Blood Loss

by scamp7676

Strange New Finds

Strange New Finds
Chapter 1

"Drop," A voice called from down stairs," get down here! It's almost eleven' o 'clock!"

Blood Drop groaned, shifted under her covers groggily and covered her head with a pillow. It was Saturday, couldn't Crystal Fracture let her sleep till noon? She was sixteen anyway; wasn't it natural for teens to sleep late?

"Blood Drop!" Fracture shouted up into her room. Apparently not in Fracture's mind it wasn't.

Drop lifted her head, the pillow drapped over her tall horn. She blinked her green/brown eyes to clear away the sleep that clouded her vision. Her red and black streaked hair was messy and tangled from all the tossing and turning. She dragged herself out of bed and over to the vanity. A scarlet furred, half asleep mare stared back at Drop from where she stood in front of the mirror. With a yawn, she grasped a brush in her bright red magic and began to comb out her mane.

After that matter had been dealt with, Drop slipped down the stairs and into the main part of the cottage. She was greeted by the familiar sight of her guardian, Crystal Fracture. The blue pegasus looked rather annoyed up at Drop, but it was hard for Drop to take her seriously when she was an entire two feet taller than Fracture. She had been looking down on the older mare since she turned ten.

"Why can't you be like all the other fillies your age and get up at a decent hour?" Fracture asked.

"Because I am not like other fillies my age," Drop replied, walking past her with a flick of her tail. "And I am not a filly anymore Fracture, I am almost a mare."

Fracture trotted into the kitchen ahead of Drop and flew up to the cabinates. She grabbed a box of Oats and Wheat Cereal before flying back down and putting it on the table. "But you're not a mare yet," she said looking back at Drop.

"It's too early for this!" Drop exclaimed, sitting down at the painfully short table and pouring herself a bowl of the cereal with her magic. She was so fustrated, her magic gave out with a Pop and a spark, and spilt milk from the cartain she was holding in it all over the table. Drop's magic did that sometimes, but she could never figure out why.

Crystal Fracture just turned away and trotted into the living room, leaving Blood Drop to clean up her breakfast. Drop snorted angrily after her, hoping that she heard it. If she had, Fracture showed no sign of it as she disappeared into the next room. Insted of finishing her cereal and cleaning up the mess, Drop decided she needed to take a walk to get away from her infuriating guardian. Living with Fracture was like living with porkypines!

With ruffled feathers, she slipped on her glittery, wrap around black shoes, put on her saddle bags, and headed out the door. She probably should have left a note, but Drop would be back soon enough. Outside the cottage, the small village of Midnight was already alive with ponies. Everypony had already been awake for hours while Drop slept in, but it's not like any of them minded. No one really noticed or wanted to be around her anyway. Blood Drop had always been extremely introverted and anti-social, and preferred being alone to being around tons of other ponies. She had read more than once about how having friends could improve your mood and all that other stuff, but she just never saw the appeal.

Drop walked quietly through the many ponies, standing taller than all of them. Some whispered to each other and glared at her while others just completely ignored her all together. She got tired of the stares and opened her black tipped wings, taking to the sky. She flew swiftly over to her quiet place; the Moongazer Public Library. With a click of her shoes on the stone building's entryway, Drop pushed open the heavy doors to the library and entered. Light poured in from outside into the old building, adding to the dim tourches that lined the knowledge filled walls.

The stallion sitting at the front desk jerked his head up and the sudden brightness. His slightly greying mane bobbed limply on his head as he pulled his glasses back up with his blue magic and gazed at the filly.

"Hello, Miss Drop," he greeted her. He was one of the very few poines who acutally talked to her.

"Hey, Parchment." Drop returned the greeting with a sigh as she walked up to the brown unicorn. "Got any new mythology books today?"

Parchment shook his head. "Sorry, I am not expecting anymore for another two months." He bent down and pulled up some other books from below his desk.

"What are those?" Drop asked, eyeing the dusty, aged books with intrest. The spines were cracked and the pages looked yellowed. "They look old."

