The Misadventures begin here...
Onyx Night walked along the jungle path towards the ruins of the ancient pony city of Altir. Though many a treasure hunter and archeologist had recently lost their lives, he wasn’t terribly worried presently. There was a solid path that wound along the Saddlebreak River, making the experienced stallion acknowledge that more than a few ponies had trod this path before.
His ‘guide’ however, wasn’t nearly so reassured. Though the pegasus knew the path, and even the ruins like the back of his own hoof, Forest Rush would no longer venture past the field ahead. He himself had lost a friend to what was rumored to now haunt the ruins of Altir, and he didn’t want to become a statistic himself. He knew the dangers that now lurked within the ruins were no joke.
For the past three months, ponies had been going missing at Altir. It had started with a few random ponies rumored to have fell afoul of ancient traps, but then extended to the guided tours of the ruins. Rescue parties had been sent, only to come up a member or two short. Individual search efforts were never heard from again. Some even said that the ghost of a pony had been seen floating through the ruins from afar, making some believe that the ruins were truly haunted.
Upon reaching the field, the pegasus stopped.
“This is as far as I go.”
Looking over to the pegasus, Onyx nodded. He had heard the story of Forest’s missing friend, and knew the pegasus had a wife and foals to return to. In all honesty, he couldn’t blame the pegasus for wanting to not venture near the place.
“Thanks for taking me this far.” He said, reaching into his saddlebag and producing a modest bag of bits. Hoofing them over with an easygoing smile, he turned and started walking across the clearing as he called out. “Tell your wife the meal was delicious.”
“I will.” Forest said as he turned around and began walking under the trail. Hanging his head, he muttered under his breath “After all, a stallion should enjoy his last meal.”
***
The path was easy enough to follow, a tad overgrown in some places due to the recent lack of use, but not as bad as it could have been. Guessing from the look of the vegetation, somepony had been through there about two weeks before. Faust only knew that poor pony was now a simple statistic, but Onyx couldn’t let that thought linger too long.
After all, he was no mere Earth Pony.
As he entered the ruins, he couldn’t help but notice that something was off. His ears twitched as he listened all around him, hoping to pick up any sign of life. However, he heard nothing. Absolutely. Nothing. Not even the crickets chirped, it was completely silent. Looking around, he saw a few different sets of hoofprints heading down a particular alleyway. No doubt it had been the final decision any of the previous ponies had made.
“Hmm, lets see what horrors lurk here, shall we?” He quietly asked himself as he ventured down the corridor, pausing only at its mouth to look over his shoulder. Had he heard something?
“... Nah…” He said with a shrug as he entered the alley and rounded a corner.
~*~
Had the pony bothered to look up he might have seen a glimpse of gold. Well, she had always thought of it as gold but if she had to be honest it was really tan but that was beside the point. The lovely guide had brought yet another brave soul to test their mettle. She really ought to give him her thanks. Maybe this one would be a challenge but she doubted it. After all, she did have quite the unfair advantage of being vampony.
Nevertheless it would be safer for her to ambush him and the best place to do that would be the inner-amphitheatre. The grand, albeit deteriorating, structure created odd shadows and had plenty of room not to mention the fact she rather enjoyed the drama of killing there.Moving silently into the shadows atop the ruins she followed the unknown stallion trying to decide what sugary treat would best go with his blood.
***
Below her, Onyx paused and looked around, his ears twitching as he listened to what was around him. Tilting his head a little, he shook his head and kept walking towards the amphitheatre. He knew he couldn’t risk giving himself away to whatever lurked in the ruins, as even though he was a Werepony… He didn’t exactly want to risk awakening a demon.
Or a vampony.
The thought made him pause again, this time looking up at the full moon over the entrance of the amphitheatre, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose.
There it was… a tingling aroma, light, alluring, and very distinctive. There was a vampony here, no doubt about it.
So… now I know what goes ‘bump’ in the night. Question is… are they going to play nice? He thought to himself as he opened his eyes and walked through the gates, only to have the doors slam shut behind him. Jumping a little, a single thought crossed his mind as he grinned.
Hmm… that’s one vote ‘probably not.’
~*~
She walked along the tops of the amphitheatre, tilting her head this way and that causing her black braided mane to sway as she thought of all the treats she currently had in her ‘room.’ After all,there was no need to fret; he was only one stallion and she’d taken on bigger and greater numbers before.
White chocolate peppermint bark, I think...What’s he doing? The black colored stallion was sniffing the air like a hound. She’d seen this before but it’d been years.
He couldn’t be a werepony...could he? She couldn’t take any chances, she didn’t want to move from these ruins. They were perfect for satisfying her thirst without too much notice as rumors of hauntings didn’t hold much sway with local law enforcement and there was always some fool who thought he could solve the mystery of the hauntings which ensured a steady supply of her favorite ‘drink.’ No, she would not take a chance and would focus her full attention on him.
Gliding down silently with her bat-like wings, still within the shadows, she made her way to the doors and slammed them shut with a kick of her back leg. He jumped. It was a wonderful sight and she moved to the side with unnatural speed, lest he see her when he turned around.
Perhaps she should add some ambience. Throwing her voice was a trick she learned on the stage many years ago and it came very much in hoof during these haunting schemes. With a somber whisper she cast her voice to the opposite side of the amphitheatre.
“You shouldn’t be here. Get out while you still can. Please.”
Should I add some tears as well?
***
As the voice echoed across the empty amphitheatre, Onyx couldn’t help but wonder if he had heard that voice before. But that wasn’t his concern presently. What WAS his concern, was that the scent of vampony was now incredibly strong, nearly to the point of being overpowering. Knowing that even with his back to a wall, he wouldn’t be safe, he decided to bolt towards the middle of the arena, listening intently over the sounds of his hoofbeats and his own heartbeat for something. Anything.
That was when he heard it… a small, sniffle? Coming to a skidding halt, Onyx turned around quickly, looking where the sound had come from, but kept his ears twitching and swiveling around, keeping an auditory watch around him.
Not that he needed to.
For there, scarcely a length from where he had been standing, was a mare. A tan mare with a black mane and tail curled up in a ball and crying.
“Please… leave before you wind up like the others.” Her voice said, capturing his attention as he tensed, not really liking what he was seeing.
This has got to be some kind of trick.
