I stepped out the door, trying not to wince at the harsh light. I felt the sun-warmed pavement under my hooves and glanced down, remembering Lyra's advice. I had a lot to accomplish today, and getting shod in iron was on the top of my list. Her comment on 'prey' had bothered me, and even a little reassurance would go a long way.
With another glance at the sun, I set off into the city.
I'd spent most of the night restless, despite exhaustion. My emotions, wound tight as the strings of my cello, refused to leave me at peace. I'd tossed and turned, the evening running through my mind again and again, each time highlighting how very little I knew about my situation. I would have loved some music, but didn't want to bother Shimerelle. She already felt I was acting strange. I tried to write a little, but couldn’t keep a tune straight, the notes jumbling whenever I lost focus. When I did get some sleep, it was broken by dark dreams. My alarm had almost been a relief.
Classes had slipped by, mostly ignored. I'd have to worry about my studies soon, but more pressing issues eclipsed that for now.
After a few minutes outside, the sun seemed less threatening. I'd carefully rationed myself a half-mug of… blood at breakfast, tucking the bottle deep into the the fridge and thoroughly cleaning the cup afterwards. I needed a preservation spell or a cooler for my room. Shimerelle respected my privacy, but leaving something so questionable in shared space felt dangerous. I didn't rely on chance if I could help it. Maybe Vinyl could suggest something. I stopped at the first farrier I saw.
Clonk.
I winced, the sound of my new shoes loud on the apartment door. I shifted my feet and waved my foreleg again, trying to adjust to the weight. I liked these iron shoes; there was a solidity to them, a reassuring quality to nearly carrying weapons.
"Hello?" Vinyl opened the door slowly, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Oh! Octavia." She stepped back, covering a yawn and motioning me inside. "Come on in. Sorry about the mess. I was playing clubs all last week - I disc-jockey - and, well. Haven't had time to tidy."
My eyes adjusted swiftly as I entered into the dim room. It was cluttered with paper and bits of electronics, flyers, magazines, and sound equipment sprinkled haphazardly on every flat surface. Some of it looked intriguingly powerful. Vinyl levitated a half-disassembled record player off a chair, motioning me to the empty couch as she made space.
"Have a seat. How can I help you?"
I took a moment to consider as I settled on the sofa, careful of my new shoes. I scrutinized her, but the question seemed entirely guileless.
"I had a few questions. Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Yeah, well." She waved a hoof. "Should've been up anyways. What's on your mind?"
"This. That. Everything." I smiled wryly, letting some exhaustion show. She grinned back sympathetically. "For starters, I'd appreciate a little more information. Details. What are we? What are we up against? How do we deal?"
"Hmmm." Vinyl rubbed her jaw thoughtfully. "Where to start…"
We sat in silence a few moments.
"Alright, vampires. You seem to have accepted that?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Sort of." I bit my lip pensively. "I mean, I've accepted the whole… blood bit, and, well, yesterday was convincing. I don't…" I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "I don't really know. I won't run from reality, and some things are simply impossible to explain with what I thought I knew. I have to accept what I've seen, but honestly? I have no idea what I'm looking at."
"Right, fair enough. Here's the key point, the one lynchpin to the whole thing that every thread tangles around. You? Me?" She pointed to herself. "We're predators."
"Alright."
"That's the most important thing to know. It unifies all the rest. How you changed, what happened yesterday. Have you dosed yourself today?"
"Yes."
"Good. Don't forget. The really insidious part of the disease is how it affects your magic; it’s one step from the mind. You must've noticed your power fading. The infection eats it, uses it… somehow. There are advantages. You'll heal quickly, see very well in the dark, stuff like that. But the cost, well. The reason you kept getting worse? Your body can't make much magic. It needs an external source, now."
"So, the blood…?"
"That’s it. It's full of magic." She shrugged, frowning. "The mental changes, they reflect that. When you starve yourself, you become less and less stable. The less magic you have, the more powerful the urges become. Things can get pretty bad."
"You said it gets worse." I gave her a pointed look. "Personal experience?"
"Eh, hmm." She shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. I hate to… yeah."
I studied her for a moment, curious. I wanted to ask but didn't dare. Just how far had she gone?
"I don't… It's not like I'm an expert on this, really. I can only tell you what I know, and that's maybe not the same for you."
"Why not?" I flicked my ears at her. "If you've been through this—"
"Ah, well…" She trailed off, staring at me uncertainly. "Look, vampirism for those like us isn't exactly a cut-and-dry thing. It's more a spectrum. Like, uh, allergies."
"Allergies?" I wrinkled my nose, perplexed.
