Being Vampony

by BoyWonderBolt

Chapter One: Brainstew/Faded

Rainbow Dash stood alone on the balcony that adjoined her room at Darkwish Manor. The air was frigid, and the moon cast a ghastly silver glow all over the mossy, stone manor and its surrounding grounds. Rainbow had been standing weakly outside for over an hour, and the cold air had certainly tormented her. Rainbow, however chilled, wanted to spend the least amount of time possible inside the manor because it was a coffin to her.

Until now Rainbow had been scanning through the Everfree Forest that surrounded the manor, but something deep inside her chest swelled and she was compelled to cock her head towards the terrifying moon. That something down in her entrails had to have been a spark of hope, because nothing but hope could make her so sad. She longed deeply for her friends, but all the wishing in the world wouldn’t make them appear.

Rainbow continued staring at the moon for an hour, but progressively Rainbow felt her energy drain right from her body. No matter how much she despised the luxurious room behind the elegant glass sliding doors to her rear,  Rainbow decided that it would be slightly worse to fall asleep in the freezing temperatures than to sleep in that wretched room. Rainbow turned towards the doors and moved unwillingly through them as if they were nothing but air. Shaking her head in disgust, Rainbow walked back through the doors onto the balcony. She then entered into her room again, but this time by opening and closing the glass doors. If I want to feel like a normal pony, thought she, then I need to act like it.

Rainbow Dash flew herself over to the aggrandized bed that her room housed. It looked soft and comforting, but Rainbow tried her hardest not to enjoy any part of Darkwish Manor. You never wanted this; you especially never wanted to live here for eternity. Rainbow’s wings began shaking out of pure exhaustion. She knew that she couldn’t stay up for another thirty something hours like she had been doing. She wished she didn’t have to ever close her eyes here, but Rainbow just couldn’t go on any longer. She flew to the head of the bed and let her wings recede, thus effectively placing herself on the bed as if it wasn’t her own will or intention. Rainbow then pulled the covers over her whole body, and proceeded to curling up into a ball as if to make herself small and distant from the horror that she now faced for seemingly eternity.

Sleep fell upon Rainbow Dash, and a whole new, literal, set of nightmares began to afflict her. Rainbow Dash spent her hours of rest in mental anguish as she relived the time she met the charming Lord Darkwish, and the transformation from pony into vampony.

It was only two days ago; Rainbow Dash and her hyperactive friend Pinkie Pie were on their way to Sugar Cube Corner after a long day of helping their friend Applejack at her family’s farm. It was fading to night, and wind had eerily picked up as the two mares trotted along. Rainbow was nervous, or maybe she was tired; she didn’t even know exactly what was going on with her, but she knew that tonight was off.

“I think I'm going to have a chocolate fudge mousse volcano cupcake. No! Two chocolate fudge mousse volcano cupcakes! No! Three chocolate fudge mo-,”

“Pinkie! Stop!” Rainbow wasn’t angry at Pinkie, just not in the mood for listening to her friend go on. Rainbow, having eyed Pinkie’s demeanor sadden, apologized to her friend about her snappiness. “I’m just tired right now Pinkie, so try being quiet for maybe two or three minutes?”

Pinkie piped up “Oki doki lo-,” then she quickly covered her mouth with one of her front hooves because she remembered her friend’s recent request.

The two mares, in silence, arrived at Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie made herself busy by jumping to and from, and annoying Mr. and Mrs. Cake with trivial inquiries. Rainbow soberly walked over to a table and fluttered her way onto a seat. Anypony who cared to notice would have seen that something was on Rainbow’s mind. Rainbow couldn’t even quite pin her feeling, she just knew that all was not well.

The door to Sugar Cube Corner opened suddenly, and Rainbow snapped her head up; it was late after all, and she and Pinkie had only been able to get in because of Pinkie’s connections. Then into Rainbow’s view entered a pitch black unicorn stallion. He was tall and quite handsome because of his sleek dark grey mane that flowed all over the back of his neck. He held such a commanding posture and such a confident look to him that Rainbow’s heart swooned even though she wished it hadn’t.

The stallion marched over to the counter where Pinkie was driving the Cakes nuts. He, in a voice much complementing to his poise, spoke kindly yet powerfully to the cakes. Rainbow was too intrigued to even pretend not to be interested, and the stallion took peripheral notice of her ogling.

