//------------------------------// // Poison // Story: He's a Vampire // by Gormless Wheaton //------------------------------// Another flash and Twilight's team were at street level, across from where they'd left everyone. They quickly ducked behind the trash bins in the alley and peeked out. The army of criminals and head hunters were swarming the entire building, but none of them had noticed Twilight's escape. That gave the princess an idea, and she stood up with a resolute glare. "If we attack them from behind, we can-" "Look out!" Sunbeam squealed, pulling Twilight back to cover. As soon as she did, nearly thirty more cackling and jeering creatures came running. "Whole city's out here! We got 'em pinned!" A unicorn stallion among them yelled as they disappeared into the building where Calaeno and the others were. Peeking out, Twilight could see even more creatures rushing that way. Dozens of them. "Even with your magic, I don't think we can tackle all that," Cozy muttered at Twilight's side. The princess whimpered and took a breath. "That changeling kind of implied they're all being paid by Hop as if that wasn't obvious," Quilt said wearily, rising to her hooves with a wince. "So, I think the best bet is still just to grab him and force him to call them all off." "And they've still got a chokepoint to defend themselves with," Sunbeam added, pointing a hoof at the horde, who seemed to be crowding the upper levels of the building with no progress inwards. "If we hurry, we might be able to save them that way!" Twilight opened her eyes and looked at the horde, furrowing her brow. She took a second breath. "You're right. And like Calaeno said, they're focusing on them," she turned to the group and pulled them closer. "Which means we can get a little reckless. Brace yourselves." She immediately cast a teleportation spell, launching the whole group from their hiding space. The eastern side of the city was briefly spotted by momentary flashes of light here and then there, as the group warped from one spot to another as fast as Twilight could find them. As their 'teleport-chain' steered north towards the airship port that was slowly rising over the skyline, there were no signs that their movements were noticed at all. The only enemy activity they saw at all was of those rushing to where Calaeno and the others were. Twilight scanned the streets from behind the wagon she'd stopped at. "No sign of anypony. Dusty, do you-" She turned to her friends and saw them all toppled over and moaning. "Di' we stahp?" Sunbeam weakly murmured. Quilt groaned in response from where she lay on her back with her hooves over her face. Twilight blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry.." She sat and shuffled her hooves while they recovered. Dusty finally stood and shook her head. "Uhm.. What were you saying?" She asked looking around, before pointing a hoof. "Hey! That's Mr. Pigeon's place!" "We're already there?" Cozy muttered once she was back to her hooves. The only one still on the ground was now Quilt, but even she managed to look up at the shop just a few doors away. "We're just up the road from Hop's home," Dusty added, pointing down the road. "You can't see it from here, but it's just around that corner. The police station and town hall are across from him. The police guard his apartment most of the time instead of patrolling the town." Twilight hummed, considering the paths before them. "Sounds like we might have trouble getting in.." Sunbeam added. "Why not ask Calaeno's friend Donis? She mentioned he's got some kinda tunnel business going on," Quilt offered after rolling onto her stomach. The group shared a look and nodded. "Worth a shot. Let's hurry!" "Don't trifle with me, you damned harlot!" Hop roared, threatening Chrysalis with his sword. She batted it aside and hissed in his face. "I am a QUEEN, you lowly sea tramp! BORN to rule, without needing to hurl coins at the rabble to keep her power," the pair again snarled in each other's faces. Candy meanwhile leaned against his workstation with a hand over his face, waiting for them to finally decide who got to look at his work first. As the insults flew, including a comment on a recent deposition, Chrysalis finally picked up and hurled Hop away into his pirates at the far end of the room. Candy groaned and sent his Evil Eye out to check on the princess. "That tears it!" Hop yelled as he jumped to his hooves. Chrysalis hissed and her changelings who had been lingering in the rafters of the lab flew to her side. Hop's pirates brandished weapons and prepared to charge. Chrysalis and Hop stomped towards each other, followed closely by their minions, and just