//------------------------------// // Beguilement // Story: Sunset Slayer // by Pen Stroke //------------------------------// Sunset Slayer By Pen Stroke Pre-read & Edited by Illustrious Q, El Oso, Kevinltk, Grand_Moff_Pony, & Winston Chapter 5 Beguilement ========== “I can still hear them. They’re arguing about poofy sleeves,” Fluttershy said, her head swiveling constantly as the trio made their way through the halls. Sunset held the flashlight she had procured from Twilight’s bag, letting its more powerful beam light their way, while her phone stayed in her pocket. They had been moving at a cautious but brisk pace. The group paused at intersections to peak around the corners, and on straight sections of hallway, they would move as fast as they could while keeping their footfalls and movements quiet. Fluttershy was acting as their long-range alert system, to let them know if anything was moving towards them, or if Rarity and Applejack finished arguing and started to move. “So, why the wrestling gym?” Sunset asked in a whisper as the group drew closer to their destination. “And what exactly is a wrestling gym?” “While Crystal Prep’s regular gymnasium is housed in a secondary building on the grounds, the wrestling gym is inside the main school building.” Twilight shifted the backpack she was wearing, adjusting how the weight rested on her shoulders. “It’s a square shape, rather than a rectangle, and it’s where students practice fencing, judo, wrestling, and other combat sports. The wrestling gym has a door that leads outside. Normally, it's the fastest way to get to the regular gym, but right now, it may be the only exit that isn't guarded.” Twilight motioned towards the door and reached to grab the door handle. “This is it.” “What’s that on the door?” Sunset asked, raising her flashlight to better illuminate a white sign that had been hung on the door’s exterior. Sunset began to read it aloud. “Attention students: this gymnasium is being closed for the remainder of the school year for repairs and renovations. All athletic clubs that make use of this space are being moved outside. Contact your coaches for more information.” Fluttershy raised a hand and pointed to the bottom-right corner of the sign. “Look, it’s been signed by Principal Cinch.” Twilight adjusted her glasses as her eyes glanced over the sign. “But this doesn’t make any sense. Principal Cinch would never just close a gym during the school year, not if she could avoid it. I mean, I could understand the gym being closed for a few days if something happened that required repair, but she would never close it for a whole semester.” Twilight stared at the sign a few more seconds, then looked back at Fluttershy. “Do you detect anything inside?” Fluttershy’s ears swiveled and she took a few steps forward, until her hands gently rested on the door. She sniffed around the door seam and pressed her head against the wood. “I hear fans, computer fans, and a low hum. It kind of sounds like a barber shop quartet, but mechanical. I smell some stale food and…” Fluttershy sniffed at the door seam again, then quickly looked back at Sunset and Twilight. “I smell Spike.” That was all the motivation the girls needed. Twilight turned the door handle and pulled on the door, letting Fluttershy and Sunset move inside before following behind. Normally, Twilight would have ensured the door shut slowly and quietly. That precaution, however, was washed away by what the trio found inside the gym. Sunset couldn’t speak for the others, but she was shocked and amazed at what she saw, and didn’t even think about the door until it swung shut rather loudly behind them. All three of them winced at the sound, and quickly turned their attention back to the gym, hoping they hadn’t alerted someone that was already inside. When they heard nothing moving or reacting to the sound of the door, they let their guard down a little and resumed being somewhat awestruck by what they had found. Scientific equipment had been stacked and circled around the center of the gym. It was all brand new, top of the line, and Sunset was surprised Twilight wasn’t already drooling with envy. There was a rack of blade servers, whose lights flashed as they went about some unknown computational task. There were refrigeration units filled with dozens of test tubes containing liquids of different colors and opaqueness. There were tables and cabinets dedicated to just holding all the different kinds of measuring equipment, and three different chalkboards held numerous complicated formulas and calculations. The final piece to the ring of science was one desk that was cluttered with a computer monitor, keyboard, mouse, and numerous pieces of paper. At the center of it all was a pair of large, metal towers to which blocky chunks of crescent-shaped metal had been mounted. These towers bordered a single, sparkling glimmer of light with a magical aura that floated just above the floor. Even though it was no larger than a golf ball, Sunset couldn’t help but feel her heart sink into her stomach at the sight of it. It was a portal to Equestria, and it was perhaps the largest they had ever seen since the events of the Friendship Games. “I suppose this explains why Principal Cinch closed the gym,” Twilight said as she looked over the chalkboards. “The portal must have appeared here at Crystal Prep, and she seized the opportunity to study the magic of Equestria for herself. Or, at least, she called the people that could study and understand the magic for her. Even for Crystal Prep, some of this equipment looks