When Efrain Lecarde managed to slay Lucifer, his monument, the Castle of Eternal Night, crumbled. Too bad that said castle was brought to Equestria by someone who is trying to resurrect him there. A crossover with Castlevania Lecarde Chronicle 2.
A crossover with a Castlevania fangame who had nothing to do with the story made by Brony_Fife. Is another displaced story with its own different twist. The story take some hint from the Lecarde Chronicle series.
In the human world, in 1781, Eric Lecarde, a soldier of the church, had fought and slain a imperfectly resurrected Lucifer and sent him into the abyss. With his death, the Castle of Eternal Night crumbled and the world was save. However, evil always a find a way to return, even if it has to be somewhere else.
In Equestria, months after Chrysalis second defeat, the Castle of Eternal Night appeared, brought by someone. Bizarre phenomena were happening and its ecosystem and essence were both twisted. Its evil influence infected every corner of the land. Corruption and insanity were the first demons to take some bite of it.
Someone is trying to resurrect Lucifer in Equestria, where there is no Efrain, no Alucard, and not even other warriors strong enough to defeat him. With its presence, its horrors, its plagues and its evil influence will be unleashed. The return of the fallen angel seemed to come, but the culprit behind it didn't count one factor.
There was someone who wasn't calculated in the slightiest, a cursed dark warrior hellbent to slay its evil.
The night reigned over Equestria, silently blessing Canterlot. The stars populated the night sky, being their own heaven. Yet there was something bizarre in the air. It wasn't the blow of the wind, and it wasn't the prelude of a storm either. It was the cold breath of the night. A cold that was more chilling than the usual. Timberwolves hastily retreated upon feeling it, as if they were escaping the shadow of a predator far more ferocious than them.
In the hour after the moon descended, the land waited in the silent of the night for the melody of the sun that followed its own radiance. But what broke the silence were brief, agonizing screams.
Princesses screams.
That chilling part was followed by a uncomfortable silence, that was then filled with the startled mumbling of the inhabitants who heard that. As the ponies of the city were looking out of the window, asking what happened, the cold breath instantly chilled their blood and made them retreat in fear, like they were threatened by a blade.
The sun didn't came up and the night was deprived of the moon. The stars began to die off, seemingly killed. The violet nocturnal sky darkened, slowly , to the point that its color became almost close to the pitch-black.
Suddenly, the whole Canterlot trembled frantically. The Castle and the other buildings of the city began to collapse at a very fast pace. Terrified screams echoed through the seismic chaos that was devastating everything around them. A few of them scream to Princess Celestia to save them, but she didn't appeared at all.
Inside the castle, in the tower, the Night Guards rushed through the staircase avoiding the pieces of stone falling on them, knowing that Celestia went there to raise the sun. Once they reached, they found a closed door. They slammed it opened and stormed inside.
They instantly froze in shock as their eyes feel on a unconscious alicorn laying on the floor, wrapped in a black liquid, exuding red electric jolts from her horn, which was strangely creepy for them. But more disturbing for them was her face, being stuck with agony and incredulity.
Before they could even try to help her, the earthquake became even stronger. The floor beneath them suddenly inclined downward. The guard ponies found themselves falling in the doorway leading to the balcony, and then to the void. The body of their ruler followed them, unaware of the chaos that was destroying her sacred place. They weren't aware that wasn't just the tower that crumbled down.
The entire Canterlot was falling down to the void, detached from the mountain by the quakes. Its inhabitants were dragged to their incoming death, helpless and screaming. The debrises descended toward the terrain, accelerating their speed according to the force of gravity.
Like meteors, the pieces of what used to be the majestic city crashed violently on the forest at the base of the mountain, raising a curtain of dust as they were crushing trees, wild animals and most of their screaming victims. Crashing sounds echoed so loudly that they almost arrived in the neighbor places. Some of the rocky chunks ended up falling in the river and a few surviving animals abandoned their places to avoid the rockfall.
Under the lifeless gaze of a imposed, sinister night, at the mountainside where Canterlot was standing, the earth was still trembling. Then, dark flames appeared from nowhere, engulfing the whole area. Something emerged from the blaze, adorned with a sinister intent.
Once the thing entered into this word, the dark flames instantly dissipated and the trembling stopped, giving to Equestria the time to met its own, horrible new guest.
A huge, imposing castle made in a grim marble, unfamiliar and unknown to the rest of that world was standing in the place of the jewel known as Canterlot. It entered into Equestria without It didn't belong to It didn't emanate any hope, warmth or majesty. It was a monument to something vile and everything else that goes against the harmony of the land, exuding emptiness, madness and perversion. The castle was engulfed by a oppressing, spectral mist that spread around the whole mountainside and beyond, rendering the chilling air more unbearable.
That thing stood tall, silently gazing upon the landscape beneath the mountain. Its evil influence was craving to feast on the purity of the world in which it was in. Waiting for someone.
