//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Immortality and Change 
// by mines5 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 3


She edged closer to her friends, much to the delight of Elderfree. The stallion returned to his position outside of the party to watch what he believed would be a very entertaining event, what happened next he hadn’t expected.
Scootaloo ever so slowly moved towards her friends. Her bloodlust pulling her forward. The only thing preventing her from rushing towards them in a blood thirsty craze was a small tugging sensation at the back of her conscience. At first it was no more than a slight spark in the swirling mass of dark urges but as she neared them it grew. She edged closer and closer the spark now a flame. When she was close enough to pounce on Applebloom the flame of emotion erupted, but too late. As Scootaloo soared through the air she realized what she was doing and horror filled her heart. Just before she was about to impact, instead of biting down, she knocked Applebloom over leaving them both sprawled on the ground.
“What was that for Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked getting back up from the floor.
“Uh,” Scootaloo scrambled for an explanation, “surprise!”
“Ya could’a just said hello ya know...” Apple Bloom deadpanned.
“Hello isn’t, uh, cool enough,” the pegasus was only partially paying attention to her friends. Whenever she looked at them, or any pony for that matter, the hunger started to return, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I, uh- need to go see somepony else right now.”
Staring at the floor in an effort to avoid looking at anypony Scootaloo walked out from the party. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked towards each other and shrugged going back to the party as if there were no interruption at all. 
Exiting the park, Scootaloo turned to glare at Elderfree and ask, “Why?”
“Why what?” Elderfree replied masking his surprise at her resistance.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Scootaloo replied angrily.
“Well it depends on what you want to know,” Elderfree continued, a tone of unhappiness in his voice. Scootaloo was the first pony he had ever changed that hadn't immediately started killing. “But I’m sure you're wondering why when you looked at your friends you felt an insatiable hunger for them, am I right?”
“Yeah, but that still doesn’t answer my question,” the filly replied.
“And I don’t have to,” the stallion laughed, “You will learn so much in the future. I will be leaving now. This town has proved to be surprisingly uneventful.” 
“And you’re just gonna just leave me here, no explanation at all?” Scootaloo demanded.
“Pretty much, yeah,” he said contemplating a moment before adding, “You may want to feed soon if you wish to not cause harm to anypony you love or care for.”
Scootaloo just stood there mulling it over in her head. Elderfree began walking off on his way out of town. She was about to rush after him but the urge to attack her friends was quickly returning. Then another urge filled her heart. A burning sensation to seek revenge on the pony who did this to her. Like the urge to feed on her friends, the urge to kill Elderfree rose up and overwhelmed her mind.
Scootaloo lunged forward, moving faster than she thought possible. Elderfree turned around just a moment too late and was toppled over by Scootaloo. Fangs bared in a snarling predatory gesture as she went for his throat.
“Feisty little thing aren't you,” the stallion stated, throwing Scootaloo off of himself before she could bite.
Getting back up off the ground Scootaloo jumped right back in. Despite her efforts she could not gain the advantage and Elderfree was clearly not giving it his all. She felt a sharp ripping sensation in her leg but continued to fight. Eventually though Elderfree grew weary of fighting and pinned her to the ground. So she pulled out her greatest weapon of all, a cry for help. 
“Aww,” Elderfree laughed, “Is somepony afraid?”
“It’s not me who should be afraid right now, its you,” she said, trying to sound brave.
“I have not felt fear in more than thirty years.”
Just then ponies from the party could be spotted running up to the pair, angry glares pointed at Elderfree.
“What are you doing!” demanded Rainbow Dash.
“It appears my welcome has worn out,” Elderfree hissed before slipping quickly into the woods before the ponies could react.
“And don’t come back!” Rainbow Dash yelled.
With the short battle over, Scootaloo’s fighting high began to ebb, and turn to much more dangerous thoughts.
“You okay Scoots?” Twilight asked before trailing off with an, “Oh my!”
The hunger was quickly starting to rise again but another pain was pressing on her mind, stronger at the time than the need to feed. Scootaloo looked down at her front left leg, or where her leg should have been, and screamed.
“Where’s my leg?” Scootaloo exclaimed. Why hadn't she realised this happening earlier. Maybe the murderous craze she had been in prevented her from noticing.
A few ponies that still had minds that weren’t totally freaked out by what they saw just pointed to her leg which was a few feet away. What surprised them the most was the lack of blood. She just stared a moment before limping over and picking it up and doing what any little kid would do and tried putting it back in place. What happened next confused her and many of the ponies around her. She just managed to stare with a blank, confused look at the reattaching limb.
It was only that few moments it took for her mind to switch from the pain that no longer existed, and from the limb now reattached to its proper spot, to the raging hunger. Her stare pointed now in the direction of the gathering of ponies nearby, the grin she wore was almost as disconcerting as her leg finished doing it’s thing.
“You all look so delicious...” Scootaloo said her mouth starting to salivate.
A few of the ponies just gave her a confused look, others started backing away slowly, and Scootaloo advanced ever so slowly. Her predatory glance jumping from pony to pony looking for one that would sate her hunger.
It was in mere seconds that she leapt into the air, fangs out , landing on Diamond Tiara and sinking them in, beginning the process of draining the life from the pony that she was now feasting upon. 
The taste of the blood running down her throat was better than anything she had experienced before. But as her hunger became sated and the craze in her mind faded away Scootaloo suddenly realised what she was doing. The smile that was on her face moments ago disappeared in the blink of an eye to be replaced by a frown and tears running down her face. The body of her classmate lay motionless and pale in front of her.
“Oh Celestia what am I? What have I done?” She buried her face in her forehooves and started to cry. Giving no heed to the ponies around her.
Many ponies stared horrified by what had just happened, some more so than others, had begun running away in sheer fright, screaming with terror. Tearing through her emotional walls Scootaloo looked up to notice many of ponies running, there were only a few stragglers, most of which were staring in confusion and denial.
“What are you looking at?” Scootaloo exclaimed her anger flaring, quickly fading back to fear and sadness.
Many flinched and backpedaled a little from the outburst, some of those faces turn to scowls of disgust and hatred. Some even picked up pebbles or rocks and chucked them at Scootaloo in an attempt to scare her away. One such rock nailed her right in the forehead knocking her clean off her hooves.
“Get out of Ponyville you monster!” A pony screamed at her. Other ponies followed suit.
Getting back up she hissed, baring her fangs towards everyone, backing away slowly. Ponies began to follow her, their anger boiling over and leading to a mob formation. Seeing this form her fight or flight response told her to fly. Turning around in what could be considered faster than the blink of an eye she shot off toward the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse. She only had to grab a few things and then she could run away from ponyville in earnest, she had a feeling no one would miss her that much.