Pinkie the Vampire Maker

by Leafdoggy

Rating: teen
Tags: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Gore, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 4748

Pinkie convinces Fluttershy to test how much of a vampire she really is.

Fluttershy's batty side doesn't bother her much anymore, but now Pinkie's gotten it in her head that Fluttershy should drink somepony's blood. Being the dutiful girlfriend she is, Pinkie offers her own, and with Applejack's help manages to get Fluttershy to agree to try it out.

Content warning: I don't shy away from describing things in this story. There will be blood. Quite a bit of it.

Published 2019-09-01 22:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-09-01 22:10:01 UTC

It Doesn't Hurt To Try

“C’moooooon,” Pinkie whined, “just a little bit? A little eensy teensy bit?”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. The two were in Pinkie’s bedroom, Fluttershy lounging on the bed and Pinkie sprawled out awkwardly in a nearby chair, relaxing after a busy day. Quiet upbeat music and the smell of sugary treats filled the air.

“Pinkie, it’s so gross!” Fluttershy told her.

“Blood doesn’t taste that bad,” Pinkie argued. “I bet to you it’d even be good.”

“The taste isn’t the point,” Fluttershy said. “It’s just a gross thing to do.”

“Well nopony else has to see it, they won’t know.”

“I’ll know,” Fluttershy said. “Besides, if I drank your blood I’d get enough sugar for a whole year, and then you couldn’t bake me stuff.”

Pinkie chuckled. “As if that would stop me.” She rolled off the chair, hopped over to the bed and jumped on Fluttershy. Fluttershy let out a faux-pained grunt and laughed, wrapping her wings around Pinkie. “C’mon,” Pinkie continued, “I wanna see your cool vampire powers.”

“How are you even so sure I have powers?”

“It’s just somethin my gut’s telling me,” Pinkie said. “Well, it’s either saying that, or that I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Fluttershy said. Pinkie giggled, and Fluttershy gave her a kiss. “It just seems like I’d be doing something gross for possibly no reason.”

“Hmmm,” Pinkie thought. “Well then we need someone to tell us if vampires have powers! You know who would be absolutely perfect to ask?”

Fluttershy waited for her to continue, and then realized the question wasn’t rhetorical. “Umm… I don’t know. Zecora?”

“Applejack!”

Fluttershy looked stunned. “Why would Applejack know about vampires?”

“Pssh, everypony knows Applejack is Equestria’s leading expert on vampires.” Pinkie hopped off the bed and pulled Fluttershy along with her. “Let’s go ask her!”

“Pinkie, why the heck would I know a thing about vampires?”

Applejack stood in her front door with a baffled look on her face. The late afternoon air was comfortably cool, and in the distance insects started their nightly chatter.

“I dunno,” Pinkie said. “I thought I’d heard of an Apple being a famous monster hunter or somethin.”

“That’s my uncle!” Applejack replied. “Why are y’all after vampires anyhow?”

Fluttershy blushed nervously, but Pinkie didn’t seem to notice. “Oh, it’s for Fluttershy,” she said. “See, that Flutterbat stuff came back, and then it got worse, and then she became a vampire!”

“Wha—” Applejack took a step back in shock. “And you brought her to an apple farm? Look at what time it is! Get outta here before I lose my whole crop.”

“Umm,” Fluttershy said, “I actually don’t really need apples anymore.”

“Oh.” Applejack relaxed. “Well, alright then. Sorry for gettin ornery. So, if you don’t need apples, then how are you still a vampire?”

“She drinks blood!” Pinkie announced cheerily.

Applejack immediately tensed back up. “And you brought her to—”

“No no no, not like that!” Pinkie interrupted her.

“I don’t really get cravings anymore,” Fluttershy explained. “I won’t hurt anypony.”

Applejack let out a deep breath. “Y’all gotta quit playin with my emotions like this. Just tell me why you’re here.”

“Fluttershy doesn’t wanna drink blood.”

