Applejack the Vampony Slayer

by Immanuel

Light reading and colt-catching

Chapter 3: Light reading and colt-catching

Granny Smith looked on, sipping her morning brew, as Applejack packed assorted anti-vamp weaponry into her schoolbags, pausing occasionally to test their availability for quick draw. She didn't bother to comment.

"Ya were right, Granny Smith," Applejack said without looking up from her work. Granny Smith simply took a sip. "Ah found a vamp nest under the school last night," she continued. "It was just a filly," she said quietly and looked the older mare in the eyes, "twelve, maybe thirteen years old. She was hunting for her family and class-mates, prolly turning 'em too."

Granny Smith sighed. "Ah'm sorry, lass. It ain't easy seeing a child being turned or fed on. Ye're a bit young for slaying on yer own yerself, too. Ya should've went there with yer brother," she said, glancing at Big Mac.

"Ah saw to the morgue," Big Mac rumbled, looking remorseful.

"An' it's darn good ya did, Mac!", Applejack said hotly. "If we'd stayed bunched up, we would've missed either the one ah got, or the four ya did. And there's more," she said, turning back to Granny Smith. "Somepony had messed with one of the Sun wards at the school. Ah think they meant for that filly to get vamponized and prey on the school!"

Big Mac cleared his throat. "The vamps ah got set themselves up. Stood before the morgue like in waiting fer the riser. And somepony took care of him on their own."

Granny Smith frowned in thought, eyes narrowed, bucket of coffee in her hooves. She stayed like that for a long moment, before shaking her head and sighed, "Ah don't rightly know what's going on. If'n there are vamps greeting for new ones, it says there's an old one here leadig' a clan. But ah can't see one of 'em doing a thing like that with the school." She sipped her coffee. "We need to research this. Ya wouldn't mind taking yer granny to the library today, Big Mac?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded.

"Ah'll see to a stallion named Shining Armor," Applejack said. "Uncle Appleseed thought he might be one of the ponies hunting beasts on their own here. He's our only lead right now," she said with a shrug. "But ah got to go to pick Applebloom up from Rarity's right now. G'day, Granny Smith. G'day Big Mac."

* * *

Rarity looked at the two sleeping and one faintly struggling filly and tried to hold her giggle. After a moment, grumbling Applebloom quit trying to extricate herself from the vice-like double hug the snoring fillies at her both sides were giving her, and sighed loudly.

"Ya wouldn't mind helping me out, Miz Rarity? Ah'd really like to go to the bathroom."

"Just Rarity, sweetheart," Rarity said between her ladylike giggles. "I must say, you three make the most adorable sight in the morning."

Applebloom rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Here, this should help," Rarity said brightly, and pushed one of Scootaloo's wings up to Sweetie Belle's muzzle with her telekinesis, straining slightly. Almost immediately, Sweetie unclasped both her front hooves to rub her muzzle, and Scootaloo rolled to shiver slightly and wrapped her wings and hooves around herself. Applebloom took her chance to jump from the bed and took to the bathroom on a run.

"There's some breakfast downstairs when you're finished in the ladies', darling. Papa made some pancakes!" Rarity shouted after the speeding filly, who mumbled thanks halfway down the hall. Rarity giggled again at the contented sigh she heard from the bathroom a second after the door slammed shut, and narrowed her eyes looking down at the two other fillies in the bed. "Now what shall we do with you two sleepyheads, hm?" she murmured in a low tone and smiled dangerously.

Some screams and a bit of running around later, all three little fillies and one somewhat bigger filly were sat down around the breakfast table under the gently watchful eyes of Ms. Pearl and Mr. Magnum, Mama and Papa respectively to Rarity and Sweetie Belle.

"Sleep well, darlings?" Ms. Pearl asked looking at the smaller fillies.

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Mama!"

"Sure did, Miz Pearl!"

Scootaloo blinked slowly, her purple mane even more messy than usual.

"I didn't have nightmares at all!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed happily.

"Y'all all right now, Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked with a caring look in her eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks for coming, you two. It was nice to have some company," Sweetie Belle said and smiled softly at Applebloom.

"I wasn't scared," Scootaloo slurred with half a pancake in her mouth while looking at the rest of her pile and wondering if it would make a nice pillow.

"Would you like to hang with us after school today, Applebloom?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully.

"Ah guess. Ah mean, ah need to ask mah sister, if ah can stay till nightfall. Ah didn't do mah chores last night 'cause ah was with you guys," Applebloom said and shrugged. "She'll prolly be okay with it, though."

"Cool!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah," Scootaloo said, a bit more awake now, "we need to do that thing you did last night, but with my scooter! I bet we can get some crazy air with that!"

"You're not going to do anything dangerous, are you, sweethearts?" Ms. Pearl asked and looked each of the three girls sternly in the eye.

"Of course not, Mama! We'd never!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed with wide eyes, the two other fillies at her sides giving the most angelically innocent look possible.

Mr Magnum chuckled softly. "Of course you wouldn't, sweetie pie," he said and ruffled Sweetie Belle's mane.

* * *

Rarity, Applejack, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo walked towards the school in a loose group. The two Apple sisters were a bit behind, whispering together in low tones. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were chatting animatedly, and Rarity walked in silent thought.

The darlings didn't have much time to talk yesterday, Rarity thought. Such a little sweetheart, that Applebloom. Showed a brave face the whole night, taking the minds of Sweetie and poor Scootaloo off of that horrid thing. She inclined her head slightly in appraisal. Her sister seems like a real nice pony, too. Very collected, very mature. I guess she's had to grow up young, though, considering.

