Twilight flinched as a party cracker went off just behind her, sprinkling her back with a dusting of ribbons and confetti. She turned to see her assailant, a slightly tottering Minuette, giggling mischievously and raising a hoof. “Sorry, Princess,” she slurred merrily, “I thought I was aiming more that way.” She shifted her hoof to the right, and in doing so nearly tipped over. Twilight managed to catch her with a wing and set her straight just in time.”
“Just Twilight, please,” she reminded for what felt like the hundredth time that night, before adding, “and it’s okay, although you might wanna take it easy on the cider from now on.”
Minuette simply giggled more as she nodded. “Yeah, I guess I should probably call it a night. I haven’t partied this hard since I got my dentigree!” She began scanning palace’s main hall. “I just gotta thank Pinkie before I go. She really pulled out all the stops for this one!”
As if summoned, Pinkie abruptly appeared from behind a table the two stood next to. “You’re welcome!” she trilled, pulling the intoxicated unicorn into a crushing hug. “I’m just so super glad you could make it! Now come on! Let’s find somepony to help you walk home!”
Twilight sighed quietly as the overwhelmed pony was led away. She hadn’t been lying. Pinkie had well and truly outdone herself. The treats, the decorations, the entertainment, and indeed, the more adult indulgences that had come out later in the evening, had all been top notch. It had been going since two in the afternoon, and only now, well past midnight, had it finally begun to wind down.
The greatest testament to the party’s quality was that it had actually managed to distract Twilight from what would come after. Between her friends and a constant stream of well-wishers, including a surprise visit from Celestia, she’d been able to truly relax and have fun for the first time since her return to Ponyville, and she hadn’t realized how badly she’d needed it. Now, however, as the night was coming to a close, her nerves had begun to return.
Twilight sat down, swirling a glass of punch absentmindedly as her eyes sought out Octavia. In the thinning crowd, it took only a moment for her to locate the musician, who was chatting quietly with Mayor Mare. She stared exactly as long as one might deem normal, then for a few seconds longer, before wrenching her eyes back onto her glass.
The last several days had been absolute torture. Uncertainty over whether or not she’d done the right thing had nearly made her write Celestia twice, and her tremendous curiosity hadn’t helped matters at all. Between the two, she’d actually been grateful for the gargantuan workload she’d taken on, as it had kept her too busy to spend much time in musing. Besides, she thought, my patience is finally about to pay off. Just a little while longer, and I’ll finally be able to ask Octavia all the-
“Good evening, Twilight,” broke her out of her reverie with a start, and she found herself face to face with the very pony she’d been contemplating. Octavia wore a gentle smile, and one eyebrow was raised as she nodded at the glass. “Looking for answers? I’ve heard some ponies like to do that, although I always thought that the glass in question was supposed to have alcohol in it.”
“Huh?” blurted the startled mare, not comprehending the joke at first. “O-Oh, no,” she stammered, blushing now. “I was just thinking about things.”
“Of course,” replied Octavia, her tone a few degrees more serious. “Lots to think about, I’m sure.”
“Yeah,” was the wry reply. “Lots to think about.”
“I see. Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you from your thoughts for too long.” She winked. “I just wanted to come by and thank you for hosting such a marvelous party. I’m sure this one will go down in the records as one of the best. Incidentally, I was wondering if you’d like a hoof with the clean-up. Vinyl will be staying here for some time,” she nodded over her shoulder to the mare spinning records for a half full dance floor, “so I will be too, and I thought I might as well offer. It’s the least I can do.”
Twilight was immediately focused. Was this code? She hadn’t been expecting an actual procedure for the night, and wasn’t sure how best to respond. In the end, a simple, “Sure, if you’d like. I’m sure Pinkie would appreciate the help, and I know I would,” was all she could come up with.
Right or wrong, Octavia gave her a nod. “I’d love to. As I said, it’s the least I can do.” Her grin grew slightly and she tossed the alicorn a wink. “I’ll let you get back to those thoughts.” She turned without another word and began making her way toward one of the few remaining knots of ponies.
The remainder of the party went by like winter molasses. Even the spectacle of a salt-licking contest between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and the subsequent commotion, offered only a short respite from the crushing anticipation that now filled the evening. Twilight found herself swirling her punch almost compulsively, as if that would somehow speed time along and bring and end to her nerves. Inevitably, however, the party did draw to its close. Eventually Big Macintosh trundled out, his semiconscious sister on his back, leaving only Pinkie Pie, an utterly blitzed Rainbow Dash, Vinyl Scratch, and Octavia.
