The Alicorn. Ponies that have a unicorn horn, pegasus wings, and a larger build than any earth pony. Right now only Luna and Celestia are Alicorns, but little do most ponies know that Alicorns were once a dominating race of ponies. Their society being long ripped away from pony society. Killing and slaughtering as they saw fit. Many were upon their unforgiving gaze.

Their empire’s downfall is thought to have come from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. How wrong they really are. The Alicorns downfall came from one of their own, his name has long been forgotten but has taken the name as Living Shadow. A once proud member of the Alicorn Supreme Council, but he all of sudden had seen the error of their ways. So, he slaughtered the Alicorns and left darkness in his wake.

After his final crusade to annihilate the Alicorns he decided to visit the inhabitants of Ponyville. Expecting him to be a hero, but instead they cursed his name and said for him to leave immediately, calling him a cruel killer. The town became so enraged they asked their two most powerful unicorns (Celestia and Luna) to wipe him from existence. The sisters followed him and a furious battle ensued between them.

There was no victor. The sisters had equal power to Living Shadow. Living Shadow saw their potential and infused his essence into a stone, the Alicorn Stone. After infusing his essence in the stone, the stone activated and gave the powers of the Alicorn to Celestia and Luna. From that point forward the sisters were Alicorns and told no one of the event.

Until Luna made her children. She told her children because one among them were to become the embodiment of the Living Shadow. Becoming a Blight upon the land. Now she knows who is to be Living Shadow, and if he cannot control himself as the Living Shadow. Then she would have to finish what she started a long time ago.

Those words were near and dear to Luna. She knew that one of her children contained the essence of Living Shadow. Long ago she knew that something that wicked could not be simply killed. And it became clear to her which one of her children was the Living Shadow, after she witnessed what she had seen.

The Drones were swarming them. Twilight and Rarity were sweating profusely and the strain of fighting for hours were on their faces and bodies. Dracula was as well feeling physically exhausted. Crushing what seemed the last Changeling drone he saw at the horizon at least an entire horde of drones were on their way.

They were drawn all the way to their destination. The castle ruins that Luna and Celestia once resided. Cold and broken stone were all that could be seen. Mold and Mildew grew through the crevices. Dracula looked over at Rarity and Twilight as they panted and blew sighs of relief as false hope went across their faces. They were at the steps leading to the top of one of the towers. Dracula pondered what he had to do.

In order to protect his new friends he needed to do what he loathed to do. He walked to Twilight and Rarity. Before they could interrupt what he was about to say, he said,”What I am about to do I never wanted you to see. I was finally realizing that I had friends and I don’t want to lose them like this. So all I ask is to not change your perspective of me from what I’m about to do.”

Twilight was about to say something but Dracula stopped her and slowly walked up to the top of the tower. He sighed heavily and sprouted his wings once again. He hovered in the air and looked back at his friends and looked at the oncoming horde of Changeling drones and with all his magical powers he said yelling across the wind and summoning a storm at the words he said,

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 could feel the rush of magical power as the energies from a thousand dead Changelings coursed through his veins. He opened his eyes and he looked at the moon and he could feel it giving him more power. His eyes furiously glowed bright red energy, he was using his talent given to him by Luna.

As fast as lightning itself he rushed at the oncoming horde. Bolts of lightning blasted the air and ground around him but spared him and killed a few Changelings. Summoning only a small miniscule fraction of his power he blasted from his horn a wave of pure red energy and Changelings exploded in blood and guts. Left and right they were being killed by his magical ability or his supernatural strength. One by one, they fell. He was a furious killing machine. He was just glad that nopony was around for him to hurt. Whenever he did this he felt like an entire other pony.

What seemed like hours of killing and possibly the death of one of his friends was over in a matter of seconds. Bucking, blasting magic, blood boil spells and so on. Finally his deed was done and his will his own. Dracula sighed heavily as he flew back to his friends, with his head lowered.

Luna finally found his long lost son, but she witnessed something horrifying. Dracula killed an entire horde of Changelings. With his eyes glowing she knew he was using his talent. But the way he had killed the Changelings was like she saw another being entirely. It was like she saw Living Shadow.

Now she knew his legacy never died. Silverdawn was the child of Living Shadow. But he was not an Alicorn. The only explanation was her connection to him, the only thing keeping him from ascending into an Alicorn was her. She had to figure out a way to fix this, but she needed to help her son.

“Keep your eyes open for anything.”Said the powerful but youthful voice of the Captain of the Royal Guard himself Shining Armor. Shining Armor wore his uniform and addressed his platoon. Him and his platoon was taken charge of looking after Discord while he resided in Canterlot. They awaited the arrival of Discord in the Garden. Shining Armor stood at attention and waited for the Princess’ arrival with Discord.

Shining Armor never trusted Discord or any pony for that matter. But Shining Armor was willing to give him a chance. His bright white coat glistened in the bright moonlight and his fierce eyes looked long into the sky as he waited for the Princess.

Breezing through the clouds came two stallion pulled chariots. The chariots were white in color but had gold accents. On one was Princess Celestia and on the other the draconos himself. Discord, a long snake like body the arm of a lion and the talons of a griffon. A hoof like a pony and a lizard. Discord had a sarcastic smile across his face, Shining Armor did not know what for but he knew it could not be good.

The chariots pulled to a stop in front of them and the riders of the chariots climb off and Discord says,”Well that was just a LOVELY fly around Ponyville. Tons of fun, we should do it again some time.”

Princess Celestia could sense the sarcasm in his voice and gave him a fierce gaze. Discord shrugged and Celestia said,”Well...Shining Armor. I want you to look after Discord and his every needs. Within reason of course.”

