//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: "Twilight...I am vampire" 
// Story: The Chronicles of Sunset: Crimson Promise 
// by VioletNightWriter 
//------------------------------//

Sunset sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the clock. She watched as the time slipped away. She saw that the time was 7:00 pm. She grabbed her keys.

Sitting on her bike, she held the keys in her hand. "I don't think I should tell Twilight." thought Sunset.

"No! You have to! You owe her that much." said Sunset, clearing her head of her doubts.

She turned the engine on and revved it. She raced out of her driveway. She took the long way to Twilight's house. She wanted to avoid the night. But she also wanted to come clean. She groaned as the sight of Twilight's house came into her view.

She pulled into Twilight's driveway. She pulled off her helmet, letting her flame-colored hair fall down her back. She took a deep breath.

"You can do this, Sunset. You're just walking up to her door." thought Sunset.

She walked up to the door. As she went to knock, the door swung open. Twilight stood in the doorway.

"Hey...Sunset. I am already packed." said Twilight, avoiding Sunset's gaze.

Sunset nodded.

"T-that's good. C-can I help you with your bags?" asked Sunset

Twilight ran up to her room. She grabbed her backpack and sleeping bag. She ran back downstairs to find Sunset already standing near her bike.

"Mom, I am leaving now!" shouted Twilight.

"Alright, hon. Just be back tomorrow evening. You know that you're not allowed at a friend's house on a school night." called out Mrs. Velvet.

"Okay, mom. We'll be back tomorrow evening," replied Twilight.

Twilight closed her front door behind her as she walked out. She turned to see Sunset already standing in front of her.

She jumped, fear taking its hold on her.

"H-how did y-you get over here so fast? I-I didn't even h-hear you." stammered Twilight, trying to sound less afraid.

Sunset gulped. Her throat felt dry as she tried to speak. She looked away from Twilight.

"Oh, that is part of what I will tell you later," replied Sunset.

"But, you don't need to be afraid, I won't hurt you," added Sunset, sensing Twilight's fear.

Twilight saw Sunset's cyan eyes as they meet hers. For a second, she could've sworn they were red. But she blinked and Sunset's eyes were their normal cyan color.

"T-thanks, Sunset," said Twilight, handing Sunset her sleeping bag.

She watched as Sunset strapped it down to the back of her bike. She was taken by surprise as Sunset handed her a helmet. But this one was decorated with a plum purple color with a big, white star surrounded by five little ones.

"I made that one myself. I figured that you would, um, like your own helmet," said Sunset, seeing the surprised look as Twilight's face.

Twilight was silent. She wasn't sure of what to say. she didn't expect Sunset to do this. She looked down as she blushed.

"T-thanks, Sunset. I really like it," said Twilight.

Sunset smiled and nodded. She then slung her leg over the bike. She held out her hand, helping Twilight do the same.

Twilight put on her helmet. She made sure her backpack was secured properly to her. Once that was done, she placed her hands on Sunset's waist.

Sunset didn't allow herself to enjoy Twilight's touch. But her heart skipped a beat as electricity flowed between them. She took a deep breath before she started her bike up again.

Twilight didn't feel the pull of the bike going forward this time. She, in fact, enjoyed the ride. She leaned into Sunset, allowing herself to rest her head in Sunset's back.

Sunset's breathing quicken as she felt Twilight lean in her. She felt a little lightheaded because she was breathing quick. Luckily, they arrived at her house just in time.

Sunset parked her bike in its usual spot. Turning the engine off, she rested her head on the handlebars. She had to get her breathing under control before she removed her helmet. She didn't want Twilight to see the real her just yet.

"Y-you okay, Sunset?" asked Twilight, slowly approaching Sunset.

Sunset removed her helmet. Her hair once again falling back down.

"Yeah. I am okay, Twi," replied Sunset.

Twilight nodded. She unhooked her sleeping bag from Sunset's bike.

"Where should I put my stuff, Sunset?" asked Twilight.

Sunset put her helmet down.

"Follow me, Twi. This house is much bigger than it looks," said Sunset.

Twilight followed Sunset as she was led through a maze of hallways and staircases. She and Sunset pasted by several padlocked rooms.

"Sunset, why are those rooms padlocked?" asked Twilight.

Sunset stopped walking. She turned to look at Twilight.

"They are padlocked for a reason. A reason which I'll explain later, okay?" replied Sunset.

