He's a Vampire

by Gormless Wheaton

Uphill

Author's Note:

You've entered Act 5 of He's a Vampire. There are only 6, so the ending is rapidly approaching.

Thank you for following along this far.

---

"So you really don't have any problem with the changelings sticking around?" I asked Donis as we hauled a few full barrels out of his storeroom, me carrying one in each arm and him carrying just the one with some effort. He chuckled heartily.

"Not so long they keep their noses outta my business! Lil' vacation was nice 'n all, but I'm none too taken with the idea of lettin' some stranger handle my shop," he set his barrel down at the door and turned to me. "If'n I was, I'da hired some local twerp ages ago." He chuckled again and reached for the door, only for me to pull it open with magic. He huffed and glanced back at me.

"Hey now, you want a job?" I whistled in response as I hefted his barrel up with more magic.

"Sorry, still pretty engaged back in Canterlot," I replied and ducked sideways through the door to the main room. We'd pushed all the tables together at the center of the room, where the rest of the hunting team was waiting, along with Dusty and her sister, all of whom briefly cheered at our arrival before returning their attention to Twilight.

"The changelings agreed to open negotiations with King Thorax and Princess Celestia, and the Republic will grant them the southwestern corner of the city," she explained while reading the notebook Blueblood had found in Candy's lab. "So, Chrysalis popping back up to cause trouble shouldn't be an issue. And if she does, the rest of the city government will have the means to report it to Equestria."

"Thank goodness," Dusty sighed, hugging her sister close. Twilight closed the notebook and looked up as I set the barrels on the table while Donis fetched a few taps.

"So, yeah, like I said, while it might've taken a few more days than I'd liked, I think it was worth it," Twilight declared with a smile. Quilt shuddered and took a bite from the cheese wheel Donis gave her.

"Still don't think I could stomach sitting through another meeting with those nutcases," she cast a glare my way, which I countered with a grin. The pirates and guards shuffled from their seats to the end of the table where Donis was pouring drinks, and I sat down next to Quilt across from Capper, who smiled and began shuffling some cards.

"Celestia knows Peter's going to warp us back to Canterlot, right?" Twilight asked. Calaeno nodded as one of her crewmates handed her a mug. She tapped the magic candle resting on the table and took a drink. Cozy hummed and looked up from the juice she and Sunbeam were sharing.

"Are we leaving tonight?" She asked.

"As soon as this little shindig's over," Capper replied as he dealt cards to me, Quilt, Hasty, and a few others. Empty Shelves whined quietly.

"Well, I'm glad we at least got a chance to thank you for helping the city out," she chirped.

"Agreed," Donis added, patting Quilt on the back as he carried mugs around the table, causing her to choke. "Only reason I ain't givin' you grief over the cheese I hear you stole earlier." Her ears shot back, and she wilted at his wry grin, eliciting a laugh from the table. Just then, the candle lit up, and a scroll burst out in a whisp of smoke. Twilight and I shared a look as she grabbed it in her magic.

"Wonder what this is about," she unfurled and read it briefly before gasping and jumping from her seat. "Peter, we have to go."

---

"Anything?" Twilight asked in an anxious tone, a feeling which the rest of the people in the room doubtlessly shared. My eyes darted around due to how hard I was focusing with my Evil Eye, and yet still nothing. I finally cut the spell and growled, shaking my head. The red-crested hippogriff from Mount Aris, who was now acting on Novo's behalf, was the first to react.

"Isn't your Scrying Eye or whatever you call it supposed to be all-seeing?" He squawked, shaking his head in frustration.

"Not if she's being kept in a salt circle. Which Adam probably knew to do," I replied, biting my clenched fist. Coal grumbled and paced the floor.

"So what's the plan?" Ember grumbled. She and Coal were the only coalition members still in the castle, mainly out of interest in welcoming us back. After some final discussions earlier in the week, everyone had agreed to close the conference, and the delegates had parted ways. But then Lieutenant Coraltail showed up an hour ago, delivering the news that Adam had kidnapped Novo's daughter, leading to his meeting in the now empty conference room, with only the 'critical agents of the hunting team' as he put it.

"So long as Adam remains in hiding, we can do nothing besides hunt for him and wait for his demands," Celestia declared mournfully and looked at Coraltail. "Did he say when he would be in contact?" He cast a glare my way.

"He said his brother's death has hindered communications," he looked me up and down critically before meeting Celestia's eyes. "He must choose a new mouth, as it were, but promised he would not harm Princess Skystar." I hummed and folded my arms.

"When'd you say he kidnapped her?" I asked. Coraltail glanced away from me for a moment, before looking at me again.

