//------------------------------//
// He's a Vampire 
// Story: He's a Vampire 
// by Gormless Wheaton 
//------------------------------//








Katskills let out a grunt and caught Peter's claws with his crossed knives before letting out a weary exhale and rolling along his arm in a strange, drifting manner. The vampire shuddered at the touch of his knives and then turned to glare at him in confusion. Then, hopping a few steps away, Katskills huffed and the vampire fell into two pieces.

Celestia meanwhile managed to rip out the shadowy spike Peter had stabbed her with that had been visibly draining her. With a frustrated groan, she snapped her wings and dashed towards him as he reformed and turned to attack Karl again.

Quilt watched all of this on her side with detached, haunted resignation, a feeling she knew from when Grogar first revealed himself. "Peter." The voice of Frill, however, snapped her out of it. Turning, she saw Frill still standing, angrily glaring at the vampire.

"Peter, no," she demanded. The vampire recoiled from Celestia's attack and then snapped his arms back at the elbow to strangle her. "Peter, don't do that." Karl rushed forward like a flash and severed the vampire's arm, narrowly avoiding being sliced apart himself as the monster's cloak came alive and snapped at him.

"Peter, stop that!"

"Frill," Quilt quietly murmured. "It's too late."

"Shut up," Frill briefly and derisively spat before returning her attention to the skirmish. "Peter, please." A hoof met his chest and after a brief flash, he was sent sprawling by an explosion that swelled up and then shrunk into his ribs. He tumbled in the air and landed on his hands and knees before launching himself forward like a leopard. His severed arm had already begun to regenerate in the form of a pitch-black shadow that slowly gained color.

"Peter!" Frill cried.

"Frill."

"Peter, please, wake up!" She cried the same phrase she'd uttered to him so many times before. In response, the vampire hesitated and glanced at her, causing him to collapse and tumble towards his foes. The pair of sheep jolted and Quilt jumped to her hooves.

"Peter?" She gasped. But the monster only rolled and then took to the air, avoiding a string of thrown knives that stuck in the ground.

"Damn it!" Karl roared and began hurling knives up at the monster. "You know I can't fly!" The vampire chuckled darkly before racing off towards the forest.

"Get back here!" The hunter bellowed as he took off after him. Celestia meanwhile stared at the sheep in wonder.

"What was that?" She desperately asked. The sheep shared a lingering look before Quilt met Celestia's eyes.

"He's still in there," she whispered. Celestia's ears snapped back and she looked over her shoulder at the shadow that now dove into the woods.

"Perhaps," she quietly replied. "But I fear with the First's power now saturated by Grogar's, we may not have the means to overcome him. We may need to.."

She clenched her eyes with a quiet hum. "We may be forced to seal him as we did the First. And even that may be less than feasible if the Elements are not ready for the task."

"But he's in there!" Frill cried, galloping to the edge of the plateau and staring at the forest. "Which means we can still save him!"

Quilt and Celestia came to stand by her side. "But how?" Celestia murmured. "He is shrouded so thoroughly."

"Just like Grogar," Quilt declared with a severe look. "If we could separate him from his dark magic like we did that bastard, maybe-" She flinched with a gasp.

"A summoning ritual!" She cried. "We could call his soul out and give him a new body! His old one would go dormant without his soul!"

Frill jolted and whined. "And if we do it out of love, won't that let us fix his soul?"

"I'm afraid those only work on the dead," Celestia groused.

"As far as we know, but has anywooly ever tried?" Quilt retorted with a stomp. "We didn't think anyone could bring vampires back to life either!

"Plus, Grogar threatened to rip sheeps' souls out all the time," Frill added with a firm nod.

Quilt glared out at the forest before looking up at Celestia. "And Peter was confident I could do anything that monster could do." Celestia met her determined eyes and then scanned the woods.

She closed her eyes with a quiet sigh. "What do you require?"









Karl rolled and then leaped away as the vampire brought his claws down. The hunter had to twist and then flail to avoid being grabbed by the monster's magic, but once he touched the ground he drew a deep breath and sheathed all but one of his knives.

This last one he held in both paws at his hip and then slowly drew it up across his chest, before slowly sweeping it down and dragging it up the other way. The vampire paused at the sight, his Evil Eye warning him of danger, and watched as the hunter swung his knife in a figure eight.

