The greeting between Twilight and Sunset's grandmother had gone surprisingly calm, not being intimidated or even threatened by a human's presence in their midst. It had shocked both Sunset and Twilight, expecting resilience rather than the elderly vampire greeting and welcoming Twilight into her humble abode like she would any other vampiric guest.
Despite the shock, Twilight and Sunset took the greeting without question, deciding it best to just go with the flow. Sunset knew she had nothing to worry about, but she couldn't help but keep her guard up as she entered and took a seat on her grandmother's couch. With all that had happened as of late, she wasn't sure who she could trust of her own kind.
Even if it was someone of her own blood.
They were served tea, to which Sunset warned Twilight to resist drinking, up until she had tasted it herself. While her grandmother had taken leave from the living room, she had secretly swapped her cup with Twilight's to test, and luckily, there was no poison or vampiric-based concoctions within the liquid's consistency.
To that, Sunset could finally assure her grandmother wasn't an enemy to her or her beloved, so she calmed down and posed her body into a comforting demeanor as if she were resting at home. Twilight merely rolled her eyes with a smile, having felt like there was no ill will towards her from the sweet and elderly lady.
Nonetheless, she understood why Sunset had acted so paranoid, and to that, she just took a sip of her tea.
It was a tea unlike anything she'd ever tasted before, having a bitter-yet-pungent sweetness that caused her to react in absolute surprise.
Sunset snickered at the reaction.
"What? Can't handle vampire-signature tea, mortal?" she joked.
"Oh, shut up!" Twilight retorted in annoyance.
Sunset chuckled again.
"It's okay. I reacted the same way my first try too," she confessed. "My grandma prefers a strong brew."
"Indeed I do!"
An elderly voice broke the conversation, Sunset's grandmother having returned to the living room with her own cup of the spicy brew.
"It's the only way you can be prepared for anything nowadays! One sip and you're awake for the entire day!"
She took a seat in her rocking chair across from Twilight and Sunset, taking a sip of her jolty tea and having zero reaction to it.
"So, what brings you kiddies to my home? Let alone, how did my granddaughter end up with a human of all things?"
Sunset took a sip of her own, letting out a long breath before speaking.
"To put it straight, I'm on the run from Molsken, seeing he's out for Twilight's blood," she started. "I don't know why, grandma, but something told me to save Twilight from that freak, and now, I'm having to risk my life to fend off Molsken's forces and keep her safe. To be completely honest, I don't know why I'm doing this, but I feel I'm doing the right thing. Especially after what they did to mom."
A tear had escaped Sunset's eye, to which Twilight responded by hugging her beloved tightly in her arms. Sunset's grandmother changed her demeanor entirely from jovial to serious, eyeing her reflection in her tea with sorrow.
"I see," she started simply. "It was wrong what they did to your mother and my daughter, but what you're doing is reckless, my dear. By doing this, you're not only putting yourself in danger, but your entire race and family as well.
By putting yourself out in public, you risk exposing yourself as what you truly are, and while you may or may not be doing the right thing, you must accept that there are certain things that are beyond our control, and if we attempt to break that control, we or someone close to us ends up paying the price for it.
I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong, but even if it is right, you must take everything into account. Why you ended up saving her is pretty simple, seeing your eyes tell the story."
Sunset jumped, having forgotten her eyes had changed color in her encounter with the elite through that overwhelming phenomenon that she couldn't explain.
"My eyes? How does my eyes changing color connect to why I've done all of this?" Sunset questioned.
Sunset's grandmother took another sip then resumed.
"Because it's something that has only happened once in the history of our existence, Sunset; the symbol of love between a vampire and human; golden eyes."
A blush met Sunset's face along with bulged eyes. This was not what she'd expected out of this visit.
"What do you mean?" Sunset questioned.
Another sip.
"Long ago, before the original five vampire lords were born, the first vampire to ever exist was born. From whom and how is unknown, but what is known is that when he was created, he was given one sole purpose; to kill and eliminate the human race. However, as the boy grew amongst human society, he found that they were not hostile creatures, but instead, very much like him.
He denied his destiny and lived amongst the people he was created to destroy, up until his twelfth birthday. His body had gone through changes, just as humans do throughout their teen years, and upon the sight of the full moon, he went from a calm and collected being to a ravenous monster.