“I’m sorry for coming here so suddenly at an hour this late.” The stallion bowed in accordance to his speech. The Cakes quickly spoke back to the charmer before them; they were too eager to have an excuse not to speak with Pinkie any longer.

“Well,” began Mr. Cake, “we normally are closed by this hour, but it seems we have been slow today and…,” Mrs. Cake quickly finished before her husband could say anything about Pinkie’s annoyingness.

“…and we are certainly willing to take a late order just this once. What are you having tonight good sir?” Mrs. Cake smiled, and so did the stallion in return.

“Thank you both for this. I need three dozen cider filled truffles, and two dozen cherry truffles.” The stallion produced a large sack of bits from a charming saddle he was wearing. Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s eyes grew wide.

“Sir this is far too much.” Mrs. Cake nodded along with her husband’s proclamation.
The stallion just laughed softly and turned his hoof towards the table where Rainbow stared at him from. Rainbow quickly turned her head as if to convey that she hadn’t been paying attention to the beautiful creature in the store with her, but they both knew what she had been doing.

The stallion marched right over to the seat across from Rainbow. “Dear you look awfully lonely over here. Might I have a seat?” Rainbow blushed, excessively. She opened her mouth to respond.

“Hey! Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie! What’s your name? Where are you from? Do you like Ponyville? Do you want to be my friend? This is Rainbow Dash, she’s already my friend! Ohhhh what are all those truffles you ordered for? Are you having a party? Can I come? Ohhhh I'm so excited! Anypony famous going to –”

“Pinkie!” Rainbow quickly cut off her bouncing friend. Rainbow had thought about interjecting the moment she saw Pinkie hopping over to the table, however she decided to ease up after her complaint earlier; but Pinkie was ruining any chance she had with the handsome stallion, and Rainbow really didn’t want that. “Sorry about my friend, she is kind of crazy.”

“Fully crazy!” Pinkie chimed in with an ear to ear grin over her face.

“Yeah see, fully crazy.” The stallion chuckled and Rainbow blushed. Get a hold of yourself Dash, keep it calm. “My name is-”

“Rainbow Dash, I heard what your crazy friend said. My name is Darkwish, and I say it is a pleasure to meet such an attractive mare as you.” Rainbow was sure her face was as red as a strip of her mane.

Rainbow and Darkwish then gleefully chatted for nearly two hours before the Cakes brought the requested truffles over to Darkwish. Darkwish thanked them and then turned his attention back to Rainbow; Pinkie had long since gone once she realized she didn’t belong in the conversation. Darkwish began speaking; Rainbow didn’t have a hope to resist what he asked next. “Well Rainbow Dash it truly has been a pleasure meeting such a fine mare as you. It is late, so I suppose I should be heading home, however I would be mightily obliged to have somepony to talk to along the way. Might you accompany me so long as you are willing to, and so long as you are unafraid of the Everfree Forest?”

Rainbow certainly wanted to follow the handsome, truffle wielding stallion home even if it meant traveling through the Everfree at night. Rainbow was determined to appear as calm and cool as Darkwish about the whole subject of the Everfree. Be calm, and always stay twenty percent cooler than anypony else.

Rainbow cleared her throat of any bile and then spoke with quivering confidence; how could she ever be as confident as she normally was around an alpha stallion like Darkwish? “Yeah,” a gulp, “I could totally help you by carrying some of those truffles and…” Her voice trailed off because she knew that neither of them cared for false reasoning. They both knew what they wanted from each other. It seemed to be a love-at-first-sight story; but it would not have a happy ending.

Rainbow left Sugar Cube Corner with Darkwish having completely forgotten about ordering some sort of desert; she had also completely forgotten about that nagging ‘off’ feeling she had been having all night.

The two ponies walked close to each other through the dark and windy night. They had left Sugar Cube Corner nearly forty minutes ago, but they were in no hurry to get to Darkwish’s mysterious forest-bound manor because they both knew that it might mean “goodbye” for the evening.

