Caught between a broken sword and a head of an axe, is your fate.
Best be your skills and strong be your gait.

But blood has been spilt,
And you must live with the guilt.

Bare your blade Son of the Dragon, for the water is shallow,
And darkness rises within your Mark of Shadow.

Dracula quickly awoken, he was beading in sweat and his breathing was heavy. He shot himself up to a sitting position, but he was stopped halfway by a hoof. Dracula welled with anger as he felt the defiant hoof push him back down. He was about to lash out until he saw the color of the hoof. Lavender. Dracula calmed his nerves and looked up to see a sight he always wished he woke up to see. Sitting by his side was none other than his dearly beloved Twilight Sparkle. She sat with good posture and with a warm smile on her face. Her bright violet eyes stared directly at him with great happiness. Her features were as beautiful as ever and her figure nearly unchanged. The only different thing about her was she wore her mane differently. She wore her mane and tail short, combed straight and almost no volume to it but it was still soft and had its three colored look. Dark purple with a salmon and hot pink streak through her mane and tail. She wore a long dark purple faded robe with a linen hood pulled down, over top of pieces of armor. Bracers with Arkonite crystals slightly glowed, runes were singed and scratched on the cloth robe. Resting against the table beside him was a staff of solid Everfree Birch, two metal pieces wrapped around interlacing. Dracula felt something different about her, she carried more power within her. It was like a cold beacon beckoning Dracula towards it. It was pulling at him.

Twilight still had her hoof on Dracula's bare chest and said, "Easy. You just woke up."

Dracula sighed heavily and retorted, "I have ponies to lead. They are no doubt in disarray right now. I can focus on the wound in the...AGH!"

A shot of pain rose through Dracula's arm and through his chest. He clenched his hoof close to him and he looked at his left arm. Twilight leaned in closer and rested her hooves on his, she said, "What you need to do is to take it easy. That mark might be dormant, but it can still kill you. You need to be careful."

Dracula fell back on his pillow and he stated after a heavy sigh, "You are right...I need to be careful with what I do."

Twilight nodded and she continued to have her hooves resting on his. She avoided his gaze and Dracula noticed this and he said in reply, "What troubles you, my love?"

Twilight tightly wound her hooves around his, the tender warmness of her touch was gone. Replaced by a cold hard grip. She held his hoof close to her chest and and she said nonchalantly, "I almost lost you..."

Dracula leaned up and moved his hoof out of her grip and brushed it lightly against her cheek and tenderly reassured, "It's going to take a lot more than some mark to get rid of me."

Twilight smiled sheepishly and looked back at him with tender loving eyes. It was that soft look that always brought Dracula to a certain level of bliss. Her light smile, the way the light catches and glistens in her eyes, the way she holds her gaze. It was all too perfect and Dracula loved it. Dracula returned the smile and sat up with a grunt. His chest pulled and heaved against him, but he defiantly rose and faced Twilight directly. They were a few inches away from each other. It was early twilight and the light danced lightly across her soft features, utterly amplifying her beautiful face. Dracula stared long into her eyes, the power that resonated beneath her was mystifying. She carried a commanding presence, but still that supple and light hearted stance he knew once before. Dracula breathed inward sharply, a pain rose in his shoulder that burned him. It felt as if a million small needles were impaling him. He focused hard to ignore the pain and eventually it subsided.

All of the emotion drew away from her face and she stared at the shadow filled mark on his shoulder. She asked, "How does it feel?"

Dracula focused back on her and he answered after a deep breath, "It stings a bit, but I can suffer through it."

Twilight shifted her weight to her other hoof, as she was standing up on her hind hooves. She retorted, "No...what I mean is...ah...what...what does it feel like to have...all that power-"

"-Sucked away?" Dracula finished with a nod for an answer. He took in a deep breath, his chest pulling tight against him, and continued, "I feel this...emptiness...like something important is missing. Like, all my strength is gone. My connection to the Arcanic Shift is all I have to use my powers. I can't fuel it with blood or with emotion, I never thought I was so weak without my magic."

At the end Dracula hung his head low. He truly felt empty inside, his mind felt light and his body even lighter. It was an alien feeling for him and one that has to take time getting used to. Dracula felt a hoof lift his head and he once again met the gaze of Twilight. She half smiled as she said leaning in closer, "You are not weak. You are the strongest stallion I have ever known, without your magic."

