> Cursed Crusader
>  by Caffeinated Pony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Nightmare Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I looked up, seeing the bright moon hovering in the sky over Ponyville. It glistened like a freshly cleaned guillotine above our heads. I could hear the sounds of laughter and cries of fright around town, and as we walked I swore I could hear a faint slithering sound when we passed an alley. Scootaloo was dressed as a mummy, wrapped up in gauze and purposefully walking with an exagerated limp. Apple Bloom was a Reaper, and walked with a scythe she had borrowed from her farm. We had to be careful when she turned, as the sickle of it was sharp enough to cut deep if she wasn't careful. I supposed it was a good thing that Scootaloo was covered in gauze, in case that happened. I was a ghost, and had my mane full of a powder that made the pink color look very faded. I had tried to get Rarity to cast a spell on me that would make me half-invisible, but she didn't want to risk it.

This was probably going to be our last actual Nightmare Night. We had told ourselves that last year, of course… and here we were. Now that we had our Cutie Marks we thought that maybe it was time we stopped going around town asking for treats. After all, last year's supply of them had mostly gone to waste. Rarity didn't like sweets enough to eat as much as I brought home, and my stomach didn't like it when I ate too much at once. Scootaloo on the other hoof was more than at home eating an absolutely crazy amount in one sitting. We were almost done, and just had to head to Fluttershy's house to get her homemade peanut butter and cookie dough treats. She had taken to just sitting on her porch on Nightmare Night, passing out candy to whatever foals were brave enough to walk to her home in the night.  

The path that led to her cottage was right next to the Everfree Forest, with enormous trees looming over us as we walked. I watched the treeline in silence, trying not to think about whatever was in there. I remembered the time that we once had to escape a cockatrice in there, and shook my head. That had been awful… just thinking about it gave me chills. I think that Apple Bloom saw my reaction, and decided to take my mind off of it.

“Hey Sweetie Belle, I was thinking. Can we stay at your place tonight? I like keepin' my stash of candy to myself for a bit,  y'know?”

I nodded, just fine with that. She had an enormous amount of siblings that would have their hooves in her bag the moment she walked in the door. Rarity didn't care, she was having wine with her own friends. We would be back at the house at about the same time as her, so it didn't matter. Scootaloo shuffled along beside us, occassionally blowing a piece of stray gauze away from her mouth, or adjusting it with a hoof. She hadn't wrapped it the best, even with my help. I heard the rustling of leaves behind us, and walked faster. As nice as it was to be outside after dark, with nopony supervising us for once in our lives, it was rather scary. Scootaloo, being her usal self, looked back at where the noise had come from. Seeing that there was nothing there, she shrugged and kept walking. 

There was something innately terrifying, and thrilling about the Everfree Forest. There was an aura of the unknown about the whole place. The weather acted with no pegasus to guide it, and the plants all grew wherever they could. Dangerous creatures slithered, crawled and wandered the woods untamed. Some of them were docile, but others ate ponies, or worse. I didn't know what the 'or worse' was, though. Rarity had been really vague about what could possibly could be worse than being eaten, possibly alive. That had just been what she had told me to scare me away from wandering into the forest and never coming out again. Combined with the many stories that we had heard growing up, on top of our own experiences, we all knew that going into the woods for even a few minutes held a sizable chance of injury.

Soon Apple Bloom took out a small flashlight from her cloak, lighting the path ahead of us. The moon was stuck somewhere over the Everfree Forest at the moment, and travelling on the shadowy walkway to the reclusive pegasus was testing our nerves. We all walked closer to each other, and I swore I saw things moving just outside of the beam of light cast by the flashlight. Scootaloo, in her typical form, decided that she would talk instead of let us simmer in silence.

“So you think we'll get everything that Fluttershy has left for this? It's really getting late…”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Maybe she likes to keep some for herself?”

I was too busy looking around, having seen something moving along the side of the path. I could see the lights of Fluttershy's cottage ahead, and knew that we were nearly there. We arrived soon after, finding that the door to her home was shut, but the bowl of treats was still there. We shrugged to each other, and I took a small portion. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo divided the rest between them. We all turned to go back, looking down the trail. It seemed to stretch on infinitely to the town, and we all stared. Apple Bloom took the lead, and the rest of us followed. I trailed behind, worried about the things that I swore I saw flitting around in the dark. The farmhand looked like she was fearless, and that gave me some confidence. 

As we walked, things went from bad to worse. As the lights from Fluttershy's cabin vanished, the flashlight began to dim. We had used the same one last year when we'd walked this route, and now the batteries were dying. As we walked the light began to slowly dim, and we had to squint to even see where we were going. Soon it was completely dark, and as we continued we couldn't see the path we were going on. We passed underneath the canopy on a rough part of the path, and even the sky and stars vanished. Scootaloo got in the center of us, resting both her wings on our backs so we didn't seperate.

Everything was just fine, until we hit a tree. We all bounced off of it nose-first, and fell into a pile an top of each other. Apple Bloom looked around, her flashlight now almost completely useless. I had an idea, thinking back to a simple charm that Rarity had taught me years ago. My horn flashed, and a small light appeared at the end of it. It was about as bright as a nightlight, but it let us at least see where we could put our hooves. That didn't help us much… because we now had no idea where we were. The path was nowhere to be seen. Thinking, I said.

“Let's just try to retrace our steps, then we'll find the path.”

The other two nodded, and I smiled at my own cleverness. We walked back the direction we'd come from, hoping we would find the path again. The light on my horn took a lot of focus, which  I lost sometimes if I tripped or had to watch where I was going. Ten minutes passed, and soon my sense of importance at how smart I was waned. The path was still nowhere to be seen, and we were running out of hope. If anything it felt like we were farther from our homes than ever. Soon I stopped, looking between the two of them.

“Maybe… uh… we could climb a tree, and that would show us where we are?”

Scootaloo looked up at the absolutely towering trees near us. There were no low branches to be seen, and considering her weak wings she couldn't exactly fly up there to see where we were. I didn't know how to teleport, or I would just go up there myself. I didn't see any other option than to wander in whatever direction we thought brought us closer to town. We all looked at each other, then began to walk.



Hours passed, and we were all exhausted. After what felt like forever, we all saw what looked like some sort of light in the distance. We practically all ran for it, despite our fatigue. No sooner did we get close did we see that it was a candle, with humongous moths flitting around it. The flame danced to their wingbeats, and we all stood there, staring at it. There was no way this had lit itself… so who'd done it? No sooner did we all ask ourselves that did I notice a rather sickly looking pegasus staring at us from behind one of the monolithic trees roots. His eyes were a dark black where they should have been white, with a vivid blue around the edge of his pupils. I felt like screaming, but that would just make everything worse. My friends would panic, and it might scare whoever that was. Instead I did the next thing that came to mind, and I pointed at the stranger so my friends would see.

Apple Bloom stepped forwards, seeming visibly unnerved by the pony. “Pardon us, we got turned around back there and we can't seem to find the way out of this place… do you happen to know a way back to Ponyville?”

The sickly looking stranger stepped into the candlelight, revealing that it was a stallion. He looked awful, with his unwashed mane tied back with plant fiber chording and unkept fur sticking out all over him. His skin clung to his body like the leather stretched over a drum, his stomach dipping far into his body. I could assume he hardly ate at all. He looked between us all, standing a whole head and neck above us. 

“I do… but, if I tell you the way back. I'd like something in return.” He said, his voice hoarse and quiet.

Apple Bloom looked very wary of the stranger, holding her scythe tightly. “Uh… sure, I suppose. What is it y'all want?”

“I'd like a good meal, please.” He said, looking directly at me.

I froze, then looked down at my candy. Surely he didn't mean that he wanted something so bad for him, especially in his state? He looked like he had been cursed, or had some kind of disease. I looked to Apple Bloom, who nodded. I walked up to the stranger, keeping what I thought would be a safe distance from him. I set my candy down, waiting for him to take it. No sooner did I step back did he smile, showing very well kept teeth. It was unnerving, to see that he had rather sharp incisors. In my mind I made the connection with predators, ones that ate ponies like me. No sooner did I move to back further did he shake his head. He didn't seem to be referring to the candy.

“The road you're looking for is that way.” The pegasus pointed to the left of us. “Now… what is your name?” He asked, looking directly at me.

I looked to the side, seeing that he wasn't looking at Scootaloo. “S-Sweetie Belle, sir.”

“That is a nice name. Now… like the pony before me, I impart to you this wisdom. If you pass on the curse within seven days, to at least four other ponies, you will be cured of it.”

I opened my mouth to question what on earth he was talking about, maybe try and make sense of the cryptic message he had just given me. I never got to say anything though, because a moment later the pegasus lunged at me, his mouth opening and sinking his long incisors into my front left leg.I opened my mouth and let out an ear-piercing shriek, the stabs stinging like two exposed wires being twisted into the wounds. Apple Bloom swung her scythe at the pegasus, and he tried to catch it with his leg, only to have it glance off his hoof and cut a tremendous chunk of flesh off of him. The cut started at his lower thigh, and went all the way to his ribs, having then glanced off. Knowing the strength of the farmhand she had probably broken the rib to top off the enormous flesh wound. Still, it took him a few seconds to realize that he'd been wounded.  By that time I was feeling dizzy.

The stranger was bleeding out as he pulled away from my leg, stumbling and falling next to the candle that had lured us there. I felt motor control return to me, and I leaned on a nearby root at my height to keep steady. The stallion was shutting his eyes, his wound healing as I watched him, transfixed at the sight. Still, the cut was far too long and fine for him to recover from. He was loosing too much blood, too fast. On top of his already malnourished state, he was surely dead even with whatever magic was letting him heal so quickly. Apple Bloom dashed over to him, holding her scythe in a ready position. I was secretly grateful that she had brought that thing along… most ponies wouldn't know what to do with it, but the experienced farmer had struck true with the harvesting tool.

“Now what on Celestia's green earth did you just do that for?!” She shouted down at the stallion. “We need to get you to a hospital now!”

The stranger laughed, coughing. It seemed to exascerbate his wound, as more blood came out with each cough. “No, no… I got what I deserved… don't go dragging me away. Just let something come along and eat me. It's better that way. Kind of ironic… somepony dressed like a reaper would kill me. Thank you… I needed that karmic joke.”

Apple Bloom watched the stallion close his eyes, and his breathing stop. No sooner did a feeling of sadness at the stranger wash over me did my vision dim. The strength to keep myself upright failed me, and I toppled over, landing on my shoulder. The last thing that I remembered hearing was the sound of Scootaloo running over to me, and telling me to keep breathing as she hoisted me up to carry me back towards the road.



