Fangs of the Moon

Chapter 2: Questionable Desires

Was this meeting fate? As Princess Luna just gazed across the banquet table, looking upon the strange creature which still left her feeling mesmerized, she couldn't help but wonder. It was she who'd made questionable desires herself, when she wished upon the very stars earlier that same night. Was she perhaps responsible for the sudden appearance of this creature? Did this creature come as an answer to her wish? She couldn't help but ponder the idea.

Princess Luna shook her head, immediately denying any chance of that possibility being taken seriously. She was forced to avoid eye contact with the girl, as she felt her nervous stature would cause her to lose ground. She gulped afterwords, attempting to keep her cool and shake off any hint of uncertainty about herself.

Sylvia didn't make it public information, but she wasn't fooled by the act either. She giggled softly in her seat.

The banquet room itself was dimly lit, with candles being the only source of light. The color gave off a depressing orange glow, and allowed Princess Luna to mask her expression quite well from the remaining shadows. The color of the room certainly had a way of making one feel there was something ominous about the entire situation. Sylvia however, just remained still in her seat, as she put on her most welcoming smile. Her blood red iris's never left the ponies, which caused some of the guards to react with caution, and shift about nervously at their posts near Princess Luna.

One of Princess Luna's guards approached her from the side worriedly. He placed one hoof over her own, before looking the princess in the eyes. "My Princess, are you alright? If you wish to rest, we'll watch over this creature until you've returned, or until Princess Celestia wakes up." He raised a brow at her, waiting for a response.

Princess Luna practically snapped at the guard, before turning to him in a flustered manner. "Watch over her? She managed to best over a dozen of you and you plan to simply watch over her!?" She spoke on impulse, and she spoke out loud. This obviously caused her to bite her tongue in that next moment, before hesitantly glancing over at Sylvia.

Sylvia sat at the far end of the banquet table, as she yawned softly. She closed her eyes afterwords, but judging by her expression, she was a little uncomfortable being the center of attention, or at least a topic. She kicked her legs beneath the table, the chair being too tall for her feet to reach the bottom so they just dangled there. As she opened her eyes, she glanced down at the table top, acting inconspicuous of what was happening around her. It was as if she wanted to seem oblivious to the topic although it was fairly obvious she knew full well what was going on. But still she wanted to play this role, still she just kept quiet as she let Princess Luna discuss the situation.

These actions worried Princess Luna. She knew nothing about this creature really, nothing besides the fact she could indeed pose a terrible threat if she wished, and that she could very well be manipulating all of them with the childish act. But those were all just assumptions, was she just being paranoid? Sylvia indeed was doing no more than sitting there listening, actually, she'd been listening this entire time. It was Princess Luna who was constantly juggling around with different possibilities, some good some bad, regarding this entire situation. Was she truly taking this all out of proportion? She closed her eyes and sighed, and wasn't certain. If this is what it was going to come down to, then Princess Luna knew she'd be better off seeking the counsel of her sister as well, but she didn't want to disturb Celestia in her sleep either. She paused, before taking a moment to regard Sylvia in a serious manner, "Sylvia."

Sylvia immediately snapped back to attention, her white locks flailing a bit at her sudden need to now lock eyes with the Princess. Sylvia looked quite serious, if not more serious than Princess Luna, while appearing just as nervous. She'd actually looked more nervous than Princess Luna had ever seen her before, which the princess certainly took into question. Sylvia remained still, motionless in her seat as she finally managed to bring out the words, "Yes Princess? I-Is there something wrong?"

Princess Luna took a moment to stare into Sylvia's eyes, as if analyzing her, and trying to figure her out. What was this so called vampire playing at? Apparently she was over a thousand years old even with that appearance, and able to handle herself, so why did she possess eyes like that? Why did she look to be in such dread, such uncertainty? Why was a creature such as herself, so worried about what was to come next? Or at least, playing it off as such. How could a being possibly as ancient as herself, appear so vulnerable in such a situation? Princess Luna however knew she couldn't let her own expression mirror her thoughts. So she spoke bluntly. "My guards will escort you to the guest quarters, where you will remain for the night. We shall confine you to a single room with no windows, I suggest you stay there if you don't wish to cause any more trouble Sylvia. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask my guards, I'm certain they can provide you with whatever you need. This is all only temporary of course, but I must have time to make preparations regarding your stay here in Canterlot." Princess Luna sighed as she looked a Sylvia. "I've taken much risk in bringing you here, I pray that you won't disappoint me." With that Princess Luna scooted back from her seat, and then nudged her head in Sylvia's direction, as if signaling her to stand.