The moon cast silver streaks over Darkwish, and Rainbow couldn’t help but noticing how perfect he looked in the night rays. She also hadn’t even taken notice of his bold silver eyes until she and Darkwish stopped outside the gates of Darkwish’s castle-like manor. Rainbow had looked up to catch a glimpse of the moon and there were Darkwish’s eyes in a color the same as the orbit-bound space rock. Tingles ran down her and she thought, Celestia! He is perfect! Get ahold of yourself Dash! Get a grip!

Then, so suddenly, Darkwish leaned in and kissed Rainbow on her lips faster than she could have objected. Rainbow was angry initially but nearly an instant later she felt a melting feeling deep inside of her. That feeling could have only been love because only love could have felt so addicting. Rainbow and Darkwish continued kissing, passionately, for nearly three minutes before Darkwish began kissing her all around her face. It wasn’t sloppy, but Rainbow wouldn’t have cared if it was. Just keep going; more please Celestia more! Darkwish was slowly moving down Rainbow’s neck and she couldn’t control her feelings. She dreamt of how far this love could go, and she was okay no matter where it went.

Then a pang ran up Rainbow’s neck. She knew Darkwish had bit her, but she thought it was all just part of love. It doesn’t even hurt baby, suck it up. Well actually it kind of – Rainbow suddenly lost all train of thought. Her head felt light, or maybe heavy; she couldn’t even put a correct adjective to the whole situation. Rainbow knew she was going to faint, but she knew Darkwish would take good care of her. Before her eyes closed she saw Darkwish’s face in the silver moon beams, and all of a sudden his white tooth cutie mark made so much sense. Dark plus wish; white tooth cutie mark; bloody fangs for teeth… h-e-l-p…

Late in the afternoon after her biting, Rainbow awoke feeling violated. Besides having woken up in a strange bed in presumably what was Darkwish’s home, she felt a sharp burning coursing all over her body from her neck bite wound. That really happened, thought she, does this mean… Rainbow couldn’t even think of what she might have become.

Rainbow initially looked around her fancy room but she abandoned any and every thing she was doing once she saw the sliding glass doors that held back a balcony. Forgot about my wings you crazy ass! Rainbow went towards the door, but in her excitement tripped on the plush velvet carpet and headed face first into the glass doors. To her surprise, however, she just fell through them. When she got to her feet she continued to go in and out of them without ever actually sliding them open or shut. The doors were only solid to her when she willed them to be, and upon this conclusion she learned one of the numerous differences between her and any normal pony.

Eventually she was over any menial amount of excitement the transparency ability gave her. Rainbow Spread her wings on the balcony and began flapping away from the terrible memory that was Darkwish. She only got parallel to the manor’s fencing before an invisible force field knocked her back. Even after figuring out her transparency ability, she could not get through the unseen wall.

Rainbow continued flying full speed head first at the barrier but couldn’t get through once. She even tried opening the front gate and, not to her surprise, it was completely locked, bolted and chained. Any hope Rainbow once had left her like her stamina. She slowly walked her way to the manor’s front stoop. She disappointedly flopped down on the first step and began sobbing. I’m going to die here! I’m going to die in this hell hole!
Rainbow’s sobs slowly became a self-rally cry. Anger consumed her. She felt adrenaline course through her instead of neck pains. Rainbow ran up to the manor’s large metal front door, and, without even checking to see if it was locked or not, bucked it open harder than Applejack could buck fifty ripe apples trees.

She stood, dejected, in the foyer of the large manor. To her surprise however, there was quite a large amount of all three major pony types assembled here and there around the place. The ponies were all faded, dark colored, disgruntled looking beasts. Rainbow found her adrenaline bursting even more. More foes, more fun!

Rainbow ran over to the first pony she saw, a curly grey maned pegasus mare, and struck her with one of her front hooves. The mare cried out in agony.
“What the hell is your problem!?” The mare rubbed her skull right over the large bruise that was forming. Many stallions and mares came to the injured mare’s side all while shooting Rainbow Dash death glares.

“I can take you all! Bring it on!” Rainbow was shaking; she knew she couldn’t hold up to her claims. The ponies that had assembled around the injured mare just kept shaking their heads and calling Rainbow a vast array of names. From a side hall a tall light grey colored stallion appeared.

The light grey stallion spoke “What the fuck is with all this noise?” All the ponies, bar Rainbow Dash, looked down at the ground in shame. The light grey stallion then looked straight at Rainbow and asked “Are you the new pony?”

