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// 4 - What a Terrible Night to Have a Curse 
// Story: For Want of a Vampire 
// by David Silver 
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Orange waited until they were well away from the light before he pounced at them. He knocked the woman back and she shrieked with dismay as he went in for the killing blow, only to realize exactly what he was doing. Did he really want to use his teeth for that? Did he want to taste blood? He trembled with uncertainty even as a hand grabbed the back of his neck and hauled him off the woman. "Bloody hell? Someone let their horse just wander around."

He was no ordinary horse! He spread his wings wide and hissed at Paul in an angry rattle.

Susan climbed to her feet. "Did you say horse? Did I get run over by a horse? Isn't that some kinda joke?"

Despite his attempts to be frightening, Paul didn't seem to be all that scared. "Such a little horse too. It's kind of cute. Easy there, fella, we're not going to hurt you." He scratched behind one of Orange's tufted ears and suddenly everything was alright. Tension melted away and his hooves hung in the air. Earscratches felt nice...

Susan ran her fingers over the would-be predator's snout. "That's a mighty strange horse, don't you think?"

A sudden idea came to Orange! He could still salvage this hunt. Even if he couldn't perform the killing blow himself, he could be a good servant. "I'm a magic horse," he said with a flash of those sharp teeth.

Susan blinked with surprise. "A magic horse?"

Paul held up the horse. "Guess that explains the wings."

"It has wings?" Her hands felt in the darkness and brushed over Orange's wings. They couldn't even see them! No wonder he failed so horribly at being scary.

Orange did his best to ignore how nice the inspection felt. "Yes, a magic horse, a vampony to be specific, but don't worry. Unlike normal vampires, I like fruit." He clopped his forehooves together. "And you caught me, which means you get a prize!"

Paul raised a brow in the dark. "What sorta prize do ya get for capturing a vampony?"

Orange pointed up to the castle. The moment their attention turned to it, lightning came down with an ominous rumble. "You have to come with me. The treasure's up there."

Susan put her hands on her hips. "How do we know you won't fly away with your magic wings if we let you go?"

Orange blinked, then spread his hooves. "You caught me, again! Guess you'll just have to carry me there." A few ear scratches on the way would be a nice bonus. "Come on! Let's get your prize!"

Paul began walking for the castle, one hand moving under Orange so he wasn't just dangling in the air by his neck. "Why'd you call us like that, and how'd you learn our names?"

"Magic vampony, remember?" Orange nodded his head with authority. "I thought I smelled a, uh, apple. Guess I was wrong, and you caught me." A part of him was surprised that he could be held in such a way without discomfort, but there was no pain. Another gift from the Devil? Orange couldn't say.

Susan scratched under Orange's chin, which felt almost as good as ear scratches. "You're a cute little thing! But you need to not be jumpin' on people in the middle of the night like that! You'll scare someone to death."

"Sorry, ma'am." Orange felt silly just after he said it, and his cheeks began to burn. He hoped that his plan would please Richard. He was new at being the minion of a vampire, but he didn't want to fail at the job!

"Stop holding him like that." Susan suddenly grabbed Orange away from Paul and cradled him more like a baby in her arms.

Orange wasn't sure if it was better or not, but he didn't much mind the proximity.

Paul snorted softly. "So, what kind of prize are we hiking out in the middle of the damned night fer anyway?

Orange stiffened a little. If they got too suspicious, his plan would be ruined entirely! "It's a big one! I haven't been caught in, well... I guess ever." That much was true, he hadn't ever been caught pouncing a woman in the middle of the night before. "What would you hope for, more than anything else?"

Paul shrugged. "World Peace?"

Susan scowled at him. "Don't be dense. I doubt the little magic horse could even do that anyway. How about a hundred thousand dollars?"

Orange clopped his hooves. "Done! Your money's waiting in the castle. You don't even need me anymore."

Susan clutched him tighter. "Ooo, you sneaky devil. You're hoping we'll let you go before we get our prize! No way, little pony. You're stuck with us until we get our money."

They pressed on into the fog, which Paul waved away, though it did little to clear the trail before them. "That money better be there. This is a lot of trouble."

"A hundred thousand dollars!" Susan squeezed her new favorite horse. "It's worth a little hike for that! We could get whatever we want! A three story house, that carriage you had your eyes on, anything at all!"

Paul grumbled a bit, but they pressed on. As the castle loomed out of the fog, lightning touched down in the distance, lighting it dramatically. The way forward was barred by a stout-looking iron gate that stood in bold defiance of their passage.

Susan gave Orange a little shake. "Magic horse, can you open it for us?"

No. No he could not. He had no key, as he had just flown over it, but he didn't want his new friends, er, victims, to just walk away. "It's a test of strength. Rattle it with all your might and it'll open." And maybe the noise would draw Richard from within to finish the job! He was so clever, he couldn't even stand himself.

Paul rolled his shoulders and approached the gate with new vigor. He grabbed ahold of two of its bars and began to shake and pull and strain, making quite a riotous sound. It was almost deafening to Orange, but made him smile in triumph. Surely his master would hear it and arrive soon to find what a success he had managed.