“...And?” Applejack pressed.

“Pinkie wants me to,” Fluttershy added.

“Wh—” Applejack pressed a hoof to her forehead. “Would one of you just tell me what you need me to do?”

“Tell Fluttershy that vampires have cool powers!” Pinkie said.

“Finally,” Applejack sighed. “Well, like I said, I don’t—”

“Ooh, ooh! I can tell you!” Applebloom’s tiny voice accompanied the sound of hooves running down stairs, and soon her face popped out beside Applejack. “My uncle’s told me all about ‘em.”

“You talk to him?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, he’s great!” Applebloom said. “Me and the girls found him when we tried to get cutie marks in monster hunting. He was very, uh… Persuasive in telling us not to. He writes us letters now.”

“Well ain’t that sweet,” Applejack said.

“So vampires have powers?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh, totally!” Applebloom said excitedly. “He said the strongest one can turn into a bat and bend ponies to her will! He offered to take us there, but we asked Rarity and she got real upset, so I never got around to tellin you.”

“Uh-huh,” Applejack said dryly. “Remind me to have a talk with our uncle. Welp, anyway, there ya have it girls. Straight from the horse’s mouth.”

Pinkie looked at Fluttershy with a wide grin. “Soooooo? It sounds to me like vampires have powers!”

Fluttershy sighed. “I guess it does… Okay, Pinkie, I’ll try it once.”

“Hooray!” Pinkie cheered. She started walking away from the farmhouse. “Thanks Applejack!”

“Well hang on,” Applejack said, calling her back. “Slow your roll there, bucko. What exactly are y’all fixin to do?”

“Oh, well, um…” Fluttershy flushed with red as her voice trailed off.

Pinkie, however, wasn’t embarrassed at all. “Fluttershy’s gonna drink my blood!” she explained.

Applejack recoiled a bit. “Ehhh,” she started, “I ain’t really keen on the idea of you gettin drained. Especially not alone. I can see you’ll just keep buggin her ‘til she does it, though, so…” She sighed. “I guess I’m gonna keep an eye on you.”

“Aw,” Pinkie said with a pout. “Fine. Are you okay with that Fluttershy?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing…” Fluttershy said. “I’ll try, though.”

“Good,” Applejack said with a nod. “Come help me grab some supplies, then. We’re spending the night in the barn. Oh, and Applebloom, you’re stayin here. It could be dangerous.”

“Awww,” Applebloom whined. “I wanna see Fluttershy turn into a vampire.”

With a grunt, Applejack dropped a cask onto a rickety wooden table in the barn. The table was filled with drinks and snacks, along with some medical supplies, just in case. “Welp, I think we’re all set,” she said as she poured herself a drink. “Water for y’all, cider for me, and all the snacks we had in the house. Hopefully that’ll be enough to keep Pinkie goin.”

Fluttershy dropped a pile of blankets nearby. “We’re really going to be out here all night?”

“Nah, probably not,” Applejack told her. “Can’t be too prepared, though.”

Pinkie bounced into the barn soon after them and dropped a hefty sack of candy and sweets on the table. “Good thing I’ve got stashes hidden at all your houses, huh?” She giggled, and then spotted the cask. “Ooh, cider!”

Applejack slapped her hoof away as she reached for it. “Not tonight, Pinkie,” she said. “If you’re fixin to lose blood, then you’re stuck with water.”

“Aww,” Pinkie pouted. “Fine.” She poured herself a cup and sat with Fluttershy on the comfiest hay bale they could find. “You ready, Fluttershy?”

“Um,” Fluttershy murmured, “I guess so. Applejack?”

Applejack lounged on her own hay bale and pulled her hat down over her eyes. “Don’t look at me, I’m just here cuz Pinkie wouldn’t have enough self control to not die.”

Pinkie laughed. “Oki doki then, do you wanna just bite my leg?” She held one of her front hooves out in front of Fluttershy, who eyed it nervously.

