Title:           Spooky Quest Day 1 Bags. Check. Lantern. Check. Candy (gotta keep up our ener
Author:          Anonymous
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/JbPm57rh
First Edit:      Saturday 5th of November 2011 10:52:57 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Saturday 5th of November 2011 10:52:57 PM CDT

Spooky Quest Day 1
 
Bags. Check. Lantern. Check. Candy (gotta keep up our energy!). Double check!
 
Seems like everything's in order. You usually don't pack as much, but you have to be prepared when going into the Everfree Forest at night. You are a Cutie Mark Crusader after all! However, which one are you? Choose wisely.
 
>scootallo
 
>Scootaloo.
 
>Scootaloo.
 
*How appropriate, the chicken gets to be chicken*
 
You are Scootaloo, adventurer extraordinaire! Danger, excitement, romance, you hunger for it all! Life's too short to waste standing around, and you live life on the edge, just like your role model Rainbow Dash. When you get your cutie mark, she's going to be so proud! You can only dream of the moment. Once you have everything organized, you shut your cardboard box and hop onto your scooter. Maybe once you get your cutie mark, you'll finally move into that nice house that you pretend to live in when you're with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. Anyways, you head into the direction of the clubhouse; you all agreed to meet there before setting out.
 
You meet your friends at the clubhouse. Everyone's there, though it seems like your friends “forgot” to bring supplies. Looks like you're the pack mule. Again. Anyways, you all decide to recap what the plan is tonight.
 
Earlier today, you all decided to pay the library a visit looking for ideas. Twilight was nice as usual, and Spike was an irritable dick as usual. Ugh, boys. She had work to do, so she basically gave you free reign of the main stacks. Things went well at first, but things happened, some laughs were had, aaaaaaaand Twilight ended up kicking you out after ten minutes. However, you three discovered an old tale in a book about Ponyville folklore. Short summary: apparently there's an old shrine in the Everfree Forest where some sort of treasure lies. The book was old and faded, so you couldn't get the specifics, but it did have an old map that you “accidentally” tore out while Twilight wasn't looking.
 
Your compatriots nod in agreement. They're ready. You look towards the path to the Everfree Forest. What do you do?
 
>Enter that forest. Shit's going down hot.
 
>Get your wagon and scooter. Need to travel easy.
 
You decide that it would be a good idea to bring the wagon. You retrieve it from the clubhouse and unload you supplies in it. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle also decide to hop in. You're irritated, but remember what Dash said, no pain no gain. You figure it'll at least be good exercise for you wings.
 
You pull the wagon from your scooter and take the path to the edge of the forest. Even though it's night, the light from the moon at least illuminates the land just enough to see. However, the darkness of the forest forms almost a solid boundary, where not even the power of Princess Luna can enter. Even though you're scared, you can't go back now, you're an adventurer, and adventurers are brave, right?
 
What do you do?
 
>Light our lantern and continue on the scooter, but at a slower pace. Not point in getting killed this early.
 
You enter the forest. The light from the lantern doesn't reach far into the darkness, but at least it's enough to illuminate the path before you. The path is rough, more so since you're pulling a wagon full of filly, but it's manageable. You wonder if the trip would have been less tiring if you just had everyone walk.
 
You follow the map to the shrine. It's far off the beaten path and you have to go through seemingly endless underbrush, but at least you don't run into any monsters. The forest seems very still tonight. Sweetie Belle has always been a bit wary about cockatrices ever since that close encounter you three had, but for some reason you wonder what it would be like to be turned to stone. You wonder in the future that you might meet a friendly cockatrice who might be able to indulge you temporarily, but you doubt it. Can they even be tamed?
 
The thought escapes you when you see your destination. The shrine stands before you in a clearing. It's beautiful, made of black stone and inlaid with obsidian. Your first instinct tells you it has to be a shrine to Luna (or at least Nightmare Moon), but closer examination reveals that it lacks her crescent insignia. Maybe to Discord? Maybe something even older? Your thoughts are interrupted as Applebloom tells you to quit dawdling and starts walking toward the entrance.
 
>Get a closer look at the shrine with the light.
 
>Call for Applebloom to stop. Tell her that it may be being "chickenish" on your part, but running into shit without thinking about it will end up making it impossible for us to really earn our Cutie Marks. Explorers are thorough and meticulous first and foremost, if we just rush in, there's no point bothering with any of it.
 
If that's too much for Scootaloo's pea brain, just rush in after her. Bring the wagon.
 
>Tell Applebloom to stop while we examine the outside of the shrine. Have any of us payed enough attention during class to recognize any symbols on it?
 
Applebloom agrees that a place like this might be booby trapped. You approach slowly, though nothing happens as you approach the shrine. Shining you lamp on it, the very stone itself appears to be a black abyss. Sweetie Belle says that it resembles obsidian, and that she would know since Rarity has develop a recent fascination with the black mineral.
 
