The Visitor.

Chapters

Chapter one. Obscure dreams (second edition)
Chapter two. Dust to dust.
Chapter three. Feline.
Chapter four. Tea and cakes.
Chapter five. Consummation. (a bit NSFW)
Chapter six. Examination and temptation. (rewritten on July 22th 2016.)
Chapter seven. The importance of dinner.

Chapter one. Obscure dreams (second edition)

I still remember the dream, even though I was just a filly then. It was always the same, and it always started the same way.

I was walking through a forest. It was a bright and shinyday. The sun did not dazzle me like it usually does, and it was warm and nice. I was happy.The forest looked like one of the forests that surrounds our mansion, but not exactly like anything I could recognize. I walked on a small path, through birch, oak and even a larch. I heard birds sing far away. I did not see any living thing, but I wanted to see all the little birds and bunnies, so I went further into the forest to find them.Then, a glade opened in the forest, and I saw a small cottage. It looked almost like the little house in one of those fairytales Mom used to read for me. It was so small and cute, I just had to go inside.Inside, it was much darker. I began to get a bit scared, but I had to go further inside. Inside the hall were three doors. Two were closed, but the door to the kitchen was open. I never went into the kitchen, though. I wasn’t supposed to. There was a stairway in the hall... I climbed up. Every time I climbed up, there was another hall at the top of the stairs, as well as a single door open. I looked through a window; there was still day, but the colours had faded. I was scared, and I knew there was something peculiar on the other side of the door. And I knew I had to go in.I walked in the room. I was scared, but I knew I had to.And suddenly, everything was light, and funny again. The room was filled with toys and dolls. Just the kind of dolls I loved! One of them was an earth pony with red mane and a blue dress. The other was a unicorn. She had a purple and blue mane with a sweet little horn. She wore a white dress. And then there was a Pegasus. She had a purple mane, and pretty tiny little wings. I played with them for a while, and then I saw that there was a cute little bunny in a cage. He was white and beautiful, almost like an angel. I took him out, put him in my lap,and stroked his fur. It was so soft.Then, she was there. I did not hear her coming. Suddenly, she just stood there in the doorway. She was the most beautiful mare I ever seen. She was almost as tall as Mommy, and she was a unicorn. She wore a bordeaux-coloured dress striped with gold on the edges and with a pattern of garnets over the midsection. Her skin was pale, almost white. Her mane was long; it almost grew to her ankles and blended with her tail. It was dark purple.And her eyes. They were blue, like the ice that covers the bay at winter at first, but when you'd keep looking they would change, and it felt like looking at the sky on a cold winter evening, when the light blue passes into deep blue and purple. I was lost in her eyes. And then she spoke. She said, "Hello. Do you want to play?"I just nodded. I couldn't speak.And then we played, all through the day. How she could play! I was happy. We played with the dolls, mostly with the little unicorn. We named her “Sweetie”. “Hi, I am Sweetie,” shesaid with the doll’s voice while she moved it, making it look like the doll was talking. “Do you love me? I love you.”“I love you too, Sweetie,” I said.“Really?” she said, still with the doll’s voice. I nodded, and suddenly I was getting scared. I couldn't say why, I just was.“Really?” she said with her regular voice. I stared at her. Her eyes were black as the night, and her smiling mouth looked more like a grin than a smile. Then she took up the doll with the red hair, and started to talk with the same voice that Nana has. It was so funny, I just had to laugh and everything was fun again.But sometimes, I caught her staring at me with her eyes wide open. At first I wasn’t especially moved by them, but for every time I found her looking at me, her eyes had turned pitch black, always a bit more than last time I looked. It felt like she was looking at me like a cat that sees a fat lovely mouse.And then, she put her arms around me. First, her hands went all over my face and neck, like she couldn’t see me and wanted to feel how I looked. Her touch was soft and gentle, but her hands were cold. I couldn’t help shivering."I love you," she said. Then she moved her hand over my neck and shoulders until they landed around my waist. I found myself in a tight embrace. She held me with one hand, the other was caressing my wings, and she nuzzled my mane.“I love you,” she said again. “I want you to be mine.”I liked being hugged. I liked to hug Daddy, and I liked to hug Nana, and I liked to hug Mommy... But this wasn't that kind of hug. It was a lover’s hug, never wanting to let go. I was already scared, and this didn’t make me feel calmer. Her grip around my waist hardened. “I love you. I want you to be mine.”And the she kissed me. First on my forehead, then my cheek and then… she kissed me on my muzzle. The lover’s kiss, hungry, eager, wanting. I was frightened beyond belief. I wanted to go home. I yelled for my Daddy, for Nana, for Mommy. But she didn't let go of me. She kissed me, again and again. “I love you. You shall be mine. You must. You MUST be mine!” she said.Then she opened her mouth wide. There was something weird with her teeth; it looked like she had fangs, just like a cat. She smiled again, but not a sweet smile. “I will make you mine,” she said.She leaned her mouth over my neck. I felt her teeth pierce the skin and the blood started to flow… And then I heard the sound of…slurping.I screamed.And then I woke up.

Equestria, A.S.D 1879The G&D Friendship Express was moving through the hilly landscape of Middle Equestria with the impressive speed of 25 mph. Young Miss Fluttershy Le Clairvaux was sitting in a first class compartment, with her eyes absentmindedly staring at the passing landscape. Hills, meadows, even small streams passed without getting a second look from her.The travel home from Canterlot University was the most dreadful part about her studies, being a three hour ride with the train, and then one hour in a dog-cart from the Ponyville station to the mansion. She could already see the stains of mud on her dress. Not that she was particularly vain, but the stains were a premonition of the things to come. Ponyville. Her father’s mansion. Her mother’s coffin. The funeral. And the thing she feared the most: the dream.Oh, yes, the dream. Fluttershy drew a deep sigh and sank back into her seat. She remembered everything all too well. She had been a young filly of six when the dream first occurred. She remembered the first night, how she had been screaming for at least half an hour until her mother could calm her down. The next night was the same. The third night she flatly refused to sleep in her own bed, and for one week she alternated between Nana’s bed, Mother and Fathers bed, and even Applejacks bed. During this time she slept without any dreams, which was nice. Then her parents made her, though she needed a good bit of persuasion, sleep in her room again. However, in spite of her fears, the night was calm and her sleep was undisturbed. Over the weeks, she forgot about it, and the dream disappeared to the back of her mind. And then, after three months, the dream was back. But this time, it did not withdraw with Fluttersh moving her resting place and from that day and two years forward, the dream haunted the poor girl. Sometimes she would have one or two calm nights, only for the dream to return with a vengeance on the last day. Her father sent for doctors, specialists, even healers. Nothing helped. And so, after two years, as a last desperate attempt, they sent her away, believing that a change of environment would help.So at eight years of age, Fluttershy found herself for the first time on the train to Cloudsdale boarding school for young Pegasi. At first this seemed like a total disaster, however. The shy and sensitive filly was not prepared for the tough hierarchy of a boarding school, and instead of waking up crying, she went to bed crying. The dream was indeed gone, but that was a lame comfort, and she couldn't wait until the Nightmare Night break so she could go home to her parents.But, back in the safety of her home, the moment she laid her head on her own pillow again...the dream was back. For one night, two nights… At this point, Fluttershy was tired to death of her life. School was hell, and at home, the dream kept her from sleeping.But her parents persisted, saying that she needed her education, and since the dreams were gone at school, there were two good things balancing the scale. So away she went. However, luck was with her, because the first day of school after the break, she got her first real friend. The daughter of General Dash, Rainbow Isabelle. She was a tough mare, revolted against the system, and was the first mare to compete in the Heptathlon against Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. And Fluttershy was dragged along with her on most of her crazy ideas. At the end of the first term, she had made a lot of friends, but three of them was more dear to her than the others. Except for Rainbow, there was Ditzy and there was Surprise. Ditzy "Derpy" Doo was the daughter of Sir Dodger Doo, President of the Equestrian Postal Service. Surprise was not a noble pony, her parents were tradesponies. But that didn't matter to Fluttershy, because Surprice was always happy, always cheerful, and always there to put a smile on a pony’s face. That meant more than ancectry, and at the beginning of the second term, for the first time in her life, Fluttershy felt alive. No bad dreams, no scary forests. Just good friends.However, elementary school ended. It was hard when the gang was split up. Rainbow and Surprise went to military school and stayed in Cloudsdale. Ditzy was intended to be a good catch in an arranged marriage, so she was going to Fillydelphia to study linguistics, music, and needlework. Luckily for Fluttershy, her parents were more modern than Ditzy's. She wanted wanted to study medicine, and with her parents’ support, she went to Canterlot University. At first, she was worried how she was going to survive without her friends. However, the self-esteem she had won in Cloudsdale had made her stronger, and the years at the university were actually fun. She made more friends, and her social skills improved. Life was good. And for over nine years now, her nights had been calm. The dream was long gone.But not forgotten. It was only sleeping in the back of her mind, just waiting for the right moment to return. Six months ago, a devastating blow had fallen on poor Fluttershy in the form of a letter from her father. It was brief and straight to the point.Your mother is dying. Come home.She rushed home, as quick as a train could leap, but it was too late. The poor mare went home to say goodbye and was greeted by a coffin, metaphorically speaking. She did not leave the dead body for hours. She cried and cried, for she had indeed loved her mother very much. When she at last collapsed by exhaustion, she was carried into her room by her servants.And that same night, the dream returned.Fluttershy woke up in panic and fear, and as soon as it was possible, she returned to Canterlot. There, she was safe, she believed. She was in such hurry, she even flew with her own wings to the station. She was, however, not used to that much physical activity, and she almost crashed onto the roof of the goods expedition. She spent the train ride with a bottle of wine, only to doze off and the all-too-familiar dream to come to her again. So, when she arrived back in her dorm, she buried herself with work, hoping to drown out her thoughts. And it worked in a way. When her mind was occupied with work, the dream was gone. But it wasn’t really a life worth living, she could not see her friends and she did not participate in any festivities. Even her beloved animals had to be pushed aside. Once or twice she broke down and cried. She cried over her mother. She cried over her life. She cried over the dream that didn't let her mourn in peace. She cried over the inevitable faith that had taken away her loved ones.But finally, her tears dried. She could not cry anymore, and spring break was approaching. So was the funeral, and another letter, asking her to come home. She didn't want to go home, but Fluttershy was a well-bred mare, and if she wanted to honor her mother, she had to go home. She also wanted to support her father. So, with her heart beating like a hammer, she went to the headmistress’ office, asking for a few more days off, with the funeral taking place three days before the official spring break.She desperately hoped that the headmistress would say no."Of course, Miss Le Clairvaux. I will release you from your duties and classes for two full weeks. Trust me, I know what you are going through.""No, you don't, you old hag!" Fluttershy wanted to scream. "You don't know how it is when you are all alone, with nightmares driving you crazy, and you can’t tell Monday from Saturday!"Instead, she said, "Thank you, Miss Inkwell,” and left the office.Fluttershy sighed at her memories and her headmistress. She reached over to her bag and took out the first letter from her father. Today, it was three months since when it was delivered, and tonight, it would be three months since it all started again. She read the letter a couple of times, and sighed. She wondered whether the dreams would be more frequent or just as annoying as always. And here she was, eighteen years of age, on the Goree & Dapheated train 478 choogling closer and closer towards Ponyville. A young, beautiful mare with a pink mane flowing over her back and well preened (and hardly used) yellow wings. If you were to ask a bystander for his or her opinion of her, that pony would say, “What a beauty! That’s a mare with no problems in the world.”And they would be so mistaken. The actual reason she had left Ponyville in such a hurry, and her aversion of going back, was not really the fact that the dream was back.It was because the dream had changed....I am back in the cottage, in the room with the dolls. I don’t want to play with them. The bunny is gone too. It is not bright and shinyas it was before. It is dark, even outside, and a candle is burning in the window.And there she is. She is as beautiful as I remember. But this time, she is wearing a white dress. And around her neck is a golden necklace with a single ruby inside. It’s glowing red in the dark, and it is shaped like a heart.“I have been waiting for you, my love. I have been longing for you, and here you are now, with me again.”She sits down next to me. She takes my hand with one hand, and caresses my muzzle with the other.“You are so soft and young, my love. So full of life. So beautiful…”She takes me into her embrace again. Once again, she’s nuzzling my mane and playing with my wings.But this time, the feeling is different. It feels… good. Good in a strange way. My breathing gets heavier, and I start to feel warm. The feeling starts in my stomach and moves down to my unspeakable parts. This is a feeling I never before have felt. It’s getting warmer and warmer, with every movement of her hand.Then she kisses me. But this time, I do not hold back. I kiss her back. I want to taste her, have to taste her. This kiss… it feels like it will last forever.“I love you, Fluttershy. I always have. Do you love me?”My whole spirit is screaming, “DON’T!” but my body is in charge now. My body opens my mouth, and I whisper, “I love you” in her ear. She kisses me again. Now she’s let go of my wings, and is touching my body in places only I have touched before.And now her hand is moving up under my dress, under my petticoat, under my…“Do you want me? Do you want me to touch you?”“Yes,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.“Then I will. But it comes with a price. Are you willing to do something for me in return?”I have no contol anymore over my mind or body. I just want her hand to keep moving up...“Yes…” I whisper. “Yes.” I say a bit louder, “Yes!” I scream. “I’ll do anything for you!”She looks pleased, but she is not satisfied yet. “You must belong to me, and me alone. You must let me set my mark on you, not one, not two, but three times, to show everypony that you are mine.”“I belong to you! Now and forever!” I scream, crazy with this aroused feeling.“Then, my love, I will do as you wish.”She opens her mouth, revealing the fangs. Her fingers have moved ...

