Chapters Twilight Sparkle Goes to a Dive Bar
Twilight Sparkle was not much of a drinker. In fact, she only went to bars when a project of hers didn’t go as planned. However, due to a certain dragon “encouraging” her to be more sociable rather than stay cooped up in that castle of hers, she found herself in the middle of one, staring at the menu. “Excuse me, uhm, I’d like to order a drink” she asked the bartender, who didn’t look like the typical one you see in every bar. You know the stereotype- big gut, like to smoke his cigar, polishes the same glass over and over again, while talking to his customers. No, this one stuck out like a sore hoof. He was a thin, brown coated Earth Pony, who had two shot glasses as his cutie mark. His mane was blonde, and looked like it was decently maintained. His tail was in the same state as his mane.
“What can I get you, miss- OHMYGAWDYOU’RETWILIGHTSPARKLE!!!?”
She blushed in embarrassment. Apparently, this barkeep didn’t see a princess in his bar before, which was surprising, given Princess Luna’s reputation for going bar hopping. “Yes, it’s nice to meet you, Mister-”
“Double Shot, your Majesty” he said, bowing. Twilight was quick to get him to stop that. She explained she didn’t want to be treated like a princess tonight, just somepony trying to socialize.
“Well, there are plenty of folks to talk to here! I’m sure nopony would mind talkin’ to ya!” he said.
At this point, she looked as shy and irritable as Fluttershy trying to talk to Big Mac about her feelings she had for him. Regardless, Double Shot continued, noticing how shy the Princess got. It is his job, after all. “Well, if you’re a little nervous, sometimes a good shot or two will get your tongue to loosen up! So, whaddya say?” he asked, with a smile on his face. That seemed to get her to calm down at least a little.
“Okay, what would you recommend? I don’t really order alcohol when I go to bars.”
He thought for a moment, trying to figure out what drink this purple mare in front of him would like. Just then, one of his regulars ordered for her.
“Well, if she’s looking for some juice to get her jaw to open a little, I think she’d like my usual- Two Silver-Bloods, on the rocks!” this stranger told the barkeep.
“Thank you, but you didn’t need to buy me a drink.” Twilight said.
“It’s my pleasure, Princess! The name’s Silver Quill!” he said, holding out his hoof for her to shake.
“Here are your drinks! Hope you enjoy it, Miss Sparkle.” Double Shot slid the two glasses to them, and then continued to help customers elsewhere. It was his job, you know!
She took the glass in her magic, and downed it slowly. It tasted sweet, like strawberries, but it also gave off a bitter, almost metallic taste. She reckoned it was just the alcohol in it. “This tastes pretty good! What’s in it?” she asked Silver Quill.
And that’s when she went into study mode, paying attention to everything he was saying, making sure she learned all she could about this apparently historic drink. Twilight gestured him to continue. “It started long ago, in Equestria…”Before Nightmare Moon’s banishment, the land was riddled with many mythical creatures. More so than what you see nowadays. Monsters roamed the night, pillaging and destroying lives and families. Vampires stalked the streets, and Lycans pillaged farms of precious stock. Most ponies were fearful of what stalked the shadows at night, which contributed to Luna giving in to Nightmare Moon. She didn’t know, so I don’t blame her for what happened.
These creatures were seemingly immortal, but for some reason they avoided anything with silver in it, whether it be cutlery, or just buildings laced with the stuff. So a group of hunters, dedicated to helping the ponies enjoy the night, decided to find the cause behind this phenomenon. This nameless group decided to lure the beasts out with bait. They put water in buckets laced with silver, and to lure them out, they poured blood in the buckets to make it look appetizing. Needless to say, it worked, and the reaction was violent. Most times, it burned their throats dry. Other times, when they were weakened already, they would just disintegrate. Over the years, the population slowly died out, making the bait more and more useless. Eventually, the royals caught on, and decided to make the bait into a drink. They replaced the blood with strawberry juice, and the water was replaced with Vodka.
“So, what do you think?” he asked, turning to Princess Twilight. To his surprise, she was taking notes the whole time. After jotting down a few last words on her notes, she thanked the stranger, and took off at a hurrying pace.
Spike enjoyed the peace and quiet in the Castle of Friendship while Twilight was gone, that is the whole 5 minutes she’s been gone before she burst the big, ornate, heavy, crystal doors down with enough magic to shatter the whole castle. “Spike, I’m back! And I found something to study!”Gone five minutes, and she didn’t even have a da- I mean friend to bring back. Sometimes you are just too stubborn of a mare, Twilight. The dragon thought to himself. “Might as well humor her” he muffled underneath his breath “What are you going to study this time?” he asked, with as little attitude put into his voice as possible.
The dragon’s ear fins perked up. She met someone! I hope he’s someone that Twilight can relate to… Spike thought. “So, who’s the stallion’s name?”
“Oh, his name is Silver Quill, and he was the one who gave me the idea for- wait. How did you know it was a stallion?”
The dragon simply rolled his eyes. “That’s not important. What was the idea he gave you?”
Her smile grew wider. “He was talking about the history about a drink at the bar, and what I learned was that many monsters were wiped out, and that got me thinking: have they been studied closely, and do they exist?”Danger: science mode activated
Twilight trotted downstairs, to her private laboratory. It was filled with most gadgets and gizmos known to pony-kind, and it was where she was going to begin her studies.I think I’ll start with studying the symptoms of lycanthropy and vampirism. Then, I’ll move on to the history of the two, see how they originated. Dozens upon dozens of vampire and werewolf novels were all around her, as well as a multitude of history books, and alleged reports of such creatures. I have no idea how I’m going to filter through all this. Although, a few good reads couldn’t hurt…
Six hours, and over hundreds of novels later…
Well, I’ve finally gone through the novels and to my surprise; much of it was very informative! She opened one of the, ahem, less saucier novels to a particular page, that listed the causes of vampirism rather clearly. It said that the only ways to contract vampirism were either through chaos magic, being bitten by a pureblooded vampire, or by having a behavior altering spell become corrupt.
All the elements- me, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were all exposed to chaos magic… Twilight pondered which only got her thinking more. None of us were bitten by Vampires I don’t think… She checked her neck just to be sure it was free of bite marks.
The last one though rings a bell… the purple mare gasped as an epiphany just rang through her head. Fluttershy! She paced back and forth, trying to piece together any changes in her friend’s behavior since the Fruit Bat incident at Applejack’s farm.
Let’s see… She doesn’t leave her cottage a whole lot…
She was a recluse beforehand!
What about her nightly routine?
She always comes out at night. Some of her animal friends are nocturnal.
Blood cravings?
She’s a pony, for crying out loud!
How can you be sure?
Her logic and instincts were lashing out at each other in her mind, each providing an explanation for the other, as well as reason to credit their words more.
We need to run tests! Both the voices concluded, but before she could do anything, another instinctual voice rang out.
What about alicorns? At that point, Princess Twilight took a look at her wings.
History books dictate that alicorns are immortal, ergo immune to disease.
“Celestia would know!” she said aloud. “Spike, bring me a quill and some parchment! I’ve got a letter to write!”
Elsewhere, a cream colored Pegasus with a pink mane and tail was having nightmares in her cottage…
Author's Note
If you're bored by this chapter, then fear not, denizens of Fimfiction.net! The bulk chapter, clocking in almost 6 thousand words, is up next!
Fluttershy was tossing and turning in her sheets as another nightmare haunted her dreams. Sweating, mumbling, and overall looking scared, she stirred in her bed, hoping that the dream would be over.
Where am I? The Pegasus looked around in the nightmare. It was some sort of dark alleyway, and below her stood a pony she never met.
I… I can hear his heartbeat. THUMP-THUMP, THUMP-THUMP it went, making her hungry for some reason, craving something she can’t remember.
I can smell his blood! It smelled metallic, and at the same time, it also smelled like the best thing ever made. She felt her teeth hurt for a second, changing, and morphing into- fangs? Her eyes changed color too, though unbeknownst to the helpless mare trapped in her rapidly changing body. Her wings ached, her ears twisted, and her fur became unkempt and messy. This creature lunged at its victim, making Fluttershy just an observer to the monster at hand.
I can taste it! The cream colored Pegasus was crying, helpless to watch as this thing killed a pony just for sustenance. It was brutal. Barbaric. It also felt… natural. It felt almost as natural as flying or breathing could be to a Pegasus, such as herself. Just then, an inner voice she didn’t know she had in her mind spoke up.
You are changing…
…Into what?
Something more…
She woke up with a blur. It was dawn out. Her nightmare ended quicker than she thought.
Another nightmare…
Regardless of the dream, Fluttershy went about her day, tending to her animal friends, going to Ponyville, and hanging out with her friends at the picnic… Wait, THE PICNIC?!
The cream colored mare completely forgot all about the picnic they were having today! As quick as she could, Fluttershy flew to the market to buy some things she meant to buy for the picnic. As she ran up to the stall for the item most important on her list, she frantically asked the pony tending said stall for some carrots. “I really need a bag of carrots! That is, if you don’t mind selling them to me…”
The mare in the stall looked confusingly at Fluttershy, trying to see if she was crazy or not. Just then, she recognized the Pegasus’ cutie mark. “Oh hey, Fluttershy! If you want some carrots, I can give you this bag I have for 8 bits.” The mare gestured towards the bag she was talking about.
8 bits for a bag of carrots? That’s too expensive! She thought for a moment, wondering how to coax the mare to lower her price. It was part of her new assertiveness method she used: Analyze, and then convince. Okay Fluttershy, be assertive. You can do this! She took a look at the friendly stall worker one last time. I hope…
“I really need to go to a picnic with my friends, and I would enjoy it if you could lower down the price for me just a bit. Does 5 bits sound good to you?” the mare said, half unsure that her bartering skills are adequate for what she was trying to do.
Surprisingly, it didn’t turn out as bad as she thought it would! “Yeah, I guess I could part with them for a little less. Besides, you’re one of my best customers!” she handed Fluttershy the bag of carrots, and in turn, Fluttershy handed the patron her bits, signifying that their exchange was complete.
She thanked the pony at the stalls, and went to get the other items needed to make the salad for the picnic. The shopping was done, and Fluttershy was ready to go to the picnic to hang out with her friends. When she arrived, the timid mare noticed that everything was all set up. The silver cutlery was laid out, the ceramic plates ready for food on them, and the pets are all enjoying their time away from home. She sighed. All except Angel; I couldn’t find him at all this morning…
Twilight was the first to notice that Fluttershy arrived. “Hi, Fluttershy! We were all waiting for you to get here before we got started. Why don’t you come have a seat?”
Nervously, she walked up to her friends and sat down gently. I’d be a lot calmer if my Angel bunny was with me…
“Say Sugarcube, where’s Angel?” Applejack asked, with her country drawl.
That’s what really made her sad, catching the eye of her friends, and causing them to ask what was wrong, genuinely concerned. “I-it’s nothing, girls; I’m fine.” She was tearing up over her own words.
“You know you can tell us anything, darling. Does this have to do with one of your animal friends?” Rarity gasped. “Did Angel go missing?”
“There, there, Fluttershy.” Rarity said, consoling her over the mare’s pet. She reached for a napkin to help dry her friend’s coat, continuously becoming more and more stained with tears. “You need to cheer up Fluttershy! I’m sure you’ll- agh!” The pearl white mare cut herself on one of the knives set out, and it wasn’t a simple one either. The knife cut pretty deep, causing her to bleed profusely.
I-I can smell it. It smells sooo good! Fluttershy’s mind was racing, her eyes changing color from the normally blue hue they were to a deep red, and her teeth threatening to show fangs.
You can smell your prey…
She shook her head, trying to get rid of the new thoughts arising. These thoughts were very animalistic, and barbaric. Each drop was forcing the cage to break free, and let the monster out. Almost like the ones from her dreams…
The blood was running down Rarity’s hoof to the tip, each drop hitting the ground making Fluttershy drool. It was inching her one step closer to waking the dormant curse lying just beneath the surface.
