Whisper in the yard and turn the trees all into toys.

Lay there on the ground, and turn the dirt into your joy.

From what I see and what I know, it's all been boring lately.

So I suggest we trade a question mark in for a maybe.

Time your riddles right, and make a point that has no sense.

Make sure that you're smiling, and the money's been well spent.

Innocence and ignorance, it all goes hand in hand.

I'm not sure that I'm right, but I hope you'll understand.

I hope that you're still searching for the start that has no end.

And all the plastic ponies have now become your friends.

Before you start to drift and your soul begins to scream.

I just wanted to tell you that you're listening to a dream.

On the borders of broken memories and of broken visions Dracula thrashed himself awake. As those lines of a poem echo in his mind, images flashed along his psyche. Scenes of slaughter. Scenes of war and of death. And scenes of despair. Dracula's breaths were short and uncontrolled. He moved a hoof to his scarred eye and hunched his back in pain. Lately, his scar has been acting up. Shooting with fiery pain. Normally it would not act up like this. He focused on the scar and the pain slowly dissipated.

Controlling his breathing he refocused. A flash of lightning exploded in the sky just outside, lighting the darkness of his bedchambers within Blacklight Hold. Bringing the dark grey floors to glow in the flash, but soon dying. Then the crash of thunder exploded above him in the sky. Dracula sat at the edge of his silken sheeted king sized bed, made of dark mahogany. Ornately carved and smooth to the surface. Exactly what Dracula wanted.

But what was on his mind now was those images. Too many and too fast to count just how many there were. Many of them included him and Twilight, or Dragomir. Or Celestia. Or Luna. It was almost more than Dracula could handle. He rested his elbows on his knees and shoved his closed eyes in his hooves, contemplating what they meant. They could not be visions of the future, everything was going well. The world could not be in danger. He hoped to have more time to do what he hoped in his heart to ask Twilight. He needed more time. Soon, he would ask her soon but he couldn't now if the world was thrust into a war.

His apprentices needed more time to train and more experience. Davirus was barely nearing a Risen vampire and Haldere is excelling greatly in his field, but refuses to go further. And his Vampires are at their height, if he were to enter them into a war he would risk everything he has done to keep them away from their animalistic side, he was already on Celestia's wanted list for becoming real, by definition, Vampires. She does not need anymore ammunition against him and his subjects.

Dracula lifted his head out of his hooves and looked over at the other side of the bed. He could imagine the lying form of his beloved Twilight Sparkle. Resting quietly. He can hear the slow melodic breaths escaping her as she rests peacefully. But she was in Ponyville, researching more on what she does not know or was kept from knowing. Dracula offered her a few books from Blacklight Hold, now the largest library in all of Equestria. It appeared he longed for her more so than him to her. He took a deep breath and rose, keeping good posture. Shoulders back. Chest out. A stern and concentrative face, not allowing any sign of emotion to seep through. His chest was bare and his hind legs in black trousers. Dracula cast a spell that flashed the time in his head. 8:30. Earlier than he usually woke up. But, he could live with it.

"My Lord" A deep and well aged voice announced. Dracula turned to see one of the latest additions to Blacklight Hold's staff. Eusef. A light grey stallion Earth pony, wearing a black overcoat and a matching waistcoat, the accent colors being scarlet red. the standard colors of the servants in Blacklight Hold. Dracula and his subjects were just starting to get used to sleeping sometime during the day. To get them more accustomed to the darkness they reigned over. And they needed protection. Luckily, there are ponies in this world who are willing to be two kinds of servants. Ones to be butlers, like Eusef. And others to be their cattle to feed on. Dracula authorized no killing of the cattle or to suffer ten minutes under direct sunlight. While Vampires are not very affected by the sun it is very slow. Irritates the skin, but does not turn them into ash. Dracula focused at his dark cyan eyes as he finished with a respectful look, "I heard sound of a ruckus. If I am not impeding on my rights, may I ask, are you alright milord?"

Dracula adored the way Eusef talked. The way his accent rolled off of his tongue and how he spoke through his nose, sounding very nasally. It was crisp and clean, with a hint of wisdom and respect behind each word. The only other of his favorite servants is Renfield, but he takes care of Black City. Dracula looked at Eusef and answered, "Yes, Eusef, I am alright. I appreciate the concern."

"Will you be awakening, sir?"

Dracula moved to one of his large open windows. Staring at the storm that raged above in the sky. Dracula responded with a distant tone, "Yes...after you help me into my armor would you please awaken the other Originals. We have much to discuss before my other subjects awaken."

