//------------------------------// // Blood in the Pawn Shop // Story: Blood and Ponies // by GreyGuardPony //------------------------------// It didn’t take Sun long to find a pawn shop in the various buildings that lined Not-Central Park. Most of the businesses were closing down as the night wore onward, but the late night nature of those who bought and sold the belongings of others had managed to last beyond the fall of humanity. A large wooden sign above the door, illuminated by a pair of flood lights, proudly declared the store’s name as “Bits ‘n Things”. She pushed her way inside the store, pleasantly surprised to find soft music playing and the smell of roses wafting through the air. The merchandise was all neatly displayed, some on low shelves, some behind glass cases. Most of it seemed antique in nature, a haphazard collection of jewelry, clothing, household nicknack's, furniture and books. Even a few comic books, much to Sun’s surprise. A pony behind the counter looked up, a cheerful smile immediately appearing on her face. She was white coated with a pale yellow mane, cut short in a pixie-ish bob, with a golden coin for a cuite-mark. She also smelled like bananas. Fresh, ripe, delicious bananas. “Good evening!” she chirped. “Is there anything I can getcha tonight?” Trotting up to the counter, Sun dropped the bag of coins from her mouth. “I’m in the market for a watch,” she answered, her eyes roaming over the rows of glass cases. “And some clothes with pockets. Maybe a bag of some kind too.” “Well, a watch should be easy enough. Do you want a fetlock or pocket version?” Assuming that fetlock was something like a wrist, Sun answered. “Fetlock. I don’t really want to be fumbling around for something.” The pony nodded, taking a few steps to her right and waving a hoof at a case’s contents. “I have a selection right here. Are you looking for something more ornamental, or…?” Sun motioned to her slitted, bat like eyes. “I’m just looking for something that’ll let me keep track of when dawn is. Nocturnal and such.” The mare’s face fell slightly, the thought of a juicy sale clearly fleeing her mind. She plucked a watch from the many glittering under the main light. The band was simple, black and unadorned. The bezel around the crystal was a thin, silvery ring, and the watch face was marked with a little sun and a little moon behind a two of the numbers. “I’ll give this one to you for thirty bits. Belonged to guard pony, so it has the sunrise and sunset times marked on it.” “Done,” Sun nodded. “Now, what about the other things?” It took a little bit of searching through the stocks to find some clothes to Sun’s taste. Long, flowing clothes such as skirts and full dresses were right out. Sure, she wanted to be covered up. Walking around naked was still a little on the weird side, even with the fur coat. But being able to move easily was very important if she got into another fight. Though that wasn’t the only thing delaying the search. The shopkeep’s delicious smell kept gnawing at Sun, bringing back that dull throbbing ache at the root of her fangs. It would be so easy to strike, to sink into her throat and gulp down the red sweetness within. Already, she could feel her fangs lengthening in her mouth- “Miss? Are you alright?” The question pulled Sun away from the visions of yummy blood. She shook her head to clear the lingering desire from her mind before responding. “Yeah...I’m fine. Just got lost in thought for a moment.” The shopkeeper blinked but then shrugged, motioning a hoof towards a light violet vest. “How about this? Pegasus cut, so it'll have room for your wings. Also, pockets in the front.” She helped Sun into the outfit, doing up the buttons in the front with a near supernatural grace for a woman who didn’t have fingers. As it finished being buttoned, Sun had to admit that she liked the vest’s feel. It struck a nice balance between being snug enough to help her feel more secure and clothed, but not so tight that it would make it hard to run and fly in. Fly. Was that something she could actually do now? She’d have to give it a try later. For now she settled on the vest and a plain set of bags that draped over her back like they would on an actual horse. That was certainly something that was going to take some getting used to. While she counted out the golden coins back at the front counter, Sun decided to do a little digging for information. “Hey, this might be a shot in the dark, but you wouldn’t happen to know anyone who deals in magic stuff?” “What kind of magic stuff?” the shopkeeper asked with a raised eyebrow. “Spell books and stuff. Especially anything that deals with curses, their effects and cures.” The mare’s eyes narrowed. “...Are you a guard? Because if this is supposed to be a sting, I’ll tell you the same thing I told the last group of clankers to stop by my shop. I don’t deal in dark magic!” Sun raised a hoof. “Hey, calm down. I’m not a guard,” she said, even as she dipped into her blood reserves. “I just have an idiot friend who decided to dabble and I need to find something that can help her.” The pony blinked for a moment as the effect of Sun’s Presence settled over her. