//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Ponies and Vampires // Story: Vampires // by Elu //------------------------------// "Do you think separating was a good idea?" Rarity voiced her concern as she, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack ventured into the city, accompanied by a guard, "What if something... bad happens?" Rarity had never met a vampire, but she had read about them in various books. It was all fiction, of course, but it made her think about the real possibilities. Vampires existed, so maybe some of the fictious stories had a grain of truth to them. "If they wanted to hurt us, they would'a done that already, don'tcha think?" Applejack pointed out, her voice calm. Although, some tension she didn't want to acknowledge was present in her body; something subconscious prevented her from ever exposing her back to the citizens of Vallaer as she tried to keep close to her friends, "Ah think we'll be fine." "They just don't know us, but once we're friends, it'll be better!" Pinkie Pie said, an unfaltering smile on her face. She bounced along as she usually did, and it looked like nothing could budge her mood in the bad direction. She waved at vampires, smiled at them; in turn, some vampires waved, but others greeted her with uncertain or confused looks. Rarity looked around and noticed the looks vampires were giving the three. Curiosity was evident on the faces of many, although some were clearly displeased with the ponies. They whispered among each-other, but the ponies couldn't understand their language. However, it was clear that their presence caused a commotion, and more vampires appeared on the scene, watching the ponies closely, even to an extent one would consider rude. Rarity would certainly say so, but she kept her maw shut in fear of repercussions. The vampires were tall, and their fangs peeked out of their maws from time to time. When they spoke, the sharpness of their fangs was evident as some of them had scars on the inside of their lips. "Ponies..." one of the vampires hissed and took a step towards the group, baring his fangs. Rarity quietly gasped, her ears folding, and she took a step back. Applejack lowered her stance and looked at the vampire with challenge. Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing, her smile slowly going down. "Move along, they're under the king's protection," the guard said, changing his position so he would be between the vampire and the ponies. The vampire huffed but stepped back and went his own way, cursing under his breath. The guard watched him go and then relaxed, giving a glance to the ponies. "What... what did he say?" Rarity asked, coming back to her senses. She didn't know why, but her heart was beating faster than she'd expect. Perhaps it was the fangs that caused this reaction, but she wasn't sure. In any case, she felt less and less comfortable by the minute. "He dof not like ponies," he replied with a thick vampiric accent, "Leht's proceed." Feeling she wouldn't be able to get any real answers out of the guard, Rarity and her group continued into the city. As they neared its center, they could see more and more businesses, although the majority of the city was taken by residential buildings almost exclusively. The first shop the three saw was a relatively small café which was half-empty at that time of day. After exchanging looks, they hesitantly went inside. The vampires sitting in front of the café looked at the ponies with interest, but otherwise paid them no mind. The scent of bakery and tea entered the ponies' nostrils, eliciting an uplift in their mood. The door to the café opened with a small ring of the bell attached to it; it gained the attention of the vampire working at the counter. Her ears perked up and she turned to the newcomers, a neutrally-friendly expression on her face. "Welcome to my humble café, ponies," she greeted the ponies and bowed slightly, "I assume Nicholas brought you into the city?" "Y-yes, he did," Rarity nodded and looked over her shoulder. Through the window of the café, some vampires were watching her and her friends, sending shivers down her spine, "We, um, wanted to explore the city for some time." "Very well. But oh, where are my manners? I'm Isabel," she bowed once again, and the ponies introduced themselves to her in turn, "Pleased to meet you all. What can I get for you?" "Oh, I don't know, we're expected to dine with King Nicholas in around half an hour..." Rarity trailed off, "But maybe some tea wouldn't hurt. What do you say, girls?" she turned to her friends. "Do you make muffins here?" Pinkie Pie asked with interest, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled, "Mmm... something delicious is cooking!" "Ah wouldn't mind some tea, Ah s'pose," Applejack said with some uncertainty. "Very well," Isabel nodded, "Give me a moment, please." The vampire disappeared in the kitchen of the establishment, and came out in a few moments carrying a tray of three dark-brown muffins. "They might look just like the regular chocolate muffins, but go ahead, taste them," she smiled, "It's on the house. And tea coming right up!" Rarity got a hold of the muffin and took a bite. It was indeed rather