The shrine outside is plain, the actual entrance being the only thing that draws attention.
 
>Wait, toss a rock or a stick inside first.
 
>head inside slowly
You find a rock and toss it in, but nothing trips.  Deeming it to be safe, you enter the shrine. It's small; this has got to be the only room. Your lamp completely illuminates the interior, revealing that, aside from the faded markings and symbols on the walls, it's a plain old stone room. A plain old stone room, that is, with a pedestal at the far end. You can't make it out well in the dark, but you can see the glimmers of light: one orange, one red, and one green. As you walk, a tile suddenly clicks and depresses underneath your hoof.
 
What do you do?
 
>run back outside
 
>Jump back outside real fast and tell the girls to do the same.
 
In a panic, you run outside, throwing yourself on the ground with your hooves over the back of your neck.
 
You can't hear anything though, and turning back, you just see Applebloom complaining about shoddy workmanship and how she could probably make a better shrine. Apparently, they don't make 'em like they used to.
 
You feel a little chicken, especially since Sweetie and Applebloom paid it little mind.
 
The pedestal still stands before you.
 
>Blush and go back inside. Examine the ground around the pedestal before examining the pedestal itself.
 
>inspect pedestal
 
You carefully inspect each and every tile between you and the pedestal for possible traps. Nothing triggers (at least nothing you're aware of).
 
You stand over the pedestal, revealing that the glimmers of light are actually very small gems arranged in a triangle. The little jewels are perfect spheres and can't possibly be more than an inch in diameter. They appear to glow faintly with an otherworldly light. Aside from some geometric patterns, you can't see anything resembling text. After a few moment, your companions stand at your side, admiring their beauty. Sweetie says that she bets her sister would love to get her hands on one of these.
 
What do you do?  
 
>Poke the gems with a stick.
 
>Poke whichever one is the closest color to our coat.
 
>Wait a second, can we see which shapes go with which gems first?
 
All three gems are inside of triangles with a smaller circle inside. Other than the color, they are identical.
 
You poke the orange gem with a stick from outside. It seems to glow brighter and hum a little when you get near it, but the stick won't dislodge it. It definitely seems to react to living things, though.
 
>Prod the orange gem with a hoof
 
>Poke the others and see if they react differently. If they don't them let's take the orange one.
 
You try prodding it will your hoof. It's definitely looser, and a gently tug with your teeth will probably pry it off. The other gems react the same way.
 
Will you choose to take the orange gem?
 
>Maybe everyone takes one at the same time.
 
>HEAVEN OR HELL LET'S ROCK!
 
You decide that it would be best if all three were lifting at the same time. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle agree that it would be a smart idea. You got the orange one, Sweetie grabs the green one, and Applebloom grabs the red one. You decide to pull on the count of three.
 
1
 
2
 
3!
 
You yank with all your might, pulling away the gem. You hold it triumphantly in your mouth, but Applebloom and Sweetie Belle can't seem to get theirs loose. You guess that the others lock the moment one is removed.
 
You are about to put it in your bag when the whole shrine shakes and emits some sort of terrible bellow from all around. You gasp, only to feel the gem fly down into you throat. Oops.
 
What do you do?
 
>HEIMLICH! HEIMLICH!
 
>Cough it up.
 
>poop it out
 
You gag hard on the gem. Though you strain and strain, it's firmly lodged in your throat. Seeing as trying to get it out of you isn't going anywhere, you have no choice but to swallow it. It slides down easily, and you can breathe precious, precious air again. That is, until a sharp pain erupts from your stomach which sends your world whirling. You hit the ground with a dull thud as darkness overtakes you.
 
You wake up to see Sweetie and Applebloom looking over you with worried faces. They ask you if your alright and that you were out for a few moments. They help you stand up.
>Check ourselves for injuries. You don't fall on a stone floor without getting a nasty bump on the head.
 
>Get out of the shrine and check out body over to make sure everything still works and looks right.
 
You decide it would be best to run for your lives as you make a break for the entrance. The stone door closes just as you exit, almost catching your tail.
 
You collapse on the group, still tired from the adrenaline rush and nearly choking to death. After resting a bit, everyone decides to check themselves for injuries. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle seem to be fine, and you don't have anything other than a minor scrape on your left foreleg. There's also a sort of odd, irritating feeling that seems to extend across your whole body. It's very faint, and you can only really notice it when you focus on it. You dismiss it as just your body recovering from a lack of oxygen.
 
Sweetie Belle looks back at the shrine, now completely sealed. Without some sort of magic or explosive, there's no way you're getting back in. "Well," Sweetie says, "I guess we should go home now. We probably aren't finding our cutie marks tonight."
 
What do you do?
 
>Ask Sweetie Bell how bad it is if we accidentally swallowed that gem back in the shrine.
 
