//------------------------------// // Strike a Bargin // Story: Blood and Ponies // by GreyGuardPony //------------------------------// Sun kept her eyes locked firmly on the pony in front of her. Deep Digger was still scared, that much was obvious. She could see it in the way the unicorn moved. There was a shake in her legs when she walked and her ears were slicked back like an angry cat. Sun couldn't really blame her. The first time she had encountered a vampire she had been reduced to a blubbering wreck, before…. Grunting, Sun rubbed at a spot on the right side of her neck. No use thinking about that now. The priority now was to get indoors and find something to cover herself with. Skulking naked through alley ways wasn't her definition of a good time. Onwards they walked, weaving through the streets of a city that was both alien and familiar to Sun. On the one hand, it resembled every other city she had seen. Tall concrete skyscrapers, glittering lights against a night sky and a hustle and bustle that- more often than not- forced Sun and her guide to hide from wandering eyes. But at the same time, it was like she was trapped in a surreal dream. From every back street she peaked from, she could see more little horses. Adorable little horses that walked the streets, talked with each other and did many other human things. Hell, she even caught a glimpse of one hailing a cab, which was an actual carriage pulled by another. The skyscrapers, tall as they were, were sized for creatures easily half her height. Sun could tell by the spacing of the windows. Even the night sky was wrong. None of the constellations that she could make out between the buildings seemed familiar.     Wait…, Sun thought, a sudden realization hitting her. I’m in the middle of a major city. How am I even seeing the stars? “We’re here.” Deep Digger had paused at the end of their current side street. Sun knelt down behind her, staring across the way. Deep Digger was pointing towards a narrow brown stone building. A fire escape ran down its front and more than a few of its windows had exterior flower boxes and other touches of domesticity. “I don’t know how you’re planning to get inside though,” Deep Digger frowned. “Look...I don’t know what happened down there, but you don’t have to take me hostage! If it was an accident I’m sure that we can work something out-” Sun clapped a hand on the back of Digger’s neck. The pony stiffened under her grip almost immediately. “Digger. If you want to talk, I would be happy too. I have some questions of my own. But I smell like salt and decay and am completely naked. I’m not doing anything without a shower and some clothes; improvised or otherwise.” “Fine,” Digger said, almost snapping it out. “But how do you propose to get into my apartment?” “Your apartment face the street?” “Well...yes.” Sun pointed towards the windows. “Then go inside, open the window and I’ll come up from the fire escape.” “...Fine.” She started to step out of the alley, only for Sun to grab her tail. “Oh, and Digger? Don’t mess with me here. I am very much not in the mood to be jerked around.” “O-okay. It’ll be the second row down from the top, third one from the right.” With that, Sun let Digger go, stepping back deeper into the alley’s shadows. There was a dumpster she could hide behind at least. For now, all she could do was wait and prepare. Slinking back into the alley, she took a better look at its contents. Sturdy brick walls rose to her either side, a large green dumpster pressed against the right one. Sun slowly ran a hand along the bricks a thought suddenly springing to mind. She lashed out with a fist, shattering one of them into pieces that she quickly scooped up. The pieces collected, Sun slid behind a sturdy looking dumpster for cover and waited. It was almost a slow torture, each moment dragging on and on in Sun’s racing mind. This was the part of being a vampire that somehow, never managed to make it into those bullshit novels that Anne Rice churned out. A pile of lies about vampires somehow being elegant, sensitive and... tragic. Sun forced a sigh through her dead lungs- a psychological tick left over from the days when they still worked- as she considered how she was naked and cowering behind a dumpster, while she waited for a little horse to open a window. “...Okay, she might have had a point about that last one.”   Sun peaked over the dumpster edge. “Come on,” she muttered to herself, idly rolling the shards over in her hands. “Don't you screw me over, little horse.” She had no idea what she was going to do if Digger did decide to turn against her. Maybe she could find an abandoned building somewhere to take shelter from the sun in. But, after that? No clue. It wasn't like she could blend in around here. “Why horses? They don't even have hands!” Sun shook her head. There. The window Digger had mentioned just slid open. It was now or never. The street she had to cross was well lit though and had enough little horses walking along it that not being seen would be tricky. Fortunately, Sun had a plan. Spending a little more of her blood reserves, she activated her Celerity again and bolted for the edge of the alley. There were four street lights near Digger’s apartment, two on each side of the street. Of course, that was what she had gathered the brick shards for. Accelerated to superhuman speeds, brick pieces became missiles.     