Cornell’s claws were stained green with the blood of Changelings. His hide was covered in dirt and marks that bled. But he disregarded his wounds and continued to fight on. He wore leather barding over his large chest, legs, vambraces over his forearms, and shoulder barding. It was studded and was stained as well. To a regular Werewolf it would hinder their movements slightly as sometimes it would chafe, but it was something that Cornell had grown used to.

Cornell stood at the front gates with the rest of Omega Pack and stood defending it. All fifty of them, some Children of the Day signed on to Omega pack and some even wanted to become Vampires. This brought much shock to Cornell as it did Riptide and Nightdancer. Who were shouting orders at the archers along the walls. Cornell looked back with his one eye and saw the almost endless sea of Changelings. Hope seemed to falter in his heart at that moment but it was renewed when he saw fighting in the back of the horde, It was Dracula and his comrades giving them a fighting chance at defeating the Changelings.

He moved his shoulders and stood ready for another Changelings straggler. As the main body of their defense was around the front gate. Cornell’s white wolf hide glistened in the moonlight and almost looked like he was glowing. His piercing yellow animalistic eye looked at the horde and he smirked. He unsheathed both of his short swords and readied for combat. Two Changelings broke off and were charging right at him. One of them carried a halberd and the other carried bladed bracers. Cornell decided to take on the one with the halberd first. He pounced at him and deflected the upward thrust that meant to impale him. Then falling down on the Changeling he slashed the halberd and the wood splintered and broke in half. Falling from the sky he stabbed both of his sword into the Changeling and blood splattered over him and moved back to dodge the swipe from the other Changeling with the bladed bracers.

He dodged each and every attack and began to start parrying with his swords. Cornell knocked the Changeling and he reeled backwards and tried to not fall on the ground. Cornell side stepped and lifted his paw in the air and calling upon the powers of his mother smashed it on the ground and emanating from his paw was a large thunderclap and shooting out like a wave was lightning and thunder. It struck against the Changeling and it was injured and it fell to its knees. Using this window of opportunity he thrust both his swords through the Changeling’s chest and pulled them out.

Blood now stained his face and he wiped it away. Cornell was not breathing heavy nor was he exhausted. He had his supernatural strength to thank that for and he had been fighting for hours on end. Very little casualties came their way as most of them were highly trained and others were just lucky. Changelings are very poorly trained and act upon wild strikes and hope that they land a blow. Casualties after four hours of fighting number in only 30 of the Children of the Day and two for the Children of the Night. The casualties for the Changelings number in the hundreds. He then sees a dark figure leap from the air and tackle him to the ground. Cornell rolls over and with his hind paws kicks the figure off.

Cornell summersaults back onto his feet and readies his claws as his swords flung from his hands when he was tackled. He finds his eye staring at the target and it is the twelve foot tall form of Marrok the Alpha. He was in his dark jet black Werewolf form and dark energy rolled off of him and he stared at Cornell with dark red eyes. His claws were like pure silver and his teeth like rows of daggers. Marrok growled,”This rebellion against Living Shadow is pointless. Their magic will activate soon and their combat skills will improve and all of you will be dead within minutes. Surrender now and I will offer a quick end.”

Marrok was stronger Cornell knew that. Before Marrok neared the power of a god but now, he was a god. Cornell had faced many strong Wilds in his time, but none of them neared the strength of Marrok. Cornell kept his cold stare and spat blood on the ground and said with a snarl,”If I am to die this day then I wish for a slow end. Not to improve my suffering, but the suffering of your soul. So that you can see the death of one of your closest brothers right before your eyes.”

Marrok howled in response and charged Cornell and Cornell charged Marrok.

Dracula chopped one Changeling in half with his Voidsword and emanating from his horn he shot a ray of nether energy dissolving five other Changelings. He could feel the life force leaving each and every Changeling on the battlefield, and that energy was just floating in the air not going anywhere. Dracula could absorb all that life energy but that would risk him having no remorse and would no doubt threaten the ones he loved. Especially Twilight Sparkle.

