Crimson Night

“Applejack you home?!” Twilight called into the open front door of the Sweet Apple Acres barn.

“Twilight? Is that you?” a slow and masculine voice asked. Big Macintosh stepped out of a room.

“Whoa, Applejack said somthin' about you getting' fixed up real nice with magic...but Ah didn't expect tuh see yuh out and about fer a while.” Mac said.

“I'm stronger than I look, is AJ home?” Twilight asked.

“She's out in thuh orchard, she thinks thuh ponies need lots an' lots of food...which they do, but not THAT much more...” Mac said.

“Thanks, I'll find her.” Twilight said and turned around.

“By thuh way Twilight, that scar don't look bad at all.” Mac said.

“Thank you Big Mac...some ponies would see it like a trophy...not me though...” Twilight said, stopping.

“Don' worry, thuh only mistake yuh made yesterday mornin' was not lettin' anypony help yuh.” Mac said with a smile.

“Thanks Mac, but for the record I just didn't want anypony else to get hurt.” Twilight said.

“Ah understand. Pleasure talkin' to yuh miss Sparkle.” Mac said, tipping his head and going back in the house.

Twilight quickly tracked down the Thumps she heard to Applejack as she was bucking trees like crazy.

“Hey Applejack!” Twilight exclaimed. Applejack, who was obviously oblivious to everything outside of her work, jumped a foot in the air and yelped.

“Gosh darnit Twi! Don't sneak up on me like that!” She exclaimed.

“Wait, what're yuh doin' out an' about?” she continued.

“I'm fine, trust me. Spike said you stopped by?” Twilight replied.

“Yeah, wanted tuh make sure yuh were ok...Ah guess yuh are. Ah'd love tuh chat but ah got loads uh work.” Applejack said.

“I know, but there's something you need to know. Only Spike and Luna know about it right now.” Twilight said. Applejack stopped and looked her over. She frowned at the scar still evident, but sighed.

“Ah don't see nuthin wrong with yuh...though yuh do look like yer a hoof taller an well toned...and yer coat is a smidge darker, but after what yuh did Ah'm not supprised.” Applejack said.

“It's something that's more than just appearances AJ...” Twilight said.

“Darnit Twi yuh know Ah'm terrible with secrets.” Applejack said.

“I'm going to tell Everypony else, but you're the first one I've seen...” Twilight said.

“Alright then...what is it?” Applejack asked.

“Well...I should have died then. My wounds were fatal and I lost too much blood. Even Luna's healing magic wouldn't have been able to save me...so she made me a Vampony to save my life.” Twilight said, cutting right to the point. Applejack looked at her funny, but broke into laughter.

“I'm serious AJ...look.” Twilight continued, extending her fangs.

“Ah don't believe that yer really a vampony...” Applejack said, though she looked at the fangs with an odd face. Twilight sighed and quickly dashed around the trees, bucking all of the apples out in milliseconds. When she finished she wasn't even breathing hard, and what would have taken Applejack hours was finished in seconds.

“W-wait...it's true?...t-that means...you need to drink...” Applejack started, backing away slowly with her ears pinned down in fear.

“No no no! Well yes but no! I'm not going to bite you! I just wanted to let you know...” Twilight said, her expression saddening. Applejack was silent, but she stopped backing away.

“AJ please understand, I'm still learning everything I can about this...Vamponies aren't as mythical as you might think...” Twilight started and explained some of the story Luna had told.

“Wait Zecora is a Vampony?” Applejack asked after the explanation.

“Well, I guess a VampZebra but that doesn't sound right...we know her though, she's nice...just like me.” Twilight said.

“Well gosh darnit...if Ah had all this happenin' to me Ah'd want to get whatever ah can outta it...if yuh want to, Ah'm fine with you drinkin' some uh my blood.” Applejack said, walking up to Twilight and hugging her.

“No, I only need it once a month, and I don't even need it to live.” Twilight said.

“Yeah, but if yuh drink mine now yuh'd be stronger. Ah owe yuh a lot fer bein' such a good friend anyways...” Applejack said.

“You're really ok with this?” Twilight asked.

“'Course sugar cube...yer like family...will it hurt?” Applejack asked.

“I don't think so...Luna said the fangs have a natural poison coating them that numbs the nerves and nothing else...so it might hurt for a second...” Twilight said.

“Then go ahead...” Applejack said, twisting her head a bit to give Twilight better access to her neck.

“You sure?” Twilight asked once more.

“Sugar cube jus' do it before Ah put it in a glass and pour it down yer gullet.” Applejack said. Twilight breathed out heavily, closed her eyes and bit. Applejack flinched ever so slightly, but that was all.

