It was never the battle itself that distraught Spectra, it was the aftermath that did. Just knowing that more than a few ponies are no longer living in this world. just looking out over the plains outside of Ponyville and seeing a seemingly endless sea of dead ponies and Changelings. The actual amount of ponies lost were unknown to her and she wanted it left that way. The morning sun that shone brightly through the sky did not bring much comfort to her. the smell of rotting corpses and burnt flesh from her kills with fire and ice. She stood mournfully looking out over a scene she will not soon forget.

She turned her gaze towards Ponyville and saw at its magnificent walls running along the borders of Ponyville. She also noticed a small keep built where the city hall used to stand. Then she remembered where she found Mayor Mare, impaled on a spike sticking out of the ground slowly bleeding to death. It was a sign that the Changelings were at total war and were leaving not any survivors. From what the senior officers had told her, they started to invade other parts of Equestria and even have leveled a few places including Manehattan, Dodge City, and Last Pegasus. Leaving not many towns for trade. Manehattan had been the trade center for the other towns in Equestria. This made someponies to be recruited into the Children of the Night, and for more training.

It would explain however Princess Luna’s, Princess Celestia’s, and Con’s abandonment from the battle. She informed Dracula telepathically that they would return soon after helping the other towns get back on their feet. Spectra did not mind, this gave her time to relax somewhat escape her duties as the Archmage of the Knights of the Moon. No doubt there would be some amount of recruitment after the battle.

Now everypony had a job. Armor is to be repaired, weapons reshaped, bodies to bury, families to inform, food to make, baths to draw etc. The list goes on.

Such are the spoils of war, Spectra thought to herself. She started to walk and heard her chainmail clank as she walked. She went to see if her friends were still alive and well. One of them was already answered as Rainbow descended from the sky and landed next to her. Rainbow gave a slight smile as she said,”Did you see how awesome me and Alpha pack did?”

Spectra could not help but smirk at Rainbow’s seemingly giddy mood. No doubt she did this than face the grief of battle and war. Spectra answered only with a small nod. Despair seemed to fill her throat and prevent her from saying any words. Rainbow knew this and said in response,”Don’t feel so bad. At least we’re still alive.”

That was true at least they were still alive to see another day. Spectra then looked out and said woefully,”Have you seen Twilight yet?”

Rainbow shook her head and said,”No. But no doubt she’s going to see Dracula.”

“They seem to be the perfect for one another.”

“You can say that again Rarity.”Rainbow replied with a small crack of a smile. It made her think of all the potential special someponies that she had dated and she was one that attached fast to a relationship. She was very quick to obsession when it came to ponies in high society. She then said out loud,”Let’s go see how Emerald is doing.”

Rainbow gave her a confused look and they both stopped. Rainbow said,”Why Emerald?”

Spectra nudged Rainbow and said,”Dash! How rude. He is still a valuable asset to our cause.”

Rainbow winced and began to hover in anger and frustration. But their question was answered when they saw a Death Knight carry him in his hooves. He was in fact carrying him towards them. The Death Knight was pale and his mane and tail short and finely combed and was as black as night. Sheathed on his back was two broadswords and he looked imposing with his ebony full plate armor. A faint blue glow came out from cracks of his armor. His expressionless face looked at both of them and finally he said in a metallic and deep voice,”He said he wanted to talk to you two.”

He rested Emerald on the ground and they saw what happened to him. Slash marks along his neck were bleeding profusely. Like an animal cut it. No doubt he could no longer talk because of the wound. Spectra looked down and saw that his coat was now a pale green color and his eyes were now half shut and sunken. He breathed lightly and with barely any air coming into his lungs. He was near death and with the last of his strength he mouthed the words to Rarity,’I loved you.’

With that his lively green color faded and he shut his eyes. Knight Captain Emerald Masquerade was dead and with it a piece of Rarity’s heart. It seemed everypony that she knows about died when they come close to her. The Death Knight rested his hoof on Rarity’s shoulder and said in a monochromatic metallic voice,”I am sorry. I know what is like to lose a loved one in war.”

Rarity looked up and saw that deep in his lifeless eyes was the emotion of despair and forlorn. With tears in her eyes she said,”What...what is your name?”

Without breaking his gaze he said,”My name is Thassarian...Thassarian Wintershard. I am the right hand of Highlord Wraith Blackmourne. He has told me about you two and I commend both of you for accepting my Highlord as new member of the Originals. I will leave you two to mourn the loss of your...friend.”

He stands and begins to walk away. Spectra rushes to stand up and says,”Wait!”

Thassarian turns back around and waits for her to continue to speak. Spectra steps forward a bit and says,”You knew Emerald in some way, didn’t you?”