He attacked the town and killed all of them, sucking them dry of their life supply, except for one. Amongst the massacre and carnage, one lone human remained, a young woman that he refused to attack. For what reason, he did not know; all he did know was that she was one he could not harm.
He came to his senses in her presence and ran, ashamed of his actions. Under the light of the full moon, he had made the decision to kill himself to keep humankind safe from him, but before he could perform the action, someone stopped him; the girl that he couldn't harm.
He tried to explain to her how taking his own life was the only way things could be right, but she refused to allow him to take his life, and eventually, her persistence paid off. She took the boy away to somewhere safe, leaving the town and carnage behind.
For the next six years, the human girl guided him on controlling his vampirism. Many times the boy had asked why she had decided to help a monster like him, and each time the answer was the same.
I don't know why.
The two formed an unbreakable bond over those years, up until, at long last, the boy had grown able to control his vampiric nature. That bond eventually grew into a romance, and bloomed into a marriage. Upon their first kiss, a strange phenomenon took place, and when he came out of it, his eyes had turned golden, just like yours.
Their bond couldn't be broken, and their life as one went on, living amongst the human race for years, up until the man's past finally caught back up with him.
A child of one of the village's occupants had recognized the vampire responsible for his parents' death. One had been spared that night aside from the girl, and his grief had never faded; he wanted blood.
One night, that very child, now a man, attacked the home of his enemy, blazing it into a display of hellfire. The man tried to escape the home with his wife, now pregnant with their son, but the fire was spreading too fast for both to escape. Wanting to carry on his legacy, he fought through the torrent of flames, until he found an exit, and despite his beloved's wishes, pushed her through while the flames ate away at his flesh.
Devastated at her husband's demise, the girl ran; ran until she was out of sight of civilization. She survived, and was found and taken in by nuns who had been out picking berries in the forest the morning she was found, but her appetite for vengeance didn't die.
She swore vengeance for her husband.
Three months later, her child was born; the first halfbreed ever to be brought into our world. She taught the child the same as she had her husband, but deep down, her thirst for blood grew stronger. A strength that eventually ended in the life of her husband's killer being taken without mercy.
She didn't just kill him. No. She stripped him naked, tied him to a log, and threw him over a fire to be cooked alive. She watched every second of it, his screams resembling an angel's song to her, up until he was just on the edge of death.
That wasn't enough for her. He had to pay the ultimate price.
She tied him to a tree and cut out his tongue so he couldn't scream or speak. Her son had grown old enough to gain a craving for blood, so she presented her victim's worst nightmare to him; her husband's flesh and blood. She wanted him to die in the most poetic way possible, but for it to only be a one-time thing for her son to bear.
Her son sucked every ounce of blood from his mother's victim. An act that would turn out to be a grave mistake. A vampire's lust for blood is very powerful and she hadn't taken that into account. Once her victim's blood was sucked dry, the unthinkable happened; her own son turned on her and killed her dead.
With no control or guidance, that child killed off thousands, building a hatred and fear of vampires towards humans. Somewhere down the lines of history, the lessons of control evolved along with less of a craving for human blood.
The rest is history."
The story ended and Sunset and Twilight sat with faces of horror. This was new to Sunset; never before had she heard this tale of her kind's history. It explained a lot, but she wasn't still fully clear on why this tale was so important.
"Why are you telling me this, aside from the thing about the golden eyes?" Sunset questioned.
"Because, it's important you know of the true history that's been hidden from you," her grandmother confirmed. "Humans and vampires were once allies, up until an act of vengeance destroyed it. However, what's most important is the fact that the royals try to hide the most; no vampire, besides the very first, is a pureblood; the real truth is that we are all halfbreeds."
Sunset and Twilight both gasped in shock.
"That's crazy!" Sunset exclaimed. "So, the royals have been lying to us all along?!"
Her grandmother nodded.
"Your mother knew the truth, which is why you were raised to hate the royals and order of our kind and not to despise humans like the royals do. She probably planned to tell you the truth when you turned eighteen, but the royals made sure to prevent that before it could even happen."
