Here's Chapter 1. Please keep in mind that I tend to elaborate some scenes well; if I have a kind of twisted sense of imagination, like what you'll see when Rayian devours a rat whole, that's okay. And don't be upset about the ponies turning into vampires, 'cause the heroes (who we'll meet in the next chapter) will come to save the day!
DISCLAIMER: The characters included in the series belong to Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, MGM, Disney, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Sega, Nintendo, DC, Marvel, 20th Century Fox, Sony Playstation, and all the rest. Charles Roberts, Alexander Armington II, and other related characters belong to Charles Roberts (a.k.a Dragon222 of DeviantArt). Jennifer Silverfur belongs to me.
Chapter 1
There exists, beyond our borders, a world unlike anything we've ever seen before. The Toon World is a place made for toons and inhabited only by toons; whatever cartoon, film, or comic book you're thinking of, its characters live there. It's a beautiful place, filled with light, love, peace, and everything else that's good in the world.
But there is another world, a realm so sinister not one toon has dared to set foot inside...the Dark World. This is where the biggest, baddest, vilest, cruelest toon villains were banished to after being convicted of their crimes, and the ruler is perhaps the most dangerous villain of all-Lord Rayian Fox. In the days of old he was the king of the vampires, the scourge of Eastern Europe, and apparently the last of his kind; his species of vampire foxes had since been exterminated by vampire hunters, who were more than persistent in taking down the threat that had been terrorizing the villages of Romania for the past years alone. After one of them killed his wife, Rayian managed to escape them in time, but he was stopped in his tracks by a priest who called himself the Keeper.
Thus the vampire king was banished to the depths of the Dark World, remaining there for all eternity. Rayian angrily vowed that he'd be back to avenge his defeat someday, but the Keeper reassured the villagers that it will never happen; in the years to come, he prophesied, there will be those destined to be a "team of two worlds"; they would become the saviors of both mankind and toonkind, sworn to protect the defenseless from Rayian's wrath.
Hundreds of years had passed since Rayian was sent to the Dark World. Having been reborn with the help of his new wife Belladonna (queen of the demon dogs), he sought to rebuild the empire he had once lost. His realm was a flawless replica of his old homeland; it was devoid of life, with grey skies and countless fields of thorns. Still, Rayian was never satisfied with the boundaries this land had, its only citizens being the villains who willingly agreed to serve their new master. Looking ahead at the Toon World from far away, he knew what he must do to fully satiate his desire for a new kingdom: take away the light the toons have and replace it with total darkness, all with a single vampire bite. He, being a true vampire himself, hated the light; knowing of the prophecy the Keeper had made, he swore to make sure the future heroes will never do anything to conserve the main source of the toon citizens' happiness and safety. If everyone in the Toon World were vampires like him, his dreams of rebuilding the empire would be complete, but even better if his plans happen to extend beyond that world and into the human world. And that's how it all began...
Within the sewers beneath the castle, a rat scurried about through the pipes. Upon reaching the throne room where the ancient vampire fox sat, the rodent whispered in his ear informing him of his wife's return from the farthest regions of the Dark World.
"Your service to the royal family are very much appreciated," intoned Rayian, his deeply accented English reverberating through his lips. "In return for this piece of news, I hereby accept your sacrifice."
The rat bowed deeply and answered in a raspy voice, "It is a great honor, Your Highness. Digest me well."
Rayian grabbed the rat, sucked the blood out of its disheveled body, and swallowed what remained of the old rodent. He looked up just in time to see his beautiful demon dog wife stroll casually into the room, with two tough-looking demon bulldogs acting as her bodyguards; she carried around a leather pouch containing her souvenirs from her journey. He said, "It warms my cold heart to see that you have safely returned, my rose."
"Sorry to keep you waitin', hon," replied Belladonna, setting her pouch down. "But I've got some news. All this time I kept hearing about you wanting to get your old empire back...and you do want it back, right?"
"That is my intention. It's not only to regain the power and wealth I once had at my prime-before that dreaded Keeper came along-but it will also give me the chance to take what belongs to the toons on the other side and make it mine. It has been more than a hundred years since I was sent away to a world, of which I rule to this very day, and I wish to make no further delays; soon, and very soon, I will have both worlds in my grasp and this time no one in either of them will be able to stop me."
"Both worlds...?"
