//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23: The staff isn't...real? 
// Story: The Chronicles of Sunset: Crimson Promise 
// by VioletNightWriter 
//------------------------------//

Filthy Rich was driving down the road which led to Royal Moon's house. He was about to turn into her driveway when his phone rang. He pulled over and grabbed his phone.

"What is so important you have to stop me in the middle of my plan?" asked Filthy Rich, making his irritation clear.

The voice on the other end spoke.

"Sir, your daughter is no longer at the farmhouse." replied the person.

Filthy Rich growled in anger. He couldn't believe that his daughter was gone. He had a feeling who she was with. He looked at Sunset, who was still out from her head being smacked.

"Well, find her! I can't let Starlight corrupt her before I can help her become the person I need her to be," said Filthy Rich.

After that, he hung up the phone. He climbed back into the truck and started the engine again. He drove onwards until he saw the house he presumed to be Royal Moon's.

He found a hidden space to park the truck. He got out of the truck and checked on Sunset. He grabbed some of the spare rope he had and tied the rope to the truck. Using the other end, he tied the rope binding Sunset to the truck. He made sure the connections were secure with a binding spell.

After he finished the spell, he felt very lightheaded. He grasped the truck to keep his balance. He knew that he needed to feed; and soon. He gathered what strength he had and walked up to the front door. He knocked three times and stood back.

The door opened and a young girl stepped out of the house. Her hair was the color of blood with streaks of purple and blue. She had gold eyes with dark red streaks which matched her hair.

"Ah, Filthy Rich, you have arrived," said Royal Moon.

Filthy Rich nodded. He glanced back at the truck. He saw that Sunset was still out, thankfully. He walked into Royal Moon's house, hoping Sunset would remain unconscious.

He closed the door behind him. He took in his surroundings. He saw that the main color Royal Moon had chosen was a velvet red. The decor was a mix of brilliant yellows and blues. He sat down on the couch which sat in the middle of the house.

"So, do you know how to work the staff?" asked Filthy Rich.

Royal Moon was in her kitchen, making a cup of herbal tea. Once she made her tea, she joined Filthy Rich on the couch.

"Yes, I do. So, do you have the staff? We will need it present for the spell," said Royal Moon.

Filthy Rich mumbled a few words. He then opened his hand, palm facing upward. As if on cue, the staff appeared and fell into his hand. He grabbed the staff and handed it to Royal Moon.

"I trust that your magic won't negate its purpose," said Filthy Rich.

Royal Moon narrowed her eyes at Filthy Rich. He shifted nervously under her gaze. He looked out of the window, eyeing the bed of the truck. He wondered when Sunset was going to wake up.

Royal Moon observed the staff Filthy Rich handed her. She traced the edges, trying to sense its magic. She didn't find any trace of its magic. She tried again to sense it's magic but to no avail.

Being half witch, Royal Moon decided to go to her room. There, she had a few herbs which revealed if any magical object was the real thing. Sprinkling a few pinches over the staff, she waited.

Meanwhile, in the bed of the truck, Sunset began to stir. She opened her eyes to see that her vision was blurry. She blinked a few times, clearing her vision. She looked around at her surroundings. She realized that she was in the truck bed. She sat up, trying to get a better view of where she was.

She looked down at her wrists as she felt something against her skin. She saw the rope which bound both her wrist and feet together. She tried to loosen the ropes. But the more she struggled, the tighter the ropes seemed to get. She gave up after five minutes of burning her wrists.

Meanwhile, Royal Moon checked on the staff after a few minutes had passed. She saw that the staff broke in half where she had put the herbs. She found a symbol carved into the inside of the white material. She grabbed the staff and ran to Filthy Rich.

"Mr. Rich, I believe you have been duped," said Royal Moon, she showed Filthy Rich the symbol.

Filthy Rich grabbed the broken staff replica. He saw the symbol that was engraved into it. He recognized it immediately. He looked the window. He saw that Sunset was awake and alert.

