The Poison Apple. Not a very pretty name, especially not for a bar. Even less for such a laid back, quiet, quaint, cottage country bar. It was nearly unsettling. However, that didn’t stop its rustic, charming and low-lighted atmosphere, all combined with a much darker, dimmer tone within the inside. Not a place of fear and shadows, but more a place of celebrated darkness. A strange artistic expressionism.
Patrons within the bar were people of all kinds, both bright and dark; all were welcome within. Certain types found it to be a place like home. Newcomers were charmed by its laid-back, shadowy but fun atmosphere. Whereas those who frequent this place were always drawn back to its oddly seductive, almost mysterious tone.
The owner of the Poison Apple was no stranger to the place either, despite very little being known about him aside from name and possible hobbies. Alucard was what he went by, but whether or not that was his real name was mystery all on its own. He made it fairly public knowledge, though, that his bar was created to give those who took comfort in the night, in those dark places that others would be afraid to look in, to have a place to call their home away from home, so to speak. As for how he got the funds to open such a place, no one knew, but rumours were a constant.
Still, the bar had done surprisingly well for itself and had a steady following, always having quite the number of customers inside, even if most of them did not drink, but rather made conversations, read, or even ate whatever was cooking on the menu, which always had very strange names for the dishes being served.
But without a doubt, the Poison Apple did its best when a certain bartender worked behind the booth. A certain red eyed, wild pink haired, pale skinned young woman that worked there four nights out of the week. She was friendly enough, almost too friendly, and seemed to have an other worldly charm about her and those crimson eyes of hers. When she was not seen chatting, mixing drinks, or taking orders, she was almost always snacking on a type of fruit, most commonly... apples.
Almost everyone knew her name, but most of them fell back onto the nickname the workers of the bar used for her.
Fangs.
The reason why was simple enough, though. She had a set of large, very strong, and very vampiric looking fangs. She would try to hide this, though, with a large scarf or high collared shirt, but most nights, she simply let them show. She did wear an overcoat to hide her wings from view, though. Not that anyone minded this, though, with her bartender’s uniform, lovely figure, and dark, seductive, yet sweet and shy appearance, it would be hard for anyone to pay much mind to such a detail.
Ever since starting, Fangs had truly become a very curious addition to the Poison Apple. Locals and out-of-towners alike were captivated by this strange beauty. Many of which didn’t know her beyond her name. The rare times she was recognized were quite interesting, though never leading much beyond a surprised reaction. She was not considered “scandalous” or anything like that. And even if it was, she doubted the topic or information would ever so much as leave the bar at all.
But it still always seemed to make her jump whenever someone would shout, “Fluttershy!” upon entering the bar.
This night had been very slow by its normal standards, but it was to be expected, this being the night the game was on. Still, there were a few people seated around, drinking the bar’s somewhat infamous ‘Crimson Tears’ mix drink.
Coming over to the bar was none other than the owner himself. He was a tall young man with pale skin and piercing, ice blue eyes with long, bleached white hair that reached down to his waist. He was dressed much like what someone would expect from the owner of such a place, in very dark, loose fitting clothes and a jacket that could have been mistaken for a straight jacket from a distance.
“So,” Alucard began with a smile, sitting up at the bar as he sat his book down, “How’s our resident black butterfly doing this evening? Not having any overwhelming cravings, are we?”
With a smile, Fluttershy shook her head, “Not particularly, no. Everything’s just fine, actually…”
“That’s good to hear. Can’t have you sinking those fangs of yours into any of our customers, now can I?” Alucard said with a sly smile. After working with him for several months, his sense of humour was very easy to point out. It was dark and teasing, but he always knew when to back down, as if he could read other’s mind. Either way, he had a certain way of talking that made him seem very frightening if someone did not know him.
“They’re safe for another night,” Fluttershy quipped, giggling.
“That’s too bad,” Alucard sighed, shrugging to himself, “I was almost hoping to see a real vampire at work… I guess there’s always tomorrow night, right, Fangs?”
A laugh escaped Fluttershy, “If they’re an apple, maybe.”
With a chuckle of his own, Alucard teased, “Well, there’s the Apple family that lives here in Ponyville if you’re feeling adventurous… or are you into more colorful fruit?”