“What do you mean ‘new pony’?” Rainbow was growing hot in her face; Rainbow was subliminally asking the authoritative pony to push her over the break and thus effectively releasing ass-kick mode. The stallion walked right over to Rainbow; he stood a clear foot above her. He opened his mouth and a foul stench of death and blood protruded from it and smacked Rainbow in her arrogant face.

“Listen bitch, I don’t want any attitude from you. I also don’t want any self-pity because, trust me when I say, none of us wanted to spend our lives here either. So how about you shut the fuck up and fall into line like the rest of us?” The stallion then softened his tone, “I’m Sky Skull, first victim to Darkwish and therefore his main man. I don’t like the pony, but he provides for my…our special dietary needs so I don’t mess with him.” Sky certainly made Rainbow feel weak and powerless after just a minute of speaking.

Sky Skull began walking off and then, because he had just remembered something, spun around and sarcastically joked, “Welcome to eternity. Best not be making enemies with all the ponies around here.”

Rainbow walked back outside and realized how bad of a first impression she must have left with her eternal companions. She fluttered her way back to the room where she had awoke, and proceeded to bawling all over the place.

About an hour into sadness, nature called on Rainbow so she numbly walked over to the bathroom that was attached to her room. Inside Rainbow faced the greatest shock of all: her Technicolor mane had turned grey scale, and her cyan body had turned a midnight shade of blue. Rainbow Dash…Ha! Just Dash now…just Dash.

Dash wept over her loss of self-identity. Dash wept over her loss of freedom. Dash wept over losing all her friends.

That night there was a knock at her door, but Dash refused to answer so the knocker gave up and left. Five minutes later another, louder, knocking came from her door.
“Open up the door! If you want dinner get the fuck out here!” Sky couldn’t have been less sensitive to Dash. Rudeness aside, Dash certainly didn’t want an earth pony as strong looking as Sky Skull to be angry at her, so she got up from her fetal position on her bed and answered the door.

Dash had a horribly sad and tear stained face on as Sky lead her through dimly lit, carpeted halls. As they were nearing a bend in one hallway Sky stopped and Dash nearly ran into him. Sky turned and faced Dash and faintly smiled at her in the dark hall. “I’m sorry about earlier. I understand your sadness, but remember that I was the first to be trapped here; I didn’t have any other pony to talk to for months. I’m just telling you that the sooner you embrace the whole ‘alive forever’ kind of deal the sooner you will see your demeanor change for a better. Now we are about to get to the dining hall, so you should probably apologize to Kit once we get in there.”

Dash, having not been expecting any conversation, had to clear her throat before she spoke up; of course ‘up’ is an overstatement because her voice came out much like Fluttershy’s. “Who,” her voice croaked so she waited a moment to continue, “Who is Kit?”

Sky looked at Dash and softly chuckled a warm and inviting chuckle, as if he was a friend to her. “The pony you mauled earlier with your fucking bodybuilder strength.” Then his tone went south. “You better apologize to her.”

Dash planted her eyes on the ground the rest of the way to the dining hall.

Dash’s eyes slowly moved up to view the well lit room that was the dining hall once she and Sky made it in. The dining hall, besides being well lit, was very lively for a palace of undead ponies. Beautiful, colorful tapestry hung from the walls at fixed intervals. A large ornate blood-red rug covered most of the stone floor. A huge oak table sat in the center of the room with sturdy oak chairs surrounding it. Most startling to Dash was the joyful expressions that most of the ponies in the hall wore. The room felt so alive to Dash, and something made her feel a minuscule amount of relief.

In total there were twenty four ponies in the dining hall; Dash was completely shocked by the sheer multitude of them. Dash looked up at Sky, who stood at her side, and asked, “Is this all of the ponies around here?” Her voice was still quiet, so Dash cleared her throat loudly to grab Sky’s attention, and then when he bent over to hear better she asked him again.

“It looks like most of us. There is you and I, and…” He clearly was counting the chatting ponies who hadn’t quite taken notice of himself or Dash yet. “So there are twenty four of us here, so that means that four are off somewhere, and Darkwish isn’t here.”

“Oh okay. I was just wondering…” Dash felt weak all of a sudden and would have fallen to the floor had Sky not caught her quickly. Sky helped Dash walk over to an empty seat and sat her down and then sat himself right next to her so she couldn’t fall over. Dash felt a throbbing toothache in her mind, and it completely distracted her from anything going on around her including the death stares and mean names and jeering. She felt sick.

