Author's Notes:

Now to completely make up for all those sappy moments I made you sit through. Be prepared to see waves of blood *evil laughter*

The night wind brushed past Marrok as he traversed the rough terrain of the Everfree forest. He still carried Riptide and Night Dancer on his back. He did not know how long he was in those sewers but he suspected that it took him a day or two to walk out. Marrok felt a headache form in his head and he winced at the pain.

He was exhausted. More so than usual when he used his powers, probably from the malnutrition while he was experimented on. For three days he had not eaten a thing and they had removed his stomach. Probably for that very reason, to prevent him from losing even more energy. It amazed him how he was still alive, he knew they cast a spell on him that kept him alive. But, this magic he had never seen before. Victor had the only real stuff to keep someone alive and back from death, and they were some serious pills. It was a dark magic that Marrok had not known and did not wish to know.

Finally after walking for a few minutes he arrived in a clearing. I had a large pool of water in the center with two trees looming over it. Marrok recognized this place as the Mirror Pool. He would come back here after having a heated argument with Dracula. It would calm him down when he was feeling exceptionally angry at Dracula. One of Luna’s number one rule’s was never to harm another child of the night, unless she said otherwise. There were some occasions where one would go rampant and they were tasked with dealing with it.

Marrok rested Riptide and Night Dancer on the ground underneath one of the trees. Marrok blew out a breathe of exhaustion for carrying them for hours. He walked over to the pool and lowered his muzzle to take a drink of water. He could feel the water travel through his system and rejuvenate his fatigued body. Marrok looked at his humanoid werewolf paws and looked down his arms. They were leaking out black energy, all of him was.

He concentrated and he transformed back into a pony and looked at his reflection again, he still had the dark magical energy leak out of his dark black colored coat. His eyes were a bright orange and they had energy leaking and swirling out of them too. He stared at his reflection in hopes that who he was looking at was just an illusion. Marrok then saw the pool shimmer and it changed the scenery.

I guess the legends were true.

Marrok thought to himself. The legend stated that when you were in your hour of need it would show you memories long forgotten and replenish your energy. Marrok did not believe a word of it but he was being proven wrong. He sat down and watched the pool. It brought him to a familiar sight. It was the garden in the castle at Shadow Garden.

He saw Dracula inspecting a particular flower, a red petaled flower with white stripes. It was called an Amaryllis, it normally grows in the Badlands and under rare occasions it grew in the outskirts of Appleoosa. Dracula found it very inspirational, saying that it is a source of determination. That even though a place constantly related to death, there is a beauty that grows there.

Marrok then saw himself step into the garden and Dracula said without skipping a beat,”Please if you wish to continue our argument now you will be sadly disappointed. I am tired and wish to remain this way for a while.”

Marrok drew out a heavy sigh and said,”That is not why I am before you now.”

“Then what have you come here for?”Dracula said finally looking over at him with those piercing red eyes,”Speak quickly while the night is young.”

Marrok drew closer to his brother and said,”I am tired as well. I am tired of arguing with you. The only time we don’t seem to argue is when we are with our Mother. But I want things to be like they were before. When we would get along and play together.”

Dracula sighed and looked Marrok in the face and said,”I long for such days as well. No amount of seriousness can hide that now. I am willing to reconcile so long as you are, brother.”

Dracula lunged at Marrok and they hugged each other. Dracula could feel something warm drip down his back. He knew it was a tear, nothing could hide it. And Dracula had tears of his own welling up in his eyes.

They released form each other and looked at each other. They stared at each other’s eyes and saw that each of them had tears in their eyes. They then heard the flap of wings and descending from the sky was none other than their dark blue coated Mother, Princess Luna. She landed and embraced two of her sons.

She says as they are within her grasp,”I am so glad that thou has reconciled with each other. I love you both.”

Marrok and Dracula returned the hug and said together,”We love you too.”

