//-------------------------------------------------------// The Pain Killers -by AscendingAnthem- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Remembrance and Partnership //-------------------------------------------------------// Remembrance and Partnership "Right. That should fix you up." Nurse Redheart had just finished bandaging a broken wing. The pegasus in front of her smiled nervously as he flapped his one good wing around. "Now remember." said Nurse Redheart. "Don't even try to flap that wing, you'll regret it." The pegasus nodded. "When will I be able to fly again?" he asked. "You won't be flying for a couple of days. But a day or two after that wing comes right, you'll be flying around again in no time." The pegasus in front of her shifted his position slightly, still smiling at her. "Thanks for bandaging me up. You're the best!" the injured pegasus said. "You're welcome." replied Nurse Redheart and she was about to leave when the pegasus pony spoke up again. "Why did you check my mouth for signs of damage? Nothing was wrong with it. I didn't even land on my face when I crashed." he said. Nurse Redheart froze. "Oh, don't worry about it. Your teeth could have been knocked out of place by the impact, and I had to make sure they weren't damaged." explained away "Oh. I guess that explains it." said the pegasus, relaxing down into his new bed. She slowly trotted out and closed the door of the ward. She sighed. As least he wasn't a vampony, she thought as she trotted through the hospital. She remembered one of pegasus's words. "You're the best." How eerily similar to what a certain princess had told her a few years ago. Nurse Redheart trotted slowly towards the centre of Ponyville, where she looked around, awaiting the arrival of the writer of that letter she had received this morning. Usually, she wouldn't have gone out at this hour, but something about the letter she received intrigued her. However, she still clutched a scalpel in her hoof, ready to defend herself if necessary. A large shape appeared in the dark sky above her. She clenched her weapon tight as the shape neared her. It landed in front of her. Nurse Redheart gasped as she saw Princess Luna, illuminated in the moonlight. She quickly bowed the night princess. "Good evening Ms. Redheart. I'm glad you came." said the princess. "You sent me that letter?" replied Redheart in astonisment. "I did. I need your help." "Help? What kind of help? Is it an injury? An illness?" "No... something more worse." Nurse Redheart watched as Luna placed something in front of her. Redheart slowly looked at it, then she squealed as soon as she figured out what it was. "That's a body!". Nurse Redheart almost considered running for it. "Yes. But not of a regular pony. Look." Lighting up the area with her horn, Luna opened the corpse's mouth and pushed against the gum. Razor sharp teeth appeared, stained with gore. Nurse Redheart's eyes widened as they slid back effortesly. "What- is that?" "It is a vampony. Over the last few weeks, guards around the castle have been found dead. Bites in their necks and almost completely drained of blood. Most of them anyway..." "Most of them?" "Let's just say that... vamponies are sometimes... messy." Nurse Redheart felt an urge to hurl. Luna continued speaking. "If you haven't realised already, this corpse is missing its head. That's because vamponies can only die from beheading. All those stories told about them are false. Staking them through the heart won't work, and sunlight won't stop them. Yes, they sleep during the day. But that doesn't mean they won't wake up." Fighting back the urge to vomit again from the headless corpse in front of her, Nurse Redheart wanted something clarified. "So, what do you want me to do?" "I want you to exterminate the vampony virus that is plaguing our people." "Why me?" "I need somepony strong. Somepony smart. Somepony who can learn quick and easy. Celestia herself wants you. You're the best choice." Nurse Redheart was about to respond with a polite 'no', when Luna was tackled over by something. Redheart jumped back. The pony who had tackled the princess over had pinned her to the ground with amazing strength. His mouth was nearing the princess's neck, ready to feast on her blood. The princess struggled, but to no avail. She could only watch as the vampony opened its mouth, ready to end her life. Something protruded out from the vamponies throat. He stopped and looked down at the scalpel protruding from his neck. The scalpel moved to the side, tearing through the muscle and finally exiting through the skin, dragging a long strip of gore with it. Hooves were placed on either side of the vampony's head, and with a twist, crack and a sickening squelch, the vampony's head was ripped off. The white pony dropped the head and helped Luna to her hooves. Luna stared at Nurse Redheart with a sly grin. "I knew Celestia chose well." said Luna when a sense of finality. Since then, her life has never been the same. Healing ponies in the day and hunting vamponies at night. Every kill felt wonderful, like she was ridding the evil from the world. She still felt sickened by what she did, but she kept reminding herself Despite Luna's advice, she hadn't found herself a partner yet. She liked the fact that she was a lone wolf. No pony to get in her way when things got heated. But the job was getting boring. Just one more corpse to bury every night or so. She needed somepony to spark this job up, make it more exciting. That's why she called the three cutie mark crusaders to her house. They were fillies, yes, but they showed promise, and Princess Celestia and Luna agreed. The CMC trotted outside, still talking about everything they learned. "Can y'all believe it?!" said Apple Bloom. "Vamponies are real?" "At first I thought she was craaaaaaazy." started Scootaloo. "But when she showed us that body... wow..." "Yeah. Same here. But all the facts point to it..." said Sweetie Belle. The crusaders were having a sleepover at Apple Bloom's. At the farm, one of the CMC had slowed and stopped just outside, thinking thoroughly. I knew it. My brothers and sisters have been dropping off the map for ages. I knew there must have been a vampony hunter somewhere in Ponyville. Now that I have found her... I can avenge my family. Sweetie Belle allowed her retractable fangs to slide out, in her premature lust for blood. She quickly closed her mouth, hiding them from view as she caught up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo inside. You have been marked for death, Nurse Readheart. Author's Note Okay. Yes this was rushed SOOOOOO much. I just wanted to take this idea first! Anyway, I will re-write this now I have some time on my hoof.