The Backpack
Sunset Slayer
By Pen Stroke
Pre-read & Edited by
Chapter 4
The Backpack
==========
“I really can’t say how sorry I am, Sunset.”
“Really, it’s okay. You just got overwhelmed by everything that was happening.”
“I know, but it’s not going to happen again. I promise.”
Sunset shifted her shoulder, nodding her head but not entirely hearing what was being said. Fluttershy had been a broken record since she had woken up, apologizing profusely for what happened. Sunset couldn’t say it hadn’t been ill-timed, but she couldn’t hold it against Fluttershy either. It was a miracle that Fluttershy didn’t wear long dresses and long-sleeved shirts to school, but Rarity talking about putting her in what was basically a bikini while wearing one herself. Fluttershy would have either run from the room to find a place to hide or fainted.
At least with the latter, she didn’t need to try and figure out where Fluttershy had run off to.
They put Rarity in one of the half-finished dresses from one of the clothing-oriented stations, to cover up the skin she seemed so intent on showing off. Then, with Sunset and Fluttershy each taking an arm, they began carrying her back to the old lab. Hopefully, Twilight had recovered and would be able to provide insight into what was going on. That, or at least Applejack could hopefully tie Rarity up so she wouldn’t go rampaging around the school again.
But the fact that Rarity was in this state at all was what had Sunset so worried. She was on Rarity’s right side, and in the periphery of her vision, she could see the bite marks on Rarity’s neck. They sure looked like Dracula’s teeth marks, the traditional pair of holes, but Fluttershy’s bite had healed relatively quickly. Rarity’s just remained open and oozing, like they were afflicted with a nasty infection. Was this a sign Dracula was evolving? Did entities that were created by Equestria’s magic have that ability?
The thing that occupied Sunset’s mind the most, however, was Rarity’s behavior. Though Fluttershy was afflicted by the curse, she maintained her free will. From what they had seen, Rarity’s case was different. She could apparently still make choices about how she approached situations, but her goals were not her own. She was serving a master, but that didn’t fit Dracula’s profile either. Except for maybe Twilight, Sunset knew the Dracula entity better than anyone else. It wasn’t that smart, or at least, it had never demonstrated that level of intelligence. It was comparable to a dolphin or a really smart dog when they last encountered it. Was that perhaps the cause of the change? Because it got smarter, the curse itself became more intricate and advanced?
“Sunset?”
Fluttershy’s voice brought Sunset out of her thoughts. She had been walking on autopilot, trying to support her half of Rarity’s weight, while Fluttershy ended up taking the lead. They had already descended the stairs down to the first floor and were now within sight of the door to Twilight’s lab. “Sorry. I’m just tired after using so much magic.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Fluttershy asked.
“I just need to catch my breath.” She reached up and tapped her earpiece. Out of fear that Dracula or something else could jump them while they were carrying Rarity, Sunset had chosen to stay ponied up. It was perhaps not an efficient use of her remaining magic, since it took a trickle of energy to maintain the transformation. Still, without knowing if the Dracula entity was watching them, it was a cost she was willing to deal with.
Though, with her transformed ears, her wireless earpiece was left in an odd position.
They reached the exterior of the door when Sunset managed to hit the button. “Call Applejack.” In theory, they could have easily just knocked on the door, but she and Fluttershy had their hands full supporting Rarity’s unconscious form. There was also the issue that in a previous mission, a spirit with voice-mimicking abilities had them all second guessing themselves. Using their cellphones to make the call into the lab was an extra level of assurance that they were the real Sunset and Fluttershy.
The phone rang four times before someone picked up. It was uncommonly long, but for all Sunset knew, Applejack had just set her phone down and needed time to find it. “Hey, did you find Rarity and Spike?” Applejack asked, her voice coming both out of Sunset’s earpiece and from the far side of the door.
“We found Rarity, but not Spike. We’re already outside the lab, and we need you to let us in quickly. Rarity’s been bitten, and she attacked us in another part of the school. I had to drain her magic to knock her out.”
“Shoot, just hold on a second.”
Applejack ended the call, and after a few seconds, there were a few sounds of rumbling from behind the door. Once those sounds stopped, the locked clicked and the door opened. Applejack stepped into view and moved towards the trio. “How did she get bitten, and where did she get that dress?” Applejack turned around, bending down a little and gesturing with her hands for the others to put Rarity on her back.
“We don’t know about the bite, but the dress is a more modest choice we made for her.” Sunset helped Fluttershy place Rarity on AJ’s back. They got Rarity’s arms hung over AJ’s shoulders, and she then reached back and hooked her hands around Rarity’s leg. It was a bit of an awkward piggyback ride, considering the passenger was unconscious, but Applejack made it work and carried Rarity inside the lab.
The long, narrow storage closet turned lab seemed barely able to accommodate its simple furnishings, let alone five people. To the right of the door was Twilight’s primary desk and worktable. To the left was a second desk which stood underneath the sole window. It looked like there used to be a easy, assemble-it-yourself bookcase, but it had been taken apart to barricade the window.
Twilight had recovered and was sitting at her old computer, tapping and clicking away as different windows flashed on and off. She turned away from her work, looking concerned at Rarity before turning her attention to Fluttershy and Sunset. “I heard you from the other side of the door. Did she really attack you?”