>Say that you swallowed the gem and that you should go see if Twilight has any advice about it
 
>In fact, go back to Twilight and fess up the whole thing, the book you got the map from, the description and location of the shrine and the odd feeling you have.
 
You tell Sweetie and Applebloom that you accidentally swallowed the gem and are kind of freaking out right now. "That's nothing to be afraid of," Sweetie responds, "I accidentally swallow gems all the time when Rarity has them out. Sometimes I mistake them for candy. As long as it's small, it'll pass eventually." Applebloom looks on with mild disgust.
 
Anyways, you decide that taking medical advice from Sweetie Belle might not be the best idea and that maybe you should talk to Twilight, since the gem seemed magical. You gather your things and head back on the trail home. For some reason, everything seems, well, less dark. You probably wouldn't even need the light of the lantern to get back home. Looking up, though, you see that the moon is now completely covered by clouds; if anything, it should have gotten MORE dark. Weird.
 
Still, you light up the lamp and begin pulling everyone on the road back to Ponyville.
 
>Return to Ponyville
 
You're reluctant to take your eyes off the trail, since you have to watch out for monster and potholes that might tip the wagon over. The trip home is silent anyways; you think everyone's still miffed about having to call it a night so early.
 
You finally make it to the forest's edge, and can finally see the rest of Ponyville. You start to say, “We're finally back,” but your mouth feels funny, almost like it's it's full of something. You turn to ask your friends if you have a swollen lip, but they gasp and get a scared look on their faces.
 
“Scootaloo,” Applebloom says, “When did you get fangs?”
 
Curiously, you bring your hoof up to your teeth, only to confirm that you have two new pointy chompers. This isn't good, especially since that uncomfortable feeling from earlier is just now beginning to become noticeable. Oh dear.
 
What do you do?
 
>I suggest we PANIC!
 
Though your first reaction is to PANIC! This would probably make everything worse. Panic anyway?
 
>Let's not panic yet.
 
>Give in to the thirst, feast on their lifeforce.
 
Or, you know, keep your mouth closed around other ponies until we can find Twilight.
 
>Tell the girls to get out and head home. Once they are one their way we should get to Twilight's place, or maybe Zecora would know what to do?
 
It's very late at night, so you don't assume that you'll run into many ponies on the way to the library. This also means that Twilight is sleeping, and she'll probably get mad at you all for doing something so dangerous (as well as creating a mess of yourself).
 
Applebloom reminds you that you are Cutie Mark Crusaders, and they can do anything! Maybe if you get that book, it might have some more information. Applebloom says that time is of the essence and that you should sneak in and get it, while Sweetie is tired and thinks that you should wait until morning and check it out normally so you won't arouse suspicion.
 
You're the one with the problem, what do YOU want?
 
>We should probably wake up Twilight, we don't want to end up with an Ancient Curse Victim Cutie Mark.
 
>Aight, well, lets head to the library first, Sweetie can suck it up for now, everyone complained about it ending early anyway. Try and sneak in and get a look at the book without waking her up, if it turns out harmless, or at least not quickly harmful, we can put off waking her up.
 
Besides, CUTIE MARK CRUSADER HOME INVADERS
 
You decide that this "thing" is far beyond your understanding and that being grounded would be far better than turning into some bloodsucking freak of nature. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle exchange looks of worry, but they agree to stand by you whatever happens.
 
You walk to the library. The streets are deserted, you you don't have to worry about hiding you little "friends."
 
>You reach the library. None of the lights are on. Bang on the door, yes or no?
>Yes.
 
>bang on that door and scream for twilight
 
You bang on the door repeatedly. After what seems like an eternity, one of the upper windows lights up. Not long after, Twilight opens the door with a groggy look on her face. "Girls? What are you doing up so late?"
 
Before she can say anything else, you leap up next to Twilight and yell, "TWILIGHT OKAY SO WE WERE JUST LOOKING FOR OUR CUTIE MARKS AND FOUND A MAP TO SOME TREASURE IN THE EVERFREE FOREST BUT THE TREASURE WAS BOOBY TRAPPED AND ENDED UP SWALLOWING IT AND NOW I'M A VAMPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE!!!! PLEASE HELP ME!"
 
Twilight seems shocked, especially after she looks down at your mouth. Her concerned face slowly gives way to anger. "GIRLS! You're not supposed to go into the Everfree Forest this late at night! It's dangerous, and now look what happened! Ugh, I already had a lot of work to do tomorrow, and now I have to fix YOUR problem. Listen, it's late, and it'll be morning soon. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, go home. I'll be talking with your sisters tomorrow. As for you, you're staying here so I don't have to find you in the morning."
 
You can see Spike entering the main hall from upstairs. "Twilight, what's going on?"
 
