//------------------------------// // Chapter 30: "I am...okay...?" // Story: The Chronicles of Sunset: Crimson Promise // by VioletNightWriter //------------------------------// The next morning, Sunset awoke to find herself in her room. She looked around, dazed for a moment. As she looked around, she remembered the events of last nights. She looked at her to confirm that she had indeed been wrapped in ace bandages. She sat up, throwing the blanket off of her. She felt a lot better then she did last night. She figured that a good night's rest helped her recuperate a lot quicker. She stood up and walked to her bathroom. Closing the door, she sighed. It felt good to be home again. She looked at the mirror. She saw her reflection with its tangled hair and half opened eyes. She burst out laughing at how silly she looked. She grabbed her hairbrush and took care of her messy hair. She put her hairbrush down on the counter. As she did, she recalled the moment she was in Filthy Rich's basement bathroom. She remembered her red eyes and the hunger that made them glow. "Filthy Rich was right. I am a monster." thought Sunset. She turned the water on. She splashed some in her face. She enjoyed the feeling of the cool water on her face. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax. She continued to get ready for the day. She wondered who Starlight said was coming. She pulled the gown off her body. She looked at the ace bandages. She noticed that there seemed to be some speckled areas of fresh blood. She wondered if it was caused by her shifting around in her sleep. Thinking little of it, she continued to find a better outfit. She found her magenta pajamas. She slipped on her nightshirt, pulling it over the ace bandages. She grabbed her pants and put them on. She looked at her reflection, making sure that her pajamas were on correctly. Suddenly the front door opened. Diamond Tiara and Twilight walked in. Twilight stayed back as her friends surrounded her and Diamond Tiara. She smiled as she got pulled into a group hug. She was happy to see her friends again. But a part of her still remained wary of seeing Sunset. The group hug soon broke apart after a few minutes. Rainbow Dash sat on a stool by the kitchen counter. She turned to Twilight, eating an apple. "So, Twilight where'd you run off to?" asked Rainbow Dash. Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash. She adjusted her glasses, trying to not let her nerves get the better of her. She hoped that Sunset was still asleep. "I was...uh, at a dog park," replied Twilight. Rainbow Dash and the girls exchanged glances of shocked expressions. But Rarity, who was drinking a blueberry and banana smoothie, almost choked. She covered her mouth to keep from making a mess. "What on earth were doing at a dog park, dear?" asked Rarity. Everyone turned back to Twilight. They wanted to hear her reason for running to a dog park. Applejack was the only one who didn't really look at Twilight. she recalled their conversation that they had the day Sunset had been kidnapped. "I went there because...because of me and my brother, Shining Armor. We used to go there when he was still around. It's Spike's favorite place to go...and mine." replied Twilight. The girls were silent. They didn't realize that Twilight had a brother or that she missed him. The silence in the room became deafening. Twilight, who was still anxious, shifted from one foot to another. "Well, at least you're safe now, Twi," said Applejack, slinging an arm around Twilight's shoulders. Twilight managed a weak smile. She looked at the staircase. She saw that Starlight was standing there. She caught her eye for a moment. She hoped that Starlight couldn't sense her fear. She watched Starlight walk up the stairs, presumably to Sunset's room. "Come on, let's get you something to eat," said Pinkie Pie. Pinkie grabbed a few boxes of pancake mix. She also grabbed a few other ingredients for her pancakes. She started to make the pancake batter while the others chatted amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Sunset was in her room. She had heard the front door open. She could smell Twilight's scent. She felt her fangs extend as her hunger swelled. She grabbed the sink counter in an effort to fight her urges. "You know, I don't consider you a monster. You have a hunger, that doesn't label you as a monster. It's what you do with the hunger, that does." said Starlight, leaning against the door frame. Sunset jumped. She spun around to see that Starlight was approaching her. "H-how did you know what I was thinking?" asked Sunset. Starlight placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "I know...because I have been where you have. Remember my sister?" asked Starlight. Sunset nodded. "Yeah, I remember," replied Sunset. "Well, when I killed her, I too, felt like a monster. I wanted to die because I did the one thing I swore I would never do," said Starlight. Sunset looked