Sunset stared at Royal Moon. Something about Royal Moon seemed familiar. But hard as she tried, she couldn’t figure it out. She looked over at Pinkie Pie as she walked up.
"Oh, hey! You're Starlight's vampire friend, Royal...Moon, right?" asked Pinkie Pie, in her usual cheery way.
Sunset raised her eyebrows in surprise. She looked at Royal Moon, gauging if Pinkie Pie was right.
"Are you really a vampire?" asked Sunset.
Royal Moon nodded.
"Yes. Though, I am half vampire." Royal Moon said as Starlight came down the stairs.
Sunset stepped aside as Royal Moon walked in. She caught Trixie's eye. Gauging from Trixie's expression, Sunset could tell she was thinking the same thing; what is going on here?
"Star, how are you? Any better since last night?" asked Royal Moon as she greeted her friend.
A big smile was on Starlight's face. Any time she and Royal Moon hung out, it was like she was human again. A slight chuckle escaped from Starlight. It was hard to contain her excitement around her old friend.
"A bit better. Though, I am still worried about Sunset," replied Starlight.
Royal Moon gave Starlight a hug. It made her sad to see her friend worried. She broke the hug, allowing Starlight to breathe.
"Shall we go somewhere to talk?" asked Royal Moon.
Starlight nodded and gave Royal Moon a warm smile.
Royal Moon followed Starlight to her room. The house seemed to be bigger than she remembered. As they approached Starlight's room, she spotted a padlocked door. Knitting her eyebrows, she turned her attention to Starlight.
"Hey Star, what's in the padlocked room, if I may ask?" said Royal Moon, pouting at the door.
Starlight glanced at the door and let out a heavy sigh. The room reminded her of memories, painful ones. She walked over to the door. Her hand hovered over the lock.
"Royal Moon, if I show you what's the room, do you promise to not tell anyone?" asked Starlight.
Royal Moon approached the door. A shimmer ran across the door. It was magic. Turning to Starlight, she nodded.
The spell locking the door broke as Starlight touched the handle. She swung the door open. Inside the room, it was dusty and dark. There were cobwebs all over the room. It seemed that it hadn't been touched or cleaned for a long time.
"This room...is where I keep all my old photos and things from my past." Starlight said, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Royal Moon saw the tear run down Starlight's cheek. It was the first time Royal Moon saw her friend cry. She rested her hand on Starlight's shoulder, squeezing it.
"I'm sorry, Star. If I had known, I wouldn't have-" said Royal Moon.
"No, it's fine. I was planning to show you this room anyway." Starlight said, interrupting Royal Moon.
Starlight grabbed a frame off the desk which sat next to the door. The picture was of her back when she had just turned 18. It was a fond memory for Starlight. Simply because it was the most fun she had as a human. But sadly, it also reminded her of what she lost thanks to Filthy Rich.
"You okay, Star?" asked Royal Moon.
Starlight set the picture back down. Clearing her throat, she turned to her friend.
"Yeah, I am fine. It's just...painful memories," replied Starlight.
It was clear that Starlight didn't really like being in the room. Royal Moon decided to walk out of the room. She had seen enough. And she could see it was bringing up bad memories for Starlight.
"Come on, Star. Let's go talk in your room," said Royal Moon, holding a hand out for Starlight.
Starlight looked at Royal Moon. Her cheeks were visibly wet with tears. It was clear that she was upset by the memories contained in the room. She walked out of the room and closed the door. As the door clicked back into place, the spell locking it, returned.
Meanwhile downstairs, Sunset was thinking about Royal Moon. It was hard to believe she was a friend of Starlight's. Starlight had neglected to mention her to anyone, to Sunset.
Pinkie Pie could see that Sunset was lost in thought. She got up off the couch and walked over to Sunset. She sat down, next to Sunset.
"What's on your mind, Sunset?" asked Pinkie Pie.
Sunset glanced up at her friend. She knew Pinkie Pie meant well. But she wasn't in a mood to share her thoughts. Sighing, she rested her hands on the counter.
"It's just Royal Moon, Pinkie. I can't believe Starlight never mentioned her," replied Sunset.
Pinkie Pie gave Sunset a small smile.
"She may have had her reasons," said Pinkie Pie.