Twilight could hear Sunset's anger in her voice. She felt her body go numb. She continued to follow Sunset until they were in front a brightly painted door.

"This is my room. You can put your bags by the dresser if you want," said Sunset, opening the door.

Twilight sat her bags down by Sunset's dresser. She noticed that the walls were painted a fiery red.

"She must really like those colors." thought Twilight.

Sunset went to her closet. She found her movie tower. She turned to Twilight, asking, "Hey, Twi, what movie would you like to see? Romance or horror?"

Twilight didn't really like horror movies. She hated watching something that was meant to scare her.

"I choose romance," replied Twilight.

Sunset nodded. She picked out a romance film. She handed it to Twilight.

"This a good one?" asked Sunset.

Twilight nodded, saying, "Yes. I love this one. I am surprised you do too."

Sunset laughed. "Well, I do like a romantic film from time to time, Twi," said Sunset.

"I-I didn't mean to say that you only preferred horror movies. I just was amazed that someone like you seems to really enjoy romantic films," said Twilight.

Sunset walked over to Twilight. She placed her hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"It's fine, Twilight. Really. I am used to that." said Sunset, trying to comfort Twilight.

Twilight looked at Sunset. She saw that Sunset's eyes were red around the edges. She looked down, saying, "Oh, okay. I am glad you weren't offended."

Sunset smiled. She grabbed the movie and got up. "Now, let's make some popcorn and watch this film," said Sunset.

Twilight agreed. She followed Sunset to the living room. She watched Sunset go to the kitchen which was separated from the living room with a single wall. Though the wall had a window so she could see Sunset.

Sunset made some popcorn before she headed back to the living room. She handed Twilight the popcorn as she went to put the movie in.

"Okay, now let's eat," said Sunset.

She sat at the other end of the couch, the popcorn bowl in between her and Twilight.

Meanwhile, Filthy Rich parked his car a few houses away from Sunset's. He ran into the back alleyway that led to Sunset's house. Once he got there, he found that the back door, which led right into the basement, was open.

He scanned the surrounding area for any bypassers that may see him sneak in. Seeing no one, he walked in. He closed the doors behind him. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the complete darkness.

He walked around the basement. He found the freezers which held the animal blood that Sunset and Starlight drank. He gagged as he opened the freezer.

"How can they fathom stuffing that... that junk down their throats?!" shouted Filthy Rich in a hushed voice.

He closed the freezer. He looked around and spotted a nice spot for him to hide. He sat behind a large, wooden trunk. He figured that it was Starlight's. He made sure to keep himself hidden.

He looked at his watch. He noted that the time was 8:15 pm.

"In two hours, I will be able to get my revenge." thought Filthy Rich.

An hour passed as Sunset and Twilight watched the movie. Sunset looked at her phone. She saw that the time was 9:15 pm.

"In a few minutes, I going to have to feed." thought Sunset.

She looked at Twilight. She was glad that Twilight was enjoying the movie. She reached for more popcorn. As she did, her hand touched Twilight's.

She pulled her hand away.

"S-sorry, Twi. I know that made you uncomfortable." apologized Sunset.

Twilight didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to speak but her mouth was dry.

Sunset felt her stomach turn. She bent down, holding her abdomen.

"Ah! The pain. I have to feed. Now!" thought Sunset.

She glanced at Twilight. She could see the concern in Twilight's eyes. She wished that Twilight didn't see her like this. She gave a weak smile.

"I am okay, Twi. J-just hungry. I will be right back." said Sunset.

Using all her strength, Sunset sat up. Once she felt able to, she sped off to the basement. She grabbed a bag of deer blood.

She was unaware of Filthy Rich's presence when she went down there. But she stopped for a moment as she heard a loud creaking noise. But she shrugged it off as Twilight moving around.

She ran up to her room. She made sure every light in her room, was off. She opened the blood bag, drinking the contents quickly.

She enjoyed the feel of the cold fluid running down her parched throat. She licked her lips as she took a momentary break.

"Mmm, that tasted good. And my hunger is gone. But I will finish it just to make sure." thought Sunset.

She squeezed the last half pint out of the bag. She felt her fangs extend as she drank the last drop.

She finished the blood as a knock rang at her door. She jumped, surprised by the sudden noise. She dropped the blood bag with a heavy thump.

Twilight heard a loud thump. She stood back, confused.

"What is Sunset doing?" thought Twilight.

