Awakening

Special thanks to Alexstrazsa and Warrior Kitten for editing the story.

Crimson slowly awoke from her exhaustion-induced slumber, cracking her eyes open. She was surprised to find a change in her surroundings. She wasn’t in Rarity’s large workshop anymore, but in a smaller bedroom, lying on her belly and tucked into bed. Before she could look more closely at things, hunger struck her. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but it was clearly daytime as the light from outside leaked through the room’s thick curtains. Crimson lifted her head and called for Rarity.

“Rarity?”

She waited a few moments before calling out again, louder this time.

“Rarity, are you there?”

A minute or so passed, and she was about to call out once more before she heard trotting through the building.

“Yes dear, I’m coming!”

Crimson smiled, but shortly after her sensitive ears picked up something strange. With her mind still foggy from her recent trials, mixed with sleepiness and hunger, she couldn't put a hoof on it what it was.

“Good morning! I hope you’re faring better today.”

Rarity smiled to her guest as she entered the room. Crimson nodded, but then another figure entered the room, then another, and more still. Her expression was blank, and she felt like a boulder hurtling down an endless abyss.

“Don't be alarmed. These are my friends, and they’d like to help,”

Rarity said, to the stunned batpony’s unspoken question. Before her stood five mares. The first one was a white earth pony with a red cross on her nurse cap, the second an orange earth pony with a stetson, followed by a light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, and lastly a lavender… unicorn, wait! That’s… she’s an alicorn!' Crimson mentally screamed.
The five stood around her bed where she was frozen, and closest to her on the right was Rarity, whose back was illuminated by the light coming through the window. On the other side stood the nurse, and behind them were the pegasus and the farmer. At the foot of the bed stood the alicorn princess who she now recognized. Twilight Sparkle... Her full crimson eyes darted around the room, meeting the eyes of each pony for a moment. Light blue. Green. Blue. Magenta. Purple. She was utterly frozen.

“Ple—”

Crimson jumped up in fright when the princess spoke to her, as the only thing on her mind was imminent death. As she jerked up, her muscles tensed and she instinctively tried to flare her wings. This resulted in an incredible pain that shot through her back, partly from her muscles being stiff and partly because of the damage. From the strain and nature of the injury, the wounds reopened on her ravaged stumps.

Unceremoniously she fell back to the bed, body stiff from the pain and tears rolling down her face as a silent scream echoed through the room. Everypony present winced at the display, the pegasus and princess most affected as they had a guess of how painful it must have been. There was a moment's pause as Twilight bit her lip and addressed the mare lying on the bed before her. This time she used a soft, quiet voice.

“Please... remain calm. We won't harm you.”

Twilight nodded towards the nurse.

“That’s nurse Redheart. She’ll tend to your wounds, and she brought blood for you to drink.”

Crimson wasn't sure she heard that right, or if she was hallucinating from the combined torment of all her troubles. She was stunned when a bag was produced, full of the red liquid she despised with every ounce of her mind and soul, yet her body craved so much.

Redheart placed the bag before her and Crimson quickly grabbed it. She held it in her front hooves, eying the pack of blood, then looking up into the light blue eyes of the nurse pony. She saw fear, awe, and warm compassion. She returned gratitude, raw hunger, hope, and uncertainty. Crimson composed herself and looked for the end of the bag, a small nozzle.

She ripped a bit of the end and began to drink from the bag. I might be a vampony, but I’m not an animal. She controlled herself and kept the hunger at bay, drinking the blood slowly, tasting it’s flavor. Crimson was careful not to stain the bed—well, not more than her bloodied wings already had. She felt the nurse rest a hoof on her back, and their eyes meet.

“Relax. I’ll tend to your back now, but it’ll likely be very... uncomfortable. I'd like to give you some pain killers, if that’s alright with you.”

Crimson nodded reluctantly. She didn't feel safe just yet, but she knew that even if she wanted to run away, she couldn’t. Not from so many ponies, during the daytime, and with a broken body. She watched as the nurse took out an injection gun and filled it with a green liquid, sprayed some of the contents out into the open air, then administered the shot with practiced ease and speed. Crimson only felt a short sting.

Soon, the empty medical blood bag lit up in a blue aura of magic and levitated away.

“Let me take this away, dear.”

“What... will happen to me?”

Twilight walked up beside Redheart and sat on her haunches before answering.

“We’ll take good care of you, heal your wounds, and shelter you.”

There was a short pause, but the tone was clear and authoritative as she looked into Crimson eyes.