I-it looks so juicy, and… sweeeeet! She shook her head more this time. No, Fluttershy! You’re not a monster.
Not yet, my dear: You still need to taste the warmth of her blood, the PIERCING OF HER NECK!!! Just let go, and free me. I’ll be gentle…
“I NEED TO GO” Fluttershy yelled, before running off at a quick pace, even for her. She wasn’t concerned with her friends calling after her, wanting to know her secret. All the mare thought to do was to run as fast as she could to the only safe haven she could think of: her cottage.
She rushed into her cottage, asking all of her animal friends to go away politely. They all could tell something was wrong with her, and didn’t need answers to her behavior. After all, they could tell when a fellow animal is upset…
I-I need to send a letter to Discord! M-maybe he can help with whatever is going on! He is my best friend, after all…
Her thoughts turned into action, as she got out a quill and some parchment to write the hasty letter to her chaotic friend.
Dear Discord,
I need your help… QUICKLY!! Signed, Fluttershy P.S. bring comfort food!
Fluttershy sealed the letter in an envelope, and put it in the chaos mailbox that Discord made for her in case of emergencies. It was a monster-like mailbox, with eyes, claws, and a jagged set of teeth surrounding the entrance to its interior. It gobbled up the letters she always put in with an intense blur of growls, roars, and chomping. The mailbox itself served as a direct line to Discord, in case Fluttershy or any of her friends were ever in trouble. He felt bad for betraying his closest friend to a vile and wicked strategist such as Tirek, and wanted to make it up to her by giving her this “Emergency Friendship Line”.
Just as quick as she sent it, the discord lamp she got at Rainbow Falls Glowed and twitched violently before exploding to reveal the Chaos Lord himself.
“FLUTTERSHY! Are you alright? Did something bad happen? Do I need to fight Tirek again?!” he frantically asked, but then noticed his friend’s state. Her mane was ruffled, as well as her coat and tail as if it were untamed and wild. What got him the most were her eyes- they were blood red, and made her look ready to kill anything! Oh dear, Fluttershy! It seems that it’s worse than I thought… he said in his mind.
“Here are some cucumber sandwiches, Fluttershy. I know they’re not much, but it’ll be something comforting for now.” He said, snapping in a plate of the tasty finger food. It’s too bad that he was the only one with fingers in that dimension, aside from griffons and dragons…
Why is he acting so calm, almost as if… he knows what’s going on?
“Discord, what’s wrong?” she asked, looking at him with more unease.
He immediately shook it off as nothing was wrong. His calm behavior was exceptionally unsettling. “Oh, it’s nothing my dear! Would you like some garlic to have on your sandwiches? It really makes it taste a lot better!” she nodded, knowing that the draconequis meant well, and just wanted to comfort Fluttershy and explain the situation as best as he could. With a quick pace, he walked to the kitchen and got out the garlic powder to sprinkle over the sandwiches. “That should do it.” He said. “Go ahead and have a bite. It’ll calm you down”
“I don’t see how eating sandwiches is going to do anyth-”
He held his claw and paw over her hooves, hoping to set the mare at ease. “Trust me, Fluttershy. All will be explained.” She nodded, trusting the draconequis to do the right thing. Fluttershy picked up one of the sandwiches, and bit into it, enjoying it for several minutes. The garlic really adds some spiciness to it! Wait… Her mouth literally started burning, smoke coming from it in waves of pillars full of ash. Desperate to save his friend, he slapped the back of her neck hard, causing her to spit out the now poisonous sandwich.
“Why did that happen?” she asked, her voice hoarse and dry.
“You are turning into a vampire, Fluttershy.” That was all he said to the confused mare.
Fear; Fear was all she had to cling onto while her mind raced. How did this happen? I’m not a vampire! I can’t be! Maybe there was a cure! It’s not fair! She gasped. The Fruit Bat incident! That must be when it happened! Oh Twilight, you didn’t know…
“I-I think I remember how it happened, Discord.”
His ears perked up, listening intently.
“Do you remember when I talked to you about the Fruit Bat incident?” he nodded steadily, not wanting to distress the mare more. She shifted her hooves every once in a while, trying to make her nervousness subside.
Well, ever since the incident, I’ve been having nightmares. They weren’t bad all the time, but most times, I couldn’t control myself in most of them. It was like there was a monster controlling my body, forcing me to watch. And sometimes, it felt… natural. Like it was the way it should be. I would watch as my transformed body drained a pony of blood, helpless to control myself. They only got worse and worse over time, which is until today when I realized those dreams were becoming a reality. I started turning at the picnic, though I don’t think my friends noticed. They were too busy tending to Rarity’s wound to pay attention. I didn’t know what was happening until I put the pieces together, and I ran to my cottage as quick as I could.
“That’s when I called you, Discord.”
He only sat in silence, his eyes closed, and deep in thought. “I was afraid this would happen. So soon, even to me, it was unheard of.” He paused, before continuing, knowing the next words he was about to say might change how Fluttershy sees him. “Do you know the story of vampires, Fluttershy?” she shook her head, unsure where this was leading, but knew it couldn’t be anything good.
“Well, I’m the creator of vampirism.” He said with unease.
She gasped, knowing that the lord of Chaos was capable of doing remarkable things, but never thought he could create new creatures like those!
It was a long time ago, long before Luna’s timeout on the moon. Back then, I wasn’t concerned with ruling Equestria, I just wanted to manipulate ponies into bad deals. I was experimenting with local farmers, so it wasn’t like I was messing with royalty or anything. They wanted to be able to live like the animals they raised, so I "helped them out".
“How did you help them out?”
Well, I turned them into Lycans; Werewolves, to some ponies?
Fluttershy nodded. “That explains Lycans, but what about vampires?”
He sighed, regretfully. Most of them didn’t want to be that “in tune” to nature, so the prissy- I mean more refined ones wanted something a bit more… subtle. So that’s how I turned them into vampires. Very few weren’t pure though.
“What do you mean by that?”
In order to become a pure vampire, you must be a Pegasus. Due to their physiology closer to bats, it made sense, so that’s how I deemed it to be. Not many knew however, so I didn’t have to deal with them any longer. He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in. I know you’re probably wondering why there’s a difference in pure vampires, and regular ones, or what they might be perhaps. Well, all chaos magic needs some sort of… upset of balance to work, making it hard to create something new without at least some sort of negative part added to the mix. Regardless, pureblooded vampires all are stronger than traditional vampires: they can run as fast as a cheetah, punch with the strength of Cerberus, and their senses are more attuned than anything on the planet! You also have other traits in addition to the regular package. Discord looked over, making sure that his magic’s latest victim was still paying attention. Regretfully, and with a bit of fear in her eyes, she was. The good news was her eyes were back to normal, at least.
Pure blooded vampires also have slight mind altering capabilities, as well as not suffer from blood withdrawal as quickly.
Fluttershy gasped. “Y-you mean, I’ll have t-to” She swallowed a huge lump in her throat.
Moving on, though; I think the reason you’re starting to become a real vampire pony is because of the spell itself. When you began mirroring the behavior of the vampire fruit bats, and then actually becoming a hybrid of one, the magic from the spell changed you to follow the fruit bat’s most carnal desires, which were sadly just apples. Could you imagine if you became a vampire pony at that time? The chaos would be DELICIOUS!!!
She started giving him a glare as fierce as Tartarus itself.
Right, sorry. Anyways, they weren’t just ordinary fruit bats as you know: they were vampire fruit bats, which mean that their base desires were of a vampiric nature, which also means sucking blood, and the only reason that they ever became vampire fruit bats was through evolution.
“A vampire bit a bat after experimenting, but that’s not important right now!”
He finished his story, but still had a concerned look on his face. “Regardless, you’ll need some new ground rules.” He snapped his fingers, causing a chalkboard complete with a floating chalk and eraser to appear. The draconequis took a disciplinary stance and began listing the new “ground rules”
“Rule number one: no walking in the sunlight, unless necessary. It’ll hurt a lot worse now, and although you won’t burst into flames or anything, it’ll feel like you have sunburns all over you.”
As he was talking, the chalk was writing the rules down on the board swiftly, then underlining them to make it clear that they were important.
“Rule number two: Silver will hurt. A lot! That’ll show those prissy ponies trying to get a new gift out of me! From now on, steel or iron.”
“Rule number 3: Garlic, as you witnessed earlier, will singe your throat. It’s best to stay away from your new allergy for now.”
“Rule number 4: If you start having blood cravings, drink an IV bag full of the stuff that I’ll provide to you every month. If I can’t provide one, my neck is open for emergencies!”
She gasped. “Discord, how dare you! I’d never hurt you like that!”
“Would you die, rather than hurt a friend trying to save you?” he asked.
After everything had calmed down, Fluttershy was contempt with her new curse, knowing full well that going back isn’t an option after the first drop of blood reaches her mouth. It’s a path that she will have to take when the time comes, and not even her animal friends can help.
“Discord, can I ask you a question?” she said while sitting on the floor, her cup of tea in hoof.
“Anything for you, my good friend.” He said, with a comforting smile on his face.
“Does this need to be a-”
“Yes, I’m afraid you can’t tell anybody. Either me, or a fellow creature of the night can be exceptions. Oh, I almost forgot! I’ve left Schmooze back at home, and you know how he gets near a horde of shiny objects! Goodbye for now, my dear. And remember my ground rules, won’t you?” she nodded in confirmation. “They are what will keep you alive, and I don’t want to see you… Ahem, I’m off now, Fluttershy! Ta-ta!”
“Oh, before you go, Discord,” He turned around. “Thank you, for helping me. You really are a great friend!” Fluttershy said with a warm smile.
“I’m not sure I understand. I thought this was my fault…” A sad frown set on his face.
She sighed, with slight annoyance. “You might have created vampirism Discord, but you didn’t turn me into one. It was just a magical mishap that happened to have surprising results.”
They both hugged, and said their goodbyes. At least they would have if Discord hadn’t just disappeared when he started to cry.
The mare twisted and turned while she was having another nightmare. It was the same as before, her taking life from a helpless pony, and then waking up with a startle. As per routine now, she got up, and walked to the fridge to get a cold glass of milk. That was when she noticed the bag still sitting there on that shelf, waiting to be used, its red insides calling to her.
Maybe the nightmares would stop…
She picked it up in her hoof and inspected it closer. I’ve seen blood bags before, but… this one seems different. I-It looks so juicy, and sweet…
Her eyes changed color, and her fangs revealed themselves in the outside world for the first time.
… A small taste wouldn’t hurt. Just one little drop of blood, then you can leave it alone…
No! Think of the pony that it came from! What if they still need it?
Discord has changed! He would know you would never approve of hurting somepony innocent, or are you going to let your friend down after the hard work he did to get you that bag? It’s up to you, but Discord is willing to sacrifice his own red nectar to help you…
Her vampire instincts were fighting reason, and it was clear who was winning.
…Maybe one sip won’t hurt…
She tore off the cap at the end of the funnel, which kept the blood sealed in that little bag. The smell permeated through the mare’s nostrils, making her want to just dive in, and suck the pouch dry.
It smells so good!
Gently, she took a few sips, and didn’t taste the expected bitter, metallic taste of blood that she expected. It tasted almost… sweet and tangy, like a nice cup of pomegranate juice after a long day.
It tastes even better! There was nothing holding her back this time. She tore off the top entirely and drank the whole thing, causing it to trickle down the outside of her throat in small drops. Her head spun, and her body kicked into hyper drive. Everything was so exciting to her, almost like being born again! I feel great! She flapped her wings a bit, hovering in the air. I feel like I could beat Rainbow Dash at a flying contest! She burst through the entrance to her house, nearly tearing the door off its hinges and flew faster than thought possible by even the Wonderbolts! Flying through the air at blinding speeds, she noticed the forest below her, almost a blur in her deep red eyes. I feel like I could buck the entire apple orchard with one blow! She landed, and bucked a nearby tree so hard, that it went flying into two other trees like it was nothing but a small sapling ready to fall down in the breeze. Everything was so exhilarating for her! She could hear Twilight Sparkle snoring a few miles away in her Castle! She could smell the sweets that Pinkie Pie baked and set out on the counter for the morning! She could see the gates to Canterlot Palace as if she was standing right in front of it! Suddenly, a thought came up in her adrenaline fueled mind. It was something Discord said in his last letter he sent, going over the things he forgot to mention about vampirism.