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Unicorns and their dabbling. Somedays I’m convinced they’re going to kill us all.” “Maybe,” Sun wryly smiled back. “But she’s still my friend.” “...Okay...I might know one pony that deals in that. His name is Far Finder. Trades in really rare and out there stuff. Also not the most up and up pony from what I’ve heard. Pretty much every other pawn shop owner in Manehattan gives him a wide berth.” “Is he supposed to be dangerous or something?” “Maybe. He certainly likes to play up the mysterious angle. But if anypony is going to have books on curses and dark magic outside of restricted libraries and government institutions, he’d be it.” Sun nodded as she shoved the pile of gold across the counter. It looked like she’d be paying another pony a visit tonight. “Don’t suppose you can give me some directions?” The mare nodded and set to scribbling out a sketch like set of directions. “You know, it’s funny,” she chuckled once the map was done. “You’re the second pony I’ve sent towards him today.” Sun raised an eyebrow. “Sea blue green coat? White mane and tail?” “Yeah. She wanted to sell some jewelry, which I was all for at first. But then I saw their magic marks and decided against it.” “Magic marks?” “It’s something unicorn gem cutters do for high end stuff. Mostly so that you can only resell them at official dealers.” “...Or to a pony shady enough to take the risk,” Sun frowned. “Yup,” the pawnbroker nodded, sliding her map across the counter. “So, just watch yourself there.” - - - - Guilt was a familiar emotion for Fluttershy. Because of her own acute shyness and fear she often felt like a horrible burden upon her friends. To her at least. No matter how many times they had worked together to save Equestria, Fluttershy was still afraid that one of these days her nerve would fail her. The guilt that had settled over her as she trudged back towards her cousin’s was different, but just as unpleasant. This was a guilt that came from being the source of another pony’s pain. The Stare. How could she have used it on another pony? Especially after what happened with the vampire fruit bats! Then again Sunny Days could have seriously hurt that griffin, so maybe it had been the right choice after all? But that thought was driven from her mind by the memory of the confused and hurt expression on Sunny Days face. Unleashing the stare on a pony already beaten down by bad life? She could have traumatized her! Maybe she already had. Sunny did run off with barely a word after all. “Fluttershy? What’s wrong?” Fluttershy looked up, the sidewalk forgotten at the sound of Twilight’s voice. She lingered just outside Posey’s home. The front door was hanging open and Fluttershy could just make out the sound of conversation emanating from within. “Twilight? I thought you were visiting your teacher?” Fluttershy asked. The question made Twilight wince. “She was...attacked. By a monster. Apparently some pony was staying with her and saw it? Sunny Days? I came here to speak with her.” A monster attacking somepony certainly wouldn’t have helped Sunny’s…attitude. But the revelation brought a fresh wave of anxiety crashing down upon Fluttershy. “Oh Twilight, I...I’ve ruined everything! I made her run away!” It was too much. She squeezed her eyes shut as her previous feelings of guilt doubled back upon itself. The world fell away from her and a hideous buzzing sound filled her ears. She was still tainted, not only hurting some poor pony that had already seen plenty of horror in her life but chasing away a witness to some other attack! Overwhelmed by the thoughts and possibilities, there she stood, shuddering like a leaf caught in a horrible tempest. Eventually, a soft sensation tickled the side of her barrel. Slowly, she opened one eye to see just what it was. Twilight was standing at her side with a soft smile and one of her wings gently draped over her. “It’s not your fault,” Twilight said, her voice cutting through the buzzing haze. “I used the Stare on her,” Fluttershy whispered back. Twilight’s wing hugged a little tighter and Fluttershy leaned into it. “And why did you use the Stare?” Twilight asked. “...She was holding a griffin’s head under water.” “She was what?” Twilight exclaimed, the hug temporarily forgotten. “Why was she doing that?” Fluttershy sighed and told Twilight the whole story, not sparing any details on what Sunny Days had said during the hunt. Twilight’s expression grew increasingly concerned as the tale was spun and had settled into a frustrated grimace by the time Fluttershy reached the part where Sunny had torn off into the night. “That’s… unfortunate. She sounds like a pony who could really use some help and she’s the only witness we have to professor Digger’s attack!” “I’m sorry, Twilight. It's all my-” “No, Fluttershy. It’s still not your fault,” Twilight said with a firm stomp of her hoof. “You were just trying to help.” Fluttershy still didn’t entirely believe that. But another question bubbled to the surface of her thoughts over her misery. “Should we go look