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Starlight in a Broken Vessel

by the-pieman

Chapter 187

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Chapter 187

I’ve played all kinds of games both as and against vampires. I’ve read all the different books about vampires from Earth. What happens here all comes down to how powerful he is, and I have no idea. But if he’s ‘really nice’ as Pinkie said, he’s probably been doing this for a long while at least. I may not come back from this.

Come on, pull it together man, everyone’s counting on you. I get to Fluttershy’s cottage and knock on the door. No answer, but a bit of shuffling from inside then silence. Oh well, guess Twilight already did her thing.

I look around the area for another house-like place. Unfortunately, with the moon rising and shadows getting deeper, it’s difficult to see much. I could Spark up to generate some light, but that guarantees that the vampire would see me first, and old or not, that’s a very bad thing.

But I can’t find him or a house in this darkness. I’d either have to literally bump into it, or get him to come to me-

Oof!

Well... I walked into the side of a house... Rubbing my nose, I walk around until I find the front and the door opens as I reach for it. Holding my sword tightly I back up.

“A... Anthony...?”

I Spark up and in my steel-gray glow, I see... “Pinkie? I told you to stay put!”

The pony sways in place a bit. “N- nah yah din’... was here all... all week. ‘m tired...”

“Why were you here? I...” Oh the clones, right.

“Mr. Card said... he wanted to... spend more... more time with me.” She doesn’t look well at all, swaying back and forth like she’s drunk or something. “Don’ feel so good...”

“Pinkie... what happened while you were here?”

“Well...” She pauses. “Mr. Card wanted me to stay here over a few nights, that way I wouldn’t have to find someplace to sleep and we could... talk an’ stuff. Haven’t been sleeping so good for a few days but he’ssonice an’... an’...” She lets out a huge yawn and my heart drops straight to my stomach and freezes when, in the pale glow of my star core, I see a pair of undeniably sharp teeth in her mouth, and a trio of bite marks in her neck.

Calm down, they could be mosquitos... in the winter... positioned so they make their bites completely equidistant to each other. Or... oh goddamnit what’s the point?

I feel my legs turn to jelly. “P- P- Pinkie Pie, I’d like you to lay down, okay?” I kneel down and gesture her towards me.

“Mmhmm... so tired. An’... thirsty...”

I feel my vision blur with tears as I turn off my light, holding the newly-formed vampire Pinkie in my arms. “It’s gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be... just... fine.”

She leans into me and snuggles up. Maybe... maybe she hasn’t turned yet- Agh!

I begin my glow again and find Pinkie biting into my arm. Everything becomes a blur, like it’s unreal and slowed down.

I push Pinkie to the ground.

I draw my sword, leaning over her.

Blade to her neck.

She looks at me, scared and confused.

Her tongue reaches up to her fangs and she gets a taste of my blood.

Her eyes dilate and she stares at me.

Hungrily.

I shut my eyes tight, squeezing tears down my face.

*S-schlink*

No other noises. My whole body is shaky, legs not letting me stand or even move. I turn my head and open my eyes, my glow mixed with my tears practically blinding me. And a glint catches my eye in the still, silent darkness. My sword.

I slowly bring my gaze towards it.

Short.

Sturdy.

Shiny.

And bloody.

I feel like my heart got torn out of my chest, and I can’t think of anything to do but fall over and cry. Opening my eyes as I lay on the ground, I see Pinkie’s body.

I... I killed her. I cut her head off and- and I-

My eyes feel like they’re burning and I shut them tight, the image of Pinkie’s unmoving, red-stained body not leaving my mind.

I... I’m a monster.

Everything slows down further as I curl into a ball, holding my knees to my chest and my eyes shut as tight as possible. I want to call for someone, anyone... But all I manage is a loud wail as my crying finally makes itself audible through my choking.

I- I don’t know what to do. I just- just-

No matter what I do, this is already bad. Who else might be...?

The sound of hooves on the road makes me roll to my feet and turn, my Spark flaring defensively as I do. By my own light, I see Twilight at the end of the alley by the house, looking in horror at the ground. My knees becoming weak again, I crumple to the ground, my sword dropping at my side. “I... I had to. She was... He got her already and... and...”

I can’t make anymore words so I just resume my crying.

Twilight steps over to me, shaking like a leaf herself. “Wh- what? How could- no!” She’s hyperventilating, before sputtering out, “We... we have to end this. However necessary.”

A voice, thick with malice yet calm, speaks from the darkness all around. “I quite agree, star-born.”

“Monster.” I’m not sure if I thought that or said it out loud. I shakily get to my knees, gripping my sword as tightly as I can, my knuckles hurting. “You monster...”

“Monster... I hear that used to describe my kind, and yet is it really monstrous to do what nature intended for me to desire?”

Twilight replies, a lump forming in my throat and feeling like I’m choking on my own esophagus. “Ye- no! But you’re not natural! You’re an abomination! You hurt innocent ponies just to slake your bloodlust you- you- you fucker!”

“My my, such language. So I’m an abomination because I kill ponies because I am hungry? And I suppose that makes half the creatures in this forest ‘abominations’ as well. Still, I don’t kill everypony. Your pegasus friend is still very much alive, and the nice pink one would be too. It wasn’t my choice she should have her head cut off.”

The words feel like a spear through my brain and I feel my legs quiver, but I stay standing. “She... she didn’t want this. None of them did. You...” I run out of words to bolster my defense with.

“Well, if you are both finished, we can end this the easy way or the easier way. Come on, which is first? I haven’t eaten since lunch.”

