Night Terror

by Fable Caster

First published 2nd of November, 2020

After a chance encounter with a stranger at her campsite, Trixie inadvertently sends a vampire to menace the small farming town of New Hayshire.

After a chance encounter with a stranger at her campsite, Trixie inadvertently sends a vampire to menace the small farming town of New Hayshire.

Proofreader(s): Book Wyrm (Chapter 1)

Chapter 1 (Part 1): By the Campfire

Several months had passed since the rather exciting events in Equestria's capital, dubbed “The Canterlot Wedding Incident” or, more commonly, “The Changeling Invasion,” had taken place. Warm, sunny summer days had given way to a far chillier autumn, and a Nightmare Night most memorable, one graced by the presence of no less than one of the royal Alicorn sisters, had been experienced by the residents of Ponyville.

The final rays of the setting sun flowing over the horizon painted everything in hues of red, orange and gold. The majestic display of nature did very little, however, to lift the spirits of the brilliant azure blue unicorn mare who sat on a log halfway sunk into the ground by a modest campfire set in a forest clearing, nursing her bruised ego.

Parked beside her was a small yellow carriage with a red roof, the wheels and undercarriage caked in the mud and dirt of countless roads traveled across Equestria. Faint red stains could just barely be made out on the walls of the otherwise rather cozy-looking little carriage; constant reminders of the day's disastrous events in the nearby farming village of New Hayshire and the source of much of the traveling showpony's woe.

“Stupid dirt-digging, small-minded, good for nothing farm oafs... This is all because of that stupid, stupid, purple, self-righteous Ponyvillean bookworm!” Trixie grumbled under her breath, wringing her trademark star-studded hat in her hooves. “Nobody gives the Great and Powerful Trixie the respect and adoration she so rightly deserves!”

She let out a deep sigh as she placed the hat neatly on the ground next to her, then levitating her cape from where she had hung it up to dry.

“At least the barrage of cabbages and fruit didn't leave any permanent stains...” She thought to herself as she telekinetically turned the garment around in the air in front of her for inspection. Glad for that minuscule bit of good fortune, she hoisted the cloak around her shoulders and clasped it around her neck, pulling it then tight around herself for warmth against the autumnal chill.

Early that afternoon she had arrived at the village square of New Hayshire with her trusty wagon, to set up for her magnificent magic show in the hopes of earning some bits for food and other supplies to replenish her stocks. Alas, as had started to become a woefully frequent occurrence, someone in the slowly gathering crowd of mostly earth pony farmers had recognized her even before she'd had a chance to set up her stage. Word clearly traveled fast around these parts of Equestria...

“Oi! I know who ye are! Yer that phony 'magician' who plum near wrecked Ponyville by dragging an Ursa into town!” One gruff stallion in the gathering crowd shouted, pointing an accusatory hoof in Trixie's direction.

“Yea! I heard it took a unicorn with some real magical talent to save the day!” A nasally voice chipped in.

“H-Hey now, just hold on a moment! The Great and Powerful Trixie thinks you shouldn't believe just any old bit of hearsay! 'Tis all lies and slander! Slander, I say!” She tried to shout over the clamor of the villagers, but in vain. No matter which way she looked, she was met with increasingly hostile faces and louder, angrier grumbling.

“You won't be bringin' no scary beasties to OUR town, you... you two-bit huckster! Git outta here!”

“Beat it, you charlatan!”

That was when the first piece of projectile fruit hit the side of her face, the overripe tomato bursting with an audible SPLAT against her cheek and showering her with juices. With the first fruit cast, more soon followed and Trixie thought it best to beat a hasty retreat. The villagers chased her out all the way to the edge of the town, hurling expired produce, insults and invective at her the whole way.

Having put at least an hour of distance between herself and the village, she had decided to call the whole day a wash and set up camp on that very clearing. Cleaning up the mess had then taken the rest of the day. At least a nearby stream had provided her with all the water she needed to wash away the assorted fruit and vegetable salad that had decorated the exterior of her worldly possessions. Some stains still remained on her carriage, but she was sick to death of scrubbing things clean and all the telekinesis she'd had to use to reach the higher parts of the wagon had left her with a sore horn.

A loud gurgle from her stomach suddenly reminded her that she hadn't had anything to eat all day. Well, that just wouldn't stand any longer! A Great and Powerful unicorn needed her sustenance, after all. With some effort she pulled herself onto her hooves and stumbled her way into the wagon.

It didn't take long for her to rummage through the cupboard that acted as her pantry, but with every passing second the bottom of her stomach seemed to drop further and further. Nothing. Absolutely nothing left. Just empty boxes and sacks.

Feeling desperate, she decided to comb through the cupboard extra carefully just one last time in the hope that she might've overlooked something. Her persistence was rewarded when, from a burlap bag pushed into the farthest corner of the cupboard, rolled out a singular carrot. Better yet, it looked like it was still edible!

“Looks I won't be going to bed with a completely empty stomach after all... Joy.” she said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice as she slowly made her way out of the wagon once more, munching on the carrot. She had to remind herself to take small bites to make the meal last longer, if only to fool her body into thinking she was eating more than she actually was.

It all just felt so unfair! So what if she had exaggerated some things occasionally... Well okay, often. Constantly. Nearly all the time. She was a showpony for Celestia's sake! It was part and parcel for the act! And yet after Ponyville nothing seemed to be going right for her no matter what she tried. She was out of food and soon she'd run out of what remaining bits she still had left and then what? Work on a rock farm? The very notion sent a shudder through her body.

Outside the sun had finally set and with it the shadows had lengthened and deepened, an umbral wall held back only by the flickering light of her campfire. Trixie tossed a couple more pieces of wood into the fire, poking the burning wood with her magic to coax a bigger, brighter flame out.

She sat down on the log by the fireside and pulled her cloak tightly around herself once more, head hanging low as the dark thoughts kept swirling in her mind.

“It's just not fair...” She screwed her eyes shut to fight back the burning tears, hugging her forelimbs to her body.

The sound of humming coming from the dark woods gave her quite the startle, her eyes snapping open and she hastily clambered onto her hooves, scanning the treeline to see where and from whom the song was coming from. The melody itself was slow, soft and comforting. Like a lullaby sang by a parent to their foals to carry them safely into the land of sweetest of dreams.

“W-Who goes there? Show yourself! A-And if you're some crook up to no good, let it be known that you'll have to deal with none other than the Grrreat and Powerful Trixie!” She tried her best to put on a brave face and she even reared onto her hind legs to appear more intimidating, but ultimately couldn't quite keep the quivering out of her voice.

Almost like a spectre materializing from the very shadows themselves, a lone pony with pale gray coat and black, slicked-back mane walked languidly into the warm and bright glow cast by the campfire and then stopped at a respectful distance away. His body was shrouded by a utilitarian brown, hooded travel robe -though said hood was currently pulled down- which looked like it had seen it's fair share of adventures, and his back was burdened by a saddlebag that seemed to be filled to bursting.