“But you must tell us everything truthfully, from where you’re from to how you become a vampony, and who’s after you. Even the crimes you’ve committed, no exceptions.”

Crimson felt like she was being grilled alive by the purple orbs, full of power and will, but she didn't break her gaze. She could see that the alicorn spoke the truth, and she would be safe and nursed back to health. She also saw that there was no backing out, and she’d tell everything from start to finish.

Crimson didn't look forward to it, as she wanted more than anything to bleach the nightmarish memories from her mind, but part of her knew she could never erase her past. She couldn’t turn back to a normal pony, so the only thing left was face things head on, like it or not, and take on whatever life would throw at her.

“Yes, your highness.”

Twilight gave a sly smile in return, but her eyes shone with unbroken determination in them.

“That’s good to hear, Crimson. And please, just call me Twilight.”

After an hour or so, Redheart finished her work of properly patching up the stumps. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for the now panting Crimson, as even with the large dose of painkillers she could feel everything the nurse been doing, especially the part when she cut off the loose bits flesh that had began to rot. Now, both stumps were shorter and the skin was seamed together and thoroughly bandaged up.

Crimson had been held down by Twilight’s magic ever since she tried to crawl away and escape the pain. It was a taxing hour for everypony present, both mentally and physically. The vampony was glad it was over, and made sure not to move an inch, happily inhaling the air to satisfy her lungs thirst for much needed oxygen. As Redheart began to caress her mane, Crimson’s ears perked up.

“It's all done, dear. Just rest. I’ll give you another bag in a little bit.”

Crimson was too tired to even lift her head and look back at the nurse, but she shifted her eyes as much she could to meet Redheart’s. She silently thanked her and Twilight, but mostly Rarity. A small smile crept on her fanged muzzle as she mused to herself about receiving a blood transfusion as a vampony. It was a truly strange occurrence. She never imagined it would happen, and was sure nopony else in the room had, either.

“Here, drink this.”

Redheart carefully opened the bag and placed it before her with care. Crimson took the tubing and quickly emptied the bag, even trying to suck out every last trace of blood. The mares around her gave friendly chuckles.

“Well, y'all are one thirsty fella’, sugarcube.”

“Applejack, have some consideration for the poor mare,”

Rarity chimed in, and they all chuckled again. Crimson just sighed. Heh... you'd drink out a river too if you couldn't drink for two or so days she thought, but smiled regardless. It was indeed a funny moment, and there’d be no point in taking offense for something so trivial. Crimson became surprised she was lifted into the air by Rarity’s blue magic aura. The bed covers beneath her were removed, and in mere moments replaced with clean ones.

“Can't have you resting in a dirty bed, can we?”

“Thank you, Rarity... Thank you, everypony. I… I just don't know how I could ever pay back your kindness.”

Twilight smiled and rested her hoof on Crimson’s shoulder.

“Don't worry about it, Crimson. Though, we’d like to hear your story when you feel ready.”

“Of course. Let me a bit compose myself. It's all but a fairy tale, and it's not a short one, either...”

Twilight nodded at this, and Crimson continued.

“But, before I get into it this… You must understand, you are all in danger now by hiding and helping me...”

The other ponies shared a concerned look among themselves, then returned their attention to the weak vampony.

“There is a cult of vampony hunters. They have been around longer than the princesses, and their sole purpose is to kill any and all tainted by vamponies. They are not afraid to use any means necessary to accomplish this… ‘holy task’ of theirs.”

“Heh, don't worry too much about us. We aren't stupid, and we aren’t ponies to be messed with. I'll kick their flanks in one second flat.”

Crimson’s red eyes met with blazing magenta ones.

“I hope you are right. I may be in a miserable state now, but back at my full strength I was lightning fast and could shatter solid rock, and just the thought of them sends chills down my back.”

“I hear you, but you hear me too. No one messes with Rainbow 'Bucking' Dash, nor with the elements of Harmony.”

The prismatic mare gave a confident, aggressive smirk, with not even a trace of fear or hesitation in her eyes. Crimson was impressed by the determination of the pegasus in front of her, but still she kept her reservation of how things would happen. Then she looked up to Twilight, who nodded in both understanding of the threat and for Crimson to continue.
She took a deep breath and began.

“Then... I guess I better start at the beginning.”

Crimson closed her eyes, and a tear rolled down her white cheek.

Author's Note

Here's the newest chapter, rest assured, Crimson will have one trip to hell before she can go to heaven, figuratively speaking, but stay tuned to hear her origin ;)

EDIT: Chapter been edited by Alexstrazsa and Warroir Kitten, and special thanks for time you spend on helping!