My Little Masqueradeby BreakfateschainChaptersPrologue - Bloody BeginningsChapter 1 - You're a Blood Wizard, TwilightChapter 2 - Magia, Pietra, e la MorteChapter 3 - The Wise Words of a Mad MarePrologue - Bloody BeginningsSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. Prologue “And that class, is how Arcane Frequency can affect what kinds of spell you cast, and how using the wrong frequency with the wrong spell can cause mishaps,” said a purple unicorn with a starburst as a cutie mark, finishing her lecture to her very bored class. “Now, are there any questions?” In the entire lecture hall, there were only about 10% of her students were still awake at this point. One of these utterly bored students raised her hoof and asked, “Professor Sparkle, wasn’t class supposed to end 45 minutes ago?” Upon hearing this news, Twilight quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and exclaimed, “Goodness, you’re right! Now everyone remember to read chapters… 8… through… 12.” Unfortunately for the assigned reading, the entire class burst from the room the moment she realized that class was supposed to be over. “Become a professor, they said,” muttered an annoyed Twilight, “Students would love to learn from someone as intelligent as you, they said,” as she drudged herself out of the lecture hall, and towards her office. As she walked across the University of Canterlot’s campus, she idly wondered if she should have taken that librarian job in Ponyville instead. Sure, there would have been fewer research opportunities, but she would have been surrounded by books, as well as not having to teach students who only took her class as a first year requirement. Upon reaching her office, she noticed that upon her desk, there was a book that she had not placed there herself. “Hmm, what’s this?” she wondered aloud, as she drew closer to it. On the book’s cover, in place of a title, was a circle with a square in it, and a triangle on its top right side. As she opened the book to examine closer, she discovered that in place of letters and words, strange symbols she had never seen before filled the book. At that moment, a grin spread across Twilight’s face, as this could only mean one thing, there was a mystery in front of her, and she wouldn’t rest until she figured out what the book said. She then noticed that under the book was a single piece of paper that simply said “Good luck.” Twilight had no idea who sent her the book, but at that moment, she really didn’t care. Over the next few days, between sleeping, teaching, and eating, Twilight focused on nothing but translating the mysterious tome. One the fourth day, at about 9:30 PM, after looking through 15 different language guides and several different translator spells, she finally managed to translated the strange script. “Eureka!” she proclaimed, “Now, what secrets do you contain,” she muttered as she read through the book with mounting excitement. However, as she read through the book, her excitement slowly changed to irritation and disappointment. After translating the first line of the book, she determined that it read A Beginner’s Guide to Thaumaturgy, or Blood Magic for Dummies. As she read further, it continued to speak of how blood could be used to power spells, and that magic without blood was almost powerless in comparison. “Blood Magic, really,” an exasperated Twilight sighed, “Everypony knows there is no such thing as Blood Magic. Besides, doesn’t the sender know that Nightmare Night isn’t for another month?” Twilight then gathered her saddlebags together, and trotted home, grumbling about pranksters and how she had wasted four days on this rubbish. Unbeknownst to Twilight, a mysterious pony was watching her, very happy that her book had been deciphered, and in such a small amount of time. Yes, this new initiate wouldn’t be like the plethora of foals that had come before her in recent nights. “Report,” she ordered of the pony behind her. “Has anypony interrupted ze examination?” “No, master,” said a stallion, standing a few feet away the mare in the alleyway, “None of the ghouls we had placed in her class had any trouble getting the tome into her room, and we’ve had those trained in Auspex keeping an eye on her at all times.” “And you are sure she has already completed ze translation?” “Those watching her have confirmed this.” “Good, tell all ponies currently watching her to stand down and to return to ze Chantry. I will attend to zis matter myself.” “As you wish, my master,” as the stallion bowed low to the ground, then left to fulfill his orders. “Twilight Sparkle, it has been a while since I created a childe of my own, let’s hope you are worth ze trouble,” the mare said under her breath, as she trotted down the street. After she reached her apartment and had begun to put her things away, Twilight noticed that she had accidentally put the new translated book of so-called Blood Magic in her saddlebags without thinking about it. “I can’t believe I wasted four days on you,” she darkly muttered to the book, before placing it on her coffee table, “At least it will be good for a laugh, I guess. I do wonder though, who would go to all the trouble of making an entire book in a fake language, and filling it full of nonsense, just to prank me?” she wondered. She figured it was probably one of her students, mad that they had failed one of her exams. Before she could ponder the matter further, she heard a knock on her apartment door and went to answer it. As soon as she opened the door, a light blue earth pony with a white mane, wearing a black and white striped dress, and purple sunglasses strode into the room pronouncing, “I, Photo Finish, have arrived!” Twilight stared at her for a full ten seconds before being able to say anything. “So, not to sound rude but… who are you and why did you just walk into my home?” asked a very confused Twilight. “As I said, I am Photo Finish, you may have heard of me?” asked Photo Finish, thinking that saying her name would obviously tell Twilight who she was. “No, I haven’t,” Twilight stated flatly. It was Photo Finish’s turn to stare at Twilight for a full ten seconds. “Photo Finish, ze most famous fashion photographer in all of Canterlot, you must have heard my name around somewhere,” Photo Finish continued, but to no avail, as Twilight simply shook her head. “Well no matter, I see you have finished translating my book, did you find it enjoyable?” Photo Finish asked, trying to gauge Twilight’s reaction. “So you’re the one who sent me that prank book?” demanded a now furious Twilight, “Why did you send me an obviously fake spell book, and why have you barged into my home? At this, Photo began to laugh, “Ha ha ha, who told you zat book was a prank? And as for ze reason I’m here, it is because you translated zat book.” “How could you possibly have known I translated that book?” Twilight asked, “and as for why it’s a prank, everypony knows that Blood Magic is nothing but a myth. No magic experiment involving blood has ever been successful in the history of Equestria.” “Well, no mortal magic involving blood,” stated Photo, “and as for why I know you translated zat tome, I’ve been keeping a close eye on you, Twilight Sparkle.” “W-what?!? I don’t know what you’re going on about, but I demand you leave my home this instant!” a suddenly very scared Twilight yelled at Photo Finish. However, instead of leaving, Photo began to slowly walk towards Twilight, and even though she was wearing sunglasses, Twilight could tell she had the look of a predator stalking its prey. “S-stay back!” shouted Twilight, who was beginning to panic. She then proceeded to telekinetically lift up her entire couch, and throw it at Photo Finish. In response, Photo raised a single hoof and the couch stopped in mid-air, “Zat is very good, Twilight, most ponies do not have enough power to lift anything bigger zan a book or two, but to lift something of zis size and weight, I knew you were worth my time.” She then gestured with her hoof, and sent the couch slamming into a wall at the far end of the room, cracking the plaster and sending bits of couch and wall everywhere. As Twilight backed up, she started throwing more and more things at Photo, who simply deflected all that was sent at her, all without touching them. “You’re not a unicorn, how are you doing this?!?” demanded Twilight, whose curiosity would not be satiated, even in a state of pure panic. Photo merely smiled at this, looked dead into Twilight’s eyes and said, “Ze fact zat you can ask questions other zan ‘Please don’t hurt me’ at a time like zis only finalizes zat you are indeed worthy of zis gift. Don’t worry, all will be made clear in time. Now, STOP!” Contrary to any amount of sense, Twilight stopped moving, which allowed to Photo to finally close the gap between them. Photo then leaned in close and whispered in Twilight’s ear, “Forgive me, but your current magic is insufficient. Let me open for you ze door to real power.” For an instant, Twilight saw that Photo had for fangs sticking from her mouth, then felt them pierce her flesh, as Photo bit down onto Twilight’s neck, and began to drain the blood from Twilight’s body. While Twilight expected to feel pain, there was none, in fact, it was the best feeling she had ever felt. Until that moment, Twilight had never even considered that a pony could feel like this, feeling even pleasure so grand, nothing could compare. The pure bliss that filled her body at that moment was better than anything she could or would ever experience in her entire life, to a bliss that no drugs or sex could ever possibly hope to match. This feeling of pure ecstasy was so good, that thoughts of fighting back, or resistance of any kind, did not even flicker across her mind. Photo Finish released Twilight after the last of her blood had been drained from her body, allowing her to become dimly aware of how cold her body was - and how dark everything was becoming. In her last moments of consciousness, Twilight felt something warm and sticky trickle down her throat, and Twilight heard the words, “Welcome to ze Tremere Clan, Twilight Sparkle,” and then she knew no more. Chapter 1 - You're a Blood Wizard, TwilightSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. (Seriously, go read Lithl’s My Little Exalt, it’s way better than my stuff) Chapter 1 You’re a Blood Wizard, Twilight “GAH!” Twilight screamed, as she awoke from the worst nightmare of her life. “Twilight, calm down,” she said to herself, “It was only a dream.” ‘Wait, what was I dreaming about?’ she thought to herself, ‘It had something to do with blood, I think.’ Then, it all came back to her: the blue earth pony with the sunglasses, the fake Blood Magic book, being attacked, the sensation of teeth sinking through her neck. She ran a hoof over her neck, but found nothing - no bite mark, no sign of any sort of injury whatsoever, ‘See Twilight, it really was a dream,’ she thought. However, when Twilight looked up, she realized she had no idea where she was. As she looked around, she noticed that instead of being in the organized chaos of her messy apartment, she was in a dark, windowless room. The room itself held no signs that anypony lived there, it was just a grey room with grey walls, a table, which had a lit candle on it, across from the bed she was on. “W-where am I?! What’s going on?!” Twilight she said, in hopes that somepony would answer her. In response to these queries, the door to the room opened, and the blue mare from the night before walked into the room saying, “Both excellent questions! But first, how are you feeling?” “YOU!” Twilight exclaimed, “S-STAY BACK!!!” She attempted to throw the table at Photo Finish with her magic, but the table did not move; her horn did not even glow. Photo gave her a pointed look and said, “If I was able to defeat you with no problem last night, what makes you zink you can win now? Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, your magic isn’t exactly working. Now, calm down and let’s talk like rational ponies.” Twilight looked like she was about to scream in protest, but decided to bite back her retort. Twilight had to admit that Photo had a point, she had no idea where she was, she still had no access to her magic, and there was nothing stopping Photo from beating her down once more. Shooting Photo a glare, Twilight muttered back, “…Fine. To answer your previous question, I feel fine. That’s kind of weird isn’t it? Shouldn’t I be in intensive care or dead from blood loss, since you bit into my throat?” “Don’t worry about zat, I’ll teach you to remove bite marks from zose you drink out of when ze time comes,” replied Photo, who appeared to ignore the look of absolute horror Twilight now had. “Besides, it was ze only way for you to join ze clan.” “What clan? Anyway, couldn’t you have just given me an invitation if you wanted me to join your… whatever this is?” asked Twilight. “Why, Clan Tremere, of course. Ze most powerful Warlocks in ze world! Besides, you hardly pass out invitations to join a secretive clan of vampires, and before you zink me mad, check your pulse,” suggested Photo. ‘Great,’ thought Twilight, ‘Not only did I get abducted, it was by a pony who is completely insa-” Her train of thought stopped immediately when she brought her hoof to her neck, but couldn’t find a heartbeat. For all intents and purposes, she should be dead. “N-no!” Twilight shakily cried, “I can’t be dead, there’s so much I haven’t done yet!” “If you’re done being melodramatic,” Photo said in an annoyed voice, “You’ll notice zat even zough your heart’s not beating, and you’re not breathing, you are still moving. You are only undead, not fully dead. Nozing is going to stop you from living your life, so to speak. Now stand up, zere’s much to do, and I’d razer start now. Photo gestured for Twilight to follow as she began to walk out of the room. Twilight pulled herself to her hooves and followed Photo in a much larger room, filled with bookcases and tables covered in strange scientific equipment. Twilight decided to ask, “So, if I really am a vampire, does that mean that I can’t eat garlic bread or touch religious symbols?” “What? Oh, yes, zose myths,” Photo said with disdain, “No, neizer religious symbols nor garlic will harm you, zough you can forget about eating. Trying to consume anyzing other zan blood will only cause you to vomit ashes. In fact, ze only zings zat zose ridiculous myths got right was is zat sunlight will burn us and fire will cause incredible damage. Anyzing else you may zink you know, ignore it.” Photo then took that opportunity to dramatically turn around, gesture to the walls, and proclaim, “Now, welcome to ze Chantry of Clan Tremere! I am zis Chantry’s Regent. It’s leader, if you will.” “I still don’t know what that is,” Twilight replied flatly. “Neonates, so impatient,” Photo muttered, “Anyway, as you know I, am a vampire, part of ze Clan Tremere. As I am your sire, you are now a member of ze clan as well. A clan is a group of vampires zat is descended from one of several original vampires. In Clan Tremere’s case, Star Swirl ze Bearded.” During this lecture, Twilight was trying to take notes with a pencil and piece of paper she found on a nearby table. She was having difficulty, due to her lack of practice using her mouth, and her inability to magically lift the pencil, However, she stopped abruptly at hearing the name ‘Star Swirl.’ “Star Swirl the Bearded, as in The Star Swirl, the most famous unicorn magician in history?” asked a now ecstatic Twilight, temporarily forgetting that she was now a damned undead abomination. “He was a vampire?!” “Well, he wasn’t originally. He was just a regular magician at first, leader of a sect of powerful magi, but as he became older, he became entranced by ze idea of eternal life. After years of experimenting, he succeeded and turned himself and his subordinates into vampires. Unfortunately, ze other pre-existing clans did not approve of zem, considering zem upstarts, and not true vampires. It was only hundreds of years after zat we did finally find a place in kindred society,” lectured Photo, as if she had explained this hundreds of times. “Fascinating,” Twilight said as she furiously wrote down everything Photo had said, “So, what do you mean by Kindred?” “Kindred is our word for vampire, it sounds much more refined zan simply saying vampire, no?” said Photo. “Anyway, you should know zat every clan has different powers, and ze most powerful ability of our clan in is Zaumaturgy, or as it is more widely known, Blood Magic. We had to develop it, since being undead all but strips away regular magic.” “Wait, WHAT?! But I’m a professor of Magic, won’t ponies find it suspicious if I can’t do magic? Not to mention that my special talent is magic, that means I’m now useless,” moaned Twilight. “Not to worry, simply concentrate on ze vitae, or blood, whatever you wish to call it in wizin your body. If you do, you should be able to pass for ze living, including limited access to magic. How else would we be able to pass ourselves off as normal if pegasi suddenly could not stand on clouds, or unicorns could not levitate objects?” Photo said, in an attempt to placate Twilight. Twilight decided to try this by concentrating not on her horn, but on the blood within her. She then focused on a nearby beaker, and managed to lift it into the air with telekinesis. “Very good, but you should know, doing that for long periods of time will drain ze blood right out of you and may lead to a sort of vampiric coma known as torpor, or worse, so use it sparingly,” Photo said, satisfied that her student was catching on. “Alright, do you mind if I ask why you chose me?” asked Twilight, hoping she wasn’t overstepping any bounds. “Zat question is quite alright. In truth, we of clan Tremere value intelligence in our potential recruits above all else, and by translating zat tome I sent you, you proved your intelligence in spades. Besides, zat cutie mark you have means you’re talented in all magic, including blood magic. I have a feeling you will excel at Zaumaturgy.” Photo said as she smirked and lifted the bottom part of her dress to reveal her own cutie mark, which was identical to Twilight’s. “Wow,” was all Twilight could think to say. “Now come zis way; before we begin your training, zere is somezing of grave importance we must do,” said Photo, guiding Twilight through another door which led into a long hallway. As they walked, Twilight looked into some of the passing rooms and could not believe her eyes. In one room, a Pegasus appeared to be lighting candles by blinking. In another room, she saw what appeared to be stone ponies moving heavy equipment around at the behest of a unicorn. She decided to stop looking into the rooms when she passed by a cauldron that appeared to be filled with blood, and realized that instead of being horrified by it, she was drooling. “How is it that all of this has remained hidden?” asked Twilight, obviously enamored by what she was seeing despite herself. “Well, most of kindred society follows what we call ze Masquerade. Zis is essentially ze ‘Don’t tell mortals we exist or we kill you rule.’ It was put in place by ze Camarilla at ze time of ze Ponyish Inquisition, when we realized zat even zough we were stronger, ze mortals could kill us zrough sheer numbers,” explained Photo. “Camarilla?” asked Twlight. “A group of vampire which is officially made up of seven of ze 13 clans, and before you ask, yes, zat includes ze Tremere. In fact, if it wasn’t for us, zere would be no Camarilla. Of course, regardless of what ze ozer clans say, all kindred are part of ze Camarilla. Ah, were here,” proclaimed Photo. At the end of the hallway, through the last door, they walked into a wide open room, which contained nothing but a dais with a gold chalice on it, in the middle of a strange rune-covered circle which covered the floor. “Now, stand and wait,” ordered Photo. Twilight stood and watched as Photo began to chant and murmur. The circle began to glow brighter and brighter until a bright red light filled the room. After five minutes, Photo finished her chanting and trotted over to the chalice. She then took out a long knife and slit her own wrist over the chalice. As the blood flowed into the container, she loudly proclaimed, “From ze blood of one, ze Seven shall flow, let zis Neonate taste true power, and forever serve zose of true strength.” As she said this, the red blood that filled the cup turned sickly black. Photo brought the container over to Twilight and commanded, “Now, Twilight Sparkle, drink, and truly become one of us.” Fearing the consequences if she disobeyed, Twilight brought the chalice to her lips, and drank the dark liquid. While she felt the same elation she felt before when she was bitten by Photo, she felt something more. A sensation of power rippled through her as she drank, ancient power, power of which she had never even conceived of. She now knew that a fraction of that power flowed through her veins, and this filled her with joy. At the same time, she hungered for more power. “Congratulations, you have now been bound to ze seven elders of Clan Tremere. Now, Apprentice of ze First Circle of Mysteries, 10th Generation Tremere, Twilight Sparkle, your training may begin,” Photo proclaimed, obviously happy things were proceeding smoothly. “Let us begin, ze magicks.” She snaked a hoof around Twilight neck and proclaimed, “We go!” and before Twilight could even wipe the blood from her mouth, she was pulled back down the hallway to begin her training. Chapter 2 - Magia, Pietra, e la MorteSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. (Seriously, go read Lithl’s My Little Exalt, it’s way better than my stuff) Chapter 2 Magia, Pietra, e la Morte Over the course of the next few weeks, Photo Finish relentlessly drilled as much information as she could into Twilight about how to be a vampire without ending up dead. She taught Twilight the laws of Kindred society, about the different clans, her natural powers, and most importantly, Thaumaturgy. Twilight quickly devoured all knowledge given to her on blood magic, and once again exceeded Photo’s expectations when it came to using mystical art. However, while skilled in Thaumaturgy, Twilight seemed to have some difficulty with some of her other new abilities. “No, Twilight, try again!” an exasperated Photo ordered of Twilight. “He’s only a ghoul, you should be able to Dominate his mind wiz ease.” “I’m tryi-,” Twilight began to say, the stern look on Photo’s face made her think better of talking back. “Yes, Regent.” Twilight looked the straight into the eyes of the stallion in front of her and said, “Run!” The stallion did not move, choosing to stay put, as he was instructed by Photo to do so. Oddly enough, instead of looking disappointed or confused, Twilight appeared to look relieved that the stallion ignored her. Unfortunately for her, Photo also noticed this. “Twilight,” said Photo. “Yes, Regent?” asked Twilight, hoping she wouldn’t be scolded again. “Would you please explain why isn’t zis working?” asked Photo, while looking directly into Twilight eyes. Twilight tried to keep her mouth shut, but Photo’s power forced her to speak the truth. She replied, “Because I feel guilty. Ghouls are already pretty much controlled like addicts by Kindred by having vampiric blood forced down their throats. It didn’t feel right to take even more control away from one!” Twilight clamped her hooves over her mouth, looking horrified. “Twilight, as I’ve already told you,” said Photo, looking more annoyed than angry, “zese lessons are meant to teach you to do what you must to survive. Zinking like zat will just get you killed.” Before Photo could continue her lecture on doing necessary evils for the hundredth time, a frantic pounding rattled the door of the training room. “REGENT! We have a serious problem!” came from the other side of the door. Photo stormed over to the door, yanked it opened and yelled, “What could be so important zat you DARE interrupt ze training of my childe!” The frightened looking mare Photo had scared senseless spluttered out, “W-we h-had a b-break-in! One of the artifacts has been stolen!” “WHAT! Which one?” demanded a furious Photo. “T-the A-Alicorn’s Amulet,” squeaked the terrified mare. Photo stood there for a moment, looking livid, before she said, “Bring me ze one responsible for guarding ze artifacts! I want to know exactly how zis happened.” “Y-yes, Regent” the mare said, before running off as quickly as possible. Photo trotted back into the room and ordered the ghoul to leave. She closed the door, leaving herself alone with Twilight. “Twilight,” she said, sounding both angry and exhausted, “I’m putting your training in Dominate on hold for now. You may have some trouble wiz zat discipline, but zat’s not important right now. You’ve had no trouble wiz ze basics of Auspex, correct?” Twilight nodded, choosing not to say anything, lest she accidentally become the subject of Photo’s wrath. “Good, you’ll need it for it for your first official assignment.” Before Photo could continue, a knocking came from the door again, followed by a small, purple lizard-like creature walking in. “Sentinel Spike, Guardian of