“Ho there, fellow traveler!” The stallion said in a cheerful, if weary voice, a tired smile curling onto his muzzle as he fixed his red eyes on Trixie's purple ones “I meant not to alarm you ma'am, hence I chose to announce my imminent arrival with a little tune. Might you grant your fellow pony the kindness of sharing in your campfire for a little while? The road has been awfully long and cold.”

As Trixie didn't respond immediately, choosing instead to keep eyeing the newcomer with some suspicion, he continued, lifting a hoof to his chest “My name is Starchaser, but to my friends just Chase will do. Pleased to make your acquaintance miss..?”

“Y-You mean to tell me that you've never heard of the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

Chase shook his head and gave an apologetic smile “I'm sorry, but I... Haven't exactly been around to these parts in a long, long time. But I'd judge from your title and garb that you are some kind of a traveling magician?”

“The very best and grrreatest in all of Equestria, I'll have you know!” Her dramatic posing was suddenly interrupted by the loud grumbling of her stomach, causing her cheeks to go flush with embarrassment. She tried to hide it by lowering her head and hiding underneath the rim of her hat.

“Well then! Seems to me I may have interrupted you before dinner, miss Trixie, so I would be honored to share a meal with you. All I ask is for you to allow me to warm my weary bones by your fire.” For emphasis Chase produced a large, juicy red apple from his saddlebag.

It took Trixie a considerable bit of effort not to stare too long at the delicious, plump fruit and even more so to keep herself from drooling at the sheer idea of getting to sink her teeth into the juicy goodness.

“V-Very well. Trixie will graciously agree to share her campfire with you.” She then gestured to a spot on the opposite side of the fire form where she was planning on sitting. Wouldn't hurt to keep the crackling fire between herself and the stranger, no matter how inviting his apples seemed to be.

Chase sat down on his haunches at the spot indicated and pulled out two more apples from his bag, offering then all three of them towards Trixie with an encouraging smile and a nod.

With her magic Trixie snatched the offered food and hastily levitated them to herself. She couldn't help but devour the first one in three hefty bites before coming back to her senses. Cheeks bulging with apple and juices running down her chin she threw a quick glance at Chase and was relieved to see the pale stallion was busily rummaging through his bag for more apples and paying her no mind.

She swallowed. Hard. A quick swipe at her muzzle with the back of a hoof and she'd made herself presentable again. Or so she at least hoped. This was a complete stranger who apparently had no idea who she was, so she had every intention of keeping up appearances... Even if it meant she'd have to play nice with this obnoxiously friendly earth pony.

And just what the hay was up with the way he was talking? There was something weird about his pattern of speech and accent. It sounded almost comically archaic. She was actually surprised that Chase wasn't spouting out “thees” and “thous” in his sentences! Guess he really wasn't from around these parts of Equestria.

She did her best to eat the other apples with more dignity whilst keeping a close eye on Chase as she did so. In her experience, stallions usually had some ulterior motives when they were going out of their way to be nice to mares. Still, that usually made them easy to lead by the nose to get what she want--

“Nice apples.” Chase's voice broke the silence and Trixie's train of thought.

“Excuse me?”

The pale stallion gestured slightly with the half-eaten apple in his hoof “These are some nice apples, don't you think? Worth every shiny bit I paid for them.”

“Oh... Yes, they are very... Delicious. Where did you get them?” By that point Trixie was down to the last few bites of her final apple whilst Chase was still taking only small, measured bites out of his, as if savoring every little sweet, juicy bit.

“I got them from this rather delightfully rustic orange mare some ways down South. Apple-something, I believe was her name.” He chuckled. “Pardon me, I'm not the greatest at remembering names. Anyway! She lives on an apple farm near this quaint little place called Ponyville. I ran into her on the road as she was returning from a day of selling her produce at the local market.”

Just hearing that name made Trixie's mood sink. Suddenly the apple she was holding up in her telekinetic grip didn't seem quite so appetizing after all. With a sneer she tossed the remainders into the fire.

“Not a fan of the place, I take it?” Chase added with a nod towards the incinerating piece of fruit.

“That's putting it lightly.” She grumbled darkly in response, once more hiding her face underneath the rim of her hat.

“I'm starting to think there's a story here. Would you like to tell me?”

“Why would the Great and Powerful Trixie tell you anything? You, a complete and total stranger, should know to keep your nose out of other ponies' business!” She pointed an accusatory hoof in Chase's direction, feeling her temper flaring.

If anything, Chase's smile grew a bit wider, yet his expression remained overall soft “Ah... But you see, miss Trixie, that is exactly why I'm such a perfect candidate to hear your story.”

“Bu-What..?” Trixie lifted her head to look over the crackling fire at the stallion.

“I am a total stranger, like you said. I am but a passing page in the story of your life, a visitor for one eve and then gone most likely for good 'fore morning breaks. You are, of course, under no obligation or duress to tell me anything, but in my travels I've found out it does help to talk of the many things that weigh so heavily upon our minds.” Chase's eyes remained fixed upon Trixie's, and she was finding it hard to look away from those deep and kind pools of bright red “'Sharing is caring' as the saying goes, so how about it?”

Trixie blinked, suddenly aware of the warmth rising on her cheeks, and it wasn't because of the heat emanating from the campfire.

“I guess there's no harm in spinning a tale to him? Who knows, maybe getting to vent at someone might actually improve my mood? And... He might share MY version of the events with others... A fine first step in getting back at that stupid Twilight Sparkle.” She thought idly to herself before clearing her throat and standing up “Very well! The Great and Powerful Trixie shall regale you with the tale of her encounters with the narrow-minded hicks of backwaters such as Ponyville and New Hayshire!”

Her story, needless to say, was greatly exaggerated and colored to paint herself in better light, with the residents of Ponyville and New Hayshire as oafish thugs and bullies lacking in both manners and personal hygiene. The most truthful part in the entire tale was the fact that the appearance of the Ursa Minor wasn't exactly her fault, but rather the doing of two bumbling idiot unicorns called Snips and Snails.

Trixie's telling of the story was also greatly enhanced by her liberal use of fireworks and other stage props. It actually felt good for her to get to perform properly in such a manner for the first time in months. The lack of jeers and airborne salad ingredients was also a refreshing change!

Throughout it all, Chase remained seated where he was, gasping and marveling at the colorful displays of lights and explosions.

“And ever since that day, the Tragic and Misunderstood Trixie has been a pariah wherever she has gone... All because some ponies cannot fathom what it means to be a showmare and what it takes to put on an entertaining show!” Trixie finished, slumped on her knees and clutching her hat to her chest whilst looking forlornly at the skies above.

She lies...

Chase clapped his hooves together in applause “Bravo! Such passion! Such tragedy! What magnificent special effects!”

Trixie smirked and gave a bow before putting her hat back on with a flourish. A good, vigorous performance had been just what she'd needed!

“Thank you, thank you, your adoration is most welcome,” she said as she returned to her seat by the fire.

“You clearly have a lot of passion for your craft, miss Trixie.” Chase once more fixed his gaze on her.