Dracula half heartedly smiled and closed the gap causing their lips to meet. It had been too long since Dracula felt the soft and warm feeling of Twilight's lips. Her perfectionist ways even made their way into her kissing, making sure that her lips were in the correct position and so was her head, calculating which angle is more effective and which one is not. Dracula pulled her in closer and briefly broke the kiss coming up for air. She continued to kiss the air for a second before she realized that Dracula stopped. She caught herself and uttered a chuckle. Dracula could not help but smile as well.

It did not take long at all for them to lean back in for another kiss. Just as their lips were about to meet they heard a door open and two sets of hooves moving towards them and voices accompanying the hoof falls. The most familiar rang out and said, "Twilight. Darling, you can't just keep on moping around him forever. You've been here for day...oh Celestia I'm terribly sorry I'm intruding..."

Both Dracula and Twilight had scarlet faces and they half heartedly chuckled. Twilight placed a hoof behind her head and rubbed it gently against the back of her neck and she said, "Uh...no need to be sorry Rarity we were just...um...finishing up."

"Seemed to me that you had no intention of stopping dear brother," The all too familiar voice of Sombra interjected. Dracula turned and saw the half dead and half alive form of his brother in the Children of the Night. Sombra continued with a sly smile, "And don't pretend like you weren't Dracula."

Dracula smiled widely and a hearty laugh escaped from him and was quickly replaced by a grunt and a few words, "Such wisdom from one that has only ever been with a mare once...and not even on purpose."

That remark caused the entire room to uproar in laughter. Dracula took this time to notice that all ponies were walking on two hooves. Dracula found this all too weird for him, he would have to stick with it though. Perhaps Living Shadow de-evolved them while he was there. Or for some other reason. Either way, he was going to have to learn quickly how to walk on two hooves.

The room was dark and filled with a soft blue lighting, dancing lightly across the floor. He was in a large room filled with at least one hundred beds, twenty of which were filled. The crew of the apothecary scurried quickly between patients. The crew wore light blue cloth robes that were pulled tightly around them. On the shoulder of the sleeve bore the new crest of the Ebonmanes, a crescent moon with a glimmering star nestled in the large arc of the moon and a sword stabbing from the top to the bottom. Dracula knew the design well, it was the same one that was brandished on his shoulder. It looked as if they only wore the tightly spun robe. They worked expertly from one pony to another. The fact that the Ebonmanes could heal now was amazing and always brought a smile to his face.

Dracula turned to Spectra and said, "What news of the Ebonmanes in my absence?"

Spectra rubbed the back of her head and replied, "Well, nothing too important. We are still making repairs to Shadow Garden and we are as well still settling back into our other cities and towns. The Knights of the Moon found a long lost keep to set up as our head quarters. Other than that things have been pretty quiet."

Dracula had preparations and plans already formulating in his mind. This peace would not last long, merely a calm before the storm. Dracula moved his gaze to Sombra and he spoke proudly as he gave Sombra orders, "Sombra. I need you to get a fresh wave of vampires for me. Take only ones that have been forgotten, we need to use this time to our advantage."

Sombra bowed his head and as he turned to leave he said, "Yes my prince."

With Sombra gone it left Dracula, Twilight and Spectra. Spectra wore her usual apparel, her mage coat with the various pieces of armor. Her staff sheathed on her back. Dracula noticed she had a very casual way of standing, showing that she had power and knew how to use it. Dracula rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hooves together. He looked at Spectra and he looked at Twilight, he asked them both with a quizzical tone, "What news is there on this emissary sent from the Crystal Empire?"

Spectra lifted her head up to his question, flipping a few strands of her mane out of her face. Spectra had her hooves crossed over her chest and pressed tightly against her ribs. She looked over at Twilight shrugging her shoulders and voiced with genuine concern, "Tell him Magistrate."

Twilight cringed slightly at the mention of her title, Dracula knew the way she worked. She hated being referred to by a title. She never felt above anypony which is why she rarely is seen, she thinks best when she's alone. Twilight thought for a moment, holding back bad emotions as she said, "The Brotherhood of the Light locked Ponyville down turning it into a well fortified castle. They have no intentions on leaving or speaking peacefully with anypony. They as well have the emissary hostage."