"Maybe." was all Sunset said as Pinkie left, heading back to living room.
Trixie, who had been sitting quietly, got up. She was a few steps from the door when a voice stopped her.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Sunset.
Trixie spun around to see that Sunset was standing behind her. It made her gasp. She wasn't expecting Sunset to be right there.
"I am heading home. You are obviously busy, and besides, the great and powerful Trixie has to practice her act," replied Trixie.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. She didn't quite believe Trixie's excuse. But instead of arguing over it, she decided it was best Trixie left.
"Okay. Guess I will see at school then?" asked Sunset, opening the door for Trixie.
"Yeah, you will," said Trixie.
Sunset watched as Trixie walked out the front door. She closed it slowly, not wanting to disturb her friends. As she closed the door, one thought crossed her mind. What knife did Filthy Rich stab her with? She looked down at her abdomen as her hand instinctively touched the wound.
A few hours later at CHS, Filthy Rich stirred. He felt groggy as though he had been drugged. A strange feeling ran through his whole body. It felt as though electricity was flowing through him. He looked down at his chest. In his chest was the metal pipe Diamond Tiara had stabbed through him. It was pulsating at the same pace of his heartbeat.
"What the-? How I am alive?!" shouted Filthy Rich.
He tentatively reached out his hand. As he touched the pipe. He could feel the solid metal which had been warmed slightly due to his body heat. He yanked his hand away, shocked. This couldn't be possible. The staff had been destroyed right? As he thought about it, he figured that the staff could possibly have granted him and Starlight the ability to withstand any weapon.
Filthy Rich grabbed the pipe again. He gave the pipe a small tug. It pulled against his skin and clothes. As the metal rubbed against the raw skin, a stinging sensation occurred. His breathing became heavy as the pain level increased. He shook his head. This pipe had to be removed. After a few minutes of pulling, the pipe was freed from his body.
He tossed the metal pipe aside. The pipe hit the pavement, clanging, and ringing as it hit the concrete. Filthy Rich covered his ears. Once the pipe settled, he removed his hands off his ears. As he looked at his wound, it was already beginning to heal.
"What the-?! That shouldn't be happening. Not even human blood can do that." thought Filthy Rich as he ran a finger over his wound.
Then, it hit him. The staff had indeed worked. It had granted him the ability to be unharmed by any weapon. He sat up quickly causing his head to pound as his blood rushed out of his head.
Shakily, he stood up. His vision was blurry as he adjusted to the bright daylight. After a few seconds, he was able to see again. He looked around, squinting in the midday sun. The courtyard which had previously been occupied by students was now empty.
A familiar scent drifted towards Filthy Rich. Blood. Human blood to be exact. He looked up to see where it came from. Walking on the edge of the school property was a boy. The boy appeared to be no older than Sunset was.
Filthy Rich clutched his stomach as his stomach growled. His knees buckled as he grew dizzy. He stayed still, his breathing slowed. For a few minutes, the only sounds were his breathing, his heartbeat, and the sounds of the boy’s footsteps. Suddenly, Filthy Rich snapped his head up. His blue eyes were now blood red.
The boy looked up as Filthy Rich walked over to him. His eyes were immediately drawn to Filthy Rich's fangs. Fear made his blood grow cold. He started to walk faster. Yet, somehow, Filthy Rich still manage to keep pace. He stole a glance behind him. To his relief, no one was there. But as he turned to look in front of him, Filthy Rich was standing a few feet away.
"F-Filthy Rich, p-please, don't h-hurt me." the boy stammered, holding up his hands.
Filthy Rich rolled his eyes. It became annoying when people begged for him to not hurt them. Sighing, he took a few steps away from the boy.
"Relax. I won't hurt you...yet. I just need to know one thing." said Filthy Rich.
The boy knitted his eyebrows in confusion. He was unsure of Filthy rich was doing. A part of him felt like he should run. Ignoring that thought, he looked at Filthy Rich.
"What do you want to know?" asked the boy.
Filthy Rich took a few steps closer to the boy. The scent of blood was making Filthy Rich's mouth water. It took every bit of strength he had to keep from killing the boy. He rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. Leaning in, Filthy Rich whispered in the boy's ear.
