Twin Night Terror's

by FluffyDoom

Another Time

Chapter 9: Another Time

Astra heard crying in the distance as she finished the pitifully small mouse. She licked bloody teeth as her head cleared only a little. Who was crying, why did it tug at her memory? She stood up and wobbled to the closed doors.

A tiny stream of sunlight came through the door and touched her face. Red eyes narrowed in dislike as she scuttled back from the shining light. Not only did it blind her momentarily, it felt like hot water was being poured on her. Not steaming water, but it was just hot enough to cause discomfort and perhaps a few stings of pain.

She growled and paced around in the dark. The dried bad-blood was beginning to bother her again with its disgusting stench. When could she escape to get good-blood? It wasn’t like she was uncomfortable in the dark, which she could see in perfectly fine, but the burn was already coming back. Mice blood did little to help her.

Eclipse had finally managed to sooth Shimmer

“Now, you go wash up, and I will be back with your sister.” She said softly.

Shimmer nodded as she crawled off.

Eclipse picked up the blood bags and let her whole body shudder in disgust finally. She felt her suppressed gag reflex trying to activate again at the puddle of stomach acids and blood before her. She had to get away from it quickly or else her own stomach fluids may join it.

She ran to the cellar on the other side of the house. Opening it she saw Astra, an in all her feral glory.

The moment Astra caught sight of Eclipse she ignored the blood packets and instead zeroed in on the fresh pony meat before her. Her fangs jumped out of her teeth, and she hissed loudly. A warning, the vampire wanted to attack, and feast.

Eclipse did the only thing she could do, as Astra prepared to jump at her, she threw the bags of blood at her face and closed the cellar door just as she sprang forward. A thud on the other side told her Astra had been unable to stop herself from colliding with the door and a string of pity went through her. Astra had been reduced to nothing, her intelligence that of a wild boar.

She fled away from the door, too stupid, too feral and unable to think, to know any better. She really thought that the door attacked her. After all, it had been keeping her prisoner down there, and refusing to budge until that pony who once smelled bad came by. With that leg healed though, and the blood gone, most of her smelled really good. Painstakingly, hungrily, good.

Astra growled at the thought of her prey getting away, and would have continued to growl if she had not noticed that her prey had left something behind. Red caught her eyes. Beautiful red liquids floating innocently in the bags. Her fangs still unhinged, she approached one and tore it open, loving the feel of its insides splashing on her muzzle. This stupid unmoving prey was just fine! Even if its blood was bad-tasting. At least it wasn’t bad-smelling.

One by one, Astra greedily guzzled down the bags of blood, each new bag she began, the cleaner it was. By the last bag she was able to think clearly, and when she had finished with it, she threw it away in utter disgust.

“Blugh.” She snorted. “What a headache… Is it still night time?” She wondered aloud.

Absentmindedly she licked her lips, feeling a cool liquid on them. It tasted good, better than good actually. It tasted great. She licked her muzzle again. What was that liquid? All she remembered was drinking something from a bag.

She put a muzzle to her mouth and brought it back, nearly fainting at its sight.

Red stained her muzzle, chest, and hooves. Her eyes shrunk in fear and panic. Where had that blood come from? Looking around the lightless room, she was somehow able to see in the dark. Her eyes fell upon the mouse and a sob escaped her.

It was a tiny, bloody, ripped up mouse. Nearby there lay another one. It was as mutilated as the first, but it looked just as bad to the once-innocent pony.

“I’m sorry.” She squeaked, unable to comprehend that they would never hear her to-late apology.

Tears leaked from her eyes, the nights events finally catching up to her. The smell was literally the only thing that had kept her from mauling Eclipse just like she attacked those mice. Where had that stench come from though? And where had the Earth pony mare gone?

Shimmer finished washing her pelt for the third time, using the cold freezing water as a way to ground herself back with reality.

Last night had been unreal for her. It was scary, devastating for the blows she barely remembered dealing out, and… Exciting. Despite everything, she had felt pure-adrenaline pump though her veins along with strong smells hitting her advanced nose. She had catched every-single noise, and all the animals shook in terror at her mighty howls. For the first time in her life she had been strong.

Still though, she wasn’t sure that newfound strength was worth it. More and more memories made themselves noticed, as they flashed before her eyes. The fight with the changeling, though he had survived with mere scratches thanks to his chitin and wings, the devouring of the poor bunny, and rampaging around like the wild animal she had transformed into.