"Everyone needs to know this! Those bastards need to pay!" Sunset shouted, rising to her feet.
Her grandmother shook her head.
"Convincing an entire race is nearly impossible, my dear. The royals would have to say it themselves to even have a chance. Their grip on our race is just too powerful."
Sunset sighed in defeat at her grandmother's words.
"You're right...but ther… there's gotta be something we can do!"
"I'm sorry, dear. I know you want to avenge your mother as much as I do, but if we let history repeat itself, and let reckless actions decide for us, then we're destined to go extinct."
Sunset clenched her fists hard, but eventually released her grip, sitting back down.
"Then what do I do against Molsken? I can't just give up on Twilight, not after everything we've been through. It feels wrong to just give up! You said it yourself in the story, the boy and girl had an inseparable bond and couldn't be separated no matter what!
All of this didn't just happen out of coincidence or chance; it happened for a reason! What if history is repeating to repair what happened all those decades ago?! The very first vampire is an example that it is possible for humans and vampires to be united, but we won't ever get that chance unless the royals are destroyed for good!
I know it sounds impossible, but I believe they can be defeated! We just need something t-
Sunset stopped in her tracks, her mind having spiked a possible way to get an advantage over the royals.
"That's it!" Sunset stated confidently.
"What is it, Sunset?" Twilight questioned.
"Molsken! That's how we get an advantage over those bastards! If I can defeat and submit Molsken, we'll have a hostage to use as a threat against them!"
"Do you really think that would work? From how you've described the royals, they seem like they wouldn't even care if you killed Molsken," Twilight analyzed.
"Most of the time they wouldn't, but Molsken is of a higher stature. He's important to all of the main rulers, so they'd care about losing him," Sunset assured.
"You'd be asking for suicide if you tried fighting him right now," Sunset's grandmother added. "You'd lose immediately."
"Even with my enhanced abilities from the "love sealing transformation" thing?" she questioned.
Her grandmother got up from her rocking chair, sitting her tea down on the side table, and walked to where Sunset sat.
"Get up," she commanded.
"What?" Sunset questioned with confusion.
"Get up," her grandmother repeated. "I want you to try hitting me with your best shot. If you can, you're ready to fight him. If you can't, you're still in need of proper combat training."
"Grandma, I don't want to hit you," Sunset stated with sincerity.
"You can't," her grandmother challenged, grabbing Sunset's arm and forcing her to her feet from the couch.
Sunset was surprised, catching her balance and eying her grandma with distaste.
"Grandma, I'll hurt you if I hit you!" she pleaded.
"Either you hit me or I'll hit you," the elder vampire threatened.
"Grandma, would you stop and lis-
Her grandmother's fist connected to Sunset's nose. Sunset quickly comforted her injury and grunted in pain.
"Grandma!" Sunset stated out of pain.
"Five seconds or I hit you harder," her grandmother threatened.
Sunset finally surrendered and got into her fighting stance. She took her best shot, throwing a fist at her grandmother's face, but it didn't connect, and was stopped by one of her grandmother's hands. Pain met her instantaneously, a blow being thrown to her abdomen, and before she could even defend, her grandma's free fist connected with her chin and sent her back against the wall.
The blows had done a large amount of damage, and Sunset found herself unable to even counter or move, collapsing from the blows. Twilight rushed to her aid, helping Sunset up and glaring back at her grandmother with anger.
"Why were you so hard on her?! She can't even stand!" she barked.
"Dear, sometimes to get a point across, you have to give it to them straight," Sunset's grandmother replied. "Give her five minutes. She'll be fine."
Twilight only continued to comfort Sunset while the elderly vampire returned to her rocking chair and took another long sip of her tea.
Some time later, after Sunset's injuries had faded, she and Twilight were gifted another cup of tea; an herbal tea designed to calm their minds of any turmoil within the past days. Both accepted their cups, sipping away slowly at the hot beverage.
Sunset had swallowed her pride already, never expecting to be submitted to a painful and powerful defeat with two strikes. It had taught her a valuable lesson to, despite age or appearance, never underestimate an opponent. Another factor still remained though; how she was going to defeat Molsken and take down the royals.
Setting down her cup after a short sip, she finally revealed her thoughts to her grandmother.