expensive.” “Do you think Dean Cadance knows about this?” Sunset asked as she moved up to the refrigeration unit, looking at some of the labels on the test tubes. “No. After what nearly happened to me, something like this would have been on a need-to-know basis.” Twilight put her hands to the chalkboard, trying to find and trace some flow of logic amongst the formulas. “Principal Cinch must be keeping this a secret. It wouldn't be too hard, since Dean Cadance spends most of her time giving tours, helping seniors with college admissions, and recruiting new students to the school. Sometimes, she’s away from the school for weeks at a time. That, and… Dean Cadance may be a bit distracted.” “Distracted by what?” Fluttershy asked as she kept sniffing around the different equipment. “She’s… started dating my brother.” “Well, while that’s nice for her and your brother, but it doesn’t exactly help us with our current situation.” Sunset moved from the refrigeration unit to the desk and rifled through some of the papers. They seemed mostly to be requisition orders for even more equipment or notes about power consumption. Everything that had been left out was very pedestrian, and the computer itself was locked. Whoever worked at the desk was good at keeping any real evidence of his or her actions out of plain sight. “Fluttershy, you said you smelled Spike. Where is he?” “He was here recently, and something happened.” Fluttershy was sniffing around near the portal. “Right around here, his smell changes, but I can’t be sure why. It’s just… different, and I don’t think he went through the portal either.” Fluttershy drew closer to the tiny hole in reality, peeking through it to the other side. “Oh, look, what a cute dog. He has three heads.” Sunset dropped the paper she had been looking at, turned, and leapt over the wires feeding the towers in the center of the room as she rushed to the portal. “Let me see,” Sunset said as she gently nudged Fluttershy out of the way and bent her head down so her eyes was level with the portal. “This is no good.” “He does look pretty mean, but I’m sure the dog is a softy at heart… or would that be at his three hearts?” Fluttershy brought a hand to her chin to puzzle that thought. “That’s no random dog. That’s Cerberus,” Sunset said as she continued to look through the hole. She titled her body and head to different angles, trying to see as much as she could. “Do you mean the three-headed dog Cerberus from Greek mythology, the one that guards the gates of the underworld for Hades?” Twilight asked, joining her two friends beside the portal. “But he’s just a myth.” “Pegasi and unicorns are just as mythological in this world, but we know exactly where to find thousands of them.” Sunset stood back up straight. “Maybe there have been other times when portals opened up between this world and Equestria, allowing them to intermingle, but that’s a mystery for another day. What I’m more concerned about is where the portal opened. It’s inside Tartarus, inside one of the prison cells.” “That sounds bad,” Fluttershy said. Sunset nodded her head. “Tartarus is Equestria’s version of a maximum-security federal prison. It’s where the worst of the worst are locked up so they can’t hurt Equestria or the rest of the world. The kind of magical villains that you’d read about in fantasy novels would cower like scared puppies compared to some of the things in there. You remember when Princess Twilight told us about Tirek? He was locked up in Tartarus.” Fluttershy’s webbed wings wrapped around her shoulders, and she crossed her arms to touch them, hugging herself. “But the portal’s so small. Do you really think something could have come through?” “Not unless they’ve figured out how to widen the hole,” Twilight gestured to the metal towers flanking the portal, “and judging by these devices, that’s exactly what they’re trying to do.” She stepped away for a moment, going to one of the cabinets on the perimeter of the lab space. She opened it up and took something from inside before returning to her friends. “The squares on these two towers look like powerful, focused electromagnets to me, and these hooks I saw earlier are made of a metal that reacts strongly to magnetism.” Twilight held up the thing she had procured from the cabinet. It was a solid cylinder of metal that had been bent into a hook shape. “It’s a crude design, but if they put these hooks around the radius of the portal and turned on the magnets, it might be enough to stretch the hole wider. I could be wrong, but I doubt Principal Cinch would have called people here to close the portal or just to study it. Not after she saw what magic can do.” Sunset growled and ponied up, her aura broiling with her anger. “That idiot. I bet she thinks she can control the magic and not get overwhelmed by it. That or Cinch thinks if whoever she brought here can figure out magic’s secrets, she can use it to improve the reputation of her precious prep school. Well, I am not going to let her toy with this portal any more.” Sunset reached out with her magic, and closed her fist around the portal. Small beams of light began to shine out from between her fingers, but she kept her hand closed tight. It took several seconds, but when Sunset finally opened her hand again the portal was gone. She then dropped to a knee, the expenditure of magic leaving her feeling lightheaded. Twilight and Fluttershy moved up beside her, Fluttershy touching her shoulder, but she waved them off. “I’m okay.” “You should really start conserving your magic,” Twilight said as Sunset climbed back to her