“Yes, she was even using her magic.” Sunset showed her hands, which were pin pricked with numerous tiny scabs and other marks. “We’re lucky you thought to put a safety override into the lockets. With Fluttershy being… incapacitated, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat Rarity without it.”
Twilight held out a hand. “Let me see the locket. Maybe I can figure out what happened if I study Rarity’s magic.”
Sunset reached through the collar of her shirt, pulling the locket and its fabric loop over her head before dropping it in Twilight’s waiting palm. “Are you going to be able to do it without the equipment back at CHS?”
“This lab is where I made the first locket. Some of my tools are gone, since they’ve started cleaning out the space, but maybe I can macgyver something together.” Twilight turned back to the computer, rummaging through a few drawers of the desk. “I just want to take a quick peek at the magic, hopefully without causing any more rifts to open.”
“Sunset, you should take care of your hands,” Fluttershy said. She had taken some of the cardboard boxes in the room and assembled them together into a bed where Applejack was able to set down Rarity. Even if they had her outnumbered four to one, it was easier for everyone if Rarity stayed in dreamland.
Fluttershy had now turned her attention on Sunset, holding the first aid kit from Twilight’s backpack that was resting against a wall. Sunset smiled and held out her hands. They had yet to understand why magic in the human world seemed to inflict a toll on the user if it was struck by other magic. Twilight had a number of working theories, but none had substantial evidence to back it up.
“It’s not as bad as it looks. The bleeding has already stopped,” Sunset said while Fluttershy began to clean the injuries. She knew denying the basic care Fluttershy was offering would only make her friends worry. That and Sunset could tell this was helping Fluttershy feel useful to the group after her fainting spell in the fight with Rarity.
“There, that should help you feel better. I just wish there were some gloves you could wear. We don’t want you to get sick because you touched something with germs on it,” Fluttershy said as she returned the supplies to the first aid kit.
“There should be some gloves in my backpack,” Twilight said without looking away from her computer. “I have a box of surgical gloves, as well as a pair of black leather ones.”
“What are the black leather ones for?” Sunset asked as she began walking towards the backpack.
“Actually, they’re yours.” Twilight took a tool to the locket, trying to pry off a piece of metal covering some of the circuitry. “You lent them to me when you were trying to teach me how to ride a motorcycle for the M classification on my driver's license.”
Sunset nodded, remembering that day. Their attempts to teach Twilight ended up being a glorious failure, but the resulting escapades had been a source of a lot of fun, a lot of memories, and only a little bit of property damage. She hadn’t realized she had forgotten to ask for her gloves back, and thought she kept forgetting to grab them out of her locker in school.
Upon reaching the bag, Sunset knelt down, unzipped one of the flaps, and began rummaging around inside. It was full of all the things they would normally bring on a mission under Twilight’s advisement. There was a flashlight, which Sunset gladly took and tucked into an exterior pocket of her jacket. Her hands brushed against the lump that was in her left coat pocket, and she couldn’t help but glance over at her friends. So far, she hadn’t needed it, though if the Dracula entity kept biting her friends, the temptation to make use of it would only grow.
Refocusing on Twilight’s bag, Sunset resumed her search for the gloves. Yet, something was bothering her. It was something about Twilight’s backpack. She paused from her search just to look at the bag itself. It wasn’t overly damaged or roughed up, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. Yet, Sunset couldn’t help but stare at it for a few seconds, her mind grappled with trying to understand the bubbling paranoia that wouldn’t keep quiet. Then, it snapped into her head, like a fire igniting a pool of gasoline.
Why was Twilight’s bag here?
It hadn’t been in the room when they arrived, and she, Applejack, and Fluttershy hadn’t found it in the classroom where they discovered Twilight. Applejack wouldn’t have left Twilight alone to go get it, either, and they wouldn’t have gone out together without calling first. There was no reason for the bag to be in this room.
Sunset resumed her rummaging in the bag, if only to try and keep her own paranoias down. Still, as she unzipped a second pouch, she glanced over her shoulder. Twilight was at her computer, fiddling with the locket, Fluttershy was behind her, watching quietly, and Applejack was beside Fluttershy. They weren’t saying anything, just watching. Then, Applejack turned and took a single step. She was shifting her position, moving to behind Fluttershy like she was trying to get a better view of what was happening.
But Applejack hadn’t ever been that interested in the lockets or their inner workings before. The day Twilight had tried to explain to them how everything worked, Applejack had dozed off in her seat. Worse, no one seemed to be watching Rarity. She was still out, but Applejack should have been watching their friend like a hawk, asking questions about why Rarity was in a dress.
The touch of soft leather brought Sunset’s eyes back to the bag. She found the gloves, quickly slipped them on, and then continued rummaging for supplies. She found a spare travel charger and put it into her exterior right jacket pocket to keep her phone charged. She also found a folded brochure about Crystal Prep. With a quick peek inside, she saw it had a map of the school’s layout. It made sense. Though Twilight knew the school by heart, she used the map to check off rooms they had searched.
Glancing over her shoulder again, to make sure her friends were still huddled around Twilight’s computer, Sunset cracked open the map further and took notice of numerous notes that had been written on it. Rarity and Twilight had, according to the notes, started their search on the second floor. They had gone classroom by classroom, eventually reaching the personal projects room. That was when the X’s stopped.
And that didn’t make sense.
