//------------------------------// // The Misadventures begin here... // Story: The Marvelous Misadventures of Rainstorm and Onyx // by DJ-Pon3FTW //------------------------------// Onyx Night walked along the jungle path towards the ruins of the ancient pony city of Altir. Though many a treasure hunter and archeologist had recently lost their lives, he wasn’t terribly worried presently. There was a solid path that wound along the Saddlebreak River, making the experienced stallion acknowledge that more than a few ponies had trod this path before. His ‘guide’ however, wasn’t nearly so reassured. Though the pegasus knew the path, and even the ruins like the back of his own hoof, Forest Rush would no longer venture past the field ahead. He himself had lost a friend to what was rumored to now haunt the ruins of Altir, and he didn’t want to become a statistic himself. He knew the dangers that now lurked within the ruins were no joke. For the past three months, ponies had been going missing at Altir. It had started with a few random ponies rumored to have fell afoul of ancient traps, but then extended to the guided tours of the ruins. Rescue parties had been sent, only to come up a member or two short. Individual search efforts were never heard from again. Some even said that the ghost of a pony had been seen floating through the ruins from afar, making some believe that the ruins were truly haunted. Upon reaching the field, the pegasus stopped. “This is as far as I go.” Looking over to the pegasus, Onyx nodded. He had heard the story of Forest’s missing friend, and knew the pegasus had a wife and foals to return to. In all honesty, he couldn’t blame the pegasus for wanting to not venture near the place. “Thanks for taking me this far.” He said, reaching into his saddlebag and producing a modest bag of bits. Hoofing them over with an easygoing smile, he turned and started walking across the clearing as he called out. “Tell your wife the meal was delicious.” “I will.” Forest said as he turned around and began walking under the trail. Hanging his head, he muttered under his breath “After all, a stallion should enjoy his last meal.” *** The path was easy enough to follow, a tad overgrown in some places due to the recent lack of use, but not as bad as it could have been. Guessing from the look of the vegetation, somepony had been through there about two weeks before. Faust only knew that poor pony was now a simple statistic, but Onyx couldn’t let that thought linger too long. After all, he was no mere Earth Pony. As he entered the ruins, he couldn’t help but notice that something was off. His ears twitched as he listened all around him, hoping to pick up any sign of life. However, he heard nothing. Absolutely. Nothing. Not even the crickets chirped, it was completely silent. Looking around, he saw a few different sets of hoofprints heading down a particular alleyway. No doubt it had been the final decision any of the previous ponies had made. “Hmm, lets see what horrors lurk here, shall we?” He quietly asked himself as he ventured down the corridor, pausing only at its mouth to look over his shoulder. Had he heard something? “... Nah…” He said with a shrug as he entered the alley and rounded a corner. ~*~ Had the pony bothered to look up he might have seen a glimpse of gold. Well, she had always thought of it as gold but if she had to be honest it was really tan but that was beside the point. The lovely guide had brought yet another brave soul to test their mettle. She really ought to give him her thanks. Maybe this one would be a challenge but she doubted it. After all, she did have quite the unfair advantage of being vampony. Nevertheless it would be safer for her to ambush him and the best place to do that would be the inner-amphitheatre. The grand, albeit deteriorating, structure created odd shadows and had plenty of room not to mention the fact she rather enjoyed the drama of killing there.Moving silently into the shadows atop the ruins she followed the unknown stallion trying to decide what sugary treat would best go with his blood. *** Below her, Onyx paused and looked around, his ears twitching as he listened to what was around him. Tilting his head a little, he shook his head and kept walking towards the amphitheatre. He knew he couldn’t risk giving himself away to whatever lurked in the ruins, as even though he was a Werepony… He didn’t exactly want to risk awakening a demon. Or a vampony. The thought made him pause again, this time looking up at the full moon over the entrance of the amphitheatre, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. There it was… a tingling aroma, light, alluring, and very distinctive. There was a vampony here, no doubt about it. So… now I know what goes ‘bump’ in the night. Question is… are they going to play nice? He thought to himself as he opened his eyes and walked through the gates, only to have the doors slam shut behind him. Jumping a little, a single thought crossed his mind as he grinned. Hmm… that’s one vote ‘probably not.’ ~*~ She walked along the tops of the amphitheatre, tilting her head this way and that causing her black braided mane to sway as she thought of all the treats she currently had in her ‘room.’ After all,there was no need to fret; he was only one stallion and she’d taken on bigger and greater numbers before. White chocolate peppermint bark, I think...What’s he doing? The black colored stallion was sniffing the air like a hound. She’d seen this before but it’d been years. He couldn’t be a werepony...could he? She couldn’t take any chances, she didn’t want to move from these ruins. They were perfect for satisfying her thirst without too much notice as rumors of hauntings didn’t hold much sway with local law enforcement and there was always some fool who thought he could solve the mystery of the hauntings which ensured a steady supply of her favorite ‘drink.’ No, she would not take a chance and would focus her full attention on him. Gliding down silently with her bat-like wings, still within the shadows, she made her way to the doors and slammed them shut with a kick of her back leg. He jumped. It was a wonderful sight and she moved to the side with unnatural speed, lest he see her when he turned around. Perhaps she should add some ambience. Throwing her voice was a trick she learned on the stage many years ago and it came very much in hoof during these haunting schemes. With a somber whisper she cast her voice to the opposite side of the amphitheatre. “You shouldn’t be here. Get out while you still can. Please.” Should I add some tears as well? *** As the voice echoed across the empty amphitheatre, Onyx couldn’t help but wonder if he had heard that voice before. But that wasn’t his concern presently. What WAS his concern, was that the scent of vampony was now incredibly strong, nearly to the point of being overpowering. Knowing that even with his back to a wall, he wouldn’t be safe, he decided to bolt towards the middle of the arena, listening intently over the sounds of his hoofbeats and his own heartbeat for something. Anything. That was when he heard it… a small, sniffle? Coming to a skidding halt, Onyx turned around quickly, looking where the sound had come from, but kept his ears twitching and swiveling around, keeping an auditory watch around him. Not that he needed to. For there, scarcely a length from where he had been standing, was a mare. A tan mare with a black mane and tail curled up in a ball and crying. “Please… leave before you wind up like the others.” Her voice said, capturing his attention as he tensed, not really liking what he was seeing. This has got to be some kind of trick. “Who are you?” He asked, his voice sure and steady. ~*~ She decided to put on the waterworks but first moved into the light, well lighter than the shadows she was in, and curled up into a golden ball. Allowing the tears to fall and the sounds to remain true to her position she waited for the stallion to come to her. Fangs at the ready but hidden beneath her braid. “Who are you?” He questioned without a single waiver in his voice. Hmm, braver than most, but perhaps it’s all just a show. “I am…I was…” She allowed her voice to break through the tears “Please, just go.” Her voice grew quieter with every word. Come closer you bold fool. *** “I am… I was…” The mare’s voice broke as fresh tears hit the soil beneath her head. “Please, just go.” She said quietly, which pushed Onyx’s patience to its breaking point. “Alright, listen. I know you’re a vampony, so you can drop the act already. Either come at me, or tell me who you are and why you’re here, preying on ponies.” For an instant, a look of pure shock crossed the mares features as she looked up, mouth agape revealing her pearly fangs before she grinned maliciously. “Sorry, that’s not part of the script.” She said as she slowly stood and flared her wings. ~*~ She charged at him, fangs bared, but flew up at the last second, returning to her beloved shadows. “You should have left while you had the chance.” She cried down at the stallion, making sure her voice echoed throughout the amphitheatre. “Then again, I suppose you never had