What Goes Bump In The Night 3

>Someone pawed at Sunset’s hair. Half-asleep, she slapped the hand away. A foot nudged her shin, causing her to curl into a ball, making an unhappy grumble as she did so. A few wonderful, peaceful moments passed, almost long enough for her to fall back asleep, when she heard snoring. It was loud; something closer in volume to a revving chainsaw than any sound a living creature could make. The sound was no doubt coming from Starburst. She always got that loud when she took off the machine that helped her breath during the night.
>Growling under her breath--and swearing to glue her stupid packmate’s facemask to her head if she kept the noise up--Sunset rolled over, hoping to find something to dampen the sound. She was part way onto her side when she bumped into someone. Without a second thought, she wiggled closer, pressing herself as close to them as possible. The snorting, to her delight, was dampened somewhat as she did this, especially when she pulled their blanket over her.
>Letting out a happy sigh, she laid there, enjoying her savior’s body heat, or lack thereof. They were oddly cool; noticeably so. Usually, all of her packmates were like ovens in the morning. Sunset sniffed them, brow furrowing. From the scent, she couldn’t make out who it was. Still keeping her eyes closed, Sunset reached up and poked the person.
>It was a male. A very large male; so large, in fact, that he dwarfed her.
>It took a few seconds. Sunset’s eyes snapped open and she quickly rolled away. Anon laid right in front of her, mouth partially opened. Two blankets covered him, one sliding off his shoulders from her roll, the other covering his lower body. Many of her packmates were splayed around the giant. Thunderlane and Caramel were pressed up against either side of his legs, Roseluck had herself propped up against his rump, Bonbon herself pressed against his upper back, an arm draped around his throat.

>Anon, sensing the blanket covering his top half falling off, reached up with a hand and put it back into its proper place. He then shifted, causing everyone around him to move, before going still. His mouth opened a bit more, a snore escaping him before his body twitched.
>The giant’s eyes snapped open, deep green eyes focusing on Sunset. Sunset reached behind her, grabbing her discarded blanket, a small smile on her face.
“Morning,”she said.
>Slowly, Anon rose up onto his side. Everyone around him was forced to shift and move as he got into a sitting position, hair messy and his eyes half closed. He rubbed an eye, blankets falling away. Tilting his head up somewhat, he yawned, revealing normal, human teeth. As Sunset stared into his mouth, his jaw cracked. No, not cracked; it was too loud, too sharp, like metal snapping in half.
>The sound tore through the room, causing nearly everyone to sit up with barks and snarls of alarm. All eyes quickly settled on Anon, who didn’t seem to realize the commotion that he had just caused. The giant smiled at her.
>“Morning.”

~_~_~_~_~_~_

“This is pretty good ice cream.”
>Sunset couldn’t help but sigh as she lead Anon down the street. The giant had been excited about her showing him around town, so much so that she had barely gotten anything to eat before she had been all but carried outside. She had protested, of course, saying that the packmaster hadn’t wanted him leaving the estate, but Anon wasn’t hearing any of it. Her packmates, not helping matters, had told the two to have fun.Granny Smith had even shoved some money into her hand as she was being dragged out the door.

>The two had wandered around town for a few hours. There wasn’t much to downtown; a few shops, a post office, a few pizza places and some empty buildings. Despite this, Anon seemed excited, staring at the aging, sometimes decrepit buildings as if it were the most exciting thing in the world. When she had pointed this out, he had just laughed, muttering something about magic and friendship. She had done as she had promised and then some, taking him to every building, through every alley, and even into a few of the stores, and when the ice cream shop did eventually open she had taken him in that and left with some rocky road and much less spending money in her pocket.
>Anon was happily munching away on what much have been half a tub of ice cream, his mammoth hand holding hers. Sunset, in between licks, was trying to navigate him back toward the estate, hoping that this little trek would be enough for him.
>“You sure you don’t want a lick, Sunset?” Anon asked, holding his ice cream right in front of her face. “It’s cookies and cream. I’m pretty sure they put oreos in it.”
>Sunset sniffed the ice cream before taking a lick. She wasn’t a cookies and cream kind of girl, but she had to admit that it was pretty good.
“Thanks, Anon.”
>“No, thank you. For all of this I mean,” Anon said, giving her hand a squeeze. Thankfully, he seemed to be realizing his strength, and didn’t break her hand. “I know you’d have preferred that I stayed inside. So really, thanks. I appreciate it.”
>Blowing a bit of hair out of her face, Sunset looked up at the giant. “You’re welcome,” she said, flashing him a smile. “And yes, I’d have liked us to stay at the estate, but that’s only for your safety. If Luna was expecting you, that means there might be others looking for you too, which makes me a little nervous. Thankfully, everything seemed--"

