News spread quickly, even throughout the torn lands of Equestria. The instability of the governments became clear now, nopony safe from the fighting or cleared of the blood. The riptide of blood will rise soon, and the world knew that the Ebonmanes would be there to feast. Dracula had faith that his servants and soldiers, faith that he could end any adversaries quickly. The Solar Empire has done only a few changes with the economy but she seems to be working well with it. But Princess Luna and the Lunar Republic was not going too well. The economy, even though only first established, was not working too well. The citizens grew nervous now to accept the republican government. Many now trying to go to their old ways of a dual monarchy.

Princess Luna and Celestia have made speeches concerning how the result of the war will go. If they were to face each other on the field again, they would end each other’s lives. No mercy for them. The line had been drawn long ago, Princess Luna had said, we just need to decide when we are willing to accept that. They were not wrong, but there was another way to solve this other than throwing away lives of their citizens. Why was Celestia acting like this? She had plenty of opportunities to call him out and denounce him. Yet, she remained silent until now.

Dracula’s face covered in a scarf as he and ten thousand others marched through the Bleak Wind Desert. The western desert leading to the Badlands. Sharp boulders jutting into the sky, aching to impale the suspended eclipse sky. The wind blew hard and fierce against Dracula but he did not budge. They had been marching for hours and not a drop of sweat had fallen, not a single breath of complaint. Dracula was overjoyed, faithful followers that would stop at nothing to please his every whim or his command. He was their absolute, their one and only Lord of the Night.

They broke into battalions of fifty strong each, spread out over the dusty plains, the thin coarse sand soft under the crunch of his armored hooves. A cloth shawl over his shoulders and mouth to keep out the sand and dust. Dracula looked to the ones he marched with, to his right marched his apprentice Scarlet. And to his left was Lilah Blackwhisper, her thick mage coat fitted tight and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. A death gaze set on the land in front of them. Her staff resting coldly on her back, itching to pull it out and begin invocations. Dracula turned his gaze back on the land in front of him.

They had past a few stony ruins that were decaying away and eroded away by the air around them. Dunes like mountains of sand and broken glass, his gaze was wide and Dracula opened his ears. Listening for miles around. Ignoring the marching of his troops he listened carefully. He heard distant marching, they were planted perfectly and were hard against the sand. Dracula smiled, it was a small force of Silver Blade Knights. About fifteen hundred strong, all well equipped with the standard uniform and weapons of Silver Blades. A silver blade blessed by the sun itself to injure any undead foe they come across, no doubt more powerful now with the Goddess of the Sun to bless them personally. A set of silver steel plate armor, long capes of jet black, and insignias of power and filling the wearer with protective magic making it nearly impossible to cast an efficient spell on them. From a vampire maybe, but not from the Lord of Vampires.

Dracula wiped the surface of his teeth with his tongue, he ached for a drop of blood. An insatiable lust that he can control for now. But he felt the twinge of hunger spike when he learned of their affiliation. Dracula said aloud to his apprentice, “Scarlet. Continue to march. I will meet you all at the rendezvous.”

Scarlet turned to face her master and asked, “Why? What is wrong?”

Dracula smiled and said, “We have reinforcements for the mining depots. Silver Blade Knights.”

Dracula turned his head to where the Silver Blade Knights were marching. Dracula unsheathed Kal’Drae and said, “Stay with them. I will return soon. Do not wait for me.”

Dracula spread out his wings, shadows leaping out and a hail of bats of shadow spreading out. Leaching and gripping along the ground. They leaped and screeched for freedom, the souls of broken ponies dying to escape. Their wails not given any attention. Dracula beat his wings hard and shot into the sky. Dracula felt the wind bash against him and his shadow of death, but he did not pay any attention. Dracula lifted up his hooves and an animalistic hiss escaping his throat. The storm of dust and sand answered to his cry, the wind falling still. Dracula lifted the shadow of death and infected the still air around him. Shadows living and aching to avenge their broken souls. Dracula lifted his hooves up and the wind picked up again, the shadow filled wind awaiting to sink their bite into an enemy.

Dracula controlled the winds with his magic, his horn a torrent of magic and a beacon of red light. Dracula’s eyes glowed the same color, his form changing into his Cthonian form. Dracula growled and shot forward, ripping through the air like a bullet. Lifting Kal’Drae, the torrent and storm of shadows following his form. Dracula propelled forward and cleared his mind ready to kill every last one of those knights. They were his comrades once, but they were not as righteous as they were lead to believe. Fury filled his veins, they used him as a font of power for five hundred years.