one.” He turned around quickly, trying to determine the origin, sniffing about like a dog again. “You’re pretty confident for a mare hiding in the shadows. Come down here and we’ll see who does and doesn’t have a chance.” She bristled at the words. How dare he suggest I’m a coward! He will suffer, I’ll make sure of it. With still an element of surprise in her favor, she flew down at him from behind making sure to hit him upside the head with the tip of her wing before landing in front of the black stallion. “You interrupt my performance and then insult me? Your insolence shall not go unpunished. Come at me, if you’re able.” She challenged, fangs bared once again and ready to sink into his neck. *** There it is… a challenge laid down. “As you wish. After all…” Onyx said, baring his own fangs as bones and joints cracked and popped, skin tearing and healing as his stature grew to challenge even Princess Celestia’s. “Who am I to keep a mare waiting?” His now-ragged voice ripped through the air as he slowly started to circle the vampony mare, gauging her, seeing if she was a patient mare or not. So confident… and quite theatrical. “Though, I’ve got to say… we could probably go without your melodramatics you blood sucking witch.” He said, giving the mare in question a VERY toothy smile. After all, a little trash talk was a good way to start a fight. ~*~ She watched as the stallion transformed in front of her, keeping a mask of disinterest on her features. Definitely a were-pony then, this is going to be fun. “Who am I to keep a mare waiting?” And a gentlecolt as well, though a true gentlecolt would have known not to interrupt a mare’s performance. She idly watched him circle her, waiting for him to make some sort of move. “Though, I’ve got to say…we could probably go without your melodramatics you blood sucking witch.” He was smiling at her, she thought there was something familiar about it but shook the thought away. He was an arrogant brat, nothing more. “Tell me, pup, did your mother not teach you that it’s rude to call a lady names?” She drawled the question but had to fight the smirk playing at her lips. Onyx laughed at the vampony mare’s question, the echoes of his mirth bouncing from the walls around them as he replied. “Aye, but she also taught me that cowardly shadow leeches like you aren’t ladies.” That ought to hit a nerve… either that, or she’s REALLY got her act together. “Because, call me crazy, but a true lady shouldn’t bite on a first date. Isn’t that right? Or did YOUR mother teach you otherwise?” One good jab deserves another, right? ~*~ She let her smirk cross her features at his words. He was cruel but so was she and oh how she loved a good verbal sparring session. “Oh sweetie” She cooed “I don’t remember what my mother taught me but I do know how to have a good time.” Looking at him with her best come-hither eyes she watched with delight as he seemed to stop in shock. Unfortunately it was for but a moment as he smirked at her and walked straight towards her. Not the wrathful charge she might have expected, but an easy saunter towards her until he was nary a length away. Lowering his head to look into her eyes, his own eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Hmm, seems she taught you it’s okay to bed a stallion on the first date too… unfortunately for you, I’m not that easy.” Her eyes went wide as she felt blood, that was not originally hers, rush to her cheeks. “What is this? The vampony blushes?” His toothy smile returned as he spoke and it infuriated her. Damn it...he...he...he will not live to tell another soul of this! Rearing back on her hind legs she struck at his smiling face, but found her hoof stopped by one of his paws. Trying again, she found herself literally hurled across the arena. “About time we got this show started!” He said with a laugh. “I was starting to get bored!” She screamed at him from across the way and charged again before dropping down to kick his legs out from under him. He apparently saw the move coming though, as he merely hopped over her. The momentum she had built up carried her across the arena before she could slow down and come back to her hooves. “The Phantom of Altir… funny, I had thought you would be better at this.” Onyx jeered. He was inwardly excited at the mares hubris. He seemed to have finally struck the right nerve. “The Phantom of Altir” She half sang as she flew up off the ground “hunts to kill and you, pup, are my prey.” She began to fly around the were-pony, picking up speed and dust hoping to blind him for a moment. That would be all she