Ponyville was renowned for its beautiful, sunny days. The light beamed down on the peaceful little village, glinting off windows and bringing a smile to every face it rested on. Ponies lounged in the park, or strolled through the market, or soared through the air. Every day was like a holiday when Ponyville was sunny.
Fluttershy was renowned, among other things, for not particularly caring to revel in those sunny days. It wasn’t that she disliked nice, warm days. Those were the days nature bloomed, when animals would play and foliage was at its brightest. It was just that those were also the days when the rest of nature was more lively, too. The bustle in the sun would rile up the creatures in the forest, and plants living mostly in the dark would perk up from the rare beam of light. So, no, Fluttershy didn’t dislike sunny days at all. She just had so much else to do that she was rarely out and about to simply enjoy them.
Of course, all that was before she became a vampire.
Since then, she’d only become more of a hermit. The sunlight wasn’t poison to her, it didn’t burn her to ash, but it wasn’t pleasant. The change had sharpened all her senses to absurd degrees, and that came with a price. Bright lights stung her eyes, and having the sun beat down on her made her long for sunscreen. She hated crowds more than ever, shying away from the barrage of noise they sent her way. These things were all avoidable, yes, and she could diminish them with earplugs and sunglasses and the like, but still, they made it far more of an ordeal to go out on Ponyville’s lovely, sunny days.
Despite all this, Fluttershy loved her new body.
She had foregone the leathery wings, not wanting to lose the cuteness of the fluffy wings she had, but aside from that she was a vampire through and through. Her pointed ears and red eyes made that clear enough, and even if somepony failed to notice those, when she talked there was no missing the long, needle-sharp fangs in her mouth.
It had been a lot for her friends and family to take in, but Fluttershy thought she was cute, and that’s what mattered.
The newfound power was just a bonus, but what a bonus it was. Things other ponies found beautiful, the sky and the sea and fields of grass, had lost their luster, but in exchange the warmer colors of the world popped out at her in a way she could never have imagined. All of Equestria was a masterful oil painting in her eyes, and when focused on things that particularly caught her eye, things saturated with reds and oranges and pinks, they were so captivating she could almost taste them.
Her hearing, too, had been drastically improved. She could pick out conversations across town, or pinpoint the exact blade of grass an insect landed on. More than that, though, if she focused on the right sounds, the beat of a heart or a drip of blood, she could hear everything. She could find anypony, anywhere, so long as she knew the sound of their heart. She had never truly tested the reaches of this strange sonar, but it didn’t seem necessary. Something inside her told her it was, truly, limitless.
Then, of course, there were the tastes. Food exploded with flavor, making every meal the best she’d ever had. Some things were too powerful—garlic, in particular—but once she had figured those out, eating became one of her favorite parts of the day.
There was one taste that stood tall above the rest, though. One single, delectable drink that made her mouth water at just a thought. It tasted the way Ponyville’s beautiful days felt to others. It tasted like being in love, and knowing you were loved back. It tasted like an unquenchable, endless wellspring of power. And it tasted like nothing else in the world.
She’d only tasted it once, though, and had no intention of doing so again. There was only one way to sate that thirst, and it wasn’t something she was willing to do.
This was what was running through her mind as she rested in her huge, comfy armchair, cradling the love of her life in her grasp. Pinkie Pie was sound asleep, her breathing slow and a smile on her face, and Fluttershy was stroking her side. The petting was gentle enough not to wake her, but still Fluttershy could feel the slow, steady beat of her heart, and it brought peace to her own.
The windows were open, and the breeze carried birdsong with it. Fluttershy took a deep breath, taking in the smells of the wildflowers growing behind her house, and held it for as long as she could. She lingered on the scent, picked it apart so she could appreciate every bit of it, until her own heart started pounding in her ears, and she slowly let the breath out with a contented sigh.
Today was perfect.
Her ears perked up as something big landed on the loose gravel that lead to her door. There was a moment of heavy silence before two sets of hoofsteps started coming closer.
Fluttershy tapped Pinkie softly. “Pinkie? Somepony’s here, I’ve got to get up.”
Pinkie yawned and turned over, then pressed herself into Fluttershy’s chest and fell asleep again.
Fluttershy sighed and smiled. As carefully as she could, she shifted and maneuvered around until she was able to stand up and leave Pinkie asleep on the chair. Before she walked away, she smiled and gave Pinkie a soft kiss on the cheek.
There was a light, patient knock at the door.
She put on a welcoming smile as she walked over, and opened the door as quietly as she could. “Hello, can I—”
She stopped short when she saw who she was talking to. At her door were two pegasi with sleek, leathery wings. They both had dark sunglasses, but aside from that were nothing alike. One was a tall, slender purple mare wearing a sharp suit, while the other was a short yet imposing cyan stallion in a heavy duster. Neither of them made any move to greet her.
Behind them, a third pony towered over them. She was easily Celestia’s size, with metallic gray fur and a long black cloak. Her mane was stark white, blindingly white, with streaks of empty black that seemed to shift in imperceptible ways. Even hidden under the cloak, her dark wings looked like deadly weapons, and the long horn on her head was sharper than any Fluttershy had ever seen.
Her burning red eyes locked with Fluttershy’s, and she smiled. It was a kind, loving smile, but the hint of fangs that it revealed made it imposing all the same.
Fluttershy’s eyes went wide, and she swallowed hard. “M-My Lady?”
The pony moved forward, and her guards stepped aside. “Now, Fluttershy, I’ve told you there’s no need to be so formal. We’ve important business ahead, and I don’t want you to feel undue pressure. So, please, know that you can always call me Dracula.”