Faster and faster the knife curved through the air, so fast that it seemed to leave a trail of light which became more defined as the blade's speed increased. Then the vampire recoiled, for sparks flew at the center of the crossing path, as though the knife was scraping against itself on each pass. The sparks lit up the hunter's face, and the vampire held his hands up to shield his eyes from the sight.

Then Karl finished his maneuver, slowly raising the knife high above his head. It shimmered and hummed, and seemed partially transparent, and the vampire recoiled with a groan. With a sharp exhale, Karl brought the knife down.

There was a rush of wind and the vampire stumbled back, blinking and then whirling around to see the hunter behind him. Karl fell to his knees panting and wheezing, and his knife shattered with a crack. The vampire bared his fangs and moved to attack, but then dozens of deep cuts burst open all across his body and blue flames erupted from the wounds.

Karl collapsed onto his side and looked back wearily at his foe, who roared in pain as the flames danced and seared his wounds open. Then the monster turned black and lost his shape before convulsing and then reforming. With a growling laugh, the vampire appeared again, panting and with tired unfocused eyes, but otherwise unharmed.

Karl heaved a defeated laugh and splayed out. "Damn it all." He lay motionless as the vampire bared his fangs and stalked towards him. After a moment, he found himself helplessly gripped by magic and dragged into the air.

"I think I promised you we'd see how many ways a guy can skin a cat," the vampire laughed and unfurled his fingers, which shifted into long, sharp claws. Karl sighed and clenched his eyes shut. As a result, he never saw whatever it was that struck the vampire and sent him sprawling with a pained shriek. Karl hit the ground with a grunt and then sat up to see Celestia land with a severe expression.

"Can you still fight?" She asked. The Abyssinian groaned a laugh and rolled to his paws.

"If the only other option is letting a lady challenge this demon alone, then unfortunately, yes," he sighed and drew a pair of knives.

"Take heart, Sir Katskills," Celestia replied as the monster clamored to his feet, one claw over his smoking chest. "We do not need to overcome his healing or seal him just yet. It might do to only keep him distracted for now."

"Ah," Karl huffed, watching the vampire rake his claws across the wound, which turned to shadow and vanished. "Well, that is something, at least."









"Hr hrr's hr hrar hrkr!" Quilt declared through her teeth which were clenched on a piece of chalk with which she completed the ritual circle.

"What?" Frill asked in response. Quilt studied the circle and the roots, flowers, and faintly glowing alicorn feathers strategically distributed within it before spitting out the chalk.

"That mare's a miracle worker. Seriously, she had a spell to just conjure this junk," she replied before turning to the pile of fragments from Grogar's bell. "Now, we need to put these in all the empty circles." Frill nodded in response and dutifully helped deposit the fragments as instructed. Once everything was in place, Quilt slowly paced the circle, her eyes darting around it as she did.

"Good, good, good," she whispered. "And the old bastard's bell acts as the material arcane focus." She stood straight and took a breath.

"Alright. Let's give it a shot."

Frill studied the circle. "Is this really all it takes?"

"Honestly? Everything I read about this stuff called for more complicated reagents, but Celestia said her feathers and the bell fragments should fill the gaps just fine," Quilt replied as she stepped into the circle. "But there's one more thing that can't be substituted." She clenched her teeth and carefully cut her fetlock on a bell fragment. As blood began to drip off her hoof, she delicately traced a new circle inside the larger one. Frill meanwhile sat down with her ears pressed back and an anxious frown. Once Quilt finished, she stepped out of the circle and stamped her bloody hoof on it.

The entire array hummed quietly, and the smaller spaces the reagents sat in began to glow. Nodding, Quilt sat down at the edge, clapped her hooves together, and whispered with her eyes shut. Unsure of what to do with herself, Frill paced in place, sat down for a moment before pacing again, and finally wandered to the plateau's edge to stare anxiously out at the forest.

A brilliant golden beam erupted suddenly, setting the treetops it cut through ablaze and causing Frill to jump with a shout. "What's happening?!" She squealed and stamped her hooves. "I can't stand this!"

"Hush," Quilt chided as she slowly extended her hooves to the edge of the circle. "It's almost ready." Frill frowned with a whine and stared mournfully back at the forest. Quilt's hooves clacked against the ground the circle was drawn on, and the entire array hissed and burst into pale blue flames.