Sylvia's expression suddenly eased into a look of relief, as she exhaled, followed by a soft smile. She closed her eyes and spoke in a gratified tone, "O-Of course, whatever you need me to do!" She glanced down at the table top, before muttering softly and bowing her head politely. "Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Princess Luna." She to scooted back from her seat, before hopping from her chair, nearly tripping herself in the process, before recovering and standing up straight. She still wore a smile, and looked untroubled as she made her way across the room to one of the guards. Sylvia looked at Princess Luna almost worriedly, "Will I be seeing you again Princess?"

Princess Luna flushed red, before glancing down at her. "W-What? Don't worry about such things, now hurry along now. I have other issues I need to take care of. Such matters aren't important at the moment anyhow." Princess Luna shooed away the little vampire, as if attempting to get her to go with her guards already. Which she did soon enough.

Sylvia moved hesitantly, before just padding along beside two of Princess Luna's lunar guards. They opened the large banquet room doors before exiting, never leaving the vampire's side. Sylvia took a moment to look back at Princess Luna worriedly once again, before flashing her a smile. She then lowered her head, lacing her fingers behind her back as she obediently went along with the guards, who lead her further into the castle and down the hall.

Upon their exit, Princess Luna sighed with relief, before looking worried once again. She looked to one of her remaining guards, "My dear subject, my sister still rests, yes?"

The guard responded with a simple nod. "Yes Princess Luna, would it be wise to disturb her?"

Princess Luna gulped, before glancing worriedly down towards the floor. "I believe the situation calls for it." From that point, Princess Luna herself moved to an opposite pair of doors leading down a different hall, on the other side of the banquet room. She instinctively looked back towards the doors Sylvia departed from, wondering if it was truly wise to separate herself from the vampire. She'd only left a few guards to watch over her, guards that Sylvia could easily dispatch if she'd wished it. No, Sylvia didn't mean them any harm, and she wouldn't dare attempt making a move within this very castle, crawling with dozens more guards, far more than she'd dealt with at Hollow Shades. Plus she was in unfamiliar territory, uncertain of where anything was, no, she would surely follow instructions. Princess Luna gave herself a reassuring nod before making her way out the doors. Leaving the banquet room empty.

As Sylvia made her way down the hall, she couldn't help but feel a little out of place. But it wasn't for reasons most would assume. She felt dirty, filthy, ashamed of her raggedy appearance. Such decorative halls, the carpets were spotless, made of a very soft comfortable material. Pictures of ponies she obviously didn't recognize hung about the walls, and pillars of sparkling marble reached all the way to the towering ceilings. It was a castle fit for gods. She felt so small here, in some dirty worn dress, unable to recall the last time she took a shower, and reeking with the faint odor of blood. A blush appeared on her face as she nervously twiddled her fingers, not wanting to dwell on such things. She sighed before giving one of the guards an intense and frightening glare. "Hey guards."

One of the guards by Sylvia's side glanced down at her with a gulp, "H-Hm? What is it?"

Sylvia continued to glare up at him with one hand firmly on her hip. "Will there be a bath in my room?"

The guard's eyes widened before he looked ahead, nodding plainly. "Yes, there will be a bath."

Sylvia chuckled, before burying her head in her shoulders a bit. "T-Thanks, um, I just don't want Princess Luna to have to tolerate my appearance anymore." Jeez, was she being a worry worm or what? Surely if they cared about how she looked, then they would've said something by now. She wasn't even sure why she felt so nervous. Usually she'd be a little more confident, but somehow the situation left her feeling vulnerable, submissive, all she wanted to do was please. Well luckily, soon enough it seemed they'd arrived at her room, as the guards suddenly halted. Sylvia looked at the both of them curiously before they turned towards their left, standing in front of a small door. One of the guards used his magic in order to open it, allowing Sylvia to get a good look inside, which she did. She immediately wore a mesmerized expression, almost at a loss for words. She didn't even look at them before asking her question, "This, is a guest room?"