for her?” Twilight considered the situation. “...No. She could literally be anywhere right now and Manehattan is massive. This is where she’s staying right now. You and I can wait here. The Manehattan Guard can search for her if she doesn’t come back.” The thought of leaving Sunny on her own in the city made Fluttershy’s stomach twist. But she couldn’t find fault in Twilight’s logic. Two ponies randomly searching in a city this size wouldn’t get far. But if waiting was the plan, Fluttershy was going to be the first pony Sunny saw so that she could properly offer an apology. Nervously ruffling her wings, Fluttershy sat back on her haunches to wait. As Twilight ducked back inside, an idle thought floated through Flutterhy’s head. She can’t get into that much trouble...right? - - - - The shop was what Sun would have expected from a hole in the wall, “we’re not entirely legal” kind of store. Far, far away from the bright lights of the buildings lining the park, she was now back in the rows of more reserved, residential housing. The shop itself was down a short flight of stairs and built into the basement of a cramped looking tenement. There was no sign, no illumination calling attention to its presence, and the few small basement windows that faced the streets were kept dim. This was the kind of place that did not ask for, or even want attention. Sun had to give Seabreeze credit. For an upper class pony that probably had been pampered most of her life, she had enough courage to walk into a place like this. A soft bell chimed as she pushed her way inside, a very heavy smell of incense smacking her right in the face as she did. Tendrils of the stuff rose between rickety looking shelves, bursting to the brim with trinkets esoteric and strange. Tribal wooden masks jostled for position next to jars and bottles of mysterious liquids. Statues made of materials Sun couldn’t recognize and depicting creatures she had never seen were shoved into corners, amulets and other charms draped across their immobile forms. Silken lanterns decorated with, what she assumed, was the Equestrian version of kanji hung from the ceiling; there were even skeletons of flying creatures mixed among them. Here and there books were jammed haphazardly into the lot, the real goal of her search. Hopefully one of them would have some magic charm or spell to break the Curse of Caine. Not that the last strange curio store she had been in had helped her with that. The White Cloud, in the depths of Chinatown, run by one Mister Ox. A creepy old man who spoke in riddles and that Sun had some serious doubts about the humanity there of. An idle wonder passed through her mind about the fate of Mister Ox and some of the others she had met through her journeys. There had been that Japanese girl too...Yukie. The “demon hunter”, seeking to avenge the death of her master and one of the few Sun had met who was both aware of her vampire nature and completely pleasant to be around. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen when they bumped into each other at a Chinatown noodle shop. She would be long dead by now, of course. Sun just hoped that the rest of the kid’s life had gone well enough. Someone she had met deserved to not have their lives cast to ruin by mere proximity. She had just pulled one of the books from the shelves when her ears flicked towards the sound of a match being struck. “May I help you, traveller?” The pony was an older stallion, grey coated and purple maned, with the latter twisted into a neat braid that fell on the right side of his neck. A golden silk skullcap with red trim was perched between his ears, looking for all the world like it was authentically made in China. He also wore a matching red scarf around the neck, a tan shirt, what looked like a heavy leather apron over his hind quarters and a round pair of spectacles balanced on the end of his snout. He observed Sun carefully, as he placed the smoking remains of a match down next to the candle it had just lit. “Curses,” Sun said. “Word on the street is that you’re the pony who might have books on them and how to break them.” “It is...possible, that such tomes have passed through my shop. But what is the mare’s interest in such things? You certainly don’t look cursed.” It had been a little bit since her last conversation, so Sun spent a little more blood to refresh her Awe before answering. “It’s for a friend.” “For a friend? That is quite vague. Not exactly a statement that brings confidence that you’re not up to something.” “Do I really look the dark wizard type?” Sun said. She batted her eyes towards the shop owner. It really was rediculously easy to be cute and innocent looking in this body. “You could be buying for a dark wizard type. They do like their cute little assistants.” His eyes narrowed into a steely glare. “I don’t know you.” “And I don’t know you. But I have money.” She poked at her bag with a wing, letting the sound of her remaining coins clink against each other. “And I’m willing to pay well to find the information I need. So, do you have the books, or not?” The stallion observed her for a moment or