Flutter's Night

“Fluttershy can't be a vampire,” Scootaloo argued. “That doesn't even make any sense.” The day after Applebloom's smoothie accident was a Monday; she normally hated Mondays, but they seemed manageable compared to her more recent problems. After school the Cutie Mark Crusaders had regrouped at Rarity's boutique for three reasons: it wasn't Fluttershy's cottage nor the Apple orchard, and it had a television. Applebloom needed that television to tell her how screwed she was, and to her relief another disappearance had yet to be reported.

“Accusing a stranger of being a monster is bad enough, but Fluttershy of ALL ponies?” Sweetie Belle's voice cracked a little as she spoke, clearly not happy with Applebloom. “That's just ridiculous.”

“We now return you to Fright Night, hosted by renowned vampire killer, Petal Vestment.”

“Can we just unplug this stupid TV?” Scootaloo whined. “The advertisements are annoying and the shows are dumb.”

“If Ah see that GAK commercial one more time, every one of youze'll see my head explode.”

“Quiet!” Applebloom demanded, jumping past Scootaloo to sit directly in front of the screen. “Petal Vestment is on.” The pony in question wore a dramatic wool coat of a muted brown over a slightly off-white coat, his graying mane and tail groomed to perfection.

“Dear viewers,” the oh-so-handsome, yet past his prime TV star began with an air of mystery. “Have you ever heard of the Blueblood family's patented Sunblock Charms?”

“Ooh, ooh!” Sweetie Belle waved her hooves excitedly. “I have! I have!”

“He can't hear ya, Sweetheart; these things don't work that way.” Applebloom shushed them rudely as Petal Vestment continued.

“If you have heard of them, and you watch my show, you've probably already figured out the problem here. These charms allow vampires to walk freely through the Sunlight.”

“So that's how Jury gets around the orchard…”

“What is worse, these charms are not particularly overt, as they were meant to be worn as tasteful high society accessories. With some simple customizations a vampire can hide these small charms anywhere, such as in their ears or, in the following case, behind their fangs. Watch closely as I demonstrate how to use a silver bludgeon, the metal to which vampires are weakest, to shatter the fangs of the beast. With the charm exposed, it can be removed, and the creature will burn away in Celestia's light.” Suddenly, the scene changed, capture methods of a more archaic nature saving grittier film. Petal's mane was black and vibrant, his eyes younger and filled with passion. The following fight was most obviously fake, the transition from fake whole fangs to fake broken fangs a bit sloppy, but the false blood squirted every which way in a brutal facade of a bludgeoning. “Come on, Petal.” Even without wings or horn, Petal proved capable of beating the charm right out of the vampire's maw. “That's it, you've got it!” During the final, sloppy special effects, Applebloom's present friends exchanged glances of concern, worried the little Apple had gone off the deep end. “Ah've got some readin' to do…”

--

Quite put off by Applebloom's vampire obsession, the other Crusaders had left her to her occult studies by the time she'd reached the library. Applebloom had quickly lost track of time with Twilight reading quietly nearby, and found the Sun setting when she finally thought to head home. She had a good idea of what she'd need to defend herself, but the shops would be closed for the evening, forcing her to wait until tomorrow to stock up on supplies. As luck would have it she hadn't thought up anything to drain her allowance on in months, and she planned to count up and ration out her funds in advance of the coming shopping spree.

She had to make it home alive first. “Hey there, Applebloom.” Fluttershy… “Your friends told me you're going a bit stir-crazy about vampires and, well… I can't exactly help you find the kind you're looking for, but I could show you some real vampiric jackalopes if you want.” Applebloom took a step back as Fluttershy advanced a little more assertively than anypony who knew her would expect her to, the distance between them shrinking as Applebloom's fake smile slowly fell. “Normally they're quite dangerous…” She wasn't even sure how it happened so fast, but the young filly soon found her forehooves off the ground, Fluttershy's gentle hooves caressing her cheeks. Fluttershy's gaze was penetrating and hypnotizing, awakening in Applebloom urges and instincts she wasn't meant to feel until much later in her life. “Don't worry… you're safe with me.” The fangs were exceptionally obvious at the short distance Applebloom almost made shorter. She needed to escape, but she wanted so desperately to stay.

An instant later the spell was broken, Applebloom sliding through the dirt as she stumbled backwards in a panic, trying with all her willpower to shake away the aftereffects of the hypnosis. “They say that nopony can be hypnotized… unless they want to be.” With those parting words and a strikingly angelic smile Fluttershy finally took her eyes off the filly and left her to her paranoia and the coming nightmares.