"Right. When spring comes around, we don't all get stuffy noses and runny eyes. Some just get the sniffles, some get nothing at all. Real vampires, the ones that kill, are nothing like… us." She waved a hoof vaguely. "They're vicious machines. They don't think, they don't feel, they're bundles of hunger and hate. The disease destroys their magic completely, and their minds go with. There's no cure, not even blood. Putting them down like vicious timberwolves is the best we can do."
"But we're not like that." I paused. "Right?"
"Right." Vinyl nodded, trying for confidence.
"Why?"
"Well, for me… it's because I was never bitten." Vinyl looked into the distance, staring at things only she could see. "The disease is transmitted by bite or blood. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, got some blood splashed in my eyes." She lowered her shades, showing crimson irises. "They used to be blue. It's called an inverted transmission. I'd have gotten a similar effect by biting a vampire." She cracked a grin at that. "Less of a dose. Some of my magic survived, at least at first. How an invert develops is a toss-up, but the disease is weaker. We're less dangerous, and we usually dodge the really nasty parts. I've still got the hunger, but I've never burnt in the sun."
"So it's random. But," I rubbed a hoof along my neck, feeling for the scars, "I was bitten."
"And you're still sane."
I winced, mentally tacking a 'for now' to the end of her cautious reassurance.
"We don't know why. It's possible you are an invert, somehow. That's what I'd like to think, and if anypony asks, that's what I'm telling them." She leaned forward, staring hard. "Listen, Octavia, this one's important. If you're not an invert, you're the strangest sort of accident. We have no idea why you're okay after a bite, but if anypony who knows about vampires hears you've been bitten, there will be trouble."
I thought on that for a moment. The more I learned, the more I wondered why I'd never heard any of this taken seriously before. Still, I committed the warning to memory before continuing.
"You said 'we'?"
"Right, yeah. There are three more who know your secret."
I stifled a frown. If this was as strange as she hinted, I didn't want anypony holding it over me.
"Who?" I leaned forward, curious.
"Silver and Syzygy, the stallions who fought your attacker, and their boss Intaglio, the chair of the Hunter organization. He's a dragon." I thought for a minute, searching my memory of the attack. There had been ponies there, maybe.
"And I can trust them with this?"
"You don't have much choice, do you?" she asked. I frowned ruefully. "Still, Silver's honorable, if odd and a little inflexible. Intaglio can't always make his own decisions, but if he'd acted, we'd be knee-deep in Hunters. Besides, Silver promised to talk to him, and they go back. Syzygy… well, he's got a lot more to gain by being on your good side." She shrugged. "He's the closest thing to a vampire expert, and he's desperate to talk to you."
Now that was interesting. I wondered just how much my time was worth.
"Can we—" I started.
Click. Both of our heads snapped around, conversation forgotten as the door opened and a rust-red pegasus, one stripe of gray in a darker mane and tail, stepped through. He still looked shabby, but not nearly so exhausted.
"Silver." Vinyl raised a hoof in greeting.
"Hey, Vinyl." He nodded back. I suppressed a shiver as he turned to me. Why was I afraid of him? He didn't look threatening.
"Octavia, right?"
I nodded slowly. Uncomfortable silence filled the room. This pony was both unknown, and important. I couldn’t just let him leave. I needed to know if I could trust him with my secrets, and that meant understanding him. Even a little.
Alright. I drew a slow breath. I'll start this off.
"I'm told I should thank you," I said with forced calm. He winced as if struck. I flicked a glance at Vinyl, but her shades hid her eyes. "You saved me, right?" I kept my tone light, wondering at that flinch. I wanted to press… but should I?
"I…" He paused, drew a breath. "…Tried."
"What did Intaglio say?" Vinyl cut in.
"Oh, right." He frowned slightly. "He gave me three days. You're here, you're… okay?" He looked hard at me.
"Sort of." Vinyl answered. "She'll be better." I swallowed annoyance at her interference, but nodded.
"Alright, okay. That's enough for now. Look, Octavia—"
"You did save me, didn't you?" I stood despite my wariness, curious at his reactions, unable to resist prodding him slightly. He stiffened. "You were there." My voice was neutral. His reactions were telling, but how far should I take it?
"I didn't— I couldn't—"
"I should be thanking you." I stepped forwards, and he swayed. "Who knows what could have happened—"
"Stop," he hissed. "Don't do this. Yes, I… helped save your life. I was there, I acted. But count what you've lost. This is just the start, and it's all downhill." His eyes narrowed. "You're an anomaly. An intelligent, explosive, unpredictable, dangerous anomaly. I've already told two Hunters about you, mercenaries whose power genuinely scares me. One craves what you represent so badly he might murder for a hint, the other is so shackled by duty and conscience one false move could force his claw."