Someone whose castle was tribute to.
Its own master.
A half minute ago.
Hearing the screams echoing in the air, Twilight suddenly woke up with a start and rolled out of her bed. She went into the corridor and rushed toward the balcony. Once outside, her skin was met by a very chilling cold that instantly entered in her bone and veins. She shivered upon being stung by that feeling. However that was nothing compared to the sight that baffled her mind and shocked her like not other.
Something about the sky felt horribly off, being almost entirely tinted in pitch black, adorned by few dark clouds and an almost thick fog. Disturbing enough, the moon wasn't there at all, and yet the night was still present without his son. It was as if the night became a completely different entity, made sinister and unsettling by the absence of moonlight.
But what caught her attention was the silhouette of Canterlot in the distance, which suddenly crumbled and fell toward down, in front of her very eyes. Multiple, huge debris and the helpless inhabitants crashed on the forest beneath them, crushed by the force of gravity.
Before Twilight could contemplate the tragedy that struck her hometown, something emerged in its place. Its killer emerged from there. Greeted by the dark fire, it made its form known, being castle engulfed in a spectral mist. A giant monument to everything that stands against harmony. A omen of doom and a symbol of depravity.
Twilight froze in shocked horror, still shaken by the downfall of Canterlot. The majestic place in which she lived for a period, was now laying lifeless and shattered on the arboreal bed far away from her. Her thoughts were directed to her parents, her other friends, Princess Luna and her mentor, Princess Celestia.
Her heart swelled with pure fury for what had been done to Canterlot. However, Twilight put that to a hold for another moment. She has far more pressing problems that she has to care of.
"I have to alert the whole Ponyville and my friends," Twilight said with high concern as she rushed inside. "I don't know what is going on but I have to do something, as soon as possible!"
Running around her own castle, Twilight made her way to the library. In her arrival, something unexpected coldly greeted her. She went wide-eyed by the shock upon seeing an almost devastated Celestia laying unconscious on the floor. Her wings being almost tattered, her rainbow ethereal mane being partially burnt and her horn being almost scorched.
"PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!"
Rushing toward her to help her was her only sane reaction. The dice were already rolled and nopony could predict the results or even the number of the sides that they had. One certainty was took for granted.
Twilight, her gang and the rest of Ponyville observed a surreal grave scenario that was the result of what had transpired the last night. The city at the top of the mountain that was supposed to be Canterlot was mercilessly devoured and replaced with a grim palace that almost surpassed it's size.
Such sight put the inhabitants of Ponyville in a pure state of awe and tumoil. There was a moment to mourn for the citizen of Canterlot who had perished in the fall of the city. Rarity and Sweetie Bell were the most devastated due to her parents being among the victims. Needless to say that Applejack tried to comfort her with Pinkie taking care of the other crusaders.
"Where did this thing came from?" Twilight thought. "And why it destroyed my hometown?"
As Twilight was about to say something, Shining Armor approached her and gave her a brief hug.
"What about Celestia?" Twilight asked.
"Celestia is transported into a hospital in the Crystal Empire under the request of Cadence, but only Twilight and her friends know that." Shining informed. "She's still alive, but as you saw before, she had gruesome injuries."
"Wait a minute! What about Luna?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "Wasn't she supposed to be with her."
Shining remained silent with a grave expression and then spoke. "She disappeared without leaving a trace. She wasn't even among the debrises."
"WHAT!?" Twilight and Rainbow exclaimed ad unison.
"Twilight, I need you and your friends to follow me." Shining said. "Cadence is here."
"What?" Twilight looked surprised at first but then guessed the obvious. "Well, that cannot be avoided. This incident couldn't be a isolated case. There's something else going there."
"Indeed..." Fluttershy said as she gazed at the castle in the distance. "This place gives me this kind of chills like I never felt before in other places."
"Shining, we'll follow ya, but I have to remain with Rarity and Sweetie Bell just for a little more," Applejack pointed out.
"Take your time," Shining said to Applejack and then turned to Twilight. "Whatever is that thing that destroyed Canterlot in it's wake should be kept in check very strictly. We are in high alert, you know."
Another Royal Guard approached him. "We have also multiple funerals to make."
"Yes, I thought about that." Shining armor confirmed with a grave tone.
As the guards were talking, Applejack took a look at Rarity, who remained silent, with tears flowing down on her cheeks and her teeth gritting with anger. As for Sweetie Bell, she just cried quietly. The country pony turned her attention to Twilight.
"You can go. We'll follow you later," Applejack said.
"Alright, we will waiting for you." Twilight said.
With that, the Mane Six minus Applejack and Rarity followed Shining Armor and his squad. The inhabitants of Ponyville talked with hushed tones and shivered for whatever things the castle will hide. But more importantly, the perception of time has been disrupted since the moonless nights never seemed to end, as if was invoked by the power of the castle itself, and nopony know what spore of madness lies inside of it.