Nodding and still holding her eyes shut, she reached out through their bond. "Peter. Return to me. Come back to us. We are waiting. Peter-"

"Quiet."

She flinched and her eyes shot open. "Wha-"

"I'll collect you when I'm done over here. Sit tight."

Quilt frowned and screwed her eyes shut again, murmuring the ritual chant again before calling out once more. "Peter, you're not thinking right. Please, just-"

"Don't make me tell you twice." There was a crackle and Quilt's eyes shot open. The circle was still burning, but the chalk and bloodlines were beginning to grow thin.

"Scruff," she squeaked.

"What is it?" Frill asked. Quilt bit her lip and looked up at her.

"He's fighting me. He's refusing the summons."

Frill blanched. "That can happen?"

Quilt whimpered and bit her hoof. "I didn't think it could!" Frill's eyes darted around and she looked back over her shoulder.

"Well, what do we do?!"

"I don't know!" Quilt cried. "I figured since he responded to you earlier, he'd be receptive to, y'know, his friend calling out to him and everything! Cause of love and all that!" Another golden ray shot out, this time scything through several trees which collapsed and vanished into the woods.

Quilt groaned and stared at the display. "Is the dark magic just completely smothering his love for everywooly else?"

"But he reacted when I called to him," Frill squeaked and tilted her head with an anxious look. Then, she gasped and desperately pranced in place. "Maybe the fact those two are fighting him is making him angry?"

Quilt blinked and rubbed her chin. "So angry he's falling deeper into the dark? Maybe," she hummed and frowned. "But as close as he and Celestia were, you'd think he'd respond to her like he did to you-" She paused and looked at Frill.

"Do you think he hates Katskills that much?"

"Yes," Frill said with a curt nod. "I do as well."

Quilt let out a growling sigh and rubbed her forehead. "Great. Well, we should-" She yelped as the circle crackled again and the flames began to die down. "No!" She scrambled back to position and resumed chanting.

After a moment, she huffed and looked at Frill. "I have to keep the ritual going, I can't leave the circle!"

Frill's ears snapped back and forth and she glanced over her shoulder at the forest. "So, I should head down there, right?"

Quilt grimaced. "I mean, one of us has to try and reach him," she whimpered. "I just hope he's willing and able to listen to-"

"Alright," Frill said evenly with a sad smile. "If you can handle this without me, I'm happy to go." She turned and made for the edge of the plateau.

"At least I can definitely say I was finally some help to him," she quietly said to herself.









With both hands cupped in front of me, I caught Celestia's spell dead in my palms. With a hissing laugh, I clutched the magic and yanked. The entire spell came spiraling out of her horn, drawing a shocked cry from her as the magic raced forward and melted into my hands.

"TOLD YOU that shit wouldn't work again!" I cackled as I licked my fingers. Spicy with a hint of strawberry. Way better than the cat who was lying on the ground behind her, chest heaving with every breath and his arm draped miserably over his eyes. Celestia, meanwhile, staggered forward and then caught herself on one hoof before leering angrily at me, panting and shivering. I warped right up to her and leaned in at the hips to meet her eye level, though her head was hanging to the point her mane was drooping to the ground.

"I also told you to just let me have the cat. See what happens when we don't listen?"

"I will not allow you to sully yourself with an innocent life, Peter."

I snorted and tilted my head. "Him? Please," I shook my head and held up my fist. "Though, if it'll put your mind at ease, I'm happy to knock you out beforehand. So, you can honestly say you gave it your all, y'know?" I opened my fist and shifted it into a black claw. She rustled her wings, though they, too, were starting to sag. Silently, my shadow crawled under her.

I hummed and smiled. "What, you think those wards scare me anymore? I've proved I can get at you despite them." She winced and held back a groan of pain as my shadow stabbed her through the hoof. "Why do you keep making me repeat myself?" She didn't answer, and despite my shadow drawing more of her energy out, she didn't even react. She just kept glaring at me with those tired, unfocused eyes.

I blinked and then smirked. Leaning in, I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes and then her ears. No response. Leaning closer, I heard her quiet, controlled breathing which drew a chortle.

