//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Help // Story: The Chronicles of Sunset: Crimson Promise // by VioletNightWriter //------------------------------// Starlight sat on the kitchen counter. She had her laptop on. She was searching the surrounding area of the chapel for any signs of Filthy Rich. But she was coming up empty-handed. She slammed her fists against the table, her frustration building. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie walked in and were greeted by their friends. "Hey girls. How is Twilight?" asked Fluttershy. "Is she doing alright? She lost an awful lot of blood..." said Applejack. Pinkie looked at her friends. She beamed as she said, "She was doing just hunky dory. Though, she was put on bed rest by the doc." Fluttershy and her friends sighed with relief. They had been worried that Twilight would be in critical danger. "So, what's up with Starlight?" asked Rainbow Dash, she pointed to Starlight. The gang stared at Starlight. They could tell that the stress of what happened the night before was getting to her. Rarity turned to Rainbow Dash, saying, "She's been on the laptop since we got here. When I left to go home, she was trying to see where Filthy Rich was heading to next. Apparently, she still hasn't had much luck." The girls had looks of worry. Rarity turned back to Starlight. She decided to see if she could help Starlight. "Hello, Starlight. I was wondering if there was something I could possibly help you with," said Rarity. Starlight spun her head around to see Rarity sitting next to her. She blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to not staring at a computer screen. She saw the other girls standing in the living room, watching their conversation. She understood their worries. She knew that they were probably worried too about her. She didn't realize how long she was on the laptop till just now. She turned off her laptop. She motioned for the rest of the gang to come over. Placing a hand on Rarity's shoulder, she spoke. "Yes, there is something you can do. Would you mind swinging by the farmhouse and seeing if there was any mention of where Filthy Rich might be headed?" asked Starlight. Rarity looked at the girls, wondering what to say. She saw that Fluttershy seemed skittish about going back to the farmhouse. She noticed that the rest of her friends also seemed to be apprehensive. "We would love too, darling. You shouldn't have to do this alone," replied Rarity. She heard Rainbow Dash mumble something under her breath. She gave Rainbow Dash a glare, narrowing her eyes. She then turned back to Starlight. "You should get some rest. We will check out the farmhouse," said Rarity. Starlight nodded. As she stood up, her legs ached from sitting for too long. She steadied herself against the countertop. She looked at the girls, a small smile creeping onto her face. "Thank you, girls. This really helps. But be warned, Filthy Rich could have set some traps in the house." said Starlight. Starlight watched the girls expressions go from worried to fearful. She hoped that for their sakes, Filthy Rich didn't set any traps. She went up to her room after saying a few see you laters. Once Starlight was gone, Rarity turned to the girls. She looked around, noticing that Fluttershy had run off. She looked in the living room and spotted the familiar light pink hair. She walked over to Fluttershy and sat down. Fluttershy let out a quiet scream as Rarity sat next to her. She placed her hand over her racing heart. She took a few breaths, calming down. She was lost in thought about what could be waiting in the farmhouse that she hadn't heard Rarity walk over. "Fluttershy, darling, what's bothering you?" asked Rarity. Fluttershy looked at Rarity as she spoke. "I am a bit worried and scared of what might happen at the farmhouse," replied Fluttershy. She was shaken up by the events of what had happened last night. She was still trying to process the way Sunset acted. She couldn't believe that her friend could act like an animal. She shuddered in fear as the image flashed in her mind. Rarity looked at Fluttershy, her eyes full of concern. She understood her friend's hesitation to go to the farmhouse. She too was a bit fearful for her and their friends' safety. She placed her hand over Fluttershy's. "Fluttershy, we're all scared. And I am sure that we all are a bit shaken up," said Rarity. Applejack and Pinkie joined Rarity on the couch. Rainbow Dash chose to sit in the chair next to the couch. Fluttershy looked at all her friends. She smiled weakly, her fear still evident in her cyan eyes. "Even I am bit scared, sugarcube," said Applejack, leaning back into the couch. Pinkie looked at Fluttershy, saying, "I will be here to help you laugh the ghosties away." Rainbow Dash scoffed. She couldn't believe that her friends would be scared to go to a farmhouse. "Well, I am not scared," said Rainbow Dash. Everyone shot Rainbow Dash disapproving glares. She shrunk into the chair she was sitting in. She knew her friends didn't believe that she wasn't scared. But she wasn't going to outright admit that she was. "Sorry. Maybe I am a little scared. But I am definitely not afraid of the farmhouse or what could be in it." said Rainbow Dash. The girls all looked back at Fluttershy, who was still quiet. But then her small smile widened. "Thank you. I really needed that, girls," said Fluttershy. She hugged Rarity. She was about to leave the hug when Pinkie shouted, "Group hug!" Everyone