“You can say that again,” she replied with a self-satisfied chuckle, throwing a smile, a genuine one at that, towards the stallion “No, please, do feel free to say that again.”

Starchaser let out a hearty laugh and shook his head “Oh, miss Trixie, you are such a delight. Thank you once more for the show, it was wonderful.”

She practically beamed at that, her heart-- and ego-- swelling with pride for the first time in a long while as she basked in Chase's compliments with her nose up in the air.

“Now that you've heard the truth about those boorish Ponyvilleans, do tell me what brought you to that awful place?”

“Oh... I never went into the town itself, per se, rather I passed by it on my way to visit the Everfree forest.”

Trixie's jaw fell open and she gasped “That's a lie if I ever heard one. You'd have to be completely mental to voluntarily walk into the Everfree! What would anypony want in that beast-infested Tartarus hole?”

“Sightseeing.”

“Now I know you are pulling my leg...”

“I most certainly am not. There's an old ruin there that I wanted to see with my own eyes. A castle, to be more specific, called The Castle of the Two Sisters. A crumbling, neglected relic from an era long, long gone...” Chase gave what sounded to Trixie like a wistful sigh. “You see I'm a bit of... an aficionado for history. A traveling, adventuring archaeologist, if you will.”

“Hmph... Makes Trixie wonder if actual archaeology is half as exciting as the adventures of Daring Do make it look like.”

“I... Can't say that name rings a bell, I'm afraid, but I'll let you be the judge of it...” He left the words hanging in the air as he rummaged through the other side of his saddlebag, pulled something large out of it and tossed it at Trixie's hooves.

She squinted at the object and then shrieked, ending up flailing with her forelimbs in the air before falling backwards off her seat and onto her back. There was no mistaking it. Starchaser had just casually tossed the empty-eyed wooden cranium of a Timberwolf onto the ground; a fairly sizable one at that.

“M-Miss Trixie?” Chase called out as he hurriedly trotted over to her and offered a helping hoof for her to get up “My most sincere apologies! I didn't mean to startle you so.”

“I-I wasn't scared! Just... surprised.” She replied while batting away the proffered hoof in an attempt to salvage at least some of her dignity.

Chase nodded and politely backed away a couple of steps, letting Trixie get back up on her own. With hooves and magic she hurriedly dusted herself down and took to her seat, but this time Chase sat on the other end of the log rather than going back to his usual spot.

The stallion held the Timberwolf cranium in his hooves, turning it about this way and that as if inspecting the way the light and shadow played over it's surface at various angles.

“How did you manage to beat a Timberwolf?” Trixie asked before she had a chance to bite back her curiosity.

Chase looked slowly up from the skull and turned his head towards Trixie, giving a playful wink as he replied “You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve, miss Trixie~”

She waited for a few more moments to see if Chase would elaborate further, but the stallion just kept smiling that mysterious smile of his. She couldn't help but giggle at that “All right then, keep your secrets! ”

“Heh... Just like a magician never reveals hers.” Chase quipped back as he tossed the Timberwolf skull onto his saddlebag.

Silence fell between the two ponies, permeated only by the occasional crackle of flame, until after what felt like several minutes Chase broke it.

“How do you handle it, Trixie?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” She tilted her head in idle curiosity.

He fixed her with a surprisingly serious stare, but there yet remained that soft edge, a hint of a smile tucked in one corner of his muzzle. “The traveling life? The long, lonesome road and life of a traveling showpony? It can't possibly be easy, backwards thinking country ponies or no, to just wander from town to town, never forming lasting bonds of friendship, never having roots anywhere... By Starswirl's overlong beard, I know it ain't easy for me. It's in our nature, you know? We ponies are social beings. We crave for the companionship and camaraderie of others... So I ask again: how do you handle it? What's your secret?”

Starchaser's words cut deeper than Trixie was willing to admit, striking a chord she'd rather leave unplucked, especially by such a stranger; charming though he might be. She cleared her throat and made a grand, dismissively sweeping gesture towards the night sky with her hoof. “By her lonesome is exactly the way the Grrreat and Powerful Trixie prefers it. Bonds and roots are nothing more than a distraction on the road to greatness and stardom! The undying adoration of other ponies is all the companionship I will ever need!”

She just can't stop lying, can she? Her head is so far up her own backside she could tickle her tonsils with that horn!

“Is that really how you feel deep down inside, Trixie? Come now, you don't need to put up such an act for silly ol' me.” Chase's hoof landed softly on Trixie's, sending an involuntary shiver down the mare's spine.

By the moon and stars it felt so warm and inviting, an earnest gesture of kindness the like of which she hadn't experienced in a long, long time. “I... I...” Was all she managed to stutter out, feeling the heat returning to her cheeks as she pulled her hoof away and turned her gaze towards the fading fire.

A tender hoof nudged underneath her chin and tilted her head back towards the stallion, gently but firmly forcing her to look into Starchaser's eyes once more. She found that the stallion's face was but a few short inches away from hers, so close that she could practically feel the other pony's warmth. She took a shallow breath and caught a whiff of the stallion's scent: like a coniferous forest after a rain. “Sweet Celestia have mercy on my poor soul... ”

“Trixie...” His voice was barely above a whisper “You can be yourself with me. No need to put up a front, none whatsoever. I know there's more to you than the cold, aloof exterior you show the world. Heck, just in the span of this one evening I've caught glimpses of the mare behind that icy mask and, if you don't mind me saying, I like what I've seen.”

Her heart was beating so fast now she feared it was going to jump right out of her chest, transfixed by the soft words and the tender, unwavering gaze of the handsome stranger who had trotted into her camp and her life out of nowhere. Not to mention his words were making a whole lot of sense to her...

“So I say, to Tartarus with the rest of the world! If for but one night, allow yourself to be, well, you! No lies, no masks. Just two strangers sharing a moment 'neath a starry sky. And if such is your desire, I'll then be gone before dawn and we can both go on with our lives.”

Just a breath more and their lips would meet. Trixie was able to only suck in small, shallow breaths. What she failed to notice, however, was that she'd almost instinctively been slowly leaning backwards and, just as Starchaser was about to kiss her, she lost her balance and tumbled, once again, onto her back, her vision shifting from Chase's roguishly handsome features to the star-studded skies above.

She gasped, sucking in a full breath for the first time in what felt like minutes. Her head felt blurry and her thoughts hazy, but the crisp autumn air and the coolness of the ground were helping in clearing up both. “What am I doing? Am I really that badly in need of what he's offering? Why does it feel so right and yet so wrong at the same time..?” She thought idly to herself before a shadow fell upon her face: a concerned looking Chase was standing above her.

“You seem to be in the habit of taking tumbles tonight, Trixie.” He said with a soft chuckle, leaning then lower again... Only to be met with a stern hoof pressing against his snout that forced him to back up.

“Hold it right there, casaneighva!” She had finally found her voice, her face a stern frown “I do appreciate the notion, but Trixie wants only adoration, not companionship from stallions like you!”

