Family Begins With You

by Jmaster49

Arc VII Episode VII: My Schoolmate Is A Vampire Batpony?!

The webbing had all disappeared as well. And once it was all said and done, Diamond Tiara and Rumble ran up to their schoolmate.

“Yo! That was awesome!” Rumble cheered, “You were all like slash-swish-bam! Like some sorta anime! And is that sword made of blood or somethin’?!”

“...I dunno whether that’s gross or amazing,” Tiara added, “But you saved me--so I guess I can’t throw too much shade in your direction.” She looked at him with a smug smile. “So all that stuff about vampires was for a reason, wasn’t it?”

With a snap of his fingers, the katana disappeared and Keiji’s hair reverted to its usual silver color. “Yeah ya got me,” he replied as he looked at them, shoving his hands in his pockets, “I’m a vampony from Equestria and I can control blood magic. It’s outlawed over there so I was kinda banished to this world because of it.”

“...Harsh,” Rumble commented, “But I guess being able to stop someone’s heart on a whim like you did just then would be pretty OP. Still, they banished you just for showing interest in it?”

“Yup.”

Tiara jumped in and asked, “...Did your parents not have a say in it? Or…?”

Keiji rubbed one of his hands behind his neck, “Yeah, I’d rather not get into that. That shit still annoys me to this day. But what I will tell ya is that my name isn’t exactly Keiji Ketsuki. It used to be Count Bloodlust but I…changed it by translating it into my mom’s language.”

Tiara giggled. “Count Bloodlust? Wow, edgy much?”

“The hell’s that supposed’ta mean?” he grumbled.

“Hey, I think it’s pretty cool,” Rumble commented, “Though Keiji’s a pretty badass name too, I won’t lie. You were awesome out there, dawg.”

“For once, I agree with him,” Tiara added, “I wouldn’t exactly mind hanging out with you in the future if it means I have a free bodyguard--but seriously, thanks…I thought I was gonna die there.”

The compliments simply made Keiji roll his eyes. “...Whatever. You’re welcome, I guess. Just don’t start spreading rumors that I’m some hero, alright?”

“...I don’t think we’ll have to,” Rumble spoke up and pointed at the crowd near the diner. “Check it.”

Keiji turned and looked…

Once everyone had finished congratulating Pinkie and Sonata, they turned their attention to him next. More specifically, Rumble’s older brother Thunderlane who had been there with the former the whole time.

“Hey. Thanks for saving my bro,” he said as he walked over to hug Rumble, “As if we needed another reason to hate spiders.”

“Quit it, TL--” Rumble protsted, “Everyone’s watchiiiiing!”

“Yeah yeah,” Keiji replied flatly, “Don’t make a big deal out of--hrrk!”

Next, Pinkie’s coworkers approached Keiji and tightly hugged him from both sides.

“Thank you so much!” the pale-pink woman known as Sunny spoke first.

“He’s a hero!” the orange-skinned woman known as Tip Top squealed while pinching his cheek, “A sweet, adorable hero!”

“Can you like…not?” he mumbled through his teeth as his cheek was contorted. “I will bite you, lady.”

“You can come back for a free lunch whenever you want,” Sunny added while patting him on the head, “As our way of saying thank you.”

Keiji huffed while glaring at both women--his heart started to pound faster and faster, causing him to squirm anxiously. “Are either of you listenin’ta me at all? H-hey, get offa me!”

Diamond Tiara could be seen giggling in the background.

Soon enough, they let him go, and walked back towards the restaurant…only for him to be approached by Pinkie and Sonata.

“That was like, amazing!” Sonata chirped as she walked up to him, “What’s your secret?”

Keiji grit his teeth. “Oh god dammit--”

Pinkie chimed in right with her, interrupting him in the process. “I smelled metal--ooh! Do you control some kinda ruby or metallic--”

“Wouldja both shaddap and lemme talk?” Keiji spoke up to get their attention, “Anyway. I suppose it’s not worth trying to hide anymore. I can control my own blood and turn it into things like weapons and shields. In other words: I’m a hemomancer--a blood magic user from Equestria. I used to be a batpony, actually. Or a vampony--whatever fits.”

Sonata and Pinkie stared at him with open jaws and wide eyes--it was as if they had just seen a ghost.

Which rightfully freaked the boy out, and caused him to take a few steps back. “...Um. Right. With that being said, I’m gonna…go. I have a job to do.”

“Waitwaitwait! Blood magic?!” Sonata squealed, “The last time I heard anyone use that, it was centuries ago. Hasn’t Equestria, like, totally banned that?”

“They have. And that’s why I’m here now,” Keiji replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Anyhow. If you got more questions, you can ask me another day. I’m still working.”

