//------------------------------// // Hope // Story: dark destiny // by treeant //------------------------------// Ertenots and the mysterious pony practiced in secret in a cave far from any ponies. For Ertenots the practice was difficult but fun. First he learned to lift things with telekinesis. "This is easy vamp, just focus on..... that stone and bring it to you" Ertenots looked at the stone and tried to lift it. It didn't move at all. Ertenots focused harder and thought of the stone moving to him. The stone moved a bit closer but didn't lift form the ground. "Your overthinking it, just move it like your moving a hoof to pick it up." Ertenots stooped focusing and took a deep breath. "Up." And the stone wen't up. "To me." And the stone came like a bird to its trainer. "Good, now lets try two stones." And after two came three, and so on until Ertenots could command twenty rocks to forma a spinning spiral in mid air. "Now your ready for moving targets." "Moving?" The pony took Ertenots out side the cave and pointed a hove at a mountain nearby. "I'm going to start an avalanche and your going to try to stop it. But first." The pony looked at Ertenots and tilted it's head. "When was the last time you fed?" "uh... I had a carrot three days ago." "I mean after you became vampire. You couldn't have lasted this long without drinking someones blood" The pony stopped talking and looked down. "I just hope it wasn't a pony. Or at least that it wasn't a good pony." Ertenots looked down and turned away. "It was a fox." "Okay good. You can go unnoticed longer if you don't attack ponies and how long ago was it?" "It was....the night before yesterday." "But you have to feed at least ones a week. At least for the first five hundred years. If you don't you will kill anything you come a cross that has a heart beat." "But..,when I... you know feed.... innocents.... you know.....go belly up." "Then just feed on big predators. Wolfs, bears, manticores. Or you will hurt innocent ponies. Do you want that?" "No but..." "There is no but. Its animals or ponies. If I were you I'd stick to animals. Now go feed. We'll practice more tomorrow night." And with that the pony went back into the cave. "Well than. Time to find some big animal to drink from. But isn't that dangerous?" Few hours later. "Okay next time no manticore." Ertenots thought as he flew to the cave entrance. "If I didn't heal he would have eaten me!" Then he saw the mysterious pony staring at images of two ponies, a insect like pony and a pony with horns. The images were in a line with the insect first then the three ponies. The mysterious pony summoned another image this time of Ertenots. and said. " One down four left." Ertenots flew silently to the cave and sat down inside. " It would appear I either keep an close eye on that one or leave." Ertenots thought for a moment. "Well running a way got me into this, maybe I should stay awhile and learn a few new tricks. Then if the pony tries something funny." Ertenots smashed two rocks together breaking them. "Than maybe I will be able to get some answers about said pony. I mean who is this pony that knows so much about vampires? And who are those four others it wants?" Ertenots yawn and realize he hadn't slept in days. " Do I even have to sleep?" Ertenots laid down on some mosh on the cave floor and half closed his eyes. "Can't hurt to try." instantly he fell a sleep. He was still sleeping when the mysterious pony came back. The pony walked into the cave and saw Ertenots lying on his back his mouth open and his eyes half closed. The ponies eyes wen't wide and it ran over to him and tried to take his pulse. The pony could not find any. "Oh sweet Celestia he's dead..... I've failed....... Wait maybe it's not to late to save him." The pony pulled out a old book from it's cloak and flipped through the pages. " Oh its here somewhere. aha CPR." The pony tried to push Ertenots chest and than checked for heartbeat. Nothing. The pony grabbed his lower jaw and was about to open it when Ertenots woke and sat up. "What are you doing?" The pony stared at him. "I... you ... I thought you had died. You were so still and I couldn't find a pulse and....wait were you pretending to be dead?" The pony looked angry. "No I was sleeping." "Vampires can sleep?" " Apparently." Then Ertenots saw the old book lying open on the floor. " What's CPR?" The pony snatch up the book and put it into it's cloak. "Old magic. Not important." The pony looked Ertenots in the eye. "Okay vampire.... " " Ertenots." "What?" "That's my name and your name is?" The pony thought for a moment, then shrugged its shoulders. "My name's Hope." "So you are female." Hope looked away and said. "Yes. Lets just put what happened behind us. But don't do that again with out telling me. I thought you were dead!" Ertenots raised an eyebrow. "Deader. Lets just get some rest." They both settled on the cave floor. A few moments later Hoped asked. " Ertenots?" " Yes." " Do vampires dream?" " Well... I didn't. But lets see what happens." Then they both drifted to sleep.