"Spike, we're having a guest tonight. Get the spare basket ready, would you?"
 
You look back, and Sweetie Belle and Applebloom seemed pissed at you, but turn and go on their way. Twilight beckons you to come inside.
 
>Let's go inside
 
You go inside and follow Twilight upstairs. You see a big bed, a small yet cozy basket, and Spike preparing another smaller yet seemingly less comfortable one in a corner of the room. Twilight tells you that you're going to sleep there tonight. You lie on the bed as Spike and Twilight try to get comfortable again. Though the room is peaceful, you're almost worried sick.
 
>Let try and go to sleep.
 
>Try to sleep.
 
You try to sleep, but you seem restless. You that you have a chance to focus on your, "itch," it seems to be growing. You just have this overwhelming feeling of emptiness inside you that's driving you crazy.
 
You open one eye, and see Twilight and Spike fast asleep. Though Twilight's much bigger than you, Spike's about your size. It would be so easy, and besides, friends help friends. If he knew how you were feeling, he'd probably gladly "donate."
 
*alright, time to shake things up a bit. If the next post number is odd, we'll do what it says. If next post number is even, we'll do the OPPOSITE of what it says. Rev up your scripts!*
 
>WEll, its mostly random anyway, so lets wake Twilight up and bother her about it. There are pigs or something that could be sacrificed to the cause.
 
Captcha: Cause maitsel
weird.
 
>ignore the urge (post ended in 9)
 
My oh my.
 
You feel a slight twinge of guilt that this is precisely what you DIDN'T want to happen, but you don't know how much longer you can bear this discomfort. You stealthily walk to Spike's side, looking down at him. He looks so peaceful. You lower yourself on him gently, ready to restrain him if he wakes up. You lower you mouth down to his neck, and...
 
CHINK!
 
Ow. Dragon scales are harder than you thought. Despite your best attempts, Spike remains shielded. Your prodding wakes him up to find you on him, nibbling on his neck. He blushes and gets a big grin. "Gee, uh, Scootaloo, I, uh, didn't know you felt this way about me."
 
You leap off of Spike. Shit. What were you doing? You lost control there, and you don't know what would have happened if Spike wasn't a dragon. You're terrified, and wake up Twilight immediately, telling her what you just did. She's understandably upset.
 
"Scootaloo, this is bad. You're losing control. I don't want to be mean, but I think it would be best if I locked you in the closet tonight."
 
Oh shit, that's even worse. You're highly claustrophobic, and you think that it's a bad idea trying to totally deprive yourself of blood. If you could just find someone willing to donate, you bet you'd feel better. If you don't, then you might turn into a snarling beast. Twilight turns to rummage through her keys. This is your chance to make a break for it. Do you trust Twilight's judgement, or do you try to take matters into your own hands? She really doesn't understand what's happening to you.
 
>Trust her judgement
 
>Run! Fuck Twilight, we'll beat this shit the Cutie Mark Crusaders way!
 
>Suggest trying to eat some regular food first. It might help at least temporarily. There are also restrainment options other than being locked in a closet. At the very least we could get locked in the basement where there is a lot more room.
 
>stay in the closet like a tennessee homosexual
 
 
*Okay guys, don't say I didn't warn you*
 
"Twilight," you beg, "Please, I don't want to go in the closet. Maybe I'm just hungry, I'll go grab something to eat down in the kitchen." You dart down the stairs as Twilight calls after you. You race down to the kitchen and grab the first thing you see. Ha! An apple! I nice, red, deep, succulent, with such soft flesh...No! You force these thoughts out of your head as you bite down into it.
 
Dear Celestia, was this apple rotten? I sure tasted that way. Still, you chew it, unable to hide the disgusted look on your face from Twilight. You force it down, almost puking. You don't understand. Apples are your second favorite food.
 
Twilight walks over slowly and tries to comfort you. "Scootaloo, I know you're scared, I'm scared too. But, the closet's the only place that I can lock up. I told Spike to put your bed in there. Just close your eyes and before you know it, it'll be morning."
 
You gently sob, but accept you fate as you walk into the closet. The door gently shuts on you. Leaving you in complete darkness. You hear the lock turning, and you are now sealed until morning.
 
*not much to do but wait until morning*
 
>Let's see if there is a block of wood or something in there that we can get our teeth stuck in, but still leave us free to walk around.
 
>Sleep, I guess. Try not to die of thirst/hunger whatever. Before you come out make sure that all the curtains are closed and stuff, we still don't know what sunlight does to us.
 
You sit in darkness for hours. unable to sleep. That feeling just won't go away. Now that you're in the closet, there's nothing to distract you from it. It eats at you, clouding your thoughts, making you feel only hatred and hunger.
 
*knock knock* "Scootaloo, it's morning. Are you okay?"
 