Dracula rubbed his folded hooves against his chin. He stared long at the wall and finally asked, "When did the messenger arrive and how long is the journey on hoof from her to the Crystal Empire?"

Twilight bit her lower lip thinking deeply and doing the math in her head. Finally after a few moments she explained matter of factedly, "It takes three weeks five days thirteen hours twenty minutes and thirty six seconds. And they fortified Ponyville around three days ago."

Dracula thought for a long moment. He had been in situations like this before. The vampire lord formulated a well thought out plan of attack. He had lived for nearly 1,500 years, he had been in many situations like this. Dracula pursed his lips as he turned to Spectra and gave her his orders, "Send out a small team of Phantoms to infiltrate it and rescue the emissary. Once the emissary is rescued they are to escort the emissary back to the Crystal Empire through the Everfree Forest, it is a shorter journey if they cut through the Everfree Forest."

Spectra bowed her head and she remarked in a respectful tone, "Yes my prince."

Dracula heaved out a deep sigh as Spectra left the infirmary. He would never get used to that, he was so used to being only a student under Princess Luna. He was always prepared to be in a position of power but never thought it would actually happen. He led his people while their true ruler was away was one thing, Dracula was now the permanent leader of the Ebonmanes. He had ponies counting on him for all hours of the day, the real weight of the responsibility rested heavily on his shoulders now. This also meant that he would see even less of Twilight. He ran a hoof through his mane and huffed out a breath. He decided that he would cherish the time he had now with her. Dracula stood up and looked at Twilight with a solemn face. No words were exchanged, they knew that they would see less of each other, they expected this but it did not make them feel better that moment.

Dracula enounced in a dark tone, "Twilight..."

Twilight crossed the distance between them and she laid her hooves gently over his chest and she said not looking at him in the eyes, "I know...trust me I know my love...we have duties to each of our nations, which implies that we will see even less of each other."

Dracula wrapped his hooves around her and he looked down and he added, "I am not going to let this separate us my love. I will figure out a way to have us..."

The prince of shadows stopped everything that he was doing. He shot his head up and focused all of his senses, alert for something. He felt something very disturbing somewhere near him, like the feeling you get when you see something creep past just outside of your field of vision or you hear something out of earshot. But this was like he felt somepony move and knew its every movement and every breath. Dracula did not dare flinch or waver from his heightened sense of something happening. Something was near him and he did not like the feeling of it, it welled something deep inside his stomach he never felt before. Vulnerability.

Twilight noticed the movement and she looked up with genuine concern in her eyes. She asked in an inquisitive tone, "What's wrong Silver?"

Dracula ignored the spoken words of his love and remained alert towards something. It was itching at the back of his mind and would not go away. His brand flared briefly in pain as if solidifying that something was wrong. The pain in his chest died down and the mark simply lied dormant on his shoulder. He had to be careful when using his powers, he could not use anything overly arcanic. The mark intercepted with his connection to the Arcanic Shift somehow. Something threatening remained at the edge of town and Dracula did not like it. He finally broke his thousand yard stare and looked around. His gaze moving over the infirmary and found what he was looking for.

Nestled under the bed was his belongings. His clothing, his armor and more importantly the trench coat of pure aged jet black leather with a cloth hood of the same color. He released Twilight and quickly put on all he needed. Pulling on his pants and shirt. Strapping on his chestplate, hooflets, vambraces, and hoofguards. He then pulled on his coat and strapped on his metal spaulders tightly pressing against him. Dracula turned to Twilight and he said, "There is something at the edge of town, I can feel it. I am going to find out what it is and if they are friend or foe."

Dracula turned toward the door and began walking towards it. After a few steps he felt something grab his hoof, he stopped and looked to see Twilight looking at him and she said, "No...you just woke up from a week and a half of a coma. And more than a few times you scared the living hell out of me because of how close you were to death. Not this soon, plus you need to recover from that mark. It can still kill you."

Dracula faced her and drew her in for a brief hug. Dracula was careful with his next words as he said, "Please. Do not worry for me. I will be fine, I just want to know what is out there. Somepony is at the edge of Gemini, I just want to know if he is friend or foe."

Twilight heaved out a sigh and said, "Just...just be careful..."

