When The River Runs Crimson.

The sun was setting when Starless Night entered the desolate courtyard with several homeless stallions and a single foal in tow.

“Are we there yet?” asked the foal, her teal eyes sparkling with hope.

“We are indeed.” said Starless Night, smiling down at her and then leveling his gaze at the six other homeless ponies that trailed behind her, each looking around at the garbage-strewn ground and the towering arches that hemmed them in with faint concern.

He knew that he had told them that they were closer a few times before, but this time he was serious and quite glad of it. He loathed the homeless, those stinking, desperate, dirty vermin who loitered around, eyeing the normal ponies hungrily.

The thought of what awaited these stinking insects was barely enough to keep the grimace from his face, but only just.

“Where’s the food?” asked one of the stallions, casting about a gaze that was growing increasingly more worried by the second.

Starless Night smiled and then activated his magic, creating a barrier around the only exit to the courtyard and himself. The barrier blotted out all sound, but the panicked look on the rabbles’ faces were as telling as any cried of terror.

The alabaster unicorn saw the shapes flitting through the shadows created by the tall pillars and framed by crumbling arches, and his smile grew.

Then he sat down and watched as the vampires descended upon his group of sacrifices with hunger that outshone that of any vagabond, and he chuckled as the blood and viscera began to pool across the white stone.

Something brushed against his left forehoof and he looked down to see a roach scuttling away, clearly confused by the barrier’s walls.

With desperate urgency, he reached out and picked the roach up, then, without a single moment's’ hesitation, he placed the squirming insect into his mouth and began to chew, savoring the warmth of its innards.

He giggled through a mouth-full of crushed roach, thinking, Soon….soon I’ll get my reward.

Nurse Gentle Hoof watched the police question her patient with deep worry. It was true that she was put-off by the wounded mare’s disturbing talk of imminent danger, but the way that the police were looking at her with a mixture or distrust and outright contempt.

It all left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, and she wished that she had checked up on the foals in the pediatrics ward instead of looking in on this unicorn.

And there was another layer of worry beneath those distrusting looks. Gentle Hoof knew that the guards had grown more suspicious after Queen Chrysalis had infiltrated the Palace and had done so right under their snouts, and what had happened with the airship would only bring more unease to the ponies of Canterlot.

And when the nobles grew suspicious, the changeling detection spells would be strengthened and her days of hiding would come to an end.

Gentle Hoof gritted her teeth in anger, No! I only just managed to escape the blast, I won’t be outed, they’ll kill me if they find out what I really am and I don’t want to die.

“Are you alright, miss?”

Gentle Hoof gasped and looked at the guard nearest to her, who was looking at her worriedly. She started to ask him what he meant, but then she felt the warm tears rolling down her cheeks and realized that she was crying.

Hastily wiping the tears away, she said, “It’s nothing. I’m just tired, that’s all.”

The guard nodded reluctantly, then turned his attention back to Trixie.

“What did you see in the airship?” asked the one nearest to her bed, his tone cold and hard.

“I saw….” Trixie shuddered, then swallowed thickly before continuing, “I saw something….I don’t know what it was, but it had red eyes and-and sharp teeth, like a piranha.”

The guard rolled his eyes, “Sure you did, Miss. Trixie.” he spat the name out like it left a bad taste in his mouth and the unicorn wilted under his gaze.

“Why don’t you just come clean?” continued the guard, a sneer slithering onto his lips.

“What are you talking about? I’m telling the truth.” said Trixie, her tone getting darker as her eyes narrowed.

The guard snorted, “Sure you are. Listen, we have better things to do, so don’t jerk us around. Tell us what you were doing out on that bridge. Better yet, let me tell you what I think happened.”

Trixie moved to protest, but the guard began speaking before she could, “You see, I think that you were a little bit tipsy, and you were looking for some attention. You saw the airship and you thought that maybe a little light show might catch their eye-”

“Hold it right there, Steel,” said the guard nearest to Gentle Hoof, a current of anger and annoyance running through his tone, “I think that you should let the mare talk for herself.”

“Why are you taking this cow’s side?” asked Steel, looking genuinely incredulous, “You know what she’s done. She was probably-”

“I was going to kill myself.”

Those words, said with such deep sadness that it made Gentle Hoof want to break down, turned both guards’ eyes on her.

