//------------------------------// // Looking Sharp (Pinkie, Fluttershy) // Story: The Life and Times of Everypony // by Leafdoggy //------------------------------// It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. Birdsong filled the air, backed by the whistle of a light breeze that lightly brushed the treetops. It was the kind of day where you might prop your door open just to let in the fresh air. Animals were livelier, ponies were happier, and even the sun seemed brighter on such a perfect day. It was exactly the kind of day that made Fluttershy love living in Ponyville. Her cheerful whistling floated out her windows and into the forest nearby, where the critters responded with gleeful calls of their own. Inside, Fluttershy was flitting around tidying up her house, dusting and sweeping and picking up all the little things that had fallen to the floor in the past week and been forgotten.  She was, at this point, in the middle of hefting her sofa back into place, having moved it to deal with the dust and lint and loose candies and everything else that had found its way there. She never enjoyed the heavy lifting of cleaning, and could probably have gotten help, but she figured she should take the opportunity to get some exercise. She wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed before scooping up the little pile of things she had found in the depths. “How did Pinkie even manage to lose this down there?” she mused to herself as she looked over a fully intact muffin, still wrapped in plastic. “It must be stale by now.” She shrugged and dropped it on a counter in her kitchen. “I bet she’ll eat it anyway,” she said with a chuckle.  With that, it was time for a break. Fluttershy sighed heavily and trotted back into her living room, eager to make use of her freshly cleaned sofa and— “Aah!” Fluttershy yelped and jumped back as a furry pink mass dropped from her ceiling in front of her. A second later the shape unfurled itself into a grinning Pinkie Pie, hanging by her tail from a rafter on the ceiling. “Fluttershy Fluttershy Fluttershy!” Pinkie shouted excitedly. “Oh, it’s just you,” Fluttershy said in relief. She took a second to still her thumping heart before grinning back at Pinkie. “It’s, um, just one Fluttershy actually.” Pinkie giggled. “Fluttershy!” “Hello, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. She floated up to Pinkie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “How are you today?” “Booooored,” Pinkie groaned. “Nopony is doing anything today.” “Aw,” Fluttershy said, “well you’re always welcome to, um, hang out around here.” Pinkie laughed. “Sounds good to me. You should too! There’s plenty of room up here on your ceiling.” “I’m fine, thank you,” Fluttershy said. “I can’t imagine I would enjoy it much.” “I mean, you seemed pretty into it as a vampire,” Pinkie said. “I thought some of that stuck around?” “Only the fangs,” Fluttershy told her. “I considered having Twilight remove those, too, but I think they look nice.” “They do!” Pinkie agreed. “Everything about you looked awesome as a vampire.” “I wouldn’t know,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t remember it.” “Hmm…” Pinkie fell down from her perch and landed in front of Fluttershy. “Ooh, I think I know what to do today!” “I don’t like the sound of that,” Fluttershy said.  “It’ll be fine,” Pinkie said as she started pushing Fluttershy towards the door. “And, if we finish early, I’ll come back and help you clean up.”   Fluttershy sighed. “Alright. I was going to take a break anyway.” “Pinkie, you’re back!” Twilight smiled wide as Pinkie and Fluttershy walked into the castle’s library, and she set the book she had been reading on the stack of books she’d already read today. “Does that mean you changed your mind about my idea to do a research project?” “Nope!” Pinkie said. “That still sounds super boring! We’re here so you can turn Fluttershy into a vampire again.” “What?” Fluttershy and Twilight both gasped in unison. “Pinkie, what crazy idea have you gotten in your head this time?” Twilight asked. “Fluttershy said she doesn’t know what she looked like as a vampire,” Pinkie explained. “So I wanna show her how cool she was!” “I don’t really know if that’s a good idea,” Fluttershy said. “It’s really not,” Twilight agreed. “Plus, wouldn’t she just forget it again?” “Not if you find a different spell,” Pinkie said. “One that’ll just make her look like she did but not go all batty.” “I kind of doubt a spell like that