She had proven a great many things in the short time that he knew her. That even Children of the Day can be strong and powerful and not have to worry about losing control of their abilities. The very thought of her always brought peace to his uneasy mind and body, for once in his long existence he had somepony to hold him down and keep him from losing control.

His forces and those of Twilight’s and Spectra’s were advancing well. Little to no casualties, and Rainbow’s regiment was doing even better. In a matter of hours they would finish the invasion. A few minutes of fighting goes on and no exhaustion entered him. But he saw that the Changelings were pushing back and began to send them back. Casualties mounted up and Dracula even got a few wounds in the process. A cut across his neck, right foreleg, and his left haunch. His body ached and noticed that his wounds were not healing. Dracula looked out and saw through the sea of battle he saw Cornell and Marrok fight each other.

Marrok was on the attack and mercilessly beat Cornell into a pulp. All of the events that were transpiring brought rage through his mind and looked back and saw that Wraith and his regiment joined and came from both sides of Ponyville. Dracula’s rage began to subside, but this did not stop him from transcending his form into something else. His form changed and his armor improved and he grew. His wings grew larger and so did his form. On all four legs he was standing 8 foot tall and nether energy bellowed off of him and he felt power coursing through his veins.

He lifted off into the air and with all his power he said across the four winds,

“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 felt the life energies rush through his mind and body greatly improving his magic and strength. He flew above the battle and concentrating his magic he began fuel the magic of the Children of the Night and Children of the Day. They became stronger and more determined than ever and Dracula summoned his Voidsword and swooped down and began killing many on his way to fight Marrok. He landed on the ground twenty yards away from Marrok and Dracula lifted his hooves and smashed them on the ground causing every single Changeling within that distance all around him dissipated into dust and he absorbed their energies.

Marrok no doubt felt the amount of power radiating off of Dracula and throwing Cornell to the side he claps his hands and says,”Well well. My dearest brother finally decides to show his face. My I be the first to say that I enjoy the change of clothing.”

Dracula did not flinch as he gave Marrok a cold stare. It cut deep into Marrok’s soul and they both felt it. Marrok gave an equally vengeful stare. Smoke and ash rose through the air above them and it collected in the night sky and obscured his amazing sky. Dracula snapped,”Marrok you must stop this. Living Shadow is lying to you, this is madness brother. He is clouding your mind with false promises.”

Marrok growls,”The only only one that was lying to me was myself. You see when I left Shadow Garden and escaped through the forest I was changed, and not for the better. There was no one that would look at me the same way. Except for Living Shadow. He accepted how I looked and I am now the beast of nightmares. I am the new Lord of Shadow!”

Dracula steps forward threateningly and his next words strike fear into Marrok’s eyes,”Lord of Shadow! Do you even know the weight of the words itself. You have tasted only a fraction of the power that that title entails. I am the only one capable of controlling the full power and might of the Underworld itself. The Chthonian Element is unknown in your eyes, but I embody the powers of death itself.

“I am the Lord of Shadows. You are nothing more than a pawn to a darklord. You are the shadows’s bitch.”

Marrok roared in anger and pounced at Dracula hoping to land a blow of some kind in a fierce and determined swipe from his claws. But Dracula flicks his hoof and sends Marrok flying through the air and he smashes into the ground sliding through the dirt and a large rift in the ground was left in its wake.

Dracula then dashed as fast as he could and smashed into Marrok he flew through the air but Dracula grabbed him with his strong telekinesis and pulled him towards himself and he thrusts his Voidsword through his stomach and says in his ear,”I am sorry, brother.”

He shoves Marrok away and he falls to the ground and stands defiantly amongst a sea of dead ponies. But Marrok stood up and laughed,”Did you forget my power, brother? The more wounds you inflict in me the stronger I become.”

Dracula smirked as he gave Marrok a devilish look and said,”I know. I was hoping for this to happen.”