"She knew that Flim and Flam made this replica. She knew along!" shouted Filthy Rich, he threw the replica on the ground.

Royal Moon watched as Filthy Rich stomped out of her house. She picked up the broken replica. She admired the craftsmanship of the staff. She was amazed that someone could make such a convincing replica. She threw the replica into the trash after examining it.

Suddenly, Sunset looked up as she heard footsteps approaching her. She saw Filthy Rich's angry expression as it bore down on her. She figured that he knew now that he had a replica of the staff. She felt his hand grab her shirt. She struggled as the collar of her shirt pressed against her neck.

"You knew that staff was fake, didn't you?" shouted Filthy Rich.

Sunset tugged at her shirt, fighting against the rope on wrists. She finally gave up after a few minutes.

"Didn't you?!" shouted Filthy Rich, pulling Sunset's shirt tighter when she didn't respond.

Sunset managed to nod slightly. Immediately, the grip on her shirt was gone. She finally could breathe properly again. She rubbed her neck as she watched Filthy Rich pace back and forth. She saw a menacing look in Filthy Rich's eyes. She could tell that he was going to lose it.

Filthy Rich clenched his fists tightly. So tight that his knuckles were white. He paced back and forth, trying to see how he could make Sunset pay. He thought about starving her. But he decided that was too weak for her.

Sunset sat still, her eyes watching Filthy Rich's expression. She saw a maniacal smile spread across his face. She felt her stomach churn as she awaited his response.

"Sunset, I think it's time I show you that basement in the farmhouse. I have some things I would like to show you in my lovely basement," said Filthy Rich.

Sunset felt the truck shake as Filthy Rich slammed the door. She had to brace herself against the side of the truck as it sped off.

Royal Moon watched as Filthy Rich drove off. She waited until his truck was out of her sight. She ran to her car, careful to not alert Filthy Rich to her destination. She wasn't too fond of his super hearing and sight. She turned her car's engine on and drove off to Starlight's house.

Sunset stayed hidden from sight, not wanting to attract any attention to her situation. She knew that anyone who tried to help would only end up dead. But that didn't stop one person.

A girl pulled Filthy Rich over, asking him several questions. She could tell the girl was asking about why she was tied up. She listened to the conversation. She heard Filthy Rich sigh.

"Well, ma'am, I believe you are today's choice for my meal," said Filthy Rich.

Sunset peeked over the side of the truck. She saw Filthy Rich's fangs extend as the look of fear flashed across the girl's face. She covered her mouth in disgust. She knew what the girl's fate was going to be. She ducked back down, not wanting to watch what was to happen next.

She tried to block out the girl's ear-piercing screams as she covered her ears with her hands. She heard the screams die down quickly. She looked over the side of the truck. She saw a bloodied corpse of the girl, whose lifeless eyes bore into her own.

"I sure hope you enjoyed the little show I did for you, Sunset," said Filthy Rich, he climbed back into the truck.

Sunset growled at him. She was disgusted by his arrogant and disdainful behavior.

She felt her fangs extend as she watched her cyan eyes shift to red. She could smell the blood on Filthy Rich's clothes. Her hunger, which had been maintained until then, surged. She dug her hands into the metal of the truck.

Filthy Rich smiled to himself as the metallic crunch sounded throughout the cab. He kept driving, increasing the speed. He took a few detours, mostly to avoid causing any suspicion. He saw the back of his farmhouse coming into view. He pulled into the driveway, turning off the engine.

He went to the back of the truck where Sunset was. He put down the tailgate as he climbed in. He grabbed the ropes and untied her wrists from her feet. He then helped her down and loosened the ropes on her feet. He gave her enough room to shuffle down to his basement. He then reverted his fake appearance back to his real appearance.

Sunset saw the ominous hallway. At the end was the door which led to the secret basement. She spotted a familiar shimmer which told her that it was guarded by magic. She felt Filthy Rich's hand leave her arm as he walked in front of her. She leaned against the wall, trying to keep her balance.