“Hey,” Sky’s voice sounded distant and far off to Dash. Her head felt so heavy that Dash had to place it on the table just to not lose all sense of balance. “Hey!” Even though she knew he had yelled it, Dash still could only barely hear Sky’s voice. He continued talking but it sounded like he was no longer talking to her. She picked up bits here and there: “Get her something to drink!” “Somepony hurry your ass up and get her some food!” “Hurry the fuck up!” Sky placed his face right in front of Dash’s and began yelling things to her, but they sounded so far away like on a different plane of reality. “Hey! Stay awake! Don’t fall asleep on us! Can you ever hear me?! Fuck! Just wait a minute!” Dash could only watch what Sky was doing, and even then it was as if her thoughts were coming to her five, or six times a minute. All was dull sounding and slow moving. Dash didn’t even feel the glass on her lips until Sky had finished pouring its contents down her throat. Slowly Dash could feel reality again, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to; the dying feeling had felt so bliss and numb, but now, as she came back to Earth, she could taste iron in her mouth, and she frantically eyed the glass cup that had been up to her lips not a moment ago. The cup had red streaks along one side of it, and a small pool of red, thick liquid gathered at the bottom.

“What the hell!?” Dash panicked as her senses became all too aware of what she had just drank. She got up from her chair and ran from the dining hall having no idea how to get back to her room; and even if she hated this whole place, at least her room didn’t harbor any memory like blood drinking.

By chance Dash found her way back to her room, or at least an identical unoccupied one. She cried everywhere she could, and when she had run out of tears she walked out onto the balcony, having opened and shut the glass sliding door. Thoughts of the life that could have been swirled through Dash’s brain during that cold night: Dash dreamt of her acceptance in the Wonderbolts, and she dreamt of meeting a strong pegasus to marry, and she dreamt of a family she could have had, and all the while she dreamt of her friends futures and if they would be able to recover from losing her. Why!? Why? Why… please somepony help me…

Dash didn’t sleep one iota that night; even though she felt terrible from the lack of sleep she refused to.

Around noon of her second day at the manor, Dash began to feel heavy headed like she had the previous night. Please no! I could never drink that again!

Dash had to weigh her civil, moral thinking against survival. Her body, however, knew which one she had to choose. Instead of a numbing dull sensation that would have welcomed death, Dash’s head began throbbing, and adrenaline ran rampant through her body. Dash was too energetic and too in pain to let herself die this time.

Dash felt much shame as she left her room in search of blood. So much shame in fact that she hugged dark edges of the hallways as if to make herself invisible to the other ponies that she might have possibly passed; she didn’t, however, pass a single pony on her way to the dining hall. Upon getting to the dining hall, which Dash wasn’t even sure how she found, Dash’s face turned red with embarrassment when she saw a lone, curly grey maned pegasus pony sitting at the huge table. The lone pony was Kit, the pony Dash had severely struck the previous afternoon. Great! Now she is going to know what I'm up to, and then she is just going to let me have it! Fabulous! I'm such an idiot.

Kit sensed Dash’s presence at the open entrance way that lead into the dining hall. “Oh, it’s you,” said Kit without even taking her eyes off of a red liquid filled glass cup that sat before her on the table. Kit’s voice didn’t sound particularly angry, but she didn’t sound particularly welcoming either.
Out of sheer guilt, for many reasons, Dash spoke up quickly and sincerely. “I'm really sorry about yesterday… I sort of assumed anypony here would be a loyal minion of that bastard Darkwish.” Dash’s face grew red when Kit turned to face her; Kit had a large bruise right over her left eye.

A stroke of empathy compelled Kit to take a more friendly approach to Dash. “It’s fine, I was just as confused when I first got here, but that was years ago… Come over here.” Kit patted the seat next to her as she spoke. Dash complied and went to sit next to Kit.
Having neither pony formally introduced themselves, Dash extended a hoof and said, “Hey my name is Rai- just Dash actually… just Dash.”

Kit shook Dash’s hoof and responded. “Hello Dash, my name is Kit.” Kit’s heart warmed up for Dash as the two began to learn a little about each other; eventually though, no matter how enjoyable it was to be making a ‘friend’, Dash blurted out of pure pain.

