The Chronicles of Sunset: Crimson Promise

by VioletNightWriter

Chapter 12: Sunset hesitates...?

Sunset parked her motorcycle in the garage of their house. She was glad that Starlight had installed a special place for her bike. Throwing her helmet on the seat of her bike, she quickly grabbed her stuff. She ran inside, forgetting that she was supposed to talk with Starlight.

Starlight sat in the dark kitchen. She had a glass of rat blood. She watched as Sunset raced towards her room. She made sure to keep her presence hidden from Sunset. She could smell Twilight on Sunset. She finished her glass, tossing it into the sink.

She walked up the stairs, careful of the creaky stairs. She really meant to fix them but she always wondered if Sunset would sneak off. She hid along the darkened wall as she got closer to Sunset's room. Just as she was about to walk in, she noticed that Sunset was writing in her book.

"She has a book? No, not a book. A diary." thought Starlight as she looked at the diary on Sunset's desk.

She felt her hands ball up into fists. She had explicitly told Sunset that having a diary was forbidden. She had warned Sunset that diaries were the reason she had to run for the duration of the Great War.

As she went to step back a floorboard creaked under her weight. She gasped as her presence was known to Sunset.

"Starlight, I know you've been spying on me. Come in, and tell me about how diaries are so bad," said Sunset, knowing what was to come.

Starlight stepped into Sunset's room. She looked down, ashamed that she had been caught. She wanted to be mad at Sunset but she couldn't. She just couldn't. She knew that Sunset loved to write about the events of her life.

"I am not mad, Sunset. Though I have to wonder, how long you've have been writing?" asked Starlight.

Sunset looked at her diary. She traced the sun, unable to look at Starlight. She knew that she had gone against Starlight's rules. But she couldn't help it. She had to jot down her life seeing as she may never die.

"Not long. Just for the past 20 years. I am sorry that I keep it from you." replied Sunset.

Starlight gasped. She couldn't believe how long Sunset had kept that a secret. She sat in Sunset's bed as her head began to feel light. "20 years?! How were able to keep me from seeing it every time I cleaned the house?" asked Starlight.

Sunset got up and went to a half-hidden part of the wall. She whispered some ancient words. As she did so, the wall opened to reveal a secret magical cubby.

Starlight was amazed to see Sunset had managed to control and learn some magic. As she looked into Sunset's cubby, she spotted a picture of Twilight.

"I see you have a picture of Twilight. Which brings me to my original reason for coming in. Have you made your decision yet?" asked Starlight.

Sunset looked down. She had. But she wasn't completely sure if she had the courage to go through with it. She gulped, feeling her dry throat clench.

"Yes, I have. I am going to tell her. But, Starlight, can you help me? I feel so scared of losing her." replied Sunset.

Starlight looked at Sunset. The flame-haired girl seemed to be a shell of her usual self. She motioned for Sunset to sit next to her. She wrapped her arm around Sunset as she sat down.

"I know its scary. Let me ask you this; Do you love her? " asked Starlight.

Sunset nodded yes, looking up at Starlight.

"Then trust that your heart will guide you to the courage you need. And trust that Twilight's love for you will see that you are no different than her."

Sunset smiled at Starlight. She was glad that she had Starlight. She pulled herself from Starlight's hug. She sat at her desk, clutching her diary. "Do I have to stop writing my diary?" asked Sunset.

Starlight rubbed her fingers against her temple. She didn't think it was a good idea. But the rational part of the argument was that all the diary held was Sunset's daily activities. She decided that Sunset could continue doing the diary.

"No, you may continue as long as you keep certain secrets out of it," replied Starlight.

Sunset beamed as Starlight said that. She hugged Starlight before she quickly put away her diary and writing set.

Starlight walked to her room. She laid down on her bed. She pulled out a picture of her sister. The picture was yellowed with age. It also had lost a few pieces due to being moved around. She stared at her sister. She remembered the attack as if it was yesterday. She shuddered as she remembered the taste of human blood; her sister's blood.

