Orange strode with purpose through the castle. The others had fallen behind, and that was just as well so far he could reason it. If he failed, being anywhere in sight would turn out badly for them.
"Failing isn't an option." He flashed his fanged teeth in a low growl as he rose up and look out a window, glaring down at his would-be followers. "I just have to defeat an ancient monster of biblical proportions."
He swallowed heavily as he sank back to all fours. "Easy..." He resumed ascending the stairs, his legs quaking with renewed fear. "Sure he's defeated tons of other vampires, enough to get cursed by one, but... hey, I don't have a curse." He frowned with a new thought. Perhaps he would gain his first on striking Richard down.
Orange arrived at the final door and took a slow breath, trying to cleanse himself of the building terror. "I'll face this with dignity, or not at all." As the trembling died down, he grabbed the doorknob in his mouth and twisted it open.
The door suddenly pushed open from within, sending him sliding across the floor as Richard emerged. He was dressed in outlandish and colorful clothes, clearly unsuited for such a prestigious being. "Ah, Orange. I'm glad you're here."
He sounded almost suspiciously happy. Orange gathered himself to his hooves. "Oh?"
"I'm taking a vacation." Richard took a firm stance. "I've determined that what I need is some time away from all this. I've spent hundreds of years mastering the art of being a vampire, but what I really need is some 'me' time, and that changes now." He struck the ground with his heavy shoes.
Would it really be that easy? Orange sank in place a little, unable to believe that it could work so well. "Um, Richard..."
"Master." He waved a finger. "Even if I'm on vacation there are proprieties."
"No." Orange gathered himself up.
Richard raised a fine brow. "No?"
Orange shook his head quickly. "There must be a master of the castle. I will be it."
Richard swept back a cape that he wasn't wearing. A little chuckle escaped him. "For a moment there, I thought you had turned against me. You are correct, my faithful furry minion. Yes, you will be the master of this castle while I'm away."
Orange licked his lips even as Richard strode for the nearest balcony. He could just let Richard go, it would be all over. "Oh, uh, Richard, how will you find us, or us find you?"
Richard waved it off. "I'll find you when I need to, if I need to. Maybe I'll create a new demesne. Ah, the exhilarating rush of dominating the countryside. I forget how alive that can make you feel." He put his hands to his chest. "But for now, I'm going to relax. Yes, that's just what the doctor ordered."
Orange tilted his head. "Do you mind if I asked where you got those outlandish clothes?"
"Oh, these?" He plucked at the alien threads. "Strangest thing, after some crazed lunatic bit me and I retired, I awoke in this garb, and my mistakes became clear to me. I've been going about this entire affair the wrong way."
Orange blinked owlishly as his vacationing master took his leave. Did he really get turned by a bite? A vampire? Even as Richard took flight on spread wings, Orange collapsed to the floor in a fit of giggles. "Your curse was deeper than you knew."
The door leading to the stairs deeper into the castle burst open as Wolf and several others rushed in. Wolf looked left and right before settling on Orange. "You're alright?"
Orange glanced in the direction Richard had gone before he gathered himself into the proudest stance he could envision. "I have proven victorious, and he has bequeathed his castle to me. I am now the master of this place." He clopped a hoof on the ground just before all the women, ponies, and ponywomen swarmed over him and bore him to the ground in a warm mass of congratulatory hugs.
He wriggled his way to the top of the pile only to find a few of the women looked dejected. "What's wrong?"
One pouted a little. "If he's gone, that means we can't become ponies all the way."
Orange tapped at his chin. "Let me inspect Richard's room a moment." He hopped down and trotted victoriously into the room that would become his and hopped right up onto the dais that held the former-master's coffin. Within was what he hoped to find, several pools of blood gathered where Richard had rested.
Later, as the fog rolled in and isolated the castle, several new ponies stretched and ambled around with bright smiles and swishing tails.
One of them sat on his haunches in front of Orange. "Why am I a guy pony?"
Orange gave the only answer he could with a little shrug. "You're welcome, sir or madame. We're one big family."
"A herd!" chimed Sunset.
Wolf settled a clawed hand on Orange's shoulder. "I can't believe you took care of him so easily. When I saw him flying off like that, I got worried..."
Orange turned his head and nuzzled the hand gently. "Wolf, it's far too early to ask for more, but I would like to date you."
Wolf laughed suddenly. "Oh, I love it. Are you asking to court me all fancy official like?"
Orange flushed in his cheeks. "If I may? We can determine if we're compatible or not."
Wolf knelt down to his level and kissed him between his eyes. "Let's do that then." She turned to look at the fog covering the castle grounds. "So, where do you think we'll land next?"
Lily flashed a fanged smile. "Don't you mean when, master?"