Firefly knocks loudly on the door of Rainbow’s bathroom.

“Rainbow Dash you’re going to be late for school if you stay in there any longer!” She shouts.

Rainbow opens her eyes to find herself curled up in the shower. Fortunately, she had turned off the water before she had fallen asleep last night, but Rainbow isn’t concerned with that at the moment. She gets to her hooves and grabs the towel outside of the shower. She begins drying herself off, sincerely hoping that lying in a puddle of water all night wouldn’t make her sick. She didn’t need that, especially not one day before she has to save the world from the Lord of the Vamponies.

Rainbow walks out of the shower and examines herself in front of the mirror. She is a complete mess and her mane is alternating textures of poofy and straight. Rainbow grabs a comb with her hoof and begins grooming her messy mane.

Rainbow flies through the double front doors of Ponydale High and through the hall to Mrs. Cheerilee’s classroom, passing a pink banner on the lockers that reads “Homecoming: Friday Night at Sugarcube Corner 8:00 p.m.” She lands in front of the door of the classroom and opens the door, attempting to enter as quietly as possible. However, Mrs. Cheerilee is on to her the moment she steps through the door.

“You’re late, Rainbow Dash,” Mrs. Cheerilee frowns in disapproval.

Rainbow gives her an awkward smile and makes her way to an empty seat in between Fluttershy and Spike. Fluttershy looks around to see if anypony is watching and leans in towards her.

“Where have you been, if you don’t mind me asking?” Fluttershy whispers.

Rainbow motions towards Mrs. Cheerilee and mouths the words “After class.” Fluttershy returns to her desk and continues taking notes. A few seconds later, Spike leans towards Rainbow and whispers.

“Where have you been?”

--DtVS--

After first period, the three friends find themselves gathered around Fluttershy’s locker. On their way there, Rainbow had done her best to explain the disturbing dream she had last night to them. Fluttershy frowns as she retrieves a book called Diamond Dogs: A Study of Modern Gem Hunting from inside her locker.

“Well that doesn’t sound very pleasant,” Fluttershy says, stuffing the book into her saddlebag.

Rainbow frowns and shakes her head vigorously.

“I woke up in the shower this morning,” She adds.

Spike shrugs undecidedly.

“That sounds kinda nice actually,” Spike comments. “I like to take a shower in the mornings too.”

“No Spike, I woke up on the shower floor, soaking wet,” Rainbow explains.

“Oh, that sounds less nice,” Spike replies, realizing his mistake.

Suddenly, Rarity and her friends walk by them. Rarity stops next to Fluttershy’s locker and examines Rainbow’s disheveled mane critically.

“Nice doo Rainbow Trash,” Rarity sneers. “Next time I’m having an existential crisis I might try it.”

Rarity and her friends laugh. Dashie frowns in annoyance.

“Is that all you have to say? Cause if it is, there’s no point in standing there staring at us, is there?” Rainbow spits.

Rarity huffs and leads her sheep away. Spike growls in the general direction of Rarity.

“You should go kick her flank, Rainbow!” Spike demands.

Rainbow toys with the thought for a moment, but then decides against it. She shakes her head.

“I’d love to, but that would be a waste of Slayer power,” She admits.

Spike grunts, convinced to the contrary, but hesitant to take the matter any further at the moment, knowing that Rainbow has enough on her mind.

“I swear to Celestia, I will destroy the universe if I have to read another version of Cupcakes!” Ms. Honeysuckle scolds her fourth period English class. Rainbow is among them. “Seriously, everypony it’s really getting old. The shock factor has worn off and now it’s entered the realm of pathetic.”

A grey pony with a blonde mane near the middle of the class named Derpy raises her hoof to get Ms. Honeysuckle’s attention.

“Ms. Honeysuckle, what does this have to do with our assignment again?” Derpy asks.

Ms. Honeysuckle clears her throat in annoyance. On the blackboard behind her, blue chalk-scribbled words read “Original Short Stories Due Monday.” Ms. Honeysuckle has an odd habit of using blue chalk to write on her blackboard because one year the school supplied all the teachers with only blue chalk. The blue chalk annoyed most of the teachers, but not Honeysuckle. It became her new favorite teaching tool and she abused the blue chalk as much as possible.