She put the picture away, her eyes burning with tears. She wiped her eyes dry as she turned to the other side. She hoped that she could do something in Canterlot for the weekend. "Maybe I can visit the bookstore. I do need to get some more books, more recent books for Sunset." thought Starlight.

Soon sleep and exhaustion called Starlight to the land of dreams.

Meanwhile, in Sunset's room, Sunset sat on her bed. She stared at Twilight's picture, wishing that she could speak to her. She had taken what Starlight had said to heart. But that didn't do anything to change the fear in her heart. She put the picture back, not wanting to see it anymore.

She decided to go for a walk. She grabbed her jacket, slipping it on. She walked out the front door. She closed it quietly so it was not to disturb Starlight. She took a breath of the cool, crisp, nigh air. She did always find it relaxing.

As she walked down her street, she noticed that her house wasn't far from Twilight's house. She figured that it was maybe 20-30 minutes, just by walking. She was tempted to walk there but decided against it.

She continued walking until she found the nearby park. Sitting on a bench, she watched as the night time visitors walked past. She wondered what they enjoyed about the night.

As she sat in the park, she noticed a shadowy figure darting behind trash cans and other objects. She kept her eyes on them as she got up and followed them. "Who are you? And where are headed?" thought Sunset.

She followed them for what felt like hours. She looked at her phone seeing that only an hour passed. She looked around, seeing the figure walking to Flim and Flam's pawn shop. She pursued them into the store.

She followed the figure as they went up to Flim and Flam. She used her enhanced hearing to listen in.

"Did you two dimwits get the ruby for my mother? And it better be genuine." said the figure.

Sunset realized that she had heard that voice once before. "That's Diamond Tiara!!" thought Sunset.

She watched as Flim went to the back and grabbed a box which was marked 'DT'. She watched as they pulled out a ruby. As she saw the ruby, she noticed it was a ruby which Starlight had in her big collection. of gems.

She watched as Diamond Tiara examined the ruby. She wondered why Starlight would give up any of her gems.

"Glad to see you can deliver when you need to," said Diamond Tiara.

Sunset watched as Diamond Tiara paid for the ruby. She kept herself hidden as she watched Diamond Tiara. She stood up as Flim and Flam approached her.

"Hey, Sunset. What are you doing here?" asked Flam.

Sunset jumped as she heard Flam's voice. She looked up to see the two brothers looking back at her. She dusted off her jeans as she said, "I was wondering what Diamond Tiara was doing here."

Flim and Flam looked at each. Then they looked back at Sunset, only to find that she had disappeared.

"Wow. I wish I could move that fast whenever I want," said Flim. Flam agreed with him as they went back to the register.

Sunset followed Diamond Tiara. As she kept a close distance to Diamond Tiara, she noticed a change. She could tell that Diamond Tiara wasn't completely human. She ran home after her street came up. She needed to ask Starlight why Diamond Tiara didn't smell completely human.

She opened the front door, greeted by Starlight sitting on the couch. She sighed. She figured Starlight would know that her presence was gone.

"Out on a midnight stroll, are we?" asked Starlight, her voice kind.

Sunset looked down, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "Yeah. I just couldn't sleep and I had to clear my head," replied Sunset.

Starlight chuckled. She got up and walked over to Sunset. "Why is it that I get a sense that there something you need to ask me, huh?" asked Starlight.

Sunset looked up at Starlight. She was surprised to see that Starlight could sense that. She walked over to the counter, sitting down in one of the high stools.

"Yes, I do. I was walking when I followed Diamond Tiara to Flim and Flam's shop. But her scent was different; not quite human. Would you know?" asked Sunset.

Starlight wondered what Sunset meant by 'not quite human'. As she joined Sunset, she caught a whiff of it on her. No sooner had she smelled it that she recalled the scent. She had smelled that scent once before.

