Being Pony
Chapter 1 - Bad Apple Bar
Many centuries ago, long before the Princesses of Night and Day were even born, Equestria held a much larger set of species amongst its jurisdiction.
There was a time, in fact, when Equestria shared their world with another, a place of which they called the ‘Under Realm.’
Amongst the caverns that ran deep under Equestria, there lived many different species, subsequently; they were much more diverse than the three tribes that walked above ground on Equestria.
The largest of these species were called the vamponies and the werewolves. Two species that had long-since battled against one another for supremacy, the werewolves and vamponies were the most feared, the most terrifying.
The three tribes accepted these dark dwelling species as a way of life, in fact, in the old times, what Ponies today called the ‘Dark Ages’ the three tribes would hold sacrificial ceremonies to please the vamponies that stalked the night.
The werewolves – underrated and considered inferior to the three tribes – would appear on the three nights where the full moon took hold of the night sky; they would steal the sacrifices that the three tribes had worked so hard to gather, forcing the vamponies underground, underfed and highly dangerous.
The Dark Ages was a time of fear for the three tribes of Ponies that walked Equestria, but with a new light came a new rule.
When the Alicorn Princesses rose to power, Equestria was changed for something better. With the sun remaining in the sky for half of the day, the three tribes were left in safety, secure in the knowledge that the vamponies could not attack.
But, the younger Princess, the ruler of the Night, grew weary of her elder sister’s rule. Vamponies and werewolves, ghouls and demons, the once spectacular species that stalked Equestria were now forced underground, back to the Under Realm, back to the dark and musty caverns that hadn’t been their home for centuries.
Princess Luna’s heart fell heavy for these creatures and, due to this; she confronted the Sun Goddess and asked of her a single favour, to allow the creatures that had once stalked the night to continue, to give them a share of the land that was now theirs to rule over.
Princess Celestia, however, denied her younger sister, and with that, Princess Luna turned away from the path that she was meant to follow. She stepped into the shadows and left her sister’s rule.
The Alicorn Princess of the Night broke a deal with a powerful sorceress, to share the dark power of which the creatures from the Under Realm used as fuel. With this power, her body was morphed into something stronger, an Alicorn with the power to overthrow her sister’s callous lead.
With her new-found strength, Princess Luna changed her title to Nightmare Moon, she descended to the Under Realm’s deep caverns and struck a deal with the two strongest species of the Under Realm. The vamponies and the werewolves. She would give them an irrefutable night, a never-ending free pass to Equestria where they were free to wreak as much havoc as they so wanted. They could do this, only if they accepted Nightmare Moon as their new God.
For the first time in centuries, the vamponies and werewolves came together and bound an everlasting contract with Nightmare Moon. They accepted her. And for a time, havoc was brought down across Equestria.
No pony was safe; the three tribes were split apart, fighting one another for the safest places warded against the creatures that stalked the night. Never had religion been so popular amongst the three tribes. Soon, churches to celebrate the sun had been built all over Equestria. Special water blessed by the Sun Goddess herself bathed the walls of these establishments, in hopes that the vamponies would not be able to enter a place solely based on daylight.
Never had the three tribes been more segregated from one another. Equestria had been ruined.
For seven twenty-four hour nights, the vamponies and werewolves, the ghosts and ghouls, wreaked havoc on Equestria.
That was until, the seventh night began.
Princess Celestia confronted her sister, seeking for her to see the light. She pleaded with her, begged her to rejoin the side of the three tribes once more, to bring the creatures of the Under Realm to justice.
But, Princess Luna had been corrupted by the darkness she had consumed. The Under Realm saw her as their leader and Nightmare Moon was just as happy to oblige.
Princess Celestia knew there was only one thing she could do.
She harnessed the power of the Elements of Harmony, the purest magic to ever come part of Equestria. With this power at hoof, the Goddess of the Sun banished her sister to the moon, leaving the Under Realm without a leader.
After that, a mass cleansing took place. The three tribes were no longer afraid of what went bump in the night. With their Goddess as a guide, they sought out the vamponies and werewolves, they hunted them down. They found the weaknesses to every species that had once stalked the night and soon, those that were left had nowhere to go except back down. Back to the Under Realm, never to see the light of Equestria again.
After time, stories spread. Vamponies and werewolves, ghosts and ghouls, demons and reapers all became a thing of legend. They filled filly’s fairy tales, but were nothing more than that. The Under Realm became nothing more than a story.
But there are still those that know better. Those few ponies that grew up with the stories, not of myth, but of true fact. And those few still hunt out the dark and the undead. To protect their home from the Under Realm. To make sure they never rise to power ever again.
The Under Realm
1000 years since 'The Cleansing'
Bad Apple Bar
The Bad Apple Bar had been a popular venue for Under Realm socialising since its early establishment almost five hundred years ago. It was an ancient building, crafted from the ruins left behind during the Dark Ages of the Under Realm. The Bad Apple Bar was open to all forms of supernatural life, though its most popular customers by far came in the forms of vamponies, ghouls and the occasional banshee.
“DRINK, DRINK, DRINK!”
On the far left side of the rather spacious lower floor, there sat a group of vamponies; their large fangs glinting from the light of the generously lit candle lamps currently sat on the sparsely placed oak-wood tables.
At that moment, they had been partaking in a rather competitive drinking game; betting on which vampony could hold their blood better, a blue maned once-unicorn Vinyl Scratch or a once earth-pony stallion named Icy Drop.