Sunset folded the map and tucked it away in her right interior coat pocket, next to her photographs, before resuming her rummaging. She unzipped another pouch, just to give the illusion she was looking.
Something was wrong. Twilight had said they had gone to the nurse's office to get more details on the injuries suffered by students, but the map showed they hadn’t gone anywhere near the nurse’s office. Also, they had found Twilight on the first floor, near the entrance. Why would she be in that classroom if something had happened on the second floor?
“Can’t you find them, Sunset?” Twilight asked.
“No, I can. They just must be at the bottom,” Sunset said as she continued to rummage in the bag just to make the appropriate sounds.
“They should be in the middle pocket. Let me help you.”
Sunset heard Twilight getting up from her chair, the rolling of the wheels an almost mockingly pedestrian sound to accompany the looming sense of danger that was crawling up her spine. She heard Twilight’s steps coming up behind her. She quickly took the gloves back off, held both with her right hand, and shoved it deep into the backpack. She’d be able to pull the gloves back out the moment Twilight was close. At the same time, Sunset’s left hand grabbed one of the backpack straps. It was heavy. Like the pet carrier, it would make a good bludgeon in a pinch.
The trick with the pet carrier had been a good one. They couldn’t know for sure if the barking had been real or not, but once they were in that room, it was a perfect place to spring a trap: a space large enough for Rarity’s style of magic with only one exit. She could have kept them pinned down until their magic was exhausted and they were easy prey.
Now, they were in Twilight’s old lab, a small, tight space with a single exit. That worked to the advantage of Applejack’s magic. Applejack’s magic was strongest through her feet. She could stomp and pin things down better than any of them, and her kicks could give a small wrecking ball a run for its money. Twilight didn’t have magic, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have thought up some trap. She also had her own locket. Just by cracking it open, she could incapacitate one of them while Applejack was fighting.
If those two, together, were going to spring a trap, doing it in such tight quarters would be ideal.
Sunset heard Twilight come to a stop beside her, and she pulled out the gloves on cue. “Here they are,” Sunset said as she stood up and turned to face Twilight. She smiled as she put them on. “Thanks for holding onto them.”
Twilight smiled, nodded, and turned to go back to her computer. “It was no trouble. Now, could you tell me a bit more about Rarity’s symptoms? How much do they differ from what we’ve seen from the Dracula entity before?”
“Well, her bite doesn’t seem to be healing,” Sunset said as she began walking back towards the computer, moving cautiously as if she was approaching a bear trap. Applejack was still standing behind Fluttershy and seemed to be leaning in more now that Twilight was resuming her work. Fluttershy was in the worst possible position to be in if Sunset’s paranoia was correct. “She also mentioned having a master. As Fluttershy can attest, even when she’s ponied up, she’s never called anyone master. Right, Fluttershy?”
“Well, only Master Nibbler. He’s this cute, little hamster that someone brought into the shelter the other day. He’s only there for the week, while the family is on vacation, but he takes the most adorable bites out of his food. Their little girl named him really well.”
Sunset chuckled and smiled. “He sounds adorable. Though, now that I think about it, Fluttershy, maybe we should try bandaging Rarity’s bite wound. Even if it doesn’t heal, it would be good to stop it from bleeding on things.”
“I’ll get right on that,” Fluttershy said, stepping away from the computer to get the first aid kit. That was back in Twilight’s bag as well, and Sunset waited a few seconds, to see if Applejack or Twilight would follow. But neither did. They remained focused on the locket, and Sunset began to doubt herself.
Was she just being too paranoid? Maybe Twilight, in her weakened state, had let Applejack leave the room to get her bag alone? Applejack could be stubborn, and if she thought it was important, she might have argued about going to get the bag until Twilight finally caved. It would have been especially true if the bag was close.
Sunset stepped up behind Twilight, starting to feel like maybe all this entity hunting was getting to her. She looked over Twilight’s shoulder, watching her fiddle with the locket. Paranoia shifted like angry coils in Sunset’s mind. Twilight could easily sabotage the locket device, and none of them would know until it was too late. Sunset forced her eyes to wander, trying to keep herself from thinking the worse of her friend. She glanced down, and her whole body tensed, like a cat that had just been cornered by a large, angry dog.
She saw it on Twilight’s back. It had been hidden when they entered the room, when Twilight was sitting with a proper posture in her computer chair, but now that she was leaning forward, focusing on the locket, the truth was visible. They had missed something earlier. When Dracula bit in the past, it was always on exposed skin—the hands, the neck, the arms. But the Dracula entity was full of surprises tonight, and Sunset saw two holes on the back of Twilight’s shirt of a familiar size that were stained with blood.
She had been bitten, and they had left Applejack alone with her.
There was a click, and Sunset’s eyes moved back to the locket. The lid had popped open, and the magic from inside was flowing out. Twilight wheeled back a little in her chair, bumping into Sunset. “Shoot, I tripped the release!” Those words were, perhaps, exactly what Twilight would have said if she made such a mistake, but Sunset doubted it was truly a mistake.
The corrupted, purple energy was flowing back to Rarity, and the electronics in the room were having a fit. The computer blue screened, the lights went out, and Sunset saw an orange glow behind her. Applejack was ponying up, but the color didn’t look right as it glowed against the walls. Was this all a trap? The lights came back on. Fluttershy was backing away, closing the first aid kit as she pressed herself against the other desk in Twilight’s small space.
