//------------------------------// // Love // Story: He's a Vampire // by Gormless Wheaton //------------------------------// Sunbeam winced as the night air through the window did nothing to help the fumes from all the garlic. When Cozy said her room was warded, having one hundred and sixty-seven full braids hanging everywhere wasn't exactly the picture she had in mind. It was a wonder the vampire could even stand living in the castle with this much garlic concentrated in one place. "Cozy? Where'd you go?" Sunbeam called as she pushed her way through the hanging garlic, like an explorer driving deeper into the jungle. "Over here!" Cozy called. "Where?" "Oh! hold on!" Cozy grumbled. There was a snap and a swish, and the entire garlic array collapsed to the floor, revealing Cozy standing next to a wench used to hold it all up. "There we go!" Sunbeam blinked as she finally got a look at her friend's room. Just as promised besides the garlic there were dozens of scary-looking instruments and tools, as well as books upon books featuring pictures of bats and zombies piled on the desk next to her bed. She even had a second desk with a potion-making set up ready to go. Sunbeam grinned maliciously. This was perfect, this was how they'd settle the score, this was- "Ohmigosh!" She gasped when she saw Cozy's pillows on her bed. She rushed up to get a better look. "That's so cute!" "You like 'em? Me and Quilt made those!" Cozy proudly declared. Sunbeam squealed in joy at the set, each with a wonderfully embroidered picture of Cozy and who must've been Quilt. "Back before the vampire came.." Sunbeam's ears shot back at Cozy's defeated tone, and she whipped around to console her friend, pulling her into a hug. "Don't you worry, Cozy," she said when the ewe finally looked at her. "We got this. I know a thing or two about wrangling criminals, and with your expertise, we can definitely take him down!" Cozy sniffled away her sad tears, having long since become nose-blind to garlic, and smiled. "You're right. I've been going about it all wrong!" She hugged Sunbeam tight, before adopting a heroic pose. "Working together, we can definitely destroy that monster!" "We'll see about that!" Came a call from Cozy's door. Whipping around, the girls saw Prince Blueblood stride into her room. "Prince Blueblood? I thought the vampire had you locked up!" Sunbeam gawked. "He's the guy who got hypnotized, right?" Cozy asked, looking to Sunbeam who nodded. "The Master welcomed me into his service, granting me a purpose when all my life I have wandered.. How could I simply sit by while you two schemers plot to destroy him?" Blueblood threatened. Cozy leaped forward. "You don't know what you're saying, you poor fool!" She declared. "He's evil and he's got you under a spell!" "Now who doesn't know what she's saying?" Blueblood retorted with a laugh. "But I won't waste my time bandying crude words with a pair of fools. I came to act!" The girls braced as he lit up his horn, and then shrieked when the pile of garlic was ripped off the ground around them and balled up in the air. "And I'm starting by removing this insulting trash!" "No!" Cozy screamed, rushing at Blueblood who deftly took a step back and slammed the door shut, causing her to crash face-first into it. As she slid down, he threw the door open again, pinning her to the wall. "Hah! Is this the best you can muster?" He cackled before seeing Sunbeam flying up and trying to wrestle the garlic ball free back to the ground. "Useless!" He slipped the bundle to the side and then whipped it back, pinning Sunbeam to the wall. "My nose! My eyes! It burns!" Sunbeam shrieked. Blueblood cackled again. "A fitting punishment for a loathsome pair like you two!" He said with a wicked grin. "Don't you realize? Your efforts are useless! USELESS USELESS USEL-" The door swung open, nailing him in the face with a crack and breaking his concentration, letting the garlic drop and freeing Sunbeam. Cozy sprinted out and slid to catch her friend. "Cozy!" Sunbeam cried. "You're okay!" "Of course! I'm a professional vampire hunter. No dopey minion's gonna get the better of me!" Cozy declared, helping Sunbeam to her hooves. "Dopey minion?!" Came a cry that made them both jump. They whipped around again and steeled themselves. Blueblood pushed the door back open and glared at them, a thin line of blood trailing from his nose. Sunbeam blanched, and Cozy gasped. "Are you okay?" She called while Cozy rushed to get a tissue. "Of course! What are you-" Sunbeam gestured to his nose, which he swiped with his hoof, gasping when he saw the result. He stamped forward. "It's nothing! A mark of pride in defense of the Master!" "Here you go," Cozy offered him the tissue. "Oh, thank you," he said with a bow, taking it and wiping the rest away. Cozy furrowed her brow. "We can't