"I'm sorry I underestimated you, grandmother," she confessed in defeat. "I just didn't want to risk hurting you."
Setting down her own respective teacup, her grandmother eyed her with her glimmering amber eyes, a smile meeting her lips.
"Thank you, dear," she accepted. "You sure are less prideful than your mother was. I would've had to beat her fifty times before she'd finally give into her stubbornness."
Sunset giggled, imagining her mother being submitted by her grandmother with little-to-no effort. It put a smile on her face, but caused a tear to roll down her cheek as well upon realizing her cruel reality.
"I guess I get that from my dad," Sunset assumed.
Her grandmother immediately answered with a wave of her hand as if she were shooing away something.
"Pfft. Your father is one of the most stubborn vampires I've ever come to meet in my time! You should've seen him when I was helping him pick out your mother's wedding ring; he couldn't remember her size and fought with me over it until he realized I had raised Starry from birth. Even the employee was laughing at his naivety.
Even you were horribly stubborn growing up, Sunny. You resembled both your mother and father too well, and at points, seemed impossible to maintain. Even in your last visit you were much different than now, and I can tell you that something has changed you."
Sunset eyed her grandmother with curiosity.
"Really?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow. "In what way? I've been nothing but demanding and forceful since I got here."
"Yes, but you've also been kind, respectful, and caring," her grandmother countered. "You put your friend first before entering, afraid of how I'd react to her presence, checked her tea first, afraid I'd snuck something into it to harm her, and thought before striking me. The old Sunny I babysat all those years ago would've never done those things."
Sunset gasped at the tea comment, her eyes going wide.
"H-how did y-y-
"Sunny, your grandma has been around for quite a bit. She's picked up a lot being around humans and seeing their interactions."
Sunset merely rubbed her head, knowing she wouldn't be underestimating her grandma for the rest of her stay. She chuckled at her grandmother's word’s, allowing her to continue.
"The point is that something has changed you drastically, and it's for the better. Even if what you're doing is reckless, I can see why you're doing it. After all, love makes mortals and immortals alike do crazy things."
Sunset looked towards Twilight, a blush adorning both of their faces in the light of the room. They found that their hands had met unintentionally and had begun to grip one another in a display of care and true love.
"I'll do anything to protect her," Sunset claimed, her eyes still locked with Twilight's.
Her grandmother smiled at the display, taking another sip of her tea.
"Then I see that I can't stop you," her grandmother replied, setting her teacup back on the table. "Just know one thing, granddaughter, eventually, you won't be able to protect her; she will eventually have to protect herself from whatever Molsken throws at both of you."
"I know," Sunset agreed. "This is a fight that won't be easy to win, and if I die, at least I died doing something right. And despite what I am and what I've done, I will find her in death. No matter what it takes."
Sunset felt Twilight's hand grip hers even tighter upon the end of those words. She turned to meet her beloved's gaze, noticing tears starting to glisten in Twilight's tear ducts.
"As will I," Twilight declared with a look of confidence and promise. "No matter what it takes."
Sunset's grandmother finished her tea and placed it back on the table. Startling the lovers out of their trans, she got up and said nothing. The only indication of a response was a smile and nod, to which Sunset and Twilight both nodded at in return.
"It'll be dark soon," Sunset's grandmother started. "You two are welcome to stay the night here, but with the full moon out, I suggest you try to avoid making any noise. The last thing I need is any other resident of this area suspecting me of giving a human hospitality."
Sunset and Twilight caught on immediately, their faces turned red as a tomato and their faces being met with massive blush.
"G-grandma!" Sunset objected. "W-we weren't even planning on that!"
"Say what you want, dear, but I know a female vampire's hormones are as rapid as your enhanced running speed. All it takes is a kiss, then it just progresses more and more."
Twilight sank in her seat in complete and utter embarrassment while Sunset just fell back in her seat with her hands covering her face. She hadn't been this humiliated since when she had lost to Molsken for the first time, and as much as she attempted to wipe her grandmother's lewd comments from her mind, she knew she would never forget them for as long as she lived eternally.
