He's a Vampire

by Gormless Wheaton

Grim and Bloody Fable

---

"Finally! I was getting sick of sitting on the sidelines this whole time!" Rainbow cheered as she and the rest of the Element-Bearers galloped through the woods.

"This is hardly a time for celebration, Darling!" Rarity chided before gasping and pointing. "Look!"

The group slid to a halt at the sight of several minotaurs and diamond dogs who failed to make it to the airship before Grogar fell upon them. They were wide-eyed and stuck to the ground in black cocoons that pulsed and quivered with a red light. As Twilight approached one and closely inspected him with a wave of her horn she shook her head.

"They're asleep, but I think this stuff is giving them nightmares," she scowled and looked up passed her friends who'd gathered close. "And since he feeds on fear, that's probably why he'd been growing." The other mares flinched and looked in the direction she glared to see him.

Grogar had indeed grown and now stood with his head among the treetops. But despite his size, he made no sound as he stalked forward, haunting yellow eyes gently drifting from side to side like a cat searching for mice. Had Celestia not been so insistent, none of them would have believed the thing they saw was Grogar however.

Size aside, the monster was like a rolling thundercloud that occasionally flashed with silent bursts of red and yellow lightning. Where the twin yellow orbs rested, there was a definite snout-like shape from which dripped a steaming tar-like substance that hissed upon touching the ground.

Fluttershy gasped quietly and pointed behind the monster, revealing that in its wake, as its cloud-like body lumbered forward, out from under and inside it came dozens of little black cocoons, inside which were deer and other woodland creatures.

"Is he just grabbing everything indiscriminately?" Twilight gasped. "Is he planning to just lock the whole world in endless nightmares?"

"Ah don't think the fella's thinkin' of too much right now, Twi," Applejack replied. "Them eyes of his ain't exactly screamin' 'thinkin'-creature' t'me."

Twilight considered the monster for a moment before nodding. "Well, whatever he is, let's go ahead and put him down."

"Right!" They all called in unison as they prepared their elements.

---

Having helped get as many of our allies to the ships as I could, and much to Frill and Quilt's dismay, I returned to the cliff-side plateau where Karl and Celestia were waiting. They barely spared me a glance, as they were too preoccupied with watching the scene unfold out among the trees where Twilight and company were now pursuing Grogar in his new form. The air here was different from the ship. Everything seemed darker, and there was a subtle pressure all around. Like the world itself was tense with anxiety.

Considering how much of the world is magic, I assumed that was a very real possibility.

"Hey," I greeted as I came up beside them. But before any more could be said, there was a shrill drone and a crash like thunder. Tuning towards the source, my jaw dropped at the sight of the friendship beam hitting empty air, while Grogar appeared a few miles off to the side in a yellow flash, like teleportation. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

"Bastard still has his faculties in that form," Karl spat with a grunt and a growl.

"Not faculties. Instincts and that seems to be enough to work his witchcraft," Celestia groused. "I wouldn't be surprised if, should the need arise, he begins spitting out a few of the monsters he created or revived."

"Revived?" I asked. She glanced back at me and nodded.

"He is capable of bringing the dead back to life, as he did for Briefs or Mad Dog, but such a thing shouldn't be too surprising considering your own undead nature, Peter."

"He brought Mad Dog back?" I repeated in surprise. Blinking, I scanned the air. "You can do that?"

"To be honest, to my knowledge, no one has ever attempted to resurrect the undead once they've been annihilated, so," she shrugged. I grimaced.

"I'm getting kind of sick of 'I dunno's'" I muttered under my breath.

She recoiled. "Pardon?"

"Nothing," I sighed. I considered the black colossus in the distance as he again warped to another part of the forest and scanned the ground. "He can do all the same spells and shit he used to, huh?"

I recoiled in realization and frowned. "I have an idea. Be right back." Before Celestia or Karl could ask, I was gone and reappeared aboard the deck of the ship I'd left Frill and Quilt on, as well as all our friends.

"Peter!" Frill screamed before throwing her forelegs around my leg. "You are not leaving again!" I bent down and pulled her into a hug.

"Peter, what the heck just happened out there?" Quilt asked as everyone gathered around.

"Unless my eyes deceived me, the enemy seems capable of using his sorcery even while in this state," Graggle offered.

I shrugged with a sigh. "Celestia said as much," I grimaced and looked up at the forest off in the distance. "In fact, she thinks he might still be able to create monsters and bring them back to life."

"Oh, scruff," Cozy squeaked.

"The heck do we do?" Coal murmured. Before I could answer, the sky turned an ugly shade of yellow. We all turned to see Grogar rearing up high above the forest, his eyes glowing brighter and brighter and aimed toward where I was pretty sure Twilight and the rest had been.

Then, a vast wave of yellow magic came screaming out of his eyes, catching the treetops on fire as it tore through the air. I held my breath as Frill squeezed my arm. To our relief, a second beam of friendship magic shot up out of the forest and crashed into his own spell. The two attacks struggled back and forth before the rainbow beam overcame Grogars and started racing up towards him.