keep this up. Too many innocents are getting caught in the crossfire," she declared with a solemn nod. "So what're we supposed to do?" Sunbeam asked. "Surrender, obviously," Blueblood proposed. Cozy shook her head. "Princess Celestia should be here by now.. We should just-" "Aunty's here already?" Blueblood asked. "Uuh, yeah I think so. It's about time I'm pretty sure," Sunbeam affirmed. Blueblood sat in thought looking at the slightly bloodied tissue, before smiling and jumping to his hooves. "Ah hah! In one master stroke, I shall turn the Master's greatest foes against each other!" He declared. The girls leaped back into a defensive line. "What are you planning?!" Cozy demanded. Blueblood chuckled darkly, holding his bloodied tissue and tapping his nose. "You did this. And I'm telling," he said with a grim smile. The girls blanched. "Wh-wh-wait a sec!" Sunbeam begged. Cozy carefully closed on Blueblood. "Didn't you hear me?" He asked as he slowly stepped back out of the room, eyes locked with them. "I didn't come to talk.." He slammed the door shut as Cozy tried to jump after him, causing it to shake as she crashed into it again. "I came to act!" They heard him shout as he rushed down the hall. "AUNTY!" "So, we've applied the wool to the circle. What does that leave?" Quilt screwed up her face as she focused. "Remember the salt matrix?" She gasped as he said this. "That leaves the blood sample!" Quilt declared. He nodded with pride. "Exactly! Did you remember to bring it?" She clapped her hooves. "Yep! I got it in the bag," she whipped around and searched the bag on the grass, digging deeper until half her body was inside. "Uhm.. Uh oh.." She whipped back and gave her Grandpa a sad look. "I think I actually-" She blinked as he waved the little vial in the air with a smile. "Grandpa!" They shared a laugh and continued the practice ritual. By the time the sun had gone down, the circle was ready, and with only a few adjustments by Grandpa, less than usual he was certain to tell her, it activated and burst into flames that took on the shape of sheep in all sorts of fancy clothes who then danced up into the night sky in a slow waltz. "Wonderful work, Quili-lily," he said hugging her closely, as they watched their work slowly fade into the starry sky. "Pretty soon, you'll be doing these all on your own!" "Thanks, Grandpa," she said, nuzzling his chest through his beard, before looking back at the last glimmers of the light. "D'ya think Mama and Papa can see?" "Yep! And they're even more proud of you than I am," he affirmed, hugging her tight and kissing her head. "Of course, such a display is hard to miss." Quilt jumped as Mayor Briefs suddenly appeared next to them. She looked out from under Grandpa's beard. He spared her a momentary smile before looking back to Grandpa, who leveled a hard stare back. "Have a moment to chat, Gruff?" Briefs asked politely. She felt Grandpa tense up. She didn't know why, but he always got really angry when Briefs interrupted their time together even though he never got angry at anything else. "I'm with my granddaughter, Briefs." "Something's come up I need your expertise on," the Mayor said plainly. Grandpa hissed and looked away. "Is it time?" He all but whispered. The Mayor shook his head, and Grandpa sighed. "That's a relief. I'll meet you in the town hall." Briefs tipped his hat and slipped away. "Alright, young lady, time for bed," Grandpa said, rising from where they lay. Quilt just as quickly scrambled to her hooves. "Aw! But Grandpa!" Quilt whined, pointing at the stars. Grandpa was about to argue but sighed when he met her sad, pleading eyes. "Alright.. Briefs can scruff himself. Five more minutes!" He declared, causing Quilt to gasp. "Grandpa! You cussed!" He just winked and sat down with her as they stargazed together. The stars hadn't changed at all. Even from the balcony of Castle Ramstead, they looked just as bright and wonderful as they did all those years ago. Except now, she gazed alone. She couldn't take her mind off that night and all the other nights just like it, when Grandpa'd take her to practice witchcraft away from the sheep who were spooked by it. When he'd explain the importance of keeping your summoned undead on a short leash, or else they'd take advantage and hurt you. When he'd tell her how good a job she'd done. Quilt sighed miserably, and buried her snout deeper in her hooves. She kept Peter on the tips of his hooves pretty well, she thought. But if he wasn't summoned by her, was it all for no good reason? But that's only if Celestia was right. And Grandpa warned her about the princess. "She's wonderful, have no doubt," he'd said. "But thirty years ago, when she got angry with the Longhorns? Well, if you saw her, you'd understand why us practicing the same sort of stuff as them is something we're