“I, um…” Fluttershy hesitated.

Pinkie pulled her leg back. “You know you don’t have to do this if you don’t wanna, right?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I know. I… I do want to, I think. I’m just worried about hurting you.”

Pinkie pulled Fluttershy close and kissed her on the cheek. “You can’t hurt me with one little bite.” She put the leg that wasn’t wrapped around Fluttershy out in front of her. “We’ll never know unless we try.”

Fluttershy subconsciously licked her lips, a fang poking out from her mouth as she did. Slowly, she leaned forward, getting closer and closer to Pinkie’s leg. Finally, she gulped hard, shut her eyes, and shot forward, sinking her teeth into the pink treat before her. Her fangs pierced through effortlessly, and in an instant the smell and taste of blood overwhelmed Fluttershy.

The warm, sticky fluid had hardly reached Fluttershy's mouth, but already it dominated her senses. Her mouth was on fire, burning with a brilliant pleasure as every taste bud showered her with the full breadth of the metallic sting of Pinkie's blood. The pungent smell didn't leave her nose much better off, drowning in a scent that left it itching for more. The sound of rushing liquid, the tight squeeze of muscle around her fangs, it all made her head swim, and it felt incredible in a way nothing had before.

Pinkie gasped at the bite. She expected pain, but what she felt was more like a pressure, pushing in from all directions. It wasn’t only at the bite, either, her entire leg felt like it had been plunged underwater. At the same time she felt weightless, as though she would float away if not for the teeth anchoring her to Fluttershy. The two sensations, so entirely at odds with each other, had her feeling like she was spinning through the room, orbiting around Fluttershy, the new center of her entire world.

Shocked, Fluttershy immediately opened her mouth and pulled away, panting hard. Her eyes were wide, staring at the little pinpricks left in Pinkie’s skin, tiny rivulets of blood dripping from them, and she licked her teeth clean meticulously. Her heart was pounding, sending waves of adrenaline through her body that made her head spin.

“Woah,” Pinkie managed to say after a moment.

“Yeah,” Fluttershy agreed. Then she blinked a few times and her attention snapped to Pinkie. “Oh! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I’m fine. It was just kinda weird. What about you? Any vampire powers?”

“I don’t think so,” Fluttershy replied. “I barely got any blood.”

“Well, then let’s go again!” Pinkie said.

“Oh no ya don’t,” Applejack spoke up. She got up and trotted to the table, grabbing a box of bandages and a cup of water which she handed to Pinkie. “Full cup between bites, and clean it up. Don’t bite the same spot twice. Got it?” She gave the couple a stern look.

They both nodded, then Pinkie started to giggle. “Thanks, Applejack,” she said. “Where would we be without you?”

“Incredibly hurt, probably,” Applejack replied. She went back and got comfortable again, sipping her cider.

Pinkie Pie gulped down her water as fast as she could, and then Fluttershy helped her with the bandages. Pinkie couldn’t help but notice that Fluttershy kept licking her lips as she eyed the wound, and she started laughing. “You liked it, didn’t you?” she said, booping Fluttershy on the nose.

Fluttershy blushed. “Okay, maybe a little… I’m a vampire, though! I’m supposed to like it. What’s your excuse?”

“My excuse is that you’re cute.” She nuzzled Fluttershy affectionately.

Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled her back. “I don’t think that reasoning holds up.”

“Umm…” Pinkie thought. “Look!” She shot her leg out in front of Fluttershy again. “A tasty distraction!”

Fluttershy chuckled, but her eyes betrayed her, lingering on the leg for just a moment too long. Much less hesitant this time, she leaned forward and pushed her teeth into Pinkie’s flesh, her heart jumping as the warm liquid poured out.