"The Toon World isn't the only dimension I have my eyes on. I have heard there is yet another dimension that belongs to non-toons, 'humans' being a better term for them."
Belladonna reached into the bag and spread out a set of tarot cards. She said, "Then you're gonna like what I brought back for you today. See these cards? Miz Ruby was having a spring cleaning garage sale, and she asked if I was interested in purchasing this pack of rare tarot cards. And for a great price, too! The reason they are rare is that they have a special power-it can summon any evil entity you want to do your bidding."
Rayian nodded. He examined the cards one by one; each card had a portrait representing a villain from every part of the toon universe. He asked, "Which world do you suppose we start with first?"
"That would be Equestria," answered Belladonna. "There are four princesses who rule over that region-the most recent one being Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"Hmmm...that world appears to be ripe for vampire ponies." He moved the cards around, until he selected the one that stood out apart from the others. "He will do."
Belladonna suggested, "Why not King Sombra? He is a vampire, you know."
Rayian shook his head. "Technically, but he has not yet mastered his true powers; it will be another hundred years before he achieves that goal. Besides, if the ponies knew I sent a villian pony like King Sombra or Queen Chrysalis, then they will know I was the one behind the events they had caused. So Nosferacho the Vampire Tick is the right person for the job."
The castle, despite its ancient interior and exterior, had been outfitted with modern amenities Rayian used to contact his servants; among the ones he chose from the tarot cards, he decided to hire Nosferacho. Going over to the telescreen and pressing a button, Rayian called out, "Nosferacho! This is your master Rayian Fox. Do you read me?"
"I read you loud and clear, Your Highness," answered Nosferacho. "What is your request this time?"
"There is some new blood I want you to go after and it's in Equestria. It is currently ruled by four princesses who go by the names of Princess Celestia, Luna, Twilight and Candace. You know what to do."
Nosferacho chuckled. "Ohhh! It's so bad to try out new blood! CatDog was lucky I did bite Dog but not Cat, and I am not happy about that. But new blood? Well, like I say, I will try anything-even royal pony blood. I've ALWAYS wanted to know what the princesses' blood tastes like."
"That's good. I will send you the portal to their world. Take your minions with you, and do not fail me."
"You have my word. See ya on the flipside, Your Highness!"
The telescreen turned off and Rayian turned to his two children, Rayian Jr. and Jane. Both were vampire fox-demon dog hybrids with an appetite as voracious as their father's. He continued, "Rayian Jr., Jane, both of you go to the Toon World and see what you can find there. You will act as my spies; I want you to be on the lookout for those so-called 'team of two worlds' the Keeper told me about long ago. They are supposed to show up the moment I make my plans for returning from the Dark Void, and your job is to make sure they do not foil them. Do I make myself clear?"
Rayian Jr., a demon dog with red-and-white fur and red eyes, stepped forward and nodded. He replied, "Yes, Father." His younger twin sister, a vampire fox with greyish-purple fur and blue eyes, agreed.
As the two left, Rayian and Belladonna went over to a crystal ball that dipicted the land known as Equestria. Rayian said, "This, beloved, is where we will observe the action from a safe distance. Once our children do away with the heroes, whoever they may be, they will set the stage for my grand entrance. But for now, we must sit back, relax, and see what Nosferacho can do with the ponies of Equestria..."
Today was just like any other day in Ponyville. Derpy Hooves, unaware of what is what's going to happen to her, was delivering mail with a happy and cheerful smile on my face. At that time a portal opened from out of nowhere and Nosferacho and his minions arrived. He laughed and said, "Aha! Perfect timing! And what could be a better way to start the pre-world invasion party by starting with the main course?"
"Boss," said one of his minions. "Is that a pony or a flying pony?"
"Did you fools not hear me?! I will bite anything! Species don't matter much to me nowadays! Now, AFTER HER!"
Derpy was just close to the last mailbox in town when the vampire ticks attacked her. Never once did she notice them until they started biting her on the neck; they were just like regular ticks, but their bite was annoying. Thinking it was a swarm of flies, Derpy swatted at her neck trying to eliminate the seemingly invisible threat, to no avail. The minute the vampire ticks were done with their feast, the mailmare was completely drained of all of her blood and she was feeling woozy.
"Finally!" chuckled Nosferacho, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I've never had a more satisfying meal this side of the Dark World!"