"Yeah! Get him!" Hasty cheered. Then Grogar teleported again and the friendship beam shot off into the open air.

"That's cheating!" Sunbeam screamed at Grogar as he reappeared elsewhere in the forest, urgently stomping her hooves as she yelled. "Hold still you cheater!"

I frowned and reached out to tap Quilt on the shoulder. "Hey, I've got an idea, but I need your help to do it."

She blinked and her ears flopped back but she nodded and stepped closer. I felt Frill squeeze my arm and looked down to see her determined frown. I hummed and nodded as I wrapped my free arm around Quilt.

"What's this idea of yours, Pete?" Coal asked, drawing everyone's attention to us.

"I think I might have a way to keep him pinned long enough for Twilight and the others to nail him."

"You do? Incredible, Master!" Blueblood cheered, jabbing a hoof at me triumphantly. "I-"

"Yeah, but hey, just in case," I began, cutting him off. All their eyes fell on me and I scanned the deck holding Quilt and Frill tight before sighing and smiling at them as best I could. "Thanks for being there for me, all of you."

Before anyone could say anything, Frill, Quilt, and I were back on the plateau. Celestia and Karl whirled around to look at me.

"Peter, what are you doing?" Celestia demanded. Before I could answer Frill wiggled out of my grasp and stepped forward with a gasp.

"Mercy," she murmured. "It's even worse just this close."

Karl raised an eyebrow at her before turning to the forest with his arms folded. "Sure is."

Frill considered the sight of Grogar stalking the woods before looking back at me with tears in her eyes. "Peter, when you popped up like you did and hit him with that spear, it was like that picture in my book came to life," she shuddered a sigh and looked back at the monster. "But this is about as far from a fairy tale as it gets."

Karl laughed grimly. "When fairy tales come true, they often become grim and bloody fables, young lady," he gently reached down and patted her head. "Doesn't mean they have unhappy endings, though."

"Damn straight," I replied, rising to my feet. "Which is why I wanted to bring Quilt back here." Everyone gave me their attention as I looked down at Quilt.

She tilted her head at me and I nodded. "Do you think we could suck his dark magic out?"

She flinched and furrowed her brow. "What?" I glared at Grogar in the distance.

"My thinking is since he got all his magic from me, through you, why couldn't we do the same thing in reverse?" I turned to Quilt. "I'm pretty much a living vacuum, so could that work?" Karl tilted his head back in thought, while everyone else looked at me with concern.

"I'm only asking cause as he is right now, I don't think I could get close enough to try it myself. But if we use what he set up, we don't have to get close at all," I continued with a shrug. "So, could that work?" Quilt blinked and brought her hoof to her chin.

"I.. I mean, I think?" She scanned the ground, deep in thought. After a few moments, during which another beam clash occurred between Grogar and the Elements, she nodded. "Uh, yeah. Since you'd be the catalyst and the magic source, we could probably.. Just set up a ritual circle to focus your power. Shouldn't be too hard, actually." Grogar again warped out of the way of the Element's spell.

I beamed and clapped my hands. "Awesome, let's do it quickly." My celebration was cut when Celestia stepped up to me and looked into my eyes critically.

"What will happen to you?" She demanded. I hesitated and her expression sharpened. "What will happen to you, Peter? Loath as I am to credit the fiend anything, Grogar made a point. You've largely avoided absorbing his magic before now." Karl jolted slightly and raised an eyebrow at me.

Quilt and Frill shared a look before the formed looked up at Celestia. "He's absorbed dark magic plenty of times."

"But this is different," Celestia replied, shaking her head. "The spell that let him do so has changed to that of the First, which makes all things it takes a part of itself."

Again, she fixed me with a sad, critical stare. "So, Peter, we must ask. What will happen to you?" Now, everyone's eyes were again on me. I hesitated and took a breath before replying.

"I asked the First about that, which is what kept me so long," I began and waved a hand at the monster in the distance. "See, my first thought was just to steal all of Grogar's dark magic. But I thought like you're saying, and figured I'd better check with the First."

"What did it say?" Karl asked with a small, almost nonexistent, yet shocking level of concern in his voice. I paused and clicked my teeth.

"It didn't know," I finally replied, drawing a nervous whimper from Quilt. "It said it wasn't honestly sure if my body's natural, uh, dampening is how it put it, would keep my soul safe or not." I looked down at Frill and Quilt with shame. The former had her hoof to her mouth and tears in her eyes, while the latter was scanning the ground urgently.

"It said I should try something small as a test, and suggested I go for his bell," I continued. "Which, y'know, worked, even though I definitely felt it. But it did get smothered after a sec."

"'After a sec' doesn't leave me with much confidence, Peter," Celestia sighed.

"But it's enough for me to be willing to try," I retorted before grimacing and nodding at her and Karl. "But to be honest, I wanted to do it here in front of you two, on the off chance.. Y'know." Celestia didn't meet my eyes, while Karl gave a solemn nod.

"Peter, you're talking crazy!" Quilt squealed, her teary eyes darting around as she yelled. "Grandpa's a way better warlock than I am. That's the only reason that spell worked! I can't-" I swept down to her eye level and gently put my hands on her shoulders.