feet. “If you run out, that puts us at a large disadvantage.” “I know, I’ll try to let Fluttershy handle things from here on out.” Sunset glanced over at Fluttershy as she spoke, but Fluttershy wasn’t listening. Her head and ears were turned towards the rest of the school. “What is it?” Sunset couldn’t help but ask. “Rarity and Applejack are on the move. I can hear Applejack’s boots, and… something else. Something clicking against the floor, but it’s not Rarity's heels. It’s getting louder.” Fluttershy took a step closer to the door that led back into the rest of the school. “They’re going downstairs and… they’re heading straight for us.” Sunset clenched her fist and began jogging towards the far side of the room. “They, or their master, must have sensed that we closed the portal. We need to get outside, now.” Fluttershy and Twilight nodded, running to catch up with Sunset as she moved towards the exit door, a bright, green sign glowing above the frame. Her hands found the press bar, and she shoved it and the door forward. The trio of them burst outside, but quickly slid to a stop. Sunset lifted an arm to cover Twilight, while Fluttershy let out an uncharacteristically aggressive hiss, like a cornered cat. “Now where, darlings, do you think you’re going?” Rarity hovered just above the ground outside the school, and behind her were easily a few hundred magic daggers. Each was pointed at the trio of girls and looked to be inching closer, as if eager to stab and cut. Rarity herself was frowning and gently shaking her head. “You know, you really shouldn’t have done that. You’ve made Master angry, and he’s just so unpleasant when he’s angry. I’m afraid, this time, I’m going to have to insist you come with us.” Sunset’s magical aura flared as she prepared to fight with Rarity, but the trio heard doors on the far side of the wrestling gym open. They glanced back, and saw two figures coming in through the door. One was Applejack. Her eyes were now glowing red, and her ears were distinctly bat-like. Her outfit was different. She was still wearing her jeans and belt buckle from before, but her top had been replaced with a sleeveless, white, button-down shirt, a maroon vest, and a black tie. It was decidedly less revealing than Rarity’s outfit, and it made her seem that much more intimidating. The creature standing next to her, however, made Twilight and Fluttershy gasp. It was a lumbering thing, a mountain of muscles with claws that glinted as it and Applejack drew closer. It walked slightly hunched over, as if it could start running on all fours at any moment. The head bore a long snout, filled with sharp, carnivorous teeth, and the creature’s body was covered in purple fur with a green underbelly. It was Spike. “What did you do to him?” Sunset snapped as she turned her head to glare at Rarity. “Well, when Master found out that our Twilight didn’t have any magic, he was rather disappointed.” Rarity floated to the ground, landing gingerly on the grass while her knives moved in closer. “He expended all that effort to chase her down, and only succeeded in putting a few tiny holes in her back. But then he noticed our little Spikey Wikey, a magical talking dog. I didn’t get to see my Master close the deal after Spike ran to get Twilight help, but neither he nor I can complain about the results. He makes for a very strapping werewolf.” “Don’t even think about fighting, Sunset,” Applejack said as she and Spike caught up with the group. “It’s basically three versus one, and you’ve been using a lot of magic tonight. Better to come along quietly.” “Like Tartarus I will!” Sunset shouted. Her aura flared, and she lunged at Applejack. Her magically-enhanced punch, however, was abruptly cut off. With amazing speed, Spike caught Sunset in the air by her neck, his claws tightening around her throat. Sunset kicked and flailed. She tried to pull his fingers away from her throat, but they were like a vice. She couldn’t get them loose, and her lungs started to burn from a lack of oxygen. “I promise, Sunset, everything will much better soon. The master just needs to give you a little nip,” Rarity said as she ensured Fluttershy and Twilight didn’t attempt to do anything heroic. “You’ll simply love your new outfit once the master makes you one of us.” The world began to fall away. Sunset’s vision blurred, and her hearing became distorted. She tried to struggle with renewed effort. Passing out would surely mean she’d fall under the Master’s curse, just like her friends. She had to stop it, but with each passing second, she felt herself getting weaker, and her mind became further muddled. Her legs stopped kicking, and her hands fell to her side. She looked to her friends one final time, formed the words of an apology with her lips, and then everything went black.  ~~~ The Library was dark. The Library was never dark. Why was The Library dark? Sunset sat up in her bed, her mind struggling to grasp how she had arrived there or what she had been doing before. All she knew was The Library was pitch black, something she had never seen before. Twilight’s computers had always been set up in the corner. The setup had grown and expanded over time, and there had always been something glowing all through the night, even in the beginning. All those lights were gone. Sunset sat there, looking around, and was unable to tell when she blinked or which way she was facing. Her hands groped at the darkness, trying to get her bearings. She eventually found a piece of her bed frame, and her hands quickly moved to built-in drawers. She searched for her phone where she usually left it each night to charge. She felt the cable, but the phone itself was absent. She continued rummaging through the drawers for a flashlight, knowing she had tucked one beneath her clothes, yet it was gone as well. Was this a prank by Rainbow Dash, payback for all the mornings of flicked water? Having no other options, Sunset opened the drawer with her prep-kit. She had to fumble around through her clothes for a few moments, but she found the kit and, from it, removed her gemstone studs. They were tiny, little things, but Equestria had been using them for a few centuries as medical tools. The gemstones, which could be mounted in earrings, necklaces, or other jewelry, tried to ensure the magic in a creature flowed freely. Some creatures only needed them for a short time while they recovered from an injury. Others wore them all the time, to overcome deficiencies in their natural ability to access and use their internal magic. She and her friends were just lucky that the gemstones' properties worked just as well in the human world. Sunset put in the studs, ponied up, and focused her magical aura into a sphere around her hand. It was not as effective as a flashlight or her cell phone, but Sunset was able to make out shapes in the darkness. She could see the three other beds near hers, all empty. No one had stayed at The Library with her that night, and it had to be night. It was too dark to be anything but night. After finding her slippers and putting her feet in them, Sunset began to shuffle around the room. She went first to the kitchen, trying to find the emergency flashlight they kept in one of the drawers there. It was gone as well. She went to try and turn on Twilight’s computers, to use the monitors to light the room, but the hardware wouldn’t turn on. It was like a power outage, but that wouldn't explain why the flashlights they kept for that exact situation were missing as well. There was a click and a spark, and Sunset turned away from the computers to look at The Library’s coffee table. The room now had a light of its own, and it was coming from an old lantern that was now sitting on the table. Sunset let her own magic disappear as she approached the lantern. It looked Equestrian in design. The handle and little control knob were made of soft wood, to be gentle on teeth. There was also a button. When Sunset pressed it, it caused a small gemstone inside the lantern to spark, to ignite the oil-fueled wick magically. The smell also reminded her of Equestria. The lantern seemed to be filled with Saddle Arabian lamp oil, which burned with a slight, calming fragrance. No oil in the human world burned as cleanly or pleasantly. Sunset caught herself staring into the fire of the lantern, a peculiarly red flame. There were, of course, ways to tint the color of fire in Equestria. It was a level of rudimentary magic that was taught once a pony was old enough to be playing with fire without burning a house down. Sunset, however, couldn’t stop herself from staring at the fire, nor could she deny the tightness in her chest. Though it was safely contained within glass, Sunset felt like she actually feared the little, red flame. Another glow began to illuminate the library, and Sunset turned her eyes to its source. Light was slipping through the seam in the door that led outside. It was pulsing and moving, like someone was standing on the far side of the door with a powerful flashlight. “Girls, is that you?” Sunset called out. She stepped away from the lantern, moved to the door, and grabbed the handle. The metal was unusually warm, but not enough to stop Sunset from opening the door. There was fire and smoke. Sunset nearly choked as warm, polluted air assaulted her lungs. She brought the sleeve of her pajamas to her mouth. Breathing through the fabric, she ascended the half dozen steps that connected The Library to the back lawn of Canterlot High. With each step, more of the school and the surrounding area was revealed. With each step, more of the decimation came into view. With each step, Sunset saw more and more of the fire. The city was burning. The distant skyscrapers, the nearby homes, and everything in between was alight, engulfed by towering flames that reached to the sky, as if trying to burn away the stars in the heavens. Canterlot High appeared to be the only place spared, but the fire was drawing closer. It would burn the school, and Sunset Shimmer, just as it was consuming everything else. Glass shattered, and instinctively, Sunset tried to protect herself. She dove forward as shards landed on the ground around her, though she didn’t feel a single piece strike her back. Then came the wind. It was loud and strong, howling into the night, as if in defiance of the fires. Daring to look back, Sunset saw that the wind was pouring from every blown out window of the school. It was like Canterlot High was trying to push the fire back, like it was trying to save itself. The surrounding fires were deterred, but only briefly. The advance of the inferno resumed, the flames beginning to reach the school’s lawn. Cars in the parking lot exploded as their gas tanks ruptured. Metal equipment near the playing fields melted into the ground. The fire was burning so hot that nothing hoped to stand in its way. As long as there was fuel, the fire would draw ever closer to the school. Sunset heard the clink of metal again and looked down at the door to The Library. The lantern was there, having moved under its own power. She felt like the fire within was looking at her, and she remembered