But was she backing away from Rarity, or the sight of Applejack ponying up into a vampiric form?
Escape was her top priority. If Applejack and Twilight were enthralled by the Dracula entity, and it had set a trap for them, then she and Fluttershy had to escape. There was a chance she was still wrong, but right now, it seemed better to beg forgiveness about the mix up than to run the risk. For the moment, Sunset couldn’t help but assume that everyone in the room, except Fluttershy, was a threat.
A hand rested on Sunset’s shoulder, and she reacted like a coiled spring being released. In a single smooth gesture, she grabbed the arm belonging to the hand and rolled her body forward, throwing Applejack. She landed hard on top of Rarity, the boxes crumbling under their combined weight and the force of the impact.
“Sunset, what are you—?” Twilight began to ask, but Sunset grabbed the back of Twilight’s chair and shoved her into the desk. The blow should have knocked the air out of her lungs, but Sunset didn’t linger to make sure. She turned and looked at Fluttershy, who had watched the scene unfold in utter shock.
“Run!” Sunset shouted before bolting for the door. She feared Fluttershy might not move, that she might stay and try to figure out what happened, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Fluttershy hesitated only a moment, then began to run towards the door as well. Sunset grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. She let Fluttershy through first, then sprinted out into the hallways while slamming the door shut behind her.
“What is going on?” Fluttershy asked as they continued to sprint through the school.
“Twilight was bitten. She had the same bite that Rarity did, and I think she got Applejack too.”
~~~
Once there was sufficient distance between them and the old lab, Sunset turned hard and opened one of the classrooms. She hurried Fluttershy inside, keeping a panicked watch on the hallway they came from, before finally going into the classroom herself. Once inside, the curtain on the door window went down and a chair went up against the handle, blockading the way in and out of the room.
Only then did Sunset pause a moment to catch her breath.
“Okay, I think we lost them.”
Fluttershy nodded, wearing a weak smile that devolved into a bit lip as she held the first aid kit with both her hands. There were a few moments of silence between them before Fluttershy spoke. “Not that I’m doubting you, but are you sure they were bitten? They didn’t seem to be acting any different to me.”
“I saw the holes on Twilight’s back,” Sunset said as she double-checked the door, ensuring it was properly blocked. “That and Twilight’s bag wasn’t in the room when we left her and Applejack there to go looking for Rarity and Spike. Applejack wouldn’t have left Twilight alone, knowing there was danger around. So Twilight must have bit Applejack, then went to get the bag, and set a trap for us.”
“But… why would they need the bag for that?” Fluttershy asked.
“I don’t know. Probably to act as some sort of distraction,” Sunset said as she stepped away from the door and leaned against the nearby teacher’s desk. “Twilight would ask one of us to get something out of it, and while one of us was rummaging inside, they’d pounce on the other. Then it’d be two versus one, and they’d be able to overpower whoever was left. Applejack moved up behind you while I was looking for the gloves. If I hadn’t been glancing back so often, she may have already tried to bite you.”
“Sunset, Fluttershy? Where did you go?”
Sunset tensed, bringing a finger to her lips to shush Fluttershy before she crept up to the classroom door and peeked out of the lowered curtain. She saw Twilight round the corner. Sunset stepped away from the door, not taking her eyes off it, and came to a stop next to Fluttershy. She ponied up in preparation for the looming confrontation.
The steps in the hallway abruptly stopped, and they lost track of Twilight’s position. Sunset strained to listen more intently. The rush of air in and out of their lungs as they breathed stood out against the silence. The jingle of the zipper on her coat made Sunset tense. Fluttershy took a step, and the sound of her shoe against the floor felt like they were ringing a bell to announce where they were. Sunset still couldn’t hear anything from the hallway outside.
A sudden pounding on the door made Sunset and Fluttershy jump. “I know you're in there,” Twilight shouted. “My locket’s magic tracker spiked when you ponied up.”
“You’re not getting in here, Twilight!” Sunset shouted back at the door. “I saw your back. We know you're bitten.”
“I am not! My back doesn’t even hurt and—” There was a pause in Twilight’s words. It lasted a few agonizing seconds, then she knocked on the door again. “Sunset, let me in so we can talk about this. You can’t go anywhere unless you want to jump out a window, and if I really wanted to get in and had been bitten by Rarity, do you really think I’d be knocking?”
“She does make a point,” Fluttershy said quietly.
Sunset frowned, not liking the prospect of letting in the vampire they had just escaped. Still, she moved to the door. First, she raised the blinds, seeing Twilight standing outside the door. She looked left, right, up, and down, ensuring that Rarity and Applejack weren’t nearby. She then focused her gaze on Twilight. “You don’t come in until I say so. Get it?”
“Got it,” Twilight replied.
“Good.” Sunset grabbed the chair that was pinned against the door handle and pulled it away. She left it resting near the teacher’s desk before she backed up from the door a second time. Once she was next to Fluttershy again, she signalled Twilight. “Okay, you can come in.”
Twilight opened the door slowly, coming into the room with her hands up and her locket exposed on her neck. She took a few steps in, turned to face Sunset, but did not get within arm’s reach. “There, I did what you said. Can we talk?”