exists,” Fluttershy said. “Well, actually…” Twilight winced nervously, then shook her head. “No way. Pinkie, it’s just not a good idea.” “C’mon, what could happen?” Pinkie asked. “Even if she does go batty again, we figured out how to stop her already.” “I’d really prefer not to ‘go batty’ again,” Fluttershy said. “You won’t,” Pinkie told her, “I’m just trying to convince Twilight!” Twilight sighed. “Pinkie, even if it is safe, I’m pretty sure Fluttershy doesn’t want to do it.” “Um…” Fluttershy crossed her hooves and got an embarrassed blush. “I mean, if it’s safe… I wouldn’t really mind seeing what it looked like. I might even, um, like it, maybe?” “Hooray!” Pinkie cheered. “Pleeeease, Twilight? At least find the spell to check if it’s safe.” Twilight groaned. “You two are the worst influence on each other.” Then she rolled her eyes and flew away into the library. “I’ll be back,” she called out behind out. Pinkie hopped over to Fluttershy and wrapped her in a tight hug. “This is gonna be so fun! I hope you’re as excited as I am, cuz I am so excited!” “You know what,” Fluttershy said, “I think maybe I am. I mean, I didn’t really like scaring you all when I dressed up that one time, but I did like the outfit. Who knows, I could like the real thing even more.” “Well, here you go.” Twilight flew back in lugging a massive, leather bound grimoire that she dropped with a heavy thud in front of Pinkie and Fluttershy. “One spellbook.” Pinkie leaned over and read the title of the book out loud. “The Light Side of Dark Arts: Dabble In Evil Magic Without Being Banished.” She shrugged. “Sounds good.” “Evil?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, we’re not exactly turning you into a Breezie here,” Twilight replied. “Don’t worry about it, this doesn’t even get close to the really bad stuff.” “Does Princess Celestia know you have this book?” Fluttershy asked. “I said don’t worry about it.” Twilight suddenly preoccupied herself with flipping through the book. “Let’s see, and… Here!” She stopped and pointed at a spell. “A spell to imbue something with the essence of a vampire.” “That’s convenient,” Pinkie said. “It’s not dangerous?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight hummed in thought as she read through it. “Uhh, well it says if you don’t undo it within two days it’ll become permanent, but two days is plenty of time. Other than that, well, it will turn you into an actual vampire, but you’re…” She looked up and eyed Fluttershy suspiciously for a moment. “You’re trustworthy,” she decided. “You aren’t the type to get hungry for power or anything.” “Will I still want apples?” Fluttershy asked. “Or blood?” Pinkie added. Fluttershy grimaced at the thought. “Nah,” Twilight said, “I did some reading up after the whole Flutterbat debacle, and it turns out the thirst was just a bat thing. Regular vampires don’t actually crave blood, they just get stronger when they drink it.” Pinkie turned to say something to Fluttershy, but Fluttershy cut her off. “Not happening.” “Aww, phooey,” Pinkie grumbled. “Oh well, let’s just get with the zapping!” Twilight let out one last sigh. “You’re sure you want to do this, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy nodded and smiled. “I’m ready.” “Alright.” Twilight looked down and reread the spell one final time. “You know, this is really simple actually.” Then she aimed her horn at Fluttershy and fired a massive blast of light. The light completely enveloped Fluttershy, showing only a slowly shifting silhouette to the outside world.  Then, as quickly as it had begun, the spell ended. The light faded, Twilight relaxed, and Fluttershy looked around frantically, taking everything in. The transformation was extensive. Her clean pink mane now draped past sharp, pointed ears, continuing down to frame her face. It drew the eyes first to her menacing fangs, easily twice as long as they had been before, and finally up to meet her vibrant red eyes. The look was only intensified when she stretched out her new thin, leathery wings. Fluttershy couldn’t stop darting her eyes around, looking at every little thing and taking it in. It was suddenly all razor sharp, nothing at all was out of focus, and the colors around her had completely changed. The world seemed to have shifted entirely to a redder hue, blues and greens taking a backseat to the dominating presence of deep, delectable red. “Fluttershy?” Pinkie frowned in concern and walked up to put a hoof on her shoulder. “You