Shining Armor and the Mane Six entered inside a tent and stopped in front of Princess Cadence, who was sitting on her personal crystal throne. Shining approached her wife and then turned to the six mares. Needless to say that Cadence noticed Rarity's pain and the awe of the rest of the group.
"You know why I called you there?" Cadence asked.
"Oh, course. Is because of that abusive castle that destroyed Canterlot in it's wake," Rainbow Dash pointed out.
"And killed my parents..." Rarity added with a grave tone.
"Do you have any idea of what is that place or what could had summoned it here?" Twilight asked.
"I am afraid I have not,." Cadence answered. "What is sure is that doesn't even belong to in this world, judging by it's sculpture and architecture."
Before anyone else could open mouth, someone else talked while entering the scene.
"It's something that you could ever know it existed in your world, but it existed in another one. It's used as a tribute to a very powerful demon. The sources of it's creation are multiple: Rituals, corrupted aristocracy, darkness and malice." The stranger, being a black maned gray pony, explained as he entered the scene. "And it came from another world."
"And you are?" Cadence asked sternly.
"Fellon Corte, a simple explorer and scholar of the forbidden arts. But don't worry, i'm doing this for academic purposes."
"Forbidden arts?" Twilight flinched.
"That isn't something some regular pony should put it's hooves into it," Cadence warned.
"I know, but my family studied this matter as well," Fellon remarked. "Besides, I know what this castle is all about."
"Really?" Applejack said distrustful. "Because that give us a reason to not trust you yet."
"Tell us what you know," Cadence demanded.
"This thing... Its known in the human world, in the 1700's, as the Castle of the Eternal Night, something that has nothing to do with Nightmare Moon, but, as I said before, a powerful demon, Lucifer. This castle was built as a tribute to him and their perverted hope that it's revival would spread chaos and destruction in their world. The most iconic mantra about it was very indicative of it."
Fellon paused and give the emphasis of his next words the time to adjust themselves.
"Before the endless night, there will be the endless day and the sheep will be blinded and burned while their shepherd weeps."
Everyone except Fellon shivered upon hearing this chilling motto. If what he said was true, then Equestria is in great peril, a fact made obvious already by the incident itself. However his story wasn't concluded.
"To add salt on the injury, the Duchy of Guillecorte had kidnapped one girl to sacrifice her life for the revival of Lucifer... But it failed because Efrain Lecarde, a soldier of the church, thwarted the ritual and managed to slay a very weakened Lucifer and him in the abyss, along with it's castle. However... today... someone in Equestria had summoned the Castle of the Eternal Night, using the entire city of Canterlot and it's inhabitants as tributes."
Rarity snapped. "Tribute?.... TRIBUTE!? ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT OUR PARENTS WERE ALSO JUST TRIBUTE!!?"
"Rarity! Calm down!" Cadence ordered. "I know how you feel but we have to remain composed, because it's not over."
"BUT.." Rarity protested.
"Someone wanted to resurrect this demon and his time we were left as the only ones to stop Lucifer's next revival... But how exactly?"
"She's right." Felllon butted in. "And if you have noticed, the sun hasn't raised yet and the moon is quiet absent. That castle distort the time and impose it's own idea of night in this world. A eternal one. I won't suggest you to send a expedition of Royal Guards in the castle since we have still Celestia and Ponyville to secure."
"..... I think I will take your suggestion at word but not trying anything funny," Cadence informed.
"Oh, I won't," Fellon said. "Oh, I forgot to mention. I think that the sacrifice needed to resurrect Lucifer," He pointed at the Mane Six. "Are all of you."
The Mane Six gasped. Twilight was about question his declaration when a Royal Guard suddenly stormed inside the tent.
"Our majesty! Monsters are coming in Ponyville!" The Royal Guard screamed.
"WHAT!?" Cadence said alarmed.
"Oh, no." Twilight said with a grave tone.
"Not under my watch!" Applejack roared.
"Idem," Rainbow Dash added.
"This time I won't have any trace of generosity on those ones," Rarity threatened.
"And this is just only the beginning." Fellon said
In their arrival, Twilight and her group witnessed the chaos already starting to spread panic and fear in Ponyville. The citizens were running from their lives as a horde of monsters advanced and the buildings were burning down in their passage. There are all dead ponies returned to the living, large wolfine creatures, Wargs, and others. All of the guided by a huge armored headless figure, who head was floating upon it.
Most of the innocent ponies were devoured, cut and perished because of them of the flames devastating their in habitations. Nopony expected their arrival being this swift and instantaneous.
Royal Guards tried their best to fight them, unicorn included. But were then cutted in two with a vacuum cut of the headless' creature sword. Such sight made the Mane Six and Shining Armor shiver as they hide themselves from behind a wall, along with Fellon.