before they clashed, Candy rolled between them as poison fog. "Seven devils!" Hop squealed as he leaped away from the poison. Chrysalis hissed and magically hoisted one of her changelings up as a shield. "How dare you!" She roared. The squabbling groups parted and glared at the vampire as he slowly reformed. "We got a problem," he looked at Hop. "Twilight gave your cronies the slip." "What?!" Hop bellowed. "Hah!" Chrysalis jeered. Candy scanned with his Eye again. "No sign of any changelings either." Chrysalis balked as Hop stuck his tongue at her. "Hold on.." He focused for a moment and hummed. "Most of their team, including Calaeno, are holed up in an apartment," he rubbed his chin and clicked his teeth. "Must've split up to draw our guys' attention." "Clever, princess. Very clever," Chrysalis seethed and paced the floor. "Damn," Candy clenched and rubbed his eyes. "She's rapid-fire teleporting through the city. Fucking hurt to look at." Hop stamped his hooves. "How in Tartarus can she be doing that?! How hasn't any one of those idiots noticed?!" Chrysalis hissed in response. "They must all be focusing on whichever miserable dwelling the princess left her friends in. They haven't realized they've been duped!" She growled and turned to the changelings. "After her!" "What she said! Get the boys moving in the right direction!" Hop added, whipping around and brandishing his sword at his men. They hesitated and shared a look. "What about Calaeno, commodore?" "Yeah! And where even is the princess?" Hop pursed his lips and hummed. "Good point! Fine, get half of the boys offa Calaeno and after the princess!" He turned and pointed his sword at Candy. "And you get out there!" The vampire flinched. "Me?" "Yes, of course," Chrysalis added, gesturing to the lab with a hoof. "This is all lovely, for sure, but right now your talents best serve us in the field." Candy furrowed his brow. "Serve you?" He parroted. Hop rolled his eyes. "Just get out there! The vampire you're so scared of is still at sea." "What about you two?" Candy gestured to the pair. Chrysalis scoffed and waved her hoof. "A queen does not dirty her hooves while there are others to do so for her," she tittered. "And I gotta get ahold of Mayor Stalwart!" Hop added with a nod. Candy glared at the two before rolling his eyes. "Whatever," he turned to mist and rolled towards the door, sending the pair's minions scrambling and shrieking out of the way. He rolled through the cracks in the door and hissed out into the rain, boiling down the road and causing all the locals to cry out and run for cover. He followed his Evil Eye, largely ignoring the buzzing of the changelings and the stomping of the pirates all following him. "Something about that sheep in the coat skeeves me out.." He thought to himself as he spied on Twilight and her group. "Which sheep is that?" "One of the ones I'm about to choke to death so we can catch your princess friend," he replied. Pinkie didn't respond for a minute as he swirled down the street and then into the air, accidentally catching a few changelings who fell to the ground, hacking and sputtering. "Yeah, nothing to say to that one?" "Who told you to do that?" Candy halted in midair, forcing the cluster of changelings to swerve and avoid him. "What are you doing?!" "Idiot!" "Did you lose her?" "Fuck do you mean?" He demanded of Pinkie. "Did you decide to attack Twilight, or did somepony tell you to?" He sat in silence and was about to reply. "Nothing to say to that one?" The changelings whimpered and flew back as his mist form bubbled and spasmed. "You-" "I meant what I said, Franklin. If you're just a bad guy, we'll beat you like every other bad guy. And if you hurt Twilight, you're probably really just a bad guy," Candy actually winced at her words. "But I still want to believe there's more to you than that. And I want you to believe that, too." The rain hissed as it cut through his mist form, but he still sat in the air. "I'm a drug-dealing vampire, bitch. What other choice do I have?" "You could come back to Canterlot! Ask Celestia for help! Even if you're all eaten up inside, I'm sure she can help you if you ask!" Candy scoffed and slowly drifted down to street level to the terror of the gang just below. "She's got a great track record for helping out my kind, huh?" "She said she's never met a vampire like you or Adam! Except Peter. The others were always too young to remember being alive. Those were all just monsters." "And she's so certain the fact I remember means I've got a chance?" He slowly reformed as his feet touched the ground. "The fact I remember is why I'm so-" He clenched his teeth and snarled. "What are you