at Starlight she wondered what Starlight meant. She knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "So, what stopped you?" asked Sunset. "What stopped me was remembering this; that making a mistake, no matter how bad, didn't mean that I couldn't work to be better," replied Starlight. Sunset stared at her hands. She replayed Twilight's words in her head. She could still hear the fear and hurt in her voice. She wiped a tear which ran down her cheek. "So...it'll get easier?" asked Sunset. Starlight saw the tear which Sunset wiped away. She wrapped an arm around Sunset waist. Pulling her closer, Starlight held her hand. "It will. But...it takes time. Think you can take the time to work on rebuilding your trust with Twilight?" asked Starlight. "Yeah, I can," replied Sunset. Starlight pulled Sunset into a hug. She was glad to have her daughter and friend back. She let go of Sunset after a few moments. "So, you ready to say hi to your friends?" asked Starlight. Sunset nodded. She watched as Starlight left her room, closing the door. She took a deep breath. She really wanted to talk to Twilight. She wanted to repair the damage she caused. Twilight grabbed a plate of pancakes and took a few off of it. She got up and grabbed the syrup from the cabinet near the fridge. She was about to use it when Rainbow Dash grabbed it. "Rainbow, I was going to use-" Twilight looked up to see Sunset walking down the stairs. Sunset stopped walking mid-step. She saw Twilight meet her gaze. She felt her pulse speed up. She was a mix of nervous and fearful. She didn't want to make Twilight run again. She continued to walk down the rest of the stairs. She looked down at the floor, taking a deep breath. "Hey, Sunset. Do you want some pancakes?" asked Diamond Tiara, walking over with a plate of pancakes. Sunset took the plate. She looked at the pancakes. She was hungry, but something made her unsure if she wanted to eat. She glanced up to see Pinkie Pie flipping a pancake. She smiled and walked into the kitchen. "Yeah, I wouldn't miss eating Pinkie's famous pancakes," said Sunset, setting the plate down on the counter. Starlight walked in just as Sunset sat down. "Morning girls. How did you all sleep? I trust you slept well." said Starlight. Rainbow Dash poured the syrup over her pancakes. She took a bite of the pancakes. "Well, I slept like a log," replied Rainbow, her mouth still full. Everyone nodded. They had all fallen asleep quickly, exhausted from the night events. The sound of sizzling batter and knives cutting pancakes filled the room. Everyone, especially Sunset and Twilight, felt tense. Pinkie made the last batch of pancakes as everyone sat down. She was happy to see all her friends sitting and enjoying breakfast together. She looked at Sunset then at Twilight. She noticed that there was some tension between them. She decided that she was going to fix that. She took the last bit of batter and made two half hearts. Once they were done, she placed each half on a plate. She took the first half and wrote 'Sunset' in red icing. On the second half, she wrote 'Twilight' in purple icing. "Alright, here's the last batch of pancakes" Pinkie placed the last stack of pancakes on the counter, "And for Sunset and Twilight, I made you two these," said Pinkie, placing the heart pancakes in front of them. Twilight looked at her pancake. She saw that her name was on it. She glanced at Sunset and saw that Sunset's pancake had her name. She met Sunset’s gaze before pulling away. She adjusted her glasses, not sure of what to think of Pinkie's kind gesture. Applejack finished her serving of pancakes. She walked over to the sink where Rarity was standing. As she tossed her dish into the sink, she looked at Sunset and Twilight. "You're seeing the awkward side glances too?" whispered Rarity. Applejack looked at Rarity. "Yeah. I haven't seen Sunset this tense. But after what happened last week, I don't blame her." replied Applejack. Rarity looked at Twilight. She could tell that she was trying her best to act calm. But she could see the anxiety in her purple eyes. She looked at Sunset, who was eating some of her pancakes. She was happy to see her eating, despite the tension in the air. She saw that Sunset occasional glanced at Twilight. She could see that Sunset wanted to talk to Twilight. "Let's give Sunset and Twilight some time alone," said Rarity. Applejack nodded in agreement. "Hey, Sunset, mind if we browse your movie collection? I figured that we could do a movie marathon," asked Applejack. "Sure, I think that's a cool idea," replied Sunset. With that said, everyone left the kitchen, except Sunset and Twilight. When the room was less crowded, Sunset moved closer to Twilight. She also brought her half of the heart pancake with her. "You know, Pinkie's idea with the heart was amazing," said Sunset. Twilight looked at her half. She couldn't help but smile. She had to agree with Sunset. She liked the gesture. She