*****

She was gone again. Unconscious. She was dying.

Inside, my rational voiced its objection, as it had been since I met her. She was so vulnerable, so easy to kill and drain. I could devour her in a few hours. It was the natural order; the food chain should not be modified. She was prey. I was a predator.

I leaned in and placed my fangs on her neck. She did not pull away; how could she? She was asleep. ‘It would be so, so easy.’

Five days. I had skipped school on Tuesday. I had stayed by her side. She had not woken on Tuesday.

Wednesday, she had woken for the first time. I managed to get her to eat, drink, use the bathroom. I tried to make her shower. She almost died.

Thursday, I learned of the medical books. I poured over them. She does not know what is wrong with her. I do not either.

I tried to return her magic to her. It may do nothing, but perhaps it will make her life easier. For the moment, it is all I can do.

Friday told me the truth. She told me she needed medication from the hospital.

It has been a night since she has realised this, subconsciously. She has told me every time she awoke. She knows I am unwilling. I will be in danger should I attempt it.

But I will. I must go. She is prey. I am a predator. But I cannot kill her. I cannot fathom why. I do not understand this inability. My species can do anything better than theirs can. We are stronger. We are faster. We are smarter. We are tougher. We are great. We are supposed to be unemotional.

…

She is dying.

*****

After she was washed, refreshed, and had drank another glass, I returned her to bed. Her fever was high, and increasing. She was short of breath from simply walking. She climbed into bed and turned about, making herself comfortable.

“Thank you, Octavia, for helping me.”

The light was already fading; she was no longer conscious. I took out another fruit and left it on her bedside table. I added a glass of water to the floor; she tended to knock it over should it be on the bedside table.

I tried again to imagine her dying at my hoof. I knew that, should she run, I would have no issue finishing her. But she shows fear, or perhaps loyalty, and it prevents her from doing this. Thus I cannot kill her, or so I assume.

I leaned in. She smells so delicious, so mouth-wateringly appetising. She is, and will remain, my favourite smell.

Her body, it is so curvaceous, so well rounded. She is large, but not fat; voluptuous in all the right ways. Her butt is so grabble, I could rub myself on it for hours. Her mane is... Strange. It is not the normal hue of our kind, instead vibrant and colourful, but I do not dislike it. Her eyes, they shine red, too bright to remind me of anything but the healthiest of blood. Her tits are limp now, but I have seen them when she is excited; they are nice and perky. Her second scent, it causes me to shudder with pleasure. She makes my lips water, out of lust.

Her body, so exposed as she sleeps. In an instant I could shatter her virginity, use her as I see fit. How could she resist? But for reasons even I cannot fathom, the thought of abusing her body while she is helpless… it does not appeal to me in the slightest. I have never felt so turned off by an idea in my short eight years.

But this all matters little! I must go now; every day I waste is a day Vinyl gets worse.

It is getting early, but I may be able to use this to my advantage; if I can suffer some indirect sunlight for short bursts, I could invade while all the guard ponies are home sleeping. After all, why have the guards when the sun is the ultimate form of protection?

I have made my decision; I will invade today, after sunrise. It will burn, and I may be bed ridden for a day of recovery, but it is the safest option. I must make sure to utilise the shadows of the buildings as much as possible. Once inside, I shall root around for the antibiotics, and hopefully a more informative book. I must insure to find a dark hiding spot, so that I may sleep through the day and escape at dusk, just before the sun sets.

Now that I have a plan, I shall need a cloak; anything to keep the evil sun at bay. Vinyl had a cloak in her house, so I borrowed it for the day. I quickly made my way home, ordering refreshments from my servants. Brandon and Mark, truly the only two ponies I trust since my mother’s episode. They did not ask questions, for they avoid them at my request. I do not usually expect them to act so meek, but my mother’s impending arrival is the perfect excuse, and it was only a happy accident that they had to shut up just as Vinyl vanished temporarily. I must practice commanding them as she believes I should, and not as I do.

“Just as you control my poor father, is it not?” I mumbled. My mother is the Vampony with the lowest libido I have ever met. That isn’t to say it is low by any means, but she can easily go a week without any form of sexual release and suffer from only minor discomfort. She is one of the few who can live off of masturbation alone if she must. My father bows to her wishes, for she has him well wrapped around her pussy. Disobedience is met with abstinence, and other mares are well aware of the consequences that come with fornication. But he cannot leave her; she has more power among the elite then he has. It would mean the ultimate punishment; the loss of the genitals. For even without the hormonal stimulus, the lust quickly becomes unbearable. More than one Vampony has been driven to suicide-by-sun due to the cruel punishment.