You remember that voice, you can only feel hatred as you remember that it denied you your sustenance and locked you in this prison. You're so incensed you can't even bring yourself to speak.
 
"Scootaloo?" The doorknob turns, and the purple devil looks at you with concern. You don't care, this is your chance. You NEED blood. You attack her. Despite her best attempts, you feel yourself shielded from her spells.
 
It's over in a flash. You feel much better know. You look towards Twilight's collapsed body. Suddenly panic engulfs you. Or, least it would have, if she didn't slowly get back on her feet.
 
You breath easy and say your terribly sorry. She has a blank look on her face and responds, "Apology accepted, Master Scootaloo."
 
Uhh, you always wanted a zombie slave, right?
 
*don't underestimate the urges, they'll come to bite you in the bun. Maybe now that you know what you're capable of you'll be quicker to get Scoots back to normal*
 
>Let's stick a hoof into a patch of sunlight and see if it burns. If it doesn't then we should probably go and see if Zecora knows a cure for us. If the sunlight does burn then we should ask Spike what to do.
 
>Well, shit. I guess we should have run while we had the chance. Getting around in the sunlight is going to be a bitch.
 
Your thoughts turn to Spike, and how he'll probably run and tell everyone about what happened. You scan the room for him, but it seems that he's not at the library. Thank Celestia (or should it be Luna now? You suppose you ARE a creature of the night).
 
Twilight seemed to block all the windows before checking on you, how thoughtful of her. You carefully pull one aside, letting sunlight in. You check if that old myth about vampires and sunlight is true by sticking out your hoof.
 
OW! Looks like it is. You probably couldn't survive more than a few seconds out there without heavy protection. Then you realize: why should YOU go out when you have a handy dandy mindless slave to go out for you? However, those bite marks are a bit noticeable, and you're not sure how well Twilight could function on her own if she went out.
 
You ask Twilight about who might know anything about dark magic and curses. "If we can't find anything in this library, then Zecora would be a good place to start. He has to know dark magic in order to reverse it," she says in a monotone voice.
 
Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. What do you do?
 
>Tell Twilight to go answer the door, but not open it.
 
>Test Twilight in the sunlight quickly, then have her ask the person at the door what they want, without opening it.
 
You tell Twilight to answer the door, but not open it.
 
She trots over rigidly, and then calls out to whoever's out there.
 
"Twilight, it's us, we wanted to check on Scootaloo!" Oh, it's Applebloom and Sweetie! Let them in! you order Twilight. She obliges, and the three of you have a happy reunion.
 
"Hey Scootaloo, how are you? Did you sleep well?" Sweetie Belle inquires.
 
"How was the night here?" Applebloom also asks.
 
>"Not good, would you two be willing to go and get Zecora? We accidentally bit Twilight."
 
"YOU WHAT!?" Sweetie and Applebloom ask in unison.
 
"Well, she locked me up and I couldn't control myself. Anyways I'm feeling better now. For how long, I don't know. We need to find out how to get me back to normal ASAP"
 
*Sweetie Belle's not paying attention, she's over poking the mindless Twilight. "Cool!" she says.*
 
"Anyways, Twilight told me that if what we're looking for isn't in this library, then Zecora might know something that might help. I'm also worried about Spike. He doesn't know about what I did and I'm not sure he'll take it well. Oh, I wish Dash was here, she'd know what to do."
 
Sweetie Belle chimes in, "Spike's at my house! I saw him helping my sister when I left."
 
Applebloom sighs, "Well, whatever we decide, you probably can't go out during the daylight, so just tell us what you think we should do and we'll do it."
 
>Ask them to help us look for a book that talks about a cure. Tell twilight to go bandage her neck. If anyone asks what happened she should tell them she fell asleep on a quill and it poked a hole in her neck.
 
>I can save you the trouble.
 
2 Blood Grass
5 Nightshade
6 Garlic
Argonian Blood
Ashes of a powerful vampire
 
>Spend a bit of time looking for a book, there might be something that can help.
 
If there is nothing, get Twilight to write a note to Spike, using her normal hand/hornwriting, explaining that we have gone to Zecoras to help solve our problem, but mention nothing specific in case someone else sees it.
 
>Once all the options in this place are exhausted lets find a cloak or raincoat or something, a sheet if nothing else, and lets get on the way to Zecoras.
 
 
In a desperate attempt, you try to remember the cure for vampirism from you favorite game, Eldeer Scrolls 4: Bolivion. Sadly, most of those things don't exist in Equestria (or even the rest of the world for that matter). Meh, worth a shot.
 
You decide that spreading you all out wouldn't be a good idea and that you should all try to look for that book first. Ordering Twilight to bandage her neck and put a scarf over it or something, you three set about tearing apart the library (two days in a row, that's a new record). It's not long until Applebloom finds it in the "To Re-shelve" pile. She brings it over. Oh yeah, that's the book alright. You remember that old, musky smell. Turning to the page where you go the map you decide to read the surrounding passages. The pages are very worn, but your able to make out some key passages.
 
