//------------------------------//
// The Story Behind the Story 
// Story: Cutie Mark Crusaders: Legend Hunters 
// by Unicorncob 
//------------------------------//

Once the fillies were given a glass of apple juice each, they were sat in an empty couch, prepared to listen. Kandyl was still laid across her own sofa, Night Chill dutifully at her side, while Nimue walked into the space in front of the fire. Her horn glowed, and another, larger purple-and-black swirl appeared in the air. The centre showed the image of a Unicorn filly and a filly with bat wings.
Nimue explained how she and Kandyl were foalhood friends, and kept each other company when their families were shunned and feared by ‘normal ponies’ for being what they were. They had dark magic powers and knowledge, and their families had made a reputation for being… not as civil as the current generation the fillies were currently looking at in the room.
The images in the swirl changed as the story went on. In the last few centuries, the two fillies had managed to make more of a good reputation for themselves, becoming less feared and more of local legends. Anypony fortunate enough to run into them were treated well.
But Nimue had more luck with being well respected, as Kandyl explained as she elected to take over the story. A vampony didn’t have as much luck, but Kandyl was slowly but surely mending relations with the ponies of Hollow Shades. With a small, harmless, occasional donation of ‘life essence’, as she called it in an attempt to not spook the fillies, from the locals, she would keep them protected from any danger. It was a good agreement she had kept up for decades upon decades.
Until Crow Quill came into power. For some reason, as soon as he became Mayor, he began fear mongering amongst the locals that Kandyl would turn on them and turn everypony in town, adult and foal alike, into a vampony like her.
Kandyl kept insisting that wasn’t true, but Quill was a charismatic leader and got his way, so she had to shut herself away from the town and even fight off the occasional hunter. So Nimue began staying over for the Nightmare Night season, as her castle staff had that time off but Night Chill insisted on staying to tend to her needs.

The Crusaders soon began to feel silly for fearing the two mares. They were technically classed as monsters, but they were just as much ponies as the three of them were. In fact, looking amongst themselves, they could tell they were all thinking the same thing--they wanted to help them with Crow Quill. They never had a good feeling about him anyway.

Nimue gave the fillies a warm smile. “Now then, any questions~?”
“Ah got one,” Apple Bloom said, raising a hoof. “If y’all, well, ‘feed’ from ponies, don’t that make them turn into vamponies too?”
Kandyl burst into an amused giggle. “Pay the stories no mind, my dear. It doesn’t work that way, but I won’t bore you with the details~”
Apple Bloom nodded, satisfied with the answer. Scootaloo was next to raise a hoof.
“What about Night Chill?” the Pegasus asked, looking toward the butler who had been so quiet and still she forgot he was there for a while. “You never even mentioned him. What’s his story?”
Night Chill, after a permitting nod from Kandyl, bowed his head. “There is not much to tell,” he said softly. “I have been a loyal servant and guardian to the Von Akeldama clan for centuries.”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “Centuries?! How old are--I mean, how do you--?”
“I prefer to keep my secrets,” the butler said simply, raising his head again.
Scootaloo looked to Kandyl for an answer, but she shook her head with a smile. “Even I’m not sure myself. All I know is he is the most helpful stallion I know, and the sweetest thing~”
The stallion glanced away, the ghost of a smile appearing on his muzzle. “You flatter me, milady.”

Finally, it was Sweetie Belle’s turn. “We have an assignment to do for school; we need to talk about local legends and I, kinda accidentally, blurted out that we were gonna write about… well, the Hollow Shades Vampony and the White Tail Witch, actually.”
Nimue snorted into her hoof. “And here you are, speaking to the very ponies. My good fortune still works after all this time~”
“Quite so,” Kandyl nodded with a smile. “So what, you wish to interview us?”
“Sorta,” the Unicorn filly shrugged. “But, I have an offer for you. What if, if we help you sort out this mess with Crow Quill, you let us find out more about you two?”

The two mares looked at each other, considering the offer. Kandyl looked back at the fillies. “You can do that, can you?”
“Sure we can!” boasted Scootaloo, hopping onto her hooves on the sofa. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
“Is that so?” Nimue smiled knowingly. “I have heard about you three. You’re quite talented in helping ponies discover the purpose of their cutie marks, if I’m correct~”
“That’s us!” Apple Bloom chirped, raising her chin with pride.
“Well, we have no issues with ours~” the Witch giggled.

The Crusaders took this moment to look at the ponies’ cutie marks. Kandyl’s was a red rose with the two thorny leaves shaped like bat wings; Nimue’s was a ghostly blue star with a jack-o-lantern face on it; and Night Chill’s was a black cloud with a black and purple magic coiled around it.

“Well, this sounds like a good plan to me,” said Kandyl, a smirk crossing her muzzle. “Help us with this little problem, and we’ll tell you all we know. Fail, and well, I may just have to have a snack~”
The fillies felt a fearful chill, before Apple Bloom pointed out, “But y’all don’t hurt fillies, right…?”
“I’m only joking,” she giggled, then looked at Nimue. “But she, on the other hoof…”
Nimue stepped forward, smirking darkly. “I may just turn you all into little toads and use your mucus for potions~”
The fillies squeaked, shivering until the witch and vampony burst into fits of laughter.
“I’ve still got it~” Nimue chirped.

The Crusaders sighed and just gave the mares grumpy looks for a moment, before nodding agreement. Sweetie Belle hopped off the couch and approached Kandyl holding out a hoof. “We have a deal?”
Kandyl smirked and pressed her larger hoof against it. “We do indeed~”

“Pardon my interruption,” Night Chill suddenly spoke up with his horn glowing, making the fillies jump. His stony silence was practically masterful. “But we seem to have another--”
He was cut off by the sound of the bedroom door being loudly thrown open.
“--guest.”

The Crusaders looked and saw a rainbow-maned Pegasus clad in shiny Legion armour standing in the doorway, her chest heaving as she panted for air.
“Rainbow Dash!” they chirped happily.
“Girls, there you are!” she cried, gasping as she swooped over. “You won’t believe how boring those competitions are! Who in Tartarus plays bingo on Nightmare Night?! And who are you two?” She glared at Nimue and Kandyl. “Are you keepin’ them prisoner? Cuz I swear, if you harmed a single hair on their manes I’m gonna--”
She froze and turned to look at the fillies.
“--...why do you have apple juice?”