“If you're going to ask us to join you as vampires in service to your master, then sorry, the answer's no,” Sunset said with a slight snarl.
Twilight shook her head, gently lowering her hands. Sunset tensed, but Twilight didn’t seem to be reaching for a weapon or playing a trick. She winced as her hand touched the small of her back. “I didn’t notice the bite marks. They don’t hurt, and they’re not in one of Dracula’s common bite positions. The only thing I can think of is that the entity cornered me and Spike in that classroom. I don’t remember what happened in detail. It’s still a bit fuzzy, but I think I shielded Spike with my body. I faced my back to the Dracula entity, and that’s probably when he bit me. I don’t know what happened after that. I was unconscious when you, Fluttershy, and Applejack found me, after all.
“The only conclusion I can come to is that the entity tried to enthrall me, like it did with Rarity, and it failed. It’s probably because I don’t have magic. We’ve established before that the Dracula entity’s curse affected Fluttershy like it did because she had magic. That’s why none of his other victims have grown fangs and started thirsting for blood. I may very well be cursed, but because I can’t pony up, the curse can’t enact its full effects on me.”
“That’s one theory,” Sunset said. “The other is that you're lying to us to make us lower our guard. That way, Rarity and Applejack can swoop into the room and get us. I know something happened, Twilight.” She reached into her coat and pulled out the map. “You said you checked for information in the nurse's office, but I see your X’s on this map. You never got to the nurse's office.”
“We went to the nurse’s office before nightfall,” Twilight said. She was keeping her voice calm and reassuring. “I got the notes before Rarity and I went to dinner so I could read them while we got something to eat. We didn’t start doing the search or using the map until we came back after dark.”
“What about your bag? How did it magically appear in your old lab?”
Twilight blinked as her gaze wandered. She adjusted her glasses, pushing them back up against her nose in an everlasting struggle against gravity. “My backpack? Rarity and I both had our backpacks when we came here, but we decided to stow mine under my old work table in the lab in case something happened. After you found me and left me in the lab with Applejack, I told her to get my water bottle from it. She must have left it sitting against the wall instead of putting it back under the table.
Sunset’s eyes narrowed, and she lifted a hand to her head as her mind went over everything she thought she had seen. Had she made a mistake? No, she couldn’t have, but what if she did? What if finding Rarity like that, and if hunting Dracula, had made her too cautious? She didn’t want to see anyone else get cursed by Dracula, yet before they even got to the school, Rarity had been bitten. It was a worst case scenario. There was no reason to think Twilight had somehow avoided the curse, but the facts Twilight presented were true. They had yet to find a case of someone getting cursed unless they had preexisting magic.
“Fluttershy, let me see your locket,” Sunset said, holding out her hand. Fluttershy hesitated, but nodded her head. She shifted the first aid kit into one hand and used the other to take her locket off her neck. She gave it to Sunset, who promptly turned to face Twilight. “I’m going to try and drain you of magic. If you’ve really been cursed, you’ll have some magic in you. If this doesn’t work, then I’ll believe you.”
Twilight nodded. “That logic aligns with what we know about entities and this situation.” She held out her arms, completely lowering her guard. “Go ahead.”
Sunset put both hands on the locket, pressing the necessary buttons to trigger the safety override, then cracked it open and held it out. Seconds passed, and the device remained inactive. Sunset’s ears flattened, and her hand trembled a little as her grip on the locket device weakened. She had made a mistake. She closed the locket and passed it back to back to Fluttershy. “I’m… I’m so sorry. I just thought that…”
Sunset’s heart skipped a beat, and she rushed to the door to look out into the hallway. “You didn’t bring Applejack with you?”
“No, I ran after you as soon as I caught my breath. By the way, I think you bruised a rib.” Twilight gingerly touched her side, winced, and quickly pulled her hand away.
“Then that means you left her with Rarity, who was about to wake up because she got her magic back,” Sunset said as she looked back at Twilight. Twilight stared back at Sunset for a few seconds, and then her eyes widened as the realization hit her. Fluttershy made the connection as well, her hand rising to muffle an already quiet gasp.
The trio broke into sprints, running out of the classroom and down the hallways, back towards Twilight’s lab. Sunset was in the lead, powering ahead of the other two. She reached the intersection that led to the lab, and her shoes slid as she made the turn. She rushed through the open lab door, a few old papers fluttering because of the gust of wind she created.
“Applejack? Applejack!?” Sunset turned her head, looking to each corner of the room, but the room was vacant.
She was hit with a sinking feeling at the realization that Applejack and Rarity were gone.
“No…” Sunset turned and ran back out of the lab, blowing past Fluttershy and Twilight who had only just managed to catch up. She reached the intersection that connected the lab’s little alcove to the rest of the school and looked in each direction, trying to see or hear something. She brought a hand to her head, running her fingers through her hair as her breathing became more rapid. “Rarity got Applejack. Rarity got Applejack, and it’s all my fault!”
~~~
Sunset wordlessly followed Twilight as they retreated to the lab to figure out their next move. After helping to barricade the door with the second desk, she sat on top of that same desk and leaned her back against the door. The world was out of focus for her. She closed her eyes, unable to bring herself to look at the room.