"Tell me, where's the local orphanage?" asked Filthy Rich.
The boy glanced at Filthy Rich. He was visibly shaking. His voice quivered as he spoke.
"The orphanage is 3 blocks from here." said the boy.
Filthy Rich smiled. He looked the boy in the eye. His hunger surged, making his knees grow weak. He leaned slightly on the boy as he recovered. As he looked at the boy, a wide, malicious smile spread across his face.
The boy gulped. His throat felt tight and dry. He watched as Filthy Rich bared his fangs. A jolt of adrenaline broke through his paralyzing fear. He turned around and ran. But in doing so, he bumped into Filthy Rich. A small scream escaped as he collided into Filthy Rich.
Filthy Rich grabbed the boy's arms. He struggled to keep his grip on the boy as he fought. Though, after a few seconds, the boy stopped struggling. Filthy Rich took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the boy's blood.
The boy watched in fear as Filthy Rich leaned in closer. His eyes never left Filthy Rich's fangs. He could feel Filthy Rich's breath more the closer he got.
"Please, don't-" was the boy said before Filthy Rich sunk his fangs into his neck.
A stream of blood rushed into Filthy Rich's mouth. The taste of the iron-rich blood made his mouth water more. After a few minutes, the boy's body went limp. He yanked his fangs free as they retracted.
Filthy Rich let the boy's body drop. Stepping over it, he walked over to a van. He pulled on the door handle. To his surprise, the van was unlocked. He got in quickly, not wanting to be seen. He searched the van for its keys. After a few minutes of searching, he gave up.
He sat back in the driver's seat. He looked down at his hands. The power of the staff surged through him. He could feel it. As he looked at his hands, a thought crossed his mind. Could he have enough power now to affect electrical objects? He decided to test his theory. Raising his hand over the ignition, it took Filthy Rich a few minutes to focus.
A few moments later, the van roared to life. Filthy Rich lowered his hand, smiling. He was amazed at what he could now do because of the staff. But as he sat back, his head began to pound. It lasted a few seconds before dissipating.
"Woah! That must've required more magic than I realized." thought Filthy Rich.
Filthy Rich revved the van's engine. Stepping on the gas, he sped out of the school's parking lot. He was heading towards the orphanage.
Back at Starlight's house, Twilight was sitting in the living. She had been watching the movie marathon her friends planned. She looked over at Sunset. It had been a few hours since they last talked. Twilight had tried her best to fight her fear. But Sunset's attack left not only a physical scar but an emotional one as well.
Sunset looked and met Twilight's gaze. For a few moments, neither looked away. Sunset could see Twilight's fear and pain. She regretted her actions. As she looked at twilight, she saw that Twilight went to say something. But instead of saying anything, Twilight got up and walked away. Sunset, wanting to know what Twilight was going to say, followed her.
Twilight made her way to what she thought was her room. But when she opened the door, she realized it was Sunset's room. She closed the door and turned around, nearly bumping into Sunset.
"Oh, sorry Sunset," Twilight said, adjusting her glasses.
Sunset gave Twilight a small smile.
"It's cool, Twi. But what exactly were you doing?" asked Sunset.
Twilight cleared her throat. Being around Sunset made her pulse race. But not out of fear. She looked away from Sunset as she spoke.
"I was just going to my room. I wanted to be alone for a little while," replied Twilight.
Sunset bit her lip. It hadn't occurred to her that Twilight wanted to be alone. She sat down on the stairs. Looking at the stairs, Sunset sighed.
"I'm sorry, Twi. I didn't realize that you wanted to be alone," Sunset looked at Twilight, "I will leave you alone if that is what you want." said Sunset.
Twilight sat next to Sunset. She didn't want to be alone, not now. She wanted to talk to Sunset. Twilight had a few questions for Sunset about why she kissed her. Her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know if Sunset felt the same way she did.
"It's not what I want. In fact, I wanted to ask you something" replied Twilight.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. She didn't expect Twilight to talk to her. Especially after the attack. Deciding to stay, she looked at Twilight.
"What is it, Twilight?" asked Sunset.
Twilight looked at Sunset. Her cheeks became warm as she blushed. It took her by surprise that Sunset wanted to answer her question.
