For Want of a Vampire

by David Silver

3 - Orange Gone Bad

Orange ambled down the dimly-lit hallways of the castle. He would be a proud beast. He would serve his ma-- His thoughts were interrupted as he crashed to the ground, his wings flared out in an impotent attempt to catch himself before he hit the cobbles.

Lilly shook her head. "It's alright. I was like that too when he first found me."

Orange Peel looked up at Lilly and gathered himself to his hooves. "You weren't always a pony?" He raised a brow. She seemed so nice and... pure.

She shook her head emphatically. "Nope. I was a waitress. I like being his personal servant better though." She leaned in on him, fangs displayed in a bright smile. "We can be bat buddies!"

Orange frowned at the notion. "I don't want to disappoint Richard." Thunder rumbled softly at the speaking of his name. "I have to complete a hunt, or he'll be angry." He folded his ruddy red-orange wings close to his body. "What exactly should I be hunting?"

Lilly tapped the ground lightly a moment. "Didn't he say a man? Though I guess a woman would also work. Are you any good at hunting? I'm not, but that's okay. I serve Richard other ways." She clopped her hooves. "Oh! I should make another batch of coffee. Do you want any?"

"Maybe when I return." Orange staggered out onto a balcony. The castle seemed to have a lot of balconies, surely more than any castle ever truly needed. He didn't complain though. Instead he spread his new wings wide and looked back and forth between them. They seemed small for the bulk of his body, but he was a damned creature, wasn't he? Some kind of evil monster. Maybe the power of evil, or Satan, or whatever made vampires would make up the difference?

He brought down his new wings in a strong flap, and the rest of his new body lifted. He flailed his hooves a moment before he came back to the ground, panting with excitement. Being a bat pony was a lot different than being a human! He reared up on the edge of the balcony and looked at those hooves. They weren't like his hands at all. Unbidden, one of his wings swung around into his view, the joint in the center wiggling as if beckoning him. He tilted his head at it thoughtfully a moment before he spread those wings wide.

There was no time for fear, only success! He began flapping, letting them handle themselves. It was as if the wings simply wanted to fly, and with his permission, they brought him up and away from the castle. He could see it below, all the castle, and the town down the path. His town... Well, it had been his town... Now he was a monster, and he had to hunt, or risk the anger of his new master.

He soared, and a giddiness filled his chest. He was truly flying, and it felt fantastic to have the wind whipping across his new face. He wasn't human anymore, but maybe being a bat pony wasn't all that bad? He wasn't sure how he'd hold a pencil or quill in these hooves, but he'd approach that problem after he finished his hunt. There wasn't anyone outside that he could see. All good people were inside, resting...

Ah, there we are! Orange spied a man stumbling out of a bar. Despite being dark, his new slitted eyes could see quite clearly. Something about that man, that potential victim... It smelled delicious... Maybe he was a vampire now? A vampire bat pony. A vampony! That sounded terrifying, to his old self, but exciting to his new and blossoming sensibilities.

He descended on cooperative wings, but no matter how well they got along, his hooves were still rebellious and he landed a bit roughly behind the man, with the trademark clip-clop of a walking horse.

The man turned around, bleary eyed and swaying with obvious intoxication. "Whazzat? Someone done lost their horse?"

Orange recognized the man. He was usually drunk, but he did good physical labor during the day, and the people of the town put up with his presence. Orange didn't care about any of that. The smell... He approached the staggering drunk and nuzzled him right in one of his pockets.

"Huh? Oh... Ha!" The man roared with laughter as he dug out a big round pear. "I didn't even know horses liked no pears! Here, take it!" He hurled the fruit, and Orange felt compelled to chase it.

He pounced on the halpless fruit and sank his new needle-like fangs deep into its green glory. The sweet juices began to flow into him and he shuddered with delight as he sucked it into barely a husk of its former self. His hunger abated and he let out a happy sigh. Wait, he was supposed to be hunting! He turned sharply to see the street was empty. The drunk had already wandered off, likely to get some sleep.

He had failed, but the night was young! Yes... He moved behind a water barrel and hunkered down, watching that bar for another potential victim.

Two emerged next, a man and a woman together. He recognized them. He did both of their taxes last season. They were nice people. It was a shame he wasn't a person anymore... He crept out from behind the barrel, stalking after them slowly, trying to keep his traitorous hooves from making any sounds. A thought came to him. He wasn't entirely a beast. He could talk. He could use that. Ensuring he was in a dark part of the street, he called to them. "Paul, Susan! Help!"

They both froze in surprise and began to look around. Paul looked to Susan, "Who was that?"

Susan ribbed him. "Whoever it was, they need our help. I don't recognize the voice, but they know our names, for pity's sake."

Motivated by his wife's words, he led the way into the darkness.

Orange grinned, exposing his deadly fangs in the dim light. It would be the last time they would make such a mistake, or so he hoped. He would prove himself a mighty and terrible hunter indeed!

Author's Note:

Orange Peel, deadliest bat pony around! You can do it, Orange!

Comments

[Emtu]

You call him Peach in two of the first three paragraphs.

[Daremo]

Peach - Orange -or- Peel (?)

*****

Too cute! I cant stop smiling as I read this.

[David Silver]

6953120
6953143 Oops! Typos fixed. Orange has many things to worry about, but typos will not be one of them!

[badninja]

So I think we will have two inept vamponies here. So how long till we get a third so we can get some stooges action?

[Damaged]

6953179 Hale and Pace? The Two Ronnies? Absolutely Fabulous? Abbot and Costello?

Come on, there are plenty of amazing comedy pairings. Or, if Orange somehow manages to at least get these two back to Richard, we might have enough for a troupe!

[badninja]

6953455

Hopefully we can get a group action then, like the early SNL years or Monty Python level style of humor. I just hope more people are reading this story.

[wlam]

A vampire fruit bat pony. Poor Richard.

[Xzaves]

Round the corner
See pony
*Hiss*
Their eyes widen
"OH MY GOD!"
'ha, yess! They are skurred, so skurred!'
"Such a...CUTE!!"
Much petting
Soo omuch
'NO, STOP! I AM THE NIGHT!!'
*Pleased horse noises*
"Gonna scratch ear"
scratch ear
*scratch sound*
'gffdjubusydi'
*thud*
passed out horse

Mission Failed

[furryman]

This chapter should have been called either Orange You Bad or Orange is the New Bad.

[David Silver]

7545393 An opportunity, wasted.

[Shachza]

Awwwww...

I want a Lilly of my own.

[tsaukpaetra]

oh that is adorable! He's trying so hard, too bad it's not blood that he hungers for...