turned attention to Sunset. "I agree. The gesture was sweet," replied Twilight. As Sunset looked at Twilight, the noticed the sapphire stone around her necklace. She gave Twilight a half smile. She didn't think that she would've worn the necklace. "Did you like the necklace? I made it for you," asked Sunset. Twilight reached a hand towards her necklace. She rubbed her finger over the smooth stone. She had almost forgotten that she still had it on. She gripped the stone tightly for a moment. "Yes, I do. Thank you...for making it," replied Twilight. Sunset held out her hand. "Twilight, can I see your wrist, the one I...bit," asked Sunset. Twilight gripped her wrist, covering the bite mark. "W-why?" Sunset moved her hand back a little. She didn't mean to frighten Twilight. She hung her head, her eyes avoiding Twilight's anxious ones. "I just wanted to see...what I did," replied Sunset. Twilight sighed, letting go of her wrist. She reached out and grabbed Sunset's hand. She pulled her hand towards her. She laid her wrist on Sunset's cold hands. She swallowed, feeling her throat become dry. Sunset glanced at Twilight. She could sense her fear and anxiety. She didn't grip Twilight's wrist tightly for fear of causing Twilight to panic. She placed a finger on the edge of the bite mark. She could feel the indentations of her teeth. She was shocked to see how hard she had bitten Twilight. Twilight did her best to not yank her hand away. She didn't like how Sunset traced the bite mark. She wanted to say something, but her voice didn't seem to cooperate. Reaching a breaking point, Twilight pulled her wrist away. Sunset pulled her hands away, unsure of what to do. She could see that Twilight was close to panicking again. She tentatively reached a hand towards Twilight. She wanted to show her that she was in control. Twilight, still on edge from Sunset touching her, moved away. But in doing so, she bumped into her knife. It fell, cutting her palm in the process. She grabbed her hand and let out a small scream. She met Sunset's gaze, locking eyes with her. Sunset kept her gaze on Twilight. She tried to ignore the smell of Twilight's blood. But she felt her stomach turn and twist as her hunger grew. She hugged her stomach as she kept her eyes on Twilight. She felt her canines change into her fangs. "Ah!" screamed Sunset as she felt her primal instincts threatening to overtake her. Twilight saw Sunset's fangs. She staggered back off the stool she was sitting in, her eyes fixated on Sunset's fangs. She watched as Sunset's eyes went from their usual cyan color to blood red. She felt her heart sink as her fear swelled. She wiped off a few beads of sweat which had formed on her skin. Sunset kept her gaze on Twilight. She could feel herself wanting to attack her. She closed her eyes as her vision became blurry. She felt dizzy and hot. She gripped the countertop with her free hand. Starlight, who was sitting in her room, heard Sunset's scream. She walked down the stairs, wanting to see what was going on. She saw Sunset bent over, clutching her stomach. She stepped into the room, bumping her foot against a chair. Sunset spun around, her red eyes glaring angrily at Starlight. She growled, baring her fangs. She stood up from her stool, no longer hugging her stomach. She approached Starlight. Twilight, seeing Sunset take her attention off her, made a move to get away. She got to the refrigerator when Sunset turned her attention back to her. She locked eyes with Sunset. She could see that her eyes didn't have their usual kindness. But as she saw the primal hunger in Sunset's eyes, it disappeared. It was replaced with shock and disgust. Sunset felt her dizziness disappear. She realized that she was standing in front of Twilight. She gripped the countertop as her vision blurred. She struggled to keep herself from attacking Twilight. She could smell Twilight's scent. It made her mouth water. She ran her tongue across her fangs, wanting to sink them into Twilight. "No! No, she's your friend, not a blood bag!" thought Sunset. She looked at Twilight's wrist. She stared at her bite mark. She saw images of herself feeding on Twilight flash through her mind. She felt dizzy again as the memories flooded her brain. She managed to keep her balance as the images stopped. She met Twilight's eyes again. She saw fear in her purple eyes and that made her stomach twist into knots. "T-Twilight..." Sunset took a few steps closer to Twilight, "I am not going to hurt you, I promise." said Sunset. Twilight looked at her friend. She saw Sunset's usual kindness shine through the hunger. She took a deep breath, her heartbeat slowing down as she did so. She took a few shaky steps closer to Sunset. "Twilight, be careful. You're still bleeding." cautioned Starlight. Sunset looked at Twilight's wound. Part of her wanted to drink her blood. But she fought against her urges. She looked back at Twilight. "Let me help you, please," said