“Who are you?” He asked, his voice sure and steady.
~*~
She decided to put on the waterworks but first moved into the light, well lighter than the shadows she was in, and curled up into a golden ball. Allowing the tears to fall and the sounds to remain true to her position she waited for the stallion to come to her. Fangs at the ready but hidden beneath her braid.
“Who are you?” He questioned without a single waiver in his voice.
Hmm, braver than most, but perhaps it’s all just a show.
“I am…I was…” She allowed her voice to break through the tears “Please, just go.” Her voice grew quieter with every word.
Come closer you bold fool.
***
“I am… I was…” The mare’s voice broke as fresh tears hit the soil beneath her head. “Please, just go.” She said quietly, which pushed Onyx’s patience to its breaking point.
“Alright, listen. I know you’re a vampony, so you can drop the act already. Either come at me, or tell me who you are and why you’re here, preying on ponies.”
For an instant, a look of pure shock crossed the mares features as she looked up, mouth agape revealing her pearly fangs before she grinned maliciously.
“Sorry, that’s not part of the script.” She said as she slowly stood and flared her wings.
~*~
She charged at him, fangs bared, but flew up at the last second, returning to her beloved shadows.
“You should have left while you had the chance.” She cried down at the stallion, making sure her voice echoed throughout the amphitheatre. “Then again, I suppose you never had one.”
He turned around quickly, trying to determine the origin, sniffing about like a dog again.
“You’re pretty confident for a mare hiding in the shadows. Come down here and we’ll see who does and doesn’t have a chance.”
She bristled at the words.
How dare he suggest I’m a coward! He will suffer, I’ll make sure of it.
With still an element of surprise in her favor, she flew down at him from behind making sure to hit him upside the head with the tip of her wing before landing in front of the black stallion.
“You interrupt my performance and then insult me? Your insolence shall not go unpunished. Come at me, if you’re able.” She challenged, fangs bared once again and ready to sink into his neck.
***
There it is… a challenge laid down.
“As you wish. After all…” Onyx said, baring his own fangs as bones and joints cracked and popped, skin tearing and healing as his stature grew to challenge even Princess Celestia’s.
“Who am I to keep a mare waiting?” His now-ragged voice ripped through the air as he slowly started to circle the vampony mare, gauging her, seeing if she was a patient mare or not.
So confident… and quite theatrical.
“Though, I’ve got to say… we could probably go without your melodramatics you blood sucking witch.” He said, giving the mare in question a VERY toothy smile. After all, a little trash talk was a good way to start a fight.
~*~
She watched as the stallion transformed in front of her, keeping a mask of disinterest on her features.
Definitely a were-pony then, this is going to be fun.
“Who am I to keep a mare waiting?”
And a gentlecolt as well, though a true gentlecolt would have known not to interrupt a mare’s performance.
She idly watched him circle her, waiting for him to make some sort of move.
“Though, I’ve got to say…we could probably go without your melodramatics you blood sucking witch.” He was smiling at her, she thought there was something familiar about it but shook the thought away. He was an arrogant brat, nothing more.
“Tell me, pup, did your mother not teach you that it’s rude to call a lady names?” She drawled the question but had to fight the smirk playing at her lips.
Onyx laughed at the vampony mare’s question, the echoes of his mirth bouncing from the walls around them as he replied. “Aye, but she also taught me that cowardly shadow leeches like you aren’t ladies.”
That ought to hit a nerve… either that, or she’s REALLY got her act together.
“Because, call me crazy, but a true lady shouldn’t bite on a first date. Isn’t that right? Or did YOUR mother teach you otherwise?”
One good jab deserves another, right?
~*~
She let her smirk cross her features at his words. He was cruel but so was she and oh how she loved a good verbal sparring session.
“Oh sweetie” She cooed “I don’t remember what my mother taught me but I do know how to have a good time.”
Looking at him with her best come-hither eyes she watched with delight as he seemed to stop in shock. Unfortunately it was for but a moment as he smirked at her and walked straight towards her. Not the wrathful charge she might have expected, but an easy saunter towards her until he was nary a length away. Lowering his head to look into her eyes, his own eyes narrowed as he spoke.
“Hmm, seems she taught you it’s okay to bed a stallion on the first date too… unfortunately for you, I’m not that easy.”
Her eyes went wide as she felt blood, that was not originally hers, rush to her cheeks.
“What is this? The vampony blushes?” His toothy smile returned as he spoke and it infuriated her.
Damn it...he...he...he will not live to tell another soul of this!
Rearing back on her hind legs she struck at his smiling face, but found her hoof stopped by one of his paws. Trying again, she found herself literally hurled across the arena.
“About time we got this show started!” He said with a laugh. “I was starting to get bored!”
She screamed at him from across the way and charged again before dropping down to kick his legs out from under him. He apparently saw the move coming though, as he merely hopped over her. The momentum she had built up carried her across the arena before she could slow down and come back to her hooves.
“The Phantom of Altir… funny, I had thought you would be better at this.” Onyx jeered. He was inwardly excited at the mares hubris. He seemed to have finally struck the right nerve.
“The Phantom of Altir” She half sang as she flew up off the ground “hunts to kill and you, pup, are my prey.” She began to fly around the were-pony, picking up speed and dust hoping to blind him for a moment. That would be all she needed.
“Yeah… funny thing about that.” He said as he picked up a rock with his paw. “I’m not dead, am I?” With that, he threw the rock into the spinning vortex of dust and hit the vampony mare squarely on the head, knocking her out of her own vortex and into the adjacent wall. Dazed, she found herself pinned by the throat by the massive paw of the were-pony before her, his stature dwarfing hers as he raised his razor sharp claws over his head.
“Foolish mare, your hubris is your downfall… After all, you-...” The were-pony looked at her long and hard, as if trying to decipher something before his head cocked to a slight angle.
“You seem somewhat… familiar. Have I threatened you before?”
“I’m sure you say that to all the mares unfortunate enough to meet you.” She sneered while taking advantage of his distracted thought and kicking him where it would hurt the most with her back leg. If only she had waited a second before kicking…
“Rainsto-” His question was cut off as a hard kick landed where any stallion would rather not be kicked. Unfortunately for the mare to deliver said kick, she didn’t realize that the entire weight of a full-grown were-pony would come collapsing on top of her because of her actions. However, even being crushed by the weight of what would have easily been three full grown stallions, the mare heard the were-pony’s next words very clearly.