Eyes going wide, Fluttershy blushed and looked away. Despite being more than used to his teasing of her crush on a certain one of her friends, “...Yes…”
“Well, you know they have those multicolored apples now,” Alucard said very matter-of-factly, waving a hand over at the bowl of apples that Fluttershy kept beside her workstation.
“Zap Apples…” Fluttershy cooed, drooling a bit.
Coyly sliding a hand under the bowl, Alucard lifted them into the air, “They also have black apples, golden apples and the ever popular caramel apple…” reaching in with his free hand, he pulled out one and balanced it on the palm of his hand, “But like I said, I’m willing to bet there’s something non-apple you’re after. So, tell me, would you say rainbows have a distinct flavor, or maybe a mix of everything? A little bit of apple, some grape, pomegranate, banana, lime, and a hint of blueberry, maybe?”
“Oh, yes…” A very nervous, blushing, drooling Fluttershy responded. It was uncertain if she was even talking about apples anymore.
“Oh, but enough about fruit,” Alucard set the bowl down and gripped the apple in his hand, taking a bite, “Tell me, Fangs, have you told your friends you work here yet?”
Wide-eyed again, the pinkette shook her head, “N-No…”
Sighing a bit, Alucard slumped down in the seat after taking another bite, “Still afraid of what they’ll say?”
“Well… I just don’t know how to tell them…” Fluttershy admitted, taking a glass and drying it absently.
“Just saying it would work wonders, child of the night,” Alucard stated flatly, arching his back upward with his shoulders still slumped down giving him an undead like appearance, “And if they’re anything like what you’ve told me, they’ll be all over this place if they did come here.”
Smiling, her fangs showed as she did so, “That’s true. My friends would like it here.”
Straightening back up, Alucard flashed a toothy grin, “And could you think of the buzz we’d get having a Princess show up to our humble little abode? Ah, we might even be able to expand the place into full on club one day… But I digress,” he leaned over the counter, studying his worker’s expression, “So, since you haven’t told them you work here yet, have you at least told them about your little ‘problem’ yet?”
Looking worried, Fluttershy shook her head, “N-No… I haven’t. Not yet… It just… it never came up and I… I didn’t want them to worry about me. You know I have it under control now, which really helps. But I didn’t want them to be scared that I still am… what I am.”
“I really don’t see what the problem is myself,” Alucard stated with a familiar grin, “If you’ve got it under control, why not flaunt it? I’m sure a few heads would roll either way that turned out!”
“... True… I suppose I could tell them when the time is right…” Fluttershy poured a few drinks, placing the glasses onto a rounded tray. She hailed one of the waitresses, who came over to collect it.
With a sigh, Alucard gave a wave of his wrist, “Oh, come now, child. You may have only worked here four months, but I can read you like an old tome.”
“Give it a rest, Alley,” called back one of the waitresses. It was none other than the darker of the twins that worked there, Alia, wearing her black uniform contrasting her snow white hair. “She’ll tell them whenever she feels like it, so leave her be.”
With a slight groan, he looked back at Alia, “It’s Alucard, as in, the Dracula in the mirror.”
“Whatever you say… Adam,” Alia dismissed him once more before turning to Fluttershy. “Well, regardless if you tell them about the vampire bit or not, you should at least bring them in before we all die and come back as zombies. I mean, it’s not like anyone would be able to tell in here anyway. Come on, most people think Brutus is a butcher, but he’s a freaking vegetarian! The nutcase…”
Fluttershy giggled, “At least he does his job, though.”
Alucard chimed in with smile, “And he’s a fine cook at that! Well, he is when he’s actually cooking…”
Alia giggled, “Always out back working on the flowers…” She winked before heading off to serve the drinks.
“So, what’s the verdict?” Alucard asked Fluttershy point blank. “You think you’ll tell them before the end of the week, or should I just send them all invites personally?”
“No, no… I’ll tell them…” Fluttershy said meekly.
“Excellent! I look forward to meeting all of them… and seeing what they order,” Alucard chuckled with a slight grim tone, the same he always did when offering drinks ‘on the house.’ He never meant any harm by it, but the end results usually lead to more work later.
Fluttershy chuckled a bit, then went to work on preparing a few more drinks. She took the tray and headed into the fray, passing the drinks around to the patrons. Looking at what time it was, Fluttershy went back behind the counter. This time she produced a paper bag from behind the counter, then went outside with it.