"Did she seem different in her appearance, attitude, or behavior?" asked Starlight. She worried that Filthy Rich was going to corrupt her like he did with his first daughter.

"Now that you mention it, she did seem faster. I mean she was walking mostly normal but I had to jog a little to keep pace with her," replied Sunset.

She watched as Starlight's expression changed from curiosity to worry. She felt a bit worried at the sight of Starlight's worry. She knew that Starlight was never one to worry unless it was bad.

She watched as Starlight paced back and forth. She stood up, stopping Starlight. "You okay? I have never seen you this nervous before. Why are you this nervous, Starlight? It's not like you, at all. And I've known you for a few decades." asked Sunset.

Starlight looked at Sunset. She sighed. "Filthy Rich had another daughter, before Diamond Tiara. She was a half vampire/ half human hybrid. I didn't think that he was stupid enough to try that again. But if I am right, Diamond Tiara will be transitioning over the next few years as her vampire side develops." replied Starlight.

As the news hit Sunset's ears, she felt weak. She staggered back, her head feeling dizzy. She grabbed the countertop as she braced herself.

Starlight looked at Sunset. Her eyes met Sunset's cyan eyes as they turned crimson. She helped Sunset sit down, asking if she was okay. Once she got a weak nod from Sunset, she ran down to the basement. She grabbed a bag of squirrel blood.

When she returned she saw that Sunset was digging her fingers into the countertop. She went to approached Sunset but stopped when she noticed Sunset's fangs.

Sunset looked at Starlight. Her eyes slowly drifted to the blood bag she was holding. She sped over to Starlight, grabbing the blood bag. She sat back down, ignoring Starlight. She ripped open the bag, spitting out the top part in her mouth.

She drank every drop, enjoying the sweet but slightly tangy taste. The squirrel blood was always Sunset's favorite. She pulled the bag away from her lips, gulping the last few ounces. She licked her lips, lapping the last of the blood off her lips.

Starlight gathered herself as Sunset cleaned up. She grabbed the empty blood bag which now sat on the countertop. She tossed it into a basin located in the basement. When she came back, Sunset was crying over the sink.

"Sunset! What's wrong my dear? Why the tears?" asked Starlight. She walked over to Sunset, placing her arm around Sunset's shoulders.

Sunset sobbed heavily. She did her best to speak through the tears. "W-what if Twilight h-had been here? I could've h-hurt her?! Oh Starlight, I don't think that I can tell her!" said Sunset, breaking back into her heavy sob.

Starlight held Sunset's shaking figure. She knew this must be hard for Sunset. She placed a gentle hand under Sunset's chin, tilting her head up. Her eyes met Sunset's crimson eyes. It didn't help that the redhead looked disgusted at herself.

"Sunset," said Starlight, in a calm but stern voice. "I would never let that happen. Nor do I think that you would either. I understand your hesitation for telling Twilight our secret. But I believe that is a good choice, and one you've made with your heart." continued Starlight.

Sunset sniffled, her nose beginning to feel stuffy from all the heavy crying. She reached for a tissue to wipe her eyes with. She looked at Starlight as she spoke again.

"And besides, I am not giving you the house for the weekend just so you can watch a movie," said Starlight.

Sunset chuckled weakly at Starlight's comment. Laughing made her already sore throat sting with each vibration. She grabbed a glass of water. She quickly drank it, going for a second.

Starlight watched as Sunset drank some water. She thought about Diamond Tiara. She was unsure of what to do. She didn't want to kill another innocent child.

Sensing what Starlight was thinking about, Sunset said, "So do you have a plan for Diamond Tiara? I mean we can't exactly kill her, can we?"

"No, but maybe we can raise her," replied Starlight.

Sunset was shocked at Starlight's words. She sat down next to her, still nursing her second glass of water.

"You sure about that?" asked Sunset.

Starlight nodded. She wasn't sure but she had to take a chance. Looking at Sunset, she said, "No, I am not. But I want to give her a chance to live a life not corrupted by her twisted father."