The minions said, "You said it, Boss! But on the other hand...uh, is it just me or did we inherit her dumbness as well?"
Nosferacho facepalmed. "Never mind about the low I.Q.! She's stronger and smarter now thanks to the new, ahem, 'upgrade' we bestowed upon her. Now, onwards to Manehattan! My stomach's not gonna be very empty for long!"
Not long after the vampire ticks left, Derpy had undergone a slow and painful transformation into a vampire pegasus. Abandoning her "former" job, she flew back to her home to show her husband and daughter her special surprise for them.
Everywhere Nosferacho went in Equestria, it was a disaster. From Manehattan to Appleloosa, from Cloudsdale to Canterlot, the sudden surge in vampire epidemics was alarming. The princesses were getting concerned about the sudden outbreak; there was no cure for such a mysterious disease and numerous vampire ponies of all three types showed up in the population every few minutes.
So far, the only citizens safe from the epidemic were the Mane Six (minus Twilight) and their new friend Fireblaze; at that time, he and Rainbow Dash were teaching Scootaloo how to fly. Just then, Applejack came running towards them.
"Twilight wants to meet us at Canterlot," she said. "This is an emergency!"
Fireblaze stopped what he was doing and stood at attention. He said, "We'll go. Scoots, I'm afraid the flying lessons will have to wait; go with your friends at once to the safe house."
Scootaloo protested, "But Fireblaze, I-"
"No buts. It's too dangerous for you to stand out here alone. I'll have R.D. take you over to where Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are. And don't worry, the guards there won't let a single vampire pony hurt you."
"Vampire pony? What is a..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Fireblaze and Applejack had already left. At that moment Derpy arrived, with Doctor Whooves and Dinky now newly vampirified. She exclaimed, "There they are!"
Rainbow ordered, "Scoots. On my back. Now."
The young pegasus filly nodded and hopped onto her mentor/big sister figure's back. With a flash, Rainbow zoomed off towards the safe house, just as Dinky was about to chomp onto her new victim's neck. The vampire filly threw a big tantrum knowing she had failed.
"Never to worry, my sweet," said Doctor Whooves. "There are still other ponies to bite."
Meanwhile, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Fireblaze arrived in Canterlot, where Princess Twilight was waiting. Also with her were Celestia, Luna, and her sister-in-law Cadence. Celestia said, "This is just as we feared-the rapidly growing vampire epidemic has started to claim many lives. Although safe houses have been established to protect those most likely to be vulnerable, the vampire ponies seem to be developing ways to get around the safety measures and catch the victims they missed."
"Have you tried warning the other leaders of the Toon World about this?" asked Fireblaze.
Twilight shook her head. She answered, "I'm not sure if the epidemic managed to somehow leak into other dimensions, but we'll know once the news is out. For now, our only way out of this mess is to figure out a way to save Equestria..."
"...and the entire universe as well."
The ponies, startled by a mysterious male voice, turned towards a corner of the room. From the shadows emerged an elderly badger, dressed like a monk with an eyepatch on his face and various charms around him, and in his paw was a large wooden staff engraved with strange symbols. Rarity asked, "Who in the world are you?"
"I am the Keeper," the figure replied. "I have come to warn you of a great evil ahead."
"Evil?" muttered Applejack. "You don't mean somepony's responsible for all the vampire ponies that keep popping up everywhere, like worms on a rotten apple?"
"An excellent comparison, young one. Yet you do not know the true nature of the epidemic that has since taken root in your world. He...has risen again. The king of all vampires..."
They looked at him in confusion. He continued, "I thought I had locked him into the Dark Void hundreds of years ago, but it seems he may have broken the seal. Now he has returned, even more stronger and more powerful than he was back then; he plans to take back what he lost by shrouding the Toon World in darkness and spreading his epidemic to every single dimension, and eventually to the human world. My efforts in restraining him have failed...however, there is still hope. If what my prophecy said is true, then the vampire epidemic will not last."
He brought up a scroll, upon which he had drawn a creature that appeared to be a cross between a man, a cat, and a dragon; surrounding the creature were small drawings of figures that, to them, represented several familiar toons. "This is what I seek, a band of warriors chosen to drive back the vampire king's forces; they have destinies of which they are not yet aware of, nor of the hidden powers or abilities that they hold. I urge you to find them if you can, but you must hurry-his dark presence extends from the very corners of your world even as we speak..."