The two lovers sat atop the highest thick branch of the ancient tree, Sunset having checked prior for any nearby vampires on the prowl. Knowing they were safe, they sat in the calm of the night admiring the moon in the sky that seemed close enough to touch, when in reality, it was millions of miles away from them.
Twilight had relented against the idea at first, but Sunset had convinced her through the assurance that she'd be safe from harm, and now that she sat next to Sunset on what-seemed-like the top of the world, she was glad to have not ended up just going to sleep. Not like she could anyway.
She was nearly captured that day, and was lucky that Sunset had found and saved her in time. She wasn't sure if it was some power above giving her the benefit of the doubt or just absolute sheer luck that she was still alive, but one thing was certain to Twilight; she was thankful that she'd trusted Sunset that night in her driveway.
Sunset had opened up not only her life to a whole different perspective, but had also changed her into a more confident and brave person as a whole. Three days prior, she would've never even dared to try and outwit a vampire elite force; she would've probably just ran or hid under her bed covers in hopes that they miraculously wouldn't have found her.
Now, here she was, fighting against the forces of a vampire overlord with very little fear of potentially failing. Hell, she had almost succeeded in outwitting the elites; that's not bad for a mortal with zero knowledge of vampires aside from what Sunset had taught her.
It was an amazing feeling; something she hadn't felt in so long.
While it put her life in danger, she didn't care. With Sunset she felt alive and safe from harm, and while their first meet had been bizarre and rough, she was happy to have taken Sunset's hand in this crazy adventure.
Sunset never would've thought that this would've ever been possible. What had started as a rescue mission had turned into an adventure of discovery and change. She had thought back to what her grandmother had said about her being different in her last visit here over ten years ago.
Had she really been so stubborn and reckless before Twilight came into her life? She had never noticed it, but normally people with stubborn attitudes can't see past their own ass, so it made sense if she had never noticed her own stubbornness. She reiterated all of the events in the past three days.
Upon meeting and convincing Twilight to come with her, she had been a bossy and forceful bitch; something she later apologized for after revealing her true identity and assuring Twilight that she wasn't out to make her dinner.
Twilight had acted somewhat the same, but she had a good reason to, being taken out of town with a complete stranger and constantly wondering if she was being kidnapped or actually helped by this mystery woman. Regardless, before all of this, Twilight had been very rude and low on herself, so Sunset could assure that Twilight had changed majorly in the past days.
However, the main event of this whole crazy adventure that came to her mind as the most memorable was the spring. It wasn't because of seeing Twilight's bare form and sharing her own natural form with Twilight's in the spring that it was memorable; it was due to the fact that that was the first time both of them opened up deeply to one another.
It was a conversation that broke both of them from their comfort zones and formed a layer of trust between them. Something that they had done without hesitation and without fear of judgement, giving assurance that they both thought equally of one another and didn't judge one another for anything; a comforting aspect that broke all suspicion or distrust of one another.
But what assured their love for one another?
That was the one question that Sunset asked the most as she thought further on the events that led up to this moment. The spring brought them closer to one another for sure, but what sparked their feelings for each other.
Was it all the effort she'd put into keeping Twilight safe from Molsken's forces? The things they had in common? Their undying trust for one another?
Then she thought deeper, and almost immediately, the answer clicked.
While Twilight had been terrified, like any mortal would be, at her true form when she had confessed, she had never seen, treated, or called her a monster like most humans would have. Despite what she was, Twilight had treated her as if she were any other mortal of her kind. She'd respected her for who she really was behind her folded wings and secluded fangs. Even her golden eyes didn't push Twilight away.
She had loved her for who she was, and that's why Sunset had felt the same toward her. It only came to her fully once she saw that Twilight was willing to give her own blood to save her life. That was the assurance that Twilight not only trusted her no matter the case, but also couldn't bear to see her die.
She loved her.
While she had thought a relationship between a human and a vampire to be impossible at first, after all that had happened, as much as her transformation, she knew now that it was not only possible, but that she was destined to be with Twilight until death came to her beloved.
Out of the stillness of the night, she took Twilight's hand in her own and held it tightly. Twilight followed, gripping Sunset's hand as if it were her life supply.
"Sunset?" Twilight asked lowly.
"Yeah," Sunset replied.
"I need to tell you something," Twilight answered in a somewhat sad tone.