"I've met ponies who deal in intrigue." I worked just a touch of arrogance into my voice, sweeping my gaze across his face, ears, wings, hooves, gauging his reactions, backing off slightly. He might be exaggerating, but not half enough to discount his words. Still, something was strange about his attitude. It seemed genuine, but why…
"Intrigue? Heh," he scoffed dryly. "Intaglio won't bother with that; he'll just have somepony watch you, make sure you're harmless. Whatever that takes. Syzygy couldn't care less. He'll prance right up to you and ask. And smile. And ask. This isn't ‘intrigue’, the safe little game nobles play over tea and crumpets; you can't leave it behind or forget it. You'll never be anonymous again. Don't cheapen your thanks on me."
'Safe little game'? I suppressed a snicker. He'd clearly never been involved.
"Being unnoticed is no shield. If they're ignoring me, I'm doing it wrong." I stepped forwards again, fighting through instinct to lean closer, crowding him. "You don't want my thanks. Will you take responsibility then, Silver Lining?" I narrowed my eyes. "Will you watch me, monitor me? Keep things safe?" I curled a lip, showing a slightly feral smile. "Harmless?"
"You don't know what you're asking." He brushed me off, walking back out the door. "Vinyl, I'm going to pay my rent."
I relaxed slightly as he left, trying to understand the reaction, watching his shadow flick across the doorstep.
"He's not really like that." Vinyl rose, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "They're not like that. Not Intaglio, not Ziggy."
"No, I know." I shook my head, trying to jostle everything I'd seen into a meaningful pattern. "Half that was hyperbole. He seems honest, and I want to trust him. But why…"
Vinyl lowered her shades, peering at me. After a moment, I realized I was overthinking things. He hadn't been acting, he hadn't been lying, not really. He wasn't a performer. Some ponies could almost be taken at face value.
"He wanted me to dislike him." I frowned, chewing the thought over. What did that mean? "Maybe even blame him." I stared off into the sky. "Did he even realize? Why would he do that?"
"Search me." Vinyl shook her head slowly. "I've no idea."
"Me neither." I furrowed my brows, perplexed. "But now I'm curious."
"Where are we headed?" I looked at a nearby street-sign. "73rd street? You won't find lunch here." I glanced at the sun. "Or maybe it's supper now?" We’d left Vinyl’s flat soon after Silver, when her stomach started grumbling.
"This place is pretty low-key." She grinned at me. "Anyways, I only answered one of your questions, and you wanted details. I thought I could introduce you to some ponies I know. They like to hang out here. I'll get a bite to eat, introduce you to the scene. It'll be educational."
"The scene?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah. You've only met Lyra and me so far. Surely you don't think we're the only outliers?"
"Hmm." I rolled the word around in my brain. "I guess I didn't really consider it, but… other ponies like us. Outliers. The scene. Just how many vampires are there?"
"Inverts!" Vinyl shot me a glare. "Bloodsucker, if you're joking. Don't call anypony a vampire. Please. Ever."
"Oh."
"And anyways, outliers come in all sorts. Outcasts, mystics, oddballs, ponies who don't quite fit in for some reason. Strangeness tends show up from any direction. Inverts are rarer than most. Just… don't judge. Ah, here we are."
She stopped at an unobtrusive storefront, although it seemed closed. The windows were shuttered, the signs were blank, the door closed tight. She approached anyways. I saw a small bronze plaque, lettered in heavy gothic script, riveted where a knocker might go. It read 'Rogues Gallery'. She tapped once and led me in.
I saw a narrow hallway, lit with lamps despite the daylight outside. A thin minotaur in a suit was playing chess with a lightly-striped zebra; they both looked up as we entered.
"Vinyl." The minotaur nodded. "Been a while. Brought a friend?"
"Hey, Talus." She produced a hooffull of bits, setting them by the board. "Yup. This is Octavia. Can I get her a card?"
"Of course." He swiped a gilt card from a nearby box, slipping an ornate fountain pen from his pocket. "Last name, Octavia?"
"Philharmonica."
He printed carefully and passed the card over. It was simply a stylized symbol, possibly three linked wings, embossed in gold foil beside my name.
"Thanks for coming." He turned back to his game.
"Is this a private restaurant?" I muttered to Vinyl as she led me through the opposite door.
"You've heard of it?" She didn't bother lowering her voice as we stepped into a room with tables separated by low partitions, decorated with dark wood and dappled lamplight, deep colors on the walls. Ponies were scattered across the room, and pleasant conversation filled the air, low enough for privacy. A few customers leaned on a bar in the back. I liked it immediately.