the Tremere vaults, reporting to you as requested, Regent,” said the small creature as it kneeled before Photo. The creature wore an expression of shame upon its face. “Gargoyle, explain what happened in ze vaults. How did an intruder steal one of ze artifacts under your watch,” demanded Photo. “As I was guarding the vault, I saw somepony run past and turn a corner. I pursued them to force them to explain their presence in the vault. When I turned the corner, however, all I found was a dead-end. I returned to the vault, only to find it was blocked off by a brick wall,” said Spike. “A wall in front of ze vaults?” asked a clearly skeptical Photo. “Yes, Regent, a wall,” answered Spike, “I attempted to break the wall down, but I just fell straight through, and landed inside the wide-open vault. When I looked up, I saw a blue unicorn mare rush past me. I would have pursued, but I was more concerned with the security of the artifacts. At first, it did not appear that anything was missing, but when I went to see where she had been, I was horrified to find that my hand passed through the Alicorn’s Amulet, as if it were not there at all. Unfortunately, by then the intruder had already escaped, so I sounded the alarm and inspected to see if any of the other artifacts had been stolen; only the amulet was missing.” Instead of saying anything, Photo responded to this story by raising her hoof and swinging it to her side. Spike flew across the room as if thrown, and slammed hard into the wall she was pointing at. “DO. YOU. KNOW. WHAT. YOUR. STUPIDITY. HAS. DONE!” screamed Photo, slamming Spike against the floor, walls, or ceiling with each word, ending her tirade with a final by slamming Spike face first into the floor right in front of her. “Regent, don’t you think he’s had enough?” asked Twilight, fearing for the small creature’s safety. “No, no I don’t, but I don’t have time for zis right now,” said Photo, glaring at Spike with disdain. “Gargoyle, you will have one chance to redeem your failure. If you do not succeed, you will wish I had destroyed you.” Spike stood back up, not showing any form of injury, and replied, “Understood, Regent. What would you have of me?” “You are to assist my childe in locating ze zief and retrieving ze amulet,” said Photo, gesturing to a shocked looking Twilight. “W-What?! Why me? Shouldn’t somepony more qualified or experienced be tracking down the possibly dangerous pony?” asked Twilight, who was clearly confused by this. “Twilight, I can’t afford to send multiple Kindred running around Canterlot, it would look suspicious. We can’t let it be known to ze ozer clans zat we had a break-in, or we will look weak,” explained Photo. “Besides, zis will be good experience for you. You can’t spend ze rest of your unlife in ze Chantry.” “But, but, but,” stammered Twilight, before bowing her head and saying, “Yes, Regent,” resigning herself to her fate. “Don’t be like zat, just see zis as an opportunity to make some contacts in ze city”, said Photo. “Now, you remember ze ritual I taught you zat lets us send messages back and forz?” asked Photo. Upon seeing Twilight nod her head, she proclaimed, “Good, good, now when you discover anyzing, send ze information to me at once.” “But where am I supposed to start my search?” asked Twilight, not wishing to be punished for failing before she had even begun. “I recommend Pony Joe’s; many Kindred like to frequent ze diner, if only to find fresh blood. Now hurry, ze longer you wait, ze harder it will be to find zis intruder.” She gestured to the door, which Twilight and Spike took as an opportunity to leave Photo’s presence as soon as they could. As Twilight and Spike reached the entrance of the Chantry, Twilight stuck her hoof out in front of Spike and said “Wait, wait, wait! What are ponies going to say when they see a dragon walking around?” Spike merely chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about it. If ponies start asking questions, just tell them I’m your assistant or something.” After a moment to think that over, Twilight responded with “That’s… a good idea.” Without any other concerns, the two walked out of the Chantry, and down the night’s empty streets. Since Twilight had been unconscious when she was first brought to the Chantry and had not been allowed outside since she arrived, she was surprised at just how beautiful the building was from the outside. While just a front, the Chantry appeared to be a large marble cathedral, with stained glass windows and gargoyles atop its spires. Twilight silently wondered just how many of those gargoyles were actually alive. The two wordlessly strolled down the street until Spike decided to break the silence. “I didn’t know that Kindred could project illusions like the ones the intruder did, are you any good at those?” asked Spike. Twilight gave him a curious look before saying, “What do the Tremere have to do with illusions? I know a little Thaumaturgy, but I’ve never heard of anyone creating mirages like the one you saw.” After another moment, she asked, “Why do you think I would be able to create illusions?” “Well, Kindred are supposed to be super-strong, and fast, and control ponies’ minds, and all sorts of strange powers. I just figured that was one of them. I wouldn’t know, Gargoyles like myself are more construct than Kindred,” Spike said, shrugging his shoulders. Twilight shook her head and replied, “Kindred Disciplines vary from clan to clan. Some have Potence, some have Fortitude, some have Dominate, etc.” “Um… in Equestrian?” asked Spike, who had confusion written all over his face. “Well, you know that about the different clans at least right?” asked Twilight, wondering how he could not know such a basic fact. She had only been recently embraced and even she knew that. “I know that I work for the Tremere, and that we gargoyles are the elite servants of the Tremere. That’s all I was really told, I had to pick up everything else through observation,” explained Spike, not quite meeting Twilight’s gaze. Frowning at the gargoyle’s lack of knowledge, Twilight decided to launch into professor mode. “The Tremere are only one of thirteen clans. While many clans do share similar abilities, or Disciplines, and can learn another clan’s Disciplines with a teacher and effort, each clan only has three natural Disciplines. The natural Disciplines of the Tremere are Thaumaturgy, Dominate, and Auspex.” “Okay, I think I got it, but what exactly does Au-something do?” asked Spike. “In layman’s term, I naturally have access to Blood Magic, mind control, and supernatural perception,” explained Twilight. “I’m surprised you don’t know, seeing as you obviously have Fortitude.” At Spike’s blank stare, she sighed and deadpanned, “Supernatural Toughness. Didn’t you find the fact that you weren’t hurt by Photo throwing you around the room a little odd?” “Oh, I just figured I had tough scales. Wait, does that mean I actually have Kindred abilities?” asked a hopeful sounding Spike. “Well, I suppose that means you do,” said Twilight. Before the conversation could continue though, they arrived just outside of Pony Joe’s. Twilight hoped that somepony inside would have some information on the thief. As the two entered the eatery, Twilight quickly looked around, noting that even though it was about two in the morning, there were about half a dozen ponies within. The pair each took a barstool and waited for the barpony to take their order. The amber unicorn behind the bar turned to both of them and asked, “Welcome to Pony Joe’s, I’m Joe, how may I help you?” “Well, Mr. Joe, we happen to be looking for somepony. You wouldn’t happen to have seen a blue unicorn mare in here lately would you?” asked Twilight, hoping she didn’t sound like some sort of stalker. “Please, call me Joe. As for the pony you’re looking for, I don’t know, we get a lot of strange ponies in here. Maybe if you ordered something, it would refresh my memory?” asked a smirking Joe. Twilight shot Joe a dirty look before saying, “Fine, we’ll both have a doughnut.” After Joe had given them a doughnut each and Twilight grudgingly gave him a few bits, Joe said, “I haven’t seen her, but I know that one,” he pointed to a corner of the bar, “Is also looking for a blue unicorn mare. Try asking her.” The pony Joe indicated was an orange earth pony mare with blond hair and a Stetson, who was sitting in a corner of the diner and looked to be intently reading over some files. Without so much as a thank you, Twilight strode away from the barpony and towards the booth with the orange mare. “Hello,” said Twilight. “Howdy,” said the mare, not even bothering to look up at Twilight. “So, I hear you’ve been looking for a blue unicorn mare,” said Twilight, hoping to get the mare’s attention. The earth pony looked up at Twilight intently and said, “Yeah, what’s it to ya?” “Well I’m also looking for a mare matching that description,” said Twilight. “WHAT!? What do you know about her?!” demanded the mare, who practically jumped out of the booth and into Twilight’s face. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Twilight quickly said, waving her hooves front of her. “Like I said, I’m looking for her. I heard you were too, and was hoping that you knew anything that would help.” The mare stepped back, realizing that the few customers of the diner were now staring at them. “Maybe we should discuss this in a more private location,” she said, gathering up her files off the table. Before they were put away, Twilight noticed that one of the files had some odd pictures, such as one with a pony’s skull, and another with a unicorn galloping rather quickly. “Yeah, I agree with you there. After you,” said Twilight, choosing to let the mare lead the way out of the diner. As they walked, Spike, who Twilight had momentarily forgotten about, whispered into her ear, “She’s Kindred. Be careful around her.” “I know,” Twilight stated, “Anypony with any training in Auspex would never mistake a Kindred for a mortal pony, nothing living has an aura that pale. But how did you know?” “I may have let the thief get past me, but I’m not oblivious enough to not be able to tell the living from the dead. I didn’t manage to become the guardian of the artifacts for nothing,” explained a smug sounding Spike. The strange trio walked out of the diner and down a nearby alley. “Before we get down ta business, Ah’d like to know who Ah’m speaking to. Ah’m Applejack,” the mare said, turning around to face Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight, “So, why do you need to find this unicorn?” “Ah’m not at liberty ta say. What about y’all? Judging by your scaly friend there, you’re a Tremere, and yes, Ah can tell the difference between a baby dragon and a gargoyle. So why is the Tremere clan so interested in this mare? She one a’ yours or something?” asked Applejack. “I’m not allowed to say why I need to find her, but I can assure you she’s not Tremere,” said Twilight, trying to diffuse any potential inter-clan conflicts. “Say, what clan are you, anyway?” “Ye can’t tell?” asked Applejack, “Y’all must be newly embraced. Every Kindred older than a few months knows that the Apples are the main branch of the Giovanni family.” “Okay… Don’t you mean the Giovanni Clan? I know that’s one of the independent clans, but what do mortal families have to do with anything?” questioned Twilight. “Wow, you are green. Everypony knows that all members of Clan Giovanni come from the same family,” said Applejack proudly. Luckily, she did not notice the look of confusion on Twilight’s face. Choosing to figure out more on Clan Giovanni later, Twilight asked, “So, about this mare, I take it we’ve both been told by someone higher up in our clans not to mention her. Am I right?” Applejack nodded, acknowledging her guess as accurate. “But, since we both need to find her, how about we just say why we need to find her, and keep quiet about telling each other, agreed?” Applejack thought about this for a moment before saying, “Agreed, Ah don’t like it, but you’re the only lead Ah got.” “Twilight,” said Spike, worry in his voice, “Are you sure this is a good idea? If Photo finds out, she just might kill us both!” “No, but it’s the only lead we have, and honestly we didn’t have much to go on in the first place,” Twilight answered before turning back to Applejack. “Well, several nights ago, a blue unicorn mare broke into the Giovanni family mansion in uptown Canterlot and stole a skull from one o’ the vaults where we keep our supplies needed for our rituals.” “Rituals?” asked Twilight, “Like Blood Magic?” “Well, not exactly like the freaky stuff your clan