Mark came up to me, with Brandon at his side, a few hours before daylight. “Miss, please forgive me this one enquiry.” He began. “As you are aware, your mother will be visiting next Monday. I must ask, for your own safety; have you been grinding your mound against that white unicorn’s? You know how your mother will react when she finds out; and you should also know by now that if you are, she WILL find out.”

I tried to keep my voice calm and even, but I couldn’t help but spit the word mother. “No, servant, I have not violated my mother’s wishes.” I took a deep breath. “Sorry Mark, I know you care. Do not worry; Vinyl and I have not so much as touched each other, except perhaps for a minor groap.” I said, remembering the bathtub fondly.

Mark sighed nervously. “Very well. Will you be sleeping at home today?” He asked hopefully.

I shook my head, and his eyes turned hard. “If you don’t stay here more, your mother will notice that your scent is stale.”

“This will be the last day.” I said impatiently.

Mark bit his tongue. I’m pretty sure he was trying to avoid snapping at me. “Will you require our services?” He asked hopefully.

Most Vamponies who saw this would logically assume that the servant was merely horny, and as such, was far out of line for putting his desires before his master’s. However, I have known Mark and Brandon for several years, and I am well aware that this is not the case. They are worried about me, and the fact that I have been neglecting them is surely weighing on their minds. Ever since Vinyl arrived they have been on edge. I must find a way to reassure them, lest my mother notice their unease.

I checked my internal clock. I still had an hour before the first rays of dawn stated to peek their way over the horizon. Was there enough time? Normally, with the shutters, I would have no doubt, but today I must utilise every instant of early day, when the night world slept. Should I leave after dawn, they will know, and worry more than ever.

“Not tonight.” I said, masking the disappointment in my voice. I made sure to keep my face averted, for they were masters of reading in between the lines. Every hint or emotion they noticed was one step closer to understanding. However, even I could not anticipate their next words.

“Octavia?” He said. The pair almost never used my real name, which caught my attention, and I unintentionally swivelled my head to look at him. “Have we… disappointed you?”

He was downcast, and a mere glance at Brandon suggested that the feeling was shared. “Why would you ever think that?”

“You’ve been skipping days, and even when you don’t, you never go this light on us. Are we… obsolete?” He cringed at the word. To be obsolete is to be unable to satisfy; Mark was pondering if I had grown bored of their ministrations. “Is that why you’ve taken a new mate?”

I could not help but smile. “Oh my dears, of course you are not obsolete. I have merely had a… new turn of events in my life. It has unbalanced me, thrown me off my routine. I assure you, it is not permanent, but I do appreciate the space you are giving me. I shall see that, once I am back on track, we rut tenfold, if that is what it take to reassure you. And I have not taken a new mate.”

Mark sighed. “Sorry for worrying you with my problems.” He said. “Shall I prepare something delicious for tomorrow?”

“That would be nice.” I said. “Now I must go. I shall return at some point after dusk.” I shooed them away gently. My servants would do their best to cover for me and care for me, especially when my witch of a mother arrived to “checkup” on me. Try as they might, however, they have difficulty letting me go free. For Vamponies, they are very caring and diligent. It almost makes me want to confide in them. Almost, but certainly, that would be a horrible decision. No matter how loyal, it would be impossible to expect them not to attempt to find and devour Vinyl immediately.

And so I left, trotting briskly through the city, saddlebags bouncing on my sides to hide the evidence. There were very few Vamponies out at this hour of the morning, and they were all hurrying as I was. I donned Vinyl’s glasses, for I had no intention of going blind, and began making circles a block away from the Canterlot Nobility Hospital. Well scorned for being a profit organised organisation in life, the CNH was now a crumbling husk of forgotten medicine. The hospital boasted medical research and advanced technology, and was built to emphasise that. The outer walls were composed entirely of glass, a terrible crime to the Vamponies of the night. Thus we could not use the building during the waking hours, and even the most dedicated scientist fled before the sun rose. That is the sole reason I singled it out, for it had the best chance to be un-occupied. From the brief glances I managed as I circled, it appeared abandoned. However, I am not one to take needless risks.

As the sky started to lighten, I began to feel warm. My eyes stung, and my body grew agitated. It was time. I rushed forward, knowing that at this point it would be safer to risk the hypothetical guard then the wrath of the dead princess.

I was running with buildings between myself and the soon-to-rise sun, but even so, it was amazing how quickly the sky lightened, and my body waned. I needed the protection that only comes with black night.

I burst through the front doors. Although the outer walls were made of glass, the inner one’s were opaque, to preserve privacy. The sky was gone, but light still filled the building through the doors, walls and windows between rooms. I had little time.