Dracula saw as the torrent of shadow increased in radius and he saw the knights come into view. Dracula stopped beating his wings and lifted his hind legs up and shot through the air ready to slam into the ground. Dracula impacted the ground, a crater coming in his wake. Sand bursting up, knights joining the sand. Landing right in front of where they were marching. Dracula kneeling in the cloud and storm of shadows. Dracula lifted his head and saw as so many were being torn into pieces by the shadows. Dracula watched as they charged him. Dracula sprinted forth and raised Kal’Drae which was now humming with power and aching to pierce through flesh. Dracula deflected a blow and stabbed Kal’Drae into his chest, his soul being ripped from his body and absorbed into Dracula. Another blow came and was deflected away, quickly dispatching another Silver Blade Knight. Wrenching in Kal’Drae deep into his chest. Collecting yet another soul.

One after another came and tried to down the Vampire Lord, each one failing to stay alive. After Dracula gathered enough power within Kal’Drae he shoved it into the ground and an eruption of corruptive magic shot out and ate away at the Silver Blade Knights. Magic lingered on the air, the storm of shadows stilling raging around the small battlefield. Dracula lifted his head and saw three charging towards him with their swords raised. Dracula stood back up and readied Kal’Drae. Two charged fast the other was slower, just in case Dracula tried to pull anything that was unpredictable.

Dracula gave a cruel smile and said to them, “You face the power of a God, yet you throw away your lives senselessly to me. You serve Princess Celestia, do you honestly think that she will do as you ask? Just more puppets underneath her strings, this is an act of mercy for you all.”

Dracula dodged one and parried the other as they collided blades with Dracula. Dracula moved the blade away from him and stepped aside, pushing his hooves into the ground he smashed his shoulder against the Silver Blade and knocked him to the ground with the full force of an immortal. Dracula parried two more strikes from the other Silver Blade and Kal’Drae hummed with even more power and slashed diagonally, cutting off his chest plate. Some of the magic leaching to his skin and he fell to the ground. Dracula watched as he cried in fear. He turned to the third and lifted him to the sky, his hoof glowing bright red and his eyes filled with hunger. Dracula moved his hoof to him and the helpless pony in his telekinetic grip moved to him.

Once he was within distance, Dracula pulled his head back and unsheathed his fangs. Stabbing them deep into the pony’s neck. He drank deep the sweet taste of blood running down his gullet. His blood flowed out of him like a river of crimson, some of it spilling out into the sand. The blood that spilled sank deep into the sand. In Dracula’s mind he cast a spell and called out to the dead of the seas of sand. Dracula awaited the answer, and they said they would serve. Once Dracula devoured all the blood within the Silver Blade he tossed the body away and looked as more Silver Blades gathered around him. They made no movement to charge at him, he looked at each of their faces, they pointed and readied their swords.

They were trying to trap him, Dracula decided to go with it. Let them have the false sense of protection and hope. A gap opened, gathering Dracula’s attention. The pony that stepped into the circle of Silver Blades, Dracula listened to the whisperings of the dead that were going to rise. They neared awakening. He inspected the foe in front of him.

He was a Belmont, judging by the garb he wore and the weapon upon his waist. He wore cloth and metal plates, to protect and give him agility. His large cloth white tunic was split in the front, showing his armored legs and his armored chest with small spaulders on his shoulders. Silver steel and bleach white cloth with the emblem of the Silver Blades on his necklace. He knew he was a Belmont because he sensed his blood. The Dhampir blood that flowed through his veins. Dracula gave a smile to the chestnut coated stallion, “So. The Belmont’s vaunted justice finally catches up with me. Tell me, how does it feel being a slave to Princess Celestia?”

The Belmont growled and released his weapon, a combat chain that slung forth and tried to come down. The chain glowing a bright blue energy. Dracula stepped aside, surprised at the speed. Dracula turned to the Belmont and the Belmont said, “Silence snake. I will not hear another corruptive word to escape from your silver tongue!”

Dracula kept a cruel smile and said, “So. A warmonger, rage that is uncontrollable within this Belmont...hmm...Anselmus Belmont...your parents were killed recently.”

Anselmus growled, “How do you know of that!?”

Dracula stepped closer, Anselmus stepping back and keeping a steely gaze on Dracula. He stared into his narrowed and dark blue eyes. Dracula said, “I can sense their death on you. You killed your parents because of your rage. So you joined the Brotherhood like your family members, after you refused before, to repent for your sins. But you know inside that you cannot abandon your rage, it is a part of you my most recent brother.”

Anselmus caught Dracula off guard and wrapped a chain around Dracula’s hoof. Dracula looked to his left hoof and saw as the chain burned his skin, no pain rising through him. But it was smelting to his flesh. It gripped his flesh, Dracula lifted his gaze back to Anselmus who had a maddening smile and said, “You are not apart of my family.”

Anselmus stepped away and threw Dracula out of his chain and Dracula went flying into a dune. Slamming hard into the hill of sand, Dracula felt his muscles ache briefly before his injuries healed, besides the burn on his arm. It burned through the armor and brandished his skin. Dracula stood up in the ruined sand hill. Wiping off his hooves. Dracula opened his hooves and Kal’Drae and Whiteash appeared in his grips. They hummed to life and he sensed when his army of dead would rise. They were awakened.