Chase paused like he had just been slapped, his stunned expression scrunching up into a deep, narrow-eyed frown. “How did you break the..? It shouldn't have happened that fast, not unless...”

And then a realization seemed to dawn upon his face. He burst into what sounded like a genuine, if brief, laugh before shaking his head. He smiled down at Trixie, seeing how the starlight glimmered in her fiery, defiant eyes. “My most sincere apologies, miss Trixie. Wow, this is kind of embarrassing, but I truly do apologize for misreading the signs. Had I known you preferred the... Companionship of other mares, I wouldn't have tried to lay my charms on you in such a manner.”

His words hit like a sledgehammer, shattering Trixie's defiant front and replacing it with more blushing and fluster. “I... You... How dare you even insinuate such a thing!” She shouted as she clambered back onto her hooves, swiftly adjusting her cape and hat before narrowing her eyes at the stallion. “I think it's about high time you left, mister Starchaser...”

Chase sighed, his expression going from soft genteelness to a sad smile, before finally hardening like granite, half his features hidden in the shadows cast by the dancing embers that yet remained in the firepit. “I'm afraid that won't be possible. I still haven't gotten what I need from you. More the shame we can't do this the fun way, but I suppose the hard way has a charm all it's own, too.”

“So that's how it's going to be, huh?” Trixie snarled, her horn starting to glow as she gathered her magical might in preparation for a fight. “If you think I'll just roll over and let a base brute like yourself r-ravish me as you please, you'll be in for a rude dose of reality, bucko!”

The stallion started to laugh, but caught himself in the middle of it, confusion evident on his face. “Wait. Hold on... You think I intend to..? No! Sweet, merciful Night, no!” He snorted in a very equine fashion in clear indignation, making a forceful, cutting motion with one front hoof “Your virtue is most certainly not what I'm after! I may be a monster, but I've got some principles!”

He sighed and rubbed his face with a hoof. “Now that I think about it, I do see how my words could be seen to mean something... Ghastly. I do offer my most sincere apology for that. I swear... I'm going to have to come up with some new lines that are less... Weird, like that.”

“So,what, a robbery, then? Good luck! I don't have much anything worth stealing!”

Starchaser grumbled and stomped the ground once. “You fool... It's your blood that I crave!”

Trixie's eyes flew wide open at that. Was this weirdo planning on murdering her? “Wh-What..?”

A broad, almost maniacal grin spread on the stallion's muzzle, the pupils of his eyes contracting into narrow slits and that was when Trixie noticed the long, terrifyingly sharp canines in his mouth. “Oh yes... Your sanguine vitae has been singing such a sweet aria to me in your veins all evening long, taunting me to sink my teeth in and drink my fill! Every beat of your heart has been like a piece of an irresistible percussive symphony!”

“Crazy... You're absolutely crazy!” She shouted, feeling her legs quivering. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, what the stallion was insinuating. Vampires weren't real, right? They were just fictitious creatures used in horror stories to scare foals!

“Hahahahaa! I can tell by the look on your face you're having a hard time believing it. That's how it always goes... Only when it's too late does anypony realize just how well and truly bucked they are. Err... Metaphorically speaking, of course.”

“Then... What was all that about earlier? All those honeyed words and other mushy crud?” Trixie tried to keep the weirdo talking whilst she channeled all the magic she could muster into her horn. A little bit longer and she'd be ready.

The stallion shrugged “Just a bit of fun with a charm spell, trying to make you lower your guard so that I could get close enough to bite your neck. Would've succeeded, too, had you not subconsciously resisted and kept backing away until you took that tumble. You broke our eye contact long enough to shake off the charm.” He smiled a fanged, saccharine smile at her before adding. “I find it endearing how in denial you are about your own feelings, by the way. More the shame that I have to devour you, Trixie. I was really starting to li--”

Chase never got to finish his sentence before a bright beam of energy slammed into his chest and launched him across the forest clearing. He took a hard fall, tumbled, rolled and then slid to a halt, unmoving at the very edge of the ring of light.

Trixie was panting hard. She was glad that the weirdo had blathered on as long as he had, because she'd had a chance to charge up her blast to full power.

“Serves him right!” She thought to herself with a huff, before realization struck her as Chase remained completely motionless where he had landed.

“Wait... I didn't accidentally kill him, did I?” She mumbled to herself in dawning horror.

Panic was rising and she found herself trotting in place, eyes darting this way and that as she tried to figure out what to do about her current situation. She couldn't very well leave right now in the middle of almost pitch-black night, but she couldn't just leave the creep's corpse where it lay. What if someone else happened to wander into the camp before she had a chance to take a stage left and exit?

“A shovel! I need a shovel! Better to bury him first and hope nopony asks questions ever. Ooooh Trixie you've gone and done it now... You're a murderer! But... But he totally had it coming, right? What with all that talk about vampirism and drinking my blood and... For Luna's sake, he was probably planning on killing me from the beginning!” Her thoughts were frantic, sweat beading her forehead despite the chill of the night.

Her aimless, feverish pacing was suddenly interrupted by a laugh. The cold, hard, mocking laugh of a stallion she'd presumed dead.

Starchaser had risen back onto his hooves, a broad grin plastered onto his face. Even in the dim light of the fireplace Trixie could see the scorched hole she'd blasted in the chest of Starchaser's robe, something dark and metallic glinting underneath.

“That... Was really pathetic, miss Trixie. Makes me wonder if drinking you is going to be even worth it. Not much magic in a unicorn as weak as you, I wager. Oh... Don't tell me that was actually the best you got? That would be just sad.” As he spoke, the vampire was trotting ever so slowly towards Trixie, like a big hunting cat stalking its prey.

Trixie felt like she was going to faint, her whole body trembling in fear as the fiend stalked casually towards her. Was the bastard just toying with her yet again? “N-No... T-That can't be. I hit you w-with e-everything I’ve got...”

“Tsk... Great and powerful? I guess that’s all just hot air and bluster after all, oh Weak and Helpless Trixie. Now be a good little pony and give up quietly... I promise to make this quick and relatively painless. Why, I've been told by one delicious little morsel, under mind control, that after the initial numbing coldness it starts to feel like a warm, fuzzy blanket wrapping around you just as you drift off to sleep.” He giggled, the sound feeling like icy needles on Trixie's skin. “Doesn't sound like such a bad way to go into the gentle Night, hmm?”

Feeling desperate, Trixie fired off a trio of magical blasts in rapid succession at the slowly advancing stallion, but this time he didn't so much as flinch. It was almost like the bolts of arcane power simply dissipated in harmless puffs of light and sparks upon contact with him.

Trixie swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump forming in her throat. Tears of sheer fright were threatening to cloud her vision and she had to blink hard to keep the burning sensation at bay. Starchaser, if that indeed was his name, had paused, crouched slightly, clearly preparing to lunge at her. Meanwhile all around her the shadows seemed to be growing longer and darker, the light of the Moon and stars dimming as walls made of inky black shadow appeared to be closing around her.