Remember: your instincts will want to take over after the first drink, turning you into a full bat-pony. You remember nothing the last time it happened, except this time you can suck blood, so be careful, and make sure you’re in charge! And if you sense something, it might mean good or bad things, depending on the friendliness of the vampire. If the scent is stronger than usual, it’s a pureblood like you, so don’t hesitate to “approach with caution”.
Her joyride was cut short by this flashback. Remember, Fluttershy: you’re in charge. The mare realized that this power trip had to end eventually, but her vampiric instincts had another idea…
But you have so much power now!
I’m not letting you have control!
Suddenly, she got a pain in her head, and collapsed. It was clear her new instincts were going to have none of it.
When she woke up, Fluttershy was in her cottage, except it was covered in blood everywhere, and her instinctual bat-pony side of the mind was laying down on the couch, polishing her hooves.
Welcome to my sanctuary! This is where I live; a lot more decorated, don’t you think?
No, I think it’s too gruesome! All this blood, these stains, it’s all monstrous!
Come, and sit down. We need to talk about some things… It was clear that Flutterbat didn’t care, and was asking out of spite.
This conversation is going to be very one-sided, isn’t it?
Flutterbat thought for a moment. That depends on what’s put on the table.
She sat down, and was handed a cup of “tea”, which was nothing more than a cup filled with warm blood, waiting to be drunk.
You were granted a great gift, Fluttershy. The gift of speed, strength, and enhanced senses! Why don’t you want to let me out more?
You, of all ponies, should know why!
…What’s that supposed to mean?
You are a part of me, whether you like it or not! You know that I need to show kindness, and not just barbarism! Deep down, you still have that warm heart…
…Fair point. Flutterbat sat up. What do you propose?
When I or one of my friends can’t defend themselves without extra help, you can take over. However, I need to be given the reins when you are done helping. It only seems fair, that I can have some control too…
Considering how many times Ponyville gets attacked, it’s a deal. I accept your offer! Flutterbat held out her hoof, waiting for Fluttershy to shake it. When she did, the “cottage” collapsed in on itself, and she regained consciousness near the Ponyville bell tower. More precisely, she was perched upside down, and near the top of it.
She must have taken over while we were talking in my mind…
Regardless, she knew what should happen next: She was going to seek help to understand her new, more deadly, side of herself. Regretfully, she was going to need to find a vampire that will help.
It took weeks of searching for any trace of vampire in Ponyville, and it was clear that none lived in town in the slightest. There was a faint trace, however. It led her everywhere in town, and in between the Everfree Forest, until it stopped abruptly at the edge of the Castle of the Two Sisters. She looked around, hoping to find any clue as to why the trail would run cold there. Okay, I’m going to need to use a bit more power this time.
For your first time, that wasn’t bad!
Oh hush, you! And how would you know? You’re as new to this as I am!
I’m pure instinct, Fluttershy! I know because of that fact alone!
Despite no more nightmares, her vampire instincts she nicknamed Flutterbat still talked to her, though it was friendlier this time around. It was ironic, really, because the one thing she didn’t want to take control was the one thing teaching her how to use her powers the right way.
Oh, come on! You know as well as I do that if you don’t let me in, you’re just going to fall short again.
The mare hesitated a moment. Do I have your word that I can have control again?
Flutterbat chuckled evilly. I don’t think you have much of a choice right now!
She thought for a moment, weighing her options. On one side, she can just walk away, and try to find a new scent. On the other side, she can give in and pursue the stray scent that took weeks just to sniff out.
…Okay. I don’t want to have to start from scratch again. Her mind released its grip on the pony, giving way for Flutterbat to take over. The change started with the normal vampire stages: The fangs and the eyes, which didn’t hurt much. What came after however was extremely painful. The mare let out a painful shout as the bones in her wings twitched and snapped, slowly morphing into bat-like ones instead, and her feathers falling off one by one. The next changes were the coat, mane, and tail which gave off a tingling sensation compared to the pain experienced from the wings morphing. Her coat’s texture changed from a silky and soft one to rough and spiky. Her mane and tail both had the same change, and made it feel more slick and oily rather than smooth and soft. The final change was her ears. Their canals expanded and combined into a singular hole, making it easy to hear small sounds from far away, and despite the drastic changes, the ears didn’t hurt, but gave a large chunk of pain to go to her head before collapsing from her first Flutterbat transformation since the Fruit Bat incident that happened months ago.
When the mare awoke, Fluttershy wasn’t in control. The figure stood up, took a deep breath, and then exhaled, with a large, toothy grin.
“I-I can breathe!” It looked down at its hooves, inspecting each one as if it was the first time it ever saw them. It trotted briskly in a circle before stopping. “I can walk!” it giggled.
I’m glad you enjoy our body Flutterbat, but I can’t just survive on instinct alone…
Flutterbat donned a serious look on her face this time. Right, I understand. Let’s see…
She took a whiff of the air with her nose held high, sniffing closely at the end of the trail, desperate to find traces of anything older, and closed her eyes. When she opened them, a trail that looked almost like blood was laid out before her. It wasn’t actually blood however, but a simple scent that pureblood vampires used to locate lesser ones. It glowed with a reddish hue, becoming dimmer and dimmer, until it reached the front of the castle, and where it ran cold for Fluttershy. Flutterbat however, had improved senses and sniffed out the older portion, which glowed dimly with the same blood tinge as the newer parts. It led further into the two castles, leading through the crumbling walls and cracked floors, cluttered with debris of all sorts, twisting and turning until it reached the Throne room, where it snaked along to the far side of the room.
Where it stopped was very odd: it was right below the window, full of cracked and decayed remnants of a large glass pane. What was strange about the window itself is that if the moon or sun approached noon or midnight, it shot a straight line of light through it, showing off the two celestial bodies in their prime. Why would it stop here? The bat pony thought, curious as to why a blood trail would just stop abruptly, with no trace of it ending.
I think it’s time to kick it into overdrive…
One of the perks of being a pureblooded vampire was the gift of tracing. When a fellow vampire, or prey even, leaves a blood trail it normally leaves a small magical trace as well. Purebloods can tap into this, and can receive a glimpse of the last few things that occurred around that portion of the trail. They did this by not sniffing the trail more vigorously, but instead used their hooves imbued with a special magical resin capable of deciphering the trail’s frequency.
That is exactly what Flutterbat did. She gently touched the “end” of the trail, getting the full events of what transpired there long ago: during a very difficult time for Equestria.
The vision before her was of Luna, scowling at her sister from afar.
“Did you really expect me to sit idly by, while they all basked in your ‘precious light’?!”
“There can be only one Princess in Equestria, and that Princess WILL BE ME!” Luna slammed her hooves down, causing a crack to run rapidly from her hooves to the window above, shattering it into pieces. With a swift and dramatic rise to the center, the Princess of the Night flew up, raising the moon with her, until it collided with the sun and caused a beam of darkness to shoot down, engulfing the mare. The dark magic engulfed her, forcing her to change and morph into Nightmare Moon, chuckling evilly into the air. Flutterbat’s vision darkened, and was snapped back into reality, shaking her head to clear her of the dizziness that followed.
So that’s what Twilight saw when she drank the potion! Fluttershy’s voice was rarely heard throughout this entire investigation of the new trail uncovered. She wanted instinct to take the reins due to the fact that Flutterbat clearly knew what she was doing.
“Wait, there was more.” The bat-pony took another look closely at the vision, looking for key details they both missed. She gasped, “When she became Nightmare Moon, a bit of Discord’s chaos magic was thrown in! She became a vampire as soon as she transformed! That’s the only reason she could have developed a full set of fangs. But why?” the vampire asked, until someone answered.
“That’s between me and Luna, and none of your concern.” The chaos lord himself stepped out of the shadows, with a very serious and intent look on his face. His form towered above the Bat-pony, making her look meager in comparison. “I want you to leave before you stick your nose too deep.” he ordered.
“What do you mean, Discord? We’re trying to find someone to help us!” Flutterbat exclaimed, readying to lunge and sink her fangs, until she was thrown violently at a nearby wall. Weathered and old already, she landed on the other side, destroying the wall in almost an instant.
“You will not take control!” Discord yelled, his chaotic magic charging in his paw and ready to fling the mare again.
She chuckled evilly at the draconequis, until a sharp pain silenced her voice, revealing Fluttershy’s. “Why are you doing this? Aren’t we friends?” the timid mare asked, fear in her now blue eyes.
“I’m sorry Fluttershy,” he snapped his fingers, causing Fluttershy to lose consciousness, and control. “But I need to talk to Flutterbat for now.”
As expected, Flutterbat was in control again. “Well, we’re alone now. Which means, I can finally RIP YOUR THROAT OUT!!!” She lunged at
“I created your kind, which means I can also end you in an instant, so don’t go pointing your fangs at me, you Swine!” he launched her at another wall, though this one was sturdier than the previous one and didn’t fall down. This repeated several times, until Flutterbat was cut up and bruised beyond belief, gasping for breath from exhaustion. After she calmed down, questions came up. “Why do you want to hide this?” she asked.
“Like I said, that’s between me and Luna. We have an agreement, after she made her little fan club, but you and Fluttershy will find out about that soon enough.”
If Flutterbat wasn’t confused, she was now. “What do you mean?”
He pointed behind her. “Just ask Luna”
She turned around, only to be knocked out by a powerful spell by the alicorn in question.
Losing consciousness, she could hear the two individuals talking above her collapsed body.
"You should have come sooner." the chaos lord said.
"I know. What of Fluttershy? Has she lost control?"
He looked at the unconscious mare. "No, she's still in there. You can take her" she nodded at his statement, lifting Fluttershy's limp body in her magic.
Nervously, discord stopped Luna. "Please, be gentle. Even though she's a pureblood, Fluttershy is still my friend."
She nodded in confirmation, gesturing that she would not harm the pony.
The vampire however, had to be dealt with.
Author's Note
Well, here's some beef to put in this story sandwich! Anyways, the next chapter is gonna be a sort-of filler until i can start getting more ideas into my head.
SPOILER ALERT: I wonder what Twilight's gonna do when she finds out that Luna's a vampire too...
Celestia Receives a Letter
Dear Princess Celestia,
I need your assistance with a study I am conducting, and I’m afraid it couldn’t wait until day court was adjourned. It involves alicorn physiology, and the next ten letters to arrive are my research notes I have made so far into the studies of vampirism and lycanthropy, as well as possible symptoms, history, and known weaknesses in case the population rises again. However, that’s not why I need your help in this matter. I want to know if alicorns are immune to vampirism and lycanthropy, and would like your insight due to your presence when they were still among the population. I will arrive shortly, approximately one day after you receive this letter.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
I read the letter for the 5th time now, ever since the courier brought it to me during the courtroom session. He kept rambling on that Twilight wanted me to use as little as magic as possible so as not to “Damage her results”. Then he said there was another ten waiting in my chambers!
Regardless, the 7th time I read it, I fully understood the gravity of the situation. I’ll have you know that I handled it as rationally as anyone would!
“DAY COURT HAS BEEN CLOSED EARLY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!!”
After the day court ended, I decided to talk to my sister, Luna about this matter.
“LUNA, TWILIGHT FOUND OUT ABOUT VAMPIRISM AND WANTS TO SEE IF WE’RE IMMUNE!!!”
Needless to say, she was more level-headed than I was about it.
“*gasp*! SISTER, DOTH SHE KNOW OF MY VAMPIRIC NATURE?!”
“Well no, but-”
“Then there is nothing to worry about, dear sister! She does not know of the inner circle, and I’m sure she suspects we are immune anyways.”