Rising from the earth with a shake of the world itself, the skeletons rose. Dracula hovered into the air and chanted his voice projecting across the four winds, “Yes. Rise. Rise and hear your master’s cull. For your day of vengeance has come, Legion of Forgotten Blades. Centuries ago you were forgotten, and you have not forgiven the living for that. Now you may repay for their sins. Kill them.”

A chorus of dead screams rose, all saying, “Yes my lord.”

The Legion of Forgotten Blades were glowing bright red, Dracula’s magic radiating off of them. They raised shields and spears to the remaining Silver Blade Knights. Dracula hovered above the sea of undead. Dracula walked on the air and saw the fear that rose in their eyes. Dracula tasted that fear and felt his cause rise above all others. He was not doing this to be cruel or just because he could. He was protecting his people. His ponies. They endangered his family, and it was for that they must pay.

Dracula listened to the hisses and growls coming from his army behind him. Dracula’s stance was firm and commanding, he warned, “I will give you one more chance to leave. To return to your tyrant of a princess. Or you face death itself.”

Anselmus had two combat chains in his hooves and shouted back, “We do not fear death.”

Dracula’s eyes glowed bright red as he said in a dark tone, “How do you know? You never tried it.”

Dracula released an animalistic roar as he pointed Whiteash at them and the horde of skeletons responded shooting forth, itching to rend flesh and bone. Dracula charged with them. He looked to his side and saw one undead that did not quite fit. He still had some meat on him and his eyes glowed bright blue. He wore splinted plate mail, strong and heavy offering much protection. Dracula said to him in his mind,
What is your name dead one?

His mane was jet black and long. The color of his coat was long forgotten from how pale it was. He held a scythe and replied,
I am Azriel. Champion of this Legion.

Dracula smiled and said to him, “Prove to me.”

Azriel sprinted forth and began slaying any Silver Blade that came within his immediate
radius. His scythe of pure obsidian metal being stained red with the many gallons of blood being spilled by him. He allowed shadows to fill his blade and wrenched it in a wide arc, slashing open three knights. Normally the blow would have been absorbed, but Azriel’s blade was encased in Nether energy. He invoked a small amount of Nether energy, Dracula could feel the tainted element deep inside of him. Dracula found this interesting, he would inquire about this later. For now there was a battle he needed to win.

Dracula slashed forward and cut a knight down. Fifteen swarmed and circled around him, it was amusing thinking that they could outnumber him. Dracula smirked and charged forth at breakneck speed, bashing his shoulder into one. Knocking him off his hooves and thrusting his sword deep within his stomach. Time seemed to slow as he continued on. Two attacked him at the same time, slashing down in a wide and powerful arc. Dracula dodged both attacks and spun down on his hooves. Slashing against their waists, Kal’Drae finding weak points in their armor. Dracula lifted a free hoof and it began to glow bright red energy. The same energy mirrored around the two victims and they screamed as they rapidly aged. Red energy drew forth from their forms and absorbed inside of him. He tasted their lifeforce, his talent. And relished in the renewed strength.

Dracula tucked out of the reach of another knight and spun to face him. He was large and armored from head to hoof in thick armor. He carried two large scimitars of pure silver, etched with runes of strength and solar energy. He pointed one of his scimitars and declared, “You shall be cleansed from this place! Monster! For you are the hunter no longer!”

Dracula smiled as he crouched in the ground. He responded, “I’d be careful hunting monsters, holy one. Lest you fear becoming a monster yourself.”

The knight roared for combat and raised his swords ready to connect to Dracula. Dracula let Kal’Drae disappear into shadows and he lowered both front hooves to the ground, reverting back to his normal form. Dracula activated his magic and energy gathered and swirled in a torrent of magic. Once it gathered enough it travelled through his veins and a small eruption shot out and found a few targets. Four, including the mighty one. Dracula stood up and saw them freeze in utter fear, the red auras around them turned dark as they stared at Dracula. Dracula smiled as he stood up and raised both hooves, glowing with red magic.

He lifted them all into the air and the two weaker ones hovered closer to Dracula. They strained as the fear rose in their veins. Dracula awaited until it surmounted. Dracula kept his hooves raised and in two quick motions twisted his hooves and snapped the necks of both of them. The force behind the attacks was so hard that the heads nearly fell from their bodies, letting their stumps drown in blood. Dracula released his magic on the two limp bodies, their limp forms making a thud as they fell to the ground.

Dracula set his gaze on the large one and he said, “You are strong. But your heart is weak, one such as yourself deserves a strong heart. And not one to allow you to fool heartedly walk into your death. I am sorry.”

Dracula sprinted forth, letting his vampiric muscles surge him forward. Moving faster than the wind itself. Dracula pulled his hoof back and punctured it deep into the pony’s chest. Grabbing his heart with his hoof, ushering a gasp of pain and surprise from the pony. Dracula looked into the pony’s eyes and he said, “You fought for a shadow, not a sun.”