Applebloom sprinted all the way home, passing a snoring Granny Smith on the porch and leaping and bounding up the stairs to her bedroom. She threw the door open and… “Hello there, little Apple.” She gasped with shock, her heart pounding away in her chest, practically fit to burst. “Surprised to see me?” Applebloom found herself nodding, but on further consideration she wasn't sure why she was humoring the monster. “I don't work nights, Applebloom.” The scared filly was literally being backed into a corner as Jury Dambridge studied her, his imposing figure slowly dominating her field of view. “I think your sister really likes me. She confided in me that she's a little worried about you and this vampire fixation of yours. You know vampires aren't real, don't you?” He chuckled humorlessly, leaving the filly with only an inch of space as he lowered his face to hers. “Next you'll tell me you believe in the Headless Horse, the Olden Pony, and the Boogie Mare.” He spoke to her as if they'd known one another for ages, perhaps in an attempt to make her even more uneasy, but she managed to recompose herself somewhat anyway.

“Nah, Ah don't believe in any of that stuff, mister Dambridge; Ah don't even believe in vampires.” Why is lying so darn difficult? “Ah just like studyin' it, that's all. Maybe my sister just got the wrong idea because of how dedicated Ah am.” When Jury pulled his head back to quirk a brow at her in amusement, Applebloom brushed past his leg and made a quick trot to her nightstand, pulling a wooden pencil from a drawer with her mouth. As she began to pretend to take notes, she casually shooed the vampire off with her hoof. As he left, he gave her a look which made it clear that he knew she was lying through her teeth, but he wasn't willing to start a proper fight just yet. So, she thought, the mind games continue.

--

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“What the HAY is all this‽” Sweetie Belle's eyes were as wide as saucers as they took in the sight before her. Several artful depictions of Celestia's Cutie Mark adorned the walls, window shutters, and wardrobe doors, while strands of garlic and lines of salt surrounded the windowsill, bed, and main entrance to Applebloom's room. There were stockpiles of wooden stakes, magic crystal lights, and various items of silver make.

“Looks kinda cool if you ask me,” Scootaloo commented, admiring the scene.

“Youze really gone off the deep end this time, ain't yahz, Bloomster?” Babs Seed impotently scratched her hoof into the top of Applebloom's head, but her cousin only responded by giving her a serious and determined expression. There was a frightening resignation in her eyes, as if she was fully expecting to die soon and had already come to terms with that fact.

“Ah have to fortify the clubhouse next. Don't go invitin' anypony inside; if they need an invitation then they're to be considered vampiric. We rightly own that clubhouse and Ah think we can keep them out of it indefinitely if we're real careful.”

“Just how many ponies do you think are vampires?” Sweetie asked timidly, cringing a little at the thought of Applebloom driving a stake through somepony's heart.

“Fluttershy and Jury Dambridge are definitely vampires, but Ah'm not takin' any chances; if there are more of them out there, Ah'll be ready for them.” With this, Applebloom set down a freshly sharpened stake, stepping carefully past her fellow Crusaders and making her way to the clubhouse.

“Are you two getting…” Sweetie trailed off for a moment, twirling her hoof as she thought of the right words. “…concerned about Applebloom's mental health?”

“Nah, she's just bein' a drama queen. It's kinda cute, actually.” Babs's dismissal of the problem was only half-hearted, as if she was actively trying to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about.

“And these stakes are so…” Scootaloo picked one up, staring at its sharp point with thoughts of bloody homicide and Applebloom's subsequent banishment running through her brain. “…awesome.” They each gave each other knowing looks, speaking as one.

“We gotta talk to Twilight about this.”

--

“An anti-paranoia spell?” The purple Princess questioned incredulously, nearly spilling her cup of coffee. “You realize that's extremely dangerous, don't you? Mental magic is no joke. This is very serious business.”

“We know that, Twilight.” Sweetie was beginning to sound desperate, concern easily distinguishable in her expression and those of the other two fillies. “That's why we came to you for this. The spell has to be perfect and nothing can go wrong.”

“And you're Twilight Sparkle!” Scootaloo proclaimed, her wings buzzing in excitement. “Nothing can go wrong with you casting the spell.”

“Things never go wrong with your horn-a-super-magic.” Babs said pointedly, frowning to herself and tapping her chin a moment later. “Well, except fer that time youze tried to stop the parasprites from eatin' the town.”

“Ooh! And hey,” Scootaloo started in, fondly remembering a time when Applebloom wasn't crazy. “You remember when Spike ate all that ice cream and got that massive stomach ache?”

“Yeah,” Sweetie finished. “He said Twilight royally screwed up a time spell.”

“And there was that time in the orchard when youze made poor Flutters a vampire fruit bat, thus startin' a chain of events that led to the very paranoia we're askin' youze to fix now.”

“On second thought, we'll just ask Trixie for help.”

“Not by all the blood spilled in Tartarus!” Twilight declared with royal authority. “Sit down. You want an anti-paranoia spell? I'll get you an anti-paranoia spell and then some! Applebloom is going to be so thoroughly cured of this mental disease that it'll make your heads spin.”

--

It took Twilight the rest of the day to get everything in order, but while she worked on the spell matrix at the library she needed somepony else to go get Petal Vestment, or some dragon else. If the magic wasn't enough, the minor celebrity's word that there were indeed no vampires in Ponyville would go a long way. “This looks like the place.”