Trixie looked down at her hooves and said, “You don’t think that I don’t feel bad for what I did? I feel horrible, like there’s a weight around my neck, choking me, letting me know how worthless I am.”

She heaved a shuddering sigh as tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes, “I’m the most hated mare in all of Canterlot. I bet even Queen Chrysalis isn’t as hated as I am. I did a terrible thing and last night I was going to pay for it.”

“Yon were going to jump.” said Gentle Hoof, and it wasn’t a question.

Trixie looked at her and nodded, the movement of her head causing the tears to finally start their trek down her face, which bore an absolutely wretched expression that made Gentle Hoof want to abandon her professional manner and wrap her in a tight hug.

The guards were silent and Steel shuffled his hooves.

His partner turned to him, “We need to talk, now.”

Steel nodded and the two exited the room. Leaving Trixie and Gentle Hoof alone with each other.

Gentle Hoof looked back at the door, but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to leave the poor mare unattended. So she cantered over to Trixie and sat next to her, not bothering to ask her if it was alright, knowing that she was too miserable to care.

“I can’t believe those guards would be so mean.” said Gentle Hoof.

“I deserve their hatred.” said Trixie, the tears still rolling down her cheeks.

The disguised changeling wrapped both of her hooves around Trixie’s neck and pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling the unicorn’s too-thin body begin to shake with silent sobs.

“If it’s worth anything, I don’t hate you.” said Gentle Hoof, “I think you can earn forgiveness from everyone, you don’t need to take your own life.”

“I’ll never be forgiven.” whimpered Trixie, shaking her head, “Never.”

“You will be.” insisted Gentle Hoof, “I believe that you can. You’re a good pony, you just made a mistake.”

Trixie let out a mirthless chuckle, “I turned an entire town into my slaves with an evil amulet. How can I be anything other than bad?”

Gentle Hoof lifted Trixie’s head so that their eyes met, “I know that you’re a good pony, you wanna know how I know that? I know because you feel bad for what you did, and you wouldn’t feel that way if you really were a bad pony.”

Trixie sniffled and shook her head, “I don’t know if I can believe that.”

Gentle Hoof smiled, “Believe it, Trixie. Oh, and for your information, Most everyone agrees that Queen Chrysalis is the biggest bitch since Nightmare Moon, so I think you’re in the clear in that respect.”

That got a small laugh from the blue unicorn, and she gently pried herself away from Gentle Hoof.

“Thanks. I feel a bit better.”

“You won’t try anything?”

Trixie shook her head, “I don’t….no. I want to try and earn forgiveness instead, maybe I can entertain some of the foals in the hospital?”

Gentle Hoof smiled, “I’ll see what I can do. But right now, you need your rest. So get back into bed and close your eyes. I’ll be back later, I promise.”

Trixie gave her a slight smile, one that looked weak on her gaunt face, and settled into bed, closing her eyes as she did.

Gentle Hoof watched as her breathing slowed, then turned and left quietly.

I can’t believe I did that. she thought as she made her way towards the pediatrics ward, I guess being away from the hive has changed me.

She snorted at the irony in that thought and continued onwards, feeling her stomach grumble and taking some comfort in how some things never change.

BLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLOODBLoodblodblodbloodblood

The thing that had once been a griffon hissed in pain as the hunger tore fiery divots in her newly-transformed stomach.

She slithered through the vent, her soft, moist skin, new wings and unnatural joints allowing her to move speedily in the dark, cramped metal tube.

Another pang of hunger tore through her, and she snarled silently.

Then she smelled it, sweet and strong and more intoxicating than any drug.

Blood.

And its source was near.

The vampire smiled as best she could with her maw and moved closer.

She quickly picked up the sounds of arguing and moved even closer, her slimy skin rustling softly as she closed in on her prey.

She reached the vent in seconds and spied two ponies, thickly-muscled and clad in golden armor. They were both locked in a heated conversation, their voices rising with the emotion that she knew to be anger from the remnants of her past memories.

They didn’t hear her hissing breath, and didn’t notice the vent buckle under her weight.

They only realized the danger that they were in when the vent gave way and the vampire squeezed her body through the hole, extending her neck outwards like a snake and looking at the nearest guard with her beady, red eyes.

His screams hadn’t even reached his lips before her questing teeth found his neck and her hungry stomach filled with his blood.