//------------------------------//
// Countdown 
// Story: Equestria's Dark Shadow 
// by InTheStands 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 17: Countdown


The dry, dead leaves of autumn littered the ground around Ponyville. Decorations and pumpkins could be seen on and around almost every house. The leaves that weren't raked up into piles crunched as three ponies wandered around the town.
"They have Halloween here, too?" Willie wondered aloud.
"I suppose they do," Rick sighed. "They also have Barnabas. But where? We've seen nothing since last night. No conversations, no clues, nothing in the newspapers..."
"I'm just putting this out here again," Bill sat in the middle of the street, raising a front hoof. "What if they don't care? You know, we saw a minotaur walking around town. Nobody seemed to bat an eye."
Rick shook his head. "There's a difference between a minotaur and a blood-sucking vampire, Bill. Why can't you accept that Barnabas is in danger?"
"Because nothing says he IS," Bill replied, standing on all fours and frowning as the trio continued walking. "And as soon as I see otherwise, Then I'll start worrying."
The three stopped once they saw a flyer posted on one of the street lamps. It had a red background with black letters. But what stood out most of all was the hand (hoof?) drawn portrait of Barnabas Collins staring back at them.
What stood out next was the apparent title of the flyer: 'FALL OF THE VAMPIRE'.
"...well crap," Bill's ears lowered.
"Wait," Rick pulled down the flyer. "This is happening at the end of this week. Son of a...they're going to execute him!"
"In six days?" Bill asked. "Why not now?"
"Probably to make sure he's weak enough," Willie inferred. "He's not gonna be fighting back if he goes dry for that long."
"Alright, this suddenly got ten times worse," Bill sighed. "So we're gonna have to do this ten times as fast."


§§§


"Fall of the Vampire?"
"What?" Lyra grew defensive at Bon Bon. "It's gonna draw them in. And with just the picture, the title, and the date, it's gonna make them curious."
"Don't you think that you could've done something more with those bits I gave you for the printer's shop?"
"...Those were for the print shop?"
Bon Bon stared at the mint green unicorn. "This is going to be the longest week of my life, isn't it?"
Lyra shrugged. "Maybe. But everypony has to wait for something at some point."
"That wasn't what I was talking about and you know it."


§§§


Sugarcube Corner was at its busiest today, tending to the numerous customers inside. One of them being Barnabas.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake gave out the baked goods. The figures involved with the upcoming performance went over everything as their beverages were passed around to them. The only real eyebrow-raiser was Barnabas' drink: A cup of blood, courtesy of Ponyville Hospital.
In the kitchen, Pinkie Pie entertained the Cakes' twin foals as she baked. The window was open wide enough for three certain ponies to check for any signs of vampires.
That is, until a cloud of flour found its way into their eyes, accompained by raucous laughter of two infants. Maybe next time.

Crickets chirped as the moon hung low over Equestria. And Barnabas was hungry.
Fluttershy and he were out on a small lake, an odd time for fishing if one were a normal human being. The pegasus had told him where he could find the biggest fish, and agreed to help him if he agreed not to overindulge.
Quickly, he dove into the water, planning to hold still until an unwary fish swam too close. Fluttershy kept watch in case anything went wrong.
On land, Rick, Bill and Willie glanced out from the bushes. Willie had felt the vampire's presence, and led them to the lake. Bill looked at Fluttershy with binoculars, waiting for any sign of Barnabas.
His view was obstructed by something small, white, and furry. Putting down the binoculars, the trio found themselves now staring at a small, angry rabbit and a moderate herd of various animals. They looked on blankly for a second before giving the animals something to chase.
Meanwhile, Barnabas leapt back into the boat with a fish as big as his front arm as his prize.

With only three days away, the costumes for the play were nearly complete. With Rarity's aid, the finishing touches were added.
Barnabas was fitted with robes best suited for a count. Though he knew it was foolish, he couldn't help but gaze rather longingly at the reflection-less mirror in front of him as he sat, his outfit draped over invisible shoulders. Thankfully, a sketch artist was on hand to quickly draw up the vampire's appearance. Barnabas nodded and smiled, content with how the final costume looked.

The trio was growing desperate. As if their windows of opportune searching weren't small enough, it was only two days before the town would do away with Barnabas for good. Forlornly, they watched as several taxi carriages wheeled by.
Suddenly, Willie perked up, nudging at the twins before pointing at one of the taxis. They raced to the carriage and pulled the blinds open, expecting the taxi to be a cover for smuggling Barnabas.
Instead they found a screaming mare, and next met the hoof of her infuriated husband.
All the while Barnabas and one of the play's actors went over their lines in one of several carriages moving away, their rehearsals distracting them from the commotion behind them.

With only one day remaining, the acting troupe had decided to eat out for the night at one of the finer restaurants in town. Their meals passed around, they were almost all beginning to dig in.
All of them with the exception of Barnabas. The waiter worried if he had brought the wrong meal, but the vampire denied this. Instead, he placed the tip of his index finger on the silver fork, only to withdraw it in pain. The waiter, now understanding, removed the silverware for Barnabas and immediately returned with a plastic fork, knife, and spoon.
Meanwhile, Rick, Bill, and Willie peered inside the restaurant, hoping this time Willie's instincts were working this time. Their behavior caught the attention of one of the outside waiters catering to the outdoor guests, who walked up behind them with a glare. Sheepishly, they backed away from the window, only for Willie to stumble backwards into one of the tables. A loud crash was heard, followed by a splat, followed by an all-too-familiar shriek.
And then an even more familiar hoof to the face from a familiar stallion.

"All right, that's a wrap!" Lyra shouted out to the troupe. In the confines of an empty theater, the group had finished their final rehearsal before the big performance. "Great job, guys! Tonight's play is gonna be something Ponyville will never forget!"


§§§


"This mission is gonna be something I'll never forget."
"Figured all those punches to the head would make you forget something."
"Shut up, Willie."
"Quit it!" Rick shouted at them as they walked through the town. "We've only got a few hours left! And we STILL have no goddamn idea where they have Barnabas!"
"Well, it's gotta be somewhere public, right?" Willie asked. "Wouldn't be a public execution otherwise."
"Right," Rick agreed. "We probably should also look for security. Look - over there! Officer, can we-"
"Rick, that's a costume," Bill stated. He looked to the side. "And they're wearing a costume, too. And over there?"
The three suddenly found themselves standing in the middle of a sudden swarm of costumed ponies, the sun setting as more and more equines filled the streets, carrying bags as they walked. The sheer number of disguises these ponies wore made looking for any real authority nearly impossible.
The twins and the groundskeeper stared numbly at the scene. After a second passed, Rick spoke in a deadpan voice. "Whatever deity these ponies worship - this confirms that they hate us."