My first goal was to find a black room where I could wait out the day. I surged through the hospital to the center, where the light was more heard pressed to reach. Already I felt better, but with my mother coming, I could not afford to spend an entire night with even a shred of refracted sunlight on my body. I shoved open a nearby door and found that it led to a surgical room. After a quick once over, I found that the only entrance in which light could propagate was behind me. With the application of some lab coats and gloves, I found I could blot out most of the light. The remainder would hopefully be too scattered to affect me under a small pile of extra coats.

Having prepared my sleeping arrangements, I began my search in earnest. The hospital was sub-divided into three wards; emergency, long term and recovering. I decided to begin in the recovery wing, to search high and low for the section in which the drugs were stored.

The first step back into the light was torture. The sun could not have even crested the horizon yet, but it burned. The instinct to hide in the room behind me surged. Instead I shoved myself away and galloped through the hospital, sliding around corners and through halls bathed in early morning light.

I knew if I could return to my room before the rays of sunlight entered the building, I would be safe. A gamble, yes, but a reasonable one; my intent was to search until my instincts became almost unbearable, and at that moment I would know it was time.

Finally! The recovery ward. Still moving quickly, I scanned every room as I passed with the practiced ease that only a supernatural pony could possess. It was a simple task, hindered only slightly by my blurring vision as the light passed through my eyewear.

I found a nurse’s station; it was sure to have a directory. I ran inside and shut the door, mercifully cutting the light down to what could pass under the door and through the thick, translucent windows. After a moment to catch my breath, an action I had little experience with, I scoured the office. Paper flooded the desk, the walls, and the cabinets, but with luck I found a room guide stapled in the far corner. I studied it intently, and found the room I desired; it was up two stories, but still within reach.

I burst out of the room, grunting as the pain assaulted me anew. It was growing stronger with every stop I made, and I began to worry; would I be able to return to my sanctuary in time? I could turn about now, and return for the medicine at dusk. Now that I knew how to make my way to the storage closet it would be a simple task.

I decided to press on for the moment. My fear of being caught at dusk currently outweighed my fear of the sun. I rushed up the two flights of stairs, making good time. Only another hallway to go. There it was!

I burst inside, but shuddered and screeched as I discovered that the closet was up against a glass wall. The light hit me directly, and although the sunbeams were still mercifully hidden, I was running very short on time. I should have seen this on the chart, but there was no time to berate myself.

My vision was blurring at range, so I had to comb the shelves one by one, sticking my snout right up against the glass. My flight instinct was tremendous, shouting at me to hide. Still I pressed on, dumping anything that seemed even remotely useful. Disinfectant, ice packs, bandages, ponysporin, everything that could be even the slightest help.

Finally, after having combed the first wall, I found the antibiotics. Right next were the anti-inflammatories and herbal pills, so I grabbed those as well.

Satisfied, I was on the verge of making my retreat when I felt a fire erupt on my flank. I fell to the floor, and looked back up. Sure enough, I was out of time; a single ray of sunlight had penetrated the surrounding buildings and had merely grazed my body.

My fear kicked into overdrive. My flank still felt like a fire had been lit on it. I crawled to the door, desperate to avoid any more of the agony that came with my only weakness.

The hallway, sadly, proved no better. Beams of sunlight peppered the wall, and I cursed my bad luck that the sun simply happened to rise on the side in which I currently found myself.

With a shriek and a howl, I dashed forward. Pain exploded all along my body as the sun traced streaks down my left side. I averted my eyes, knowing that should a beam merely glance over an unprotected eye, I could be blinded. Perhaps only for a minute, but in these conditions a minute could be lethal.

It was with great relief that I turned a corner. The sunlight ran down the new hallway, but I was able to keep out of its path. I hit the stairs and stumbled, crashing down the first flight, but recovered near the bottom and dashed along the corridor.

The light was fading now, the sunbeams completely left in the dust. To think, that was merely indirect sunlight; had I been outside, I would have burnt in minutes. I stumbled, energy spent, back to my room. Inside, the cool darkness enveloped my like a blanket, shielding me from the horrible truth that Vamponies were not invulnerable.

Never one to leave anything to the last minute, I opened my saddlebag and verified the contents. Thank Luna I hat not dropped so much as a single parcel in my mad dash. The antibiotics still rested safely on top of the pile, and as I riffled through the bag, I was pleased to see that in addition to the previously named articles, I had found a book resting on the shelves. It read: ‘The pony body’ In the glossary I was please to find that it detailed all the systems present in a pony, including the circulatory system and, to my naughty mind’s pleasure, the reproductive system.

