//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Of Vampires and Werewolves // by Tekkonair //------------------------------// Octavia smirked as she sipped her cocktail, lounging against the bar as she watched her marefriend on stage throw herself into her set with abandon, her blue mane shimmering under the bright lights focussed on the stage, a sea of neon paint and glow sticks undulating on the dance floor. Octavia shuddered at the thought of how hot it must be in the middle of that throng. She chuckled as Vinyl flipped a new record into the air, and waved the bartender. “Another Manehattan?” Asked the pony behind the bar, absentmindedly cleaning a beer glass with a rag that looked older than the stallion holding it. “Actually, I think I’ll go with a Maretini. Shaken, not stirred.” She replied with a grin at her own joke. “Heard that one before.” Muttered the stallion with a roll of his eyes, and went to go prepare the cocktail. Octavia stuck her tongue out at the turned back of the stallion, the alcohol clearly getting her to lighten up. So much so she failed to notice a secluded group of ponies gesturing at Vinyl and her, shooting suspicious looks at anyone who got close and talking in hushed tones. Any other night, this would have caused Octavia to leave, hopefully with Vinyl following her. But Vinyl’s earlier assurances, as well as the promise that the proceeds of this night’s performance would go towards buying a house, so Octavia was feeling more tolerant to oddities tonight, and was perfectly content to watch her marefriend act out the part of DJ-P0N3 until the end of her set. “That’s all for tonight folks!” Vinyl said into the microphone on stage, grinning. “DJ-P0N3 is out of here!” She bowed theatrically, before packing her records away and leaving the stage, clearly in high spirits. Octavia grinned, and walked out of the club, waiting by the alley they arranged to meet at. Vinyl shortly exited through the club side door, and grinned at Octavia. Octavia grinned back. “Hey Vinyl. Good haul tonight?” Asked Octavia. “You have no idea.” Replied Vinyl, a smile etched from ear to ear as she levitated a pay check into her saddlebag. “Come on, we’ll celebrate at home with a few drinks.” Said Vinyl, gesturing down the alleyway, incidentally a shortcut back to their apartment. “Excellent. I’ve been waiting to get into that Jura.” “Just don’t spend too long with it, I might get jealous.” Teased Vinyl, grinning. “Oh don’t fret Vinyl; you are my one true love.” Replied Octavia, nuzzling Vinyl. Vinyl beamed back at Octavia, and led the way into the alleyway. The pair were about halfway down the alleyway when Octavia suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong Octy?” Asked Vinyl, looking around. “There’s someone ahead of us.” She said, tensing up as three figures stepped out of the shadows a few yards ahead of them. “Very astute beast.” Hissed one of the figures, as they revealed themselves to be ponies. “Beast?” Asked Vinyl, tensing up as well, angry at the insult to her beloved. “What do you want?” Asked Octavia. “Well, simply put, the white mare beside you.” Hissed the same pony, evidently the leader of the strange little group. Octavia growled, causing Vinyl to start somewhat at the noise ponies should be unable to make. “Leave her alone, nosferatu.” Octavia growled, her teeth looking a touch sharper than a few moments ago. “What’s a nosferatu? What’s going on?” Asked Vinyl, angry and confused. “Be silent mortal.” Sneered the leader. “You will become one of us, no matter what the mongrel next to you has to say on the matter.” “I am no mongrel.” Replied Octavia, baring her teeth in a snarl at the slur. “Someone tell me what’s going on or I’m going to start screaming.” Said Vinyl, now upset as well as angry and confused. “Well, mortal.” Began the leader, with a great amount of amusement. “To put it into terms you will understand, the beast you are standing next to is a werewolf, we are vampires, and shortly you will be a vampire as well.” The words caught Vinyl off guard. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. “What.” She said flatly, blinking rapidly. Octavia sighed. “I’m sorry Vinyl.” Octavia said, hanging her head. The leader chuckled. “Any last words before we kill this dog and add you to our ranks?” They hissed at Vinyl, a grin visible despite the gloom of the alley. “Yea.” Vinyl said slowly, looking at Octavia and nodding. “Bite my flank!” She shouted, before her horn glowed. The white glow encompassed a dust bin in the alley, hurling it at the figures as Octavia growled, rapidly beginning to change. Octavia’s front hooves appeared to split, the previously hard stumps shifting into apparently normal canine paws, save for the much larger than average claws capping each toe. Her hind hooves split into a pair of cloven hooves. Her muzzle elongated, teeth changing into sharp fangs as the fur receded from the tip of her nose, leaving a wet black patch. Her eyes shifted to amber as her muscles swelled, especially around her jaws and shoulders. Her grin was feral as she leapt at the leader. “I was hoping we could do this quietly, but oh well.” Muttered the leader, before a bolt of magic flashed from them, missing Octavia and reducing a small section of wall to dust. The vampire Vinyl threw the dust bin at easily dodged the attack, and prepared to retaliate, but noticed too late that Vinyl hadn’t released control of the bin, and it impacted into the back of their head with a satisfying crunch. She didn’t have time to gloat though, as the vampire that wasn’t busy avoiding Octavia leapt at her, a pair of pegasus wings emerging from their robes as they flew at Vinyl. She yelped and reeled back as the vampire landed in front of her, grabbing a loose brick with her magic and swinging it at the vampire. The pegasus easily avoided the attack, ducking under the brick before twisting and bucking Vinyl, the hooves contacting with her chest, knocking her backwards. Vinyl quickly rolled to her feet, sending a telekinetic blast at the pegasus to buy herself some time. The pegasus flinched back from the attack, before renewing his assault on the white unicorn. Vinyl rocked back onto her hind hooves, swinging both front hooves at the vampire’s head. The pegasus ducked, but failed to notice the brick from earlier coming back for another try at his skull. The pegasus’ head snapped back as the brick hit them in the bottom of the jaw, and Vinyl spun into a buck as her front hooves hit the ground, winding the pegasus. The pegasus dropped to the ground, and Vinyl turned to the fight between Octavia and the leader. Both had taken their share of injuries, Octavia staying off her bloodied hind left leg, the leader’s breathing somewhat raspy, and each of them was covered in blood from various sources. The vampire’s robes were also shredded, barely hanging onto their form by a few strands of material that Octavia had yet to tear through. The leader blasted Octavia away with a pulse of magic, and quickly took a look around. They snarled upon seeing both their lackeys had fallen, neither of them looking to be getting up any time soon. “This has gone on long enough.” They snapped, blasting Octavia back again before lunging at Vinyl. Vinyl barely had time to yelp before the vampire was on top of her. She tried to attack the vampire with her magic, but her head was slammed against the concrete, her vision flashing white for a moment. Octavia slowly dug herself out of the pile of refuse she had been thrown into, her eyes locking onto the pair of them. “Vinyl!” She shouted, apparently knocked back to her normal form by the attack, and charged towards the pair of them as fast as she was able. The vampire cackled, a blade of magic flashing at Octavia, cutting deep into the wound she had already sustained on her leg, and Octavia dropped to the ground with a howl of pain. The vampire grinned, smashed Vinyl’s head into the ground once more before licking their lips. “I wonder how you’ll taste.” They mused aloud, before sinking their fangs into Vinyl’s throat. Vinyl screamed and thrashed, trying to push the vampire off, but to no avail, and her movements slowly began to still as her vision went dark…