Like paint dripping from a ceiling,  the shadows on all sides pull and twist away, revealing the alley as moon-lit and surprisingly bright. Within moments, a tall, almost regal stallion forms from nothing but darkness, the blood-red moon for his cutie-mark all too appropriate.

It takes a second, but I recognize him as the stallion who wandered into town a few weeks, no a few months ago, who I... pointed... towards... Fluttershy... Oh damnit, why do I just make things worse?

He walks towards us, his path angled more towards Twilight. “Would you like to try your books against somepony who actually knows what they are doing? Say yes, I like to play with my food a bit.”

“Get away from her. Now.”

He quirks an eyebrow in my direction. “Or what? You’ll glow at me? Don’t be stupid and just wait your turn like a good boy.” Even with the abusive language, his voice is strangely sonorous and pleasant, like he’s sitting at home and drinking Earl Grey. Sounds smug but calm and relaxed.

Twilight whimpers as he returns his gaze to her and smiles, slightly revealing his fangs. “Just stand still and be a nice young mare. I’m not going to spoil this by rushing it, so just get comfortable, you may feel a pinch. Oh and try not to move much, it gets quite messy if you do.”

I punch him straight in the fac- The vampire pushes my fist away like a fly and sighs, rolling his eyes. “You are the impatient one, aren’t you? Fine, you first then.”

I enter my Heat form and surround myself in fire, hoping to scare him off. Instead he chuckles. “Oh my, it seems you’ve mistaken me for a fledgling. I assure you that is far from the truth.” He trots forward and seems completely unfazed by the flames licking at him. “I’m tiring of you, star-born. If you truly desire to fight me, then I won’t make your death as quick as I was going to.”

I blink and when I open my eyes I’m on my back, my chest feeling like it imploded. “Not... gonna... stop me.”

“It wasn’t intended to, child. If I wanted to kill you you wouldn’t even notice. Now let me get back to your unicorn friend. I’ll-” His eyes go wide and when he turns around I see Twilight had flung the empty syringe into the back of his neck. He growls at her. “You’ve made your last mistake...”

I swing my sword as fast as I can, and I send a shockwave of energy that lances through his body and I... cut off a leg at the kneecap. “Well. I haven’t felt this uncomfortable in quite some time. Congratulations worms. You have annoyed me further.”

“How... how old are you?” I choke out, now truly afraid for myself.

“Hmm... I remember watching this land become swallowed by ice. Before that I stalked the ponies, the deer, and even the Alicorns when once they stood as a tribe of their own. I am ancient, star-born, and I am hungry. Now... cease prattling.” He sneers at me contemptuously. “Your stalling only upsets me further.”

Oh god... if he’s not joking, we’re dead already...

He turns back to Twilight and is quite literally instantly on top of her. “Now please be quiet, I don’t like whine with my food.”

I honestly can’t think of anything to do! He’s going to kill Twilight, then me, then who knows who else...

I need to do something I need to focus... I do my best to calm down to think, but my heart is pounding too fast. I need to stop him somehow... stall him or something until the sun comes up or... damn that’s right, sunlight doesn’t kill them just weakens them. That might be enough though. I look up at the sky and it’s still about eight hours before dawn. Damnit Celestia!

Wait... the sun is a star. Nothing else I’ve tried worked but... I need to do something. I watch as the vampire goes for Twi’s neck, stopping to whisper something to her. Whatever he says makes Twilight scream in fear and thrash. He sighs. “I told you to stay still, unless you want me to tear your neck open.”

I go for a firelectric flash to at least pause him. He hisses angrily. “Cut that out, have you no respect for those trying to enjoy a meal?”

I focus hard. I need that power the stars taught me. I need to focus. I feel my core pulse severely but I don’t feel like I did it right.  Come on... if I can’t do this, people are going to die!

I try to force the transformation, make it faster, and I feel like someone stabbed me in the chest with a hot poker. I do, however, feel like it worked. I see the nimbus expand and the vampire actually pauses. “I told you to not bother me! Another interruption like this and I’ll just-”

I rush forward as fast as I can and, with my hands on his head, I shove his face into the nimbus of energy. He screams, a primal sound that makes my flesh crawl.

I pour my anger, my sorrow, my everything into it, and the nimbus flares again, another scream filling the night as my light-wrapped hands sink into the monster’s neck.

With a gurgle and a sizzle, the vampire’s body falls limply from my grasp, as there’s no longer enough of its head to hold onto, chunks of the blackened, twisted skull simply shattering into clumps of ash on impact.

After a moment, I realize the second scream was from me. My- my throat hurts. An- and... so does everything else. I- I need to- to... to save Fluttershy, right.

Eventually, I shake myself, realizing I’d just been numbly staring at the blackened stump of the corpse’s neck. Looking over, I see that Twilight’s neck is bleeding, but she doesn’t look too badly injured.

“Where’s the syringe?” Twilight levitates it up to me and I jab the needle into the remainder of his lower body and pull the plunger, a thick, black-red liquid seeping into the needle’s chamber. Also, it’s very warm, probably from proximity to my new form. I look at the liquid. I’m pretty sure it’s his blood, I mean there’s not much else it could be but... It feels so... strange even though I’m just looking at it in a glass vial.

The pure blood of an ancient vampire.

Twilight brings me out of my trance. “Come on, we gotta get this into a cure for Fluttershy!”

“Right.” I pocket the syringe and reach down to what’s left of the vampire’s clothes. Barely anything, but enough.

“What are you doing!? Let’s go!”

I ignore Twilight’s complaints and take two strips, and wrap them around her neck where she’s bleeding and tie it off with the best knot I can manage. “This changes nothing, you know.”

She doesn’t seem to understand or hear me, as we begin rushing back.

Next Chapter: Chapter 188 Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 18 Minutes

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