“Hey I need to get some of that stuff you guys gave me last night to drink, the stuff that took my pain away, because my head is killing me.” Dash couldn’t even call it blood.

Kit got to her feet and said, “Follow me Dash. And here is a tip, treat your daily ‘stuff’ intake like you used to treat breakfast, lunch, and diner because it is literally your life blood from here on out.” Kit then lead Dash through an opening at the other end of the dining hall. The two ponies now stood alone in a stone walled and floored kitchen that only housed cups, ranging in all fanciness, and a refrigerator. Kit raised a hoof to the fridge. “In there is ‘the stuff we gave you last night’. Darkwish keeps it stocked as Sky Skull was saying yesterday. Go ahead, open her up.”

Dash walked nervously to the fridge. She knew what was in it, but she just didn’t want to open it. Kit had to open it for her after Dash’s hoof froze on the handle. “Dash it really isn’t that bad. Just accept the fact. You are a vampony now. A vampony! Say it a couple of times and you just get used to it.” Kit opened the fridge and thus revealed its contents: blood bags, everywhere.

Dash suddenly felt a compulsion inside of her, and she moved forward and grabbed the nearest bag. This is sick, I shouldn’t be doing this! Yet, even with her mind willing against it, Dash’s body began drinking straight from the bag. Blood, and all of its rich hemoglobin, trickled down her throat and she began feeling a euphoric high. Dash felt her body literally snap out of any pain it was having. The blood was as addictive as Darkwish’s kiss was that night not so long ago.

“Slow down there girl! We don’t have an infinite supply of that stuff!” Kit had to pull Dash from the kitchen. Dash, after snapping out of her blood frenzy soon took into account the amount of ponies she must have just consumed. Dash quickly left Kit standing alone in the dining hall.

Dash ran back to her room, slammed her door shut, and locked it. Dash then dashed over to her bathroom and vomited uncontrollably, and the hours passed Dash while she cried herself into a deep depression.

Around eight that night Sky Skull came knocking at Dash’s door, but she ignored him even when he started yelling.

Around nine that evening Kit came knocking at Dash’s door, but Dash ignored her even when she started pleading.

Dash walked out onto her balcony around ten after having had her door raped by knocking again. The air was cold and the moon was the same color it was the night Darkwish screwed her life over forever. Dash scanned through the Everfree that surrounded Darkwish Manor, hoping to see Applejack, or Twilight Sparkle, or Pinkie Pie, or Rarity, or even Fluttershy.

Hope hurt.

Dash even cocked her head towards the ghastly globe in the sky, but all she could feel was hope there too. Everywhere she looked there was hope for seeing her friends again, or hope for escape from the monstrous manor; but hope was an illusion.
Reality was exhaustion to Dash; she had been up for a little over thirty hours after all. Dash flew herself over to the head of her bed and dropped into it.

Blackness ensued.

Dash woke up suddenly. Her heart was racing quicker than it did when she did a sonic rainboom. As if already feeling terrible from two days of vamponism wasn’t enough, Dash had to relive the whole two days again in her sleep. Am I going to have to relive everything every time I sleep?

Dash slowly got to her hooves and walked into her bathroom. Man you smell terrible Dash! So Dash began an attempt to be a normal pony once again. She took a shower, brushed her teeth (which had trace amounts of blood stuck in between crevices), and even combed her faded mane.

Dash left her bathroom in an atypical optimistic mood. She then left her room to head for a small breakfast of A-positive.
While walking to the dining hall Dash came across Kit exiting her room. The two were not best friends, but there was some ember of companionship between them. As the two entered the dining hall they both were taken aback by the lack of ponies, save Darkwish himself.

“Well hello there my little ponies,” said Darkwish in a shockingly maniacal voice (a voice so different from the one he had used the whole night when Dash had met him). “It’s nice to see you up and living Rainbow Dash.”

The two parties of ponies looked at one another motionlessly and silently for nearly a minute until Dash felt a surge of anger. This is the fuck that ruined your life; kill him!

Dash charged at her fastest speed towards Darkwish. Right before she could swing a skull bruising punch at him, Darkwish, a unicorn, floated up into the air without his horn glowing once.