and when she touches... her fangs pierce my neck.

I can hardly breathe. I feel more exstatic, more alive than ever!And then I wake up. I am covered in sweat, and I am blushing deeply. What have I done? I gave in to my dark desires… And I liked it....

Chapter two. Dust to dust.

The moment Fluttershy stepped of the train, she immediatly felt safe seeing a familiar face. There, waiting for her next to the Hansom Cab was Macintosh Smith, butler and coach runner at Everfree Mansion. He was the son of the old butler, and had taken his fathers place only three years earlier. The Smiths had been in Fluttershy’s familys sold for generations, and the tradition withheld, with Macintoshs younger sisters Applejack being the mansions chef, and Applebloom being her mothers, and from now on, Fluttershy’s Chambermaid.

But closest to her heart was Nana. Nana was Macintoshs grandmother, and she had been the nanny of both her mother and Fluttershy herself. Now she was pretty old, and she stayed in the house more as a gesture of gratitude for her services, rather then actually doing work. But Fluttershy loved her almost as much as her mother, and to come home without Nana being there just felt wrong.

Macintosh greeted her in his normal, down-to-earth way.

“Evening, miss Fluttershy. Yer wanna head home straight away?”

“Yes, Macintosh, I would prefer that.”

“Alright then, miss. Just get up and we’ll be there in no time.”

Macintosh put on the harness and trotted away. Soon they had left the small town of Ponyville, and were passing through the woods. The Everfree forest was a pretty large forest, spreading itself over nearly 900 acres. Ponyville was placed almost in the middle of the forest, at the bank of the River Gleeful. And on the other side of the river, with its towers rising over both the forest and Ponyville like four gigantic watchmen, was the Everfree Mansion. The family estate of the Le Clairvauxs, and Fluttershys home.

The mansion was located only a few miles from Ponyville, but that was if you draw a straight line on a map. The road to get there was at least the double, to overcome the difference in level, and even though Macintosh was strong and fast, it took almost an hour to get there. Not that the road was boring, it was quite a picturesque journey. Following the road almost the whole way was a small stream, that on at least three occasions switched side of the road. The bridges that crossed the stream were old, built in stone and covered with moss. After one third of the route from Ponyville, the stream widened into a small pond, used by the foals of the town for bathing and fishing. Fluttershy remembered that her father enjoyed to take a sit near the bridge to watch the young ponies play. Made him feel less old, he used to say. when two thirds of the route was passed, the Ponyville water mill was placed on the left side of the road. From Ponyville to here, the road had been in the state of constant ascention, and Fluttershy could hear Macintosh let out a sigh of relief.

They had now been going for over three quarters of an hour, and the stream was rippling as happily as always. But Fluttershy felt cold. The shadows from the trees felt like they were closing in on her, and every little glade where the sun came through the leafs was a relief for her. But there was also another reason. On her right was the ruin of the old mansion. She knew very little about it, only that it had been abandoned some time after the Nightmare War. She had visited the place once with her parents. As she remembered, there was only one wall left standing, and that was the old facade, with the front door still visible. How ever, straight over the old door, two gothic windows with pointy edges were staring down at visitors, like the empty slots in a grinning skull. Some of the corridors had the floors intact, and the old chapel still had some of the stained glass-windows left. But Fluttershy couldn't shake of the feeling of the windows constantly staring at her. They were evil. They wanted her to go, and if she didn't... Her father had to carry his panicking daughter from the ruins, and they had never visited it since. For now, it was just a small unpleasanty on the route to the mansion.

She draw a final happy sigh, when the mansion came into sight. The road went on towards Hooveston, another hours joerney to the west, and from there, it continued to Baltimare. This meant that the road made its way almost the entire way round the mansion, and though the main entrance faced towards Ponyville, you actually approached the mansion from its backside. And, caused by bad planning, this made the outhouses and the old barns holding the mansions livestock being the first thing a visitor would see. The Mansion was built in a Gothic style, with four slim towers surrounding the main building. It was almost a castle, with the stream doubling as a moat. Outside the west wing, the stream widened into a small lake, which the road also crossed on a relatively modern wooden bridge. The entrance also had a drawbridge, never raised in the years Fluttershy had been living there though.

As they came in to the main court, they were greeted by the whole household. Her father embraced her, and she gave him a kiss on his cheek. Applejack gave her a steady handshake. Some ponies saw that as disrepectful, but Fluttershy knew Applejack to be an honest mare, as down to earth as her brother, and she saw it as the highest of honours to shake her hand. Applebloom curtsyed, and Nana gave her a warm, motherly hug. Even though she was not related to the Smiths, she'd always seen them as part of the family more than servants, and even if Applejack always refered to her as "Yer Ladyship", Fluttershy always thought of her as her very first friend.

The first thing she did, other than with a blush asking Macintosh if he would be so kind to bring her luggage to her room, was to go to the west outhouse and say hello to her pets. Fluttershy loved animals. They were her life, her happiness, her call in life. While other parents gave their kids candy or toys to comfort them, Fluttershys parents gave their daughter small wounded animals they had found in the forest to take care of. Never was their daughter as happy as when she had a new animal to put under her wings, figuratively speaking. To this date, she had 31 pets. And she loved them all.

As usual, her father sent Macintosh to make her let loose of her animal friends, and get dressed for dinner. Blushing as always, she excused herself for the butler "Oh, but an hour goes really quick nowadays, don't they?". His only reply was a small smile. Dinner was light, and since she had travelled far, she withdrew straight after the coffee, and went to her room. The comfort of familiar faces, and the happiness of seeing her animals again, only lasted that long, however, and her fears took charge of her again. On the way to her room she passed her mothers study. By old habit, she shot a quick glance inside, but when she found the familiar chair empty, her grief came back. And with the grief, came her fear for having the dream again back.

She was afraid of falling asleep, and she tried to fight sleep reading Professor Yearlings latest book “Finding the Saphire Statue; an expedition through the jungles of Neighcaragua”. And though the professors narrative was both animated and rich, in the end she fell asleep.

She awoke in the middle of the night. She had dreamt, but there hadn’t been the usual dream. Instead, she had been standing outside her castle. The beautiful mare had been standing behind her, she didn’t turn to see her, she just knew she was there.

My love, may I come in? May I enter your house, just once?

"Of cource you may", she had answered. She heard the hoofsteps approach, but all of a sudden she was no longer outside of the castle. She was in her bed. The window was open. Strange. It had been closed when she went to bed, of that she was sure.

But now...something was coming in to her room. Something big, and black! Fluttershy gave out a small “meep” and hid under her quilt. Slowly she lowered the quilt to see what it was. Now it was standing in the middle of her room. It was a cat. But bigger than any cat she’d seen before, it was as big as a calf, and its eyes were a cold blue. Fluttershy felt like she was a mouse, caught in the pantry. She was frozen with fear, and when the cat approached her bed, she did nothing to escape. She couldn’t move.

To her surprice, the cat started to groom her. Fluttershy was used to cats, she liked the feeling of a small, rough tongue on her skin. However, this tongue was the size of her hand, and it didn’t satisfy with just licking her hand or arm. It licked her all over both of her arms, up her neck and especially on her throat. It spent the most time grooming that part of her, while its big paws effectively prevented her from moving her arms in defence.

It lay itself comfortable next to her, and started to purr. Fluttershy was scared, but she couldn’t help it. She started to stroke the cat. The purring went louder. Then, the cat turned its face down to her chest. It started grooming her again, starting at her throat, moving lower, until it reached the brim of her nightgown. It paused its licking, and with its paw, it ripped the gown apart, to reveal Fluttershys bosom for the world. Fluttershy had felt its claws scratch her skin and… She noticed that that cat had stopped licking her, and was staring at a point right between her breast. Fluttershy locked down, and saw a small scratch, were some tiny drops of blood appeared.

Fluttershy raised her head again. The cat had not moved its focus, it was staring intensively

at the small wound. And then, all of a sudden, it opened its maw, hurled its head forward, and bit her. The pain of fangs piercing the skin was sharp and painful, but rather quick. The wounds were small, but they were bleeding quite a bit. To Fluttershys horror, the cat started to lick the blood up. It did not eat with quick pace, like a normal cat. Instead, it moved its tongue oh so slowly over the wounds. It seemed to taste every drop like she was a well-aged red whine, and because of its tongue, the wound kept open, Fluttershy watched the cat eat with disgust, but she still couldn’t move.

After what seemed to be hours, the cat was finished. Then Fluttershys paralysis suspended and she pushed it violently out of her bed. It did no attempt to go back, it just looked at her. And she heard a voice in her head.

That was the first mark. Do not worry, my love. We will soon meet again.

Then, the cat jumped out of the window, and Fluttershy must have faded of to sleep. Because from that point on, she remembered nothing.

...

The morning was a bit of a blur for Fluttershy. She was feeling weak after the night, but she blamed the dream. It hadn't been as scary as the usual one, but it was disturbing. It all had felt so real, but it had to be a dream, because there was no wound on her chest, although she remembered every detail of what the cat had done. Also, the window was closed when she woke up in the morning, with the hooks in their places. The window could not be opened from the outside. And still... no, she had to let it go. She had her duty. Nana had been concearned for her, but she persisted on attending the funeral, so she went down for breakfast. She managed to eat a little, and then she retired with Applebloom to get dressed. She had not been spending very much time with the young filly, but her enthusiasm and joy soon spread to Fluttershy, and although they were dressing for a funeral, it actually was quite pleasant.

However, that feeling was gone all too soon. It was quite a crowd that attended the funeral, her mother had been a very popular pony, and many members of the lower classes had her to thank for financial support or the possibility of education. The funeral was to take place in the castles own chapel, and the court was therefore filled with ponies. And when Fluttershy walked out from her quarters, she could hear the whispers of the commoners.