One. Two. Three. Four. The lights were shattered, their glass raining onto the concrete below. The little horses gasped as their world plunged into darkness, most recoiling from the street lamps out of instinct. Still enhanced by vampiric super speed Sun crossed the darkened road in what would have been a few heart beats. The fire escape was raised, the bottom hanging a good four feet above the heads of these little horses. At a human height and enhanced as she was by her nature, that gap might as well have not existed for her. She jumped, grabbed the edge and hauled herself up in one smooth motion. While her instinct was to run at top speed, Sun restrained herself. Celerity would already enhance her speed, even when walking and there was no need to make extra noise. So, she strode up the metal steps, keeping her own as light as possible. She was halfway up the fire escape when a window opened in front of her. One of the little horses peered out at the darkened street, blinking in confusion. Sun froze. Right now, the pony was focused on the street below. Even in the darkness, if he looked to the left…. Go back inside. Go back inside. Please. She thought.   “Honey?” a cheerful female voice called from inside. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing,” he responded, ducking back inside. “Somepony broke the street lights.” Sun started moving, a little faster this time. Reaching the window, she slid inside and pulled it closed behind her. She turned to see just what kind of place Digger called home. Thankfully, despite the lower height of the ceiling, Sun didn’t have to stoop to fit. Thank you average Chinese height, she mentally chuckled. At five foot nothing, she had a good foot of space above her head.   Not that it made the apartment look any less like a dollhouse. Slowly looking around the room, she couldn’t shake the impression that she’d break any and everything just by brushing up against it. Fully loaded bookshelves lined the walls, broken up by an ancient looking nicknack here or there, while a quaint little floor lamp in the corner provided more than adequate illumination. Deep Digger stood near a little couch that looked like it might just barely fit Sun if she layed down on it. To her right was the front door, to the left what looked like short hallway and straight ahead- past the little couch- was a kitchen. “Nice place,” Sun said, closing the window behind her. “It fits your profession.” “Thank you…I suppose,” Digger smiled, eyes nervously flitting from Sun to the door. Sun held up her hands. “Look, Deep Digger. Believe it or not, I really don’t mean you any harm. I’ve just...woken up in a world that’s completely topsy-turvy.” “You attacked Far Sight!” “Instinct! I was acting on instinct! You try being locked in a box for...for…,” Sun blinked. “How long was in in there anyway?” Digger huffed, settling back on her haunches. “I have no idea. I planning to work that out before you kidnapped me!” “I took you back to your own apartment!”   “And I don’t know how you even got back up! What are you? Who are you?” Vampire and pony glared at each other. On the surface, Sun might have just been glaring down at her, but inside she was seething. Her temper was always bubbling away under the skin, threatening to burst forth if she lost control. It’s just a little horse Sun. She’s scared. You attacked her. Just...explain things. She held up her hands. “Okay. My name is Shang Xiang Sun. But everyone just calls me Sun. I’m what you call a human-” “You. Were. Dead! I stared at your dessicated corpse! You-you can’t be normal!” “I’m not normal! I’m cursed!” Sun snapped, taking an angry stomp towards the pony. “I’m a walking, talking corpse!” Digger’s eyes went wide and she began to scramble back towards her front door. “S-stay away from me!” Sun squeezed her eyes closed, her frustration almost burning now. She needed to keep the pony from completely freaking out. Thankfully, her vampire lineage had some useful abilities in this situation. Blood was what vampires craved, for it was what both animated their bodies and gave fuel to their powers. Sun called upon it, drawing it from the depths of her body with a thought and giving it shape with another. Opening her eyes Sun gave an order. “Calm. Down.” Awe was the name of this particular trick. A supernatural charm to make a vampires’ request or position seem more reasonable. Through it, a vampire could impose upon a target for favors and adoration and