Dracula crushed the heart and fed off of the pony, wrenching back and thrusting his fangs deep into his neck. Sucking away whatever life he had remaining, his hunger dying down. He felt more of himself, his mind drew clear and his anger subsided. He however listened closely to the battle around him and assumed it was not going so well. He wiped his mouth clear of the blood and raised his hooves collecting his breath and closing his eyes. His horn rising in magic once more.

Shadows rose at Dracula's hooves, fear rising within all those that looked upon him. The shadows sank into the earth, rooting deep into the sands. It spread like ebony vines, testing and churning under the gentle waves of the sands. Dracula glowed a bright red aura, hovering above the ground. Dracula smiled as he looked on to the spectacle of his minions laying waste to the ones that betrayed him. He proclaimed, "The mice fall to the claws of the feline. And are thrown into their awaiting jaws."

The vines of shadow erupted up and lashed out tightly gripped the remaining Silver Blades. They screamed and lashed out to try and escape the vines of shadow. Dracula watched as Ariel and the Legion of the dead looked to him. Dracula was brought back to reality as he saw the Belmont about to be trampled and killed by the Legion. Dracula lifted his hoof and the dead blood red soldiers stopped their trample. The Belmont waved his hooves carrying his chains and growled, "Come on! Face me!"

Dracula said to his legion, "Do not engage the Belmont. He is mine."

Anselmus looked over at Dracula and said, "Then I will take great enjoyment in killing you."

Dracula released a maddening laugh. Each second he kept it he felt Anselmus gaze at him with quizzical eyes. Dracula breathed in hard and said, "You really are a Belmont. Even though the odds are stacked against you, you throw your life senselessly away."

Dracula sheathed his weapons and levitated himself into the air, as he did wind picked up and black storm clouds gathered overhead. His eyes and horn glowed and erupted in torrents of storm. Dracula said, “You deserve better than this Anselmus. You should be forgiven for your sins. But you fail to realize that you are no greater a pony than I. And now, I will offer no forgiveness.”

Anselmus watched as he gathered the nether energy inside of him, the magical energy swirling around him as he absorbed the death energy. Anselmus cracked a smile, "I was counting on that."

Anselmus dropped his chain and energy gathered and collected in his hoof. The energy was bright white and gold as if he was gathering light. Before Dracula had time to react he whipped his hoof at Dracula and a bolt of energy struck him hard in the chest. His chest tightened and burned. His flesh ripped and burned, his armor unable to absorb the hit. He crashed into a sand dune, blasting apart the large mound of sand. Dracula leaned in his side and grunted at the pain that stung his chest. His chest burned and a large hole formed in his chest, exposing his chest cavity. Dracula felt as the wound slowly repaired itself. As it healed he reassessed the situation.

He controlled powers of the sun itself, which was why he could cast that spell. But his talent was rage, Dracula knew that. He could sense it on him. So there had to be another explanation for his sudden powers. The only thing that came to him that could wield powers so close to Celestia's own was the Paladins of the Sun. If his theory was correct, then she figured out a way to bring them back.

He needed to play this fight safe. Control the battle or else all is lost. Light peeled away the skin and armor of Anselmus, slowly advancing towards Dracula. Anselmus' eyes began to glow the same bright white color as he said, "You have killed the father of darkness, your own father. And you say that you are not your father's son. Yet look at the bodies around you."

With large gulps of air he stood up and looked around, undead soldiers murdering the knights. Blood rising in the air and finally falling to the ground in large splashes. Azriel wrenched his scythe out of a knight and killed another. Dracula said standing up with a grunt, “No. I never claimed that I was a hero. I will never be a hero. I am just a champion of the grey. I do what is right for my people and the good ponies of Equestria. A burden that Princess Celestia is unfit to carry.”

Anselmus growled, “Then die as a villain of the True Equestria.”

Anselmus rushed forward and tackled Dracula to the ground. Dracula used his back legs and bucked hard against his jaw as they crashed to the ground. Dracula slid against the ground and stood up straight. He watched as Anselmus’ snapped neck realigned and snapped back into place. Anselmus stood back up and said, “You have made a powerful enemy on this day Dracula.”

Dracula opened his hoof and shadows gathered and with a loud shink Kal’Drae appeared and Dracula responded gravely, “I have always been her enemy.”

Dracula raised Kal’Drae and slashed along Anselmus’ blade, the blades collided at the same speed. Anselmus wielded a sword of pure white light. It glowed like a bright beacon in the near eclipsed sky. Anselmus shoved Dracula away and went on the assault, his martial skills almost mated by Dracula’s own. Dracula parried every precise strike and dodged away from others.