Dracula smiled warmly and let go of her. He strode out with a powerful walk. His usual gait, nothing had changed in him. He only lost some of his powers. The hole that remain inside of him was large and needed to be filled. So much time and consideration into gaining his powers and improving upon them. The spells he knew were second to none, they were either powerful in general or he made them powerful. He never relied on his brute strength before, true there had been times where it required him to use his strength but he never solely relied on it. Another change he will have to get used to. One thing remained certain for him though, he wasn't going to let this stop him from protecting those he cares about.

So much blood. So much pain. So much death. Why was it him? Why was he so special? Why was he required to lead? What was to be gained if he did this?

Midnight remained at the edge of Gemini, the only home he ever knew. The only place he could find clarity and peace of mind. He remained behind a wall of brush and overgrowth, grass brushing against his hooves as he shuffled along. The moon shone brightly against the ground, showing the discolored grass in the soft light of the night. Midnight did not let his mind wander there but he continued on.

Off in the distance about two or three miles out Midnight could make out the buildings of Gemini. He carefully placed his mismatched feet. He was a draconequus. But not a pure blooded one, he was a science experiment. Midnight stopped in his tracks and cursed through grit teeth, "Atom you’d better be right about this plan of yours."

Of all the things he had done in his long existence, this topped it all. Having a son, a dead one. After that, he had to fight Living Shadow and get him out of his head. Hard to make a spirit leave when they were resurrected into your own mind and getting his own sword stuck in his chest. He breathed deep and looked down at the sword buried deep into his chest. That bastard Living Shadow cursed the damn thing, only his blood will be able to get it out. Even though their blood was the same, it was not as simple as that. Midnight is not allowed to touch the blade unless he risked having his powers sucked from existence and into the blade. Regeneration and all. Living Shadow loved doing stuff like that, he saw it as a newer form of misery. Knowing there is something bad there and there is nothing you can do about it. Midnight learned to cope with the sword though, its name being Kal'Drae. Kal'Drae was the Ancient Equestrian name that meant "Life Taker". How ironic, the sword that was cursed to handicap him for all eternity was named life taker.

He continued his careful shuffle, his shawl flapping in the wind and his hood rustled atop his head. The shawl was tattered and stained with more than just blood. He braced his hand against chest, just below the entrance wound where the sword lied. It sprang up in pain and seemed to only continue, it was strange. He fell to his knees and grunted in pain. What happened? The wound never acted like this before. It always had a numb pain. It never really hurt as much anymore. He however felt something else, a presence. A dark looming figure that carried power, power that he knew how to defeat. The power of his mortal enemy.

Midnight grunted slightly against the pain, he stood up and as he did so he asked, "I have lived a long life, but I have never felt such power beneath one pony before. You hold a familiar dark power beneath you."

There was silence. The gentle rustle of leaves against the wind blew through the air. Midnight turned and saw a tall pony standing against the face of the moon, his face hidden behind a shroud of shadows. The figure said in a threatening voice, "I have very low patience for outsiders who do not belong here. I will ask you only once to leave."

Midnight tightened his gaze and he growled, "You hold his same ignorance too. I am not here to harm. I am merely a friend from another world."

Dracula stepped forward threateningly and uttered in an angered voice, "If you are not here to harm then leave."

Midnight did not move. For he entered a state of mind that none could allow him to escape. His mind focused and wiped clean of any other thought. All other thoughts were pushed aside and all he thought of were ways to take down this ignorant whelp. Midnight felt cold metal press hard against his neck. The edge of a blade was hard pressed against him. The angered voice called him once more, "I will not ask again. Leave before one of us does something we might regret."

Midnight smiled cruelly and uttered, "You already have."

Midnight focused closely on the magic he willed forward and exhilarated through his arms and smashed against the dead grass. A concussive wave shot out and sent the figure back. Midnight stood up and clenched his fists closed. He stood up tall and threatened, "You have sealed your fate, dark one."

The figure looked back up at him and his eyes glowed bright red with mist coming out of them. Anger filled them and he hissed, "And you yours trespasser."