The party mare approached Twilight, somehow managing to keep the stumbling Rainbow upright and keeping pace. “I think Rainbow might’ve had teeeeensy tiny bit too much,” giggled Pinkie, “so I’m gonna let her stay at my place. I’ll be right back to help you clean up.”
“I resemnent. . . attempted Rainbow, “I mean I *hck* resme. . . Did not!” Both mares ignored her, which she didn’t seem to notice.
“There’s no need for that, Pinkie,” replied Twilight, knowing that she was currently talking to a brick wall. “You put all this together. It wouldn’t be fair to ask you to clean it up. As for Rainbow, why not just let her stay here? There are plenty of bedrooms in this place.”
“Because if I lose her here, I’ll never find her, silly!” Pinkie said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Besides, I like the clean up! Taking it all down is almost as much fun as putting it all up!”
Twilight nodded, unsurprised. “Alright. If you really wanna come back once you’ve taken care of Rainbow, then definitely. If not, it’s fine. Octavia and Vinyl said they’d help me.”
Pinkie shot a look at the two mares currently disassembling the DJ’s imposing sound system. When she looked back, she had a sly glint in her eyes. “Are you sure? I hear Octavia can get a little batty when it gets late.”
Twilight blinked. Despite the rampant curiosity, she’d still been hesitant to talk to Pinkie about what she’d learned, due mostly to the fact that she’d had no idea how to broach the topic, and little time to come up with one. Thus, she didn’t know if Pinkie knew she knew, or merely suspected. Fumbling for an appropriate response, she managed to say, “Er, well, she’s usually pretty calm, and most ponies only grow fangs when they’re grumpy. We should be fine.”
The party pony’s grin grew massive, and she managed to give Twilight a quick half hug before turning tail and marching their drunken compatriot toward the door. “Oki doki loki, Twilight. Have fun!”
“I wanna have fun!” whined the teetering pegasus as they made their way out.
Shaking her head, Twilight turned to find the DJ booth completely broken down, the two mares now quickly sorting each piece of equipment into its proper case. Not knowing what else to do, Twilight lit her horn, gathering a cloud of paper plates, used napkins, and plastic cups into a bag. Between the three of them, they managed to restore the hall back to its former glory in short order.
Twilight exhaled, trying to think of anything they might’ve missed before turning to her guests and saying, “So. . .”
“So. . .” echoed Octavia. “Where would you like to do this, Twilight? Would you like to sit down? As you hinted, this could be a long night.”
Twilight exhaled again, this time a bit heavier. This was finally happening, and her nerves had only gotten worse. “Er, yes, I would. Follow me. There’s study on the next floor that’d be perfect.”
Octavia and Vinyl fell wordlessly into step behind her as the princess led them up the nearest staircase and through a short hallway to a study she’d happened upon earlier that week. It had several comfortable seats, a table that would perfectly fit the three of them, and, most importantly, a window within easy leaping distance of said table. Just in case, she told
herself.
As they walked, Twilight began to cast a suite of spells designed to protect her from physical harm and magical influence. It worried her that she didn’t really know what kind of power she was trying to counter, but hoped to overcome her lacking knowledge by sheer volume.
If Octavia was concerned or offended by the gesture, she didn’t say anything.
Finally they reached the room, Twilight holding the door and lighting a few candles and lanterns with a quick spell while her guests filed in. A brief silence passed as the trio took their seats, one broken when Octavia repeated, “So. . . Where would you like to begin?”
Twilight’s horn flickered, and a quill and fresh roll of parchment appeared on the table with a snap. “Well, since it seems the most relevant, who are your ‘donors’, and how much do you take from them when you feed?”
Octavia nodded neutrally. “Very well. As you could probably guess, my main donor is Vinyl here.” She nodded to the mare, who pushed down her perpetual shades to give Twilight a wink. “When she’s out of town for one of her longer gigs, my go to donor is Golden Harvest, as she actually quite enjoys it. Occasionally Zecora and I will make a trade, a little of my blood to use in her potions in exchange for a little of hers. Pinkie volunteers if she knows I’ll be without Vinyl for an extended period, though I rarely need to use her. Finally, Bulk Biceps has helped me once or twice, though I try to leave him alone except in desperate situations, as it makes him very uncomfortable.”
Twilight scribbled furiously as she asked, “Why wouldn’t you make Golden Harvest you primary donor if she enjoys it?”
Octavia sighed. “Because she finds it sexually pleasing and I’m not attracted to her in that way, and because I don’t trust her as much as I trust Vinyl.”
Not having an answer for that, Twilight just blushed and continued writing. “Huh.”