Anselmus slashed horizontally and dodged behind him and slashed up his back. Dracula stabbed Kal’Drae deep in his back. An enemy not quickly dispatched. Anselmus snapped his head back and bashed against Dracula’s. Dracula fell back and gathered himself. Anselmus gripped the blade and was pulling it from his back through his chest. His hooves were burning, as Kal’Drae can only be wielded by one of Arkon Shadow’s bloodline. Not eliciting a single cry of pain. He threw the sword away and said in a neutrally toned voice, devoid of all emotion, “A good try, but not what is needed. Celestia has tried so hard to make an Equestria that would rule Acros with an ironhoof. Unity, unity of us and foreign nations. Duty, duty to our glorious country. And Destiny, for it is our destiny to uphold order in a world of chaos. For we are the Paladins of the Sun. And you Dracula Belmont, must die.”

Anselmus turned and stabbed his sword deep into Dracula’s chest. Anselmus raised him into the air and he dangled near unconsciousness. Anselmus had great enjoyment sprayed across his face. The shadow of his family was gone. But he felt a cold rising feeling in his chest. Anselmus looked down and found a pure white blade stabbed deep into his chest. Anselmus looked at Dracula who stabbed his own blade into Anselmus before he even struck.

A corner of Anselmus’ mouth curled and he said with a dying breath, his skin growing pale, “It would appear that I misjudged your speed Dracula.”

Dracula landed on his hooves and nearly toppled over. Dracula watched as the sword disappeared and he could begin to breath again. He said with ragged breaths as his healing started, “You will be remembered as a worthy opponent. As all Belmonts deserve.”

Dracula released Whiteash and it disappeared into thin air. Dracula felt the exhaustion rise in his veins, crashing over him like a wave. Dracula noticed in that moment that the fighting had stopped a while ago. Dracula fought against the exhaustion and used his reserve magic abilities with his tainted dragon blood and replenished his magic. Dracula opened his eyes with calmed breaths and looked at the remnants of the first battle of the civil war.

A thousand bright crimson armored skeleton ponies stared at him with lifeless but hopeful eyes. Lying dead in the sand was the great Silver Blades that were sent as reinforcements to the mining depots. The Battle of Red Sands, is what this battle will be called. The first victory of the rebellion. Their blood staining the sands, Dracula raised his gaze and he watched as the Dead Legion knelt before him. Dracula noticed in that moment what day it was, it was the day of the dead. Known as Dead Flight. The one day where the dead may find eternal rest. Dracula lowered his gaze and closed his eyes chanting sacred words, “Amissis omnibus requiem animabus omnipotentes iudicari a est. Vita est sanguis.”

The Dead Legion rose in a chorus of dead voices, “Vita est sanguis.”

Dracula opened his eyes and set his gaze on the knelt soldiers. He moved his gaze to Azriel, stained with blood and had his scythe standing. Dracula shouted to them, “Centuries ago you served Equestria in the First Griffon War. You all alone stood against wave after wave of Griffon Centurions. The blood of griffons on your hooves. You all died to the last pony but you died as brothers and sisters of a similar cause. Defend your homeland. You lasted until your reinforcements came. But you were not rewarded with the honor you gave to Equestria. Your reward, is you will serve that same cause again. With pride in your hearts, and swords in your hooves.

“I am giving you a chance to serve Equestria once more. To be the immortal Dead Legion. For blood is life, what is life without family?”

“Why it is not life at all, if I might have permission to speak my lord.” Azriel said glancing at Dracula and then back down. Dracula looked to Azriel and sensed the same Nether energy deep beneath him.

Dracula stepped closer to Azriel and said, “You may rise.”

Azriel and the rest of Dead Legion stood up. Dracula studied Azriel carefully and Dracula asked, “You hold ancient powers far beyond that of any normal pony. How?”

Azriel nodded his head and answered in a deep raspy voice, “My talent is death, my lord. I became known as the Soul Reaver for my skills at dealing with death. I picked up some magic while we were stationed in Aviana.”

Dracula nodded, “So you offered a piece of your soul to the Nether? And in exchange you are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Wielding the powers of death itself.”

“Yes my liege.”

“You will serve to be a valuable ally Azriel. There is a spot with you in the Ebonmanes.” Dracula said at the dead soldier standing at attention.

Azriel nodded and said, “It would be our honor my lord.”

Dracula stood next to Azriel and said, “You are loyal to your superiors, a good trait. Now that we got that out of the way, tell me what you know about these mining depots near the edge of the Bleak Wind Desert. My vampires cannot track the mineral deposits and our werewolves cannot smell the ones that guard the place. You listened in the sands, where are these mining depots?”

Azriel pointed east towards a box canyon large in size and responded, “There. Red Gorge, the canyon of death. Beyond that are the depots. Well fortified and each pony armed to the teeth.”

Dracula stared at the canyon and narrowed his gaze. Something seemed familiar about the canyon and Dracula asked, “Do you know why they placed depots there?”