more than a few undead dynasties of power had started with a few proper applications of the ability. Sun’s skin always crawled when she was forced to use it though. The technique was still a violation of the mind, no matter how “minor” it supposedly was. Digger recoiled slightly at the words, but the effect of Sun’s awe quickly took hold. Her eyes stopped their frantic twitching, her ears rose slowly from their slicked back state and she settled into a calm, sitting position again. “Okay.” “So...yeah. I’m cursed. I am very confused right now. I am sorry about what happened and I really don’t mean any harm. If it is not too much trouble, I would like to trouble you for a shower, something I could turn into clothes and some information. Please.” For a moment, doubt flickered across Deep Digger’s eyes. But it was quickly banished as she sighed. “...Fine,” she pointed a hoof down the little hall. “Bathroom is the door on the left. I’ll...see what I can dig up.”   “Thank you.” - - - - Half an hour later, Sun emerged from the bathroom, wrapping her hair up with a towel. The shower had been...okay. Squatting to fit had been a pain and no matter how high she turned up the temperature, the heat just didn’t register on her skin the way it used to. But after a massive amount of scrubbing managed to finally get the scent of brine off of her body. “Uh, Digger?” she called. “I used up all your shampoo. Sorry.”   Digger emerged from her bedroom with a stack of sheets on her back and an angry glare. “Seriously? That brand is thirty bits a bottle!” “I have a whole lot of hair to wash!” “I have a coat and I don’t use that much!” “The bottle was tiny!” “It was a perfectly normal size!” This is already turning into the worst sitcom ever, Sun thought, rubbing her forehead. “Are those bed sheets?” “Yes...they’re the only thing I have that could possibly fit you. Now, hold still.” Sun stared as Digger levitated the sheets and a pair of scissors into the air, her horn shimmering with a aquamarine light. She quickly snipped a slit in the middle of the two sheets and yanked them down over Sun’s head. “Keep those arms of yours tucked in.” The scissors came back in, snipping out two slits on either side of the tent like improvised garment. Sun slid her arms through the holes, raising an eyebrow at the little horse’s light show as Digger cut another strip to act as a belt. “That’s a neat trick. Can all you little horses do that?” “Ponies. And only the ones with horns,” Digger answered, passing the belt over. “Earth ponies and pegasi have their own magic.”   There was a long pause as Sun stared at Digger, slowly tying the belt around her waist. Then she groaned. “I can’t believe that I woke up to a technicolored playset of a world.” “Equestria is not a playset!”   It was really tempting to burst out in laughter at the adorable and obviously pun based name. But that wouldn’t get her anywhere, so Sun bit her tongue. “Fine. It’s not. Can you answer my questions now?” “Only if you answer mine back. I want to know more about you, your curse and your people.”   “A trade then?” Sun asked, spreading her arms wide. “We’ll both get what we want.” Digger tapped her forehooves together for a moment in thought. “Deal. We can talk in the kitchen. I haven’t eaten dinner yet.” Sun shrugged and let Digger lead the way into her little kitchen. Much like the living room, it was almost adorably cozy. Digger waved at small rectangular table against the far wall, just under a pair of paintings of pastoral country scenes. “Have a seat. Can I get you anything?” “No thanks,” Sun answered, as much as she wished she could accept that offer. The table had no chairs, so she simply sat cross legged on the floor. Digger rummaged in her fridge for a moment or two before emerging with a plate of mixed lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Grabbing a fork with her magic, Digger sat opposite Sun at the table, angrily jabbing at her salad for a moment before speaking. “So, what are you?” “If you mean species, I’m a human. Nationality? American. Ethnic group? Chinese. Are you sure you’ve never heard any of that before?” “Quite sure. Equestria has mostly intact records going back a thousand years and piecemeal bits stretching all the way back to the dawn of civilization, about six thousand years ago. Never seen anything like you in any of it.” She paused for a moment before shrugging. “Except for minotaurs. They share your bipedalism at least.”   That news weighed heavily on Sun’s mind, even if it was confirmation of something she already expected. Not that it made her any less angry.   “Six thousand years? Plus however long it took all of you to evolve from the animal level horses were in my time? Goddamn it!” She slammed a fist on the table, perhaps a bit harder than she meant to. It jumped sending Digger’s dinner flying across it’s polished wooden surface. The unicorn rolled her eyes at the mess before beginning to scoop it back up with her magic. “You had mentioned another word. Vampire. We have vampire fruit bats. They drain the juices from fruit. Is that what you do?” For a moment, Sun considered lying. It was an instinct that had become ingrained into her over her hellish five year existence as a vampire. You never admitted they were real. Ever. Upon pain of death. But if Deep Digger had no idea what a human was, Sun doubted that any of the old vampire power structures still stalked the nights. There was no Masquerade to bother maintaining anymore. Now her priority had to be focused on finding allies and surviving. “I drink blood, actually.” Digger froze, a forkful of lettuce halfway to her mouth. “You’re a carnivore?” “I think that the technical term would be hemovore. But that’s part of my curse.” “Tell me about this curse of yours.” Sun glowered. “It’s…,” she trailed off for a moment, searching for the right words. “Okay. I knew other vampires who thought it was amazing. You’re stronger and faster than a normal human. Unless someone kills you, you’re immortal. But those vampires? Full of shit. It’s a miserable existence.” She trailed off again. For a moment, the only sound was the crunch of Digger eating her lettuce, but then she waved a hoof for Sun to continue. The question was unspoken, but Sun knew what it was. “I burn in the sun. I’ve...honestly started to forget what it even feels like. I can only drink blood. For me the simple act of getting breakfast, even if I take the bare minimum of blood so that they don’t get hurt, is still assault. I was ripped away from my life by some other asshole vampire who wanted their own minion. I. Loathe. This.” “And why were you in that sarcophagus?” “I was betrayed by someone who was helping me in a struggle against an elder vampire who was using me as a pawn. No idea why the bitch did it.” “...Is all that swearing a human thing, or a vampire thing?” “It’s a ‘I’m tired of the world screwing me over.’ thing.” Digger reached across the table, placing her hoof on Sun’s hand. “Well, all of that does sound horrible. But you know what? Curses can be broken.” “Heh. There were always rumors of something like that in vampire society. Never had a chance to look for it though.” “That was then, this is now. I have magical and archaeological contacts across Equestria and beyond. We’ll find a way.” Sun pulled her hand away, suddenly suspicious. The initial effect from the awe would have worn off by now. She hadn’t been expecting this level of assistance so quickly. “Why are you offering to help me? I attacked your co-worker. I threatened you. What do you want?” Digger cocked her head almost looking hurt at the question. “I don’t want anything. You’re a creature unstuck from time, who sounds like she’s lost a lot. I wouldn’t be a good Equestrian if I didn’t help somepony in need.” “...Even with the blood thing?” “Especially with the blood thing! I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.” “Got any plans then, professor?” “I’ll start tapping my resources tomorrow. Write some ponies that are experts in this field. If we get enough ponies working on your condition-” Fear grasped Sun’s heart like a bolt from the blue. “No!”   “No?” “Look...Digger. You’re an academic. The unknown is something you seek to understand. But can you sit there and honestly tell me that if word of my existance got out, that normal ponies wouldn't panic?” Digger frowned. “Well...okay, you might have a slight point. But I am talking about contacting other academics here.” “Can you just frame it as a hypothetical for now?” Sun asked, reaching down to nervously fiddle with her cross necklace. “I want to be careful. Take things slowly.” “...Alright. But you’re apologizing to Far Sight once you’re back to normal.” “Deal.” “Now, it’s been a long day. I’m going to finish eating and get to bed. Where are you going to sleep? ...Do you need to sleep?” “I’ll collapse when the sun is up. Mind if I hide in your closet? No sunlight can get in there.” “Alright. Chin up Sun, we’ll find a way out of this for you.” “I’ll hold you too that.” - - - - A high pitched ringing dragged Digger out of a fitful night’s sleep. She blinked a few times to push the exhaustion stubbornly hanging on out of her eyes, the events of last night still vivid in her mind. Rolling into her side, her hoof fumbled for, found and silenced her alarm clock. With quiet returning to her bedroom Digger stared at her closed closet door, thinking about the creature that was hiding on the other side. Part of her was still terrified of this vampire-human thing that was now staying in her apartment. A hoof strayed to her neck, feeling for bite marks. Blood sucking curses. An ancient race of people that were unheard of. A vow of secrecy. This whole situation was escalating far beyond a simple artifact retrieval and in the crisp morning light her actions seemed all the more mad. She buried her face in her