The two had been drinking down pint after pint of various blood types for almost ten minutes straight and it had not gone unnoticed by the various other patrons of the pub.
On the left hand side of The Bad Apple Bar, sat a close-knit group of four ghouls. They had all taken time out of munching on their freshly-prepared corpses to bet on the action themselves, sharing hoof-fulls of rotten bits amongst one-another.
At the front of the bar stood the long-time owner of the establishment: Night Shade. A dark maned once-Pegasus and the only reanimated creation of a lone sorceress whose name had been lost over time. He had been given a purpose once his creator had passed away. To run the Bad Apple Bar, to serve all the supernatural creatures with an equal amount of respect and kindness.
The poorly stitched sickly-green stallion raised a half-rotten hoof to gain the attention of the animated vamponies cheering on their fellow clan-members.
“Please try to leave a decent amount of blood for the rest of my patrons!” He called out in a hoarse tone. “The collectors don’t get back with the new stock for another fortnight!”
The vamponies didn’t pay heed to Night Shade’s plea, and instead began to cheer louder as Vinyl finished her seventh blood bag and reached out an immaculate hoof for her eighth.
“Vamponies,” Night Shade muttered under his breath. “They’d be the death of me, if that were possible, of course… anyway, did you want something?”
Night Shade drew his attention to a lone yellow-maned supernatural that was hunched over the counter of his bar. He smiled warmly down at her. She smiled back, though the action felt forced and robotic. “Ah’m actually waitin’ fer somepony,” the supernatural said with a southern twang. “Thank yer kindly though.”
“Suit yourself,” Night Shade beamed as he turned away from the supernatural, instead turning his attention towards some dirty pitchers that needed to be cleaned for his next batch of customers.
The orange, yellow maned pony at the bar let out a hollow sigh as she rested her forelegs against the soft wood of the counter. She had been waiting for a certain somepony for almost thirty minutes now and she was starting to get worried. She knew this was a hunting night, but still, the lack of her friend’s company was beginning to wane on her. In fact, now that the vampony drinking game was coming to a close – Icy Drop was now lying on the floor, tongue hanging unceremoniously out of his mouth – she noticed she was beginning to attract certain unwanted attention.
A vampony mare with a dishevelled yellow coat began to sniff the air dramatically, turning her gaze towards the unidentified supernatural at the bar’s counter.
“Anyone else smell that, or is it just me?” The mare called out, her eyes narrowing against her target. “It’s like… wet dog.”
The southern supernatural ducked her head instinctively. The yellow vampony grinned in victory.
Just as she was about to add more to her insult – however – the front door to the Bad Apple Bar swung open, and with it, entered a mare that everypony knew.
A vampony not quite like any other; in her pony state her mane had been made up of a vibrant rainbow of assorted colours. However, those colours had been drained somewhat during her transformation, leaving them greyed out, much like her coat, which was now a much darker blue to its once-vibrant cyan.
On her sides, she bore large, sleek black bat wings. She stretched them out purposefully as she stepped inside, opening her mouth with a large dramatized yawn, her large, deadly fangs glinting in the light of the establishment.
“RAINBOW DASH!” Chorused the clan of vamponies; two ghouls even stood up from their seats to get a better look.
Rainbow Dash tipped an imaginary hat towards the attention she received, her large red eyes glowing powerfully in the dim light.
Night Shade shook his head. “How’d the hunting go Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow trotted over to the bar, planting her hooves straight against the counter with a large groan.“How do you think,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “Bad, really bad! Didn’t you see the state of my eyes?”
“Red suits you RD!” Vinyl called from the side.
Rainbow grinned to that, but didn’t turn her head, instead she tapped her hoof against the counter once more. “Got any O negative stored away?”
Night Shade gave a mock bow. “You’re in luck, I think we do. Most of the other blood types, however, weren’t so lucky. They were lost in a little drinking game your clan decided to take part in.”
Vinyl and a now fully-restored Icy Drop ducked their heads in shame.
Rainbow didn’t acknowledge it; instead, as soon as Night Shade had returned from storage with the body-temperature blood bag filled with O negative, she grabbed it with the hook of one of her wings before dropping it into her hooves. With little effort, she tore the top of the bag off with her teeth and quickly began to chug the red liquid down as quickly as possible. “Could I get two more of these?” Rainbow managed through gulps. “Like I said, rough night.”
The moment Night Shade had returned with two more bags and had begun to resume cleaning his pitchers, Rainbow Dash raised a hoof towards the yellow-maned stranger, a daft grin plastered on her face. “Kept you waiting did I?” She muttered.
“Just a tad,” the southern supernatural returned. “What in the hay kept you, RD?”
Rainbow’s gaze hardened as she took another gulp from her blood bag. “Hunters, Applejack, hunters.”
Applejack’s eyes widened in alarm. “More of ‘em? Where were yer huntin’ from?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Nowhere.” She pointed a hoof to the empty blood bags on the counter. “Obviously. I got caught out.” She rolled her eyes. “Man, I miss the time when Nightmare Moon was in charge. Now those were the days.”
Applejack snorted. “Still hung up on that, eh? How long has it been, a thousand years?”
Rainbow grinned as she lifted her final blood bag to her lips. “Give or take,” she muttered.
“Yo, RD, over here!”