Filthy Rich mumbled a few words of the ancient language. In seconds, the magic around the door was lifted. He looked back at Sunset. He grabbed her already weak body and dragged it down the basement steps.

Once they were inside, he undid her wrist ropes. He tied them back and made a loop in the middle. He then connected the loop to a hook which hung in the ceiling.

Sunset winced as she felt her arms take the full weight of her body. She felt her shoulders strain as she struggled to not move. She looked on as Filthy Rich wheeled out a cart full of handmade tools.

"What are those?" asked Sunset, her voice cracking due to her fear.

Filthy Rich grabbed a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. As he searched for an empty needle case, he spoke.

"These, are my private collection of torture tools. I used to dabble in the torture scene a while ago," replied Filthy Rich, finding a fresh needle.

Sunset saw the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and the needle. She saw what he was planning to do first. A bit of anxiety formed, which made her stomach twist and turn in repulsion. She threw up a little as she saw the barrel of the needle dip into the bottle.

Filthy Rich flicked the needle, checking for any air bubbles or debris. Satisfied about the needle, he walked over to Sunset. He looked for a good place to inject the contents. He thought about doing it in her thighs. But the material of the jeans made it impossible. He saw the bite mark on her neck and a devious idea came to him.

Sunset saw him approach her. She struggled to keep herself away from him. She was about to move when she felt the needle enter the bite mark she got from Starlight. She winced as the bite mark was reopened. But the pain was immediately replaced by a stinging sensation. The sting was faint at first but it started to increase.

Filthy Rich walked back over to the cart, discarding the used needle. He looked at the array of tools which were sprawled out on the cart. He moved his hand, hovering over each option for a few seconds. He finally made his choice with a handheld rake. The rake's points were modified to be razor sharp. He tested the sharpness of the rake by running one of its points across his hand.

It made a small, hairline cut which healed instantly. He smiled to himself as he walked over to Sunset. He placed the rake slightly against her chest. He ran it lightly across her shirt before lifting it off her body. He held the rake out for her to examine.

"You know, this was my first handmade torture device. I am very fond of it," said Filthy Rich.

Sunset yanked her body away from Filthy Rich. She eyed the sharp points of the rake as they gleamed in the yellowed light of the basement. She could feel the hydrogen peroxide running through her veins. She also noticed that the area around the injection site was slightly burning.

Without warning, Filthy Rich slammed the rake's points into Sunset's lower abdomen. He pushed them deeper, hearing her screams increase. He was glad that he had soundproofed the basement. He pushed the rake into her abdomen as far it could go.

Sunset felt the sharp metal ends dig into her. She screamed as the ends were forced deeper into her. The pain was so severe that it drowned the pain caused by the hydrogen peroxide. She felt her body twitch in pain. As she did that, the rake moved and furthered the pain she felt. Another piercing scream escaped from her lips as she felt the hydrogen peroxide move to where the rake was.

"W-why did y-you have me attack Twi-Twilight?" asked Sunset.

Filthy Rich ignored her screams of pain. His anger fogged his mind. All he wanted was to attack Sunset, the only leverage against Starlight. He gripped the edge of his cart as he heard Sunset's question. He turned to face her. He walked over to her, letting his hand slip from the cart.

"I wanted her to see..." Filthy Rich grabbed the rake with one hand, "To see the monster we both are."

Sunset was about to speak when she felt something move in her abdomen. She looked down to see the rake ripping through her shirt. She saw her blood staining her shirt red as it left her body. The pain hit her as Filthy Rich yanked the rake out of her skin. She was relieved for the moment as the pain subsided.

"I-I'm not a m-monster. That would b-be you." choked Sunset through gritted teeth.

Filthy Rich slammed the bloodied rake against the table. He was furious that Sunset seemed to be ignorant of her true nature. His blood boiled with his fury as he thought about Starlight. He couldn't have her corrupt his next daughter, not again. He looked at his knife set. He saw that he had three butcher knives.

He grabbed one and walked over to Sunset. He saw the wounds caused by the rake. He smiled at his work. He took the knife he had and ran it along the wounds.

