Ertenots woke up and didn't know where he was. Then he remembered and sat up. Ertenots looked around and found that Hope was gone but had left a note and her mask.
"Dear Ertenots. Went to check something. will be back by nightfall. "
Ertenots looked out the cave entrance. The sun was high up. Ertenots sat down on his mosh and smiled.
"Well nothing to do but wait."
That was when he heard voices.
Ertenots rushed to out the cave and looked around and there hidden from the caves view by trees, was a family of ponies heading for the cave.
"Oh this isn't good."
Ertenots swallowed.
"Okay I have three options. First I can run and hide until dark, but what if they want to camp in the cave? Okay not number one. Second I could wait until there in the cave then come in and eat them, wait what am I thinking? I cant eat innocent ponies, can I? No."
Ertenots shook his head.
"I have to stop arguing with myself. Okay let's just go with number three, I just...."
"Hey there."
Ertenots looked down, the ponies had seen him.
"Hi"
Ertenots hoped Hope would get back soon.
Meanwhile Hope was looking for news in town.
" So far so good. The dragon ponies ancestors are okay. the changeling wont be made until a few years from now. Now I just have to keep the vampire...Ertenots out of trouble until the times right."
Hope stopped and pulled her hood further over her face.
"Did you hear about the Serif family going to explore that cave in the forest?"
Hope froze and listened.
"yeah lets hope they don't run into trouble who knows what dwells in the forest."
Hope turned around and ran towards the forest.
"Should I be more worried about them finding Ertenots or about Ertenots finding them? I hope he fed last night."
"Hello mate. My names Otto Serif, and this is my wife Honey."
"Nice to meet you."
"And our daughter Fate."
Ertenots stepped back and looked the Serifs over Otto and Honey were earth ponies like him but Fate was a unicorn.
" Hi I'm Ertenots and.... what are you doing here?"
"Oh just exploring looking for a good place to settle."
"Trust me, this is far from a good place."
"Really?"
"Yes there are manticores, bears and other dangerous animals in this forest."
"Are there vampire here?"
Fate asked and looked excited.
"Or were ponies?"
"Fate honey I'm sure mister Ertenots hasn't seen anything like that."
"um no, not that I can remember, now I have to be going, t was nice to meet you all."
Ertenots made his way down from the cave and hide in the forest.
"So far so good now lets find Hope and get out of here before I find more...."
"Ertenots!"
Ertenots spun around and saw Hope running to him.
"We have to go. There is a family named Serif...."
"I know I met them."
"And you didn't eat theme right? please tell you feed last night."
Hope looked scared.
"Relax I feed last night and the Serifs are fine. there daughter is a little weird but.... "
"Okay good. Now lets go but first can I have my mask?"
" I don't have it."
"Okay then we will just have to go back to the cave and get it."
"Um the Serifs are in the cave."
Hopes face went white.
"This isn't good."
Ertenots and Hope made there way back to trees near the cave and saw that the Serifs had made camp in it for the night.
"Oh just great lets just hope they didn't find my mask."
"No such luck."
Ertenots said and pointed a hoof to were Fate was studying the ask just outside the cave.
"Oh sweet Celestia what do we do now?"
"We could get you a new mask."
Hope looked at Ertenots like he was insane.
"No we can not leave anything of mine behind when we go."
"Okay..but how?.....I have a plan."
"You do?"
"When I have the mask run."
"What are you..."
Ertenots looked to were Fate was focused on the mask and it flew to him like a scared bird.
"Now run."
And Ertenots and Hope ran leaving a puzzled and shocked Fate behind.
They didn't stop running until the were far from the cave.
"What were you thinking? If she suspects..."
"Suspects what that I did this? Any unicorn can use magic to do something like this and earth ponies can't so there is no way she can ever proof it was me if I ever meet her again."
"Fine just be careful, if any pony finds out your not a normal earth pony than your in trouble."
"Okay I'll be more careful. Now who are you?"
"what?"
"Is there a reason your training me? and why do you have this mask?"
Ertenots looked at her and waited.
"Its complicated."
"Then explain it as clearly as you can."
"Its a long story."
"I have plenty of time."
Hope shock her head and turned away from Ertenots.
"You don't understand."
"Your right."
Hope looked back at Ertenots who was looking at the stars.
"I don't understand any of this. A few days ago I was a normal pony and now I'm a vampire with supernatural power. And you just happened to find me and know how to train a vampire?Your right Hope I don't understand and that is why you have to explain your part in all this."
"I can't."
"Can't or won't?"
"Can't... at least not here but I can show you."
Hope toke out her book and opened it on a bookmarked Page.
"If I show you this there is no turning back."
"Turning back?"
Hope smiled and eyes glowed as she read the page.
"You'll see."
There was a big flash of light and then Hope and Ertenots were gone.
Five hundred years later a similar flash of light happened and Ertenots and Hope stepped out of it.
"Welcome to the future we have much work to do."