“Is this how it's going to end for me? As a luncheon for a madpony in the middle of a lonely forest clearing?” She thought, tugging her cloak tighter around herself much like a foal might do with a blanket to ward off the terrors of the night.

That was when she felt them. Her way out, her one shining chance of survival.

“I'll... I'll take a hard pass on all that, you jerk!” She screamed, reaching into her cloak just as the vampire pounced.

With the practiced swiftness and sleight-of-hoof of a seasoned street performer, she pulled every last smoke bomb she kept hidden inside the many secret pockets of her cloak and slammed them into the ground. With a mighty bang they all burst, blanketing the entire forest clearing with a thick cloud of acrid, lavender smoke. For good measure she ignited some of the fireworks she still had laying about with a flick of magical power, the colorful explosions and noise adding to the overall mayhem.

The vampire landed where Trixie had just been standing, only to find... Nothing. The mare had disappeared! He was left coughing and sputtering amidst the cloud of noxious smoke, his eyes stinging and burning.

“Oh...” He hacked and coughed, trying to waft away the acrid cloud. “Well played, miss Trixie!”

The smoke cleared soon enough, dispersed by the crisp autumn wind, leaving the pale stallion standing in the clearing alone. His eyes scanned the treeline, ears perked to listen to the telltale signs of hooves crunching on dried leaves, but he picked up nothing.

“This evening was most delightful and filled with such entertainment!” He laughed, a hint of that previous politeness creeping into his otherwise cruel and callous tone “So I'll tell you what... I'll give you a head start before I start chasing after you! Chop chop, little pony. Better make haste now!”

He didn't bother to wait around, making his way instead into Trixie's wagon without a second thought spared to the fleeing mare.

Trixie, meanwhile, had pressed herself flat against the trunk of a tree a short distance away from the clearing, doing her best to remain as still and motionless as possible, even trying to will her heart to beat slower so that it wouldn't give her position away.

Hearing the sound of her wagon creaking under the weight of Starchaser entering it, she dared to peek out. Soon enough her ears picked up the unmistakable sounds of the stallion rummaging through her belongings. She had half a mind to storm back and kick the bastard's flank. How dare he set hoof inside her beloved wagon?!

Her rational mind, however, reminded her that discretion was definitely the better part of valor. Especially against someone as terrifyingly powerful as Chase. And so she opted to sneak off into the darkness, doing her level best to not disturb the undergrowth until she was sure she was well out of earshot of the clearing. It didn't take long after that for her to find the forest road she'd been following earlier that day and she burst into a frantic, adrenaline-fueled gallop.

Author's Notes:

First fanfic I've ever written. Feedback is thus greatly appreciated.

Chapter 1 (Part 2): Wintermint

Trixie had no idea how long she had been running when she ran into the two farmers and their mostly empty wagon. Her muscles were aching and her lungs were burning as she saw the slightly older couple rounding a bend in the forest road.

The stallion pulling the wagon was a portly, yellow earth pony with a thinning black mane and a thick brush of a mustache. The mare, a unicorn, had a sage green coat and a turquoise mane held in a neat ponytail.

“Turn around! Flee! Call the Royal Guard! There's a madpony monster in these woods and he's coming after me!” She screamed, grabbing the portly farmer by the shoulders and shaking him violently before galloping away once more.

The two farmers looked at the oddly dressed, haggard, rambling mare as she vanished down the road, before slowly turning to look at each other and blink in confusion.

“I shay... What wash that all 'bout, Wintermint?” The stallion asked of his wife.

The unicorn shook her head slowly “I don't know, Rocky Road dearest... But she does look vaguely familiar.”

They both furrowed their brows as they continued their slow walk through the woods.

“Shay... Ishn't she that known huckshter Trixshie? Y'know, that no-good showpony?” Rocky Road asked after a while.

“Ah yes. I think you're right, honey. I wonder what nonsense she's up to now? Poor dear seems to have lost her mind, if you ask me.” Wintermint mused idly, rubbing the back of her neck as she cast one final glance in the direction the mare had ran off to, her attention turning then back to her husband “Anyway, as I was about to ask before she so rudely interrupted. Are you sure you can handle the wagon all the way home? It's still going to be a couple of hours before we make it to town...”

“Oh it'sh quite fine, dearesht. It'sh my fault, after all, that our departchure from the farmersh' market in Bridlecheshter wash sho delayed. I got sho caught up gabbin' with Rusht Bucket and Dapper Dash that I totally losht all track of time! Sho now I'll pay the piper and burn through the night sho we can get back home to the foalsh.” He fixed his wife an encouraging smile “Beshides, the wagon ish more than half empty. Far eashier to drag like this! Heck, if you're gettin' tired, jusht hop on the back and have a shnooze... Jusht like back when we were young~”

Wintermint stifled a giggle and waved a hoof in her husband's direction “Oh you... Such lovely days those were! And, at the risk of sounding like an absolutely horrible mother, I'm sure the kids will be just fine. Amber Gleam is old enough to look after Honey Twirl and Shuffle Step for a day or two.”

“Aye...” Rocky Road sighed “Feelsh like they grow up sho fasht.”

Wintermint was about to answer when the second surprise of the night appeared in front of them: a pale stallion wearing a ragged robe and a pleasant smile.

“Hello there, strangers. You wouldn't happen to have seen an azure blue unicorn mare clad in a rather gaudy purple cape and hat passing by, perchance?” The stallion asked, his crimson red eyes sweeping from Rocky Road to Wintermint and back.

The portly farmer was about to answer, but was silenced by his wife's hoof coming to rest on his chest, the mare's expression turning serious as she leaned in to whisper. “We should be cautious, dear. She did mention someone was chasing her.”

Rocky Road nodded. It was always so endearing to see his wife's fierce spirit coming to surface, and there she was again, as stern, radiant and beautiful as the day he had proposed to her.

He was snapped out of his sweet memories by the words of his wife “Can't say that we have, mister..?”

“I am called Starcha-- Hmph... You know what? I'm really bucking tired of playing games after allowing that egotistical fool to get away. My name is Night Terror and you two are about to have a very, very bad time.”

Wintermint stepped forth, placing herself protectively between the pale stallion and Rocky “Is that so? Just a fair warning before you go doing something irreversible: I'm not your average country filly. My name is Wintermint and I cut my teeth in the E.U.P. learning all there is to know about combat magic and afterwards served for over ten years as the Commander of our local Town Guard. I've had to kick the tails of bandits, scoundrels and ruffians like you all my career and you can bet your buckles I haven't let my skills collect rust since retiring.”

“You show him what for, shweetie!” Rocky didn't even bother unhitching himself from the wagon. He'd learned over the years just how capable Wintermint was of taking care of her and hers. Why, it was nary two winters ago when they had ran into half-a-dozen highwayponies intent on robbing them whilst they had been coming home from celebrating Hearth's Warming over at Rocky's parents' farmstead. The poor robbers never stood a chance against ol' Minty!

“Wow… I'm quivering in my shoes here.” Night Terror said flatly, an entirely unamused scowl on his face “Now if you're quite done flapping your gums, let us proceed. I'll even give you the first shot, so make it count!”

