A howl was heard on the distance and Daring Do adjusted her hat, fighting against the shiver on her back. It wasn't caused by the timberwolves on the distance, she had fight them before and got away with her tail intact; what scared her was the torn apart sign on the street that said “Ponyville.”

Daring Do remembered her last visit to the town, a book signing several months ago. She remembered all the smiling fillies and colts eager to meet A. K. Yearling and one particular group of mares that knew her secret and winked at her. She especially remembered one happy pegasus,joiningn the line along with the other kids.

Daring walked past the abandoned buildings, from Carousel Boutique to Sugarcube Corner, each step making her wings tighter. There were no signs of life in town, all doors jammed, all windows shattered, all trees devoid of life. Daring was walking on a ghost town, it felt worse than any abandoned temple because she knew this place was alive just a couple weeks ago. There were dozens of happy ponies cruising the Town Square but now there was nothing but the chilling blew of the wind.

She finally made her goal. the biggest tree in the area. It used to be a library, the one where she met her fans last time she visited, but now it was house to a different type of fanatics. Hanging from the branches, the bat winged pony snored, sleeping through the last hours of the day. Daring sneaked past them, making sure not to wake them.

Inside, things were even more frightening. Piles of pale ponies, with their hairy ears and sharp fangs, were sleeping over barrels full with fruits and in the center of the room, rested the Queen of Vampires. Daring hold tight the amulet on her pocket and wished the legend were right, that this will dispel the misguided spell that turned the Princess into a cursed pony.

The Queen was sound asleep, a baby dragon with a leash sleeping next to her, Daring couldn't remember his name. The baby heard her coming and woke up, raising his head. Daring hushed, asking him to be quiet but unfortunately, that made her miss a tail and she step on it, waking a very angry unicorn that hissed out loud. Soon all the vampires woke up and started to surround Daring.

She tried to pull the amulet and use it against their leader but a group of transformed fillies jumped over her, making her trip. Daring didn't want to hurt any of these ponies but she had no option but to push, kick and punch the horde of angry fanged ponies. The dragon picked up the amulet and Daring called for it but the dragon smashed it against the floor, returning to his master side.

Daring heart felt crushed but not because she mistook where the dragon loyalty´s will lie, it was the sight of her former rainbow maned friend hovering over her, fangs ready to bite. Daring took off her whip, tied it into a pegasus leg and use her to crash against the other, clearing the path.

Daring flew away from the library, trusting the light outside was bright enough for the bat-ponies to not follow her. She had to explain a few things to Princess Celestia and together find a cure for the town but for now, she escaped the town of Ponyville, not looking back.

.