hooves. “Why am I doing this?” It was rhetorical of course. Digger knew exactly why she was doing this. She hadn't been lying to Sun last night. The human obviously needed help to escape the horrible fate she was locked in. The thought of having to hunt creatures down for their blood filled her stomach with a twisted knot of dread. Yes, that was the reason. The fact that finding the last member of an extinct race would enormously boost her career was just a convenient side effect. And nothing else. One thing she was sure of though. She was taking an awful risk. But hiding in bed wouldn't help. Throwing her covers aside, Deep Digger climbed out of bed and walked over to her closet. She stared at it for a long moment, before pulling it open just a crack. She could just make out the form of Sun, slumped against the back wall like a marionette with its strings cut. Or a corpse. The closet door was shut very quickly. She’d skip wearing a full dress today. Taking a deep breath, Deep Digger turned instead to her dressers to scrounge together an outfit for today’s work, for there would be a great deal of it. A curse that made the recipient- for all intensive purposes- dead would have to be some manner of dark magic. She’d have to consult the libraries of Manehatten’s magical universities. Perhaps even write a letter to Celestia’s…. “Letter,” she muttered, remembering one she had left on her desk last night. One that she had been writing to one of the greatest students Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns ever produced. If Twilight Sparkle could claim the Element of Magic and cure Princess Luna of her Nightmare Moon malady, surely breaking a curse like this would be foals play. Quickly tying a pastel blue ascot around her neck, Digger glanced at her alarm clock. Seven o’clock. She’d have to gallop to reach the historical society ahead of the morning mailpony. “So much for breakfast.” - - - - Somepony had stabbed her. Or that’s what it felt like to Deep Digger as she stumbled into the Manehattan Historical Society. She slumped against the wall, just inside the back door, clutching at the horrible stitch in her side.  Clearly, she had been neglecting to exercise and staying cooped up with her books far too much. She’d have to do something about that. Later. After all of this was done. As another lance of pain burrowed its way from flank to flank, her ears twitched towards the sound of angry voices coming from one of the labs. “I told you, I’m fine! We need to find the damn body that attacked me and ran away!”   “Well, Far Sight is fine,” Digger muttered to herself, straightening back up. She took a deep breath, quickly brushing her mane back into place to hide the fact she had just run a marathon. Trotting down the hallway, she peeked into the laboratory.       Far Sight was wobbling on his hooves, as he angrily glared at the pair of security guards that had apparently found him. “Call the police! The guard! Somepony!” he railed. “By the sun, we have an escaped monster on our hooves here!”         Just play it cool, she thought, walking into the room. “Far Sight?” He whipped about, eyes wide and manic, mane disheveled. “Digger? Did...did you see it?” “See what?” “The body! The body we pulled out of that casket up and attacked me! Did you see it?” Oh, how she wanted to tell him about the amazing discovery that was now living in her apartment. But for now she’d respect Sun’s request. So she shook her head. “No. I didn’t see anything Far. Didn’t hear anything either. You’re sure it attacked you?” “Yes! It had glowing red eyes and fangs! I remember it biting me…,” he grumbled, rubbing at his neck. “If what you’re saying is true, perhaps it hasn’t left the building yet? Have you conducted a search yet?” Far Sight glared at the guards. “No...these two haven’t let me!” “Sir,” one of them- Bright Wing, Digger thought his name was- frowned.  “You were unconscious! You need to go to the hospital to get checked out.” “A doctor and a mage,” Digger added. “If this was some kind of animated body, there might be dark magic involved.” Far Sight took a step forward, stomping his hoof in an attempt to be defiant. But the effort clearly drained him, his legs wobbling from the effort as he almost collapsed back to the floor. “Sight!” Digger snapped. “Stop being so damn stubborn! Let these two take you to the hospital. I’ll coordinate things here and get the museum properly searched.”   “D-damn it. Fine! But Digger? Be careful. This thing’s a monster. There’s just no other way to describe it.” “I’ll be careful,” she shooed them off with a hoof. “Now go.” Once they had filed out, Digger walked down the hall to her own office. As she had expected, the post-pony was already there, sweeping the letter she had written last night off her desk and into his satchel. “Excuse me sir,” she called out, grabbing paper and pen as she did. “I need to add something before you send out that letter.”