“As for how much I drink, usually three mouthfuls of blood every five to seven days. Up to five if I’ve gone without or else am celebrating. Three mouthfuls is a pretty lean meal for a vampire, but it’s enough to keep me healthy.” She smiled. “Perk of being an old vampire.”
Twilight’s quill danced across the scroll again as she asked. “I see. Is there a risk of creating more vampires that way, or at least transmitting disease?”
Octavia shook her head. “Contrary to some myths, vampirism doesn’t spread through a bite. A vampire’s blood needs to be introduced to the bloodstream of a dying or freshly dead pony in order to begin the transformation. As for disease, it’s a risk, but no more than not washing a scrape, or being around a sick friend, and I’m extremely careful when it comes to feeding. It’s one more reason that I keep my pool of donors small.”
The princess nodded, turning her eyes to Vinyl. “What’s it like, being a donor?
Vinyl gave her a massive shrug before lighting her horn and taking hold of the quill and parchment, much to Twilight’s disapproval. “I don’t know,” she wrote. “It’s not like it’s some some huge part of my life. It’s more like part of our routine. Every few days, Octy bites me, drinks a little blood, it heals over, and we go back to doing our thing. Sure, it was pretty scary the first couple times, but I trust her. I knew she wasn’t gonna hurt me then, and we’ve done it so much now that it’s not a big deal anymore.”
Twilight tilted her head ruefully, wondering how long she’d need to adjust to something like that, before turning back to Octavia. “How does the blood cause the transformation?”
The vampire shook her head. “That I don’t know, Twilight. The magic involved is completely beyond me, even now.”
Twilight gave the mare a disappointed nod. “Alright. What about once the transformation is complete? What are its effects? What are the abilities of a vampire? You showed me your strength and speed. Are there any more?”
“Certainly,” the mare answered. “In addition to increased strength and speed, our senses are all greatly enhanced, we can recover from most injuries very quickly, and, as we briefly discussed last time, we can dazzle other beings to temporarily bend them to our will. Again, as you saw, we can also take on a more alluring appearance, particularly when the thirst is strong.” Pausing to let Twilight catch up, she continued, “In addition, each of the three tribes have vampiric gifts unique to them. Earth ponies have their strength and speed increased even further, as well as becoming very difficult to injure by conventional means. Pegasi gain more influence over creating and manipulating storms, and can turn themselves into mist. Unicorns have their magical power massively augmented, provided they’re well fed, and can become one with shadows and darkness. Finally, and most abstractly, we can do a number of things with our blood, though the gifts aren’t consistent between individual vampires, and we’d probably be here all night discussing nothing else if I went over all of those.”
Twilight paused to go over the notes she’d taken so far before continuing. “What about thestrals?”
The mare again shook her head. “To my knowledge, there has never been a thestral vampire. I couldn’t even speculate on what their additional powers would be. On that same note, only ponies can become vampires. Except in very small quantities, our blood is fatal when introduced to the bloodstream of any other creature.”
Twilight frowned hard as she made the note. “I see. Do you think that was by design?”
Octavia was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure. I know that King Sombra planned to rule over all races. It would make sense for him to have vampires of every race, due to our skill at infiltration. As far as I understand, vampires were a relatively new creation of his when the sisters banished him, so perhaps he hadn’t found a way to spread the curse farther. Then again, he was also paranoid. He may have feared that some other race would find a way to turn vampires against him.”
Twilight nodded, chewing on her next question nervously. She hadn’t been sure how to approach this line, but, now that they were there, she supposed she might as well just go for it. “You, um. . . if you were created by King Sombra, does that mean that you’re a crystal pony?”
The gray mare hummed. “I suppose. The differences are so superficial, and I’ve spent so much time hiding it, that I don’t really think of myself as one anymore.”
“Okay,” said Twilight with a sidelong nod. “How old are you then?”
“Do you mean how many years I’ve existed, or how old I was when I was turned?”
“Er. . . both, I guess.”
Again, Octavia nodded. “I was born one thousand forty-three years ago, less than a decade before Sombra’s rise to power. I was turned when I was nineteen.
“Nineteen,” the princess whispered, before shaking herself. “That’s younger than I expected. I take it vampirism keeps you from aging?”
Vinyl face-hoofed, and Octavia raised an amused eyebrow. “What do you think?”
Twilight blushed. “R-Right. So, what were you before you were turned? Were you as musically inclined back then as you are now?”
Octavia’s smile disappeared, and she looked down somberly. After a long silence she murmured, “I’ve always loved music. It’s always been a part of me. In those days, it was one of the only things that kept me going, but I could usually only play it in my head. There were only one or two of Sombra’s guards that cared about my music.”