“Isn’t that…”

“Oh, by all that’s wonderful, that’s young lady Fluttershy. Haven’t seen her around in ages.”

“…Poor thing. She looks absolutely devastated…”

“…She’s beautiful…”

“…she haven’t been home much. I’ve heard things about her and her mother …”

“… needs her education, Burt. I’m sure that’s nothing else that vile talking…”

“… came home some days after Lady Le Clairvaux’s death, just to RETURN to Canterlot only after a few days…”

“…Makes one wonder, don’t you think? I said to…”

“… looks so sad… You can’t fake that kind of sorrow, can you?”

Fluttershy felt like she only wanted to scream at them. "You don't understand! I did love her! I did! I just had...these nightmares..." No, she had no intention of making a faux pas. She shut the rest of the world out, and just tried to walk in a straight line into the chapel. But if Macintosh and her father hadn’t been next to her, and Nana holding her hand during the walk over the courtyard, it was more than likely that she would have fainted and fallen to the floor. Now she had made her way into the chapels porch, and the ponies around her now was from the upper classes. Now she needed to pay more attention, or at least pretend she was listening.

“My condoleanses….”

“Sorry for your loss…”

“She was a wonderful pony, just wonderful…”

"She will be very missed, I assure you..."

To each and everyone, she uttered a small “Thank you” or things equal. She tried not to read to much into the looks she was getting, but it was hard.

Finally, it was time to take her seat. Her father sat at her far side. He had been crying, she could see. Poor Daddy. They were so alike, but convention never allowed them to share their emotions. She knew he was a shy and unsecure as her at heart. Mother had done wonders in making him the “Master Le Clairvaux at Everfree Mansion” that the public required. What was there to be of him now?

Next to him sat Nana. She did no attempt to hide her tears. And even now, when the old woman was crying her heart out, she still had most of her concears about Fluttershy.

“There, there, young miss.” she said “keep up that brave face now. Yer making yer mother proud”

Was that really what she wanted to hear?

On her right sat Macintosh. He was as calm and stoic as always, but she could see his eyes flicker at times. He was not untouched by the situation, although he tried to keep it down. Fluttershy just wanted to lean to her side, rest herself against Nanas shoulder and sleep this whole shindig over. But that was not possible, there would be a huge scandal if that slipped out.

There was also the opportunity to lean herself against Macintosh. She did admire the tall, silent butler at a distance, and for engaged ponys there was no convention against showing affection or support in a church, was there? No, but they were not engaged, they were not even lovers. Even though Fluttershy had let her eyes rest on him occationally, she would never have dared to approach him romantically. A well bred mare courting a servant? Now that would be a scandal, if anything was. A small voice inside of Fluttershy said “To Tartarus with conventions…” but a small voice was easy to silence. And all of a sudden, a picture from the dream came for her eyes. The mysterious mare caressing her wings, kissing her, and touching her... The warmth she had felt in her lower regions shot up inside of her, and it took all her self control not to give out a heavy panting in the chapel.

As an attempt to keep her mind busy, she let her eyes wander over the rows of benches. She could recognize almost everyone.

There are the Pieux family from Stone Manor… it is always sad to see miss Pinkameana with her hair straight… and there is Duchess Lullamoon and her husband whats-his-name-again… small and pretty ugly. Married him for money probably… And there is General Dash with his wife and their youngest.. It was really sad that Rainbow couldn’t make it… damn Saddle Arabia. And thats Miss Heartstrings with her companion Miss Tyler. They look like a married old couple. And that’s … that is...but… Who is… that?

Fluttershys eyes were stuck on a tall mare sitting alone, but for a young man with green hair, in one of the benches in the back. She was wearing the expected black dress, a small hat and a veil, which showed very little of the pony beneath, but there were some details about her that Fluttershy couldn’t neglect to notice, as she got a glimpse of her neck, and a bit of her mane peeked out under the hat.

She’s so pale… like…like alabaster. And mane…that dark blue nuance…To bad I can’t see her face properly through the veil…

At that moment, the mare raised her head and turned her face towards Fluttershy. She couldn’t see the face especially well, but she did see the eyes.

Those eyes… blue…and black… and purple…its almost like…like…. The warmth was coming back again, and...

Then the church organ cut off her thoughts with a mighty chord, and Foalés "Requiem" filled the church. The attendants arose, and began to sing.

"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine Solaris;

et lux perpetua luceat eis..."

She forced herself to follow the conventions of the mass. It felt like a cold shower, but it was well needed, and at the right time as well. She had been under almost the same influence as in the dream...

But she couldn’t be… could she?

...

Fluttershy could hardly wait until the final words of the Communio was sang and the Funeral was over. It did take some time for all the ponies to exit the church, but when she finally had the liberty to trot werever she wanted to, she started looking for the mysterious mare. At first she couldn't see her, but then she found her, not too far from where Fluttershy stood. The mare was standing in a shady part of the courtyard, next to the same green-haired stallion sitting next to her in the curch. No, it was no stallion… more like a lizard or dragon-boy… strange. She was talking with him in a quiet manner, but she seemed to feel that Fluttershy was coming towards her. She lifted her veil and smiled at Fluttershy. Not surpricing, she was the one to speak first.

“Darling, my sincear condolences. I did not knew your mother personally, but my mother and her were close. You must feel awful, dear.”

The mare took Fluttershys hand in a distinct yet very caressing way, and her eyes was fixed on Fluttershy. The young mare could hardly hide her blush, but she did not turn away her face. It was impossible, she could not draw herself away from those eyes. A long time, they were just standing there, but finally, Fluttershy got control of herself again, but her voice was fairly unsteady when she responded to the other mare.

“Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind me asking...what is your name?”

“Oh, but where are my manners. My name is Rairty. Countess Rairty Van Bellemont. It’s a pleasure to meet you, lady Fluttershy. A real PLEASURE.”

Her smile was to much a grin to be considered friendly, and her voice… it was off in a queer way…

It almost sounded like she was purring.

Chapter three. Feline.

In the short moment they had after the funeral, The Countess had been doing most of the talking, and Fluttershy had been doing most of the listening. When she later that day tried to recapitulate what she had said, on the other hand, she had almost no memory of it what so ever. A bit about the weather, her mother probably, and…

She did remember the Countess saying “Oh, but that is the loveliest dress you’re wearing. Black is almost always a total dread, but ... " and something about the lack of wardrobe alternatives when attending a funeral. It did seem like the Countess really didn't care if Fluttershy answered her or not. She just wanted her attention.

And her attention she had. All Fluttershy could do was staring into those eyes that kept mesmerizing her.

It wasn’t until Macintosh came over to them that the spell was broken.

“Ehrm...m’lady, yer father called for yer. It is time for the reception now.”

“Oh… yes, yes of course. Macintosh, this is Countess Van Bellemont. Countess, this is our butler, Macintosh. He's been with us for over ten years.”

Why did she introduce them? It was the complete opposite of what the etiquette sad, but for some reason Fluttershy found it important. Was it perhaps the slightly annoyed look the Countess gave Macintosh? Like she needed to defend her butler from somepony dissaproval of him just doing his job?

Macintosh didn’t react on her slip at all, but the Countess raised a curious eyebrow at her.

"Well then, darling" the Countess said dryly "This is MY butler, Spike. He is, as you see, a Dragonborn, and he has been in my service for... five years I think. But he is young and strong and very servile, I assure you. Shall we compare servants more, you think?"

Fluttershy panicked. She needed to quickly cover her mishap, but she felt like she just had been awoken from a long sleep, and she didn’t know what to say at all. She desperately tried to get her brain to work, but at that instant she felt extremely dizzy, and her surroundings became blurry. Ponyfeathers, now wasn't the time for being sick! At this very moment, the only thing important was to please this beautiful mare. She couldn't upset her, or she might… well, do what, exactly? Fluttershy really couldn't tell, except for the feeling that you do not irritate the Countess unless you are ready to face the consequenses!

The moment she laid her eyes on Macintosh again, her hooves where on solid ground, at least for a bit. The calmness of her butler brought her back to where she was. There was to be a reception, a reception where her presense was necesarry.

“The reception… yes the reception!" There was the answer, invite the Countess! "Eh...Countess, will you be accompanying us to the reception? It would be an honor to have you as our guest.”

The Countess gave a smile and waved her hand.

“Oh, dear, it would have been an absolute pleasure, but I am not that close to the family, and I would never break a social gathering for my own sake. But I do say we must meet again! Yes, we must! I will be staying some time in Ponyville, at The Cranky Doodle Inn. Ah! Tomorrow! Tomorrow you and I will share a Thé Complete at the petite café next to the station. Do not say no, darling. Tomorrow at two o’clock! Be there, please!”

Even though Fluttershy sighed with relief that the Countess was still in a good mood, that hailstorm of words was a bit over her head, and she could only stammer low:

“Tomorrow...at two o’clock….I will... b-be there.”

"Well, ta-ta, for now then! Spike, come here! We must leave the family to their guests!"

The dizzyness kept trouble Fluttershy, and when she turned to follow Macintosh towards the entrance, she stumbled on her hooves. Macintosh had to grab her arm and hold her steady not to fall over.

“M’lady? Something the matter?”

“Oh...Oh...no, Macintosh. I’m just feeling...let's just get inside as soon as possible, please?”

Macintosh said no more, but his face told a different story. He was indeed worried about her. She didn't think her unstable condition would be visible on her, but apparently she looked like a train wreck. If Macintosh gave visible concearn, it was to be taken serious. And he was not the only one to notice. She saw how some of the guests looked at her with confusion and concearn. And since it was members of the upper-classes, some of them looked at her with disgust. Fluttershy only wanted to hide from their eyes, she only wanted to unfold her wings and take cover, like a frightened duckling. But as usuall when she was nervous, her wings ceased to function totally, and she was left as prey to everyponys eyes.

It was such a relief when She saw Nana and her father coming towards them. Nana took Fluttershy's hand, and pushed her gently into a small recess. Macintosh closed the curtain behind them. Nana had that look Fluttershy remembered from her youth, when she had fallen down the stairs because she was to eager to play with her pets, and her voice had that exact mix of scolding and tenderness: “Now, young miss! Ya look weaker than a dog that has been drinking a mug of hard cider! Yer should not have taken such a big risk to attend here when yer were feeling ill! Why didn't ya say yer were feeling under the wheater? That is not the behaviour of a sound filly. Yer must retire to yer room immediately! No, no objections! Macintosh, you take the lady straight away and put her in bed."

“But Nana, the guests…” Fluttershy tried to protest.

“The guest will entertain themselves, my girl” father said. “I agree with Nana, you must rest. The journey and the funeral must have gotten you harder than we thought, and it was incautious of us forcing you to attend." He was silent a while. Fluttershy was pouting at him, and he continued with a much softer voice: "Please do as Nana says. My evening will be much easier if I know that you are safe and takes care of yourself!”

You didn't force me, I wanted to come. Fluttershy thought to herself. A bit of a half-truth, she admitted, but she DID love her mother, and that's what counted, didn't it? Well, there was no use in protesting, she could read that on Nanas and her fathers faces. With nothing more to say, other than to obey, she tried to walk away, but her hooves was still unsteady. She felt dizzy, and she leaned against the wall with her face in her hands. In an instant, she found herself lifted by the strong arms of Macintosh, and after additional fifteen minutes later, Fluttershy found herself tucked up in bed by him. How he managed to get her out of her dress without really looking at her was a mystery to Fluttershy, but she was now dressed only in her undergarments and her mane let loose. It was nice, but still...