All the thrills she had felt disappeared quickly, and she soon felt that the dangerous overran the perks, if there were any perks to turning into an unchecked monster once a month. She got up stiffly and shut off the water.

I need to think of something else… I need to- hey, what was that? She thought as a tingling sensation on her flank interrupted her thoughts. She looked down and gasped. Upon her flank there was a full moon, her cutie mark.

A dark, yet secretly happy thought, crossed her mind. Is this my destiny?

Astra exited from the cellar, walking shamefully next to the oblivious Eclipse, who was wrapped up in her own thoughts. Astra was easily able to hold back her complaints of discomfort in the morning sunlight, though her skin seemed to grow warmer by the second.

As they neared the yard, she finally spoke. “What happened last night? I can’t believe what happened, and yet I was there.”

Astra held back a sob. “I nearly killed you, is what happened.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

“You didn’t though.” Eclipse reminded her, trying to be energetic, but the power was not there. “I mean, here I am, without a scratch from you.”

“But my sister scratched you…”

“I am fine now.” Eclipse insisted, more life in her voice. “Lets just check up on your sister...” She trailed off as Shimmer ran at them, a large grin on her face.

“I got my cutie mark! All I have done my entire life is survive, and I finally found my destiny!” She cried out in joy. She skidded to a halt and showed them her grey flank. “I mean, once I read that ponies in our situation don’t always get their cutie marks, but I did!” She squeaked.

A weary grin appeared on Eclipses face, even after all that had happened, the tiny Pegasus had found a reason to grin. Her cutie mark! “That is fabulous, Shimmer!” Eclipse exclaimed, happy to hear some good news.

Astra looked at them, unsure whether or not to smile. Her sister had gotten her cutie mark, but at what cost? Eclipse seemed so eager to find something good that she was ignoring the obvious. Astra had killed mice, Shimmer had killed something and Eclipse had nearly bleed out but insisted that she was fine.

“I can’t take this!” She screeched as the other two got into a conversation. “You insane mares are acting like this is all fine, but it isn’t! It isn’t fine!” She yelled and backed away, her body quivering from the tiredness that dragged at her, and the anger that suddenly pumped through her. “Nothing is fine!” She screeched again and turned tail to flee.

Shimmer watched her sister flee, dumbfounded by her response. No congratulations, no smiles, no cheers, just a bunch of yelling and then running. Who put a stick up her bum?

No, bad Shimmer! She scolded herself. We do not think like that about our sister! She is obviously frazzled from last night, she just needs understanding… Even if she overeacted a little.

The Pegasus looked down and growled. “What the hell did we do wrong?”

Eclipse bit her tongue before answering, “Nothing. Well, I did. I ignored the fact that she had a very hard night, that both of you did, because right now I can’t cope with the truth.” She admitted. “I thought, hey, I’m an adult. I can handle this, but I wasn’t ready to help her, I wasn’t even ready to help you.” She sighed and looked down. “I don’t think I am ready now either… Shimmer, will you be alright if I just go home for he night, maybe the week? My leg is hurting me…” A whine escaped her.

Anger coursed through the young lycan. No it isn’t alright! You are the only adult who can help us, and now you are running away, but it is even worse than my own sister running! Coward! Yet as the thoughts coursed through her head, she plastered a believable smile of reassurance on her face.

“It’s ok Eclipse.” She whispered. “I understand.” That was a lie, but the Earth pony didn’t need to know. “Go home, rest, come back next week. Everything will be cleaned up and under control by then.” The promise was true though.

Eclipse grinned at her weakly. “Thanks… Shims.” She had never used her nickname before, or at least she didn’t remember using it.

Shimmer didn’t know why, but she despised Eclipse using her sisters nickname. The adult couldn’t know though, she just couldn’t! So another smile slid onto her face. “You’re welcome.”

Eclipse limped away painfully, no longer trying to block out the pain, but now trying to stave off the exhaustion that plagued her.

Shimmer could deal with this on her own, and she could help Astra too. Astra needed her, and was not to be blamed for running off, but Eclipse? Something about her suddenly ticked her off, and she welcomed the anger. It convinced her to go on.

She lifted her nose to the air and allowed the new smells to hit it, and the hunt for her sister began.

