In the silence of a city fast asleep, the sound of hooves against pavement rang out like thunder in a once peaceful sky.
Galloping through the otherwise deserted streets were two mares. In the lead was Octavia. Her normally flawless mane was in disarray and her eyes were wild.
Only a foot or so behind her was Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl had shed her signature shades to reveal a pair of fear-filled eyes. Splattered against her side—the color harsh against her white fur—was what could have been a splash of red paint across an artist's canvas. Unfortunately, it was not.
Octavia rounded a corner at full gallop. She nearly careened into the side of a building as she did so. Her mind caught up with her limbs seconds before a nasty impact. As it was, Octavia instead pressed herself firmly against the wall as if begging it to console her. She stood there fighting her desire to rest. Unfortunately, petty physical limitations were not to be conquered this night.
Vinyl—her energy also spent—collapsed next to Octavia. She strained her ears to pick up anything through her loud panting. She could only hear the distant rustling of leaves and the whisper of a light breeze. Starting to regain her breath, Vinyl nudged Octavia's side.
Octavia translated this action at once. She hesitated, her hoof resting lightly on what was strapped to her right side. It felt so much lighter and more useless than it had earlier. With a resigned sigh, Octavia unstrapped the quiver of arrows and placed it at Vinyl's hooves.
A mere two arrows remained. Vinyl felt a small sense of relief. So they hadn't blown through all of their stock after all. However, given the pitiful amount, they were pretty much shut down on that front regardless.
Octavia pulled her last remaining dagger from her saddlebag. Its polished blade shone in the moonlight. Octavia held it before her, eyes closed. She silently promised that whatever happened, she was not letting this dagger get away.
A similar promise was made a moment later. This time it was made by Vinyl to her ax. She ran a hoof across the blade. Vinyl smirked at the trail of red—not her own blood—that in the darkness seemed to split her hoof in two. In situations like this, an ax was just about all a pony could trust.
“Two minutes,” Octavia said.
Vinyl nodded. Once they were out of Canterlot, it was a matter of depending on tree cover and sticking to secluded back roads. They might not make it to Ponyville, but with any luck it wouldn't matter.
Octavia struggled with the strap on her quiver.
“A little help,” she said.
Vinyl's horn lit up. She was smiling. They might be able to survive after all, lack of arrows be damned.
“Hurry up,” Octavia snapped.
Vinyl gave the strap a small tug. As she did so, she once again heard the distant rustling of leaves. However, this time she could have sworn it was not so distant. It sounded as if it originated from feet—perhaps only inches—away from her. Vinyl noticed the breeze was no longer light, nor did it feel like a breeze. It felt instead like a piece of cloth—light as air—brushing across her side. Vinyl froze.
“What's the matter?” Octavia asked.
She did not have the chance to get an answer. Octavia gasped. She had felt something skitter across her back. Too quick for her to form a coherent impression, but distinct enough for her to know it had happened. Octavia felt something brush against her side.
The ax flew from its makeshift holster in the grip of Vinyl's magic. The moon having hidden its face behind a cloud, she squinted into the darkness. Both her and Octavia knew the darkness was no ally to them in this fight.
“Show yourselves,” whispered Octavia.
Canterlot as a whole did not stir, but its enemies did.
Vinyl's ax was yanked from her magic's grasp. It spun wildly for a second, then was flung into the air. It sailed at least ten feet. Its journey came to an abrupt end as it collided with a shop window. The glass shattered and flew inward with the force of the impact.
Octavia took a single step forward, dagger in her mouth. A shadow detached itself from the darkness and slammed into her. She was thrown backwards into the wall hard enough to leave a sizable crack. The dagger flew from Octavia's mouth as she cried out. The quiver of arrows fell from her side.
Vinyl untied the bow from her side and grabbed an arrow with her magic. She aimed at the shrieking shadow lunging towards her. With a tiny spark of magic, Vinyl set the arrow on fire. The shadow was only a feet from her when she finally loosed the burning arrow.
The arrow hit the creature square in the forehead. It let out an enraged screech. The fire began to spread at a fast rate. In mere seconds, the creature's entire head had become an inferno. It fell to the ground writhing and shrieking. The creature burned as if it was made of old parchment.
Octavia took a few seconds to regain her bearings. A blow like that would have knocked out a pegasus or a unicorn, but Earth ponies were made of tougher stuff. Octavia gave her head a firm shake, then she picked up the dropped dagger in her mouth. She barely had time to turn her head before another one of the creatures was rushing towards her.