"Quilt, you're the one who woke me up and got me this far. I know for a fucking fact anything that piece of shit can do, you can do better." She blinked a few times but made no argument. Looking to my side, I saw Frill still leering anxiously at me with her hoof over her mouth.

"Though, there's one other thing," I said with a smile. "The First said that love got me this far, so it could be that love will see me through to the end."

I pulled them both into a tight hug. "It was being derisive, but I like to believe there was a kernel of truth there, so on that off chance," I squeezed them both tighter and they both wrapped their hooves around my neck. "Love you, Frill. Love you, Buddy."

"I love you too, Peter."

"Love you too, best buddy."

---

The towering shadow that was Grogar crashed down into the trees and slithered between them, having remembered how to turn to smoke at that moment. Raising his head back up, he scanned the forest and saw the Element Bearers, holding some meaningless discussion of how best to destroy him.

His cruel eyes saw all the tell-tale signs of fatigue currently wracking their bodies. Unlike himself, they were physically separate from the power they were channeling. It might take a few hours still, but eventually, they'd falter and he would consume them. The thought alone sent a chill of giddiness along his spine.

Calling forth another blast of magic he reared up even higher to draw their attention. Dutifully and to their own detriment, upon seeing him they gathered close and with visible strain readied their elements. Frustration and anger radiated off of them. He wouldn't give them the chance to work any strategy or tactic. He'd keep his distance. He'd flee the entire region if he had to. He'd wait and pounce while they slept. He'd stalk the countryside and burn the world around them.

But he'd never allow them the chance to corner him. He would be an eternal looming nightmare and would feed upon their eternal despair.

With that faint thought in his mind, he blasted them with all his might as they returned fire. But something happened then that called his bestial mind to attention. From deep within him, far below the layers and layers of hate and misery that comprised his being, a genuine and articulate thought burst forth.

"What have you done?" He thought.

His magic fell short and then was overcome by the power of the elements in an instant. His mind's eye turned towards the vampire he'd created. He could feel the workings of his granddaughter as the pair reversed his efforts and stole everything from him. He felt his mind clearing and his form shrinking.

Before he had a chance to escape or defend himself, he was returned to his original form. The magic of friendship struck him then and enveloped him.

"Damned bastard child," he groused as he felt the warm embrace of love and harmony scour his soul and flay his flesh. Some creatures would be left a purer, kinder version of themselves after such a treatment.

But not him. There was no kindness to leave behind, and he knew it.

As the magic swirled around him, like sugar in water he slowly crumpled away and vanished from sight. As his consciousness slipped and he faced oblivion, he smirked.

"Choke on it."

---

"Well.. How 'bout that?" Karl murmured with his arms folded. The darkness of the forest melted away, and the oppressive aura in the air vanished completely. It was as if nature herself had finally released a held breath in tandem with the unleashing of the elements.

Celestia looked up a the eclipse and lit her horn for a moment before exhaling herself and smiling. "Excellent work, girls," she beamed. "And you too-"

"Peter?!" Quilt squealed, causing Celestia's blood to run cold. She and Karl whirled around to see the sheep staring at Peter in unified terror. The man himself was standing a few feet away with his back to them. He was perfectly still, but hunched slightly, with a quivering hand clenched upon his face.

Celestia's ears shot back as Karl slowly let his paw rest on the knife at his hip. Taking a step forward, she gulped quietly and called. "Peter?"

All eyes were on the man as he quietly hummed and slowly turned to leer at her over his shoulder. There was a change in his eyes as they peered through his fingers. They were dull and tired, but piercing. He met Celestia's gaze with silent consideration, a noticeable yet subtle scowl drawn upon his face. Celestia whimpered and Van Katskills hummed.

Then, dragging his hand from his face, he gave her a smile, mocking, cold, and distant.

"We're friends, right?" His question was punctuated by the rasp of Karl drawing his knives with a grim frown, Frill's shrill sob, and Quilt collapsing with a moan. Celestia took a shallow breath and blinked her tears away.

"We were." All at once, and at speeds only the Catican Hunter could keep pace with, the Vampire and the Alicorn charged.

---

END OF ACT 6

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Comments

[Monk With No Name]

>Ok guys there’s a chance I could turn evil if this works so keep an eye on me.

>Everyone proceeds to act like they didn’t hear that.

[Gormless Wheaton]

11873706
Might not've conveyed things as well as I should've, but I was more aiming for the idea Peter was hoping to have them near by to kill him if he turned. After that, everyone else was just hoping and praying he was still himself.

[Gormless Wheaton]

11873736
Ye. 'Fleeces Tuft' is a huge reach to 'Jesus Christ,' but it being such a reach makes it funnier to me.

[Fireeaters]

Perhaps if peter works through the emotions attached to the dark magic, they could get it to dissipate

[Draco Dei]

11873974
Either that or they kill him and bring him back with whatever spell Grogar was using, either filtering the evil bits out, or immediately blasting him with a properly rested EoH. Actually, this version seems more likely since attention was subtly called to the new idea of translating undead creatures.