She sighed sadly. Such tragic figures, growing up alone in the world, bravely facing the challenges of life. Just the two fillies, struggling without the help of a strong, strapping stallion. Oh, such poise! Do they realize how gracefully they move? Almost feline. Rarity leaned her head again. No, wait. Didn't Applejack say she has an older brother? With a figure like hers I wonder what he looks like, oh my. Would she let me braid her mane, I wonder? And maybe put a little thing in plaid together. It would go so well with the hat. She took a sharp breath and squealed mentally.

Iii-dee-a!! She would have clapped her hooves together if she hadn't been using them to walk. We should totally get together for a start-of-the-school-year-party at the Prance! It would cheer everypony up! Oh, let's see, Silver, Grace, Dancer, Lyra, the flower trio, of course, Vinyl is probably already booked for a gig, but wouldn't hurt to ask. Hm, maybe those sweet stallions in the band in the senior year, what do they call themselves? The not-very-studlies, was it? Starshine never goes anywhere, the bore, but I'll ask anyway. Then there's Can-can, Creamy, Whitey, Bluejay, River Run, Shades, Hot Stuff, Amber, Lace and Peach Curl, who am I forgetting? Better let Twilight and Diane know too, though I can guess how well that goes down. She shook her head imperceptibly. Now, who's in second year?

Meanwhile, Applebloom and Applejack were having their whispered conversation.

"Listen, sugarcube," Applejack whispered softly, "the school's dangerous. Ah need ya to look around a bit, but be careful!" She glanced at the other girls, before handing some items surreptitiously over to Applebloom. "Ah took some holy water with me from tha farm, and there's an extra Sun ward in there, too. Ya keep them with ya at all times, ya hear?" Her whispers took on a warning tone. "Ah found a vampony nest in the school cellars last night, but didn't have time to check the whole place. If ya could keep an eye out for me, that none of the kids get in there, ah'd appreciate it."

"Will do, sis," Applebloom whispered back firmly.

"Just make sure ya come to me at first sign of trouble. There's something fishy going on in this town, and ah don't want ya getting in trouble, okay?" Applejack glanced at the two small fillies squealing about something called 'triple-pony-barrel-jump', Scootaloo excitedly and Sweetie Belle with apprehension. "Speaking of which, Granny and Big Mac are in the library today. If they're gonna be there in the afternoon as well, ah don't mind ya staying with yer friends after school, but ah'm gonna have to check on something mahself. But under no circumstance stay out after sundown! This place ain't right! And ya'd make yer friends a favor to see them home before night, as well."

"Ah know, sis," Applebloom said slightly annoyed. She wasn't stupid! She kept her tone even, regardless.

"How was yer night?" asked Applejack after a pause.

---

"And then we could go to the forest, and see if we could spot the creepy monster that lives there and chase it with the scooter and make a trap and catch it and become HEROES!" Scootaloo explained her awesome ideas.

"I really don't think that's such a good idea, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said hesitantly. "Besides, we're not allowed. Mom and Dad say I'm never ever ever cross my heart and hope to die never go to the forest." She thought a moment. "Plus, it's kind of scary."

"Oh, phooiee!" Scootaloo said, secretly relieved. "At least we should build the ramp in the park and try for the bell tower!"

* * *

"It's settled, then? We meet tonight?" Rarity was working fast putting together her party for the evening. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of missing most of math and cultural history classes, but with the coming weekend she was sure to catch up again. Besides, introductory classes were never very important.

"Of course!" "Absolutely!" "Love to!" the flower trio, Roseluck, Daisy and Lily Valley chorused. Almost always together, the trio were one of Rarity's go-to ponies, when she needed to get a party going. As a courtesy, she let them know whenever there was a social gathering worthy of attendance going on. As it was, it seemed there was going to be quite a soirée at Prance. Most of the upper classes were coming, and even some of the younger ones were going to show up, before the bar-keeps chased them away at ten. The Prance catered to all ages, but usually reserved later hours for a more mature audience. It kept its business clean, however, so parents felt it was a safe place to let their rowdy teenagers to let their mane down.

"Wonderful! Now, let's see, that leaves us with..." Rarity mused, "ah! Better ask those two, as well," she said, spotting Twilight and Pinkamena Diane Pie in a corner of the common room, huddled together as usual.

"Hmph." "Yeah, right." "Like that's going to work!" was the flower trio's opinion.

"Can't know till you've asked, girls! Ta!" Rarity said cheerfully and pranced to the secluded pair. She paused next to their table, where they were comparing some notes. How much do those two study? I doubt they've ever scored less than perfect in a quiz, Rarity thought.

She cleared her throat gently. "Pardon me, girls," she said in a business-like tone. Best take this with calm professionality and keep my hopes down. It's just a courtesy, any way. "We, that is, the upper years and some of the lower ones as well, were going to have a little get-together at the Prance tonight, you know, to celebrate the start of the school year and to put the, ehm, unpleasantness of yesterday behind us. And of course, to welcome Applejack to our midst. I don't suppose you two would like to grace us with your presence, for a change?" Rarity asked with a smile, leaning forward gently and fluttering her eye-lashes.

Both fillies stared at her silently. Then they turned to stare each other. Diane raised a brow. Twilight put her head to the side a bit, then twitched her mouth. Diane inclined her head slightly. Twilight looked away. Diane turned back to Rarity, whose smile had started to grow stale.

"I'll come," Diane stated simply.

Rarity's eyes bulged. "Really?!" she squealed.

"Yes," Diane said, looking at Rarity unblinkingly.

"I-I need to s-s-study," Twilight stammered quietly, looking away with a blush, before looking Rarity firmly in the eyes. Oh, she has such lovely eyes, thought Rarity. "M-m-maybe later?" Twilight said with a question.

Rarity waited for a moment before smiling widely. "Oh, lovely! I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves! See you in the evening, then, ta-ta!" she said and skipped away. Oh, this is going perfectly! Now we only need the guest of honor, herself.