“Hi, Sam… I wanted to bring your lunch out to you,” she said kindly to the bouncer standing near the door, holding the bag out.
The large, very tall woman in question almost seemed like she was about to jump out of her skin once she heard Fluttershy’s voice. Sam was, for lack of a better term, as timid as a mouse, but built like a street fighter. She was extremely fit, looking like she could have torn off anyone’s head that she wanted and not even try, but in reality, that was about it. She looked dangerous, but was even more passive than Fluttershy herself. Alucard had given her a job as a bouncer of the bar out of kindness and the fact she looked the part. And yet, as ironic as it was, she happened to have been deathly afraid of two things. The dark and vampires.
“D-Don’t sneak up on me like that, Fangy…” Sam clinched her heart in her chest, taking a moment to catch her breath. Apparently, she had had not noticed Fluttershy until the last second. Finally with enough resolve to think, she sighed happily “Oh, t-thanks… I didn’t know it was my, uh… my lunch break yet.”
“It is,” Fluttershy assured her, “It’s ten-thirty.”
Sighing with relief, Sam took the paper bag and smiled, “You’re awesome for a-always doing this for m-me. I thought I’d go crazy before you started working here with Alucard’s constant teasing…”
“Oh, he means well. He’s just a practical joker,” Fluttershy giggled, “But don’t worry, you know you can talk to me.”
“I-I know,” Sam stuttered out a reply, “Still… I’m terrified to try anything we sell at this point.”
Fluttershy smiled, “I did try one once.”
A bit surprised, Sam just had to ask, “W-What did he give you?”
“Souls Tea, I asked him for that.”
“Is… Isn’t that the stuff he claims can make you see g-ghosts and stuff?” Same inquired nervously.
Fluttershy nodded, “Yes. It was delicious, but…. I didn’t see anything. I just had dreams of seeing my dead relatives after that.”
“That’s… still kinda creepy,” Sam replied.
“....It is,” Fluttershy agreed.
The two shared an odd silence before Sam broke it, “Um… thanks again for always bringing me something for lunch. It’s really sweet of you… But I’ll l-let you get back to work.”
“Thank you, Sam, and you’re welcomed. You have a good evening,” Fluttershy patted her shoulder. She went back into the bar, heading to the counter to get back to work on mixing some drinks.
She then went to the kitchen to bring some plates in, making a greeting to the bar’s cook, Brutus.
“Hi, how are you doing?” She asked him.
The monster of a man named Brutus was by far the largest person she had ever seen, even making Big Mac seem smaller in size. But much like Sam, his appearance was misleading. He was the bar’s cook, and one with years of practice, masters in many culinary schools, and even had a hand in a few years of medical training. While he looked huge, almost like he could squash a person underneath him, he was without a doubt, nothing more than a teddy bear.
“Not as good as you look!” Brutus said with wink, “But then again, who does? So, I hear you and Al talking about finally bringing that crush of yours here. Oh, and other friends too, I guess. So, are you finally gonna drop the bomb?”
“... I don’t know… I could try…” Fluttershy murmured nervously. “I suppose it’s better that they hear it from me.”
Rolling his eyes, Brutus quickly checked the oven and set the temperature down to simmer, “No, I mean finally asking that one girl out! What’s her name again? Rainbow… Brash? Smash? Crash? Lass? Rainbow something, right?”
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy corrected, her cheeks turning pink.
“That’s the name! Rainbow Dash,” Brutus chuckled loudly. “Well, when you do, give me heads up and I’ll cook you two up one of my famous candle lit dinners. Of course, you’ll kinda need ‘em to eat in this joint without any decent lighting!”
Fluttershy blushed all the more, “That’d be lovely…”
She couldn’t help but begin to fantasize, envisioning that sweet idea. The two of them sitting alone at a table, with no one else around. Slowly they’d eat, gaze into each other’s eyes lovingly and speak sweetly. Rainbow would get something on her lips, which Fluttershy would wipe away. More sweet talk, then Rainbow whispers sweet words of “I love you”, which Fluttershy would reciprocate. Then they would lean over the table to each other, closer and closer, ready to share a sweet kiss…
She quickly snapped out of her day(night) dream with Brutus snapping his fingers in front of her face, “Hey, what have me and Al told you about spacing out into dreamland while on the clock?” He teased her with a smirk, “Only if things are slow and you’re sitting down!”