Sunset picked up the blood bag. She tossed it away. Running to her bathroom, she closed the door.

She saw that her mouth had a ring of dried blood around it. She washed it off, watching the water turn blood red. She looked at herself in the mirror.

She stared at her red eyes and fangs.

"I really hope Twilight sees past the appearance. I don't want to lose her." thought Sunset.

She took a deep breath. She took one last look at herself before she turned the light off. She sat back down on her bed.

"Come in, Twi," said Sunset.

Twilight opened the door. She was immediately greeted by pitch black darkness. She walked in, closing the door.

"Why aren't there any lights on, Sunset?" asked Twilight, her voice cracking slightly.

Sunset got up from her bed.

"I have the lights off because I don't exactly look...like myself..." replied Sunset.

Twilight gulped. She tried to move but her body refused to listen. She felt the wall, hoping for a light switch.

"W-what do you m-mean, Sunset?" stammered Twilight, her voice no longer sounding strong or confident.

Sunset stopped moving. She staggered back. She braced herself against her dresser. All the confidence she had, left her. She felt like her chest was tightening.

"S-sunset? Y-you're scaring m-me..." stammered Twilight.

She was unsure of why Sunset went quiet. She couldn't even hear Sunset's movements. She looked around, noticing that her eyes adjusted to the dark.

She spotted Sunset's figure against her dresser. She took a step towards Sunset. But before she could even blink, Sunset was on the other side.

"S-sunset, what is going on?" asked Twilight, her voice ringing with more confidence.

Twilight walked closer to Sunset. She was determined to figure out what was going on. She was also getting tired of this game. She didn't want any more lies.

Gathering all her courage, Sunset did her best to speak.

"T-Twi, I am s-sorry that I lied. B-but I need to k-know this; Would we still be friends, despite what my secret is?" asked Sunset.

She struggled to keep herself from crying. She waited with bated breath for Twilight to answer.

Twilight faltered in her movements. She didn't expect Sunset to ask that question. She felt a pang of guilt and pain. She hadn't thought that Sunset would question her friendship.

"Oh, Sunset. I may not like the fact you lied, but I do care; a lot." thought Twilight.

Sunset went to speak when Twilight's voice stopped her.

"Yes, we would. It won't matter what your secret is," replied Twilight.

Sunset was surprised by how confident Twilight sounded. She took a deep breath, her hand reaching for her lamp switch.

Twilight was blinded by the light. She blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. She saw Sunset's hair covering her face.

"S-sunset...?" asked Twilight. She cautiously walked up to Sunset.

Sunset raised her hand up, moving her hair away as she tucked it behind her ear. She felt the bed move slightly as Twilight sat down on the other end. She didn't dare look, knowing that her eyes were not their normal cyan color.

"Twilight...I am a vampire," said Sunset.

Twilight froze. She felt her heart race faster. She wanted to get up and walk away but her body refused any command.

"W-what?!" shouted Twilight. She was unable to completely believe what she just heard.

Sunset winced as Twilight shouted. She didn't expect that to happen, at the same time, she did. She gripped the edge of her bed. Mustering all the courage she could, she looked at Twilight.

"Twilight...I am a vampire," said Sunset, repeating herself.

Twilight gasped as her eyes met Sunset's. This time she couldn't deny that they were, indeed, blood red. She fumbled as she attempted to stand. She fell off the bed, instead of standing up.

Sunset reached out her hand, saying, "Here, let me help you, Twilight."

As Sunset spoke, Twilight caught sight of her fangs. She felt a cold shiver run up her spine. She shuddered at the sight of them. She looked at Sunset's hand then looked back at Sunset's red eyes.

Sunset smiled. She could see Twilight's fear. She kept her hand out for Twilight. But instead of grabbing her hand, Twilight got up and ran out of the room.

Sunset ran after her.

"Twilight, wait! I won't hurt you!" shouted Sunset.

Twilight ran down the hall, turning to her left. She was met by a dead end and the padlocked doors. She looked around, frantically searching for an open door. But there wasn't one.

Sunset found Twilight by the hallway filled with padlocked doors. She stopped when she saw Twilight cowering in a corner. She felt hurt seeing that she had scared Twilight.

"Twilight...I won't hurt you. I mean that." said Sunset, cautiously walking up to Twilight.

Twilight tried to squeeze against the wall as much as she could. She saw Sunset standing within two feet of her.