okay?” “Huh?” Fluttershy’s head snapped towards Pinkie, and a wide grin grew on her face. Her fangs poked out of her mouth when she smiled. Pinkie was radiant. All the bright pink of her coat and mane popped out against the world around her, shining brilliantly in Fluttershy's vision. All of that soft, bright red was completely mesmerizing. “Pinkie, you look incredible.” Pinkie blushed from the sudden compliment. “I do?” Fluttershy nodded and moved closer to Pinkie, coming nose to nose with her. “Just… Delicious.” Twilight coughed awkwardly. “Girls?” Pinkie and Fluttershy both fell backwards and blushed hard. “Sorry!” Fluttershy said. She covered her mouth with her hooves in embarrassment. “I-I don’t know what came over me.” Twilight chuckled. “It’s alright. Pinkie, could you go find Fluttershy a mirror?” “Oh! On it!” Pinkie scrambled up and sprinted out into the hallway, taking a moment once she was alone to center herself and calm her beating heart. Twilight walked over to Fluttershy and helped her up off the ground. “So, how do you feel?” “Dizzy?” Fluttershy responded. “I’m not sure. I didn’t know it would be this…” “Drastic?” Twilight suggested. “That’s dark magic for you. Even the small stuff tends to be a little mind-altering.” “I still feel like myself, though,” Fluttershy said. “It’s the rest of the world that seems different.” “You’re seeing things differently?” Twilight asked. Subconsciously, she pulled out a notepad and pencil to start taking notes. “Hearing, too,” Fluttershy said. “Or maybe not hearing? I’m not sure. It’s like I can hear a bunch of heartbeats all around us, and I can tell who they are and what mood they’re in.” “How many can you hear?” Twilight asked. “I can hear everypony,” Fluttershy said. “Like, the whole castle? Wow, that’s pretty—” “No, everypony,” Fluttershy repeated. “The whole town, and even past that. I can feel ponies all the way in Canterlot!” “Woah.” Twilight dropped the pencil she'd been writing with. "That's astonishing. Can you find specific ponies?" "I could try," Fluttershy said. Twilight nodded. "Try to find, um... Princess Celestia! She should be easy." Fluttershy closed her eyes and concentrated. "Umm... Oh! There she is!" Her eyes popped open and she smiled gleefully. "Where is she?" Twilight asked. "What's she doing? For, um, research purposes, of course." "She's actually in Ponyville," Fluttershy said. "Or at least... Near Ponyville?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "That's weird. She isn't scheduled to visit for at least another month. Can you tell what she's doing?" "I'm not sure..." Fluttershy closed her eyes again. "She's very calm. Or, more like relaxed. Hmm... Oh, there's another pony with here. She's, um... Oh!" Suddenly, Fluttershy's face flushed red and she hid behind her hooves. "Um, never mind! I was, uh, wrong, she's not in Ponyville at all!" "Huh?" Twilight gave her a funny look. Luckily, Pinkie chose that time to come back into the library, riding on top of a tall mirror that had wheels attached to it. “Order up!” she announced as the mirror slowed to a stop beside the others. “Was that in the castle?” Twilight asked. “Why do I have a mirror with wheels?” “For exactly this reason!” Pinkie did a flip off the mirror and landed beside Fluttershy, who was shaking off her embarrassment. “So, what do you think?” Fluttershy walked up to the mirror and stared in awe. She took it all in, every detail, all the way down to the finest hairs sticking out of her mane. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape as she gazed at her reflection. Then, after a minute or so, she grinned and looked back at Pinkie. “You were right,” she said. “I do look cool.” “Told ya,” Pinkie said. “I mean, you’re already awesome, so making you a vampire just makes you, like, double awesome.” “I’m glad you like it,” Twilight said with a smile. “Hey, you’ve got two days. Why don’t you go see if Rarity will take some pictures so you don’t have to do this again to remember what you looked like?” “Ooh, let’s do it!” Pinkie said. “Oh, um, actually,” Fluttershy said, “before that, do you think you could maybe tweak it just a little? If that’s possible.” “I guess it’s possible in theory,” Twilight said. “Why, is there something you don’t like?” Fluttershy frowned. “I want my wings back. I mean, there’s not anything wrong with these, they’re just not very...  