"Out like a light, and didn't even have the courtesy to say goodnight?" I tsked and withdrew my shadow before striding around her as her head slowly sagged further and her eyes closed. Karl peeked out from under his arm and grimaced, which drew a chesty cough from him. I smirked as I stalked toward him, but paused when my Evil Eye twitched.

"Peter!?" I looked over my shoulder to see Twilight and her friends, all of whom were looking worn out. But they still wore their elements. Twilight herself blinked and looked between myself, Celestia, and Karl before taking another step forward. "What the heck's going on?"

"He's corrupted!" Karl roared with a wheeze. "Hit him with the Elements!" I scowled at him before returning my attention to Twilight. She recoiled and shared a look with her friends.

"What?" She gasped and glared at Karl. "What do you mean?" I smirked, folded my arms, and began discreetly forming my claws. Karl strained and rolled onto his side.

"You-" He winced. "You have to..!"

"What?" Twilight asked before blinking and realizing I'd vanished. Then, she saw my shadow looming over her, and she craned her neck to see me with my claws raised and my cloak primed to skewer her friends. Her ears snapped back and I-

"Peter!" I paused again and looked up. Frill stood with her hooves firmly set in a wide stance and an anxious look in her eyes.

"Whoa!" My attention snapped back to Twilight and company, who finally reacted to my presence and dove or scrambled away from me. Rainbow tumbled and then snapped into the air. "What the heck are you doing?!" I bared my fangs and lowered my claws, preparing to-

"Peter!" I grimaced and turned to Frill. With a hum, I warped right up to her, causing her to gasp and jump back a step. I stared her down for a moment before smiling.

"Hey, Frill. What's up?" She looked at me with shaky eyes and blinked before whimpering and gulping.

"Peter, you need to stop," she squeaked, tears bubbling up in the corners of her eyes. "We- We won! We beat the monster! We need to go home." I raised an eyebrow.

"We sure did. Just like in your story," I chuckled and kneeled. "So, why you looking so antsy?" I reached my hand out but she recoiled and clenched her eyes. I tilted my head and stood up straight while she murmured and shook her head.

"Mr. Katskills said just because fairy tales turn bad when they come true, doesn't mean they have to end bad!" She whimpered and clenched her eyes for a moment before scrambling up to me and rearing up on my leg. "So.. Please, Peter!"

She let out a sob and buried her face in my pant leg. "Please come back to me!" She began crying, with small bits of my pant leg bunched up under her curled hooves. I hummed and tilted my head.

"I have a counter-proposal," I purred. She sniffled and looked up at me with red, teary eyes. I smiled and rapidly swept her up, cradling her in my arms. Twilight and her friends yelled something, but our attention was on each other "You come with me."

She blinked and looked at me with a confused frown. "What?" I dug my fingers into her back and she whimpered in surprise.

"I'm going to live forever, Frill," I replied as I scratched her. "You won't." I spat the words with a deep loathing that caused her to shiver.

I let my words hang for a moment before giving her a warm smile. "I can change that. Make you like me. Then, we can be together forever." She blinked and looked into my eyes for a few moments before frowning.

"It wouldn't be you, though." I snorted and laughed.

"Of course it would be!" I shook my head and raised an eyebrow at her. "What, just because I'm more awake, I'm suddenly a completely different person?" She murmured and craned her neck to look over my shoulder before scowling at me and pressing her hoof into my shoulder.

"The Peter I love wouldn't be doing any of this!" She swept her hoof at Celestia. "He would never hurt or fight any of his friends!" I rolled my eyes.

"You must not've been paying attention. She said we used to be friends," I smirked. "Plus, she was as ready to rumble as I was."

I held her closer and leaned in. "Kinda says a lot about her view on me, doesn't it?"

"You..!"

"Let's face facts, Frill," I rolled her and held her up with my forehead pressed to hers. "I'm a vampire. A monster. And for the first time, I'm embracing that fact." I gave her another warm smile. She held her frown and her eyes studied my face carefully. A few moments passed before she tried to pull back and looked over to the side.

"Then enjoy eternity alone." I recoiled and my jaw dropped, looking her up and down as she curled her legs and scowled off to the side. Tears were falling onto my wrists and she was shivering. I snarled and violently yanked her back into my chest before pulling her head to the side.

