Once More, with Feeling

by Amaranthine Thought

Chapter 23: Peace at Last

“You know, princess, when I live out a fantasy about stalking after some fearful, injured victim, it doesn’t normally include being followed by an alicorn, standing tall as she can, rustling every blade of grass. Can’t you please try to be a little stealthier?”

“…Honestly, Night, your fantasy is a little… upsetting.” Twilight responded, not ceasing to keep her head high or measure her step.

“As if you’ve never enjoyed a good hunt of your own.” Night retorted, the vampony near invisible in the grass, which barely moved as she moved through it. Most of how Twilight saw her was the sun-shield around her.

“I don’t hunt ponies.” Twilight said, frowning at her.

“Think, Princess.” Night sighed. “Have you, at any time, sought after something that you knew would be hard to get, felt eager as you got closer, and happy when you finally got it?”

“Well… putting it like that, then yes, I suppose.” Twilight said, resuming scanning the tall grasses.

“Not all hunts are after wounded, frightened prey.” Night said. “But the best are. There’s just something special when you see somepony think they got away moments before you get them. You can always just grab them right then, but I always did it my own way: popping out right in front of them. Almost all ponies rear when that happens, and its just a little push to get them all the way over and then you’re already pinning them.”

Twilight hesitated as Night continued, her voice growing quite happy, “There’s nothing like feeling somepony panicking underneath you, their chest heaving with breath while their hearts beats loud and fast, unable to get you off of them. To see the terror in their eyes as you lean closer, the way they look between your gaze and your fangs, the little trembles they have as you open wide. That tiny little gasp when you finally bite, smelling that little rush of blood just a moment before their warmth begins to fill you up…” Night gave a little shudder, Twilight mimicking her for near opposite reasons.

“Night!” Twilight snapped, startling the vampony. “I do not want to hear things like that!”

“Sorry Princess.” Night said, giving the angry Twilight a quick, apologetic grin, the vampony lowering herself somewhat as Twilight glared at her. “I’m just hungry and hurt and I think we’re getting closer; the smell of blood’s getting stronger. Either she’s close, or she’s bleeding more.”

“You can’t tell the difference?”

“Well, if I hadn’t been so badly abused the past few days, then yes, I could.” Night responded. “I’ve never felt this hungry or weak before, and it’s really…”

Twilight paused as Night did, the vampony coming to a sudden stop. “…Night?” she asked, before Night shushed her, making her hesitate.

“…That’s… really nasty.” Night quietly remarked after a moment, Twilight curious.

“What is?”

Night didn’t respond for a moment, before telling her, “It’ll be for the best if I do this alone. Just stay right here for a moment, princess.” Before Twilight could respond, she added, “And when you hear me scream, totally darken the area.”

“I can, sure, but why?” Twilight asked. “Did you find her?”

“…Maybe.” Night said. “But I need to deal with this trap first.”

“And I can’t?” Twilight asked, eyeing Night.

“…Do you know what I mean when I say vitabusu?”

“No.”

“Then no. You’ll only wind up hurting you, me, and maybe the unicorn we’re after if she’s actually here.” Night told her, looking up at her. “I know what I’m doing here, princess; and I promise, if you let me do this my way, nopony is going to get hurt.”

Twilight, lightly frowning, thought for a few moments before she sighed, and nodded.

Night smiled at her, and remined her, “Remember, totally dark when I scream. Now, get this shield off of me; the grass will do for protection right now and the magic will mess things up.”

Twilight nodded again, and the dark shield around Night faded. An instant later, and Night slipped into the tall grass, Twilight hesitating as she appeared to simply vanish into it, leaving no trace nor sound as she went.

Twilight noted Night’s apparent mastery of the art, before she began considering something:

The ghouls also hid themselves. Digging hidden tunnels, moving only under cover of night. Icy Winds had blended into the shadows of her room so well that she might have missed him if not for Death’s warning.

Was mastering stealth something all undead did?