Sunset. Twilight glanced at starlight. She saw Starlight give a reassuring nod. She looked back at Sunset. She decided to fight her fear which was threatening to make her faint. She stepped aside, allowing Sunset to access the sink. Sunset grabbed a towel and soaked it in the sink. She rung the towel out before she removed it from the sink. She looked at Starlight, hoping that she would be able to stay in control. Twilight kept herself glued to the spot where she stood. She couldn't move as Sunset got closer to her. She watched as Sunset placed the towel on her cut. She inhaled sharply as the water stinging as it touched her cut. Sunset focused on Twilight's injury. She didn't want to hurt her again. She wiped Twilight's cut clean, removing all the dried blood from the area. She pulled the towel away. As she brought the towel closer, she caught a whiff of Twilight's scent. She was tempted to keep the towel. But she tossed it aside, disgusted at her thoughts. "Sunset, can I leave you with Twilight? Alone?" asked Starlight. Twilight looked at Starlight, her eyes wide with fear. She was hoping that Starlight would've stayed. "What are you saying?! Sunset's your friend, stop the letting fear run through you," shouted Twilight in her mind. "Yes, you can, Starlight," replied Sunset. Sunset met Starlight's gaze. She could see that Starlight wanted to know that she would mean it. She caught Twilight's eye, seeing a hint of fear. She looked down at her hands. Her words struggled to come. "Twilight...you can trust me," said Sunset. Twilight looked at her wound. She was trying to adjust to what she saw. She didn't think that she could feel safe around Sunset after what happened on Tuesday. Yet, she saw that Sunset was in control of herself. Taking a leap of faith, she grabbed one of Sunset's hands with her good hand. "I believe you, Sunset," said Twilight. Starlight winked at Sunset. She grabbed the first aid kit from one of the cabinets and laid it on the counter. "Here's the first aid, Sunset. I am glad you and Twilight have rebuilt some of your trust," said Starlight, leaving the kitchen. Sunset grabbed the kit, pulling her hand free of Twilight's hand. She pulled out the gauze, bandages, and tape. She heard the floorboards squeak, pulling her attention to Twilight. She looked at her friend. She could tell that Twilight had begun to feel frightened again. She sighed. "I don't blame her. I did attack her. And I swore that wouldn't hurt her." thought Sunset. Taking a step towards Twilight, Sunset said, "Twilight, let me take of your wound. Then I will keep my distance until you feel safe, okay?" Twilight gave Sunset a wary look. A part of her believed Sunset. But a part of her felt like she couldn't. She sat in one of the chairs next to Sunset. She placed her hand in the counter, showing her palm. "Okay, Sunset," said Twilight. A half hour later, the girls returned downstairs from Sunset's room with a small stack of movies. "Uh, did we miss something?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to the bloodied towel. Sunset rubbed the back of her head, avoiding Rainbow Dash's gaze. "Twilight cut herself by accident. I took care of it, though," said Sunset, seeing Rainbow Dash's concerned expression. Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight then back Sunset. "Okay..." said Rainbow Dash. Pinkie jumped onto the couch, flinging the pillows off it. "Hurry up slowpokes! You're going to miss the first movie!" shouted Pinkie. Sunset stole one last glance at Twilight. Her stomach twisted and knotted as she saw the fear which darkened Twilight's eyes. "I'm sorry, Twi." thought Sunset. She joined her friends on the couch, hoping the day would get better. *Three movies later* The sound of the doorbell being rung caught Sunset's attention. She got up and went to the door. The door had a peephole, which Sunset looked through. She saw a familiar outfit. "Trixie? What are you doing here?" asked Sunset, opening the door halfway. Trixie rubbed her neck nervously. Her eyes never left the ground as she spoke. "I...just wanted to say...t-thank you, you know, for saving me..." Trixie replied, her voice shaking slightly. Sunset opened all the way. Her body posture seemed to relax as she heard what Trixie said. She leaned against the door. "Y-you're welcome. Do you want to come in?" asked Sunset, gesturing to her friends. The pale blue haired girl met Sunset's gaze. She saw a kindness in her eyes that she hadn't seen before. She wondered if she should take the invitation. "S-sure," replied Trixie, walking into to the kitchen hallway. She could see Sunset's friends watching a movie in the living room. As the front door shut behind her, she saw a few of the girls glance at her. Sunset walked past Trixie, making her way to the fridge. It was lunchtime and she was getting hungry. But she felt odd. She felt her craving for blood wasn't as strong as usual. Trixie sat on one of the chairs that