tasty, but simple as well. The chocolate eased her nerves, the tension in her body going away. Next to her, Applejack took a bite of her own, and her eyes widened as a smile played its way on her face; the same happened to Pinkie Pie. "I see you like them," Isabel said as she brought three cups and a kettle, and started pouring the tea into the cups, "I'm very glad you enjoyed it! Tea would go very well along with it, I believe." The ponies thanked the vampire and drank the tea. It had a different taste, but it wasn't surprising – the leaves for it were grown locally as well, and the vampires had to use some tricks to make them grow in such darkness. The leaves might look bland, but the taste more than made up for it. "Meanwhile, maybe I can show you around the city," Isabel suggested. A friendly smile appeared on her face as she continued, "I know it like my hoof, and I bet you shan't find a better guide than me." "To be honest, it doesn't seem like we're very welcome here," Rarity admitted, not looking in the eyes of the vampire. "Many of us were wronged by ponies," she replied, her mood faltering for a moment as a memory reappeared in her mind as it did when ponies were mentioned. However, she soon regained her mildly cheerful attitude, "But we don't need to think about that. 'Tis been a while since any pony entered Vallaer, and you three don't seem bad," she took a sip of her own tea, "I'd gladly show you around and let others see you're here as guests. There aren't many places you'd be interested in, I think, but we still have some." After some quiet discussion, the group decided to follow Isabel. The vampire replaced herself at the counter and then hung her apron; once it was done, she led the ponies outside the café. The guard followed them like a shadow, remaining silent and observing the surroundings. Vampires began to disassemble once they had enough of looking at ponies, although some remained. From different parts of the city, other vampires came to look at them. "I can imagine disliking this kind of attention," Isabel said, releasing a chuckle in hopes of loosening the mood, "But don't worry, a lot of us just haven't seen ponies much. Once they get used to you, you'll not be bothered." "I'm fine with it," Pinkie Pie said in her usual joyful voice, "Maybe I can make some friends! But I can't really throw a party... It'd be weird to throw a "Ponies welcome!" party because I'm a guest and not a party host around here." "Maybe a party would be nice, but let's not jump ahead of ourselves," the vampire replied with a slight shake of her head, "We don't like loudness. And we still need to get used to you, don't forget that." "Okie-dokie!" the pink mare nodded in understanding, but her smile remained. If vampires needed time, then it's best she waited until just the perfect moment for a party. For a few minutes, the group walked further into the city as Isabel pointed out various points of interest: a concert hall coupled with a theater, a school, and even a university. There were also various small private shops run by individual vampires who sold pottery, weapons and armor, bread, and all kinds of other things one could hope to buy for one purpose or another. Street musicians were also fairly common, and they mostly played slow and gentle music, one that makes the passer-bys wonder about their life and the world they live in. Rarity found herself thinking that vampires, all in all, weren't that different from ponies. Deep in her mind, her expectations were dark and grim, and so she was surprised by just how much Vallaer resembled any pony city. Vampires weren't plotting to take over the world or engaging in a bloody feast; they were living their lives. The face of the unicorn reddened as she realized just how badly she thought of them at first, and mentally slapped herself. She had a friend, Spike the dragon, and she treated him not as a fearsome, greedy dragon lying on a pile of gold, but as a person, as a sapient being that lived his own life and wanted to do so in peace. It was true that not all dragons were like him, but she treated him well, and so the vampire kind deserved a better treatment from her just as well. Applejack was thinking about something else entirely; she noticed there weren't many grocery shops. Maybe she would be able to export her family's apples to Vallaer, although it was clear such a venture would be costly just in the logistics involved. The rocky mountains and the deep snow didn't offer an easy way for the cargo to travel, and the northern climate meant her family couldn't grow their apples close-enough to mitigate the transportation costs. However, maybe she would be able to expand her business one day even to the far country of vampires. Pinkie Pie, as she usually did when meeting others, thought about making friends and partying. The vampires were wary around her and her friends, but she imagined she would be able to fix it if she could throw a party or two. After all, is there a better way to make friends than dancing and singing with them? But she had to keep in mind Isabel's words about how vampires loved their calm. Perhaps the pink mare would have to settle for parties smaller in scale, maybe