is capable of, but Ah’ll have you know that the Giovanni has the finest necromancers in the world,” said Applejack, once again speaking about her family with pride. ‘Right, she’s a necromancer, and she thinks I’m freaky,’ thought Twilight. “Well, except what was stolen, that sounds exactly like what happened at the Tremere Chantry tonight. Instead of a skull, it was an amulet. Before you ask, I don’t know anything about it other than that it’s an amulet.” “So, if Ah’ve got this straight, both Giovanni and Tremere were both broken into by some mysterious unicorn. What Ah don’t get is, how did she get in both o’ our facilities without being caught?” wondered Applejack aloud. “As far as I can tell, she can create illusions,” chimed in Spike, remembering how he was fooled. “Illusions!?” exclaimed Applejack, “Well that explains that, but that’ll only make it tougher to track her down. So, Ah take it your clan is trying to kill her too?” “Actually, my main mission is to retrieve the amulet. Next to that, I think that my sire was more mad there was a thief than actually caring who the thief was.” Applejack looked thoughtful for a moment before choosing her next words very carefully. “Well, since Ah’ve been told to find and kill this thief, and y’all ‘ve been told to find this amulet o’ yours, how about we both work together to find her,” proposed Applejack. “Y’all help me find her, Ah help y’all get your fancy trinket, win-win.” ‘Well, Photo did tell me to make some contacts,’ thought Twilight. “Sure, I can’t think why not. So, partners?” asked Twilight, extending her hoof. “Partners,” said Applejack, vigorously hoofshaking Twilight’s to solidify the deal Unfortunately for Twilight, she failed to realize that Twilight was barely holding in a scream of pain due to how strong the hoofshake was. “Now, let’s find us a thief!” Chapter 3 - The Wise Words of a Mad MareSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. (Seriously, go read Lithl’s My Little Exalt, it’s way better than my stuff) Chapter 3 The Wise Words of a Mad Mare Within Canterlot, there lays a multitude of businesses that cater to every whim one could imagine. Boutiques filled with all the latest clothing could be found on every street, the market was filled with every type of produce imaginable, stores which contained electronics of every kind were in abundance. To the normal eye, it would appear that Canterlot had everything a pony could ever want. However, those who knew better – those who could see past the materialistic – would know that there was more to buy in Canterlot than just things. On the corner of one of the city’s more run down streets stood an ordinary, nondescript little shop. From the outside, it was not anything impressive; a small building made of brick, with a sign in the window. Had anypony bothered to look at the sign, they would have noticed that place was called ‘Madame Pinkie’s House of Fortune, Open 10 pm – 4 am.’ The ‘Pinkie’s’ was painted upon a board that was nailed over a part of the sign. Within the ‘House of Fortune,’ one could call the shop anything but ordinary. On every shelf there were vials containing strangely colored liquids, large masks hung from the walls, and in the middle of back room, a table with a crystal ball on it. A pink pony with a frizzy pink mane and a blue, feathered turban gazed into the ball and muttered, “Soon. They’ll be here soon.” “They won’t accept you,” said a different pink pony, but with her mane straight. “No pony – kine or otherwise – ever does.” “It won’t matter, Mina. I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse,” the first pink pony replied. As she continued to gaze into the ball, she began to chuckle to herself. “Soon.” ~~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~ “Remind me why we’re doing this, again?” asked Twilight, for about the 5th time that night. “Well, they say that she can find anything, and Ah reckon that blue unicorns qualify as anything,” replied Applejack as they trotted down the street. “But a fortune teller, really?” questioned Twilight, “I don’t care how weird my life’s become, you cannot tell me that ponies can read the future and expect me to believe you.” “Well, seeing as it’s been 3 weeks and we haven’t found squat, this is our best option,” answered Applejack. “Hey, I almost found her, she just proved to be more elusive than I thought.” “Y’all went to the circus and hoped the illusionist was blue, that hardly qualifies as ‘almost had her.’” Twilight huffed, but realized that arguing wasn’t going to get them anywhere, so she changed the subject. “So, what makes this fortune teller so special anyway?” “The same reason Ah hadn’t gone to her sooner. She’s a Malkavian,” replied Applejack grimly. “Malkavians are usually a bit nutty, but from what Ah hear, this one’s the craziest in Canterlot.” “WHAT!?” Twilight nearly screamed, “You want to get advice from a pony who’s known for being insane?! And you made fun of my circus idea.” “Told ya there was a reason Ah didn’t talk to her sooner. But calm down there, sugarcube, there’s occasionally an apple of wisdom within their ramblings,” Applejack said, sounding as if she both respected and feared the clan of lunatics. “So, where’s Spike? Shouldn’t he be coming with us?” Twilight shook her head and explained, “No, he’s meeting with my Sire tonight, updating her on our progress, or lack thereof. The fact that it’s taking so long is starting to annoy her, and she wants updates every other night now.” Applejack gave her a look of concern and told her, “Well, Ah hope everything turns out all right for you and the little guy.” After a few more minutes of walking, the pair came across ‘Madame Pinkie’s House of Fortune.’ Twilight sighed and said, “Well, let’s get this over with,” before walking inside, followed by Applejack. ~~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~ A pink, frizzy-maned pony was polishing her crystal ball when she heard a jingle at the door, signalling the arrival of new customers. She was just about to enter the front room to welcome her guests, but stopped at the door, hesitation and worry etched across her face. “What are you waiting for?” asked a white pegasus with a yellow mane, “You look super nervous.” “It’s just… what if they don’t …like me?” said the pink pony, “I don’t… want to be left alone again. Especially since Z-” “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” interrupted the pegasus, “They’d be crazy not to love you. Now go out there and be the bestest fortune teller ever.” “Thanks, Surprise, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” said the pink pony, pulling the pegasus in for a hug. After a few moments, she let go of the pegasus and trotted to the door. “Wish me luck,” she called, before walking out into the main store. The fortune-teller walked out of her back room and into the main room of her store. She saw a pair of ponies, looking at her awkwardly. “Welcome to Madame Pinkie’s House of Fortune,” greeted Pinkie, a large grin plastered on her face. “How may I help you tonight?” Applejack walked forward and said, “Well, ya see, were kinda looking for a specific pony, and we heard that you were the pony for the job.” “Well, Applejack, you and Twilight should know tha-” “How do you know our names?” interrupted Twilight, looking confused. “Silly Twilight, what kind of fortune teller would I be if I couldn’t even know my future client’s names?” Twilight looked like she was about to say something, then stopped, as if realizing that Pinkie had a valid point. “So, as I was saying, before I help you find this pony, we need to talk about my fee,” asked Pinkie, trying to hide her nervousness. “If it’s money you want, Ah can pay whatever ya’ll need,” said Applejack, as she went to draw her wallet. “Money?” Pinkie giggled, “I don’t want money silly billy, I want something else.” “And that would be?” “One favor, to be called in at the time of my choosing,” said Pinkie, sounding incredibly serious, as if this was the most important thing in the world. “What?! Applejack, can I talk to you for a moment?” asked Twilight, before she pulled Applejack back a little and began whispering. Pinkie couldn’t hear much of the conversation, but she caught snippets such as ‘Too risky,’ and ‘Not much choice.’ After a few minutes, the two ponies turned to face Pinkie. “We… accept your offer,” said Twilight, sounding incredibly reluctant. “Great!” exclaimed Pinkie, “I promise you won’t regret it. Now, please follow me back into my parlor and we can begin.” As they walked into the back room, Pinkie tried to ignore Twilight’s whispered comment to Applejack about ‘Said the spider to the fly.’ Upon entering the parlor, Surprise walked out of the corner she was standing in. “Madame Pinkie, would you or your guests like something to drink?” “I’ll have a sarsaparilla, do you guys want something to drink? Mixed with blood, of course,” Pinkie asked. “What? Oh no, I’m fine,” said Twilight, looking a bit confused. “Ah’ll have a glass of apple cider if’n you don’t mind,” said Applejack. As Surprise left to get drinks, Pinkie and her guests sat down around a table with a crystal ball on it. “Now, for the answers you seek, we must consult the Mystical Orb of Fate’s Destiny!” stated Pinkie, suddenly sounding incredibly melodramatic. “Do you like my Mystical Orb of Fate’s Destiny? I just got it.” “Yeah, uh, best one I’ve seen,” Twilight answered quickly. “This is so stupid, why do you waste your time with that thing?” asked Mina from across the room. “Well it makes things more fun! Why would I want it to be all serious all the time?” After a few moments of silence, Pinkie realized that Applejack and Twilight were staring at her. “Right, bein’ serious all the time can be a problem, but can we get a move on? We’re in a hurry, and it’s not like we can afford to be burnin’ daylight,” said Applejack. “Of course. Now, look deep into the crystal ball, for soon it will reveal all,” stated Pinkie, returning to her melodramatic voice. After about a minute of gazing into the glass sphere, Twilight started to ask, “So is anything supposed to happ-” She stopped as she noticed Pinkie’s tail had begun to shake, then her legs began to flail, and soon Pinkie’s entire body began to twist and rock about, and her eyes had turned pure white, with no iris or pupil. She opened her mouth and whispered in a hoarse voice, “The moon plays in the echoed halls, hunted by the blue sky and white noise. The fiend no longer in monstrous hands will unlock the secrets of death and magic. Within the third tomb, the power of the holy queen slumbers. Ten minus seven equals three.” After completing her prophecy, Pinkie collapsed head-first onto the table. As Surprise returned, she saw Pinkie splayed out on the table. She dropped the tray of drinks she was carrying and ran over to her, “Madam Pinkie, are you okay!?” “I’m fine, Surprise,” she said, pulling herself up. “So, I think that’s all the fortune telling I’ll be doing for today, you guys need anything else?” she asked, looking at the two dumbfounded ponies in front of her. “What was that?” demanded Twilight, “That was just a bunch of gibberish; couldn’t you have just given us some clear instructions?” “An’ why the hey was that last part just some fancy mathematics?” continued Applejack. “Girls, girls, this is a prophecy, not a grocery list. Whoever heard of a prophecy that gave clear instructions? That’s just silly!” said Pinkie, as she tried and failed to calm the ponies in front of her. “I, just, GAH! C’mon AJ, were going!” huffed Twilight, as she turned to leave. “But Ah’ never got my cider,” complained AJ, who stopped talking after a withering look from Twilight. “Have a nice night! Oh, and don’t forget that favor!” Pinkie cheerfully called after them. “Ah won’t, an Apple always keeps her word,” Applejack called back, earning her another glare from Twilight. After they left, the smile on Pinkie’s face fell, and she muttered, “That… could have gone better.” “Yeah, they probably think you’re a freakin’ nutjob,” replied a smirking Mina. “Oh hush up,” Surprise told Mina. “Don’t worry Pinkie, you did fine. At least they agreed to that favor.” “Yeah, I just hope they keep their promise. I don’t want to be alone anymore,” she said to the empty room. “I’m tired of having no one but myself to talk to.” Author's Note I rise from Torpor, to bring this chapter to you all, just before Halloween! But, seriously, sorry it took 10 months to get this out, real life and stuff. I'll try to do better in the future, so anyways, Happy Halloween!