Pinkie gasped again, but this time Fluttershy didn’t pull away. Instead, she followed her instincts and squeezed, drawing more blood out. The rush of adrenaline increased tenfold, and the world around her seemed to lose focus, only the rich font of blood before her staying clear in her vision. The blood seemed to almost sizzle as it began to trickle down into her throat, a burning that made her clench her jaw, drawing out yet more of the captivating drink. Fluttershy had to hold herself back, actively stopping her muscles from tightening further, but she felt like she could go so much further.

Then Fluttershy heard another sharp intake of breath from Pinkie and pulled herself back. This time the wound had more than just droplets of blood. There were little red streaks running freely down Pinkie’s leg, far more than a wound of that size should have had. Thick droplets formed as it reached the bottom, and every so often fell and splattered on the ground. It was captivating, but with some effort Fluttershy managed to pull her attention away.

When she did, the world flooded back into focus, except now it seemed different. Everything was sharper, nothing too far away to be clearly defined. More than that, though, the colors around her seemed to have changed while she was distracted. Some seemed less pronounced, not duller per se, but more like her mind was glossing over them. Others, though, the reds and oranges and purples around her, now popped brilliantly against the backdrop of the world.

Fluttershy was staring at Applejack’s burning orange coat when her voice brought her back to her senses. “Uhh, Fluttershy?” Applejack said. “You doin alright there? You, uh… Well, you might wanna look in a mirror.”

“Huh?” Fluttershy asked. Pinkie pulled a small mirror out from somewhere and held it in front of her. There was a lot of blood. All around her mouth her fur was stained with red, with streaks running down to her chin where blood had dripped down. Licking it didn’t seem to have much effect, hardly turning the fur from red to orange, but she tried anyway.

Aside from that, she saw herself, same as she always was, except that she no longer had the soft cyan eyes she once did. Now they were a bright red, shining out against her yellow fur, and her eyes had taken on a more severe look. It wasn’t offputting, and she hadn’t lost any of the kindness from her expression, but something about her eyes just seemed sharper.

Fluttershy stared at her own face until Pinkie pulled the mirror away again. “Isn’t it awesome?” She asked. “You look so cool now!”

“Do you think so?” Fluttershy asked. “I hope it’s not scary… Oh!” She remembered Pinkie’s still bleeding wound. “Are you okay? Let me help you clean that up.”

Pinkie giggled and held her leg out for Fluttershy, who started dabbing it with cloths and giving it far more attention than was necessary. “Sorry for scaring you,” Pinkie said. “I just wasn’t expecting it to feel so weird! It’s like… Well, I dunno what it’s like! That’s how weird it was!” Fluttershy finished cleaning up Pinkie’s leg, and Pinkie pulled her into a tight hug. “We should get Applejack to try.”

“Not a chance,” Applejack said. “I’d like to keep my blood, thank you very much. Now drink your water, you need the fluids.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Pinkie said playfully, and she started sipping her drink. “So, any powers yet?”

“I can see better now,” Fluttershy said. “I’m not really sure that counts as a power, though.”

“Ooh, how much better?” Pinkie asked. “Uhh, look out at the forest and see if you can see it well.”

Fluttershy peered out into the darkness past the barn doors. The orchard was a good distance away, with practically the entire farm between them and it, but Fluttershy was able to see every leaf on every tree with perfect clarity. Then she noticed a squirrel, and tracked its movements effortlessly through the trees. Not only that, but when it ducked out of view, she found herself subconsciously tracing the path she thought it was taking, and it would always pop back into view right when she expected.

Fluttershy grinned wide. “Wow,” she said as she turned back to Pinkie. “I can see it all. Everything! Ooh, this is such a rush!”

“Awesome!” Pinkie said, and she gave Fluttershy another tight squeeze. Fluttershy squeezed back, and Pinkie let out a squeak from the unexpected force of it. “Let’s go again!” She swallowed the rest of her water and stuck her leg back out.

“You might wanna switch legs,” Applejack suggested. “That is, if you wanna be able to walk on that one tomorrow.”