surrounded the kitchen island. She watched as Sunset grabbed a jar of squirrel blood. She looked away as Sunset poured the crimson liquid into a glass. She felt herself gag as she caught the scent. Sunset felt her fangs extend. But as she ran her tongue along them, she felt something different. She could've sworn they seemed less sharp and shorter than normal. She knitted her eyebrows in confusion for a few moments. She tried to figure out why her body seemed to be different than before. "Maybe I am just imagining things. I mean, I can't be turning human again...right?" thought Sunset. She was jolted out of her thought by her growling stomach. She held the glass to her lips. She let the cool liquid slide down her parched throat. She finished the glass without taking a breath. Once the glass was emptied, she took a deep breath, gasping for air. Trixie, who finally manage to calm her stomach, looked over at Sunset. She caught sight of blood on Sunset's arm. She jumped up from her chair and ran over to Sunset. "What happened?" asked Trixie, lifting Sunset sleeve, revealing the blood speckled bandages. Sunset yanked her arm free from Trixie's grip. She covered the bandages again, scowling at Trixie. "Nothing that concerns you!" hissed Sunset, watching as Twilight met her gaze. Trixie backed away, holding her hands up in defense. She hadn't meant to upset Sunset. She sat back in her chair. "Does it have something to do with your absence?" Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow. Sunset felt a growl escape. She gripped the countertop, her knuckles turning white from her grip. She looked at Trixie. She wanted the smug look on her face to disappear. It was bad enough that she had messed things up with Twilight. She didn't Trixie's attitude. "Yes, it does," replied Sunset, giving Trixie a cold glare. Trixie shifted nervously under Sunset's glare. She understood the coldness in Sunset's glare. She had taken advantage of her when she found her secret. Sighing, she looked down at her skirt. "You know Sunset, the Great and Powerful Trixie, is sorry she took advantage of you..." said Trixie, her voice lowering with each word. Sunset softened her gaze. She could hear the sincerity in Trixie's voice. But she still couldn't believe that Trixie would apologize, for anything. That wasn't something Trixie was known to do. A small, thin smile spread across Sunset's face. "Do you mean really mean that Trixie?" asked Sunset. Trixie looked at Sunset before returning her gaze back to her skirt. "Yes, I do, Sunset. I shouldn't have done that. I guess...I was...jealous...of you and your friends." Trixie replied, hoping Sunset believed her apology. Sunset looked at her friends. She watched as Pinkie made a silly face with the popcorn. A half smile appeared as she heard her friends' laughter. Sunset glanced down at the counter. She replayed some of the memories of her friends in her head. *Flashback* Sunset was sitting under a shady tree in the courtyard of CHS. She was writing in her diary. Looking up from her writing, she saw her friends. She waved them over to her. "Hey, Sunset. How was lunch?" asked Pinkie Pie. Sunset gave her friends a small smile. "It was okay, as usual," said Sunset in a monotone voice. Rarity exchanged worried glances with Applejack. Turning to Sunset, she said, "Darling, what's bothering you?" Sunset's gaze drifted to her diary. She reread her diary entry, silently. Today hadn't been what she expected. "Girls, I-Fluttershy found out my secret!" said Sunset, her eyes becoming watery. Rarity glanced up at her friends. They had been wondering when this was going to happen. Placing a hand on Sunset's shoulder, Rarity sat down. "Sunset, darling, this was always going to come at some point. Now at least, you have gotten it out of the way." Rarity said, her other hand grabbing one of Sunset's. Sunset looked up at her friends. They had been by her side, even when they found out her secret. Their friendship was what helped Sunset adjust to going to CHS. "Let's find Fluttershy," said Rainbow Dash, her impatience clear. Sunset looked panicked at Rainbow Dash's statement. Fear made her blood run cold. She couldn't-no, she wouldn't face Fluttershy. Not after she saw the terrified look in Fluttershy's eyes. Felling Sunset tense up, Rarity gave her an encouraging squeeze. "Relax, Sunset. We are all here for you. We'll help you talk to Fluttershy, okay?" said Rarity, looking Sunset in the eye. Sunset could see the calm look in Rarity's blue eyes. Relief washed over her. She sat back against the tree. After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash returned, a light pink haired girl behind her. "I finally found Fluttershy," said Rainbow Dash, stepping back and allowing the girls to see Fluttershy. Sunset looked up, catching Fluttershy's eyes. She could see her obvious fear. Reluctantly, Sunset stood up and walked up to Fluttershy. Fluttershy let out a small squeal of