keeping to ourselves." But if that was all true, how come she didn't kill her when Quilt had come clean? And if the princess was genuine, didn't that mean Grandpa'd got a lot wrong? And if he got stuff like the rituals and the princess wrong, what if he was wrong about how good she was at magic? What if he was wrong about how smart she was? What if he was wrong about how proud Mama and Papa were? What if when he died, he was wrong about how much he said he lov- "Nuh-uh," she mumbled, hiding her eyes from the sky. None of this made any sense, and it'd not made much sense ever since she met Peter. This all just made her try harder to bury her head, wishing she could just slip down between the stones and disappear. "Get back here, you lowly slave of evil!" Quilt looked back in spite of her misery, and through the balcony door, she saw Cozy and one of the ponies Peter'd arrested sprinting down the hall. Cozy at least made sense. There was no way she was wrong about that. Cozy was her friend. "A wonderful idea. Take every chance to foster that friendship, Ms. Quilt." With a bracing breath, Quilt stood and galloped to catch up with her friend. Out on a balcony she teleported us to, I soaked in the calming moonlight while lying on her side. She had one wing draped over me as we sat in the quiet. "You said there were others," I said, barely a whisper. "Eleven, to be precise. I am very sorry to say, when I encountered them in the vaults beneath the mountain, that I had no idea they were from another world. After I had cleansed the mountain, I had time to think," she explained. "So, they're all.." I whispered. She held me tight with her wing. "They were already lost when their masters unleashed them upon me, and so I did what had to be done," she confirmed. "It was years later after further dissection of the Longhorns' notes that their origins became apparent." "What the hell were the Longhorns after?" I felt her bristle at my question. "Death," she said coldly. "On a scale I fear to fathom. When I felt the sorcery they wove into the forest, I felt the intent as well. They meant to deny the Woollachians any aid." "They were going to.. Kill their own guys?" "To the last, I suspect," she sighed. "I know not to what end, but their Master intended to turn Woollachia into a mass grave. I cast aside all caution and rushed here alone, for the royal guard were unable to mobilize fast enough." "I suppose that being quite the unexpected act on my part helped me in the end. They never expected me to face them directly," she said with a sad laugh. "I managed to catch them before their horrors could be unleashed from the mountains, and with a few counterspells to clear their false cloud cover, the sun and I made quick work of purging their horde and driving the last of their number over the mountains into the wasteland beyond." She looked off into space, and I felt her wing relax its grip. "So many would have suffered, and for a purpose I cannot even guess." I considered her words and our earlier talk. "What about vampires?" She looked down at me. "You said those who died-" I flinched, but relaxed when her wing tightened. "Those who died miserable could be turned into vampires," I sighed. "Maybe they wanted a huge army?" "Very clever, but a few addendums," she said with a chuckle. "Those who pass while in misery and despair are more easily snared by dark magic, not simply turned into vampires. And if that was their goal, there are easier and subtler ways to accomplish such a feat." "Still, I have considered something similar," she continued, her tone lower and more severe. "Certainly there would be countless souls who would resonate with the darkness. Such things are quite useful for producing dark power itself. Mass sacrifice in older, sadder times was used to fuel great dark magic rituals, such as attempts to blot out the sun or resurrect dead gods." "Sounds like a barrel of laughs." "It was actually very serious, Peter," Celestia chided. "But I won't deny there was some excitement to it all." I took a deep breath and stared at the moon for a minute. "Why'd you leave behind all the stuff here in the castle?" "As I explained, the Mastermind behind the Longhorns' evil was never identified. I had hoped that by feigning an utter rout and withdrawing entirely, the villain would show themself and pounce upon the chance for plunder and glory," she let out a long and tired sigh. "I believed they were motivated by imperialism and greed, for these were the motivators the Longhorns proclaimed during our clash. But no such luck. In fact, Woollachia fell into a delightful peace following our withdrawal." She beamed up at the stars. "So there's a light in the dark regardless." "Wish I had that kind of faith in things," I muttered. I was thrust up to a sitting position and whirled around to