The guards looked down at Sylvia in unison, confused,  before one of them responded, "Yes, this is a guest room."

Sylvia gulped, as she felt even more nervous now. The room was pretty huge to be a guest room, the curtains, bed, carpeting, practically all the furnishings were fit for royalty. Everything looked to be perfectly laid out, almost too good to be true. There was even a bowl of snacks atop the small table located near the corner of her room, which caused her to recall the fact she no longer had any satisfaction for ordinary foods. Her eyes saddened, she wished she did. She then looked to another door located at the far end of the room, near the back, that must've been the bathroom. Sylvia took a few steps inside, feeling alien about the entire situation. She ran her hand slowly along one of the walls, before asking one of the guards another question. "May I know where Princess Luna has gone?"

The guard responded curtly, "She has gone to speak with her sister, Princess Celestia."

Sylvia's eyes grew wide, as she immediately stopped what she was doing, looking back towards the door. "Princess Celestia? Princess Luna has a sister?" She paused, "Do they, rule together?"

The guard actually spoke with a hint of emotion, gratification, as if he were pleased to speak of the princesses. It was obvious how much he cared for them and their overall safety based on the tone of his voice. "Yes, both of the princesses rule together side by side. While Princess Luna is the guardian of the night, Princess Celestia is our guardian of day. She is the embodiment of the sun itself, our celestial goddess, our protector and ruler. We'd give our lives for both of them a thousand times over. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna has managed to establish a lasting peace in Equestria."

A tremble ran down Sylvia's spine as she bit her lower lip. "The sun?" She shook her head, before speaking once more, but possessing a slight shakiness to her voice. "Erhm, has Princess Celestia ruled long?"

The guard responded curtly once again, "Yes, she's been ruling longer than most history books can recall."

Sylvia gulped once again, before she put on a hopeful smile. "Um, would it be possible for you to grab me one of these history books. I'm very interested in learning more about Princess Luna, as well as Princess Celestia."

The guard sighed before shaking his head. "Sadly, there is not much we can do for you in regards to Princess Luna's past history. You see, she has recently returned from a lengthy banishment, having only recently taken up the mantle as Princess once again."

Sylvia's expression mirrored one of immediate offense at those words. She spoke with a hint of spite, "Banishment? Why would Princess Luna be banished? She has been nice to me this entire time. Who would banish her?"

The guard spoke plainly once again. "Princess Celestia. She had her reasons, I assure you."

Sylvia looked struck as she eased into a look of contemplation. She still looked fairly displeased, but still calm as she spoke softly. "I see." Sylvia then put on another smile, as she chuckled a bit. "Uhm, are there any books about Princess Celestia? I'm really interested in learning more about her. It sounds as if everypony must know who she is."

The guard looked back at Sylvia for a moment, as if analyzing her. After a few seconds, he simply looked over to his fellow and nodded, as the other guard began making his way down the hall. "Mhm."

Sylvia clapped her hands in cheer as she nodded hurriedly to him. "Thank you thank you!" Well, there was an awkward silence since it was only the two of them at this point. Sylvia glanced to her left and right before she broke the silence with a nervous chuckle. "Alright, well um, I think I'm going to go take a bath sir! You know, all dirty and stuff so, that'd wouldn't be nice. Eheh."

The guard didn't respond to her this time, he only looked ahead, remaining focused on his task.

Sylvia sighed, but she couldn't help but smile a little as well. She just shut the door and then slowly made her way over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her once again as she did so.

But upon entering the bathroom, Sylvia immediately dropped to the floor. Her white hair was spread about on the marble tiles as she was hunched over, practically gasping for breath. It was as if she went through a sudden shift in condition, from being absolutely fine to dreadful in a matter of seconds. Sweat poured down her face as upon further inspection, one would be able to tell her lips were deathly dry, as well as her tongue. She kept her focus on the white marble floor, bags beginning to underline her eyes as she seemed to be lost in thought. Animal.... That was the one word that ran through her mind as she remained on the floor.