“Rainstorm… you bitch.”
“What did you-” She looked into his steel grey eyes and a connection finally sparked within her mind. “Onyx..?” She questioned weakly, not just because he was crushing her but because she suddenly felt incredibly guilty.
Grunting as he stood up, Onyx said “Hello to you too.” as he flopped over on his side and curled into a ball. Being kicked by a vampony mare could well geld a normal stallion… he could only thank and curse Faust that he wasn’t a normal stallion presently. “Bucking hell…”
“By Luna! I am so sorry!” Her demeanor had changed completely as she snapped up and stared down at him with her dark brown eyes wide with concern. Without really thinking her next words through she asked of her old friend. “Are you alright?”
“Oh Yea… Just fine. Ya know, getting kicked in the nuts by a mare who can split a ponies skull in half with her bare hooves and all, but otherwise fine. You?” He said, more than a bit of pained sarcasm in his voice as he stood up and started walking off the pain of his near-gelding, his form changing back into that of a regular stallion.
“Sorry! Again…Wait here!” Without answering his question she flew off into the shadows with her unnatural speed but walked back out into the open looking like a normal pegasus; a folded fuzzy blanket in her mouth. She dropped it to the ground in front of him and unfolded it to reveal a medicinal kit and a bottle of apple cider. After throwing the blanket over him she opened the bottle and pushed it toward him before opening the kit.
“Thanks.” He said, taking a long swig from the bottle. “Ah...Sweet Apple Acres, ‘36… that was a good year. I don’t think your kit has anything for me… but the drink ought to help a bit.” He punctuated his point by tilting the bottle back again and hunkering into a ball, pulling the blanket close about him as he watched with now only slightly pained amusement as Rainstorm fretted.
“Nonsense, I have remedies to help with pain. You should really let me look you over. The living are so fragile…”
“Hey, I may be living, but I’m no porcelain cup here. Besides, you aren’t ‘looking over’ my bits little missy.” He said snarkily.
“Fragile and vulgar.” She said under her useless breath, knowing he would hear. Her verbal sparring friendly and without animosity.
“Says the mare who was going to bite me on the first date… if you can call it that.” He said, knocking back another swig as the tightness left his voice. “So… what are you doing haunting this place anyways? Waiting for an exorcist to ‘banish you’ from the site? Or have you killed one of those too?”
“I haven’t killed an exorcist..this time. I just needed a place to stay. It’s getting harder and harder to find places I haven’t been that aren’t wary of vamponies. Honestly, we’re not bad ponies. The stigma is getting out of hoof.” She began to rant while spiking the cider with a pain killer anyway.
“I hear ya. Truth be told, I just stopped letting ponies know I’m a were-pony. For me, it’s easier to just live along the edge of the Everfree. Only trouble I have there is around Ponyville. Last time I was there, got clocked in the head by some zebra. Helluva swing… always spoke in rhymes. Annoying as all buck.” He said as he eyed the cider before shrugging and taking a swig. After all, the worst she could do was attempt to poison him, not that she ever would. They went a bit further back than to do that to each other.
“And you think I go around telling everypony that I’m a vampony? A few stallions go missing and suddenly accusations are thrown about and the villagers with pitchforks figure it out on their own. Then off I go to a new location that I can hopefully call home for more than a couple of months. As for Ponyville, I haven’t been there in a while. I wonder if there is a completely new generation of Ponyville citizens…”
“It’s possible. Maybe you should find the odd mare every once in a while though, just to throw ponies off? Just going after the stallions, and the town’s best lookers at that, tends to draw some attention.”
“What can I say? I have rather specific tastes.” She responded sweetly.
Onyx rolled his eyes before draining the last of the bottle and pulling a face. “Ya know, those painkillers really kill the aftertaste.”
“Would you rather the pain resume?” She asked, raising a hoof and smirking.
“Haha… No.” He deadpanned.
For a moment after that, the two of them just sat silent… a lot being conveyed between them with no words until Onyx broke the silence as he stared up at the moon.
“Have you ever considered just being a nomad like me? Go see all of Equestria, meet all sorts of awesome ponies… even a few of your own kind?”
“I like having somewhere to call home, Onyx, even if the place is as wretched as these ruins and you know I haven’t been the most social of mares since the..my theatre days.” She finished with a distant sadness crossing over her eyes.
Nodding slowly, Onyx leaned over and nuzzled Rainstorm gently. “I know. Hay, I was there for a few of your performances.” She shot him a sharp look. “Okay, more than a few of them.” He corrected with a chuckle before looking at her with serious eyes. “Thing is, you’re going to have to get out there sometime, Rainstorm. May as well be with somepony you trust, right?”
“I’ve been doing fine for the last few decades. I’ll just find somewhere else to go. I always do. Anyways…” She pushed him off of her “I thought this wasn’t a first date.” She forced a laugh as she got up to walk away. “You can stay the night but please go in the morning.”
As she started away, she suddenly felt her tail get jerked. The sensation made her eyes pop open and caused her to whirl around, only to be greeted by a solemn faced Onyx.
“I know you better than that, Rainstorm. You’re starting to get weary of this. Methinks you need a vacation from it… and I know just the place to go.” He promised with a smile. The damn thing was infectious.
“And where would that be?” She asked, humoring him with a small smile at her lips.
“A decent sized village in the Shetland Highlands. A few friends of mine live there. I guess you could consider it a safe haven of sorts… Anyways, the country is beautiful, and I think a bit of time seeing the sights would do you good.” At that, he smirked and said “Besides, I think you owe me a do-over for this particular ‘date,’ don’t you?”
“I don’t think so. We’ve both had worse dates.” She laughed genuinely. “If, and I mean if, I decide to venture off to the Shetland Highlands with you what kind of sweets could I expect to find?”
With that question he knew he had her.
“Hazelnuts dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with fine dark chocolate shavings.”
“Clearly it has been a while since we’ve seen other. You’ve forgotten that I hate dark chocolate!” She cried in fake offense.
“It hasn’t been that long, and you’ve never tried Shetland dark chocolate!” He said, sticking his tongue out at her playfully.
“Put that back in your mouth unless you intend to use it.” She was blushing halfway through her words. Despite her years and her vampiric nature, she never could handle things of a risque nature well. She imagined it had something to do with the era she was born into… whenever it was.