Meanwhile, Vinyl was making a beeline towards her ax. Unarmed, she was forced to rely on her agility. Vinyl dodged one of the creatures as it tried to ram into her. The creature regained itself and went for her again without a second's pause. Vinyl cried out as she briefly felt teeth—long and sharp—digging into a point just below her neck. Then there was a flash of light. Vinyl had cast the fire spell again, this time aiming it at the ground. The creature let go of her and stumbled backwards with an enraged growl.
Meanwhile, the creature was upon Octavia in a single blink. She cried out as a pair of hooves pinned her against the wall. The creature opened its mouth to reveal a pair of razor sharp fangs. Cackling harshly, it wrapped Octavia's mane around its hoof and started pulling. Octavia fought desperately against the creature's incredible strength.
Vinyl reached the shattered store window. She could hear more of the creatures coming, their animalistic cries filling the once silent night. Vinyl predicted at least thirty. Her estimate climbed as she stepped carefully through the window frame and into the store. Vinyl wanted to feel safer indoors, but she knew walls offered no sanctuary from this nightmare. She avoided the glass as best she could as she stepped forward.
No!
The word went off like an alarm bell in Vinyl's head. She stopped, her fur standing on end and her ears alert. Vinyl could feel steady, cold breaths against the side of her face. She knew if she dared to turn, she would see nothing. With every frantic throb of her heart, Vinyl became more aware of the darkness surrounding her. This was more complete, more sinister, than the darkness outside. Vinyl could hear shuffling noises and barely muffled heavy breathing. She knew if she dared to move an inch, she would be set upon and torn apart. Vinyl was being hunted.
All this was completely unknown to Octavia, who was at the moment dealing with her own problems. She had found that her struggling made not the slightest difference. The creature was enjoying dragging out Octavia's demise. Octavia's petty attempts at freeing herself weren't going to disrupt its fun.
Strange, Octavia thought. Aren't I supposed to be panicking? Should I be begging Princess Celestia to absolve me of my sins?
The creature was now pressing its hoof against Octavia's throat. It grinned at Octavia's increasingly weak and choked protests.
“You fool,” said a voice.
A pair of hooves seemed to detach themselves from the darkness itself. They planted themselves firmly on either side of the creature's head.
“Why didn't you kill her immediately?” the voice asked. “You're useless.”
The voice sounded like that of a distinguished older gentlecolt.
With one firm pull, the mysterious newcomer wrenched the creature's head from its body. The creature shrieked like a wounded animal. Its shrieks steadily increased in volume as its now headless body fell over. The body spasmed for a few seconds, then went still. The shrieking stopped and the creature's eyes closed.
“Filthy animals,” the voice continued. “Driven to a predatory state by their lust for blood. Pathetic.”
Octavia squinted into the darkness. She was trying to make out what her mysterious rescuer looked like.
“Who the devil are you?” she asked.
Octavia was given no warning. She heard the swish of a cape, followed by a sophisticated chuckle. Then she was flat on her back, her head ringing. The sky seemed to be dancing in and out of focus, even as Octavia tried desperately to keep her mind and body steady. She reached out both hooves as if begging the moon for some kind of intervention. As her vision swam, a face appeared above her.
“Then again, you are the perfect prey,” the voice said.
Octavia vaguely felt something sharp against her right hind leg. Her vision went even more fuzzy.
“Vi-Vinyl,” she choked out.
The pony leaning over her—if he could even be called that—gently pressed a hoof against Octavia's mouth and shushed her.
Vinyl closed her eyes, willing herself to think. No sudden moves. Easy enough. Unfortunately, standing there forever was not an option. If she made a move, it was going to have to be quick and precise.
The creatures were closing in, yet none of them had gone into attack mode yet. This was a game to them.
Vinyl closed her eyes. What would Octavia do? No, Octavia would never find herself in this kind of situation. She would have known better than to go after the ax and voluntarily trap herself. However, what would be Octavia's optimal escape plan if faced with a similar situation?
The creatures had begun moving around restlessly. They knew Vinyl had detected their presences.
Vinyl's horn lit up. Her magic wrapped itself around a large shard of glass inches from her hoof. She held her breath as she did so. Vinyl was relieved when the creatures did not immediately rush to attack her. She wasn't sure what in the world her plan was, but an idea was forming.