I woke with a gasp in my bed, feeling sweat coating every inch of me. It all rushed back to me in a tidal wave of emotions and sensations. The pity I felt for that stranger, the pain of the bite, the regret I felt watching him bleed out, the world pitching out from under me and Scootaloo's voice ordering me to hang on. My candy was sitting next to my bed, and everything seemed alright. I felt my leg, my hoof finding circular wounds that had healed over some time in the night. I stretched my front leg up, looking at the perfectly bare wound. It had stopped bleeding a long time ago, and now looked like two thick depressions in my skin that had no fur growing out of them. 

I stood and looked at myself in the mirror on top of my dresser. Everything else about me seemed to be just fine. It least I thought so, until I looked closer. The more I stared at my eyes, the more I felt dread begin to fasten its cold talons around my heart. Around the very outermost edge of my eyes, I could see that a cloudy black was starting to make its way into the white areas. If I wasn't looking to the sides it wasn't even noticable, and even when I looked far to the right or left it was barely visible. Still, it was there… the same inky shade that had been in that stranger's eyes. I checked every inch of my body in a panic, before realizing that nothing else had changed.

I was still Sweetie Belle, an amazing singer from Ponyville… and I was alive and well at the moment. I told myself that to distract from the awful feeling that was gnawing at my heart. I might still be alright mentally, but what was happening to me? I felt a bit nauseous just thinking about the state that stallion had been in when we had found him. Would I end up like that? I almost instinctually went over to the bag of candy I had gathered last night. I took a piece and popped it into my mouth, sucking on it. For some reason it didn't have the normal burst of flavor that I had always loved from sweets. Instead it just tasted vaguely like the green sour apples it was supposed to emulate, but in the most washed out, bland way possible. I spit out the  candy, wrapping it in its wrapper before tossing it into the garbage bin beside my bed. 

Last night was ruining my appetite, but I still needed to eat something. I went to my door, figuring that I should at least have breakfast. I felt tired again as I walked down the stairs to the kitchen. I passed Rarity in her workroom, with a glass of fizzing soda and water on her desk. She'd had the blinds and curtains to the windows shut, and I put two and two together. She must have had a very fun night. I wished that I could say that. Trotting my way into the kitchen I poured myself a bowl of wheat crisps, sitting down as I poured the milk in. I immediately winced at the taste. It was almost like I was trying to swallow cardboard, it was so tasteless. I could still stomach it, though… so I powered through the cereal before drinking the milk.

I went back up to my room afterwards, feeling fatigued by the time I had reached the proper landing on the stairs. I stumbled a bit as I entered my room, leaning on the door for support. My bed looked like the most beautiful, comforting place in the world at that moment. I shut the door and collapsed onto the mattress, shutting my eyes once again. I just needed to sleep this off… it would all be better tomorrow.
> Nightfall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Hours later I woke to a feeling of overwhelming nausea. I got out of bed, my legs threatening to buckle as I tried to put my weight onto them. I felt weak, barely able to walk as I made my way to the bathroom. The moment that I was within range of the toilet I pitched forwards and rested my head on the edge of the porcelain bowl. A few seconds later my gag reflex went into overdrive, and I shut my eyes. I purged the contents of my stomach, the breakfast I'd had hours ago all coming up. I dared to open my eyes to look at it, shortly before I wretched again. It didn't even look half-digested, with pristinely white milk mixing with the toilet water and extremely mushy wheat cereal. I finished and stood up again, my legs shaking. What was happening to me? I felt like I was starving… everything on my body was too sensitive. The spot where I'd touched the toilet with my chin was as cold as ice.

A moment later I heard a knock, and I looked at the toilet in a panic. I flushed it, then walked out to the bedroom door. I opened it to see my older sister, as well as my two friends. The Crusaders went wide-eyed at the sight of me, and my sister covered her mouth with a hoof, her face alarmed. That only lasted a moment before her supportive side kicked in, and she stepped past my two friends to stand in front of me.

“Sweetie, dear… are you feeling alright? Your friends… they told me what happened last night, and you look a bit pale.” 

I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to worry her. “I'm kinda hungry… but I'm okay.” I lied, feeling absolutely starved and anything besides okay.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked between each other, as if trying to come to a consensus on what to say. I had no idea what was earning me the look they were all giving me, though. Everypony there seemed to stare like I was some kind of mutant. A few seconds passed before Scootaloo stepped forward, biting the inside of her cheek before coming out with the truth of the situation.

“Sweetie Belle, we told Rarity… she told Twilight. She'll be here tonight. In the meantime… one of your eyes is totally black. Just thought somepony should tell you...”

I blinked, looking up at my sister. She looked like she might burst into tears, but she was doing her best not to scare me. I turned, walking quickly into the bathroom to look at myself, turning on the light. I immediately regretted that. My eyes burned like I had stared through a telescope at the sun, and I let out an involuntary cry. I shut the light off again, looking at myself in the mirror. Scootaloo had been telling the truth. A thick, cloudy darkness had coated the entire white of my left eye. On top of that, the emerald colered iris and pupil of that eye seemed to have grown larger as the darkness had swallowed it. Rarity stood in the doorway of the bathroom, watching me with concern. 

“Twilight said in her letter that she would do her best to be here in just a few hours… she thinks she knows what is happening to you. We just have to keep calm, okay?” She said, doing her best to keep her tone even.

I could see she was failing at the whole 'keep calm' part of Twilight's instructions. Her voice sounded like it might crack at any moment, and her whole face looked like it was fighting down her own hysteria. I didn't blame her, I was barely pushing down my own fears. My other eye looked fine at the moment, but I was sure that would change as time went on. My sister looked down at me, only about a head and horn taller. I'd grown a lot last year…  it made me think about how much I would still grow, if whatever illness I had kept spreading.

A very strange and dark thought struck me as I stood there. Yesterday had been Nightmare Night, the day that ghouls and wayward souls were celebrated. Could it be that I'd been cursed by a creature of the night? It sounded like something out of a storybook… but so did everything I heard outside of Ponyville. Rarity's friends all went on journeys to far off kingdoms and did amazing things on their own time. The fact that I had ended up in a situation that couldn't be more opposite to my sister's made me feel horrible about myself. All of the tales that she told me were about her trials and ways she'd made everything work. My story was starting to look like one of those really tragic comedies we read in school, where at the end everypony ends up worse off than they were at the start. Rarity seemed to be more of an epic tale about her success and travels.

The sense of jealousy that was welling in my chest distracted me from the hunger that was eating at my stomach. She was so perfect… in contrast I'd gotten lost in the middle of nowhere, been assaulted and finally been infected with some sort of disease. I looked away from her, sighing. None of that was her fault, and the look of worry she wore reminded me that no matter what she was my big sister. No matter what happened she wanted to keep me safe. She'd failed to do that, last night. She had been the one that thought letting us go alone on Nightmare Night would be okay. It was because of that idea we were in this mess. She would never have gotten lost in the dark, or let that pegasus get close enough to hurt me. 

I took my mind off of that. Cheerilee had once told me that if I did nothing but wonder about how things could be different, I would never be able to move forwards. Taking those words, I thought about Twilight Sparkle. I hadn't seen her in months, since the last time she had visited Rarity and her friends. She was a princess now, and had much more important things to do than hang around Ponyville. Whatever was happening to me, it must be bad enough that the alicorn would want to come and see me herself. That didn't really improve my spirits… but I decided to ask what the occasion was.

“What did Twilight think was wrong with me? Is it bad?” I asked, trying to hide my own fear of the truth.

“No, of course not Sweetie Belle! As long as you're treated soon, it'll be alright… I think...” Rarity said, trailing off towards the end.

I wanted to say that she wasn't really helping by keeping me in the dark, but a look over at my friends reminded me that she was just trying to keep my spirits high. I nodded, putting on a smile for my big sister.

“Okay… can I talk with my friends for a bit?”

Rarity nodded and walked away, seeming happier now that I at was acting somewhat hopeful. The moment that she was gone I used my magic to shut the door, sitting down and holding my stomach. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom walked over, the farmhand patting me on the back.

“You okay there…? I could tell you were lying, but I didn't think it was that bad.” The farmhand observed.

I shook my head, shuddering. “No… I feel awful. I threw up just before you came in. Now I'm starving again, but the weird thing is that the food I ate earlier didn't even look like it had been in my stomach. I could still see whole cereal pieces in there…  and the milk looked the same as when I drank it.”

Both of them sat, puzzled. After a while Scootaloo turned to me curiously, looking me up and down. The pegasus stuck out a hoof, pushing it to my upper lip and pulling it aside. She pointed to my teeth, as if triumphant at her prediction.

“Your teeth are starting to look like that stallion's.”

I stood, walking to the bathroom and baring my teeth at the mirror. She was correct. The tooth on the upper left part of my mouth was longer, and sharp as a needle. Soon it might touch my lower teeth, if it continued to grow. I looked at it closer, seeing that a very strange groove ran up the back of it. I ran my tongue over it, surprised by how long the indent was. It ran from the tip of the tooth  all the way to the middle, where it stopped. I walked back out to my friends, who were talking to each other. I arrived just as Apple Bloom was chastising Scootaloo.

“… no way in tarnation that she could be some kinda thing you hear about in those novels you and Rainbow Dash read. She probably just caught somethin' and it needs looked at…”

Scootaloo shook her head, glancing at me to acknowlege that I had entered the conversation. “I'm telling you Apple Bloom, it's too perfect. Nightmare Night, the freaky eyes, those huge fangs, and not liking regular food anymore? I'm telling you… just because something is from a book, doesn't mean it isn't true.”

The farmer shook her head, seeming to not have noticed me yet. “It ain't that it's from a book, Scootaloo. It's that what you're talking about is from fairy tales. Y'know, like living statues, plant ponies and whatnot. All that's nonsense.”

Despite her words, I could tell that Apple Bloom wasn't being honest with herself. The way her voice seemed to lower in volume towards the end of the last sentence sold me on her being in denial. She knew something unnatural was going on, she just didn't want to come out and say that she believed it. I knew how she felt… accepting that something supernatural was happening was like admitting none of us had any chance of dealing with this ourselves. She couldn't help me if it was magic, nor could I even help myself. Scootaloo was most likely right though. No matter how hard we wished for it to just be some kind of illness that could be solved with medicine or bedrest, it was no such thing. Whatever was afflicting me,  it was supernatural.

“Apple Bloom… no matter what it is, it'll be okay. Alright?” I said, smiling at my friend and putting a hoof on her shoulder.

Of course, I wasn't the only pony who could detect a lie. The way that Apple Bloom looked at me made it crystal clear that she saw through my bluff. I hugged her tightly, sighing. She was warm and soft, and I was thankful that she was there. I didn't like to lie about how I felt. It was better than wallowing in my own despair however. I hoped that she would forgive me for the lie I'd just told her. I didn't feel like I'd be alright at all… but being close to her made it better. She smelled like apples and earth… along with something else. I couldn't put my hoof on it, but it made my mouth water a bit as I pressed my muzzle to her side.

