The Eternal Rainbow

Manehattan, New Yolk-999 years after Luna’s banishment

Tick Tock, a green Unicorn with a black mane and tail wearing a tan trench coat over a black suit and tie, was running as fast as he could through the soaking wet streets, crisscrossing and evading  cars, the drivers of which had to slam on the brakes in order to avoid hitting him. Tick Tock was trying to put as much distance between himself and the creature that was chasing him as possible. That evil, evil son of a bitch had already pounced upon his date for the night and sucked her blood until poor Eclair Cream was no more than a fleshy raisin with two puncture wounds in her neck.

Tell me something. Is there truly something to fear in the dark? A monster, who will kill you as soon as it lays its blood-red eyes on you, and tear your throat out? A blood thirsty creature of the night, who will see to it that you are torn to pieces after every last drop of blood has been sucked from your body?

He kept running. He HAD to keep running. If not then the creature would soon corner him and… and then he’d be dead just… just like Eclair.

Yes. Yes, there is. I should know because... I'm one of them.

Tick Tock was not far away from the police station when he heard… something growl nearby. He slowly looked over at the two glowing red eyes staring at him.

But... this is NOT me... not anymore.

As the creature, who was a bat-winged pony with a black coat and mane wearing a red jacket, black jeans, a mud-colored shirt, and dirty shoes emerged from the shadows, Tick Tock found himself unable to move, staring into the unforgiving eyes of the creature that would now kill him... or, worse yet, condem him to a fate worse than death as a monster just like itself.

"No... please... d-don't!" begged Tick in fear as the monster crept closer to him, ready to pounce and sink its fangs into its second course of the night.

Then, something completely unexpected happened: a spike of what appeared to be highly decorative wood broke through the vampire's chest, right through his heart. The vampire's head turned to find that a figure wearing a long black hooded overcoat with a red lining; black pants with a belt holding five other wooden staffs, each a different color combination; and a black shirt that exposed the upper part of her chest, but kept her breasts hidden; and a pair of black leather gloves and boots. Two cyan blue wings could be seen protruding from the figure's back

That's me.

"You... you bitch! You bucking worthless, pathetic, monster of a bitch!" snarled the vampire.

"Takes one to know one," replied the hooded pony,  a mare by the sound of it, as a small smirk crept over her face. The creature she just impaled began to turn a stone gray color at a rapid pace, before finally, it was nothing more than a statue of dust that blew away from a slight gust of wind, all as Tick Tock looked on in a mixture of shock and horror.

"You're welcome," replied the hooded mare as she turned away from the wide-eyed stallion.

"W-wait!"

The hooded mare stopped in her tracks. "Yes?" she asked.

"Y-you saved my life... there has to be some way I can repay you... anything," said Tick Tock as he shakily stood up.

The hooded mare paused for a moment. She was a little... thirsty...

“Actually there is something I need… but you’re not going to like it,” said the hooded mare.

“W-what is it?”

“That creature you just saw die? I’m like it…. and that means I need some blood… technically my species shouldn’t HAVE to drain a pony dry unless they’re really thirsty…. he was just a binge drinker.”

“Wait… you and that… you’re-”

“Vampires yes.”

“Then… then you’re-”

HERE WE GO AGAIN.

“-MONSTERS! Y-YOU’RE A MONSTER!”

“Wow that’s... yeah okay I just saved your ass and I just told you I’m a nocturnal beast that drains ponies till they’re a husk. Would you care to rephrase that sentence?” threatened the hooded pony.

Tick Tock gulped in fear. He REALLY wished he hadn’t said that. But, all the same, he needed help to get away from this monster.

“I thought so. Now, hold still, because this might sting a bit,” said the hooded pony, before she   took a bite out of Tick Tock, her hood falling down in the process, revealing herself to have a rainbow-patterned mane with bits of gray in it. As she drank the stallion’s blood, the bits of gray in her hair vanished, and her wrinkles began to disappear. In a matter for moments, the vampire looked like she was an ordinary mare in her mid-teens.

My name is Achroma Burst, but these days I go by the alias Rainbow Dash. I’m sure you’re wondering how I wound up like this. Well, let me take you back 999 years ago…

…

Trottingham- Three months after Luna’s banishment

Achroma Burst, a young pegasus filly with a rainbow-patterned mane and tail wearing old-fashioned clothes, hurried down the street. She was almost late to her parent's dinner party and she always loved them. She was turning around a corner when she tripped and fell cutting her leg.

Achroma looked down at the wound. It didn't seem to be deep, nor did anything appear to be broken. All she needed was a bandage and she'd be right as rain.

Unless, of course, the scent of the blood attracted a foul beast.

Behind her was a figure cloaked in a brown robe with a hood that hid its face. The scent of blood entered it's nose. It tried to fight the urge... it really did... but it had gone for two months of no draining.... it HAD to feed. Slowly, steadily, and as quietly as it could the hooded figure approached the wounded pegasus filly.

