"No! Don't..." Ivy yelped. "Don't go... I'm sorry!"
"No Ivy. I'm sorry. I shouldn't of snapped like that, you were just trying to be friendly." The mare sighed. "I just... Never expected to..." The mare trailed off and sighed. "I don't think you should come back here..."
"But, you're lonely..." Ivy slowly said. "You are out here all alone by yourself... Without anypony to talk to, to play with, to laugh with... To cry with." Ivy gave a hopeful smile towards the mare. "Everypony deserves a friend, no matter what."
"Trust me Ivy, I do not deserve a friend. In fact, ponies should avoid me all together." The mare stated with no emotions. "I am a bad pony."
"I don't think you are! You are just lonely." Ivy replied. "All you need is a big hug and a good friend." Ivy ran up to the unicorn and hugged her. "Now all you need is a friend."
"I..." The mare stuttered, Ivy looked up at the her with puppy dog eyes. "I don't know why I am doing this, but fine. I will be your friend." Ivy cheered happily and the mare sighed. "Well Ivy, since I know your name. You might as well know mine."
"Ohhhh! Lemme guess! Starry Skies? Melody Moonbeam? Star Smile?" Ivy rubbed her temple briefly, the mare waved her hoof in the air.
"Sadly no, none of those are my name. You are more then welcome to keep guessing." The mare chuckled happily.
"Moonbeam Meadow?" Ivy asked hopefully.
"Nope!" The mare announced. "Give up?"
"Yeah... I give up." A defeated Ivy sighed.
"Well, for a moment I thought you were going to guess it." The mare teased. "You were close with a few of them. However, my name is in fact..." The mare paused, causing ivy's interest to peak. "My name is..."
"Oh come on! Tell me already!" Ivy shouted, causing the mare to laugh.
"Okay Ivy, since you must know. I am Gilded Moonbeam." Gilded bowed graciously.
"Oh! A Moonbeam! Your family used to shape the stars!" Ivy giggled happily. "I never thought I would meet one!"
Gilded sighed happily. "Even after all these years, my name still holds meaning."
"My Dad taught me, he says its important to learn history. Least we forget it." Ivy proudly said. "The Moonbeam clan helped shaped the stars before the moon goddess was created."
"Yes, back when Equestria was still growing. My family helped paint the sky with stars." Gilded reminisced. "I miss those days, the days when my life had purpose beyond survival."
"Those days!?" Ivy loudly questioned. "How old are you!?"
"Very old!" Gilded chuckled. "My family was cursed a while ago. Some of my family died... Some turned into ghosts and others... They were turned into vamponies... All of them the various curses of death." Gilded explained.
"Vamponies... A feral one killed my mother when it attacked out town." Ivy sadly said. "I don't know much about non feral ones though."
"Did your Dad tell you the difference between the two?" Gilded inquired. Ivy happily nodded her head, the she shook her head. "Oh?"
"He told me what a feral vampony would look like, how it would act and what it would do. However he never told me anything about the non feral kind." Ivy sighed. "He always said he would..."
"Well I can tell you what I know, from personal studies. Vamponies are ponies that were either cursed or bitten by another vampony." Gilded started. "My family were some of the first to ever be afflicted with the curse."
"Oh... I'm so sorry." Ivy sorrowfully said.
"Don't worry. Now, given that vamponies have the correct substance... They can live forever." Gilded slowly said, Ivy's eyes lit up at the though of living forever. "However their is one big draw back."
"Tell me! I need to know the draw back!" Ivy ordered. Gilded smiled warmly.
"You have to drink fresh blood." Gilded stated. "Vamponies have fangs that can puncture flesh with ease, the fangs are hallow so that they can drink the blood more efficiently." Gilded looked at Ivy, who's face had dropped. "Ivy?"
"You! You're a vampony!" Ivy exclaimed, quickly backing away from Gilded. "Are you going to kill me?"
"No, were're friends. Remember?" Gilded calmly said. "I didn't tell you because... I knew it would either scare you or you wouldn't understand." Gilded opened her arms and offered Ivy a hug. Ivy slowly returned to Gilded and accepted the hug.
"I'm sorry..." Ivy muttered. "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just startled." Ivy slowly backed out of the hug, even though there was feeling behind the hug, Gilded was icy cold. "Is that why you are cold?"
"Yes, technically I am dead." Gilded admitted. "I have spent years drifting through the various forests of the land in order to maintain my mind. If vamponies don't drink enough blood they go feral and will do anything in order to get a drink."
"Have you ever gone feral?" Ivy curiously asked.
"No, once a vampony goes feral it loses its mind permanently. That's why they're so dangerous, they attack without remorse." Gilded slowly explained. "So Ivy, what do you say. Think you can be friends with this old vampony?" Gilded confidently asked.
"Of course!" Ivy happily replied. "I keep telling my Dad that some of the forest dwellers are good. Now I have proof... That I can't tell him about." Ivy sighed and dropped to the floor. "Guess I need to keep looking..."
Gilded chuckled happily and sat down next to Ivy. "You know Ivy, your the best thing to happen to me this millennium."