Shining Armor saluted Celestia and she left with two royal guards and Shining Armor looked at Discord with disapproving eyes, when he said,”Oh you must be the dear brother of a Twilight Sparkle. Might I just say that your sister is a bit of a hard ass and I don’t take kindly to her attitude.”

Shining Armor just tightens his gaze and Discord says,”What. Don’t say that it isn’t true. Even you can agree with me on that right?”

“Discord,”Shining Armor said with an aggravated voice. Discord said,”The one and only. Please spare me the applause.”

He summoned different versions of himself and they all clapped next to him and he continued,”Oh please stop I’m shy! Please…”

Discord bowed and then came back up and said,”So what do we have planned tonight. Oh! How about a guy’s night out. That will be just what we need to kick off our relationship as bro’s.”

Shining Armor was unmoved as Discord scrunched his face next to Armor’s. Discord let go and said,”No. That’s cool. How about watch a bunch of action movies and eat liquid cheese.”

He then summoned a handful of movies and a cloud raining liquid cheese into a bowl. Again Armor did not move and Discord said,”Well you are just as much a hard ass as your sister.”

Armor rolled his eyes and said,”Don’t you have friendship reports to read. Or something else that isn’t wasting my time as well as yours.”

“Ugh! What a party pooper. Yes but come on what else do you have to do besides baby sit your guards all night?”

A handful of Armor’s guards got ready to strike when Armor stopped them. He said,”Well nothing but…”

“Come on. It could be a lot of fun?” Discord said resting his hands on Armor’s shoulders. Armor was about to answer when he heard a noise in the nearby bushes. Armor motioned one of his guards to check it out.

Discord summoned and put on some armor of the royal guard and said in an annoying voice,”What do you see boss? What’s in the bush?”

Armor rolled his eyes and they both watched patiently. As the guard approached the bush he was killed and jumped by Changelings. Armor shouted,”INVADERS!!! SOUND THE ALARM!!!”

Then more Changelings were coming out of the shadows and a battle was joined. Armor bucked one in the face and another, both falling to the ground in defeat. From the waves of blood and dust Discord watched on a lawn chair and wearing a baseball cap and t shirt that read “ The Royal Guards are #1!”

But soon they became overwhelmed and Discord would have to intervene or the royal guards would be killed. With a heavy sigh he lifted off but suddenly felt his left wing go stiff. He looked and saw that he was turning to stone again. He looked around in disbelief to find the source of the spell and saw Chrysalis.

Discord smiled as he saw her face again. Soon Discord's vision grew dark and he slammed to the ground.

Armor looked to find Discord and saw that he was changed into stone. He looked around and saw Chrysalis. But this time she was partially made of shadow and her eyes were bright red. Armor bucked another Changeling and another with a bolt spell and yelled,”CHRYSALIS!!!”

Armor charged the Queen of Changelings and she turned and simply shot him with a bolt spell. The spell skinned him and a large line of red and blood dripping from the opening in his body. He fell to the ground in defeat and looked up at the Queen fighting his urge to fall unconscious. When she said,”Nothing can stand in my way now.”

She stomped his head and knocked Shining Armor out cold.

Twilight and Rarity looked in disbelief as they saw a calm and collected Dracula kill so many beings. Rarity said in horror,”By Celestia’s mane…”

Twilight saw unicorn spells she had never seen before. Now she realised why he said what he did. She now felt fear rise up inside of her but she fought at the fear with how she felt towards him. Twilight fought at the fear with love, it was right then that she realized what she felt towards Dracula. Ever since she first saw him she felt this way and something like this was not going to change her mind so quickly. But in the corner in her eye, Twilight saw something shine in the moonlight. It looked like a bright key, Twilight leaned down and picked it up and put it in her saddlebag.

Changeling after Changeling, and kill after kill. Dracula was unstoppable. They then heard hoof steps nearby and Twilight and Rarity went to go check it out. They rushed down the ruined tower and saw a dark blue figure with a flowing mane even though there was no wind. It was Princess Luna. Finally they met with the Princess of the Night and Twilight said,”What are you doing here?”

Luna says stomping her hoof affirmatively on the ground,”I have come to see my son. But seeing him do that...I just can’t imagine...my most prized pupil becoming...him.”

Luna looks away and looks up at the form of Dracula as he slowly came towards them. He hung his head in shame and Luna saw that.

Maybe he just shared a body with the spirit of the Living Shadow.

She looks at Twilight and Rarity. Their faces were tired and so were they. Luna sighed heavily and said,”How about you two find somewhere to rest your bodies and minds.”

They nodded in agreement and walked away. Finally when they were out of sight Dracula landed and said,”Mother what are you doing here?”

Luna turned her head at Dracula. He was not even exhausted and his coat was stained in Changeling blood. She said,”I came to help you retake our home. You can use all the help thou can get. But I am afraid there is more I must tell you.”

Dracula responds,”What is it you want to tell me?”

Luna looked into her son’s eyes and saw that he did not even know. She had to tell him. She said,”Do you remember the story I told you when you were young? The story about Living Shadow?”

Dracula nodded and said,”Yes but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

“That is where you are wrong my son,”Luna explains,”That wasn’t just a ponytail. It was true. Celestia and I thought we killed him long ago. But his legacy lives on.”

“Who?”

“You, Dracula.”Luna says staring up at the moon. A look of astonishment walks across Dracula’s face. Being related to such a dark Alicorn. It makes sense however, with his dark gift.

Dracula’s face goes dark and says,”So I am destined to become a shadow upon the land and kill all in my wake.”

Comfortably, Luna places her hooves on Dracula’s shoulders and says,”No. Only if you cannot control it. But that is not what matters, right now we must find the Children of the Night.”

She was right but Dracula could not help and feel sorrow and despair. Now the prophecy made sense so he said,”The night shall return.”