Yet the sounds of the room denied Sunset the true seclusion she wanted. She could hear Twilight typing on the old, mechanical keyboard as her chair squeaked. Fluttershy’s footsteps drifted in volume as she paced the room, each of her steps accompanied by the rattle of the med kit. A few times, Fluttershy’s pacing brought her close. Each time, Sunset could hear her shy friend stop and linger within arms reach, but Fluttershy never said a word. She would just stand there for a few seconds, then the sound of her footsteps would begin again as she resumed her pacing.
Truthfully, Sunset didn’t want anyone to talk to her. She had made such a grave error, she didn’t even want to look at her friends at the moment. She hadn’t realized it at the time, but after finding out Rarity had been bitten, her paranoia had been on a hair trigger. All it had taken was one thing to set her mind off down the worst possible path, to a scenario where not just one but three more of her friends had been bitten by Dracula. It drove her to take action, and in the process, she ensured something close to her worst fear became reality.
Twilight stopped tapping at her keyboard. “Fluttershy, what’s the status on Rainbow and Pinkie?”
“Sunset texted them a while ago,” Fluttershy said. The rattling of the first aid kit continued during the first part of her words before stopping. “They were taking the bus here. I don’t remember when we texted them though.”
“Can you check when you sent those messages?”
Though her eyes were still shut, Sunset was almost certain Twilight was looking at her. She leaned forward before opening her eyes, ensuring her gaze was pointed to the floor. She then pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen a few times to bring up her text history. “It was twenty minutes ago.”
“That means they should be here in ten minutes, assuming the buses are running on schedule.” Twilight went back to typing on her computer. “Ideally, we need to try and leave this room and meet them outside the front gates. Does Applejack know you texted Rainbow and Pinkie? Does she know when they’re arriving?”
“No,” Fluttershy answered with a small shake of her head. “Applejack knows they’re coming, but we never got a chance to tell her when they’d get here.”
Twilight made a few clicks with her mouse. “Sunset, text Rainbow again, brief them on what’s happening, and get an update. Ask her what bus she’s on. I’m seeing some traffic reports about some accidents on the side streets involving a bus. With an updated ETA, we’ll hopefully have the advantage. Can I also have that map of the school back, please?”
“Sure.” Sunset reached into her jacket, pulled out the map, and held it out to Twilight. She couldn’t bring herself to stand, so she did her best to stretch her arm out as far as possible. Twilight had to lean over as well, but was able to get it. Sunset pulled her hand back and couldn’t help but reach into her coat. She felt the lump in her left coat pocket, her personal little secret. What was she thinking, bringing this to the school with her friends around?
What if she had decided to use it instead of running from the room? What if when she did use it, she was wrong, and she ended up hurting one of her friends? She was more of a danger to everyone else than Dracula was. She was so stupid to get it, even if Principal Celestia agreed with her proposal. At the very least, she should have told her friends by now, but did she really want to burden them with the knowledge?
She tried not to think about it, focusing back on her phone as she tapped out a message to Rainbow Dash.
“Okay, I think our best bet is the exit in the wrestling gym. Applejack and Rarity might be guarding the front doors, but they don’t know the school well enough to be aware of any other ways out. I say we get over there, get outside, and meet Pinkie and Rainbow at the front gates. With Sunset’s warning, they should wait for us outside. We can all meet up, ensure everyone understands the situation, and then come up with a new plan of attack.”
“I think this is a good idea,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight turned in her seat, smiling. “Great, because I need you to pony up.”
Fluttershy withered like a flower under the harsh sun. “You want me to pony up? But why?”
“When you use your magic, your senses become superhuman. You can see in the dark and have exceptionally sensitive hearing and smell. If we’re going to sneak out, we can’t risk using flashlights. That would give away our position. We also need to know if Rarity or Applejack are following us. If we want to get outside safely, without any more surprises, then we’re going to need your help.”
Normally, Sunset would have spoken up. Fluttershy didn’t like ponying up for a reason. It brought out the hunger, and the last thing they needed to do in this situation was stop so she could feed, especially when there were other vampires that might be drawn to the smell.
But Sunset couldn’t muster her voice to utter a single word in protest. Twilight’s plan was solid. Their priority was to get outside and get backup from Pinkie and Rainbow.
After the mess she created, it would take all of them to clean it up.
Fluttershy clenched the first aid kit to her chest like a teddy bear. She looked at Sunset, then back at Twilight, then down at her shoes. She made no move beyond that until Sunset’s phone jiggled, indicating a received text message. “It’s Rainbow,” Sunset said as she began to read aloud.
Some goons got on the bus to try and rob us. They didn’t have weapons, just toy guns I could tell were cheap plastic. Some burly construction guys on the bus jumped them when I shouted the guns were fake. They’re pretty cool. They were worried about us, but I told them we're fine. Pinkie Pie gave them cupcakes. Still trying to figure out where she was keeping them. Bus can’t move until the police come. Bus driver says they should arrive and be done taking our statements in thirty minutes. After that, the police will take us where we need to go. Pinkie and I will have them drop us off a few blocks away from the school at some random house. If they try to walk us in, we’ll run, I’ll pony up, and will fly away before they can figure out what happened.
“I”m not a big fan of them bringing police close to the school during all this,” Twilight said as Sunset finished reading. “On the other hand, it is the best option if they’re going to arrive here as soon as possible. Also, if they leave the scene of the crime before providing their statements, that will just make the police look for them. I’m going to guess they’ll be here in forty-five minutes, and that gives us plenty of time to get to the front gate without rushing. Have you told them about Rarity and Applejack?”