“Because, Derpy, last time I had you all write stories I ended up having to read five different versions of Cupcakes.” Five of the boys in class giggle quietly. “I don’t want that happening again. Your stories will be due on Monday, so remember to finish them in the heat of this entire Homecoming hullabaloo. I wouldn’t want anypony to fail a critical assignment because he or she was too busy preparing for Homecoming and forgot to do it. Clear?”

The class affirms by writing down the due date of the assignment. A few moments later, the bell rings. Everypony jumps up from their seats and heads for the door. Ms. Honeysuckle shouts after them.

“Remember, Monday!” She reminds them once more.

Rainbow is one of the last ponies to leave class. As she walks out of the classroom, Ms. Honeysuckle stops her in front of the door with her hoof.

“Rainbow Dash, right?” She inquires.

Rainbow smiles politely.

“I see my reputation proceeds me,” Rainbow says.

Honeysuckle ignores the quip and gets straight to the point.

“Mr. Davenport has told me all about you,” Ms. Honeysuckle begins. “And I want you to know that I’m here for you. You see I was once a troubled pony like yourself. A rebellious teenage soul who only wanted to cause mischief, but it got me into a lot of trouble. I was exactly like you and I want to help you so you don’t go down that same dark road. ”

Rainbow continues to smile politely, trying to hide her annoyance.

“I appreciate the gesture, I really do, but I very much doubt there’s anything you can do to help me,” Rainbow responds.

“I know how you feel. I know you think I don’t understand you-” Ms. Honeysuckle begins.

“You don’t understand me, Ms. Honeysuckle,” Rainbow interrupts her. “You really, really don’t.”

Rainbow storms past her and out of the classroom, furious that Davenport is trying to turn her teachers into personal psychotherapists for her.

“I’m under enough stress as it is!” Rainbow grumbles to herself.

Rainbow has steadily begun losing it. Between school and saving the world, it’s almost more than she can take. Rainbow trots quickly to her locker, avoiding eye contact with every pony in the hall. As she arrives at her locker, she sighs in relief, hoping the worst of her day is behind her. She turns the lock on her locker, 23-42-6, and opens it.

Suddenly, a severed, bloody pony head falls out of her locker and onto the grey carpet. As the head hits the carpet, a squirt of blood shoots up into Rainbow’s face and chest. A note is attached to the ear of the head, scribbled in red ink; however, Rainbow has a feeling it’s not ink. The note reads, “Your time is almost up Slayer.” Everypony in the hall screams as they see the severed crème colored head, it’s dark blue and pink mane barely recognizable under the dark red liquid covering it. Somepony points at the head and gasps.

“Dear Celestia, it’s Bon Bon!” the pony screams and then faints.

Everypony else gasps as they realize who it is. Bon Bon was one of the ponies on the track team and extremely well liked. A few ponies break down in tears and gallop away from the scene.

“Rainbow Dash killed Bon Bon!” Another pony exclaims, pointing an accusing hoof at Dashie.

Rainbow looks down at the pool of Bon Bon’s blood that she is standing in. She stands in the blood for a moment longer, shocked, and then takes off down the hall, leaving her blood soaked locker wide open. As she flees the scene of the crime, Rainbow flies past Fluttershy and Spike without even acknowledging their existence.

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asks, confused that she totally ignored them.

But Rainbow has already flown out of sight.

Rainbow stands in front of the mirror in the mare’s restroom, staring into it blankly. A few drops of blood from her hooves drop into the white ceramic sink below the mirror. Suddenly the stall door behind her opens up and Rarity trots out. She snorts at Rainbow as she sees her.

“Excuse me, but you’re hogging the-” She stops and gasps as she sees the blood covering Rainbow’s body. “Wha-?”

Rainbow doesn’t acknowledge her existence with her body language at all, but instead continues staring blankly into the mirror.

“I don’t your crap right now, Rarity. I just found a severed head in my locker. I think that’s enough torture for one day, don’t you?”

Rarity gazes upon the blood covered pegasus and, for the first time, she feels a pang of empathy for the pony she had so ruthlessly mocked for the past few days.