face her. "Do not sink into the mire of what has been," she said sternly but sadly. "Let the past be the past, and look to tomorrow." I grimaced. "I get you, it's just.." I shook my head, unable to find the words. "You have suffered loss, and much of it is by the malice or carelessness of others," she brushed my shoulders with her wings. I avoided her eyes. "Grief is one thing. A desire for justice another. But when these have passed or been satisfied? Clinging to what spawned them will do you no good." I winced. "The Longhorns are destroyed. This Martin is gone," she leaned closer and touched the crown of her horn to my head. "Your family has passed. These things cannot be changed. Embrace your sorrow for now, but do not wallow unending, for this will turn to resentment and resentment to hate." "Maker willing, you have a very long life ahead of you, and eternity is wasted on hatred, Mr. Harlow. For try as we might, immortality slips away," I tried to look her in the eyes but found she was staring at the moon. "And we're left with only our shame." She shook her head and looked at me sadly. "I will not say do not weep, only do not compound later regrets. Grieve now, and then be glad for the new life you have and the new friends you have already made," she wrapped a wing around me in a tight hug. "You have escaped death, but also, against all odds, escaped a far worse destruction and remained Peter Harlow." Before I could say anything, she kissed my forehead. "I at least shall celebrate that fact. I pray you find the strength to do likewise." Dumbstruck by her words, I stared into her eyes, lost in the assuring light they exuded. I took a cleansing breath and nodded. As I did, I saw the slightly faded red stains on her coat around her neck, where I'd buried my face after learning the truth. "Fuck, I-" she cut me off, holding up a hoof. "Think nothing of it," she smiled softly. "I consider it a sure sign that my friend has retained his soul. And that is nothing to be ashamed of." I gawped. "We're friends?" "After all that, I'd certainly hope so!" She tittered before smiling warmly. I smiled back for the first time in what felt like years. "AUNTY!" The voice of Blueblood shrieked. And there it went. "Sweetheart?" Celestia called, sweeping up to her hooves and walking to the hall where Blueblood came galloping. "Don't listen to him! He's possessed!" Came Cozy's yell. "I didn't do it!" And Sunbeam's. I followed Celestia inside, where Blueblood came to a screeching halt and fell into a string of accusations, bringing attention to his nose and the tissue he had. Then Cozy and Sunbeam came crashing in and fell into a string of deflections and denials. Celestia stood stunned as the conflicting verbal barrage hammered her from all sides, before slowly looking back at me. I stepped forward and slammed my palms together with all my strength, creating a deafening thunderclap, silencing the three of them. They all looked up at me in anticipation. "You." I pointed to Blueblood. He hesitated but nodded. "Aunty, these two mean mares, er mare and ewe hit my nose! I was bleeding!" "Nuh-uh! He.. Well, okay, that's technically true.." Cozy muttered. Sunbeam stepped up. "Princess! The vampire has control over Blueblood!" She cried. "No, he doesn't!" Blueblood squawked. "He doesn't?" Celestia repeated. "I don't?" I also repeated. Blueblood looked up at me for a moment, before turning to Celestia. "Of course not! He set me free earlier, because he's a decent chap," he affirmed with a stern nod. Celestia leaned down to look him in the eyes, which caused him to flinch until she hummed and withdrew. "That certainly seems true, and matches what I believe to be true about Mr. Harlow," she said. I looked down at Blueblood who winked at me when Celestia focused on Cozy and Sunbeam. And I had no inclination of how to take that. "Wait.. You think he's okay?" Cozy gasped. Sunbeam and she took a step back and pressed closer together. "He and I have had a very lengthy discussion, and-" she was cut off by Sunbeam. "She's covered in blood!" She cried, pointing to the faded red patches. "She is under his spell!" Cozy declared. "Wh-what?" Celestia stuttered, suddenly under the mildly hostile and critical glares of the pair. I dragged my hand over my face with a sigh. "Cozy?" Quilt called, suddenly popping up from around the corner. She gawped when she saw all of us together but relaxed a little when I waved. "Quilt!" Cozy cried, rushing back and putting herself between Quilt and us. "Stay back! He's ensnared the princess!" "He's even more dangerous than we feared!" Sunbeam added, taking a defensive stance next to Cozy, before looking back at Quilt. "I'm Sunbeam, by the way!" "Hi?" Quilt mumbled. "I understand your fears, but please believe me when I say that Peter Harlow is not half the monster