//------------------------------// // Give It up For Vampir Scratch! (please read author's notes) // Story: Equus Magi Twilight Magica // by Dragonfire2lm //------------------------------// The trio of ponies walked down the cobblestone path towards the centre of Ponyville. Surprisingly, the streets were oddly deserted and Twilight could hear a voice as they neared the town square. "-And Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" "Huh, sounds there's a show on," Rainbow said. "An' a good thing too," Applejack stated. "We can hunt for night mares without alertin' the town folk an' puttin' 'em in danger." "Where do we start?" Twilight asked. "Hey look!" Rainbow shouted and pointed to something further down the street. It was a dirt-brown earth pony colt with a scruffy, two-toned mane and tail a few shades lighter than his coat. His chocolate brown eyes were glazed over and the propeller hat he wore was slightly askew. The young colt was walking slowly, almost as if he were hypnotised and as Twilight got nearer, she could see a black mark on his neck, two mirrored, bridged eighth notes that had bat wings. "Hey kid? You ok?" Rainbow asked."...Kid?" "Don't waste yer breath Rainbow, he can't hear ya" Applejack stated. "He's been cursed" "Is there anything we can do?" Twilight asked, voice laced with concern. "We find the night mare that cursed him, once it's dead he'll be just peachy," the orange pony replied and began to walk near certain shops in search of something. After a moment, she walked back up the street, closer to where the performance was taking place, her soul gem began to glow as she neared the record store. The colt was slowly stumbling towards it. "Ok, RD knock him out, we can't let him get ta the night mare," Applejack ordered. "Knock him out? Are you sure," the pegasus asked. "Sure as sugar, if tha' night mare gets him, we'd have a hard time trying to kill it an' save the kid," Applejack replied. Rainbow looked hesitant. "I could use a sleep spell, would that work?" Twilight asked. "As long as he can't go anywhere," the orange pony stated. Twilight walked over to stand in front of the colt, her horn glowed and the young pony's eyes began to droop. Within seconds, the foal was sound asleep on the ground. "Nice work Twi," Applejack praised. "Now are ya'll ready fer this? The night mare is in tha' there store and once we enter its maze, you two have ta be careful." "Maze?" Rainbow asked. "Ya remember tha' strange world ya were in when I fought Pwetty? That's called a maze, its what night mares use to hide themselves" the magical filly replied. Her soul gem glowed and, in a flash of light, Applejack was in her battle form, complete with saddle bags, her braided mane and tail and white stetson. "Alright ya'll, let's get this show on the road!" she declared, her soul gem glowed again and a wave of red and black energy appeared from within the store and swallowed the three ponies. *** "This is...Freaky," Rainbow said after they entered the maze. The place looked like a nightclub, the floor was made from glowing tiles, lights of every colour imaginable danced around them and a disco balls floated in the air along with coloured music notes that moved to the beat of dubstep playing from two enormous speakers. floating around the room via black bat wings were over-sized records. "Alright you two, just stay close ta me," Applejack stated and the group walked forward. Nervously, Twilight and Rainbow glanced around at the flying discs, while Applejack had her rope at the ready. "Why aren't they attacking us?" Twilight asked. "Ah'm not sure, maybe they're just waiting for us to get to the Night Mare.." Applejack answered. "Oh come on!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I expected some action here!" That spurred the familiars into action, screeching and swooping down towards the ponies. Twilight screamed as one got too close and was hit by Rainbow's bat, sending it careening into one of its allies. "Dang it Rainbow!" Applejack said angrily and sent her rope cracking into another beast, shattering it to pieces. "Run fer it!" The group ran down a corridor with the screaming discs on their hooves. The further they ran. the more familiars blocked their escape, as soon as a split in the path appeared, more winged records would fly over it, making escape down that route impossible and forcing the trio to continue down the narrow hallway. Applejack tried to turn around and attack, but they gave her no room