Prologue - Bloody BeginningsSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. Prologue “And that class, is how Arcane Frequency can affect what kinds of spell you cast, and how using the wrong frequency with the wrong spell can cause mishaps,” said a purple unicorn with a starburst as a cutie mark, finishing her lecture to her very bored class. “Now, are there any questions?” In the entire lecture hall, there were only about 10% of her students were still awake at this point. One of these utterly bored students raised her hoof and asked, “Professor Sparkle, wasn’t class supposed to end 45 minutes ago?” Upon hearing this news, Twilight quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and exclaimed, “Goodness, you’re right! Now everyone remember to read chapters… 8… through… 12.” Unfortunately for the assigned reading, the entire class burst from the room the moment she realized that class was supposed to be over. “Become a professor, they said,” muttered an annoyed Twilight, “Students would love to learn from someone as intelligent as you, they said,” as she drudged herself out of the lecture hall, and towards her office. As she walked across the University of Canterlot’s campus, she idly wondered if she should have taken that librarian job in Ponyville instead. Sure, there would have been fewer research opportunities, but she would have been surrounded by books, as well as not having to teach students who only took her class as a first year requirement. Upon reaching her office, she noticed that upon her desk, there was a book that she had not placed there herself. “Hmm, what’s this?” she wondered aloud, as she drew closer to it. On the book’s cover, in place of a title, was a circle with a square in it, and a triangle on its top right side. As she opened the book to examine closer, she discovered that in place of letters and words, strange symbols she had never seen before filled the book. At that moment, a grin spread across Twilight’s face, as this could only mean one thing, there was a mystery in front of her, and she wouldn’t rest until she figured out what the book said. She then noticed that under the book was a single piece of paper that simply said “Good luck.” Twilight had no idea who sent her the book, but at that moment, she really didn’t care. Over the next few days, between sleeping, teaching, and eating, Twilight focused on nothing but translating the mysterious tome. One the fourth day, at about 9:30 PM, after looking through 15 different language guides and several different translator spells, she finally managed to translated the strange script. “Eureka!” she proclaimed, “Now, what secrets do you contain,” she muttered as she read through the book with mounting excitement. However, as she read through the book, her excitement slowly changed to irritation and disappointment. After translating the first line of the book, she determined that it read A Beginner’s Guide to Thaumaturgy, or Blood Magic for Dummies. As she read further, it continued to speak of how blood could be used to power spells, and that magic without blood was almost powerless in comparison. “Blood Magic, really,” an exasperated Twilight sighed, “Everypony knows there is no such thing as Blood Magic. Besides, doesn’t the sender know that Nightmare Night isn’t for another month?” Twilight then gathered her saddlebags together, and trotted home, grumbling about pranksters and how she had wasted four days on this rubbish. Unbeknownst to Twilight, a mysterious pony was watching her, very happy that her book had been deciphered, and in such a small amount of time. Yes, this new initiate wouldn’t be like the plethora of foals that had come before her in recent nights. “Report,” she ordered of the pony behind her. “Has anypony interrupted ze examination?” “No, master,” said a stallion, standing a few feet away the mare in the alleyway, “None of the ghouls we had placed in her class had any trouble getting the tome into her room, and we’ve had those trained in Auspex keeping an eye on her at all times.” “And you are sure she has already completed ze translation?” “Those watching her have confirmed this.” “Good, tell all ponies currently watching her to stand down and to return to ze Chantry. I will attend to zis matter myself.” “As you wish, my master,” as the stallion bowed low to the ground, then left to fulfill his orders. “Twilight Sparkle, it has been a while since I created a childe of my own, let’s hope you are worth ze trouble,” the mare said under her breath, as she trotted down the street. After she reached her apartment and had begun to put her things away, Twilight noticed that she had accidentally put the new translated book of so-called Blood Magic in her saddlebags without thinking about it. “I can’t believe I wasted four days on you,” she darkly muttered to the book, before placing it on her coffee table, “At least it will be good for a laugh, I guess. I do wonder though, who would go to all the trouble of making an entire book in a fake language, and filling it full of nonsense, just to prank me?” she wondered. She figured it was probably one of her students, mad that they had failed one of her exams. Before she could ponder the matter further, she heard a knock on her apartment door and went to answer it. As soon as she opened the door, a light blue earth pony with a white mane, wearing a black and white striped dress, and purple sunglasses strode into the room pronouncing, “I, Photo Finish, have arrived!” Twilight stared at her for a full ten seconds before being able to say anything. “So, not to sound rude but… who are you and why did you just walk into my home?” asked a very confused Twilight. “As I said, I am Photo Finish, you may have heard of me?” asked Photo Finish, thinking that saying her name would obviously tell Twilight who she was. “No, I haven’t,” Twilight stated flatly. It was Photo Finish’s turn to stare at Twilight for a full ten seconds. “Photo Finish, ze most famous fashion photographer in all of Canterlot, you must have heard my name around somewhere,” Photo Finish continued, but to no avail, as Twilight simply shook her head. “Well no matter, I see you have finished translating my book, did you find it enjoyable?” Photo Finish asked, trying to gauge Twilight’s reaction. “So you’re the one who sent me that prank book?” demanded a now furious Twilight, “Why did you send me an obviously fake spell book, and why have you barged into my home? At this, Photo began to laugh, “Ha ha ha, who told you zat book was a prank? And as for ze reason I’m here, it is because you translated zat book.” “How could you possibly have known I translated that book?” Twilight asked, “and as for why it’s a prank, everypony knows that Blood Magic is nothing but a myth. No magic experiment involving blood has ever been successful in the history of Equestria.” “Well, no mortal magic involving blood,” stated Photo, “and as for why I know you translated zat tome, I’ve been keeping a close eye on you, Twilight Sparkle.” “W-what?!? I don’t know what you’re going on about, but I demand you leave my home this instant!” a suddenly very scared Twilight yelled at Photo Finish. However, instead of leaving, Photo began to slowly walk towards Twilight, and even though she was wearing sunglasses, Twilight could tell she had the look of a predator stalking its prey. “S-stay back!” shouted Twilight, who was beginning to panic. She then proceeded to telekinetically lift up her entire couch, and throw it at Photo Finish. In response, Photo raised a single hoof and the couch stopped in mid-air, “Zat is very good, Twilight, most ponies do not have enough power to lift anything bigger zan a book or two, but to lift something of zis size and weight, I knew you were worth my time.” She then gestured with her hoof, and sent the couch slamming into a wall at the far end of the room, cracking the plaster and sending bits of couch and wall everywhere. As Twilight backed up, she started throwing more and more things at Photo, who simply deflected all that was sent at her, all without touching them. “You’re not a unicorn, how are you doing this?!?” demanded Twilight, whose curiosity would not be satiated, even in a state of pure panic. Photo merely smiled at this, looked dead into Twilight’s eyes and said, “Ze fact zat you can ask questions other zan ‘Please don’t hurt me’ at a time like zis only finalizes zat you are indeed worthy of zis gift. Don’t worry, all will be made clear in time. Now, STOP!” Contrary to any amount of sense, Twilight stopped moving, which allowed to Photo to finally close the gap between them. Photo then leaned in close and whispered in Twilight’s ear, “Forgive me, but your current magic is insufficient. Let me open for you ze door to real power.” For an instant, Twilight saw that Photo had for fangs sticking from her mouth, then felt them pierce her flesh, as Photo bit down onto Twilight’s neck, and began to drain the blood from Twilight’s body. While Twilight expected to feel pain, there was none, in fact, it was the best feeling she had ever felt. Until that moment, Twilight had never even considered that a pony could feel like this, feeling even pleasure so grand, nothing could compare. The pure bliss that filled her body at that moment was better than anything she could or would ever experience in her entire life, to a bliss that no drugs or sex could ever possibly hope to match. This feeling of pure ecstasy was so good, that thoughts of fighting back, or resistance of any kind, did not even flicker across her mind. Photo Finish released Twilight after the last of her blood had been drained from her body, allowing her to become dimly aware of how cold her body was - and how dark everything was becoming. In her last moments of consciousness, Twilight felt something warm and sticky trickle down her throat, and Twilight heard the words, “Welcome to ze Tremere Clan, Twilight Sparkle,” and then she knew no more.
Chapter 1 - You're a Blood Wizard, TwilightSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. (Seriously, go read Lithl’s My Little Exalt, it’s way better than my stuff) Chapter 1 You’re a Blood Wizard, Twilight “GAH!” Twilight screamed, as she awoke from the worst nightmare of her life. “Twilight, calm down,” she said to herself, “It was only a dream.” ‘Wait, what was I dreaming about?’ she thought to herself, ‘It had something to do with blood, I think.’ Then, it all came back to her: the blue earth pony with the sunglasses, the fake Blood Magic book, being attacked, the sensation of teeth sinking through her neck. She ran a hoof over her neck, but found nothing - no bite mark, no sign of any sort of injury whatsoever, ‘See Twilight, it really was a dream,’ she thought. However, when Twilight looked up, she realized she had no idea where she was. As she looked around, she noticed that instead of being in the organized chaos of her messy apartment, she was in a dark, windowless room. The room itself held no signs that anypony lived there, it was just a grey room with grey walls, a table, which had a lit candle on it, across from the bed she was on. “W-where am I?! What’s going on?!” Twilight she said, in hopes that somepony would answer her. In response to these queries, the door to the room opened, and the blue mare from the night before walked into the room saying, “Both excellent questions! But first, how are you feeling?” “YOU!” Twilight exclaimed, “S-STAY BACK!!!” She attempted to throw the table at Photo Finish with her magic, but the table did not move; her horn did not even glow. Photo gave her a pointed look and said, “If I was able to defeat you with no problem last night, what makes you zink you can win now? Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, your magic isn’t exactly working. Now, calm down and let’s talk like rational ponies.” Twilight looked like she was about to scream in protest, but decided to bite back her retort. Twilight had to admit that Photo had a point, she had no idea where she was, she still had no access to her magic, and there was nothing stopping Photo from beating her down once more. Shooting Photo a glare, Twilight muttered back, “…Fine. To answer your previous question, I feel fine. That’s kind of weird isn’t it? Shouldn’t I be in intensive care or dead from blood loss, since you bit into my throat?” “Don’t worry about zat, I’ll teach you to remove bite marks from zose you drink out of when ze time comes,” replied Photo, who appeared to ignore the look of absolute horror Twilight now had. “Besides, it was ze only way for you to join ze clan.” “What clan? Anyway, couldn’t you have just given me an invitation if you wanted me to join your… whatever this is?” asked Twilight. “Why, Clan Tremere, of course. Ze most powerful Warlocks in ze world! Besides, you hardly pass out invitations to join a secretive clan of vampires, and before you zink me mad, check your pulse,” suggested Photo. ‘Great,’ thought Twilight, ‘Not only did I get abducted, it was by a pony who is completely insa-” Her train of thought stopped immediately when she brought her hoof to her neck, but couldn’t find a heartbeat. For all intents and purposes, she should be dead. “N-no!” Twilight shakily cried, “I can’t be dead, there’s so much I haven’t done yet!” “If you’re done being melodramatic,” Photo said in an annoyed voice, “You’ll notice zat even zough your heart’s not beating, and you’re not breathing, you are still moving. You are only undead, not fully dead. Nozing is going to stop you from living your life, so to speak. Now stand up, zere’s much to do, and I’d razer start now. Photo gestured for Twilight to follow as she began to walk out of the room. Twilight pulled herself to her hooves and followed Photo in a much larger room, filled with bookcases and tables covered in strange scientific equipment. Twilight decided to ask, “So, if I really am a vampire, does that mean that I can’t eat garlic bread or touch religious symbols?” “What? Oh, yes, zose myths,” Photo said with disdain, “No, neizer religious symbols nor garlic will harm you, zough you can forget about eating. Trying to consume anyzing other zan blood will only cause you to vomit ashes. In fact, ze only zings zat zose ridiculous myths got right was is zat sunlight will burn us and fire will cause incredible damage. Anyzing else you may zink you know, ignore it.” Photo then took that opportunity to dramatically turn around, gesture to the walls, and proclaim, “Now, welcome to ze Chantry of Clan Tremere! I am zis Chantry’s Regent. It’s leader, if you will.” “I still don’t know what that is,” Twilight replied flatly. “Neonates, so impatient,” Photo muttered, “Anyway, as you know I, am a vampire, part of ze Clan Tremere. As I am your sire, you are now a member of ze clan as well. A clan is a group of vampires zat is descended from one of several original vampires. In Clan Tremere’s case, Star Swirl ze Bearded.” During this lecture, Twilight was trying to take notes with a pencil and piece of paper she found on a nearby table. She was having difficulty, due to her lack of practice using her mouth, and her inability to magically lift the pencil, However, she stopped abruptly at hearing the name ‘Star Swirl.’ “Star Swirl the Bearded, as in The Star Swirl, the most famous unicorn magician in history?” asked a now ecstatic Twilight, temporarily forgetting that she was now a damned undead abomination. “He was a vampire?!” “Well, he wasn’t originally. He was just a regular magician at first, leader of a sect of powerful magi, but as he became older, he became entranced by ze idea of eternal life. After years of experimenting, he succeeded and turned himself and his subordinates into vampires. Unfortunately, ze other pre-existing clans did not approve of zem, considering zem upstarts, and not true vampires. It was only hundreds of years after zat we did finally find a place in kindred society,” lectured Photo, as if she had explained this hundreds of times. “Fascinating,” Twilight said as she furiously wrote down everything Photo had said, “So, what do you mean by Kindred?” “Kindred is our word for vampire, it sounds much more refined zan simply saying vampire, no?” said Photo. “Anyway, you should know zat every clan has different powers, and ze most powerful ability of our clan in is Zaumaturgy, or as it is more widely known, Blood Magic. We had to develop it, since being undead all but strips away regular magic.” “Wait, WHAT?! But I’m a professor of Magic, won’t ponies find it suspicious if I can’t do magic? Not to mention that my special talent is magic, that means I’m now useless,” moaned Twilight. “Not to worry, simply concentrate on ze vitae, or blood, whatever you wish to call it in wizin your body. If you do, you should be able to pass for ze living, including limited access to magic. How else would we be able to pass ourselves off as normal if pegasi suddenly could not stand on clouds, or unicorns could not levitate objects?” Photo said, in an attempt to placate Twilight. Twilight decided to try this by concentrating not on her horn, but on the blood within her. She then focused on a nearby beaker, and managed to lift it into the air with telekinesis. “Very good, but you should know, doing that for long periods of time will drain ze blood right out of you and may lead to a sort of vampiric coma known as torpor, or worse, so use it sparingly,” Photo said, satisfied that her student was catching on. “Alright, do you mind if I ask why you chose me?” asked Twilight, hoping she wasn’t overstepping any bounds. “Zat question is quite alright. In truth, we of clan Tremere value intelligence in our potential recruits above all else, and by translating zat tome I sent you, you proved your intelligence in spades. Besides, zat cutie mark you have means you’re talented in all magic, including blood magic. I have a feeling you will excel at Zaumaturgy.” Photo said as she smirked and lifted the bottom part of her dress to reveal her own cutie mark, which was identical to Twilight’s. “Wow,” was all Twilight could think to say. “Now come zis way; before we begin your training, zere is somezing of grave importance we must do,” said Photo, guiding Twilight through another door which led into a long hallway. As they walked, Twilight looked into some of the passing rooms and could not believe her eyes. In one room, a Pegasus appeared to be lighting candles by blinking. In another room, she saw what appeared to be stone ponies moving heavy equipment around at the behest of a unicorn. She decided to stop looking into the rooms when she passed by a cauldron that appeared to be filled with blood, and realized that instead of being horrified by it, she was drooling. “How is it that all of this has remained hidden?” asked Twilight, obviously enamored by what she was seeing despite herself. “Well, most of kindred society follows what we call ze Masquerade. Zis is essentially ze ‘Don’t tell mortals we exist or we kill you rule.’ It was put in place by ze Camarilla at ze time of ze Ponyish Inquisition, when we realized zat even zough we were stronger, ze mortals could kill us zrough sheer numbers,” explained Photo. “Camarilla?” asked Twlight. “A group of vampire which is officially made up of seven of ze 13 clans, and before you ask, yes, zat includes ze Tremere. In fact, if it wasn’t for us, zere would be no Camarilla. Of course, regardless of what ze ozer clans say, all kindred are part of ze Camarilla. Ah, were here,” proclaimed Photo. At the end of the hallway, through the last door, they walked into a wide open room, which contained nothing but a dais with a gold chalice on it, in the middle of a strange rune-covered circle which covered the floor. “Now, stand and wait,” ordered Photo. Twilight stood and watched as Photo began to chant and murmur. The circle began to glow brighter and brighter until a bright red light filled the room. After five minutes, Photo finished her chanting and trotted over to the chalice. She then took out a long knife and slit her own wrist over the chalice. As the blood flowed into the container, she loudly proclaimed, “From ze blood of one, ze Seven shall flow, let zis Neonate taste true power, and forever serve zose of true strength.” As she said this, the red blood that filled the cup turned sickly black. Photo brought the container over to Twilight and commanded, “Now, Twilight Sparkle, drink, and truly become one of us.” Fearing the consequences if she disobeyed, Twilight brought the chalice to her lips, and drank the dark liquid. While she felt the same elation she felt before when she was bitten by Photo, she felt something more. A sensation of power rippled through her as she drank, ancient power, power of which she had never even conceived of. She now knew that a fraction of that power flowed through her veins, and this filled her with joy. At the same time, she hungered for more power. “Congratulations, you have now been bound to ze seven elders of Clan Tremere. Now, Apprentice of ze First Circle of Mysteries, 10th Generation Tremere, Twilight Sparkle, your training may begin,” Photo proclaimed, obviously happy things were proceeding smoothly. “Let us begin, ze magicks.” She snaked a hoof around Twilight neck and proclaimed, “We go!” and before Twilight could even wipe the blood from her mouth, she was pulled back down the hallway to begin her training.
Chapter 2 - Magia, Pietra, e la MorteSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. (Seriously, go read Lithl’s My Little Exalt, it’s way better than my stuff) Chapter 2 Magia, Pietra, e la Morte Over the course of the next few weeks, Photo Finish relentlessly drilled as much information as she could into Twilight about how to be a vampire without ending up dead. She taught Twilight the laws of Kindred society, about the different clans, her natural powers, and most importantly, Thaumaturgy. Twilight quickly devoured all knowledge given to her on blood magic, and once again exceeded Photo’s expectations when it came to using mystical art. However, while skilled in Thaumaturgy, Twilight seemed to have some difficulty with some of her other new abilities. “No, Twilight, try again!” an exasperated Photo ordered of Twilight. “He’s only a ghoul, you should be able to Dominate his mind wiz ease.” “I’m tryi-,” Twilight began to say, the stern look on Photo’s face made her think better of talking back. “Yes, Regent.” Twilight looked the straight into the eyes of the stallion in front of her and said, “Run!” The stallion did not move, choosing to stay put, as he was instructed by Photo to do so. Oddly enough, instead of looking disappointed or confused, Twilight appeared to look relieved that the stallion ignored her. Unfortunately for her, Photo also noticed this. “Twilight,” said Photo. “Yes, Regent?” asked Twilight, hoping she wouldn’t be scolded again. “Would you please explain why isn’t zis working?” asked Photo, while looking directly into Twilight eyes. Twilight tried to keep her mouth shut, but Photo’s power forced her to speak the truth. She replied, “Because I feel guilty. Ghouls are already pretty much controlled like addicts by Kindred by having vampiric blood forced down their throats. It didn’t feel right to take even more control away from one!” Twilight clamped her hooves over her mouth, looking horrified. “Twilight, as I’ve already told you,” said Photo, looking more annoyed than angry, “zese lessons are meant to teach you to do what you must to survive. Zinking like zat will just get you killed.” Before Photo could continue her lecture on doing necessary evils for the hundredth time, a frantic pounding rattled the door of the training room. “REGENT! We have a serious problem!” came from the other side of the door. Photo stormed over to the door, yanked it opened and yelled, “What could be so important zat you DARE interrupt ze training of my childe!” The frightened looking mare Photo had scared senseless spluttered out, “W-we h-had a b-break-in! One of the artifacts has been stolen!” “WHAT! Which one?” demanded a furious Photo. “T-the A-Alicorn’s Amulet,” squeaked the terrified mare. Photo stood there for a moment, looking livid, before she said, “Bring me ze one responsible for guarding ze artifacts! I want to know exactly how zis happened.” “Y-yes, Regent” the mare said, before running off as quickly as possible. Photo trotted back into the room and ordered the ghoul to leave. She closed the door, leaving herself alone with Twilight. “Twilight,” she said, sounding both angry and exhausted, “I’m putting your training in Dominate on hold for now. You may have some trouble wiz zat discipline, but zat’s not important right now. You’ve had no trouble wiz ze basics of Auspex, correct?” Twilight nodded, choosing not to say anything, lest she accidentally become the subject of Photo’s wrath. “Good, you’ll need it for it for your first official assignment.” Before Photo could continue, a knocking came from the door again, followed by a small, purple lizard-like creature walking in. “Sentinel Spike, Guardian of the Tremere vaults, reporting to you as requested, Regent,” said the small creature as it kneeled before Photo. The creature wore an expression of shame upon its face. “Gargoyle, explain what happened in ze vaults. How did an intruder steal one of ze