needed. “Yeah… funny thing about that.” He said as he picked up a rock with his paw. “I’m not dead, am I?” With that, he threw the rock into the spinning vortex of dust and hit the vampony mare squarely on the head, knocking her out of her own vortex and into the adjacent wall. Dazed, she found herself pinned by the throat by the massive paw of the were-pony before her, his stature dwarfing hers as he raised his razor sharp claws over his head. “Foolish mare, your hubris is your downfall… After all, you-...” The were-pony looked at her long and hard, as if trying to decipher something before his head cocked to a slight angle. “You seem somewhat… familiar. Have I threatened you before?” “I’m sure you say that to all the mares unfortunate enough to meet you.” She sneered while taking advantage of his distracted thought and kicking him where it would hurt the most with her back leg. If only she had waited a second before kicking… “Rainsto-” His question was cut off as a hard kick landed where any stallion would rather not be kicked. Unfortunately for the mare to deliver said kick, she didn’t realize that the entire weight of a full-grown were-pony would come collapsing on top of her because of her actions. However, even being crushed by the weight of what would have easily been three full grown stallions, the mare heard the were-pony’s next words very clearly. “Rainstorm… you bitch.” “What did you-” She looked into his steel grey eyes and a connection finally sparked within her mind. “Onyx..?” She questioned weakly, not just because he was crushing her but because she suddenly felt incredibly guilty. Grunting as he stood up, Onyx said “Hello to you too.” as he flopped over on his side and curled into a ball. Being kicked by a vampony mare could well geld a normal stallion… he could only thank and curse Faust that he wasn’t a normal stallion presently. “Bucking hell…” “By Luna! I am so sorry!” Her demeanor had changed completely as she snapped up and stared down at him with her dark brown eyes wide with concern. Without really thinking her next words through she asked of her old friend. “Are you alright?” “Oh Yea… Just fine. Ya know, getting kicked in the nuts by a mare who can split a ponies skull in half with her bare hooves and all, but otherwise fine. You?” He said, more than a bit of pained sarcasm in his voice as he stood up and started walking off the pain of his near-gelding, his form changing back into that of a regular stallion. “Sorry! Again…Wait here!” Without answering his question she flew off into the shadows with her unnatural speed but walked back out into the open looking like a normal pegasus; a folded fuzzy blanket in her mouth. She dropped it to the ground in front of him and unfolded it to reveal a medicinal kit and a bottle of apple cider. After throwing the blanket over him she opened the bottle and pushed it toward him before opening the kit. “Thanks.” He said, taking a long swig from the bottle. “Ah...Sweet Apple Acres, ‘36… that was a good year. I don’t think your kit has anything for me… but the drink ought to help a bit.” He punctuated his point by tilting the bottle back again and hunkering into a ball, pulling the blanket close about him as he watched with now only slightly pained amusement as Rainstorm fretted. “Nonsense, I have remedies to help with pain. You should really let me look you over. The living are so fragile…” “Hey, I may be living, but I’m no porcelain cup here. Besides, you aren’t ‘looking over’ my bits little missy.” He said snarkily. “Fragile and vulgar.” She said under her useless breath, knowing he would hear. Her verbal sparring friendly and without animosity. “Says the mare who was going to bite me on the first date… if you can call it that.” He said, knocking back another swig as the tightness left his voice. “So… what are you doing haunting this place anyways? Waiting for an exorcist to ‘banish you’ from the site? Or have you killed one of those too?” “I haven’t killed an exorcist..this time. I just needed a place to stay. It’s getting harder and harder to find places I haven’t been that aren’t wary of vamponies. Honestly, we’re not bad ponies. The stigma is getting out of hoof.” She began to rant while spiking the cider with a pain killer anyway. “I hear ya. Truth be told, I just stopped letting ponies know I’m a were-pony. For me, it’s easier to just live along the edge of the Everfree. Only trouble I have there is around Ponyville. Last time I was there, got clocked in the head by some zebra. Helluva swing… always spoke in rhymes. Annoying as all buck.” He said as