The figure charged forward green-black energy coming off of him as he glided over to him. He flapped his wings slightly to improve his speed. As the figure swung the sword down in a wide arc Midnight moved out of the way and with one of his hands guided the sword away from Midnight. With his other hand he willed forth more magic and it glowed in a jet black color. He brought it down unto the shadowed figure. But the figure quickly caught the fist, faster than a blink of an eye. He thrust his sword towards Midnight but caught the alicorn's wrist before it made contact with Midnight's midsection. They stood there, struggling against each other's strength. The figure said through gritted teeth, "Ruin is all that you have brought with you. You tell me that you pose as no threat?"

Midnight grunted before he answered with enough fury to kill a race, "I did not want to harm anyone. You forced my hand boy. And it will be the last mistake you ever made."

In a split second the figure quickly released, spun around, and as he turned he took out the sword that was buried deep in his chest. Midnight cried as it came out, "No wait!..."

The figure turned back around and held both swords ready. Midnight remained in awe, he was not dead. “But only the blood of Living Shadow can...oh....” Midnight quickly found out who this was. He summoned a powerful gale that gently ran past the figure and the hood was pulled down. What Midnight saw was almost unbelievable. Midnight stepped back cautiously, "No. It can't be...you...you..."

Silverdawn sneered, "You have sealed your fate."

Silverdawn went to strike down Midnight but he quickly dodged away and landed softly on the ground. He still could not believe it. Midnight however kept himself on his toes and he pushed using telekinesis. They were not powerful enough to get past Silverdawn's shield. It glanced away. Silverdawn lifted both his swords up and cut down in a wide arc horizontally like scissors, and then repeated the motion. The swords were covered in bright red energy. The blows landed and Midnight felt his life energy being sucked out of him and absorbed into Silverdawn. Midnight braced his hands on the wounds on his chest and fell to his knees. His heart torn and his soul felt as if it was leaving him, heavy breaths escaped him and as Silverdawn lifted one of his swords to deliver the killing blow Midnight uttered after a long and laborious breath, "Silverdawn..."

Dracula faltered and lowered his blade half way. Dracula said, "How...how do you know that name?"

His question was answered with a claw to the throat. Dracula sputtered and blood ran down from the gashes along his throat. They did not hit anything important but it was enough to surprise, nothing Dracula could not heal from. The stranger punched him in the stomach and lifted his arm that was cascading dark ebony magic off of it. Dracula rose in the air and Dracula saw unbridled fury in his eyes. The dragoniquuis threw his arm away and Dracula slammed into a strong oak tree.

Dracula finally felt the old labors of being a mortal, Dracula was so used to being immortal that he did not need to worry about death. Which was why he was reckless sometimes during Dark Crusade. He knew some dark healing spells but he never used them. His natural healing did it all for him, but now...now the chains of mortality were ever present and they seeped out of the wounds he carries. He grunted as he lifted himself up. Dracula then remembered that he had ponies connected to him. They felt it whenever Dracula was injured, Dracula did when Luna was injured sometimes. Dracula sent out a discharge of magic that made his mark flare with fiery pain.

Dracula felt dark coldness rise through his veins. Fury entered his state of mind. He fought a master of shadow magic, but he was reborn in the darkest and purest form of shadow magic, Nether. Dracula pressed a hoof to his chest and a pulse of shadow moved over the vampire lord. It granted temporary strength and vigor, enough to get him moving and protect himself. However it left a dark stain on Dracula's soul. Dracula lifted his head and noticed that some of his armor was damaged. One of his spaulders was missing and his chestplate had many dents in them, his armor would not last long. Dracula thought of something he could do. He could not use his connection to the Arcanic Shift. The mark resisted all weylines that he drew from. He thought for a second. He recalled something he had read, "In order to understand and use the Cthonian element one must realize that you cannot wield the purest form of this element. One must use another for an anchor."

