Author's Notes:

Important story information

I realise now that something I thought might not come across easily has, for some, indeed not come across easily. As was pointed out by a reader, there are times where things will contradict what Vinyl has said. Specifically, when we are in Octavia's mind, you'll notice some things don't line up. She get's mad, which means she has emotions, powerful ones.

The reason is easy enough to understand. Vinyl isn't a Vampony. She can't know every observations she's made is irrevocably true. That is to say, some of things she's "Realised" may not be 100% accurate. She's an outside looking in, and should be treated as such.

That said, it probably won't come up often. Editors are now credited on the title page. If I missed you, please let me know. I hope you enjoy the chapter! It's the longest in the story to date.

“What led you to believe the ponies are in Ponyville?”

Octavia and I were in our train car, chugging along near silently. The Vamponies had spent a lot of time and effort in developing the train network during the years since their ascension to power. Since Vamponies couldn’t be outside during the day, they had managed to automate the entire train system. With nothing but magic and a destination, as well as a priority hub, the entire network of trains could be controlled during both the day and the night. It still took a Vampony to manage the locomotive, but because of the automation, the concept of a crash between two trains was unheard of.

Although the daylight had kick started the upgrade, it was not the only reason better control of the train network was required. A lot more freight shipping of meat had to be done, especially to the metropolitan cities. This prompted the growth of the network itself. It was now much faster to get to and from the major cities of Equestria, due both to the creation of new routes and the improvements that had happened to the locomotives themselves. Unfortunately, because of the priority assigned to big cities, the travel time between rural communities hadn’t improved and in some cases, it even got slower. Add in the massive overload caused by the hunt for the ponies, and the fact that our train only held two passengers, which gave it an exceedingly low priority, and it was no surprise that we wouldn’t be arriving at Ponyville until tomorrow evening.

Although in the past this could have led to problems, the development hadn’t stopped at functionality. Octavia and I were currently resting in one of the most luxurious train cars bits could buy, and it did not disappoint. We each had our own bed, in our own semi-private rooms. They were on opposite ends of the living room we both sat in, and divided by screens. There was also a mini fridge which was stocked full of Vampony delicacies, some of which Octavia had already sampled, as well as some liquor for both of us. Octavia was working her way through a red wine. Red due to the blood, I think, but the grapes might also be red. I was sampling a hickory and ginger black spider monkey cider. Even though it sounds revolting, the name doesn’t nearly cover how abhorrent the beverage actually tastes. I quickly poured myself a glass of water to try and get the taste of spider monkey out of my mouth.

“Who drinks this swill? It’s revolting!” I spat.

Octavia held her hoof out for the bottle, so I passed it to her. She took a sip and shuddered. “Oh, I see what you mean. The ginger kills the beautiful spider monkey finish.”

Gag.

She turned her gaze back to me. “I asked you a question Vinyl. It is not polite to keep a lady waiting. Why Ponyville?”

I still wasn’t sure how much I wanted Octavia to know about my clue. This wasn’t due to a lack of trust per say, more so the fact that I finally held a sort of power over her. It was nice to finally feel like I had some sort of control over my own life. That said, she did help me escape Canterlot, and would be inclined to help me decipher the clue, I decided it would be best to let her in on the secret.

Not to mention that she’d no doubt throw a hissy fit if I chose not to answer or if she found out later that I’d withheld some information.

“Well, I’m sure you remember the so called traitor locked away in the stockades yesterday? The one who helped them escape in the first place?” She nodded and gestured for me to continue. “I approached her during the day, once the sun was out, and got her to tell me what she knew. Unfortunately, she burned away before she could tell me everything, but I think I got most of it.”

Octavia remained silent for a moment, but a tiny twitch of her ear betrayed her impatience. She was completely absorbed by my words, and was waiting for the follow up with baited breath. It was chilling, to say the least; the same look that, two weeks prior, had filled me with dread, now filled me with anticipation and excitement. It spoke volumes for how much our relationship dynamic had changed in the short time we’d known each other. I liked holding Octavia’s undivided attention, so long as her eyes weren’t filled with hunger or lust. I felt powerful.

“Because I returned to see her under the sun, the daylight proved I was a pony. She said she was happy to save another soul, and then gave me both the reason she got caught and the way to find her friends.”

I paused, and tried my best to stifle a grin as Octavia leaned forward slightly. Her eyes betrayed her annoyance, and her ear pinned back. She was clearly used to getting what she wanted, when she wanted it, and having me string her along must’ve been murder to her ego.