Sunset crouched down till she was on her knees. She moved closer till only a few inches separated her from Twilight.

"Twilight, I do care for you. And I really want to be your friend. I didn't want to tell you I was a vampire because I feared this would happen." said Sunset, her voice trembling as she struggled to keep it above a whisper.

Twilight looked at Sunset. She saw the hurt behind Sunset's red eyes. She stopped shivering as she lifted her head up.

"R-really? Do you m-mean that?" asked Twilight.

Sunset nodded. She felt a tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away just as another one fell. She tried to keep any more from falling, but it was too difficult. She started to cry harder, unable to keep herself from crying.

Twilight pulled her knees away from her chest. She looked at Sunset, seeing her cry was strange. She felt bad that she hurt Sunset.

"S-sunset...?" asked Twilight.

Sunset looked up. Her eyes met Twilight's. She saw that the fear has disappeared. She managed to stop crying long enough to say, "Y-yes, Twi?"

Twilight took a deep and cleared her throat. She moved closer, closing the space between them. She took one of Sunset's hands. She tried to not shiver at the cold sensation she felt.

"Sunset, I believe you. I understand why your friends lied. They did it to protect you. But I have to ask, do you drink h-human blood?" asked Twilight.

Sunset squeezed Twilight's hand in response.

"No, I don't. I drink animal blood," replied Sunset.

Twilight sighed. She was scared that Sunset did actually drink human blood.

"Mind showing me what is behind this padlocked door?" asked Twilight.

Sunset cringed. She didn't really want to show Twilight what lay behind the doors. She looked away, biting her lip.

"Twi, I-I don't really think I can," replied Sunset.

Twilight pulled her hand free of Sunset's. She stood up, her hands on her hips.

Sunset went to grab Twilight's hand back. But it was already gone. She didn't want to let go of Twilight. Not when she could lose her. She wiped the last tears away.

"Can't or won't? You said you would show me what was in there," said Twilight, her eyebrows furrowing as she scowled at Sunset.

Sunset stood up reluctantly. She stared at the ground, unsure of what to say. She did tell Twilight that she would show her what was behind it.

"Okay, I'll show you. But, just don't touch anything," replied Sunset.

She walked over to the lock. She recited a few words of an unlocking spell. She looked at Twilight, her red eyes searching for any fear in Twilight. Seeing that she was still a bit terrified, she opened the door.

An automatic light flickered on as they both stepped inside. The light illuminated shelves of old photos. The smell of dust was faint but there.

Twilight sneezed as she walked in. She looked around the room. She saw a picture of Sunset as a young kid, maybe 5 years old. As she looked on the other side of the room, she found Sunset standing over a picture.

"Sunset, you okay?" asked Twilight.

She walked over to Sunset, hearing Sunset crying.

Sunset looked up, her red eyes puffy and swollen from all the crying.

"Y-yeah. It's been a long time since I have been here. This picture," Sunset picked the picture up, "was taken the day before I got the flu." replied Sunset.

"Oh..." was all Twilight could say.

Twilight placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder. She noticed that Sunset didn't seem as ice cold as usual.

"I-I didn't know, Sunset. We can leave now," said Twilight.

She felt sick to her stomach. She wished that she hadn't asked Sunset to open the door. She removed her hand from Sunset's shoulder and grabbed Sunset's hand.

Sunset smiled as she squeezed Twilight's hand. She and Twilight walked out of the room. Once again, Sunset relocked the room with same words from earlier, only this time they were in reverse.

Sunset and Twilight walked back to the living room. They returned to see that the movie was over.

"Oh, we missed the movie. Well, we either choose a new one or go back to the scene we stopped at," said Sunset.

Twilight nodded. She took out the movie, saying, "A new movie sounds better. You can choose it. Just...no horror, okay?"

Sunset nodded.

"Okay, Twi. No horror tonight."

She flashed over to Twilight and grabbed the movie from Twilight's hand. Before Twilight could say anything, she sped away and came back with a rom-com movie.

"W-wha...H-how..." was all that came out as Twilight tried to speak.

Sunset chuckled. She blushed as she saw how flustered Twilight was. She felt herself smile. She couldn't help but think that the way Twilight was flustered, was adorable.

"Twilight, use your words. I will answer any questions you have," said Sunset.

She put the movie in before sitting on the couch. She patted the spot on the couch next to her, hoping Twilight would sit next to her.

"How did you move that fast?" asked Twilight.