you imagine him to be," Celestia explained. "These marks are not of violence, but sorrow. His, not mine. Would a heartless monster weep before anyone?" "W-well.. I mean, maybe?" Cozy grumbled while Sunbeam kicked the carpet. Quilt looked up at me in astonishment. I shrugged. "Like she said, my choice. And I choose to tell my buddy about it a little later, alright?" I psychically said. She stared at me as if really taking in my words, before smiling. "Okay," she finally replied. "Consider this also!" Celestia said, snapping her wings out to get their attention. "If I were under his spell, I'd have to obey his commands, yes?" "Exactly!" They both cried. Celestia nodded and whipped around to face me. "Go ahead," she said. I stared at her before catching her meaning. I raised my hand to position and channeled Lugosi. "Gimme your crown." "No," she retorted and whirled back to cast an expectant smile at the girls. "Huh," Sunbeam huffed. "But! He! I! You.. QUILT! He!" Cozy said, nearly frothing at the mouth, before collapsing with a defeated sigh. She sat staring at the floor until Celestia knelt to her. "I don't think Peter took much exception to your actions, and they were done out of love for your friend, right?" she asked. Cozy nodded slowly. "Then I cannot chastise you too severely. Your heart was, and remains, in the right place. And please consider the bright side!" She swept her wing out and brushed Sunbeam to Cozy's side. "You even made another friend in your escapades," Celestia said with a smile. Cozy and Sunbeam considered each other and smiled back. "I only ask that you try to think better of Peter." They scowled past her at me but softened to just frowning and nodded. Celestia rose with a giggle. "Now, Lieutenant Sunbeam has to come back to Canterlot," the girls whined at that news. "But I have something to let you both keep in contact." Her horn lit up and a pair of matching golden candles appeared in front of them both. "Whoa! I thought these were only for emergencies!" Sunbeam cried, taking hers in her hooves. "A pair of friends about to be divided by days of land travel is emergency enough if you ask me!" Celestia retorted. "What're these?" Cozy asked, looking hers over. "If you write a letter and burn it in the candle flame, it will immediately be transported to whoever owns the other candle," Celestia explained. Cozy gasped and she and Sunbeam fell into a hug. Then another flash and I saw one floating in front of me. Looking up, I saw Celestia looking back at me with a smile, holding its twin in her magic. I smiled and took the candle with a nod. "If you ever return to this house, you now have no excuse for disturbing the castle finance pile. You have been made aware," Graggle said, wagging a claw in Pinkie's face who nodded her head shamefully. The rest of Twilight's friends were making brief small talk and saying their farewells to the rest of the staff, especially Cozy and Sunbeam who were excitedly trotting in place as they talked to the bemusement of Sunbeam's squad, especially Hasty who shot a smile and wave my way. "Don't worry Master!" I nearly jumped when Blueblood popped up from nowhere. "I am still loyal! If you ever need an inside-stallion, I'm your fellow!" I blinked and gave him a curt nod, to which he saluted and made to board the chariot. As he did, Celestia stepped away from the pegasi at the front and approached me. "Please remember what I told you. Cherish what you have now, fill your heart with love rather than leave a hole where love once was," she said once she was in front of me. "It goes without saying, but if you ever need to talk, you have your candle. Please never feel it a burden to write." "Thank you," I replied with a smile. She nodded and tilted her head in thought. "Perhaps if you're feeling up to it, you could come to Canterlot on the sixth of next month. We'll be having a festival dedicated to friendship then," I was about to point out the problem with that arrangement when she continued. "It will be going quite late, so you'll have a chance to enjoy it without fear of my fiery ward in the sky." "I'll think about it," I said with a smile. She bowed, and I returned the gesture before she turned and boarded the chariot. Everyone else aboard waved as it moved to leave. "See you later Peter! Remember: Nightmare Night! I need you for authenticity consultation!" Pinkie cried as they left the ground. I shot her a thumbs-up. The sheep, dogs and I called our farewells as the chariot shrank into the horizon. The castle residents all began to return inside to either sleep now that the night was ending or prepare for their duties. I took a deep cleansing breath as I watched the chariot with my superior eyes, and felt something bite my hand. Looking down I saw Quilt, smiling up at me. I smiled back and followed her inside.