#fluttermedeadly

Spike really didn’t know what to say. He had hoped nopony had noticed, but maybe that had been too much to hope for. Maybe Fluttershy would understand... she was friends with bears and lions and tigers and stuff, but he still wasn’t even sure how to talk about it.

So he felt like he could do nothing but sit on his bed, claws on his knees, staring at the floor.

【♟】一”W-wha..?” Signs of affection were rare, though licks may be different from what he’d be expecting. Regardless, the changeling smiled shyly since he could feel that it was nothing more than affection behind it.

Grogar almost did a double-take at the mare standing before him. Was this… The Element of Kindness? Asking him about curses? This was certainly a strange occurrence, but she must’ve came to him for a reason, so he should at least answer her.

“Hmm… That would depend on the type of spell or curse and who had cast it.” He lifted a hoof up to stroke his beard as he gazed down at her. “What precisely is the nature of it?”

The sight of the batpony was a startling sight. Despite having seen Fluttershy become a vampire pony at least three times now, seeing her now was enough to make her jump instinctively.

But the moment it was over, Twilight’s demeanor changed. As if she was suddenly giving in to her Canterlotian instinct, Twilight appeared haughty and arrogant. She did her best to look down at Fluttershy, appearing interested and pleased, but also distant and uncaring. It was a difficult thing to achieve, but Twilight knew it well. One can’t be from Canterlot and not know how to be like this.

“Oh Fluttershy, I’m not cursed. Far from it, in fact. If anything I’ve been set free. I’m truly alive, unlike I was before, and with the power I have at hoof, I can make sure all of Equestria feels the way I do!”

Her tone was demanding, as if importance was owed to her voice and nothing else. No spell was added to it, yet it had a strong magical quality; a certain confidence that assured you she knew what she was doing. Or at least, she thought she did.

And then, a moment later, the facade died. The haughtiness vanished as Twilight suddenly began laughing, as if what she’d just said was the greatest of jokes. The Empress Voice and haughtiness disappeared, leaving only Twilight’s normal tone in its wake.

“I’m not sure if I know you well enough to trust you with this task. I have no doubt that you are capable enough...” She paused, trying to find the best way to word this. “I don’t know what connection you have to my sister, nor do I know you well enough myself.”

For those who missed yesterday!

Deep in his bones, Strong Copper had always known that sooner or later he was going to be called to the town of Ponyville; It's location near the Everfree Forest and the history of monstrous creatures making appearances and going on rampages was well documented.  

The job that the current Mayor of Ponyville had actually sent for him to attend to was strange; Unlike the various other animal attacks in the past, the creature(s?) were being a lot more subtle in their actions. Several ponies had been found dead over a period of time, some clearly having had chunks of their flesh torn off and all having some of their blood drained to various degrees (the bodies being found with little to no blood in their bodies, enough evidence to suggest that they had been found where they were killed but not enough spilled blood in the area to account for it all). All attacks seemed to have happened during the night.

The nature of the wounds suggested some sort of predatory animal (likely from the Everfree), but local authorities hadn’t been able to match the wounds to any known animal on Ponyville’s records. Copper himself had even gone through his own research resources and experience and couldn’t come to a definite answer; He had managed to narrow it down to a number of possibilities (including supernatural horrors and mythical creatures), but he didn’t have enough information to confirm or deny anything further. He needed more intelligence.