"I've heard of the idea." I'd been in a few, but the feel here was different, more relaxed and friendly. "Something like halfway between a country club and a cafe?" They were usually quite exclusive.
"Yeah, that's about right." She led me confidently through the room, heading for a back corner. "I've invited you, so come whenever you like. If Talus isn't at the door, just show your card."
"Vinyl!" A voice cut in, rising above the susurrus. Lyra was waving at us from the booth. "Good to see you!"
I scanned the group, pulling up a pleasant smile as we chose places at a round table, circled with low couches. Lyra I knew, but there were a few others. It looked like they were playing cards.
"Hey, guys." Vinyl waved to the bar, and a waiter nodded back. "This is Octavia. She's the bloodsucker I had you searching for the other night. I thought you might like to meet her."
"Oh, this is the one?" A slender earth pony with a dark coat and stripe in his light-blue mane gave me an appraising glance. "I’m Verdant Moss, nice to meet you." He yawned hugely and flipped a card on the table.
"Thanks. Sorry if I kept you up." I nodded back. Despite his slight build, there was an air of solidity about him.
"I'm Boxwood." A tan unicorn, with a light-green stripe in her mane and mauve eyes, nodded to me.
"Hello." She had a feeling of wildness, like deep swift water.
"You know me," Lyra said. "And this is Skimmer." She waved to the chalk-blue pegasus stallion beside her, with white tips on his seafoam mane and wings. He seemed almost insubstantial in the lamplight, like he would evaporate.
"Hi." He grinned. "Any friend of Vinyl's is a friend of mine."
"The feeling’s mutual." I smiled back. "What's the game?"
"Hold'em," Verdant answered, shuffling carefully. "Buy-in's five bits." As he spoke, a casually uniformed waiter placed two tall, frosted glasses on the table.
"Today we have garden salad with strawberry vinaigrette, pesto linguine, and caramel shortcake,” he said. “Can I get either of you a plate?"
“Yeah, thanks. Hungry, Octavia?” Vinyl looked to me.
I paused, unsure.
"I paid at the door. You get whatever they're serving, but it's always good."
"Yes, please.” I smiled at the waiter. “That sounds delicious.” He left with a nod. I looked back at the game, considering. I didn’t want to seem an outsider here.
"Deal me in." I shook my purse from my mane, counting out five bits and passing them to Skimmer, who slid me a stack of chips.
"You play much?" Boxwood cut the deck.
"No." I accepted my cards, settling back into the couch. "But I'm a fast learner." Lyra smirked and started the ante.
"So, you all helped search for me?"
"Yeah, well… Vinyl asked." Skimmer shrugged.
"These are friends of mine," Vinyl added. "Octavia's new to the scene, guys. I thought maybe we could answer a few of her questions about what's normal."
"Like the Pict," I murmured, glancing at Lyra.
"Eat first." Verdant yawned again. "It's four in the afternoon, and this town is barely moving. I need a nap." He tossed in his cards. "Nothing in this hoof, anyways." None of the others batted an eyelash as he curled up in his seat, leaning on Boxwood, and closed his eyes. I blinked but pushed bemusement away. This was a different sort of gathering than I was used to, but it was… nice. Comfortable.
"So, Octavia, you're at school with Lyra, right?"
"Yes, actually." I widened my smile slightly, pushing a little vivacity into my voice as the betting came around again.
I kept my grin steady, trying to keep my interactions lively as my new acquaintances told jokes, raised and folded, asked and answered questions. Boxwood worked in printing, and Skimmer did landscaping. They were pleasant and had obviously known each other a long time. Verdant, it seemed, was the next newest member of this small clique, but I didn't learn much more.
The food came quickly, and it was delicious. I finished the round, losing half a bit, and dug in after carefully tucking my scarf out of the way. Wearing it continually was a little annoying, but I was still unsure on the necklace. I had no idea what it was, what to do about it. I bumped that higher up my list of priorities, adding a touch of dye for the white spots on my coat from the bite. I should really ask Vinyl about the necklace, but now didn’t seem a good time. Even if she knew something, the others probably wouldn’t. I was nearly done with my shortcake when Lyra leaned over.
"Octavia, you feeling okay?" she asked quietly, a playful smile on her face.
"Yes." I returned a nonplussed stare. "Why?"
"You're being so… friendly. It's weird."
"I'm trying to make friends," I shot back, sotto voce. "I do that by being friendly."
"But you're not… like this." She waved a hoof.
"Hey, now." I turned up the glare a little. "Says who?"