“Well? What else did she say Vinyl?”

“Oh, I’m not sure I should tell you. She told me everything in confidence that I wouldn’t go spoiling her secret to her greatest enemy, after all. The teeth are a dead giveaway.”

Her lips pressed together in a razor thin line and I heard a low rumble. “Vinyl…” She growled menacingly.

“Jeeze, calm down, I was just kidding. There’s no need to get all uppity, sweet heart.” I razzed her, making sure to put as much false sincerity into the endearment as possible. She continued to glare, but I was unfazed at this point. If we were gonna be friends, then some friendly banter would occur both ways, not just towards me.

“She told me to go to Ponyville. There’s a forest nearby that hides a clue to their hiding place. Once we get to Ponyville, our first goal should be to find that clue.”

“That is it? Nothing more than “Go search the forest”? We have no chance of finding something with such a vague hint. If we need to search the entire forest, it could take weeks or even months. There is also the fact that the clue would have to be obvious enough to differentiate from generic forest, which makes it impossible to hide.”

“Well, that isn’t the whole hint. There’s a zebra hut somewhere in the forest that she mentioned was related to the clue. I think it must be hidden either inside or around the house, but I don’t know how they would hide it in a way that could make it impossible for a Vampony to find but perfectly easy for a pony.”

I told her about the ideas I’d come up with earlier tonight, but she didn’t seem to be listening. I was getting kinda annoyed, and was about to ask her opinion when I noticed she looked pensive.

“To be honest Vinyl, the solution is obvious enough. In fact, I am amazed you did not mention it. The only logical answer would be to hide the clue in broad daylight, literally. If the clue is only decipherable under the light of the sun, then it would be impossible for a Vampony to decode it. I believe it would be most prudent to make a clue that only appears at high noon, when a Vampony would be ashes within minutes of exposure.

I froze for a moment, as my brain came to the only conclusion it could in this situation, and slammed my head into the couch cushions. “Stupid stupid stupid. How in the name of Celestia did I not think of sunlight? It’s so obvious, even a foal would have thought of it!”

I felt the cushions next to me sag. “That is because you rarely think.” She sniped. “There there dear Vinyl, inferior minds will always turn to those more intelligent than them in times of need.” She patted my head in the gentlest, most condescending way possible. “I suppose I could let you out during the day, if you promise to be a good girl and come back once the sun goes down. No getting lost along the way, okay? I know you will not be able to understand the hint without help in any case, so you will need my help regardless, but I will feel much better if you promise to come straight back.”

She followed up her pats with a patronizing smile, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved that it was miniscule. It was close to her resting face, but with the slightest tug upwards on the left side of her lips. It was odd that her lack of expression would be a source of comfort, but after the large smile she gave me when we confronted her mother, I was just happy to be back on familiar ground. That said, her statement also brought me some comfort. She was worried about me running off and trying to escape without her, and that made me happy because it meant she trusted me enough to let me go out alone, even if I didn’t hold her full trust.

For now though, I had no intention of running off.

“Hey, Octavia? There are a few questions I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Oh, I am quite certain we could fill a book with all the questions you wish to ask me and several more with all the questions that you should ask me, but will more than likely not. Whether because you do not think to ask or because you do not wish to matters little. That said, as we have little to do and an abundance of time, I see no issue with spending time adding to your pool of knowledge. Ask away my delightful snack to be.”

“Trying awfully hard to be as antagonising as possible tonight, ain’tcha?” I sighed when her only response was to shrug and pour herself some more wine. “Whatever, be as snippy as you like, but I want you to take me and my questions seriously. The more I know, the more easily I’ll be able to fit in, and the less likely I am to do or say anything that might get me killed.”

She nodded at me to show me that I held her attention. I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. I suspected my question would upset her, but I needed to know.

“What happens when you turn?”

Any remnants of a cheerful atmosphere died a horrible, instantaneous death. A haunted look creeped its way into Octavia’s eyes. Her body was stiff as a board, and her teeth clenched so hard that her wine glass exploded in her mouth. She hastily spat out the shards; her Vampony physic took no damage from the glass, even her tongue looked fine. She turned to me, half glaring, half panicked.

“Vinyl, there is a very good reason why this is the greatest taboo in Vampony society. It is completely unspeakable among Vampony circles.”

“I know, and I’m sorry that I want you to talk about it, but I need to know. I need to know what happened to you and every other Vampony during the great turning.”