>A noise carried through the air, causing Sunset to freeze. It was a chuckle, it’s tone musical, almost… hypnotic. The lycan sniffed the air as the wind turned, and the scent of a corpse filled her nose.
>She spun around. There was no one else on the street. Everything was silent. A giggle came from behind her, and with a snarl Sunset turned to face it.
>Standing not a few feet away from them was a young lady holding a parasol. At a glance, the woman was nothing less than stunning. Long, shiny purple hair, smooth pale skin, a body that most would die for. Many wouldn’t notice how her deep blue eyes looked like an animals, or how her fangs seemed unnaturally long. Those that did notice these quirks usually wouldn’t live long enough to comment on them, because as soon as you saw her you were already her prey. The woman was Rarity Von Solare: second in command to the Solare Household of Vampires, one of the best dressmakers in the state, and a royal pain in her behind.
>“Sunset, darling! It’s [i]wonderful[/i] to see you,” Rarity said, batting her eyelashes. “How have things been?”
>Sunset resisted the urge to bare her fangs--doing so was considered rude even to a vampire. She instead pressed herself against Anon, trying to convey some form of ownership over the giant.
“Hello, Rarity. How’s the business?” she asked.
>She tried to keep an eye on the vampire, but as soon as she blinked she found herself face-to-face with Rarity, the parasol over her head. Rarity had a small, amused smile on her face as she stared at her. It was a smile she had seen more than once; she didn’t care for it.
>“Fabulous. Thank you for asking,” the vampire said, reaching up to pat her cheek. “It might be better if I had my favorite mannequin--”
>Sunset let out a low, threatening growl.

>“--though I fear my enthusiasm during our last session scared you off. I’m not completely heartbroken, as I’m sure I can ease you back into it, since I firmly believe that you were [i]born[/i] to strut upon a catwalk.” Rarity turned toward Anon, who was staring down at her, obviously puzzled. “But where are my manners? Here I am chatting away like some hen when I haven’t even introduced myself to this very fine, very large gentlemen over here!”
>She offered Anon her hand, making sure to keep it out of the sun.
>“Rarity Von Solare at your service, good sir. It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you.”
>Slowly, Anon reached out to take her hand. Leaning down, he planted a kiss on the back of her hand like some sort of gentlemen, a small smile coming to his face as he did so.
>“I’m Anon. Nice to meet you too, Ms. Rarity.”
>Rarity looked honestly taken aback for a few moments, before breaking out into laughter. The sound was musical; if one wasn’t on their guard it could make one lose oneself.
>“I’m thrilled that you’ve found yourself in such good company, Sunset,” she said. “Oh my stars, it’s been an age since someone’s done that.”
>“I had a feeling you’d enjoy it,” Anon said.
>“Oh I did, dear,” Rarity said, patting his chest. “Far more than you know. Now, from what I saw Sunset here was being a proper lady and showing you around our fine town. That is very well and good, but I fear she’s missed some sites. It’s not her fault, the poor dear. I fear she’s not the outgoing and explorative sort. If you would permit me, I'd be happy to give you a proper tour.”
>She offered Anon her arm. Without a second thought, he took it.
>“Wonderful. Anon, darling, if you would be so kind as to hold my parasol for me. Be careful now, I burn.”

>As soon as Anon took the parasol, Rarity placed her now free hand over his. A frown came to her face when she couldn’t pull him against her, but she quickly settled the issue by pressing herself against him as the two began making their way down the street.
>Sunset could only stand there, eye twitching as her charge was led away. A part of her really wished she had something to throw. A wooden stake, or some garlic, or maybe a bunch of rice; something to [i]really[/i] wipe the smirk off that undead drama queen’s face.
>“Don’t daddle, Sunset!” Rarity called over her shoulder. “I’d hate for you to be left behind!”
>Blinking, Sunset noticed that the two were just about to turn the corner. Growling, she charged after the two of them.