something she had learned from Applejack, something her friend had to do when a fire started on their property. Firing out was a technique used by firefighters to combat uncontrolled blazes. They would burn the fuel ahead of a wildfire, denying it that fuel and creating a natural barrier. With all the wind coming out of the school, Sunset could use the fire in the lantern to burn a ring around the school. And it was getting close. Sunset could feel the heat on her skin and through her pajamas. Despite the looming danger, Sunset found herself hesitating. She climbed down the steps and picked up the lantern, but stopped there to stare at the red flame within. She was still scared of it. Did she really want to let it out? She knew what it could do. She could picture it, burning up everything she cared about, just like the wildfire that was consuming the city. For all she knew, she’d be trading one fire for another, but it was also her only hope. No amount of water would save the school, would save her home. Sunset’s grip tightened on the lantern. She grabbed the base with both hands, raised it above her head, and then slammed it against the railing of the short staircase. The top broke off, exposing the fire within to the open air. Her plan was to run around the school, setting a ring of fire in the grass, but she didn’t have to take a single step. Freed from its prison, the red fire spouted into the air like an unleashed geyser. It leapt to the grass, and it began to burn. The red fire surrounded the school and, fueled by the wind coming from the blown-out windows, grew and fanned out to meet the orange flames. Sunset climbed back to the top of the steps that lead down to The Library’s exterior entrance, looking out and watching as the red flames rushed towards the regular ones. Like two tidal waves, the fires crashed against one another with a force that shook the world, nearly knocking Sunset off her feet. They were stalemated for a moment, but then the red fire began to push back. It was slow at first, but with each passing second, the red fire’s strength grew exponentially. In a matter of seconds, the orange fire had been pushed back, leaving behind only the black ashes of what it had burned. Sunset could see the red flames lingering on the horizon, like a warm glow that surrounded her. With the orange fire gone, it looked like the city was regenerating. The grass and trees were coming back to life. Cars and buildings were repairing themselves. Metal was unmelting and paint was unpeeling. Sunset found herself smiling, and she looked down to the lantern. The original, red flame was there, but her fear of it had vanished. She welcomed it. It saved the world, a world that could now belong to her and her alone. Yes, first she would conquer the world of man. Then she would harness its technology against Equestria, and she would rule all. That was when Sunset noticed her hands had become red claws. ~~~ Sunset woke, drawing in a deep, sharp breath as her body convulsed. She had been on her belly, but she promptly rolled onto her side and brought a hand to her face. It hadn’t become a claw, and the color was still right. “Sunset, we were worried.” Looking away from her hands, Sunset couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Fluttershy and Twilight. The three of them were in what looked to be a teachers lounge. She had been laying on a large, comfortable couch, while her two friends were sitting at a table. Beyond that, the room had some counter space with a small sink, a coffee pot, a microwave, a fridge, a two vending machines, one for drinks and the other for food. “What happened?” Sunset asked as she sat up. Her body felt like lead, and everything was sore. Her jacket was missing, along with everything it contained. “I remember Rarity, Applejack, and Spike cornering us.” Fluttershy got out of her seat, picked up an untouched glass of water on the table, and brought it over to Sunset. “There wasn’t much we could do after you passed out. They brought us here and locked us inside with Spike guarding the door while they took you somewhere. You weren’t gone long, but when they brought you back… you had been bitten.” Sunset’s hands went for her neck, feeling for the bite marks, feeling for two gaping, oozing holes. She didn't feel any. She began patting down the rest of her body, trying to find where the bite was. She would have probably checked every square inch of her body if not for Fluttershy. “It was on your neck, but it’s not there anymore,” she said as she held out the glass of water, encouraging Sunset to take it. “You mean it healed?” Sunset asked before taking a sip from the water. Twilight nodded. Numerous pieces of paper were spread on the table in front of her, each one littered with her notes and doodles. “I’d say it was miraculous if there weren’t so many unknown variables regarding your magic. Maybe it’s your true nature as a pony. Maybe because you’ve successfully been the focal point to the magic of friendship, this darker stuff can’t take hold. No matter the reason, the evidence remains the same. The bite was on your neck for an hour. During that time, we noted certain aspects of the transformation. You had fangs and red eyes. Then, you tossed and turned in your sleep for a few minutes. After that, the marks stopped bleeding, began to heal, and the other vampire traits began to reverse.” Sunset brought a hand to her mouth, feeling her teeth. They did feel normal, maybe a little more pointed… no, that was just the fear talking. They were fine, but could she have fought off the