“She was bound to become curious about our immunity to disease, sister! You act as if she wasn’t going to come knocking about this matter! Why should diseases of the supernatural nature be out of the question?”
Granted, I should have predicted this outcome before the situation surfaced, but I wasn’t in the right mind. I was panicking about this whole ordeal. A few hours, and 20 gallons of emergency comfort tea later, I was able to analyze the situation more clearly…
“And that’s how I was introduced to you, Mr. Quill. I’m sorry for being a nuisance to you this day. In fact, I didn’t even know we had a royal psychologist!”
He smiled behind those framed glasses of his. “It’s no problem, Celestia, and please, you don’t have to be so formal. If you want, you can call me by my full name.” The therapist gestured to the room they were currently in, which looked like a typical Therapist’s office, complete with a relaxing leather couch for patients to sit in. The couch was occupied by a currently distressed Monarch, however.
The Princess smiled, seeming glad that she could drop formalities for now. “Well if you insist, Silver Quill.”
“Now, it seems to me that you have a lot on your plate right now. Let’s start with Twilight: Do you really think studying an extinct race is all that bad?” Of course I didn’t tell him about my sister being a vampire! Can you imagine it? The headlines alone would be enough to devastate our credibility! Imagine the headlines: Reformed Princess Now a Vampire; Did Sun-Butt knows about her Vampire sister?
I hesitated a bit, before answering the friendly Doctor. “I suppose it’s not all bad…” Like I said, I was overreacting earlier. The most she’ll do is run blood tests, and oh my god she’s going to find out…
I NEED TO CUT THIS SESSION SHORT!!!!
“I’m sorry, Mr. Quill but I must tend to urgent business” I lit up my horn, preparing for a teleport. “It was nice chatting with you, and you can bill the treasury. Ta-ta!”
I didn’t hear him call me when I teleported, but I assumed it was to tell me our next session date. Oh well! Besides, I needed to keep my Woona safe…
I bashed through my sister’s doors, knowing full well that she would be in there at this hour in the day. “LUNA, SHE’S GONNA RUN BLOOD TESTS!!!!” The scene before me was… confusing at first.
“Why is Fluttershy tied up?”
Luna looked at me sheepishly. “Well, sister, it seems that Fluttershy, uhm, well…” She sighed. “Just take a closer look, Tia.”
I did as my sister told me, and inspected the element of Kindness one more time. She looked normal, save for the bat wings, funneled ears, fangs, and well that’s strange! She’s a vampire, how odd!
I fainted, only to wake up hours later, when Luna raised the moon.
I let out a large yawn, thinking that what I saw was a dream, no wait, I meant nightmare. “I had the strangest nightmare, Luna. I had a dream that Fluttershy was a vampire, and she was in your room.”
“Yes, Heh, yes quite, big and kind sister; after all, you know best. ‘Twas naught but a dream, and you didn’t see it in reality.” Her nervousness fazed me out of the denial that I was setting for myself. Nevertheless, I calmed down and began to put on my serious face. You know the one: the “I will kill you while still keeping my hooves clean” look.
“When did this happen?” I asked my sister, intent on understanding how, and possibly why, this happened.
Unknown to the two Princesses however, the mare was starting to wake up, and was not bound whatsoever.
“According to sources, a strong ally of the Circle, a spell cast by your former student, Princess Twilight, went awry causing the vampiric affliction to affect Fluttershy. She mentioned it in one of her reports on friendship I believe. The ‘Fruit Bat Incident’ if I recall correctly.”
“I think I understand now. Oh my faithful student, you had no intention of inflicting your friend with this…”
Flutterbat, clearly in control, got up slowly from Luna’s bed, making as little sound as possible. Ever so closer, she leaned in, shooting her fangs out, and getting ready to maim the two alicorns in front of her.
“Who was your informant, if I may ask, sister?”
She was ever so closer, and closer than before, and as silent as a humming bird’s wing-beat…
Hesitantly, she told Celestia her informant of the Ponyville branch of the Inner Circle. “It was Discord, Tia. He’s been monitoring her since she first turned.”
You rang? A familiar voice rang out, catching the attention of everypony in the room.
Now was the perfect time to strike. She nearly lunged at Luna and Celestia, until an unknown force held her back. She looked behind her, near the location of the force. It was Discord, holding tight to her tail from behind, shushing her with his claw.
“Show yourself, Discord!” Celestia yelled to the air.
Look to the back, where I’m holding the little devil herself! She was going to bathe in your blood, you know, but it’s good that I’ve been keeping an eye on her. She shot him the most evil look that could be thought possible on the timid Pegasus’ face. In response, he stuck his tongue out.
Well go on, my dear, He shoved Flutterbat in front of the alicorn Princesses, before disappearing out of thin air. Don’t be shy…
The normally timid Pegasus sat before the two regal princesses with blood red eyes, and fangs jutting out of her mouth, sharp as knives.
The vampire just laughed in her face, having no intention of giving up her control over Fluttershy’s body. “You think you threaten me, Little Princess?” Her expression turned as serious as the sun princess’ face. “I do not care for your petty threats.”
Celestia was about to respond, when Luna stopped her abruptly. “Let me handle this, Tia.” She said to her sister with a smile that only siblings know. Her fangs shot out of her mouth, and her eyes changed color to a vampire’s tell-tale blood-red tint. “I believe it is time that we test her strength for ourselves.” She faced Flutterbat, ready to lunge at any moment. “You may not be able to best my sister, but with me you will fight on the same footing. Spar with me, or leave.” She said, making Flutterbat back up a few steps.
Unsure of what to do, Flutterbat relied on her only thing left: instinct, and lunged at Luna. However, she didn’t hit her target’s neck. Instead she only bit the air before hearing her teeth click together. “You are slow, vampire. Try again.” Luna said from behind.
How did she…? Her thoughts were shook out as she went for another lunge, this time a little faster. Yet again, she only bit the air.
“Too slow, my little pony!” the lunar princess cackled.
“Is that the best you got, Luna?” Flutterbat chuckled. “Dodging me? You must be one scared little filly! I bet you can’t even knock out a-” She was interrupted by a punch so hard it sent her through Luna’s balcony window, shattering the entire side of the building! The mare recovered mid-air, now ripe with heated fury that even the sun rivaled. She spat out a fang. “Lucky shot.” She mumbled under her breath. Looks like I’m going to step up my game! How’s pureblood strength sound for you Luna? Flutterbat morphed almost instantly into her bat pony form, showing an arrogant and hubris pose after the changes were done.
Luna’s red eyes shot wide. “T-Tia, I am no match for this beast.” She said to her sister, with fear drowning her otherwise formal and royal voice. Princess had never seen this much fear put into the eyes of one of the most powerful alicorns in Equestria. It was surprising to say the least, and made her wary of the cream colored Pegasus as well. This pony- no; this predator, what exactly is she? Celestia thought, watching Flutterbat just hover in mid-air, the moon in the foreground.
“Y-you are a pureblood!” The sun princess gasped at her sister’s terrified remark. Luna told me of pureblooded vampires! Discord, a long time ago, set the magical rules and boundaries for vampirism. Even Twilight’s botched behavior spell was susceptible to its magic, the very fiber being manipulated on a microscopic level that even the most powerful of magical creatures can’t detect! To get back at the farmers that wanted more power, he added weaknesses, such as damage to the sun and aversion to silver in order to get back at the nobler of them. It wasn’t until they had changed and couldn’t go back did he tell them about purebloods. Only Pegasi that were affected by his disease can develop stronger powers. She looked on in newfound horror at the Bat-pony. They are said to be twice as strong as vampires, and are able to control the minds of lesser creatures with ease. That, combined with Fluttershy’s infamous “Stare”, this mare could very well be unstoppable! I need to alert the guards to put a barrier around the city! She ran off, very well aware that an epic battle will take place in the heart of Canterlot, and the collateral damage can and will be catastrophic.
“It seems that my sister ran off.” Luna chuckled nervously, before becoming serious again. “I am afraid that I will not be able to stop you. Is there a name you prefer, rather than the pony whose body you are now in control of?”
“We’ve taken the liberty of establishing a name for this for this form. Flutterbat will suffice, and I am afraid reason is out of the question as well.” Flutterbat said. Her fang grew back, and this time was intent on being sunken into a neck. Preferably a midnight blue Alicorn’s to be exact.
The conversation was signifying something much greater: the calm before the storm; a battle of epic proportions that would surely be destructive in every way possible.
Author's Note
Here's Celestia's side, where she receives the letter! Next chapter is gonna be a super fight scene between two powerful ponies! And i'm only gonna say this about it: it's gonna be one hell of a doozy! Anyways, just tell me what you think of this chapter!
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Vampires Can Battle, but Purebloods Can Decimate
“CAPTAIN, I NEED YOU TO SHIELD CANTERLOT IMMEDIATELY!!!” Celestia yelled into the ears of the Captain of the Royal Guard- Glimmering Shield. After recovering from the brief hearing loss, he asked rather panicked “What is it, Princess? Are we being invaded?”
The sun princess shook her head gravely. “It’s something far worse than that. We must evacuate the city immediately! Get everypony teleported outside of the town, and ensure that none remain.”
He saluted his commander, and proceeded to order the unicorns to get into positions for the shield spell to be cast and the Pegasi and Earth Ponies to start evacuation immediately, knowing that if the Princess is as worried for her citizens to shield the entire city and evacuate everypony out of their now magically fortified home, then there was going to be a major, and possibly catastrophic, event that would take place in the heart of the oligarchy that the ponies knew as their source of government and power.
“Sir, look over there!” one of his privates pointed out a nearby window, and towards Canterlot Palace. What looked like the entire leftmost tower was completely decimated, its corpse now littering the gardens below it. “Mother of me…” the alicorn muttered, looking shocked at the destruction that her home was receiving.
Elsewhere, a lunar princess was recovering from a blow that launched her through the side of the entire left wing, where her current room was at, as well as a number of wings she used for astronomical purposes. I am naught but a fly to a pureblood! Luna looked at the mare who struck the monstrous blow. Pure, instinctual rage filled Flutterbat’s eyes, intent on leaving a blue stain on the ground where everypony would look at, knowing full well that it was the final resting place of Celestia’s dear sister. There was no ounce of innocence shown- a trait that Fluttershy, the shy mare underneath this vampiric beast, normally showed.
Flutterbat cackled maniacally. “Did you have enough yet, moon-butt?”
Luna opened her mouth to say something, only to be barraged by a flurry of uppercuts that sent her flying above the palace. “Too bad, because I’M JUST GETTING STARTED!!!” At blurring speeds, Flutterbat raced towards the Princess, another punch nearly connecting, until she was bound in magical blue chains constructed from Luna’s magic. She frantically struggled to break free, only to find that the more she struggled, the tighter the chains became.
“Fluttershy!” Luna shouted. “I know you’re in there! Please, you need to wake up before things become too drastic to handle on our own!” A rippling headache arrived at Flutterbat’s head, her eyes changing from the furious blood hue of her red eyes to the innocent and shy cyan that was a trademark of the shy and timid mare.
“L-Luna? What’s going on? Why am I bound up, and why do you have fangs?”
Relieved, Luna began to explain. “Fluttershy, your vampiric instincts took over! Flutterbat is intent on destroying me, and quite possibly making a stain out of Celestia too! You must free yourself from her grasp!”
Another pain shot to the mare’s head, bringing back the deadly gaze of Flutterbat. “What makes you think she has control? *chuckles* I’m the one in charge here!” She flexed her bat-wings, apparently all she needed to do in order to break control of an Alicorn’s magic. It seemed as if the Elements of Harmony were nothing but a nuisance compared to the terrifying power this mare possessed. After breaking free, Flutterbat lunged at Luna again, this time intent on crippling her; a docile attack compared to the devastation she caused to both the Lunar Princess, and the castle she started to call home.