doing, idiot?!" A changeling demanded, buzzing right next to him. "We need to-" Candy's hand snapped out and grabbed its face, poison mist leaking from his palm and choking the creature to death. Their fellows hissed and recoiled. "Why you're so what?" Pinkie pressed. Candy hurled the half-dead changeling away. "Why I'm miserable. You can't change that, and neither can she. No one can help me. I'm done talking," he exploded into mist and flew down the road. "How do you know if you won't give us a chance?" "How you holding up Hasty?" One of the guards asked now that the horde had withdrawn for a moment. "Going to have one heck of a story to tell when we get home," Hasty replied, wincing as he tried to get comfortable despite the poorly dressed bolt wound in his leg and cut on his side. The fight in the apartment had exploded again once Twilight left, and despite the storm beast's armored body providing a sturdy if macabre barricade when wedged in the door, the sheer number of hostile actors outside all but ensured that a few hits would be scored. Calaeno and Hasty were the first to be pulled back from the door due to injuries, despite the former's protests, and now sat in a corner with a pair of the guards and one of the pirates, all of whom had been cut or poked by swords or spears. The apartment had only a few items that could serve in first aid, and then only thanks to quick thinking on Capper's part. The injured parties were now bandaged with torn-up curtains, held together with a few safety pins. Capper and Blueblood were leading the defense now, aided by the remaining four guards, and six pirates. To Capper's immense relief, the attacking force outside had withdrawn to the neighboring apartments and just out of sight, seemingly to plan their next assault. Unfortunately, all the while, despite not being able to see around their own barricade, it was obvious that reinforcements were arriving, making all the progress they'd made in thinning the horde worthless. Suddenly, a shout rang out and the crowd in the hall settled. "Let's try this!" A harsh voice roared from the hall out of sight. "Come out empty-hooved, pawed, and clawed, and we won't kill any more of you!" "Hah. Hear that? They're getting frustrated," Calaeno muttered weakly with her arms folded. "I have a better offer!" Blueblood yelled back. "Surrender to the authority of the Prince of Woollachia, and he may still be found merciful!" A laugh came in response. "Fat chance! But clever business keeping us here while the princess slips away, I'll give you that!" The party collectively jolted and shared a look of dread. "Our vampire's about to bring her kicking and screaming up to the commodore! Personally, I don't want to miss the show when he gets ahold of her, so let's just end this peacefully now!" "Crud," Hasty huffed. "What do we do?" Capper asked, casting a nervous look around the room. Calaeno rolled her eyes and drew herself up as best as she could. "You want us? Come get us!" She yelled, wincing as soon as she did. "Here here!" Blueblood added, peeking through the gaps in the barricade. He caught a glimpse of a sneering pegasus stallion, who nodded to someone out of sight. A whistle was blown. "Have it your way!" Just then, the windows shattered. Whirling around, the defenders saw a half dozen changelings flying inside, followed by a pair of Abyssinians who tumbled through the windows. The changelings rushed the defenders while the Abyssinians drew knives and leaped at the injured in the corner. "No!" One of the pirates yelled. Then, one of the Abyssinian's tails burst into flames. The sight and sound of their comrade burning brought the invaders to a screeching halt, and their shock was doubled when the second Abyssinian was hurled back out the window like a rocket. "The unicorn!" One of the changelings hissed, turning to charge Blueblood, only to be skewered by his sword. A bolt of flame suddenly struck the body, causing Blueblood to lose his grip on his sword. "What in the world?!" He cried. "It's not him!" "What is it?!" Fire struck again. By this point the defenders had taken advantage of the changelings shock, and engaged them properly, driving them back towards the window or cutting down those who didn't flee. "The heck was that?" Calaeno huffed. "Line of sight, you bitches! WOO!" I yelled, clapping my hands and shouting. The mesmerized crew around me applauded. "Very well done, sir!" A dog praised. Twilight and the others seemed to have a handle on things, so I'd focused my Evil Eye on Calaeno and her team. It did nothing for my nerves, as I could literally only watch while they got cut up and shot. Then I remembered all the training we'd