Sunset winced, biting her lip. She felt the blade slip into the open wound. The cool metal felt nice against her irritated skin. But the edge of the blade threatened to worsen the pain. She kept as steady as she could manage. She waited and watched as Filthy Rich ran the knife along her wound. She coughed, her mouth tasted of her own blood as she did.

"When Starlight took my first daughter, I vowed to avenge her. And I figured that you," Filthy Rich pulled the knife away from Sunset's wound, "would be the perfect choice to exact my revenge." said Filthy Rich.

Sunset wondered why Filthy Rich seemed to care about his first daughter. She couldn't picture him ever loving anyone besides himself and maybe whoever his wife may be. She kept her eyes on the knife in his hand. She had a feeling that she was going to suffer a few more injuries before he was satisfied. She felt her body sting as the hydrogen peroxide made its way throughout her body.

Filthy Rich sanitized the knife blade. He didn't want to have any germs killing Sunset before he could do more to her. He turned back to her. He could see the blood in her mouth running down her chin. He was amazed that she was this resilient. He stabbed the knife in between Sunset's ribcage.

Sunset felt the blade puncture her skin. She screamed as she felt a stinging pain along with the stabbing of the knife. She was barely able to breathe through the pain. She saw her vision getting blurry as more of her blood drenched her clothes and the floor.

She didn't have time to collect herself as she felt two more knives hit her. She saw the second one go below the first. She found the third one located in her thigh. She screamed as Filthy Rich dragged the third knife down her thigh before he removed it. She saw her blood pool around her new wound. She noticed that her body felt lighter with the more blood she lost.

Filthy Rich yanked the last two knives out of Sunset's ribcage. He watched as blood poured out of the open wounds. He threw the bloody knives next to the rake. He opened on the containers on the second shelf of the cart. He removed a pressing iron from the container.

"Filthy Rich, please, stop. I can't take anymore." pleaded Sunset, not caring how weak she sounded.

She wasn't sure how much more she could stand. She could tell that she was just barely clinging to life. She saw through her blurred vision, what appeared to be a pressing iron. She felt her fear grip her as her body went stiff. She knew what he was planning. She gulped, preparing for the inevitable pain that was coming.

Filthy Rich ignored Sunset's plea. His anger was too strong for him to care. He turned the pressing iron to its highest setting. He modified the iron, making it so that its highest setting was hot enough to cause second-degree burns.

He plugged in the extension cord which was needed. He turned on the pressing iron as approached Sunset. He went behind her, seeing that her front was already damaged. He saw that her back was a good choice for placing the iron. Once he heard the pressing iron ding, he held it to Sunset's back.

Sunset screamed again, but it was the last time she could scream. She was so loud that her voice cracked and left her unable to speak. She silently grimaced in pain as her skin began to heat up. She felt her skin being burnt the longer the iron rested on it.

Filthy Rich removed the iron. He saw that Sunset's shirt was burnt away and her skin was blistered slightly. He smiled to himself, proud of his work. He repeated that five more times. He stopped when the last part of Sunset's back was blistered. He turned off the iron and tossed it onto the cart.

Then he grabbed a bloodied knife and used it to cut the rope that suspended Sunset. He let her fall onto the basement floor, which was covered in her blood.

Sunset wanted to scream as her body hit the hard floor. She felt every wound and nerve ending flare up. But as she laid on the floor, the coolness of it soothed some of her pain. She saw that her wounds had begun to heal slightly around the edges. She struggled to see Filthy Rich as he spoke to her.

"I will be back when I figure out when I should bring you back to Starlight," said Filthy Rich.

He cleaned up in the bathroom which he installed in the basement. He then grabbed five bags of squirrel blood and set them on the cart.

"That should last you until I come back. I really hope Starlight has learned her lesson." continued Filthy Rich.

He looked at Sunset as she passed out. He walked around her, avoiding the pool of her blood. He closed the basement, locking it behind him. He drove off, heading to CHS.