Pinkie laughed and held out her other leg. Fluttershy looked at her, and Pinkie nodded, so Fluttershy plunged her teeth in excitedly. Again a rush of blood greeted her, and again Pinkie gasped sharply. Right away Fluttershy started squeezing out the blood, drawing in the rich nectar. Her focus tightened again, those rich veins standing out above all else, and again she heard Pinkie gasp, but this time she pressed on.

Soon her vision started to tunnel, going black around the edges and slowly shrinking. She cupped her hooves around the leg to hold it steady as she drained it further. Before long the world was gone, and all she could see was the pink flesh against her lips. Little rivulets started to spill out past her mouth as she squeezed harder. Then her ears started to ring, covering up the sound of the insects outside, the breathing of the ponies nearby, the whistle of wind in the distance, until all she could hear was the beating of her own heart and the rush of blood through Pinkie’s veins. She squeezed harder. She could feel it all so clearly, the waves of blood gushing out of Pinkie and into her, crashing against her teeth and tongue before trickling slowly down into its new home. She could still squeeze harder, so she did, draining out more and more, until—

“Fluttershy!”

She opened her mouth and fell backwards, breathing fast and hard. A string of blood connected a fang to the gushing wound on Pinkie’s arm, tying her to her prey until gravity beat it out and it broke, dripping onto the floor below. She could feel blood dripping from her gaping mouth, coating her chin and dripping down onto her chest. She didn't want it to go to waste, but her heart was pounding so hard and fast that she could hardly think enough to even raise a hoof.

Over time the world came back to her, first her hearing bringing the sound of beating hooves, then her vision showing her Applejack nearby, quickly wrapping gauze around Pinkie’s leg. Then Fluttershy saw Pinkie Pie, sitting dazed beside her, and everything clicked back into place.

Fluttershy gasped, covering her mouth with a hoof that immediately became wet with blood. “Oh no, what did I do?” she asked. “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry, I-I didn’t—”

“Hush,” Applejack ordered, and Fluttershy stopped stammering. Applejack finished wrapping Pinkie’s leg, tried unsuccessfully to wipe the blood off her hooves, and then turned to Fluttershy, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Listen, Pinkie’s fine. Everything’s alright. This is why I was here.”

“I-I,” Fluttershy said, trying to get words out, but she was interrupted by Pinkie leaning heavily against her.

She looked over and met Pinkie’s eyes. She looked exhausted, but she had a beautiful little smile, one that Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile back to. She felt her heart rate slow as Pinkie’s warmth brought her back from the edge of panic.

“I love you,” Pinkie said groggily. “I’ll be okay. ‘M just woozy. You gotta take care o’ me.” Her words melted together as she spoke.

Fluttershy laughed weakly and kissed Pinkie’s forehead, holding her close. “Just like always.”

Applejack sighed and sat heavily on the ground, wiping her forehead. “I swear,” she grumbled, “who decided to let the two ponies with the worst impulse control in Equestria start dating.”

Pinkie and Fluttershy laughed. “I don’t think anypony could have stopped us,” Fluttershy said.

Pinkie nodded in agreement, then looked up at Fluttershy and pointed at her. “Hey,” she said, “you got new ears.”

“What?” Fluttershy asked. She felt around on her head where Pinkie was pointing, and found that her ears had changed, becoming pointed and angled back. Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no! Did they mess up my mane? Oh, it’ll take me weeks to find a new style.”

Pinkie giggled and laid down, putting her head in Fluttershy’s lap. Fluttershy started gently stroking her mane, although she blushed and hastily switched hooves when she noticed the streaks of blood she was leaving. “I like ‘em,” Pinkie told her.

“Alright, don’t get too comfortable now,” Applejack said sternly. She put a cup down in front of Pinkie. “Sit up and get some fluids in ya.”

Pinkie blew a raspberry at Applejack. “I feel fiiiine. Who needs a little blood? I bet I’ve already got it back.”