Octavia looked away, her face a mask of pain and conflict. The turning was not spoken of by civilised folk, and I had always assumed that was due to it either being incredibly painful or deeply personal. I now see that it was the former. My question had bothered her even more than I had anticipated. For a race that could hardly display their emotions, and barely felt them, it was amazing just how easily I was picking up on her distress. Either she was becoming more expressive, or I was learning to read her tells better.

Both options intrigued me.

I still didn’t have a response. Octavia was thinking, which meant she wasn’t sure. Would she end up turning down my request? I hopped not; I needed that information. It was the one most unifying event of the Vampony race.

Suddenly she stared at me, or more specifically, my chest. “A trade. I will tell you everything that happened when I was changed. In exchange, you will let me feed on your blood as we did before you fell ill.” She said, her eyes slowly roaming up and down my neck.

I suddenly felt far too naked. “Hey, keep your eyes on mine, you per- well actually, that’s not the right word. Don’t you be getting any ideas about my heart; it doesn’t belong to you.” I eyed her warily. Was she serious? “Don’t you think oh, I don’t know, maybe right now, with the hunters scouring the world for my kind, is quite possibly the absolute worst time to be cutting me open and exposing my weakness for the entire world to see? All for what, a couple sips of pony blood?”

Honesty, what was she thinking? I’d almost died the last time she decided that she needed to taste the delicious nectar that my body produces. It had taken an entire week to heal those wounds, even with the help of magic and medicine. If she decided to feast on me tonight, we would have less than one full day, and no medicine to help treat my cuts.

As if she could read my mind, she carefully reached into her bags and took out something I hadn’t seen in years. She held it as though it were the most valuable thing in the world, like a mother would hold her first foal. Slowly, she set it on the table before her.

It was a Venipuncture kit. Don’t ask why I know what it’s called.

“Where did you get that?”

“I took it from the hospital during my search for information regarding your illness. I took a great many things that ended up useless, seeing as I was blinded for the duration of my stay. This just so happened to be one of them. I certainly hope you are not complaining; this should be far more comfortable and safe than using a knife and slicing through your ankles, no matter how much more appetising the latter sounds.

“Do you agree to it then? A trade. Your blood in exchange for me reliving the most traumatising days of my life. I know it doesn’t sound fair, I should be asking for so much more, but you are right about needing to know why the great turning is such a taboo. Beyond this though, I hope you did not honestly consider that I would stop lusting after the delicious ambrosia that is your flesh and blood. Even you cannot possibly be short-sighted enough to assume such a thing.”

She carefully began assembling the parts that she would need to draw a small part of my blood. “You should be grateful, you know. I gave you a whole week to recover instead of just outright killing you. I could have eaten you, but instead I chose to save your life. I also left you alone after you had recovered, though my mother may have played a large role in that. Not only did I give you time to recover, but I am not even stealing your blood this time. I offered you a trade. Surely you must realise that this is my way of trying to be fair.

At this point, I had no idea how I felt. To be honest, I had hoped that Octavia had learned her lesson the last time and would have left me alone, at least until we were both in a somewhat stable and safe situation. It was a naïve thought. I was, however, pleased that she was offering me something in return for my blood. It was a step up, even though I personally felt the transaction wasn’t quite as heavily weighted against her as she did.

She did have a point though. Using the needle would be much safer than what had happened last time. Although I was still mildly uncomfortable with her drawing my blood, I knew that I could only expect to go so long before she’d demand I indulge her again. Hopefully we could iron out a schedule of some sort later.

“Alright, fine, I accept your deal. It’s conditional acceptance though; condition being that you remain completely in control throughout the entire procedure. I swear, you had better not make me regret this Octavia.”

I heard her grunt in contempt. “Please, do not insult me. I have been in near perfect control of myself in your presence since the day you fell ill.” Her voice took on a distinctly melancholic tone. “I will tell you my story before we begin; I do not want to have the absolute euphoria that is drinking your blood tainted by memories of that horrid day.

“I was just a filly when it happened, but you already knew that. It is hard to remember, both because of the fearful nature of the event, but also due to the turning itself. When a pony turns, when they are infected by Vampony venom, they lose massive chunks of their memory. Very few things survive, and what does seems to be chosen almost entirely at random. I remember one night where I fell asleep with my teddy bear. That is it, there was no special meaning to that memory, but I treasure it, since it is one of the few memories I have of my foalhood. But the night of the turning itself is always a vivid memory, and it can be warped if the Vampony turning you knows how.”