~_~_~_~_~_~

>What was supposed to be a trip finished before lunchtime dragged on into the afternoon. An immortal like Rarity was in absolutely no hurry. She took her time, leading them away from downtown to a few stores that were littered around town. Most of the shops were normal, everyday places, though a few more Sunset could tell were havens for vampires by the carefully hidden markers that one wouldn’t see if they didn’t know exactly what to look for. Each time they entered these buildings put her on edge. She half-expected a group of vampires to be waiting for them as soon as they entered the door, ready to drag Anon away. If the giant [i]could[/i] be dragged away that is.

>She was almost shocked when that didn’t happen. Other than a suspicious shopkeep staring at them with knowing looks whenever they came in, no one make a move to abduct anyone. Rarity, of course, attempted to mesmerize Anon more than once, but the giant seemed unaffected by any of it. In fact, he didn’t even seem to notice any time she tried. The vampire seemed bemused by this, though she didn’t comment. Half a dozen shops later and a new hat for Anon-- “It looked so wonderful on you that I couldn’t [i]help[/i] but buy it for you, my good man”--they once again found themselves outside.
>“There’s so much more here, dear, but I think we could wait for another day. I see no sense in taking you to every little gem in this town,” Rarity said. “That and I fear anything else would be a bit of a trek, and I wouldn’t want you overly tired.”
>“Yeah, me and Sunset better get home,” Anon said, looking back to give Sunset a smile.
“Yeah, my pack is probably wondering where we are,” Sunset said.
>Picking up her pace, she quickly hooked her arm through Anon’s. She tried to pull him away from Rarity, remembered she couldn’t budge the giant, and gave the vampire a look. Rarity chuckled, stepping away from the two.
>“It really has been wonderful, Anon,” she said. “I would offer to walk you both home, but I have a few things tha--” She stopped, tilting her head to the side. A few moments passed before her expression soured. “It appears that we might have some unwanted guests.
>That was when Sunset heard it. Barking, a loud, booming howl. They weren’t from her pack, but she knew the one howling. A bolt of panic raced through her as she began to look around, trying to find somewhere to hide Anon. She knew it was too late--the pack no doubt had her scent--but still she tried.
“Anon, we really need to get out of here,” she said, yanking on the giant’s arm.
>“Do we?” Anon asked, looking at her then Rarity. “What? What’s wrong?”

>Sunset could now hear footsteps not far away, from dozens of feet. Another howl drowned out all other sounds, sending a flock of birds into the air. Sunset tugged on Anon’s arm with all of her might, forcing him to take a step back. Rarity moved away from the two, toward a row of houses, blue eyes staring intently down the street, the tip of her fangs revealed as she let out a quiet hiss.
>That was when a foreign pack raced around the corner. They were from the east, the closest pack to theirs. Sunset knew everyone of them to be a little better than a feral wolves, thoughtless, violent, stupid, basically every stigma given to their kind. These poor traits were personified in none other than their pack leader, the most horrible creature Sunset had ever met and the self-styled rival of Luna: Gilda.
>The pack leader was at the front of her pack of ragamuffins, a grin on her face and her golden eyes gleaming. That ugly, toothy smile widened when she noticed Sunset. Lifting her head up, she let a howl that her pack took up.
>Sunset snarled, baring her fangs. Howling, especially during the daytime, [i]especially[/i] in the middle of town was not something a lycan did. Doing such things brought attention, and attention brought ruin, yet here Gilda and her ilk were flaunting themselves like a couple of pups. Were Luna here she’d never dare do such a thing.
>Her grip on Anon tightened as the pack quickly surrounded the two of them, teeth bared and looking ready for a fight.
>“And what do we have here? Looks like one of that weakling’s mutts found a way out of the doghouse.” Gilda said. “What, did your master need some puppy chow?”
“What are you doing, Gilda?” Sunset demanded. “You can--”
>The pack leader, for her size, was frighteningly fast. She was a blur as she closed the distance between her and Sunset, getting in the smaller woman’s face. Sunset couldn’t help but let go of Anon and take a step back, causing the bigger woman to chuckle.