Growing worried, Sunset turned to Twilight, her head low and a frown on her face.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Sunset replied in a concerned voice.
"No, I'm just…. Something happened today. Something odd,"
Sunset raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Ok? Define "odd." Sunset proposed.
Twilight took in a long breath and released it slowly before answering.
"When I got on the bus, I started to feel sick and got urges to cry unexpectedly. Something that has never happened before, and I don't think is just a case of being sad because of separation."
Sunset's eyes widened in surprise.
"That is odd. What do you have in mind that it could've been?"
A short pause followed, but Twilight eventually found her words.
"Given how rare a relationship like ours is, maybe it's an effect of us being separated from one another, like, the farther we are from one another, the worse the effects."
"Perhaps, but I didn't experience anything odd like that, aside from worrying about your safety."
Another pause.
"Maybe it only applies to mortals. Vampires have more supernatural abilities than humans, so maybe a vampire/human bond is delicate and affects a human more strongly."
"It's definitely not impossible, but it's not like we swore any vows or wear rings as a seal. What could've caused this to happen?"
Twilight dove into heavy thought for a moment to find what may be the cause, if this was actually being caused by their bond as lovers. One thing did come to mind that seemed logical enough, but it was definitely a long shot.
"Maybe making love was enough of a seal? I'm not sure how vampire engagement works, but that might be a cause," Twilight guessed.
"Potentially," Sunset agreed. "However, sex between vampires is very limited. It's an action normally done scarcely, because it's easy for a female to get pregnant; without protection, it's normally a 99% guarantee, and can range from one to four babies, and my kind never uses protection. If we engage, it's for pregnancy."
Twilight's eyes bulged in shock.
"It's not possible for two females to get pregnant, right?!" Twilight panicked.
Sunset giggled.
"No. That part of engagement for your kind applies to my kind as well," she clarified.
Twilight exhaled a long sigh of unadulterated relief.
"Oh thank god," she breathed, Sunset struggling to hold her laughter. "But, you said you engage for pregnancy only, so the night we engaged, was that what was on your mind?"
Sunset giggled yet again.
"No. While my kind mainly engages for pregnancy purposes, we have an exception in it being for relationship purposes as well," she explained. "It's just rare and fucking torture during the times when females are in heat."
Twilight giggled at that, not expecting vampires to have an estrous cycle in similarity to animals. If anything she'd assumed that it was exact to a human's period, but she was wrong.
"That'll certainly be an interesting experience if we live that long," Twilight thought to herself.
"Anyways, if it isn't our commitment to intercourse, then what else could it be?" Twilight stated.
Sunset thought heavily for a minute, but found nothing except one possibility, but it seemed absolutely preposterous.
"The only other thing aside from that could be that I carry some of your blood in me, but I doubt it," Sunset stated.
Twilight didn't think mutually.
"No. That's actually very possible. Think about it; by carrying a part of me, we are connected by more than just our love, but by my own life supply as well."
Sunset stopped and thought, and upon analyzing Twilight's words very vividly, it started to make sense.
Could carrying Twilight's blood cause an unintended connection that affected Twilight physically and mentally?
"You may be right, but I can't be completely sure if it's the actual cause," Sunset finally spoke.
Twilight paused in deep thought, then she found a solution to who might know if this was a possibility.
"What about your grandmother?" Twilight suggested. "She is quite experienced with vampiric history, so there is a heavy chance she could be able to know."
Sunset winced, a smile meeting her face.
"That's right!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that!?"
Twilight rolled her eyes, standing up and being careful not to fall to assured death.
"Come on, let's go see if she's awake," Twilight offered. "If not, we can always ask in the morning."
Sunset rolled her eyes in return.
"Vampires never sleep, Twilight," Sunset corrected. "She's probably in the living room knitting or reading a book."
Twilight nodded, unoffended by Sunset's correction.
"Right… just get over here and take me down," she commanded softly.
"Yes ma'am," Sunset agreed as she stood up and walked over to Twilight's position.
Lifting Twilight in her arms, Sunset maneuvered carefully down the ancient mass, finding the window to their provided bedroom and sifting through the opening steadily. She lifted Twilight from her arms and onto the floor, Twilight's small and cute feet touching the cold wooden floor softly.
