her mouth. It shocks her tongue as the warm, sweet nectar of life begins flowing into her being, filling her with rejuvenation.
      	Just like any predator, Midnight gulps down the blood with haste. When she hears the slow throbbing of the shadow wolf’s heart beat turn to silence, Midnight releases the now dead creature. She silently thanks the creature for giving up its life to replenish her own. She sighs with relief as she looks up into the trees above and sees Drake lying down on one of the branches lazily swishing his serpent tail back and forth. “So, how did I do?”

         	Drake jumps off his perch, landing gracefully in front of his apprentice. “Impressive,” he says looking down at the corpse of the shadow wolf. ‘Most impressive indeed.’ He looks back at Midnight.
      	Walking over to Midnight Drake says “Let’s get going. The sun will be upon us very soon and you have passed this test.” He turns from Midnight and her kill to walk toward the forest.
      	Midnight’s eyes light up. “Really,” but she catches herself and clears her throat. “I see,” she says averting her gaze as she walks away from her first trained kill to follow Drake.
      	As the sun rises in the sky it brings a new day to the world. In a thicket hides a small cave, and deep within lies two leather-winged ponies snuggled together in the darkness avoiding the sun's harsh rays. The black mare named Midnight Moon has been wrapped by one of Drake's, a blue stallion, wings as they slept. She finds comfort in the warmth surrounding her.
      	Drake blinks awake as he looks towards the entrance of the cave, making sure nothing has come to disturb or attack them while they slept. Midnight stirs in her sleep, then slowly opens her eyes. She looks up to see Drake wide awake. “Can’t sleep,” she asks drowsily.
      	Drake looks down at her. “Yeah, but why are you awake,” he asks.
      	“Oh I was asleep, but..." She yawns. "…something stirred me awake, so here I am.”
      	“I see,” says Drake returning his gaze to the entrance of the cave.
      	Midnight stares up at Drake. Something about him is so mysterious to her, even after all this time training. He's been helping her to one day attain a new form that she so desperately needs for months, but in truth she doesn’t know a thing about Drake. She doesn’t think its right to ask about someponies past or their struggles outright, but perhaps in time Drake may tell her something. She lowers her head onto her hooves and falls back asleep.
      	Drake looks back down at Midnight’s sleeping form. ‘She may be a pain in the flank, but she seems quiet and peaceful in her sleep. The poor fools who would be tricked by this ruse...’ he says to himself as he lowers his head down onto his hooves, closes his eyes, and falls asleep.


 

       	“Run and take the boy with you!” An adult male voice yells out.
   	“But Papa,” calls out a young female voice.
       	“Do as your father tells you! Go, and don’t look back!” This time it's an adult female voice.
  	“PAPA! MAMA!” What seems like a nearly infant male voice cries out in a mixture of fear and sorrow.

 

      	At once Drake's eyes fly open, he sits straight up, and is breathing heavily. “Drake, are you alright,” Midnight asks. Seeing her mentor so frightened is quite the shock to her. He's never lost his composure like this in her presence. Drake looks around the small cave, then toward the entrance to see Midnight staring at him with curiosity.
      	“How long have you been standing there?”
      	“A bit after the sun went down, why?”
      	Drake puts his left front hoof to his head groaning. “Nothing,” he answers back as he slowly gets to his hooves. ‘Why…why now after all this time? I don’t think I can handle another scene like that in my life,’ he thinks.
      	“You seem distracted; are you sure that you are okay,” Midnight asks not wanting to push too far.
      	Drake sighs and looks over to Midnight. “Yes, I’m fine. It was just a bad dream, nothing more,” he answers back walking over to the entrance of the cave.
      	“I see, but there is one that I need to ask.”
      	Drake tightens his jaw but calmly answers. “And what would that be?”
 	“What training session are you going to teach me today?”
      	Drake relaxes as he looks over his shoulder at his eager student and grins. “That, Midnight, is a secret,” he says looking back in front of him as he walks out of the cave. ‘That’s right, if I hadn’t met Midnight all those moons ago my life would still be empty and full of regret. I couldn’t do anything to save my family, but with Midnight around I feel like I can do anything to help her achieve her goal, even when she makes it difficult for me. She can make it back home to those princesses of hers; she will make it back. I will not live that nightmare again.’ Drake reaffirms himself as he begins walking out of the cave into the cool night air. He will do anything it takes to get Midnight out of here. Maybe then he will be able to face his family's past.

