Fangs

by Sapphic

Just a Little Touch

I ran out of the ally with those three numb-skulls following close behind me. This was bad, I just lost my position at the club with my target, the master won't be happy with this. I never understood why he was so obsessed with that mare, Vinyl Scratch, I knew she was powerful, as did he, but it seemed that she didn't know it herself. While in my train of thought one of the lackeys piped up, breaking it.

"Hey uh, boss?" He questioned with a trembling voice, what a weakling.

"What?" I responded in a harsh tone.

"What are we going to tell...him?" This question had an answer I wanted to know as well. I kept my cool, I knew that if I showed fear they would think me weak. I decided to measure out my options before responding. On one hoof, If we didn't tell him about this, he would find out later and we would be in HUGE trouble. On the other, if we told him now, he would undoubtedly be mad but not nearly as mad if we hid it from him.

"Exactly what happened." I decided as I ran faster, urging them on with me.

A dark castle sat on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, the outer castle wall sat nearly 60 feet high, made of a black obsidian toned stone material. No torches or any source of light was present, making the castle blend in with the black of night, the tip of the central tower lit by the large moon behind it. The castle itself was made of the same material of the walls around it. Outside the wall sat two guardponies, clad in a black steel, their eye's hid by a metal helmet that left their mouths visible graced with a stoic expression. I approached the castle with my lackeys right behind me. We walked up to the two guards who made no motion to move. I flashed my teeth and eyes and they moved out of the way, remaining emotionless, but strong. I went past them towards the main castle, my lackeys following me at a much more reluctant pace, as we entered the castle I was greeted by the familiar sight of a barely lit row of torches leading up to a throne where my master sat with his head against his hoof as he leaned to the side in his chair. On opposite sides of him sat two fountains, each sprouting a stream of blood accompanied by his two most loyal advisers who looked up at me, then went back to drinking. I slowly approached and waited patiently, I never speak without his permission, for about two minutes before he spoke up.

"Big Blocker..." he hissed in a low tone. "...speak..."

"Master, my position was compromised..." I trembled, my eyes glued to the floor, unable to keep his gaze.

"...why..." questioned the darkness of my master.

"She saw me about to feed on a mare in the back of the club, Master..." By now I was accompanied by my lackeys, who were bowed down before my master.

"...who was the target..." the voice was calm, much like Vinyl's before she screamed at me...it was frightening...

"Octavia Philharmonica Melody, my Master"

"Hmmm...you have served your purpose, Bigs...Good Job..." What...what is that supposed to mean?

"I have a new assignment for you..." his voice remained as calm as always.

"Anything, master." I responded with no hesitation.

"...Go...keep a close watch on both of them and report back to me in one month...I wish to know more about them..." I turned and quickly made my way for the door, this is the man that I feared the most in the world, he was above the Wrath of the Princesses and Discord...the Princesses will punish, Discord will torture, He will kill...

I sat at the bar with Shakes standing in front of me mixing some type of ungodly drink for the mare beside me, I assumed it was for her, the smell burned my nose even from where It was across the table. Shakes had given me back my Marelot once we sat down, however the mare beside me hadn't ordered the drink in question, It smelled of rat poison and vinegar. I had no clue in Equestria as to why the mare needed a drink of 'this' caliber. Maybe she is just as shaken by the event as I was. Who knows...Maybe I should try some conversation with her...

"...Um, I suppose I should thank you for saving me back there, Miss..."

...
...
...

"Um...Miss...?" I looked over at her to find the mare matted in sweat and panting fairly heavy, even if she just yelled at some bouncer and his lackeys, she seemed to do it with ease from my view point.

"Scratch, her name is Vinyl Scratch." piped Shakes from behind the counter.

"Is Miss Scratch okay?" I asked with genuine concern, this mare had saved me, I didn't want her to suffer for me.

"Yeah, she always gets this way after she sees blood. I have to fix this poison of a drink just to get her out of...well...that." She lifted herself up from the counter and pointed at Vinyl who was slightly shaking and now panting with sweat sliding down her body. I got up from my seat and went over to lay a hoof on her shoulder until Shakes stopped me.