A moment later I heard a knock at the door, and I stepped away from the farmhand. A very recognizable princess strode into the room, free of a crown or any kind of other royal articles. Twilight Sparkle seemed to have an aura of confidence as she walked into my bedroom, looking towards me. Our eyes locked, and her proffesional demeanor wavered a bit. She seemed to wince at the sight of me, like she was seeing an open wound. Her horn lit, and she conjured a bag to her side. She walked over to me, shutting the door behind her with magic before kneeling down to my height. She took out a sort of armband with runes on it, wrapping it around upper front leg with magic before it tightened on its own.

“Sweetie Belle, I need you to give me specifics about last night. Where were you bitten, what time was it, what the pony looked like…” She rambled on and on with instructions.

“It was right on my left leg, here.” I pointed to the  two perfectly circular wounds on my upper foreleg. “It was late… past eleven for sure. The pony looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks, and his eyes were sorta like what my left one looks like, now.”

As I told her that she took the armband and shook her head. “Your heart is beating very slowly… what other symptoms are there?” She asked, taking out a stone covered with similar runic symbols on it and pushing it to my forehead.

“Well… I can't keep food down, and when I threw up earlier it didn't look like I was even digesting the cereal. The milk looked the same as when I'd swallowed it.”

The alicorn seemed to take on a rather serious face as she put the stone away. “You're freezing cold, Sweetie… I have two more tests to give you before I call it for certain. I need to see in your mouth for just a moment. Open wide, please?”

I did as she asked. She used a sterile stick to pull my lip out of the way and get a good look at all my teeth. A moment later she motioned for me to shut my mouth, shaking her head. I had the feeling that whatever she thought was wrong with me, she had all but confirmed it. She took out a small flashlight. She clicked it on, and pointed it at my right eye. I blinked a bit from how bright it was, but otherwise didn't react. She brought it over to my left eye, and I shut it, turning away. My hoof instinctively went up and held my eye. It felt like she had lit a fire behind my cornea as I cradled it, waiting for the pain to fade. I bit the inside of my lip, not wanting her to see how much that had hurt. She seemed satisfied, and took out a notepad.

“You've been afflicted with a curse, Sweetie Belle… one that I've only read about in the Canterlot archives and fairy tales. It's an affliction caused by magic, but it acts like a disease. It started thousands of years ago as a result of experimental magic, and I honestly didn't think anypony was still alive that could have it. It's an arcane horror known by a lot of names, but the most common one is Vampirism. It changes a pony's body over a few days, and transforms them into nocturnal creature that derives its nutrition through the blood of others.”

I nearly fainted, looking up at the alicorn with terror gripping my heart in its cold, vice-like talons. “There's a cure though right? Or a way to stop it? Maybe make it so that I don't turn into a monster…?”

Twilight looked uncomfortable, not meeting my eyes. “I truly don't know… the only way that vampirism became so obscure is because anypony that had it was… well, killed. They were often burned and had their ashes scattered over miles, so they could never come back. Nopony ever studied them or their habits because it was dangerous. All I really know is from one set of research notes done by a single wizard, a thousand years ago. That's all there is, in terms of objective truth. The rest is just rumor and superstitions built up over the ages.”

I suddenly recalled what the stallion in the forest had said to me, and looked hopefully up at the princess. “Right before I was bitten, the pony told me that I could be cured if I passed it on to four other ponies. Do you think that would work?”

Twilight shook her head, growing alarmed at my suggestion. “Sweetie Belle this is a horrible condition we're talking about… why would you want to curse somepony else with this? You might be relieved of your own vampirism, but what about the guilt you would feel, condemning four other ponies?”

I looked at my hooves, trying not to think about that. She was right of course. I had spoken purely out of my own self-interest, not wanting to live with this. Twilight sighed, trying to look at me once again. I locked eyes with her, and she seemed… oddly wary of me. I didn't know how to react to that at all. The way that she was tensed, her front hooves ready to push her back and away from me, all made me feel like she was afraid of me somehow.

“Whatever you do, I need you to not infect anypony else, alright?” The alicorn said sternly.

“Okay, but how am I supposed to eat? I'm already starving, Twilight… I can't keep down normal pony food anymore.”

The alicorn was torn, looking between me, my friends and the door. She had nothing to say to that. The answer was simple and blunt, but not one that I wanted to hear. She eventually looked at her hooves.

“While I figure out what I can do, you need to sustain yourself any way you can. Vampires can go anywhere between six days and a year between feeding, depending on how much they drink and their level of activity. If they only get a gallon or so, they can sustain themselves for about a week just following a normal routine. Well… as normal as a pony who can't stand in the sun without suffering burns and complete blindness can be. You also won't need to sleep, once you're a full vampire.”

“What about giving somepony what I have? Won't they be like me too, if I… you know, suck their blood?” I asked, worried about being forced to make somepony else like I was.

“You don't release venom unless you want to… trust me, it's nothing you can do on accident. Your saliva heals wounds over extremely fast, but your venom leaves scars, and of course… it makes other ponies into vampires.”

The alicorn began to pack her things up, moving to leave. I got up and walked towards her, wanting to wish her goodbye and ask one last question. Twilight nearly fell over her own bag trying to move away from me, her horn lighting. I stopped when I saw her reaction. The feeling that I'd been choking down the entire time she was talking to me surfaced, and I looked away from her. She was legitimately afraid of me. A master of sorcery feared a teenage pony with no magical training. All of it was because I was some kind of monster. I tried to bite back the harsh words that rose to the front of my mind. I felt awful at her reaction… it was like she had forgotten I was still a pony.

Twilight walked to the door, looking back at me. “I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle… I'll try my best to find a solution to this. Just try and hang in there.”

The moment that the door latched I looked at my hooves, tears welling in my eyes. The way she had just treated me was completely unfair… I couldn't help that I was like this. She had acted like I might reach out and bite her at any moment. A second wave of hopelessness washed over me from what she'd said to me about my condition. She had nothing that could help me whatsoever. I was stuck as a monster until she managed to come up with a way to change me back. Of course with her being so busy, that might take months… or longer. I was all but abandoned to this curse, on my own. I sniffed, wiping my eyes and trying to think of what to do. I had no options… especially since I was starving to death as I stood there.

Apple Bloom went over to me and reached out, putting her hoof on mine. Scootaloo did the same thing, offering me a light smile. I buried my face against Apple Bloom, letting out a sob of pure misery. All the despair I had been pushing down since last night was pushing its way out of me and I couldn't stop it anymore. I cried there for what felt like forever, my tears staining the earth pony's yellow coat of fur. She hugged me, holding me close while I did my best to calm down.

By the time that I was done my eyes were swollen and I was exhausted from my emotional outburst. Something about the pure release of bawling my heart out onto her shoulder had taken any energy I had left. I was still so hungry… but sleep took any kind of priority. I stumbled towards my bed, barely able to walk with how weak I felt. Apple Bloom came up alongside me, letting me lean on her for support. She led me to my bed, helping me into it before she got in next to me. I curled against her, shivering. The whole room felt like it was freezing, on its own. Even under the covers it was cold for me. She seemed to have the opposite reaction, shivering a bit when I touched her. I probably felt like ice to her… but no sooner did the thought occur to give her some space was I out, snoring loudly.
> Moonlight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke to the sound of Apple Bloom's breathing. I was wrapped in her embrace, her warm breath pushing my mane to the side with each exhale. I found my muzzle pushed to her chest, her scent clouding my other senses. I looked up at her, finding her totally asleep. Her warm body was pushed up to mine, letting me bask in her heat. The hoof that I found outside of the blanket felt like it was submerged in ice water, and I pulled it back under the covers. I silently thanked her for being such an amazing friend. She wasn't afraid of me, like Twilight had been. Instead she was the same friend I'd had the week before. Maybe, even better than before…

I pushed my cheek against her. Her and Scootaloo were the ones keeping me grounded in all this. Moments like these were the ones that made me feel like I could keep going. A moment later, I felt an awful pain in my stomach. I was the hungriest I'd ever been in my life… and it was starting to hurt. In no small amount, either. The agony that pierced my torso was blinding, and I couldn't help but whimper out loud. I looked up at Apple Bloom, taking in a small breath through my nose. I found my mouth watering uncontrollably. Her earthy smell, coupled with apples and above all else, food…. It felt like my head might snap. I prodded her with a hoof, scared at myself for what I was thinking.

“Apple Bloom, w-wake up!” I whined softly, not wanting to bother Scootaloo. 

The farmhand blinked awake before looking down at me. She tilted her head to the side, yawning. She was absolutely stunning… even with her mane sticking out in random directions thanks to her bedhead. My problem was more urgent than my appreciation of her charm, though. I was about to talk again, but she spoke first, her voice sleepy as she commented.

“Oh, hey Sweetie… your eyes are really dark now. There's still a bit a' white left in that one though…” She said, smiling and pointing at my right eye. 

I nodded, biting my tongue to keep myself under control. “Apple Bloom, I'm starving… I mean it. I haven't eaten anything in almost two days. It hurts so bad now…”

My friend stared at me with concern written over her face, but she also seemed a bit hesitant. She knew what feeding me meant. I looked up at her desperately, pleading with her. The farmhand looked to the side, then back at me. 

“I don't know, Sweetie… you gotta bite me, don't you? I don't know if I like the idea of being stuck by those teeth. They look like they might really leave me bleedin' for a while.” She said, her voice laced with hesitation.

“It shouldn't hurt too much after the first bit…” I lied, smiling at the cautious filly. “At least it didn't for me. And besides, you can just say when, and I'll stop, okay?”

I felt awful for telling a lie to her, especially when she trusted me so much. My stomach felt like it was a compressed ball of fire in my chest, though. I needed to feed soon or I would pass out. Apple Bloom eventually nodded, and I let out a relieved sigh. To reward her I leaned close and planted a kiss on her nose, smiling. I didn't really know why I'd done that… but she deserved it for being such an amazing friend. Nopony else would be willing to feed me then besides her. She blushed a bit, looking away from me.

“Y'all just be careful and don't drink too much… I don't want to go passing out on you.” 

I nodded, leaning against her. I instincively went for her front leg, shivering with anticipation. The aroma of her fur and flesh was overwhelming. As I fastened my teeth around her upper foreleg I was granted a sudden moment of self-reflection. I was in my bed with my friend,  about to sink my incisors into her artery and slowly drink the blood that spewed into my mouth along the grooves of my unnaturally long fangs. She was alright with this… which gave me pause. I hated what I was about to do, because it wasn't good for her. She might not become a vampire, and I might not kill her, but it still felt horrible. It didn't matter what I felt, though. My stomach shouted the execution order, and I sank my teeth into her. 