two, before doffing his hat and giving a small bow. “In that case, right this way.” Turning, he picked out a book from the shelf and pulled it. A section of the bookshelf swung inwards, revealing a second set of stairs. “The books out here are mostly for show. If you’re looking for things that can break curses, we’ll have to check out my...special stock.” ...There was a time when this would have been weird, Sun mentally sighed, before following. The hidden passage ran down a short flight of stairs, before opening back into a small square room dominated by glass cases. Ancient looking tomes were securely locked within said cases, each one unique in its appearance. There was a book whose leather cover was so dark, it seemed to absorb the light of the room. Another one was little more than a collection of stone tablets, bound together with twine. Yet a third had dozens of gems set into the cover, their dark green forms glinting with a dangerous energy. A reading stand stood in the middle of the room, directly under one of the ceiling lights. The store owner shuffled over to case containing the black covered book, digging a key out of his smock like skirt. “Of all the ancient sorcerers to dabble in the art of dark magic, few were as skilled at traps and...debilitating conditions as King Sombra of the Crystal Empire.” Sombra. That name resonated in Sun’s mind. There were many vampire clans she shared the night with back in the day and few had a more sinister reputation as Clan Lasombra. Predators and social Darwinists unparalleled, they were one of the founding pillars of degenerate vampire sect that was The Sabbat. She had never crossed paths with a member of Clan Lasombra and it was something she remained eternally grateful for. Their mastery of shadow magic was something she didn’t really have a tool to deal with. Her wings flared instinctively as the heavy black covered book thumped into place on the reading stand. “Feel free to peruse,” the shopkeeper said, “ to see if it contains what you’re looking for. Then we can discuss price.” Evil magic books! Now with a try before you buy policy! Sun mused to herself as she trotted up to the stand and began to flip through the book. A quick scan through the first few chapters revealed them to be observations on the historical King Sombra’s rule. It was about what Sun would have expected from someone who dabbled in dark magic and became the ruler of a country. Oppression, enslavement, mind control, dark magic infection, war, murder- Wait a minute. Sun blinked, jumping back a few paragraphs. Resting her hoof on the page, she traced it along the paragraph that had caught her attention. Of all King Sombra’s forces, the most dreaded was the Shadow Legion. Each member was hoof chosen by Sombra for their viciousness, devotion to him and devotion to the idea of a unified Crystal Empire. Once the prospective member was chosen, they would undergo a private magical rite conducted by Sombra. While the details of the rite remain unknown so far, the ponies that underwent it were forever changed. They were faster and stronger than a normal pony by far. Some reports even include stories of the changed being able to move via shadows, or dominate the minds of their victims. The one weakness they seemed to share was a lethargy during the daytime, even when Sombra kept the sun blocked with his shadow magic. Thankfully for modern pony kind, the Shadow Legion was destroyed as a military force in combat with Princess Celestia during the Crystal-Equestria war and the rite of their creation was lost with Sombra himself. The page opposite that section featured a drawing of King Sombra himself. It was a profile shot from the shoulder up, showing the pony in an open mouthed roar that couldn’t help but show off his wicked fangs. Sun shuddered. This was becoming all too familiar. In the worst possible ways. A mysterious “magical rite” that could only be conducted by a conveniently fanged pony. Mysterious new powers, including enhanced strength, enhanced speed and what was clearly domination of some sort. And perhaps most damning was the sensitivity to light. They were vampires. Somehow, some ancient member of Clan Lasombra had managed to continue into this brave new equine dominated world. Whoever that vampire was, he had passed on the Curse of Caine to this King Sombra. And it clearly didn’t stop there. Shape shifting bug ponies stalked the nights here. She had shared her nights with the shape shifting, flesh warping vampires of Clan Tzimisce. These sugar sweet little ponies, so ready and willing to trust, had no idea what was hunting them. The soft chime of the front door bells rang in the distance. “Ahh, pardon me. I’ll be back in a moment,” the shop keep said. “Sure. Whatever,” Sun muttered. Growling under her non-existent breath, she plunged onwards her eyes flicking across the page with a renewed vigor now. The writer’s analysis of history quickly gave way to theoretical discussions about King Sombra’s magic and curses. While Sun didn’t really understand the details of magic, the book’s writer was clearly trying to deduce details about