Luna opened the door to her old room with a loud squeak. The door obviously needed to be oiled. Everything was untouched. Her room was a large size, the walls were a dark blue color and accented the furnishings and decorations very well. It fit well to the old gothic style she always enjoyed. She lit the candles adorning the walls and revealed the colors of the room much more brightly. There was a bed and a writing desk near the large arch leading to a balcony where one could see all of Shadow Garden. She breathed in a long breath and sat in one of the chairs along the walls.

She had time to herself and she had no idea how to spend it. So she got up and sat down at the writing desk and began writing. She lately taken a liking in writing journal entries, so she continued to write journal entries. She heard a knock at the door, walking in with a grace and a certain style unique to only one pony, her eldest sister Celestia. She stopped and closed the large door behind her. Luna says not turning her attention away from what she was writing,”It is done. There is nothing you can say or do to sway me or him from taking this away.”

Celestia drew out a deep sigh and said,”I know...I was only hoping it would not happen so soon. He was already mere inches away from ascending it was going to happen. I only thought that the only way for him to ascend was from your...death.”

Luna puts the quill in the inkwell and says turning around in her chair,”I found a loophole in it. Though, the Children of the Night are not connected to him they are connected to me.”

Celestia nods her head and walks over to the balcony and lowers her head. Luna steps next to her and says,”What troubles you sister?”

Celestia says in a monochromatic tone,”Nothing its just...if only I could have seen this coming, all of this could be avoided.”

Luna rests one of her hooves on her sister’s shoulder and says,”None of this is your fault. Most of the blame can be taken upon me.”

Celestia shrugs Luna’s hoof off her shoulder and says,”No...if I only let you do what you needed to do then most of the bloodshed could have been avoided. We could have been stronger...if I could only have seen this.”

Luna replies,”You should not blame yourself for something that has already happened. We all make bad decisions sometimes.”

Celestia breaths in a heavy breath and says,”Yes but you have never made a decision that weakens your entire empire.”

“What do you mean?”Luna asks raising an eyebrow. Celestia pushes past Luna onto the balcony and says,”I mean the other nations. They will surely take advantage of our weakened state.”

Luna steps out on the balcony as well and says,”But most are…”

“Open your eyes Luna.”Celestia snaps,”The Griffons have only recently agreed to open borders and we have never been on good terms with them. The Dragons were kicked out of their lands and are losing boundaries, it’s only a matter of time before they take another country. The Minotaurs are in the middle of a civil war in the Badlands. The Centaurs are getting anxious to spill blood, you know how Warlord Macias can be. The Ponies of Equestria are going to need a miracle if we are to be prepared.”

Celestia sighed heavily and buried her head in her hooves in frustration, then sat on her haunches. Luna sat next to her sister and said,”I don’t know what will happen. But know that me and my Children of the Night are right next to you.”

Celestia lifted her head and looked at the youthful face of her younger sister. She smiled and said,”Thank you Lulu.”

Luna smiled and said,”You’re quite welcome Tia.”

They hugged each other and meld their bond closer together. For the first time in one thousand years, they embrace each other as sisters. The land of Equestria have their two rulers back once more.

The bright red rays of the dawn pierced through the stained glass windows of the library in Blacklight Hold. Dracula sat at a stained wooden table with the only comfort of the warm candlelight next to him. His piercing red eyes scanned over ancient scrolls and texts looking for something. He heard shuffling over to his right as he saw Twilight using her magic to find books and scrolls. She held great power, Dracula could sense that now. She possibly held more power than him, more than likely it is from being the Spirit of Magic.

Twilight said through the darkness,”What exactly are we looking for? Is there anything in particular that we are looking for?”

Dracula rolled the scroll back up and stood up and while walking over to her he says,”We are looking for anything that can give us a step ahead of Living Shadow. Or something that can stop him from possessing my mind. Now that he has a champion he has a chance of taking hold over my mind.”

Twilight scanned over the titles.’Rituals Compendium’,’Mind Control Emporium’, etc. but one title stood out among the rest.’Heroes of the Dark: Secrets Held from the Children of the Night’. Twilight hovers the black leather bound book into her hooves and scanned through the pages. Revealed on the pages were promises of power and glory. Twilight read out loud and said,

“Chapter 1: Nether Energy

“The wielder of this element can create, shape and manipulate Nethe, the "Chthonian Element" that flows through the realms of the living, and the Dead. Nether is most known as the substance that makes up the Underworld, a subterranean dimension where all souls go when they pass on. Nether is very similar to Aether “the Celestial Element” in that is from a Plane that exists between the planes of both magic, and energy. However, although it can partake in the nature of either substances, Nether is neither of these things.