The earth pony let out a loud gasp, biting into her bottom lip and shaking in the unbreakable grip of my jaw. Her pain tolerance was beyond that of most ponies, having grown up with far more than her fair share of falls, bumps and bruises. Not to mention accidents with farming equipment. Still,  she was struggling to keep herself calm at what she'd just felt. My teeth had entered her flesh with all the ease of a knife plunging into a tender steak, and she was starting to slowly lose blood into my mouth. She looked down at me with an understanding, but rather pained expression. One that I was totally oblivious to at the time.

The moment that the taste of her flooded my mouth, rational thought went out the window. Any self-awareness that I'd had before evaporated, and I melted against Apple Bloom. The release from biting into her made me drool, my whole body relaxing. The only part of me that remained tense was my jaw. I could have sworn I could hear her saying something to me, but it only registered to me as muffled whispering. I was completely lost in the flavor, my other senses dull and muted while I drank. Apple Bloom seemed to take the hint that may as well have been asleep at that point. She had stopped talking. She used her free front hoof to pet my mane, probably trying to calm herself despite the pain. It felt good for me as well, and let me relax. Small gestures like that reminded me why she was my best friend.

I sat there for what felt like forever, letting her life's blood run into my mouth before I swallowed. The earth pony seemed to get used to it after a while. She stopped shaking, and only reacted if I moved too much.  After a while my hearing and other senses returned. Hours seemed to pass before she tapped the end of my horn, trying to get my attention the best way she knew how. I looked up at her, pleading with her to let me drink more. She shook her head, looking into my eyes.

“Sweetie, I'm startin' to feel lightheaded… if you need more you'll have to talk Scootaloo into this. My leg fell asleep a second ago… I need a break.”

Every instinct that I had told me not to let go of her. She was more delicious than anything I'd ever tasted before, and I wanted her to keep petting me while I fed off of her. I mentally lashed myself for being so selfish a moment later. She was already being unbelievably kind, and had even let me drink enough that she'd start to feel unwell. I unhooked my jaw, pulling my long teeth out of her leg. Apple Bloom bit the inside of her cheek, groaning from the pain. I licked my lips, savoring the last few trickles of blood while I watched her wound. The two circular holes sealed ten seconds after I'd pulled away, leaving two small puddles on her skin. I leaned down, licking up the thick drops before sitting up. 

“Thank, Apple Bloom… you're the best.” I said, admiring her bravery.

“Don't mention it… either you or Scootaloo would do the same for me.” She said, waving a hoof. 

Despite her good acting I could tell that she wasn't feeling well. She was pale, trying to avoid my eyes. To help her I wrapped the blankets around us extra tight, leaning my head against her. She was colder than before. Still leagues warmer than I was, though. I wrapped her in a hug, smiling up at the other filly. I heard her heart flutter a bit in her chest, and she looked away. She was smiling though, which let me know that the was alright with it.

“You know I can't stay upset when you get all touchy, right?” The farmhand sighed, wrapping her front legs around me in return.

“It's more fun, being touchy. Especially now.” I replied, giving her my best innocent smile. “I can see you much better.”

Apple Bloom nodded, looking around. “Yeah… I can't see past my own face in here right about now. Anythin' else you can do with those eyes of yours?”

I couldn't help but smile when her accent got the better of her. It was one of those quirks other ponies might find annoying, but to me it was one of the best parts about her. I could smell the scent of apples and earth in her fur, and her untidy mane coupled with her freckles made me want to stay under the blankets with her forever. 

“I can see you're the cutest pony in the room.” I said, looking up at her.

She rolled her eyes, but I knew from the small twitch at the corner of her lips that she liked the compliment. I let a small laugh escape me while I ran a hoof over her shoulder. Her coat was soft… a lot more fine than I remembered it being. I could only guess that it was because of what I was now. She let me do as I pleased, not minding my wandering hooves. After a while she came out and said.

“You're a lot more happy on a full stomach. Feeling better?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “You're here… and it's better to be happy. I feel much better now, and besides, being sad doesn't help me. It would just make you upset, too.”

“It's okay, if you really need to. I know this is all really unfair, so I'll be here when you need me. Okay?”

I blinked, then hugged her tighter. “That means a lot, Apple Bloom…”

“We've been friends for years, Sweetie. Don't go thinkin' that I'll change because of this. You're still the mushy unicorn I went on field trips with, and helped me write my book reports.”

I did my best not to get emotional at her words, but I couldn't help myself. “I can't go to school with you anymore, though. I can't even go outside unless the sun is down. How are we going to do anything together…?”

“Sweetie Belle, you have all night. Every night. You never, ever got to sleep. Think about how much time you have to yourself now.” She shook me a bit, grounding me in the present again.

I nodded, seeing her point. I was fine as I was. I couldn't go to school anymore, but that wasn't really too big of a loss. I'd miss Cheerilee, and a few other ponies. Overall it was alright though. I couldn't go to the park until after dark now. I silently wondered if I would have to wear some kind of eyewear to prevent anypony from seeing my eyes. 

“How do you think I'd look in glasses…?” I asked.

She bit her bottom lip for a second. “Kinda like a bookworm.”

I saw her face and pushed her for more, smiling. “Is that a good thing?”

Apple Bloom saw me smirking and gave me a stern glare. “You're just fishin' for compliments now, aren't you?”

Despite her words, I could see she was fighting back a smile. “Come on Apple Bloom. Just admit it, I'd look cute in glasses.”

The earth pony muttered a response under her breath, thinking I couldn't hear. “You know you would, Belles… you look cute no matter what.”

I leaned into her, my horn glowing. I began to brush her mane with my magic, something that I had to do often with myself. I mostly did it on the way to school, waking up too late to do anything but grab breakfast. She let me smooth it out and tie it back into her normal ponytail, while she did her best to avoid my eyes.

“You really don't need to be so quiet… I can hear you no matter how much you whisper.”

The freckled filly blushed a bit. “That ain't fair…”

“I told you didn't I? I didn't know you would try to whisper the truth.”

Just as she was about to say something we both heard a knock at he door. She jumped a bit, while I sighed.  I'd wanted to know what she wanted to say, but Rarity walked in. She switched on the lights, being her normal instinct when she entered a dark room. I buried my head in a pillow, groaning from how bright it was. I couldn't see anything. I could feel Apple Bloom shifting next to me. The lights went out a moment later, and I heard my sister apologizing.

“I'm sorry Sweetie! It was habit. Are you feeling any better today? I heard you two talking before I came in.”

I sat up, squinting at my sister. The light from the hall was immensely distracting, framing her like it was halo. The brightness bled out into the rest of my room, blinding me unless I completely faced away from it. Rarity shut the door most of the way, which helped immensely. 

“Yeah, I feel better…” I said.

I purposefully didn't tell her about feeding off of Apple Bloom. She didn't need to know. If she really wanted to, she would look the farmhand over once she could properly see. I'd left two perfectly smooth patches of skin of her foreleg where my fangs had been. They were fairly noticable to me, in the dark. I was sure that anypony looking at her in the light would see them easily.

“That's good… I hate to break you two apart at a time like this, but AppleJack wants her helper back. I thought about telling her about your condition Sweetie Belle, but I didn't know if you wanted her to know or not.” Rarity mumbled a bit towards the end.

My bedmate moved to get up, but not fast enough for me. I reached out and grabbed her hoof, pulling her back towards me. I knew Rarity couldn't see me properly, so I leaned forwards and planted a kiss on Apple Bloom's freckled cheek. She grew a flustered but appreciative smile, and gave me a quick peck in return before getting out of the bed. I sighed, sitting there. I could hear Scootaloo stirring. She would most likely want to go too. She had things to be doing, after all. It was going to be Monday… and school would be starting again for them. I settled back down into bed. It was cold without Apple Bloom there.
> Nightshade
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The faint sounds of whispers woke me. For a moment I sat still in bed, feeling like something was wrong. Something was missing. It felt like an eternity before it came to me. My heart wasn't beating. My body didn't move at all while I sat still. My lungs weren't pulling in air, and I didn't hear or feel my own pulse. I sat up, my eyes wide at my realization. I got up, walking to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I saw my enormous eyes were completely transformed. My sclera were the color of coal, and my fangs stopped just short of my lower gums. I blinked, pondering my appearance. I truly looked unnatural now, just like that stallion had. I drew in a breath, the air tasting vividly of my own scent. Well, not quite. It smelled much more like my old self. Back when my heart would beat, and I would actually use this bathroom. 

Just as that occurred to me, I realized I hadn't actually done… anything in the last three days. I hadn't set hoof in the bathroom to do anything besides look at myself. I hadn't even bathed. I hadn't eaten anything besides blood. I felt great, though. I went over to the shower, turning it on and letting my hoof touch the water. I retracted it immediately, as it was still ice cold. After a moment I stepped out onto the tiles, letting the water run over me. For a moment I felt mystified by the sensation of the water on my back. Then, I noticed that I could see something unusual. I could look at every single drop of water as it bounced off of me, trace it down to the bottom of the shower where it would hit the tiles and travel to the drain. I could do that with every single drop I could, focusing on it and watching it leap from my fur to land at my hooves. 

The details my eyes could pick up on now were amazing. I could exhale and see my breath in the hot shower, the vapor condensing when it met the heated air. I could make out the individual whisps of steam rising up from the shower floor, and I could watch a stray droplet of water erupt from the showerhead, track its arc and watch it land on the glass wall of the shower. I reached out a hoof and caught a drop that had sprayed out of the nozzle at an odd angle, balancing it on the tip of my hoof before standing on it again. I decided I could wash while I was in there, and made quick work of my mane. The smell of the shampoo was overwhelming though, and I only used half as much as I normally did because of that. I washed my fur in the same way, trying to find whatever soap reaked the least.

Once I was done I stepped out of the shower and dried myself, looking around. I wondered the time, and walked over to my windows. Looking at the curtains, I couldn't see any light filtering throught what area wasn't covered.  I cautiously parted the curtains with a hoof, then breathed a sigh of relief. The moon was glittering beautifully over Ponyville, basking it in the beautiful silver light my eyes seemed to adore. I thought to myself about what I could do… Rarity would get upset if I left the house without her permission. However, she was asleep upstairs. I had the rather rebellious thought of just going somewhere without telling her. She would be upset if she figured it out… but I was more than capable of handling myself.

I walked from my room, heading downstairs and to the front door. I didn't think about how I was sneaking out, or how upset Rarity would be if she found out that I'd headed off into the night on my own. My mind was too busy mulling over where I could go, and what I could do. I had all night to be anywhere and do just about whatever I wanted. After a while my mind fastened on one place in particular, and I opened the front door to my home. I shut it behind me and began to walk a familiar path, one that led out of Ponyville. 