"Just some books that need to be re-shelved," he said, patting them. "I brought them out to send them to get repaired, but the delivery stallion said they were too old to transport safely. Since you're here, would you mind putting them back for me?"

"Not at all, Parchment." Drop enveloped the books carefully in her red magic, picking it up off the table. "Where do they need to go?"

"Way back there," he said, pointing to a dark area in the library. "I would show you where myself, but I have to go and do a little shopping at the market for some more ink and quills." Parchment walked out from behind the oak desk and over to the door. "Feel free to read anything you want while I am gone, just make sure you leave a note telling me if you check anything out!"

Drop nodded her thanks and waved good-bye to him as he left the library. She then proceded to make her way to the dark area Parchment had pointed to. As she walked between the shadowy, cobweb filled shelves, she was sure she had never been back there before. The farther back she walked, the less light there was, and the older the books got. Eventually the glow of her horn was the only thing lighting her way as she carried the books. Drop stopped when she came to a dead end of shelves. She spotted three holes in the densely packed, musty smelling books. She placed the books in their repective places, then turned around with the intent of leaving.

She stopped in mid-step as the glow of her magic reflected off of something gold at the end of the shelf hall. She thought about just ignoring it and leaving like she intended, but her curiousity got the better of her and she turned to investigate the flash. Drop finally found the source of the golden refection. It was a leather book that looked strangly out of place among all the others. Unlike the rest, the book looked almost brand new. Its golden clasps shone like the sun, and inscribed on the front was the title: Legends of the Night, in ruby writing. That was the only writting Drop saw on the weird object; there wasn't even the name of the author.

Blood Drop decided that something as strange as that deserved to be read, epecially if it was about her favorite subject, myths and legends! She quickly scribbled down a note telling Parchment she found a book while she was putting the others away, and that she was taking it home.She left out which book it was though. If it was back there, I doubt anyone has read it recently.

Satisfied with her small letter, Drop left it on his desk and made her way out the door. She shoved the seemingly new book into her black saddle bags and started to head home where she could hopefully read in peace if Fracture wasn't there. She weaved her way excitedly through the mass of ponies. It was around 1 in the afternoon, rush hour for the small town of Midnight. It was the time of day when everypony took their lunch break. Drop's stomach growled as she thought about food. I did skip breakfast this morning thanks to Fracture. Maybe I should stop to get something to eat at the Starlight Cafe?

She dicided to give into her hunger and stop by the small coffee shop for a quick bite to eat. Her sparkly shoes clicked against the cobblestones as she redirected herself and headed deeper into town. Drop rarely ever came down this way, usually preferring to eat at the cottage away from everypony else. The stares and gossip became much worst when she went down main street, but nothing could be compaired to her tormenter, Candy.

"Well, well!" Speak of the nightmare.

Drop came to an imediate halt when she heard the pain-stakingly familiar, high-pitched voice of Candy. She turned to her left to see the white unicorn with magenta eyes standing just outside of the Spa. Her anoyingly perfect pink hair was curled and streaked with the same color magenta as her eyes. The teenaged filly stepped out of the door way to the Spa and trotted over to Drop.

"Blood Drop, long time no see," she said, faking the inocent tone in her voice. "Where have you been holed up lately? In the grave yard?"

"Go away, Candy," Drop said tensely. "I don't want any of your cruel humor today, I just came to get something to eat. After that I am going home."

"Why, the old timer not have any good vampire books for you? Or did you fail yet again to get your cutie mark?" Cand jabbed.

Drop turned her markless flank away from Candy, covering it with a flare of her wings. She didn't like being one of the only teens to not have a cutie mark; It was just as embarssing as being the only alicorn. Her anger boiled just under her fur. Drop had a bad habbit of loosing her temper quickly, whick was another reason ponies avoided her like the plague. She had once broken someponies nose in grade school because they teased her about her name and color, and then immediately got sent home. Sadly that pony hadn't been Candy though.