been doing at the castle. Namely, most of my spells worked on line of sight. If I could see it, I could hit it. And with my Evil Eye, I could sure as hell see everyone in that room. There wasn't a guarantee it would work. After all, I wasn't even physically there, but what the fuck did I have to lose? And the results were more than I could have prayed for. I turned to the crew and pointed at the edge of the ship. "Keep trying our floaty idea, I'll be back in a sec," I stepped further up the ship out of the water that had now begun to reach the top deck, and relaxed. I sent my spirit to the team, who were collecting themselves after the close call. "Hey, gang." The room jumped. "Peter!?" Calaeno screamed. "Master! I knew you had something to do with this!" Blueblood declared, scanning the air. Capper leaned on the wall and huffed, clutching his chest. "Little warning woulda been nice." I shrugged. "Sorry. Anyhow, I found a way to help! Y'like the fireworks?" I conjured a few small balls of fire and made them orbit me. Hasty laughed. "More than you realize! Do you think you could-" "Heave!" We all looked towards the door, where plainly a number of chains had been slipped around the dead storm beast and were now being used to slowly rip him out of the way. "Crud," Hasty muttered. A buzzing came at the windows and I immediately hurled my fireballs out of them, earning a few squeals and hisses. "Focus on the front door, I can- HA?" I shivered and shook. I rushed back to my body and I had slipped from my resting place and was sitting in about a half foot of water. I felt it beginning to sap my strength and scrambled further up the ship. "Fuck," I growled once I was on a dry part of the deck. I looked around and saw the crew tossing the fancy golden cushions from the cabin overboard. "Any luck?" One of the ponies looked up at me and shook her head. "Nuh-uh. It's real gold they're wrapped in!" She said with a smile. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "Gaudy piece of shit," I looked down and scrambled further up the ship when I saw the water creeping closer. My plan had been to have the crew use the cushions as floating devices to help drag me back to the shore. No such luck. I looked over the dumb smiles of the crew and sighed. "Alright. No sense in us all drowning. I release you from my spell, get outta here." I waved my hand and they all jolted and then screamed before bailing. I settled on the bow of the ship and huffed. I cast my Evil Eye back to the apartment and saw to my relief they were all still alive and wrestling the barricade back into place. "That one!" Dusty whispered as they crept down the alley. The front of the shop was crowded, so they had agreed to try getting Donis' attention from the back. Twilight cast an unlocking spell at the door, and then slowly pulled it open. Inside was a warm little room, lit and heated by a wood-burning stove, with barrels lining the wall, and shelves loaded with breads and cheeses. The noise of the storefront could now be plainly heard as they crept inside. "Quilt, what're you doing?!" Cozy hissed at her friend who immediately made for the cheese shelf next to the door leading further in. "Making sure this wasn't all for nothing, even if he can't help us!" She hissed back as she licked her lips and reached for a wheel of cheddar. The door swung open, drawing a yelp from the sheep. "Who's back here whispering!?" A bipedal pigeon burst in, dressed in a white shirt under a black vest, with a green feathered cap on his head. He immediately saw the group, and Quilt at whom he leveled his blunderbuss. "So! A nasty little gang of CHEESE THIEVES is it?!" "I haven't stolen anything yet!" Quilt retorted, stamping her hoof which drew an even angrier glare from the bird, causing her to wilt away. "Wait please!" Twilight begged, sitting and holding her hooves up when he aimed his weapon at her. The bird blinked and his jaw dropped. "Alicorn, eh?" He said quietly. "Hey, Donis! What's up?" A yell came from the front. The girls held their breath as Donis looked back and took a step away. "Nothing, just some rats! Be back up in a sec!" He pulled the door shut and turned to the group. "So- Leave it!" He jabbed a talon at Quilt who hastily withdrew her hoof from the cheese and scurried to Twilight's side. Donis and Twilight glared at the sheep before looking back at each other. "So, you're like as not the little princess the changeling queen was shrieking about a bit ago, eh?" He folded his arms and leaned against the door. Twilight grimaced and nodded. "Rancid little commodore's offering a reward for you." "I know, and that's why we're here," she said earning a laugh from