Dracula looked around him. The night filled woods was something. Nature magic. It was very much a form of magic that was forgotten long ago by unicorns and alicorns alike. The last pony to use nature magic was Stelian the creator of the Everfree forest. Dracula used it as a font. Drawing on its protection and on its netherial energy. Dracula felt the pain in his shoulder numb and he stood back up and hefted his two swords. The sword he got from the stranger that was stabbed in his chest responded very well to him. It hummed with dark magical energy, like it was infused with the energy he used. He reversed his Void sword and cold energy slowly hummed to life. Cold chills came off of the blade, Dracula could feel its hunger for the life force of others. Dracula concentrated on his enemy, who now hovered in the air shadows leaping off of him and leeching to the ground. These shadows were powerful. He would have to be careful, although his wounds were healed the only reason he was able to walk was because he was drawing nether energy from the plant life near him. Ebony shadows clouded his foes mismatched hands. His eyes glowed a dark icy blue. The enemy points his finger and fires off a bolt of dark, crackling eldritch energy. It sailed through the air, finding its mark to Dracula. As the bolt came in closer Dracula surrounded himself with a sheath of black ice from Tenebris. Protecting him from the bolt of eldritch energy. Seeing this opportunity Dracula bounded and vaulted a great distance to a shadow next to his foe. Dracula sprang from the shadows and let his beastial fury overtake his actions his new sword glowed in bright red energy, as it struck his enemy he solidified his arm in obsidian. The blow glanced away and willed to life a spear of red iron from the depths of Tartarus. Dracula's foe gripped his throat and he felt an iron vice grip his throat and Dracula tried with all of his might to release but could not.

Dracula growled an animalistic cry of vengeance. Unfazed by the growl he went to shove the spear of red iron deep inside Dracula. Then a shaft of brilliant, cold starlight lanced down bathing Dracula's foe in excruciating light. Dracula knew the magic well, it was the magic of Spectra Crystalline. Dracula looked and saw Spectra wielding her staff close in her hoof. Spectra winked at Dracula, she then advanced towards her foe and whispered a word of an unspeakable cosmic secret and Dracula's foe reel in dreadful pain. Dracula raised his Voidsword and slashed it in a powerful arc across his neck. The dread touch burning him, refilling some of Dracula's lost strength.

As spectra advanced the shaft of blue-white energy erupted with each step. Burning and searing through flesh and rending deep into their foe's soul. Dracula stepped next to Dracula and Spectra sarcastically asked, "How did I know you just did not want to talk about the latest fashion?"

Dracula laughed and focused on their foe. Spectra then asked, "What the hell? It looks like Discord."

Dracula answered, "Its not Discord. It's much stronger, don't expect it to go easy on you."

"Wasn't counting on it."

The draconequus threw his arms in a horizontal arc and shadows erupted and emanated forth from the source. Spectra raised her staff and a small wall of blue-white energy shot up absorbing the attack. After about a minute there was silence. The three combatants stood in silence. They waited for who would strike first. Dracula was about to charge forward when something came crashing down from the sky. It caused the earth to shake and dust kicked up.

Once the dust cleared Dracula heard the great and powerful commanding voice of Princess Luna, "ENOUGH! THERE SHALL BE NO MORE BLOOD SPILLED ON THIS SACRED GROUND!!!!"

Spectra and Dracula exchanged nods and they lowered their weapons. Luna turned to the draconequus who was now dumbfounded. The draconequus asked in a friendly and soft tone, "Luna?"

Luna narrowed her gaze and finally they grew as wide as plates. She rushed over to the stranger and shouted, "Midnight!"

Luna rushed forward and embraced Midnight warmly and lovingly. She ignored all other thoughts and felt warm tears of joy run from her eyes. Luna felt the warmth of her long lost husband and said, "I thought you were gone forever!"

Midnight responded, "I won't let a sword keep me away from you."

Luna stopped hugging Midnight and leaned in for a kiss. Stealing Midnight's breath away. After around seven seconds Luna pulled back and said with heated breath, "Why are you here?"

Midnight shivered slightly and said in a whispered tone, "I can't talk about it now. Right now I need to do something."

Luna nodded in agreement, understanding what to do. Luna moved out of the way and watched in onset. Midnight took careful steps towards Dracula. Dracula remained callous. Midnight stood in front of Dracula and he looked down and said, "Silverdawn."

After saying that name he leaned down and embraced Dracula in a warm embrace. Dracula was left speechless. Dracula pushed Midnight away and said, "Who are you?"

Midnight said in a shocked and astonished voice, "I'm Midnight Alcotras. Your father."

Dracula had a confused look and replied, "Um...no your not...Living Shadow was my father."

Midnight seemed shocked and looked to Luna. She held a fearful look and Midnight asked her, "Shall I tell him?"

Luna shuddered. She kept it a secret for so long. Perhaps it was time for him to know, but it did not make Luna feel any less guilty about it. After thinking it over Luna nodded with dread in her gaze. Midnight turned to Dracula and said, "It will be easier to show you."