“How generous,” came Wintermint's reply as she started to channel her magic through her horn, her magic displaying itself as a vibrant orange glow.

There was a flash of light and an audible pop as she unleashed her spell, but instead of a blast or a beam of magic as her foe might've expected, the sage green mare instead had teleported next to him. By the time Night Terror could react, Wintermint had already coiled her body like a spring and unleashed a devastating kick right into the pale stallion's jaw that sent him reeling.

She wasn't done with just that, however. Minty planted her rear hooves firmly on the ground and pivoted, using her momentum to bring her front hoof down in an equally devastating punch to the side of the scoundrel's head. The force of the impact sent him sliding along the ground a good few feet, his hooves digging grooves into the dirt. Still he miraculously remained standing.

Wintermint's limbs felt numb and tingly, as if she had just hit a wall. Twice. Only then did she notice the stranger was sheathed in a protective shield of translucent black energy, with lightning-like streaks of balefire green coruscating over its surface.

Her eyes opened wide in surprise “But... You're not a unicorn. How can you use magic?”

“Not everything is as it appears, my dear. Excellent trick, by the way. Most ponies would expect a unicorn to be good only with magic and not with hoof-to-hoof combat.” A slow grin spread on the stallion's face. “My turn!”

In the blink of an eye the crackling barrier collapsed in on itself, forming almost into the shape of a wave or a blade, which then crashed into Wintermint, accompanied by the sound of magical static. She barely had time to throw up a protective field of her own, but it was akin to trying to shield herself from a rock slide with a cracker.

Her shield shattered like glass on impact and she was sent flying through the air, the wind getting knocked out of her lungs by the rough landing. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, pain shooting through every nerve as she struggled to get back on her hooves, but her limbs were just refusing to cooperate. Through her unfocused, swimming vision she saw Night Terror slowly approaching. If only her legs would listen...

“M-Minty! You bashtard!” Rocky Road shouted, hastily unbuckling himself from the carriage and trying to rush Night Terror.

“Stay out of this.” The pale stallion growled and a balefire green aura of magic appeared around Rocky's throat, hoisting him up several feet off the ground. Night Terror didn't even bother to look the other stallion's way as he slammed him forcibly to the ground and then dragged his dazed, nearly unconscious body to lay by his hooves.

“R-Rocky... No...” Wintermint managed to gasp weakly as she saw the pale stallion grab her husband by the head and shoulder, a savage snarl ripping from his muzzle as he opened it wide and revealed his sharp fangs. Her whole world seemed to come momentarily to a standstill as the fiend sank his teeth into Rocky's neck, the portly farmer only managing to let out a gurgling gasp, weakly reaching a hoof towards her before going limp. All she could do was watch as color seemed to drain from her husband, his eyes going glazed and empty.

Mere seconds later, Night Terror raised his head back up and licked his crimson stained chops, a faint trail of that same scarlet liquid staining the corner of his mouth. He tossed Rocky casually aside, like a broken toy or a piece of trash, before making his way over to Wintermint. She couldn't tell if Rocky was alive or not...

She tried to conjure up enough strength for a magical blast, but no sooner had she managed to ignite her horn than a lash of dark magic sent by the monstrous stallion struck her in the back. She threw her head back and screamed in agony, her spell dissipating.

Through the pain and tears she felt a pair of hooves grasping her head and shoulder, and she knew she'd suffer the same fate her husband had. The hot breath on her neck felt disgusting, but she couldn't summon up the strength to struggle physically or magically. Still, defiant to the end as she was determined to be, she spat out “At least make it quick, you bastard!”

There was an amused snort and then a sharp pain in her neck, her vision fading as she felt all strength leaving her body. Sweet, merciful darkness took her consciousness soon after. “I'll be with you again soon, my love... The Everdream awaits.”

Pain. It was dull, throbbing and felt oddly distant, yet it seemed to permeate every inch of her body. If this was the afterlife, it certainly didn't feel like all it was cracked up to be.

Wintermint slowly forced her eyes open, regretting it almost immediately as cold horror washed over her body upon seeing the pale stallion standing before her. Her limbs felt like bricks of lead and every breath felt laborious. Her gaze drifted from Night Terror to the plump shape of her husband laying next to her.

She felt her heart jump as she saw Rocky's side rising and falling. It was weak, but definitely a breath. Rocky was alive, too!

The next thing she noted was her back leaning against something hard and uncomfortable. Craning her head carefully she saw the shape of their wagon looming behind her, her back propped up against one of the wheels.

“So nice of you to finally wake up, dear.” Night Terror said in a soft tone, crouching before her to meet her at eye level. “And it looks like I didn't accidentally break any of your bones either. Good. You're far more useful when you're coherent rather than screaming your head off in agony.”

“What do you... want?” She managed to say, though it came out more as a groan and less as the fiery defiance she'd aimed for.

The pale stallion laughed, tilting her chin up with a hoof to make her amber eyes meet his crimson red ones. “Why, I want to have a little chat with you, 'Minty.' Though mostly it's going to be me asking you some questions and you being a good little pony and answering my inquiries truthfully. You will be a well-behaved little pony for me, won't you? There's no harm in it, right?”

Even in her weakened state Wintermint could tell he was trying to put some kind of a charm spell on her, his soft, polite voice and intense stare trying to worm their way into her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to look away. “I'll never play your game, you sadistic madpony... You'll get nothing from me, you hear. Nothing!”

Night Terror let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed Wintermint's head in both hooves. She could feel his gaze boring into her, but she kept her eyes screwed firmly shut. “Even in your drained state your mind and spirit are still strong enough to shake off my charm spell and I applaud that. However... I assure you it is in your best interests to stop fighting back. I only want information, nothing more, nothing less, and this charm ensures you'll speak the truth.”

“To Tartarus with you...” She opened her eyes and tried to spit on her assailant, but the most she managed was drooling on her chin.

“Now now... That's not very lady-like.” His brow furrowed angrily, though his voice remained calm and even. “I'll put this in no uncertain terms, much as I hate having to resort to such base threats. You may be able to resist my spells, probably due to that vaunted E.U.P. training of yours, but I can also glean all this information out of your husband's mind and I doubt he's quite as strong-willed as you are. If you make me go through the extra step of having to wake up that fat slob-of-a-husband of yours, you will come to regret it.”

His grip on her skull tightened ever so slightly, going from a firm hold to an uncomfortable one. He leaned in close to her ear and spoke words of horror and cruelty the likes of which no mother, indeed no parent, would ever want to hear. And he did so in the kind of matter-of-fact tone with which someone might discuss the weather or recent unimportant events.

Wintermint's eyes flew open wide, tears rolling down her cheeks and her whole body quivering with muffled sobs as she was forced to listen to what would be the result of further disobeying Night Terror's demands.