The Princess tried to dodge the attack, but only made the strike connect more quickly. That speed! Luna thought, as the Pureblood continued lashing out, inflicting a monumental amount of pain to one of her wings, before it finally snapped. The mare let out a bloodcurdling scream that stretched even to the outskirts of the soundproof and protective shield strewn around Canterlot. No longer able to hover and meet her adversary’s eyes, Luna fell unconscious from the numbing pain on her wing. That power…
She struggled to get up after the rough landing in the piles of destroyed palace, only to fall down from exhaustion. Her vision started to blur. I m-must get through to f-flutter…sh…shy…
Discord was watching this whole scene take place nearby, invisible to everypony due to some chaos magic and curious to see how far this “Flutterbat” would go, before he would have to step in. In his mind, he knew that Celestia was no match for the ferocity this beast could lash out. She destroyed an entire wing of the palace for fun. She broke Princess Luna’s wing, and watch her plummet to the ground For fun…
If it weren’t for his reformed consciousness telling him this was bad, he would’ve snapped into existence a large bucket of popcorn with a side of soda. Observing Luna unconscious, and full of blood stains angered him enormously, and he decided that enough was enough. “Playtime’s over, little bat. It’s time you go back in the cage.” he snapped his fingers, ridding himself of the cloak that kept him invisible from the ponies thrashing out at each other. Much like when Princess Celestia is angered, Discord gained a serious look, but the most intense features were his eyes. They didn’t beam chaotically anymore, like a maniac's would. No, his eyes were filled with fury. Fury caused by his friend getting hurt.
Flutterbat took a good look at the draconequis hovering before her, and laughed as if his mere presence was a joke. “Oh yeah? And who’s gonna make me? YOU?! *laughs* You are nothing but a speck to me!” She lunged at him, fully intent on ripping him limb from limb. Inches away from hitting that serious scowl off the Chaos Lord’s face, something held her back. She looked around. Not a single trace of Luna’s magic was still latched to her, and nopony was forcing her hoof from connecting. Flutterbat shook her head and tried again, this time with the other hoof. The results were the same: she couldn’t hit him. It was as if an unknown force was holding her back. “One thing you forgot to realize is that I’m friends with the mare you’re holding in that cage of yours.” He snapped his fingers again, lulling the pureblood to sleep. “And I intend to keep her in control.
Flutterbat shook her head, and looked around at a white plane. No rubble, destroyed castle, or crippled Princess in sight. Not even a sky to look at, just white. It looks like I’m back here… in the cage…
She started exploring the pale white that was the “cage” that Fluttershy’s pony side built without knowing. There was nothing here to keep the bat-pony company. The only thing she had were her own thoughts, and a thirst for the outside world. The only way she lived in that blood-soaked cottage from their first intellectual encounter- Fluttershy’s and Flutterbat’s- was because the timid mare has an overactive imagination when it comes to horror stereotypes, such as vampire ponies. Suddenly, she heard someone sobbing.
I thought I was alone in here… Then the realization dawned on her. Oh. I get it; we’re both in the cage. I guess Discord wants me to talk with her, or vice versa…
Another thing happened: Fluttershy began to speak. It was obvious that she didn’t know Flutterbat was there, so the pureblood waited, curious to hear what the small and shy Pegasus had to say. “I-it’s so blank here! No birds, breezes; not even anypony to cheer me up! I’m stuck here, in this prison with no way out. There are no exits, windows, sky.”
You’re the one that created this prison for me! Ever since the first drop, you wanted to hold me back! It wasn’t until the grump himself unshackled me did I really get a good taste of your power. The whole time, the whole time you were still lying just underneath, making sure I didn’t kill. I maimed, but I wanted to kill- needed to kill!
“Why did I make this place so lonely, so isolated?” Fluttershy started sobbing again. “I-I just w-wanted to keep m-my friends safe! I didn’t want you to feel lonely!”
Flutterbat was shocked, realizing that she had no intention to isolate her. “You really care, don’t you?” Fluttershy yelped, wiping her tears away, getting ready for some sort of battle or lashing out they would have. The bat-pony motioned her to stop. She was the one with tears this time. “You never wanted me to feel alone. I’m nothing but a monster to ponies, and you cared enough to help me” Fluttershy wiped away her counterpart’s tears gently streaming down her ragged coat.
“You are a friend, no matter what. We are one and the same, you and I. You might not see it yet, but there is compassion in you.” Flutterbat was going to speak, come up with any sorrowful reason as to why that wasn’t true, but was interrupted by the cream coated Pegasus. “You could have ended Luna. When I was watching you battle in this cage, I saw you break her wing. You could have killed her on the spot, but you crippled her.”
“I-I thought that was you…”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I was not in control. I was nothing but an observer to what you were doing.”
“But, what about Discord? I couldn’t put my fangs to him, even if I tried!”
“Deep down inside yourself, you knew that Discord was our closest friend, and would never harm. You wanted to return the kindness, even if you didn’t know that’s what you were doing. We may be separate ponies at times, but our morals, our beliefs- they are one and the same.”
“We share a connection.” Fluttershy smiled at her counterpart's epiphany. “It doesn’t matter if we change-”
“-Change is a good thing. It defines who we are, and it helps us grow.” They both smiled this time, glad that their resolve was met. After they hugged, they looked around at the new landscape set before them. It seemed that the whole time they have been talking, unbeknownst to them, the white, dull, blank space that was simply known as the cage now had a blue sky, and grass fields and trees. It was serene, blissful even. It seemed that Fluttershy’s mind has finally come to terms with her newfound power.
*SNAP*
Flutterbat shook her head. No not Flutterbat, Fluttershy! “What happened?” she asked, still recovering from taking over again. You just woke up, Fluttershy. It seemed that even though they resolved their differences, her vampiric instincts she named Flutterbat was still there to talk, and offer advice and wisdom. After all, no one can survive without at least a little help from instinct.
“Fluttershy! Oh, I am so glad that you’re back in control!” Discord exclaimed, hugging the bat-pony. She returned the embrace.
“I-I’m sorry that I let my instinct take control. This time, it won’t happen again!”
“Oh really?” he asked curiously. His tone, however, gave away that he knew putting the two beings- Fluttershy and Flutterbat- in the cage, they would face resolve. “Well never mind that, my dear! What matters is that you’re here.”
Releasing Discord from the hug, she took a look at her Pureblood form. Only once had she become this form, and it was the first drink of blood; she had so much adrenaline pumping and it seemed sheer excitement occupied her at the time. She started inspecting her new body closely, starting with her very bat-like wings. Her wings no longer had feathers, and were instead what seemed like one limb, instead of consisting of two parts- the wing and feathers. Lightly coated in her trademark cream colored fur, it flapped in the wind with force, almost against the air itself. In the past, her feathered wings merely let her synchronize with the currents almost effortlessly. If she wasn’t used to it, the mare would need a paper bag to breathe in. Her mane and tail were mangled and messy, taking on more of a wild side. However, it completed her look, making her look menacing at first sight, and ready to bite. Instead of her smooth coat, the hair was all spiky and slick, reflecting against the pale moonlight.
Though she was getting used to this form, it didn’t mean she wanted to look this way on a day-to-day basis. Nervousness settling in, she asked the draconequis “I know I’m back in control and all, but how do I, um, change back to my old self again?”
He just shrugged. Obviously that wasn’t enough, because Fluttershy was giving him a stern look on her face. He scoffed. “How should I know how you change?! Just because I created vampires doesn’t mean I know how they do it!”
She sighed, accepting defeat. Looks like I’m stuck this way.
Just then, she remembered something: She could just talk to Flutterbat! What if you can help me, Flutterbat? How do you normally change? She asked her subconscious, hopeful that it had a solution. It pondered for a moment, before answering. Well, how I normally change into a bat-pony is kind of simple: I get really angry, like if someone hurt your pet Rabbit. Maybe the opposite effect will change you back…
She gave it a try, and started to think pleasant thoughts, like washing her animals on a good day, or going to a picnic with her friends. It seemed to work, as her coat turned back to normal. The mane and tail followed closely behind then her ears and finally, her wings. Her eyes remained blood red however, and her fangs were still jutting out because she already knew how to turn those back to normal. That and another reason: She thought it added to her cuteness.
You did it again, Luna… You’ve pushed yourself too far! Celestia telepathically sent to her sister. Their connections as siblings were strong ones, allowing one of them to contact the other via their minds. It was similar to the effects that twins show: One feels the other’s pain, as well as knowing if the other one was upset or not. However, Celestia’s and Luna’s connection was just at the telepathic level. It was far stronger back in the day, before Nightmare Moon, but the connection was severed by the elements when she was banished to the moon for 1000 years. No connection whatsoever; it affected both parties and caused loneliness to ensue. Celestia grew more and more lonesome inside castle walls, but among subjects she disguised her loneliness by trying her hardest to keep the trust the people had wholeheartedly given her.Tia, I needed to protect our subjects! I needed to-
Turn yourself into a martyr? Those days are over, Luna! After Nightmare Moon, after you were freed from her grasp, you proved to everypony that you had strength!
Silent went Princess Luna’s mind for a moment. It wasn’t about proving my strength. It was about protecting those who truly didn’t fear my night, and risked their lives to save me! Fluttershy was losing a battle in her own mind; I had to-needed to help her! ‘Tis true that she was the most fearful out of all of the six ponies on Nightmare Night, but she continued to show me kindness. She offered voice and speech lessons to me! She helped when others cowered in fear...
They finally arrived in the emergency wing, where Discord set her down on a sickbed, and caught the attention of one of the nurses to give Luna first aid. Instead of snickering, and almost bursting out in laughter like his chaotic self would do, his eyes only showed of concern and fear. Fear that he would lose one of his friends. It wasn’t until the Doctor came in and started nursing wounds that her eyes opened. Luckily, her fangs weren’t showing and her eyes were midnight blue. I wanted to repay the favor...
Celestia teleported to her younger sister’s side, holding her blue hoof with tearful eyes locked onto the monitor. “Oh sister, I hope you get better soon!”
Luna smiled weakly. “I wouldn’t be much of a Princess if I didn’t stay strong for my subjects.” Fluttershy was the next to arrive, bursting through the doors and stopping at the foot of the bed, teary-eyed and bloodshot. “Oh, L-luna I’m so s-sorry!” Though her apology was sincere,
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Fluttershy! You were in the Royal Gardens with Princess Celestia when there was an explosion from a spell that I caused which accidentally unleashed a demon into the world.” Fluttershy was confused, until the alicorn gave her a wink.
Celestia sighed, going along with the bluff. “Sister, how many times have I told you that you cannot shackle a demon?! You were lucky I shielded myself and Fluttershy from the blast, and then went to the Royal Guard to contain it within city limits, though i was too worried to go into detail.”
All eyes turned to Discord at that point, hoping he would join in on the fib so he could explain himself. “Why are you all staring at me like that?” he asked. Some of the guards listening in were waiting for him to answer why he was there, so Fluttershy nudged him hard into his chest. “OW! Ok, I’ll talk!” He took a moment to catch his breath that was knocked from the elbow he got into his rib-cage. “I felt the chaos magic from the demon all the way in Ponyville, and what do I find waiting for me when I check out what was causing it? A demon smacking Moon-butt so hard that she nearly went back into the moon!” Everypony glared at him for his last and rather sensitive remark. “Lucky for you that banishing a demon is child’s play for me! Of all the chaotic things to summon, you go for plain and boring demon. No wonder your humor is so dry…” It looks like he got the last laugh, as Luna scrunched her muzzle and began to blush trying to think of a rebuttal. Even Celestia tried to retain a laugh that was building up.
A few days later, Canterlot was fixed. Fluttershy stayed in Luna’s chambers to hone and practice her newfound powers in a safe way, and a courier was rushing into the royal halls of Canterlot Palace for the second time that week…
“Your highness, Princess Twilight has arrived! Shall we inform her of the situations that transcribed a few days prior?” The sun Princess went twitchy-eyed, and closed Day Court yet again with much speed rushing to Luna’s chambers.