Rainbow glanced over to where the coven of vamponies were sitting; Vinyl was waving at her erratically. “C’mon, why you wastin’ your time over there?”
“Oh, by Nightmare Moon, she’s talking to the half-breed!” The yellow vampony snorted.
“Up yours, Storm,” Rainbow grunted. “So what if I am?”
Storm’s jaw dropped in surprise. “So the rumours are true?”
“What rumours?” Vinyl asked.
Storm’s lips curled into a vicious grin. “That the Rainbow Dash has befriended the enemy. A filthy half-breed! A werewolf!”
Mass chatter broke out between the vamponies present. Vinyl gave Rainbow an astonished look along with just about every vampony at the table.
Rainbow Dash glowered at them. “Seriously? Are you guys newborns or something? I thought we were above this!”
“Rainbow, if Ah’m causin’ trouble Ah’ll just go-”
“No!” Rainbow said fiercely, pushing herself away from the counter. “Go ahead, Storm. Speak your mind!”
Storm stood up also, her eyes glowing a powerful amber. “Fine, if nopony else will say it, I will! I don’t think a vampony soft enough-”
“Soft?” Rainbow scoffed. “After all I’ve done for you sorry sacks of-”
“Please, that’s enough!” Night Shade hollered. All attention turned to the animated corpse. “Now this is my establishment, and I’ll be damned if I allow any fighting of any kind to take place between any species of supernatural!”
Rainbow Dash simpered slightly, tucking her slightly flared wings back to her sides. Storm sat herself down again, glowering harshly at Rainbow the entire time.
“I think it’s time we make a move, AJ,” Rainbow snarled. She turned her attention to Night Shade. “How much do I owe you for the goods?”
Night Shade’s smile returned. “For a collector like yourself? Free of charge.”
Rainbow nodded curtly and ushered Applejack to take the lead.
As Applejack solemnly left, tail between her legs, Rainbow Dash placed three rotten bits on Night Shade’s counter. “For the trouble.” She muttered before following her friend outside.
*
“What in the hay did ya’ll think you were playin’ at?” Applejack scowled. “’Meet me at the Bad Apple, AJ, nuthin’ll go wrong, AJ,’” she recited, eyes narrowed.
Rainbow Dash only rolled her eyes. “It didn’t go that badly.”
“Ya’ll almost started a fight!”
“Oh please, Storm’s all talk,” Rainbow muttered. “I should know, I was the one that turned her.”
Applejack let out a snort of unease. “All I’m sayin’ is, ya’ll shouldda left me when yer had the chance.”
Rainbow paused in her trot to turn to Applejack. Her red eyes had dimmed into their original rose colour, though the powerful glow still remained. “Stop talking like that, AJ. I saved you. I’m not taking that back.”
“Saved me fer what?” Applejack snarled. “Ah’m dead ter the world Ah knew anyhow!”
“So what?” Rainbow growled. “You’ve been living down here for three months, AJ. You’ve been doing great! Better than any half-br-” Rainbow quickly cut herself off, “any, uh, werewolf I’ve ever seen before.”
Applejack’s eyes hardened. “This ain’t a life, RD. Not fer me.”
“What are you saying!?”
“I’m sayin-”
“HEY, SHUT IT DOWN THERE, HAVE YOU GOT ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS!?”
Rainbow and AJ gave a collective eye roll at the ghoul that had just come out of hiding from his small home embedded in one of the many caverns of the Under Realm. He turned away once they had stopped yelling, muttering to himself as he disappeared back inside.
Applejack purposely lowered her voice. “I’m sayin’… I dunno, RD. Ah really dunno how much Ah can take of this life…” Applejack quirked a brow. “RD, are yer even listenin’ ter me?”
“Sh!” Rainbow Dash muttered. Her eyes were no longer locked onto the werewolf, but instead, they were scanning the darkened caverns that bled deeper into the Under Realm, the nooks and crannies where candlelight couldn’t reach.
Applejack nervously looked around the vampony. “What did ya’ll see?”
“Not see,” Rainbow whispered, “smell. You should be able to, too.”
Applejack deadpanned. “Ah’m a little new ter this, RD!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Right.”
“What did yer smell then?”
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “Not sure, it could have just been my nose playing tricks… but I could almost swear I could smell a… pony.”
Applejack’s eyes widened in amazement. “A… pony? Like livin’ and breathin’?”
Rainbow nodded curtly, her bat-like wings flaring from her sides. “I’m gonna check it out.”
“Want me ter come?”
Rainbow bit her lip in thought for a moment before shaking her head shortly. “No use getting your blood pressure riled up for nothing,” she muttered. “Wait here. If I find some… some pony, then I’ll tell you.”
Applejack nodded and remained routed to the spot as Rainbow flourished her wings. With one sweep, she was off the floor and gliding gently through the darkness, the faint glow from her eyes giving way the only light source into the abyss.
The darkness was no problem for Rainbow Dash as she traipsed down the route that she had smelt the… pony.
Was it possible, though? Could a pony really have stumbled across the Under Realm? A place so carefully hidden under Equestria that no hunter had ever been able to find it in over a thousand years?
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Rainbow began to wonder whether the pony in question could be a hunter. What if one of them had finally done the impossible, what if they had finally found the Under Realm?
No. Rainbow wouldn’t let herself think that way. Besides, even if it were a hunter, she could only pick up the scent of a lone traveller. Rainbow grinned to that prospect; maybe she’d get the hunt she was searching for after all.