Applejack was studying the school yearbook, having almost certainly identified the filly who had become the vampony she had slain the previous night. Now she was thinking how to approach the Shining Armor angle. The stallion was in the entrance hall, chatting with his boss, a burly rosé mare with a handcuff cutie mark. How do you get handcuffs for a cutie mark? Applejack pondered absentmindedly.

Her target stallion didn't look particularly nefarious. There was a hardened look about him, sure, but considering his job, the tragedy of his past and the military training he had received, it wasn't out of place. Otherwise the stallion looked almost coltish, his electric blue hair almost covering his blue eyes, thin muzzle making him look even younger than he was. In a certain light, he would look almost vulnerable. Applejack supposed one could see him brooding moodily in the night, whittling stakes and planning ways to take down beasts that had attacked his family. It was much harder to see him ruthlessly exploiting children to catch his enemies, although there was a coldness in his gaze. So, what are you? A knight in battered armor, avenging his family in the dark of night? A ruthless, broken soul, sacrificing even the innocent to get revenge? Or a bucking false trail? Applejack rubbed her chin thoughtfully. How am I going to find out?

While she was thinking, Rarity pranced to her side. "Applejack, darling!" Rarity greeted, startling her a bit. "Revising math already, are we?"

What? Can't she see what I'm looking at? Oh, she's not actually looking at all, Applejack thought, seeing the slightly manic look in the other mare's eyes. "Eh, not exactly," she said weakly.

"Now, darling, I have the most wonderful proposition for you!" Rarity started, not actually listening to the response. "We're going to have a bit of a party tonight at a local night club called the Prance. There's going to be good music, nice little snacks, tasty drinks, and most importantly, just about every pony our age in town! What do you say?" she said with an expectant grin.

Huh? Oh, horseapples! "That sounds mighty fun, Rarity," Applejack said, (It does!) "but, er, ah was going to do something tonight..." she said, looking hesitantly at Shining Armor. Oh, ponyfeathers! What am I saying, of course I should go! Everypony's going to think I'm a square if I don't! Gosh darn it, did it have to be now, when there's some kind of vampony infestation going on here? Wait, there's going to be a bunch of partying ponies going out tonight? Maybe I should go and see that everypony gets home safely. Can't be blamed if I happen to enjoy myself at the same time, right?

"Hm?" Rarity hummed, slightly surprised. Something to do, she thought confusedly, what is she going to do that's more fun than a night out with friends? Wait, where is she looking at? Rarity followed Applejack's gaze to the handsome stallion near the entrance, and raised her brows. Then a devious glint appeared in her eyes, and she grinned conspiratorially while leaning to speak softly in Applejack's ear.

"You know," she said casually, "it's not just us poor schoolgirls going out tonight. The Prance is quite popular in this town, one of the more suave joints, one could say. A lot of the younger, cool ponies go there. Quite the selection of distinguished ponies, many a night," she murmured seductively. "Noteworthy, the saxophonist, often plays there. The ever athletic Tail Blaze spends time with his friends at the pool table most weekends. And of course, the delectable Shining Armor, the dashing deputy himself, often relaxes with a glass in the place."

With a glance aside, Rarity spotted a flash of interest in Applejack's eyes. Gotcha! she thought with a widening smile. "He usually sits there with just the glass, poor stallion, probably just trying to forget the pressure of his day. He looks so lonely, I often think. 'He really should get himself a good mare, Rarity', I say to myself, 'to take those worries away'. I have never had the courage myself, of course." She paused, and looked at Applejack pointedly.

Wait, is she...? Applejack thought. Well, I suppose it would be one way to get close to him, she mused silently. Wait, what? You've never been to a date, girl! Applejack admonished herself blushing slightly. You don't know the first thing about seducing stallions, Applejack! And it ain't proper to start now, anyway!, she thought, no matter how nicely toned flank the stallion in question might have. Her thoughts halted in a shock. Okayy. That was not something I was supposed to think about. Darn that filly, she fills my head with nonsense. Wait, she might know how to approach a colt. She glanced at the young white mare at her side, taking in the carefully coiffured mane and tastefully applied make-up and the gently curving lines of her saddlebags. In fact, I bet she does. "Yeah, Ah might come," she said aloud.

"Perfect!" Rarity said with a huge smile. "Come by my place tonight, we'll get ready together. I have just the thing for you, and I'm sure I can fit it for you in no time! Ooh, this is going to be so fun!"

* * *

Applebloom was finishing her lunch, when she saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle run from around the corner.

”Hey, Applebloom! Guess what we found?” Sweetie Belle shouted, running up to Applebloom, Scootaloo at her side.

”There used to be a big shelf with a bunch of prizes next to colts' room near the cellars,” Scootaloo explained breathlessly. ”It ain't there any more!”

”But we saw marks on the walls near the cellar stairs,” Sweetie Belle continued.

”We think somepony stole the cabinet!” Scootaloo concluded.

”We were going to go to the cellars to search for clues,” Sweetie Belle said.

”It could be related to the dead pony yesterday, we heard the sheriff talking about it with the principal!” Scootaloo said.

”And we'd want you to come with us to the cellars, cause you're kind of brave, Applebloom,” Sweetie Belle sincerely said, staring Applebloom with wide eyes.

”If we find out who did it, we could get a medal!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly.

”'Cause the cellars are kind of dark and scary,” Sweetie Belle confessed with a shiver.

”I wasn't scared!” Scootaloo claimed quickly.

Applebloom looked from one excited filly to another and sighed. ”Ya gals are gonna go there any way, aren't ya?”, she asked half-resigned.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded simultaneously with straight faces.

Applebloom closed her eyes for a moment in frustration. ”Oh, all right then. Just let me get mah stuff.”