“Rainbow, dear-“ Rarity begins.

Rainbow Dash rears on her angrily.

“I said leave Rarity!” She snaps.

Rarity screams in fright at the sight of Rainbow’s blood-covered face and races out of the restroom. Rainbow turns back towards the mirror and resumes staring at her blood covered coat. A few moments later, the restroom door opens once more and Fluttershy timidly steps inside.

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy whispers, concerned.

Rainbow bows her head into the sink to hide her face from Fluttershy.

“Go away, Fluttershy,” Rainbow says as a red tear falls from her face and into the sink. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

Fluttershy takes a few steps towards her. She looks upon her new friend with compassion, as it pains her to see Rainbow so unsettled.

“I heard what happened. What kind of pony would do such a thing?” Fluttershy asks.

“It was Him. One of His minions sending me a message,” Rainbow explains. “’You’re going to die.’ I’m not sure if I can beat him, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy places her hoof on Rainbow’s back.

“Don’t think like that, Rainbow. I have nothing but confidence in you,” Fluttershy says. “I trust you with my life.”

Rainbow turns to Fluttershy and hugs her tightly. Fluttershy becomes the latest pony to discover Rainbow Dash’s superpony strength as she nearly crushes Fluttershy in her embrace.

“I know you do, Fluttershy,” Rainbow remarks. “I just hope you’ve put your trust in the right pony.”

Rainbow releases Fluttershy from her powerful embrace.

“I have and so has every other pony in Ponydale,” Fluttershy reassures her. “We have your back. You don’t have to face him alone.”

Rainbow smiles.

“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Rainbow says gratefully, and then adds. “You know, you’re being really bold right now.”

Fluttershy grins excitedly and squeals in delight and pride in herself.

“I know, it’s amazing!” Fluttershy exclaims.

Rainbow looks around the tile-covered restroom to see if anypony else is in the vicinity.

“Where’s Spike?” She asks.

“Oh, he didn’t want to come into the girl’s restroom,” Fluttershy explains.

Rainbow chuckles and rolls her eyes. There is a moment of silence between them.

“Are you alright now?” Fluttershy asks, looking up at Dashie with concerned eyes.

Rainbow nods and smiles at her.

“Much better,” Rainbow responds. “I’m just going to clean myself up. Meet me in the library after school.”

Fluttershy smiles and walks out of the restroom. Rainbow turns on the faucet and begins washing the blood from of her face. Suddenly, Princple Davenport’s voice booms over the PA system.

“Rainbow Dash, report to my office immediately!”

Rainbow grimaces at the voice of the last pony she wanted to talk to at the moment and continues to clean herself up, wanting to appear as innocent as possible for her meeting with Davenport. The last thing she wanted was to give him an excuse to suspect she was responsible for Bon Bon’s death.

“I’d like to remind you that, officially, we don’t suspect you of anything, Miss Dash,” Davenport says to the cyan, rainbow maned pony sitting across from his desk. “But unofficially, we both know that you’re a troubled pony, Miss Dash.”

Rainbow looks shocked at the accusation, her pink face twists in disgust. She had managed to wash most of the blood from her face and hooves, but her face was still stained with pink patches of blood residue.

“Are you insinuating that I killed Bon Bon?” Rainbow asks in shock.

“Well did you?” Davenport leans towards her menacingly. “Did you, Miss Dash?”

“No!” Rainbow exclaims angrily, pounding on the table with her hoof and denting it.

Davenport leans back in his seat.

“I believe you,” He begins, but it is obviously a boldfaced lie. “But whoever did kill Bon Bon is a very dangerous individual and we wouldn’t want such a pony roaming free.”

Rainbow nods in tense agreement.

“Exactly.”

“I see it like this. If we let one killer go, how many more ponies will she or he kill? A few more ponies or all of Ponydale?” Davenport says. “You never know, but you can only hope.”

“Maybe not,” Rainbow says. “Maybe you don’t have to stand idly by while a killer destroys everything you know and love. Maybe it’s your responsibility to stop him.”

“Him?” Davenport asks suspiciously.

“Sorry, personal revelation,” Rainbow comments.