Twilight’s eyebrows knit together, and a knot began to form in her stomach. “I’m sorry?”
The vampire blinked and looked back up. “No, I’m sorry Twilight. I lost myself for a moment there. It’s been a long time since I thought about any of this.” She cleared her throat. “To answer your question, I did love music, but it wasn’t what I did. I was a pleasure mare for Sombra’s soldiers.”
Twilight swallowed. “Ah. So. . . a prostitute, right?”
Octavia shrugged wryly. “Prostitutes get paid, but otherwise, yes.”
Twilight exhaled hard, casting her eyes down. “I’m so sorry. I. . . I shouldn’t have asked.”
A cold hoof reached across the table to press gently against hers. “It’s fine, Twilight. Really. The scars will always be there, but they’ve had a long time to heal. I promise.”
Twilight’s eyes slowly rose to find Octavia giving her a gentle, encouraging smile. Still feeling a bit guilty, the alicorn nodded. “Alright. As long as you’re okay.”
“I’m more worried about you, to be honest,” Octavia replied. “I was originally planning to show you how I was turned, but I’m less sure now. It might be too much for you.”
“What do you mean too much?” asked Twilight, before a bigger question forced itself from her lips. “Wait, show me? What do you mean, show me?”
“Exactly that,” answered Octavia, unperturbed. “I wanted to show you my turning, and my turning wasn’t gentle. King Sombra made me a vampire because I survived a beating that was meant to kill me, and he thought I deserved a reward. To witness that beating is not for the faint of heart.” She leaned in soberly. “I apologize if I chose my words poorly, Twilight, so let me make this clear; I am not going to attempt to turn you, or anypony, into a vampire, ever.” She held the purple mare’s gaze for a moment before pulling away. “I’m sorry if I implied otherwise.”
Twilight digested what she’d heard for a moment. “Alright. May I ask how you were planning on showing me?”
“Of course.” Twilight involuntarily scooted back as a pair of fangs emerged from the mare’s lips, and scooted further still as she ran the top of her hoof over one of them. A bead of blood formed over the wound, and she gestured toward Twilight with it. “One of the more common traits of the blood is that, if consumed by another pony, it creates a brief mental link between drinker and vampire. I was going to use that link to show you how it happened.”
Twilight looked between the mare and the hoof incredulously. “You. . . You thought I’d just be okay with drinking your blood? Seriously?”
“Only a drop.”
“It’s your blood! That’s gross!”
“As if you haven’t had to try far worse things in alchemy class.”
“Not that I had to swallow! Besides, that was for my learning.”
“And this isn’t?” Octavia raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t going to show you this memory because I think it’s ‘cool’, Twilight. It’s brutal. However, you said be prepared to answer questions, and I can’t think of a more thorough way of answering the question of my turning than for you to witness it yourself. Perhaps, with your knowledge of magic, you might even glean some insight from watching King Sombra that I can’t.” She lowered her hoof. “You’re right, however, that I shouldn’t have simply sprung the idea on you, and I’m not going to push you any farther. If you’d prefer, I can just tell you how it happened. The choice is yours.”
Twilight licked her lips nervously, her eyes drifting to the bloodied hoof on the table. To her surprise, she was actually considering it. On the one hoof, yeah, it was drinking vampire blood. It just sounded outright nasty, and she had no way of knowing if Octavia was being honest about its effects. On the other, it would have been easy for the mare to simply sneak some into her food or punch if she’d had some secret motive, and the idea of getting to safely observe the turning of a pony into a vampire was immensely tempting, if also a bit scary. “You’re absolutely positive that it won’t do anything besides link us telepathically?”
Octavia nodded. “Absolutely positive. Are you absolutely positive that you can handle watching a pony be violently killed?”
Twilight swallowed, remembering the things she’d witnessed during the changeling attack. This can’t be much worse, can it? Eventually, she nodded.
Octavia narrowed her eyes. “Are you absolutely positive, Twilight?”
The alicorn took a steadying breath. “Yes. I’m absolutely positive.”
Octavia scrutinized her for another moment or two before nodding. “Very well.” She again extended the hoof toward Twilight. Curiously, the blood hadn’t dried.
Twilight’s horn glowed, her aura forming around the bead of blood and floating it toward her. Not wanting to give herself time to think about it, she quickly sucked it into her mouth and swallowed, doing her best to keep it off her tongue as she did. It was noticeably cold as it made its way down her throat, leaving a sensation oddly like mint. Once it had dissipated, she turned to Octavia. “Now what?”