All this was, of course, for later. At the moment, my body wanted nothing more than a hefty meal to replace all the energy stolen by the sun and a very long nap. Although I had neglected to bring food with me, the second option was entirely possible.

I forced myself to gather up every lab coat I could find, for despite my ministrations, the door would not block every little bit of light. I huddled myself on the floor, upturning a desk and the operating table to form as much of a barrier as I could manage, and then heaped the lab coats on top of me. This would hopefully keep any stray beams of light at bay.

Finally, with my hovel prepared, I relaxed. My body ached, and in placed I knew I may have minor burns. Of course, they would heal by evening, but as they did they would probably wake me up once or twice. I sighed. “Look at yourself, Octavia. You just risked your life to help a meal. You would not do this for a cow, or a pig, but a pony? How can you live with yourself?” Still, I could not help but feel satisfied. Because of my actions, Vinyl would live to see another night. Which, of course, meant that I would feast in the future. That is why I had undergone this torture, obviously. It is not like I cared about the unicorn beyond a simple friendship-ish bond which benefited both of us…

Resolute in my thoughts, I tossed Vinyl’s shades out of the pile, to insure they would not break should I roll over in my sleep, and joined my kind in our princess’s domain.

*****

My eyes opened to the new morning, a groan escaping my lips.

My head hurt.

My hooves hurt.

Everything hurt.

Again…

My hoof flopped out of the bed, tapping the bedside table. For some reason, I expected there to be something on it. I can’t remember why, but I was surprised to find an apple under my hoof. I bit into it hungrily, making short work of it.

‘That was nice of Octavia…’ I thought. ‘Maybe she’s making an effort to be nicer to me.’

With a small smile, I sat up. Hun, my back muscles were really tight, as if I hadn’t used them much recently. I stretched and yawned. The pain was bad, but bearable. I put a hoof to my head, to try and massage away the head ache, and brushed against my horn. Hm, weird, wasn’t there supposed to be something there?

My eyes opened wide. No ring!

‘Well, that was very… uncharacteristic.’

I heard a sudden slamming from somewhere else in the house. Out of nowhere, Octavia burst into my room, glaring daggers at me.

“You” She said. “Will bestow upon me praises worthy of the princess.”

My head swam from the sudden noise and movement, and I lay back down. “Not so loud.” I whispered. Thinking quickly, I cast a minor painkiller spell to help with, well, the pain. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I felt it melt away.

The sigh turned into a squeak as Octavia thrust her face into mine. “I see you are still sick. No matter, I have found the cure to what ails you!” She sang, proudly shoving a bottle of pills in my face.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

“You still don’t remember?” she asked, annoyed. She quickly recounted to me the tale of her mission earlier in the day, as well as my amnesia and the suspected cause. “The book said that it must be blood poisoning!” She finished proudly. “Now take these; you will hopefully recover within the next few days.”

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I took one of the pills while Octavia undid my bandages. As I swallowed with the water she gave me, she began rubbing some ponysporin on my cuts, as well as a special herbal remedy which she insisted “sped up healing”. She then re-bandaged them and helped me to the bathroom.

As she laid me back down on my bed, I could almost have sworn I saw a big, genuine smile play across her lips. But then her hoof obscured my vision, and when I saw her face anew, it was gone.

“Now sleep, like you’ve been doing for the past week. I’m going to write you a note, in case you wake up and still can’t remember anything. I have to home, because of my mother, but I’ll check back in with you every day until she shows up. I just hope you’re feeling better by then.”

I jerked my head. “Octavia, was that an actual, sincere care for my wellbeing?” I asked.

She paused for a second, probably thinking back to her words. “I suppose so.” She said, and I smiled. “No wait, obviously it’s just because I want my blood bank back, and I don’t want to have to invest so much time and energy into making you well.”

My smile fell away, but she rolled her eyes. “I’m kidding. Yes, it’s because I want you to get better.” She said, sounding like she was explaining it to a foal.

I shook my head. “You’re a piece of work.” I said, stretching on last time. “Hey, shouldn’t I be asleep by now?”

“Maybe you’re already getting better. Who knows? Sleep Vinyl.”

And so I did.

Author's Notes:

Holy guacamole, I honestly didn't expect to finish this chapter for like... Well sure as hell not this soon.
Um, well, here ya go! The eagerly anticipated next chapter.
I hope yall'll forgive me for all the wait and down time. I'm not intentionally being mean, it was school, and now work.
I hope you enjoy it! :3 The usual request for comments, like, watches, favs and decelerations of adoration