>Gift from the moon
>Dark power
>Nothing known.
>To touch them is to invite death itself.
 
Well, shit. Looks like you should read things more often. Still, the "Gift from the moon thing is interesting." Maybe Princess Luna might know something? More importantly, how does one contact her without letting even more people in on our secret?
 
Twilight returns, asking if she did a good job. She looks spiffy in a scarf, now if only you could do something about the blank stare and emotionless expression.
 
>She did good. Tell her about the information we found and ask her if she has any ideas about what it all means.
 
Also: Tell the girls that if we start to act funny they need to get out of the library right away.
 
>Might as well try telling her to act like she isn't a mindless slave. Its worth a shot.
 
It definitely sounds like Luna might know more about this, but it also sounds like something we would get in trouble for messing with. The ideal solution is to fix it ourselves, with as few other people knowing as possible.
 
>Right now, Zecora is our best non-Princess bet for information, so that still seems like the best short term option. Ask Twilight if she can send messages to the Princesses with magic, file that information away, make sure there is nothing left to do here and lets continue on our way to Zecora's. The longer we spend doing nothing, the sooner we get to see if Twilight's blood is still tasty.
 
"Twilight does this make sense to you?"
 
"Yes master, the moon passage sounds interesting. Also, it appears that only fools would go off to find these artifacts without a dedicated magical archaeology team." Well, at least she's still in there, somewhere.
 
You decide the best course of action right now would be to go to Zecora's. You're able to make a very heavy coat from old, loose articles of clothing. It's going to be hot, but you can deal with it for now. The Everfree Forest has thick shade and should be much better for a person, well, like you. You also tell your friends that what you did this morning scared you tremendously, and that they should run the moment they get suspicious of you. You really don't want to hurt them like you hurt Twilight. They're concerned, but Applebloom rests a hoof on your shoulder and tells you that Crusaders always stick together and that you'll get through this some way or another.
 
You all are about to leave, when Sweetie Belle asks what we should do about Spike. You almost forgot, what WILL do you about him?
 
>Tell Twilight to leave spike a note saying she has taken you to Zecora to try and cure you. Review the note before we leave to make sure there is nothing to tip him off about her being our thrall now
 
 
You tell Twilight to write a note for Spike telling him we're at Zecora's. She does so quickly, leaving it on the main desk. Your trouble sense is tingling, so you decide to read the note.
 
"Der Spike, me and Master Scootaloo..."
 
You facehoof, and tell her to write it again, this time ordering her to leave out all mention of the M-word. She does, and you decide to tear up the old note and throw it in the trash can.
 
You all step outside, the sun beats down. You feel like you're burning, but it's not painful like it was before. You can see the Everfree Forest from here, all you need to do is get into that sweet, sweet shade.
 
>Let's get there without running into anymore ponies.
 
>Oh, let's also go ahead and order Twilight to try her best to keep us from attacking other ponies.
 
You decide that it would be best to try to not attract more attention as you make your way out. You sprint form building to building, resting a few seconds in whatever shade you can get.
 
Things seem to be going well, there aren't a lot of people out (it's Sunday morning, what do you expect?), and the sun isn't really that intense once you get used it it. Yep, smooth sail...
 
"HEY TWILIGHT! There you are! I've been looking for you."
 
A majestic blue pegasus lands elegantly in front of you. "What's up?" She asks our purple slave.
 
>Tell Rainbow Dash that we are sick and Twilight is taking us to Zecora to see if she can cure us. Also tell her that it's contagious and Twilight is starting to get sick as well.
 
>"TWILIGHT IS HELPING US GET OUR PLANT STUFY CUTIE MARKS! WE'RE GOING TO ZECORAS! RIGHT TWILGIHT? TELL RAINBOW THAT!"
 
>Basically, act normally hyper and everything, lead Twi into answering, without tipping off Dash.
 
 
"Hey squirt." Dash casually remarks on seeing you. She called you squirt! Oh man, that's totally awesome!
 
Oh yeah, mindless Twilight, think fast Squirt, think fast.
 
"HEY RAINBOW DASH! SORRY, WE'RE JUST A LITTLE SICK AND TWILIGHT'S GOING TO HELP US GET OUR HEALING HERBALIST CUTIE MARKS AT ZECORA'S HUH TWILIGHT?
 
The purple unicorn responds, "Yes we are, Master Scootaloo."
 
Crap, um, "OH YEAH DASH, DID I ALSO MENTION THAT TWILIGHT LOST A BET THIS MORNING AND NOW HAS TO CALL ME MASTER?" You say, trying to give Dash your most innocent smile. Wait, smile? Fuck.
 