“Now we wait,” replied the other mare. “It won’t take long.” She turned to the unicorn, who’d been idly doodling on the piece of parchment she’d taken from Twilight. “You can probably head home, Vinyl. I doubt Twilight will have more questions for you, at least for tonight.”
The DJ tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure. Go get some rest. I’ll bring your stuff home.”
Vinyl looked between the two of them a couple times before nodding and making her way out of the room. As she went, her horn blinked, and Octavia jumped slightly before throwing her a dirty look. Now wearing a million bit grin, the unicorn quickly averted her eyes, gave Twilight a nod, and trotted out.
When the princess gave Octavia a quizzical look, the gray mare grinned wryly. “She’s wise to my tricks. She knows she can get away with pinching my rear as long as she doesn’t look me in the eye.” She shook her head. “In any case, try to empty your mind. The blood should be starting to take effect, and I’m going to test it.”
With not small amount of effort, Twilight did her best to clear her thoughts. It was hard, given the situation she was in, but after a few moments she did manage to find a relative calm. As she did, though, a nagging whisper of thought began to make itself known, feeling almost like an echo as it became, Is it working? Can you hear me, Twilight?
“I. . . I think so,” she said. “Is that you?”
It is. Now, do your best to think of nothing. Close your eyes, empty your thoughts, and let me guide you.
Twilight did as requested, and there was an odd, surreal feeling of floating as the world around her began to change.
***
As her vision wavered into focus, Twilight realized that she was standing on a street opening into a large plaza. At the far end was a thirty foot wall of pitch black crystal, and in the middle, an imposing statue of a rearing pony. It was difficult to make out in the gloom of night, but she was somehow certain that it was a statue of King Sombra.
The sound of cantering hooves broke her from her observations. From the darkness down the road, a mare took shape, sprinting as fast as Twilight had ever seen a pony sprint. As she got closer, Twilight realized that she was looking at a crystal facsimile of Octavia, with a dusky quartz body, a mane of jet, and abject panic in her eyes. The torn remains of a frilly skirt fluttered frantically behind her, and as she blazed past them, a splash of sparkling red showed that at least one of her hooves was bleeding profusely. Still, whatever injury she had certainly wasn’t slowing her down. The mare went screaming into the plaza, panting raggedly but not slowing as she bolted toward the mighty gates.
As she approached, a disturbance caught Twilight’s eye. In the spot between the mare and the wall, a shadow had appeared with nothing to cast it, and as she looked on, the patch of darkness rose up, materializing into the form of King Sombra. He was exactly as Twilight remembered him, with a single exception; one of his fangs was missing, with only a trail of blood down his chin giving any clue as to what might have happened.
Upon seeing the King, the mare let out a choked cry and actually managed to speed up. Sombra’s response was merely to tilt his head. There was a crunch of stone on stone, and with another cry the mare tripped, tumbling forward to come to a sprawled stop at the unicorn’s hooves.
A long moment passed in relative stillness, the only movement coming from the mare’s panting shivers and the king’s fiery mane. For his part, Sombra seemed neither pleased nor upset, his expression neutral as he gazed down at the trembling mare. Eventually, his horn hissed, and something appeared by his head before pattering to the ground next to Octavia. The world abruptly shifted, and Twilight found herself right next to the pair, staring down at the thing that Sombra had dropped. She and the mare seemed to realize that it was Sombra’s missing fang at the same instant.
The crystal Octavia’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks as they drifted between the broken tooth and the injury on her hoof. She began to hyperventilate as her eyes drifted inexorably up to meet Sombra’s. Her mouth opened, but all that emerged were stunted squeaks, the weight of a thousand desperate apologies pinning her tongue flat.
This seemed to amuse the king, for he finally grinned before crooning, “Impressive. Especially for a pleasure mare.” His horn again bubbled to life, lifting her easily to her hooves, where he began to inspect her carefully. As his eyes settled on her injured hoof, he took it in his own and delicately raised it for a better look. He spent particular time scrutinizing the wound, his smile widening a few degrees as he said. “You moved quickly for one so injured.” Another hiss of his horn saw the gash close, and a new fang sprouted forth to replace the old one. “I would not have expected this. You’ve surprised me. Thank you.”
The faintest spark of hope appeared the the mare’s eyes before his rose to meet them. “However, you did make King Sombra bleed.”
There was barely time for Octavia’s face to fall before she was torn off her hooves and sent flying into the base of the statue, where she collided with a sickening crunch. No sooner had she slid to the ground than she was tossed into the air, a wet snap or two accompanying her landing.
The king kept at her for most of a minute, tossing the helpless mare about like a toy. Each impact was accompanied by a fresh snapping sound, something which quickly overtook the mare’s screams as she lost the ability to make them.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Sombra’s expression never shifted beyond mild, detached amusement.