As the tunnel grew narrower, Rainbow folded in her wings and landed quietly amongst the shadows. Using the stealth that came naturally to any vampony, Rainbow took off at a natural pony-like speed, careful where she placed her hooves.
Rainbow had never been down this particular route before. The vast tunnels of the Under Realm stretched out all over Equestria, leaving easy access for the creatures of the night to rise on certain occaisions. For example, it wasn’t unheard of for a ghoul or two to rise on Nightmare Night, to give the dwellers of the daylight a good scare, reminding them in subtle ways that their Princess had once really and truly lived and given them freedom for a time.
Rainbow Dash herself had been above ground all over Equestria since the cleansing; though, vamponies were expected to. The creatures that fed from the life-blood and flesh that ponies had to offer would have to leave their homes at times. Rainbow Dash was one of the many collectors in their sector of the Under Realm, the one that stood directly underneath the Everfree Forest. It was up to her and her fellow collectors to sneak into the nearest villages, find the hospitals and medical centres, and pillage the blood bags for their fellow clan members.
Going out on group hunts in the modern day was simply too risky, therefore, the vamponies had to adapt.
As Rainbow Dash continued through the narrow cavern, she thought she saw something spark up ahead. A light of some sort… but not of a candle, and most definitely not of a fellow vampony’s eye colour.
No, this light was different. It glowed an eerie purple, yet with a power that Rainbow couldn’t help but admire. For a few moments, she stood very still, captivated by the light.
Then, it moved. It grew brighter, bobbing up and down, nearing the shadows in which Rainbow had sunk into.
Rainbow moved stealthily out of the path of the light, pressing herself against the cavern walls.
As the light grew stronger, Rainbow noticed that it was attached to the body of a pony. A unicorn pony. As the light flourished around the unicorn, Rainbow could make out the details of her coat. She was purple all over, with a lilac mane made up of two different shades. She held a hard expression, though there was a tremor of fear behind those lilac orbs, though not nearly enough for a pony that didn’t know of the Under Realm’s existence.
A hunter then? Rainbow thought, her forehead creasing as the unicorn grew ever closer. But no, that can’t be right. She’s not holding any weapons, she’s completely bare!
Though the pony was unarmed, Rainbow Dash couldn’t deny the fact that her scent was absolutely… stunning. As the unicorn drew closer, Rainbow inhaled a deliberate breath, filling her dead lungs with the beautiful scent of magical blood. Such a rare scent to smell blood so powerful. It was invigorating just smelling the stuff… imagine drinking it!
A low growl rumbled from Rainbow’s chest more or less out of her control. The moment she had done so, the unicorn stopped dead in her tracks.
“Hello?” The unicorn asked. Her voice was soft, but it didn’t shake. She seemed very sure of herself for a lost pony amongst the undead.
Rainbow couldn’t hold herself back. The scent of the blood was simply too overwhelming. With the speed of a cheetah, her body appeared in front of the unicorn, her eyes glowing a powerful, solid red.
The unicorn let out a yelp of surprise, taking a step back. “You’re a… oh Celestia, you’re a real-”
But she was unable to finish, for Rainbow was already assessing her, readying for her attack, with a final feral growl, Rainbow pounced at her prey, only to be immediately repelled by a fierce jet of purple light.
Rainbow immediately rolled onto all fours, her body crouched, in the prime mode of a hunter. The unicorn had suspected just as much, and now that Rainbow’s vision had cleared, she was able to see a powerful purple shield surrounding the entirety of the unicorn’s form.
Dash let out a feral hiss, stalking her way back towards the light for another attack.
“Look, I’m not here for any kind of trouble,” the unicorn insisted. She watched Rainbow Dash with worried eyes as she stalked around her shield once, then twice, a growl leaving her lips every so often.
Still, the unicorn continued. “I’m-I’m looking for somepony…”
Rainbow let out a hollow laugh. “How is it that you know of the Under Realm?” She hissed, pausing in front of the unicorn. “You are no hunter.”
The unicorn shook her head unsurely. “I-I’m Princess Celestia’s student… I-I read about this place in a book.”
Rainbow pulled back her lips into a grotesque form of a smile, making sure to show each of her fangs in equal glory. “A filly’s fairy tale? You believed it?” She frowned. “Why?”
“Because,” the unicorn said desperately, “somepony in town went missing, and I thought I saw… I thought I saw something impossible.”
Rainbow laughed, pulling away from the stranger. “Nothing is impossible.”
The unicorn hardened. “I know that now. I’ve learnt a lot. I just want to find the pony I’m looking for.”
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed once more. She licked her lips softly, an eager glare raging behind her gaze. “Sorry; but no pony escapes the Under Realm. Especially you.” With a venomous hiss, the vampony leapt at the barrier with all her might, her bat-like wings spreading in fury.
The moment she hit the barrier, however, a third voice was heard yelling from somewhere behind.
“RAINBOW DASH, RAINBOW DASH, WHAT’S GOIN’ ON?”
At the same moment the voice began yelling, Rainbow Dash was – once more – flung from the barrier with a fierce jet of magic. She was thrown against the ground, groaning out in pain.