circled Rarity and Fluttershy as they hugged them. Pinkie was the last one to join the hug. She squeezed her arms around her friends, pulling them into a tight hug. Fluttershy and Rarity had a hard time being able to breathe. They were almost ready to pass out when the group hug let go. They took a few deep breaths, trying to get their breath back. "Okay, can we leave for the farmhouse? Preferably before it gets dark?" asked Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy nodded. She agreed with Rainbow Dash. If they were to leave for the farmhouse, it'd have to be soon. She got up and walked into the kitchen. She looked for Starlight's keys. She found them lying on the countertop, not in their usual place. "So, who is going to be our driver?" asked Fluttershy, dangling the keys. Rainbow Dash tried to grab the keys but Applejack grabbed them first. "Hey! I wanted to drive!" shouted Rainbow Dash. Applejack crossed her arms across her chest, raising one eyebrow. "Rainbow Dash, you know very well that you would have crashed the van. You are a reckless driver," said Applejack. Rainbow Dash scoffed. "I am not a reckless driver!" shouted Rainbow Dash. She looked to her friends for support. But all she got were a few side glances. She sighed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Fine! Maybe I did run a few red lights," admitted Rainbow Dash. Applejack handed the keys over to Pinkie. "Here, you can drive," said Applejack. Pinkie took the keys with glee. She hugged Applejack before running out to the van. Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack, saying, "Why'd you give Pinkie Pie the keys?" Applejack placed an arm on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Because I ain't much better of at driving than you," replied Applejack. The girls ran after her, hopping into the van. After all the girls were in, the sliding door was closed. Pinkie slammed her foot on the gas, sending most of the girls against the van. Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other. They exchanged looks of surprise. They both started to laugh at seeing how stupid their earlier argument was. Pinkie turned onto the dirt road which led to the farmhouse. The road was still as bumpy as it had been the first time they drove over it. The girls held onto the van as the bumps tried to throw them around. Suddenly the van stopped, throwing the girls on top of each other. Pinkie glanced back and smiled. "We are here, girls," said Pinkie. The gang got up and piled out of the van. They looked around, noticing some fresh tire tracks in the dirt. "Any clue where these have come from?" asked Applejack. Fluttershy looked around the house. She spotted the front door which was opened. She turned to her friends. "Um, girls. I think someone might be inside," said Fluttershy. The rest of the gang stopped examining the tire tracks and joined Fluttershy at the door. Applejack and Rainbow Dash grabbed two baseball bats which were lying on the porch. Applejack opened the door, careful to not make a sound. She stepped in first, holding her bat like a batter would. She looked at the left hallway and down the right hallway. Seeing no one, she lowered her bat. "Its safe so far," said Applejack. The girls followed Applejack into the house. Rainbow Dash set her bat down on the kitchen table. She looked into the living room, wondering why it seemed like one of the bedroom doors was opened. Upon closer inspection, she saw one of the doors was slightly ajar. "Um, gang, it appears we aren't the only ones in the house," said Rainbow Dash, backing away. Applejack readied her bat as Rainbow Dash did the same. Together, they led their friends towards the room. Fluttershy was in the back with Pinkie. She had no desire to see who or what could be in the room. Applejack swung the door wide open and jumped into the room with Rainbow Dash right behind her. They were about to attack whoever was in the room when they saw the person. They immediately recognized Diamond Tiara. "It is okay, guys! It's just Diamond Tiara," said Rainbow Dash. The rest of the girls walked into the already small room. Fluttershy kept her distance from Diamond Tiara, not sure she could trust her. Pinkie removed the duct tape which had been taped over Diamond Tiara's mouth. She was about to undo the rope which bound both Diamond Tiara's wrists and feet. But Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder, saying, "Pinkie, let's not untie her until we know she can be trusted." Diamond Tiara watched as Pinkie backed off. She wished that she would've untied her. She couldn't stand the feeling of the ropes which were slowly digging into her wrists and feet. "What exactly are you doing here, Diamond Tiara?" asked Rarity. Diamond Tiara shifted, trying to relieve the pain in her wrists. She ran her tongue along her mouth, feeling her fangs. She was shocked that Sunset was right. She felt her stomach churn as Rarity stepped a bit closer. "I was on my way home from school when my limousine driver decided to come here. He tied me up and left me here," replied Diamond Tiara. Rarity looked at her friends. She knew that they were thinking the same thing; should we trust her? She pulled her friends to the farthest corner of the room. They huddled together, making sure to keep their voices low. "Should we trust her? I mean, she is a vampire..." said Rainbow Dash. Pinkie looked at Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, so is Sunset. And we trust