“Good point…” Fluttershy conceded, looking sheepish, “I’ll get back to work.”
“Now don’t go getting all shy now!” Brutus patted her back before blinking, “Hold up… Oh, now I get the name! Fluttershy! Yeah... I like Fangs better. Anyway, don’t get cold feet with this girl. Just walk up to her, say what you wanna say, then kiss her! You follow my three step program and you’ll be fine!”
“Okay, Brutus… Thank you…” Fluttershy took a few plates onto a tray and headed back out into the bar.
As she returned to her post, she did not find it surprising to see Vino, the bar’s DJ every other night and financial advisor, leaning over the bar, eyeing most of the merchandise. He was a good man, if a bit of a wild one, always causing trouble and what not, but he was sharp as a tack when it came to numbers and, oddly enough, music. While she had no idea what he did during the day, most people had cut down the choices to either bank teller or bank robber, due to one defining factor.
“Hey, if it ain’t the resident fruit sucker,” Vino called over to her with a wide grin, his accent was thick and made him sound like a villain from an old gangster movie. “You mind if I get a shot of cinnamon cider on da house?”
Giving a little smile, Fluttershy nodded and fixed him his drink, “Of course, Vino. I take it everything’s going well?”
With a sigh, Vino gave her a half smile. “Eh, I guess so. Al’s gonna break my skull if he doesn’t start managing da receipts betta. Plus, looks like that gal Lila set me up with stood me up…”
“Did she? That’s terrible… Who would do such a cruel thing…?” Fluttershy slid a glass over to him.
“Lila said she and Alia met her at da spa in town,” Vino said flatly with flimsy a smile. “They said she was a real cutie too. One of those upper class gals… Eh, but no skin off my bones. I didn’t get ta know her name this time.”
“That’s still a shame…” Fluttershy said with a sympathetic pout.
Taking the glass, Vino downed the entire thing in a single large gulp. “Ya know, I’m considering on just givin’ up. At least for a while. Now, if I could finda nice girl like you or Sam, I’d be happy. Heck, I’d even let her turn me inta a thrall if she wanted!”
“Well, Vino… The one thing I learned about love is that it happens unexpectedly. It just quietly walks in, closes the door, and stays there. It doesn’t come when we seek it,” Fluttershy smiled.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Vino said with a chuckle. “But my problem is everyone else tryin’ to help me find love! I mean, all I want is a nice, down ta earth girl that’s smart, charmin’, sweet, and doesn’t try to strap a bomb ta me in my sleep. Is that too much ta ask for?”
“Of course not,” Fluttershy patted his shoulder.
“I know, right?” Vino grinned up at her.
“You can always tell them not to. You should be free to pursue a woman on your own terms when you know you’ve found someone you’re willing to be with,” Fluttershy assured.
With a smug grin, Vino got up from his usual seat and started to head to the back, “Yeah, but if I did that, what would Lila and Alia do in their free time?”
“Don’t you worry, I’ll take care of them,” Fluttershy winked.
Vino simply waved her off as he headed into the back rooms where Alucard took care of the business side of things. But as if by a fluke of some divine kind, none other than Lila rushed over to the bar after hearing this.
“Whaddaya mean by that, Fangs?!” Lila shouted, pouting. She was, for all anyone could guess, the polar opposite of her sister Alia. She even wore a white uniform to contrast her raven black hair. Where one was collective, the other was wild. One mature, one childish. Lila was the latter.
“I mean,” Fluttershy said pleasantly, giggling, “That we’re going to have to do more stuff together.”
Lila did not buy that for a second. “Oh no you don’t, little Miss Fangs! I know you’re trying to stop us from interfering in Vino’s love life, but guess what? He’s our cousin and we’ll meddle all we want! That is… unless you need help?”
Calm as ever, Fluttershy shook her head, “No, I’m fine. I’m only saying that love is something that happens naturally. Unexpectedly. When you’re not looking for it. If you force it, it never works out. Why do you think that many people who complain about not having a boyfriend or girlfriend usually are unhappy and can’t hold one down? Besides, the woman seems to have stood him up and he wants to take a break.”
