//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Rendezvous with a Batpony // by Gulheru //------------------------------// : click : “-are you doing, Twilight?” “Listen, this is a tape I’m recording for myself only, Midnight. I have to learn one more thing tonight.” “Oh?” : chuckle : “Something not to be shared with the public? I wonder...” “Stop with this grin.” “I can’t help it. I am pretty sure I know what you are going to ask about.” “I listened to the first tape very carefully, many times. You weren’t joking at the end. That wasn’t a silly scare. That was genuine hesitation. And that can mean only one thing.” “Yes, noctrali do drink blood.” : silence : : silence : : silence : “You are real vampires then…” “Well, in this aspect, most certainly.” “Do you... do you need it to stay alive?” “No, no, no. It is consumed in a more of a... ritualistic fashion, I guess I could say.” “... you... you have blood rituals...? Now I am glad I didn’t ask about this in the interview...” “No, no, Twilight, it is nothing as grim as you make it sound.” “Not grim?! You are drinking BLOOD!” “We do that, yes. But you might want to allow me to tell all the details before you pass your judgment on us, Twilight Sparkle.” : silence : “... tell me everything.” “Naturally. As long as it remains for your ears only, Twilight. It is something extremely personal, blood-drinking. What should I start with?” “... have you ever drunk blood?” : silence : “No. Not yet, at least, I haven’t... But I shall tell you about myself later...” “... okay...” “Let me begin. All of the adult noctrali, no matter the gender, can experience something we call rubearu desader. That would translate to ‘red desire’ in Equestrian.” “Bloodlust.” “Yes, that is a surprisingly correct word in your language. Although you mostly associate that expression with rage and anger. Noctrali, on the other hoof, have a different base for our thirst.” “I... don’t understand.” “You see, we believe that blood holds everything that makes us who we are. Ver holds memories, dreams, hopes. All that makes us unique and one of a kind.” “... where are you going with this?” “To feel a ‘bloodlust’ towards another noctral is rare and many of us never experience it. I read about it, but even those that studied the topic, cannot pinpoint the cause of this phenomenon. But we all know what such desire means.” “What is it?” “Rubearu desader is the highest form of affection. It is a unity of souls, we believe, when you find that blood matching your own flows in somepony else.” “Wait... so it is love?” “More than that. It is undying loyalty towards another. You sometimes say that you ‘thought you loved somepony’. But when you feel the desire for blood of another... it is never wrong. You never get rid of it. You cannot, it is impossible. Also, you sometimes can love somepony who does not feel anything towards you. But the desader? It is never one sided.” “That... that is incredible. Such a strong bond? How can this be?” “As I said, even we do not know for sure why it happens. We just embrace it.” “You say it’s the greatest affection you can have towards another. Say you love somepony very much, will this... ‘red desire’ appear after a while?” “It often does, yes, but the lack of it is not something that takes away the beauty of love. You are truly blessed by the Immaculate Moon... if you find that you desire the blood of one you care about already.” “So it can happen without love too?” “Not really, since the great urge of being near another noctral and share blood pretty much feels like love. I would put it this way – you can’t have ‘bloodlust’ without love, but you can have love without ‘bloodlust’.” “Ah, I see. So... it really isn’t as bad as I suspected it might be... maybe...” “... ‘maybe’?” “You still didn’t mention anything about the drinking of blood itself.” “Ah, yes. Well, for us, fulfilling the desader is the peak of physical intimacy. It is even more satisfying than the tender moments between lovers. When both ponies sink their teeth into each other’s necks... I read it is like being in Argentee, by the side of the Immaculate Moon... while still living.” “I’ve never read about anything even vaguely resembling this. Such a powerful sensation sounds... impossible.” “Trust me, I am not lying.” “I believe you... I just have hard time imagining such a strong feeling.” “Never-ending thirst. That can be but temporarily sated with the beautiful, crimson torrent of ver filling your mouth...” : silence : “Forgive me, I might have described too much of a vivid picture.” “I-It’s alright. I have a hard stomach...” “No, you don’t. Once more, I am sorry.” “Really! I’m okay! So… you never experienced this ‘bloodlust’.” “No. Not even towards my beloved Dusk Stream.” “Do you feel bad that you never had?” “No, not really. We all would wish to find the rubearu desader and share in blood, but we know only some of us shall. But it is not something that makes us lose sleep at day.” “Then you claim that this ‘desire’ is nothing to be considered bad, or immoral?” “I can’t see it being viewed as ‘evil’, or ‘vile’, or 'twisted'. It is a shared, incredible bond. Still... I would really want you to make sure nopony else but you listens to this tape..." "Of course." "Good. For I told you about the most sacred and intimate bond that we can have in our lives. To say that you know the taste of one’s blood is to reveal a most private connection with another noctral. So... we do not really talk about this topic, even amongst ourselves, aside from sporadically mentioning its existence...” “I see... So... why have you told me all of this, Midnight...?” “First, let me have an answer. To a question I mentioned I shall have at one point during this night.” “... yes?” “Are you considered an Equestrian goddess now?” “Uhm... no, no I am not... Why...?” “Hmmm... No, this is not the cause then...” : silence : “... the cause of what...?” “Me wondering..." : hoofsteps : "... what is the taste of your blood...” : click : --- THE STORY CONTINUES IN Journey with a Batpony