”Yay!”

* * *

Down the stairs was the bare-walled and twisting cellar corridor that led to various storage spaces, rooms for machines heating and cooling the school and control rooms for electricity and plumbing. At the bottom of the stairs, Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stood staring at a large pile of crushed wood in an approximation of a display cabinet. A metal bucket filled with broken glass and several plastic bags filled with damaged cups or assorted trash leaned against the wall next to the remains of the cabinet.

"Doesn't look like it's stolen," Applebloom said mildly. What a relief. Now we won't need to walk through the dank underground level with vampony nests, she didn't say.

"I wonder what happened to it," Sweetie Belle said quietly.

"Aw, I wanted to get a medal for detectoring," Scootaloo whined. Then her ears perked up. "Shh! Did you hear that?"

From the stairs came the sound of approaching hoofsteps and low voices.

"Oh no, it's the principal!" Scootaloo said.

"We're not supposed to be here," wailed Sweetie Belle. "We're going to get detention!"

"Here, quick!" said Scootaloo, pointing at a dark corner.

The fillies scrambled to hide just out of sight as a small group of adult ponies trampled down the stairs and gathered around the debris.

"Aye. Found the thing here this morning, all broken up," a gruff voice said. "Glass and brass all over the corridors, had to spend a good half hour sweeping the trash together. Didn't take a thing out yet, or touched the cabinet itself, either."

"Do you think it was the same pony who broke the door to the biology class?" another voice said. ("That's the principal!" whispered Sweetie Belle)

"There was an open window in the main hall, too," the first voice said. ("Mr Sweeps, the janitor," Scootaloo whispered to Applebloom) "The frame was a bit scratched. I guess while picking the lock, somehow."

A third voice entered the discussion. "Every other way in was locked?" it asked tonelessly. ("Must be the sheriff," Applebloom mused.)

"Aye," the janitor replied. "I take care of locking the place down myself personally, ev'ry night. I can say I'm hundred percent sure everything was closed and locked when I went home last night."

There was a pause, before the principal's voice asked, "What do you have there, sheriff Gale?"

"It's these marks," the sheriff said slowly after a moment, "or the lack of them, to be exact. How much would you say the cabinet weighed, with the prize cups?"

"The brass don't matter none, Ms Gale, ma'am," answered the janitor. "It's the cabinet itself. Made of hardwood. Must weigh at a good, oh, two hundred pounds. Had two strapping lads to help me carry it back in after the renovation."

"I see," the sheriff mused. There was another pause. "It looks like it was thrown down. Right clear off the stairs, after hitting the wall upstairs. And not a hoof print on it. Never seen anything like it."

The adults stood in silence, while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other meaningfully. After a while, the sheriff sighed.

"Leave it be for now," she said. "I'll get someone from the labs look at it more closely. Leave the trash too, just in case."

The hoof steps retreated back up.

"Do you know what this means?" Scootaloo whispered excitedly.

"What?" Applebloom asked with apprehension.

"A poltergeist!" Scootaloo said with a gleam in her eyes. She looked at the other fillies expectantly. "No, really! The stallion we found yesterday in biology? I bet he's come back to haunt this place! I bet he's mad at his killer and wants revenge!"

"How do ya figure?" Applebloom asked skeptically.

"You heard them: the cabinet weighs like a ton or something, and it was thrown clean off the stairs, and no hoof marks!"

"Yeah, ah don't..." Applebloom started to protest, but Scootaloo continued.

"And this isn't the only strange thing that's happened in Ponyville lately!"

"There has been strange stuff going on," Sweetie Belle agreed uncertainly.

"Ponies go missing, and nopony sees them again," Scootaloo whispered in a spooky tone.

"Except sometimes at night," Sweetie Belle said nervously, "I've heard said ponies have seen somepony they thought dead walking around the town."

"And stuff breaks during the night, or goes missing and turns up in strange places," Scootaloo said, and locked eyes with Sweetie Belle. "I think... girls, I really think we're on to something here."

"What?" asked Applebloom, bewildered. Sweetie Belle gulped.

"I think," Scootaloo said slowly, and straightened up, "that we should look into this."

"How do ya mean?" Applebloom asked dubiously. Sweetie Belle stared at Scootaloo.

A grin slowly spread on Scootaloo's face. "We should become paranormal investigators!" she declared and gestured wildly. "We'll go out at night and go to spooky places and search for clues! We'll find out all the mysterious stuff happening around the town and figure out the freaky ghosts behind them. Then we find out what's keeping them restless and help them solve their problems and solve the mystery and become HEROES!" Scootaloo shouted.

"Oh, no," Applebloom said faintly.

A light entered Sweetie Belle's eyes. "Ooh, ooh! And we'll call ourselves the, the... Ponyville Ghastly Trio!"

"Nah," replied Scootaloo, "the Ghostbusting Filly Gang!"

"Eh, gals," tried Applebloom.

"Or Pony Power Paranormal Pest Perishers!" Sweetie Belle shouted with glee.

"Gals, ah'm not sure..." Applebloom protested.

”Ooh, ooh, I got it! We're the... Filly Night Watch!" Scootaloo said. "See, the monsters come out at night, and we're there to watch them, so we can warn ponies about them, and we're fillies!”

"Perfect," said Sweetie Belle, "Filly Night Watch, go!"

"Yay!"

*sigh*

* * *

"Ye've done the numbers?" Granny Smith asked Big Mac. They sat at a work station in the Ponyville Golden Oaks Library, a tasteful marble structure lined outside with magnificent oak trees and furnished with warm wood paneling from the inside. A fine selection of literature lined the walls of the two main floors, while the two ponies were inside a dusty archive, surrounded by old, preserved newspapers and public records. Sheets of paper filled with numbers and calculations were strewn in front of Big Mac with a final paper with several underlined estimates in front of him.