Marrok saw the image ripple and he saw that he was crying. He was not crying because of the happiness of the memory. He cried in sadness, when his brothers and sisters look upon him they will surely run in fear and not think that he was the same. With tears rolling down his face he looked over at the still unconscious Riptide and Night Dancer. He trotted over to them and he whispered to them wiping away his tears,

“I am sorry but I must leave you two. You have been raised in these woods and can no doubt find your ways to Mother. I must leave because I fear how you will treat me when you arise. I will return to you, Dracula, and Mother when I feel the time is right. Goodbye.”

He transformed into a Werewolf and bolted away into the thickness of the forest. He leapt through shadows and through the night. Now he was at least a mile away from them and he didn’t look back.

Little did he know that his Mother, Princess Luna saw and heard the entire ordeal. She could do nothing but cry as she watched Marrok bound into the night and shadows. She sat on her haunches in defeat. Thoughts rushed through her head. What would have happened if she had intervened earlier? Would he have stayed? Or would he have still ran away. He truly thought himself a monster. She slowly walked out of the brush and lifted Riptide and Night Dancer on her back. A tear trickled down her cheek as she looked back at the pool. And finally she walked away. From that night forward, she would never return to that pool.

Rainbow Dash had set out with Omega Pack to silently kill the Changeling guards that patrolled Ponyville. She was transformed into a Werewolf. Her Werewolf form did not have wings but she was still just as fast. Her fur coat was a dark cyan color and her eyes an even more intense color of violet. She bounded through the forest at the front of the pack with Cornell. Cornell always seemed to be in his Werewolf form, a large humanoid Werewolf with bright white fur and almost glowing yellow eyes.

For around ten minutes they raced through the forest into the outskirts of Ponyville. Cornell told everypony to halt. They all stopped, Cornell motioned for Rainbow to come to him and she did so. They were looking out over a field, on the other side they could see Dracula, Luna, and Rarity (or Spectra). Around them were the other eight Vampires waited. Dracula waved a hoof notifying they were ready. Cornell waved his large humanoid Werewolf paw over to notify that they were ready.

Cornell told them ahead of time that they would scour through the town in teams of two. Rainbow and Cornell would work together. Their rendezvous point was the bell tower above the school. They let their eyes scan the other end of the field and they saw that marching from the forests directly facing Ponyville was Princess Celestia, Twilight, and Emerald were leading 1500 Royal Guards. Celestia said something to the guards and then turned and waved at Cornell. The signals were ready and Cornell raced to the top of a stony hill and he howled at the moon. To the Changelings this was not uncommon to hear, but Luna, Celestia and Dracula all knew that it was signalling them that the Werewolves were heading into town. They were heavily outnumbered but they had the Night on their side.

Celestia put a spell on all of them so they could telepathically talk to each other. The ones that could talk telepathically were Spectra, Luna, Celestia, Dracula, Cornell, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Emerald.

What they saw was unnerving. Ponyville was set ablaze and ponies were being rounded up in the town square and taken from their burning homes. Cries of horror and pain could be heard for miles in all directions. This brought fury into Rainbow’s eyes, they were threatening her home and her friends. She made a promise that she would kill every last Changeling that she saw.

They silently charged through the night without a sound. Rainbow followed Cornell’s every step and they were on top of one of the building that was not on fire. There were only two of them. Cornell said in her mind,

Remember to take them out silently and quickly. I got the one on the right and you have the one on the left. When I say now, we leap down and kill them. Okay?

He turned and she nodded in agreement. She concentrated on the Changelings and waited for Cornell to say now. She looked on the other roof tops and saw that the other Werewolves were going to town. Leaping, hiding the bodies and then moving on to more targets. Finally she heard him say in her mind,

NOW!!!

She leapt down to the one on the left and crushed it under her supernatural strength. Just to make sure she bit its neck. Blood splattered on her and she finally looked up and saw Cornell take his kill and hide it in one of the nearby dumpsters. and Rainbow did the same and she heard his voice in her mind say,

Before we go to the rendezvous point Luna told us to see how heavily guarded Carousel Boutique, Sugarcube Corner, and Golden Oak Library.