"What the heck is that things!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"A Dullhan. A monster who had it's head cut but that had in expense gained a very tremendous power," Fellon explained. "Needles to say I hated that thing."
"Who cares? We have to help the others and stop those things!" Twilight pointed out.
"Ya, but how?" Applejack demanded.
"I will help with the evacuation of the city," Shining said. "You take your relatives and get out of here as fast a you can."
The Mane Six nodded and were about to follow suit when a filly scream lured their attention. They saw Sweetie Bell being caught in the middle of their attack, having a stroke. Specifically, being nearby the corpse pony devouring it's meal.
"SWEETIE BELL!" Rarity said rushing toward her sister, getting also the attention of the living corpse.
Without thinking twice, the fashionista pulverizes the creature with her magic. She then pull up Sweetie Bell and run away from there, reaching the others.
"Sis!" Sweetie cried.
"It's ok, Sweetie. Nopony robs of my family again!" Rarity roared quietly.
With that, Rarity, Twilight and the others retreated, headed far away from the horde of monsters.
"Pinkie, were are Applebloom and Scotaloo?" Applejack asked.
"They are with Cadence. Rest assured, they are in a better safe place than this." Pinkie assured.
As they galloped toward to some place out of the town, monsters continue to appear in every angle. Twilight and Rarity continued to shoot their rays to pulverize the living corpses, but couldn't do nothing against the Wargs. The group and the squadron of Shining continued their run, trying to bring the rest of the living citizen far away from the mayhem and the violence caused by the creatures.
Unfortunately, almost every exit of the city was blocked by the hordes of monsters, which induce the group do make a change of plan. After a few minutes, they found the Carousel Boutique, the only thing that had been untouched by the creatures. Without thinking twice, they stormed inside.
Shining Armor look outside the windows as the monsters were slowly advancing toward the building, taking their time with them as their next victim.
"We are trapped!" One random pony said.
"They are going to feast on us!" Another one said.
"CALM DOWN!" Shining promptly halted. "We are going to make it out of this mess, even if I don't know how."
Fellon looked out of the window nearby the entrance until he noticed something.
"Twilight?" Fellon asked.
"Yes?" Twilight asked.
"What is that pony doing outside?"
"WHAT?"
All of the ponies went nearby the windows and got to see the only pony who remained outside the boutique. It's a purple maned silver stallion standing two legged in front of the horde without even flinching. He didn't made any step back. Rarity, seeing the madness in this, opened the door.
"What the heck are you doing here!? Get away from them!" Rarity cried.
No response. The stallion took a few steps toward the horde, and at that point two humanoid spectral hand appeared on his hooves like new limbs and a very long sword appeared on his right hand, if it will be called like that.
"Tsk, you weren't even trying." The stallion commented.
One of the wargs took that as a provocation and swiftly leaped toward the stallion who didn't move a muscle. Only pronounce some words.
"Whilelm's Strength!"
And land a horizontal swing of his sword that cut off the entire Warg into, leaving the two parts collapsing in separated direction. At that point, the corpses, skeletons and other Wargs charged furiously toward the stallion who, once has been reached by them, began to dancing with his swords cutting down multiple creatures after having pronounced another formula.
"Gerof's Thunder Strike!"
The sword was imbued by pure electricity as the stallion continued to mow down more monsters. All of that happening under a tempest of pure electricity caused by its sword.
The horde seemed to be subdued, but then other monsters came from behind him. The sword suddenly disappeared and at it's place two truncated shotguns with alchemic circles. The stallion quickly turned toward the horde and shots multiple blows that shattered most of their heads, Wargs or not.
Just when the stallion put his shotguns to rest and take it's sword again, the Dullhan made it's appearance and raised it's sword, intended to cut him two.
"What are you waiting for!?" Applejack screamed. "Move away from-"
"Katharina, move your ass and make your shield!" The stallion shouted.
As the sword of the dead knight was about to fall on it's head, a violet barrier formed around him, blocking it's attack. The Dullhan, just like the ponies who were witnessing the scene, were mostly astounded and confused by this. The stallion smiled and, turning toward the headless giant, charged it's sword and swung upwards, causing a enormous blade of white flame erupting from below the Dullhan, slashing him and incinerating him simultaneously.
The stallion won his fight, but was oblivious of the three skeletons stabbing him from behind with their swords. Pissed, the stallion turned at them with a swing, beheading them. The stallion struggled to remain still despite the mortal wound and tried to maintain his cool.
"It's not good," Twilight said from the boutique. "Brother, we have to-"
"Life Regeneration!" The stallion shouted as a coil of roses veiled it's figure and shattered the swords being stabbed into him while healing his wounds. All happening while the spirit of a young girl appeared upon him before disappearing along with the roses.
Twilight, her friends and the rest of the ponies were surprised and bewildered to what had transpired. Some of the inhabitants came to think of him as their savior.