artifacts under your watch,” demanded Photo. “As I was guarding the vault, I saw somepony run past and turn a corner. I pursued them to force them to explain their presence in the vault. When I turned the corner, however, all I found was a dead-end. I returned to the vault, only to find it was blocked off by a brick wall,” said Spike. “A wall in front of ze vaults?” asked a clearly skeptical Photo. “Yes, Regent, a wall,” answered Spike, “I attempted to break the wall down, but I just fell straight through, and landed inside the wide-open vault. When I looked up, I saw a blue unicorn mare rush past me. I would have pursued, but I was more concerned with the security of the artifacts. At first, it did not appear that anything was missing, but when I went to see where she had been, I was horrified to find that my hand passed through the Alicorn’s Amulet, as if it were not there at all. Unfortunately, by then the intruder had already escaped, so I sounded the alarm and inspected to see if any of the other artifacts had been stolen; only the amulet was missing.” Instead of saying anything, Photo responded to this story by raising her hoof and swinging it to her side. Spike flew across the room as if thrown, and slammed hard into the wall she was pointing at. “DO. YOU. KNOW. WHAT. YOUR. STUPIDITY. HAS. DONE!” screamed Photo, slamming Spike against the floor, walls, or ceiling with each word, ending her tirade with a final by slamming Spike face first into the floor right in front of her. “Regent, don’t you think he’s had enough?” asked Twilight, fearing for the small creature’s safety. “No, no I don’t, but I don’t have time for zis right now,” said Photo, glaring at Spike with disdain. “Gargoyle, you will have one chance to redeem your failure. If you do not succeed, you will wish I had destroyed you.” Spike stood back up, not showing any form of injury, and replied, “Understood, Regent. What would you have of me?” “You are to assist my childe in locating ze zief and retrieving ze amulet,” said Photo, gesturing to a shocked looking Twilight. “W-What?! Why me? Shouldn’t somepony more qualified or experienced be tracking down the possibly dangerous pony?” asked Twilight, who was clearly confused by this. “Twilight, I can’t afford to send multiple Kindred running around Canterlot, it would look suspicious. We can’t let it be known to ze ozer clans zat we had a break-in, or we will look weak,” explained Photo. “Besides, zis will be good experience for you. You can’t spend ze rest of your unlife in ze Chantry.” “But, but, but,” stammered Twilight, before bowing her head and saying, “Yes, Regent,” resigning herself to her fate. “Don’t be like zat, just see zis as an opportunity to make some contacts in ze city”, said Photo. “Now, you remember ze ritual I taught you zat lets us send messages back and forz?” asked Photo. Upon seeing Twilight nod her head, she proclaimed, “Good, good, now when you discover anyzing, send ze information to me at once.” “But where am I supposed to start my search?” asked Twilight, not wishing to be punished for failing before she had even begun. “I recommend Pony Joe’s; many Kindred like to frequent ze diner, if only to find fresh blood. Now hurry, ze longer you wait, ze harder it will be to find zis intruder.” She gestured to the door, which Twilight and Spike took as an opportunity to leave Photo’s presence as soon as they could. As Twilight and Spike reached the entrance of the Chantry, Twilight stuck her hoof out in front of Spike and said “Wait, wait, wait! What are ponies going to say when they see a dragon walking around?” Spike merely chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about it. If ponies start asking questions, just tell them I’m your assistant or something.” After a moment to think that over, Twilight responded with “That’s… a good idea.” Without any other concerns, the two walked out of the Chantry, and down the night’s empty streets. Since Twilight had been unconscious when she was first brought to the Chantry and had not been allowed outside since she arrived, she was surprised at just how beautiful the building was from the outside. While just a front, the Chantry appeared to be a large marble cathedral, with stained glass windows and gargoyles atop its spires. Twilight silently wondered just how many of those gargoyles were actually alive. The two wordlessly strolled down the street until Spike decided to break the silence. “I didn’t know that Kindred could project illusions like the ones the intruder did, are you any good at those?” asked Spike. Twilight gave him a curious look before saying, “What do the Tremere have to do with illusions? I know a little Thaumaturgy, but I’ve never heard of anyone creating mirages like the one you saw.” After another moment, she asked, “Why do you think I would be able to create illusions?” “Well, Kindred are supposed to be super-strong, and fast, and control ponies’ minds, and all sorts of strange powers. I just figured that was one of them. I wouldn’t know, Gargoyles like myself are more construct than Kindred,” Spike said, shrugging his shoulders. Twilight shook her head and replied, “Kindred Disciplines vary from clan to clan. Some have Potence, some have Fortitude, some have Dominate, etc.” “Um… in Equestrian?” asked Spike, who had confusion written all over his face. “Well, you know that about the different clans at least right?” asked Twilight, wondering how he could not know such a basic fact. She had only been recently embraced and even she knew that. “I know that I work for the Tremere, and that we gargoyles are the elite servants of the Tremere. That’s all I was really told, I had to pick up everything else through observation,” explained Spike, not quite meeting Twilight’s gaze. Frowning at the gargoyle’s lack of knowledge, Twilight decided to launch into professor mode. “The Tremere are only one of thirteen clans. While many clans do share similar abilities, or Disciplines, and can learn another clan’s Disciplines with a teacher and effort, each clan only has three natural Disciplines. The natural Disciplines of the Tremere are Thaumaturgy, Dominate, and Auspex.” “Okay, I think I got it, but what exactly does Au-something do?” asked Spike. “In layman’s term, I naturally have access to Blood Magic, mind control, and supernatural perception,” explained Twilight. “I’m surprised you don’t know, seeing as you obviously have Fortitude.” At Spike’s blank stare, she sighed and deadpanned, “Supernatural Toughness. Didn’t you find the fact that you weren’t hurt by Photo throwing you around the room a little odd?” “Oh, I just figured I had tough scales. Wait, does that mean I actually have Kindred abilities?” asked a hopeful sounding Spike. “Well, I suppose that means you do,” said Twilight. Before the conversation could continue though, they arrived just outside of Pony Joe’s. Twilight hoped that somepony inside would have some information on the thief. As the two entered the eatery, Twilight quickly looked around, noting that even though it was about two in the morning, there were about half a dozen ponies within. The pair each took a barstool and waited for the barpony to take their order. The amber unicorn behind the bar turned to both of them and asked, “Welcome to Pony Joe’s, I’m Joe, how may I help you?” “Well, Mr. Joe, we happen to be looking for somepony. You wouldn’t happen to have seen a blue unicorn mare in here lately would you?” asked Twilight, hoping she didn’t sound like some sort of stalker. “Please, call me Joe. As for the pony you’re looking for, I don’t know, we get a lot of strange ponies in here. Maybe if you ordered something, it would refresh my memory?” asked a smirking Joe. Twilight shot Joe a dirty look before saying, “Fine, we’ll both have a doughnut.” After Joe had given them a doughnut each and Twilight grudgingly gave him a few bits, Joe said, “I haven’t seen her, but I know that one,” he pointed to a corner of the bar, “Is also looking for a blue unicorn mare. Try asking her.” The pony Joe indicated was an orange earth pony mare with blond hair and a Stetson, who was sitting in a corner of the diner and looked to be intently reading over some files. Without so much as a thank you, Twilight strode away from the barpony and towards the booth with the orange mare. “Hello,” said Twilight. “Howdy,” said the mare, not even bothering to look up at Twilight. “So, I hear you’ve been looking for a blue unicorn mare,” said Twilight, hoping to get the mare’s attention. The earth pony looked up at Twilight intently and said, “Yeah, what’s it to ya?” “Well I’m also looking for a mare matching that description,” said Twilight. “WHAT!? What do you know about her?!” demanded the mare, who practically jumped out of the booth and into Twilight’s face. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Twilight quickly said, waving her hooves front of her. “Like I said, I’m looking for her. I heard you were too, and was hoping that you knew anything that would help.” The mare stepped back, realizing that the few customers of the diner were now staring at them. “Maybe we should discuss this in a more private location,” she said, gathering up her files off the table. Before they were put away, Twilight noticed that one of the files had some odd pictures, such as one with a pony’s skull, and another with a unicorn galloping rather quickly. “Yeah, I agree with you there. After you,” said Twilight, choosing to let the mare lead the way out of the diner. As they walked, Spike, who Twilight had momentarily forgotten about, whispered into her ear, “She’s Kindred. Be careful around her.” “I know,” Twilight stated, “Anypony with any training in Auspex would never mistake a Kindred for a mortal pony, nothing living has an aura that pale. But how did you know?” “I may have let the thief get past me, but I’m not oblivious enough to not be able to tell the living from the dead. I didn’t manage to become the guardian of the artifacts for nothing,” explained a smug sounding Spike. The strange trio walked out of the diner and down a nearby alley. “Before we get down ta business, Ah’d like to know who Ah’m speaking to. Ah’m Applejack,” the mare said, turning around to face Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight, “So, why do you need to find this unicorn?” “Ah’m not at liberty ta say. What about y’all? Judging by your scaly friend there, you’re a Tremere, and yes, Ah can tell the difference between a baby dragon and a gargoyle. So why is the Tremere clan so interested in this mare? She one a’ yours or something?” asked Applejack. “I’m not allowed to say why I need to find her, but I can assure you she’s not Tremere,” said Twilight, trying to diffuse any potential inter-clan conflicts. “Say, what clan are you, anyway?” “Ye can’t tell?” asked Applejack, “Y’all must be newly embraced. Every Kindred older than a few months knows that the Apples are the main branch of the Giovanni family.” “Okay… Don’t you mean the Giovanni Clan? I know that’s one of the independent clans, but what do mortal families have to do with anything?” questioned Twilight. “Wow, you are green. Everypony knows that all members of Clan Giovanni come from the same family,” said Applejack proudly. Luckily, she did not notice the look of confusion on Twilight’s face. Choosing to figure out more on Clan Giovanni later, Twilight asked, “So, about this mare, I take it we’ve both been told by someone higher up in our clans not to mention her. Am I right?” Applejack nodded, acknowledging her guess as accurate. “But, since we both need to find her, how about we just say why we need to find her, and keep quiet about telling each other, agreed?” Applejack thought about this for a moment before saying, “Agreed, Ah don’t like it, but you’re the only lead Ah got.” “Twilight,” said Spike, worry in his voice, “Are you sure this is a good idea? If Photo finds out, she just might kill us both!” “No, but it’s the only lead we have, and honestly we didn’t have much to go on in the first place,” Twilight answered before turning back to Applejack. “Well, several nights ago, a blue unicorn mare broke into the Giovanni family mansion in uptown Canterlot and stole a skull from one o’ the vaults where we keep our supplies needed for our rituals.” “Rituals?” asked Twilight, “Like Blood Magic?” “Well, not exactly like the freaky stuff your clan is capable of, but Ah’ll have you know that the Giovanni has the finest necromancers in the world,” said Applejack, once again speaking about her family with pride. ‘Right, she’s a necromancer, and she thinks I’m freaky,’ thought Twilight. “Well, except what was stolen, that sounds exactly like what happened at the Tremere Chantry tonight. Instead of a skull, it was an amulet. Before you ask, I don’t know anything about it other than that it’s an amulet.” “So, if Ah’ve got this straight, both Giovanni and Tremere were both broken into by some mysterious unicorn. What Ah don’t get is, how did she get in both o’ our facilities without being caught?” wondered Applejack aloud. “As far as I can tell, she can create illusions,” chimed in Spike, remembering how he was fooled. “Illusions!?” exclaimed Applejack, “Well that explains that, but that’ll only make it tougher to track her down. So, Ah take it your clan is trying to kill her too?” “Actually, my main mission is to retrieve the amulet. Next to that, I think that my sire was more mad there was a thief than actually caring who the thief was.” Applejack looked thoughtful for a moment before choosing her next words very carefully. “Well, since Ah’ve been told to find and kill this thief, and y’all ‘ve been told to find this amulet o’ yours, how about we both work together to find her,” proposed Applejack. “Y’all help me find her, Ah help y’all get your fancy trinket, win-win.” ‘Well, Photo did tell me to make some contacts,’ thought Twilight. “Sure, I can’t think why not. So, partners?” asked Twilight, extending her hoof. “Partners,” said Applejack, vigorously hoofshaking Twilight’s to solidify the deal Unfortunately for Twilight, she failed to realize that Twilight was barely holding in a scream of pain due to how strong the hoofshake was. “Now, let’s find us a thief!”