“Whaaaaa- seriously?” Lila reeled back a bit, “She stood him up? Darn it! I was so sure she would have liked him… She seemed nice enough. She even had deep blue eyes, like what Vino said he likes! Man, people are so cold these days…”
“It’s all right,” Fluttershy placed down some drinks onto a tray. “He’ll find someone eventually.”
Hanging her head in defeat, Lila gave a disgruntled groan. “Have you met the guy? He’s got no charm at all and is terrible in social situations! The only girls he’s ever been able to talk to is me, you, my sister, and Sam! You’re going after whatever her name is and Sam is, well, Sam! And it’s not like we could do anything with him! He needs help, trust me.”
“He doesn’t need help. There’s someone out there for everyone. He may not be to your standards of what a man is, but that doesn’t mean some other woman out there won’t find him wonderful,” Fluttershy said.
“You’re so old school,” Lila blew a raspberry at her. “I know there’s someone out there from him, but he’ll never find her all alone! He can’t even use a GPS! So, as his cousin, I must- I shall help him! It’s for his own good anyway.”
“Whatever you say,” Fluttershy smiled and placed the tray in her hands before she went to prepare some more drinks.
“This isn’t over, you vamp!” Lila giggled before skipping off.
Shaking her head to herself, Fluttershy placed some more drinks onto a tray, taking this one herself. It was then that she noticed a group of women entering the bar, all distinctly familiar. Her heart froze.
“...No... no…”
It was her friends. Not one, not two, but all five of them, dressed in very obvious club like outfits, albeit a bit darker than their normal taste for the sake of the place, other than Pinkie, whose outfit looked like it could have lit the place up with how bright it was. But without a doubt the worst part was the fact that Rainbow Dash was there, scanning around the bar with a wide grin. All too quickly, she drew her scarf up over her mouth.
“See? I told you this place had a sick vibe to it,” Rainbow proclaimed to the group with a grin. “Kinda creepy, but hey, that’s the point of places like these, right? It’s all... dark and mysterious.”
“Ah gotta say, it’s real interestin’,” Applejack remarked, taking it in.
Rarity looked about the establishment smiling to herself. “That it is. It has a certain… Seduction in darkness feel to it. Oh, just being here makes me feel like a vampire myself!”
“I doubt that,” Twilight said flatly, looking up from her book. “It’s more likely that due to the dim lighting and strong air of mystery to the place, it creates a sense of danger and excitement. The location even plays well into the theme, actually. It’s very ingenious actually… in a dark way.”
“It’s sooooooo cooolie cool! Like something out of a Tim Burton film!” Pinkie beamed brightly, clapping her hands. “I love it! I’ll have to make my next party like this!”
“Coolie cool?” Rainbow repeated with a bit of confusion. “Seriously, Pinks, this is supposed to be a gothic bar place thing, kinda. I don’t know, really. But everyone says its freaking awesome! So, let’s at least try to be cool tonight.”
“Hush now, Dashie! Let the shadows of atmosphere take you in!” Pinkie said, waving her arms for emphasis. This of course led to a heated debate about Pinkie Pie’s behavior and what the atmosphere was in the bar. It slowly drew in all five of the girls into this debate, with Applejack just wanting to end it.
Fluttershy watched this all from a distance, completely in shock. How did this happen? How did any of them even know about this place, and why would they have even want to come here? It was not a party place, it was more of a lounge with light dancing and special drink mixes. And yet, all of them were there, a few paces away from her and the counter. She felt herself step back into-
Alucard. He had somehow made his way from the back to the bar without anyone noticing a thing, slowly mixing a few drinks with a grin on his face, “So… the little black butterfly thought she could play a trick on the resident Trickster Prince? Not bad… but I never miss a new customer or a fun new sale.”
“N-N-No! I swear, it’s not like that! I had no idea they were showing up here tonight… Honest!” Fluttershy protested.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re so bad at this game, Fangs,” Alucard chuckled darkly as he finished mixing several drinks. “Well, I think one good trick deserves another. Now, why don’t you go tell Brutus that your crush is here? He’ll want to start cooking you that candle lit diner.” How in Equestria he knew that was beyond Fluttershy, but she was too stunned to react. As her boss set drinks down on the tray, he actually sat on the counter and slid over to the other side, approaching the group of five women.