curse? Her mind flashed back to her dream, but it was fading. She just remembered fire, a lot of fire. The rest was gone, but then Sunset’s mind hooked onto another word that Twilight had said: hour. “I’ve been asleep that…” Sunset’s vision swam, and her head felt light. She had to fall back to the couch, nearly spilling the water she was holding. “Easy.” Fluttershy took a seat next to Sunset on the couch, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t push yourself.” “But what about Rainbow and Pinkie Pie?” Sunset asked as she held her head with one hand, trying to get the room to stop spinning. “They’re okay.” Twilight gestured to the window with the eraser end of her pencil before she went back to writing her notes. “Thankfully, the teachers lounge faces the front of the school. We saw them arrive, and they’ve been waiting at the gates.” “You haven’t tried calling them?” Sunset asked. Twilight didn’t raise her head from her work as she spoke. “We can’t. Applejack took our phones and my backpack away. She also searched the room herself, taking away anything we could have used to signal to Rainbow and Pinkie. It was really rather impressive. She’s gained some speed thanks to the vampire curse. She worked very quickly, and even took the lightbulbs out of the microwave and the fridge.” “What about using magic or just shouting at them?” “Applejack said that Spike is under strict orders. If he hears us shouting to our friends or sees the light of magic through the door window, he’s to restrain us further. That entails us being stuffed in a janitor's closet instead being left in here. That and I don’t think signalling them right now is our best strategy.” Sunset shook her head, trying to banish away the last, lingering effects from being choked unconcious. She got up gingerly from the couch, receiving a little help from Fluttershy. Once she was steady on her feet, she took the three steps that separated her from the table. She sat in a chair on Twilight’s left, while Fluttershy sat in a chair opposite to Twilight. “Why don’t we want to try to contact them?” Sunset asked. “Right now, things have reached an equilibrium.” Twilight finally looked up from her papers and set down her pencil. “Rainbow and Pinkie Pie didn’t storm straight into the building. They’ve been waiting for us, but I don’t think they’ll wait forever. Rainbow’s too impatient for that. She’ll come in here eventually, but for the time being, she’s having a contest with Applejack and Rarity. Yes, I am sure that’s what’s she’s doing. A while ago she was shouting taunts at the school to try and get Applejack to come outside. The fact she’s turned this all into a contest of will in her head is probably to our benefit. “But that doesn’t mean I think we should just sit in here,” Twilight said. “I’ve been poring over everything we know about the situation. One important fact you should know, Sunset, is that we confirmed this isn’t the Dracula entity.” “How? Did you see it?” Sunset glanced back and forth between Fluttershy and Twilight, unsure who would divulge the details of this revelation. “After they dropped you here, they took me to be bitten. Rarity put that bag she made over my head and Applejack carried me over her shoulder, so I lost my sense of direction. But their master is here, and when he went to bite my neck, I felt him hold my shoulders with his hands. The bite, however, started healing immediately, so he told Applejack to bring me back here.” Sunset stared at Fluttershy for a few seconds, then her eyes widened and she looked to Twilight. “Hands and talking. Dracula doesn’t have hands, and he sure can’t talk. Our Dracula is just a screeching bat.” “Exactly,” Twilight said with a nod of her head. “Based on what we’ve seen, my working theory is that we’ve got something from Equestria over here, our first official class four. A flesh and blood being that can make use of its magic despite crossing into this world. This whole situation, in fact, is furthering my theory that the portal in the Canterlot High statue has special enchantments on it. Things that ensure those traveling through it don’t disrupt the world they're going to. It changes ponies to humans, humans to ponies, and restrains magic while the new portals are entirely unrestricted.” “That makes sense, but how does that help us right now?” Sunset asked. “Every piece of information lets us plan our next step.” Twilight began picking up and passing around some of the notes she had written out. “Now, what we know so far is that this curse is very similar to the mythical Dracula. Blood sucking, fangs, red eyes, heightened abilities, and a darkened magical aura. The master’s curse adds, on top of that, some level of mind control. “Since that is the only addition, I believe underlying curse abides by the same rules. Once the master is dealt with, and his magic influence is removed, our friends should revert to normal. It’s just like how Fluttershy didn’t show symptoms of her curse while Dracula was drained of magic.” Twilight picked up a piece of paper, one that looked to be a rudimentary comic book page. Twilight pointed to the first panel, which showed the three of them. “At this time, we three appear to be immune. I’m immune because I have no magic for the curse to latch onto. Fluttershy, I believe, is immune because she’s already a vampire. This leads further credence to my theory that the base magic of the curse is the same, and that this new strain will abide by some of the same rules. Finally, there’s Sunset, who shows a strong resistance. The curse can take hold for