Looking down at his tongue, before looking back to her, he merely waggled his eyebrows as he blew a raspberry at her. The action caused Rainstorm’s blush to intensify threefold.
“Are you going to keep me blushing or are you going to help me pack?” She yelled at the vulgar stallion that was her dear friend.
Rolling his eyes, he finally pulled his tongue inside his maw and nodded. “Yea, lets get you packed.”
“You get the blankets and I’ll get the sweets” She said with a smile, surprised she was actually excited about this venture.
And so began the marvelous misadventures of Rainstorm and Onyx.
Rainstorm had a problem, a serious problem, that she probably should have mentioned before they got off the train three days ago. However, she had been doing her best to avoid anypony and everypony. After all, it’d been a while since she’d been out in the open without a planned retreat at the ready and she felt vulnerable. So, despite Onyx’s objections, she’d hid herself away in their train compartment under an excessively large pile of blankets. It lessened her anxiety, as did the salted caramels, but it kept her from pursuing a need. A rather pressing need that hadn’t been satisfied in over a fortnight. Which brought her to the serious problem she was currently struggling with; even the wolf-pony Onyx was starting to look deliciously tempting.
Stop staring, he’ll get worried...I can make it to the next town...I- I’m so thirsty…
Onyx, however, had already picked up on her staring. He had already known that it had been a while since she had fed when he found her in the ruins of Altir. Her behavior now was only confirming that she needed blood. Rolling his eyes as he saw her tear her eyes away from him, as she had been staring again, he finally spoke up.
“You must be getting seriously desperate if you’re almost ready to… how did you put it when we first met? ‘Sully your palate and fangs with dog blood?’” He chuckled, but knew that his usual tension-breaking jokes wouldn’t exactly help at the present moment.
“I have no idea why you’re bringing that up.” She lied, staring at anything but him.
“Uh-huh… that’s why you’ve been jerking your eyes anywhere else but towards the only thing around for the next two miles that has a pulse.” He said teasingly before he sighed. “However, there should be a junction up ahead. It’s pretty popular with a more seedy breed of pony than most, so you should be able to get a snack there.”
“I am fine!” Rainstorm snapped at the only thing with a pulse for two miles “I just can’t stand the sight of you right now.” Another weak lie, she should be honest with him. She knew she could be honest with him but that didn’t lessen the irritation she felt at him being right. At being able to see through her like she was made of crystal.
“Yeah… that’s why, since you’re now looking at me, your wings are twitching like you want to pounce, and I’m pretty sure I saw you salivating earlier. Can’t blame that on those sweets of yours.”
“Salivate? I can assure you I did no such thing! And my wings are twitchy because they’ve been cooped up on a train. They’re still recovering!” Turning her head so her free-flowing mane covered her face, Rainstorm discretely licked her lips to remove any trace of her apparent salivating. Looking back calmly, she made a big deal out of stretching her wings and suppressed the growing desire to pounce.
“Right… not believing that for a second. Know why?”
“Tell me, you irritating pup of a pony.” She hissed through gritted teeth and forming fangs.
With that, Onyx actually surprised Rainstorm by stopping and reaching into his pack.
“It’s pretty simple really.” As he pulled out his knife, he smirked at the now wide-eyed vampony. She knew if she smelled even so much as a single drop of blood, she would lose control and pounce. “That look, coupled with the fact that you are once again drooling, open mouthed I might add.” With that, he put his knife away and shook his head.
“You’re incredibly easy to read for a vampony your age, you know that?” He said as he trotted past her and on down the path.
She stopped walking, taking a deep and pointless breath, as she did everything in her power to not attack him. How he could be so brazen as to insist she was drooling and then call her old was beyond her. He knew she was thirsty enough to drink him dry. Onyx was walking a very dangerous line. Spreading her wings, she flew off after him, and whacked him upside the head with the tip of her wing before landing in front of him.
“Have you decided to dance with death today? Or are you just so foolish that you would insult me in my current state?” Rainstorm wondered aloud with a grim smile that would have made anypony back up in fear.
Smirking triumphantly, Onyx shrugged impishly. “You never could tango that well… so no, I’d rather not have my hooves stepped on.” Giving pause at the livid mare in front of him, he gestured down the path. “However, half a mile that way and heading towards us is somepony whose time just might be up. Try and not kill any foals now, will you?”
“Are you telling me what to do?”
“More like giving a friendly suggestion so I don’t have to hear you cry yourself to ‘sleep’ about killing an innocent foal.” He said, a sudden hardness coming about his voice that made her pause.
“Nopony is innocent.” The mare spat before flying up into the air and speeding in the direction he had indicated.
Onyx just shook his head and started to walk after her. Not quickly, but with purpose in his steps. He had seen this a time or two before in his already longer-than-average life.
~*~
Normally, Rainstorm would have delighted in deciding which role to play but as soon as she heard the strong heartbeat ahead of her she knew she was far too thirsty for such games. Her prey would not be meeting a lost traveler or an old friend but a very hungry vampony instead. She felt no guilt as she finally spied her meal standing at the junction Onyx spoke of; a stallion by the looks of it. Perfect.
Mares were taught, and learned quickly, to be wary of strangers and of being isolated or led astray lest they be held responsible for whatever misfortune befell them. Stallions, however, were taught to always be strong which is why they thought they could handle whatever came their way. Especially if it came with a smile from a pretty mare which is why she ultimately preferred them as prey. Though the taste issue was true as well. Mares tasted sweet, like honey or syrup, and she found it to be unpalatable. The blood of a stallion was savory though and Rainstorm always found it to be more than satisfying.
Taking a moment to regard what was clearly a unicorn, Rainstorm stopped on a passing cloud to plan her assault.
The horn will have to go. I hope he’s not a screamer.
She winced as her wings began to change at the thought of the kill. It wasn’t a pleasant process but it was also somewhat relieving. Like she’d been let out of a cage. She’d have to hit him from the side to make this quick. Licking her now fully formed fangs, Rainstorm dropped from the cloud and flew at her unknowing victim.
The unicorn didn’t even have a chance to turn around before she snapped his horn in half with a kick of her front leg and flew off again. He did scream and she had to admit she rather enjoyed it as she changed direction and flew at his side. The now harmless pony folded at the impact and cried out yet again.