“Officially,” Azriel added, “As more sources of precious metals. But secretly Celestia’s soldiers seem to think that there is a sleeping warrior in the canyon-”

“Zobek,” Dracula interrupted.

Azriel looked to Dracula and said, “Is there a problem my lord?”

Dracula waved a hoof and said, “No it’s just...Zobek was my former master in the Silver Blades. Why he would haunt a canyon I do not know, he lived a simple life. I was the closest thing he had to a son.”

Azriel raised an eyebrow and said, “So are we to go around my lord?”

His tone respective and honorable, Dracula answered, “No. We march through. But before we march for the canyon I must send word to my apprentice that we will take longer than expected.”

Dracula turned to Azriel nodded his head and said, “Thank you my lord. I will inform my men to wait your orders.”

Dracula focused back at the canyon and as a gentle breeze rustled against him he said to himself as Azriel walked away, “What are you up to Zobek?”

“Rubber ducky, you’re the one. You make bath time tons of fun.” Ditzy casually sang along as she walked down the street to the town well. It was one of her favorite songs and a song she kept in a special place in her heart. The air was cold and Ponyville was cast in sustained darkness because of the suspended celestial bodies. Ditzy found it rather odd that the sun or the moon did not set beyond the horizon.

Her light hearted mood quickly changed as she began to think about the situation Ponyville was thrust into. She overheard Twilight talking with Discord. Why couldn’t she be included in the discussion? Why did Twilight not call her in? She found it very strange. Yet her heart was heavy. She knew who would get involved and she knew that blood would be spilled. Then she started to think about Rarity. She stopped dead in her tracks as she imagined that beautiful mare. Her mane and tail curled and groomed to perfection, her coat soft to the touch, Her gait powerful and noble. Her soft features were beyond comprehension.

She was so nice and her heart was always in the right place. She only hoped that she would discover soon who her secret admirer was. Ditzy took a long time to write those poems, many of them were in Tanka format some others in general format.

The moon laid low and Ditzy looked as the pale moon shed its bright light all around her. Filling her with its warm and accepting embrace. Letting her know that everything was going to be okay and that Rarity would return. Her mind began to wander to places she never thought she would wander. She bit her bottom lip and rubbed her arms as she could see the naked form of Rarity, lying in wait for her. Her generous and kind tone asking her, “Come darling, the bed is a little cold. Perhaps we should warm it up.”

She quickly came out of her fantasy as she heard a rustle of a can. Ditzy turned around quickly and distraughtly said, “Who-who’s there?”

Her voice choked and stayed in her throat as fear gripped her. She calmly turned back around to return why she was out there in the first place. She lowered the pail and it sank down into the darkness. Ditzy watched as it disappeared. Once it got out of sight she heard another startling sound. She said fearfully, “If this is a joke then you can come out now. It’s not funny anymore.”

She braced herself in front of the well and tried to find the source of those fearful sounds. Her heart rose in her throat, signalling her that she can no longer talk. Dread filling in around her like a cloud. She hesitantly began to creep away with the full pail of water. As she turned her back on the well and began heading back to the castle she stopped as she heard a bloodcurdling scream. She listened to the desperate screams, “Daisy! Lily! What are you do-AGHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Ditzy dropped the pail and rushed to the source of the screams. Dashing through the various streets of Ponyville. She rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes growing wide at the sight she was watching. Daisy and Lily were hunched over Roseluck who was helplessly restrained on the ground and was being torn apart by Daisy and Lily. Chunks of flesh were being pulled off of her and they were eating it. Blood all around them, staining their coats, the ground, and the helpless mare that was being eaten. Ditzy had never laid witness to acts to vulgar and so evil before. She had heard of cannibalism but she never thought she would witness it herself. Their strong jaws biting hard into the red and pink flesh. Devouring even the fur. Blood running down their chins and mouths full of meat. Animalistic hunger filling their eyes.

Ditzy raised a hoof to her mouth in shock and tried to keep a scream in her throat. She saw the animalistic scene before her. But what really got to her was the amount of blood that was coming out of Rose. It was like a large pool of crimson fluid. Daisy growled and stuck her hooves on a bite that was on Rose’s stomach and began pulling apart the meat and opening her chest cavity and pulling in to grab the first organ she saw and bit into it ripping it and tearing it. The gut wrenching sound that released became too much for Ditzy, she pulled back behind the corner and wrenched her head down as she puked up her dinner. Spilling forth out of her mouth.

She had never seen something so vile and so disgusting in all of her life. She began to shake and shudder in the fear. How could something like this happen? She knew that darkness came into Equestria with the Ebonmanes, but this was its own level of darkness. This was evil. Dark villainous acts. She heard a loud moan rise next to her. She stopped breathing for a moment as she turned her head. She looked and saw a pony standing there. It’s eyes were bright yellow and filled with a certain level of hunger.

Ditzy choked back her heart and said, “H-hello kind...kind sir...wha-what brings you out here?”