"Two days ago. I flew with all haste to deliver the message to Her Majesty, whom I met midway between Mount Aris and here." I looked at Twilight, who had her hoof to her chin.

"How far could he get from Mount Aris in that time?"

"He could easily have gotten to the Storm Isles by now," she replied and turned to Coraltail. "Admiral Tide Claw is still occupying them, right?"

"Correct, and he has reported nothing of the sort," he paced the floor away from me. "One of my peers was deployed to the area as well to make certain." Twilight hummed and turned to Calaeno.

"We need to plot any possible courses they could have taken, if you wouldn't mind, Captain." Calaeno sighed and stretched.

"No rest for the wicked," she huffed. Coraltail groaned and his head dipped.

"Is there truly nothing that can be done?" He asked Celestia. She furrowed her brow and stared at the moon through the window. Coraltail scoffed and shook his head. "What of this 'Catican' the queen mentioned?" I jolted, and Twilight squeaked. Celestia, meanwhile, only blinked and met Coraltail's eyes.

"The Catican will not render aid to the coalition unless their demands are met. We agreed that they were unreasonable," Coal said with a humph. Coraltail studied him for a moment before nodding.

"Unfortunate, but very well," he took a shallow breath and faced the rest of us. "At Her Majesty's request and with your permission Princess Celestia, I shall remain in Canterlot in anticipation of the enemy's contact."

"Of course. I will have a room prepared for your stay," she replied with a nod and gestured to one of the guards at the door.

"Wonderful. Then, I shall take my leave for the evening," he bowed deep and slipped out the door. We sat in contemplative silence for a few minutes following his departure. Twilight hummed and shuffled her hooves.

"I'm.. gonna go check on Pinkie and the girls," she looked up at Calaeno. "Meet you in the library tomorrow morning for charting?"

"Sure thing," Calaeno replied with a sad look in her eyes. The pair made for the door and Calaeno waved back at us. "Have a good night all."

"This bites!" Ember hissed once they were gone. "Thought we finally got one over that clown!" Hot steam shot from her snout.

"You're telling me," Coal groused and pounded his fists, before roaring and thrusting them in the air. "Come, Dragon Lord! Let us break things in the training yard!"

"Heck yeah!" Ember cheered and punched me in the shoulder. "Adam might be a sneaking creep, but good work out there all the same."

"Indeed!" Coal loomed over me with a scowl and slowly brought his fist up. I blinked and then bumped mine against his, which caused his scowl to melt into a smile before the pair turned and left.

"Please keep to the portion we set aside for you two," Celestia called after them. I folded my arms and bit one of my fingers with a sigh.

"If he sends someone with a blood bond, we can probably have Quilt work her magic again," I offered.

"Exactly my thinking," Celestia replied before brushing me with a wing. "But let's find somewhere more comfortable, shall we?" I rubbed my eyes with a groan and nodded.

"Sure, but we should probably let Quilt and the rest in the loop," I huffed as we walked side by side. I leveled an annoyed look Celestia's way. "What's that guy's problem anyhow?"

"Don't let his attitude or comments on the rest of your team get to you," she replied with a smile and raised an eyebrow at me. "He's bearing the weight of a beloved public figure's abduction. From what I understand you reacted to similar news with.. less grace, shall we say?" I flinched and grimaced.

"Well, 'scuse me for caring, princess," I nudged her, earning a giggle in response.

"Just try to keep it in mind with the lieutenant. He's in distress, but I don't believe any ill will come of it."

---

Celestia's suite was something to behold. In many ways, it reminded me of the master bedroom in Ramstead, even down to the size of her bed, which of course finally gave me an answer to who that room was for originally. Of course, her room was better furnished even when compared to what Quilt had done with the room in Ramstead.

We sat side-by-side on a black and gold sofa in front of a large glass table before a lit fireplace which had a golden mantle in the shape of two alicorns meeting at the center of an arc over the fire.

"So, Graggle, Frill, and Tangle took the airship back to Woollachia, but what about Lace and the other two?" I asked.

"Well, Graggle theorized there may arise some individuals who would do them harm in Woollachia, so for now and if the Mayors of Woollachia permit, for their safety they are being confined within Canterlot Castle for the time being," she replied taking her tea cup from the table. I nodded and grimaced.

"And.. how's Frill?"

"Quite well. She was very pleased to hear that you were successful," Celestia replied, leering at me from the corner of her eye. "And a touch disappointed they were returning to Woollachia before you made it back."

"Good," I huffed and folded my arms.