The Royal Guards, however, weren't of the same opinion, especially Shining Armor. They surrounded the stallion, who literally expected this kind of reaction. He made no move in his defense and made his sword disappear. He looked at each one of the guards and then to Shining Armor, who seemed to know him.
"You didn't seem to have told us the truth, Miner Rift," One guard said.
"And surely this is not magic that belongs to our world. Not even the black magic of our world," Another one said.
"You better tell us your real name," Shining Armor ordered.
The stallion made a faint smile. He wasn't intimidated even for a second by their words or wait they are going to threat him, like a danger. The stallion made a formal bow like that of a real human prince.
The following day, the Mane Six, the inhabitants of Ponyville and the Royal Guard were left to cope with the destruction that the horde of monsters and horrors had inflicted. Multiple piles of dead bodies were transferred in their respective improvised burial grounds. As for the destroyed buildings, it will take more time to repair all of that damage.
This was what Matthiel, or so the stallion is called, observed a moment before being escorted inside an enormous tent by two Royal Guards and Shining Armor. That didn't bothered Matthiel, but he got no sympathy from any of them. Traversing a corridor, they finally arrived at the entrance. Shining Armor gestured him to enter without making any trick.
The stallion entered, expecting to find Princess Cadence, who was presiding during the incident but much to his surprise...
He found Princess Celestia instead, with her horn and wings being bandaged, her face looking a very stern and yet comprehensive expression. Her eyes were pointed at Matthiel, who didn't expected her presence. There was a silence in between the two until she spokes.
"A very surreal circumstance I had assisted, like your powers, Matthiel Von Viltheim." Celestia said.
"Celestia," Matthiel said confused. "Should you-"
"The health of my subjects counts than my own, as well as their safety," Celestia pointed out. "Besides, your powers are not from this world."
"Trust me I never wanted that power to begin with," Matthiel remarked.
"I understand how you feel, but there's still the point if we can surely trust you,"
"Especially since I am actually a former human who ceased to be as such and was reborn into this."
"You better explain your story. I need to know what kind of savior I am looking at."
Matthiel sighed uncomfortably and then started to speak with a very frank tone. "You are asking me to tell you the my background and the dark tale of my origins... Fine, since i'm not of this world anyway.
In the human world, I came from a Austrian family who had made a deal with the devil. You know, the guy in which the castle made in his honor being in place of Canterlot appeared. Contrary to the children of my era, I am a cursed soul, and yet my mother loved me despite the odds. I was the illegitimate son of Andrew Von Viltheilm and the bastard son of the one who violates my mother without being punished, the Duke Henry De Guillcorte. All the three of us didn't made the deal with the devil but others did it, starting with Katharina, who was seduced by Lucifer. Others followed her in that path that doomed their bloodline.
Gerof wanted to be the greatest hunter ever lived. Leopold lost his mind in his pursuit for necromancy. Liesette wanted eternal beauty and ended up dying and becoming a wretched ghost. Willhelm becomes and vampire. Friederich was defaced by one of his experiments and ended up wandering in the mirrors. And there are others who preferred to be anonymous.
We used to live inside the Viltheilm Castle, considered a Holy Place. But after what happened, such horrible decisions made my mother decide to leave the Viltheilm Castle with me, not wanting to be associated with our family anymore. Katharina called my mother a whore due to the abuse taken by Duke Henry, she responded.
"Better a whore than a slave of the devil"
After that, my mother, my father and I escaped our castle and went far away toward our private home, and I am not talking about Gerof's estate. We lived in a isolated peace for a few years, but were then taken by the Inquisition. I managed to escape but I got to see my father and my mother being burned at the stakes for being accomplish with the devil than instead they weren't.
After the stake had been consumed, I was alone, crying in front of their burnt bodies. In a fit of rage, I was taking one piece of wood to commit suicide, until I was stopped by a demon dressed as a nun. Her name is Costance Albaret, part of the Duchy of Guillcorte. Yeah, that bastard that violates my mother.
I was forcefully took under her wing and was fully admitted at Guernon University, were I studied and spied for Albaret. Only thanks to my unwitting rule the demons managed to invade the university. As for me, Albaret killed me when I was no longer useful to her and that bastardous duke, and guess what... I ended up in hell and saw my mother...
My mother?
There?
There must be a mistake. She never made a deal with the devil. But she soon informed me that she took her soul after she died. I also encountered Katharina and the other Von Viltheilms in their wretched forms. Before I were to the point to express my anger, something strange happened.
My mother, Katharina and the others suddenly molded in a black slime and wrapped me. My soul.
Yes.
Our souls fused together. I struggled to set free. I managed to escape and go in another world... You know the rest.
In the outskirts of the Crystal Empire, two guards were patrolling the iced area but then stopped upon seeing something.
"Hey, look at there!" The guard exclaimed.
"I can't believe it, but how did he ended up there?" The other guard asked.