Dash looks to you, then Twilight, then back to you, THEN tto the crusaders, before finally saying, "Yeeeeaaah, what's going on here?"
 
*Sorry guys, you didn't tell Twilight not to use the M-word in front of other ponies*
 
>Shit, our cover is blown. Tell Rainbow Dash that we may have accidentally become a vampire and then turned Twilight into our minion. We are going to see if Zecora knows how to cure us. Ask her if she wants to come along and help us.
 
>FUCK
YOU
 
>Spill the beans and beg Dash not to tell anyone.
 
You say, "Weeeell, it all started last night, me and the rest of the crusaders found this old black shrine and I accidentally swallowed this gem, which might have accidentally turned me into a vampire. We went to Twilight, but things happened, we both tripped at the same time and my mouth just fell on her neck accidentally, so now she's kind of my mindless thrall.  Accidentally, of course. Oh please don't tell anyone, we're heading to Zecora's to fix this mess."
 
Dash is visibly angry. "ACCIDENTALLY? How do you accidentally eat a rock!? And you expect me to believe that story about you "accidentally" biting Twilight? What if she can't be cured, huh? What then?"
 
She's understandably quite upset, but you're beginning to draw faces as more and more bystanders fill the streets.
 
>"Please don't draw attention to us, if she can't be cured then we will send her to Celestia and then go hide in the forest somewhere, we just want to get better."
 
>You'd think that in a society where most people use their mouths to pick things up they would be more understanding of accidentally swallowing things. Has she never tried to pick something up and inhaled it?
 
>Besides, we're trying to fix her. That's why we're going to Zecora's! She lives in the forest, she probably knows all about those crazy rocks.
 
As easy as it would be to give Dash a "kiss" on the neck to shut her up, reasoning with her is probably the best option.
 
"Please Dash, I'm sorry, I messed up, and now I'm trying to make it better."
 
Applebloom chimes in too, "Yeah Dash, it was my idea to go to that shrine last night, blame me. We're all just really scared and need to make things better."
 
Dash sighs, and says, "Alright, but I'm not letting any of you out of my sight until all this is over with."
 
YA! You jump for joy and go to hug your hero. She pushes you away and says, "Don't touch me."
 
You feel like crying.
 
>Cry silently as we walk to Zecoras. Tell Rainbow Dash that if we start acting weird she needs to grab Applebloom and Sweetie Bell and fly away as fast as she can. We don't trust ourselves anymore.
 
>Wow, what a bitch. Should have bit her when we had the chance.
 
>Kind of a bitch, but she does have a good reason for it. Put on a brave face and head towards Zecora's. Let's not do anything that makes us seem to dangerous, no warning her about us or anything, we seem to have time before we lose control, and the other CMC know about it anyway.
 
You gently sob as you make your way to the Everfree Forest. Even though Dash is walking behind you, you can just feel her glaring at you. You debate whether or not you should worry her more by telling her that you might actually lose control, but before you can say anything, she says, "Oh, and if I even suspect your going to betray us again, I'm taking Applebloom and Sweetie Belle and bolting to Celestia's Palace, you monster."
 
That was it, you couldn't hold it back any longer. You're hero, the champion that you looked up to every day, just called you a monster. Try as you might, they can definitely hear you crying now.
 
You feel a wing wrap over you. "Hey kid, okay, you're scared, I'm scared too. you probably didn't mean any of this to happen. I'm sorry for going off on you like that. I should have waited until I calmed down. Maybe we can play ball or something after this is all said and done, huh?" Even though Dash's voice was stern, there was sincerity in it. You feel better.
 
You finally enter the Everfree Forest. The shade feels wonderful and you can finally shed your heavy coat and breathe easy.
 
>D'aww
 
Continue to Zecora's.
 
>Let keep on going, keep an eye and ear out for any monsters.
 
Zecora's hut is in a safe region of the Everfree Forest, so the only thing that you could expect to run into on the main path would be a playful swarm of parasprites, but still, it's always a good idea to be wary.
 
But, you find yourself more wary about yourself than any monster. It's approaching midday, and you don't know how long it will be until "the itch" returns again. You know it will sooner or later, and you dread every moment of it.
 
You finally reach Zecora's hut. It's strangely quiet (then again, you've only been out to her hut once before, so you're not the one to judge.)
 
*Taking vote now, rhymes or no rhymes?*
 
>Probably no rhymes, unless you're great at it. Its pretty rare to see someone that can get it right.
 
Anyway, knock and stuff.
 
>Rhymes.
 
You knock, and almost immediately Zecora opens her door. She's tall for a pony, so she has to crane her neck downwards to see you. "Scootaloo, what are you..." she trails off before seeing your massive pearly whites.
 
"Hey Zecora, I hate to intrude, but we have little, TEENY TINY problem."
 
She looks at you, then at Twilight. "All of you, come inside, where our course of action we can decide."
 