Not a one so much as noticed him until he was right in front of them all, smiling with the tray in one hand. The discussion ended very quickly with his presence being so demanding. It took him all of a few seconds to know exactly who was who and just what trick he should play on each.
“Greeting, and welcome fair maidens to the Poison Apple. Where we deal in dark pleasures so much, it’s almost sinful.” Alucard took a bow before them, leaving the tray floating in the air with no aura to hold it.
Unable to bear this, Fluttershy rushed into the kitchen, both to escape, and in some way to let the cook know of Rainbow’s arrival.
“Oooh! Neat-o trick!” Pinkie clapped her hands together, giggling happily.
Rarity of course laughed a bit as well, smiling warmly. “Oh my, I for one was certainly not expecting a host!”
“Not bad, stretch,” Rainbow smirked.
Alucard looked up at the group with a friendly, but somewhat creepy grin. “But of course! I wouldn’t be much of an owner if I didn’t greet new customers… would I?”
“Oh please, Ah bet anyone can figure out how he makes it float,” Applejack said skeptically, but grinned all the same.
“It’s still sooooo cool! Can you do other tricks, Mr. Dracula, sir?” Pinkie asked eagerly.
Standing back upright, Alucard snickered at this request. “Oh yes, I know quite a few tricks… but Dracula was my father’s name. I’m Alucard, the resident Trickster Prince in fact. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” He ended by taking the tray back out of the air.
“Trickster Prince, huh?” Dash cracked her knuckles with wide grin. “Oh, this is gonna be a fun night.”
“While I doubt that’s your real name, thank you for the hospitality,” Twilight smiled, completely closing her book with a smile.
“Of hush, Twilight! Don’t break the mood he’s trying to set,” Rarity chastised playfully before taking a curtsy. “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Alucard, son of Dracula.”
“Oooohh! I get it! It’s Dracula spelled backwards! How neato!” Pinkie exclaimed, “I like that!”
“Anyway,” Applejack intervened, “may we have a table fer five, sir?”
Looking each one over with the eyes of a predator, Alucard balanced the tray in the air once more. “Ah, but of course! However, allow me to indulge in a custom of ours… The first drink is always on the house.”
“Free drinks? Man, this place is awesome!” Rainbow Dash cheered, giving Applejack and Pinkie a playful punch in the arms. “Too bad Flutters couldn’t make it.”
Before another word could be said, Alucard slid up beside Rarity holding a delicate looking, fine cut wine glass filled with bright crimson liquid in his hand. “You look like the type of person who can understand the beauty of the night in its true elegance. Allow me to offer a house favorite to you: Scarlet Surprise.”
“Oh my,” Rarity found her eyes locked on the drink and the beautifully cut glass it was in.
“It’s the rarest of wines, aged to perfection, taken from an old Prance recipe. They say drinking it after the sun goes down can lead to a person having an experience like that of a true creature of the night… Bathed in the otherworldly glory and bliss the darkness offers to its children. Be sure to enjoy every last drop, Rarity,” Alucard chuckled as he handed the glass to her.
He stepped back and took something else off the tray before coming face to face with Applejack. “You, my dear, look like a real drinker. Care to take a house challenge?”
“An’ what would that be?” Applejack asked, eyebrow raised.
With a simple gesture, he pulled out a moderate sized bottle of something with a foreign symbol on it. “This, Applejack, is a special kind of sake known as the Thunder Brew. The original recipe was made in a far away land of many wonders. This sake was once considered to be so strong, it could get even the Gods drunk with but one sip. Ours is made to the exact same standards and has never had a single person take more than a sip from this bottle without becoming too drunk to continue. The house stands at a one thousand bit prize to anyone who can finish it. If you’re woman enough to try, I’ll gladly give it to you.”
Applejack gulped, “Gosh, Ah don’t know…”
“Come on, AJ!” Rainbow patted her back. “If anyone can do it, it’s you! Or me if you back out!”
“Oh, but if she’s too afraid, I can just get her a glass of orange juice instead,” Alucard grinned down at her, holding the bottle up to her face.
Rolling her eyes, Applejack took the bottle, “If y’all are gonna use guilt-trippin’ an’ reverse psychology, at least be clever ‘bout it.”