At last the assault ended, leaving the tattered ruin of the mare’s body crumpled at Sombra’s hooves. She was twisted, torn, and wracked with helpless spasms, but somehow still breathing in short, choking breaths. Sombra paused, his eyes narrowing only to go wide, a whispered, “What?” escaping from his lips. His horn flared a final time, and a crystalline spike abruptly punched up through the mare’s throat, stilling her shivers at last.
For a long time, Sombra stood over the mare’s corpse, so still that, but for his mane, he might well have been a statue himself. Eventually his horn hissed to life, and the spike disappeared in a gout of blood. He brought a hoof to his lips, the armor melting away as he opened his mouth and bit down. More blood erupted from the wound, and he placed the hoof on her torn neck, allowing his blood to mix with that in the ragged tear. Another hiss of dark magic, and the pooling blood darkened momentarily to black before returning to normal. With that he stepped back, his wound boiling away under a coat of magic, and waited.
Slowly, subtly, the mare’s body began to twitch. Tremors started in her chest and began making their way down her ruined limbs, and an almost silent gasp slipped through her lips, creating a wet hiss as it passed through the hole in her throat. She blinked, her eyes wide and uncomprehending as they locked onto the tyrant standing over her. Her lips moved, but only a gurgle would come out. Nevertheless, Sombra seemed to understand. “No. Make no mistake, my dear, you died, but by my grace, death is not the end for you. I'll not commit such a waste.”
She gurgled again, her eyes like those of a child in a nightmare.
“You surprised me twice,” he answered, his voice almost tender. “You survived what you should not have. Such perseverance deserves a reward.”
he mare opened her mouth and raised a shaking hoof, only to freeze, transfixed as a protruding bone trembled and slipped beneath her skin with a pop. She immediately grimaced, attempting to roll to her side, only to be pushed back down by an iron shod hoof. She began to writhe like a fish, gurgling frantically as another pop followed the first, then another, then a crack, and then an odd squelching as the flesh of her neck began to knit itself back together.
No sooner had her throat repaired itself than an agonized scream ripped through the plaza, rising in volume and pitch until it became inaudible. The mare’s back arched, her body seizing helplessly against the hoof holding her down. Sombra simply grinned, smiling as one might at a confused child, and cooed, “No, my dear. This isn't the end. Instead, with the gift of my blood, it is a new beginning. It is an opportunity that precious few receive; a chance to transcend the emptiness of your existence.”
As he spoke, the old Octavia’s eyes rolled back in her head, her face a portrait of pure agony, but Sombra spoke on regardless. It wasn’t clear whether he was talking to her or to himself. “From reeking bedchambers you will rise to lie at my right hoof. From absolute submission, you will rise to dominate my enemies. From frail, impotent mortality, you will rise into ageless strength and incredible power, and under my vision, you will use it to spread my influence unto the farthest corners of the world.”
Beneath him, the mare gave a final shudder and went limp. Her coat began to darken, losing its crystalline twinkle and fading into dusky grey-brown. Her breath came in weak gasps, slipping quietly past a pair of new fangs, and her eyes, glinting slightly, were nearly closed, looking skyward but seeing nothing.
Seemingly satisfied, King Sombra finally removed his hoof, his cruel smirk belying his gentle tone as he asked, “What is your name, my child?”
The mare didn’t move, her eyes riveted on the cold light of the stars, but the response was immediate. “Ch-Chamber Chord, your Majesty.”
“Chamber Chord,” he repeated. “From now on, you will not refer to me as Majesty, Grace, or King, but Master. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Master,” she replied promptly.
“Very good, Chamber Chord. Now sleep.”
The world around Twilight began fading to black as she heard the King’s cold murmur, “Your life in death awaits you when you wake.”
***
Twilight stirred, letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding as she opened her eyes. Octavia stared back at her, her face pensive as she waited for the princess to absorb what she’d just seen.
For her part, Twilight didn’t seem to know how to react. What she’d witnessed had been deeply upsetting on almost every level, but the rational side of her screamed its assurances that is was a travesty long since past, and that nothing could be done to fix it now. Even so, she couldn’t help but shed a pair of tears as she gazed at the mare across from her, the mare who had suffered through the ordeal for real. “I’m sorry, Octavia. I’m. . . I’m so sorry something like that happened to you.”
A cold, smooth hoof slid across the table to grasp hers firmly. “Don’t be, Twilight. Not one bit. You wouldn’t even be born for another thousand years. There’s absolutely no reason for you to be sorry.”