“Uh-huh,” Applejack said dryly. “Care to explain why your leg’s leavin a stain on Fluttershy, then?”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked over at the bandaged leg that she’d left resting on Fluttershy’s chest. Sure enough, drips of red were still seeping out around the wrappings, leaving streaks in Fluttershy’s fur. Pinkie giggled and tried to brush the blood away. “Heh, oopsie.”

Fluttershy gently lifted Pinkie up off her lap. “Get something to drink, sweetie,” she said. “I don’t know how long that’s going to bleed, and I don’t want you to get sick.” Pinkie nodded and grabbed the drink Applejack had brought her.

“Hoo boy,” Applejack sighed, “I need more cider.” She got up and poured herself a drink, taking it back to her seat. “You, uh, doin alright there Fluttershy?”

“I think so,” Fluttershy replied. “I’ll be okay once Pinkie feels better.”

“Aw, I wouldn’t worry about it none,” Applejack told her with a wave of her hoof. “Worst case scenario, we just gotta go get Twilight or Zecora or somepony to stop the bleedin. Just try and take your mind off it. Why dontcha tell me about those new ears of yours?”

Fluttershy reached up to feel her ears again. “I’m not sure how much there is to tell,” she said. “I don’t even know if they’re permanent.”

“I hope they are,” Pinkie interjected. “They’re cute.” She leaned over and started rubbing Fluttershy’s ears, which made Fluttershy blush deeply.

“Water, Pinkie,” Applejack scolded. “You can flirt later.” Pinkie rolled her eyes and went back to sipping her drink. “So,” Applejack continued, “can you hear better?”

“Hmm,” Fluttershy thought. She closed her eyes and tried concentrating on the sound around her. She heard the insects outside, and the creatures out in the woods. She heard wind rushing past the barn. She heard the ponies beside her breathing, and she heard Pinkie sipping dutifully. She could also hear her own heartbeat, but is sounded… strange.

She focused on it, trying to trace the path of the blood flowing through her body, and realized that she wasn’t just hearing her heartbeat, but Pinkie’s too, and even Applejack’s. If she tried hard enough, she could even hear more ponies, most of their hearts thumping away slowly as the ponies slept.

Fluttershy opened her eyes again and nodded. “Mm-hm!” she said. “I’m not sure how much better it is, but I can hear your heartbeat!”

“Cool!” Pinkie said, hopping excitedly in her seat. Some water spilled out onto the floor in her excitement. “Is it just us?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I can kind of hear ponies all over town.”

“Can you tell who’s who?” Applejack asked.

“Ooh, ooh!” Pinkie interrupted before Fluttershy could answer. “Try to find, uhh… Maud! What’s she up to?”

“I’ll try,” Fluttershy said, and she closed her eyes again. She focused until she found the heartbeats, and then tried focusing on Maud, scanning over the town to see if one jumped out.

To her surprise, one did jump out. She focused in on it, and could tell that Maud was at home, although she wasn’t sleeping. In fact, she wasn’t alone, there was another pony. Fluttershy focused on them now, and—

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open and she turned a bright red. “U-um…” she stuttered, then she dropped her voice down to a whisper. “I think Maud has a girlfriend.”

Pinkie gasped, and Applejack leaned forward in her seat. “Well I gotta hear this,” Applejack said. “Who was it?”

“I, um…” Fluttershy murmured. “I don’t think I should say. It would just… It would be so rude, wouldn’t it? I mean, it, um…” Her voice trailed off.

“C’mooooon,” Pinkie begged. “I wanna know!”

Fluttershy gulped and shook her head. “I can’t. Pinkie, I’m sorry, but it’s just not something you could keep secret.”

Applejack laughed, and Pinkie huffed and pouted. “Meanie.”

“Well she ain’t wrong,” Applejack said. Pinkie blew another raspberry and went back to sipping her drink, which made Applejack laugh again. Then she yawned and moved on. “Hey, Fluttershy, you think you could see if Applebloom went to bed? I wanna see the look on her face in the morning if I tell her I knew what she was up to.”