Marrok slapped his sword out of his reach of telekinesis and began maiming and trying to breach through Dracula’s hard armor. Dracula as well was relentlessly bashing his hooves in Marrok landing blows anywhere he could. But every blow that Dracula inflicted Marrok’s grew stronger eventually Marrok swiped with all of his strength and broke off Dracula’s chest plate and gripped him by the throat.

Looking deep in Dracula’s eyes he said,”You are weak.”

He threw Dracula and he skittered across the ground and each time he did his armor and clothing broke away and when he lied on the ground in cuts, bruises, and sprained bones. He healed away the sprains but could not heal away the bruises and cuts. He was wearing a single shoulder pad and his tattered trench coat. Dracula stayed knelt in the large crater from their constant battle. Marrok summoned a jet black stake five feet long and walked slowly towards him and he said,”You know Living Shadow hoped you would last long enough for him to kill you.”

He stood over Dracula and thrust the spear through his chest and stabbed him in the ground. And he cried out in horrible pain. Marrok twisted the stake and said,”Looks like I will be doing him a favor.”

He picked up Dracula and threw him five feet away and he landed on the ground with a thud. Dracula turned himself over and put his hoof over the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Dracula looked at Marrok and saw two dark figures creep up on him. One was bare and pure white and he recognized as Night Dancer and the other was Emerald. Dracula shouted against the pain in his chest and he said,”Emerald. Night. NO!!!”

Emerald stabbed his sword into Marrok and Night Dancer shot a magic bolt at him. Both were powerful blows and Marrok turned around in rage and said,”Die!”

Marrok swiped Emerald’s neck and shot the dark stake and pierced right through Night Dancers chest. Both fell to the ground in defeat and they had died. He turned back around and said,”Now for your turn to die. How ironic that it is me?”

He stood darkly over Marrok but before he could land the final blow a ray of darkness shot against Marrok and it sizzled and burned on his skin. Dracula darted his vision to see who it was and saw that it was both Wraith and Nightmare Moon. Dracula slightly smiled as he saw a lifelong friend. Nightmare Moon nodded at Dracula and said towards Wraith,”Keep him busy while I talk to Dracula.”

Wraith nodded and engaged Marrok. The strain of battle finally fell upon Marrok and his blows were slow and Wraith was too fast for Marrok to land a single blow. He looks at Nightmare Moon and she lowers her horn over his and she pumps a familiar magic into him. It was the magic from the Orb of Darkness. Dracula felt his wounds heal and his bruises disappear. He says standing up,”Why have you come here?”

Nightmare Moon shrugged and said,”I got bored. I wanted to see my favorite Prince of Shadows.”

Dracula smirked. He always enjoyed her cold sense of humor and he says,”So where did you find the Orb of Darkness?”

“Wasn’t that hard,”Nightmare Moon replied,”You really need to find a better place to hide things.”

Dracula looked at the dark mare and saw that she was different. Her eyes were not as animalistic and her demeanor was not threatening. Her mane and tail were the same and her teeth were still as sharp as daggers. Dracula then realized he was not looking at Nightmare Moon but Athelis Blackdawn, the mare she was before her fall. Dracula nods and summons his Ghost chain and says,”Shall we end this?”

Athelis stepped away and said,”After you.”

Dracula charges Marrok and releases his chain and it wraps around his neck and ties the other end around a tree stump and summons a different blade, Whiteash. He jumps around and stands firmly in front of Marrok and says,”Die. Not as my brother but as a monster.”

He thrusts the white blade through Marrok’s chest and felt as Whiteash absorbed his essence and saw his form rapidly deteriorate. Marrok was finally dead and he saw as the Changelings went fleeing into the Everfree Forest only to be cut down by Wraith’s reinforcements. Over the horizon he saw the whiteness of the sun peek through the ash filled sky and he felt good. He sees Riptide fly in next to him and he clops his hoof on Dracula’s shoulder. Dracula looks at Riptide and says,”When the Changelings are dead take the rest of the Children of the Night and take them back to their settlements.”

Riptide nods his head and slowly walks away. He sees Con, Luna, and Celestia walk towards him and he knew in his heart that it was all almost over.