“...And your fate will be the worst of all, my dear, for you will have to live with the consequences. You will be left alone, but very much alive, into the ruins of what used to be your life, every cursed breath a reminder that it all happened because of your foolish, stubborn pride.” Night Terror concluded as he pulled back to once more look her square in the eye. His smile was like an icy dagger plunged into Wintermint's heart. “Or you can choose to cooperate, at which point no harm will befall your family. Quite the contrary, I'll consider you lot borderline sacrosanct! As long as you don't deliberately try to go against me, that is. Do we have a deal?”

She nodded weakly “Y-Yo-you ha-have my word... I'll... I'll tell you everything you want to know. And it'll be the Goddess-honest truth no matter what. I swear by Celestia's divine name.”

“Okay, rule number one. Do NOT mention the tyrant's name ever again in my presence!” Night Terror snarled with sudden anger that made Wintermint flinch. He quickly cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Now then... How old are you and your husband?”

“I'm... Forty one. My husband will turn forty three next spring.”

“I overheard you mentioning something about having foals, but I missed their names. Oh, and how old are they?”

She looked up from the ground. The mere mention of her children after what she had just heard made her stomach twist, and before she could answer she felt bile rising in her throat as the shock and stress finally reached a boiling point. She managed to turn her head sideways just before she started retching and she would've probably toppled over were it not for a green field of telekinetic magic supporting her as she emptied the contents of her stomach.

“Charming, charming, charming... Feeling better now?” She hated how polite Night Terror sounded when he said that. A cruel, twisted mockery of friendliness if she'd ever seen or heard one. Yet again she could only nod weakly.

“Good. Now answer the question.”

“They're... Amber Gleam is our eldest. She's fifteen. Honey Twirl is ten and Shuffle Step, our brave little colt, turns eight next month.”

“You love them.” A statement, not a question.

“More than anything in the world...” She found the corners of her mouth curling upwards in a faint little smile despite the horrible circumstances.

“Enough to trade the entire rest of your community's well being for their safety?”

Wintermint felt the icy dagger twisting in her heart once more, tears once again flowing down her cheeks. “If that's what you demand...”

Night Terror's laughter would've impressed even King Sombra. “Oh, how quickly and how low the mighty warrior mare has fallen. Moving on, moving on. This road leads to New Hayshire, correct? And you live there, correct?”

“Yes... And yes. Shouldn't be more than an hour, hour and a half at most, I think.”

“How delightful. As a reward for being such an obedient wretch, I'll take you and your husband home. Well... To the edge of town, at least.” Flexing his magic once more, Night Terror hoisted first Rocky Road and then Wintermint into the wagon, dumping them both quite unceremoniously on top of the remaining baskets of produce. A bulging saddlebag landed in the wagon soon after, though that one was lowered in with much more care than the two ponies.

“I expect you to keep answering my questions, Minty! If I feel like you're being dishonest at any point... You know what will happen. Why, I might even take a break at some random point and confirm that you've been staying honest with me! Now let's get this wagon rolling. The Night, alas, won't last forever!”

Next thing she knew, the wagon started to trundle along the road. Their landing in the wagon had toppled most of the baskets, leaving the two of them laying on a bed of lettuce, carrots and kale; soft, if cold and a bit wet.

And speaking of cold, it didn't take long for Wintermint to notice her teeth were starting to chatter. With supreme effort she managed to shuffle sideways the necessary few inches to press herself against Rocky's side. At least now they were sharing warmth; another small blessing in this otherwise thoroughly wretched night.

It didn't take long for Night Terror to start his interrogation again. This time, however, his questions concerned New Hayshire. Layout of the town, population, size of local garrison, how many militia members could be called upon... Everything, Wintermint realized, one would need to launch an attack. And with a crushed, defeated spirit she told Night Terror everything, silently apologizing to her friends and townsfolk for selling them out in such a manner, but the alternative was too horrifying to even consider.

“I've answered y-your q-questions. N-Now m-may I ask some f-from you?” She managed from her shivers and the chattering of her teeth.

“Hah! Ask away, dear Minty, ask away... But I make no promises about giving answers.”

“W-Will you r-really hold on to your word and take us home?”

There was another amused chuckle from the pale stallion “But of course. A farmer doesn't burn down their garden after a harvest. Better to let it regrow so it can be harvested again later!”

“S-So you see us as nothing but a c-crop? Or cattle? Y-You really are a vam-vampire, then?” The horrors just kept on piling on, it seemed...

“In a manner of speaking, yes, you are like a crop to be harvested. You need food, I need blood and the magical essence of life contained within it. Which should answer your second question well enough, yes?”

Wintermint tried her best to suppress a shiver, clinging on to her husband as best she could. She could feel Rocky shivering, too, though he was still very much unconscious. “Th-Then that would make you a farmer in this m-metaphor a-and a f-farmer must look after their crops, correct? We're f-freezing out here, s-so p-please do something about it, I beg you.”

The wagon stopped. Wintermint could hear Night Terror chuckling “Using my words against me?”

A few seconds later Night Terror leapt into the wagon, making the whole thing creak. He stared at Wintermint sternly for a couple of seconds before allowing his muzzle to curl into a grin “That was both bold and clever. I like that. You've also been very helpful, so I suppose a reward is in order.”

With the help of telekinetic magic he undid the buttons on his travel robe and pulled it off, levitating the opened garment then on top of his hapless, shivering victims.

Wintermint's jaw fell open as moonlight washed over Night Terror's body, revealing an armor of dark and purple metal with bat wing motifs and, if she looked carefully, intricate runic scripting inscribed along the edges all over the old and archaic-looking suit. Despite the polished sheen, it looked like the armor had seen its fair share of hardships, what with all the scuffs and small dents marring the otherwise so pristine plates. Strapped onto his side was also a sheathed sword, the crossguard, pommel and handle exquisitely detailed in silver and gold with bat wing motifs as well.

“Y-You're one of Her Majesty's Night Guard?” She gasped, eyes wide.

The stallion snorted in amusement “You're almost correct. I was one of Her Dark Majesty's Nightmare Guards. In nomine Nox Aeterna! In the name of Eternal Night.”

Wintermint shook her head slowly in disbelief “Can't be... That would mean you--”

“Yes.” He interrupted. “I was there a millennium ago during the Lunar Uprising, fighting alongside my comrades and Her Dark Majesty to cast down the sun tyrant!”

“The s-stories never told of Nightmare Moon f-fielding undead monstrosities in her armies. A-And how could a c-creature like you have been around for a thousand years without anyone knowing or noticing? Y-You aren't exactly subtle, y'know...”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I was a mortal during the Uprising. I became a vampire afterwards, during the rout from Canterlot to Badlands. Picked the wrong damned cave to hide in... Long story short, I spent most of the past thousand years in torpor and I woke up around... Last Summer Sun Celebration, I believe that's the name of the holiday, when She returned. Now it's only a matter of time before I find Her again and together we can continue where we last left off!”

Wintermint bit her lip, thinking whether or not she dared to spill the beans. Ultimately she decided to speak, if for no other reason than to get back at the monster in some small way. “She... You haven't heard? She was defeated almost immediately upon her return. Six heralds of Cel-- the sun princess became the bearers of the Elements of Harmony and vanquished her. Nightmare Moon is gone, but the princess' sister, princess Luna, was also freed and now rules side by side with her sister.”