“It started at night, as I am sure you can imagine. Twas the night the outer barrier broke. My mother and father would have returned from helping to maintain the city’s defenses. Everypony was required to participate in shifts. I cannot remember most of the night; the turning stole every memory I had of the events before I slept that night. What I do remember is waking up with my parents and my sister. They slept with us to keep us safe from nightmares, and to protect us should anything happen. Well, that night, something happened.”

*******

Octavia was snuggled in between her mother and father, and her sister was snuggled up next to her. It was nice, sleeping as a family, but she wanted to get something from her bedroom. She had forgotten to bring… something. It was hard to remember.

As Octavia slept, the sound of a deadbolt being unlocked, a door being opened, and a lock being reset could be heard from the center floor. Nopony stirred in the small house. Then a soft thump, the sound of toys being knocked over, reached her ears.

Octavia woke up, her eyes bleary from sleep, and looked around. Had she heard a noise? She listened, but didn’t hear anything now. Maybe it was a dream. She wanted to go back to bed, but daddy had said that if she thought she heard sounds at night, she was to wake him immediately.

Octavia rubbed her little hooves on her daddy’s face. “Daddy, wake up, I heard a sound.” She said.

It was a testimony to how dangerous times had become that her father woke at once. “Don’t worry sweetie, daddy will take care of it. Go back to sleep with mommy, okay?” He gently nuzzled her head and turned to his wife, who had also woken at this point. He gave her a nod and she gently held Octavia close. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

Her father got out of bed slowly, walking to the door. Octavia turned to her mommy just in time to miss seeing him pick up an ax with his mouth. Her mommy gently stroked her mane, telling her to sleep as tears poured down her face, unseen by anypony. She hugged both her daughters gently, as if knowing this would be the last time she saw them alive.

It all happened so fast, Octavia couldn’t remember anything other than the highlights. One moment, she had been close to falling asleep, snuggling with her mommy and sister, the next she was on the floor, completely paralysed and struggling to breathe. Her body was frozen, unable to run, stand, or scream as a traumatising scene played out in front of her.

Mommy was lying against the closet, swirls in her eyes as she tried to remain conscious. The closet door had broken when she hit it, and her legs were caught in the hole she’d created. Sister was still asleep, her head glowing. Somepony was casting magic on her. Between the two, daddy laid face down on the floor, a small amount of red liquid pooling around his hind legs. He didn’t respond when mommy called his name. Sister didn’t respond either. Then mommy looked at Octavia and called out. Octavia tried as hard as she could, but she couldn’t make a sound, couldn’t wave a hoof. All she could do was look at mommy and see tears run down her face.

Mommy looked away from Octavia, behind her, and her face turned angry. “What did you do to my daughters!?” She wheezed. Her words were slurred and her breathing was laboured.

A hoof crunched down in front of Octavia. “Celestia be damned, I panicked and bit the older one. She might end up remembering tonight wrong. Stupid brat, why did you wake up? Why could you not stay asleep like your sister?” Octavia felt something crunch against her back, but her body was too numb to feel anything other than a mild sting. Mommy tried to yell something at the intruder, but ended up only coughing out red stuff.

“Oh well, I guess I will just cut my losses. You will probably end up okay in the new world, and even if you do not submit, it matters little. My son will return to me, and then my legacy will be secure.”

A mare stepped over Octavia, taking her time as she walked over to Octavia’s sister. Mommy’s coughing was getting worse, but she tried to crawl her way over to Octavia. The door held her hind legs firmly in place, and she only succeeded in flopping over. She looked up, her eyes filled with pain. Pain and loss.

The intruder carefully combed over Octavia’s sister as she licked her lips. She leaned down and gently clamped down on the foals throat, making sure to suck up every drop of blood she could get before her venom sealed the wound, leaving Octavia’s sister in stasis. A Vampony would notice that she now held the same scent as the intruder, marking her as a cocoon, soon to be reborn as a member of the night.

The sleep spell vanished from the foal’s head, and the intruder took a moment to recast the spell, this time on Octavia’s father. “He will need to sleep. A few hours from now, his memories will consist of nothing but dreams and fragmented pieces of his past.” She turned to mommy and gave a bark of vicious, unpleasant laughter. It sent a chill up Octavia’s spine, unless that was the venom coursing through her veins.

“He will never remember his first wife. Say one last goodbye to your family, my dear. This is the last you will ever see of them, and they you, but worry not; I will take good care of my new husband and daughters.”