It took me a while, but soon the lights of the town were behind me. The Everfree Forest seemed to breathe as I walked down the path to Fluttershy's cottage. A cool breeze filtered through the treeline and washed over me while I walked. I didn't shiver, though. For some reason I didn't feel any need to react to the cold. However the curse kept me alive, it didn't need to compensate for the temperature. I walked without a shred of fear down the path that had scared me just a few days  ago. I could see into the dark, and know what nocturnal creatures lurked there. I was one of them, now.

After a while I saw the lights of Fluttershy's cabin  in the distance, and picked up my pace. Soon I had arrived at her door, and I knocked softly. I had a rather bothersome revelation while I was standing there and waiting for her to answer. The lights were on in the living room. I could see that through the curtains. The moment that she answered the door I'd be blinded. On top of that, she probably didn't know about my condition yet. Seeing me might scare the shy pegasus. I turned around, shutting my eyes. I sat down and used my front hooves to cover my eyelids,  bracing for the light burn I would feel. A moment later I heard the door open and I bit lightly at the inside of my cheek. A confused Fluttershy spoke, looking down at me.

“Sweetie Belle…? Is that you? It's past midnight, what are you doing here?” She questioned, probably looking at my back.

“Well… I sort of took a walk. You were the first pony to pop into my head, so I came here.” I explained, my voice a bit strained despite my best effort. “I'll tell you about how I got here in a second, but can you do me a favor?”

“Of course, anything! Um… what is it, though?”

“I need you to turn out all the lights in the living room.”

I could practically feel the confusion emenating from the pegasus, but she turned around and did as I asked. While she did that I used my hooves to brush my mane down over my eyes, only satisfied once I couldn't see what was in front of me. She finished turning off the last light, hitting her hoof on the edge of her couch as her eyes struggled to adjust. I turned around, keeping my head down as I walked inside.

“Sweetie this is a little… odd.” She muttered, watching me shut the door behind me. 

I walked over to her couch, looking at her in what was, to her, nearly complete darkness. “Do you have a nightlight, or something like that? It needs to be dim...”

“Yes… I kept one from when I was a filly.” She said, a bit embarrassed to admit that. “I'll go get it.”

I silently thanked her for being this understanding. I had picked her for a good reason. Anypony else would be picking me apart with questions or scolding me for being out at night. Fluttershy wasn't the kind of mare to do that, though… she knew I wouldn't just leave her without any answers. I watched her rather clumsily walk to her kitchen, turn on an overhead light and begin to search. I shut my eyes, looking away while she did that. After a few minutes she walked out again, her hooves making telltale scuffs on the carpet. I heard her return to her kitchen, then shut off the light. I opened my eyes, blinking at the small amount of brightness still in the room. The nightlight wasn't the best solution… but it at least it didn't hurt or blind me. She walked over, taking a seat on the couch next to me.

“Sweetie… I'm a bit worried. What's going on? It's so dark out, how did you get all the way across Ponyville and down the path to get here? Does Rarity know you're here? Why didn't you talk to her, instead?”

I let out a sigh, shrugging at her last question. “She's kind of… hard to talk to right now. It's complicated.”

“So, she doesn't know you're here?”  Fluttershy asked, sounding extremely concerned.

“No… she doesn't. I know, I should have asked her first.” I looked at my hooves.

“You should always at least tell somepony where you're going… but I suppose you're here now. What brought you out at such a strange hour?”

I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to say, digging my hooves into the couch cushions beneath me. “There was an accident, three days ago. I was walking back from your cottage on Nightmare Night with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. The battery in our flashlight ran out, and we got lost. We met a strange stallion, and he told us how to get back to the path… but he did something awful to me after that.”

“Oh my goodness… Sweetie, what happened? Whatever it is, I'm so sorry that I caused it.” She apologized blindly.

“It's okay Fluttershy. None of it was even your fault. It was ours, for being unprepared. It was way too late to come out here, anyways.”

“Still, I feel sort of responsible… what did the stallion do to you?” The kindly pegasus asked.

“He bit me.” I said, deciding to put it as simply as I could.

She put a hoof over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Wh-why? That's awful… are you okay? Did it hurt?”

I nodded, holding up my front left leg for her to see. I still wasn't looking directly at her, instead looking through my mane so she wouldn't see my eyes. From what I could see of her, the hoof that she had held to her mouth dropped like it was made of stone when she saw the bite.

“Sweetie Belle… it looks like you were bitten by a snake. You said you were bitten by a stallion. That doesn't make any sense. And three days ago? The bite looks like it happened a week ago, at least. Are you telling me the truth?”

“I'm kind of… leaving out a detail.” I muttered, trying to put it off for as long as I could.

“You can tell me anything.” Fluttershy said.

I used a hoof to push my mane back out of my face, blinking up at her. She jumped back, flinching away from me like I'd just threatened to hit her. I gave a nervous smile, letting her see my teeth. The pegasus sidled away from me, wincing when she saw my incisors for the first time.

“What on earth happened to you Sweetie Belle? Your eyes…  they're so dark. Your pupils look like they belong on a snake right now.”

“Twilight came by yesterday, to tell me that the stallion that bit me was a vampire. A real one, that drinks blood and burns in sunlight. He's uh… gone now. After he bit me, Apple Bloom got him with her scythe. I sort of feel bad… but I guess it had to be done.”

Fluttershy looked both afraid of me and fascinated, her eyes seeming to be stuck inspecting mine. “You're… a vampire, now? A vampony?”

I shrugged my shoulders, looking to the side. Vampony sounded a bit silly for what it actually was… vampire was a better term. From what I gathered from Twilight, it was also the proper one. Not only that, but what if something else was infected with a vampirism? It wouldn't be a vampony. You'd have to call it a vamcow or something dumb like that, to insist on sticking the name of whatever it was at the end. I kept these nitpicking thoughts to myself though, nodding.

“Yes, I'm a vampire now. I wasn't sure until yesterday though.” I did my best to look her in the eyes, though she seemed to be skittish about direct eye contact.

“So you drink… blood?” She asked, seeming a bit faint at the thought.

“Yes. I already had some, yesterday.”

She covered her mouth to shield me from the sight of her gagging. I looked at my hooves, feeling a bit worse for that reaction. It didn't help my self-image to think that what I actually liked now was so repulsive that it would make her ill. I decided to change the subject… I didn't want to relive any more of the past weekend than I already had. 

“Anyways… I didn't want to talk to Rarity because she's having a hard time right now, and she's in bed. You were the only pony I knew that I could come to this late.”

“What did you want to talk about, then? I mean… I don't know what I can do, but I'll do my best to make you feel better.”

I settled down on the couch, getting ready to be there for a while. “Well, I wanted to talk about something other than this, uh... condition. I guess that's the word.”

“Okay. Can I ask you one thing first?” She questioned, mirroring me and getting comfortable.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Who did you… you know, drink from? Did they know?”

“Well, she's who I wanted to talk to you about. I drank Apple Bloom's blood, yesterday. She gave me permission”

Fluttershy looked like she might actually faint, pursing her lips tightly. “I s-see… okay… what about Apple Bloom?”

“Ever since I became what I am now, she just seems more… attractive. She doesn't look the same to me anymore, and I don't know why.”

The shy pegasus looked thrown for a loop by my words. “Sweetie Belle, you already know how romance and things work… Rarity said that she'd told you that stuff a year ago.”

“I know all that stuff, I don't need to talk about it. I wanted you to give me advice on what to do. She seems pretty okay when I do things like kiss her on the cheek and stuff. I just don't know how to come out and say I'm serious about it. I think that she feels like I'm just… being playful or something.” I confessed, looking down at my hooves.

“You mean you want it to be… you know, romantic? Like in Rarity's novels?” She asked.

I shrugged again, unsure. “I just want her to look at us like we're actually together, not just friends or something like that. I don't want us to be too romantic yet, but she needs to know that I do things like that because I really… love her.”

Fluttershy gave me an odd look when I ended my sentence. “Love? That's a very strong word Sweetie Belle… are you really sure?”

“I don't know Fluttershy. When she was there, helping me get through the first night, it made me feel like she'd always be there for me. I always wanted to be there for her, too. What really made me sure was… and promise not to be too grossed out, please? It was when she let me drink her blood. I know, that sounds so wrong. You probably think I'm some kind of freak...”

I seemed to be pushing a bit too far outside of the mare's comfort zone, as she was staring at me like I had just expressed immense joy at burning household pets with lighters. I gave her a nervous reconsiliatory smile, not knowing what else to do or say. I was being perfectly honest. However the honesty was causing her to look at me with ever-increasing worry.

“Sweetie… I'm really sorry but nothing about what you just said sounded like you were in your right mind.”

“I know, but that's the truth. The way she trusted me, and the sensation of it...” I shivered, the memory still fresh in my mind. “We felt so close, and the way she treated me while I was drinking was amazing. She didn't act like it was awful or disgusting, and it made me feel so much better.”

“I really don't know what to say to that.” Fluttershy replied, trying to fully wrap her head around what I was saying. 

I could feel frustration welling up inside me the more I talked to her about this. I couldn't expect her to understand, but I'd thought she would at least try. Maybe she was just overwhelmed with what I was telling her, and she needed time to absorb all the things I'd just said? I had heard that was necessary when breaking tragic or outlandish news to somepony. What I'd told her so far fit into both of those categories.

“Well… I guess you could ask me some things now. I said a lot.”

“Alright. First, are you okay? I'm sorry, but you really don't seem well. At all.” She said, her eyes glancing to the side, then back at me.

“… what  do you mean, Fluttershy?” I said, a bit hurt by her words.

“You're not acting like a normal pony would in this situation, Sweetie Belle. The way you just talked about drinking Apple Bloom's blood almost made me sick to my stomach. Most ponies would feel awful about doing something like that to a friend. I don't think that I would ever stop apologizing if I was in your situation. I'm sorry if this is too blunt, but… you really sounded like you enjoyed it.”

I looked her right in the eye, making sure she knew I was being serious. “Fluttershy, I did enjoy it. It was the first meal I ever had with this new, weird body and I loved every drop I got.”

The pacifistic pegasus shook her head. “Do you at least understand where I'm coming from? The way you described it makes me really afraid that something is wrong, and you should talk to somepony about it. Probably somepony like Twilight, or Rarity, who would know what to do about it. You aren't supposed to like hurting somepony else…”

“I wasn't hurting her, though… at least not a lot. She told me I could.”

“Still… that isn't very good to do to your friends Sweetie.”

I clenched my jaw so hard it felt like my teeth might break. What else was I supposed to do? I had the options of starving to death or drinking somepony's blood. There wasn't any third option, or anything that I could do to sustain myself beyond that. Unless I wanted to just give up on living, I had no other choice. 

“I don't really know what else to do besides drink blood. I can't eat normal food anymore, either.”