Despite being often considered "Death-Force" Nether is more than the source of what drains life away from living things, it is the destructive aspect of reality, the source and very concept of entropy and destruction, disasters and all degeneration in magic, energy and concepts. It is the power that makes possible and ensures severing the soul's connection to their mortal body, so they can pass onto the afterlife. It is also the power that summons and controls the souls of the deceased. Users of this power acknowledge that Nether exists in Elemental, Cosmic, and Spiritual forces. Nether exists in the cosmos as sort of a gateway between the land of the Living and the Dead, stretching out to anywhere where death has potential to occur.

Like Aether, Nether is a Spiritual Element, which means it cannot be perceived by any physical sense. The only way Nether can be seen is if it were mixed with an Element of the Physical Realm (Most often Darkness, Fire, or Earth).”

The dark words spoke to Dracula. In his mind he heard the familiar voice of Cerberus as he says,”Read the book and learn its secrets. Wielding my power requires you to manipulate Nether energy, or at least it can be mastered easily if one knows how to wield Nether energy.”

Dracula takes the book and opens it and Twilight says towards Dracula.”What is Nether Energy? I've never heard of it.”

Dracula shuffles through the pages and says,”It was a concept that a Vampire had come up with. His name was Lord Davil Blackheart. He believed that there existed other forms of energy besides Magical energy. Two others as a matter of fact. Nether and Aether energy. He believed that Cerberus and Faximas used these energies to build the universe and of Ketos itself.”

“Ketos?”Twilight said. Dracula closed the book and said,”Ketos is the name of our planet that we live on. Yes. Equestria is merely the name of the country we live in. There are five neighboring nations that are on the continent of the Bladed Isles, Acros being the large island we live on. Davil discovered these islands and wrote them down in this book.

“I fought next to him. He was an honorable stallion and a good colt. His last dying words were for me to raise his children named Rho and Con. Both have grown up and have their own lives to hold, I want to make them Knights of the Moon. I sent out letters to both of them and I want to see them again.”

Twilight saw great woe strike across Dracula’s face and she knew that he had great feelings for these two ponies. Twilight smiles slightly and kisses him on the cheek and said,”Don’t worry, they will come.”

Dracula slightly smirks and says,”Thank you Twilight.”

Twilight could still not get used to his new voice. His voice was no longer accented but sounded very similar. Something about mentioning these names seemed to put him on edge. Twilight says,”Aren’t they with the other Children of the Night?”

Dracula looks out of the window and says,”I can only hope that they are with the others. Rho and Con weren’t ones of being very social with other Children of the Night, not since their father’s death. I’ve been the only other pony they have talked to. As far as their use within Children of the Night go they would do the missions that seemed impossible for other ponies to do. And they got the job done, an excellent duo. I apparently trained them well.”

Twilight heard a hint of loss and sorrow in his voice. He really cared for these ponies and not the same as she noticed with Hearthfire and Blazer. There was more he was not sharing but that would be a story for another time. Ever since this transcendence of his he has changed. He seems more open to this dark past of his. Its obvious that he needs time to grow and to come to grip with new powers he possess. Twilight nods her head and says grabbing a cloak out of her saddlebags that sat on one of the wooden tables and said leaving the room.”Well. You have a lot to study and even more to learn, and I understand that you need your space.”

Dracula nodded his head towards Twilight and he opened the book with a darker red magic than before and it seemed that when he used his magic red smoke came out of the side of his eyes. Twilight put up the hood and left the library. She walked through the moonlit halls of the castle and left to the streets of Shadow Garden. The stone streets were covered in soot and in dried blood. Twilight still has not gotten used to seeing injured ponies before. Twilight looked around and saw broken ponies limping through the streets. Twilight wishes she could help but she did not know any healing spells.

She then heard a loud crash in a nearby alleyway. She cautiously stepped into the ash filled alleyway and moved silently and slowly. In the alleyway itself, it was empty but then she heard the groan of a pony. Creeping over the corner in the back of the alley and saw a very gruesome sight.

It was horrible, a small group of Changelings crowded around a white and red mare. They were beating her and cutting her with various objects. Twilight looked past the crowd and saw another pony underneath some rubble, a blue colored stallion. Twilight did not want to stand and watch as they might use this chance to do terrible things to her. Without thinking she rushed in raising Dreadtouch.

It was in calm peaceful moments like these where Dracula could truly focus. In sequence with his reading he heard the melodious sound of the old clock on the wall, though he did not break his concentration. He used this time to think about what has happened and learning about Nether Manipulation. Of all the battles he had fought in. Of all the wars he was a part of, this one was the most gruesome. Two cities fell to Living Shadow, though Ponyville was capable of defending now and suspected more help was on the way.