Thassarian does nothing but nods his head and she continues,”How?”

The question seemed to strike Thassarian like a crossbow bolt and he says lowering his head,”He was my brother.”

Spectra gasps and steps closer to him and says,”Oh my Celestia I’m so sorry I didn’t mean…”

“No. You did nothing wrong.”Thassarian said with a somewhat warm heart.”All you did was ask a question but yes. He was one of my two brothers. It was me, then Emerald, and finally my youngest brother Tarius Whintershard. I do not wish to talk about my past amongst others. When you have time just speak my name and I will know to come.”

The pale unicorn stallion turned around and his steps clanked and the sound dimmed under a piercing cold wind. Spectra looked and snowstorm clouds began rolling in Spectra said,”The Weather Ponies weren’t supposed to bring in snow storm clouds for another six weeks.”

She directed the question to Rainbow Dash expecting an answer from one of the senior officers of the Weather Ponies. But Rainbow was taken aghast and said,”I...I don’t know what this is. But it can’t be anything good.”

Dracula stood tall and firm and watched as snow began to lightly fall to the ground. The wind was cold but it did nothing to Dracula as cold or hot winds no longer affected his immortal body. Dracula has only seen storms like this one time and that was in his dreams whenever HE showed up. Immediately he went to the nearest forge and the nearest taylor and got a fresh set of metal barding and a leather trench coat. These were things he had grown used to wearing over his long existence.

Dracula now stood on the northern walls and looked across the snow driven plains of Ponyville. He felt a magic emanating from the storm clouds and knew only one pony that carried that amount of magic. And if he was here then something was dangerously wrong. He heard the sound of an approaching pony and saw the deep purple mane and the lavender colored coat and knew instantly that it was Twilight Sparkle.

He saw that she was wearing dark grey plated chest plate, boots, and leg plates. Stuffed with fur and warm leather padding. She stopped next to Dracula and said in a soft tone,”This wind is nearly tearing me to shreds I don’t know how you can stand it.”

Dracula moved his gaze back at the source of the storm and said in a dark and emotionless tone,”I was raised in weather like this. I mean before I was Dracula, back when I was Silverdawn.”

“Do you remember much from that life?”

“Only fragments.”Dracula replied sorrowful,”I remember the time I spent as a member of the Brotherhood of Light, and nothing more.”

Dracula looked despairingly down the stone walls and his demeanor was no longer that of a strong God of the Night, but that of a long lost pony. Longing for something. But Twilight did not know what. It is said that the true past of a pony can do nothing more than relive past emotions and feelings, to his they were of remorse and regret he did not feel at the time.

Twilight could not imagine the amount of pain he had went through to get to this point. The amount of pure grain depression he must have went through. This caused Twilight to respect him even more now, he proven to the world that strength does not come through staunch determination and hard iron will. No, he proved otherwise. He proved that true strength came from your memories and your love and longing for a new dawn.

She knew this now and could not change the subject. With an inquisitive look she asked,”What...what happened to you? In those one thousand years?”

To any other pony or any other loved one he would say nothing but I wish to not relive it right now. But this was Twilight standing next to him trying to help mend infected wounds. The look that she gave him almost froze him in time. She was concerned, and she was justified for such. Dracula did not look her in the eyes as he said,”I...it was an eye opener. It was in those thousand years did I learn of true pain...I must be honest with you I did not spend all those thousand years looking for you and Rarity. I was looking for a purpose, and a way to live on with less powers than I knew. But as I continued on I realized I was infecting myself with my own curse. Revenge was all the thoughts I knew.

“And with every action I made the Brotherhood of Light was not far behind. Finally they caught up to me and I was captured. For five hundred years they kept me as a font for magic for their Unicorn Knights. Tell me if what they did was right and just. For five hundred years I tried to feel other emotions besides wrath and ruin. I became a monster. I finally found a way to escape and I murdered everypony I found, becoming the nightmare they so wished I would become.”

Twilight could tell that he was not comfortable speaking about this. Twilight listened intently to his every word and could not help but feel a small amount honor and respect for Dracula as he spoke. The wind rustled his long jet black mane and he continued closing his eyes.

“I made a promise to myself after I did what I did. I promised myself I would never again make myself fall to such a low place. I promised never to harm those closest to me. A wise pony once said,”We become the heroes of our own tales. No matter what the cost and what it takes to get there. Not our dark pasts or the path we took to get there, but we become heroes of our own right. Heroes forever in the legends of the future.”.”

Twilight brought tears to her eyes from the quote and leaned closer to Dracula and she said,”Do you know who said that quote?”