Night Terror lunged at her, stopping a mere inch away from her face, his eyes filled with rage and his face twisted into a furious snarl. “Lies! All lies! You dare lie to me?!”

She swallowed hard, actively forcing herself not to look away from those fiendish red eyes that seemed to promise nothing but pain and suffering to her and hers. “I swear it's the t-truth! You can use your spell to check if you want, I won't fight back this time, I promise.”

And that was exactly what Night Terror did, though his intrusion into her mind wasn't a slow and subtle process, but rather abrupt and painful like someone had driven a white-hot nail through her skull.

Having gotten his confirmation that she was, indeed, telling the truth, Night Terror released his spell and let out a frustrated sigh. “Well... At least you firmly believe you are telling the truth. But that can't be right... I can still feel Her presence in the world. No... She must be just hiding, biding her time as she did a thousand years ago before launching her attack...”

His words were starting to turn into a ramble and he wasn't aiming them at anyone in particular. Wintermint was starting to worry she might've pushed the unhinged madpony over the edge with her revelation, but a couple of minutes later the stallion took a deep breath and steadied himself with a slow exhale.

“No point in letting myself get distracted now. I just have to proceed according to my plan and keep the harvest going.” He threw a quick, reassuring smile down at Wintermint. “Let's get going again, shall we?”

Another fifteen minutes passed in silence before Wintermint had gathered enough courage to speak again. In the meantime, the thick robe had done a surprisingly good job at warming her up despite the scorched hole blasted into it. Even Rocky had stopped shivering.

“Why me?” She asked.

“Bad luck on your part. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or did you mean something else?” The joviality was all but gone from his voice.

“No, I mean... Why am I having this conversation and not Rocky?”

There was a small pause. “Honestly? I can't stand his accent and I don't understand how you can either.”

She managed a weak chuckle, which turned into a feeble cough almost immediately “I always found it endearing.”

“There's no accounting for taste, I suppose... The second reason we are having this conversation is because your grit and cleverness actually impressed me. Unlike that walking blood bag you call a husband. And thirdly, well, it's a long road and I get bored just humming or talking to myself.”

She was about to retort to the insult at her husband, but in the end thought better of it. No need to stoop to his level, after all, and the stallion was probably goading her intentionally anyway. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. “How come you can use magic? You're... An earth pony, not a unicorn. I know earth ponies have their own magic that connects them to the land, but I've never seen one actually cast a spell; much less ones as strong as yours.”

“Really, dear Minty? We live in a world with fire breathing dragons, immortal Alicorns and more magical beasts than you can shake a stick at. Is it really so far-fetched to think a bloodsucking monster of the night could use magic? Remember: looks can be deceiving.”

“Point taken.”

Another long silence fell, permeated only by the creaking and trundling of the wagon on the hard-packed dirt road.

“I pity you.” Wintermint eventually broke the silence. Getting no response she continued. “Truly, I do. You're good at hiding it, but... I've seen the glimpses of a decent, if troubled, soul underneath that cruel and callous mask you wear.”

“...You make some truly bold assumptions about a monster like me even having a soul.” Another flat, emotionless response.

“Everypony has one. Even you, dark though it may be.”

“I traded mine for power a long, long time ago and I have no regrets. I see what you're trying to get at, the game you are trying to play, and I will have none of it! Do NOT mistake my desire for idle conversation, meant only to pass the time, as softness.” His tone was sharp and angry, his words followed by a snarl. “In fact... This conversation is over!”

Wintermint was about to argue back, already opening her muzzle and drawing in the breath to do so, but ended up just shaking her head weakly and letting the air out in a deep sigh. She wanted to believe nopony was a lost cause, that there was something good inside everypony. Night Terror, however, had made a serious challenge to that belief.

“We're hee~ere.” Night Terror's sing-songy voice snapped Wintermint awake. She had no idea how long she had been sleeping, or indeed when she had fallen asleep, but it couldn't have been too long. A quick glance to the sky told her it was quite late into the night. Dawn would be just a couple of hours away at most.

Craning her neck she could see that the wagon had been turned around, its rear facing towards the dark silhouette of a town. She instantly knew where they were: at the top of the small hill at the edge of the woods overlooking New Hayshire.

Night Terror hopped onto the wagon, magically yanking his robe away from the two ponies and then donning it once more himself, his saddlebag finally levitating onto his back.

“This is where we will be parting ways. For the most part this has been an absolute pleasure! At least for me!” For whatever reason he seemed to be in good spirits. He even bowed theatrically to Wintermint before hopping off the wagon.

“Are you planning on just leaving us here? That's... That's good enough, I suppose. Somepony is bound to notice the wagon and come to investigate, especially if you light up the lantern we have.” She allowed herself to feel relieved. In the end the beast had kept true to his word at least.

There was a malicious chuckle from the front of the wagon which was currently facing the way they had come. “Oh no... That wouldn't be very gentlecoltly of me, now would it? I'm sure the townsfolk are eager to see you return with utmost haste!”

Wintermint was starting to have a seriously bad feeling about the whole situation. They had been parked on the very edge of the hill with the road leading straight to the town square... And the large stone fountain in the middle of it. “Y-You wouldn't... You can't possibly be thinking to...”

“Give you a little push in the right direction?” He finished for her, still sounding almost sickeningly sweet. “Why yes, that is exactly what I intend to do. Be a dear and deliver a message from me to everypony in town. 'Tis a short and a simple one: 'you're next'. Safe travels, dear Minty!”

She felt the air charging with magical energy, like a static charge slowly building up, before the wagon was forcibly thrust into motion, rolling down the hill with increasing speed. Night Terror was probably still magically guiding the wagon since the vehicle was traveling straight as an arrow down the path.

There was no mistaking it, Wintermint realized, as their wagon was indeed heading directly towards the massive stone fountain that had stood in the town square practically since its founding, an impressive piece of stone craftsponyship with a statue of Celestia on top of it. With a groan she forced herself to flop protectively on top of her husband, trying as best as she could to cling on to him.

One of the town's night watchponies saw the wagon rolling towards him on his usual patrol around the town square and was forced to dive into an empty fruit stall to get out of the way, shrieking “What the hay?!” as he did.

With a thundering crash the wagon slammed into the fountain, sending produce flying, but miraculously the rear board hadn't come off and the two hapless passengers only ended up smacking against it.

From his position in the shadows of the forest Night Terror watched and listened as the night watchponies rushed to the wagon, shouts for help and to fetch the doctor filling the once so peaceful late night air. One after another lights were lit in the nearby buildings and bleary-eyed ponies peered out of windows or stepped outside to see what the commotion was all about.

He let out a satisfied snort and turned around, walking deeper into the woods. Sun would rise all too soon and he needed to reach his lair whilst it was still dark.

He cast one last glance towards New Hayshire and allowed a small grin to curl onto his muzzle as he thought to himself “And so it begins... Let Terror reign.”