“Ah, but you did take the bottle,” Alucard teased before pointing the two over to a little table nearby. “You two take a seat and the others will be right with you shortly… Maybe.”
“Thank you kindly, Alucard,” Rarity lead the way over to the table, sipping her drink and suddenly felt a jolt of excitement hit her. “Come along, Applejack. I’ll be your support if you get too drunk tonight.”
“Thank ya, Rare,” Applejack followed her to the indicated table. She paused upon seeing something odd about Rarity’s eyes, but figured it was nothing.
“Oooohh! Got anything for me?” Pinkie asked eagerly.
Alucard chuckled again, patting her head, “Why yes, I do. But it’s not here or like the others. You see, I know a bit about you, Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie.”
“Ooohhhhh! You even know my name?! You’re magical!” Pinkie crooned, her eyes sparkling.
“You see, tonight, we’re cooking something very special and my cook will be in dire need of help,” Alucard began with fake plea in his voice. “He’s a master chef, but lacks one thing. He’s horribly uncreative with sweets. With this night being rather important, if the desert is not perfect, it could ruin someone’s perfect night… Your baking skills are famed across the country, so, if I may impose, would you help us tonight? If you do, I’ll pay you with a very special item I came across, said to turn anything it touches into chocolate. Does that sound like a fair trade?”
Beaming brightly, Pinkie was grabbing his hand and shaking it so hard, it was practically blurred, “Yes yes yes yes yes! YES! You got it, Alucard, sir! I’d be happy to lend my baking services!”
“Oh, you are too kind, Miss Pinkamena,” Alucard faked a joyful sounding agreement before another grin came over his face. He managed to bring Pinkie to a full stop and turned her towards the kitchen. “That way to the kitchen, but do wash up before you go in. Brutus can be very careful about such things… Oh, and be sure to wear the black apron when you go in.”
Saluting him, Pinkie nodded and eagerly bounded to the kitchen.
Before Alucard could even get close to Twilight, she held up a hand to stop him, “I don’t drink, so don’t bother trying to offer me anything.”
“Oh, I’m quite aware of this,” Alucard countered, taking a simple looking cup in his hands. He waved his hand over it a few times, bringing it to a boil before her eyes. Once it was done, he offered it to her, “This is personal favorite of mine. It’s a very strong tea called Mind’s Eye. It helps you think much more clearly and even helps when reading… Speaking of which, we do in fact have a small corner in the back that’s dedicated to just that. All the books are collector’s editions of many occult magics and mythology I’ve gathered over the years… they are all quite rare.”
“R-R-Really?” Twilight stammered, wide-eyed, “I…. That’s amazing! I’d love to be able to check out those kinds of books! Gosh, I never would’ve thought a bar would accommodate such a thing!”
With a sly grin, Alucard gave a mock bow. “As long as you’re here, you may read anything I have on the shelves. And while we are a bar, we are much, much more as I’m sure you’ll see… Do enjoy yourself, Miss Sparkle. I’ll even send Pinkie to check in on you from time to time.”
“Thank you, sir!” Twilight carefully held her drink as she went to the table in question, eager.
“Looks like you’re the odd one out, eh, Rainbow Dash?” Alucard chuckled, crossing his arms with very unsettling smirk on his face.
“What the hay is even going on?” Dash wanted to know. “How do you know our names, what we like or are good at... and all that stuff? You even give us free drinks…. you know we’d go for. What’s the deal? Are you a spy or something?”
Trying to not burst out laughing, Alucard took the now empty tray out of the air. “I suppose telling you I really am the son of Dracula wouldn’t suffice as an answer, would it?”
“No. So what’s going on here? What’ve you got planned?” Dash asked, crossing her arms and looking at him suspiciously.
“The truth? Okay then,” Alucard chuckled. “Our little resident black butterfly didn’t tell me you all were coming for some reason. So, I’m playing a trick on her, you all included. Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen; it’s all in good fun after all.” He flipped the tray over upside down to reveal a final drink on it as if it had been there all along. “So, can I offer you a drink?”
“....What’s the drink and what’s it do?” Rainbow looked at the bottle pointedly.