the bird. "Giving yourself up to me, huh? Mighty kind of you! I could use the cash!" He laughed again. Twilight took a step forward. "Calaeno said you were friends. Please, we need your help." His laughter stopped and he considered her with a solemn leer. "Calaeno, eh?" He huffed after a moment. He nodded his head. "What'd she say?" "She kind of implied you and Hop weren't on good terms," Sunbeam replied, earning a grim chuckle. "Nice way of putting it." "She's in danger because of him. Because of me," Twilight begged with a hoof to her chest. "If we can get to Hop, we might be able to call off his thugs. It might be the only way to save her!" Donis looked at her pleading eyes and then over the rest. He smirked and nodded. "More incentive than I'd normally need to stick it to the little rat. This way, quietly," he opened the door and gestured for them to follow. Twilight beamed in response. "My tunnel's right this way. We can use 'em to sneak right up on the bastard." He laughed as the girls moved to follow before Quilt hesitated, remembering something she and Calaeno'd discussed. "Hey," she said to Donis who raised an eyebrow at her. The rest of the girls gave her equally confused looks. She looked the bird man up and down and narrowed her eyes. "So, uh.. Just out of curiosity, what's your thoughts on King Thorax?" Twilight flinched and looked up to see Donis scowl for just a moment before tilting his head with a smile. "Who's that?" The girls stared wide-eyed at him and backed away. He held his smile for a moment before scowling again. "Aw, to Tartarus with it," he aimed his blunderbuss at them, only to be blasted by Twilight. "Run!" She screamed as they scrambled for the door. Quilt snatched the wheel of cheese before following. "Now what?" She asked once she caught up outside. "After them!" A changeling yelled from above as a veritable swarm came pouring in from the street. "Scruff," Quilt and Cozy peeped at the same time. "Look out!" A second changeling shrieked, followed immediately by a collection of hacks and coughs. A yellow fog was now racing towards them, and passing through the changeling swarm, leaving them writhing and sputtering on the ground. "What is that?!" She screamed. Twilight gasped and charged her horn. "It's him!" She fired a beam which shot harmlessly into his misty mass, before exploding and scattering him apart and halting his pursuit briefly. "How do you know?" Quilt demanded. "Luna and I discussed it. The night Pinkie was bound, there was a poisoned smog in the shop, and Luna believes it was Candy," she looked at Sunbeam and Cozy, while the vampire slowly drifted after them. "Try the symbols!" The pair nodded at each other and hopped forward, thrusting their cutie-fixes towards the mist. It condensed and shuddered and wafted back. "It is him!" Quilt squealed, looking frantically at her companions. "What do we do?" Before anyone could answer, a shout from further down the alley came up. Beyond the vampire's mist, they could see a new host of changelings and thugs barreling towards them. "Crud," Sunbeam huffed, still with her cutie-fix aimed at Candy. "Of all the times, we-" Just then the mist shot upwards and arced over the group, before spreading and cutting off the pass behind them. "Double crud!" Sunbeam cried, waving her cutie-fix at the vampire, but while he retreated, he still presented a toxic roadblock for anyone who couldn't fly. Twilight was preparing to cast a spell when Cozy stamped her hoof. "You dirty, low-down, snake!" She stowed her cutie-fix and drew her knife with her teeth. "Ls shee how you li thish!" She leaped forward to the shock of the group and took a swipe at the mist's edge. Her knife passed through, leaving behind a noticeable gash, and she tumbled away before the vampire could counter. But he made no such attempt. Instead, a high-pitched hissing shuddered out from the mist and it seemed to spasm and condense again. A noise like a wounded pig hissed out and the vampiric mist exploded back over the group, racing down the alley toward the approaching gang. "Not again!" "Stop!" "Pleas-" Candy's mist form barreled through them and left them huddled on the ground. He sped away and shot around the corner onto the street. The girls sat dumbfounded. "Whoa," Quilt muttered. "What the heck was that?" Sunbeam gawped, staring at Cozy in bewilderment. She sheathed her knife. "Peter said this thing cut his mist, remember?" She said with a smug smile. "Guess foggy over there wasn't counting on that!" Sunbeam clapped her hooves together. "Nice going!" She cheered. Twilight hummed and considered the path the vampire had fled. "Faerie iron's quirky like that. He might be