"Says everypony," she retorted. "Octavia Philharmonica, prim and proper, first cello, training to be the most precise conductor ever?"
"And how many of them actually know me? Look, Lyra, just because I usually enjoy the company of ponies less than my cello, doesn't mean I don't know how to make friends. This isn't an act; I genuinely like these ponies, and I want them to like me back. So I'm smiling, spending a little energy on a good first impression. Is that wrong?"
"No." She gave me a speculative glance. "No, I guess not. It's just… different."
"Everypony has facets. I'd never have expected to see you here." I waved at the restaurant. "On this… scene."
"Fair enough." She stared a moment longer, before leaning back. "Fair enough."
"So, tell me about the thing that attacked me." I raised a hoof. "I got iron shoes."
"Good." She leaned over and poked Verdant. "Hey, Mossy, get up."
"Huh?" The earth pony jolted upright, before slumping and rubbing his eyes. "Is it rush hour already?"
"Getting there." Lyra waved to me. "But Octy here—"
"Please don't call me that."
"—wanted to ask some questions. Thought I'd wake you."
"Hrmph." He poured himself a glass of water, downing half. "Right, I'm up."
"Alright, I’ll start. You guys let me know if I'm missing anything."
"Most of it," Skimmer groused. "We know next to nothing on the fae."
"Fae?" I asked.
"Ah, start with the background." Vinyl stacked the empty plates, shoving them to the table edge. "She's really new."
"The beginning it is, then," Lyra said. "Alright, so… you've been attacked once. It's something like this… All of the ponies here—"
"Except you." Boxwood poked her in the side.
"—except me, are a little different. You know Vinyl. Boxwood?"
"Werepony." She flicked an ear. "Once a month, I get sort of wooden. I feel like putting down roots and howling at the moon."
"I'm part… well, not really sure," Skimmer said. "Something aquatic, but I don't think it's mermare."
"And I'm a sorcerer." Verdant shrugged. My surprise had grown as they spoke one-by-one, but that made me curious. Sometimes, particularly powerful earth ponies had an especially deep connection to the earth. They could be found deep in the forest, living in the wildest places, communing with nature.
"A sorcerer? In a city?"
"Yeah, I don’t understand either." He frowned. "My sister talks to trees, but I just felt this… itch for paving stones and lamplight. There's so much life in this city, more than you'd guess." He yawned again but sat straighter, looking more energetic. "It's almost a part of me, now, the way it changes. Sorry for conking out on you; afternoon is the sleepiest time of day."
"Anyways," Lyra said, retaking control of the conversation, "That's just us. There are lots of outliers in Canterlot. Some are friendly, some… not so much. The one thing they all have is strange, unusual magic.”
"I see…" I paused, thinking over what they'd said and realized something. "No wonder I've never heard of this before, with how most ponies handle the unusual."
"Exactly." Lyra shrugged. "Shun, hide, forget. Most outliers keep to themselves, or if they can, simply bury what they are. Sometimes that works, but… strange magic attracts the wrong sort of attention. And some things are stranger things than us."
"Like the Pict."
"Yes, the Pict… and the other Fae. Also the changelings, vampires, dark mages, secret societies… with likely a half-dozen others we've never seen. On the other side are the Guard, the Hunters, and a few more. Did you know our university has a 'paranormal club'?" She snickered.
"Really?"
"Silly, right? Anyways… The other day, I said you were 'prey'. I didn't mean to be melodramatic, but inverts are a little notorious."
"The Hunters won't trust you," Vinyl interjected. "Not easily. We're too close to vampires. The Guard won't believe you, unless you reach the higher-ups, and even they are more suspicious and afraid than helpful. And that’s the good guys. Criminals would love to use you. The dark mages would do something horrible. Some secret societies might worship you, but I doubt you'd like their attention. Non-inquiline changelings attack on principle, and the fae are awful. The Pict…"
"They want to eat you, most likely." Lyra frowned into her glass. "The fae are a strange group, if they’re a group at all. We don't know much, but they're drawn to strange magic like ants to honey. The Pict disappear ponies."
I swallowed, trying to digest what I was hearing. It made a twisted sort of sense, a strange, hidden side to the city I knew, fragments of darkness and suspicion skittering around the edges of the light. Some hid themselves, hunting and hating the light; some saw the dark and stood against it, but in-between… I was starting to see a pattern emerging, and it worried me. In-between, the little ponies fought to stay alert, watch their backs, and avoid both sides. They didn't fit any group, so they'd started their own to just survive.
Now I was part of that, by no choice of my own.