      	Midnight stood dumbfounded in the cave as her jaw drops, but quickly regains her composure and follows after Drake.

“Hey! That isn’t funny you know.”
“Really? I thought so.” Drake’s voice echoes.
“No it isn’t,” Midnight shouts back angrily, bounding out of the cave to chase her mentor and prove him wrong.
      	At the training grounds Drake has taught Midnight all she needs to know, but her next challenge is to prefect all of her teachings and reach her ultimate goal; her new form.

 
      	A full moon seems to float high in the sky. In the center of a field stands Midnight Moon, a young vampony who has been working tirelessly for countless moons to master the lessons given to her by her mentor Drake, a vampiric dragon shifter. She knows if she cannot complete her training she will lose everything; her home will be lost to her forever. She will never know the familiar land of Equestria under her hooves again, never see her beloved princess' face again. Midnight must complete her training; she must attain her new form and make it back home.
      	Tonight is a special training session for Midnight, however. Drake has known she is near mastery and he knows the time has come for her to finish her training. With a fire smoldering in his eyes, nearly as eager for his student to surpass her challenges as she is, Drake begins.
      	“For your final training session, you will harness the magical energy inside you. You will use this magic to conjure a sealed form for yourself. With this form you will be able to walk among the ponies as if you are one of them. They will never know what you truly are. Just imagine the form you wish to take and use your magic to hold it as long as you can. Don’t try and force this transformation as your body could be seriously injured if performed incorrectly. Just take it slow.”
      	Midnight nods and shivers slightly. ‘So this is the moment. My training is nearly complete...I just have to perform the most dangerous magic I've ever attempted...' She swallows, 'Great...' She shakes her head, 'No, I can do this! I will be going home!'
      	Drake looks over his student and knows her overconfidence when he sees it, but he wants to see what will happen. Perhaps in the end this powerful transformation will just send her flying and she’ll know the consequences I warned her of are quite real. One must learn to stand before they can walk, and often times one lands flat on their flank in their attempts. Clearing his voice he says, “Are you ready, Midnight Moon?”
      	Midnight nods. “As ready as I'll ever be,” she says, waiting for Drake to say the word.    Drake nods in return. “Alright, now begins your final test. Close your eyes,” he begins.
      	Midnight does just that and listens for Drake’s instructions. “Clear your mind of all that’s surrounding you. Harness the magic within." Midnight's horn begins to glow. "Good, now think of the form you want to create; the form you will use to walk among the ponies. Concentrate, focus, perfect that form. Once you have it, let your magic flow, and remember to only let it flow. Do not force it.”
      	Midnight does just as her mentor has instructed her. She clears her mind of all thought. She breathes slowly through her nose and concentrates on harnessing her magic. She is so lost in her concentration she doesn't realize the wind around her has started swirling and builds up in a tornado surrounding her very being.
      	Drake backs up, shielding his eyes with his wing. ‘It looks promising for now, but let’s see how long Midnight can hold out.’ That very moment electricity begins to form inside the tornado. “Midnight!” Drake calls out with worry.
      	Midnight squints her eyes hard as she concentrates. 'I can do this!'
      	“Midnight, stop this now!” Drake calls out as the wind gets stronger as time passes, electricity shooting in all directions. ‘This is madness! If this continues, who knows what will happen?’
      	“NO! I…I still can go on,” Midnight calls out as she is lifted up from the ground with the force of the wind. ‘I can do this! I know I can!’ Her body begins heating up. 'It feels as though my bones are cracking one by one, all over my body!'
      	“MIDNIGHT!” Drake screams out dodging electric strikes from the tornado surrounding her. ‘It’s like the tornado is protecting her; I can’t get Midnight out of there! That tornado is going to rip her to shreds, and I can’t allow that,’ he says, determination clear in his icy blue eyes.
      	‘It hurts,' Midnight thinks. 'I can barely breathe...it hurts so much...my body is on fire...but…I can do this. I have to, no matter the cost. I WILL persevere…I…can…DO THIS!’ She screams in a mix of agony and determination as her body got engulfed by a bright light.
      	Drake’s eyes widen in fear. “MIDNIGHT!”