"Don't!" I stopped in my tracks and looked over at Shakes who had a hoof held out.

"Trust me, you don't want to touch her right now." I heeded the warning and sat back down.

"Well...is there anything I can do to help?" I asked. The least I could do was repay Miss Scratch for the service she did for me.

"Yeah, she can't get home on her own when she is like this, so we need to find some way to get her to a place where she can rest." I gladly offered my home for her to rest at, Shakes agreed but said that they need a way to get her to my apartment without touching her. Seeing as how Miss Scratch was the only unicorn here, we were now back to square one.

"Do you know any unicorns that could stop by?" She asked me.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." I never had any close unicorn friends, just earth-ponies really, I never got along with them well, most of them gloated around me with the fact that they had magic and how much better they were with it than me.

"Well, I have a few that might still be up by now. I'll go find them and bring them back here, you stay with Vinyl." I nodded and she headed out to find whoever might be willing to help me and Vinyl get back to my place, leaving me with a sweating and panting Vinyl and an unfinished batch of rat poison.

It was about thirty minutes after Shakes left that Vinyl groaned and fell out of her chair and onto the floor with a painful thump. I looked at her with concern and trotted over to her to help but then remembered what Shakes said about touching her when she was 'like this'. I watched her lay on the floor, now practically heaving in and out with what seemed to be a waterfall of sweat pouring off her. She kept groaning until I couldn't take it anymore, I walked over to her and placed a hoof gently on her torso, this caused her to flinch and then let out a long moan. I backed away quickly, fearing that I had hurt her. but then turned my attention to something else. Her body had been so very warm, hot even, when I felt her.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Shakes and another mare rushing in. Shakes looked at the sight and turned to me.

"What happened?" She asked with a serious tone of voice I hadn't heard from her.

"S-she fell out of the chair." I stammered, quickly pointing at the stool.

"Did you touch her?" She questioned soon after picking the stool back off the floor.

"N-n-no" I sputtered. She gave me a serious glance before turning to the other mare and nodding. The unicorn picked Vinyl off the floor and carried her out the doors, careful not to bump her into anything. Shakes turned to me.

"Go with her, tell her where you live and she will make sure that you and Vinyl get there." She said before turning and adding something else in a whisper like tone I could barely hear.

"Never, touch her when she is like that..." She walked back into the bar area and started rummaging. I decided not to waste time and went outside with the other mare and Miss Scratch. She greeted me with a nod before asking.

"Where do you live?" I told her the address and she told me to stay still before charging up her horn and teleporting us to the outside of my apartment building, I stumbled a bit after the flash. I had never used this method of transportation before, frankly I didn't like it, It made me nauseous. As we started into the lobby she decided to ask me a few questions.

"So, how do you know Vinyl?" the question didn't make me nervous, but my answer did. I'll just be curt with her.

"I met her tonight."

"Oh, so how did you guys meet?" Oh no...maybe I could...

"Well she helped me out...a lot." We entered the elevator and I pressed the button for my floor. 5.

"Oh? Mind if I ask with what?" Man, this mare was persistent, well I guess I should just spill it to her.

"She saved me from a group of stallions that tried...doing things...with me..." I decided to leave out the vampire part and twist the truth just a little, to stop her questioning.

"Oh..." The rest of the trip up passed in a hazy cloud of awkward, it didn't last long, thank Celestia, as the elevators were fairly quick in my apartment. We walked out and over to my door, 57. I stood up on my hind legs and got the key from atop the door frame and unlocked the entrance. My house was big apartment standards, It had three rooms, A living room and kitchen combo, a bedroom, and a bathroom.

"Where do you want her?"

"You can put her in the my room. It's the door at the end of the hallway over there." She followed the hallway and opened the door to put Vinyl in my bed while I prepped the couch for me to sleep in. As I finished prepping the couch she came back in and excused herself from the room, telling me if I need anything to call Shakes. I said my goodbyes and settled into the couch, putting a blanket over my body as I curled into the soft pillow.