Twilight nodded, fanning herself with a hoof as she tried to reign the tears in. “I know, I just. . .” She laughed humorlessly. “You did try to warn me. I guess I should’ve listened. That was horrible.”
Octavia tightened her grip. “Hindsight is always perfect, Twilight. It’s done. It does no good to regret it now. Besides, if it doesn’t stop bothering you, and if you’re willing, I can always make you forget.” She tapped spot beneath her eye meaningfully.
The princess stammered, briefly distracted from her sadness. “Er, let me get back to you on that.”
The gray mare shrugged. “If you need cheering up, I could always make Pinkie think her tail is gone. She’s always up for acting the fool.”
Twilight chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” A comfortable silence stretched briefly between the two before Twilight took a deep breath and asked. “Do you. . . remember dying?”
Octavia shook her head. “No. The blow that killed me was just a pinch in a sea of agony, and then an all new one when I woke up. Sombra’s blood helped me piece together what you just saw.”
Twilight hummed, jotting down the first notes she’d written for several minutes. After another pause, she asked, “So, you were obviously in pain when you woke up. Was that from the damage he’d done, or was it a side effect of the healing?”
Again, the other mare shook her head. “Neither. As painful as the beating was, it was nothing compared to the change. It felt as though my entire body was cold-burning from the inside out. I’ve suffered both terrible injuries and the effects of some absolutely sadistic spells, but nothing has ever come close to the agony of my turning.”
Twilight shuddered as she wrote. “I see. I’m sorry to hear that. Erm, would you say that that was typical for being turned?”
“Yes,” Octavia affirmed. “Becoming a vampire is not a gentle change. If you ever happen to meet another, I’m sure they would tell you the same.”
Twilight shook her head, resolving to change the subject. “Hm. Um. . . Oh! So, you’ve mentioned other vampires a few times. Have you known many? Were you by chance the first?”
Octavia let out a thoughtful hum. “Not many, but then there haven’t really been many. I wasn’t the first. In fact, I’m actually the last of the vampires created by Sombra. That’s not to say that there were no others after me, but none descended directly from the king.”
Exceedingly pleased with the new topic, Twilight began a new section of notes. “Interesting. How many of you did Sombra turn?”
“Including myself, ten. Three unicorns, six pegasi, and a single earth pony.”
The purple mare’s face scrunched up. “Really? You were the only earth pony? Why’s that?”
Octavia shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure. He may have never intended to turn an earth pony, but changed his mind after I survived his punishment. Perhaps he wasn’t sure what the effects on an earth pony would be, and decided I was a suitable candidate. Ultimately, I decided that it didn’t matter.”
Twilight gave her a sideways nod. “I guess that’s fair. Can you remember the others very well?”
The gray mare chuckled. “Of course I can. When we weren’t performing a task for the king, we lived together in one of the Crystal Fortress. Apart from the poor souls condemned to feed us, we had very few visitors. Getting to know one another was unavoidable.”
Twilight hummed curiously. “Was that a good thing?”
Octavia chuckled again, albeit less happily. “For some.”
“Would you be willing to tell me about them?”
The vampire nodded. “I would. Would you be interested in meeting them?”
Twilight’s eyes widened in both surprise and incredulity. “Um. . . I guess it would depend on how.”
“The same way you saw me becoming a vampire, Twilight,” she answered. “Assuming I haven’t put you off sharing my past, of course. If so, I completely understand. If not, then I could show you what followed; my awakening, my first experience with the thirst, and my first meeting with the ponies who shared my fate.”
Twilight bit her lips, considering the proposition for several moments. “I don’t know. . Is it as brutal as the last one?”
Octavia’s gaze was gentle as she shook her head. “As brutal? No. However, you should know that I killed the first pony that I fed upon.” For a brief second, her expression hardened. “Make no mistake, he deserved it, but even so, I did kill him.” She looked away, her eyes inscrutable. “That experience affected me deeply, Twilight. I don’t know if I can separate it from the rest of the memory, but I’m certainly willing to try.”
Twilight was silent, her head tilting toward the table with a troubled frown. It was a long time before she finally murmured, “I’ll have to think about it. It sounds fascinating, and I’d love the chance to ‘meet’ all of the original vampires, but. . . I don’t know if I’m ready to see another pony die, even if they deserve it.”
Octavia nodded kindly, once again reaching over to give Twilight’s hoof a squeeze. “I understand. Take as much time as you need, Twilight, and whatever you choose will be perfectly fine.”
Twilight nodded gratefully, returning the squeeze. “How should I let you know?”
