Vita Post Mortem: Natus est Sanguis

ChapterTwo

Cold… freezing cold, that was all he could feel as he felt his back in contact with cold steel, he looked around, but saw nothing as he began to thrash about.

As he carried on, he realized that something wasn’t right, he couldn’t hear his own heartbeat, but that would have been natural if he could still feel it and wasn’t in a frantic struggle to escape, but still he continued his thrashing until he hit a spot particularly hard and busted the steel box open and climbed out.

This place was particularly clean and sterile by the looks of it as he looked around. ‘Where am I.’ he thought to himself. ‘Why do I seem to be in the morgue in canterlot…’

As he thought to himself, a flashback, so quick he didn’t have a chance to comprehend, flashed through his mind, dropping him to his knees.

For a moment, he just sat there, waiting for the pain to ebb away. “What the… am I… in the morgue?” he asked aloud, expecting an answer, but finding none.

He began to explore the room, finding a table with some pictures on it, who they were images of, he couldn’t tell, but he could see wounds in the neck of the pony in the pictures, bite marks, and the only indicator that it could have been him, was the color of the coat.

“I… I have to find a mirror… this can’t be happening.” he began to panic, searching frantically for a mirror, when he turned, he saw that the steel box he was in was quite reflective.

Aproaching the box, he tried to look at his reflection, but there was none to be seen. “No… No… I… I can’t be… I… I was trusted by the princesses… I… couldn’t have been fooled so easily.”

He look for any doors that could lead him out of the room, bolting for the first one he saw which lead into a long corridor.

Bursting into a gallop down the hall, he made a right at the end, it was barely lit in the moonlight and there were no lights on, but he could see normally as if it were bright as day.

Finally he saw a large pair of wooden doors and made to leave, slamming into them as hard as he could, shattering the doors with the force of impact as he finally took to the sky, flying as fast as he could back to Canterlot, looking back to find that he was, indeed, held in a mortuary home.

“I… I’m a vampire… I… I… I’ll find the one who lead me into that trap and kill him.”

“Kill me…” came the familiar voice. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against me, when I have an army at my back.”

“You… YOU DID THIS TO ME!” Midnight cried out with rage as he charged at the stallion, intending to tackle him and divebomb into the ground, but the stallion vanished, laughing as he remained elusive and now unseen.

“You fool… you dare challenge me, you will regret this decision after the gift I had given you.” he boasted then disappeared altogether.

“RAAAAAAAGH!” Midnight bellowed into the open air, releasing all the built up tension he’d developed in his attempt to attack, before he resumed his flight to Canterlot, plotting his vengeance as he traveled through the night.

It was hours before he found his way to the outskirts of Canterlot, but the entire city would think him to be dead. ‘What will they think when they suddenly see me here… no… there has to be another way into the city without attracting the attention of the guards.’

And so he began to search, looking for any possible unguarded tunnels.

Somehow, as if by sheer chance, he spotted a tunnel that was unguarded in the middle of a shift change and dove into it before touching down and creeping along the tunnels, watching his back every few seconds to make sure he wasn't followed.

As he went, the cave like walls became stone and the floor became carpeted, further surpressing his sound signature to any that might investigate his presence.

It was as soon as he rounded one of many corners that he heard guards coming down the hall, lucky for him again, he dove into a nearby utility closet. ‘Damn… how tight is security down here?’

He waited with baited breath, as the two guards happened to stop just outside the door, making small conversation.

“Hey, you hear about that attack a few nights ago?” came the voice of one stallion.

“Oh, yeah… I heard about it.” came the voice of another. “Don’t know how the poor sod was trapped so easily, the princess says he went to investigate a murder and then suddenly he turned up dead. The Princess was devastated when she saw the body, refused to disclose his identity though.”

“Probably someone important, I only know it was a pegasus from what she told me.” said the first.

“I wish she would have given us more to work with. Ponies have been disappearing more often now that he’s gone.” came the second. “Two or three a night, last night my friend’s eldest daughter was taken.”