A door behind the counter slammed open. A bright light cut through the darkness and shone directly into Vinyl's eyes.
“What in the name of the princesses is going on here?” a voice demanded.
Vinyl paled. How could she have been so short-sighted? Of course the shop owner lived above their shop. Of course there was some sort of silent alarm or enchantment to alert them of a break-in. Of course all the strange noises would have encouraged them to take a peek instead of just rushing out to find a royal guard.
The creatures pounced on the newcomer immediately. In the wildly dancing beam of the flashlight, Vinyl only caught a glimpse of a terrified face framed by a white mane. Then all was obscured by what looked like a descending cloud of inky blackness dotted with tiny flames.
The creature nearest to Vinyl came in for the kill. Vinyl swung the shard of glass held in her magic. The creature screeched as the glass left a crimson line across its throat. Before the creature could recover itself, Vinyl had plunged the glass into its chest. The creature stepped backwards, its hooves fumbling as it tried to dislodge the shard. It flashed Vinyl one final look of utter hatred before collapsing lifeless.
As if somepony had rung a dinner bell, several creatures came surging through the shattered window and into the store.
The door the unlucky shop owner had come through was still open. With one glance behind her, Vinyl made a hasty escape. She leapt over the counter and darted through the door. Vinyl slammed the door behind her. She listened to the furious scratching and raspy laughter from the outside while she got her bearings.
After a minute that felt like twenty, Vinyl turned around. She was standing in a narrow hallway ending in an even narrower flight of stairs. Vinyl considered. The ax was a bust, but could there possibly be some kind of weapon up there? It was a long shot, but her other option—fling open the door and throw herself into Tartarus—wasn't ideal. Vinyl trotted forward and mounted the stairs.
The door at the top of the stairs was open. The room consisted of a small bedroom-kitchen combo with all the trimmings of a living room.
Vinyl closed the door quietly behind her. Yet again, an extremely crazy idea was forming in her head.
Octavia felt herself being dragged across the ground. She shouted at whoever was dragging her to leave her be because they were ruining her mane. At least, Octavia thought she shouted it. Everything was distant and hazy, as if Octavia was viewing the world from a thousand yards away.
“Isn't it wonderful?” the voice was saying. “All this resistance, all this needless rebellion against the inevitable.”
Octavia tried to nod, although she wasn't sure what she was agreeing to.
“It's so entertaining,” the voice went on. “You cling to this rebellion all the way to your dying breath, yet you can't see the big picture.”
Octavia thought she could hear snarls and hisses. If she'd been able to, she would have shuddered. She knew those sounds all too well. They followed Octavia into her nightmares.
“Do you hear that?” said the voice. “They are animals. Simple-minded predators who have become slaves to their own lust for the forbidden drink of life.”
The voice gave a hearty chuckle.
“I suppose you agree that they are not worthy of the title others would give them,” the voice said. “I cannot disagree with your sentiment. These disgusting creatures lost the right to such a noble title the moment they surrendered themselves.”
The hissing and snarling stopped.
“How cute,” the voice said. “She thinks I can't smell her.”
Octavia heard a crash, followed by shrieks and howls of rage.
Vinyl charged down the staircase. Clutched in her mouth was a fire poker and held in her magic was a lantern burning brightly. She did not pause as she neared the group of creatures waiting at the bottom of the stairs in front of the destroyed door.
One of the creatures charged directly towards her at an incredible speed.
The poker would have speared the creature through the head. However, rather than brandish this optimal weapon, Vinyl instead swung the lantern. The creature was little more than a blur as it raced towards her, but she managed to hit it square in the face. The lantern shattered on impact. The creature howled as its head burst into flames, the fire spreading to most of its body in mere seconds.
Vinyl smiled to herself. She'd been counting on the fact that the hallway and staircase were too narrow to allow more than one attack at a time. Vinyl aimed a magic blast directly at the burning creature. She watched as the creature was flung back into its fellows by the impact. The creatures hissed and scrambled away from the flailing inferno that had once been their comrade. Vinyl was right behind the creatures as they fled the hallway.
Vinyl expected a full-on fight once she was out in the open. She was prepared to grab her ax and book it for the shattered store window. However, to her surprise the creatures seemed unwilling to attack her. Vinyl was bemused until she realized there was somepony less than four feet away from her.
This pony resembled the creatures in the most basic sense—dead white fur, lack of mane, and pointed ears—but otherwise he appeared normal. His eyes burned with an intelligence only a well-read pony could possess.