She raised her wrist to her mouth, before biting into it hungrily. A thin stream of crimson flowed down her wrist, small pellets dropping onto the floor as she sucked on the puncture wounds she'd created. She gulped once, before feeling the need to use her opposite hand to forcibly tear her wrist away from her mouth.

Afterwords Sylvia licked her lips, before she leaned her head back with a pout. "I guess I need to get used to it again." She looked down at her wrist again with a look of disgust, as the wound she'd just created disappeared in a matter of seconds. Her eyes expressed a hint of disgust as she put on a soft smile. "Hah..."

Princess Celestia slept soundly in her bed, actually curled beneath her blankets. If one were to simply watch her, it'd be hard to imagine this was the same all knowing Princess who'd kept the world safe from harm all these years. She appeared so vulnerable in such a state, exposed, peaceful. Though, that image of peace would be shattered in a mere moment with three abrupt knocks that suddenly came to her door.

Knock, knock, knock!

Princess Celestia buried her head against her pillow, as if attempting to ignore the knocks. She was likely still half asleep during the whole thing, still pretending that she was going delusional and the knocks weren't actually happening, an excuse to remain in bed. But the knocks continued, consecutively.

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!

Princess Celestia's peaceful expression soon turned into a frustrated scowl, something unexpected of her. She groaned heavily before grinding her teeth and turning to the opposite end. It would've been amusing to say the least for anypony to see her in such a kiddish state. Like a filly not wanting to wake up for school.

"Sister? It's me, Luna! Do forgive me for disturbing you at such a late hour, but it's very important!"

Princess Celestia's expression eased up as she only sighed. Her horn started to glow faintly, before the door handle possessed the same faint glow as her horn, and opened itself. Princess Luna stood in the open doorway of course, and didn't seem that surprised to see Princess Celestia was still in bed, not wanting to get up. Actually, the sight brought a smile to Princess Luna's face, one of relief. But that smile slowly faded as she made her way into the room, shutting the door behind her. Princess Celestia leaned up for a moment, before rubbing her eyes and looking at her sister with a caring smile, that all too familiar look. "So Luna, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Princess Luna paced back and forth in Celestia's room for a moment, obviously nervous about discussing the whole thing. So she simply began to speak, "Celestia, I believe I've found something very dangerous, but I don't know if I really should feel the need to do anything about it. I wanted your opinion on the matter," Princess Luna paused, hurriedly shaking her head. "B-But in no way do you need to get involved! I mean, it's just she seems nice enough. Although a little um, different, and quite questionable with her actions, I feel she truly aims to please." Princess Luna sighed, closing her eyes and lowering her head. "I've brought her here, for I believed it would be better to have her secured in a place where we could keep an eye on her, rather than having her randomly roam."

Princess Celestia at this point was a little more than skeptical, as she immediately rose from her bed. Her eyes scanned Luna up and down observantly, as she had a look of further concern. "Luna, do tell me, what is it you've found exactly?" She then made her way over to her chamber room mirror. Levitating a comb that she used to brush through her mane in a delicate manner.

Princess Luna responded with a hint of worry, "A human vampire."

But it was as if those words caused a sudden change in the entire atmosphere regarding the situation, for Princess Celestia paused. Frozen in place as her comb ceased to move. Her eyes were wide as she was struck with a look of disbelief, while she had trouble wrapping her mind around what Luna had just said. Her expression actually began to represent one of great offense as she continued to try making sense of the words, before she laughed softly, shaking her head and continuing to comb her mane.

Princess Luna didn't fail to notice Celestia's reaction. "Sister, is something wrong?"

Princess Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head. "Forgive me Luna, I thought you just said you found a human vampire."

Princess Luna fell silent for a moment. Her eyes nervously shifted to the left and right, unsure if she wanted to confirm her Sister's obvious fears. She looked worriedly back at Celestia before stating it once again, "But Sister, that is what I said." She gulped, "I've found a creature that refers to itself as a human vampire."

Princess Celestia's comb dropped to the floor, as it was fairly obvious she'd been trembling at this point. It appeared as light shivering, but she still seemed to be having trouble accepting the reality of Luna's words, but nor did she look to be denying them any further. She was silent, as she kept her eyes on her counter top, standing in front of her mirror. She needed a few seconds in order to gather her composure. But in that next moment, Princess Celestia hurriedly turned towards Luna with a look of dread. Her eyes scanned Luna up and down again as the princess began running her hoof through Luna's mane. "Luna! W-What do you mean you've discovered a human vampire!? That's obviously nonsense! That is nothing to joke about! Please tell me this is another one of your stupid pranks! What you say is impossible!"