Knowing she shouldn’t draw more attention than necessary she tilted his face towards hers with a hoof and kissed him gently to silence his screams.
“Wha-” The stallion managed to sputter out after she pulled away.
“Shhhh. It’s time to sleep, love.” She whispered before moving down to his neck, resuming her kisses until she found the sweet spot that would deliver her favorite drink all the more quickly..
“I...Who-” The pony began but screamed louder than ever as she sank her fangs into his neck.
She drank without pause and as her blood lust took over she abandoned all ideas of a clean kill, tearing at his neck in a desperate attempt to draw more of the delicious liquid as fast as possible. So absorbed in need was she that the last whimper of the stallion went unnoticed.
When there was nothing left in the husk beneath her the vampony cried out herself. Though her cry was not in pain but like that of a foal being told there was no dessert. However, her thirst was sated for now. This observation was further proven by her wings returning to normal and her fangs receding.
As Rainstorm became more and more aware she noticed the torn remains of the unicorn beneath her and could only imagine how terrifying she must look.
Like a blood-soaked mare from a horror story probably.
Not knowing the location of the nearest water source, she decided to wait for Onyx. He couldn’t be that far behind.
I wonder what’s in his saddle bag…
Nudging the bag in question with her hoof, she dumped the contents on the ground.
Bits, boring. Scotch, gross. An apple, meh. A half-full bag of Shetland Highland shortbread? This must be my lucky night!
“It certainly wasn’t yours.” She giggled at the body beside her.
***
When Onyx came up on Rainstorm, he shook his head. The mare was nearly covered from mane to hoof in blood, and was presently munching on what smelled like… He took a long sniff.
Highland shortbread… been a while since I had any of that. Probably for the best though.
Upon getting closer, he noticed the stallions broken horn and grimmaced.
“Poor bastard… now I know why he screamed so loud.” he said, looking over at the rest of the stallions possessions. Eyeing the scotch bottle, he popped the cork and took a tentative sniff.
“Hmm… Lunar Thistle Distilleries 18 year? Certainly wasn’t a poor sop was he?” Onyx said as he tilted the bottle back and sampled the whiskey, giving a low hum of satisfaction as it washed over his tongue.
“Onyx!” Rainstorm greeted warmly after finishing her mouthful of delicious shortbread like the lady she was. “My snack brought me a snack! Isn’t that lovely?”
“Aye. Brought me a drink and an apple! Even splitting the bits, we’d be pretty well set… but then you really don’t care for such trivial matters most times, do you?” He replied before sipping a little more of the scotch before corking the bottle and putting it in his saddlebags.
“No, I don’t. Unless I’m intending to buy more sweets or jewelry, though I haven’t had much need for the latter recently.” She responded honestly before eating the last cookie in the bag with a dramatic sigh. “All gone.”
“Yea, though out here you could probably use a good traveling cloak like what I have. Keeps the highlanders from suspecting ya too much. Also helps ya blend in, ya know?” He said, casting the dead stallion an eye before falling on the well-made cloak now stained with blood.
“That said… you really need to clean up. You’ve got blood on your… everywhere.” Onyx deadpanned.
“Oh? I didn’t notice.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm as she stood up. “What do we do about him?” She asked without glancing at the remains beside her.
“Well, I’m not cleaning up after you… you’re a grown mare… kinda. So you can do that yourself.” Onyx said as he wiped off the apple on a part of the stallions cloak that wasn’t bloody. “Honestly, I’d thought that at your age, you’d have already stashed him before I got here. Wisdom and experience… all that jazz.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know this area well. Thus I don’t know where any convenient body stashes are. If you could point me in a direction that would be...oh what’s the word…friendly? You know, as supposed friends are apt to do?”
Rolling his eyes, Onyx nodded.
“Yea, this way.” He motioned with his head before walking off the trail, leaving Rainstorm to carry the previous owner of her ‘snacks’ herself.
She began to pick up the stallion but stopped to stick her tongue out at Onyx’s back.
My age...wisdom...what a cad.
Finally picking up the stallion she followed after him, quickly catching up with the were-pony.
“Where can I get cleaned up, pup?”
Pausing, he looked back over his shoulder at Rainstorm, to the clouds above her, back down to Rainstorm, and back to the clouds again before saying
“Gee… I wonder? Kinda makes me wish there was a pegasus to, I don’t know, make it rain or something?”
“Of course, how could I have forgotten? It’s not like I’ve been in seclusion for several years without need to change the weather. I’m so empty-headed sometimes. My apologies, dear Onyx.” The apology was lacking much more than sincerity.
Onyx, for his part, didn’t acknowledge her lack of sincerity. He merely responded in turn.
“Yeah, you can be a bit air-headed sometimes. Anywho, after you clean yourself up, there’s a place with some pretty good boulders just ahead. We can stash him under one of those.” He said, walking on as Rainstorm ground her teeth beside him.
“Here!” She shouted suddenly before throwing the body onto him, “I can’t possibly change the weather with that on my back.”
She was in the air within the blink of an eye and catching a cloud. Meanwhile, Onyx shrugged the corpse off of his back and looked over his cloak for blood. Fortunately, the only traces of the stallions blood were still on Rainstorm.
She’s lucky she didn’t get blood all over my cloak… I like this cloak
With a cloud beneath her hooves, the vampony steered the cloud back to her friend and stomped on it as hard as she could to get it started. Then rather gracefully, or so she thought, she flew underneath the cloud and let the rain wash the blood from her coat. When she heard Onyx cursing up at her from the ground she blew a kiss at him before taking off with the cloud, her laughter trailing behind her.
When Rainstorm glided back to Onyx, he looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“You could have waited for me to put my cloak back on ya know?” He said, now cloaked, but obviously wet under said garment.
“I would have hated to get such a pretty cloak wet...or bloody.” She said in mocking sarcasm but with the sweetest of smiles.
Going back over to the body, she picked up and resumed walking in the direction Onyx had given her.
Muttering under his breath, Onyx followed her until they reached a collection of rather large boulders.
“Under just about any of these should do. The bigger the better since no regular pony is apt to move any of these for any reason.” He said with a nod.
“Any particular ‘bigger’ bolder catch your fancy?” She asked without any intention of listening to a response as she moved toward the largest one in front of her.
