THE ANGEL IN RED

Inkquill

Act II, Scene III

Hours came and went as the trio of friends healed their hearts and drowned their woes mug after mug of cider, laughing and boasting as stallions did. During Applejack’s lunch break, they decided to head down to the city gardens and get some fresh air. Despite the overcast skies giving the usually lush gardens a darker, perhaps even depressing look, the three stallions still enjoyed it as they could, coming to rest by the pond where they would through bread crumbs at the dabbling ducks in the water, before somehow, by some unplanned turn of events, they all found themselves at Rainbow Blitz’s apartment, where they indulged in even more hardy glasses of cider, until before they knew it, night was falling. Outside, the street lamps slowly came to life as Solaris' golden sun dipped behind the mountains to the west.

Realizing how much time had truly passed, Butterscotch anxiously tried to think of what to tell Blue Belle while Applejack bid the two stallions adieu and made his way back to his family took.

“Oh good Solaris, Blue Belle is going to be so upset.” Butterscotch said as he rubbed his aching head with his hooves. He felt his chest tense up as he chewed his lower lip. He let out a heavy sigh, trying to figure out what he should do.

Rainbow shrugged and flew over to the couch on the far side of his living room, lighting a few wall sconces as the sun disappeared from view. “Don’t sweat it Butters, just tell her it was my fault you stayed out so late.”

Rainbow shrugged again and let an amused chuckle escaped him, “Hey, most of my life has been made up of poor decisions,” he joked. “Don’t beat yourself up.”

“I... I gotta try to get back home.” Butterscotch said as he hopped up from his seat and started to make his way towards the exit, only for Rainbow to stop him at the door.

“No way Butters. You remember what it said in the paper. I don't want you trying to walk home in the dark with some murder happy creep out there.”

“Applejack can handle himself. Plus he lives not that far away from here. You on the other hand live on the other side of town. Way farther than I'm comfortable with letting you walk alone in the dark. I'd walk you, but I'm still a little tipsy... Also don't worry about Blue Belle. I'll send a message to her saying you'll be home tomorrow. Don't sweat it.”

Butterscotch relaxed his body and sighed in response. "...How could I have gotten so wrapped up in this... I don't even drink that much!"

"Yeah, I was kind of amazed that you could keep so much down." Rainbow snickered. Butterscotch gave his friend an annoyed glare.

"Look, I'll send a courier down to your house to let Blue Belle know your safe and at my place. I'll make a spot for you on the couch, and you can head out tomorrow morning. Sure she'll be a bit peeved, but that's only because she loves you so much. It'll be alright."

"... thanks Rainbow... you always have my back." Butterscotch said with a appreciative smile.

Rainbow Blitz smiled and patted his friend on the back. "Don't worry about it Butters, it's what I'm here for."

The little cream Pegagus nodded before staring down at his hooves for a moment as the world beyond the apartment windows darkened, casting the Equestrian capital into shadow.

"I'm going to go write that letter and ring the courier. There's some food in the kitchen if your feeling peckish, and there's some extra blankets in the trunk over there. Pick out the ones you like."

Butterscotch nodded and hopped up to head over to the trunk while Rainbow stepped out to head down to the nearby mail-pony's office that was thankfully right next door to the apartment building. He knew the stallion who worked there. Very kind stallion, but could prove to be a bit clumsy at times, but he still got his job done.

Opening up the drunk, Butterscotch started looking through the folded fabrics. Finding a few blankets to his liking, he pulled them out and set them out across the sofa and headed into the kitchen to fetch a snack. All the while he thought about Blue Belle. He couldn't shake the guilt he felt about leaving her alone for so long. He wondered if she thought she was neglecting her...

His thoughts were interrupted as Blitz returned shortly after with a smile on his face. "Alrighty then! Done and done." He said, flying over to a chair and promptly fell into it. "Just sent the letter over to Blue."

"Oh cheer up Butters. Like I said, it will be fine. At least she knows where you are. Not out on the street."

Rainbow Blitz paused for a moment, knowing his friend was still feeling a bit low. "Look, why don't we get some shut eye? It's been a long day, and I don't know about you but I'm about ready to hit the sack."

Hesitantly, Butterscotch nodded in agreement. "Your right. I am pretty tuckered out..." He said as he felt a weary yawn creep up his throat.

The apartment was dark, shaded in the calm blue of night, muting all color in that had once prevailed in the light of day. The only light coming from the lamp posts outside. The sound of the wall mounted clock was the only sounds to be heard as the two stallions slept. Buttersotch had made himself a space on the couch with some of the extra blankets, not wanting to steal away Rainbow's bed despite the stallion's offering. It didn't quite matter though, as the cyan Pegasus had passed out in the living room chair.

It was nearly a quarter till one o'clock in the morning when the sound of hoof steps roused Butterscotch from his peaceful sleep. His eyes fluttered open as he heard them, and soon after rubbing his eyes free of the remaining sleep, he noticed that his friend Rainbow was nowhere to be seen, and that the front door was wide open. Confusion and curiosity egged him on as he hauled himself up and made his way towards the door. Peering down the hallway, he caught a glimpse of Rainbow rounding the corner of the stairwell before disappearing once again.