Applejack galloped through the narrow cavern, very nearly tripping a hoof-full of times as she tried to dodge jagged pieces of rock in her path. The werewolf was new to the senses that seemed to be radiating from her, telling her where to go, telling her which scents to follow and – because of this – she found it difficult to reach her destination.
Finally, however, she found what she was looking for.
She gasped in surprise. Rainbow Dash was weakly picking herself up from the floor, her coat still static from the powerful jet of magic sent her way.
And, in front of Rainbow, stood inside her own field of magic, was…
“Twilight? Twilight Sparkle!?”
The unicorn’s face softened into that of an eager smile. “Applejack!”
“Whoa, wait, what?” Rainbow panted from the ground. Gingerly, she lifted herself back up, wincing as a stray spark of magic left her mane. “You know this… pony?”
Applejack nodded unsurely. “Ah used ter see her ‘round town, wouldn’t call us close but-”
“You left town,” ‘Twilight Sparkle’ said flatly. “That’s what your family said, at least. But I couldn’t believe it, not after what I saw!”
“And what did she see, eh?” Rainbow said, rounding on Applejack. “What kind of lowlife werewolf leaves a witness alive?” Rainbow let out a sour groan. “And to think I’ve been sticking up for your species!”
“They ain’t mah concern!” Applejack shot back. “Ah don’t care for ‘em like family like yer do yer coven!”
Twilight simply stood behind her magical shield, eyes as wide as dinner plates. “So… it’s true. What I read… this is the Under Realm, and you… that thing that attacked you, it was a werewolf?”
Applejack looked to Twilight with a frown. “It ain’t somethin’ ter be proud about, Sugarcube.”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes towards Twilight. “And why is she still alive? She’s a witness, Applejack!”
“She’s mah friend!”
“You said you hardly knew her!”
“That don’t give ya’ll the right ter kill her!”
The two supernaturals were nose to nose, nostrils flaring. Rainbow was the first to back off, waving a hoof fiercely about the air. “Fine. Keep her alive for all I care, keep her as a pet. But she certainly isn’t going back to where she came from.”
“No, please!” Twilight yelped. “Look, I came here for a reason… Applejack, I’ve been doing research… about the Under Realm, about the cleansing…”
“That’s not your concern!” Rainbow growled.
“Just listen,” the unicorn insisted, “I read about how Princess Luna was banished for what she did, for trying to help save your species. I don’t agree that you should have all been wiped out!”
“Thanks, I guess,” Rainbow muttered.
“I also don’t agree that you should be given free rein to chow down on any unsuspecting ponies that take your fancy,” Twilight deadpanned.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Great, she’s a… what do you call ‘em… a hippie?”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Keep talkin’, Sugarcube.”
Twilight gave Applejack a smile of gratitude. “Look… I want species equality as much as the next pony, it’s just… so many ponies don’t even believe you exist anymore. I’m not saying we introduce you to the masses at once… it’d cause panic… but…”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “What are you suggesting?”
Twilight blew out a tired breath. “I want to prove to Princess Celestia that supernaturals can be trusted. At the moment, she’s denying outright that they exist herself… but, what if I were to prove her wrong, what if I could get a group of supernaturals to live amongst Equestria, what if I was able to change everypony’s minds about you?”
Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight for a good few seconds before bursting out into ferocious laughter. Applejack, however, simply stared.
“BAHAHAHAHAHA, oh by Nightmare Moon, do you have any idea how pathetic you sound?” Rainbow Dash roared, wiping a stray tear from her eye. “Ponies and supernaturals… living together!?”
“It’s not impossible,” Twilight countered.
“We eat your kind!” Rainbow grinned, showing off her fangs for extra impact. “Of course it’s impossible.”
“Yer raid hospitals, RD,” Applejack simpered. “Most of the time at least.” She frowned. “Come ter think of it, ghouls only east corpses, too.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Yes, and werewolves have complete control of their urges to rip ponies limb from limb!”
“Ah haven’t yet!” Applejack growled. “And Ah don’t plan ter neither!”
“Hang on…” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “You’re seriously considering this aren’t you? After everything I’ve done for you, you want to abandon that and live some hoity toity life up on Equestria?” Rainbow hardened. “You wouldn’t last one lunar cycle, AJ. Not without me!”
Applejack cocked a brow in thought. “Then come with me.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened. “No. No, AJ. This is crazy! Just let me kill this damned pony already!” She allowed her eyes to return to their menacing red as she stalked her way up towards the shield once more.
“You won’t be able to get inside,” Twilight grumbled, “I can do this all day if I have to.”
Rainbow grinned menacingly. “Hate to break it to you, Twilight is it? But, I think we both know who’d win by waiting it out.”
“RD, yer ain’t hurtin’ her!” Applejack hollered. “Yer let her go!”
“Applejack,” Twilight murmured, “your family are worried, I can tell.”
Applejack gave her a long look before turning away. “They wouldn’t wanna see me, not like this.”
“But Applejack… if you did this… imagine, supernaturals and ponies living amongst one another, isn’t it what Princess Luna would have wanted?”
“Her name was Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow snarled, pressing her face against Twilight’s shield, “and you have no right to speak her name!”
Applejack sighed. “Rainbow’s right, Sugarcube, Ah can’t go back, Ah wish Ah could, but we’re jus’ too different.”
Twilight sighed. “Look… I understand, I really do Applejack… but, like I said, I’ve studied the Under Realm long and hard for almost three months now and I’ve found out things that you could never imagine. All the species that live down here… and the species that live up there, on Equestria, already.”