They were observing a wall of ice with a pony with an emblem as a cutey mark being encased inside of it.
It took two hours for the guards of the Crystal Empire to defrost Mathiel from the ice. He was escorted to the castle and put by Shining Armor into a guest room. He was feeling still groggy and dizzy from that, but was lucid enough to question the equine body in which was in and remember the hell he went through after his death and escape from hell.
"I don't know nothing about this new world, so I better ask the right questions and invent a new identity." Mathiel thought. "Not for nothing I had told them that I am amnesiac about me being frozen and I remember only the identity of Miner Rift."
As he was waiting to for his host, Mathiel could feel a dark power dwelling inside of him and knew why. Multiple souls of the cursed Von Viltheilm were now fused with his own, included that of his own mother. The thought shivered his spine and gave him a bad taste in his mouth. Putting that aside, he took the time to read the books to learn the history of Equestria.
At one point, someone opened the door, being none other than Princess Cadence, who approached him and stood tall, towering on him. Mathiel could feel a great sense of majesty irradiating from him and was very reassuring. He was kind of speechless considering that he never saw an alicorn in his life.
"You seemed quite surprised to see me like it was the first time," Cadence said. "Are alright?"
"Y-yes, miss..." Mathiel said, snapping out of his trance. "What is your name?"
"I am Princess Cadence, Ruler of the Crystal Empire," Cadence responded. "And you are a very particular case. How you ended being frozen in the ice?"
"You see, I don't remember how I first arrived here. I was dragged here from Ponyville... By someo- ehm - somepony, but I don't know how and why."
"It's that so? I wonder who could gain from ponynapping you and leaving you there."
"I don't want to exploit your hospitality, so I would ask you if I could take my leave."
"Absolutely not. Your had not fully recovered from your actual conditions. You will sleep here tonight."
".... I guess I can't contradict you." Mathiel accepted. "Very well. I will take my rest here. But let me ask you something."
"What?" Cadence asked.
"Princess Celestia really lived thousand years ago?" Mathiel asked. "Forgive my rudeness, but I had always wondered about that."
"Both her and Princess Luna are a prominent part of our history and lived through ages," Cadence confirmed. "I am just younger in comparison."
"Well... Good Night, your majesty." Mathiel said.
"Good Night, Miner Rift" Cadence said before taking her leave, closing the doors with her magic.
Mathiel was left alone to contemplate about his cursed legacy. As he looked at his hoof, a spectral materialized from it. He wasn't this happy about having dark powers and began to pondering about how his new life will be and how much can affect that of the others.
"I wonder... How much of myself I can hide from this world of ponies."
In the following day, Mathiel took his leave from the Crystal Empire and took a train headed to Ponyville. The travel lasted about five hours. As he arrived, he heard something warped, something that sounded like a hellish chorus. He followed the sounds throughout the town and found the source, only to discover that there was a party and that sound was Scratch Vinyl playing her remixes. There are multiple ponies dancing at the rhythm of the music, something that Mathiel wasn't very fond of.
"I will never get used to this," Mathiel said as he leaved. "Hopefully, that has nothing to do with the depths of hell."
Wandering throughout the town, he could admire multiple shops and monuments. He never thought to have been reborn into an almost happy world, if that was the case. In his wandering, he found a violin laying on the ground. Since he has nothing better to do, he decided to pick that up and play it. The melody that came out was emulating a symphony of Bach. He continued to play until he was interrupted by Octavia.
"It's divine," Octavia said, getting his attention. "I don't know if I can considerate you a thief but that was brilliant. Where did you learn to play like that."
"I had multiple masters tutoring me," Mathiel explained.
"And I'm sorry to interrupt you but that's my violin," Octavia stated.
"It's that so? You can take it." Mathiel said, giving the violin back to her. "Now I have to go."
"Wait! Where you came from?"
"I don't have any place to stay. I am just a wanderer with no memory of what my homeland is."
"Well... You can stay in my house, if that isn't a problem."
"Wait, I don't think that is the case."
"Why not? I want know you and your abilities. We can become a ideal duo."
"Well, if you insist. I will stay here, but just for one night."
"Alright, one night," Octavia said. "But in the meantime, do you want spare with me?"
In these following two months, Mathiel was getting more accustomed to his new life. The inhabitants of Ponyville always saw him playing his violin alongside with Octavia during her concerts. He was also working in a musical instrument shop as renting part of his permanence in Octavia's house. It was in simple moments of tranquility that he was able to forget his past and moving on a different direction.
However, Mathiel was fully aware that his dark powers wouldn't let him go this easily, remaining a reminder of his now cursed soul.
Mathiel was pondering about that as he was returning back home, accompanied by Octavia and Scratch Vinyl after a mixed concert in a dance balling room. He wasn't too used to Scratch's mixer style but at least he doesn't retain it to be a nuisance or a bad thing due to him coming from the 1700 era of the earth. Octavia, however, was just enthusiast.