Soft.” “Yeah, that seems reasonable,” Twilight said. She concentrated for a moment, then fired a narrow beam of light at one of Fluttershy’s wings. Feathers sprouted out right away, and a moment later Fluttershy’s wings were back to normal. Fluttershy stretched her wings out and looked in the mirror again. “Much better,” she sighed. “What do you think, Pinkie?” Pinkie hopped up and nuzzled Fluttershy lovingly. “I think it’s just right. Soft and pretty, just like you.” “Aww.” Fluttershy gave Pinkie a kiss on the nose. “Let’s go to Rarity’s before we spend the whole two days flirting.” “Try not to get too close to the deadline,” Twilight said. “If I don’t see you again tonight, I’m coming to you in the morning.” “We’ll be fine,” Pinkie told her. “Uh-huh,” Twilight said sarcastically. “I just worry that if I leave you two alone, Fluttershy’s going to be ‘fine’ as a vampire for the rest of her life.” “Pfft, you worry too much,” Pinkie said. “We’ll be back lickity split.” “Bye, Twilight,” Fluttershy said as the couple started to leave. “Thank you for the help.” “Don’t make me regret it!” Twilight called out as the door shut behind them. “I think those other ponies were looking at me strangely,” Fluttershy mumbled as the couple walked up to Rarity’s boutique. Right as she spoke, the door opened and a customer walked out, a cheery smile on their face. Fluttershy blushed at once, and on instinct a wing shot up to hide her. Pinkie giggled and pulled her wing back down. “Nopony’s being weird. I’m pretty sure by now they’re all used to seeing our group doing strange stuff.” “I suppose,” Fluttershy said, “but this seems like a lot.” “What, red eyes and fluffy ears?” Pinkie laughed and gave Fluttershy a reassuring squeeze. “I outdo that like every week. I mean, maybe if you had the wings it’d be different, but without those you’re just kinda pointy.” “Pointy?” Fluttershy hummed anxiously. “I hope I don’t look dangerous or anything. Am I scary?” “Pfft, nah. Your ‘pointy’ is still softer than, like, half of our friends.” “Only half?” Pinkie laughed and pushed open the door to the boutique. “You silly pony,” she mused as she hopped inside. “Let’s go talk to Rarity.” “You called?” Rarity stepped out from a back room with a flip of her mane and a polite smile. “Oh, Pinkie, how wonderful to see you,” she said. “What brings you here to-What in the world?” She gasped and ran up to Fluttershy the instant she saw her. “Oh, dearie, what happened to you? Are you alright?” She stroked Fluttershy’s mane and looked over to Pinkie. “Why ever did you bring her to me? Surely this is a task more suited for Twilight, or even Applejack!” “Um, actually,” Fluttershy mumbled nervously, looking down at the floor as she struggled to speak up. “This was on purpose,” Pinkie finished. “Twilight’s the one who turned her into a vampire.” Rarity stepped back in shock. “Why in Celestia’s name would she do that?” “I was, um, curious,” Fluttershy muttered. “About how I’d look, I mean.” “How you’d-” Rarity scoffed. “There are costumes, Fluttershy! I remember what you looked like, this is all completely unnecessary.” “But the real thing is so much cooler!” Pinkie argued. “And way more fun!” Rarity sighed. “Fluttershy, you really must develop some sense of self preservation. If you keep letting Pinkie Pie talk you into these things, who knows what could happen?” Fluttershy kicked idly at the floor. “Well… It is fun.” Rarity sighed even more dramatically. “Alright, I know when I’m fighting a losing battle. So, why am I being involved in all of this nonsense?” “Twilight said we should come get some pictures taken,” Pinkie told her, “cuz she doesn’t wanna do this more than once.” “Hmm,” Rarity thought. “Well, I do love finding new sources of inspiration. Come along back to the studio, then.” With that, she turned and walked away from them, grabbing supplies with her magic as she walked by them and taking them into another room. Pinkie grinned at Fluttershy before bouncing after Rarity, and Fluttershy followed close behind. “I’m so excited!” Pinkie said as they walked into Rarity’s cozy photo studio. It wasn’t much of a studio. If Rarity ever needed anything substantial, she knew it was best to go to the professionals, but her desire to dabble in photography led to her draping a backdrop over the back wall of a small room and filling it with lights. Rarity was standing behind her camera, practically up against the opposite wall so that it could see the whole stage, and Pinkie had to squeeze into a corner to stay out of the camera’s line of sight. “We’ll start with some basic shots,” Rarity said, “then