//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: zomg vamponies, or, Fluttershy the Hunter // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Berry Punch walked into the examination room for her "weekly alcoholic therapy" with Nurse Redheart. In all honesty, it was more like bi-weekly. Sometimes tri-weekly. As she came in and hopped on the cot, Redheart closed her eyes and cast the silencing spell on the room. Nopony would be able to hear anything that happened inside her office. "I just want to thank you again, Nurse Redheart," Berry Punch said. "I don't know how you have kept this up for so long without somepony getting suspicious." "Oh, you know, part of the oath I took requires me to care for every pony, no matter their issue," Redheart smiled as she levitated over a blood bag. "No matter how.... rare the condition. And besides, I just claim the blood loses its effectiveness over time and needs to be destroyed and replaced, and that's technically true anyway." Berry Punch grabbed the proffered bag and tore off a corner, greedily drinking it in. She pulled back in appreciation. "This is some good stuff," she said. "Unicorn, mare, the magic tingles my tongue just right." She attacked the bag again. "You can taste the magic?" "Yeah, comes with the curse, I guess," she interrupted herself to take another swig, "being a bit more impervious to magic than normal ponies. It's perk number five of being.... a.... what I am.” Almost two years had passed since she had been turned, but she still disliked referring to herself as a 'vampony'. Redheart couldn't figure out why. After all, being a vampony was now as much a part of her as her own cutie mark. Ah, well. She cleared her throat. "Oh, yes, before I forget. Some ponies were in here looking for vamponies." Berry Punch froze, eyes darting to Redheart, bag still halfway in her mouth. She swallowed nervously. "They didn't suspect you, at all. And I told them vamponies didn't exist, anyway." "Thank you," Berry Punch said appreciatively, as she took another gulp. Redheart paused for a quick beat. "They suspected me." Redheart had timed it just right. Blood spurted out of Berry Punch's nose and mouth as she burst out in uncontrollable laughing mid-swallow. "You?" she gasped, when finally able to control her laughing spell. She wiped the blood off with a forehoof. "A vampony being a nurse? Surrounded by bleeding, injured ponies? That's ridiculous!" Redheart tried to look offended, but she was so amused at the situation (and Berry's laughing fit) that it was hard. "It's not funny! I had to roll over and expose my underbelly to the sun! Do you know how awkward that was for me?" Berry winced; Redheart wasn't sure if it was because she shared in Redheart's shame, or because she knew that, were she to do that, her overly sensitive skin would blister in seconds. "Another?" Redheart offered. "Yes, please." Berry Punch accepted the offered bag and ripped off the top again, and drank deeply. She moaned in flavor ecstasy. "This is Big Mac, for sure.... Thick, earthy, sweet apple flavored, almost syrupy....” She looked at the bag wistfully. “Too bad me and him didn't work out...." "I'm impressed you can tell ponies apart by their blood," Redheart said. 'Disturbed' might have been the more accurate term, but hey. Professionalism. Berry Punch shrugged as she took another drink. "Earth ponies have a more earthy flavor, a bit thicker. Pegasi have more oxygen from always being in the air and it's a bit bubblier. Not as good as the hard Apple cider, though," she cracked, with a wink at Nurse Redheart. "So you're still going to keep up the drunken facade?" Redheart asked. Berry Punch sighed dejectedly as she licked the blood off her own lips. "Yesh, of coursh.... I mean, yes. First off, alcohol hides the blood smell rather well. Secondly, and more importantly, I would rather my daughter think I'm an irresponsible mother than.... know that I'm.... a monster.... Which I am, of course." She took another drink, finishing most of the bag, and then paused, becoming serious. "Do you think she knows I love her, Redheart?" "Oh yes, I dare say she knows," Redheart smiled. "She comes in here too, you know, and we talk sometimes too." Redheart grew a bit more serious. "She really cares and worries about you." Berry Punch flung the almost empty bag at the trash can in annoyance, not surprised at all when she missed and not caring about the blood that spurted out all along the floor. "Yeah, 'cause I'm her mother. A normal pony with a little drinking problem. If she finds out about what I am, though, her heart is gone from me forever." Redheart picked up the empty bag with her magic, placed it gently in the biohazard bag, and with a quick spell, separated the blood splatters from the floor. She once again felt a tinge of gratitude that her office didn't have carpet. "I doubt that. You'll never know unless you try talking to her about it." "Then I guess I'll never know," Berry Punch growled with finality. Redheart sighed, but didn't press the issue further. "One more round?" she asked. "Nah, that should be good for now.” Berry slid off the couch and gave Redheart a hug. “Thank you so much again." There's professionalism, and then there's being real. Redheart returned the hug. * * * “Ruby!” Berry called. “Time to go! I'll be good this week now.” Ruby Pinch knocked over her little tower of blocks and ran up to Redheart. “Thanks for helping,” she said, nuzzling the older mare thankfully. Redheart smiled. “You know I'll always be here to help, no matter how long it takes.” "What if it's for forever?" Ruby asked. Redheart leaned down to meet the filly's eyes. "Then I'll help her forever." “Forever,” Berry Punch silently repeated. Forever. Forever....