Rainbow nodded in agreement and on their way to Sugarcube Corner they kill four more Changelings. They stop on top of a building nearby, about ten Changelings guarded Sugarcube Corner. They continued their silent killing spree to Carousel Boutique and saw fifteen guarding it. Cornell noted this and they continued on to Golden Oak Library. That place was more heavily defended. Fifteen were on the outside and Cornell sensed ten more on the inside. They then finished around and met at the rendezvous point. Rainbow looked out and saw the shadows of Celestia’s group and Luna’s group. Cornell reared and let out a baleful cry to the moon and it could be heard for miles. Rainbow looked to the sky and heard a large BOOM!!

Celestia, Emerald, and Twilight listened for Cornell’s howl and when they heard it Celestia sent out a large ball of golden energy in the sky. It travelled through the air and finally it exploded and shot out rays of sunlight to get the attention of the Changelings and they heard the large thundering noise of charging Changelings. They were heading straight towards the location they thought the giant flare came from. Then from Emerald Celestia heard him shout,”FOR EQUESTRIA!!!!CHARGE!!!”

All fifteen hundred of them charged towards the oncoming Changelings. Celestia looked to her side and saw the Vampires vanished in thin air and turn into a dark mist and travelled through the air to Ponyville. Then there was a moment of silence when the two armies met face to face. Then from that silence emerged the sound of battle. Cries of battle, cries of pain and clattering steel. Celestia impaled the first one she saw with her horn and erupted bright yellow sending the ones around her into the air. Relentlessly she broke the gap between the Changelings and the Children of the Day.

One by one they fell to Celestia’s superior strength and superior magical powers. Blasts, waves, rays. All Changelings that met her on the battlefield fell. She was unstoppable. She was about to be stricken behind her and then she heard behind her the crunch of Changeling bones. And the sound of steel leaving a body. Celestia turned and saw Emerald, he saluted her and he charged another and it fell to his martial prowess with a sword. Celestia launched into the air and began attacking the ones from the sky. Blast after blast as she drew them away from the battle and they flew all around the battlefield. She began evading strikes and blows from the flying Changelings. She summoned her Blade of Shadow and began killing them with that. With every slice they fell from the sky, and the sword had some sort of enchantment on it.

When it cut through a Changeling it burned and seared the flesh of it. She looked at the 3 foot long blade and she had come up with a name when she saw that every kill made by the weapon turned into a pile of ash. She called it the Ashbringer. But she began to notice she was about to be overwhelmed. Then she saw a large wave of water rush and crash into the almost endless horde of flying Changelings. She looked to her right and saw flying there was a pony with a dark blue coat and black and red mane and tail. His cutie mark was a wave of water and in his hooves he was carrying a trident. She knew this pony as Riptide the Shadow, one of the Originals. Celestia nodded her head at him and he nodded his at hers. They then charged downwards and crashed into the ground, causing the ground to erupt in a shower of blood, dirt, and disembodied Changeling parts.

Twilight blasted, blew out waves, gusts of wind, and pounded Changelings with her hooves. She wore purple and gold armor, given to her by Celestia. Celestia told her that the armor was for when she needed her to fight alongside her in battle. Twilight noticed that Celestia wore the same armor just the colors were white and gold. Luna as well, but Luna’s had a different style to it. It had a hood and a cloak. It also had the insignia of a large crescent moon on the hood, a brooch, on the bracers, and the steel boots. Twilight bashed a Changeling with her fore hooves and then shot out a wave at around fifteen. Twilight looked around and noticed that despite the overwhelming odds of nearly 5 to 1 they were pushing them back. Twilight then noticed that from the sky she saw beams of moonlight shine on them and also saw that some of the stars fell from the sky.

Twilight looked to find the source of the magic and saw that standing atop the stony cliff that once stood Cornell, was a mare unicorn and white magic erupted from her horn as she violently guided the horn in different directions. Twilight put two and two together and knew that the mare atop the cliff was Night Dancer. She summoned the rays of the moon to improve the strength and stamina of her allies. The stars fell from the sky and exploded on the ground it would only harm the Changelings, the Royal Guards, Twilight, Emerald, and Celestia would be rejuvenated and healed. Twilight drew out a deep breath and summoned her Blade of Shadow.