her," said Pinkie. "Yeah. But we know that Sunset wouldn't hurt us, not intentionally," said Fluttershy, as all eyes turned to her. "Well, she did protect Twilight when she was gettin' bullied," said Applejack. "Yeah, she also broke a student's arm in the process," added Rainbow Dash. Rarity broke their huddled circle. She saw that Diamond Tiara seemed to be keeping herself from doing something. As she looked at her, she noticed that Diamond Tiara's eyes were red. She went back into the huddle. "Girls, I have a feeling that she may be a friend," said Rarity. The girls broke the huddled circle, walking back over to Diamond Tiara. Fluttershy was the only one who stayed as far away as she could. She hid behind Pinkie, not wanting to see Diamond Tiara's red eyes. She had to slowly adjust to Sunset. But this was something she wasn't ready to handle. "Diamond Tiara, if we untie you, are you going to do anything to harm me or my friends?" asked Applejack. Rainbow Dash held her bat, ready to swing should Diamond Tiara do something. "N-no. I won't. Just, please untie me. I won't hurt you or your friends." replied Diamond Tiara. With that, Applejack cut the rope binding Diamond Tiara's wrists and feet. She backed away as Diamond Tiara stood up. She watched as Diamond Tiara sped over to Fluttershy. Fluttershy let out a scream as she saw Diamond Tiara approach her. She backed away, stumbling over Applejack's bat. She almost fell when Diamond Tiara grabbed her hand and steadied her. She was surprised at Diamond Tiara's kindness. "T-thank you." stammered Fluttershy, her voice struggling to stay steady. Diamond Tiara smiled out of the corner of her mouth. She let go of Fluttershy's hand, walking back over to Applejack. She kept her distance, seeing how on edge the girls seemed. "So, can we get out of here? I am not sure if my limousine driver may come back," said Diamond Tiara. The gang nodded. Applejack and Rainbow Dash grabbed their bats as they left the room. The girls went out to the van. Diamond Tiara followed the girls, keeping her distance. She felt her stomach grumble. She could tell a part of her craved the blood which coursed through their veins. She walked out of the house and was immediately blinded by the bright sunlight. She walked over to the van, sitting in the passenger seat. She could smell Pinkie's blood. She thought she could smell a faint hint of what she believed to be cotton candy. She felt her mouth salivate at the thought of sinking her teeth into Pinkie's neck. Suddenly the van hit a bump. Diamond Tiara braced herself against the dashboard. Any thoughts on drinking Pinkie's blood were gone, for the time being. She was thrust back against her seat as Pinkie slammed on the brakes. "Okay, Pinkie, you are definitely not driving next time," said Rainbow Dash, grabbing the van keys. Pinkie jumped out of the van, closing the door behind her. "Okie doke loki," replied Pinkie. Diamond Tiara followed the girls as they walked into Starlight's house. She recognized it from when she first drove by on her way to CHS. She thought it looked nice on the outside. But the inside was beautifully furnished too. She looked around, admiring the decor. She heard Rarity call Starlight's name. She made her way to the fridge. She opened it to see rows of jars. She saw that the jars were filled with blood. She picked one up and read the label. "Squirrel blood, eh? Sounds good..." said Diamond Tiara. She felt her stomach churn even more. She placed the jar back in the fridge, not wanting to think about drinking it. She still couldn't believe what she was becoming. She sat down, her vision swirling as she struggled to see straight. She grabbed the table as she felt woozy. She looked up to see Rarity and the girls coming back downstairs. She saw that Starlight was right behind them. She wanted to say hi but she fell out of the chair, her vision going black as she hit the floor. Starlight rushed over to Diamond Tiara. She caught her head before it hit the floor. She picked Diamond Tiara up and laid her on the couch. She ran to grab a blood bag from the basement. Fluttershy went to a nearby bathroom. After she saw Starlight carry a bag of rabbit blood, her stomach churned. She clenched her stomach as she heaved. She felt so sick. She couldn't believe that Sunset and Starlight fed off animals. The girls stood outside the bathroom door. They waited for Fluttershy to come out. They were worried when they saw her dart off to the bathroom. Diamond Tiara tasted a strange liquid in her mouth. It had a slight metallic tang to it. But also seemed to have a meaty flavor to it as well. She drank more of the liquid, her body craving more. She snapped awake when the liquid stopped coming. She realized that Starlight was giving her a bag of blood. "Hi, I am Starlight. I am guessing you must be Diamond Tiara, right?" asked Starlight, introducing herself. Diamond Tiara nodded. She sat up as Starlight moved the blood bag away. She looked over at the girls. She wondered why they were standing by the bathroom door. She noticed that the pink haired girl she stopped from falling was missing. She assumed that she was in the bathroom. "W-what's happening to me? Sunset said I was becoming half vampire. Is that true?" asked Diamond Tiara. Starlight looked at Diamond Tiara. Her eyes showed their usual kindness but there was something darker there. She heard Fluttershy walk out of the bathroom. She looked down as she spoke. "Yes, Diamond Tiara, that is true."