Hearing the noises, Achroma looked behind her, and saw the figure. As Achroma let out a scream of fear and tried to scoot away from the figure, it pounced upon her, sinking what Achroma immediately recognized as fangs into her throat, drawing blood through the wound.

"AH! S-SOMEPONY HE-MMMPHH!" screamed Achroma but her screams were silenced as the figure covered her mouth with a clawed gloved hand. Within moments the figure was finished and left the now dead filly.

"Forgive me child... may we one day meet again... or perhaps it would be better if you stay dead," said the figure as it disappeared into the night.

As Achroma lay on the ground, with what little blood was left in her leaking out of the two puncture marks on her neck, she began to feel cold. Was this the same cold that was often described before a loved one's death? But, if it truly was... then why did her teeth hurt?

"Achroma? Where art thou?" called a voice Achroma recognized as one of her servants. The last thing Achroma Burst heard before everything went black was the servant's voice shouting, "Oh, my stars! Hang in there, Miss Burst! Somepony get a doctor! Or a priest!”

…

Achroma woke up again but... in a hospital. She wanted to say something to show she was finally awake but... her eyes wouldn't open and her body was rigged and cold... and she... she couldn't feel it... her heart had stopped beating... she was no longer alive. "My dear Achroma... what's happened to my beloved daughter?" she heard her mother ask one of the doctors and right beside her she could feel someone crying... her father. He was a doctor and once she entered the hospital he was her surgeon... and they tried everything to save her but... they had failed.

"I'm... I'm sorry my love... I-I... I couldn't... I couldn't save her."

No! Mother! Father! I am not dead! Achroma tried to yell, only for her cries to fall on deaf ears, including her own. Never in her life had Achroma been so scared... this couldn't be the end for her...

She wouldn't let it be so. She struggled to move several times over the next few days with the only success being a pinkie which sadly wasn’t enough to stop her parents from putting her into a casket. From what she heard the funeral was closed casket as they all went by her and said many good things about her… and then she heard THEM.

BA BUM.

What the buck? she asked herself mentally as the sound was ALMOST a enough to get a jolt out of her.

BA BUM.

Achroma frowned as she began to recognize that noise from the many times she’d been to her father’s office:  heartbeats. She didn’t know how or why, but she was somehow able to hear the beating of the many hearts that attended her funeral as they pumped blood through their bodies.

Blood… on that word, Achroma began to feel a little thirsty. But, before she could do much of anything about it, her casket began to move… she was being lowered into the ground, and she could still hardly move her fingers, much less her arm or mouth. So, what else was there to do, but take a nap until she could figure out what to do about her predicament?

…

Achroma woke up again, still trapped in the confines of what she immediately recognized as her casket, and intense heat washing over her... she must be buried already. An immense thirst was slowly consuming her mind, but what could she do about it?

Achroma attempted to move her arms so she could try to get free, and, to her amazement, they not only moved, but they'd change somehow... they seemed to be far more muscular.

W-what's happened to me? Achroma asked herself as she slowly pressed her  hands against the coffin. She then began pushing.... and then she started to punch it in an attempt to break through... after several punches she finally made a hole and began clawing her way up to the surface. As she finally broke through she felt the moon’s embrace wash over her. The cool night air flowing over her but it didn’t change how she felt. She still felt… empty… she needed something, anything, to fill this void.

Again, she heard the thumping of beating hearts. The very sound of those thumps made her drool for some reason, and she felt as though she wanted... no... she NEEDED to find where it was coming from.

After a quick look around the graveyard, she was able to find the source of the heartbeat: a disheveled old mare. Achroma recognized the old mare as a widow who had lost her husband and children in an accident. Inexplicably, Achroma was drawn to the widow, like an animal was drawn to its prey. Suddenly Achroma felt her mind just shut down… all except one part… her savage primal instinct. With a growl she tackled the mare kept her face to the ground. She opened her mouth and out came two razor sharp fangs and she proceeded to bite down on the mare. It was as though a wild animal had taken over.

She hadn’t just started draining the old mare, however... she started to EAT her as she tore off chunks of flesh and began eating them as though she couldn’t stand to waste one bit of the old mare. The blood gushed everywhere as the old mare tried to scream for help but was silenced once Achroma severed her head from her body. The new vampire then began to eat into the head to the point that the only thing left was the skull… but even then she crushed it so as to get into the marrow. By the time she was done there was barely anything resembling the old mare but blood spattered walls and ripped out intestines.

As her conscious mind and rationality began to return, Achroma slowly began to realize what she had done and, more importantly, what she had become. Several thoughts began to run through her mind, but chief among them was: GET THE BUCK OUT OF THERE!

Achroma, seeing no other choice, did precisely that, and ran away from the graveyard, faster than she ever thought possible, and vowed to never come back, no matter what happened. As she continued to run, she eventually found an unattended carriage.

After using her new hearing, she heard no heartbeats. So, of course, she stole the carriage and left for...

Achroma's mind jolted at the thought. Where WOULD she go now that she was a monster? Who would take her in? She crushed the thoughts. Those things didn't truly matter... all that mattered now was one word.

Survive.