Rainbow marches into the library after school with a renewed sense of determination to defeat the Lord of the Vamponies. Fluttershy, Spike, and Twilight are sitting around the round table. They all look up as Rainbow enters the library. Twilight stands up and walks towards Rainbow.

“Fluttershy and Spike have been telling me about your dreams as of late,” Twilight says.

“What about them?” Rainbow asks.

“They’re one of the signs of the His return,” Twilight explains. “The Lord of the Vamponies.”

Rainbow waves the thought off.

“We already know he’s coming, how much more confirmation do we need?” Rainbow comments. “Come on, let’s get training!”

Twilight is confused by her straight forwardness.

“Why so eager to train?” Twilight wonders aloud.

“I can’t defeat the Lord of the Vamponies by sitting on my flank, now can I?” Rainbow says. “If I don’t do something, everypony in Ponydale, maybe even Equestria, will be in danger. I can’t let that happen.”

Twilight nods.

“Fair enough. Let’s start our session with a little strategy.” Twilight grabs a wooden stick from the back of the library and carries it to the front where Rainbow is waiting for her. “You need to learn how to evade an enemy attack and counter. I’m going to rush you and I want you to evade me.”

Twilight digs at the floor with her hoof and charges Rainbow, stick raised above her head. Rainbow lowers her head to the floor. As Twilight prepares to hit Rainbow with her pole, Rainbow scoots under her and vaults Twilight into the air with her head. A surprised Twilight crashes into the overhang above the library double doors and then crumbles to the floor. After a moment or two, Twilight rubs her head and gets to her hooves.

“Good. Very good,” Twilight grunts, sore from her recent visit to the side of the wall in combination with yesterday’s training. “Maybe we should focus on stamina for a while.”

Twilight hobbles to her office and returns towing a stuffed pony mannequin that is attached to a round base by a spring, allowing free range of motion for the inanimate pony substitute. She places the mannequin in front of Rainbow.

“What’s this?” Rainbow asks, eyeing the fake pony.

“Your new training partner,” Twilight replies curtly.

Rainbow pushes her new training partner with her hoof. It bends backward and then rebounds forward. Rainbow is less-than-convinced at its usefulness.

“It doesn’t seem very animate,” Rainbow observes. “Nor very partnerey.”

“Looks can be deceiving, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight comments. “Anyways, you need to work on stamina, and I’m not fit for that job, so enter Jimmy.”

Rainbow gives Twilight a wary gaze.

“Jimmy? That’s the best you could come up with?” Rainbow snorts, fully convinced that she could come up with a better name.

Twilight shrugs.

“Okay, I’m not the best at coming up with names,” Twilight admits.

“Ya think?” Rainbow replies smart-flankedly.

Twilight ignores her.

“Stamina. Go,” Twilight commands.

Three hours later an exhausted Rainbow Dash collapses on a chair next to Spike and Fluttershy. She pauses to catch her breath, and then addresses her friends.

“Did you find out anything about the Lord of the Vamponies?” Rainbow asks.

Spike shakes his head.

“I got nothing,” He says.

Fluttershy holds up her hoof and searches for a book for a moment before finally finding it. She flips through the black bound book until she finds the right page.

“Here,” She reports. “It says that the vamponies can only be killed by thrusting a stake through their cutie mark, however…” Fluttershy trails off.

Rainbow waits for her to finish expectantly.

“However?” Rainbow urges her to finish.

Fluttershy hesitates for a moment.

“However,” Fluttershy begins. “The Lord of the Vamponies is a blank flank.”

Rainbow stares at Fluttershy, shocked and confused at what she has just said.

“A blank flank? Like no cutie mark? Like a filly?” She repeats dumbly.

Fluttershy frowns.

“Mmhmm.”

Rainbow turns to Twilight to seek her advice.

“How do I kill a vampony without a cutie mark?” She asks.

Twilight looks just as stumped as Dashie.

“I…uh…I-I-I don’t know,” Twilight admits.

There is silence. Spike breaks the silence momentarily.

“Garlic?”

The moon is completely obscured by dark clouds as Rainbow and her friends walk out of Ponydale High. Rainbow turns to her friends as they trot down the steps in front of the school.