“Now get some rest, M’lady. Ah’ll have some dinner sent for yer. Try to relax.”

Fluttershy didn’t want to relax. She felt angry. Who did they take her for? Some delicate flower that snapped at the first breeze? She sighed. To be honest, she was. She was a delicate flower that couldn’t really stand on her own at times. That was probably why Rainbow liked her so much. She never said no. Everytime Rainbow visited Canterlot, she had some stupid plan she thought would be "fun"... And Surprice was the same when she came by. She always had some get-together to attend, and Fluttershy tagged along. And Derpy always sent letters. And then there was her Canterlot friends, Moondancer, Fleur de Lis, Cherrilee and that Istallian mare, Vincenza Scratch, who was as crazy as Surprice and always dragged her in to her crazy schemes like Rainbow...

Okay, perhaps she was a doormat. But in that case she was a doormat with a rich social life!

Suddenly, Fluttershy felt cold. What was this, throwing insults to her family and affront her friends in their absence? She blushed, and hid under her blankets.

In her solitude and darkness, she quickly realised what her problem was. She missed her friends. She gave out a silent sob. And then she started to think about the countess. Such a strange pony. She seemed so very kind, and yet there was something... strange and offensive about her. Down at the courtyard she felt the strange and contradictory feeling of both fascination and the want to escape. She did look like the mare from her dreams, but...she had been... okay, scary, but... she had been kind and loving. She only wanted Fluttershy to feel good. The Countess... She on the other hand seemed more like a hungry wolf. Well, she would have the chance to get a deeper impression of her tomorrow. If she got nothing else out of it, Le Pince à Sucres Thé Complete was always enjoyable, and that was actually worth a queer meeting with a strange pony. And with that thought, she turned of her mind and slowly dazed of to sleep.

She dreamt of teapots.

In the afternoon she felt a bit better, and not even Nana could stop her from taking care of her animals. She attended supper as her normal self, and spent the evening with her father and the staff in the library, sharing stories about her mother and simply remembering her as the fantastic mare she was. This felt much better than the gloomy funeral, and it was actually with light steps she went to her room after supper. She feared that she once again should have to fight sleep, but to her surprice, it came to her quite easy. Soon afterwards, the mansion was dark and silent, save for the snoring from Applejacks quarters.

Some hours passed. Down the valley in Ponyville, the clock in the Town hall stroke eleven, and the faint "ding" was heard even at the mansion. Some rabbits were moving over the road, a fox was peeking out from a bush at the edge of the forest, and even a moose could be seen moving through the night. The rest was silent, except for a rustling of leaves.

But all of a sudden, everything went dead silent. There was not a movement, almost like nature itself was holding its breath. Waiting for something to occur.

And suddenly, a black figure eloped from the Forest. It was as dark as the night surrounding it, with a mane floating from its head like a piece of the night sky itself. It walked from the forest along the road, until it stood almost in front of the mansion. There it stood still for a moment. The fox slowly aprroached it. Instantly the figure turned its head to look the fox in the eye. The fox gave a small whimper, and then heel-turned back into the forest. Every other animal did the same, and soon, there was no wild animal in a two-mile distance from the mansion. In their cages, Fluttershys pets shivered in fear. The figure grew a smug grin. Then it slowly the figure seemed to dissolve and vanish from the ground. In its place, a thin smoke appeared, that slowly floated next to the wall and up to the third floor. There it hovered a bit, until it found a window. There it started to slip in between the windowframes.

In that moment, Fluttershy awoke. She had not heard anything, but she felt that something was off. The rooms only light came from the moon, making squares on the floor, but the rest was darkness. She saw the smoke coming from the window, she saw it grow thicker, she saw a figure materialize in front of her. Fluttershys heart took a lep over a few beats and she gasped at the figure. Large, like a big calf. Long tail. Sharp ears. Eyes as blue as the winter morning sky.

The cat was back.

She expected herself to be afraid, but surpricingly, she wasn’t. Instead she felt the cat being a familiar sight, and she felt a warm feeling inside. She didn't know where it came from, but it was pleasant. She gave the cat her most welcoming smile. “Come here, kitty. Come to Fluttershy.”

The cat wasn’t late to react. It jumped up into her bed, and lay itself comfortably next to her. Streching the full of its length, the cat reached almost down to her hips. Fluttershy stroke the soft black fur and schratched it behind the ears. The cat was purring. Fluttershy felt calm and quite happy. There was nothing scary with a cat. Even though it was big.

“You are a beautiful kitty. Yes you are.”

Then she found the cat looking and poking at her chest whit its left paw. It did sting a bit, but not to much, and when Fluttershy looked down, she saw that the wound from last night was back. Not only that, small drops of blood was sipping from it. She looked at the cat again. It was licking its lips, and the pupils had become thinner. At that moment Fluttershy remembered what the cat did to her last time. Once again, she surpriced herself that the thought of the cat dringking her blood didn't upset her. Actually, her feeling was the opposite.

“Oh, poor thing. Are you hungry?”

The cat didn’t move, it only kept licking its lips.

“You must be hungry. Please...let me feed you.” Fluttershy tore of her shirt, revealing her upper body, but this time, she wasn’t ashamed. A poor creature needed her, and Fluttershy never put her life before an animal.

“Come kitty. Come to Fluttershy. Feed of me” The last part she only dared to whisper.

This time, the cat moved closer to her, and started to eat. It didn’t bite her this time, and the small pain of the wound was soon concealed by the strange feeling of the cat feeding of her. It felt good, and Fluttershy almost pushed the cats head harder onto the wound. Her breathing had also become heavier.

She even let out a moan, even though she knew this was so wrong in so many ways, it just felt perfect!

Then the cat stopped feeding, and moved on to lick her face instead. Then it looked Fluttershy in her eyes.

"Do you want to stay her with me?"

The cat nodded.

"I want you to stay. Come, lay down her next to me."

Fluttershy put her hands and her wings around the cat. They were both purring with satisfaction. The last moment, before she fell asleep, a strange feeling came over Fluttershy. It was almost as the weight of the bed changed, and it felt like she wasn't stroking a cats fur, but a mane. Before she could react, she heard a voice in her head.

I am yours, and you are mine. Sleep well, my love. Sleep well...

And then, the clock struck twelve.

Chapter four. Tea and cakes.

The Countess was already seated at a four-pony table in the corner when Fluttershy arrived, and although the table was overwhelmed with trays, cups, boxes and asietts, she still was ordering her dragonborn servant for more stuff.

"Spike, darling, please bring me some more raspberry jam! No not that colour on the napkins, I said dark green, that's moss green, darling. Make sure the samovar keeps its temperature!" "They're out of cream? How dreadful! *sigh* I guess we have to settle with milk. Oh, but there you are, Fluttershy DARLING!

Please, have a seat! Let's see if we have everything... Canapés, scones, cupcakes, éclairs... Hmmm... Will that be enough?" "Oh, please darling! Do not restrain yourself, a lady shall have their curves to be really beautiful. And your hips darling, très magnifique! Spike! Spike, serve Lady Fluttershy her tea! Now let’s begin la fête! "

Canapés with Dandelions, Buttercups, Daisies, Salmon and Caviar. Cupcakes with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and even such exotics as cloudberries and buckthorn. Scones, straight from the oven with melting butter inside and éclairs, filled with the most delicious chocolate and vanilla cream. Fluttershy could have eaten for hours. She was worried at first that her sweet tooth would create an awkward silence, but the countess kept the conversation alive, through the eating.

"Please, Miss Le Clairvaux, don't be so formal! Please, just call me Rairty. And I will call you Fluttershy! So! Spike! Spike, have a scone.” “No, you may not have an éclair! So, you have any gossip from Canterlot? Oh, these cupcakes are the best! I must order some to bring home."

The Countess took a long sip of her tea, and let her eyes wander over the café. Fluttershy followed her. Le Pince à Sucres had a large variety of customers. There were farmers, eating hearty sandwiches with strong coffee, the clerks having soup or a pie for lunch, kids buying candy and young lovers who didn't care what they ate as long as they had each other. And watching over all was the Gâtaeu Family, with monsieur Gâtaeu in the kitchen, Madame Gâtaeu at the counter, and their kids Kilogramme and Citrouille working as servants.

The Countess took another sip, and started to speak. "Look at all them ponies. What do we really know of the ponies we have around us? We see only the outside, but who they really are...of that we know nothing. Look at those two, playing domino in the corner. They look like two ruffians. But who knows? They might just be unfortunate stallions who fell down from a roof and damaged their clothing. Or the family over there? They look so united, but who knows? They may be fighting like wolfs when no one’s looking, or never saying a word to each other in private. And the old couple in the corner. The look fairly respectable, but who knows, they might have been wild lovers as young, then separated by cruel fate and just now, in the autumn ears reunited? And then there’s us."

She leaned closer to Fluttershy and whispered in her ear:

"One may think we've just met, but we have known each other for a long time, haven't we? Oh yes." And then, she lightly touched Fluttershy's cheek and whispered even lower "My love"

All Fluttershy's vague ideas suddenly jumped to the conclusion. The Countess ... Rairty...was the white mare from her dreams. How could she been so stupid? In retrospective, it was pretty obvious.

"That is why I am here, my love. I want you. And you want me."

Fluttershy didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to scream and run. She looked around the café for support. There was at least four stallions in the cafe, including Mr. Noteworthy and monsieur Gâteau. She could cry for help, they would come to her rescue, nothing more would happen. There was just Rairty and Spike! No match for four... But there was also the other part of her, the part that wanted those fingers to go lower... She let out a small "eep", and blushed, equally of fear and lust. The Countess draw back her hand and looked at Fluttershy with what had to be mock concern.

"You do not look well, my dear. Perhaps you need something stronger..." Rairty took a small flask from her purse and filled a cup by a third. "A Prussian speciality, my dear. Two thumbs ice cold Vodka, topped with steaming hot tea and some honey. This will... Oh, dear, the tea's gone cold. Spike, be a dear and heat up this tea, darling?"

Spike arose from his chair, inhaled, and green fire erupted from his mouth and Nostrils. Soon the samovar was glowing with heat, and he poured a cup of boiling tea into the cup of Vodka.

"This will do you good, dear. I suggest you drink it slowly, though. It might be a bit strong."

Fluttershy took the cup, and resigned. Rairty could do magic. Of course she could, she was a unicorn. And Spike could breathe fire. Of course the Countess had noticed her thoughts about escape, and decided to show her strength. Fluttershy sank into her chair. She was cornered. Damn her sweet tooth to put her in this situation. She sipped her tea. The taste of the alcohol was strong, yet smooth, and the warmth wrapped itself round Fluttershy’s stomach like a warm blanket. She suddenly felt at ease, and the warmth from her unmentionable parts spread.

"You look much better, my dear. So, what do you say? Shall we be... friends?"

"Yes...yes, Rairty. I would like that. Very much" Fluttershy felt like one of her pets meating a superior opponent, and she behaved like an animal as well. Roll over, show that you´re not a threat. Play along.

"That's good, dear, that’s good. Just one thing, though."

Once more she took her hands and locked her eyes on Fluttershy.

"When we are such GOOD friends, you invite me to your house, don't you?"

Fluttershy was once again mesmerised by the eyes. They were so deep blue and so beautiful. She felt that she would, from this moment on, do everything in the world for this mare. If she wanted the moon, she would give it to her. And that voice. Melodic and insistent. Like a promise, "I give you more of this, just do as I say". She was so taken in by the whole appearance she could only nod in responce. However, this was apparently not enough for the Countess.

"Darling, I need to hear you say yes. I will ask you again. May I come and go as I wish, with your permission to do so?"

"...Yes"

"Good. And why do you give me that permission?"