"That was really fantastic! We should repeat the next time!" Octavia said cheerfully, interrupting his pondering.
"I'm sorry to tell you, but I had a hard time to follow your partner's musical scheme." Mathiel said, refering to Scratch.
"Really? Because your way to play wasn't so unsychronized." Octavia said. "I guess not everypony was used to this kind of music."
Scratch Vinyl raised her shoulders like to say 'patience'.
"Alright, Octavia. I am going to have a stroll of my own," Mathiel said. "I will return to your house later. Have fun."
"If you insist." Octavia said as she leaved with Scratch. "Bye, then."
Walking alone in the town under the night, Mathiel looked around as the lights of the houses steadily turning off, one after another. He headed outside Ponyville, directed toward the woods. And he goes far enough from there until he was totally surrounded by the vegetation. He aimlessly wandered for the woods during the hours of the night until
Mathiel raised his hoof in front of his face and materialized a spectral hand coming out of it. He observed every details. Details that reminded him his former form. He gritted his teeth and dismaterialized the hand, one second before stomping his hoof in frustration. As much as he hated it, his powers were now part of his now fused soul. And he know it. But that wasn't the only reason of his frustration.
"This spectral hand comes from the fragment of the soul of my mother," Mathiel murmured. "How did Lucifer managed to corrupt her soul after she died... I will never know..." He looked at the sky, noticing the moon being totally absent. "Strange, was the moon supposed to be there?"
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his head and his vision blurred, and shifted in a very inconsistent way. A vision entered inside his thoughts, like he was witnessing something. Something from his world and his era.
An young warrior in green robe and a vampiric sword deal his coup de grace to a creature that Mathiel recognized being the fallen angel name Lucifer, who roared in pain for the blow. Mathiel was so confused and couldn't even believe at what he was seeing.
"How weak..." Lucifer said. "This body is incomplete... Resurrected without sacrifice... I am fading....""
Lucifer screamed as his body irradiated a very blinding light that expanded before disappearing into the blackness. The devil was no more. Only the warrior was standing victorious.
Before he could ask any question, his vision blurred and shifted again. He found himself in the woods again and the pain that was flailing his head stopped. What he just saw leaved him a very disturbing feeling that momentarily shook his sense of reality.
"What in the bowel of hell I just saw," Mathiel said confused.
"You better believe it." Another voice said, getting his attention.
Somepony came out of the bushes. Mathiel will define him a very unexpected element. A red maned white stallion that seemed to have followed him for this whole time.
"Believe at what?" Mathiel asked nervously. "What was that vision and who are you!?"t
"I am Brime Stone, if you want to know," He said. "Mathiel Von Viltheim."
"..... You know me?"
"Allow me to explain what you saw," Brime said. "The warrior of your vision was Efrain Lecarde, a soldier of the church who had been tasked to investigate the spread of evil in France until he stumbled into the Castle of the Eternal Night, a castle being build in Lucifer's honor by the man you hate most... Henry De Guillcorte."
".... That bastard. I fully remember how he treated my mother and used me."
"Henry and his follower were taken down, and, as you had saw, Lucifer, who was resurrected without a sacrifice, was literally destroyed. And with his death, his castle crumbled. That happened while you were dead... Oh, I correct that. That happened in your former world while you were living your new life in this one."
"So I and my mother were avenged at least."
"Unfortunately is not over yet."
Mathiel flinched. "What do you mean?"
"Did you see the moon or the sun being in the sky?" Brime asked.
Mathiel looked around. "Now that I am thinking about, the dawn hasn't come out yet."
Without any warning, agonizing screams echoed through the night, breaking the silence in the most brutal way possible.
Princesses scream.
"What was that!?" Mathiel asked.
"Watch out!" Brime exclaimed as a warped figure attacked Mathiel.
Mathiel dodged it by rolling away and stood up two legged. His gaze directed toward his aggressor. It has the form of a pony, but wasn't a pony at all. His body looked like decayed, his muscles being exposed and his eyes being completely white, looking ferally at him.
"W-what? A ghoul? In Equestria!?" Mathiel said shocked.
"And it's not the only monster." Brime said, indicating four red eyes coming from behind them.
From the dark of the bushes, two infernal canine creatures slowly came out and approached them with a ferocious look, growling menacingly.
"Hellhounds?" Mathiel exclaimed.
"Mathiel, you know what to do." Brime said with a grave tone.
"............. Tsk, if I must." Mathiel said angrily as the two spectral hands appeared on his hooves and his long sword materialized itself. "Whilelm's Strength!!"
A dark aura imbued Mathiel's body as the two hellhounds and the ghoul charged toward the two ponies with a very feral frenzy. Brime Stone rolled away from their trajectory while Mathiel made a high jump and landed on one of the hellhounds while brutally splitting his body in half. As the blood erupted from it, he turned his attention to both the second one and the ghoul, and beheaded them in one swing. Their heads flew away from their now falling bodies.