         	The tornado bursts out in a loud boom and crackling can be heard in the echo. Drake takes to the sky to avoid the blast. When he sees the bright light in place of Midnight he swoops down back to the ground and runs to Midnight's side.
      	In the place where she began her spell a crater had formed. Before he reached the edge Drake slowed and steeled himself for what could be in that crater. 'She must be ok, she is the strongest pony I've seen in years. She must be ok!' He steps forward and peeks over the edge; hoping for the best, expecting the worst. Standing in a thin wisp of smoke is his student, Midnight Moon. "Midnight," he exclaims in a mix of relief and joy as he jumps into the crater to check on his visibly shaken student. Drake walks up slowly towards her. "I can't believe it, that tornado should have torn you to shreds, but you seem to be fine not even a scr-" He's cut short by his own disbelief. Standing before him on shaky hooves is not his stubborn, bull-headed student, but a young filly of black coat and purple mane. "M-Midnight?"
      	Midnight's entire body hurts, as if she ran for a week straight without stopping; she can’t believe she is standing. She hears hoof-steps approaching her. Looking up she expects to see Drake. She is correct, but she must crane her neck back more than normal to look him in the eye. He carries a shocked expression on his face and Midnight blinks slowly. "Drake? Why are you so tall," she asks before she passes out from exhaustion, just barely hearing her name before everything goes dark.

      	Midnight stirs in her slumber. She feels something warm wrapped around her body, and it only takes her a moment to realize the familiar scent around her belongs to Drake. Her eyes flutter open. She looks around and sees she’s back inside the cave that has become home to her in this land. ‘The cave…but I was…in the field… My head is killing me...I feel like somepony slammed my head against a stone wall...’ As Midnight's skull resonates in pain she sees a scaly blue tail wrapped in front of her, which she immediately recognizes as Drake's. 'Looks like he's getting some sleep as well.'
      	Midnight blushes as she realizes the position they must be in and struggles to get free from Drake's hold. From what Midnight can tell Drake looks completely worn out from the bags under his eyes. ‘He doesn’t look like he's slept in days...I shouldn’t disturb him right now.’ She turns to the entrance of the cave. ‘Was this cave always this big,’ Midnight thinks looking down at her hooves.

         	Inspecting them, Midnight doesn’t notice anything different in particular, when somepony speaks  into her ear. “You are awake, that’s good to see,” says a husky male voice.
      	Midnight's cheeks take a deep crimson hue as she whips around to face the other pony. “Drake? You startled me!" Noticing the bags under his eyes once again, Midnight adds "You don’t look too good, are you okay?” Drake stands up straight to look down at Midnight. Craning her head back, she also asks “Umm...another question, why are you so tall?”
      	Drake chuckles. “It isn’t that I got taller, Midnight, it would be you who seems to have gotten shorter.”
 	“Huh?”
      	Drake sighs as he surrounds Midnight with his magic to carry her out into the cool night air. He walks by the aftermath of Midnight’s spell to a nearby stream. He lowers her to the ground and she asks “Why are we here Drake?”
      	“Look into the stream, at your reflection specifically,” he answers back.
      	Midnight blinks as she hesitantly peers into the slowly flowing water. ‘Why do I feel so shy all of a sudden? But I don’t want to make Drake mad...' Midnight swallows her inhibitions. 'Alright, here I go.’ She walks over to the stream.
      	Peering into it Midnight’s eyes widen as they begin to tear up with a mix of shock, joy, and sadness as memories of her old self begin pouring into the forefront of her thoughts. She turns back to face her mentor. “What’s with the water works Midnight? This isn’t like you. You would have mouthed-off at me, or got an angry expression on your face because I didn't tell you sooner.”
      	Midnight sniffs, “I…I really don’t know... Seeing my reflection from the time before I was turned, except with my new black coat along with my broken horn...it just makes me happy to see myself again after so much time in my other form.”
      	“How so,” asks Drake.
      	“I was hateful toward you, and you helped me for so long,” Midnight says looking up at Drake. She brings a hoof to her chest. “Not only that, I was so aggressive toward you. I just want to apologize for the way I acted,” she adds lowering her head and sitting on her haunches. Midnight is awash with regret for her actions toward a pony who took over two years of his life to help her.
      	Drake sighs as he doesn’t know what to do. On one hoof he has Midnight’s released form that’s a total pain in the ass, but she listens and never gives up, even when the odds are against her. On the other hoof there's this new sealed form. He just can’t wrap his head around the fact that this sweet and shy little filly is the same Midnight Moon. The little filly raises her head, her cheeks turning a deep red, emerald eyes glistening with tears threatening to roll down the crimson mounds at any moment. Shivers run down Drake's back. ‘Shit, Midnight looks so innocent now. I don’t think I can take this for long...’ his thoughts trail off. “Umm, Midnight,” he asks.
      	“Yes?” She sniffs.
  	“Your face, look at your face!”
      	At once Midnight whirls back to look into the stream, seeing bright red cracks on her right cheek. “What?! What is this?!” She turns back to Drake for answers.