the Shadow Legion’s curse by studying what else King Sombra had done. Further and further she pushed through the words, the writing growing more unhinged the deeper the author chased the mystery of King Sombra. Though within those frantically scrawled sentences Sun was able to pluck out one bit of good news. She killed them! Celestia killed them all! I...I never wanted to believe it. But she tracked down every surviving member of the Shadow Legion and killed them! I don’t understand...the war was over...they could have made a deal… Sweet Harmony, I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I swear that the shadows are looking at me these days. I can’t...I can’t… The shadows live! The shadows live! The shadows live! The words trailed off at that point, leaving Sun with only a single thought. That was...pleasant. Of course, the one pony she knew that could help make heads or tails of this stuff was unconscious by her own hand...hoof...whatever. Still, this book was another possible piece in the puzzle of her freedom from the curse. “Alright, I’ll take i-” Something slammed against the back of her head. Hard. Slammed muzzle first into book and podium, she was vaulted over the whole affair to go rolling across the floor. Sun came to a stop at the foot of one of the cases, with something heavy sticking out of the back of her head. A vicious hiss of rage escaped her lips as she stumbled back to her hooves. Her eyes locked upon the shopkeep, now flanked by that griffin she had beaten up in the park and two of those bug ponies. Though these bug ponies seemed to be wearing blue chitinous helmets. But somehow, through her blinding rage, that seemed less important than the question burning in her mind. “Did you just try to kill me, little man?” All he could do was mouth wordlessly and stare at whatever was sticking out of her head. Terry the griffin was also staring, but more stony faced. The bugs...their expression was unreadable. Snarling again, Sun reached up with both her hooves and yanked the offending implement free. The thing tore free with a wet squelch, the bloody axe clattering to the floor a moment later. “Put that thing in the ground!” Terry snapped, pointing a talon at Sun. The bug ponies charged forward and Sun charged to meet them, drawing on her blood as she did. But as fast as she moved with Celerity, the bugs moved just as fast. The one in the lead smoothly flipped up into a hovering position, kicking out with all four of its hooves. The legs swelled in size with a sudden surge of angry crunching noises. Hooves half the size of Sun’s body crashed into her with a frightening amount of power. She felt the strikes right to the core of her bones as she was sent flying backwards, splitting one of the other cases in half as her body smashed right through it. She was back to her hooves in a flash but the bugs were already upon her, propelled by wings that were suddenly oversized. One slammed into her neck, pulling backwards and wrenching Sun to the floor. The other pounced on her hind legs, it’s limbs swelling to hold her in place. The bug holding Sun by her throat chittered to its companion. “Hold the leech down!” “I am holding the leech down! Just burn it and be done!” A flickering green ball of flame appeared at the tip of the bug’s horn. Every bit of Sun’s vampire instincts were screaming in sheer panic at the churning ball of fire. With a mighty surge of motion Sun bucked with all her might, feeding a mass of blood into her limbs. The bug holding her hind legs was sent tumbling backwards, just as the other one loosed at jet of flame. Sun screamed as it hit her in the chest. She screamed as her flesh crumbled, exposing bone and withered organs to the air. She screamed as the vice like fear of final death gripped her mind. And as she screamed with a mixture of anger and fear her rational mind mercifully switched off. - - - - Curious Curio could only watch the battle playing out in his shop with a growing sense of horror. The fact that he was going to be out what would have been a very lucrative sale was bad enough. But then Terrance had shown up, demanding to know if he had spoken to anypony about Seabreeze. Which of course he hadn’t done! He was the one who had contacted Sugar Shine about his wife’s arrival in his store! Their business relationship wasn’t worth ruining! In retrospect though he had wished that he hadn’t mentioned the presence of his batpony customer. Terrance had burst into a sputtering rage before shoving his way through the front door with his changeling support. And now his book vault was being completely destroyed! “Hold the leech down!” Leech? Well, that’s rather uncalled for. They eat fruit, not blood! Then came the fire, the revolting stench of burning flesh and the poor pony’s horrible, horrible scream. Curious could almost feel himself turning green at the gills. There...wasn’t any need to watch this. He turned his head. The unpleasantness would be over with soon. He had no sooner made that decision when a shocked cry and a loud crunch echoed through the room. Looking back, Curious blanched at the macabre sight. The