Dracula knew first hand how accepting Children of the Day can be. Although in some aspects of reality, Children of the Night and Children of the Day are not much different. Dracula had seen this and known this first hand. Now he starts to concentrate harder on the words on the pages. He noticed he was on Chapter 11 of the book and multiple times it mentions the Vessel of Darkness, whom can master and use Nether Energy at an astounding rate. Dracula stops reading when he senses magical energy swirl behind him. He slowly puts the book down and slowly turns his head to the source of the magic.

Just as he had suspected, the form revealed itself as Lord Cerberus. Dracula nodded at his presence. Cerberus nodded at
Dracula and slowly states,”Dracula Silverdawn...you have amazed me since the very first day.”

Dracula furrowed his eyebrow and says,”How so?”

Cerberus paces behind Dracula and says,”Most in your position would use this power for selfish reasons. Some might even use it to seek more power. But you, you do not give in to such monstrosities.”

Dracula does not take his eyes off of Cerberus when he says,”That is because the path to power is for those who do not have faith in their abilities. To crave power is to crave your own destruction, knowing your fate is yourself. The path to power is also an easy path to paranoia, insanity, and foolishness. I can say this because I have witnessed this first hand.”

He closes the book and breaks his stare at Cerberus and says woefully,”When I was Silverdawn all I craved was to kill the creatures of the night, only thinking that I was doing justice. I became the most seasoned among the Shadowbreakers and I relished in the power. Power was all I knew. Every time I encountered either a Vampire, a Werewolf or anything else all I could think about was that I did not pity them. They were monsters that deserved the fate they got when they crossed the Shadowbreakers.
“But that had changed when Luna broke what was known as a Vampire or a Werewolf. She made me to what I am today. If she had not done what she did I would never have realised that power is nothing. Knowledge however is everything. It’s what you know and what you don’t know that can determine your fate on the battlefield. And I made an oath that first day that I would hunt down every single Shadowbreaker and destroy them for turning me into a monster.”

Cerberus asked coldly,”And did you?”

Dracula met his gaze and answered,”Indeed. Revenge was mine and I can allow my brothers and sisters air to breath. Now, you have come here for a reason besides than to discuss philosophy.”

Cerberus stood next to Dracula and said,”Yes. I have come here to tell you more about using that magic within that book.”

Dracula listened intently. Cerberus took in a deep breath and continued,”What you wish to use will bring only harm to you and others. Nether energy is not inanimate, its living and breathing. You have to offer it something everytime you use its power.”

Dracula crossed his hooves and furrowed his eyebrows. Cerberus’ face bore the expression of pure wisdom and knowledge, there was no way in hell that what he was saying was a lie.”But as you might already know this, the Vessel of Darkness works differently. The Vessel of Darkness can merge itself with the Nether and use powers that you never thought were capable of wielding. This comes with a cost Vessel. In order for the Nether to recognize you as the Vessel you must…”

Cerberus’ form was slowly breaking away into nothing. After a few minutes he was gone and Dracula looked around the room for what might have caused this. He looked around and saw nothing but night in the seemingly old library. Shadows along the walls were menacing and brought dark feelings settling in his stomach. Torches burned and crackled along the walls as well but they were fewer and far between. He then heard a dark but familiar voice echo through the library,”How did I know that it would be you of all ponies that would kill Sombra. It seems so poetic and fitting for Sombra.”

Dracula activated his magic and said in a darker tone, red magical mist leaking out of the corners of his eyes.”If you know what’s good for you you will reveal yourself to me or I will find you the hard way.”

Dracula hovered his hoof in the air and a spark of flame ignited and burnt on his hoof. Blue fire crackled and spurted around his hoof and Dracula could not feel the heat from the magical flame. He waited for a pony to step out of the shadows and saw the form of one step forward. He could not see his face but he was large and had a deep, cold, and metallic voice that could cut through the strongest steel. He spoke unmoving,”Despite what you might think, I am not here to fight you Dracula. I am here to help.”

When the dark pony stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight from the stained window on the wall. Dracula’s eyes grew wide as he recognized the pony. His coat was a pale color and his mane and tail as white as the pure driven snow. His eyes were blue. They glowed blue and had mist enveloping out of them. They looked sunken and lifeless. His physique was toned and muscular. Despite all these physical changes he knew the pony’s name.

Dracula made the flame dissipate and lowered his hoof to the ground once more. He stood out of his chair and walked towards the pony. He stopped in front of him and said in shock,”V...Vi...Victor? Is that you?”

Victor shook his head in defeat and said,”No...I abandoned that name. Dr. Victor Frankenstein died. I am known now only as Wraith.”

Dracula shook his head in disbelief and said in reply,”...What happened to you?”

Wraith observed his front hooves as he spoke, trying as hard as he can to not look at Dracula in his eyes,”I asked Sombra if he would actually bring me to my son, Subject Z. He stated yes. He took me to him and all I found was his dead body. Before this I thought I was only doing this to see him, but after seeing this I lashed out at Sombra and attempted to kill him. But he overpowered me and stabbed me in the chest with his sword.”