"Eeyup," he sighed, worried eyes fixed on the paper. He swallowed and continued, "This isn't a town," he paused, "it's a death trap," he said in a half-whisper. Granny Smith looked at him silently. "By mah estimates, taking in account the change in growth-rate, the migratory flow both in and out of town and the influx of travellers, Ponyville being a major way station for commerce," Big Macintosh listed carefully, "around three or four thousand ponies meet their end in Ponyville annually."

Granny Smith blinked for a moment before removing her glasses and rubbing her face.

"That's more than the resident population," Big Mac said quietly.

Granny Smith sighed. "Well, that clinches it then. There ain't diddly squat said about that in the papers. Oh, there are small pieces for people going missing in the locals, or found dead every now and then, but that's about it. There's nothing like the houla-balloo they made about the Mareswax massacre, or about the killings in Baltimare, and that's the murder capital of Equestria. Or at least ah thought it was. Somethings keeping this town under wraps tight as a thistle."

"Wards," Big Mac said.

"Aye. There's somepony playing around with rituals here. Considering the amount of deaths ya say happens here, there's quite a few vamps around here, so ah'd say the culprit's a vampony lord or lady," Granny Smith said, tapping her chin with her glasses. "But ah still don't see why one of 'em would do what was done at the school. Don't make no kinda sense to me." She clucked her tongue in her thoughts. "We need more information about them wards."

"Uncle Appleseed's journal said there's some passages under the town," Big Mac suggested.

"Y'all young'uns should look into that, then, soon as possible," Granny Smith said with a nod and replaced her glasses. "Ah'll gander a closer look at those town zoning plans. That somepony's messed with the original protective zoning ward the town had is plenty obvious, but ah'll need to see if'n there's something more sinister going on." She paused and looked in thought for a moment. "And ah'll write a letter. We could use an aerial survey."

"Howdy! Big Mac, Granny Smith," the voice of Applejack greeted from the door to the archives.

"Hey, Granny Smith! Big Mac," Applebloom joined in.

"Well, hello, gals!" Granny Smith greeted with a smile. Big Mac simply nodded. "School day's over again, then?" Granny Smith asked.

"Yeah," agreed Applejack. "Got something happening in the evening too."

"Oh?" asked Big Mac.

Applejack nodded. "There's a party in honor of the new school year in a place called the Prance tonight. A whole bunch of ponies from the school are gonna go, and Mr. Armor's gonna be there too. Thought ah'd better go there," Applejack said with a shrug, "since ah got invited, and everything. Might see some vamps too."

"Mac should go with ya, too," Granny Smith said. "What we found here says that shindig will be a vamp buffet come sundown. Ya two need to be there to see the beasts don't turn it into a massacre."

"And ah need somepony to talk sense into Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle," Applebloom piped up. "They got this crazy idea to start hunting ghosts in the town at night, and ah couldn't dissue... dissat... make them not want to do it. Ah thought if Big Mac told them to go home, they might listen."

"Ah can do that," Big Mac nodded.

"All right, then," Applejack said. "Ye'll see Applebloom and Granny Smith home, then?" she said looking at Big Mac, who nodded. "Ah'll go and see a friend when ya leave. Ah need some advice on talking to a colt."

At a distance of a hallway, out of earshot and unseen, a pair of purple eyes looked at the gathering of ponies.

* * *

"Not fair!" the scratchy voice of Scootaloo declared hotly. "We've been out after dark plenty of times before!"

"Ah don't rightly care about that," Big Mac declared with just a hint of heat in his own voice. "There's a bad pony on tha loose somewhere, and little fillies like yerselves got no business hanging about after dark without somepony to look after y'all. Yer folks are sure to want y'all home safe and sound, and Applebloom's gonna come with me anyway. So git, y'all!"

"Mr. Macintosh is right, Scootaloo," Rarity said with his eyes flickering appreciatively back at the red stallion at her side. "Why don't you go with Sweetie Belle back to our house? I'm sure Mama and Papa will be overjoyed having you spend the night again with us," she said, voice trailing slightly.

"Come on, Scoots," Sweetie Belle said dejectedly. "We can play with my doll-house for a bit."

"And I won't have to mention the ramp to my parents. How ever did you manage to build it in one afternoon?" Rarity said, referring to the two-story monstrosity near the town park, facing the town's bell tower some distance away.

"Ah helped!" Applebloom declared proudly. She wasn't at all put out by the curfew, even if she acted a bit for the benefit of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"Oh, all right, then," Scootaloo said defeatedly. "See you later, Applebloom."

"Yeah, see you later!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Bye, Scootaloo! Bye Sweetie Belle!" Applebloom said with a hug, tremendously relieved now that her new friends were resigned to being safe for the night.

"And what about you, Mr Macintosh?" Rarity asked with a small flutter of eyelashes. "Shall you lend your strong hoof later in the eve to see us poor fillies safely to our beds?"

"Ah'll be there, Miz Rarity," Big Mac said with a smile and a chuckle.

"Just Rarity," Rarity breathed. Ooh, his voice makes me all a-quiver. Who would have guessed farm work made such fine specimens of stallion-hood out of ponies?

"Later, Sis. Rarity," Big Mac said with a nod. "Let's go, Applebloom. We need to pick Granny Smith from the Post Office."

"G'night, Applebloom. Be good now, y'hear?", Applejack said with a nuzzle. "See ya later, bro." She watched the two turn to walk away. "Well, we better get these two back to yer place, Rarity. Ya said there was something ya wanted to do with mah mane?"