going right to Hop," she looked at the piles of sickened thugs lying in the alley. "And if he's being this reckless, he's definitely cleared a path for us!" She turned to the group. "Let's follow him! This might be the best chance we get to capture the commodore." "Heave!" The cry came again. "Heave!" Capper parroted. "Damn it all," I hissed as my vision was spoiled again. The ship was now mostly underwater, and the bow I was sitting on was visibly drifting under. I climbed further up until I was at the end. A low creaking rumble bubbled up from below. I sat with my head in my hands, grinding my teeth. My Evil Eye showed the apartment again where the tug-of-war was still ongoing, but now with the addition of some hooks, our side was rapidly losing. "C'mon! Pul-" Capper screamed and fell away, clutching his leg which was now streaming blood. A bolt came sailing through the same gap he'd been stabbed through and, since the armor thwarted my spell to catch it, struck one of the pirates in the side, sending him squawking to the side and knocking over two of his fellows. This gave the attackers outside the advantage they needed to finally wrench the body out of the door frame. "Get back! Form up!" Blueblood ordered as the team scrambled away, dragging the injured with them. "God damn it!" I hissed as my leg touched the sea again. I stood up on the very point of the bow and watched the sea creep ever closer. I only had seconds. Not enough time to launch more than a few bolts of fire, and after that.. Would my Evil Eye still work underwater? Hell, would my link with Quilt? Even if it did, would it help? What could I do once I was underwater? Magic? Would that work? "My spells still carried over the water, even though I can't fly over it," I thought as I sent my Evil Eye out again, bracing for one final volley of fire. Then it hit me. My spells still worked over water and through my Evil Eye. The armored body was pulled free, and the front line was reformed between the door and the injured. "Got you now!" The cackling voice who'd demanded their surrender called out as crossbows were aimed into the door. "I'm sunk if it doesn't work and sunk if I don't try. What do I got to lose?" I clenched and tried to teleport. "What the heck is that?!" I blinked and looked down. My body had a dozen bolts harmlessly pinned throughout it. "Master!" "Peter!" "Why didn't you do that before, you tail-hole?!" I smiled and swept the bolts off with an arm. "Only just learned I could. And to answer your question," I pointed out at the shocked line of thugs and the stallion leading them whose jaw hung open. I knelt down with a bow, clenching my legs and causing the floorboards to crack and splinter under my feet. "I am the Prince of Woollachia." "Aw, crud," were his last words before I slammed my knee into his face at high speed. "What exactly did this Adam promise you?" Chrysalis asked as she idly tinkered with Candy's instruments on his desk. The commodore rolled his eyes. "Same thing he offered the rest. Immortality," Hop replied before returning his attention to Mayor Stalwart. "So, you think you can spin that for me?" The yellow pegasus hummed while studying what he'd written, scratching under his black and gold sash. "Pirates in the company of an Equestrian princess destroy our eastern sector.." He nodded slowly. "Gimme a day or two to workshop it, and we'll have something plausible enough to make demands with." Hop smirked. "Great, so now-" "Immortality, you said?" Chrysalis pressed. Hop huffed and patted Stalwart on the shoulder. "We'll talk after we've got her," he turned and walked to Chrysalis while the mayor continued mulling over his notes. "Yes. He's going to make us vampires, like him and Candy." Chrysalis snorted. "Vampire spawn, maybe. Unless you're fond of memory loss," she leered back at the stallion. "Then again, maybe that's exactly what he's planning? A blank slate to sculpt?" Hop shook his head in confusion. "What?" "I've only met his lackey, the alchemist, so I can't say what his real intentions are," she turned fully towards Hop with a wide smile. "But if he doesn't even have a blood bond with you, I can't imagine he's eager to share real power with you." Hop choked and stammered. "How did you know-" Chrysalis' cackle cut him off. "Poor little eel's just a little fish in a much bigger pond," she cooed, leaning close. Hop grit his teeth and prepared to retort when Stalwart screamed. They turned and saw him scrambling out of the way of Candy in mist form boiling towards them, forcing them to separate. He reformed, whimpering, cursing, and crying at his workstation, blood streaming down his thigh, and ripped open a