He was breathing out of his mouth and the hunger in his eyes did not stop. It did not falter or move its hungered filled gaze. Ditzy backed up and braced herself against the wall, she shakily pleaded, “Please-please do not-hurt-hurt me.”

The stallion opened its rotting maw and went to rush to Ditzy. Ditzy closed her eyes hard as she accepted her death. When it did not come and she heard the dying breaths of a pony she opened her eyes. She saw the pony lying dead on the ground, a bolt sticking out of it’s head, black blood seeping and leaking out of the wound. A jubilicious voice uproared, “Excellent shot Applebloom!”

Ditzy looked up and saw Applebloom and Pinkie Pie standing there. Pinkie wearing a long trench coat made of leather. Applebloom wearing tight fitting cloth with various belts and straps with pouches and vials of different liquids. Applebloom had swiped her hoof on her wide brimmed hat and said, “Thank you.”

Ditzy lightened up and said rushing to them, “Applebloom! Pinkie! Oh I’m so glad that you two are here! It’s Daisy and Lily they’re-”

“They are eating other ponies. We know. We just learned about that when our ward tried to attack us.” Pinkie interrupted.

Ditzy raised a hoof and said, “What is going on?”

Pinkie nodded to Applebloom and she walked towards the dead body, hefting a mysterious liquid in her hoof. Pinkie replied, “A zombie invasion. It started a day or two ago. The source of the infection is unknown but we need to find it soon if we want a shot at stopping it. The entire town is falling into disarray. We need to get to safety quickly.”

Ditzy said quickly, “We can go to the castle. We should be safe there.”

Pinkie nodded and said to Applebloom and Ditzy, “We need to leave quickly, unless we want to be swarmed by more zombies. They more than likely smell that blood.”

Pinkie pointed at the evil scene and Ditzy dared not look at that scene again, if it was the last thing she could do. Pinkie handed her a contraption, Ditzy raised an eyebrow at what she was handed. It looked like a flintlock pistol but she looked closer and saw a small cartridge with crackling lightning inside of it. The chamber connected to a bracer, no trigger in sight and no ironsight. Pinkie explained offering Ditzy’s attention, “This is a Thundershock SP-31. It shoots concentrated bolts of electricity, you can change the voltage of the shots with a turn of this switch, ranging from 5,000-10,000 volts. It as well can fold up and hide away. It is a personal invention of mine, just keep in mind that it has not yet had field testing so...please be careful.”

Ditzy strapped the shock pistol to her hoof and inspected the weapon with a weird look. Pinkie said, “It will feel a little bit awkward but you should get used to it. Just flex and flick your hoof and it comes out, flex your hoof and it retracts.”

Ditzy flexed her hoof and heard the many clicks and sounds as the chamber retreated down and hid away making a metallic bracer. Ditzy prayed to the gods that she would not have to use it. Their attention was pulled away as they saw a rushing horde of zombies. Pinkie slapped Ditzy’s shoulder and said, “We have to go now. Applebloom! Let’s go!”

“You got it Pinkie!” Applebloom shouted back with confidence filling her tone. Ditzy looked and saw the body bubbling and melting. Ditzy watched and kept up with the two hunters. The horde walked past the corpse and it exploded in a hale of vile meat and bone. Causing the rushing zombies to be blown away. Buying time for their escape.

Ditzy focused back as she ran with Pinkie and Applebloom. Ditzy looked to the young mare and said, “What was that?”

Applebloom smiled devilishly and replied, “Lytherum-31. It is usually used for embalming fluid but with the right compounds it can turn into a slow acting explosive agent. I like to call it Corpse Explosion.”

Ditzy took in that unneeded piece of information as they rushed through the streets of Ponyville. Ditzy looked and saw the chaos that was filling the streets of Ponyville. The streets filling with dying screams and the hungered roars of zombies. Ponyville, once the capital of peace is now the site of a zombie outbreak. Ditzy expected the skies to be filled with flying zombie pegasi but none were in sight. Ditzy asked, “Where are the zombie pegasi?”

Pinkie answered, “Expecting them to fly? Don’t hold your breath Ditzy, they are not flying. They can’t their flesh and feathers decayed.”

Ditzy took that as a small victory. The last thing she wanted was a flying zombie swooping down and picking her up for its lunch. They rushed through the streets and bolted for the castle. It came into view. Where normally Ditzy would find it a sight of hope and warm heartedness. It was now just a dull beacon.

They found themselves at the main gate and found the large crystal doors shut tight. Pinkie slammed a hoof against the door and growled, “Damn it!”

Applebloom asked, “How are we supposed to get inside now?”

“Let me think!”

Ditzy’s eyes grew wide and looked as she saw an onrushing horde of zombies. Ditzy said, “Can you think faster because we have company!”

Pinkie looked at the horde and thought. She seemed injured by her thought. Pinkie asked Ditzy, “There is a second door right?”

Ditzy nodded and said, “Yes I have a key.”