“I heard, he was heartbroken beyond belief. Coulda heard him say he’d avenge her… but it was all rambling.”

‘So… they knew I was close to finding them… they needed me out of the way so they’d be able to operate more freely.’ Midnight thought to himself. ‘I need a disguise.’ he said as he looked around, finding a old dusty sheet and rope.

Upon finding it, he threw the sheet and rope around himself and stepped out of the closet with the makeshift hood over his head. “Excuse me, sirs… could you help me get my bindings on… I can’t seem to reach around my back all that well.” as he turned to show the untied ropes.

“Halt!” called one of the two. “This is a restricted area, why are you here.”

“I cannot explain in detail, but I must speak with Princess Luna.” Midnight replied, making his voice sound more elderly than usual.

The guard wasn’t going to believe it, he made to remove Midnight’s hood, but his hoof was caught and he was thrown over the stallion’s shoulder into the other, all without losing his hood. “Take me to your princess, or I can do much worse.”

“A-alright… we’ll take you… just don’t kill us.” the guard that attempted to uncover him cowered. ‘Who in tartarus is this pony.’ the guard thought.

“Good.” Midnight replied. “Now, move it.”

The guards nodded in fear as they led the stallion through the halls until they finally reached the throne room. “We will notify the princess of your arrival and that you bear imperative information.”

“As you will.” came the voice of the princess of the night herself. “I already knew you were here.”

“Princess.” Midnight bowed, still not removing his hood.

“You sound familiar, yet you do not show your face…” she replied as she stepped up to the stallion. “Who are you?”

“I cannot show you in the presence of the guard, it would be… disturbing to them.” Midnight replied. “Trust me.”
The princess, confused, nodded to the guards, who cleared the room and leaving just the two of them in the room. “Now… remove your cloak.”

“As you wish, princess.” Midnight replied as he deliberately, slowly gripped the cloak, whipping it off his body, revealing his identity. “Do you recognize me now… princess.”

The princess was stunned, her jaw slack. “Y… you… no… Midnight… I… I saw your body…”

“I know what you saw… I wish it weren’t so.” Midnight replied. “I know who did this to me… but… I am not able to touch him at this time.”

“Midnight… we should have been more aware…” Luna replied, a waver in her voice.

“It is not your fault.” Midnight laid a hoof on her shoulder. “I can overcome this… and he will be stopped, but this is a battle I must fight… but I need your help… I… I will require blood donations if I am to survive for any length of time.”

The princess still couldn’t believe that he was standing before her. “I saw the wounds… I… I felt you turn… I had hoped to save you from turning by way of cremation… but… I see we were too late. Damn that forensics team for taking your body to the morgue.”

“I know… but… If we can kill the head vampire, then all should go back to normal.” Midnight replied. “Do you have a place for me to take shelter, returning to my home would raise suspicion.”

“I can keep you in the night wing of the castle disguised as one of the night guards.” Luna replied. “I will also instruct the guards to ignore your activities, within reason.”

“Thank you, princess.” Midnight replied. “One more thing… if I say kill me… do not hesitate.”

“I… I promise… I will make it a swift and merciful death for you.” Luna replied, it took all of her will not to break down on the spot as she called for the guard once more. “Guards… escort this stallion to the night wing barracks, you are not to speak to him in any regards to what has transpired here. Furthermore, you are not to demand nor request his identity.”

“Your will be done, princess.” The lead guard replied as he and four other night guards stood around Midnight. “This way, sir.”

“Lead on.” Midnight replied as he followed the guards.

It was mere moments before they arrived.

He was quickly shown into the barracks, where beds lined the walls.

“Just find the first empty bunk and crash in it, you’ll be going to the smith tomorrow to get fitted.” the guard said then left, leaving Midnight alone.

Finally able to rest properly, he found an empty bed and fell into it, drifting off almost immediately.