"Hm?" Rarity said distractedly. "Oh, yes. Yes! I'm sure you'll love it! Such beautiful, thick mane you have, we can braid it into double-Prench high bun to the sides, with the left-overs flowing to your sides. It'll be perfect with your chapeau and this wonderful Argyle Baby-Doll I have in your colors! It has the same green as your eyes. Now, with some knee-high boots, or maybe T-straps, you'll be the envy of the party! I'm sure you'll catch the eye of any colt you fancy," Rarity said with a wink.

"Eh, right, about that..." Applejack said, "Ah don't really have that much experience about talking to stallions. Ah don't suppose ya could...?"

"Say no more, darling!" Rarity said grinning. "I'll be sure to give you some pointers on how to wrap stallions around your hoof!"

* * *

Shining Armor was nursing his juice, sitting at a single high table in the Prance. Teens had been arriving all evening to the club, forming groups of laughter and chatter all over the rapidly filling establishment. Moderately loud music was blaring over the loud-speakers, while a high school rock band was setting up in the back stage. Shining Armor felt old beyond his years midst such innocent fun, dark mood and tension gripping him tightly.

Another pair of fillies entered, these ones catching the eyes of everypony in the club. The white unicorn he recognized as the budding socialite who was already breaking the hearts of stallions both young and old, again dressed to kill in a night blue sequined cocktail dress and matching feathers in her hair. The other took his breath away. The young mare was dressed in a deceptively simple country fare that accented her lithely athletic figure perfectly. Her faintly blushing cheeks and darting eyes, and hesitant, but graceful slowly prowling steps, made an enchanting mixture of innocence and sensuality.

Shining Armor glanced at his wingmare, sitting some distance away, camouflaged in shadows. Diane nodded in affirmation and Shining Armor gulped. So that's her, then. Damn, they said her disguise is good, but I didn't expect that. I need to take care I don't end up hunted instead of hunter with her. At least no one will find it suspect when I go to talk to her. That filly's a heartbreaker!

Rarity and Applejack walked through the club at leisure, watched by ponies with both jealousy and admiration. Rarity was in her element. Success!, was the thought in her head. Applejack felt uncomfortably on display.

"Don't look now, darling," Rarity whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "but your target is both present, and totally checking you out."

"Okay," Applejack whispered back, and swallowed. "So, what should ah do? Do ah go to talk to him, or...?"

"Oh no, no, no, darling!" Rarity whispered with conviction. "You're the prize, sweetheart! The jewel everypony's wanting to get! You just wait it out, play it cool, and lure him in. You let him come to you, make him think he won you over, and you have him right where you want him, thinking that your wishes are his desires!"

"What if he's not interested?" Applejack asked genuinely.

Rarity snorted. "Are you serious? I don't want to toot my own horn, but I performed magnificently with you. I don't think there's a stallion in the room that wouldn't want to take you home and make you the happiest mare in the world. Just play cold shoulder to every other stallion here, and a dashing brave rogue like him will have no choice but to show everypony how it's done. Now, let's go dance! Follow my lead," Rarity said, taking to the center stage, Applejack uncertainly in her tow.

Pinkamena Diane Pie looked on with an unreadable expression on her face, as Shining Armor emptied his drink, steeled himself, and stepped up to the dance floor, her hooves gripping each other under the table.

* * *

Applebloom snapped her head up at the sound of gravel hitting the glass. She sprinted to the window and saw something that made her blood freeze. Outside were her two new fillyfriends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, standing alone in the dark.

”Gals!” Applebloom sticked her head out and all but shrieked at the two fillies. ”What in tarnation are y'all doing?!”

”We came to get you, Applebloom!” Scootaloo whisper-shouted back. ”We gave Sweetie Belle's parents the slip!”

”We thought it was unfair leaving you behind. After all, my sister and yours and your brother are all going to the party at Prance, and so are a whole lot of other ponies,” Sweetie Belle explained.

”Yeah! And with the ghost around, we need to make sure they're safe. Filly Night Watch, go!” Scootaloo said enthusiastically.

Applebloom blinked and planted her face on the windowsill. ”Oh, ponyfeathers! This cain't be real,” she moaned under her breath.

* * *

"Di!" a voice whispered harshly.

"Twilight," Diane acknowledged quietly with a nod, her eyes never leaving the chatting pair of Shining Armor and 'Applejack', the unequine target of their collective suspicion. "How went the search?"

"With the resources of both the town library and the personal study of Chaplain Candlewax, I managed to narrow down the list of possible supernaturals down to seventeen, six of which I think are rather dubious," Twilight sidled up to Diane and placed a sheaf of notes in front of her. "I do have one strong suspicion, however."

A flicker of ears was the only sign Diane showed of her interest.

"When I was at the town library, I saw the target enter with a filly and talk to two other ponies there. One of them was an older mare, dubbed here as 'Green', and the other was a stallion, or a stallion-like creature I decided to call 'Red'." Twilight swallowed. "It was magnificent! I was at first intrigued by the sense of dark magic about them, it was as strong as that of vamponies' or malevolent spirits', but notably different, an aura I have not sensed before." Twilight looked hesitant. "Then, 'Red' took my attention. I noticed... reactions within me, as I studied him closely: a quickened breath, accelerated heartbeat, warmth spreading to parts of my body. I believe he was having a marked magical effect on me! I felt an unexplained attraction. That's when it hit me!"

Twilight slammed a tome on the table in front of them. "Succubi!" she declared vehemently. "Demons that take on a pony form to seduce unwitting mares and stallions to have intercourse with them, and then, during coitus, they devour their souls!" Twilight breathed rapidly and pointed at an particularly graphic illustration in the tome.

Diane blinked, then frowned with narrowed eyes. "Why would one fight a vampony?" she asked, not in a challenging manner.