Author's Note
This took a long time to finish, but it's finally done! Hopefully, i'm catching your eyes with these chapters, and not just throwing words at a wall to see if they stick.
Regardless, a few chapters from now, there will be another thing happening, and if you like spoilers, then it's below
Celestia, werewolves, and sister battle duel thing!
A Deadly Drink, and a Deadlier Werewolf
“It’ll be alright, Tia!” It seemed Luna was desperately trying to get through Celestia’s shaken demeanor. No wonder Twilight is so hard to talk to during her “research sessions”! The blue alicorn thought. They were both sitting in Princess Luna’s bedroom, one of the most secure places in the entirety of Equestria, save Tartarus, and Celestia’s own personal quarters. Even then, the Sun Princess cast a soundproof bubble, as well as several scrying spells designed to alert her if Twilight neared the wing itself.
At that point, that’s when Celestia discovered her sister’s personal stash of hooch. Hmm, I wonder if alicorns can get drunk… she thought; gazing over the pristine shelf, full of the most dangerous alcoholic beverages known to the world. There were pony-made vintage wines, dating back 3000 years ago, Yak mead that was so noxious that it needed an enchanted bottle just to seal in the scent, and Griffonian Vodka so powerfully strong, that it needed a wax seal just to preserve the flavor alone.
That looks good enough to start with! Celestia saw her target, the hardest drink to procure out of Luna’s whole collection! It even had its own separate case with every lock and spell known guarding it! The shining golden bottle that laid in that glass case was a draconequis Chaotic Cocktail! She had won it from Discord in a Poker tournament. It was strip poker- magic strip poker. Every hand she lost, she had to give up either a feather from her long wings, or have her horn shorten by two inches! Luckily she won with a Royal flush before it became noticeable. The bottle itself wasn’t ordinary, aside from the fact of it being made out of pure gold. Every few minutes, it liked to change shape, from a flagon, to an ordinary beer bottle, to even a small goblet! Paying no heed to how well armed the display case was, Celestia ripped off the glass doors leading to the tasty drink in one fell swoop, and downed half the bottle in 10 seconds. She looked at herself, paying no heed to her younger sister’s screaming of “Stop!” and “Don’t drink the bottle, it’s dangerous!”, hoping to at least see signs of wobbliness, a small tell-tale sign of drunkenness, anything really. “I was hoping for at least a little buzz…” she mumbled, that is until she saw the untold fury in Luna’s red vampire eyes, the anger grinning with its fangs. The beast had taken over, and lunged at her helpless sister. All had blacked out for both of them. That is, until a sucking was heard from Luna’s mouth, tasting the rich blood of her sister.
MMM, she tastes like cake! Her inner demon screamed. She kept going and going, seeing the shock in her sister’s eyes, the fear that had never been shown anywhere, even among family members. Her instincts didn't want to stop, no matter what helpless cries were heard from her sister. “S-sister, please!” Celestia pleaded weakly. “S-stop, I-I’m your sister! You n-need t-to stop!”
Months ago, after obtaining the Chaos Cocktail…
“Now moon-butt, you may have earned my drink fair and square, but its effects are dangerous to the common pony. Even MY race was afraid to drink it!”
Luna just scoffed at Discord’s concern. “Fear not Discord, for I have taken many a drink down in one gulp! I’ve beaten Griffons at whole pub contests! I’ve conquered the pungent odor of the Yak Mead!”
“Your tolerance isn’t in question here, Luna. It’s your control over the beast in you.” What the draconequis was saying finally broke through enough to earn a concerned look on the Night Princess’ face.
“It’s chaotic by nature.” Discord explained. “Any magic affected by chaos could have drastic effects, due to even one drop of this drink! Even I don’t want to touch it, that’s the whole reason I put it in the pot in the first place!” Ever more serious Luna’s face became while he was explaining this dangerous bottle in her hand. “When a Draconequis brews a Chaotic Cocktail, they put chaos magic in it to preserve the flavor. However, the magic is corrupted by the rare ingredients in the cocktail, such as Poison Joke.”
“What makes it dangerous to me?” Luna asked, afraid to know the possible answer.
“You’re a vampire, Luna!” Discord exclaimed, almost dumbfounded at her response. “By definition, your very blood is imbued with my chaotic magic! Even a whiff would likely send you into frenzy; A very bloody and gruesome frenzy. Double the fact that you raise the moon every night, and you are potentially asking for disaster of epic proportions!” he set both his mismatched appendages on Luna’s shoulders. “Please, for the sake of sanity, leave that stuff sealed away, in the most protected cage there is.” Discord was right. She thought. A drink that dangerous shouldn't even be touched by our Royal Guards. I will set it in my chambers, protected by every lock and spell that i know to summon!
Luna’s mind returned to the present and snapping her out of blood craving frenzy. I need to stop! She let go of her sister’s neck, now nearly sucked dry of all blood. She gasped at her weak sister’s seemingly lifeless body, hoping that she was still alive. A pain jolted in her horn, causing immense pain, but not enough to pay heed. “Oh sister, please be okay!” The pain continued more intensely this time, thrashing Luna’s alicorn magic back and forth through the room, and causing her to scream in gruesome pain. Suddenly, the moon was brought out in full spectrum for all to see. Her horn began to glow darkish blue, before turning a deep, blood tinge of red, shooting a beam at the satellite that was once her prison. Once the beam made contact, a swirl of the same color red engulfed the moon, looking as if it were soaked in blood.
Barely holding on, Celestia regained consciousness as the event was taking place. Oh my, Luna! I’ve been foolish! That was a Chaotic Cocktail, a drink that should have never been drunk before you! You told me about its dangers as soon as you added it to your collection! Why didn't i think of it? Maybe my mind was just hoping to numb itself from the barrage of questions i would get. Regardless, i must keep my subjects safe... She got up onto all four of her legs, regaining most of her strength. This time, it’s my turn to absorb the power of the moon. I don’t know what it’ll do to me, but it might just be enough to save you from dooming Equestria yet again! Mustering all the strength she could, Celestia tackled Luna out of the way, hoping that would break the connection before it was too late. It did not however, as blood magic was still pooling out of her head in intense waves of pain, causing her to scream in agony. Slowly, Celestia raised herself to meet the center of the moon. Again, she took in all the strength she could handle, and cast an absorption spell at it, taking in the dark and potentially catastrophic magic to her own being. Tearfully, Celestia grunted as she tried to control the magic being thrust into her.Fully absorbed, the extra magic sent her flying into the wall behind her, rendering her weak yet again, and near unconscious. Both Princesses lied there with pain inflicting them, showing no signs of stopping. Her eyes burning and glowing from the blood magic she absorbed, she gazed at her weakened and unconscious sister before passing out herself.
Silence remained, not a single sound in the room for what seemed like ages.
“Is she gonna be okay? Oh, Celestia, Luna; I hope you’re alright! I knew Discord had a reason to act afraid because of the red moon!”
Fluttershy? What is she doing here? I thought she wanted to go back to Ponyville and train with Discord. We offered her help, but she couldn’t stay long, only parting with a few pointers from my sister...
Why do I feel…?
“Quickly, she needs to be seen to the hospital at once!”
Was that Silver Quill? I thought he was my psychiatrist…
Several ponies grunted, as they lifted something heavy onto what sounded like a small cloth bed.
I’m being lifted into a…stretcher? I can’t remember why I feel this weak…
Days passed. I was awake, yet my sister had yet to recover…
“I’m giving back that infernal bottle to Discord! He needs to destroy it, burn it, and eviscerate it!!! His kind should never have taken into the hobby of Liquor drafting!”
I gasped at the movement of one of my sister’s hooves, the only sign of life I’ve seen for these last few days. “Twilight Sparkle still arrived and I had no other choice but to tell her the truth. At first, her reaction was to ask how it happened, curious more to that than to your well-being. I couldn’t take her not caring! I’m sorry sister, but I couldn’t take her putting research ahead of your weakened state.”
Another movement! Maybe talking to you was helping…
“With regret, I hurt her… I didn’t want her to change family into charts and graphs! I wanted her to care!” I chuckled at the previously unforeseen irony. “Maybe that’s why you chose her: It reminded you of me. I was stubborn and careless to my actions too. Do you remember?”
She nodded her head. I gasped, rushing for the nearest nurse, and a guard to summon Twilight Sparkle. “I think she’s waking!”
A scowl started to arise in the waking Alicorn’s face. She slowly opened her eyes, not used to the sunlight her eyes had received, probably due to the fact that it was nearing sunset. “You...Did...What?” Were the only words out of Celestia’s mouth, enough to tell everypony else to leave as quickly as they could, praying they could avoid the fury of the Sun Princess no matter what the cost.
“I-I, w-well, see the t-thing is…” her stammering was only worsening the situation, making every word invoke more fury into Celestia’s… Red eyes?
Why are her eyes red?! Oh my, this is very bad!!!!!
No later did Twilight arrive by teleportation spell, looking at her teacher’s eyes as well. “C-Celestia?” was the only word out of her mouth. It seemed to calm the Alicorn mare, however. She smiled at her protégé, with the motherly embrace it always had on.
“Yes, Twilight? What’s wrong?” Her eyes changed back to the pink they normally were, but only for a brief moment until she turned angry again, scowl returning. “Did Luna hurt you?”
Please say yes, so I can rip her limb from limb!!! That thought was not her own. It was more carnal, fuller of rage and bloodlust.
Luna pulled Twilight to the side, and whispered something. It was strictly out of earshot, though somehow Celestia could still hear bits of the conversation. “We need to keep her calm. It seems the blood moon did have effects on her after all…”
They turned back around. “She didn’t physically hurt me, no. She just gave me a... thrashing of words. It was more of an emotional abuse.” Her words were calm; serene, even. Twilight was keeping level-headed, though her poor word choice continued to upset her more. “She Abused you?”
The sun was merely inches from setting, and revealing the moon. Luna took care of abolishing the few bits left, and raised the satellite into view, thankfully this time not red, and full of blood magic. “At least there’s no blood moon this time, Sister .” Her words lunged at Luna’s heartstrings, breaking them one by one. Slowly, the Alicorn Princess gazed away from Luna and her faithful student and towards the siren's call of the moon. The moon, it seems…compelling. I-I need to reach the window.
She got up, despite both her student and her sister insisting she needed rest. Quiet, my little ponies, the moon calls to Celestia…
Her flowing mane began to change color from the tri-colored summer hue, to a dark red, glistening one instead. “Twilight, Celestia is going to change now.” Luna said calmly, though a little shaken, to the small alicorn Princess.
Trembling, she asked “I-into w-what, exactly?”
“I am... not sure.” she said, slowly backing away.
They are still talking, the cuddly one, and the bat one. Why do they not stop?
Ever closer, she neared the window, opening it to let a breeze. The air refreshed her, invigorated her. The grogginess was instantly gone from her, and strength soon took its place. Her tail wagged, and she started panting like a dog.
“S-sister, are you alright?” Luna nervously asked.
The bat one is still raving. Quiet now, little bat. Celly is relaxing!
A hoof touched her shoulder as she looked at the moon after enjoying the summer breeze. It hypnotized her, compelled her body to cease all function. Her heart pounded slowly, with a heavy THUMP-THUMP for a few minutes, before rapidly exploding into flurries of movements. She roared into the air, her teeth changing from dainty teeth only good for eating vegetables, to scissor-like fangs, like a wolf possesses.
That’s when she saw it- the blood-red eyes, a predator’s eyes, leering back. A low growl erupted from the transformed mare’s throat, striking fear into her student.
“What did the bat one say?”
“I-I don’t-”
“WHAT DID THE BAT ONE SAY?!”
Twilight whimpered, gulping with fear. “S-she said t-that I should h-have ch-checked up on y-you first before r-researching…”“You will be punished, bat one. Severely…”
“P-please, Celestia! I meant no harm to her! She is my sister…”
That stopped the beast in its tracks, but just for a moment. “Then why did the bat one say mean things to my cuddly one? ANSWER ME!!!”