“Working?” Pinkie tilted her head, “Doing what?”

“Babysitting a certain someone’s daughter,” he looked over in Tiara’s direction, “Hey, let’s go. Your mom is gonna be expecting us.”

“Excuse me?” she stomped up to him with a huff, “Babysitting? Just who do you think you are?”

Keiji rolled his eyes and kept up his smug expression. “Don’t get funny with me, you know your mother is gonna be looking for you. Now let's go before someone else tries to hug me.”

“C’mon, Sonata,” Pinkie said as she looked back at the building, “We got a looootta disinfecting to do.” “Gotta make sure I let Sunset know about this. She’ll know what to do.”

“Oh right! Coming!” Sonata followed her back into the building as the crowd of people dispersed.

Meanwhile…

As Keiji walked with Diamond Tiara back to her home, the latter was staring intently at the boy for most of the way. It to the point where he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

“Ugh--wanna tell me why you’re starin’ at me?” he commented while glaring at her. “That shit’s annoying.”

“Sorry I just…” she shook her head, “I never would’ve guessed that you actually were a vampire pony.”

Keiji stopped on a dime, and hung his head to hide his eyes from view. “...Do you think of me as some sorta freak now? Someone you’re too disgusted to be around?”

“...What? No! I mean…I won’t lie, it’s kinda weird and a bit crazy that you can control someone else’s blood if it gets on your sword…which is also made of blood. But that doesn’t make you a freak. Trust me,” she folded her arms, “I’ve seen loads of crazy things since I’ve been in this school. Nothing can freak me out at this point. I wouldn’t dare call someone who saved me from an icky spider death a freak. That crap was freaky.”

“Pff--I’ll say,” he replied with an audible shudder in his voice, “Blggh…I wonder how that arachne monster ended up here anyway. “

“...Think someone banished her here?” Tiara asked.

Keiji shook his head. “Nah. That thing existed as a spider monster back in Equestria just living on its own. Someone must’ve summoned her here. But…that’s besides the point.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just glad she’s gone.”

“Same here. I’m glad you were there. Although…” she shyly kicked the ground as she put her hands behind her back. “There’s something I wanna tell you.”

“What?”

She folded her arms, flipped her hair, and started walking again. “You need to work on your table manners. I can’t be seen eating in public with you if you’re gonna slather ketchup on your vampy teeth.”

“Oh you sonuva--” he scowled as he caught up with her, “Don’t tell me how I eat. You ain’t my mom.”

“Maybe not. But my mom’s the one keeping a roof over your head,” she shot back with her usual smug expression, “You’d do well to follow some standards.”

“Dis carbonite chick--you know I’m a noble too, right? My name was Count Bloodlust. Hello?”

“Was a noble,” Tiara corrected him, “But here, you’re no different than anyone else.”

While that was true, Keiji did recall just how much she enjoyed using her hands to eat. “Hm. Wait a sec--oh yeah, that’s right. You just ate a meal with your dainty little human paws, didn’t you?”

“...That’s different!’ she protested, “Besides…we were in a casual setting--”

Now it was Keiji’s turn to be the smug snake. “Well, well, well--just wait until Lady Rich finds out that her pampered daughter used her hands to eat like a barbarian. O the humanity! The scandalous nature of it all,” he put his hands against his cheeks to fake a dramatic state of shock.

“Dhhgh! Sh-shut it already!” she puffed out her cheeks, sulking as she continued walking. But after a moment, she came down off of the frustration and spoke candidly. “...Huh. That was new.”

“Eh?” he asked as he raised a brow.

“Silver Spoon’s my best friend--and she always will be--but…I’ve never had a moment of friendly banter with her like that before.”

Keiji put his hands behind his head and replied, “Well--that’s what happens when you’re surrounded by someone who always agrees with you.”

“...” Tiara paused as she processed what he had just said. At that moment, she had begun to realize why her mother had sent her away with him for the afternoon. “...Damn. You tell it like it is, huh?”

“No shit,” he said casually, “If I’m gonna say something about someone, I’ll say it. No reason to hide anything, right?”

Whether he realized it or not, Keiji’s words had cut deep and forged a realization in Diamond Tiara. “...You’re right, KK. You know what? I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”

“...”

“...KK?”

All the sudden, Keiji fell to his knees, and started coughing. “Agh! Dammit…that battle took a lot out of me…”

“...Are you alright?”

“...Yeah I’ll be--” He clutched his chest, his breathing became labored. “...F-fine. This…happens all the time. Gimme a sec…” And with a thud, he collapsed onto the sidewalk, much to Tiara’s horror.

“KK! Hang on…I’ll call someone who can help you…”