unassuming looking customer clutched the ruined remains of a changeling’s horn in her mouth. A patchwork of horrid burns spread across the right side of her face, but it was nothing compared to the horror that was her front. There skin and muscle had been burnt away enough that Curious could stare right into her barrel cavity. Withered organs twitched in mockery of living ones. The changeling that had been holding down her upper body now clutched at the shattered stump, hissing in a mixture of pain and anger. Spitting the remains out of her mouth, the monster customer pounced on the creature that had wounded her so badly. Another crunch echoed through the room as her jaws clamped down around the changeling’s throat. With a wet tearing sound and a splatter of green, ichor like gore, the front half of the changeling’s neck came away. A shocked expression settled over the changeling’s face, as if it couldn’t believe what had just happened, even as it reached its forehooves towards the goopy ruin that had once been its throat. But then it collapsed, a final gurgle escaping it lips as it lay still. Terrance spoke for everypony present. “What dark corner of Tartarus did that thing crawl out of?” The monster’s head snapped towards him, hissing viciously. Terrance froze, nervously glancing from walking dead pony to Curious. The mental calculation that was running through his head was clear to Curious. After all, one didn’t have to outrun the metaphorical dragon. They just had to outrun the other ponies running from the dragon. Before she could strike though, the other changeling shot a blast of its crackling fire from its corner at the room. She managed to duck at just the last moment, the far wall gaining a fresh scorch mark. Her wings snapped out, the light of the room passing through their thin membrane, casting a blood red glow upon the floor around her. Curious swallowed hard. He could see blood bubbling and flowing through the almost transparent skin. With a single, powerful beat, she flew across the room slamming the changeling back into its corner before it could unleash another torrent of fire. As another round of sickening cracks and slurps filled the air Curious made the only rational decision he could. He dove for the doorway out. Unfortunately Terrance had the same idea. They collided in the doorway, falling backwards in an undignified pile. Before Curious could recover from that, Terrance slammed a taloned fist into the side of his head. Dazed and confused, Curious flopped onto his back. A moment later, a light pink blur shot overhead and the sound of shouts and crashes came from the stairwell. Groaning, he flopped back onto his belly, mind racing for a way out. The sound of the battle rolling into the front room gave him a slight opportunity. If he could slip past the pair, he could go out the back door to the alleyway. He had taken a few, shaky steps towards the stairs when Terrance gave a loud squawk of alarm, then fell silent. A heavy dragging sound began to work its way back towards him, becoming punctuated by rhythmic thuds of something large thumping its way down the stairs. Something large...like a body. The customer that he should have never let in appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Her jaws were clamped firmly around Terrance’s neck, who simply hung there, limp and still as the grave. Curious backed away, mind racing as the monster wearing the skin of a pony bore down upon him. Terrance’s body was dumped, unceremoniously, at his hooves. Without a griffin blocking his view, Curious could see that the hideous wound on her front was slowly beginning to close, flesh knitting itself back together. There was truly only one thing to do, considering the circumstances. Beg. “Please…don’t kill me! I’ll tell you anything you want to know! I’ll do anything you want!” The monster paused. Her voice came out in a dry, raspy hiss of malice. “Anything?” Curious nodded rapidly. The monster considered this, frowning down at the still unmoving form of Terrance. She jabbed a hoof at the corpse. “...How do you know him? Him and the bugs.” “Terance works for Sugar Shine! Anything he wants handled off the books! The changelings...well, I don’t exactly know the nature of their business, but they work with Sugar Shine!” Her nostrils flared and she shook her head at that bit of information. “What use does a confectioner have for shapeshifters? You don’t have any theories at all? You don’t know anything?” She snarled, showing off fangs that were far too long for a batpony. “All I know is that Sugar Shine asks me to keep an eye out for desperate ponies! Usually ones who come through my shop to sell or buy things.” That nugget of information seemed to catch her attention. She frowned staring down at her hooves as she thought. Curious took the moment to inch his way backwards, anything to get away from the walking abomination in front of him. “What does he want with them?” “I assume he gives them to the changelings in exchange for something! They feed on love. They need ponies to feed from.” The monster’s head snapped back up, her eyes