Vinyl's heart sank. This pony was not a mere animalistic desire for blood trapped in an equine form. This was a true vampire.
The vampire took a step forward.
“I believe this belongs to me now,” he said.
He indicated the pony he had been dragging behind him.
Vinyl followed the rope tied around his waist. Her blood ran cold. The other end of the rope was tied around one of Octavia's hind legs. She saw that Octavia was lying on her back with a dazed expression on her face.
“Then again, all of you worthless sacks of flesh and blood belong to me,” the vampire said. “Some of you just take too long to realize.”
Vinyl growled. She took a step forward, poker at the ready.
The vampire's eyes glowed a menacing red.
“You don't want to do that,” he said.
Vinyl watched in horror as Octavia's body lifted into the air. It drifted upwards as if pulled by some leisurely wave across a lake. As Octavia drifted further from the floor, the rope around her hind leg began to strain. The rope—tight enough to cut off circulation—showed no signs of breaking anytime soon. The more the rope strained, the more likely it seemed it might tear Octavia's hoof off.
“Made that rope myself,” the vampire said proudly. “As strong as a chain if tied correctly. Rather unfortunate for her, isn't it?”
The creatures had gathered under Octavia's floating body. They were salivating profusely as if waiting for an inevitable rain of blood.
“She's bound to me,” the vampire said.
Vinyl dropped the poker and took several steps back. Her heart was pounding and she could feel the rage growing inside her. However, Vinyl forced herself to back off.
Octavia's body descended as the creatures scattered. She gently touched down on the floor. Her expression had not changed in the slightest.
For the first time, Vinyl noticed the series of small and deliberate cuts across Octavia's side. She trembled in both anger and fear. She knew the cuts were how this vampire had “bound” Octavia. He knew the rules as well as Vinyl did.
“You're wondering what I want,” the vampire said. “Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the things I want are impossible for you to obtain.”
The vampire glanced back at Octavia. His expression was almost loving.
“She would make a perfect addition to our kind,” he said. “Don't you agree?”
He shrugged.
“A pity I've already made up my mind,” he said. “Its been so long since I've fed.”
He gave Vinyl a little nod.
“I believe the time for games has passed,” he said. “If you're going to try to kill me, please get it over with. I'm sure you're itching for a good old-fashioned spar.”
A voice—calm yet filled with authority—came from the darkness.
“I am afraid you will not spar with her this night,” the voice announced. “Would thou not rather an opponent of equal strength and vitality?”
The vampire turned his head quickly, but he was not looking at the voice. He was staring at the length of rope leading to Octavia's leg. He watched as the rope was wrapped in a translucent blue aura. After a second, the rope simply vanished.
“What an amusing trick,” the vampire sneered. “I don't believe anypony in this room asked for your...”
A blast of magic hit the vampire. He screamed as he flew backwards into a display of plates. His snarls could be heard amidst the sounds of breaking china. Despite the shower of china, the vampire was up in an instant. His fangs bared and each eye a deep abyss of black, the vampire darted towards the direction the voice had come from.
Princess Luna—attired in a dark cloak and lacking her crown—stepped out of the shadows. A split second before the vampire would have crashed into her, she teleported behind him. Her wings flared like those of a bird of prey, Luna seized the vampire by his thinning tail and flung him into a shelf.
Vinyl had no idea what Luna was doing—even this amount of violence was not enough to injure a vampire—but she didn't care. Vinyl galloped over to Octavia. She gently took Octavia's head in her hooves. Her panic grew as she noticed that Octavia had closed her eyes.
The creatures had all rushed to join the join the fight. They charged towards Luna, their teeth bared. However, they were forced backwards as a wall of dark blue flame sprang up to block their path. Despite their frantic hissing, Luna herded the once advancing creatures into the corners of the shop.
The creatures now taken care of, Luna turned back to the vampire. He was silent and still. Luna guessed he was planning his next move. However, Luna was not one to stand and contemplate her enemy. She knew this particular enemy—or at least she knew his kind—too well to waste seconds. A strand of dark blue flame began to snake its way from Luna's horn.
The vampire moved as quickly as a flash of light. He went straight for Luna's neck. However, he only made it halfway before the flame whip wrapped around his torso. He struggled against his bounds.
“You do not dare!” he shouted. “They will tear you limb from limb. There will be nowhere in this miserable land you can hide.”
Luna smiled.