      	Drake then realizes the force that Midnight used to take this form. “Midnight, this sealed form of yours is incomplete. It looks like you are reverting back to your other form.”
      	Midnight’s eyes widen in shock and she shakes her head. “NO! After everything I have done with your help, I can’t allow this to happen,” she cries out, tears begin to stream down her face.
      	But in the blink of an eye Midnight’s sealed form shatters like glass, and she is back in her released form with a disbelieving anger showing all throughout her body. She screams to the sky "So close, I was so close to going back and entering my new sealed form! So why?! Why did this happen," she shouts in frustration.
      	Her frame slumps, anger still present, when a reassuring hoof is placed on her shoulder. Looking with desperate, sad eyes at Drake she feels a little comfort knowing her mentor is still here with her, and perhaps she'll be able to regain her form once again. This small comfort lasts only a second when a pulsing sensation strikes her nerves and she tackles Drake to the ground. She looms over him with a predator's gaze and fangs protruding from her lips, all of her instincts screaming to rip this prey apart and take all of its life force for herself.
      	But she stops, mere centimeters from his jugular, as she hears rustling in a bush nearby. With haste Midnight leaps from her current prey and dives into the bush to attack the helpless creature on the other side.
      	Drake still lies on his back. ‘I’ve never seen Midnight this riled up before, but I think it has to do with the incomplete transformation into her sealed form that is getting to her,’ he says to himself. Drake sighs as he picks himself up to see Midnight emerging from the bushes with blood covering her face and chest. ‘Yeah, it’s pretty bad,’ he adds walking over to his student.
      	Midnight sees Drake coming over to her, and with her head cast down says “Sorry about that.” With her crying and shouting only moments ago her voice has gone a bit hoarse.
         	“Look Midnight, this isn’t the end of the world. You just need to practice controlling this new power of yours. This is a highly advanced spell, not everypony can pull it off, but you have been training for years now, and once you have it down, it will come naturally.”
      	“How long,” Midnight whispers.
      	Drake shrugs. “I don’t know, this type of magic is very delicate. It could take years to master fully.”
      	Midnight slumps to the ground, ‘More years? How long will it be before I get to see my home once again?’
      	“Look Midnight, I’ll admit the first time you tried you used everything you had to take your sealed form, and it was a bit much. So how about we take it slow this time, learn what it really takes to hold your seal. The sooner you learn what this spell takes the sooner it will become second nature, then you'll be able to truly control this power. What do you say; want to continue your teachings?”
      	Midnight considers Drake's speech for a moment, long enough for him to question her conviction for even more training. Then she jumps to her hooves and looks Drake in the eye, nearly snout to snout, determination blazing behind her emeralds. “I will do whatever it takes to attain my sealed form and return home!  I will not allow anything to stop me, nor will I disappointment my Princess with failure of any kind!”
      	Drake smiles. “That’s what I like to hear. Let’s get you cleaned up and start on achieving your true sealed form.”
“Right,” says Midnight, more determined than ever to achieve her goals.