“I was just about to,” Sunset said, having already brought up the on-screen keyboard to tap out the message.
“Good. They’ll know not to come inside looking for us. Now, we just have to get out to the gate.” Twilight turned to look back at Fluttershy, who had hardly moved during the conversation.
Fluttershy tensed upon realizing Twilight’s gaze was back on her. For a few seconds, she didn’t say or do anything, but then sucked in a deep breath, held it, and nodded her head before holding out the first aid kit. Twilight took the kit, and with her hands free, Fluttershy began the process. She stood perfectly still in the center of the room, her head still pointed at the floor.
Though it was hard to see through her hair, Sunset caught a glimpse of Fluttershy’s gemstone studs glinting as her body was shrouded in her bright, sunshine-yellow glow. Yet, as per the new norm, that aura began to darken. Fluttershy arched her back, gasping a little like something had just kicked her in the spine. Her equine ears changed to be more batlike, and her fangs grew to length at the same speed her hair was growing. When her wings formed, they were not soft and feathery, but instead were webbed and leathery.
Fluttershy almost collapsed as the last throes of the transformation completed, shutting her eyes as she stumbled to the floor. Sunset and Twilight both began to get up to help her, but before they could lend a hand, Fluttershy began to stand. She brushed back the hair from her face and opened her eyes to reveal two piercing, red pupils. She took a few deep breaths, her hands moving with the motion of the air as it flowed in and out of her body.
“I… smell blood,” Fluttershy said, quivering a little. “I smell blood from Twilight, but it’s okay. I ate before I came. I’ll be okay.” She took another few deep breaths, then closed her eyes and began sniffing the air as her ears twisted and turned on the top of her head. “I hear… metal. Clicking metal, sliding metal, and fabric. I hear Rarity’s voice. She’s excited, but far away. She’s above us. I think… in that direction.” Fluttershy lifted a hand and pointed.
“I bet she’s gone back to the career development room,” Twilight said. “Isn’t that where you two found Rarity in the first place?”
Sunset nodded as she got up from the desk. This was no time to be moping, not when the three of them needed to get out. “Yeah, and I bet I know why she’s there. She made outfits for me and Fluttershy, for when the thing she calls master turns us into vampires. She’s probably making Applejack put on her customized outfit. That’s the thing I’ve noticed about this new variety of the curse. Even if she now serves a master, she’s still Rarity, and fashion is always at the front of her mind.”
“Then this is probably our best chance to get to the wrestling gym.” Twilight stood up from her desk chair and worked quickly. She gave the map back to Sunset and placed the first aid kit back in her backpack. She then slipped the bag on, adjusted the straps, and nudged her glasses back up against her face as she turned to look at Fluttershy and Sunset. “Let’s get that desk away from the door and get going.”
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Well, the story's taking a darker turn than I'd like, but I'm hooked.
Oh! I didn't realize you were asking for people to point out typos! Eighth chapter from the top, you forgot to capitalize the first letter of the new paragraph. There were a couple of others, but I didn't keep track of them; that one was just easiest to find again.
Poor Sunset! I feel bad for her, making the situation worse. I admit I'm a little disappointed she's in the throes of guilt again, if only because I just watched Friendship Games for teh first time yesterday and it feels really reminiscent of what she already went through. I hope they have some successes soon, to balance it out; I don't generally enjoy seeing a character wallow in angst for an entire story (as mentioned, it happened in Friendship Games, and in Rainbow Rocks, as well).
Overall, though, I'm enjoying the story. I wouldn't mind seeing more of the unexpected creatures that the Equestrian magic is producing; that first chapter was really interesting with introducing some myths I hadn't heard of. Keep up the good work!
This seems like a cool story and its stars one of my favorite characters sunset shimmer! I haven't read one of your works in awhile this is defiantly going to be on my reading list
There were a couple spelling errors, but other than that this and the last chapter were pretty good. Maybe the reason Fluttershy isn't under Dracula's control is because she is highly resistant to mind magic, like in Return of Harmony part 1 where she didn't fall for Discord's mind games. Is Rarity biting Sunset's magic going to be significant, because that sounds significant. This is quickly becoming serious, but at least they're being smart and meeting up with the others while they can. I imagine Sunset would take a mistake of this magnitude pretty hard, given that she has a history of feeling guilty.
Shoot! That's the only word I could think of right now (except in less kidy way).
My friend has Paranoia and it's no fun. I feel sorry for Sunset because I've seen what guilt can do to you, even if you acted out of pure insticts. I once tried to pass my friend her pen which she droped but she though I was about to hit her and I had a massive bruise on my arm for a whole two weeks. To be honest, I would possibly come to the same conclusion if these were the evidance I got.
I llove the story so far but ineed some good music to go with this story! Keep up the good work!
6612140
PMing me the errors lets me fix them just the same as leaving them in the comments, but it also keeps the comment section a little cleaner, in my opinion. I also feel there isn't a lot of value to be had in others seeing the typos that existed at some point and time, especially after they've been fixed. They become mere tombstones to grammar errors passed.
So not all the breakers in the school were shut off then or something else was making the hallway lights not function.
MACGRUBER!
Crystal Prep explodes.