A rustle broke her thoughts, and she looked, to see nothing. After a moment, she focused on what Night had told her to do.

However, the sudden scream, like nothing a pony would ever make, had her badly startle and then swiftly forget as she saw.

She saw Night, rearing up, and a red glow manifesting around her. Tiny red motes appeared within it before rushing at the vampony, who twirled in place, an almost graceful motion. The motes seemed dragged into her wake, misdirected and scattering around her.

Motes that hit the grass caused the grass to blacken and disintegrate in a near instant. Within a second, the area was mostly free of grass.

Twilight spotted Trixie as her horn lit, the wounded unicorn lying down in the area. A magical bolt flew at Night mid twirl, and Night bent in half near unnaturally to avoid it, seamlessly avoiding the remaining motes.

Night then rushed Trixie, who tried to do something, but the vampony slid to her right as the unicorn tensed, horn alight, and touched her wounded side, making Trixie open her mouth in a soundless scream. Then Night flipped her over and was on top of her in the same motion, settling between Trixie’s legs and pinning Trixie in place as she watched Trixie’s horn, one leg tense, ready to act if need be.

Trixie didn’t struggle, eyes tightly shut, a mixture of pain and extreme tension apparent on her face.

The entire thing took a little less than two seconds to complete.

“Sun, princess!” Night yelled, Twilight only then realizing she could sort of see Night burning. She quickly darkened the area, and as Night relaxed somewhat, Twilight rushed over.

“Trixie!” she yelled as she got to the upside-down unicorn, causing Trixie to startle, and look up at her.

“P, princess?” Trixie weakly asked, confused. “W, w, what are you doing here?”

“I had to find you.” Twilight told her, greatly relieved, before hesitating as she noticed Trixie grew rather worried at that.

“H, h, have mercy on poor Trixie!”

“What?” Twilight asked, confused as Night simply watched.

“Sh, she didn’t steal anything! Trixie promises, she never took anything that wasn’t hers!”

“Trixie, I,”

“And she didn’t mean to break the windows or the roof or make things terrible!” Trixie continued, very distressed. “She just got very flustered and mad and things weren’t right, but she never meant it! Trixie swears, she never meant to make things wrong!”

“I kn,”

“When Trixie huffed at you it wasn't because she thought herself better than you or anything, truly! Trixie, Trixie is just sometimes says things she shouldn’t when she gets very upset!”

“Trix,”

“Please, have mercy on poor Trixie!” Trixie near wailed. “Is it not enough that Trixie was surprised by a ghoul, dragged through a tiny tunnel to the worst flowers ever, and then carried, wounded, through the Everfree to the brother’s crypt only to be saved from a terrible fate by a dying vampony that Trixie thought was going to drop her helpless and hurt self-hundreds of feet?”

“Let me,”

“Trixie already knew she had to leave!” Trixie yelled, teary. “She knew that she’d messed up too bad this time! And she was going, honest! Trixie was off to someplace far and away where nopony could find,”

“TRIXIE!” Twilight interrupted, frustrated. Trixie startled at her yell, and, teary, stared at Twilight, who frowned down at her, mildly frustrated. “Trixie, I am not here to punish you or yell at you or, or anything so stupid!”

Trixie blinked, hesitating, and Twilight continued, “I spent all last night thinking you were going to die a terrible, horrible death, and once I realized we’d been too late, I nearly decided to burn the entire Everfree down, just to maybe have a chance to save you!”

“W, w, what?” Trixie weakly asked, stunned, Night herself eyeing princess Rest as she took a few breaths, calming herself.

“Trixie, I am not mad at you.” Twilight firmly stated, looking down at the stunned unicorn. “I talked with everypony that evening as well: Rarity made a mistake when she thought you stole her cloth. And she felt so bad about it that when I needed her to crawl through a ghoul tunnel, she didn’t even hesitate.”