“Of course it is, Spikey-wikey. I know my way around Canterlot.” Rarity had volunteered to assist Spike to get an idea of what vampire-crazed ponies liked to wear while pretending to be vampire killers, as well as to offer Petal Vestment a discount for her services at the conclusion of the whole ordeal. She could always use more celebrity business, even if they were just cult celebrities.

“Hey, isn't that him over there?”

“Where in Equestria are his bodyguards? Can't he afford any, or does he simply not need them?”

“We could ask him, you know, before he just leaves.”

“Yes, quite.” Having finished blathering to each other, the dragon and unicorn pair stepped into Petal's path in the lot behind the Fright Night set building. “Excuse us, mister Vestment; could we have a moment of your time, please?”

“You don't look like vampire fanatics.” He commented dryly, before suddenly smiling and extending a hoof to Rarity. “To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking today?”

“Rarity Belle, proprietor of Ponyville's Carousel Boutique, and this is my friend, Spike.”

“First assistant to Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Spike's tone made it clear that he wasn't prepared to waste any time, and Petal assumed he might be able to get something from the dragon's royal employer to help with his current financial issues. With Fright Night being canceled he didn't really have much choice.

“The Princess wouldn't have sent you unless there was something important for me to do, and I'd never refuse the Crown, but usually jobs come with some sort of monetary compensation. With the royal treasury at her disposal--”

“Three hundred bits, and all you have to do is tell a scared little filly that she's safe. Can you do that, mister Vestment?”

“Ah ha ha…” Rarity chuckled nervously, trying to interject. “Forgive Spike, he's just rather attached to the pony in question; we all are, really. Ponyville is a small town, you see.”

“As I've already stated I'd never refuse the Crown. What does this filly need from me?”

“There are two ponies you have to prove aren't vampires.” Spike said pointedly. “You show up with two bottles we claim were blessed by Celestia, those ponies drink them, and then you get paid.”

“Hmm…” The performer appeared deep in thought for a few moments, contemplating the plan. “It would be more convincing with legitimately blessed water. The Celestial blessing gives the substance a certain fluorescence.”

“Unfortunately that would take too long at this time, what with both Celestia and Luna halfway to the Griffon kingdoms by now.” Rarity explained. “Princess Twilight has to act quickly so she can wrap up the anti-paranoia spell and get up here to Canterlot to handle royal affairs while the other monarchs are away.”

“You want to use mind magic?” The dragon and unicorn nodded. “Isn't that extremely dangerous?”

“Normally it would be, but this is Twilight we're talking about.”

“Everything will be fine, Petal, just as long as you play your part right.”

--

"It's about time you showed up, mister Coal." The stallion in question had a dark green coat of fur with a lime-green mane and tail, expressive cyan eyes, and saddlebags filled to burst with tools. "The coffin has already been tucked into the deepest cell in the dungeon. I doubt anypony will find it there."

"What was your excuse for my lateness, master Dambridge?"

"Just the simple version of the truth: family business." Billet Coal smirked at this news. "Come on, this castle desperately needs our help." Before they could get back to the job at hoof there was a spark of green magic just in front of Jury, and he immediately opened the scroll that materialized from it. He couldn't resist a small chuckle.

"Mind letting me in on the joke?"

"Just read this and you'll get it." Jury threw a forelimb around Billet's shoulders and held the letter close enough for anyone with excellent night vision to read.

Dear mister Dambridge,

I know Applebloom has been treating you a bit strangely lately, avoiding you when she can and looking upon you with suspicion. You may have already heard that she suspects you of being a vampire - a ridiculous notion, I know, but don't go thinking its any fault of yours; she suspects my dear friend Fluttershy as well. Worry not, however, for we'll soon have that cleared right up. Twilight has a little spell in mind to help the filly overcome her delusions, but just in case that isn't enough we've arranged to have Petal Vestment perform a few tests on you and Fluttershy to prove you aren't vampires. Nothing extreme, mind you. All you have to do is stand in front of some mirrors and drink a little Celestia-blessed water. It's too bad we can't get you the real thing, considering Celestia's absence from the capitol; I hear that blessed water tastes quite divine. Oh look at me rambling on like this, it's nonsensical! Anyway, could you swing by the library tomorrow at about ten in the morning? Applejack has already agreed to give you the day off, and she'll be at the library herself so don't worry about that.

On an unrelated note I've finished patching up the tapestries for the west wing of the Castle of the Two Sisters. We'll have that place restored to its former glory in no time at all!

Sincerely,

Rarity Belle

--

Fluttershy had just finished her own letter from Rarity and Spike, turning her attention to a very well-behaved bunny. "Tell the jackalopes to wait; Applebloom might not need to die tonight afterall." Angel saluted briskly, rushing to do the bidding of his mistress. There were several likewise turned animals prepared to do the same at every nook and corner of Fluttershy's property. "Yes, this way will be much more fun, I think."