      	Five years pass. Midnight Moon readies herself for her final test once again. Her mentor Drake told her to meet him in their training grounds when she is ready before leaving their shared cave for the night. Memories run through her mind as she begins her journey out of the cave. Midnight met Drake shortly after stumbling into this world, and fighting off a giant beast. After a much needed realization from the dragon shifter she began training with him. Her goal; achieving a sealed form. Drake told her with this sealed form she would be able to live among the pony folk with a somewhat normal life. With this goal in mind she began her training and never gave up. She learned how to fly properly, with Drake's teachings of course, and how to hone her instincts. After two years of training she was finally ready to attempt her sealed form for the first time. As with any advanced spell it didn't go as planned the first time. She had blacked out for three days and awoke in the cave, wrapped almost completely by Drake to keep her resting body warm. She seemed to have succeeded that time; she stood in her sealed form for a short time, until she was overcome with emotions and her form literally shattered. What happened next Midnight isn't proud of, but it lit her conviction once more and she has been training every moment she could over the past ten years to perfect her magical control.
      	'Tonight is the night; I will succeed. I will have my sealed form tonight.' Arriving in the field that Midnight has gotten to know so thoroughly she sees her mentor lying in the grass looking up at the night sky. She walks over to him and looks to the sky with him for a moment, both of them silent. Drake smiles proudly, not taking his gaze from the stars. “So, tonight's the night?"
      	"I do believe it is. What do you believe?"
      	"I believe you have done well, Midnight, and I couldn’t be more proud of seeing how much you have grown. You've come so far, and I know you will be able to do this.” He turns his gaze from the sky to take in the sight of his student, so close to no longer needing him. 'This is the greatest moment in a teacher's life, I suppose.'
      	Midnight’s cheeks flush as she smiles, casting her gaze down to his proud eyes. “Thank you Drake, but in truth if it hadn’t been for you I would still be flailing in fights and running away from hunters that would see me as a monster.”
      	Drake smiles then he lights his horn. “I nearly forgot to give this to you,” he says. Midnight's eyes widen at the item Drake pulls from under one of his wings. A silver eight-point star necklace hangs in the air with an azure stone set in the middle. “I…I can’t possibly Drake. You have done so much for me already, I can’t accept this gift,” she says, her eyes tearing up.
      	“Nonsense,” Drake chuckles. Using his magic to guide the necklace over Midnight's head and around her neck.
         	Midnight gasps as she is about to break down in tears when Drake says, “Hey, none of that now, this is a happy occasion. And besides, it suits you better than me.” He gives her a wink. Midnight blushes and chuckles a bit at his joke. She looks down at the silver eight-point star necklace around her neck. Drake adds, “And my mother would be happy to see it being worn again.”
      	Midnight gasps, “Your mother’s?” Drake nods. “Then I can’t accept such a precious gift, especially when it’s your mother's,” says Midnight, trying to remove the necklace to give it back to her mentor.
      	But Drake stops her. “It’s alright, Midnight. I see you as somepony important to me.”    Midnight blushes deeper. “R-Really?”
      	Drake smiles big as he gently places his hoof on Midnight’s head. “You’re like the little sister that I never got to have Midnight. So again, this is a gift from me to you, my dear sister, Midnight Moon.”
      	Midnight’s eyes tear up and she wraps her hooves around Drake’s neck and says, “Thank you, big brother, I’ll cherish this gift forever.” Drake feels a warmth in his heart as he reciprocates her hug.
      	"Alright Midnight, are you ready?"
      	She sniffs and wipes away her joyful tears. "I am."
      	"Excellent. When you're ready, you know what to do." He smiles as he sits back on his haunches and waits for his student to perform her final test.
      	Midnight takes a breath, then walks to the center of the clearing. This will be only her second time doing the full transformation, but with a decade of practice under her wings, she's confident in her ability. She takes one last look at Drake, her trusted mentor, best friend, and now big brother, before looking to the night sky once more. 'Don't worry my Princess of the Night. I am on my way home.' She closes her eyes, and breathes. She feels the magic flowing through her, not so much as a river, but perhaps a gentle stream. The magic wells up inside her, beginning to pour from her horn and enveloping her body. Midnight is lifted from the ground gently and her wings unfold as the magic begins to change. She feels her vampiric power and urges lessening as it is contained by her unicorn magic, in doing so altering her body.