Trixie’s eyes widened, and Twilight continued, laying down to be nearer the upside-down unicorn, “Applejack admitted she’d gone too far, Fluttershy wants to help you make up with her animals, Pinkie just worries because she thinks you make a few too many mistakes and wants you to pay for the things you broke only because that’s what’s right, and Rainbow realized her mistakes. All of them wanted to make amends and reaffirm the friendship you and they made together; a friendship that saw you coming up with ways to include them in your magic shows, and that, if nothing else, tells me that you truly, honestly do care for them, no matter how bad you are at really showing that.”

“And I cannot thank Night enough for saving you, and sparing us all the pain we know so well.” Twilight sighed. She gave Trixie a small smile and told her, “We’ll get you back to where you belong, and set things right. I promise.”

“Princess…” Trixie said, her voice a little tight, the unicorn clearly touched. “Trixie… no. Not Trixie.”

“I was so scared. I’d thought I’d failed a final time and didn’t have another chance. And now, it’s, it’s all better. You came and found me and you… you did what you said you wanted to:”

“You found me, alone, despairing, and you ended my suffering, and brought me peace.”

“Thank you, Princess Rest.”

Twilight smiled as Trixie did, herself touched.

“But Trixie does have to ask.” Trixie said, glancing at Night for a moment. “Why is the vampony Night here as well, to attack Trixie but not bite her and you let her stay there without mentioning her at all?”

Twilight hesitated a moment to get her thoughts in order, and Night responded, “If you tell me what you did to Fluttershy’s blood in order for that to restore me in an instant, and how, exactly, you know how to use vitabusu, then I can tell you that.”

Trixie startled, looking up at Night.

“And for that matter, just how is it that you know the brother’s crypt?” Night added, Trixie tensing more at the mention. “Because living ponies have totally forgotten about it, and only things that hate living ponies know about it.”

“…Trixie?” Twilight asked, starting to wonder herself.

“…T, Trixie doesn’t know what the vampony is talking about.” Trixie said. “She, she even said that it was Fluttershy’s freely given blood that,”

“I was lying.” Night interrupted bluntly. “And making stuff up on the spot because whatever you did had me feeling really weird.”

“And she has no idea what vitabusu is,”

“We all saw that spell, and there’s no way that you could convince Princess Rest that that was normal magic.”

“And, and Trixie maybe heard the name spoken by the monster that tried to hurt Fluttershy last night?”

“As if.” Night snorted. “Nothing that knows of the crypt willingly shares it with living ponies, lest it catch the attention of the Twins; it’s something rather special for lots more than just my kind, Trixie.”

Trixie looked at Night in a combination of tension and worry before pleading to Princess Rest, “Trixie truly knows nothing!”

“If I wasn’t bound from hurting you, I’d be hurting you right now!” Night yelled.

“Night!” Twilight snapped. “Is it really important?”

“Y, yes!” Night responded, looking at her.

“Why?”

“Because I should know all that!” Night told her. “Vitabusu is a kind of art only liches should know, the brother’s crypt is not meant to be known by normal ponies, and I have no idea what she did to Fluttershy’s blood and I’d thought I’d learned everything about working with blood! So tell me how you know things you shouldn’t, and tell me what you did to Fluttershy!” Night finished, near screaming at Trixie, baring her fangs at the unicorn.

“…You can’t hurt Trixie?” Trixie asked. Night growled at her, and Trixie looked at Princess Rest, rather calm for having an angry vampony atop of her rather suddenly. “…Does Trixie have to tell you, princess? Because she’d rather not, but if you ask her, she will.”

“Ask her!” Night demanded.

Twilight didn’t respond for a few moments. Then she asked, “What did you do to Fluttershy’s blood, and how did it save Night?”

“…Trixie just faked it; she made it like the blood was lots more than what it really was, tricking the vampony into thinking it had just gained lots and lots when it hadn’t gotten much at all.”

“What?” both Night and Twilight asked.