With every kill the blade absorbed energy from the dead and it gave her improved strength and prowess. She then harnessed the energy and let an aura of dark purple energy swirl around her. All the Changelings that stepped in the aura collapsed on the ground and crumbled to dust. The aura does not last very long. But there was another way she could expend the energy. She vertically cut and a wave of purple energy shot out and cut five Changelings in half. She looked at the blade and knew what to call it. It would be known as Dreadtouch.

Dracula, Luna, and Spectra emerged from the cloud of darkness and so did the others. Luna shouted behind her,”Heartfire and Blazer absorb those fires! We can’t allow anymore buildings to be damaged by the fire! The rest of you follow me!”

They charged through the streets of Ponyville to the courtyard and in the courtyard was around fifty Changelings and a large one, about the size of Dracula. It shouted,”Kill them all, except the Princess. Sombra wants her alive. The Original and the Princess are mine.”

The fifty charged at them. They all waited until they were within range and then WAM!!! With supernatural speed and strength, they countered the charge and engaged the enemy. Dracula had summoned his Void Sword and began hacking and slashing away the Changelings. He turned and saw Luna was doing the same thing with her Blade of Shadow.

Luna’s blade glowed a blue aura and as she cut and thrust with it it instantly turned them into ice. She then thought she could do something. She held it out and out came a cone of ice and in that cone of cold was large icicles, impaling into the Changelings. She decided that this blade was to be called Chillrend. Dracula and Luna finally pushed past the Changelings. They then saw the large general before them. It was a large Centaur but had all the features of a Changeling with Sombra’s powers. It held a large axe in his hands and it said,”I am General Azzithoth and you will be an excellent reward for Sombra. He will be pleased.”

They began to circle one another, Azzithoth and Dracula and Luna. Dracula was the first to charge. The centaur brought down his axe and Dracula parried all of his moves. But Dracula was caught off guard and he was punched flying through the air. He landed on the ground and lost grip of his sword in mid air. It crashed to the ground and the counter weight broke. Luna saw this and became enraged. She charged and struck Azzithoth faster than Dracula did. But they struck him together. Luna finally cut his stomach and Dracula slashed at his chest. Both landed excellent blows. Azzithoth reeled in pain and growled in rage. He lunged at Dracula and landed a blow. Azzithoth struck Dracula on his shoulder and he shouted in great pain.

The pain shot through his arm and stung his entire body. His cries could be heard from miles. He began to lose consciousness, the axe was poisoned. But before his vision turned black he heard a voice in his head say,”No, his purpose has not yet been fulfilled.”

Dracula’s vision cleared and his body no longer stung. He stood up and his Mother crippled Azzithoth. Luna cried out to Dracula,”FINISH HIM OFF!!!”

Dracula picked up his sword with his hoof and leapt into the air. He landed and stabbed Azzithoth in the head. Dracula’s Void Sword then began to slide down and slowly cut him in half, when Dracula landed on the ground he was covered in dark green blood. He breathed heavily and he said under his breath,

“When death comes
I’ll need not love –
Consumed,
No wreath or dove
Could offer me salvation,
Not when I’m no more.

A weathered stone will bear my name –
Identity of once a being
Living out existence in
A world of risk, and never seeing
Sense of why we’re here.

My genes will die away thro’ child –
Hue of eyes and hair, the way of thought,
Will quickly dim with generation –
Bow to future dominance –
Memories of provenance
Resigned to curious few.

When death comes
I’ll need not grace
Below; no grieving face
Will call my resurrection,
Not when I’m at ground –

Death and I so bound.”

Dracula was lifted into the air and his eyes shot open and they were glowing bright red. Red magical energy began to swirl out of Azzithoth and absorbed into Dracula. He then heard a voice in his mind say,”Yes, let the darkness consume you. Kill everypony you see.”

Dracula answered aloud in a really deep and fear inducing tone.”No. Not this time.”

Dracula then felt a rush of energy and felt strengthened beyond what he knew. Normally he felt enough power to last a few hours of combat without exhaustion. But now, he felt an immense amount of power. Luna could feel the raw magical power coming off of her son. He slowly descended to the ground, he had saw something on the ground and picked it up with his magic. Red swirled around his horn as he levitated a large key towards him. The last key to the Harvest Well was inside of his Void Sword the entire time, and not even Dracula knew about it.

