Tales from the Cosmos Eccentric

by RB_

The Past Bites 4

Windfall was a town surrounded by a high stone wall, it turned out. A relic from an older time, when the land was less tame and the average traveler less amicable. To Vinyl Scratch, standing in the shadow of the town’s main gate, it felt almost nostalgic.

Almost.

At the sound of approaching hoofsteps, her head snapped up. She bared her fangs at the approaching pony, wrapped in a hooded cloak.

“Calm down,” Bon Bon whispered, dropping her hood. “It’s me.”

Vinyl relaxed. Took you long enough. No Lyra? And what’s with the getup?

“Past experience has taught me to come prepared,” Bon Bon said. “And did you really think I’d bring her for this?”

No, Vinyl said. I’m just wondering how you managed to give her the slip. You guys had a package deal, didn’t you?

“She thinks I’m visiting my parents in Vanhoover right now.”

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. How’d you get that past little miss lie-detector?

“I actually did visit them before I came here.”

Clever.

“Speaking of clever, what are you doing out in the open?” Bon Bon hissed. “You could have been spotted!”

Relax, I cased the place out hours ago. There’s nothing to worry about outside the walls.

She cast her gaze towards the gate.

It’s what’s inside that I’m worried about.

Together, they moved towards the gate. A set of hefty iron bars blocked the singular entrance into the village.

“My way or your way?” Bon Bon asked.

Let’s do your way, Vinyl said. We can do my way on the way out.

“Works for me.”

Bon Bon reached under her cloak and retrieved her grappling hook, which had been wrapped around her midsection. Grasping the rope in her teeth, she whirled it around a few times, then sent it flying up to the top of the wall.

Vinyl whistled. First try. How’d you get so good with that thing?

Bon Bon gave the line a few tugs, but it held tight.

“Lots of falling,” she said, and wrapped her forehooves around the rope. Planting her hindlegs against the wall, she began to climb.

Not one to be outdone, Vinyl walked up to the wall and planted her own forehooves against it.

Man, it’s been ages since I last got to do this, she thought to herself as she brought her hindlegs onto the wall as well. Taking a deep breath, she began to scurry straight up the uneven surface, pushing off outcroppings of stone and pulling herself up by the divots.

When she got to the top, Bon Bon was ready with a helping hoof and a raised eyebrow.

What? she said. I’ve got freaky vampire climbing abilities. Jealous?

“Hardly.”

You’re no fun. Anyway…

She turned towards the town. Raising her hoof, she pointed to one building in particular.

I bet you a hundred bits she’s in there.

The clocktower was easily the tallest structure within the walls, standing twice as tall as any other building. Its brass hands and glass face stood vigil over the rest of the town.

“Why there?”

C’mon, Vinyl said. Big fancy building in the very middle of town? That’s, like, vampire catnip.

“And yet you live in a one-story house on the edge of town,” Bon Bon said.

A very nice one-story house. And anyway, town hall was taken.

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Well, you’re the expert.”

She pulled up her grappling hook and drove it into a divot between two of the stones, then began to rappel down the inside of the wall. Vinyl jumped down, landing silently on her hooves like a cat. She moved ahead to scout.

The streets of Windfall were eerily quiet, even to Vinyl’s sensitive ears. She tried straining them, but all that got her was a sharp pain through her skull.

She winced.

“Everything alright?” Bon Bon asked, trotting up.

It’s fine, she said. Let’s go.

---

It seemed the outside wall was not the only relic of a bygone era in Windfall. The buildings, too, were old-fashioned in architecture, though it was obvious they were only made to look that way.

Sort of like Ponyville, Vinyl thought. Only more fake.

And yet, it still triggered that little flutter of familiarity in the back of her brain.

They were about halfway to the clocktower, now.

Vinyl’s ears twitched.

Hold up.

Bon Bon drew to a stop. Following Vinyl’s lead, the two ducked behind a house to their right.

Vinyl peeked out around the corner. The hoofsteps she’d heard were clearly audible, now.

Three ponies walked out from behind an alley and into the street—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they prowled.

Their coats were filthy, covered in grime and Celestia knew what else. Their pupils were dilated, their featured thin and haggard. They appeared sickly, yet they moved with strength and purpose.

The lead one, a mare with a blond mane, lifted her nose into the air. Her lips pulled back, revealing sharp fangs. A long hiss escaped her muzzle.

“Vampires?” Bon Bon whispered.

No. Thralls, Vinyl said, narrowing her eyes. Cast-offs. It’s what happens when you don’t finish turning someone. All the vampire cravings with none of the control.

“That’s horrific,” Bon Bon said.

Yes, she said. It is.

She stood up. Wait here.

“What are you going to do?”

Fix them.

She stepped out into the open. The thralls spotted her immediately, whipping around to face her and snarling.

Easy, she said, reaching out with one hoof. Easy. I’m here to help.

They hissed.

Vinyl bared her fangs. See? I’m like you. I’m a friend.

Two of the thralls looked a little more hesitant, now. The third, the mare, hissed again, then, coiling her legs, pounced.

Vinyl was ready for her. She reared up and brought a foreleg around, catching the thrall in the throat and throwing her to the ground. Pinning her with one foreleg, Vinyl brought the other up to her mouth. Her fangs easily tore a hole in her flesh, her own pitch-black blood beginning to trickle out. She held the wound over the other mare’s maw and let a few drop fall down her throat.

There you go.

The Thrall’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. Vinyl stepped off of her; the pony rolled onto her hooves and began to cough, then to retch, bile spattering the cobblestones.

Vinyl patted her on the back. Yeah, this part sucks, she said. But it’s still better than the alternative.