Fluttershy giggled and nodded, closing her eyes again. She was much faster this time, opening them again in just a few moments. “Um, well, she’s not in bed,” Fluttershy said. “She’s, uh… spying on us.”

Applejack nearly choked on her drink. “Applebloom!” she yelled. “You get in here this instant!”

Applebloom slinked her way into the barn, grumbling under her breath. “Stupid vampire powers.”

“Well?” Applejack said as Applebloom reached the group. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Um… It wasn’t me?”

Pinkie snorted, and Applejack threw an empty cup in her direction. “Girl,” she said, turning her attention back to Applebloom, “I told you it was dangerous. Do you not see all the blood?”

“I know, I just…” Applebloom crossed her legs sheepishly. “I’m sorry.”

Applejack sighed. “It’s alright. I know you were just curious. But listen, I know it seems like I probably make up excuses for things I tell you a lot, but if I say somethin’s dangerous, then it’s dangerous. Even if you don’t believe nothin else, just trust me on that, okay?”

Applebloom nodded. “I understand. Um… Am I grounded?”

“Nah,” Applejack said. “I’m just gonna feed ya to Fluttershy.”

“Huh?” Applebloom replied. She turned and looked at Fluttershy, who just giggled and flashed her fangs. “Hang on, you can’t—”

“I’m kiddin,” Applejack said. “I’m just puttin you on Pinkie duty. I hope you’re ready to learn how to change a bandage.”

Applebloom gulped, and the three older ponies all started to laugh together.

They wound up sleeping in the barn for the night. None of them knew how much Pinkie was going to bleed, so they figured it would be less of a hassle to clean the barn than it would be to clean the entire house.

Fluttershy woke up the next morning full of energy. The world greeted her with a newfound clarity, and it was wonderful. All the new sights and sounds and smells had her smiling wide as soon as she was awake.

She also woke up very sticky. After pushing herself up, she tried unsuccessfully to wipe some of the dried blood off of her fur, before resigning to just going to find the others and walking out into the brilliant morning.

She found Applejack and Pinkie Pie sitting in chairs on the front porch of the farmhouse. Pinkie was wrapped in a blanket, nursing a hot drink, and Applejack was rubbing her back. As Fluttershy got closer, though, Pinkie noticed her and started to giggle uncontrollably.

“Um…” Fluttershy said as she reached them, “good morning?”

“Mornin, Fluttershy,” Applejack said. Pinkie nodded between laughs.

“What’s so funny?” Fluttershy asked.

“Uhh…” Applejack muttered.

Pinkie choked down her laughter long enough to talk. “Y-your face!” was all she could get out.

“You’re kinda, uh… bloody,” Applejack said.

“Oh,” Fluttershy said. She chuckled and climbed up onto the porch, sitting next to Pinkie. “I doubt you’re much better.”

Pinkie shook her head and managed to stifle her laughter. “AJ made me take a shower when I woke up.”

“You’re next, missy,” Applejack said pointedly to Fluttershy. “And use those wings! I don’t want blood all over my carpets.”

Fluttershy laughed and leaned up against Pinkie. “Yes ma’am,” she said, then she turned her attention to her girlfriend. “Are you feeling okay?”

Pinkie nodded. “I’ve got a really bad headache, but that’s all. Super worth it.”

“If you say so,” Fluttershy replied, nuzzling her. “I should probably wash up before I scare somepony, huh?”

“Uhh, about that,” Applejack said, “you might wanna start thinking about how you’re gonna explain things.”

“Huh?” Fluttershy asked.

Just then, Granny Smith walked outside. She looked over at the girls with a smile, then jumped back several feet when she saw Fluttershy. “Great galloping gorillas, it’s a demon!” she shouted. “Big Mac, get the broom! Hurry!”

Pinkie laughed, then reached up and touched one of Fluttershy’s ears. “I think it’s permanent.”