surprise. "Fluttershy...can we talk?" asked Sunset, giving Fluttershy a warm smile. Fluttershy, who was hiding behind her hair, glanced at Sunset. Her eyes were wide. "W-we can." Fluttershy, pushing her hair aside. Sunset looked at the rest of her friends. Their expressions told her that they were worried. She gave them a reassuring smile. "Girls, I would like to talk to Fluttershy," said Sunset. "Alone." Applejack understood what Sunset meant. "Come on girls, let's go get some snacks," said Applejack, giving Sunset a wink. Sunset smiled back. The girls nodded and followed Applejack to the snack window. Now alone with Fluttershy, Sunset sat in her spot. She moved her diary and motioned for Fluttershy to sit next to her. Fluttershy looked at Sunset then back at her own hands. Nervousness was making her hands shake. She sat next to Sunset, a good few inches of space between them. "W-what do you to talk a-about, Sunset?" asked Fluttershy. "You know what I want to talk about, Fluttershy," replied Sunset. Fluttershy swallowed hard and looked down. This was something she didn't want to talk about. Her stomach twisted into knots as her anxiety grew. It was difficult to look at Sunset and not see her red eyes. "Sunset, I..." Fluttershy tried to talk, but the words seemed to not come. Unable to do much to console Fluttershy, Sunset looked at the grass. Her mind kept replaying the scene in the bathroom. One mistake. All it took was one mistake. She hadn't checked to see if she had locked the stall door. It made her nauseous knowing that she had frightened her friend. "Fluttershy, I wanted to tell you. But-" "But what, Sunset?" asked Fluttershy, cutting Sunset off. Sunset was surprised by Fluttershy's attitude. It was unusual to see her shy friend act so outspoken. "Fluttershy, I wanted to tell you. But...I didn't want to ruin our friendship." said Sunset. Fluttershy met Sunset's gaze. Instead of red, hungry eyes, she saw kindness and hurt. A pang of guilt made Fluttershy regret her actions. In spite of her fear, Fluttershy forced herself to speak. "Oh, Sunset. You haven't lost my friendship. You were so kind to me when I was being bullied" Fluttershy said, placing a comforting hand on Sunset's arm. That made Sunset smile, though her smile was small and weak. She placed a hand over Fluttershy's. "I was just being a friend. But, I am happy to hear that I didn't lose your friendship. Can we continue to be friends?" asked Sunset, her voice quivering as she said 'friends'. "You'll always have my friendship, Sunset," replied Fluttershy. A few minutes later, Applejack and their friends came back, with snacks. "Is everything okay?" asked Rarity. Sunset smiled. "Better than okay," Sunset said, her smiling growing wide. Rarity pulled out her phone. Naturally, she wanted to take a group selfie with her friends. Micro Chips was walking by the girls when Rarity approached him. "Hello, Rarity." greeted Micro Chips. "Hello, dear. Would be so kind as to take the picture for us?" asked Rarity. "Of course, Rarity," replied Micro Chips, adjusting his glasses. He grabbed Rarity's phone as she handed it to him. As the camera focused on the girls, he steadied his hands. "Ready? Say Wondercolts!" shouted Micro Chips as he took the picture. The girls all smile as big as they could. Once the picture was taken, Rarity grabbed her phone back from Micro Chips. "Thank you, dear," said Rarity, walking back to her friends. End of Flashback* "Sunset...hello?" asked Trixie, waving her hand in front of Sunset's face. Sunset blinked as her train of thought was interrupted by Trixie's voice. "W-what Trixie?" asked Sunset, narrowing her eyes at Trixie. Trixie shifted nervously. It always surprised her to see Sunset become menacing. It wasn't a side of Sunset she often saw. Not that she had hung out with Sunset enough to see it. "I was saying that I meant my apology when you zoned out on me," replied Trixie, meeting Sunset's softening gaze. "Right, your apology. Well...I am willing to look past your mistakes, seeing as I have made my own recently." said Sunset. It still stung. The regret and guilt of what she had done to Twilight made her stomach knot up. She had made Twilight one promise. A promise, that in hindsight, she shouldn't have made. Unfortunately, she broke that promise and now, she had to rebuild her trust with Twilight. A series of loud knocks brought Sunset back to her surroundings. Walking out of the kitchen, Sunset answered the door. As she opened it, she was greeted by a woman whose hair was as red as blood, but it had dark purple and blue streaks throughout it. It took Sunset a moment to notice the woman's eyes. Her eyes were a mix of gold with dark red streaks showing. "Who are you?" Sunset asked her voice heavy with suspicion. Royal Moon cleared her throat and held out her hand. "My name is Royal Moon, and I am a dear friend of Starlight's. Nice to meet you, Sunset," replied Royal Moon, shaking hands with Sunset.