narrowing. “You help him...sell ponies?” Curious gulped. “P-please. I’m just a grunt! The whole thing is really above my head! I’ve told you everything I know!” She nodded. “...You told me everything you know.” “Great! You’ll be...leaving...then?” She cocked her head, observing him in a curious manner. “...No.” “What?” She grimaced, stalking towards him. Her steps were slow and deliberate. Her glare furious. “I spent a lot of blood fighting them, and I have this goddamn hole in the middle of my goddamn chest!” “Y-yes, that is t-true,” Curious managed to stammer out. He took another step back, his hooves tripping over the upended reading stand. “It’s quite a nasty wound. B-but you’re still up and about!” he laughed, fueled by a manic desire to live. “ ...Which is a very impressive trick, I will admit.” In one fluid motion, the monster-customer jumped the distance between them. Hooves lashed out and before Curious realized what had happened, he found himself pinned to the floor. “You ponies...your blood smells so potent. I can almost taste it.” “B-blood?” She ignored that comment, taking a deep breath as she smelled the air. A quivver of some emotion shook her body before the angry glare returned. “Normally, I’d feel much more guilty about what I’m about to do. But I am. So. Very. Hungry. And you? ...You are so… very… guilty. The last thing Curious Curio saw was a leering, fang filled maw. - - - - Sun drank. She had already feasted on the griffin, but her wounds required more. Beyond that she wanted more! She wanted more of this delectable, succulent, rich, downright addictive blood! She had never fed on anything so delicious in her life...or unlife. She could just drink and drink and drink and never be satisfied! She could- The flow stopped. Sun blinked. The body fell from her mouth, face locked in a rictus scream of terror. He was dead as a door nail. Drained dry of every last drop. The full impact of her actions settled over Sun in a haze now. She had done that. She didn’t even have vampiric frenzy to fall back on as excuse like with the bugs and the griffin. It had been a simple combination of anger and hunger that had pushed her on. That had pushed her to kill that pony. ….Not that the axe to the back of the head hadn’t helped play a role in that anger. Still, it was a horrible waste of life. Poor, dumb bastard was probably just trying to make a buck before Terry got involved. If there was a silver lining to this gore colored cloud at least she could now put a name to the bugs. Changelings. And they had a deal for living ponies. Sun glanced back down at the dead shopkeep, sneering at the memory of his role in all of this. On second thought, perhaps that sympathy had been misplaced. The wound on her chest still wasn’t closed yet though. Her gaze turned towards the pair of changeling bodies. The nasty wounds on their throats continued to leak a virulent green icor. She shuffled over to them, the acrid smell of the liquid tingling her nose. “Waste not, want not,” she muttered to herself, before biting into the first of the open wounds. It tasted...strange. The flavor shifted as she drank, running such gamut of tastes to be a true suicide shake of vitae. Definitely a more pleasant taste than that griffin’s blood, that was for sure. She drank both of the changelings dry before dragging all the bodies into the corner and throwing them onto a loose pile. As she dumped the shopkeeper on the top, she paused to check her new watch. It had managed to survive the fight much better than her charred vest, or her now trampled and battered saddlebags. It had been hours since her stop at the first pawn shop. Dawn was still hours away and while she probably could make it black to Fluttering Posey’s… She glanced down at her chest wound. The flesh had mostly knitted back together by now, leaving behind a bare patch of skin that was stretched and tattered looking. It would take more time to heal. She turned her attention back to the shopkeeper’s body and began to poke through his robes. It wasn’t long before she found a set of keys. Taking them in her mouth, she trudged for the front door with a dark cloud hanging over her head. If there was a single word she could have applied to this trip, “fiasco” would have been it. Four more bodies added to her tally. And while she might have these books now, she didn’t have anyone who could understand the damn things. If only Deep Digger was awake! Maybe she could sneak back into the hospital and give her another dose of blood to help the healing process? And then there was this CEO, Sugar Shine. Her gut told her that he was going to be a problem. It was the way of powerful men when their plans were interfered with. For now though, Sun settled for locking every door in the shop and shoving a few heavy objects in front of them to boot. Then she stalked back to the hidden room, closing the concealed door behind her. Today, she’d bed down with the corpses. Tomorrow...she’d figure her out her next move. - - - - The white stone spires of Canterlot gleamed in the morning sun, the gold accents of the roofs casting glittering beams of warmth into