"Of course my lord." Eusef answered with a bow. Dracula kept his gaze on the grey skies above and he bore the face of longing and forlorn. He heard Eusef walk into the room and go over into the far corner of the room. There resting on a rack was Dracula's armor, his red and black scaled armor. Made from the scales of a dragon, which are lighter than one would expect giving the wearer more mobility in combat. Dracula took in a deep breath and heard a low hum as his horn came to life, glowing a dark red. Concentrating Dracula felt his material form evaporate and dissolve into mist. Once he was completely mist he traveled to Eusef's side of the room and swirled into his armor. Mist fitting in the cracks and soon filling the suit with his form. Once he knew it was fully on him he became his normal form again and stepped off the rack.

"You look like your father in so many ways." Announced a voice that projected from one of the large open windows. Dracula knew instantly who it was, it was Princess Luna. His mother. His heart sank almost at the sight of her. He did not know the strife she carried and did not want to know. He hurt her and he felt guilt for it. He did not want to hurt her but he was just so angry.

There was nothing else to say to her other than, "Mother...what brings you to Blacklight?"

Luna shrugged her shoulders and asked, "What? I can't visit my firstborn son on informal terms?"

Dracula gave her a look that said, 'Don't pull that'. Dracula could feel that she had something to say, some news on Equestria and the Equine Empire. And whatever news that was, he could tell he was not going to like it. Dracula looked over and saw she was donning her usual garb. He then said to Eusef, "That is enough for now Eusef. Go wake the others."

"Yes sir." Eusef bowed and left the room.

Luna watched the earth pony leave the room. She held in-accepting eyes as he finally moved out of sight. Luna said with longing, "So. You have finally become what I hoped to keep inside of you?"

"Don't pull that," Dracula replied sharply crossing his hooves over his chest, "You kept us from being what we truly are. Vampires. Sooner or later this would have happened, if not by me then by another. Vampires feed off of blood, that's it. If you take that away from them, then they are something completely different."

Silence ensued after he spoke. Both not wanting to say another word, out of fear of what happened the last time they spoke. A death inducing silence. Luna finally spoke up and said, "I...bring news from Equestria...but...you won't like it."

"What is it?" Dracula asked with a twinge of fear. Not lasting very long.

Luna opened her hoof and a scroll slowly appeared in a blue aura on her hoof. She held it out and said, "What lies in my hoof is the key to Equestria's next great war. Not with another nation. But with itself."

Dracula stood as still as stone. Dracula responded coldly, "Luna...what have you done?"

Luna lowers her hoof and keeps her expression as she explained, "I am doing the right thing here. You have not seen Celestia as of late. She is turning into something that I have seen before. She is allowing her hatreds to take control of her and letting her anger be her ally. She is turning into a tyrant. It has to stop."

"So you answer with revolution?" Dracula slowly turns towards her as he continued, "So your answer is civil war? Have you seen the state Equestria is in right now? There are full families living on the streets. There are more orphans than I can count. You are in debt up to your neck. And to make matters worse, their rulers cannot even trust each other."

There was a pause in his next words as he heaved a calming sigh and closed his eyes as he continued, "I know that you want to make things right. But fate has its own way of making things play out. If you let yourself do this, then you will make it a hell of a lot more bloody than it needs to be."

A stinging silence ensued between them. Until finally Luna replied, "What choice do I have? She's my sister, I only want to help her. That is all that I have ever done. If I have to go so far as using revolution, then so be it. I have southern and eastern Equestria backing me up. That and she is not the only one with tricks up her sleeve."

Dracula felt a deep and ancient magic residing within Luna. It took form and molded to shape inside of her, contorting inside of her. It felt like a whole other entity, wielding different powers. Dracula tried to sense if she was being controlled and manipulated, after a few seconds the spell he used died with nothing. She was operating on her own volition. But what scared him the most was this was the same magic that his Death Knights and Lichs used.

Dracula sighed and responded, "So you are going to use revolution? I can sense the magic you are harboring. This is not just revolution you are hoping to use, this is all out war."

Dracula could tell she knew exactly what he was talking about. She rested a hoof on the crest of her chest and she said, "I pray to Adena that it will not come to war. I only hope that she will come willingly."

Dracula shook his head and said, "I cannot. I cannot accept this alliance. If Celestia learns of me siding with you then I will be dragged into a war strictly between you two. I will not get my people involved in this."

Dracula turned away from his mother and he felt rising through him was a wave of agitation and stress. In all of his years of leading ponies he has never had the stress over take him. He never thought of it as a chore rather than what it really is. But now it was putting more weight on his shoulders than is required, he felt his anger deep inside of him. It swelled and only continued to grow as he heard more of what his mother had to say, "But your people strive on war. Your ponies feed off of the dead and become stronger. If you were apart of this then my victory will be nearly absolute. Please...I'm asking you as your mother."