After a few moments Twilight let go and let out a breath, as did Applejack. Startling Applejack, Twilight licked the place where she had bit.

“What was that fer?” Applejack asked.

“Um...Vampony Saliva heals wounds.” Twilight said.

“oh.” Applejack replied. She had thought it would take much longer, and she would be dizzy or something.

“I only took what I needed and nothing more...” Twilight said, frantically wiping her mouth.

“Oh...uh..did I uh...taste good?” Applejack asked.

“Well...yeah I guess...it wasn't bad but it didn't have a flavor...” Twilight said.

“Whoa Nelly!” Applejack suddenly exclaimed.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Yer body is like morphin'...” Applejack said. Twilight looked back at herself and at her hooves. It appeared her already toned body was gaining even more, especially in her legs. She was still slim like normal, but now you could almost see the muscles filled with strength.

“Is that normal?” Applejack asked.

“I guess so...Luna said your blood would be full of strength...maybe I have like super strength now or something...Oh, maybe I can jump higher now?” Twilight asked, instantly switching into research mode.

“Well let's see.” Applejack said deviously as she tackled Twilight. Or tried to. Twilight was pushed back, but she wasn't knocked over.

“Whoa!” Applejack exclaimed. “Not even Mac stays standin' fer one of mah tackles!” she continued.

“Really?...I wonder how high I can jump if I'm that much stronger..my previous best was ten feet...let's shoot for twenty.” Twilight said and pushed on the ground.

Applejack was disbelieving of the high height Twilight mentioned, but when the Unicorn kicked off of the ground with such force as to put up a cloud of dirt and leave hoof prints inches deep, her jaw dropped. In mid air, Twilight yelped as she began falling. Somehow she landed on her hooves, leaving another set of hoof prints and a dirt cloud, she looked back up.

“I was about two tree's height above the tops of these so...thirty feet?” Twilight said. Applejack just nodded.

“Man that felt awesome!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Shoot Twi, if yuh got so much from me...Ah wonder what kind uh powers yuh'd get from Pinkie.” Applejack said.

“...I don't even want to think about it...hey, with all this strength I should go help out in town.” Twilight thought.

“What'd yuh do tuh explain yer looks an' strength?” Applejack asked. Twilight thought for a few moments.

“I could say Princess Luna's magic did it for now, not many ponies in Ponyville really know what kind of things magic can do and only Rarity really knows about the really advanced stuff so I'd be safe.” Twilight suggested.

“Ah'd believe it. Go on then, Ah need tuh go fer breakfast.” Applejack said. They waved to each other and Twilight trotted back into town.

“you sure you can handle it?” the night Guard helping with some of the heavy lifting asked as Twilight asked to help put buildings back up.

“I can.” Twilight assured him.

“Alright, your magic is strong so I think you can handle a whole wall by yourself, correct?” he asked.

“Sure.” Twilight replied. He nodded and pointed her towards where a wall was yet to be put up with a rope and pulley attached. She took the rope in her teeth and pulled while using her magic to haul it up. After an hour her magic was getting tired and the final wall wall of the house she was working on, with the help of a Guard, still needed going up.

“Miss Sparkle, go and rest I got it.” he said.

“Darling let me handle it.” Rarity said, trotting up with her horn glowing. The guard sighed in relief, he was getting tired, he and Twilight went over to where Pinkie Pie was preparing Lunches for the working ponies.

“Hey is she alright?” somepony asked. Twilight looked up form her Smoothie and saw that Rarity was struggling.

“She's been doing that all day, helping ponies with houses.” one pony said.

“She's had help, but still...she must be exhausted.” another said.

“That doesn't look good somepony get over there!” a guard yelled as the wall began to lower as Rarity's horn started dimming. Half of the ponies began galloping towards the house, but were surprised to see a Lavender blur speed past.

Twilight shouldered Rarity out of the way and grabbed the rope with her teeth. The wall slowed and was now just a foot from crushing rarity, but the rope snapped from her teeth and it continued it's fall. There were many gasps as the wall fell, but everypony was amazed when it stopped without magic. Twilight was holding it up with her shoulders.

With a elongated grunt she began pushing it back up and eventually setting it into place as Rarity stood up.

“What the hell was that?” the Guard asked the panting Unicorn, the wall was a heavy wood frame with solid stone and it was damn heavy.

“Uh...I used a spell to make myself stronger at the last moment, I didn't have enough in me to lift it with magic.” Twilight said.

“That was quick thinking.” somepony said.

“Yes it was Darling thank you! I insist you must come to the Boutique to rest!” Rarity said, already dragging the tired Unicorn.

“Thanks rarity.” Twilight said as she allowed herself to be taken to the Boutique.