Octavia tried to look away, tried to close her eyes, tried everything to turn her attention away from her mommy. In the end though, she was forced to lay and watch, watch the intruder devour the most important pony in Octavia’s life. Her mommy was ripped apart, piece by piece, by a murderous Vampony with a horrible smirk.

*********

Octavia was shuddering, her anger almost palpable. It was weird to see her so angry; I hadn’t seen a Vampony this angry ever.

“That vile, cruel, horrible bitch! She turned the three of us and then tried to convince us that she had been our mother all along! She tried to replace my mother after eating her in front of me!”

I balked. “And your father and sister believed that? How in Equestria? Why didn’t you tell them the truth?”

She turned on me, rage in her eyes. “Have you not been listening at all, Vinyl? Has everything I said just bounced off your thick skull? When a Vampony turns a pony, they get control over that pony. My current mother made sure neither my father nor my sister woke during their turning, and because of that, when they did wake, they had almost no memory of their past life at all. She told us all that she was our real mother. I wanted to speak up, I wanted to tell the truth, but when you are converted, the converter gets some measure of control over you. She forbade me from speaking to my family, and I had to obey until her control disappeared. By the next week, when I could finally speak again, it was too late to convince them otherwise. My father thinks my memories are wrong, and my sister labeled me a liar. We never got along since that day. I would be far more upset, but I cannot remember much of my sister before we turned on one other. As it is, I am merely sad because I lost my family.

“There is more. My story is not the only story of darkness. The turning is a time where a pony is at their most vulnerable. You could be attacked at any moment, and since you are completely paralysed, you cannot fight back. You are surrounded by monsters who want your blood, as you are now. But you cannot fight back; you can only sit there, completely at their mercy, as you watch them tear your friends and family limb from limb, hoping they will not come for you.

“And, as if those are not reason enough to resent the turning, when you first wake up as a Vampony, you are utterly consumed by hunger. You will slaughter everything in your vicinity in search for food. I have heard horror stories of husbands and wives killing their significant other, and the victor got the spoils, which was feeding on their child. Others watch their entourage die, then are forced by bloodlust to go and continue feeding, forcing others to experience the same horrors they just experienced.

“That is why it is a taboo, a horrible sin, to speak of the turning. Do not ever bring it up again.”

I nodded.

********

After her rant, Octavia had retreated to her room. Although it was primarily a bed behind a curtain, I still tried to give her some privacy. I could hardly blame her for wanting to be alone; I’d be upset too if I had to relive watching my mother die before my eyes. After listening to her, I had a new appreciation for just how horrible the turning was.

In fact, I realised that it was possible that the entire turning was just a giant accident. One pony turns, is hungry, goes to eat another family, and accidentally converts a few members of that family. Repeat until the whole world is lost.

Of course, I in no way believed that. The Vamponies had been organised, decisive. There was no way everything had been an accident. That said, it was nice to think that maybe not all the Vamponies had only wanted to kill and eat. Maybe some of them had just been forced into it by their bodies.

Regardless of the why and how, it was in the past. There was no real gain to be had by dwelling on what couldn’t be changed. As I rested on my bed, waiting for my emotionally uninvested roommate to show up, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander. I thought about taking out my music, but decided against it; I didn’t want her sneaking up on me with that needle.

I saw a hoof brush against my curtains. “Feeling better Octavia?”

“I know not what you mean. Come, I still have to collect my prize.”

I sighed. I was hoping she’d take a bit more time before coming to collect but I suppose the sooner we got it over with, the better. I’d need every second I could get, even if it was just the releasing of a tiny hole. I stepped out into the common room to see Octavia on the couch, and her eyes roamed gently up and down my naked body. It was a bit off putting, and yet oddly flattering.

“Before we begin, are there any tamer questions you would ask of me? I am not opposed to answering your questions, I only wish for payment for the more difficult ones.

I thought for a second. “Alright, in that case, feel free to choose not to answer, if you don’t want to talk about what I ask.” She nodded, and I took a deep breath. “Do you ever miss being alive? Being a living, blood pumping pony?”

She merely shook her head. “I had expected this to come up at some point. The short answer is no, I do not miss it. I miss my mother, who I lost because of the turning. I miss my family, who I lost because of the bitch who replaced my mother. But I do not miss being a pony. It is very difficult for me to tie a parallel between being a pony or Vampony. Perhaps you will understand if I explain the situation.