“It’s called the Dark Seduction,” Alucard stated calmly, “Now, as for what it does… It answers all your questions and maybe a bit more. Trust me, you’ll like it.” He tapped the bottle with one free hand, pointing at the engravings of several wolves on it.
Looking over the bottle curiously, Dash looked at him then, “O-kay? So, where do I sit?”
With a dark grin, Alucard pointed over at the bar and the stools. “Have a seat over there, if you will. I’ve got one last thing for you and it should explain everything.”
Shrugging a bit, Rainbow nodded and sat herself at the bar. She stared at the bottle again, uncapping it and sniffing it. It had a strong smell to it, a little like vodka, or some other type of alcohol. Still, what could be the harm in a sip? Experimentally, the bottle met her lips.
Inside the kitchen area, or at least the back where Fluttershy and Brutus were, was a different story from the bar itself…
“Oh, no no no no no no no! What am I going to do? They’ll know it’s me! But I can’t stop doing my job…. No no no…” Fluttershy fretted nervously.
Brutus just laughed in his usual friendly manner, simmering something over one of the eyes on the large oven. “I keep telling you, just relax! If they see and spot you, just let your wings out and show ‘em. Tell ‘em what’s going on and get your girl! This isn’t some poorly written romance novel about vampires and teenagers, you know?”
“...I know… I’ll try…” Fluttershy murmured sadly, nervously. “I just hope that I can.”
“Well, what’s the honest to goodness worst that could happen?” Brutus asked her with a smile. “They freak out a bit and you have to explain things a bit more in depth, that’s what. You act like one of them is a vampire hunter! And even if they were, everyone knows the best hunters are vamps and weres. So, there you go!”
Nodding, Fluttershy took a few more deep breaths. “I don’t want them to be upset for not telling them…”
Chuckling to himself, Brutus patted her back. “Now you’re just scaring yourself. They’ll understand, I’m sure. I mean, it’s not like you left them out there with Alucard!”
“I-I did… Never mind, I should get back to work…” Fluttershy murmured, taking a few plates on a tray.
“That’s not necessary,” cut in the voice of Alucard, who, again, managed to slip behind the two in silence and startle them. “Everything is taken care of. All you have to is get out there and be you.”
“But…. But my shift isn’t over until three….” Fluttershy protested.
With a chuckle, Alucard walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Like I said, it’s all taken care of. I’ll personally be overseeing the bar tonight while Vino is crunching numbers in the back. Don’t worry, you’ll still receive your full pay.”
Although wanting to protest further, any words she had died in her throat as Alucard guided her out of the kitchen.
“Brutus, you’ll be very busy tonight after all, my friendly fiend,” Alucard said over his shoulder, almost pushing Fluttershy out. “I’ve even gotten you a bit of help! Now get to it! This is about to be a very fun night for not one, but six young ladies!”
“Hiiiiii!” Pinkie popped out of nowhere, grinning widely. “I’m here and I’m ready! Ready to sweeten this place up!”
With a motion too quick for anyone to follow, Alucard partially shoved Fluttershy out of the door from the kitchen and whirled around to place an arm over Pinkie, leading her over to Brutus. “Right this way, Pinkamena… This is our cook, Brutus the Bull.”
“Hello Hello, Bru-Bru!” Pinkie greeted the cook eagerly, “Mm-mm-mm! Something sure smells delicious!”
For a moment, Brutus was silent, but it did not take long for him to figure out what was going on, even less after seeing the black apron Alucard was placing over Pinkie’s shoulder. “Why, yes, it does! It’s an old recipe I dug up for certain occasions!”
Skipping over, Pinkie took a closer smell. “Mmm! Do I smell some steak spice in there?”
“You’ve got quite the nose on you, there, kid!” Brutus chuckled, making sure to not touch her. “So, I take it you’re Pinkie, right?”
“Uh-huh! Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie winked, saluting him. “I’m here to help you bake!”
“Is that so, private?” Brutus followed along with the salute to play military commander bit, “Then your orders are to being with operation: chocolate eclairs! Moooove out!”
“Sir yes sir!” Pinkie was already digging around the kitchen for a cookbook and some ingredients.
Brutus chuckled to himself as he looked around the kitchen to see that Alucard had already ran off. With a shrug, he said to no one in particular, “Al, you got a messed up sense of humour…”