>Let's go on in. Tell her we aren't sure how much longer we have until the Hunger returns and we loose control of ourselves.
 
 
You all walk inside and tell Zecora the story. She absorbs it silently until you finish you tale with you all arriving at her hut (leaving out the part where you cried, of course. You ARE a big pony, after all).
 
Without saying a word, she mixes up a brew in a small cup and tells you to drink it. "But I told you I cant eat regular food."
 
"Drink" the zebra commands. You decide to chug the whole thing in one go. It's the most disgusting thing you've ever tasted, and you vomit not long after it touches your lips. Sweetie Belle yelps in disgust, but all Zecora seems interested in is your stomach juices. Despite her best efforts, she can't find the orange gem.
 
"It's been too long, it's melded with you. You should have come last night, you fool. Hold on, let me read, maybe I can find your dark seed. While wait, the stew should be ate." Fuck this I'm not rhyming anymore.
 
While everyone helps themselves to the beet stew, you can't help but feel how hungry you are.
 
Oh Celestia, it's back. It's faint again, but it's back.
 
>Tell them the hunger is coming back. Ask Twilight if she would be able to survive if you fed off her again.
 
>Warn Zecora and the others that you are starting to feel hungry, but can still easily control it.
If Twilight is suitable as food, then theres no danger to anyone else, but if for some reason she isn't, Zecora's going to need to do some bloodletting.
 
>Volunteers would probably be the best choice if we can't feed off of Twilight.
 
"ZECORA!" You yell, startling everyone. She rushes out of the back room in a flash. It's surprising how fast zebras are, you think.
 
You tell her, that you're starting to feel it again. Zecora's brow furrows, Dash's eyes focus intently on you, and Sweetie Belle and Applebloom exchange worried glances.
 
"Did it just come back? How bad is it?" the zebra asks. Yes, just now, and while it's just a tickle, you know it will grow soon. She asks if you can wait for about 10 minutes, and say that you'll try. She goes back into the back room again. Everyone is watching you (except Twilight, she's been staring into space for a while now.).
 
>Let's go and stand by the door, tell Twilight to stay between us and the others until Zecora brings us whatever she is making.
 
After what feels like an eternity, Zecora returns with an old manuscript in some sort of foreign language. She opens the page and shows you an image that looks just like the shrine that you and the other crusaders visited. You tell her that that's the one, and she seems a bit relieved. "Little one, this is a shrine to Saturn, an old god, far older than the Princess you worship today. It was he who first created the night, so he could hide his evil schemes in darkness. He would leave a little bit of his power in his shrines, where his followers could assume one of his aspects to better serve him. You have consumed the aspect of hunger. This gives me a direction and I should be able to research a cure."
 
You tell her that's great and all, but what about now? You NEED blood or else you'll turn into a monster again. "Can't I just bite Twilight again?"
 
Zecora says no, Twilight's blood is tainted already and you need something pure, and bloodletting won't work because the hunger requires both flesh AND soul to be satisfied. You'll need a volunteer, but you shouldn't worry. Once the hunger leaves you, everyone else will turn back to normal.
 
>Ask the others if any of them want to volunteer.
 
>Well then, clearly Zecora is out, she needs to be researching. Make sad eyes at the rest of them, one of them needs to step up.
 
>Or we could ask Zecora if an animal or something would work, it's a long shot, but Twilight could probably tele-grab something out of the forest.
 
You feel better now knowing that everyone should be fine (that is, as long as you don't demonstrate phenomenally poor judgment), but you still don't want to do this. Zecora steps up for you, asking casually if anyone would like to be a volunteer. Dash looks at you, then at Twilight. Sweetie and Applebloom are silent.
 
Dash speaks, "So, mind control, huh? "Enthralling" and all that jazz?"
 
Why is Dash opening her wings? She gonna fly off?
 
"I suppose I won't get another chance like this again." She cranes her neck down to your level. "Do it kid."
 
As much after you don't want to bite your idol, you decide that it's better than the alternative. You're as gently as can be, making a small incision and drinking the blood from her veins. When you're finished, she buckles, then rises in the same manner that Twilight did earlier this morning.
 
Well, that's two.
 
>Ask Zecora what the plan is.
 
Dash you naughty girl, you.
 
>Progress on our quest for world domination!
 
>Okay, so how do we fix this, Zecora?
 
You tell her that you feel a little dirty, she tells you she knows. She also says that a counter-curse of this magnitude will require some time to prepare. She always says she might, MIGHT need you to get some materials yourself, and that you should check in on her occasionally to see its progress. Other than that, she suggests just trying to survive and keep a low profile, but you aren't going to do that, now are you?
 
When she finishes, Spike walks in, "Hey Twilight, there you are. I got your note and...am I interrupting something?
 
END OF DAY 1