Astra could no longer stand the sunlight, she needed out of it, and right away. But where, where could that vamp-pony flee too? In the distance, crazed red eyes caught sight of the shady forest and a cool breeze played gently with her hair. Yes… The place of the beasts was perfect for a night monster like her.

Unaware of the passing world she opened her wings for the first time and clumsily flapped onto a branch. Instinct took over as her wings finally found a rhythm just when she found her branch. With a less-than graceful landing, she sat on the heavy oak branch and let out a breath.

She was somewhere dark and the fact that it wasn’t that cellar made her all the happier. She let out a gusty breath that she had been holding, and a simple thought pushed her overboard into hysterical laughter.

Do undead things even need to breath?

“Hehehehe!” She laughed at the thought, if only to relieve some of her own stress with humor. “I need blood to make my heart pump, and yet, technically, I am not really alive! I guess being undead includes being ironic for the rest of my undead life! I am living irony, dead, yet not dead! Hahahaha!”

It was weird, but the laughter helped her calm down. The more she laughed the more her nerves settled, and soon she was reduced to giggles, which slipped away into a simple smile. A sane smile, and now that she had gotten the nerves out of her system, she could think about her predicament.

Eclipse and Shimmer were probably worried sick for her and searching for her at the moment, but at least she was safe. Thanks to the stroll in the sun though, her body demanded liquids, and she knew that it wasn’t water which she craved. She needed blood, like all vampires she had read about.

Didn’t all vampires have some sort of spell to attract small creatures to them if ponies weren’t around? She remembered glimpsing over it, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe she had to delve into her new powers…

She gasped in pain at what she found. The powers didn’t hurt her, but it was the lack of them that left a scorching reminder. She was a Unicorn without magick. Well no, that wasn’t right. The horn on her head was useless now, her previous power drained to make room for the new ones. The new powers she didn’t want, but had to use now if she wanted to spare her sister the sight of her feeding.

She closed her eyes and gathered a new concentration. Delving into her once pink power she found that it had changed into a purple one, with a something little extra in it that she couldn’t quite name. Assuming that the little extra was meant to be there, she slowly threaded it through her horn, praying that it could still work like a conductor for magick. If it couldn’t however…. Well, astra would get one nasty headache, or worse.

Different pony types used different body parts to conduct their special racial magick. Unicorns used their horns, Pegasi there wings, and Earth ponies used their whole bodies in one spread out thin sheet of magick, while their hooves held most of it. Thankfully, her new vampire powers seemed to accept her horn for at least using it as a conductor.

It spread out and beckoned every little animal, though because she was so new at it, and it was spread so far, only a few heeded her calls. One bird landed right next to her, and the second she heard the little, thump, thump, of its heart, instincts took over and her hooved flashed out. She broke its neck and forced it to her mouth, sucking the poor creature dry.

Sadly, she dropped the animal, but she refused to cry despite her racing thoughts screaming at her.

You’re a freak! The thoughts yelled. You don’t belong in this world, ponies are not hunters! They are animals who eat hay and grass, and yummy things like that. You though… You suck blood like a carnivore! Her own mind was against her, and it was all she could do to not whimper in devastation.

“Astra, was that some of your new powers?” An amazed voice broke through her thoughts. “Well, what I wouldn’t give to be able to do that! Collecting love would be so much easier.”

She turned her head shyly to the now well-known voice. “What do you even know about my situation? How do you know?”

Marcus sat next to her and rubbed a hoof on his leg. “Well… Um, I only know a little. After you all went into hiding last night I sorta went inside your house, read your stuff, and connected the dots.”

She studied his chest and flinched. “Where did you get those scars? I didn’t even know chitin could scar.”

His frown deepened. “Well, it does and your sister gave them to me. She really loves you though, so I healed fastly. You two guys fighting against the world and struggling to survive? It has given you both the strongest bond I have ever tasted… Ok, that last part came out a bit weird, sorry.”

She gave him a bitter grin. “Weird?” She laughed. “I am queen weirdo. I am a prey animal who hunts! Hunts like a carnivore!” The last sentence came out louder than she meant.

He put a hoof up. “Woah, no need to attack me. Are you ok?”

Her shy glancing turned into a full-out glare. “Ok?” She hissed, lifting her new bat-like wings slightly. “OK!?! I am not OK, I will never be, OK, again! I just want to be normal!” Her voice cried out as she lashed out at the bug. “I am a freak of nature, an undead being who hunts innocents so I might go on. I will never, ever, be ok again, Marcus. Just… Just leave me. If Shimmer finds you here with me she will be furious.”