Dracula stared back at the storm filled horizon and he said,”Those were the final words of Prince Talandas, the eldest brother to the two sisters. He sacrificed himself to defeat Living Shadow. Mother told us the tale of his sacrifice so we can remember the fallen heroes of our past and to become legends of our own paths in our futures. No matter what fate decides for us.”

Dracula lowered his head and closed his eyes and a single tear dripped down his cheek. Breathing in a deep breath he began to sing through the howling wind in a melodious voice,

“The battle ends tonight
It's time to fight our fight
Hoping somehow we'll have the courage to be the
Light in the darkest hour
When things are turning sour
Blind hope is worthless if we all we do is
Wage our wars and fight in vain
Suffer all this worthless pain
We've got to answer one cry for help
The world won't save itself

We can be the heroes, we can dare to save the day
Standing up to those still in our way
With courage we'll keep fighting for
The search we're on for something more
Pushing through until the war is won
We can be the heroes we've become

Too late to be afraid
Now we can't run away
We've got to hold fast and embrace the strength we've
Found in our time of doubt
Somehow we'll make it out
We'll find out who we really are
Tonight we're never going down
It's far too late to turn back now
Not afraid of the perilous
Oh no, we were born for this

We can be the heroes, we can dare to save the day
Standing up to those still in our way
With courage we'll keep fighting for
The search we're on for something more
Pushing through until the war is won
We can be the heroes we've become

Now we'll make it out
We'll stick together and get through this storm somehow
It's too late to back down and run
Yeah, hope is gone, but harmony's strong
We've had the power in us all along
To embrace the heroes that we've become

We can be the heroes, we can dare to save the day
Standing up to those still in our way
With courage we'll keep fighting for
The search we're on for something more
Pushing through until the war is won
We can be the heroes we've become

We can be the heroes, we can be the heroes
We can be the heroes we've become.”

Dracula calmed his nerves and lowered his head, not in shame but in sadness and he straightens and says looking into her dark violet eyes,”I know that in the future our love will be tested. My only hope is you don’t forget what happened this day. Remember.”

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around his and she said,”What are you talking about? Your speaking as if you are counting the minutes of your demise.”

“Maybe I am.”Dracula says moving his gaze away from Twilight.”I’m dragging ponies into a fight that is only between me and Living Shadow. If I’m not powerful enough to defeat him physically then…”

Twilight knew his next words and said,”No. Don’t even think like that. If anypony is capable of killing Living Shadow it is you.”

“I know. I’m just saying if I can’t...then I will have to absorb his consciousness and…”

“NO!”

Twilight embraced him in a large and warming hug. She says holding back tears.”I can’t lose you like I lost my brother...don’t...don’t ever talk like that...ever…”

Dracula returned the hug and projected an equal amount of warming love. His heart still felt heavy at the sacrifice he might have to make to save everypony from an eternity of darkness. They still hugged even after two very long minutes. Twilight was sniffling and tightly held Dracula.

They slowly began to pull away from each other and their breath breathed out a white smoke. They heard the clanking of armor behind them and they saw to see Wraith walk towards them. He stopped and bowed low and said,”My Prince. All Changelings have been rooted out and killed. My Lichs are even resurrecting them and they will act as our foot soldiers.”

Dracula grinned and said,”Using their own soldiers against them. From what I’ve read it is not an easy process making a Death Knight.”

Wraith stood up and always seemed to have his chest puffed out. He said in his fear inducing voice,”I will not lie. To become what we are it is...horrifying. Nevertheless, The Lichs need to keep their power up to date and so that requires a lot of dead ponies.”

“Right. Now have you received any reports from the Princesses?” Dracula asked crossing his front hooves. Warith always kept his gaze on Dracula. Wraith followed him willingly and every command that Dracula gave out he would act upon them. He was surprised at his admiration and respect, as well as Cornell’s. Wraith said without dropping his gaze,”They have retaken Dodge City and are now heading back to Canterlot to see how the repairs are coming along.”

Twilight steps forward and says,”What about Manehattan and Last Pegasus? Can’t anything be done to help them?”

Wraith lowered his head and said,”From what the Princesses have told me...it...there is nothing that can be done to help them. They have been reduced to rubble and ash. I am sorry.”

Dracula could tell that it wounded her but she did well to hide it. It was refreshing that he was rubbing off on her, she knows true evil. Dracula fixed his gaze back on the horizon and he focused on the snowstorm that almost made it impossible to see through. As he stared off into the distance he could feel his subconscious being ripped away from him and his vision turns dark.

He hears the dark words of his father say,
And so our seemingly endless battle begins. A War of Immortals.

Author's Notes:

The song is "Heroes" by Aviators.(The acoustic version is my favorite by the way and is the best one).