“Anypony want to stop by Sugarcube Corner tonight?” She asks.

“Yeah,” They say in unison.

“Absolutely,” Spike adds.

Rainbow nods and they start on the path towards Sugarcube Corner. As they walk along the path through Ponydale Park, Rainbow spies a brown set of wings behind a large tree. She stops. Fluttershy and Spike also stop, but Rainbow waves them onward.

“You two go ahead, I’ll catch up to you.” She insists.

Fluttershy and Spike take her advice and continue on the path to Sugarcube Corner. Once they are out of sight, Rainbow calls out to the pony belonging to the wings.

“Come out from behind those trees, I know you’re here,” She demands.

The brown, hourglass clad pegasus steps out from behind the trees.

“Very astute, Slayer,” He says.

“Your tall, dark handsomeness doesn’t faze me, Doctor Whooves,” Rainbow states, sarcastically emphasizing the word “Whooves.”

“Would you rather I be short, light and ugly?” Doctor Whooves quips.

“No, I just wanted to tell you that this whole mysterious stranger act isn’t working on me,” She tells him. “Even if you do have perfectly shaped wings!”

Doctor Whooves doesn’t respond, but stands completely still.

“Why are you here?” Rainbow demands.

“Tomorrow’s the night the Lord of the Vamponies rises from his prison,” The Doctor reports.

Rainbow sighs in annoyance.

“Thank you Doctor Obvious, but we got that already. Do you have anything relevant to warn me about or are you just going to stand there looking like a pretty mute?” Rainbow says.

“You don’t understand, Rainbow Dash-“ Doctor Whooves begins.

Suddenly, a screech pierces the darkness, cutting Doctor Whooves off. Rainbow swings towards the screech. She jumps into the air and zooms towards the sound. A few moments later, she arrives on the scene to find Spike lying unconscious under a tree. Fluttershy is nowhere to be seen. Rainbow shakes Spike into consciousness.

“Spike! Spike wake up!” Rainbow shouts as she shakes him.

Spike opens his eyes slowly and rubs his sore head. Suddenly, he panics as he realizes Fluttershy is gone.

“Fluttershy!” He exclaims, jumping to his feet.

“What? What happened Spike?” Rainbow asks.

“Vamponies. They ambushed us. I tried to stop them, but they took her. They took Fluttershy!” Spike explains, still groggy from being knocked out.

Doctor Whooves arrives on the scene momentarily. He picks up an old saddlebag from the ground. Fluttershy’s saddlebag. Rainbow marches over to Doctor Whooves and snatches the saddlebag from his hooves.

“We still need to talk,” The Doctor insists.

Rainbow rears on him.

“Well forgive me if I’m not in the talkative mood Doctor Oblivious, but my friend has just been kidnapped by bloodthirsty vamponies. Now are you going to help us find her or not?” Rainbow snaps.

The Lord of the Vamponies paces in front of his unconscious prisoner: a yellow, pink maned mare who is chained to the wall of the cave above the Seal. He snaps at one of his minions, a silver coated stallion.

“Wake the prisoner!” He commands, motioning towards the unconscious pony.

The silver coated stallion slaps Fluttershy. She is startled into consciousness and her shackles clang against the wall as she awakens. As she attempts to get her bearings, Fluttershy looks around the damp, cold cave in terror.

“W-w-w-where am I?” She whimpers.

The LordPony examines Fluttershy. Fluttershy notices his blank flank.

“Y-y-y-y-you’re the Lord of the Vamponies, a-a-aren’t you?” Fluttershy stutters.

The LordPony smirks in amusement. He begins pacing in front of her.

“You’ve heard of me?” He says, amused. “Then you know why you’re here. You’re going to help me with something. You’re going to help me unlock my jail cell.”

“I-I don’t have any keys. I’m sorry,” Fluttershy says.

The LordPony laughs.

“Oh, dear pony, I don’t need any keys, just blood,” He explains. “Your blood.”

Fluttershy quivers and begins sobbing quietly. The LordPony smiles, enjoying her pain and fear.

“Yes, cry my little pony, but no one can hear you,” The LordPony growls. “No one is coming to save you. No one.”