Finally his anger overtook him and his voice alone shook the stone room, "DO NOT!...no...you are asking too much. I am not getting involved in your affairs. Me and my ponies are not going to be apart of your revolution, we are not involved. She has enough ammunition against us as it is."

Dracula tried to keep his gaze away from his mother who just looked downcast. He had not seen her in three years and still he shouts at her, it hurt him every time. But, her actions just seem to contradict what she thinks is right. Luna lifted her head and holds the scroll in her open hoof and she said with a darkened tone, "You are involved in this more than you could ever know."

Dracula steps in front of his mother and levitated the scroll out of her hoof and opens it up in front of him. He crossed a hoof to his elbow and lifted the other to his chin. The aged parchment seemed to glow under the red aura, the neatly scrawled writing of Celestia danced across the page and Dracula read after the seal of the Equine Empire,

To my faithful subjects,

We have been forced into change. Change most of us are not comfortable with, conditions that we loathe but we allow to happen anyway. For we live at the doorstep of a nation filled with monsters out of our nightmares. And we allow them to walk our streets with nothing restraining them. So that is why immediately I will be having full support and control over the Brotherhood of Light, a league of monster hunters, to protect our streets where we are unable to. If an Ebonmane even thinks of attacking any of Equestria's citizens, they will be publicly executed. And their death noted to Dracula, their ruler. We are in a weakened state, my little ponies, and we can't let these monsters fill our streets.

Your Immortal Princess,
Princess Celestia

Dracula felt hate burn through his core and the fury was barely able to be contained. The parchment burst into flames and when he noticed that happen he breathed controlled breaths. His fangs revealed themselves and his cornea's had a yellow tint around the edge, animalistic hunger and anger filling him. He growled, "If she thinks that this will go with no repercussions for her actions. She is sorely mistaken."

His breathing was less wild and he calmed down. Dracula looked to his mother and stood back up straight as he noticed she had a fearful look. She had never seen him take the life of another pony with draining their blood. And he never hoped for her to see that. Dracula said moving towards the door leaving the room, "We will confront Celestia about this before you raise a banner in revolution. If there is a chance that we can prevent this civil war then we need to try."

Luna let a sigh of relief come out. She said as Dracula offered her to leave. She crossed the room and said as she was in front of Dracula. She stopped and said, "That was my hope all along. The less blood to be spilled the better."

She went to leave when Dracula grabbed her hoof and said, "Wait."

She looked at him with questioning eyes and Dracula took a pause in his words and they came out as she retorted, "I...I am sorry...for what I did to you...truly I am...it's just...I..."

His voice faltered as he continued, his voice trailing off. Luna rested her hoof on Dracula's cheek and said with a smile, "It's okay Dracula. You don't have to explain. Your life has been filled with death and pain. But you do not need to worry about that now. You finally have the mother you never had."

Dracula gave a heart felt smile and he said, "You are right. I was foolish to think what I did three years ago."

The look on Luna's face was one that Dracula will never forget. Like she can finally rest easy knowing her son has forgiven her. Something that Dracula can get used to seeing. She sauntered off through the dark halls. Dracula watched her round a corner and just as she was out of sight he saw Eusef step next to him. Eusef bowed respectfully and exclaimed, "They await your arrival in the Great Hall, sir."

Dracula nodded and straightened his back and said, "Thank you Eusef. That will be all for now."

They separated their ways and Dracula made his way to the great hall. With a crooked smile on his face.

Eventually Dracula pushed open the large oaken doors and announced Prince Dracula coming into the room. Dracula looked and saw all of the appropriate leaders there. Riptide, of the Phantoms. Cornell, of the Werewolves. Malik, of the Vampires. Wraith, of the Death Knights. And Dracula's own right hoof, Spectra Crystalline. Malik was a newest addition considering Con's death at the rebellion in the south. Malik was a tall standing dark brown unicorn with piercing blue eyes. He wore splint mail over a layer of thick leather padding, his mane wild and like a lion's, just a jet black color. A large great axe sheathed on his back and he stood with his hooves crossed over his chest. Dracula had grown to like Malik in the short time that he had known the statuesque stallion, as he expected being Renfield's twin.

Dracula ushered himself in the room and noticed that the war table was set up. They might need it in the coming months. The rising pale moon offered a little light to the torchlit dark stone room. As Dracula crossed the room passing the Originals, he replayed the events that played out. The fateful battle that took place on the floor he now walked, the stains and wounds never to heal or to be cleaned up. Dracula looked and saw they stood at the table that was no more than five or seven feet away from the Obsidian Throne. Dracula decided he would not sit in it that night and leaned against the edge of the table, his back facing the throne. On his near right was Cornell and on his near left was Spectra and Malik.