“I am a Vampony as of this moment. I have lost most of my memories of my time as a pony. Because of this, even though I know I enjoyed my life as a pony, I also know that I enjoy… most of my life as a Vampony. The only major change, my new mother, this is not a change that was brought about because of the change I made. What I mean to say is, if my mother had changed alongside my father, sister and I, then our lives would have been just as pleasant as they had been while we were all ponies. There is no reason to believe otherwise.

“Because of this, while you see monsters in my race, we do not. I think a good view would be to substitute being a Vampony for being a griffon. To you, I am a monster. This is both reasonable and expected. But to a mouse, or other small animal, a griffon is also a monster. And yet we do not call griffons monsters, because they do not hunt ponies. This is the fundamental difference; to me, pony or Vampony, it is the same thing. To you, it is the difference between normal and monster.

“There are other advantages to being a Vampony, such as the massive sex drive. There is no taboo about sex in this community, and although I have forgotten much about my time alive, I distinctly remember that sex was treated as the greatest taboo in existence. Sex is also very pleasurable to me and has been so since the day I first experienced it. My love for it has not waned in the slightest. I also have servants, and I love the life of luxury. The only real downside to my new life is my family, but this is not a pain every Vampony shares.

“So, to answer your question, I see no reason to desire the life you now live. My time as a Vampony has been just as good as the few moments of my life as a pony that I can remember.

“Not to mention, once Vampony foals start being born, they will not remember the days when ponies ruled Equestria. To them being a Vampony will be all they have ever known. They will most likely not even question their situation, so why should I question mine?”

Suddenly, she patted my head and looked me in the eyes. “Why did you cling so stubbornly to life? If you had changed with the rest of us, you would not need to live in fear. You would be able to join the orgies and feast on meat as we do.” She opened her mouth and showed off her fangs to me. “If I offered to convert you, to bring you truly into our world, would you accept? If I promised not kill you during the change, not to eat you while you were helpless, would you leave your fear and isolation behind?”

My first instinct was to shout that no, I would never join the ranks of the monsters who’d killed my kind. And yes, she had a point. They were just a different form of pony. I would be safer as one of them. What was the advantage to being a pony in a world filled with nothing but predators? I got to keep my memories, but was that enough to justify living each day in fear? From her first hoof account, I wouldn’t even be able to notice a difference.

She must have taken some form of pity on me, because she patted my head again. “Do not think too hard about it, my tasty friend. You shall burn your poor little brain out. Seeing as you lack the ability to make the change of your own volition, it would be better to let this train of thought fly away. I shall not be the one to convert you, after all. Not when I consider your friendship to be so delicious. I mean nutritious. I mean you are a good friend for letting me feed on you.”

“Hey, what’s with all the insults tonight?” I asked, a little miffed. “I managed to live for eight years on my own; I think that’s proof enough that I have at least some measure of intelligence.”

“Yes yes, this is how I tease my friends. You are my friend, are you not, Vinyl?” She gave me one of her micro teasing smiles. “Is there any other question you would ask of me? I am becoming impatient.”

I thought quickly. I wasn’t quite ready to get fed on yet. I don’t think I’d ever be truly ready for that. “You mentioned Vampony foals while you tried to explain the difference? Why haven’t I seen any? For a race that’s as horny as yours is, I’m amazed that we’re not swarmed by the little monsters at this point. I know there must be some form of birth control going around, but I’ve never seen any.”

Octavia snorted. “This will be your last question. We can speak after if you have more; we will not reach Ponyville until tomorrow evening at the earliest.”

“To answer your question, both female and male Vamponies have complete control over their reproductive organs. Males do not shoot seed every time they orgasm, only when they choose to. Females can only produce an egg under certain conditions, and even then it requires a lot of conscious effort. Because of these two factors, our race is completely immune to unwanted pregnancies. There are probably some Vampony parents, but I must admit, our race sometimes struggles to match partners together for life. This is the most likely reason that the birth rates are so low at the moment. No Vampony wants to be a single mother.”

“Wow. That’s so convenient. I wish I could control my heat cycle-”

“Oh, do not be confused, we still have heat cycles. Heat cycles are amazing. If you think my current sex drive is overwhelming, you have yet to see me in a heat cycle. We can only produce an egg during a heat cycle. It is one of the conditions that must be met. Luckily, we do not need to produce one. We get all of the males and orgasms with none of the unwanted foals.

“Now, I have been very patient, and I think you would agree that I have more than earned my reward at this point. Lay back dinner, I have come to feast.”