"Leave me be, you anoying filly!" Drop snapped, lighting up her horn threatingly. "Unless you'd like to get a pretty new cast to go with that hair-do!"

"Oh, bite me Drop," was all Candy said before galloping off. One of these days i will! Drop thought as she watched the unicorn run.

After that, Drop quickly make her way angrily to the coffee shop and perchased a small latte and a cranberry oat muffin before heading home. She approched the vanilla and light brown colored cottage carefully, wondering if Fracture even noticed she was gone yet. If she had, Drop was in for an extreme lecture about not cleaning up her mess and leaving without telling her. But as fate would have it, the blue pegasus was nowhere to be seen.

Without a second thought, she kicked her shoes off and bolted up the stairs in the event Crystal Fracture was there and just hadn't noticed Drop's absence quiet yet. The scarlet filly plopped down on her round bed, set her lunch down on her side table, and pulled out the book she had checked out. With her wings strewn out becide her, she inspected the book. She tried opening it, but it appeared to be locked shut by the golden, bat-shapped clasps. With a quick sip of her drink, Drop got up and searched for something to open it with in her vanity's drawers. She came back with a screw driver, only to discover something written on the back that hadn't been there when she last looked.

Only when first blood has been shed, will the bats take flight and unlock the secrets of the everlasting night

"What the hay is that supposed to mean?" Drop asked herself, taking a bite out of her muffin.

The sound of the door slamming shut below her shook the house. Drop stashed the weird hard-cover under her pillows as hoof-steps came from the staircase. For a second, she questioned why they had stairs when both her and Frature could fly, but then remembered that the house could have been built for Earth ponies and Unicorns originally, not an alicorn and her pain in the tail, pegasus guardian.

As Drop thought, she noticed that the sound of hoof-steps were heavier than they should have been if Fracture was trotting up the wood planks. Pegasi With a forbodding feeling making her shiver, her horn glowed to life with a protection spell at the ready. The shadow of a colt showed against the cream colored wall as Drop readied her surprize attack on the intruder. The first hoof was placed upon the floor boards and-

"Polar!" Drop exclaimed as she let loose her spell on the colt.

The young, light blue stallion dropped to the floor as the red beam of magic passed just over his head, grazing his mane with a sizzle. "What they hay, Drop?!" he said as it bounced off the wall and out the window.

"Great stars, Polar," Drop said helping him up off the floor. "You know not to sneek up on me like that!"

Polar Ice was Drop's second, and only other friend in town. He was a very, light blue Earth pony with a platinunm blond mane and sky blue eyes. His cutie mark was an weather map. He was the only Earth pony Drop knew that was able to predict severe weather days before it happened. In other words, he was like a pony-fied early warning system for the citizens, which was very helpful.

Unlike in most other countries, the weather within the kingdom wasn't controled by the pegasi, it just did what ever it wanted. It's not like the winged ponies were lazy, it was just impossible to manage; so they just let it go and do it's own thing. The seasons also changed by themselves, just to be clear.

Polar smiled sheep-ishly at the teenaged filly. "Sorry about that. I forgot about what happened the last time I came in unannounced."

"You'll forever have that bald patch to remember me by," Drop said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Now, why did you come here?"

"I saw Candy giving you a hard time, so I thought I'd come and give you a little company." Polar looked down the stairs. "I didn't see Fracture when I came in though," he said.

Drop shrugged and sat back on her bed. "I don't know where she went, but as long as she's out of my mane for a few hours, I am ok with it." She pulled her book out from underneath her pillow again.

"That's new, when did Parchment get that one in?"

"He didn't," Drop said shaking her head as she put it down on the desk. "I found it in the very back with a bunch of really old books while I was helping him out. It really stood out, and not just because it looks almost completely new."

The colt eyed the book with intrest. "Maybe it is new and Parchment just put it in the wrong place?" He suggested, running a hoof over the locks. "Isn't he always misplacing books anyway? It wouldn't surprize me if he just happened to put this on the shelf with the others."

