Before long another teapot was whistling and Spike poured both me and Twilight another cup. I closed my eyes for a moment, took a sip of tea and stated, “I will start with the vampires first, as they are more familiar to me. They were first created by Princess Luna before she was exiled to the moon as guardians of the night. Along with them making up Princess Luna's Night Guard an offshoot called the 'Reaper Knights' was formed for offensive missions. However, when Princess Luna was banished, scores of my kind went rogue in anger."

"Princess Celestia was forced to decommission Princess Luna's Reaper Knights in response. Although, this act only infuriated the rogue vampires further and she had to destroy many of them to prevent open warfare. On the other hoof, there were still plenty of my kind who did remain loyal to Princess Celestia. They above all else truly saw what Princess Luna had become and that she had little choice, but to send her to the moon,” I stated. I then took another sip of tea and continued, “Although, when Princess Luna returned several vampires did not want to serve again and remained rogue. Most are generally considered to be oath-breakers, power corrupt and cruel. They usually have to be destroyed on sight. However, some have redeemed themselves."

“After Princess Luna returned, the Reaper Knights were recommission and I joined her forces instead of Princess Celestia's for reasons I will discuss at a later time. Plenty of other vampires followed suit and we make up a good portion of the newly reformed Reaper Knights that Princess Luna now commands,” I stated with a prideful smile.

"However, the Reaper Knights are not only just vampires now. The lycans soon became the other portion. They were originally created by Discord to combat the forces of both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. Unlike the original vampires, the lycans did not have a choice to become what they did,” I stated as a sorrowful look overtook my face. “Due to some mysterious nature of Discord’s chaos magic the unstable change became permanent," I added.

“At first the lycans wandered Equestria maiming or turning anypony they came across. When Discord was sealed in stone, the lycans regained their free will. However, most could never fully rejoin their families due to their unstable curse. A large group of them requested to be sealed away until a cure was found. Most had to be destroyed due to their bloodlust,” I said staring into my tea. I then looked up from my teacup and took a deep breath. “Though a cure was never found, Princess Celestia did manage to find a spell that would dampen their unstable nature. It allowed them to change at will the majority of the time. The sealed lycans were quickly released and enchanted. It at the very least gave them a small measure of normalcy," I stated.

I put down my teacup and said “Although there are some lycans that were never sealed, recruited, nor destroyed. These remaining few still roam the forests to this day. Most of them are neutral, but several groups of them have begun to openly attack random victims. May I have more tea please Spike?” He poured me more tea and I closed my eyes for a minute and spoke, “The Reaper Knights are ultimately forced to hunt down these rogue lycans. Some are recruited, though most have outright attacked us.” My eyes closed as my face shifted to an anguished expression.

After a few minutes of silence Twilight spoke up, “and the solar channelers?”

My face contorted in pain and seething anger. I spat the words “the solar channelers-” and had to pause to stop my teacup from shaking, “-were originally created by Princess Celestia to combat the forces of Discord. They are an offshoot of her Solar Guard for offensive missions. Their members are created using a yellowish-orange elixir called Solar-Deliverer or Solar-D for short. The drinkers are granted the ability to channel the solar energies of the sun,” I stated gritting my teeth. I had to take another sip of tea to further calm myself down. “However, one unexpected side effect is the energies and powers are…addicting, for lack of a better word. Normally younger ponies are recruited due to it is easier to teach them how to control their power and addiction. The other side effect is the ponies are granted a longer than normal life,” I said with a repugnant tone.

“I have had the-” the words weighed heavily on me, “-displeasure of meeting some of them when I was newly turned. They are generally considered under the command of Princess Celestia as a ‘Scorched Earth’ policy,” I said as rage started rising in me. “They regularly incinerate towns and areas as opposed to purging enemy forces out of them. They are a disgrace to Princess Celestia’s banner and I presume they are only kept around due to their occasional…usefulness,” I spoke with venom in my tone. “I only work with them when I am forced to do so. The worst of them turned rogue after they in cold blood destroyed my-” red tears welled in my eyes, “-village, my adoptive father and…my...love," I said as red tears started flowing down my face. I then turned my head to look away from Twilight and Spike.

