For Want of a Vampire

by David Silver

15 - No Love of the Neighborhood

Orange and Wolf emerged to see Richard clutching to his chest with a veined hand. "There you are. I heard you rambling in there. Forget whatever it is and see to my needs." He scowled at the two of them. "The people of this place are unusually well-defended, and it isn't even a religious order. Tell me you know something about that."

Sitting up, Orange smiled brightly. "Actually, I did find something out, sir. Your condition, it's almost certainly a curse."

Richard raised a brow. "I'm going to assume for a moment you mean more than the obvious. Tell me."

"N-no, sir, not that. I mean an actual curse. Did you anger another vampire before this condition began? Perhaps something you crushed with ease?"

"Why would I care about someone I bested handidly?" Richard stalked towards Orange. "There are many potentials that fall under that description. You'll need to be more specific than that."

Wolf snorted softly. "Which of them said something about ponies or horses or whateva?"

There was a moment of uneasy silence before Richard stood up straight and clapped his bloody hands together. "You can't mean!"

Orange bobbed his head. "You were given a death curse, master. What did they say?"

"It was a miserable wretch who never gave up their farming roots. German if I remember correctly." Richard frowned. "He hoped my cows would go dry and horses go lame. I thought little of it."

Wolf pointed at Orange. "Your horses are looking pretty lame, wouldn't you say?"

Richard slammed a fist into the wall behind himself. "They shouldn't be horses at all."

Orange tilted his head a little. "I'm sorry, sir, but we are, and I'm almost certain that's the cause."

Richard took a slow breath, his fists unballing. The front of his jacket was stained with blood. His own? "Thank you, both of you." He adjusted his coat, taking a more dignified stand. "You've both served me well, and I should be, and am, grateful. Tell me, if you've learned so much, how do we undo it? I've had quite enough horses to last me an eternity."

Orange's ears sagged a little. "I only just got that far, master. I'm certain the answers in there, and I plan to find it."

"Yes... good..." Richard stepped away with clear restraint. "You do that."

"You alright?" Wolf raised a brow. "You're not acting normal at all."

"Just a scratch." Richard began to ascend the stairs towards his room. "I require rest. With any fortune, the castle will have moved on before I awaken."

Orange raised a hoof at his departing master. "If we don't move, sir?"

"Then I will have to trust you two to defend me." He looked over his shoulder. "If you manage to get some blood, bring it to me. A little snack always helps bring me around." He stalked up and away with the loud clap of the door being slammed being the signal that he had left the area.

Wolf turned to Orange. "Right, so he's hurt. Why aren't you buggin' out of here again?"

Orange's wings flared open. "Let's take this logically. Even if I did run away, I'd be a vampony, a random vampony. Where would I go? People would hurt me, just like they did Master Richard, and I'm not an elder vampire."

Wolf wagged a finger. "A fine point, but yer missing th' other option. If he's hurt so bad, you could finish th' job, and you get a castle to call your own."

"Did I hear Sir coming in?" Lilly came trotting in with a smile. "I made him a nice dinner without any garlic at all, just like you said!" Held in her wings was a plate of what looked to be a TV Dinner prepared on a stove and a few garnishes added in to make it look proper.

Wolf pointed at Lilly. "Hey, you. Do you like Richard much?"

Lilly looked confused at the question, her head tilting. "He's alright. I'm not very good at serving him... Why?"

Wolf flashed a feral grin, fangs displayed. "If you could get a new job, say... Let's pretend Orange here became your new master. Would that make you happy?"

Lilly tapped a hoof on the ground before she nodded. "He's a nice master. He tells me when I get something wrong and how to fix it." She flashed a bright smile. "I'd be happy working for him."

Wolf crouched down before Orange. "Sorry to put it like this, but let's start wit' th' obvious. You? You ain't a damn vampire. You are, at best, a fruit bat... pony."

Orange pointed at her defiantly. "If I am, you are too!"

"Yeah?" She chuckled softly. "Probably, but I ain't pretending it's otherwise. That guy up there?" She hiked a thumb up the stairs. "Now he is a fricken vampire. Whole nine yards, right out of a book. We follow him, we get to be monsters." She reached out and put a hand on Orange's head. "I get the idea you don't want to be a monster, not really..."

Orange glanced between her fuzzy face and Lilly. Lilly didn't seem to quite grasp the exchange or the weight of their words. She even moved past them, trotting up the stairs with her plate balanced. "Lilly, the master isn't well. He appreciates the thought, but not tonight, alright?"

Wolf clucked her tongue against her teeth. "We have... other things to do tonight."

As if on cue, a metallic banging came from the gate in the courtyard. They had guests.

Author's Note:

Did you think I lost you? The typos are not so easily defeated!

Comments

[No one is home]

Oh shit, they arrived in south Macon, Ga! I am so sorry, Richard... well not THAT sorry, cause I gotta go with Wolf, you're sorta a dick, Richard .

[badninja]

So that is interesting in how the curse is interpreting what to do. On a side note this story was not listed as listed as having a new chapter in my tracking folder but showed up when I checked my feed.

[Daremo]

Zero typos.

I am intrigued by this chapter as the mystery deepens and Wolf continues to undermine Richard from within. The question becomes, why is SHE still around instead of trying to convince Orange? Could be that she's hiding something from the little pony...

Orange isn't lame! He's cute, just like all the other fruit vamponies.

One wonders what Richard came up against that sent him scurrying back to the castle. Police? Gang members? Neigh-borhood watch?

[David Silver]

7005395 Someone didn't approve of his slick attitude. I don't understand why. I mean, come on! He's related to DRACULA! Fear!

[Damaged]

7005432

I mean, some on - come on

[David Silver]

7005988 Sun on?

[Damaged]

7006009 Fun on!

Wait, there are no Luna emoji either? What is going on here?

[purple pegasus]

Hey! I hope things are going well for you! I'm looking forward to the next update of the adorable vamponies!

[Midknight Defender]

7006090 Yes, that is a crime most foul, perpetrated by some secret disloyal Nightmare Sun sect hidden in the site code, I'm sure.

[Damaged]

7808265 A far worse crime is that there is no emoji for best-princess... err, I mean Cadance!

[tsaukpaetra]

defend the castle with friendship!