He made a glance back into the apartment before quietly following him, trotting down the stairs until he came to the landing of the bottom floor, where he found the door to the complex ajar. Hesitantly, he opened it and stepped outside.

The damp, cobble stone street was foreboding quite; choked with thick, silvery fog that bathed the adjacent houses in glistening moisture. The light of the street lamps bleeding into the mist. Butterscotch felt the hair on the back of his neck and running down his spine stand up as the grim atmosphere plucked at his nerves. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow as he proceeded through the courtyard, rounding the back towards the small communal gardens in the back of the building.

The mist was obscuring his vision to the point where he had to guide himself by follow the wall with his hoof until he finally reached the corner and stepped out in the gardens. A lamp post from across the alleyway glowed like the pale moon through the fog, the light peaking over the large hedges that grew around the gardens. Despite this however, his vision wasn't completely nulled, however as he looked on he wished quietly to himself that it had been. There, standing dead center of the gardens was his dear friend Blitz, completely still, with what he could only estimate to be roughly a ten foot tall figure leaning over him. He could see it's eyes glowing a mesmerizing swirl of colors, and his heart raced with fear, his pupils dilated as his muscles tensed up. He wanted to run but his body had frozen in fear of the grim thing before him. However his fears turned for the worst as the white glimmer of two long savage fangs glittered in the pale light, making his blood run cold as he watched the thing grin at his petrified friend.

"Now... hold still." The fiend said in a deep, dark and velvety voice. However, the figure stopped as a small whimper rose in the air. Butterscotch all to late realized his mistake, shivering with fear as the tall creature turned it's gaze toward's him, staring at him with the same piercing eyes he had seen in his dreams; sharp, fiery and hungry. However, as their eyes met, the figure seemed to freeze as well, knowing it had been caught.

This was the same creature that had haunted his nightmares! He knew in his heart and could feel it in his veins. At first he thought perhaps this was just another dream, but no, no he knew this was real. Oh sweet Solaris, this was real! His lungs tensed and his lips shook, about to scream for help. But before another noise could ever leave his lips, the ghastly thing lunged forwards into the air and tackled him, pinning him to the ground beneath a massive paw, while covering his mouth with sharp talons.

He closed his eyes and waited. This was it. This was how he died. His heart thumped furiously fast in his chest, his head spinning as he awaited the killing blow... yet, it never came.

"Why did you have to find me like this..." The voice said with a hint of sadness. "I never wanted you to ever have to see me like this..."

He... he knew that voice. The same voice he had found comfort in not too long ago... in a lake side villa... slowly he opened his eyes and looked up at the face of his assailant.

Looking back at him was a strange yet familiar face, with long silver-white hair surrounding it. Two horns crowned her head, one an antler, the other similar to that of a goat. Her golden eyes had softened, glowing not as fierce, and she sported only one fang instead of two. His body began to calm, his muscles relaxing as she slowly removed her talons from his mouth.

Butterscotch found it difficult to find what to say, staring up the strange and familiar face of the pony he had once knew, now in the form of what had long plagued his nightmares.

Slowly, she rose back to her feet, taking a few steps back to let him regain himself. Slowly, the flabbergasted Butterscotch did make it back to his hooves, standing there before her unsure of what to do or say. He glanced back to Rainbow, who was still motionless where she had left him, his eyes swirling with hypnotic color.

She seemed to grimace at his question... "...I've been many things... and gone by many names... I'm a creature of the night..."

Eris looked back to the hypnotized stallion, "... I was calling to you Butterscotch.... I was calling to you my dearest... but he answered me instead."

Butterscotch felt his tongue go dry as the words formed on it, "... v-vampire...?"

She looked at him again, her eyes glowing bright. She didn't need to say it. He knew.

"And... and you where about to... " He grimaced at the idea... "Release him. Please... release him Eris..."

Her gaze turned stern as stone, "I need sustenance Butterscotch... to survive..."

"Eris... please, spare him!" He begged, taking a shaky step towards her. "Please Eris, let him go. I'll do anything for you, just please let him go!"

Eris stood there in silence for a moment, leaving Butterscotch to hold his breathe in nervous anticipation for her answer. "For you, my dearest, very well. But on one condition..."

"Meet me then in three days time at the old bridge that spans the river that flows though this city. Meet me there and midnight. Bring no one. We have much to talk about..."

The stallion's breath was shaky as he thought over her request, "I'll meet you there. Three days time... just please, set him free."

Eris nodded and strode back over to the prettified Rainbow Blitz, running her talons through his multi-colored mane as the mist billowed around her. "Remember my dear.... three days." And with that, the slender figure of Eris vanished into the mist, taking the spell that held Rainbow with her, leaving him to collapse on the ground.

Butterscotch rushed to his unconscious friend and lifted up his head. He was unharmed for what he could tell, just firmly rooted into sleep. He sighed in relief knowing his friend was safe once again, but the fear of what was to come quickly returned. He looked out into the misty streets, wondering what he had just agreed to...

The Angel in Red

by Inkquill

Act II, Scene III