The pegasus looked at a loss for what to say to that. She looked at me, then her hooves. I knew that she was trying to come up with some solution that didn't involve anypony getting hurt, but she knew that was impossible. The blood had to come from somewhere and I was sure that going to the hospital for some wasn't an option. Her pacifistic tendencies didn't match with what I'd become. She could suggest that I fed off of an animal or something, but that would make it worse. She thought that animals had feelings and were just as important as ponies. While she sat there thinking I stood up, stretching my legs.

“Thanks for talking to me… you didn't really help, but thanks. All you did was make me feel worse.”

She winced at my words.. “I'm sorry… I just don't want anypony to get hurt...”

I couldn't stop myself anymore, and I began to shout at her. “I don't have a choice anymore, Fluttershy! What you're saying is that I should feel bad every time that I eat from now on. I just can't do that, okay? It's part of what I am now. I can't feel guilty just for living. Especially not when it actually feels really good to me. All you did was make me feel awful!”

She looked taken aback by my outburst, growing silent. I took the oppurtunity to keep ranting, wanting to get everything off my chest.

“Everypony that's seen me since this happened has treated me like I was some kind of monster. Rarity is avoiding me because she's scared of making me feel worse, and Twilight was acting like I might jump out and bite her for no reason. I mean sure, I really needed to eat at that point… but I wasn't acting feral! The worst part is, nopony wants to make it better... I feel like I don't want to talk to anypony, anymore. Except Apple Bloom. She makes me feel better. The worst part about that is that she was the one who killed the vampire in the forest! If anypony needs somepony to make them feel better, it's her. I can't imagine doing that… but she hasn't brought it up one time to me! What if that vampire hadn't been starving? He would have eaten all of us, but she stuck her neck out and saved us. I feel bad, because maybe that stallion didn't deserve what happened, but he could have killed me.”

Fluttershy looked away, guilt on her face. “Sweetie… I'm starting to think I'm not the best pony to come to with all of this. I'm sorry for making you feel worse… but I think that you should go...”

I felt an enormous wave of guilt crash over me, realizing I was being unfair to the meek pegasus. She hadn't been of any help… but I was wrong to come there and demand it in the first place. She probably didn't want to be overwhelmed by hundreds of problems anymore, and even though she looked worried about me, I'd mostly ignored what she'd said. I turned and walked to the door, realizing that there was no point in staying after that. I came there to talk but had just ended up venting my frustration at her, something that I knew she wasn't the pony for.  

“Fluttershy… I'm sorry for yelling. A lot is happening, and I don't know what to do. I feel like I can't do anything. Nopony wants to talk to me, or tell me what's going on. Not even Rarity. I haven't heard from Twilight…”

The pegasus got up, walking over to me and opening the front door. “Things will get better, once it's little more clear. I don't have any answers… but I know that Twilight will. She knows what she's doing. You just need to be patient.” 

I nodded, trusting her. I hadn't know Twilight well enough to judge her character beyond the times she was around Rarity, but I knew that Fluttershy would never lie to me. The princess seemed like a good pony, even if she was kind of rude towards me the last time I'd seen her. I walked out into the night again, waving goodye. I set off back towards Ponyville just as it started to rain…





I arrived back at my home totally soaked. It had started as a light drizzle when I'd left the cottage, but had soon evolved into a total downpour. I walked into my house just as lightning flashed across the sky, blinding me for a moment. I shut the door behind me, looking around. I saw a letter, neatly placed on table near the coatrack. I picked it up, seeing the royal seal. I tore it open the moment that I knew it was from Twilight. It was addressed to Rarity, but I coveted any information about my condition more than anything else at that point. 

'Dear Rarity

My research so far has been successful. I've managed to find a bit more on vampires and it's allowed me to figure out exactly what is going on, at least biologically. The first day of a vampire's life begins with darkening of the eyes, lengthening of teeth to be used as incisors for biting prey, and a few transformations in the stomach. The second day is when the stomach is completely responsible for all bodily functions, and has been turned into a sort of arcane engine that is fueled by blood. Through dark magic it performs a number of intricate spells on it to transform the blood directly into energy for a vampire to use. The third day is the point where things get concerning. Organs like the heart and kidneys serve very little purpose anymore, and according to the notes are simply done away with over a few hours. Absorbed by the stomach to be burnt for extra energy. The same goes for most digestive organs after the stomach, including the intestines, bladder, and more. After the third day the circulatory system is gone, and the body seems to use magic exclusively to force energy and a few necessary resources throughout the body. Despite my skepticism, the theories behind how this all works makes sense and operates at a higher degree of efficiency than normal organisms.

The fifth day is when the last of the internal changes happen. Control over the muscles become ultra-precise, eyesight is enhanced, and strength is increased. All biological growth stops at this point, and the pony will no longer grow or age. Over the next two days the afflicted pony will have every cell  of them functionally replaced by a redesigned version. Once a full week has passed nothing will be left of their original body, and every part of them will function as a design of whatever mad sorcerer made this curse thousands of years ago. They retain memories, behaviour and appearances. Their personality will remain unchanged, to an extent. In order for a vampire to maintain mental and physical well being, they need to drink at least a gallon of blood every six days or risk mental deterioration.

With that out of the way, I need to address Sweetie Belle herself. I feel as if we left on bad terms the last time we talked. I didn't mean offense to her, but I knew that she hadn't eaten anything in the last two days. Vampires are known for going feral without a regular feeding schedule. I didn't know if she would be able to keep herself under control, so in her eyes I may have overreacted. Please let her know I'm sorry. However, I must urge you to be careful. If you're ever in any doubt for your safety, please use the fact that she doesn't know any advanced magic and teleport her away from you. It will buy you time to get away from her. If you feel up to it, I would ask her if she's fed off of anypony in the last two days. If not, then she is legitimately starving, and you need to help her. Let her feed off of you until you feel any discomfort save for the pain from her fangs, then immediately stop.

You will need to make her a feeding schedule. She can't feed off of the ill or those with low blood pressure. I think that those with anaemia goes without saying. Remember she only needs a gallon every six days. With this, she could easily get that done with two sessions between two ponies with no ill effects between them as long as she doesn't drink too fast. That would cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Try to make the ponies she feeds from those she trusts, and will at least try to behave normally during that time. To her it doesn't feel strange or unnatural, and she needs to feel safe while she feeds.

Now that I understand the basics of what  is going on I'm going to start looking at possible ways to reverse this process. This will take much longer than it took me to gather this information, unfortunately. Until then, try to hang on and make sure you talk to Sweetie Belle. I know you're terrified that she won't be the same, but I promise that she is. 

Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle '

I took the letter and walked to the stairs, thinking over what I'd just read. I didn't know how to feel about what Twilight had written. The physical part of my transformation was amazing. I was really surprised that much was happening inside of me. The fact that I probably didn't have a heart anymore was both puzzling, but neat in a sort of dark way. I took a deep breath, then let it out. My lungs served more as a tool to let me smell and taste more than anything else now. As I thought I climbed the steps, heading to Rarity's room. She would still want this letter. What had Twilight meant at the end of the letter, though? Was Rarity afraid that I wouldn't be the same pony I was before Nightmare Night? I slipped the letter under my big sister's door, then walked back downstairs. Passing the clock, I noticed that it was almost morning.

I felt an instinctual sense of urgency as I went to my room, shutting the door. My night was at an end, and it was time to hide myself away until the moonlight shone again.
> Silver
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Days were becoming my least favorite part of my life. I had hated going to bed, before. Now that I never had to sleep… I was beginning to realize that there wasn't much to be doing when everypony else was asleep. The sun was peaking through the curtains of my bedroom, much to my displeasure. I had accidentally crossed it earlier, and nearly woke up Rarity with how loud I shouted. The sunlight was like pushing live electrical wires into my skin wherever it touched. It had only been for a brief moment, so no real harm had been done. That hadn't stopped it from being painful though. I stared angrily at the  single shaft of sunlight that bisected my room, the one spot where I couldn't tread. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't pull the curtains to cover the beam of light. I made a note to myself to ask Rarity if she had any blankets that I could cover the windows with. The normal curtains just weren't covering it. 

As I thought of her I heard hoofsteps on the stairs outside my door.  I froze where I was, unsure of what to do. There was no way that she had missed the letter I'd left near her door. I did the first thing that crossed my mind, and walked to the corner of the room. I heard a knock. My fate was sealed, so I replied to it.

“Come in! It's unlocked…”

A moment later I covered my eyes, listening to Rarity walk in and shut the door behind her. Once I opened my eyes I could see her just fine.  She seemed to have a bit of a harder time finding me though. There was only one light source in the whole room, and it was the inconvenient line that travelled a quarter of the way across my floor. I was positioned on the opposite side of the room from it, putting me squarely in the dark. I cleared my throat, guiding her eyes to me. She seemed to avoid looking at me directly as she began to speak.

“Sweetie Belle, did you read my mail?” She asked.

My older sister tried to give me a stern look then, but ended up looking away again. I nodded, and she let out a withdrawn sigh. She walked over to me, sitting down. Her horn flashed and the letter appeared in front of her. She held it out to me as if she was giving me permission to take it.

“You should keep this… it's more important to you. The next time I'll be a bit more upset if you go reading my letters, though.”

I took the letter, holding it with my magic. “So… you're not mad at me?”

“No, I'm not. I realize that maybe trying to keep you in the dark about what's going an isn't the best thing to do anymore. If you really want to know what's going on so badly that you would read my mail, I think that you deserve to know.”

I smiled, glad that she was being so understanding. Soon after that she stood, turning and looking at the beam of light filtering through the curtains. I tilted my head to the side, pondering her behaviour. She wasn't normally the type of pony to shift around when there was a serious conversation going on.

“Sweetie, I'm sorry for how I've acted the last few days. I thought that I was losing you, and that  my little sister was going to be changed forever.”

I opened my mouth to make the point that I was,  actually, permanently changed. However a moment before I spoke I realized that she wasn't talking about my body. She was talking about me, as a pony. It was strange… I'd never thought about myself as seperate or not directly related to my physical self. When I thought about myself I thought of a fluffy white coat, a curly pink and lilac mane, green eyes and my Cutie Mark. I'd never had to think about what I was while excluding my body from the equation. I pushed away that existential powder keg, focusing on my sister.

“I'm still Sweetie Belle, sis… I don't know what you thought would happen to me.”

“I thought you might lose yourself. Lots of ponies change, when something like this happens. Something life-altering occurs, and all of the sudden they're a different person. It's how we are, as ponies. It's how we all adapt to new things. In lots of ways, everypony changes. Just not for the better… and I thought that you might change for the worse. I heard from Twilight that most ponies do, their first week as a vampire.”

I looked up at her, curious. “What did she say might happen?”

“I don't think it would be very wise to tell you...”

I walked over to her, looking her in the face. “Come on, I can handle it. I've been through a lot these last few days, and I'm still perfectly fine.”