"This… is going to be tricky, isn't it?" I looked up, sweeping a serious stare over the group. "Thank you. Really. I'm beginning to realize just how out of my depth I am here. Powerful, ignorant, and unprepared; you were right, Lyra. That makes me a prime target, doesn't it?" A bit more worry settled on me.
"Exactly." She sighed. "Vinyl here sort of skipped that step." The DJ winced but shrugged.
"I... lost myself," she admitted sheepishly. "By the time Silver pulled me out, I'd terrified half the town into avoiding me and the other half into marking me. Now I just lay low."
"Can I lay low?"
"You can try." Verdant Moss gave me a sympathetic smile. "Stay with other ponies, stay in the sun, safeguard your habits. Unfortunately, the fae can still find you. Carry iron; they hate that. Block their music if you can. You've survived once; I bet you'll do better next time. The Hunters—"
"We can deal with the Hunters." Vinyl waved that off.
"As you say. The mages might bother you if they catch on. The rest are probably scared of you, so don't let them know you're still getting up to speed."
"And the vampires?" I asked, touching my scarf.
"Who knows?" Skimmer shrugged. "We've never met one. They're erratic and dangerous, as only the truly insane are. They don't show up often, though, and they don't act purposefully."
"You should stick with us when you can." Lyra gave me a pointed stare. "We can help."
"Can you afford to foalsit me, though?" I gave a lopsided smile, and they exchanged uneasy glances. "You've all got jobs, lives, commitments, and you've already done more than I've a right to expect."
"Look, Octavia." Vinyl leaned over, putting a hoof on my withers. "You're right, we can't always be with you, even if you wanted that. But we are here for you. If you need help, ask, and we'll do what we can."
"Thanks." I drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. A little of the oppressive uncertainty, the anxiety and unease that had been clouding my mind ever since this began, drifted away. I wasn't through this yet, and I might never be, but at least I wasn't without recourse. "Thanks. Really. I think that's enough for now." I needed time to work through this. My mind strayed to my cello, and I suddenly wanted to be back in my room, filling the quiet apartment with music.
"Alright." Lyra gave me a grin. "You've got some idea how much you need to learn, at least. Just be careful. In the meantime, you have a few more bits to lose."
"Heh." I grinned as Skimmer picked up the cards. "Well, I've got to learn somehow."
"Good grief." Verdant swung the door shut behind us with a solid click. "And I thought I'd picked up the game fast." Vinyl and I had left with him, the others staying for a late supper.
"I said I'm a quick learner." I jingled my purse, heavier by six bits. It was night; we'd played and chatted for several hours. Streetlamps hid the stars, filling the street with shadows. "It's about observation, really."
"And a good poker face." Vinyl pulled her shades off her forehead, tucking them into her mane. "That flat stare you do. Seriously."
"Discipline is important to me."
She snorted.
"And my father is an actor."
"Ah."
"Well, it's been pleasant, but I need sleep." I stifled a yawn. Meeting new ponies, being friendly, was exhausting. I'd enjoyed it more than I expected, but I was still tired.
Verdant and Vinyl exchanged glances.
"We'll walk you home," he said.
"…If you like." I squelched a shred of annoyance, remembering what I’d learned. Though it grated, rebuffing the offer would be foolish.
We fell silent as we walked, my new shoes loud on the pavement. We passed a few ponies. Even in the middle of the week, the city didn't sleep.
For a while, I enjoyed the pleasant quiet, a simple companionship. I'd been forced to rely on Vinyl, gently urged into meeting Verdant Moss, Skimmer and Boxwood, but over the course of the evening, I'd started to really like them. They had a ready acceptance, a willingness to include me that I'd rarely felt at the high-class fete's and social events my job required. Shimerelle was great in her own way, but we didn’t really connect. Our interests were too different, and her friends were like her.
"Hold up." We paused as Vinyl stopped, raising her nose and sniffing the air. "You two smell that?"
"Not me." Verdant shook his head. “Octavia?” I sniffed a few times.
"No, I— Eugh!" I caught a hint of something cloying and fetid, like honeyed rot. "What is that?"
"Not sure." Vinyl glanced around. "But it's bad. Ten to one, it's after us."
"There are ponies following us," Verdant said quietly. "Or me, at least. They’ve been watching me all day. Didn't think it was a problem, but..."
"Worse and worse." Vinyl glanced at him. "If that’s their smell…"
"Don't think so." He shook his head. "They're probably normal, likely Cracked Ruby’s goons. She glimpsed what I can do, and won't leave me alone. Thinks I'd be perfect for knocking over a rich noble's house."
"Criminals?" I asked.
"Yeah, well. It wouldn’t be hard, but I don’t do that." He shrugged. "Point is, if that nasty's after us, and they're near—"
"They'll likely get involved." Vinyl frowned. "Can't have that, even if they are criminals. Can't attack them either, though. Too much noise."