Of all the things that Twilight has seen, she has never seen Luna, the Princess of the Night, Cower in fear. Celestia just stopped a few inches away from her sister’s face, showing her new set of teeth to the trembling mare before her. “I just wanted her to care for you, like you care for me, and for her!”
Her fangs still showed. Quick as a flash, Celestia lunged. Both Twilight and Luna closed their eyes, not wishing to see what happened next. The first to open their eyes at the scene was the Princess of Friendship. Celestia embraced Luna in a hug! “That is all I needed to hear, bat one.” Letting go, Luna finally opened her eyes and wept with joy that she wasn’t maimed! However, a new problem had arisen: Celestia started walking slowly to her faithful student, but not with fear-striking hoofsteps, but with seductive vigor instead. “This one desires to cuddle with my cuddly one!”
Quickly, she lunged at Twilight, taking her far away from the hospital. "Oh dear..." were the only words out of Luna's mouth.
Author's Note
This chapter was meant to be a drunken brawl between two sisters, but immediately turned into awesome sauce!
If you wanna see Were-Celestia, there's an awesome picture that inspired me over here if you wanna check it out!!!
(P.S. My version of that pic, the one in this story, doesn't have huge bat wings
Cuddling In a Cave, Special Guest Included
Werewolves: A Study by Twilight Sparkle
The title seems good, now I just need to work on the studying aspect! (Insert Nervous Chuckle)
Subject #1: Princess Celestia
Continuing in initial observation, what makes it most strange is the color from which it changed: It is no longer a varying spectrum of summer colors, but instead is a very solid and dark red; the same red hue that is reminiscent of blood. More data is needed in order to determine if this is present in all werewolves. “Werewolves” doesn’t sound like a good name for ponies. Were-ponies? No, too silly and it also implies that we turn into a pony! The Greek derivation of the word commonly used is more suited-Lycanthrope. It fits more clearly. Moving on to more subtler changes noted, the hooves show a remarkable change, going from an ordinary hoof to more of a dog-like quality. The hooves are no longer present, and instead are replaced by padded paws, with each separate paw adorning its own set of sharp claws, that, much like the teeth are used, can cut and tear easily through meat. The wings are the most drastic, shrinking from a wingspan of 3 feet, down to a small 2 ½ feet. It seems mostly incapable of flight, and is completely covered by the long tufts of fur present.
Though I may say that this is the most unexpected subject for study, it was remarkable nonetheless! I wish I had time to write all this down, though…
Twilight Sparkle remained completely still while getting an up close and personal inspection of what she thought was a mythological beast until now. Frozen in fear and intrigue, she couldn’t even mumble any sort of word to the staring Lycanthrope. “Why does the cuddly one remain still?” It seemed that despite her best efforts at asking why Twilight was completely still, her beastly side couldn’t find the right words to comfort her student. I hope the cuddly one isn’t mad…
Twilight shook her head, and tried to formulate words, still frozen with that same mix of fear and curiosity. “I-I, w-well um…” She sighed, taking in a deep breath before releasing it. “Why do you call me ‘cuddly one’?” were the only words she could manage. Well, it’s better than nothing… she thought.
Celestia stared confusingly at her faithful student, nicknamed the “Cuddly one” by none other than herself. “You are cuddly, are you not? Has this one not made that clear?” Still, she found herself having a hard time using better words to explain. This time, Celly will try bigger words!
“F-faithfulll s-student, this one thinks you are ad-dorablllle." she grinned. "Celly ad-dores you!” she smiled through her fangs. Love is not the right word yet…
“Is cuddly one okay?” Celestia gasped, thinking the worst had come to happen from her previous statement. “IS CUDDLY ONE ANGRY???” She asked frantically, tears forming in her blood red eyes.
I’ve got to diffuse this quick! “No, not at all, Celestia! I-I just didn’t expect it, that’s all…”
“Celly is glad you don’t hate her!”
They both looked around, each curious about where they were. “It looks like we’re in a cave.” Twilight’s ears swiveled at the sound of rushing water, and then looked closely at the only light source they were getting, the entrance to the cave, partially hidden by a waterfall. “It looks like a cave, near a waterfall.” That explains the smell of wet dog at least…
Using her powerful muzzle, Celestia smelled something approaching. “Get behind Celly, cuddly one!” she shouted. “Bad pony ap-apro-is coming!”
Trusting her teacher, despite her current condition, Princess Twilight hid behind Celestia’s towering form, hoping that whoever’s coming was somepony she knew and could calm Celestia down, and bring both of them back to Canterlot. Suddenly, noises were heard just outside of the cave. “Hmm, tracks end here.” A gruff voice spoke in a low tone. “Cave’s nearby." It sounded like it kneeled down to try and get a better look into the cave. "The werewolf went in there.” Hoofsteps were heard approaching the cave, until they jumped through the waterfall and stood a few feet behind the waterfall, and at the mouth of the cave.
Whoever it was, he seems to know how to track Lycanthropes! The purple mare thought. The figure approached nearer and nearer until it came face to face with Celestia and her student. “Who is bad pony?!" The figure remained silent, only observing the two creatures in the cave. "SPEAK!!!”
A stallion stood before them, clad in hybrid chain and leather armor that looked flexible and new, but still worn from countless battles of other foes, and he seemed to have a pendant with the carving of a wolf on it. His mane and tail were both grey, and had a scruffy beard adorned on his muzzle, while his mane was tied in a ponytail in the back, and hanged loosely in the front, giving the pony an intimidating feature. What was most intense about his features were the eyes- they were bright yellow, and slotted like a cat's! He stood in place for a few moments, looking around at possible escape routes should the need arise. There were none, except the entrance. “My name is Geralt of Rivia." He paused, this time staring fiercely at the Sun Princess, now turned monster. "I’m a Witcher, banished to this world by a demon set on staying alive, and making sure i stay out of its way. I have slain many monsters, whether it be for coin or otherwise, and most call me a hero. I herald no emotion, and offer no sentiment to beasts looking to swindle their way out of their execution. Most creatures of this world know me as the Grey Drifter. However, some know me of a different name, a name to be recognized: The White Wolf.” He reached behind his back to pull out a silver sword, one of two weapons he currently possessed and adorned on the back of him. "And you, Celestia, have been issued to me as a contract." Twilight gasped, remembering the stories and legends about this fabled monster slayer standing before her. Geralt, THE Geralt? T-The legends were made up! A filly’s story to put most frightened foals to sleep at night! If they are true, then I have to stop him before he hurts Celestia!
“I know who she is, pony." The Witcher interrupted. "A contract was put up by her sister to get her back to the palace unharmed, but the way my medallion’s humming, it seems she has other ideas.”
Okay, he’s the lesser of two evils! Time to stop my Teacher from doing something she’ll regret! She nodded to the famed Witcher, understanding that Celestia was about to do something she would regret, and possibly, with her life.
“Leave, bad pony! Celly won’t go!” Celestia exclaimed, lowering her jagged teeth and fangs to meet Geralt's height.
Twilight pulled on Celestia’s tail, causing her to turn around, and thankfully, stop her from attacking. “What is it, cuddly one?”
“Cuddly one?” Geralt asked curiously, only to get a look on Twilight's face that screamed "you don't wanna know".
“I think you should go, Celestia.” Okay, i need to seduce Celestia! It's the only way i see of this working. Trick isn’t the word I’d use anyways… “Well we can’t cuddle in a cave, can we? My soft fur will get all wet!” she pouted.
Her teacher sighed. “Okay, cuddly one. If the cuddliness will get bad, Celly will go with Witch Pony.”
“That’s Witcher.”
“Quiet, Witch Pony!”
Author's Note
Okay, so I think i've been playing too much Witcher games recently! But, when i was playing, i thought "You know, this could work perfectly with immortality! A Witcher banished to the world of Equestria, that was also riddled with dangerous monsters that can very well harm somepony if given the chance?" It was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up.
For the readers that don't know what i'm referencing, it's a friggin' awesome videogame that deals with fighting monsters, and getting cool loot off of them! Pretty cool, but if you want a reference picture, look no further than HERE
Author's Note
This chapter, and probably the next, is dedicated to my friend currently serving in the military. Brohoof, John!
Lunar Apex
On the way to Canterlot, Twilight finally got a look at where they were. It was some sort of forest, and judging by the state of it, it wasn’t friendly either.
“Excuse me, um…”
“Geralt.” The Witcher spoke, clearly seeing through the mare’s unsettled and nervous tone.”
“Right,” She chuckled nervously. “Geralt, where exactly are we?" She paused, looking around once more at the grim landscape. "This doesn’t look like any forest I’ve been in. Even the Everfree looked tame in comparison!”
He thought for a second, giving way to silence in the woods except for the occasional hooting of an owl. “If you think it’s scarier than the Everfree Forest, then there’s something wrong.” He said.
“What makes you say that?” Another long pause.
“Because this is the Everfree.” Fear suddenly gripped the Princess, realizing that if the White Wolf had cause for concern, she should be careful too.
Celestia, on the other hand, showed no fear and only became more ferocious as the night went on. “Celly doesn’t like the witch pony,” she whispered into her student’s ear.
“He’s only here to get us back to safety, Celestia. I’m sure the whole castle is concerned!” Twilight turned around, and stared into her teacher’s eyes, her mood changing rapidly from concerned to slightly angry. “It isn’t like you to run away like that!”
Even when in this state of mind, the alicorn could sense her student’s anger and bite in the tone of her voice. She lowered her ears, and began fidgeting with her paws. “C-Celly is sorry, Twilight.”
Oh, I didn’t want to make her apologize! I was just angry that there was no explanation! The purple mare thought, feeling bad for making her teacher, Princess Celestia, apologize to her. Suddenly, she was yanked back by the witcher.
“Stay back, Twilight. The moon is about to reach its apex!”
Jumbling for words to say, she only managed to say “W-what does that m-mean?” fear reaching her voice again.
“DON’T TOUCH MY CUDDLY ONE!” The lycanthrope screamed, getting ready to lunge.
Suddenly, she grew calm again, with a slight mist hovering around her head, her pupils dilated. Geralt turned to Twilight for a brief second and very calmly, began to explain. “I used Axii, a Witcher Spell to calm her. She needs to be calm during Lunar Apex or else...” he pointed to his silver sword, causing Twilight to swallow her heart that somehow leaped to her throat.
“W-why is that so important? I need to know Geralt!” Twilight exclaimed in a combination of fear and anger.
He sighed, regretting having to explain this to a young pony. With Luna, it was much easier to explain as he recalled…
Luna frantically yelled for the guards to scour the castle for any trace of Celestia, besides the large hole in the wall that she flung off, and took Twilight and herself through and off into the distance. Hours later, all guards had the same to report: Celestia was nowhere in sight, and her young pupil was missing too! Quickly, she took action and explained the situation to her night guard as well as Celestia’s usual day guard.
“Listen closely, guardsponies! Celestia, my older sister, is nowhere in sight, and her pupil, my cousin-in-law, is with her! Only those staffed within the castle are to be informed of her current…condition.” Everypony in the castle knew of the Circle, and of Luna’s vampirism as well, making sure no silver was to be used within the castle’s marble walls. Equally important, the cooks working in the kitchen were to limit Luna’s diet of Garlic-based recipes and needed to find a workaround. “As the only Princess currently occupying the castle, and according to Equestria’s Law regarding this matter, I appoint myself as temporary singular ruler of Equestria, until such a time as either Celestia or Twilight Sparkle are back within the confines of Canterlot Palace.”
She paused for a moment. “Furthermore, I am in need of a volunteer to contact Vinyl Scratch and bring her here to discuss matters regarding this incident.” One of the guards nervously approached the flustered and worrisome Princess.
“I’ll help you out, Luna.” He said with a deep voice, even for the Royal Guard.