Octavia shrugged. “If you decide within the next day or so, you can simply direct the thought at me, and I’ll hear it. If not, then it’s up to you. Feel free to contact me in whatever way best suits. . .” she began to trail off, her ears suddenly swiveling around, “you.”
Twilight furrowed her brow, as she began looking around. “What? Is something wrong?”
Octavia huffed. “Not wrong, per se, but we may have to cut this evening short.”
Twilight’s muzzle scrunched in confusion. “Why?”
Octavia nodded in the general direction of the front of the palace. “Because, if the drunken singing is anything to go by, then it seems Rainbow Dash must’ve given Pinkie Pie the slip, and managed to find her way back here. It sounds like she’s currently stumbling her way to the front door.
Twilight heard nothing, but given what she’d learned, knew that didn’t mean much. “Are you sure?”
The grey mare nodded. “Positive.”
“But I had so many more questions!” Twilight protested, holding up a sizeable length of her notes that ended in question marks. “Can’t you dazzle her to not notice you when she gets here, or something like that?”
Octavia deadpanned. “Did you just ask me to vampirically hypnotize your drunk friend?”
Twilight deflated before her answer could escape her lips. “Er. . . well, when you put it like that. . .”
The musician smiled mischievously. “Amusing as it might be, no. We’ll simply have to continue this another night, Twilight. Don’t worry.” She threw the princess a wink. “Neither me nor my answers are going anywhere. I’d never be so cruel as to inflict a miserable Vinyl on Ponyville.”
Twilight snorted as she rose from her chair. “Well that’s generous of you. . . I think?”
Octavia rose as well, her face adorned with her trademark small grin. “You’ve no idea.” Making her way around the table, the smile grew more serious as she placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Thank you for trusting me, Twilight. There are no words for how much that means.”
Twilight felt a blush rising in her cheeks, and, despite a tingle of trepidation, moved in to give the gray mare a brief nuzzle. “It’s nothing,” she cooed. “After all, what are friends for?”
As she pulled away, she was met with the sight of Octavia beaming wider than she’d expected the reserved mare could, and even the gleaming fangs didn’t take away from the incandescent happiness shining on her face. Slowly, very slowly, she closed her lips, her smile still massive as she gave the princess a small bow. “Good night, Twilight,” she said happily. “Now, go help your friend before she decides that flying in her state is a good idea.” With those final words, the mare vanished with a whoosh.
Twilight lingered for a brief moment, reflecting upon all that she’s just learned, before realizing that Octavia had probably had a point. Lighting her horn, the room around her vanished in a blaze of light before shifting immediately into the main hall. No sooner had she started for the doors than one of them was flung open, the bang followed by the tactless yelling of a certain pegasus.
“Twi?” hollered Rainbow Dash as she stumble-shuffled in. “Y’wake, Twi? Helloooo-*hck*-oooo! Twiiiiliiiiiight?!” She continued shouting a full two seconds after her eyes had settled on the alicorn. “Oh! Hey *hck*, Twilight! Sup?”
“Not much, Rainbow Dash,” the princess deadpanned, her mood struggling between irritation and amusement. “What about you? Where’s Pinkie?”
Rainbow clumsily waved a vague hoof. “Oh, y’know. She’s *hck* around here somewhere. I challenged her to *hck* to race to my place n’ back three ti-*hck* times. Then. . .” The mare paused, clearly thinking very hard. “Then *hck* I got turned around, but then I found the palace!” A moment of silence passed between them as Twilight looked on, waiting for the her friend to continue. Eventually, “C’n I like *hck*, crash on the couch or something?”
Amusement won out. “Yes, Rainbow, you can crash on the couch.” Twilight smiled, lighting her horn and hoisting the bewildered pegasus into the air. “Come on. Let’s go find a ‘couch’ for you.”
Rainbow’s slurs became snores within moments, and Twilight chuckled as she carried the fubared flier up the stairs and tucked her into a guest bed. Deciding she’d keep an eye on Rainbow for a bit, she pulled up a chair and sat, letting her thoughts turn to all that had happened in the last couple hours.
As many questions as she still had, she’d still learned a great deal. Perhaps more importantly, having learned a bit more about Octavia's story, Twilight found the thought of a vampire living in Ponyville a great deal less scary than before. Unbidden, the memories of her first encounter with Zecora rose in her mind. She thought that she’d learned about not judging a book by its cover, but now, in hindsight, perhaps that was only the beginning.
On an impulse, her horn blinked, and a fresh quill and square of parchment appeared. Checking that she hadn’t woken her guest, Twilight considered her words for a minute or two before setting ink to page, murmuring quietly as she wrote.
“Dear Princess Celestia,”