All their faces were stern and respectful towards the Vampire Lord. Dracula nodded his head at them and said, "Alright. I come bearing bad news."

"Is there any other kind of news these days other than bad?" Riptide added coyly in his medium pitched voice. He hovered in the air and looked as though he was reclining on a couch rather than hovering.

Dracula only smirked at his comment and continued, "Celestia has made a recent decree that whenever one of our Ebonmanes enters a settlement of the Celestial Empire are to be watched by the Brotherhood of Light. And if they have reason to believe that the Ebonmane in question is there to harm then...they are to be publicly executed."

Gasps and growls of anger were heard all around, except from Malik. Malik just kept his stone like stance. Spectra was one that gasped and after her astonished reaction she added borderline to a low toned growl, "What gives her the authority to make such demands?"

Wraith rubbed his chin and said in his iron gripped voice that echoed with another behind it, "It is obviously a play to keep us on our toes. From all the other plays she has made over these three years I'd say that she is mobilizing for war."

Silence befell the council of the Ebonmanes, a silence that Dracula could cut with a knife. Dracula focused on the map of Acros, and the 6 countries that make it up. Equestria. Aviania. Cervidia. The Frozen North. The Badlands. And the Ashlands. Dracula owning the Ebonmane Empire or as his nation is being called Sanguinaria. Including the Everfree Forest and the Whitetail Woods, Sanguinaria. The silence was broken by Wraith's voice once again, "I can have my Death Knights ready to invade Canterlot in two days."

Spectra seemed shocked by his quick decision to invade Canterlot. Spectra hissed at Wraith, "So your answer is to invade the capital? There has to be another way other than war."

"And what would you suggest?" Wraith barked, "That we allow them to hand us our flanks on silver platters? That we make them a nice set of clothes? This is not the way the world works anymore Spectra. This is our only answer."

"So we are to revert to barbaric ideals? If we do this then Celestia will get what she wants." Spectra narrowed her eyes and gave a look of sharp daggers. Dracula was impressed with her showing some backbone, "She wants us to react like that, to prove that we are the monsters she claims us to be."

Wraith seethed with anger. He growled, "Yet we are to allow Celestia to control where are ponies are allowed to go? She raised an army in two years. She revived a long dead order. AND has improved the teachings of her unicorns, making the Canterlot Magi. If those are not clear signs she is mobilizing I don't know what is. Our answer should be to mobilize ourselves."

Cornell added in, "My packs have returned with suspicions that they are finding a way to create more weapons. A shipment of ten tons of Arkonite Crystals just came in to Canterlot yesterday."

Spectra knit an eyebrow and said, "Why would she need that many Arkonite Crystals? Her pegasi and earth pony mage knights only require one and she has not nearly enough knights to have them all be used."

"Dracula, my prince, authorize me and my death knights to mobilize and we will make Celestia regret she ever thought of handicapping us."

Dracula straightened and said sternly, "I will not authorize this attack. Luna and I will confront Celestia on this matter. And if worse comes to worse...then...then Equestria faces civil war."

Silence once again overtook the great hall only the eerie sound of the draft from the cracks in the walls. It was tense. Most of them shared his same reluctance to war and Dracula respected them for that. Malik finally added in a deep and melodious voice, "Then we will wait on your decision, my lord. We will assist in any way possible. Whether it is manpower or supplies, we'll assist."

Dracula looked over at Malik and nodded his head at the Sire and returned to the map of Acros. Spectra asked after glancing around the room, "Where is Haldere and Davirus?"

"They are on a diplomatic mission to the Crystal Empire," Dracula replied with a heavy gaze on the map, "To improve relations with the Ebonmanes and the Crystal Ponies."

Dracula paused and stood up to leave. He said to Spectra, "We are leaving for Ponyville. We are going to see Twilight and the others, you go ahead of me. I am going to meet with our ponies before I leave."

Spectra nodded her head respectfully and in a flash of bright blue she disappeared. Dracula said to the others at the threshold of the oaken doors, "Await for my return, when I come back it will either be as your everyday leader or as a player in Equestria's next great civil war."

Author's Notes:

The poem does not belong to me. It is actually a song believe it or not. All the Shinedown fans out there recognize it as the creepiest fing song by Shinedown. I thought that we should start things off on a creepy note. So, here you go! Finally out! Woo hoo!!!

Anyways,
See you guys next chapter
~Sylus~