Marcus flinched at Shimmers name. “I have tangled with her one too many times for my liking.” He stated before buzzing off.

As he left she let her tears run freely from her face. Freak of nature, hunter, undead, not meant to be… She was all of that, and yet there she was. Living, somewhat, and defying nature. Before she had changed into a vampire, she thought that maybe she could live like that, but now that she was one and was slaying little innocent animals so she didn’t attack those she loved, she felt hollow.

Tiny creatures died so she might protect her family. Was that ever ok, if you were a prey animal?

Once more her self-loathing thoughts were cut off by a pony, but this one was more welcomed.

“Oh sister, are you ok?”Shimmer called up the tree, immediately noticing her state.

“No.” Astra sniffled. “And I don’t wanna come down, the sun hurts me…”

“Then I’m coming up!” Declared Shimmer as she flew up with practiced ease and grace, a prettier sight than her newly winged twin. “So, what’s wrong?” She plopped down on the branch, shaking it somewhat.

“How can you be so cheery?” Astra demanded weakly. “We are both freaks now, but I think you got the better end of the bargain. Can I even live in normal society now?”

Shimmer looked at her, a concerned look crossing her face. “That doesn’t sound like my sister.” She said. “That sounds like some selfish pony. A mean one too! Astra, listen to your words.”

Astra bit her lip, but regretted it the second her newly pointed teeth touched the bottom one. Holding back another whimper she thought back to the words she had just uttered and visibly flinched at them.

“Oh Shimmer, I am so sorry!” She squeaked. “I feel so awful, it is getting to my head. Please, forgive my horrible words?”

Shimmer rested against her twin. “There, there, Sissy.” She whispered. “I am here for you, unlike Eclipse.”

“Eclipse?”

A scowl crossed her face. “Yeah, that normal pony,” She spat the word out, “Can’t deal with us. She had gone off to Ponyville to forget about us for a week.”

Astra jerked away from the comforting grip of her sister. “Shimmer, that is so rude!” She scolded, momentarily forgetting about her own downpour of self-pity. “Eclipse has just gone through Tartarus and back for us! She took care of us when we needed her, and comforted both of us when she could have simply stepped back and let us flounder around. Oh, and lets not forget that she went out on a limb to go adventure with us! I don’t even want to hear you say that about her again!” She ordered firmly.

Shimmer let a big grin crack on her face. “A bit overboard, but there is my sister!” She chuckled.

Astra blinked a couple of times. “Did my own sister… just trick me out of my own self-hating?”

“Yes, and I think it worked perfectly.” Shimmer announced. “Because I would rather have you yelling than crying, because when you cry it means you are hurt, and then I hurt.”

Astra sighed and hugged her twin. “We hurt for each other.” She whispered. “Because we are always there for each other, and have the deepest bonds.” Marcus’s words came back to her.

“That’s right sister.” Shimmer grinned. “We have the deepest bonds, and nothing can sever them!”

Author's Note:

So hi, This authors note is kinda important. I feel I should explain WHY Astra and Shimmer have lacked their cutie marks for so long, and why their sisterly love for each other is so strong.

Astra and Shimmer have had literally NO time to delve into any hobbies up until now. For most of their lives they have been fighting to survive, they fought against sickness in the slums of a city they used to live in, and after hey escaped from there, they fought against hunger. They did look into orphan places, but as the trust in each other grew stronger, their trust of those places lessened. So they have been, tired, hungry, and in danger of getting sick for most of their lives, and have had little energy to look for their cutie marks. The few times Astra had been able to snatch books on cutie marks, she once read with her sister that ancient pony tribes were like them. In fact, because the ancient tribes (not the three separate species tribes) fought for life, many ponies didn't get cutie marks.

Why there bond is so deep? Well, for what they can remember clearly, NO PONY had ever been there for them. Eclipse is one of the few who even noticed them Because they distrusted others, and Shimmer's pride, they rarely asked for help too. And because they lacked education, they didn't know better. What they had learned was from free classes that Astra would attend from time to time. So distrust+pride+not knowing better=Not asking for help. There for they solely depended on one another, and their world revolved around the other. If you can't trust your own twin, then who can you trust?

OH AND, GET READY FOR ALL THE TIME-SKIPPING.

Comments

[Alicon Glactistar]

Good chapter.