Both Rainbow and Applejack’s ears flicked at the same moment.
“What?” Applejack gasped.
“What!?” Rainbow demanded fiercely.
Twilight smiled rather slyly. “You heard me. There have already been cases of supernaturals living in Equestria and they still live out there, today. They are accepted members of society.”
“But if those ponies knew what they really were…” Rainbow began.
“Do you think it would matter?” Twilight insisted. “These ponies have friends… families!”
Applejack stuttered for words, whereas Rainbow simply snorted, unconvinced.
“Look,” Twilight muttered, “I understand, it’s a big decision… but if you have any questions, if you ever want to just… try it out, I’m staying at the Library in Ponyville.” With a flash of her horn, a small paper card appeared floating in mid-air on the other side of her shield. “This is the address in case you don’t remember.”
Rainbow glowered at it and turned her back with a whip of her tail. Applejack, however, gingerly took it in between her teeth.
Twilight smiled. “I’m sorry for ruining your… urm, evening… I guess it is to you.” She shrugged. “I’ll get out of your manes.”
Rainbow’s nostrils flared. “The hay you will!” But before she could even pounce, Twilight had vanished in a flash of purple light, leaving the two supernaturals bathed in darkness once more.
Author's Note
So yeah, this is an idea I had. If you like it, I'll continue!
Chapter 2 - Dreams
“I can’t believe this, who the Hell does she think she is?” Rainbow Dash said for the umpteenth time as she paced past an exhausted looking Applejack in their cavern-built kitchen.
Applejack had long-since given up on talking any sense into Rainbow, it was clear to anypony with ears that she wouldn’t listen to anypony’s opinion except her own. Instead, Applejack took the time in between Rainbow’s incoherent rant to take another extensive look at the small paper card that Twilight had given the two of them before disappearing in a poof of purple smoke.
Twilight Sparkle
Golden Oaks Library
Ponyville
Honestly, Applejack didn’t need the reminder. She was well aware of where Twilight had resided when she wasn’t living with the Princess in Canterlot. In fact, there probably wasn’t a single pony in Ponyville that didn’t know the exact location of Princess Celestia’s most prised student. Still, Applejack kept the card close to hoof; she knew if Rainbow Dash even got a look at it, it would end up being torn to pieces in a fit of rage.
“And how did she even find the Under Realm anyway?” Rainbow Dash continued, her nostrils flaring as she rounded on Applejack yet again.
Applejack simply rolled her eyes as she placed the card back onto the table she was currently sat at. “Ah dunno RD, probably got somethin’ ter do with the fact that she’s got access ter the Princesses’ archives.”
Rainbow Dash paused in her rage fuelled rant to take a look at Applejack. Her eyes narrowed for a moment and Applejack was sure she could see a dangerous spark of red behind those once-rose orbs. Still, Rainbow only drew away again, speaking even faster as she continued: “And what gives Celestia the right to hold the books that keep our History? Nightmare Moon was a much greater God than Celestia could ever hope to be!”
Applejack flinched slightly at Rainbow’s venomous tone. “Not all of us were ‘round when she was our ruler, RD. Y’know, I used ter worship Celestia jus’ like everypony else upstairs.”
Rainbow Dash chose to ignore that comment. “And still, even if the archives did hold precious information about our great Goddess, there is no way it would have mentioned the entryways to the Under Realm!” Rainbow snorted with great ferocity. “If they did, that sun glorifying bitch would have given us away to the Hunters centuries ago!”
Applejack let out a sigh. “You’re tired, RD.”
“Oh you can talk!” Rainbow snarled, once again turning towards her friend. “You were gulping down all of that student’s lies like it was freakin’ apple juice!”
“I’m here now, ain’t I?” Applejack growled, raising herself from her seat. “And I ain’t gonna argue, RD. Not at a time like this.”
Rainbow simply glowered. “Fine. Go to bed. I s’pose you’re gonna sleep with that card too.”
Applejack felt warmth creeping towards her face. “It ain’t like that.”
“No, I know what it’s like.” Suddenly, the anger inside Rainbow began to evaporate. With one steadily held breath, the tension in the vampony’s shoulders lifted as she shrugged them in a hopeless defeat. “You don’t feel like you belong here… you still want to live up there with all the air-breathers.”
“Ah, RD,” Applejack sighed. “It ain’t like that neither. I jus’… I jus’ get tired of it all down here is all. Ah miss the sun on mah face… the smell of the apples when they come ter season in the orchard!”
Rainbow nodded, but didn’t raise her gaze to meet Applejack’s. “I know, but you know how dangerous it could be. If somepony saw you…”
“Ah’m only dangerous three nights ah month,” Applejack simpered. “Ah jus’… wish Ah could go up there, when Ah’m not… a monster.”
“You’re not a monster!” Rainbow insisted. “AJ… give it a couple months, you’ll get more control over it, I swear!”
AJ smiled. “And that’d be mighty nice… but down here that don’t mean much. Up there… well… Ah could pick up where Ah left off, y’know?”
Rainbow bit her lip as her leathery wings flexed subconsciously at her back. “You’re right… it’s way too early for us to be talking about this crap.”
Applejack sighed in defeat as she watched Rainbow wordlessly turn tail on her. She didn’t stop staring until Rainbow had disappeared down the hall of their small cavern-like home and into her bedroom. A slam resonated through the cavern as Rainbow stormed inside.