      	'Excellent, Midnight. Without the vampiric powers raging through her body it doesn't need the physical aspects present.'  Drake silently cheers her on. He wants her to succeed perhaps more than she does herself.
      	Midnight feels her entire body tingle and heat up. Not only is her skin crawling with the magical power, but she feels her internal organs shifting and her bones changing. Thankfully with all of her training these many years she knows it will not hurt as if the bones were breaking, she will only be aware of their changing.
      	After what seems like hours of magical alterations Midnight feels herself lowered back to the ground. She stands on steady hooves, back toward her mentor. Midnight releases the breath she wasn't aware she had been holding through the spell, as does Drake. He couldn't be more proud. Before him stands a tiny black filly with a black coat and purple mane and tail, and as she turns to face him, a broken unicorn horn makes itself apparent.
      	"I did it! I finally did it!" An ecstatic miniature Midnight Moon comes bounding toward here mentor. Pride and joy evident on her face.
      	"I knew you could, Midnight," Drake says, catching his now tiny student in a hug. "So, are you ready to make the trip home?"
      	Midnight looks up at him, tears of joy in her eyes, and nods. "Um...do you think I could ride on your back? I just got my big brother, and I already have to say goodbye..."
      	"Now how can I say no to my little sister?" He hoists the now mini Midnight onto his back and carries her all the way to the place where they met. "Alright, here we are." Midnight hops off of his back and looks at the bushes hiding the portal to Equestria.
      	"So...this is it then?" Midnight, now somewhat sullen in the realization that she may never see her trusted friend again.
      	"Yes, I believe it is. You think you're going to be alright out there, all by yourself?"
      	"With this new form and all of your teachings I think I'll make it. I just wish this wasn't goodbye..."
      	"Come now, it doesn't have to be. Perhaps we'll bump into one another again, when one of us has forgotten how to fight giant creatures."
      	Midnight squints up at him, aware the joke he's making. "Yes, and perhaps this time it will be you who needs my help."
      	Drake laughs. "The day I need help from a little filly is the day you should leave me to the wolves." He continues laughing as Midnight realizes she had forgotten about her new body already.
      	"You know I could never let the opportunity to show you up pass, or at least I wouldn't just leave you to the wolves. My big brother deserves a much more pleasant end."
      	Drake's laughter stops as he looks down to see Midnight's large emerald eyes looking back up at him with a touch of sadness in them. "Oh Midnight, you know I wouldn't allow myself to die in such a poor way."
      	"Yeah, I know." She smiles and they share a laugh.
      	"So, I think it's time for you to go home Midnight."
      	"Yes, I do too. I'll miss you Drake...big brother..." She reaches up with both hooves. Drake sits back and picks her up, embracing her one final time. Before setting her down he looks at her and says "I'll miss you too little sister Midnight. Be cautious out there and stay safe."
      	"I will, and you do the same." Drake sets her back down and after their final farewells are given Midnight steps slowly forward toward the portal. Taking one last look at her truest friend and waving goodbye she walks into the bushes, bidding the world of Estaria and Drake goodbye.
      	Emerging from the bushes Midnight Moon looks around. She’s back home, back in Equestria and the sun is high in the sky. Swallowing, Midnight takes a steady breath and braces herself as she steps forward into the light. Drake's words echo in her mind. 'Remember Midnight, in your sealed form your vampiric powers are suppressed. You will no longer need to fear the light...' As she envelopes herself in the light, there's nothing; no pain, no vision problems, nothing happened to her in the sun’s rays that was adverse to a normal pony, except for a mild headache, but she can deal with that.
      	With a satisfying smile on her face Midnight Moon trots proudly through the Everfree Forest as nothing can stand in her way. She has become stronger with the help of her big brother Drake. Thinking of her big brother Midnight looks down to the lovely gift that he had given her. The beautiful necklace glistens in the Equestrian sunlight and reminds her of all the nights she spent with her mentor. She will continue to get stronger for him, and she will one day fulfill her next goal; to meet with her beloved Princess of the Night.