“How!?,” yelled Dash once Darkwish was a good ten feet above her.

In a condescending tone, Darkwish began speaking. “Oh Rainbow-”

“Don’t you ever, fucking ever, call me that! You took the name away from me! Forever!” Dash’s face was burning hot, and her competitive spirit caressed her thoroughly. Dash’s wings jetted out quickly and she took off right towards Darkwish. Darkwish started floating backwards away from Dash, but in the air not even a vampony lord could outrun Dash. Dash quickly pinned Darkwish against a battle depicting tapestry that hung from the wall farthest from the dining hall’s entrance.

“Oh Rainbow, you have no idea whom you are messing with.” Darkwish’s breath smelled awful compared to how sweet it had been the night Dash met him.

“Yeah, you think so?” Dash spit on Darkwish’s face and then raised a hoof and punched him square in his face. Blood splattered suddenly out of Darkwish’s mouth, and his eyes rolled back into his head momentarily. Dash continued swinging and smashing Darkwish harder and harder. For two straight minutes Darkwish seemed to have not a hope, but he slowly regained consciousness.

“Well you are a tad bit stronger than I had expected Rainbow, but do not-” Dash quickly jabbed a hoof right into Darkwish’s mouth. Darkwish showed little signs of pain however, and if anything he smirked a bit. Before Dash could retract her hoof, Darkwish chomped violently down on it.

“Ahhhhh!” Dash yelled in agony; it was all she could think to do.

“It hurts does it not? One of the many abilities of us vamponies, when we re-bite a pony that we converted we release a large dose of poison that quickly sends needles of misery all through the victim. In fact I could really just kill you now,” Darkwish pulled Dash’s head up to his own, “but you really are so beautiful; oh and faded is certainly your color.” Darkwish began kissing Dash even more lustfully then the night he ruined her; Dash could not refuse anything Darkwish did because the pain in her hoof had nearly taken her clear from reality.

Darkwish then dropped Dash and let her fall towards the ground twenty feet below. Kit flew over and caught Dash right before she would have splattered all over the blood-red carpet. Darkwish called down, “She is so pathetic is she not? She attacks me yet she knows not what we vamponies are capable of. Kit, show her the ropes shall you not? Of course you will.” With that Darkwish lowered himself to the floor and marched away out of the dining hall.

“Am I alive?” Dash’s voice was weak and frail. The pain in her hoof was subsiding more and more as Darkwish got farther and farther away.

“Of course you are. Do you think death would be this bad?” Kit’s attempt at joking went undetected by Dash.

Once Dash had regained her sense of being, she and Kit went into the kitchen to dine.

Once Dash’s guilt trip meal was over she asked Kit about what Darkwish had said before he left.

“Well,” started Kit, “basically he wants me to explain all the tricks and perks to being a vampony. It really isn’t so bad being one once you realize how many bonuses you have.” Kit tried smiling to Dash, but she could tell the Dash wasn’t too excited about the reminder that she was an eternal being of the night. “Okay for instance, as a vampony you can levitate. So basically those wings of yours, hell, even my own, don’t serve much a purpose anymore.” Dash wasn’t paying attention, and Kit noticed. “Dash! You really should listen to me; I'm just helping you out.”

Dash answered softly, “I know you are Kit, but…I just want to be a normal pony again.” Dash’s eyed the floor and fixed her view there.

“Dash, it just isn’t going to happen. The cure is so long gone from this day and age.”

“Cure?! So you are saying there is one?!” Dash was ecstatic.

“Please Dash there is no way we will ever be able to find it. Do you think Darkwish would actually keep a note or book or whatever in this manor that actually had the cure written in it?” Kit dashed Dash’s dreams quickly, but even Dash knew that she was telling the truth. “Now Dash let’s actually talk about what’s important, learning the full potential of your vamponism.”

“Yeah…” Dash couldn’t be more disappointed at the news. “Yeah, let’s go with learning stuff I guess…” Kit picked up on Dash’s depressing mood quickly.

“Dash how about I just introduce you to some really cool ponies first? Maybe a few more friends will help you feel better.” Dash hadn’t really been paying attention until Kit alluded to their relationship as friends. It happened so quickly, but Dash realized how badly the both of them needed somepony to rely on.

“Sure Kit, let’s go.”