Left alone in the dark, Applejack silently toyed with Twilight’s card in between her hooves.
“Ah wish Ah could Twi,” Applejack muttered, “Ah wish Ah could.”
***
Neither Rainbow nor Applejack got a good day’s sleep.
Rainbow hung from the ceiling, her bat-like wings wrapped protectively around her body. Her wide eyes glowed dimly in the dark, lighting up the more or less empty living space that encompassed her.
In truth, Rainbow had only recently moved into this small cave that she and Applejack now called a ‘home.’ Before then, she had lived with her coven in a beautifully lit lair decorated with marvellous portraits, silk curtains and purple candles. She could still smell the lavender that the scented candles gave off as they burned gently on their wicks. Rainbow closed her eyes with a grimace; she still missed living with her coven. She missed the constant presence of her fellow vamponies. Here, she was painfully alone, unless you counted the always-prominent scent of wet dog in the air.
No, she couldn’t think like that.
Vamponies and werewolves had been natural enemies long before Rainbow had even become a filly of the night. But… after a thousand years of watching her coven build around her, Rainbow had tried to teach them a new way.
Werewolves were of course wild creatures at the best of times. Rainbow knew that they weren’t incapable of controlling themselves, but it seemed they preferred the wild instincts that came with the change. Rainbow wasn’t completely devoid of understanding this. After all, there was nothing better than the feeling of pure instinct taking over in the heat of a hunt.
But again, Rainbow shook her head. Instead, she decided to try and get some rest.
~
Three months ago, Rainbow had been on a lone hunt, trotting carefully through the Everfree Forest.
It was at that moment when she had heard a soft moan coming from a cluster of trees towards her right side.
At first, Rainbow’s wings had bristled with delight. She had assumed the noise had come from a young, perhaps abandoned filly. The blood of the pure and innocent was a sensation Rainbow was rarely able to claim.
However, as Rainbow had drawn nearer, she had found the source of the moaning, not of a lone filly, but in fact of a putrid, blood drenched farm pony. With a single sniff of the air, Rainbow was able to identify that the blood belonged to a werewolf. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Again, the werewolf moaned, but this time her eyes drew to slits, the small green orbs beneath scanned the area weakly.
Rainbow’s brow furrowed. “What happened to you,” she muttered.
The orange farm pony jumped in pure terror, letting out a scream of agony as her obviously broken joints failed to comply.
Rainbow frowned as she gently placed a hoof against the werewolf’s chest. “Be still,” she instructed, “your body needs to heal.”
“I don’t- I don’t- I d-don’t want it to,” the werewolf wheezed through shuddering lips. “W-Wanna die.”
Rainbow snorted in response. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” Her hoof hardened around the werewolf’s chest, the orange supernatural let out a further yelp of pain. Rainbow grinned as she felt the ribcage of the lone werewolf crack beneath her hoof. “Still want to die?”
Tears sprung to the farm pony’s eyes. “Y-yes,” she choked.
“Well…” Rainbow lifted her hoof from the werewolf’s chest, before bringing it down strongly to the creature’s gut. Winded, the orange supernatural began to cough and splutter.
“I can’t kill you,” Rainbow muttered, a dark smile cracked at the side of her lips. “You’re a werewolf kiddo. Your bones would heal around the break and if I tried to drink your blood… well, it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for me.”
“D-Drink m-my blood?” The farm pony wheezed.
Rainbow cocked a brow in confusion. “Why of course… I assumed you knew what I was.”
The farm pony only shuddered in response, far too weakened to say or do anything else.
Rainbow’s eyes widened with realisation. “You… You don’t know what I am… you’re a newborn aren’t you? Or a… pup or whatever the Hell those half-breeds call you.” She shook her head in utter disbelief. “Where is your maker?”
The farm pony raised her gaze to meet the vampony’s. Rainbow’s dead heart leapt into her throat. Her eyes held such… sadness. Such despair. Never had Rainbow seen a supernatural in such defeat. After all… they were the elite. What was there to be afraid of when they were so much higher than the three tribes that called themselves ‘dominant’ on the ground above?
“Your maker left you,” Rainbow muttered, disgust lingering on every syllable. “Filthy half-breeds, they can’t even look after their own.”
The farm pony coughed in response.
Rainbow grimaced. “You… can’t stay up here, if anypony saw you…” Rainbow swallowed. “What’s your name?”
The werewolf didn’t speak for a long time, and then, after a fair few minutes, she cleared her throat, and with a choking whisper, she spoke her name: “A-Applejack.”
Rainbow forced a smile as she raised a hoof to meet the werewolf’s. “Alright Applejack, I’m taking you home.”
~
Rainbow opened her eyes in shock. It had been weeks since she had relived that fateful night. The one that had changed her destiny forever.
It had been true enough that on that night Rainbow had done something unheard of by many of her kind. After all, even after all that Rainbow had tried to teach her coven, very few of them trusted the werewolves enough to get along.
It was why, on that night, Rainbow had left her coven. It wasn’t unheard of, many vamponies sought asylum elsewhere even after the first few centuries. And of course, just because Rainbow wasn’t living with them didn’t mean she was sworn away for the rest of eternity.