"Because... I love you...I want to do everything for you. my love. "

A satisfied smirk appeared on the Countess muzzle.

"Good. Good. I'm looking forward to see all of your house. Ah, look at the time! We must not miss supper! Lets retire, shall we?"

The spell was over the moment Rairty spoke. Fluttershy felt dizzy again, and a bit ashamed. Why was she speaking so frivolous? Why did she feel like she wanted to do Rairtys every biding? No, she was not going to give in to her that easy again!

The Countess paid for their treats, and also ordered another bag of those exotic cloudberry muffins. "Thank you so much, monsieur Gâteau, I will definitely come back to your wonderful petite établissement." Fluttershy waved. Soon she found herself and the Countess in her dark green landau, with Spike in the harness pulling them away from Ponyville at an incredible speed. He was much smaller than Macintosh, but didn't lack any strenght, quite the opposite.

On the way up, Fluttershy thought about the Countess. She was a mare with many faces. Gentle. Rough. Kind. Reckless. Well-bred. Rude. A real lady. A succubus.

And how much she tried to deny it, Fluttershy loved every part of her. She loved her voice, her eyes, her mane, her lips. Yes, those lips. She wanted to feel them, touch them, kiss them... NO! SHE was NOT raised that way. She was a good mare. But oh, how hard it was to keep the breath steady.

The road home took just a little over half an hour, and that was lucky for Fluttershy. Ten minutes more, and she would have jumped the Countess. Rairty, on her side, made no attempts at her. She talked about the wonderful muffins, and the wheater.

When they drove into the courtyard, a big blue barouche was parked in front of the main gate. It had two emblems, the royal mark of Princess Celestia and the mark of the Equestrian Army, airborn wing. This apparently made the Countess uneasy, because it took a bit of persuation to get her inside.

Fluttershy found the guest in the Library, drinking Port with her father. The guest was an elderly Pegasus stallion, with huge grey mustasches. The countess looked downright repulsed, but Fluttershy greeted the guest heartily. "General! How nice to see you! Did you bring the family? Pray tell me, how is Rainbow?"

The guest was indeed General Dash of the Equestrian Royal army. He was an old friend of her father, and also the father of Fluttershy's best friend, Rainbow Isabelle Dash.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Fluttershy! No, my wife and young Scoots left for Canterlot by train yesterday. School, you know. I had some business to take care of nearby, and I decided to make a quick stop here on the way home. Rainbow is very well, she wanted me to tell you how sorry she was for not attending, but you know how it is... for an officer, her country always comes first. But she sends her condoleances, and hope that you will see her on her next leave."

"Please tell her that I will be delighted to meet her and..." Rairty cleared her throat very loudly. Fluttershy blushed at her annoyance. "Oh, I'm sorry Countess, how rude of me. General Prism Dash, this is Countess Rairty Van Bellemont. Countess, this is Genreal Dash. And you have met my father."

Mr Le Clairvaux kissed the countess hand with a Chevaleresque gesture, but the General stood as turned into stone. He stared at the Countess, like he could not believe his eyes as witnesses. "I'm sorry, Miss... what was your name again."

"Countess Rairty Van Bellemont", she replied with a voice cool enogh to froze a lake. The General was still staring, but with great effort, he got control of his limbs again, and kissed her hand, although his movements where a bit stiff. "Delighted to make your aquaintance."

"Very nice to meet you, Gentlemen. Now, Lady Le Clairvaux, shall we leave the Gentlecolts alone? We hade some things to discuss..."

"Oh... Oh, yes... yes of course! Let me show you... our garden, Countess."

They had been walking for some time, Fluttershy had shown Rairty her pets, and the greenhouses. Then the had walked by the pond, and the Neighponese Rock Garden. The Countess had been polite, but not really interested. She spent most of the time trying to hold Fluttershy's hand, which Fluttershy did her best to avoid. As they walked through the English garden, Rairty suddenly exclaimed:

"Oh, such a lovely berceau! Lets go inside, shall we?"

Fluttershy had never heard that word before, and she was confused. "Sorry, Rairty, but...what did you call it? It's just a shrubbery."

"Call it whatever you want, darling. It's secluded. Perfect for confidences. And we NEED to talk."

They sat down on the grass. Fluttershy placed her self a good distance from Rairty, but she moved after her, sitting barely a few inches apart in the end. Then Rairty put her arms around Fluttershy, who let out an "eep", but didn't move. Neither did she remove Rairtys arms. They sat in silence for some time, and then Rairty said:

"You are so beautiful. I do hope you know that."

Fluttershy blushed and turned away her head. "p-please, there is nothing special about me"

The frown on her mouth was audible in her voice when Rairty answered.

"Darling, PLEASE. Don't give me that crap. You are tall, curvy, you have excellent taste in clothes, you have beautiful eyes, and your mane and tail are in perfect shape. You. Are. The. Most. Beautiful. Mare. In. Equestria. Remember at the cafe? Did you not see the eyes on the stallions, how they turned around after you? Did you not see the jealousy in their eyes when you sat down at my table? Oh, Fluttershy... You are such an innocent little delicate flower. Perhaps that is why I love you."

Once again Fluttershy turned away her head. "Please, Rairty...don't talk like that."

"And, pray tell, why shouldn't I? Are you ashamed?"

Fluttershy was silent. "Oh. So it is so. You are ashamed. You fear the opinion of others. And yet, you

want this."

She moved her muzzle closer to Fluttershy's ear, and whispered. "Such beautiful fur... just waiting to be touched. Such beautiful cheeks, just waiting to be caressed. Such beutiful thighs, just waiting to be parted. You want this, I know. I can give it to you. So what do you say? Are you mine? Are you my little pony to play with and love forever?"

Fluttershy had stiffened. The moment Rairty had started to whisper, her voiced had changed to a hungry purring. Rairty took her hand and scratched her hand like her nails had been claws. Fluttershy was scared to death, and yet, she wanted to stay. She needed to stay. Rairty whispered again "I love you, you beautiful creature. You excite me, you make me lust for you, you make me want to feel every part of you. You can try to run, I will find you. You can try to slip from me, my arms will not lose their grip. You are like the mouse, and I am the cat. You can try to escape my claws, darling, but before morning, I will have you between my teeth. I will not let anything stop me from having you. Nothing!"

Rairty had let go of Fluttershys waist and started to caress her neck instead, and when she said "nothing", she had kissed her neck, letting her teeth gently touch Fluttershys skin. Fluttershy jumped in her seat, and let out an "eep". She wanted to run away, she wanted to fly away! This mare was dangerous, and she needed to escape! Rarity was a unicorn, she couldn't follow her into the sky, and... Fluttershy suddenly noticed how her wings stood right out on her back, ready for flight... Or mating. She realized that most ponies would interpret her behavior that way, and she blushed heavily, trying to calm down. Rairty leaned back in the grass with a smug smile.

"My, my... your wings speak more than your mouth, apparently. You need to control yourself, darling. People might get the crudest ideas of you." She leaned foward again, and whispered "I certainly do... Let me take care of you. I will not hurt you, darling." She licked her lips hungrily. "not more than I have to, anyway." And the she kissed her. Fluttershy felt the kiss burn on her lips. It was godless, it was sinful, it was against all common sense and it felt so good that she could scream. The moment their lips parted, Fluttershy already wanted another.

She leaned forward, opened her mouth, and...

"Miss Fluttershy? Countess? Are ya'all in there? Dinners ready!"

Fluttershy had actually flewn over the bush to Macintosh, and the walk back to the mansion had been silent. Macintosh shot them both queer glances, but said nothing.

Inside the mansion, they found Fluttershy's father sitting in his favourite chair, chin in hoof, apparently in deep thoughts.

"Father? What seems to be the matter?"

"AAAHH...oh...hi, Fluttershy. Oh, it's nothing. Just some business. Go on, take a seat. Dinners ready.

But as the two mares made their way to the dining room, Mr Le Clairvaux stood there, looking at them and thinking. The General had told a strange story, indeed...

...

As the mares left for the garden, the General was still staring after them. Mr Le Clairvaux gave his old friend a worried look. "What's the matter, Dash? One might believe you saw a ghost."

"Well... I'm not convinced I didn't... You don't have anything stronger do you? I think I might need it."

"Of cource! Let me... Macintosh! Please bring us two Whiskey and two Appleschnaps!"

"Make a double one for me!" the General added.

They sat down in silence, and when the liquior came on the table, the General emptied his whiskey in one draw and asked for another one.

"So Dash, what is the matter?"

"Oh, I will tell you... And it is a bit foolish of me to react this way, but... Its strange. Really really strange. It was over 55 years ago. I was a young colt of seven. I was sent away to relatives in Baltimare, to spend summer. It was not a big family, My uncle and his wife, a young filly my age named Flitter, and an older sister... "

The General got lost in in memories, looking at something far away in the distance.

"Hah! I was so young I didn't even know what cooties were, and me and Flitter played from morning to evening. I saw very little of the older sister on the other hand. Her name was Northern Light, by the way. Very beautiful, I could say, even as a seven year old. Well, we did kids stuff, didn't really spend much time with the rest of the family. But I do remember one day. It was a beautiful day, we were sitting outside. We were playing, uncle and his wife had a glass of wine, Northern Light was sewing... and suddenly, a mare came walking towards us. 'I'm sorry to disturb you like this, but I met with your daughter yesterday. She invited me, and as I passed through the neighbourhood, I thought, why not?' She was polite, and hearty, but... there was something about her... couldn't really say what. Well, Northern Light introduced her, and they decided to go inside to chat in private.

When I think about it now, I wonder if it wasn't actually the mare that suggested it... Northern Light just tagged along. Well, anyway, over the next few days, that mare where a daily guest in the house. And her influence on Northern Light grew, in just a week she changed her wardrobe, her interests... she even persuaded her to take a Phrench class! Well, uncle decided it had went a little too far, and he asked her to leave. Well, the mare did so. She showed up one last time, telling she was going to Trottingham. That same day, Northern Light didn't come down for breakfast. And when she finally showed up at lunch, she looked...pale. Drained. She told us nothing was wrong, but... Good whiskey, this. Now, where was I...

Oh yes, the day after that, she didn't come down at all. They had to break into her room. And there, the poor girl lay. Almost, but not quite dead, with a strange wound on her neck. She had lost an enormous amount of blood, and it was pure luck that her life could be saved. The day after though... Then they found her dead. All the blood drained from her body. I was sent home immideately of cource. I never heard anything about it afterwards. But there is one more thing, that only I know. When I was sent to my room to pack, I found Flitter in tears. She was scared out of her mind, I tried to comfort her, but she kept repeating 'I thought it was a dream...I thought it was a dream...she will get me...she will take me! She will kill me!' Well, it took me some time, but I managed to calm her down. And then she told me she had been up last night. She passed her sisters room, and heard strange noices. The doors was closed, so she peeked through the keyhole. Inside the room she saw her sister. She was bleeding from her neck, and that white mare was sucking the blood from her. And then, the white mare must have noticed something, because she looked up, straight at Flitter. The poor girl ran straight to her room, how she managed to fall asleep I don't know. But she told me, she had a dream. A dream about the white mare. She bit her aswell, and said something like...not a word, or I'll come for you. Makes me almost shiver when I think of it. How much do I have left in the glass?

Oh, I needed that one. Well, that was it. Pretty strange indeed, and I was convinced at the time that Flitter had been dreaming everything. But... five years later, I heard she died... no details but... and well... over the years... I have been thinking, there was something strange about that mare. But tonight, well... I thought I lost it. Because you know what? It is impossible, because, well... it was 55 years ago, so she should be in her 70's by now. And yet, this mare can't be a day over 25. But that white mare that came with Miss Fluttershy looked EXACTLY like that mare I met at my folks. She had the same mane, the same eyes...even the same demeanor. And then there was the name. The mare from today called herself Rairty Van Bellemont. The other mare's name was Rytair Von Belle. Close, but not really the same. And yet, it still feels like they are connected, you know."