She looked hesitant to speak, but after a while she gave a long sigh.“Well… normally once a pony realizes that they will never age, they tend to do one of two things. They will either panic, realizing that they will outlive most ponies they love and will insist on making them a vampire as well. Or, they will grow depressed at their own misfortune, and be miserable that they will have to hurt others for the rest of their lives.”

I felt myself secretly panic at her words. It hadn't crossed my mind until then, but she was telling the truth. I would outlive her, and my friends. All the ponies at school too. Miss Cheerilee, Fluttershy, AppleJack, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom…  now that I didn't age anymore I would still look exactly like I did now, while they might look as old as Granny Smith. Rarity saw the look on my face and gave me a knowing pat on the shoulder.

“That's why I didn't want to tell you… but I suppose you'd come to that realization on your own, eventually. Just remember that even though you had no choice in becoming a vampire, you shouldn't force it on somepony. Living for such a long time will be a very hard thing. You should always let somepony make a choice like that theirselves. Most ponies don't want to live for hundreds of years.”

I looked at my hooves. I felt the immediate urge to ask her if she wanted to be a vampire. Something about the way she'd talked just now told me not to, though. I had the feeling she didn't want to live forever. Even in my panicked mind I could see it being a curse more than it would be a blessing. How much could one pony remember and have weighing on them before it became too much? I already had plenty of secrets and I was nowhere near the age of somepony like the Mayor or my Mom. I could just imagine it all piling up, every mistake and bad experience biting at me from all the years gone by. I shuddered. Maybe I should learn some kind of spell to make me forget things, if I wanted to last. Rarity saw me spiraling into my own thoughts, and pulled me back to reality.

“Sweetie, and Twilight's letter she told me to ask  you if you've had anypony to… you know, drink from these last few days.”

I pushed my thoughts of eternity out of my head, answering her. “I had some of Apple Bloom's blood two days ago, so I'm okay. Thanks though.”

She nodded, then looked at the letter again. “Are you going to do that regularly?”

I shrugged my shoulders, reading the part of the letter that had to do with a feeding schedule. “Apple Bloom seemed okay with it, but I don't know if Scootaloo would want me doing that to her. She seems pretty okay with everything so far though.

Rarity nodded, falling silent again. She seemed to trust me enough to let me pick the ponies that I would be drinking from. As I thought about that, my thoughts wandered back to my immortality. I shook my head and tried to think of something that could distract me. I looked around the room before my eyes lighted on the ineffective curtains covering my window.

“Uh… can you do something about my curtains?” I asked, smiling up at my big sister. “They let some light in, and I don't like hurting myself walking to the bathroom.”

Rarity looked at the curtains she herself had designed, sighing. She had a certain fondness for them even if they weren't the most efficient at keeping light out. She motioned for me to go into the bathroom, and I scampered away as her horn lit to take the curtains down.  Once the door was shut I heard  her take them down, summoning what sounded like a bag  and a container of nails. I was careful of the light filtering beneath the door, listening to the sound of a hammer. After a few minutes the light was gone, and I cautiously opened the door to look into my room. She had stretched an enormous, pitch-black plane of fabric over the window. As she secured the last nail it was very obvious she had absolutely no sight in the room anymore, as she missed the nail three times before hitting it, securing the thick fabric over the window.

“There… not the most elegant solution, but until I can make a more decorative one it will have to do. Is that alright with you Sweetie?”

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. “Yeah, that's okay. Want me to help you clean up in here?”

“That would be very nice, thank you.” She replied, not calling attention to her total blindness.

I began to take the hammer, nails and fabric she hadn't used and set them by the door. I then opened the it just a hair, then quickly dashed back to a corner of the room where sunlight from the stairwell wasn't shining. Now that she could see the exit Rarity made her way out, stopping in the doorway to pick up her things and call back to me.

“If you need any help… or you just want somepony to talk to, I'll stay up a bit late tonight.”

With that she shut the door, leaving me alone in my own dark world. I walked over to my bed, laying down and staring up at the ceiling. What would life be like in a hundred years? Or five hundred years? A thousand? The sheer scale of what I was thinking about hurt my head. Cities could be built and abandoned in those times. I only read about timespans like that in history books. The more I thought about it, the stranger things became. Did anything else besides me live to be that old? There were only a few things that I could think of. There was Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Discord. I supposed that, now that she was an alicorn too, Twilight also lived indefinitely. I smiled as I also realized that dragons could also be extremely long-lived. So I still had Spike as a friend for quite a while.

I nodded, consoling myself. That wasn't a bad pool of ponies to know. Most of them were royalty, and I was sure that Twilight was a great pony once I got to actually know her. Spike was… Spike, and I heard he knew plenty of other dragons that I might get to meet. Things would be okay, I just had to make some new friends. First I needed to talk to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo though. They needed to know about this. No matter what, I had to ask them if they could find some way to live like me. I couldn't imagine a world where I couldn't explore with them anymore. Even after we all got our Cutie Marks we still went out and set off on our own adventures. We were still a team, no matter what. I couldn't just leave them all behind.
> Sunrise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The week ended for my friends as the clock struck struck three in the afternoon that Friday. Despite them being free from school, I sat there in my dark room and stared at the clock. I wanted to go meet them, maybe go back to Apple Bloom's farm and have fun hanging around the orchard. Maybe we might have borrowed some money from Rarity and went to get something to eat. Instead I was sitting there, waiting for the sun to set. Despite the fabric totally covering my window, I could tell it was still day. The temperature fluctuated enough for me to notice despite the air conditioning. If I was confused I only had to look towards the door, where a small amount of light would always creep beneath it during the day.

Looking back to the clock, a minute had passed. I sat down, staring at it. I hated the instrument in a lot of ways now that I was a vampire. It held no sway over me, but I knew that it was counting down the days for the rest of the world. It fit time into managable chunks for normal ponies to use, but for me it was useless. The only thing that mattered for me was the current time. The future didn't exist yet, and no matter how long it took to get there I could wait for it. It just made the time an inconvenience when I didn't want it. I couldn't sleep with so much on my mind, so I had to wait. Books littered the corners of my room where I'd stacked them.  I wanted to get some reading done, but what if I lost track of time? I had to talk to my friends as soon as I could, so still I waited… my gaze never straying from the clock face.

The next thing that I knew the clock struck eight, my ears picking up on the metallic 'clink' of the hour hand stiffly pushing itself forwards. I heard a knock downstairs and looked at my door, confirming that no sunlight was still flooding the hallway outside. I opened the bedroom door and ran down the steps, a lot faster than normal. I found Rarity opening the door, welcoming in Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. With a cheerful hop I leapt over to them, although I overshot the 'hop' a bit. It had started as a small spring in my step that had ended in me skittering to a stop, nearly crashing into the two  of them. I hugged the two fillies,  pulling them close. Rarity leaned forwards, clearly a bit nervous at my physical proximity to them. 

“Hey Sweetie! We both went to sleep  for a few hours after school, so we could come see ya'.” Apple Bloom exclaimed, returning my hug. “AppleJack said it was alright if we stayed out after dark. She doesn't know 'bout your… y'know, changes. So if we see her, best you hid someplace.”

Scootaloo looked at both of us. “I don't know what you mean 'we both' slept after school… I haven't slept since last night.”

I let go of the two, tapping my hoof. Leave it to Scootaloo to completely miss the memo. Rarity looked between us, seeming a bit nervous about letting the three of us go out again. After all the last time it had turned out in a total disaster. On a holiday no less. Instead of fretting though, she took a step back and waved, although she was still clearly worried.

“Well, have a good time you three. Try to have fun.”

I ran up to her and gave her a a hug goodbye. She returned it, then let me run out the door to join my friends in the cool evening air.  The three turned towards me, as if they were expecting me to say something. I just shrugged, turning in the direction of the Apple Bloom's home and began to walk. The three followed quietly for a bit, and I decided to hum to  have some ambience while we trotted through the quiet streets. Apple Bloom smiled, walking closer to me as time went on. Once we were all but brushing against one another she stopped, enjoying the tune. After we were out of the main streets and on the path out to the Apple's family farm I spoke up.

“You guys want to go to the clubhouse? I haven't been outside enough since Nightmare Night.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Sure Sweetie. I don't know what we'd do if the sun started to come up in there though. Maybe I should stop and get some things from the junk shed first? Toss some carpet in there, and get something to cover the windows? I don't want you to get stuck under the desk all day.”

She had a good point. We could pretty easily see between the floorboards in there, meaning light could easily get in that way. The roof was thankfully watertight. The windows would need to be covered if I was going to spend the day in there. It seemed pretty easy, so I nodded at those suggestions. I was grateful she was thinking about things like that, because my mind was in a totally different place. While we talked Scootaloo looked around, gazing out at the fields that surrounded that side of Ponyville.

After a long while of walking we all ended up at the barn, and we headed swiftly to the junk shed. The much smaller shack that sat behind the barn had been simply dubbed 'The Junk Shed' since before any of us had been born. The reason was pretty simple to anyone who had seen it before. The  Apple family were a very thrifty bunch that were adept at repurposing things to do different jobs than what they normally were meant to. This was reflected in them keeping an whole shed full of miscellany behind the barn. It had wood from numerous different sources littered everywhere, metal pipes, beams,  farming tools, an enormous bucket full of any screw or bolt imaginable, woodworking equipment, loads of old signs and memorabilia, dozens of buckets of paint,  antique furniture, and countless other things hidden away in the dark shed. If you needed anything and knew the Apple family it was wise to ask them if they had it first, because probability dictated that they had what you were looking for.

Apple Bloom took a flashlight off a hook near the entrance to the shed, giving it to Scootaloo. I turned the other way, not wanting to be totally blinded as the two searched for what they needed. I hummed and looked out at the night, enjoying the cool breeze and the moonlight. I instinctively looked up to see the silver crescent above, casting its light down onto me. It was a gentle glow, one that didn't burn me or take my ability to see away. The moonlight felt different to me, since I was a vampire. Its presence wasn't overwhelming like the sunlight. The sun felt overbearing, its heat pushing down like a constant pressure. The moonlight had no physical presence, save for letting normal ponies see whatever was illuminated by its silver rays. It performed its purpose, however it didn't push itself on others. It let me do whatever I wished in it without the sweat and heat that accompanied the sun.

After about ten minutes the two walked out of the shed carrying a roll of carpet easily twice width of our clubhouse, and I looked to Apple Bloom in confusion. She shrugged, setting the roll of carpet down before her and Scootaloo walked back in. Apple Bloom returned with a bunch of curtains over her back, and Scootaloo was trying to handle a set of shears. I levitated the set of shears over to me, letting Apple Bloom take the curtains. I helped Scootaloo hoist the carpet onto her back, then I lifted my side and put it onto my own back. We set off towards our clubhouse, while Apple Bloom trailed a bit behind. As we made our way into the orchard itself the moonlight faded, leaving my two friends unable to see. I did a good job of leading them, making sure they didn't run into any trees. After a while we arrived at our clubhouse, and we set our things down.