Midnight closed his eyes and a flash of bright white filled Luna's vision. After the flash disappeared she stood on familiar ground. They were in the catacombs of Canterlot Castle. More specifically, they were in the Hall of the Moon. The old headquarters of the Knights of the Moon, or the new order that tried to rise a few centuries ago. Luna looked around and the same moist wet carved out caverns filled her view. Craved in the smooth stone were various symbols of old equestrian. They stood in a large underground cave. Unlit braziers dotted around the cavern and unlit torches filled the wall. At he center was a large stone table. Luna knew it all too well.

"Before I go into this I should tell you, I was not born here, on this world. I am an off worlder, a Keyrowsen. So are the rest of the Knights of the Moon. Lunar cast a spell to hide our forms but now it is gone now. There is myself Embodiment of Leadership and Arkon Embodiment of Shadows, Colten Embodiment of fear, Iza Embodiment of Bone, Darkness Embodiment of Fire, Lunar and Luna Embodiments of the Moon, My father Embodiment of the Afterlife, Silent and Seven Embodiments of History and age, Atom Embodiment of Science."

Midnight closed his eyes and a flash of bright white filled Luna's vision. After the flash disappeared she stood on familiar ground. They were in the catacombs of Canterlot Castle. More specifically, they were in the Hall of the Moon. The old headquarters of the Knights of the Moon, or the new order that tried to rise a few centuries ago. Luna looked around and the old crystal walls. Midnight and Luna had created this room. This base in the cave.

Luna turned back to Midnight who stood close to Dracula. His voice echoed off of the cave walls as he explained, "This is where the old Knights of the Moon conducted their business. Old chambers. A few centuries ago they tried to rise again. King Lunar wanted to protect his nation and his daughters more importantly. And he wanted more than just a normal military. He wanted an invincible army. So he asked a scientist and bar owner Atom Moon to help him make a serum, one that could match that of an Alicorn. Atom had one such serum and named it Snakebite. It was used as a cure for different diseases but it altered the drinker, turning them into a magic killing machine. I was subject zero. I had lung cancer, heart cancer, pneumonia. I had Nokerowmak, Decaying Flesh. A dead man walking. It helped keep my diseases at bay but it turned me into something I wasn't. I was soon enlisted to be a bodyguard for Princess Luna, and later I was asked to lead others that used Snakebite. The Knights of the Moon. King Lunar wanted to take down the council.”

Dracula looked around the room and saw a man in a suite. That man came over and bowed, “The Alicorn Empire is what you know them as.” He said

Midnight continued, “I eventually met an assassin and found out it was your mother.”

The man fell backwards laughing, “Some soldier he was, she kicked his ass”

“Please, Don’t bring it up," Midnight said, "Thanks, now King Lunar was very protective of Luna and was proud that I cared for her. He requested that I marry her. Arkon on the other hand did not like the idea of me getting remarried. Eventually Luna told me that she was pregnant with you Silverdawn. I was...happy.”

Another flash erupted and they were teleported to a gravesite. Midnight and Dracula stood at a head stone. Luna walked up to them and her heart sank as she read the name. 'Silverdawn'. Dracula stared at the headstone and Midnight Continued, "We used this place to birth you. Once you came into this world I was overjoyed, until I discovered that your heart was not beating. You died. We tried everything to resurrect you. I talent I have pick up in my years. We even bathed you in dragon blood. Nothing. Finally we buried you."

Another flash and they found themselves in the mind of Lunar Lucan, “Arkon Shadow took over Lunar and tricked him into entering the shadow plain with his wife. He then used the form and its magic to become Living Shadow and he ordered my men and I to enter the frozen north and kill Discord Embodiment of Chaos and as he would soon learn Embodiment of Time”.

Dracula seemed stunned by the news. A crackle of lightning sounded above them but nopony moved or dared to. The air felt heavy and Luna found no comfort in it. Dracula knelt in the dead grass and rested a heavy hoof on the gravestone. Luna said her hooves resting on her thick necklace, "Dracula say something please."

Dracula turned his head slightly and said, "Did you know."

There was no curiosity in his voice. There was only controlled fury. After a few seconds of silence Dracula snapped, "Mother! Did. You. Know. About. This."