a little while, but you recovered from it after an hour.” “So, Plan A is to make Sunset our Trojan Horse.” Twilight began pointing to each cell of her little comic in turn. “Fluttershy, you're going to try to curse Sunset with vampirism again. Once you’re showing the symptoms, Sunset, we’ll have you try to leave the room. If Spike lets you go, then you should be able to do some recon. You can find out more about Master, find our supplies, and maybe answer some critical questions for me. If you can at least get one of our phones back before you recover from the curse, we can call Rainbow and Pinkie Pie. Then the five of us can figure out our next move.” “But I’ve bitten Sunset lots of times and the curse has never spread,” Fluttershy said. Twilight held up several additional pages, each depicting a different comic. “I know. I’ve got plans through the letter M if this one doesn’t work on that principle. Magic, however, seems to react to someone’s motivations. I used the magic of friendship because I wanted to learn about it and beat Canterlot High. That turned me into a raven-winged she-demon. Sunset understood the magic of friendship and wanted to save me. She became a light-winged sagely sorceress. Twilight turned her head to focus on Fluttershy. “The only reason you haven’t passed the curse along is because you’ve never wanted to.”  “But how could I want to make my friends into vampires? It’s awful.” Fluttershy brought her hands to her shoulders, hugging herself. “I have to bite and hurt my friends on a daily basis, otherwise I starve, and if I smell any blood, it makes me hungry. I have to run past the nurse's office if someone is in there because they scraped a knee or cut their finger. And anytime we get a new animal at the shelter, it's scared of me. They eventually come around, but they’re… just so scared of me at first.” “I… I didn’t know about that.” Twilight withered, taking the comic page with her plan A and shuffling it beneath some of the other plans. “We’re sorry,” Sunset said. She got up from her chair, managing to stand on her own power as she went behind Fluttershy. She bent down and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry. I know this has been hard on you. You’re the kindest person I know, and someone so gentle shouldn’t endure this. But, right now, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike are in a worse state. They’re being controlled. We can’t leave them like this, can we?” Fluttershy shook her head. “No. I know we can’t. I don’t want to see them like this anymore.” Sunset released her hug and placed her hands on the back of Fluttershy’s chair as she stood up straight. She looked over Fluttershy’s head to focus on Twilight. “How does plan A compare to the others?” “It’s far more likely to succeed, in my opinion.” Twilight pulled plan A back out from the pile. She turned it over in her hands, looking over her own doodles. “Everything else involves escaping through the window or subduing Spike before Rarity and Applejack can provide backup. And in either situation, the likelihood that Rainbow and Pinkie Pie will rush in to help us is high. They’ll either see us breaking the window or possibly hear the fight breaking out. And if they rush in, they could get caught and bitten. Then we’re at a numbers disadvantage.” “Then I want to do plan A,” Sunset said, her voice firm and unwavering. “Even if I can’t heal from the curse a second time, as long as it will let us save our friends, I’ll do it.” “But Sunset, I couldn’t… I can’t,” Fluttershy said as she stood up from her seat. She began backing away from her friends, shaking her head firmly. “I can’t make myself want to make you a vampire.” “But do you want to help our friends?” “Yes, of course. I’ll always want to help them if they're in trouble.” “Then maybe that’s enough. I say we try.” Sunset took the seat Fluttershy had just vacated. With her jacket already gone, all that remained was her light-blue top, and that exposed more than enough of her neck. Sunset pushed some of her hair out of her way. Maybe she was acting a little too eager. It had been her plan that got Fluttershy bitten by Dracula, and there were days she wished she could take Fluttershy’s place. Still, at the moment that just made the choice easier. They had friends in danger, and this was probably their only chance. Fluttershy stopped backing away, but she was shaking her head firmly. Again and again, she shook her head no, but Sunset just kept sitting in the chair, waiting. Fluttershy’s eyes began to water as she stopped shaking her head. A few tears began to run down her cheeks as she just stood there, then finally she gave a single, tiny nod. “Okay,” she said, her voice barely audible. She took a step towards Sunset. The door to the room slammed opened. “You know I can hear you, right?” Spike said, a deep growl rumbling beneath his words. Sunset and Twilight bolted up from their seats at the table, while Fluttershy quickly scrambled over to stand beside them. Spike stepped into the room, ears flat and claws beared. “Master said you could plan all you want. But now that you're actually trying to escape, I have to separate you.” He lumbered towards Fluttershy. “Now, you better come quietly. Don’t make me howl and call the others.” He grabbed Fluttershy by the forearm, jerking her away. She yelped in pain, and something snapped in Sunset’s head. She ponied up in a flash, leapt up, and punched Spike in the jaw with her right fist. The magic-enhanced blow made him release Fluttershy and sent him sliding into the lounge’s fridge. The appliance’s