“Oh… the big round one.” He said with a sarcastic air and a smile.
Deciding not to dignify his words past rolling her eyes, Rainstorm pushed the boulder she fancied off to the side with a back leg and shrugged the body into the empty space beneath. Before she rolled the boulder back however, she noticed something. What looked to be a bone near where she had deposited the stallion. Looking at Onyx over her shoulder, she chuckled.
“Hast thou used this boulder before?”
He shrugged. “Maybe?”
“Then perhaps great minds do think alike.” She mused before moving on to a more pertinent issue, “Did you get the horn?”
“Yeah.” He said, pulling it from his saddlebags with obvious distaste. Despite her grabbing the body, he’d had enough sense to at least grab the jagged end of the poor unicorn’s horn.
“Good. It’s worth a small fortune on the black market but it’s also useful for medicinal purposes. Whatever you decide to do with it is fine, I have no use for such things.”
“That’s right… you spent some time with the zebras in the past. You WOULD know something like that!” He sagged a bit before putting the horn back in his saddlebags. Onyx had a few dealings with the black market of Equestria in the past, mostly involving items which would get you thrown in prison if you happened to be caught with them. However, body parts was new territory for the wolfish pony.
“Are you disappointed in me or impressed?” The vampony asked, genuinely curious.
“Well, considering this IS you, there’s really not much disappointment. I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m impressed that you KNOW that, as I am that you REMEMBER that. Last time you stayed with the zebras was over three centuries ago unless you visited recently.” He said with an uncaring shrug as he turned to return to the trail.
Without saying a word, she followed after him feeling lost. Her memory was full of holes which occasionally made it difficult to place certain, older events on a linear timeline. It wound up being more of a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey… stuff. It unnerved her when others remembered her past better than she did. Especially when it wound up being that arrogant PUP of an Earth Pony, Onyx. For Luna’s sake, she’d only known him for little more than a century! At least she thought so... No, it was a definitely a century. Only a few years before she met him could she remember her life consistently.
Onyx led further ahead on the trail, making his way back towards where they had originally come from.
“In case anypony wanders up on that big blood spot you left, we should act curious so we don’t wind up looking like suspects. Just a couple of innocent ponies wandering up on the left-overs of a killing.” He had said. In all reality, it made good sense, though it made for more walking for the both of them.
“What? More walking? Can’t we just bypass the entire scene to meet your friends? That is to say, if we’re not there and nopony has seen us then we can’t be held responsible for what may or may not have happened. Or does the pup just want to go for a walk?”
Onyx shook his head.
“Nope. Simple fact is, before we left, there was a pony about three miles out from where we were. By now they will have found the blood at the crossroads and probably run back to the village to get the guard. By the time we get back there, that place will be swarming. A perfect cloak for two ponies to slip through undetected… though I may want to stash the horn in case they’re doing searches. The rookie guards aren’t so much a worry as the more experienced ones… they can be pretty clever at times.” He said surely as they kept walking. He seemed to have a knack for knowing the details of rather illegal activities.
In fact, Rainstorm would venture to say that he knew those details a bit TOO well.
“You would know that” She accused blankly, echoing his earlier words.”Though, I must admit, I don’t know how you do. Care to share before we reach the horrific scene of my kill?”
He glanced back at her briefly, but didn’t stop.
“Not particularly. That’s a part of my life I try not to remember too much of. Unfortunately, I can’t forget it.”
“If only we could switch memory issues.” The mare attempted to jest but her words sounded hollow.
Onyx only looked ahead with a hard expression.
“If only.”
***
True to what Onyx had guessed, there had been an absolute cluster of ponies at the scene of Rainstorm’s ‘snack,’ and therefore, the two of them easily slipped past the guards but not before the ridiculous vampony put on her performance of a shocked and horrified mare. Even having forgotten to stash the horn that still sat in his saddlebags, the two of them were now on the outskirts of the village of Connemara.
“Hmm, lets see now… where was it? Ah! There it is! The Bramble Bush Inn!” Onyx said with a happy grin.
“Looks cozy.” The mare observed, mildly surprised. She hadn’t been entirely sure what kind of accommodations were-ponies found to be suitable, especially Onyx. Not that she truly had the right to say anything, she’d been living in ruins for the past few months and it hadn’t been the first time.
“Aye.” He said, slipping into a perfect highland accent. “It’s a favorite o’ mine. The owner is nearly a brother to me, and that’s sayin’ something.”
Rainstorm’s dark eyes lit up at the sudden change. She loved dialects.
“Is that your original accent Onyx?”
“Aye, ‘tis.” He nodded. “Was born to good ponies at the base of the Sgurr a’Mhaer mountains. Farmers, ya know? Lived to see both of my parents pass on, even attended my sister’s funeral… It was in the next village over actually.”
“Why haven’t you told me this before?” The mare asked while acting wounded, though she wouldn’t have had any information to tell him in return.
Giving the mare a sidelong look, he shrugged.
“Guess it wound up being easier for me to hide it. Accents like that tend to attract attention in the bigger cities of Equestria. Got stalked in Baltimare actually. This one mare liked my accent so much, she decided to offer me a most… indecent proposal.” He said with a visible shudder.
“I can imagine. Mares do love an accent.” She assented, hoping her mane would hide her blush, as she tried NOT to think of what would make Onyx shudder.
As the two of them reached the solidly built structure, Onyx called in over the inn’s half-door.
“Seamus!! You scraggly bastard of a stallion! Where are you?”
Somewhat taken aback by Onyx’s boisterous insult, Rainstorm found herself surprised by an equally boisterous voice responding in turn.
“Onyx?! You ugly, knock-knee’d jackanape!! What are you doin’ back in these parts?!”
A stoutly built stallion poked his head over the half door and upon seeing Rainstorm, raised his eyebrows as his smile turned devious.
“Woo yourself another fair mare eh? Just try to keep it down, don’t want you keeping up all the guests. AGAIN!!” He said, laughing maniacally.
“Excuse me?” The fair mare hissed at the stallion in front of her. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea. A mare has to have her standards, after all. The colt beside me is a friend and nothing more.”
“Hehe, tongue on this one like a whip and a mind sharp as steel. Seems you’ve met quite the mare here, Onyx! Now, what can I do ya for?” The stallion said, propping his front legs up on the door.