Mr Le Clairvaux hadn't touched his glass during the Generals story, but now he emptied it in one draw as well. "Macintosh...give us two more. And make mine a double too. Dash, that was some story. Do you think I should..."

The General shook his head, a bit embarassed it seemed.

"No no no...it is probably just an old stallions imagination that gets the better of him. It's probably nothing. Oh, it's getting late. I'd better be flying, if I want to reach Cloudsdale before Dusk"

...

A bit to sudden, as he was running away from something he feared, the General had made his leave. That was another part of the reason the story had left a mark on Mr Le Clairvaux, and from that moment, until Fluttershy startled him, he had been thinking. And now, as he stood in the hall, with the whole story fresh in memory, his eyes were on the Countess.

"Fantasy or not, I'm keeping an eye on you... Do not try anything fishy in my house... Countess Rairty Van Bellemont... or whoever you are."

Chapter five. Consummation. (a bit NSFW)

The dead of the night. Everypony in Everfree Mansion was asleep. There were snores and bedsqueaks from every part of the house, except for one.

In her room on the third floor, Fluttershy lay awake on her bed. Her feelings about Rairty took turns keeping her head and heart occupied.

In an attempt to fall asleep, she concentrated on the supper. Rairty had been her overflowing conversational self. There hadn’t been a dead minute. The only intermezzo had been her refusal to eat the entrée, Applejack’s carrot soup with tomatoes and basil. An Italian dish, Fluttershy thought that it suited the countess perfectly, but she had but sniffed it once and then asked for something else without any explanation. And she had persuaded Fluttershy to avoid the soup as well. “Tomatoes are bad for your skin, darling. Oh, and ... well, not a big thing but ... I can’t stand anything that includes garlic. It ... gives me headaches. And if we are to be such good friends, you will have to avoid it as well. And yes, I am that sensitive. I wont be able to spend time with you if you eat this.”

So, she had skipped the delicious soup and went with a Cucumber Sandwich instead. It was still good, but …

The room became darker. That strange mist floated in from the window. The mist took the form of the cat. The cat walked towards her, and when it stood next to the bed, it took the form of Rairty.

Fluttershy blushed. She was prepared for Rairty to come to her, but she wasn’t prepared for Rairty to be naked. Rairty moved slowly towards the bed, her hips and tail swaying. Fluttershy could hardly look at her. She sat down on the bed and stroked Fluttershy’s hair.

“Good evening, my love. I hope you have been waiting for me.”

Rairty took Fluttershy's hand and placed it on her own chest. Fluttershy gasped and quickly removed her hand.

"Come on darling, touch me ... Your hands are so soft," she whispered. Fluttershy moved her hand slowly. Rairty’s white fur had felt so inviting and attracitve, but Fluttershy just felt clumsy now. She wasn’t sure where to put her hand and held it hesitantly in the air between them.

“Oh, but dear … are you that nervous … Let’s play a game!”

Rairty placed herself on the floor on all fours. Slowly, she walked up to Fluttershy.

“Miao. I’m a nice little white kitten. Pet me!”

When Fluttershy didn’t make a move, Rairty poked her with her head just like a cat.

“Miao … pet me. Pet me, please!”

That did make it feel easier. Fluttershy started petting her “cat” behind the ears, and then she stroked the fur on her back. Rairty purred.

“Miao. That feels so good … let me come closer to you.”

Rairty laid herself down next to Fluttershy, facing her. Maybe she wanted Fluttershy to touch her belly, but … it still felt awkward. In her books, ponies were always instantly 'having their nipples exploding in delight at the mere sight of perfectly rounded thighs and promising lips'. Fluttershy didn’t feel any explosions at all. She let her hands move over Rairty’s back and arms, but she didn't dare to touch her breasts or her butt. And least of all her … flower. She withdrew her hands and just looked at Rairty for a moment. And in that moment, things changed. She noticed how Rairty’s fur shimmered in the moonlight, her curves accentuated by the canvas of the dark room. Her mane was floating around her head, and her tail was pointing out teasingly between her legs. Rairty’s eyes were closed, and she let her hands slowly move over her own shoulders and down her sides. Then, she opened her eyes slowly while she raised her fingers to her mouth and slowly licked them, one by one.

Fluttershy felt the warmth in her body return, and driven by an subconscious will, she reached out to Rairty again. She let her hands move along her mane, letting the silky hair flow between her fingers. She took in every scent of Rairty: her perfume, her sweat, and that strange almost-sweat smell she couldn’t place. An overwhelming lust washed over her. She took Rairty’s face in her hands and pulled her in for a kiss, a short one at first. She came in a bit too hard the second time and accidentally bumped Rairty’s teeth with her own.

“Easy darling, easy. You don’t have to hurry,” Rairty purred.

Fluttershy’s let her lips reconnect with Rairty’s. She let her right hand slide down Rairty’s back, feeling its way down. She slowly moved her hand the length of Rairty’s back, stopping right above her tail, and moving back up, making it rest on her shoulder. But the hand wanted to move lower, and this time it moved beyond the tail and over the soft roundness of Rairty’s butt. It felt so very soft, and Fluttershy spread her fingers out to touch as much of it as possible. So forbidden, yet so exciting. Fluttershy squeezed. Not breaking the kiss, Rairty moaned low at the slight roughness. They changed position so that Rairty was now laying on top of Fluttershy. Fluttershy’s left hand, still only caressing Rairty’s back, slid down to join her right hand on the other butt. Fluttershy was lost in the moment. The neverending kiss that tasted so good, the feeling of Rairty’s fur against her own, the wonderful sweet smell, the wonderfully soft behind. Rairty moaned louder with every movement of Fluttershy’s hands.

At that moment, she felt a short pain in her back. Her wings. They had erected themselves and stood prominently out on both her sides. Rairty opened her eyes briefly to see. She smiled, and her left hand left Fluttershy’s face to move over to her back. Her soft fingers touched the base of the wing. Fluttershy drew a violent breath. And when Rairty let her fingers slide up and down the wingbase, she could no longer help herself. Fluttershy broke the kiss and just lay with her mouth open.

"Nnnnmmmmmooohhhnnnn ..."

Rairty’s fingers responded to her excitement, and made even longer and more delicate movements. Feeling turned on, this new sensation threw Fluttershy into a state of utter rapture. Her spine and muscles strained just to get a little more feeling, and her hips grinded against Rairty’s almost by themselves. She needed more. She needed release so badly now. Her right hand moved away from Rairty’s butt and placed itself over her own undergarments. She touched herself over the clothes. The tension in her nethers eased a bit, but it still wasn't enough. She let her hand slip under the fabric, slowly … slowly … She had broken a lot of boundaries tonight, but to touch herself in the presence of another mare was almost too thrilling for Fluttershy. And that feeling made her even more eager to find her release,

Fluttershy found her hand caught in Rairty’s soft but firm grip. "Darling," she purred, "please do not use your hand on yourself." She bit Fluttershy's ear, soft and teasingly, and whispered, "Use it on me ... and let me take care of you." Rairty placed her hand over Fluttershy undergarments and began to stroke her.

"My my, young lady.” she said. ”I believe you have stained your delicate clothing. I may just have to punish you for that of behaviour later... but for now, let’s just take it off." As gentle as she had been their whole time, she took off Fluttershy's undergarments. Then she took her hand, and stroked Fluttershy’s own gently. "You are so beautiful, my love. So beautiful. I want you so much right now. Come closer." She let go of Fluttershy's hand and placed her own between Fluttershy's legs. She let her fingers dance about, playing with all it could touch. Fluttershy tried to memorize every movement, so she could do this herself later on, or—even better—give Rairty something in return, but the immense pleasure she felt now made it almost impossible to concentrate. Fluttershy bit her lip and moaned.

"Do you like it?” Rairty asked.

Fluttershy could not speak. She could only get a "mhmmm" over her lips.

Rairty whispered "Tell me exactly how good it feels, or I will stop now."

"It feels wonderful. Oh, I … I ..."

"Oh but dear, you can do better than that. I almost get the impression that you don't like this at all ..."

The possibility of not having those wonderful fingers touching her made Fluttershy scream. "No, Rairty! Don’t stop... Merciful Solaris, this feels so good! I … I’m going to…”

She started to grind her hips towards Rairty’s fingers. She felt so close, so very close.

"Oh...ooooh..."

Fluttershy had her mouth wide open, but little sound came out. It was a near-silent scream of bliss, and her whole body shook in the shockwaves of release.

When it finally ended, Fluttershy fell back onto the bed, trying to catch her breath. However, her post-release bliss was cut short when Rairty pressed a kiss to her lips. "Now now, darling. I'm not finished yet. It is most unladylike to leave your love hanging like this ...’

Rairty spread her legs wide, for Fluttershy to see everything. And even though the sight made that warm feeling return to her body, she still couldn’t help but blush and hide her eyes. Rairty smiled. "Oh, my sweet, sweet, innocent little Fluttershy... Don't be shy… Feel your way."

Fluttershy tried to concentrate through her heavy panting and to focus, but it was hard. Her hand eventually found its way between Rairty's legs, and she almost forced three fingers deep inside her, which caused a gasp from Rairty. Her voice was sultry when she said, "Oh my... You are eager … and a fast learner but take it a bit easy ... just two fingers dear … oh yes … and a bit to—”

Fluttershy tried to mimic the movements Rairty had used before. She let the moans of her lover guide her: she let her finger slide against her marehood, let them dive in, then retreat and touch the more sensitive spots.

“Yes ... ah yes … oh that’s so good ... But, my love ... Don't forget my breasts." She folded her breasts towards Fluttershy, who started to caress them with her free hand. That was rewarded with another deep moan from Rairty."Don't be shy darling … kiss them. They're really quite sensitive, and they're longing for you to do ... oooh … oh yes that!" Fluttershy kissed Rairty’s breast all over, and she even dared to take the nipples in her mouth. "Oh yes … that’s good, suck on them, nibble on them like a hungry wolf … aaaah … Oh Solaris, you're really a fast learner..."

Fluttershy’s own arousal was amplified with the satisfaction of making another mare scream. She felt like she couldn't restrain herself, and so she put a hand between her own legs. Rairty thrust herself down on Fluttershy, kissing her and grinding their lips together. Fluttershy pushed herself over the edge, and soon both mares lay there, entangled in each other alms, letting every wave of pleasure ride through them.

As the lay there, nuzzled together in the post-orgasmic bliss, Fluttershy just felt one thing: she hoped she would never have to leave Rairty’s embrace. Her lover, however, had other plans.

"I don't want this night to be over yet, my love. Your kitten wants to play some more ..."

"Oh ... but … Rairty!" Fluttershy could hardly react as her nightgown was drawn over her head and tossed to the floor.

"Miao … I'm a kitten, and I want to feel your fur ... Oh, and that dress, dear ... it is indeed a symbol of your decency. Just one problem …” She paused. Fluttershy waited eagerly for her to continue.

”I don't want you decent. I want you wet and dirty." Without hesitation, She spread Fluttershy’s legs. Rairty moved her body lower, until her face was in line with her flower. She took a deep sniff of Fluttershy's scent and purred hungrily. "Not so innocent as I thought. Under the shy surface hides a full-grown wanting and passionate mare. I am going to make you all mine, so that you never will look to another for pleasure. Now, be still … oh, what to do … oh, yes. Your kitten is going to use her tongue on you, my love." With those words, Rairty dove between Fluttershy's legs.- From that moment, all Fluttershy could think about or breathe was Rairty.