Pinkie looked to Applebloom and asked, “Do you have anymore Nitroglycerin-48?”

“Two vials, why?”

“Let’s just say I have some birthday candles to light up.” Pinkie took the vial of strange colored liquid and uncorked the bottle. She slung the liquid all over the large doors. Almost instantly they erupted in a loud crash of explosives. Ditzy fell as the earth itself shook. Pinkie shouted, “Quickly! Come on lets go!”

Ditzy shook her head and rushed onwards towards the castle. Ditzy pushed past Applebloom and Pinkie and took out her key. She passed the fallen rubble of what used to be the main gate. Chunks of crystal lying on the ground. Ditzy found herself at the small door inside the inner walls of the castle and shuffled through her keys and finally brought out the only crystal key she had. She took it and shoved it deep inside the door’s lock.

The keep door clicked and Ditzy opened the door and let Pinkie and Applebloom in first, then letting herself fall into the keep. The dimly lit main halls brought a certain solace to Ditzy. Her new home for what seemed like an eternity. Her old home never made her feel like this. The crystal floors and walls glistened slightly at the light. Pillars of pure crystal suspending the ceiling high above them. Ditzy looked up and saw the large chamber where Twilight’s throne lied. It stood on a perch above the council table where the officials of Ponyville met.

Ditzy looked back as they pushed a cabinet in front of the door. Barricading themselves in. Ditzy offered her attention elsewhere as she heard the angered tone of Twilight Sparkle, “What the hell is going on!?”

Ditzy looked up and saw Twilight, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, and Discord. Ditzy looked back at Pinkie and Applebloom as they pushed more furniture in front of the door. As they propped down another piece a crack in the door opened and a zombie attempted to squeeze its way in. Reacting quickly Ditzy flicked her wrist and pointed towards the zombie and shot with a small crack of thunder. Ditzy looked and saw the zombie fall limp as the bolt hit the zombie’s head. Making its head explode.

Ditzy looked to them and said, “We are being invaded by zombies.”

Twilight seemed shocked and said her voice rising in volume, “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

“We are being invaded by zombies. On or two nights ago an infection started and began turning ponies into these...nightmares.”

Ditzy’s gaze faltered. She heard Twilight Velvet say, “By all that is holy.”

Twilight pressed a hoof to her forehead and said, “So, what your telling me is there is walking dead looking to find brains and flesh. This is what you are telling me?”

“She speaks the truth,” Discord said as he opened his claw and glowed orange magic, “I sense chaos erupting outside.”

Twilight looked more shocked than irritated and said, “By Celestia, how do we stop this?”

Pinkie said as she dropped the last piece of furniture and answered, “We need to find the source of the outbreak and stop it. The first zombie or the compound that started this. Perhaps even both.”

Fluttershy asked, “I think we should stay in here where it is safe and wait for this to go away.”

She seemed shaken and fearful. She leaned in closer to Discord who offered a friendly pat. Twilight looked to Fluttershy and said, “That can’t be an option Fluttershy. We are in the middle of a civil war. We are isolated from the other cities, if we are to face this we have to do this ourselves.”

Scootaloo crossed her hooves and said sternly, “I think we should kill every last one of those bastards.”

Sweetie Belle killed her idea, “Are you daft? That would only result in our deaths. How many foes can you kill before you are overtaken by them? A dozen? A hundred? There is an entire horde waiting for us outside.”

Scootaloo growled, “It’s a better idea than just staying here and wait for them to barge through those doors and eat us.”

Twilight Velvet raised her hooves to calm everypony, “Everypony calm down. I think we should leave the decisions up to my daughter. She is sovereign of this city and she makes the decisions.”

Everypony stopped their discussion and offered their gazes to Twilight who said, “Okay...we need to find the city watch. They can keep these zombies in check while we look for the source of this outbreak.”

Her tone was even and offered knowledge. But it was slightly on edge from their situation. Twilight directed her attention to Discord and asked, “Can you take the Crusaders and find the city watch? We’ll try and hold back the zombies here.”

Discord nodded and said, “Sure thing.”

Twilight then turned to her parents and said, “Can you two keep Spike company while he is sick and let me know if anything happens?”

Night Light nodded and responded, “Anything you need sweetie.”

Ditzy watched as Twilight shared a group hug with her parents. Ditzy looked away as she thought about her parents. They were so nice and so peaceful. Willing to help anypony who needed it, treated their daughter with kindness beyond that of what she could imagine. Parents that one could only imagine. But they were taken before it was their time. Ditzy looked away and wiped a tear from her eye that she did not notice came out.

Fluttershy offered a helping hoof and said, “Ditzy are you okay?”

Ditzy shrugged her hoof away and said, “Yeah...I’m fine.”

Ditzy marched off and went to the castle gardens. Fluttershy went to offer her hoof when she got out of reach. Fluttershy looked to the others and said, “I’ll go talk to her.”