>She took a step toward Sunset, getting into her face. Sunset tried to push her away, but the pack leader’s strength was far above her own. A shove by Gilda nearly lifted her off her feet.
>“I don’t care what Luna says. She just pops back in and expects us all to follow her like some lost puppies? Fuck that. She doesn’t have the right to spout [i]shit[/i] at me. I’m no goddamn dog. I’m a wolf, a fuckin’ predator. I don’t play nice with my prey, I fucking--”
>A hand found it’s way on Gilda’s chest. The woman wouldn’t have noticed it--ready to tear Sunset apart just because she could--if not for the fact that it stopped her in her tracks. Blinking, she looked down at the massive hand, following the arm attached to it until she looked up at Anon.
>“Please don’t shove my buddy, please,” the giant said.
>“Yes, please mind your manners. Remember, you might be dogs but you need not act like them,” the pack whipped around to see Rarity, standing between two of the pack members.
>Both lycan jumped away, yelping as the vampire glanced around, distaste etched on her face.
>“Vampire? You’re a follower of some fuckstick AND you’re dealing with these undead fucks?” Gilda snapped, trying to push past Anon. “I’m gonna--”
>She placed a hand on Anon’s side, trying to throw him away. Anon didn’t move, his hand still on her chest, stopping her from taking a single step. The pack leader snarled, nostrils flaring. This one didn’t smell like one of her own kind, he didn’t have the scent of a corpse either. He smelled almost exactly like a normal mortal.
>Confusion mixed in with rage, and the woman snarled. “Outta the way. I don’t know who the fuck you are, but I that pup needs taught a lesson. Everyone else, kill that fucking vampire. I want it’s skull.”

>The pack answered with howls. Rarity looked nonplussed, watching as she was encircled.
>“Sunset, darling, I’m very glad that you’re one of the good ones,” she said, looking down at her nails. “So many of your kind are, well… like this I suppose. Now dears, I wouldn--”
>A pair of lycan lunged at the vampire. Rarity looked over at them, sighed, and was gone. The two packmates let out yelps as they collided together, falling into a heap as the vampire appeared a few feet from them, looking bored. More of Gilda's pack leapt at her, which was met with similar results.
“Hey, all of you stop that right now!” Sunset yelled. “We can’t do this in the middle of daylight!”
“Move. Now,” Gilda said, looking up at Anon.
>She dug her feet into the ground, trying to drive herself forward. Her shoes tore up grass and dirt, but she didn’t move a single inch. Anon didn’t say anything, but his silence was enough of a no for the pack leader. Teeth bared, she leapt back. Launching herself forward, she drove her fist into the giant’s stomach, just below the sternum. There was an audible crack, which was followed by a howl of pain.
>“FUCK!”
>Gilda leapt backwards, losing her footing and falling onto her back. She quickly rolled to her knees, hugging her arm to her chest. The pack leader’s hand was clearly broken, fingers and knuckles misshapen and already bruising. She tried to leap to her feet, only to fall back down with a shriek.
>“Fucking, fuck, fuck, FUCK, FUCK!” the woman swore, golden eyes staring up at Anon in a mixture of rage and fear. “How did you… what…?
>The pack stopped trying to attack Rarity, who had been casually dodging their attacks with dancer-like twirls and steps, to stare at their pack leader. Sunset looked at Anon, her eyes wide.
>“What are you staring at?” Gilda said. “FUCKING KILL THEM ALL!”

>The pack looked at each other, then at the ground below them. Sunset, quickly stepping in front of Anon, was ready to receive the charge from a dozen werewolves, but no one moved. They tried, growling and snarling as they wiggled and squirmed, but none of them could so much as lift their feet. Looking carefully, Sunset could see why.
>Vines had sprung up from the earth to wrap around their lower bodies. Small brown vines with little pink leaves on the end of them. Hundreds of them; so many that no matter how many the wolves ripped apart with their hands more would appear. Soon their lower bodies were entirely covered in the plants.
>“...Huh, that’s something,” Anon said.
>Something caught the human’s eye. Someone was hovering right in front of him. They were lying on top of what looked like a broom; one of those old-timey ones that looked like they were made out of a stick someone found outside and some straw. They were wearing a long black hat that was covered in patches of different colors of black and grey. A golden pendant shaped like a balloon held together a cape that dropped off the sides and the back of the broom. They wore long, pink and blue striped socks that went up to their thighs. At their waist was stuffed with things; vials and papers and other junk that he couldn’t identify. It was a girl. A girl with curly pink hair and the second bluest eyes that Anon had ever seen.
>“Hiya,” she chirped. “I’m Pinkie Pie. It’s nice to meet you, mister!”