“You assume that I intend to hide,” she said. “I assure you that I have no intention of retreating into the shadows like some scared little worm.”
The whip tightened its grip around the vampire's torso.
“On the contrary, I will hunt them down,” Luna said. “When news of your demise reaches their ears, I shall cut them down one by one as they attempt their petty vengeance.”
Luna laughed.
“However, I do not think them that foolish,” she said.
The vampire's body exploded into bright blue flames. He fell to the ground, writhing and cursing as he burned like dry paper. He tried in vain to crawl towards the broken window. The vampire only managed to crawl a few inches before his hooves turned to ashes. He collapsed with a raspy cry of frustration.
Luna watched the vampire burning for a moment, then she turned to Vinyl and Octavia.
Tears were rolling down Vinyl's cheeks. She was rocking back and forth with Octavia's head in her lap. Vinyl was silently begging Octavia to awaken, but she had a feeling it was too late. She could sense the life draining rapidly from Octavia's body.
Luna walked over to Vinyl and Octavia. She observed Octavia's barely moving body for a moment. Then she reached into the large saddlebag at her side. She pulled out a vial of light purple liquid. She poured a few drops of it into Octavia's slightly open mouth.
Octavia was still for a few minutes. Then she gave a small cough. This was followed by a louder, rougher cough. Octavia's eyes fluttered open.
“Oh dear,” she muttered. “What time is it?”
Vinyl's eyes filled with tears. The terrifying ordeal she had just gone through suddenly seemed like a distant memory.
Luna put herself in charge of clean-up. She normally would have left it to Octavia and Vinyl, but she had a feeling they were both too drained. She hummed to herself as she repaired the broken store window. This was hardly the most exciting night she'd ever had, but Luna couldn't complain about the outcome.
“I do apologize, Princess,” said Octavia. “I realize my incompetence could have had dire consequences.”
Luna waved her hoof dismissively.
“Thou is obliged to steady thy mind,” Luna said. “I witnessed nothing short of complete obedience to my demands. Thou performed as well as can be expected against such an unpredictable and deadly foe.”
Vinyl was cradling her ax as if it were her foal. She cared more about Octavia than her precious ax, but she was glad to have it back. It had done some great things for her over the years. A few minutes ago, this very ax had assisted in the utter destruction of over two dozen creatures. Granted, it had mostly been Luna. However, Vinyl liked to think her and her ax had done much to aid in their victory.
“This is an important victory for our kind,” Luna went on. “It shall not earn us a page in any history book, but those in our circles shall tell tales of us for many a century.”
Luna backed away from the repaired window. She examined her work with satisfaction. Nopony would notice the difference. The inside would be a little trickier, but Luna was certain it would only take an hour or so to repair all those broken dishes and shelves.
“Do you want us to take care of the bodies?” asked Octavia.
Luna shook her head.
“As always, there is little to take care of,” she said. “I shall do away with all of it without your help, my brave ponies.”
Octavia frowned.
“What about the shopkeeper?” she asked.
Luna turned and slid a hoof under Octavia's chin. She tilted Octavia's head up to gaze directly into her eyes.
“You needn't involve yourself in such matters,” she said. “The shopkeeper is gravely injured, but I shall tend to her. She shall believe she was attacked by a group of burglars and that I came to her aid.”
The lie would be paper-thin of course, but who would doubt the word of a princess? Luna had the utmost confidence she could pull this off without Octavia and Vinyl being unfairly dragged into it.
Octavia nodded. She knew what Princess Luna was doing and she appreciated it. As far as anypony else knew, Octavia had gone to Canterlot for a concert and Vinyl had tagged along. No questions would be asked, no accusations would surface. Anypony close to them would have already accepted their late homecoming as the norm for these situations. It helped that the concert itself was not at all fictitious and neither was Octavia's performance in it.
“Until we meet again,” said Octavia.
She bowed. Vinyl followed Octavia's lead, her arm wrapped around her.
Luna nodded. She watched Octavia and Vinyl turn and trot away.
Morning was fast approaching. Canterlot would be waking up soon. Fortunately, Canterlot would be waking up as ignorant to the realities of the night as they had been prior to sleep. The streets had quieted, but Octavia and Vinyl knew there would be other nights like this. Perhaps not in Canterlot, but somewhere in Equestria there would be another night like this sometime soon.
Octavia leaned her head against Vinyl's side as they walked.
“I love you,” she whispered.
She was ready for those nights. They both were.