Sunset moved towards the door, motioning Twilight to follow her, up until they were in the hallway that led to the staircase to the lower floor. Moving down the stairs, they came to just outside of the entryway to the living room, a mild humming of a tune just audible enough for the two girls to hear.
Entering the living room, Sunset and Twilight came to meet Sunset's grandmother in her rocking chair, a thick novel resting in her hands.
She wasn't pleased to see them in her presence.
"Shouldn't you two be in bed?" she spoke with irritation.
"Sorry grandma, but something potentially important has come up," Sunset confessed.
The elderly vampire didn't sway, but upon closing her novel, she seemed open to listening enough.
"Very well. Given that you two haven't given me a reason not to listen to anything you have to say, I'll oblige."
Sunset nodded, taking a seat on the couch, Twilight following quickly.
"So, what has come up?" Sunset's grandmother questioned.
Sunset motioned for Twilight to speak by lightly punching her shoulder, seeing she had managed to come up with the possibility of her strange phenomenon. Twilight followed, clearing her throat.
"Something strange happened to me today in Sunset's absence of trying to outwit the elites," Twilight confessed. "A strange phenomenon that made me experience a sudden urge to cry and get sick that I couldn't shake off.
Sunset and I went over what could've caused it, and we could only find one reason as to why, but we aren't sure if it's even possible."
She paused to allow Sunset's grandmother to collect everything. Her face spoke nothing, but upon two words, Twilight knew she had her interested in listening further.
"Go on."
Twilight nodded, continuing to explain.
"So, the only possible reason we found was Sunset carrying some of my blood, which she had to take to cure a fatal blow. We think that it's causing an unintended effect with my body that gets worse by separation."
Sunset's grandmother winced, clearly interested.
"It is possible, child, but just like Sunny's golden eyes, such a thing hasn't occurred in centuries," she started, setting the novel on the table. "Back in the 1600's, before the first war with the humans, such an action was used for torture. Instead of infecting the human with venom, they'd suck a large amount of blood and leave a human in an isolated prison to suffer the effects for over a month.
The vampire would travel a long distance after sucking the blood of the human and remain away for over a month, leaving the human to suffer an unholy wave of sickness, depression, pain, and eventually would lead to suicide. It was a torture method that was banned after making peace with the human race after the Vampire and Human War ended in a truce."
Twilight felt her blood run cold, her face turning ghostly white. Sunset could see that Twilight was too horrified to speak, so she spoke up in her place.
"So, as long as I carry Twilight's blood, she'll suffer those effects when I'm away from her?" Sunset questioned.
"Correct, my dear," her grandmother clarified.
Sunset panicked, horrified at this grim truth.
"Isn't there a way to reverse it?!" she pleaded. "C-couldn't you just extract it from me and dispose of the blood elsewhere?!"
"I'm afraid not," her grandmother confirmed. "She said it was to cure a fatal wound, right?"
"Right…
Sunset felt her voice die off, knowing what she was about to hear was nothing good.
"Then the blood must remain," her grandmother clarified, sending a sick feeling to Sunset's stomach instantly. "When human or animal blood is consumed without use of the venom, the blood remains untainted and doesn't deteriorate. The venom is designed to not only kill or convert our prey, but make the blood we drink break down into waste so it can escape the body.
Without the venom it cannot be broken down, and because untainted human blood was used to heal a fatal injury, if it's removed, the healing effect currently provided by the blood will be gone and the injury will be fatal once again, eventually leading to your death.
I'm sorry, dear, but without her blood in your system, you'll die."
Sunset looked to Twilight, her face still ghostly white in horror and tears growing in her violet eyes, then back to her grandmother once again.
"Then what can I do, grandma?" she questioned shakily.
Her grandmother hung her head.
"You either have to live with it and keep her close to you at all times, or there is one more alternative, but I don't think you'll like it, Sunny."
Sunset had no other options in mind, so she just decided to hear the alternative option, even if she might not like it.
"Tell me," Sunset clarified, tears starting to escape her own eyes.
Her grandmother only sighed heavily, lifting her head to meet Sunset's eyes with her own amber irises.
"You convert her into one of us."