he eyed the cider before shrugging and taking a swig. After all, the worst she could do was attempt to poison him, not that she ever would. They went a bit further back than to do that to each other. “And you think I go around telling everypony that I’m a vampony? A few stallions go missing and suddenly accusations are thrown about and the villagers with pitchforks figure it out on their own. Then off I go to a new location that I can hopefully call home for more than a couple of months. As for Ponyville, I haven’t been there in a while. I wonder if there is a completely new generation of Ponyville citizens…” “It’s possible. Maybe you should find the odd mare every once in a while though, just to throw ponies off? Just going after the stallions, and the town’s best lookers at that, tends to draw some attention.” “What can I say? I have rather specific tastes.” She responded sweetly. Onyx rolled his eyes before draining the last of the bottle and pulling a face. “Ya know, those painkillers really kill the aftertaste.” “Would you rather the pain resume?” She asked, raising a hoof and smirking. “Haha… No.” He deadpanned. For a moment after that, the two of them just sat silent… a lot being conveyed between them with no words until Onyx broke the silence as he stared up at the moon. “Have you ever considered just being a nomad like me? Go see all of Equestria, meet all sorts of awesome ponies… even a few of your own kind?” “I like having somewhere to call home, Onyx, even if the place is as wretched as these ruins and you know I haven’t been the most social of mares since the..my theatre days.” She finished with a distant sadness crossing over her eyes. Nodding slowly, Onyx leaned over and nuzzled Rainstorm gently. “I know. Hay, I was there for a few of your performances.” She shot him a sharp look. “Okay, more than a few of them.” He corrected with a chuckle before looking at her with serious eyes. “Thing is, you’re going to have to get out there sometime, Rainstorm. May as well be with somepony you trust, right?” “I’ve been doing fine for the last few decades. I’ll just find somewhere else to go. I always do. Anyways…” She pushed him off of her “I thought this wasn’t a first date.” She forced a laugh as she got up to walk away. “You can stay the night but please go in the morning.” As she started away, she suddenly felt her tail get jerked. The sensation made her eyes pop open and caused her to whirl around, only to be greeted by a solemn faced Onyx. “I know you better than that, Rainstorm. You’re starting to get weary of this. Methinks you need a vacation from it… and I know just the place to go.” He promised with a smile. The damn thing was infectious. “And where would that be?” She asked, humoring him with a small smile at her lips. “A decent sized village in the Shetland Highlands. A few friends of mine live there. I guess you could consider it a safe haven of sorts… Anyways, the country is beautiful, and I think a bit of time seeing the sights would do you good.” At that, he smirked and said “Besides, I think you owe me a do-over for this particular ‘date,’ don’t you?” “I don’t think so. We’ve both had worse dates.” She laughed genuinely. “If, and I mean if, I decide to venture off to the Shetland Highlands with you what kind of sweets could I expect to find?” With that question he knew he had her. “Hazelnuts dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with fine dark chocolate shavings.” “Clearly it has been a while since we’ve seen other. You’ve forgotten that I hate dark chocolate!” She cried in fake offense. “It hasn’t been that long, and you’ve never tried Shetland dark chocolate!” He said, sticking his tongue out at her playfully. “Put that back in your mouth unless you intend to use it.” She was blushing halfway through her words. Despite her years and her vampiric nature, she never could handle things of a risque nature well. She imagined it had something to do with the era she was born into… whenever it was. Looking down at his tongue, before looking back to her, he merely waggled his eyebrows as he blew a raspberry at her. The action caused Rainstorm’s blush to intensify threefold. “Are you going to keep me blushing or are you going to help me pack?” She yelled at the vulgar stallion that was her dear friend. Rolling his eyes, he finally pulled his tongue inside his maw and nodded. “Yea, lets get you packed.” “You get the blankets and I’ll get the sweets” She said with a smile, surprised she was actually excited about this venture. And so began the marvelous misadventures of Rainstorm and Onyx.