"Fat chance. I can just make you mine," I spat and bared my fangs. She struggled helplessly as I heaved her neck closer.

After feebly kicking and grunting she relaxed and cried out. "And I'll hate you until the end of time," she quietly spat. "Whoever you are." I paused right as my teeth touched her throat and withdrew. I glared out the side of my eye at her as she angrily held her eyes shut. I snarled and my breath came in heaves.

"Peter." I turned to level a hateful glare at Twilight, who now surrounded me with her friends. "Put. Her. Down."

I tightened my grip. "She's mine."

Rainbow scowled. "C'mon dude, you're better than that."

"I don't know what the heck happened after we beat Grogar, but she's right, Peter," Twilight added and took a daring step forward, causing me to pull Frill away. "You're better than this." I bared my fangs and hissed at her before glaring at Frill again, who still held her eyes shut. I heaved a few more breaths and my eyes darted around. My eyes drifted back to Karl and Celestia. The former was sitting up, braced against his shaking arms with a sad weary look, while the former..

She was awake, though now lying on the ground with her head craned up to look back at me. Her eyes were just as tired as Karl's, but red and her face had faint streaks rolling down them. As we locked eyes, I couldn't help but remember.

"Maker willing, you have a very long life ahead of you, and eternity is wasted on hatred."

We seemed to be breathing in tandem.

"Immortality slips away, and we're left with only our shame."

I closed my mouth and hummed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frill looking up at me with tears freely flowing. Her wool had a few red drops stained into it. I wiped my eyes with my free hand and hugged her. "I'm sorry." She said nothing but struggled and wrapped her hooves around my neck. As she did, I shuddered. Even if it was from me, the smell of blood and the proximity of her throat sent a chill down my spine.

I found myself straining with all my might to avoid biting her as my lips instinctively peeled back and I began breathing through my teeth.

"Peter," Frill whispered. "I think Quilt is calling." I blinked and focused on our link.

"Quilt?"

"Peter?" Quilt replied with a desperate tone. I groaned quietly.

"Hey."

"Oh! Did she.." A brief silence followed and I began to feel something pulling on me, which caused my head to spin. The feeling was similar to how I'd felt when I first discovered I could leave my body, so many months ago. "Hang on, Peter!"









I murmured and slowly opened my eyes. High above, the sun and moon were still set in an eclipse. I felt my stomach fold in on itself as a sudden and ravenous hunger hit me. Despite that, something more serious was on my mind and I slowly sat up. Looking over myself, I was in the clothes I was wearing before I absorbed the First, and my skin was back to its normal color.

My eyes couldn't help but see the many sets of hooves lined up nearby. With a grimace, I slowly looked up to see Celestia, Quilt, Frill, and the others I'd left in the forest looking at me with concern. Quilt and Frill hesitated before they took a step forward.

"Peter?" They quietly said in tandem.

I sobbed. "I'm sorry." In an instant, they both threw themselves into me and locked their hooves around me. After just a moment, a set of white wings joined them.









Three Months Later









I tugged at my cuffs, making sure I was looking my best as best I could without a mirror. Not that this old castle had any still inside, of course. I cast my Evil Eye out to see Frill, dressed up like an old-fashioned maid, greeting Pinkie and the foals from Ponyville, all of whom were dressed up for pony Halloween. I smirked as Frill began leading them inside the old Everfree castle Celestia'd helped us get cleaned up for tonight.

"Almost showtime," I murmured.

"And, of course, got to look your best before you traumatize the youth." I rolled my eyes before looking over my shoulder. Karl van Katskills was leaning against the stone doorframe of the room I was waiting in.

"Yep. It just doesn't come naturally to some of us," I replied with a snort. He grinned and wheeled forward with his arms folded. "So, what's up? You here for that 'unresolved retribution' you've been yapping about?"

He hummed and scanned the ceiling. "Nah, just figured you'd like to know that Gilbert and Albert have finally welcomed my house back into the fold," he drew a paw to his chest. "Minus myself, of course."

I hummed and folded my arms. "Still pissed at you, huh?" I sent my Evil Eye out again. The kids had been led into one of the wings, where Hasty, Sunbeam, and Cozy were waiting. The three began explaining that a vampire and a witch were lurking in the castle, and they'd abducted Celestia's nephew and were subjecting him to evil magic.