“You can think of it like an illusion, except if you believe it, it’s real.” Trixie continued. “Except it’s a bit more than that, and it has to do with how vamponies work; you can’t do the same with water and a normal pony, for example. Or, well, you could, but the pony would still dehydrate, while the vampony would actually be better off, despite that it shouldn’t be.”

“That, that works?” Night asked, confused.

“You got your fangs back and beat the monster, didn’t you?” Trixie asked. “It works; and might Trixie remark that Night has very much impressed her?” Night blinked, and Trixie told her, “Trixie thought you would but distract the monster until she was able to do something, but you actually defeated it. And not only that, but you’re stable enough to be here, now, after losing a wing, and you still got your fangs! Trixie would applaud your endurance and ability, but she’s currently upside-down with a very impressive vampony keeping her that way.”

“Night, let her up.”

Night did so, clearly unwillingly, and once she was off, Trixie carefully rolled over, favoring her uninjured side, and stayed there.

“Trixie?”

“Trixie is still a little stiff, Princess.” Trixie reported. “The ghoul got her pretty good, and her legs don’t want to really cooperate; if you give her some time, she can maybe get this right…” she added, shifting around, trying to find some sort of leverage. “If only there was something to push, ah!”

Twilight helped her up, using a cloud of magic to bolster the unicorn back onto her feet, Trixie startling as she went up, and then giving Princess Rest a grateful smile as she stood on her own.

“Trixie had…” Trixie started before stopping herself. “Thank you, Princess!” she said, smiling more.

“Can you walk?” Twilight asked, getting onto her own.

“Trixie can!” Trixie told her, showing a strange, stiff sort of walk which had Twilight repress a chuckle.

“What about the rest of my questions?” Night asked, which had Trixie tense.

“Would you stop asking those questions if Trixie donated some blood?” Trixie suggested, giving Night a nervous smile. “She lost some, but she has lots more for the very impressive vampony that saved her life!”

Night eyed her before sighing, looking at Princess Rest. “Well, princess?”

“…Let Trixie keep her secrets.” Twilight said, noting Trixie’s relief; which also showed her that she was still half-paralyzed, indicated by what could and couldn’t show relief. “But… Fluttershy might not be able to donate for a few days. Can you handle that time, Night?”

“…No.”

“Then I think I’ll take you up on your offer, Trixie.” Twilight said, rather pleased that a problem had an immediate and simple solution.

Trixie gained a worried look. “Princess, Trixie thinks it is very important that Trixie tells you that vamponies can only just survive off just one pony.”

“What?”

“She’s not wrong.” Night said, attracting Twilight’s attention. “After all this, I’d need… maybe seven or so ponies to get back to normal.”

“S, seven!” Twilight yelped, stunned.

“I’d need somewhere around fifty if I wanted to get back to full strength again.” Night told the shocked princess.

“…Trixie didn’t know it took that many.”

“Normally, it wouldn’t.” Night sighed. “Losing my wing is the biggest thing recently, but I’ve been hurt and abused over the past several days and haven’t fed properly for a week now. I can survive off of just you, but if I want to get better at all,” she added, looking to Princess Rest, “I’m going to need at least five healthy ponies to get my wing back and recover enough that I’m not hours away from starving.”

“…You know, Trixie’s friends might be able to make the difference for you.” Trixie said. “Applejack alone should count as two, she works alone in a huge orchard, is easily surprised, and her brother is the same but should count as even more! Easy.”

“T, Trixie!” Twilight snapped, Trixie flinching. “D, don’t just, just volunteer somepony like that!”

Night sighed. “Pointless anyway; Princess Rest has to O.K anypony I feed from first.”

“Oh?”

“Soul binding.”

“Oh! Then that’s why you didn’t bite Trixie and why you can’t hurt her?”

“Yes.”

“Well… Princess, Trixie thinks her friends will be just fine with it.” Trixie told Twilight, who stared at her. “They are all heroes, after all, and helping and saving ponies is a part of that description, and though vamponies are not,”

“Sanguinerians.”