go from there. Fluttershy, be a dear and go stand against the wall, would you?” Fluttershy did as she was told, and once she was in place she turned to face the camera with an awkward smile on her face. “Oh, this isn’t a school photo,” Rarity said. “Strike a pose! Have some flair! These memories should last a lifetime.” Fluttershy hummed and hawed for a moment, shifting around on her hooves, and eventually just stuck one of her legs in the air and smiled even wider, and more awkwardly, than before. Rarity sighed. “No, no, that won’t do. Just turn to the side a bit so we can see all of you and then look at Pinkie Pie, alright?” Fluttershy did as she was told, turning just enough that the camera could make out her cutie mark, and waved anxiously at Pinkie. “Perfect,” Rarity said. “Okay, now Pinkie, do you think you could make her smile?” “Always!” Pinkie said. She thought for a moment, and then decided to grin at Fluttershy before gently blowing her a kiss.  Fluttershy blushed and relaxed into bliss as her heart melted, and without hesitation Rarity sprang into action. She darted around, taking half a dozen pictures from all different angles before Fluttershy even realized what was happening. She finished right where she had started, looking at the camera to see the end results. Fluttershy jumped back in shock a little at Rarity’s sudden outburst, and after Pinkie had already gotten her worked up it took her a minute to calm back down. Pinkie hopped over to her and held her while she did, nuzzling her lovingly. “Well, this is a wonderful start,” Rarity said after a bit of contemplation. “I believe I’m already getting some ideas for outfits.” “Outfits?” Fluttershy asked. “Well, this is a photo shoot, is it not?” Rarity asked. “If you just wanted photos you could have asked Twilight, but if you’re here, I’m going to make you shine.” Pinkie shrugged. “It’s not like we have plans.” “Alright,” Fluttershy said, “it does sound fun.” “Excellent!” Rarity clapped her hooves together excitedly. “Alright, next I’d like to get another round of basic shots, but this time we’re going to have Pinkie Pie rough up your mane a bit first. The first time you transformed you had this delightful frazzled look about you. I would never forgive myself if I failed to capture that in my work.” The afternoon passed by them quickly. Pinkie spent the day keeping Fluttershy relaxed while Rarity doted on her, posing her and dressing her up and doing anything else that popped into her head. They went through easily a dozen outfits, and at one point Rarity set up a darker backdrop and went back through all of the outfits again. It was an exhausting few hours, but they spent the whole time smiling and laughing together. Fluttershy yawned as the day started to weigh on her. Rarity of course took the opportunity to capture another set of photos, capturing the full breadth of Fluttershy’s fangs in the bright studio lighting, but after that she set the camera aside.  “I think maybe we should end things there,” Rarity said. “We’ve had an incredibly productive day, and we’re all very tired.” “I’m not!” Pinkie told her cheerfully. “Yes, well, Fluttershy and I are tired, then. Will you two be coming back for another session? I’m sure I could have a pair of matching dresses whipped up by the end of the week.” “Oh, I wish we could,” Fluttershy said. “That sounds lovely.” “We gotta turn her back, though,” Pinkie said. “Otherwise it’ll be permanent.” Rarity put a hoof to her mouth to hide a chuckle. “Are you certain that’s a bad thing? It really is a bold look, and there’s nothing wrong with a little glamour here or there.” “Ooh, I hadn’t even thought of that,” Pinkie said. “I mean, if you think about it, either choice is permanent, right? So it’s less like turning back and more like Fluttershy deciding what she wants to look like.” “Pinkie, I think you’re forgetting something,” Fluttershy told her.  “Am I?