city’s wide streets and avenues. Said streets were already filling with ponies beginning their morning routines. It was part of the daily bustle and rhythm of the city, a rhythm that Princess Celestia had come to know and love over the centuries of her rule. She watched her little ponies go about their business from her bedroom’s balcony. With the morning sun raised, it was time to see to the other duties of being a princess of Equestria. Turning from the balcony, she glanced across the room, where her assistant dutifully stood and waited. Raven looked in many ways like a librarian with her dark mane done up in a bun and square glasses. It wasn’t an unfair comparison either as she currently stood with a small pile of letters and correspondence that would require her attention this morning. “What’s on the agenda for today, Raven?” “Well, I have another stack of official invitations your highness. Two plays, a few libraries, a half dozen farms, eight schools. You know, the usual appearances.” Raven smiled mischievously. Celestia smiled back. “Of course. Any more pressing matters?” “Well, this letter marked urgent came in from the Manehattan Historical Society. As per your standing instructions, I placed it at the top of the pile.” Celestia took said letter from the top of Raven’s stack, keeping her expression neutral as she perused the contents. After a few minutes of reading, she neatly folded it back up and tucked it under a wing. “I’ll join you downstairs in a moment Raven. I must speak with my sister first.” Raven bowed and backed out of the room. Celestia waited a few minutes for her to trot down the tower stairs before crossing the hall to her sister’s room. The door was thick, painted a midnight blue, and was adorned with a metal crescent moon dead in the center. Celestia hammered a hoof against the moon and hard, the metal of her golden shoes clashing loudly against the metal of the knocker. She waited for a minute as the sound finished echoing through the halls, before hammering on the door again. Getting Luna to wake from her slumber was sometimes like pushing a massive boulder uphill. Eventually though, the door swung open and Luna peered out, blinking blearily against the morning light. “What do you want sister? I had a very long night and-” Celestia thrust the letter towards her sibling. “Read.” Luna spared a grumpy glare before flicking it open with her magic. But as her eyes scanned the words upon the page her sleepy state fell away, being replaced by a glimmer of recognition in her eyes and a growing smile. “Another leech?” she asked. While she spat the last word out, there was an undeniable cheerfulness in her voice. Hunting vampires was one of the things that brought Luna an almost unparalleled joy. Guilt momentarily twisted through Celestia’s gut. While they had began the hunt together, Luna had already been banished to the moon by the time she had hunted down the remaining members of the Shadow Legion. “Yes,” Celestia said, a curious frown on her muzzle. “And one that seems to have maintained her human form.” The look that settled over Luna’s face was one Celestia had seen before. Her sister ducked back into her bedroom and she followed. The heavy blues and shimmering silvers of her sister’s decoration made it like stepping into a star filled night sky. It was also like stepping into a rummage sale. Luna had a magpie like propensity towards collecting trinkets and over her very long life had amassed quite the collection. So it was not a surprise to find Luna halfway under her bed, rummaging for something. She emerged a moment later, a truly massive sword held aloft in her aura. It’s blade, almost as long as Luna’s body, was forged out of enchanted silver. The razor honed killing edge glinted in Luna’s magic, still just as sharp as it was when it was forged. No matter the tally of vampires or other monsters it culled, it never dulled. “Intending to track the vampire down yourself sister?” Celestia asked. Luna pouted back. “You killed half of the Shadow Legion without me! It’s been so long since I hunted a leech!” “...It would be much easier for me to just raise the sun tomorrow night and let nature take its course.” “That’s no fun!” Luna said, stomping her hoof. “Besides, what if this bloodsucker is inside, or has managed to ghoul some of our citizens already? This can only be solved with a proper hunt!” Frowning, Celestia paced the small section of clean floor for a moment, weighing all the options in her mind. She dearly, dearly wanted to strike as soon as possible before the vampire had a chance to spread her vile curse. At the same time though, Luna did have a point. This wasn’t a fire and forget situation. “Stay in magical contact?” she asked, looking up from her pacing. Luna stepped to her side and shared a sisterly nuzzle. “Of course.” “Then hunt well sister.” Luna galloped to her own room’s balcony and lept into the air. As she took wing for Manehattan, Celestia set off to begin her own day. She hummed softly to herself as she slowly trotted down the stairs an idle thought coming to mind. “I almost feel sorry for that vampire.”