The midnight blue alicorn leered back at this pony before her, not sure if she should trust him or not. His armor wasn’t of the traditional regal attire that the guard normally wore, but instead more of a standard military uniform, with his class patch, PVII, visible to her eye. Closer inspection to detail showed that this stallion had a brown coat, with a short black mane. His cutie mark was a hoof raised towards the sky, a red sun adorned behind it. “And what, praytell, are you doing here, private…?” she questioned.
He saluted, and began to speak. “Boros, PVII. At your service, Princess!”
“Why are you in the Palace, Boros?” Luna asked curiously.
“On leave, before shipping off for overseas training. I was walking through town ordering some defect food, getting ready to visit my friend, but then I heard this huge noise, and I saw a friggin’ hole in the side of the Castle!” he exclaimed. “So I went to take a look.”
We just need to do one more thing… Luna thought. “You there! Scribe!” she pointed to a silver maned stallion. “W-who, me?” Silver Quill asked nervously and received a roll of the eyes and a quick nod from Luna.
“Yes, you! We need you to put out a notice, and it needs to be specific and down to the very last detail.”
He summoned a quill and some parchment, intent on making the Princess satisfied. “I am ready to begin, Princess!” Quill beamed.
Geralt took a look at the notice that appeared before him in a wisp of smoke. It seemed to be a letter addressed to him by one “Princess Luna of Equestria.”
“Great, a Princess. That’s exactly what I need right now…” Geralt groaned. He opened the letter and saw that there was a small pouch of bits bundled with the paper. After untying the bag of bits from the parcel, and putting it in his satchel, the Witcher began to read the letter.
Dear Geralt of Rivia,
We humbly request your services in tracking and capturing a lycanthrope that has regretfully abducted a fellow Princess- Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.
“Does Friendship really need a ruler?” he said to nopony in particular, before continuing on.
It is imperative that the werewolf and Princess are returned UNHARMED due to the fact that the afflicted is my sister and co-ruler, Princess Celestia of Equestria, and incidentally, the one who raises the sun.
He grunted in frustration. “That’s just great; A pony Princess who raises the sun. Looks like I don’t have a choice on this one.” Though this led to a conclusion, the letter wasn’t fully read yet and there were a few bits of words left still unread below.
As reward, we will hire a smith to craft an enchanted silver sword, tailored to your preference as well as access to a portion of the Royal Treasury if my sister is left unscathed. With that, the letter was read and put in his satchel for later notes and discussion.
A few hours later, the White Wolf found himself standing just outside a gate settled in front of a massive and ornate castle. As he approached, the two guards standing adjacent one another blocked his entry with the tip of two spears now wedged in front of the entrance to Canterlot Palace.
“Dude, that’s totally that witchmare Luna sent for, remember?”
The guard broke his blank expression and began to stare suspiciously at the Witcher, his eyes in particular. “OH MY CELESTIA, THOSE EYES!” were the only words he uttered before being interrupted by the stallion whose eyes gave him quite a shock.
“First off,” he stared to the other guard this time, growing a little frustrated. “The term is Witcher . Second, I’m here for the contract.” He pulled out the note from earlier, and handed it to one of the guards, who read it carefully. After a few nods at the signature, the guard said “Go right in. Princess Luna will be awaiting you in the courtroom.”They both retracted their spears and went back into their usual routine of staring blankly staring off into the distance, keeping their faces emotionless.
After a bit of maneuvering through the halls, Geralt found the room he was looking for, and without a single knock, burst through the doors, paying no heed to the guards warning him that court was still currently in session.
“With everything said, your highness, I believe that my daughter should be wed underneath an apple tree, as our family tradition states.” A farm pony suggested to his current ruler.
“Well, MY family’s tradition states that the groom should be wed in a more regal setting, preferably at the castle’s ballroom here in Canterlot.” A rather wealthy merchant suggested.
Ugh, I’ve had enough of waiting! the Witcher thought. He approached the two arguing benefactors, and waved his hoof in front of them, emitting a wispy fog around their heads. “You will both respect the wishes that your kin have for their wedding. A compromise is needed.”
“W-why yes, how about the Royal gardens?” the rich one said.
The other one nodded. “Yeah, I think that’ll manage.” With their situation resolved, they bowed to the Princess and left with dazed looks on their faces.
“H-how did you do that? It took me an entire hour just to get them talking about the same thing!”
“It was nothing. I just used Axii to ‘convince’ them that their argument was pointless.” He said with a slight smug look on his muzzle.
“You need to teach me that sometime.” Luna said, before being nudged by Silver Quill who had yet to go home. “Ahem, yes, well that isn’t the reason I summoned you here.” She continued. “As said in the letter, I need your help in tracking my sister and it seems that if she doesn’t come back soon, the whole kingdom would be in an uproar!”
He set a hoof in the air, stopping the alicorn from explaining further. “I understand your sister needs to be brought back unharmed, but if you know who I am, I don’t come cheap.”
Her face started to frown. “You have already been paid a portion beforehand, and the rest will be delivered once the contract is fulfilled.”
Geralt grumbled in frustration. “Fine. No guarantees about your student though. It’s nearing the Lunar Apex, and depending on the mental state of-Celestia, was it?” Luna nodded. “Celestia might or might not end her life.” He said before trotting briskly towards the exit.
“Wait!” Luna exclaimed, stopping the Wolf in his tracks. “What, praytell, happens during Lunar Apex?”
He gave a pause, thinking for a moment and trying his best to think of a way to explain it to the Princess. “The, uh, Lunar Apex is when werewolves are strongest.” His scowl darkened. “It’s also when they start to lose control and the… beast starts to take in the reins.”
“And what does the state of mind have to do with it?” she asked.
“If a werewolf is calm during this time of night, they are in more control of their actions. They are aware of what’s going on. If she isn’t calm…” he pointed to his swords, letting Luna take the hint of what would happen if her sister wasn’t calm.
“I see. Very well, then. In light of this recent news, we hereby give you permission to an additional 300 bits as compensation.”
“So, keeping her calm is the only way?” Twilight asked in a mixed tone of curiosity and fear, only to receive a nod as confirmation. Celestia was still motionless and in her dazed state as both onlookers waited for the Moon to reach its climax.
“Most Lycanthropes are dangerous creatures at the best of times, but when a full moon is out, their strength is without equal.” He paused, before continuing his explanation. “When I was a lad at Kaer Morhen, we learned about many creatures. Werewolves, according to a Witcher’s bestiary, are creatures that are afflicted with a curse of the moon. Ritualistic magic, such as blood magic or spells requiring sacrificial payment can corrupt the caster. As a result of the Princess trying to absorb and dispel the dark magic, it rebounded unexpectedly and cursed her as a result.” He paused, composing himself before continuing. “This world works differently with its magic. The bite of a werewolf isn’t common for turning victims as much as back in the world I was a part of. My medallion vibrates at the littlest of things, yet when dealt with very strong monsters, it shakes violently, almost hurting my neck.”
“So, when Celestia absorbed the blood magic, she took on a curse? Is there a way to cure it, Geralt?” He shook his head. With a defeated sigh, she forlornly continued her conversation. “Oh. I see… Discord, a draconequis and self-proclaimed Lord of Chaos, has control over chaotic magic, and has used it to twist the form of many creatures to his fancy. Chaotic magic is unpredictable, which explains why Celestia’s spell didn’t work, not that it helps now…”
A defeated sigh of guilt escaped the Witcher’s muzzle after hearing the defeated tone echo from the mare’s mouth. “There is no way to cure it, but it can be controlled.” Twilight’s ears perked up at the sound of good news. He rummaged through his saddlebags, looking for something. What he took out was a scrap of parchment with a list of ingredients and instructions on how to brew a type of Tea. He handed it to the alicorn, explaining that Celestia would have to drink it one day prior to the cycle starting again. “This brew is known to help those afflicted in maintaining the transformations.” Twilight smiled even more at hearing this. “However, it doesn’t prevent the transformations. Especially during the full moon. A moon, your moon; it holds special and ancient magic that I doubt your Princesses would know about. It-” his explanation halted as wolven eyes darted to the moon finally reaching Apex. Celestia, still dazed, was compelled by her inner beast to look at the spectacle before them. Once her eyes met with the large white satellite in the sky however, the Princess’ heart pumped with unparalleled fury, causing a surge of adrenaline to reach her muscles, and the moon’s ancient magical power altering her own. This whole scene was completed by a bloodcurdling roar erupting from the Lycan’s throat, like a beast thrown into frenzy. “Get behind me!” Geralt yelled at Twilight, who was speechless and terrified at the scene taking place before her. He unsheathed his silver sword, intent on protecting both himself and the innocent bystander taking place fearfully in front of him. “NOW TWILIGHT, I DON’T HAVE ALL NIGHT!”
That order was all that the mare needed to snap back to reality and do what was told of her.
THIS POWER IS…STRONG! STRONGER THAN ANYTHING I HAVE EVER FELT! I CAN PLAY WITH SUCH FEROCITY!!!
This was not Celestia thinking. It was something fierce, something deadly, something… terrifying. After its bloodcurdling scream, the voice stopped, and stared with intensity and unbounded rage only being held by a very weak leash at the Witcher and its counterpart, Twilight Sparkle. With an evil chuckle, it started to talk. “Well, Witcher. *evil chuckle* It seems that I was let out of the cage.”
“C-Celestia? Is that you?” the whimpering purple alicorn asked, terror soaking her voice.
“Oh tsk, tsk, tsk.” It used its magic to dry the tears forming in Twilight’s eyes. “No crying…" It stared back at the Witcher with killer eyes. Not yet at least.”
“Enough threats!” Geralt exclaimed. “You know why I’m here, Werewolf.”
“Oh, is that so?” the evil presence that possessed Celestia chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. After all, *chuckle*, if I didn’t you would be a puddle on the ground. As for Twilight, well let’s just say that Celestia enjoys her company.” With speed unlike any other, the lycanthrope sprinted so fast behind the White Wolf that it almost looked like teleportation. Her vicious slotted eyes stared at Twilight with animalistic and hungry intent. “After all, you are her favorite student.” It flicked Twilight's muzzle playfully, though a bit fierce.
“B-but you’re Celestia, aren’t you?” the alicorn asked with the ever present fear gripping her voice.
It chuckled. “Let’s just say I’m…more than Celestia.” It paused. “Her attempts at keeping up a conversation didn’t go so well.” An evil grin appeared on Celestia’s face. “You can thank me for that!”
“I still don’t understand…”
“Hmm...Maybe the Monster Slayer here can fill you in.” It pointed a hoof at Geralt, still intent on defending both himself and Twilight with his silver sword. “It’s his job, after all…”
“Geralt?” Twilight asked, looking very scared. Terrified beyond belief.
He sighed. “Your teacher is still there. In a way, it’s her speaking. If a werewolf’s instincts are strong enough, they’ll develop personalities on their own. That’s why most black out and can only remember bits of memories at a time. Since the Princess is powerful enough, the instincts develop a personality of their own. Sometimes the personality takes a few things away once the victim transforms, which explains her inability to speak fluently." the Witcher paused. "What’s talking right now isn’t Celestia, but her animal side: Pure instinct.” He paused, sheathing his silver weapon. “Which makes it a lot harder to get to where we are going.” He stared intently at Celestia, giving an unseen message that spoke volumes of how he’ll kill if necessary. “You could have killed us both, so let’s go. You’ve got a worried sister, and I’ve got a contract to get paid for.” Confusingly, Celestia and Twilight followed Geralt as he was walking to what they all assumed was the exit from the Everfree Forest.
Author's Note
This chapter was somewhat delayed of its release due to some stuff going on, so sorry for not getting it out sooner! Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter of the infamous Geralt of Rivia appearing in the story.
However, soon; in fact, very soon, you'll all get to see how Fluttershy's coping with her vampirism, and a certain experienced pony is gonna help!
If you wanna know, the pony's name is either DJ PON-3 or what her roommate and most friends call her: Vinyl Scratch takin' it LIVE FROM PONYVILLE. AWWW YEAH HATERS GONNA HATE. (For the record, Vinyl would totally say something like that