She turned to the other two thralls, who were watching her warily. She held out her bleeding limb to them.

Drink up, she commanded. Nervously, the two crept forwards and accepted her offering. Soon they, too, were heaving onto the cobbles.

She turned her head to look at where Bon Bon was hiding. You can come out now, she said.

Slowly, Bon Bon emerged from the alley. The three thralls seemed to pay her no mind, too busy as they were with… whatever it was that was taking place.

Come on, Vinyl said. Let’s get them inside.

---

“What… happened?” one of the ponies asked. They’d taken shelter in one of the houses, dragging the three ex-thralls inside before locking the door. They had just begun to recover.

Yeah… We’ll get to that, Vinyl said. Do you remember your names?

“Tealeaf,” said the mare.

“I’m Sunup,” the stallion with the yellow coat said. He pointed to the other stallion, the one with the purple coat. “That’s my brother, Sundown.”

Heh, sun-related names, that’ll be a fun conversation starter, Vinyl said. I’m Vinyl. This is—

“Sweetie Drops,” Bon Bon said, from by the door where she was keeping guard.

—This is Sweetie Drops, apparently, Vinyl finished. And she’s currently the only normal pony in the room. Well, relatively normal.

“W-what do you mean?” Sundown said.

What’s the last thing you remember?

He rubbed his forehead. “I… remember walking to the market with Sunup to buy some eggs, then… something attacked us?”

“It was a pony,” Sunup said. “A pegasus!”

“I think the same thing happened to me,” said Tealeaf. “She came out of nowhere…”

“I think she—this is going to sound weird, but I think she… bit me,” Sunup said. The other two started.

“Yeah, she bit me too!”

“And me.”

Yeah, Vinyl said. She, uh… she definitely did.

“But how did we get here?” Sundown said. “Why are we covered in dirt? And why do I feel so sick?”

Well, uh… Vinyl rubbed the back of her head. Man, I really hate giving these talks.

“Just get it over with,” Bon Bon said. “We need to get moving.”

Oh, have a heart, Drops.

“I’m sorry,” Tealeaf said. “I really don’t understand what’s happening.”

Yeah, uh… alright. Check your teeth.

“Our… teeth?”

Vinyl rolled her eyes. Just do it.

They did. Reactions were predictable.

Alright, calm down, Vinyl said, holding out her hooves in a gesture of appeasement. It’s not that big of a deal, really.

“Not that big of a deal!?” Sunup said, standing up. “A weird mare attacked us, we all passed out and woke up in a different place than where we started, and we have fangs! How is that not that big of a deal!? That’s, like, the exact opposite of not a big deal! What the heck is going—”

I said calm.

He sat back down immediately, like a dog obeying its master.

Vinyl rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. Ugh… sorry about that.

She sighed. Look, short version is: you were attacked by a rogue vampire, she turned you all feral for like a month probably, and then I fixed you by turning you completely. You’re vampires now. Bon—

“Sweetie Drops.”

—Sweetie Drops and I are here to deal with the vampire that attacked you. And I know you have a million questions, and I’ll be happy to help you all ease into your new blood-loving lifestyle later, but now is not a good time.

She turned to Bon Bon. You see a piece of paper and a pencil or something when we came in?

“On the desk to your left.”

Oh. Groovy.

She took the items up in her magic and scribbled something down before handing it to Tealeaf. Head to the gate and wait for us there. If we aren’t back before sunset, take the nearest train to Manehattan and go to this address. Ask for Snowblind and tell her that Vinyl Scratch sent you. She’s better at this stuff than I am. Stick together. And for Celestia’s sake, don’t try to drink from anypony before you get there, no matter how hungry you get. Save yourself the embarrassment.

Tealeaf reluctantly accepted the paper and nodded.

Cool. Get going. If you can’t get the gate open, the three of you are probably strong enough to bend the bars.

In a daze, the three stood and made their way to the door. Sundown hesitated on his way out.

“Are you sure it’s safe out there?” he asked.

No.

“Oh,” he said. “Great.”

And then they were gone.

“So,” Bon Bon said. “When were you going to tell me you could do that?”

Do what?

“Command other vampires.”

It’s, uh, more of a suggestion, really, Vinyl said. And only because they had some of my blood in them. Once it gets out of their system, they’ll be fine. Siring’s really the only time I can do it without poisoning them, anyway.

“And how many have you sired?”

Vinyl tapped her hoof to her chin. Counting those three? Twelve. Most of them are dead though. Hey, don’t look at me like that.

“Mm.” Bon bon frowned. “Vinyl, can I ask you a personal question?”

Uh… is now really the time?

“Why aren’t you an Owl?”

Vinyl blinked. What?

“Why aren’t you an Owl?” Bon Bon repeated.

Uh… well, I guess I just want to be a normal musician for a while. You know, make my music, have fun for a couple more centuries. I don’t like fighting, either. Besides, ‘Tavi’s got you covered.

“You were happy to fight when Hollyleaf kidnapped Winter Bell,” Bon Bon pointed out.

Yeah, well, that was personal.

“Then why are you here?” she asked. “Is this personal too?”

Vinyl looked up at her. She said nothing. Her brow furrowed.

She got to her hooves.

Come on, she said, brushing past Bon Bon. We’ve got a job to do.

Comments

[TheStratovarian]

Ooof. But I very much like the talk between both. And settling the hatchet.

[Darkest Dreams]

Why can’t I read the end of this yet? I’m so damn excited for it.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Time and place, Drops. Save the cross-examination for after you've dealt with the flying vampire wunderkind.