Chapter 3 - The Wise Words of a Mad MareSpecial thanks to Rhanite for letting me use his picture for the Cover Art, and Lithl, for giving me the advice that helped write this story in the first place, as well as helping to point out the horrible mistakes the original draft had. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Lauren Faust and Hasbro. Vampire the Masquerade belongs to White Wolf. (Seriously, go read Lithl’s My Little Exalt, it’s way better than my stuff) Chapter 3 The Wise Words of a Mad Mare Within Canterlot, there lays a multitude of businesses that cater to every whim one could imagine. Boutiques filled with all the latest clothing could be found on every street, the market was filled with every type of produce imaginable, stores which contained electronics of every kind were in abundance. To the normal eye, it would appear that Canterlot had everything a pony could ever want. However, those who knew better – those who could see past the materialistic – would know that there was more to buy in Canterlot than just things. On the corner of one of the city’s more run down streets stood an ordinary, nondescript little shop. From the outside, it was not anything impressive; a small building made of brick, with a sign in the window. Had anypony bothered to look at the sign, they would have noticed that place was called ‘Madame Pinkie’s House of Fortune, Open 10 pm – 4 am.’ The ‘Pinkie’s’ was painted upon a board that was nailed over a part of the sign. Within the ‘House of Fortune,’ one could call the shop anything but ordinary. On every shelf there were vials containing strangely colored liquids, large masks hung from the walls, and in the middle of back room, a table with a crystal ball on it. A pink pony with a frizzy pink mane and a blue, feathered turban gazed into the ball and muttered, “Soon. They’ll be here soon.” “They won’t accept you,” said a different pink pony, but with her mane straight. “No pony – kine or otherwise – ever does.” “It won’t matter, Mina. I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse,” the first pink pony replied. As she continued to gaze into the ball, she began to chuckle to herself. “Soon.” ~~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~ “Remind me why we’re doing this, again?” asked Twilight, for about the 5th time that night. “Well, they say that she can find anything, and Ah reckon that blue unicorns qualify as anything,” replied Applejack as they trotted down the street. “But a fortune teller, really?” questioned Twilight, “I don’t care how weird my life’s become, you cannot tell me that ponies can read the future and expect me to believe you.” “Well, seeing as it’s been 3 weeks and we haven’t found squat, this is our best option,” answered Applejack. “Hey, I almost found her, she just proved to be more elusive than I thought.” “Y’all went to the circus and hoped the illusionist was blue, that hardly qualifies as ‘almost had her.’” Twilight huffed, but realized that arguing wasn’t going to get them anywhere, so she changed the subject. “So, what makes this fortune teller so special anyway?” “The same reason Ah hadn’t gone to her sooner. She’s a Malkavian,” replied Applejack grimly. “Malkavians are usually a bit nutty, but from what Ah hear, this one’s the craziest in Canterlot.” “WHAT!?” Twilight nearly screamed, “You want to get advice from a pony who’s known for being insane?! And you made fun of my circus idea.” “Told ya there was a reason Ah didn’t talk to her sooner. But calm down there, sugarcube, there’s occasionally an apple of wisdom within their ramblings,” Applejack said, sounding as if she both respected and feared the clan of lunatics. “So, where’s Spike? Shouldn’t he be coming with us?” Twilight shook her head and explained, “No, he’s meeting with my Sire tonight, updating her on our progress, or lack thereof. The fact that it’s taking so long is starting to annoy her, and she wants updates every other night now.” Applejack gave her a look of concern and told her, “Well, Ah hope everything turns out all right for you and the little guy.” After a few more minutes of walking, the pair came across ‘Madame Pinkie’s House of Fortune.’ Twilight sighed and said, “Well, let’s get this over with,” before walking inside, followed by Applejack. ~~------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~ A pink, frizzy-maned pony was polishing her crystal ball when she heard a jingle at the door, signalling the arrival of new customers. She was just about to enter the front room to welcome her guests, but stopped at the door, hesitation and worry etched across her face. “What are you waiting for?” asked a white pegasus with a yellow mane, “You look super nervous.” “It’s just… what if they don’t …like me?” said the pink pony, “I don’t… want to be left alone again. Especially since Z-” “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” interrupted the pegasus, “They’d be crazy not to love you. Now go out there and be the bestest fortune teller ever.” “Thanks, Surprise, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” said the pink pony, pulling the pegasus in for a hug. After a few moments, she let go of the pegasus and trotted to the door. “Wish me luck,” she called, before walking out into the main store. The fortune-teller walked out of her back room and into the main room of her store. She saw a pair of ponies, looking at her awkwardly. “Welcome to Madame Pinkie’s House of Fortune,” greeted Pinkie, a large grin plastered on her face. “How may I help you tonight?” Applejack walked forward and said, “Well, ya see, were kinda looking for a specific pony, and we heard that you were the pony for the job.” “Well, Applejack, you and Twilight should know tha-” “How do you know our names?” interrupted Twilight, looking confused. “Silly Twilight, what kind of fortune teller would I be if I couldn’t even know my future client’s names?” Twilight looked like she was about to say something, then stopped, as if realizing that Pinkie had a valid point. “So, as I was saying, before I help you find this pony, we need to talk about my fee,” asked Pinkie, trying to hide her nervousness. “If it’s money you want, Ah can pay whatever ya’ll need,” said Applejack, as she went to draw her wallet. “Money?” Pinkie giggled, “I don’t want money silly billy, I want something else.” “And that would be?” “One favor, to be called in at the time of my choosing,” said Pinkie, sounding incredibly serious, as if this was the most important thing in the world. “What?! Applejack, can I talk to you for a moment?” asked Twilight, before she pulled Applejack back a little and began whispering. Pinkie couldn’t hear much of the conversation, but she caught snippets such as ‘Too risky,’ and ‘Not much choice.’ After a few minutes, the two ponies turned to face Pinkie. “We… accept your offer,” said Twilight, sounding incredibly reluctant. “Great!” exclaimed Pinkie, “I promise you won’t regret it. Now, please follow me back into my parlor and we can begin.” As they walked into the back room, Pinkie tried to ignore Twilight’s whispered comment to Applejack about ‘Said the spider to the fly.’ Upon entering the parlor, Surprise walked out of the corner she was standing in. “Madame Pinkie, would you or your guests like something to drink?” “I’ll have a sarsaparilla, do you guys want something to drink? Mixed with blood, of course,” Pinkie asked. “What? Oh no, I’m fine,” said Twilight, looking a bit confused. “Ah’ll have a glass of apple cider if’n you don’t mind,” said Applejack. As Surprise left to get drinks, Pinkie and her guests sat down around a table with a crystal ball on it. “Now, for the answers you seek, we must consult the Mystical Orb of Fate’s Destiny!” stated Pinkie, suddenly sounding incredibly melodramatic. “Do you like my Mystical Orb of Fate’s Destiny? I just got it.” “Yeah, uh, best one I’ve seen,” Twilight answered quickly. “This is so stupid, why do you waste your time with that thing?” asked Mina from across the room. “Well it makes things more fun! Why would I want it to be all serious all the time?” After a few moments of silence, Pinkie realized that Applejack and Twilight were staring at her. “Right, bein’ serious all the time can be a problem, but can we get a move on? We’re in a hurry, and it’s not like we can afford to be burnin’ daylight,” said Applejack. “Of course. Now, look deep into the crystal ball, for soon it will reveal all,” stated Pinkie, returning to her melodramatic voice. After about a minute of gazing into the glass sphere, Twilight started to ask, “So is anything supposed to happ-” She stopped as she noticed Pinkie’s tail had begun to shake, then her legs began to flail, and soon Pinkie’s entire body began to twist and rock about, and her eyes had turned pure white, with no iris or pupil. She opened her mouth and whispered in a hoarse voice, “The moon plays in the echoed halls, hunted by the blue sky and white noise. The fiend no longer in monstrous hands will unlock the secrets of death and magic. Within the third tomb, the power of the holy queen slumbers. Ten minus seven equals three.” After completing her prophecy, Pinkie collapsed head-first onto the table. As Surprise returned, she saw Pinkie splayed out on the table. She dropped the tray of drinks she was carrying and ran over to her, “Madam Pinkie, are you okay!?” “I’m fine, Surprise,” she said, pulling herself up. “So, I think that’s all the fortune telling I’ll be doing for today, you guys need anything else?” she asked, looking at the two dumbfounded ponies in front of her. “What was that?” demanded Twilight, “That was just a bunch of gibberish; couldn’t you have just given us some clear instructions?” “An’ why the hey was that last part just some fancy mathematics?” continued Applejack. “Girls, girls, this is a prophecy, not a grocery list. Whoever heard of a prophecy that gave clear instructions? That’s just silly!” said Pinkie, as she tried and failed to calm the ponies in front of her. “I, just, GAH! C’mon AJ, were going!” huffed Twilight, as she turned to leave. “But Ah’ never got my cider,” complained AJ, who stopped talking after a withering look from Twilight. “Have a nice night! Oh, and don’t forget that favor!” Pinkie cheerfully called after them. “Ah won’t, an Apple always keeps her word,” Applejack called back, earning her another glare from Twilight. After they left, the smile on Pinkie’s face fell, and she muttered, “That… could have gone better.” “Yeah, they probably think you’re a freakin’ nutjob,” replied a smirking Mina. “Oh hush up,” Surprise told Mina. “Don’t worry Pinkie, you did fine. At least they agreed to that favor.” “Yeah, I just hope they keep their promise. I don’t want to be alone anymore,” she said to the empty room. “I’m tired of having no one but myself to talk to.” Author's Note I rise from Torpor, to bring this chapter to you all, just before Halloween! But, seriously, sorry it took 10 months to get this out, real life and stuff. I'll try to do better in the future, so anyways, Happy Halloween!