Right after that, Blueblood erupted from his hiding place and went galloping down the hall right passed everyone with a crazed laugh. Hasty and Sunbeam took off after him with a shout.

"Less upset, and more expectant," Karl replied, inspecting and rubbing his claws together. "As they put it, since I decided to stand with you, you're my responsibility."

I blinked as a knife was suddenly pointed in my face. "I'll be free to return when you lie dead," he said with a smirk. I grinned right back as he flicked his wrist and the knife vanished. He sighed and turned for the door. "Such a shame I've got more serious quarry to pursue, then."

"Definitely," I hummed. "You have any leads on her?"

He chortled. "For a changeling queen, she's nowhere near as cautious as I'd expected," he rubbed his chin with a grin. "Thorax's brother is actually waiting outside in the forest for me. She passed this way a night or so ago, we think." I flinched at the news.

"Pretty daring of her," I muttered.

"And what about you?" Karl asked, tilting his head when I turned to him. "Well, you and Frill, I mean. Last I recall, you two were having some serious talks about the, well, timeframe of your relationship."

I winced and hummed. "Right, that's my fault," I grumbled and clicked my teeth. "We.."

I hesitated and took a breath. "We're going to take it one day at a time. For the most part, we're just enjoying each other's company like we used to before I," I winced at the memory. "Put emphasis on it."

"Can't blame yourself too harshly for that," he murmured.

"Still," I replied with a sigh. "She's not sure if she's down with the idea of drinking blood, and I'm not sure if I'm really down with the idea of nailing her with the same bullshit I've gotta deal with." Quiet gripped the room for long enough that we could actually hear the echoes of hooves trotting through the halls.

Finally, I smiled. "But we're both sure that we're going to make the most of what time we do have," I looked up at him. "Same with Quilt."

He hummed and rocked his head in a nod. "Normally, I'd say I'm glad the two have kept their senses and not let themselves be turned," he grumbled and grimaced. "But in this case, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I'm just happy for the three of you."

"Jesus."

"You're telling me." I looked him up and down before smiling again.

"Thanks," I replied. He snorted and nodded his head at me. Checking my Eye again, I blinked as a cloud of red smoke suddenly filled the hall the kids were in. They all cowered behind Pinkie and Frill as Quilt leaped out with a cackle. I smirked as the kids laughed upon realizing she was just a sheep. "Well, good luck to you and Pharynx, I've-"

I blinked and scanned the room. Karl was nowhere to be seen. I humphed and checked my Evil Eye.

"See?" One of the older unicorn fillies began. "I told you it was all just smoke and mirrors!"

Quilt recoiled and then scowled. "What, you think just cause I'm a sheep I can't be a witch or summon demons?"

The filly smirked and stepped up to Quilt. "Yup! Only unicorns can do that kind of magic." The two stared each other down before Quilt smirked right back.

"Uh, Pepper?" Frill squeaked. "I don't think you should-"

"Puh-lease!" The filly turned to wave a hoof at her. The other kids looked between her, Frill, and Quilt, while she stood with her back to Quilt.

"Do it," I called. Quilt sat and clapped her hooves together, before adopting an eerie posture, while Pepper went on a cocky rant about 'magic having specific rules' and 'demons just being illusions' and shit. The other foals recoiled at Quilt's performance.

"Uh, Pepper?" One of them murmured. I smirked and then warped in just behind Quilt. Pepper rolled her eyes and looked at the other foal.

"What?" She then slowly looked back when the foal pointed at me, as I slowly, rose up behind Quilt who was murmuring and chanting quietly with her eyes rolled back. Pepper's ears pressed against her skull as I used my magic to conjure streaks of fire that curled up around me. Finally, at my full height, I leered down at Pepper and unfurled my arms.

As they all looked up at me in horror, I shot my arms up. "Bleh."

The hallway erupted in a chorus of screams as the kids, Pinkie and Frill galloped away for their lives back to the entrance, where Celestia was waiting with a bowl of candy, leaving behind Cozy who leaped towards me with her cutie-fix drawn.

"HE'S A VAMPIRE!" Pepper screamed.

"AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT!" I screamed right back, shaking my fist at her.









THE END


Thank you for reading.