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, I’m almost always forgetting something, but what do you mean?” “It’s not cosmetic,” Fluttershy reminded her. “Ooooh, yeah.” Pinkie laughed. “How’d I forget that?” “Wait, wait, wait,” Rarity said. “Are you saying you had Twilight actually turn her back into a vampire fruit bat pony?” “Don’t be silly,” Pinkie said with a wave of her hoof. “That would just be ridiculous.” “Oh, thank goodness.” Rarity sighed in relief. “Twilight turned her into a regular vampire!” Pinkie said. Rarity nearly choked in surprise. “She what? You turned Fluttershy into a blood sucking monster?” “I’m not actually getting any cravings like that,” Fluttershy said. “Apparently the blood sucking is optional.” Rarity pulled up her fainting couch and slumped down onto it. “You two are going to be the death of me,” she said. “Please go get Twilight to reverse it right away.” “Okay, Rarity,” Fluttershy said. She and Pinkie started to walk out. “Thank you for the photo shoot.” “It was a ton of fun!” Pinkie said. “Mm-hm,” Rarity mumbled dramatically. “Oh, wait, Fluttershy!” She shot back upright. “Would you mind if I sent one or two of those shots to Photo Finish? I really think she could work some magic on them.” “Oh, yes, that’s alright,” Fluttershy said. “Although I would really prefer not to show up in any magazines or anything.” “Of course, darling,” Rarity said. Then she put a hoof over her forehead and fell back onto the couch. “Now go! Before worry overtakes me again.” “You know,” Pinkie said as she and Fluttershy walked through Twilight’s castle, “you don’t have to turn back.” “What? Of course I do.” “It doesn’t seem like there’s anything bad about being a vampire, though,” Pinkie said. “If you like it, you could just stay that way.” “I…” Fluttershy had to think for a moment. “No, Twilight would never let me.” “I bet we could hide from Twilight for a couple days,” Pinkie said. “I can’t do that to her! She would be worried.” Pinkie sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But we could ask her!” “I don’t know,” Fluttershy said hesitantly. “Well, do you like being a vampire?” Pinkie asked. “I think I might,” Fluttershy said. “It’s a little hard to tell, but… I do feel good. Plus, you really do look so pretty now.” “I was pretty before!” Pinkie said. “But whatever. Do you like how you look as a vampire?” “That’s even harder to say. I’m so anxious about how everypony else sees me, it’s hard to think about how I see myself.” Pinkie thought for a moment. “Hmm… Okay, well, you don’t know if you like it, but would you know if you didn’t like it? Like, if it was just awful, do you think that would be easier to see?” “I hadn’t really thought of it like that,” Fluttershy said. “I think it would, though.” “So, either you like it or it’s just kinda the same,” Pinkie concluded. “And if it’s just the same, then the way being a vampire makes you feel should be what decides it.” “Do you think everypony else would be okay with it?” “They’d kinda have to be,” Pinkie said. “Once it’s done it’s done. Some ponies might disagree with the decision, but it’s your life.” “I wouldn’t want to start a fight, though,” Fluttershy said. Pinkie shrugged. “You can’t make all your decisions based on that. I bet you’ve had fights with Rainbow Dash about living on the ground and stuff, but would you take the decision back if it meant not having the fights?” “Of course not,” Fluttershy said. “I love living down here.” She sighed. “You’re right. We should at least talk to Twilight about it.” “Yay!” When the couple walked into the library, there was no sign of Twilight, and a strange rumbling filled the air. Curious, they looked for the source of the rumbling, and it brought them deep into the library’s depths. After row upon endless row of bookcases, they finally happened upon a little clearing, a space that had chairs and tables instead of more bookshelves.  There, on one particularly cushy chair, they found Twilight fast asleep. She was sprawled out on the chair, the book she had been reading having fallen onto her face, and her snoring was rumbling out through the muffling pages. Fluttershy stifled a chuckle, but Pinkie couldn’t manage to do the same. She stuck her hoof in her mouth to try to keep the laugh in, but she wound up just snorting instead, which made her break all composure and fall into a fit of giggling. “Aah!” Twilight jolted awake and leapt out of the chair. She hovered several feet in the air for a long moment as she woke up and took in the scene around her. As the fog of sleep cleared, she began to recognize her friends, and soon enough landed back on the floor with a heavy sigh. Pinkie managed to stop giggling at around the same time. “H-Hi, Twilight,” she said between breaths. “Good book?” “Yes, actually,” Twilight said, “it is a good book. I’m glad to see you two again without having to hunt you down. Did you have fun at Rarity’s?” “We did!” Pinkie said. “I think Rarity liked how she looks.” “I really enjoyed it, too,” Fluttershy agreed. “I’m not usually a fan of