"She asked for you to come speak with her when you made it home." I whimpered and leaned onto my knees. I felt her wing on my back. "I don't think it's as bad as you're imagining."

"Guess we'll find out," I sighed and rubbed my eyes before looking into the fire. I turned to Celestia. "So, the Catican, huh?" She sipped her tea and hummed.

"Their primary administrator paid us a visit a few days ago, offering their services in exchange for Woollachia's expulsion," she raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Or so they claim. We suspected they took exception only to you." I snickered and relaxed back on the couch.

"Course they do. Probably steamed I trashed their guy in Klugetown."

"Yes, Twilight wrote of your encounter," she sighed and shook her head. "I'd hoped it was just a misunderstanding, but it seems we are not so fortunate. They truly believe you are just some horrible monster."

"Well, to hell with them," I scoffed but then hummed at the mention of the word monster. I looked at Celestia. "I hate to keep changing the subject like this, but there's something I need to ask you about." She shook her head.

"No trouble at all. What is it?" I took a breath and gestured while trying to find the right words.

"You remember how I absorbed dark magic from Mad Dog? Well, it happened again when we killed Candy," I began.

"We assumed such a thing would happen. You don't appear to be suffering any ill effects, but I presume something occurred?" I looked at the fire and shuddered, remembering the sight of that thing.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I saw something. It was like a wall of shadows with bony claws and a horse head, it uh-" I jumped at the sound of her teacup clattering on the ground. I turned to see her staring at me with an even, unreadable expression.

"You know what I'm talking about," I declared after a moment. She said nothing and just kept staring at me. I felt a chill racing over me under her gaze.

"What else did you see?" She finally pried in a low, even tone. I exhaled since I realized I'd been holding my breath.

"There, uh, was a door in the side of a mountain. The thing kept telling me to set it free," I replied. She looked down, and her eyes shifted around before humming.

"The dark magic you've been absorbing must be heightening your supernatural senses along with your physical ability," she said looking up at me with a frown and a strange light in her eyes. "Do you feel any compulsion to obey its request? Any pull at all?"

"No," I said immediately, blinking when I realized I hadn't even really heard the question. "What did you-"

"I had to be certain, apologies," she said, pulling me into a hug with her wing. She sighed hard and squeezed me. "And apologies again, but I'm so glad you're so vulnerable to those spells." I scowled and tried to look up at her but she held me tight.

"What spells," I demanded.

"Secret vampire-hunting ones," she chirped. "Useful for compelling the truth out of you."

"Wh-"

"Shhh.." She held me in silence, resting her head atop mine for a few minutes before releasing me with a giggle.

"Okay, so, what's the deal?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. She hummed and her expression fell slightly.

"The creature you saw was the First Nosferatu, Grogar's creation, and the progenitor to all vampire-kind," she replied, causing me to gasp. "We managed to seal it within Tartarus ages ago, as no means brought against it could destroy it." I stammered and glanced around the room in a mild daze.

"Yes, I agree, very peculiar that it can speak with you at all," she said with a solemn nod. "The chamber it's sealed in should sever its connection to all vampires. But as I said, the dark magic you've absorbed may have circumvented that, allowing it to call to you. And obviously, it's hoping you'll free it from Tartarus." I looked into her eyes for a moment before grumbling.

"It did refer to me as thrice reborn in the dark or something like that," I groaned and fell against the arm of the sofa, staring at the ceiling. "What do I do about this?" I groaned in surprise and looked down to see her lying on me.

"You count your blessings that it has had no ill effect on you and that you have such talented friends, Peter," she said, resting her head on my chest with her eyes closed. "It's obvious the dark magic you've been absorbing is not just being 'neutralized' as Briefs suggested." She opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"Thus, let's be glad that Twilight and her friends can aid you in the confrontation with Adam. I'm certain the Elements can dispel his dark power without you being tainted by it." I stared at her in bewilderment.

"Sounds good. Can you let me up?" She hummed and stretched her legs before closing her eyes again.

"Frill got to spend a whole night with you like this," she sighed and curled up. "Besides, I let you lay on me at Ramstead. It's only fair."

"I-"

"Shh, it's late, and we have a party to attend tomorrow," she pulled at my coat with her magic without opening her eyes. "And you have to explain this crude stitchwork to Rarity." I blanched and looked at the spots on my outfit where Karl had sliced and the less-than-stellar work we'd done repairing them.

"Shit."

---

Coraltail double-checked that the door was locked and the curtains were closed before he lit the candle. Just as he moved to touch the letter he'd written to the flame, it roared up and formed a burning circle in the air. The space inside the circle shimmered and crackled for a minute before clearing and revealing a white Persian Abyssinian at a table in a dark room with his paws folded.