Princess Celestia was dying to hear Princess Luna was only kidding however. It's all she wanted to hear. But after taking some time to take in Luna's reaction, she was being forced to realize this was all very real. Something she herself was unprepared for, nor could have ever expected. But being herself, Princess Celestia quickly regained her composure, running the situation through her head masterfully. "This is no light situation, this is a very serious matter. I need you to tell me, did she bite you anywhere?" Princess Celestia looked towards the floor, almost afraid to hear the answer. "How could this have happened? Of course you should've came to me. Of course I should've educated you on such possibilities before sending you out there. W-We must act swiftly, you said it was here in the castle did you not? Such a creature, here, in our very city. We need to alert the guards and you need to come with me, I have to make sure that you're oka-"

Princess Luna practically couldn't believe it, seeing Celestia act in such a manner. "C-Celestia! Calm down, I'm fine. She didn't do anything to me! What's wrong, what are you even going on about?" She'd reacted with frustration, "You obviously know what these vampires are sister. So what is it that you're so worried about? I believe you should meet this creature for yourself before worrying so much. She's harmless."

Princess Celestia looked into Luna's eyes, attempting to understand her view. Were they truly on the same page here? Celestia had trouble taking this all in. Not only had Luna brought a vampire into the city, but she was suggesting it was harmless? But Princess Celestia also trusted her sister's opinion, and she hadn't met this vampire yet either, so Luna's words were fairly true. She took in a deep breath, calming down, before nodding slowly. "Y-Yes, of course. Yes, I need to meet it first of course, before judging it so harshly." Princess Celestia gulped as she went for the door immediately. She paused, taking a moment to speak. "Take me to this vampire Luna."

Princess Luna couldn't help but worry for her sister, especially seeing her in such a state. "Celestia?...."

Princess Celestia glanced back. "We must hurry! Now's not the time to sit and wonder." She paused once again. "You can do that later." With that Celestia exited the room, before the clatter of more guard's had appeared in the halls.

Princess Luna followed after Celestia, at a much slower pace however. Why the cause of such uproar? Did she truly bring in such a threat into the very castle? It caused Princess Luna's emotions to boil, since that meant she'd put her own subjects in horrible danger. Could these vampires truly have posed such a threat, that it caused her sister to worry this much? It wasn't all too strange to think of it as a possibility.

Princess Luna had a feeling all her questions would be answered soon enough however.

Sylvia cheered as she'd emerged from the bathtub. She reached for the sky, obviously satisfied in feeling so clean. She clenched her fist before smirking, "Hmph! Nothing like a bath to rid you of the smell of death." She scratched her cheek for a second, looking a little confused. "Well, I mean I guess I'm considered dead so it would make sense. Well, maybe not." She tapped her lower lip, literally dwelling on the idea. "Am I considered dead?" She looked at the palm of her hand. "I guess you can't consider this anything else." She smiled softly closing her eyes, "Disgusting!" She yawned, stretching before heading over and grabbing a towel off the rack, and wrapping it around herself.

She made her way outside the bathroom, running a bit of the towel through her snow white hair. But upon exiting the bathroom, Sylvia immediately noticed something fairly strange about the situation. Well, something you'd have to be clueless to miss. In her room, there was a pool of multiple guards, some dressed in golden armor rather than black and blue, all guarding the exit to her room. Sylvia blinked a bit before chuckling, "Um, is something wrong ponies?" Her gaze drifted, but she still gave off an indirect blood-lust in her defense.

The guards remained silent, simply ensuring to guard the door to her room.

Sylvia smiled at them, cocking her head to the left and lacing her fingers behind her back. "Are you going to answer me?"

The guards didn't answer, they only remained silent as they kept their eyes locked on the vampire.

Sylvia hopped on the bed before laying down. Her eyes widened as she noticed laying at her side was a small book, which her eyes fastened on the title. Love of the Sun. She smiled, before looking at the palm of her hand and chuckling. "Such a shame."