Apple Bloom took control of the situation, pointing to the carpet. “Okay, Sweetie Belle needs to go and get a measurement of the inside of the clubhouse so we know how much carpet we need. Scootaloo, me and you gotta keep watch out here. I forgot to bring that flashlight with us… so we won't help too much if we head inside.”

“Actually, didn't you put that old lamp in the desk for our sleepover two weeks ago?” Scootaloo said, 

The farmhand tapped her chin, nodding. “Huh… I kinda forgot about that. Thanks for remindin' me. Could you light that before we head up Sweetie?”

I nodded and quickly ran up the ramps to the clubhouse. I turned and slid aside the fake windowsill that Apple Bloom had put in to hide the keys to the door. Taking the keys with my magic I unlocked the door and put the them back in the secret compartment, sliding the board back into place. I walked inside, heading to the desk that we had put in there after one too many days doing homework on the floor. I admired the work that we'd put into this place, with its amazingly well constructed walls and ceiling. I took the meter stick we had set against the side of the desk, then went fishing around in the enormous bottom drawers. I found the oil lamp, gently setting it on the desk before using magic to give a spark, lighting a small flame to illuminate the inside of the clubhouse. 

I measured the walls with the meter stick, quickly doing the math needed to figure out how much we needed. I set the meter stick aside, then ran outside. I rattled off the measurements I'd taken, and Apple Bloom got to work cutting up the carpet with the shears. Once it was at the size we needed Scootaloo rolled it up, carrying it with my help up into the clubhouse. Once we got there, we realized there was a problem. The desk prevented us from putting the carpet down. I set the roll just outside, giving it an annoyed glare.  It had taken all three of us to just to get the thing up the ramp and through the door when we'd put it in. I looked back at them, silently wondering if… maybe I could lift it. I didn't want to show off in front of them, but I knew if I hurt myself it didn't really matter. I would heal up in few seconds at most.

I positioned myself in front of the desk and took a few deep breaths, trying to focus. After about half a minute I pushed myself to levitate the desk with all the will I could muster. A green light enveloped the desk and it lifted sharply, nearly toppling the oil lamp on top of it. I eased off of it, realizing that I was putting way too much force towards pushing it upwards. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked in awe of me, levitating the dense metal desk without that much of a problem. I still had to keep my focus on the desk, but I didn't feel the exertion I thought I would earlier. The other two picked up the carpet and took it in, unrolling it. I stepped over it when it came time, letting them align it to the corners of the room. Once they were done I set the desk down, and Scootaloo gave a light clap of her front hooves.

“I'll admit, that was really cool. There's no way you could've lifted that a week ago.”

I gave a small bow, flattered. Apple Bloom went and got the curtains, but set them aside for the time being. I sat down on the nice carpet, nodding. It was rather comfortable, and it actually did wonders for the acoustics in there. Scootaloo shut the clubhouse door, leaving us all in there alone. For a few minutes none of us talked. We just listened to the crickets outside and watched the dust play in the shafts of moonlight coming through the window. Once we had settled a bit I decided I may as well break the silence. Especially since I had so much to talk about.

“You guys… things have changed a lot this week.”

Both of them nodded, agreeing with me. Even though neither of them spoke, they knew exactly what I meant. Ponies were asking questions around school. I had heard that Rarity had passed it off as illness, and Twilight was working on an alibi for me. If all else failed we could just get her to play her royalty card, but that would just make it more suspicious. Soon they would go to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo with their questions, knowing they were closest to me. I continued, turning my thoughts back to my friends.

“Apple Bloom… you're okay with letting me drink your blood right?”

She nodded, looking over at me. “Of course, Sweetie. You did it once, it wasn't too bad. Did ya' think I changed my mind?”

“No, I just wanted to make sure. I also wanted to ask you about what happened on Nightmare Night. Are you-”

“I don't want to talk about that, Belles.” The farmhand said, interrupting me. “Just… some things better left unsaid.”

I nodded, not willing to push her on the issue. Scootaloo seemed a bit lost as to what we had just referred to, but she knew enough to let that thread of the conversation die where it was. I let us sit in silence for a  few minutes afterwards, letting us all clear our heads before I moved on.

“There was another thing bothering me… it's a lot more important than my excuses for school.”

“What the hay could be more important than that?” Scootaloo asked, seeming nervous at such a possibility.

“Well… you see guys, vampires...” I was struggling to get the point out there, not knowing if they were ready to hear it. “I'm not going to get older. Ever.”

Apple Bloom sat up, looking at me with worry written all over her face. “What do you mean, you won't get older?”

“I mean, I'm not aging anymore. I'm never going to be any older than I am right now. Kinda glad that I got a little taller this last year… got all the important growing out of the way.”

Scootaloo gave me a skeptical glance. “You're still kinda short… just saying. I mean, none of us are ever gonna be Big Macintosh but it's not like you're hitting your horn on the clubhouse ceiling.”

I hung my head, grumbling. “Gee, thanks Scoots. Really building up my self-esteem there.”

Apple Bloom kicked Scootaloo's hoof, making sure she knew she'd messed up. “It's alright Belles, I don't mind your height none. You're perfect for me.”

I gave the farmhand a grateful smile. As long as I was good in Apple Bloom's eyes I didn't mind if I was on the short side. I stole my thoughts back to the topic at hoof.

“Anyways,  I'll never age. That means when I'm as old as Granny Smith, I'll still look just like I do now. Sort of like how Celestia never looks any older or younger. It's like that. The problem on my mind is that you guys are still getting older.”

Apple Bloom understood, her eyes troubled as her thoughts turned to spiral into a whirlwind of existential doubt. Much like mine had. Scootaloo on the other hoof took a few minutes. The pegasus seemed to ponder my words for far too long before her reasoning skills kicked in. Only then did her eyes go wide.

“You mean even when we're dirt you're still going to look like that?!” Scootaloo practically shouted, causing me to wince at the volume.

“That's, uh, one way of putting it. Yeah.” I replied, rubbing my ear.

The pegasus seemed to be reacting the exact opposite of way of what I'd expected. She didn't seem saddened by the fact that I would outlive her. Instead she seemed legitimately angry at that idea. I tilted my head, confused at her behaviour. Even Apple Bloom looked at the livid filly with a hint of confusion. Seeing our faces, Scootaloo turned and walked over into the moonlight by the window before speaking, her voice full of fire and spite.

“I won't let you outlive me or Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle. All three of us, we belong together! We searched for our Cutie Marks as a team, and we found them together. Nothing stupid like time or some vampires are going to tear us apart. I don't care what I have to do, we'll be a team until the day after the end of time.”

I blinked at her, surprised by the way she was acting. I hadn't seen this side of Scootaloo in a long time. I hadn't once in my life seen her this determined or angry. She wasn't a very motivated filly… especially after she got her Cutie Mark. Now that time was standing between me, Apple Bloom and her, she seemed to be lighting a new fire in her heart.

“Well okay Scootaloo, but… what are we going to do? We don't have a lot of options…” I said, looking at my hooves. “I could make you both vampires. Then, who are we going to drink from? We would need two ponies to drink from, each.”

The pegasus shook her head. “There's got to be a different way. There are loads of things in the world that live for ages. Like dragons, and alicorns. There's no way that being vampires is the only thing we can do.”

“Scootaloo, what are you suggesting?” Apple Bloom asked, looking up at the filly.

“I think we should go looking for ways to live as long as Sweetie Belle will.” 

“Scootaloo that could take months… years, a decade.” I said. “Ways to live forever aren't  just laying around.”

“Maybe not, but we know ponies that would know things like that!” She exclaimed, pointing at the moon. “Think about it! AppleJack and Rarity know a princess, right? A princess who can live forever. Twilight Sparkle knows Celestia and Luna, and they've been around since… I don't even know! They've got to know some way to help us.”

“Maybe this isn't the best idea…” I said, scared of coming to Twilight with this when she was probably doing her best to fix my vampirism to begin with.

“I actually agree with Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom said, standing. “We should try and look for ways to stay with you for as long as we can. The one thing that I don't agree with is doing all that right now. Sure we're only losing time… but we still gotta finish school and such. Once that's done, we'll go lookin' for forever. Alright?”

The farmhand sat down next to me, wrapping her front hooves around me. I was caught off guard, blinking as she pulled me close and rested my head against her chest. I took a moment before I returned her hug. As I enjoyed her sweet smell she continued.

“Just give it all a bit of time, Sweetie Belle. Give us… ten years from when school ends. If none of us can find a way to keep on kickin'... then we'll let you turn us into vampires.”

I secretly admired the genius of the plan we'd just formulated. They had a whole year of school to finish. That was a long time, especially for me. It also gave Twilight a huge opportunity to figure out a cure for my vampirism. In ten years, both of my friends would still be in their prime. At the same time, it gave us tons of chances to go looking for a proverbial fountain of youth. I felt Apple Bloom's hoof in my mane, and let myself smile. Everything would be okay. 

Scootaloo walked over to us, shaking her head. “You two have been acting all mushy since you became a vampire. Something I should know?”

“We just want to enjoy each other's company is all.” I said defensively, hugging Apple Bloom tighter.

The farmhand chuckled and planted a small kiss on my forehead. I looked off to the side, smiling along with her. I couldn't stay upset when she was there. Scootaloo sat down near us, yawning loudly. She seemed to be ready to sleep, and I didn't mind if she did. We had a plan, that was what mattered. I waited, sitting there in my best friend's embrace. Once the pegasus wasn't looking I leaned over, letting Apple Bloom fall beside me as we both collapsed onto our sides. I leaned in, pushing my lips to hers. She seemed a bit shocked at my bold actions, but after a moment she shut her eyes and leaned against me, releasing her held breath. The air smelled like apples and freshly tilled earth, so close to the other filly.

We stayed like that for almost a minute before I looked away, my face red beneath my snow white coat. The farmhand didn't seem flustered at all. I gave her a confused look. It had taken all of my bravery just to work up to kissing her on the lips, why didn't she look surprised at me? She saw my face and leaned close again, whispering.

“I knew you'd do it eventually… just wasn't counting on it bein' now.”

She smiled at me, giving me another, smaller kiss. I looked over at the windows and used my magic to close the shutters, not wanting to be burnt when morning came. I hung the curtains up from my position on the floor, not caring if it was perfect. It just had to be blocking the light. Once that was done Apple Bloom pulled me tight against her, kissing my horn before shutting her eyes. I let her move me however she wanted, enjoying her warmth. I felt like I belonged there more than anywhere else in the world. Not even my own bed at home could compare to the comfort of sleeping next to Apple Bloom. I pushed my cheek against her chest, and shut my eyes. Morning would come soon enough… but right then, I was in love.