She took a seat next to Sunset. She kept her distance from Sunset. She wasn't ready to be super close just yet.

"I can move fast because I am a vampire, Twi. I also have amazing strength," replied Sunset.

"Really? Can I see an example of that?" asked Twilight.

She immediately started to blush as she heard how curious she sounded. She looked down, nervously.

"It's okay, Twi. I don't mind that you're curious," said Sunset, noticing that Twilight was nervous.

Twilight looked up. She was glad that Sunset didn't mind her curiosity. Before she could say anything, she was in Sunset's arms.

"W-woah! Wow, you are really strong," said Twilight, clinging tightly to Sunset.

Sunset smiled. She then sped down to the basement. She was a bit slower than normal due to her having Twilight in her arms.

"I want to show where we keep the blood we drink," said Sunset, putting Twilight down on the stairs.

Twilight grasped the railing. She felt like her body had to catch up to her. She blinked several times as she adjusted to her surroundings.

Filthy Rich awoke to the sounds of two girls talking. He made no movements as Sunset walked past the trunk he was behind. He looked at his watch, seeing that time was 11:23 pm.

"Are we in your basement?" asked Twilight.

"Yes, we are. And this is also where we store the animal blood we gather," Sunset walked over to a freezer, "that is what I and Starlight were doing when I was gone for a few days." replied Sunset.

Filthy Rich slowly shifted himself. He made sure to not make any noise that could make his presence known. He looked around for a weapon.

He spotted an old, rusted pipe. He carefully lifted it and held it next to him. He waited until Sunset was close enough to his position.

"Wow, you guys have a lot of blood in here. How often do you guys go on those 'hunting' trips?" asked Twilight.

Filthy Rich heard Sunset walk up to the chest. He hid behind a large group of stacked boxes, keeping himself hidden.

"We go on those trips about once a month," Sunset sat down on the lid of the trunk, "Starlight has a strict feeding schedule. It's what helps me to control myself around you." replied Sunset.

Filthy Rich sat up, allowing him to see what Twilight was doing. He saw that she had her back turned to Sunset. Jumping up, he grabbed Sunset by her arms.

"W-who are you?!" shouted Sunset, trying to see the person grabbing her.

As she was pushed towards Twilight, she caught a glimpse of the person's face.

"Filthy Rich! What are you doing here? And what are you doing with me?" asked Sunset.

Filthy Rich laughed.

"I am kidnapping you to use you as bait for Starlight. She took the life of my first daughter. Now, I will do the same to her." replied Filthy Rich.

Twilight spun around. She saw Sunset's arms being held by Filthy Rich. She backed up against the freezer, unsure of what to do.

Filthy Rich found some old rope lying on a nearby bench. Pulling Sunset towards the bench, he grabbed it. He set the pipe down as he bound Sunset's wrists. He sat her down on the bench.

"Now, to deal with your pesky friend," said Filthy Rich.

Picking the pipe up, he turned his attention to Twilight. He slammed the pipe against his hand, testing its durability. Seeing that it was sturdy, he lifted it up.

Twilight tried to block the blow that was coming. But she failed, resulting in the metal pipe hitting her head. Twilight's vision became blurry around the edges.

She lifted her hand up to examine the wound. She winced as her hand touched the wound. She pulled her hand down, feeling some wetness on it. She saw that she was bleeding.

Sunset saw that Twilight's purple hair was tainted a dark purple due to her wound. She watched helplessly as Filthy Rich prepared for a second blow.

Twilight felt the pipe hit her head again. As she fell, her head hit the edge of the freezer, leaving a nasty gash. The gash was deeper than her first one. The last thing Twilight saw before her vision went black, was Sunset's panic-stricken, red eyes.

"Twilight!?" Sunset turned her attention to Filthy Rich, "What have you done to her?!" shouted Sunset, her anger making her red eyes glow.

He dropped the bloodied pipe as he walked back to Sunset. He found an old rag. He stuffed it into Sunset's mouth, keeping her quiet.

"That's enough chatter from you," said Filthy Rich.

He picked Sunset up, struggling against her attempts to stop him. He looked at the basement door. He saw that it was somehow locked from the outside. Seeing the only way was through the front door, he sped to it. He carefully made his way to his car.

He opened his trunk as he approached his car. He threw Sunset into his trunk. He tied her legs as a precaution.

He looked around for any witnesses. Seeing that the coast was clear, he got in and sped away.