"Well, well, who is this?" The cat asked. Coraltail set the letter aside and sat before the flame.

"I am Lieutenant Coraltail of Mount Aris, contacting you on behalf of Queen Novo. She told me to send a letter to you through this magic candle you left her, should Princess Celestia prove unhelpful," he studied the Abyssinian for a moment. "You are Bubsy of the Catican, correct?"

"Very perceptive and a wise choice on your queen's part!" Bubsy replied with a chuckle, leaning closer. "Now, what has dear Celestia failed to do that I can help you with?" Coraltail nodded.

"Princess Skystar has been abducted by the vampire Adam. We have no indication where he might have taken her, and Princess Celestia is helpless to find them." Bubsy hummed and nodded, reclining in his chair and opening a drawer.

"Yes, sir, we're aware of Adam and his ilk. We also have an inclination of where he's holed up, so it won't be too tough to get the little lady back safe and sound," he explained and drew a few papers out which he spread on his desk.

"What will you require in exchange?" Bubsy didn't reply right away, but smirked and hummed a tune for a moment as he organized his papers. Finally he chuckled and glanced up at Coraltail.

"Adam is not the only monster out there after all, but to make it fair for us to destroy them all we simply have to have something in return. Altruism can only get you so far,"

"We have some designs in mind for the Catican and expanding our operations," Bubsy unfolded one of the papers, revealing it to be a map of the seas around Mount Aris. "The main thing standing in the way of our first steps, as I see it, is Peter Harlow. And the main thing standing in the way of removing him is his connections." He held up an illustration Coraltail recognized as Peter Harlow, with notes written on it that he could not make out, save what appeared to be a crude depiction of the four alicorns.

"If we can get him alone, our top paladins can exterminate him. Karl would've put him to rest had Princess Twilight not interfered," Bubsy smiled and set the picture down, folding his paws together again. "I'll put on a hunt for your princess immediately, as soon as we end this conversation. In exchange, I want you to find something we can use to compel that monster to a fight, alone and in a place of our choosing. Do that and I'll consider us even. With the utmost discretion, of course." Coraltail considered his words for a moment before nodding.

"That seems more than fair. I'll keep my eyes open."

---

Thunder boomed overhead, and pale lightning flashed through the clouds. The air was heavy, but cool compared to the rest of the region due to the perpetual thunderstorm locked in the sky which kept the entire region around the castle in a perpetual state of gloom and shade. Exactly how I left it.

"Ah, good to be home," I sighed as we walked through the gate of Ramstead with Quilt under my arm.

"And it is good to have you back, Master," Graggle replied with a smile. "I must say your new method of transport is quite impressive, even for an arcane layhound like myself."

"Ouugh," Quilt moaned, curling her legs tight. "I hate teleportation,"

"You shouldn't have eaten so much cake," Sunbeam chided.

"It was a 'thank you' party! It woulda been rude not to!" Quilt whined in response, thrashing her legs at her and then shuddering. Blueblood who was close by and carrying Quilt's leftovers tsked at the sight, while Cozy snickered.

"So, how long until you need to return to Canterlot, Peter?" Hasty asked once we cleared the threshold.

"No telling. Celestia's just going to send for me once something turns up," I replied. Since there were no leads on Adam or Skystar's whereabouts, and due to my ability to simply appear at Canterlot, it was agreed there wasn't much point in me being away from Woollachia any longer. She'd cited the impending public vote about my position as being more pressing for me. Not to mention-

"Hello, Prince Peter."

Frill.

I turned and saw her standing just down the hall to the left of the main entrance, and held my breath as she looked me up and down, and glanced at Quilt a few times. The rest of the group looked between us and I didn't fail to notice Quilt's smug grin aimed my way.

"May we talk in private?" She asked and tilted her head. I mumbled in response and clicked my teeth a few times before gently setting Quilt down, noting how Frill intently watched me do so. She hummed as I straightened back up.

"Sure," I finally replied, earning a subdued smile from her as she turned and led me further into the castle.

---

Comments

[rikithemonk]

Well, I caught up. I'm still liking this.

Good job over all. And if you are interested, as of chapter 30, this story is an Audio book that is ten hours, thirty-eight minutes long. The actual MP3 file itself is 306Mb in size.

Monk
“He really, really wished that he could say he was surprised by this whole mess. But that would be a complete lie. Stupidity was a universal constant, after all.” -Greatazuredragon

[Gormless Wheaton]

11809468
Glad you're still enjoying the story.

I knew it would turn into kind of a longer read, but it's neat to see exact metrics for it.