“Sanguinerians are not normally counted as normal ponies,” Trixie effortlessly saved, “Night is clearly different. After all, she saved Trixie’s life, and defended her and Fluttershy from a terrible monster. She’s a pony in need of aid, aid we, Applejack and her brother specifically, can give her! And Trixie just knows that Night will most appreciate the opportunity to do what comes naturally to her, and recover well after a good hunt.” She finished, giving Princess Rest a bright smile.

Night looked at her before looking at Rest, the sanguinerian unsure what to say to that.

Twilight, meanwhile, was struggling to comprehend things.

Trixie was championing Night and trying to get her to alright Night sneaking off to attack the Apples. But what was really bothering Twilight was that she was making a very good case for it.

Before, when she’d thought about it, she’d known that Night wasn’t the easiest pony to ‘introduce’ to others. Much less set up her ‘needs’. She remembered even specifically rejecting Applejack on the grounds that Applejack had a high chance of attacking Night.

But if she changed how she was thinking about it…

Night had just showed her that she could disappear in tall grass. Talked to her about how she loved to stalk after ‘prey’. Shown her that, even in bright sunlight and ‘weak’, she was quick and agile.

Trixie wasn't wrong about Applejack. She was easily surprised, wasn’t the kind of pony to startle at small sounds or pay close attention to her surroundings. On top of that, she was a notably strong, healthy pony, and her brother was just more so. Both were often isolated and alone as they worked in the orchard, and working meant they were even focusing on something else. Applejack sometimes missed hearing her own name when she was working.

Looking at it like she had, the idea was totally unfeasible.

Thinking about it like how a sanguinerian might, the Apples looked like the best prey Ponyville could possibly offer.

“…Well, Princess?” Night asked, waiting.

“…H, how important is this, again?” Twilight asked, struggling to think, moving a hoof to her forehead.

“If I want to get my wing back and recover from everything, vital.” Night told her, causing Princess Rest to groan. “And it is Applejack; she can take it.”

“…You trust Trixie about prey?” Trixie asked, and Night sighed.

“Of course, you’re smarter than that. Send me on a wild goose chase and the ‘very impressive vampony’ might come back for some revenge. I don’t have to hurt you to make you suffer, you know.”

Trixie gave her half a smile, before giving Princess Rest a full one.

“…Just once.” Twilight sighed.

“YES!” Night screamed, rearing up and startling her. “Finally, I can feed properly!”

“Not a lot!” Twilight yelled as Night dashed off, vanishing into the grass. Twilight stared after her, frowning in disapproval as Trixie came next to her.

“…Applejack will be fine. Maybe a little mad and paranoid for a bit, but fine.” Trixie told her, attracting Twilight’s attention. “…Trixie thanks you again for letting her keep secrets too. Does that… worsen her image, Trixie wonders?”

“Not unless you’re secretly a lich or something.” Twilight said, and Trixie, to her minor relief, laughed.

“Princess, Liches don’t have flesh!” Trixie told her, chuckling. “Trixie clearly still does!”

“That and blood too.” Twilight said, noting the wound bleeding a little still. “We need to get you looked at.”

“Trixie is fine,”

“You’re going to get checked by a doctor and your wound properly cleaned out.” Twilight firmly said. “Fluttershy does great first aid, but you need a professional. Now, come on.”

Trixie nodded, and followed Princess Rest as she began heading back towards Ponyville. Twilight dismissed the dark overhead as they left the dead field of grass, and as they did so, Trixie glanced back.

On the other side of it, an eye was visible, watching.

Trixie smirked at it, flicked her tail, and said nothing as she continued following.

Comments

[Drr]

Thank you

[Amaranthine Thought]

11183180
Thank you for enjoying!

[Lucien Arindel Domingo]

Loving this

[Teraunce]

Trixie smirked at it, flicked her tail, and said nothing as she continued following.

Well that isn't ominous or anything.