less energetic. However, she was sure she would warm the way into the heart of the vampires. And soon, it was time for the ponies to travel to the castle. They didn't know what to expect, but something told them it wouldn't be simple. At the same time as Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie walked the city, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were on the outskirts; they were led to a local forest by the guard assigned to them. They could already see it, and it made them hesitate, for the forest was dark and gloomy. The pale light coming from above through the ice did little to dispell the pitch-black darkness, especially deeper into the forest. The trunks were thin and crooked, and only a few paths were clear; everything else would be impossible to get through without cutting and hacking at all the branches that enveloped the forest. To the surprise of the ponies, some trees could be distinguished: a few of them were lemon trees, and some grew apples. The apples were small, pale like the green of the trees; the lemons were no bigger than a pinecone. There were plentiful of various berry bushes, however. They seemed to cover almost everything down on the forest floor. Fluttershy pulled a small strawberry and took a bite of it. It wasn't bad, but there was something to it – a taste of iron, perhaps. A fruit bat suddenly flew out of the forest and snatched the strawberry Rainbow Dash was going to eat. The mare blinked in surprise, then glared at the small creature. It flew up to the trees and hung upside down, taking small bites out of the raspberry. "Aw, so cute!" Fluttershy commented in her quiet voice, looking at the fruit bat. "It stole my strawberry," Rainbow Dash huffed, her glare still on the thief. "But there are many strawberries around." "Well, he apparently doesn't know that," the mare rolled her eyes. Fluttershy bent down as she noticed small insects crawling through the thin grass. A small bug was on its back, its legs helplessly flailing in the air as it tried to roll over. The pegasus gently nudged the bug back on its legs and then smiled at it as it crawled away. A small rabbit hopped along, soon disappearing into the bushes, rustling them. "Nothing really to see here," Rainbow Dash said, looking into the darkness, "Maybe we can find something a bit more interesting that branches to look at." "Yes. Let's go further," Fluttershy nodded and stepped on the path to the deeper part of the forest. Her friend decided not to comment, only following her. As it turned out, the forest wasn't nearly as dark as it seemed at first: many glowworms were crawling along the branches of the trees, providing a soft, blue light. Some of them were crawling on the ground, and Fluttershy took great care to not step on any of them. She went forward slowly, looking down to make sure there wasn't anyone to step on. Rainbow Dash, in her usual fashion, hovered slightly above the ground; the flapping of her wings caused the grass to bend. The guard followed the two ponies, stepping just as carefully as the cream-colored pegasus. Fluttershy continued to stop all the different animals and critters: worms, spiders, bugs, rabbits, bats, and even small bobcats. However, even she was surprised when heavy steps sounded in front of her. She stopped and waited; a few moments later, a bull came out into the light. He blinked once he saw the three. "Excuse me," he said in Common, and then continued on his way. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, noticing a round spot on the bull's neck, right where the artery is. The spot was scarred, its skin pink and rather thin. The mare frowned, glancing at the vampire behind herself and her friend. He stood there calmly, slightly leaning on his halberd for support, his eyelids a bit low. Rainbow Dash didn't expect anything bad to happen, but then vampires surrounded her. She remembered Twilight talking about a book that had a vampire as a character, and now she wished she listened; but then, it was all nerdy stuff that she was definitely not into. It was for eggheads like Twilight Sparkle, not for fliers like herself. She was certain she would be able to understand things well on her own. Fluttershy paid the bull no mind as she continued to observe the animals, some of which she was seeing for the first time in her life. The darkness didn't bother her, and the animals seemed friendly. She could feel their emotions, and most of them were warm and welcoming towards her. Even then, some watched her from the darkness, sniffing confusing scents left on her body by the animals living near her Ponyville cottage. Maybe their stay at Vallaer wouldn't be as bad as Fluttershy feared. The animals weren't scared of her, they weren't hiding away. There was no litter to be found anywhere around the forest, and there were absolutely no signs of fires. The paths seemed more or less natural, although some signs of branches being cut off were present. The populace seemed to be at peace with the animals and the forest they inhabited; then maybe ponies and vampires could get along nicely just as well. Vampire King Nicholas led Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna to the obelisk