“Well, a room would be nice.”
“Two. Rooms.” Rainstorm corrected quickly.
Rolling his eyes, Onyx looked back at Seamus.
“Okay, TWO rooms, then. My usual setup on both.” He said, pulling the bag of bits from his saddlebags and tossing it at the grizzled earth pony at the door.
“And what, pray tell, is your usual setup Onyx?” She asked, wary of the answer.
Seamus raised an eyebrow at Rainstorm before looking back to Onyx, who merely nodded.
“I cannae really say out here, come on in. I’ll tell ya once ya get settled in.” He said, opening the door for the both of them and leading them to their rooms. Upon closing the door of the first room behind them, Seamus started explaining.
“Well, seeing as I’m guessing you know of Onyx’s… we’ll say, condition?” He asked, waiting until Rainstorm nodded in confirmation before continuing.
“Since you know that, it should be a bit easier to explain. He, on occasion, goes out and gets himself a bit o’ a… snack, if ya follow my drift.”
“Oh, I do.” She smiled, allowing her fangs to show.
Though Seamus’s eyebrows rose a little, he didn’t seem too shocked and continued.
“Anyways, as long as I’ve known him, Onyx has been one of the best ponies I’ve known. Wolf-pony or… otherwise.” He said, casting a glance at Rainstorm.
“His ‘usual setup’, is that I wind up letting him know where more… unsavory ponies, tend to be. Most are thieves and the like, but he’s snagged a few big-time scumbags as well. All for a few extra bits, which I might add, are greatly appreciated.” He said with a strong nod and a smile.
“What a clever service for your, shall we say, special clientele. What do you spend the extra bits on? This inn is lovely but it is hardly luxurious.” Rainstorm said before adding “No offense intended of course.”
“None taken.” Seamus said, sitting down on one of the small sitting cushions in the room.
“The extra bits are actually going to my daughter in Canterlot. She’s an intern at Canterlot Hospital right now. Specializes in magical imbalances and pressure points, chakras, that whole bit. Real bright my little Nightshade is!”
“How sweet. I’m sure she is an intelligent mare if she’s in the medicinal field. Tell me, does she have any access to the blood banks?” The vampony asked with the most innocent of smiles on her face.
“No, Rainstorm.” Onyx said low enough that only the mare could hear. “Leave her alone.”
Rainstorm kept the innocent smile plastered on as she replied just as quietly.
“Protective, are we?”
Onyx fixed her with a harsh stare as he responded at normal volume..
“God-daughter.”
Those words served to deflate Rainstorm’s innocent demeanor.
“Oh, fine.” The mare huffed before raising her voice for Seamus’ sake. “I rescind my question sir and ask another. Is this my room or his?”
“Plush bed, sitting cushions, best furniture in the inn… yours obviously love.” He said with a dismissive wave of his hoof.
“I do believe I like you Seamus.”
“Hey, hey…” He said, raising his hooves in a teasingly defensive gesture while his wicked smile returned. “I have a wife and kid, though your admiration IS flattering.”
“Shame, if only I’d been here...what...20 years ago?” She said with a wicked smile of her own and a gaze that suggested such a lascivious intent that it would make most stallions weak at the knees.
Onyx chuckled behind his hoof as Seamus quickly became flustered and started attempting to stammer out some sort of reply until Rainstorm started laughing, delighted at the quickening heartbeat of the stallion.
“Don’t worry, my devilishly handsome innkeeper. I’ll play by house rules… for now.” She said, sticking her tongue out playfully at the stallion before ushering both him and Onyx out of the room. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. There are things a lady needs to tend to...alone.” Rainstorm promised with a wink and closed the door on a blushing Seamus and an amused Onyx.
“What’s wrong, Seamus old chap? Find yourself in over your head, did ye?” Onyx teased, poking the stallion in the ribs to break him out of his shocked stupor.
“A-aye… that I did. Where in the name of Faust did you dig her up?”
“Manehattan, well over a century ago. Place wasn’t much to look at then, but it certainly had its fair share of my kind, and hers for that matter. But if we’re gonna get into that story…” He said, reaching into his saddlebags and pulling out the scotch he’d pulled off the stallion Rainstorm had sated herself with.
“Methinks a round or two would be a good idea. Yea?”
Seamus nodded vigorously. If it was one thing the stoutly built stallion enjoyed, it was a good drink with a good friend.
Though a good fight didn’t linger far behind.
Before the stallions could turn to leave though, Rainstorm’s door flew open.
“Turns out I wasn’t in the mood for…bed.” She confessed suggestively at Seamus, “At least, not yet.” The mare was, of course, talking about sleep.
However, the innkeeper didn’t need to know that.
“Hey now, I know it’s a tough task to keep a mares eyes off my husband, but leave the saucy talk to me?” A mare said humorously as she rounded the corner, a large smile on her face. It appeared as though she liked Rainstorm’s sense of humor.
“My apologies...um, what’s your name? I’m afraid your husband hasn’t said.” Rainstorm spoke warmly as she addressed the new mare with a smile.
“Figures that this big lug wouldn’t mention me!” She said, poking him hard in the ribs with a hoof before turning back to Rainstorm.
“Emerald Melody and yours my dear?”
“Rainstorm. Might I say your name is entirely appropriate. I haven’t seen such beautiful green eyes in years.”
Now it was the mares turn to blush a light shade of pink.
“W-why thank you! Though I dare say your eyes are far and away more beautiful than mine.”
“You flatter me, Emerald. I’m fairly certain my boring brown eyes pale in comparison to yours. Now, tell me, how long have you known Onyx here?” She asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“A little longer than Seamus has actually. We’ve been friends for more years than I care to admit. Makes me feel like an old mare!”
Rainstorm laughed at the mare’s words knowing exactly how she felt.
“Onyx here was actually the stallion who introduced me to Emerald.” Seamus said with a chortle of his own before he gave the two a sidelong smirk.
“Though I’d swear there’s more to the story than either of them will tell me.”
“Oh will you come off it, Seamus!” Emerald said as she started down the hall towards the dining room, Seamus laughing right behind her.
“Is there more to the story, Onyx?” Rainstorm asked while watching the couple walk down the hall.
“I’ll never tell.” Onyx said with a smirk as he turned to follow the couple down the stairs.