Mathiel dismaterialized his sword and admired in disgust the result of his deed. Having previously sworn to never use that power, he could feel the frustration becoming more accentuated for having shattered his own promise. Mathiel gave a look to his cutey mark, being none other than the emblem of the Von Viltheim family. That reminded him for who he really is.
Brime stone noticed that and approached him calmly. "You are angered for being forced to use your powers, right?"
"Need I say more?" Matthiel replied harshly. "By the way, where did those monsters came from? And what was that scream?"
"The prologue to a vast cruel tribute," Brime said, indicating Canterlot, standing on the mountain far away from them. "Look!"
They could see the city and it's majestic castle trembling very frenetically. It's towers and spires were falling down like avalanches. The entire city crumbled down from the mountain in front of their own eyes.
"The entire city is crumbling." Mathiel said with a shocked expression. "And his falling down to the forest!"
"That's not all." Brime said calmly.
"What?"
"The sacrifice is not over yet."
As the city's debrises fell from the mountains, dark flames appeared from nowhere, engulfing the whole area. Something emerged from the blaze, adorned with a sinister intent. From these flames, a huge marble castle appeared. The castle was emanating a very ominous aura. It's dimensions swallowed what remains of the majestic city.
That was the first time that Mathiel saw something like that, but deep inside, he could feel a very sick and twisted aura being familiar to him. To his powers. And to his soul.
"No... That cannot be," Mathiel fell on his knees. "That's not possible!"
"You already know the answer." Brime said. "That is indeed the Castle of the Eternal Night, which has nothing to do with the Nightmare Moon legend."
"I know exactly what it is," Mathiel said. "Lucifer's castle. You said that yourself."
"I know how much is hard for you, but you have to put hesitation aside," Brime stated. "After all, monsters will began to attack soon or later, being invoked by the same aura of madness and perversion that the castle was emitting."
Mathiel widened his eyes and looked behind. "Ponyville!"
"And I also know that you didn't had revealed your identity yet," Brime declared.
Mathiel looked at him astonished. "Should I reveal who I really am to every pony that I had met before."
"Trust me. This happy land wouldn't last much longer if this madness continues. in fact, somepony is planning to resurrect Lucifer in this very world. As hard must be for you to even live with your own curse... In a world where Efrain Lecarde isn't here to stop that... The whole Equestria needs you."
That being said, Brime Stone turned away and took his leave. Mathiel tried to stop him when his figure had suddenly disappeared in the darkness.
Present Day, Celestia's tent.
"You know the rest." Mathiel concluded.
Celestia could hardly retaining her calm. She was particularly astonished by what she heard. She remained speechless and slowly put her hoof on her head in sign of mute incredulity. What Celestia heard from Mathiel was indeed a very dark and brutal background, especially the lore regarding Lucifer and his castle.
As for Mathiel, he was calm and composed, and yet he wasn't so happy about the reveal that he had to make. However, that didn't mattered too much for him. His tranquility was already screwed by what had transpired and one certainty. The influence that Lucifer had on the Von Viltheim family members and her mother's soul won't stop hunting his own soul.
Mathiel lifted his gaze toward the critically wounded alicorn and then closed his eyes. "I apologize for what you had to hear from me. But that was the pure truth. Including Brime's truth."
"I don't know what to say," Celestia said in consternation. "My city was destroyed by that monument, monsters had appeared along with this castle responsible of this ruin, the moon and the sun had disappeared, and somepony threatens to summon a very powerful demon in Equestria."
"What you saw it's only the taste of the horror that the culprit was about to unleash," Mathiel said. "It's seems like he's going to found a group of cultist that would help him in the resurrection of the devil, the entity that I hate most. After all, the castle was built in his honor."
Celestia put her hoof down and glared at Mathiel. "And what about Brime Stone?"
"I never heard of him ever again since our first encounter." Mathiel replied.
Celestia returned calm. "I see."
"..."
"That is the first time I became incapacitated like that. Before Canterlot crumbled, an halo of pure darkness assault both me and Luna, and tried to burn both our wings and horns. Hopefully we managed to escape, but... I had abandoned my subjects when they needed most."
"It's not your fault," Mathiel said. "However it's my fault either. I never wanted my power or even this kind of crap."
"As much I detest your dark magic, I have no choice," Celestia said. "Since I won't risk to lose Twilight and the other Elements, it's like Brime Stone said."
"You mean...!" Mathiel realized what Celestia meant.
"We need your powers in order to set things right." Celestia admitted.
Mathiel pondered about what was presented in front of him. He never wanted to use his powers since they came from the same source that corrupted the Von Viltheim family. However, he took in consideration the fact that his own actions talked for him, not his own powers. In other words, he will use his own cursed power differently.
"Trust me, you won't regret this," Mathiel assured.