Luna's voice quavered as she explained in a darkened tone and as she felt the rain start to fall, "I at first thought you were dead. That was until you dug yourself out of your own grave. You crawled through the dangerous Everfree forest for days, until you were founded upon by a Marcus Belmont. You were adopted into their family. I confronted the Belmonts about this but I could not take you in. I had too much on my plate as it was. And so you lived on, but I did not stop protecting you. You were the first one I came to for the Children of the Night."

There was silence, aside from the falling rain. It made Luna feel uneasy, the tension in the air could be cut with a knife it was that thick. Luna said with sorrow, "Dracula. Say something."

Dracula stood up and said keeping his back to his two parents, "You knew this whole time."

"Dracula I-"

"AND IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO YOU THAT I SHOULD KNOW!!!" Dracula yelled at the top of his lungs. He turned with anger and fury boiling inside him.

Luna said in a lowered and saddened tone, "I didn't know it would have such an affect on you..."

Dracula permeated with anger as he snapped, "Not affect me? I was without a real mother for fifteen hundred years! I knew my father was a twisted psychopath and that was barely enough sympathy! You kept it a secret because you blamed yourself for your own failure! You lied to me! TO PROTECT ME!"

Luna felt small. She had no idea it would make Dracula this mad. She said in a defeated tone, "I thought...I thought it...."

Dracula snapped interrupting her, "It doesn't matter what you thought. You let your selfish deed consume you. You lied to me. I trusted you with everything, I actually believed that you were my mother."

Luna's heart fell and she said moving her saddened gaze to meet Dracula's, "But...I am your mother."

His next words came out like a poison, "You are not my mother. Just another liar. Just another manipulator in my life."

Midnight interjected, "You can't blame her-"

Dracula snapped letting his true anger out, "Oh I know. Most of the blame is on YOU! The Crystal Empire returned two years ago. Where. The. Hell. Were. You!"

"I was-"

"You were hiding in the north because you were too weak to face the ones that you failed!"

Luna expected it to hurt but she was not expecting it to hurt this much. Luna kept her gaze away from Dracula. She could never repair this, Luna knew it. If she had told him sooner. Perhaps they could be a happy family once again. Dracula turned away from them and he said in an agitated voice, "Leave."

Luna picked her head up and said in a lowered tone tears threatening to release, "But-"

Dracula stated coldly with the fury of a thousand blades, "I said leave. NOW!"

Luna shot into the sky and flew threw the rain. They coldly struck her face, she raced through not only the rain but also tried to push through the pain. But it consumed her and filled her heart with great agony. Tears streamed from her clenched eyes as she threw herself through the rain. She finally landed on top of a mountain.

She fell to the stone ground and wept her pain through her eyes. She prayed to anything that this was just a bad dream. She called out with passion and hurt in her soul, "I'M SORRY!"

She knew in her heart that there was no way out of this. There was no forgiving her for what she did. She let her own selfishness consume her. She fell to the ground in broken retreat. That was the first time in centuries that she cried that hard. And it was the first time the moon did not shine brightly in the sky.

It was the first time ever, that her mane fell limply to her side and did not billow. It remained lifeless and empty. The stars cleared away as her sadness overtook her, crying out the pain of a million souls. She let him down, he trusted her and she just broke that trust. Something that could never be fixed. No hope filled her heart. Just cold pain.

She lied there and cried until she could not cry anymore. Midnight came and sat next to her. “So this is how my parents must have felt. I’m sorry I brought this to you. I’m heading to our home soon. Away from Equestria, Come see me if you need my help.” They sat there in silence for a moment.

Author's Notes:

Yes! The first one off adventure done!

*choir of a million singing children*

It feels good. I feel awesome! And I hope you think this is awesome, first time I ever wrote so viciously that my hands hurt. Please do not take that out of context. Yes. Let this all soak in. David I hope you read this because...god damn...took me a while...but I got this...finally.

So. Keep a watchful eye out for more one off adventure tales. Eventually once I get all of them finished I'll group them together. There should at LEAST be two more not counting this one. Hopefully...maybe...don't be disappointed if they aren't.

Anyways, thanks for reading and here's something else to read. The epilogue to Children of the Night, in case you missed it.

And here's another project I'm working on, and one I'm growing rather proud of.