door buckled a little under the force, but Spike wasn’t phased. He only growled and bared his fangs. “Don’t make this difficult,” Spike said as he began lumbering towards Sunset. “Master didn’t say I couldn’t rough you up.” “Give it your best shot.” Sunset said before she thrusted her hand forward. Her magical aura formed into a massive hand, which stretched out to smash Spike against the fridge again. But then her aura flickered. Her head felt light, her vision swam, and Sunset stumbled until she was able to grab hold of a chair. She was hitting the limits of her magic. She should have recovered some by now, but then again, her body might have burned away all the energy she had stored up to fight against the vampire curse. “Aw, are you a little tired, Sunset?” Spike said. He pulled himself out of the impression he left in the fridge door. He then rushed forward, closing the gap between them in a few long steps before he backhanded Sunset. The blow hit her hard in the shoulder and sent her flying. She hit the wall of the teachers lounge, smashing into a tacky painting before falling onto the couch. “Maybe I just need to put you to bed again.” Spike took another step towards Sunset, his claw already reaching for her neck when Twilight put herself between the two. She spread her arms and looked Spike square in the eye. “Stop, you're hurting her.” “That’s the point. Those who defy Master must learn their lesson,” Spike said as he glared down Twilight. “Now, get out of my way.” “Or what, are you going to hit me too? I know you won’t. The Spike I know would never hurt me, even if I could heal like the others. And I know that Spike is still in there.” Twilight did not break eye contact with Spike. “You're not a vampire. I don’t know how you became a werewolf, but I’d bet my entire Daring Do collection that it wasn’t because you were bitten. That doesn’t line up. That doesn’t make scientific or even magical sense. That means the master may just have you under some sort of mind control, mind control that I bet is weaker without the vampire curse to ground it. So come on, Spike. Snap out of it.” Spike’s growl came from deep in his throat. He reached out and grabbed Twilight’s arm, starting to squeeze. “Maybe you’ll realize that I serve the master after I break your arm.” Twilight struggled, her free hand trying to pry off Spike’s vice-like grip. “No, Spike, stop.” She winced as the pressure got more and more intense. “Spike, that hurts.” Sunset tried to pick herself up off the couch, tried to call on her magic again, but it would not respond. She had powered down after being thrown, and now couldn’t even summon enough magic to sustain her ponified form. Twilight yelped in pain, and a tear rolled down her cheek. That was when Sunset saw it. There was a glint in Spike’s eye, a shift in his posture. His grip loosened. That was when Fluttershy swooped in. In full vampire pony form, Fluttershy flew in and placed herself right in front of Spike’s face. Her eyes locked with his, her red irises glowing intently. Spike became frozen, unable to move or look away from Fluttershy’s gaze. Sunset got up from the couch and, while Spike was distracted, help Twilight get her arm out of his grip. Twilight would have a nasty bruise, but at least her bone was not broken. “Hey, it actually worked,” Twilight said with a smile and a whimper as she touched the tender part of her arm. “This was a plan?” Sunset said as she help Twilight to the couch. “Plan D,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “Fluttershy has her stare. When she’s a normal human, it gets the attention of animals and makes them stop what they're doing. I theorized a while ago that her stare might be enhanced when she’s ponied up. Like a true vampire’s stare, I hypothesized it might have mind-controlling capabilities, commonly referred to as beguilement. Plan D was that I’d try to appeal to Spike as my friend. If it worked, Fluttershy was to swoop in and try to Stare him back to normal.” “And Plan D wasn’t Plan A because…?” Sunset asked. “Plan D was largely theoretical and a bit of a gamble. It would have been the first plan we’d considered in case you woke up a vampire under The Master’s control. I was hoping you’d recover.” Sunset sighed through a smile. “I suppose I should thank you for your optimism.” She then looked up at Fluttershy and Spike. The pair continued to stare at one another for a few seconds before the glow in Fluttershy’s eyes faded. She then flew away from Spike, putting herself in a defensive position in front of Sunset and Twilight. Spike blinked slowly once he was freed from the stare. His shoulders slumped, the aggressive tension leaving his body. He fell to his knees and clapped his hands to the floor. His head hung downward, and for a few seconds, he just stared at the floor. He then shivered, and a few drops of liquid fell to the floor. Sunset tensed, believing the liquid to be drool. That Spike’s mouth was now frothing as his rage and servitude to the master was returning. But then he looked up, and he showed the three girls the tears coming from his eyes. He whimpered and tried to back away. His ears were flat and his tail was between his legs. Yet, before he could take more than a single step, Twilight forced herself up from the couch. She caught up to him, dropped to her knees, and hugged his head against her chest. Spike froze for a few seconds, but then brought up one of his arms to hug her back. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just…” Twilight patted his head. “Shhh. It’s okay, Spike. It’s okay.”