He kept levitating the key and he cried out as the last of the Changelings fell under the Vampires. Not a single casualty. Dracula closed his eyes and red energy swirled out of his horn and absorbed into the other Vampires. They felt the raw power of Dracula and they felt more powerful than ever before and an aura was around them, a crimson red one. Dracula hovered in the air as he said,”We all will split in half. Me and Spectra will lead our half in battle to help the Children of the Day. Mother will lead the other half and secure the hostages. Go!”

Dracula charged through the streets and followed behind him was Spectra and his half of the Vampires. He looked up at the Werewolves on the bell tower and he shouted,”Join us and lets finish this!”

The Werewolves howled in agreement and they followed Dracula as they approached the battlefield.

Despite nearly impossible odds the Children of the Day only lost 50 ponies, while they had started out with 7500 and are now with 500. They were being surrounded. Blood covered the field, a mix of dark green and bright red. The bodies of ponies lie limp on the ground. Craters were now in the field. The fires in Ponyville had stopped and emerging from Ponyville as Celestia squinted her eyes.

She saw Dracula gliding through the air with Rarity, half of the Vampires at their disposal, and Omega Pack following close behind. They all had auras of bright red and the amount of magic emanating from them almost overwhelmed Celestia. She then screamed,”Let’s finish this!”

Her response were cries of victory. She hovered in the air the beating of her wings behind her. She scoured the field to find her student and found her. As fast as lightning she flew down and killed a Changeling as it went to lunge out at Twilight. She sliced the Changeling in half.

Twilight looked over and saw her teacher and said,”So nice of you to finally join me.”

Twilight still had the dark purple aura around her and cut a Changeling in half with Dreadtouch. Celestia smiled as she decapitated a Changeling and said,”Better late than never right.”

Twilight laughed in response and continued her slaughter of the Changelings. They then heard the sound of breaking Changeling bones and howls of victory. Dracula and Omega Pack had finally joined the battle. They brought even more slaughter. Celestia saw Werewolves as they ripped the Changelings in half with their bare hands, or they swiped them in half with their claws. But what Celestia personally saw was the martial prowess and expertise of Dracula. His finesse with a blade was unrivaled and saw as he cut each and every Changeling down that he saw. She also sensed that he was pumping magic into Rarity. Rarity unleashed massive amounts of magic in either waves, bolts, or rays.

Dracula’s eyes had red energy flowing freely out of them and they made him look really intimidating. Occasionally she saw Dracula rip a Changeling’s neck open with his fangs. They were unstoppable.

Twilight saw the raw power and prowess as she looked at Dracula. He had helped thin down their numbers from five hundred to around three hundred. The battle was soon theirs. She continued her onslaught of spells and slashes with Dreadtouch. She looked up and saw Riptide keeping the skies clear by himself and gazed back at Night Dancer and she continued her spells as she summoned stars to keep falling from the sky, she would have to stop soon because dawn was beginning to break through the horizon. Twilight looked over at her mentor and saw she was raising the moon and fighting at the same time.

Dracula never felt so alive. He was unstoppable, but he could be in control of what he did when he had these powers now. He was now living up to the title the North Star. His Mother told him stories of the North Star. Apparently the North Star was the center and focal point of the universe, she told him fables of great heroes who would follow the North Star in search of Immortality. But they never returned. He once asked what really happened to them?

She would smile and say,”They found what they were looking for. They became immortal, but they paid the ultimate price. They remained in the sky, and what we see as stars are them.”

He had always thought it was just a myth. Until now. Now he knows that when he absorbs ponies energies they pass on and are immortalized in the sky. Some are even viewed and grouped together to form constellations. Finally he had the last kill and he cut it right in half. In victory he raised his sword to the sky and a rush and roar of cries of victory thundered through the sky. The morning sun now shone through the treetops and he felt the great power fade away. The battle of Ponyville was over. The battle of Ponyville was won.