being the center of attention like that, but Rarity is good at making it fun.” “She does have a knack for it,” Twilight said. “So, are you ready to turn back now?” “Um, actually,” Fluttershy said, but she didn’t finish the sentence. “We kinda wanted to talk to you about that,” Pinkie said a moment later. “Absolutely not,” Twilight said right away. “Out of the question.” “We didn’t even ask you yet!” Pinkie said. “We don’t know if it’s dangerous!” Twilight gestured wildly as she talked. “Any number of changes could happen after long-term existence as a vampire.” “Changes that you could study,” Pinkie said. Twilight shook her head vehemently. “You’re not going to tempt me, Pinkie. I can’t let you talk Fluttershy into making a change that massive!” “She wants to, though!” Pinkie said. “I do,” Fluttershy added. “Do you really?” Twilight asked. “Can you really be sure you’re not just caught up in the excitement? You could seriously regret it in the future!” “I know I could regret it,” Fluttershy said. “If it ends up being a mistake, it’s my mistake to make. I’ve thought about it, though, and I made my decision. I don’t want to change back.” “I—” Twilight sighed and hung her head. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, I just can’t. Celestia would kill me. I have a responsibility to protect the ponies here, and knowingly putting a vampire into the world goes completely against that. I can’t give you special treatment on this just because you’re my friend.” Fluttershy frowned and looked away. “You’re right. I…” She shook her head. “Just do it.” Pinkie frowned as she looked back and forth between Fluttershy and Twilight. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, and she lowered her horn. Light blasted out, drowning Fluttershy, making her vanish from the world for just a second. Then it cleared, the last bits of magic twinkling out in the air, and they looked up to see Fluttershy. Not quite Fluttershy, though, because she hadn’t changed at all. “I-I don’t understand,” Twilight said, “that should have worked. It’s the same thing I did to turn your wings back.” Fluttershy looked around as her eyes grew wide. “I… I didn’t change?” Slowly, a grin grew on her face. “I didn’t change,” she repeated. “Uhh, what’s going on?” Pinkie asked. “I don’t know,” Twilight said, “the book said two days. Magic doesn’t just change, we should have had two days! You’ve only been a vampire for, like, six hours!” “Well,” Pinkie said, “longer than that, just not all at once.” “What?” Twilight looked at her as the gears turned in her mind. “Oh no… Did that count? H-How long was she a vampire fruit bat?” “Well, we stopped her on the second night,” Pinkie said, “soooo… Huh.” She chuckled to herself. “A little under two days, I guess.” Twilight slapped herself in the forehead. “How could I have missed that? Of course it’s not consecutive, why would it be consecutive?” She started pacing back and forth nervously, muttering to herself. “Magic doesn’t care if you take a break. I mean, an egg doesn’t uncook itself if you don’t finish the job. Oh, she’s going to take my crown for this!” “Uh, Twilight?” Pinkie asked. She walked up and put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to stop her. “I’m pretty sure you’ve done worse stuff than this. You’re gonna be fine.” “Am I?” Twilight took a few deep breaths. “Maybe… Maybe I am.” Fluttershy frowned and walked up to join them. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I didn’t mean to make you worry like this.” Twilight took one more slow, deliberate breath, then relaxed her tense body. “It’s not your fault, Fluttershy. I told you the spell was safe. All you did was enjoy yourself, and I can’t be upset with you for that.” “Are you going to be alright?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah, I think so,” Twilight said. “Hey, on the bright side, at least now I don’t have to feel bad about making you turn back.” “Aw, you didn’t have to feel bad about that,” Fluttershy told her. “You were only doing what you had to.” “Just be careful, okay?” Twilight gave Fluttershy a quick hug. “I want you to be safe.” “Of course, Twilight,” Fluttershy said.  “Hey, so now that you’re a vampire forever,” Pinkie said, “we oughta learn everything we can about it, right?” “Pinkie, it’s not happening,” Fluttershy said. “Aww,” Pinkie groaned, “but I bet you don’t even think it’s gross now!” “It’s still mean,” Fluttershy said. “I would feel bad!” Pinkie giggled. “I bet I can fix that.”