It was long into the morning when her senses returned to her and even after she had shaken off her initial grogginess, the proper lady still felt too guilty about almost biting Spike to leave her bed. Not even Opal, the sly and talented cat that she was, could garner a smile from Rarity this time. No, she didn’t deserve to be happy after what almost occurred; what a large part of her still wished to commit to.

She couldn’t be trusted to live a normal pony life anymore. The lady sat up in her bed, hair frazzled, eyes blood shot from crying and with a part of the sheets still covering her slender form. Rarity stared at her headboard with a forlorn reverie, images of how frightened the dragon would be if he had seen her the way that she truly was. It threatened to have her tear up all over again as she felt her lower lip tremble.

“How could I have even thought that that would have worked out alright, knowing what I am like on these nights and with him so close?” She wiped her muzzle and sniffed lightly. “No, I cannot ever let that occur again. I need to keep Spikey-Wikey safe…even if it means…that I can never see him again.”

It took roughly another hour for Rarity to approach the first level of her home, though she did not make herself anything to eat. The process had been unnecessary for some time now and at this point in time the alabaster unicorn could not muster the energy for such things. Instead, she nestled herself amongst the cushion of her chasse lounge and thought and stroked her cat’s fur as she lay next to her.

I appreciate what you are trying to do, Opalescence, really I do. Yet I am afraid that in my current state of mind, I am inconsolable. “I must lock myself up in my own home tonight, so that nopony will be hurt again and I will not lose any more of the power that I have over my vampiric tendencies.” Her cat focused on her intently, meowing softly when Rarity concluded. It almost succeeded that time and the mare held Opal close for a time. She drew in a breath and let it out, before picking herself up and walking through her house to the sewing room’s windows.

“Now, I suppose that I shall begin with you, seeing as this is generally my way out during my feeding sessions.” She gazed from window to window, noticing the hatch locks on all three of them. Those had been her choice to put in when she had first bought the boutique; the elegant hook shape seemed to compliment her rooms brilliantly and so she had paid a little bit extra. It was worth it in the end, especially now.

The proper lady turned her head toward her spools of thread and fabrics, resting neatly on her shelves. It was not her desire to sew at this time, yet another clever idea had struck her.

“A splendid plan indeed, dear, if I do say so myself,” she spoke, pleased with her ingenuity despite what it meant for her freedom. “Everything comes at a price.” Rarity stepped closer to her shelves and found what she had been searching for. A hoofful of fabrics, which she had cut from her other designs, levitated in her magic. “These will suffice nicely. At last I found a purpose for all of these discarded pieces. I am glad now that I have held onto all of this for so long.”

Without further delay, the elegant pony took the longest and the most sturdy of extra and unusable fabrics and threaded them through the locks. She tied them tight and made certain that, when she pulled on them in an attempt to escape the new confines of her own house, the windows would not budge from their positions.

I know that, even if my cravings should take hold, breaking this glass would not be an option, Rarity rationalized. I might be starved for pony blood, yet I am not stupid and this should hold me until the festival is completed.

More clandestine fortifications were performed on her house, including keeping the closed sign out, so that most would not attempt to disturb her. Doors, windows, everything that showed a glimpse to the outside world were blocked, either with a sofa or chair or more of her torn or spent fabrics. By the end, Rarity sat once more atop her lounge, allotting what courage and calm that she still held within her.

It was difficult, thinking of everything that her friends would do and see; knowing that they would wish for her to come along and realizing that that was no longer a possibility. She was an Element of Harmony for pony’s sake and she couldn’t even be of use should Equestria be in dire straits.

The vampiric lady shook her head solemnly. “No, because I would likely be a hindrance instead.”

With little else to say and another whole night to live through with her multiple desires weighing on her, Rarity lied down on the cushions and tried to receive some more much needed rest.

Later on, the day was torturous for the mare. She didn’t have much sleep, her stresses preventing her from relaxing completely into a happy slumber and the fact that ponies were periodically knocking on her front door did not aid her mood.

I am sorry, the pony wished to whimper, I cannot risk your safety.

In the evening, she had sucked most of her stored blood packets dry and still there was one more night of heavy temptation to live through. As Rarity sat so close to the front door, she could hear murmurs about whether she was feeling well and calls from her friends. Those hurt the most as the day drew on.

Upon emptying another packet, wandering about her house now, she managed to peek out of one of the drawn curtains of her kitchen, seeing how dark it already was. “This is yet only the beginning of the night. I hope that the others are not too worried about me. Please enjoy yourselves for tonight, at least.”

After another half of an hour in darkened silence, the proper unicorn found herself in her room at her bedside dresser. By then she had long since extended her wings from the feeding and the need to take flight outside and she hadn’t bothered to draw her fangs into her mouth. Even if she did, the cravings would soon start once more and no amount of control could prevent them from appearing again. So she simply sat next to her bed, knowing that, although she knew exactly what she wanted to see within that dresser, the mare couldn’t bring herself to look at her friends’ faces at this time…or Spike’s charming gift.

A few photos of Rarity with her friends were kept within that drawer, for whenever she needed something that would be certain to lift her spirits. The fire-ruby was a given to help with that, yet now it only seemed to bring her further dread over what she would have to do for the rest of her life, to keep her cravings and her friends as far apart from each other as possible. She simply wanted to hold the ruby in her forelegs, but feared what it would do to her senses.