"That's the weird part, Polar." Drop flashed her green/brown eyes at him as she explained. "The books back there were so tightly packed and covered with dust, it would be impossible to put anything new in there. Even the books I put away had perfect sized, designated slots on the self, and also, everything looked like it hadn't been touched in decades!"

"Strange..." he said. "Well, what ever the case may be about it's weird appearence, it here. Have you read it yet?"

Drop shook her head again, picking it up in her magic again and bringing it up to eye level so Polar could read what it said on the back. "I tried already, but the bat locks keep it shut. I can't open it unless I can decipher what this creepy riddle means."

Her friend studied it closely, flattening his ears in concentration. After a while Polar snatched it out of Drop's magical grasp and sat on his hindquarters with a thump! "I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but I am sure if this thing is as old as you claim it to be, then the locks should snap easily with a little brute strength. I am an Earth pony, so that should be no problem for me."

I am part Earth pony, too, genius! Drop thought, scruntching her nose up as he fumbled with the locks. He tried to pry to covers apart by wedging his hooves in between them. With a yelp of pain, his hooves slipped out from between the still closed book covers. The inferal thing dropped to the floor as Polar jerked his legs back. Along the length of his left hoof was a nasty slice from the sharp pages. Blood tricked from the cut and dripped onto it's leather binding.

Drop gasped as the blood spattered on the library book. "Polar, look what you've done to yourself and the book!" she snapped, picking it up off the floor rather discustedly. She really didn't like the sight of blood. "Go get that cut cleaned with the first aid kit in the bathroom while I clean your nasty blood off this!"

Polar nodded and limped down the stairs while Drop set the book on her vanity and grabbed a towel to clean it off with. As she leaned over it, the clasps came open with a small click and scared the fur off of her. She stumbled back into her bed, bumping into it and falling head over hooves onto the floor. With a groan at her own jumpiness, Drop heaved herself off the floor and inched back over to the book. The scarlet staining the cover had disappeared, strangely enough. It was almost as though the book absorbed it. When first blood is spilled! She thought, looking at it in awe. It must only open when blood is spilled on it.....how gross!

The sound of Polar coming back upstairs startled Drop out of her thoughts. The sudden urge to hide the book came over her. It was more than the fear of Fracture finding out why she left the house this time, it was the need to keep whatever information the blood book contained a secret. Drop yanked open one of her drawers and shoved the leather bound book inside, hiding it under her clothes franticly. She slammed the drawer closed and jumped onto her bed as her friend entered the room.

"Blood Drop, you alright up here?" Polar Ice asked.

"Yes, never better!" Drop sprang up and trotted over to him to keep him from going any farther into the room. "W-why do you ask?"

"I heard what sounded like a hundred pound alicorn hitting the floor." He looked at her strangely. "Did you get the book cleaned off?"

Drop nodded quickly and started pushing him down the stairs before he started asking more questions. "It's getting late Polar. Fracture will be showing up any second, and I don't want you to get into any trouble with her," she insisted, trotting down the stairs with him. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?

"Sure, Drop," he said, opening the door. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?"

"Positive!" Drop gave him a push out the door. "Bye, Polar!"

The confused stallion just nodded slowly, and with another odd glance back at Drop, he turned around and left. She quickly shut the door behind him and pressed her back to it with a relieved sigh. As Drop sat back, the need to protect her book faded, leaving a very confused filly leaning against a door. Why had she all of a sudden go from a cool and collected teen, haging out with her friend, to a nut house pony who needed to be alone.

Something is definately wrong with that book.

Comments

[Bryan Luna]

Ok that was definitly better, and I loved that part where drop though one of these days I will in refernce to biting that unicorn. I did notice two spelling errors decied and which, you'll need to fix those. Beyond that however this remains an interesting story and I look forward to more. I just noticed that your story title is not capitalized, you should fix that too.

[Nocturne Hurakan]

So a magic lock that opens with blood. That is cool I can't wait to see what is in that book.

[Ice Star]

This needs editing but otherwise seems fine. Drop has a decent personality unlike pretty much every single black and red alicorn oc stereotype out there.