"Right, with that at our backs..." I realized what she meant. We'd been scissored, without even realizing. "Can we run or split up?"
"Risky," Vinyl said. "We don’t even know what’s happening."
"We'd better deal with our tails first, get them out of here." Verdant glanced behind us. "Whatever you've smelled, I can't feel it moving. The others are walking a few streets back."
"How, though…" Vinyl rubbed her head.
"We could talk to them," I suggested. My companions frowned at me. "No, I'm serious. I didn’t mean nicely."
"I don't like threatening ponies," Verdant said. “It only makes them angry.”
"Well…" I thought for a minute. "Maybe… Maybe I have an idea. They have some knowledge about outliers, right?"
"They should." He narrowed his eyes. "What are you thinking?"
"I won't hurt them!" As I spoke, I thought back on what I'd done yesterday, how I'd felt last night, and a plan crystallized. "Just... scare them. Quietly."
"Heh." Vinyl smirked. "That could work. Let's move; show the way, Mossy." Verdant nodded and turned.
The streets were empty, here. We easily slipped into the shadows, stealthily retracing our steps. Verdant soon motioned for us to stop, pointing at a corner. I cautiously peeked out. Ahead, a pegasus and a unicorn were standing with ears cocked, listening. I pulled back and drew a deep breath, thinking back to what I'd been doing, how I'd been moving yesterday, when the night had seemed so clear and I could simply feel where ponies looked. Slowly, my vision sharpened, edges and details springing into focus, colors shifting and dancing before firming up.
"Careful." Vinyl put a hoof on my withers, and I nearly jumped. "This can be done. I'll show you more, later. You're a fast learner, but… careful."
I nodded, remembering. This is how it had started. It had been so easy… I waited a second more, drawing deep, deliberate breaths, summoning all the discipline I'd practiced, day in and day out, binding myself with chains of habit. This wasn't me. I was performing. I would wear this persona for a time. I would do what I intended, no more, and when I was done, I'd be myself. Nodding again, I peeked around the corner. The ponies were still, but I read apprehension in the lines of their faces, the set of their ears. They hadn't heard us move; we’d been quiet enough. I could nearly feel their gazes, my fur prickling as I scanned the area.
He was staring there, she was watching that, if I slid through like so…
I skirted the edge of their attention, but didn't quite stay out of sight. The near one's eyes flicked towards me, catching the flip of my tail as I stepped into a doorway. A suggestion of movement.
"Hist!" She poked her companion, pointing. The streetlight would blind them just enough. I watched their eyes, my enhanced sight crisp in the night. They might see just an outline, a shadow… there. I stepped backwards, vanishing into the deeper black. When they moved towards me, putting the lamp-post between us, I leaped stealthily away.
It was child's play to lurk behind them. I waited, watching their stances, the tension growing in their steps. They would realize nothing was there, right about… now. I scooped up a pebble, silently flicking it down the street to tinkle off a windowpane. They jerked at the noise, juddering with surprise even as they realized the doorway was empty. They stiffened slightly.
Performance, acting, music; it was about emotion. I'd been studying emotion, how to build and use a mood, as soon as I'd started playing make-believe with my brother. My father had given us tips. Watch the ears. Take it slow. Less is more, but know what you're aiming for.
A few steps; another half-glimpse. They would fall into my narrative. If they remembered they'd been tailing us, it didn't show. I was telling them a story, built on flashes of movement and color.
Something's here. I scraped a hoof on the pavement, gone when they looked.
You're surrounded. I drew a sharp breath, melting away.
I'm hunting you. I let an eye gleam in the shadows, vanishing as they approached.
They followed me, with eyes and ears and cautious steps, but I never let them see, never let up on the idea of the horrid unknown, the stalking darkness. Slowly, they moved from tense to anxious, from anxious to worried, and finally, I started to see signs of panic.
"Come out!" The unicorn finally broke the silence, strain cracking his voice. "Who is it? Come out!"
I carefully lured them to the edge of an alley, not letting the mood break. I slipped in behind, ghosting carefully across the pavement in my heavy shoes, and leaned in close. They never realized I was there, even as I drew a silent breath. The light was behind me, but my shadow didn't pass them. I pitched my voice low, drawing in every ounce of training.
"I'm Batmane," I intoned, my breath touching the sensitive hair on their ears.
They shied and spun. I pulled back, scarf flapping dramatically. They caught my silhouette and froze.
I dropped flat, blinding them with light, and lurched into the alley. I flattened myself against the wall. Vanished. Invisible.