Everything and anything could provoke my need to feed at this point, or to see Spike in his vampire outfit. I…I can’t. She clamped her red eyes shut, stemming the tide of tears for now. I don’t deserve it, Spikey. I truly don’t; not your company, not your gift, not your affections.

The fashion designer sat at one of her windows hours later, staring longingly at the town that she could once freely saunter along. Now it merely felt like a prison to her.

Taking a peek outside, Rarity could see the town hall lighting up the nearby streets. Still, it was an eerie sort of light that was certainly a brilliant idea on Spike’s part. She found some happiness in that his festival this year was a success.

“I am so proud of you, dear.” She held a weak smile as her fore hoof dropped from the window sill. If only I could enjoy it with you. Before any ponies could wander past and tempt her already needy self, the fashionista turned from the window and took to pacing down the hall before the stairs.

Her body shuddered and growled out in pain by the early morning. It was an easy matter to sense that the Blood Moon yet presided over the town and the longer that she went without any pony blood, the more discomfort and strife that she felt welling up inside her. She felt weak, drained. Her fangs hurt and Rarity constantly felt as though she were about to die.

She knew that death would never come, yet her primal side was quickly beginning to show itself. She had never held it back from feeding on this night and so her composure was rapidly fading.

After a moment of weakness, the mare blinked for but a second, finding herself attempting to tear the window of her room open once her eyes had reopened. Rarity let out a little gasp and pulled herself away, tumbling to her back upon the floor at the left side of her bed. She rested her backside against the corner of her mattress to calm her nerves.

“I didn’t even know that it had taken over,” she whispered through panicked breaths. “I have always been in control somewhat and I enjoy the feeling of feeding to a large degree, yet this…this is a frightening development. If simply closing my eyes is enough to trigger such an event, then how on Celestia’s earth will I manage to even look at a pony from now on?”

The last few hours of the morning passed by at such a slow pace, agonizing to the vampiric unicorn and she could not even allow herself to take a nap any longer, fearful of what she would awaken to afterward. Her body was in so much pain by the time the blood moon was lowering to the horizon. Rarity could feel the craving slipping to some extent, because the red orb had meant that she could obtain as much blood as she wished for nearly her entire life. Yet having gone without any sort of sustenance for such a long period of time had begun to take its toll long before.

Moments drew on and finally, finally the moon sunk below the horizon. Rarity fell to the floor of her room, her chin falling unceremoniously to the carpet. Celestia’s sun appeared shortly, managing to shine its light through the drapes to some degree. She felt relief, having survived the final night of the festival and soon, she gave in to her exhaustion. Her eyelids drooped.

Rarity’s eyes snapped open again, upon hearing a knocking at her front door. She was lying on her stomach before it, her fangs and wings extended in anticipation of who were mere paces away on the other side. The lady held in a gasp that whoever was at the door would otherwise certainly hear and took a deep, silent breath. She reset her wings at her sides and covered her fangs, but did not approach the door.

“Rarity?” a voice called. It was a lovely tune that she knew all too well and truly did not wish to hear at this time.

She turned her head away instead, staying put on her tummy. I am sorry, Spike. Really, I am.

The knocking came again. “Rarity? Are you alright? You said yesterday how you felt under the weather.” The mare had to fight to keep her emotions in check, although she could see his built form change a little, imagining that he had settled himself at her front door. “Everyone has been worried sick about you. Applejack said that she had come by here yesterday and tried to talk to you, but you weren’t answering. Is everything alright?”

No, Spike, nothing is alright.

“Twilight will be back in Ponyville soon and I told her that you might need some help, but…” He hesitated, lowering his head with a sigh. Rarity saw it all, pain coursing through her at seeing the dragon so upset and concerned for her well-being. “I know that you said I never needed to knock before I enter, but this seemed like an exception. So…please…if you are awake, feel better soon and well…if you aren’t awake, I will stop by tomorrow to see if anything has changed.”

She could tell that he wanted to say more, yet she knew that he couldn’t. He wandered off after a short silence shared between them and it broke her heart to be the cause of his grief. Rarity placed her head in her hooves and sobbed as silently as she was able, remaining by the door.

Applejack stood by a tree near the front of the boutique, waiting for Spike to approach. “No such luck?” she questioned glumly.

He shook his head. “No. I am really worried, Applejack. She didn’t even seem that sick the last time that I saw her. I purely hope that she is so busy with her dress orders that she hasn’t been paying much attention and simply missed our calls.”

“Ah hope so too. Maybe we should give her some time; another day or two, check on her then.”

“Whether I want that or not, I can’t just go barging into her home like that anyway. I know that it is different now than any other time that the shop would be open for business. I simply hope that she is staying healthy, whatever it is that she is doing.”

The farm mare placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Ah’m sure she’ll be fine, Spike. Rarity knows how to handle herself. She deals with stress all of the time, what with how many orders she gets every month.” Spike merely nodded solemnly. “Come on, ah’ll buy you a cupcake from Sugarcube Corner.”

“Alright,” he managed, after a brief moment. He quirked his head as he walked along beside the orange pony, peering at the unopened front door of his love’s boutique. “Please be okay.”

Author's Notes:

Well, at least this addition was a recent fashioning of the tale. This was much easier and far more simple to make presentable. Do not fret either upon the short length, for I have one other chapter that I desire to publish for this dark night.