to maneuver. "They're herdin' us!" the orange pony realised. "Where too?" Twilight asked. "We're about to find out..." *** The trio stood before two giant metal doors, akin to the kind used to access a building from behind, complete with long metal handles to push down to gain access. They creaked open and a voice blared at them from some unseen speakers as they walked in. "Fillies and gentlecolts! Give it up for Vampir Scratch!" a stallion's voice said enthusiastically. The lights switched on revealing dark red walls, black tiles for the floor and a DJ's booth in the centre of the room. The group looked up to see the creature hovering above them, its giant, white bat wings dwarfing its equine body. It appeared to be bipedal, its forelimbs hanged limply at its sides while its head angled downwards, staring at the floor. Its two-toned blue mane obscured its eyes, all that could be seen of the night mare's face was the muzzle and two glistening, blood-stained fangs. Its long tail dangled limply in the air as it hovered above, still and silent as a corpse. It suddenly looked up, revealing red orbs of light for eyes. "Sbuw!" it screamed in anguish, the black nothingness that composed its mouth sent chills down Twilight's spine. Applejack stood firm, her gem glowed and a barrier surrounded Twilight and Rainbow. With her friends safe, she ran forward, uncoiled her rope and lashed out at the bat-winged monster before her. The rope bounced off Vampir's wings as it used them to shield its body. The farm pony 'tsked', pulled out some grenades and hurled them at the night mare. The creature shrieked as the resulting explosion tore small wounds in its leathery wings, forcing it to descend slightly. "So that's how is huh?" Applejack muttered and reached into her saddlebags, pulling out some kitchen knives. Her gem glowed, magic coating the utensils and giving them that extra kick the Magical Filly needed. She gripped the handle of one in her mouth, reared back and let it fly, it sliced through the air and straight through the night mare's wing. She repeated the process, Vampir sinking closer to the ground with each new tear in her bone-white wings. With a loud 'thud', Vampir's back hooves touched the ground, her wings folded closed and the monster stumbled forward on her hind legs, a forehoof reaching out as she gruaned. Applejack saw her chance and raced forward, the handle of her axe in her mouth, she locked eyes with Vampir for a fraction of second, her eyes widened in surprise as her opponent let loose a wall of sound from her mouth. It collided with the magical filly and sent her spinning into a wall. "Applejack!" Twilight yelled. "Ah'm-ah'm alright Twilight," the orange pony said as she got to her hooves and picked up her axe. Vampir lurched towards her on her back legs, forehooves outstretched. Applejack charged forward, swerving to one side or the other to aviod Vampir's screeches. When she was mere hoof lengths away, she leapt into the air and threw her axe at the beast. It embedded itself into Vampir's head and the night mare collapsed. Applejack trotted forward with a smirk and then turned to her compainions. As she was about to state her victory, a scream pierced the air. She whirled around just in time to see Vampir lunge at her, its maw opening to an unnatural size as its teeth were about to snap shut over her head. The sound of something moving through the air and the 'thunk' of something hitting the monstrosity snapped Applejack out of her shock. She looked to see an over-sized sewing needle sticking out of Vampir's chest, right where its heart would be. She stepped back as the night mare jerked once, then burst into a pile of ash, its grief seed appearing on top of the pile. "Are you alright Applejack?" Rarity called. *** As Vampir lunged at Applejack, Twilight saw something thin and silver whiz by her and watched as a needle struck the creature in the heart. She turned around to se Rarity, the fashionista was wearing a white dress shirt, a frilly purple skirt, black stockings and golden slippers on each leg and her soul gem, which took the form of purple earrings. "Are you alright Applejack?" the other magical filly called. "Y-yeah thanks Rare's, I dunno what would'a happened without ya," Applejack replied shakily. "Quite alright," the white unicorn said. "Now then, lets get out of this horrid place and head back to Ponyville shall we?" *** Rainbow had left shortly after the group exited the maze, the pegasus taking it