in the center of the city. The vampires watched the two ponies closely, whispering between each-other. Most of the attention was focused on the alicorn, and the vampires discussed how it was possible to possess a horn and a pair of wings at the same time. Both ponies tried not to stray too far from the Vampire King, noticing how some of the vampires looked at the two. Neither of them knew the language of vampires, but the tone with which they wasn't friendly at all. However, the presence of their king stopped it from going any further. "We vampires don't hold a high regard for ponies," Nicholas said, answering a question the ponies didn't want to speak aloud, "We have a certain... history." "But we've done nothing to you," Twilight spoke up but then immediately regretted her words when the Vampire King glared at her. "...Thou, perhaps, hast not," he replied after a short while, ceasing his glare, "But don't be so ignorant as to assume that thou represent thy entire kind. Especially not the ponies born many generations before thee." "There is some... tribalism happening in Equestria even now," Luna pointed out, "Largely, it is surely gone, but sometimes, it appears in certain families. But, if I'm being honest, it seems like many vampires dislike us." "Maybe for thee and the ponies of today the hatred and the distaste is old, almost forgotten," Nicholas replied, "But for us... 'tis as recent as an unscarred wound. We've been gone for centuries, but we have not lost our memory, and all these years were like a second... to most." "This explains why we haven't heard about vampires until now," the alicorn nodded, "But... you say you were gone. How?" "I thought thou wouldst know the answer," the Vampire King raised a brow, "Interesting... But let us leave this discussion for a later time, shall we?" Luna agreed with a nod, although her mind was buzzing with questions. Why did Nicholas expect her to know anything about the vampires? Throughout her life, she hadn't heard a single story about them aside from fiction that was clearly labeled as such. Was there truth to it, then? What if it was not fiction? But then, which part was true and which was just an imagination? She felt like she was missing something, but what? "Wow!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed all of sudden, and a spark went off in her horn, "That's... that's..." "Thou art very sensitive to magic, I see," Nicholas commented, turning to the unicorn, "Thou canst sense the power, yes?" "Y-yes..." she nodded slowly, "And... I've never felt anything like this before." "Thou canst feel the presence of Lună Roșie, and Her power is clear before thee," he replied, "Our goddess acknowledgeth thee in turn, I can feel it." "Lună Roșie?" Twilight repeated, a look of curiosity on her face. "She guideth us in this world," the Vampire King explained, "She gave us life as we know it, She protecteth us the best She can, and She... is our savior." "But... what, or who, is she?" "Even I don't know the exact answer," Nicholas shook his head slightly, "Lună Roșie was there before my time, and She will be there long after we're gone. But, I might be able to offer thee a simple description. She is the Goddess of Blood, and through Her blood, we, vampires, exist." "I... don't think I follow," Twilight looked at him, many questions in her eyes. "'Tis a long story that I cannot share with thee yet," he replied, "All I can say is that it intertwineth with the history of thy kind, going to the times before the Long Winter." Twilight Sparkle's eyes brightened, more questions appearing in her head, battling between themselves to be voiced. "I remember the War of the Three Tribes," Nicholas continued, his gaze distant as he stopped, "I was there when the world we knew turned to unmelting ice. The struggles we faced, the obstacles we overcame... and the lives we have lost to the biting cold. 'Twas a dark time for all of us, ponies and vampires alike. Knowledge lost, lands encased in eternal frost... And now, the tiny land we call our own is the only safe haven on this continent," he let out a deep sigh, "I... would rather not speak more of this at this moment." The unicorn had questions upon questions to ask the Vampire King - he was, after all, more than three thousand years old. Older than the princesses, older than anyone ever known to exist, excluding the Spirits; he knew many things, witnessed a great many historical events, and his input would be invaluable to history. Many scriptures and books of that time were lost during the Chaos Age of Discord, and anything that was left was sought by many scholars of the world. Many would even die if they could as much as write down a single page of history of pre-Equestrian times. However, now was not the time to ask questions. As ancient as Nicholas was, he would be none too pleased if someone kept pushing when he expressed no desire to continue. Twilight would still give it a try, of course, but Princess Luna gave her a certain look, one that held the unicorn in place, helping her avoid doing something she would later regret. Twilight Sparkle kept her hopes up, however; Nicholas didn't say he would never speak of it again, so maybe there would be