A moment later I wiped my tears away with a napkin from the table next to me. “I apologize, it has been well over a century, but the pain is still fresh in my mind,” I stated.

Twilight’s eyes started to well up and she looked at Spike as he was wiping tears away from his own eyes. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you,” she said quietly.

I mastered myself through force of will and spoke, “It is…fine, you needed to know, but my hurt should not become your own.” I then took a deep breath and I spoke again, “Princess Celestia was livid for what they had done. She attempted to strip them of their powers, but they escaped. Although, without access to Princess Celestia’s Solar-D they had to create their own by somehow draining powerful ponies. How they learned to do this, I do not know.”

After finishing my tea I stated, “My needs are simple. As I am going to be here for the foreseeable future and as a fellow scholar I wish to have access to your books. As well, I require someplace dark to rest, preferably your basement if you have one. I only require to drink two liters of blood every few days, unless I overexert myself or use a lot of magic. I do have a few liters with me and I can gather more myself.” Twilight soon looked nervous and paled as I made my statements. But after noticing this I smiled and said, “Do not worry, I will not harm anypony. I normally hunt animals in the forest for that.”

Twilight let out her breath and calmed down. “Thank you,” she said after heavily breathing out again.

“As for what I can do and what knowledge I can share, that will have to wait until tomorrow at a Reaper Knight outpost outside of Ponyville. It will be easier, as well it appears we are all tired and could use some rest,” I stated trying to stay awake after the long journey.

“I’m not tired,” Spike protested as he tried to stifle a yawn.

“Come on Spike,” Twilight chuckled as she nudged him with her right forehoof. “You are only a young adolescent dragon after all. Besides, I could use some rest myself,” she added and yawned.

I turned and placed my cup on the tray where the tea kettle sat. I then rubbed my eyes with the back of my left forehoof. 'It has been a long night and most likely a longer tomorrow,' I thought to myself.

Then after putting Spike to bed, Twilight slowly walked down the stairs from the second floor and yawned. “Here I’ll show you to the basement, though I’m not sure how comfortable it’s going to be,” she stated yawning again.

“Do not worry I mainly sleep in my armor when away from my normal lodgings,” I said as I tried to keep my eyes open. I continued fighting fatigue as I walked into the basement after Twilight.

“Isn’t that going to be too uncomfortable?” she inquired.

“For everypony’s protection, including my own, it is best if I am anchored at night,” I said and figured she was going to ask another question so I raised my left foreleg. “All will be answered tomorrow when we have more time,” I added.

Twilight raised an eyebrow when I started to clear off a flat space on the ground. I then stood in the cleared floor and I spoke in my mind, 'suppression armor, activate helm and sleep mode.' In response the plates for my helm slid out of the ring around my neck. They then unstacked themselves and slowly slid over my head and face. Afterwards from each of my legs detached a ten centimeter spike with a chain attached to them. The other parts of the chains were attached to my leg armor. The spikes then while pointing straight down hovered in different diagonal directions out from me and drove themselves into the ground one at a time. Then as this was completed the plates of my armor stiffened and locked together to prevent me from moving in my sleep. “I know I must look like a tent right now, but it is…necessary for me to do this,” I stated with a small laugh.

“Oh stallions and their toys,” Twilight said quietly laughing, rolling her eyes, and shaking her head.

“Have a pleasant rest, Princess,” I spoke and smiled from behind my helm.

“You too Blood Moon,” she responded while turning around and then walked up the basement stairs.

Now what I had not disclosed to her is why it was needed for me to be anchored. It was my nightmares, or should I say nightmare and what it does to my mental state. Princess Luna had tried and failed to remove it from my mind. It is the same one I have had since the solar channelers attacked my village. “Well, I had better get this over with,” I stated closing my eyes and darkness quickly took me.

“BLOOD MOON…hurry…hide!” my adoptive father yelled in a terrified, shaky voice and added, “Those monsters are killing everypony!”

I tried to make this chapter an intro to what has been happening and semi-describe why Blood Moon prefers to be alone.