Night, night was always so calming, so peaceful, even with the noise of the town all around night was just always calmer somehow. Collecting his thoughts the unicorn stallion continued on through the town of Ponieville, his coat was a deep orange only a few shades above brown, his mane was such a deep black that it blended into the night almost perfectly. His eyes were deep purple, and his cutie mark was a lite turquoise blue phoenix bird.
He stopped and looked at his reflection in a shop window, no matter how many times he saw himself he couldn’t help but think how strange he looked.
“I guess that's the down side if being a vampony, your fur as they say is 'touched by the night'. Lucky for me I've always liked night.” He mused as he looked up and gazed at Luna's moon.
He continued walking, taking in the sights and sounds of the town at night. Ponieville was still small by most standards, even though it had almost dubbed in size since Convergence. A memory came over the unicorn as he remembered that day like it was yesterday, even though it had been fifteen years ago.
--15 years ago--
It was the day myth became reality, story into life, and fear into terror. Vamponies, once the stuff of legends, used in scary story's to keep little foles from wandering off too far, now became very real. No pony knew where they came from, just that they seemed to appear almost everywhere at once. The first towns hit were nearly all converted, this included Ponieville. Ponies screamed and ran in all directions as Vamponies descended on their prey, one such pony was a teenage unicorn with orange fur and yellow mane. He ran as fast as he could trying to make it anywhere that wasn't here, but try as he might no earth pony or unicorn could outrun an air born pegasus.
The pegasus tackled the unicorn crashing into a small pile of empty barrels, looking up the unicorn saw his attacker for the first time face to face, a pegasus mare with dark green fur and ice blue eyes that could even freeze Celestia. The mare cracked a wide grin reveling her fangs, with out a word her plunged into the unicorns neck biting deep. The last thing the unicorn remembered was the cold feeling of life leaving his body, or so he thought.
--Present--
“Hey Night Shade, you gonna stand there all night or something?”
Night Shade came out of his memory, he realized he was now standing in the market center, he was also standing almost muzzle to muzzle with an obnoxious brown earth pony.
“No Lightning Strike, I was just thinking how nice it would be to see you again.” Now buck off.
“Oh I'm sure you were, so you hear the big news?”
Night Shade just looked at him.
“Guess the Blood Wings finally stepped on one too many hoofs, the entire hunter army is heading to Manehattan.”
“Dear Luna, its gonna be an all out war!”
“You's think so, but apparently both Shadow Fang and Moon Wind are throwing there support in, its gonna be a 3 to 1 battle, isn't that sweet!
Night Shade facehoofed.
“How is slaughter of a whole clan and city 'sweet'? Its terrible.”
“Maybe to a-”
Lightning Strike never finished his sentence, as a pony sized turquoise phoenix landed very heavy on his head. A few others around glanced at the bird, but seemed to pay it no mind. Night Shade softly chuckled as his familiar, Star Light, simply hopped off the now flattened Lightning Strike and onto Night's back, shrinking down to the size of a normal phoenix in the process.
“I hate that bird.”
Star Light just stuck its tong out at Lightning.
“Really? Because I love him.” Night retorted as he turned back to nuzzle the bird.
Star Light gave a little coo before disappearing into a vapor of the same lite turquoise color.
Lightning grunted as he got back up, he growled at Night Shade while baring his fangs before walking off.
“Trouble with Lightning again shurgercube?”
Night turned to see Applejack, the earth pony walked up to him with a half grin on her face.
“Its nothing new, its vamponies like him that give the rest of our kind a bad name. Well aside from you know what.”
“Now y'all don't be so hard on him, hes just' angry because what happened back then.”
Both were quiet for a moment, Lightning had been abandoned by his sire just after being converted, it was rare but it happened some times. The bond formed from being converted was strong, to the point it was considered somewhere between parents and lovers. And for some pony to have lost that bond with their sire almost immediately, it was hard to descried, but Lightning knew this feeling everyday of his immortal existence.
“Still, if he wasn't so mean perhaps somepony could get close enough to help, maybe even be his friend.”
Night looked at Applejack, his words striking a cord with her. She remembered when a certain purple unicorn had come to Ponyville, who was also in need of friends.
“So why don't y'all go n' try bein' friends with him?”
“Like you said, hes angry. And after the first time we met, I doubt he wants to be my friend anyway. Better to let him vent his frustration on somepony who can stand him then some helpless filly.”
Applejack just rolled her eyes.
“Just remember, an't no pony gonna fix something for ya', some times ya just gotta' go fix it yer self.”
With that Applejack left the square heading off to tend to some other business at hoof. Night Shade knew she was right, but he wouldn't be able to help, not directly. The first time he and Lightning met he discovered why he took the name 'Lightning Strike', anything (or pony) he bucked hard enough was hit with lightning. Shrugging off the memory of that meeting, and how much it hurt --lightning really packed a punch. He walked up to a stand, and purchased a brown bag from a blood red unicorn.
Night Shade was sitting on a small hill just outside of town, he opened the bag he bought earlier, and levitated out a blood pack. Drawing his fangs he bit down into the plastic holding his meal, he sucked the pack dry in seconds, pulling out another one he glossed over the label.
Blood pack:
Type: B+
Breed: Pegasus
Gender: Mare
He preferred 'O Positive', but as it was a rarer blood type he could only get a hold of it every once in a while. The only thing he was really picky about was the gender, while some thought it silly he didn't like stallion blood. He once described it as the difference between fresh or re-heated hay fries, both are fine and edible, but like fresh hay fries mare's blood was just better. Having finished his third and last pack Night laid down in the soft grass, it was nice just feeling the grass under him, the cool breeze ruffle his mane. Vamponies had heightened senses including touch, to him that made the simple things like laying on the grass all the better.
Twilight was just beginning to peak over the horizon, Night Shade got up and headed back to town, by now most vamponies were getting inside and locking there houses up to keep out the painful sun. Unlike the story’s of old, vamponies don't combust in sunlight, it was more like radiation, while not deadly immediately it would kill a vampony eventually. He came to his small house near the outer edge of the new part of the city, unlocking the door and stepping inside he was greeted with silence. Living alone had its benefits, but differently had more drawbacks. Moving quietly he made his way to the basement, most vamponies preferred underground as the sun could never reach them and kill them in their sleep.
As Night Shade climbed into the large bed, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad as to how empty and silent his home was.
“I should go see them tomorrow night, its been a couple of weeks since I've seen them last.”
With that Night Shade curled up in the soft blanket before drifting off the sleep, he would be up early that evening to catch the train to Canterlot, and see his 'parents'.