"I am uncertain," Twilight admitted. "But I have a theory. I believe 'Green', the older mare, is an enchantress who summoned these creatures for unknown purposes. She seemed to be giving orders to the others. I don't know about the filly," she said tapping her chin. "She could be a poninculus, or maybe an apprentice. Anyway, maybe she wants to clear the turf for herself. I found out they've taken residence in Johnny Appleseed's orchard, which is suspicious in itself."

"No sign of him, then?", Diane asked.

"None," Twilight said. "It's like the earth swallowed him."

"We'll have to keep a close eye on them, then," Diane said. Then she nodded towards Shining Armor. "Think your brother's in danger?"

Twilight followed Diane's gaze to her brother and Applejack, laughing together at some joke and holding hooves. "Oh no! He's being seduced!" she gasped. "We never should have had him try to investigate her undercover! Oh, what do we do now?"

Diane's eyes hardened. "We make sure nothing bad happens to him," she said in a cold tone and opened a flap in her dress, where Twilight saw several self-made incendiary charges hanging ready for use.

Twilight nodded. "Yes, indeed," she said. Then her eyes widened. "Oh no! The other one is here as well! He's got Rarity!" she whispered, pointing to the dance floor, where they could see Rarity leaning happily to Big Mac's wide chest while they danced slowly.

* * *

Applejack laughed at the dirty joke Shining Armor had just told. I can't believe I suspected him of those things, she thought to herself with chagrin. I mean, sure, you can see the pain in him, but he's not a bad pony. I bet he's just one of those heroic types that can't rest while they know bad things are happening. I should make sure nothing bad happens to him, if he does tend to go out vamp-hunting every now and then. Maybe he could help find out about the witch-craft going on here, as well.

There was something about the dark moodiness of the handsome stallion that spoke to Applejack. It made him seem so vulnerable on one hoof, yet so enticingly dangerous on the other. It made her want to hug him tight and let him cry out while at the same time hinted at potential violence hid within. It was quite exciting and a whole new experience for her.

"So, ah don't want to spoil the mood, but ya don't know anything new about the dead pony they found at the school yesterday?" Applejack asked aloud. "Gave my sister a fright, ah tell ya."

Shining Armor shook his head. I can't believe she's some kind of monster, he mused silently. She seems so... alive, so young and, well, not exactly innocent, but naive, almost. Like there's both a light and steel inside her. And a strong fire. I just can't see her in league with the beasts. She's either an unbelievably good actress, or a very, very special mare. He smiled sadly. Like Twilight. "I'm afraid not," he said aloud. "Somepony broke into the school last night for unknown purposes and caused some property damage, and somepony stole Mr. Stone's body from the morgue." That one I at least know who did it, he thought, but I can't really tell you that I go around taking out vamponies, can I? Not until I know it was you the girls saw fighting a vamp that night. They've never been wrong before, but first time for everything, I guess.

Suddenly, his eyes focused on something and his face hardened. "Excuse me, Applejack," he said quickly, "but I need to ...eh, go to the little colts' room." With that, he sprinted from the table.

"Wha?" Applejack said bewildered and looked after him. Just barely he saw him slip out from the club from a back door, then her eyes spotted a couple leaving together from the main doors, and she quickly added two and two together.

* * *

"So, mah sister's got herself an admirer, then?" a low voice asked just behind Rarity's ear.

Rarity's breath caught in her throat. She had spent a good part of the evening watching her newest friend fumble her way cutely innocently into the graces of her handsome crush. Rarity was known for playing colts for favors, but Romance was her true love, and she loved to play matchmaker. She played out scenarios in her mind while surreptitiously watching the pair out of the corner of her eyes.

'Oh, Applejack, she formed Shining's dialogue in her mind's eye, 'I feel like I could tell you anything.' 'Anything,' her friend would confirm in a sultry tone, and they would look deeply in each others' eyes and lean close and their lips would get closer and closer... and then the voice sounded in her ears, and her breath hitched.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in a high pitched voice, and giggled, blushing. Goddess, that's embarrassing! she scolded herself. Get a grip of yourself, Rarity! You're not a giggling schoolgirl! Beat. Well, yes, you are, but no need to make it obvious! "I didn't see you there..." her voice trailed as she turned to look at Big Macintosh, already gearing up for a bit of game with Applejack's most masculine brother, nothing cruel of course, she'd never hurt a friend, just a bit of fun... then her eyes met the muscular stallion's outfit. "A burgundy double denim vest," she said with a fainting voice, "so snug..."

Big Mac felt a bit self-conscious. His sister had assured him that the old vest from his prom dress he had had re-tailored for combat purposes would be fine for the outing, but it felt it had gotten a bit tighter around the chest in the last few years since he had last wore it, and he could sense the stares in his ...flank? He chuckled self-deprecatingly, and rubbed the back of his head with one hoof.

"Care fer a dance, miz... sorry, Rarity?" he asked, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. "Ah really appreciate ya looking after mah baby sister the other night, and ah thought, if'n ya don't mind, ah could try anf be a gentlecolt for an evening." He smiled at the young beauty Applejack had befriended and was gratified to see a blush on her face. Ah, he chuckled inwardly, not quite as worldly after all, then.

A few moments later they were slowly circling together on the dance floor, listening to a slow song by the not-so-studlies, when Big Mac noticed her sister moving rapidly towards the doors. A glance and a nod from her told the situation.

"Would ya like to go fer a walk?" he asked his partner after a moment's thought. No need to be rude, after all. And there may be other hunters about tonight, best keep her close.

* * *

"The targets have vanished," said Diane suddenly in a tight voice.

"What?! What happened? I didn't see anything!" Twilight said frantically.

"The crowds hinder visibility," Diane said with a frown. "Let's move outside."

"Oh no!" Twilight said, and started towards the door. "They're moving in for the kill! Shining!"