Hours later, dawn came. Fluttershy found herself alone in the bed, every sheet twisted or soaked with sweat and memories of the night. Her clothing was laying on the floor.

She was alone, and she had hard work to face, trying to remove the evidence of the night’s passion, but she found comfort in the Rairty’s last words. “I will come back to you, my love. From this night on, I will spend every night with you.”

...

Some days passed. The rest of the household took notice that Fluttershy was in a much better mood, and they were happy for her. There was one thing, though. She stayed in bed longer and longer every morning, and by the fourth day after Rairty’s first arrival, she wasn’t out of bed until lunchtime.

The scheme for the past days was a long and boring wait for the night until Rairty visited her again. She always came at witching hour. They enjoyed each other, they fell asleep together, but she was always gone by morning. And she never visited during the daytime anymore. But Fluttershy was in love, and she didn’t care as long as she made her scream her name in the night.

The fourth day brought a slight change. When Fluttershy did get up, she and her father brought Macintosh with them to go into town. Applejack was walking in the forest, looking for truffles, and Apple Bloom had her day off and was playing with friends. The only one at home was Nana, who spent her day off in her rocking chair. If one were to ask here, she never was asleep. If one asked anypony else, that was all she did when she sat in that chair.

Nana woke up from an especially long nap. This always made her feel a bit disoriented, and her first feeling, when she saw a shadow move past the window, was to scream “Ghost!” Then she collected herself and went to investigate. To her surprise, it was the Countess who visited the missus some days before. But now she was snooping around, checking the windows. She looked like a burglar reconnoiter. Nana was not raised to suspect the nobles of foul play, but this looked a bit too eccentric to be normal. So, she stepped out through the front gate, and said, “Well, Howdy yer Countnesship! What brings yer around?”

The countess almost jumped, but regained control over herself, and gave Nana a big smile. “Oh, I was just going to pay Lady Fluttershy a visit, when the … ivy caught my eye.”

“The ivy? Nothing special about that, really.”

“Oh, but it is! It is really a decorative part of the mansion. I’d like to grow some myself on my … tower. Anyway, I want to see Lady Fluttershy.”

Nana couldn’t help but shoot the countess a suspicious eye, but she answered calmly. “Ah’m afraid she’s in town with the master and Macintosh.”

When Fluttershy’s mother was young, she always found out her birthday presents in advance and tried to fake surprise on her birthday. Nana couldn’t be too sure, but she found almost that exact tone in the countess’ answer. It was almost as if she very well knew that Fluttershy was out, and that was why she paid her visit now.

"Oh ... That's too bad, dear. I wanted to say goodbye. I am leaving for Canterlot today."

"Well, ah can always leave a message to the miss."

The countess interrupted her hastily. "No no, dear, that won’t be necessary. It will just make her sad."

But Nana was persistent. "Now, yer Countesship, don't ya think the missus will be sadder if she hears about you leaving without a goodbye, or—"

Nana Smith suddenly found herself pressed against the wall by the Countess’ strong arms. She stared into Nana’s eyes. Nana felt like she looked right into her soul. Whatever she ordered, you obeyed.

"Now listen, and listen good! I left today for Canterlot. Do not tell Lady Fluttershy. If you must, tell Mr Le Clairvaux, but not another soul. Do you understand?"

Nana tried to move away from the Countess eyes, but it wasn't possible. "Yes … ah understand."

The Countess let go of her and said, with her usual voice, "Good. Tata for now, Mrs Smith. Who knows, we might meet again." And so, she walked out from the courtyard and left the mansion.

...

When Fluttershy and the others returned, Nana’s first instinct was to say something about the Countess’ visit, but in an instant she saw those blue commanding eyes and stayed silent. It wasn't until Mr Le Clairvaux retired that she thought of it again.

"Oh, yes... Mr Le Clairvaux, there is one thing I have to tell yer."

"Yes?"

"The countess was here today when ya were in town. She wanted to say goodbye. To bad ya weren't at home. "

"The Countess was here? Just to say goodbye?”

Nana looked uncomfortable. “Well, to be honest, sir, ah noticed her walking around in the garden. She tried to avoid beeing seen, it looked to me. Then ah talked to her and … ah don’t really remember, sir. She told me that she wanted to say goodbye and that’s all ah know, Sir.”

“Sneaky... I don’t like this, Nana, I really don’t. If I only could trust that she only wanted to say goodbye ... Have you told Fluttershy?"

"No, sir, she went to bed early."

"Good. We tell her in the morning. Goodnight, Nana."

"Good night, Sir."

...

Night time, and the Countess paid another visit to Fluttershy in her room, and once again, they lost themselves in intense loving. Afterwards, however, something was different. Rairty had, once again, those cold blue eyes that Fluttershy feared, and when she smiled, it looked like she had the same sharp fangs the cat had. Well, that wasn't strange, the cat was Rairty, but ... then, she spoke. "My love, it's time for the next step. For you to be mine completely, I need three things. I need your love. That you willingly gave to me, as I have seen tonight. I need your soul. But I feel that it is too early. Because there is something else I need first. "

Rairty suddenly moved her hand and began to tease Fluttershy's flower. She knew her love head to hooves, and knew exactly how to make her aroused. Fluttershy started panting immediately.

"What … what are you going to do with me?"

"Don't you like it? Isn't it pleasurable?"

Fluttershy bit her lip. "mHHMMmmm ..."

"Are you willing to give me what I need? Do you willingly let me put my second mark on you?"

"Yes! Oh yes ..."

"Good, good. Keep calm. It will soon be over."

Halfway dozed off from the gentle movement of Rairty’s fingers, Fluttershy suddenly felt uneasy, and she tried to move away. The countess noticed, and pressed her body to the bed. Rairty held her face just an inch from Fluttershy’s, and her voice was low and excited.

"You know what the Prench calls the release? La petite morte. The small death. Pretty funny, actually."

"Rairty … what do you want?"

"My love … I want your blood."

Not for a second stopping the movement of her fingers, Rairty opened her mouth and exposed her fangs. Fluttershy tried to scream as Rarity went for her neck. The fangs pierced her skin. She felt her blood stream from the wounds, and she heard Rairty lick it up. The feeling of Rairty’s fingers combined with the feeling of her sharp tongue against the wound thrusted Fluttershy into the biggest release she ever felt. She screamed without sound, as the Vampony fed on her.

Moments later, Rairty left the room the same way as she came. Left in the bed was a mare, almost half of her blood lost. The last thing she said was "la petit morte … please … I want more."

And then her world went black.

Chapter six. Examination and temptation. (rewritten on July 22th 2016.)

Chapter six. Sparkle.

Due to the fact that she had been getting out of bed later and later each day, nopony in the household took any notice when she didn’t show up for lunch. In fact, until it was noticed that she hadn't even show up to feed her animals, nopony in the house suspected anything fishy. And even then, they only sent Applebloom to check Fluttershy up. However, the young maid came back in shock and with tears in her eyes. They couldn’t get a single word out of her, so Macintosh and Mr. Le Clairvaux went to investigate further.

They found Fluttershy in her bed. Her fur was a pale yellow and her eyes were closed. They immediately understood Appleblooms reaction. Mr Le Clairvaux froze, but Macintosh leaned over to check her pulse.

“Macintosh...is she still…”

“Eyup.” Then he was silent for a while. “But just barely”

Mr Le Clairvaux swallowed hard. “Well” he said, voice shaking as he tried to hold down his emotions “The poor filly must have thought her mistress was dead, and by Solaris, she almost looks like she is.”

“Eyup.”

“My poor little girl… what has happened to you… Macintosh… give me a moment alone please.”

“Master, is that...eyup!”

Macintosh left, but he shot his master a worried eye. Mr Le Clairvaux sat down on the side of the bed and just looked at her for some minutes. Then he took her hand, and stroke it. As he did, Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes. They were dim, and almost totally lifeless. Panic erupted, and hadn’t it been for the fact that Nana came in to the room that moment, the poor mare would have died that morning. She saw a brown fluid float from Fluttershys mouth, as she tried to regain her breath. The father stood next to her with an empty glass in his hand and panic in his eyes. He had tried to give Fluttershy a glass of Brandy, however the pale mare was to weak to drink, and the result was that she almost choked on the burning liquor. From that moment, Nana took command. Macintosh was immediately sent for Dr. Turner, and Mr Le Clairvaux was sent to bed courtesy of Applejack. After that, Applejack was sat to guard at her mistress bed until the doctor arrived. Poor little Applebloom, finally, spent the hours in her grannys tight embrace, until the tears stopped.

...

Dr Turner was an old fashioned doctor, who didn’t spoke many words, and the strict opinion that layponys knew nothing worth of knowing about sickness.

The doctor performed his examination with a stiff upper lip, and no word came over his tongue but "hmm". He took her pulse, checked her blood pressure and took her temperature without any change in his demeanour. He was deaf to all questions. But when he had to move her head to check on her eye movement, there was a sudden change. On the side of Fluttershys neck was a strange wound placed, it was a spectrum of the colours red, dark orange and brown in a twisted pattern, with two circular wounds in the center. The doctor still didn't say anything else than "hmmm". But his face gave him away. He was shaken, almost afraid.

He gave Fluttershy a needle of sedative and wrapped up his bag. But in the hallway outside Fluttershy’s room, he stopped.

"hmm...mmm... Mr Le Clairvaux, may I speak to you in private?"

“Well, of course. Please, come with me. But, why…”

“The fewer ears that listens, the better. What I have to say… I’m not sure how to deal with it myself.”

They went into the study. The doctor put down his bag on a table.

"I will start with the good news. I didn't come too late, your daughter's life is saved."

"Oh, thank Solaris! But what is the matter with her?"

"That is a really good question… It is very unusual to lose that amount of blood, and there is no medical explanation… There are a few diseases possible, yes…” The doctor was more talking to himself than to the other stallion in the room. “But none of them covered every symptom. The wound do looks like an animal have done it. But, an animal that size here in Equestria? I find the idea absurd. How much I hate to admit it, there is no explanation to your daughter's symptoms nor in medical or natural science. That leaves only...”

Mr Le Clairvaux swallowed. He did not like what the doctor was implying. If there was no scientific explanation, there was only one alternative left. But he refused to think that thought. It was to fantastic.

“Surely doctor, you are not saying that...” The doctor interrupted him.

“Trust me, I want this even less than you. But I feel that I have to show you my train of thoughts, so you won’t think I’m crazy. Actually, I wanted to prove the same to myself. No medical man should seek answers in the field of the fantastic, but I’m afraid i don’t have much choice… And yet… I still hesitate to tell you everything.” He was silent for a while. “Ah, I have an idea... You see, my theory is so fantastic that I can’t possibly back it up with my brief knowledge of these matters. So I have a suggestion..."

When a skilled and trusted (and conservative) Medical man have issues with a diagnosis, you listen. Mr. Le Clairvaux knew that, and though he felt the doctors words were frightening, all he said was "yes?"

"If you permit, I will send a telegram to Canterlot, to one of my old teachers, Professor Sparkle. She has studied rare diseases....among other things. I am convinced that she will be able to help me with the diagnosis....and hopefully help us with her recovery.”

With that, and the recommendation to keep an eye on Lady Fluttershy night and day, the Doctor left. The afternoon went slowly, and with a great deal of distraction. Nopony ate much during the meals, and they all took turns in watching Fluttershy. At suppertime, there came a message from the doctor.

Received positive telegram. The professor will personally visit you and look into the matter. She needs some preparation, but will arrive in Ponyville the day after tomorrow. I hope I will be there when she arrives, but I probably have a case to oversee. Two things you must remember. NEVER leave her unguarded, and keep the windows locked. When the professor arrives, we will explain all.