upon herself to escort the cursed colt home. "How did you know where we were?" Twilight asked as she walked along side Rarity. "I ran into Fluttershy this morning and she told me about you two going along with Applejack. Her soul gem reacted to the night mares magic along the way; the poor dear was so worried, she asked me to make sure you were all safe" Rarity replied. "Ah guess ah'll have ta thank Fluttershy when Ah see her again," Applejack commented. "Oh definitely, after all, who knows what would have befallen you if I had not arrived," Rarity agreed. Conversation between the three lulled into discussing the show put on by 'the great and powerful Trixie', where Rarity stated it was nothing more than 'a mare humiliating others and spinning atrocious lies for entertainment'. *** Night fell over Ponyville and Twilight was lying in bed, unable to sleep. The battle between Applejack and Vampir Scratch played out in her head repeatedly. Should I really make a contract? It's obvious the battles are dangerous....But all those ponies I could help, my friends...I- Her thoughts were broken by lound roaring and screaming coming from outside. She ran our from under her sheets, down the stairs and burst open her front door to find ponies running around in panic from a giant bear that rampaged the streets. The creature was a purplish- blue colour and covered in stars. "S-stay back you foul creature!" a voice- one Twilight recognised- called out, as a light blue unicorn with a silvery-blue mane and tail ran forward in front of the star-bear. She was wearing a long white cape and a matching wizard's hat. Twilight trotted around to see the clasp of the mares cape was a silver Soul Gem in the shape of a small wand. "Go Trixie!" a colt cheered from the sidelines. "Y-yes witness as The Great and Powerful Trixie drives away this vicious Ursa Major!" Trixie said in an tempt of bravado, her soul gem glowed and a bolt of lighting appeared from it and struck the beast. The Ursa only shook its head to clear it of the irration the bolt had caused, Trixie gulped, shot a nervous smile to the cowd of gathering ponies and called forth flames from her horn. The star bear took a step back and roared as the flames licked at one of its paws. In anger, it slammed its undamaged paw at Trixie, who barely managed to scramble back in time. Before the bear could continue, a large gem floated up and hovered in front of its face, enraptued by the moon light bouncing off it, the bear followed it as it floated towards the Everfree. "Now I have to say Trixie dear, have you ever fought a night mare?" Raroty asked and trotted up to the other unicorn, her horn still glowing as the gem she summoned led the ursa back to its home. "Of course I have!" the showmare protested. "Really?" Applejack said skeptically. "Cause if Ya have fought one then yer magic would be a heck of a lot stronger" "Well-I-" "Oh and that wasn't an Ursa Major," Fluttershy stated. "it was a little baby Ursa Minor, the poor thing must've gotten cranky after being woken up" "That was a baby?" Trixie exclaimed. "Yup, an' them critters are barely stronger than most familiars, if ya patrol places like the Everfree enough yer bound ta' come across all sorts of nasty things besides night mares" Applejack stated. "And all that bragging you did about defeating an Ursa Major during your show..." Rarity trailed off. Trixie stared wide-eyed at the group of ponies for asecond, before she reared up, created smoke could with her magic and ran out of town. "Shouldn't we do something/" Twilight asked. "Nope, not all magical filles are nice an' friendly,"Applejack replied. "Besides, Ah get the feeling she's one of them crooks who steal grief seeds from other, hard workin' girls." "It is such a shame though, I hope one day she finds somepony who can help her" Fluttershy said. "I hope so too..." Twilight replied sadly. Night Mare Bio Vampir Scratch The Night Mare of the night life this vampire-like creature lures drunken ppatry goers into her maze with the sound of night club music and her familiar's- vinyl records with bat wings- herd them to her so she can drink their blood. This Night Mare is slow on the ground, she lumbers forward on her hind legs in the fashion of the undeaad, so she spends her time up in the air using her giant wings to stay aloft for days on end. Once on the ground she is near defenseless and will use sound based attacks to keep her enemies at a distance. The sound of a cello is said to calm her.