* * *

In a narrow alleyway between houses, a young filly was about to get kissed for the first time. When she turned towards the wonderful, mysterious, exotic stallion that had paid her such attention, however, she saw to her horror he had changed into a beast with red glowing eyes and sharp fangs that gleamed in the moonlight. She screamed.

"Oh, no you don't!" shouted a voice, and the shoulder of Shining Armor rammed into the monster and forced it against the wall. Several quick punches followed to its throat and face, reinforced by strange metal contraptions the sheriff's deputy had strapped to his legs.

The monster shrugged the punches off, however, and grabbed Shining Armor by the gruff of his neck with one claw, then delivered a massive punch to his gut and threw the stallion away like a rag doll. The filly fainted.

Shining Armor tried desperately to get his breath back and scrambled back up on his hooves. The vampony prowled around him and snarled. Oh, hell, thought Shining Armor, I'm in for it now. The beast jumped, maw open. Shining prepared to block.

Then the beast jerked, mid-air, and evaporated, just a moment's reach away from Shining Armor. He blinked, and turned his head to see Applejack standing at the other end of the street, one foreleg stretched in after-throw position. Shining Armor was about to break into smile, when the filly was jumped by three other vamponies.

He watched in horror as the filly was about to get shred to pieces, then felt his jaw drop open, as the beasts flew away from her as she bucked.

A mighty strike with both hind-legs smashed one of the vamponies against a brick wall with bone-shattering strength, and quick snap-kicks with both forelegs gave the warrior filly enough space to grab two more stakes from her boots. Shining Armor growled a yell and attempted to join the fray, when unequinely strong forelegs grabbed him into an inescapable hug. "Now, big boy, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, now would we?" purred a feminine voice in his ear, and Shining Armor felt himself being lifted into air.

Applejack fought hard. Three-on-one wasn't impossible odds for a slayer, but it wasn't a foal's play either. While the vamp she had bucked was out for a count, she concentrated on the other two, now wary of her.

"Master warned about the likes of you," hissed one of the two vamps standing up, the mare. The stallion was circling to her other side, while Applejack tried to keep both in eyesight.

"Yeah?" Applejack said challengingly. "Did he warn y'all about this?" She jumped and twisted in one, smooth motion, snapping her hind legs around the neck of the mare, while feinting against the stallion with one of the stakes and letting the other fly with an underhoof throw. A twist and a roll took the female vamp down, and Applejack continued the motion with a fast strike with the stave still in her hoof. Two clouds of dust billowed on her both sides, and she turned her gaze against the remaining vampony, who looked at her in fear.

With a flap of its wings, the vampony raised itself in the air, preparing all its four legs to defend against the slayer's wrath. Applejack avoided it entirely, however, with a few strong leaps pounding to the wall beside it and delivering a haymaker to the back of its head. She landed stake down on its chest, and snapped her gaze back to the street in time to see Shining Armor struggling against the grip of a vampony dragging him slowly upwards.

"Sis!" "Applejack, are you all right, dear?" she heard the voices of Big Mac and Rarity behind her and whirled to face them.

"No time! Ah need to save mah date!" she said and leaped from top of a trash bin to a marquis and from there to the roof.

"...you have blood on your bodice," Rarity said weakly after her.

"Take cover!" shouted Big Mac. "We have some more company!"

Applejack flowed through the air, leaping quietly from roof to roof, her hooves making silent landfalls in practiced steps as she followed her quarry in the night. The vampony was struggling with Shining Armor's weight, and the stallion was putting up a good fight. After a few moments of hot pursuit Applejack managed to get close enough to take a running leap towards the vampony and hit it in the back with her hooves.

All three dropped to a roof in a tangle. Shining Armor rolled painfully and forced himself back on his hooves and shook his head. He focused his eyes on his enemy and saw Applejack grab its head with both her fronthooves. A quick violent movement and a loud, sickening crack later, the vampony dropped down in two pieces, vanishing into dust before it hit the roof. Shining Armor stared at the panting filly, her mane slightly messed and her face flushed, gorgeous in the light of a crescent moon.

"What are you?" he breathed, eyes wide.

Twilight and Diane rushed to an alleyway towards the sounds of a struggle that had ended just a few moments earlier. Always mindful of the advantages of the element of surprise, they stopped in the corner, and peered around carefully.

In the street, Big Mac let out a breath at having defeated the last of his enemies. He glanced around, seeing just a bit of debris and broken street, and the form of beautiful Rarity, who had decided to faint at the sight of charging monsters. Big Mac sighed and lifted the filly carefully onto his back.

"Oh no!" whispered Twilight in horror.

* * *

A trio of fillies stood in front of an iron gate. Sweetie Belle was shivering gently, Scootaloo was trembling (in excitement, she would say, if anyone asked), and Applebloom in the certain knowledge that they were doomed.

"The Ponyville Cemetary!" Scootaloo declared in what she hoped was a determined voice. It was the cold of the night, surely, that broke her voice and made her teeth chatter.

"Y'all are completely loco!" Applebloom said darkly.

"M-m-maybe w-we s-should search for g-g-ghosts in the c-c-church, rather?" suggested Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo closed her eyes and swallowed. Then she forced herself to take a step towards the gate. "Nonsense," she said weakly and turned to give her friends a deathly grimace she called a reassuring smile, "this is where the g-ghosts are," she said, her voice turning horrified in the end.

Comments

[DiscordDraconequus]

No Twi, that reaction is perfectly natural for a young mare viewing a handsome stallion. Neither him nor his sisters are demons.

[Immanuel]

3717830 Well, to be fair to Twilight, it is an easy mistake to make. I remember the first time I had a crush on a girl, and ended up trying to bury her under crossroads at midnight, her mouth stuffed with garlic. Oh, how we laughed about it later!