Best regards, Dr. Turner.

That night, they all spent the night in the room. When the morning came, they all looked back at a calm night where nothing happened. And the morning came with even better news. Fluttershy was better. She opened her eyes, even spoke a few words and manage to eat a simple breakfast. However, the next day passed as slowly as the day before. Everypony was still worked up by the tension, and Fluttershy was still unable to answer any questions about what happened. She spent most of the day sleeping, and when she spoke, it was incoherent and confusing. The words “cat”, “love” and “blood” were returning, but that didn’t explain very much.

When the evening came, everypony were pretty tired, and it was decided that while it was to early to say the danger had passed, it wouldn’t be necessary for the whole household to watch over Fluttershy. After a brief discussion, it was it was decided that Applejack and Macintosh should watch over her that night. Applejack would watch her until midnight, and then Macintosh should take over.

Applejacks watch was uneventful and pretty boring, especially for a workhorse like her. And Fluttershy still wasn’t much of a company. She was less pale, and she was awake longer, but she couldn’t sit up, and she still spoke like a drunkard. Applejack was relieved when the clock struck twelve and she could go and wake Macintosh up.

Macintosh was not comfortable with watching Fluttershy alone. Since he was no stallion of words, his opinion was quickly overruled, but at this moment, he wished he could speak up for himself better.

“Typical. Once Gran or Jack gets the word it’s impossible for anypony to take it from them”

Macintosh had a secret. He loved Fluttershy with his whole big heart, and had done so for many years. He looked at her. She had woke up a short time after he sat down next to her. She had smiled, and said “Good evening Macintosh. You really shouldn’t have to watch over me.”

He had cleared his throat, and replied “It’s no problem, mistress. Until yer safe and healthy again ah’m not leaving yer side.”

Once again, she smiled. How he loved her smile, just like an angels smile. “You’re all so nice to me… And especially you, Macintosh. So caring…” And then, she drifted off to sleep again. Macintosh was left awake with only a single candle next to him. He felt his thoughts wander away, but he shove them aside.

“No use for silly fantasies, Macintosh. She ain’t for ya. Just do yer duties.”

And so, when Rairty came visiting that night, she found her love not alone, and with a very attentive warden. She cursed silently.

Well, well… I should not be that surprised, really. And besides, this is nothing I can’t handle.

Even though Macintosh watched the room like a hawk, there still were blind spots. He did not see the black fog sipping in from the window and moving to the darkest corner of the room. He did not see how it materialized into a dark, crouching creature either. Rairty smiled to herself. This shouldn’t be too hard. She was a good judge of character, and she had seen, however briefly, the looks he had given his mistress when she wasn’t looking. If she was right, she could take advantage of that. The creature closed it’s blue eyes, and it’s horn started to glow.

Macintosh suddenly found himself filled with warmth and cosiness. He almost dozed off in his chair, but he shook it off him. But the feeling returned, even stronger. And then, he heard a voice.

Macintosh

What was that? He looked around, but saw nothing. He sat up in his chair again, all senses sharpened.

Macintosh

That voice...so sweet and cosy. No. No. It was just his imagination, there was no one there. Nothing to worry about. Maybe he should have a glass of water to clear his mind.

Macintosh

The chair was so comfy… just a quick shut-eye, not much. Just to make sure he could stay the whole night. But the mistress… wouldn’t she complain? And what would Granny say?

Sleep, Macintosh, sleep. No harm will be done to your mistress. You’re watching over her, remember?

That was true. Nothing would pass him. She could sleep safely as long as he was on guard. He was a good servant, just doing his duty.

You’re doing such a good job, Macintosh. Faithfully watching your mistress. You deserve a reward.

A reward? For him? Really?

You truly deserve a reward, Macintosh. You have served your mistress well. You deserve your rest, you hardworking stallion. Your reward, Macintosh, is sleep.

Sleep. Just to sleep. Just a short moment, not much. He had deserved it, hadn’t he? Just a short break, not long… just to...make the night...easier.

Sleep, Macintosh. Sleep. Dream about a beautiful mare. Dream about love and meadows and courting under the trees. Sleep.

Sleep.

Sleep

Soon enough, he was snoring, and Rairty walked over to the bed.

“As I always say, if you want it done properly, send a mare to do it.”

Rairty watched the two ponies sleeping. There was some really interesting stuff she found in Macintosh’s mind. That could be useful later. But for now, it was business as usual. She lay herself in the bed, next to Fluttershy. She put her arms around her, and kissed her. Fluttershy instantly awoke. She smiled, a weak, but happy smile.

“My love… you came back…”

“I promised, didn’t I? I am a mare of my word, my love.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Will you...love me...tonight, like before?”

“No”

Fluttershy couldn’t hide the disappointment, but smiled anyway. “That’s ok. If you don’t want to…”

“I want to. Never doubt that, my love. I want you. I need you.” With those words said, she locked lips with Fluttershy, and didn’t let go until the disappointment had disappeared from her face. “Never doubt my intentions, Fluttershy. I love you, and I will make you mine. But tonight, the lover's duties has to be set aside. I need your help.”

“Anything, my love.”

“Good. Have you told anyone about me?”

“No.”

“Good. Please don’t. Don’t tell a soul about me, or what we have done.”

Fluttershy nodded, but suddenly, she stiffened. “But..my love… why shouldn’t I...are you ashamed of me? Are you ashamed of what we did?”

Rairty wasn’t prepared for this reaction, and was silent, just staring at Fluttershy.

“You are ashamed! I was bad, wasn’t I? I am not good enough, I’m not worthy, I am not…” She started to cry. Rairty couldn’t help but to sigh. She loved this mare, but she was surprised how low her self-esteem could be at times. She started to caress her mane, and kissed her forehead. The crying ceased, and Fluttershy looked at her, with big childish eyes.

“My love, you were marvellous. It’s not about that. I am not ashamed. But darling, we still need to do this the proper way. And you remember when you gave me your blood?” Fluttershy nodded. “Some ponies disapproves of that behaviour. We need to be a bit discreet, and until the time is right, don’t tell anypony about this. Now, tell me darling, have anypony talked about this?”

“Yes… I have been sleeping most of the time. But the doctor was here. He looked worried.”

“Mhm. Anything else?”

“They all sat and watched me the other night. They are so kind…”

Good thing I choose not to come last night, then, Rairty thought. “Anything else?”

“Well… Father said something about a Professor.” Rairty froze. A professor? There was one pony she knew of, that was indeed a professor. And that pony could threw all of her plans overboard. If only everything was prepared, and she could take her with her tonight! But she needed more time... She tried to keep her demeanor steady, but it was futile. Fluttershy had noticed.

“My love? Is something wrong?”

Rairty was silent. There was of course the possibility that this was just something harmless, but… she could not take that risk. She locked eyes with Fluttershy, and hardened her grip on her.

“Now, you listen, my love. You must not tell anypony about me. This is not a request, this is an order. Do not tell anypony! Especially not the professor. Those ponies are...bad ponies.”

Fluttershy replied in a daze. “order....not tell anyone….bad ponies.”

“Good. Good. That’s my good little Fluttershy. Now, I will stay with you just a little longer, and then I will leave. But I will come back to you, never doubt that, my love. Now, rest in my arms.”

Macintosh woke up in a flash. Had he been asleep? Horseapples, he had been asleep! He arose, and looked around the room. Nothing. He looked at his sleeping mistress. Nothing. Steady breathing, just as beautiful as always. He was ashamed to have been sleeping on the job, but, no harm had been done. And now he could keep his watch for the rest of the night. He sank back into his chair, not noticing the black fog sipping out through the window.

The next morning came early with the doctor. He had his bag and a telegram. The telegram said that the professor was to arrive with the 11.27 train, and Macintosh was sent to the station to pick her up. The doctor examined Fluttershy, and to everyponys joy, she was much better. She ate a healty breakfast, and her speach was not as confusing as the night before. The doctor decided that she sould remain in bed until the professor arrived. They had coffee, and Mr Le Clairvaux told the doctor about the strange words Fluttershy had told them.

“Yes… yes, that confirms… no, not confirms but… Well, it suits with my theory. No, I will not tell you more now, the professor will soon be here to tell you everything.” Unfortunately, a messenger showed up. The doctor was needed in the village. And therefore only Nana, Mr le Clairvaux and Applejack was ready to welcome the visitor when she arrived. As Macintosh entered the courtyard and the carriage, a Grey earthmare stepped out. She had a cold demeanour, and she wore a black suit. Daring enough she wore trousers. She looked exactly like they imagined a professor from Canterlot university would look like.

“Ah, professor! It is a pleasure! I hope you will be able to spread some light over this…”

The grey earthmare interupted him.

"I am terribly sorry, but you are mistaken. I am not professor Sparkle, merely her humble assistant. Octavia Melody at your service. The professor found... Something interesting down the road, and she had to take a look. But she will be right here.”

As she spoke, a purple unicorn mare galloped into the courtyard with a hearty smile. "Hello everypony! I am so sorry but I just HAD to follow the eteric trace of an elf. They are SO rare these days. Oh, horseapples, where are my glasses…”

Mr Le Clairvaux had been travelling the world and seen a lot of things, but never had he encountered a more rare species than professor Twilight Sparkle. If Doctor Turner had been there, the house might have been a bit more prepared. Even Fluttershy knew a bit about her. The Professor was a central subject of the gossip at the University. Her students called her 'eccentric'. Most other student called her 'a total nutcase'. But nopony could really describe her in another way than “well...she is Sparkle.” At the university, Fluttershy used to give those students a scolding, but when she actually saw her in person the first time, she was inclined to agree.

The ponies standing in the courtyard this day shared the same feeling. The professor was wearing a black top hat, with a strange pair of thick goggles laying on the brim. On her muzzle was placed another pair of green-lenced glasses which she constantly peaked over (and forgot she was wearing). Her hair was purple with a pink streak, but it was unkept, and flooded over her back like a wild stream. She wore a black suit jacket over a equally black long dress, complete with a corset, and around her waist, she had a dark green shimmering belt. She wore fingerless black gloves, and in her left hand, she held a notepad. Her eyes shifted focus instantly, which gave the impression of attention, intelligence, and total confusion at the same time. There was no other word to describe her than..."Sparkle".

“Oh, there they are... Oh, but my manners! Good day, dear sir! You must be mr. Le Clairvaux. Oh, but what a MANSION! The telekinetic energies here must be… how old is this house? No, don’t tell me don’t tell me… 1674!"

“Uhm… 1690 actually… but, Professor…”

“1690...DAMNIT!”

“Professor, do you want to..”

“What I want? What I WANT? Oh, my good sir, TONS of things! I want to travel the world, I want to succesfully merge a cake with a sandwhich, I want to find THE BEST COFFEE IN THE UNIVERSE! But that is not why I’m here. Octavia, please take care of the instruments. And, my good stallion, thanks for the ride. Are you now capable of the transportation of our luggage?”

“Ahm sorry?”

“Oh, by SOLARIS! Did that lazy horse Turner tell you NOTHING? This affair will take at least three days! We need somewhere to sleep, and it should be close to the subject in question! Now, where are our quarters? Oh, nevermind, I’ll find them myself!”

She took one of her bags, and trotted in through the main door. Left on the courtyard was four very surpriced household members and a grey earth pony with a face that spoke of thousands of similar events. Picking up a cello case and a violin case, she spoke.

“Sorry about the professor, she is like that all the time. Better get used to it. Well, as the professor said, this process will take a while, and it would be best if we could stay here during the time. We need two rooms. Can that be arranged? Oh, and get Dr Turner to come here as soon as he can.”

Chapter seven. The importance of dinner.

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