Wraith lowered his black robe and showed the long gash mark along his chest. Wraith pulled his cloak back to the way it was and continued coldly,”I awoke many hours later chained to a stone cold steel table. My emotions festered and boiled beneath me, all I could think about was revenge. Carnage. Blood. When I awoke that day I was something else, something that could destroy anypony that came in my way. The Living Shadow himself talked to me in my mind. He told me that I am what was known as a Death Knight, a creation of the Liches. He took my soul and resurrected my conscious.
“I became a tool of his destruction and torment. I struggled with all my might to break my bonds. I can still remember his dark words,

Further resistance is pointless. Your will is no longer your own. If it is any consolation, you fought the change longer than any before you. Now tell me who do you love?

“With all my strength I wanted to say ‘my son’ but like he said my thoughts were not my own, instead in a voice as cold and as black as night I said,’No one.’

And who loves you?

‘No one.’

Good you are ready to take the next step in your new life as my weapon of revenge. Although we have never formally met, I am the hammer that will forge your destiny, my Death Knight. I hold many names, one of which is Living Shadow. But you will call me, Dominus Mortis.

Whatever you were driven by in your former life is meaningless. All that exists for you now is to serve in the cold dark…

“He was working some sort of dark magic. With each word he spoke from that moment on a red hot sting erupted in my mind and began purging my mind of my memories. Everything,

All of your former allegiances, your memories, your loyalties are now cast into the void. You are to be a vessel of torment and sorrow. Bringing only destruction in your wake. Bringing only with you total annihilation; a harbinger of the apocalypse…

“Forming in front of me was a spear of excellent craft. It was made from the purest dark crystal and as sharp as shadows itself. It was all black with glowing blue magical runes on the black crystal. Only one name came to mind that I could name this magnificent weapon. Reaping Sorrow. He continued to talk coldly,

All that remains for you now is to grasp the weapon. And seal the pact…

“Without hesitation I broke the metal bonds of my imprisonment and grasped Reaping Sorrow with my magic that glowed dark blue. As I grasped the blade this armor formed over my body.”

Wraith drew the black cloak away from his body and revealed a corrosive bronze armor with scarlet red accents. The armor was expertly made and had a single red gem in the center of the chest piece. It accented well with his pale coat and his dark glowing blue eyes. This also allowed Dracula to look closer at his face. It was more square and muscular than before, as well as some scars on his face the he had not noticed before. Within his face and soul Dracula knew that he carried many stories and many tales, all of which are woeful and forlorn.

He still could not grasp at the fact that Wraith contained so much power. He did not know if every Child of the Night radiated so much power, but it was almost overwhelming. Wraith’s face still never shifted or moved from its expressionless stare, scanning the room and then back at Dracula. Dracula asked still in a shocked tone,”If you don’t have a soul anymore, then how are you still living?”

Wraith answered unmoved from the question,”Heavy necromantic powers. They made sure they stripped from me from all feelings of pain. All feelings of love. And all feelings of remorse. I became their puppet. I realize that I dabbled in necromantic powers but now I can control the dead, blood and the powers of the cold.

“I used this power to purge the Liches and their order of Death Knights. But, what Dominus Mortis and Sombra did not know was, I was resurrecting them and making them more powerful than before and made them my minions to overthrow them. My final act of vengeance.”

Wraith broke his stare from Dracula and said,”From one powerful Child of the Night to another, I ask of you that I might aid you in destroying Dominus Mortis and his corruption from this world. My Death Knights and Liches are aching to spill the blood of Dominus Mortis.”

Wraith turned his head to meet the gaze of Dracula and awaited his decision. Dracula was weighing the possibilities and the consequences. If he accepted he might gain the full support of the Liches. If he refuses he loses a brother and a potential ally. Some part of him wanted to refuse because of all the torture that he put his brothers and sisters through, but Dracula knew more than anypony that nopony is beyond the path of redemption.

Wraith had his hoof outstretched and awaited to meet Dracula’s. Dracula drew in a heavy breath and meeting Wraith’s he said,”I accept your offer.”

Wraith smirked and said,”Let this be the start of a new age for the Children of the Night, one where the Lich King and the Originals rule together with the new support of the Liches.”

Dracula dropped his hoof and knew that Wraith was this Lich King. This war with his father will be easier now that all Children of the Night were united after thousands of years. Dracula suspected that Wraith’s forces will join his by the next day. The final battle was near, and Dracula would be ready.

Wraith looked in Dracula’s dark red eyes and saw deep within him was great and dark power, he suspected it was this Nether energy that he heard earlier about. Destines were unfolding and new ones were starting. Nothing can break this new Pact of Darkness, nothing can break the Children of the Night. Not darkness itself.