"I-I was wondering...do you like me?" asked Twilight, flustered.
Sunset smiled. She thought Twilight was cute when she was flustered. Cautiously, she reached out to grab Twilight's hand. But she hesitated when she saw Twilight flinch. She pulled her hand back, deciding to not push Twilight's trust.
"Yes. I do like you, Twilight," replied Sunset.
Shock hit her almost instantly. Twilight's eyes widened as she heard Sunset's words. She wasn't expecting Sunset to be so forward about her feelings.
"You mean like a...friend or...more?" asked Twilight.
Sunset went to answer. But before she could, she started to cough. A series of dry, hacking coughs racked Sunset. Once they stopped, Sunset tried to catch her breath. Her lungs burned every time she went to breathe.
Twilight looked at Sunset. She was concerned about her. It made her worried that Sunset seemed to be worse than she was that morning. It was like something or some spell was making Sunset sick. Twilight got up and went to find Starlight. She needed to tell her what was happening.
Meanwhile, Starlight was in her room with Royal Moon. She and Royal Moon had been talking for the last hour, catching up on each other's lives. Starlight was about to speak when Twilight burst in.
"Starlight, something is wrong with Sunset!" said Twilight.
Starlight looked at Royal Moon. Her persian eyes were filled with worry.
"Go! I will still be here. Sunset needs you." said Royal Moon, giving Starlight a small smile.
Starlight gave Royal Moon a silent thank you. After that, she followed Twilight to where Sunset was sitting in the stairs. What she saw made her heart skip. Sunset was shaking slightly and sweating. It was like she was sick with the flu all over again.
Starlight knelt down next to Sunset. She held her hand up to Sunset's forehead. It felt warm which was unusual.
"Twilight, grab the thermometer. It is in the cabinet above the bathroom sink," said Starlight.
Sunset watched as Twilight left. Another round of hacking coughs hit her. She covered her mouth as she felt something being coughed up. When she stopped coughing, she pulled her hand away. Her hand was covered in specks of blood.
Starlight saw Sunset's hand covered blood. Her concern for Sunset grew. Something was going on, and she figured Filthy Rich had something to do with it. She grabbed Sunset's arm. As she did so, she pulled back Sunset's pajama sleeve, revealing the bloodied bandages.
"Sunset, how long have you been bleeding?" asked Starlight.
Sunset pulled her arm away. Pulling her sleeve over the bandages, she looked at Starlight.
"I have been bleeding since this morning," replied Sunset, flinching away Starlight.
Starlight stayed silent for a few moments. The realization that Sunset didn't tell her about the bleeding hit her. It angered her that Sunset would've kept the fact she was bleeding a secret. But mostly it hurt her that Sunset felt she couldn't talk to her.
"Why didn't you come to me sooner?" asked Starlight, placing her hand on Sunset's back.
Sunset took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in her lungs.
"I didn't tell you about it because I thought it would go away. Also...I didn't want to worry you more." replied Sunset.
Starlight gave Sunset a half smile. She understood why Sunset didn't tell her. But now that she knew what was going on, she could save Sunset. Just then Twilight returned with the thermometer.
"Here's the thermometer, Starlight," said Twilight, handing the thermometer to Starlight.
Starlight placed the thermometer in Sunset's mouth. After waiting a few minutes, she pulled the thermometer away. She read the temperature.
"104. Sunset, that is a high temperature. And very unusual considering vampires don't get fevers." said Starlight.
Sunset looked at Starlight, shocked and scared. It had been years since she last had a fever. She hadn't had a fever since she was a human. She realized that could be exactly what was happening.
"Starlight, I think I am becoming human again," said Sunset.
Fluttershy, who was watching the current movie, looked up. She noticed the absence of Sunset and Twilight. Getting up, she silently walked out of the living. As she made her way to the staircase, she spotted Starlight and Sunset. She walked up to them.
"Girls, what's wrong?" asked Fluttershy, noticing that Sunset seemed to be sick.
Sunset coughed into her elbow. Her lungs were beginning to hurt more. She couldn't keep from shivering for long. Her eyes met Fluttershy's. She could tell that her pink haired friend was concerned for her.
"I think...Sunset might be turning human," replied Starlight.