drawer. Inside were neatly organized and labeled bottles of his favorite concoctions. He drew a glowing blue mixture whose label read 'Healing!!!' and quickly drank it. He hissed and hummed as the wound on his leg twitched and finally sealed. "Oh my fucking God.." He collapsed on the ground, holding himself and quietly sobbing. The villains shared a glance before Hop stepped closer. "The Tartarus happened to you?" "She cut me," he heaved. "She fucking cut me." He brought his knees to his chest and rocked on his side, hissing and whimpering. "Is that all?" Chrysalis huffed. "I was mist, you dumb bimbo!" He roared swinging his arm out at her before holding himself again. Chrysalis was caught between shock at the insult and the revelation. "How'd they manage that?" Hop murmured. "Princess Twilight's just full of tricks," Chrysalis growled and shook her head. "Nonono," Candy heaved. "One of the sheep they brought. It's not supposed to work like that!" Before either could retort or inquire further the doors flew open again, startling the mayor once more. "What's your problem?!" One of the pirates shouted. Seeing the commodore's look, he gestured to Candy. "He poisoned over half the guys we sent with him!" "What?!" Hop roared. "And most of the changelings as well, my queen!" Chrysalis seethed at the report and loomed over the vampire. "Explain yourself!" "'sposed to be safe. Shouldn't be able to. Aw. God," he muttered and murmured, biting his hand as he whimpered. "What?" Chrysalis shook her head in bewilderment. Hop snorted and nodded at one of the dogs. "Get him up." The dog hesitated for a moment, but a firm glare from the commodore urged him forward. He pulled Candy to his feet and held him up. Hop stepped closer and looked him in the eyes, ignoring how wide and unfocused they were. "Explain. Your. Self." He punctuated his words by jabbing the vampire with his hoof. Candy leered down at him and went still. "Princess Celestia says if you turn yourself in, she'll do what she can to help you. You don't have to keep being miserable, and you don't have to keep hating yourself." "Will you just SHUT UP?!" He roared mentally and aloud and swung his arm out, cracking the dog in the head and sending them sprawling. Hop howled and dove away to the safety of his gang. Chrysalis hissed and entered a low stance with her horn lit up. Candy glared around the room, breathing heavily and slowly pacing back and forth. "I can't fucking DO this shit with you right now! They could've fucking KILLED me out there! NOT like I wouldn't FUCKING deserve it!" He pounded his fist into his table, rattling the plates enchanted for cooling and heating his potions. "What are you-" He swept his arm out as he spun around, nearly striking Chrysalis who flew back with a hiss. He stomped towards his barrels. "I am not BUILT like Adam, I am not BUILT like Dog," he heaved his words out and ground his teeth. "I'm just Franklin Reed, and I'm so fucking tired of living like this. Getting jerked around by psychos and freaks." "Please, just give us a chance to help you!" Pinkie begged as he stopped and leaned with a heaving sigh upon one of his barrels. "I don't want help, I want to die." "Don't say that! We can help you, just don't give up!" She pleaded, and he could feel her sincerity through their link. It made his heart sink. "You've done bad things, but a lot of it was cause other creatures made you! It's not too late!" Franklin shook and snarled to the terror of everyone in the room besides Chrysalis who was preparing to pounce at him until he laughed as he slowly caressed the barrel. "So if I did something real bad on my own, then you'd give up on me?" He chortled and slowly drew himself up to his full height. "What?" Franklin lifted and hurled the barrel to the ground, bursting it open and spilling its crimson contents all around. "What're you doing, you idiot?!" Hop roared as he scurried away. Chrysalis flew up to the rafters and glared down at the vampire as he moved to his workstation and grabbed the heating tray from his tools, before smashing it apart and tossing its magical fragments into the liquid. Thin steam began to rise as the pool boiled. "Spreading the misery," he finally replied to Hop as he drank another potion from his drawer. "What is that?" Chrysalis demanded. Franklin smashed the empty bottle on the ground and pointed at its fragments. "That is how I mix my mist with poisons," he laughed and pointed at the boiling steam. "And that is about as poisonous as it gets." He laughed again, more of a manic cackle this time, and flipped the bird at both of them before turning to mist and mixing into the ever-growing cloud of vampire contagion.