It was why - she supposed - the vamponies reacted so strongly when Storm had explained Rainbow’s new housing arrangements. Even now, Rainbow somewhat regretted turning Storm, but she was an exceptional hunter and somepony she was very glad about having on the team of collectors. It was why Rainbow felt comfortable enough leaving her coven, knowing that there were those that could take over and lead the hunt in her absence.
Still, Rainbow missed her coven. Despite the uproar that she had brought upon herself the previous evening, she still wished she could creep back into that lair and curl up by the crackling fire amongst others of her kind, safe in the knowledge that together, they were strong.
Rainbow let out a sigh as she dropped from the ceiling, landing nimbly on her hooves. That dream had brought back painful memories, not to mention the familiar feeling of home sickness twisting at her gut. She supposed this was how Applejack felt most of the time.
But no… not any more.
With a flap of her wings, Rainbow swept out of her room and down the hallway, finally landing in their main living space. A few cabinets and a wooden table with two chairs at its side made up their kitchen and a worn sofa that sat by a tiny fireplace completed their sitting room.
Rainbow’s ears splayed down against her head as she located Applejack, passed out on the tattered couch. Twilight’s paper card lay abandoned on the floor next to her.
Rainbow trotted carefully towards the exhausted werewolf and, with great care, she picked the card up in her teeth. Gently, she dropped it onto Applejack’s chest and smiled weakly as she made a noise of acknowledgment in her sleep.
Rainbow sighed as she began to back away. “You really do deserve better, AJ.”
Before she could turn away, however, Applejack’s eyes cracked open. Just like when Rainbow had first found her, the orange supernatural carefully scanned the area before opening her eyes completely.
“R-Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked before a yawn claimed her. As she stretched, she found the small card lying on her chest. “Did yah…?”
“I get it AJ,” Rainbow said weakly, “I mean… I think it would be great if you could live up there on Equestria… back with the ponies you know.” Rainbow tried to smile, but only a grimace showed for her efforts. “After all, you’re not a monster.”
Applejack didn’t know what to say and for a very long time she remained absolutely silent. “Rainbow,” she sighed finally, “we’ve been over this… Ah can’t go up there. Like yer said… Ah wouldn’t last one Lunar Cycle.”
“But you deserve it!” Rainbow insisted as she trotted closer to her friend. “You can control it! I told you, it’s not impossible. Others have done it before you.”
Applejack shook her head. “RD… Ah’m not leavin’ yer. Not after all you’ve done fer me.”
Rainbow’s eyes hardened. “I can take care of myself, AJ, I‘m a thousand years old for Nightmare Moon‘s sake!”
Applejack rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up off the sofa. “If yer want this fer me, then why don’t ya’ll come with me?”
Rainbow frowned. “Yeah… well… maybe I could!”
Applejack gaped at her before a smile cracked at her lips. “You're havin’ me on aintcha?”
Rainbow’s wings flapped at her back impatiently. “I’m not,” she grumbled. “I mean it AJ! I… I know what it’s like to feel alone. And… well, my coven don’t need me any more. You saw how they were last night.”
Applejack brushed past Rainbow on her way to the kitchen, she still wasn’t entirely sure whether to believe her friend or not. Instead, she began to peruse through the half-rotten food in their pantry. With a look of mild disgust, Applejack found an apple that wasn’t too bad looking and picked it up with her teeth. She took a bite before dropping the fruit into her hoof. “Rainbow, it’s ah nice thought, really. But Ah was jokin’. You’re a vampony… it’d be way too hard fer yah.”
“You don’t know vamponies like I do!” Rainbow persisted as she followed Applejack out of the kitchen and back towards the sofa. “We’re masters of disguise. You know the drill! I can hide my bat wings… make them look all pegasus-like.”
Applejack rolled her eyes as she took another bite of her half-rotten fruit. “Ah wasn’t talkin’ ‘bout yer wings RD. Ah was thinkin’ ‘bout yer restraint.”
Rainbow paused. She hadn’t thought about that. She’d been so passionate about helping Applejack out that she hadn’t even considered what this would do to her.
It wasn’t unheard of for vamponies to go for great lengths without drinking blood, but if this Twilight really did live in Ponyville, well, Rainbow knew how to raid the hospital there like the back of her hoof. Still… if she wanted to help her friend, well, who would be helping her? After all, she’d never tried to live amongst living and breathing ponies before, what with their varying blood types and luscious scents… Rainbow’s mouth was watering just thinking about it.
“Well… I…” Rainbow fell speechless, “I… Why don’t we talk to that Twilight again?”
Applejack perked up to that. “Yer mean it?”
Rainbow shrugged. “We could go at night, when nopony’s around. The least we can do is ask about the offer… I mean… if what Twilight said was true, if other supernaturals can live up there… then why can’t we?”
Applejack smiled hopelessly as she threw the core of her apple into the fireplace. “You’re a nut RD,” she muttered, “but… Ah’ll humour yah… we’ll go ter Twilight, see what’s on offer.” Applejack felt a warmth creep into her chest as she spoke again. “’Sides, it’d be nice ter see Ponyville again, even if it is fer the last time.”
Author's Note
Sorry it took so long, guys! My laptop completely crapped out on me and I had to rewrite the entire chapter from scratch! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've decided to keep the term werewolf for now, considering 'lycan' means a creature that can control their change. Applejack cannot. Also, just to sum up some confusion, this story is set at a time that Nightmare Moon or Princess Luna is still banished in the moon.
