//------------------------------//
// Confronting Crow Quill 
// Story: Cutie Mark Crusaders: Legend Hunters 
// by Unicorncob 
//------------------------------//

After giving Rainbow Dash a quick synopsis of the events that occurred in the castle, the Crusaders clued her in on the plan they and the two legend ponies had organised. Once all was set straight, the six of them travelled back to Hollow Shades.
The locals in the town square were treated to a flash of purple magic as Nimue and the Crusaders appeared, then a flash of ghostly white as Night Chill came next. A spiral of black smoke appeared between them, quickly spinning around as Kandyl stepped out into view, her red eyes glowing amongst the streetlights. The musicians came to a clumsy halt as everypony turned to give the newcomers their attention.
Those not native to the town were impressed and even applauded the entrances, thinking it was part of a show. The local ponies were more fearful, recognising the sharp fangs, bat wings and red eyes of the Vampony.
“Good evening,” she began, smiling as she raised a hoof, causing some ponies to flinch and yelp. “Despite vhat you may believe, nopony is here to harm you. Ve simply vish to join in the festivities! It has been a while since I last celebrated Nightmare Night in town, and so I--”

“How dare you?!” Crow Quill’s voice roared amongst the crowd, and ponies parted to allow the Mayor passage. He threw the pumpkin head off, revealing a face contorted into a glare of pure rage that made the Crusaders back up in fear.
Kandyl, however, kept her composure, not moving a muscle. “How dare I?”
“You know the agreement!” the Earth Pony snarled. “You keep your evil away from my town! Your spell over the former townsponies will not work on me!”
“Vhat spell? The curse of being a decent pony?” the Vampony snarked.
“Yeah!” Apple Bloom barked, finding her Earth Pony courage as she stepped forward. “When’s the last time y’all heard of Kandyl harmin’ another pony? Even before Crow Quill showed up?”
“You keep out of this,” growled the Mayor. “I knew you had something to do with this. I told you to keep away from this freak, and here you are leading her right to us! Why are today’s foals so stupid that they can’t even follow a simple order?!”

But the locals had begun muttering amongst themselves, starting to question what was happening in front of them.
“My grandpa disappeared a while back,” a mare in a seapony costume pointed out, “Crow Quill said it was the Vampony’s doing.”
The Mayor jabbed at the air toward the mare. “See? See?!”
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. “Did Crow Quill prove it?”
The seapony blinked slowly. “Well, no… come to think of it, my grandpa was discussing visiting the castle to see about making friends with the Vampony at the time.”
“I don’t want threats to my town’s normalcy, what is the big deal?” Crow Quill sighed. “So what if I had the old fossil sent away to keep him quiet? He’s alive, presumably, and not a slave of this monster!” He stomped toward Kandyl, but was halted when Night Chill stepped between them, glaring daggers.

“Now that you mention it,” a stallion in some tacky skeleton makeup spoke up, “don’t you usually see signs of a vampire attack? Nopony’s vanished or been turned… well, they’ve disappeared after talking about going up to the castle.
“Shut up!” Crow Quill snapped at the stallion, making him flinch. “Dressing up as freaks and making complete donkeys of yourselves I can tolerate, but having some unnatural, non-normal monsters running around in my town, I will not stand!”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Why do you hate Kandyl so much?”
“Because she’s a monster!” Crow Quill nearly yelled, his ‘calm, compassionate leader’ facade breaking down more and more. “I bet she doesn’t even know how many ponies she has taken from us!”
“Zero, actually,” the Vampony spoke up calmly. The Crusaders were almost in awe of how well she was taking all this. “Because i have not taken anypony to be my slave or vhatever silly theory you have. I only vant to be a respectable member of the town.”
“If you want to do us a favour, you can leave,” the Mayor snarled quietly. “Or better yet, do us all a favour and burn into ashes when dawn comes!”
“Another myth,” Kandyl tutted.

“C’mon everypony,” Apple Bloom called as she stepped forward. “Y’all seein’ this? Crow Quill’s claims just plum don’t make sense! If Kandyl really wanted to make servants out of ya, she would’a done it by now!”
“We spoke to her,” Sweetie Belle chimed in, “and she’s actually really nice. Everypony knew that before Crow Quill showed up!”
Scootaloo jumped to her friends’ side. “Why would that change now? She’s not vengeful or anything!”

But some of the locals and partygoers were starting to get involved now. Angry muttering began to surface, and Crow Quill took a breath as a slimy smirk crossed his muzzle. The Crusaders began to feel nervous and backed up again.
“See? Even everypony here is convinced you--AGH!” he was cut off by somepony yanking him back by the tail from behind. He turned to see the seapony mare behind him, furrowing her eyebrows.
“Leave her alone!” she demanded.
A stallion approached next. “Yeah, why are you being so nasty all of a sudden?”
And other ponies began shouting at the Mayor, making him more and more nervous.

“What’s your problem?!”
“If Kandyl didn’t like you, she would have gotten rid of you long ago!”
“She’s not hurting anypony, you could tell if she was!”

The Crusaders, Nimue and Kandyl all smirked at each other, satisfied to see Crow Quill’s true colours emerging.
The Witch stepped forward. “It seems we do have a monster in our midst, Mr Quill~”

“I-I don’t have to take this!” The Mayor snarled and rushed out of the crowed, and backed up toward the town hall. “I’ll write a letter to Princess Celestia! Yes, I’ll have the lot of you dealt with! See how cocky you are when you have the Royal Sisters breathing down your necks!”
Rainbow Dash swooped over the crowd, a dung-eating smirk on her face. “As an Element of Harmony, I kinda have direct ties to the Royal Sisters,” she pointed out. “Not to mention I’m in the Princess of Friendship’s royal court. Who do ya think Celestia’s gonna listen to? But hey, you’re welcome to try!”

Crow Quill spluttered, having no comeback at last. All he could think to do was let out an aggravated roar before rushing back into the town hall.

“Don’t worry about him,” the Element of Loyalty called to the locals. “We got a week-long party to have!”
“Exactly,” Kandyl smirked and stepped forward. “I believe I heard music on my way in, please don’t let me keep you.”
The musicians shrugged and counted themselves back into the tune they had been playing before. And not long after, the ponies were back into party mode.

“Thank you very much, you three,” Kandyl smiled down at the Crusaders. “If not for you, I probably vould be still moping in my castle.”
“Even I couldn’t get her to do it,” Nimue added, and gave Sweetie Belle’s witch hat a playful flick. “You must have some magic of your own~”

The Crusaders grinned at each other and bumped hooves, rather pleased with themselves. Another problem put to bed. Or the coffin, maybe?

“Now then, before ve help you,” the Vampony smiled and looked around. “Please show me around this new ‘Horrorfest’. Where is the apple bobbing I have heard about. I need to learn what bobbing is~!” She practically pranced off, leaving an eye-rolling Night Chill to trot after her.