“Then I’ll have to ask my new friend, Emerald.” She stated calmly following after them. The vampony couldn’t turn down a chance to learn more about her friend.
Before they reached the stairs, she heard Onyx mumble.
“Careful you don’t bite off more than you can chew lass.”
Rainstorm flew down the stairs and stopped beside him, pretending to bite his ear.
“I’m sure I can handle it.” She whispered insistently before running off after the couple.
Onyx just shook his head as he followed after her, the appetizing scents coming from the kitchen making his mouth water. Whatever arguments there would be later could wait, for now, there was good food to be had!!
Onyx surveyed the table before him and was not disappointed. Salad with a dressing only Emerald knew the recipe to. A loaf of good bread, no doubt with cinnamon. Taking a sniff, he decided that she had used something a bit heartier, but still savory. Some sort of mozzarella ravioli? His nose had never been so good with cheeses. Soup with potato gnocchi… He was floored.
“Emerald, did you know we were coming or something?!” He asked, rather incredulously before a voice he hadn’t expected to hear answered him.
“Nope, but they were expecting ME!!”
Whirling around, Onyx found himself getting tackle-hugged by his god-daughter. Behind him Rainstorm laughed at the powerful were-pony being taken down by a petite purple unicorn mare.
“Nightshade?! Wha-I-?! SEAMUS!! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SHE WAS HERE?!”
“So this is the infamous Nightshade?” The vampony asked of Emerald, “Thank Luna she got your looks.”
“Aye, got her father’s bearing though. That little filly o’ mine will work as hard as any colt around. Hehe, thrashed a few of ‘em too through the years as well.”
“I like her already. Perhaps when she’s done thrashing Onyx, I might get to know her some more but I don’t dare stop her. He needs to get knocked around every once in a while. Have you ever had the pleasure of knocking him about?”
A mischievous gleam found its way to Emerald’s eyes as she smirked.
“Once or twice.”
“You simply must tell me. I don’t know nearly enough about my friend.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t really open up to many ponies. Guess it comes with the territory though. When you’re like he is, you don’t want to see the ones you care about hurt, so the less they know the better. At least, that’s how he explained it to me a few times.” Emerald said with a sigh.
“NOW!!” She exclaimed with a distinctive motherly tone to it.
“I’ll not let you lot go hungry or all this food get cold! To the table with ye if ye want to eat!”
Nary a second later, everypony including Rainstorm, was at the table, awaiting the household matriarch to find her seat. It was clear to her who really ran the inn and she knew better than to get in the way of a gaelic mare and the family meal.
When Emerald had taken her seat beside the head of the table and Seamus had taken his own at the aforementioned seat, the younger looking ponies followed suit. Rainstorm could feel the sense of tradition that the family had, and that even Onyx shared. It was comforting for her to see such a thing still being done in Equestria. Though it also sparked something in the back of her mind but she didn’t pay it any heed. Deciding, instead, to focus on the delicious meal in front of her.
Each pony filled their plates to overflowing, and started eating with ravenous abandon. There was no pomp and circumstance to be found at the table, though there were no manners lacking either. Even Emerald was tucking into her plate of ravioli and bowl of gnocchi soup with proper gusto.
Upon clearing his first plate and starting to put more salad onto it, Onyx turned to Emerald.
“New recipe on the gnocchi soup, Emerald?”
She nodded.
“Aye, mare out of Trottingham gave me one recipe, another from… Oh, where was it Seamus, darlin’?”
“Baltimare.” Seamus said as he reached for another slice of the freshly made loaf of bread.
“Aye! Baltimare! Anywho, neither one of them seemed right, so I decided to start mixing the two recipe’s until what you’re now scoffin’ sits in front of ye!”
“A beauty and a culinary genius. I’m impressed.” Complimented Rainstorm as she devoured a bowl of the soup, in the most lady-like of ways though.
“Ah, ya have to be around here! Ponies will try to gripe your ears off if’n ya don’t have good food on the tables. Though I will say that the food in the inn’s dining room isn’t NEARLY as good as this. Put some real time into this, I did! So I’m glad you’re enjoying it Rainstorm.” She said with a smile.
“Indeed I am, Emerald. I can’t imagine you’d get any complaints for your food though, even the pub food you claim to be subpar compared to this.”
“Mom’s cooking is known all over these parts as the best around. Can’t tell ya how many times I caught ponies looking for her recipe book!” Nightshade said with a chuckle.
“Oh, I’m sure. Do you cook, Nightshade? When you’re not saving the ponies of Equestria, of course.” Rainstorm asked kindly.
“Saving the ponies of Equestria?” Nightshade laughed, “Afraid I’m just an intern for now, but yes, I do cook. Not nearly as well as Mom though. There’s just always something about how she cooks it… I can’t figure it out!”
“You will in time, Sweetie. Now then, enough chatter! Eat up before it gets cold!” Emerald said, motioning for everypony to go back to their plates.
The rest of the dinner passed rather quietly, only the clinking of silverware against plates and bowls filling the cozy dining room as the five ponies ate.
As the last of the food disappeared, Emerald stood and began collecting plates.
“Let me help you with that.” Rainstorm said, starting to collect the bowls and followed Emerald into the kitchens.
Turning to Onyx, Seamus gave him a goofy grin.
“I’m tellin’ ya lad, I think that’s the best I’ve eaten in a while!”
Nodding in confirmation, Onyx brought out the scotch bottle and two small glasses from his bag.
“Aye, good food with good company. Can’t beat that!”
The two mares had just walked back in as Seamus raised his glass.
“To good food, good company, and beautiful mares!”
Neither of them paid the large stallion any mind… until he slapped them both on the flanks as they walked by.
In that moment, both mares spun in nearly perfect unison and punched Seamus so hard his chair fell over backwards.
“SEAMUS!!”
“How dare you!”
As the two mares stormed off towards the kitchen, Emerald muttering something about getting the both of them some caramel covered shortcake, Onyx raised his glass towards the twitching stallion; glad Rainstorm had the sense to hold back on his friend.
“To good food, good company, and beautiful mares.”
As he tilted his drink back, he heard a voice from beside him.
“Hey, Uncle Onyx?”
Looking over at Nightshade, he smiled.
“Yes?”
“Rainstorm is kinda awesome.”
Onyx laughed. “That she is Nightshade. That she is.”