Two gasps rang out as their panic broke. two sets of hooves clattered into the darkness. They didn't scream. Quite.
I let a smile spread across my face as quiet chuckles rolled down the alley. Verdant and Vinyl stepped out, grinning widely.
"That," Vinyl said, "was hilarious. Not at all what I expected, but hilarious."
"Thanks." I drew a deep breath, focused on my core and blew away the act, letting the character I'd assumed shred and dissipate. I was myself again. The color faded from the world, edges fuzzed, and the strange pressure of gazes evaporated. "Now— Phaw!" I wrinkled my nose, tensing again as the smell returned twice as strong. "It's back!"
There was a clink in the alley. For a second, the tension I'd created, the narrative I'd enforced, whiplashed and wrapped me, the hunter again in the dark. Terror of the unknown crushed my breath.
"And it's near," Vinyl spat. "Ready, Moss?" Her voice changed as she spoke, coat thickening and muscles warping. Her teeth gleamed and her eyes slit.
"For anything." I felt a surge of earth current, a torrent of the warm living magic I knew so well, pour into him. It swelled and grew, eclipsing any draw I'd been near. He was strong. The same tingle of apprehension Silver gave rolled off both of them.
Violence came in a flash. It was almost a relief. A dark shape blurred past Vinyl, sidestepped Verdant, and leaped straight at me. My senses screamed danger, and I sprang backwards, fighting panic, but I was no longer the hunter. I tried not to shriek, scrabbling for footing as teeth slashed me, lines of pain burning my leg.
Vinyl dashed after, a heavy blow tossing the creature aside. It spun in midair, planting hooves on the wall, and dove at me. I shied and spun but its teeth gashed my neck, ripping my scarf.
Shadows flickered as Vinyl hammered it again. I heard a sickening crack. The scars on my neck stung, and specks were dancing in my eyes. I tried to run but a blow caught me, sending me tumbling. For a second, it stood over me and I saw it clearly, a twisted pony-shape, blood dripping from fanged jaws. Gleaming eyes pinned me. I could feel my mouth ache, teeth stretching as a terror turned to desperation. I needed to act, but I had no response to this. Indecision froze me. One wrong move could be my last.
Shink!
I flinched as earth current jolted through the pavement, a spike impaling the monster.
Shic! Zing!
More power; more steel. I gasped as it struggled frantically, trying to escape as needles lanced it, driving upwards from the sidewalk, curling and bending. They seemed almost alive as they threaded the thing's body, stitching into a deadly mesh of teeth. I stared blankly, still gripped by shock. It stilled in moments, hanging limply in the deadly trap.
"Aaaaah!" I whimpered as pain rushed in, adrenaline-dulled, but grievous.
"Shh." Vinyl dropped to the ground beside me, putting a hoof on me. "You'll be okay."
"It bit me and hit me and, and…" I lay still, fighting for control of my breathing, trying not to cry.
"You'll be okay." I felt a hoof caress my mane. "Look, you’re already healing."
Slowly, the pain faded and my panic dissipated. I hesitantly looked, marveling as my wounds visibly lessened. I mastered my emotions, breathing them into the cool night air as maiming cuts sealed shut without even a scar.
Suddenly, I was hungry.
"H-How did you do that?" I turned Verdant, who had one hoof squarely planted on the pavement before him.
"There's steel in the concrete here. I'm a sorcerer; I grow things." He relaxed, and some of the danger around him evaporated.
"Oh." I drew a shaky breath.
"You'll be fine." Vinyl lifted me to my feet. "It's hard, the first few times. Never been in a fight?"
"Not… not like that." I ironed the shakes out of my knees, firming my voice. "I've always, always talked to ponies." My position here had been worrying before, but now the menace I’d felt was beginning to weigh very heavily. I’d known I was threatened. Now I felt it.
"You can't reason with these." Verdant was standing before the corpse. "This, unless I miss my guess, is a vampire."
"Damn," Vinyl swore softly. “No wonder I didn’t recognize it; I’ve never smelt a nightwalker.” She glanced at me, her eyes flicking to the pendant bare on my neck. It glittered softly in the lamplight. "I think it was targeting you, Octavia. And idea why?"
"I know less than you." I carefully drew the remains of my scarf closer.
She stepped in, peering at my eyes. I stared back as her own slit pupils widened, returning to their normal shape.
"You need a dose." She looked back to the corpse. "And we need to deal with this." She drew a deep breath as the rest of her transformation faded. "Sorry, Octy, you're not getting home just yet. We need to visit Syzygy."
"Please don't call me that." I sighed, looking up at the moon.
My cello would have to wait.