Or becoming Midnight Sparkle... though that could be helpful.
The phone location seemed to place then in a forest I thought or is the school for off a main road?
Either Twilight and AJ are compromised or Sunset is in some hallucination.
So now Twilight can spread the curse as well? Wonder what makes Fluttershy different.
Better silence those phones and text Pinkie and Dash about the cluster fuck.
Twilight Sparkle a member of the PC Master Race? That or she likes the clickity-clack of the Model M.
I like the rhyme.
I like this story, I don't really notice any errors and it has good narration. Sunset's paranoia was fun... now to listen to some Black Sabbath.
I'm gonna take a guess here at whats happening and say that the object Sunset is hiding is gun.
I really like this chapter, it's such a cliche for the paranoid one in an adventure story to always be right, so this was an unexpected and enjoyable twist.
Well...things just keep getting worse and worse for the girls...
Well, looks like we got a war on our hands. Get me my vampire killing loadout, we got a bat to find.(Cocks shotgun) And I got a goddamn licence.
6612433 A gun would be next to useless against a vampire, unless you throw it. Then you've successfully disarmed yourself. My guess is a small cross sharpened on the end.
6613183 oooooh you might be right
They need call Buffy and Giles! Maybe Angel too!
Good work so far, Lookin forward to more!
Sooooo... What other myths will come to live in this story?
6615524
It's going...well, more or less. Thanks for the sentiment.
Twilight is a vampire and just tricked Fluttershy into entering her vampire form to worsen the situation further. I am confident of this.
6616397
I'm right there with you, buddy. There's way too many pieces falling into place for that not to be the case.
Seriously? I'm not even going to call out who you mentioned, but the fact that his name is a REAL WORLD name, in a series of where all human characters have the same naming conventions as their ponies counterparts. Having an pony-named-expy of Chuck Norris might have worked better, but not literally Chuck Norris.
This brings us back to the "Japan/Neighpon" issue a few chapters back, which I've had decided to drop down up until now, even ignoring the mention of the german language. I just can't understand why are you treating the human world in the Equestria Girls movies as our planet, when it clearly is not. The main setting of the movies is called Canterlot High School; that alone should be enough confirmation that the locations of this world also use horse-puns in their names. And one doesn't need to go as far as the names of people and locations; There are people with BLUE as a natural skin color.
I can still enjoy the rest of the story if I look over these details, but I can't just keep them unadressed.
6617726
While I still believe this other world can have nations like ours, the Chuck Norris reference was perhaps a little much in hindsight. It's been replaced with something more generic.
You should add a "Thriller" tag. This is becoming intense.
Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
One of the best fics produced here yet.
S**t's gettin real. I'm most excited about finding out what the object in Sunset's pocket is. A weapon for sure, but what kind is what we don't know.
Is it a dagger. Makes sense in the context of the magic hunting thing. A gun. Much more modern and usefull, but that also raises the question of what type of gun.
If it's a handgun then is it a james bond style concealable pistol, or a police issued pistol, or did Sunset take a lesson from Pinkie Pie and squeezed a .44 magnum revolver into her pocket.
Oooohh i want to know so badly!
I cannot WAIT for the Next Chapter, i'm on the edge of my seat! Oooooh! Please hurry up, I swear I'm gonna die!
Sorry, being overdramatic again!
Keep up the AWESOME work!
Speculation: the object is something small that Princess Celestia gave Sunset that will kick @$$ and take names at the same time, or something along the lines of a gun, like a few others mentioned in comments.
The thing in Sunset's pocket has to be some sort of gun, that's what I'm thinking. Good chapter and nice to see some inner struggle from Sunset with the paranoia. Keep up the good work and time for more reading!
6616397 But if Human Twi was a vampire, wouldn't the magic have been suckered put of her? Unless...
OH. MY. GOSH! WHAT if the bat has evolved further than we thought, able to conceal the magic? Or, still be able to control Twi, even if she can't turn into a vampire?
6617726
One instance does not a pattern make. Furthermore, the naming convention used by the show, with its distinct tendency towards horse puns, is a rather poor fit for a world not inhabited by sapient equines. No, the world of Equestria Girls is not ours. (How can it be, it's a work of fiction.) However, the exact balance of similarities and differences between it and the real world is up to the author of a fic, especially one marked "Alternate Universe".
There are people with that skin color in Doug and that show is set in at least a variant of our world.
And as for personal names, do Trixie, Lyra, Matilda, etc., ring a bell? What we'd consider to be "normal" given names do occur in canon, and names like "Lulamoon" and "Heartstrings" strike me as plausible surnames, if an author wishes to use them in that fashion. For that matter, "Pony-style" names look a lot less weird if you consider what a number of common names mean in their native languages.
Bottom line, if someone wants to do a variant of the EQG-verse that hews a bit closer to the real world, there are ways to pull that off.
Does Sunset have the alicorn amulet? That's my guess.
I am just now getting around to reading this and I think I know who the "Master" really is :)
The paranoia worked perfectly,setting up for this wonderful mistake. It helps to show how determined Sunset can be in tying to fix a mistake and how she can still slip up from time to time
The first chapter was a bit confusing but this one definitely made up for it. This chapter was Great!
Dam i don't know why but I found Sunset's paranoia and inner conflicts so good that even the set up for her mistakes had me internally scream. Great chapter