time for the curious mare to speak to him about history again. For a long while, the group walked in silence, each consumed by their own thoughts. The ponies, however, kept looking around, noting all the different things they could see about the city of Vallaer. The center of it was dominated by the mysterious obelisk, and it could be seen from any corner of the city; further into the cave, a big castle stood, away from the center of the city. It looked like it sprouted from the rocky ground, for its walls smoothly transitioned into stone, and some towers looked more like giant stalagmites, seemingly naturally growing from the cavern floor. The castle dominated the entirety of the northern side of the cavern, right on the opposite side of the entrance. After some minutes passed and the ponies neared the obelisk, Luna spoke up. "I don't think I can see any foals around," she commented, a frown on her face, "Are they at school? But even then, I don't think I've heard anything, and foals can be quite loud." Nicholas' face immediately darkened, and he furrowed his brows. For a long moment, he was silent, but Luna noticed his reaction. "We cannot have foals," he said, his tone was as if he had to force the words out of his maw. "Is it forbidden?" Luna inquired, seemingly oblivious do the tone of the Vampire King. "It is not forbidden," he replied, his tone still stiff, "We... cannot breed to further our kind. We can only be turned from ponies." "Ah," the alicorn replied somewhat awkwardly, "I... apologize for asking." "No apology needed, Princess Luna," Nicholas eased his voice, "But let us not speak of this again." The awkwardness and uncertainty lasted until the group finally reached its destination – the obelisk. Monolithic, it stood, an empty pool around it; its symbols dim, but glowing. A few stains smelling of iron were around the obelisk, although they were slowly but surely disappearing, seemingly absorbed by the stone. "I definitely feel magic the strongest here..." Twilight Sparkle commented, looking at the obelisk, "What are those symbols? Some of them are familiar, but it doesn't make sense." "'Tis an old language, older than any of us," Nicholas explained, "Ancient magic, blood magic. The language is difficult to understand, even I still struggle. What thou seest before thee is an assortment of invocations and prayers to Lună Roșie. And some of them are Her answers – right there, near the top. But now, such language is not needed – She hath more efficient tools of communication with us through this obelisk." "And... can we ask her something?" the unicorn asked slowly, staring at the obelisk, a hint of uncertainty and even fear in her eyes. "She hath allowed the two of you to be present here," the Vampire King replied, "Thus, you can ask questions, but you must make her an offering first." "What must we offer?" Luna asked the question this time, stepping closer to the obelisk. "Blood, of course," Nicholas said, "A drop of it, no more is needed. And then, She will give you visions that shall provide all the answers to your inner questions." "Does she answer you, your majesty?" Twilight asked. "I am Her creation, and She sometimes answers my questions without my offerings," he said, "But sometimes, the information I need can only be sought through blood. That is when it fallth upon me to give Her what She needeth." For a long while, the ponies stood silently, contemplating. Both of them could feel the power around and inside the obelisk, but the ritual was disturbing. Of course, it was just a single drop of blood, nothing more; however, what would Lună Roșie do with it? Was it an eternal bond that binds the ponies to Her will? Or did She need the blood for some other mysterious purpose? Suddenly, the obelisk leaked blood from its tip. Slowly, it oozed down the ancient symbols, and ponies didn't notice it at first. However, one small drop separated from the stream and dripped on a small stone bowl right below one side of the obelisk. The sound of blood hitting the surface of the bowl was small, but it immediately gained the attention of ponies. Right in front of their eyes, blood filled the bowl to the brim; and once it was full, the flow ceased, and no blood remained outside the stone vessel. "Lună Roșie is making an offering to you," Nicholas said, his voice hushed in disbelief, "I... have not seen anything like this ever... ever since I was here first..." he looked at the alicorn, "And I feel this blood is for thee to drink, Princess Luna." For a moment, she wanted to say no. Shivers ran down and up her spine as her eyes fixated on the blood, her eyes wide. Was it some disturbing ritual, one she should and even must run away from? However, something about it told her the opposite. Nothing would be taken from her, and a gift will be bestowed upon her, a gracious offering from Lună Roșie herself, the Goddess of Blood. She does not give gifts to those She deems unworthy, and this gift was one of a kind. The questions Luna had, the questions she longed to have the answers to were in that crimson liquid of life. "Very well," Luna said, her voice quiet, a reflection of the blood-filled bowl in her aqua eyes, "I shall drink this blood."